Bookout Day

And…I’m back!

The last you heard from me, I was just packing and getting ready to enlist into the next two years of my life, more or less ignorant of what laid ahead of me. And now, after the first two weeks of confinement and adjustment, here I am back in front of my computer, aching, slightly tanner and slightly less ignorant than before.

While I won’t say that the last two weeks have been totally life-changing (it was, after all, only two weeks), it certainly has been quite a different experience from anything I’ve ever had to go through. The rigorously enforced routines (from the early wake up times to the many-times-a-day water parades) as well as the generous servings of physical training took me a back for at least the first few days.

I remember that the first few days felt really long. Perhaps it was due to the long waking hours (5.30am to 10.30pm!) or the fact that we always had some thing or other to do at any one point of time (sometimes multiple things simultaneously) but after only the first three days, it felt like I had been there for weeks already and my first bookout day seemed impossibly far away.

Thankfully, as I got more settled into the routine and life there, the days seemed to pass at a more normal rate. I began eating more (I barely ate anything in the first few days) of the huge servings of food (did I mention that we ate many, many times a day?), got used to the idea of running to the shower so as to secure a cubicle to bathe in and even got used to the physical training (which I heard would get way more intense after our first two weeks).

Surprisingly, I even found that I enjoyed certain parts of the day, especially after some of the physical training (because, as a commander told us, “pain is good, it means we’re alive”). Of course, it might have helped that my bunkmates have been nothing but friendly and nice and really helped create a comfortable setting to start my NS with.

That said, though, I still feel quite stressed out by certain non-physical-training aspects of life in Tekong. The bunk area inspections always make me break out in sweat (well, more than usual, since the heat on that island ensures you never stop perspiring ever) and the little rules concerning the proper ways to wear uniforms or handling weapons always get me quite nervous, especially since I’ve never been the fastest, smartest person around nor am I very good with my hands.

So far, NS has proven slightly better than my expectations, although that might just be because the first two weeks are meant for us to settle in to life in NS. From what everyone has been telling me, it’s going to get really tough from now on. Nonetheless, I’ll still bring some good faith when I book back in tomorrow, that it’ll be an enriching experience. After all, it’s always better to look on the bright side of life ay?

How NS Can Bring You Success Part 2

Now, continuing from Part 1 of this series.

You have learnt that there are four merits of serving NS that can propel you to success in your life after you have ROD, namely discipline, teamwork, leadership and flexibility.

While you may still doubt what I’m saying, it’s ok. All you need to do is just adopt a different standpoint. After all, a shift of your perspectives won’t hurt, but it sure can bring you to a totally refreshing world, somewhere you haven’t imagine you will be at before.

Now, let’s move on to more benefits NS can bring you, while you think you are suffering.

5. Fitness

Does this need to be further explained? If you are already slim, NS will surely make you fitter and more muscled.

If you are overweight, well the IPPT test doesn’t bluff does it? Then not only do you get to shed those unwanted and unnecessary extra kilos, which is a direct reflection of your health status, you are doing it for free! Plus, there is no where you can run to hide from that mandatory run or exercise.

As I put it, it’s mandatory. So, you just have to do it.

Need I remind you that with a fit body, you have already taken care of one of the most important element one needs to have to build a successful life – physical well-being.

That is, if you are disciplined enough to continue it after you have finished serving. That’s when the first factor “Discipline” comes in. Refer to Part 1 of this series if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

6. Perseverance

As the saying goes

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going

Are you the tough one? If you aren’t then this could be a good place to hone your perseverance and up your tolerance limits.

For every successful man, there is a truck load of stories. Not uplifting ones, but mostly failures.

What sets them apart is the perseverance to hold their grounds, to never say die. 

7. Perspectives

I know, it isn’t a bed of roses there. You don’t get to eat delicious food (but I heard more NS men are dining at the canteen which serves pretty good food, am I or am I not right in this tip-off?), you don’t even get to bath up to days at times.

You can play the victim all the time, blaming the commander, your less-than-co-operative team mate, the sky for raining and for not raining, the bed for creaking, the cook etc.

Or you can learn to realise the power of choice! To realise that you are the one in control of your own states. By choosing to respond to situations differently, all of a sudden you find a purpose for being there, doing what you’re doing, and you see things in a new light.

You are in control of yourself, not the commander, not the team mate, not the sky and not the cook. Whether or not you enjoy the process of being there, it’s entirely up to you.

You know you have the options, and you hold the key to making that choice which will make a whole world of difference for you.

Don’t believe? Test it out!

Successful people always see the good in bad situations. The worse-off the circumstance they’re in, the more opportunities they see in benefiting from it.

Even failures aren’t considered as failures, but as learning experiences.

Simply change the strategy, and you’re on your way to success!

8. Strategy

You need to strategise in order to win a battle.

You may not be in the core team devising the battle plan, but you certainly are a part of the entire team, aren’t you?

Then what is stopping you from observing, asking and understanding the strategy your commander is using. If it’s successful, learn from it. If it has room for improvement, figure it out.

Sun-Tze’s Art of War is now one of the most used manual for so many aspects in our modern life. And the ironical part is – they are used very much in the modern business world as well as non-business related fields! It is even applied in the world of dating and relationships! So what else do you think you can do after learning how to strategise?

