ORD experience

I guess every NSF will get excited when he hears the letters O. R. D. being mentioned, more so if it concerns his own. He may start to make jokes about records to newly posted in personnel, and perhaps even develop a failing immune system. He becomes less observant, and tends to be more laid back. He is looking forward to his ORD, and what lies ahead.

For a mono intake, the majority of the NSFs will ORD at the same time. The ORD mood pervades the atmosphere, and suddenly, anything can be possible. Perhaps discipline will suddenly be eroded. There is talking in the file, but the specialists don’t care (They are ORDing too.) Perhaps instead of shouting out the unit name or company name after a keluar baris, personnel shout out “ORD LOH”. It is, after all, something to look forward to.

What about me? Everything just seems the same, really. Apart from an understudy, life just goes on as normal. No matter what, the unit has to function. Monthly maintenance works have to go on. Purchases still have to go on. Stock keeping has to go on. Perhaps it is really at this “ORD Time” in which NSFs work their hardest - to ensure everything they know is taught to their understudies. (For the service-side ones at least.) Why risk a phone call after ORDing from an understudy who doesn’t know what to do?

I’m trying to get used to life at this stage. When work is passed to me, I have this impulse to do it, and then have to struggle before remembering to give it to my understudy. If I do it, he won’t learn much, even by looking. He has to do it himself. And it is my duty to mentor him. I am prepared to do so, even staying back late at night just for his questions. It can’t be that bad, answering questions after office hours. Working after office hours is worse.

And here comes the tiresome juggle. What work do I give my understudy, and what work should I still do, given that my understudy is not trained enough? I have to realise that no matter what I do, my understudy will not be 100% efficient until I gracefully retire, the simple reason being that he has someone to fall back on if he fails. While it sounds harsh, I need to let him make his own mistakes and learn how to resolve them by himself. I somehow believe that learning from the consequences of a mistake will set a firmer impression than learning from a lecture of the potential consequences.

Of course, giving work to my understudy also means a bit of inactivity. Instead of bustling about doing work, I am now sitting down, doing absolutely nothing, except offering advice now and then. Is it good? Yes. But still, I sometimes wish I was still doing something. Perhaps its the workaholic in me…

The First Week

I’ve never been very good at adapting to new environments and circumstances. Being a creature of comfort and also a lazy oaf who hates the effort of changing to situations, I’ve always hated the process of having to go to new places, meeting new people and getting used to new lifestyles.

Getting settled into BMT life was a huge culture shift for me and it took me ages to finally get myself used to the life, only to have to leave the island (the thought of which now conjures up only wonderful memories) and head on to a new unit.

This past week has been a pretty harsh one, what with having to try to integrate myself into my new unit and company as well as starting with the training, which goes at a more intense and faster rate than in Tekong.

Whereas Tekong training was more gradual and built up over time, I have, within the first week of training, learnt to use and assemble a new rifle, gone through an IPPT as well as an SOC session, learnt about company and unit policies, taken (and passed) a safety regulations test for driving tanks and have also gone through several lectures and practicals, overloading my brain with an overwhelming amount of information about the maintenance and operation of the tank that I’m suppose to use in my vocation as a driver.

The first few days were especially tough (made even more so by the fact that the physical training here is much more grueling than what I had gone through in BMT and also by the fact that I had barely exercised for my whole block leave), so much so that I actually lost my appetite and, when I slept, would literally wake up every half an hour for the whole night.

Still, despite my initial feeling of being overwhelmed in a job that I felt a bite more than I could chew, the last few days have been better, perhaps because I finally stopped aching so badly (my body has either adjusted to the training or gone beyond pain) so badly or just because I’m more used to the process. I’m finally eating (more or less) properly and sleeping more.

Perhaps as good as I had hoped, I’ve also made a few new friends in my section which, as most NS guys will attest to, will make the process much more enjoyable.

Next week sounds more exciting (albeit scarier), with the prospect of actually getting behind the wheel (so to speak) and driving the tank by myself for the first time. So, until the next entry, have a great week ahead!

If Remy Can Cook, So Can You!

Who is Remy? What can he do that makes him so special?

Who is Remy? Can he represent the entire universal population?

Well, going by the fact that he’s a rat and he can cook superbly well, then we can safely conclude if Remy can cook, so can you!

