Red Data

Moved

2009-11-22T11:16:00.000+08:00

To here.

Bye!

Living

2009-09-19T18:32:00.005+08:00

How do you live a life with no regret, even if you were to die tomorrow?

A recent encounter with an unexpected someone made me rethink.

Do you live your life trying to make everyone else happy?

Do you live under someone else's values and beliefs; do you compromise your own, if any to begin with?

If you stood strongly by what you are and what you believe in, do you then ignore everything that falls outside this tight boundary you have set for yourself?

Why are we bothered by things that don't really mean anything at all in the end?

Why do we worry so much?

Should we ought to just remain nonchalant?

Should we care?

Kawasaki

2009-08-29T15:39:00.002+08:00

I decided on a Kawasaki KIPS today after much consideration over the past few days.

They will be doing a full servicing and handling all the paperwork for me, so I'll only be able to collect it on Tuesday.

And I'll still have to wait 2 weeks for my defensive riding course before I can ride to camp.

I'm a bit impatient already, but what's 2 weeks when I've waited 9 months right?

Pictures soon!

It's Got To Be

2009-08-27T17:43:00.008+08:00

As I looked at the forlorn faces being cruelly called out to leave the room one by one, I thought to myself, would I be next?

After 9 months of a long wait, would I have to continue waiting?

Would I have to go through the same painfully dreary process again?

Time passed.

They closed the door to signal the end of the 'elimination'.

That was it. I would estimate about 60-odd out of 90 testees remained.

At long last, I passed my 2B Practical Test with 14 demerit points!

But who cares about the points right. It's the license that matters.

No more burning of weekends, no more colourful numbered bibs, no more uncomfortable elbow/knee guards, no more charity.... ~~for good~~ after one more defensive riding course required by and paid for by the SAF.

Woohoo! It's time to hit the road!

I need to get a bike first though and it's quite a big headache. =X

Gone in 6 Hours

2009-08-16T18:31:00.007+08:00

Congratulations to the Surpassingly Asinine Fiend for once again successfully causing inconvenience to the sons of Singapore and other public road users in a bid to fulfil its own fantasies and desires.

I spent 26 hours lethargically and restlessly awake. Aside from all the perspiration and dry eyes and back ache that was so hellishly awful, much unnecessary drama that almost instantaneously developed also unveiled the hideous side of human nature.

I remain appalled, even up till now, at how things have unfolded.

Sometimes I guess it is necessary to break away from all the pent-up emotions for a moment to allow for objective analysis of the issue at hand. How else would we be able to prevent making the wrong moves which could essentially and easily kill an otherwise happy and healthy relationship?

I don't want to go into the details - it's something we all ought to forgive and forget - but let's just say it's a big lesson on life weaved into horrible circumstances I would never want to be in again.

One Year

2009-07-25T12:19:00.003+08:00

Last year this day, I approached Tekong with much indignation.

One year down, this feeling hasn't changed; in fact, it's irreversibly evoked other feelings including, but not limited to, repugnance, disgust and abhorrence for the super ~~armed~~ acting force.

It'd be a sin to delve into the details of the scenes behind such a unworthy organisation, so I guess it's probably mutually benefiting to stop here.

Nevertheless, I've served half my time. There are 365 more days to go.

It'll be over soon... and I'll prove I'm more than what you think I'm worth, Sirs.

Yesterday Today

2009-06-17T19:31:00.004+08:00

I like this shot from yesterday. It'd have been better, though, if it captured the faces. This was at Changi. There's more in the photo link.

Yesterday I finally got promoted. Now I have something to hang in front of the cabbage uniform. Which also means I could look forward to a miserly 20-dollar allowance increment next month.

I went for physio today at a new place. I love the place. The people there are cranky.

Today also, a big brown envelope from NUS came through the mail. It's an offer for Business Administration which I'm probably gonna chuck down the rubbish chute or something.

It's an oxymoron, but somehow I feel despairingly delighted.

New Book

2009-06-08T17:36:00.003+08:00

I got myself a book to read.

It's titled "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely.

It's talks about human behaviour and decision-making and how our mind works.

I think it's gonna be a pretty good read.

It should be.

After all, I haven't voluntarily bought any sort of book to read since a long, long time and this book was kinda like love at first sight, or something similar.

The (25+10)% discount we had made it more attractive.

