mungyology since 1986

Childlike Innocence

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 03:33:15 PDT

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked

"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

He called a little child

And had him stand among them

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children

You will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

-Matthew 18:1-3

So Exciting

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 06:31:57 PST

I'm going to get it back tomorrow, and it's such a great feeling altogether.

Wait, that was an understatement. I mean, who wouldn't be glad that they are gonna collect back their pink IC after two bloody years of slavery. But still, I must say that the feeling of having completed the ordeal is tremendous. I wouldn't exchange this feeling for anything else in the world.

Yes, we may say that we hate it. We may say that it's a total waste of time. We may curse and swear at it. But at the end of the day, we're simply happy that the journey is over. We're done with this rite of passage and we're looking into the future. Two years came and went by, and we've grown stronger.

Cheers to all for a job well done, and God bless to those who are still in it.

Finally, we can say that we've being there, done that.

It's Good To Be Away

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 08:50:25 PST

But it's even better to come back home once again. I've always liked the feeling of coming back to Changi Airport, and how you queue with at the immigration counter under the "Singapore Citizen" section. It's such a great feeling altogether!

But the best thing of all is that when you return home after a long trip, and you find that the number suddenly drops to four.

So exciting.

Thank God I Didn't Disappoint

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:07:51 PST

So many pairs of eyes were on us today, and one particular pair of eyes belonged to a one-star general.

And the feeling of shooting the missile was just so awesome. Well, if you do remember, it was "nothing short of magnificent". There probably won't be enough words that I can say to describe that feeling. You've got to go through it to really experience it. Nothing beats the real thing. Hours and hours of drill practices and simulation rounds won't do it. You've just got to go through it to really experience it.

It was pretty stressful that people were saying that we were the stars of the show. As if it was not enough, some said that if all else fails, it's just $40,000 down the drain, nothing much. Well, those words make me rather nervous. But still, I managed to stay calm and it was just so amazing to go through that five seconds or so. To see the warhead hit the target, smashing the target to bits and pieces, and to be able to shout "Impact"!

I was just so afraid things will screw up the moment I pressed the firing button. For a split second, nothing happened. And I was clueless on what to do next. Thankfully for me, the warhead flew out the next moment, and everyone heaved a collective sigh of relieve; PC, PS and almost everyone else in the team.

And I almost forgot to guide the missile to the target.

Still, nothing beats the feeling of seeing the target blown into bits and pieces.

I want to shoot it again!

Civilian Conversion Course

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 06:22:46 PST

I'm 18 days away from the completion of my civilian conversion course, and I can't wait for the day to come!

And Cheryl was naive enough to believe that there is really such a course for me to integrate back to society.

An All-Too-Familiar Sight

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:12:13 PST

That you'll only see once a year.

Yes, I was there, squeezing my way through the crowd, trying to find a way out. Sweaty I was, and tired I was. Yet, it was the only time of the year where people from all walks of life come down and squeeze with each other, simply just to soak in the festive atmosphere.

Oh, happy Chinese New Year.

For like the ten thousandth time, I don't actually like Chinese New Year.

Yes, I'm a Chinese and I'm supposed to enjoy all the festive traditions that we indulge ourselves in. I'm supposed to greet my elders and in turn receive a red packet. I'm supposed to like the house visiting sessions where we go from one house to another, to eat and engage in some catch-up conversations. And if we truly enjoy ourselves, it's a bonus.

Still, I don't really like Chinese New Year. For all the extra cash and extra food that I receive, I cannot lie. I hate it when we have to do house visits, and we have to meet up with folks, relatives and friends that we probably see only once a year. Twice, if there is matrimony joy in the family.

It's like we have to keep up our smiles, and behave. And sometimes, it is just so hard to break the ice. Conversation topics have been the same since forever. A little of "How are your grades?", a little of "Which university are you going to attend?", and a little of "So have you been catching up with so-and-so?".

Come on, guys! Don't you get tired of asking the same questions every year? Aren't you guys bored with how typical those conversation topics are?

And when you get the answer, you try and act like you're interested. You try to appear as though you know what is going on. But deep down inside, you're just hoping that time will tick by faster, and you can make some excuse to leave, and proceed to your next destination.

And the cycle continues.

But then again, what is there for me to do? Who wouldn't want to just earn some quick buck by just smiling and say some nice greetings?

Thankfully this year, I found a question that I like to answer.

"So, how long more before you finish your national service?"

My reply?

"Twenty days."

The Smile

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 07:54:09 PST

For the twenty-first time in my life, I was without a date for Valentine's Day. Oh well.

