30 April - 16 May 2005 - In Transition...

16 May 2005 - Sudden Illness... Sianz

Today started on quite a nice note actually. Was awoken by the ring of my handphone at 8.30am. Then check out e seemingly young and sweet female voice on e other side of the line sia. Haha. Turns out to be a female doctor from SMU (dun ask me her age and name...dunno and/or cannot tell). The news that voice brought was nothing but delightful too - my SMU deadline extenstion was approved. That's a huge load off my mind for e next two weeks (think: daytona arcade racing time extension..haha..) And she quite cute, cos think she picked up e tone of my "just-woke-up-from-sleep" voice, den kept apologising to me that she woke me up. Went on to explain that she was thinking i still in army so she was trying to catch me be4 9. Well, seriously speaking, I dun mind many people would mind having a "hot" (can tell from e voice.haha) female doc give u a morning call, would they? Hahaha

( ok tat's it...if u have been reading seriously... pls stop now. obviously i typing crap. must be cos of my flu trying to get into my head - ok, maybe it has already gotten in...Hope the really friendly smu doc nv gets to see e above paragraph...haha...)

But as much as I hate it, "the good things nv last" thing came into effect almost right away. After trying to do some exercises at home in e morning, and taking a morning shower, immediately kena my sinus problem. At first tout it's normal, cos I always get a bit of a nasal "flow" after showers. But obviously, e "tap" in e centre of my head haven stopped since. And e suckiest thing is that my head is feeling the "effects" - how else would u explain why i typed so much crap bout a normal informative call from a university to a prospective student?

Seriously feel like shit now. Had already cancelled all my appointments today, thinking of whether should stay at home tmr too. Just when i tout I was going to boost my fitness after yesterday's disappointing personal performance at e football pitch - was thinking of starting off with running 5 "clicks" a day. That target looks hopeless as I steal a glance at e horrifyinig heap of used toilet paper in front of me right now.

Now i cant do anything productive. Even watching TV programmes is a bit of a problem. More unproductive use of my precious "holiday break". Sucks hard.


15 April 2005 - Total Sports Day

Went to play basketball at Tampines (Starlight Estate near Blk 719) with my ex-campmate, David and his friends. Met wei zheng ( my vj senior now in NUS Business), his skill and speed is still as good as before. So long nv play basketball. I think got at least 4 months. Dun even dare to take far shot cos scared air ball. Lucky my "lan ban" skill still got a bit left, so was able to help my team a bit, and always get into a team which quite strong, so i just support. Only bad thing is, my team seldom loses, so out of 3 teams I guess we stayed e longest in e court. So much so until e skin at e 2 of my small toes peel. (I was not wearing socks - this is what in hokkien call "gey kiang" hahaha)

Played until about 1 pm. Den e other guys headed for lunch outside and probably CS later. I took my leave. Den realised I nv sms my student's mother to confirm with her that today i not coming. (Told my student, but true to wat his sister said, he probably would not have told their mother bout this) In e end, when i bout to msg the parent, den realised already miss her call. At night when online, den realise my student's mother actually bought food for me. Den e sister got into a bit of a quarrel with her mother. Feel so bad cos e sis actually helped me convey e msg to my student, den she almost kena scold . Felt like "confronting" my student, but den again i also responsible. Guess I will have to tok to him about this next time. Cant let a girl take e fall from two guys' deeds. (haha..sounds so drama sia)

Just as I tout I was almost done with today (it was about 3pm when I finished lunch and freshening up), GY msned me, asking whether wan to play a field match at Yio Chu Kang. I thought it was a great idea, since long time nv play field match, especially with GY. Only problem is, if it's at YCK, i realised that i need to be on my way now in order to meet GY on time at YCK Mrt, 4.15pm. Den i looked down at my two pathetic toes, with skin peeling at e joints. There's nowhere i gonna wear my soccer boots in this condition. So had to improvise and use my "antique" plasters to bandage up the toes. After tat, den get all my equipment den embarked on my journey consisting of bus to Khatib - transit at Tampines Bus Int., and train from Khatib to YCK.

