my.escape

viernes, diciembre 30, 2005

[ 1056. An Excerpt ]

I'm stumbled across this ancedote when i was aimlessly surfing the net again. It's really good.

"HI! HOW are you?" The woman smiled as she took the seat beside me. She had to lower herself slowly, squeezing her ample bottom into the seat, filling all available space.

Positioning herself comfortably, she plopped her enormous arm on our common armrest. Her immensity saturated the space around us, shrinking me and my seat into insignificance.

I cringed and reclined towards the window.

She leaned towards me and repeated her greeting in an upbeat, friendly voice. Her face towered above my head, forcing me to turn to look at her. "Hi," I replied with obvious loathing.

I turned away to stare out the cabin window, sulking silently about the long hours of discomfort I was going to experience with this monster beside me.

She nudged me with her meaty arm. "My name is Laura. I'm from Britain. How about you? Japan?"

"Malaysia," I barked.

"I'm so sorry! Will you accept my heartfelt apology? Come, shake my hand. If we're going to spend six hours side-by-side on this flight, we'd better be friends, don't you think?" A palm waved in front of my face. I shook the hand reluctantly, still silent.

Laura started a conversation with me, taking no notice of my unfriendly reactions. She talked excitedly about herself and her trip to Hong Kong to see her frinds. She rattled off a list of things she was going to buy for her students in the boarding school where she was teaching.

I gave her one-word answers to her questions about me. Unperturbed by my coldness, she nodded as she made appreciative comments to my answers. Her voice was warm and caring. She was considerate and obliging when we were served drinks and meals, making sure that I had room to manoeuvre in my seat. "I don't want to clobber you with my elephant size!" she said with utmost sincerity.

To my surprise, her face which repulsed me hours before, now opened into extraordinary smiles, lively and calm at the same time. I couldn't help but let down my guard slowly.

Laura was an interesting conversationalist. She was well read in many subjects from philosophy to science. She turned a seemingly unimportant subject into something to explore and understand. Her comments were humorous and inspirational. When our topic turned to cultures, I was pleasantly surprised by her intelligent comments and well-thought-out analysis.

During our conversation, Laura managed to make every cabin crew who served us walk away laughing at her jokes.

When a flight attendant was clearing our plates, Laura cracked several jokes about her size. The flight attendant roared with laughter as she grabbed Laura's hand, "You really make my day!"

For the next few minutes, Laura listened attentively and gave pointers to the flight attendant's weight problem. The grateful attendant said before she rushed off, "I've got to work. I'll come back later and talk to you about it."

I asked Laura, "'Have you ever thought about losing some weight?"

"No. I've worked hard to get this way. Why would I want to give it up?"

"You aren't worried about cardiovascular diseases that come with being overweight?"

"Not at all. You only get the diseases if you're worried about your weight all the time. You see advertisements from slimming centres that say, 'Liberate yourself from your extra baggage so that you are free to be yourself.' It's rubbish! You're liberated only if you're comfortable about who you are, and what you look like any time of the day and anytime of the year! Why would I want to waste my time on slimming regimes when I have so many other important things to do and so many people to be friends with? I eat healthily and walk regularly; I'm this size because I am born to be big! There is more to life than worrying about weight all day long."

She sipped at her wine. "Besides, God gives me so much happiness that I need a bigger body to hold all of it! Why would I lose weight to lose my happiness?" Taken aback by her reasoning, I chuckled.

Laura continued. "Folks often see me as a fat lady with big bosoms, big thighs and a big bottom that no man would even bother to cast a glance at. They see me as a slob. They think I'm lazy and have no willpower. They're wrong." She held up her glass to a passing flight attendant. "More of this magnificent wine, please." She smiled sweetly at the attendant. "Great service from your crew. May God bless all of you."

She turned to me, "I'm actually a slim person inside. I'm so full of energy that people won't be able to keep up with me. This extra flesh is here to slow me down, otherwise I'll be running everywhere chasing after men!"

"Do men chase after you?" I asked jokingly.

"Of course they do. I'm happily married but men still keep proposing to me.

"Most of them have relationship problems and they need someone to confide in. For some reason, they like to talk to me. I think I should have been a counsellor instead of a school teacher!"

Laura paused before she said thoughtfully, "You know, the relationship between men and women is so complicated. Women worship men and call them, 'Honey' until they find out they have been lied to, and then they turn into bitter gourds! Men love women so much that they see them as their soul mates until they look at their credit card bills, and then women become devils with tridents!"

Laura's enthralling conversation had turned the flight into something thoroughly enjoyable. I was also fascinated by the way people were drawn to her. By the end of the flight, almost half the cabin crew was standing near the aisle by us, laughing and joking with Laura. The passengers around us joined in the merry-making too. Laura was the centre of attention, filling the cabin with delightful warmth.

When we waved goodbye to each other at the arrival lounge at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport, I watched her walking towards a big group of adoring adults and kids. Cheers sounded as the group hugged and kissed Laura. She turned around and winked at me.

I was stunned, as the realisation set in: Laura was the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life."

Courtesy of http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/hblim/passages/bigbeauty.htm

Shannon left at 11:58 a. m..

[ 1055. Certificate ]

"Months of hard work... just for a certificate signed by two persons whose combined salary adds up to 25k a month."

*spontaneous hysterical burst of laughters*

That was the only memorable thing of last evening's launch of the commemorative magazine, that was finally published after so much hard work. For a moment back then, i was skeptical. Just before i went wallaby so much things were still undone. I barely did half the magazine and the boss almost couldn't find someone else to finish up the rest of the mag. I kept quiet though.