Hey hey, that’s right. You probably have guessed by now the content of this post. That is, if you’ve watched Ratatouille!

That’s the name of the latest animation by Walt Disney Pictures, and that’s also the name of a dish - a vegetable stew of Provence, typically consisting of eggplant, zucchini, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and garlic, served hot or cold.

I’m on a movie marathon this week, as I desperately do a last minute rush to the cinema so that I can use up my discount voucher before they expire by the end of this week. Watching movies at $5 per ticket seems to be a luxury of yore…

So, Ratatouille was the second one I’ve caught so far. Besides the high entertaining value this movie has, it also whets one’s appetite and strangely, the nachos tasted more delicious too! Hmm…

Every movie tells a story. Sometimes more than one story. And every story gives us a peek into our real lives.

I guess this rat embodies many virtues in him. Passion, trust, confidence, faith. Most evident and strongly felt of all is passion. His passion and faith in cooking - not just ordinary food but gourmet food really touches me.

No doubt he has an extraordinary gift of acute smell, but to make use of this talent to good use? Not everyone can do this.

Have you found out what your talent is? If you haven’t, is it because you have been busy pursuing the unattainable and been blind to those subtle clues exhibited in the course of doing so?

Or maybe they haven’t got the chance to surface yet. If this is the case, be patient.

Or perhaps your gift has come out in the past. Why not do some recalling now?

Do you believe in yourself? Firmly? Strongly? Unwavering, even in the face of going against your entire clan?

This little blue rat had such a strong belief that he has this gift and he can cook. That human beings aren’t as bad as he was taught. That you are what you eat, and stealing from the garbage isn’t befitting enough to be fed on.

Do you believe in yourself that you can do it? What is stopping you?

New Semester Starts

It’s already the third day of school, and I’ve been leaving for school at the crack of dawn for two days already. I hadn’t experienced travelling at 7am for a long time, so this semester’s time table is going to give me a good flexing. I like the morning scent: it has that refreshing minty feel, especially the cool stillness wafting from the earth. It also happens to be an excellent time to take pictures, since the morning rays are so gentle on the scenery. A perfect opportunity for some great photographs, that is, if I had my hands free.

You see, Singapore Polytechnic has made owning a laptop a compulsory hobby for enrollments commencing from my batch. Studying in an Information Technology course doesn’t make it a hobby though: it’s become my livelihood! Anyway, now that I bring a 2.9kg electricity hog with me everyday, that pile of fatty books had to go somewhere, so I had to dump either of the two into my bag, and hold the other in my hand.

The laptop, along with its heavily padded protective cover, makes an instantly usable pillow which enables me to sleep on the train journey, so the books had to suffer the bag. That left only one hand free to hold a camera - which by itself isn’t a very wise idea. Trying to work with an expensive electronic gadget with one hand while you’re holding an even more expensive toy in your other hand is a potentially wallet-bleeding undertaking. I don’t even dare to go so far as to hang my hands out of the parapet overlooking the atrium in Plaza Singapura even without the phone!

That is the verbose reason to why I do not bring my camera to school. There is also a shorter version: I’m just too lazy.

In other news, NS liability remains really close to mind. It is one of the things that hides just beneath the sea of your consciousness, only to pop up every now and then to remind you of the importance of our national defence mechanisms. Mobilisation manning has to be done by every reservist (MINDEF calls us Operationally Ready National Servicemen, but I prefer the former term), since we form the main backbone of the defense force. In my case, the necessary evil has surfaced again. To someone who has term examinations during that period, it is going to be another balancing act. At the very least, I have my unit to thank for spacing my NS activities nicely. After all, while short stints away are manageable, it is not too good for school work if I have to take extended periods off study.

Evan Almighty – Are You The Chosen One?

Just came back from watching this movie. Very entertaining, and very enriching.

If you haven’t seen this yet, I don’t think you’ve got a chance to since you can only catch it during weekends and this movie is ending it’s screening soon.

But well, there’s always the option of renting DVDs!

Evan Almighty is about the story of Evan Baxter who was the chosen one - chosen by God to do a seemingly impossible task of building an ark. Yes, he became the modern day Noah of the Ark.

