Monday, December 31, 2007
Being the last entry of 2007, it's really all about summing up the year in general. I've been blogging for more than 4 years, that is if you take into account the older blog that I had. Being able to keep it going for such a long time is an achievement itself. In a blogging world where so many people have come and go, I chose to stay on because blogging to me is a form of release and being able to pen down your thoughts is better than keeping them bottled inside of you. That's pretty unhealthy if you ask me.
Looking back, it's been a good year for me, a year where I've truly grown up both as person, son and friend etc. I was supposed to ord in march 2007, but my army life technically ended much earlier, around december 2006. Don't get me wrong, the earlier break from army was very much legal as compared to what many would think of. I'm not that kind of person but if the occasion calls for it, I might. The break from army was very much well-deserved by my standards, after toiling for 1 year plus in the unit where every significant public holiday or festive season will be burnt because you're doing the nation a service. For the first time in 2 years, it was good to be able to spend christmas, christmas eve, new year's eve, new year, chinese new year's eve and chinese new year etc outside of camp. The list could go on and on but I presume you get the picture.
As I get older, going to be 22 this coming May, festive occasions hold an altogether different meaning for me. I never like crowds and clubbing stuff so nothing beats being able to spend it with close friends and my family. Even for new year's eve itself this year, I spent it at home doing nothing special. Honestly, there wasn't even a whiff of any festive mood in me about the new year. Even watching the celebrations and fireworks from overseas celebrations didn't really get me in the mood. Is it really the case of being older and wiser now? I mean new year last time when I was in army meant more to me, it was like being 1 year and that 1 day closer to ord. My jc friend says it's a case of being in tune to the university academic timetable which sounds true as well.
Was lucky to get a part-time job courtesy of Tong during my clearing days which paid me a comfortable amount so that expenditure and I also have to save up for post-ord days where there will be no more income. It was a good experience but not my first working stint. Just a different nature of work. We were supposed to build those display shelves for fossil watches. It was tough match but physically and mentally challenging, especially when the deadline approaches and shipment would have to be met. I even worked on chinese new eve till afternoon just to meet the noon shipment and there were a few times we stayed back overnight, fighting off the mosquitoes which reminded me that army days are not over yet, trying to complete the required number of shelves.
The free lunches, sometimes dinner and the canteen trips to get our mee soto, Jeff's chicken wing, my malay mixed rice, water chestnut drinks and teh peng etc. To settle my breakfast, I usually head over to the factory earlier and have my breakfast of mee fern there, just like any other factory work in the area. It just gave me a greater insight of what's working life is gonna be like next time. You're gonna be in charge of your own life once you graduate and that's why I really gonna enjoy my student's life now before it's over in 3.5 years time.
Getting that pink ic was perhaps the highlight of the year. Everyone, including me, thought that ord is really a big day but it only last from the last month before ord to the time you actually get the card itself. After you get it, I was like saying ord one last time and that's it. After that it was like "Ord? Ord loh, whatever". Everyone moves on with their own lives, be it for work or studies. I bid goodbye to the camp that gave me such a hard life for the past 1 year plus and wishing I don't have to return to it unless the nation calls for me. It meant the legal freedom that I've been craving for since I started clearing my offs and leave. After this stint in this shift-work related army experience, I realize it's gonna take alot more to knock me down. I've been through a whole lot worse experience so it's kinda like a love-hate relationship with the army. You don't have to worry much when you're in camp. Everything's provided and you just have to do what you're told to do. Simple as that and even food and lodging is provided for.
After the work at fossil ended, I did slack for like close to 2 months before it was time to settle down and get ready to go back to school once again. Trust me, it wasn't easy in my opinion. Having to settle down to a whole new campus and it's really big trust me, I remember being late and unable to find the lecture theatres, tutorials and theatres where all the briefings were being held. It's all having getting used to university life in general. What does the number 5-1-01 really mean? It means PE Block 5, Level 1, Tutorial Room 1. Sounds simple to many but I did have some problems with it last time and worse if you're rushing for time and you cannot find the room.
I'm thankful for having such a nice class, especially in the university setting where you change your tutorial classes every semester. That's just one of the many perks on being in PE, you get your class and it's good to be with people of the same mentality. Praba once commented that it will be funny if all the guys in the class are serving their ns together in the same platoon. It will be a screwed up platoon really and I can't imagine the many extras that we will be signing. It's gonna be another 3.5 years together with these great bunch of people and before we know it, it's gonna be graduation time and these colleagues of mine, not just classmates will be posted to different schools to carve a niche in our careers. It was a good start for my first semester exams after not touching the books for the past 2 years. I did better than I expected and life can only get better if I'm willing to work hard.
This thingy of New Year resolution is really old school and that's the way I see it. I just want to do well in my studies, enjoy university life, play more soccer and squash and most importantly of all, spend more quality time with my family and friends.
A simple life, a simple man.
