Just out from reservist... It has been a refreshing 2 weeks, glad to meet all my old army mates, had a good outfield (good meaning no injuries and all as it should be, but as for combat effectiveness, I'm not so sure). Now gotta head back to office and find out what I've missed. Hope Jojo still sits beside me.

Anyway, just before out-pro we were "threatened" by the new CO... Well sorta... He laid the "rules" of the next ICT. With regards to IPPT, those who pass will be allowed to out-pro one day earlier than those who didn't. Sigh... While you can see it as a reward for the passers, you can see it as a threat to the failures. Using fear to make the poor old soldiers pass their IPPT. Reminds me of how Batman uses fear to govern Gotham. So in the comic books you just don't have to be a criminal, and in real life, you just have to pass. So... that's my aim, pass IPPT on 20Sep!!!

Speaking of Batman, the movie masters 6" came in through the post! Much cheaper than local retail. These figures are fantastic, glad I got them. Really loved the movie too! I hope they don't stop making Batman movies, but it'll be difficult too do better than The Dark Knight.

Nice random phone photo of Chet and I. I think nice looking camera phone photos are pretty hard to come by... On top of that, ugly as I look here, it is definitely one of those rare shots where the angle is good!

New stuff from Hot Toys. I resisted version 1, and both Batmans... but this... sure... is... tempting...! You know how I always commented that Hot Toys / Medicom stuff are just dolls for guys. Now they really came up with a product that I like~! Sigh. Wonder how the Kotobukiya Joker's turning out.... but I'm pretty sure this HT Bank Robber Joker's going to look stunning beside my Koto Dark Knight statue...! More pics here...!

This... Is... So... Serious!

1. Metal_Gear_Solid, 2. Captain_America_Red_Skull, 3. Kotobukiya_Batman, 4. X_Force, 5. Spidey_Rhino

Recently found out that there is such a thing called Flickr Explore, and that 5 of the 32 images in my account actually made it. Below are 2 FAQs that tells us what Explore is about.

This post is actually about ICT. The title is as stated for reasons to be explained below.

Just done with week one of my high key ICT, which is actually my 5th reservist now (out of the 10 that I'm supposed to complete). Contrary to what I expected, this ICT turned out to be a good load of fun.

Sure, we had the usual chores to do. Take over vehicle, take over OVM (all the tools that are vehicle related), run IPPT (and failed... sigh, gotta go and train and pass my 20th Sep one!!!), etc. Clocked quite a bit of engine hours driving the Bionix around the forest; we even went outfield for a one-day training. But what was enjoyable was meeting up with the people in my company whom I meet once a year and still feel like it was yesterday that we were serving NS-fulltime together. The best part was catching up on what they were going through. Alot of them have proposed / going to propose / getting married, and alot more with cars. It was great seeing them all again.

Just that my PC is really a thorn in the flesh. He's those types that wasn't with us during NS-fulltime, but attached to us for the reservist unit. It must be tough on him, but sometimes I really wonder why he must say the things he said.

Encounter #1

"We need masking tape to mark out and label these crates of xxxxxx. Who knows the CQ sergeant's handphone number? Dunno? Drivers have such a good life."

Please, how does not knowing the CQ spec's telephone number equate to having a good life? You also dunno the number, so... officers have such a good life?

Encounter #2

As the story goes, we need to conduct water parade the eve of IPPT. It requires the drinker to sign on a declaration form twice: once right after drinking that night, and once next morning right before IPPT. I signed it once, and didn't sign it the next morning cuz when they were passing the declaration form around I was doing some major business in the toilet. So I was asked to go down to the lecture room downstairs shortly after returning to the bunk after IPPT. The clown was looking for me. And when I saw him this was what he had to say.

"Let me educate you. The declaration form for water parade has to be signed twice. You only signed once. So I have to cancel your row, and then you have to fill everything up again."

Well, it would be alot easier if he just let me signed again. But he had to cancel the whole row. It was funny. It made me doubt his intelligence. I mean seriously, it does have its implications, the way a person speaks and acts.

Encounter #3

"Why you look so shag? You're just a driver, drive around only. Is it really so shag?"

Come on. Don't act like an imbecile. You have your day training in the woods that's fine. Drivers don't have a good life like you think. No point explaining it to him. He's actually someone who does not help out with the mounting and dismounting of OVM from the vehicle. One night after a night drive, he actually just left his driver to dismount all the OVMs and where'd he rush off to? The internet room to use computer and check the internet. Drivers good life?

