29.6.06
I was back in camp because i was in a system strictly bounded by rules and i simply broke one. I was back in camp because i wasn't creful and smart enough. Today, i was back in camp to be charged.
At first when it happened, every one said it'd be okay.
But it's not. It's not okay to be escorted by two policemen to a room to talk to the officer one-to-one. It's not okay to have to go to an unfamiliar camp alone to give my statements. It's not okay to be in a small room to face interrogation. It's not okay to develop a fear for the police and custom checks. It's never okay to panic when you recieve calls, when you see that the number was unfamiliar.
In case you guys don't know how it goes, just now i was in the co room. I was to march in, together with chief clerk and another escort, the chief clerk reads out my ic, rank and name. The co reads out the offence i committed, ask if i plead guilty and whether i choose to get fined or to request for a court marshal. Something like that.
Before entering the room, i saw this banner hung at the corridor on the other side, it said, "_SIR: Best Infantry Unit." I was thinking, WE are the ones who went through that exercise, WE fought for the glory, but it's only now that i know we made it as the best unit. Suddenly it feels like i was never part of it. I know it's abit unreasonable for me to bear a personal grudge against the co, but, it's like i chiong all the way for your stupid unit in that exercise in Thailand, knowing that we'd never gain anything in the end, but you.. simply dismissed all that i've done.
My uniform still smells of dried sweat and detergent.
I don't know. i always feel that my army life was simply screwed-up. Maybe it was because of all the loop-holes, all the blanks that'll never be filled. At the end of my BMT, my passing-out parade was cancelled due to bad weather.. No one knows how much i longed for that moment where my parents would personally put my jockey cap on for me. That moment never came. When i was posted to my new unit, normally people are supposed to recieve their green berret in a parade in an official manner. I had to buy mine in the e-mart. Things like that. Blanks. Left unfilled.
Girls out there, i think i'd be nice if you all could understand what the guys have went through, and try to bear with us when we start blabbering about army stuff,'cos you have no idea how bounded we are to the army. The "OR" in ORD means Operationally- Ready, which means it's more of a beginning than an end to our sufferings. Also to mean, we are never free until roughly ten years later when we ROD. In the mean time, we are still bounded, and on the leash. I 've seem uncles gather at kopi-tiam and still talking about their recent reservice cycle , i dunno, i think it's really sad. My last entry was about taking things for granted. Something that we don't take for granted, as wel, is our pink ic. We handed it over at P. Tekong only to get it back two years later. And getting it back was like seeing your old friend once again. I know it sound hilarious but trust me, that was THE moment.
Guess i digressed. Anyway i was fined $500 today. Some people say that it's okay, cos im rich. But im not rich. Im not rich enough to throw money away like that. Im not rich enough to be a spoilt brat. But im trankful it marked a period to my "ninja case".
Today was my third plunge.
28.6.06
- Microsoft words is the most common and probably the most essential tool in every computer unit. But do you know that original software for it carries a hefty price of around 700? That's according to by bro anyway, not sure if it's true.
- Our orientation for uni, the various camps and orientation week usually strtches over a couple of days and packed with fun-filled activities and ice-breaking games. In America, orientation is only a little over an hour, they show where the accommodation blocks are, where the cafeteria and library are, etc. ...that's it.
- In my parents' era, uni students are under tremedous stress because at the end of each year/semester, the bottom don't-know-how-many percent of the cohort will be kicked out of school. It happened to one of my ma's friends in third year. So if you can't keep up with the rest, then it's ..sayonara.
Paiseh, abit bo3 liao2.
27.6.06
"I'd play DOTA non-stop, then um maybe sleep.. sleep unitl i die..."
Then there was one answer which left an impression,
"I'd spend my day like any other normal days. I feel that people have to experience different things at different stages of their lives. I tried out many things and i put my heart and soul in everything i do. I live with no regrets. So if at this point of my life, my time is up and i have to go, then... so be it."
25.6.06
Today was one long tiring day. Yet so fun..Had our annual S26 class gathering which was supposed to be held on the 26th Jun every year, but we kind of pushed it forward to make it possible for some of us. Had lunch at Big 'O', Wheellocks. For a lampchop at $19.95, the serving was small.. correction, puny! Added a mudpie on top of that and felt seriously broke after the meal.
