changes: part and parcel of this life. embrace them.

The simple reason why I decided to write about changes is apparently because there seem to be lots of it recently in my life.

Most of the recent changes around me stems from my workplace - SOC. After the Chiangmai trip ended on the 21st of January, we had to report for work the next day. But, it seemed like a different SOC. First of all, we had a new Commander and a new Deputy Commander. That, for a fact, does not impact me that much.

Then, the email came in, on the same day, that I was posted to baseguard. (Baseguard means sentry or security officers, to put it simply) It was a strange posting judging from the fact that I was the only one from my squad to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant, the highest possible for a PNSF, as well as the fact that I'm holding the position of a squad leader. They had a few untouchable positions for the selection of officers for baseguards and apparently the position of a squad leader isn't one of them. After much reflection, I decided to resign to fate. After all, it is a compulsory 3 months cycle that everyone has to go through. I only hope that it stays at a length of 3 months and no longer (as happened before).

Being posted to baseguard meant alot of things. My 3 days cycle is no-more. It is the 4 days cycle now: day shift, night shift, followed by 2 off days. Most of the time, the first off day is spent catching up on sleep so effectively we have only one full off day for every 4 days! This too meant that I would be working in an environment where there are many things to learn (for a start), many room for errors as well as greater responsibility.

Talking about greater responsibility, yes, it comes with a greater rank - the rank of Sergeant, which I just got today. I was looking forward to this day (patiently). I guess most people would.

I guess I have learnt to be adaptable to all sorts of changes, having been through the period of 'culture shock' when I was just posted to my current squad in SOC. One trick: embrace them and trust that these changes will serve to better you in some way or another, and make you a better individual.

a trip without regrets (last part)

Day 3:


This last day started off on a reluctant note for me, as I was beginning to like Chiangmai. Maybe it was too short a trip. The sun was only beginning to rise after we were done with our breakfast. And so the picture you see on the left here is very beautiful view of nature, the very routine that happens every single day on earth: the sun rise. It does not clearly depict the big fiery ball of Sun literally rising up because it was not yet the time, but I figured that it could well be the nicest scenic picture I could take while I was still there.


As our coach left the Gassan Lake City resort for the airport, there was a bittersweet feeling in me. Cliche but true. This was accentuated by the fact that the songs that I was listening to from my handphone, were all with nostalgic titles, like Chris Brown's "Say Goodbye" and All American Reject's "It Ends Tonight (or This Morning in this case)"




No, this picture wasn't drawn. It is the solarised effect. And I thought it was really beautiful. It was the only few sources of consolation on the otherwise rather bitter flight on the return. Firstly, I was quite put off by this male steward. Let me describe him: He's balding, not only on the head, but also the eyebrow and that's why he draws his eyebrow, like so OFF man! Plus, he wants to act like he provides quality service cos he asked my friend who's seated at the window seat if he wanted any chocolate bars, without even asking me when I'm seated just beside the aisle (not like I would accept the offer). Worst of all, when my friend rejected, he went on pushing his luck by asking if he wanted anything else, like Croissan sandwich etc. By then, my friend was quite pissed off, and totally ignored his repeated questions. Come on man, great service comes with great patience and understanding of the passengers' needs.

Another bad experience: I was listening to songs from my dear sony ericsson, when this stewardess came up to me with a question in a firm tone. "Are you listening to a handphone?". "Yes" was my answer. Next, I was told to switch off my phone. Yes, I know fully the purpose of doing that, and the instruction was specifically during take-off and landing only. The purpose, by the way, is to prevent any disruption to the nagivational system for the pilot, with the use of transmitting devices like handphones. But hello, handphones these days are multi functional and I wasn't even calling or sms-ing anyone. I wouldn't even do that. By then, I have had a good idea of how it feels like to go on Tiger Airways. No doubt being a budget airline, it should still practise the fundamental ways of providing good service, should it aim to be a world-class budget airline.


Home sweet home: Adios Tiger Airways!Haha!

Another chapter of my NS life has passed. It was a good chapter. How many of my other NS mates, from other police units, could have been given such an opportunity? Indeed, it was a trip without regrets.

