madness.
monday jason the clubber. what the fuck. times certainly have changed. and it only happens in taiwan. good ol' me in singapore.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
burn out.
monday was back last night from my office's winter tour. was pretty short but at the same time long. know what i mean? haha.
anyways. we climbed one of the higher mountains in taiwan - all 3421 meters of it. as i was telling prata kaki. it was pseudo mountain-climbing. the first 3km was reached via mini-vans (stayed around the 2000m mark) and climbed the last 500+ meters. was damn tiring carrying all the nonsense (first aid kits, satellite phone, 2 bottles of water etc) and having to repeatedly climb back down to help out the others. not forgetting that a few of us took the wrong path up at first.
we cleared a good 100-odd meters before we realised that there wasn't any other way to carry on. so we walked back down and took another way that thankfully led all the way to the first peak at 3309 meters. had to do a fair bit of scaling to reach the main peak of 3421.
but the view. it was worth it. the peak was a cool 8 degrees plus and we ate bak kwa (of all things!). had a laugh about it, sat around to take in the fresh air and the sights before heading back down.
headed to the hot spring that night. boy did it feel good. did the damnest thing by trying out the cold spring as well. from nice comfy 90 degrees to frigid 10 degrees. i lasted a full 3 minutes before i scurried back to the hot spring. hah!
in any case, the rest of the tour was pretty dull. didn't enjoy the first day when we went to some flower-whatever that just didn't interest me one bit. some sheep farm thing in the mid-afternoon on saturday.
yesterday was spent at a theme park. didn't really do much except to catch some aboriginal show and going for a "thrill" ride. we screamed for the sake of screaming since it was pretty hilarious anyway.
so yea. back to reality. work was hectic today but it felt good. i seem to have found my motivation again in the office. i wake up everyday feeling fresh and ready for challenges, much like how i felt up till, ermm.. june? haha. but i'll do fine. 4 months and counting.
and yes! mingrui is headed over here on friday. silly cow on the 11th i think. alex, shuren yongjia and sipeng as well. can't wait.
anyways. we climbed one of the higher mountains in taiwan - all 3421 meters of it. as i was telling prata kaki. it was pseudo mountain-climbing. the first 3km was reached via mini-vans (stayed around the 2000m mark) and climbed the last 500+ meters. was damn tiring carrying all the nonsense (first aid kits, satellite phone, 2 bottles of water etc) and having to repeatedly climb back down to help out the others. not forgetting that a few of us took the wrong path up at first.
we cleared a good 100-odd meters before we realised that there wasn't any other way to carry on. so we walked back down and took another way that thankfully led all the way to the first peak at 3309 meters. had to do a fair bit of scaling to reach the main peak of 3421.
but the view. it was worth it. the peak was a cool 8 degrees plus and we ate bak kwa (of all things!). had a laugh about it, sat around to take in the fresh air and the sights before heading back down.
headed to the hot spring that night. boy did it feel good. did the damnest thing by trying out the cold spring as well. from nice comfy 90 degrees to frigid 10 degrees. i lasted a full 3 minutes before i scurried back to the hot spring. hah!
in any case, the rest of the tour was pretty dull. didn't enjoy the first day when we went to some flower-whatever that just didn't interest me one bit. some sheep farm thing in the mid-afternoon on saturday.
yesterday was spent at a theme park. didn't really do much except to catch some aboriginal show and going for a "thrill" ride. we screamed for the sake of screaming since it was pretty hilarious anyway.
so yea. back to reality. work was hectic today but it felt good. i seem to have found my motivation again in the office. i wake up everyday feeling fresh and ready for challenges, much like how i felt up till, ermm.. june? haha. but i'll do fine. 4 months and counting.
and yes! mingrui is headed over here on friday. silly cow on the 11th i think. alex, shuren yongjia and sipeng as well. can't wait.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
winter.
thursday will be heading off for my office's winter tour tomorrow morning. climbing some mountain. truth be told, i'm not really very interested in the tour this time round. it's just one of those "let's go, take a photo been there done that" kind of thing.
can't wait till may when i return to singapore for good. hah. so much for forward-looking eh?
can't wait till may when i return to singapore for good. hah. so much for forward-looking eh?
