leothoughts

A trip to Tioman Island (3 days 2 night)

2011-09-20T02:16:00.000-07:00

Gathering at Kranji MRT station

We met up at Kranji MRT station at 6:45am to catch bus 170 towards Larkin Terminal at Johor Bahru. I totally overestimated the time I needed to get there and ended reaching the MRT station at 6:15am. The reason why I was so early was because I thought that the first bus timings won't be so accurate and if I missed it, I probably have to wait quite a while before the next bus comes along. Also, we had to catch the 7:45am bus from Larkin to Mersing to Tioman.

Finally, everyone arrived by 6:55am and we boarded 170. The bus was full, but not to the point of being squeezy, which was a good sign because there won't be too many people at the customs. Well, that was true for singapore's side of the customs but it still took a long time to clear the one at Malaysia. My Malaysian friends passed through without much hassle but my Japanese friend and I had to queue up at the other lanes.. The queue wasn't long but it seemed to take forever and because of that, we only managed to get though it at about 7:40am. By then, there was no way to get to Larkin on time to catch our bus. The bus lane was stuck because some bus companies stop decided to pick up their passengers, not caring about the long tailback that they have created. It was extremely frustrating to wait at the bus queue knowing that your bus is just 10metres away from you but we can't board it because we had to wait for another bus to finish receiving passengers.

Transit at Larkin Terminal

By the time we arrived at Larkin, we rushed out of the bus and started running to our next bus. Really glad to have sport shoes on for this occasion. We had ran all the way to the other side of Larkin, snaking though the crowds while clutching our bags to stop it from bouncing about as we ran. When we reach our berth, the only thing we saw was an empty lot. What a way to start our holiday, we thought, feeling disappointed as we risk a very real possibility of missing our boat to Tioman altogether. We approached one of the staff to ask if we had missed the bus and we were told that the bus is actually late! What a relief! For the first time, the tardiness of bus operators is most appreciated.

The way to Mersing

The bus took 'highway 3', which was a single lane - dual carriage way towards Mersing. Almost very similar to the roads from Pengerang to Desaru, only more undulating and curvy. In a car, it will be very pleasurable to drive on, but in a bus, it was unnerving as the driver handled the big vehicle as if it was a nimble little go-kart. Some corners get tighter as it curves and the driver simply jerks the steering to correct the amount of turn in needed rather than slowling down. I seriously doubted the quality of the tires that carried us through. For sure, a skid will probably be unrecoverable given how heavy the bus is and how fast it was going. And it didn't help sitting at the end of the bus as every bump on the road lifts us enough to wake us up from our sleep.

Reaching Mersing terminal, we were greeted with a very quiet town. Being there on a weekend meant that most shops are closed. It is quite different from Singapore where people generally come out to shop and enjoy themselves during weekends. In Mersing, during weekends, I suppose, people stay at home to spend time with their family rather than go travel around for shopping. The terminal we arrived at was beside a river and it was a short distance from our ferry terminal at the mouth of the river. The ferry terminal was a 15 min walk away from the bus terminal. I like small towns. Anywhere you need to go is within walking distance and we could slowly soak in the views of the town. Mersing, itself feels like a town that has developed because of people stopping over en route to further places. As such, there are many small shops from ranging from internet cafes to motorycle shops to spectacle shops. The rate for the internet cafe was rm1.50 per hour and a peek inside revealed a range of activities happening inside - some people were playing games, some were on facebook and so on. HB also said that some of these internet cafes are 'illegal' as they doubled as mini gambling dens while using the computers as a front to hide their gambling.

The ferry terminal at Mersing is very easy to spot because it looks exactly like how a ferry terminal looks like - a bunch of resort operators at the side, many seats and a little rustic-style cafe by the side to cater to western tourists, eager to taste a bit of (possibly expensive) packaged culture. Of course, we didn't eat there. We headed to the next little coffee shop for a little lunch. I ordered a nice plate of Maggie Goreng and ice-lemon tea. Can't remember how much, but it was less than rm5. Great value, as expected from a coffee shop and tasty too!

Onward to Tioman

Upon heading into the waiting area, we had to pay rm5 of 'conservancy charge'. No idea how they are using the money to conserve the Tioman's nature though. Our boarding passes consist of a big red slip of laminated paper with its edges worn out from repeated use. We were also handed another piece (not the same red slip) for our return trip. The ferry is fairly comfortable. Low engine noise, no vibrations and the seats are comfortable. The boat ride was 1 hour 30mins according to the time stamp from Moahan's pictures. A speed readout from my iphone shows a speed of 40km/h (cruising). The ferry stops over at Genting (not Genting highlands) a jetty at the west of Tioman island where we had to take another small motorised boat towards our resort at Kampung Mukut at the south of the island. This small boat is simply a sampan with a honda motor at the back. Travelling at 18km/h, the boat struggles to keep itself planted on the water. The water splashed all over my face and it was quite nice to be able to touch the splashing water. It was also where I got my only sunburn during the entire trip.

Arrival at Mukut

We were a walking distance away from our resort. The resort operators hung out at "Sea Side Cafe" where our meals will be served. [to be continued]

Summary

Getting to Tioman from Singapore

1) Take public bus SBS 170 from Kranji MRT through the causeway to Larkin Terminal

2) Transit to "Causeway Link" bus from Kranji to Mersing Terminal (2h30min)

3) Walk along the river towards Mersing Ferry Terminal

4) Take Ferry towards Genting Jetty @ Tioman (Must take note of which jetty to alight at) 1h30mins

5) Transfer towards Kampung Mukut (45mins) operated by resort

Getting around Kampung Mukut

As a tourist, we do not have the luxury of having a motor vehicle or bicycle like most locals do. All our travelling is done by foot around the region. The furthest we could go was to Minang Cove resort, which was a 35min walk through paved roads, followed by a trek through the jungle since roads are still under construction.

Getting around Tioman Island

The only way to get to other parts of the island is to charter a boat for rm350 to take you to different resorts. The island is rather big - 17km long 10km wide with dense vegetation and hilly terrain in the middle of the island.

Things we did at Kampung Mukut

Since we didn't get out of Mukut, there were only a few things we could do without spending a bomb.

Trek towards Waterfall

We trekked towards the east of our resort towards a waterfall. Follow the markings on the road saying "This way Devan" and you'll reach the waterfall. The rocks at the waterfall are very slippery but can still be very abrasive if you kick onto them. The water is pretty deep but there are ropes for you to hold on to as you walk towards the waterfall. Cool, clear water with very little tourists in the area.

Twin Peaks Trek

Consist of 7 checkpoints towards the valley of two hills. Trekked till checkpoint 5 before getting really lost. We did not succeed in getting to the top since it was getting dark. We got lost for a huge portion of the way down before seeing a familiar path. A lot of thorny plants along the way, they are extremely sharp and easily slices through skin. Highly recommended to get a guide. Rm50 per person for the guide to bring you up.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling was done around the jetty. Many corals were bleached and the predominant colour was greenish white. The water is extremely clear and we can easily see to the bottom. Equipment available for rent: snorkel, life jacket and flippers. All at rm10 each.

Star Gazing

We sat at the soccer field beside a school to watch the stars. Can really see lots of stars since it was really dark at the field. There are street lamps along the paved roads but there aren't bright enough to ruin the view. Nice place to eat mooncakes and drink tea.

Night Trek

We walked from our resort to Minang Cove through unfinished roads and foresty area in the dark just for a drink since most of shops and were closed at our side. Apparently, it isn't a good idea to go to Mukut on a weekend. Got to utilize my headlamp for the first time for a trek. Along the way, we saw some workers chatting in the dark. I was so scared to spot human figures in the distance on such a dark road until they shone back with their handphone backlight. I was very surprised to see that they are able to find their way around using just the light form their handphone screens! On our way back, we tried using minimal light and realised we could see enough to walk around using the moonlight. Even 2AA Maglight looked amazingly bright when our eyes are adapted to the dark. I was really loving my headlamp until HB turned on her iphone light. Haha. Kena owned by a phone!

Character of Kampung Mukut

Kampung Mukut is really just a small village with in the midst of it. It is a full fledged village with several mama shops serving the community and tourists, a mini school with a canteen of only 1 stall, a mosque and a police station. This part of the island would probably resemble Singapore's Pulau Ubin in its heydays of granite mining. We were pleasantly surprised to see 2 students alighting at our jetty at 7am in the morning to attend school. We also spotted people making fishing nets and collecting their catch at night. We saw no other economic activity in the area. Presumably, the villagers go to other parts of the island or back to mainland Malaysia to work.

The resort feels detached from the village. While the village is predominantly Malay, the resort operators consist of two chinese guys and 1 indian guy. The resort does not seem to make use of the village as workforce other than the cook. But we suspect that the food also comes from the village. The food consist largely of seafood, fruits, vegetable and chicken (possibly one of those we saw strolling around the resort the day before). The Malays seem to indulge in smoking while the non-Malays (the resort operators) are often slightly tipsy at all times of the day until they run out of beer.

The main mode of transport in this village is by motorcycle and bicycle. The roads are not big enough for cars and there ain't many roads to drive or ride on anyway. It is a very slow paced area where not many things happen in a day. Even the resort operators expect you to be bumming around. Of course, as city dwellers, we find that very difficult to do. This area is extremely boring if you are looking forward for beaches, drinks, water sports (other than snorkeling or diving). Otherwise, it may be a good place to mingle with the locals, provided that you can speak malay and possibly get to know them. Most of the locals we encountered are very friendly and would be the first to say hi when we walk pass them.

This area should be very safe considering that nothing happened even though we absentmindedly left our doors unlocked or with the keys hanging at the door.

T Resort @ Mukut

The resort is extremely minimal. They don't sell anything and I really mean ANYTHING. Beverages and snacks need to be purchased from mama shops around the island and that is about all you can find there. There are two rooms to each individual kampung style house. Very low quality building. Our sink was on the verge of dropping out of its fixture and the lights are just a dim glow. Our air conditioner was faulty and when we approached the operator to ask if we could have a discount since there was nothing they could do about it at that time, Rony, the operator was switched from his usual chatty mood to becoming rather hostile. Instead of an apology, he told us "your motor puncture, your problem wad". This forced my friend to replied "but hey, it is your resort, you know?". His colleague, sensing the situation was bad, cut in to say that he will change our rooms first thing in the morning.

Also, at rm350 for the 3D2N package per pax, all they do is to bring you to the jetty for snorkeling. Even the snorkeling equipment needs to be rented separately. Personally, that is a lot of money to pay for the operators to bum around. Only the meals were good but even so, they do not justify the high cost. Admittedly, that is one of the cheapest resorts that provide a reasonable place to sleep at night. However, spending another rm20 may able to get you a better resort with more facilities. From what we expect to do there (i.e. playing at the beach, drinking and doing stuff that people normally do at resorts), we failed to achieve most of them.

Although Rony became overly courteous from the 2nd day on, it no longer feels genuine. But rather, a facade to save his hostile behaviour on the first day. And that, feels very disgusting. Also, I cannot tolerate it when people drink while they are working, even if they are not directly serving us. There is a very thin line in being overly friendly and harassment and drinking blurs that ability to judge the situation clearly.

I won't recommend this resort unless what you want to do is to get a place to sleep in. In this case, saving money by paying for one of the cheaper resorts in this island is just being penny wise but pound foolish.

On the spice of curry

2011-08-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

A dispute that happened about 6-7 years ago made its way to the news recently. Here is the gist of it: A family from China that has just moved into a HDB flat complained about the intense aroma of curry whenever their Indian neighbour cooks. The disagreement was so heated up that they had to approach a mediator to solve the fiery problem. The dispute was eventually settled with the Indian family agreeing on cooking curry only when their neighbour from China is not at home.

Read the story here:

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110808-0000102/Number-of-neighbour-disputes-hit-high

This story sparked a symbolic retaliation by a group of people on facebook declaring 21 August to be 'cook-a-pot-of-curry' day. To some of my friends from foreign countries, this smells a lot like xenophobia. However, I believe that this is not what this 'cook-a-pot-of-curry' day truly says about us Singaporeans. Firstly, I would like to point out that although curry is largely associated with Indians, it is a dish that is familiar to all the races in the country and despite its strong aroma produced during cooking, it is unlikely for Singaporeans to find offence to the smell of curry, and even if they do, they probably will not go to the extend of having a mediator to express their displeasure in hope of stopping anyone from cooking their curry and eating it. Curry, in a sense, is part of our national identity, along with other foods.

This 'cook-a-pot-of-curry' day is, in fact, a symbolic movement to reiterate what it is to be Singaporean and the culture that we have come to call our own as opposed to being xenophobic despite the growing sentiment against the increasing influx of foreign talents/workers. To justify my assertion, I should first explain that I think most people here will find it difficult to be xenophobic when our forefathers were all immigrants in the first place. Hence, we cannot even call ourselves 'natives' of this land. The biggest difference between us and new foreigners is that we have come to accept a common culture which we call our own, as so do these foreigners in their own country. Sometimes, it is difficult to accept certain parts of a new culture and it is very respectable when a foreigner attempts to adapt to what is convention in this country even if they do not always agree to it (case in point: reserving seats at food courts during meal times).

Why do we have to reiterate what it is to be Singaporean? Well, the huge number of foreigners have a part to play in this. But the crucial motivation for this event may be due to foreigners not agreeing with what is convention in this country and attempting to change it to what they think is palatable. In this case, it sums up to general intolerance towards the Singaporean culture (ok, curry belongs to many different cultures as well). This country is built largely on the premise of tolerance towards people of different races, religion and practices. Perhaps the only thing that cannot be tolerated is intolerance and in this event has its importance in making it known that as much as we embrace the diverse cultures of our visitors, foreign workers/talents, we expect them to do the same for us. And this, is what makes us Singaporeans.

portable phone charger (part 3)

2011-07-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

It is time to conclude my thoughts on making a portable charger. In the end, I chanced upon one on sale that is sold at a really cheap price. The best part is that the charger works. It imitates the way USB charging works and delivers a slow, but not unreasonably slow, charge to the phone. I bought it USD$4.53 from Dealextreme and it took 2 weeks to arrive. It was quite a long wait and I never knew if it would ever arrive, considering the fact that it wasn't a registered package. Nevertheless, the postman popped a yellow package into my mailbox and I knew it has finally arrived!

First Impressions:
This gadget is made with cheap plastic - the kind that will disintegrate after a few years of use. But thats ok considering the price. Moreover, the important thing is the circuitry, which can be removed and placed in a better container if necessary.
It is a made-in-china gadget that actually works. The construction is actually quite sturdy and yet, it is easy to slide in the batteries to power up the charger. The switch is not very secure so I won't recommend leaving your batteries inside when you are not using it, lest it drains away your precious battery power.

The LED light is so dim that it is practically useless. I'm not kidding! Its so dim that I have to switch off all my room lights just for my eyes to register a dim glow that is coming out of that LED.

Does it work with the latest Iphone4?
According to the interwebs, iphones are very strict with the charging protocols. Either it takes in energy at the precise programmed rate or it takes nothing at all. This is also the case with other new smartphones and I am very glad to report that it does work. This means that the charger is set up to USB charging specifications, which is to supply 0.5A at 5V at the power terminals. The original wall charger provides the juice at 1A at 5V. Those who knows a bit of electricity will point out that this portable charger charges at half the speed of the wall charger.

Slow Charging is good charging!
Fortunately, slow charging equals efficient charging. It means that less energy is lost as heat and the batteries don't have to work as hard. This is important because the faster you try to drain energy from a battery, the faster it dies. This may sound reasonable, but the drain is not actually proportional! I measured the current going out of the batteries and it is at 1.1A. At this rate, NiMH rechargables will perform within their design parameters and work well. On the other hand, alkaline batteries will only be able to supply about 1/3 of their typical capacity. This is because alkaline batteries are outdated and were actually designed for low power drain (around 0.2 to 0.5mA) despite what their packaging may say. If you really have to use disposable batteries, go for the most expensive lithium AAs. They are worth the performance and the reliability in extreme temperatures and can be stored for 10years and more without failure.

Performance and tests:
The batteries I used are 2400mAh Powerex Imedions, which should provide about 5.8Wh. On the other hand, the Iphone 4's battery is said to be 5.3Wh. By right, that means that I should be able to charge the Iphone just slightly more than 1 full charge. However, that is not the case. Due to the inefficiencies involved, my pair of AA batteries can only charge up to about 35% before it stops. Also, it feels quite warm to the touch. Therefore, the efficiency is less than half! It is slightly less efficient than I expected but it doesn't make it a bad charger. Inefficiencies are always expected as part of a charging process. It is an emergency charger and not a full fledged replacement charger. Hence, it is reasonable to expect such a performance.

Drawbacks:
The only thing I don't like about this charger is the lack of battery indicators. You never know if you are overdraining your batteries. It is fine when you are using disposables, if you overdrain rechargables, its lifespan will be shortened and some damage will be incurred. Otherwise, I can see it being a lifesaver in a rural areas.

Conclusion:
If you have to recharge your phone regularly while on the go, you may prefer those portable chargers that make use of internal rechargable Li-ion batteries. These batteries are not removable but they pack a lot more power and it is more cost effective in the long run. Best of all, when the internal batteries die, we can always pry open the cover and replace it with a new one (if you can find a replacement).

Note: I am not affiliated to dealextreme or the charger. I paid for the charger myself. The reason why I am reviewing this is because a close friend of mine is going to India and will be spending some time in less-developed villages. I hope it helps you in keeping your smartphone working :)

How to ask for help

2011-06-12T03:53:00.000-07:00

At times, we face a problem or question that daunts us and it turns out that the only solution is to ask a long-time friend whom has not been in contact with you for a very long time. But should we approach this 'friend'? If done wrongly, we might even cause him/her to feel unappreciated because the last time you talked to him/her was umpteen years ago and the first thing you want from him/her now is a favour.

This is what happened:

Recently, I was approached by an ex-schoolmate to expound on a certain subject I happen to have knowledge of. It is rather strange for anyone to ask me about this subject because it is highly specific and not something that people will talk about in everyday life. Naturally, I would want to know why she wanted this information before telling her. Also, I needed to know how detailed I need to go in this topic in question. Not only did she not want to disclose to me why she needed it, she went on to demand me to start explaining. This felt really insulting because I could be doing her a big favour - hours of online research, days of attempting to understand it and more hours on clarifying what she is not sure about - all these hours can be compressed into a detailed email from a person who knows about what she is trying to ask. And yet, this is how she responds to my query. It feels that she thinks of me as an inferior being who does not posses any emotional complexity and that a simple demanding voice could command me to do so much work for her. This was how she treated me even during our school days and I was simple and happy enough to comply then, but not now. Why? Because I know that she wouldn't do the same for me if I was in her shoes. In addition, I knew that she asked me because of her job, which makes me feel even worse because I will be directly easing her work if I helped and yet I will receive none of the monetary benefits.

I think that, to ask for help, one must first qualify for it. This can be established by first being a friend with someone you need help from, not by being acquaintance. Second, the complexity of the help required must be proportional to how deep the friendship is - whether it is maintained and how close it was.

In this case, I knew from the start that if I were to help her, it would be an act of giving. No, not like a donation, but more of throwing money into the sea - useless and fairly stupid. Even in the event that I needed help from her, she wouldn't help me and I won't pin any hopes on that.

However, the main reason why I posted this is because I'm puzzled. Why would she even ask me for help when there were times when she treated me like a nobody during our school days? At this point I would like to clarify that I have no romantic interest in this person and that during a particular period of my education, I was seen as a sad, low life. Now that I'm in a different vantage point, those who treated me like one will have to do a lot to undo the things they made me feel during that period of my life before they deserve any form of help at all.

portable phone charger designs (part 2)

2011-05-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

In the previous entry, I stumbled upon the rather strange requirement of how to minimize voltage drop while the batteries in the portable charger drains. I've found some youtube videos and some write-ups on instructables.com about building portable phone chargers. Being a physics undergrad who likes batteries and collects torchlights, I could see several drawbacks regarding some of these chargers.

So, discuss what these drawbacks are and what advantages do these designs actually offer.

Design 1:
9V battery + Zener Diode combination

Using a 9V battery connected to a Zener Diode, the output voltage can be effectively dropped down to the required 5V to charge most phones. According to article [1], the Zener Diode that brings the voltage closest to 5V is 1N4733. It brings the 9V down to 5.1V and has a maximum regulated current is 178mA.
Advantages
- This design is extremely simple and according to youtube videos, they do seem to trick their phones into thinking that they are plugged into an authentic charger.