On the other hand, it was fun reflecting on the good old days and the smile.

The Great Nike Search

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 08:32:56 PST

So, the seven of us searched all the Nike stores along the Orchard Road belt, and found not a single Manchester United jersey. Well actually, we found one at Cineleisure but the size was wrong. Other than that, it was just walking from one place to another, trying to find the "promised land".

So much so that it has led someone to conclude that we were on the Great Nike Search.

Happy 21st Birthday, Ming Xuan.

Congratulations Lions, for bring home the ASEAN Cup once again!

Bring The Fattened Calf!

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 09:52:40 PST

And the prodigal son came home.

I've never seen Joy so happy before.

My First Friend In Army

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:00:08 PST

Alex reminisces about his first step in the army:

"I was then lead into a hallway, where they took my pink IC. There was no glorious ceremony, them taking away your IC and giving you a 11B. They just took it, like it was just another discount card for a shop. I didn't even have a last look at it. I waited, and waited. I had no friends there, not until I saw one. He sat next to me at the lecture hall, and smiled at me. I didn't know who he was, but smiled back nevertheless. I tried to start a conversation with him, simply by asking what school he was from. He looked at me, bewildered, and said, "We from the same school, la" He became my first friend in army."

Haha. I'm that person.

Forty-two more days and I'll be free.

Second To None

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:27:13 PST

2 SIR, 12th Mono Intake, Support Company
ORD Dinner

Simply Red

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 03:10:53 PST

So, we finally went down to visit Gabriel at work after talking about it for so long. It was rather unexpected though, as someone didn't want to hang out around her neighbourhood. Apparently, something changed her mind. And while we were there, he managed to clinch a deal. I guess we should visit him more often from now on.

There was a guy wearing the Chelsea jersey in church today, another couple walking on the streets, and one dozing off on the train. Each time I see them, I was tempted to walk up to them and extend my hand, and say, "Bro, so how does it feel losing two-nil to Liverpool?" But then, I decided against it. It was wiser to keep my mouth shut, and hold my head up high silently. Haha.

"For if Roman Abramovich had watched the abysmal performance his overpaid stars put up last night, he would be forgiven for snuggling up to the Dubai Investment Capital executives in the Liverpool directors' box and enquiring about a possible joint-venture to buy Liverpool...

Shevchenko went on to spend another 17 unproductive minutes on the pitch, as the Kop laughed at his inability to do the simplest of tasks like trapping a cross or taking a shot on target." - Stanley Ho, The New Paper On Sunday

Fifty

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:50:39 PST

"Old soldiers never die; they just fade away." - General Douglas MacArthur, WWII Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific, Supreme United Nations Commander

I'm fading away.

The Secret Place

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 07:53:57 PST

I never knew the open area at Raffles City is a good place for sharing secrets.

And the project is now 92.465753424657534246575342465753% completed.

New Year, New Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:52:47 PST

Miss Wee mentioned that my new year resolution should be for myself to become mean.

Oh well.

Goodbye 2006, Hello 2007

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 03:05:46 PST

So, today is the last day of the year 2006 and in a few hours' time, we're going to usher in the new year.

Time flies, doesn't it?

Thanks for 2006, guys. And have a blessed 2007!

It's Post-Christmas Time Again

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 06:24:04 PST

So, Christmas came and went by. And it's post-Christmas time once again.

As with previous years, the festive period was spent mostly with church people. And Deborah will certainly agree with me that it is the only time in the year specially reserved for people in the church. And I guess it's going to stay that way for quite some time.

The festive atmosphere kicked in early with the youth drama practice, and as with the practice the original bunch of us did, there were more chatting, laughing, and crapping around instead of actual practice. But it is down to all these that make Christmas a little more meaningful, right? And of course, there were some forgotten lines and slip-ups, making one wonder if all the practising is really effective. Oh well.

It didn't help that Christmas Service was on Christmas Eve instead, making all of us feel that 24th December was Christmas itself. It also didn't help that Christmas Eve was spent gathering overnight at Ben's place, playing mass games, and drinking water as the forfeit, and because of that, we were exhausted and slept the Christmas away. Well, almost.

Meeting up with the original bunch of them is always entertaining. Somehow, we would always find joy digging up all the ancient past and all the dumb things we did, and laughing together at how childish we were back then. And once every so often, one would get arrowed and the whole bunch would start laughing and laughing. Of course, the chief culprit would often be Asha. No doubts about that.

Time always past seemingly fast whenever the festive season is around the corner, when one is enjoying the company of close friends. Brace yourself for another round of gatherings and meet-ups during the New Year period!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 09:59:13 PST

"And man will live forever more, because of Christmas Day."

