Saturday, July 30, 2005
Oh woe is me, how can this be?
How can a dot of scarlet cause so much misery?
Alas, it is not one, but EIGHT,
Eight ugly blemishes, given to me by fate.
They mar, they destroy, my once flawless face,
I feel like a schoolboy, last in puberty's race.
Meetings, checklists, trainings, WITS,
Army's workload is driving me to bits.
So the next time you wish to say how my job's so slack,
Take a good look, at how late i hit the sack,
See how the work piles upon little ol me,
Leaving me with hardly enough time to pee.
So i'm counting down to when my ORD begins,
Its 240 days till my face turns flawless again.
(my my.. i'm getting poetic nowadays arent i?)
he rocked the party at 11:11 AM |
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Taking over early, handing over late..
Sitting in the Ops Room, making me wait
Officers are jealous, yes its true
They all want the life of the DY S2
But they dont know the guy who sits in the room
This stupid Ops room, quiet as a tomb
No, no one knows it better than i do
Doing lots of D.Os makes me sad and blue
I say this quick and sharp as a knife
No one else can, cause i'm the D.O for life.
(for the uninitiated, D.O stands for Duty Officer, the ultimate sai kang warrior in the battalion)
he rocked the party at 4:33 PM |
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Oh yeah, i was supposed to blog this 2 nights ago, but i was too tired to do so. Thanks to my fastastic good looking generous and all round nice guy upper study, 2LT Chua Kah Tat (cheers and wolf whistles), the girlfriend and i received FOUR tickets to the NDP rehearsal on saturday!
Fireworks, 7G aircraft displays, stand-in ministers and president (so poor thing), stand-in taufik and rui en (so pretty), motivators in yellow and blue (so icky and so poor thing), funpacks full of discount vouchers, snacks, other freebies and a little singapore flag! And best of all, 1st COMMANDO BATTALION representing the army contingent! (Yes, i may hate the army, but i sure love seeing my fellow red berets on parade. What a paradox.)
Oh, and seeing nolan as a tiny dot amidst a sea of white NDU guys too. -grin- We were so happy.. "hello nolan!" -waves frantically-
Only bitch of the evening: they showcased all the formations except commandos during the mobile column. WHY?!
he rocked the party at 9:06 PM |
Visited the Experiences fair for US universities yesterday. And yes, i feel the bug once again, that familiar feeling of excitement, ambition and colour which fills my mind and makes me wanna jump out of my skin. I feel that im not doing enough, that i havent been doing enough, that i should be working harder and be more serious about this whole thing. I DO wanna make it work. I want to study in lovely old mahagony libraries surrounded by old volumes of books. I want to have lessons on a sunshiny grass patch, with my bearded professor sitting on a field chair explaining economic theory. I want to wear trench coats and build snowmen. I want to have friends from all over the world. I want wear a sweater with my college name emblazoned on it, cheering during football games. I want nights out in quiant towns, with alfresco cafes and hip-hop clubs..
I've narrowed the list down to:
UPenn's College (and hopefully, on deb's advice, make it to Wharton through the "back door")
NYU's Stern - to do accounting and economics
USC - ditto
UC Berkeley - to do economics, its a bitch that they dont allow students to take subjects across schools, so i cant do accounting.
Brown - likewise.
At least i've (finally) decided on majors i'd really like to do. A Bach of Science in Econs and an accounting major would be the perfect combi. Anyone know anywhere is which is good for those?
There's lots to do. I've got application essays to write, teachers to beg for testimonials, credentials to compile.. not to mention my driving lessons to take, though that's irrelevant. Why oh why oh why am i still in the army? Its such a bitch.
I'm excited, yes.. But am i really going to leave her behind for four years? Though i probably already know the answer to that.. I just hope God will make everything work out. Love makes everything possible after all. Faith. In Him, and in us.
he rocked the party at 8:36 PM |
Friday, July 22, 2005
What can i say, SAJC's dance concert "Rapture" was, as usual, a blast. It was wonderfully stupendous and jaw-dropping and whoop-whooping, and pushed the boundaries of what dance in jc should look like. I thought 2002 was exciting, 2003 was impressive, 2004 was awe-inspiring.. but this year, this year takes the cake for being the most jaw-droppingly mesmerizing performance i'd seen in a long while.
Well, of course it wasnt perfect, but it was sufficiently brilliant for the little mistakes to be overlooked. The fact too, that the majority of the items were choreographed by students was..hmm, well now, how shall i put it, impressive.
he rocked the party at 10:31 AM |
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Apparantly, the birthday i organised for the girlfriend has incurred the wrath of boyfriends around the world. -grin-
Have received about 5 complaints that i've "spoilt the market" for girlfriends' birthday celebrations.
And i spent minimal amount of cash too!
See.. being in Council for 2 years does have its advantages.
he rocked the party at 7:15 AM |
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Well, i must say that there's nothing more satisfying than hearing a sincere and contented "thank you" at the end of a hard worked birthday celebration. Hers, to be exact.
