Caution in the Wind

I threw it into the wind. The guards at the Whitley Detention Centre too. So did the officers at Immigration counters at the airport.  And you might be the next one, if you weren’t aware.

We all had one thing in common. Most unfortunately, it wasn’t something to toot our horns about. Rather, I feel kind of ashamed to even blog about it here. Well, if there lessons to be learnt here, even from my own negligence, then let me bear the shame! LOL

If you had read my personal blog, you may know that I was pickpocketed a week ago. If you didn’t know yet, not to worry. Here’s the story…

I was at Toa Payoh for an appointment. The person smsed me that he would be 30 minutes late. I was there on time, so that meant I had 30 minutes on my hand to burn. My sister cajoled me to look at the clothes on sale at the piazza area – the area of land just outside Burger King at the Toa Payoh hub.

So there I was, browsing through clothes that were selling cheaply and busy chatting with my sister. Now, I was carrying a bag with two zipper pockets in front. In one of them were my mobile phone and an ezLink card. My handphone had a strap attached and I had conveniently left it dangling outside the pocket. Well, if it was to my convenience, so it would be for others!

I didn’t think of that, really. Because I had assumed that I was on very safe grounds. I’m at home! What could possibly happen?

Let’s rewind to two months back.

The place – Jakarta, Indonesia.

Some of you may have remembered I was there for the first Patterns of Excellence programme. (Please check my previous post if you haven’t read yet) Whenever I’m abroad, my acute senses would go up a big notch. Call me paranoid, but I would rather play safe than be sorry. My hubby at times had to shake his hand about my “kiasuness”.

I would be always on my toes, clutching my belongings tightly. And I would never, ever, leave anything, not even a thread to indicate what could be inside my pants pocket, bag pocket, shirt pocket or whatever holes one can find to contain items in.

I guarded my stuff fiercely. And I would constantly remind my hubby to do so too, because if he didn’t, I would be worried too! Yes, I can be somewhat paranoid.

If only I had the same alertness when I’m back home.

Fast forward to that day at Toa Payoh.

To cut the story short, yes, I was pickpocketed. The pickpocket deftly unzipped the little front compartment and grabbed my handphone and the ezLink card. There, in a matter of perhaps one second, I lost them.

It didn’t take me long to find out, because I wasn’t wearing a watch that day and I depended on my mobile to show me the time. I would be checking it every other, say 5-10 minutes. So quickly, I realised they were gone. My sister called my on my mobile and it was off.

There – we concluded that someone had been sneaky enough to do something that I would never have imagined to happen in Singapore. But it did happen.

Where was our alertness? As Singaporeans, we have been so well protected that we are taking too many things for granted, wouldn’t you agree? Because we enjoy stability and safety, we have lowered our guards. It’s alright to take it slightly easier at our home ground than overseas (we don’t want to get really paranoid too!), but it’s definitely far from alright if we were to totally let it go.

How could I leave my handphone strap dangling like that? How could I not even know that someone had crept up so close to me? How could I make that big, wild assumption that nothing could ever happen?

I made two big mistakes – not being alert and not being aware.

So imagine how I thought what a big joke it was for the passport case to happen, in such a short time after the big slip-up in defence took place here.

Really, what’s the use of having more police officers at the immigration to check people’s passport at the airport, if they weren’t alert and aware? Because if they were, all it needs is but one person to point out something suspicious. Four stations of check are more than enough, if all of the officers there are in the highest vigilance mode in carrying out their work.

The dangers of taking things for granted. Never throw caution into the wind, my friends. 

Tennis games

Similar to most other popular sports in the world (soccer, baseball, basketball), tennis has always enjoyed a presence on the gaming industry, with every generation of home consoles, PCs and even handhelds having a gem or two. (After all, one of the very first games ever made, Pong, is basically a simplified version of tennis, is it not?)

Just like the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series is the de facto standard for golf gaming, the Virtua Tennis series has always been the stalwart for those looking to whack a tennis ball virtually. With decent graphics, a bevy of real-life tennis celebrities available as in-game choices (setting up the stage for some fantastical moments like my virtual controlled Roger Federer finally thrashing Nadal in the French Open finals), cute and super fun (not to mention quirky) mini-games that often steal the limelight from the main tennis events themselves and, of course, action-packed and addictive gameplay, every installment in the series has gone from strength to strength, with the latest, Virtua Tennis 3, widely applauded by critics and fans alike as the ultimate tennis fantasy.

Of course, just like how there’s the Hot Shots Golf series for those golf-enthusiasts who are sick of seeing Tiger’s face plastered everywhere, there’re also alternatives to Virtua Tennis. So, with Wimbledon now in full swing and tennis fans itching to have their own go at the hallowed Centre Court, here’re some of my favourite tennis game recommendations.

