Live Full and Laugh More

Sunday

Celebrated my birthday with dad and a few of his friends. We went to the Gun Club at Rifle Range Road and had fun shooting clay pigeons. Though one thing I must admit is that technique for firing shotguns is totally different than that for M16 or .38. I don't think I scored any whereas Dad scored three out of 26, not bad for a 1st timer...

After that we went to IndoChine, a restaurant along the Singapore River for dinner and birthday celebration.. The food was good, but the company was even better... and the server was pretty jovial as well.

Sorry readers no pictures, did not bring my camera though dad did take a picture of me blowing the candle on my birthday cake :P

Dad gave me an interesting book on the subconscious mind, promises to be an interesting read...

Monday

I went to SANA House to help with the SANA Anti Drug and Inhalant Abuse Badge Scheme courses. For those not in the know, SANA runs this programme for the 9 uniformed groups in Singapore to spread awareness of drug abuse and anti-drug messages to the youth in Singapore. They work with the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and a pool of volunteer course instructors (of which I am one) on this.

It is a fulfilling experience helping keep the youth off drugs. My hope is only that the youth will not just be motivated by the badge alone but learn the real message behind all these. The teenage years are an impressionable time where peer pressure is strong. Hopefully, they will not merely be deterred by the punishments (they did show a video of how an actual caning is conducted) but KNOW that even though it may seem to be 'cool' to engage in vices like drugs, alcohol and sex, it serves to destroy their lives (and their family members's lives) in the long run.

Tuesday

Morning was speech day rehearsal. Now, as to how I got involved in the first place... my unit is pretty short of manpower as the other volunteers are busy with their own committments. But things went smoothly, and we were fortunate to have external help. Now i hope it continues to go smoothly for the other trainings, especially where I cannot make it due to my CH course.

Went for LMSC IPC in the afternoon. Now, this LMSC (Leadership and Mentoring Skills Course) is part of the NCOs training package conducted by The Other Organisation. They needed a lecturer for one of the modules, though and after some hesitation I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take this up.

Wednesday

I received a note that my promotion has been finalised. On to a set of new challenges. No more shall I duck challenges for fear of failure. I'm proud that I took up the challenge to conduct one of the lectures for LMSC.

I am confident. I am sure of myself. I expect a good outcome. Everything I do is blessed. I am grateful to God for the infinite potential He has placed in me, and I am equal to all challenges.

The upcoming semester will be the most challenging one yet. Not only will I have to restrategise AGAIN for my studies, I will also have the added responsibility of being a member of the JCRC. But I chose to take up the challenge and I am equal to it.

For those who wonder where the title of this post came from, it was actually the server's birthday greeting to me on Sunday. And I feel that is one of the keys to being happy and satisfied with life. Well, not satisfied as in complacent but satisfied as in, content with what we have, but yet working hard to achieve better standards. Not sure if you all know what I mean but anyway...

I'll have a 10 days Certified Hypnotherapist course starting tomorrow. It is going to be an interesting, challenging yet fulfiling course and I am looking forward to every bit of it.

NS What-if

What-if...

I was combat fit and went through enhanced BMT.

I will never know... would I be a specialist or an officer instead of
just a CPL?

Results

Got back my results. Suffice it to say that i didn't do *fantastically* well but on the bright side i didn't screw up as badly as i feared. it's somewhat like my 1st sem results, but slightly worse.

Corporal First Class rank

I discovered yesterday that the SAF has introduced the rank of Corporal First Class. It's supposed to be for deserving Corporals who are unable to be promoted to 3SG due to estab requirements.

All I can say is why didn't they introduce this rank earlier? I wonder if I would have been able to be one... I was kind of disenchanted with the system whereby an NSF with A level/Diplomas would be promoted to CPL irrespective of his performance. Granted, with better performance he will get the CPL rank earlier, but the end state is that everyone ORDs as CPL (if the estab does not permit them to hold 3SG).

And plus, I hear the pay for a CFC is $500... (green eyes)...

Wonder if I can still become one! CFC(NS)? Based on my 'Very Good' COS... But then again, if that means being given a key appointment and having to come back more often i rather not...

Stained Glass Masquerade

Is there anyone that fails

Is there anyone that falls

Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small

Cause when I take a look around

Everybody seems so strong

I know they'll soon discover

That I don't belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay

If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too

So with a painted grin, I play the part again

So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people

Under shiny plastic steeples

With walls around our weakness

And smiles to hide our pain

But if the invitation's open

To every heart that has been broken

Maybe then we close the curtain

On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there

Are there any hands to raise

Am I the only one who's traded

In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing

And we know every line by heart

Only when no one is watching

Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free

If I dared to let you see

The truth behind the person

That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open

Or would you walk away

Would the love of Jesus

Be enough to make you stay

200th post...