When God calls you, there is no way you can say no to him. I’ve witnessed how he eventually bowed to God’s power and started building the ark. But I’ve also seen the change in him as he laboured through, from knowing nothing to eventually accomplishing the feat.

Yeah, he got help from above, and around, literally.

We’re always asking for help and we’re always complaining. Have we stopped and think for a moment to turn things around?

To see how we can help others and do an act of random kindness instead of mulling around waiting for help.

To appreciate what we already have instead of complaining of what we don’t have.

You may be stuck in the army camp for another 2 years. But that doesn’t mean you can’t perform a random act of kindness for someone else.

You may have ambitious goals to change the world, to be a multi-millionaire. But how do you reach there being a happy successful person?

I guess being kind to others bring a indescribable kind of joy to oneself too. Test that out, and see if it works.

We’re all the chosen ones to do something special in this world for someone else. Believe it or not. 

Life in armour

After a relaxing week catching up on all the movies, games and friends that I have been missing while in BMT, it’s time to head to my new unit for the next part of NS life.

My initial posting had been as a combat system operator in the Navy, a vocation I was excited about because I’d always wanted to enjoy sea life. Alamak, my company contacted me later to say I had been re-posted to be an armoured infantryman, instead. This was disappointing after the initial euphoria in the morning.

Not that I have anything against armoured infantry, but after three months of basic infantry training, I was looking forward to a sea change!

Of course, I will be putting in my best in my new unit as I believe that, when life’s circumstances take an unexpected turn for me, there is a reason.

I’ve heard that armoured infantry is among one of the harshest physical vocations around. It sounds daunting but it should make me strong and fit for life, I guess. Also, the camp is just a mere 8 minutes drive from my home, much nearer than either Tekong or Changi Naval Base (where I was originally posted to).

I’m packing up the pile of green and brown items lying in my room and making sure I have everything I needed to book in on the first day (and probably things I wouldn’t need, too). I’m mentally prepping myself to start the next chapter.

Come back here often to read more of what I will be finding out soon, on life in armour!

Teaching an understudy before ORD

THERE’S nothing so satisfying in service-side NSF than the fact that an understudy has been posted in, to learn to take over your job.

Apart from announcing that you are about to leave (a.k.a. ORD), having an understudy means you have time on hand before you quit the army, time and leisure to think over what you gonna do in civilian life.

Now, you’re the mentor, and he’s the “mentee” (argh, what an awful management word). Can he cope? Will he use the same methods you have used, or will he change them? Will he be dilligent? By comparing how he’s taking over, you are, as it were, holding a mirror on yourself in the days when you were first posted in.

For me, looking at my understudy coping with the job makes me reflect on my 1-1/2 years experience and realise how much I’ve changed in my outlook.

Back then, I was concerned only with my main job scope, and didn’t bother about anything else. I wasn’t taught much, as my “upperstudy” was in a rush to ORD, and I had to figure things out on my own. Now? I’m probably confident enough to do my job

Life has taken another turn, and now it’s my responsibility to teach the understudy. I hope I can discharge this terminal duty well.

In my opinion, he needs to learn to manage time so that he can deal with every task productively and effectively. But he’s new, the same as I was, once. To others, I may seem hard on him as he is taking over from me, and therefore, his work ought to reach a higher standard.

Yet, I’m uncertain. Am I doing the right thing as I teach him everything, as well as being harder on him compared with others? I have no idea, because I wasn’t taught like that when I first assumed my post. I was thrown into the deep end, and survived.

Time will tell…

Hanging out with folks in the stratosphere

The stratosphere glisters beautifully when you’re looking up at it from the ground. It is a completely breath-taking experience when you’re up there.

(The full result slip is here)

It has been one heck of a ride, especially starting from the poor results I have while in JC. I dedicate my present good results to my tutors in school and my close buddies (who’re now studying in the big four universities). Also, not forgetting my platoon mates, from whom I learnt how to learn, while I was still serving my NS. They are the ones from whom I have inherited some empowering learning techniques, and who have provided me with the self-confidence to do well in polytechnic.

Some folks think that stratospheric grades are impossible. Initially, I thought so too, especially when I received my A-level results during my BMT. In fact, I was jumpy during the university admission exercise. You would worry too, if you hear of people scoring a CCC combination and still fail to get a place in the university (yes, my result was worse than CCC.)

