Daniel's Blog

A Summary for 2011

2011-12-31T01:13:00.000+08:00

2011 came and is about to end. It was an exciting year as before as I went through lots of changes in life. Let's have a basic summary of my year so far.

For the start of the year, I welcomed it by celebrating it with colleagues from Toll Logistics (Asia) Limited which was my company for my internship placement. It was in January that I started planning for my epic Great Asia Trip like buying air tickets and booking of accommodation. In February, I ended my internship and my 6 months of holiday started. I also managed to celebrate my first ever Valentine's Day with my valentine. :)

Here comes March and I set off for an epic Great Asia Trip with friends from far away countries, United Kingdom and Australia. That also marked my first time in First Class, on Emirates Airline, Firefly, Boeing 777-200, ATR 72-500, Airbus A380-800 and in the United Arab Emirates. It was one of the most epic trips I have ever gone to and definitely one of the most enjoyable trips in my lifetime.

It was a pretty quiet month in April and it involves me staying home on Flight Simulator or just picking her up from work. However, it was near the end of the month that I decided to pay a visit back to my hometown in Shantou and hence I managed to fly in May. It was also an exciting trip whereby I flew the world's only direct flight between Singapore and Shantou, my first flight on the Boeing 737-300 and my first time on Singapore Airlines Business Class. That trip also marked my last time flying out of Shantou Waisha Airport as it has since been replaced with Jieyang Chaoshan Airport.

Fast forward to August when I was enlisted into National Service, a rite of passage for every Singaporean son. It was through NS that I saw people from all walks of life and how they behave. Some of them can be very selfish while some insensitive. However, some of them can be very nice to whoever they are dealing with. Also, I managed to lose 27kg in my Basic Military Training which is a great achievement for me.

Although 2011 was not perfect, it was a great year too. Wish 2012 to be a better one!

Reflections

2011-11-20T15:37:00.002+08:00

It's been almost 3 months since I've been a full time National Serviceman. In other words, I have lost my freedom for 3 months. These 3 months have been full of ups and downs. My weight, as most of you would have known it, has gone down significantly.

As you can see, I started out at 119kg down to 99kg now. It's great news that I managed to get my weight below 100kg once again, something I never thought would happen again. All the running and exercises definitely helped a lot!

This coming week, I will be going for what would be the most torturous, challenging and grueling event in my whole life, the Field Camp. It is not good news when these 2 words appear adjacent to each other. It is the toughest challenge one can have in BMT.

Just a little more than a week we had our Individual Field Craft lesson which focuses on training us for Field Camp by teaching us how to put on camouflage, fire movement, building basha tents and various other stuffs that we will be doing. This shows how much of an emphasis is done to make sure we can execute our stuffs properly during Field Camp. Field Camp is also when we get to see people's real personalities. When you are worn out and tired, you show your real personality like how irritated you can become when people speak to you or your willingness to help people even though being already tired yourself.

Besides that, discipline in Field Camp will also be the utmost importance. We have to constantly remind ourselves to move fast but in a tactical way, i.e. relaying the message down to our fellow friends and in a quiet manner.

No matter what, I hope it will all go well for us and also the upcoming SITtest which I am also not looking forward to. I once had a brief thought of entering command school but all these training has made me want to forgo the chance. I'd rather live a simple life, but can I?

See you guys when I get out on 2nd December, hopefully I survive.

Last Day of Civilian Life

2011-08-22T22:00:00.001+08:00

22nd August, 2011. It is 1 day before my enlistment. From tomorrow, 23rd August 2011 onwards, I will cease being a civilian and will be (forcefully) enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Of course, I have disliked the military since young and would not want to have anything to do with it. Being a Singaporean Son, we have no choice but to serve the country and taking a minimal allowance every month.

I have to report at 9am to Pasir Ris Bus Interchange and that will be the last I will be seeing civilisation for the week. Thankfully, I will be able to book out on 29th August (hopefully) due to Hari Raya Puasa. I will now do a comparison table of my thoughts before and after living in the dreaded island.

Edited as of 30 August 2011

BEFORE: Army officers will all treat you like shit.

AFTER: They respect us and treat us good if we do our stuffs right.

BEFORE: Pulau Tekong is said to be extremely haunted.

AFTER: No abnormal situations.

BEFORE: You get forced to run even though you can't continue on.

AFTER: We were encouraged to run and it was ok even though we could not continue.

BEFORE: The training inside will be extremely tough.

AFTER: It is tough but still acceptable.

BEFORE: You don't get enough rest at all.

AFTER: 7 hours of sleep is still insufficient for me but I have to bear with it.

A Great Day

2011-08-16T23:06:00.014+08:00

Had a sleepless night last night because I was worried about a surprise I was planning. Delivery of a flower memo to her office. I am not the one delivering but is very worried about whether it has reached the office. After some hiccups and such later, it finally got into her hands. So relieved!

Went out at around 6pm to surprise her for the 2nd time at the office. Bought Green Tea Frappucino from Starbucks for her since it's one of her favourite drinks. Apparently she was quite surprised too! However, I got a bad shock as I was climbing the stairs up to her office and the wire got caught on to the staircase railing. The whole of the right side got pulled out along with the wire. RIP, Sennheiser headset! :(

Dinner was at Cuppage Terrace and had ramen, very nice! =D

Only 7 days left. How time flies. When I received the dreaded letter it was 75 days away and now it's down to single digit, just a week left. Wonder how am I gonna cope with it. Hating it more day by day.

Inception

2011-08-11T23:50:00.002+08:00

There has got to be a time whereby you have a dream out of the ordinary. It can be a wonderful dream or a scary dream. Unfortunately, it was the latter for me. "Dream within a dream" happens occasionally but it has happened twice to me.

It goes on something like you dream normally and you enter another "dream". For me, the scene was on 23rd August 2011, the day I am never looking forward to. I was at the SAF Boat Jetty preparing for my scary journey to Pulau Tekong. Probably due to the close proximity of the airport, I managed to dream of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A300 (which has long gone into history) with the tropical livery (which has never been on any SQ A300s, only Boeing 747-400s). I even remember the registration as 9V-SBB, which happens to be one of Silkair's Airbus A319-100. As the dream continued, I was ushered into a waiting room which looked alike to a Muslim mosque with the sign "men only" at the entrance. Several minutes later, I was called to board the ship. At this moment, I knew it was a dream. I remember so clearly that I have 2 more weeks till enlistment but why am I boarding the ship now? I tried to wake myself from the dream no matter what, this cannot be true.

As I woke up from my second dream, I had memories myself in my first dream going on Facebook and checking airplane websites for the registration 9V-SBB, only to turn out to be a Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-200 which has also long gone from the fleet.

This is one of the scariest dream of my life. It is something I never wanted to go through in my life. National Service is putting emotional and mental stress on me even before I enlist, what is going to happen when I go in? I might just become a lunatic when I am deprived of freedom and dignity. I must had been a bad person in my previous life to have to go through such a torture in my current life.

National Day

2011-08-09T15:31:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday Singapore! It's 9th of August again, which marks another year old for Singapore. Singapore has progressed much from independence in 1965.

However, National Day this year feels different. I still feel patriotic, but not as much as previous years. Probably it's due to all the political movement going on. This year marks a very important year in Singapore's history. The GE2011 was a watershed one and it is gonna be an interesting PE2011. What are the results? Sigh, probably voting is not even needed.

A wonderful National Day comic :)

A Short Update

2011-07-24T23:26:00.001+08:00

It's been more than a month since I blogged. Sometimes I wonder, why am I blogging so little nowadays? I used to love blogging and done it everyday so as to record down the good or sometimes bad memories in my everyday life.

Life has been going well so far. Being 24th July today, it means that I have less than a month to go for the dreaded National Service. Singapore is one of the very few countries with compulsory NS, I guess I must be too "lucky" to have been a Singaporean since military is definitely not my cup of tea.

Been going out quite often lately, making full use of my remaining days of freedom before it gets taken away for 2 years. I really wonder how I am going to survive in a fully controlled, dominating environment that sometimes leaves you with no dignity to speak of. Basically, you listen to whatever you are told and do whatever you are told to do. In short, it's like a robot being controlled by its owner with no chance of rebelling.

The time is creeping nearer, the tension is getting stronger. Of course, I am still unwilling to serve in the military. I shall only say that I am doing this only because I am being forced to. If given a choice, I would not have chosen anything to do with the military.

A Dreaded Post

2011-06-09T23:55:00.003+08:00

The dreaded letter has finally come. The date is 23rd August 2011. Guess what? 75 days to go. Goodbye world.

So Far, So Good

2011-06-09T01:18:00.001+08:00

It's been almost 4 months since I ended my internship and officially left with nothing to do at all till the dreaded National Service. 4 months passed swiftly and it's already June now. I have to say, lots has changed in the 4 months of holiday I had. Firstly, I headed over to 4 countries (Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, United Arab Emirates) during my Great Asia Trip. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself during the trip although there were some unhappiness during the trip. I had the chance to experience different airlines and aircraft plus visiting a new countries (UAE).

After staying on a ground for a little more than 1 month, I had the chance to fly back to China to visit my relatives again. I can say I've been flying so much that flying is just normal for me now and I did not feel much when flying. However, I still do enjoy flying as a whole and cannot live a day without it. In China, I got to see my grandniece for the first time after she was born. She's really cute and adorable although she is not very familiar with me yet. My stay in Guangzhou and Shenzhen was also enjoyable. Sadly, I stay thousands of kilometers away from my relatives or I could have gone back more often.

After a hiatus of 4 months, I am finally gonna work again albeit only for 4 days. Wonder how much can I earn in this short period of time? Let's see.

My Days in Shantou

2011-05-08T20:41:00.006+08:00

It all started on a fine night on the last week of April. Having just came back from my Great Asia Trip for around a month, the withdrawal syndromes of not getting onto a plane has gotten into me. This struck me, "Should I fly back to China one last time before going into NS?" I could have very well done Singapore to Kuala Lumpur return on AirAsia for just S$59, inclusive of taxes. However, that also means a flight too short to enjoy it.

It could have been my luck as I stumbled upon Tiger Airways' website and saw a real bargain for Singapore to Shenzhen return at S$219 all inclusive and it should cost me around S$260 inclusive of the seat selection and such. When I finally convinced my father, I decided that it would be better for me to fly Singapore-Shantou-Guangzhou-Singapore to utilise Singapore Airlines. More on that later.

Several calls and clicks later, my itinerary was finally settled. I will be staying in Shantou for 10 days before moving on to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and finally flying back from Guangzhou. I have set my date of departure as 4th May 2011, Wednesday. At around 10.30am in the morning on that day, I lugged on my heavy luggage and went on my way to Singapore Changi Airport for my flight to Shantou. The flight was smooth and soon I landed in Shantou with a temperature of 20 degrees celcius, cool and refreshing way to start the trip!

