Happy New Year.

Each word depicts a different exclusive annotation. 

Happy is subtle and objective. Why is happiness as such and not a given? We all want to be happy. And pursue happiness. But why do we instead compromise happiness in place for other beings or forms?

New is simple. Simplicity but altered unconditionally to what we term as a root of beginning. Do we forget the past and expect the future? It's the same every cycle, an arduous journey to give way to a future we want to see, and not led by naivety.

Year is a cycle. A preset period of hours, minutes and seconds we coin as a year. Why do we always create a fictitious gimmick to give rise to resolutions we always never seem to adhere by when they could be individually decided at any given time? 

Let these linger on every time you hear these three familiar words. 

Looks like my self-proclaimed philosophical side has surfaced after a hiatus.

Anyway, a quick update. I am still serving the nation, in my capacity as an officer cadet. Bound by regulations that I doubt anyone can fathom, elaboration is thus unnecessary. Having completed the service term and presented with the senior bar to mark the one-third milestone of my 9-month long journey, I have been posted to the Combat Services Support Command to further my training in the Logistics vocation. Looks like my days of chiong-sua(literally means conquering mountains) are over. Infantry was my best bet of being posted back to BMTC as a platoon commander, but as fate would not decree it, I have to be contented with my current placement so far. In addition, I believe that the in-depth planning experience I will undergo will definitely be beneficial in the long run as compared to combat tactics and platoon fighting. 

Chinese New Year, the long-awaited festival has finally come. Six days of freedom away from the cycle of regimentation and discipline is definitely going to make an impact on that ever-increasing weight and allowing me to attain cult status in the pig-related nicknames that have plagued me in recent years. But you know what, eating is in my blood. My grandpa was a duck seller back before I was born. Oh what I would give for a taste of his legendary tender teochew braised duck simmered in mouth-watering jus and exuding a heavenly aroma of herbs and spices, coupled with traditional white rice served in a clay pot. Nah enough of the incessant descriptions. 

Had a robust steamboat and teppanyaki home-cooked lunch with my family, with all members present. An uncommon sight nowadays given the busy schedules we all had. I shall spare you the apt descriptions and just have you know that my cholesterol level should be sky-high by now. Now I'm just waiting for the reunion dinner over at my uncle's. I will be back when I'm fat.   

It's All In The Mind.

Just as we always thought how moving into the next phase of life would foresee a change of elements, you can never comprehend what life hurls at you. School was full of tests, assessments, assignments and appraisals. Never knew how I could be facing that even when I'm serving the nation. Same old, same old. Was initially tasked to produce an essay titled "My Defining Moment in BMT" but being a self-proclaimed taichi master of the highest echelons, I managed to transfer my "qi", no responsibility, to another platoon mate. Like come on, he's from New Zealand. His accent alone is enough to blow the competition off the radar. 

Anyway, being the forlorn author of my autobiography, here's my version of my defining moment. You know how field camp is always referred to as the main highlight, crucial event and crux of our training? They have never been so right. It all started when we were supposed to march 12km to our field camp site. All hope was lost when we completed up to the 8km mark and the skies turned for the worst. Our hopes turned to despair when we were told that we would have to redo the entire distance again when we return. Never would we have known that was just the tip of the iceberg. Upon reaching the field camp site, our first task was to erect our tentage, something we have only attempted pathetically and failed miserably countless times. Furthermore, the ground conditions were atrocious, as our tent pins simply refused to be driven into a land full of rocks. However, the worst condition was that it was a slope we were on. When the torrential rains were upon us beginning on the second night, our belongings never stood a chance. The subsequent nights were just as absurd, with the intervals of threatening rain comparable to the pixels on this screen. On the fourth day, we barely accomplished 2 hours of sleep before the unforgiving waters from heaven irrigated into the shellscrapes we spent an entire day to create. Our days were filled with the hated task of putting on face camouflage, rolling in mud and having our uniforms caked in sludge. When even the dreaded heat rash came upon us, there was nothing the medic could do to relive us of the merciless imaginary needles stabbing us from behind. Every single movement simply gave rise to more discomfort, more aches and more pain. However, we all knew but were never prepared for what comes after: our parents' letters. Even the strongest of our lot could not hold back the tears, the homesickness, our duty towards the nation and our fathers' sacrifices for our nation and families. At the end of our situational assessment tests spanning two days, we couldn't control our happiness and jubilation when the our transport arrived. We were finally going home. It suddenly dawned on us that these days of misery were finally over. Going back to our company line, we would not even bat an eyelid to sit on the wet basketball court, or even lie down on it, because we know that we had it worse. All I could say was that those few days of seeming eternity had placed our views into a whole new  lens of perspective, allowing us to realise that we must never take all the things we relied on and depended on for granted ever again. And the only way we prevent that is by sustaining our sovereignty and taking our nation's defence in our own hands.           

