A New Beginning!

I
have started a new blog... It'll be nothing related to work, just random thoughts, opinions and feelings about stuff that happens around me. It won't be angsty or peusdo-intellectual, just plain boring Vanilla, but Madagascar Vanilla none the less =)

The Last Post

A
lright, so i guess this is it, This will be the last post on this blog. No more 3 Guards PC anymore, As of TODAY 12 Dec 2005, COLIN CHU has posted out of 3 Guards.

...Tml Morning, i'll do PT with the Man 1 last time, It'll be very early say 5.15am...

Last weekend was a perfect finish to my PC tour. The 3 PCs from Charlie Company, who took command on 17th Dec to a bunch of Fresh Faced BMT Recruits, Training them over the last 1 year into elite Guardsmen. All 3 of us going for a short getaway in Bintan, laughing and joking over the stupid things that happened in our tour, looking forward into the future. Over lots of Good food, abit of Sun-tanning, some fun in the surf, Massage and Spa, friendly girls and just Chilling under the moon with the monsoon coming in.

Basically, the PCs came up with a very 'evil' Plan, Tml Morning, i'll do PT with the Man 1 last time, It'll be very early say 5.15am, I'll give them one good surprise, I mean it'll probably be the last time i'll ever pump them right? hahahaha. , Basically, whenever a PC leaves, he will bring the Company for one very 'Intense' workout. So.... Heh heh heh, I think my boys will remember me tml for 1 very famous exercise that i'll teach them, called the amazing jumping jacks. Mua hahahaha, Sadistic right? :P

Strangely, I'm not feeling too sad about leaving now. I don't know why, i guess i've been looking forward to moving on, but i still kinda dazed that it's happening already. I'm thinking of what to tell the guys tml, what kind of words of encouragement to say, or use? I don't know, deep down, i just want to say a prayer for all of them. Bless them and ask for the Lord's protection to be upon them for the last 1 year. I want all of them to go back to their Parents in the same complete and hopefully healthy state when they first came to me. Yeah... I pray that tml, God will keep the morning clear and pleasent. I want to share with them the simple beauty of watching the sun rise over your own land. I want to tell them that their NSF time is worthwhile if they CHOOSE to make it worthwhile. I want to tell them to plan for their future, I want to tell them to watch over each other.

Hmm... Actually, i think i did it someway or another when i did the Turn Ops speech which will be read this Thursday. I really poured my thoughts into the speech, Hopefully Brigade Commander can read it convincingly hahaha.

Anyways, I think i still owe my whole platoon a treat to Marina South, yupz, guess pay came already so i'll treat everyone lah. Although...it's my Farewell right? so how come i'm the one treating others huh??? :P

Enough crapping, I guess this is it. To all of you who read my blog regularly, I'm sorry i can't carry on where i'm going next. I'm still thinking if i'll have a blog that's non-military in nature, but that's still in the Thinking process.

For now, I'll probably just upload pics from my PC days whenever i get them to this blog.

Well, So Long! and Thank you!

(Comes to Attention, Salutes, and Exits to the Right)

Captain Chu?

I
am now officially a Captain. Just like that over an email. Basically, when i went over to my new work place, my Boss was like, "Hey, how come you haven't gotten your Captain rank? and i explaine to her the whole story about having to wait 2.5 years. And she said, "Cannot be, how come your upperstudy, same situation as you got his within 1 year, but you don't?" So anyways, she made some calls, and viola, this afternoon just before i left my work, she called me into her office and congratulated me. I will be promoted to Captain wef from 1st Nov!! so basically, i'm already a Captain and they will be back dating my pay ;) mua hahahaha :) hopefully i'll get some extra Moolah!

Ok, i didn't even pursue it that much, cos i really felt that if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, just let God take care and Hahahaha, I guess I'm just ThankFul that God actually let the system work its way. So, just leave it in God's hand, if he thinks you're due from Promotion, he'll just give it to you.

...Rule #1 for me is....don't get dragged into the politics...

I got a lil tour of the various departments, very nice to see all the people that i will be working with. Alot have wished me well, and look like pleasent people. Although i've already started feeling a sense of Office Politics. Rule #1 for me is....don't get dragged into the politics, as much as possible. I realize that politics exists in every organization. The main thing is to ensure that Politics do not take away our professionalism. Mindef is one huge maze with offices all over the place, it'll take a while for me to get to know everywhere. But Hey~ i'm meeting people i know all the time!.

Like i met Eugene! yes! Yee Whye, your friend Eugene, he was waiting for his Fiance.
I met the Ex Bravo OC, he still calls me Chu Chu.... piangz
I met my Old friend from Cadet days, he is here on Attachment during his vacation break.

