Revenant Wings

24/8/11

2011-08-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Writing personal statement, or rather attempting to, for UCAS right now.

How ironic that as one of the most outspoken people I know, I have difficulties telling others about my genuine self.

Is it because I have been accustomed to suiting others for so long that I've lost myself? Or am I still there, buried somewhere deep within?

I do not know.

To force me to write about myself is to press my pen to the paper, yet a knot wells up within me; a jumble, a confused tangle of memories and incidents, all of which say nothing about who I am.

Why do I want to study law? Why did it interest me? Am I really interested in law, and have I yet to dig out the true reason? Or am I merely attempting to uphold a constructed facade of excellence, holding myself up to a model, as a laughably fake copy, a poor imitation?

I do not know.

Yet I do know this. I know that I delight in the acquisition of knowledge, much as a child would delight in finding a long-awaited present under a Christmas tree. Subjects in school are not a matter of answers, they are a matter of processes. The process of understanding is lovely in itself, the euphoria that comes with the click of understanding, when one may yell "Got it!" or "Wakarimasu!", simply divine, a fitting reward to the frustrations in toiling towards that aim, in attempting to find the path to knowledge yet thwarted at every turn.

To those around me who similarly revel in knowledge, I stand in awe, as a junior might before his seniors. To those who struggle, who bemoan the drudgery, yet continue on in deference to and in acknowledgement of the ineveitability of having to acquire such knowledge, I salute you. I can pity those who struggle to learn but who try nevertheless, I can empathise, sympathise, aid and assist.

Yet for those who view knowledge as your enemy, I have nothing but contempt. You, who wilfully place your own self at the centre of your delusions, who regard every intrusion by reality as a mortal enemy, who ignore the calls of the truth and wrap yourself in lies and deceptions.

21/8/11

2011-08-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

It's payback time, isn't it.

I'm now paying for the external, apparent lack of stress. Even though time seems to be adequate, hopefully, something in me is roiling everytime I run into something I don't know but I'm supposed to know.

Is it an error on my part?

I don't know what place I should find for myself in this world. I'm content sometimes with what I have, and when others tell me I'm lucky to have what I have, I demur. Yet sometimes when I see others do something I do, only much better, envy and jealously break out. I curse myself for my uselessness, telling myself that I could have done as well, if only I'd devoted as much time.

If only.

Should I continue blaming myself for a misspent youth? Or should I instead accept that this maverick streak is what makes me me?

These questions burn as university applications loom. Right now, more than ever, I need to know what I want to do in life, what I stand for. And I don't.

Can being a well-rounder, a dabbler, be of any substantial use in this world?

4/2/11

2011-02-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

First post of the new year, first post in 6 months.

I don't know what's happened recently. I'd thought that I'd gotten on the inside track with some friends, yet it turns out that I'm completely wrong.

I used to think that after entry into JC, my social life took a turn for the better. And indeed, I'd thought I'd really made friends in JC, and I even had the temerity to imagine reunions after JC where we'd be catching up on all the crazy things we did.

Yet the new year has brought this illusion crashing down, destroyed this facade. The cynical half in me now recognises than I am one of the few doomed to being welcomed only when I have something useful to bring, when I'm a dumb fool who willingly does things. The sentimental half in me wishes that this is merely a brief spell of rocky relationships, that things will return to what I wanted them to be.

Nevertheless, there are some friendships forged in JC that I will never forget, and those, though the minority, will be the cherished memories of my JC life.

17/10/10

2010-10-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted.

So much has happened since then. My life goes on, but it seems to have fallen into shining order and clarity, in this intermission between the papers and the results.

Stuck in this floating limbo, one can only wait and hope. Things change, and yet they do not - while JC feels natural, as if I've been in it my whole life, one entire year has gone by, and with it one year with close and cherished friends.

Another year, and it will be farewell. For good, or otherwise?

17/8/10

2010-08-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Sigh. Two tests in a row today.

Bio SPA went decently well, at least. Econs LT was a complete, unmitigated disaster. Guess that's what happens when you attempt to survive on 3 hours of mugging ><

This week is going to be a little rushed. All the NP proposals are calling, and PW is getting more and more urgent.

