MY [[soluti0n]]

2012-02-02T21:42:00.000+08:00

taking ownership.

a lesson well taught by a good friend of mine.

2012-01-30T22:06:00.003+08:00

i meant only for my upper torso to bulk up, but my central body seems to be growing proportionately too! whats going on. looks like there's a need to step up on cardio exercises. motivation level to join the tiny community of staff officers who got gold for IPPT: 100%

2012-01-23T21:34:00.001+08:00

traditional visitations can be a drag when you dont know 70% of the people and have nothing to talk about or do 90% of the time.

2012-01-22T13:48:00.003+08:00

Top Exercise Mistakes

The all-or-nothing approach; research shoes that just 10min of exercise can provide important health benefits. a little bit can add up over time.
Unbalanced strength training program; like abdominals or biceps
Poor technique or form; can lead to injury
Inconsistent Progression; exercising too hard and too often/ increasing intensity too quickly
Lack of Cross training; the same workout everytime will lose its effectiveness and may lead to boredom, injury or burnout
Incorrect Machine Set-up
Skipping the Warm up
Poor Gym Etiquette
Poor Goal Setting

Skating Coach

Google. for now, i'll begin with http://www.londonskaters.com/main_how_to.htm

Guitar Class

i've dug out the really dusty "Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class" dvd series my dad bought years ago. i've tried a few lessons and i would say its pretty good for beginners to get their fundamentals right.

Preparing for School

im really unmotivated and have not make any progress for this. not even the planning and goal setting phase. but trust me, i will begin revising.

2012-01-21T17:20:00.006+08:00

and alas, last day in langkawi

when airplanes takeoff..

however, they land a different way.. they nosedive to the ground

even if they have their wheels out.

its no where in comparison even to macdonalds. dont try

there is only one tower burger, and i guess theres only a western fast food restaurant that serves their drinks this way as well. not very satisfied.

Im really amazed at Changi Airport's T3. fitting to be runner up to the best airport award. it has a really pleasing interior design and has facilities you wouldnt expect; a gym, shower, free movie screening and free computer gaming (think i saw world of warcraft).

i guess they were focusing on a experience based business. they even catered timings for koi feeding to visitors. the kois were really huge. about the size of the baby sharks back in langkawi.

really educational. this shelf reminds me of Jurassic park where dino eggs were incubated in glass displays, except that these were butterfly cocoons. we were pretty privileged to witness the hatching of a butterfly, live, up till it successfully inflated its wings.

2012-01-20T17:38:00.005+08:00

At the highest point of langkawi.. drinking tea

Black sand beach

2012-01-19T15:47:00.004+08:00

2012-01-18T20:45:00.006+08:00

im nearing the end of posting my langkawi trip last dec. but before that, let me deviate again.

PROFESSIONALISM

its impt to me because it facilitates the work of other co-workers and of course the same goes for vice versa. I've experienced difficulty working with a particular group. not all, but a considerable amount from that group. It is really tough communicating especially to one. office taiji is really common. even i have to learn the art of it.

i'll take this opportunity to let of some steam. this particular guy, no matter how much i try to respect him for his long experience in the organisation, seems to earn zero respect from me, beginning by disregarding my profession. in fact, i would say that he disregards everybody of my level. come on, you may be 2x older but you're still below me in terms of the ranking system. i may be less experienced but i talk much better sense that you do. there is no logic to your thinking. my god. this is probably why you've henta khaki at your current appointment for years.

let me quote 2 examples.

1st, he doesnt even assume, but state with no reasoning that a certain task is mine to do. in fact, he should be requesting politely for me to help him witness the transaction. next, he pushes HIS JOB to me, a WITNESS. its tempting to insert here a string of vulgarities. when ever does a witness do another person's job and shoulder all the responsibilities. a pastor does not marry your wife for you. it was obvious that even my superior's superior had trouble knocking sense into him. he is overly unprofessional!!! he even dares to tell me that my superior's superior (who's freaking much higher ranking than him) gave me wrong advice.

today, he called my hp to tell me that he needed my signature on some documents. mistake no.1, he abused his knowledge of my personal number by doing that before calling my office phone. i'm not your beck and call yo. i noticed a minor error when his clerk passed me the documents. hence, i spoke with him over the phone to clarify the issue. not only does he not want to explain, he insisted for me to sign the paper blindly. he said i was making his life difficult. he doesn't listen!!!! i was only trying to clarify a small matter. so he came stomping into my office, shouted "CAN YOU JUST SIGNED!?!?!" and then stomped out, taking the documents back with him. Good lord. i was grateful to have stayed calm and collected then.

followed next were a few more calls with him telling me, " dont worry, just sign. nothing will go wrong." all without elaboration. i bet he responses differently when an insurance agent tries to sell him a policy. he carried on saying that i'm kiasu and that kiasu officers would eventually get their men killed in war. please tell me that makes even a little bit of sense.

i really really do not wish to ever work with him again. for the record, he shouted at my fellow officer before as well. he also tried to play punk by sending an email with my name enlarged and in bold red, cc-ing to my superiors and everyone else. balls to him and i dont give a shit. he's the only one who doesnt know what is going on.

next up, another person of the same level as him gave utterly no respect to my subordinate. i couldnt tolerate that. he failed to respond to an earlier request and it goes like this..

