28 Days Before...

..And then, they enrol me in a military Class 3 vehicle driving course.

Quite cool. 28 Days stayout. Drove my first real vehicle today. Had a feel of what it is like to brake, clutch, acclerate, blablabla. It's not like go-cart, which one of my instructors kept referring to after I said I played it before.

Ok, got to do my Highway Code homework now. (First homework in more than a year!)

Learning driving for free. Yay.

Take care, peeps!

Life, Sian, Complicated

It's that time when I feel I'm not doing anything meaningful. My vocation in the army is not my first choice. Just waiting for the time to pass. Doing the best I can.

Must find a new passion. Other than slacking or going out during the weekends. But first, also must find the time to commit to anything new.

Also..

Something's complicated, now. Feels like I'm running away from it. Don't like to think about it. But, how not to when it's sometimes in my subconscious?

Grr.

Opportunities?

The concerts. The movies. The calls. The meals. The supper. The chances.

What to do??

It's just me.

Grr. Sulk.

ProDai didn't help, you know.

~
(ignore the last few seconds. vid is not mine)




~

Oh well. Physio was okay.

March holidays coming. Scrap that. It's none of our business, haha.

Take care, peeps.

Jump and プロポス!

プロポス is katakana (Japanese characters). It reads pu-ro-po-su which means propose.

The jump word here represents the movie Jumper and プロポス comes from the J-Drama プロポーズ大作戦 (Proposal Daisakusen or Operation Love) which I'm going to talk about later.

Took a day off today since baoyuan and weilong is free to catch a movie. Wanted to catch L: Change the World but apparantly someone wants to catch it with his gf, so, oh well. Caught Jumper instead.


I give it WoooW (2.5/5)

No need for an introduction.

Final-Say: An interesting concept at first, but script not fully-realised. Some parts are quite exaggerating for the movie's own good but thankfully, the effects are great. Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson (from The O.C.) have very forgettable chemistry on-screen. Other than that, good entertainment.

If they're doing a part 2 (based on the ending of the film), I hope they do a better one.


And now for the プロポーズ大作戦 (Proposal Daisakusen or Operation Love)

introduced by wenjie. Ok, ok, you must be thinking why is a guy featuring a jap drama here?? This is actually the first full Jap drama i've bothered to watch since he kept raving about it.
His own words: "It makes you feel like confessing to the one you like right after watching this show."

Or something like that =P

Well, I don't really know if I have that urge so badly but all I can say is, erm, it helps? Wahaha.
Anyway, back to the show.

It starts off on a wedding day.

Kenzo (male lead) is full of regrets that the bride, Rei (female lead), his long-time childhood friend and sweetheart, is not marrying him. He hasn't the gut to confess for all the 14 years he has known her.

This is the pretty-boy male lead. Damn. If only I have half his charm. Lol.

This is the pretty and kawaii female lead. Damn. It's very easy to fall in love with her watching the show =x

So... The wedding started to show a slideshow of pictures of the bride and groom (the groom knew the group of friends since high school and was incidentally their teacher) and Kenzo really couldn't take it. He wishes to go back to the past and change whatever he has done wrong towards Rei.

The group of friends. Contributed greatly to the comic relief in the drama.

Then... a fairy appears (in the form of a 50 year old man). And he gives Kenzo the ability to 'time-slip' back into the time in each of the photograph in the slideshow to re-do his mistakes, and probably to confess his love for his childhood sweetheart.

The hilarious 'fairy'.

He does this action everytime he have to 'time-slip' to the past. It's damn funny.

So... Does he succeed??

Catch it on http://www.crunchyroll.com/ =p just type in Proposal Daisakusen. There are 11 episodes.

But most importantly, do I, a guy who usually dislikes sappy romantic drama series (esp korean and japanese), recommend this??

Well, let my rating to the talking ba.

I give it WoooooW (4.5/5)

Actually, the series is perfect. Just that for a few minutes or so (out of the entire 11 episodes) it gets a tiny bit draggy. But other than that, no complains.