On the upside, Piano Collections: FFVII, VIII and X are giving me lots of new stuff to learn :)

25/7/10

2010-07-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's a long time since I posted. So sue me :)

It seems somehow that time is passing so quickly. July is over, yet somehow it feels like term has barely started.

It's going to end someday, yet I can't help but dread the day JC is going to end. It's been a wonderful journey so far.

6/7/10

2010-07-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

CTs are over.

Sometimes I feel I'm stuck with the curse of being above average.

Sure, I may be smart, smart enough to get myself noticed, but not smart enough to really matter. I get the feeling that I'm like a sideshow at a circus - mildly entertaining, then forgotten when other things come along.

It's a despairing feeling.

10/6/10

2010-06-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

That's the last time I go HQ for duty.

First up are the cadets. If I thought some of our cadets were bad, they are nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the retards that show up at mass events like this. Pardon the potentially elitist twist to this, but the worst culprits were from schools like Junyuan, Yusof Ishak, Bukit Panjang, etc etc. Even RI and Hwa Chong had behavioural boo-boos at times. The only school which managed to keep its nose out of trouble was RGS.

Next up are the fellow CIs. I guess Shu De and Jun Xiang were right when they said RI CIs don't mix well with other CIs. Almost immediately there's a wall. Everyone seems to know each other, and we tend to end up as fifth wheels. It's an irritating feeling, and one I'm definitely not used to.

Ah well. I don't ever need to go back after clearing hours, either.

7/6/10

2010-06-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

Sigh. It's been a long time since I blogged.

First off, won 40 bucks at our own chess tournament. Most of it was due to Tim Chan and Jarred - me and Marcus were there to round out the points.

Next, PW rushing. It really really sucks to edit long sentences at 12am when you have a camp the next day and haven't even packed for it.

Next three days, camp. Last camp (probably) with Shu De and Jun Xiang, and it's a little sad, because I don't think I quite made full use of the time in camp.

One day of rest the next day, then Raffles Pairs on friday. Complete disaster. Now I know how the noobs at chess competitions feel when I thrash them.

Training today, and I must say the Sec 3s really show promise. It would be a pity to waste it.

26/5/10

2010-05-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Oooooh.

GP was quite fun today. This is why:

7:05 AM: Reads essay in KS Bull entitled "Education heightens inequality."

8:05 AM: Reads essay question in GP paper entitled "Education is the great leveller."

WOOTS. I LIKE. KOP ARGUMENTS!

then three+ crazy hours of bridge with a TM entitled

"HOLY **** YILIN WHAT THE SHIT YOU DOING" vs "SORRY SORRY I UNDERLEAD"

lol.

Even though it isn't the hols yet, it seriously feels like it already. I'm starting to get hyper again.

12/5/10

2010-05-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

Wow. Long time since I posted.

I'm on the verge of making a significant decision here.

I am about to assume that I can handle my workload and manage to join Bridge Club at the same time. In effect that means I have three CCAs.

While my parents have given tacit approval (they haven't actually approved or disapproved outright), it's still a risky proposition. My academic results seem to be stabilising, and I seem to have no problems in school work, but I'm assuming this stays the same.

At the same time I'm well aware that with CTs, PW and NP work intensifying, and all for different reasons. So this is a real gamble considering bridge is almost equivalent to an extra subject.

Crossing fingers, and praying that this decision won't tear my life apart.

28/4/10

2010-04-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

These two weeks are going to be hectic. 3 lecture tests and PI submission within 2 weeks, and hopefully I'm well prepared for math LT tomorrow.

I really don't know what's happening to me lately. Instead of stretches of action/inaction I'm alternating very rapidly between the two of them. It's scary in a way where when I do work, I do a lot of it, but when I don't, I really don't. Guess it all averages out somehow.

NAPFA retest tomorrow. I hope my desperation training helps for pull-ups, but if not I'll just have to resign myself to taking it in August.

16/4/10

2010-04-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

So many things happening recently. Where to start?

Firstly, PROJECT WORK!!! Submission of the first draft is today, and almost no one knows whether we can make it or not. Groupings are out today, and I'm the only guy in my group, for better or for worse. Then again, my group being the most overpowered one in the class kind of makes up for that. My house is likely going to become the weekend meeting point because it's the most convenient for everyone to access.