Never thought the day would come, or at least, so quickly, but here goes: It's Countdown 30 days to POP! Cue dramatic fireworks and merrymaking. The truth is, I have already initiated the next phase of my life by enlisting in the army. Although it may seem as a drag and all, having lesser time to spend with your loved ones, adhering to a strict rule of regimentation and discipline, and most of all being somehow coerced into serving the nation at a time where we were living in pure freedom. In all fairness, I have to admit I was and still is a complainer of sorts. The security and welfare of the people we interact with everywhere is brought about only by preserving the sovereignty of our nation.

After going through what could arguably be said as the most gruelling six days of my life, the words of my Platoon Commander really struck me hard. The fact that he's only 20 but displaying the maturity and critical thinking of an age miles ahead of him really earned my respect. Roughly quoted: Our father's were put through far more arduous and fatigue-inducing training regimes back in the days where army welfare was almost unheard of. Still, he fulfilled the duty in order to protect the nation and ultimately protect his family. Now that the baton has been passed to us, what gives us the right to forsake the cause that they had been fighting for all along, just because the going gets tough? Take it as a duty, a responsibility. Do it for your family, even if not for the nation. Your mindset, thinking and maturity grows with time, but fitness is something you are imbued with, and have the liberty to correct. Imagine a scenario whereby your mother's handbag gets snatched by a robber. Will you chase down that insolent "f***er" and beat the living daylights out of him? Do you even possess the ability to chase him down? Do it for your loved ones and yourself. Think of family and yourself, if not your nation. It's your duty as a son, a brother, a role model. Make your son proud of you in future by fulfilling your duty as a dad. Will you want him to give up as easily as yourself? What right do you have to encourage him and give him strength when you did not even give it your all when your opportunity arose?

Graduation trips have always been envied, anticipated, dear yet memorable. The relating adjectives run free, seeing no end. After the two escapades to Taiwan and Korea, I realised that it was not the destination, but the company that really matters. We may not see eye to eye most of the time, but our rash actions and harsh words give way to fitting reconciliatory actions that only bring us closer. As expected, these experiences are not simply for fun, as loosely described, but also serves a rare platform to understand; yet accept the habits and mannerisms of peers you hold close to your heart. This unique bunch have and always will play a substantial part towards moulding our shared vision and dreams of the future. Our memories are embodied in both pictorial and mental forms, thus feel free to recollect on the relevant social media to evoke the good old times. Thank you, my lovely tomatoes. 

The day of ultimate blitz and glamour, led by the theme of La Cosa Nostra, the epitome of Sicilian mafia encompassing the atmosphere of the splendid night. Everyone could not help but appear in their stellar outfits to grace the occassion. We booked a room at Furuma Riverfront hotel to ease preparations and offer ample rest without compromising and sacrificing transport woes. Dinner at  Marriott was BELOW average, absolutely not a meal to be associated with a hotel of such stature. The night's programme was so-so, but the real party only started after "dismissal", where everyone bid tearful goodbyes and captured pictorial memories. Nah, it was more of a joyful affair than that in actual fact. 

Camwhoring in the hotel's toilet dressed to the nines, albeit sherri's yoga dress.

As if we were going for a wedding.

The indispensable dependable guy, missing the third titanium brother.

My clubby colleague. "Clubby", not "chubby".

With joanically. Was that meant to be an adjective?

With xiao tian tian, who looks even more like a stick beside me.

Vampirish me and baechiki.

Not-so-vampirish me and baechiki.

The one who attended to do yoga.

With the boony boon boon. 

The guy with the massive ego who likes to think otherwise.

With the Big-Bird™.

Awkward faces, pretty Asian-like considering the lighting.