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Ataris - The Saddest Song
Only two more days, until your birthday
Yesterday was mine
You'll be turning five
I know what it's like, growing up without your father in your life
So I pretend, I'm doing all I can
And I hope someday you'll find it in your heart
To understand
Why I'm not around
And forgive me for not being in your life
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Remember waiting there to find nothing at all
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Waiting there to find nothing at all
Maybe someday
You'll really get to know me
Not just the letters read to you
I pray I get the chance
To make it up to you
We got a lot of catching up to do
So I pretend, I'm doing all I can
And hope someday you'll find it in your heart
To understand
Why I'm not around
And forgive me for not being in your life
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Remember waiting there to find nothing at all
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Waiting there to find nothing at all
Forgive me!
I'm so sorry!
I will make it up to you
Yesterday was mine
You'll be turning five
I know what it's like, growing up without your father in your life
So I pretend, I'm doing all I can
And I hope someday you'll find it in your heart
To understand
Why I'm not around
And forgive me for not being in your life
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Remember waiting there to find nothing at all
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Waiting there to find nothing at all
Maybe someday
You'll really get to know me
Not just the letters read to you
I pray I get the chance
To make it up to you
We got a lot of catching up to do
So I pretend, I'm doing all I can
And hope someday you'll find it in your heart
To understand
Why I'm not around
And forgive me for not being in your life
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Remember waiting there to find nothing at all
I remember waiting
For you to come
Remember waiting
For you to call
Waiting there to find nothing at all
Forgive me!
I'm so sorry!
I will make it up to you
Friday, January 11, 2008
new challenges ahead!
friday okay. this post is for the silly friend of mine headed to boston tomorrow morning. heh. while i cant be there to send you off, i'm sure you'll understand and i'm forgiven. haha. so. stay warm in the winter, stay cool in the summer and well, stop worrying about what will/will not happen!
so yeah. here's to you silly friend. the one who took french classes with me. the one who watched me play ridiculously lousy floorball when i first started. the one who made life a tremendous joy when i was in year 1. take care, stay safe and have a very fulfilling and enjoyable time in boston!
6 months will be gone in a flash. and if i don't see you in july before i head to canberra, i'll see you in singapore when i'm back. meanwhile, don't be a stranger on msn and gmail. God bless now! =)
so yeah. here's to you silly friend. the one who took french classes with me. the one who watched me play ridiculously lousy floorball when i first started. the one who made life a tremendous joy when i was in year 1. take care, stay safe and have a very fulfilling and enjoyable time in boston!
6 months will be gone in a flash. and if i don't see you in july before i head to canberra, i'll see you in singapore when i'm back. meanwhile, don't be a stranger on msn and gmail. God bless now! =)
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
a response.
thursday this post is long. and i mean really long. and it is a response to the following forum letter printed in the straits times on the 7th of jan.
---
I refer to the report, 'SAF officer dies after 1.2km run' (ST, Jan 3).
now. first things first. the "recent spate of deaths in the SAF" attempts to generalize and insinuates that the SAF doesn't look after the well-being of the servicemen. that said. it is by no means the fault of the SAF that servicemen have conditions that medical tests do not pick up. and changing the IPPT system would not solve a thing.
and let me be picky with rick's choice of words. "..not advisable to set such a short time limit..". clearly rick doesn't know that there are different categories for the different age groups. they are split as follows:
Cat X
Cat Y
Cat Z
Cat Z1
Cat Z2
while i can't remember what are the age ranges for each category, all NSFs fall under Cat X because we're relatively young when we enlist (16-21). as you get older, you move down the categorizations. once you're 40-ish, Cat Z is where you are and then depending on what stations you are not required to take, you're further broken down into Z1 and Z2.
for each of the different categorizations, the minimum passing time for the run is lengthened according to the age of the serviceman. so to say that to achieve a gold, one needs to complete the 2.4km in 10 minutes "plus or minus half a minute" is untrue.
achieving "gold timing" for the 2.4km run is the onus of the serviceman. what he wants to achieve and for what intent and purpose is not for the SAF to dictate. if the serviceman chooses to push himself beyond his own limits just to achieve gold timing for bragging rights, i'm sorry to say then that that is just being foolish.
it is only realistic to push yourself if you have had regular trainings and progressive trainings at that. you don't see people jumping straight to running a marathon without training over a period of time.
next, the "running deaths" that occured in the SAF, are well publicized because well, it's the SAF. it wasn't all that long a go when a Colonel collapsed after he completed his routine morning run and subsequently passed away. who is to blame? the serviceman? the SAF?
but yes, we cannot "attribute the concerns expressed over these occurrences to 'sensationalised news' by the press". we can however, attribute it to people like rick who can't look at the bigger picture and who cannot accept other views:
1. how many of the servicemen who have passed away actually knew about whatever condition that they had, that could have caused them to collapse and sadly, pass away after that? people have died of some unknown ailment just watching tv or even in their sleep!
