a very long commentary

Foolish me

I was half dead today. SSgt Thomas gave lectures about how to react should a coast guard boat ever be fired upon by hostile enemy fire. I can't believe I slept through such an important topic. Nevermind, I'll just leave it to the crew commander to guide me should such a thing ever arise, and I expect it to arise at least once or twice during my NS life.

That's the only part about Coast Guard nobody can slack off. Sure, you can sleep all you want on the boat when the crew commander allows you, but if the boat ever comes under hostile enemy fire - that's the part of the job that holds the greatest risk. Who knows what these Malaysian and Indonesian sampans carry onboard.

Just an M 16 on a sampan, and I could be killed 465 metres away. In the dark, you won't even see the sampan, won't even find it on the radar (since its usually made of wood). And since coast guard boats are usually prominently lit up, along with the highly reflective words "POLICE COAST GUARD" printed on both sides of the boat, we're usually the first target that the hardcore smugglers, kidnappes, drug traffickers try to eliminate first in order to avoid any trouble.

That's why, no matter when I go to sea, how ever lax the situation is, and for whatever purpose I board the boat, and no matter how good or how bad my relationship with God is. I make it a point to just whisper a soft prayer to the Lord for protection. It would be better to be run over by a car on land, than to have your rotting carcass picked up by another coast guard vessel or navy diver from the sea. There is no dignity in dying at sea.

I'm not scared of dying. But will I go to heaven when I die? That's a question that has disturbed me for a long long time. I plan to go to Bible school someday to get all this doctrinal nonsense sorted out. Inner peace beckons.

Drawing the No. 1

The whole squad was sent to Tracom after lunch to draw our No.1 uniform, which is for our passing out parade. I only get to wear it once in my entire lifetime, unless I sign on the the Force and then get the opportunity to wear it again during my wedding.

After a long period of waiting, searching through a room full of No.1 uniforms of various sizes, I finally got the top to my liking but my pants are still too tight. They look normal when I walk or wear it, but I can't see myself lifting my feet 90 degrees when doing the P.O.P drills. Oh well, its their fault, not mine. =)

Have to get a nice picture of myself wearing my No.1 along with the words "Police Coast Guard" at the Brani base, it'll probably be the iconic picture of my National Service.

Since it took so long to draw our No.1 at Tracom, Atek, Wei Loong Nico and I ended up sauntering to the canteen. Yes, we need not march in Tracom, can walk around.

Then we were stopped by the Legendary Sri Kanthan. He's the highest ranking non senior officer in Tracom with 32 years of service in the force. I think his pension is in the region of 750 000 to 1.2 million dollars. He's really power! One of the very few officers to have reached the rank of Senior Station Inspector Level 2 or SSI(2). That's why in Tracom, everyone calls him "legendary".

Out of 10 000 junior officers, only 400 reach this coveted rank of SSI(2).

He thought we were a bunch of trainees screwing up on discipline so he stopped us and asked us a few questions, kicked up a fuss about our non-marching and then drove off (he was in a car all the while). So funny I have to say. He's one of the few cool old men in the force that has been through much, yet jokes with us casually. He can really relate to people 35 years younger than him. The best thing is that almost every policeman in the country knows who he is. Try it next time, ask a policeman on the street, "Who is the Legendary Sri Kanthan". And watch his reaction. Should be at least a smile.

I met up with Ishvinder, my ex-classmate in ACJC. He's one of the "lucky" few who also got posted to Tracom. He was just sitting around, waiting for a bus to pick him up and drop him off at the Senior Police Officer's Mess, where he would be part of a "delegation" taking an oath committing towards Racial Harmony in front of most of the big shot senior officers.

He's an Indian Sikh, I am a Chinese Christian. We are like great buddies since both of us were the only two people in the whole entire class who took F maths in 2SA5 last year. Funny how race or religion doesn't even provide a semblance of a division between the way we treat each other.

Ishvinder is a Great Indian Mathematician. His handwriting is really messy, but he can come up with solutions to very challenging and difficult Futher Mathematics questions in no time. Problem is: Trying to read his handwriting when copying his homework....