Won’t you be able to bring your own career to an even greater height? Hmm.. now this is beginning to set me in wonder…

Everything is about strategy. To achieve a goal, whatever that is, it is not enough to know what you want to achieve, you need to know how to get it, and what is the best and shortest way of reaching your destination.

Strategy is the one to bring you there. If one thing doesn’t work, change it!

Alright, now you probably have more things to complain about this series. Be my guest and leave me your comments!

Or, you can start practising Point #7 and start using a fresh perspective to look at what’s happening in camp, and see how you can be a winner.

I may be a girl who hasn’t gone to serve NS, but I truly believe that these skills can be applied anywhere and everywhere to achieve success. It is all in your mind.

Develop a strong and positive mindset, especially in trying circumstances, you are preparing yourself for a brighter, bigger future where mission tends to be possible.

Go for it my friends! Cheers!   

A PESky problem

Everyone who has gone through National Service knows of the PES grading system, in which soldiers are classified into different PES statuses. Previously, the PES grading system was PES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, but now modified into PES A, B, C, D, E, as well as PES F. In fact, most vocations in the army can be simplified thus. A combat vocation, ie, a chiong sua type, would have pes A and B soldiers, while a service side vocation, ie, clerks and storemen, would compromise of pes C and E soldiers.

In National Service, there is this perception that service side vocations are ‘easier’ served than combat vocations, due to less (physical) hardship, and therefore, unsurprisingly, many people view PES C and E soldiers disparingly compared to PES A and B ones.

Let us examine the PES system. What we know is that Singapore uses the PULHEEMS system to assign servicemen their PES Status. From Wikipedia, it states that the PULHEEMS is an abbreviation, comprising of.

P-Physique
U-Upper limb
L-Lower limb
H-Hearing
E-Eyesight Right
E-Eyesight Left
M-Mental Function
S-Stability (emotional),

and each of these categories are assigned a score of 1 to 8, in which 1 being excellent, and 8 being unfit for service.

Let us do a little guesswork then. Given that the majority of servicemen are PES A and B, and have no major defects, it would be probable to guess that a score of 1 throughout PULHEEMS would rate a person as PES A, and a score of 2 for any category in the PULHEEMS would rate a person as PES B. Now, looking back at the previous system of grading PES statuses, ie PES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, perhaps some correlation can be done. If we can link PES 1 to be PES A, and PES 2 to be PES B, perhaps a score of 3 (in any category) would list personnel as pes C, and a score of 4 (again in any category) would list personnel as PES E. Then perhaps a score of 5 in any category would list the person as PES F.

Now, given that there is a slight understanding of the PES system, let us see what servicemen who are pes C and E face in their NS life.

1. Sometimes, they are prevented from participating in any kind of exercises or games by well-meaning commanders, for fear that they might injure themselves. Or, perhaps as more cynical people put it, for fear that a PES C/E personnel injuring themselves might mean more reports and explanations being typed out.

Looking at the PULHEEMS system, it appears that only those who are graded PES C/E for the category U (Upper Limb), L (Lower Limb), and perhaps even P (Physique), are those who are have a higher chance of injuring themselves. In fact, even those who have a 3 or higher in their P (Physique) score may not even be prone to injury, as it could mean anything (ranging from excuse grass, enzema or to even blood problems).  In this case then, personnel who are PES C/E due to HEEMS should not be discriminated against, as their (partial) disability does not hinder them in exercising / participating in any games.

2. Serviecmen that are PES C/E upon enlisting or those who downgrade to PES C/E during their NS life usually face people spreading gossip about them. “Hoi, this LCP XXXX ah, keng to PES E one.” Is it that easy to keng? In my opinion, “kenging” down the PES chain is considered only if the person does not have any ailment. Eg, if I say my leg hurts but it doesn’t at all, but due to that I get PES C, then I’ll consider it as kenging. Let us look at the PULHEEMS system again. From the system, PULHEE is extremely hard to keng. Either you have it, or you don’t. You can’t go to a doctor and say “Doctor, I have a skin problem, please certify me for it.” You need to have a history of skin problems, and more importantly, go for a skin test to prove it. Those people who do downgrade due to PULHEE problems are usually those who have a slight symptom of the problem, and therefore to others, appear like kenging. But the truth is that they do have that problem, and who are we to say it will not get worse in the future if exposed to the tough and rigorous training we NSFs get?

Servicemen who downgrade due to MS problems however, may be due to kenging though, and deserve people bad-mouthing them. It’s very easy to convince a psychologist that you have autism or an irrational fear of commanders: Just spend 5 days immersing yourself into the life of one such afflicted by the syndrome and you’ll be in that mental state temporarily enough to get that downgrade. But is it worth it? You’ll get that (mental) syndrome on your health record after you ORD/ROD, and potential employers will probably choose the other, normal person. (Exception if you have Aspergers or any similar syndrome, it appears that many engineers/scientists have that syndrome :p)

Verdict: Servicemen who downgrade due to PULHEE, leave them alone, they deserve the downgrade. Those that downgrade due to MS, look at them, and decide if they really suffer from it (if they do, leave them alone you insensitive twit), or are just pretending.

