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Thank you for visiting my blog.
- Gregg Easterbrook ( Author )
To those of you who read about the recent death of a young officer and wish to know a little more about him, visit:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20
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Maybe its because he was the only child and had been through OCS, I could somehow empathize with his friend's description of the last few months of his life. The pain of waking up every single morning asking yourself, 'what am i doing here'. The exhilaration of tossing the cap which reveals an uneven tan on the face. The nights staring at the ceiling missing loved ones.
Sad to say, the fact that people are dying because of stupid reasons irks me.
No doubt the system has produced numerous talents and success stories, provided jobs and careers.
But everytime another obituary of a young man appears on the papers, who doesn't feel an ache?
Who's going to give the deceased a job and a career, a family and a success story?
normal saturday = morning book in to camp to change, grab the flags, take the chartered bus down to marina floating platform/nee soon camp for NDP rehearsals.
Yea, so it was another rehearsal at the platform. Then during the warm up in the morning, a fellow ensign said to me "hey, today my reserve is doing the final run because his girlfriend will be watching the parade"
"oh ok..."
"wait...today got audience?!"
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So we did wad we usually do and formed up at the entrance. Looking at the big eye-shaped screen, we saw the audience seats and most of us instantly went "OMG". There was stage fright no doubt, doubled by the screw up run we had earlier that afternoon.
Let's just say its a surreal experience, we went in, we knew that all the eyes were on us (even the camera, as we can still see the screen while we marched). No doubt it was really exciting. Behind the neat, tidy rows of men in white marching are conversations coming from every direction. Some were directions. others were just plain jokes and oh-my-god-this-is-so-cool remarks.
We did our usual stuff (which has been so thoroughly drilled into us) and i soon reached my position: Middle of the first row on the elevated platform.
'what a view...'
(too bad i cant bring a camera with me to capture it)
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(edit) Sunday night, i've finally decided to sign in to the messenger for a while. Had a chat with Dorea and realised that she watched CR3! hahaha. It feels really good to find out that a good fren had watched something that you're a part of. Well, to anyone and everyone reading this entry, if you're going to watch any of the previews (or the actual thing), please leave a comment =)
The past few days have been rather awkward. I wouldnt want to narrate all of them so i'll just leave that to your imagination.
I say that it has been awkward because no only had there been issues between my co workers and I, the volume of my work fluctuates frequently with no prior indications. People are losing their cool at some places and I constantly find myself in a position whereby i need to exert a bit of authority not only to set things right but also to keep myself out of trouble. Having said that, i have been doing risky things a lot recently without considering the possible consequences. The little monster called setback never fails to be summoned at the right moment just to give an extra push (or slap). Whilst I have decided to take a break with respect to certain aspects of my life, there are commitment issues pertaining to the other aspects. I have difficulty answering questions that requires my assurance because i hardly know anything at all. Last but not least i have given up on trying to contact a few certain people but those whom i managed to catch up with turned out to have provided me with some solid reasons to give the day a smile.
I realise that sometimes, we do have to take second place. It is always appropriate for you to put yourself into other's shoe as cheesy as it may sound. Sometimes its best to keep your cool and stay focus on the big idea instead of petty details. However, do not neglect or overlook something just because they doesnt seem like a big matter to you . Whenever you get yourself involved in something, be prepared to commit fully, even though at times multiple things require such commitment. Dun worry about setbacks or humiliation, just be brave, face it, and grow your skin a lil thicker each time. And lastly for friends, it wldnt have been a big issue if those who werent that close inevitably drift away, because those who really mattered has always been around.
I guess the weekend or rather the week's break that i have given to myself has come to an end. It didnt really worked out as a break because all i did was to slack at the times when i would have tried to do something usually. Its spontaneous; like a tea break in a sleepy afternoon. Next week will pose new challenges, and I am slowly beginning to feel the repercussions of doing many things simultaneously. It is my fault entirely; I got myself involved in too many things right after i commissioned because i wanted to be occupied. I overdid it
lead.excel.overcome
It will be quite scary if one day i forget wads in the content of the creed.
