Sunday, June 27, 2004

And, praise God, i'm out of the second week in a row! No problems so far from my officers regarding the Sabbath. The miracles are at work every day.

BUT... and there's always a but... there has been a big problem going on in the camp. You see, ever since a few years ago, the civil defence has undergone a change. Civil Defence has always been known to everybody as being more slack than army, the punishments less severe and the officers not as evil. And its true. Even in the past, many years ago, civil defence was tough, but never as tough as the army. When i first entered civil defence, it was hard, but i endured. Not as tough as army, but the transition from civilian life to uniform life still takes some adjusting. The excercises(3 times a day because we're unfit people in Physical Training Phase) were difficult because i'm not used to it, but ultra-slack as compared to years ago and the army, so i heard.

Soon my muscles began to ache, but i was getting used to it. By the second week, i was more or less used to life in the Civil Defence, and i didn't really hate it. It helped me get fit, but didn't torture or humiliate me as much as the army would have. Not to say, of course, i enjoyed it more than i would working or studying. I don't like it THAT much to want to do it long term.

Anyway, i was getting to know people, getting to know my instructors etc. Most of the instructors are very nice people, and my corporal is one of the nicest guys around. Definitely much better than army. Then came the big event.

On wednesday night, Charlie Company(my company) got called to the Multi Purpose Hall. There the commander of the camp, the guy with the highest rank, asked us about our training. Most of us said it was tough, but we can take it. He asked us how many pushups we did, and some malays said many many pushups, and many many more to go. Which was all right, but the commander asked for specifics. Then some people stood up and recounted the number of pushups done during training. The only problem being... some of them lied about it. They said that they did more than 20 at the swimming pool, when in actualy fact it was only 10.(all of you who have gone through army, shush. i know its slack, but its not like anybody actually wants to do more pushups. Its CD, anyway. we have no choice) Even for CD 10 pushups is very easy already. Then a few people complained some more about the training.

Our Commanding Officer(guy in charge of charlie company) talked to us after that, and some people complained some more. The commanding officer said that those instructors weren't following instructions, and he would talk to them.

The next day the morning excercise was slack. And I MEAN easy. We did like a maximum of 60 jumping jacks, 10 burpees, and a few other excercises, but ZERO PUSHUPS then ran two rounds around the parade square, approximately 400 metres per round. Almost nobody broke out in sweat. It was easier than secondary school training. Everyone was shocked. During physical training later, we found out why. The physical training instructors(PTI)s had been scolded by the higher ups. Apparently two people complained separately to the camp commander, totally disregarding the hierarchy. You don't just go straight to talk to the camp commander. You talk to your sergeant, then if you're not satisfied up to your platoon commander, then company commander, then go higher up. Not straight to the camp commander. Even worse, another guy called his mother, who actually drove down to complain.

The PTIs were given a firm warning, and if they ever did not follow the book again and 'torture' us, they'd be sent to detention barracks(hell on earth. army detention barracks is hell in hell. both are much worse than prison). The PTIs now treat all of us like children. The give ultra easy training. BUT, they say they will be very, very strict when it comes to our NAPFA test. And without tough training, how are we to pass our NAPFA? i definitely can't, even if i run every night, training pullups and situps. The Physical Training lessons are also not fun anymore. In the past, even though the training was tougher, the PTIs really cared for our training. They did not go to the extremes, neither did they go easy on us. They would joke around with us, and i tell you PTIs can be very, very fun people, even if you're only a recruit.

Now, they wear a black face to every PT lesson. They don't care about the training, they just follow the book to the letter. They make sarcastic remarks like, "Don't run, don't run. What if you fall down and break your bone? Welfare, welfare."

Currently, all other companies are very angry with Charlie company. My platoon is very angry with platoon 8 and 9, the platoons where the people who compalined came from. Right now, all they're doing is wasting our time with such easy training. I can't stand it.

But hey, in 3 months time, i'll have my Passing Out Parade, where i finish my BRT(Basic Rescue Training. not BMT, which is for the army). THEN, i'll be very happy!

Sunday, June 20, 2004

And BEHOLD!!! I'm back for the weekend!!! Booked out of camp at 12:50 yesterday. How's the first week of camp, you ask? well, its been great so far, but its still only the first week. I expect the second week to be hell on earth, so.. yeah. But hey, whatever they throw at me, i'll be doing my best to comply with all demands. Last week, i have managed to most of what they threw at me. My pushups were ultra bad, considering when i flex my muscles there's absolutely no bumps. But still, i tried my best, and managed to hold my own. I am luckily not the worst in my company, though i will say i bring up the bottom of the averagely unfit people. The fit gruop Malays with six pacts and ability to do 12+ pullups but are there because they didn't bother to take their NAPFA test(I could never understand that. They ALREADY are fit, and can pass their NAPFA without problems. but decide to skip their test and enter 7 weeks early). The averagely unfit group failed 1-2 portions of the NAPFA(*cough*edwinonlyfailedsitandreachand
nowthereisnositandreachinNSmuahahahah
soheissufferingfornothing*cough*). i bring up the bottom of the averagely fit because i failed pull-ups, 2.4km run. I could have passed my shuttle run, but i dropped the little weight thing. then there's the ultra-unfit group, who never do excercise in their life. So, at least i'm glad to know i'm not the worst.