MHA CIP tomorrow, and I'm facing it with some apprehension. Guess that comes everytime you do something that brings you into the unknown, though from prior experience an open mindset is the best policy.

Oh, and Circle Line is finally opening tomorrow as well. Really looking forward to a shorter commute to school.

10/4/10

2010-04-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

Had class camp yesterday, but weirdly I feel less tired from the High Elements Challenge than from two days of 2k runs for PE. Must have been the 12 solid hours of sleep.

Remind me to shut up when someone attempts to blackmail me while I'm on top of a high tower and they're the ones who can let me down. Idiot classmate of mine tried to ask me which girl in our class I would go out with if given a chance. I open my big fat mouth in an eagerness to get down and I get whacked about the result the whole day long. (I'm not telling who here, in any case.)

Learnt how to play bridge at class dinner that night, though. Confused everyone by misbidding completely, losing quite a few games spectacularly. First time playing, and for fun, so I'm not too fussed.

4/4/10

2010-04-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sigh. Long holiday over. With it comes the lethargy of reality - that feeling that you don't want to get down and do work, but at the same time, heartily sickened of all that rest.

I really don't know what to blog here. Life recently has been a mass of conflicting desires - I didn't have any thing to post, but I feel like posting. Heck, I'm not even making sense to myself here.

31/3/10

2010-03-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

Short short week.

Going to train the sec 4s tomorrow, and then class outing after that. It's going to be a tiring day, that much I'm sure, but it's probably also going to be damned fun.

At least I'm getting my work mojo back, even if it's in bits and starts. I must try and see if I can't do a significant amount of work this weekend, all for the hell of it, of course.

Sometimes, I wonder if whatever you do is ever truly appreciated. Take the Sec 4s as an example (though they're by no means the only one): everytime we hold a training for their benefit, very few people turn up. I hope it's not the case this time, but even if they do turn up, then will it be productive? Will they realise that it's for their own good? Are they willing to learn? Unfortunately, we'll never know. How convenient life would be if these small things could make themselves known to you.

28/3/10

2010-03-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

Three months of school gone, another week about to start, and I don't know what to do with my life.

Caught now in one of those inactive lethargic ruts where you know you should be getting down and doing work but you just keep putting it off anyway. It's not a good sign - I've been having several of these episodes since the year started, but this one so far is my longest. It's 5 days long.

So big deal that I got top of the class in two GP diagnostics, a Chem Lecture test and came in second on the Bio one. People seem to think that I can do it all the time. I can't. Let's face it, my mum warned me of burnout. She meant it in the physical sense, I think, but from my real experience the only thing that will be burning out is my mind. Can't think straight, can't remember anything at all.

Maybe part of the problem is that I've been dashing to do everything to quickly. Hell, it's not so different from running a race, is it? The faster you start, the less energy you have for a crucial surge at the end.

Seems like I have to slow down, pace myself, stop being so intense. Now that I think about it it seems like part of me, this need to do everything quickly, doing it fast, only to realise that I haven't been doing anything useful at all. Either that, or I lose sight of what I'm chasing.

Seems like I need a reevaluation on this.

24/3/10

2010-03-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

For those who think my blog is inactive cos I'm like, dead/drowning/tired/whatever reason, you're probably half right. Holidays completely completely shot (How shot? I didn't do any work at all - that shot enough for you?), and I'm completely drained, though a little nap this afternoon and sleeping at 12+ at night to finish my work means I'm more or less back on track.

Seems like my piano playing is really progressing - I've added a few FFXIII themes to my repetoire, and now focusing of the Kingdom Hearts series. Within less than a week I've added Blinded by Light, Kimi Iru ga Kara, Eternal Love, The Promise, and Simple and Clean. Working on Sanctuary, The Other Promise and Graceful Asssasin now, though I'm lacking audio samples on most of them.

9/3/10

2010-03-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's been a week plus since I posted, but I haven't had much time lately. For some reason I'm fluctuating between really high moods and damned lethargic days recently, and I don't really know why.

Played in my first ever chess tournament last weekend and then got disqualified for a very very stupid move. It's painfully embarrassing to talk about it, so I won't, but at least I'll have some experience under my belt when it comes to the National Individuals this weekend.