There's a reason why this won Best Drama, Best Actor and Best Song at the Japan Television Awards.

To Lamerz: I recommend you all to watch this show! The fun that the group of friends have are reminiscent of our times in high school. Those times when our only troubles were studies... sigh. Good old days. Haha.
~
Oh well, got to book in soon. I promised Vivien I'll promote this. So for those who enjoy singing, click this link!! - www.stardust2008.com

Going for NTU band concert this saturday night. Oh what the heck. Do a little promo also lah.
VCH, 7:30pm, 1st Mar, tix at $12 =)

Signing off.

Take care, peeps!

Blacks are Groovin'

Well, I don't know if my previous post's story was sad or what, it's just a little story. Thanks to those who've read and gave comments =) wenjie, thanks for your advice on the 'chinese' part. Will consult you next time if I've to put in chinese words into my stories haha. And, er, emily, I still don't know who you are. Shrugs.

Anyway, today was quite sian. Went out to get new specs (not ready yet). It's WHITE. Don't know if it'll turn out ok. Bought a $16 shirt from Fox, too.

Back to main topic. I know some of you found my previous posts on song recommendations quite helpful. (JingWei totally fell in love with The Prayer, haha) So here I am again, with current good songs that I think you should learn about ;)

Firstly, I've to say, majority are music from african-americans. It proves they really make good stuff =)

#1 Low - Flo Rida ft T-Pain (from the soundtrack of the upcoming Step Up 2: The Streets)

It's still no.1 in the US and there's a reason why. It's catchy and bangin'. =P
I give it WOOOOW (4.0/5)

#2 Feedback - Janet Jackson

She can no longer capture her past magic after nipplegate, i guess =x But this song is really solid and raw. I like it.
I give it WOOOOW (4.0/5)

#3 With You - Chris Brown

He and Ne-Yo love making sticky love songs. This one is really good, actually.
I give it WOOOoW (3.5/5)


Now for the Non-Blacks...

#1 Piece of Me - Britney Spears

Yes, I know. She still has some trouble with the media... but really, this song came out at the perfect time. Pay attention to the lyrics. Genius. This record is as hot as Gimme More, but this vid is hotter.
I give it WOOOOW (4.0/5)

#2 If I Had Eyes - Jack Johnson

His first album was one of the best I've bought. This single is ok only. But not without his signature feel-good music.
I give it WOOOW (3.0/5)

#3 Teardrops on My Guitar - Taylor Swift

Time to slow down. This song is a massive hit in the US becuse of MySpace. It's saccharine and pleasant enough for me to recommend it. She's an up and coming country singer, btw.
I give it WOOOW (3.0/5)


- NEW & UNRELEASED! -

Ok, ok. It's released in some countries already, but not in Singapore. But, as a lot of ppl know I'm a fan, =P I just have to feature this.

The hot new song by Mariah Carey!
Her new album, initially entitled That Chick is now E=MC² (i'm not kidding) Will be released worldwide coming April.

Wahaha. She's a half-black, btw.

Touch My Body - Mariah Carey (duh)

It's really a sensual song, so don't have those crazy high-octave belting at the back. But it's like We Belong Together. Slow and nice. Not very strong first single, though. But that's always the case. It grows on you.
I give it WOOOoW (3.5/5)

And...

...from the movie Juno. This romantic and quirky duet can be appreciated only for those who've watched the show. Or maybe not.

Anyone Else But You - Michael Cera and Ellen Page

I give it WOOOoW (3.5/5)
~
There you go. Hope you like at least one of 'em. Lol.

Promoting to CPL by March. My permanent rank till I ORD and ROD le. *Looks at ORD countdown* Whoa... can't wait.

Got my marksman score at range! But it's a reshoot. Hurhur. But still. =P

Slacking tonight.

Take care, peeps!

For The Valentines..

I know it's a little belated. But..

