| The Rite of Passage comes to an end... |
[Jan. 15th, 2008|11:35 pm] |
Well, today, January 15th 2008, marks the end of my rite of passage in the Singapore Armed Forces - a journey that started almost 4 years ago on June 21st 2004 when I first stepped through the big gates at MINDEF.
Echoing what J and Y said today, I still remember thinking how long it would be till this whole 2 years came to an end. And it wasn't even 2 years then, it was 2 years and 2 months! That is one sentiment that is definitely felt by every NSF that steps through those doors.
Suffice to say, there's been a lot of ups and downs. But there were a couple of important lessons I've learnt there, one of which is that people CAN be your greatest help at times so make a friend always rather than an enemy. I also believe now that positive thinking can get you through a lot of bad times, even when it seems like there is nothing good in a circumstance. Having fun and chilling out during the good times, but keeping your chin up and just getting it through during the bad times...
Admittedly, one of the pinnacle moments of my service there was getting the Letter of Commendation way back in July 2005. I have never ever told anyone this but I was really thankful that the bosses thought well enough of me to want to nominate me for that. To my boss then, MAJ Lim and then br hd COL Tan - my sincere thanks... you guys really made my week! =)
In some ways, I'm happy to have gotten my pink IC back, even though it's been so long since I disrupted that the feeling is not really there anymore. Happy to be able to carry on with my life finally without owing anybody anything. But in some ways, I also have mixed feelings about leaving all the good friends that I have gotten to know during my time there, like my bus kaki Mr Song, my gossip-cum-chitchat kakis Joyce & Poh Hong, my two bosses MAJ Lim & MAJ Phua, and all the other great people currently in or who used to be in the branch. These people have, in their own little ways, made my life there easier and similarly, I also hope that I have made an impact, even if just a tiny little bit, on theirs. I am also so gonna miss going out to canteen breaks with the other NSFs (although they may tell me, they'd rather forgo the breaks and be able to ORD now... hahaha... just like I did 4 years back).
At the end of the day, how we choose to be in any situation is determined by ourselves, and maybe to a small extent, by others. While we cannot control how others behave and think, we can (hopefully) try to make the best of a situation and in the course of it, take home something worthwhile. I'm glad that at this conclusion, I have done just that! To conclude, I would like to drop a note of encouragement to the people who are still in there - hang in there and your happy day will eventually come. =) |
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| Happy 2008! |
[Jan. 3rd, 2008|12:40 pm] |
Happy new year!!! I hope the year brings with it many great things to come for everyone, peace and health as well...
Well, obviously it's been a really long time since I last updated this thing AGAIN... I tried to do it everyday for one week but as you can all see, it's all kinda faltered after I had the not so pleasant task of sitting in front of my computer overnight and trying to log in to get my exam results... bahh =(
December was a busy month for me. First of all, for some reason, the exam results were not sent to my Unimail account like they were in the past semesters, resulting in a bit of anxiety and a really long wait... After kinda a long an arduous wait for the results, I finally got them after I managed to successfully log in to myUNSW. Other that HF2 and Comp Graphics, the rest were pretty okay. Was actually pretty pleased with the marks for Rodger's class, which means I'm encouraged to overload and do Airline Marketing next semester. Argh! =X
Been out a lot with the family, Mom, Dad and the Miss. I'm happy that I get to be back and have our long dinners together again. Also made a return to the bowling alley although I really kinda suck at it now after having not done it for so long. I told Mom the reason I never went when I was in the army was cos I was so tired during the weekdays working so long that I just thought I need a break during the weekends.
Also, I ripped my laptop apart and cleaned it inside out. Frankly, the design is ingenious as the heatsink traps dust and creates a block shape out of them. Hence, when the heatsink is removed (which requires a bit of surgery), remember to quickly empty it over a dustbin or the block of dust is gonna drop on your floor and disintegrate!! Anyway, this makes it easy to get rid of the dirt as well. Also, realised that the folks did not reapply the thermal paste like they're required to after they swapped out my motherboard the last time round!! =X Re-did that as well, installed my new uber-big and uber-cachey 7200rpm hard disk. The thing really flies now... although I only have the basic Vista installed on it. It also runs somewhat cooler although the thermal paste takes some time to set.
On the week of December 18th, I went back to G1 to serve the remainder of my 29 days of service. But with 12 days of leave, weekends, and public holidays, I effectively only have 6 working days left, of which I have now done 4.5, leaving another 1.5 (0.5 for ORD FFI, and 1 for ORD day). Hahaha... It's nice to be back and to see familiar faces again, and to be able to catch up with people. Unfortunately, because I look kinda weird in my pants now since I've grown a bit after going there, I was allowed to wear civilian clothes into the office. But everybody is really nice and all la... which I come to appreciate, really and also which I feel a little bit weird about because there seems to be a disparity in the treatment. =X
Of course, it is always nice to have all three of us back in Singapore for a gathering. Did the usual present-swapping routine on boxing day. Haha... totally totally did not expect to get a jacket from Benny OR the electric toothbrush from Aaron. Thanks so much guys!! The presents were really really awesome! =) In case you guys didn't notice the cheesy grin that I couldn't really wipe off my face that night hahaha...
I was also really really happy to see that Gabriel was pretty pleased with his Eagles special edition album. Hahaha... it's really weird when he goes "Ohhhhh my goddd!!!" when he first opens up the wrapper hahaha... OMG indeed! I had a ball of a time talking rubbish with him as usual over dinner and coffee and cake. We also listened to out-of-sync renditions of our CO concert way back in 2000 which, thanks to my still-working MD player, can still be reproduced.
