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
--
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...

---

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!!!)

---

---

"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.

---

---

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.

---

"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.

---

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! :)

---

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

Holding on

Secret War Journal[12 May 2012]
Sometimes, I wonder how long can I last before I lose myself.

Close friends, I know I have the tendency to bottle things up. I owe you all an apology but some things are best left unsaid.

Some burden is best left shouldered alone.

In the past, I used to have time to cool off some bit because I get to get out and unwind.
Now, been in army during weekdays is taking a toll on me. Home, is well being home, as usual.
I wonder how long can I last.

I am trying to be myself.

I know that some of you are afraid of seeing me angry.
I am trying too,
trying to not show that side of me.
It is a darkness that is hard to return from once fully immersed.

The price for sanity.

I must admit,
occasionally, the other does appear but only once last year.
It will, it cannot, surface fully, especially for this period of time,
else all these years of anger management would had been for naught.

There is no return,

Maybe some day I would confide,
maybe some day I would just collapse,
maybe some day I would let go,
but I would wait for the day,
you unbind me,
from the chains of fate.

in the Path of Destruction.

---

"Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him." - Louis L'Amour

---

Avengers

Secret War Journal[5 May 2012]
I should had written this earlier but it had been one hectic week for me in army. As of writing, it is now 11 May and I am not sure when I can finish writing this post.

---

Loki is back

Perhaps one of the most anticipated movie of the year, many other past Marvel movie had been aired for the set-up for this movie.


On the whole, I felt that the movie was nice. Although there were times I was a little puzzled how certain events happen, it still can make some sense in a way.

The story development was undoubtedly decent, probably due to the fact that it was adapted from the comics. (Not that I do not wish to give the scriptwriters credit but hey, that's the truth. :O) The CGI in the movie was also not bad though there were some scenes where the background were obviously artificially. (which was unfortunate as it did not take a trained eye to notice that.)

Personally, the key highlight of the movie to me was not the superheroes, the story plot, the action, nor its graphics. It was the comic relief and its effectiveness. Due to its origin from comics, it is not uncommon to have comic relief throughout the movie, even at inappropriate scenes. Nevertheless, I would say that it was very effective at those sense.

As usual, Marvel comics movies always end with a teaser for their next movie.

Avengers 2, anyone? =)

Battleship

Secret War Journal[30 April 2012]
Care for a game of Battleship?

 

It has been a long time since I last played that board game. Hahas, certain readers would notice that it has been a long time since I last did anything (which is actually true, as hard as it is to believe. Look, so I had concentrated a tad too heavily on studies for a moment of time...). I certainly do not mind having a challenger once in a while for fun's sake.

Okay, so I know that the movie has been out for some time and I am really lagging behind for watching this late. But hey, at least I watched it! (Best excuse ever, in my opinion :)

Speed-track to Little India. Is there a cinema there? At least not one that I am aware of. So why were we there? Because Cynthia said so. :O Joking. We wanted to walk from Little India to Bugis Junction. Cynthia had walked before so the chances of us being lost should be relatively low. (Not to mention her superb sense of direction, compared to Bao Lin and me). According to the map (look I am better friends with maps XD), it should be a pretty clear-cut route with us heading roughly 20 degrees from the south, towards the east from Little India, a little past Rocher Centre to reach Bugis Junction. And so we headed out from the subway station, immediately sighting the Rocher Centre. Unfortunately, while we moved towards it, we met blockades in the form of construction sites. As a result, it was no longer a straight forward route as we make our way around these blockades.

We turned left and right, almost effectively walking in circles. Well, I would say it was a fun trip. Eventually, we walked a semi-circle from Little India to Bugis. Along the way, we discussed on our lunch and we decided on a Japanese Restaurant named Kazokutei which specialises in Udon.

 The reason we decided on Kazokutei was due to the Nabeyaki Udon + Katsu don set which is suitable for one or two persons.