"just a gentle reminder, please..." - subordinate

"what gentle reminder you want from me? please do your homework" - idiotic guy.

however, because of this incident, my subordinate displayed an admirable level of professionalism.

these aside, my superior wants to prepare me to take on a bigger portion of his responsibility. im really happy to assist him on a larger scale especially during this particular period. in fact, its a great learning and growing opportunity. however, at the same time, i worry that i may not perform well enough to support him sufficiently because i have not successfully overcome my shortfalls.

work never ends. im glad a considerable amount is done although it is still rather overwhelming.

2012-01-17T20:58:00.009+08:00

i hope this one kind deed done today will be paid forward.

langkawi: a walk through the park

2012-01-16T20:08:00.005+08:00

visit to the friut orchard

free fruit buffet bundled to the package

abstaining from tetris battle day 1 passed.

2012-01-15T23:26:00.003+08:00

a short break from langkawi photos

February resolutions

lets start small.

abstain from tetris battle
practice rollerblading and guitar once a week. (im getting a little stuck without coaching but i really need to save. i hope internet will be a good enough resource)
read the bible daily and at least watch the sermon online once every week.
commit to intensive exercise 3x a week.
be more responsible of my life starting by ironing my clothes and removing the clutter
re-evaluate my direction in life every Sunday
start reading up, start revising, stop procrastinating

just one month ben

2012-01-15T18:30:00.005+08:00

to the snake sanctuary; langkawi

its a hedgehog if you're wondering

you dont wanna mess with this king cobra.

snake sanctuary was a bit of a let down. no more shows, nothing. just a few enclosed animals on display. the only people there were us plus the receptionist.

2012-01-14T22:37:00.008+08:00

ok theres too many photos to upload but im halfway done already. im really bored arranging the photos in order so dont mind!

yea we got summoned. cheats. telling us that is free parking there and making us give them tips ($) for the tip (info) they gave us. tourists, you're warned.

oh look at all the sparrows below. you have to enlarge the photo

PEE SHOT!
ugly round rock

2012-01-13T19:05:00.007+08:00

Langkawi with Family Chapter 3: snorkeling

snorkelling with sharks

spot the shark above

2012-01-12T21:19:00.006+08:00

theres something weird about the next photo.. hmm.
like whats flamingos and parrots doing at underwater world!

the jet skis that dotted the sea

whats weird about the next picture part 2
shouldnt we swap the places of the jet ski and the pickup truck?

Now this makes better sense

rmb the song hokey pokey?

it goes.. put your left leg in
put your left leg out
put your left leg in and shake it all about

a langkawi ant

i think this post's a rather unintelligent one. my bad

2012-01-10T20:31:00.006+08:00

Langkawi with Family Chapter 3: seven wells

time to leave oriental village and head for the 7 wells. rmb the waterfall i mentioned in the previous entry? yup, thats where we were heading.

notice the lady sitting down in the middle of the photo? she's actually preparing to slide down the rocks with the running water. it looked really fun! a pity we didnt prepare extra clothes. I'd upload the vid of how the slide's like if it doesnt take so long!

guess the plant

its a really REALLY HUGE panda plant. yes its not a tree

aint the baby monkey adorable?
not until it grows big and steals food like this one. ok it didnt steal it. it merely picked it up from the ground. anyway, i was wondering why it had a collar on. mystery unsolved.

spot the humongous hornbill. what a treat for tourists like us.
below are the smaller ones.

2012-01-08T21:11:00.020+08:00

Langkawi with Family Chapter 3: journey to the top of a 500 year old mountain

oh. think i havent mention. my dad rented a car and i highly recommend it to anyone visiting langkawi! its really convenient and the traffic's pretty smooth.for a comfortable holiday, rent one. remember to practise your bargaining skills beforehand.

settled down by a road side store for breakfast. caught a really simple meal.

First stop of the day, Oriental Village. and thats also where we took a cable car ride up the mountains for cool and fresh breezy air and scenic views. But before that..

I love how the colours contrast so well with each other.

caught zoro stealing girls' hearts in langkawi

heres a photo dedicated to a certain someone

spot the tiny dots above the mountains! you guessed it, they're cable cars.

spot the graceful feathered creature that watches over langkawi's forest. its an eagle by the way

lets carry on with a quiz. what can you find at a mountain top?

Ans1: foot massage service

Ans2: tada! tandas!

Ans3: icecream, burger, FOOD

and Ans4: more awe-inspiring views

my stay at langkawi taught me something about myself, that there are still 2 weaknesses i've yet to overcome. phobias in specific. heres the first.

no not bridges, but the height between it and the ground. Its a suspension bridge btw so the shakiness makes it harder for me. yea i know im a real pussy. actually, the cable car ride was scarier. everytime it accelerates, shakes or jerks, it simply reminds me of whats below; nothing

fears aside, the air and view were big treats.

i like how the sky and architecture exude each other's beauty.

icecream shop at the top of the mountain. the idea still awes me.
and below is what we see from up there.; almost the whole of langkawi

i forgot to mentioned, we were blessed with clear skys for all 5 days of our trip. utmost grateful to that.

kicks open the gate and charge!! just killing boredom

the idea of this was actually to snap the waterfall at the background. i bet you guys did notice that until you read this!

