December Forecast
I will be away from camp to attend this Modified Ammunition Technical Training course from the 2nd to the 15th. That means I would not be put on duty for the weekends this course crossed over. It is back to camp for duty on the 16th. Then on the 17th, I would be away and abroad to Malaysia on a short getaway.
It is hell after I am back though. In order to hit the quota of duties in camp, I have to be on alternate duties for the rest of the month. The dates are 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29. That means I would be spending my Christmas in camp. Sad.
Sad Day.
I was getting ready to whip up some good blogs for you readers after such a long absence when this shocking news came through. It simply killed off any writing mood I had moments earlier. I received a speeding offence letter sent by Mr Nice Traffic Policeman.
Below are the contents of the letter.
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Date of Offence : 13 Nov, 1.59am
Place of Offence : HOLLAND ROAD
Vehicle Number : SDK xxxx A
Vehicle Type : MOTOR CAR
Offence(s): SPEEDING (EXCEED SPEED LIMIT OF 60KMPH ROAD) UNDER SEC 63(4)RTA CAP 276.(21-30KMPH)
Demerit Points: 6
Under the provisions of the Road Traffic Act, Chapter 276, you are required to furnish me with the driver's particulars within 7 days from the date of issue of this notice. Failure to furnish these particulars constitutes an additional offence of "Owner failing to furnish driver's particulars" which carries a maximum penalty of $1000 or 6 months imprisonment or both such fine and imprisonment.
Yours faithfully,
HEAD
INVESTIGATION & VIOLATION REPORTS BRANCH
TRAFFIC POLICE DEPARTMENT
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I need consolation after such a shock. It is another 6 weeks before I get an additional 12 points for obtaining my driving licence for more than a year. Until then, I would be better off taking the bus...
Busy Day
Straight after the Saturday duty, I was in a rush to make the most of the weekend I have left. I had planned to meet Ben for a car washing session together. Then one of my camp mate is coming over to my house to fix up my computer. The day would conclude with an outing with another group of camp mates.
The Polar Express
I decided that my weekend is too precious to be wasted on car-washing so I suggested doing something else like pool or a movie. Ben suggested watching The Polar Express and hey presto! We were at Jurong Point before you know it. And guess what! Taufik and Sylvester were there too! The two finalist were there to promote their escalating celebrity status and the crowd were just deafening. From the escalator two stories down when we were making our way up from the carpark basement, we were greeted with thunderous cheers. They must have known we were coming. Haha.
I think it was Jean Denkar who was the MC. I couldn't really remember. The two of us just pushed through the crowd and made our way fast to the ticket booth on the third floor. I had to part with Ben almost immediately after the movie because I had an appointment with my camp mate who is coming over to my house to fix my computer.
Computer fixed!
Finally after more than two weeks of fustration, the computer is well and truly fixed. Spending $150 in the process, my wonderful machine is back online. The money is spent on a new MSI mainboard. My camp mate is so kind enough to travel all the way from Bishan to my Bukit Batok home to help me do up the computer. I owe him one. At least I was kind enough to pick him up from Clementi MRT station and send him to Chua Chu Kang MRT station afterwards.
Genting
Met up with another two of my camp mates after dropping my friend at Chua CHu Kang MRT station. Picked one up at Bukit Panjang and the other at Jurong East. We went to Chinatown to check out the prices of our proposed overseas trip to Genting, Malaysia. After sounding out the rates from four different travel agencies, it seems like the cheapest choice would be to stay at First World Hotel. Although it is the newest hotel there, it also happens to be the lousiest. Since we are going to spend most of our time at the casino, we settled on the most economical option avaliable. It is about $120 per person for the return trip and two night's accomodation.
The Week
Friday
Duty on this fateful day. Nothing much to report.
Saturday
Went back to my secondary school for their open-house. Located at Yuan Ching Road, Jurong secondary School was one of the top neighbourhood school in the west. Don't know about that now. Anyway the school had been extensively renovated and rebuilt since my departure 6 years back. The school is almost unrecognizable when compared to the days when there was still a football field behind the main blocks. Now, the area where the field once stood was fenced up and making way for new constructions. More blocks were built into the existing blocks and many places had been relocated. The hall which once housed the students were moved to a new block. The newly built canteen looks spanking clean. Utility rooms such as the laboratories, technical rooms, CCA rooms and rooms for cooking classes are all found in a whole new block. The classrooms in the old blocks were given a facelift and walls were knocked down to make way for new corridors.