Nabeyaki Udon + Katsu Don Set

After spending some time under the gentle sun (I think the days spent in army has lowered my tolerance for hot weather, ironically.) from the walk to Bugis Junction, I think Bao Lin was tired from the walk. Myself, I am not exactly sure if I was tired. I know that before being conscripted into army, such a walk is nothing but now... I am not so sure anymore. At least after my 3 day rest due to medical leave, my appetite has improved. As a result, Bao Lin and Cynthia shared a Nabeyaki Udon + Katsu Don set while I took on one myself. Bao Lin took that Katsu Don plus the mango soda she ordered while Cynthia had the remaining Udon.

---

Bugis Street, and the quest for a pair of glass shoes

After lunch, it is time for some shopping! I guess every one of us present has something in mind to buy. (Okay, maybe not for Bao Lin)

We spent a good hour and more in Bugis Street before Jie Sheng arrived. We then resumed our shopping in Bugis Junction. Unfortunately, lady luck was not shining on Cynthia, she did not succeed in getting a pair of shoes to her liking. I guess she just has to continue her quest another day. :O

---

Battleship the Movie

Siew Yan joined us for the movie!

My views on the movie? The introduction was really rushed. I cannot help but feel that the prologue was just there as a tool for some foreshadowing. Personally, it could be better weaved in the movie seamlessly without feeling disjointed.
The soccer scene before the actual start of the plot was all right for its character development. I believe where the movie really shines would be its climax, which is a very good thing. It makes the movie worth watching. The action was non-stop yet does lead one to feel nausea. Basically, the pace of the action during the climax was just right.
The use of comic relief from the scientist was well-used and appreciated. The character development during the climax felt a little bit rushed but still acceptable, I guess?
However, to my dismay, the ending was rushed very abruptly. I felt that it was uncalled for though the final scene of suspense was good, though critics would call that scene cliche.
Overall, I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars. :)

After the movie, we headed home, tired as we were.

---

Now, if you would excuse me, I need to plan an outing to watch Avengers. gah! XD

Tekong Cough

Secret War Journal[25 April 2012]
The notorious Tekong cough that perhaps most guys in Singapore suffer from at least once when they undergo the rite of passage to adulthood. There many possible causes though no one is really certain of the source of this condition.
Some say it could be due to:

• Sudden drop in quality of water?
• Drinking from dubious sources of water?
• Unclean food?
• Exposure to polluted air?
• Poor hygiene practices?
• Bio attack?

Who really knows?
--
Normally, it should not be threatening to one's life but sometimes it could develop into something worse.
Which brings us into the reason why I was not able to blog recently, my cought started to cause my chest to hurt. At times, I feel feverish and weak. As a result, I spent most of my free time resting instead of blogging.
I would say that my immune system is not exactly strong, I had always been lacking in physical fitness so I have no one to blame but myself... Or is it? I have someone in mind to blame but let's no speculate.
I had since seen a doctor and was given a 3-day medical leave. I really hope I can recover in such a short time as the cough had persisted for around three weeks and counting. :S

Wish me well! See ya!

---

"If it's natural to kill, how come men have to go into training to learn how?" - Joan Baez

---

SMU SIS Interview 2012

Secret War Journal[14 April 2012]

Wohoo! I just had my interview at Singapore Management University (SMU) for the School of Information Systems! As I am now spending most of time in army, I only had weekends to go for interviews.
For SMU, they contact shortlisted applicants via mobile. That is in theory great since the applicant is contacted quickly and it is highly efficient. Unfortunately for me, I am in army. Thus, I was only able to contact them a few working days later as most of the time, I only could use mobile phones at night, which is way past office hours.

Against all odds, I managed to get a slot today, 3pm for the interview. To be honest, I do not know what to expect, there was surprisingly few materials to research on via the Internet on how to prepare for this particular interview. Nevertheless, I was able to get some glimpse how the interview would be conducted but no confirmation.

