CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is fast approaching and i won't be in Singapore this year round! I'm actually going to Europe! I've sent a few cards out to thank and wish them seasonal greetings. LALALA..i'm leaving on a jet plane. Tell you more when i return there will be stories from the streets of Milan, Forest of Germay, Love from Holland, Food from Paris and a FA cup clash from West Ham! Take that. Fasten your seat belts..it's going to be a long long ride.....WEEEEEEEE~

Work At NTUC

Jasmine and Joyce invited us temps to lunch and some treat it was! We had ramen and it was a place that I've been to on one of the Friday night meet ups. It's two restaurants selling Japanese and Thai. I've yet to try the Thai food becuase i'm not used to the sweet sour spicy taste they are famous for. We all settle for a bowl of ramen with the four choosing friend chicken and me sticking to cha siew. The bowl of noodles wasn't too bad, char siew wasn't as enticing as the friend chicken and i felt the portion was somewhat lacking compared to the other places that sell ramen as well. The soup base that came along with it did justice to it though. I finished half the bowl of the soup and that's quite a feat for someone who leaves the soup untouched for most of my meals. We then moved on to had tea at the neighbouring stall, which Jasmine claims to be her all time favourite. I couldn't tell the difference in taste but i could smell the aroma of the tea, and the price is cheap to boot. Maybe that explains the long queue.

On my supposedly last day, Desmond asked us out for lunch and we had nasi lemak at goldenshoe. It was the same stall that i've ordered the first time i went golden shoe and this time round on top of the normal set there was additional fillet and extra portion of rice. That additional scoop was enough to fill up single gap on the plate which was the size of an paper. We were then introduced to a drink serving soya bean and grass jelly as a combination. I've never tried it before and it wasn't too bad. You get to keep the soya taste and you get the jelly. :D yummy. The queue was just as long as the tea shop and the human crowd in the city area during lunch is beyond one's imagination. Somehow, someone somewhere will be doing something somewhat. It's incredible, how different life in the city is from the heartlands. As the day progressed, gifts were received and i gave them some sweet treats as farewells were exchanged and we bid one another goodbye.

NTUC colleges.

Clockwise from Left: Desmond (Nasi Lemak), Rashidah, Karen, Joyce, Jasmine (Ramen), David, Yao Ting and myself.

And the gifts from them :)

The 3 Temps. David, Yao Ting and Myself.

David, same age as me. IT Whiz. Lunch, Pool, and CoffeeYao Ting, lively and bubbly, and whiny :P

Sat- Sentosa and Scraf; Sun- Sing and Steamboat

i've wanted a 2nd visit to sentosa after the first. arranged for it to be today. unfortunately alvin had other commitments and hong is in china..so only gabriel ryan javern and his friend, desmond could make it. we wanted to celebrate gab's birthday and brought cake there but the best part was he overslept and didn't turn up. anyway the lack of numbers didn't make this outing any less interesting..though it was much livier the first time round. couldn't go to siloso beach as it coincides with zouk out and we had a delayed journey-cake smashing-ball kicking-water dunking-sun tanning-babe watching session at palawan. ended the day with gingerbread latte @ coffeebean which is super sweet and has a strong gingerly taste.

met up with li jun dao wei and rui xin at vivo..got my laptop bag which i've been eyeing for a month. apparently it's anti shock and i would feel safe in it if i'm a lap top. :) got my belated birthday gift from the girls. it's a hogward-ish yellow and bluish scarf. lunched at dian xiao er with very average but expensive food. caught up with them before rui xin flew off to hong kong. took a few photos and we headed to play pool on a 7 foot table at Ezone. >< surprise surprise gab and the rest of the guys were there as well :)