But this is non-fiction and I still hate fiction anyway.

2B

2009-06-07T21:35:00.003+08:00

Okay so I am lagging far behind the target time I had initially set for myself to attain the Class 2B licence.

But it's finally going to happen. If all goes well I'll be a qualified rider by mid-July.

I hate to count my chickens before they hatch, because when I do the eggs always crack midway, but I'm really envisaging myself passing the practical test the first time round.

It's an overload of confidence and I'm gonna be so disappointed if I don't make it.

!!! Can't wait.

Oh what have I done...

2009-06-01T19:58:00.004+08:00

Like Magic

2009-04-15T19:13:00.003+08:00

Suddenly I find myself being more than able to manoeuvre round the figure of 8 course with speed and accuracy.

Backtrack to a few weeks ago when I was still hitting the kerb and falling off onto the grass so often, I think it's quite incredible how I picked it up so fast on my own, i.e. without the usual nagging from the instructors about how to do this and that.

But I still failed today's internal circuit assessment anyway, no thanks to one immediate failure from going off the narrow plank - a course I started out so well in and which subsequently became worse. I was so damn close to moving on to the roads. My accumulated points were actually enough to pass!

Next time. One hit KO.

Oh and shit, I think I can't have a pillion, at least for now. It makes me lose control and it's so embarrassing. :(

New Page

2009-02-27T16:05:00.005+08:00

Goodbye is often the hardest thing to say, especially when you're the only one leaving the pack.

It's been a good 5 months there made up of both enjoyable and revolting experiences.

But I guess, after so much, I am still quite fond of that place and will definitely miss life there.

The games of foosball, table tennis, darts, Connect 4 and Reversi...

The daily talk-cock sessions about anything and everything and maybe nothing at all...

The many things done so wrong...

The attempted designing of the coverall...

The many pages of Sudoku completed...

The often pricelessly entertaining superiors (well, some)...

The horrible cookhouse food...

The loud stall vendor at the canteen...

The horrible regimental and office/store duties...

The hiding in the toilet cubicle and then slithering around like a snake on the upper storeys...

The waking up during unearthly hours to prepare to go to camp...

The coming-to-camp-late-and-trying-to-avoid-getting-caught mornings...

The random yet frequent visits to the medical centre...

Well the list isn't exhuastive but let's just put it at that for now.

Almost ignoring the existence of conscription, I'm awkwardly and ironically thankful for this experience and the various people I have met through this.

I'm so gonna miss everybody.

Hopefully someday it'll all come together once again.

Meanwhile, I think I ought to brush up on my linguistic skills before they turn rusty with time.

And well hopefully the new place is good.

Questions to Avoid

2009-02-22T16:04:00.001+08:00

1. Tell us about yourself in 500 words.
2. State what you are particularly proud of about your National Service.

Goodness.

Happy Things

2009-02-05T21:07:00.003+08:00

I cannot imagine how much I've been laughing these days at/with some of the guys in camp.

Sometimes their silly, often hilarious, antics and comments crack me up so much I temporarily forget about all the grievances I have.

It's kinda like a little heaven in hell or something.

Well at least for now life seems to be turning for the better in more ways than one.

At the moment I'm also being sucked into yet another cycle of evil university applications.

But I already have some pretty good stuff in store for me so I'm just waiting for more to come, hopefully.

Weee.

Six Months

2009-01-25T12:59:00.003+08:00

Happy half-year anniversary.

78 more irrelevant weeks to go.

Crash and Burn

2009-01-24T16:22:00.003+08:00

So I stupidly crashed into a stationary bike today just after starting to move off and broke one of its side mirrors.

Falling off the bike, running onto the kerb... The narrow courses are such a difficult nightmare.

Either that or NS has turned me into such a dolt I ought to just remain in it forever.

Happy Chinese New Year anyway.

Dys-

2009-01-14T20:56:00.004+08:00

If someone paid me to craft words for an ad campaign about the Surpassingly Asinine Fiend, it would probably go something like:

Dystopia is over-rated.

There's the SAF.

New Year

2009-01-01T15:24:00.001+08:00

Oh, Happy New Year.

New Shots

2008-12-28T17:09:00.001+08:00

Welcome

2008-12-16T20:49:00.003+08:00

"Hi, do you only have these few types (points to elbow/knee guards on display) here?"

