Obama and the future of hopefully, a socially responsible United States of America.
Recently i posted a link on facebook detailing how i find Obama to be a good leader, orator and a role model. As quickly as i posted the link, a friend of mine staunchly disagreed, after which sending me a message detailing on why he disagreed.
Though i do not disagree with all his point, i deemed it fit that i sent a reply to his points, to set the record straight and to share with him my POV that i feel quite deeply about.
Change and daring to take risks and be different
It is the cornerstone of my philosophy in life. My philosophy for my 15th JCRC. As a leader myself, i can share his vision, see his ideas and celebrate in his victory. Because being a leader, one often makes difficult choices, not necessarily the most popular, but it has to be the most effective.
DO not care whether his policies will eventually work, whether will he bomb out like GWB, or whether will he be just another empty vessel. That his track record as a social activist, a Senator and as a Law Undergrad, a social organiser speak for itself.
I am not here to debate on his personality nor his track record. I'm here to speak about what makes him so different from the rest.
No doubt he is charisamatic. But listen from his first speech to the last at his inauguration. He is consistent, heartfelt and deeply internalized. He does nto waver, nor does he show flippancy in his points. He is confident, certain and most importantly, daring enough to speak out against the status quo and effect change.
People do not really subscribe to his policies, i do not believe so, but they subscribe to him as a leader, as someone who gives hope, provides assurance and shows a resolute in himself. People subscribe to him for the fact that he does not hide behind bountiful coffers, or uses shields.
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Before i go off tangent, i would just like to touch on my friend's post. In a way, i was rather angered that his tone was condescending, promtping me to "read the newspapers" much akin to telling me that i am just one of the few people in the crowd who support Obama based upon popular appeal. I do not. I read his reports, i watch his speeches, i compare it with McCain's and i do my due dilligence to read up on him. I do not simply go waving the Obama flag just because it seems like the popular and hip choice. No i do not.
I subscribe to his idealogies on change, on the need to reform America socially, on the need to give more back to the people who have suffered, the need to make healthcare, education and social services easily accessible and not be restraint because of social status or strata. Maybe i will post my friend's message here for comparison. I always enjoy a good debate, a good sharing of ideas.
Maybe we might all learn something from these. :)
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"read todays NEws paper. HE supports abortion, in my terms, TATS MURDER ! Bush impose measures to prevent abortion but he removed them . TATS MURDER !! boy.
his govt say abortion is to prevent econ n suffering from worsting.. but who is he to decide if he has the rite to induce or support muder !!
next, taking troops out of iraq., for the benifit of US ppl. however u are leave the iraqis to die all over again,
he is doing alot of e ppl of us. however. the world doest belong onli to us.
he needs to consider the world w his actions ...
econ wise., he's helping the US economy,. however by slashing jobs worldwide., the US wl become richer but the rest poorer.
HE is being very self centered. Read the news and have your own views boy. dont just listen to propagande
SPEECHS are Drafted to SOund nice n bluff ppl."
To which my reply was (it is a little wordy, but i feel i made my point across)
"Hmm, probably i can understand where you are coming from. However, reading news is one thing, listening to speeches is another. Before this extends itself to a political debate, let me clarify that i pay tribute to the way he orates, his vision and tenacity in his voice. Yes policies differ, policies change, some good, some bad, some in between. But the difference is filled up by the man.
Lest we forget, he is inheriting a government faced with a tattered economy, brought unto the world by the corporate bigwigs of USA, supported by the previous government. A country never so disillusioned since the Vietnam war. A society so divided in economic, educational and health stratas.
Republican governments tend to lean towards the vision of "Corporate America" where money comes first and everything else, as a consequence of having increased coffers. True, bush implemented means and measure to stem out abortion. But look where it has brought the US society to. High incedence of child born out of wedlock, social strain when the very crucial aspects of healthcare and education, the two very important fundamentals of society, is in tatters. Proper education is not accessible to the lower strungs of society and healthcare at an all time high. Is it responsible to bring in a child when the very elements of support is not made available to see this child through a proper growth? That he be resigned to growing up in the ghettos? That even the healthcare industry is concerned with profits and accounts statement, thence the high fees and low accesibility, just to cough up enough coffers to send their executives on spa trips and big year-end bonuses? Is it socially responsible? Of course they wouldn't want abortion. To eliminate abortion is eliminating a potential cash cow of theirs.
I do not see how the slashing of jobs (in other words, in-sourcing the outsourced jobs) will make the US richer relative to other nations. Under the republican flag, government policies like tax breaks for major US corporations have spurned an era of profit-driven growth. One based on greed and social manipulation. To increase their coffers, they reduce costs by outsourcing their jobs. It is through these that the US has grown richer also, but not via sharing the profits with the workers whom they once relied on, but via the sweat-shops in china and telcom centers in India. They are growing rich at the expense of their very own citizens. But look where it has brought the American society to. High unemployment, high incedence of social vices. Taxation even in a recession.