The group of us that were present were pretty amazed at the transition the school made in the few years of absence. Where did they get all the fundings for all these? Anyway we were just glad the students lived a better than we did then. So after a few hours of admiring the school, we went to Jurong Point for a round of game. By then it was late afternoon. Spilt up and went our own ways after that.
I met up with Tiffany and gang at City Hall at 6pm. Our bi-monthly or so routine meet up took place at Suntec City's Sizzler this time. Dinner started with their stomach filling salad followed by a main course of salmon and teriyaki chicken for me. We found a place to relax and chill out after that filling dinner. Settled for white wine at this bar call Paulaner Munchen at Millenia Walk. They have large screen telecasting the live match between Manchester United and Charlton. Manchester won 2-0.
SPI
Visit
www.spi.com.sg for more stories on Singapore's haunted places. I visited the web site and read the many columns they published based on their ventures to such places. I was motivated to join their team of paranormal investigators but after I look at the members of the team, I changed my mind. They don't look like the kind of guys I would want to explore haunted places with. They seem an unattractive bunch. No offence here but I would rather explore eerie places with my own friends. Although not many of my friends are interested in going to scary places in the middle of the night, I am lucky to have a few who do.
Visit the web site and read their stories. They have many interesting pictures they took at abandoned houses, along rivers and at some of the places I mentioned in my previous blog entry. Perhaps your curiosity would be aroused by their investigations.
Ghost!
Been into the spiritual stuff lately. Do you like visit haunted places? Do you wanna explore old abandoned hospitals, mansions or HDB estates?
I am drawn to so called haunted places. The level of curiosity in me is so high I cant wait to go back after a visit to those places. Let me share some places I have been to before.
Old Changi Hospital
Located some distance away from Changi Village, this is one of the most popular 'haunted' place in Singapore. I have been there about 3 times. Each time, I have not met anything unusual. There was once I had a very scary encounter with the police though. Haha. I was at the car pouch of the hospital when a voice over a loud hailer cut through the silence of the night. 'Switch off your torches and come out immediately.' The dozen of us in the group were scared out of our skin. Not because of the sudden sound but the prospect of being prosecuted for trespassing. We ran for our dear lives into the main building and exited through one of the two ways out of the hospital.
The hospital is made of 3 interconnected blocks and is about 4 storey in height. There is a small lobby area on the ground floor where a kerosene lamp hung. Around that area, there are dogs which would probably chase you if you come near. the hospital was used to service the sick natonal service men from Pulau Tekong many years back. I would advise you to bring a torch if you decide to visit this place or any other mentioned here for that matter.
Hill View mansion
Located on top of the high land at Hill View, the mansion has been demolished to make way for what ever the developers had in mind. To reach the mansion though, is no mean feat. First, you have to find your way through the maze of landed properties there. Next as you come to the bottom of the slope which leads to the mansion, you are greeted with a slope so steep your lousy Proton Wira would not get up. I would strongly advise against cycling up the slope as it would be nearly impossible. Drivers please make sure your car is strong enough to make the steep ascend to the gates of the mansion.
Stand in front of the gates and face the mansion, you would be overwelmed by the aura of the place. A long walkway with a slight gradient awaits beyond the gates. As you walk the sixty or so odd metres up, you reached a sharp bend to the left. Climb further and you get to see the mansion. But, there is no mansion anymore. The mansion had been demolished and what is left is just barren land. Not much value in wasting your time on this place anymore.
Lim Chu Kang cemetries
The arces of cemetries to be found in this area is as frightening as the prospect of meeting the unknown. The cemetries must be as least ten football fields in area, and that is just a conservative estimate. Drive into any of the lanes that lead into the cemetry. The road is wide enough for only one vehicle to pass. So that is no chance of backing out till you hit a wider area deep into the unknown. The fear factor in this area needs no further elaboration. To even attempt to explore this area at night takes some crazy sort of effort and few who had the guts to do so should be worshipped.
Pasir Ris Red House
The least scary of the places I have mentioned. The 'Red House' found deep into Loyang Ave has been redo so much it has lost all its fear factor. The place is brightly lited with new lights along the outskirts of the building. The fence is fitted with barbed wire and there are working street lamps just outside the house. The two stone lions outside the gate are supposed to be the scary icons of the place but I personally do not find it scary at all. The lions are small in size and do not possessed the kind of intimidation that I hear from others. The stone statues are less than 1 metre in height.
