Sunday, July 29, 2007

Rocky Hill Mess'ers on Comms Ball Recce!

Rocky Hill Mess'ers went out on a recce for Circwood's Commissioning Ball yesterday!

It was a pain in the arse, I tell you. You would think that since hotels are open 24/7, their Catering and Sales would be available too, but no!! We paid painfully for our mistake of not making appointments beforehand.

"You'd have to make an appointment with our Catering & Sales," is what most of the receptionists can say. ARGH!

And so we got little work done. We did manage to see the place, and we did manage to get some quotations, but nothing fully customised to our situation and what we want.

So anyways, this is the chronological story...

We first made our happy way to Raffles Marina in the morning after we have met at Boon Lay Station. We turned out to be too early because non of the sales people were there, and there was no one to show us around.

Having nothing to do, we decided to check out the outside.
Beautiful! All these photos, I might add, is taken non other by Zhimin!!

Wah. He really has quite an eye for things. I'm not showing all the photographs because there ain't space. I'm only showing photos with me in them! Muahahahas!!

Anyway, we loved the scene with the yachts parked outside, and the view was breath-taking. We all thought "this is it!" Soon enough, our little Circwood bodies couldn't take the immense heat of non-air-conditioned weather, so we had to adjourn inside to find more things to do while we waited for the people to arrive.

We found this small bowling alley in the club and went bowling!
Now, that's The Silmarillion I'm holdin in that 2nd photograph. I'm proud to say that I have finished it for the second time! Ahh, and you can see Zhimin telling you to kill pop stars, and Wen Tian in the first photograph. That's BJ at the back, and Jeremy in front in the second photograph.. Jeremy is not a much of a bowler. Neither am I, actually.. I ended the game with a sucky 49 points. WTF!

Raffles Marina turned out to be a disappointment in the end because the ballroom didn't fit what we had in mind. The location was quite an issue too, because it was far away from any place in Singapore. OUT!

Next, we went to check out Equinox. Unfortunately, we did not make an appointment, so they turned us down right at the entrance. What great service =) Jeremy is still keen on that place though. I think otherwise.

Then we went to Fullerton!
The receptionist was kind enough to show us the Ballroom and the Straits room after we explained our predicament, and gave us several catalogues and told us that we could contain Sales if we needed more customisation. Excellent service. No wonder it's a six star hotel man!

I personally liked the location and the place, but was quite against holding Comms Ball there because I had prom there! Its perks are really enticing though..

From their catalogue, there was something about complimentary limousine service. I suspect it is only for weddings though.. who would want to ferry 44 couples for free? That's a lot of petrol okae!

But Fullerton is definitely one of the top choices =)

We went then to Raffles Hotel...

I loved the architecture of the place, and the fact that it is reminiscent of the Circwood building. This way we would have some sort of a link between Comms Ball and our course you see.

Unfortunately we didn't manage to get much information from the receptionist. Hmm. We did take the opportunity to plan quite a bit of our general programme though..

Believe me, Comms Ball will be a blast! Now who wants to be my date? Hahas

Anyways, Raffles Hotel is BIG. The ballroom was cosy and grand with chandeliers and all. Very colonial, I say. It's my top choice. =P Pricing is quite steep though.. We'd have to work on that won't we!

Raffles more or less ended our recce, the time being late then, and we all had places to go and people to meet.

I went on to buy my camera with Chee Wee, Julian and Wen Tian! Chee Wee intends to buy the very same camera because he figured that it's a very zai and professional camera. =)

Did I say that I bought my camera?! HOHOHO! Yeah baby~ The Panasonic DMC-FZ8 is mine! My precious!!

Here's the FZ8..
Chio right? I've been playing with it all day. OMG. The quality is super good. The weight is surprisingly light too.. It also has a function to tell you the exposure at the shutter speed and aperture you set so you don't get underexposed or overexposed photographs.

I love the fact that I can manual focus now. Hahas. Sheesh. I'm hysterical!

You are going to see a lot more photographs on the blog man.

Alrighty! I should get back to my work. Til next week! Take care!

P.S.: To those who think they are falling sick, or fell sick, must take care of your health! Youth is not immortality leh! A lot of people getting sick lately. Don't let me worry okae? =)

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Tales from Circwood

It has been a few days here at Circwood. I’m starting to get used to the place and the people, the instructors and their fluid moods. We all get used to things after time I guess.