2012-01-03T23:48:00.006+08:00

Langkawi with Family Chapter 2: Jalan Jalan

rented a really decent car, booked in to hotel asia. notice the fan? it makes use of aerodynamics! pretty weak but i love the concept of its design.

Took a walk at the wed & sat night market and found some fried ice cream.

looks delicious huh? but it was way too OILY! too much deep frying.

3D portraits

the famous alcohol with pure gold flakes in it. only for the rich

2012-01-03T21:56:00.008+08:00

Langkawi with Family Chapter 1: Leaving Singapore

im surprised propeller commercial airplanes still exist. im a mountain turtle.

its my first time needing to walk out of the airport onto the airfield to get to the airplane. just like indiana jones

pretty awesome huh?

Things to do when you when taking a flight:

1. check out where you can throw up.

2. look out for some scenery

3. follow the safety guidelines!

4. familarise yourself with the evacuation route

5. learn how expensive food and drinks on the planes can cost. so scrimp on them.

Landing

welcome to langkawi

2011-12-21T18:33:00.002+08:00

no luck with blades

finally came across the finest weather since i got my pair of blades during the monsoon season. YET, i got a swollen foot, an aggravated injury from a minor scratch made during soccer. i wonder how it got so bad by just putting on boots for a day. it was just like any other scratch caused from falls.

anw, i found fun staying in in camp. Longer sleeping hours and minus the fear getting caught in faulty trains. But better still, i could easily have a game of RISK and lan (although im not so into it) with the other garang soldiers who voluntary stay in on a regular basis. life seemed more carefree and simple, but of course trading off meaning and accompanied by aimlessness.

going back to the much disgruntlement from my previous entry, i actually found joy visiting http://www.facebook.com/smrtsg. i have doubts if its an official page though.

2011-12-19T22:16:00.004+08:00

its like winter, the cheery days have frozen and will come back only when the next season arrives

've been feel moody lately. wonder why. weather? progressively increase of work load? atrocious public transport services? i dont know. maybe an accumulation of everything unpleasant. as of now, im most disgusted by smrt, and their ceo. the newspapers have been making reports of how she helped smrt to grow so significantly, increasing both revenue and ridership. i wonder if that is suppose to be in her favour because all im gathering is that these are the results of unfair fare hikes, perhaps a cut in maintenance and the government forcing us peasants to give up driving.

There's a saying that people make mistakes, but whats most important is the lesson learnt. fine. but this is an overkill and they're totally not atoning for anything by delaying even the shuttle buses, the only transport of transport (other than smrt/sbs buses) left for those who cannot afford luxury. It is too naive to think that only inconvenience was caused. the livelihood of the commoners are much affected as well. employers are docking employees' salaries for being late for work. how can these poor fellows be early when even efforts made to catch the 1st shuttle service at 0530hours failed because smrt activated the bus drivers only at 0700hours? train services fully resumed only after 12 noon instead of the promised 10am. also, it was impossible to match the supply of cabs to the sudden and overwhelming demand. it was an island-wide transport meltdown.

public transport is no longer public anymore. it is commercialised and profit-focused rather than people-focused. whatever happened to the initial intent of building the railways? wasn't it to provide an affordable means of transport to the majority of singaporeans?

i cant seem to put an end to the words of my frustration. smrt simply does not stop screwing up. a ceo who does not know a single thing about trains. But having 19 years of experience in the business industry cant even manage decent service now. her salary is unjustified.

naturally, all these frustrations originate from the over dependency on mrt trains and i feel powerless over it (dependency)

the rain had been hindering my attempts to try out my new pair of roller blades and that's making me grumpier.

2011-12-17T01:03:00.003+08:00

to some people, they smoke, they feel cool. i finally got myself a pair of rollerblades. i feel cool too! its the same feeling as when i started reading twilight or when i started on guitar. i think i may get addicted to blading. LIFE IS A BLISS!

(now heres the problem, im running out of space in my room.)

not forgetting, Happy Birthday Yeeyew, Melvrick and Weilun! i know none of you will read this but i just feel like typing this out here. And also, Happy advance birthday Matthew. the food was awesome. it makes me feel guilty for keeping my budget so tight back then.

2011-12-12T22:43:00.004+08:00

negative vibes. beware

sometimes i laugh at the shallow thinking behind what people say and then i think back, i did the same before. and so i backspaced the whole paragraph i wrote before this.

on the side note, it can be really annoying to receive days-late replies in any form too often. too often that i lose the will to press the call button instead. sometimes i feel that i am too easy a friend.

ps: and so the "what ben had been doing" spree has ended. now now, to dreamland.

negative vibes. begone.