Some people know that I like to write short stories. Some of them've read a story or two; while some have even received them as gifts =)

Well, since I know that some of you might not have gotten over V'day yet (though I think it's quite a commercial holiday now), I've decided to write a short love story to commemorate the event. Also, because I haven't posted any of my stories on my blog before.

Here you go.. the title of the story is..


" I Miss You ... "













The sixty-five year old man awoke gently to the sound of a soft tapping. He laid in bed, still dazed, not giving it much thought, before realising that there was someone knocking on the door.

"Coming." He called hoarsely, and shifted himself stiffly off the bed. His feet felt the morning coldness of his floor as he slowly made his way to the door.

The visitor's first words were: "Oh, it's an ah pek."

"What you all want?" The old man said, his lazy eyes examining the two teenagers who now seemed ready to leave.

The shorter girl replied: "We're selling -"

The taller one interrupted: "Never mind, Cindy, let's go."

"You all selling flowers for what?"

"See, I told you. Ah peks don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Let's go."

The old man coughed. "Stop." He coughed again. "Can I buy one rose?"

The taller girl turned back in surprise.

"How much for one?" he went on.

The old man eventually closed the door with one stalk of deep-red rose in his hand. He placed it gingerly on his dining table and took a glance at his wall calendar - it was February 14.

He couldn't remember the last time he celebrated Valentine's Day. It was many years ago - with his lover, of course. His slow mind could no longer picture the date, but he recalled something that made his slow heart bit slightly faster.

He staggered back to his room and opened the old wooden wardrobe. At the bottom was a drawer, and that took him a few minutes to pry open.

He chuckled gruffly at the stack of yellowish letters he saw - they were all from her. He flipped through some as his fingers trembled, and finally decided to read one:

给我爱的人：
情人节那晚真特别！我永远不会忘记。在河畔上你对我说的那句话实实在在感动了我。我也在此希望你不会忘记我。因为。。。我觉得我是忘不了你的。

(To my Lover:
That night of Valentine's Day was certainly special! It was memorable. Those words you said by the river really touched me. I sincerely hope you won't forget me, because... I think I won't be able to forget you.)

The old man knew he didn't. He put the letters back into the cupboard. He wanted to be by her side again. It had been countless years and he had lived alone. Busy, but alone. His job as a security guard took up a lot of his time. Currently, he felt that it was right to meet her once more.

So he prepared for his date. He put on a white shirt and a black suit, and sleekly combed back his thinning hair. He washed his face and his hands, ate a simple breakfast of milo and white bread, and took the fresh rose off the table.

He stood at the bus-stop and tried to remember her place. It was quite far away, which was one reason he hadn't visited for so long. The old man took out his faded leather wallet and counted the money in it: $67.30. It would be more than enough for a taxi trip to-and-fro, he guessed.

He managed to flag one down within a minute, and he got in without hurry. After confirming the destination with the driver, he sat back in the cool, leather seat and thought of what to say afterwards. All the while, the driver was staring at him through the rear-view mirror.

Finally, he alighted, and the taxi sped off. The place was quiet. The air was sweet with the residue of the morning mist that just lifted, and the surrounding baked under the fresh sunshine.

First, he had to find her place. The old man trudged through the unkempt grass and began looking around. When was the last time he was here? Again, his slow mind couldn't recall.

The markings he saw around were just as faded as everyone's, with only a couple of newly-painted ones here and there. He was beginning to perspire and worry that he would never find it.

Then he saw it. The old man smiled.

The tombstone was almost obscured by overgrown weeds, but he would never mistake that photograph.

The ends of his pants were already wet with grass dew as he hastened to the spot, panting as he stopped. The old man then spent the next half hour plucking out weeds and whatnots, clearing the grey-stone so he could see everything that was written on it.

His lover had died for twenty years now. She was young - they were young. And it was really painful.

But the old man couldn't remember the pain anymore. All he could revoke, he hoped, was the love.

The sweet-smiling woman beamed at him from the black-and-white and a sudden rush of emotion hit him. A rim of tears wet his eyes as he held the tombstone to steady himself.