The world needs a strong and stable US economy (social and jobs) to balance the world economy. We cannot deny that all economies of the world are inexplicably, linked to the state of the US. Simply put, before they can solve the problems of other nations. They should solve their own first. How can we expect them to create jobs for foreigners when they themselves do not have any of their own? Its like our own PAP giving away jobs to foreigners in spite of the locals.
I do not say i support all of Obama's policies, but i subscribe to his idea of a Socially responsible America, a "Social America". Iraq was never a meant to be a legitimate war. It was founded on weak principles and supported by dubious documents. What the Bush administration has done for the past 6-8 years in Iraq has been to yes, weed out the terrorist elements and make the middle-east a safer place. Though the war was well-fought, the post-war efforts are questionable. I do not expect Obama to pull out of Iraq totally and like Japan after WW2 and Korea after the Korean conflict, require a certain degree of presence. But to send in more troops when they should be building up the economy, infrastructure and political structure of Iraq should not be the priority. That is important and that is crucial. Perhaps this is one point we can both agree on. :) With regards to Afghanistan, his deployment of additional troops is to beef up the area where more concern should be paid to. The real hotbed of such terrorist ideals.
In this time and age, nobody expects the US to be a charity. They have their own set of problems to settle and mitigate. To step into the affairs of the world when their very foundation is rotten by the past 2 terms of greed, social bigotry and economic manipulation, is purely irresponsible, hypocritical and definitely uncalled for.
I've seen what are drafted speeches and what comes from the heart. I have done speeches, addressed a crowd. Under such circumstances a drafted speech cannot hold. Under such intense pressure, to really excel in such public oratory requires well-thought out points, points that are internalized within him and is consistent with what he has been saying. I've been following Obama's speeches as well as John McCain's, ive read their reports and read the news articles. And he has been consistent.
As i mentioned, i pay tribute to him in this video because of the confidence, tenacity and vision he shares with his citizens when speaking. Not since JFK and to some extent Bill Clinton has America seen such a confident leader, who cares for his people first and foremost, before everything else, before greed and profits. Money can be replaced and is quantifiable, but vision and the sheer gut of trying to be bigger than the nitpicks of politics, to focus on the task at hand. Requires great courage and vision.
Its time we see America rebuild itself from the fatigue of close to 8 years of war, where the death toll has increased and economically, Corporate America has single-handedly dealt to the world, its worst financial crisis since the 1929 Great Depression. We need a strong and stable US society for it to function as the peace-keeper of the world, the counter-balance and the motivating force for developing and developed countries.
His actions to rectify the rotten undergrowths of America will eventually benefit the world. Right now, we are eroding the last major superpower of the world to appease and pacify critics and cynics. Tell me, is that being responsible to not only themselves, but to the world?
:)"
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Though i will not say that i am correct and is a obama-fanatic. I want to reiterate that i subscribe to his idea of being socially responsible, to solve the countries' own problems before they seek to meddle with others. Drawing parallel to Singapore, in a way we are rather similar to Obama's ideas as Singapore has all along been a socially responsible country. If you are sick, you are at least guaranteed basic healthcare from our medisave, education is compulsory for all children, at least till Primary level and our standards of living is good if not better than most developing or developed nations.
Probably out jobs can be given more to locals =P
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He promptly replied me back a few hours later with this (also in response to my brother who somewhat jacked me...hahah)
"well said.... Mr alex... hold judgement over his policies except 1.... the 1 where even the pope disagrees on... abortion....
Pope Benedict spoke of the church's teaching 'on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.' That is an expression often used by the pope when expressing opposition to abortion.
Pope Benedict said all Catholics - especially legislators, jurists and political leaders - should work to create 'a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development,' the Vatican said.
On his fourth day in office last month, Obama ended a ban on funds for international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option - a sharp policy change from former President George W. Bush's Republican administration"
No doubt, abortion is something that Obama is not going to restrict. But lets be fair. USA is not a Catholic state. It is a cosmopolitan country where Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Taoist, Hindus, Catholics, Protestants, atheists live. They are not like the Vatican or Israel or Middle East countries.
Politics and Religion should not mix. Policies should benefit the greater good, the society at large. Obama is not openly advocating Abortion, his policies reflect his vision of a socially responsible America, whereby the right is given to women to exercise choice to abort or not to abort. If the mother is financially, physically, emotionally or mentally incapable of raising the child, instead of leaving it to foster care or worst, forcing to raise the child, in a worse scenario, in one of poverty, disease and social instability, is it being responsible at all?