Unexpectedly, I got posted to 4 SIR right after my BMT, straight in the Scout platoon, supposedly the “elite” of the battalion. I wasn’t sure of my platoon sergeant’s claim, but my platoon mates were definitely academic high-flyers. In fact, three of them disrupted their NS to go into medical studies. If you were wondering what I’m fussing about, NUS’s medical school only accepts around 300 people a year, the cream of the cream of Singapore’s academic cake. It’s mind-boggling that all 3 of them (that’s already 1% of the cohort in a year!) could get what they had applied for!

The majority of my platoon hailed from National Junior College, and they had frightening results. One useful trait that I developed into a habit from hanging around them is turn everything into a competition. You see, there’re lots of learning to do when your platoon uses vehicles, weapons, communications and spying equipment. We held mini-competitions in technical handling tests to see who was the fastest. Since nobody wanted to go broke from treating others to drinks before pay day, we ended up learning stuff pretty fast. Somewhere along this time I too started to absorb information quickly, and I was soon overtaking on the tests. I wasn’t the best, but my scores were near the top. The nice thing was that I got iced-lemon tea very often.

The moral: if you’re broke, and you need to have a soft-drink during lunch break in school, hold a competition with your classmates. You’ll learn that you won’t get sick of iced-lemon tea every day; the side effect is that your learning will kick into a higher gear.

POP!

By the time you read this, I’ll no longer be known as Recruit Gabriel Wong. After an arduous three months of training and getting the biggest culture shock of my life, I’ve finally passed out (not literally, although that almost happened several times too) and will be leaving the wonderful island of Pulau Tekong (and I mean this earnestly) for, probably, a mainland unit.

As you might have witnessed, the last three months have been quite a hurricane rush, as I’m sure it would be for only any new enlistee. I remember the first few days well. I wasn’t used to the food, wasn’t used to the ungodly waking hours, wasn’t used to the intensive physical training, wasn’t used to living with eleven other guys in one room and everyday felt like it went on forever. At that time, POP seemed so far away, a barely visible destination that seemed never to come. Heck, even the first bookout seemed impossibly far away in those first few days.

The following weeks were much better though. Perhaps it was due to the fact that we were kept so busy by the barrage of activities and trainings that I didn’t have time to bemoan my uncivilian status or perhaps the fact that I had finally acclimatized myself to the system, the time spent on the island became much more bearable. In fact, at times it was even enjoyable.

Looking back on the past few months, I’m quite proud of myself for surviving so far. Granted, it definitely won’t be as tough as the training I’ll face ahead and I actually had a pretty smooth sailing ride, but still, both physically and mentally, what I went through in PTP and BMT were a big departure from my comfort zone that I’ve been living in all my life.

Of course, like everyone who has gone through BMT, what I loved most about the whole three months, was the fact that I made pretty good friends, both in my platoon and especially in my section. I remember on the first day, I thought I wouldn’t fit in, wouldn’t find good friends, wouldn’t enjoy my time there. Thankfully, I was proven really wrong. I’ve made an awesome group of bunkmate friends and, now that our days of living together 24/6, eating, exercising, sleeping together are over, I actually feel quite sad to be leaving the bunk.

Over the past few months, I’ve grown used to the company line, to my pretty awesome commanders, to my new friends and bunkmates and to the whole BMT process and it’s actually with a bittersweet feeling that I left the island for (what I think would be) the last time today. I definitely welcome the block leave coming up (who wouldn’t want to wake up only when the sun has risen?) but I’m quite sure I’m going to miss the place.

Still, life must go on and I just hope that I’ll get posted to a unit that I would be able to enjoy myself and yet grow as a person and, of course, as a soldier, in. POP loh!

About Breaking Ups

Relationships usually start off nice and lovely, but when it comes to the ending part, how do you handle it?

I found that relationships have more to it than we see, and here’s what I’ve got to say about it.

Let’s take a leaf from how celebrities handle their ever-changing love life. 

Every action carries a consequence. And it is not by default that the person bearing it is the creator of the issue. Many times, it can spill over to this person’s family and friends, even colleagues. Don’t be surprised that anyone who used to be related can be dragged into the spiral, without knowing it and being prepared for.