The End

a trip without regrets (continued)

Day 2:




I had a good sleep the previous night on the comfy bed with comfy comforter and comfy pillow. In fact, I woke up at 9am+ (Singapore time - 10am+), which is considered very late. After having breakfast at the cookhouse, I went for a swim, only to torture myself with the chilling waters. The water was so cold, that at one point of time I could not even feel my toes.



In order to make the best of the time we still had in Chiangmai, I seeked the receptionist's opinion on where is the best place to shop and bargain. She recommended the 'Warorat Market', which is like the Teka market in Singapore. Not surprisingly at all, it sells basically everything, from strange delicacies like dried cockcroaches and maggots, to clothings for children, men and women. We came across a Muslim couple selling some items near the entrance of the market, so we decided to ask them where we could find good halal food for lunch.




En route to finding the halal restaurant, we came across a rare mosque, which is very big but rather inconspicuous from the main road. Ironic.




Here we are! The restaurant's called 'Khao Soi Islam' and it sells very typical dishes such as chicken rice, chicken briyani, mutton briyani etc. So I ordered mutton briyani, trying to see how Chiangmai's version of briyani tastes like. It was good, with lots of sprinkled fried onion (I like!) This was the first definite halal meal that we had, with having the benefit of doubt for all the previous ones.



As we continued to walk along the streets of the Chiangmai city, we came across this road side stall as shown on the left. Unlike any other typical road side stalls, this one was special, not only in its good hygiene, but also its creative menu board. Most importantly, the 'roti' was very delicious. D-to the E-to the L.I.C.I.O.U.S! Haha!

We decided to make one last stop before heading back to our Gasson Lake City Resort. This last stop, was also the same shopping centre we went the previous day - Kad Suan Kaew. I was the one who wanted to go there because I wanted to purchase some cheap clothings from this particular shop (shown on the left). I got 2 shirts (99 Baht each) and a pair of jeans (290 Baht) and this amounts to 488 Baht. See the girl on the extreme left? We bullied her like mad, in the sense that we persistently insisted on pricings which she persistently refused. We started with 400 Baht (which we know is quite ridiculous), and went on with 420 Baht, then 430 Baht. Finally, we decided upon 444 Baht (si-si-si). I think we spent a total 30-40 minutes bargaining with her before settling on the final price. I think if it was another salesgirl, she would have gotten pissed off long ago. Let me do a minor cost breakdown: 444 Baht in total means its 250 Baht (S$10.90) for the pair of jeans and 97 Baht (S$4.20) for each of the two shirts! Wow!

After this final stop, we headed back to our resort, in hope of catching the live match of Chelsea vs Liverpool on ESPN. This time, the transportation was the classic red cab, which has an open rear and was windowless. As such, it was a chilling ride, with cold gushes of air wheezing through the automobile.

The initial plan for day 2 was supposed to be elephant ride, followed by river rafting and a few other traditional activities at an expense of S$60. But I guess we had as much fun, if not more, with this free-and-easy programme of our own, as we would have with the original programme.

To be continued...

a trip without regrets

guess who's back! back again! zeya's back! tell a friend! Haha.


I enjoyed the trip, very much. And I'm delighted to have added a milestone in my NS life with the conclusion of this trip.

My 3 days journal:


Day 1:

The departure was on 19 January at 0605 hours, via Tiger Airways. It was a quiet goodbye, as I left my home at 04oo hours to take a cab to the Budget Terminal, with everyone else still soundly asleep. It was my first time going to the Budget Terminal, so I decided to check out how 'budget' it was. It is very small, compared to terminals 1 and 2 (like duh). I felt like I was in some other country besides Singapore, because it did not feel Singapore-ish. Nevertheless, I have no complains about this Budget Terminal because I totally understand the 'budget' concept =p.

The tiger airways. So much for its ferocious image. Understandably, the plane is quite small. But not quite understandably, the service on board the plane is not up to mark. Most prominently, the stewardesses are not quite the 'Singapore Girl' kind. I'm not talking about the image alone. Their service, their actions, their words and their behaviours are clearly not one of the best I have encountered. Surely much has to be improved upon!





A solarize picture of myself on the plane.