Disadvantages
- 9V battery
This type of battery is not made for high current drain. Notice that applications of 9V battery include powering up remote controls, portable door chimes and fire alarms. These applications take very little current and will last many months before it needs a battery change. Phones will attempt to suck as much energy as possible during the charging process and will definitely take in more current than what the 9V battery can comfortable provide. In the first place, 9V batteries do not have much energy in them and this high drain will result in premature death of the 9V battery. According to energizer's datasheet [2], at an estimated 500mA drain (standard current that is provided by USB ports), the 9V battery provides only about 300mAh. Theoretically, that should be able to charge up a Nokia N73 to a quarter assuming that the Zener diode does not burn up and about 60% efficiency (because some of this energy heats up the phone when charging).

- Tiny current capability
If we examine the charging current provided by most wall plug-in chargers, the usual current is about 1000mA and a phone using this amount of current will take about 2-3hours to fully charge a drained battery. Assuming that the Zener diode does not go up in smoke, the current of 178mA will charge a dead phone battery in an estimated 11h-16h. That is a heck of a long time.

Design 2:
Battery + Step up/Step down Converter (Switching converter)

See http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/

This design is considerably more expensive and more complicated because it involves a switching voltage regulation microchip (not those that simply turn excess voltage into heat), some inductors, capacitors and diodes just to get it going. I won't talk about the principles of step up/down converters because it is far too complicated for me to understand. All I know is, they change the input voltage to a voltage that we desire.

Note that there is a simpler voltage regular called the linear regulator. This simply burns up excess voltage so that the output is constantly at 5V. This works only when the input is more than the desired voltage. Very inefficient and wasteful!

Advantages:
Achieves very high efficiency.
Flexibility to use batteries that are designed for high drain (AA batteries)
Circuit can be designed to handle high current comfortably.
Provides excellent charging.

Disadvantages:
Damn expensive - a well designed branded portable phone charger such as the Griffin Tunejuice costs SGD$46.90 in Singapore. [3]

Still quite expensive - a pre-packaged D-I-Y project called "Minty Boost" by Adafruit Industries provide all the necessary components for a simple step-by-step soldering job. However, when shipped from USA, the total price is about USD$30. This is only about SGD$10 cheaper than a cool-looking branded one. Not to mention, I'll still need to get a soldering iron to get all the parts together.

Design 3:
Direct charing from 4x AA batteries / CR123A batteries

(This video makes use of 2x CR123A lithium camera batteries for more juice)

This design is no design at all. It relies on the AA batteries to provide the necessary voltage needed to charge the phone battery. Unlike the portable charger I've bought (which uses smaller AAA batteries), it is possible that using AA batteries can solve the problem of voltage sagging.

Why am I still interested in this design? In a forum discussion, someone mentioned using 4x 2700mAh AA Ni-MH batteries and managed to charge his phone 5 times! Of course, that depends on the capacity of the phone battery in the first place. Meaning, my mileage may vary. Even so, this is quite a good news!

Advantages
- Less components mean less energy wasted on powering up components

Disadvantages
- Voltage uncertainty
Using 4x alkaline batteries give 6V, 4x Ni-MH rechargeables give 4.8V. Don't know if 6V will actually fry the phone or not.
- May not be able to fully utilise the batteries as it drains
Same as my original charger, this may still be a problem! Only experiments can tell us if it still plagued by this problem!

Ok, enough of theory talk and estimates. In my next entry, its time for experimentation! (If my multimeter arrives soon :( I've been waiting for almost 2 weeks already)

References:

[1] http://knol.google.com/k/electronic-circuits-design-for-beginners-chapter-7#

[2] http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/522.pdf

[3] http://www.istore.com.sg/default/tunejuice-universal-for-iphone-3g-3gs-by-griffin.html

[4] http://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18360

Project: Make a portable phone charger (part 1)

2011-05-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

My first encounter with this device and why I want to make my own!

My first encounter with portable handphone chargers was during my time in BMT (basic military training) in Pulau Tekong. As recruits, we were not allowed to use electricity in camp. We were told that this rule was in place so that we do not end up overloading the generators that were powering the island. I felt that it was utter bullshit because the only time we could use the electricity was at night when most electronic appliances are switched off. But still, nothing much could be done about it since we had no rights and no say.

I am someone who is really addicted to technology, so much so that I don't feel right if I leave my house with my handphone battery at half capacity even though I was only going for only a few hours. I was quite glad that I am able to bring my phone to camp although it would be next to useless if the battery went dead. Knowing this, I definitely have to do something to get around this problem. I felt that it was kind of wasteful and stupid to buy another handphone battery (about $30) when the training will only last 3 months and I'll still be left without any communication when the extra battery is used up anyway.

I needed something that is able to use disposable batteries and it seemed that a portable handphone charger was ideal choice for this situation. So, I bought this at Sim Lim Square for less than $10. It uses 4x AAA batteries and when I plugged it into my phone, it worked! The screen showed that it was charging. Wonderful.

During the first week of my 2-week confinement, I used my phone really sparingly, turning it on at night only to check for messages and to send stuff out. I even took out the battery from the phone when I did not need to use it. All these measures helped to keep me contactable but 1 week was all I can squeeze out of my battery. Still, it was longer than I expected and a boost from my newly bought portable charger should be sufficient to last me the rest of my confinement week. I even lent my battery the poor souls who did not prepare for this. Good eh?

Happily, I plugged in my portable charger and placed it inside my cupboard. After 30mins, I came back to check on it and to my greatest horror, the phone was no longer charging and my phone was showing an additional 1 bar extra. That was all it could do. Unplugging and plugging it again did nothing. The screen flashed "NOT CHARGING". Die! This time, I screwed up. I knew that my parents would be coming to pick me up from Pasir Ris for my first book-out, so I really needed my phone to tell them exactly where to meet me. There was no way a battery at 1 bar (out of 5) could last another week of sparing usage. I was even unsure if it can hold its charge even if I don't use it at all. Sure enough, when the time came, I couldn't even establish a call without the phone shutting down.

After this incident, I went to check the AAA batteries inside my portable charger. All of them were still fresh. I could power them in my trusty MP3 player and still use them for many hours before they were depleted. What was wrong with it? Why did it not continue charging even though those AAA batteries were still fresh?

These questions led me to suspect that charging may be quite a complicated process and the charger may not be capable to utilize the energy in those disposable batteries. It took me quite a few years of procrastination to finally decide that I should take a closer look at the innards of the charger I bought during my younger days.

Ah! That's the reason why I couldn't charge my phone effectively. The only component inside this charger was a diode! A diode is a component that is made such that electrical current can flow only in one direction. This prevents the backflow of electricity should the battery in the phone overpower the portable charger. Its a nice safety feature, but it doesn't make it work any better. Normal AAA batteries have 1.5V. Having 4 of these will give 6V. My phone required a minimum of 5V to charge the battery. While the portable charger charges my phone, the battery voltage drops as it depletes. The moment each battery drops to 1.25V, the phone no longer continues charging. It is quite a shame because at 1.25V, these batteries still have a lot of energy left in them.

The important question is how, if it is possible, to eliminate this voltage drop from the batteries.

blog reform!

2011-05-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I'm reviving this blog for the holiday! I foresee that I'll be extremely bored with the time on my hands and I want to splurge some of my free time writing about random stuff that comes to my mind while sipping a cup of extra gao vietnamese coffee.

During this holiday, there are several things I want to do. While revising my old entries, it seemed that I have some stuff left undone since my last entry. But oh well, a new holiday comes new to-do lists. This time, more down-to-earth and easier to complete. Hopefully, this means that I'll be able to tick them off during this 3-month break.

a) Change the layout of this blog. The original layout was done by Lynnette during my secondary school days. Really long time ago. The coding does not support higher resolution screens of today and it is very messy considering that it has so many entries since my secondary school days. This calls for some organisation!

b) Clean my room! This sounds mundane but it is actually very difficult. The amount of intellectual debris from the aftermath of my exams is quite a lot. Hahaha.

c) Build a portable handphone charger! What is it, you ask? It is a little gadget that enables charging of handphone batteries with another set of batteries. Useful when my phone runs out of battery while I'm out and about. What I've found was that many of these portable handphone chargers sold commercially are either rubbish or really expensive. An example of an expensive rubbish will be this:

After reading several reviews, it seems that general conclusion is as such:

Very limited working voltage range

this charger can only operate effectively on lithium batteries, which are the most expensive disposable batteries available (~sgd$10 per pair). It cannot even effectively utilize alkaline batteries of the same brand. That also means that rechargeable batteries, which usually come at a lower voltage, will not work with this at all.

To be fair, many reviewers did say that it does work as long as it has a pair of expensive lithium batteries powering it. To me, the prohibitive price of these batteries will make me think twice of charging their phone with this and I may even decide not to use it in a non-urgent situation. I don't think its a good product design if the product ends up discouraging people from using it.

So yes, I want to make one with the goals in mind:

- Not so expensive (less than $25)

- Works effectively with a wide variety of batteries

- Safe and compatible with charging standards.

Something about this semester

2009-12-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

Firstly, its the holidays! Even after 1 year, I still can't believe how much energy can each semester suck out of me. Damnit man!

Frankly, I have no idea what to write because I haven't been writing on a personal level for a really long time. Now, most of you would be thinking of how ironic it sounds since I have missed so many gatherings using the same excuse – that I had essays to rush. But hey, I'm free now and you can call me out anytime! ;)
(hint hint: hung loong and friends, kbox)

So, this semester was my first semester of year 2 and here's a summary:

I DIDN'T manage to stay on campus like I said I would.
I DIDN'T apply for SEP because I was simply too lazy to do anything.
I DIDN'T get a PPCDL even though I have been talking about it for a really long time now.

In fact, I didn't do anything much except for assignments, lab reports and tutorials.

This scooter is interesting!

2009-06-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Recently, I saw a short article on TODAY. It was about an electric scooter from Zeco. For those who are concerned about the environment, this is probably the best news ever - Zeco claims that the bike is 10 times cheaper to run than conventional petrol driven motorbikes. An eco-friendly person can save the Earth while saving a considerable amount of money, so it seems.

Is this bike similar to a CNG car - too much hassle, too inconvenient, and doesn't save appreciable amount of $$? Well, lets look at the specifications.

Model	E-MAX 90S	E-MAX 110S
Battery concept	Silicon	Silicon
Maximum Speed	50 km/h	50 km/h
Battery Capacity	4 x 12V/40Ah	4 x 12V/60Ah
Distance Range	45-60 km	70-90 km
Motor (nominal Power)	4000W 13" high torque maintenance free motor	4000W 13" high torque maintenance free motor
Voltage (maximum)	48V (53V)	48V (53V)
Output (with Booster)	45A (80A)	45A (80A)
Charging time	3-5 hours	3.5-5 hours
Power in kW (with Booster)	2 (3.2)	2 (3.2)
Weight	Approx. 155 kg	Approx. 195 kg
Brakes	Hydraulic floating disc brake	Hydraulic floating disc brake
Tires	130/60 - 13	130/60 - 13
Rim	Aluminium	Aluminium
Front and rear shock absorber	Oil/gas pressure	Oil/gas pressure
Warranty on Battery	1 year or 10,000 km	1 year or 10,000 km
Retail Price	S$ 6,999	S$ 7,399

Perhaps the most striking thing on this list is the MAXIMUM SPEED of 50km/h which is damn slow for singapore roads. According to Zeco, 50km/h is good enough as "the average Singapore motorist travels a distance of 25 km/h to 27 km/h on city roads."

But is it? To achieve an AVERAGE speed of 25km/h to 27km/h, the motorist have to be achieve a much faster instantaneous speed to make up for all the lost time waiting at traffic lights and accelerating from stop. No one travels at a constant speed of 25km/h in town traffic, it's start-stop all the way to the parking lot. So, a max speed of 50km/h isn't necessarily enough to blend in with the rest of the motorists.

The next thing to notice is the charging time? Yea, it runs entirely on battery. So, you're really screwed if you accidentally run out of juice. Good luck on pushing it - it weights the same as my 1000cc dream bike, the Honda CBR1000R Fireblade. The only difference is that the Fireblade has a maximum power of 133kW compared to the Zeco's puny 3.2kW. I really wonder how long does it take for the zeco to get up to it's maximum speed.

3.5-5hours of charging actually sounds okay if you charge it as soon as you reach your destination so that it is well prepared for the next trip. Another problem is that you'll need a landed property to charge your bike or resort to parking at their "greenlot" charging points far away from your high rise housing.

If all these does not scare you away from it, lets talk about the price. For $7399, it is possible to get a new decent Class 2B bike (200cc and below) while reasonable used bikes can be bought at around $2500. So why should anyone choose the zeco over a normal motorcycle? Again, zeco claims that it is far more cheaper to run it.

"the cost of running a Zeco is just 70 cents for every 100 kilometres; petrol is almost ten times that, at $7 for every 100 kilometres"

They may be right on this point, but they have compared it to a petrol bike of a fuel efficiency equivalent to bigger bikes. Still, the savings are significant compared to petrol bike. Then comes the issue of maintenance. In about a couple of years, the battery will need to be replaced and I'm guessing that the battery costs at least $1000.

at this point of time, the high initial cost of the bike is not very justified. What are you paying for?
If you ask me, I would rather get a good electric bicycle for $1000. At least I won't have to pay for ERP, parking lots and pointless third-party insurance. Best of all, I can beat red lights without the fear of being 'flashed'. Now, if only the zeco is $3000, I would...

hi again

2009-05-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a really really long time since my last entry. Most of you would have given up checking my blog by the time I write this. Haha. Well, its the holidays once again and there is now time for me to write again! Sem 2 was hell for me, really.

My second semester was unlike my first one because I took a combination of "heavy" modules. Although all my modules are pegged at 4 modular credits each - meaning that are supposed to have similar workload, it is not the case in reality. While the "in-school" hours remain the same, the workload outside school were very very different. This is especially the case for my Writing and Critical Thinking mod aka essay mod. In this mod, deadlines were all over the place and friday lessons would generally end with homework that needs to be submitted by the weekend or a little later. All these deadlines are terrible! I couldn't even confirm my attendance for gathering which were planned far ahead. Really sorry about that!

Now, its the holidays and I have a few activities ahead! First, I joined my school's physics enrichment programme for participants from sec and jc. Honestly, the pay is rather good. But omg! I have to present physics stuff for this job! Damn scared la... Not sure if I'm good enough or not. To reiterate my friend's words "you're presenting as a uni student now", because of this, I don't wanna leave the participants with the thinking that "chey, the presenter so lousy ah...". It's not a like a normal presentation where I can stutter a little while I think for words to say. Now, pride is on the line! Gasp...

Currently, I'm waiting for marlin and angie to finish exams before we can all embark on our batam trip~ I've been there once and I didn't really find anything worth returning for except maybe for the very-flavoured instant noodles.. Mmmmm.... haha. Can't wait can't wait!

silent night

2008-12-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

This is probably my busiest holiday ever. With just 1 short month to play, I'm cramming everything i possibly can to squeeze out as much as i can from this Christmas season.

For the past few days, I had been driving a lorry. Heh heh, its was my first time driving such a thing and it was not as easy as I thought it would be. Unlike a car, a lorry have neither the power to accelerate pass a traffic light on amber or brake on time (tmd). Lorries are vehicles made without love... like an abomination that no one gives a shit about. If there is one thing lorries are similar to, it is the toilet seat of a dirty toilet - you need it, but as soon you're done, its flushed and you walk off without giving it a second look. Yes, its that bad.

However it has one redeeming factor - it never fails.

The seat was surprisingly comfortable, the aircon was great and the stereo works! But the engine noise was so loud that the only time I can hear anything is when its stationary. The steering is so vague that it feels like driving on ice, the brakes were made of cheese and the suspension is rock hard. I pity the people who had to sit behind me.

It wasn't very fun to drive a lorry but its fun to try something new once in a while. I urge all of you to say YES to new things :)

carpark etiquettes

2008-11-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Argh, I hate to update my blog with issues which are not nice. I want to present you a case to consider. You may think I'm in the wrong or you may agree with me wholeheartedly. Here it is:

First, I would like to ask a few questions:
Who do you think is right?
A- Car 1 has been waiting at the entrance of a carpark in hope of someone walking in to collect his car so that Car1 can take that lot.
B-Car2 is also waiting in the carpark but at some random spot. Hoping to take any lot nearby lot that is to be vacated.

Now, Consider this:
Someone appears and Car 1 follows him, Car 2 is not very near the 'to-be-vacated' carpark lot however Car1 and that someone passes by Car 2 and now Car 2 decides to cut Car1 and drives near the lot. Car 1 switches on his hazard lights to signal that he is waiting for the lot. Car 2 follows suit but fails to get the lot.

The occupants of Car 2 decides to confront the driver of Car 1, citing reasons such as Car 1 cutting off Car 2 from taking the lot.

By now, you should be a little confused.

And yes, I'm Car 1.

What if the driver of Car 2 is female and decides to use her gender as leverage( in fact, the most irritating thing is that her bf(presumably) was the one who tried to use this by telling me "be a gentleman". Is it really applicable in this situation? should a male driver "be a gentleman" and give way to her?

I feel that its quite a controversial issue here and it is very interesting to think about.

Especially, recently there was a guy who wrote in the newspapers that he chose a foreign bride because he felt that sg girls dun know what they want - treated as the fairer gender or treated on equal levels. Obviously, that guy was slammed by 2 female readers who wrote in to comment about his writings.

I feel that in today's context, his point may be valid to a certain extend. But not because sg girls dun know wad that they want. Rather, our society is changing and this change affects how we should respond to our daily events and even redefine social norms, acceptables and non-acceptables. For example, organ donation reimbursement was considered the a definite no-no in the yesteryears because it opens up the possibility for illicit organ trading.

wah lao eh, who cares about such a rule when you're dying, in need of a kidney, have lots of cash to spare and have quite a high position in society? see what i mean.

Now, lets go back to our main point. I guess our society is still in the period of change and new/old norms are not yet well defined. However, I feel that the rules of engagement in carparks still hold regardless of gender.

Its really obvious when someone is in contest with your elusive carpark lot and things can heat up really fast. If in doubt, do not challenge. If you're absolutely sure that you're right, then do it. However, exercise caution as necessary.

lol. goodnite

To all students

2008-10-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hello, this is one of Jay's new songs. I wanna dedicate this song to all students who are feeling depressed from test results. Press on my fellow friends! Give this song a listen and sway with the rice plants. Then go back to your books ASAP!