I'm really really tired right about now, after going birthday present-hunting earlier today, so I think I'll take a bit of a night off before continuing work later. Sigh.

28/2/10

2010-02-28T22:35:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so a month's worth of school has passed, and I'm quite surprised I haven't screwed up yet. Problem, is, as things go, I'm quite afraid I'm going to burn out at some point in time sooner or later.

Seems like all the worrying about JC life was unjustified. All the fears about not getting along well, not knowing what to do, not knowing how being in a co-ed college would be like after 4 years in a single-sex school, all these melted away last month. Sure, there may have been the occasional awkwardness, but things have gone pretty well so far, and I really can't ask for much better.

That said, there was a little screw-up with enrichment programme sign-ups last week, and I guess I really should have paid more attention to Raffles Connect and those stupid TV boards. Well, the damage has been done, and I'll have to pay more attention from now on.

But other than that, JC life is quite relaxed and fun. So as long as you bother doing your work on time, and take the trouble to read up in advance, there's really nothing difficult about schoolwork. Best part is, after finishing work early, I get to do whatever I want with minimal nagging. Took part in IHC chess on Wednesday, and won 5 out of my 7 games, though I could have made it 6 games had I not blundered to Bryan Tsui. Going to take part in IHC Library Book Race later this week too.

On the NP front, let's just say that our dear teacher-officers are behaving in their same autocratic manner as always. Things are taking a direction none of the three CIs were expecting nor happy with. It'll have to be a wait-and-see game, but my gut reaction is that there's going to be a really ugly case of damage control later in the year. Better sooner than later, cause Shu De and Jun Xiang will be gone after June, and I'm not sure I can contain all the damage on my own.

Sigh. Going to go get some work done. I've left a bio tutorial undone, and it's due tomorrow, an unfortunate lapse in my newfound work ethic.

19/2/10

2010-02-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

School is really starting to pick up - either that, or I'm still drained from CNY. Slept less than 8 hours over two days for the first two days, then went East Coast with Shu De and Jun Xiang on Tuesday for some really fun but intense physical activity (think cycling and bowling and badminton). PE for two successive days on Wednesday and Thursday, and then on Thursday our psycho of a PE teacher gets us to do circuit training. "You need to feel a little burning in your legs, it's good for your muscles..."

Damned right he is, my entire body is still aching today. I don't even have the luxury of sleeping in this weekend.

On the academic side, I've finished a math tutorial and the econs tutorial, but compared to some of the people in my class that's really not much. I'm going to try and read and finish all the material given over this weekend. It's a really enjoyable feeling when you're able to put off doing work because you can afford to pick and choose what work to do since you have so much time.

13/2/10

2010-02-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

Sigh. For most other people, CI-ship would balance out the demands of tertiary education. For me, however, it's the reverse that's happening.

Had a really really long and draining meeting with the Sec 4s on Thursday, mainly involving the leadership training of the Sec 3s, starting with the NCO camp. It took us slightly over an hour to resolve the issue of whether or not a night hike was justified. The Sec 4s clung to various sentimental and rubbishy reasons for why it should be included, even when we told them that an NCO camp should not be a tekan camp, but instead a camp dedicated to training the Sec 3s as NCOs, much like the NCOBTC. In the end, to save time, we overrode them and told them to submit a new proposal, due today noon, of which I haven't seen a sign. The rest of the meeting was much more amicable, but there was no doubt everyone left the meeting with a little bad taste in the mouth.

On the other hand, Take 5 the next day was thoroughly enjoyable. Although slightly marred by the fact that our handball team was booted out due to overwhelming demand, and my waking up late that morning, necessitating a cab fare of thirteen bucks, the rest of the day was a blast. I don't recall enjoying myself so much on a beach ever before. Our captain's ball team was great, flattening all opposition on the way to the semis, but we got kicked out there, sadly. We got a bag of prizes for our trouble, though, and the experience of standing there, cheering people on, waiting for the milo van/cotton candy/etc etc was exhilarating. Secondary school life definitely wasn't as fun.

Crashed Vivocity after Take 5 for lunch, then we adjourned to the sky garden for a little chit chat. Wound up playing another game of truth or dare. However, it's just the simple pleasure of sitting there and enjoying the company of friends that I really enjoy, though sadly we'll have less opportunities of getting together like this in the future as our workload gets heavier. That's not stopping us from planning a karaoke session soon, and a barbecue during the holidays.