This picture was taken outside Chiangmai International Airport, before boarding the coach (at the background). Our first stop was a place called 'Umbrella Making Centre' where umbrellas are handmade. I was overwhelmed (in a positive way) by the variety of umbrellas, in terms of design and size. Our second stop was this Thai Silk factory, where real silk is being manufactured. It was incredible to see how cacoon produced by small silkworms could be effectively made into pure silk clothe, which is in turn made into various apparels. Next up was a rather dry place, not literally though - Thai Bird Nest Restaurant. No, it wasn't for lunch. It is one of the places of attractions in Chiangmai, with a wide array of bird nest products.






A 1960s picture of Uncle Zeya in a tuk-tuk. Wanna hitch a ride?











A scenic view of our resort.






Upon checking in into the resort rooms, we were given some free time, before being transported to this shopping centre called 'Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Centre' in the city area. I managed to observe some similarities of the shopping centre with any of those in Singapore. One of them being the presence of school students hanging around probably after school hours. There was a variety of departments, ranging from sports products, entertainment, clothings, shoes and most prominently, female undergarments. I'm serious! There are 4 stories in this shopping centre and I would guess that there are at least 1 to 2 such shops on every level. Wonder why huh.

Our next destination was the well-known 'Night Bazaar', which is the Chiangmai's version of 'pasa malam', except on a much larger scale. This is also another popular places for tourist because it is here that one is able to find a variety of items, at a very very cheap price. Well, before that you would have to have good bargaining skills for sure. Dinner that evening was at a rare MacDonalds outlet, where I had McChicken meal. It worked out to cost S$3.00+, which is much cheaper than what it cost in Singapore. It was quite an eyeopener, especially when it comes to this row of shops which specialises in drawings. Their drawings of people are so real, that one could hardly tell that it was drawn by hand, except for the fact that it is in black & white because what they use is charcoal. A made a quiet promise to myself that I have to go back there on the second day, somehow, to complete unfinished job of covering the entire Night Bazaar.




Yes, it's Uncle Zeya again. This time, he's a passenger.

To be continued...

bon voyage to me!

3 days, 2 nights to Chiangmai.

It is an incentive trip for those in SOC (special operations command) who were involved in the heavy deployment during the last IMF/WB meetings in Singapore in September 2006. It was optional but I opted for it, because I would very much like to gain as much experience from my NS life as I possibly can. Another reason would probably be the fact that I would like to take some time off, travel and relax, even if it is for a short while. This would be the third time I am travelling abroad on my own, the first being in sec 2 during an Australian Exchange Programme to Melbourne, and the second being in jc1 for YEP project to Cambodia. I guess my sisters will be very jealous of me cos they have hardly been abroad on their own =p.

Whatever it is, I am determined to make the most of this trip and engage myself wholeheartedly in the planned activities.

Await stories from Chiangmai!=)

and the Lions qualify!

Was it a nail biting match? I do not think so, although there was an end-to-end football. Singapore drew with Indonesia 2-2 to go through to the semi final clash with our neighbour, Malaysia.

This live match was on some grounds better than the one we watched on Saturday, when Singapore drew with Vietnam 0-0. Firstly, there were goals. Secondly, there were jeerings of opposition and especially the referee =p. Thirdly, there were more people and the atmosphere was far better, though the 2 pa-ciks were absent. Fourthly, there was 'kallang wave'. Fifthly, it was like a mini vj gathering near where we sat. And last of all, I took a picture of a monkey (only Salman will understand what I'm saying here, hahaha).

Indonesia failed to qualify, cos Vietnam beat Laos by a scoreline of 9-0 in the other concurrent match. Poor Laos - conceded 23 goals in 3 matches.

All the way, Lions!

a $6.50 well worth spent

thanks zhen! for introducing and recommending and accompanying me to one fantastically great movie - 'Blood Diamond'

Here's its review from an official website:

"Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, Danny
Archer, a South African mercenary, and Solomon Vandy, a Mende fisherman are
joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their
lives. While in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon--who was taken
from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields--has found and hidden
the extraordinary rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen, an American
journalist whose idealism is tempered by a deepening connection with Archer, the
two men embark on a trek through rebel territory, a journey that could save
Solomon's family and give Archer the second chance he thought he would never
have. "

what a thumper!!!