Shantou and Singapore are 2 different worlds. Once you arrive, you feel like you are in the 1990s instead of 2011. The very first piece of evidence would be the airport that looks very simple with only 7 gates equipped with jetways and a single baggage carousel for domestic and international flights respectively. As you travel on the roads of Shantou, you can't help but to notice that there is a distinct difference here and the nearest major city, Guangzhou. The traffic is very messy with honking all day round and cars travelling in opposite directions of the road instead of staying in their own lane. Furthermore, the roads here have no road marking - Simple concrete and you determine where you should be. There are also lots of portholes on the ground and people crossing the road from all directions which simply adds some challenge to the driving here.

If you are from Singapore like me, be prepared for a culture shock when you arrive. You might think that you are fluent in Teochew or Hokkien but when you arrive, you will notice that they have completely different accents from what we are used to there and they speak like a rocket. Having visited here the last 2 years and being my 3rd consecutive year here, I am still unable to get what the locals here are trying to say with the exception of my relatives. As I arrived into my usual adobe, I was greeted by a wide mattress placed on the floor next to a double bed at the room right opposite the Master's Bedroom which will be my home for the next 10 days. This is not my usual bed but as my usual bed is occupied, I have to make do with this.

Another distinct difference you notice is that there is a switch which writes "pump work" beside each water source, be it in the kitchen, laundry room or in the toilets. This is because at times there is not enough pressure for the water to reach the tap and you have to turn the switch on for water to flow. However, be aware that the tap might behave weirdly like a child trying to cough out phlegm. Even after you get the water flowing, be prepared that the water pressure is not as strong as what we are used to in modern cities.

If you are not someone that is used to proportions, be prepared for a "fun" time when showering. There are a total of 3 knobs on the gas operated water heater in the bathroom. The first switch is for adjusting the intensity of the fire in the water heater. There is a small hole that you can peep into to watch the fire as you adjust it. The second switch alternates between "winter" and "summer" modes whereby you get warm water when you switch to "winter" mode and you get cold water when you switch it to "summer" mode. The last knob controls the water temperature that comes out of the showerhead, either hot or cold. Why do I say that you need to be someone that is good at proportions? Even after adjusting all the knobs to my liking, the water came out was steaming hot. You can literally see the steam coming out of it. Since it is summer time, I turned all 3 knobs to "small", "summer" and "cold" respectively. This gave me comfortable showers all the time.

However, there is still another problem. No, the water is not yellow in colour. However, you can feel your body is soapy even after washing off the soap from your body and even after several washes it does not change. Basically there is nothing much you can do besides wiping your body dry and the feeling is gone.

You might be asking, how do I survive here without internet? True enough, without internet you will not be reading this post. Internet is readily available in most homes in China now but it is still censored like you cannot access Facebook, YouTube and Twitter here. The only way to access them is to get a VPN or routing software to get you past the system. The internet here is much cheaper than in Singapore but also much slower. I am now using a 2MB internet shared among 2 computers while at home I get 15MB (sometimes it can go up to 22) shared among 3 or 4 computers. Despite having used 1.5MB internet before, the speed is still amazingly slow here.

With 5 more days of slow internet to endure and all the other different stuffs in Singapore, I hope I can survive.

2011-03-29T01:22:00.000+08:00

Something Gone Wrong?

Sigh, looking back at my 2008 photos again. Didn't know I could look so much better in those days! Something must have gone wrong to let me lose so much weight or something gone wrong that my weight went back up again. Looked so much better with the clothes I had last time compared to the boring clothes now. Argh! Probably the only time I can look like that again would be after NS and I'll have to maintain my look. Start now? Sure. Back to the routine of eating half my normal portion or even lesser. No snacking, no fast food, cut down on greasy and oily stuffs and do some running. Sounds easy ain't it? Need to find the determination to do so, but where to? *sigh*

How I looked like in 2008

2011-03-26T20:11:00.003+08:00

Great Asia Trip 2011

I'm finally back from Great Asia Trip! It had been a wonderful journey throughout Asia. Still finding it hard to believe that it actually happened! Days just zoomed past so quickly without you even noticing. A quick summary of what I did in various cities.

Kuala Lumpur

Stayed at Novotel Kuala Lumpur for 4 nights. The hotel itself is ok and the price is good. Breakfast was awesome! It has a great spread of stuffs like bacon, cheese, sausages.. Whatever you can dream of a perfect breakfast. Pavillion shopping just nearby, but nothing much to shop. 5 days is sort of too long in KL for me, but thankfully managed to pull through!

Hong Kong

Reason for visiting Hong Kong was to fly Emirates First Class. If it flew to somewhere else I'm sure our destination would have been switched. A short and pleasant 3 day tour here was great and very fun. =)

Dubai

Dubai is a very expensive city. The hotel alone costs S$250 per night! Don't think of coming here if you don't have a lot of dough to spend... Toured around the East Coast of the Emirates which cost like S$70 for the whole day. However, it definitely takes you to places that you cannot access by yourself unless you've got a car and know how to go around.

Bangkok

The best part of the trip, what else can I say? Apart from some minor screw ups, the Bangkok segment was near perfection. All 3 hotels I stayed in were great and has a reasonable price. Didn't know cheap and good hotels still exist! Room service in Bangkok is cheap too. Shopping in Bangkok should be the most fun and apparently most Thais think that I look like a mix of Chinese and Thai and I can really SPEAK like a Thai O.o. I should take up some Thai language lessons soon, I guess?

This trip is definitely one of the most memorable trips I ever took!

2011-03-08T02:09:00.001+08:00

减肥

While clearing my wardrobe in preparation for my packing for Great Asia Trip, the most saddening fact has hit me - I have gained so much weight that even my buttocks are unable to fit into those wonderful jeans I had last time. The jeans are wonderful with lots of patterns and colours that I love even till today. I used to look great in them but now I cannot even fit in them! 感触良多.

How did I lose from 105kg to 83kg and drop 10 inches of my waistline back in 2007 to 2008? I started eating just half of my usual intake, not taking fast food but I did not do much exercise. That's quite a wonderful way to lose weight, isn't it? Considering that I am not a very sporty person, I could try eating lesser again to combat my weight gain. I have hit the top of my weight at 115kg this time round. How much more am I going to gain? I don't know. I imagine myself back to my old self, slimming down and wearing back those beautiful clothes and wonderful jeans again! How long will it take? 1 year? I'm not sure. The most dreaded phase of my life is coming - National Service. A very definite way to lose weight and probably I might even drop to below 80kg after that due to strenuous training inside.

That was how I looked at my best. Will I get back to it? Hopefully.

2011-03-03T13:21:00.000+08:00

March

It's March again! March seems to be the hot season for my travels. Going on a Great Asia Trip from March 12 to March 26. Can't wait for it! Been a long time since I blogged. What have I been up to lately?

The Chinese New Year has passed by swiftly. It's surprising how time passes by so fast! Just exactly 1 month ago it was the first day of Chinese New Year. Another point to note is that I have finally ended my attachment! It is great to stay home and slack for the whole day and wake up at 12pm every day. Enjoying my well deserved rest period after working non stop for 5 months! A tough journey indeed. Now I'm missing the work there! However, will definitely won't miss the times when I had to wake up early in the morning and feeling like a zombie to go to work. Thinking back, it's already been almost a month since I ended work. Talk about time flies...

Went to East Coast Park with her on Tuesday to teach her how to cycle. Reached Tanjong Pagar at 1.35pm but she told me she was still in the interview. Therefore, I sat at the MRT platform to wait for her. When time was reaching 2pm, I think my time for the MRT will be up so I exited the MRT and waited for her at the Control Station while watching my show on my Samsung Galaxy Tab. Finally after 1.5 hours of waiting, she came in my sight. =) Went to Kallang MRT and took bus 31 to ECP. Alighted and tried walking to the park.

We were given the wrong directions and went the wrong way. Argh~ Have to u-turn and walk the other way. At around 4.30pm we finally reached ECP and rented a bike from 5-7. At first we rented a small bike to teach her how to cycle but apparently it turned out quite a disaster. =X At least she was able to balance by herself for at least 10 seconds. Hehe. At around 5.40pm we decided to change to the double bike. Thinking it was quite fun, we decided to cycle to Changi. On the way there, I spotted an Airbus A320-200 and the tail looked like it was from South African Airways which don't even fly to Singapore. Getting excited, I cycled faster and faster and in the end the chain came out. OOPS! Spent at least 40 minutes trying to fix it but to no avail but thankfully a group of bikers helped us! Was looking out for any professional bikers that can render their help.

Not having much time left, we went to wash our hands which was ultra dirty and returned the bike followed by going to take bus 36 to Changi Airport. My favourite place in Singapore. Hehe! Reached Terminal 3 and decided to eat at Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe. I'm falling in love with Hong Kong food and definitely cannot wait to reach there and yum cha everyday! I had the wanton and char siew noodle while she had the chicken baked rice. We also ordered har kow, fried wanton and guo tie to go with our meal. Overall, it was a satisfying meal! Totally tired out after the whole day, but it was fun!

2011-02-05T22:48:00.003+08:00

新年快乐！

It's Chinese New Year again! This should be one of the best CNY ever, spending it with her. Let's go through the events!

On the eve of New Year's Eve, went with her to meet her father at Clementi Mall Macdonalds for a small talk followed by having our dinner-for-two at Ramenten. The food there is not fantastic and nothing to write home about but still enough to fill your stomach. A meal there is also not cheap - both of us spent S$52 on the meal itself. I guess I'm going broke very soon. =X

New Year's Eve was started with work (which turned out to be quite relaxing) till 1pm and headed straight home for Reunion Dinner. Since a few years ago, I am in charge of most of the preparations of the Reunion Dinner which is very fun! Cutting the ingredients, putting them into bowls, preparing the stock for steamboat etc etc... I can improve my cutting skills every year! Drank some pure Chivas but it did not turn out very good and I turned a little bit tipsy at the beginning of the dinner but thankfully I managed to recover and drank Baileys instead. The night concluded with some more chatting on msn with her and sleeping at around 3am.

大年初一 I woke up at around 11.30am and ate some beehoon and leftovers from last night's steamboat. It seems to be the case every year! I can say that the leftovers from steamboat does not taste very good. =/ Went out for 拜年 and it seems like the only day that I go visiting is the first day. Got lots of angbao today. Largest angbao from my dad, S$120! Second will of course be from my mum, S$100! Others ranged from S$4 to S$40. Halfway through the second house went out for a chat with her on the phone. Missing her dam lots since Tuesday and it seem like the next time we will be meeting is next Tuesday for alumni practice. Went to jie's house to sit sit also and tried booking my Emirates ticket from her computer. The system keeps giving me problems and in the end I had to make a 30 minute phone call to their call centre to get it settled. I shan't go into details about it. However, I can say that 正月初一起死人 about the booking. I am a First Class passenger and this is happening, what happens if I am in Economy Class?