1. Smash Court Tennis 3 (PSP)

I haven’t had the chance to play the first two games in the series before (what with not having a PS2 and all) but this game alone has made me a convert to a SCT fanatic. While Virtua Tennis’ fast-paced tennis gameplay, short matches and mini-games make for short bursts of tennis fun, SCT is the exact opposite: with a much deeper control system (that is consequentially much harder to master), a very in-depth pro tour feature (with a much more defined and customizable player, both in terms of style and skills) and ultra realistic gameplay (no lunging for and actually returning impossible shots like in VT; linesmen and umpires actually make errors like in real life; a call challenge feature, which is very handy).

While VT’s arcade-like nature is fun and addictive, the realistic sim that SCT provides, along with the fact that, after a slow first few hours of play, the game gets insanely good, makes for a much more satisfying, more hardcore-feeling and much more fulfilling tennis experience. While Virtua Tennis was what showed me that tennis could be done in games, Smash Court Tennis 3 is, to me, the epitome of a great tennis game and, dare I say it, the best tennis game I’ve seen across any console yet.

2. Top Spin series (PC, all major consoles, Nintendo handhelds)

If Virtua Tennis is the fun-loving, hyperactive youngest kid in the family and Smash Court Tennis is the jaded, realistic, more in-depth father, then the Top Spin series is the oldest child, a sort of mix between the two. Having been around for ages and garnering rave reviews from the start (or, at least the first game did), the Top Spin series has always remained inexplicably in the shadow of Virtua Tennis, providing a very solid, if not as mainstream appealing, alternative to the latter.

While the latest entry in the series, Top Spin 3, has met with lukewarm reception (while I haven’t had the chance to play the PS3 and Xbox360 versions, which I understand are slightly better, the Wii version, with its very limited career mode and counterintuitive controls, actually feels a step backwards for the series) and Top Spin 2 for the DS should be banished to gaming limbo forever, the original game was a breath of fresh air and exemplified everything that a tennis game should be.

Having been developed a few years after the launch of Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast, Top Spin (for the Xbox and PC) showed perfectly the evolution of tennis gaming. With a (for its time) in-depth career mode and great gameplay (which had more features and much more varied shot options than the original VT), the original Top Spin is a must have for any tennis gaming fanatic and even holds its own, graphically and gameplay-wise, against the tennis giants now. Plus, for those short on cash but looking for a solid tennis fix, Top Spin is now a bargain. I’ve seen a copy of the PC game go on sale for less than $30, which is less than half of what you’d have to pay for a more current game.

3. Prince Of Tennis: Crystal Drive 2005 (NDS)

With VT, SCT and Top Spin securing practically all bases for tennis gaming, there’s only one majorly popular platform that hasn’t been covered yet. While Nintendo’s giant of a mini console, the Nintendo DS, isn’t particularly known for sports gaming (in that aspect, the PSP wins it hands down, thanks to superior processing power, better graphical abilities and the option for more in-depth and realistic play) and previous attempts for the system have ranged from mediocre (Rafa Nadal tennis, solid but unspectacular) to downright horrendous (the above-mentioned Top Spin 2), there is one gem amidst all the hubris.

Admittedly, Prince of Tennis: Crystal Drive, will not be winning fans over with its cutesy chibi graphics and the game can only be fully enjoyed by fans of the popular manga and anime series, PoT is nonetheless a fantastic game that is easily accessible and provides a surprisingly addictive time if one can look past the comical look.

Eschewing any form of realism or semblance of real life tennis simulation, PoT takes the fantastical approach that the manga/anime takes. While players can duel with the usual shots like in other tennis games (the top spin, the lob, the slice etc.), the real meat of the gameplay lies in unleashing special moves, which have to be charged up using a power bar first. Some of these afore-mentioned shots range from faster-than-sound returns (like Sanada’s Wind) to drop shots that don’t bounce and just roll backwards (a la Tezuka’s zero-degree drop shot).

The game offers an astounding number of characters taken from the series (starting from the beginning all the way up to the Nationals semi-finals story arc), much more than any other tennis game, with every single player having a number of special moves himself. Most of these players, especially the powerful ones, have to be unlocked by playing different tournaments under different conditions (even the tournaments themselves are unique, like a tournament only for left-handed players, or southpaws etc.),thus providing a huge incentive to continue playing, especially for fans of the series who know, and love, all these characters.

So, while it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that there’s a great game amongst the tennis draught on the DS.

4. Wii Tennis (Nintendo Wii)

Ok so this doesn’t really count as a full tennis game. Released as part of the five sports in Wii Sports, which, in itself, was released with the Wii as more a demonstration of the Wiimote’s ability than anything else, Wii Tennis has unexpectedly hit a chord with many players and is at least partially responsive for the Wii’s early success.

While the game might not offer any form of career mode, any recognizable players or even any form of more intermediate tennis gameplay (basically you just swing the Wiimote and hit the ball, the right timing of which would result in a power shot), the gameplay is so addictive and the game so well-done on the most basic and simplistic level that even jaded, hardcore, sports gamers have been known to splurge hours whacking it out with friends.

Plus, of course, if you have a Wii, you’d probably have this game already, in which case you wouldn’t even have to spend any money.

So, what are you waiting for? Choose the console and game of your choice, grab your controller, and whack away!