Sunday was a wet wet day and as a result i didn't went for soccer. If the rain had came in halfway through the game, now that would make me excited. But starting a game in a downpour is a different story and i don't think anybody in the right mind would do that. Apparently most felt the same as only 3 turned up. Perhaps things have changed every since we started kicking a ball. Back then it was the only common thing that we were always looking forward to along with friday night meet ups. Of course, i would love to believe that it could be a one-off thing. But let's stop kidding ourselves. It was naive for us to think that good things always last doesn't it? Our piorities are all different now and the level of interest has been gradually waning. The signs were displayed in bold and were screaming right in our faces just that none of us had addressed it. Or rather is it even possible to find a cure for a terminal disease? Keeping the flame alive yes, but nevertheless it is only a matter of time before the flame is extinguished. I finally understand why others always would switch to sports that involve less indiviuals, be it badminton, basketball or even mahjong. A smaller number is always easier to deal with. It is always the easier way out, just as it is to let a cancer patient see out his remaining days. Why bother seeking a cure when you choose to believe that his life is coming to an end? After all, is there really such a thing as a mircale?

On a happier note, s11 decided to arrange a class outing held at k-box and yuki and yaki. 12 turned up for the first part and ying hao and myself left before xiao zhi and kai fen came. The huge number meant there wasn't much singing. When it was my turn to showcase my vocals i fell flat and reminded me how long ago it was since i listened to chinese songs. It's hard to go back to chinese songs when the english charts now are filled with great hits. anyway it was nice to meet up with the rest of them and not much words are exchanged between us. Well, things are pretty much the same. A pity there wasn't much chance for interaction. Ivan's doing great and Ying Hao's still an ass. No love lost between the others. and i think it would pretty much be the same :) oh well.

on hindsight..

How mature he had thought he was; how immature he had turned out to be.

Haven't we always play hero by braving the rain than get caught seen carrying an umbrella, only to realise that was a dumb thing to do when we are down with flu for the next 2 days? A dilemma that made us lose sleep thinking about it two months ago can be answered immediately if we are given the chance to ponder over it again. Such is the power of hindsight that not only does it empowers us with intellect, it gives us a calm mind to think with. How many sensible decisions have we undertake after things have gone wrong the first time round? What would a footballer be thinking if he had seen red during a match, thereby indirectly causing his team to lose a key fixture? Whatever his thoughts are, he himself know that on hindsight the results of the match could have very much been different had he stayed on the field. Isn't it interesting, that we are always so much wiser when we look back at crossroads that we were once at, knowing how much our different our lives could have been had we reacted differently or had simply taken the alternaltive route..

I couldn't believe the number of subtle hints that had been dropped during that period of time. How was it possible to be in love with someone who i had never had the chance to go out with. All that were exchanged were phone calls and chats on msn. SMS-es exchanged were as rare as hen's teeth becuase i only got a hp end of sec 2. Who would actually take time off on a sunday to go down to lot 1 to see a charity event, only to realise that the main star is already on the way home? or send morning and gd night msges only to realise that it was a wrong hp. so blind. so oblivious. an elephant carrying wayne rooney could have swing by without even me knowing. such luck. it was like we were never meant to be.

We finally met up for the dinner that had been due 4 years ago. It was a promise that whoever outscored the other for O lvl would be giving a treat. At the beginning of the year, I had reservations going out with people who were already attached. However, it was never a cause of concern when the meal was approaching. Laughter was present throughout NYNY and our table did our part to add life to the cafe. it was so long since i really enjoy the company of a lady without having to worry about the next step. We were totally at ease and it could have easily passed off as a date had it been 4 years back. How was it possible to explain that the head waiter only offered us a bowl of soup when we placed our orders. Or us sharing the same carriage on our way back together? Time never seem to slow with you around. Instead, it only picks up the pace, accelerating relentlessly when you're in the midst of enjoying yourself.

Nevertheless, no matter how much intellect or tranquillity hindsight has empowered us with, we would never be able to turn back time for what has been lost will always remain loss and stuck in the essence of time.

in memory of

i remembered gabriel once telling me that wakes would always come right after one another..just like how the boyfriend of his friend's sister would pass on after some distant relative of his had died.

dad's cousin and good mate passed on on the 17th nov. he was in a coma and was half brain dead but the cause was unknown to me. apparently he was on the front page of an evening tabloid and i guessed he was a very popular guy. he was reported to have struck lottery thrice winning 7 million and known to be magnanimous to his friends. from the years that i've been with him, he is a man of few words and a typical heartland guy. huge drove of people went to his 5 day wake and i heard those that his friends all yearns to carry his casket. such is their love and respect they have for him that can only come by from what a great man has done for them.