稻香 dao xiang
歌词, 曲 : Jay

对这个世界如果你有太多的抱怨
if you complain too much about this world
跌倒了就不敢继续往前走
fall down and not going forward
为什么人要这么的脆弱堕落
why do you have to be so weak sink low
请你打开电视看看
please turn on tv and see
多少人为生命在努力勇敢的走下去
how many people are struggling to courageous go forward
我们是不是该知足
shouldn´t we be contented with what we have?
珍惜一切就算没有拥有
cherish all even if you don´t possess it

还记得你说家是唯一的城堡
still remember when you said home was your only palace
随着稻香河流继续奔跑
continuing running along with the rice field fragrant and river flowing
微微笑小时候的梦我知道
happily smiling childhood dreams I know
不要哭让萤火虫带着你逃跑
don´t cry let the fireflies take you away
乡间的歌谣永远的依靠
leaning forever on the countryside´s ballad
童年的纸飞机现在终于飞回我手里
childhood´s paper plane now is flying to my hands
所谓的那快乐
that careless happiness
赤脚在田里追蜻蜓追到累了
barefeet chasing after dragonflies till tired out
偷摘水果被蜜蜂给叮到怕了谁在偷笑呢
stealing fruits making the bees sting till frightened who was laughing?
我靠着稻草人吹着风唱着歌睡着了
I fell asleep with the jackstraw blowing the wind and singing songs
哦哦午后吉它在虫鸣中更清脆
wo wo in the afternoon the guitar is clearer in the middle of the bugs singing
哦哦阳光洒在路上就不怕心碎
wo wo sunshine sprinking on the street making me not afraid of heartbreaking
珍惜一切就算没有拥有
cherish it all even if you don´t possess it

还记得你说家是唯一的城堡
still remember when you said home was your only palace
随着稻香河流继续奔跑
continuing running along with the rice field fragrant and river flowing
微微笑小时候的梦我知道
happily smiling childhood dreams I know
不要哭让萤火虫带着你逃跑
don´t cry let the fireflies take you away
乡间的歌谣永远的依靠
leaning forever on the countryside´s ballad
回家吧回到最初的美好
go home go back to the initial perfectness

不要这么容易就想放弃就像我说的
don´t give up so easily just like I said
追不到的梦想换个梦不就得了
the dreams that you can´t pursue just switch to another
为自己的人生鲜艳上色
for our lifes, paint some colors
先把爱涂上喜欢的颜色
first paint a color you like for love
笑一个吧功成名就不是目的
smile a little render outstanding service and be famous it´s not a goal (? not sure if it´s like this)
让自己快乐快乐这才叫做意义
let yourself be happy being happy, that is called a meaning

童年的纸飞机现在终于飞回我手里
childhood´s paper plane now is flying to my hands
所谓的那快乐
that careless happiness
赤脚在田里追蜻蜓追到累了
barefeet chasing after dragonflies till tired out
偷摘水果被蜜蜂给叮到怕了谁在偷笑呢
stealing fruits making the bees sting till frightened who was laughing?
我靠着稻草人吹着风唱着歌睡着了
I fell asleep with the jackstraw blowing the wind and singing songs
哦哦午后吉它在虫鸣中更清脆
wo wo in the afternoon the guitar is clearer in the middle of the bugs singing
哦哦阳光洒在路上就不怕心碎
wo wo sunshine sprinking on the street making me not afraid of heartbreaking
珍惜一切就算没有拥有
cherish it all even if you don´t possess it

还记得你说家是唯一的城堡
still remember when you said home was your only palace
随着稻香河流继续奔跑
continuing running along with the rice field fragrant and river flowing
微微笑小时候的梦我知道
happily smiling childhood dreams I know
不要哭让萤火虫带着你逃跑
don´t cry let the fireflies take you away
乡间的歌谣永远的依靠
leaning forever on the countryside´s ballad
回家吧回到最初的美好
go home go back to the initial perfectness

lyrics taken from: http://chinesemusicblog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5348

just a quick update

2008-09-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Its now 12:36am, Monday. Wad? the weekend passed again? I'm not sure if I'm the only one feeling this way, but time seems to moving at the speed of light since I entered Uni. Its now the 5th week of school and yet my orientation camps felt like the hour before.

Every weekend, I'm always doing my:

1)Physics online assignments
2)Physics tutorial
3)Physics Lab report
4)Intro-to-computing tutorial
5)Maths tutorial

These are the bare minimum that I'll have to do during each weekend, and take note that each of these aren't trivial 1-hour-can-do-finish work. Each of those have its own irritates you in a different way and gives you headache in different parts of your brain.

In less than a month, my mid-term tests will commence with my maths module starting first. Nevertheless, I'm still looking forward to my mid-term break. I'm sure I can squeeze some time to play during that week.

Life is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella)

2008-08-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

If you didn't catch this movie, you really should watch it when you have the time. Its good ;)

The story really starts when a father and his son were taken to a Nazi concentration camp. In the dark solemn setting, the father cooked up an outrageous story to convince his son that they were in a game - the first to reach 1000 points win a real tank however, crying or asking for food forfeits the points.

Be amazed by his ingenious ideas that succeeds in getting he and his son out of the countless tight situations they encounters along the way while shielding his son from the bleak reality.

Will they get the 1000 points in time? Or will they end up forfeiting their lives?

...of a fish that died in spicy water

2008-08-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, school starts next week and I'm so eager to attend my first lecture. I've got most of my notes printed out and have looked thru my stuff for my first lecture. Kiasu right? Heh heh...

Ay, I'm starting to have less and less things to write on my blog and I'm taking out my camera less often too. And I wonder if I repeated that that line before. Hmm...

I haven't been back at ssdcl for my first 2A lesson yet. Its hard to book a date when everything is so unsettled yet. I can't even confirm my time table yet! One reason why I am so interested to go for it is because I wanna try out the new bus service that brings me directly to yio chu kang mrt. Its doesn't have a bus number - its called 'springleaf & springside estate service' so cool rite?

Oh yes, I've got my first taste of bidding. Its high stake at nus where everyone starts with 1000 points to bid for modules and the lowest successful bid becomes the price of the module. I swear they got the idea from COE bidding.

So, these are the modules which I'll be taking this semester:

IT1001 - Introduction to Computing
I've got information that its simple, interesting and has a small workload. Add the fact that I'm kinda glued to my com, it should be a walkover. Heh heh...

PC1141 & PC1141 & MA1505 - Physics I & II, Maths I
They are my core modules. Have to take. Nothing more to say about them.

UAR2201 - Cyberart
Not really my forte, but I really hope my familiarity with photography can help me in this module.

up, up and away!

2008-07-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Alright! Its been one year since I passed my Class 2B licence and it is time for me to go back to SSDCL to get my class 2A.

But, I won't be getting myself a bike as yet. After all, I still cannot afford my dream bike yet! Its called the Fireblade and its made by Honda. The latest, 2008 version, had its engine tweaked to produce 178hp. That is... even more powerful than a 2.4l Toyota Camry which weighs almost 2 tonnes or 10 times more horses than hl's Honda Phantom.

Here's a picture of it!

This picture belongs to the page "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CBR1000RR"

I know its dangerous to ride a motorbike, I know its 人包铁. But it is things like this that make living worth while eh?

computers!

2008-07-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

Its just another day of relaxing at home. And so, I've decided to talk about my laptop. I've been using it for a few months now and its been rubbish. It can't do anything more than just web browsing, msn, skype and simple word processing. Even when I'm blogging, the small screen deters me from adding pictures into my entries because they simply won't fit into my tiny little screen.

So, what have I gotten for $600?

Its a EeePC!
I've got myself a sub 1kg netbook that can run for quite a long time on a single charge. It won't weigh me down when I bring it out for a walk and since it has Wi-Fi and full internet capabilities, it is almost as good as a normal laptop.

Youtube? Yes it works.
Watching movie trailers from apple at 'high' or 'large' mode? Splendid!
Do internet banking? Can.

However, there are many minor inconveniences for using Linux as an operating system.

Firstly, it doesn't support any windows software, which means that msn has to be signed in using a third party software which does not allow offline messaging.

Typing a document with Openoffice does not look as professional as typing in Windows with... Openoffice. So strange!

I am still unable to connect my phone to my laptop! How frustrating is that?

Don't even think of trying to edit your photos from this tiny baby. Your tools, palettes and other stuff will be more than enough to clutter your screen and soon enough, you'll be too sian to continue. Really.

To end this entry, I shall give an advise to those still want to buy a netbook, make sure that it is not your primary computer. Frankly, its really good to have one by your side when you NEED a basic computing tool, but not something you would wanna use all the time.

oac 08

2008-07-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog once again.

You must be really interested to know what really happened during the 4 days I was away.

Well, on the first day, I was late. Sleepy from sleeping late and waking up even later. Stomach rudely awaken by the sudden change in habit and refused to function properly.

As I sat down in together with my groupmates, I started being self-conscious and started thinking to myself "are my clothes too lok kok(shabby)?", "Is my newly cut hair very nerdy?" and I started becoming very anxious and nervous. After all, they are my prospective schoolmates and showing my worst side on the first day is probably not a good thing to do.

Later in the day, we head to sunset way for a hike along an abandoned railway in the forest. I must say that the hike is not like a walk up southern ridges. It was muddy, wet, filled with fallen tree trunks, slippery mud slopes and branches waiting to spring back at ya. The mud was so squishy and dirty, I was constantly going 'eeeuuu' and 'yucks'

I would do mountain biking any time of the week, man!

It was already evening when we reached our dinner point and my feet were aching from the abrasion due to my sandals. Wah lao eh... Oh anyway, It was SP time! SP stands for Secret Pal! First, we had to blindfold ourselves and our OGL led us to our assigned SP for a short conversation. It was not easy to talk blindfolded. Luckily, she wasn't difficult to chat with. Just a little shy.

Next, it was Canal walk. You must be thinking that its gonna be a walk along the big, monsoon drains. Well, its more than that... we had to walk through underground drains as well! The water level was as high as knee level to as low as naught. It was dark, dirty, wet and my sandals became a harvester for seaweed. The water was so dirty that I refused to shine my torch at the water... I just didn't want to know whats in there. It was a ruckus inside sg's drainage system.

Ok, before I bore you with all the tiny details of the camp. I would like talk about the highlights of this camp...

They are:
Night cycling and Paintball.

For night cycling, we went around the east area. It is a slow, relaxing ride along the pavements until it became too annoying for us to cycle on it. One of our teammates had a slight accident when she rode up the pavement and inadvertently pointed her wheels towards the road and lost her balance. Luckily, the road was relatively empty and all she got was bruises. For the rest of our trip, we headed to two 24h food centres in Bedok for supper. Couldn't resist eating pratas on a late night. Yum...

Paintball. Probably the most anticipated item on OAC's itinerary. It was the only team vs team game and nothing can be more fun than gunning down the other team. Those toy-like rifles do quite some damage. Those hit had blood clot bruises that looked very painful. I felt bad for the guy I went trigger happy on. Opps. I think Painball should be a better name for that.

Well, although I am quite an indoor guy I would still recommend that all freshies join at least 1 camp.

refresh!

2008-07-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

its less than 2 days to 0dac camp and I have yet to pack anything for it and there are lots of items in the packing list which I have yet to buy.

Wad? I need 6 shirts for a 4 day 3 night event? Really?

In fact, I'm very excited about it. I have no idea what its gonna be like and how would I fare in such a new social environment. You would probably be thinking why on earth did leo join 0dac camp?

Well, the main reason why I joined is because of their highlights - paintball, night cycling and trekking. But they also have stuff like beach games and dragon-boating which I would rather do without. But heck la!

back from bangkok

2008-06-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

From the way I see it, Bangkok would be a very good place for girls to shop in. Plenty of clothing stalls around there, never-ending shopping centres with many many levels selling nothing but female clothes. For me, it was more of a sight-seeing and a place to have a little fun (:

Day 1 highlights:

Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute(Snake farm)
1871 Th Phra Ram IV

- This is the first stop of our trip. Being new to BBK, we simply hailed a taxi and and showed the driver the address of the place. He didn't know what it is and have no clue where we wanted to go. It was total failure in communication until kuanwei made "Ssss sss sss..." sounds. Hahaha, it was damn funny. Finally, the driver replied " Ahh... snake farm. Yes Yes."

Calypso Cabaret
296 Th Phayathai. 1st floor, Asia Hotel.

- No visit to Thailand will be complete without a trip to this show. Its kinda like a musical, slapstick and a little drama. All in all, a little cheesy. Some performers looked really good. Haha...

Day 2 highlights:

Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun

- These are the famous temples in BKK. Good place for taking lots of pics. But we liked the place for a different reason. We spotted a tall, beautiful tourist at Grand Palace and we just have to take a picture with her. By the way, she's American (:

Forensic Science Museum & Anatomy Museum
Siriraj Hospital

- Oh dear, this isn't a place for the faint of heart. The forensic science museum is split into a few sections - Criminal, parasitology and others.

From the criminal section, we get to see REAL dead bodies of condemned criminals, pictures of gruesome crime scenes and we get to see the difference between the wounds caused by a broken glass, Molotov 's cocktail, knife, hand-grenade, blunt forces, you get the picture.

At the misc side, there were preserved aborted babies, black lungs caused by smoking, liver cirrhosis from excessive drinking, crumpled stomach from drinking strong acids, heart diseases, someone's head(i couldn't tell, but the label says it is) from a motorcycle accident. A little scary... but the worst came from parasitology.

Remember as a kid when your parents warned you about eating too many sweets may cause you to excrete out worms in your waste? They weren't lying. Instead of sweets, it is actually infected beef that causes that. Unclean seafood is also very very scary and jars of preserved infected organs are equally grotesque but interesting.

Lastly, the anatomy museum is a place packed with humans, just they they are dead and we were the only few alive there. I had to hold my bag in order to keep it from bumping any of the specimens.

Its really interesting to see whats under our skin. Its really good to see the organs the keep us alive and the stuff that damages them. I feel safe knowing that mankind's medical knowledge protects us from all those yucky parasites.

MBK shopping centre
Th Phayathai & Th Phra Ram 1

-This has got to be the biggest shopping centre in BKK. When you know that they have 1 whole level dedicated to mobile phones, you can tell how massive it is. We didn't even manage to complete walking 1 single level that day. But it wasn't our thing. So we didn't get anything at all.

Chenwei: I spotted a Holga 120N going for SGD 65.

Esplanade Shopping centre

-We got here by mistake when the cab driver brought us to a sleazy looking club instead of bed supperclub and I was so pissed. Luckily, we found something to do at that area! We went to watch 21 at EGV cinema. Their cinemas so strict that they insisted on safe keeping our handphones and checking the bags of every movie-goer, causing a long queue. Yes, we also stood up when the King's tribute came on.

Day 3 highlights:

Central World Plaza

- Its huge! Its classy! Its vivo, cineleisure, taka all in one! Despite the relatively expensive things they sell there, a lot of students hang out there after sch... just like Sg eh? I really like their shopping centres for being so big.

Royal City Avenue

- Actually, this is the bigger version of holland village. But the main attraction is called PTT Speedway, an indoor karting circuit. We tried the 160cc and 270cc go-karts. Frankly, the 160cc model was a little boring. I was faster than kw and joel (naturally :P) but there was a lower-sec girl who was 2seconds faster than my fastest lap. OMG! and then we moved on to the 270cc kart. It was awesome, the acceleration was so great that i spun out on every corner during my first lap.

On my second run with the 270cc, I crashed very badly into the tires while attempting to overtake joel and kw at one go. Luckily, there wasn't any damage, but I was given a stern warning by the track marshal. Opps! Damn fun!

Bed Supperclub
26 Soi 11 Th Sukhumvit

-Its a small club, exclusive to foreigners and rich thais. Its not too crowded, not too empty. Its good to have a bed to lie on and chill in a club. Very futuristic look but marred by signs printed on A4 paper, sticked on the wall in a slipshod manner. The unfortunate thing is we didn't bring enough cash that night and had to ration our wallets very carefully just in case we couldn't afford the cab back.

Day 4 highlights:

Siam Discovery

- Yet another BIG shopping centre which we ended up watching Wanted. Haha, yes, 1 tix cost about SGD 5.

Pratunam market

Its pasar malam everyday day! If you are female, you'll be trilled to know that many nice shirts in Sg can be bought there on the cheap!

Its my turn!

2008-06-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

Yep, its my turn for my 21st birthday.

Yes, I know that my place is hard to get to. So, here are some essential info to bring you here!

Here's my address:
12348463
itsgonnabeapartywithth0ngscomings0ontothegreensnearyou!
Singapore 7a8b7c3d5e4f

Coming by taxi?

Most drivers won't have a clue! Tell them its near "Ampang Yong Tao Fu" along Upper Thomson Road. Please pronounce my address properly as its commonly mistaken as thomson green. Apparently, its not as green as the greens at my house.

Need directions? go to SLE, remain on the expressway until Upper Thomson Rd exit, keep right on the slip lane, turn into the shop houses on the right, go even deeper in and find my house!

Coming by bus/train?

From Yishun MRT:
Ok, this is a little tricky. Along the road that runs between Yishun MRT and North Point. Find a bus stop(along the side nearer to north point) that has 169.

Press the bell when you see caltex petrol station, followed by a row of shophouses on the left. Alight at the bus stop near Hans restaurant.
Travel time: 20mins

From AMK MRT:
Take 169 or 138 from AMK interchange.

What you will see on the way to my stop:
Nearing the destination, you'll see a forest all around you, followed by a wide right bend, then you'll see a flyover(SLE) running perpendicular to the road you are travelling on. At this moment, press the bell!

You should arrive at the bus stop opposite Hans restaurant.
Travel time: 22mins

1/2 year successfully completed!

2008-06-09T04:14:00.000-07:00

Its gonna be a very packed schedule for the month of June and July. I'll be quitting my job at ESPN Star Sports on 13th June, what comes after that will be fun events one after another.

First, its Natalia's return on the 18th. Latest update: She'll be in sg for a period of 6 days instead of 4 days due to her delay of her flight schedule to China. Keep your 18 - 23 June free if you wanna catch up with her. Heaven knows when she'll be back again!

Straight after her departure, my Bangkok trip is up next. One of our goals is to arm ourselves with sufficient clothes to wear for Uni. With an overzealous planning, I think its gonna be a real rush when we get to the land of thousand smiles. Its been damn long since my last overseas holiday with friends. The full detailed itinerary will be revealed soon (:

Meanwhile, I must go back to cleaning my room.

gimme some tips!

2008-05-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, its about 3 weeks before I leave for Bangkok.

Air tix? Check!
Accommodation? Done.
Itinerary? Erm...

Well, since wei png has gone to Aust, we have no one to plan our next overseas outing. That does not mean that we're now grounded in Singapore. A little read into Lonely Planet's guide book has given me an idea on what to do in Bangkok.

1. A good traditional Thai massage - I guess when you're in Bangkok, you should give it a try.

2. Guided evening cycling tour - Judging by Bangkok's notorious traffic conditions. It may be unwise for 3 tamed road users to join in the chaos. Heck, if you can't beat them, join them la!

3. Go-karting - This should be in every holiday itinerary. It costs an arm and leg to run a few laps in Sg while it costs as much as a fingernail in motor-loving Bangkok. So, why not?

4. Grand Palace and Wat Pho - You thought that I've forgotten about sight-seeing huh? My only gripe is that we'll need to wear long pants and shoes to enter.

5. Long-tailed boat ride to Pak Khlong Market - I've no idea what they sell. Just wanna go there.

6. Shopping at MKB and Central World Plaza - Its necessary.

I'm missing the food part. If you happen to know of a very delicious, die-die-must eat place, please tell me! And, I love Tom Yam.

june

2008-05-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Its almost June!

Last weekend, I've attended Kenneth's birthday party. Well, its the first party which I've drank more than I should. Its hard to tell how much is the limit because its effects are not immediate. But, it is alcohol that makes a party more lively, more uninhibited and fun. To a certain extent, it was the duty of the guests to get the birthday boy as drunk as possible.

Birthday parties are more 'successful' when there is something for the guests to do, nevermind the different cliques.

One of the most tried and proven ways for a party:
For a start, food is necessary.
Next, a place to sit and chill.
Fill the surroundings with music.
Bring out the liquour!

I'm still pondering what I shall do for my birthday. Hmm...

wah!

2008-05-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, its an eventful Saturday. Its Yan Hui's birthday celebration at Costa Sands PP. Its been a really long time since we've seen her. We bought her a Crumpler bag, a simple orange bag with a main zipped compartment that has another smaller zipped and 2 velcro pockets inside.

I would call it a 'lecture bag'. Suitable to hide a mid sized laptop, a set of lecture notes and foolscape, a small bottle of water, a well equipped pencil case, a wallet and not forgetting a handphone. If army had such a thing, they would call it Full Lecture Order.

The most memorable part of my day was also the most the worst part of my day. Yes, its about driving. Its a situation of a near-miss with a bicycle. By now you might be thinking "why the hell is a bicycle doing on the road anyway, shouldn't it be on a pavement?" Well, I think otherwise. As a person who likes cycling, I believe that a bicycle is a legitimate vehicle on the road. So, this is how the story goes:

It was at a uncontrolled(meaning no traffic lights, just a stop line) left turn from a minor road to a major road. I waited for a very long time for the traffic to clear so that i could move out. Finally, the 'last' car crawled pass me. I faintly seen a cyclist(or it might be a bicycle rack behind the car?) very close behind that car but figured that he was either going to pass me right after the 'last' car OR slow enough for me to move out of the lane. But NO! he came into my sight the moment I decided that it was safe to move. It was too late, I moved too far to stop at that point and had to move on. The cyclist was obviously pissed and shouted at me. I'm glad he wasn't injured or sustained any damage to his bike( definitely not a cheap bike...) and I was feeling very bad about my oversight.

I thought that would be the end of it. But he pursued me and shouted really loudly to the pedestrians across the street while pointing at me. Whoa! Frankly, I'm am afraid that he might take actions against me.

Why? Three reasons: he is probably freaking rich, has a lot of time in his hands( hence chasing me down the street), and a third reason I do not want to reveal on my blog.

I guess there is always something to learn from everyday experiences.