As a result, I felt as though I just went for an interview blind. So much for going into interviews prepared, hahas!

---

Phase 1: Pre-Interview

Part 0: Waiting Room
We were brought to the lift lobby which also served as a waiting room of sorts. Here, there are posters pasted on the walls of the nearby offices. The directions given were to read the posters. The posters generally provide information which you can also find on the University's website but I guess it would be very useful for applicants who did not have the time to read up either because they are really busy in army or work. However, one should note that not all the information from the website were reflected on the posters. So I would recommend that applicants should 'do their homework' before the interview.
--
Part 1: Your Personality
After all the interviewees for this sessions has gathered (For my session, we have 6 people), we were brought to a classroom.
First, we were tasked to complete a short personality test/survey for the interviewers to have a roughly idea on your character.
--
Part 2: Critical Information
Next, we were asked to write a mini-essay of sorts about ourselves. My advice would be to perhaps write fast because I actually ran out of time to write finish the questions on that piece of paper. Hahas!
--
Part 3: Case Study Question
This question is, in my opinion, really relevant to the course so while it was the prelude to one of the most challenging component of the interview, it was really an eye-opener for me. You should have around 10-15 minutes and you are given a piece of A4 paper to write down your solutions.
I do not think you can prepare for this interview beforehand. Fret not, there would be help and sample questions and solutions to give you a better insight on how to approach the question. ;)
--
Part 4: Verification
Probably the easiest part of the interview. Here, you would pass your supporting documents, both the real and the photocopied for verification. After a short period of time, they would return you the copies for your keeping. This should be conducted during Part 1-3 concurrently.

---

Phase 2: The Interview

Now for the actual interview. We are moved into another room where the interviewers await us.

Part 5: Presentation of Case Study Question
In this component of the interview, you are tasked to present your solutions for the case study question you did to the whole group and the interviewers, detailing your thought process.
During the presentation, you should expect questions to be asked from the interviewers for them to understand your solutions better. Thus, just stay calm and present your solutions! :)

I believe this is what most people would say the most challenging component of the interview, expect insightful and difficult questions to be asked. ;)
--
Part 6: Estimation Question + Presentation
This is more of a logic question. Try to make sound assumptions. If you would really like to prepare for this component, you could try to know as much general knowledge as possible. In addition, it may be also a good idea to know more about SMU and general knowledge on SMU. You should have around 4 minutes to attempt the question.
--
Part 7: Q & A
Shoot away your queries regarding the course you are gunning for! Word of caution though, please do not ask questions which could be answered on their website. ;)

---

Estimated duration: 2.5 to 3 hours

Bottom-line: Be at ease! Be comfortable with presenting to groups of people and be confident. Try not to flinch when difficult questions are asked. Take a moment and answer the question to the best of your ability. :)

---

Great news! I am offered a place on SMU School of Information Systems (SIS) since the interview! Guess, I did pretty decent. O.o

Sadly, I was not granted the double degree programme by SMU. Pity.

---

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't." - Anatole France

Scorpion's the Name

Secret War Journal[April 2012]

1. Shaun - God is gracious
2. Gaius - Happy (Latin)
3. Bradley - Broad Meadow (Old English)
4. Jeremy - God will raise up; God will set free (Hebrew)
5. Benjamin - son of the right hand; son of the south; son of my old age (Hebrew)
6. Kevin - handsome beloved (Irish and Gaelic origin)

Easter 2012

Secret War Journal[8 April 2012]

Happy Easter people!

Once again, I shall celebrate Easter. This time, I would be attending a musical conducted by Victory Family Centre.

With me today would be Lai Yin (she's a member of the Church), Laura, Pei Shi and Debbie.

Before the Musical, we met up at a relatively new mall Changi City Point for dinner. Pei Shi and Laura had Carl's Jr while Lai Yin had Soup Spoon with me getting Subway. Nevertheless I got Carl's Jr fries because I miss them. It has been a long time since I last ate them! >.<

We did some catching up before Debbie arrived. As it turns out, Debbie is not eating with us.