I'm very concerned and really wanted the magazine to come through. I gave him the cover concept, the pages concept, and did quite a fair bit of ot to rush out draft after draft for the mag. Holding the magazine yesterday in my hands, i couldn't be any more satisfied that this project has finally ended. Though there's parts of me that say that it'd be better if i had stayed back then to finish up the entire project. But well. Haha.

The food was ok, and it's great talking to some of the people after being absent for so long. Wheee. These are one of the few times where i don't feel sucky stepping into unit. Haha.

Shannon left at 9:46 a. m..

jueves, diciembre 29, 2005

[ 1054. Steamboat ]

Too bad, i didn't have my camera with me yesterday.

A homely affair, a minimal gathering. Some shopping at ntuc, picked up some people and off to bo's place we headed. Preparation didn't take long, it's juz cutting and marinating, and preparing pre-mixed soup bases for the steamboat. Fatest dinner prep i ever did.

7pm sharp. Dinner time. Bowen panicked. There was no extension cord in his place for him to position the steamboat on his dining table. The nearest plug was near, but yet too far. Army guys, being army guys, of course sergeants has taught us that there's always a solution for everything. We moved the garden table near the plug instead. Table was at an awkward position, but who cares. ;)

Dinner was good. No, it's not the food alone. The homely kind of gathering, i like. The reunion of this group, set aside in a quiet residential area for a quiet birthday celebration for this girl whom we missed so dearly. Most people were touched. It was very fruitful. I never saw conversations flowing so freely during dinner times. Not even during those post service dinners. I'm pretty sure i enjoyed it thoroughly. As well as enghow. Aaron. Bowen. Joseph. And of course the birthday girl, sharon.

Bo's dad served us wine and food, food and food while we gathering around his wall-mounted 42" plasma tv watching left behind 2. I'm probably a lil tipsy to fully understand the story though. A lil help in differentiating between all the blonde actresses would help greatly, the joke that we were cracking during showtime. A lil wine, a lil beer, a lil pot, a lil chocs. That's the essential ingredients for a spare tyre dudes. Don't try it too often. But often enough to give you that occasional enjoyment. Muahahaha. We gladly made use of the cake to celebrate sharon's birthday as well. The quietest ever song sung, the quickest birthday prayer made. But it's the most sincere and warming one ever. We love you sista!

Shannon left at 9:29 a. m..

domingo, diciembre 25, 2005

[ 1053. Ding Dong Merrily On High ]

Finally, merry xmas everyone. Finato. Carols finally ended. Though not with a bang, but with a feeling of remembrance that lingered on in most people. After the usual carol session today, people were simply lounging in the hospitality lounge where we were held before and after the sessions, lazing there as we indulged in the dinner snacks and free flow water, tea or coffee. Exchanged usual stupid table games with those jc ~~kiddos~~ ~~boys~~ guys, as well as had those lil coffee table chats with some people as well.

One interesting note though, nelson came down to watch us thrice in the five days. And i heard that he only saw consort once thru last year. Wonder how come he placed so much emphasis on consort this year. Hohummm.

Just wanna talk about some trivial matters here. Little incidents sparked pretty wild and wandering thoughts in me today. First up was jeffrey. He told us that he won't be coming on monday, or anymore for that matter (if i heard him correctly) and i was like thinking, probably today would be the last time i ever saw him again in my entire life. Probably he'd just end up as another guy who've i've met in my life before and i happily chuck at the back of my memories, alongside with hundreds others that i've met back in school, in church or whatsoever. It's really interesting to note how many people can you actually meet in your lifetime, and if you actually do stop and try remembering names of people you've met and knew before, probably you're gonna need more than a piece of foolscap.

Which brings me to another point. Many a times i'll see familiar faces on the bus, on the train, on the streets, on the roads. I can even put names to some of them. Isn't it scary how come we always see familiar faces? Cuz singapore is simply too small. Everywhere we go, we see people. Just that day when i was having dinner with the usm3 guys at suntec, i met like 4 friends while walking from city hall to suntec. You'll never fail to be amazed at the number of people you know.

I went on the join my guys after leaving the hospi lounge, and they decided to move towards indochine at wisma to check out the live band there, and god knows who gave them the darn illusion that the streets "weren't as cluttered with people as it has always been." crrraaaaapppppp. Barely halfway there (a.k.a heeren), tom already had to open up his umbrella so that we could see that prominent landmark to link-up, of course, at the expense of tom who had to be the clown for the day. Lucky for us there's a table in indochine for us, but apparently jo was more interested in sitting right in front of the band rather than settle at the table beside. Though there was no view la. I'm personally against the idea of counting down in orchard. Like andy commented, you'll probably ended up squeezing with people on the streets, and kena molested by certain overenthusiastic individuals. I'd very much prefer a small and cozy gathering, and we can just talk and chill out over a movie, coffee, food at someone's place instead of doing mindless countdowns at wild parties where you're more into the party than the significance of the countdown. But as i felt that i've unfortunately stepped on jo's tail for the past couple of weeks, i decided to just sit through the entire event till just before midnight, where i'll do my disappearing act and get home before the mad rush on our already stressed mrt.

Now i'm sitting in front of my computer, chewing on a piece of choc bread with my 3-in-1 coffee, and nursing a runny nose with 2 piriton pills and piles of tissue paper. This isn't exactly the christmas i have in mind, but at least i'm not feeling displaced.