Here comes the second day of CNY and I have already decided to stay home for the whole day to slack and recharge my batteries. She asked me if I wanted to meet her at Vivo to slack and immediately I agreed. Met her and off we go into Vivocity! Walked around like 2 headless chickens not knowing where to go until we finally settled down in Starbucks. Took out my laptop and we had a look at all the 85 photos we got tagged together in Facebook and laughing at those funny ones. Seems like almost all the photos are from the DXF. Heh. =) Waited for bus 30 at the bus stop and I can say it was hell in there since it was super crowded and people were smoking right next to the bus stop! The bus was a pity single deck old fashioned bus and of course it was packed like sardines. Even the bus captain said the bus was overloaded! Imagine how many people were there in the bus! had a hard time moving from the front to the back of the bus throughout the ride and when we moved to the back, it was already time to alight! There was also this woman that refuses to move in and is standing at the exit row seats hugging the pole so tightly that it might run away if she lets go. Can't you just move your big butt in? I intentionally knocked my butt to unbalance her! Slacked at the bench below her house after arriving at her house and noticing that we actually overshot a stop. Parted our ways and now waiting for next Tuesday to see her again. =)

Since it's CNY, how can we do without CNY songs? Here are 3 songs from the Malaysian channel, Astro, CNY album named as 天天好福气.

2011-01-30T01:19:00.001+08:00

The Comeback

It seems like I am too attached to this blog to let it go. I just can't seem to get any feelings when I am blogging using LiveJournal. Therefore, I am proud to announce that this blog is up and running again!

It had been a gruesome month for me. Very eventful especially at work. The most notable event would be getting told to extend my internship for the number of days of leave I took. 11 days of leave in total means that I need to work till 12 Feb, and working on both Saturdays. Not something I'd want to do as I could have ended my internship now. If the measure was explained explicitly to us, I guess I wouldn't have taken so many leave at all. It's a torture working. Right now, I'll have 69 hours to go for my working hours. The number should have been ZERO. I guess after this I'll never be stepping into any logistics related job ever.

It is when I got to know this wonderful girl in my life that I knew what the word love meant. As the saying goes, there is a woman behind every successful man. When I complete my internship, she will be the woman behind me that gave me the strength to continue my internship. 23 December 2010, the day we got together. It is when miracles are created. Who would have expected that someone not so attractive will get a girlfriend faster than anyone else? I really enjoy the times we had together in Starbucks, Fish & Co, Yuki Yaki, The Cafe Cartel, Coffee Bean and Golden Village. Ultimately, I hope we can complete our goal of accessing all 66 Starbucks outlet in Singapore, or make that 68! =)

Thanks for being by my side when I needed emotional support.

Thanks for creating those little surprises when I am feeling down.

Thanks for sparing a thought for my pocket when we go out.

Thanks for letting me have a chance to hold your hand.

Lee Hui Ling Daphne, I love you. =)

This coming March, I will be embarking on an adventure of a lifetime - my Great Asia Trip from 12th March to 24th March 2011. Itinerary as follows...

March 12

Singapore to Kuala Lumpur

Solitaire Coach

March 16

Kuala Lumpur (Subang) Airport to Singapore Changi Airport

Firefly / FY3515

ATR 72

8A / Economy

March 16

Singapore Changi Airport to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Thai Airways International / TG410

Boeing 747-400

14K / Business

March 17

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Hong Kong International Airport

Emirates / EK384

Airbus A380-800

3A / First Class Suites

March 19

Hong Kong International Airport to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Emirates / EK385

Airbus A380-800

Unknown seat / Business

March 20

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Dubai International Airport

Thai Airways International / TG517

Boeing 777-200

14A / Business

March 23

Dubai International Airport to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Thai Airways International / TG518

Boeing 777-200

12K / Business

March 24

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Singapore Changi Airport

Thai Airways International / TG413

Airbus A340-600

19A / Business

That's all for my itinerary for international transportation. As you can see, all of the flights are in First / Business Class except for the Firefly flight and Solitaire coach which is similar to First Class.

This trip also marks several firsts for me in aviation.

- First time on an Airbus A380-800

- First time on a Boeing 777-200

- First time on an ATR 72

- First time visiting the United Arab Emirates

- First time flying First Class

- First time having 3 transit in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

- First time having so many flights to take

- First time having a flight more than 5 hours long

- First time flying on a Boeing 747 upper deck

That's all folks. Cya!

2011-01-02T02:33:00.001+08:00

Happy 2011!

2010 has come and past. It has been both a good and bad year with lots of highlights as well as downs. Let's go through a swift rewind of the year 2010...

January 2010

This is the month that I managed to get my iPhone 3GS and had my I&E Project. Nothing much to talk about my phone, but we actually got scammed for our I&E and used soda biscuits for an emergency backup plan!

February 2010

Chinese New Year - Got lots of angbaos as usual, although it has decreased from the time when I was young. HI! Club Closing Ceremony on 5th Feb, signed It's My Life - Bon Jovi. On 6th Feb, went to the Singapore Airshow, a must for all aviation enthusiasts!

March 2010

Booked my first Business Class flight and China Domestic Flight. A crazy 6 flights in 2 weeks, what I really love! =) Went for the Pirate's Camp and signed Beast of Pirate's Bay - Voltaire. Apparently I talked to her without even me knowing! :p

April 2010

HI-O, it was a wonderful event! Was watching Star Awards 2010 when I got to know that the instructor email has been sent out but I did not receive it. Was very sad but actually found out that they left out my name. Boo, left out the wrong person, almost broke my heart! =X Alas, that begins the journey of becoming a HI! Club Instructor...

May 2010

Performed at HI! Club Opening Ceremony for the first time ever. Song was Mambo No. 5 - Lou Bega. Intermediate lessons started. Got to know her better through the lessons. =) DXF was formed on 29th May 2010! Also, gave up on the previous girl after so long.

June 2010

Finally got onto a London Cab after so long, it was incredibly spacious inside! Also, embarked on my first Business Class flight booked in March. Visited Shanghai for the first time ever, it was a wonderful city! Also managed to pay Shantou a visit. Got to know a great a.netter who has now turned into a Brother from another Mother. Looking forward to our trip!

July 2010

19th Birthday - Cooking at home as celebration. Up to 80+ wishes on Facebook which I deeply appreciate it. HI! Club Closing Ceremony on 30th July 2010, performed We're Dancing - PYT, Telephone - Lady Gaga, Hush Hush I Will Survive - Pussycat Dolls and reflected for my class Top of the World - The Carpenters. My busiest closing ceremony so far, and should be the only one I will be so busy.

August 2010

Kuala Lumpur and Genting Trip 13th - 16th August. Got to know her better throughout the trip. I was asked who I like but I replied that I am still confirming my feelings for that girl. Was asked who I like during Indian Poker, I was asked who I like. I was tempted to reply her but at that time I was unable to confirm my feelings. Still having feelings for the previous her, I replied about stuffs related to the previous her. Not really lying, I guess. I got asked another question - Who in the DaXiao Family do you think is the most compatible with you? I was also tempted to reply her but instead I replied no one for the same reasons as above. She replied no one too, made me wonder if her answer was also me? Hmm... Apparently we get together very well throughout the trip.

DXF Picnic on 25th August 2010 - Confidence dropped greatly when the Fried Rice I was supposed to make turned out like sh*t. Used Fried Noodles as a last resort but did not turn out really well. Probably better luck next time.

September 2010

Began attachment at Toll Logistics (Asia) Limited. That's when a very no-life lifestyle began for me. Work, rest, work, rest. No energy to out. Was really lethargic in the first few weeks as I was still getting used to the schedule. Began messaging her everyday and she gave me the comfort and emotional support I needed to go on my attachment. She revealed to me that she likes someone - Made me wondering if it was me and I really hoped it was. =X

October 2010

Having withdrawal symptoms of not going onto a plane for too long, therefore booked on a day trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. First time taking AirAsia and was mesmerized by them. She picked me up from the airport and fed me cookies for the first time. It felt great. ^.^

November 2010

She confessed to me on 20 November 12:35:00. That began the process of preparing myself mentally for a relationship. I was afraid I couldn't commit.

December 2010

DXF Gift Exchange on 20 December. She gave me a Doraemon and I gave her a cup with I love you on it. We officially became together on 23 December 2010, 11.11am London time. =D Went for a countdown with colleagues and the fireworks were wonderful!

That concludes my 2010 and the end of this blog. Will be switching to LiveJournal from now onwards. Goodbye initious.blogspot.com and thank you.

2010-12-24T20:28:00.001+08:00

Girlfriend

I'm proud to announce that I finally got myself a girlfriend after (fill in number here) years! Check out my Facebook if you want to know who is the lucky girl. =D Location was at Jurong Point Swensens, second last table from the right at the very back of the restaurant and I was eating an (awful) lamb chop. Right after, we went to watch Meet the Parents: Little Fockers. Interesting movie but I don't seem to be able to get the story.

23 December 2010, 11.11am London Time (7.11pm Singapore Time) is now officially one of the best days of my life (excluding attachment)!

2010-11-21T23:33:00.001+08:00

Prepared, Or Not?

Something I've been pondering for a few days. Am I prepared to step into a new phase of life? I keep telling myself I'm prepared, but it seems like I'm not mentally prepared at all. Probably it all came too suddenly?

2010-11-20T22:17:00.000+08:00

Progress

I'm proud to say that I've finally survived 10 weeks of internship! The 10 weeks were full of ups and downs but thankfully I managed to conquer it. Received my 3rd pay yesterday but it seems like there was a major problem in it! I was supposed to received 600+ but why was I given only 500+? Definitely something wrong, should check it out. Nowadays, getting sick again.

On 20th November, received a piece of news that was quite shocking but still acceptable. Didn't know something so great could happen to me. =)

2010-11-05T23:36:00.000+08:00

Crazy Travel Plans

Coming March, I'll see the craziest of my travel plans of my life. Visiting 3 cities in Asia on a luxury trip. Currently planned flights / coaches are as follows:

Singapore - Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Airlines
Boeing 737-400
Economy Class

Kuala Lumpur - Bangkok
Royal Jordanian
Airbus A330-200
Business Class

Bangkok - Hong Kong
Emirates
Airbus A380-800
First Class Suites

Hong Kong - Bangkok
Emirates
Airbus A380-800
Business Class

Bangkok - Kuala Lumpur
Royal Jordanian
Airbus A330-200
Business Class

Kuala Lumpur - Singapore
Transtar Coach
Solitaire Class (First Class)

The flights alone will cost me around $1500 in total, which is not bad considering I get to savour Business Class on 2 airlines, with a segment in First Class included.

2010-10-24T00:06:00.000+08:00

Flying Exotically Around Asia

Coming March 2011, I'll be able to fly around Asia exotically! Tentative plans...

SIN-KUL on MH/AK Economy Class
KUL-BKK-BKK on RJ Business Class
BKK-HKG-BKK on EK Business Class

If I do SIN-KUL on MH, it means having Boeing 737-400, Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A380-800 added to my list of flown aircraft and Malaysia Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Emirates added to my list of flown airlines. 3 new airlines and 3 new aircrafts, how wonderful is that?!

2010-10-13T21:41:00.002+08:00

Long Time!

I just noticed it's been long since I blogged! Awaiting this Saturday. Why? I've got 2 flights coming up! Here are the details!

