Driving In The Fast Lane

So I've passed my bridging course at the second attempt. Managed a respectable result from an intensive yet sometimes frustratingly slow two weeks of revision. I burned all of this year's annual leave to prepare for the exams and though thoughts of flying off to some cool breezy beach in a foreign land where I can bake in the sun and frolic in the cool clear waters the whole day have all but disappeared, overall I am satisfied.

Ever since I went back to work after my exams, life has been boringly routine. My piggy bank has not recovered from the humongous damage caused by my major purchase of the year: the Apple iPhone. After lessing of student discount, I fished out $898 to re-contract with SingTel for another two years and got a 16GB iPhone after queueing for 5 hours on launch day.

That will probably one of the most disastrous decisions I have made, the waiting I mean. Against better judgement, I concurred that, as SingTel put it, only those with appointments would be allowed to collect their iPhones. What I did not bet against was, 10,000 other people had appointments too! Sleek marketing move there by SingTel huh. Create a human chain that snaked round ComCentre and spilled onto Killiney Road.

I went there at 11.30pm 21 Aug and emerged from the cube-like structure specially built for the launch of the iPhone at 4.30am, exhausted, dehydrated, and wallet substantially lighter. Was the time spent queuing worth it? Definitely not. Was the $898 price tag justified? Well, maybe, if I was earning $8980 per month then it would be just a ripple in the pond. In this case, it caused a tsunami.

These past few months working and studying have opened my eyes to a whole new world. I have the utmost respect for people who juggle full-time jobs and study at night. Throw in a girlfriend or boyfriend, and it would be seemingly impossible for anyone to have a life. Thus, I am quite happy that I am a part-time office worker and full-time student, though I still wish that my working hours are reduced further. I am grateful that I have my friends with me in the office everyday so going to work isn't such a pain.

My stamina have decreased dramatically, as seen in yesterday's futsal game. In the first hour, I was all over the pitch, putting the ball in the back of the net 7 times. But the second half against a different team made me feel like a pedestrian. I couldn't run, couldn't challenge the second balls, and scored a very, very lucky goal. My team was dismantled mercilessly by what I feel, was a team that we could easily beat on our day.

It correctly proved the theory that has been in my head for the past month - that Samski is without a doubt the most important man in our team. Two matches ago, he did not turn up for the game. Despite our best efforts, we lost every single match even though we had the tenacious Eugene, the class of Timmy, the predatory instinct of Elvin, the trickery of Ian, and the safe pair of hands of, well, Ah Son.

I still find it hard to believe that with a team that has played together for so many years, we were easily beaten by soft goals from veterans who would look as at ease on a couch watching tv. The following week, Samski re-joined and we went on to terrorise everyone. Yesterday, we had no one marshalling the defence, no one to clean up and stop the opposing team's movement. We managed to string together a few good attacking plays but I just didn't have it in my legs for box to box play yesterday. I am still aching.

There were a few moments worthy of mention though. First of all, is of course Elvin's marvelous solo goal. He won the ball through a tackle, went on a mazy run, and beaten every man to slot the ball through the legs of the keeper into the net. And I was on the opposing team. Fantastic stuff. The second one to me was a total fluke. It seemed to me that Elvin fumbled the ball while attempting to get past Roland, but somehow it became a feint that only Ronadinho seemed to be able to pull off, played a through pass to Timothy and I can't remember what happened after that, only that the two of them went running off to some corner shouting and laughing merrily.

Call me a football fanatic, but it is precisely because of these moments, the moments where I get to see my grown-up friends laughing unreservedly with the widest grins, the camaraderie experienced after pulling off a good team effort to score a goal, and the look on my girlfriend's face when told that she would be in the car with my three friends whom I was giving a lift, and who, like me, smelt like we just took a bath in the sewage after the game, that makes me look forward to soccer with my mates every week. :p

It's past my bedtime, and I am pretty certain I will end up in the back of a cab to school tomorrow.


Good night :)

I have reserved mine, and come tomorrow night, I will be one of the first in Singapore to collect my iPhone 3G from ComCentre at the stroke of midnight. I would be more than glad to have some company! At the same time, I am selling my iPod Classic 80GB for $300. Please let me know if you're interested. Can't wait! :p

Bridging Exams... Again.

I have been on leave from work since last Tuesday to study for my bridging course in maths and econs exams that is on wed and fri respectively. Progress has been very very slow but at least I managed to cover everything. Now is just to revise all over again and hopefully, I will be able to do well enough to attain a B and redeem my Xbox :p. The first time round, I really did not prepare until the day before the exam, and thus me failing was not so much a big surprise.