Shannon left at 12:18 a. m..

sábado, diciembre 24, 2005

[ 1052. Xmas Present! ]

Received my first xmas present for the year! Wheee! Thanks hansie kokpa~ =p

Well, on another hand, eh, last night some people said was better, but i feel it's far from it. Arrrggghhh. It's the four night le and we still can't put our act together. Geeee.

Shannon left at 8:50 a. m..

miércoles, diciembre 21, 2005

[ 1051. Same Feeling ]

Ok, today was slightly......... better.

God, i'm feeling stressed. Somewhat i think my insecurities are being challenged. Somehow i'm just like super duper stressed just now, surrounded by so many power voices. I mean, actually i'm flattered to be able to sing with them. I've lost touch with voices for quite some time. And like i said, my voice's in a pretty bad shape now. And i really do mean really bad. Supposedly tenor, but i can barely hit an E comfortably without fearing that i'll crack. Oh my. And after interacting with those members these couple of days and realizing the kind of background they all come from.... well. Haha. i'm considering. Considering if i should back off. Hehs. But well, it's a challenge, i know. And i know why i'm inside. Because i just wanna sing. Better each time. It may not be a significant part of my life, but i know it definitely has added spice to this mundane life. If academia was the strokes that defined life, i guess this is one of the colours that adds volume to the whole picture...

Ehh. I'm getting too sentimental. I needa rest.

Shannon left at 9:36 p. m..

martes, diciembre 20, 2005

[ 1050. Carolling Le Meridien ]

I think i should talk about the carolling today, since it's like the first time ever i'm carolling with a decent choir.

I'm stressed today actually. Yes, stressed. I haven't really had time to learn my songs damn well, and i'm definitely far off the mark as compared to most other consort members. In short, i could be mistaken for one of those bowen sec guys. Lolx.

Today was pretty... ~~screwed up~~ very much needed to be improved. Lolx. I mean, i swear that i could hear half the consort people were actually ~~bitching~~ commenting about the bowen ~~kids~~ students' singing, complete with ancedotes and jokes and roars of laughters.

Seriously i realized how long have i not been singing. And i'm like really stressed, surrounded by so many powerhouses, so much younger than me. Like today, i realized i'm actually depending on those dudes behind me. To be precise, i oughta thank the two powerhouse tenors (weiwei and yinpeng) behind me. (I believe there are more but they were in front. =x) I'm not a very good singer by nature la, but foolishly i've like screamed my way (literally) through army... and there goes my voice outta the window.

Haiz. ponder, ponder.

Shannon left at 10:50 p. m..

lunes, diciembre 19, 2005

[ 1049. Cornflakes ]

I'm eating almond berry crunch cereals straight from the packet now. And i'm spilling them all over the packets. Muahahah. Nice lil snack in place of lunch. ;)

Shannon left at 2:17 p. m..

domingo, diciembre 18, 2005

[ 1048. Jingle Bells ]

"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday styles..."

It's xmas! Hahaha. today was the first carolling session (for ME) at keppel club. Lolx. Ok la. I didn't exactly learn all the songs. Paiseh hor. Then hor, i didn't exactly have all the scores. Paiseh hor. Hehehehe...

But well, it's been a tiring day la. I went for choir prac pretty tired actually. But somehow, as the prac progresses i actually felt more alive than dead tired. Lolx.

Aye aye. I'll be carolling at le meridien from 20th to 24th. Come hor! =x

Shannon left at 8:08 p. m..

sábado, diciembre 17, 2005

[ 1047. Eye Bags ]

I've really really heavy eye bags.

I haven't been sleeping well.

People has been giving undue headaches.

No, not you. Yes, you. No, no, not YOU. It's YOU.

What, whatever.

I feel burnt. I can't imagine the rest of the platoon. Probably the office's gonna be full of dead skin flakes on monday.

Shannon left at 10:12 a. m..

jueves, diciembre 15, 2005

[ 1046. Me ]

Shannon left at 7:12 p. m..

[ 1045. Xmas Spirit! ]

In view of the upcoming festivities... here's my like yule tidings to you guys. Lolx~

Shannon left at 7:12 p. m..

[ 1044. My New Car ]

Nice?

Shannon left at 7:11 p. m..

[ 1043. People, People ]

There are a few groups of people i wanna talk about.

The first one. Those that sent me off on that fateful days. Ahh. First up is edith and zhiren. The two whom i just watched corpse bride with the day before, and i cajoled them into coming to send me off and here they are! Hehs. The next were two very very sweet bros who came all the way from boon lay just to send me off la... really touched lo. Especially after knowing that they came all the way from boon lay, and they were heading back there after sending me off. *sniff*sniff*. And last was lionel... he actually came with saypow, but saypow decided to pangseh us. tsk tsk.

This group of NSFs & NSmen were like the most happening bunch i met on my countless rebro duties! Haha... i mean, i think you can see la! But well, it's nice talking to these people la. Really eye-opener, rather, ear-opener experience to hear their life stories. Lolx.

And finally... here's the bunch of people i've been sticking with through thick and thin and dealing with our common enemy with for the seven weeks... hehehehes... my dearest comms team! Whee!

Die die msut feature this one last one. The daring zabor that drove up not one, but both rsaf's rebro sites in a day! History maker!

Shannon left at 7:06 p. m..

[ 1042. Timeline of Wallaby ]

Pictures galore.

Shannon left at 7:05 p. m..

lunes, diciembre 12, 2005

[ 1041. Reading Blogs ]

Been blog searching and blog surfing today. Found more than i could handle today, though i'm pretty amazed how i'm able to take, to digest them better than i thought i could. Haah.