December also saw a gathering of my poly classmates. It was great to see them all again, and I think we had a lot of fun seeing Terry, William and Elton throw punches at the TV screen playing the Wii. Haha... Nic - thanks for organising the gathering and for all the lovely food that night. Also, Naf had us over to her Northvale condominium which was kinda weird cos Mom and Dad also have a unit over there. We had pizza and bikkies beside the swimming pool one lazy Saturday afternoon catching up hahaha... with Elton, Serene, Raymond and his other half.
My brudder also invited us over to his place for a christmas party, which turned out a lot smaller than he thought... hahaha... but was nonetheless an enjoyable experience. Thanks so much brudder, for organising, hosting and for the food! =D
I have this sudden interest in watching channel 8 dramas. Hahaha... this is really really starting to freak me out! I've actually been keeping up with 手足, the one which airs at 7pm everyday. Haha... I really hope when I go back I won't actually miss watching these! I have also been keeping tabs with those that are being rerun in the mornings and afternoons like 红头巾 and 天使的诱惑. In case you guys do not know which shows these are, the first one is Samsui Women from like a zillion years ago I think, and the second one is a lot more recent starring Ivy Lee as the scheming villain and Jacelyn Tay as the hapless victim.
Anyways, I should probably stop here cos I think I'm rambling a bit much. I hope I will find the motivation to continue updating this and please poke me from time to time if you suddenly stop seeing updates... =P |
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| The Loved Ones... |
[Dec. 6th, 2007|12:36 am] |
Reading a friend's blog today and chatting to him about it reminded me to tell the people close to me how much I do love them for who they are and that they will be missed whenever they're not around. I guess sometimes we don't tell the people close to us how much we appreciate the things they do and just for being there. And a lot of times, it gets too late and they never hear it from us... =X
So please do... tell the people that you love that you love them. Just three simple words that will make a world of difference...
Also, I listened to the song I'll be home for Christmas by Josh Groban, after I scanned the files imported from my laptop for viruses (and thank god there were none). The song is especially poignant to me because it has sections during the music interlude where they put voice overs of troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and how they miss spending Christmas with their families back home. I actually cried while listening to it because I totally understand how shitty the feeling of being so far away from your loved ones is, especially if you're alone in a foreign land. There's no one to cry to or laugh with, and even though technology has made that alot better with Skype but it is never quite the same as being physically together with them. The face on the computer screen is but a face... not the same as smelling their breath or listening to them or seeing them cringe in person.
Anyhow, we had a good time at the Coffee Club at Taka this afternoon for lunch and dessert with Charm and Sis. However, I don't remember the Sauerkraut & Banger Sandwich being garnished as such with a serving of garden salad heavily dressed by vignarette. The sandwich itself was great though, and the bratwurst as usual very tender and juicy. The muddy mud pie never fails to impress. As always, Charm has to impart some knowledge into us mere mortals and the lecture topic today was on land law. Alot of legalese involved in that... also we laughed at her amusing stories from MOCK trials (not MOK).
LOL... I can't wait for the next round... |
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| Just another day in paradise... |
[Dec. 5th, 2007|12:14 am] |
Well... as the title implies, it's just another day for me today. Still had the freakin' dull headache from yesterday so I popped in an Amytrip pill to try to cure it. It was cured... but the side effect of that was I was basically dopey the whole day. I took the pill at noon, so was basically shut off for the whole afternoon.
Result of this was... I feel kinda guilty cos I was supposed to accompany Sis out to lunch and buy her Sims 2 expansions, but I was feeling so dopey and grumpy and couldn't for the life of me figure out why I was feeling so sleepy until she reminded me I had just popped the pill. Oh well... there ya go! Somehow managed to pop into the POSB at Funan to get my new ATM card (which is blue and shiny), and deposit some money from well-wishing red packets from eons ago I suppose. Found out I could get the POSB MasterCard debit but figured I wouldn't have much use for it so I told the VERY polite and friendly counter girl that I would take the brochures home and read it. Couldn't bear to turn her down after she had been so nice and accommodating.
Also, I managed to give the Aussie high comm here a call to clarify my brudder's problem with his visa. Now they say we have to email the helpdesk back in Australia. Apparently, he was told to pay ANOTHER AUD400 to apply for a second visa because our good school decided to reschedule their course and invalidate his first visa. How nice! The lady on the line wasn't exactly accommodating so ho-hum... =X
I finally managed to get the Dell desktop and my lappie to talk so managed to get stuff backed up onto the desktop and I'm gonna do surgery on the lappie in a few days' time. It's seriously going wonky! |
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| Headache... |
[Dec. 3rd, 2007|11:47 pm] |
Woke up... not with a MASSIVE headache, but a dull one that's been plaguing me the whole day. Turned out I couldn't muster enough energy to step out of the house since my head was pounding... gah =X
I will be bringing the Sis out to eat at the Marina Square food court tomorrow... hahaha, we're eating the cheap dimsum and Dad has promised us the restaurant quality one this coming weekend. Also have to go to Funan to do some bank stuff, and to get Sis' Sims 2 expansion... not sure which one but she'll tell ya.
Took apart the lappie today to have a look at how ingeniously designed the hard disk casing was and how easy it is to replace it. Also held by rubber studs to prevent any damage to the actual disk itself. Gonna be a toughie putting those back on the new one. Still have not decided which model I'm going to get. Leaning towards the 160GB one as it's now $280 and will double my built-in capacity. The lappie now refuses to run without complaining every now and then that I don't have programs associated with nada... hmm... sounds very trojanish-fishy. I'm gonna get that hard disk out, run a thorough virus-scan on it and clean it out before backing it up. Also brushed up the inside of the lappie underneath the keyboard... LOADS of dust there. Unbelievable! No wonder it's been running hot.