3. The spreading of the attitude “I, a PES A soldier, am better than you puny little pes C servicemen.” Obviously, arguing logically won’t help. PES A soldiers probably have too little brains to understand the PULHEEMS system. However, beating him in his IPPT may help. If worse comes to worst however, try telling him “Hey, if I’m as good as you in PT, that means I’m better than you, as I have to overcome my problems!.”

****

Overall though, while I believe there are a certain number of NSFs who keng down the PES system, there are those who rightly have their PES status, and they are in turn being looked down on. Perhaps the true test of whether the physical ability of the NSF shouldn’t be via the PES system, but how they performed in their previous life before enlisting. Logically -> If you can do it before enlisting, you can do it after enlisting. But then, the PES status system steps in....

Apologies to all who feel that this is a bit biased towards servicemen of PES C status and below, but I somehow feel we are a marginalized batch in the army. I might be wrong about the PES system though, perhaps any medics who have served / are serving in the SAF now would like to comment?

1st In-Camp Training - Day 1: The In-processing

1st In-Camp Training Day 1
The In-processing

11 June 2007

(This is the beginning of a series of posts on my first In-Camp Training)

My phone alarm went off at precisely 5.30am. It was no different from my usual schedule, since I wake up at that time everyday, but the irony hit me when I remembered that this was the time that I was forced to wake up at during my Basic Military Training on Pulau Tekong. Prior to my enlistment, I had been waking up at a bum-blistering time of 10am. Come to think of it, I’ve been through a lot since then.

I looked at my brother, also a polytechnic student, sleeping like a dead log, and wondered how he would take the shock when the time comes round for him. What the heck, if I can manage, surely he couldn’t do no worse?

Since the reporting timing was at 7am deep in the bowels of the Tuas industrial estate (the beloved Tanjong Gul Camp), we easterners had to share a taxi down in order to reach there in time.

On the PIE, the four of us marvelled at the peace of the 6am traffic. Half of the country is still dead asleep! Remembering that we were wearing uniform, somebody commented, “It is as if we are enlisting for the second time…”

“Yeah,” I concurred. It sure felt like that. My boots felt weird around my legs, and my uniform was a tighter fit than the last time I remembered wearing it. It was as if I had grown fatter.

“Of course you have! I’ll bet that nobody has lost weight since ORD!” another friend of mine retorted.

6.30 saw a mini-gathering at the road side when we saw our company re-forming slowly. It was a magical reunion of sorts as people flowed into the in-processing centre, bantering about university life.

When the in-processing centre finally opened at 6.45am, we queued up to be processed like the same old times. Mechanically, each person was carefully scrutinised by the camp RSM.

“Go kiwi your boots,” he ordered. “Go cut your hair first,” he told the next.

I managed to pass the test and was shepherded by the white-tape (you can’t imagine how much the armed forces love white-tape) to the next station, where my luggage got carefully checked by the Regimental Police. They made me show them that my phone didn’t have a camera (that means no photos for the blog!), and then stamped my hand.

I collected a camp pass, and had my identity card scanned at the in-processing centre. Since many people failed the RSM’s boot and hair check, it was smooth sailing for me all the way to the accommodation blocks.

That was then things started getting all messed up. We had to draw out weapons for a parade later from the armskote, but I was listed in the books as a Section Automatic Weapon user. For weapon-philes, the Section Automatic Weapon is actually the Ultimax 100, made in Singapore. While it’s one of the lightest automatic weapons around, it was too long for my liking, since I am not a very tall person!

My organic (normal) weapon is the SAR21. You know, the new rifle introduced just a few years back to replace the M16. Never mind, let’s just say that for some odd reasons, my organic weapon listing was swapped with someone else in my platoon, and he was really happy to have a lighter rifle for once.

We went up to the temporary bunks to keep our barang-barang. There would be a parade later, followed by a cohesion march. I only hope that things run smoothly as they are right now…

[to be continued..]

Out-processing Annoyance

I got back from Tanjong Gul camp tired, and my patience very much worn out.

Tired because the journey from the no-man’s land back to civilisation was arduous, and the way things went for out-processing annoyed me.

On Friday evening, after we checked out of the bunks, and had our bags checked by the instructors for ammunition (always euphemistically called “unexploded ordnance”), we queued up at the out-processing centre to have our identity cards scanned, and the camp passes returned.

Oddly enough, the queue didn’t move for at least 15 minutes, so I poked my head through the window and asked, “Excuse me, why is the out-processing queue not moving?”

A lady came over to the window, and said, “Because your company is not cleared. Where is your CSM (Company Sergeant Major)?”

I told her that I didn’t know where he was, and she replied sarcastically, “Then you can carry on waiting.”

It was not so much the waiting that got to my nerves, but the lady’s lack of courtesy that irked me. I was tempted to lodge a complaint there and then because of her rude reply, but decided that I didn’t want to cause a commotion at the out-processing centre.

Was it the power over the out-processing that gave her reason to be rude?

I doubt so. Authority is simply an enabler to a specific personnel for them to carry out their duties. Having been a NSF for 2 years and 4 months, I’ve seen commanders who are polite when they talk to others, as well as people who don’t believe that they should talk nicely to enlistee-ranked personnel.