The degree at which one is comfortable with changes varies. Some just blends in whenever he/she goes, while others stand out for their different practise and beliefs. ie When you are an member of the minority group in a place, you either change your ways of life or you just stick to those who belongs to the same group. I can go on and on about how in the army you really have to just BECOME part of the system but i guess thats not the toughest i've seen. Personally, i find the need to adapt to growing up poses the biggest challenge. It is interesting how such a difficult task is one which every single person has to face.
At the age of 20, I am currently at the grey area between a youth and an adult. Under Singapore law you will be treated as a minor if you are below 18 years old. Which means that for the crimes you commit, you'll not be captially punished, neither will you be jailed. It seems to spread the message that one is not sufficiently old (and mature) enough to consider the consequences and bear the responsibilities of his own doings. This is a common argument: what makes us believe that the moment after this person celebrates his 18th birthday he is ready to do so. This reminds me of another point (which i am not very certain on its application to this). A man who has commited a crime (punishable by caning) while he was about to hit the maximum age permitted to be caned. He was convicted and sentenced after he crossed that mark and subsequently excused from the corporal punishment. The rationale behind this is simple and straight forward; the main concern and reason behind having a maximum age is health issues. Therefore it wouldnt matter at what age the person has committed the crime because once he is unfit for such punishment, it is absolute. It is the age at which the punishment is administered that truly mattered. Having said that, the responsibility that should be bestowed upon a youth should depend on whether he has reached that level of maturity instead whether he blewed his 18 candles, shouldnt it?
The problem with this is there is no way to find out. Psychology, maybe. I find myself at times forcing an adult persona and mentality into myself because all adult-matters that seemed so distant when we were young have already come knocking at our doors now. First, there are the decisions we have to make. There isnt anyone to tell you what is right and what is wrong because obviously there is no clear cut answer. On the contrary if someone claims that he is able to do so, you may have all the reason the doubt the credibility and reliability of his advice. Simple yet crucial matter: choice of university subject. When i just graduated, the sub prime market is still doing well and Lehman brothers have yet to burn a hole in everyone's pocket. The economy is doing well and lots of people are getting scholarships, fighting for places to do business and economics in uni. A year later,news of fresh business/econs grads having difficulties finding jobs flooded the home section. The economy showed signs of recovery but im sure confidence level among students arent as high as they used to be
Second, there are expectations we have to meet. Being an adult automatically requires a certain set of fundamental knowledge that wasnt essential back in school. It covers a wide spectrum of topics ranging from writing letters to understanding CPF. One is also expected to behave like an adult, and is treated like one. I find that a huge issue at my workplace. I am required to communicate effectively (that is, with respect, but getting the message across) with people who are many years my senior as well as peers. I always find it very challenging to find the balance between over exerting the authorities you're given and appearing too polite that you look fearful and uncertain. It leaves lasting impressions on people and sometimes (most of the time) such impressions can be inaccurate. The phenomenon that people spread things about others in office tends to aggravate such matters as well.
Third and lastly, there are examples that we have to set. Many a times i see irresponsible and inconsiderate people in our society. The urge to tell them off is huge. For example, people who sit in the middle of narrow passages in the library reading newspaper (with the paper on the floor) while having their shoes placed beside them; people who walks out of a restaurant to smoke and stands beside tables of those dining outdoors; people who smoke in air conditioned bus terminals. I really want to take pictures of these people and report to the authorities but i never did, i either gave them a chance or told them off in the face. I have been rather lucky because no one has turn violent or vulgar on me yet (maybe because i choose to be polite as well). This attitude of mine imposes certain expectations of myself. When i do something, i tend to be very self aware. I will take sometime to consider whether someone will find my action unbecoming or whether my action will bring inconvenience to others. Indirectly, i feel that such actions have a prominent effect on teenagers. Teenagers (those who are maybe 5-8 years younger than me) will not look at the elderlies for example because they are simply to old; they will look up to people who are within their age range yet sufficiently older. It is not a conscious effort I believe but I have confidence in saying that there is some truth in it. Take for example dining in a fast food restaurant, i always believed that it is such a simple task to clear the tray and there is absolutely no need for a temp there to do the job. However when I was much younger i did not think so. In school canteen we all have to clear our own plates because we were told to do so and our teachers do it as well. In the fast food restaurant, everyone (adults) will just leave their trays there for the waitress/waiter (i wonder if they are even called waitress/waiters) to clear. It never even occurred to me why it is so. Even our PM agrees to this when he commented that all NSmen knows how to clear their plates in the cookhouse but no one does it in hawker centers.