9/2/10

2010-02-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

So far JC life is still brilliant. We're starting to get to know our classmates, still doing loads of stuff with OGs, and of course there's CCA and lectures and all that stuff. Damn, reading through all the lecture notes and doing them before the lecturer goes through them is kind of addictive.

Really looking forward to take 5 this friday, it's probably going to be a blast. Handball in the morning, then lunch and ice cream with OG.

Despite the fact that there may be more stuff going on in JC, it's still more intense and overall much more fun than secondary school. Don't think I'll be saying that when tests come round, though.

5/2/10

2010-02-05T23:25:00.000-08:00

God, I'm feeling damned high and random today after House Party. It was damn awesome, and JC life is very quickly proving itself to be much more spectacular than secondary school life. Apart from the screwed up timetabling (two hours, then three lectures, but it should normalize next week), everything else is so much more fun. It's either I've really really changed my mindset about life, or that everything is so different now, I'm virtually having dizzy spells adapting and taking it all in. Still seems like a dream sometimes.

Oh well, off to SSGT training tomorrow for the sec 4s. Hope they'll learn to live up to the standards of a gold unit.

3/2/10

2010-02-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

Sigh.

Orientation is over, and that "sian" feeling is returning extremely quickly to school life. Everyone's still quite high, though, since we don't have much school to speak of in the first week. I must say that orientation really turned out better than I hoped.

Funny how different mindsets really can affect your perspective of stuff. I was quite convinced when orientation started that I would really screw up. But hey, life sucks, then it gets better. Turns out all that worrying was for nothing (in fact, I got complimented on my dancing: I was apparently quite "on"). Not bad for someone with psychomotor problems.

Ah well. I'll have to see the sports secretary tomorrow cause I forgot to sign up for CCAs (bleargh). Then it's stoning in school till dismissal. Looks like a long year ahead, but it should be fun. It's definitely a lot better than secondary school.

31/1/10

2010-01-31T23:18:00.000-08:00

Hmm. January is gone already, and February is on its way. Orientation is halfway over (and it's not as bad as I thought). I've only now realised that it's terrible to blog when you have stuff that you dearly want to say but can't phrase properly. In that sense it's like having constipation: you have stuff that dearly wants to be typed, but it comes out all wrong.

JC life is going to start proper soon, and despite all I've actually said about liking it antisocial, I've since then had an epiphany of sorts. There's a unique feeling when you hang out with friends, and really can't be duplicated by anything else. What I've been doing these few years was escaping into a fantasy realm, attempting to isolate myself from the world.

From now on, I guess I'll resolve to be more social. It may sound weird, but really all those mood swings I kept having in secondary school probably were due to my forced emoing. Let's face it - my character just isn't of the shy emo type. I'm born to be loud, to attempt to be the centre of things. From now on, I'll live up to my true personality.

27/1/10

2010-01-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

I sometimes get the feeling that we're being taken for a roller coaster ride. School hasn't even started, yet I'm continually worried about NPCC. Sometimes the NCOs appear downright capable, else they look like babbling fools. The cadets aren't much better - they're all inconsistent as hell most of the time.

Well, the problem with them isn't so much their ability - it's their attitude. Luckily someone insulted the sec 2 squad today, getting them all fired up, and we heard the sweetest bangs in a long while. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be a little costly paying people to insult them on cue, and it gets tired after a while.

Oh well. Orientation starts tomorrow. Can't say how much this sucks. Making a complete fool of myself in front of a bunch of twittering girls (and trust me, I will make a fool out of myself) isn't exactly how I want to kickstart JC. Thanks to being in a boys' school, it's been a while since I've been around girls for a regular period of time.

20/1/10

2010-01-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

Well at least things are showing signs of improving. Hopefully it keeps up, but the sec 2s and 3s are going to need to pick up the slack. I shouted myself hoarse at the sec 2s just now, and my throat is now giving me hell for it. Luckily I have no school tomorrow, because I think I'm going to come down sick.

Came up with designs for shelter and gadget, though if feedback is anything to go by, it's going to be hard to explain. I think it's quite elegant, really, but others are going to have to judge.