At the end of the day, how you interact with another person reflects strongly on both the strength of your character, and your upbringing. Being polite to a person is what we should all do, regardless of superiority.

Singapore is a small island of around 690 square kilometres in area. Even if you’re definitely out to annoy somebody, at least consider the fact that in this small area, having more people remember you as a jerk dramatically improves the chances of you getting cold shoulders everywhere you go.

And need I mention that Karma always lags, but never neglects to catch up? You’ll never know if the next guy you snub on the street becomes your future employer!

On physical training and exercise

I’ve always wondered about training in BMT (Tekong), and whether it’s actually effective at all. From what I recall, when I went entered BMT, I learnt to be afraid of two specialists in my platoon, as they were notorious in handing out (physical) punishments. The cries of “infinite counts of four” and “down down down down down (repeat ad infinitum)” are still remembered (not so fondly) by me.

Of course, the goal was to train us up, such that we would be tougher, buffer, and rougher recruits. But does this method actually work for everyone?

In my case, not really. I’ve hated PT in my secondary school and JC, and needless to say, my attitude remained the same during my Tekong days. The constant screaming and shouting of my commanders also didn’t help to change my views. Consequently, I didn’t bother putting in any effort in my training, and still failed my IPPT after I passed out. From BMT of course, not fainting during the 2.4 km run!

So I got posted into a unit, and things changed. I downgraded to pes C, and the chore of passing my IPPT became a distant nightmare. And then it happened. My whole viewpoint on PT / exercising / keeping fit changed.

I suppose it started with last year’s AHM (Army Half Marathon). My company was conducting runs to build up stamina so that we could last the whole distance (10 km for us), and I participated in them. Surprisingly, I didn’t mind so much, as the commanders were friendly, approachable, and best of all, didn’t give out any unreasonable punishments. In fact, I think my relations with most of them at the time were like colleagues, or the common senior-junior relations many have in educational institutions.

In fact, I think one of my highlights last year was running the 2.4km with my company during an IPPT test (who said all clerks just sit back and do nothing), and discovered my timing was just below 12 minutes. It’s not that impressive of course, but to me it is.  On the side of course, I also started trying to do pull-ups, and managed to break the zero-fighter barrier. Again, what three months in Tekong (especially with intensive training) couldn’t do I could accomplish in my unit, under no (supervised at least) training at all. Quite good in my opinion.

Just this week I got an instant message from one of my friends to run around the camp area, and I accepted, before realizing that I would run around the camp complex, two rounds around the unit, as well as do statics of over 100 counts of push ups and sit ups. If this happened in my BMT, I believe I would have griped and whined at the training. But not so now. I actually thought it was quite fun (not necessarily enjoyable), because there was no shouting, and within friends.

What am I trying to say exactly? I believe there are people like me, who absolutely dislike any form of exercise. It also doesn’t make it easier when they enlist for National Service, and spend 3 months with their commanders shouting at them to “Knock it down”. True, it may make them fitter (although I don’t think it did in my case), but what they need is to develop a liking for physical training / exercise. While this should be done earlier before they enlist by PE teachers in schools, or via friends and family, this does not mean that commanders should do nothing as well.

We spend two years actively training to defend our country, and we also come back for ICTs as well. But this does not mean that commanders should not gear their training towards that only. A positive attitude towards PT and exercise should be nurtured as it has benefits to the individual.

For those constantly exercising, it does not matter if they are tekaned during National Service; they will always have the same passion for keeping fit. But for those who do not take up any form of exercise, preferring to do other activities, an environment where the commanders use physical punishments extensively could very well turn them off the road to keeping fit forever. After all, it’s very ironic that I actually put in more effort to keep fit and exercising only after downgrading, in a vocation that requires NO physical training at all, rather than in a pes B BMT, the formative months of a soldier. 

How NS Can Bring You Success Part 1

Don’t laugh, or start commenting that I must have gone mad.

Indeed I might! But, what will you lose to just read and maybe, you could be on my side of the arguments!

NS can bring you success, it’s just a matter of strategy. Let’s begin right here…

Is that ever possible? After all, all the rumours flying around town hasn’t got anything even remotely positive about serving NS.

But what if I can come up with a list of how serving NS can mould you into someone bound for success? Would you believe me?

Well, let’s put the cynicism aside, and look at what I have to say. You are free to tell me how you think otherwise in the comments here. Let me say my piece here first, ok?

1. Discipline

Isn’t this the most dreaded D-word in camp? I bet it is. But hey, look at it this way. We all need to have self-discipline. If you look at all the successful people in the world, it’s easy to detect this common habit among them. 

If we don’t exercise discipline on ourselves, build good habits and kick off bad ones, then how can we expect our followers to do the same. Even if you aren’t in a leadership position, nevertheless this is one aspect that will bring you from where you are to where you want to be in a much shorter time.

You learn to take orders when you need to. That’s discipline. You learn to wake up at a time when you have to. To stay awake even when you haven’t sleep for the last 24 hours when you have to. That’s discipline.

Discipline makes your goal much possible to achieve, because you’ve trained yourself to make them happen.