Once there, I met GY and later, Melvin (not sure if i got his name correctly), apparently GY's fren who jio GY to e match we were bout to go to. Asides from GY remarks that he is one fit dude, realised he's a RJ and now safsa softballer. He knows another of my ex campmate, Kenny Goh, also a safsa softballer, Felicia Chin of cos (hahaa...) and even Calvin from dhs badminton last time. Well, Singapore's a small world i thought. Den e funny thing was, he suddenly asked me and GY whether we got watch "Eye for A Guy" on TV. Apparently that dude managed to somehow get on a date with Denise Keller and even went "1-on-1" with her. To gym...(haha thinking of something else?) Den he was saying how hot Denise is, saying tat she usually nv wears *something* when she goes out wif him...haha...and still say she lives alone in an apartment downtown... (ok no more details..too sensitive and personal...and if some nutcase stalk her den i cannot answer...again Denise Keller shouldn't get to read this "flu-influence piece of crap from me ba... haha..cant out-muscle Melvin in my condition now.)

We then went to a pitch near some primary/secondary school for e match. Still got referee somemore. Den Melvin was saying that got people from former school teams and marathon runnners playing. Haha...well a bit too late (and too far away) for 2nd touts now. Didn't start for e first half of e game, so did GY. But started 2nd half as left wing (i can only play left side nowadays). Turned out to be very jialat. Super no stamina to run! Couldn't latch on to normal passes. Den got one thru pass which got have gotten me into perfect goal shooting position...cant run fast enough to control e ball either. Dam disappointed wif myself. No doubt the "player manager" of our team saw my weakness too, so he "subbed" me out. So sad and humbling. Well..at least GY doing quite ok in e strikers department. End up our team lost by 2-1. Could have been 3-2 if our team dint miss penalty and if i could latch on to tat thru pass. Haiz..lao ah pei...must go run more and not stay at home often (tat's wat i tout be4 i kena this stupid flu of mine now)

Took 969 all e way back to tampines, and got myself a big packet of Marigold's Mixed Vegetable with Wheat Grass Drink. Nv try before and quite sourish. Wondering now if it had anything to do wif my sinus crap now...

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So fast 2 am already...too fatigued to go on...continue tmr perhaps....


well...in e end i guess i only continued two days later...dam lazy bugger me...
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13 May 2005 - (Ex-) Campmate's Birthday


Went to double o's 5th anniversary celebration this night - my idea to YX and Ryan to celebrate ryan's birthday. Got free entry and "supposed" to have free housepours (or else wouldn't even have considered). QL at first interested too, but couldn't make it in e end. Haha...as her yeye, i should have been pleased - she seems to be too much into cheonging and drinking, so if she can't make it e better. (anyway she's organising pubbing session this friday, after having already drank a bit at indochine on monday...gonna become "wine ghost" liao...)

That night's clubbing was ok. Before that, had been watching too much "Hikaru no Go" anime at one shot - episodes 25-44, so feeling a bit blur..haha...From our army people, only me, YX and Ryan (the 3 musketeers..haha), den ryan arranged to meet two of his frens there..tat's all. For once, double o played decent music. Not those funny retro kind, which i believed din bear down too well to the likes of people like david and kenny (who incidentally prefers music from CB..haha...i personally think e music there better too..)

When we first got there at around 9.30 pm (supposed to have met at 8.30pm ask ryan -_- haha), there was a super long queue. Unprecedentedly long. Almost surrounded e entire building. We became anxious, thinking whether we could make it be4 11pm (e free entry and drinks promotion until that time). After a long wait (and repeated jokes that we will only make e queue at 11.05 pm), we finally made it to the start of e queue. The time - 10.55 pm. Close. We thought. YX, Ryan and a few others moved forward. Just as I was about to make my move, something unexpected happened. I was stopped. By the door bitch (at that time, i really could really understand e justification for that term. ) Attempts to gesture and articulate that i was wif my group of frens who had all went in, less myself, fell in vain. And just when i was starting to get pissed (i rarely do..haha), she can still tell e few of e people at the start of e queue, "You all know after 11pm we have to charge you?" Feeling e unfair treatment from seconds before hit me back again (and thinking of e 20 odd bucks i might have to fork out for tat treatment), i immediately shot back at her. Haha...think she got my point...so she backed away from me. Apparently she's not having a person too pleased over here. Well, luckily for me (and maybe e door bitch), all went well and i was able to go in without charge. That kinda turned around my mood for that night. Don't have the intention of showing e "someone-owes-me-money" face to e birthday boy (especially since we dint really get him a present too!)

