Block Leave

This block leave is abit sianz coz people (like Zejia) are either having exams or still in camp so there's no one to date. I like my platoon and company mates but I think I've seen enough of them to ask them out.

Speaking of whom, we (the 3 signallers) have more or less integrated into the company, and the officers & mono intake guys are generally nice. My platoon mates are really a cool bunch, very helpful, and very hungry - they have an endless supply of cup/instant noodles and ba4 deng1 (meat cubes). LOL.

If there's one positive thing I take away from the army, it's my newfound respect for the ITE guys. Not that I despised them before, but interacting with them on a daily (24/5) basis has totally changed the myopic opinion I had of them before enlistment. Of course some of them I personally 不敢苟同, but I realised there are many others who are superior to myself in many ways.

The new specs are pretty ok lah. Our batch mates, so I find it easier to relate to them and they don't treat us like juniors (i.e. with condescension). But they are still abit green, and not accustomed to some of the practices which characterise second-year soldiers, so it can be a little frustrating. It bothers me a little that they have the "power" to order us around, but I guess 风水轮流转. My turn will come. Muahaha. No lah, just joking. Most of them are quite polite and I think they deserve respect coz they have been through so much training and suffering (Sispec, SLC, ROC) while I hadn't done SOC in like 6 months? But now my retribution has finally come and it's time to chiong after slacking for so long. Bleh.

Back to the topic of block leave, I have been to Orchard twice in the past 3 days. On Monday was to accompany my mum and sis to see the Christmas lightings and decorations which really aren't that spectacular. Dropped by again today to watch movie, have lunch, and visit Borders. I was dying to experience the "masterfully designed suede Oscar Chairs from Italian label Poltrona Fra" inside the PictureHouse at the Grand Cathay, so I opted to watch this French movie called "Days of Glory".

The much-hyped seats are pretty posh but not that comfortable. Then there is this "no food and drink" rule (presumably to preserve the expensive chairs in pristine condition...), and I could feel vibrations that apparently came from explosions (on screen) in the adjacent hall. Bleh.

The PictureHouse is supposed to be an "arthouse cinema" but I find that the movie isn't that art-y. In fact, it's quite mainstream (I understood the entire movie so there you go), war theme and all, just that it's in French (with English subtitles), and won the BEST ACTOR Award (Ensemble Cast) at the Cannes Film Festival 2006.

I'm abit lazy to post a review so I will just quote some critics.

"Days of Glory makes no departures from previous war films, but the tensions between the French commanders and the indigenous troops -- and the conflicts among themselves over how best to respond to provocations -- gives the film its dramatic punch." - Kirk Honeycutt from Hollywood Reporter

and

(Director) Bouchareb's WWII epic took more than a decade to make, but dealing with racism and injustice within the French army, is at once an impressive chronicle of a nearly-forgotten unit and a timely statement vis-a-vis the recent racial riots in France. -Emanuel Levy from EmanuelLevy.Com

I haven't watched many war-themed movies (such as "Band of Brothers" and "Saving Private Ryan" which are perennial army favourites cum propaganda) except maybe Pearl Harbour, so it was pretty poignant seeing people die in war, as well as the camaraderie. Overall a pretty moving movie, recommended since there aren't many other movies worth watching these couple of weeks.

More good movies in December - Death Note II, Borat, Eragon, etc.