I recall the times when i was young and how i could not wait for time to pass so that i could be an adult. Being an adult seemed to be associated to numerous privileges like buying your own toys and crossing the road on your own. Ironically, at this very moment of our lives when we are really taking that step towards becoming an adult, I sense a significant amount of hesitation and an equally significant lack of self confidence. Before I hit the culturally-recognised mark of 21 years, I'll probably need to learn to transfer all that jungle-and-army-adapting skills to those that teaches one how to adapt to growing up.
Jia you bah.
When we are young we do foolish things.
We think we'll always stay alive,
and theres nothing that we shouldnt try.
We jump off airplanes and we drink all night,
never stop trying to prove our rights.
When we are young we do foolish things.
We love as though it gives us our lives.
We lose our friends we lose our mind.
And when we lose our partner,
we'll leave the world behind.
When i am young i do foolish things.
I yearn for honour I feed on pride.
Showered under flashlights
and strangers' curious sights,
I carry the colour
which brings colours to my life.
But when the vision gets blurry
and the arms numb slowly,
oh how foolish it is to give everything a try!
(Not a very poetic poem but i tried my best to pen down my exact sentiments last night.)
(A lonely saturday shared with a few thousand others)
I sense some changes. Small... but... significant....
Mom came into my room today and casually asked a really awkward question
"how come u didn't wish me mother's day? I wasnt expecting a present or anithing but u didnt even wish me"
I was dumbfounded. Truth is I had been very unfilial lately. You know something must be wrong when
the only thing my mom says to me is have you finished preparing ur applications yet
the only thing my dad says to me is you may want to consider changing a discipline for uni
the only thing i say to my dad is you cooked the same dinner again
and the only thing i say to my mom is uh ok
I feel utterly guilty when she brought up mothers day. I did think about getting her something but most of such thoughts end up with half hearted shopping attempts. Deep down I also feel like yelling But on my birthday i just get a cake which dad conveniently bought back on the way home from work at her. I really deserve to die.
the problem with me is that i refuse to communicate with my parents. Sounds like rebellious stage of puberty revisited but its more of like a silent protest. I just cannot comprehend and accept certain things they say/do and decisions they make. The part i hate most is they are never appreciative of what i did/achieved but shows off my accomplishments infront of their friends and colleagues. Oh i am so flattered.
Thing is I did not only screw up my relationship with my parents. Friendship is 2nd on the list. My temper is extremely short lately. I have absolutely no idea why. It is as if the patience department of myself just went on a strike. I have been rude, insensitive and irritable. I'll just talk and act without thinking and after a long period of time goes 'oh no i think i have offended this person'. I do not know where to move on next. A part of me says i should be nice and just apologise but another part of me thinks that i have done absolutely nothing wrong. The result is just a cause and effect of the course of action by the other party which triggered my course of reactions. period.
you may now slap me.
jia you bah
- I'm at:bed in bedroom
- Feeling:annoyed
- Listening to:none
Rmb how ppl used to have a list of favourite things written in a column in their blog? usually right below the "name, age, dob, gender" kind of personal particulars (along with a wishlist for the slightly more ahem shameless ones haha jk)
this list consists of favourites that applies to oh well, this stage of my life
(just for future reference)
romance comedy
whiskey and coke
vodka and sprite
ice lemon tea and sprite
baileys
hot tall mocha without whip cream
floral tie(s)
armani cologne
medium rare
iphone
wifi
facebook
kinokuniya
chocolate
esplanade library
bowtie
morning runs
afternoon swims
coffee and novel
sleep
won't go home without you
law books
photo albums
flattering shirt and tees
loafers
being able to walk faster than all others at DG mrt station
written/ type written mails
sunday morning sun
walking
full moon and stars
mango, banana, strawberry and watermelon
running into a cute girl when....running
watching syf
weekend hangouts
this list can go on forever...
oh...not forgetting
my blog =D
it is officially 5 years and 1 month old!
(started 2004 april 10)
jia you bah
So now that i sleep at home everyday, i cldnt get used to the temp of an air con room anymore.