2. Teamwork

Now, really. Don’t tell me NS is all about individualism. From what I know, you have a buddy system. This already hints of a teamwork-centric environment. 

You go out to the fields, conduct exercises and even bath in groups. Or rather platoons. Any one who breaks the rule will cause the entire team to be punished.

Where else is the best place to learn about the value and importance of teamwork than NS? If you feel it’s unfair that you should suffer along some “idiots” who simply can’t understand instructions, then rather than blame and play the victim, why not empower yourself to turn the situation around and teach that person what he needs to know to be an effective team player.

It’s not just about being reactive. It’s about how you support each other and bring out the strength in the team.

1+1 = 11 guys.

3. Leadership

What is it about the platoon commander that makes you hate him to his guts? Or respect him secretly despite all the hell he has put you through?

To be a good leader, you first need to be a good follower.

Learn to be a good follower here, and you’ll be an excellent leader when you’re out.

4. Flexibility

Yes I hear you. It’s all about listening to orders and commands. You don’t really have a say in how things are run, or should be run. But, don’t you also agree that you need to be flexible and improvise under many circumstances?

Recall the last time when you had to use your own ingenuity (together with your team) to resolve some last-minute or urgent crisis, without the instruction from your commander. What did you guys do? What made you do it? How did you do it?

Creativity and flexibility can reach its max under extreme circumstances. I believe survival is one of them.

What else can NS make you succeed in life? More to come in Part 2. Stay tuned…

Meanwhile, if you are already having very strong feelings about what I’ve written, please feel free to drop your comments here.

Enlistment

Finally, the day has arrived.

When I was in primary school, the concept of enlistment sounded so distant, something totally unfathomable that I didn’t even bother thinking about because it was so far away. In secondary school, it was a slightly more real notion but still a while away and thus classified as “no-need-to-bother”. Even in polytechnic, the general trend of thought of thought that I had towards entering NS was “ah, I still have a little time”.

It was only after I graduated (unofficially) a few months back when I was less occupied with schoolwork that it finally occurred to me that I would be enlisting soon.

And now, a day after my graduation, I’ll be heading down to Pulau Tekong with my parents to enlist myself to what is going to be my life for the next two years.

Like any guy, I guess, I’ve spent the last few days going through the cycle of emotions that include trepidation, fear, curiosity, and, at times, the excitement that such a radical change in lifestyle will most certainly involve.

While I won’t say that I’m totally looking forward to entering NS (especially because I’m a guy who’s very adverse to change), I’m thinking it’s going to be an interesting experience, much different from what I’ve had to handle in my life so far and much different from what would be to come after that, I’m sure.

So, while I’m confined to the island for the next few weeks for my PTP, I won’t be able to update regularly here, but do tune back in in a few weeks for my feelings towards my experience so far NS after the first few weeks.

Wish me luck!

Graduation Blues

In a few days’ time, I’ll be donning my graduation robe (the first year that polytechnic grads get to wear robes!), stepping on stage, collecting the little slip of paper that certifies me as a diploma-level specialist and officially ending my life as a struggling mass communication student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Although I unofficially graduated when my industrial attachment ended in March, the looming ceremony feels like a final closure on my polytechnic student life, a bittersweet end to my three years of smiles, sweat, tears and, at many times, blood shed. Like is the case for most people, the graduation ceremony and all that it entails and symbolizes evokes a maelstrom of different emotions in me.

On one hand, this marks the end of one chapter of my life and the start of a brand new one (I apologise but clichés are totally necessary in sentimental pieces like these). Although the past many years of schooling has been fun (for the most part), the next step (going into NS) would provide a very different type of life experience for me, one that is probably a vast change from the type of lifestyle that I’ve been accustomed to.

On the other hand, I’m quite sad to take my hiatus from schooling, especially since the last three years have been a blast. Other than making a whole new set of friends and having exciting escapades (well, not that exciting but still fun), being a student in polytechnic has also changed me as a person.

If I had to list all the ways in which being in poly has affected my life, we’d still be here by the time Christmas comes along so I’d spare you all the visual torture and just say that, thanks to the tight rush of deadlines, the various forced chances for teamwork and interactions as well as the more independent, no spoon-feeding modus operandi of the polytechnic system, I’ve had to mature pretty quickly.

I learnt the importance of teamwork (and I don’t mean in the usual cheesy, there’s-no-I-in-team, sort of way but in the much more realistic, if-you-don’t-cooperate-you-all-fail manner), the importance of being able to handle different people and situations as well as how to be more independent. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m ready to take on the mantle of an adult as yet, but at least I’m much less naïve and blur than I was when I first graduated from secondary school.

Of course, other than the character building, the other main reason for my fondness for my polytechnic life was the friends I made and the memories I made with them. I still remember the first time I met my classmates before the start of the first year. I was afraid, shy and terribly self-conscious, not daring to say much to anybody except the occasional hi. Since then, some of these people have gone on to become really good friends of mine, as have other classmates and course-mates I met in later years. It’s sad to think that I’ll never be attending a lecture with all of them again, never be doing a project with them again, and sharing the laughter and the occasional mental breakdowns that are inevitable in the course.