Airline: Silkair (MI)
Aircraft: Airbus A319-100
Flight Number: MI392
Origin: Singapore Changi Airport (SIN/WSSS)
Destination: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI/WBKK)
Departure: 8.50am
Arrival: 11.20am
Block Time: 2h 30m

Airline: AirAsia (AK)
Aircraft: Airbus A320-200
Flight Number: AK 6273
Origin: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI/WBKK)
Destination: Singapore Changi Airport (SIN/WSSS)
Departure: 2.55pm
Arrival: 5.10pm
Block Time: 2h 15m

As you can see, I'll only be in Kota Kinabalu for around 3h! In that time period, I aim to have my lunch, explore the new Terminal 1 in KKIA and of course transfer to Terminal 2 for my AirAsia flight! Seems like the only way to transfer from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 is via taxi, I guess some haggling of price is needed!

This trip will also be a series of firsts for me.. Namely:

- First time going overseas completely alone
- First time on AirAsia
- First visit to Kota Kinabalu
- First daytrip
- First time flying out of T2 alone (done both T1 and T3 wee!)

I guess that's all folks! Wonder how will Silkair the 4 star airline and AirAsia the 3 star airline fare in my own experience? Do look out for my trip report soon on airliners.net, if you know what website it is! =D

2010-09-21T23:17:00.000+08:00

7th Day of Attachment

Wow, time passes by real fast! I'm already on my 2nd week of attachment. I still don't know how I survived the 1 week everyday reaching the company at 8am! It's all back to secondary school life man...

Today I did some more RM stuffs and went down to the Old Toh Tuck warehouse. Had lunch there. I think the food at our own company tastes much better though. More and more jobs are coming in. I feel that I really enjoy being busy with work when in the company, rather than sitting there and stoning. I really need a phone for my desk man, it's easier this way. Haha!

2010-09-20T20:42:00.002+08:00

Monday Blues

It's Monday again! As usual, went to work in the morning. This time, a very unfortunate thing happened. Last night before sleeping, I had around 30% of battery left in my phone. However, it sort of went dead in the middle of the night and I'm left with no alarm to wake me up. Therefore, my dad had to wake me up at 7.30am and I rushed down to cab to work. 6 days of work now, 5 days of cabbing. Wow, I think my pay is really going to those cab companies isn't it? Too bad working life isn't like school where you can skip or be late as you like.

Today's work was alright, although I had lots of free time in between. After reaching work at 8am, I did some Record Management stuffs till 10am when I stoned all the way until 12pm before finally going for lunch at the company opposite, Soxal. After lunch, it was some more stoning until around 2pm when work started coming in. Needed to prepare some tenancy agreement stuffs and doing record management again. After work, went to dinner at Burger King at JP. The mushroom double whooper is darn nice! I could eat 5 in a row if I want! However, imagine the calories I'll be taking in.. Eeks. Why can't we eat and not grow fat at all? >.<

I seem to have found back the love for blogging!

2010-09-19T22:32:00.000+08:00

Attachment + Weekend

5 Days of Attachment

I don't know how I actually survived 5 days of attachment in total, starting work at 8am and ending at 5pm everyday. Good thing is I gave lots of friends who are in the same company so can actually go and chit chat halfway through work. Only 2 stalls at the canteen, wonder how am I going to survive? Bleh, I'll see how it goes.

Weekends

Attended the Sign Language Interpretation Course organised by SADeaf. Interesting but I don't think I'll want to be an interpreter. Don't think I'm good enough yet. >.<

Evening attending the Wuhan BBQ. Wonderful, great to have the 21 guns together again! =D

2010-09-12T23:57:00.002+08:00

Internship

My internship starts tomorrow at 8am. So excited for it. However, I'm still unsure what my job scope will be. Hopefully it's manageable!

2010-09-10T23:11:00.017+08:00

Bad Day

Really had a bad day today. Went to school and found out that the test I been studying non-stop for 3 days has been cancelled. Never had I studied so hard before in my life. Despite feeling a little 可惜, it still shows that I can study. Walked from block 47 to the bus stop and there wasn't even a single soul in sight. At block 56 and atrium I finally saw some people. Upon reaching bus stop, I sat down to wait for bus 154 while sms-ing and Facebooking. When I raise my head, there goes the bus 154. So angry that I just cabbed home. Had enough of suay encounters.

Xiaomo came over to look for me in the evening. Had a nice chat. Sometimes it's great to sit down and have a chat. =) He's going to Wuhan soon, I'm so envious! I wanna go there too, but no chance this time. How I miss it there.. But anyway, bon voyage!

2010-09-07T23:11:00.000+08:00

1 Week of Freedom

My freedom started yesterday and will end on 12th September. Why? On 13th September, I'll embark on a 4-and-a-half month journey for my attachment which I hope is not too tough. Till then, ciao. =D

2010-09-02T23:11:00.000+08:00

Family Outing

Had a wonderful family outing with 7/8 attendance. Dinner was at Nihon Mura @ The Cathay, great! =) For some reasons, I'm abit afraid of sashimi now.

2010-09-01T22:41:00.000+08:00

Mugging?

I don't know whether to say if I'm actually mugging for exams now. My Supply Chain Management exam starts in 10 hours and 23 minutes yet I still have not studied much yet. Sometimes really feel like giving up but cannot. Of course I'd want to complete Poly as normal and not repeat any modules but sometimes it might be inevitable if any modules need to be repeated. No matter what I'll try my best and make sure I at least score a pass at the exams tomorrow...

2010-08-29T23:26:00.006+08:00

Thoughts

Honestly, I don't know why I'm writing this blog post. Something just told me to come to my blog and post. Lol. Since I'm already here, I shall say a bit about my studies. From 5 semesters, I have officially determined that I am definitely in the wrong course of study. Logistics is something that I do not want to do in the future, why? Because I have no interest. I guess I'm better off in a culinary course or aviation course. If I were to transfer course, it'll be a waste of money and time since I'm already in Year 3. However, with my current results I don't think I'll be able to enter any local universities. As for private universities, none of them interest me as they all have business-related courses. The best aviation school is in the USA, in the state of Florida, the city of Daytona Beach. No, you are not seeing wrongly. It's Daytona, the "birthplace" of the famous arcade game Daytona USA Driving Game.

>Studying in a place so far from home is definitely something that is not that I want but I'd like to have the experience if I can. Another factor is the cost. Estimated costs would be around 250k to 300k SGD, I guess? That is really expensive, you know?

Living in Singapore is great, but I just don't like the thought of going to NS. Physical trainings everyday.. Just not my thing! However, what can I do? Every male has to go through this.

我一天一天更爱你

2010-08-28T02:43:00.001+08:00

Operation Remove Belly

I bet some of you know what Operation Remove Belly (ORB) means. It means to remove my big big belly. From Secondary 4 I had the heaviest weight in my life that I did not even imagine one day I'd "achieve". On a random day in July, I decided to embark on a weight losing journey. By September 2008, my weight was already down by 23kg! Imagine the joy and sense of achievement that it brought me! I could wear nice clothes, nice jeans and look great! However, things started to change in 2009. For some reasons, my appetite took a turn for the worst and I started eating lots of stuffs again. By September 2009, my weight increased by 13kg - which I did not really take notice in since I was thinking I could lose those extra weight off. Now, my weight is 10kg more than what I was earlier on in Secondary 4. If I continue on like this, I guess I'll lose more confidence along the way.

I'm not sure if it's me or something but I feel funny going out in my current state. Therefore, I do not put much effort into my dressing. You can see from my current photos that I actually wear those same few shirts and shorts when going out and you never see me wearing any jeans. Why? Because I have no confidence in my physical image. I remember the satisfaction when everyone saw me and went, "Oh my god, you slimmed down a lot!" Why, I would love to get back that sense of satisfaction again! How I envy those people that does not grow fat at all when they eat and eat. Right now, I have about 8 months before going into NS. I know I'll definitely lose weight in there, but can I lose more weight before going in? I definitely hope so. At least, back down to 2 digits! It's scary seeing your own weight hitting your "personal high score" when you do not want to.

Hopefully now I can have the motivation and determination as I had in July 2007 to lose weight so I can look better in the future. It's much easier to get a girlfriend this way too, you know? ;)

Sometimes I just need a good listening ear.

2010-08-23T23:11:00.000+08:00

爱太痛

吃不能吃 睡不能睡
没有了你 全都不对
我都学不会 把爱敷衍
用笑容来把眼泪催眠

笑不能笑 哭不敢哭
人不像人 鬼不像鬼
朋友都说这 不过失恋
但我却连呼吸都胆怯

能不能不爱了 因为爱太痛了
我痛得快死了 却无法把你忘了
能不能不爱了 爱情它太痛了
我痛得快死了 却无法把爱割舍
... 我不能睡 ...
吃不能吃 睡不能睡
没有了你 全都不对
我都学不会 把爱敷衍
用笑容来把眼泪催眠
能不能不爱了 因为爱太痛了
我痛得快死了 却无法把你忘了
能不能不爱了 爱情它太痛了
我痛得快死了 却无法把爱割舍
我不能够 不能够不爱了
能不能不爱了 因为爱太痛了
我痛得快死了 却无法把你忘了
能不能不爱了 爱情它太痛了
我痛得快死了 却无法把爱割舍
我不能够 不能够不爱了


吃不能吃 睡不能睡

2010-08-21T23:56:00.000+08:00

Yet Another Post

So, today is Saturday. Frankly speaking, I've already lost count of days since coming back from Genting. I had to constantly remind myself that, "Hey, today's Saturday!" to actually know the day itself. Remember when I was little I used television programs to help me remember the days. Now that I rely on xinmsn.com more than ever, it's useless. Also, when schooling I can also remember the days using the timetable. Now on holiday mode, it's really darn hard to know which day it is! Haha.

Great to say that I caught 11:11 on BOTH clocks I have. The clock I bought from Wuhan that is going abit cranky and my computer. Yay! However, I forgot to make a wish on both occasions. Argh. =.= Holidays are coming but I have no holidays since I'll be on attachment, so I guess I might as well enjoy these 2 weeks of holidays first and worry about exams later. Although I must not be pessimistic, I still think that I'll repeat module next semester. Hopefully not, if not no attachment money to get DSLR. xD I shall use that as my motivation!

2010-08-19T23:11:00.015+08:00

又是一天

Today, at 1.30pm, I went down to meet Cheryl for lunch. Waiting and waiting and waiting, where's Mr. Hao Teng that was supposed to reach? Turns out that he'll be late, bahh! Finally, he reached and we went off to Koufu at Pioneer Mall for lunch. Talk about nostalgia, it's been almost a month or two since I ate the curry chicken there! Still tastes heavenly, as normal.

After lunch, they came up to my house for some chilling and.. playing around? I don't know how to describe it. LOL!

Spent the whole day playing Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. Actually, this game is just like the typical games I play. You get excited about it for 1or 2 days and then dump it aside after that. A few months later, you want to play it again. I think the only game I've been so loyal to is Microsoft Flight Simulator X? Been playing it non-stop for years. The addons do help, eh?

I don't know why these 2 weeks I feel so slack. Exams are coming soon and yet I'm actually playing games and slacking at home everyday. What is this world coming to?

2010-08-17T22:35:00.026+08:00

Kuala Lumpur and Genting Trip

After an almost 3 month hiatus, I guess it's time to revive my blog! I shall try to update this blog as often as possible, but not daily, of course! So now, what have I been doing for the past 3 months? Here's the summary.

