Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Yes, dear reader, the brave adventurer has found, or rather, has been found by the elusive ninja van whilst on a navigation Exercise Red Beret just yesterday. I sure hope none of my instructors are reading this.
A little background info: Exercise Red Beret is a 52 hour navigation exercise in groups without instructors following you. Which means cadets like us have a little over 2 days of lovely freedom in the rugged mountains and freezing weather of Taiwan. We're not supposed to bring money with you cause we're not supposed to buy from vendors, but everyone knows that everyone buys from the ninja van anyway.
So, as we were heading towards a bridge, our happy little ninja van friend cruised towards us, and much to our joy, stopped in front of us! The vendor was really experienced and covertly told us to hide under the bridge while he prepared our piping hot ji pah which we ordered. It was just as well: just when groupmate Kenneth went up to pay him, one of our instructor's Land Rovers drove towards our direction! Kenneth dived behind the van, whilst we waited with bated breath and praying the instructors wouldnt come out. We heard the Rover door slam before a minute of silence, before the vehicle drove off again. Whew! We then sat under the bridge to enjoy our well-deserved ji pahs... heh. Talk about exciting.
But, well, the ji-pahs here are overrated. They arent all that nice really. Think the ones in Meiling province are much better. But its an expereince nonetheless. :)
So anyway, im back from Red Beret after a little over 12 hours with 40 hours left in base camp with nothing to do.. another early finish for navex! Haha.
Wont be able to update you, dear readers, too often from Thursday onwards, when our two major exercises, Exercise Homerun and Exercise Finale start, but i'll do my best. Readers like you make bloggers like me a happy man amidst the cold winds of Taiwan -grin-
What the hell did i just write? Oh well, its my blog, i can write whatever i want. Heh. Seeya in 15 days!
he rocked the party at 6:18 PM |
Saturday, November 27, 2004
I'd never thought i'd do this but.. im blogging from taiwan!
i've just come back early from a navigation exercise.. (see? the benefits of having a commando like yours truly in your group) and have free time till the rest of my friends come back.
Thus, i couldnt resist the lure of the internet stations, and blogging for my loyal readers. -grin- (Yes, they actually have internet here in this ulu-ated camp. Which costs the rough equivalent of 50 singapore cents for half an hour.)
Taiwan is cold. Really. OK, its more fun than being in the blistering heat like the last time i visited (temperatures of up to 40 degrees), but the nights are freezing, and its not fun when you have to stand in a skimpy PT kit and not move while the cadet commander reports strength. Am sniffling more than ever, but life here isnt bad really. The temperature reminds me of japan, or australia.. i wouldnt mind living with this sorta climate as a civilian, with trench coats and warm chicken soup.. ok i digress.
The province is Heng Chun, it consists of mountains with heights from 100 to 800m, with lovely wide open plains and sprawling ridgelines where you can see for miles and miles and miles. The wind makes waves in the dry long grass, ala "Gladiator" style in Russell Crowe's vision of him running through the fields. There're also big snakes and spiders which look more manacing than those in singapore.
Shall start on my major exercises from tomorrow onwards, so i'll probably not be able to come back and blog for awhile, but do keep posted ya?
And once again, my return flight's SQ 8971, on the 16th of december, at 5am. Feel like receiving some authentic taiwan souvenirs for christmas? hint, hint.
he rocked the party at 9:26 PM |
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Now do i get a feeling of deja vu?
Deja who? Its true?
Deja vu? I do!
And so the young adventurer heads back to the Land of the Ninja Van once again tomorrow (in like, 5 hours time.) Back to the jaw-droppingly high mountains, vine-y vegetation, friendly folk, ji pah chao fan, and, of course, the Ninja Van.
Another three frickin' weeks of OCS training. Its enough to make you puke.
Oh well, someone's got to be a slave to the nation. Guess its my turn this time round.
I shall return at the dawn (literally) of the 16th of December, at the convenient hour of 0500, on the flight of SQ 8971, armed with Taiwan souvenirs, ready to reward deserving friends who'd drag themselves out of bed to welcome me back!