Landmark Occasion

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 02:18:55 PST

Today marks the day when my national slavery liability turns double digits instead of the usual three digits.

99 more days, and I'll be free!

I Would Be True

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 05:50:51 PDT

"I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care.
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare."
- Howard Arnold Walter, 1906

Selamat Hari Raya

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 04:39:09 PDT

The holiday was spent on Sentosa with Naughty Boy.

Thanks to SingTel, we managed to get a free ride on the Sentosa Luge & Skyride.

It's quite interesting, go try it out for yourself some time soon!

Taipei 101

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 06:53:09 PDT

After the visit to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, we stopped by at Taipei 101. Located at the Hsin-Yi District, Taipei 101 is presently the world's tallest building, surpassing the height of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur in late August 2003.

Taipei 101 was opened to the public on the New Year's Eve of 2005

The first building in the world to break the half-kilometre mark in height

TAIPEI is mnemonic for Technology, Art, Innovation, People, Environment, and Identity while 101 represents the concept of striving for beyond perfection. With such an enterprising name, it is no wonder that Taipei 101 was chosen as one of the best new skyscrapers of the year 2004.

Entrance tickets

Entrance tickets were priced at 350NT each, which allowed access to the 89th storey where the indoor observatory area is located. An additional 100NT is required if one wants to gain access to the 91st storey where the outdoor observatory area is. Of course, being the adventurous bunch, we decided to go for the outdoor observatory!

With top speeds of 1010 m/min, visitors can whiz to the observatory level in 39 seconds

We went up to the 89th storey via the world's fastest elevator. There are 2 elevators which transport the visitors from the 5th storey to the 89th storey and they are installed by Toshiba!

Upon reaching the indoor observatory area, we were greeted by several tremendous view of the entire city area. The majestic view is unparalleled! We could see the mountains, the valleys, and the rivers.

Everything seemed very "Sim City"

Even the roads appear cute

Since it was such a magnificent structure, much construction expertise was essential. A gigantic mass damper was installed on the 87th storey to help stabilise the tower against typhoons and earthquakes.

The damper is available for public viewing on the 89th storey

The view of the top

All in all, the experience up there was fantastic. It was pleasant to go all the way via the world's fastest elevator. And ogling the entire city area of Taipei was tremendous, the view is excellent. Though it's quite a costly, I think the trip there was rather worthwhile.

At least, I can now say that I walked into the world's tallest building!

(More photos here)

Turning Twenty

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:03:42 PDT

"Happy birthday to you
You're not twenty two
You have a marching forward
That is not blue"
- Cheryl Lee

Thanks guys for making the last couple of days so memorable and meaningful! Thank you very much for all the meet-ups, all the wonderful presents, all the heartfelt birthday greetings. I really appreciate them. You guys made 9 October 2006 precious.

Turning twenty, I've now reached the stage when I'm too old to be a kid and too young to be considered an adult.

Woah, so old already.

Not All Fun & Games

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 07:17:13 PDT

After the excitement and enjoyment of the second day, we began the third day of our Taiwan trip on a sombre note. A visit to the historical memorial hall for Chiang Kai-Shek was on the cards.

The sign at the train station

This structure greeted us upon our arrival

Chiang Kai-Shek was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the KMT after the death of Sun Yat-Sen. He then served as the President of Taiwan before his passing on at the age of 87 in 1975.

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

A family day carnival

There was a family carnival there when we visited, and the things they sell are just like any carnival, nothing special about them.

Changing of Guards ceremony

But what's special about the place is that there is a change of guards parade every hour of the day, and it was a rather elaborate process. We were fortunate to catch the first change of guards parade of the day.

A closer look at the guards

Check out their hand gestures. As they are marching up the steps, the soldiers perform some sophisticated movement of their hands.

Performing an act of respect

Upon reaching the hall, the soldiers pay respects to one of the founding fathers of Taiwan by doing some rifle salutes.

On sentry

Once the entire procession is over, the sentries take up their respective positions and there they remain for the rest of their shift. They are not allowed to move at all, not even an inch. It takes tremendous discipline!

Gosh, we were in slippers

I hope we weren't showing any disrespect when we turned up in slippers. It simply slipped our minds that we were wearing slippers on that day.

(More photos here)

Travelling Again Soon

noreply@blogger.com (KwokSiong) — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 06:48:20 PDT

I know it has been just days since I came back from Taiwan. But I think I'm going to travel again some time soon.

The destination? Either Korea or Japan. Or maybe both.

And the haze situation is terrible. Very terrible.