breaking of the MUSIC/}!

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Soul Searching again....

The fact that I've not been blogging frequently (again!) means another thing: I'm busy with my own life. I was busy with Suhui's a capella concert last night. Last Saturday, I was kept occupied with a band reunion in Chung Cheng. I got to meet a significant number of old friends that I'm feeling very nostalagic for the past two weeks. I found myself humming old band tunes out of the blue while doing my work in camp, while on the other hand I find myself in terms of speaking to my former TJ friends in both MSN and face-to-face.

On the other hand, I find myself in a situation of "soul-searching" for the past week. A fellow CG-mate of mine just lost her father, while the Commando Formation is coming to terms with the recent training death of a fellow cadre. In my own view, these two incidents of death might not be related, but it has brought about a single, similar issue to think about: How far have we made use of our life? Is life solely attaining the goals and dreams of your life? Or rather, is life is about appreciating and going along with the 'flows' of reality and that of 'evolution'?

Some pictures to ponder upon:

Chung Cheng High (Main) Band Alumni --- A rare reunion, 18 June 2006. I've not met most of them ever since I left in 2002. What if this reunion didn't materialise? Would we ever remember the good old days?

One of the most boisterous gals in my batch (L-R): Yu Ling, Mel K and Ka Yan. Still as humourous, flamboyant and as usual, the occasional cheek.

Cheng Xi, the mastermind. The Best Operations and Logistics Manager.

More ramblings, more to catch up on our lagging contacts.....

The last of Chung Cheng's historical buildings to be given a facelift. It was completed in 1975 and housed the Science and Techincal Rooms as well as the Admin Offices till the redevelopment of the school's facilities in the year 2000. From the year 2000-2005 the building temporarily housed the performing arts groups while being left behind as a neglected building in history in contrast to that of the Grand Auditourium and other buildings. In the late 2005 it was refurbished where it was re-opened in March this year as "日新楼". It is now a permanent fixture for the performing arts groups where they can enjoy a new enivronment to practise in and hence steer on to a new and promising future. This is indeed one of the most outstanding projects of the new school administration under Mr Lo. More pictures of the building below:

The building is one of the coolest buildings in Chung Cheng as the breeze would sway the trees which in one way cool the air around it.... how tranquil.....

Would you choose to be like these birds frolicking arond the lake if you have a choice? Buddhists believe that what we are, what we were and what we want in the future is decided by ourselves and by our own actions. You have a choice.

Quan Ming and Loo Kit. One of the finest guys of the rabbit batch. Miss their laughter and their crappy stories....

Wu Derui. A sporty trumpter.

Two lone figures struggling to carry a bench amidst the dark road. Nevertheless the bright sunset of strength seeks solace behind the closing curtains of history of the Grand Auditorium.... Will Issac and Chun Kiat be able to see the light of their life as they face even greater challenges just like we all do? Will we be able to walk the path that we yearned for?

Lo and behold, I stumbled upon this painting:

And the artist (below) is:

Cindy Chandra, you're such an outstanding artist. All things are well in Melbourne....

To be continued....

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
15:45

Sunday, June 11, 2006

A new meaning for "Zelig"

I just discovered something v interesting.

zelig
v. to become exceptional.
"Frank, I really need to zelig."

If you want something similar for yourself, click this link. I guess my readers would strongly believe that the above-mentioned explanation describes my personality to a large extent.

Thanks to the incessant rain, my mother's shopping plan was been postponed indefintely. This also explains why I'm typing this article right now. I've been blog-hopping recently, catching up with what my peers have been thinking about their lives. Some of my peers' articles deserves some comment, but I shall leave it for later so that I can conceptualise my thoughts. Nevertheless, if you do want to have some preparatory readings, allow me to recommend a blog which I believe deserves a higher level of readership for its high level of intellect and effort put in by its team of writers. Await the Ultimate Extreme. (By the way, I'm not a member of the group.)

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
16:45

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Six months more

I've not updated this blog for a long time for I've not been in the mood to write recently. A couple of interesting things did happen but I just did not know how to construct them into a cohesive story, let alone to attract the attention of the reader. However, I then looked at my calendar today and I realised that I was starting the clock to countdown my ORD in half a year's time. I wonder how the remaining 6 months till 9 Dec 2006 would be for an ordinary clerk, in contrast to that of the "chiong sua" combat soldier.