The turnout was um... better then pathetic. At least half of the class showed up after recieving
Kelv's hostile sms which included a part that says," Kelvin, The Fallen has spoken... ... there's no such thing as whether or not you can make it. It's only whether you want to come or not." *shrug* Sze Jie wasn't herself today.. mm.. maybe bcos i haven't seen her for more than a year. I tried to joke around with her but every attempt seemed so deliberate, felt abit awkward back there.Anyway, after lunch we adjourned to The MindCafe where Minghua was working. The place was so packed that she had problems getting us a seat without first putting us on the waiting list. Upon waiting, we played pool before i excused myself to meet my sec sch gang.
We were supposed to celebrate Caiting's 21st birthday today. Before meeting them, i went from TCC at paradiz c. to Secret Recipe to Gelare to Swensen at PS, in search for a cake of the right price, before settling down on one at Taka. By the time i made it back to PS, i was drenched in my own sweat. My outer shirt made it alot worse.Oh, i bumped into my OG mate, WanYu, who's working as a promoter at Carrefour. From her, got to know that Twin was working at Fila so i thought of dropping by to say hi. ... Something that i pretty much regretted doing. I tried to initate a conversation saying, "So you going for the Night Cycling next week?" and
unintentionally added," If you don't go, i wouldn't go oso leh."... shit .Then her reply was, "Woa, 你真的那么想我吗?" .. (-_-"')awkward. But im sure she's joking.. mm. seriously, i hope she's joking. After everything i had to resort to the friends-are-waiting-gotta-go excuse.We celebrated Caiting's Bday at Cafe Cartel. Felt really good to be hanging out with old friends. Alot of Photo snapping as usual . Then it's chilling out at Starbucks where we tried the newly-released Banana Mocha Frappocino! with blended coffee..

Long day, beat.
24.6.06
She looked so different. Keep reminding of one of the Desperate Housewives. Gone were the teenager look and charm of an innocent girl.
Watched the romantic comedy, Just My luck, with 三个大男人.. mm typical romantic comedy, but still watchable. But i miss the old Lindsey!!!...
23.6.06
Dont' realli wan to go into the details of the Engin' camp. I guess i had fun but there's so many embarassing moments which im forced to face, i've got admit it was abit overwhelming. How should i put it?... I feel, personally, that this camp is one major step i had to take.A few days back, i really thought of backing out, come out with an excuse or something, to leave before the last day. But i suppose it's not right to keep searching for the easy way out. This particular camp had put me through many challenges and made me face certain of my fears right in the eye.
I was appointed as the cheer ic for one of the days, i've never lead a group to cheer in my entire life. It made me lose my voice almost entirely the following day. I was lead to some dark corner in the middle of the night, blindfolded, and made to chat with a blind-folded girl in "Special Pals (SP)" . There's four different girls altogether so it resembles speed-dating *yuck*. I should have known that one of the sponsers for the camp was SDU. Then you get to see your SP in the finale dinner and do the mass dance with her. I forced myself not the complain that it's too late for supper and discussion for the skit at 2 in the morn. That'e the earliest time you get to sleep every night anyway.
I had to summon all the courage to force myself to enter that old building in fright night 2am in the morning. And i thought i was cowardly enough, the other two who went in with me were way more jumpier than i was. Im a timid guy and i ended being the one sayin', "It's okay, it's alright...".. mm maybi because i know what to expect having heard my bro's experience. But i have to admit that they're good. You are suppose to find who's the killer in the story from clues that you gather from the ouija board, scribblings on the walls and what's written on the tablets. Of course there'll be councillors in every corner to scare the wits out of you. ha ya, i admit i screamed. But alot of effort was put in. The game started from eight in the evening, people were picked up by a van to the place before they enter in pairs, and it was around 3am by the time it was our turn. Imagine having to scare freshies one by one for seven freakin' hours. Oh, the screamings alerted the police and camp securities. Apparent such games are not alowed to be carried out within camp premises.
I had to encourage the non-enthusiastic people at times to be hyper abit. You know it's sometime i'd not normally do. I had to force myself to be sporty to do all that stupid forteits. I had to act as an ah-bang-cum-that-stupid-kid-in-that-stupid-sunkist-commercial in the skit after the finale dinner. It was extremely tough for me k.n.o.w.i.n.g that you have to leng2 chang3 in front of other houses. I had to force myself to forget and not be bothered by that unforgetable embarassing moment..mm... If you ask me what im looking for in this camp, i guess i'd tell you i joined for the experience. It's something i had to go though i guess. You get to i identify different people. The one who brags alot, or acts cute alot, or bull-shits alot,or craps alot. I learnt one lesson from army, that is people'd show their true colours when they are shagged out, and you'd know whether all these while he/she was just putting up a show.