2011-12-11T15:57:00.003+08:00

what ben had been up to part 9

words

im starting to run out of photos to post here so its time to type a little. had a little mass birthday bash across last weekend. if we divide the days into day and night, it'd be yj's mini surprise on sat morning.. janice's party on sat evening.. and jocelyn's party on sun evening. it was fun and fortunately, there wasnt a need to juggle work with play.

i'm not really good with naughty kids and there was this brat who nearly broke the strings of my ukulele and just kept going at it. well, it's probably time to throw away my toy ukulele anyway. the thing is, i dont intend to get a proper one so preservation was the idea choice. he even took away the balloon jm sw yy and i bought for joce!!! unforgivable.

meet up with my long lost aikido khakis for dinner and dessert ytd. maybe long lost is a wrong choice of phrase considering that i am the one who had been mia for forever. it was pleasantly suprising that instead of reminiscing the past and discussing the fun times we had, we were talking nonsense just like how friends who meet up often do. i probably gained a few years laughing my lungs out with them. seriously, we were talking about the weirdest things.

had a mug of hot chocolate at starbucks. its funny but i've got to say, the chocolate was too chocolaty!! i may be losing my sweet tooth like how my parents already have. age.

met gregory coincidentally in town. it's pretty nice to bump into friends, especially the closer ones. i think im really luck, blessed or whatever good words there is to use to describe. i dont have a perfect family but i do have wonderful kins. i've a really wide circle and good mixture of friends too. although there are many whom i have not talked to in a while, just like my aikido friends, im positive that we'll be able to hang out just fine if we one day meet up again.

pretty soon, school and then work will take up most of my time. till then, i'll bask in the enjoyment and freedom of hanging around with people.

hahahaha! kind of ironically, i'll probably rant about how life is a misery in future but let me be! frustrations got to be vented.

2011-12-10T01:09:00.003+08:00

what ben had been up to part 8

10 days before jasmine's birthday 10/11/11

2011-12-05T23:26:00.007+08:00

what ben had been up to part 7

picnic surprise for Ms Tan 3/12/11

2011-12-05T23:20:00.003+08:00

what ben had been up to part 6

JB with friends 2/12/11

2011-12-03T02:06:00.004+08:00

What ben had been up to part 5

scuba diving introductory course 27/11/11

2011-12-03T01:48:00.004+08:00

What ben had been up to part 4

filming for 七点, 14/11/11 (i think)

2011-12-03T01:32:00.002+08:00

what ben had been up to part 3

div cohesion 19/11/11

2011-11-28T23:03:00.009+08:00

what ben had been up to part 2

the Air alumni, 22.11.11

video for the NCOs' stunning pds performance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-9FmoD_VtU

2011-11-28T21:08:00.005+08:00

what ben had been up to part 1

all drenched @ flower dome 20.11.2011

2011-11-26T15:39:00.001+08:00

im feeling lazier to blog now that theres facebok.

dont you feel the same?

2011-11-11T23:48:00.002+08:00

i think i've gotten the best job i can ever wish for. not that its slack, but rather it is very meaningful. at a higher portion of the hierarchy, i get to observe more things. in fact, a lot more than most of my peers will. that itself is awesome. what makes my job even better is the chance of playing lawyer. im excited to experience my first upcoming case and motivated to fight for the best outcome for my client. also, great power is given specially to my (and my equals') appointment. whatever im trying to say is that, it feels so much of a privilege to be assigned with this post.

2011-11-06T21:56:00.006+08:00

my very first cohesion with the div - deepavali amazing race. sounds stupid but it was in fact rather fun working together. we started with "high tea" at mustafa's new wing before moving off. i always had this impression that mustafa is a low cost place but the ambience was actually pretty not bad. as prove, here are some pictures. btw, it's at the rooftop.

come on, aint the food simply awesome? and its all funded.

like all other amazing races, this one's all about getting clues and finding checkpoints, followed by solving challenges. this explains the 'random' photo below.

That day, i learnt that indians had 3 types of fortune telling; palmists, numerologists and parrot-astrologers. the tour around little india didnt come to waste huh.

have you ever dreamt of something that is linked closely to your actual life? it has occurred to me several times and it can be confusing after you wake up. dreams and reality seem to cross reference with each other and get mixed up such that the scenes in the dream deceivingly becomes part of the memory.

2011-10-28T21:56:00.010+08:00

and it all begins here
but let me rewind a bit before this door. i was supposed to meet up with my sis, brother-in-law, shuwei, yeohyuan, jiamin, matthew kang and petre for a good meal with drinks and desserts on me. matt with sw yy and jm? i thought it was a weird combi but i'd go with it anw. the rest (not sure who my sis managed to contact) couldnt make it. it was understandable since exams are around the corner. some had to film MV, some book in (on a sat night?) and some were going on a date with pretty girls. lol!

anw, i was late. alighted at cityhall and put on my glasses. the funny thing was that i walked pass the bunch w/o knowing when i was still searching for my glasses! then a little incident happened that really brightened up my evening. just as jiamin came chasing after me while the rest hid, her wedges broke! hahahha. and so we walked barefooted into robinsons to get another pair.

met up with brendan (our guide and a really wonderful brother-in-law) before getting to hog's breath cafe @ chijmes.

...

then the door

...

to all who were there, THANKS FOR THE SURPRISE! i didnt know how to react and probably looked silly when you guys sang me the song.

the 43 plus one 45 and one 42

the 23 plus one 45
ncc air for the win!

and here we have, my favourite bunch. inclusive of the MV, studying, booking in and dating people.
the ones that made everything happen. i cant imagine how much effort they've put in.

and i thought they were meant for eating

and now im 21

2011-10-21T23:48:00.000+08:00

so many clocks around. i'll just follow the fastest

2011-10-19T23:13:00.001+08:00

feels weird to know yet not know.