Like people who left me half a year ago.

Like someone whom i started talking to recently only.

Like some people that i never knew kept a blog.

Beware people, if it's online, it can be found. Keep your private thoughts where it should be: private. Don't break other people's hearts.

Have a nice day. =)

Shannon left at 3:02 p. m..

[ 1040. Driving Test ]

I have my driving test on wednesday.

AND I ONLY GOT TO KNOW ABOUT IT TODAY!!!

ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Someone, anyone, just pray for me.

Shannon left at 10:46 a. m..

domingo, diciembre 11, 2005

[ 1039. Stumbled ]

I've stumbled across someone's blog.

"my love life's a mess. big mess. z likes me. im not avoiding him. no point. he's 23 and if he's not sensible i don't know what is. he's definitely a dear friend. but i will never consider him. sometimes i wonder why i will never consider him. 'cause he's lik really all-rounded. secure. has a career. sensible. mature. and sporty (i guess) but what i do know is that i haven't seen his flaws. besides he's kinda weird other than that i don't really see major flaws. to be honest he's quite scary. his past is perfect and stuff. its not that my boyfriend aint perfect. its just that i can't leave with such a person. i will always feel like i got to measure up. and another thing. call me a superficial bitch if you like. but i can't stand it when guys are tan, like very tan but not fit. z's tan. cuz of the navy i guess. but he's not fit. xuanan's tan. but he's not fit either. to me fitness really is important. cause i really love to try new sports but i need people to go and try with me. ya."

Superficial bitch.

Shannon left at 10:33 p. m..

[ 1038. A Little Girl ]

This little girl made my day today. I was sitting on the back-facing seat on 53 back home, and there was this lady carrying a lil girl on her lap. I took a look at the girl, and the girl then pointed at me. I panicked, and the next thing she said was, "This boy..." I thought, oh-shit-what-trouble-am-i-getting-myself-into-i-merely-looked-at-her "....loves me." WHAT?!?!?!?! The mother's (i supposed it's her mom) eyes widened sheepishly and shut her off with "hey! what are you saying?" before giving me the paiseh look. The girl ignorantly went on repeating herself, as if we haven't heard her loud enough, "This boy loves me. And this boy. And this boy. And this boy..." proceeding to point at every other clueless males around her, including the one i presume was her dad. Geee. She's adorable though. Hehs.

Went dinner at marche with merv and kc, before we headed down to starhub roadshow at ngee ann city. Spotted sheralyn working at the roadshow, so conveniently chatted quite a bit with her while walking around, she being her promoter self and me pretending to be an interested customer. Heheheh. Saw chuanyang and weihong there as well, both as a surprise cuz it's been a really really long time since i last saw either one of them. Last year to be exact. Lolx. Thereafter went home with kc (on behalf of mervin) lolx. No la, just happen so that we both stay on the northeast side and merv gotta book in so he can't go back with her today. Well well.

'nuff of updates. tata!

Shannon left at 8:34 p. m..

[ 1037. It's a Saturday... Again. ]

Second saturday since i got back to singapore, and also the second saturday in which i came home without a single drop of hot water in the boiler. A sleeping dad's argument was, what's so hard to switch it on when you need hot water then switch it off again after you use? It's a waste of electricity when you keep it on all the time.

Let me tell you what is waste. Waste is when you buy a new stove in which you agreed to install, but never got around doing it at all. Waste is when you spend more money seeing doctor and disinfecting the whole house when you don't flush the toilet and as a result god-knows-what germs flies all around the whole house. Waste is when you procrastinate to cancel one home phone line when we told you half a year ago to do so.

Ok, never mind rants.

For the first time in a long time i've completed the entire course of word for life. Got a lil run-in with some people during one of those group discussions, and i realized i still reacted negatively almost immediately. Which of course, kind of disappointed me. Though end day itself both parties were heading down wrong tracks, but the crux of the whole matter wasn't so much of who's right and wrong, but our response and feelings towards the people in question. I myself failed in that matter. Quick to judge, slow to forgive. That's what i think i did, regretting almost instantaneously as well. The entire episode not only made me realized how little i know as a pre-undergraduate, but also how far more i have to grow in God, despite spending much time in church.

Today marked the 2nd year of my life wearing green. Exactly two years ago, i stepped into this place called pulau tekong, not knowing what my next four months held for me. Nonetheless i stand proud as a corporal today, though not a commander as many has inspired, but proud enough to say i'm gonna ord soon. lolx. Which brings me to another point. Today jon was casually asking over dinner how this ns group came about. Or rather, who decides who come to this group. And as we explained to him the brief history of this group and the people who formed this group, we also forecasted what would happen next year, when we all go into university. NUS, SMU, NTU, to be exact. How we would all go to groups as according to the unis that we are heading towards. Then something struck me. How soon will that be. Or rather, after spending years with each other, this inevitable 'splitting up' will occur relatively soon. And well... it'll be a whole new challenge, stepping out of this comfort zone called USM3 that we have been nesting in for so long. So much so that we are so comfortable with each other that we speak our mind, we know how far we can go, we know what each other is really like. That we don't bother hiding ourselves. Don't bother trying to act holy. Let real emotions and feelings flow. But will it be like that for in our new groups? I don't know what my future lies for me actually, though i know He holds them. One main concern will be that bo and i will not longer be in the same group. Even enghow is unlikely to be in my cg. So will i still be able to keep them close to my heart after we start school? Ehh... seriously i don't know. I mean, these are the two closest people i know in church, who i can share the most freely to about everything and anything. Probably it's due to convenience and the amount of time we do things together, we serve together. And another pressing issue. What about those people whom we don't see that regularly? Will they still have a reason to come after we go our separate ways? I don't know, seriously. I wonder how will they cope in the new groups. I wonder how will they react to new people, and to challenges that people may pose them inevitably. I'm clueless, yet pretty burdened.