Anyways, will go to bed now. Ciaoz! |
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| Family Reunion |
[Dec. 3rd, 2007|12:31 am] |
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She's back!!! The family reunion is now complete... =)
I will be bringing the Miss out to eat tomorrow, depending on where she wants to eat. She has indicated interest in dim sum so perhaps we could have the high class or the low class one depending on budget LOL...
On another note, I accidentally sent my brudder an SMS that was not supposed to be read by the She. So now the She has read it and is getting all suspicious and all again. Brudder, I hope it all works out for you and doesn't turn out to be too awkward.
Good night! |
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| 2 days too many, and other life stories... |
[Dec. 2nd, 2007|11:26 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
Went to catch Deux Jours A Paris on Friday with Gabby.
The movie was actually good. I frankly never expected myself to enjoy it all that much, considering all I watch are mostly brainless bimbo flicks. I totally loved watching Adam Goldberg play the hapless totally sanitised and paranoid American that cannot even bear the presence of a speck of dust, or the fact that they keep running into Julie Delpy's ex's with alarming frequency. LOL... =)
On the other hand, it's the first time I actually saw Gabby in a year. I last met him at Vivocity when I was back for my whirlwind vacation last year, still remember, and I think we watched The Holiday together. To say I was stunned when I first met him is a bit of an understatement... he's changed quite a bit, to the point I almost couldn't pick him out when I was scouring the aisles at Gramophone at The Cathay. He looks really good now... no more the nerdy dorky JC student. Oh yeah... the braces will make him look really stunning I think (no I'm not writing this because you're reading it...).
My sis is gonna be back today! That's so fast. I still remember the last two times, how she ALWAYS complained that she was the one who had to go to the airport to pick me. Well... I guess the tables have turned. Can't wait... =)
Managed to sneak some time out at night for our one hour suppers on Saturday with the usual gang... and so MANY of us actually turned up. Vernon, Kaihong, TTT, Aaron, plus the usual two of us that makes SIX. That's I think the most we've ever had for our suppers. Funnily enough, I decided to bring my laptop out yesterday evening to show pictures of my A380 experience and Benny happened to call. He was in Melbourne, with no where to stay! Tried doing a quick search on wotif.com.au only to find that most of the motels were either full, or the hotels too expensive. Ended up booking him for two nights at one of the Formule1 hotels but he had to camp out one night in the car since Saturday night was no longer bookable. He sounded stressed enough... =X
Oh yea... to the person who has been picking me up and dropping me off at my doorstep, who has always been there to listen to my bitchin' and who has sometimes provided some semblance of stability in my life (though you may not think so)... thank you! It's been my pleasure to befriend you. |
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| My Life Thus Far... |
[Dec. 1st, 2007|07:59 pm] |
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More about my unexciting life since the last update 2 years ago... - I owe the government 29 days of my life.
- I am now a student of UNSW studying Computer Science minoring in Aviation Management - since July 2006.
- I've been based in Sydney since July 2006.
- I used to live in Pyrmont, I now live in La Perouse.
- I used to want to fly on the B744s, I now abhor flying on them.
- I am still single and available.
- Human Factors is one of my favourite subjects at school... cannot say the same for any of the computing subjects.
- Aviation Management is interesting in some areas, yet boring in others.
- It was nice of David to so graciously and generously host me when I was around in Brissy. I had a really great time there and I highly suggest anyone who hasn't been there, go!
- I've flown on 9V-SPP (the SQ Star Alliance jumbo) since December 2006 (on SQ222).
- I keep getting haunted by repeated B744s - 9V-SPE TWICE (Jan & Jul 07), VH-OJE TWICE (Sep 06 & Apr 07). This is starting to freak me out.
- It was nice to be able to fly over to Perth to visit Aunty Laura & family, and also, spend Chinese New Year with Mom, Dad and my sis. Would be EVEN nicer if Qantas could JUST manage to be ontime for once!
- It's nice to have Aaron & Benny around in Sydney.
- I love to *meow* at Aaron all the time, and irritate him with my incessant snorts and inability to speak when answering the phone.
- Benny loves poking me to test if my arms are any bigger. I love to irritate him by offering him Tim Tams while not eating any myself.
- I added two more SR series in Jul 07, now the list stands at SRB, C, G, H, I, J, K, L and M.
- Vernon used to be my housemate, up to September 24, 2007. Harbourview Towers used to be my residence... up to November 23, 2007.
And... to cap it all off... - I came back to Singapore last week on the A380!! =) ... ...
- ... and in the meantime, rejected a AUD380 offer to get a middle seat on the next flight.
There ya go! |
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| To get or not to get... |
[Dec. 1st, 2007|06:12 pm] |
Now, I'm torn between getting OR not getting the Seagate Momentus 7200.2 hard disk for my laptop...
(see it here http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/laptops/momentus/momentus_7200.2/)...
And if i DO get it, should I get the non-G version ($229 for 120GB) or the G version ($290 for 160GB)?
Torn......
Also, can someone tell me if the Intel 82801GBM south bridge supports SATA 2.0 (3.0Gbits/sec)?
Will be posting more about my unexciting life a bit later. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 1st, 2006|03:17 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  sleepy | ] |
Reflections on 2005
You know, it's quite funny... while everybody was happily celebrating the arrival of 2006, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness, not so much because I missed the year 2005, that I had a really good time or anything, but more like, the coming year 2006 may well be the year I leave all the people I love behind here and go overseas for my study. As silly as that may sound, I will miss the company of the people that I know here, and the place as well...
