Did my blood test in camp yesterday. I'm so intimidated by needles, honestly... I was so pathetic, I requested for the medic with the best draw-blood skills; fast game.Went for NTU's medical check-up this morning. Yes, I'm choosing NTU over NUS. I shan't elaborate my reason. Anyway, it was like the army's check up before enlistment. Still got the take off pants and cough thing.... Bo liao...Went for lunch with Renand, Nevin and this guy who I remember his face but not his name, at JP... Sort of a get-together, after so long. Yea, more chances in the coming 3 years, but .....Decided to go for a run just now, and I did. But my shoes failed me. Guess I haven't been wearing them for too long (coz I'm always running in camp in my army PT shoes), the soles gave way after a 4.7km run. Damn! Decided to stop after that, I dun wanna risk walking up to 4.7km back if I were to start another round... Gotta get new running shoes, and they cost money! Haiz, I hope I could barter something for the shoes instead.
Finally a meet up with the piano peeps.Dinner at Hannabi... Not as good as I thought it would be. And not that worth the money.Took a couple of photos, will have them in FB soon, after SH gets them uploaded. But it's always fun to meet up with them. We'll do it again after ORD (which is in 15 days' time, WHAT?! Wow.... That's like 2 weeks? I can smell freedom)Went to get Piano Fest tickets. Felt that this year's programme is so much better than last year's, the latter being one that can make people sleep. And the good thing is, this year's programme only consists of 4 nights instead of the usual 5.As for SSO programme for season 09/10, one word: DISAPPOINTINGOh, went to get iPhone. So excited no?! But am facing some technical problem, hoping to have it solved. So you can imagine, on one hand you have an iPhone, and on another a Mac Book. Feels good. Oi, iPhone expert, go online leh.....My present fitness is not that good anymore. demoralizing. It clearly reflects how much effort I have put in these many months to exercise. Notwithstanding, I'll still be applying for AHM since I didn't get the chance to do it last year.Thanks to Brian, my no. of duties has been cut down from 3 to 2. And what's more, both dates' camp guards don't belong to my unit. And this is what I'm talking about man!Getting fatter. Totally unacceptable. I really need to burn more fats. CARDIO! FULL BODY WORKOUT! GYM!
Wohoo! Watched "Angels and Demons" with my family on Sunday.Honestly, even without much serious thought, it's a 5/5 movie. I give credit to its magnitude, effects, intensity (not considering that it didn't follow strictly to the book),but overall, it's a good movie. It's one of the few movies I'd really think about again.Anyway, on off today. Yea, again. Well, I'm ORD-ing in 18 days time, what do you expect? Me slogging my ass off? But that doesn't mean I'm not responsible in my work, unlike some others, who have caused me my happiness tmr, making me go down to DB to interview some delinquents. (FOR THE FIRST DAMN TIME IN MY LIFE!!!!)Honestly, what's with these people? Don't use family problem as an EXCUSE. I've seen many who have overcome such problems. It's all in the mind dude. It's really disheartening to see pre-adults acting with such immaturity. It just questions what have they been doing these 2 decades....Anyway, damn you MATTHEW!!! LOL. PS movie lor. wa lao.... Wednesday dinner your treat.
