Sorry for the lack of updates! It's been nothing but a whirlwind as of late, and sometimes it's really rare to find a moment to collect all of my thoughts to pen them down.

Perhaps, beginning with those events that have significantly impacted life as of late seems most apt. I'd have to say .. it's been really hard dealing with the departure of mel and rachel to that great city where How I Met Your Mother is filmed, New York. You can't really do anything when integral parts of your life are torn away and you have no choice but to let them go, you know? Although daily life might get you caught up in its tempo, but the ache of the loss will always be there, intensely amplified in those lonely moments when you reach for the phone meaning to call that someone, only to realize with a sad smile to yourself that the person's not going to be so easily there for you anymore. If I know myself, I'm pretty sure that even in february of next year, I'd still be reminiscing on how mel ame zix and I hung out in cathay cineleisure that first time after CT1 in J1, because it's just impossible to let go of these memories. Memories that fill my life with colour and meaning, which give me something to smile about. That, I guess, is how I shall cope with their absence - all those times that I shared with them. Studying with rachel in the basement of grand cathay - drinking milk tea, eating shihlin's happy box; she was my pillar of support and supplier of my insider information during one of the most trying periods of my life, a person I could pour our all my sorrows to and someone who'd tell me how stupid I was but still pray for the best for me even as I trudged down a path of folly. Making mel cry in the second or so week that I'd known her, and feeling terribly guilty about it; the everyday suans that earned me the title of bitch; the everyday conversations from the academic to the trivial gossip to the serious stuff; her incessant ungrounded insecurities that drove me perpetually insane - she was my coffee, my glamourizer, someone who I'd listen to without fail because it just made sense. It's impossible to sum up how much they meant, and mean, to me. But I believe in a future which still features them prominently in my life, if only because I choose to make it so.

Other than that, another major shaker in my life would be this action of mine of crossing over to OCS. I'd say ... it's both a dumb and a wise move, but all in all I feel I did the right thing. If everyone stays in, what's the point of staying out? I'd say this statement is particularly true, especially since all the womenfolk are in university anyway. It's not like I'm going to have ample company if I go and get myself a reduced PES status and an eight to fiver. Although life is indeed much tougher and the training much more rigorous, I believe the experience of the next six or so months will be useful for my personal development, and cause me to grow that much more though I have already learnt and matured much since I entered the service.

People say that the 2 years in army are a buffer period for boys to grow to men, that they are sheltered in another 'forced to be here' environment where they are taken care of pretty well and not thrown out into the real world to take some lessons from the school of hard knocks. I.e., girls and NS guys who have stay-out positions have to deal with real-life problems and mature faster. Nonsense. I'd give anything to start school right now, although all the girls are complaining about how tough university is and the insane schedules. Granted, it is a hectic life, but personally for me, it's something that I have a great deal of motivation to strive for, and besides, much of my schedule is determined by myself anyway. I take my own breaks. I organize my own work sessions. And although chionging in the vegetation and rigorous physical training and planning and everything that is the life of a majority of us NS boys now can indeed be classified 'stupid' and 'a waste of time' by myself at times, and those happily holding stayout positions, I'd feel that I'm really missing out on a great treasure trove of experiences if I were stuck in an office all day. Sure, I'm guilty myself of calling it 'living the dream', and 'what all NS boys want', but put me in that position and I'd be complaining just the same. I love to slack. Who doesn't like to slack? But sometimes you just have to pull up your socks and go out there and be a man. Well, whatever you call it, it's a rite of passage, and I'm glad I'm on the way to earning the right to call myself a man by the time I hit the good old 21.

I'm glad, though, that during my stint in NS here, I've got so many things to accompany me and keep me happy and to thank God about. Although it'd be great to have everyone that I hold close to my heart here together with me, I make do with what I have! In fact, I can think immediately of a great deal of things that make me happy. (:

x my family. I love my mom. 'Nuff said. I spend a much greater amount of time talking to my dad nowadays and it's been rather good. I have a brother who, contrary to what he previously believed and in stark contrast to his life before, is enjoying university life tremendously and being much less of a problem for my parents, and also someone to pal around with.

x my friends. just last saturday night, I had an awesome time (as usual) with kennedy and company, my bunch of overachiever 2H friends who are nearly all commissioning in december soon, leaving poor guonian and me to usher for them, other than stupid junliang who is on a grand total of 5 months MC. also, did I mention that ngiam is in my platoon, living and owning, in the bunk opposite mine? and oh, btw just for your info, i love it when you call, i love it when you call, i love it when you call, butchu never call at all (ok the last line is just not true hahah) teefy (: and calling you too. a busybee lalan, who is getting hammered close to death with her uni schedule, and is sick now (great). hm, there's a problem, I haven't met huige nicky and all for too long, we kind of need to celebrate benny's birthday. and taufiq's a jerk who's preoccupied with his girlfriend :P

x food.
1x mega mcspicy meal
1x turkish kebab
1x takopachi
1x honey chicken chop
2x pints haegen-dazs
2x pints andersen's of denmark
1x starbucks dark mocha venti frappucino
2x packets pepperidge farm soft baked dark chocolate brownie cookies

in one weekend. legen- wait for it... DARY.

x entertainment
I saved nicole for this segment, because firstly nicole the retard alone is great entertainment, secondly I koped her hard drive with 4 seasons of how i met your mother, 5 seasons of house, gossip girl, 20 seasons of the simpsons, about 30 movies including all the harry potter movies, star wars movies, LOTR movies, omg I have going to have an AWESOME block leave.
Also, having spent at least 500 bucks on all my warcraft novels, comics, and the entire fables comics series, I am eagerly anticipating the next volume of each. I love comics. Sue me.

I am not going to continue, if not I am going to get stoned by people jealous of how great my life is. At times. X)