Thursday 22 April 2010
Did anybody see pictures of Lady Gaga without her make-up?
*shudder*
@ 19:19
NICE ONE
Friday 16 April 2010
In 2008, after the A'levels, I went to Recruit Express looking for a job. They never got back to me.
Until now.
April 16 11.30a.m 2010
"Hello is this Clement? I'm calling from Recruit Express. Are you looking for a job?"
"Er.. No. I'm in the ARMY."
"Alright, thank you anyway!"
Real fucking efficient. So if I wanted to get a job through them after my National Service(which ends in November by the way), I'll have had to apply.... I don't know... SIX MONTHS AGO?
Screw it.
@ 17:44
Commissioning wasn't the end. It was the begining.
Sunday 11 April 2010
I always thought commissioning was the end of it all.
You know, in addition to the salary increment and a nice new label, my impression of officership was , well, to be brutally honest, slacking around.
I always expected that I would get some staff job somewhere with no real responsibility. Where my days would be as boring as can be and I would do the 8-5 life.
Suddenly, I'm thrust into an entirely new environment.
As a platoon commander there is alot more to officership than on the surface.
When one of my men asks to apply urgent leave, I tried as far as possible to allow it. Yet the guidelines are clear, the rules unflinching. I had to explain to him that I couldn't it. It was quite a surreal moment for me.
I never imagined being on that side of the conversation before. The army is an organisation, and like any other corporate entity, its regulations are cold and unfeeling. When I explained it to him, I could see his expression flash from hope to despair to anger before it faded back into a mask of neutrality.
Suddenly, I have to be the bad guy.
"Sir my girlfriend is sick I have to take care of her."
"I'm sorry but the SAF policy is that immediate family members only. I'm afraid I can't approve your leave"
"But she has nobody to watch over her, I'm all she's got! Sir don't be so heartless!"
"That's just the way it is. Army directives are extremely clear on this issue. Nothing you say can sway my decision."
FUCK. I felt like such a bastard right there and then. OCS never warned you about shit like this.
@ 14:02
WOW what a hiatus
Wednesday 24 March 2010
Alright. I am fully aware that my last blog post was like 4 months ago.
I just didn't feel like blogging, you know?
In all honesty, I had this brief bout of depression Christmas-New Year period.
I just felt that OCS had totally consumed my life, and that everything was going horribly wrong.
I never thought that the day would come.
The day where I stand on the parade square, resplendent in my No.1 Uniform.
Waiting for my family and friends to put on the rank for me.
My commissioning.
I feel alive again.
No more being told what to and what not to do.
No more lame-ass stand by areas.
No more subjected to the whims of others.
I am my own.
I'm ready to continue living again.
Somehow, someplace in my head I had hoped to see you in the crowds when I commissioned.
That you would be there on what was the most important day of my life to date.
I should have known better.
@ 16:31
Sunday 22 November 2009
Until today, I'd already forgotten how good swimming feels.
@ 13:59
I washed my Sony Ericssion earphones in the washing machine. TWICE. And they still work.
Saturday 21 November 2009
Neil Gaiman's books are wierd.
He is an amazing writer, I'll give him that, but his books are wierd!
Take American Gods. Its about like the old gods(like norse and egyptian deities) vs the 'new gods'( like the internet. Yes the internet.) Apparently the logic goes that anything that people worship creates a god. So even for those god-forsaking atheists, by utilizing modern conveniences so much, they inadverdently "worship" it. Creating an internet god. (Which is represented by a big fat slob obessessed by food by the way) Throw it a zombie wife who was reanimated from the dead. How did she die? By having oral sex with the best friend of the protagonist and causing the car both of them were in to crash.
Put all of them together and what do you get?
Definitely worth the read.
In my current camp, we're all addicted to reading.
MP3? BANNED.
PSP? BANNED.
And we don't even have computers like back in SAFTI.
In one week I've devoured, The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown(BORING), For One More Day(Mitch Albom), Neverwhere(Neil Gaiman) and countless issues of Men's health.
My reading speed has gone from fast to absurdly quick.
It's either read books or play a gameboy.
And I can't FIND my gameboy.
ARRRGH.
@ 14:17
Sunday 15 November 2009
"THE END"
"Wednesday, 19 November 2008
I took this picture on the evening exactly a week before the A levels started.
From the school canteen overlooking the track.
Its a beautiful sunset.
And now, another chapter of my life has ended.
Two years are over just like that.
Over this two years, I've learnt and experienced much.
I've built bonds that will last a lifetime, found friends whom I will forever cherish.
When I first entered JC, I thought to myself: "Its time for your next adventure."
Apparently I got much more than I bargained for.
My life has been like something out of a movie.
I've smiled.
I've laughed.
I've cried.
Through it all, I like to think that I've matured somewhat.
Learnt my lessons the hard way.
I'm no longer that brash arrogant kid(yes, kid) who cared only for himself at the expense of others.
Hopefully, I've grown a little wiser as well.
Able to see that my actions have consequences and the world doesn't just revolve around me.
The Hockey team: Felix, Nanyang, Yi Xuan, Martin, Zan Yu, Justin, Shi Hao, Wei Qin, Ananda.
07s20: Jin Xian, Ben Hong, Zhi Han, Hao Bo, Sze Siong, Kah Ho, the five princesses, siva, the rest of the guys.
Mrs Jarleh(about as real and cool and hip teachers come), Mr Nick Chan(taking time out on a public holiday to give us consultation), Miss Shery Ang(Buying McGirdle for us and gossiping) and Mr Chew Ju On( The butt of many jokes but still kind enough to automatically come library and provide help whenever he's free).
If I didn't mention you, please don't be insulted.
The list isn't exhaustive.
It's too much to list out each and every person who made a difference to me in NJ.
As the sun sets over NJ, so does it over this phase of my life.
Chapter closed.
However, my story is far from complete.
Life has so much in store for me."
This post was up exactly one year ago.
I've come quite far since then.
Hasn't been a good year for me though, my army life has been far from smooth sailing.
I left JC a year ago, and have been serving army for over 10 months.
And my life has since changed dramatically.
Ligament tear, hearing loss, allergic reaction, hornet stings....
If I can get out of army with my body 80% of what it was before I enlisted, I'll already count myself lucky.
@ 19:07
Clement Yap