2011-10-18T10:21:00.001+08:00

i find myself getting redundant in the blogosphere. let me pack my room and get some things done first. i have so many photos in mind to upload.

2011-10-14T22:17:00.001+08:00

tmr's the big day!

2011-09-26T14:38:00.002+08:00

doc said i was cheerful for someone who's sick. lol. 39.5 degC was very bearable except that the addition of snow flakes would have made it a perfect replica of winter. 40.0 degC was scary though. i've never gotten above 39 let only 40. maybe all those training in the army helped me to feel pretty fine but surely the high heat could cause damage. nonetheless, im getting better with my 6 medications in hand. i choose to believe the antibiotics played a major role.

im booking in tonight! i think im going to have myself labelled as a chao geng warrior. afterall most people visit private clinics on weekends to get mc and book in a day later. i swear i requested for the doctor to cut down my MC from 3 to 2 days. people will probably think im silly by doing so but i have my reasons. i'll be booking out this wed again for a doctor appointment. previously i've already booked out on a weekday to attend my sister's ROM. all these are likely to be taken negatively by others as small tricks to stay away from camp.

my conscience is clear.

2011-09-25T01:44:00.001+08:00

its coming to an end, then it'll be a new beginning

15 oct

2011-09-25T01:31:00.001+08:00

37.4 38.5 39.0 (panadol) 38.1 (sleep) 37.3

2011-09-04T23:16:00.002+08:00

THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

yesterday while on a bus, i looked out of the window and saw a guy in his thirties walking 4m away from the rubbish bin to throw a plastic wrapper onto the grass.

this morning, i took my ezlink card out of my wallet to tap it on the machine. the machine flashed a red light and displayed "multiple cards". lol

im just exaggerating the title

2011-09-03T11:21:00.002+08:00

Logitech M325

my sis bought this for me and theres not even a special occasion for it. damn, i got the greatest sis ever. love her! now that her future's shaping up, i hope she'll receive lots of God's blessings.

2011-08-31T00:10:00.005+08:00

A Day at Leofoo Village, Taiwan

Old Oil Well

im glad i went for it! i rmb not having the courage to try the 360 ride at escape theme park

Pagoda

free fall from 17 storeys high. i thought nothing of it when i looked at its peak from the ground. then there i was, silently scared and filled with adrenaline rush.

Screaming Condor

Now heres the real adrenaline rush. the ride that made the whole trip worthwhile. travelling at 122km/h tops with a 360 deg spiral at one end and reaching a max height of 56m, that was one hell of a ride. it does a surprise speed boost ride from the start. i was naive to think it would climb slowly to the top of one end before dropping down. i rode it twice, 2nd time with charlie wing comd beside.

Budweiser

You spin my head right round, right round. i thought it wouldnt be interesting, but it made our on fun in it. SPIN SPIN SPIN! i lost my sense of reality. you know how wild guys can be. we just kept spinning faster and faster.

Ring of Fire

a pity the queue was too long. it looks similar to the old oil well so there wasn't too much regret skipping it.

in case you're wondering, the photos are taken via google. i didnt have my own camera with me.

2011-08-08T20:37:00.003+08:00

finally, the rule of procrastination is coming to an end. though there're still many pretty important things i've yet to do (regretfully), today, i created a milestone in my life. i bought ntuc income's revosave. however, instead of putting an ease to my mind, it strangely made me worry more, adequately more. im coughing up approx. $100/mth for this savings plan. but it is not enough.

i put myself in a scenerio. if i am to marry at age 31 and my wedding expenses amount to $100k (thats my impression of wedding expenditure), i'll have 10 years to save this up. putting it simply, $833/mth starting from NOW. my allowance is $800/mth. GRAAAAAHHHHHH!

i've yet to put housing and tons of other essential costs into the picture. stuff like baby milk, education. GRAHHHH GRAAAAHHHHH!!

im going to buy bonds. gonna need those interest rates. im going to spend extra effort looking into investments. i hope time permits. the 8 of you reading this, if you have experience in financial management or know someone who can provide tips, please do let him/her know theres a benedict lai in singapore!

im late, gotten myself some opportunity costs by now. time to give thought to my skeletal life plan.

as of now, here's what i think i should do. i should marry a rich lady. since im going taiwan for training tmr and have 3 days of R&R, im thinking cyndi wang and rainie yang. wish me luck! Ben@Alison: i'll get you wang lee hom along the way. we'll escape poverty together.

2011-08-07T12:50:00.000+08:00

Rise of the planet of the apes. 3/5 stars.

2011-08-04T00:26:00.002+08:00

going night cycling tmr! damn, this long weekend is gonna be eventful cause a movie treat by my section instructor is up next. then theres dinner with my favourite colleagues. i smell freedom!

next thing to look forward to, taiwan R and R

2011-07-28T19:31:00.001+08:00

the short time spent in the multipurpose hall at 4SIR reminded me of the days in pri and sec sch. man i missed those moments. The first flash back was the preparation for 4/5's class play

2011-07-19T17:28:00.001+08:00

basing only on their looks (build and badges), im already impressed with the thai cadets.
moreover, they're very well-mannered and polite. a little too polite but it could be their culture to behave so.

