Who say Singapore got no creativity?

The Biggest Festival in Singapore
Well what do you know? They're putting up that damn tree again... 2 months early...

Interim Loss of a Great Pal


















It is now around 6.30pm in Dubai, UAE. Our good friend is probably (or hopefully) still working, even as Singapore prepares to go into slumber. For Ah Zhai and myself, Saturday mornings will feel weird without him, although we will continue our weekly jog.

As my army officer used to preach, "The world will not stop spinning because of one person, young man". True, the world will not stop spinning at all; it sure will feel lonelier, though. Have a great adventure in Dubai, young man! We look forward to your return, whenever that is.

Things I did / picked up during Reservist Training

1. Training Safety Regulation - If you are attacked by a swarm of bees, run as fast as you can till the bees are out of sight. (Pre-condition: You must be freaking fleet-footed!)

2. During a field exercise, you should refrain from building a huge bonfire - it is quite likely that you will make your CO (Commanding Officer) very, very angry..

3. Bunkmate PP Tan and I made a few modifications of the Chinese Chess game. You cover the chess pieces by turning them upside down, shuffle the pieces (both red and black together) and then place them randomly onto the chess board, in the same formation as the traditional game. The moves of the various ranks are unchanged, except that they can move in all directions and can also cross the river. The game ends when you successfully eliminates your opponent's "king". You can only move your chess pieces which are uncovered.

These modifications are more reflective of the modern SingXpore army - one will discover that during the game, only very few chess pieces are involved while the rest remain uncovered. (sleeping in bunks) The "king" or "CO" is also a burden - once he appears, you will find operations much tougher.

4. When attempting to sleep for the better half of the day, you should make an effort to wake up once your eyelids open, instead of going back to sleep. This way, you should be able to get another 1-2 hours of rest in half an hour's time or so, compared to going back to sleep immediately and waking up perhaps half an hour later. This technique, when combined with 6 meals in-between, should enable you to achieve up to 16 hours of sleep daily. (results may differ for individuals)