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Happy April Fool's
Sunday. 4.1.12 5:17 am
Happy April Fool's Day to one and all.

Today being the first Sunday of the month, I'm looking forward to the traditional "reunion" with my NS friends at "the usual place", watching "the usual thing" and to update one another on our lives after ORD.

I went for the concert put up by NHSB yesterday evening in the school hall. It was the 5th edition of the concert series which started when I was in my last year at NH. Fittingly so, it was the first concert since they attained the Gold award at the bi-annual Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging for Concert Bands last year. And it was the first concert under the baton of the new conductress, and the first to feature an invited guest band (from Fairfield). NHSB was the guest band for VSCB's 40th Anniversary concert back in 2005 when Mr Tan was still in charge.

Enjoyed the music much, and having a Selmer alto sax really did make a whole world of difference to the section. I'm glad that the section sounded together for most of the pieces and that they actually possessed a good tone. Other than that it was a showcase of their SYF piece and a few pop pieces. It'll be good if they can tackle some of the more challenging and contemporary pieces (at least in the local band scene) for their next concert.

Anyway, well done guys

I'd resigned from my job at omy with effect from last Friday (though my last day was the day before). Truth be told, I'm grateful for the warm reception my colleagues accorded me for the past two months even though they were each busy with work (them being journalists and all). If I'd worked elsewhere I would probably be resigned to spending my lunches alone (though probably earning a higher salary at the end of the day).

With regards to USP, after much deliberation (and foot-dragging on the essay), I decided not to sign my own death warrant for the next 4 years (which involves being drowned in a sea of books and reference material) and declined to submit an application.

Lastly, I will be taking up an internship next week for the next three months. Wish me luck!

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Just a simple entry
Saturday. 2.18.12 5:39 am
Hello world,

I'll be heading off to work in a few hours' time (Yes, its close to 6am on a Saturday) and figured that it would be prudent to update this space.

I've found a new employer in the Press Holdings, more specifically I can now proudly count the enthusiastic reporters and content producers over at www.omy.sg as my new colleagues. Even though my job there is only to upload aggregated content from the Chinese language papers (in return for peanuts of an hourly rate, unfortunately), I now have the opportunity to learn more about journalism as well as admire the amount of hard work which goes behind the design and delivery of content of the site. (Contrary to popular belief, uploading articles is not as easy as it sounds, trust me. Though it is mundane, not to mention repetitive)

Of course, after just two weeks into the job I'm now able to sustain an interest in Chinese language newspapers (I was never good with reading and writing Chinese, unlike some of my peers such as Jeremy, Jacky and Kenwyn).

Recently there's a meme going around Facebook taking the form of a comic strip which starts off with a specific job/occupation title followed by sections illustrated with photos/drawings with captions such as 'What people think I do', 'What superiors/my family/friends/society think I do' and 'What I really do (or in some instances 'What I REALLY really do').

And then I saw this classy strip courtesy of this dude -



You have to admit though that some of them are just downright hilarious, especially if you'd experienced it first-hand. (The ones about vocations in the army deserve an honourable mention)

Lastly,



Targeted advertisements ftw.

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For One More Day
Wednesday. 1.25.12 2:47 am
Hello world (Yes I'm still alive and kicking, or should I say, sounding the horn in Mousehunt at regular intervals). A very belated New Year to all who happen to stumble unto this site (I thank you).

Its unfortunate but after 46 days of being unemployed, I am.. still sadly unemployed. Granted this period of respite has allowed me to complete many tasks which I'd set out to do in the past but failed due to overarching commitments (read - conscription). For starters, I'd managed to clean up my space in time for the Lunar New Year and it really took my mind off reminiscing about the days I spent at my previous workplace with the best colleagues in the world (at least for now!).

Last Friday (20th Jan) I woke up specially early just to participate in the Out Camp Run organised by my (previous) employers. I tried to infiltrate it discreetly but my cover was blown almost immediately as I was spotted by my ex-boss at the McDonald's in West Coast Park where I was having a good chat with YJ and LQ (mostly listening to complaints about their 'Empress Dowager' amongst other things)

I completed the 5km route with David and YJ (We should take part in a marathon someday, just saying :D) and received a request by my ex-boss to conjure up a new name for our newly-opened Mess. Of course being a typical SG-rean I suggested calling it 'The Mess', a name which I was sure no other unit had christened their Mess. It was rejected though. And in light of the long Lunar New Year weekend, everyone conveniently decided to delay the official opening of the Mess by a week so as to come up with a name.

