my last 6 months.

in his footsteps...

Fate allowed me to cross path with someone whom I was really grateful that I met. There was SO many similarities that I share with him, from things like same secondary school, same police vocation, same scholarship that we hold to even similar experience in past relationship. It doesn't do any justice to merely describe it here because to me, it was simply 'out-of-this-world'. He's older than me, and has already accomplished certain things, which I hope I can match. That's it, he's going to be an example to follow.

sent to jail, and out the same day.

I've been wanting to write this post for the past two weeks but I just couldn't find the time. And it's not like I'm damn free now to write it also. Anyway, here goes the story!

If you're wondering how come I was sent to jail, I'm going to suggest that you hold your thoughts before you let your imagination run wild. Haha. I mentioned this to my groupmates in KR blueblood camp and they went, "What did you do??", "Ok let me guess, robbery!". You can imagine other hilarious responses. Well, that was basically my point - to share some exciting, suspense-filled, unthinkable facts about myself.

Anyhow, don't worry, I still have a clean record and I did nothing wrong.

(This is the time you'll go 'CHEY!!', trust me)

I basically went for a visit to the Kaki Bukit Prison School as well as the Changi Prison Complex Cluster A, accompanying some JC2 students for some Home Team orientation programme. (Have you 'chey-ed' yet?) Haha.

And I must say that the entire day has been nothing but more curiosity about the nuts and bolts of the prisons department. Usually, in visits like these or in any other events, when it comes to the time of Q&A, I would have to crack my head a little to recap what the speaker had presented that I wanted to ask about. But not for this prisons visit. The questions came naturally into my head, one after another, as I could not help being so inquisitive about how everything works in prisons. Perhaps, one reason could be because of the fact that this side of our society behind closed gates and barbed wires, is inevitably secluded from the rest of the society, and one hardly has any exposure nor any clue as to what goes on within.

The Prison School tour was interesting in a way that it was simply a school, like any other schools in Singapore. The only significant difference is that the students there are all serving a sentence for a mistake they've committed against the law. We were taken on a tour around the school, by two of the inmates themselves. While they may seem overly polite in their presentation, I thought it was an excellent platform for them to hone their public speaking abilities and confidence before a group of people. We also witnessed for ourselves how efficiently the inmates spend their time inside, from attending GCE O, N, A Levels courses, practising their culinary skills in the kitchen to putting their computing knowledge into useful fields like software design and video editting.

The tour around Cluster A, a name they call the Changi Prison, was equally if not more enriching and meaningful. We were basically brought around to explore the facilities within the 'urban' prison, and I was kinda surprised to see how similar these architecture are to that seen on Prison Break Season 1. Each section within each floor of the prison was essentially like what you see in Prison Break, two floors, a common corridor, a waist-level railing on the second floor and a staircase in the middle leading to the second floor. There was also a yard, where these inmates could have a game of basketball and sepak takraw, or simply just lepak (or chill out). That's also very much like the Prison Break concept, except that this one's indoor. And the guys can really be physically initimidating. Haha.

The highlight of the day was when the inmates put up a surprise performance for us in one of the auditoriums. There was this middle-age guy who basically volunteers his time to train this band of musically-inclined inmates and he does so 'merely to help them realise that all is not lost and to keep the belief burning in them.' They started off with an old-school chinese song, 'Long De Chuan Ren' or 'The followers of the Dragon'. It was very well synchronised, among the guitarists, drummers, singer and the dancers at the background.

It was the next song that blew me away and almost had me moved to tears. It was my favourite song, 'Where is the love?', and I just couldn't believe how well they performed that number. It was probably one of the best versions I've heard, considering the fact that these people aren't professionals in any ways. Perhaps, the most significant part about this song was how relevant the lyrics were, to the predicament of each and every guy that was performing this piece. Where is the love, y'all? Where's the love for fellow human beings, even though they may have erred in the past?

'Whatever happened to the values of humanity;
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality;
Instead of spreading love we spreading animosity;
Lack of understanding leading us away from unity;
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under;
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down;
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under;
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found'

Great day for me. Great experience. Like nothing before.

headlines tomorrow

"MAN U PIPPED CHELSEA TO A DOUBLE!"

then turn a few pages and you'll see...

"VJC FOUGHT BACK WHAT'S THEIRS AFTER TWO YEARS"

rewind, play, forward and stop.

Last Sunday, 11 May, marked a series of special events for me.

First, it was my good buddy, Zhenyi's birthday.

Second, it was the last day I could enjoy 'being free', because I was to start school the following day!

Third, we had a soccer game at VJ, and I proposed that we play that match in rememberance of the victims in Cyclone Nargis. We had a black tape around our arms, and observed a minute of silence before the game. Really appreciated our team, as well as the opponents for playing for this cause.

Fourth was the title deciding fixtures of the EPL, with Man United being the champions the second time in a row. I was telling Salman, that if Man United wins, it would mean that I would start school on a very good note. Otherwise, not. And I was damn euphoric la, when Giggs scored and sealed the win (and the Championship) for the team. It had to be him.

So much so that I was twisting around in bed, trying hard to fall asleep that night. Funny thing is, I wasn't as excited about school (which happens to start the following day), as I was about how Man United managed to win despite Chelsea trying very hard to play mind games prior to Sunday. Vision of the goals, celebrations and champagne partying were reeling in my head.

Then I started school! Yes on a very good note!

I had 2 lectures and 1 tutorial of economics so far, and I must say that the lecturer really got me interested in the subject, albeit being stranger to it. I have never taken Economics in the A Levels, but I am beginning to appreciate the essence of it and its very entrenched applications in our individual lives and in the world.

Special Term, so far, has been quite 'unkind' to me, in a way that there're barely people that I know and feel easy to talk to. Hopefully, that will change in time to come. Nevertheless, I managed to meet up with Shaf to discuss if I should get a laptop now or at matric fair, and also coincidentally bumped into Kexin from my Police Basic Training squad and Alvin Tang, my primary school friend. I was kinda bugging Zhenyi when she would be free to chill at NUS but she kept saying after 21st May cos she's busy with some project. But guess what! I bumped into her at library today. She was bringing the ASEAN delegates around the library for a tour, and she had this 'sianed' look when I instantaneously saw her. Haha.

Okay! oh one more thing, and it's concerning the tragical Cyclone Nargis and the most recent devastating earthquake in China. It just goes to show the power of Allah swt, and how these are signs that the Day of the Reckoning is near.