I feel that every time anyone uses the road, be it drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists or pedestrians, we have to accept the fact that there is a certain amount of risk we have to take when using the road and it is an unwritten responsibility for the user to evade possible hazards and not have the 'if he moves, he is in the wrong. so why must i purposely siam him?' mentality. It is only human to make mistakes. agreed?

Next is an issue of road courtesy. It is very selfish to ride/drive so slowly at the mouth of a minor road while the road is clear. In this case, that cyclist might be tired and wants to go at a relaxing pace. But! Its peak hours, man. I would strongly recommend a cyclist to ride on the pavement if he/she needs to rest or on a leisure cruise. Its blatant road hogging if you were to think about it. It is unfair to suppress others' rights just to exercise your own. Ok?

Well well, its late and to all my readers: Take care!

ouch it out

2008-04-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering, this blog isn't dead yet. It is just that the owner has nothing to write about his mundane life until... now.

Recently, a not-so-regular visit to the dentist for a routine checkup brought up some very very bad news. An x-ray revealed that one of my wisdom tooth didn't have a sense of direction and some possible decays. Gasp! I really regretted not extracting my wisdom tooth during my NSF days. Now, its not just going to a pain in my mouth, its gonna hurt my wallet! An estimated cost of $900 for 2 wise bites.

Next, its about my work. From the month of may onwards, my workload will skyrocket to 6 times its original. Although I can work very fast, it does not mean that I don't mind the extra workload. After all, I'm a slacker. I work fast for the sake of a few reasons: to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, chat with my colleagues, watch some interesting programs and ultimately go home earlier. I'm also glad that my work will end soon. My last day is set at 13 June. But I'll miss my nice colleagues who made my lunch very enjoyable.

I wanna give my best wishes to those taking exams at this period of time:
Elaine
Sandra
Stella
Shing Yuan
Weixiu
Marlin
Angie
Hoot woon

To my JC friends: would u like to stay overnight at the airport to see Elaine off on 11th May? Stay over from 10th to 11th. Let me know what you think.

Sign off.

kick start

2008-04-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Its great to take a day off from work. Frankly speaking, I really miss the days spent slacking at home on a weekday. But too much will be really boring too.

You might be wondering why would I take a day off. Well, today I went for my health checkup at NUS. It was quite a lengthy affair at Yusof Ishak House. It took about an hour before I'm cleared. Although that is nothing for me to be worried about, it is still a step nearer to getting back to study and I'm happy that its cleared!

Of course, I didn't just leave immediately after my checkup. I met up with Elaine and Sandra for a meal at 3pm in Science canteen, which was where I spotted Shing Yuan. The food was... O K. Just OK... Not something I can see myself eating for the next 3years. Haha.

I also crashed a mass tutorial on analytical chemistry which made me feel very glad that I won't be studying that :P

Lastly, Parking at Kent Vale, a free carpark at the fringe of NUS, is not exactly a good idea. Despite its huge capacity, I had to stalk a sweaty studious man in formal wear and a huge school bag all the way to his Daihatsu Charade to pounce on the freshly vacated parking space. And the carpark was full again!

The motorcycle riders have it good. Free parking space within school, ample parking spaces and the lots are just a stone throw away from any building! It may be wise for me to invest in a good steed to beat the crowd in MRTs and buses. Hmm... Anyone :)

Yes, I know I haven't been updating my blog for a long time. But hey, nothing much to type wad. My routine is so routine these days. Morning, go to work. Afternoon, lunch at amk, serangoon gardens, toa payoh, serangoon central, opposite yang zheng primary, rocky masters or (gasp!) the cafeteria.

I like my work. I get to watch programs before they go on air and those meant for airing in other countries. And best of all, I get paid to do that. Muhahahaha...

pEdal ubin!

2008-03-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday, 1st March 2008.

Intro:
Its my first activity with NUS. A trip to cycling trip in Ubin about the place's biodiversity. Mainly, its about common plants and its uses. But the thing I like most about that trip is cycling. It feels so good to be pedaling in an island without traffic cameras, parking woes and gridlock. The recently developed Ketam Mountain Biking Park was a lot of fun.

----
It was 5:30am in the morning and my alarmed jolted me out of my sleep. The weather was cooling, perfect for sleeping on a sat morning. But on that day, I have to drag myself out to meet wx at AMK to take the 6:30am train towards city hall and hop onto green line to tenah merah station. Frankly, I find that it is very dumb to do that because it would be a very very long detour. If it was by car, it would have been a direct route towards Changi Village by TPE.

We thought trains will be pretty empty on a sat morning. But we were so wrong, we had a to stand all the way from city hall to tenah merah! wx entertained herself with a book she borrowed - The Leap Years, while i was leaping in and out of sleep while standing. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the train to arrive at tenah merah and we had to catch bus number '2'. It was then, my stomach was cranky and forced me to take a pit stop

It is by far, one of the longest journeys I've ever made by public transport and still, it wasn't the end after reaching changi village. The last leg of our route required a ride on a wooden bumboat. Yes, the price is still $2 per head. That day, the waves were particularly strong and had the boat rocking dangerously from side to side.

On arrival, we were greeted by bicycle shops. We were late and I didn't have the time to give a thorough check of our bikes. Our next stop - the ubin basketball court. Then, I had to use the toilet again. The nearest one happened to be the one at Pulau Ubin Voluntaar's Hub aka Mparks' office. Apparently, their toilets are restricted to staff and volunteers only and I managed to have 2 employees' permission(while asking them where the toilet was) before I ventured into restricted grounds. Ahh... I was so relieved and thankful... UNTIL when I stepped out of the cubical...

A man in Mparks uniform shouted 'Oie! u can't read the sign ah'
Me 'I've got permission'
Mparks ' who said u can come in'
Me ' that man who just walked out'
Mparks '... can't read the sign?!!!!'

At first, I was so glad that they allowed me to use their toilet but that grumpy old arse changed my opinion of Mparks. Firstly, never assume that nature loving people are also peaceful people.

He drew a picture of a grumpy vegan who holds a hatred for people who eats meat, bought a house made of bio-degradable material, bathes in sea water, loves bitter gourd, believes that global warming will kill us all, talks to his plants in the morning but.... goes to an air-conditioned office for work.

Seriously, does he have to do that? its the only (almost-public)toilet in 500m and he had to do that to me?

- look back for next update -

Next Step!

2008-02-29T06:27:00.000-08:00

Check out who's available on when.

KW - 8, 9.
Marlin - 15, 16.
HL - 32 march?
Sandra - dun wanna go!
Angie - 15,16.
Jeremy - 8,9,15,16.
Elaine - prefers 8 and Saturdays.
Choon - ... Not free
Stella - Need to check again.
Joel - No reply
Leslie - No reply

And so, we can see where is going. At the moment, 15 and 16 are better choices as compared to 8 or 9. Now, whats left are the decisions of those who have yet to reply.

bukit timah hill climb, Special Stage.

2008-02-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Recently, Angie and Elaine suggested on going on a hike up Bukit Timah Hill as a prelude to our Kinabalu trip and I must say that the initial response quite good, in fact everyone I asked responded in positively. However, no date has been set as yet. So, the next determining factor is the date itself.

Here are the replies:
Choon - Hopefully 9th March (involved in NATAS fair and 1/2 on saturdays)
HL - Ok
Stella - I should be ok =D (have project deadlines to meet)
Marlin - if its between 11th March and 14 May, i'm ok w it. (Exam period)
KW - I'm quite ok with it.
Angie - I'm interested but not this weekend hor.
Leslie - I'm fine with it :)
Joel - Gotta check my schedule (rotational 5day work week)
Elaine - No prob. Count me in.

Thus, we only have these days to choose from:
15 March, SAT
16 March, SUN

22 March, SAT - Not available, reserved for Yiwei's birthday celebration.
23 March, SUN

lesson, today.

2008-02-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, life teaches you subtle lessons along the way. Today, one of these lessons come as a form of a mishap.

I was a little careless when attempting a three-point turn at a narrow road and scratched the front bumper of my family car. Let me explain.

It was dinner time, my sec school friends and I were on our way to thomson plaza for a meal. As usual, the car park there was full, so I decided to skip it altogether and try my luck at the terrace houses nearby. My first mistake was to turn into a one-way lane at jasmine road. The houses there were only at one side of the road, the other side naturally became parking lots for the occupants. Some owners decided to reserve their part of the road by placing things like old picnic chairs, rubbish bins and even (horrors of horrors!) big potted plants!

Sadly, it was not possible to do a 3-point turn at that road because of all the these things they use to reserve their 'slot'. It was then, my front bumper gently nudged the clumsy pot. It didn't sound like much with the windows down, I went to check on my car and everything seemed perfect at a quick glance and drove off.

At a closer look, the damage revealed itself. The scratch on the bumper wouldn't go away no matter how I try to rub it. The rough surface of the pot makes its stand clear towards any vehicle that attempts to invade its territory. Its vicious and unforgiving. At that moment, I was filled with hatred and anger - angry with myself for being so careless and hatred for that potted plant and its owner.

I was so angry that my mind was filled with scenes that are too graphic to describe here.

After some thoughts, I feel that there's no one to blame except for myself. It is easy to overlook how serious things are when driving. Driving must be done with utmost care and responsibility. It took me great lengths for my parents to trust me with their car and the best form of appreciation is simply to return it to them in the same flawless condition.

Tomorrow, Monday 18feb, I will inform my parents of the damage.

Goodnight.

新春快乐!

2008-02-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

First Entry from EeePC:

Its Lunar New Year 2008, my first CNY celebrations after ORD. I must say that its the best one since 2005 because...

During CNY 2006, I was kinda worried about the upcoming 7-day field camp in BMT. I was concerned if I could cope with not being able to bathe for a period of 7 days, whether my two 50cents sized blisters would recover before I embark on the next route march and lastly, I have never been separated from my hand phone for more than a period of 4 days.

I survived :)

CNY 2007, I am already into my 2nd year of my NSF stint but I still can't come to terms about the unit I was posted it. There were so many problems that I wouldn't even start to describe. After having a good break in dec2006, me and my fellow colleagues were so accustomed to civilian life that going back to camp was akin to stepping into P.Tekong for the first time.

Now, its CNY 2008!

The past lunar year has been quite an eventful one. Events like milestones and special moments. I wanna remind myself of those events one last time before I move on to the next lunar year.

These events are...

Obtaining my Class 2B license!
June 2007. It was my second attempt.

Frankly, I didn't expect myself to pass it on that try because I didn't go for enough revision lessons. I was still in army that time and it was really difficult to book for on-road revisions, all I could do was going for circuit revisions during the weekends.

Worse of all, I couldn't understand how I manage to chalk up 40 demerit points for my first test when I was so confident that I WILL pass.

During the test day, it really helped to know roughly where the testers will be. When I was in their line of sight, I rode slower, changed lane a little more smoothly and did what all testers want to see - a safe rider. Lol, they never knew that I had beaten a red light.

I passed with just 14 demerit points. Woohoo!

My ORD
Nov 2007, the day my life resumed.

It was surprising that I felt a little sad on that day. It was the last time where doing stupid things seemed normal. The last time I would ever have to stay in a bunk with 14 buddies who went through thick and thin with me.

It was bittersweet. It was also a day of liberation. Finally over.

Colin
Jerome
Kevin
Sean
Kok Seong
Zhi Wei
Zhen Cong
Weiliang
Chok Fong
Fabian
Zhi Yong
Sze Xiong
Terence
Royce

Cheers, bros.

My very first drinking session with my dad
Dec 2007. I've always wanted to drink with da man.

We only managed to drink at 2 pubs before I gave up. His alcohol tolerance is way beyond mine. That night was the best opportunity for a drink because my parents had a complimentary stay at a hotel in town. So, we need not spend extra money on cab. We simply strolled back to our room. Shiok.

My First job
Dec 2007. Opportunity strikes!

After wasting 1yr10mths of my life in serving the army, its time I did something useful. Although its just data-entry, its still a job and growing my bank account for use when I'm in uni.

-------------

I hope you had a fulfilling 2007 and all the best for the upcoming rat year!
-leo

i want!

2008-01-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

Its good to be working again. After 3 weeks of doing almost nothing at all, my parents were not very pleased with me. They started to give me tasks to fill up my time like... cleaning the car, sending my brother to school and even assembling a cupboard from ikea.

you know me, I don't like to be forced to do stuff like that just because I don't have a job.

I'm 6 months away from going back to study and it will be a grave sin to waste it. Recently, My computer is giving me more and more problems... it plays dead when i need it and the Internet lags too often!

And, I cant wait for sch to start to get my hands on the VAIO I really want. Maybe I should settle for the Asus Eee PC? Its an ultra-portable with a price tag under $1000... which is really impressive.

It seems to be very good because it is able to handle all the basic stuff that we mortals throw at a computer. I must say that it runs on Linux OS, not Windows. So, not every program that we use on windows will have an equivalent on Linux. But Linux means lesser costs as most programs that runs on Linux are free.

Things like, E-mail, MSN messenger and even comes with OpenOffice. Behold, there is even a free program similar to the photoshop that you can download from the net. If necessary, the good folks from hardwarezone.com has complied a list of list of software equivalents for all your needs..

I must say that it will not handle programs like Final Cut Pro or warcraft III. Heck, no windows games will work with the linux. But, for what its worth, you don't expect it to do those kinda of stuff. If you are not a gamer and all you need is a simple laptop without breaking the bank, you may want to get an Eee than a Core 2 Duo machine.

As for the size... I'll let this picture do the talking.

© this picture belongs to flickr member "eeeuser"

check out www.eeeuser.com for more information.

Have a nice week ahead!

new year, clean room.

2008-01-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

Its the time of the year to do spring cleaning again. This time, I am going to clear stuff that has been long overdue. Stuff like... homework from my secondary school, dusty files deep in my cupboard and other useless things.

If only we can divide things into only 2 categories - useful or useless. But it ain't easy.

-----------------------
The things I've dug out include:
-little notes that came with presents I received from the past years,
-palmtops that I don't use anymore,
-silly poems I used to write,
-plane ticket stubs from my hongkong trip I had with my jc friends,
-and a photo that is 6 years old.

I wanna mention about this picture because I lost the digital file due to a bad hard disk failure during jc2. This picture was taken in Jeanie's house, probably during Chinese New Year period.

On the table, there was a delicious bowl of potato salad and I never liked smiling at the camera because my teeth was in a bad shape.

Check out that phone in Eugene's hand. Nokia 8250 was the coolest thing in town, the only phone to feature a fancy blue glow that caught everyone's attention.

Oh look! Jeanie's wearing glasses!

------------------------------

So you see, its hard for me to clear my room.

christmas e v e

2007-12-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

Wad? is that time of the year again?

I'm in a chilling mood this festive season. On christmas eve, I went out with my secondary school friends!

Dinner at swensons was a waiting affair. Our food took very long to arrive with yeening's fish and chips coming last! Damn hungry, I tell ya. The air condition was freezing too. I reckon that its a plot to chase away customers who had their fill.

Its been such a long time since i set foot into thomson plaza. Even during my jc days, i rarely visit there coz it just out of the way! During secondary school days, it was THE hangout place coz it was the nearest shopping centre to peirce. We hang out there for all sorts of reasons. Almost the whole range of fast food is available there, popular book store, starbucks and even ntuc!

Even with all these. thomson plaza seems to be missing something. Something that bigger shopping centres have.

I've got it! its the layout and design of the interior. Its practical, simple and simply mundane.

But i like its relaxing atmosphere. In that place, u'll never need to push or dodge people just to move in a straight line for 100 metres nor worry about the recently revised city area surcharge should you need a taxi. Its a little piece of town in the neighbourhood.

Later on, we went to a brighter part of upper thomson - liquid kitchen. Its a cool place which plays nice music and very new songs. Yes, its a pub!

But, don't associate it with sleazy, dark, hokkien singing pubs that cater to the generation that gave birth to us. this kitchen is stylish, colourful and lively. You might wonder wads lively over there. I don't know, it just feels lively.

you might wanna give that place a visit.

time to enjoy the holidays!

2007-12-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

I've concluded my work on wednesday, 19 dec 07.

On that day, my superior had nothing for me to do. My colleague and I ended up reading newspapers and flipping thru classified jobs at the lounge. When lunch time came, we were told to come back before 6pm...

And so, We...

1. went to toa payoh for lunch,

2. travelled to amk to watch Warlords

3. had my hair cut

4. bought little gifts for other colleagues.

Awr... aren't we sweet?

My colleague and me!

The mysterious person who didn't even want to reveal her age.

Our superior and us...

Digital Betacam! This almost made it to our homes but compact discs cut them up and took over the world.

So now, I'm jobless... but just in time to enjoy the festive season!

Merry Christmas and a happy new year, everyone!

result.

2007-12-18T03:42:00.000-08:00

Enough said.

a happy ending

2007-12-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

Good things don't last, do they?

I'm referring to my first job. Yesterday, my employer gave me 1 week's notice for me to pack my things and leave.

Nope, I didn't conk out their server or turned their workplace upside down. What actually happened was that they didn't need my help anymore. It turns out that my colleague and I will be replaced by inorganic stuff.

It is nice working in such a casual environment. If I go there in my topman's, I would be ridiculously out of place! Just t-shirt and jeans would be more than appropriate for my job.

Flexible flexy work timings means coming a little earlier when there is more work to do, leaving earlier when they are done and lunch duration is decided by my own conscience.

Is it possible that office politics can be minimised? YES! In my workplace, people don't compete with each other. Instead, it is a melting pot of people from different walks of life. They don't complain about their jobs simply because they like doing it!

Unlike cheapo bosses, who tries to pay you a little less than the minimum amount you'll accept, quietly notes down the days you leave 5mins earlier and have the cheek to expect you to work like a robot. Mine don't (:

Maybe my position is not high enough to notice any crossfire or get hit by shrapnel, but I'm glad that this company gave me a nice impression of the working world.

The difference between the my n s 'working experience' and my first real working experience is great. If n s 'work' was like this, no one would EVER consider running off with an assualt rifle even if their gf ran off with another girl.

Uh... I have no idea why I wrote the paragraph above.

Yup, I'm glad to have ever worked in that company.

Yours sincerely,
Leo.

Enchanted

2007-12-04T05:16:00.000-08:00

How would you like to live in a world of fantasies? A place where common sense and logic belongs in myth and folklore. A place where people can live happily ever after, without burdens, worries and hatred.

I want to talk about the movie - Enchanted.

It is one show that leaves you wishing that fairy tales are more than just stories. Ay, there is actually something on my mind when I typed that sentence above. But I don't wanna talk about it.

Enchanted is a quintessential waltz disney production. It leaves a sweet sweet feeling when you walk out of the cinema. Haha.

Enchanted starts off with 2D cartoon to stunt unsuspecting audience who haven't already know that its suppose to transit into live action later part in the show. This show is exactly what the trailer says it is. Giselle, the lead actress, gets pushed into a world "where happy endings do not exist" and gets spotted by a lawyer when she was attempting to enter a billboard castle. Reluctantly, Robert, the lawyer took her home with the only intention to let her make a call but ended up feeling sympathetic and letting her stay for the the night.

Meanwhile Prince Edward, the one who was supposed to get married with Giselle, braved through the portal into 3D in search of her bride. But things weren't so simple for the clueless prince who had brought along a butler who was actually in cahoots with the villain.

The next line is a spoiler. Highlight HERE ---->

This movie has a very simple plot. But it gave the most cruel ending for an otherwise beautiful fairy tale. The prince's effort in rescuing his princess was futile because... ... watch it yourself la! Haha

<----to HERE if you wish to...

I wish you an enchanted week ahead (:
Goodnight.

I want a holiday!

2007-11-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

I borrowed these recently. The thought of going overseas for a holiday suddenly popped into my mind and it won't fade away. So... why not?

Since its been 2 years from our last holiday. It is perfectly justifiable to have one in June next yr!

I should be done with the itinerary by the end of this coming weekend. I'll be cooking up the itinerary with a generous serving of Dim Sum, topped up with lots scenic delights, a cup full of shopping and a pinch of alcohol. *bring your own chemical X and spices!*

wad?

2007-11-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

Does life stop when you start working?

I certainly hope not. It may be tiring to work from 9am to 6pm, facing the computer for 8hours a day but thats not what life is all about, isn't it?