My 6th year knowing this extremely "impunctual" bimbo.

The one well-versed in the poisoned art of words.

With the sassy oriental bells.

With the chiangmai tomyum girl who look so unwilling for the picture.

Brown shoes for the win!

A picture paints a thousand works blah...blah...blah...I'm just lazy to spam words so here you go: A brief of photographs that hopefully will prevent you having striped vision after reading the post. Disclaimer: Please do not sue if you still experience the above-mentioned symptom. The following may not be in chronological order so please do not flame me as well. 

The Garfield Tuna's 20th bash!

Pretty much encompasses the "O$P$" concept.

Huh?!

Our very first "yusheng-tossing" ceremony.

The 21st of the man with the once-spiteful words.

My very first clubbing experience. To be honest, I didn't like it and look, Zirca's gone.

Adventure at Adventure Cove. Welcome back, sunburnt skin!

Sharing food because the prices are steepingly astronomical.

Dinner at King Louis: Certified half-filled stomach.

Chillin' at Harry's after the dreaded internship was over! Many more unglamorous pictures but shall spare you guys the misery.

Our official chauffeur's birthday! Success!

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need some food~.

Woke up at 7am and wondered why the sky was still so dark. Fell back to sleep only to wake up at noon. Saw my brother in the room and I asked him what time it was. He said :" Now already 12pm." I couldn't believe it and just answered :"You siao ah? Where got so late?" Aaaaaaaand the next thing I know, I woke up at 1230pm. Must be the bizshield I played yesterday after laying off soccer for more than half a year. No idea why I can play basketball for hours but fall down like a dead battery after playing soccer for 10mins. Browsed 9gag in the school library to waste 2 hours before the start of my interview. And the dreaded interview turned out to be so simple. Mr P started out by asking why do I always perspire so much, what am I planning to do after graduation, blah blah blah. The actual interview lasted 5mins consisting of approximately 5 questions. I think these are sympathy marks given to let us pass, so as not to see our faces again next year.

Reached home and started fiddling with gadgets because my brother got a new phone, so he passed his former phone to my dad. And my dad couldn't stop playing with his newfound favourite app- whatsapp so he kept sending us random hokkien verses like "ho boho?" and other random words that I couldn't comprehend. And the text window kept appearing at the bottom of my screen when I was watching Running Man. I found that a tad annoying so I sent him a picture of a koala to pacify him. My dad loves koalas.

Stayed over at zhiqi's house on Saturday to make it more convenient to go to jocelyn's birthday venue. Ordered pizza and I think I gobbled 8 slices throughout the night. Sorry guys, I am really hungry. And that's just the commencement of my eating escapade. Her house is simply an absolute haven of CNY goodies and you could guess what happened next. Pineapple tarts, chilli prawn rolls, cashew nuts etc. started disappearing from the table and reappearing in my stomach. And it was all fun and games until the greatest incident of the night happened. Mich accidentally locked zhiqi's room door when her keys were inside. Suddenly we were all Engineering students and step-master thiefs. Pins, hammers, spanners and pliers were all used in an attempt to open the door. Weichong even went on youtube to learn how to pick a lock. However, it was all in vain as we resorted to removing the doorknob. Imagine all the loud hitting sounds generated at 3am in the morning. It still makes me wonder why none of the neighbours complained that night. Zhiqi should just scare them and say no one was home that night. Played the ukelele and monopoly deal until we were all drained and one by one we drifted into dreamland at 6am. Woke up at 12 noon and as usual, I started eating again. Went to change and stoned on the sofa. I also learnt that my hair is always only in two states. It's either an unattended garden or a strawberry. Went over to jocelyn's birthday venue at Serangoon Country Club, ate again, two full plates this time, and lots of dessert. The night's events were pretty cool, with a magic show and serenading, among others. Requested for balloon swords and we all started becoming kids again.

Back to current time and day. Really want to pass napfa but lost the will to practise running. Still lazing in bed as a result.

Shower of Tears - Baechigi ft. Jiwon (SPICA)

Awesome beat to the tune. Love the dreamy image of Jiwon as well.

In the end, I gave up. Not one to, but yes I did. Maybe it's stupid, maybe it's for the better. I didn't put in any effort, not because I didn't, but because I can't. It's time to turn the page and not live in self-delusion any longer. Yes I'm blabbering nonsense.

