I am going to get it!

Booked out at 1100 Hrs.

This is going to be a life-changing day. I am hoping for the best.

Don't feel like writing much now.

Good luck (to myself) and good bye (to you).

Hehehe...a joyful box!


Supreme Hawaiian. $8.29 after tax


I went out with the bike for a short trip. The world looks different from BMTC. Hahaha. I deliberated about which book to borrow and eventually settled upon a book entitled '7 Habits of Highly Happy People'. It really isn't much of guide book...more of a collection of tips from people around the world. Kinda interesting though...I guess I would read it instead of listening to YES 933 FM during my free time in camp.

Then I deliberated whether to buy pizza. After deciding on buying, I deliberated on Canadian Pizza or Pizza Hut. I choose Pizza Hut because it was nearer, and finally deliberated on the type of pizza to have...The rest is history.

Hmmm, I have watched my TV (One of the best channels on cable, Discovery: Travel and living), ate my pizza, kinda looked around Jurong Central...basically done everything that need to be done.

I just have some ends to tie up...wash up and book in. Cya on Chinese New Year Eve.
恭喜发财，新年快乐！

+ + +

I shall go watch TV. It has been a long time since I watched television...

Things to do before booking in...

• Blog
• Watch TV (which I am going to do as soon as I finish up here)
• Take a walk around Jurong Central (I would have gone down to the Chinatown market if I wasn't so sick last night =(. The thought of it still upsets me. And I probably won't be able to go down anymore since I will only be booking out on the 8th of Feb. Hiaz)
• Buy some fastfood to eat. (Preferably pizza or something cheap. This doesn't make sense since pizza is expensive. I mean I want a pizza, if that is not possible, then I will settle for something cheap. A recurit is paid peanuts.)
• Think about stuff

That's all and I have only about 2.5 hours to complete everything. Better rush.

Oh, as I was blogging, I vaguely remembered something...MM Lee Kuan Yew once said, "If you pay peanuts you get monkeys." right? So what the hell is SAF thinking ?

Correct me if I am wrong...stay + + +. I am going in. FOR SURE.

Aftermath.

I am much better already, so I would be booking in tonight. I don't know whether to rejoice or to feel sorry for myself.

The problem is my voice is still terrible and on monday I would be having two interviews (Yup, I will be booking out again at 1100 Hrs 31st Jan). 'Be positive and socialise'. That was advice from my aunt all the way from the golden land of Australia. She just called to chat with my Mum la. I guess I would heed her words.

Anyway, after booking out for the interview, I would be confined until CNY eve. That is about, 8 plus days. Hiaz...and then CNY and hopfully I wouldn't be selected for guard duty on the 12th and 13th of February since I already did one last night before booking out. Sad to say, I am on the list of 27 shortlisted targets....:S.

I miss my parents a lot. I haven't and will probably not tell them that but yeah I do and I am grateful that I feel this way. I noticed quite a few of the people there claim with pride that they no longer think of home, no longer miss home nor do they even call him. I guess they think it is cool and gungho to say such things. I wonder what's wrong with them?

Darn! I lost my trend of thought after kiwi-ing my boots. Hmmm, never mind, I will blog later before I book in. Cya for now!

37.9

Two wrong decisions have landed me with a fever, a flu and a sore throat. I am consigned to staying at home for the rest of this book out, which last only up to tomorrow 2000 H anyway.

This is so damn troublesome since next week will be one helluva busy one and I CANNOT afford to fall sick. :S. Hopefully some more sleep will do me good. I have been sleeping ever since I got home at 5 plus.....an utter waste of freedom in my opinon.

BUT WHAT TO DO?!?!

I have recorded a ton of notes for my book, but have yet to be able to process them in an intellectual manner. They mostly consist of phrases amounting to less than 10 words. I haven't written anything that resembled a complete sentence lately....and sure am feeling like a moron.

Cya later...my brain isn't working very well. This totally FUCKING sucks.

Time and time again.

I am surprised that I find myself compelled to blog again before booking in. Weird things do happen.

I just wanna say disappointments occur time and time again. It is without a doubt that certain people are insensitive to emotions. Not to say that they are cruel, just that they can't really read between the lines.

And these people are the cream of the crop.

I really am down.

Back to the isolated island.