I'm very affected by what my friend said to me when I asked him if he would like to go cycling and he just simply brushed it off by saying 'sorry, i don't have time'

Its tiring to go out after work, can't take leave as and when we fancy and weekends aren't a long time.

The thing is... he used to cycle a lot!

Slowly but surely, we are starting to find more things a hassle. Some hobbies will end up collecting dust in the deepest end of the storeroom. It gets more difficult to meet up with friends and people will start to disappear from your life...

It does feel that the most fun part of our lives are about to end. Luckily I have a few more years of schooling to go. I really miss the being a student... except for the part of exams. Haha...

Meanwhile... all the best to those taking their exams in this rainy season!

Working already!

2007-11-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

Its my first day at work. Really slack today because my boss is very busy and had to run around often.

There are two other temps with me and we had the whole pantry table to ourselves. Weee... Both of them were JC students and will be going to uni the same time as me. One of them said that I looked like her GP tutor. Haha, I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or something negative...

I'll be doing data entry for the company. Its tedious, prone to errors and difficult to spot and rectify errors. So, I have to be very precise when typing in the numbers. My eyes are gonna feel really tired after doing a full day of data entry. Yawn...

I hope I still have enough energy to go out tmr evening!

Till then...

Goodnite!

hello hello

2007-11-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm back from genting. The 3-day, 2-night trip was an enjoyable experience although I won't recommend anyone to go there if they are looking for a place to go crazy.

Genting now, is almost entirely the same as when it was in year 2000. Amazing right? Nothings changed. The theme park still holds the same never changing theme. The rides grew up with me and even the waiting times remained as long as before.

Perhaps, the only new thing about Genting is the "Sky Venture"

Its basically a wind tunnel that blows you up to simulate free fall. If you are wondering... Nope we didn't try it.

This is another view of the indoor theme park with my two translucent friends in the foreground.

And for dinner, we had a really affordable meal at pizza hut

See see! WL has fallen asleep waiting for us to decide which combo to take.

Later in the night, we walked around the place. Genting is all about walking, I tell ya. We walked past the outdoor theme park...

And ended up at Old Town Coffee Shop.

It is a really nice place to chill out especially when it opens 24hours. The coffee, however was the limiting factor of our chilling session. Its thick, full of condensed milk and sugar. We need water! We became really thirsty after just one cup.

I don't know what this pose is called but it is quite clear that we need some good quality sleep.

Good Ol' tea cups make good photography subjects.

It was around midnight when we got out of the place and obviously someone isn't too pleased with the brew. Hmm...

Wah... I look strange.

Quickly, we returned to our rooms for a good nice sleeeep but my roommate and I ended up watching Constantine! Noooooooooo!

-End of Day 1-

On the second day, we went for the theme park. We discussed about the most feared rides of the theme park and concluded that 'tea cups' was the scariest ride of all and its innocently categorised under 'FAMILY RIDES'.

We think that it should be classified under 'THRILL RIDES', or rather... 'EXTREME RIDES' should be more appropriate.

First of all, the 'tea cup' has the capability to generate the highest G-force compared to all the other rides in the theme park and extreme G-forces can be really uncomfortable even for the most hardened theme park aficionado. Unbelievable? Let me explain why...

The 'tea cup' is a ride where your friends and you sit inside a giant cup that has a centre wheel that allows you to spin the cup faster and faster and faster until your face turns green and... Enough said.

Nope, we didn't try that ride either. Haha!

Perhaps the two most interesting rides we went for were... the 'corkscrew' and the flying dragon.

The corkscrew is a roller coaster which was very thrilling. It has lots of twists and turns, drop-offs and lots of lateral movements and it does all these in very high speed. Because I like speed, I took the seat in the front. Yea, I'm proud I survived.

Next, the flying dragon is kinda like a tour around the outdoor and indoor theme parks. It gives people a birds eye view of the parks at good speed. Along the ride, we keep hearing sounds of motors, indicating that carriages were actually being shoved forward instead of being pulled by Kinetic Energy = Potential Energy at Highest point - potential energy at current height.

We always liked the idea of the monorail but we simply couldn't stand how slow it moved and the 'flying dragon' gives us the best of both worlds!

-entry truncated-
Going out for prata with royce...

Is it done yet? Yes.

2007-11-05T04:24:00.000-08:00

Officially speaking, I ORDed yesterday. The day I had been waiting for had finally came and gone. Woo Hoo! I'm free at last. I'm done working my ass off for a lousy pay of $470.

I'll be going to genting for 3d2n next week. I like the air there. Cool, fresh and its not humid! The last time i was there, it was.... er.. a really long time ago. They better upgrade their go-karts! Had really lousy experience with it coz the performance difference between the karts are so huge. Worse still, the difference isn't between fast and slow, its slow to dead slow. wah lao!

Hmm... actually i'm not really used to my life at the moment. No one telling me what to do and I am not doing anything at all. I didn't even go out for the past few days... Perhaps this is the 'lost' feeling that people describe after they ORD? Hmm... I don't like this feeling. Feels as though I've retired.

I'm bored.

ORD - now!

2007-10-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

my company has left for australia and i'm going to ord next week. Whoa! finally!

Gonna dance around like a mad man and may it rain champagne next friday! Army is over and done with!

I'm so happy that i dun know how to describe this feeling. Perhaps its like the feeling of being reborned.

wishlist!

2007-10-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Something tells me that I'm spending too much time doing nothing. Frankly, it feels really wasteful to be slacking so much.

I have already received my last pay check from the army and its not going to last me the whole month if i continue to spend the way I do. Staying out of camp means more expenses. Why? I now have the freedom to choose my meals, the time to go out whenever I want and to buy the things I fancy. Having said that, I must make it clear that not the spendthrift type but... my meagre NSF 'allowance' going to last for long.

Hence... I need an undistrupted income flow for at least the next 6 months. That means I have to get a job. On top of that, I have to save at least a $2.5 kay by the june 2008 for the purchase of

1. A new laptop

This is going to be an important companion for me when I am staying in hall. Doesn't have to be something too fanciful... I'm not into really into games but it has to be able to handle all the stuff
i throw at it.

Any recommendations?

2. An inkjet printer

I need this to print out my notes. As pointed out in sandra's blog, having a printer adds to convenience. Its blazing fast, the prints are clear, the cost-per-page is cheap. But the reason why i decided on having an inkjet printer over a laser one is because I do not want to be stuck with just black and white.

new camera?

2007-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

The festive season is coming soon! Perhaps it is about time to replace your camera. You've seen too many pictures from newer cameras and the quality of those from your own pales in comparison.

We all know how disappointing it is to capture a once-in-a-lifetime shot that ended up out of focus and the frustration of trying to take a picture at night and it just turns out unsatisfactory.

Seems like there is always something missing in your current camera which all the new cameras seem to have...

Recently, marlin smsed me "(I am looking for a cam that is)... user friendly, ard 6 or 7 megapixels, ard 4x optical zoom. Can take pics in the dark."

so... the catch of the day:

From Nikon, We have the COOLPIX P50

Product Website

Specifications

Effective pixels: 8.1M

Lens: 3.6x zoom (28mm-100mm equivalent)

sensitivity: ISO 64-2000

Vibration reduction: Yes

Battery: 2x AA-sized

Price: ???

"The wide lens will be very useful when taking pictures in tight places and self-group portraits. You won't cut off your friends' head that often even if your aiming is a little off!"

"The ISO rating measures how sensitive the sensor can be. The higher the number, the more sensitive, however the higher the sensitivity, the worse the image quality will be.

"Its good to know that this camera allows you to shoot in Manual mode. This will be very useful if you decide to learn more about photography as it allows u to have total control of your camera."

From Sony, I've chosen the DSC-W80(7.2megapixel) / W90 (8.1megapixel)

Product Website

Specifications

Lens: 3x zoom (35mm-105mm equivalent)
sensitivity: ISO 100-3200

Image stabiliser: Super SteadyShot
Battery: NP-BG1 lithium-ion

Price: $399 / $499

"Usually propiority rechargable batteries will perform better than using normal alkaline batteries. The flash will charge faster too. Just remember to recharge them after using..."

Hey marlin, hope this helps.

last week!

2007-10-03T03:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, it was Jeanie and Hoot Woon's birthday celebration!

I arrived ON TIME that day and managed to catch some pictures to on what happened before our birthday babies arrive.

First, we secretly went to swensons at plaza sg to get our special creamy ice cream cake.

Quickly, we transported the cake to Minds' cafe. It was heavily guarded all the way to its destination.

Then it was time to sing the birthday song!

They sure make it look easy. Actually, the cake was icy cold and really hard. The cup beside the cake had hot water to warm up the knife to make the cutting easier but i doubt it helped much.

This is the first time we ate the cake in steamboat style. Everyone took a fork and splited it from the sides like what global warming does to the arctic ice... heh...

Some of the games in minds' cafe were too complicated to every start playing. The game anti-monopoly had too many rules. So, we got back to our all-time favourite: Jungle Speed!

We just love to grab things, don't we?

After 5hours, we were done playing.

If u don't know where minds' cafe is, u can get a clue from this pic.

For dinner, we had each other's handphone as our starter

Hl and I had family dinners to attend to and we had to leave while their pizzas were being served. Awr....

It was sunset when I arrived at this place...

Nice...

wheels mean freedom

2007-09-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

Last saturday was spent by cycling around the south of this island. It was awesome. ZW, KS and I went on to test out the route planned for night cycling on the 15sept. A little rain came along to greet us as we arrived at our meeting point at the macdonalds in east coast park. Fortunately, that little rain did little to dampen our mood and we prompted moved out of our starting point with a full tank of zest.

The CBD area wasn't as simple as it seemed to be on the street directory. You see, zw and ks are not used to along side cars on a busy road during peak hours, and this will also apply to those coming for the night ride.

Entering Suntec City to take a picture of the Fountain Of Wealth was impossible at that time. Other than that, our revolutions around town area was smooth sailing... until... we went up Mt.Faber. The gradient which we had to move up was terrible. The 2 brave souls had to dismount their bikes and push it up the peak while I made use of my most extreme gear cogs to allow me continue gaining potential energy bit by bit.

It was so steep that an old corolla was on the verge of stalling before the driver shifted down in the nick of time. Even an Integra was barking fiercely in battle against the incline.

Then we headed towards NUS for a dinner stop at THE CHEESE PRATA shop. However, I severly underestimated the distance we had to cover in order to reach that coveted destination. Worse still, I misread the map and brought my friends into a dead-end deep inside NUS. Tsk tsk.

We pushed on to holland village to have our dinner and quickly moved on in face of the threatening weather. It drizzled a little. Frankly, it really scared me because we had a long long way to reach east coast park. By that time, ks wanted to call his dad for fetch us all back to ECP. ks has guard duty the day after. It was near 9pm at that time.

We endured the journey towards town and not for long, we reached Tanglin Rd. We loved the walkway along tanglin to orchard rd. It was crowded, and it is exactly why we really liked it. It quickly became a test of our bikes' agilty as we raced against time getting around the crowds.

We reached selegie fast. But but... I screwed up the map again! We missed a turn. By now, ks decided that it was enough and declared that are in trouble. Then on, he pleaded his dad to meet up with us at SIR building, a short distance away.

It was then, our recee mission was terminated. But who cares! The trip was fruitful. We concluded that it was overly ambitious to set such a far place to go to. We should definately stay in town area.

The new route has been set and ready for the 15sept night ride, our last night ride before we ORD.

Note: pictures will be up at my flickr website by this weekend.

like the wind

2007-08-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

Natalia has left for Canada this morning at 9:55am. She should be arriving at Vancouver at 8:30pm tomorrow(28aug2007).

At the moment of writing, Nat is moving at speeds around... 900km/h. And thats pretty fast for something that weighs 230tonnes. But, thats not the point.

The point is that, she's left so soon! I think I'll miss talking to Nat. I always felt that chatting with someone face to face is the best way to communicate and its much nicer to chat with someone this way than by the phone or text. I hope she doesn't find me too talkative, coz I'll definately drag her out more often when she comes back the next time. Hopefully the wait is less than 3 years.

On a lighter side, her departure today also marks my 10th remaining week of my NS liability. Yeah man! I finally can countdown to my ORD date with my both hands... Its been a long wait, seriously.

Next, there is a National Karting Challenge coming up in october. Check this webby out when you have time, http://www.nationalkarting.org/ . I saw the race format already, its a team relay race.

4 person team,

25mins cover as much distance as possible.

Similar concept to a Time Trial.

What I really like about this type of competition is that it is as fair as any racing competition can get.

Everyone drives similar karts, no modifications allowed. It is precisely this rule which makes the competition very appealing to the masses because the richer participants cannot gain an advantage by getting a better engine, lighter frame etc...

So, this competition is all about the driver.

Interested?

taking flight

2007-08-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Holidays pass very fast. My 4-day weekend is ending soon! In fact, I'm left with only a few hours before my next book-in.

Hl has left for taiwan yesterday and he'll be back in a month's time. Damn, I'll have no one to drink teh-o with for the next 3 weekends! However, the consolation is... when he comes back, my countdown timer will read "2 months".

If you have been reading my blog since 1st jan 2006, you would know how much i anticipate my ORD. Ha, I dun think i have to eleborate any further.

Well, I've tried time and time to persuade my parents to allow me to buy a motorbike. But they just won't let me. Not that i needed their money to buy one, I just want their consent. Oh well...

Ok, on thursday zhiqi and i went to take pics of ndp. We didn't manage to take many pics because we actually went to a lousy spot to watch ndp. The rest of the hotspots were erm... hot from all the people there. I was a little annoyed with myself for overlooking the fact that it will be SOOO crowded. It was so bad that if a bomb went off anywhere in cityhall, we will be talking about 3-million smiles during the next IMF. Ok, enough of crapping. I've updated my flickr website. Go grab a look.

Till next week.

I shall go pack my bag.

b a t a m, I n d o n e s i a.

2007-08-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

On 4th August 2007.

A group of 9 embarked on a ferry towards Batam. It is quite cheap to go on a 1-day tour there, just $45 to go there with a tour group. Inexpensive!

Frankly, it was rubbish. Firstly, I can definately do a better job than the singapore contact who helped us book the tour. Messed up the invoice. Made me call back infinate times.

Does "S$288.00 = two hundred and eighty only"
Messed up the formating of the page " Please pay S$10.00 per person pe[my friend's name]"
Wrote 9 names but "Total no. pax: 08"

How screwed up can this get?

But thats not all.

When we got to Batam, we saw other tour guides and liaisons holding name cards but not ours! The guide was holding the name list and looking at it herself! We only spotted her when my friend saw her holding the list that had a logo similar to the invoice I was holding.

The logo was... " G0 4 T0ur travel planners online "
You've been warned!

If think that was the end, u are so wrong!
When we got on the bus, the guide told us that the itinerary had been changed! The location that attracted me to book this tour was cancalled!

What happened to WATERFRONT CITY? I want my go-kart!!!

S0 we ended up shopping and eating wherever we can.

The tour sucked but luckily I was accompanied with 8 interesting army friends who made the trip enjoyable.

Sadly, jun long lost his phone en route to batam, caused a cracked mirror to shatter and paid S$50+ for that piece of crap. It just wasn't his day.

If u are looking for pics, head to my flickr website. CLICK HERE!
This time I made the link bigger so you won't miss it!

Survival

2007-07-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

It was 11:20am. No one told anyone about what time to report to the classroom to collect our results. But everyone seem to know that they have to. There were people who were more experienced and led the 1st timers up to the room for the moment of truth.

The room was overcrowded with hopeful candidates. Many couldn't remain calm, often twirling their handphone, chatting up with the person beside, comparing the mistakes they made.

Honestly, I was seriously nervous till my hands felt like they were fresh meat from the freezer. I cannot afford to fail another time. My PDL (provisional driving licence) is due soon, my leave is almost exhausted and my perserverance is wearing out.

It was near noon. The testers start to stroll in one by one to read out the number tags of riders. 1st timers may not know whether is that a good thing or not. But the more experienced candidates are now at their peak of their adrenaline, for they know that those numbers were the number tags of failures.

The testers love to torment us by walking out to take another stack of checklists of those who failed. They did this THREE times in total. Surviving the first two elimination rounds means nothing if we were asked to leave by the third.

The last tester left and the instructors went to close the door. We Passed. Everyone was overjoyed! There were nothing less than smiles on our faces, even the most solemn looking person gave a loud 'woohoooo!'

It was a moment of explosive exuberance contained in a small room. Shiok! Its a really addictive feeling.

But now, i have to get back to reality. Back to camp! Till next bookout!

To wallabiers of 2007

2007-07-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

A waaby is very similar to a kangeroo except that it is shorter. It is a mammal, furry, mild and cute.

However, the word itself put chills down the spines of army men, young and old. It is the name of an event that shouldn't be written on blogs.

To my juniors, I won't be joining you all for this year's waaby. But, you all probably know this already. My NS liability will be done when you are in the midst of waaby. I've paid my dues for being a male citizen of this little red dot and I want to resume my life as a normal person - a person who has time for himself.

Since only two seniors will be following your batch through this ordeal. I want to make your life easier informing you about the things you might want to know about this exercise.

Firstly, you'll be taking a chartered aircraft towards your destination country.

About air travel:

Its 4am in the morning and the airport is packed with people going for waaby. Your heart is racing and you wonder if you packed everything in. You'll be away for 1 full month. You wonder if your money will last you the whole trip. Your mouth is dry from the excitment and fear about the trip.

ONE: Your destination country does not allow entry of plant parts/animal/food. Sweets and small snacks fall into a grey area which the customs may or may not allow through. My advice is to finish them all on board or don't bring at all.

TWO: Limit your baggage weight! 7kg max for carry-on baggage and 20kg max for check-in luggage(your duffel bag).

THREE: If you need to bring any form of liquids in your carry-on bag, transfer them into 100ml bottles or less. Do note that our airport do not allow containers bigger than 100ml even though it contains liquid less than 100ml. These bottles must be carried in a clear plastic bag of a volume 1litre or smaller.

"Hint: you can get empty bottles from shops like MUJI in bugis junction."

Communications:

Welcome to the Down Under. Your handphone will receive countless messages from Telstra and Optus to junk up your handphone when you are expecting smses from your loved ones back in Sg.

ONE: The country code is +61. The '+' sign is also part of the country code. You must enter that in order to call your friends in Australia while using your Sg SIM card even when you're in their land.

Now, quickly get your hands on a Optus SIM card! The $30 pre-paid card will be more than sufficent with the TurboCharge option.

Don't forget to bring your charger and a power socket converter for australia. Almost everyone will bring their charger but only a few will remember about the socket converter. Better bring one!

Weather and Climate:

The temperature varies a lot between day and night. A cloudless, sunny day will be accompanied by a chilling and windy night. Be prepared!

The sun rises at 5am in the morning! eeek! You'll be really annoyed if you are sleeping in the east section of the bunk.

Mercury rises drastically after sunrise and the sun will be on full blast all the way till sunset! Save your skin! bring some sunblock! Preferably SPF 30 or better!

The air is dry! drink lot of water or treat yourself to the can drinks in air force's pantry. Prepare coins man! its not free and you'll have to pay by dropping your coins into the box. The price is reasonable and be honest! Trust makes life easier (:

Pricing and daily needs:

Your allowance for this month will be a whole lot more than what you have been getting but forget about saving up a pile from this overseas exercise. The cost of living there is expensive. Don't tighten up your purse strings when you see sandwiches costing AUS$5. Its Aust, man. You can't compare with the SG$3 two-meat, one-veg combo that almost caused your stomach to explode in alexander village hawker centre.

Good Stuff, Bad stuff: I would like to introduce you the brand "Black and Gold"(yucks!). They sell almost every thing under the sun. Don't buy anything from that brand! It may be very tempting because the stuff they sell are at a very low price. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys!
Trust me, although they are really cheap... they are not worth it.

Laundry: Thank heavens! the washing machine and dryer is FREE to use! But there won't be free washing powder though. Don't buy washing powder individually, it make sense to buy a BIG tub and share the cost. Buy in Australia. Your luggage allowance is precious, ya know?

Unexpected bargains: If you are looking around for some good quality portable speakers, you will be surprised by the price of Logitech speakers at certain shops.

Bonus information!

Photography: No, you are not allowed to bring your camera! But, who gives a shit? I brought a film camera there last year. Bring enough memory cards if you intend to bring your digital camera. Be nice to the clerk and he may just let you store your pictures in the company laptop. Don't say I said that ar!