Well. It's still far off, if you wanna argue. But time really flies. Especially when you don't know it. Now sharon's back for a break, and before you know it, she's back for good.

Shannon left at 12:22 a. m..

miércoles, diciembre 07, 2005

[ 1036. A Tribute to VS ]

Shannon left at 3:35 p. m..

[ 1035. Broke ]

Went G2000 today.

White shirt = $24.50
Black shirt = $24.50
Black pants = $59.00

Total = $108.00

*sniff*sniff*

So broke liaoz. Haizz.

Shannon left at 3:07 p. m..

[ 1034. Housework ]

I'm PEEVED.

Imagine coming back from overnight duty, to a house (i'll rarely call it a home since momsy's not in sg) where:

1) dirty laundry is strewn everywhere, not even hanging behind doors
2) unwashed pots and dishes dunk in the sink
3) newspapers in the bedroom, on the floor, everywhere but not at the newspaper pile
4) rubbish bin filled to the brim and pieces of litter everywhere around it
5) unwashed cups, half filled and with cigarette butts inside
6) a brother sleeping on a bed that has not been made for ages
7) cans of diet coke left in the fridge totally gone
8) ice tray void of water and void of ice

Ok. Look on the bright side, at least they left my room untouched. Because i think they know i'll erupt all the more since mom's not around.

I mean, if it's once for one day, i'll just bare with it, or maybe not come home at all. But i've been seeing the abovementioned EVERYDAY since LAST SATURDAY. And i've been doing laundry, washing dishes, changing rubbish bags, clearing newspapers, ironing clothes (my own, at least), making coffee, while stopping short at mopping the floor. I'm drained. Totally. I mean, after doing a whole night of shiftwork, the last thing you'd want to do is to come home, seeing the whole house in a mess. And by obligations i'll have to clear it up, because i promised mom i'll try to do a lil housekeeping while she's away.

Aye aye... i'm tired. God............. help.............

Shannon left at 9:14 a. m..

martes, diciembre 06, 2005

[ 1033. Customer's Guide to Making Life Easier for Your MTO ]

(as ripped from singaporearmystories.blogspot.com)

Most men and trainees have no idea what goes on behind the scenes, but anyone who has done planning or is a commander of some sort would understand the necessity of this post.

Make life easier for the MTO? bastard who never delivers vehicles where you want them, when you want them? the one glitch in your smoothly running life? C'mon, spare a thought. You have one glitch in your life, he has anywhere between 3 - 7 glitches, depending on how many units his camp has.

Making his life easier will not guarantee you getting what you want, but it will put a smile on his face when he sees one great indent in the list of many screwed-up ones, it means he will try his darnedest best to get you what you want, and if he apologises for his inability to provide the service you require you can be sure he means it from the bottom of his heart.

So, yeah, make life easy for him, make life easy for yourself. Here's how:

1. Be reasonable. If you're just going to send some equipment to GSMB, wait while it gets repaired, then RTU, don't make the driver wait for you too. If you're going to be there for at least 2 hours, do have the courtesy to send the driver back, then ask for him again when you do need him. An MT Line will almost never have sufficient manpower, and the last thing I need is you aggravating this situation unnecessarily.

Also, it does not take 5 hours to deliver a document to CMPB and return to camp. Especially when you ask for a GP car. Indent accordingly.

2. Be flexible. If I ask you to share a vehicle with someone else don't go all anal on me and refuse no matter what. If there really is no way to do it at least offer other dates you are okay with.

3. Don't expect miracles. If you ask for a vehicle the next day and send the indent only the afternoon before don't be surprised if I can't provide drivers. Also be prepared to get less than you asked for, especially if what you want is 12 landrovers and 2 5-tonners.

I can help ask for support from a general transport unit, but I require that you submit such requests at least one month in advance. And I also need you to understand that confirmation of such requests will not come so early. And is not guaranteed either.

Moral of the story: If you want to plan something big, don't neglect the MTO, don't do it last-minute, and make sure it is sustainable. Too many senior commanders (especially government scholars) love planning really big exercises and events, then blowing their tops when they are told it is unsustainable. We need more logisticians at the top, I'm telling you. At least one year of experience in a logistics-related appointment, excluding S4 and DyS4. Meaning MTO, QM, TSO (tech store), or other on-the-ground type of logistic role.

We don't need another CO bellowing "WTF!?" when informed that only 2 out of 10 tanks are still moveable. Yes, I know it sounds like we screwed up big time, but sometimes we didn't (someone else did; perhaps no one did, things like this can happen spontaneously because of no one's fault), and the first thing you should do is tell us what you want to do about it instead of lambasting us for letting things screw up so bad. I respect a boss who gets things done without pushing the blame around.

4. Be understanding. I don't need you to understand that I have no more drivers and cannot support your exercise because my digestive system is not advanced enough to synthesise new machine operators. I just need you to understand that at times I can give you all the drivers I have and it will still be insufficient, but you have my assurance I will do all in my power to find the resources you need from all over the Army (though that is no guarantee; a 2LT has much less power than most people think).