Global Warming

Sometimes, I see the shimmering heat distorting far-away buildings. It’s all part of the package you get when you’re standing baking in the mid-day sun, but these days, I get to see this phenomenon earlier in the day, like 10am.

Gone is the fresh, tangy smell of the grass fields — the morning dew evaporates soon enough after sunrise — not even I can tolerate prolonged exposure under the sun for long. This coming from someone who has done fast marches in the scorching mid-day sun under no tree-cover surely makes a statement about our environment as compared to 3 years ago.

Of course, it could have been me just spending far too long conditioning in the cooling climates of the school’s numerous arctic-style chillers that also happens to be classrooms, but I am positive that there’s been a subtle, yet significant change to the weather that makes it less bearable with each passing year.

Already, I find myself rushing to the shower ever few hours just to get some relief from my own body sweat. I used to see my arms covered in a slick film of sweat only after strenuous physical activities; now I sweat horribly even from a 5 min walk from my house to the MRT station.

I’m not hallucinating, unfortunately. Already, the warmer temperatures have already led scientists to conclude that North Pole ice might completely disappear at the height of northern-hemisphere summer in September this year (http://northpoleice-telegraph.notlong.com/).

It’s true, our world is definitely getting warmer than it was. We humans are already starting to feel the impact, can we even begin to imagine how many animals that live in temperature-sensitive ecosystems must have coped? Many can’t, and they end up dying in masses. A good example would be coral reefs. Many of them are bleaching (http://coralsbleaching.notlong.com) due to the 2-3 degree rise in our sea waters. The resultant ecological damage is damningly extensive: many animals and plants depend on the survival of coral reefs, and with their home gone, these animals are left to either find a new home, adapt to the new circumstances, or succumb to the stress and die.

If we do not take action to save these fragile ecosystems, soon we will find that the vast biodiversity of our world is gone, and in time we may face the same problem ourselves. Sure, we humans can try and adapt to higher temperatures, but how much more can we take without having to put on climate suits whenever we go outdoors?

That is surely something serious to think about.

Doing What We Shouldn’t!

I was walking along the pathway when I had this feeling that a bicycle was riding up towards me from behind. I waited for the bell to ring to signal its coming, but the only sound I heard was that of the wheels rolling on the ground.

I turned around and verified that a bicycle was indeed behind me and coming close. I stepped away and walked along the side of the path, making way for it. The bicycle and its rider zoomed past me. It was a man, and he even turned his head to glance over me.

I began to wonder. Shouldn’t he ring his bell to alert pedestrians? Shouldn’t he have slowed down and veer to the side of the path when he sees someone walking ahead? Shouldn’t he…

Another incident took place earlier, along the streets within a pasar malam. Road paths were crowded, and people were walking at a snail’s pace with some huddling together buying food.

Then a loud bell rang. A woman riding the bicycle was right in the midst of the crowd and she kept ringing the bell so that all the pedestrians would make way for her to cycle through.

Heads turned to look at her, and as if there was a sudden spark of chemistry in the crowd, some of us locked eyes with each other. Without saying a word, we shook our heads and smiled. We could read each other’s thoughts. Talk about telepathy. 

The woman should get down from her vehicle and push it along gently while she walked. The street was packed with so many people, not to mention children, and yet she didn’t do as what she should for the safety of the public.

Instead, she did what she wanted.

A lot of times, we knew in our hearts what the things are that we should or should not do. How many times did we follow this rule? How many times did we break it? Why do we do that?

Shouldn’t we abide by those laws? Shouldn’t we strive to be good citizens of a nation? Shouldn’t we be polite towards our neighbours or strangers and offer our assistance whenever possible? Well, we should.

But more often than not, we didn’t.

If someone didn’t do what they should, what do we do? We then have to do things that we don’t need to! For instance, I don’t need to turn around and confirm that a bicycle is coming up and step away when the rider should alert me. But I did anyway, so that I will be safe.

Like you should inform your mom if you’re going home for dinner, but you didn’t. Your mom had to call you to check if she needs to cook your share. She didn’t have to do that, does she? She did anyway, so that you will have a warm dinner when you get home.

Like parents shouldn’t neglect their children, but some did. The children had to resort to other ways and means to get their attention, so that they could enjoy the family warmth they desired but missed.

In not doing things that we should, we are creating another event for someone as a result who had to do things that they shouldn’t to balance out the equation. Is this fair? It’s not, if we base it on the fact that every action has its consequence and the doer should be responsible for his or her action.

But what if this person wasn’t responsible? You get the picture?

Then again, we know that this world isn’t really fair, don’t we? 

Stuck with creepy crawlies

“Ahh! Ahh Ahh Ahh!! Mommy!!! Help!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs, hands flailing in the air and dashing left and right. Mom came, and soon I heard a loud, solid smack!

A little while later, when mom had cleared away the corpse, peace resumed.

That was just a summary of my encounter with an unwelcome guest. They come in various sizes and shapes. Some fly, some crawl. But frankly, how they look or travel doesn’t matter to me. So long as they appear, it’s hell for me. Oh, and my mom too.