Formed the 大小 family
Became an instructor for HI! Club Class 1G
Performed for the first time in my first ever Opening Ceremony (Song: Mambo No. 5)
Fell in love with someone (hmm...?)
4 performances in Closing Ceremony (Top of the World, Hush Hush I Will Survive, Telephone, We're Dancing, Absolutely Everybody)
Went for KL and Genting Trip
Started driving lessons (albeit at stage 4.1 now...)
Went to Shanghai, Shantou and Hangzhou. Experienced my first Business Class flight in my life
Experienced lots of people's EPIC FAILURES *looks at Cheryl*

This trip was decided upon about 1 month ago and we started looking for people to join. The finalists? Me, Qihui, Cheryl, Daphne and Haofeng.

Day 1

Cabbed down to Cheryl's house to meet her and went to Golden Mile Complex. Our bus is PC 2299 L, a 25 seater executive coach. It's equipped with a widescreen personal television for each person and has about 20-30 movies on demand to choose from. On the way there, I watched Astro Boy and Auntie Lucy 也灌篮. Both movies were great! The former was touching while the latter was funny.

There was a minor jam on the way so we were delayed by a bit but we managed to reach our hotel, Ancasa Hotel at roughly 3.30pm. After a short rest, we headed to Berjaya Times Square for shopping. Before shopping, we went to Secret Recipe for dinner.

I am really no shopping material, walk a few steps already tired. After walking lots and lots and lots of rounds, Cheryl, HF and myself finally decided to settle down for fish spa and ear candling. Both were great and cost only RM30 in total! How cool is that? =D At night, we had song signing and chatting session. Had backache and Cheryl massaged for me. Her massaging skills are great, it only took 30 minutes to lessen the pain. 三十分钟罢了！

Day 2

Had breakfast at the hotel and boy it has to be the best hotel breakfast dinner I had. After going back to the room and slacking a little, the bus came at 11.40am and off to Genting we go! Song signed and laughed like mad with Daphne all the way up. Oh, the 30-seater bus only had 8 people!

Reached Genting and went to our next hotel, Resort Hotel. It has been improved so much since last time I went! You need to insert your card into the card slot in the lift to access your floor and the rooms are now much more spacious and luxurious! Definitely worth the upgrade.

After that, we went to First World Plaza to shop. Once again, I felt like a zombie again. Finally, we settled down in Starbucks for coffee. There's Wifi! Great! Went on Facebook and updated my status. Went to Ripley's Believe It or Not after that. Daphne, Cheryl and I finished first and waited for QQ and HF.

Dinner at foodcourt and I was banned from Bak Kut Teh as I had sore throat, boo! After dinner went back to hotel and have a rest as we were all very tired.

Day 3

Rise and shine, breakfast at MacDonalds! Went to cable car after that and did some small shopping of local delicacies at the half-mountain shopping mall. Dumped our stuffs at the hotel and went to the Outdoor Theme Park! First ride we went was the Viking Ship, sat twice. After that, we went to the Chairswing. I was so afraid that I'll get thrown out or the chain will break, you know!

Shortly after, it started raining and we went to shopping mall to walk around. Sat down in Starbucks again! This time, I was the only person drinking. Barged into the Outdoor Theme Park again and sat on the mini train. Oww, it sure brings back childhood memories! Too bad I did not get to sit on the antique car.

Had dinner at the same foodcourt as day 2 but this time I was the only person eating. I finally ate my Bak Kut Teh! It was great! After that, we went back to hotel for a rest. Played Dai Dee and Indian Poker. FUN!

Day 4

4am, went to KFC for breakfast. Darn below expectations. Not really nice. After that, went back hotel to sleep and woke up at 11am. Packed our bags, checked out of hotel and went to Richdad Cafe for lunch. It's just beside the foodcourt we went!

Guess what's our bus license plate for the journey home? PC 1111 B! 1111! Yay! Sat with Daphne for the journey home and I watched I Do I Do, a rerun actually. Watched the actual movie before. Finally, reached home at around 8.15pm.

Pictures here

2010-04-13T18:45:00.002+08:00

HI! Club Instructor’s Camp

This is only the 4th camp in my lifetime, and 1st in Polytechnic. Why did I choose to go this camp? As the name suggests, it’s for wannabe instructors! Missed the previous camp as I was in Wuhan, a very sad thing! Here’s a day-by-day event that we went through for the camp!

Day 1 – Set Sail!

The theme for this camp is Pirates. Why pirates? I don’t know too. =x However, it’s quite an interesting theme and it will be very fun! AHOY!!! Our ship was due to set sail at 10am but due to delays, we set sail at about 11am. Which group am I in? Davy Jones, named after a character from Pirates of the Caribbean. Group members: Timothy (GL), Jasmine (GL), Kay Yong, Natalia, Julinda, Yi Hang, Chen Yen, Darren and me! 7 members and 2 GLs = a very fun Davy Jones group!

At 11am when most of the people were present, we went to the Old Childcare Center for Mass Games. What did we play? Of course, every camp starts with some ice breaking games. The first game was similar to the popular game of “Trees and Squirrels”. However, it’s been changed to the pirate’s version. Some were “lighthouse and xxx” (I forgot the name LOL), “x men rowing”,”x men eating” etc. You have to do the action specified, such as you have to have the number of men together rowing and eating together.

Second game was “Counting Money” (I don’t know the real name so ya). Each guy represents 5 cents while each girl represents 10 cents. A value will be specified and you have to find people to represent the value. Such as 50 cents require 10 guys / 5 girls or a mix of them like 3 girls and 4 guys. The last ice breaking game is the ever popular Wacko! However, this Wacko is slightly different. Why? Since we’re in HI! Club, we have to sign out everyone’s sign name! Hey, it’s not an easy task! Remembering each other’s name and sign name together. When your name gets called, you have to shout out another person’s name and their sign name as well. Moving on, we played double wacko. Each person has to partner someone. 1 person will be sitting while the other person is standing behind the person sitting. The person standing will call out a name of someone sitting down and the person behind has to “protect” the person. Such as if A and C is standing behind B and D respectively, A will call D’s name and C has to protect D so he has to call out someone else’s name who is sitting down.

After the ice breaking games, it’s time to head to our accommodation! Much to our surprise, we’re actually staying in The Loft @ 94. It looks similar to a small size condominium and very cozy. 1 apartment can hold up to 8 people altogether, including the sofabed in the living room.
Now, can you guess what’s next? It’s our lunch! The food throughout the camp was quite ok, but I wouldn’t mention much about it. After lunch it’s lesson time. We were slated to go to our respective classrooms to attend lessons (or in a better way, revision) for our Basic A, Basic B or Intermediate. Since I just graduated from Basic B, of course I went for Basic B lessons. We had to go through both the Basic A and Basic B lessons! Thankfully, I remembered about 95% of the signings! After revision, it’s time for our practical practice. We have to teach a class of problematic students to determine if we are actually qualified enough to be instructors. Oh man, I hope I go through!

When lessons finished, it’s time to choose songs for our camp’s Closing Ceremony. Our group chose “Beast of Pirate’s Bay” by Voltaire. It’s quite a difficult song and thankfully for the edited lyrics it was much easier. Practiced for about an hour or so and it’s time for dinner! After dinner there was some time left so we practiced our songs and some of us actually had a random song signing session which was uber fun! Signed lots of songs including our Basic A and Basic B songs from 1D and 2F and some other random songs that we like.

The last activity of the day (night) was night games. It’s sort of amazing race style just that the clues are too straightforward! Our first clue was “basketball court”. What id we have to do? Our task was to move from one end to the other using chairs and we aren’t allowed to get off the chairs at all. Our teamwork was definitely great! Next station we went to Ourspace @ 72. We had to complete a simple course here. Turn 10 rounds, lie down according to a figure, turn 5 rounds, walk straight, turn 5 rounds, u-turn and repeat.

Atrium was our next stop. We had to pass things around with our mouths. The first item was a piece of bread. Well, not really that terrible. However, the second item was an apple! Our apple dropped once before managing to complete it. Last station was at the HMS block whereby we had to run and pick up marbles using our mouths from a stack of flour. Eww, it was disgusting. They will douse you with flour and shouting “Guanyinma Bless You!” LOL! I have a phobia of flour now. =.= Most of us went to wash up right after our turn and went back to the station. The station master said the game isn’t over yet and told us to “give each other a pat on the head” using flour. Being a united team, we did not pat each other but we threw all the flour at the station master instead. =p

Following the mini amazing race in school, we had some group games next. These games require cooperation from all the group members in order to be completed. It goes like this. There will be a specific amount of eyes, legs and hands needed for each game and your group has to think of ways to make it. Such as 7 eyes, 7 hands and 7 legs. If you group has 7 people, each person has to close an eye, hide a hand and raise a leg, you can even carry each other if you like!

Last activity of the night, or so we presume, was the water bomb game! A person from each group has to carry a piece of coloured paper and hide it somewhere to prevent it from getting wet while other people throw the bombs everywhere. I was fortunate enough to only “kena” 1 or 2 of them, some unlucky ones actually kena-ed like more than 10?

We were told to wash up and head to the block 56 study area for song signing practice. Little did we know, it’s actually the waiting for the night walk too! I was one of the last ones to go at about 3.30am. Already super tired by the time I went. What did we do? They converted 2 classrooms to a super dark maze and you have to navigate through all by yourself. It wasn’t that scary after all. The only things they do is to play a scary recording and throw marbles around. I even “talked” to the person inside, LOL! If only I can find them and go scare them. =p Finally, we finished everything at about 4.30am and went off to sleep!

Day 2 – Journey to the Caribbean
Straight after breakfast, it’s time for lessons again. However this time, we were given some instructor’s ethnics notes and another practical practice session. After which it was lunch, followed by amazing race around our little sunny island! Each group is given a clue (which is actually more like a clue LOL) to find the next station and complete a task. Our first clue? “The man hanging by the harbor”. Frankly speaking, I did not even have a clue where it is. However, some of my group members cracked it; VivoCIty! Since everyone got the same clue, it’s a race against time. Once the train reached Harbourfront Station, about 40-50 of us started running like crazy. Everyone was looking at us like O.o. Super fun!

Finally we reached the station after tons of running. Our task was to pass on a message using sign language. It actually took us 3 tries, the first 2 being a very, very distorted message. For our 3rd try, both our GLs joined us. We split into 2 groups into 4 and 5 members. I was in the 4 member group and the first person to get the message (as opposed to being the last for the first 2 tries). We completed the station and got our next clue, “Lost on an island”. Now, whatcha think? It’s Sentosa! However, we mistook the cross on the map for the place we were slated to go. Fortunately, we managed to work out that it is the little island on Palawan Breach that we are going.

The next task seems easy but is actually difficult without team work. There’s a small bottle we have to fill up with water. Our initial plan was to line up in a row and pass the water using our hands. However, we felt that it was too slow so we decided to get the water from the sea ourselves and just dump it into the bottle. When we completed the station, it was time to gather at Tanjong Beach.

So, what’s up for us here? While waiting, we practiced some of our song signings and some of them saw 2 very very cute dogs! They were really cute! The girls were screaming in delight, but Darren was the special one as he was screaming REAL loud in a high pitched voice. Hahahaha! I can understand, sometimes I do that when I see planes too!

