Birthday is round the corner..but I don't really feel anything special about it..
it seems like 21st was just so yesterday with all the treats, dinner and presents and it was such big hoo-ha event that the next following 22nd just seems to pale in comparison because after all the preparation and contacting of everyone to attend for your 21st, you don't really want to repeat the whole torturous sequence again. Haha
Birthday after 21st get simpler and simpler. Less importance are place on it as years pass by. There is no need for the extravagance. Perhaps it is the change in mindset but a simple meal with a company of good frens is surely good enough for me in my case.
Once you are in your 20s..time flies by speeding towards your 30s and it's precisely during this crucial period that we must wisely use the time available to us to enrich ourselves and live life to the fullest. After all, there is really nothing to lose and everything to gain during the period of time in your life..without any burden of kids and commitment to family.
Youth is priceless. You only have it once. No amount of money can buy it back. Cherish your loved ones and frens. Take time to enjoy, to love, to suffer, to cry for we may not be the young ones very long..
Presenting to You- Cliff Richards - The Young One My father play it on radio when I was really young so i got influenced by it as well.
so far so good..except that I've been having blocked nose and cough due to the rainy weather .
The camp is pretty alrite..though it could be better because alot of activities were replace by wet weather program due to the sucky weather. There's this lingering feeling that we've not play enough..
Halfway thru the camp, went over to attend Sying Convocation. Took lotsa photos and it also mark the end of her student chapter.
Fun over..back to more tuition-ing and hitting the books. Can't wait for school to start! Ready to go~
The first phase was before I went aussie. I read 1/4 of the book while at Borders. The 2nd phase was after I came back from aussie. I re-read the book starting all over again till mid-way thru the book @ borders again. I decided that I must complete the book and therefore I went to our friendly community library to place a reserve on the book at a cost of $1.55.
And finally I got the book and I devour at the content like no tomorrow.
But let me forewarn...the book may be heartwarming, funny at times but towards the end it was quite heart-wrenching to see Marley ravaged by old age as years past by and every time you thought he was going to breathe his last, he came back bouncing against all odds to spend yet another day with his owner. There is 2 traits that I came to associate with Marley.
Unwavering loyalty and unconditional love for his master and the family.
Many often we do things for others expecting rewards in return. I for myself also believed in offering good deals/terms if I need a favor from others and similarly good deals/term for myself if other need a favor from me. I decided I have to seriously re-examined myself again after reading the book.
At times age creeps up on people whom you most cherish silently..and before long you see them with wrinkled complexion and graying hair. It is the pain of knowing you are going lose to something, someone forever before you knew it that the author was trying to tell to us reader when Marley was slowly succumbing to old age.
Marley did eventually died in the end. But when everyone thought he was a dog gone bonkers..he received the ultimate compliment from his master.
"Marley," he said." You are a great dog."
Live each day as it is going to be your last. Make hay while the sun shines. Be like Marley
Alright..that's all for Marley.
Currently I have another 2 books on my reading list.
the 1st one is "Goh Keng Swee- A portrait."
For those who do not know who is Dr Goh Keng Swee...let's me just summarize..if MM Lee is the number 1 man in PAP during 1960-1980s..then Dr Goh would be the number 2 man standing behind him. That is how important he is to Singapore during that period of nation building.
The 2nd one is "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
My sister fren bought it for my sister as her birthday present. It is a hardcover book somemore.. heard from news the story end happily ever after...sianz..what is this? Shrek 3? Gotta read the book to find out more for myself.
and took a picture of the friends he made during his visit to the Night Safari
My angry expression of telling him to get back to his seat and concentrate on his work. what happened after that cannot be written down here...
One fine day, he gimme a keychain. Initially he gave me only 1 keychain and he suddenly ask: "Teacher got GF?" I don't have so I answered him honestly No.. So he replied: "Never mind..I give you another one so you can give to your GF.."
And I was like: " errrrrrrrrr....ok lol..."
And since everyone is so environmentally friendly with all the Live Earth Propaganda, I presume Green should be the "IN" color now. Therefore, the green chain is now attached to my handphone while I keep the blue chain in my drawer..
Actually there is another reason I choose the green chain..but the reason is so lame, corny,embrassing damn I can't believe I'm typing this for the whole world to see..
I like the blue chain but I think if I'm lucky enough to find my ideal ger, I don't think she like the green chain because tell me which ger would actually like a dark green chain.Therefore it's better to safe keep the blue chain for the time being..