i was appalled when i received news that ricky has passed on on the 24th nov. he had collapsed near the finishing point of 2.4, got sent to medical centre and further referred to CGH. apparently he had recovered on friday but had a relapse on saturday, and sunk into a coma with damages ot his liver and kidney which he wasn't fortunate enough to recover from. during our time in AFS, he has brought sudoku into my life, told me highlights of taiwan and we enjoyed poking fun at each other. as i said my prayers and took a last look at him, the blank and pale look sent shivers down me. for the once lively guy who has just reached twenty, all that is left is just a look on his face that will never change til nature works her hands on it.

in between these two incidents and a little further away from home, the national dragon boat team had lost 5 of its atheletes. they had finished a 1.5km race and were towed 3/4 of the distance back to the starting point. and just like any normal athelets would have requested for, they ask to complete the remaining distance on their own. unknown to them the rivers conditions were vicious and there was an underlying whirlpool. the currents were so strong and horrid that a wave hit their boat and caused it to hit a floating platform, causing it to capsize. all 22 on board was thrown and 12 was recovered from the wreckage, 5 on the other side of the platform and the others never managed to survive the tragedy. testimonials and profiles of these 5 young men have been pouring into forums and the media, and the public have shown their support and conodolences to the team. justin was one of those who survived. i wouldn't even know what i would do if i were one of them. they are bound to blame himself for making a decision that took away the lives of 5 young and brave warriors, and has to come to grip with losing 5 of friends that have travelled through thick and thin with them. hopefully they will recover from this setback and go on to greater acheivements for that will be what their late team mates would have wanted. let the character that they have built up in races see them through this period of darkness, for i'm sure once they step out into the light they will be much stronger people.

in wakes, i feel sorry for your friends and loved ones that will sorely miss you and your presence; and those whose lives has been touched or changed by you. for they know that their debts can never be repaid now that their benefactor has gone to a better place. you were full of vigour and always carry a smile that brightens my day. though i didn't made it known, your company was always enjoyed by myself and my family members. it's disheartening to know that your life journey has been so short and heart wrenching to see the despair in the eyes of your loved ones crying out loud for you. you were not much older than me and i'm sure you still has a long list of events and things that you have yet to accomplish. if only..20 is only 1/3 of life for most. for most that is. He knew you were tired and that was why he gave you the chance to join him in a better place. it's always disasters and joyful occasions that bring everyone together isn't it.

i remembered gabriel once telling me that wakes would always come right after one another..just like how someone who shared an office with me for 4 months would pass on after some distant relative of mine had died..

24th nov, burfday C=

0014: Happy happy real birthday sis! Isn't it great when people wish you more than just once a year 'may all your wishes come true'

0028: Happy birthday

0058: Happy 20thbirthday to you!!and congrats on joining the ranks.now i din get this wrong rite.Haha(:

1046: hello! hanee here. happy birthday. :D im sure ur day is jam-packed with activities. haha. enjoy! :)

1127: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX! (: from your beloved colleague. hahas.

1210: Hey Hey..Happy Birthday..welcome to the ranks..-hand shake-

1211: Happy birthday dude -hand shake-

1410: Heys!happy 20th burfdae!so good can enjoy yr burfdae while i kana tortured by exam.mon gt 2 papers!so sad..meet up gif u yr treat aft my exam:)enjoy yr day!

1507: Eh. Happy birthday. Wat present you want?

1530: Hello.Happy birthday! Pls enjoy your special day. C: do meet up soon- before someone flies away.Haha.See you.

1601: Happy birthday, when n where are we having our dinner. Anyway i'm at kovan

1700: Hey, happy birthday. Have a great year ahead. =]

2014: Happy birthday to u, happy birthday to max, happy birthday toooo u... hope i never remember wrongly, opps. :)

2227: Haha happy birthday. Yeah we at hong birthday.