Now is my hubby’s turn to rescue me.

I know, my reaction wasn’t something to be proud of. Still I find consolation to know that I’m not the only woman in this world to be so fearful of pests. What makes me even more unabashed is knowing some guys flee at the sight of a cockroach, lizard, or bee.

This is an outright fear I have towards creepy crawlies. There is one other fear that’s worse—something silent and difficult to detect. This is why I fear it so much.

I have a frequently recurring dream. At times it is more like a feeling that paralyses me in the middle of something when I’m wide awake.

In this scene, I find myself chased by someone. All of a sudden, my legs will be stuck to the ground. No matter how much strength I use, I just couldn’t bring them to move. I panicked.

Another version of this vision is I’ll be running in pursuit of something or someone. As much as I want to dash faster, I just couldn’t. I would be travelling at a snail’s pace. I said travelling because I’m slower than taking a relaxed stroll, so running is definitely not the word to use here.

The amount of energy I exert is huge, as I can feel it welling up inside my body. This is when the fear comes in. I can be wielding a lot of force but my body isn’t co-operating! It isn’t responding to my wishes.

I then realised that I am stuck on one place. I am stagnant.

At this point, I would either wake up from my dream or from my vision.

I dislike this feeling. But I wasn’t able to connect this sensation to my life so I can make sense (pun intended) out of it. I’m able to now, finally.

It is a fear of remaining stagnant in life! A fear of not learning anything new, fear of not able to contribute to society, to my family and friends, and people who are important to me. A fear of deteriorating in my life if I don’t improve and be better.

Learning is an evergreen value in my life. I had it since I was just a little girl. I remembered how I would be so driven to study for exams so that I can be in peace later to bury myself in as many books as I can lay my hands on and my waking hours allow me to.

Thus, the thought that I’m not learning anything any more, be it a result of capability or capacity or desire freaks me out. How can I not discover new things? How can I not acquire new wisdom, new insights? How can I not absorb new happenings in life?

I can’t. It makes me feel like a zombie. I feel stifled. I feel breathless. I feel…. stagnant.

I fear this.

So to avoid having this feeling creeping up, I keep myself occupied with learning new things—a hobby or skill—or brushing up an existing skill.

I like this sense of accomplishment. It makes me whole.

What about you?

Kung Fu Panda

The 90s were known as the Golden Age of animation and rightly so. With offerings from Disney like The Lion King and Aladdin ruling both the box office and critics’ lists, it seem like animated movies could do wrong. Skip forward a decade or so and the situation has changed somewhat, with animations a decidedly hit-or-miss affair.

True, there are still great animations but, for every Finding Nemo or The Incredibles, you get a dozen Cars and Shark Tale-s. Keeping that in mind, would Dreamworks Animation, famed for their critically lauded Shrek series but also for the equally lackluster recent effort Bee Movie, be able to conjure up a gem in their latest movie, Kung Fu Panda? Or would it go the way of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, sinking into animated oblivion (I bet you don’t even remember it right?)?

Thankfully, Kung Fu Panda is definitely more of a hit than a dud.

Featuring Jack Black as the voice of the main character, Kung Fu Panda (or KFP, as I’ll call it from now on) tells the story of Po, the titular character who’s a douche-ish, fat (although is there any other kind?), unhygienic and terribly unfit panda. Dreaming of one day becoming the Dragon Warrior, greatest warrior in the land, and being on par and pals with the renowned Furious Five (comprising five animals from whom actual Chinese martial arts are based upon), Po attends the ceremony to find the next Dragon Warrior and, by a twist of events, ends up actually getting chosen by Master Oogway, the wizened turtle sage.

Much to the consternation of Master Shifu, teacher to the Furious Five and whoever the Dragon Warrior is supposed to be and also surprising just about everyone by getting chosen (including himself), Po then has to learn to fight in a remarkably short time, as powerful villain Tai Lung, a former protégé of Master Shifu’s, has broken out of captivity and has come to collect the legendary Dragon Scroll, a supposedly all-empowering scroll under Master Shifu’s and Oogway’s care.

While the plot is simple, it is executed perfectly and with impeccable polish. Poking fun at orthodox martial arts and Chinese kung fu movies in general, Kung Fu Panda doesn’t take itself too seriously, the result being a lighthearted and hilarious, not to mention really entertaining, hour and a half of animated pleasure.

The script is well-done, with perfect pacing (in fact, the movie feels really short, even shorter than its actual run time of 92 minutes) and self-parodying wit (the rib-tickling first line of the movie goes: “Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose kung fu skills were the stuff of legend.”). The action and laughs never seem to let up (with a scene of Po talking to an antique urn particularly memorable) and the main characters Po, Shifu and Oogway are suitably endearing. I only wish that the writers had fleshed out the supporting characters more. The Furious Five, in particular, seemed potentially engaging but ended up being one-dimensional caricatures of movie stereotypes (and not even particularly outstanding ones).