So fun, yah, i think it'll be quite fun. Only problem is... It's REALLY an OFFICE, like, OFFICE i mean...i guess this is the first time i'll really be like working in an OFFICE OFFICE enviroment. with Flouresent tube lights and cubicles and stuff. yucks, i hate that decor, so stale.... but Thank God, i sit next to the Window so i get to have a view ;)

Oh~ i'm going to Bintan now... this Sat, Sun, i know it's like out of the blue, but that's after Bangkok was a no go, than Malaysia was kinda boring, than...the PCs really really badly needed to get out of Singapore for a break, so there you go! Bintan, for a quick getaway, i just hope there are things to do there.

Just before i leave 3 Guards, i get a nice surprise... one of the Men has went on AWOL, what a buggeration, i mean.... Arghhhh i still don't understand why we let him out in the first place. So now we are doing the Awol charges again for him. I mean, doesn't he ever ever learn? SO close to being incorrigble (sic)

Farewell

Y
esterday, i met up with my CO, had a pretty good chat with him and said good bye. He wished me well and Thank me. It's closure to me, so now my CO has officially noted that i'm gone.

...Yesterday i also went to my new work place. Yes, it's a Mindef...

Yesterday i also went to my new work place. Yes, it's a Mindef, it's alot furthur than Bedok Camp :(. It's like a totally different enviroment and culture, i'll talk about that another time, cos THAT will be a long long post by itself.

I'm not going to be reflective now, it'll mean a Post that's probably going to take like a few hours and hmm, it's 8am and i've to rush to work soon. Yes, i'm really not quite used to working till 6 plus pm and knocking off. There's so much things to do literally when i take over. I think there's going to be alot of starting from ground Zero since my upper study really is a Project officer that has been tasked to do the 2ic role. He has held the fort, carried the bag of $%$# and now he is realdy to pass it on. (To ME! haha) ok, no, he is really good, he is handling it over to me properly and i appreciate it. but with it comes a host of problems that are outstanding and when asked why no one has done anything. Shrugs shoulders.

In any case, i doubt my life will be as interesting as my tour in 3 Guards, thus, probably, the blog won't be that interesting either. Anywaya, I've decided to stop posting as of this Friday.... so i guess it's best that i'll just shut my mouth and hands. As i said a while, it's about time to close this blog. I mean... it's abt a GUards Platoon Commander right? No point talking abt the times i'm up at HQ around.

2 more days to Friday!

Going over to my New place

Y
es, I guess the time is drawing near, I'm posting out officially this Friday. I'm supposed to be on Leave this Friday, but they posted me, so now i'm suppose to report to my new work place on Friday. A bit Sianz, cos now my Bangkok trip like won't happen leh :( Worst, Jensen got an interview on Friday morning....... how to fly liek that?

...Tml i'm going to meet my CO for a final, good bye interview...

Guess its back to Square one again, worst case scenerio is to head up to Malaysia for a short visit. Just book a hotel and stay for a night or so, although frankly, there's really nothing much to do in KL right? hai.... sianz.

Anyways, Tml i'm going to meet my CO for a final, good bye interview. He'll like to see the speech and stuff and I also like to have a talk with him. Basically, I guess i like to Thank him for believing in me and giving me the chance to learn. I'll also let him know how i felt during my tour and The problems i faced. I guess i'll also let him know how i feel abt my next appointment.

After meeting my CO in the morning, i'll head over to Gombak to understudy from my upperstudy. I'm surprised that there is no terms of references and stuff at all, So i've no idea what exactly my stuff are supposed to do in black and white. Like !!!!??? like that how? Everyone will be playing Tai Chi and no work will get done right? Gosh, i really pray that God will put in on the right footing as i go in and take over the dept. Really need the Wisdom in dealing with all the people in my department.

The results for the 21km are out. hahaha, so my exact time is 2h 07 mins, hmm... quite happy, According to the stats, i'm in the top 18% of runners! It's quite a cool stats page, cos it tells you your pace, and your position relative to other people and stuff. Yah, so i guess i'll sign up for a Stand Chart Account now so that i can register for next year's Marathon for free hahaha ;) cheepskate right?

The Stand Chart 21km!

