Walk the talk.

I am terribly dissapointed with myself. With that being said, i wonder out even if i'd do anything about it. Its a known fact since i was young? That i'm quite a talk only, do little sorta person. I have ideas, plans, dreams .... a cart-full load of ideas and stuff i WANT to do but almost hardly never go about doing it. Its quite pathetic .... how much photography skills have i been improving on? how much web-designing do i know, how much economics have i studied?, how much japanese can i speak?, how many things have i said that i wanted to do, learn and have yet to even have a simple achievement at it?

Time to do something about it, lah.

I guess everything boils down to discipline and actually being organised with my train of thoughts. haha.

Day one 1 of 161

This shall be my last farewell to the place i found home in the last 11 weeks. Tango wing has been a great experience ... what started off with sheer apprehension of the new environment, physical challenge and being an A level student amongst the poly diploma holders .... everything turned out to be simply brilliant .... perhaps my best few weeks in NS has been spent in the company of this band of brothers.

Life has a funny way of teasing us into submission. I'd mention before that there would be a certain form of retribution somehow. I've been kindly shown the way into alpha. There were soo many reasons that beaconed me here ... so much so that i know that it is fate and i should not resist it and embrace whatever shall be.

come what may.

As how Mitch Albom puts it, that every ending is in more ways than one the begining of another story. This is the begining, another chapter of fun filled (mis)adventure and swashbuckling action this onionknight is more than ready to par-take.

above beyond, as one.

14th February. A time of love, a time of being together with that special someone. I had, the ultimate honour of having my valentines day with a girl .... shared amongst 6 guys. haha. And trust me, there was plenty (of the girls) to be shared around.

Alright. I just thought it was funny. To spend it like that and wonder out loud how freakin lucky she could get. I mean. WHEN WILL THERE BE A DAY I WILL SPEND VALENTINE'S DAY WITH SIX GIRLS?

Anyway. It didnt feel like any special day. No heartaches, no wishing that i could be with someone special. I wasn't even disappointed that dear Ms Tan didnt agree to go out with me. Nor reminiscent my first valentines date, coincidentally at the same venue. The only thing that pissed me off was the crazy amount of peddlers trying to sell me flowers.

and the greatest discovery?

BREWERKZ..... DAMN i love the beer. Too bad i wasn't too impressed with the ambiance or angmorishness of the place. but but but...... for 22 dollars a jug!?!?! Its SIMPLY fantastic, crisp, clean and refreshing stuf..... ohh oh ohh and the CALAMARI. OMG. Thats simply the best sotong i've taken in such a looooonggg time. Fish and co? Bah.

I can't wait to be back there. tskkk...............

Safti's True Horror Stories

First there was hell.
and then there was alpha wing.

it was supposed to be a photo taking session wasn't it? Why did we end up running from tree to tree in 30 seconds? Doing pushups in the parade sq when all we said that we were from Tango Wing? Oh did i forget to mention lining up in a line and shouting at the top of our little lungs that we're from Alpha? And that Tango remains a memory? This was to be the first of the litany of horror stories i'd collect in the next 23 weeks of erm ... training.

I am an officer cadets of alpha (read: insanity) wing

1. They're not allowed to walk freely to the toilet after lights out, u stealth ur way there either leopard crawling or simply leap and bouding in monkey rush.

2. To train operational readiness, there was a recall back to camp on the Monday Public Holiday for HariRaya Haji. Duty room called everyone to fall back in and get ready for their 5 day POI Field Camp.

3. Alpha combined 5 day Platoon Field Camp with 4 day ex. Spade to form a 9 day continuous field exercise. Oh they boarded the bus back from Marsling Training area on the last day, didnt go back to wingline though as they thought that they were supposed to. They got dropped off at Lim Chu Kang training area and did a 16km route march back in FBO.

4. No no, they didnt stop their march at the wingline. You see, alpha has a tradition of marching to your wingline, and then just when you thought it was the end of your march, you go for a charlie mike (continuous mission) and march an aditional round around SAFTI. sweet huh?

5. I used to hate Tango 5BX runs. 3 click runs just was irritating in the morning. Oh alpha doesnt do that! GREAT NEWS? Yeah, they run to NTU. Thats about 8 click run for 5BX.

6. Alpha cadets are usually posted to guards and cat 1 operational units. Hence the tough training. I'm going to .... GUARDS?!!?!?!

7. Its getting appaling. Kinda like the 8min anal rape scene in irreversible already huh?

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This is me.
I am in one piece.
I am healthy and sane.
I am looking forward to my weekends to be enjoyed with my friends.

...

What will i become?

Above Beyond, as ONE.

There are battles everyday to be fought. Many battles to be won, many to sacrifice. If we lose today, we fight another day, because the war is never won, until the very last battle is fought.

In this very last battle.

I win.

But the war has barely began.

This is that insanely beautiful day that i have conquered PLC's SOC ground. 9:17 mins of pain has been exchanged for pride and hours of ecstacy. Coming in first amongst all the retakers has earned me a first prize in alpha wing. (a horror story that i will come into terms in due time.)

For now ... i would like to thank my instructors LTA Albert, LTA Subash and 2LT Lawrence for their inspiration to push me onwards as an officer to be. My deepest thanks to my mum for encouraging me the night before with her warm words and to the following 3 special people who i share my little victory with.

To Lim Soon Kok, i thank you for being a great friend, confidant and buddy in my wonderful term in tango. I'd really miss our camaradie, moaning about singlehood, sharing your collection of chiobu photos and 1 hour taxi rides home. Thank you for being my strongest inspiration in my rundown as my pacer even when your ankle ligament was damaged.

To Chua Ren Chen for believing in my strengths and ability. Being overly enthusiastic, shouting and destroying my ear drum till all through my run i could'nt wait to end it soon enough to ask you to shut up. Thank you man for screwing me up all through the 1.5km.

To Ong Keng Soon. Thank you for specially pacing me today, believing that i had the fighting spirit to excel and to overcome. I thank you for your prayers and promising to clean my rifle if i passed. (even when in the end you didnt help me clean it.)

To all you 3 great cadets of OCS, i salute you and cannot thank you guys more. Come july i'd promise to dedicate my alpha badge to the 3 of you guys. tskk. (alpha!!?!?!?!?!! aahhhhh!)

Even when passing SOC seems like no big deal to many, its been a helluva battle today. And i'm another proud monkey.

Before your last breath, every ending of a chapter, every little victory won simply opens up the begining of the next adventure.

to the entire cohort of 53/03 OCC, and especially to the fantastic bunch of people in tango 1, i hope to see ya guys on the parade sq in july, all healthy and in one piece.

becasue ....

We are officer cadets of OCS

To inspire us onwards as officers to be
We now state in reverence and respect

the officers' creed

the ghost in the shell trailer is simply breathtaking. Damnit man, i can't wait for it to hit the big screens..... perhaps 2004 will be the year of the anime? haha.

this was drawn by a singaporean poly student. Hand drawn and coloured digitally. see what i mean that A level students are seriously a bunch of aimless, talentless stuck up group of students who think they are oh-so-way-up-there.

eat dirt.

RAh!