Lunch was at Old Airport Road Hawker Centre with David, Samuel and You'en. It was good to catch up with them and I wish them all the best at work, especially to David who'd replaced me as the PA (: Really missed working with them and their upper-studies (who'd left at the same time as me).

The two days of the Lunar New Year were rather uneventful. This year the attention were focused on the new additions to our extended family instead. Things were more interesting on Twitter though. Had a few conversations which made me go 'lol' out loud. Kenwyn if you're reading this please go sign up for Twitter and join in the fun, thank you ^^

Politics and some regrettable misunderstandings aside (thankfully more or less resolved), I do miss my time at my previous place of employment. At least we still live on the same old island and not like 1054410 miles apart from each other (ultimately there's always Facebook and IM, thank God for that!).

Something to share for those who can read Chinese (apologies if you do not)

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Merry Christmas!
Sunday. 12.25.11 1:30 am
First of all,

MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all who have nothing to do but to visit this site. Thank you all for wastingspending your time here. =)

Well, a short update on my futile job search.
After a great Christmas feast with my family (and Alvin's), I have crystallised my thoughts regarding which job I will apply for come the brand new work-week.

Its either, (at the top of my list), relief teaching back in NH, a menial admin job at SPH, or (I hope not to resort to this), a call-centre agent at Starhub.

Alright, have a great Christmas morning while I reminisce about 2011 with alcohol as my faithful companion. Cheers (:

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Back to December
Saturday. 12.24.11 2:28 am
Freedom has never felt so great, especially if you have a job all lined up for you after your contract with your current employer expires. Unfortunately.. I've been unemployed for close to two weeks now. True that, I hadn't been the most active of jobseekers, instead choosing to spend these 14 days taking a break and trying out my hand at football management with FM2012 (which subsequently crashed after an update - something which I'd registered in the forums. Imagine 400 hours of work flushed down the drain).

In the month before I left service I'd mostly been on off and leave - leaving day-to-day duties to David who coped remarkably in my absence. I remarked to my fellow ORD-ing PAs that he looked a rather exceptional choice already. It helped too that we'd been able to connect with each other, and am glad that he could get along well with the SPDS people from my year. He's potentially going to be a better doyen of PR than me eventually I reckon and that can only mean well for the unit and for his own personal development.

On the 10th of December the unit held a cohesion at West Coast. It was a bowling tournament similar to last year's but without the lucky draw which dampened moods somewhat. Anyway, my batchmates and I were to be presented with 'that which'd been taken from us in the beginning' at the end of the function. Naturally, as all fairytales go, we were set a target of 100 pins before we could receive our Identification Cards and I promptly staggered to 99 (all out) with the whole unit watching (which kind of showed how lousy I was at it) -.-

In any event I appreciated the applause (loudest of all amongst my batchmates) when presented with the plaque and certificate of service by my boss. I was immensely touched by that gesture - it really gave me a closure to what'd easily been hands down the most incredible/remarkable 18 months of my life thus far. Thank you (:

Had a farewell lunch with the officers at the end of it all with my boss generously picking up the tab. I had the privilege to be able to work with such a magnanimous bunch of people and as stated in my farewell mail (which I am trying to retrieve from David), I hope that the unity displayed by the officer corp will infect the unit and remove its bad excesses. Parting wish of sorts then.

Shall share something I'd read from The Economist relating to euphemisms.

The British are probably the world champions of euphemism. The best of these are widely understood (at least among natives), creating a pleasant sense of complicity between the euphemist and his audience. British newspaper obituaries are a rich seam: nobody likes to speak ill of the dead, yet many enjoy a hint of the truth about the person who has �passed away�. A drunkard will be described as �convivial� or �cheery�. Unbearably garrulous is �sociable� or the dread �ebullient�; �lively wit� means a penchant for telling cruel and unfunny stories. �Austere� and �reserved� mean joyless and depressed. Someone with a foul temper �did not suffer fools gladly�. The priapic will have �enjoyed female company�; nymphomania is �notable vivacity�. Uncontrollable appetites of all sorts may earn the ultimate accolade: �He lived life to the full.�


Full article here

At least I did not manage to describe myself as a "depressed drunkard' in my testimonial, although some of my friends will kindly beg to differ

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Out-Camp Run (Oct 11)
Tuesday. 11.01.11 1:00 am
Welcome to November, the month full of offs and leaves. My time is nearing an end. Its time to let my understudy fully take charge of affairs.