I also need you to understand that we are a logistics unit, not a training unit; you can squeeze me until I pee my guts out and I still might not be able to give you the 12 landrovers and 6 5-tonners, with their respective drivers, that you need. If I could stay up the whole night to craft you a new driver, teach him how to drive and get the necessary paperwork done I would have done it. This are the unchangeable facts of life and they do not change even if you manage to get a BG to breathe down my neck.

Of course, feel free to meet me for lunch and work out a mutually beneficial arrangement; I'm always open to compromises. If you're happy I'm happy.

5. Don't be a wanker. If I can't provide you with drivers you have every right to let your immediate superior know, but I don't see the need for you to CC it to your CO and my FM (fleet manager) when it's just a small (platoon-level) exercise and you're just a fucking 2SG. And don't play members of the MT Line against each other to get what you want; it may work in the short-term but you'll just be well-hated in the long-term. I am the one doing the detailing, so if I say no don't ask my MT Sgt to approve the indent; yes, I should have sorted things like this out with my MT Sgt but it's not as easy as it sounds, and before it is done the last thing I need is you exploiting this situation.

6. Keep yourself updated. I don't want to spam the inboxes of the whole camp whenever we change appointments, ORD or get posted in. Stop sending your indents to CPL X and 2LT Z when both of them have ORDed weeks ago. If you don't seem to be getting replies perhaps it's time to give the MT Line a call, and get to know the new kids on the block.

7. Don't assume. Don't indent a vehicle 2 months in advance, shut up, become a reclusive hermit and then expect it to turn up on the day itself. Sure, you have every right to ("but I told you already what"), but having the right to expect it to turn up is not the same as actually having it turn up. Call every fortnight to confirm the vehicles and drivers you asked for are still there, increase the frequency of your calls as the day draws near (just once a week will do, thank you), and call 1-2 days in advance to confirm your indent. It's troublesome and you don't have to do it, but it's for your own good, not mine. All I suffer is a lower fulfillment rate and a slight sense of guilt.

Why, you ask? Because things change. A driver might suddenly break his leg. The MT Line might suddenly be activated for recall manning. COA might suddenly decide to visit. And we can't predict these kind of things 2 months in advance.

8. Don't be vague. There may or may not be a standard indent form in your unit, but I'm sure every MTO will appreciate it if you will provide at least the following details:

Start and end of indent (date + time; also see point 1. Don't hold the drivers later than you have to.)
Locations (where the vehicle will be going; training area, camp, etc)
Report to (who the driver should look for, where the driver should go)
Contact no (who the driver should call)
Purpose of every single vehicle you ask for (safety rover, admin rover, store tonner, ferry tonner, equipment to be used in vehicle, etc. We do need to prepare them beforehand.)
Other details if possible (no of passengers, extra equipment needed in vehicle - FFR cable/mounting board/mounting bracket for signal set etc.)

9. Don't be an asshole. If you need your vehicles labelled please do it yourself. When you're out on exercise and it's raining don't huddle in your Goretex and ask the driver to retrieve stuff for you. And do be nice to the drivers. You should scold them if they are rude or unreasonably uncooperative, but please make sure they are fed, taken care of and given sufficient rest. The safety of you and your men/trainees depends on them, accidents are a real bitch, but all I do is paperwork, the ones who will die horribly are the victims of the accident, and the guys who deprived the drivers of their sleep.

10. Accept that the MTO is king of his domain, and respect him even if you don't see any reason to. If he rejects requests don't hurl abuse at him. Don't tell him how to do his job; I don't presume to know how your department works, and certainly do not consider myself able to run your department better than you can, so I expect likewise from you.

The above pointers are not the 10 commandments of MT Line customers, they are meant as a guideline for those who are not requesting vehicles through CFMS (fancy computerised vehicle requesting system) yet. You can break all of them if you want to. But you have my utmost assurance that if you do, I will do all I can in my power to make your life during my NSF liability hell on earth. I will put your requests as low on my priority list as I can, I will chuckle with glee every time I reply that my MT Line has been stretched to the max and I can't give you what you want, and I will report all abuse of my vehicles and drivers to the relevant authorities. And I hope that gives you nightmares.

Do your best to make life easy for me and I can make life really good for you. No, I can't put you top of the priority list - that belongs to Ops and Exercises/training. But I have other ways - let's just say not all drivers are equal. And neither are the vehicles ^_- You will always have access to my professional opinion, and where possible I might even offer suggestions to your transport problems you would never have thought of. And if I can't do any of the above I will do my utmost best to offer a solution that won't be too harsh on you.

There are other ways of making your life easy as well. Get the MTO's handphone number, and get your number in his handphone (you'll need a really good working relationship to do that with me. And possibly a lunch or two). Get the KAHs (key appt holders) to know your face and name, and know them by face and name too. It takes sincere effort, but is well worth the investment.

Shannon left at 4:36 p. m..

[ 1032. Surviving Army Meetings ]

A MUST READ for all NSF officers. Muahahahaha...

Ok, i lifted this from singaporearmystories.blogspot.com. It's hilarious, yet practical! Read it!

What the heow kind of title is that!? I don't know how many of you have actually organised or supported stuff, but if you have you would know how inane and unavoidable meetings are. The number of meetings I've been to so far can be counted on one hand, but I notice a pattern all the time. Here's something that might be able to help.

1. High or low-level meeting?

Contrary to popular belief, how high-level the meeting is (the way I see it, anyway) is not determined by the rank of the highest-ranking member in the meeting, but by quite a few other factors as well. For instance, you should look at the highest level unit represented; even a meeting where G4 army is represented by a 2LT could be important.