Aust is a beautiful place. Take some pics and show me!

End

I wish all of you good luck for this exercise. It won't be easy. It will test the friendship you have build and your perseverance. I'm proud to say that my batch is amazing. I hope you can say the same about yours when you come back to sing@pore.

This chapter of my life is closing soon. Your time will come soon. Endure!

Cheers.

3.5 months to the end. Endure!

2007-07-15T03:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend, it is a time for singing. I realise that everytime I sing with my sec school friends, I get to know of nice songs! These songs will be going into my MP3 player! Muhaha.

Besides singing, we also went to eski-bar along circular road. Its my second time there and I like the cold cold atmosphere. Most of us wore thin clothings to suit the hot summer weather and was caught unprepared for such coldness inside the bar.

Shing Yuan found the temperature "similar to LT conditions". While I found it cooler than fabian's store(army).

Because of this, I suggest that when going out, its best to bring essentials like tissue paper, water and a light windbreaker/jacket. I call it my "Skeleton Urban Order".

However, for tougher/longer time in the urban its best to be armed to the teeth.

You'll need:
1x MP3 player
2x spare batteries
1x compact camera
1x writing materials
1x packet of wet tissue
1x toiletry bag containing tooth brush, tooth paste, facial wash, shower foam and a small towel
3x $10 notes
5x $2 notes
assorted amount of coins

With this, there is no problem staying overnight at a friend's house or a night out in town.

On 17th July Nat will be arriving in singapore!

And my motorcycle test is next week! I must pass it this time! No more excessive minor mistakes. Once I pass, I'll be going straight to register for my boat licence! Muahahaha...

I'm interested in renting a boat to watch ndp's fireworks. Hope I can make it in time!

2007-07-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

Oh, its been full 7 days since I sent my camera for repair. Sony haven't fulfilled their promise of ringing me up "5-7 days later" to tell me of the repair cost and diagnosis. Damn, how long does this have to take!

Today(8july2007), there was a car-nival at expo. Wanted to go there to get close up with cars but decided that it was too much of a hassle to visit it because i would have to bring my book-in items with me and i wouldn't be able to bring my camera as that would mean taking it to camp too.

Things would be so different if i have ORDed. No worries of having to "book-in" before 2300h, bringing enough underwears and snacks to get me through the week. I would have attended the car expo without a hint of procrastination.

Its now 8july2007. ORD is getting closer. Its like seeing the light at the end of a long stretch of unlit tunnel. Ooooh... Come to me...

Ok, yesterday i met up with emil, raja and hungloong. Four years, four freaking years since i last seen raja. Had a day out eating, eating and then a little beer to cool us after a hot day. Poor raja didn't like the taste of baron's. Bad recommendation.

My phone is starting to fail me. My trusty 5-year old 6610's keys are starting to fail and it is unable to receive GRPS anymore. My poor phone has gone through much suffering. The casing itself has many stories to tell. The casing started off rubbery smooth but now it is plastic-smooth. All the rubbery texture has been literally rubbed off. The curves have gone through so much abrsion till it actualy shines!

My phone has been through several route marches, range, overseas attachment, runs and even Chemical Defence???!!!

The last event scarred the casing a little, but it still works. However... I wanna get a new phone!!! Make it a camera phone, please.

update update!

2007-06-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, my camera is now in the hands of sony repairmen. That means i won't be able to take any pictures within 2 weeks. How how? Who's gonna take pics for next sat? (:

Managed to catch The Transformers on friday. Its a smashing film! Non-stop action all the way from the from the first 'transformation' till the end of the movie. The plot is relatively simple - good vs evil. No twists and turns to bother you. After all, you paid $8 to see action, mind blowing action. Whether you are a fan of fantasy, action or sci-fi flicks, you'll definately want to check it out.

Met up with chen wei and lynnette at kovan on thursday. Haven't seen them in a long while. And i have yet to give cw her present i bought from my aust trip in march. Tsk tsk... How forgetful of me.

Wednesday was ladies night at zouk with my JC friends. It was crowded like hell. The aircon in phuture didn't seem to be working and the sheer number of people inside could generate enough heat for senoko. It was terrible. Some people there obviously came straight from work, not because of their attire... but for their odour of dried up sweat.

Generally, I don't like clubs because of its snobbish atmosphere. Pushing gradually turns to shove, bouncers shine their torches discourage people from standing at the corridors and worst of all, they took my bottle of green tea!

security: i need to check ur bag
leo: ok
security: u can't take that in
leo: ok, so i get it back from u when i leave?
security: *hesitates* ok, next.
leo: wait. so how will u know it belongs to me?
security: we'll know.
leo: u sure ah.

What the heck? I'm ok with the fact that I can't bring any liquids inside. But I'm not a refugee.

First, he failed in telling me where can I retrieve my possession
Second, he was in a rush to serve other people.
Third, he didn't even point to the direction we should walk towards.

ok la, enough of this. I prefer pubs. Its even better that from 1st of july onwards, all clubs and pubs will smoke-free. Cheers to that!

chocs and such

2007-06-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

Four months left. Whoa.
4months x 30 days = 120 days

On 27th July, I'll be left with only 99 days in my NS liability.

I am forced to clear 3 days of leave from wednesday to friday(27jun-229jun).
At first, I thought that I would be wasting 3 days of precious leave rotting at home.

Today is only thursday and I realised that I was wrong, absolutely wrong. I went out with stella and choon to zouk yesterday, went out with lynnette and chenwei today for dinner and i'll be going out with shing yuan and friends tomorrow to catch surf's up!

So... this is what i've been missing out when serving my time in camp. Thats a lot of activity within a period of 3 days.

Ok, next i wanna introduce a certain product from meiji - chocolates! Chocs from meiji are simple, pleasant and thick. They also come in different cacao strength. This handy sample sized packaging allows us to test out how chocs of different strength tastes like. The entire length is only as big as an open palm and elegantly wrapped in plastic. It is recommended that u try this before spending a cent on the full sized bars. It was my mistake to buy a full length of an 86% as it was too bitter for enjoyable consumption.

Don't even think of eating the 99% bar on its own. The warning sign is there for a reason and it looks pretty serious. It reminds me of the one used in cars which blinks to warn the driver that the onboard computer had just kept the car out of trouble. It is generally called Traction Control System and it kicks in when the tires are in the verge of slipping. Thats how serious that warning sign is...

Hint: Dissolve the 99% into a cup of milo, coffee or hot chocolate to boost the thickness.

come out and play

2007-06-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hmm, wouldn't it be nice if you could share feelings and moments of your life with people? just like blogging but then... i'm starting to feel that blogging is very 1 dimensional. It only makes use of our sight, occassionally people embed music into their scripts but it actually can get a little shocking when a song burst into play when you least expect it.

On sat, leqi wanted to buy some stuff for scrapbooking. I have absolutly no idea wad scrapbooking is until i went into that shop 'made with love' in plaza sing. Hmm, they sell very creative things, things from colourful petal shapes to wallpaper-like sheets to purple buttons. They had some designs of their own on the wall and they are all unique. Some of them looked as if they were done by professionals from magazine companies.

Its interesting when some of the letterings and borders have different textures and surface. Ah... Maybe we can add a little fragrance(or odour, eek!) on the scrapbooks to give our nose something to poke into. Cool right?

This brings my attention to lomography. I realised that this type of photography suits scrapbooking really well. Check out www.lomography.com and u'll know why. Its like freestyle on camera. The flash comes with filters of different colours, the lens messes up the hues. One of their camera even have 4 lenses to capture the scene from different perspectives or capture bursts of action in sequence. Another weird camera has a rotating lens that captures panoramic shots. Unfortunately, they are all film cameras and u'll have to wind the film yourself.

i really hope to see wad leqi has done with the stuff she bought from the store.

june june june

2007-06-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

oh my oh my. another month has passed!

My motorbike practical test is coming up really really soon! 7th of June! Finally done with waiting. It will be at 8:45am. Hopefully the road will be clear by then. Most people should be at their workplace, school or camps by the time i head out for my road test ba...

Had a night ride on friday night and it was awesome. Riding with in a group of 12 people is really different from riding with just 5. Almost all of my company turned up for the night cycling trip. Although our route planning really sucked, we managed to get back east coast nevertheless.

Ok, we moved out from east coast at about 9pm after grabbing something from macs. We got out of east coast through fort road and arrived at singapore indoor stadium some time later. It was a nice and quiet place until we arrived and added some sound waves into that area! We took some pictures there, of course. But i'm too lazy to post it here.

We then ventured ahead towards esplanade. We took a route in the park which runs along the sea and it was where KS decided to sprint forward and slide out of control. He was the first to suffer any injures during the trip... Actually, he was the only one. Tsk tsk.

Arrived at esplanade and took a break at the open hawker. I think this is one of the few places in town where it is ok to wear singlets and shorts to have a meal and be sitting near people with expensive cloth on them.

Sadly, we couldn't finish the whole route we initially planned because the route was a lot longer than we can complete in one night. One of the the key checkpoints of our journey, changi village, was skipped. Perhaps it is a sign of another night ride coming soon... yeah, i think it is.

From 4th june onwards, its 5 more months to ORD. Haha, we can finally count the months with one hand! Amazing! Its gonna be our turn! This chapter of my life is reaching a conclusion. I must admit that this will be a period of time where we will look back and have bittersweet feelings of.

been a long time

2007-05-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

Haven't been writing here for a few weeks. Think i'm losing my ability to express myself. I apologise if this entry feels really fragmented. One paragraph may have little or no link from the next. Ha, bear with me.

One part of my brain is telling me that I have to tell all of you that... i'll only be in camp from monday to wednesday! Vesak day on 31st and Company off day on 1st june! Woo! Oh yeah oh yeah! Because of this, my army friends and i will be going on a cycling trip around the east of little singapore. Finally, we have a long weekend! One reason why i haven't been interested in night riding during weekends is because cycling at night takes the whole weekend! Riding on a sat night will mean a whole day of sleep on a precious sunday and by the time i wake up, i would have less than 8hours till book-in. So sad right!

Happy birthday yeening! Don't say I didn't send the pics. Siyin is the first to get them. Bug her bug her. Heh heh.

Leqi's coming back on the 2nd of june. Till 9th june. Hope we all can meet up during that time.

The End!

Gotta go back to camp again. about 5 more months to go before I ORD. Feels like i'm running an endurance race. Totally tired out but the end is near! Gimme my life back!

Till next week.

random

2007-05-06T06:37:00.001-07:00

NSFs' feelings of 7 days in a week can be represented in songs!

These songs are:

Monday: Crash and Burn - Savage Garden
Tuesday: Welcome to my life - Simple Plan
Wednesday: Home - Michael Buble
Thursday: Far away - Nickelback
Friday: I can see clearly now - Jimmy Cliff
Saturday: Get high - F.I.R
Sunday(Day): A whole new world - Disney
Sunday(Night): An Jing - Zhou Jie Lun

Right...

random

2007-05-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

do u see?

2007-05-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, my time left in army is officially less than 6 months!

This weekend was real short to me because i had been going out in the night and sleeping very little in the day.

When i do this, my awareness for my surroundings drop to a seriously oblivious state and my memory space reduces drastically.

Imagine, people can talk in front of me and none of the contents get into my head. A cyclist rang his bell hehind me and i failed respond to it even though i heard it. Hell, I was a living zombie.

When i was serving the first quarter of my NS sentence. I used do this every weekend in order to maximize the time i have during those sacred weekends. It was also during that time i got into a relationship for the first time.I thought that it was good to go out with friends and friends in the day and meet up with my special someone in the night. Knowing that she have tendencies to sleep late, I thought it was a good idea.

I was wrong. I wasn't strong enough to sleep less than 5 hours a day and function at 100%. Heck, I couldn't even think properly. The effect wasn't obvious when I was with my friends because I didn't have to talk or think all the time and others can do the talk instead. However, it becomes painfully visible when i was alone with her.

Sigh... so sorry.

dreams will be dreams.

2007-04-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Just one week more and I would have 6 months left before getting my pink IC back. Finally, something that seemed like forever is actually ending.

On 16th april, I was promoted to coporal. Its a really small rank but... thats not the point. It means I am coming close to ORD.

I've always felt that ns is a really big sacrifice for guys. Time is precious and 1yr 10months... is a hell lot of time. For me, I lost some things and also gained some stuff in the process. What I lost are things I will never be able to get back and what I've gained are things I can never experience from the outside world. So, its fair la.

But, my heart still yearns for the things I've lost.
Its as good as a crack on a unique piece of china - dead permanent.
Just can't let it go. The whole time frame replays in my head all over and over again.
But if she can move on, then I should too.

Sorry, just rambling.

Anyway, I went to archipelago breweries on friday to try out their special brews. They brew their own beer there and the only place you can get to taste it is... there and no where else. I ordered the traveller's wheat.

It is a beer infused with local flavours such as assam, orange peel, lemongrass and more. On first taste, none of these elements can be found. Perhaps the brew master didn't want to make the beer taste so far off from what people expect beer to be.

The beer isn't bitter at all. Good news for those who are put off by beer's bitter aftertaste.

Travellers' wheat is quite a light beer, with a light yellow colour and a light pleasant aroma. But it doesn't come light on the pocket. $9 per 330ml mug before 8pm and $12 for the same thing after 8pm. A jug of tiger costs only $14.

Like all alcoholic drinks, it doesn't quench thirst. My throat became slightly dry after one glass.

transportation

2007-04-15T03:39:00.000-07:00

You woke up late, rushed to the bus stop, missed the bus, u are perspiring through ur thick clothes, its ur end-of-year exam, it just started pouring! ARGh. What else can go wrong??? Wait, of all the vehicles passing you, u spot no cabs at all! wad the hell?

I know this is one situation that everyone had been through.I feel ya, hell yeah.

Now, what you need is a DMC DeLorean and a little help from doc brown to send you back in time. Just kidding. By the way, its a beautiful car. (:

Time to call a cab! you are probably in the peak hours. The cab arrives! wow, its a mercedes cab and the driver greets u good morning. A glance at the fare meter reads $8.80. Goodness! Assuming that the unfortunate lives in thomson area and studies in nus science. The travelling distance reads about 24km with reference to streetdirectory.com

So, The fare adds up to $22 upon arriving at the destination.

Wondering how it costs this much? Well, here's a breakdown on the price:
Hope its useful (:

Citycab / Comfort 6552 2222, 6552 1111
Tibs Taxi 6481 1211
SMRT 6555 8888
Silver Cab 6363 6888

Metered fares:
The 1st km or less (normal taxi) = S$2.50
The 1st km or less (Mercedes taxi) = S$2.80
The 1st Km or less (Hyundai Sonata) = S$2.70

----------------

Fares listed below are uniform with all taxi providers
Every 210m thereafter or less up to 10km = S$0.10
Every 175m thereafter or less after 10km = S$0.10
Every 25 seconds of waiting or less = S$0.10

Peak hour charges:
Mon - Fri: 7.00am to 9.30am = S$2.00
Mon - Sat: 5.00pm to 8.00pm = S$2.00
Thank goodness its not applicable on public holidays (:
Hint hint, they are bus lane hours!

Midnight madness:
From 11.30pm to 11.44pm = 10% of metered fare
From 11.45pm to 11.59pm = 20% of metered fare
From 12 midnight to 12.59am = 35% of metered fare
From 1.00am to 6.00am = 50% of metered fare
This is the part I hate the most!

Airport pickup:
From 5pm to midnight (Fri, Sat, Sun) = $5.00
All other times =$3.00

Opps, not enough cash at hand? No worries, they accept NETS and credit cards now.

Always choose to pay by:
NETS! because the extra charge is only 30cents as compared to...
Credit cards, it will increase your fare by a scary 10%...
Unless your fare is less than $3. Muhahahaha...

Booking charges:
Mon - Fri : 7.00am - 9.30am and 5.00pm - 11.00pm will cost $4.00
All other times = $2.50
Advance booking(more than 30mins earlier) = $5.20

City Area surcharge (CBD pickups):
5pm to 8pm(mon - thur) = $1
5pm to 11.30pm(fri - sun) = $1

Correct As At 15 April 2007.

Lesson 8. Final evaluation.

2007-04-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm going to talk about my riding mock-test today.

The day started off right. The weather was a little warm, but it wasn't enough to waver my concentration. The bike I took was great, the mirrors were well adjusted, the engine revved up with strong vigour and the clutch was smooth and predictable. Nothing should go wrong.

Starting off, it was a left turn out of the start point. I released the clutch relaxingly and the transmission transfered the power with absolute smoothness then the bike turned precisely to where I wanted it to go.

I went on to clear my circuit obstacles with ease. I was already smiling within from the job well done.

The next part of the evaluation consist of the road test. The traffic was average and lane change was pleasant. Everything went well until I reached the last critical turn. The traffic became like a fat man's artery. I waited for a long time for the vehicles to move out and the fellow learner behind decided to urge me to make my move. Thinking that it was about time, twisted the throttle and DARN! so many cars moved in suddenly. It was so quick that I was forced to stop in the middle of a two-way road before I could squeeze my way into the yellow box.

So, that was it. 2 immediate failures in one bad decision.
The worst part was... remember the impatient guy behind me? He was the only one who passed the mock-test. Sometimes its better not to give advice than to give the wrong advice. Bloody prick.

hear my voice

2007-04-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Back for good - Take That

I guess now its time for me to give up
I feel its time
Got a picture of you beside me
Got youre lipstick mark still on your coffee cup
Got a fist of pure emotion
Got a head of shattered dreams
Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now

Whatever I said, whatever I did I didnt mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood

Unaware but underlined I figured out this story
It wasn't good
But in the corner of my mind I celebrated glory
But that was not to be
In the twist of separation you excelled at being free
Can't you find a little room inside for me

Whatever I said, whatever I did I didnt mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood

And well be together, this time is forever
Well be fighting and forever we will be
So complete in our love
We will never be uncovered again

Whatever I said, whatever I did I didnt mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever Im wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood

Oh man, I really have to share this song with everyone. It so sweet.

time lapse

2007-04-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

Gone. The 3 weeks, over just like that.

Being back here is strikingly similar to receiving a wake-up call from a lousy night's sleep. Hey man, at least 1 month had disappeared from my countdown, OUR countdown.

Anyway, since aust made up the bulk of the month, i shall talk about it. Must account for my 3-week disappearance, you see.

On 5th march, my friends and i went on a journey towards the land where the mountains are blue and the rocks are red. The first leg took around 6 hours. Our team arrived in darwin. Exhaused and thirsty, we made our way our hotel, Frontier Darwin, in the shaddy part of town where we rested for the night in preparation for the 7 hour long maneuver to our secret location the day after. It was horrible. I suffered involuntary regurgitation of australia's finest orange juice that i consumed before the descent.

There are four classes of luxury in transportation by planes.

1. first class
2. business class
3. economy class
4. lastly, air freight

Yea, u guessed it. Mine was the last.

But, it wasn't all bad. We don't work on weekends which justifies for all the work we do on the weekdays. The city area is huge! Very scenic place. For a start, there are different architectural styles in the shopping centres. And, the buildings flaunt the fact that australia has a lot of land. Then, there is a majestic river that puts sydney's two most iconic features into focus - the opera house and the bridge, some sort of bridge...

Aiya, think its better to see the pics. they're at my flickr website.

---- shall end my entry here---- .

leaving on a propeller plane

2007-03-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hi

I'm leaving for australia on monday. The plane is set to fly early in the morning. I will be there for 3 weeks.

At first i tot i won't miss anyone or anything. Hmm, its about 4hours left before I have to reach the paya lebar air base.

I won't say who or wad i'll miss because it will get all too mushy, squishy, spongy and gy.

I am not really sure if i had packed everything i need for the trip. Everything was so rush. Even though we knew about the trip long ago... the planning and arrangements were haywire. Last wednesday, we had to send in our duffle bags along with our items we wanna bring. It would be easy to do that if we won't need those items on thursday and friday...

Thus, behold... my handcarry bag is heavy enough to flatten someone if it was to drop from the overhead cabin onto someone's head. Poor soul...

Ok, I have uploaded the recent photos onto my flickr website. So, no more complaining that u never get to see the pics i've taken. haha.

The latest 3 pics were taken on the last day of chinese new year. Mrs Poh is still teaching in peirce sec. Good to see that she's still enjoying herself and making full use of her own time. And the little dog she bought for her grandson to play with.