There're dirty games on the first day. My first sets of clothes was so drenched in soya sauce and vinegar, and stained with flour on top of that, that i had them thrown away after desperatedly trying to get rid of the stench and stain.. Also included are beach games at sentosa,beach party-cum-BBQ, shi2 zhi4 lu4 kou3 (food hunt), pools games etc etc etc. I haven't really made up my mind whether or not to sign up for O' week.
Sometimes, i really wish i could be devoid of emotions, be bo-chap in everything i do. There's so many ocassions serving as blows to my self-esteem and they constantly question the reason why i was there. I hate to know that i feel most comfortable retreating to my hostel room at the end of day. I hate to know that i fear so much..
Oh well, evrything's over. Guess the next thing on the list is Engin' Nite Cycling next month..
18.6.06
17.6.06
That's Nemo and his dad..
the surfer dude..
one of my favourite.. be mesmerised.
jus keep swimmin swimmin swimmin..
diver's favourite stunt.. "Nemo-in-mask"
不要怀疑.. the guy in the middle is our dear John^^
i went to the reefs..16.6.06
And i thought im the only one left on this planet who hasn't watched it.
Until someone finally asked me out to catch Xmen3: The Last Stand today. Seriously, you shouldn't be tryin to find out about the story if you do intend to watch a particular movie. Expectation and anticipation is often coupled with disappointment. You know Scot was going to die, so didn't feel the blow when he finally did. 'Cos you're actually waiting for it to happen. Then you wait for Professor X to die. His death didn't seem more spectacular than i'd find it to be if i didn't know 'bout his sacrifice beforehand.
The Xmen weren't united. They just appear to be a couple of lost mutants on a kamikase mission, not knowing what they were trying to achieve. Ha, it looks like it's more cool to be on the side of the villains when the good guys are struggling just to survive, to retrieve lost faith. Ha, actually all this while i'd been asking myself some silly questions like Is the idea of plastic guns feasible? Jean's power was able to rip Wolverine's costume apart but why not the pants? The kid was able to neutralise mutants' powers, shouldn't he able to stand up against the Phoenix? Magneto was playing chess with metal pawns? Isn't it abit lame that humans tried to eradicate the mutant strain and end of the day, they are back to square one? Why was Scot always crying or at the verge of crying when he appeared in those few scenes before he die? (For goodness sake, the director wouldn't even let us see him die)
Oh well, i should stop the criticism. Jus that Jean's power was so powerful she almost caused Armageddon! not to say caused all other mutants seem so insignificant. She made the porcupine-man look almost human!.. ok i'll stop. Jus wanna say that the movie lacked cohesion, it's like bits and pieces, here and there. ok ok i'll stop criticizm.
in mirrors in glass my reflection never shows
the existence of the side of me no one ever knows.
in mirrors in glass i see what i want to be.
through the eyes of my peers, my foes and my family.
in mirrors in glass sometimes i shun away.
from what i appear to be at the end of the day.
in mirrors in glass i see tonight
a scrawny kid who ain't gonna fight.

An article caught my attention as i was flipping thrugh the papers this morning. The headlines says" First the Da Vinci, now the QR Code; How can you be not know about the code of 21st centary?"
It's called the QR code. And they look like a small mosaic of black and white squares. Don't underestimate it. The arrangement of the squares contain encrypted messages, they function pretty much like barcodes on your grocery, just that they are able to hold ten times as much information. Apparently, QR codes are starting to appear everywhere in Japan. On advertisements, on restaurant menus, on huge posters, on buildings, websites, magazines, T-shirts, in Subway stations, on trains, on business cards, and everywhere on the streets. To read it, one would have to download some program in their mobile phone, snap a picture of it, and the programme'd deciper and display the information, be it maps, description, directions contacts. That way you can save them in your mobile phone. Security features can even be add in, such that the mobile prompts for a password that grants you access to the information. Super cool huh. Japan never fails to impress me ^^*
15.6.06
Another band concert. Another trip to VCH. Another visit to the Esplanade.
Tonight's performance was by Fajar Sec, whereby fro's sis participated as a tenor sax player. The concert started off really impressive, the brass sections were powerful, good articulation and all. But then the cornet players' performance started to show signficant deterioration throughout the concert. I had fun with the light sticks though. Apparently no band concert is complete without the all-time favourite and much anticipated highlights from "The Lord of the Dance".