13/1/10

2010-01-13T23:08:00.000-08:00

How ironic that when RINPCC finally gets a full complement of responsible officers, its NCOs go completely down the drain. I hope that the shocking performance of the Sec 4s today was due only to inexperience and nerves.

I don't even think I can start listing down the ways they went wrong. Best of all, they knew what went wrong. I can only hope that all the stuff they said during the end of training debrief is sincere, and that they are committed to changing themselves. If not, I've wasted my time as a CI on them.

This time round, we are more or less guaranteed to lose the campcraft competition unless they put in some hard solid work. It's not impossible, but the way things look now, we'd be lucky to even get top fifty.

6/1/10

2010-01-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

First post of the new year. Big deal, but oh well....

Got ranks and all the CI stuff today at HTA, then went down to help for Raffles Trail training. All I can say is, this batch of NCOs had better buck up or else. We've scolded them enough, we've told them all about what they should be doing, but the fact remains that their standards are still far below expectations.

Hopefully tomorrow we make more of an impression on them in our full uniforms.

19/12/09

2009-12-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

Hell yeah, finally graduated from CIBTC. Now I'm P/CI (NPCC), not a SSGT any longer. Have ten days left to get some rest and recharge, then it's off to RI NCOBTC (if there is one). Rank collection should be sometime by end of december.
Everyone is like ending on a high, and I'm still shot full of adrenalin, so I probably won't be able to sleep for a while.

11/12/09

2009-12-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

Finally finished NRC 2, so it's only the ATC left then the investiture. Turns out also that the Bangkok trip is not going to clash with RINCOBTC, so that rocks too.
After investiture I'm going to get myself a drill cane from Army Market, and afterwards go collect my rank from HQ (wonder when it'll be ready.) Next year it's off to HQ for parade training duty (I hope!)

9/12/09

2009-12-09T00:20:00.000-08:00

I foresee sleeping at 3 this morning again, since I'm now the only IC in my ATC group left doing all the saikang. The other two ICs are sick/were sick, and if they end up unable to come tomorrow I'm sorta screwed.
CIBTC seems to be getting more fun as time goes on. Maybe we're getting used to it, or maybe it's our mindset changing. Either way, this isn't the hell I expected. (sorry lock leong.)
Last lap in sight, CI rank within 10 days. After that it's running an NCOBTC for RINP. Hmm. Seems like I have my priorities straight.

2/12/09

2009-12-02T23:50:00.000-08:00

3rd day of the CI course, and having to change uniform everyday is becoming a hassle. The course itself is pretty fun, especially the afternoon sessions, and we're having dry practice tomorrow. Hoo boy, I can't wait to get my mitts on the Taurus .38 revolvers.

28/11/09

2009-11-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

CI briefing today. Goodness, it's lucky it isn't a residential course else I don't know what hell I'm in for. While that nice shiny CI rank is awaiting me at the end of the course, I don't know what I'm going to have to go through to get it. I don't know what I was thinking when I signed up, but I definitely didn't have my head screwed on straight.
In any case, what's done is done. I still have to prepare my uniform, but 4 years of experience should count for something....

27/11/09

2009-11-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

So I'm back from Korea, and I have a monster of a CI course in front of me. Briefing tomorrow, a two week course starting on Monday, and a 4 day camp to top it off. There goes the vast majority of my holidays, sadly.
On the upside, Korea was extremely fun - add ATVs and skiing in one single day = adrenalin rush. The food was great, which is more than can be said of the other tour members opinions: unless you can stand kimchi for seven days straight it tends to grate a little. Weather got a little cold, but with sun in Seoul it's bearable with a t-shirt and jacket.
I managed to watch a little of Twilight while it was showing on Korea's version of HBO, and I'm dying to catch New Moon. Sadly, I won't be able to do it until the second half of December at least.

19/11/09

2009-11-18T18:17:00.000-08:00

Leaving for Korea in less than 12 hours. Got all my new CI uniform parts yesterday, along with boots (finally there are fricking zippers). Expecting the CI course to be a bunch of upgraded stuff that we heard during LMSC about responsibility, the skills needed, and all that.
On the upside, finally managed to unlock Reverse/Rebirth mode in KH COM, since I had to port it to the com to unlock it. My phone apparently can't run certain GBA scenes (it also jammed during the Devil's Road and Cagnazzo sequences in FFIV Advance) but it still works pretty well, regardless.