Also, you should look at the number of different units that are attending. Generally, the larger the number of units attending (no matter how small each unit is), the more important the meeting. If you desperately need to skip a meeting, this is not the one.

2. Is your boss attending?

If your boss is attending, the dynamics change drastically. Let him do all the talking. Fill in for him if he asks you to, or if you deem really necessary, e.g. when he misses out an important point. If you need to interrupt regarding something less important, write it on paper and pass to him, or whisper it. Don't throw your boss any curveballs; if it is important but might shock the balls out of him, break it to him slowly. Of course, the ideal situation is to give him a full briefing before the meeting, but usually there would be no time for this. Remember; if your boss is present, your one and only job is to make him look good (you might need to take minutes too, but I can't help you there).

If your boss is not there, things are much more simple. Your job is to make sure your unit is represented, make decisions on its behalf and ensure it doesn't get screwed over (something that is almost guaranteed to happen to units that are not represented). If you (not you lah, your unit) are delegated a task, write it down and inform your boss ASAP after the meeting. If you are arrowed a task, say that you have to check with your boss (unless you are authorised to make a decision on the matter, then up to you lor). If you are asked for results/reports, submit them, or inform them when it will be submitted. Never push the responsibility away; you are representing your unit, and you are in no way to make it look bad. If its something that should be resolved within your unit, just nod your head and say it will be done. Settle it behind the scenes. Don't wash your dirty linen in public. Bitch about your colleagues over lunch, not at the meeting.

3. Routine or adhoc?

If it is a routine meeting, you probably should have advance notice. Prepare the data you need, present it at the meeting, bring up any AOB (any other business) you need to settle, end of meeting. Don't go off-track unless requested to by the chairman; the metting happens every month (usually), and people have work to do. If it is important, bring it up to the relevant people after the meeting, not on meeting time.

If it is an adhoc meeting, do your best to find out what the agenda for the meeting would be. If there is no clue whatsoever, try to get a list of attendees; their units and appointments would give you a good idea of what to expect. Also be sure to check out who is chairing the meeting, this would decide how important the meeting is.

Once done, prepare whatever data you can scrape together, then go with a notepad and pen. The data most likely would be insufficient, but at least it makes you look prepared. Lots of stuff will be discussed, take down the pertinent points. They will be published in the minutes, but your boss will appreciate you for giving advance notice (if you're attending, it's most likely on his behalf, right?).

When the meeting/discussion drops to a lull, quietly make conversation with the dudes on your left and right (you did make sure to sit beside people you know, or need to know, right?), bitch about the slow progress and common problems both of you face and whatever else there is to bitch about - nobody hates bitching (NOTE: If that person is a good friend of the Chairman or the person presenting, make sure you say something nice, don't be a dolt. This is for you to guage based on your judgment. Take very cautious steps whenever you talk about other people behind their backs. You have been warned). Networking helps immensely, even if it's just for another year-and-a-half. Consider it practice for the working world.

4. Agenda?

You have to know what will be discussed at the meeting, or you're just wasting your time. It is very tempting to avoid work by maintaining ignorance, but remember boys, knowledge is power. Keeping astute about happenings will save your ass one of these days. If you're really lucky, you might even save your boss' ass, and get a couple days off in return if he is slack enough. Repeat after me, saving your boss' ass is never a Bad Thing (TM).

It is advisable to have a To Do list drafted up after each meeting; it helps you keep track of the tasks arrowed delegated to you, which ones have been completed and which ones are in progress. This makes things easier at the meeting; just update them lor.

You should also meet your boss and fellow department colleagues shortly before the meeting to see if there is any business they want brought up at the meeting; if it is important enough they would attend personally, but sometimes things do crop up. Trust me, they would appreciate it.

Remember to update the relevant personnel on the meeting points ASAP after the meeting, don't keep them in the lurch until the last hour. It sucks to be the bringer of bad news, but it sucks even more to be the bringer of super-last-minute bad news.

5. AOB

It often happens that problems in your unit are beyond your control, and the solution you have in mind needs vetting by a higher authority. But keep in mind that your problem is not everyone else's problem (if it were, it would be in the agenda), so keep it distilled. No-one likes falling out of a meeting at 1830. Just note these points:

Gather data beforehand. After you bring up the problem, the next thing they would do is ask for numbers. Under-estab? How many guys you have? How many you supposed to have? Insufficient funds? How much you have, how much you need? Other problems? Show emails transpired, when was it sent? Any action taken? Don't go unprepared - you'd just be laughed at and told, "show me the stuff next meeting".

Be sure it is a real and unusual problem. Don't be laughed at for asking about routine problems. In other words, make sure you check with the SMEs (subject matter expert) in the respective formations and schools, before asking the committee. Dont' get laughed at for not knowing how to solve basic problems. When they ask you if you have checked with [insert Rank/Name of relevant SME], be sure to have a satisfactory reply ready.

Be clear about what you want. More importantly, want something. Don't just throw your problem to the committee and wash your hands off the matter. It is fine to suggest a solution from your point of view, then ask the rest what they think of the issue. Chances are, if enough units are affected by the same problem, it would be a bulleted point in next meeting's agenda. They would probably thank you for bringing it up (though this is not guaranteed due to political reasons).

Propose your solution for approval. If you're lucky, other members will discuss this (hopefully not over the next hour!), make refinements to your plan, and it gets approved. Maybe not immediately, but by the next meeting, or after that.