Just taking some time to blog about my life since the last post a week ago..

Most of my friends are on internship now while I'm helping out at my relative's company on an ad hoc basis (not engineering related, sadly, so can't claim VIP for that :D) while also helping out at the Staff Club.. as one of the executives is on leave. Anyway, the job is pretty routine - helping with data entry and compiling a database - more like freelance, really, than 8-5. Helping out with SANA, again, but only for a couple of days. Well, at least I'm able to contribute to teach young people not to take drugs. So this holiday (June) will be pretty packed for me. July will be a different story but will cross the bridge when it comes to it...

Attending a workshop by Stuart Tan (Adam Khoo's associate) on Internet Marketing together with my friend this Sunday, the one i talked about in the previous post. He has a website for his own business, so does my relative, both of us are cracking our heads on how to increase traffic to our websites.

To all the mothers out there: Happy Mother's Day!

Last day in hall

Right now most of my stuff has already been shifted back home and here I am, on the last night of my hall stay in AY 06/07 in my hostel room.

Bittersweet feelings if you ask me... I have a challenging holiday of part time work, courses and community service ahead of me which is sure to broaden my experience during these three months. I lived on the top floor of Raffles Hall and at first did not relish the thought of having to climb 4 1/2 flights of stairs to get to my room... but the view is terrific I must say. And as much as I would like to get back the same room, that will really depend on whether anyone else eyes this group of split level rooms.

I had a conversation with one of my friends recently, he bucked the trend by the fact that although he graduated with a pass degree in civil engineering, he's already been promoted once and is being considered for another promotion (with an increase in salary that will bring him above that of a good honours holder). How many 2nd upper holders can get 2 promotions in a year? He's a live example of the fact that a good honours, or honours for that matter is not really the matter - working attitude and competence are what matters.

Of course I will still try my best to get at least a 2nd lower.. i will know on the 26th how close (or how far) I am to that aim.. :P

Some trivia: I reclaimed my Pink IC 2 years ago today.... 12 hours to the exact time.

exams are over

Finally... exams are over... Now what to do during the 3 mth break?

1. Restart my long overdue exercise plan.. my sequence of running, swimming and frisbee during Sem 1 kind of died a natural death... and the swimming pool renovation didn't help that at all.
2. Take some of the Learning Portal courses on IVLE... it's a gold mine of info there...
3. Read the books which have been languishing in my library untouched...
4. Sell those which I have no further practical use for (at Bras Basah Complex)

This month I have not been too uptight (read: more relaxed) about my studies so far... and only time will tell whether this approach has worked.

But for now, it's the holidays! time to hang loose and enjoy it while it lasts... before i plunge into the 2nd half of my education in NUS.

4 sems under my belt, 4 sems more to go.

Mug Parade (warning: strong language)

After reading xin's blog about how she made her pens fall in, i remember this incident which happened during my formative years in The Organisation...

Basic NCO Course Camp back then at the Tuas makeshift campsite. Back then, all of us were issued with a green mug (SAF type). On one of the nights the guys in my tent could not sleep and were just chatting ... and that annoyed some of the instructors. The next we knew...

Instructor(I): "ok, all of you take your mug, come out and fall in."

The first thought that came to my mind was... siao liao... sure kanna tekan liao..

I: "ok, want you all to fall in your mugs... in ranks of three..."

the instructors happened to be having a drink of Sarsi (in one of those 1.5l bottles)...

I: "ok this Sarsi bottle your I/C..."

I: "okay, ready? Skuad.. sedi-A!" .. and we had to lift the mugs up and drive it into the ground together! Then the instructor marched around the mugs and even knocked them down ... and we had to 'move' the mugs according to what they were supposed to be doing... until one of my fellow trainees let out a "kan nee na beh!"

I: "who scolded KNNB? Ok... nevermind... the IC sweat... sweat into the 'NNB Ka Cheng'!"

at that i was like 'sir, really ah?' then i unscrewed the Sarsi bottle and poured into each of the mugs... so they allowed us to take a drink... haha... still remember it to this day very comical... the instructors even called it "The Sarsi Advertisment" after that...

The end is in sight

tomorrow... one more paper.... then... after that.. that's it. ORD LOH!

just as well it's on the last day of the month.