It's wednesday already...So far, I've had completed my supposedly 2nd last duty, changed my army uniform into the green ugly moss, helped make dumplings in light of the coming "Dumpling Festival", and have registered for Mizuno Mt. Faber Run 2009!Firstly, Duty. Boring day. My company on off, so nobody around. Thank God HG came (although he didn't have to report for work), and he accompanied me till night. Then for the first time, I watched "Behind Enemy Lines" but -Columbia at MIDNIGHT! So that I could stay awake for the guard room inspection at 2am. Damn.Then a civilian called the guard room at 10.10pm. Reason: Loud noises affecting his children sleeping. Hey, we're doing NDP rehearsal, so that there's something for you to watch other than the parade. Although I don't watch those performances, let's just be appreciative for what is being done to spice up the mood for your homeland's birthday. And all rehearsals are supposed to end at 10pm, but can't you give a little lee-way for up to 15mins. The conversation was like this:Civilian: Hello, can I speak to the duty officer?Me: Yes, this is him.Civilian: I'm calling from the nearby residential area to your camp. There're a lot of loud noises going on, can you please do something before I complain to NEA? (NEA = National Environment Agency)[Although I wanted to say, Sir, carry on, but out of courtesy....]Me: Sir, the rehearsal is going to be over very very very very soon. [yes, i said 'very' 4 times]Civilian: What time?Me: Erm, probably in another 10 - 15mins time[the Mr. Civilian paused for like 2 secs, and with a puff]Civilian: What time?![me feeling 'du-lan'.]Me: Sir, this rehearsal is conducted by an external unit. I'm not sure what time they'll meddle until, but I can promise you it's supposed to end now. What I can do is I'll go check it out...Civilian: Yea, before I complain to NEA.Me: Ok, byeThen I realised I wanted to say something else to him: Well, complain if you want. There's alot of other things I would want to complain, let's see if your case is going to be of any priority.Child sleeping..... We've got the nation's pride to worry my friend. It's just 10 mins after 10pm and you start complaining. Typical Singaporean. Sometimes I wonder, how much power does the military have over such government organisations. Just thought, because in "Behind Enemy Lines - Columbia", this CIA agent seemed to have more authority than this Seals commander.And speaking of duty. Damn. Those 3-year contract-ers are posting out in groups until the end of the month. and those who are left behind have to cover up all the duty for those missing people. And I have 4 more in line!!! And I thought I just have 1 more! Uber angry. Then again, 'bo-bian'.Changing of uniform. i really didn't want to. but no choice, have to change; have to go with the flow. Took out my name tag, "Singapore" from a set of uniform, all the badges, and kept 2 sets of the uniform, exchanging only 4 sets. And seriously, I don't see what the difference is between the old and the new one. Just that I look like a moss.Dumpling making. My mum cooked all the ingredients and rice. I was involved in the wrapping. Hey, hard work and skills required ok?.... 2nd time doing it. Not a bad job done. Quite proud of myself. =DAnd lastly, registration for Mizuno Mt. Faber run. Ok, it's only 10km. but at least it's a headstart for all the races that are coming along. Planning to do Sundown some day. No, not the full marathon, but the ultra marathon of 84km. But that's someday lah. Planning to do SCM next year. Not this year because not really mentally and physically ready. Wanna get in shape, tan and mental first! lol.... but the mizuno run costs $35. Paying money to feel shag. Stupid.
ORD function last night. It was crazy! But it's good for all the meet-ups after some short and some long separation. Liked the company, the place, the performances (2 hot babes and so on.... imagine!), but not the food. The food was disappointing. And guess what?! The Emcee is the lady from the "EGO bai gua zi, hei gua zi" advertisement! And she's so qiao. *Shivers*Oh well, so much for the dinner. Photos are in facebook.It's always enlightening to be talking to MAJ Gerard. Somehow his words are true to the heart and invokes your thinking. And because of the last conversation with him, I had to email my poly lecturer for help. Finally, my dad gave me the best advice in the whole world. Enough to keep me satisfied and assured of my decision for some time.Anyway, making good progress with Mozart, trying out Mendelssohn! Argh. I love it!This year's Piano Fest has Demidenko, Subdin, Feltsman AGAIN! But I don't mind. These russians always have something new to show.I missed Berezovsky's Rach 3! Argh! What a waste... My whole season's most wanted to go concert, but too bad ORD dinner clashed in. F***....