(Dang.. I'm so shameless, arent i?)
Till then, i'd like to wish you, dear reader, happy christmas shopping and holiday-soaking.. and, as always, dont have too much fun without me!
Sidenote: I wont be bringing my phone with me cause camera phones arent allowed, so dont waste your sms-es ya? :)
he rocked the party at 7:54 AM |
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
You just made my day, little miss princess, cause YOU are coming back from the US for Christmas!! (i shant say your name just yet, just in case you dont want people to know.)
Suddenly, life seems so sunny and bright all over again. Taiwan doesnt seem so sian anymore.
Well, in your words, there's nothing like spending Christmas with old friends, right? -grins happily-
he rocked the party at 9:26 PM |
Have you ever wondered what a club is like when it first opens? The question just popped into my mind yesterday. When the staff gets everything ready, with the bartender standing at the bar, bottle in hand, and the DJ just spinning his first record. So when the very very very very very very very very first person walks in, is this what he sees? Or are the lights still on, the bartender's mopping the floor, and the DJ's still eating dinner? Hmmmm...
Big yay to yesterday's night out to China Black with Bravo wingmates! It was really fun, and reminded me that heck, life is really enjoyable, if you think about it. Big hello to newfound friends made too, you know who you are. -grin-
ok, clubbing crave before taiwan has been satisfied. But i'll expect it'll be back with a vengence when i get back!
he rocked the party at 7:40 PM |
Monday, November 22, 2004
Did i love her? Yes i did.
Did she love me? Yes she did.
In her words, I think i "found the right person, but at the wrong time"
Maybe i'm not ready to settle down. Not just yet. I thought i did, for awhile.. then the smallest things began to get to me. Just a little. I guess i didnt do too well in all of her "tests", if there's such a word. I hate the idea of testing your loved one. Which is perhaps why i purposely failed them on some occasions, and tried my best in others. But i guess it doesnt work that way.
Its heartbreaking to let someone you love go. But i guess it has to be done, for both our sakes. We couldnt have gone on like this. But well, we had an honest talk yesterday, i promised not to be such a bastard anymore, she kept the ring, and the clouds seem to be a little clearer now. No more complications, no more dramas, no more jealous rages and worried nights, just a smile of pure friendship, and a hint, albeit a small one, but a hint nevertheless, that things may be a happily ever after in the future.
Maybe i'll find someone, maybe i'll return. Maybe she'll find someone, maybe she'll return. For now, i'll just let life take its path, and hope for the best. Its true that im not prepared to settle just yet.. with my army stint accelerating, exciting UPenn life in the US awaiting, and a thousand other experiences i've yet to go through. It wont be fair to her if she's not number one in my life amidst all this, so its for the best if i dont break her heart anymore.
I need God, i need my friends, and i need to dance.
And i definitely do NOT need to go to Taiwan on Thursday. Stupid Army. Its ruining my life. Taiwan again for three weeks? Even the lure of Hsimenting has no effect on me.
he rocked the party at 3:41 AM |
Sunday, November 21, 2004
I wonder what Dan Brown has against the Catholic Church. I've finished reading the Da Vinci Code, and, more recently, Angels and Demons, and it seems like the bad guy almost always comes from the Vatican (oops, did i let that slip out? heh heh. Well, dont take my word for it, read it yourself!)
Ponderings:
Admittedly, the Church doesnt have a pretty history. I read in the Catholic News sometime, somewhere, when the Pope made a public apology for the crimes the Church had committed in history. But it kinda makes you wonder.. are there any more secrets which still remain hidden? What if the Bible had some books which have been kept locked up in the Papal library, remaining unpublished for some reason?
But of course, the Church isnt the bad guy. It has enriched the lives of millions, inspired people all over the world to live meaningful, God-filled lives, to treat each other better, to connect to their consciences (does conscience have a PLURAL? Hmm.) and countless of other benefits. Now that cant be a bad thing. I'm proud to be a Catholic, and always will be.