Conculsion:
Althought I have not meet any incidents that are out of the ordinary, I still think that there is value in exploring such places. I do not have a strong stand on an absolute 'I believe there is/ there isn't' thinking on such supernatural stuff. I just think that I would truly believe in them if I saw something myself. Anyone else game to do so with me?
The Little Boy.
Once there was a little boy whom met a little girl. The little girl fall in love with the little boy at first sight. But the little boy does not like the girl. Instead, he likes another girl. The other girl never repaid the boy's love though. the little girl who likes the boy kept her faith and continue to love the boy silently though the boy displayed his intentions clearly.
Years later, the girl still love the boy and though they were never together as a pair, they kept in close contact. The boy finally realised the depth of the girl's love and was truly touched by her. He then realised that the one true love he was looking for was just beside him all the time. He saw what a fool he had been all these years trying to find love when the one was just in front of him.
He asked the girl out for dinner one day and the girl was escalated by the boy's invitation. In her anxiety to see the boy, she dashed across the road and was knocked down by an errant driver. The boy never forgive himself..
EQ Dance Club
Just bought the CD today. And I must say its good. One of the best compilation of techno songs in a long while. Makes the other releases sound like rubbish when you hear the songs in this lastest product by EQ Music. The third disc features non-stop music mixed by WKRZ 91.3 FM DJ Jason Chow. Few clubs in Singapore play such music now. Techno music is, sadly, associated with
bengs and
lians. It is a misconception and clubbers are now more mature when compared to the days when
Butterfly is the top hit.
Ratings for the CD:
Selection of songs: 9/10
Techno Quotient: 10/10
Price: 9/10 (3 disc @ $19 at Popular CD Rama)
Recommended songs:
The Love You Promised
by The Usual Suspects
Forever
by Mr Konrad
Never Enough by Industries of Lust
Bad Boy by Cascada
Take Control
by Spoot
Sweet Dreams
by M-Express
Partyworld Orchard
Went KTVing with Ben, DJ, Beryl, Desmond and his girlfriend YanNi. Got a big room at Partyworld Orchard that would fit a dozen people. 4 hours of crooning. 50 cents karaoke-on-demand (KOD) surcharge. 6 free drinks. $70 bucks. The KOD surcharge is simply rubbish. You are made to pay for the computerised song dedication system. What cheek to make customers pay for such stuff. Even KBox has this small but extra payment which leaves a sour taste in one's mouth.
Fen joined us after the singing session for dinner. Just backed from Bangkok, she looks healthily tanned. We ate at this
dim sum restaurant in Paragon Shopping Centre. I forgot the name of the popular eatary. It was jammed packed with diners when we arrived and had to take a queue number to wait our turn. Serving the best
dim sum from Hongkong, the restaurant feature an open concept kitchen where chefs strut their skills in full view of the public.
After a not so full dinner, we make do with some dessert from the many stalls in Paragon. Ben, Beryl, Desmond and YanNi bought ice-cream. Weifen and I bought titbits from Marketplace. DJ looks on.
More sweeteners coming up at Lips The Cafe @ Cineleisure. A slice of chocolate cake and an ice coffee with chocolate ice-cream float makes for a good finale of eating spree. Chatted for a couple of hours at the relocated cafe on the 5th floor. I understand that it was on the 3rd floor before the major renovation at Cineleisure(correct me if I am wrong).
Home sweet home after that. It brings a closure to a super long weekend thanks to the two public holidays which has benefited all races. Selamat Hari Raya and Adifiltri!
My Room
My room's in a fine mess right now. My mood's not very good either. My sister set up her laptop beside my mum's on my already cramped table. With all the wires and cables hanging all over, I can hardly find the space to put my cup of coffee. A man gets angry easily if he cant find space to put his morning beverage..
Time to clear up the pile of what-ever-you-like-to-call-it on my table. I would post pictures on the blog if I could, but I cant because my mum's laptop is not installed with the software to upload pictures onto Blogspot. And I cant be bothered to download the software. My mum's backed anyway. Her plane landed at Terminal 1 yesterday morning. That means I will not get to be online everyday. She's back to work today. Saw her on the way back from camp.
Simple adgenda for today. Going to set up the altar and pray for fine weather later. A rainy day isn't the best weather to spend a Sunday. It kind of dampens one's spirit doesn't it? The only comforting thing in my life right now is the thought of ORDing in 3 month's. Of course that is discounting the wonderful family and loyal friends I have.