Aesthetically, the movie is a treat. The visuals are lush, with well-animated action (facial expressions especially, are a perfect fit) and drawn from a variety of artstyles, including both beautiful water painted effects (a la the PS2/Wii game Okami) and the more quirky kung fu style adopted by Nick cartoons such as Samurai Jack. The music, too, is apt, with oriental gongs and festive music playing throughout the movie. The cinematography, too, is perfect, with Matrix-like action sequences and smooth, action-packed fight scenes.

The voice-acting, though, is a bit of a let-down. While Jack Black does a perfect Po (doesn’t he totally remind you of a real-life human Po anyway?), the rest of the cast is unmemorable, probably at least partially due to the fact that they don’t get much airtime. I mean, if you just watch the movie without prior knowledge of the voice cast, would you recognise Hollywood heavyweights such as Dustin Hoffman (who plays Master Shifu), Angelina Jolie (Tigress) or Jackie Chan (Monkey), among others?

Still, minor faults aside, Kung Fu Panda is a hit through and through, fast-paced and witty. Definitely a must watch for any animation fan and even for those who aren’t.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Star-gazing

Has anyone noticed the clouds hanging in the sky are a brownish-reddish shade in the night skyline? I think of them as romantic pictures floating by lazily - it’s almost worth the effort to spread out in the open fields near my house to gaze at the night sky.

There are no visible stars though; the city lights in Singapore crowd them out easily without the aid of these clouds. I do, however, remember the starry sky that is visible on Pulau Tekong. The reclaimed lands on the south-eastern part of the island are far enough from the city lights, allowing the little twinklers to show off their stunts with little hindrance.

The red glow of the horizon fades slowly into a deep, expansive black drape-cloth with lights twinkling, almost like a happy scene. Being in a city-boy for my entire life, the first look at the cosmos literally took my breath away.

The day had been mind-numbingly tiring, since we had just finished digging our first shell-scrapes and fox-holes in our lives, coupled by a 8 km route march from the north-eastern part of the island, and countless push-ups, as well as jumping jacks with our rifles; yet staring at the night sky suddenly made the physical exhaustion of the day worth it.

I’d never forget that beautiful sky, the very one I spent a very long time staring at before closing my eyes - but not without opening them again to make sure that the stars won’t suddenly go away. And for the first time in the 6 days I have spent out in the field so far, I smiled.

The Bus Ride

A mix of old and new – this was how I felt when I was riding on Bus 852 that day. Taking the time to survey the interior of the bus, I noticed that it was retrofitted with more modern gadgets like the ezlink card reader and it came with air-conditioner.

Nothing surprising I guess, as long were the days when we had to pray hard that the bus we were waiting for would be air-conditioned. Now, all buses come with cool air.

Gone is the luxury of having warm breeze blowing against our face, or the irritation of the strong wind messing up our hair when the window was opened.

Ah, speaking of the window. This bus had the old window panes where one had to press down the levers on both sides hard enough to push the window up and to latch it onto one of the 3 “holes” to lock it into place. I remembered how I had to struggle with this, as I didn’t have enough strength to do it. Hence, I’d always watch out for which windows were open and how high they were locked in as the higher the pane was lifted, the more wind would be blowing against me.

So can you imagine how much deliberation I had to make before making a decision on where to sit within the mere seconds of boarding the bus and choosing a seat? That was provided empty seats were in abundance. When they weren’t, I had something else to worry – I wasn’t tall enough to reach the bell that was located as a strip at the ceiling that ran down the entire length of the bus.

Then, taking a bus was quite a frightening experience. Now, bells are found at every seat, or every alternate seat and I don’t have to worry about the windows anymore. So as I looked at those latches, I smiled. 

The other familiar sights include the single seats that are located at the left of the bus. I used to love sitting on these seats because I could have it all to myself. Until now, I still like the single seats. But we can’t find these anymore in the new buses where they all come with double seats.

Especially when I was on long trips, I would take the single seat and listen to my walkman throughout the entire journey. Yes, I listened to cassette tapes and tune in to the radio with the receiver. There were no mp3 players and digital songs were unheard of. I even remembered I would bring along extra batteries if I knew the existing one were going to run dry soon. Ha! So I would have an endless supply of the same songs playing over and over again.

Hmm… those were the days. That was 20 years ago.

I wonder how would the bus be like 20 years from now…  

How Ready Are We?

I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of two NS men in a span of two days. I was in Bintan then when I saw this news ticker flashing across CNA, at the bottom of the TV screen. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but I knew it was true when I came back and heard the news.

Then, today’s newspaper’s front page gave me another shock as I learned of another death just one day after the first. “What? Another one?” was my initial thought.

I’m not yet a parent, but I could feel the heartache of these two boys’ parents. Maybe because I’m a woman, or maybe because I just watched a drama with a sad ending that dismayed me last night.

I was led to think about this – how ready are we? How ready are we to face sudden deaths of our loved ones, be it by an accident or unfortunate incidences like these. How ready are we to handle an unforeseen crisis? How ready are we to deal with a turnaround in our lives overnight?

We all know death come to everyone, but we just didn’t like the fact that it will come upon people around us without giving us advance notice. The pain that one suffers from such a shock is vastly apart from one that witnesses a slow and painful departure due to an illness.