Insane days ahead. How unfair can it be to celebrate CNY, train for napfa and complete the research paper simultaneously? But I'm not complaining because almost everyone is in the same predicament. Going for a run tomorrow morning in school, hopefully I can clock under 12 minutes for my 2.4km run, since the last time I ran during secondary 4.

Work hard everyone, our freedom is near!

Went for a run and had stitches after running for 50 metres. But still managed to run to tampines and back. Scaled 13 storeys in 66 seconds. What happened to my 56 seconds?

And C.N Blue's back!
Can't stop listening to "More Than You" and "I'm Sorry".

Feeling a little studious today, starting portfolio and all.

Now Playing: 明明就 - 周杰倫

明明就他比較溫柔　也許他能給你更多
不用抉擇　我會自動變朋友

How meaningful of the lyrics.

I am sorry I am not as diligent as the others to come up with a definitive post commemorating the transition into the new year. I can blame everyone and anything, ranging from my wretched work schedule to my constant lack of personal time, but I think we all know that the most obvious reason is that I am just plain lazy. Although I wasn't able to spend my Christmas and New Year with my all loved ones due to my lousy schedule, I am glad it didn't turn out as bad as expected. I felt an immense sense of loneliness while exiting the hotel and seeing everyone having fun and celebrating the new year meaningfully while I was like a plain loser who could only be free at 2am and chasing after lost time. 

Had a short classroom session in school on Saturday, the last of which we will ever have as we are nearing the end of our internship! The entire morning of work yesterday was spent moping around as I was lacking spirit or any mood to speak of. The session in school allowed me to realise how much I miss having all my friends around, even if it is for the simple activities of having a meal or simply chatting. Really can't wait for the fun that awaits in Taiwan, Korea and probably Genting. 

Having mixed feelings about school reopening on 28th because it would mean meeting all my friends again, but could also signal a dreadful countdown to the day when we lose the definite opportunity to meet in school ever again. 

Aching like crazy all over after playing basketball again after laying off for almost a month. How can I expect to get fit for Napfa when my only available recreation time is once a month? Making me boil that we interns are never the first priority, taking the hits such as switching from afternoon to morning shift and vice versa consecutively back and forth.  On a lighter note, it's only 54 days to the end of internship! Freedom will come, and it will be sweet. This internship stint has allowed me to narrow down my career choices in future. Although it is my industry of interest, I'm not willing to commit to the uncertainties that come along with it. Shall make the decision when the time is ripe. There's still 2 years of pondering during NS anyway. Really can't wait for the trips to taiwan and korea. Okay no feel or inspiration to continue anymore.

Picture of the night: Ajumma hot-spring fashion!

"Nobody said it was easy, No one ever said it would be this hard."

This line from Coldplay's "The Scientist" explains it all. Finally, barely surviving, I battled on and achieved my rest day at long last. And what better to ruin this perfect day attributed towards relaxation and leisure than the odds-defying bane of the drill. Ad what better could I do but lament my gradual personification of Bad Luck Brian?

Was polishing a white wine glass yesterday but in a moment of superhuman strength and clumsiness, the stem broke right off and sliced a gash just below my fourth finger. Alas, the blood flowed like the Niagara Falls, not showing any signs of stopping even after exerting pressure on it. After a hard-fought war with my gaping wound, I managed to plaster it, with an approximate casualty blood loss of 10ml. 

Now for the positives. Departure flight to Taiwan has been confirmed, heralding my maiden outward voyage without parental guidance, forsaking my dependence on the guardians of my life. Marching on to March.

"Plans are merely ideas, action takes the situation forward."

The ultimate feeling of fatigue and lethargy struck me this morning. Could see my lips turning pale and I could only read documents one word at a time. Not to forget the extreme hunger pangs. When I was released for breaktime, I wolfed down my entire tray of food in less than 10 minutes.

Cannot believe that I'm deprived of meeting my fellow slaves again this week. And my weekly basketball sessions have been starkly reduced to monthly. Here are just some pictures I am uploading from my itouch.

I think I'm getting the "weichong syndrome".

This picture was overdue from the last slave meeting. New korean popstar group debuting on Music Bank this Friday! D.R.Y!

