Hello Everyone,
I’m participating in a blogging contest organised by Nuffnang so as to win a pair of Gala Premier Tickets to the upcoming movie entitled, “Real Steel“. Hence, the topic that I am going to blog about for today’s entry is, “What is the Main Function My Robot Must Have and Why?”

Well,  I have given some serious consideration and thought as to what main function my robot ought to have and why, and after pondering for some time, I decided that if I were to own a robot, the main function that it must have would be to run errands for me. What kind of errands you may asked and well, simple errands like grocery shopping, taking photographs, feeding my pets, paying my bills, managing my schedule, and organising my life, would be sufficient for me.

Now, why exactly would I need a robot with that kind of function?

Seriously, we Singaporeans generally live quite a hectic life. For myself, time is really precious and we all only have 24 hours each day. If I can save time by delegating minor tasks and errands to a robot, the time saved could be well spent with my family members and loved ones whom really mean a lot to me. On top of that, with the amount of time saved, I could use it to do good which would benefit others whom are in need or perhaps spend some time to improve my quality of life.

So with that, “Catch Real Steel in cinemas this 6 October 2011 and like the Official Real Steel Singapore Facebook Page!”

(*picture extracted from Nuffnang website)

Hello Everyone,
I caught the movie, “Johnny English Reborn” last Saturday with Baby and my group of friends from work and seriously, YOU MUST WATCH IT! Out of a 5/5 scale, I give the movie a full high-5! Some of you might have caught the 1st  Johnny English and I did too. However, Johnny English Reborn released just last week is so much better than the 1st Johnny English which was released in 2003. After more than 8 years, this sequel to the 1st Johnny English is so much better and funnier! Although the jokes and enactments were pretty cheesy, I bet audience will still love Rowan Atkinson’s performance.

This movie is suitable for children and is also good for gatherings with family members and friends. Seriously, despite signs of ageing, Rowan Atkinson is still able to put up such a good show that really, I feel that he is perhaps the most respected actor cum comedian in the world today. So if you enjoy some really good time of laughter, you got to watch this movie! It really brightens up your day somewhat.

(Image Extracted from Wikipedia’s Site)

Movie Plot (extracted from Wikipedia’s Website):

English attempts to stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos. In the years since MI-7’s top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia. But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premier’s life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent. Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action. With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7. With mere days until a heads of state conference, one man must use every trick in his playbook to protect the world.

Hello Everyone,
today, I am going to share something rather personal to me and readers’ discretion is strongly advised so as to avoid any misunderstanding or misconception.

This week has been a week of learning and personal reflecting for me. Seriously, I have  been living in denial ever since I OOC-ed from the 82/11 OCC and since then, I have perhaps taken many people for granted and have been complacent in so many ways that I seemed ungrateful to the people around me. However, I guess the most important person in my life that I had took for granted would be God Almighty Himself. And perhaps not just Him alone but many other people too; my parents, siblings, girlfriend, friends, and etc.

I remembered how Pastor Kong would always teach us to  priortise our lives in this order. 1) God, 2) Family/Loved One, 3) Career/Ministry, 4) & All Others Things. And honestly, I guess I haven’t been putting God first in my life for the last 9 months or perhaps since the day I enlisted. But God has always been really good to me all these time. When I was in BMT, I lamented how I always don’t have time for Church and family but still, I tried to make time for both. Thinking that the “green” life would be suitable for me, I almost signed on as an Intel Spec but thank God, I declined the contract as SAF considered my ‘O’ Levels as my highest qualification instead of the Diploma I had. This also meant to say that as such, the only Command School I could go to would be SCS. Ironically, I proved everyone (even those from the ARC) wrong. It was a divine intervention that I made it to OCS and that baffled many people whom knew me because even ARC felt that I could not make it to OCS given the fact that they considered my ‘O’ Levels as my highest educational qualifications.

When I got posted to OCS, I wanted to do well and make my parents proud. I gave in a 101% effort knowing very well that no matter how tough the training at Hotel Wing was, it was going to be for my own good. However, deep down within me, I struggled because of my priorities. Going to Church was difficult because most of the time, book outs were on Saturday evenings and I had to book in on Sunday mornings for my IPPT training (which was applicable to those who did not get Gold for IPPT). The time I had with my family and loved ones were even getting lesser than the time I spent with them during BMT. I struggled for 5 months in Hotel Wing and OOC-ed during the Professional Term. I don’t know whether I should thank God for my injury or not but I ought to thank Him for the fact that I am where I am now.

Its been 4 months now since I left Hotel Wing and yes, I have learnt many lessons about Loyalty, Filial Piety, Courage, Fortitude, Determination and etc. My Wing Commander had imparted and taught me lessons that were valuable and to me, it was indeed an honour to have come under his leadership and the rest of the commanders as well. Hotel Wing will always have a place in my heart. H stand for Heart and H stands for History too. I’m still in the midst of recovering from my injury and many other problems have surfaced due to my inactive lifestyle. As such, I am going to start embarking on my training regime to ensure that I lead a healthy lifestyle. To those who are commissioning on the 15th of October, congratulations! You have definitely earned your rank and its not easy. I hope you guys will be the best commanders that your men can hope for and that you will bring honour and glory to Hotel Wing wherever you are posted to in the next phase of your NS journey!