I went for a countdown dinner cum party organised by at my dad's friend, in aid of a kindergarten, which their church is trying to set up. A mighty good cause I must say, and I hope they manage to raise the funds they require soon. The turnout was heartening, and although initially I was a little unsettled, not knowing many people there, but I guess it all worked out at the end. And oh... Jeremy, no wonder you look so familiar, I just thought you might have been from Poly Forum... =)
(Me and my sister, Fern)
(Must have been high from all the atmosphere... what's up with that expression man! haha...)
Nothing much else has happened since then. I went to Kuching with my family. Here are brief snapshots in pictures -
(Kuching's Town Centre)
Kuching has a rather small town centre, which is about a half hour drive from the currently-chaotic airport. I have never seen a greater mess and I think even SBS Transit has a better arrival passenger flow system than the Kuching airport did. But they can't completely be faulted - they're undergoing renovation now so I guess these inconveniences are tolerable. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in town, and since we had a 14-storey room, we got the picture above. Right from the heart of town...
(That amazing RM8 Pineapple Strudel)
(Afternote - I thought this picture was slightly more palatable...)
Courtesy of my Mom, we ordered this amazing pineapple strudel, which only cost RM8, which isn't even like S$4.00... Btw, it's good, much better than it looks in the picture. You can get it from Cafe Majestic at the Crowne Plaza Riverside @ Kuching. Oops... am I advertising for them? Try it for yourself... seriously, you won't regret it. And oh... it comes with a HUGE scoop of vanilla ice-cream too!
(The statue of two cats right in the heart of town)
As Kuching is affectionately known for its association with cats, they have, very strategically, placed a statue of two cats right in the heart of town - well, it's actually at a roundabout. Btw, sorry for the bad light, I didn't have much opportunity since it rained out both the afternoons I was there.
(The Riverside Suites at Kuching)
The reason why I took this picture was because the sunlight was just at the right angle, and at the right intensity. I think this is simply picture perfect. Btw, Riverside Suites seem a little run-down compared to the last time I was there - low occupancy rates perhaps?
Oh, I also got myself a 30GB Apple Ipod. Unbelievable what 2 years can do to you... (William and I ever agreed that we'd never get the Ipod since it is a fashion accessory but 2 years has changed the Ipod so much, it's more than just a fashion accessory now... ). If only they could do something about the scratch-prone-ness of this baby!
(Tada... got the entire package at SITEX 2005)
It's decision time for me as to which university I will be going to this year. I've got UNSW interviews coming up in March, I guess by then, I'll have to decide on what I really want to do. A bit unfortunate that NUS has not decided on its policy for advanced standing for poly students, when the other unis have already stated upfront, on their offer, that they will give 2 or 3 semesters of advanced standing for the relevancy of the course I'm applying to. I'm keen to go to NUS and I guess, one of the primary reasons is I can't bear to leave the people behind.
May you all have a happy and blessed 2006 and find peace within yourselves! Enjoy the long weekend. Cheers... :) |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 12th, 2005|12:29 am] |
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| |  distressed | ] |
I have this intrinsic fear of driving the car out now...
Firstly, the computer decides to reset itself, and all the memorised stations vanished into thin air. Next, the buttons on the steering wheel decide not to work. The memory position for seats, mirror and steering column decide to wipe themselves out. And finally, I seem to have hit something while reversing just now at the Changi Village carpark (I got lost while trying to get onto the expressway). The two puncture marks on the license plate portion of the boot cover seem to have come from that, which was quite weird since I got out and there was nothing behind it.
I got lost in the East... I wanted to get onto the highway but I ended up in Tampines and Pasir Ris. I had like an unnecessary 20 minute detour, which may have cost the puncture as well. I will remember, and turn left out of the carpark next time.
Finally, when i was deciding to top up the petrol, the petrol tank cap refused to shut.
What a night! |
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| Scratchies... |
[Nov. 3rd, 2005|12:01 am] |
Why are there so many scratches on the car??
Just this evening, as I was about to enter the car at Casper's church, I saw this scratch mark on the front bumper. It's pretty inconspicuous if you don't look hard enough but it so happens to be at the right angle from where I was standing and Casper shone a light onto it. As always, I made a big fuss, but he told me he's seen it there before and my sis also tells me it's been there for a while already... I don't know if I caused it but really hope not.
I think my Ipod fund should go to fix the car up. It really looks like it took a beating this last month alone - with 3 incidents already. Let's hope the coming month bodes well for everyone... |
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| A Musical Oddysey with Hayley Westenra |
[Sep. 4th, 2005|04:25 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  calm | ] |
Just yesterday, Casper and I were less than a few hundred meters away from the angelic (and soon-to-be legendary) Kiwi songbird, Hayley Westenra. We both went to his church at St Mary of the Angels to watch her small performance. It was really gracious of her to offer to perform for no charge in aid of migrant workers.
No words can describe how beautiful the performance was. She nearly had me in tears when she was singing Never Saw Blue. Was just a little surprised that she did not sing any song from her previous album PURE, but this is after all, a musical oddysey with her so I guess, the songs would have come from her recently-launched Oddysey album. However, as much as we would have liked her to autograph our CDs, it's gonna cost us a 200-buck donation, which as poor NSFs we could not afford (heck, I can't even afford to get myself a 170-buck SB X-Fi soundcard). She's blonde though, in case anyone was wondering, the photographs are deceptive.