Guess what. I'm on off! It's a little saddening, seeing batches of people ORD-ing... Especially when I need to sign their clearance forms... damn... My turn's gonna come... Freaking soon... 7 more working days! c'mon!Had duty on Mon... So relaxed.... No guards, just slack.Tue was "heng" too... Supposed to stay back till noon to help sign clearance form, but was allowed to go off early after my boss appeared in the office. *Phew*... so you can see, my "off"-s are so dependent on my boss. Met up ZK in the afternoon. Wanted to go for a movie, but think of any nice movie to watch. Met too early, if not we've caught "Angels and Demons" which unfortunately opens today. Then Jap turned up. Did a little shopping. Yea little, we walked from mall to mall..... Then Renand came and we had dinner. Damn him... All because of him, I'm feeling fat. We ordered like 6 rounds of 3 kinds of meat; chicken, beef, pork. Ate more meat than anything else. Too full, dare not have lunch the next day. And no more steamboat for 2 months!Wed was normal work day. Turned up on time = 8am! lol. Did my usual morning run and IPPT time trial. Wasted my day till 10 plus. Shoik! Then I received a call... F*** need me to go down to A_B to settle some document stuff since the QM ORD-ed already... Wa lao... Wasted my whole afternoon. Du-lan. Don't say already, makes my blood boil.Argh... Writing a character reference is so difficult... It's all about the good stuff and nth about the bad stuff... So fake. There should be a balance of both, since it is a documented proof of the person's character at the point of writing.AHM, here I come. SCM, you wait.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise for the Commanding Officer of 2 SIR"Baris, Sedi-ah!That was the parade that the 2 years of training for the men of 2 SIR culminated into; ORD cum Assumption Parade. There was an almost similar but much greater in scale parade the day before; Change-of-Command Parade. Many "crabs" turned up, and there was so much seafood, the chocolate bars and fully-charged batteries couldn't take it... lol...Fortunately, I was tasked to be the usher for both parades. Nothing great actually, almost all the officers had the same tasking! lol... Shan't elaborate on the COC parade, because it did not have much significance to me, not that the ORD parade did...ORD parade for the men means girls! Yes, girlfriends, girl-friends of all the men and specialists who have come to support their boyfriends and boy-friends in the parade. It was a total madness. I abandoned my job at the main gate of the camp to the parade square where all the girls would gather. No, I didn't see my importance at the gate after the addition of another specialist... Although the weather was hot, the girls were hotter! =DMuch to see, none to come close to... Lecherous bastards everywhere, all eye-ing on hot babes, laser-ranging them all the way, sneak up to behind them and savour every moment of the girls in sight.Long day... especially with 2 parades were conducted consecutively... Yet, they can't be compared to the commissioning parade in terms of magnitude, standard and length.Had late night badminton game on wed and thur night until 1am... It felt good, really, especially the run that I had on wed night before the badminton game. Gaining a good fitness is hard, maintaining it is harder. Complacency just sets in once you realise you're quite fit... This struck me after attending the ORNS talk on tue on ORD matters.Seriously, the weather is becoming so hot, I'm really into designing a built-in air-con in every shirt that I have... These days, it's hard to find me anywhere else except my office because of the air-con.I've got 4 testimonials and 2 books to complete. But, time is all I have!!! =D ORD loh!
Time for a long-owed entry. Super slack week, a.k.a "OFF" week; I've been on off since wednesday until tonight. Haven't been doing much exciting, except finally finished learning the 3rd movement a Beethoven's sonata... Long-awaited repertoire... Looking into the first movement. Stopped learning the piano concerto. Very Haydn, much to my taste, but it gets really technical the moment I'm trying to master it...Was pondering when I'd have the time and mood to go back to Mr. Ku, and realised the 2 x works I was tasked to learn 2 years ago... Haha... Briefly brushed through one of it, and totally abandoned the other one... lol... Thought I would take out the former, a Rondo by Mozart, to learn. Realised the thin lines of both the treble and bass clefs. Was really frustrated how to make it seem less like a technical exercise of finger dexterity and more of a brilliant composition. Hearing the various versions performed over the past decades has given me ideas, but it's not easy to put into action. It's so clean, even more than Mozart's sonatas... Argh... Fed up...Trying to kick up the habit of reading, by reading something that I really like. Yeah, good start =pBack to work tmr... Half-hearted. On one hand I'm really enjoying the break, on the other I'm hoping ORD comes so late. My reason is simple. What the hell am I going to do between my ORD and uni start?Fortunately, I'll ORD in June, meaning I only have 2 months to kill. But 2 months! Supposed to go to Prague for 2 weeks in July, but the pandemic is giving me the chill and I'm really not optimistic that the pandemic will be controlled in Prague by then... Postponing it to the one month break in Dec. In one way, it's good because IT'S THE DAMN WINTER, and it's my BIRTHDAY MONTH! Another year to celebrate my birthday overseas!Still feeling painful about the US Uni.... I am like one step away from starting college in US. I've already got accepted. But the recession in 2009 has affected my family, like many others. I'm faced with the reality of risking my chances of doing my graduate studies in US if I were to insist on completing my degree in US. I have no intention to stop studying at the undergraduate level, considering that in half a decade's time, a degree would be like a diploma now; everybody will have it. I see the need to continue on, perhaps until pHd if necessary ==> Realities of Life (like I always say...)Damn... 2009 has really screwed my plans...Ok, back to reading... Tsscuech!