As for me, at this juncture of my life right now, I got to re-priortise what really is important to me. And yes, I will go back to the very foundations and basics. 1) God, 2) Family/Loved Ones, 3) Career/Ministry, 4) All Other Things. Hence, I will make it a point to attend service every Sunday and cellgroup every Friday. I will do my best to ensure that no matter how distant I may be, I will still draw near. Secondly, I will put my heart and soul into spending more time with my family members and loved ones and not be so “dum dum”. However blur as I may be, I will try to be very sensitive to the needs of others and ensure that their emotional needs are met. Though I can’t be perfect, in God, I am made perfect. Thirdly, I know that the Security guys really wish that I could go back and serve, and I thank God that I have leaders over my life whom have been praying for me. I guess, your prayers have sheltered me and blessed me in every ways possible. Though not easy for me to serve at this juncture, I hope that once my foundations and priorities are once again re-laid, I can go back serving and ministering to the congregation. Fourthly, as I am about to embark on the last lap of my NS journey which will last for less than 12 months and also begin my further studies, I hope that I can once again shine and glorify the LORD in all that I do and pursue. Filled with much enthusiasm, ideas, and hopes for the future, I pray that I can once again catch hold of the fire and zest that I used to have.

To God be the Glory Forever and Ever!

Hello Everyone,
here are the awaited photos taken for the event! Cheers! =)

Act Like Pro Only

The Birthday Cake that Baby and I made

Some Mini Decoration

Its BBQ Time!

If Alex Can BBQ, So Can You!

Whiskey Platoon 4 Section 1

Having Fun While BBQ-ing

Aldaias Looks Like He’s Going to Spy on Someone

The Old Gin Gang

Cooking or Admiring the Food Huh?

The Best Gay Buddies Ever

The Sweetest Couples On Earth -> I Smurf Youuuu.

The Two Birthday Boys!

Oh My Pretty Pretty Boy….

Unveiling The Birthday Cake.. (by the way, its Tiramisu)

Fun Random Shots

Nice! So like couple!

Vanga Giving His Birthday Speech

And Alex’s Turn For His Speech

Ah Neh Fooling Around

A Few More Random Shots

Presenting Vanga’s Birthday Present, Made with Love by Zhang Minhua

Minhua, One of the Best Photographers I’ve Known

Platoon 4 Section 1 AGAIN

Old Gin Gang Relieving Childhood Memories

Alex Acting Seh Smoking On A Fake Cigarette Pen

Under the Moon 2011 was a blast because you people made it fun! =) Looking forward to greater get-together sessions soon! 

Hello Everyone,
first and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who attended the event that Jacqueline and I hosted for you all. It was really an enjoyable evening for the both of us and we hope you too had a great time as well. Throughout the course of planning for this event, both Jacqueline and I learnt alot and there will definitely be more of such events in the near future. It’s really funny how a simple event such as this can really cause us to find out who our real friends really are.

Aldaias, Alex, Sarah and Jayrah:

You people are really the best bunch of friends whom are ever so true and dear to the both of us. Without your joy, our lives would never have been ever so brightened up. Jacqueline always shares with me that she can never go home without a stomachache when she meets you all and I have to agree with that. (with both my hands and feets raised up). It’s really sweet of you all to stay with us till late and truly, we enjoyed your company and we hoped you all did too. I am definitely looking forward to our K-session in two weeks time! =)

Meng Kian, Vanga, Sam, William, Min Hua, Ray, Jabez, SQ:

It’s been a year since we known one another and it’s one more year to ORD for all of us! Honestly, BMT was the best time of my life and it has been an honour for me to have known you guys. If not for all of your constant support and encouragement, I would not have made it to OCS and nor could I gotten a silver for my IPPT. I really missed those times we had in the bunk and they are memories that will always have a place in my heart… The bee incident, the freaking muddy outfield, the turn on lights incident… and etc. thinking about all these made me laugh back at how silly we were! Vanga, you’ve been a man of your words and you always stand up for what’s right. You have been a great friend and you always will be. I look forward to 15 October when I can salute you and greet you, “Sir!”. For the rest of us Specialists and Corporals, let’s keep on striving and in turn to come, end our service to the country with duty, honour, and country, Ninja Company, NINJA! (oops.. Go Go Whiskey) =P

Xin Ying, Ming Wei, Kenny, Shu Hui, Zhen Zhao, Chao Han, Winnie, Jing Yi, Cheryl:

You guys are the closest friends we have in Church and thank you for being so hospitable and ever so patient with Jacqueline and I. We appreciate your presence for staying with us till late and we definitely did had a great time with you all around. Though many things may not be the same now as it was in the past, we hope that our friendship are above and beyond the superficial surface. While there are many things that ought not to be spoken about, we hope you would understand the reasons for the decisions that we choose to make. Human as we are, this time of our lives may perhaps be the most trying time indeed. Nonetheless, we hope our friendship stays the same and if not, be even greater and stronger.