Life goes on... I am planning to go to the US sometime next yr to visit old friend Gregory. However, IF Hayley is gonna be performing anywhere in Oceania, you may well find me headed there. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 24th, 2005|05:04 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
This recently past Friday, I saw one of my close friends in to Tekong for his BMT. This island may well be known as the Alcatraz of Singapore, being the somewhat isolated place where young Singaporean guys are sent for their first taste of military life (to be "defenders" of Singapore). The whole affair was over in less than half a day... but his not being around is somehow a little surreal.
The event reminded myself of June 14, 2004. On that day, I was the one who was enlisting into the Army, with my Dad, Mom and Sis following me. I know that feeling, although many have told me that it's different (cuz my stay was only about 5 days there), the feeling of enlistment is similar, if not probably a few times worse for my friend here... It's a feeling of anticipation and excitement mixed with a little bit of not knowing what to expect.
Anyhow, I wish him all the best and I really hope that the 7 weeks will pass as well as it possibly can for him. I eagerly await the day that we can meet up again for yum char and chit-chat... in the meantime, take care of yourself and look forward to the upcoming long weekend and long break after your BMT ! |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 14th, 2005|09:46 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  confused | ] |
Well, it's the 1-yr anniversary of my enlisting into the Army... hooray!...
I've actually been reading some of Dr Ben Carson's books. I must honestly say there hasn't been another book that has quite captured my attention in the same way. The way he connects with the readers is pretty unique. In fact, I have decided I will TRY to live each day to be the best person that I can be, and to try to make a difference in somebody's day everyday if I could. Of course, it's easier said than done, but there's no harm trying. Truly, nothing beats the appreciative smile you may get when you're the sunshine in his/her dark day. Sounds dramatic?... I think I'm probably tired and rambling too much... someone stop me please!!!
I have not been sleeping too well recently, maybe that's why I had this high fever for two days last week. Maybe it's cuz I've been singing too loudly in my room to myself haha... without adequate practice. Me and Casper ever discussed taking up voice lessons but to date, that has not materialised into anything so...
O... they launched the new radio station today. It's supposed to be the re-identity of Newsradio, called 938live! I heard bits and pieces of it throughout the day and I must say, they do a darn good job. There's a whole new feel to the way they present their programs now and it's definitely much more interactive and interesting. My only fear is that they may not be able to keep this up for too long as these things tend to become stale after a while. Nevertheless, we shall see how things go eh...
Work is, as usual, tough and challenging at times, pretty slack at other times. But after I read the books last week and this, I try to constantly remind myself that I'm only here to give my best. After that, at least I feel something when I actually go and do my work. Even though I may not want to be there, it doesn't mean that I don't take pride in my work right? ...
You probably think I don't know what I'm talking about haha... cuz my thoughts are like totally fragmented. I shall continue tomorrow then... Adios! |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 24th, 2005|10:32 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | relieved | ] |
--Part 2--
Addendum to the previous post - Benny wants to mention that we almost couldn't return to our hotel as the tide had risen as we were returning from spotting and we were stuck amongst some breakwaters. Well, no big deal... just that our shoes & sandals got a bit wet haha...
Anyway, we originally thought we were going to go night dipping in the pool (moon-tanning according to Benny) but by the time we actually got back, it was close to 11pm and there was a stray cat outside our balcony and we couldn't really fathom what he wanted (he had this really pitiful cry and we couldn't like leave him there) so we offered him our cake for the night (the hotel provides us cakes every night in our room). He ate a bit but still continued trailing Aaron, so after a while, we left a bowl of water for him outside and he basically just went away the next morning.
Sunday morning started late... we only got up at 9.15 so went for breakfast late. Turned out we only had 40 minutes to finish eating but we finished in about half an hour anyway. Got changed for our daily dose of tanning (as usual) and I must say, today the both of them were not sparing in their usage of the tanning oil (being slightly depserate to get dark of course). Anyway, Aaron said that I had to stay out of the water until SQ landed so thankfully, SQ was early that day (by 10 minutes) so I could enter the water. I was already boiling. Thank the God and Heavens!!!! :)
Lunch today was local fare - I had a plate of Mee Goreng, Benny had an overly salted plate of Fried Kway Teow and Aaron had the same pizza again. One thing interesting was that - when Benny returned his dish of Kway Teow virtually untouched, the hotel staff offered to change it for him, and that it would only take 10 minutes but since we were in a bit of rush, he decided to forgo that. I thought it was really nice of the waitress to offer an exchange for him but oh well...
As usual, spotting in the afternoon. Today I was better armed, although grand masters say I must not bring an umbrella, must remain topless and remain in the sun, I brought along my umbrella, poncho (to cover my neck) and a book to read. Since I was sitting under their shelter (they were standing on a tree trunk taking pictures), I hardly got any sun exposure that afternoon and I read quite a bit of the book I had brought along. Also managed to collect an almost full bottle of Bali sand for my sister and got it sealed using candle wax later that evening. Usual subjects - Thai, China Airlines, Cathay and Australian Airlines to Singapore today but nothing out of the ordinary. We went back earlier today to avoid the high tide. Felt a bit sad though that we would be returning to Singapore the next day and that this would be our last sunset in Bali but we could always go back again I guess. We really need to stay there longer, this trip was too rushed!!