2. how is the SAF's IPPT standards to be modified when clearly, doing so will mean a lower standard of fitness? (2.4km in 11 min 50 min for 18-22 year olds as compared to 5km in 40 minutes?)
3. when fighting a war or battle, having cardiac arrest is the least of your worries when you're fighting for your life where bullets, grenades and even bayonets are the first priority.
4. in a battle, most of us require "a sudden burst of energy" to complete our objectives and missions. 5km in 40 minutes is more applicable if you want to time how long we take to complete say, our 28km or 32km route marches. in order to do so, we need a combination of speed and endurance.
5. i do not know how rick has his ippt taken. but my 18 months in army so far, i've always done my 5 stations before going for my 2.4km run. by then the body has already warmed up sufficiently (again, a sudden burst of energy is required to complete the shuttle run) and negates the need to do further exercises to "warm up
6. how about we ask our would-be enemies to reduce their soldiers' level of fitness? wouldn't that make it easier for us? or at least put us on equal footing should we ever meet in the field of battle?
---
I refer to the report, 'SAF officer dies after 1.2km run' (ST, Jan 3).
There has been a spate of deaths recently with the victims collapsing while running. Most national servicemen have to complete a 2.4km run in order to fulfil their annual Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), so I think it is high time the Ministry of Defence looked into revamping this segment of IPPT.
On average, in order to obtain a Gold standard in the IPPT, a national serviceman has to obtain a minimum of four points (out of a maximum of five points) for each of the four stationary fitness stations and then run 2.4km in about 10 minutes, plus or minus half a minute.
Anyone who has ever achieved a sub-10 for a 2.4km run can attest to the power of endurance needed, and the pain and fatigue undergone. Of course, the excitement and sense of achievement are what push one through.
However, it is unrealistic to expect the majority of national servicemen to reach that level of fitness. Many have unintentionally injured themselves trying to break the 10-minute barrier by overtaxing their bodies.
Hence, it is not advisable to set such a short time limit for a 2.4km run.
Fitness experts recommend that we engage in a cardiovascular exercise continuously for at least 20 minutes in order to maximise its benefits. Running a sub-10 does not seem to serve that purpose.
My suggestion is to extend the distance of the run to 4km or 5km, with a time limit of 30 to 40 minutes, thereby focusing more on the endurance and general fitness than speed. This should put less strain on the heart and body, while giving the runners some time to warm up and ready their bodies for the run in a less gruelling manner.
We cannot delude ourselves that these 'running deaths', which have led to the demise of healthy men in their 20s to 50s, are coincidences. Neither can we attribute the concerns expressed over these occurrences to 'sensationalised news' by the press.
Instead of a sudden burst of energy to complete a run in a short time, a longer run may be all it takes to prevent a cardiac arrest.
Rick Lim Say Kiong
---now. first things first. the "recent spate of deaths in the SAF" attempts to generalize and insinuates that the SAF doesn't look after the well-being of the servicemen. that said. it is by no means the fault of the SAF that servicemen have conditions that medical tests do not pick up. and changing the IPPT system would not solve a thing.
and let me be picky with rick's choice of words. "..not advisable to set such a short time limit..". clearly rick doesn't know that there are different categories for the different age groups. they are split as follows:
Cat X
Cat Y
Cat Z
Cat Z1
Cat Z2
while i can't remember what are the age ranges for each category, all NSFs fall under Cat X because we're relatively young when we enlist (16-21). as you get older, you move down the categorizations. once you're 40-ish, Cat Z is where you are and then depending on what stations you are not required to take, you're further broken down into Z1 and Z2.
for each of the different categorizations, the minimum passing time for the run is lengthened according to the age of the serviceman. so to say that to achieve a gold, one needs to complete the 2.4km in 10 minutes "plus or minus half a minute" is untrue.