Catch ya later..
On my way home...
Have you on your bus ride home, thought of a song that reminds you so much of wonderful times spent?
This is mine...
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On My Way Home
by Enya
I have been given
One moment from heaven
As I am walking
Surrounded by night
Stars high above me
Make a wish under moonlight
On my way home
I remember only good days
On my way home
I remember all the best days
And on my way home
I can remember every new day
I move in silence
With each step taken
Snow falling round me
Like angels in flight
Far in the distance
Is my wish under moonlight
On my way home
I remember only good days
On my way home
I remember all the best days
On my way home
I can remember every new day
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It's a new age kinda song. I love it. There is another song in Enya's
The Memory of Trees album call
Anywhere Is. I bought the album many years back during my secondary school days. I remembered it was during secondary 2. That was also the year when my grandfather passed away. I listened to the two songs everyday during that dark period. I would put on my headphones and listen to the two songs repeatedly. Thus, the two songs took on special meaning. Many a year had passed since then and whenever I hear the songs again, a certain aura of serenity sets upon me. It brings peace to my mind.
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3pm:
Going out to meet DJ at SIM later. Been so bored I am even willing to make the troublesome trip to Bukit Timah instead of a more convenient spot like West Mall or Lot 1. He has laboratory class this afternoon. A 3 hour lesson that starts at 2pm and ends at 5pm though it usually dismiss at around 4pm according to DJ. Haven't been to SIM before. A chance to check out his classmates too, haha.
Deepavali
What is everyody on this fine holiday? Are you flying off for a short break? Are you spending quality time with your family? Are you eloping with your love one?
Whichever way you choose to spend this wonderful day, daZ'z wishes everyone a happy day.
Haizz
Dear Diary,
daZ'z has not been feeling very well these few days. He wonders why. Maybe because there are no girls to cheer him up? Haha. Luckily, he has good old friends whom are always there for him. He thanked them for that.
Appreciative daZ'z.
The Little One.
Once upon a time high on the slopes of Buckalala Hill lives a dwarf friends call the Little One. Little One lives in a tiny brick-wall cottage. The walls of the cottage are painted beige and it has red roofs. There is also a small chimney on this cottage which the Little One built years ago. He was proud of his work.
The cottage is set along the slopes of Buckalala Hill. On where the cottage stands, the land flattens out nicely so that the Little One could even have a small piece of garden. The Little One shares his place with a couple of others. The birds would rest on his window ledge and peck on the glass pane. That wakes him up every morning. The bees love his garden where they could suck the nector out of his home-grown roses. The butterflies dance in the radiant sunlight, displaying their wings of beauty.
Toegther, they live happily ever after.
BERthday
It was a happening Saturday night. No doubt about that. Beryl's the birthday girl but why do I get this feeling that I was the one being
sabohed? Haha. I am a sporting guy! I played along. Even though I find myself doing some childish stuff in front of everybody. Grrr... wait till I get my hands on her friends whom made me do all those stupid things...
The day started off pretty well. First, it was KTV at Lot 1. With a K Lunch menu that changes everyday and a price that had dropped since day 1, I must say again that it is one of the best KTV package around.
Met up with DJ after that for our usual gaming session. With over $20 in arcade credits, we were almost sick after two straight hours of play. The results of our weekly patronising were there though. We had improved beyond the average gamer and I could draw a lesson from this: Continual practising is the down to earth method for improvement. Applies to many if not all things in life.
Had a short break at West Mall's newly opened
Kopi Roti after the gruelling workout at Lot 1.
Kopi Roti is a more economical alternative to The Coffeebean & Tealeaf. With drinks one third the price of Coffeebean's, it certainly represents a smarter choice in times of economic instability.
It's showtime after our little break.
Balloons, five-star catering service, 30-strong party animals and friendly parents make for a good birthday party. It's big 21 for the birthday girl. Congratulations! You have earned the ticket to adulthood!
We drank , we ate and we partied the night away. There were even games as the party's finale! The pass-rubberband-with-straws segment was a real killer. And I must offer my most sincere apologies to this lady for my actions during the game. I did not mean to spit the straw in your face but you look most comical with the straw trembling between your lips! Haha. No offence.