Hence every night, i will draw the curtains and open the windows...
... only to realise how beautiful the starry night sky is, from my bed.
maybe, in life, you have to let go of something to gain another
Dun worry, this is not a hint to you to get some last minute presents
(and anyways if u really wanted to find out, the bdae reminder on facebook is shouting at u)
Just wanted to think about what i have done with this 2 decades of my life thus far...
... i'll get an answer soon i guess.
And the first thing i wanna do on my bdae, is to copy and paste all the entries on my LJ and keep it somewhere safe for reference in the future. It may not be all that useful but i guess its good to know where you come from. You may think u rmb the kind of person you were, the kind of thoughts you used to have but trust me, when i read my earlier entries, this always pops up in my mind.
"what a childish, rowdy and shameless person i had been! "
and of course, the other reason being, this blog has been around for 6 years already. =D
jia you bah
"If there is a boutique that sells anything and everything...
i will buy...
A lifetime subscription of knowledge
A bottle of passion
A prescription of reassurance
A bar of confidence booster
A sense of meaning
A party pack of friendship
A pair of fillial piety
A complete idiot's guide to appreciation
A pouch of gratitude
A palette of creativity
A block of determination and peseverence
A bouquet of understanding
A sheet of forgiveness
A matchbox of inspiration
A musical instrument of enlightenment
A CD of soul searching
A photo album of memories
A file of success
A notepad of failure
A pillbox of regret
A champagne of celebration
A tub of ice-cream that is happiness flavoured
A spirit of sorrow
And before i walk towards the counter, I'll grab
A hint of love
And on second thought, i may just leave the spirit behind."
jia you bah
- I'm at:my bedroom
- Listening to:little life by rachael yamagata
almost too good to be true. =/
The top portion of my cupboard is where i place all things that are the closest to my heart. They remind me of the wonderful times that i have had and the wonderful people that i have encountered. I always have this habit of keeping notebooks. It is not exactly a diary because i do not write an entry everyday. It serves as a item which records misc things from day to day and random thoughts which i sometimes have. The following is a list of such random thoughs which i used to have.
Disclaimer: may be emo *laughs*
1) "if only i could have" everybody says that to regret on what they have done. I hate this line, so i never on things that i have done and never do things that i think i will regret
2) Though i knew it was a prank right from the start, why am i still so depressed to be told the truth. was it that deep down inside my heart i hoped it was true?
3) Life is like chocolate and vanila ice cream
why do mac sell only these 2 flavours?
most people like them
life is like choc, extreme sweetness mixed with bitterness, life wouldnt be at its best if there is only good things
Vanilla, it taste bland at times bt as time passes it gets sweeter... thats life.
4) Xing Kong, Zhonghu to erhu crescendo (erhu too weak)
5) to look fwd towards a brighter tml, having hope for tml even though all the hopes in the past end up as disappointment, its a very brave thing to do - a fren
6) i suddenly realised that what saddens me the most is not the melody of the class' song but the realisation that i have never made the effort to listen to the song carefully, neither do i know how to sing it
7) Huang cheng day 3, bring facial foam, selectively emphasize the line... buy a bigger long sleeve shirt
8) life is like an onion, you peel it off a layer at a time and sometimes you weep - a quote from somewhere
9) what if, in this world, only you exist?
10) sometimes when you feel sad, there is no justification for it, you feel a void inside your heart and you dunno what can you use to fill it up, thats life
11) love is like a ghost, everyone is talking about it but very few have really seen it before -quote from somewhere
12) people say life is like a dance, every dance is closer to the end as each second passes, you are just nearer to the end. However, every second is long enought to let you feel the vibrancy and the burning flare of your life, and eventually life is just over, in a flash
13) a random day observing people from where they cannot see me :
- yihui and jas walking in
-boonie and yun ling reaching school and unearthly hours
-marilyn and eunice yap
-hongfei walking in while smsing and doing hair
-ppl sleeping outside huisuo at sci lab
-yt and someone hiding at metal block in sci lab (yanting)
-szehui spotted me
-hongfei and jaime outside audi
-morning mugging outside LT5
-aep snr asked me where i was going
-cleaners cleaning random room
-empty audi
-people setting up flag
-cong chong preparing mic and music stand
-jasline's fren (jacklyn) leading band?