This time, I will get Timothy to check my results for me once again haha. He was so straightforward about it that time, just sending me and sms tt said,"Yo dude, you failed both man." No words of comfort, nothing. So this time, I really hope he will be a bearer of good news, but I also know it all depends on me.

I attended classes proper last friday. Let's just say being a student once again is nice, and I can't wait for bridging course exams to be over so I can study my main subjects. Also, I spoke to my mum about me going London next year to study on campus at LSE for a short period of time and so far she has hinted that she may well just allow it. I did the calculations and it will cost me something like 6000 plus sing dollars? Goodness, it's all about money these days.

Talking about money, I bought my first unit trust near the end of last month with JJ. Of course with the small amount that we put in, we cannot be expecting high yields, but it's more for long-term capital appreciation and hopefully we made a correct purchase and if the fund continues to perform well, maybe we can inject more capital.

I have also opened a stock brokerage account with Citibank to trade in the Singapore & US markets. I did some homework last week and was mildly surprised that CTB offers the lowest commission fees amongst the banks in Singapore. From time to time, I do speak to my peers about investing their money, but so far, most of them except my commando friends has been less receptive to the idea.

Putting your money in the bank and not doing anything about it is just about the worst thing someone can do. With inflation at a high, everyone is becoming poorer from their inaction. We work hard and spend most of the week in the office slogging just to earn that little paycheck and after lessing off CPF, there really isn't much to play around with.

People always have the misconception that investing involves high risk. Well, driving without a licence is high risk - the risk comes from not knowing what you are doing. If you bother to educate yourself or learn more, and taking small baby steps to test water, after a while you will become better at what you are doing.

Do not be fooled by the interest rate the bank pays for savings account. It is currently around 0.25% across the board. Say you have $10,000 in your account, that will give you a return of $25 at the end of the year. Inflation currently is around 8%, so your $10,000 is probably only worth $9200 now. Lessing off the interest you earned, you would have become $775 poorer by doing nothing.

Inflation is a very real problem, and as you get older, there will be more bills to pay, more things to worry about. Maybe I think too far ahead, according to Matthew when I met him for breakfast last Tuesday, but if you do not make plans, then you would be struggling to survive. And if you are struggling to survive, how then can you go to the next level and help others in need?

Those who have taken a plane ride before would know that in emergencies, when the oxygen masks come down, you are instructed to wear your own mask first before you help your child or other people. It's the same analogy that applies.

That said, I just want to do well for my bridging course exams again so Nicole won't have the chance to have another go at me saying,"Still can say passing mark is only 34" haha. Yeah, I too find it hard to believe till today, that I managed to fail two exams that has such low passing marks. And it cost me time, it cost me my full time position at Citibank, and it cost me another $720, before GST.

Okay, time to go back to differentiation, integration, matrices etc etc and all that nonsense with numbers. I know, there are secondary school kids who will say this is a piece of cake, but I really really hate math. HATE it, so please don't laugh at me and show some love instead.

How Now Brown Cow

The most bullshit phrase in the world: "Your call is important to us".

Because of this phrase, I have been on the receiving end of countless angry customers who, before launching into a scathing verbal tirade, would apologise to me for being the unlucky officer who picked up their call. They almost always follow the same script," I'm sorry that you're the officer who answer my call ah, but really you know, the service is getting from bad to worse. I've been waiting for the past half an hour just to speak to you".

Well, I can't blame them really for feeling so pissed off. If it was me, I also wouldn't want to be wasting my airtime listening to music which is interrupted every few seconds by that bullshit phrase. Over the weekend, I called various banks to set up or reset my internet banking facilities, and ALL of them answered my call within the industrial benchmark of 8 seconds. Impressive.

Not only did they answer first, the service provided was also top-notch, which makes me feel good after hanging up the phone. After all, it's my money that's in the bank. After I eventually graduate, I will be facing the tough choice of choosing which great financial institution to join. Of course, to be able to choose, I must firstly have the bargaining power in the form of at least a second-upper honours. Looking at the rate I am doing my revision for my 2nd attempt at bridging course, I would have to say I would be lucky enough to get away with a pass degree.

But working in a bank is not the only thing I wanna do. I have narrow my career options to these other two as well - being a great way to fly, or being a man in blue. After deciding not to pursue a career with the Air Force, my dream of being a pilot remains unfulfilled and unrealized. I dunno if it's every man's dream to fly, but it certainly is mine. And after my unforgettable experiences working with planes and choppers during my national service, more than ever I want to be a pilot.