I’m sure Andrew Cheah and Clifton Lam had many dreams unfulfilled and they didn’t expect to leave this world without any last words. On the same note, I believe that their camp mates would be tormented by memories of them being part of their team, and how everyone had undergone the ups and downs in their in-camp training.

I know, we can never be ready to accept abrupt changes as a result of inopportune events. But at least, we can know that when things happen, there will be ways to sort them out.

Besides an untimely and unexpected death, there are many regrettable events that do happen around the world. Like the overnight stock market crash, the first job retrenchment, the first miscarriage, a friend’s betrayal, a broken marriage promise all can cause our lives to collapse and break into pieces.

Are we emotionally strong to handle those lousy feelings that come as a result? Are we physically strong to tackle the challenge? Are we mentally strong to manage the extreme stress conditions that we could be in? Are we spiritually rich and strong to continue to have faith in ourselves and in God or the higher universe?

Because most of us aren’t emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually ready to handle the downfall in our lives when they come, therefore we need support. Be it from people whom we have known for decades, or from strangers, support serves as the life jacket that will keep our heads above the waters. We won’t drown, but we still need to swim ourselves to the land. The life jacket won’t do the job for us.

So friends, if you are a friend of either Andrew or Clifton, maybe all you can do now is to be the life jacket for each other. While keeping each other afloat, remember to encourage your team members to start swimming. 

Time is the best medicine. I agree. 

The World Can Wait?

How do you feel when you know that the world can wait? That you have all the time in your hands to do whatever you love doing, and the world can wait after you finish?

It feels good, right? Indeed. To lose track of time, with no hand phone ringing in the most inappropriate time and to let yourself free from all your commitments is truly a luxury worth waiting for.

I was lost in a world of enjoyment for the past two days when I went for a short trip with my sister. With a carefree spirit, we did things that we weren’t planned in advance. Ok, we had to make appointments for our spa treatments, but besides this, there was nothing that was planned or pre-arranged.

So, in a way, the advertisers were right. The world can wait, can’t it?

Nay, as I realised. The world still can’t wait for you if you don’t allow them to wait. How so?

Have you ever experienced such a feeling when you are in a vacation and yet all you can think of is the work undone in the office? Or you are mentally rehearsing for the oh-so-important presentation as you wind surf on the beautiful blue ocean? Maybe you are mapping out your career path when you are suppose to be enjoying a romantic and relaxing dinner under the stars with your loved one or family?

You just find it hard to totally let go and be free!

Is freedom that hard to achieve?

Well, if we don’t give ourselves permission to be free, we will never be. Not even if you have a million dollars in your bank. Not even if you are old and your children have all grown up and earning more than enough money to supplement your monthly pension. Not even if you know you can share your deepest fear and inner most feeling with your partner because he/she is totally trustworthy.

We hold on to this thing that is always preventing us from enjoying complete freedom – fear.

Fear of rejection prevents us from enjoying the freedom of opening ourselves to others.

Fear of intimacy prevents us from enjoying the freedom of a deep connection and bonding with people who matter to us – our best friends, our parents, our siblings and our partners.
So even if we are embraced in nature, with the sound of waves lapping up and the gentle swaying of trees making up a mesmerising composition, we still will not be free until the moment when we say yes to internal freedom.

When that happens, when the heart is free, the world can wait.

Until then, we are still waiting to catch up with the next wave in the world. 

Prince Caspian

Even with the advent of huge screen televisions and HD quality films, there are just some movies you have to watch in the cinema to get the full effect. The Star Wars franchise, the Matrix and, to some extent, the Harry Potter series pop to mind. Now, add to that list Prince Caspian, the second in the series of films based on the classic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia (of which the first movie, The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe, could also be placed on the list).

Based on the book of the same name, Prince Caspian takes place in Narnia approximately 1300 years after the events that transpired in the previous movie (which does not necessarily have to be watched to enjoy this film but would make understanding the story much easier). After conquering the White Witch and reigning as kings and queens of Narnia, the four Pevensie children (Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy) returned to the normal world to lead normal human lives.

A year has passed on Earth when the four children are suddenly pulled back into Narnia, where they find that over a thousand years have passed since they left and that realm is now a very different, much darker place. General Miraz, a villainous usurper to the throne, has deposed of the true heir, Prince Caspian, to claim kingship over the land of Narnia.

With the help of the four children as well as a cute supporting cast that includes a talking mouse and a tough-exterior-soft-interior dwarf and, of course, the ever-present talking lion Aslan, Caspian attempts to gain back what’s his, along the way going through the usual character developments and conflicts that pepper such shows.

The plotline and its source material, while pretty groundbreaking for its time, feels a tad formulaic and simple, with predictable twists and changes that can be seen a mile away. Still, the story is perfunctory and stays true to its Christian roots (series author C.S. Lewis was a celebrated Christian writer and the series of Narnia is actually a fantastical analogy for the religion’s fundamental beliefs).