261107 1129: Hey dude! i am so sorry! Happy Belated birthday ! Wish you all the best in getting health wealth and gers! Owe you a present !

so which is your wish?

weekly meet ups

today is the 3rd friday since i last got my pink ic. the first night was spent alone after an afternoon at sentosa with my fellow colleagues from pool office. the original plan of having drinks with a few other friends were cancelled. last week, matthew wei xuan and myself had dinner at a place near smu and we proceeded to changing appetites for desserts. there were long periods of silence and even deciding on venues and what to do proved to be challenging. it wasn't really one of the best meet ups that we've had over the past few months. tonight, i had assumed that we were going to have dinner with the usual people. i was working OT and was about to call heng qing when he came online. in the end, dinner was cancelled since we lacked ideas and there wasn't really a keen interest in having it together.

dinner on friday night has always been something meaningful and joyous. it marks the end of the week and the beginning of weekends. we book out and can start looking for people to enjoy the weekend with. what has originally started as a chance to mark out where to host friendlies has slowly degenerated into something that is fast losing its appeal. it's weird but in the past when book out timings were late or when the guys spend friday nights in camp they were sorely missed. now when we are given the chance to meet for a few hours, it seems that there isn't really a need for it anymore.

hasn't it always been a case of how much you want it? if you desire it, you have the hunger for it, nothing can stop you from getting it. if you dread it,you can come up with a thousand and one excuses and you too will achieve what you had in mind, and that's not to be in sync with the original plan. that said, i believe that it wouldn't be long before weekly friday meetings will gradually be reduced to something that is monthly..quaterly..bi-annually..before fading away. haven't we seen enough of such scenarios. we don't even have a common topic to begin with. yes. i do agree that in between a pair of good friends, whatever is exchanged during silent moments transcends that of what is spoken. but if you have nth to say to a person, and you don't feel at ease with your moments? how do you define such a relationship?

i'm no longer feel the passion that runs through me whenever i kick about every sunday morning. i'm easily out ran easily out thought easily out muscled and lose the ball on almost occasion. all i can say is i'm no longer the player i once was and i don't know what has resulted in it. my aggression has been curbed to prevent incurring the wrath of others. by doing so i'm playing a very restraint game and it's just not me. my physical fitness and also deteriorated. i don't think i need to go into details on this. anyway i can't help but feel that it is only a matter of time before friday nights and sunday soccer will be a thing of the past....

would you

if you see a stunning girl standing in the crowd, would you step up to her and say hi?

i just turned down two girls for dinner today. and ended up being pang seh by the group that i was supposed to have dinner with. i should have followed my heart. i should learn to choose with my heart and start opening up more. i'll being too stuck up and withdrawn not talking to my fellow colleagues at work..at least that should get me somewhere to what i have in mind..

back with the government

i have been looking around for work the past few days. the people around me are looking for work in financial institutions and jobs that pays in the region of six to seven per hour. by sunday night i was in a dilemma whether i should start work right this week or wait for several offers before i commence on the week after depavali. matthew and wei qing have secured places in a bank and a job agency respectively. on my part, i've consulted several agencies since the last few days of oct and on sunday night i told myself i'll settle for something that pays as little as six per hour as it's better to have money flowing in, no matter how little it may be, rather than waiting for a good paying job and lose money over meals. monday morning, winnie from recruitexpress gave me a wake up call and asked me to go down for an interview at twelve the following day. that night i learnt that wei qing is her assistant and that is just the beginning of a turn of fortunate events.

the scheduled interview was at ten, upon stepping into the agency i spotted wei qing and was feeling embarrassed at how underdressed i was. wei qing told me casual wear would suffice, and i turned up in a short sleeved polo, jeans, and my brown shoes. to me that's semi-formal and if you know me i will never cover myself up with so much fabric. wei qing reassured i was fine and after feeling up a form, he led me to a room and conducted an interview in the presence of winnie asking more about my personal particulars. it's definitely weird to have someone who knows you for eight years asking you questions about your life when he himself know the answers. winnie then left and wei qing and i chatted since he had nothing to do and half way through, she came back with a job offer at ntuc and asked if i was interested. since it was within cbd as well i thought why not and went over to 1 marina boulevard. an interview was arranged with this lady called jasmine who turned out to be my manager. this time round i was really underdressed and was somewhat unprepared. not knowing that i was going to attend a real job interview i couldn't be bothered to bring along my certificates and resume. apart from that minor glitch, the interview was some what smooth as she basically let me do all the talking and provided me information on my job scope. towards the end she told me to report for work the next day and it really didn't felt like those interviews that i've read about. definitely no butterflies and post interview stress. perhaps my job is just a temp job and didn't need much qualifications and any tom dick or harry would suffice i supposed..went back to recruit express sign a contract and my job status is no longer unemployed!