2011-07-10T23:46:00.000+08:00

God please install a reset button in my life. i'd like to redo certain things

2011-07-10T03:14:00.000+08:00

i need to admit now. i need an anti-spam

2011-07-04T12:23:00.001+08:00

B A C K !

2011-06-13T16:00:00.002+08:00

i can be as fit as a fiddle in camp but sickly when im home and supposed to go out to chill. WHY!!

i hate persistent influenza.

gonna bit farewell to SG later. somehow, sth inside of me tells me that its all going to pass in a batter of an eyelid.

adding a little bit more ranting,

online shopping has not been going my way! either its off budget/international shipping unavailable/ out of stock.

2011-06-10T13:15:00.001+08:00

im glad i picked up my lazy buttocks and went for a night jog wth maokun. its nice to have fresh breeze blowing into your face and friend beside you to talk cock with.

2011-06-05T17:25:00.002+08:00

reluctant as i am, i have to spend little time on the virtual world and abandon it for a good 3 weeks from 15th June. i just came back from survival training with minimum food provided. that helped me slim down 4kg and it aint good. i want more mass! 4 days 4 kg. man. whats 9 days of the same shit in brunei gonna do to me. well, im not going to worry so much about it. if what they say (that the 4 days was an over prep from brunei) is true then i believe im ready.

hotel 06, lets do this! im hoping the team remains its unity.

i need to grow stronger. much more physically and mentally. i have to be more than what i am now, not just someone who carries the signal set and pass on the load when tired. i want to be able to carry the load all the way and still contribute in some other way - a tough goal that i havent achieve.

other than army talks, theres other things that are worth adding to this dying-yet-cant-die blog. birthdays! to all the friends that i've missed your birthday celebrations or even didnt wish you, it wasnt intentional. i know you guys will understand. there'll be more birthdays to miss and i really hate that.

its a special year for many. happy 21 to all!

2011-05-29T12:10:00.001+08:00

whole platoon confined on an off in lieu. suck thumb!

2011-05-16T22:36:00.002+08:00

being childish and delusional, i wish that einstein was wrong, that energy is boundless and can be created from nothing. i wish that doctors were wrong, that man do not need not need rest to recover. man, missing having a life with my friends

2011-05-15T00:17:00.000+08:00

AHHHH. MY MOUSE! no more roller

2011-05-10T11:14:00.000+08:00

i hate doing work at such a slow pace. im leeching my own time away

2011-05-07T07:53:00.001+08:00

got drunk at sukiya in the afternoon. lol.

anw, the meat was good!

2011-04-30T22:16:00.000+08:00

eyeshit oh eyeshit. wont you stop coming out. gross out

2011-04-22T09:30:00.004+08:00

i think im becoming a paedophile after looking at these pictures. the photographer did an impressive job, including the photo editing

the cutests witches

the kind of ride i can only ogle at

2011-04-22T00:01:00.002+08:00

its gonna be a long weekend!

the upcoming block leave's on 5th to 11th may. thats one week. im not exactly sure whether im looking forward to it though. staying in camp for too long robs you of ideas to do when you're outside, especially during off days/holidays

2011-04-17T12:19:00.005+08:00

tta have to put some last min efforts to my homework, so lets just have the photos do the talking. there'll be more to come (till jiamin uploads her side of photos)

82/11 Hotel Wing Social Night 160411

2011-04-15T21:50:00.001+08:00

"Defending out country is not a choice, it is survival. We cannot fail."
- Hotel Wing commander Ltc Fred Cheong

2011-04-15T21:49:00.003+08:00

i do remember tagging on some ppl's blogs. why do my tags disappear everytime i revisit them!

2011-04-14T14:07:00.002+08:00

it is said that computer experts can retrieve your personal data even if you have trashed them and emptied your recycle bin. so, for mircrosoft office files, i delete the contents, safe the blank file then delete the file. im not sure if thats being smart or silly.

2011-04-13T11:20:00.001+08:00

an OCT's expenditure's no joke. i spent approx $100 within a few hours just on miscellaneous items for camp

2011-04-12T19:12:00.000+08:00

whats up with the swelling eyes. i didnt even watch porn

2011-04-08T22:18:00.000+08:00

transition to the next phase is coming soon (:

2011-04-03T09:15:00.002+08:00

ok. so the itenary was so packed i forgot to go for my x-ray appointment. i hope the staff dont hold a grudge against me for wasting their slot. anyway im better so i guess theres no need for any check ups!

i really do miss my weekends. they're too short

2011-03-19T10:58:00.006+08:00

@alison: a familar face huh?

2011-03-16T19:03:00.001+08:00

now's toothache. so many problems. at least theres a longer weekend this week for a consolation. cant wait to wake up at home on a saturday morning.

heres a little something to fight procrastination:
(from gregory's wall)
you can never cross the ovean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore - christopher columbus

2011-03-15T13:17:00.000+08:00

i pray hard its not lung infection

2011-03-13T13:00:00.002+08:00

sometimes, i dont really agree with facebook events like a recent one - support japan with a click. clicking does nothing helpful including spreading awareness since every tom dick and harry should know about this by now. if its within your means, do something tangible. if not, i believe a simple prayer will suffice.