-gathering @ central plaza
14) step 1: derive residual curve for leader a) draw market dd curve for all follower firms
15) Assume Pk is true for same k = Z+, K more than 1
16) put mankind back on earth - bono u2
17) ideas for hcco interaction skit : 10 most memorable moments in hcjc, 10 reasons why you shld join hcco
18) verdigris: cello melody, bar 11 , poco rit. xianyue dizi sheng bar 66-69
19) (draft for a bdae card) hi Mare!.... gd luck for ensemble competition and thanks for rushing back for our lil perf! mao
20) love is listening and listening is love
21) healing begins the moment we stop judging
22) Life is based in a city with countless cross junctions. but eventually, an individual exp is only a single path. if death is the inevitable and absolute end to all our paths. is that the junction where all of us will meet?
23) 2007 day 1 maths, complete holiday assignment by friday. study vectors test wk 2 weds. hand in GP on tues wk2
24) banner painting
cloth $12
chalk$1.20
sewing $3
white paint $4
25) in others we see ourselves. sometimes when you think that someone is sad angry or frustrated not because they really are but rather its because you are actually the one going thru those emotions. people arnd you are ur mirrors. In others you see yourself and how ure feeling.
26) outside the subway station at the staircas, everyone is waiting for someone. i am waiting too. but i am not waiting for anyone. in fact i dunno who i am waiting for. how many others are like me?
27) The wonderful thing about life, your relation with those around you, is the fact that you dont know most things which happened. God may have given you countless chances and let you meet her a thousand times but since you dont know anything nothing will, thus, happen.
28) 9th april 07 i realise, actually, i rarely celebrate ppl's bdae with the co esp. I am always left out, alone. i am too stressed? i dont know
29) free body diagram 1) contact force 2) field force
30) hcco elections notes candidate: ____
-claim to be patient
-says that co is not bonded, promote more perf and games
-claims to have no prob with handling instructors
-emotional
-made many assumptions about SL
31) the obstruction between them is the lack of courage and motivation to try to know one another
32) it is a story of 2 strangers who know one another. telling us how ppl's lives affect one another, without us knowing.
33) camera capabitilty test
exposure, AE, depth of field, selective focus
zoom capabilities
monopod/tripod
34) art qns: is picasso's cubist style in representing war themes a kind of distortion? how is it diff from pure cubist paintings?
35) a 5 min performance, may have the ability to change the entire world
36) da di hui chun: first 2 solos keep, take away 54,55, cut drum parts, keep xianyue for 10/8
37) 苍茫大地，生灵之田
任凭风月侵蚀，战火纷飞
也阻挡不了历史车轮，济济向前
大地依然郁郁葱葱，春光遍地
38) shooting a good film is like cooking a good dish for an extremely lazy person
39) look matters a lot but what is a good dish w/o nice aroma (sound) and good taste (content and meaning?) cook your good dish with 9 part experience and garnish it with one part creativity! =)
40)Boon Ken: meet outside station, at 8 am. Mr tan shoot, Zhengyou direct, Mr Tan's kids, pow, jerry baona.
41) books to read:
1984
2001 a space odyssey
brave new world
the book of laughter and forgetting
fight club
foundation trilogy
to kill a mockingbird
42) Life is like a train journey
sometimes it travels in the air
while during others it is deep underground
there are many people who will take your train during your journey
some board right at the beginning
some alight at a particular stop
there will be a handful who will alight only at the terminal
Everyone who boards ur train will be taken to a different location.
some of which are destinations,
others may be just random places
there will also be people who are lost and accidentally board your train
some may regret taking the train
others may think that boarding the train was the best step they've ever taken
at the end of your journey, everyone alights...maybe...
43) all our lives we're playing our own song what we didnt realise is how it overlaps with another to forma new melody
44) ideas for future films - a boy who loves doing questioaire, writes his own qns and answers
all those came from 6 notebooks i had. 2 more which i feel are rather recent so i did not bother to flip through. If you are reading this now, maybe u cld leave a comment telling me if theres any of those which you find interesting? If it reminded you of your distant memories, do let me know too. Haha whatever it is... just leave a comment, a thought, anything... i'll appreciate it. =)
jia you bah
fav drink at the moment: absolut peach + sprite !