I’m sure you have come across news of celebrities who got themselves into some kind of trouble or created a very news-worthy issue. Not long after, the paparazzi will start writing about their ex-partners in a bid to increase the heat so as to profit from the hike in readership, and these exes will soon be hunted down to get quotes and comments on the news.

So unknowingly, the exes got themselves into the limelight, most of them unwilling to comment anything for fear of having a piece of the negative impact. That’s the way celebrities handle such cases. How about for people like you and me?

When you have broken up with your partner, how do you handle the change in the relationship? What if your ex-partner ran into some kind of trouble years later?

Why am I saying this? Because I’ve realized that when you thought that everything is over, don’t be too shocked that the past may play some catching up, usually in the not so pleasant way. So, how you break up may then be an under-estimated event.

Too many times people only focus and spent all their energy in the beginning of a relationship. The butterflies in your tummy, going all the way to impress the other party, that kind of “have yet not totally sure yet” feeling about each other etc. 

All care is being put into to ensure that your chances of success won’t be sabotaged.

And when it comes to the breaking up, well, I’m not even sure if anyone will use 10% of that much care and effort into it.

After all, it must be due to some grave mis-matches and/or mistakes that are too serious to be reconciled which leads to the ultimate goodbye. So why bother to think about what is the best way to end it without causing grievous hurt to each other. At least, even if the friendship has to be terminated as well, both parties walk away feeling this is the best solution and feeling peaceful. 

If you are so careful not to step on the wrong mine in case it explodes in the beginning of a relationship, shouldn’t you be more careful at the end? Or do you think that ending it means ending it, and it’ll no longer be your responsibility anymore whether the other party is happy or not?

Well, my advice is, you never know when you will meet again.

How about broadening the idea of a relationship? You might have experienced some fall outs with your team mates in school while doing projects, or maybe your camp mate as you are serving your NS.

When the relationship has turned too sour to amend, and the best way is to split and go separate ways, think of the times when your partner has been a great help to you and part based on that gratitude.

I’m sure the other party will appreciate your good intentions and it will be an amicable split!

So my friend, can you make a goodbye? 

Range

I went for my last combat shoot, and didn’t achieve a marksman score. However, I think it’s ok. Now, in a combat shoot, there are around 5-6 people in a detail, who will either fail, pass, or get marksman together. So the combat shoot is somewhat of a collabarative effort, in which everyone has to do their best.

To be honest, I’m not a very good firer, probably just an average one. My reactions are rather slow, but I do have a good memory, and can somewhat recall where each target will pop up. In the night section of the combat shoot, the targets are either illuminated or silhouetted, and are difficult to see.

For my combat shoot, the targets at my lane (especially at the corner) were difficult, almost impossible to see, as they were indistinguishable from the dark background. I had taken account of this though. I asked my assistant, who had a clearer view, to shout out the time and type of target when it appeared, so I could somehow gauge where it is, and fire off.

All was supposed to go according to plan. And when my assistant shouted “Figure 12, left” or “Figure 11, right”, I didn’t do anything. That’s right, nothing.

It didn’t help that some of my teammates were shouting “How come never fire?”, but somehow, I still remembered the basics of (live) weapon handling that my commanders in BMT taught me.  If you cannot see the target, do not fire off. It’s as simple as that.

While in this case, I could generally fire off and probably hit down a target, it is not the correct thing to do. True, no one will be in front of me, and hence even if I missed the target, no one would be injured. But where will that lead me to?

At that point in time, I’m trusting in the judgement of someone who may be reliable, but ultimately, it will be my finger squeezing the trigger of my rifle. For the sake of marksman (and the reward), do I pull the trigger and hope I do not do the same in the future for similar endeavours? If I fire, can I trust myself not to do something similar to this, but may have drastic consequences?

Handling live ammunition already places a heavy burden on one, what more so than firing ammunition in the dark? You just simply do not fire blindly when you cannot see anything, and forget about what other people tell you. It all boils down to what one believes in. I can come up with plans on how to hit the target, some unorthodox, but most importantly, will I let myself do it? It seems not.

The prospect of getting the money awarded for marksman disappeared, and bugged me as I returned my unexpended rounds. Yet somehow, I felt satisfied, as I believe I did the right thing.