Yes, I can hear laughter behind liao.. Ya la Ya la... laugh at me plz! Haiz, I think I'm a sucker for the role of giver in a relationship, even though I really like to be a taker someday..
But seriously, the chain is really nice..very exquisite..in fact while I left my handphone on the table yesterday, 1 of the ger actually took it up to observe the chain..
Must be the magic of the chain working its charm la...Hahaha..
It is very nostalgic to go back to the army environment again..to see people coming down their company with their sbo, helmet, rifles on..marching around in num 4 and singing in unison.
And you will tend to sympathize with them that 2 years will be gone in a flash and all those hardships, sweats and tears for some will soon be gone in a flash.
Back to IPPT, I managed to clear all the station without much difficulty. Still I managed only to get a silver award and monetary gain of $200.
Actually..I think I should get a gold award + $400
The signs were there. The weather was perfect. Cooling, without any blazing sun. To get a gold, you will need to run 2.4km under 9.44 mins. In Maju camp, you need to run 3 rounds around the camp compound.
My 2nd round was 6.3+ mins. Once I saw that timing, I immediately realize chances of getting gold is quite high so I doubled up my step, putting in extra efforts, panting like a dog to achieve that elusive goal.
When I completed the run, I starred blankly at the board as it read 9.57 mins.
Dammit. $400 gone. A golden opportunity to get more money to replace my worn up basketball shoes with a hole at the base gone up into smoke.
everything must be fast, @ warp speed, efficiency is the key and time loss = unproductive. so it is seldom surprise to see people with short temper or displaying impatience when things don't go according to plan.
yes I know..because I'm one of them.
I have always know I'm the impatience type but it didn't hit me until one day my parents brought me to a fortune teller. While I suggested to the fortune teller I might want to be a teacher, he immediately exclaimed: " don't ruin the future generation!'.
From that moment onwards, I discovered my bad points/weakness and often display them around, as what my tuition kids will witness whenever they can't get the correct answer no matter how hard I explain or I will start snapping at them when moody collying don't work whenever I ordered them to get back to their seat.
Up till now, I still think that studying 3 years in NTU is a waste of time because I can't earn a full time income as a student. Imagine the amount of investment opportunities lost with the income that could have been left aside for investment... but for that Degree sake..haiz..Remember Transformer?
'No Sacrifices, No Victory'
So instead of sulking, I figured I will leave no stone unturn, be more proactive, turn adversities into opportunities and make good use of 3 long years in school to upgrade/improve in all areas so that when I 'graduate' 1 fine day in 2009, I'm ready to take on the world. Yaya, I know the word are a little BIG but if you don't dare to dream, how can you ever expect to succeed in life?
Fate and luck shall also play an important part in the many aspect of our life, be it career, love, family, business etc..
Recently, I came across this word of wisdom that perfectly describe how the word 'Fate' can determine who's the one you might be marrying in future.
"it ain't The One for you in one lifetime but rather it is just The One who's right at that point in your life"
and I couldn't help nodding in agreement after coming across the phrase...
yesterday while walking around Suntec city, we saw-
Gerrad, Riise and Alonso celebrating as if they won the Champion League again,
Optimus Prime enforcing Law n Order as a security guard outside Carrefour
1 of the kids I tuition looking very sianz.. He might grow up to be a hip hop star with the bandanna on his head. Anyway, he is very good in maths but poor with English. Very naughty and active. Keep running and jumping around when I try to teach him.Sometimes I will tuition him for his English 6 times per week as what his mother request.
During his rest time, we will wrestle with each other since we got nothing better to do. Since I am larger in size than him, I will pin him down and tickle him. He always try to put up a struggle often but often in vain..because I'm a big bully!
even though she is pretty, as she always proclaimed herself to be the best looking girl in her school of mass comm, she can be a little bit of bimbo sometimes...esp with IT related stuff and of coz maths and science, subjects she absolutely hate.
But I think I can put up with her teeny weeny tiny bit of bimboness.. because she is my sister and everyone sane person on earth should love their sister or brother whichever is being assigned to you.
so...Happy 20th birthday to you Sister.
I know of this song but never really hear it or understand the significance of the lyrics until one fine day I was in Aussie spring cleaning around the house, blasting Wang Lee Hom Taipei concert DVD when suddenly 'Eh how come got English song coming from the speaker' stick my head on the TV screen for a peek and it blasted me away because...the feeling is hard to describe..touching? goose bumping? overwhelming? Whatever...
very tactical, very fast paced, very noisy with shouting and fouls..hit a couple of really good shot and someone really got injured while playing the game but it was not me..don't worry.