But tat night still felt quite odd. Wasn't feeling well after only my first jug. Dunno whether it's cos e drink was more concentrated tat time or maybe cos I wasn't feeling too well to start with. After all this, had supper - sui jiao mian - at about 3.30 am. Reached home went online den was quite surprised to see WT still logged in. She was saying she and ql got things to discuss with me e next day (turns out to be e pubbing outing on e coming friday..haha) Went to sleep den forgot pretty much wat happened, after i woke up later, for e rest of e day.


6 to 12 May 2005 - The Week after ORD


Probably spent most of e time exercising and slacking. And a bit of it making house visits to my "tutee" to help him prepare for his exam. He doing quite alright except he tends to be too careless about details and figures. And only problem is, now den he confess that his Add. Maths he hasn't been listening to his teach. - not that e rest of his classmates have been, he claims. Quite appalled when i heard that. But at least he told me. So it's like i had to teach him from scratch. And he knows that he's gonna fail that a. maths paper too. That set me wondering. Why had I missed out this important weakness of his? Upon reflection, I tout I had been careless too. Placed too much trust on e student's sense of responsibility i guess. How can someone not pay attention totally in class?! still can say they at e back of e class usually play handphone games and even cards - well they remind me of something similar back in my sec sch days...but mine was at e end of 4 years of listening to lessons. Sec 1 only den dun pay attention. And saying that teacher's boring is not much of a reason too. Well..kids nowadays. As what his mother says too, hope i can guide this guy - give him some responsibility to think of. Mustn't be too soft. Be soft only to girls at least. At least girls usually do their homework and ask when they dunt know. I thought.hahahaa...

Remember buying a pair of earrings with big "diamonds" for my mother for mom's day. Bought for a cheap price of $23.20 at White Sands after my tuition. Feels good to be able to afford to buy something for a "yi shi". Hahaha....

E only other main thing i remembered was joining jicong, mervyn and others at Tampines K Box on Thursday. Basically thought i just catch up wif them. Haven met up since long time. Dint expect, and cant sing for nuts. Nevertheless they made me sing a few "easy" songs, so still quite comfortable. A funny thing that happened was when a male attendent came in, den saw e burger king food e guys brought in and said "sorry, no outside drinks allowed" All of us stared at the poor guy, and sensing the possible "stalemate" he offered,"unless u order our food." So you only out for our money la. I thought. We ordered potato wedges, and though it was quite good. It was 7 dollars! Ex sia. Den to add on e list. At 8.55 pm, one female waitress suddenly said "last song". To our amazement. We were on screaming, "bo hua sia!" inside.

In e end, we "extended" our stay for an hour and a half, only "gan yuan" to leave at 10.30pm. And after singing tat "One Night in Beijing" song 3 times over - jicong's idea so as to make everyone sing it on e mike at least once. Hahaha..it was just nonsensical shouting in e "rock" style. I guess that was a good commemoration for "One Week after ORD".


5 May 2005 - The Big Day

And so I heard on news it turned out to be for more than 200 other people too. More than 100 couples got married on this day, they say. Apparently they also realised the uniqueness of the 05-05-05 date sequence to do with today. So I have got lots of people to celebrate my ORD with. Haha.. Not to mention Boon, coincidentally of which today is also his 22nd birthday. (It was to turn out quite expectedly however, that he wun so much be celebrating this day "with" me, rather with "someone else". And not that i am jealous or anything. haha...)