In approximately 10 hours time, I should be on a ferry (fastcraft in military terms) heading back towards the island to comtinue my BMT.

I wonder why people in the army work with a 24 hour clock, i.e. 6 PM is 1800 Hrs. Not that I have anything against it, but I guess it is these subtle changes that really makes the difference between civilian and military life. For now, I am still on my 12 hour clock...

Having been reading backdated newspapers to try and catch up on the news. An ultimately futile attempt. Still am wondering whether to write a letter to a friend because my current condition/mood/health dictates that I should plonk myself down on the bed and sleep.

What should I do today?

CNY is just plain lovely. I like the red decor, I like the large discount signs, I like the loud hailers and the buzz and the crowds and the cheesy traditional songs....and the...

If there is ever a definition for low morale, that would be me now...althought I think this is just a transient thing that comes with booking in la. Once inside, I will still start/continue (whichever it maybe) to work hard.

过新年，新年好。。。

So long, until (hopefully) a week later.

Bloody hell...

I was saying that my stomach was bloated right? Just went to see a doctor, which charged me $30...in return, I got a diagnosis of gastric, some medicine and a 2 day MC.

Not that I am going to make use of it anyway...and the doctor was one helluva weird character.

A very irritating end to my last night on my first book out.

BTW, I was strolling along East Coast Park during the evening and there was a frightful amount of people having BBQs. I guess these are the simple things that I would miss.

Oh, and the Taiwanese snacks are not that delicious. Please refrain from wasting your money. Geez, I am sleepy already!

[Pissed. I am bloated like a balloon. Someone save me NOW!]

Shopping...

One of the cheaper shops in the Army Market 

Taiwanese Titbits

Plaza Singapura's Carrefour


Total weight 0.112 kg, total price $2.00


Red bean flavour


Peanut flavour


The two chinese characters on the bottom right side of the packaging is 'purple rice'. I don't know what the hell that means.


Not sure what it is also...


Black sugar flavour


Sesame seed flavour

Hari Raya Haji

Phew, the weather is killing today. I just got home from a little T.T.C gathering...

Due to the expensive public transport, we have taken to walking most of the time. TB and I walked from Lavender (Army Market) to Parco Bugis Junction then to Paradiz. :S

Guess it would be good training for route marches as well...

After buying (kenna chopped) some army items, we went to have lunch at Bugis Junction. The place was quite packed with people shopping for CNY stuff though it is Hari Raya now. Got dragged to LAN by the rest and as usual got smacked.

Right now, I am at YF's place to slack around...Hiaz. Time really flies...I don't wanna book in man!

Damn, I am so shag...Cya later!

[Just finished posting all the pictures...my stomach is so damn bloated. :S. Oh, and I have been spending far too much money.]

:S

My birthday came and went. How saddening...=(.

And CNY is coming so soon! It is really nice to see the advertisements published in red with all those nice and HUGH discounts the shops are giving. Hahaha...I just find that they add to the festive spirit. Then when you walk outside, there will be CNY songs and other makeshift shops selling all the CNY goodies...Ahhhh, my favourite time of the year.

My Mum is also putting up some simple decorations to brighten the house, not that I have much time to enjoy it anyway. Hiaz. Even the ARMY COOKHOUSE is dressed in red. Quite unbelievable eh?

I think I will go get some of the Taiwanese snacks I saw at the roadside stall yesterday. They are going at $1.80 for 100g or $5 for 300 gm. Not sure how they taste like, but their packaging looks very distinctly Japanese.

Busy day ahead...Cya later.

The Aviator

Some men dream of the future. He built it.


I just watched the show alone. Going to the movies alone is fast becoming a habit. I won't have gone anyway if I knew that ticket prices is $8.50 on the eve of a public holiday. That probably explains why I shared the theater with 5 other lonely souls.

The show, from my limited knowledge, is much acclaimed. But I thought it was only an above average show. It chronicles the life of a man named Howard Hughes. I won't talk much about it...but the show did pick up after what I thought was quite a slow start. The acting on the other hand was quite convincing...it is amazing how one man can do so much. Wow.

What the hell am I talking about? =(.