Boasts two soul-sides, one to face the world with,
One to show a woman when he loves her.
Isn't it quite amazing that we all own a couple of pictures of all our friends? For various reasons these photos just never seem to reach their respective main casts. So it isn't a farfetched idea to believe that there are pictures of you scattered among all of your friends, and those pictures will never reach you for some funny reasons.
As year pass and we continue to grow older, wiser. What if one day we chance upon such photos of lost memories?
Wouldnt that be a very heartwarming encounter?
just wondering...
We don our half uniform and drew arms. After fixing on a clean set of white rifle sling, We brought all our belongings to the briefing room and waited the further instructions. It rained heavily, there was thunder and lightning as well. Most of us were worried, because after 2 weeks of training, we all wanted a chance to commission on the parade square, not in the dining hall. We wanted our parents to put on our new rank, not our buddies. I always felt that whenever there's POP / commissioning parade, there'll be rain. Its probably a sign from God. Maybe he's tearing because he's proud of us or maybe he wants to congratulate us.
We were told to put our photos at our respective seats at the dining hall. The heavy downpour turned into a drizzle and we made our way to the dining and then to our holding area at warriors' hall. The rain just stopped and its humid and hot, not to mention that the form up place was really stuffy. We waited for a while and then put on our no.1 jacket when our school sergeant major came. Still sweating profusly, we started our "warm up". Then commander came.
We closed in because commander wanted to talk to us. He promised us during ACPC that he will teach us the last lesson of OCS on the day of our parade. Shall not elaborate it here but the last line was "You know you are ready for operation when the one and only thing in your mind is the operation, the one and only thing in your men's mind is the operation". It was very relevant and appropriate at that point of time.
School sergeant major also talked to us, giving us some last pointers. "Chin up. chest out, shoulders pull back, thumb down, fingers close, this is the last time I'm telling yall this." Its up to us now.
Last break of 10 min. After which we marched to our nearer holding area. The floor is wet and muddy at certain places, we carefully avoided them so as not to dirty our white uniform but when we saw the crowd, we instantly shifted all our attention to the massive turnout. The sky turned dark and we heard claps of thunder... Worried that it might rain... Some of us prayed a little. However we are certain that the parade will still carry on, because commander said "Rain or Shine, the parade goes on. Am i right?"
Bugle call
I could sense that everyone's thinking "this is it". We stood still, the marching song roared and we marched.
WE ARE ONE
We live in harmony
with our fellow men
we are the soldiers of this land
we have to move ahead
to do the best we can
we are the ones who defend our land
(chorus)
We are one, marching on
we are the young defenders of this country
moving on we believe that we can achieve
so let us serve our home singapore
We live in unity
working hand in hand
within this land that we defent
we have to leave the past
to strive for higher plane
we have to train to achieve our aim
Chorus
We push ourselves ahead, to our destiny
to make this country strong and free
as we go marching on, we sing this melody
we have to strive on the victory
Chorus.
(end)
All the contigents halt and turned to face the front. I looked at the crowd again, from a much better view this time. Not only were there no seats left, a lot of ppl were standing. Thou the sky was completely grey by then, and its so dark that the spotlights were turned on, the graduating class of 72/08 still kept our chins high and didnt move an inch.
Simply because this is going to be one of the proudest moments in our lives.
The colours marched in, we saluted
We sang xiang xin wo ba xing jia po
Chief of Defence Force LG Desmond Kuek SIr came
We sang Nagara Kita
Reviewing Officer Minister for national development Mr Ma Bo Tan arrived
The inspection commenced and the Band played the Majestic piece. It was grand yet gentle. Like a strong man who has endured the toughest times, emerged victorious, but still retaining the soft, gentle side within himself, pushing him on through his journey.
