Last Thursday an Apache helicopter crash-landed in a field at Woodlands and we were activated back to camp at around seven in the evening as a standby/relief unit in case the wreck could not be cleared that night. Thankfully the RSAF duly cleared up the mess and we stood down nearing nine that night.

On Saturday evening after a night out with my MPTS buddies we received an urgent message that COG the very next day was postponed pending news of Mdm Kwa's passing earlier in the day. News outlets initially reported that 'A private funeral will take place on October 6 at Mandai Crematorium..'.

Business as usual on Monday as we outnumbered the dudes over at NCC HQ and (almost) visited the Hu the very next day. Guess some SAF Band people spotted me though. Hm. It was Josh I reckon, watching us go by our job involving everyone in the complex (except for them).

Home beckoned that evening and I looked forward to enjoying perhaps a chilled beer or two relaxing in my room stalking people on facebook. Yet just as I stepped foot into my house..

"Attn fellas.. (we) are to be on standby at home. If we are activated, (go) back to camp within an hour with No.1 prepared.."

After I showered and before I could even sit down at the dining table..

"This is by (Boss). Rehearsal at 2200 hrs tonight at Mandai.. 2x tonner will arrive at 2100 hrs.. Prepare our guys in No.4 with peak cap, arms and move out latest by 2130 hrs. Please make sure we have 48 + reserve.."

So that's that. A supposed private funeral became a (semi) state funeral, and as the ceremonial gun carriage was activated we are to be involved in the proceedings as well.

$17.40 later I was back in camp getting ready to move out. Details were still fuzzy at that stage as plans were thought out and reworked due to the urgency of this development. The rehearsal over at Mandai was pushed back to 2359 hrs, allowing us a welcome respite to learn/perfect our tafakur before heading over to the crematorium.

The rehearsal started on time and things soon got pretty frustrating as the hours ticked by due to our positions/movement being changed, modified and refined again, and again, as each of his boss' boss' boss' bosses gave their opinions on how things should be done. Finally we scraped by despite a pretty horrendous coming-in sequence to extricate ourselves from the scene at around 0330 hrs.

Surreal scenes involving volleys of vulgarities and the like ensued in the morning as we rushed to get ready for the operation. Had a final rehearsal at three before the whole sequence of events kicked off neatly at 1630 hrs. And the rest, as they say, is history all in the the news.

48-MAN LINE-OF-HONOUR FOR THE FUNERAL OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW @ MANDAI CREMATORIUM
6th October 2010



From CNA: Third from the left :D

NEWS REPORT - 061010

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Long in the works, this. Supposed to be on the way to camp right now for COG, but due to certain unforeseen circumstances, i.e. the passing of Mdm Kwa Geok Choo, COG has been postponed as the Istana gets ready to receive an influx of people attending her wake as her body lies in state there over the next two days.
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MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL @ HCJC
11th September 2010

Met up with Louis, Jtay and HY for dinner/Sakae all the way over at OC. Should've gone somewhere nearer instead. Like Golden Rooster or something.

Guess MAF was pretty fun as we met up with our friends over in school. Took photos/videos of the fireball, went up to the reading room to chill (and make us feel old because of all the people in there), played with sparklers with bandmates, sang the school songs, watch people skewer the mass dances etc.

I think they cut the repetitions out from the songs though. The length just did not feel right.. And best of all.. There were people MUGGING at class benches when all these festivities were taking place. Some things just never change eh, like having MAF smack in the middle of J2 Prelims, and also ten days earlier than the actual day to boot



















Credits to Jtay and Chai for the photos which I shamelessly ripped from FB Hope you guys don't mind (:

SAF MPC 44th COMMAND ANNIVERSARY @ SILOSO BEACH, SENTOSA
17th September 2010

Day of fun, laughter and too much station games on the beach. The tight scheduling predictably caused backlogs at many game stations. That was the only snag on proceedings though. And why hire an emcee when our own guys can do it well.. Commenting cynically and chiding both officers and men with utmost impunity during the games.. Hm.

