Sunday, August 06, 2006
20 vs 200
I have not been in much of a blogging mood (again, thanks to Maplestory and lethargy following a hard day's work) and somehow when I logged in into blogger I realised that I have yet to write my 200th entry after almost two and a half years into blogging. In addition, I realised that I had just celebrated my twentieth birthday! Back in the Commando Formation, the Battalion Boys are all wearing polo tees with their backs saying "20X". This symbolises the fact that First Commando Battalion has clinched the Best Combat Unit title for the twentieth time this year. Somehow, I find it rather weird feeling "twenty" because I do not feel ready to embrace the next period of my life. My colleague of mine told me that I was welcome into the "twenties" club and said no more. He did not tell me what it was like to be in the "twenties" club, even though he has barely reached twenty-one.
I really wonder why teens today celebrate their twenty-first birthday in the most grandest affair in contrast to their twentieth birthday. The Chinese regard the first and sixtieth birthday as the most important birthdays to celebrate. Westerners love to talk about Silver (25), Golden (50) and Diamond (75) Jubilees. However, these are applied in the context of anniversaries of events rather than birthdays. Somehow, I have the feeling that the state has indirectly created the idea that we must respect the number "21"! In Singapore twenty one is the legal age (in comparison to other Western nation where it ranges from 17-20). Somehow, the "coming of age" in like a kind of "revolution" or a "declaration of independence"! Hence, going by the idea that one must celebrate one's 'true independence' on a grand scale, just as nations celebrate their independence and often equate it to its birthday!
Speaking about 21st birthdays, I have not attended a single one. (Haizzz...) Even when I am invited, I give a humble decline because somehow I feel the child in me telling me that I am just not ready to act like a member of the 'twenties' club. The same colleague who used the term 'twenties' club actually 'botched' up his revolution. Just as we've the tulip, orange and velvet revolutions to name the revolutions that took place in the former Soviet states, allow me to term his revolution as the 'drunkard' revolution. His twenty-first birthday was celebrated in his house, where a few of his office colleagues (which are MY colleagues as well) gathered for a binge. Almost all of them puked horrendously, as narrated to me by a 'survivor' in the most gross manner. Perhaps, was this my friend's equivalent of the "storming of the bastille" by puking out, whichever was 'old style'? If so, I wonder where he kept his "declaration of the rights of man". Into the "Thermidor" period, I wonder when the "Terror" period will start where he might suddenly get crazy and become sadistic. Having been newly enlisted into the army and having been entrusted with the priviledge to plan the duty clerk roster, I wonder when will be the time when the SAF will truly break him down hence starting the "Terror" period of his adulthood revolution. Taking his revolution into mind, I wonder how my 21st birthday 'revolution' would turn out to be, which often means the number 21 seems more important than the number 20.
Somehow I wonder how the next 200 days of my life will be like from now. This is my 200th post and somehow I wonder how I could actually write 200 articles despite being so slacky in blogging nowadays. I have appproximately 120 days to ORD where I calmly await my next understudy. Following this the remaining 80 days would be very uncertain where I really have to find out how myself I am. The phrase "Be Yourself" is commonly said by all, yet one can neither define nor discern whether oneself and others are truly 'being themselves'.... Seriously speaking, there're alot of things I need to learn, unlearn and relearn for the next 200 days, and where perhaps I might have 200 things to do as well! Honestly speaking, I have not even drafted my 200 things to do as I join the 'twenties' club. Hence for the interim, I think I should just not be so overwhelmed with numbers and try to live life as myself as far as possible.....
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
16:00