Singapore 11 - 0 Laos! Can you imagine that?!

I was very supportive of the Lions till the 5th or the 6th goal, when I started to feel sorry for the helpless opposition. I was like thinking 'hey that should be enough man!' but the goals kept pouring in as though the goal post was unguarded. Noh Alam Shah made history by netting the most goals in a single match - 7 goals, and thats probably more goals any player can score in the whole ASEAN Football Championships. Crazy! On a positive note, it was a great bounce-back from a lacklustre performance 2 nights earlier.

Over-'well done' Singapore!

poor showing, Lions!

Come on Lions, you seriously gotta do better than that!

Final Score: Singapore 0 - 0 Vietnam

It wasn't really a contentious game, with Vietnam dominating most of the match. They're neat in their build-up, keeping as much possession as they could, unlike Singapore who keeps losing possession with all those futile long balls. It was a match I thought we could win, because we're after all the defending champion, but the cliche thing is that, the football is round and anything can happen on the pitch. Well, at least we did not lose the game, because it would be utterly embarrassing if we did.

Putting the disappointing match aside, I had fun blending into the crowd, with all the cheering and jeering. I'm sure Mr Salman did too. Haha. There was a time when Noh Alam Shah was brought down in the penalty box but the referee waved play-on. The WHOLE Singapore contingent got up to their feets and chanted 'Referee! Kayu!'. It is rather amusing though :P. And there was this 2 pa-ciks, one malay and one indian, most probably either drunk, or 'sect 32' (which refers to people who are mentally unwell). They're damn funny la! At times when the whole crowd of Lions supporters are rather quiet, they would be on their feets, waving a small 'SINGAPORE' banner, chanting 'Ole ole ole ole..' or 'Singapore Singapore GO GO GO'. HAHA! which leads me to conclude that there're the most 'garang', loyal Lions supporter at the National Stadium last night.

On the whole, a great experience, even though I felt that only a minority of the Singapore supporters at the stadium are really hyped up for the match. Maybe the majority is saving their energy for the finals (?)

Here are some photos:

'die-hard' Lions supporters!

Vietnam in white; Singapore in blue

Kick-off!

dad's departure

It was a departure, that I pray and hope would be the last one.

He left Singapore on the 10th, taking a transit flight via Incheon, Korea, to Russia, Sahkalin.

Please come back as soon as you can (Insya-allah). We miss you!

my virgin blogging!

mike check 1, 2, 3. testing testing 1, 2, 3, 4.

A new year, a new blog! =)

Basically, what inspired me to start a blog is my desire to pen down my thoughts on certain events of my life and share them with my friends. Actually, I had a blog at the end of 2003, but I couldn't find the energy to keep it going. So it stopped after a little more than a dozen posts. =p

Well, it's the period of time when JCs are engaged in their annual orientation programme, and VJ is not an exception. It has become a tradition for alumni to return back to their alma mater to participate in orientation programmes. As for myself, a true blue victorian, I told myself I had to get back there somehow sometime during this orientation period.

And so I went back to VJ on last thursday, 4 January. When I reached, the newbies were being brought through the cheering sessions, which I thought has declined in terms of spontaniety. Certain VJ cheers, like the 'VJ, VJCCcc' together with the 'MAT beat', are meant to be done under spontaneous, instinctive circumstance at match supports etc, and not to be taught through this way. Never mind, things change. Its out of my control anyway. Then I went to catch up with Mr Chad Goh, followed by Mr HoWK. Guess what! Chad Goh just got married! I'm happy for him because he has made one of life's most crucial choices and hopefully he has made the right one. As for HoWK, I shared a little of my NS life so far, with him.

And today, it was the annual 'Sea Regatta' at East Coast. I made a visit there, only to find myself densely surrounded with unfamiliar faces. So I was very relieved to see people that I know, like Zhini, Bingsheng, Kaixiang, Faiz, Yisi, Alan, Bimin (bing's sista) and of course, a few teachers. OH! The new principal - Mr Chan, is one short and fat guy. Hopefully, his capability to bring VJ to great heights is proportional to the amount of matter in him. (thats mean.=p)

Allow me to end this with a quote:

"You see things and ask why; I dream of things and ask why not" - Albert Einsten