And for the Rest of You Whose Names Are Not Mentioned!:

Thank you all for coming. Your presence is indeed appreciated and we hope you have enjoyed yourselves as much as we have enjoyed organising the event for you all. For those who have yet to pay for the event, please kindly transfer the funds via I-banking/ATM transfer to the designated account number. If in doubt or in denial mode, please ring me up!

Just to share this piece of news with everyone, the total number of people that attended the event is 27 (an attendee is defined as one who has eaten and drank). The total expenses for the event is $440+. Using simple mathematics and a calculator, one would have realised that this event is a deficit one. But don’t worry about that; Jacqueline, Vanga, and myself have worked that out amongst ourselves. So, a reminder for those who have yet to pay for the event, please kindly do so to avoid being blacklisted in the future (just kidding). Thank You Very Much!

Photos for the event will be uploaded into the upcoming blog entry tomorrow. So stay tuned!

Hello Everyone,
initially, I wanted to talk about how unfair things really are but after much consideration and counting of my blessings, I ought to see things from another perspective. What may be unfair to me may be fair to others, while what may be fair for me may be unfair to others. And yes, its mind-boggling  indeed. So, I shall talk about guitar instead. This is also one long overdue post but again, for memorial sake, I shall put it up. Before I continue, let me remind everyone that the Free Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway Contest <–< is still on so do submit your entry if you haven’t.

So, What About the Guitar?

Well, on the 30th of August (a Tuesday), Baby and I in collaboration with Kenny organised a mini guitar jamming session. Its not exactly a jamming session but rather, we got together to learn more about the guitar, the various styles of playing songs on the guitar and also conducted a super crash course lesson for Cheryl who is interested in learning the guitar. Personally, I have 8 years of experience playing the guitar and have taught students since 2006. I own two guitars, one which is a Yamaha CPX Acoustic Guitar, and the other, an Ion-Audio Electric Guitar (which I use when playing the guitar discreetly is required).

I was inspired to play the guitar in 2003 when my ex-teacher, Mr. Chin, whom was in charge of the Student Council that time, picked up the guitar and started playing some family chords and sang some songs. Hence, I decided to enrol myself into a music school and there and then, my mum bought me my very first guitar which cost $70. Honestly, my very first few and subsequent lessons were really painful. Pressing chords on the strings with my fingers were so difficult and blisters developed soon after. There were times I wanted to give up learning the guitar altogether but I’m really glad that there were friends around me whom were extremely patient with me and began to guide me step by step. [Derrick Kam, one of my closest friend at Nanyang Polytechnic, was fundamental in my progressive learning of the guitar].

When I joined The Strikeforce in 2005 (a local percussion group), my guitar skills improved a notch higher as I was able to use some of the drum beats I learnt in percussion and integrate them when playing of the guitar. During the period from 2005-2008, I have performed for many internal and external events and have also begun teaching students from children aged 6 to adults aged 30. And in 2009, I enrolled into an Intermediate Guitar Course conducted by the Church. Since then, I have never stopped playing the guitar and I’m continuously learning more about the guitar day by day. In time to come, I will write more articles about the guitar for e.g. how to buy a guitar suitable for your own use, what are chords, a little bit about music theory, strumming and etc.

Here are just some photos of our mini guitar get together session:

Hello Everyone,
this post is really long overdue but nonetheless, I am still going to put it up for memorial sake.

Baby and I went to the Hari Raya Night Bazaar at Geylang Serai on the eve of Hari Raya and the place was seriously jam packed with people; though not as packed as what COMEX is like. The atmosphere was really lively and happening. In fact, the whole of Geylang Serai was filled with so many stores selling stuffs that we don’t even know whom to buy from as there were many similar items and most of them had comparatively the same prices. Being a thrifty shopper that we are, Baby and I decided to throng the whole night bazaar in search of the best deals.  However, we realised that our effort was futile and we decided on buying what we were hunting for (cookies!). If you haven’t tried any homemade cookies made by your fellow Malay friends/neighbours, then you’re really missing out! I was glad to have Malay friends/neighbours who always invite me to their place for visitations and ever since then, I enjoyed eating the homemade cookies, especially the one made with honey and cornflakes!

Along the way, we also stopped by some stores and looked at what they were selling and also grabbed some Ramly Burgers and drinks. Seriously, the place ought to have better air ventilation because it was the first time I felt so stuffy that I could have fainted from the lack of air and the warm heat! Nevertheless, we did enjoyed ourselves admiring the beautiful culture of the Raya celebrations and the amazing lightings that flooded the streets!

Here are just some photos that we took:

The Street Lightings

What Some of the Stores Sold

Henna Tattooing