I'm gonna have to get you to write that down
Ok, so much for my rather slanted post on the rotten base. Latest Update: I cannot get leave during Christmas because the nutcases at the Police National Service Department (that really really really cannot make it) refuse to process my application for leave forms on the basis that "new leave is only granted to you on the anniversary of the date that you enlisted into the police force". Silly beauracracy, its just a few days. I'll be better off throwing a few MCs in all honesty than to go through the hassle of applying for leave. I didn't mention that it took me two solid months just to get my leave for my trip to NY approved, didn't I? Like I said,it realy is a useless department. Made even more useless by our utterly incompetant base management.
A bigger update: They apparently somehow "lost" all my records of all the courses that I have ever attended. Shouldn't it already be in the computer? Most of the records are kept electronically nowadays between the various departments and they have the cheek to come and ask me to photocopy my certificates (that are almost never issued!) and to hand it over to them. And its amusing that they have every single NSmen's "disciplinary records" in prim and proper shape ready for the call up at anytime. I would definitely lambast this department more, just let everyone know that its led by a useless assistant commissioner of police as well. =)
Wait, I should get some photographic evidence and proof, shouldn't I? Yes! Indeed. The pen is mightier than the sword. But the camera captures evidence! Oh well, lets just say that I will do my best to have as little dealings with the management as far as possible as well as the complete-waste-of-time PNSD. One thing is for sure is that army clerks and police clerks are world's apart. I know from my friends that army clerks DO work a great deal. In fact, I see that their paperwork burden only increases with every single meeting or every single "new directive" from the upper echelons of management. But please. Police clerks are so free they can drink coffee and play computer games on their PCs all day long.
Someone once told me that people who have "cushy desk jobs in air-conditioned offices are all pretty much white horses". No doubt, there are some that are there because they really have medical reasons. Others are there because they can fake their medical conditions successfully. And of course. If you are really a white horse. I think the whole establishment really needs to be thoroughly shaken up. Seriously, I think the whole base is stocked full of formerly-condemened-policemen who now have found their "golden-moment" being thrust into the great limelight by being in the right place at the right time. They have truly mastered the art of demotivating their men very successfully. I know I sound so grumpy to complain about the civil service. Yet that's really just the way I see it. Slanted in whateve way that I can interpret and see it as. I have hardly any complains about my team because the team work is just so excellent. Almost fantastic working relationship with all of them. A working environment that corporate CEOS would pay millions of dollars to send their staff for courses to achieve.
Yet all the bugbears have been pretty much on the management side, who are more concerned with protocol and wayang-decorium rather than really doing ground work and having a solid hands-on experience. If you think about it, there are people in my team whose PSLE grade is a a third of mine (and I'm not exactly smart!) and they can steer the boat and navigate far better than I can even think of. There are people who didn't even make it past their O-levels and yet have so much practical hands on knowledge that they continually share with me on a regular basis. Even though I've been in the team for nearly two years. I still learn new things everytime I head out to sea. And that's really wonderful. Continuing education of sorts. The university of society as well as the mix and balance of care and concern. No one scoldes me when I make mistakes. Even big ones. They usually just warn me gently and then brush it all off later on with much humour. After all, no one is perfect, people will make mistakes. Its the attitude in which we accept our mistakes that determines the overal working environment of an organisation, team so on and so forth.
At the end of the day, due to heavy reasons of politics, more politics and even more politics. (Coast Guard management is really free to indulge in all the politicking they want to indulge in). It usually ends up in a very unhappy team as far as those who work in the base are concerned. And worst off, most of the management do not even care to bother about the promotion of the men. Every year, we see more and more good police officers being passed on for promotion only because those who worked in the base and knew who to bootlick efficiently and effectively are rewarded with more bonus, more pay and an increase in rank. While those people who are out at the sea taking into the harsh conditions, greater danger and very long shift work hours often never see their hard work being rewareded. I mean, if the Police National Service Department can lose all my good records and somehow keep whatever bad records they have of me. Its quite a good insight into what the priority and purpose of that wretched department focuses upon. Maybe its because its stock-full of whitehorses that's why its so inefficient (I've not seen a single clerk who is a clerk by virtue of medical reasons in the police force - every enlistee at police academy needs to be PES A or PES B to be enlisted into the police force).