And of course which beach event ends without anyone getting dunked into the sea.. Resulting in free-for-alls that makes everyone drenched without a second thought in the end?

The 4-course dinner was nicely planned and executed though. And I got a nice photo with the biggest boss of all here as a pretty nice bonus.












The most unimaginative fireball ever..

Alright, that concludes the photo-posts (My apologies to those expecting to see a bit more words).

And its October already, someone's afk-ing on MSN, boycotting Facebook and I've finally woken up sober at lunchtime. So that's been the gist of my dull mundane Sunday thus far.

It could have been so much rosier though. Would never have expected everything to careen into some precipice the way things were seemingly proceeding some time ago. Note - Seemingly. Maybe its all fated, and trying to change it in any way isn't easy, even if fate is nodal and all.

Persistence , or some foolishly misinformed insistence?

I was reading through the 2010 HCI Econs Prelim P1 back in school yesterday.. And boy I realise how badly I'll flunk if I take the paper now, eleven months since my last contact with H2 Econs. The link between inflation/recession and its associated consequences? Err.. Qualitative easing and its contradictory outcomes? Hm..

Anyways, all bets are off that this year's paper will be heavily slanted towards the financial crisis and recession that we were all submerged in in recent years. So.. All the best then (:

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...
Got a working illusion
In the palm of your hand
Why in the world would you want to lose that?

Clung on to believing
Just as long as I could
How in the world could you fail to see that?

Hasta luego modern guy
When did I cease to see the light?
and maybe you were right
Maybe I�m all dried up inside
Maybe I�m not built for these times
Maybe I don�t know how to live

Lyrics from Why in the World? by Lloyd Cole from the album Broken Record, 2010

Why do I keep experiencing this sense of helplessness, anguish and despair time and time again? Don't think I'd had a good night's sleep for quite a while now.

Maybe we're forever destined to lead parallel lives.

So many what-ifs, and I guess it really is beyond me now to influence any change. Would've loved to be in a better position but alas, my hopes now lie in ruin, shorted by a messy tangle of overarching factors.

Still can't believe I'm actually reduced to leading a hand-mouth existence emotionally nowadays.

The days feel so hollow and the nights so shallow without anyone around.. I so so lament the balkanisation of the myriad relationships we have had indeed.

Should I even be in this world? I'll be the first to admit that invisibility does take quite a bit getting used to. And I'm perhaps erasing myself from everyone's consciousness at a much faster rate than I'd envisaged. My readership figures pretty much point to this conclusion as well. Joy to the world.

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You know, I find it so hard to think of titles for my posts sometimes that I've no other viable option but to follow Waimin's style of using dates as headers.

A huge shout-out to Aaron for helping me edit the appearance of the photos posted on this website using CSS. If you haven't noticed already by now they actually sport rounded corners instead of the blase straight-edged ones. I guess I can console myself by the fact that I will never have to touch programming in University if I choose not to.

Well, the third edition of the Singtel Singapore Formula One Grand Prix ended with Alonso finally winning cleanly in the most spectacular race on our shores to date. I continue to be dazzled by the illuminated street circuit, especially when surveyed from above. And of course the huge fireworks (sort of) from the Lotus of Heikki Kovelainen ended things off with a bang, literally.


Shot grabbed from FM George Yeo's Facebook
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This week can basically be summed up in just one word - Parade. Yes, it's that time of the month again. After the excitement of 48-man last Friday I will be involved in a 24-man PG on Thurs and to top it off, October's COG at the gates of Istana this coming Sunday.



Ta-da. I'll be in the contingent strolling down Orchard Road from the Istana to Cathay, so you know what to do - 1750 hrs, at Somerset to see the whole parade sequence.. See erm, you there. It will most probably be my first and last COG as well.

One last thing, thanks to my room mates' knack of turning our room into a club I've kind of become attuned to Justin Bieber, who is an exceptional talent indeed. His latest album, My World 2.0, is a definite must-have IMO.

