One down More to come

At last, today the trial had closed. He was sentenced to 4 months detention. But it will be 4-1 for his good conduct or some sort I also not very sure. So now, one is down.

Let me see, what else I have in my schedule. Trial down, up coming is as follows. ORD Function, Out field exercise next week, National Day Parade 2006 rehearsals, NDP rehearsals and more NDP rehearsals before I can clear my offs and leaves. Looks like I am not going to have a relax time when my battalion is on “lao” period. “Lao” means nothing to do as the men all “ORD loh!”

Yesterday, I did not mention that I had a subaltern’s parade for 2LTs and LTAs. We practiced color drills. Ensigns aka the colors flag bearer. Then, my unit’s RSM, Regimental Sergeant Major, told me that I will be selected as one of the Ensigns for NDP and SAF Day. I was like, OMG, then my weekends will be burnt, and I still have my office work to do! And so much things I have not done!

For Pride, Honor and Glory! Carry colors in parade is a prestigious honor and glory. It is the military’s most important item and highlight of the event.


Picture from iMindef website

Well, they wanted people range from height 1.72-1.78m tall. But I am 1.83 so I am too tall! Erm… dunno leh… how? Maybe last minute they say I too tall cannot be in the contingent. Haha… Anyway, I am going to miss the first rehearsal already as I am out for exercise.

tata…

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Waste of my precious 2 hours

What a waste of my precious time today. I spent 2 hours at Temple Hill donating blood to the craving female mosquitoes which needed so much of my blood to feed her yet to born babies in her. I was there to test out a IR device used during night.

Sucks la I tell you. I cannot differentiate between grassland and trees. I only see black and white. I think my eyes are not suitable to be a FO. Looks like I am suffering from night blindness. Even viewing from my naked eyes, I cannot see much activities at the impact zone.

But ok la… Consolation price for going there is that before that we young officers were treated with 1 whole roasted duck, 1 whole roasted chicken, 1 plate of roasted pork and 1 plate of crispy roasted layered pork. It is at a total of slightly more than $90. Looks like it was served as offerings to God.

Tomorrow morning is the court hearing. I wonder how will the out come be.

tata…

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Defending Officer

Today, it was a shock of my life. I had never known how military court looks like. I thought it would be a small room with chairs and table and at the end of the room will be a long table with a panel of member and a judge. And the accused I am defending will be sitting beside me or my clerk will be beside me throughout the hearing. But it is not as I imagined.

The military court, Court Marshal Centre, was just like a civil court. Furniture made of wood and there is a high table right at the end of the room for the President and Members. Then followed by a table for the secretary, tables for the lawyers or defending officers, and behind sits the public. At the sides, the witness stand and the other the trial stand.

All rise. All bow. All may be seated.

I am supposed to take my place at one of the tables just like where a lawyer in court sits. Also, I have to read out the mitigation plea to the President. Oh yah… the President is not the nation’s President but the Judge, the appointed name is President. It is a very dreadful feeling sitting in the court. Hearing the other accused being given their sentence makes me silent and soulless.



My accused had made me almost wanted to cry but I will not elaborate further. It was a sad story when I requested his case to be adjourned. My accused was waiting for this day for his trial for a month already but was shocked to hear from me that it will be adjourned. I felt sorry for him too. As his defending officer, my duty is to help him to get a lighter sentence from the jury. No matter how bad the person is, I still have to make his case sound sorry and him being remorseful. The lawyer for the bad person is always the bad person la as u all knows. We still have to do out job to get out client a lighter sentence or even not guilty from the Judge. But I am not saying my accused is the bad person. Everyone will have their own side of the story.

tata…

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Upz

I got a new camera. A DSLR; a camera which I wanted for very long time and I had decided to put my money on it. Even though the body is not a new one, I bought it at a first and second hand shop, The Camera Workshop, it looks as if it is taken out from its unopened box. Konica Minolta Dynax 7D. I bought the body and vertical handgrip for 2nd hand. They are all in new condition as if the previous owner never used it before.

I bought a new lens from Cathay Photo Store, a 75-300mm lens. Also from there, I bought a camera bag, and some accessories. 17-35mm lens, I think I will also get it soon. Or I will get a 18-125mm? Lens will be a never ending buy for SLR cameras. There are too many ranges too choose from. What I lack now is a lens with wide angle.









tata…

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Life goes back to normal

Life goes back to normal for me from today onwards. No more shift duties, no more off days. I had finished my 1 month operation and is back in camp for office hours work. Here comes the arrow shooting at me again in a military political life.

I will miss a lot of my days the past 1 month. Working on shift gives me so much time to rest during off days and I can truly enjoy myself since I enter National Service. In the ops room, we watched Korean dramas, movies and many more. Of course duties are performed as we are watching. We are all vigilant people deployed in a operation!