My buddy Jasper, who is currently a flight attendant with SQ, told me that the dropout rate for cadet pilots is very high, and given the long training frame - 2 and a half years - earning a pittance of a salary, it would be a very risky decision career-wise. It's almost like once you are in, you better stay in or you-re f****** if you dropped out. You have an unemployable skill that the market does not require. And in the end, you may end up piloting something with four wheels and a meter instead.

The other option, to be a man in blue, has always been something I have wanted to do since I was a teenager. That was the reason I joined NPCC. Policing work has always thrilled me, and the thought of being involved in investigations and operations constantly resides in my mind. If I were ever to join, it would definitely not be the STAR Team. I do not need two red berets, one is enough to last me a lifetime. And the training is so shag and physically demanding, I would probably lose mobility in my legs by age 40.

I want to be a police detective, the type that does not wear uniforms and yet plays an important role in maintaining law and order. The only stumbling blocks: People laugh in my face when I tell them I want to join the Police Force. They say that there is no career there, no money etc... Being a uniformed civil servant means my career path would be very much fixed, with not much options for flexibility.

Thus, I am in a dilemma. The decision that I would make would be want that will affect the rest of my life until I finally lay to rest. So how? Better pass my bridging course first then think, fail again then no so how to think of.

"Dude, You Got F For Both"

It has been a very exhausting few weeks. First and foremost, my six-month plan till December was abruptly and severely disrupted with the release of my bridging courses' results. To the shock and horror of my friends and classmates, I did not make it. Slow and steady progress in the transition back to student life gave way to overconfidence and complacency. Yeah, I can argue my case that I was very sick and unfit to take the examinations on both days, but since the school is inflexible, I had no choice. But then again, I will have to admit that I have not had the best of preparations.

Anyway, that is a painful lesson learned. The disappointment on my mother's face when I broke the news just made a bad day worse. And the killer blow came when my sis came home from school and when my mother told her, she just reached out a consoling hand and told me it was okay. My kid sister, 5 years younger than me, showing such empathy and maturity. At that point in time, I felt like I let the whole world down.

Now, two weeks on, thinking about it, it was just but an examination. There are bigger things in life that have yet to happen, and the disappointments are bound to be greater than a bridging course examination. So, I need to retake my bridging course. Again. And that means my whole schedule had just been derailed.

I had a fulltime job with Citibank which pays well and which I was just getting into the hang of things, and now because I need to attend classes in the morning, I must give it up. I thought long and hard about it, and even after my mum reluctantly agreed to resume my allowance, I still thought I need to work. I'm 22 years old and my mum is already sponsoring my university studies, what more could I ask?

I went to see HR immediately and explained my situation to my generalist. She told me she will find some alternative work arrangements for me and told me to inform my supervisor. The next day, I was hauled up to the unit manager's office. I thought I was going to get the pink slip. But instead, after giving me an earful for failing my exams and for telling her I wasn't a student at the point of the interview, she offered to convert my contract to a part-time position.

So I get to attend my classes in the morning and go to work in the afternoon. This arrangement has been working out well so far, just that I am so drained of energy every evening that I cannot bring myself to do anything other than sleep. I have lost the 4kg that I painstakingly gained over the past two months and am back to my skeletal self. But the company holiday to Bintan in two weekends' time is a very good source of motivation to buff myself up and gorge on my protein powder.

Source: MINDEF News
BEST COMBAT UNIT: 1st COMMANDO BATTALION

For the fifth consecutive time, 1st Commando Battalion has clinched the Best Combat Unit award. Since the inauguration of the SAF's Best Unit Competition, the elite battalion has garnered this honour for an unprecedented 22 times.

The Commandos are trained to conduct specialised operations and play crucial roles in protecting Singapore's sovereignty. The Commandos are well trained to strike behind enemy lines using airborne landings, helicopter assaults and sea landings. They are also experts in infiltration and reconnaissance operations.

1st Commando Battalion mainly constitutes full-time National Servicemen (NSF). Every NSFCommando is meticulously selected and specially trained to be experts in their vocational domain. The Commandos undergo one of the toughest training regimes in the SAF, and are considered the SAF's elite force. The true strength of these Commandos lies in their dedication, esprit-de-corps, fierce fighting spirit and strong determination to strive for excellence. The NSF Commandos are a tightly knitted community who are known for their camaraderie and intense commitment to their unit. Highly motivated and possessing a strong sense of identity and pride, the unit has proven their mettle once again by coming out tops in the competition, attesting to their high operational readiness and administrative efficiency.