i'm surprise at how smooth things turned out. for most people who went for interviews with recruit express it would take a day or two for the agents to match the interviewee to jobs that they have express interest in. i managed to have everything iron out in half a day and credit must go to wei qing and winnie. the only thing that falls short of my expectations is the six fifty pay which includes cpf. if i'm taking home six per hour, that works out to be ten cents per min..it's interesting to note that by giving tuition, during that same duration of time, i can be earning up to fifty cents...sweet..-_-"

Army - Tekong

myself, i didn't know what was it like to be a soldier since i left scouts after sec 1 and scouts had always been more about teaching life skills and how to survive out in the wilds. to be honest, the thought of serving the nation made me excited as i counted down to the day i would enlist. first day of tekong my grandmas and parents had lunch with me in the cookhouse and bade me farewell. an oath was taken; my rifle assigned to me and signed 2 years of my life away onto a contract as they shaved away 2 months long of hair and made us share a common identity of recruit. i was apprehensive and everybody from the rsm to the sergeants to my foreign platoon mates look like they were about to devour me. stories about fights in the cookhouse, sergeants that scare the shit out of you and physical training that leave you soaked in sweat and haunted bunks didn't help ease my fears. there was a familiar face in my section and he was my fellow classmate and captain of the soccer team. he was the youngest in the family and his mother had been in the military before so he knew the structure and how it worked. however he had a goal in mind and stuck around with a close friend that he knew back in secondary school. that didn't help me when i had troubles and wanted someone to talk to. my buddy was quiet and reserved and i was envied others who had buddies who were more active. there were periods of time where i got homesick and messaged those who were not in the army. book out time were precious and i spend time with my grandparents and made me realise the value of love from my family. on saturday afternoons, the fastcraft is always taking a long time to reach mainland and always speeding back to tekong on sunday nights. lectures about weapons were given and drills and test were conducted. my life got into a routine of sleeping at ten and waking up at 5 and it was the period of my life where i was most disciplined. my physical fitness picked up again but it never reached the peak back in jc. it was made up with combat fitness and mental toughness. i was able to do long route marches, stuff combat rations and not shower for days but i had difficulty with chin up and sbj. my relationship with my buddy improved as we spent nights gazing at stars and sharing the washload. it turned out to be the best friendships that i've made throughout my whole militray career. confinement period came and passed, chinese new year came and we had a long holiday before heading for field camp. range came along and i threw my first grenade. sit test made me treasure my buddy as i witness relationships between other pairs soured. before i knew it, 10 weeks flew by and pop was around the corner. we did countless jogs and got baked in the sun as we prepare for the parade. the night before we bade farewell, i enjoyed the time with my section and silently wished the rest of my next 20 months would remain the way things were and hoped my buddy and we would get similar posting. however friendships can never last forever and he was posted to guards while i got posted to sispec. 3 from each section were posted to ocs and another 4 were posted to sispec. and i was surprise how others could undeservingly get into ocs and vice versa. that was the beginning of how i realise that the army is not the orgainsation i thought it was before i enlisted.

Back to where we all belong

Some thinks that it is a difficult two years with much suffering to endure, then there are others who get the luxury of working 8-5 and have the night to be with their loved ones. Some believes that they have much better to offer and would rather do stuffs that befit their intelligence..then there are others who would simply leave it to fate to decide what tomorrow will be in store for them. Some hold on to the belief that it is a waste of 2 years of their precious youth, then there are others who believe that they should put in 101% effort and commitment in whatever they do and dig deep and excelled in their brief military career. I've complete 1 year and 10 months of service and shall post entries of what i've had experience during this stint with the organisation. For now, this entry will be dedicated to my last day of service.