And he's very funny too, one hell of a joker. Both of us can bring down the F Maths lecture and drive Mahala crazy for a few minutes. Hahahaha! And Lim See Poi loved us for it. =D

In the end, I didn't go the the canteen with the other three, just talked with him, caught up with him, chatted about the old times and our futures until the 3 of them finished their short break and I left Ishvinder. Should be seeing him on the 26th provided if I have the money to go.

I think I'm going to end up in Kallang doing Office work. SSgt Tay hinted this probability to me. He added that lots of people have failed the navigation exam. Perhaps me as well, since the marker had already marked the guy with the nickname "professor". =)

Nevertheless, I endear to do well in tomorrow's ship board exam. Yay! We're going out to sea again! An exam on the high seas does sound cool, doesn't it?

We had the opportunity to leave Tracom at about 4.55. Upon crossing the street, Bus 132 arrived! Edmund, Wei Loong and I ran for it and ended up having a walkabout in Orchard Road.

We dropped off at Far East where Edmund went to take puff in front of us, telling us to look at girls in all the directions he indicated. Girls at Far East? Hmmmmm.... Ng Eng Chin (Barker Principal), once said on my first day in Sec 1.

"Don't be stupid and go to Far East to see girls"

Nowonder - girls in Far East are usually quite pretty! =) And Cheezy didn't want us to be distracted.

We ended up walking through Far East Plaza for a while. Found this pirated shop where we could get really cheap pirated games, software and even pirated DVDs! So ironic. Policemen supporting the very thing they're supposed to bust. The shop sells CD's cheaper than at other pirated cd shops (8 bucks a disc is usually the standard price).

I managed to borrow 10 bucks from Edmund to buy a copy of the "bootable and upgradable" version of Windows XP Professional. Not bad. Now I can pirate the pirated copy and give back Nico the disc, it is almost as though I didn't lose it at all. Just that if I'm not wrong, I have exactly 30 bucks or so left in my account. So 10 bucks for the CD, 20 bucks for Bell's present and I'm flat out.

Haven't been eating at the breaks they've been giving us, neither have been spending money on drinks - just drink water. So far's its going ok.

When Edmund was changing his clothes, Wei Loong bumped into his ex-girlfriend. My goodness! She's SO PRETTY! Has looks that could kill about probably 60% of ACJC guys. Its quite funny that the two of them could like actually talk to each other like old friends and there was no visible sense of discomfort.

You don't get that with broken up couples in ACJC. The girl hates the guy and the guy hates the girl. Seen it so many times before already.

Wei Loong is in a sense really good at "getting girls"? It's like his ex-girlfriend is so pretty, and his current one too. Ok, so he's really handsome as well. He's got the body, looks and the personality to carry it off. Almost like a woman's man. If he wasn't in police, he would be in the Commandos, having been short listed to join them, just that he refused.

Poh Yong, Liang Wei, Nico, Edmund were Atek were also shortlisted to join the commandos but they opted out. Funny how come so many commando-should-be people end up in police.

Wei Loong brought us to this aquarium shop which has yet to open its doors. I think keeping an aquarium at home would be a great idea! Just that it takes too much time and is quite painstaking work wise. Besides, it is an expensive hobby.

Perhaps I'll just buy a small fish tank and keep two Starfishes in it. Starfishes are beautiful! Besides, they don't need a large tank and they don't make too much of a mess as well. So yeah, when I've got money, I'll get myself an aquarim with 2 starfishes in it.

Stingrays are nice as well...

The normally selfish Edmund actually bought us ice cream as we were walking to the Heeren. Wei Loong wanted to check out the Annex and I, PK Computer.

Wei Loong said, "Wah, must be a good day to buy 4D, Edmund buy us ice cream..."

Ok the ice cream uncle's motorcycle plate was 1319 - two sets of prime numbers! Any takers anyone? Who knows....