Still, there are issues which, though they do not interfere with my faith, are still worth thinking about.
Can science and religion truly co-exist? As discussed in "Angels and Demons", is God really the presence of energy coursing through our veins, energy which allowed turtle eggs laid hundreds of miles apart to hatch at exactly the same time, energy which created the Big Bang, thus spawning life on earth? Was Genesis a LITERAL event, or metaphorical? Or, can every miracle like Genesis be explained from a logical and scientific perspective? Sure, there exists an explanation for our existance here on Earth, but, as everyone knows, this is only possible when certain events, like the rising of the sun or the passage of waves and winds, move with clockwork precision. Did you know that if gravity differs by just a fraction, earth would be inhabitable? Surely, there must be a divine hand intervening to enable all of this to happen. Leaving things to pure coincidence would make the probability of life as it is now to a zillionth of a fraction.
But of course, science still offers a rational, logical explanation for everything. Births, once thought to be a miracle, are now known to be the result of the fertilization of eggs. What if, one day, science is able to give us the answers to all the miracles of old, like how Jesus had managed to cure the sick, or rise from the dead, etc. If we knew the answers, would we still have faith and believe in God?
I think i would. Whether you see Him as a old man with a beard with infinite power, or as "energy" which powers this universe, or as a mentor, guide and protector who's always with you, or his countless other forms, there's something bigger than all of us in this world.
Thoughts, anyone?
he rocked the party at 6:38 AM |
Okay so i dont speak perfect english either. But it irritates the hell out of me whenever i read a publication with too many grammatical errors. I was browsing through "The SPI Files", a book by homegrown paranormal activity investigation agency (X-Files kinda stuff, you know what i mean) Singapore Paranormal Investigators. You know how irritating it is when you read stuff like "The story where -insert scary story here- is the one which i hear". Sheeeeeesh. The frickin' introduction alone has enough grammatical errors to cheese off a primary school teacher.
And dont get me started on lousy Friendster "About Me" descriptions in bad english.
Damn.. maybe i SHOULD become a GP tutor.
he rocked the party at 6:24 AM |
Saturday, November 13, 2004
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us.
O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
--- LEONARDO DA VINCI
Read The Da Vinci Code. Seriously. I know everyone has. And so should you. Not only is it a real good cliffhanger and a "pulse-quickening, brain-teasing adventure", but it made me think. Alot.
First, even before i'd started reading it, my mum saw it and commented, "hey, that book's anti-Christ isnt it?" And whilst reading it after dinner at a chicken rice restaurant, one of my mum's church friends came over, saw the book and acted as if i was a member of a cult of something. With a self-righteous air, he muttered, "no.. no.. you shouldnt read it.. it will meddle with your brain.. if your faith isnt strong, you will stray.." Well, Mr Censorship Board really put me off. He probably didnt even know what the book was about, and labelled it as "BAD" straightaway, simply because he heard from someone, somewhere, that it deviated from the teachings of the Church, which is of course, according to him, absolutely right.
No, dont worry readers, i havent been influenced already and converted into a Dan Brown-defending, Church-denouncing fanatic. In fact, and those who've read it will agree, Brown acknowledges in his books the awesome presence of God and its impact all over the world. What is controversial, is his discussion of certain shocking revelations and deductions which have been studied by religious scholars over recent years.
Like whether lost scrolls of the Bible dipicting certain aspects of Christianity had been destroyed by the Church during Constantine's time to entrench the power of the Vatican, thus not providing Christians of the entire truth.
Has the Church been hiding some truths and enforced certain types of behavior so as to promote a certain school of thought which all believers are required to follow?
Were there aspects of Jesus' life which we do not know about?
These are just some of the questions raised for discussion, which are real food for thought, actually. And valid too, considering that its a known truth that the Church practised active censorship and persecution during the Constantine era, and studying what Da Vinci expressed through his paintings.. a different school of thought, as well as other bits of evidence surfaced throughout the book.