We went down to Centro again today for dinner. Popped by the supermarket hoping to get Aaron his pimple cream but for some strange reason, they didn't have it. Benny got his shower stuff however (shampoo & soap), which is apparently made in Germany, unlike the ones we have in Singapore, which are made in Thailand. And they're about the same price too! Dinner was a simple affair at KFC... it's quite interesting that they have five digits in their prices beside the combo meals display board. I had this pasta with chicken, Benny had the Colonel chicken bento set and Aaron had the usual two piece chicken meal, except that here, their two-piece meal comes with Nasi (rice) instead of french fries so I did a swap with him. I ended up eating the rice and the pasta... which made me really full and unable to finish the pasta. After dinner, it was walk walk and more walk cuz we went searching for some *ahem ahem* DVDs in the shops there. Really cheap though, about 2 Singapore bucks for a DVD. Anyhow, I also went across to the K minimart to get two cans of Bintang beer and a bottle of blueberry vodka. The beer was to bring back to Singapore and the vodka, to be finished that night haha... Then went back to Centro to see if I could get my sis anything but there was nothing. Ended up getting a T-shirt, umbrella and pen from the Bintang merchandise shop.
Took a Bali cab back to the hotel again and actually we intended to get changed to go dipping in the pool but then the pool was closed!!! Imagine, barebodied people walking around at night intending to go pool dipping but to find that the pool was closed... haha. Went back to the room in the end and they drank up most of the vodka - I had but a sip or two. Not much of an alcohol taste actually since it was only like 5% alcohol. Aaron was conscientious in sealing his bottle of Bali sand with candle wax. Aaron then filled up the bath tub and we took turns to go dip in the water for a while before a shower and sleep.
Strangely enough, I had this dream about the man of metal in the Terminator II movie (we were watching a bit of it before going to sleep).
Awoke the next morning at 8. After a SLIGHT bit of dilly-dallying, went for breakfast at 8.30. Then end up at the poolside at about 9.30 or so for daily dose of the sun! Since we obviously didn't have all the time in the world, they were not very sparing in using the tanning oil either and we were like walking oil tubs. I can feel the oil like just dripping off the skin. After 45 minutes in the sun, we went into the pool to cool off for a while before rushing back to the room to shower, do final packing and we were out of the room at 11.15. The check out was quick but turns out we had to give a call to the travel agent who booked us our hotels as one of our USD notes was not accepted by their bank. By the time we got onto a cab for the 10 minute drive to the airport, it was close to 11.40 haha, must be the biggest rush ever.
Check in for the flight home was quick however. They tagged each bag individually so all of us got baggage tags for our own bags (they do it all together here). I also found out that I could bring the umbrella in as cabin baggage to be stowed at the sidewall area so that was settled (was a bit of a worry the night before as I was wondering how I was ever transporting that back to Singapore). Went upstairs to the departure area and paid the airport tax, which came up to only Rp100,000 each. Seems to have been halved since the last time I came - I remember distinctly it was Rp200,000. We then went to see our plane "slamdown" onto the runway, as the SQ pilots love to do in Denpasar but it seemed to be quite a leisurely landing today.
Went into gate 7 at 12.20. Sat around for a while, saw a Malaysian A330, our plane (which was 9V-SRI) and a Garuda 737 right infront of where we were sitting. We actually recorded a clip there and then, which ended up to be some nonsensical bickering haha but it was fun while it lasted. Obviously I complained that I got an old hag back to Singapore and how lucky that I missed an AVOD plane by 1 alphabet. I haven't finished listening to my Celine Dion album leh!! :(
We boarded the aircraft at 12.50 and the queue was as usual stuck since people don't know how to board by zones. We finally entered the aircraft at 12.55 and took our seats. Our attendants today don't look friendly and that didn't set a very good start for me. In the end, the only saving grace for our flight home was the excellent food (we had lamb rendang, macaroni & chicken salad and a pineapple pudding for dessert). The attendants I found to be pretty snooty, which perhaps was due to the fact that they had flown up from Singapore and had to do the flight back. The attendant in our aisle literally ordered Aaron to have his seat upright for the service. I must say however, that the leading stewardess was pretty friendly when we wanted to do our inflight shopping nearing the end of the flight.
Approach into Singapore was VERY VERY choppy because of bad weather (what's new, right?). We actually landed on runway 20C so it was a pretty short taxi to our gate but the landing was swaying left and right again and we landed quite hard again, strange. Lots of reverse thrust was used. Taxi to gate took about 10 minutes and we arrived late. The next flight was leaving at 4.40 and everybody only managed to disembark at about 4.00. You could see the crew for the next flight already at the gate, waiting impatiently to board the aircraft. Turns out the next flight actually took off 1 hour late (haha must be because we wanted to have a photo with the flight crew). The cleaners were like rushing onto the aircraft even before we disembarked so that was how rush it was.
In essence, our trip was too short!!! I need a longer holiday, let's hope I win the NGC asia contest and then I may get to go to Washington DC. Till the next update... take care!! |
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| Bali Trip 2005 (Part 1) |
[May. 24th, 2005|03:52 pm] |
Well, as promised... here's my take on my recently concluded Bali trip. Before I forget most of the details that is... hehe
On the Friday we were leaving, I actually went to work for half a day but I didn't really do much that day cuz it was like in holiday mood already so I left at about 12.45pm. Had a very nice dimsum lunch with my family before rushing home for a haircut, to buy some batteries, draw out some Singapore Dollars and finish up my remaining packing.
I left for the airport at about 4.35pm and we parked the car at about 5.10pm. My two good friends were not there yet as they went for a medical appointment so I just went downstairs to the arrival hall for a cup of tea at Macs. After I met them, checked in (and found out that the aircraft was SRM and not SRE), with a huge sense of relief went into the departure area after saying goodbye to my Mom, Dad and Sis. Boarding at F56 today, which was a bit of a walk down the east wing of Terminal 2 but we made it anyway, with little time to spare and I just managed to sneak one last call in to Mom before I really had to board (they were hushing me into the aircraft already).