May God be with you, Japan.

2011-03-12T14:47:00.002+08:00

alas! the 17 days away from home have passed. no more cold nights out in the field for at least a week. i certainly do miss the freedom of wasting time. 10 days in the jungle could have been easier. nonetheless, its a few certain friends (and my instructor) that brought me back in full. heres a silent gratitude to you guys.

its sometimes interesting staying in the jungle. i got to see a massive grey wild boar, hearing stories of how it attacked a friend's bag and watched my friend killing a 10cm centipede with a broom. most of the family of wild boars posed no threat. it was the grey one that was menacing.

the tiny island has a uniquely clear sky at night. it'll probably be an excellent star gazer's haven.

to end this entry
and for those who have gotten bored of the saying, "tough times dont last, tough men do" heres something less used
"the more you sweat now, the less you bleed in the battlefield."

2011-02-23T21:39:00.001+08:00

mosquito are thieves. they stole and are stealing blood and sleep

[Joo, Alison] this the best i can do for now!

2011-02-20T00:54:00.001+08:00

ahh. im getting more distant from the online social world.
anw, having a blister in a blister doesnt feel good. trust me.

2011-02-13T11:26:00.002+08:00

got no time ah!

ocs doesnt force you to work harder because theres a max that you can do, she forces you to work smarter.

2011-02-03T18:08:00.002+08:00

I used to believe when i was a civilian that i am living in the safest country where no big threat will come upon, i was wrong. And thats why i am here where i am now, doing what i am doing now.

Hotel wing for the win!

2011-01-24T04:41:00.001+08:00

gained 3.5kg from 55 to 58.5kg within 5 days of entering ocs. better than what i wanted! gotta continue this pace. my section commander said he lost 10kg during JCC.

2011-01-16T21:38:00.003+08:00

yes i posted this song on facebook some time back. now that theres another round of confinement awaiting me, enjoy the song agn because..

I'LL BE BACK

(ps: i like how they run on the spot. saf should make us do that for warm ups)

2011-01-14T13:50:00.002+08:00

yup. i've gotten into ocs. although its not the air wing i hoped for, i know i'm gonna do fine in there. my greatest worry? i get really uncomfortable chiong suaing with my specs on. the perspiration stings my eyes and i just cant wipe them off w/o getting pass those glass shields.

2011-01-12T16:21:00.002+08:00

called up RSAF recruitment centre today. im off the pilot list. so now its back to the old plan. get a job, work my ass off then fly leisurely. im still considering whether to sign on as an airforce engineer. cant come to a decision yet.

recuperating cough vs mouthwatering smoothie. life is full of decisions to make!

2011-01-11T15:44:00.001+08:00

watching glee with sis now.

2011-01-11T00:19:00.002+08:00

Fever's gone! left with flu, mild cough and mild sore throat. water and rest work wonders. today's dinner was salad. kudos to mom-made salads! its such a waste i didnt get it captured on photo. the veggies and strawberries were arranged so professionally with contrasting colours sitting side by side in an orderly fashion.

oh strawberries..

then there was de-boned drumsticks, potatoes as well as thousand island and mayonnaise. dinner looked so healthy and yummy, i downed my fair portion even though my appetite wasn't back yet. Gotta thank God for a great mom whos a great cook.

im hoping for at least my cough to go away tmr. my dear banana nut crunch and waffle crisp are waiting for me. add chilled fresh milk and you get a perfect breakfast. also hopefully i'll get well enough tmr to buy a packet of mixed nuts. i was told nuts are very nutritious. and if im not lazy and no one at home eats the last banana, i'll prolly make a milkshake out of it.

food food. help me gain a few kilograms out of you.

2011-01-09T02:24:00.002+08:00

POP LO!

i finally get to wash my stinky helmet and ILBV (the vest that holds all the ammo and grenade pouches).

firstly, i need to thank those who came to support - my parents, sis, jiamin, jon and hansheng. although some couldnt be there physically, thank you too - shuwei and sam.

the final road march was much more tolerable for many reasons. 2 important reasons are the flat road (instead of rocks and uneven ground) and the variety of sceneries (instead of mere trees). nonetheless, the going still tough. with sore in our backs and feet as well as our body clock wearing us down with the passing time, we made it through. im so gna miss sharing inside jokes with my platoon mates.

first thing im gna do after the stayover at singkiat's place tmr will be to get more cereals and a pack of mixed nuts. i want the post brand banana flavoured one! and i hope the mixed nuts include walnuts. damn, they're my favourite in-bunk snacks. thanks to our pt best cum health specialist, i know what im gna raid ntuc for.

more sleep for now.
ahh my cozy blanket.

2010-12-31T18:40:00.004+08:00

Lets party down 2010!

so quickly, bmt's coming to an end. many told me to cherish it and honestly, a part of me doesnt want to pop this soon. i've the best section mates thats why!

the best of bmtc would be the recruits night and christmas celebrations. recruits night was seriously awesome. just for those who havent been to NS, its clubbing in an multipurpose hall. there were pretty interesting performances before that to heat up the atmosphere. Singapore Idol finalist, sezairi sezali, was there. and then there was also a chic singing teenage dream and got the botaks jumping crazily, including me.

i've too be out of home in 1min so i wont talk abt christmas night. just know it was fun and high too >.-

see you guys ppl. lets do the countdown together. and alison, get well soon for the new year ahead!