Its very interesting when I read up on politics, philosophy, economics as well as social issues and have conversations with intellectuals, the man-on-the-street as well as other denigrated members of society. Even though in general I'm not a very sociable person. Somehow, I have this ability to connect and to talk with people from all walks of life. So that might be my gift/talent from God after all. Even back at police academy, police coast guard training school and now in the team, I can speak to anyone without anything hindering me, even though therein lies the fact that "alot of people don't like each other". Its has certainly opened my eyes to me about the way society really is like, the amazing power of the media (our slanted media, that is) as well as other aspects in life that I have been blessed to learn more about, things that are never taught in school and so on and so forth.
I remember quite a long time ago, when I was much more naive. No thanks to my cushioned and comfortable upbringing as well as being constantly surrounded by rich-men's sons. Its like having seen the world through only one perspective that tends to differ from reality alot. I do realise that the common man on the street struggles with housing board payments as well as finances for necessities. Its interesting that I once asked a police officer a question. While everyone in my team laughs hiliarious at me for this now and uses it as a benchmark for personal naive-ness. I look back at it with much laughter as well. I was asking this policeman in a very direct manner:
"What is a mama-san ah?"
And he replied to me. "Oh, brother! THAT... is the MOTHER... of all.. the chickens!"
Of course I didn't really understand that, so when I went around to "seek clarification" everyone just laughed at me. Oh well, no thanks to a few more street-smart policemen as well as brilliant individuals in their own right. I do understand a little bit more about the supposedly darkner segments of society. And that not everything in this country is as whitewashed as taking a cab down the ECP after leaving Changi Airport at 6 in the morning. The Ah Beng on the street does have much things to share with me that no school textbook will ever have or that all the theoretical physics in the world might even suppose existed. I guess that's what is called a real "learning journey" at times. I'm often intrigued about the areas and segments of society that we have been so often warned not to venture into. Then again, isn't that close to artificially denying its existed by practising an extreme means of personal self-censorship?
I do not know much about this country. I find that I understand more about the physics of fluids as well as electromotive force and very basic relativity than I do upon what really goes on behind the red curtain of light. When I read about the work of charitable organisations working in many 3rd world countries and it just seems "so far away" for me. Its really a slap in the face when I realise that there really are 16 year old girls who moonlight as social escorts with "extras" only so that they might see themselves through their first year in JC that I really do start to learn to appreciate what I have been given and blessed with as well as to start to reflect in incredulity as well as partial-horror of sorts at the artificiality as well as plain blank slate that society purportedly declares itself to be. And that my whole schooling environment is like one really good piece of stained glass of a farce.
There's definitely more to life that living the uptown class high-society social butterfly that a good number of singaporeans probably do crave. I tend to find high society so artificial. Like its the realisation of all the idealism that all of us work so hard towards to achieve. Then again, what is the point when we leave other equally, perhaps more important things unbothered with? What is the point of being a person in a wealthy yet icy palace when one's heart is left with the warmth of the downtown slums of the fringe groups of society. Its interesting, and I intend to learn more about, perhaps document it in whatever means that I can and then, we'll see how things go from there.
In closing, with much thought, this post has once again gone awry. Truly, my blog is really like the rambling thoughts of a demented person. Or maybe my brain is just hard wired by nature to go out of point and become "very off" in no time at all? I don't know, yet I do find this partial release in writing as well as photography of sorts. Yet I realise that ultimately, it is good to give back to God at least something after all that He has done for us. As I write this, I guess that I'll go back to serving as usual and I won't quit serving in ministry in Church. Its not easy, but its the right decision. Sometimes, to do what is right, we have to give up the things that are dearest and most valuable to us. Even our dreams.