Just one week back, I had one of the worst weeks in my recent life. Feeling Godless, feeling lonely without anyone to talk to, and facing the cruelest things I could say to myself in my head. Never once did I tell anyone this, because I knew neither comforting words nor condemning words could do me any good. All I had to do was to work my way back to grace with the help of God. I had to get myself out of that frame of mind and out of the negative thinking.

I don’t really know how I managed to get out of it, really. I can only guess it was meeting the kayaking people, actually going to church after what seemed like so long, and chatting with Jamie over MSN.

You know that cryptic and poorly written entry posted last week? I guess what I really wanted to figure out was why I managed to feel so much better after the convo with Jamie, and I thought to myself “I feel happy when talking to Jamie because I tell myself I’d feel happy when I talk to Jamie”. Isn’t that cool how our mind works like that? Then again, I wouldn’t really know how my mind really really works. I’d have to ask God on that!

So anyway, the first day here at Circwood was spent on learning about the organizational structure of their healing and provenance branches. Day 2 was on the journey and restoration divisions of the Legion. Word has it that we would learn about the last and final pillar of The Organisation Where Everything Comes From, strength. It appears to me that they do not value Strength much. Hmm..

Generally the lectures were difficult to follow. Despite trying my best to follow what the lecturers were saying, I either ended up asleep or lost. The exception would have to be Journey. It was so straightforward that I even managed to understand a little bit more of the other branches better because their structures were similar in small ways.

The lecture by WO Bala was to me, the most interesting of all. FORMS! Learning how to account for things in the Legion. So I learnt about a lot of TWELVEs and about the Gs. Really quite interesting how there’s a form for every single thing ever. I learnt also about the Enterprise System. Not much yet, but enough for me to be quite amazed. I’m waiting for more!

Another thing that was introduced was Problem Based Learning by Captain Sima. What happens is that we are given case studies to dissect and to analyse, and then to ask questions from those case studies, and then find out the answers to the questions ourselves. In that way, I think we would have greater information retention, and the things we learn would have greater applicability in our future vocations.

As I said before, the food here has been superb, and the place is starting to grow on me, and I keep catching myself wanting to take photographs. Just today I saw the nicest lighting by the lamp above the roof to take a shot. Too bad I don’t have my Lumix DMC-FZ8 yet!! That shall change soon though! Hehehs..

Just today I got caught by 2LT Yong Chiang eating Jack ‘n’ Jill’s in the canteen. After which he asked why I was eating chips when tomorrow is IPPT. Argh. 2LT Wensheng asked me the same thing then. At first I wasn’t really bothered, because I am quite sure that the Gold is within my reach (think about the $200!!) Right now though, I’m starting to feel a little worried.. I’m terribly insecure about my own capabilities, I’m afraid. We shall see tomorrow, I guess! I’d get a bag of chips from 2LT Yong Chiang if I do get gold! Hoho!

Right now, I feel the serenity of an ocean. Now that my CPS term is over, it seems like I can afford to breathe again. It has been a good learning journey where I discovered my weakness of low self-esteem, and I think I did a pretty good job of overcoming it. I also learnt never to let anyone tell you or suggest to you what you can or cannot do. Because you know yourself best.

I feel also, that I have been made right with God, and that He has many good things in store for me here at Circwood. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

A strange and absurd tale.

Now it came to past that Mr Suan came to sojourn in Circwood. And later on in the Place Where Everything Comes From...

I feel much better now. I was in a bad state when I went to church this morning. Not that I'd let anyone notice that.

The past week in Circwood and the Place was really bad for me. Bad in the sense that I was exposed to many of my shortcomings I never knew existed. Good in that same way too, I guess.. By the end of the week, however, my esteem was at its lowest level and I never felt so much self-loathe in my life.

Before I go into detail, allow me to describe Circwood. It is not a big forest, merely the size of 3 Wings. I share my loft with 3 other fellow sojourners, and each loft is enchanted such that the atmosphere remains cool despite the weather. Although each loft is small, it suffices for one such as I.

The food in Circwood is the best I've seen so far in Ah Gong's Legion. I had horfun for lunch the first day I stepped in, and glutinous rice for breakfast the next day. I guess the modest size of the grounds made the place seem cosy and comfortable at first sight. Whether the truth differs from impression, I can only know as more days pass.