I was introduced to a forum, ClubSNAP, for photographers. I registered as their member and did postings, readings and searching for threats. I understand a lot of issues, comments and recommendations on cameras which is truly a learning environment. Also, I know that there are actually many Konica Minolta lovers out there.

tata…

P.S. KM is Konica Minolta

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I’m Back!

I did not even realize that I had not updated my blog for so long. I had being busy in my work and during my off shift, I would laze around at home playing games or browsing around the net.

I am also trying to get myself refreshed to Autodesk Viz. Now, I am using the 2005 version but there doesn’t seem much changes except for some onscreen interface. It is March already and in less than a year, I will be going over to Australia for my studies. I had to start learning things which I lost touch almost 2 years since I left poly. Soon, I will be digging out architecture books from my shelf and to immerse myself to read the history of architecture.

tata…

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Lessons Unlearnt and Learnt

Did I do anything wrong or I had gone too far. I feel that the message I am trying to tell my men was misinterpreted.

Few days ago, I caught 4 men and a specialist sleeping at a resting area and no one was looking after their ammunitions and weapons. I was there for quite long and no one woke up. I decided to “stunt” some items and took one of their live rounds. When they returned their ammunition, they discovered the lost and were anxious as it can cause them years in DB, Detention Barrack. The moment they knew that I took their round, they were furious.

What they do not understand is that my intention is to punish them for their negligence for not looking after their property and for sleeping so soundly. I am not punishing them for losing their ammunition. Can’t they understand that? Not even a 3rd Sergeant who is also punished understands it. He did not even understand the situation and argued with me. As a commander, he should know the situation best. All of them should learn from their mistake as warning was given to them that confinements will be given if they were caught sleeping without taking care of their own equipments.

I also learned that I should have taken their property, wake them up on the spot and give them their punishments. The way I wanted my men to learn is to understand the importance of their equipments especially in a real operation.

tata…

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Korean Drama Craze

Shit, I am getting more poisoned by the Korean drama craze. Last time, I only find that Korean dramas are nice to watch, now, I find that they are very nice. Not all actually lah.

I was watching Sassy Girl Chun-hyang last week with my Ops room people. In-fact, I only started when they were playing the last 6 disc out of the 22 disc I think. I had nothing to do and joined in the craze, and was immediately poisoned by that. Every meal time, we stopped. After meal, I would wait in the room, for the rest to come back and play the video. After the end of the show, those of us who missed from the beginning of the show started from disc 1, including myself. I was so drawn to the show that I always forgot the time to give a briefing to the men who are going out for duty. We sat in front of the television set for more than 12 hours just for that drama.

What was I doing? One of my men was cursing and swearing to 2 selfish characters who try to break up the 2 main character’s marriage. Disc after disc it continued and so do the swearing.

tata…

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Long live Aslan!

The Chronicles of Narnia. The story is full of magic and mysteries. Monday, I bought 3 copies of BBC’s Narnia VCD, 1st “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”, 2nd “Prince Caspian” and “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”, and 3rd “The Silver Chair”. Prince Caspian and The Voyage are 2 stories in a volume. The other 3 Narnia stories, The “Magician’s Nephew”, “The Horse and His Boy”, and “The Last Battle” were not filmed.

BBC’s Narnia movie was filmed true to the book. Most of the details were captured and it was like the book is the script even though I had only read the first 3 stories. Do you know the 7 stories are not written in sequence? Lewis actually first wrote "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" with no real expectations or plan for a sequel, let alone a series. He followed it with "Prince Caspian" and then "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". Later on, he wrote “The Silver Chair”, “The Horse and His Boy”, “The Magician’s Nephew” and lastly “The Last Battle”.

In reading order, It should be:

1. The Magicians Nephew

2. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

3. The Horse and His Boy

4. Prince Caspian

5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

6. The Silver Chair

7. The Last Battle

1988 to 1990 is the years BBC film the 4 movies. So expect some low technology and graphic effects. Human in animal costumes and cartoon animals with wings and ghosts were part of the film. But it was quite a well made film. Nowadays, film makers are making movies from books into a 2 hours show, and as a result, details in books are often omitted. The emphasis now is the graphic effects which makes the whole movie alive and entertaining.

tata…

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End of 1st Shift

After 48 hours of shift, I was very tired. Currently, I am working on a 2 days work 2 days rest shift system. I had spent my past almost 24 hours sleeping and dinner with some of my poly friends.

I overslept and work up only at 6.10pm and I was supposed to meet my friends at 6.45pm. I spent 30 minutes to think whether to meet up with them or not. Then, Juncheng called me and wanted me to go, and I decided to meet them up eventually.

We had dinner at Olio, Suntec. The food there are expensive but the set meal are priced reasonably at $15++. It is so difficult to meet up with friends nowadays. Please don’t forget to call me along when there are any gathering and I will try to make myself available.

tata…

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