On the plane, I had like a vacant seat on my own as Benny and Aaron were sitting together in the two seater in front. And apparently, nobody wanted to sit next to me. Hahaha... so all was well, the plane takes off at 7.15pm. Shortly after I volunteered to change seats to accomodate a couple who were sitting together. I ended up sitting in the middle block across the aisle from where Benny & Aaron were sitting, next to a German couple. There was a bit of a communication barrier but they were really nice people nonetheless. I managed to catch most of Celine Dion's Miracle on SIA's absolutely wonderful AVOD system. They should upgrade all their aircraft to have this man! Anyway, the food was ok, crew was apologetic most of the time (for me having to change seats) and I got a bag of souvenirs from them in the end. Also had a photo taken with the flight crew in the cockpit and we disembarked using airstairs in Bali and were bussed to the terminal.
We joined the wrong queue at the immigration counters and were asked to move to another queue, which meant additional time spent queueing. There were unofficial airport porters who insistently pulled your baggage off the carousel and demanded a tip from you after, which made me wonder how desperate these people were. In any case, Aaron saved the day and we were "quite safely" in a cab soon enough on the way to the hotel.
We then found out that we were upgraded to an executive suite (from a deluxe room). The room is fantabulous if there's such a word haha... it's huge, has a really big living room, kitchenette, a big master bedroom and a smaller bedroom with a study table, bath tub and shower. It even has a small "mini-room" for us to put our clothes, bags and whatever other small items we may have. The bed is big, could probably accomodate 3 people although we didn't try that haha. The people were very nice, we actually had a complimentary drink which we didn't use in the end. Slept quite late that night (close to 1am).
We woke up at 7.30 the next day (although we were supposed to be up at 7) but because of dilly dallying, ended up at the breakfast table only at 8.30. Not late but when you start running behind schedule on a holiday, it snowballs hahaha... Anyhow, the breakfast spread was quite good, they had a selection of cooked stuff (i.e. congee, sausages, potato, fried rice, noodles etc) or breads & pastries. I opted for the pastries first before trying out the cooked stuff, both of which were edible. Special mentions of course to the pom pom potatoes (Aaron's favourite). We then went to walk around the hotel a bit (during which, we got hassled by touts who were trying to sell us things), before going to the pool to suntan. Suntanning sessions were always quite fun, cuz Benny brought along this bottle of tanning oil, which tans your skin although it also provides hydration (provided you reapply it frequently). After sitting under the sun for close to 30 minutes, we went inside the pool and the cool water never felt better cuz it was SOOO HOT outside. For some strange reason, I just couldn't get dark no matter how hard they tried haha...
Lunch was at this Italian restaurant in the hotel called Renascimento - had a Pizza Magherita (which is actually known as Hawaiian here). The portion was huge - I think I could probably have shared one with Aaron and still felt full. Benny had the black pasta with squid ink, which he said was tasty even though it doesn't look very edible. After lunch, as usual, went back to the room to laze around for a bit before gathering enough energy to go spotting at Tuban Beach, right next to the runway. We saw the Royal Barge A330 there, a Cathay A340, China Airlines A300 and the usual barrage of Garudas, Star Airlines, Adam Air and Merpati. The weather was very very hot, but fortunately, we brought along plenty of water to rehydrate. Since both of them did not want tan lines around their arms, they went topless but it was ok for me since I hardly get tanned anyway. We stayed there till the sun almost set before going back to the hotel.
After a quick shower, we went down to Kuta. Because we told the taxi driver to drop us off at the wrong location (outside Centro), we had to endure a almost 45 minute walk down to the Hard Rock Cafe, much further down near the Kuta Beach area. Had dinner at the HRC and then went to walk around the streets of Kuta to find soccer jerseys, a Zippo lighter and some bottled mineral water, which after 2 hours of hunting, we managed to get. Was very relieved to get into a blue Bali Taxi (it was a brand new Toyota Vios too) back to the hotel as the streets of Kuta seem quite chaotic to me.
--Okay... part 2 coming up shortly.-- |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 26th, 2005|12:13 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  crappy | ] |
Today I almost wrecked my Dad's new car along Dunearn Rd when I was driving everybody out to lunch. As I was trying to overtake a really slow Merz in the middle lane, I was travelling quite fast on the right lane and perhaps, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have on the cars making U-turns opposite NJC (since I assume they will see me and stop). It so happens this van didn't stop and he conveniently came out anyway. I braked but not enough so for a split second, both of us were in the same lane and precariously close so instinctively, I had to swerve off into the left lane. Thank goodness, the Merz was slow and he was behind me so I did not hit anybody in the end. Really imagine my shock when I realised that this guy wasn't backing off and he was going to come out irregardless of the fact that I was already like right behind him. Anyhow, on hindsight, the correct reaction to that will be to beware of people coming out, brake and horn at him but seriously, I never expected him to just come out like that, especially when I was that close.
Anyway, after that I didn't really have the mood to drive or do anything. Furthermore, when we reached the hotel, somehow I had screwed up the telephone reservation as well so we had to go to Marina Square for lunch instead. Not that it was bad cuz I had this claypot tou-fu with rice - I'd highly recommend it if not for the price.
I had a really really bad headache later in the afternoon, could have been caused by that incident. It haunts me even now but luckily for me, a nice dinner and movie put me in a better state of mind. Btw, for those of you who have not watched Ms Congeniality 2, maybe you should catch it on a weekday if you can cuz I don't really think it's worth $8.5 although it's not a bad movie if you need a good laugh.