Still, life has to go on and I guess I’ll just take what I’ve learnt these past years and make the upcoming years as enjoyable and fulfilling as I can. Goodbye, NP, I’ll miss you.

First Week of Work

What? You mean, have I found a new job?

No no no. Please don’t get me wrong. This week was my first week of work after a long break.

Yes, I was sick. I still am

During the long week when I rested, I realized a distinctive difference. Something that wasn’t there in the past when I stayed home to nurse a flu.

I remembered when I was coughing terribly about 7 years ago, I continued to work non-stop. At the time, so long as I wasn’t running a fever, I wasn’t “technically” considered as really sick that needs to be bedded.

The result of that was 5 days of hospitalization. I was down with “chronic bronchitis”. That was the first time I was put on nebaliser. The tubes plugged into my nostrils to help me breathe better and to send more oxygen to my blood had indeed left an indelible mark on my memory.

Enough to scare me not to push my limits beyond my body capacity.

Actually, till today, this belief that “running a fever = sick” is still with me. Until the last week when I resolved to change it.

I wouldn’t have done anything different if not for the fact that I had recalled my hospitalization days. This means, I would have still continued working. I’m not doing anything labourious anyway. I can continue to kid myself this way.

How much stress can I add on by writing some articles, or to reply some emails?

Again, the nebaliser scenes came flooding back.

So this time, I did something totally different. Drastically different, in fact. I rested. Completely. I forced myself not to open my computer, not to read emails, not to compose any sentences in my mind, not to worry about my coaching (as that has been taken care of by my sister) etc.

What did I do then? I slept. Doing my best to sleep as much as I can. But alas, I can only manage to sleep that much. So for the remaining time, I watched TV, and read.

Whenever I feel sleepy (of course, due to my medication), I just went napping. This helped me to discover one more truth – sleep helps your body to do it’s work of recovery.

Was this easy? Far from it! My mind was constantly on my work! But this time, I caught myself faster and told myself that no, I have to rest so that I can recover faster and I can go back to work. This kind of makes me relax easier.

Why am I telling you all these? Because I realized that throughout all the articles I’ve written, it seems that none of them has given you a peek-a-boo into a personal side of me. So I decided to pen my feelings and thoughts this time during a time when I’m “vulnerable” haha…

I hope I’m not boring you with such “insignificant” details.

And I know I need to catch some rest, as apparently, my flu virus hasn’t yet totally been wiped off. 

In-Camp

Roy has been booked by MINDEF from the 11th to the 15.

So he will be stewing in the forests, just barely a week after his projects are finished. More to come when he returns from the blogging hiatus!

Off-in-lieus

The subject of ‘off-in lieus’, known more affectionately as ‘offs’ in the SAF, is a very touchy issue, especially among NSFs. Being conscripted for a period of two years, any additional day off (apart from Saturdays and Sundays) would be a bonus, and hence eagerly clamoured for. However, what exactly determines how NSFs get offs?

Very simple. It is not a what, but actually a who. Every unit’s policies differ from each other, and usually these policies are set by the commanders, which in turn determines how off-in-lieus are given.

For example, those in stay-out units may enjoy a day off for doing regimental duties on a weekend, whereas those in stay-in units are expected to do their duties without any hint of offs or any other benefits.

Or perhaps the unit gets a good score for one of the annual inspections, be it LRI, HR Audits, or any other acronym that sounds important, and the unit commander will just declare “2 days off guys, keep up the good work! You can spend them on Saturday and Sunday.”

And a combat unit would probably give offs for successful completion of exercises.

It’s no point in debating or arguing about offs, as both combat personnel and service side personnel each have their own points on why they should have more offs, all equally reasonable and pertinent. I’ll give my own viewpoints on offs though.

As a stay-in clerk, doing admin work as well as going outfield occasionally (eep!), I feel that perhaps I may get the best of both worlds concerning offs. When my unit completes an exercise, I’ll probably get offs if its given. If any inspections / audits are done with decent results, offs should also come my way. And yet, this doesn’t mean the offs I get are twice as much as a combatant; in fact, it’s much less.

To give an example, all those familiar with Dungeons & Dragons (or any other role playing games) would probably know what multi-classing is. You know, like a multi-classed thief/fighter, or a multi-classed fighter/mage. Their experience points are divided between their classes, and therefore level slower than those not multi-classed. So perhaps I gain offs slower…

In my case, I don’t participate in *all* outfield exercises. Similarly, I’m also not involved in *all* inspections although I’m a clerk. I’m just half-half. Maybe that’s why my offs are meagre compared to everyone else. I’m probably missing out on the offs of the exercises / inspections I’m not involved in, which coincedentally happen to be greater than what I receive.

Hah. But why quibble about offs? Apart from the ‘freedom from army’ bit, it’s just a day out of camp. To be honest, I don’t really see the difference at home and at camp for me, yet I still wouldn’t say no to a day off. (Probably human nature) Besides, no matter how many days off I accumulate or not, I’ll still be out of the SAF by December Furthermore, looking at the leave policies, it appears I can’t string my off / leave together before ORD-ing, so why bother accumulating offs? (Pity, considering there’s lots of major exercises / inspections before I ORD)

In fact, I’ll probably be still at my computer till the day I ORD..doing work in my office folder....