And I discovered through the forums that we luckless people can actually access Restaurant City by tweaking with our proxy settings. -.-

ALL THE BEST TO ALL THOSE HAVING PAPERS THIS WEEK :D
Especially those who took time off to visit this site in spite of your mugging. Yay. JYJY ((:
Thank you for your support!

And 谢谢雯娟小姐 for lending us her place on Sunday to chill, even if quite a few people were absent.. Its great to meet up though. Its probably all OCS' fault >.<

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Found this gem of a post(s) while looking through some old stuff on my hard disk.

I've always wanted to share this.. but somehow forgot about it in light of some.. issues.. that consumed me soon after though. Guess only Josie will know what when she compare the dates. The rest not old enough. Ok just kidding

From the (now defunct) blog of Joshua, a.k.a. AdminJL/metoh the Admin/Founder of sgbandfusion.com, I hereby present (with assumed impunity) to you readers out there (not that there are many to begin with, but oh well) a series.. of blog entries from near five years back.

Sunday, July 17, 2005
Ten Commandments of Ah Bengs

Just went through the net and found in some sg forums this. Sounds funny. Read.

The Ten Commandments of Ah Beng

1. Thou are the Father of all around thee. Thou shalt remind them by saying: �Thy Father, me� each time thou speak.

2. Thou shalt share thy music with thy neighbor. Make sure the volume of is loud enough for the whole floor to enjoy.

3. Thou shalt not use the words �Fxxx you� in vain. Always accompany it with a punch.

4. Remember to make thy presence a nuisance under the void deck, in the dark corners of closed shopping centers and in Kopitiams every night.

5. Thou shalt let thy motorbike cuts lanes freely with disregard to the safety of thyself and others.

6. Thou shalt learn how to sell pornography and pirated software as a living.

7. Thou shalt whistle at every girl in sight, fat or skinny, pretty or ugly.

8. Thou shalt borrow stuff and money but do not return them.

9. Thou shalt smoke at least two packs a day.

10. Thou shalt leave graven images and words, even telephone numbers of thy enemies, at every dark corner and toilet

Scribbled by Josh @ 11:10 AM
*******
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Tips for Band 1

Alright. Im going to start writing series now. Haha. Got time then i post abt my personal life. Jus some tips here on ensemble playing in band.

1. Everyone should try to play the same piece.

2. Stop at every repeat sign and discuss in detail whether to take the repeat or not. Audiences will love this a lot!

3. If you play a wrong note, give a nasty look to one of your partners.

4. Keep your fingering chart handy. You can always catch up with the others further on in the piece.

5. Carefully tune your instrument before playing. That way you can play out of tune all night with a clear conscience.

6. Take your time turning pages.

7. The right note at the wrong time is a wrong note (and vice-versa).

8. If everyone gets lost except you, follow those who get lost.

9. Strive to get the maximum NPS (note per second). That way you gain the admiration of the incompetent.

10. Markings for slurs, dynamics and ornaments should not be observed. They are only there to embellish the score.

11. If a passage is difficult, slow down. If it's easy, speed it up. Everything will work itself out in the end.

12. If you are completely lost, stop everyone and say, "I think we should tune".

13. Happy are those who have not perfect pitch, for the kingdom of music is theirs.

14. If the ensemble has to stop because of you, explain in detail why you got lost. Everyone will be very interested.

15. A true interpretation is realized when there remains not one note of the original.

16. When everyone else has finished playing, you should not play any notes you have left.

17. A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note. A wrong note played with authority is an interpretation.

18. Rests are irrelevant.

19. Punctuality is irrelevant.

20. Bathing and/or mouthwash is irrelevant.

21. "Da Capo" means decapitate.

22. "Crescendo" means crush everything in sight.

23. "Poco a poco" means poke everyone with a Klingon torture stick.

24. "Diminuendo" means being sarcastic and is irrelevant.

25. Expression, phrasing and vibrato is damaging to the collective and is irrelevant.

26. Playing in a bouncy, detached manner is irrelevant.......


Musicians out there, please do not be offended. Young ones out there, if you want to live your life as a musician or at least to perform proper music in performances, don't you even dare to execute any of the crazy items listed above...It's just for laughs! This perhaps should be labelled "C.O.P. Rules For Ensemble Playing", (no offence) hmm... -_-

Scribbled by Josh @ 10:37 PM
*******
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Tips for Band 2

Some ways to annoy people. Try them. If you get whacked thats not my problem.