Things you can’t do in a park… in China

There are a lot of things you can’t do in China. While that might not be a comfortable thought to the rest of the free world visiting there, the authorities there have helpfully made a detailed listing of what you cannot do in Beijing parks:

From top left:
1) Do not lean forward on a two-wheeled vehicle
2) Do not pluck flowers which have broken leaves
3) Do not cross your legs when sitting on the fence
4) Do not drive a black taxi into the park
5) Do not urinate from your hand
6) No bent trumpets are allowed in this park
7) Senior Citizens are not allowed to bend their bodies when walking on marbles
8) Do not slip on in-coming round objects
9) Do not bring in trigger-less rifles into the park
10) Do not leash your dog while in the park
11) Do not litter around any unidentified structures
12) Do not burn your used condoms in this park

Saturday Photo Essay: Orchard Road

I haven’t tried my hand at a photo essay (aka photo-whoring in the blogosphere). Here’s my first one:

Orchard Road was more crowded than usual on Saturday. It was a rather unusual sight, because the COMEX was on, and nothing short of free stuff can attract some Singaporeans away from the bargains for IT stuff at Suntec City.

Minature rock climbing - the target is to be the fastest to reach the top. While I was there, the top timing was 11.87s. Did someone manage to break that timing later?

My friend isn’t daunted by gawking onlookers.

A picture of how bowling pits worked long before the advent of machines

Someone attempts the bowling lane while everyone else uses their eye-power. Make him miss.. Miss…

Look at those huge beads he’s swinging!

“Young man, I’m going to whip you with this if you don’t stop taking photographs, and start paying!”

Near Plaza Singapura, I spotted a man standing in front of the glass facade.

His dressing sure is strange.

Eureka! So that’s why he was dressed like that!

About An Unreasonable Girl

She’s the typical spolt brat you see in life, and a lot in TV dramas.

She could be the girlfriend of your best camp mate, or your buddy, or even your own brother. Maybe you’re dating one yourself.

What makes the guys tick? Why choose to eat chilli when he knows he may get a sore throat after that?

I don’t know, but I just have a pretty good guess. Read on to find out what’s that…

Prior to this post, I’ve written some general pointers about a girl. I’m thinking maybe we can go deeper into each category.

Remember the Korean movie “My Sassy Girl”? Well, you may hit at the girl and curse the guy for being such a sissy, but in reality, you can’t help being attracted to the girl too, am I right?

So, how about digging into an unreasonable girl’s heart and mind? Wouldn’t you want to know how to handle one, if you ever met and fallen in love with her?

But, in the first place, you will question your mate and start suspecting if he’s blind to choose such a girl to enter a relationship into. Well, do not doubt your friend’s taste, for a girl of such character has some very attractive qualities that some guys are just finding hard to resist.

The very first quality that’s already so hard to resist is this – her looks. A girl who can be unreasonable is usually pretty. I’m not talking about just normally pretty, but much better than being average-looking. She usually is the type that belongs to the “universal beauty” category, where 9 out of 10 people will praise her for her external looks.

When she’s not being unreasonable, she can be very endearing. Perhaps due to her bubbly personality, or her intelligence, or her wit that makes her more outstanding than her peers. She can be the leader in her own group, and that position itself already speaks of some authority and status.

Therefore, she poses as a good challenge to be won over by a guy. Now, don’t guys just love challenges like these?

Are these girls really so detestable? Not really, as what I’ve said above. On top of that, there could be some hidden truth behind their superficial qualities that are displayed openly.

Because of her extra-ordinary good looks, she will be seen as proud and arrogant. Maybe she is used to being pampered, or she just like to be coaxed. Her exterior can be her only life-saving grace or her worst bane. Why?

Deep inside a girl who likes to throw tantrum is usually a girl who lacks security. She needs constant attention to assure her presence, to make her feel she is important.

She could be genuinely innocent. We can’t blame a person for not knowing what she doesn’t know. If she hasn’t been taught the proper ways to interact with people, we really can’t point the finger to her head for being so disrespectful and oblivious to another human being’s ego.

So she needs a teacher in life. She is looking for a guy who can tame her. He has to be a man, and not a boy.

On the other hand, she may be just a girl who is a control freak. It’s either she always has an upper hand in her family, in which case we have a better term for her – spoilt brat, or she has been severely undermined at home and the only outlet for her to show she can be the boss is with this poor guy who chooses to let her wear the pants.