I
just completed the Stand Chart 21km today. The feel good feeling is still buzzing, there's really nothing like a natural high. It's like non-Artificial, all natural, honest to goodness kinda high. LOL, ok, in the process you kinda like have to go through a battle of wills to keep yourself going.

generally, i think the run was pretty well organized, just a couple of sore points with the baggage handing. it was just messy. People were like waiting for almost 1hour to get their bags which is pure madness. But still I see no reason to shout at the Volunteers. Some people are just Darn Impatient and IMHO downright insensitive. They were showing their temper and raising their voices at the Volunteers getting the bags. The poor Vlounteers are like Secondary School kids, all so young. I mean, give them a break lah? It's not their fault that the whole bag place is so chaotic, and they are there TRYING to serve you, like, it's already not easy trying to rummage through thousand of bags to find one, more so with people yelling from the front. I guess that was why alot of volunteers were just seaching at the back and not wanting to come to the counters (We must have looked like a pretty angry mob) and the only defence they have against us were some tables. I really wanted to shout to them, "Hey kids, Steady! take your time and stay focus, Don't stress! We appreciate what you're doing!" Like give them some form of encouragemen lah...

...The feel good feeling is still buzzing, there's really nothing like a natural high...

Anyways, Thank God My Bag didn't get lost in the mess though hahahhaa, My server was pretty efficient =)

The run wise, I'm surprised i actually had managed to get the timing i got, it's the first time i'm running 21km and the longest i've ever ran was prob 14-15km. So yeah~ very very happy with myself! :) Like when i crossed the finish line i was like dancing my way through! I love the ideas of having food alone the way, like when i was almost dying at the 19km point, they started distributing Banana's at the 20km point, The best Banana in the world man as i ate one. It was like Have Fresh Energizer batteries in your body! Started to run again all the way to the finish point. Best part was crossing Anderson Bridge, like you knew you were there already. Actually, i kinda new i was there when i hit the 15km point and was still going quite strong, could still talk to my Ex-OCS mates about live and the future. I guess the pace was good lah.

Ok, On to a more serious topic, The Gals were cool, I saw the Conrad girls again in their lilac tops. Standard is still there, they were actually running the 21km! and they were pretty strong runners! looking pretty good too. But really, this race, i didn't notice much at all, compared to AHM. It was mostly thinking if i could finish the 21km without dying haha. But yah, Conrad Girls, hard to miss lah, especially when they were running in a team. And i saw a Conrad BOy too! hahaha, quite fuunny seeing him in purple though :P Hiak hiak hiak. Ah well.

Anywyas, i guess this is a good end to the year, this is one of my 2005's goals and i'm proud that i accomplished it. So next year, my goal is to run the full Marathon or at least die trying :) Long Distance Running is really the most basic form of Mind over Body. Sometimes, when you are really struggling, Look towards the goal and perserve.

I remembered someone telling me before that the Christian Life is a Marathon and not a 100m Dash. Yeah! I physically understand what paul said about running the race. Lord, As i keep running towards home, I want to go the distance and not fall out. Teach me to perserve nd Give thanks in all circumstances! :)

Race Day - 1

t
ml's the 21km run. Woot, i can't believe i've been eating that much. Just read some thing somewhere that you should not eat too much on the EVE of a big run so you can empty your gut and travel light. Kaos, now than say. I've already eaten like 2 plates of pasta for dinner!!! how? i better take a good dump tml morning before i head out.

Ok, shorty post, cos i've got to sleep soon

Tunes that gets stuck in your head

You know that tunes, that just get's stuck in your head and keeps replaying over and over again. That Chicken little Sounds track... It's in my head now. I know it's so Beng, but hack, its catchy and it's playing non-stop in my head. the last time this happened was that chipmunky song. Don't know what's its name.. But yes, Thanks Chicken Little Na nanana. nananananana. Nana nananana, nananananana. hahaha :P

Doggie updates! Oreo has started obedience training, so he is learning to heal and stop now. So far, i think he has at least learn to heal and stop and no longer afriad of walking around the neighbourhood. The best thing is, he knows how to keep to the left of me and not cut across my path. As for Oreo...hai~ he still resist steping out of the street. Mum still has to cradle him like a baby everyime we go out. hahaha.

...Tml! Course Briefing! woot...

Tml! Course Briefing! woot! i hope it's going to be interesting. basically, i'm scheduled to go on Course for the whole month of January. worst thing is it's all the way at Pasir Laba Camp. So yeah, from Jan 3 to Feb, i'll be travelling like up and down, and the worst thing is, course starts at 8am!!!

The weekends coming, i guess i'm kinda looking fwd to it. Oh yes, Sun 21km somemore hahaha. I'm just going to tell myself, If 6000 over people are RUnning TWICE the distance i'm running, there's no good reason not being able to complete it right? Anyways, i'm giving myself 2hrs, 20 mins to complete it. it's a slow pace i know, but everyone at his own pace right? anyways, my objective is to complete, and not fall out ;) yeah~!