Im not saying that i believe whole-heartedly all that Brown says. As the Catholic Digest states, Brown "touches on enough strands of popular speculation and mythology that readers will think of it as more factual than it is". No, i am not swayed by his arguments at all, and my faith still remains as strong as it is. The only difference is that i now have questions which i want to attempt to find the answers to, which will in turn, strengthen my faith further. What he offers is an alternative school of thought, logical and backed up by evidence. It is up to us to decide whichever is the truth, but at least now i have something to debate with my parish priests about, instead of mindlessly agreeing with everything the Church teaches, like sheep.
Indeed, to understand something further, one must question and challenge it, and not follow blindly. Didnt we learn that in school? In the book, Brown offers several perfect areas of focus for which we can debate on, form our own conclusions, and strengthen our beliefs. This is something Mr Censorship will probably never understand. People like him are too wrapped up in their beliefs and mindsets, that a radical challenge, no matter how harmless, will always be perceived as "evil". It certainly makes me wonder how much faith these guys truly have.
Thoughts, anyone?
P.S: Oh, for those who have read the Da Vinci Code already, if anyone wants to read a Catholic's views on Brown's claims of Mary Magdalene, the Priory of Sion, and the Holy Grail, go read the Feb 2004 issue of Catholic Digest. It helps to answer some questions. Or you could ask me. Its too long to type it out here la.
he rocked the party at 9:07 AM |
A big THANK YOU!! to:
Glen, Cynthia and Jessica for a sunny-interrupted-by-rain day bumming around on the soft sands of sentosa, a surprisingly enjoyable movie session of the INCREDIBLES, and a wow-inducing trip to Motorshow 2004!
Eugene, Lauren, Liang Fu and Isky for late night beef noodles, red bean thingamajigs, ice jelly and gossip at Junction 8.
Dad, for buying a humungous box of Ferrero Roche (however the heck its spelt) and two bottles of Barcardi Breezer and a great father-and-son hour of watching a brainless show which title i cannot recall. Its been awhile since i've spent time with my parents.
Thanks guys.. for making an otherwise depressing day a joyful and fun-filled one. For offering a listening ear to my problems and well placed jokes to lighten the soul. For the simple pleasures of carefree, unconditional friendship. For all the little things you do, which make all the difference. For letting me realise who my true friends are. For our friendship, forever.
(and ever, and ever, and ever.)
he rocked the party at 7:47 AM |
Friday, November 12, 2004
Its ironic how i am most poetic when im down. I wrote offhand, without thinking, one of the best sounding messages to the person in all a matter of 5 mins. Its also the saddest message i have ever written.
I ended it off with, "I will always cherish the memories."
... i think i really need my friends now, more than ever. A lonely weekend lies ahead, with many more to come.
he rocked the party at 3:27 AM |
Its a paradox:
how i want to understand you, yet am too afraid to.
how freedom beckons, but not happiness.
how comfort and security allures, but not happiness.
how i am in love with you sometimes, but cringe when faced with your "other" persona.
how i want to believe in it so much that i ignore the circumstances, but embrace these same circumstances with anticipation.
how it hurts deep inside when you do some things, knowing that deep down inside i want to do them too.
how both staying and going feels wrong.
how you feel sadness is one-sided while it sufaces in me, disguised so that you'll never know.
how i understand how you feel but choose to act otherwise.
how solitude and meditation can lead to pain and loneliness.
how pain can emerge out of the void of emotion and disillusionment.
how i hate you and love you at the same time.
why? why? why? why? i do not know. Perhaps i never will.
The little boy in me should surface to huddle and cry in the rain so that i shall be humbled.
Perhaps love is destined to elude me.
he rocked the party at 1:16 AM |
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Taken from a dear friend's blog:
"Your adamance holds no value
Just as your words bear no thought."
How apt.
he rocked the party at 9:49 AM |
Sunday, November 07, 2004
The suckiest thing about being a commando is not the training, the misguided perceptions about the dunking case, or the burnt weekends. No dear reader, the suckiest thing about being a commando is living up to the expectations people have of you.