Relationship Problems In NS Series: If He Can Do It, So Can You!

Do all good things have to come to an end?

Well, not really. Good things have to come to an end so that better things can have a place to begin, don’t you agree?

Let this series propel you to even greater heights in your world of love, dating and relationships! It’s about time you create some fun guys! 

I started off this series with summarizing the common reasons why relationship fails when the one wearing the pants has his caught in the duty for the nation. Well, not that I love nit-picking, but I just thought that will be a good marker to begin rectifying what could and have gone awry.

So, not to sound too negative, I actually roped in a couple who survived the NS days and are still painting the town red, hand-in-hand. I hope that interview brought home a crisp and clear message, that if you missed it, I’d love to reiterate here once again.

That is – if they can do it, so can you! It’s a matter of knowing how to, and then execute them. If one strategy doesn’t work, change it! 

We all know that life is not a bed of roses. Especially in the world of dating and relationships. However once bitten doesn’t has to be shy forever!

Therefore, to give you guys one more push, I came up with 7 tips to handle rejections, in style.

Now, you really have no more reasons not to believe in yourself, believe in love and believe that relationship can work, and will work, if only you know how. Who cares if you are still in NS? Or she’s in University?

When you have the heart, you’ll have the will. Muster up whatever courage you have, and let the ball roll!

I wish you all fun in the journey. If you need extra help, give me a shout! Or you can email me too. 

Remember, if he can do it, so can you!

Relationship Problems In NS Part 3: How To Deal With Rejections, In Style.

It’s the real world, where you could be in the race with a dozen other guys for the affection of one, single lady.

So, it’s either you get chosen, or it’s the other way round.

How to handle rejections? More specifically, how to handle it with style and rebound with an energy much better than before? Let Love Coach Kloudiia give you seven handy tips…

You’ve heard from the couple. Now the one million dollar question now is, what if, you can’t even get past the courting stage?

What if the lady you are after rejected your advances? Fret not, as the saying goes, without this tree you still have the entire forest. Ok, not a very good consolation. But let’s see how these seven tips can help you to deal with rejections, if and when they come. Ouch!

7 Tips On How To Deal With Rejections, In Style

1. Laugh it off. Really! Laughter is the best medicine, so just watch some silly movies and laugh your misery off. When you’ve laughed hard and long enough, strangely, those sour feelings will ebb before you even realize it. I know, it can be hard. But hey, what’s the harm in doing this?

2. Focus. On what? On anything and everything except her. Period.

3. Fantasize. I mean, stop fantasizing. Even though you may strongly believe that she’s the ONE for you, absolutely compatible with you, that’s only a one-sided affair. So the least you can do now is to stop fantasizing what would happen if she were to accept you. She didn’t, so wake up to reality.

4. Learn. Not just on why you were being rejected, but also on how you can do much better the next time round. Remember, different strokes different folks. In order for you to learn your lesson, you need to first know what type of girl she is and why is it that your style is not working on her. 

5. Youth. Well, you may not want to admit it, but it’s a cold hard fact that you are still extremely young, isn’t it? So youth is the biggest asset you can ever have, also one that you can readily tap on to recover from the hurt of the rejection. What does this mean? The world is your oyster, so start dating!

6. Read. Grab a book. That’s an area where I can find great solace in. As the old Chinese saying goes, you can find gold in a book, as you can find a beauty too… Jokes aside, you really can glean a few more gems, and maybe tips in dating and relationship. It also helps in allowing you to grow yourself better, as a person and potential lover while giving you better insights on the possible reasons that led to the rejection!

7. What if? Stop asking yourself the “what-if” questions that won’t get you anywhere. If you knew you had done what you could, did your best, then move on. Act like a man, and be a man. If you think you haven’t done your best (that’s when the “what-if” questions come in) then you already have the answer! 

You’ve realized that these seven tips consist of some to-dos and some NOT to-dos, as I’ve came to understand that at times, it’s not about what you can do, but also very much on what you shouldn’t and needn’t spend time thinking on and doing that can make this transition period a breeze or a pain. That’s why I name them as the seven tips to deal with rejection, in style.

That’s right, it is only but a transition period. It will end. You will get over it, and you will become stronger, more loving, and a better person at the end – in style.

After all, Bon Jon Jovi had said that success means falling down nine times, and getting up TEN!

Well, he ain’t any boring personal development guru but the ultimate superstar! So I guess any form of “generation gap” shouldn’t come into play here, right guys? *wink*

That’s what I have for you in part 3 of this series.

Mortality

We are mortal. It’s a cold, hard fact - we see the obituaries in the newspapers everyday. But for those of us in the prime of life, especially teenagers and those in the early-twenties, it’s an easy fact to forget. After all, are we not young, strong, and destined for great things? We easily flick away the thoughts of death, and imagine we are immune to any danger or hazard. Besides, in every novel and movie, doesn’t the hero always triumph against death and all odds?

But we are not heroes. Worse still, I think we treat death too lightly, and even become indifferent to it. Perhaps the media has some part to play in this; we see reports regarding deaths everyday, that we become desensitized to it. But overall, it is our attitudes that determine our actions and thoughts. What particularly irks me though, are people that make jokes and thoughtless remarks about those recently deceased.