Time check 2:10am. T-3h50mins. And i am supposed to be awake by 4:30am actually.

I can't wait to get back to my motorbike lessons. I gotta get my own 2 wheeler!

ay... I dun feel like writing anymore.

Happy 20th birthday to Hung Loong 5th march 2007.

Good 21st ring on the trunk to Patrick 6th march 2007. Sorry I can't join u. I can imagine a hell of a party on that day. Cheers buddy!

Also, a great birthday to Yiwei 22nd march 2007.

Lastly, Good luck to Choon Yew. Wishing smooth sailing for 26th march. May that day be the day you achieve the great privilege to drive.

Have a great day and see u soon.

some pics to share

2007-02-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

Awr... sunset by the sea.

This pic was taken when we were waiting to depart from pulau ubin in the evening.

The kind of drinks u'll serve your guests during chinese new year... in order of preference.
Lemon Barley!!! Sweeeet... (:

what a mess! glad it wasn't at my house. wahahahaha...

oranges put a smile on our faces.

Oh?

meal time!

2007-02-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

It was meal time on friday evening.

We went to... pasta mania!

we were given ang pao packets. its simple, red, and look... its grinning.

when your food is the last to arrive, one thing u can do while waiting is to take pictures with the person sitting next to u. our spicy chicken pizza took so long! when it came, it actually tasted like chicken satay. Hmm...

you see! even hl wanted to pose.

Finally, our pizza came and... poof! The whole thing was completely devoured even though hl claimed that he had a really heavy lunch.

that night, we had a special guest with us. It was none other than... well... zhong yi.

if u look closely, he looks strangely similar to the drawing on the red packet on the first picture.

Later on, we had a little chat at a quiet location... it was then i was curious about elaine's lab coat. Too bad elaine refused to show us how she looks like with her lab coat. So... i tried it on myself to see how professional i will look in it.

here it is...

white is so much better than green...

(:

attention 210

2007-02-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

Today, at Celebrating Values Day in yj, hl and i managed to catch up with a few teachers and friends.

Yj hasn't changed much but the office en route to being shifted downstairs where the study corner is. Hmm, i must say that there are more cute looking people studying in yj. Heehee.

Ahem~! Lets get to the point.

Lets have a 210 class reunion dinner on the 24th of FEB!!!

Venue: To be confirmed
Time: Around 6:30pm to 10pm
Price: Around $10 each.
Dinner type: Probably steamboat

Please sms me to confirm your attendance. Try to give me an answer before 20th FEB okie? Thanks!
Pssss... We will also be inviting miss Ong, miss Tan and mr Wong.

chinese new new year!

2007-02-05T04:17:00.000-08:00

Finally, after being in the army for 1 year 1 month, time seems to be moving a little faster already. 9 more months to go. WooOoo!

I can still remember the first few days of my BMT... Everyone around me had one goal in mind - get through the long 2-week confinement. The scene of my bmt buddy scribbling "8 more days to go!" on my notepad during a lecture remains so clearly in my mind.

Wow. I can't believe I manage to get this far. After entering army, I felt actually my life is pretty good. Not because army life is good, but I got to know that there are vocations that are more f* up.

I have a feeling that this year will be quite a good year. Somehow, more things seem like blessings in disguise. Firstly, I have accumulated quite a number a of off-days and now, I'm assigned to do guard duty on a "battalion off day" which allows me to claim 1 more day of off-in-lieu and better yet, I will be going australia in the month of march which equates to more OFF days!

its unusual... because I dislike the company I work in. Funny huh? hate the company but the company gives you off days.

--------------

Last weekend, I went to pulau ubin... again! But this time I went with hungloong, angie, elaine and sandra. Unfortunately kuan wei decided to fall sick on sunday and gave it a pass.

Again, I had guard duty the day before the ubin trip. ARgh! Had to rush from camp to home and rush to changi village!!! Somehow, I felt that I was taxi drivers' main source of money that day.

Since I was going to cab down to changi village, I decided to bring my bike along! Hmm, comparing my bike and those on rent... their bikes were trash. I don't mind cheap bikes, but their maintenance is equally inferior as well. *Shrugs*

This time we had more time to explore almost all the routes on the map we snagged from the information counter. Yes! We spent about 6hours on that tiny little island.

We went beach hopping! We reached Mamam beach through a shortcut into the woods. Surprisingly, upon reaching there, we were greeted by a.... survey form! An NUS student was taking surveys about what people feel of the services and suitability of certain activities of that island. Nevertheless, we finished their survey and they didn't bother us from then on. Haha.

Next stop was far away Noordin Beach at the far north eastern side of ubin. The road towards that beach was full of slopes. Dreadful, I say. Some of the hills were too steep to conquer and left most of us pushing our vehicle up.

The beach was quite long but it wasn't very wide. Worse still, the only 2 resting areas were occupied! Nooooo!

Ok la, there are too much to say about that trip. Lets skip all the way to the last part - dinner!

We actually had our meal at a seafood restaurant beside the sea. I simply love the sambal potato leaves. We didn't order the crabs or fishes because we were already full from eating the other dishes. Darn! Should have went for the seafood right from the start!

Alright, its time to end this entry. I have to head back to camp. Wait a while for pictures okie?
Byeeeeeeee!

chen wei: lets go there after march okie? Maybe we should camp there with jiayong and peeps! The campsites are becoming better. Its beside the sea and have a nice view of mainland sg.

The ubin boys!

2007-01-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

Today 2 of my army friends and I did something special...

We went to ubin to ride bicycle =D

To get to ubin, we have to make use of the ferry terminal in changi village. If you haven't visit that place for a long time then you might be pleasantly surprised to know that the jetty has now been upgraded to clean, nice place.

Lucky for us, the price for a one way trip cost remained at $2. Better still, those age old bumboats are still in service. The feeling of embarking such a boat is almost like... going back in time. You get to sit on both sides of the open deck made of wood. I like it when the wind distorts my hair when I stick my head out the window.

The ride takes about 15mins and the boat feels very stable throughout the journey despite the sea resembled a neat freak's worst nightmare.

The island have a strong rural feel. The CBD area consist largely of bicycle shops and retro-looking eateries. There is even a seafood restaurant which proudly boasts that they sell 'live' seafood. The prices are restaurant standard. Good for eating in groups though. But be forewarned that the restaurant closes at around 7-8pm.

Next, lets talk about the bikes. The bikes they rent start from $2 per day. But they probably won't bring you far from the city. A reasonable bicycle will cost about $6 per day. I got myself a 12 speed bike with an old friction shifter(which was a feature of my very first not-so-mountain bike). It was not a bike that inspires confidence but then, what can you expect from $6? The steering is a little slow and the front suspension felt like it was suffering from a very bad case of arthritis.

There are a lot of bikes for rent in ubin. Not every 'mountain' bike there is good enough to off road. So, it is very important to check the bike for any defects before riding off.

Here is a short checklist to a good bike:
1) are the brakes effective? are the brake levers smooth?
2) are the tyres wearing out? does it have enough air?
3) does the gear shifters work?
4) are the cables in good condition?
5) is the handlebar aligned to the front wheel or does it feel loose and shaky?

---to be continued tomorrow---

jan jan january

2007-01-07T02:28:00.000-08:00

Its sunday again... Which means that I have to book in in a couple of hours time.

I have booked in and out many times since enlistment, but the feeling of knowing that I'll be working for the next 5 days and not being able to go home lowers my moral tremendously.

The 3 week break have been real shiok. It was as though I have resumed my post-JC holiday. So much freedom! Girls ought to appreciate their freedom sia... Its a privilege to choose. Really.

Ah, I've been chosen to attend forklift course from 22 jan to 26 jan. Nice, another licence in my hands although I must admit that driving forklifts sound like a very very brainless job. Who cares man! The 5 day course means that I get to be away from sai kang haven where work comes in trilogies. And I get to stay out! Whoa. What a good deal.

To my campmates: I feel your pain.

I've finally passed the ONE-YEAR ordeal in ns and its 10 more months for me! Our time will come soon...

Oh yes, Elaine and I found a really nice place in khatib. Hmm... How do I describe... Its a mini piece of landscape. Secret location! haha.

bye... have to face reality le. work work...

the holidays are almost over...

2006-12-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

I can say that I did almost nothing during my 3 weeks of escape from camp...

Ok, at least I went for my bike lessons and i'm half way to completing all the lessons. Even though everyone says that bikes are dangerous, I'm probably gonna get a small bike after I complete my 1yr10mths temporary job.

After all, an income of $0 for the next 4 years doesn't exactly prove me worthy to drive 4 wheels to school. Besides, I am not really interested in small budget cars like... the vios, getz, matrix or the infamous QQ which sounds like a lingo for noodle stalls. So, the bike is the next best option la...

Its not like sg's public transport is good enough. 25mins ride to town and 15 mins of waiting and then two 167s come tailgating each other. Although the ride costs only $1.20 approx. Its not worth it. Picture a fat ass beside ya, knocking onto you when the bus moves over every small unevenness on the road and oh look! there's a reddish spider hanging in front. How did it get there!?

And so, I rather grow some moustache, get leather jacket, gloves to get onto the roads.

Oh yes kelly, I'll siam far far away from you if i happen to see u on the roads unless i've got a bcct instructor as my pillion (:

---------

there will be a bbq at my place with my jc class on the 30th.

The flames will kick off at 5pm no matter how bad the weather may be.
Attendance to be confirmed. So far, almost the whole class is coming.
There are rumours of a stay-over. Bring an extra set of clothings to make yourself comfy.

We'll be meeting at 4:30pm at yishun mrt station to take bus to my place. (sadly, i the car may not be free tat day)

dec holidays.

2006-12-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, I returned on the 6th of december... At about 4:55am.

I was so glad to be back, the feeling of being back on familiar grounds is just so good. After 28 days of eating mainly fast food and so-called chinese food. I had enough! There's no way I'm paying AUS$ 4 for a little sweet-chilli sauce.

I'm back I'm back! (=

So, its been 13 days since I came back. I've...

Signed up for class 2B lessons! Let me tell ya, motorbikes are so fun! Though they are not as elegant or luxurious as cars, bikes are still so nice! They are like... toys, toys for big boys kinda thing. Best of all, it takes very little fuel as compared to cars. So its like all the fun and none the guilt.

Bikes gives me a different sense of speed than when I'm in a car. Haha, I get nervous when the bike hits 40km/h. Its scary can?

Well, I think i should be able to finish all my lessons before march. Then I will finally get a vehicle of my own!

Recently, hl just got commissioned. The parade was so grand. I'm very sure the foot drills they performed were much tougher than the guard of honour during ndp. But thats not the point. The point is that he is now a 2LT. Respect.

Now, let me see who can I watch casino royale with...

sing for me (:

2006-11-07T01:29:00.000-08:00

Hey hey,

This weekend is the first time meeting hl after he was away for 3 weeks. And now, its my turn to leave sg... for 1 month. Sian, I can't imagine keeping myself sane without msn or internet...

leo's gonna go into seizures by the end of 2 weeks with foam in his mouth, scribbling 'msn msn msn msn' on the floor with his eyes looking like this *_*

*faints*

Nevermind. Now, let me introduce you to the new macdonalds outlet opposite amk library. Its a cool spot to have a chat over coffee from mc cafe or breakfast with your buddy. So glad that it opens 24hours coz my 2 previous visits were at 11:30pm and 5:20am respectively.

Anyway,
I wanna send my deepest condolences to someone.

drinks and music

2006-10-29T05:06:00.000-08:00

oooh, wad a great weekend!

went out to wala wala with the usual people. I'm getting a bit too lazy to blog these days. So, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

My online photo album

The live band there is good. Except for the speakers which happen to be right above us. Darn loud! The first song they played was a song from one of my racing games! Oh my goodness. It was good, but i don't know the title or remember which racing game it was from. ARGh...

I'll be back next weekend (:
Hl is coming back on tuesday! That bugger is finally back from taiwan. Its time for a nice quiet time at starbucks again. Its time to chill...

Once again, i'm leaving on the 7th nov! Don't miss me hor... Muhahahah

something in the middle

2006-10-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ah... People in my unit have been warned not to blog about sensitive information. This warning came out on 3 consecutive days and I'm getting a little worried that it may be a hint just for me. There are only a handful who blogs. I have read thru my previous entries and I am quite sure that I didn't reveal my unit name or the methods and specifications of sensitive stuff. Heh... so, this blog is here to stay.

This long weekend is really shiok... I have nothing to worrry about and I don't have to think of anything for the moment.

I guess I forgotten to mention that my bro and his gf bought a dog. It has brown fur and its kinda small. It has a liking of nibbling me. I can't describe enough with words. I shall post a pic of him after I manage to take a nice picture of him... Till now, I can't get him to stay still. Pss... tat doggy loves to get close to my stuff... like my handphone, cameras, wires and even my shoes!

Wooo, I have to type really quietly now. It has fallen asleep under my chair. Its so peaceful without something constantly trying to nibble your toes and grabbing your things.

I have yet to watch death note!

and we long to be free one day...

2006-10-14T03:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Here comes another weekend. Which means 3 weeks more to my overseas exercise. I'm not sure when I'll be leaving but its rumoured to be on the 7th of november. Yup yup...

This 13th friday was a little special because it was wei xiu's birthday! Happy 19th birthday!!! She decided to come to the prata shop near my house but i didn't get to eat with her. Instead, I caught up with ying hui and kenneth!

Oh man, I keep running into amber lights and beat a red once. Darn, it was so scary. Demerit points + fine = deep trouble, you see.

13th october was also yjc's graduation day! I wish those who are now gearing up for their A'levels all the best! People like... Kenneth, Ying Hui, Chiang Ee, Jamie, Yan Hui, Peiwen, Zheng yu and those that i...erm, forgotten to name. Give all you've got~ Chiong chiong chiong... !

-
Ah, my company is getting worse. Last minute orders are abundant. Imagine slacking for almost a full day then a sudden order comes in to tell us to do a job within an impossible timing! And it happened on a friday! BOOK OUT DAY leh!

Thus, causing us to sacrifice our weekend! I'm lucky actually. I manage to escape it because of my dental appointment yesterday as my friends had to work past our book-out timing till about 10pm before being dismissed.

Later, they were told to come back on sunday evening to finish it. Guess what saved me from that? Ha, guard duty! I made a casual decision to shift my guard duty to tomorrow and whoa! It saved me from having to do hard labour on a sunday evening!

I hope next weekend I'll be able to have more time with my friends! Till then.

Note: 28th oct is reserved for drinking with choon and stella.

Ku Leqi

2006-09-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hmm... This is the first time I put someone's name as the title of my blog entry. I wanted to blog about how shitty my time in camp was... but I don't want my blog to be saturated with negative feelings~

So, lets talk about other things that mean more to me than army. In fact, everything else is!

Its been one full week since leqi left singapore and she have yet to update her blog! Oh man, she must be so busy settling down in down under.

Oie, leqi... update ur blog leh... i've been checking your blog everytime i get online. But there's no change. Oh, come on... give us a sign.

I'll be back with pictures on my next entry.

My battery's dying. Hence, forces me to cut short this entry...

Until then... Have a NICE day!

lyrics of the day

2006-09-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

北极星的眼泪

像断了线消
失人海里面
我的眼终于失去
你的脸
再等一会奢望流星会出现
愿如果真的实现爱能不能永
远明天或许来不及变
但曾经走过的昨天
越来越远
北极星的眼泪
说不出的想念
原来我们活在两个世界
北极星的眼泪
你哭红的双眼
被淋湿的诺言淹没在心里
面我抬头看着爱不见

再等一会
奢望流星会出现
愿如果真的实现
爱能不能永远
明天或许来不及变
但曾经走过的昨天越来越远
北极星的眼泪
说不出的想念
原来我们活在两个世界
北极星的眼泪
你哭红的双眼
被淋湿的诺言
淹没在心里面
我抬头看着爱不见

当对的人等不到对的时间
就在放放开手的瞬间
爱撕成两边
北极星的眼泪说不出的想念
原来我们活在两个世界
北极星的眼泪
你哭红的双眼
被淋湿的诺言
淹没在心里面
我抬头看着爱不见
整个宇宙都流眼泪

Check out this lovely song on leqi's blog

what about this? (part 2)

2006-09-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

okie, lets continue...

8. Flight survival kit!
Skin lotion~ the cabin's air is as dry as the desert's!
Sweets! Yum yum
Perhaps some wet tissue?
what about some chocolates?
Take those magazines and newspapers!
Or a book to read?
A jacket is a must as it can get real cold.
Use some lip balm...
Take a pen with you

9. Assuming that economy class is the way to go. Then 20kg is the max the check-in luggage should be before incuring excess baggage costs. This happens to be A$28 per kilogram!
The limit for hand-carry luggage is 7kg. Only 1 piece is allowed. However, it is ok to carry another small bag along... small bag...

10. You must be having a real hard time trying to choose what goes with you and what doesn't. Fear not! You can try sending your stuff over thru the 'unaccompanied baggage' option

Albeit unaccompanied Baggage can only consist of personal clothing and articles including books, portable music instruments and portable sporting equipment.

Call 6542 5848, 6545 2884 or 6546 8349 to reach Qantas Freight Sales Office
SATS Airfreight Terminal 5
Module 5 Core J 4th Floor
30 Airport Cargo Road
Singapore 819830

At least its cheaper this way...

If you need more help in getting your stuff over, then maybe you should head down to DHL...

I hope this entry can be useful.
Good luck.

wad about this?

2006-09-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hmm, I'm just feeling bored so I decided to blog again. YES, again!

So, I asked myself about the things I would bring with me if I was going abroad to study. I hope leqi and that someone who-does-not-know-my-blog-exists finds it useful.

1. I would bring clothes! Ha, yes. How expected. I would bring about 3 pairs of comfortable clothings, another 3 pairs of townish wear, a set of pajamas and 2 pairings of formal things to flaunt. Opps, and x number of undergarments too! Don't forget those winter wear

2. fOOtwear baby! sport shoes, leather shoes, sneakers and a pair of slippers~ Don't forget the socks...

3. toiletries, definately need those little things. toothbrush, toothpaste, facial wash, hand soap, your favourite shampoo and shower foam and a good towel. Comb, hair gels and a bottle of perfume are nice things to have.

4. a personal first aid kit which consist of...
plasters(get elastoplast which comes with 4 different sizes),
thermometer(where is one when u need one!)
antiseptic cream(the one that has 'Chlorhexidine Cream BP' written on it)
medicated oil
eye drops

5. Tech stuff!

Laptop + CHARGER + extra batteries/removable drives. Check if the charger can use the same potential difference, i mean voltage, supplied by that destination country. Most chargers are now 110-240V~ compatible. Must check the pins too.

If u still have the guarentee card with ya, BRING that along. chances are, ur laptop has worldwide coverage.

Handphone - GSM900/1800/1900, CDMA? do u know what those mean? its ok if you don't know. Your singaporean hp won't work in japan or korea. Check its charger too! Get at least a 1Gb memory card to store all your goodies!

oh ya, if u intend to call back to singapore from wherever u are, remember magical number '+65'

If you want to, get skype to chat with me (:

Cameras! Yes, an absolute necessity. Memory cards, check! batteries, check! charger, check!

Now, do remember. You have 3,three, different chargers with you.

MP3 player! hmm, that shouldn't be of concern because your songs are stored in your beloved phone.

6. Beware of custom restrictions. Australia is like our neighbourhood coffee shop "no outside food allowed". And... erm, if that someone is going to london. No electronic items, liquids or gels are allowed in hand-carry bags.

7. have you brought along your PASSPORT? expiry date checked? visa done? photocopy them.

8. Flight survival kit!
Skin lotion~ the cabin's air is as dry as the desert's!
*to be continued*

this week

2006-09-12T02:10:00.000-07:00

Ah, last weekend. I attended yjc's gala dinner. Nothing special about the dinner. Normal food with a strange dessert. Anyway, I have uploaded pictures this time! Weee!

Leslie, Iris and wp are missing from the pic because they left early.

Wanna know how many people are there? Here's a hint.

-------
Anyway, folks attending this year's IMF would be arriving soon. My duties at the airport have already started. Its a real cool job. I can get to slack around and enjoy what the people in the transit area are pampered with. However, the only few things which are affordable are the fast food restaurants and the liqour from duty free shops. $22.90 for 1 litre of vodka? Too bad I can't buy those. As a consolation, I love those free internet terminals. They are almost everywhere! I catch Nat online most of the time when I'm in changi... I can't wait for her to come back (:

To dey airport!