The party finally made way for supper after midnight when all the cinderella princes and princesses headed home. The dozen or so left were treated to a walk inside the supposedly haunted mansion atop of Hill View. DJ and I led the charge up the dark and forbidding walkway that leads to the mansion. Yixiang and another friend of Weifen soon overtook us. The rest of the gang followed behind. There was another group of motorcyclists and they barbed their noisy machines up the walkway. What greeted them was barren land where the mansion once stood. Apparently, the building was demolished to make way for whatever the owners had in mind. What a disappointment!
To brave the unknown and not be rewarded is injustice done to our valiant effort. And so we went on our way, curiosity satisfied. Supper at the roti prata shop behind NUS. Home sweet home after that. It was 4am by the time I got home.
Hidden Entry: True Loves
He has only 2 true love in his life. One during his secondary school days. The girl was pretty ordinary at that point of time. None of his friends would give their approval if they knew who she was. She wasn't particularly beautiful. She has a sharp tougue. One that had offended many a people. She has a kind of arrogant look about her. But she is a decent girl. She does not lie. She does not steal. She does not smoke. She excels in her studies. She is loyal to her friends. She is straight forward. That is what I like about her. She is very helpful too. Once, he jokingly said that his pager was running out of battery and she offered to bring down 2 batteries from her place down for him.
She was pretty receptive to him too. The both of them would talk for hours when given the chance. One day, she called him. This is the first phone call he receive from her. They talked for a couple of minute. She had called to ask about homework. The few minutes was enough to send him into ecstasy. What was to follow though was beyond his belief. He was a shy one when it comes to holding conversations over the phone. She called him one night. He remembers it was around 10:30pm. they chatted for over an hour. She was the one doing the talking for most of the time. He would listen to her sweet voice. He enjoys listening to her.
The love never blossomed between them though. The ending was nothing short of disappointing and heart-breaking for the both of them...
The second true love he had happened during his time in the army. He had struggled to find love of any kind during that period of time. It is difficult in an all male working environment. He had known this girl quite some time prior to falling in love with her, they had never been close friends. One day, he messaged her. It was during her birthday and he wished her happy birthday. The girl replied thanks and he replied welcome. What was to happen simply took him by surprise. The girl messaged that she missed him. He thought she was joking and questioned her message. She repeated her message and he took the the chance to confess to her.
It turned out to be embarassing. The girl wasn't expecting him to do that and simply brushed off his confession. Red-faced, he wished her good night and went to bed. The next day, he began messaging the girl and asked her out. He was afraid of rejection but the girl did not reject her. He drove her out for supper and it was awkward on the first 'date'. Over the next weeks, he kept asking her out and she did not reject him on each occassion. They would talk on the phone for hours and their conversations frequently run over 2am in the morning.
Then came the shocker. She did not call or messaged him for days. As he was in camp for nights on ends, he did not missed her calls as much. When he did took the initiative to call her, she sounded cold and unwillingly to talk. Thinking that she might be tired with her work, he hung up after fruitless attempts to know the reason behind her quietness. This carried on for many days, days which turned to weeks, weeks which turned to months. His stubborn heart finally anknowledge that the girl would not be coming back.
If you are reading this, it is because you browsed through my blog. I posted this entry on 30th November. I had kept it as a draft because I had not completed writing it on the 7th. Also I do not think that this entry is appropriate enough to be released at that point in time.
Hello...
It seems so long since I last blog. Been without the services of the computer recently. Today, my mum is flying off on a business trip to China. That means I get to use her laptop for the next 7 days. Some good news in a long time. Duty tomorrow though.
=(
Have been very slack in camp. While the rest of my platoon is out under the sun working, i chose to stay indoors in air-conditioned rooms and chat with the clerks in my unit. I actually feel bad and it is worse when the guys come out hot and sweaty and sees me cool and dry, relaxing away. BUT.. I let my ORD mood take over and tell myself everything would be over soon. I am not going to see them after I ORD and some I never consider friends. Well.. that's being ultra realistic isn't it? That's life in the army. Few strong friendships are bond in the army. Even lesser last after ORD. The minority that made it could last a lifetime though.
K Lunch again on Saturday morning. Followed by maybe a game with DJ (wanna go Lot 1 World Combat again?). Afterwhich would be going to Beryl's birthday party. Big 21 this year. The age when kids turn to adults. November 6th happens to be my younger sister's birthday too. So 2 presents to be given out this weekend.
Hmm.. feel like having tom yam noodle now.. hungry!