If you found such a “gem”, then be prepared to be burnt until the day when she learnt her lesson through life experiences. She may never will, or she might due to the power of love.

It’s a gamble.

Then again, doesn’t that make this relationship more exciting than the rest? That’s what some guys told me.

I see why now. 

About A Girl

Is a girl’s heart unfathomable, like the deep ocean?

What is a girl thinking of? What does she want, besides passing her exams with flying colours, being the teacher’s pet and centre of attraction of guys?

Let’s read about a girl, and what does she really want. 

While figuring out what is going on in a guy’s head, I suddenly had this thought that they could be figuring out what is going on in a gal’s head too.

So I decided to do you a favour – spilling some contents from my head into this tiny space, hoping it will in some way help you to know the opposite sex better. Does this sound good? 

Thus – about a girl.

What is a girl? A girl is, by my definition, a female who has not yet stepped into full swing adulthood. That is to say, she’s either studying full time or she has just stepped into the working circle but not totally immersed and changed yet.

A girl is usually pretty confused. Rather than using this word, I’d prefer to say she is uncontented. She wants all the good attractive traits in a boy, without knowing whether she really needs such a person or is good to have. In short, she’s looking for a perfect guy in an imperfect world.

A girl has many fantasies. About almost everything, probably except her studies where fierce teachers are breathing down her necks reminding her of the realities.

A girl thinks she is a princess. I guess this could be the only fantasy that she will never out-grow, even when she is going to be a bride or when she’s married.

A girl is looking for a prince - riding on a white horse waiting to sweep her off her feet galloping away.

A girl loves to giggle. Sometimes, gossip too.

A girl loves to belong to a popular group. In fact, deep inside she wish to be the most popular girl in class and school.

A girl likes to receive gifts, especially on special occasions like birthday, Christmas etc. Oh, definitely Valentine’s Day.

A girl needs lots of attention from her boyfriend.

A girl will try to dress up to add a few more ages to her age. She will do the reverse when she has more than caught up with her actual age.

A girl can easily be influenced by others.

A girl usually likes flowers. She is a die-hard romance fan.

If you like a girl, emulate what a perfect gentleman is like and chances are she will like you. Either that, or score straight As and you will impress her to death. 

Weathering Storms

If there’s one thing you can admire fully about Pulau Tekong, it’s the weather. No matter what you hope for it to be and what the sky looks like barely minutes before, the weather in Tekong has this inexplicable ability to change to the most inconvenient climate possible at the worst possible time.

Take, for example, this particular training session I had a few days back. Everyone was tired and aching severely from the past few days of intensive training and, at the start of the session, we were all quite heartened to see dark clouds forming over the parade square where we were due to train. Alas, it was not to be and as we continued on, it not only did not rain, the clouds actually moved away to reveal a searing hot sun behind them. It was only as we headed back to our company line (pretty much all dead) to do our cool down that the downpour started, drenching all of us just as we were preparing to head back to our bunks.

Another popular joke that the weather likes to play on us is giving us false hopes before actually making matters worse than before. What do I mean? It seems that several times, it would start raining about an hour before lessons and, just as everyone is rejoicing at the thought of being able to forego training for some rest in our bunks, the rain would stop exactly before our allocated training time. So, not only do we have to continue with our training, we often have to now contend with wet grounds, equipment and cascades of mud.

The worse example of the weather’s trickster ways would be during my field camp. Arriving at our camp site on the first site, we all pitched our basha tents and, just as we started to dig the drainage system (but not having actually done it yet), it started pouring (and I mean, POURED), thereby drenching us in the uniforms we would continue to don for the rest of the day, flooding our unprepared tents and ensuring that we would be trudging around in thick layers of caking mud for the rest of our stay there. The rain then continued for several days as we stayed in the damp jungle and got terrible heat rashes and related conditions from the humidity. To top it off, on the final two days when we finally emerged into the open for our urban operations and our battle inoculation course, the rain decided to disappear and be replaced by a freakishly hot sun, burning all of us while we were running around under it. It was no wonder so many fell sick.

As my POP approaches in a week or so, I’ll be leaving Tekong with many fond memories of my experiences in BMT. The weather, however, will be something I’m really, really glad to leave behind (hopefully).