He had forgotten, afterall. But now, the feelings had returned.

The old man couldn't control his shaking anymore. He sniffed as a tear trickled down his wrinkled cheek.

"I miss you."

He delicately planted the rose atop the gravestone and kneeled down on the ground. He could feel his wife's presence (afterall, she was below him). It didn't feel eerie whatsoever. All he felt was the familiar connection.

The letter he had read just this morning was conjuring up a certain image. His memories were working in a strange way. He closed his eyes and let the recollection occupy his mind:

The grass was wet. The river was calm. The night was warm. He felt hot as she put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you made it back in time for today," she said. "I don't want to be alone."

"Me too," he said. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

They sat in silence as his heart beat fast.

Then she said: "It's Valentine's Day. What must you say?"

He swallowed. He knew what she wanted to hear. But instead, he whispered in her ear:

"I miss you."

She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him, silent.

He continued: "These three words are better, I feel." He was looking right into her eyes. "It's not everyday that you can miss someone so badly. I want to be with you everyday, from now on. I don't want to miss you again."

Her eyes glistened with tears. She hugged him.

"Yes. I miss you, too."


The old man opened his eyes.

He touched the photograph on the stone.

"It won't be long, I hope."












~
The End.

Copyright © Wilson Ng
All Rights Reserved.

Got range again tomorrow. Quite sian.
Take care, peeps!

Jam-Packed

It does seem to be a jam-packed week after CNY. Unit was busy preparing for COC, which left me chao-tah now. Watched two great, great movies (Sweeney Todd and Juno), which I'm gonna review later.

Our battery went to BSM's house on wednesday. He was banker when we played BlackJack. Damn sian, he won our money =X

But things relatively slowed down on Thursday. Valentine's Day. =T

Friday night chiong-ed down to Bishan in a cab to Kenneth's house. Only wenjie and I turned up for the GYPSies. Oh well. Learned how to play with "飞" as a joker in mahjong with Ken's aunties and his mum's colleagues. Quite fun.

Saturday: The $50 that kept my Saturday free was well-spent (shhh). Met Elicia, Eugene, Roxane, Mingming and Nori (hope I got this right) for a movie at PS (again!!).


Film: Juno
Rated: NC16
I give it WoooooW (4.5/5)

Gist:
Girl is knocked-up by teenage guy. Decides to put the baby up for adoption. She goes through a journey of love - lost, and found.
Plus:
Good, funny script. Wonderfully acted and the story is original and touching. Ellen Page deserves her Best Actress (Oscar) nomination as the titular Juno.
Flaws:
Nothing much, really. Accept that a few characters (i.e., Jennifer Garner as a woman who despearately yearns for a child) are quite sketchy and distant.
Last Say:
Sweet and hilarious at the same time. A true feel-good dramedy.


After the movie we went to play boardgames at Mind Cafe (Prinsep branch).


Elicia and Roxane concentrating hard on hooking the monkies =P

We played the monkeys game, Taboo (i didnt get zero this time!), some card game like Heart Attack which involves pieces of bones, shoot the duck, and another game that requires players to mimic hand actions on a card. Had a lot of fun =) Shall go back again some time, hehe.


Since one of my cousins watched it, and one of my friends watched it, I thought there would be no one ("no one, no one, no one....." sorry, random alicia keys song) to accompany me to watch, so I watched Sweeney Todd online the other day =X In the end zhiwen wanted to watch too. Oh well. Here's my review:


Film: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Rated: M18
I give it WooooW (4.0/5)

Final Say:
Tim Burton has created yet another macabre, gothic but oh-so-delicious film. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter's odd-ball musical numbers are a delight to watch. In my opinion, the ending was too predictable for my liking, though.


Upcoming movies that I'll be watching:

The Dark Knight

I hope they explore more on the beginnings of joker. But it looks cool enough!

Meet The Spartans

There are so many people who said this movie sucked (in the US). But the Britney "goo goo gah gah" part is freakin' hilarious. Let's see if this is as bad as Epic Movie (i suspect)


~
Ok, it's 0230 already. It's book-in day =X

Take care, peeps!