I shant give a blow-by-blow account of what we did, since she blogged a pretty accurate account of the day, but to sum up that blissful fun (and shagged) saturday, here's what we did:
a treasure hunt leading her from tampines to bugis to orchard to plaza singapura
Picnic shopping at carrefour
Ballet Under the Stars
Bubble blowing at her void deck (no kidding)
Ahaha.. sorry jason.. hope your gf doesnt read her blog then. Hmm.
Well, its particularly satisfying when you work hard for something and it reaps rewards, the satisfaction and the warmth it brings is.. indescribable, and definitely much much better than what you expect it to be. Such feelings can be invoked even through a simple "thank you for that wonderful day".. sorta reminds me of council days (misty eyes).. Well, im glad she had fun, the way birthdays should be. (More fun than MY past two birthdays anyway.. stupid army)
A sidenote: Yes yes.. i know im behind on the picture and blogging quota. Its friggin impossible to get to a computer with internet access in hendon, there's only one which i know of, and half the time its under the watchful eye of the bosses. Not to mention that im really busy with (paininthearse) WITs coordination for the whole friggin battalion. Honestly, i never knew a programme to improve efficieny could be so bloody inefficent. Council guys, debbie, and everybody, you'll get your pics soon ok?
-and for now, i shall put off doing important things like uploading pics, studying for my Basic Theory Test on wednesday, preparing US uni admission essays and packing my bag for camp tomorrow to curl up with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Oh forgive me, you'd do the same too if you were in my shoes-
he rocked the party at 9:02 AM |
Friday, July 15, 2005
OK i know this is a little outdated, (I havent had access to a computer w internet access since monday) but WHAT THE HELL MAN?! I feel a great sense of injustice that I've been donating $20 a month since November, just so that mr moneygrubbing durai could buy a new tie clip. And who the heck uses tie clips nowadays anyway?
1.8 million dollars in three years! And 12 months' worth of bonuses! Do people even DESERVE that kind of money? (except Bill Gates and me, of course) Sheesh, $25,000 a month is even more than what an Army Colonel earns (which is why, boys and girls, if you're excellent in studies, have great business sense and know how to get rich from other people, DONT join the army. Its such a waste, and the economy needs people like you. Oh.. and take SIA when you fly. -grin-)
But its true, withdrawing donations wouldnt have hurt the little bugger. He'd still have gotten paid his CEO's salary, and it was the fact that its the patients who'd suffer which stopped me from picking up the phone and demanding that they stop sucking money from me.
Its pretty pissing that the little shrimp isnt even the least bit remorseful over the whole thing. His resignation doesnt mean shit, he did it because he had no way out, and with the gross amount of cash on hand he has already, he can probably retire comfortably now. That's not justice I tell you. Someone (with enough influence and money) should get together with (the great) Davinder Singh and sue him for all his worth, cripple his entire life and send him to jail. Wouldnt be fair to his family though. But there must be SOME way to kick his sorry ass.
Well, at least I've got a nice retort to the next pushy NKF person that calls me and asks me to collect money for them. I mean, i'm already giving every month, leave me alone!
he rocked the party at 7:04 PM |
Monday, July 11, 2005
Once again, im sitting in the Ops Room in the wee hours of the morning, blearghy eyed, with the sick smell of pespiration that has been rapidly cooled by airconditioning which is slightly too strong, in a stuffy Smart 4 uniform while everyone else is in PT kits. Yes, im the Battalion Duty Officer yet again, and the effect of 22.5 hours of sai kang is taking its toll on me.
Perhaps this is the sucky part about being a Dy S2. Its sucky that i CAN help people to cover for their duties, and that im too nice to say "im too busy". Haha.. so for the 4th time, once again, im sitting here at 630am, tired but not too tired to sleep, having woken up at 445 to open about a billion armskotes around my camp.
Ever encountered a task whereby there're lots of insignificant things to do, but there're so many of them that they take up most of your day? A D.O is, in army terms, a "sai kang warrior", being required to follow a checklist that spells out little tasks to do throughout the day. MSD probably wont let me reveal the exact details, but the tasks are so small that on its own, they'd take only about 15 mins max to complete. But because there's a thousand of them, it adds up to quite a bit of time. Its irritating aint it? How you work for an entire day and realised that you havent really accomplished anything significant.
Oh well, its a sai kang warrior's job, but someone's gotta do it.
Good thing that the Ops room computer has internet access, allowing me free unhibited blogging privileges! Mine! All mine! That is, until the big shots come into the office. Then ive got to appear to be working. Microcosm of the real world? Heck, just let me go back to school..
he rocked the party at 3:35 PM |
Saturday, July 09, 2005
From the girlfriend:
"I love you, ok? I know i always mistreat and bully you, but even if i do, I still love you, ok?"
Such an adorable girl, aint she? -grin- (she's so gonna kill me for this)
he rocked the party at 6:16 PM |
I read in the papers today about a commando being hurt while landing from a freefall jump during a NDP rehearsal.
This comes after the case about the guy drowning during training, and two others collapsing after their runs. And who could forget that CST case 2 years ago?