The second day in Circwood, we traversed to The Place for Advanced Arrow-shooting in another part of the Lion Realm. That was when trouble started.

I never was much of a shooter, see, and fact that they gave us older modelled bows did not help matters. Never once did I pass my practice shoots bar one day shoot. Imagine the beating I gave myself in my head!

I kept telling myself that I couldn't shoot and true enough, the prophecy was self-fulfilled. Haix. Thank God I was able to pull myself together on the actual test and score a 17/28. Hardly a marksman score, but at least I wouldn't have to retake the test.

Other days in The Place was spent on an Exercise whereby senior sentients made us move heavy stuff around and made us do many exercises to earn our place in The Place and Circwood. This, of course, was marked by our Hat.

It was during this particular Exercise where I felt my mortality and frailty strongly once again. I hate that feeling. That feeling when the Little Man inside overtakes me and tells me that I should give up because I cannot do certain things, and I actually listen! What is wrong with me?! Where in my mental strength? Do I even have any?

The individualistic nature of my fellow sojourners did not help matters.

Where there once was Light in the form of the Epitome, there now is Darkness, since the Epitome departed for the South. I guess I am just suffering the withdrawal symptoms of the lack of Light. I've got to get used to this Darkness and cope with it before it consumes me. That would mean I would have to go it alone. Argh.

Other thoughts I shall not reveal now. It all seems pretty silly to me now. But thank you, Epitome.. somehow you always help without knowing it yourself.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

I really should get my arse moving and start packing for tomorrow. I'm moving to my new camp at Location X! Somehow though I stay seated here staring at my computer screen waiting for something to happen. How utterly frustrating!

I don't actually feel like going back. (AWOL!) It feels like there are so many untied ends in my life right now that have been burnt to meld. And so life goes on without much concern as to what happened before what is going to happen. I feel displaced! Like where am I?! This must be severe jet lag.

I just need my purpose back.

Vivo, Tiong Bahru Plaza, Paradiz Centre, Tiong Bahru Plaza.

Woot! I finally got to go out today! Guess where I went? No prize, I'm afraid =P

The plan was initially to tan my white ass off in Sentosa together with Tan Long and Enqing, since we were all bored stiff from the long break we have after ______. Needless to say, the plan failed like all plans must do in some level, mainly because the Fire-golden Fruit of Laurelin refused to penetrate the pesky clouds. Urgh.

With the tanning session struck off the list, and with Tan Long dead keen on his 'double bill', we checked out the cinema for tickets to Transformers and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. As luck would have it, all the tickets to either movie were selling fast in VivoCity. Don't you just hate people who go watching movies as a class and who book the tickets way in advance? Like hey, leave some space for the poor NSFs who have no other entertainment during weekends!

Disappointed, we decided to head to Tiong Bahru Plaza since it seemed to be the only place not taken over by hoards of movie-ticket-snatching folks. That's not before we (or maybe just me) shopped all over VivoCity for a top to keep my singlet-clad body warm in the cinema later on.. And of course, there was the super-filling lunch...

Carnivore was pretty much as the name of the restaurant suggested. Heaps and heaps of meat in the forms of beef rumps, fish, lamb, bbq chicken were piled on our plates by native Brazilians probably hired just to show that the place was Brazilian. The food was good, of course, though hard and sometimes smoky tasting. Don't order the Capiranha though.. I hated it. Lime is just not my cup of cocktail! Oh, I forgot to mention that it was a buffet, so naturally, I was filled to the top with food at the brink of barfing.

Shopping was disappointing. I can't believe there's nothing in Vivo to that fits what I wanted to get! I did see the tee I wanted to buy for Jamie before she went to Australia at 37 degrees though.. Too bad they had no M size. L is too large. Pity pity!

At the incessant complaints of Tan Long to leave, I finally gave up trying to find something and we all went to Tiong Bahru by means of the MRT. That's rare I tell you! Tan Long cabs like he owns ComfortDelgro. =P

Anyway, so we did manage to watch Harry Potter in the end. After finally out that Transformers was totally sold out of course. That's also after being told that the air-conditioner in the cinema was down. Like why in the world did it have to be down when we wanted to watch a movie? Go find someone else's movie outing to ruin! Thank God we went ahead with the "super hot and stuffy" option the ticket-stub-collector gave us. It wasn't that stuffy after all..