Fighting Is For Little Kids

I find it incredulous that someone could make such groundless accusations based on hearsay when his ass was nowhere to be seen at ground zero. I can't even be bothered to address this formally, because doing so would dignify that little boy's antics and doing so would also mean condoning his actions as justified and acceptable. Much has been said, I don't need to elaborate. Instead of focusing on the few negatives, I'd rather focus on the positives.

Firstly, our months of practice, however crappy they may be, paid due dividends when crunch time came. Team sports require players to have a good understanding with their team-mates, and the only way to do it is to play together as often as possible. Our play has matured over time and instead of being a direct play team aka long-ball, we settled onto the more slow and patient build-up of a passing game.

This is my personal take on our team's overall play on matchday:



Ah Son: Playing with a recently recovered broken foot, Son was slow to warm up to the match, letting in lots of goals early on in the practice match. But he soon found his rhythm and got into the game. Made a few spectacular and crucial saves throughout the game and a few of his throws were absolutely key.

Eugene: To me, Eugene is the engine room of the team. He never stops running, always press forward when we are attacking and falls back quickly to help out in defence. He is also not afraid to belt out shots and does a very good job in laying on second balls for his team-mates. Outstanding performance, especially in front of his girlfriend haha.

Samski: The attacking centre-back. The most vocal player on the pitch uses his vision and experience to instruct his team and ensures the shape is always maintained. I am absolutely convinced that Ah Son was very very glad to have Samski marshalling the defence in front of him. Made lots of good tackles to break up the opposition's play and also participated in some attacking movements. Definitely the first name I'd put in any starting lineup if I ever was coach.

Timo: Our very own Stevie G marks his return to regular football with an outstanding scorcher of a goal. Scoring from the halfway line, he unleashed a powerful screamer that found the top corner of the net. A torn anterior cruciate ligament kept Timo out of action for close to 2 years, but besides losing a yard of pace at most, Timo is in top form. Pure class.

Elf: I dunno why but our captain here always reminds me of Raul when he plays. He plays as the fox in the hole, the target man, the lone striker. He was involved in almost all of our team's attacking plays and grabbed himself a magnificent goal as well, albeit in the practice match. His presence upfront reassures his teammates that there is always someone to seize an opportunity to strike.

Sendoh: Mr Funnyman's athleticism, speed and positioning greatly disrupted the opposition's play and despite being one of the smaller players, he used it to his advantage and waltzed past opponents. His clever running and passes were breathtaking. Great player to watch, not to mention entertaining with his off-the-ball antics.

Air Force One: A new, last minute addition, AFO did not disappoint. He ran, he supported his teammates, he attempted shots on goals, he defended. All without much effort to say the least. I don't know much about him, but his contributions to the team on matchday is greatly appreciated and I am hopeful he will become a regular in our weekly sunday kickabouts. Forget cable-skiing, this is much more fun. :p

Uncle ES: He may have been an unused sub for the actual match, but taking part in the teamtalk and willing to let the youngsters take the lead was a very very gracious gesture on his part. His unwavering support for the team through providing quality opposition in our warm up matches for months has definitely made all of us better players. When others his age would be playing golf and doing less strenuous activities, he has no problem lacing up his boots, ready to face whatever the opposition can conjure up. One word - RESPECT.

The Kid: Many years ago, this was me. A scrawny kid who had his own ideas on how a game of soccer should be played, and what his role in the team should be. Not anymore. The dynamic direct running, the fanciful tricks and flamboyant attempts to score goals in the most bizarre of ways has been passed on to Mr Chelsea. He is a natural with a football, possesses great pace, trickery and most important of all, he is fearless. Unafraid to try new things, unafraid to provide alternative options en route to goal. He had the last say on matchday. The winning kick came from The Kid. My man-of-the-match, even though all of us almost killed him when he tried to dribble the ball into the net early on during practice. Our star player for the future. Daryl Ho Hu?


Post script: File picture from 2005. Our sole foreign talent, Yandao has since retired after undergoing surgery twice due to football. He can be found enjoying the sun, the sand and the sea every sunday on a bicycle with some beautiful ladies in tow. Also, our resident Eric Clapton has lost interest in sweating to play football; he now prefers Winning Eleven in the comfort of an air-con room. The core nucleus of the team remains unchanged. The current captain is No. 7, deputized by No. 11 & No. 16.