CNY 2008

Firstly, Happy Chinese New Year to all!

Kind of enjoyed this CNY.. got to catch up with families and friends for the four days. The experience was probably sweeter since I just came back from my overseas exercise =)

(speaking of which, baoyuan the MP spec has reminded me to take down those sensitive pics i've posted of ex bK. yes, sarge. shall do it soon)

初一
Everybody come together for a group photo. The taller maid has left. The shorter one was the first maid we had. She has returned! My dad observed that she has followed our family through every house since the first one in Bishan (bishan, yishun, choa chu kang, back to yishun) Everyone in my extended family was so happy to see her =)

Went visiting as usual.. then all of us gathered at my grandma's house where the adults played mahjong and the younger cousins went to catch a movie.

Film: CJ7 (长江七号)

I give it WoooW (3.0/5)

Gonna cut the review short:
Final-Say: This is many times better than Ah Long Pte Ltd (which I'm going to change my rating to 1.5/5). The alien (CJ7) itself is damn adorable and although the movie is definitely not as good as Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle, it still has its funny and touching moments.

Then we went back and played mahjong till mignight.


初二
Ate lou hei for the second time. Then went over to cousin's house for mahjong, again.


初三
Met fungi and serkun in the morning to get a present, then we proceeded to Northpoint to get the steamboat stuff. Since there were only the three of us when we reached my house, Eugene Elicia and Roxane (my cousins) joined us for a round of mahjong before we ate steamboat. Whoa, damn full.

Took this photo before peijun had to leave. The rest stayed-over.

We finished our round of mahjong before fungi taught us her new game which I might've played before. Quite stressful game 'cause we had to form our 'passports' (four consecutive cards of the same suit) first before proceeding in the game. Didn't lose much. Then......

The game In Between. It was damn scary. You know you should be happy when you get cards like Ace + King, or Two + Queen right? But NOO. Everytime someone gets these kinda cards and bet big, we always hit the posts (-.-"). Of course, the pool of money greww.. sickening game, lol.


初四
After Lamerz left at 6:30am I went to catch four hours of sleep before chiong-ing out to meet my primary school friends at Bukit Batok. After everyone arrived then Kenneth told us Miss Ler's (our primary three teacher!) house is nearer to Bukit Gombak. -.- So of course, we went into the station and took one stop.

It's been TEN years since we've met her but she hasn't changed a lot. Still as spunky =) Of course, she couldn't recognise us. Last time she saw us we were still kids leh. Skip our teenage years then now we're adults, of course can't recognise lah!

Really had a lot of fun catching up. I think Kenneth seriously kept a journal for the whole of primary school 'cause he can remember every single sh*t about it!! LOL. But really, it's funny chatting with Miss Ler and catching up with the rest again.

Played BlackJack with Ken the rich man as the banker. No win no lose for me in the end.

Here are the pics:




Then rushed back home in a cab ('cause I was one hour late) to meet baoyuan zirong and yoketeng for (guess what?).. mahjong again. Yoketeng said her hand itchy so play lor. I won $2 in the end. YT was the big winner. Ate beehoon, watched spiderman on tv, then they left.
Took off for today. Got physio tmr! =)

~
All in all, it was a fun-filled and mahjong-filled CNY. Still enjoying the bak-gua though =P

Take care, peeps!

CNY Eve

Think I'm adjusting well after Battleking. Quite sick of the photos already. Haha.

Today my battalion booked an entire cinema @ Plaza Singapura for a screening of Ah Long Pte Ltd (老师嫁老大). Oh man, I got to get straight to the point: It's bad.