And our dear wesley has gotten his driving license! Which means more impromptu supper sessions! Blasting songs while on the road simply like a bunch of douches. Not to forget the jam-brakes that catapulted us off our seats. In a span of five hours, I gobbled two hamburgers and one lemongrass dessert at tampines, one chicken rice set and cup walker at ehub, and a plate of seafood noodles at simpang. The possibilities with easy transport!

Now Playing: I Didn't Know About Love (사랑밖에 난 몰라) - BTOB

Feeling so foreign navigating the interface as the last post was exactly two weeks ago. In a flash, six weeks has already passed. Fatigue and "sleep lag" has already begun to set in. "Celebrated" my parents 23rd wedding anniversary today. Inverted commas because it wasn't really much of a celebration, simply a simple dinner at Ssikkek Korean BBQ at Novena. Embarked on the arduous and sleep-inducing bus journey back home since we decided not to become sardines on the train.

I think hairdressers or rather barbers have something against me. Even if I instruct them not to make me look as if I have already started serving the nation, they still do it nonetheless. Thus, I lose approximately one kilogram of my hair and possibly much more of my ego. Could probably fit through my front door now. Anticipation turned to disappointment as I was denied basketball for three weeks and counting due to the merciless family of Thor. The unforgiving rain pelted down, akin to hailstones which pierced any lingering hopes of shooting hoops this week. *sigh* That long-awaited dunk would have to make a backseat for now.  

Caught "Sinister" at the theatres today. The plot was rather intriguing, supported by brilliant visual and sound effects. But the movie in its entirety was let down by the cliche out-of-the-book ending, with no solution to the case whatsoever. Offers a pretty great scare though.

Back to the endless cyclical routine of work tomorrow to face the harsh pathetic reality of the working life. But take heart in the fact that the upcoming classroom session signals the halfway milestone of this nightmare.

I must go now. My planet needs me.

Time: 1:46am

Awake as I lay on my bed with my eyes wide open. Can't fall asleep even after such an intense night of basketball. My body is weary but yet my mind is sober in its entirety. What a rebel.

I am shrinking. Everything and everyone seems so imposing now that I have become smaller, like a shirt straight out of the washer. Internship is the main culprit, jeopardising my sleep routine and exercise routine. Having shifts at 6am means I have to turn in practically at 8pm to clock in my 8 hours of sleep. And when I return home at 5pm, I would sleep all the way till the next morning and the cycle repeats. Which means I skip dinner every night. But considering the monstrous portions of breakfast and lunch I devour, the "shrinking" part still remains a mystery.

It really feels good to be appreciated. But this time, the recipients can be said to be highly appreciative. Although the rigours of the hospitality industry can be said to be thankless, it is all in the name of service. Although I didn't really do much, this family of six wrote a personal letter to me and another to the GM. To be honest, I was really shocked when he told me that. And guess what, along with the personal letter was a crisp $50 note enclosed. How generous. The sad thing is how this tip appears really significant as it represents 10% of my monthly allowance.

Three weeks into the real working life and I abhor it. Waking up at ungodly hours and feeling lethargic and fatigued every moment of the day is never a good feeling. We have been warned of how the working life could be so deceiving, but yet we always hated school. Don't we all regret that now?

Too busy and feeling too lethargically drained(Is there even such a word?) to even get up in the mornings nowadays. When I open my eyes at 4am at dawn, it's literally akin to looking into the Sun directly. Alas! What has happened to my mantra of sleeping and waking up early? Work aka internship is so damaging to my feet that I have super-large blisters that threaten to burst any opportune moment. Or inopportune actually. Getting the hang of sleeping at 6pm when I get back from work everyday, even skipping dinner, which is considered a high-priority activity on my list of pastimes. The funny thing is that even with the monstrous tray of food on my lunch tray and a non-stop routine of gobbling and guzzling at the lounge, I am still shrinking. Probably de-evolving perhaps. My only motivating factor is the meet-ups once every week(hopefully?). Still unable to stick to my pre-determined planned exercise regime of at least one recreational activity per week. Okay time to visit lala land in view of the 6am shift tomorrow as usual.