The other groups reached and it’s time for games by the beach. There are several stations that we have to complete. Our first station was a drinks station. One person will taste the drink and sign out what drink you think it is, but not the name. Our score? 5/5! We definitely rock. =p Next station was a challenging one. We have to send out our best song signer and sign the songs we hear on the mp3 player and the other members has to guess what the person is signing. I volunteered to have a try at it, although scared that I might mess up stuffs. In the end, our group scored 7 songs in total! Seems like my song signing and my group’s guessing isn’t bad either eh? *winks*

Next up is the most common game, entangle! There were 2 rounds. The first round we could use verbal communication while we cannot talk at all for the second round. Despite being quite fast, we were still slower than some groups. Hope for better results next time! Since there was time left, they gave us some trivia questions. We were warned that there will be a forfeit if we answer any questions wrong. The first question was, “How old is Ngee Ann Polytechnic?”. Some MCQ answers were given and we had to discuss in sign language. Fortunate enough, I had a feeling it was 47 and bingo! The second question was, “What is the National Flower of Malaysia?”. Answer? Hibiscus! (I am actually typing this blog post on the North-South Expressway in Malaysia!)

After station games, it’s time to be pirates! Captain Hook lost his hand and his valued glove. We had to find the glove for him. After much digging here and there like “dogs”, we finally found the glove! It was a great sense of achievement. We definitely had lots and lots of clues to find it. =p
It’s finally time to head back to school and gather for our practical test. Some of us went to packet some food from CItyVibe at Clementi back to school. After eating, we went to our respective classrooms for the test. This test was really a challenge for me. The students were super naughty! Hopefully I can pass this test with flying colours. Have a certain amount of confidence although not that high.

From about 1am to 5am, we had very intensive practice for our song signing, helping those who cannot catch up and discuss on our formation. Being really really tired after the practice, I just collapsed on my bed once I got into the room.

Day 3 – Anchors Set!
Finally the last day of the camp has come, also the scariest day! Early in the morning we had another test, but this time it’s the theory test. We had to read what words the tester is signing to us. The first section was fingerspelling with sensical and non-sensical words. The former are words that can be found in the dictionary while the latter are just some random letters, really takes concentration!

The second section was words. Heh, this part is the easiest. Both Basic A and Basic B words were easy but when it came to Intermediate all of us just stood there stunned. Well, looking forward to my Intermediate class next semester though! Next was the killer section, dictation. Basic A was ok but when it came to Basic B everyone messed up. Since we were not allowed to write before they finish signing, we had to memorise and read the signs at the same time. There was a part whereby a chain of words was being fingerspelled to the extent that I actually forgot what was in front!

After that, it was song signing practice again. While we were having practice, some people were also called up for interviews. It was my turn after an hour or so and the interviewer will ask you some questions like, “Why do you want to become an instructor” etc. The whole interview was in complete silence, guessed it? We had to use sign language, again! My signings has actually improved tremendously in these 3 days, from correcting some wrong signs to learning new words.

Finally the last activity of the camp, closing ceremony! This is a short one as there were less than 80 people in total with about 7 performances in total. Nothing much to talk about the closing ceremony but just 2 words, total fun! I’m looking forward to the next camp and hopefully Davy Jones will get together one day! =D

2010-03-17T23:11:00.000+08:00

Class 2F Outing

A very fun outing for peeps of Class 2F! Although not full attendance, we still had LOADS of fun in Minds Cafe! Some games I never played before: Scotland Yard, Dirty Mind, Clueless Captain, Pictionary.. and lots more which I think I've forgotten! Some others I played before are Taboo and Saboteur.

Looking forward to another class outing, soon!

2010-03-08T16:02:00.007+08:00

June Holidays - Business Class!

I'm finally travelling on Business Class in June, on Thai Airways International! Here are my tentative flight details:

Friday, June 12, 2010
Route: Singapore to Bangkok
Flight Number: TG402
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Departure: 07:40 Singapore Time
Arrival: 09:00 Thailand Time
Class of Travel: Business
Carrier: Thai Airways International

Bangkok Layover: 2h

Route: Bangkok to Shanghai
Flight Number: TG664
Aircraft: Airbus A340-600
Departure: 11:00 Thailand Time
Arrival: 16:15 Shanghai Time
Class of Travel: Business
Carrier: Thai Airways International

Sunday, June 13, 2010
Route: Shanghai to Shantou
Flight Number: CZ3852
Aircraft: Boeing 737-300
Departure: 12:10 Shanghai Time
Arrival: 13:40 Shantou Time
Class of Travel: Economy
Carrier: China Southern Airlines

Friday, 18 June, 2010
Route: Shantou to Shanghai
Flight Number: CZ3853
Aircraft: Boeing 737-300
Departure: 19:40 Shantou Time
Arrival: 21:25 Shanghai Time
Class of Travel: Economy
Carrier: China Southern Airlines

Friday, 25 June, 2010
Route: Shanghai to Bangkok
Flight Number: TG665
Aircraft: Airbus A340-600
Departure: 17:25 Shanghai Time
Arrival: 21:00 Thailand Time
Class of Travel: Business
Carrier: Thai Airways International

Bangkok Layover: 11h

Saturday, 26 June, 2010
Route: Bangkok to Singapore
Flight Number: TG403
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200/300
Departure: 08:00 Thailand Time
Arrival: 11:15 Singapore Time
Class of Travel: Business
Carrier: Thai Airways International

2010-02-26T16:12:00.002+08:00

Updates

Been almost 2 weeks since I last posted on my blog. So what have I been up to lately? Chinese New Year I've been going around and getting angbaos. This year's value? $428. Well still up to the normal standard I guess?

Also, I am still playing around with my flight sim! However it's giving me some problems lately, AGAIN! That's all for updates!

2010-02-14T00:27:00.001+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

Wishing everyone prosperity, good health and good results for the coming year! HUAT AH!

2010-02-10T21:53:00.002+08:00

Hi Club Closing Ceremony | Singapore Airshow

5th February 2010

This is the day I've been waiting for very long! It's the official day for our HI! Club Closing Ceremony! Class 2F, here I come! Our song? It's My Life - Bon Jovi.

In the afternoon, went to play pool before heading to LT26 for the ceremony. Our class performed first. Similar to last semester, I was nervous before going on the stage but I was very calm during the performance. I must say I really like our performance! Our instructors also gave us a Token of Appreciation each. The personalised notes are the best gifts a person can get!

The exterior - So different from last semester!

Opens up like a drawing block with personalised notes!

My certificate! Second from the club!

6th February 2010

The highlight of the day - Singapore Airshow 2010, the third largest aviation event in the world! Lots of planes are being displayed this year! Most of them are business jets which I will never get a chance to ride on. 2 civilian aircrafts are on display too; Boeing 737-800 from Garuda Indonesia and Airbus A330-200F from Airbus. After that, went to the exhibition centre to view the internal displays. What's inside? Various aviation related companies displaying their products.

Landed at a booth by the Singapore Airline Pilot Association. The name practically caught my eyes! They are selling Singapore Airlines plane models to raise funds for the needy children! I bought a Singapore Airlines Heritage Series 5 for only 70 SGD, on the website it costs 128SGD!

Another booth was by Lufthansa German Airlines. They are introducing their airport charts system in which all the world's airport charts are put into the computer and a flight plan can be programmed in it. Basically, it's an all-in-one system for pilots. I got an airport chart from them, showing all the detailed procedures in taxiing, takeoff and landing of aircrafts in Changi Airport! It can be used for real-world aviation, although it's stated for company use only.

Walked around the static displays once more and went to Suntec City for a walk. Had lunch at Jack's Place! It's darn nice! :D

Look at the amount of people!

CFM 7B27 engines on a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800

Airbus A330-200F with the lifted nose. Notice the hump at the nose gear?

More shots of Airbus A330-200F!

Helicopter.. Forgot which model LOL.

Air Baltic Bombardier Dash 8 Q400!

PK-GMF the latest Boeing 737-800 for Garuda Indonesia!

So many plane models!!

My T-bone steak in Jack's Place!

Raw oysters! <3

2010-01-27T15:49:00.007+08:00

On the Verge of Sadness

So, I guess you guys have known that my previous 3 overseas trip were busted due to various reasons. I have a 4th trip to go to now, which is to South Korea. Due to some stupid visa requirements, the trip is busted, yet again! Why am I so unlucky in just the first month of 2010? How am I going to survive the next 11 months?

I just want to go overseas this holiday, is it that hard? Indeed I have found some peeps to go with but things always crop up last minute. The worst was on Sunday when we were already at the tour agency when we got to know about the visa requirements for foreigners. So close to booking the tour, yet SO FAR! Is it really that hard to go on an overseas trip? No! What puzzles me deeply now is why is it so hard to find someone who can literally GO?

South Korea, Australia.. I don't think it's that hard to find someone to go, isn't it? Worst comes to worst, I'd just go by myself. However, that's make me seem very lonely. Imagine 8 days without anyone you know to speak to. I really just want to go overseas during this holidays. IS IT THAT F**KING HARD?!

If you've seen my Facebook and MSN, I'm looking for people to go overseas.. For the third time! If you are really keen, please make sure you do not back out at the last minute or I gonna hate you for the rest of my lives! The prices are reasonable.

South Korea (Asiana Airlines, 5 star)
Seoul and Jeju
2-way domestic flight from Seoul-Jeju provided
Approx. $1500 per person inclusive of tax

Australia (Qantas Airways / Etihad Airways, 4 star | Singapore Airlines, 5 star)
Gold Coast and Sydney
1-way domestic flight from Brisbane to Sydney provided
Approx. $1500 - $2000 per person inclusive of tax

Please tell me ASAP if you are interested!!!!

2010-01-20T23:33:00.002+08:00

I&E Finale | iPhone 3GS

We had our I&E presentation today. Basically, our I&E event was full of downs, but with some ups too! We have a very good group and we can do really good stuff together. Maybe we're just down with some bad luck? We actually got sort of "scammed" by our cupcake provider. Delivery delayed from 10am to 11am and in the end we got impatient when we waited till 2pm and calling the man 1 million times but to do avail.

Therefore, some of them decided to go to the place which is registered under the business license. I was shocked to find out that it is actually a HDB flat! Alright, so after some hiccups, we decided to replace our original cupcakes with soda biscuits and lower the price by a lot. We still made a very mini profit each, though. After discussion with the auntie, we have decided that she should pay us $250 to cover the losses for our cupcakes ($120) and other expenses. Collected the money today. Somehow, I was worried she would take a chopper at us, LOL!

Lunched at Toa Payoh Hub when we decided that we should take our first and last group photo!

MILO!: Christopher, Pei Xuan, Timothy, Aaron and me!

I finally got my iPhone today! Actually, I bought it in a rush after having a super random thought. This means that I have to say goodbye to my iPod touch which I bought on 30th June! :( Well, 弃旧迎新 eh?

The box

My brand spanking new iPhone!

The first and last photo of my iPod Touch and iPhone together!

2010-01-13T00:40:00.002+08:00

Been a Long Time!