I give it WooW (1.5/5) [ edited on 11 Feb 2008 ]

What's It About:
Effeminate Mark Lee is a dancer named Jojo and Fann Wong is (yet again) a strong, tom-boyish woman, this time a triad gang leader, who forces him into marriage. In a gist, she is trying to "re-format" the business of the loan sharks into a more family-friendly style, which obviously draws a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Plus-Points:
Two words: Mark Lee. Although Gurmit Singh had that pivotal sissy role last time (seriously, how creative can Jack Neo get? well, more on that later), at least Mark Lee didn't come off as grating or annoying. He was genuinely funny with all his well-executed actions and that perfect Malaysian accent; he alone carries the only worthy parts of the show.

Flaws:
Brace yourselves, there's a hell lot of it.

Firstly, Jack Neo has yet again churned out a pair of sissy vs tom-boy leads (last year's Just Follow Law) that was not that refreshing to start with. Ok, nvm, maybe it'll be fun to watch. But noooo, he had to choose the same female actress to play the same role. I remember being very impressed by Fann Wong's tom-boy-turn in Law (actually, she should have gotten the Golden Horse nomination rather than the over-the-top Gurmit). But over here, she's just stale, expressionless and ... bored. I remember thinking to myself how it would've changed the show if another actress was chosen. And not spoil my good image of her acting in Just Follow Law. Too bad; all's said and done.

Secondly, it's the storyline. What happened to the strong satires and heartwarming stories that Mr Neo churned out before? I Not Stupid was on our education system; Just Follow Law was our government and even Homerun, although a remake, was touching and effective in it's own way. And my favourite, Money No Enough, has got to be his best. Ah Long Pte Ltd was nothing. Just a comedy sketch. And worst of all, Jack Neo is perfecting his "bad movie endings". Just Follow Law was crappy in the end; but Ah Long's is much worst.

Last but not least, can we just stop all the CHEESY effects and AWFUL musical numbers!? Since Just Follow Law, it seems like Mr Neo favours using slapstick-computer-graphics to eccentuate his point. It just comes off fake and unoriginal. And there was this really wince-inducing sing-a-long involving 6 plus-sized ladies crooning to a plus-size teen about him paying up to the loan sharks. Sorry, really bo ho chio (really not funny).

Last Say:
Gone were the days when a simple, thought-provocative drama can move the masses (Money No Enough is still the second highest-grossing local movie in Singapore history). Please, Mr Neo, stop making such movies like Ah Long. I know they'll make money but it's got no substance to prove whatsover. Prove what? you might ask.

To prove that you are still one of the fore-runners of film-makers on our humble island.

On a side note, people, please don't be discouraged. There are still good local movies. Go rent Singapore Dreaming. You'll know what I mean =)

~
Sorry if I sounded angry; but I think it's time people took local movies seriously, and prove that Singapore can produce stuff of substance. Quite sickened with the report that Kang Xi Lai Le blasted Singaporean's English when Taiwanese slaughter the language themselves. Bleah.

Well, had reunion dinner at Orchid Country Club with almost all the members of my extended family. We shared a BIG bottle of wine (3 litres).



Gonna watch CJ7 tomorrow. Hope it'll be good. And I wanna watch Sweeney Todd! And Juno! Oh well, just gotta wait.

Happy Chinese New Year guys!

Take care, peeps!

Ex Battleking '08

[ due to the warnings I've received from people in the army, I've decided to take down the pictures and videos that depict any form of SAF equipment from this post, w.e.f. 12 Feb 2008. But of course, I can still show you personally if you want =) This is for security reasons. And I love Singapore. So.. yah. ]

Do you remember the feeling of warm shower running down your hair and body? Now I do. Do you remember the warmth of your mattress, your bolster? Now I do. Do you remember the taste of familiar home-cooked food? NOW I DO.

Yep, people, I'M BACCCCKKKK!!!!

...from Exercise Battleking in Thailand. Fyi, that logo is from a customized shirt me and the guys bought @ the camp. Souvenir. Remembrance. For my first overseas exercise...




The pals who sent me off at the airport on 19th Feb 2008 =)


The guys and I departing @ gate E24. SIA flight bound for some old Thai international airport..


On the bus to our camp in thailand.. it was a damn cold night..