I reached camp around 9.30am after getting my camera from my cousin and arrived in berms and slippers. Others had came in CV but i was adamant that i should spend my last day in my working attire. Not everyone has the luxury of working in PE attire and i'm pretty sure i won't have the luxury of working in shorts when my career take flight. i went to settle the admin stuff and surrendered what has to be handed over and took back my possession including my pink IC. It came along with a certificate of service, testimonial and report slip stating the grade in sispec and various appointments and awards that i've held or received in my military stint. for my reservist posting, i'm posted to RTL or a holding unit of the RSAF. We shall see if that is a blessing in the years to come.

I went to the C3 room to pay Nicholas and Ming Yang a last visit. It's a pity the pool office isn't as large as theirs and do not have a superior sharing the same room. It's simply heaven and had i known about this area earlier, i would visit them as frequent as they visit me in the gym. Nic took me to the flight simulator machine and gave me an insight as to what a fighter pilot wold experience during combat. It isn't easy and i finally understood why they are always complaining about the amount of stuff that they have to study. Sensing that i don't have a future with the aircraft, i took my leave and went back to the office to have photos taken with Jo and the rest of my colleagues. We had buffet after that and i must say i'm pretty lucky compared to the others who had ORDed earlier than me because it happen to be a life day as well. Just to made the two events coincide, Gabriel went through a lot of trouble and i'm fortunate to have him and Alvin as fellow colleagues. Of all those whom i've worked with in AFS, this working relationship is one of the best i must say. They know what's initiative and play isn't excluded from their daily routine as well. A pity i couldn't have a longer working experience with them. I hear you asking me to sign on, that's simply out of the equation. If they pay me regular pay..i might consider..but asking me to stick to my pay of 700 bucks..er..i believe i can get a better pay out there! Sorry it's cruel but it's true..money makes the world goes world..and it's something we cannot live without.

well. it so happen that today was also ssb life day and no it wasn't a coincidence. gabriel was assigned to be in charge of the life day in nov and he specically arranged for it to be on this very day =) we had catered lunch in the function room and the food was definitely way much better than SFI's routine cai fan. Along the way, i bid my farewells to warrant officers and staff that i've worked with and exchanged well wishes. it's a nice feeling to be walking around seeing so many familiar faces and having a chat with them. no wonder all ord personnels has a smile that is plastered on the face and doesn't fade away. it's ironic but the farewell that i had with my two direct superiors happened to be the shortest and lasted only a few sentences. it's sad (a pity and sorry; not the emotional feeling you get from sorrow or unhappiness) but i'm sure i won't regret ending this working relationship with them. For Joseph, it's not that we have a sour relationship but his style of keeping a supervisor-men relationship doesn't do him any favours. I'm glad i've learnt much in this space of time working with him. How it's important to listen to what others have to say; having a sense of responsibility for your work; how simple matters can be blown into complicated matters; and self evaluation for i do not want to be a supervisor or manager that's like him.

Moving on, we left for sentosa, gabriel ryan and jordon on my car and the rest by commercial bus. the last time i was in sentosa was in the turn of 05-06 where we had out class chalet. i didn't really explore and i'm really surprise by it's transformation. parking is way convenient, crowds are happening and young and it just puts you at ease. as it's ssb life day, we didn't have to worry about the expenses. Entrance fees, drinks, and even the volleyball court (it's $26 for 2 hours; it's free but they were all taken up and we didn't want to wait so we just rent it from rasa sentosa) were all paid for so we just enjoyed ourselves while spending the organisation's money. i remembered first playing volleyball with the soccer guys in malacca. this time round we had 3v3 on a normal court and it's not that easy covering the court. it's way fun though and i finally know how one can get addicted to life on the beach. tanning under the sun, reading a book listening to the waves with a margarita in hand, taking a dip in the sea and having sex on the sand. i'm kidding with the last option, of course! (not). by the end of it we were all damm shagged, and my arms were hurting with sand all over me. but the joy simply numbs it. i got dunk by the rest, saw it coming but i couldn't change a thing as i was simply outnumbered. The sea was way deep (that explains the drownign incidents, 10 steps out and i'm completely submerged) and the tingling and cooling sensation on my abrasions should tell you about the salinity level. no wonder nothing leaves in the dead sea.