The last few days have been a rollercoaster ride, which ended at an all-time peak, with me falling sick. With the ever-irritating sore throat and flu plaguing my worrisome and pathetic resistance of my health, it was no wonder that it succumbed to sickness. Nevertheless, with a constant dose of tortilla chips with nacho cheese, and the barbecued chicken pizza from Pizza Hut earlier this morning, the current state of my health can be said to be deteriorating. Food > Health. What can you do when your home is stockpiled like a supermarket, with differing variations of crackers and chips, along with a full shelf of ice-cream waiting in the refrigerator?

Forgot to mention the two-day event I participated on 8th and 9th September. It involves the usual event logistics and set-up, except that this time it is on a ship docked on international waters. Ignore those stereotypes that mention that food on a ship is tasteless and bland. Every meal period onboard brings different variety of hot food items, along with the heap of bread and not-so-soft rolls that I gathered on these hunger escapades. There was even an soft-serve ice-cream machine! The work onboard could be backbreaking at times, but it was all well-worth the effort. Most of the time were simply spent on sleeping and eating actually. S$350 for less than 2 days of work, along with a complimentary taxi ride back home was lucrative at its best. 

Bob the Builder in the making.

On the 11th of September came the time when the Chinese flower crab turned 20 at long last. Although I played no part in the total "event" logistics and planning, I am glad it turned out okay. Not great but okay only. Because we all had to return home at such an early time. Had dinner at Wild Oats at Punggol. Despite the recommendations and revelations of this place, the food was simply disappointing, with pathetic serving portions that just does not justify the prices. It's like Astons at double the price. Hail Astons! For the second time this year, the Fried Penguins™ were able to join us again, although only two were able to turn up due to some major hiccups. *cough cough*

And at the twitch of an eye, I have arrived at the 8th day of my internship. Although it takes a great deal of memory work, which I lack at the current moment in time, I am relieved that it is all going along fine. An ultra-efficient memory is needed to remember guest names and table occupied, buffet item layouts for three different meal periods, the various procedures and layout presentations. My goldfish memory just isn't up to standard. The utterly dismal staff meals at the canteen is not much of a help either. I think I can whip up better meals with my eyes closed. Seriously speaking. And there's just this lingering thought that emerges in my head. As service providers for hospitality commercial businesses targeting the lucrative business and luxury market, I cannot understand why employees are paid such pathetic wages compared to other industries. I know that the current industry standard is set so as to comply and maintain the uniformity of the hospitality business, which in layman terms refers to not "spoiling the market". It is thus no wonder so many industry professionals decide to take the leap of faith and cross over to another sector. Food for thought.

Funny how it's Friday yet it it doesn't feel like it. Looks like working too much can make you lose track of the time or day. Give me another one month and I may even forget my own name. People say TGIF but it's no difference for me because I don't really feel fatigued, except when I was working. Internship Day Three completed just like that. One positive element is that I really like my uniform. Although it's just original BESE style (Stop referencing that Gangnam Style nonsense) albeit with additional cufflinks for the french cuff. My colleagues are really delightfully gregarious and every bit welcoming. Although there is a diverse variety of nationalities such as Austrian, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Filipino and Thai, I must say that the workplace culture is really conducive and warm. Been doing the 6am shift for the past three days, which means arising at the ungodly hour of 4.20am pre-dawn. However, it translates to an arranged taxi transport waiting for me under my block every morning. Feels #likeaVIP. Finally able to get my basketball fix after three weeks being out of action. Need to continue my running regime soon as well. Getting more unfit by the second. Was supposed to have dinner outside but decided to come home to accompany my dad, who will be eating alone if I wasn't home. Even bought his favourite Sparkling Red Grape and Peach juice for him. Parents' wedding anniversary coming up in just over a month's time. Still undecided on any gifts. Guess I really hit rock-bottom when in the selection of gifts. Hope to meet up with the gang soon. Feels foreign not seeing them for days.

Awesome streak of events ever since the examinations ended. On Friday, finished the last paper I'm gonna take for years to come with more than an hour to go #likeaboss because I am an intelligent genius. Nah, it's actually because more than 80% of the entire paper was based on questions from the one past year paper that I did. Gosh I really needed that, considering the meagre pathetic coursework grade of C+ for FNB. Have to thank Mr Tai for giving us some leeway here and I'm sorry for laughing at his use of English that made no sense.

After three years, somebody still can't open his eyes while taking a photo. No offence to Asians like myself.