HP was wonderful. Marvellous. Fantabulous. The best movie of all the HP movies yet, I say. Truly, David Yates directed well, and there was good action on the part of Dumbledore vs Voldemort. Man, can't wait to get my hands on the books and to read them again! It's so exciting!

I should think that Sirius Black and Dumbledore would come back to life, but Harry Potter dies in the end of Deathly Hallows. Else, it would be too anti-climatic for the legendary Harry to become a normal Auror in a peaceful world. There needs to be some darkness left in the world for us to see the light! We shall see on July 21st! The net would burst with spoilers I guess..

Alrighty. I've said enough. Till another time.. take care, and stay cheery!

Friday, July 13, 2007

寂寞的季节

这首歌令我想起了两年前的《白云岗》。在这个时候也似乎十分适合我的心情。

《寂寞的季节》
(Season Of Loneliness)
作词:娃娃 作曲:陶吉吉

风吹落最后一片叶 我的心也飘著雪
爱只能往回忆里堆叠 oh~ 给下个季节
忽然间树梢冒花蕊 我怎么会都没有感觉
oh~ 整条街 都是恋爱的人 我独自走在暖风的夜
多想要向过去告别 当季节不停更迭 oh~
却还是少一点坚决 在这寂寞的季节
艳阳高照在那海边 爱情盛开的世界
远远看著热闹一切 oh~ 我记得那狂烈
窗外是快枯黄的叶 感伤在心中有一些 oh~
我了解 那些爱过的人 心是如何慢慢在凋谢
多想要向过去告别 当季节不停更迭 oh~
却还是少一点坚决 在这寂寞的季节
又走过风吹的冷冽 最后一盏灯熄灭
从回忆我慢慢穿越 在这寂寞的季节
还是寂寞的季节 一样寂寞的季节

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Wah Biang eh!

Hello babies! I'm back from ______, if you didn't already know =)

How are you feeling? Hope you are fine yeah? Hahas..

Only when I came back did I realise that I have an unposted draft sitting right here in Blogger. Gee.. I have no idea what I wanted to type the anymore.. but I guess I would just post it incomplete as a record of my life.

It's been a very boring two days for me since returning from that-place-which-shall-not-be-named. With everyone I know either in their camps or working, or overseas or studying in polys, there ain't nothing much I can do. I guess I'm not much of a self-pleasuring person. It's times like these when absences are felt strongly.. but I shall not whine about it!

Reading and playing Go did flash past as ideas to fill time once in a while, but I ended up digging out The Sims 2 to play again. Guess what? I managed to get to the top of the Science and Medicine career in two days!! And the new character is just 5 points away from maxing out all his skill points.

It's amazingly difficult to keep him faithful to one partner really.. I've tried being only friends to the neighbours, but he would start bringing colleagues home, and one thing leads to another, and they fall in love, and everything becomes messy because he's supposed to be engaged already. Man!

Other than playing the Sims, I've been trying to finish up the Absolut Vodkas I bought from DFS at amazingly cheap prices. That means downing at least 2 Vodka Oranges each day. Not very good lah hor? Especially with the 50% alcohol content from Absolut 100. Eh, Gracia, you want to help me finish it? I just want the bottles! I guess I have to be patient..

Life in general feels pretty purposeless without being in camp, and without exams to study for. There are enough times when I catch myself watching TV and surfing the net endlessly and think to myself that I no longer have A levels to study for, and then feel how pointless all these temptations are. What good is TV without examinations?!!

Oh well.. I guess I'd just live day to day.. Hahas.. I really need to fall in love to fill time.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

It hasn't really sunk into my head that I am going to ______ tonight. I'm not prepared for it.

Neither has it sunk in that I won't get to see Jamie again until a very long time from now on. I guess in the past we don't think much of not seeing someone again. It just comes very naturally that when you leave a certain environment e.g. school, you leave the people behind too. Well, Jamie is a little outside the box of NYJC, so it takes a little getting used to I guess. Plus this time it's another country.

Experience tells me that I would get over this. But I'm just typing this to whine. Hahas.. It's not easy lah, having a friend leave like that. But decisions have to be made, and I wish
 
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