2006-09-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

During this week, I've been and will be visiting the airport almost everyday. Most of the time, I end up exploring the transit area and using their free internet consoles... Haha, fun. Just that I won't be able to do any other things than this.

The transit area is awesome! If you are travelling outta singapore and you have absolutely no idea what to do during the 2-hour wait, I suggest you get into the transit area! Here, you can visit the countless number of shops along the walkways. Although most of the items are priced way beyond the reach of our age group, its still nice to look at what we are missing out.

If you need any last minute re-stock, there is a watson's shop in T2 transit. The items come in miniature sizes! So cute! Best of all, they are reasonably priced. Have you seen a tiny herbal essences shampoo that lasts about 2-3 weeks of use? I shall get some of those as momentos during my stay in the airport.

1 year 2 months left!

2006-09-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, I must say that there are always something special to write about every week. Every week is different but... By the time weekend arrives, most of my memory would have vanished and hence I get lazy to write about what, how, who, which or why something happened.

Please pardon me for that.

From 9th september till 23rd sept, I'll be in changi airport T2 strolling around in a pink long sleeve shirt, a pink tie, grey pants and a odd grey blazer(is this spelling correct?). One word to describe my outfit - STRANGE. I'll be working from 10am to 11pm. Who decided on that outfit man? That person must dig that 70's show or made friends with dinos.

That means that I'll be missing out
1) YJ's mid-autumn singing comp.
2) leqi's party
3) kbox sessions with Hl, leqi, stella, leslie...
4) driving around with cw, tjy and seek

Yesterday night, kenneth, kevin and I went for a short cycling trip near town area. It was quite a cool ride but it had to end early because kevin has a curfew due to his disappearing act after a couple of drinks which sent his parents into panic now he has a curfew.

After kevin left, kenneth and I proceeded to toa payoh to eat... erm, mac donalds for supper. It was almost 2am and the big mac was fresh out of the oven! It even had a hint of smoke emerging when i lifted the bread to reveal the slice of yummy yummy beef. Wow! thats a first. kenneth later allowed me to drive his car back to his house. How generous of him (:

Well, I hope I didn't gave him too much nausea or fear. Not really familiar with manual cars after having so much time with the auto. But hey, I didn't stall the car ok!

He's car is an old toyota corolla. Let me define 'old'... Its so old that the engine's rpm went dangerously low when the air condition was switched on. It was almost slipping into a stall. But nevertheless, that car was quite a fun car to operate. The steering was responsive and light... almost like the one on daytona. The gearbox was amazingly light and happy. The clutch was... really really gentle to my foot. I'm sure kenneth loves to drive that car too.

I should be updating my blog more often from 9th sept onwards because I'll have access to computers! albeit the 15min limit per 'session' which I have to renew by closing all the applications and reloading everything back again. Thats how irritating T2 transit computers are.

See you soon!

erm... huh?

2006-08-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Ooh, its yet another beautiful saturday morning! How nice... I'm slowly writing this entry in the comfort of my slightly warm room away from the hectic work in camp.

Yesterday, I finally caught the fireworks!!!

-------- End of the half written entry on saturday ---------

Ok, I guess good times never last huh. You may be wondering how am I able to continue writing this entry on a weekday. Well, I took 1.5 days off.

It wasn't easy persuading my superiors to let me claim my off because he insisted that 'eh, cannot anyhow take off take leave leh, got a lot of things to do leh...'

That was essentially bullshit because we had almost next to nothing to do in camp. So, I told them that I wanna fetch my dad from the airport. So they looked at me with a suspicious look and told me to show the boarding pass on thursday when I get back to camp.

Darn, my superior doesn't really like me huh... Maybe because another guy took a day off with the reason of wanting to send his family off for a short overseas trip on the day before.

Now, the next thing I wanna complain about really takes the cake.

Well, I have guard duty on friday which ends the next day morning.

Then, on that saturday morning itself, I have to rush to changi airport for IMF training.

On sunday, I have guard duty again!

Oh great, I'm gonna be like a zombie during the training and make a fool out of myself on sat and then more of my superiors will hate me.

I think you can see how this is going. And... nope, they won't compensate us for our burnt weekends. And it will be like confinement won't it?

And guess what, I only know about my sat training today.

Its sucks that I have to tell Sheng En that my friends and I wont be attending her concert in the very last minute. What if she already bought the tickets? What if she already told those in charge to reserve the tickets for us?

NDP over over over!

2006-08-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Yesh Yes!

NDP is finally over! No more running around in the stadium when that silly song is played. No more saturdays burnt.

Yesterday, strangely... I wasn't nervous at all when we were waiting at the corner of the stadium for our turn to run in. In fact, most of us were feeling sleepy. Wahaha... The weather was just perfect for a parade as the sun was kind yesterday and it rained in the morning...

I reckon that the best part we felt during the parade was the run-out. There was a HUGE feeling of relieve that nothing went wrong and we could finally remove that heavy helmet off our heads. That 'grass hat' was causing immense pain on our foreheads for everyone. We were so so glad that we shouted on the way out! I guess no one would expect a guy like me to shout my head off when we were exiting the stadium. Wahahaha...! It felt as though I had ORDed that night. The feeling is so good when running out, people are clapping for you and smiling at you that kinda conveyed an acknowledgement of our hard work.

Anyway, back to reality. I'm booking in to my camp tonight to do lots of work on friday. I've now accumulated 11 off days but it would be difficult to claim them as my camp only allows us to use those off days on those days which we have little work to do... This criterion is very very hard to satisfy in my camp as we have very litle people in our company. Sucks right? Feels as though i'm lending money to someone who can never return me.

----
Another thing, kevin, kenneth and I missed team Singapore's fireworks on tuesday! Dang. That stupid jam that clogged almost all the roads in town. We managed to hear the explosions though. ARgh... so disappointing! But luckily there are still 2 more times to catch them!

I'm gonna be rushing to town after my 18km run in east coast tomorrow evening to catch those lights with leqi and stella! Wish me luck that I won't be late! wahhahaha!

In the mean time, I'm so eager for IMF to come. By then I would be working in changi airport from 11 sept to 23 sept. I'll probably stay over at the viewing area at night because it would not be feasible to go home every night after my shift which ends at 11pm. So maybe if anyone wants to come stay over at the airport or study there, please please give me a call! I'll be super bored at night as I doubt I can use my pass to enter the transit area after my shift to use their free internet terminals and phones! oh, I'm such a cheapo. Wahahaha...

Ooh, I was told that we will receive a 3G phone to assist in our work. Hope its a real 3G phone and not a phone of a brand called '3G'... heh heh heh.

Anyway, this week had been a very fine week so far. See, not long ago, I was doing guard duty on monday. Now I'm here writing this blog on a thursday evening! Felt that this week passed so fast. But, I've guard duty this sunday. Sian sian sian!

end of july

2006-07-31T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ooh... NDP is coming soon! Our efforts are about to get paid off! Finally, its ending... I hope the rumoured lump sum of extra off days are true!

This weekend ended too quickly! Only managed to catch the lake house on sunday with kel. My goodness, I think she was totally bored by that movie.
My first movie of the month. I'm so glad that july is over. Here comes august le!

I just visited NUS' webby and the roamed around the plains of the cca list. And there are a few ccas I would love to join such as air rifle club, photographic society and cycling club. Heh, I think air rifle won't be much of a difference as compared to photography. Both involves the index finger and a point-and-shoot action. Well, I have 1 year 3 months to think about which of these I will choose. Haha...

Ah, I went to orchard with tjy on friday night and argh! the roads are confusing. It never crossed my tiny mind that town roads can be such a maze. ah, tjy drives darn fast although we aren't rushing for supper.

Hey hey everyone, Singapore Fireworks Festival 2006 is here!

Venue: Esplanade Bay
Time:9pm

Sat, 5 Aug 2006: Team ITALY
Tue, 8 Aug 2006: Team SINGAPORE
Fri, 11 Aug 2006: Team NEW CALEDONIA
Sat, 12 Aug 2006: A Complimentary Musically Choreographed Fireworks Display by the French Team of Singapore Fireworks Festival 2004.

If u are intending to take pics of the fireworks, don't leave your camera in AUTO mode. It probably won't work well. Try playing with the settings! Too bad I'll probably miss the one on 5th august because I have NDP rehearsals again. I estimate that I'll reach home at 9pm but I'm keeping my fingers crossed, I've all my batteries charged and memory cards cleared just in case I have a little time to choing to esplanade to capture those lights.

Well, thats all for the week. Have to go back to camp le...

. . .

2006-07-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

ah, its a good week. Had a suprise 'off' today right after our 12km run. how nice. That means I haven't done any parachute packing or anything related to my vocation yet. 3-day work week anyone? heehee. But don't be too envious. I have news that wed and thurs will be "sai kang" days. And worse still, I have guard duty on wednesday which is tomorrow. How unpleasant.

Anyway, 1 week more and I've 1year3 months left till ORD date! I'm slowly closing in to ORD date! It feels like running an endurance race... and I'm now about 1/4 done and I'm quite tired. I'm sure all my male jc frens are feeling the same and i urge every NSF to grind their teeth and carry on!

Miserable pay + long working hours + little time spent at home + brain-damaged superiors + compulsory 2 years = no motivation

Got my day off!

2006-07-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

Yes! Its the first time i'm out of my camp on a weekday! Ho ho! My NDP rehearsals are starting to pay off. So far, I've accumulated 5.5 days of off days. This may not seem like much but you'll have to consider that I have only been in my vocation for 4 months. The harsh times of this year is begining to fade... In fact, it is likely that I'll have so many off days that it would be somewhat hard to clear.

After NDP, I'll have an additional 5-10 days off... Then next comes the IMF job we will take on after NDP which should have "confirm 2-digit days off", senior confidently predicts.

However, I must not forget about my terrible new CSM(company sergeant major) who is trying very very hard to dominate by fear and intimidation with his knowledge of the laws of SAF. This can be quite scary... The moment we are charged with any offence, our university application will be shreded into a thousand and 1 pieces.

-
Recently, I got to know that cw changed blog. Haha, I'm getting information in such a slow rate huh... cw ah, your attachment experience is somewhat like my army experience. I have one instructor who likes to ask questions that a)we probably don't know, b) have yet to learn and c) irrelevant and if we are unable to answer the question, we will have to "knock it down 20" per question. How sadistic! Anyway I'm glad that phrase is now over!

Ah, If you missed leqi, she's now back in sg after quite a while in hong kong. It seems that she's becoming very apt in black & white photography. Go check out her blog~

Nat, take more pictures leh... (: It brings us closer to Canada. heehee.

-

Today, my tiny bro woke me up at 6:30am to drive him to school because he woke up late. In the end, he got to school so much eariler than expected. Haha... It felt so nice to drive, it really trills to be able to go right up to 100km/h without pedaling.

ARgh... taxi fares have risen again. It has increased 10%. DArn... I just hate public transport.

there goes another week!

2006-07-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Its now 12:23pm... I've to reach camp by 5:30pm, this means I have about about 2h30mins to play with before I have to leave my house.

I'm starting to feel that weekends are kind of like a dream, they can be totally different from reality and very pleasant. This weekend is rather fine considering that I had a 1/2 day off on friday. The only thing that cuts the happiness short is that my superiors demanded NDP participants to report to camp at 11pm that night to sleep there so as to prevent people from taking MCs for the rehearsal on the next day.

So on friday night, my family and I went to pasir ris park to have dinner at fisherman's village. Its a pity that it will be closing down by the end of this month. The food was good, the drinks held up to my expectations(starfruit and green apple mix) and the atmosphere was nice and slow - just the right place to start a weekend. Ok, actually... the main point is that I drove the car to pasir ris and my parents were quite relaxed through the long ride. Yay!

Saturday - It was the first NDP 2006 sneak preview. Well, this is the first time when trainings get more and more relaxed as the big day creeps nearer. So nice. Better yet, every time I go for the rehearsal... I feel good that 1 week has passed which translate to 1 week nearer to my ORD date. Although it is still quite a long time away from now... but hey, there are only 4 weeks per month!

Here are some pictures of the preview by members of clubsnap:
1. david goh click the link "NDP2006 Preview" in the first post
2. clockunder
3. psychomatic
4. erickwan1989

Darn, this is my first time posting links to other people's pics. I miss posting my own pics!

Sunday was yet again another slack day... (: Gone out at night to eat prata with patrick and we spotted some peirce 4e4 folks and my fellow biker jon. Hmm... such a small world.

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Ok, back to complaining about army life. My new CSM (company sergeant major) is odd. He doesn't do anything, shows obvious signs of memory problems and is extremely unreasonable. however, he is only interested in the daily falling-out time which is also beneficial to us as he will try to let us go back to bunk at 6:30pm. Hmm.... he is changing a lot of regulations and life is gonna get tougher.

Its now 1:46pm. I shall now end my entry. hope you enjoy the pictures and have a nice week ahead. Now, I'm yet again looking forward to my next weekend!

another entry before i run back to camp

2006-07-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

I feel so cheated. My unit's management is getting messier by the day. I'm here with another rant.

Firstly, people are selected by random to participate in NDP. We have rehearsals on every weekend till ninth of august. This month, it is expected that rehearsals will intensify. To compensate us of our lost weekend, they will return us 1 day off per rehearsal we attend on the following monday. Sadly, the guy who plans the monthly guard duty roster decided to play a sick joke on the NDP participants in my company. Every 'junior' (which refers to my friends and me) are allocated guard duties on monday while 'seniors' have duties on days other than weekends and mondays.

The reason why I feel so cheated is because... when we have guard duty on a monday, we will have to return to camp by 5:30pm compared to the usual 11pm. Please keep in mind that whenever there are rehearsals, we have to reach camp by 8:15am and we leave camp by around 7pm

So, it like borrowing $50, returning $50 and then taking back $15 because the borrower didnt felt like returning u the full amount.

ok, enough of complains.
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This weekend was spent quite wastefully on my sleep. Perhaps I'm morhping into a pig... I blew my friday's half-day off on sleep, then slept again in the night and wake up in the afternoon on saturday.

I was supposed to go to chinatown and arab street with yiwei to fulfill my photographic desires for scenaries... yes, the buildings there are cool. (sorry yiwei!) But then, my parents wanted me to watch the SYF opening ceremony at the national stadium to support my tiny bro, bernard, as he was performing.

In the end, I went out with tjy, chen wei and nettx for some japanese food in orchard. I suspect someone in our group likes that restaurant very much... which is why it is the second time we're there. Chen wei brought me a shirt for my birthday present! (this time u got the size right. heehee. Thanks a lot =D) Quite a nice shirt with a motorcross theme. I shall wear it the next time we meet up.

yet again

2006-07-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

ah... its the weekends again. This time, I had a long weekend consisting of 3 days considering that I booked out on friday afternoon. Its been so long since I had a good weekend! Finally can start to claim my off le... I have already accumulated 7 days of off days.

During the past week, my unit had a few activities... we had range practise on monday which i screwed it up because of my bullets getting jammed so many times! Luckily they changed the magazine on tuesday for the test... I was so glad that everything went smoothly. It was surprising that I obtained m16 marksmanship because I thought that I have failed my range test. Only 3 out of my 15 friends made the mark and soon, we'll have our marksmanship badge.. That will probably be the only badge I'm proud of among my other useless badges on my uniform.

On thursday night, i embarked on a 16km route march. Sounds like a long walk in the park, doesn't it? Hmm... army really knows how to make tortures out of simple things such as walking. We were made to walk slow at first, but the tempo increased after 4km. The terrain we moved on were laid with rocks and stones with the size of my fist which makes it very easy to slip and sucks energy like thirsty hippo does to water vapour. After every kilometer, the 20kg Full-battle-order seemed to increase in weight. Of course, i'm assuming the mass stayed constant while the gravitational pull mysteriously increased for no apparent reason.

Let me describe to you how route march feels like. At the start, we are dry and comfortable, but as it proceeds, our helmet seems to be pressing on the pain sensors on our heads, our uniform becomes a wet, smelly and hot. The field pack pressing on our backs ain't helping with the ventilation either. Slowly, blisters develop. Every single step becomes a terrible thing as the hard sole of the boots press mercilessly on the blisters. The humid forest fogs the spectacles, limiting visibility to a blind 5m, and cleaning the specs with the uniform will only make things worse as it is totally wet and has fine sand stuck on it. The march started at 12am and ended at 7am. Our destination was a hill that overlooks jurong and had our breakfast that "money can't buy" which consist of macdonald hotcakes ( oh yes, u cant buy 2 hotcakes in one serving in any mac right?). Later on, aboard the 5-tonner everyone was so tired that we fell asleep almost instantly.

something normal about this week?

2006-05-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

It has been another busy week. My formation celebrated its 20th anniversary on tuesday and wesnesday with games, 1/2 day off and a dinner. It was pleasant as it distrupted the trainings we were supposed to have! Yay!

But after the dinner, my stomach voiced out its unhappiness by giving me jolts of pain and diarrhoea. Strangely, i wasn't the only one experiencing this. My fren, royce, also felt the same and so... we visited the medical office and was put on drip. We were jabbed twice because the medic couldn't get to our veins... But after that, we were quite glad that the doc gave us 2 days of MC. Wahahaha!

The MC really saved us a lot of hassle which went on later that day. Who would have known that our unit was put on STAND-BY to aid in east timor and my collegues had to stay back in camp until almost dinner time before they are dismissed.

This weekend, I developed a phobia of receiving smses and calls on my handphone. People from my camp kept calling me for all sorts of reasons... Most of which are news I rather not receive... The calls were so irritating!

"eh, leonard, u are activated for guard duty for tmr" - wow! when can i ever have another uninterupted weekend? those arses must be making me take over other people's guard duty without asking my permission again.

"leonard ar... no need to come for guard duty tmr liao."
"wad? can u repeat that again?" - oh my goodness! I'm so glad to save my weekend! After all, I already done 3 guard duties this month. It would be so unfair if did another one this month! I think that admin guy hates me.

Anyway, my driving test is coming soon! 5th of june, baby! I know I'll pass this! No more stupid mistakes! No more!!! The only thing i'm worried about is that my unit may send me to east timor before my driving test! Then i wouldnt even have a chance to cancel my driving test! That would be throwing $150 into the drain.

Sigh, its sunday night again. Gonna have to book in.. again.
Till then...

rambles of the week

2006-05-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

Oh man! I'm getting lesser and lesser time to myself! NDP rehearsals are now 12hours instead of the usual 6hours on saturdays and I wont get to clear my off until after my course. However, after NDP, there will be another event that will take away more of my saturdays. I don't like to accumulate off days because it is almost like lending money to a fellow that never intend to return it back to you.

During this period of time, I lost something, something that i hold dear. I probably can't get it back anymore and I wont have time to.

2 years may seem like a short time for those who have gone through army but it is excruiatingly long for those who are still in it... It is so long that it seems like forever. army doesn't just pause your life, it twists and turns it randomly to its favour and you have to force it back to the direction you want it to go at the end of the two years.

I miss taking pictures! I saw Nat's blog and whoa! So many pictures! It looks so cool to wear thick thick winter clothings and not having to perspire at all. From the look of her blog, I reckon that she brings her camera everywhere she goes! I used to be like that! Which idiot would wanna bring a camera to OBS and refuse to deposit it in their base camp? ME! Of course, I wasn't that insane to bring my precious digital camera... I purchased a disposible one and as expected, it sustained deep scars through the rough handling but it survived! Oh man, I miss life before army so much! I swore to myself that I must get back twice of what sg took from me during this two years *1year 10months, actually* Being male does not mean that we should be treated as if we don't have a life wad...

Getting paid $350 per month and telling us "it is enough"? Yea, its enough to survive, not enough to live. I bet my female friends are earning 2 to 3 times my pay for working less hours and they get to go home to sleep!

Oh ya, I calculated that I earn erm... 48cents per hour. Thats way below the poverty level in sg i guess? I need a good break again. army makes me feel that being able-bodied is more of a curse than a blessing sometimes.

My driving test is coming soon, I hope I can skip my NDP trainings for my practise lessons.

Oh ya, I got accepted into NUS science faculty! I think miss tan would be happy for me. Ha ha... I have no idea how I managed to pass their interview... Maybe too little people chosen science?

Ok, thats it for the week. Thanks all for reading my blog often! hope you don't get too disappointed by the long waits between updates! Wish you a nice week ahead!