Confetti

Happy 21st Birthday, Lulu! Can go watch R21 show liao. LOL. And quick find a gf lah. Many happy returns!

And mighty congrats to those (esp. my colleagues) who did well for their A's.

MAF

Mid-autumn festival celebrations has always been the annual highlight for Hwa Chong-ians, both old and new. Affectionately known as "MAF" (-mahf), it's a time when alumni gather to reminisce about their student days, and current students take a break from mugging to enjoy the festivities.

Over the years, the programme has become somewhat routine, and the centrepiece (see blurry photo above) and pyrotechnics display increasingly mundane, but MAF never fails to draw a crowd. It's a unique Hwa Chong tradition, and one that seniors are glad exists, because it gives them a chance to meet up with people they have lost touch with since leaving school, in a familiar environment.

It was pretty cool, seeing and catching up with secondary classmates, CCA pals, BMT kakis, and of course JC buddies. For the guys, it's always "where are you now?", "when's ORD?", and "what are you gonna do after ORD?". For the gals, "how's uni?", "got boyfriend?", and "any girls to recommend?". LOL.

04S7A. Photo courtesy of KC (off class blog)

Most people haven't changed that much, and it feels good just to see everyone again, having the same crappy conversations or friendly banter at the class bench, or in the central plaza singing the HC songs and swaying to the mass dances.

I probably wouldn't attend MAF for the next four years, and I should be J9 (old!) when I'm back for the next one, but I certainly hope I'd still see the familiar faces and be able to recall their names and catch up with them then.

People

This has been a good week, except for a minor glitch yesterday.

It's really the people around me who made my week. It feels good to have a casual chat or just friendly banter with people who understand how you feel because they are basically in the same boat. Most of the sergeants are actually nice people, and given the fact that we share the same background (JC) and general mindset, it would have been natural to become friends if not for the hierarchical system that makes such relationships awkward and untenable.

Plus, I am back on course this week and most of next week! It's a pretty relac course, but the instructors and course material are a real bore. About the only thing that makes it worthwhile are the two teabreaks, which serve really good food. Argh, I am becoming fat, eating five meals a day, and with CNY coming up, all those CNY goodies.

Chatted with the other coy line signallers on course and there is a consensus that K coy is the worst - most (dumb) regulations and least welfare. I concede it's a blow, although this merely reaffirmed my suspicions. It's just difficult to accept that our lives are so drastically different when we are basically sleeping in adjacent and opposite blocks. It goes to show that it's not entirely the system, but more so the people (in this case the commanders) who decide how good/miserable life is for the men. And I just happen to have terrible luck.

Enough of mundane army stuff already. I have been too lazy to post reviews in recent weeks. Anyway I figured no one reads them. Bleh.

But there is an album I really want to recommend: Ayaka (絢香)'s First Message. Forget about "I believe", the song she composed that 石欣卉 ripped off. There's an abundance of other quality compositions in her debut album (15 tracks!), and she has a powerful and warm voice which does the material justice. For a 20-year-old, she really can sing! Her timbre and tone actually reminds me of Stef, which might explain why I took an instant liking to her when I heard her voice on the TV commercial. I am sure she will be the next Japanese diva to look out for.

Forgive and Forget

It's never easy to forgive and forget. I'm not one who bears grudges, but when someone does something to hurt a cherished friendship, either intentionally or unintentionally, I can't treat him/her like it never happened, and go back to the past again. It just doesn't feel the same anymore when you see that person after knowing what he/she has done, even if at the surface (as perceived by others), we remain good friends and all. However, between ourselves, the sense of "lost camaraderie" may be more apparent, though unspoken, and the friend -ship degenerates henceforth, and sinks into oblivion as time passes.

I'm not talking about the usual disagreements that are inevitable between even the best of friends, but more subtle things, like backstabbing, bad-mouthing behind your back, hypocrisy, etc. etc. Things that people do even as they pretend to be your (good) friend, and things that people do which subliminally reveal themselves as friends less worthy than you'd imagined. Some of these are actually inherent character traits which they do not display conspicuously or knowingly in their everyday dealings, but as you get to know them better, it becomes increasingly obvious that you cannot be bosom friends with them because of who they really are. It's immensely disappointing, esp. after all that you have invested in that friendship, but certain things really can't be helped.

Perhaps I am being a little sanctimonious or judgemental here (writing about backstabbing and stuff), because I know that I myself am guilty of some of these things, and for that, I offer no excuses. I apologise, but I do not seek forgiveness, for I know forgiveness is never easily given, unless, of course, if you are a saint, which I doubt many of us would claim to be.

Actually I have been meaning to say all these for a long time, but I still lack the resolve to spell out the people who prompted this "outburst". I'm not sure if they(yes, there are more than one) know who they are, but the main reason I haven't really named names is because I still hope to salvage the friendships. It's never easy to forgive and forget, but I'm trying.

