Last quarter in 2008

Time waits for no man and the year 2008 has been no exception. One moment I was with friends playing cards during Chinese New Year, the next I was receiving training halfway round the globe. Just a few months ago I was helping out at Ivan's wedding and now I'm about to embark on my own preparations!

The final four months of the year should prove pretty interesting - there are 6 more weddings to attend, including one at the zoo.. In a way, these last four months should be very precious to me - after which I'll be in my twenties no more! Urgh~

On a totally unrelated matter, our army has decided to upgrade the No.4 uniform.. This new uniform will apparently allow us to stay undetected longer.. With economic uncertainty lurking round the corner (despite so-and-so mini stars declaring every other day that they're confident Singaporeans can survive this and that), I have no idea why our scholarly commanders have deemed it proper to incur this high level of expenses on something which can hardly be considered pressing.. I guess there is no good time for them to change the uniform.. Maybe it's better to take the medicine in one dose..

I still find the idea of wearing the No.4 in Singapore ridiculous. The No.4 is supposed to aid camouflage. Instead, NS men are wearing the No.4 all over the island - mostly in shopping malls and the public transport. The 'lovely' shade of green make us bloody obvious in the crowd. In army lingo, we look like 'cocks'.. If we stand somewhere near Plaza Singapura, we'll look like cockaNathans...

I urge my fellow soldiers to fill up the USMS (suggestion) form and propose the No.5 - t-shirt and jeans. Only then can we blend in and take cover efficiently.. Trade in the rifle for the blackberry to shoot arrows instead.. After all, training needs to be realistic..

Hmm, how to end this post? "I don't know" But don't blame me for the abrupt ending hor, I am just a victim of the consistently high standards I've set over the years. You've come to rely on my quality work and have become complacent! That's why I'm giving you a dosage of bad reading mah.. Ta-ta! =)

National Day is coming again

Our national day, 8 of August is upon us again.. Or is it 9 of August? Not really sure, don't really care.. They should change it to 8 August - might please the seventy-plus percent (and slowly dwindling) of our population who are Chinese (except the kantang wannabes).

So what exactly does National Day mean these days? Hearing awfully pretencious patriotic songs over the radio? Avoiding the marina area on Saturdays due to NDP rehearsal? Watching precious fuel (and our tax dollars) burn up in smoke as those bloody jets practice their stunts (or as we locals say, chu pattern) again and again? Bossini/Hang Ten/Giordano boutiques selling ridiculously ugly red t-shirts? Or is it the gigantic billboards that show your MPs saluting happily?

From past experience, I know July/August is a damning period for those in the army. Countless weekends are burnt for the greatest wayang show in Singapore. If everything goes well, the top joker who did nothing gets another tick of approval on his CV. One additional cannon shot and there goes some unlucky regular's career! Then there are the reservist folks who will always get mobilized during this period due to the supposedly high risk of being attacked.. (by wayward fireworks perhaps?)

Oh well.. I've ran out of things to say.. Happy national day, I guess..

Ripped off, by S********
victims with a smile
Ripped off by S********
we've been all this while

Believe in yourself coz they're not gonna share
F yourself, don't really care
Be resigned to give a little more~
Give up, give up on, S********!

Days like this

It's a Monday night and I've just had Mum's curry chicken for dinner. I'm at my computer desk wearing my KL-bought spectacles, bought for less than S$40. I'm chilling out listening to some soothing music, with Creative speakers carried all the way from Jurong East to Holland by best pal Alfred.

It's a workday tomorrow but I only need to wake up at 7.15am. I'll board the bus at 8.00am but I'll arrive in the office at 8.15am, with ample time for breakfast. It's only Monday but I'm not working on Thursday. Most people will be working but I'll be lazing on a beach in Sentosa with my fiancee, ice lemon tea in one hand and her hand in my other.

It's only June but Alfred's coming home. It's only June but Ivan's getting married. It's only June but I'm celebrating my fiancee's birthday. It's only June but we'll have lots of fun.

when its not always raining there'll be days like this
when there's no one complaining there'll be days like this
when everything falls into place like the fall of a switch
well my mama told me there'll be days like this

when you don't need to worry there'll be days like this
when people understand what I mean there'll be days like this
when all the parts of the puzzle start to look like they'll fit
then i must remember there'll be days like this

"Kopitiam Basics Tutorial 1: Teh" - An actual case study

Haven't been updating my blog recently for reasons obvious to most of you. Chanced upon an interesting exchange at the Marina Square foodcourt during the weekend that inspired me to type in my login and blog again..

I was enthustically queuing to buy my overpriced can of Green Tea at the drinks stall when the shrill voice of this auntie caught my attention:

Auntie on a mission: "Uncle! I want the Milo Si Kosong.. Milo Si Kosong.. Err.. I forgot Milo Si Kosong wat oready.. Can you tell me what is the last word huh? Aiyah.. Shit I forgot what he ordered.. Milo Si Kosong something wan.. Uncle, can help or not!?"

Uncle: "... Milo Si Kosong... Siu Dai?"

(Auntie on a Mission then scuttered back to her table to get the correct order..)

Should have referred her to Alfred's handy kopitiam guide, a real life saver.. On hindsight, maybe she was trying to order a Milo Si Kosong Peng without ice...

Exhilarated

Fitness recovered. Career Switch. Overseas Trip pending. Soulmate found. =)