Ok, so much for my rather slanted post on the rotten base. Latest Update: I cannot get leave during Christmas because the nutcases at the Police National Service Department (that really really really cannot make it) refuse to process my application for leave forms on the basis that "new leave is only granted to you on the anniversary of the date that you enlisted into the police force". Silly beauracracy, its just a few days. I'll be better off throwing a few MCs in all honesty than to go through the hassle of applying for leave. I didn't mention that it took me two solid months just to get my leave for my trip to NY approved, didn't I? Like I said,it realy is a useless department. Made even more useless by our utterly incompetant base management.
A bigger update: They apparently somehow "lost" all my records of all the courses that I have ever attended. Shouldn't it already be in the computer? Most of the records are kept electronically nowadays between the various departments and they have the cheek to come and ask me to photocopy my certificates (that are almost never issued!) and to hand it over to them. And its amusing that they have every single NSmen's "disciplinary records" in prim and proper shape ready for the call up at anytime. I would definitely lambast this department more, just let everyone know that its led by a useless assistant commissioner of police as well. =)
Wait, I should get some photographic evidence and proof, shouldn't I? Yes! Indeed. The pen is mightier than the sword. But the camera captures evidence! Oh well, lets just say that I will do my best to have as little dealings with the management as far as possible as well as the complete-waste-of-time PNSD. One thing is for sure is that army clerks and police clerks are world's apart. I know from my friends that army clerks DO work a great deal. In fact, I see that their paperwork burden only increases with every single meeting or every single "new directive" from the upper echelons of management. But please. Police clerks are so free they can drink coffee and play computer games on their PCs all day long.
Someone once told me that people who have "cushy desk jobs in air-conditioned offices are all pretty much white horses". No doubt, there are some that are there because they really have medical reasons. Others are there because they can fake their medical conditions successfully. And of course. If you are really a white horse. I think the whole establishment really needs to be thoroughly shaken up. Seriously, I think the whole base is stocked full of formerly-condemened-policemen who now have found their "golden-moment" being thrust into the great limelight by being in the right place at the right time. They have truly mastered the art of demotivating their men very successfully. I know I sound so grumpy to complain about the civil service. Yet that's really just the way I see it. Slanted in whateve way that I can interpret and see it as. I have hardly any complains about my team because the team work is just so excellent. Almost fantastic working relationship with all of them. A working environment that corporate CEOS would pay millions of dollars to send their staff for courses to achieve.
Yet all the bugbears have been pretty much on the management side, who are more concerned with protocol and wayang-decorium rather than really doing ground work and having a solid hands-on experience. If you think about it, there are people in my team whose PSLE grade is a a third of mine (and I'm not exactly smart!) and they can steer the boat and navigate far better than I can even think of. There are people who didn't even make it past their O-levels and yet have so much practical hands on knowledge that they continually share with me on a regular basis. Even though I've been in the team for nearly two years. I still learn new things everytime I head out to sea. And that's really wonderful. Continuing education of sorts. The university of society as well as the mix and balance of care and concern. No one scoldes me when I make mistakes. Even big ones. They usually just warn me gently and then brush it all off later on with much humour. After all, no one is perfect, people will make mistakes. Its the attitude in which we accept our mistakes that determines the overal working environment of an organisation, team so on and so forth.
At the end of the day, due to heavy reasons of politics, more politics and even more politics. (Coast Guard management is really free to indulge in all the politicking they want to indulge in). It usually ends up in a very unhappy team as far as those who work in the base are concerned. And worst off, most of the management do not even care to bother about the promotion of the men. Every year, we see more and more good police officers being passed on for promotion only because those who worked in the base and knew who to bootlick efficiently and effectively are rewarded with more bonus, more pay and an increase in rank. While those people who are out at the sea taking into the harsh conditions, greater danger and very long shift work hours often never see their hard work being rewareded. I mean, if the Police National Service Department can lose all my good records and somehow keep whatever bad records they have of me. Its quite a good insight into what the priority and purpose of that wretched department focuses upon. Maybe its because its stock-full of whitehorses that's why its so inefficient (I've not seen a single clerk who is a clerk by virtue of medical reasons in the police force - every enlistee at police academy needs to be PES A or PES B to be enlisted into the police force).