achieving "gold timing" for the 2.4km run is the onus of the serviceman. what he wants to achieve and for what intent and purpose is not for the SAF to dictate. if the serviceman chooses to push himself beyond his own limits just to achieve gold timing for bragging rights, i'm sorry to say then that that is just being foolish.
it is only realistic to push yourself if you have had regular trainings and progressive trainings at that. you don't see people jumping straight to running a marathon without training over a period of time.
next, the "running deaths" that occured in the SAF, are well publicized because well, it's the SAF. it wasn't all that long a go when a Colonel collapsed after he completed his routine morning run and subsequently passed away. who is to blame? the serviceman? the SAF?
but yes, we cannot "attribute the concerns expressed over these occurrences to 'sensationalised news' by the press". we can however, attribute it to people like rick who can't look at the bigger picture and who cannot accept other views:
1. how many of the servicemen who have passed away actually knew about whatever condition that they had, that could have caused them to collapse and sadly, pass away after that? people have died of some unknown ailment just watching tv or even in their sleep!
2. how is the SAF's IPPT standards to be modified when clearly, doing so will mean a lower standard of fitness? (2.4km in 11 min 50 min for 18-22 year olds as compared to 5km in 40 minutes?)
3. when fighting a war or battle, having cardiac arrest is the least of your worries when you're fighting for your life where bullets, grenades and even bayonets are the first priority.
4. in a battle, most of us require "a sudden burst of energy" to complete our objectives and missions. 5km in 40 minutes is more applicable if you want to time how long we take to complete say, our 28km or 32km route marches. in order to do so, we need a combination of speed and endurance.
5. i do not know how rick has his ippt taken. but my 18 months in army so far, i've always done my 5 stations before going for my 2.4km run. by then the body has already warmed up sufficiently (again, a sudden burst of energy is required to complete the shuttle run) and negates the need to do further exercises to "warm up
6. how about we ask our would-be enemies to reduce their soldiers' level of fitness? wouldn't that make it easier for us? or at least put us on equal footing should we ever meet in the field of battle?
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
?
tuesday morning i don't have anything to blog about actually. but just felt like typing something. so. yeah. hah.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Your Guardian Angel
When I see your smile
Tears roll down my face I can't replace
And now that I'm strong I have figured out
How this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul
And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one
I will never let you fall (let you fall)
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
Seasons are changing
And waves are crashing
And stars are falling all for us
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter
I can show you I'll be the one
I will never let you fall (let you fall)
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
Cuz you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart
Please don't throw that away
Cuz I'm here for you
Please don't walk away and
Please tell me you'll stay woah, stay woah
Use me as you will
Pull my strings just for a thrill
And I know I'll be okay
Though my skies are turning gray
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
Tears roll down my face I can't replace
And now that I'm strong I have figured out
How this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul
And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one
I will never let you fall (let you fall)
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
Seasons are changing
And waves are crashing
And stars are falling all for us
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter
I can show you I'll be the one
I will never let you fall (let you fall)
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
Cuz you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart
Please don't throw that away
Cuz I'm here for you
Please don't walk away and
Please tell me you'll stay woah, stay woah
Use me as you will
Pull my strings just for a thrill
And I know I'll be okay
Though my skies are turning gray
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
Friday, January 04, 2008
almost crippled.
friday had my right leg crushed by a car door yesterday. almost cried when the volvo's door was slammed on my right knee. as if tearing some ligaments and having your meniscus pulling a disappearing act on you a few months ago isn't enough, the full weight of the door slamming on your knee is bound to make you cringe. and cringe i did. bowed over in pain for a good 2 minutes before i sat up to try to get out of the car.
what a way to start the pseudo-weekend.
and the knee still throbs from time to time. darn it.
what a way to start the pseudo-weekend.
and the knee still throbs from time to time. darn it.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
of juniors and seniors.
thursday was thinking about how much has changed since i've graduated from ngee ann. my department has undergone a huge change, with many of the lecturers i worked with for various events and projects leaving for the private sector. the course i took is no longer relevant and even the place looks and feels different. eGarage isn't the eGarage that it once was - a great hangout place to chill as well as to study.
and of course, there's floorball. i look in envy how the team is now. the team dynamics is nothing short of fantastic. a stable core of players (and 4 national players too if i might add) and regular trainings in the hall (unlike when i was in year 1). not forgetting the boards and goalposts which i brought in during my tenure as VP and vice-cap.