Btw, for those of you who see this, please don't ask me when I'm going to drive you all around anymore. Cuz I don't think it will be that soon...
Oh and also, just in case I don't update this blog in the next few days - a very happy birthday to you, Gabriel! Tell me how it feels to turn 21 ok? Cuz I will know it in a few months' time. Look forward to your ORD and freedom. It will be here sooner than you think... :)
Good night and enjoy your weekend. |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 27th, 2004|09:58 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | melancholy | ] |
Wow... two weeks has just passed like that. Guess I'll just write about the past few days (the pre & post-X'mas festive moods).
Almost all my friends got the presents that I had gotten for them for X'mas. It was nice to see them so happy to get the stuff that they had wanted. Well, if you didn't, remember it's the thought that counts... hehe... just kidding!! :P Seriously though, I hope all of you liked it. For those who haven't gotten yours, you will, soon!
Although my boss is currently in Taiwan enjoying her vacation, it seems there is really no end to the work that I'm supposed to clear. I had promised her that I would clear some stuff for her while she was gone but on Thursday, rather unpleasantly, I had some tasks assigned to me by the other branch, which I thought could be cleared quickly but how wrong I was!! It's not done yet and I need to go back tomorrow to get it cleared. That is totally sian! Now I will not have any time to do my own things. OT tomorrow again I guess...
Friday was fun. Nobody did any real work. Everybody was in celebratory mood. We had food and games and of course, fun!! Went in the evening to see my uncle and his family, who had come down all the way from Ipoh for a holiday. That meant I had to miss the rendezvous at Orchard Road at midnight but I guess, since the last time I saw my uncle was like 8 years ago, it was worth missing the X'mas celebrations. It was quite awkward cuz us cousins had nothing to say to each other after having not met for so many years.
Saturday was relaxing, we went to sit at a hill to enjoy the breeze for most part of the day. Then we went to catch a movie, "Meet the Fockers" and then dinner. The movie was pretty good, but the humour was crass haha... Sunday was uhh... a weird day. I went out to look for a coffee filter for my boss' coffee maker since I had accidentally damaged hers. But I came back pretty much empty-handed. Sunday was not a good day to walk in Orchard since the pavements were crowded with human traffic.
I was supposed to go out with my parents today to get some new clothes. Ended-up going out with them to Suntec in the evening to get a new pair of specs. It looks weird but I guess I'll get used to it. It's totally unconservative. I had a relaxing Monday as well - just went to Orchard to stroll around. Managed to borrow some books from the library, got myself a DVD from Borders and basically just walked up and down the entire Orchard Road. The traffic today was much more bearable, at least I could breathe when walking along the pavements. All by myself... might be unexciting but how often do I get to do that! I'm so sorry, I know I flew somebody's airplane today but I couldn't help it, I really needed some time out by myself. I went back home really early and watched the DVD and enjoyed KFC for lunch.
Well, I've been thinking - and I have decided that I will make some adjustments to my life for the better. Starting from 2005, I will wanna make the most of everyday, try to get home early to get some exercise in. I will also wanna make the most of my savings and how-ever much meagre allowance I get each month AND I will wanna make all those around me happy, as much as I humanly can. Those are my new-year resolutions. I shall let you all know in a year if I have fulfilled them.
In the meantime, have fun everybody and enjoy this festive period! Really do hope I will make it through the rest of this week. Wish me luck people... |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 5th, 2004|12:28 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  blank | ] |
Just felt like posting today so I will put an update here... haha
Another week has passed... Christmas is one week nearer. For some strange reason, I am kinda looking forward to it this year although I don't usually celebrate it with the family. As the saying goes - 'Tis the season to be jolly...' so I'm just hoping that no matter what happens, all my family and friends will be happy.
The week was busy, but quite fruitful. There was a bit of a hiccup in the office network on Friday so for most part of it, I did not manage to do anything on my workstation but I worked on hard copies so at least something was done. I was also sent to attend a discussion, of which 50% of what was discussed I didn't quite catch until later when I came out and had a chance to read through my notes a second time.
Today I went down town to walk, alone. I walked through Robinsons, hoping to find something for some of my female friends. I then combed Gramophone and HMV hoping to find some good bargains but none were to be found. Anyhow, I got somebody an album. I'm not saying who it's for or what the album is but I hope that person likes it. ;)
Went for dinner with my family today at Garden Hotel. They have this steamboat buffet spread on the weekend evenings, which is pretty cheap and good. I especially loved their wontons and their chocolate eclairs. The eclairs were excellent!! Unfortunately, I only managed to eat six or eight of them and they're really not very big so quite easily digestible. The problem is, you would have eaten too much of other stuff by then...
I also went down to Sim Lim with one of my ex-classmate. He's looking to buy a new computer so I went down to sorta help him decide. The configuration is more or less finalised; just need to like check up the net on one or two details before he finally buys it in maybe one or two weeks. Strangely enough, all the Seagate, Hitachi & WD SATA hard disks were out of stock. Only Maxtor was left. And I wasn't really keen on getting the Maxtor either cuz there must be a reason behind why everyone is snapping up the other brands and leaving Maxtor out...
Just hope that everybody remembers - Christmas is the season of joy and sharing. One of my friends casually mentioned something to me just now but I thought that was pretty meaningful - it's not what you give that's important, it's the thought that really counts. As long as you're my friend, you're always in my heart. I may not be able to speak to you or see you everyday but do know that I still care for you. Hope that brings comfort to all of you reading this. Good night! |
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