If i wasnt in the army, i'd simply have tsk tsk-ed over how many deaths/injuries that have been occuring lately, before moving on to the TV page. But now that i'm a soldier, and that most of these incidents arose from activities which i do on a regular basis, its a freakingly scary thought: It could happen to me. Or any of my close friends.
I dont care how much risk pay we're receiving every month. Its simply not worth it.
We should just scrap the army altogether.
he rocked the party at 6:08 PM |
Thursday, July 07, 2005
piggyback!
he rocked the party at 8:28 AM |
im sorry.. i couldnt resist posting this pic just because i have no pimples in it! Amazing..
he rocked the party at 8:27 AM |
Do not automatically assume that just because i can finish my work faster than all of you, and that i get to reward myself with freedom at the end of the day, that i am skiving my ass off somewhere.
Do not automatically assume that just because oh poor you has to be up working till the wee hours that you have the justification to stir my shit and call my job "heaven" or "slack" or whatever. You're not me, you dont do my job, so dont assume to know what its like.
And do not, do not, treat me like some disposable sai kang warrior which has to pick up after you and cover for you just because you're supposedly "busier". Bullshit. We've all got the same amount of work, i just finish mine much faster than you do. So please, i've got my fair share of work to do too, so dont get all whiny and complain whenever i cant help you out with YOUR work. Its YOUR friggin work after all, so stop cooking up excuses to push it to me just cause of your perceived differences in our workloads.
And when i do help you out with duties or ceremonies or plans or whatever other rubbish, i'd appreciate it if you'd make my job a little easier by not throwing everything to me as if i was SUPPOSED to do it. Or barking instructions at me just cause my location's so convenient and you're too lazy to move your ass from your far off workplace. You ARE getting help after all, and i've got every right to tell you to screw off and do your own f-ing job. Note too, the differences in your treatment towards me before and after the job is done. Seriously, im more than happy to help just anybody out with their stuff, but not when im treated like dirt when i do help.
I wish you'd stop drawing the line between us. If you really want a distinct separation because of our jobscopes, then stop asking me to help you out with your little errands. I've got friends whom im more than happy to help out, just cause they see me as a fellow colleugue and treat me with that respect too. Dont expect that from me if you're not prepared to give it in the first place. I'm tired of trying to convince all of you that i'm not some outsider, that im the same guy you fought alongside with just a few months before.
Oh, and stop calling me when im on leave or on course. Thanks.
--
Whew, that felt better. Am sorry for the terribly unpleasant post dear reader, sometimes you just need to get things off your chest, know what i mean? Oh, and a disclaimer: this post wasnt directed at any one person in particular, just how some people around me have been treating me. Which is a little pissing.
he rocked the party at 7:52 AM |
Friday, July 01, 2005
Am terribly sorry for the extremely long absence..
Two weeks of no read-worthy posts, (not counting the lame-ass excuse of one abt being blogspotted) is NOT an acceptable standard for Where's the Chocolate Dude?! But alas, the sudden onset of 1)A faulty keyboard and 2)A sudden barrage of work (or, in army terms, "arrows") in the battalion has created a shitty environment for blogging. Been having trouble finding time for meals and sleep, let alone get to that computer terminal in the ops rooom to blog. Its that bad. So to you, dear loyal reader, i humbly seek your forgiveness.
Admidst the flurry of activity this past week, i find a little piece of comfort in the fact that i'd rather have no time than too much of it. Although the first piece of instruction ("i need this done asap", etc) is initially met with dread, the ensuing high of executing the said task is indescribable. There's a certain sadistic pleasure in answering my handphone and office phone at the same time, whilst verbally giving instructions to a clerk, and checking my email to see if there's even more work. Lovely.
Finally, i feel that im not being paid for doing nothing (as much as most people would dream of being in my shoes), and that im actually USEFUL to some people and to the organization. There is purpose to my existance!
Honestly, sleeping in for the whole day and booking out at night gets old after a week or so. Last month's overdose of slacking has left me craving to be busy. Apparantly my prayers have been answered! Perhaps i am a workaholic. I recall the last time i felt this way was in JC, when i was busy 19 hours a day and loving it. Best times of my life indeed.
Although yes, there are drawbacks of course, the most obvious being the sudden piercing of "missing you" thoughts about the princess in the midst of answering an email. Or the exhausted phone conversations at night when all i can think about is sleep. Everyone needs a lifeline at the end of the day, and the working world is unsympathetic to the needs of the heart. Not to mention the disappointed looks of readers who return to this blog only to find it un-updated! I cant apologize enough.
Next week gives me a little bit of free time tho, with me not being in the office till friday (whoohoo!). Perhaps the government should introduce alternate work-weeks, where you work hard for a week and take a break on the next. Sounds good eh? Productivity AND birthrates will skyrocket!
Something irrelevant, but important:
To the bestest female superpals in the world, a big WELCOME BACK to Debbie and Felicia! Its a cruel hand of fate that my most wonderful gal buddies in the world have to study overseas, which leaves me to await eagerly for the summer holidays when they return. So hello you two! -waves- Do chope me for a catch-up session sometime soon!
he rocked the party at 10:47 AM |