2010-12-31T16:30:00.000+08:00

pausing blogging to book 2 tables for steamboat

so reluctant

2010-12-18T21:22:00.003+08:00

im keeping this blog for occasional ranting purposes. its pretty dead after all and only 4 visited for the past 1 week. i wonder who are the committed fans.

field camp's over, sit test's over, no more outfield! its easy to take millions of simple possessions for granted. if you're trying not to, go stay in the forest for 5 days

had my 3rd and final IPPT this morning. if only i ran a lil bit faster, if only i ignore my overworked heart and lungs for awhile more, i could have minus the 19 seconds that took Gold away. im so angry with myself! i'll just have to make do with silver for now.

if i didnt reply to anyone's messages or calls during the past 2 weeks, SORRY! my camera-less phone was down and i had to wait till every weekend to check for messages/miss calls.

Christmas is coming and new year's just 5 days after that. but the party season has yet to hit me! nonetheless, its SHIOK to know how close 8th Jan is. i cant wait for the coming long weekends.

2010-12-18T21:22:00.002+08:00

im keeping this blog for occasional ranting purposes. its pretty dead after all and only 4 visited for the past 1 week. i wonder who are the committed fans.

field camp's over, sit test's over, no more outfield! its easy to take millions of simple possessions for granted. if you're trying not to, go stay in the forest for 5 days

if i didnt reply to anyone's messages or calls during the past 2 weeks, SORRY! my camera-less phone was down and i had to wait till every weekend to check for messages/miss calls.

Christmas is coming and new year's just 5 days after that. but the party season has yet to hit me! nonetheless, its SHIOK to know how close 8th Jan is. i cant wait for the coming long weekends.

2010-11-27T10:56:00.002+08:00

Days in the Army

i gotta thank God for blessing me with incredible luck. 1stly, im posted to coy 7 and those who served at sch 4 will know how reasonable the commanders at coy 7 are. we hardly have to 'suck thumb'.

2ndly, i got a great buddy and we share a double decker bed located in the middle of the room - best spot. its near the big fan, near the window, near the door. sleeping at the bottom makes everything even more convenient

3rd, my platoon mates are really friendly and my section's very cohesive.

4th, the food is generally good.

Last, i made a fatal mistake but did not get caught due to sheer luck.

i'd say bmt's a bad sick bay, but a perfect body and character gym, and a place to find countless mutual friends.

2010-11-08T19:03:00.002+08:00

in a short span of 2 days, i felt like i experienced an adventure.

Sat

PICNIC! had a hell lot of fun time at barrage. stalk me on fb for photos. poor penguin flew away with my whole row of string. it flew all the way across the sea to the golf course area. it'as really a pity that junxiang and i could find it back after battling thick bushes, mud and lots of rocks. vin's kite was fun! - but dangerous. i would spend a day playing with it in an open field.

suppered with jackie and clique that night. then there was a pretty violent staring incident that night. probably drunkards? policemen came while we continued to talk our own shit at our table like nth happened. we left a little later when the atmosphere became too tensed for crap talks.

got home at 4++am

Sun

mahjong with an unexpected guest. oh, and i got my final belated present! thanks guys. i'll wear it throughout the coming 22 months but maybe not during field camps. jogged at woodlands with my latest additions to my buddy list. ran through wind and rain. this is the 2nd time we're going through "thick and thin". im going to miss you guys.

2010-11-08T02:35:00.002+08:00

a pic speaks a thousand words, a vid speaks a zillion! man, this gif formate picture is supposed to be animated. anw, imagine the rat doing "bench press" with that trap handle.

that tickled me. it describes me in tekong in every possible way.

trapped
physically challenging
sufficient food nearby

2010-11-05T20:51:00.002+08:00

know how sometimes you meet a friend on the streets by coincidence? greg jackie qk and i went to watch "the incite mill 7-day death game" at amk cathay ytd. super surprisingly, weeting selena and jocelyn were in the same theatre too! best of all, in the same row right next to us. this doesnt end here. my ex-cadet weejie was just a row behind us. life's a bliss.

anw, i'd give "the incite mill" 3.5/5. really interesting plot. its mystery-themed so theres lots of detective work going on.

every new morning, i get less excited, more scared. they're like inversely proportionate. the only reason im scared? im sleeping way too much like 8 hours through the night then a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. im praying hard for some divine help to get me adapted to NS lifestyle!

as for now, im just really looking forward to picnic tmr. gna prepare egg mayo filling now. bye ppl

2010-11-03T14:19:00.002+08:00

nervous, excited and scared. they're the ingredients blended together to form a pre-enlistee.

2010-11-02T19:09:00.000+08:00

6 days left.

2010-10-29T19:53:00.002+08:00

celebration! i just hit 234cm for sbj. once only tho. approximate average currently lingers at 228. it rained on and off this evening signalling me not to jog. honestly, im happy it rained