It may be half a year of service but I have been feeling very bored and lethargic about my work. I just start to feel "sian" about the mundane admin life. This is more so when my medical status has been confirmed. I'm no longer going back to BMT. I'm no longer liable for IPPT, SOC, Range and so on. What can you expect a PES E1L9 personnel to describe his NS life? Perhaps, you're merely sitting on the fence between the civilian and the military lifestyle. You're subject to military law despite living a civilian-like lifestyle. Like any other non-combat fit personnel, you're paid the lowest yet you spend the most (like transport, non-catered food) compared to the highly-paid combat personnel. (In the name of wage differentials) We're paid the lowest yet on hindsight, we're the most important aspect of the SAF. We're the backbones of the SAF. The SAF gets paralysed in times of war and operations should all the service and logistics personnel choose to strike (perhaps, in the reason for a higher pay).

All of these have been hovering in my mind for the past month, as I got my corporal promotion. What was the point in asking for more when you know that you can no longer contribute more? I have only one goal now for the remaining 6 months, which is to be a good mentor. When my understudy comes(at the earliest in two weeks' time when he comes from Tekong), I'll focus my energy solely in passing down the art of being a clerk in the SAF to him. Kureshii says in his article "ORD for Dummies" that one must "begin making plans for handing over. Because things don't happen overnight in the SAF. Or maybe even within the next month or so."This would be an opportunity for me to practise being a mentor. An excerpt from his article says:

"First thing you would want to do is ask for The Understudy (TM). If he arrives, he will be an extra set of limbs you can utilise for your own needs, until he is capable of doing your job. Ask your commander about this, or if he is the slack type, just ask the reinforcement i/c in MP branch directly (but let your boss know!). Check every week, or every other week, to see if they've acknowledged your info. And never stop asking about your understudy - MP branch gets bombarded with lots of info on a daily basis, it wouldn't hurt to give them a personal reminder service."

As much as we're held hostage by CPC, I would want my understudy to learn things in a slow and progessive way. I would want my understudy to learn how it is like to build up his relationships with the fellow officers from scratch. I would want my understudy to "struggle" his way through, going along with the MOE tagline of "Teach Less, Learn More". I'd find a way to enforce this idea on him even though the SAF does not really subscribe to the MOE ideology when training their soldiers. I would want him to learn how it is like to expect the unexpected. After all, Kureshii says again in his second article that one should "as far as possible don't hand-hold him through - nobody took over their appointment by handholding. Let him make mistakes and learn from them, under your guidance. He'll thank you for it." This is what I believe is part of the "Teach Less, Learn More" ideology.

I actually had a similar experience with one junior clerk in my branch. He had the tendency to panic even though he had a high intellectual capability to perform his tasks well. His paranoia over "performing it wrongly" should I do not tell him every single detail pertaining to the task (again, to implement "Teach Less, Learn More") irritated me very significantly and ever made others thought if I was a bad teacher. Thankfully he has adapted well but it is a pity that he might not replace me for he might disrupt to study medicine in NUS. I cannot imagine how my next understudy would be but I shall welcome him as my final challenge and mission before I ORD.
Kureshii concludes by saying that "try to push them to the understudy, whether he exists or not. Nobody likes to take over a work in progress, so let them be the ones to initiate it." I concur with this last statement, as I live on the following week in anticipation of the arrival of my successor. After all, the slogan at the entrance of the notorious extermination camp in Austchwitz says that "Work make you Free". I'd love to see how my understudy would initiate things his way even though the SAF gives little room for initiative from the NSF's point of view. "Daring Initiative" is one of the Commando Core Values, and I dare say our commanders have been transforming the Commando Formation through their own radical ideas (and perhaps, the daring initiative) to bring about the "3G Special Forces".

The World Cup has started, and it is now time to relax admist the sweltering heat of June. Nevertheless I am proud to say that First Commando Battalion has successfully defend the Best Combat Unit title as usual as before. Fellow Guardsmen and Infanteers, be prepared to wait till the cows come home. I just can't wait to ORD....

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
18:00