so much has changed. and i get that nostalgic feeling just looking at some of the pictures that survived my catastrophic laptop crash a few years back. training with my juniors (most of whom will graduate this year..) the past two weeks when i was back in singapore felt damn good. to be able to play with a bunch of players who really give their all.
that sense of satisfaction that all the hard work yazid and i put in for a good one and a half years is finally paying off.
i love my school. i love my department. i love my team.
and of course, there's floorball. i look in envy how the team is now. the team dynamics is nothing short of fantastic. a stable core of players (and 4 national players too if i might add) and regular trainings in the hall (unlike when i was in year 1). not forgetting the boards and goalposts which i brought in during my tenure as VP and vice-cap.
so much has changed. and i get that nostalgic feeling just looking at some of the pictures that survived my catastrophic laptop crash a few years back. training with my juniors (most of whom will graduate this year..) the past two weeks when i was back in singapore felt damn good. to be able to play with a bunch of players who really give their all.
that sense of satisfaction that all the hard work yazid and i put in for a good one and a half years is finally paying off.
i love my school. i love my department. i love my team.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
back to work.
wednesday it's so very true when they say all good things come to an end. so yeah. enough about my 2 weeks back in singapore. reality sunk in today and back to office i went.
to be honest. i was surprised at the backlog of work i had accumulated - it was much less than anticipated/expected. i managed to clear most of it by lunch before i took my foot of the accelerator and relaxed the rest of the day.
can't wait till the month ends. hah. that's how far/near i'm looking forward to now.
to be honest. i was surprised at the backlog of work i had accumulated - it was much less than anticipated/expected. i managed to clear most of it by lunch before i took my foot of the accelerator and relaxed the rest of the day.
can't wait till the month ends. hah. that's how far/near i'm looking forward to now.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
nothing beats home.
tuesday morning so. 2 weeks have flown by and i'm a couple of hours away from flying back to taipei. truth be told, i'm dreading going back because having been amongst my friends and family for this 2 weeks, it's really tough to get out of the comfort zone and back to work again.
i suppose time will fly pretty quickly. january's going to pass pretty quick because of the office's winter tour and some cohesion thing at the end of the month. then february as well. thanks to a good 1 week holiday for chinese new year, i suppose february will fly past too.
i should be back in singapore in march - my original return date. i don't think i'll want to extend my stay till may. sure, the money is a form of motivation. but this was never about the money. the experience counts more than anything else. and some things are priceless. no amount of money will be able to compensate for the lost friendships/relationships that i've experienced the past 9 months. it cannot compensate for the lost homely feeling i feel in church. and most of all, it cannot compensate for me being away from my family.
in any case, even if i do stay on till may. the extra money will go a long way into paying off some of the expenses i'll incur in australia during my course of studies. but like i said. i don't think i want to stay that long yet the idea of having that extra sum of money... well. it goes a long way. whatever it is, i won't bother to fight the date i return back to singapore. if it's in march then so be it. if it's in may, may it is. i've got a "whatever" attitude now.
so yes. after all's said and done, nothing beats home. and as the navy tag line goes: nothing comes close.
i suppose time will fly pretty quickly. january's going to pass pretty quick because of the office's winter tour and some cohesion thing at the end of the month. then february as well. thanks to a good 1 week holiday for chinese new year, i suppose february will fly past too.
i should be back in singapore in march - my original return date. i don't think i'll want to extend my stay till may. sure, the money is a form of motivation. but this was never about the money. the experience counts more than anything else. and some things are priceless. no amount of money will be able to compensate for the lost friendships/relationships that i've experienced the past 9 months. it cannot compensate for the lost homely feeling i feel in church. and most of all, it cannot compensate for me being away from my family.
in any case, even if i do stay on till may. the extra money will go a long way into paying off some of the expenses i'll incur in australia during my course of studies. but like i said. i don't think i want to stay that long yet the idea of having that extra sum of money... well. it goes a long way. whatever it is, i won't bother to fight the date i return back to singapore. if it's in march then so be it. if it's in may, may it is. i've got a "whatever" attitude now.
so yes. after all's said and done, nothing beats home. and as the navy tag line goes: nothing comes close.