"I, uh, I, sorry, 你会说中文吗？"

"Oh, uh, 你们这里只有这几种吗？"

.
.
.

“我好想吃我们的家乡菜呀。新加坡这个烂地方，什么都没有。唉。”

Wonderful... wonderful foreign talents... Congratulations.

Vrroooomm 0.11

2008-12-14T17:13:00.002+08:00

Had relatively better control over the bike and could finally feel some wind this time round.

Did not let the bike fall even once. =D

Was also able to change gear a few times successfully - one of the toughest parts in my opinion - and stalled the bike less often.

I must admit I'm a slow learner, though, but I like it this way. Most other learners are at about double my learning speed.

But well, however long it takes, I guess it's fine as long as it is able to eventually accomplish the objective, right?

Minus the instructors, this was a much better lesson than the previous. I can't wait for the next.

Vrroooomm 0.1

2008-12-07T17:11:00.003+08:00

Aside from the 5 nasty blisters on my feet (no thanks to inappropriate footwear), muscle ache everywhere, a slight sunburn and a deflated ego, the first riding lesson was pretty cool.

Uh, well, maybe take away the smelly, overused helmets and elbow/knee guards too.

I think I'd better get my own helmet, else I'd probably have to, like what a fellow learner suggested, wash my hair at least 3 times after every lesson. Hah.

Overall, the experience was great but pretty nerve-wrecking though.

It looked easy, and I thought it would be so, but, oh well. Having to control the throttle, gear, clutch and the annoyingly omnipresent brakes all at the same time was tough.

It's my first try ever, so I shouldn't be faulted for having problems coordinating my hands and feet, or possessing fear that the bike might just fly off and crash anytime, right?

Shit I sound like a loser, but hey, at least I was able to get the bike moving! Just need more practice!

I've got to:

relax, stop gripping too hard and end up exploding my veins;
stop worrying about the rpm level;
stop twisting the throttle grip too much;
stop releasing the clutch when I'm not supposed to;
stop braking too much and too hard;
remember that the rear brake exists;
learn how to negotiate bends properly; and
just let it fly.

That's sadly a long list and I'm praying I can master them all before the New Year!

Hooha!

It's December

2008-12-04T16:23:00.004+08:00

The festive season, less the mood, is here.

I'm in the midst of enjoying my 6-day long weekend which will hopefully pass without annoying disturbances from the Surpassingly Asinine Fiend (lovely abbreviation, isn't it?).

That's because I'll be starting my first riding lesson this weekend and I'm quite looking forward. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I'm predicting and hoping, for all of convenience's sake, that I will get my license within 2 - 3 months.

Meanwhile life hasn't been a breeze.

In fact, it's been going downhill, no thanks to inept and callous superiors.

Regardless, I might get my big break around mid-december but, again, all I can do is hope (see how many times I use this word and its derivatives in this post) for it to happen.

Else I'll have to wait till end January and it's just not acceptable.

I have too many things to settle and somehow I just can't get started on any of them. My brain doesn't want to start work and I can't do shit about it.

Sigh, things the army does to its conscripts.

And the atrocious misrepresentation in the new army commercial just disgusts me no end.

Save me, somebody.

Flush

2008-11-15T18:32:00.004+08:00

It's been raining so much recently I can't believe it's actually happening.

Average daytime temperature these days seems too low to be true; it's actually starting to feel like a little bit of autumn even.

I'm not complaining though, cos I'm loving every bit of the cold weather, the rain and the dark grey skies.

Ironically, the melancholic and gloomy atmosphere makes me delighted and ecstatically hopeful.

Maybe I'm evolving into another morbid, vengeful Hooper (read: I'm the King of the Castle).

Why do my sentences sound so fragmented?

Sigh, the army is reducing my linguistic abilities to a really pathetic state.

Which reminds me that they love using weird and pointless acronyms for everything and anything.

And so I have another one for them:

ARMY - A Redundant Manipulation of Youths

That's a positive

2008-11-14T12:03:00.003+08:00

You've just got to show them, those people, detractors, who have been nothing but negative and who are constantly putting you and your ideas down, that really, nothing is impossible.

After which you relegate them to their own devices where they wallow in jealousy and self-pity.

The present may be hard to bear, but you just have to believe things will change.

Press on and fight for a better tomorrow which, if calculated correctly, will come in no time.

No one except you owns your life.