Met up in e morning with David and Anthony, my two ex-colleagues in camp who ORD one year ago. They had a sudden yearn to visit our unit, and we all decided that today would be a good day to go. I can go settle my ORD and bring them in too. Multiplicity of purpose and convenience. When i went back into my office, which I had worked in for more than 2 years now (personally overseen its renovation even), felt as if I had not seen it for years. Maybe that's e effect of clearing leave - aka civilian conversion course. Hahaha... We made the rounds and met up with e more impt people in e centre. Especially the strict old WSM, who has undoubted added colour (and torture!) to our NSF lives. It was then tat again I saw the oft said phenomena - tat WSM can be a pain in e a$$ when u are an NSF, but when people come back to visit him, he is always all smiles - it's like he really glad to see you and appreciates all that you have done. Today I saw and felt that as he treated us to a morning tea break - possibly e last time that i will be having my food at e good old canteen that was our favourite "spend time" hangout. Now that I writing this in e middle of e night, do feel e emotions coming back.....

So WSM and the 3 of us had a good long chat. Seems like after he retires this year (finally..haha..) he told us he might go open up a marriage consultancy. Shocked sia e 3 of us. An army old time disciplinarian opening up this instead of doing some operations/supervision stuff. Maybe sometime like Private Investigation? But woah..marriage consultancy. Says something about his true values, I thought.

At 12 pm, e long chat ended. I went back to e centre to clear my dark green Army Metal Cabinet into my "Ali Baba" bag. Just nice! Quite a lot of things I have got there. Bid my last farewells to my former superior den got out wif david and anthony. With my pink IC of course. That walk out from e centre was taken hundreds of times each day I booked in and out of camp. Somehow, each step of that walk that day felt very different from the rest. 2 years 3 months and 3 weeks ago on Monday, January 13, 2003, I walked into my camp with e same old "Ali Baba". Today, I was to walk out of it with e same "Ali Baba" bag for e last time as an enlisted personnel. It's corny and cliched, but it's really feels like "the end of a chapter, the beginning of an unwritten one"....

(It helps that it rained after we left camp...so drama...lucky anthony drove...or else i would have to carry e dam big and heavy bag in e rain...that would have been so sad...haha...)


4 May 2005 - The Day before the Big One, but it's one with lifetime consequences...


This day was quite a harrowing experience, come to think of it. I had my Medicine Admission Interviews and my SMU Scholarship interview all on today! That makes it a total of 3 interviews (i did a rough head count...tat meant meeting 4 profs, 2 docs and 2 current students)

E medical interviews were tough. 2 interviews with a panel of 3 people each. Think of it as triple bombardment. But nothing un-handleble for me. After being thru e crazy experience of being interviewed by a panel of 13 (!), 3 is hardly a crowd. Hahaha... By e time Medicine interviews ended at about 1pm, went to eat fish and chips at NUS Science canteen. Quite nice to eat this kind of school-canteen type of Western food after such a long time...reminds me a bit of my JC days. Was intending to spend quite a while there, cos my SMU interview at 4pm ( it was at 3pm, but i requested to change e timing into 4pm, just to be safe and to give myself leeway btw the two equally impt set of interviews) However, turns out i ate my western food too fast, so just thought of hecking it and going straight to smu first. In e end, I reached e Accountancy's D.O. at 2.45 pm. Way ahead of my 4 pm appointment. And surprised a few people there (one of them turned out to be one of e officers taking me for e interview) Apparently he took notice of my "early" arrival, and made provisions to let me take my interview right after a girl who came just after me (but of cos her time slot was 3pm instead of 4pm..haha..) So I was able to finish my interview at 4pm..zhun zhun. Shiok. Haha... (on hindsight...maybe being early might have shown my eagerness and attitude to get e scholarshp...so a word of advice...next time u have an impt interview...come one hour early...and make sure that e interviewer knows...heh)

So ends a whirlwind day, what's left is to await the results of what was to follow from today. It's nothing short of implicating what's gonna happen to me for the rest of my life. It felt as if all e other interviews I had before were to prepare for the 3 interviews today. Tat's how impt today is.