The command was given for us to turn and prepare for the March pass. The colours marched to the back and the first 6 contingents moved off. The double beat of the bass drum was the cue for the last 2 contingents to march off
Dressing,
Digging,
Swinging our arms to 90 degrees
pulling our arms back
keeping our elbow straight
thumb point to the front
wheel, not drift
close up
chin up
and a lot of other minor details appeared in the mind as we marched.
turning our head to look at Mr minister, we still have to maintain the neat rows and columns
Walking past the audience seats, we saw many family members and friends have departed from their seats and pushed as close to the parade square as possible to take a better look at their sons, daughters, brothers, friends. Some of the officer ushers had to physically block the crowd from entering the parade square. I felt touched by the supportive gesture.
The march past ended as we reached our position for 14-1-2 (fourteen one two) "Advance in review order"
BOOM BOOM (we turn)
BOOM (we bang our right feet)
-drum rhythm for the colours to march back-
BOOM (tilt our head)
BOOM (Bang our left feet, shuffle our feet, take dressing)
BOOM (tilt back to face the front)
DARI TENGA JAPA JALAN
*check* 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,1,2 (bang)
The crowd cheered,
school sergreant major gave the approval sign
we stood proud, still
The 9 religious leaders walked in to pray for us
to bless us with qualities of true leadership, health, loyalty
We tilt our heads down for a minute of silence.
The entire parade was silent, it was a solemn moment.
peaceful and calm
it felt really good.
The swords were then awarded to the sword of honours and foreign cadets
Mr Ma gave a speech thereafter.
The parade commander gave the command for jnrs to march in
The colours were passed on to the jnrs to symbolise the continuity of excellence and high standards
The jnrs marched off.
We closed in, face front, switched hand for or arms and said the SAF pledge
Actually, we yelled it
During training, we were drilled to shout at the loudest volume our throat can tolerate and towards commissioning, a lot of us lost our voice partially. However, we still shouted as if thats the last time we'll ever use our voice. You may be surprised that some of us pant after reciting the pledge, THAT is how much energy we put in.
After the pledge was the declaration of commission.
"The president hereby reposing special trust in you to carry out your duties with due diligence....... as commissioned officers of the Singapore armed forces"
"yes sir" or rather "YES SIR!!!"
The national anthem was played, As we "sang" loudy, i could hear lots of distortion in many ppl's voices, another sign of losing our voice.
We had an inward turn, the contingent commanders marched off and we prepared ourselves mentally for the slow march
(ole lang sye and Ode to Joy arranged)
step by step, we marched towards the grand stand, our families and friends have already cleared the stairs.
When i got closer to the grand stand however, i felt a surge of emotion. I know i wouldnt be able to keep the same facial expression if i saw any single person that i knew. I may just start smiling or even burst into tears. Hence when i was about to reach the stairs, i blurred my vision. Spotlights, camera flashes, all kinds of colours of the clothings all fused into one. I cldnt see any face anymore, it was just sounds of cheering, sounds of drum beat from the saf band, sounds of Ode to Joy, and sounds of feet stamping.
I felt ppl tapping my shoulder, stomach, said things to me, call my name all thru the stairs. But nothing went in, theres nothing else in my mind other than the parade.
We reached the back of the grand stand, unfix our bayonet, put our arms down for the last time, took our new epaulettes and formed up again. Happiness, excitement, anxiety, anticipation, relief, glory in the atmosphere. The band marched off and there was a short pause.
OCS song
We come from many places
all across the land
of many different races
together hand in hand
united we stand
divided we fall
ready to serve our nation's call
We come from OCS
we are the very best
leading with dignity and pride
wherever we go
we will always know
our spirit lives forever more
Loyalty to country
is what we all believe
to lead, excel and overcome
is what we must achieve
forever strong and valiant
we'll give our lives and more
never ceasing to serve singapore
We come from OCS
we are the very best
leading with dignity and pride
wherever we go
we will always know
our spirit lives forever more
(end)
this is my fav marching song. i like the line "leading with dignity and pride"
We marched down the same stairs that we marched up, combining back into contingent on the parade square.
Back at our position, we stood with our epaulettes on our left hand.
"family, relatives and friends are cordially invited to put on the new rank insignia for the newly commissioned officers."