Obama once said that we should not be nitpicking at whether to abort or not to abort, but rather, can the society support and how can the society support unwed mothers. By opening an avenue for them to exercise their choice, not under advocation or otherwise, we allow leeway for society to relieve itself of the social strain that single mums, who find themselves jobless, barely even able to support themselves and burden with a child they simply cannot afford to upbring. Do we subject this children then to a life in the Ghettos, or orphanages? Yes, it sounds macabre and many people will probably not agree with me on this. But look at the big picture. Pre-marital sex can be educated. How a child lives its days, cannot be controlled, society holds the control. I hope people get my drift.
If we have a society that is responsible, one that has good healthcare and good pre/post-natal faciliities and these facilities are made available easily to these unwed mothers, that children born out of wedlock receives the same educational and growth opportunities as legitiate children, i believe even if the option of abortion presents itself to these mothers, many will be willing to take up the challenge and not abort.
Don't you agree that this is better and more responsible than bringing in a child you cannot afford to have, but have to and as a result, subject it to a lifetime of suffering, Just because you have no choice? That sounds more like social engineering to me!
Thank you to all those who sent me their well-wishes =) Hahaha I appreciate them very much.
My sweet Darling, planned a birthday surprise for me, though i was a little suspicious, but it totally took me by storm. Hahah i never expected such a thing could happen in my life. Haha
Though i may not have the benefit of having a mega party thrown, it doesn not matter to me at all, all i need are my good friends to celebrate my birthday with me =)
Thank you my darling, as well as my two friends who came as well =) It was a pleasant surprise and i appreciate it very much =)
Well, its been a while hasn't it? I blog like the monsoon season...when i blog, i blog relentlessly, and when i halt, i won't blog again till a few weeks or months later, after which i will blog relentlessly again. =)
So is this time around a "monsoon" season or otherwise? Hahah
Anyway, being in my new profession as a financial consultant is rather interesting, the agency i'm in has really given me a paradigm shift in the way i think and the way i operate my life. Although i am still far away from my goals, i know i'm at least going in the right direction.
Attending achiever's night on friday was really an eye-opener for me and a chance for me to evaluate why i want to be in this business or profession so very much. Is it for myself? for the person that was sitting beside me the whole night or is it for a higher cause?
I believe it is for all above, i guess as a son, as a boyfriend and as a colleague, i have certain responsibilities i need and have to bear, certain tasks i must accomplish and certain missions in life i must fulfill.
Perhaps as an undergrad, i am disabled in a few aspects, but then why so does great philosophers and teachers like Earl Nightingale who says that "You are what you think of about the most" and why does the Secret often refer to the law of attraction as fundamentally that we will get, regardless of what we think about, if we continually hold on to the thought with a singlesness of purpose, a singleness of desire and a singlesness of thought.
This is how the way the universe works.
I watched an interesting documentary the other day about how the mind works and how it affects and interacts with the environment in which we operate. That living humans, in very essence, are living, walking, breathing objects that interact and responds to the universe and the magnetic and electrical waves and pulses that permeates through. In very essence, it actually points to the fundamentals of The Law of Attraction.
It is profound and may seem weird or far off to some, but as Bill Procter says "We should not reject it, just because we fail to understand it".
I woke up today having a thought and a single objective that occupied my mind. In it, i was so convinced and so determined that i will one day set up my own agency and, like a light-bulb flashing in my mind, i thought of so many ways to kick start my dreams. What name i will call it, what colour themes it will be and what kind of environment i wanted it to be. I saw in it, the people i wanted to work together with, the faces of my associates and the expressions on their faces when my agency sweeps all the awards away in 5-7 years time.
Maybe this is the law of attraction working? That i am actually atrracting into the thoughts and my innermost desires in my life?
A small incident today made me reflect on how i should conduct myself now, had a good talk with dear and she made me realise that certains things i say or do now is under the scrutiny of my potential clients and current ones too, so i must be prudent and be tactful so as not to step on anybody's toes. Thank you dear, its always good to have an extra pair of eyes to critique and let me know where i went wrong, better than having to crash into the wall without even knowing its there. =)
This whole month, many things have happened to change my perspective on life and reaffirm the goals i set for myself. Perhaps, its time to let go of the old me and begin to embrace a tougher Alan mentally.
FEAR
Many a times i feel fear in doing the thing i have passion about, but fear....fear is psycological, fear is intangible and fear is self-made, but if the power is within me and therefore, under my control, i should and definitely have the power to suppress this fear and change it into courage, courage to overcome fear, courage to head forth into territories many before me have said will leave me sad and unsatisfied. Territory many have said will make me fail and that i will evetually, like what Brian Tracy said "Die in the desert".