Headed over to katong to commence our food trail which failed miserably in the end. Started off funny when we walked one entire round in Roxy Square trying to find the exit. Had katong laksa for lunch but I got to admit that the standard of the food really declined since the last time. Went over to I12@Katong to catch "Imperfect" and "Step Up Revolution" in two separate groups. Shin and I had to leave early to meet the Fried Penguins™ at Bugis while some went off and the rest went for Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice. Had Bak Kut Teh for dinner to nullify that insatiable hunger. Went over to Clarke Quay at night to chill out at Harry's. Will always prefer pubs over clubs. Gale won a complimentary bucket of HPL beer, exactly sufficient for each of us. The pizza was also really good, not to cheesy, with a thin crust and crunchy to the palate. Walked halfway to Holiday Inn but gave up as it was rather late by then. Usual routine of bullying and disturbing wesley on the train home and his ash-green hair this time offered further opportunity for teasing and laughter.

Saturday was the birthday celebration for the King™. Decked out in all-white, he bore absolute resemblance to Elvis Presley himself, save for the differing hairstyles, a mohawk to boot. Guys had to don blue outfits, with girls in red, so as to complement the theme of USA at the party. Played FIFA with the guys and whichever team that conceded a goal had to down a shot of vodka neat each. And alas, we lost the last game 3-1. At that time, my chest was burning up. Not fun, not fun at all.

With the classmates of Freshmen year.

With the King ™  himself.

   

Soccer really does unite people.

Sunday was Tom Yum Day. Met up with semester 2.2 mateys at Golden Mile. Ordered a table full of food but strangely we were still famished. Consider the people who have been my groupmates for the past 5 semesters and I am sure they have gained weight ever since due to the countless times we snacked and gobbled food quicker than Usain Bolt during project meetings. And no, it's not my fault. I take credit instead. Bulk up, you skinny people!

Monday was "Crazy Workout Day". Played futsal at East Coast with the other HTM people at East Coast. Even though the place was sheltered, the humidity and scorching heatwaves rendered us breathless and fatigued. Maybe it's just my lack of match fitness. Headed to chong's house with Tuna after that and met Steph at tampines interchange (Who was frantically running for the bus, not a pretty sight.). Met up with the "Ching-panzee"(sorry ching) and zhiqi at Yishun and gathered all the supplies and "hunger ammunition"(aka food). Went over budget and had to return some items to the shelf. Boarded a reckless driver's bus and reached chong's house. Prepared the food at his house with the aid of his helpful mum who taught the sotong me how to prepare sotong. Went down to the pit and started the fire rather successfully. Everytime I barbeque, I slim down rather than expanding horizontally because I perspire like crazy. Furthermore, I can't really eat with my overheated body in need of a ventilator. Ended the night early as some people had to head home, some for driving and others for chalet. Stayed back for a swim and jacuzzi with tuna, chong, zhiqi and ching. The latter two decided not to swim in the end though. Both tuna and I were hurting from our wounds sustained during soccer and it was funny to see how much noise we were making when our injuries came into contact with the water.

Tuesday was "Crazy Workout Day Part II". Cycled to Punggol Waterfront and had lunch at some super remote place before cycling back. Approximately more than 10 kilometres but we did not feel the strain yet. The Ching kept attempting to push people while on the bicycle and zhiqi kept banging into things like a lamppost and a bush. Badminton at Sengkang Recreation Centre (I think?) and that was when we realised our tired legs had turned jelly. Played for 15 mins and 1 hour with an hour break in between as we booked the court from 3-4pm and 5-6pm and arrived late late for the first period. Dinner at White Tangerine over at Kovan. Baked rice was too dry and we came to a conclusion that the best item was the drinks. Standard peach tea and lemon tea though. Had Selegie Beancurd for dessert before heading home. Realised bus 81 was a loop service and retuned to the exact stop where I boarded the bus 20 minutes earlier. How silly.

How awesome is it to spend that pathetic 9 days of vacation like this! Hopefully, we can do such activities more often in future. Rage mode on earlier because stupid blogger hanged and caused me to lose almost half of the entire post without saving. Dad just came into the room and offered me snacks. And the look on his face was priceless when I declined. Must be the first time.

Photographs credited to Jocelyn, Gale, Shaun, Yiinshin and Zhiqi in no particular order.