Its very interesting when I read up on politics, philosophy, economics as well as social issues and have conversations with intellectuals, the man-on-the-street as well as other denigrated members of society. Even though in general I'm not a very sociable person. Somehow, I have this ability to connect and to talk with people from all walks of life. So that might be my gift/talent from God after all. Even back at police academy, police coast guard training school and now in the team, I can speak to anyone without anything hindering me, even though therein lies the fact that "alot of people don't like each other". Its has certainly opened my eyes to me about the way society really is like, the amazing power of the media (our slanted media, that is) as well as other aspects in life that I have been blessed to learn more about, things that are never taught in school and so on and so forth.
I remember quite a long time ago, when I was much more naive. No thanks to my cushioned and comfortable upbringing as well as being constantly surrounded by rich-men's sons. Its like having seen the world through only one perspective that tends to differ from reality alot. I do realise that the common man on the street struggles with housing board payments as well as finances for necessities. Its interesting that I once asked a police officer a question. While everyone in my team laughs hiliarious at me for this now and uses it as a benchmark for personal naive-ness. I look back at it with much laughter as well. I was asking this policeman in a very direct manner:
"What is a mama-san ah?"
And he replied to me. "Oh, brother! THAT... is the MOTHER... of all.. the chickens!"
Of course I didn't really understand that, so when I went around to "seek clarification" everyone just laughed at me. Oh well, no thanks to a few more street-smart policemen as well as brilliant individuals in their own right. I do understand a little bit more about the supposedly darkner segments of society. And that not everything in this country is as whitewashed as taking a cab down the ECP after leaving Changi Airport at 6 in the morning. The Ah Beng on the street does have much things to share with me that no school textbook will ever have or that all the theoretical physics in the world might even suppose existed. I guess that's what is called a real "learning journey" at times. I'm often intrigued about the areas and segments of society that we have been so often warned not to venture into. Then again, isn't that close to artificially denying its existed by practising an extreme means of personal self-censorship?
I do not know much about this country. I find that I understand more about the physics of fluids as well as electromotive force and very basic relativity than I do upon what really goes on behind the red curtain of light. When I read about the work of charitable organisations working in many 3rd world countries and it just seems "so far away" for me. Its really a slap in the face when I realise that there really are 16 year old girls who moonlight as social escorts with "extras" only so that they might see themselves through their first year in JC that I really do start to learn to appreciate what I have been given and blessed with as well as to start to reflect in incredulity as well as partial-horror of sorts at the artificiality as well as plain blank slate that society purportedly declares itself to be. And that my whole schooling environment is like one really good piece of stained glass of a farce.
There's definitely more to life that living the uptown class high-society social butterfly that a good number of singaporeans probably do crave. I tend to find high society so artificial. Like its the realisation of all the idealism that all of us work so hard towards to achieve. Then again, what is the point when we leave other equally, perhaps more important things unbothered with? What is the point of being a person in a wealthy yet icy palace when one's heart is left with the warmth of the downtown slums of the fringe groups of society. Its interesting, and I intend to learn more about, perhaps document it in whatever means that I can and then, we'll see how things go from there.
In closing, with much thought, this post has once again gone awry. Truly, my blog is really like the rambling thoughts of a demented person. Or maybe my brain is just hard wired by nature to go out of point and become "very off" in no time at all? I don't know, yet I do find this partial release in writing as well as photography of sorts. Yet I realise that ultimately, it is good to give back to God at least something after all that He has done for us. As I write this, I guess that I'll go back to serving as usual and I won't quit serving in ministry in Church. Its not easy, but its the right decision. Sometimes, to do what is right, we have to give up the things that are dearest and most valuable to us. Even our dreams.
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