in appreciation of their efforts, i gave them a treat at carl's junior and we talked on the alfresco open air area after that. the sea breeze was blowing into my hair and the view in the dusk was simply enchanting. we scouted for laptop cover and called it a day. there was supposed to be a drinking session with javier and ian but it was cancelled. that's okay for i had more than enough fun for a day.

to the guys from the pool office, i'm glad it was such a huge success, even if we were the only ones around. i had a hell lot of fun and i wished we could carrying on slacking together in the absence of joseph. your efforts are appreciated and i wish you all the best for your future endeavours.
to my fellow understudy alvin who happens to be 364 days older than me, your down to earth and sincere personality will make you easy to get along and well liked by your peers. we have the same mentality and you would really make a good colleague. hopefully we might be able to get the chance to work together. in the mean time, work when you need to and play hard when it's time to do so!
to the 'youngest' and fellow saggi gabriel, speak louder or you will never be heard in a group, though your looks will make you the loudest in the group. :) your efforts in seeing to every minute details to make today's event a success is deeply appreciated by me. you've taught me a great deal about fashion, cars and hairdo and most importantly, image. i wish you all the best with your girl. she is in good hands unless you lust for ester. haha i've emailed you her no, i hope it isn't a mistake (i've yet to seen her though, don't blame me for anything) and remain dao to get those attention!

as a civilian........I FEEL GOOD! goodbye amigos!

my joruney on the road thus far

in my opinion, the duration of the period you have had your licence isn't a perfect gauge of a driver's experience as compared to the mileage choked up. there can be someone who got his licence in 1987 and hasn't drove since, and there can be another who is on the roads daily after landing his licence two months ago. who would you prefer to drive you around?

these past few months, i did my part as a safe driver abiding by TP rules (or you can read it as lucky enough not to get caught). i managed to keep a perfect record on the road after passing my TP test since march 22nd. to date, i've coughed up $30 for a fine at a HDB carpark where i didn't display coupon and i was 20m yakking away at a void deck; got a warning letter by TP for breaking the speed limit along upper thomson road on the way to pick up rui xin for her birthday celebrations at my place; scraped the front bumper of my mum's car against the pillar of a basement carpark at elizabeth's place, (it was parallel parking and a small area for myself to navigate..but it didn't happen again) ; got stop by police along yishun ring road at 2am when i was sending wei xuan home.

according to my limited experience on the road so far, i would say concentration is the most important to stay accident free. if you keep your concentration on the road, it's easy to rush from my place to hougang ave 5 in 3 mins. you join in the conversation with your passengers and you risk a collision even when you are travelling at 30km/hr. just the slightest lack in concentration can make you live in remorse for the rest of your life should you get invloved with a fatal accident.

these few days, i've been very busy rushing around giving tuition to my students and have been pretty shagged out. to summarize, i just had two close shaves in the space of four days. the first involved me and a delivery man on his bike. it was my fault and i was glad a collision didn't took place. it happened when i was me cutting lane from the right to the left (3rd to 1st) without signalling at a traffic junction just to get ahead of the traffic. it was at night and i did turn my head around and check if there are any cars. as my car head was about to enter the left lane. i saw the pillion driver at my left headlight. i managed to stop in time and he was just in front of my car. i was just travelling just below 20km/hr and had we collided i'm sure he would be paralysed for life as the car would have struck his legs. i learnt how one can simply throw his future away by a moment of folly and rash decision to line the car at the shortest lane, which i'm sure that's what many young drivers do these days.