Take for example, the recent case that appeared in the papers. SMU undergraduate Rui Hong succumbed to DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) and passed away. Within hours of that article, comments were tossed out almost in a furor.

I’ve seen those who utter callous comments like “At least he died doing something he was happy doing.” and others of that ilk, and I really wonder why.

Don’t tell me that they are not guilty of spending long hours on the computer (gaming or otherwise), and therefore exactly the same? Are we forgetting that we are in respect totally similar to him, except for one small difference - a blood problem. Rui Hong was probably a lot more active than those who can find time uttering comments about him (especially on the net).

We should remember that he, after all, is a human being. One with friends and family, and not another statistic in the newspaper about the perils of gaming. For those who know him, we should remember him as a friend, remember the times spent together, and keep him alive in our hearts. For those who don’t, we should remember him as a person, and not treat him as yet another article in the papers, to be poked at or laughed at. He has, after all, lived a life worth living, remembering, and cherishing.

I believe we should look deep into ourselves, and reflect on our lives and attitudes. Life is already short, we should not shortchange our experiences further by thinking that we can never die, or even speaking ill of the deceased. Death is not a thing to be treated lightly.

Furthermore, I think all of us should reach out to our friends and family, and tell them how much they mean to us. Cherish the relationship you have with each other, and patch up these failing ones. It may sound cliche, but there always exists the possibility that you may never get to do so again. No one is immortal, as all will fall prey to the Grim Reaper eventually.

As for those who have passed on, we should cherish and remember their lives as they lived it, and not speak ill of them. They are (were) people too, and deserve that respect.

Legend of the Sea

I’ve always been a big fan of animated movies. From the classic oldies like The Lion King and Aladdin to the newer hits like Finding Nemo and the Shrek series, I’ve watched them all and (probably) loved them all too. Ok, so some *ahermSpiritStallionoftheCimarronaherm* weren’t that great but, as a whole, I’ve been a pretty big fan of animations.

The same could be said of local movies. While I’m not that big on indie or those terribly artsy movies as a whole (international or local), as a film and media student, I’ve been exposed to quite a few local films and I’ve found them to be of pretty good quality, comparable to some of the highly rated movies from overseas. And, like most Singaporeans, I was a huge fan of I Not Stupid when it first appeared on our silver screens back in 2002.

So, when I got a chance to watch Legend of the Sea, the new local animation, I was pretty exciting to see what our local animation industry (a burgeoning market, or so I’ve heard) can do. Of course, being as new a market in Singapore as it is, I wasn’t expecting something of the grand Dreamworks and Disney calibers but I was hoping for a decently entertaining watch. Alas, it was not to be.

Featuring the voices of local singer JJ Lin Jun Jie as well as Taiwanese singers Lin Yu Zhong and Jin Sha, Legend of the Sea is about a dragon prince (aptly named Xiao Long, or Little Dragon), voiced by Lin, who, one day, gets bored with his lessons and sneaks off with his father’s all powerful pearl to play with his friends, voiced by Jin Sha and Lin. They unwittingly stumble into the lair of a three-armed octopus (at least I think she’s supposed to be an octopus) villain (who looks an awful lot like Ursula from The Little Mermaid), who’s plotting to overthrow the dragon king and rule the underwater kingdom.

As his two friends head back to the dragon king to report this development, Xiao Long stays behind to try to find out more, only to be captured and use as a hostage. Of course in the end, he manages to escape and, with his friends’ help, manages to save the day.

The plot of the movie is formulaic and predictable, with nary a twist or plot change at all. The entire story, which I’m guessing even young children can guess totally correctly, is uninteresting and the dialogue, which mostly features longwinded talks and ridiculously slow deliveries from the voice actors (every sentence seems to go excruciatingly on forever) make the show terribly draggy despite being only 73 minutes in length.

The characters are one-dimensional and don’t show any depth. Xiao Long is the typical male hero, rash and impulsive but heroic till the end; his two friends are unremarkable and the dragon king, supposedly a creature of majesty and glory, seems more wimpy and old than anything else. Even the villain (whose name I’ve forgotten) is a total rip off of several old cartoon villains (like the aforementioned Ursula). The only character of note is Li Xiao Xing, a starfish who’s an obvious homage to martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Cool and quirky, with a very hilarious voice, Xiao Xing is the only character that managed to garner any form of response from the audience of the cinema I was in.

The animation, while decent, is not terribly groundbreaking or exciting. With that said, though, it still remains one of the better points of the show. The music of the show, despite the fact that all three of the lead voice actors are singers, is terrible. While JJ Lin’s main theme for the show is a decent end to the movie, he only gets to sing that one song and the other two don’t even get any singing opportunities. The other songs in the show are left to the other supporting characters to sing, the result of which is so painful and so hilariously bad that I wonder whether it’s intentionally spoofing something or other.

Overall, the movie was very disappointing, failing in most aspects quite spectacularly. The only things that saved it somewhat were the character of Xiao Xing as well as the main theme song. Still, one of the worst (if not, THE worst) animations I’ve ever seen.

Rating: 1 star out of 5