Merry Christmas

First off, thanks to all those who sent me x'mas cards (excluding the insurance agents who do tt coz my parents give them commission...). I know pple will usually say nice things abt u in cards, but still, I'm happy to know tt pple actually think I'm a worthy friend. =) I think I have tried by best to be nice and helpful to everyone, and to be as sincere and honest in whatever I do and say for the past 2 years. So dear Santa, if you or any of your elves are reading this, please give me a BIG present for Christmas because I've been a very good boy. ;)

Had class BBQ on Friday. The food wasn't great, and it started raining midway, but it was good to see everyone again, looking ordinary, like banished prince charmings and cinderellas after one night of glamour (prom). LOL. Stayed over at Esther's house, and the night was spent playing bridge and a few rounds of mahjong. Thanks to Esther and her parents for being such very gracious hosts, and sorry for causing all that mess.

Oh yeah, there was also a gift exchange, and as expected, with such a shoestring budget ($10), the quality of the gifts were... dubious. I thought the one I bought wasn't too bad after seeing the others, at least it's more practical and I get to introduce someone to the music I like. Yep, it's Stef's latest album CD. NOT unwrapped choc biscuits from Mark and Spencer, like Ruyan alleged on her blog. Kao, ruin my reputation lor. I where got so cheapskate one. Dear Santa, please don't believe her... Shall not reveal what I got in case I need to zhuan3 song4 coz I really have no use for it. LOL.

Rushed off from Esther's house (Pasir Ris!) the next day coz had to meet aik joon and zejia at 1.30pm @ Orchard MRT. Reached home at 11.30am, so tired coz I barely slept the night before - think I managed a 3-hour wink - and decided to pangseh them. In the end I still went lah, and zejia told us a great deal abt NS. Btw he looks more tanned, toned, and lean (he said he lost 3kg). Hmmm NS does indeed do wonders to one's physique, apart from the hair, that is. LOL. Zejia looks (literally and figuratively) more down-to-earth without his hair. =X

Met up with jinny and yang jie later. They're really quite fun pple to be with, and I can understand why the 4 of them clique so well together. But as I was telling jinny and aik joon, it's funny to see them walk together:
__yang jie_____
|
|
|___zebra______
|__jinny & aj____

The vertical axis is height, if you are wondering.

Towards the end of the day, I was so tired that I felt like a zombie walking amongst the hordes of pple thronging Orchard Road on Christmas eve. I hate crowds, man. Slept like a log for 12 hours yesterday night while others were counting down to Christmas. What a wonderful way to spend Christmas eve.

Prom

Well nothing much to say, except that it was a huge photo-fest, and every one looked ka-ko-i(handsome) and kawaii. I'm wearing contacts btw, and so are all the girls and some other guys. =P

ZAI


fourayeohthree


04S7A (ermmm can't see Alvin)


Famous Five (minus 1) & ZAI


YEWZAI


ZAI & ZR


*ahem* with Mei Hui (she's wearing contacts!)


with SEA Games gold medallist Yu Ling & Yanni

And last but not least,

with Prom King Kian Yong [for the benefit of the girls =)]

We booked a room at Meritus Mandarin, where we returned to for a short rest after prom. Then some went clubbing at Indochine, and I went with the rest to KBox@Cine. K-ed until 6am in the morning (!!!) and then went home to Zzzzzzz. Yep, an eventful and memorable day.

Exco Dinner

What a fantastic Green Club exco dinner we had tonight. 50% attendance. Much like the attendance for our club meetings, huh. There were only huang fang, sik, qing hui, and myself. Wu Han is back in China, Max is MIA, Xin Ling is on a date as usual (presumably), and Zejia decided to fang4 us aeroplane last min... Anw due to budget constraints, we ate at Yoshinoya. Not the best food, but it's the quietest place you can find in J8, tucked down that ulu alley. There were many moments of awkward silence, and we were straining to find stuff to talk abt - NS for the guys, jobs for the girls, prom, etc. But it was still pretty enjoyable, reliving the camaraderie we shared during Green Club days. It was through Green Club that I made great pals out of Sik, QH, HF and WH. If only the rest were there as well, I kinda miss the bickering between Xin Ling and Zejia. LOL.

I have this feeling that HF thinks I regard her differently from before coz of that incident (forget it if you dunno what I'm toking abt). The truth is, I did indeed take sides (zj's), and I don't agree with what she has done, but I respect that things can get complicated when it comes to such matters, and I am in no position to judge anyone. So yeah, purely from a friend's perspective, nothing has changed, towards any of the 3 parties involved. In fact I hope that things can go back to how they were before all these started, though I know it's impossible. At least I'm still great pals with both guys.

Congrats, Yu Ling!

Hearty congratulations to Yu Ling and the Singapore women's foil team for adding to Singapore's SEA Games gold medal tally. She has certainly done Singapore, Hwa Chong, and 7A proud!