3 May 2005 - Tanjong Pagar


Went for an interview with Prudential at Fuji Xerox Towers. It's quite funny. I din't really know where to find Fuji Xerox Towers, but the best thing is I dint even know what I was going to the interview for. They called me a few days ago, say I was shortlisted by some executive search program (sounds dubious doesn't it?). So it's like i am in effect going for a job interview without looking for e job and knowing what it is in e first place. Yet they call me a job applicant and want me to prepare a resume. Well...I did tell them I dun have much of a resume to speak of (that's wat u can do when u have e advantage in e sense that they are asking u to do e job instead of u looking for a job wif them...hahaha...), and they said I could bring whichever cert i had. My A level cert would do fine. I not really willing to spare any more time and effort for such a dubious undertaking.

Turns out they are so call interviewing me for the position of Management Trainee in one of Prudential's top agency. I heard from the nice lady manager by e name of Stephenie (looks chio too..haha...but not really impt) who interviewed me, that this is a intensive training program where they train u for about 2 years to groom u to fill various top management positions in e organisation. Sounds appealing. IF I did not have to study. They say that more details will be given in a career talk they conducted for shortlisted applicants after this first interview. Maybe go check this out to find out more for myself - my mother warned me against joining prudential as an agent. Though I had already heard from Stephanie dat this wasn't to be an agent recruitment thing. Guess only way to find out is to attend the career talk.

After e interview, went to meet up wif WT nearby at International Plaza. So qiao that she had msged me earlier to ask which bus can get to IP. Den I told her I will be in e area too (for e Prudential interview). In e end had dinner with her at Han's at 3 Anson Road. The Han's there decoration very class sia. And price still e same too. Had a nice chat with her den both of us took mrt to go for our own tuition lessons. Haha...


30 April 2005 - Impulsion and Indulgence

Haha.. Today went quite last minute. Supposed to accompany my parents and youngest brother to stay overnight at my uncle's house cos they celebrating mother's day in advance. Somehow i did not do tat. Cos I broke at in e afternoon to join Jicong they all for a pool session. So that means that I will have e evening all by myself, and my 2nd bro if i stayed at home. No pesky mother to keep tabs on my moves. Haha... I dun really know why, but somehow i got e intention of asking CX out for e long overdue treat. Was supposed to treat her last term cos she got good results. So it's kinda like 5 months late. Haaha.. In e end was able to ask her out last minute today, decided to go to this chocolate cafe at esplanade cos she was saying she wanted to try that out for a long time already (and since got one idiot treating...no need to "ke qi"...haha...financially insured from eating there)..

Met her at around 8.30 pm. Tout I was late so pia cab down to City Hall, but in e end she was e one to be late. Heng. She wearing a black frilly dress with her fav blue necklace. Really quite dressed for the occasion. Heh. We made our way to esplanade thru citylink, but both of us quite blur, engrossed in talking and stuff, took us some time to get there. Turns out that cafe name called Max Brenner's Chocolate Cafe. and I seen it before last time, when Kenny and I went to e Harry's pub just diagonal from it. Only knew that there was a choc cafe there but dint know its name. We ordered a Chocolate Fondue, 2 Suckaos and two sandwiches - 1 salmon, 1 "dun remember some funny name one". Their Fondue and Suckaos come in ceramic receptacles on top of lamps....so it's like u can use the lamps to heat e molten chocolates...reminds me of chemistry heating experiments...quite a traumatic experience back then. Dint really do well for my QA. Hahaha.. But the thing it's really a unique way to have chocolate. Pure indulgence. Haha... We had a long talk until e cafe closed. (I din even realised that) Talk about so many things such as her school frens and stuff, my uni application...but most of the time felt like mainly she was talking... Hahaha...seems like SMU really made her more talkative as what she claims... Of which both of us had nothing to complain about, really. Haha... In e end turned out to be so late already and we haven even seemed to have reached e end of our conversation but she has to go home already so sent her home by taxi. And even in cab got quite a bit to talk about too. But definitely nice talking (or rather listening...) to her. So it turns out that a moment of impulse to led to something special and unique again. Haha...maybe should be impulsive more often =P . Lolx. but like tat will be broke though.