This week was also a very trying week for Edwin, Linus and me. When we talked to our instructors, they refused to let us have our Sabbath off, so we went one step up to our platoon commander. Each platoon commander refused to let us off, as we found out in nightly meetings at the phone booths when we are free. Then each of us went one step up to our commanding officer, to the same response. Seventh-Day Adventists are not allowed to worship and keep their sabbath during training. After many talks with our superiors, we found out that we had to make a decision : either we keep our sabbath, thus defying orders with the option of being sent to detention barracks(which is worse than hell on earth), OR we comply with our superiors, taking the easy way out, listen to them and disobey God.

It may seem like an easy decision, but believe me its not. I was confused, and very, very frightened. The picture they painted was horrible, and the three of us were scared like hell. After a long discussion with Faith and Nathaniel, we decided to take the stand and defy our officers. We were prepared to take whatever comes, whatever they give us.

So the next the day the 3 of us went down during the morning excercise training and talked to our physical training instructor(PTI). At first, it was bad. We explained what seventh-day adventists were, and politely requested that he let us off. He ask us what our platoon commander said, and we told him all 3 of platoon commander and commanding officers said no.(oh, by the way, the 3 of us are in 3 different companies, Edwin is in Alpha, Linus in Bravo and i'm in Charlie) He said he needed to follow their instructions, and couldn't let us off. We explained to him that our sabbath is very important to us, an we want to keep it, and are willing to do anything. Then, a miracle happened. By the power of the God, the PTI just told us to stand one side while he trained the rest for a while. Then he talked to us and asked us what we wanted him to do. We requested to have training off on Saturday, and he said all right, but he will train us extra hard on weekdays(something i'm not looking forward to). Then he let us sit one corner. Talk about God's hand working. We could really feel the prayers of everyone. We quickly went off to one side, and knelt down and thanked God for working such a miracle.

The rest of the day was a miracle as well. During area cleaning, all 3 of us requested if we can not do area cleaning because its out sabbath. None of our superiors got angry, and allowed us to sit and worship at one side. During the next excercise that day, all our superiors allowed us to do the same thing. Any pushups our platoon/company had to do, they allowed us to pay them back during the week. At the end of the day, they let us go off at the same time as everyone else, without penalising us for keeping our sabbath.

I have never seen God work so miraculously before. Never. This is truely a miracle. I am in awe and amazement at what God can do. All 3 of us have grown tremendously during this weekend. The decision to stand for the sabbath was one of the hardest decisions any of us had to make, with possibly one of the worst consequences any of us have ever faced. Some of us, including me, were almost worried and scared to tears. But the consequences didn't materialise, and we were let off. God is truely awesome.

This is in the first week. All we can do now is pray that the same will happen on the second week, and the third and so on. It's all up to the corporals, seargents, drill instructors and PTIs to whether they will let us off. Pray for us, please. We need your prayers. For all that prayed, thank you so much. We still need them this week. Whatever comes our way, we will stand for God and not waver. By God's strength there is nothing we cannot do. For if God is for us, who can be against us?

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

-2 Corinthians 4 : 7-18

Monday, June 14, 2004

Come tomorrow 11am, i shall begin my NS life. I shall have my hair cut, and excercise like crazy. Good thing, though, is i'll hopefully get rid of my potbelly while i'm in there...

Sunday, June 13, 2004

I wanted to post my frustrations on friday, but i reached home too late. Anyway, the year will never be complete until the Singapore soccer team has been thrashed by a team from who knows where. Behold,

Singapore thrashed 7-0 by Oman

Ah.. the joy of it!! But wait...

Singapore soccer is actually moving UPWARDS!

Regardless of the fact that we just had our biggest defeat in 30 years to someone who isn't even ranked FIFA! Singapore is ranked 110 is the fifa rankings, and Oman didn't even make it to the top 200!!!!!

Oh deh!


Prof Ho stressed that the latest defeat was merely a setback in Singapore's quest towards football excellence.

"Since becoming FAS president two months ago, people have been asking me where Singapore football and the S-League are heading. My view is that it is moving forward and upward," he said.

"We're all disappointed with the result. But to all our fans, let me say that no campaign is without its disappointments," said the FAS chief, speaking at the sponsorship launch between SMRT and the S-League at Bukit Batok Bus Interchange.