Everyone went for a run at East Coast Park last Friday. It was good running (ok, sprinting) with YE, made me feel young again and proved a good test of my stamina, or whatever there is left after months of nuaing. Post-run, David and I joined YE, Samuel, WS and Mark at Carl's Jr for a meal (which I owe David and YE $1.50 due to our scheme to share fries and drinks) which totally obliterated and even reversed any fat we burned during the run itself. Two hours of chat ensured and we all parted ways with an agreement to repeat the same sometime soon.

I would have loved to work together with them in the long haul. Its a shame that we will only get to really be in the same workplace for one month effectively due to the one year gap. The workplace would have been a much happier and productive place had more people like them proliferated throughout.

Drawing blood later with Terence. Oh shit I have a conference to attend. Maybe will just leave and rejoin later then.

Anyway, the trendiest last words now are "Oh well, oh well, oh well" uttered by none other than the late Steve Jobs. Well, what a man. What a legacy. Even though I only have an iTouch and was never interested in the iPhone.

Quote of the day
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools" - Herbert Spencer (British philosopher)

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Just a little update
Friday. 10.28.11 12:53 am
Its nearing November once again. And its 2011.

4 years since the O's (wonder how Man Utd fans coped with their English paper on Monday morning after that c6p1tulation the night before)

2 solid years to the day where we're cramming for A's (And looking at the questions I realised I really know shit now - sorry tutors, blame the army)

And,

I've been in my current job for the past one year or so, preparing leave the force in roughly five week's time.

My understudy has arrived and has been shadowing me for the past 25 days (during working days, that is - not weekends which is just plain creepy if it was true ^^) learning 'the tricks of the trade' - basically, knowing how to fire arrows and avoid those shot back at you... And a few other more mundane things.

The Rangers have arrived back from Camp Thailand and are now busying themselves with tidying up the discipline and 'leading the way'. The three bars the angel while the NCO does all the enforcing (they're both nice decent guys for the record when not in character I must say)

That being said, woe behold all those staying (in) when 2012 dawns on us.

Life's pretty decent right now - There're people that I can hang out with wherever I head to. Heading the list would be the PAs and all our understudies - surprisingly able to bond with each other despite being one batch apart (I suppose the facts that they all come from JC and share the same birth years played a major part).

Also the lovely dudes spinning rifles til freedom comes in Feb/Mar 2012. Kudos to them for keeping me company during lunch and after office hours. Furthermore Alan at the station who never failed to make me feel welcome at the Station when I happened to pass by.

And that's just the unit alone. I shall stop here I guess. Too many people to thank for making my life a much more tolerable (and I daresay, a mildly enjoyable one?). Full credits due on 9 Dec 2011 when pink will be the new black.. Or green in our case

Love songs playing over the radio at this hour makes me feel rather pensive. I do miss having long conversations now that everyone's seemingly so busy with their own lives to bother sharing.

Anw, this is just so damn true



Got this from Facebook.
Quote of the day definitely. ^^

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On friendships
Monday. 9.26.11 3:44 am
Its 4am and I suddenly felt an urge to update this space.

Some people are just not who they were, or seemed to be, in the past as compared to now. Of course it is easy to just loathe someone for what they are like presently. However, many a time we tend to forget how different things were a year or two back, to the days when we first knew him/her.

Doesn't it interest you to know how someone whom you could get along reasonably with turned from friend to foe over time? Back then, we were probably blinded by our own self-interest that we contrived to be insensitive to people around us. Maybe it was the incompatibility of our views, personalities and characters that did it for us.

True friends stick by you through this stubborn phase of your life. Whenever you felt you could go at it alone, or that no one else mattered, they were always there watching over you, picking you up when you inevitable fell in your foolish pursuit of a non-existent goal. Definitely, they are the people whom you could entrust with your secrets.

Thank you (you guys know who you are) to those who have stood by me throughout these three years and shared the dream of a united class (or whatever's left of it). You guys consistently strove to meet up and bitch about everything under the sun - and it can only be a good thing if we're still hanging out on an almost weekly basis.

Recently, I surprised myself by making plenty of close friends at work - not majorly from my batch as I'd imagined, but from those before and after me. I realised that with the right characters and personalities, firm friendships could be forged through sharing common bonds, views and experiences in lieu of different backgrounds.

Now the crucial thing is about how to make these friends stick by you in the years, or even decades ahead.

This week will be hell for us. We will pull through it together somehow.

And lastly, will I be able to resist keeping off Tumblr in the near future?

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