1. When in a cab, tell the taxi driver on how fast u need to get to ur destination, using music theories..eg. "I'm in a hurry now, can you drive in an Allegro tempo?"

2. When eating things that uses chopstick, use a drumstick instead

3. If by any chance you heard someone farted,yell out loud "Whose trombone is that!?"

4. Knock on someone door, then stand still and starts to conduct when the owner opened the door..

5. When doing math, instead of saying half, use quaver, crotchets and so on..

Scribbled by Josh @ 5:35 PM
*******

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48-MAN-GOH for THE INDONESIAN CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF @ MINDEF
24th September 2010



The ADM's arrival was put back by an hour, and we were left speculating about whether he flew Air Garuda, which was apparently notorious for its frequent flight delays.

Anyway, I finally managed to see Aaron, immaculate in that black Japanese schoolboy jacket of his (while masquerading as a private), at his workplace. No idea why he's so free though.

The whole parade went ahead smoothly though. A pity that no photographs were published of us ^^. Wednesday's one was up on the webpage though. Then again I was on off and the rest took a tonner up the mountain as the buses were late. So yeah. I was lucky :D

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First up, here's my sincere apologies to all who came but had left disappointed at the dearth of updates over the past two weeks.

Lots of events had taken place, and coupled with the odd stay-in night or two, overnight duties and just plain old sheer laziness have contributed to the lull in publishing..

Actually I managed to stay awake last night to see England defeat Pakistan in the cricket, and Man United winning big while both Chelsea and Liverpool fumbled and were ingloriously dumped out of the cup with egg on their faces. Like what I posted on Facebook, it was a great day to be a United fan indeed.. Great day nibbling those fans of rival clubs.

Claimed two days off on Tues and Wed this week in a bid to clear my slate, and I managed to even crash some University while meeting some old friends of mine. More on that soon. Makes me get all nostalgic over school once more. I think I can even endure Physics lectures if you give me a chance to turn back time. Anything's better than feeling the effects of x-inefficiency first-hand everyday.

Anyway it was reported in the news today that the signatures on the appreciation certificates we volunteers received for contributing towards the YOG were mere specimens and not the real McCoy. And I will hopefully receive another one 'by the end of the year'. Then I will own TWO certificates.. just by standing like a dumb statue throughout the opening and closing ceremonies blocking the view of some government officials seated behind me.

I should start to bring my Sloman to work and make a serious effort to study that tome. Maybe in a few weeks or so. Doesn't hurt to know more of Econs eh. It may turn out useful..

Perhaps I should turn my attention to driving classes instead? (Congrats to all those who'd attained their license - just one year more and there'll be no need for yellow license plates anymore) I'd always had something against sitting behind that steering wheel of a real car though. I fear for my passengers' lives should I ever get to vroom-vroom around the streets making friends with indignant taxi drivers and others of similar ilk.

One more thing, a representative from my primary school (who professes to be old enough not to know how to use Facebook - gosh) informed me about some 25th anniversary thing that was open only to.. selected alumni. I wonder what that entails. Hm..

RESTAURANT CITY IS NOT LOADING

You know something is wrong when you keep getting stuck at this for a few hours.
Noooooo there goes my bonus and I'm so gonna lag far far behind Judy... and Judy. ^^
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There's a 48-man GOH tomorrow and some 'Pride Parade' thing as well in the afternoon. No, nothing to go with 'pride' as in . I've no idea what it is about as well.

Someone's virtually disappeared from the face of this earth for the past week or so though. And that's rather cause for worry? Hm..

It's recess week fittingly as well...

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Wow Facebook now has a new news feed system in place again. Cleans up the mess that is my sidebar by.. not much. Just some nicer graphics and the addition of some 'Request' tabs.



Wonder just how many people will notice this subtle change to their Feeds?

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