Prof Ho added: "But still, why we lost and how we lost are key questions we at the FAS will have to reflect on.

"We must ask: Did all the players give 110 per cent and play intelligently?

"Soon, I will also host monthly tea sessions with fans and volunteers at our Jalan Besar headquarters to get more feedback. All this to ensure we all work towards a bright future for Singapore football." Stanley Ho
stanley@newstoday.com.sg

"Soon, I will also host monthly tea sessions with fans and volunteers at our Jalan Besar headquarters to get more feedback. All this to ensure we all work towards a bright future for Singapore football."


Asking questions like did the players give 110 % and play intelligently??? Organising monthly TEA SESSIONS to get feedback? Deh! You're supposed to be a football expert here! you're the freaking FAS president!!! and you're asking fans for feedback, and asking questions like that? it is a very gloomy day in Singapore soccer....


BUT on a brighter note, Karen has started a blog, so lets all go spam her chatterbox!

http://ilurvemylife.blogspot.com

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

and BEHOLD, my blog is changed. I said i'd never bother to change the look of my blog... too bloody lazy. And i still am. Faith changed it for me, so thank you!
This blog wants to know what blockquotes will look like so...

Faith is pretty.
Faith is kind.
Ask her to tweak any more blogs
and she'll go out of her mind.

(no she's just kidding.)


There.
This blog is going through an extreme makeover.
Starhub is cool. I love starhub now. They just added some new features that allow you to check out news, lottery etc. but the best of which is the movies. Just by keying in the movie title, they send you ALL the timings of that movie for the day itself! I got 13 smses telling me when harry potter is showing at ALL cinemas today! Shiok!!!

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

I am a HUGE Clay Aiken fan. Very huge. I bought his cd the day it came out. I remember when Ruben Studdard got voted American Idol, i was like... What's up with that man? Clay sings so much better, has a better personality, blah blah blah. Then again, as his fan, i'm biased. The latest single from Kimberly Locke(American Idol 2 Second Runner Up) has Clay singing on it. You can download a live version of it from http://www.kimberleylocke.org/multimedia/anaheim.wmv(right click, save target as). Clay and Kimberly sing really well on it. Really well. Then we compare it to Ruben Studdard's soon to be released single : http://www.rubenstuddard.com/rubenmain.html(on his home page there's a little post it note. click on What If, his latest single)

To me, comparing these two singles, Clay and Kimberly are way ahead of the American Idol winner. They sing better, have better stage presence, and it shows in their album sales, which are way more than Ruben's. Honestly, Ruben's the only American Idol that actually GOT WORSE after the show. Correction... Justin Guarini got worse too. Justin who? my point exactly.
So the telecom company you subscribe to has decided to hike the prices of SMSes. Now, you can't send unlimited smses for the price of NZ$10(S$10.60). Dang... so what can you do?

Send 80,000 SMSs to Protest of course!

I mean.. seriously, if you're mad at the company, why not just notch up a NZ$16,000(S$17,000) bill while you're at it? Why, is there any other way better to get even with a company than that?
I was an ICQ fan, through and through. I never liked MSN, never bothered to use it. Then, all of a sudden, almost everyone i knew was using MSN. So, i complied and downloaded it. Now my only gripe is that EVERYONE CHANGES THEIR NICKNAMES SO FREAKING OFTEN!!! If you don't remember their e-mail addresses, you won't be able to keep track of who is who... why can't everyone be like me, and use but ONE nickname.

Monday, June 07, 2004

On Saturday night i had one of the best stayovers in my life. Its probably a record number of people for a stayover at Faith's place, and it was great.

Saturday afternoon we had a combined youth, where someone talked about Christian dating. Apparently dating is NOT FOR TEENAGERS. I'm gonna be 20 in october, so that makes it all right for me to date i guess, but i gotta find someone older cos anyone younger would be a teenager. Then after the combined youth(where we got to see karen and shannon, who pontang(skipped) their camp. the evil creatures), i had to head down to my grandmother's place for dinner then rush back to Faith's place. I wolfed down my dinner, said goodbye to my relatives, went home to bath and took a bus down to faith's place.

I reached in the middle of a pictionary game, and joined a team. I was surprised at the number of people who were staying over! w00t! I love pictionary, its one of my favourite games. So we played a little, then the time was 10:30. OH CRAP!! ENGLAND VERSES ICELAND!! so, amid much protests from my teammates, i ran off to watch england verse iceland. England played well(final score 6-1) i caught two goals then got called out for a mini worship session.

The worship was good, especially with so many people present. After that, we went on to a little thing called the Hot Seat. If you've never heard of the Hot Seat, its where a person sits on a designated seat known as the Hot Seat. When on that seat, he/she is not allowed to say anything. Everyone will then say positive things to that person. For example, if i'm sitting there, someone might say,

"Christon, you are one of the hottest people i know. Will you marry me?"

then again... probably not. they'd say something like...