My parents came, put it on for me. And i saw my friends walked forward
Jion Chun, Edmund
NIngfei, Zhenming, Jasline, Jiangchuan
Eddie, Ruihong, Dayang
Ryan
Clifford, Wenzhao
and Languan, Hanyan, Shinchiann, Pow (who i didnt meet)
And hariz who came to support his friend
after much delay, all the audience went back to the grand stand
"Ladies and gen....tle....men" (attention)
"To inspire them onwards as Officers of the Singapore armed forces, the newly commissioned officers will now state with reverence and respect, the officer's creed"
OFFICERS' CREED
I am an officer of the Singapore Armed Forces
My duty is to lead, excel and overcome
I lead my men by example
I answer for their training, morale and discipline
I must excel in everything i do
I serve with pride, honour and integrity
I will overcome adversity with
courage, fortitude and determination
I dedicate my life to Singapore
"Ladies and gentlemen"
We removed our peak caps and put it on our heart
The crowd sensed whats coming and cheered
I smiled, i guess we all did...
"May I present, the newly commissioned officers!"
338 peak caps flew in the sky... in the blood-red sky with 2 rainbows
72/08 Officer Cadet Course Commissioning Parade
be it syf
or A levels
or results day
or passing out parade
or SYF
or huang cheng
or Commissioning parade
jia you bah
I'm just really glad that we met School Sergeant Major Master Warrant Raymon at the end of our 9 mths
he is such an inspiration!
why do you want to be an officer?
that's a surprisingly hard question, considering the number of leadership workshop we have sat thru. Honestly, if you ask me now, i can prob give you more vocab on leadership than any other qualities known to man. truth is, i dont know what i see at the end of all this. I watched band of brothers and examined the officers in the show, winters, spiers, buck, dive. Then i looked at myself, asked this cruel qns "if i am put in that situation, which character will i resemble?". I guess if ever theres an answer to it, it will be a cruel ans.
On a happier note, i have received my sword. My dad seems to like it, he took it out a couple of times to admire it already.
That aside, parade training is really tough. When the number of days left can be counted with your fingers, each finger finds itself having a hard time bending to signal the passing of a day. Haha, i just mean that days are passing slowly.......
.........it'll all be over soon.
i dont deny that i am a cynic, however, some speeches that i have heard in camp (during any ceremony) recently really made me felt moisture in my eyes. Looking back, i cant even imagine myself going thru the same training again. I think about brunei, thailand, mandai, tekong, sada, simpang, endurance course, graduating march, gpmg trench, socjoc, BK, TBI, TBII, TS and.....*sigh*.....
......Then usually, at this moment, i'll think of the officers' creed, ocs song, we are one song, etc. I must admit, if there werent a purpose behind all those hardship, most people wunt find the motivation to pull thru....
"as we go marching on, we sing this melody, we have to strive on to victory" -- thats my fav line
I apologise for the emo entry but i guess 1 is better than 38.
BMTC Eagle coy platoon 3 section 3
OCS Golf wing platoon 3 section 4
OCS Sierra wing platoon 2 section 4
AI Yankee battery syndicate 1
AI Field artillery syndicate 2
To all the outstanding teams that I once belonged to,
Lead, excel, overcome.
Commission lo.
Before i watched it many people said its a really inspiring movie. I completely agree with that proposition but after some thoughts i realised that i haven really learnt any lesson from it. Alright, before i go into the details, please do go and watch it if u havent. I would easily rate it as one of the best pictures this year (or maybe since its only feb now, i would say it is one of the best between 2008 to 2009)
Slumdog millionaire is about a boy named jamal and his participation in the game who wants to be a millionaire india version. He was never properly educated but answered many of the questions correctly, because all the questions relate to his life experience. The movie's theme transit smoothly from that pertaining to chance and coincidence to the hope of the lower caste in a developing country. I dunno if it is an accurate portrait of india but the contrast between the rich and the poor (or the dark and the light if u have read the white tiger) was really glaring. It is a very smart but dark movie. Thanks to bollywood, theres also a much awaited dance sequence at the credits roll, less the tree sadly.
the only lesson that comes across to me is that, maybe there is really such thing as destiny ( no matter how it never seems to related to anything that will happen in the future.)
oh and of course, there are some questions left unanswered in the show, which may frustrate you or make you think a little.
movies that i want to watch:
he's just not that into you
changeling
the reader
revoluntionary road
benjamin button
- I'm at:bedroom
- Feeling:contemplative
- Listening to:蒲公英的约定-jay chou