Uniform Fetish

After walking around with Wei Loong and Edmund through Annex, I noticed that there were lots of JC girls in the place. Ok, even though Orchard is like totally void of ACJC people today, it is like they "made up for it".

I think I have a uniform fetish. I'm not sure what to make of it first, whether its good or bad. But somehow, I think that the SAJC, AJC and the ACJC girl's uniform turn me on in like that way. A little bit only I guess.

Ok, at least some of the guys I know admit to having uniform fetishes too. Won't say who here, but its quite a number amongst the guys I know. There's just something about the SAJC and AJC girl's uniform. It just turns guys on.

Perhaps its because of the deliberate tight-fitting blouse type of cutting that the school tailor uses and/or the tight mini-skirt that like wraps its around the girl's thighs. And somehow, its almost shows half the girls thigh, if not, at least one quarter.

I'm jus taking my feelings as they develop just as part of "growing up". But I have to admit that the SAJC and AJC girl's uniform in a sense bring out the sultry/sexy side in a typical school girl.

The ACJC one is because I support ACJC. No other reason. =) The skirt is too stiff and adheres to its shape too strictly. its nice to have a little flapping effect and ripples in it as a girl walks.

Oops, this is truly so sinful. Can't believe I think such thoughts - much less write them down.

Computer Stuff

I check out PK Computer. They were selling Altec-Lansing 2.1 entry level speakers for 49 bucks, the creative Inspire 2400 was going at 75 dollars. Yet, the creative 4.1 system was retailing at only 99 dollars and the Altec-Lansing one a cheaper 79 dollars.

I was thinking of splurging on a good set of speakers for Merf, since he needs one set badly and I'd want to give my CGL a gift. If I have to money to spare, I'll get him the latest Altec-Lansing 5.1 100 watt surround sound system with a creative soundblaster 5.1 soundcard for the 5.1 sound.

Then again, his computer can't watch DVDs, so perhaps a good 4.1 system with a good sound card will do. I really want to bless him in at least one way for all his work he's done as a leader to me. Will be researching, and depeding on my pay next month, I plan to get him something good.

I'll need to get a new mousepad. My current Everglid Giganta is already worn out. Looking for the Func 1030 PMS (Precise Mouing Surface - sorry girls) - supposedly the best mousepad to along with my Razor Boomslang 1000. Need a Black colored keyboard too. My monitor, speakers, mousepad, mouse are black, even my keyboard wristrest is black - all except the keyboard! it spoils the whole look of my PC.

Later, we went to centrepoint, and they Robinsons had this huge SK-II advertisement. Since Edmund has Acne to quite a bad degree, Wei Loong just had to poke him.

"Edmund! Go use SK II lah!"
"FUCK YOU!"

Ed's really sensitive when it comes to his acne, worst, everyone in the squad loves to poke him about it. Oh well, some things will never change.

Went to check out the ladies floor in Robinsons, they're selling that cool Triump Bra! Hahaha!

Strange to note that they guys actually asked me to accompany them to the two kinky condom shops along Lucky Plaza. Why didn't they see the sex shop at Far East? It is like SO obvious, and they sell kinkier stuff for the likes of those bondage kits and stuff.

I can't believe I'm being so open-minded about sex on my blog. Its like it is a subject I rarely discuss or talk about in life.

Passion ACJC

After being postponed from 28th march to indefinitely to 18th of July. I checked with Don today about the time and place. His reply: It has been permanently cancelled. Sigh. One less opportunity to meet some AC people.

Nevertheless, Merf's band is debuting 2 new acoustic songs tomorrow at the Acoustic Stage at the Esplanade for Babybeats. His band is really going places. The Lord is has been very good to them indeed.

home

I managed to catch bus number 7 by dashing across the street at Somerset MRT. Not bad. I managed to reach home by 7.15, had a shower and of course, a great dinner.

Today's show of Chemistry was a little different, didn't like it at first, but soon grew onto it. I find it quite sad that Rui En is actually going to sleep with Chris so that Howard can stay on the acting project. So sad!

Such things shouldn't happen. Oh well. It's life. The sad reality of life does hurt.