I guess the latest news I just received from them is that Laura would be gunning for Law. Another friend of mine is going to be a lawyer! :P

Without further ado, it is time to watch the musical, they (the audience) are getting excited by it!

And the end draws near when...

Shortly after this scene, the resurrection was underway.

---

My thoughts on the musical? I think the voices were great. However, I cannot help but feel that the script was rather rushed with a lack of proper introduction of certain characters at times. I was able to let that slide because if one were to take into account the time constraint, there is not really many other ways to deliver such a musical.

In all, it was worth watching. Once again, happy Easter Day! :)

---

"Human beings must be known to be loved; but Divine beings must be loved to be known." - Blaise Pascal

---

To whose sorrow do I bleed? I wish I had an answer to that...

PTP/BMT Wishlist

Secret War Journal[March - July 2012]
Alright, here goes nothing!

1. Survive
2. Pass IPPT w/ Silver / Gold
3. Get into Command School
4. Get sufficient sleep

Sounds simple but it is a lot harder than it looks! Gah!

---

"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice." - Albert Einstein

Sakae Sushi Teppanyaki

Secret War Journal[7 April 2012]


Had a wonderful dinner at Sakae Sushi Teppanyaki after LAN with Marcus, Johnston and Trevor before going for arcade! :)

Hunger Games

Secret War Journal[31 April 2012]

Recently, Marcus and I just went to watch the highly anticipated Hunger Games in the cinemas.

There were many critical reviews on this movie, some good, some bad. Most felt the acting and the delivery was good while others felt that the movie deviated from the original story plot and much was lost in the film. In my opinion, I agree that in certain scenes, the delivery of the emotions and expressions were well done. While I never read the book, giving the story the benefit of doubt, I am pretty sure the romance did not build so quickly as in the film. Thus, I feel that the pace for the development of the romance between the main characters set by the director was too fast to be natural and realistic. While yes, it is a fictional story, it should be realistic to a certain extent, no?

In addition, I also feel that the action scenes in the film was also quite rushed. The motion were a blur (I guess we can call it motion blur here.) and I cannot really see what is happening in that chaos. That is not a good thing though I probably understand it was a form of censorship to downplay the level of brutality displayed in the film. Perhaps, it may not also be the focus of the film, as determined by the director.

Nevertheless, I hazard a guess that most fans would just watch the film to find out just how the film had deviated from the plot in the book, for better or worse. One wonders how the sequel firm would be like now...

Release my soul

Secret War Journal[26 March 2012]

*
Oh Take a look in the mirror you look so sad
It's so cold like that winter market we used to go
I don't cry anymore but I feel so hurt

**
So I don't need you to close to me
You don't hear me so you said
I don't know why thing have changed since yesterday

***
This could be love again
All I need is you
Come back, I'm waiting, anytime
The heavy rains come
Still I miss days with you
I can't look into your face
Oh feeling blue and looking back again
Please come back to me

Repeat * ** ***

To stay with you always
You're the world to me, and dream on
Take my sword again for you
How do you feel, so fine
You're the world to me, and dream on
You stole my heart so long ago
Oh I release my soul
So you feel my song

First Book Out

Secret War Journal[23 March 2012]
Ah, fresh air! It really feels good to be in the mainland after many weeks at a resort island. Hahas, strangely enough, the first thing I did was to get a new pair of spectacles. I was kind of glad that one of the optical shops was able to manufacture a pair of spectacles despite the majority of the shops informing that they could only prepare the spectacles earliest by Monday evening. However, due to the superb customer service at Capitol Opticals, they were willing to go the extra mile to make my spectacles by Sunday afternoon. For that, I am really grateful.

New pair of Spectacles,... some of the few models allowed for army...