11/11/09

2009-11-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been posting for a while due to HMTs, which were over yesterday. Currently I'm attempting to finish Advance Wars 2, improve my Yu-Gi-Oh deck, and generally waste time until my holiday and the CI course.
Trying to cram an SNES emulator on to my phone so I can run FF III and the earlier Fire Emblems is a little stupid, but well...

31/10/09

2009-10-31T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is really pissing. Two rounds of mugging madness thanks to that idiotic subject known as MOTHER TONGUE. Screw it, I'm definitely dumping it even if I get a D7.
On lighter matters, I've just finished Fire Emblem 7 and now playing Riviera and FE6. Riviera is pretty fun if a little tedious at times, though, and it is extremely easy to miss stuff in it.

24/10/09

2009-10-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

Not a bad birthday day yesterday. Thanks to facebook I actually got birthday greetings from outside my family for the first time in god knows how many years (and a birthday present to boot, thanks SD.)
Today crashed Brendan's house after crashing Zheyi's yesterday (and I actually had a pretty good deck going.) Played Yu-Gi-Oh for three hours straight and actually won quite a few duels. It's only now that I realise how potentially powerful my zombie deck is.

19/10/09

2009-10-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Three exams down, four to go. Haven't posted in a long while, and boy. have a lot of things happened. I've restarted Fire Emblem like three to four times, once even when I was at the penultimate level.
Exams were meh - I definitely miscalculated a Chem question, the English vocab was a killer, and I nearly ran out of time for the second SS essay. Could have been worse, however.
I'm going to go on a piano playing spree after exams are over and post on facebook or sth.

4/10/09

2009-10-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been ages since I posted. Lit takes up a HUGE chunk of time, and you really don't want to be otherwise occupied when you're running on nothing but adrenaline and coffee. Stupid EOYs are up in a couple of weeks, and I still haven't started major mugging madness yet.
On the up side, I've gotten pretty far in Harvest Moon. I know some people are going to be rolling eyes at the irony of finding time for gaming, but... Let's just say I'm in denial.

26/9/09

2009-09-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Finally got my phone back. Twilight's soundtrack is passable: the first few tracks are fine, but the back end of the soundtrack tends to drag.
I'm seriously going to have to edit my playlists. 80+ songs on your favourites playlist are not ideal at all.

24/9/09

2009-09-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Still haven't gotten my phone back. I have a load of tracks sitting around on my computer doing absolutely nothing because I have nothing to use to listen to them. (Yes, I know it's the Twilight soundtrack, but...) Getting really bored out of my pants here, I have three hours free with nothing to do (I would have listened to some music, but well)
Luckily I've recovered, though. At least I have decent air flow and can actually taste my food again. You have no idea how it tastes to eat food you can't smell. Bleargh.
And one more thing I still don't get. Despite my supposed "unpopularity" (I had only one person in my group during last week's newspaper collection CIP, and you probably can guess which enthu cadet it is), I have no idea why people insist on castigating my choice of reading material/obsession/whatever it is I'm preoccupied with. So I read the Twilight series (WHICH is not girl-exclusive, contrary to popular (by which I mean boys-only school popular) belief), and I'm doing it multiple times because I have absolutely NOTHING else to do (No FFV, Summon Night, KH, Harvest Moon, remember?)and the series is actually decent. Yet I have people asking me whether I read the series out of an obsession with the main character or because of the sex scenes (I can tell you that compared to what some of my classmates read, Twilight looks like a shining guardian of morals).
Get this straight, guys. I read because I want to. I do stuff thoroughly when I do them. So stop bugging me about this, thank you very much (That goes for SD, Simon Poh, and a couple of guys in my class.)

21/9/09

2009-09-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Down with the stupid flu, and the worst consequence is the goddamn blocked nose. Quite apart from having to breathe through your mouth (it gets dry VERY quickly), you can't taste anything. I'm hoping my nose clears up soon.
Started mugging again. Just finished probability in two hours. Not bad considering I was doing mental sums most of the way.
Still haven't gotten my phone back, and I'm getting so bored I'm attempting to create the Twilight Saga movies in my head based on movie screenshots and the book.
Can't wait to get my hands on the Twilight soundtrack, legally (or illegally, it doesn't matter). Not to me, anyways.