the second incident i had just refuelled my tank and i was in a bad mood after a poor dinner and discontent over a separate issue with my sis and mum in the car. as i made my exit to join the main road, there was a gap in the box junction and i had lined and manoeuvred the car so that i could join the back of the car that had made its exit earlier. unfortunately the traffic light on the main road turned green and the discourteous driver didn't wait for me to complete the manoeuvre. so i'm in a precarious position. so i'm down there on a small slope waiting for the traffic to clear and about to turn left when my mum went MAX!MAX!MAX!MAX! unknown to me this car had squeeze his next to mine on the left and as i was about to turn i was about to grind against his SUV. i stopped. he reversed and i didn't check left and made my exit. this car cruising on the main road saw me exiting and he blared his horn. i was already half way out and it was too late to stop so i just jam on the accelerator and drove off. i didn't check to see how close he was my rear and i'm thankful for not getting into a single accident over the past four days. i wouldn't say it wasn't my fault but if we are a little patience, such incidents can definitely be prevented.

in taiwan, everybody lives a laid back life but when they are on the roads they take on a different character. notorious for their driving, beating of traffic lights, 3 point turn suddenly on a two way street, switching of lanes without signalling, tailgating and every form of reckless and dangerous driving you can think off i've seen it when i was there. however there has never been an accident. all i can say is that the drivers are all tactful and vigilant and are aware of what their fellow countrymen are doing.

i'm glad to be blessed on the roads, and i believe my closed ones have always prayed hard for me. i've had a pretty smooth past two years in the army (8 to 5, no outfield, colleagues that i enjoy working with) and a pretty good life (sleeping with aircon every night, a good education the past 12 years, close friends who travel overseas with me, a good family and financially independent..all that lack is my love life but that will be a different post next time round..) and i know my parents and grandparents are always asking for my safety and well being at temples. on the roads, it's definitely more than experience and concentration that has kept me safe all these times..while others also practice tactful and safe driving, there's so much we ourselves can do and you know that, at times there is a higher being that is watching over us..preventing incidents that are out of our control at times..and i'm thankful for those who had prayed for my well being and those who have tolerated my (reckless and dangerous) driving..bless you..

Crack of Dawn

reason no 1. i'm getting old and senile. it's time i come to accept the fact that the memory of a computer can definitely withstand the sands of time. if i were to look back at past archives i'm bound to recall memories with fragments of moments that i would have forgotten. my memory strength seems to be ailing and i'm having common memory lapse these days. do remind me to stock up on ginko nuts before the term starts next year. for the next eight months or so it's going to be such a big challenge keeping myself fit. physically and mentally.

reason no 2. there are many great blogs around by accomplished writers and fellow mates and i am inspired to start one myself. i've always had problems expressing myself and my thoughts. blogging is definitely one channel which i feel can help improve my writing and communication skills, along with my wanting command of the english language. hopefully my prescription is the right solution for that :) to say english is important is an understatement. all languages, be it mandarin or tamil, give us a chance to communicate, expressing ourselves and being understood. being eloquent gets you out of sticky situations, commands respect and can simply make or break a career. being in a certain organisation these two years has made me realise the importance of sending and replying (tactful) mails, and that is built on a good command of the language. being a writer has never been my aspiration, i do know my limitations :) perfect grammar, a wide range of vocab and a writing style that i can call my own is all that i ask for. from there we'll work on eloquence, bringing us to charisma and finally confidence and style.

reason no 3. it was a seed that was thought of almost 4 years ago in 2004. sadly it was never sown and up til now there are only fragmented pieces of entries on random days. now that it has been done, i shall have something to call my own. yippee. i've realised there are two kinds of blog. one which depicts your daily schedule and another with entries reflecting your experience. i shall try working on the latter for the former is definitely boring with a capital SNOOZE!

and so here it is, my first entry, a new beginning, let's sing to the dawn :D


PS: before jumping onto the bandwagon,i tried keeping journals and diaries but they never lasted more than four months. things would be quite untidy if there were typos and space had always been a constraint to me. sure i could decorate an entry with all sorts of coloured handwritten works. the font, its size all would have been able to tell you the emotions and feeling felt at the time of penning it. right now, emotions can only be felt by the tone and those few words at the bottom of an entry. but hey, nothing is ever perfect in this world and hopefully the pictures would make up for it. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words and penning a thousand words is going to be time consuming :P