---

Catch your wave

After helping with my family with some house chores, I met up with Bao Lin, Cynthia, Jie Sheng, Siew Yan, and Wei Ting for some catching up. I had not met them for so many days, I wonder how everyone had been faring since. We planned to meet at Tampines MRT station. Apparently, I was the last person to arrive. Oops? I guess the most important person always arrives last! XD

When was the last time I actually set foot on this restaurant? I really couldn't remember! Hahas, but we sure ate quite fast there, the serving there must had been quite small. :p It was kinda nice to see everyone are still living a carefree life. It sorta makes quite envious really. :S
(Don't worry, Siew Yan, my body is quite screwed too. :P)

Originally, I planned to buy some stuff for next book-in today but I guess I was too caught up with returning to my former civilian life and just have fun with friends. I even managed to play a game of pinpall after many years since I last played arcade seriously. Ah, childhood! :)

At one point, they concluded that I should get something to cover my shaven head. I personally think I would look weird in those hats and whatnot (I have my eyes on a certain type though but it just does not fit the dress code here, sadly... and definitely not with my shaven head!) though they have a point, I should get something to cover my head. I look weird with a bald head too! >.<

---

"In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield." - Douglas MacArthur

A Singaporean's Duty

Secret War Journal[6 March 2012]
As of writing this, it is now a Sunday, 18 March 2012. It is ironic that I wrote about other stuff during my days in an army bunk instead of army life. I guess it is time to move on to current affairs and spend less time on past events (but do not worry, I will still work on it)

For this post, I would be writing on my first day of my army life. Due to the need for secrecy, I doubt I can share much of what happened during my army life except during the period of time when it is opened to visitors (which would be my first day)

To not cause too much of a drastic change from civilian life to army life, the Singapore military allowed me to bring 5 family members with me to an island for my basic military training. As it is not the holiday season in Singapore yet, my parents and siblings would not be able to join me on that day. Instead, my cousin Yuki, Siew Yan and Wei Ting accompanied me to my overseas trip to witness the start of my army life. Yay! Nay, I am not that enthusiastic to embark on my army life (typical because we are used to civilian life)

To be frank, I was rather in a rush when I was packing my belongings, especially due to the fact that I was rushing to file in an application for a scholarship. Despite spending three days on purchasing items needed in army, I still did not manage to obtain all the items recommended by keller and marcus. I remember my father complaining that I was being last-minute again. Well, in my own defense, I spent three days on it! Hahas, okay, that was just me throwing tantrum. As a result, I had severe lack of sleep on my first day of my enlistment.

My companions kept commenting that my bag was smaller than other guys. Actually, they are all accompanying me to see my 'botak' face. Evil people! :< Joking. Hahas!

As it turns out, we missed the ferry to reach the island. Nope, it is not because we reached the ferry terminal late, we boarded the shuttle bus on time. When the ferry commenced boarding, siew yan all of sudden had a stomache and we missed the boarding time as a result. It was a rather hilarious sight, actually. I had already scanned my card for that particular ferry so when I ended up missing the ferry, there was a split second of chaos and confusion among the staff in the ferry terminal. Thankfully, they allowed us to board the next ferry though I was late by 1 hour ultimately (traditionally not a good thing to be late for army :p)
The voyage was okay, it has been such a long time since I was on a vessel traveling on water. There was not much scenery to see. Thus, we spent most of the time uploading pictures on Facebook and making a joke out of it.

Shortly after landing on the island, I separated from the rest of them. While they were being given a tour around the island, I was worried about the consequences of being late. I remembered pestering the commander to find out what would happen to me. He smiled and replied to me that all is well everytime and it turns out he was right. (Silly me. :p)

There was an oath-taking ceremony which admittedly made me queasy partly due to the fact that I did not ask for such a commitment.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the time when I was allowed to have lunch with them. It was my time tasting the food in the cookhouse and honestly, it did not really taste very nice but good enough to survive. Hahas! It was definitely nice to have Wei Ting peel an orange for me. XD (oops?)