Yup...I am not in much of a blogging mood recently. This has to be one of the saddest birthdays in my entire 19 years on Earth. If life only revolves around the army, then probably it would be easier to live with it. The only problem is that there is a world outside BMTC, and it is not about chionging up hills or shouting loudly or doing pullups. In fact, it is far from that....

I think I miss home more than ever.

Shagged

Today is my birthday! Still am not sure what am I going to do later, but I don't plan on wasting anytime.

Woke up at a heavenly hour of 9 AM and went on to complete the first chapter in my book. I will be sending it to my friend for editing since my command of the English language as deteriorate to the level of a Hokkien Ping, not that it was very high in the first place...LOL!

Oh and one of my resolutions is not to swear that much anymore. Army really has a profound impact on people.

Off to try and read up on all the news since the 6th of Jan to catch up on the world.

Time and tide waits for no man.

Guidebook...

The book won't be out anytime soon. But I will try release the packlist ASAP since that is one of the most important things any pre-enlistee should know.

P.S. Just to add, I saw a very pretty girl just now on the train. Yup, that's all.

Back!

Dang. I am so damn tired.

The past two weeks have been really fast, but I ain't complaining. I won't go into details about army life since I am already planning to write a book about it and anything that I want to say about it would be inside...provided I find the time to actually write the book. Hahaha...

Will be turning 19 in 8 mintues according to the clock at the edge of the screen. So happy birthday to myself. I plan to fully untilize this few days to rest and recharge. That means...totally NO exercise. And I am not feeling gulity about it. LOL!

Life now is really diffierent. Although you can say that it is much more restrained and stuff like that...I feel BMT actually quite stress free. As in, there isn't anything that really requires great intellectual power....the days are just mainly about physical training and that odd lesson which requires some concentration...

A sidenote: I seem to be unable to absorb the stuff they teach me...I end up being blur most of the time.

The problem with such a 'slack' life is the brain gets rusty. I can already feel myself turning into a moron, which is absolutely sickening. Hiaz...and sometimes I ponder about the craziest things in camp. My future at present is really not in my control. This is ultimately very unsettling.

Boy, I am really not sure what I have just blogged la. Anyway, this bookout would be quite busy with so many personal matters cropping up. I just sent an email to DSTA, then I also have to buy army stuff, pack army stuff, read up on the happenings around the world for the past 2 weeks, contact some section/platoon mates.....

I better make a list tomorrow. I am 19 already, Good night!

Really, the last one.

Time flies. I watched my friend's countdown to NS drop from 69 to 1 in just a blink of an eye. This time, tomorrow, I would have already been a recruit for 4 hours or some...presumably with a shaven head as well.

There is certainly some jitters inside, but I am still hoping that I would get good army mates and adapt fast so that the transition wouldn't be so painful. In anycase, it's positive thoughts not negative actions for me. Will be taking everything they throw at me as part of a challenge.

...Oh, I just got a red packet from my parents. I am praying hard they wouldn't cry. It isn't a matter of feeling embarrassed but something much deeper and personal instead, quite sadly actually. It's one of those things that can never be blogged about...

Just one last thing...I fully expect myself to live up to the Tekong challenge. Hopefully when I came out on the 19th of January 2005, I would have a little book written about the experience and hand it about with smiles. =). As a friend put it, 'Let's conquer Tekong!'. YEAHHHHHHHH! I am ready.

P.S. This will be the last post before enlistment and this blog will become weekly instead of daily for at least another 6 months.

What a difference a day would make... ~Jamie Cullum

Blogging goes on...

Ok, after struggling for a few hours, I managed to setup a moblog. It actually allows you to blog the conventional way or by SMS. Of course the updates there will never be as long as those you have been reading here. But I guess that is probably the best I can do. =(.

Oddly, the person whom I asked for help has the exact same name as a friend's friend. 'Conicidental' would be a better word. But what the hell ya? Anyway, thanks to that person once again.

My plans initally were to do it the old fashion way with pen and paper...but we will see how it goes ya.

And of course, my little book.....=).

Good night. Important interview tomorrow.....no margin for error!

I am listening to Channel U news now. The newscaster is terrible.

She make many mistakes, her intonation is always wrong and she pauses at wrong times. The worst thing is because she is inexperience, she speaks in a very causal manner...with CHINA version of causal chinese, complete with exclamation sounds. WTH.

Gimme Helen Chung!