The scripting, while it does have its shining moments and the occasional, unexpected laugh (the exchange between Edmund and King Miraz is particularly funny), the pacing is not terribly well done. The show starts out really slowly and moves at a plodding pace for a full hour before the action starts to build up. While it does climax pretty well and gets pretty engaging later on, the first hour really puts a downer on the entire movie experience.

In terms of audio and visual production value, the movie shines. Just like in the previous movies, the costumes and locations feel authentic (although one doesn’t really have any benchmark to gauge the authenticity other than other fantasy films), the score suitably majestic (or at least fitting to the scene) and the special effects realistic yet bombastic. The final battle, in particular, by Aslan is especially spectacular.

The acting is adequate on an ensemble level (although Anna Popplewell, who plays Susan, occasional sports a conflicted not-really-emoting-anything face), the only outstanding performances being Skandar Keynes (who playes Edmund) and Peter Dinklage, whose portrayal of Trumpkin, the afore-mentioned dwarf, is deadpan hilarious.

Overall, while Prince Caspian probably won’t be winning any major awards or top the LOTR series as the fantasy fanboy’s ultimate wet dream movie, it does provide a decent two and a half hours of mindless entertainment.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Frienships That Last

I was going through some forums that talk about NS while doing research. A few newbies or those about to enter NS were asking for some tips on how NS life is and how they can survive their stint.

An answer that appeared more than 3 times was this – make friends and you’ll be ok.

True enough, in an environment where team work is of utmost importance, friendships are always the saving grace.

The all-for-one and one-for-all spirit is something which everyone has to learn. It’s either you get it on the first day and hence make life easier for yourself, or you will eventually get it when you are receive enough punishment through no fault of yours.

Either way, you have to get this concept drilled into your head from day one. Even better, from day zero. In this manner, you’ll realise how precious a strong friendship is during times like this.

I can truly relate to how this feels. When I was in my secondary school, I was very actively involved with my ECA, St. Johns Ambulance Brigade. Every year there would be a foot drill competition. Being the many-times champion, we had to send the best squad to defend our title.

Do you know what that means? Almost 10 hours of practice daily during the school holidays under the sun with no time left for any play or rest. We sweat, we bled. But we grew much closer. The competition squad always had more stories to share with each other because of what we went through.

While others looked at the way we practised and shook their heads, we were in all-time high spirits. Yes, we were very exhausted. We were smelly from all the sweat.

What was the reason that we could remain sane when our training was near insanity? What was the reason that after more than 10 years down the road, we would still recall those moments with nothing but fondness?

Friendship! When we had to be punished for not executing a drill with perfect timing together, when we had to carry heavy wooden benches and run in the carpark, when we were in tears after we lost in the competition, when we were laughing after we won the competition, when we sang together, the seeds of friendship had slowly blossomed into a undying devotion for each other.

Isn’t if the same in NS? When you couldn’t book out for the weekend because one fellow had kept a live bullet, when you had to squeeze into one shower and see each other in the buff and still pretend not to be shy, when you had to watch out for each other’s back during the exercises, you are already doing something that will be of great help to you in your future relationship.

Bonding! That is done through the active involvement in each other’s well-being, in doing things together and in the constant communication.

But why is it that guys can bond so well in the army days, and when they get married, they forgot about the need to bond with their wives entirely?

Maybe it’s because they are forced to bond in the army. Maybe it’s because they feel that bonding is a guy thing. Well guys, like it or not, your partners need to bond with you as much too, if you want to keep the passion alive and sizzling all the way in your relationship!

As much as you treasure your relationship and friendship with your army buddy, even after you have ORD for decades, you should realise how effective and important this effort is in creating and sustaining a successful relationship. Something that will allow you to relive again when you are old and toothless. 

Adidas Sundown Marathon

I have to be honest: I’ve never been a really physical person. I’ve never had the aptitude nor liking for most sports (even those I like, like tennis, I’m terrible at), I’ve never really liked physical activities (rock-climbing and such) and, despite the fact that I’m a combat-fit soldier in the army, I’ve never been what most people would consider remotely fit.

If you had told me a year earlier that I would be taking part in a full 42km marathon without much prior training or some sort of reason behind it (probably someone forcing me at gun point to join), I would have never believed you. Marathons have never even entered my consciousness before as something I would someday join.

However, when a friend approached about two months back about joining a marathon with her, for some reason, I decided to just take a leap of faith and go for it, just to see whether I could do it. At that time, the marathon I was signing up for, the Adidas Sundown Marathon, didn’t seem that big a deal. I didn’t know it would get so much media attention or that it was to be Singapore’s first night time marathon. All that mattered to me at that time were the cool freebies (an Adidas sports tee to run in, with an additional tee and a medal upon successful completion) and the fact that, since it was to start at night, I would at least not die of harsh sunlight and dehydration during the race.

The lead up to the marathon wasn’t a smooth journey. Thanks to in-camp work and lots of SOC training (which, while still physical, I wouldn’t consider anything similar to marathon training), I didn’t have much time nor energy left to go for frequent long distance runs. Dietary conditioning, too, was out of the question, since I didn’t have much say in my food choices. Heck, in the very week leading up to the race, I was having on-off bouts of flu and fever brought on by lack of sleep and, on the morning of the marathon itself, I had to go for chemical defense training, which started before dawn.