Unfortunately, it is time for me to bide farewell to them and live as a soldier... T.T
--
In the future, I would tell you about the friends I made there, if I have the time, of course. :)

---

"In modern war... you will die like a dog for no good reason." - Ernest Hemingway

Infocomm Closure

Secret War Journal[14 March 2012]
Hi people! I am sorry for the sudden hiatus from the last few weeks as I was sorta 'conscripted' into National Service in Singapore. In case you are not aware, all males in Singapore aged 16 and a half and older are required to serve in the Singapore Armed Forces for 2 years, followed by a few years on 'standby'.

Before I elaborate 'more', let me keep you up to date with what had happened since my hiatus.

---

End of IDA Internship
As of posting, it is now 14 March 2012. My internship in IDA ended on 1st March 2012. Originally, I was supposed to end my internship on the last day of February but my mentors really require help on a project. As a result, we decided to extend my internship by one more day to the first of March so that I can officially hand over matters to a temporary staff named Mehul who would be helping my mentors until the completion of the project.
The last week of internship was, to me, both tiring and exciting closure to my first internship. For this week, Joan, Wen Rui, and I would be ending this week. Like me, Wen Rui had to extend her internship by one day. Hence, her internship ended with Joan on the last day of February. I would say my last week of internship was not as hectic as that of Wen Rui's but I would say it was a bit tight for me nevertheless. While Wen Rui stayed behind in the office to finish her work, I brought home the laptop to attempt to finish my assigned work. Unfortunately, I was still unable to finish it on Thursday, 1 March 2012. I remembered feeling dread when I was going to inform my mentors that I was unable to complete my task. However, what happened next was rather unexpected. I had always known that my mentors were nice people but I was actually half-expecting to be reprimanded for being inefficient and lack of time management. As you probably had known, my mentors were accepting of the fact that I was unable to complete.
I later found on that day when I asked my mentors for an evaluation of my performance during the internship that they felt that I was too efficient. While in a certain persepective, it is a good thing, being too efficient can lead to potential problems in a team. Furthermore, completing an assignment too fast gives an impression that is it is not done with thought. I know that I did but I agree that it would be difficult for others to believe. Thus, I was advised to spend more time double-checking when I finished to prevent negative impressions imposed upon me. I guess, my mentors are perhaps glad that I was unable to complete a task in time because it would seems that much effort was placed on it. Hahas! XD
--

I realised that I accidentally wrote about some events happened on the last day of internship before talking about other notable events that occurred throughout the internship. I think one of the most memorable event that took place would be my first meal with my mentors. Unlike Johnston and Wen Rui, my mentors were often busy and do not have the opportunity to go to meals with me. I do not really mind as I understand that they are very busy. For most of my internship period, I had lunch with Johnston, Joan, Wen Rui, Chor Hiang, Gladys, Joycelyn and Sherilyn. However, on the second last day of my internship, my mentors decided to conduct a farewell lunch with me. It was also going to be a welcome lunch for Mehul. We settled on a nearby bar named Harry's just downstairs from our office. Our lunch was candid as we finally had the opportunity to dicuss issues not related to work for once. For example, it was only until that day that I realised that Ms Kiranjit is a vegetarian who also eats fish. I think that is rather interesting. Mehul is a vegetarian. He just graduated from SIM with a Mass Communication Degree. He used to be Meridian Junioor college too before he transferred to a polytechnic. On the other hand, Terence is like me, a non-vegetarian. :)
Terence and I ended up ordering the same dish, a dish with cereal-fried chicken with ham stuffing with greens. (My father later commented that I kept ordering chicken but hey! I like chicken! :p) As it turns out, I was fooled by the menu, (not sure if my mentor was too but...), I was served only two bite-sized cereal-fried chicken stuffed with ham and cheese in the middle. The rest of the plate were green in colour. Did I mention I hate vegetables? Alright, I cannot say the bar cheated me but I guess they took the menu literally. Finally, I found out that Ms Kiranjit, Mehul, and I are all left-handers. So cool! I mean, for the first time, out of a sample size of 4, there are 3 who are left-handers! That reminds me of the composition in my junior college class. :D
--
Finally, my last assignment was to hand over my outstanding work for a particular project to Mehul. He is around two to three years older than me so I felt a bit strange when I was briefing him. This was the first time that I actually briefed someone muich older than me for official work and I think the most awkward moment then was when he asked, "can I borrow the pass from you, sir?". I remember being stunned for a moment. Thinking back now, I think it was a nice feeling. I am not sure it was just a natural polite question or out of respect, but I do not care. :p
--
Mehul would be taking over my account until the end of March, I think? So do not be alarmed when I go online with my IDA account (I know Mr Yao was on the day of my A Levels results). Hahas.
--
I would cover more about army (not much actually due to the Official Secrets Acts)
--
"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." - Voltaire