So it's was suppose to be a pretty good game..
until I discovered I left my gifts for my fren which is worth $80 at the bench and forgot to take it back when he was busy and did not come. I was bathing halfway when I realize DAMMIT SHIT F*** and rush out of the shower, put on my clothes and went back to the basketball court but it was not there anymore.
I am sad. I am demoralize. I feel sianzzzz..A moment of carelessness.Why of all this has to happen?
Hope the person using the perfume is allergic to CK SUMMER and his skin rash like thousands of red ants biting and rot while scratching it..Die a horrible death Mothersucker!
And it was a pretty expensive price for a game of basketball...
Yesterday I went to watch Transformer the 2nd time...yaya I can hear people behind saying I'm rich already haha..but hey even though I already know the plot, the storyline, the moment when funny conversations come on screen, it still did not disappoint and I laughed along at the wise crack so it goes to show how good is the movie as I still glared intently at the screen @ Megan Fox and of course the Autobots la...
Today someone will be coming back from Taiwan to play basketball. We call him 'Tank' for a very good reason because he is larger in size. Therefore tonight barring any last minute surprise or rainy weather, there should be a crowd at the basketball court.
A basketball game with a crowd is always fun because it raise the competitiveness of the game. The pace get faster, there is a adrenaline rush but people will be scrambling for the ball to win the game especially when the score is tied @ 6-6 and to win the game you have to score the last point to make it 7. Therefore, defense will be tight and people will try by hook or by crook, through eligible defense or ineligible fouls to prevent others from scoring.
It is this type of games I like the most. High intensity, no room for mistakes..It make you focus. Shots fall in. The momentum and grove synchronize like a well train orchestra. Sweat glance working into overdrives, each bounce of the ball, each drive towards the basketball sapping your energy away...and of course if you are lucky to score the crucial point you win the game. If you are not, then you come away with a sprain ankle..Haha
Yup...I hope the game will be play that way tonight. Hopefully it do not disappoint.
Roger Federer won his 5th Wimbledon title yesterday over Rafael Nadal.
I supported Federer throughout the match. He has the elegance of the Prince of Tennis. Very classy, very humble without any hint of arrogance..very handsome.
Perhaps older people might prefer Federer for his class while younger people would prefer Nadal for his brashness and brawn.
But this is not to say Nadal will not evolve to become a better player than Federer in future. Throughout the sporting history, when the bright star of a player is waning due to age, another will step up to take the throne..just like what Federer did when Sampras retired a few years ago.
The better player for this Wimbledon 2007 won after all...
restless restless.. I'm feeling so restless.. I just want school to start so badly so I can start the ball rolling..
Today I thought of a issue while lying on bed.
During these period when I was reading those economics & financial literacy stuffs, they touch on this word - 'emotion'. To be able to control emotion take time and enormous efforts and often seperate thinly between making the correct decision and emerging as winner or letting emotion take over you, make stupid mistakes and lose it all in one go.
well in business market, it is very difficult not to follow the herd mentality..especially in the stocks market when everyone will start dumping their shares the moment they hear unfavorable news from the media. Therefore, those who are able to control their emotions are able to make logical decision by observing market trend and decide whether the news is true or just plain bullshit and earnt pile of money along the way.
Controlling our emotions also play an important part in many aspects of our life, to determine whether it can turn out to be as successful as you want it to be, by making the correct decision when time is tight, stress level is high and pressure reaching a boiling point.
But can this be applied in relationship issues? To control our emotion to like when we feel it is 'correct' to like or suppress our emotion when it is 'incorrect/wrong' to like? If that's really the case, then what is the difference between a robot and us when our mind have already been programmed to make the decision to 'control' whether to like or not to like according to 'correct or incorrect' results.
That's not to say to go with the flow of passion, throw cautions to the wind and live to regret mistakes made.Many times we might have witnessed before the mistakes committed by others and of course while experiencing happiness during the initial stage, it brought them misery ultimately in the end instead.
So...what's delicate balance between the two considerations? Controlling emotions or throwing caution to the wind?
I think I should go and study psychology instead...Haha~
1) The world is flat- A brief history of the 21st Century by Thomas L.Friedman 2) The undercover economist by Tim Harford 3) Asia under Siege- How the Asian Miracle went wrong by Ranjit Gill
The 1st book is very interesting. Read it all about globalization and outsourcing and how it affects you.
The 2nd book is interesting during the 1st few chapter but near the middle terms and concepts got a little more complex and I got lost in them
The 3rd book is about Asian Financial Crisis 10 years ago and the events leading to the crashing of the Thai Economy and how Malaysia tried to fend off speculators speculating the Malaysian Ringgits.
