Friday, November 06, 2009

*cough cough cough*

woah, dust.

ok trying to revive this blogspace, so i can like, write stuff about my upcoming

CHINA IMMERSION PROGRAMME (6th December 2009 - 26th December 2009)

Taiwan Extension (26th December 2009 - 1st January 2010)

Exchange Programme to HKU (6th January 2010 - 22nd May 2010)

Yay!

Saturday, September 06, 2008

"are you with them?"



"erm no.."



"ok bye."



-hangs up-



I would really appreciate it if people could like, acquire better telephone etiquette. It's VERY annoying to dash into my room halfway through cooking, just so I could pick up my ringing phone. And then to get someone who doesnt even bother to say HELLO, asks 1 damn question and hangs up without explaining.



DAMMIT.

Thursday, June 12, 2008
少年杨家将

I just finished watching, on DVD, this series: The Young Warriors of the Yang Clan, or 少年杨家将 in chinese. The above image is the promotional poster for the drama series. This series was filmed in 2006 by the china media, starring people like the famous Hong Kong actress Amy Chan (陈秀雯) as Mother of the family, Hu Ge (胡歌) as the Sixth son, Peter Ho (何润东) as the Fourth son, Eddie Peng (彭于宴) as the Seventh son, and many other pretty girls as their wives.
The story of the Yang Family in ancient chinese history about their chivalry and courage during war times has been covered time and again in different drama series made by several countries. I have watched a few of them, and I happen to find this one extremely touching, and excellently made.

First off, the CAST was definitely well chosen. A cast FULL of dynamic, young people (all VERY handsome and VERY pretty actors and actresses) to show the younger days of the Yang family (Father Yang Ye, Mother She Sai Hua, 7 sons and a daughter). Someone like Joel will definitely be very interested to watch, given such a high standard of physical appeal. Although I know the mere chinese language part is enough to turn him off.

Anyway, yes the cast kept my mother (and I) glued to my new Samsung 4 Series 40" LCD TV till the wee hours of the night. Pretty girls married to cute guys! What more do u need? A Good Storyline. Yes, the storyline progressed from being very cheerful and light hearted, to heavy and sad as the country goes to war towards the end of the series. War scenes, and the Yang sons dying on the battlefield really brought tears to my eyes. This is coupled with an excellent soundtrack and choice of songs.

My favourite amongst the songs is 诀别诗(Farewell poem, translated literally) by胡彦斌. It's touching, beautiful melody, great lyrics. Sad song. If anyone wants it, get it from me!

One of the most unforgettable scenes in the entire series, was when the fifth son and sixth son (五郎, 六郎) came back from war bringing the bodies of 大,二,三and七郎, and the whole town was mourning. Shortly after, the wake scene was also tear jerking, as the mother went around putting on new military uniforms for her dead sons, and cleaning them for the funeral. Then the youngest sister, 八妹came crying and shaking his 7th brother's body, as she was closest to him.

It's really difficult to describe how well the show went. In any case, if anyone is interested, it's airing on Channel 8 now, every Sunday, at 1o.30pm.

Have fun! And do not hesitate to discuss it with me, cos i'm absolutely in love with it. Kudos to the production team. This depiction of a heroic chinese family in history is really well done.

Thursday, May 22, 2008
update!

An update! Although really, no one reads this blog anymore. It'll make its comeback, hopefully. Meanwhile, it can remain sort of an obscure corner in the internet for me to talk to myself.

Work has started in Casuarina Primary School, and my appointment as a Teacher-Aide isn't really as fun as it seems to be. And with JOEL stressing the point that I am "not even a teacher", didn't really help. It's annoying really. I don't go into class and teach per se, but at least I'm handling the lab lessons and all. And yes, I remain employed throughout the holidays.

These 2 months, post ORD, hasn't been exactly enjoyable. I've not been in the best of my health, probably due to sudden changes in lifestyle habits. Alot of stress going on, from all the medical checkups and scans. I'm seeing the doctor next month, so hopefully I'm okay. I finally saw the need to really live healthily, and that accumulation of bad lifestyle habits can really cost me many things in a matter of 15 to 20 years from now. I don't want anything untoward to happen to myself, nor my current and future family, so it's best that I change NOW.

I'm just hoping that I'll feel alot better and happier before school starts, so I can bring myself up, and be ready for school, for the challenge of doing well in university. I'll really do anything to bring back my thirst for knowledge I had 2 years back. I need the drive!

till again.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008
new year resolutions.

It's eve of Chinese New Year Eve, and we're ONE day away from CNY. Time really flies! The past year had been very eventful for me, learnt alot, and there were some changes in the way i look at my life.