[picture removed for security reasons]

In our 60 men bunk. You can get heat stroke sleeping inside in the day; in the mornings it's cold. Notice the pails and scoops on the cupboards? It's for us to bathe. Guys just bathe around a big open tub filled with water.

After staying for about 3 nights, we went outfield! Which will last for 7 days.

[picture removed for security reasons]
Camouflaging the 1.5 ton, which is a vehicle that can help fill-up a meteorological balloon with helium tanks.

[picture removed for security reasons]
Our beloved 3SG (Regular) Kang filling up the balloon with helium gas, gauging with the counter-weight to see if it's 1kg..

[picture removed for security reasons]

Balloon filled!

[picture removed for security reasons]

Prepping the balloon for release. We're tying a radio-sonde on it while releasing to check for wind speeds, directions, density of air, etc for firing of artillery rounds!


Are you ready for the release...?
[video removed for security reasons]

Up.. up.. and away we go..

[picture removed for security reasons]
The balloon itself worths $50. The sonde is a few hundred. And we release about 6 - 8 a day. You do the math =P

[picture removed for security reasons]
In 36, 37 degrees weather, all we need is ice cream... and..


...some good ol' Thai Pepsi!

[picture removed for security reasons]
Where all of us slept.. on hammocks in the 5-ton..

And this is something new I've tried. Some officers bought it at the roadside stalls. =X


BAMBOO RICE: It's sweet, sticky glutinous rice steamed in sticks of bamboo. Delicious!!


Even though it's really sian sometimes, at least there's still nice sceneries to look at. Notice the ear-plugs I'm wearing? Here's why..
[video removed for security reasons]
Watch at 0:16 to hear the live firing of artillery guns. It's ground-shaking..

On the fourth night, we proceeded to a temporary camp for a 'technical break'. Which means we get access to clean water to 'bathe', which is just splashing ourselves with water.

[picture removed for security reasons]
The canteen of the camp, and a Buddhist temple at the top of the hill.. quite serene..

In the night we were watching movies on the laptop. Watched Battle Royale, this Japanese film. Go search for it. It's damn good.

After the break we were back for two more nights outfield. The following pics are what I took on the road..


Cows.. Bamboo trucks..

And some very nice photos.. =P


This is one of my favourite photos of the exercise =) The shape of the tree is perfect.



Rolling clouds.. and mountains.. who'd think you'd get this kind of scenery in Thailand?


Some wild fruits and berries..

[picture removed for security reasons]
Our safety vehicle!

And finally, it was the last day of the outfield exercise!! So we decided to blow one last BIG balloon.

[picture removed for security reasons]
See the difference bewtween the BIG and the normal one? It's humongous! (and bloody heavy) about 4kg

So I wrote "Ex Battleking '08" on the balloon and we all took a photo =)

[picture removed for security reasons]
I swear I thought I was gonna fly away..

[picture removed for security reasons]
The 4 buddies who stuck together. From left: 2LT Zhen Wei, Me, 3SG Kang and Bala.


And here's the lame video we recorded on the last day outfield:
[video removed for security reasons]



So EXERCISE CUT. And we're back in camp at last.

Had our End-of-Frame dinner where they invited some cha-bors to dance and sing.

Two words: quite chui. But nvm lah.. so long never see girls already; everyone was visibly excited =P

Some group photos:


After the dinner, everyone flocked to the canteen for the traditional drinking session..

Only drank one cup. Don't really like beer. Prefer wine, liquor.

Yup. There was Heineken and Tiger.

After which, Bala got drunk, then plucked up the courage to take photos with girls. There's this girl working in the minimart in the canteen that caught everyone's eye. So.. that's how we got this photo..

She's okay only lah.. but small and petite and sweet. Maybe that's why all the guys wanna take photos with her ;)

And.. since Bala was drunk.. he definitely didn't mind taking this photo.. *que dramatic music*
The legendary JENNY the TRANNY!!