I know, and i believe, that with the support from my dear, my parents, my agency and my mentor, i will, with a singleness of purpose, singleness of thought and singleness of desire and purpose, achieve what i set myself to achieve.
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Well, its been a reflective post thus far and i will leave you with m favourite quote from Friedrich Nietzsche
"He who has a why to live for, can bear almost anyhow" =)
Oh well, here i am on the Computer Lab's computer jamming away at the key board when i 'm supposed to be do ing my Java....
Oh i am and i was......i think i'm taking this as a good opportunity to read up and apply what is taught during the lectures....Java ain't easy...even at the beginner level that i am now.
Haha, pressure pressure pressure! Anyway, i don;t know what is up with the people in school today, is it the weather? Is it because its friday? But why are they all so attitudish today? Hah
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I was at the print shop, looking to bind my report since Keny wasn't around and i had no access to his binding machine...
I brought along everything i needed, my plastic binding spine, transparencies as covers and as well as my document. The lady looked at my transparency and shook it alittle, giving that "what the hell is this" look with big dash of incredulousness on it. Then she handed it to another print guy and he too gave that stupid look and that stupid wave...
Then they said something about my transparency, because it is different from theirs, will cause thier binding machine to jam or spoil...blah blah blah. (Honestly, how different can transparencies be????)
So i said "Ok, but i've been using this to bind for many times and the machines never jam" to which she said (and i honestly would have walked out without saying anything to her if not for the fact i had to hand up the report today)
"if that is the case, then go back to where you always do LOR~"
^@*(^@#^!*@&#^(!!!! I swear i felt like binding that mouth of hers. Then i just said
"Ok, fine, then i'll take my transparency and you can use yours"
So she did, binded my stuff and asked me for a dollar.
$1 for this kind of attitude and the best part?
Their transparency is almost exactly the same as mine! I have to pay a dollar to be treated like that. I mean its ok if their incompetent asses missed out so many pages in the notes that they sell and i pay for to study with...but such blatant inflexibility and "I'm higher than thou" attitude is just plain uncalled for.
I'm a customer and although i know i'm not always right, but at least, the least they can do, if they do not wish to use my transparency, to not treat me like some 10 year old kid and return my politeness and enquiries with stupid looks.
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I should have gone to the Campus Supply at North Spine 2 instead, they are much friendlier there, at least they say thank you and listen to what i need. Instead of shrugging me off to "go back where i always go". I would have if not for the fact that i had no access to Kenny's machine....I wouldn't mind paying Kenny a dollar even to use his machine. To pay a dollar and get such attitude is just plain stupid.
I'm avoiding Campus Supplies at Lee Wee Nam Library at all costs now...
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On a brighter note, i'm done with my Lab report, its in and i hope for the best =)
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Dear also managed to finish and hand in her termie too =D Yay!
Next week is more daunting as Java Assignment 2 is due....ahhh~!~ Stress!
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Night lessosn again later, it rocks, i really enjoy going for the maths one =) Hahaha, its much better than all the past tutorials i've been to...at least i learnt something, the tutorials with the profs are really useless...hardly learnt anything from them. The only thing that learnt from them is the white board and OHP screen, since they talk facing that direction more often than to us.
There is this webpage i go to everyday...its a bunch of comic artists that post a new comic everyday at 4pm SG time. Haha, some comics are downright funny whereas others are unfunny at times. AT times you even get plain weird comics. Hahah. But thats the joy in going to that page, you never know what to expect everyday =D
This evening's talk was simply mind boggling! The amount of people that turned up was massive! Kudos to people like Kenny who did a fine job is getting the contacts. =)
Well, basically i guess i can tick another wish off my wishlist as i remembered telling Chester once that one of my dreams or goals in life is to be able to stand up on stage and share my experiences. Although this cannot really count as experience, in retrospect it is kinda a small fulfillment of many greater things to come.
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It rained rather heavily and the Jam from AYE all the way to CTE was massive! When we finally got there, most of the food had been devoured by the earlier groups of students who went. Kinda sad really as my bus load of NTU peeps had nothing much left to eat. But well, the program got off to a really good start with Chuan leading the wa with his myriad of stories that i've heard so many times but still never fails to get me thinking. =)
Then came Adam Khoo, not surprisingly, what he mentioned and talked about was exactly the same as what i heard last year too :) But there is a main take away from him is that
Mindset is very important in what we all do, and people who succeed are not those who never stop trying but those who are smart enough to always review and reflect what went wrong and to improve.
Being the charismatic person that he is, he took the crowd by storm and you could see the change in the audience.