6. After the meeting

You did take down important points of information, right? Disseminate to the relevant personnel, preferably via email, and inform them whether the items are FYI (for your info), FYA (for your action) or FYNA (for your necessary action). Use more acronyms if it is your unit's SOP. The 3F tagging is to make thigns more convenient for others, and to save your ass (I did tell you it's FYNA, whaat).

You also did draft a To Do list, right? Not just for yourself; for your unit, dude. Write the task down, put the name/department responsible for the action to be taken, then put a checkbox next to it. Remember to include the dissemination of meeting points as a To Do as well. This is to remind you, and to save your ass at the next meeting (if you happen not to be the unit rep for the next one - read on for elaboration). Check back with your unit regularly (weekly is good) to see if the items are completed yet. If it is a multi-stage item, pen down the item's progress in a side note. Of course, tick your own checkbox once the points have been disseminated.

Now comes the important part: Check who is the next rep for the unit at the next meeting. If it is you, then things are simpler; just bring your Checklist along. If not, find out who the bugger is, and give him the list about 1-0.5 weeks in advance (not too early, or he can still shirk responsibility to you). Give him a quick briefing on the situation, the checklist will give him the details he needs. It is now his responsibility to update the list. You did remember to tick your checkbox, right? If not, when the chairman asks why so-and-so personnel was not informed, you'd wish you had remembered to wear your steel bum-plate.

Shannon left at 4:21 p. m..

domingo, diciembre 04, 2005

[ 1031. Late Night ]

Total upset of day and night. Got home in the morning yesterday, and simply refuse to fall asleep till noon. Struggled to pull myself out of the bed at 4, so that i could warm up and arrive at service perky and cheery.

Pretty happy to see tim and jonathan today! Haha... it's been so long since i attended service, and it was a real treat to see them today as well. Lolx. Alas, aaron and guanrui couldn't make it. One was sick, and the latter had to attend a gathering. So well.~

Jasmine talked about the basics of salvation. Something really fundamental, prolly i'd have heard it countless times in this life of mine. Probably sometimes i treat it with contempt, wondering how come i gotta sit through it again. But certainly not yesterday. As jasmine filled the sermon with personal anecdotes, my mind was also running its own old film. Especially those formative years of my walk. Stagnating has been a very familiar word. Too familiar, in fact. Short of wanting to fall out, i guess the convenantal bonds with the people are so strong that i've long forgotten that option. I'm energized once again. But there was also this part which wants to find out some things that i never knew. About people and what they thought.

Bo had us did the five languages of love survey during dinner time, as part of CG time. Out of words of encouragement, quality time, gifts, acts of service and physical touch, the survey was to find out which were the languages that we were the most at ease with receiving them. Needless to say, bo immediately shot that mine was obviously physical touch, but alas, survey saves the day. Though physical touch was high, but quality time proved even higher than that. Haha. Had a lil debate over the definition of 'quality time' as well. This era of technology has greatly diminished contact between person to person, face to face. Every lil minute thing is communicated through sms, msn and emails, and even through blogs. I remember calling people up just to talk and chat for hours, and admittedly i no longer do that not because i grown out of that, but just that i was 'lazy-fied' by the sms culture. From the kind of family background i come from, all the more i value personal time with friends, even if it means simply sitting at a cafe for hours chatting, or just window shopping without saying anything much. I need friends and company, in short. Nicole used to say i thrive on fellowship. I don't deny that.

Popped over to max brenner choc bar over at esplanade with bo, jo and enghow after sending tim and jon off. After much procrastination on my side for being fat and broke, i gave in to them and surrendered to the temptations of the warm choc fondue that the trio was so eager to try. A large one for four big eaters to share, i'd really hate to see the small one after seeing how many measly pieces of bread they gave us. Never mind though, all was made up when the first piece of choc-coated marshmallow touched the tongue. Muahahaha.... simply wonderful. How good God is for creating wonders like chocolates! For that precious twenty minutes of so, all about dieting and stuff were strewn far far away from my mind.... lolx. =p

Aye aye... time to laze around for a while, and get ready for consort later on. Tata! =p

Shannon left at 10:00 a. m..

sábado, diciembre 03, 2005

[ 1030. More Mundane Stuff ]

Just got home from overnight shift work. I'm beat. But well, breakfast with enghow turns out pretty interesting. Haha. A lil debate about how often each other are late. Lolx.

Well. Got a letter from ntu to indicate my ability to enrol next year june. Then i realized that school will only start in AUGUST. In fact, 07 August 2006. Oh-my-god. So late ah. That means i have to find more work to fill up those gaps.

Off to zzz land now.

Shannon left at 12:21 p. m..

jueves, diciembre 01, 2005

[ 1029. Ler-ta-gee ]

Ok, i'm juz lethargic. Just came back from pasir laba camp from you-know-what, and well, tomorrow's gonna be worse since i'll be staying there the whole night. Gee. And most of next week too.

Ok, i think i'm whining cuz i'm tired. So i should sleep soon.

Had a wonderful dinner time with bo though. Two crazy guys in no 4, walking around jurong point desperately looking for coke light. Hahahaha. Well. But the food court's food leaves much to be desired. Kind of... bad. Toyed with the idea of going back to PLC with him to bunk in for the night, but since i'm staying there tomorrow night i decided otherwise. Well. Hahah. I dun wanna get into unnecessary trouble anyway. Haiz.

Okie. Enough of life's lil updates.

Shannon left at 11:00 p. m..

gone. will i be back? i don't know. maybe i've started elsewhere. maybe never. again.