One day left or there about...

Just got home from the DSTA interview. I thought it was ok, actually bordering on enjoyable. LOL. This has got to be one of THE most interesting interviews because the questions were quite...gay. Too bad I forgot to ask when was a likely time I would receive a reply from them. Sure adds to the tension of it all....=(. Hoping for the best.=).

Nothing much going on as well besides surfing around for possible replacements to my 6 year old HP Deskjet 720C. I think I will try take it apart and check the gears before buying a new one la.

Dinner time guys.

It's coming...

This morning, around 1 AM plus, I was watching one of my favourite cooking programme by Jamie Oliver on one of my favourite cable channel Discovery Travel and living. Then I realised that soon I wouldn't be able to watch even 方太 on 午后闲情 (a really old show during my primary school days).

'Soon' is an understatement, really.

Then I had a very long chat with a friend who insisted that I am not good enough. Just one of the oddball characters that has graced me life. It would be preferably more comforting to think that all that was just plain rubbish, but maybe there is a grain (I am trying to convince myself here) of truth in it.

In anycase, I wouldn't dwell on it since it serves no constructive purpose.

It seems nearer to enlistment everyone is getting jittery, including me. Indeed, one will feel that student life is the best when it is over.

Whirlwind night

Tonight is just pure maddness. You just have to watch today's episode of 欢乐颠锋 to know why. One of the contestants, Steven Lim (already notorious from his Singapore Idol act) totally went bonkers. He went on raving about 七龙珠, ultraman (in chinese) and stripping to his G-strings...which reminds me of a classmate who now is in NS.

No matter what you do, just watch the episode.

Then in between the commerical breaks, my printer broke down. I was trying to print a document using a crumpled piece of paper. BAD mistake. That darn crappy paper jammed the printer, which caused me to yank it out, which jammed the gears of the printer, which cause it to malfunction.

Also during the show, my brother's friend showed up. It seems he knew me from his RI days. I just gave him a dirty look and left. I don't know why I did it, but I just did it. How stupid of me...

And to top it all off, Raymond, a friend of mine decided it would be funny to call me and let me share his happiness. Apparently, he is very very very delighted over something, which he refused to tell me. In short, the conversation only consisted of him telling me he was happy, amd me asking why.

Spare me.

The world is at orientation.

How come I ain't in school today joining thousands others in games which would only last a week?

Melancholy

is hitting real hard now.

I look at many with an eye and feel instant distaste.

I probably have a problem with people.

P.S. The person I most look up to has left. Hmm. Would be great to emulate him though.

It is true

This was a parting and there had been nostalgic music and a puffing train, and Herbie could not deprive himself of the luxury of sentiment...

This is thought to be a feminine trait, but you will find it among boys and men, too, disguised as good-natured brusqueness in those less volatile than Herbie. All it requires is an active imagination which can wring out any farewell the sense that it is a bit of death and can overlook, for a moment, the fact that some parts of life are better much dead and done with...

It is folly, but a pleasant little folly. There is much harm in it, however: it creates delusions...

True sorrow is painful. Sham sorrow compares to it as riding down a roller coaster does to falling of the roof. The thrill is there, but not the cost...

-City boy by Herman Wouk

The difference of a day

I am an adult now by SMRT standards at the very least. Hence the evil corporation deems it perfectly reasonably to change me $1.80 for travelling from Bedok to Chinese Gardens. This is excluding the numerous bus rides, which average about a dollar each.

One of the most 'taken for granted' privileges of student life has been cruelly snatched from me. Gone are the days of 45 cents rides. Now, every bus/train ride is a big headache. =S

I still owe my buddies $17 for a jersey. Thanks guys, it was really a show of friendship.

Yesterday, I went over to YF's place for a gathering with ex-RI schoolmates. It was very enjoyable to say the least. The food was good, the acompany was great as well. We just spent the hours amusing ourselves with girl ogling and thrash talking. Time flies when you are enjoying yourselves I guess.

The train ride home was a bliss. There wasn't much of a crowd and weirdly, no one sat nearers then five seats away from me. =).

This wraps up today's post. Just a comment, I was reading The Sunday Times, and seriously, all I can see is 同人不同命. Maybe my life is ain't to be the way I think it should be...

Hope Junasis gets well soon.