18/9/09

2009-09-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

I guess things are better nowadays. I got my new weapons locker today (don't bother asking me, I've been telling people) and it's going to be a bit harder in terms of sleeping. I mean, the damn thing is like twice as high as my old bed and comes up to my thigh. Reminds me of a hospital bed...
Anyway. Funny how people usually ignore me when I raise my opinions, yet the same people are all too happy to start criticising my taste in books. Nearly everyone has noticed me reading the Twilight series over the week, and some people are beginning to criticise me for my apparently lousy taste.
Weird. In any case, the books are pretty decent. I should probably point out that I had the same feelings about the Twilight series (as the people who are criticising my reading choice I mean) before I started reading it. Seriously guys. Read the damn books before you start complaining.

16/9/09

2009-09-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

How do you deal with a total breakdown in relationships? How do you deal with torn decisions?
I have had a major argument with a lot of people recently, and it doesn't help much with keeping my emotions in check.
I got scolded by my mum for attempting to ditch chinese tuition for Quiz team preparation, and stayed in a bad mood for the entire weekend. Then my chinese teacher approached me with the news that I scored terribly on my prelims.
Essentially the choices came down to this. Buck up or die.
One part of me wants to buck up for my own good. The other wants to ignore chinese completely come hell or high water. The problem is, I cannot decide between the two. And the worst bit? It's making me really cranky.
I'll have to sit down some time and make the decision. It's hard to right now, when I'm pissed off with my parents (the reverse is also probably true) and I've also probably pissed off my chinese teacher. Not to mention that without my phone, I'm at a loss for what to do in my spare time. I borrowed the Twilight saga books on Monday and returned them this morning having finished all of them. I'm going to have to find a new series of books to keep me occupied.
Too bad the library stops movie loans in Term 4 until after EOYs.

14/9/09

2009-09-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

Finally DMP started, and the first two modules so far have been amazing (yes, I'm posting from Surfpool, but heck). Had a nightmare weekend, what with the NP quiz. Put this way: We could have done away with half the mugging because some stuff was completely untested. Then questions we never expected turned up. Like: "How many items are there currently in a non-vegetarian NPCC food ration pack?"
WTF.
Or this classic which turns up everytime and is a running joke in the team by now: " How does Camp Resilience get its drinking water?" (BTW the answer is desalination plant.)
Then we got stuff like "Where is the NPP system adapted from?"
Blink blink. Whaaat?
In any case, given the circumstances (mugging until 12) I think we did pretty well, though I wouldn't be so confident as to say we can finish top ten. Heck, top twenty is going to be a stretch. Quite a few questions me and Lock Leong can answer but the Sec 3s and 2s can't. And since our team is 80% non-sec 4.........
Next up is Medical Physics for DMP. Damned screwed up, because I end up having only nine free periods during DMP.
On the upside, I finally finished Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. On the downside, I got my phone (and by extension MP3, camera, GBA, document reader, etc etc) confiscated for a couple weeks again after a MAJOR argument with my parents. Oh well. Too bad I broke my previous MP3.

11/9/09

2009-09-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

Homework crisis nearly resolved. Nearly.
Still have tons of NP final mugging to do, but at least my ISP and school homework are done. On the downside, I'll need to prepare my uniform tonight. Lucky it's always in decent condition.
Some holiday.

10/9/09

2009-09-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Damn this school.
One week holiday and I get stuck with a chemistry term paper, a stackload of chinese worksheets and three days burnt.
To top it all off I get yelled at by my mum for waking up at like ten plus over the last two days. Gah.
On the upside I get in loads of solid gaming over the holidays. After finishing FFI and FFIV over the past few months, I'm now working on FFV, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Summon Night Swordcraft Story 1 & 2. Yes, I know the graphics suck, the sounds suck, but you can't deny that the sprites look cute. Especially for KH:COM.
Woke up at six this bloody morning to send my dad to the airport, then slept two hours in the car while my mum rushed around getting stuff. Kinda defeats the purpose of waking up so damn early.
Going to have to do a lot of mugging. I still have homework undone, and a big NPCC quiz coming up this weekend.