Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol

Secret War Journal[30 June 2012]

I know this is a bit late but I sorta missed the opportunity to watch this in a cinema.

Thus, today, we are gathered to watch this movie at Bao Lin's house. With us today are Bao Lin, Cynthia, Jie Sheng, Siew Yan and Wei Ting. :)

Though conflicting recounts may result, I believe I am finally arriving on time once again for outings. XD
This is actually harder than it sounds, given that I have to commit a large amount of time to wash army clothes and equipments. Often enough, I had to leave the house later than planned due to me being preoccupied with washing.

Therefore, I am happy to say that I can be on time for the outing.
However, some (cynthia, for one) would disagree since I reached there on time BUT had not had lunch despite telling the rest to have lunch before arriving. Hence, I ended up eating while the rest chatted. XD
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My views on the movie:

• Definitely action-packed!
• Comic relief was of quality
• I think the difference between the background music and the voice of the characters were a bit too great, the former too loud whilst the latter too soft. Just technical though.
• The plot was not bad but I cannot help but notice that they omitted certain gadgets / methods of completing the mission to develop the story as the writers intended.
• I like the cast for the movie. Awesome!
• One reason I like these kind of movie is the cool gadgets they get to use. Hey, I am a sucker for such "superagent" stuff. :D
• The introduction of the movie was way too long, but it pulled off.
• The ending on the whole hand was kind of disappointing though...

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FRIES! FRENCH FRIES!

On an unrelated note, Bao Lin's sister bought a great amount of fries for a hugely discounted price at Gmarket! Today, we had the opportunity to savour some of the food she bought. :)

They taste like potato chps.

Personally, I like the spicy flavour ones more but that could be just me. ;)

However, I would dare say that people who do not like salty food would not appreciate these food. :O

I am unbreakable

Secret War Journal[10 June 2012]


Where are the people that accused me?
The ones who beat me down and bruised me
They hide just out of sight, can't face me in the light
They'll return but I'll be stronger

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Sometimes it's hard to just keep going
But faith is moving without knowing
Can I trust what I can't see to reach my destiny?
I want to take control but I know better

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Forget the fear it's just a crutch
That tries to hold you back
And turn your dreams to dust
All you need to do is just trust

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

BMT Field Camp

Secret War Journal[6 June 2012]
So I had not been posting anything constructive about my life recently. Well, my inactivity in my journal can be partly due to my participation in a field camp as part of my involuntary military training.

I am glad to say I had since survived and returned from the forest. :)

Due to the nature of my current occupation, I cannot exactly inform you what events/training had transpired during my stay in the forest, away from urban environments.

I would, however, say that the hygiene level during the field camp was as bad as I had imagined, if not worse.

• My fingernails had this strange color of green on it, probably due to the army-issued creams.
• I don't remember the last time I properly washed my hands in there...
• I had to sleep with my boots on. Then again, I probably wore my boots throughout the field camp, with only a few minutes to air my foot a day. I remembered being so worried that I would suffer from foot rot.
• I learnt that wearing the same clothes for three days of sweating is not a wise move. During the field camp, it was the first time I smelled a new smell... from my uniform. It was definitely not pleasant in any way.
• Subsequently, my personal stuff started to smell like that too. In short, it was a horrible experience.
• Until now, I do not really know what is that smell. Perhaps it was simply layers of dried sweat. Some peers noted that it smells like urine (not on my uniform, thank god).
• I learnt the importance of lights, even natural lighting. It was quite difficult enough to see anything with the dimmed lights, it was easier with the natural moonlight. Sadly, it was really painful (for the eyes) when people keep shining brights lights onto people's eyes directly. Quite frustrating, really.
• Lastly, my hair. Oh god, I was not able to wash my hair during the my time in the forest. After the field camp, my hair kept feeling itchy, giving me the feeling that my hair is rotting. (I mean, I never felt itch on my hair for a long, long time...)

The good thing is that I had since shaved my head. Hopefully, it is no longer itchy (it still feels a bit itchy, might had become a habit. Oh no! I hope I stop scratching!!!)

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"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." - Winston Churchill

Humanity

Secret War Journal[4 June 2012]
It is not that I am incapable of love,
who are you to judge me?

Do you know the pain I carry?
Do you know the sorrow within this husk?
What do you know of burden?

Of course I will miss people.
I am not without feelings.
I am human too.

Had you ever wanted to see that person but unable to?
That's how I feel.

Had you ever wished to feel their warm touch but unable to?
That's how I feel.

Have you ever desired to hear their voice but unable to?
That's how I feel.

I had and will continue to carry my pain but I never expected anyone else to share this sorrow with me.

You, who had not experienced the cold harsh world, have no right to judge me.

Your fate is not as tragic as mine, instead, embrace your own.

All I ask is that you appreciate your beautiful life,
because life is fragile.

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It is a cold world out there,
but that does not mean we cannot feel warmth.

For only when it gets cold, do we feel and appreciate its warmth.

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"Everyone chases after happiness, not noticing that happiness is right at their heels." - Bertolt Brecht

DOTA 2 / Cold stone creamery

Secret War Journal[2 June 2012]
It has been a long time since I last posted huh?

I just realised I forgot to post about DOTA 2. Oops? :P

Yep, so I recently started to play DOTA 2

Today was actually my second time playing this game and we tried out the AI for the game. :)

Initial thoughts:
There was indeed many graphical improvements, as they say. The models now look more polished. However, some heroes look significantly different from their original appearance, some better, some look weird now.

Mechanics wise, they are largely similar to its predecessor. They are some changes to the way damage are calculated and how attack modifiers work.

Gameplay had been slightly modified too. I would say the gaming experience is now much more enjoyable and dynamic. Buying items and recipe in DOTA 2 is a breeze while it is now easier to conduct team battles and organise ambushes.

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After the gaming session, the whole lot of us (Johnston, Keller, Qi Xiang and I) headed to Somerset for some ice cream!

 I had Chocolate devotion which was awesome!

Though qi xiang commented that the taste was too strong, (he had strawberry), I like chocolate so it really nice to me! :)

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"Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time." - Steven Wright