2007, a little late.

yesterday i talked to denise kok hui fen. she's eternally amusing. and so we started talking about our new year so far and what how it was going to turn out. her first words stumped me: "how's your new year so far?" My immediate reaction was... "DAMN! You mean its the New Year already???" alright, so new year came a little late for me this year, and i'm having this mental "dragback" effect, that there's no New Year at all. i think part of it has got to go to me not having a new school term to start, no new organisations to be part of, no new age being reached. honestly, i'm more looking forward towards my ORD date than the new year, THATS when i'll feel the change, definitely. than of cos there's the Big two-one. maybe i'll feel older after that. then maybe the start of the new school semester will be the biggest change of the year. but now? hahaha New Year was just another public holiday for me as far as i'm concerned. and denise says its all the army's fault. she hates the PAP. i couldnt agree more, about the army part.

let's start with last year, to keep things simple. 31st Dec, 2005, i was walking around town with my bestie-to-be, hh and amjay from Fppl (hehe i know...) suddenly the sky was shooting fireworks and and its the new year. we ate at lao pa sat, den went home. a dull beginning to a new year. during 2006, i had the best of times at OCS, and the lousiest of times - coincidentally - at OCS.

i spent valentine's day in brunei, Temburong - waking up only to see my half-shag mudyoyo buddy smile and say "happy happy valentines.." That night, we had a candlefirelight dinner by the beach jungle. we had combat rations and evian natural spring water. we were dressed to our best in number 4 uniform. and i romantically spent it with 7 guys and a commando - doing lightstick raving. we were all mortally down that night, a sadness that feels convincingly life-threatening. most of them had a girlfriend somewhere out there waiting for their valentine's day call, one even had a wife and son. But it was not to be as we continued to be trapped in the Wrath of Nature. She was trying to prove a point - i know. only our spirits kept us from eating our own hearts, as we raised a fire so great it lights up the grim darkness of Temburong Jungle. Dance we did, to a rhythm orchestrated by 2 "lip speakers". (they even sat far apart to create dolby surround sound - how consoling) i was really touched that night. seeing how the human heart is capable of real brotherhood. how many of them there would have loved to give their loved ones a big tight hug, kiss her ear and whisper their soul into it. but all we had, were each other. how can i not say that that was a worthy valentine's day?

(for those of you who havent experienced this, pls do not keep ranting that officers are a snobbish bunch of ppl who only so luckily made it into OCS and are not deserving of it at all. you don't NEED to respect us, but at least keep your tongues to yourselves. what do YOU know?)

i spent my birthday in OCS as well. there was no Major Funty Party, or Lovely birthday dinner with Becca Toh, like the previous two years. i only saw rebacca a few days before my birthday, before my book-in. we talked for 30 minutes at macdonalds because she had other commitments to tend to. she gave me a birthday card. it was so simple, why she is now my bestie. so i booked in like every week, on a sunday night, wearing the infamous black and white "civillian attire" that we all hate. (even sispec get to wear colorful polo tees to book in/out) as i marched in to my bunk, my whole mind was all about everything. from deciding it was okay to not celebrate birthdays, to convincing myself that i am loved with a card. suddenly from behind me i heard...

"hey why are you not marching properly?! knock it down sixty. (standard rate)"
F. and i even have to shout back...
"yes sir! sorry sir! permission to carry on sir!"
~army has no place for self-pity at all~

however on my birthday, the platoon remembered. of cos, they weren't prepared to let slip any chance of having fun. its their cocktail to survival. the usual, ice water war. target: ivan. collateral damage: everyone involved, even the instructors! shouting, singing, more splashing, and a shampoo-hairstyle session, and fun was so so so innocent. so kid-like. hahahah i cannot remember anywhere else playing so... extreme-ly other than OCS golf wing. (every now and then, we'll have platoon water-warfare till late, complete with artillery attacks to and from windows of our bunks! there was once everyone jus pooled resources and threw uncountable water bombs into ONE bunk. his whole bed became a wet sponge - his buddy continued sleeping!) but i digress. at the end of the madness, my officer popped a bottle of red, and made me down a full mug of it. "happy birthday", he said. i knew then, that i wanted to be part of this.

i made my second 21-day trip to taiwan in april. everything was as i remembered. if only everything could stay the same forever.. i came home to singapore only to realise that i love Her. Dearly so.

on june 10, i finally got commissioned. the same ppl who attended were the ones who were with me for new year's eve 2005. i shall not talk about commissioning because its too good to be repeated. read previous posts.

for the second part of the year... it was largely mundane stuffs, after i got posted to do some office work. it was a lovely respite from 2 years of pretending-to-kill-enemy. i had a Commissioning Ball that was plain lovely. i had a little trip to bangkok. i made many new friends thanks to zq. i started to coach skating for an outrageous price. i declared alby my bestie. i went to some children's home to spend my christmas. and i had a nice new year's eve to welcome in the new year.

this year is going to be a blast. things always become better, dun they? =)