Yesterday we had our mini celebration of 07/07/07 by holding a steamboat at Jyuan house. Organizing was fun. Each of us got our own In-Charge Role and it's due to everyone willingness to attend and help out that make it a fun session. Went about reviewing some old videos and pictures and discovered that in term of appearances and behaviors we still roughly resemble the same way back then except for Sying who kept reminding us she got slimmer cheek now.
It was followed by a cake-cutting ceremony commerating our 6th years of friendship and let's just say that I do have faith that this wonderful friendship is likely to carry on for many good years to come. We are still be anticipating our class 1st wedding ceremony...projected in 3 years time but I'm sorry the bridegroom is definitely not me yet.
As one gets older, time also seem to get shorter and pass faster. I am now busy tuitioning 3 kids, reading up on books relating to economics, newspapers, business articles on internet every night faithfully without fail that I have no time to indulge in basketball. Interest in basketball have been wanning which for reasons I don't know why. Perhaps it is part and parcel of the process of moving on to other things @ different stage in life.
What else are there left to comment on? To end off Change is hard. Change is hardest on those caught by surprise. Change is hardest on those who have difficulty changing too. But change is natural; change is not new; and change is important.
Hope everyone will change along the way for the better.
-this is just a casual observation- -take note it do not intend to specify anyone at all-
sometimes if you just observe carefully,
there is always a certain group of people whose name if you casually mentioned will immediately sprang a exclamation mark inside your head because they are always associated with problems...
Is it because their fate is somehow intertwine with problems so problems often come knocking on their door...or is it because they have this tendency to go looking for problems?
Taking precautions to avoid problematic path definitely sound better than learning from the mistakes made along while walking the path.
For those who have been thru army before, they should know the significance of the date today. well for those who never been thru army before, today is SAF ( Singapore Armed Forces) Day.
And that's why I'm surprised when I pull out my Sunday newspaper and found what they called it 'A Lifestyle SPECIAL 40 years of National Service'
Must be government propaganda again, I thought to myself. Nevertheless I flipped thru the first page, start reading the first article..
The more I read, the more nostalgic I felt. Load of memories came flooding back as I read articles after articles, about BMT and botaks, about those people who are in their 50s who have already ROD and contributed their stories about national service during their time, about the current officers still in the force...etc
but the article that left me the deepest impression was the one about the pioneer batch of 1967. The first blood who went into national service and trained under the Israel army consultant. Those days were tough..as I did converse before about the treatment melted out with some of those NS-men who came back to do reservist while I was still an NSF.
The article ended with - What does remain, however, are the memories and bragging rights. As Mr Chua says: " We were the first batch. We will always be the fittest and the strongest."
Upon reading this sentence, (don't ask me why also) I almost choked back with emotion. Something struck a chord. You have to give these men their due respect, just as those who died during their service, to those who gave 20-30yrs of their life to protect the country we called 'Home'.
Perhaps that's why in the army Master and Senior Warrant officer are often the respected figure when they are around..at least in my point of view.
Looking back at my service term, I'm considered lucky to skip outfield training after my posting to the Navy. The workload was rather monotonous because we are dealing with defense and defenders don't go for overseas assignments at all. We stay in our base, did our training, had our yearly exercise etc but among all these the most important thing I picked up during my time spent in Navy was management and leadership.
Dealing with security stuffs, handling civilians and serviceman to comply to the rule, implementing orders from the higher up and getting screwed by them, issuing orders to the 18 men below every time I'm on duty to ensure everything flow smoothly and nothing goes wrong, conducting training with my platoon commander etc..It teaches me the importance of conducting oneself, never to cut corners because the CSM will definitely find out someday and unleash his fury, the value of teamwork among the sergeants and treating your men fairly so work can get easier done.
The only regret I ever had was not to understand the situations of those who were here before me when they were going to ORD soon and if I could turn back the time I'll definitely be more flexible with their circumstances.
Somehow, the naval dept have put me in this unit called 'institute of higher learning' which actually means I will not be call back for my reservist for the next 3 years. I don't know whether it's good or bad but among all the complaints that NS wasted 2 years of our life, I could have said I've mature along the way and I'm glad of the opportunity to be peform my role as guard commander follow by the platoon sergeant to practice and honed my management skill. It have indeed serve me in good stead.
Hairy moments. Celebratory tales. Pride in service. Sweat and tears. The Sunday Times celebrates how NS has bonded Singaporean men- and women- over four amazing decade.