Some gimmicks here and there, people wearing shiny yellow hats and retro sunglasses dancing, trying to be hyperactive and desperatedly trying to audience to involved. There was one who stopped dancing and complained," Woah, hen3 paiseh leh, can go now?"ha.The encore piece was tong2 hua4. It was a sweet moment, maybe only to me >.<*, when the girl showed up from behind to join the saxophone player.
Kind of chilled abit at Esplanade's Mrs Fields where James was workin'. Bumped into Clement. All medics, small world..
13.6.06
".. you said you should have died instead of me, But during my time on earth, people died instead of me. We think such things are random. But there's a balance to it all. One wilters, another grows. Birth and death are part of a whole."
.."Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know. "..
.." Sacrifice is part of life. It's something to aspire to. Not something to regret. Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it, you're just passing it on to someone else."..
" Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them.They move on. They move away.The moment used to define them- a mother's approval, a father's nod- are covered by moments of their own accomplishments..
12.6.06
11.6.06

10.6.06
How could anybody possibly miss PIXAR and Disney's very last animated movie? .. Okay i admit that wasn't my reaction initially,'cos all this while i was doubtful that this show is worth the four-star rating critics gave it. Maybe that doubt arises because i've been disappointed over and over again by previous animated films (not PIXAR's productions) before this one. But "Cars" blew me away. High quality amination, great stereo sound system (which really caused an adrenaline rush while watching the racing scenes), and i always thought that PIXAR's animated movies outshines others bacause they are able to capture human emotion so well. And it has a... i don't know if it's appropriate to call it a bittersweet ending. They featured short clips modified from "Toy Story", "A Bug's Life", "Monster Inc", etc. Kind of wraps up the whole thing.Trust me you don't wanna miss this one.


Hav' ya found yar Route 66?
9.6.06
Some very beautiful names. Probably came up by their parents. Or maybe they were from their grandparents. To them, i suppose, every individual name bears a special meaning. But when people cross my path, their names bear a totally different significance.
But over time, people change. Their lives take on a different path. People move on, leaving behind what they meant lingering in the realms of my mind. A few years later, people forget. And names will be just names. Nothing more.
..ZhiQiang, WeiQiang..
Your names mean that several years after the two of you left for Perth, i'd have a nasty fall from my roller baldes at East Coast, ha, 'cos you guys first taught me how to. They mean, to me, my first hands-on dribbling with the basketball. They mean that i'd miss the times when we climb trees, catch guppies in canals and spiders in your backyard like kampong kids.
..Perry, Tini, Shaiful, Maz, Wahidah..
Your names mean the likelihood that i'd join the band once again 5 years after graduating from CSS. They mean that i'd remember the story behind every pieces of music we played, some even evoked so much emotions that brought tears to our eyes.
..Ian, Jamie, Chelsea, Pris. , Henry, Hanwei, Bruce, Stanley, Huilin, Dash, Jasper, Jill, May-ann..
Other that leaving your foot prints on the enchanted beach of P, Dayang, you guys left your mark in my life as well. Your names mean the realisation that acquaintances can be as close as life-long friends, even though it didn't last very long.
By fate or by chance? I always ask myself that question. Though i may not get see these people again. i pray that the meanings of their names be etched in my memory forever. . before they become merely words.
Fate, or coincidence for that matter, can bond people like a magnet, but like a magnet, it could repel people as well. This world really isn't a small place. And our lives really isn't big enough to accommodate everyone.
8.6.06
7.6.06
"You are desperatedly craving for water. From the moment you were lifted off the surface, every laboured attempt to breathe only serve to burn your gills and evey microscopic veins beneath your orange scales. You are crying, without a whimper.
"Finally,from the corner of you eyes, you saw a young lad standing there, staring at you. For a moment you thought you found a ray of hope. But he's just standing there, and staring. God knows what he's waiting for. Then he turned, and walked away. Shrouded in overwhelming fear, you pray for an end to this ordeal. But you know you wish will never be granted.."