It's been a long time since I blogged? So what have I been busy about? Frankly speaking, 2010 isn't a good year for me, in fact, it's been very bad. Why?

- Sick from 31st Dec to 2 Jan
- China trip cancelled
- Australia trip cancelled
- South Korea trip cancelled

Well, what more? Hope not anymore. As far as it goes, I hope although I had a bad beginning, the following days will be better. 2010 shall be a year to remember. =)

2010-01-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

Happy 2010 Everyone!

May all your 2010 resolutions come true!

2009-12-31T18:40:00.002+08:00

End of Year 2009

2009 has come and go. My New Year resolutions for 2009 has only been 20% fulfilled which is getting more plane models. However, I will work harder for the year 2010 so that I will succeed in my New Year Resolutions 2010. Definitely, there are wonderful events in 2009 for me to remember and they are as follows.

Countdown to 2009
A big group of friends together to usher in the year 2009, something wonderful to remember. =)

Group photo at Flight Experience

I did not regret going to the countdown at all since I met someone who could change my life forever. =)

More Model Airplanes

As an airplane fanatic, it is normal for me to "import" lots of airplane models. This year alone I had an astonishing 16 models added to my collection.

Guangzhou Visiting Trip

After 10 years, I've decided to pay Guangzhou a visit with a trip to Shantou.

Hong Kong Leisure Trip

A visit made by me and my classmates to Hong Kong. First time going overseas with friends and it feels definitely great!

2L02 Class Chalet

Our very first class chalet held at Aloha Loyang.

4E5 Gathering

First post O-Levels gathering.

East Coast Park Trip with Wuhan Students

Our pre-trip interaction with the Wuhan students and we brought them to East Coast Park!

Wuhan Overseas Immersion Programme

The highlight of the year, going overseas for 6 weeks to experience a different culture and study.

New Year Resolutions 2010

It is inevitable that almost everyone has New Year Resolutions. Here are mine!

- Lose weight (hopefully to 80kg by 2011)
- Find someone special

- Get better results
- Visit somewhere out of Asia (hopefully Australia)
- Pass NAPFA (sounds almost impossible..)

2009-12-28T21:18:00.003+08:00

Cooking

I am in the kitchen almost everyday now doing my cooking. Therefore, it is inevitable that I will come up with some simple and tasty recipes with a very low capital. Here is one you can go with your rice / porridge perfectly!

For Porridge
3/4 cups of rice, washed
Water according to your liking (Thick, Middle, Thin)

For the Dish
1 Stalk of Xiao Bai Cai (小白菜)
4 Small Corn
70g of Mushrooms
2 Tsp of Oyster Sauce
50ml of Water
2 Tsp of Oil

Optional
1 Fish Fillet of choice
2 Tsp of butter

1. Wash the rice.

2. Boil the water and put the rice into the pot.

3. Prepare the vegetables accordingly.

4. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the corn and fry for 30 seconds before adding the mushrooms. Add the oyster sauce and water. When it boils, add in the Xiao Bai Cai and simmer till it is cooked. Serve hot.

If fish is used, heat the butter in the frying pan and put in the fish. Fry till well done and serve.

2009-12-19T03:33:00.004+08:00

Holidays!

It's officially the holidays! This holiday, I will expect 3 games to accompany me throughout. What are they? Let's find out!

World of Warcraft

What: The largest MMORPG in the world

Since the inauguration in 2004, WoW has since attracted more than 11 million players, making it the largest MMORPG in the world and holding a Guinness World Record of having the most players in an MMORPG.

What I Play
Initious - Level 80 Mage - Arcane Spec - Well Geared
Inideath - Level 80 Death Knight - Blood Spec - Average Geared

Flight Simulator X

What: The most popular Flight Simulation software in the world

Ever since 1995, Microsoft has produced various flight simulators with each version having more surprises than the earlier ones. Flight Simulator X is the newest version of the flight simulator family and comprises of different aircrafts and more than 20,000 airports worldwide to takeoff and land in.

What I Play
Operating various airlines and flying around the world.

Boeing 737, 747, 777
Airbus A319, A320, A321, A330, A340

Restaurant Empire II

What: The game that got me addicted and kept coming back for it since 2004

Restaurant Empire is a simulation type game whereby you operate a restaurant. There are different designs and different cuisines to choose from such as French, American, German, Italian, Coffee Shops and Dessert House.

What I Play
Operating 6 different restaurant themes under a company, each restaurant achieving a 4 to 4.5 star rating out of 5.

Ponderosa - American Steak House
The Blue Note - French Music Restaurant
Congo Fever - Italian Rainforest Restaurant
Dessert Stop - Mini Dessert Shop
Champagne und Kaviar - Posh German Restaurant
The Landmark Cafe - Coffee Shop

2009-12-14T15:33:00.002+08:00

Excited!

Jetstar Asia has announced that with effect from February 2, 2010, there will be a direct flight from Singapore-Shantou.

Singapore Changi Airport - Shantou Waisha Airport
Jetstar Asia
3K 823 / 3K 824
Airbus A320-200

Fares: $473 return

No more flying to Guangzhou to take a 6-hour torturing bus ride!

2009-12-08T20:09:00.003+08:00

I am sick

Certainly, it does not feel good being sick especially when common test is next week. Loss of appetite, nose dripping like a tap, throat inflammation, slight headache. What more? Hope not. Every time my sickness starts with a throat inflammation and it gets worser and worser. Last night I even had fever. Totally moodless to do anything now, not even watch dramas or sleep. Being sick somehow makes me feel like I've lost my soul. When I walk around my house, I feel that I could just faint any time. What's worst was last night I periodically felt like throwing upbut fortunately I did not. Hopefully I'll get well soon and get to soar high in the skies like a plane. =)

2009-12-06T20:29:00.003+08:00

My Cooking Diary

Right now, the things I know how to cook (and edible!) are..

- Curry Chicken
- Grilled Chicken
- Fried Rice
- Mushrooms
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Corn & Apple Soup
- Porridge
- Brinjal
- and many more....

However, there are still some stuffs I want to learn how to cook, such as..

Curry Fish Head

Lontong

Bak Kut Teh

Mixed Curry Vegetable

Fried Chicken Wings

And many more!

2009-12-03T23:17:00.002+08:00

Anyone able to decipher what is up there? Probably only peeps from HI! Club! Lol. I officially switched from class 2A to class 2F, Monday to Thursday class. I'm so glad I made the switch as I blend in well with this class. Partly is because I have some friends from Class 1D and I got to know some other new friends. Our song signing performance for this semester will be Bon Jovi - It's My Life. Quite an easy song to sign and I've practically learnt the whole song in 1 lesson. Looking forward to more HI! Club classes!

2009-11-29T00:31:00.002+08:00

World of Porridge

Porridge is a very wonder thing. It fills up our stomach, it is healthy, it is easy to cook, it is cheap and most importantly, it is DELICIOUS! Cooking up a good bowl of porridge depends on your skill. Some people can have rice stuck to the bottom of their pots, some can dry up the whole porridge.

So how to cook a good bowl of porridge. First you have to decide how you want your porridge to be. Thick? Thin? Medium? The cooking time also matters. The longer the cooking time, the mashier your porridge becomes. No matter what, it is all on personal preference. I had been cooking and eating porridge for the past few weeks that I have developed some special feelings for it. It is just a very unique dish. Especially when I am a Teochew.. Teochew porridge rocks!

2009-11-24T23:55:00.002+08:00

Bosson - One In A Million (Remix)

You're one in a million
Oh
Now
You're one in a million
Oh

Sometimes I can't hate you every day
Sometimes you can fall for everyone you see
Only one can really make me stay
A sign from the sky
Said to me

[Chorus]
You're one in a million
You're once in a lifetime
You made me discover all the stars above us
You're one in a million
You're once in a lifetime
You made me discover all the stars above us

I've been looking for that special one
And I've been searching for someone to give my love
And when I thought that all the hope was gone
You smile, there you were and I was gone

I always will remember how I felt that day
A feeling indescribable to me
Yeah
I always knew there was an answer for my prayer
And you, you're the one for me

[Chorus x 2]

I was cool and everything was possible
You tried to catch me but it wasn't possible
Nobody could hurt me it was my game
Until I met you baby and went insane
And when you didn't want me, I wanted you
Because the finer thing bout it was I like to go
I like it when its difficult I like it when it's hard
You know it's worth it if ya find your heart

[Chorus x 2]

You're one in a million
Oh
You're one in a million

2009-11-21T23:48:00.002+08:00

Let's Hit Town!

Just a day for 2, KC and myself today. We went to Cathay Cineleisure for lunch at Kobayashi before proceeding on to Supercuts to have our haircut. However upon entering, we discovered that the student promo ($18) isn't on for today so we will be charged the usual price ($28.90). Of course, we would not want to spend so much on a haircut so we decided not to have it.

Next we went on to Swissotel to collect the race pack for his Vertical Marathon tomorow. Wish you good luck in the marathon tomorrow! =)

Final stop for today was Jurong Point. We went hunting around the shopping for cheap haircuts. However the cheapest we found was $21.80. Therefore, we decided to head on there and have our haircut. The whole process lasted an hour or so. However in the end it cost us $26.90, not as cheap too. A thing to say is that their hair washing service is quite good. =)

2009-11-11T23:39:00.002+08:00

Three Day Summary

Yet it's another three day summary. I feel that I'm getting more and more lazy to post now!

Monday

HI! Club starts today. Now I'm in Basic B Class 2A. Worked hard for the first semester and finally got "promoted" this time, lol. New instructors, new classmates. Learnt new words today, deciding on songs to sign for closing ceremony. Somehow I find Basic B is really more "advanced" than Basic A? Lol.

Tuesday

After school went to Jurong Point for shopping with the girls but fortunately the other 3 "Thais" joined me afterwards so I was not bored.

Wednesday

Class ends at 9.30am today. I arrived at 9.10am. Guess how long was my lesson? Lol. After which took my phone to the service centre for repairs and came back home.

2009-11-08T00:59:00.002+08:00

Almost a month
+ a story about solo travelling

It's been almost a month since I came back from Wuhan. Watching videos on Facebook about our Wuhan lives has brought my mind back to Wuhan again. I have a strong urge to visit there again but it will be a different feeling the next time I visit there as the 21 Guns will not be together there. I will not be returning to Room 319 to sleep at night. I will not be walking around the neighbourhood of 武汉科技大学中南分校. I will not be savouring the night market food with my friends. Everything will be different. However, what will remain the same? It's the memories we shared together as the 21 Guns, the unbreakable bond we created, the... Well, the list goes on and on. Although highly impossible, I am trying to plan a trip to go to Wuhan from Guangzhou from 21st to 24th December. Air tickets are cheap at only $134 per person.

Now this is where my psychoing skills come in. My father is objecting to my idea of doing that but I guess I will still be able to convince him, considering the fact that I convinced him to let me go to Guangzhou alone last time. Who knows I might just tour around the world alone next time? Lol.