All of these factors, plus the fact that since I only had about two months to train for the marathon properly, when it would usually take at least half a year, made it such that, when I first arrived at the event at around 11pm Saturday night, I was actually feeling pretty winded already.

Still, I quickly got changed, deposited my bag and proceeded to do some warm ups, all the while attempting to psyche myself up, together with my friends who had signed up for the marathon with me. Some of said friends were trying to figure out their ideal timings for the race while I, who was to pop my marathon cherry, only concentrated on the fact that I wanted to actually finish the darn thing. No record breaking timing for me (after all, whatever timing I run, it would break my personal record), just the completion medal would be fine.

The turnout for the event was pretty fantastic. Looking around the huge, huge crowd, I saw bibs that numbered all the way up to 9000+, though the news stated that the final count was slightly more than 6000, which is still a pretty fantastical number. For a first-time event (albeit sponsored by a hugely popular brand) that didn’t get much advertising in the months before, there were definitely a lot of participants that night sharing the starting line with me, so much so that, when the whistle (or whatever, I didn’t actually get to hear anything except a huge wave of cheers) went off to start the race, it took me quite a while of sluggish walking before I finally crossed the actual starting line.

The route for the run looked pretty straightforward. Starting from Changi Village, the route would encompass most of the eastern side of Singapore, going down the entire airport route, through to East Coast Park and then crossing all the different park connectors and parks before finally completing the loop back to Changi Village, where glory (and pain) awaited.

The run started off well enough. As I started to jog and get warmed up, the fatigue and weariness I felt from the pretty tough week I’ve had started to wear off and, music blasting in my ears, I proceeded to get fired up for the race. While I started off the race leisurely pacing some of my friends and attempting to run as a group, after a while, it became apparent the disparity between our optimum running speeds and we soon separated. While I occasionally ran the race with different friends, I ended up completing most of it, including the last 10km or so, by myself.

The first 15 to 20km were decent. I was jogging at a pretty consistent speed and, while my legs were starting to ache a little, I didn’t as out of breathe as I thought I would be. Perhaps the weather, which started off a little humid (probably due to the humongous human traffic at the starting point) gradually changed to a refreshing gentle breeze, helped as well. Soon, though, as I made the u-turn at East Coast Park which represented the halfway mark, I began to feel the effects of running non-stop for more than two hours straight. My left knee and ankle began to have nagging aches, while my left foot felt like it was on the verge of a major cramp (oddly, though, my right leg seemed pretty fine).

As I scaled what was to be the first of several overhead bridges, I slowed my pace down to a walk and, from then on, I pretty much gave up on the “running” part of the marathon. As the distance grew longer, I became more and more unable to run. Every attempt at even a slow jog resulted in stopping after less than 200m became I just couldn’t handle the strain on my left leg. Nonetheless, I decided to soldier on, walking slowly. At that point, several others had also started to walk and, along the way, I actually met some old friends who I didn’t know had also signed up for the marathon.

After crossing the 30km mark (at this point, the distance between each 2km checkpoint seemed impossibly far and it took an inexplicably long time to reach each aid station, which offered water and, at some points, 100 Plus top ups as well), even the walking felt belaboured and, finally, my right knee and ankle started to feel the strain as well. Despite that, of course, I refused to give up. After all, practically everyone I knew knew that I was taking part in the marathon (with some expressing disbelief) and returning with anything less than a completion medal would be disappointing, especially to myself as well.

To make things worse, the gentle breeze started to turn into a light drizzle and, at the 36km mark, turned into a full-on downpour. For some reason, while several people sprinted to the nearest bus-stops to take cover, I decided to throw caution (not to mention my health, considering the slight fevers I’ve been having the whole week) to the wind (almost literally) and just keep walking, telling myself that the sooner I get to the finishing line, the sooner I would get to dry up.

Of course, at my speed, by the time I finally got anywhere near the finishing line, the rain had cleared up and, to my dismay, the sun had began to come out (which means that I had taken at least seven hours already). As I turned the bend into the last 400m (which, by the way, never seemed to end), I attempted to pick up speed. Finally, with the huge “FINISH” sign in sight, I started to gain speed and lightly sprinted into the finish, where I was treated to the sight of a finisher medal and t-shirt.

Despite the odds (most of which I had placed on myself), I had finished the race!

Ok, so in the end it took me slightly more than seven hours to do it (which is really not that great a timing), but I’m just happy to have completed my very first attempt at a marathon! Some of my friends completed the race much faster (one taking just slightly over five hours) while some came in after me but overall, everyone I knew who had tried out for the race finished it in time.

Now, recovering at home and limping around the house, I take comfort everytime I see the medal, which showed me that, despite what I thought, I could actually finish a full marathon. While others might not view much of this “achievement”, I’m quite proud of myself: unfit, unsporty me actually finished a marathon!