Encounter #4

"Do you know whether the armskote is open? Do you know the armskote man's number? Dunno? Everything also dunno?"

What everything also dunno? I mean, if you're asking these questions, don't the same remark apply to you too? Please, if you also dunno, be humble. Don't freaking think you are above and beyond all these things, when you yourself have not done anything to convince to the platoon you are worth the rank.

First, you told your spec that you will be doing the swimming stay exercise but you did not. You left your section to do it and you weren't even there to supervise. Second, you were supposed to take point in the night walk but you did not and appointed your spec to do it. Seems you're only good at a one thing: excusing yourself from duty.

Went back to school in the morning... The main objective was to meet up with teacher cuz I hadn't had the chance to do that since I started working... And the last time we met was when she made the call to office to set up an interview for me with my boss. Owe it to her, so... thought of buying her breakfast. Was asked to join in for the tropical workshop crit on Saturday by my boss... and I thought that since I can't meet teacher on wkdays cuz of work, and since she don't usually go back on wkends, it was a wonderful opportunity.

The tropical workshop was quite interesting lah, and since it was a week-long can't expect a very well resolved proposal. So we went through the ideas and concepts. As usual there was a range, some were really very thought provoking, and some were, well... you can tell from the presenter that they themselves aren't really interested.

I left after helping teacher pack up the lunch, which she had catered for, buffet style, for 100 people...? But only half the food was eaten so must pack them up in styrofoam boxes to minimize wastage. All the students and other tutors went back to student lounge area for part-II of the crit, which they ought to lah... leaving behind TSL, WYC and myself to do the packing up. Ha... It was then that I managed to talk with her cuz breakfast was quite a hurry too. All things fine, busy as usual. We can only hope Mrs Chan recovers fully and swiftly, but like teacher says, "She's a fighter, it's only a matter of time."

After that went back to Chet's place to find Ney and Chet waiting to go out, which we did lah... Went to CCK MRT and wanted to catch the half-hourly shuttle to Qian Hu Fish Farm, but unfortunately we missed the 4pm one. So we went to eat some chilled beancurd at a hawker. We boarded the bus and arrived at Qian Hu at 1640hrs. Wanted to go there for the fish therapy (small fishes nibbling at your dead skin on ur feet!) and it was when I wanted to pay (advance payment before the therapy) at the counter that I realized that...

MY WALLET IS MISSING!!!

So... Chet got a refund and we sulked and waited for the Qian Hu shuttle to return to the farm. Searched the bus, but no luck. Took the shuttle back to CCK MRT, tried the Bus Interchange office but no luck. Then finally went back to where we had chilled beancurd...

"Did anyone happen to pick up a wallet?"

"Yes! Auntie picked it up just now. When did you drop it? How to be sure it is yours? What is your IC number?"

Blah blah blah...

"You're lucky auntie picked it up if not dunno if you can get it back ah~~~ Why your IC photo is a ginnah? Not updated? Next time be careful ah? And must buy alot of kopi and drinks from auntie okay?"

And with that, alot of thank-yous and feeling much relieved, we left CCK MRT... What a wasted trip. Headed to Ney's at Yishun, bought a chin-up bar (those you fit at the door frame). Had 煮炒 at blk 925, then headed home...

Sigh... ICT next wk really makes me very sianz...............................

Informed readers probably know my b'day ain't due till 2 months later, but alas... I just discovered some of my aki mates think otherwise... Shrugs. It's funny, I guess... to see ur name on the cake. It's funny. I guess.


It was fun watching the guys play Wii. Glad I got to know for sure who Isen and Calvin are... I have a vague idea from the days when I was in RI and I spied on my rival school TCHS... Herh herh... But I confirmed their identity a few days ago. It was nice...

Oh and to see YH again with his well toned BMT skin, really reminded me of the 18 bronze monks of Shaolin we see in... well... Stephen Chow's God of Cookery? Can't find a pic to do a side by side comparison so... maybe this will convey the idea much better.

Have a good POP in 5wks time dude...

This is probably none of my business. But, oh well... you can't expect me to pass by the rendering every morning on my way to work without wanting to spit at the board. So for the past 6 weeks, I've been thinking about blogging it. But it was only yesterday that I thought of an appropriate title for this blog entry.

Disgusting. I mean... we steal, but with class.

Went with my parents and Chet to City Exhibition... Took some pics using camera phone!!

Check out the hot chicks checking out YQ's sexy panel + model. And Cheewee's panel + model below...

Who's this girl in red...? She seems to know where all the good stuff are. And she's so cute.

Oops...