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Eventually it came to my turn to share....i felt that i didn't share as well as i thought i could have, missed many points i wanted to say, but the emcee kept chasing me to hurry...haha. Oh well, i guess i will have my chance and opportunity to do it again soon. =)
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For some reason or another, tonight's program really helped to reinforce what i believe can be achieved and really put in front of me, the possibilities that i can fulfill if i stay committed and dogged in this track.
No doubt i will still do my best at school, but i will at the same time, build up my business or as what Adam Khoo says, my Empire
I have dreams and goals to fulfill and i will make my way to the end-point that i set for myself. I am the creator of my own destiny and i control my life. =)
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But i still must say this, that the support Ms. S has given me has been one of the greatest motivation for me to want to succeed in this. I know i have the potential and i know i have the correct platform to achieve what others can only dream of. =)
Thank you Dear =) I love you! =)
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My head is hurting badly right now, must have been all the hectic rushing just now to get the NTU hall peeps on the right buses. Hahaha. Oh well, its great now that the seminar is over, now to concentrate on is the internship program and to follow up on those who went for the program to interest them in the internship program! and of course, not forgetting to obtain that license of mine!!!
But first of course the upcoming exams....darnit!
But apart from that, Mr. Adam Khoo was kind enough to sign my script for me =)
I need not mention who the person is but i would like to say a couple of things from the heart
Thank You for always pushing me and not letting me slip Thank You for the 14 missed calls to wake me up Thank You for standing up for me on Saturday Thank You for making sure i attend my lessons Thank You for supporting me in having extra lessons Thank You for lending me your ears when i needed them Thank You for giving me hugs and embraces when i felt down Thank You for cheering me up when i felt down Thank You for giving me the drive to carry on Thank You for putting matters into perspective for me Thank You for listening to my rants and my unhappiness Thank You for being there for me when i needed you Thank You for being loving and kind towards me Thank You for the lovely cheese ham egg omelettes you make for me when i'm hungry Thank You for saying that you love me everyday Thank You for the kisses Thank You for making me feel special and treasured everytime Thank You for just being there Thank You for doing things i may not see but definitely feel
and lastly
Thank You for being YOU. =)
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I mean it, there is this special person in my life that has been through with me many ups and downs....and right now though i feel that i'm in the lowest point since i started school, she has been there to pull me up and make me smile =) Thank you =)
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On a sidenote, tonight is the seminar night with Mr. Adam Khoo. I'll be making a short speech and sharing my experiences......I hope everything turns out alright =)
It is interesting because it reflects how devastating the damages can be when an economy faces hyperinflation.....reminiscent of the German marks when the German economy crashed after WW1 when they had to pay reparations in huge denominations......to the point where they had to bring along barrow full of german marks...it was even said that it was cheaper to burn the German marks to keep fires going rather than to use it to buy wood or an axe to chop it. People were just using it for everything, keeping the fire going...to using it as toilet paper.
I wonder what would happen if it happens to Singapore, certainly polymer notes won't burn as well...neither will it be comfortable to the bum bum.....!!
Oh well, random thoughts of an alrea random mind in the earl hours of the morning...
I can't sleep....must be worrying about the impending exams.....-__-"
Sigh, i've somehow lost touch with my academic self....2 years int he army has dulled that part of me...and i need to get it back. I really wonder how i was like last time in JC whereby i can study for hours on end....
Its so different for me now! I need to get my groove back ad get it back fast!!!!!
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Anyway, i decided to post up my recent family photo-shoot =)
The first we have done since i was a little kiddo =D
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The full family with my Grandmother =) My brother is holding the plaque of Sandhurst where he commissioned from, whereas i am holding my Best Trainee Medal from my Guards Conversion Course =)
Family without our Head Gear
My Solo shot, i look crooked!
My brother and I =) He is a Army regular whereas i'm currently a Large =)
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You know, there are so many things in life i wish to accomplish...so many things i want to do....so many places i wish to bring my parents and her to...so many things i with to explore and do with Ms. S...
To provide for my family...make my parents happy and help them live life the way they never had....
My direction is clear, but i really hope to be ale to accomplish it....it will be a long winding journey and i'm taking small steps at a time.....
Though at times i miss Army alot and wished that i could have signed on, i just know it will not give me that dreams i aspire for....the dreams of financial freedom and freedom to decide my own destiny......
I have to take responsibility for my own destiny and i am the master of my own creations.
Its been a real long night and i will attempt to sleep now......but i'll play a little bit of my PSP first =P
Hahaha
Goodnight everybody in Singapore and especially to my parents, brother and my lovely Ms. S who is currently in cotton candy la-la land =)
now it looks better...its been in neglect for far too long
I almost couldn't remember i actually had a blog
A real surprise that i could still remember the blog password and userid
Hahahah!!!
A word of caution though, if my log appears incoherent or truncated in your browser...it means that you're using firefox....and not IE. Its kinda ironic since i'm a big Firefox fan and i tend to eschew IE as it gets laggy very quickly....Also make sure that your settings are set to 1024 X 768 for it to load and appear properly....but i ponder........who would chaeg all these settings for my blog right? Hahaha!
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Things i'v changed :
1) Added a new picture for the profile since the old one died 2) Updated my age as well as schools under the profile sections 3) Reinstated Flooble...so start posting!! 4) Remove phlogger section since it no longer functions 5) Improved upon my marquee board....and updated it too
=D
I will try to blog more regularly considering how much my anglais has
deteriorated since i stopped blogging. =)
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Its been a long night so i'll be turning in now =)
***Note : As i was looking through my archives i realised that this post was never completed nor posted......i wonder why...maybe it isn't complete? Hahah I'll post it anyway....Good job Alan of 2006! =D***
Alright i'm now gonna attempt to chronicle my NS experience through the pictures i've taken while i've been all over the place. Haha. From the dark jungles of Lim Chu Kang to the typhoons of Taiwan.
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It all started out on the 8th of Jan 2005. I readied myself to report on time to BMTC in Pulau Tekong. There i was seperated from my parents and was huddled into a sheltered area, awaiting registration aka "enlistment". There i surrendered my Pink IC and awaited the taking of the Oath of Allegiance. It was something i've always wanted to do since like i dunno when. haha.
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BMT
It all began here, i was posted to Scorpion Company Platoon 3, Section 1, Bed 11. My rifle butt number was S111 and my PS was 2SG Suhaimi while my PC was 2WO Liaw.
It was a time of fun and laughter, hardships and tears as i struggled to fulfill my dreams of going to OCS. I found my limits and tried as i might i could not break it. However i did get a reasonable IPPT Silver after trying very hard. I was never the fittest guy in the platoon. haha.
During Route marches, i took on a very interesting role - that of Song IC. I became so proficient in that role that i could mix and match any song together in an instant. I could come up with a medley almost on the spot. My fellow recruits often told me that they wanted this song and i would start it. Haha I even had my own special songs that i came up with. =) It was fun, especially during route marches when you're so tired, someone just shouts "YOUR LEFT~~~ YOUR LEFT~~ YOUR LEFT RIGHT~~~" Hahaha. Bmt was a moment of self-discovery and hastened adaptation. We were put through the metal to attain required skills. We were forcefully guided along the syllabi and made to excel in it.
Live firing was memorable. After all the dry runs and practises, we were finally allowed to fire a live round. Not to mention a live grenade. Haha. It was interesting and memorable. I remembered my hesitation when i took up the rifle for the very first time. When i squeezed the trigger and when the first round when off, i was like "WHOA~~~" hahaha. Seeing the target drop also made it more memorable for me. =)
Ok, so i know i just blogged like a few minutes ago...but hey, i stumbled upon the pictures i took on my recent trip to HK/Macau. =D
So here goes! Pictures!!!!
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The interior of the Cattle Class in Tigerair. =D The seats hough comfortable, are only as comfortable as the legroom they provide....which honestly, isnt' alot. Well, but hey, its just a 3 hours flight, surely it won't hurt to sit still for a little while right?
WRONG! When you have a big group of PRCs playing and gambling in the plane, with the noise it makes, you'll be better off taking a sampan and rowing it to Macau. At least its quieter. Hahah =P
My Aunty and uncle at some steamboat restaurant in Macau. In Singapore, our habit is to have a plain soup base then add ingredients in. Over there, the ingredients are already in the soup. The soup is very rich in flavour and thick with fats. Very unhealthy though!....Lamb stew hotpot is in the smaller pot while the bigger one contains the piglet hotpot....
The longest bridge i have ever driven or got driven / seen before is this bridge known as the Taipa bridge. It connects the mainland portion of Macau to the Macanese islands of Taipa and Coloane. There are altogether 3 such bridges of similar lengths in Macau.
It was a chilly and cold 10Degrees at night due to the winter wind comng down from mainland china. It was friggin cold but i chose to wear a Abercomie Fitch shirt my dear bought for me.....yes it was cold, but i was enjoying it! Note the Taipa bridge behind my mum....its so long you don't even see where it ends!
First breakfast consisted of wonderfully good Wanton noodles and "Ju pa boh" or pork chop buns. =D oh and that plate of nondescript fried rice, none of us actually really....touched.....sad...
A view of Downtown Macau, note in th background, the towering struture that looks like a....i don't know what its supposed to look like...but yea...a flower.....thats the Grand Lisboa....one fo the big Casinos in Macau, had its roots in the Casino Lisboa, which is beside it....the first casino in Macau...
At some old Fort......all that remains of this fort/church is the front facade which has since become iconic of Macau, just like the Tour De Eiffel in Paris and the Durians of Singapore.
At the entrance of the Grand Lisboa Casino......its huge......
Entrance of the first Casino in Macau, the Casino Lisboa....owned and operated by Casino magnate, Dr. Stanley Ho (Almost all casnos in Macau apart from MGM Grand and Sands are anyway...)
Woot, Wynn Casino......i liked the structure as it gives it some kind of Vegas feel to it =D
The cattle buses (Ferry\ies victims of greed by the masses!) to The Venetian, the largest building in Asia and second in the world..it is even bigger than the original Venetian in Las Vegas...
Standing in one of the huge hallways leading to the massive casinos....it is so huge that it is beyond compare nor beyond discription...
A stolen snapshot of one of many entrances to the casino proper......a few minutes afer taking this, the Guards chased my camera away and i had to keep it, and get it tagged with a "No Camera" Sign
The Venetian is not just for Gamblers, it is very shopper savvy to....the famous Grand Canal Shoppes was beautiful recreated here in the Macau Venetian.....there are a total of 4 spannign canals, each with its own walkways and rivers with the singing coxswains on them....they can really sign and when they do, their voices fill the surroundings. =D
Some of the signing coxswains =D
Huat AH!
My cousin and her kiddos
I'm kinda tired to actually comment on all of them as i believe they are self-explanatory.....hahah
Hi everybody, wow, how long has it been since i last blogged?
AGES!!!
I did a quick check and my last blog post was in July of last year, when i first began uni life in NTU...
Now i'm a bumbling, struggling, crying, wailing, unfortunate undergrad trying to survive overseas here in NTU. Don't get me wrong, i'm not on exchange or anything. But before people blast me for being homophobic or xenophobic or just plain biased.
I want to make it clear that i have a couple of PRC friends as well as friends from the land of many people - India!
Haha maybe not in NTU but outside i guess?
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Its been so long since i last blogged and many things have changed, it has changed to the point where i no longer have that insatiable urge to "blog this!!" anymore. :( But i still love my blog, considering how many hours i used to fiddle around with it to make it work. And just thinking about it, www.firedlunacies.blogspot.com has been around for almost 5 years now! Wow! Hahaha.
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Lets see what has changed.....
1) I've gotten my driving license for the past 6 months already...
2) My darling and i have been together for the past 2 years and it has been FANTASTIC!!!!!! =D
3) I'm into my second half of second sem of first year in Chindia....
4) I'm no longer fit and strong.......:(
5) I've grown long hair and have funky locks and a goatee
6) I've made a huge fortune off trading cookie crumbs and prospecting noodle futures
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Alright, point 4 and 5 are fake, but well, cookie crumbs are good.....and noodles...are ncie...so here, whats not to stop me from trading cookie crumbs next time or maybe investing in the futures of noodles. I mean look at it this way, noodle prices have gone up, it shows that like currency, it is elastic (pun might have bene intended, but since it does sound kinda smart, yea......pun WAS intended then...hahah)! (SHOOT ME DOWN ALL'YE ECONOMISTS!)!!!
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Talking about point numero uno, i guess its always good to have somebody that knows you like no other, i mean, many guys refrain from going into a relationship because they fear commitment. Commitment need always not be a bad thing. =) Have somebody whom you can fall back on and give you reassuring hugs and embraces is really comforting. =) I glad for her presence in my life and i appreiciate all that she has done for me. =) Thank you Ms. S! I love you!! =D
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Hmmmm, maybe something interesting like a talking lobster or a prancing dove might once again spike my interest to blog. TIll then, bye bye to all ye invisible souls of net users!
(I doubt anybody actually reads my blog so i'll go around sprouting nonsense! I realised that even my sentence structures as well as paragraphing has changed too!)
Hi people, this post will be rather nostalgic as i reminicise on my Army days, especially more so during my time at 1 Guards.
In a blink of an eye, it has been more than half a year since i ORD-ed from the force. I must admit that i miss those days of chionging with my men very much. I may sound crazy saying all this, but yes i seriously miss my army days very much. haha. The whole lifestyle then is something that i cannot find anymore, the espirit de corps, commaderie and brotherhood. Is something that i miss.
Not to mention the things i did during my time. Grooming and leading the recruits into operational soldiers. Right now, my men who were once recruits are already nearing their final phase in 1 Guards. Soon they will be fighting ATEC and i do hope they do well. =)
I came across a couple of videos that made me really think back on my Guards days, though they are not of my men's but they were filmed in Dieppe barracks of the 11th MONO (Mine's 12th Mono), where i spent a good 3-4 months there training to be a Guardsman and earning my Khaki Beret from. So i can relate to it. =)Those bittersweet memories of 02/05 Guards Conversion Course.
This video especially made me think back. The rappeling and the section and platoon training are all things i can relate to. =)
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Nothing beats the sensational of rapelling, the desperation you feel as you are in the L-Shape on the skid of the helicopter with the down-wash pushing you down, hanging on for dear life. The exhilaration of jumping off 80-Feet in the air with nothing but a rope seat harness you tied yourself.
With a clap, you push yourself off the skid and let go of the rope slidding down and seeing the helicopter move further away from you. That is of course if you oversome the initial vertigo you feel as the helicopter rises into the air and the people below get smaller and smaller.
Or that exhilaration when you do an Australian (Face-down, walking rappel) off a cliff edge. I did try the inverted once too. =)
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I might sound a little masochistic to say that i did enjoy all those outfield exercises and fighting alongside my section. Or those endless night marches that never seemed to end. The complete exhaustion one feels when you are bogged down my equipments and responsibility. But i always felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when i complete them and see my section intact. =) Those fierce firefights and quick-thinking moments. Shouting through the gunshots and advancing towards the enemies. It is a feeling that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
My Section that i left behind Top Row : Kalai (2nd SAW), JJ (1st M203) Bottom row : CPL Saiful (2nd M203, my capable Sect 2ic), LCP Fadli ( 2nd LAW, Sharpshooter), Andy (1st LAW) Missing : Raizahan (1st Saw)
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I always wore my uniform with pride and i miss that feeling. Of wearing something that you have earned and built over two years to reflect your efforts. The Guards Tab, the Khaki Beret, the CSB Badge, the Rank and the formation patch....Even till now, i always hang a ready set of #4 in my room as a testament to me as a Guardsman and a trained Soldier of the SAF. I may sound crazy, but this is how i want my NS to be. As one of proud moments and good memories, to say after so long that i did my best and i did it well. I do not want to remember my NS as one blur spot, but rather one in which i truly understood who i was and who i could be. I may just be one soldier in a vast sea of Servicemen, but my memories of my time as one will remain as something precious to me for a lifetime. I used to complain how sian i felt at times of NS, but in retrospec, i wish i could go back to myself then and tell me what i feel now. There were things i could have done better and things i could have done without, if only.
Rawdy Platoon 2, 12th Mono-Intake with Second Year Cmdrs. (I ORD-ed by then already)
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On a brighter note, today had dinner with Ms. S's mum and sister at Sakae Sushi. =) It was a simple dinner but a fun one at that. =)
Thank you for the dinner Dear. =) it was truly sweet of you to treat your mum and sister to such a feast =)
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It is late and tomorrow i'm going shopping for my very first pair of sneakers. =) Hopefully i get to find a cheap but good one! =)
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They were tough while they lasted, but thier impressions in my life lasts a lifetime.
= Alan a.k.a Scionfire =
= 21 yr old M =
= Was from CJC =
= Ex-29th CJC SC Councillor =
= Hails from Pioneer and Proud of it =
= Enjoys Jazz, Zen and Gregorian =
= Jay Chou RAWKS =
= Loves living the simple life =
= Operationally Ready NS-MAN and Proud of it =
= Guards Specialist : Ready to Strike! =
= Has a wonderful Girlfriend =
= Struggling undergrad in NTU =
Then came Adam Khoo, not surprisingly, what he mentioned and talked about was exactly the same as what i heard last year too :) But there is a main take away from him is that
It was a time of fun and laughter, hardships and tears as i struggled to fulfill my dreams of going to OCS. I found my limits and tried as i might i could not break it. However i did get a reasonable IPPT Silver after trying very hard. I was never the fittest guy in the platoon. haha.
During Route marches, i took on a very interesting role - that of Song IC. I became so proficient in that role that i could mix and match any song together in an instant. I could come up with a medley almost on the spot. My fellow recruits often told me that they wanted this song and i would start it. Haha I even had my own special songs that i came up with. =) It was fun, especially during route marches when you're so tired, someone just shouts "YOUR LEFT~~~ YOUR LEFT~~ YOUR LEFT RIGHT~~~" Hahaha. Bmt was a moment of self-discovery and hastened adaptation. We were put through the metal to attain required skills. We were forcefully guided along the syllabi and made to excel in it.
Nothing beats the sensational of rapelling, the desperation you feel as you are in the L-Shape on the skid of the helicopter with the down-wash pushing you down, hanging on for dear life. The exhilaration of jumping off 80-Feet in the air with nothing but a rope seat harness you tied yourself. 
With a clap, you push yourself off the skid and let go of the rope slidding down and seeing the helicopter move further away from you. That is of course if you oversome the initial vertigo you feel as the helicopter rises into the air and the people below get smaller and smaller. 