Guilty as i am, i still have to say that i was the young lad mentioned above. When i saw that gold fish in the trash bag last night, i didn't know what stopped me from doing the right thing. I almost tried to reach for the goldfish which is still much alive. Almost. Every sign showed that the shopkeeper had deliberatedly disposed off the fish. I thought a more rational thing to do was to ask to buy or adopt that poor thing. But every thing that i wanted to do seemed stupid. And the thing that i finally decide to do.. sealed her fate forever.
moral dilemma.. We all know what the right thing to do is. But do you have the courage to do it? You can tell yourself that i thought of doing the right thing. But you know that just thinking about it is never enough. It doesn't make a difference. Then you realise that feignin ignorance is wrong, you make a second mistake of hoping that you didn't see anything in the first place. sigh~ we are really not good people.
6.6.06
'cos i do think of you at times, we're not that far apart.
i will not hate you for being blunt,
'cos i don't want to encourage you to lie.
i will not tell the world that it hurts me so much,
'cos i can still take it.
i will not make you my foe,
'cos the fact that i hate shows that i care.
5.6.06
- I have never bought yong tau foo in my entire life.
- My favourite colour is um violet and lime-green.
- When talking to others, I can never maintain eye-contact and listen simultaneously. I'll stare at you and my mind drifts away, or i'll have to look away every now and then. No kiddin'.
- I never thought i'll actually tell anyone 'bout this, but i sing when i shower. Aloud. mm.. my family knows about this. Several occasions my bro would turn off the bathroom lights to shut me up.
- 99% of my sunday breakfast is laksa plus you tiao.
- I love shoppin'. ya i know most guys prob don't. Sometimes i shop like teenage sch-gals, tryin' on different shirts, shades, belts, accessories what-have-you.. yup i do buy on impulse and i splurge at times.
- mm.. My favourite animals are squirrels and jelly fishes.
- When i was young, for no reason my favourite number was 4. Then i learnt that 4 is an inauspicious no. since it sounded like 'death' in mandarin. So i forced myself to hate the no. 4 and told the whole world tt 3 (pronunciation was same as tt for "live/birth") was my lucky no. instead.
- Im super vain. I never fail to glance at my reflection in every mirror or reflective surface i pass by in shoppin' malls. I do the same before i go out, which brings us to the next point.
- Im late for most the appointments.
- Im a pet lover, but somehow they never live. I've reared before dog ("Rash"), cat ("Jerry"), bunnies ("Bugsy"), birds, parakeets, frogs, salamanders, hamsters("Coffeemix" and um.. can't the other names) , ducks, babypigeons (found on the roof), jellyfish, the smaller version of "lobster", terapins, those brown turtles tt trive in deserts..etc etc etc. But they are probably in Heaven now.
- mm.. yk once told my i have suppressed desires. mm i have in fact one; i crave for adventure, exciting stuff like sea sports. But i never have the courage to try them out.
- I believe in horoscopes. I think im a very "Scorpio" person, just the weaker version.
- Im believe i suffer from short term memory loss. mm.. something lik Dory. My friends would agree. I have problems remembering the courses that they'd be taking in uni.
- Back in my pri school days, mm.. im always bullied. Mostly girls. i still rememeber chasing after a gal who snatched my swimming trucks and ran around with it. Both of us were being punished in front of the entire sch. I had UHU glue thrown in my face b4. Pencil box being snatched away. Food in my lunch box being stolen. Chairs being pulled away.. God, so thankful i outgrew the wimp-stage..
- I was sent to Commonwealth Sec because my parents thought that the Commonwealth Sec. was at commonwealth.
- I was a hardcore fan of Tamagotchi. I even got the original version in Japanese. I've got a file full of all my research materials. mm .. but Digimon is not my thing.
- I used to have a collection of wind-chimes. Last time i had at least twelve of them hanging in the porch.
- My smses always start with "Hey,... "
- I hate barley, but i love lemon barley. I like sugar cane juice only with lemon juice added. My favourite drink is ice lemon tea.
- Im not as decent and guai-guai as i appear to be.. haha.
- Back in my pri sch days, had a really close friend who's a gal. But when rumors start to circulate among my peers, i started telling them things like, "Aya, yesterday i went to her b'day party, her house was damn small loh. Im just normal friends with her ok?!" .. And she hated ever since.
- When speaking someone of higher authority, im always bothered not knowing where to place my hands. I end up tugging my collar or rubbing my chest subconciously. ya, i noe, guai4 pi4 >.<*
- I have a phobia of crossing nj's track field to reach the gates. I fear of lethal flying soccer- and basketballs.
Oh well, what the heck. Fro n Kelv, if you are reading this, muhaha, u're tagged.