Of course, it's late January already, and it's nearing chinese new year. So it's time for new year resolutions! I will want to achieve the following in this year:

1) Work through with a positive mindset till ORD. Cut all the ORD mood crap. Teach my understudy, Faidhi properly, and ensure a smooth handover.
2) Pack up my laziness and retardation mood after ORD, get to work, and prepare myself for studies in August.
3) Sign up for scholarship.
4) Lose weight and control my blood pressure!
5) Curb my hot headedness, and be much nicer to all my friends.
6) Keep in touch with the NS gang in SAF Bands!
7) Support every Band B COG (Main), as far as I can.
8) Help all my students do better in their studies.
9) Observe filial piety.
10) Save more money.

Happy New Year to all! And I'm looking forward to hosting the gathering on 15th of Feb.

Saturday, December 15, 2007
the ocs commissioning parade.

It's December again! I was the Post-parade Dinner Bugler for tonight's Officer Cadets' Commissioning Parade, and this is my 2nd time doing this. It was a great experience all in all, looking at how the post parade reception came about.

There was alot of saluting involved though, with me in my full No. 1 uniform and headdress, and all the Officers, both senior and junior pacing around the dining hall, mess and the garden, my right hand was never at rest. Some of the newly commissioned officers were taken aback when we saluted them, and was either busy looking for my rank on my uniform, or just did not put down his hand when he returned the salute. (When you salute an officer, you do not put down ur hand until he does.) Which means, I had to hold mine up until he realised that, yes, he is THE officer now. Ok whatever. Interesting, seeing foreign military dignitaries gracing the occassion. I guess the SAF must really have loads of diplomatic ties around.

I heard the Band got a standing ovation from the Speaker of Parliament (Who was the Reviewing Officer for the parade) and subsequently from the rest of the audience. Damn, I missed it cos I was detailed as the Bugler for the night. This feeling of being appreciated for being on parade is amazing. When the Band marches towards the reviewing officer and the grandstand playing BANDSTAND (our unit march) , the applause and all the attention is what fuels us.

Missed it though. I din even get it for SAF Day. And they got it today.

Really, would do anything to be on parade for that.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007
33rd NCO Camp@Nee Soon White House

It's Wednesday! Wednesdays are significant. It marks the mid point of the week, and once you're past a wednesday noon, it means you're nearing the end of each working week.

So here I am, spending a Wednesday evening at my computer at home, waiting for my No. 3 uniform to dry in the drying machine. And I dont think i'll be making my way back to camp tonight.

So I heard, tomorrow the 33rd NCO Camp kids are coming up to the White House for an SAF Bands tour. I was appointed as one of the 10 tour guides to bring each group of Band/Drum Majors around the White House, explaining to them what facilities this majestic dome boasts. Some kinda act to attract potential full time musicians with the SAF? Never too young to start. Ha. And yes, that is why I'm home to wash my uniforms cos they both stink already and I can't bring kids around in a stinking uniform.

"Welcome to the SAF Bands White House. Our Vision is to join ranks of the world's finest armed forces bands."

I'm kinda excited about being OGL tomorrow. The tour is just a small part of this entire familiarisation programme. But somehow, I found it really interesting to finally educate a group of people, about who the SAF Bands really are. That we don't actually sit around and sing and dance all day; that we actually MARCH AND PLAY, and do parades on parade squares under the hot sun; that we wear UNIFORMS and NOT COSTUMES. Fuquan and I actually spent some time last night reading up manuals and doing up our handheld little notes for reference when we bring these kids around. Kids ask weird questions. And we cannot afford to start stammering with our uniform on.

It is amazing, how much pride I take in being a Military Musician. No, nothing near sucking up. But really for a PES C soldier like me, being a Musician appears to be more meaningful than, say, being vocationalised as an Admin Support Assistant. No offence, it so happens that my vocation allows me to do something I really enjoy. And it is undoubtedly a vocation that allows you to see alot, because Musicians travel from camp to camp all the time.

Nuff said! I'm not even near ORD. Shall not get all lyrical and snap into this "I'm going to miss NS mood."

Tomorrow, Sunil, Weekiat, Andy, Joel and Frankie are dekitting already. And they'll be gone in two weeks. Gosh. It's another group of my friends leaving.

I told Encik Ong "Sir, Sunil is also leaving in 2 weeks."

Encik Ong replied: "Really? 2 weeks? So fast ? Oh my goodness..."

Accompanied with a headshake that essentially means "Ah, my tuba section's shrinking and i dont know what to do..."

Till again!

Labels: a night at away from camp.