We're all Getting a lil' Bit Old

Wow, has it really been that long since we were in Secondary School?

Already we have BOYS BECOMING men, and its not what you leave behind, OH NO, its about WHAT YOU GAIN IN THE DAYS AHEAD

And boy have we all gained ALOT...

As we look back on days past, that we;ve wasted NOT defending our country, we truly realise how much time we have actually wasted...

Not Very Much

But moving along, we have currently celebrated two of our esteemed Council member's 21st Birthdays, officially making them. MEN

And currently, we have 1 ORD Personnel, 5 NSF's and finally, one who sold his soul for cash

But alls well that ends well

Lets begin our recap , firstly, of Laus 21st Bash celebrations!

We spent the day trying to find Lau the perfect present, I actually thought of getting him a very useful present, a 100 pack of condoms unfortunately, that was WAY past our budget of 2 dollars, (I thought condoms were cheap)

And in the end, we settled on getting for him a model of an f-15 plane, which he will one day be perhaps most likely be flying.

And so finally we met up at Serangoon Country Club for his Big Birthday Dinner, but the poor bugger had so many friends to entertain, that he only had a small miniscule amount of time to spend with us, but we did spend it well

Happy BIRTHDAY LAU

So we move on to Har's 21st PARTY!!

Originally it was SUPPOSED to be a Surprise party, but unfortunately, he figured it out and wasn't particularly surprised at all

But Joyce planned it adn we had free food. So... I'd say it was a good party after all!

Lau was kind enough to bring along his spanking brand new... XBOX 360!!

(which is still NOT in a million years better than a playstaion 3)

To Hars birthday celebration, where people of all age groups and languages, (curse, english, chinese) gathered together to play.. Get this... GUITAR HERO!

Unfortunately, some, names be not mentioned, happened to personify the word, EPIC FAIL While others, ROCKED HARD

Well Har, Hope you had a gd one!

POP and RP

Well well well.... Finally Basic Military Training is over for me. It was an interesting and somewhat... ILLUMINATING experience.

Welcome to the Singapore Armed Forces Basic Military Training Center, where BOYS become MEN.

If that were so, I for one, would worry over the future of Singapore, and the actual number of MEN there are...

Hehe, who thought that I was fat? Believe it or not, there were actually people EVEN BIGGER than me, all in EAGLE COMPANY! WOOOOO

Meh, the first few days of BMT were the 2 longest weeks in my life... Having to life with insufferable people and lazy ass boogers, makes me appreaciate Har more and more everyday..

Boom!

There is of course more to BMT than just that, but I can't particularly think right now.... OH WELL, we wait for the NEW army boys to come out too!

There's A Time for Everything

The time comes, for every poor Singaporean boy to become a man. Not, mind you, by his own choice, but by the fact that our lil ol' country is too small, and lacks a proper defence force.

But fortunately, when faced with this prospect of becoming a man, everyone reacts, in one way or another. Some, in a positive, lets do it attitude. While a select few cut their losses and do what ever they can to avoid such a confrontation.

Me? I took 3 holidays in 6 months.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I did not take going to army with an open mind.

Our Hong Kong trip was fantastic, I've made memories that I never want to forget. We had a brilliant time, we ate, played, drank and enjoyed the time we had together. Its always good to know that, even after all this time apart, we are all still friends.

I know how Hong Kong trip was never fully documented on our blog, but because I was requested not to document it till the end. But, I can tell you this. They did all they could to prepare me for National Service. They got me to walk a damnnnn long distance one night, man was that a workout to remember.

So just 1 week after we came back from Hong Kong, I flew off to Tokyo japan for another session of butt freezing. It was expensive yes, but ey, the food justified the cost too eh? It was good stuff! I went to Disneyland, I relived my childhood! I miss those days you know? When things used to be so carefree and what not?

Haize, yea yea, I know this post is not very uplifting or funny, or anything that the previous posts are like, but allow me just for a moment to reminice? And then I will do my best to uplift it some what.

So I went to Aussie for a month as well, just to come back 1 WEEK before I have to enlist, which by the way, is THIS Friday. And these days have been filled with fun, laughter peace and joy!