"Christon, i admire your *insert compliment here*"

So each person had his turn. I almost cried at mine, and Faith(without fail at each Hot Seat) cried. Like the traditions of all hot seats, it ended at 3am +, with a few people knocked out. However, sleepy as we were, almost everyone refused to sleep.

In the words of Lionel, "The only fun we had was Pictionary!"

After blowing up beds and jumping on them a few times, a few of us(after convincing the sleepy Ang Mo with a huge car to go with us) went off to Jalan Kayu for prata. It was great, singing along with the radio with the Ang Mo actually stepped on the brakes in rhythm with the song. Prata was good(though small). Some people blew $4.50 on bannana prata, but it was good anyway.

After prata, we went for a spin through Punggol. the Ang Mo's car was powerful, and had a square hole in the roof(i have no idea what you call it), so people took turns standing up and feeling the powerfulness of the wind. We went through a spooky road to Punggol Jetty, where JD starting spooking himself out by talking about bodies in trees and stuff(some people were none to happy about tha). After finding Punggol Jetty unaccessable, we went off to Punggol Marina, before heading back to Faith's place. i want a car like the ang mo's. Who cares about ferarri's and porches and BMWs. a car that can carry a lot of screaming youths and one auntie with a hole in the roof is so much better.

So we headed back to Faith's place. Sophia had a little stomach upset, but she was soon all right. So we talked and laughed and jumped on beds some more until about 6am when we started to doze off one by one. I was enjoying my sleep, when JD woke me up and we started singing and woke the rest of the guys up. the girls had a room to themselves, while the guys slept in the hall, so some of the girls could sleep. After most of the people woke up, we got the TV ROOM(the girls were sleeping in the tv room, and they slept so early... grumble grumble)! So we caught some MTVs, then Finding Nemo, then more MTVs before everyone packed up and went home.

I love sleepovers.

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

There's a FREAKING HUGE WASP in my room. And when i saw FREAKING HUGE i mean FREAKING HUGE... Its bigger than my middle finger... the moment i saw it, i ran like hell. I screamed and ran out of my room, and slammed shut the transparent(thank God its glass sliding door. The FREAKING HUGE WASP flew slowly around my room for a while, stopping at the door for a moment, looking FREAKING HUGE!!!! It buzzed around some more, then went ON MY BED!!! Now, my room is very messy, There's clothes on the floor, books and papers all over the place. Beside my bed there's a curtain. Its like wasp hiding paradise.

So, after ten minutes of tense scanning the room through my glass door, i realised that the FREAKING HUGE WASP is hiding somewhere... the evil creature, plotting my death. I opened the door slowly and popped my head in and looked around. No sign of the FREAKING HUGE WASP. So i cauciously tip toed into my room, grabbed the insecticide, then ran out again. After about a minute of scanning the room, satisfied that the wasp wasn't going to kill me, i entered again. Taking the insecticide in one hand, i looked around. My brother by now had come to see what the comotion was. He handed me a bamboo stick(the ones used to hang clothes) to poke around my bed. But first, i started spraying around. I sprayed my bed, the curtains, my books, my clothes... you name it, they all now smell of HUNTER Lemon scent insecticide. Then i started poking around. I hit my bed, i hit my curtain, my books, my clothes... nothing. The vile monster was just keeping still in some corner of my room, laughing at me while i tried to find it. Just waiting for me to give up, before flying out of its hiding place and stinging me to death.

So i poked and i poked. I sprayed some more. But still... nothing. i sprayed under my bed, on my chair, behind my cuboard... nothing. No sign of the fiend. After another ten minutes, i gave up. Sitting back at my chair, i started playing my games again, but in fear. I put the insecticide next to me, ready to spray should the spawn of satan try to attack me.

I passed the phone in my room to my brother, telling him that if the wasp should sting me to death, he will hear my screams, close the door and call for help.

If i die, i die.
He Broke Into the Hotel in Self-Defense?

A member of Greenland's local parliament charged with breaking into a hotel and stealing liquor will plead "self-defense" because it was cold outside, national KNR radio reported on Friday.
Jensine Berthelsen of the liberal Atassut party said she had had to force her way into the hotel in the west coast town of Sisimiut. "It was cold and there was no other way to get in," she told the radio.

Police gave her the choice of a fine or going to court and Berthelsen opted for a trial. "If I pay the fine it amounts to declaring myself guilty, and I don't think I am," she said.


Wow... you gotta love people like that. Claiming their not guilty after breaking into a hotel and stealing liquor...

Anyway, my blog has been updated less frequently, with less news and comments. In the past i used to be able to find a pun for most news stories i comment on, but lately i've been busy.. Doing what? Well... doing nothing. Hey, doing nothing is a lot! Just ask Garfield. I rest my case.