Field Engineer...

Ok, got my advanced course posting. Posted to Field Engineer.. Well, think it's the most shiong of all the vocations.. Din get my first choice as a plant engineer, widely expected. Bah.. But field engineer was really my 2nd choice, even if it means more chiong sua.. For one, I dun wanna go Bridging. Go there, you machiam like frog, amphibian. Gotta soak your feet in water while doing those exercises. I seriously dun want foot rot, so it's out, though the camp is in Seletar, which is very near my place.

Amoured Engineer was a choice and it seems to be less shiong. But the camp is in freaking Sg Gedong!! I gave up the idea of going there thinking about my next 1.5yrs of NS life will be spent in there, going home would be a bitch.. So Field Engr it is, I can't complain much as I stupidly put it as my 2nd choice, so conveniently I cast myself out of contention for the plant engineer slot. *slaps forehead*

And I'm typing this now on a Tuesday night cos we have night out. Was hoping it to be night off and I can catch my Man U in action. Heh.. But nvm.. And oh, I really can see light at the end of the tunnel (trainee life) liao.. See ah, this week slack one, last week of Basic Course. Only thing is I have to shed some tears, mucus and dunno what shit on Thursday, going into the Smoke Trainer again. GAS GAS GAS!! -.-"

Then, 7 weeks of Advanced course. The first week of the course is next week, which means 3 days only! Hahahhaa... And then, the last week of the course I dun expect anything much plus it'll be CNY week.. Hehe.. So technically 5 full weeks, and staying back in Nee Soon means 5 day week! Yay! =)

Happy Birthday Buddy!!

Hey budd, wishing you a Happy 21st Birthday, from miles away in Singapore! heh.. Pity you can't hold a party or what. I'm sure I wanna go JB to wade through flood water. =x Hehehe..

The weekend is good. Any long weekend is good for that matter. heh.. Just that I haven't got my ass out to buy presents.. Crap. Shall do it now, so tada.

Merry Xmas to everyone!! The year is ending!! So exciting!! 2007 means a year away from ORD! Hahaha..

Hor-lan..

I just finished reading Neil Humphrey's book. I had wanted to comment on this book for some time now, and pull some quotes from there. Well, I dun have the time now to quote all that I want. But I just read this part and it really made me laughed. I needed to control myself to not roll on the floor. It all sounds too familiar, esp. for guys who did NS. Here goes:

[Start]
I embarked upon the long walk along Rifle Range Link and Rifle Range Road. Perhaps understandably, I met a lot of young men carrying weapons. National Servicemen were dotted all over the place: under tents, at checkpoint barriers or marching in single file through the forest in their camouflaged uniforms. To make a rather obvious point, the soldiers were so young. They were just kids. I know it is not politically correct, but I will never be comfortable enough with teenagers brandishing guns. They should be out chasing young women at Zouk, not chasing inanimate objects in the jungle. When I was their age, I felt uneasy with a pint of cider and blackcurrant in my hand, let alone an assault rifle. They looked bored, too. I knew the way to Nukit Timah Nature Reserve but, to make conversation, I asked one lonely serviceman for directions. He sat alone in the middle of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and fiddled with his cable. He probably was not the first soldier to do so, of course.

"Hey man, how's it going?" I asked enthusiastically. "Am I going the right way for Bt Timah?"
"No, you want to go back that way," he replied, gesturing in the opposite direction.
"Are you sure? That's MacRitchie. I've just been there. Bukit Timah should be this way."
"Ah, okay, if you're sure. But I really think Bukit Timah is the other way."
"Well, I'll soon find out. What kind of exercise are you doing out here anyway?"
"Navigation."

I had to look away and cover my mouth. With navigation experts like that in the SAF, who needs an enemy?" [end]

Wa piang.. I could imagine the situation exactly!! Haha. That guy was probably doing Gypsy (if he was from SISPEC, like me) and he probably is going to end up hor-lan.. Like what a lot of us do in navigation exercises anyway. haha..

IGNITED!!

Yeah, that's the word I've been shouting for the past week in training. - "IGNITED!!" 2 demolition live firing in a week. I tell you, hand grenade is nothing, really.

Monday one was relatively simple, firing standard charges ("charges" is the term we use to say "explosives" or in more leyman term "bomb"). It was nothing much, we couldn't see the thing go off cos we had to hide behind some stupid shelter and I was the firer, meaning I got in last, all I could see was helmets and more helmets in front of me, all trying to get a glimpse of the charges going off thru a tiny window.

Friday one was more fun.. Improvised charges. We did charges for ambush purposes, breaching doors and walls and many more.. This time round, I got the best view for the 2 heavy weight charges. Heh.. I made sure I went into the shelter first even though it meant a lack of oxygen and I could faint anytime.. Hehe.. But it was worth it, seeing the explosion. The landflame mine ignited and went off like an atomic bomb. Fumes rose in a dark mushroom cloud. But I was thinking also it's a bloody pollution man. Thick fumes formed by the incomplete combustion of fuel.. sinful.

The real power one was the improvised cratering charge, called onion charge. We were allowed to just sit behind the shelter, no need to hide or what. Haha, and what an experience. Upon ignition, we felt the earth shaking, balls too. =x And a second later, we saw "meteor rain". The earth got blew up to like 5m high and flew in all directions, all of us looked up, the soils were coming at us! Everyone went "wa....." (as in the kind of "wa" when u see fireworks, not the panic "wa").. Then the instructors have to scream "All look down!!!!".. Haha.. Safety is key in the 3G Army you see... Some rocks, soil landed on us. But we were happy. This is more like soldiering ma.. Hehe.. Whole day hide behind shelter might as well ask civilians come see as exhibition. oops... =x

笑看台湾.....

Feeling kind of left out from the proceedings from the world. "Kind of" is actually an understatement, I lost touch, really.. The only time to catch the news and all that is on the weekend. And what a way to welcome me home on Friday night, with the Taiwanese press having yet another busy day at the field (I wonder how they get so many news).. The Taiwanese First Lady was prosecuted for charges of misusing govt funds and such.. Now, if I were a reporter sent to cover the story, I would hold still to my camera, recorder, notebook or whatever. I won't even consider going to the toilet, even if my bladder was gonna burst. Something would happen, my gut feelings would be screaming in my ear..

Barely 2 hrs into the trial, the First Lady fainted in court, a female constable had to cradle her, with the First Lady clinging her arms round the constable, all the way to an ambulance waiting outside the court. Press release from the hospital said that the First Lady arrived at hospital with a heart rate of 40+ and all other conditions, and added a sentence "she will be unfit for hearings".. -.-" I laughed my ass off watching a Taiwanese talkshow thereafter. They talked about the timely fainting and also the gunning incident before their last Presidential election.

Taiwan's administration is really in a mess now.. For me, it was quite entertaining when Ah Bian took over, with his heavy Hokkien accent and stuffs. But it's now getting worrying (cos of frens in Taiwan) that the situation will be un-resolvable. And like I told my dad, now the Chinese will be getting their GV Gold Class tickets, with one full bag of popcorn and large Coke, watching the show. They're the one laughing right now, I'm sure.

Hectic weekend..

I've a lot to say.. So I'll just pick the highlights..

Mel is back! Caught up with her and the gang for a nice meal at Cartel, watching Man U beat Man C.. Anyway, probably of tiredness of everyone, it was less lively than expected. hope the next outing will be more fun! Heh.. Dil is back too, but that dickhead cancelled out on us on Fri night. What a downer.. Shan't say more. Bleh..

Cousin got married yesterday.. Had a really good time seeing most of my relatives.. It was a lunch buffet reception at the new cable ski park at East Coast. The food was nice, I just whacked the shephard pie and cream pasta. Shiok man!! Nice family event all in all, next in line will be 4th aunt's 2nd son, who says "if no accident, next yr.." when asked when he's planning to marry. And the line that follow that would be "if got accident, then this yr lor." Haha.. Get the drift?

I think I'm doomed. Fitness level is dropping at an alarming rate. Ran 11.19 for 2.4km on Friday. Balls man.. Just 2 weeks outta SISPEC and my timing increased by near 40 secs. Well, I've to say I prob din piah as much, running on track really plays on the mind.. Very hard to chiong.. Excuse? I dunno, but 100+ other pple had the same excuse.. Shrug.. Get my silver happy liao la.. Mel said I look like when I was in Pri school, ya, I was slim then.. So, quite happy about that, but I'm wondering if it'll last for long. F***.

10 more weeks of training.. Man, how sian.. But before that, a short trip to Malaysia to look forward to during the New Year long weekend.. And oh, gotta book in at 2000hrs today! Wtf.. Gonna miss the Star Awards. Grr, was thinking can at least catch half of it. Balls. Tml got live firing (demolition), I've been luckily chosen as the firer, so friends, pray that you'll see me alive booking out on Friday! Herh herh.. And ya, pray it doesn't rain at the range on Friday (another live demoliton day), so that I can book out earlier!!! Please.....

Monday Blues..

Monday Blues.. It'll never affect you more than when you are serving NS.. Every single drop of blood in your body feels different.. You suddenly feel like just dropping dead somewhere, really hoping so. But you remember that you gotta stay alive through NS to live the life you so yearn to live once more.. Coming to 5 months of enlistment, feels like 5 yrs sometime, but nonetheless, I'm happy seeing the amount of time served slowly eclipsing the amount of time left to serve. Heh..

The weekend has been good.. Watched 2 movies. Caught Casino Royale with my family on Friday night.. Not fantastic.. But catch it if you want the normal flashy gadgets and womanising of Bond. (Even the weapon inventory doesn't seem exciting anymore..) I am just wondering if they really flipped that sports car that Bond drove (an Aston Martin if I'm not wrong).. Give it to me la, dumb asses.. The 2nd movie, Happy Feet was more entertaining. But it's like a cartoon musical already. The moral of the show was nice, though it's hard to imagine why would a human notice that penguins are trying to send a message to you by dancing in front of you. -.-"

Had Jap ala-carte buffet at Miramar Hotel with family and uncle's family, courtesy of my sis' bonus. Haha.. Nice food, really quite exquisite.. Came home and slept like a log for 2.5hrs before forcing myself to wake up and go to NTUC.. And also, I'm finding it hard to have continuous sleep at the new camp. Always wake up at around 2am.. and will do so once every 1+hrs thereafter.. Argh..

Looking forward to next weekend already.. Wohoo. lots to do. Cousin's wedding, a commissioning parade. And of course, meeting the gang, with Mel back. Heh.. Can the Earth turn a bit faster on weekdays, please?! NS do make sane and rational people have the craziest thoughts in the world.

I live in Singapura..

Saw this on GF's blog and it's bloody interesting and funny. Enjoyed myself man, hope you would too. =)

Was a live performance by Hossan Leong at a Mr Brown show or sth. But this animator created this very nice video. Kudos to you.