So we planned a one day Council event last Saturday! Heh. We went to watch a movie called... DUH DUH DUH DUHHHHHH

PRINCE CASPIAN

Hehe, it was like watching the lord of the rings, but iweth different characters, somehow after watching it, you realise how similar it is to so many, many films/books

We were on a tight schedule, that was mostlly my fault. Heh, I'm a stickler for schedules and time. SO, we went at a reasonable pace towards our next destination, SHOKUDO (at least I think thats what it is called) for, you're going to enjoy this, JAPANESE FOOD!

So, we started off reasonably well. We ordered Salmon Sahimi and California maki, and for the main course, two of us ordered Japanese curry rice. Then it started, two of us ordered... DUM DUM DUMMM BURGERS! WoW! BURGERS, the pinnacle of JaPaneSE CUISINE! Then, the second blow came... TWO ROSTIS! BAM, straight to the head. Another great achievement that our Japanese Brothers have achieved.

LoL, so after that, we went back to my place, and just hung out. We watched Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Semi-Pro, Click and Stay Alive. We also went for a supper of Prata and Kambing Sup.

The next day however, was an exhausting day. I didn't sleep till like 6 in the morning and so it was definitely a tiring day. But I recuperated.

The following Monday, I managed to borrowed the CAR, and we, meaning Dan, Rajiv, Lau and I, went down to the army market together to get Rajiv's things. It was fun, but albiet short.

We had fun times this past week. And I'm sure we will continue to have fun times in the days, weeks, months and years to come. So, thats that. In another day's time, the time will come for me to face my future. And I am sure it will be an eye opening experience.

Sometimes, we make decisions that we regret. But my decision to go into Montfort Secondary was and still is not a decision I regret. Making frens with Har is also another decision I dunt regret making.

Cause, through him, I've made good frens, who until now, have managed to put up with my nonsense and though I'm sure that I piss em off sometimes,are still my frens.

The Council.

"Yea, I just got a 80GB iPod. Cause I like to run for 3 weeks on end, and NEVER listen to the same song twice"

TideBoyZ

Haha. Wtf you want us to say?

No, I'm not a commando until i get the red beret.

Mr. Tan

So commandos, 2 now have we. Old tanned Lau and new White Tan

Ahh, what a great time for the council, all grown up. Out of school and into work

Alas I still do miss Hong kong, but at least I get to go to Australia yea? So, since you all do not want me to reminisce about good ol HK, I guess I wont then... But at least I still have my memories...

Well, sad to say this blog's going nowhere... Fast... So we'll see how long this carries on then

The Singapore Flyer...

Saturday 15 March. It's a bright, sunny morning in Singapore...

Maybank building!!!

On this day, the gaming event known as EA Play 08 takes place. Singaporeans who are extremely free and have nothing better to do can come to this exclusive event for the chance to see:

...an ugly Cyborg-thing filling the screens of over 30 PC screens! Ahhh!

Yes, Kane Wrath, the sequel to C&C 3 Tiberium Wars. Exclusively for us to preview a week before release. Fans of the game get up bright and early to preview this title hands on. After all, the previous year's EA Play had Tiberium Wars available for preview from as early as 9 am.

Early birds wanting to be among the first in the world to play arrive in the morning, unaware that prior to the Kane's Wrath hands on lies the finals of the Asia Pacific Crysis Tournament and the qualifiers of the Asia Pacific C&C 3 tournament, resulting in the game being only open for hands on preview at 6 pm in the evening!

Oh what to do till then? You can only watch the Crysis tournament for so long before you get bored of seeing people gun down each other over and over and over... Thankfully there is a convenient attraction lying around:

Tourists, prepare to lose your money! And the Integrated Resort isn't even up yet!

Ah, yes the Singapore Flyer. Completed not long ago before this blog entry. Initially proposed by the SAF as a surveillance structure disguised as a ferris wheel, the idea was scrapped after efforts to locate escaped JI detainee Mas Selamat bin Kastari by positioning SAF personnel on the top cabin scanning the country with binoculars met with staggering failure. Deemed totally useless for locating escaped terrorists with limps on their left legs, the Singapore Flyer became a full-fledged civilian tourist attraction. It even has escalators instead of staricases to give the impression of a shopping mall with ferris wheel.