Especially in ocs.
From day 1, we have been the target of instructors' sneering and proclamations that they "dont like commandos" Every little mistake in training, like failing to light a safety fuse using a diagonal cut, or not being able to strip an 84mm gun in the required time, or whatever. Or doing 48 sit-ups during IPPT (when the others did an average of 45) and being sneered at not doing 50. "Hah.. ch** b** commando, i'm going to mark you already, cause your attitude is f***ed up" Or running 9.19 for my 2.4km run, and not achieving commando gold for IPPT, and having to come back during block leave for an IPPT re-test, while others who ran 9.30 get to stay at home. (the standard for infantry gold is 9.45, while that for commando gold is 9.15. Missed it by four seconds! sheesh.)
Every little screw-up is blown out of proportion, with some (irritating) cadets sneering "aiyoh.. you commando ley!" Being yelled at for no apparant reason, simply because the red beret is so freakin' obvious from far. Then there are those instructors who, for some unknown reason, just hate our guts. (Maybe cause they're Guards and they're jealous their sandbag beret just doesnt match up to the reds. Or maybe they're still sore they couldnt complete ranger course, or dont have the balls to sign up for it. Whatever.)
Yes its true we ARE given pressure to perform well from our superiors, all in the name of honour of our formation. Yes its true that we share an unbreakable bond with our seniors and each other, which may be perceived as exclusive and elitist from outsiders. Yes its true our seniors come to visit us at night to offer us advice and guidance, and to pass on a huge styrofoam blown-up of our formation crest. Yes its true we all try to stick together and achieve good results in ocs as a cohort.
But commandos are human too. We have our weaknesses, our emotional shortcomings, fatigue and disappointments. And to NSFs like me, it isnt exactly the most important thing in life. In these two years, im prepared to fight hard for it, but there IS a bigger picture in life, and i know that once these two years are up, im going to leave it all behind. Because there is so much more to life. So excuse me if i dont spend every waking moment or all my weekend time doing ops orders or training for SEOC.
Im human, just like anyone else, its just that i've been given the task of living up to the (very difficult) standards set for us. I try my best, and that's good enough for me. So cut me some slack yeah?
he rocked the party at 1:28 AM |
Conversation between Platoon Commander Captain Neo and platoon mate DJ during an AAR (after action review) of Exercise Jaguar, a night deliberate ambush:
Cpt Neo: Kan-nah, this is the first time in my life i've seen those who've been declared dead can suddenly ressurrect and fight again.
DJ: Aiyuh sir.. fighting spirit what..
hee hee hee hee hee. Geddit? Fighting "spirit"? heh.
he rocked the party at 1:17 AM |
Saturday, November 06, 2004
1) My sandfly bites are gone and im back to my handsome flawless (well, not really) heart-stopping self. -grin- Ya la ya la, thanks to all of you for helpfully reminding me of my ugly bleeding bites on my hands. Lionel Yeo, Mr Sandfly Bite Man.
2) Yesterday was OCS Challenge, an event where teams of 5 are required to run around SAFTI and perform "challenging" tasks to accumulate as many points as possible. My team got into the top 20 and won movie vouchers and stuff. But that wasnt the highlight. Bravo Wing got overall champion and besides an early book-out yesterday, i foresee other goodies coming our way. But even THAT wasnt the highlight yesterday. No no.. the real highlight was sitting at the grandstand waiting for the event to begin, and listening to some of the best hip-hop aaalllll daaay! whoohoo! That really made my day. Oh yes oh yes. When i become rich enough to own a flashy sports car, that's the kind of music that's gonna be blasting from my speakers, brudda.
3) Watched Shark's Tale yesterday. And it isnt as bad as everyone says it is. Stupid Straits Times critics dont know anything. I thought it was hilarious. Esp the idea of mafia godfather sharks. AND it has a killer hip-hop soundtrack. Ooo yea
4) I finally bought the Da Vinci Code! Cant wait to start on it.
he rocked the party at 6:18 PM |