Sometimes travelling alone can be fun as you do not have to cater to others. I have not really travelled alone. In terms of travelling alone, I have only taken flights by myself. The best thing about this is that you do not have to bother about other people's choice of airline and you have all the freedom to yourself. However, travelling completely by myself on a tour is something I want to try, but afraid to. The first thing that it might be costly to me. My stubborness to take SIA every time I want to go overseas will chop off half of the budget. Imagine taking SIA to somewhere in Europe, $1500 to $2000 gone. Staying in hotels and such would cost another $1000. Food and expenses, another $1000 gone. If budget travel, probably I can find a cheap flight on other airlines like Thai for $1000 to $1200, budget hotels that cost $30 per night. Well, it all boils down to money. Sometimes I just wish I have unlimited money....

2009-11-07T16:01:00.001+08:00

Dream

I had a strange dream last night. Dreamt that I went back to 武汉科技大学中南分校. However, the things there has changed. Called around but I could not find anyone. I had no renminbi with me too! Well, hope this does not happen if I ever return to Wuhan.. Hopefully in December. =p

2009-11-05T23:26:00.003+08:00

Modules

These are the modules that I am taking this semester and a short description about them.

Quality Management
From what I did now, everything is just back to Applied Statistics.

Distribution and Transportation
More like a pure-theory module...

Inventory Management
Why do I get the feeling that I am taking Mathematics?

Customer Relationship Management
Frankly speak, I still don't get what is this module trying to say. =X

Design of Experiments
Hypothesis testing.. Applied Statistics again?

I&E In Action
Well... Well... Don't get why this module exist but it shall be fun. =D

Business Process Engineering (taken in Wuhan)
Interesting module but boring theory

China: An Overseas Experience (taken in Wuhan)
Probably the best module I've taken.. Lol

2009-11-04T00:32:00.000+08:00

回到家的感觉

离开武汉也有一段时间了，非常怀念那里的朋友，那里的生活，那里的环境，最重要的还是那里又便宜又好吃的食物！离别的时刻慢慢逼近的时候，我不禁想起了我们二十一个人在武汉所度过的美好时光。说真的，不知道为什么回味好时光总是让人伤感。虽然我们离开了我们不知不觉爱上的城市，我们所得到的是友情。回到了新加坡，我们的友情果然还是非常深厚！

在武汉的朋友们，虽然不知道什么时候能够在见面，可是我相信但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。有缘的话，我们一定会在相见！这可能就是交到外国朋友的一个坏处吧。。虽然感情不错，可是却在中间隔了个十万八千里。有缘千里来相会，希望我们还会见面。后会有期了，武汉！

The above is a direct excerpt from my QQ Space.

2009-10-31T23:41:00.000+08:00

音乐

Went to Funan the IT Mall to have a little walk. Saw a set of 5.1 stereo speakers that I like alot. I'm so gonna buy it on Friday cuz it only costs $154! After that went to NP for a concert. Quite nice, love the songs but some parts can be boring especially the songs you do not know, lol.

2009-10-29T23:49:00.002+08:00

After a Long Time

Had our Quality Management presentation today. All went alright and I loved the video we made, lol. After lunch we went to have our next lesson which is Distribution and Transportation. The 3 hour class took only 2 hours and we are all glad about that.

The highlight is after school when Kai Chung, Chin Kuang, Yoke May and me went to CK's house to slack and going on to Bukit Batok Driving Centre. We applied for our driving licenses! Paid our registration fees and went on for a briefing about how our course structure goes. Went for a run at the stadium. Ran 3 rounds this time partly because I was tired and the stadium's closing.. Haha.. =p

2009-10-27T00:58:00.007+08:00

My World, My Life

I just decided to post something random about myself this time. After being in this world for 18 years, I've noticed that life is not as simple as it gets. Sometimes I feel that my life is as colourful as a painting but sometimes it can get as dull as a piece of paper. The world might have forgotten you sometimes but do not forget yourself! As the saying goes, "天下无不散之宴席". Good times will never last, it depends on how you make use of the good times that you have. I've told myself to think of the good thoughts but I never fail to think of the worser ones. For years, I have been asking myself, "Why am I living in this world? What is my goal?".

Sometimes when I compare my life with that of some of my friends, I feel that my life sucks. Why? Loneliness is inevitable, solitary is unavoidable and I am used to being the odd one out most of the times. Not particularly targetting at anyone or anything, but this is what I think. You can have lots of friends but how many of them actually knows you very well? I guess the most is 2 out of 100. Indeed, I am very close to those that I mentioned but still close to those not mentioned.

Size does matter. This was what I got on my latest birthday present; A big cup with the wordings on it. Yes, to me it really matters. I kept wondering why am I the one being oversized. There are lots more people who are fitter than me, so why me? Maybe this is what you call fate. God gives you something good but will also give you something bad. This is how fair God is. Although I might not look good, have bad results and might say things that offend people, I am someone who constantly seek improvements and tune the problems immediately. Compared to others, I am considered someone who has better linguistic abilities and charisma, which has patched up the bad points I have. How about someone who has all the good points but no bad points? Their bad points have yet to be discovered.

There was a time when I almost went out of the railway track I've been following for years. Thanks to the support of my friends, I managed to put my locomotive back onto the track to continue my lifelong journey. Don't think too far, it's not something so big that it can trigger the whole world. It happened when I was in Primary 5 and I did something wrong. I was devastated. An unrevealed secret, but I almost took my own life. However, I did not.

Life is short. I do not know how long I have left and I do not wish to know too. I just want to live my life to the fullest, fulfill my goals in life and stay a happy person always. Although it might be very difficult, I am sure I will be able to fulfill this. Kudos!

2009-10-22T23:45:00.003+08:00

Three-Day Summary

A hell load of fun combined into a post, just for YOU!

Tuesday

I am excused from classes today as I am one of the student envoys for Engineering Week. It is an event held annually and each year the polytechnics will take turns to host it. Reported at 10am and got our briefing done by a lecturer. After which, went on to have our lunch which was KFC! A Shrooms Burger with mashed potatoes and pineapple pie.

I noticed that there is a flight simulator lying around so I had a try at it while it is available. The lecturer in charge of the simulator saw that I had the potential playing it so he told me to be the in charge for the booth! It was like a lucky drop from heaven that I can be in charge of something that can bring my talents out. So for the whole day I sat at the simulator and teaching people to play.

At 5pm, the whole thing ended so the whole group proceeded to my house for a gathering to make the video. Since we did not finish, some of them decided to stay over.

Wednesday

Skipped I&E lessons today as was tired from the stay over yesterday. Went to school for HI! Club recruitment before going off to Sim Lim Square to buy my new desktop computer. Cost me $1400 but it's a great one as it has fabulous graphics!

Thursday

It's our Wuhan Movie Showcase today! Been preparing for this for a very long time; Editing the videos, mixing the songs and choosing photos. After all the groups have presented, it was time for the prize giving ceremony! The best blog prize was given to the best blogger of each group and surprisingly I won it! Was quite shocked when I heard my name, haha.

After the whole thing ended, most of us went to Halo Bar to have a little post trip celebration before heading home. Played pool, darts and drank some beer!

Here's our video by Group B!

2009-10-19T23:20:00.002+08:00

First Day of School

School has started! Our lessons today starts at 9am for our Quality Management module. For some reasons, I do not really have the mood to study for this sem, haha! Hope does not become something bad. Next lesson was our Inventory Management module which was quite boring. Got released at 3pm as I do not have Business Process Engineering tutorial from 3pm-5pm. Wuhan still rocks!

2009-10-18T23:12:00.002+08:00

21 Guns Outing

One day before school, it's time for an outing with the 21 Guns! Our destination: Hanabi Japanese Restaurant. Gathered at 5.30pm and the attendance for today was 14/21. Their sashimi is great here, compared to other places. Furthermore, they serve very nice food!

School starts tomorrow, argh.

2009-10-16T23:05:00.005+08:00

Urge

I suddenly had the urge to post this!

Aircrafts I been on
Aircraft	Airline	Flight No.	Origin-Destination
Airbus A319	Silkair (MI)	MI701	CNX-SIN
Airbus A320	Jetstar Asia (3K) Silkair (MI)	3K 687 3K 688 3K695 3K692 MI702	SIN-KUL KUL-SIN SIN-HKG HKG-SIN SIN-CNX
Airbus A321	China Southern Airlines (CZ)	CZ352 CZ351	SIN-CAN CAN-SIN
Airbus A330-300	Thai Airways International (TG)	TG404	SIN-BKK
Boeing 737-800	China Southern Airlines (CZ)	CZ3344 CZ3345	CAN-WUH WUH-CAN
Boeing 747-400	Singapore Airlines (SQ)	SQ8xx	SIN-HKG
Boeing 777-200ER	Singapore Airlines (SQ) Thai Airways International (TG)	TG411 SQ9xx SQ9xx SQ872 SQ871 SQ850 SQ851	BKK-SIN SIN-DPS DPS-SIN SIN-TPE TPE-SIN SIN-CAN CAN-SIN

2009-10-12T23:46:00.000+08:00

武汉后会有期！

I'm finally back from Wuhan, Hubei, China. It was definitely a fruitful trip there and time passes by very fast especially when you are overseas. I've got this feeling that I just reached Wuhan yesterday and I am coming back today. I'll never forget the laughter, the joy, the fun, the jokes and everything the "21 guns" experienced together in Wuhan. Although we will be going our separate ways now, I am sure the 21 guns will be still united as one!

2009-10-06T13:03:00.004+08:00

你和我

Dreams will never become a reality if you don't work hard. I will work hard to make this dream become a reality. 1 Jan 2010.

武汉留笔

2009-09-25T17:50:00.003+08:00

生病

Starting to get unwell. Stomach having funny rumblings and frequent diarrhea. Going to 武当山 tomorrow, I hope nothing is wrong with me. However, I'm not sure if I can climb the mountain myself. Shall see how it goes tomorrow. If all fails, I shall go for drips on Sunday.

武汉留笔

2009-09-15T10:08:00.002+08:00

对新加坡的思念

I am really starting to miss Singapore, my homeland. Only when I am out here I realise how important Singapore is to me. The food, the people, the environment and most importantly, my family and friends. I miss the bed in my room and my parents. Only till now I realise their importance to me when they are not by my side. We should not take things for granted, we should cherish what we have.

武汉留笔

2009-09-10T23:49:00.001+08:00

The Four Warriors

We are the four warriors who went through the suffer and torture in Chiangmai and now we are in Wuhan. Wonderful Chiangmai memories, friends forever! :)

2009-09-10T02:07:00.004+08:00

心情

Lessons have started. Studying overseas is a whole new experience which I've never experienced. However, it's good to know that I've made lots of friends here. Unlike last time, I am bonded with everyone here. I'm sure we're gonna have a very fun time together for the next 1 month. We already started to steal the supermarket's trolley together on the second day! Haha, it was definitely fun! Stocking up on snacks not found in Singapore is a joyful thing to do so too. Stay tuned for more short updates!

One year ago on this day, I set off for Chiangmai on MI702.

2009-09-03T04:22:00.000+08:00

A personal note

I won't be posting much on this blog in my Wuhan trip. However, I'll be posting in my Wuhan blog, which can be found by clicking here.

2009-09-01T02:28:00.001+08:00

Setting off!

Just less than 3 hours before I set off. Gotta catch a little wink. See you guys back in Singapore on 12th October!