But that's enough background information. To put it simply, if tourist attractions were weapons, the Singapore Flyer would classify as a WMD. The wheel itself is in the middle of a vaguely triangular-shaped structure with three levels all crammed with shops, restaurants and a bunch of other things that aren't even associated with ferris wheels. Wanna purchase sunglasses AND be within 30 meters of a ferris wheel? The Singapore Flyer's your kind of place.

And now on to the features of the Singapore Flyer.

Directly under the wheel is what looks like foliage they didn't clear away from the time when the area was still undeveloped land. It's disguised as a garden so you won't notice.

You can visit any of the shops or even the pseudo-garden under the wheel without paying for a ticket. However, everywhere you go there are advertisments about how totally awesome the Flyer is. Plus there's a ticket counter on level 1, eliminating the life-threatening necessity for some delicate tourists to ascend a few stories to buy a ticket. Their lives are only at risk when they have to ascend anyway to board the cabins of the Flyer.

Making it from level 1 to level 2 is an achievement worthy of taking a photograph as evidence of the glorious accomplishment.

Once you've purchased the ticket, you gain permission to enter the Flyer cabin that shall serve as your prison for the next 35 minutes. Now it's not a straight route up to the boarding area. First you must go through some metal detectors because they just love to make your life difficult.

Next you get to enter a model of the Flyer cabin with a green screen background. This is for photo taking and the green screen will become something like the first image in this blog entry.

After photo taking, you will be handed a black data storage drive containing the photo. When your ride is over, there will be a counter where you pass over the data storage drive for your photo to be developed and only then will they tell you it costs $25. This is a forewarning to all of you. If you do not wish to pay, then just run through the photo taking cabin. Don't stop even when the people there encourage you to take a photo. Bring your own goddamm camera.

The passageway to the boarding area is lined with LCD screens every 5 meters. The screens display stuff like 3D animations of people entering the Flyer cabins, with the 3D graphics resembling those of an Ocean Ou De Yang music video...

What you see when your cabin is departing. It's too late to escape you are already sealed in!

The Flyer rotates at an extremely slow speed. People standing as near as the grandstand of the Floating Platform Stage can easily think the Flyer broke down as the cabins don't seem to be moving. As your cabin goes up, you will see things like this:

Floating Platform... I remember the NDP days when I was there and the platform was blue...

They claim you can see Malaysia. If SAF personnel with binoculars couldn't spot Selamat from here I dunno...

The cabin is moving slowly... elevator music is playing... suddenly you feel bored and start wondering if the shitload of cash you spent on the ticket was worth it...

Behold this is your prison. Unlike Changi Prison these cells don't even have places to shit. And look at the door it says NO EXIT, that means you ain't going nowhere! Making things worse, everywhere you look you see the world of freedom outside your claustrophobic confinement.

At the top, when you look directly down you can see just how far you're gonna fall to your doom if the cabin detaches. Woot.

It may not look like it but that crap in the distance will become the Integrated Resort. Sucking even more tourist money. Man, Singapore's tourism industry rocks.

Anyway, after you reach the top, something incredible happens. You actually start to go down. Then, you glance at the door opposite the NO EXIT one and gasp in elation when the door says EXIT. So they weren't planning to keep you in there forever after all!

As the ground draws closer, you are filled with a sense of "okay, that's it?" And as the departure area looms closer, you are filled with relief that after 35 minutes "finally can go toilet".

A photo of a water hose. what you can't see the hose? It's at the bottom of the pic. Yeah my photographer skills suck. Buy me a better camera if you wanna do something about it.

And that's it. The ride ends, the wheel has come full circle (literally). And like many before you, your wallet is $30 poorer. It's about to get $25 poorer if you decide to develop that picture from the data storage drive that you're still holding on to. You can attempt to leave the area with the data storage drive if you want. It'll make a nice, albeit useless souvenier.

For the eager gamer out there who has finished wasting 35 minutes of his life in a cabin with 2 LCD screens, a fire extinguisher and a ton of windows, it's back to Marina Sqaure to continue the agonizing wait for the Kane's Wrath hands on...


Randall

It's Break Time!!

Well, alot of people enjoy TV, and as proof, we have several TV shows, Prison Break being one of them that show how popular TV has become in local culture. Sometimes these shows generate interesting and thought-provoking... Thoughts. Like, can this REALLY be done? Can we REALY escape from prison?

Well... Now we know. Don't we?