A Levels Results

Secret War Journal[2 March 2012]

Today, I left home with a feeling of dread. My future is about to be sealed by a single sitting of a major examination. It is none other than the "A" Levels examinations, Singapore edition.

To calm ourselves, we arranged to meet at White Sands for lunch first and catch up with another since the last time we met. As I have a library book to return, I reached the shopping centre earlier than the agreed time. On my way to the library, I spotted familiar faces. One of them was Laura and we checked out at the Popular stationery store to buy files for Laura. Apparently, the stationery store there do not sell the files that Laura wants.

After some time browsing through books which I probably would not have the time to read, we met up with Cynthia. At their insistence, we are going to eat at McDonald's. I guess, girls Do win all arguments after all. Hahas!

As it turns out, Pei Shi, Debbie and Lai Yin were going to be very late. Being bored from waiting for Pei Shi to arrive, we decided to play a prank on her. We got Laura to sms her that we are at Popular when we were already in McDonald's. Well, technically, we did not lie as we were at Popular. As a result, Pei Shi went to the top floor to look for us to no avail, only to be told of our current location. Evil me, oops?
When Pei Shi (finally) found us, we had lunch as Debbie would only be joining us but not eating lunch with us. Lai Yin, on the other hand, only took a half-day off and would likely be late in collecting the results, much less join us for lunch. (Don't ask me why she did not take a whole day leave.)

The official release of the A Levels soon came and you could feel the tense atmosphere in the school. Some are numb, maybe confident of their results, some appear nervous, some just want to ignore the coming storm and just want to catch up with one another.

As we gather in the hall, there are periods where they are chattering and when there are complete silence. After what seemed like an eternity, the Principal came and announced that our school had done it again. Upon hearing that, the whole school cheered. However, as the Principal continued to show the statistics of our performance, I could not help but feel that we did not do well with only 50.7% of the cohort achieving more than 70 rank points, it means that about half of the cohort would have difficulty entering university. That is definitely not a good sign. I believe my class thought so too because everyone looked so gloomy.

---

The Results
Without further ado, here are my results:

H1 General Paper - C
H2 Chemistry - A
H2 Economics - C
H2 Mathematics - A
H2 Physics - A
H1 Project Work - A
H1 Mother Tongue - D

Rank Points: 85

I guess that means I got to shake hands with the Principal after all. While it was a nice feeling to shake hands with the Principal, honestly I was not very satisfied with my results. Yes, I know people would think that I had already done very well and that I am unable to emphasize with people who did not do well. I know I did a decent job but I, too, have expectations for myself. While I had seen it coming for economics, I was hoping that my General Paper would do better. Of course, one part of me wasn't expecting myself to have such good results. Thus, I find myself in a dilemma in choosing which course to pursue and which scholarships to apply for.

---

Decisions, decisions
I suppose I should go read up on what each courses offered by University entails. I blame myself for not allocating time to research on my future career. Lack of time is just an excuse, I suppose.

---

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby