alright!! 5th week has been completed..now the last obstacle remaining is grenade live throw..honestly..I'm actually quite nervous about it..it's not like live range where u won't be in any danger as long as you aim your rifle forward..grenade is so much more dangerous because any slip ups could cost lives and there is a blast radius..not like live range where the rifle has to be aimed at somebody to be lethal..but what the hell..I shall worry about that when the day comes..sunday..sigh which means I'm booking in soon..on a saturday..sigh sigh..

alright..this week was pretty much as expected..super super slack..monday to wednesday was totally free..I took naps every afternoon for a couple of hours..was also rushing to finish my book that would be due tomorrow..Dreamland by Dale Brown..it's actually quite an easy read..nothing too tough..but slightly on the boring side..I just breezed through the pages using ultra speed reading..monday monday..what else..well nothing much laa..

tuesday..pretty much the same..just as slack..I think it was more slack than monday because we didn't draw weapons..hahahahaa..a stupid rifle is so dumb..it's almost completely useless since we don't have range or anything..just draw and let it rot in the cupboard before sending it in the evening..my platoon was also called to do some saigang at SFT..luckily I was around the end of the line and the ferry was full before I reached the gate..so I was sent back to bunk with some others..that night was also CO's evening..some people from other companies put up performances together with the MDC..hahaa..it was quite cool and enjoyable and we got to wear civilian clothes as well..ended at 9 plus..and we got screwed because some people didn't want to come down to get their night snack..quite a pathetic way to end the day since we had so damn little admin time left..literally rushing to bathe..brush teeth and other stuff..

wednesday was also another slack day..think we went aqua jogging..quite a whole bunch of people involved..it's actually quite fun doing it..haha running through water..supposed to be a physio treatment used to build muscles..speaking of which..I've been training my arms (pull-ups), abs (leg raises and crunches) and calves (heel raises) in the week..and my mum said that my arms are now much much bigger from the previous week..hahaa..quite cool..right anyway..I can do 10 pull ups now..well that's the max when I'm not tired..when I'm tired..well maybe 5 to 8..my company was called to do some stupid film for the CO today as well..and I was sabo-ed to do some stupid dance..hahaa..well I'm quite popular amongst the rest laa..hahaa..the dance was all crap..nothing but crap..a waste of time man..wonder whether I will ever see the stupid video at all..

on to thursday..had another session of aqua jogging..this time a longer session..it's actually very very fun..hahaa..tiring too..the pool at tekong is very very shallow..and the water is full of salt and chlorine..bleah..what a terrible taste..also went to throw dummy grenades at the GAC(grenade assalut course) ground..super super dumb..the thing was shortened from like 6 hours to 2 hours..since we being Pes C can't do more than throwing at the standard high wall..hahaa..

friday was games day..pegasus won 2 events man..tug of war and home improvement..looks like our guys are good hahahaa..the officers are really pleased..we also had photo taking session..hahaa..we aren't supposed to smile..must look garang..so dumb hahahaa..booked out at 1900 and had a lift from Terence..this guy in section 2 who also went for the AOS (air operations specialist) medical..speaking of which..I wonder if I will be selected for that vocation..quite fun and exciting..better than being a clerk..or a storeman..the worst would be a storeman at Tekong..gasp..nightmare nightmare..

now on to today..went orchard to return my book..and I found out that I could use my old EZ link card to borrow books..hahaa..because I didn't bring my 11B..saw the Mogu cushion that I will be buying for Shuyang..$36 dollars..quite cheap..but I'm thinking of whether I should get a box to put the cushion in..not sure if it will get damaged on the flight..hopefully not..besides a box is also really expensive..$18 for the largest sized one which I don't think can fit the cushion..think about it laa..there's still time before her birthday..

messaged nicole quite a lot this week..I wonder if she likes me a teeny bit..hmm..but then again..a relationship with her would not be feasible since she will be going overseas soon..late august..a long distance relationship..well..quite impossible laa..anyway..I think I shouldn'tthink about this ..some things just can't be forced..and love is one of them..anyway I've always been the kind of guy who doesn't really take much initiative when it comes to relationships..i feel that rejection is an emotion that is very hard to swallow..it's a kind of disappointment that manifests itself and over time creates this wall that blocks you from others..then again..it could also be that I wouldn't want to endanger a friendship that has been built up since so long ago..hahaa..well..another possibility is that I just find it hard to express myself..I mean..what the hell..I can talk well with most people..most girls..but when it comes to relationships..I'm just some sucker..bleah..wonder if i will grow out of this condition..

ok that's all for the week..hahaa..there's going to be Vesak day on Wednesday..so I'm gonna be back on Tuesday night..whee..

4th week over!! field camp over!! range over!! whoo hoo..seems like army is gonna become more slack now..only grenade to go before closing admin work..ahh..the smell of singapore would fill my nostrils on a more permanent basis soon..but I believe I would really miss bmt life and my friends a lot when I leave tekong. It has really been a great experience living with other guys not different from myself and building up of camaraderie.

ok..on to daily happenings..Monday was quite uneventful..we didn't really do much at the Permatang site..the trees are tall and straight..like some artificial plantation..but undergrowth was thick..at some places the undergrowth was knee high..but it was still quite a slack day..

Tuesday..we were back at Salabin site..and we were screwed quite badly by the instructors..it was like after the advanced party work everyone was quite tired..then Sergeant Alvin was so unfeeling that he made us put on everything..take off everything..stand in platoon level..section level..half section level..I mean we are all tired from carrying heavy stuff!? That day was just screwed up laa..it was like all the instructors were out to tekan us..thankfully it passed..

Wednesday was again at Salabin site..ended very very early like 1 something and I wasn't advanced party anymore..slacked like mad..hahaa..and it was today where we learnt more about field signals and stuff..went outfield with Sergeant Pong to practise too..and we flanked some other guys from another section..so it was really quite fun hahahaa..they call it chiong sua..hahaha..I think we had some OPLP test today too..Ovservation Post Listening Post..and everyone passed because Sergeant Pong just asked for what they are and what they are for..how stupid!! hahahaa..

Thursday's IFC was held at training shacks hahaa..we had another test..which wasn't really a test..then we walked around..talked kok..hahahaa....ghost stories too..and after that we just cleaned rifles and slacked..at night we could even go to the recruits' mess to play games!! hahahaa..

Friday was even more slack..since I wasn't involved in advnaced party..we had to clean the perm staff bunk toilets..there are lots of guys who hate cleaning toilets..they are like some sissies..my goodness..at least Tzu Xiong isn't like that..he and I cleaned the cubicles and urinals..hahaa..then we slacked again..had to clean spare arms..then I took an afternoon nap..afterwards we booked out!! hahahaa..our stand by area was superb!! friday night was quite uneventful..just chatted on ICQ and dozed off at 11!! that was super super early..

Saturday was slightly better..but one of the lousier saturdays I've spent since enlisting..I went to buy a nike polo tee at queensway..and it cost $56!! im becoming a spend thrift by day..bought Da Vinci's Code at Kino at $14+ because they had a 20% storewide discount going on..quite worth it..then met up with yahui ruxin and cassandra to watch shrek 2..cassandra went to meet hong ming after dinner..the show was very funny..quite cool..but i still think $8.50 for an animation is not worth it..then after that went arcade to play..yahui wanted to play beatmania..and we all sucked at it..just wasted 2 bugs at level 3..hahahaa...ok then we all went home..I took 857 which was a super bad idea since the bus was super crowded and slow..took like 50 minutes to get home and I missed almost the entire half of my soccer match..hahaa..ok on to that match..Man Utd vs Millwall..i got home just in time to catch Ronaldo's goal..and it was classy..he's getting better and better by the week..going to become the future of Man Utd..2nd half was great too..Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 2..1 from a penalty and another from a Ryan Giggs pass..he was chosen as Man of the Match..after that I went onto ICQ to chat again..slept at 0200hrs..

today..sunday..woke up at 1045hrs..luckily I managed to catch the last 15 minutes of the 1030hrs cartoon..hahaa..chatting with Shuyang now..she's really a lovely girl and we have so much in common..ok I guess I'll end off here..today I really wrote quite a lot..

3rd week in army..and it was super super eventful..ok i'll have an almost day by day account here to the best of my memory..

first on monday there was drills..we learnt new stuff like saluting while marching and stuff..but it won't be really useful anywhere..then i was called to go for a medical at paya lebar air base..i was one in four people who went for this air operations specialist medical..the other 3 are losers man..damn..i wouldn't want to be working with them in future..but well we'll see how it goes because i have my operation coming up soon after passing out from bmt..so i might not even be selected after all..anyway i now have perfect 6/6 eyesight in both eyes (supposedly)..hahaa..i had like 3 chances to achieve that..but i just discovered i have a spinal disorder..this guy(think he's a doctor) said that it was because i sleep with my head drooping down..so i shall not do that anymore..hope i remember man..well it was also an expensive day..had to pay taxi fare(2 dollars each) and lunch and dinner which amounted to more than 10 dollars..thats why i say being in army is gd..save on transport and food..even lodging..

ok i can't really remember what i had on tuesday..probably some crappy shit..but on wednesday we had range trial..it was ok on that day..i shot quite a lot..but i turned my foresight tip to adjust my prominent tip..so my zeroing went haywire..maybe it didn't but i was affected psychologically..oh and i have to mention that it is super boring that day..we had to stone for very very long..and ate lousy rations that were given in miserable portions..reached back pretty late at night and had super little sleep..

thursday was btp test..i totally screwed up..i had like 21/32..day shooting was horrendous..i missed almost as much as i was on target..but luckily i still managed 21..i guess i was affected by my zeroing..either physically or psychologically..i don't know..at least it was done and over with..i was detail i/c that day too..because 3 guys couldn't make it for the range and i was pushed up..anyway it was fun giving the commands..feels so much like band again..and we stoned even more than we did on wednesday..sat down until my back ached like mad and the feeling was totally horrible..however everything was really chopped..and we reached back much earlier and slept slightly later than normal days..oh and that night..this guy ff3..ryan had his birthday..and some guys took his clothes and towel when he was showering and gave him his sbo and helmet to exit the bath with..i took pity on him and lent him my spare towel..well i thought that was the end of this story but there was a sequel..read on..

friday we had field camp..some of the guys were the advanced party so they took the tonner!!! and the rest of us poor souls had to march to the site..which was pretty far on the way there..we sang many songs but most were repeated..our collection of songs is really pathetic..there we learnt camoflouging, field discipline and walking as a section in the jungle..very very fun!!! camoflouge paint is really quite cool..but really really hard to wash off..anyway sergeant pong brought us to the reservoir..which is totally scenic..very very very beautiful..hope we get to come back here more often..ok when we walked back..i was the front scout carrying a flag and a sign that read 'troops marching'..haha..it was quite fun on the way back talking to sergeant kian tong..he's a really cynical person and he hates recruits because they are super super pampered by their parents.. he hates saf too because of their lack of efficiency and stuff..haha..anyway that day we had combat rations..mine is menu 4 with fried tomato noodles which tasted like spaghetti and glutinous rice..both of which were quite good for disgusting combat rations..that night we had a court session..the officers and sergeants were there to judge on the case of the birthday prank..apparently someone took ryan yap's phone to send obscene messages to his friends..but no one owned up..so we had to sign a letter of apology as a platoon..that guy really is an idiot..he has the balls to do it but no balls to own up..arghh!!! what is the world coming to? oh and today i was 'nominated' for platoon i/c because i went up to speak during a platoon meeting..haha..well..don't know how it will be but hope it's a good experience..

on to saturday..booked out early..took the 930 fast craft and i had breakfast with edmund, ken, zhiyuan..i didn't eat but just sat there..well..quite dumb but really glad to be out..went to queensway in the afternoon to buy a polo tee($31.50)..got to look more mature from now on..i'm in the transition to be a man!! and then went to meet cassandra at orchard..she bought the 2045 show..then i went to buy a pair of giordano jeans..my first pair of jeans($49) in years!! talked a lot about stuff with her..and i told her that i wasn't having a fling with her..actually i think i still do have feelings for her..but well she doesn't really meet my requirements..and being in a relationship wouldn't work out..but don't be mistaken..having feelings doesn't mean that i love her or anything..i just like her as a person..we can just click well together..hahaa..oh and she has hong ming now..and i think he likes her..a date every week..hahahaa..troy is a good show..very well produced..but the story sucks quite bad..possibly because it is a historical account..and most of the good guys died..but quite cool still..walked cassandra back home for the first time in months..hahaa..really tired now..back home and blogging..gotta blog laa..every week only blog during weekends..i think this entry is super long..longer than any i wrote previously..and i think this should be enough..i'm really sleepy now..yawns..eyes are closing..zzzzz

wow really many things have happened in this eventful week..but let's start with my dreams last night..

slept at about 3 last night..and I was really really tired..but that didn't stop me from dreaming..I think the most prominent dream was that I went travelling with Martin and Zhi-Jun..I think we went to Australia and we met Huawei..I was carrying 2 bags..one my crumpler and the other a haversack..which i think i absent-mindedly left at the airport..but i retrieved it i think..oh and i was busy snapping pictures..haha..but i think what made the dream exciting was travelling with my friends..another part of my dream was that I weighed myself and ffound that i was 70kg!! Is that good or bad? I mean the extra 15 kg is definitely not muscle..or majority of it is not muscle..hahaa..but it's actually my ideal weight i think..its really ideal bmi..22.5..but this week I dropped a kg..now is 54..must be because of my stay at the sick bay man..sucks..

ok on to other stuff..i contracted acute conjunctivitis on wednesday..probably from Charles..it really sucks..there's like lots of pus coming out from the eye..and the blood vessels are very prominent which gives the eyes their red coloration..when I went to see the MO..he told me that I had to be quarantined..in the sick bay!! arhh..at first i thought it was ok..maybe for a night..but that wasn't to be..I was stuck there for 3 days 3 nights!! was almost dying from boredom..there's absolutely nothing to do besides sleep, read old magazines, read newspapers, watch tv at night..but I met this guy from sispec (previously vjc) there, he's called Blaise..cool name man..hahaa..but that's about it..rumbling on about boredom will make me bored again..

anyway we had live range on saturday..damn fun and exciting..the recoil is much much more than imt..and the noise is crazy laa!! super loud..hahaa..but damn gd...and im a good shooter man..and some are really bobo..i cant really imagine anyone missing fig 12..its already so big..and detail 3 is really good..but probably ill be in detail 4 in future..but still good since no need to wait too long..

last night..went to watch van helsing..with karen and junjie..actually ruxin was supposed to join us..but there wasn't a show that was not sold out at a convenient time..so she couldnt make it..in the end we watched at causeway point cathay..and we had super super lousy seats..like first row corner..and it was like shit..neck was aching after the show ended..i think the show is quite cool..but story is a little lame..especially since the girl anna died..stupid ending..

2nd week of army over..and it's still as fun as ever..the sargeants are damn nice..especially sargeant pong..sargeant ho is also becoming more light hearted..and the atmosphere is gd laa...hahahaa..

ok guess that will be all to report..till next week then..

p.s. maybe i'll be buying a nike polo tee and giordano jeans later..need a set of smart-casual clothes..

yesterday..felt really tired..slept the afternoon away and watched the shows that my mum recorded for me..you're under arrest is getting exciting..ken saw miyuki being comforted by mr. honda..what a blow man..and he's like the kind of guy who can't stand up to emotional blows..wonder how the next episode will be like..so exicitng hahahaa..

ok then i had section dinner..as in rj band section..met up with jonathan gan and nat and the rest again..and it felt just like times of old..hahahaaa..oh and cassandra is going out more with hong ming..hahaa cool man..another guy who has taken a fancy in her..haha..anyway hes not bad laa..just wish her the best..and hope he doesnt get rejected..probably not also..hes good enough for her if not better..

had a strange dream last night..i dreamt i bought a cheap nokia 7250i from some run down shop for my mum..then when i got home..i realised that it was second hand..and like quite scratched and stuff..when i bought it i must have been dreaming or something..just on impulse..hmmm..could this be a premonition of warning that i should be considering things carefully before making my decisions..or maybe i should be saving my money for more important things..yea..perhaps..anyway i shall be more careful in future..and gotta save money too..i wanna buy my comp..and dont want my savings to be depleted..