Yup, she's famous even in Singapore. But her food is the best and fastest in the whole canteen. I'll never forget that gruff voice shouting: "Flied Lice!! 50 bahhhhht!!"

I'll miss Jenny's fried rice.

The last two days were spent on R&R (Rest and Relax). Went around thailand for Educational Tour. 6 buses full of NS men and regulars travelling the streets of thailand.

Our first stop, Floating Market..









We each paid 50Baht (S$2.30) to sit on the floating sampan to tour the market.


It was scorching hot and very crowded..

Some photos of those who work on the river:


They sell jambu, pomelos, hats, souvenirs and even fried insects.

I bought this photo-display wooden thingy:

But there's a very kek-sim story behind this.

The boat travelled into this quieter and less-congested stretch with more stalls lining the banks. I eyed this stall selling such photography-pieces and decided to stop the boat to check them out. The shop owner (I shall call him Fat Faggart and there's a reason) immediately pulled the entire boat closer to his stall and asked what I want.

The following is the speech re-enactment:

Fat Uncle: Come, come. See what you want?
Me: (pointing at one picture) How much for that?
Fat Uncle: This one? (pauses awhile) I give you.. 900 Baht.
Me: (very shocked) So expensive!? (Fyi, 900B = S$40)
(friends look equally shocked)
Fat Uncle: (takes out calculator) Okay, you give me price.
Me: 200.
Fat Uncle: (shakes his fat face) No, no. You give me more.
Me: I not enough money. 200. (which is really what I'm willing to spend)
Fat Uncle: No, no. You give me more, please. (pushes calculator to my face)
Me: 200.
Fat Uncle: Okay (punches something into calculator and shows me) 300. Can?
Me: (thinking that 900 to 300 is really a steal) Okay. 300.

So I bought it. But...

..10 minutes later, when we were back at the busy, congested area ready to alight, I saw another stall selling the same thing. So I hid the one I bought and stopped the boat to ask for the price. Just for fun.

Nice Uncle: Come, come. What you want?
Me: (points at one picture same as mine) How much for that?
Nice Uncle: (takes out calculator) 350. Okay?
(My heart shattered!)
Me: (shakes head) Nevermind.. just asking.
(I wanted to go away before feeling more horrible but the Nice Uncle thought I wanted discount)
Nice Uncle: (punches something into calculator) Ok, ok. I give you 250.
(My heart vapourised)

Obviously I didn't buy a second one. But still, knowing I could've easily gotten it for 200Baht is still a heartache =P

But my dad still thought I did well. 900 to 300 (S$12). Not bad.


Next stop was Snake Farm..
We caught an exciting snake show.


Touching the snake for good luck.


Mongoose fighting with a snake. Nearly bit it to death.


And one of the most exciting vids ever!! How does one guy catch three snakes? Click PLAY to find out:

A round of applause!! Eeks.

Last stop of Day One R&R: River Kwai Bridge:

It has some significance for the Thais in WWII.


Day TWO (Last Day) of R&R we went to a zoo:


Mind you, those are real twin tigers!! And we're holding their tails.


And finallyyyy..



On the way back to Singapore!!!

Bought some stuff for Lamerz which I'm not going to show here. It's a surprise. It's kinda personal. But please, szern, it's not a bra. =P

But this I can show, 'cos I know the four of them don't really read my blog =P

Sorry to those that I didn't get presents for. It's really not easy to get stuff when they bring us to limited places. But I'm sure I missed a lot of people over there. Can't wait to meet up!

~
Phew, that was a looong post. YES!! CNY!! haha, i realised I was also outfield last year right before CNY (Tekong field camp).

Oh well, looking forward to ang paos, food (I lost some weight!!), mahjong, movies with cousins and friends during this period.

Damn heng I never kena CNY guard duty.

Weee, time to clear some offs.

Ahh.. I love my home.

And, did I tell you? Reylene (my first maid) is back! Working for us already. She's already a mother. Can tell she has matured a lot. But still as hardworking and loveable =)

Really missed Singapore.

Take care, peeps!