cliché post

so this is it people, the 31st of December for the year 2013. it is the last day of the year, no matter you enjoyed the ride or not.

yeah i bet many of us will expect people to say things like "this new year, i'll be a new me" or "i'll make a change from today onwards for the rest of the year" or what not. their Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Instagram, Tumblr might be flooded with long lists of resolutions and bucket list and what not. i think somehow, ever since the internet and social media have been a big part of everyone's lives, such things are pretty common. while some are condemned, there are those that are pretty good. i mean "good" here are those that are realistic and unlike those that require one to change his/her character and what not.

no worries, i don't like going by "new year new me" motto but rather rethinking what i should be achieving the coming year. i know it is cliché but i am still going to do it anyway. shall share my so-called resolutions.

1) money is root of all evil.. and happiness
if you say money cannot buy happiness, you are using it wrong and probably should give some to me. money can bring happiness through satisfying your cravings and helping people. so anyway, my point is i want to make more money. hmm.. okay wait let be rephrase that. i want to save up enough to pay for at least one semester of university schooling and to be able to enjoy myself as well. still waiting for my first assignment of tuition to come but i'm sure it will be soon. going to try to save 50% of what i earn every month thereafter.

2) aiming honours
university is starting in August 2014 for me. means i'll be back to face the monsters of grading and assignments on a regular basis. this will be probably the last stretch of full-time studying before heading out to the real working society and adulthood. nonetheless, i have to do my best and aim to get results to qualify myself for honours. so that will be at least GPA 3.5 out of 5 for every single semester. might be more but i'm aiming that no matter what.

3) for those who are dear to me
last couple of years in army i loved reading subjective online posts and articles. i could not help but to believe some authors stating that many in their 20s will start burning bridges and what not. now just turning 20 earlier this year, the start of this ordeal can be seen. however, i can understand those who have burn those bridges. probably too many friends and groups to hang out considering that the day stays at 24 hours and the amount of things expected to be done is piling. well, either way it is really time to rank those who are dear to me and what not already. yes, i know saying "rank" might not be a pleasant word in this case but at least it brings out the point i want to put across. i want to make sure i have time for all who care for me and are dear to me, be them be family or buddies or close friends.

4) why not make bridges
no more ideas of burning bridges, building new ones are good as well. new school, new environment, new friends, new experiences. yes i am somewhat excited for this year. for sure there will be new friends made but lets hope there are those that can be kept for life. true friends, i mean, not life partner. life partner is another issue.. haha.

okay, i think i covered the main things that i really want to achieve in the coming year. however, 2013 is not made possible without friends and family. so i would like to also take this time to thank those around me for making the year an enjoyable and interesting one. don't care the bad moments for they aren't worth remembering at all.

last but not least, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you out there in advance. may this year be a joy filled one for you. stay safe and see you next year. :)

the next chapter

this morning i woke up and carried out the mundane habit of checking my phone and computer for updates, messages and what not. i saw the date was the 29th today and turned to my calendar. the initial feeling i got was shock to realise that it is just couple of days before a new year arrives.

how come time flies even when i do not fully enjoy all the time?

well, anyway i realised the coming of the year 2014 marks the start of yet another chapter of my life. the previous chapter was nearly two years long and yes, some of you might guess it, it was NS. that chapter has ended. a new one has started.

started out this year in camp doing stand-by on 1st Jan. could remember so clearly somewhat celebrating the start of 2013 in the stand-by bunk. couple of months later we see the first batch of people whom we were close to ORD. middle of the year, another one ORD as well. then come the rotting and counting down to ORD for my batch. now, post ORD, we are enjoying life by working and playing and hanging out now and then. speaking of which, there is no input of money for me.. oops. still crossing my fingers though.

gosh, i really wonder what 2014 will bring. i'm not a reservist man, an old man haha, and so IPPT and mob manning are annual nonsense. besides that, i'll be embarking on, hopefully, the last full-time studying routine come August 2014. somewhat nervous and excited at the same time. ohh well, time will tell how they would be.

jingle bells

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!

i hope this season of giving has been awesome for those who celebrate or do not celebrate this occasion. either way, it is an extra rest day for those who are working and what not.

personally, my family don't celebrate christmas besides making full use of the sale around the malls around Singapore to buy whatever we think we need and want. this year was no exception. besides, being together as a family, there wasn't real celebration.

anyway, just finished watching the movie "The Butler" on my laptop. finally, another heart-warming show worth watching though some might find that the 2.5hours show a little too long for such a show. well, it is based on a true life story of a black butler of the White House who had served 8 different presidents. throughout the course of 34 years of service, he witnessed, together with his family, the changes and struggles America go through from the 1950s to present. again, worth watching.

sensational piece of hip-hop

no laze

after coming back from the short getaway family trip to Malaysia, i've been lazing around and most of the time really enjoying by holidays by not doing anything fruitful and that includes sleeping.. a lot. however, today was probably the first productive day since i ORD.

managed to write an essay in preparation for some scholarship that i will be applying really soon and also applied for private tuition. i hope i get the scholarship though the odds are really against me this time. nonetheless, one will not know exactly until one tries so yeah.. i'll be trying for it. hope i get the call from the private tutor agency soon so i can really start work and earn some money. no good to have money out and nothing coming into my bank account.

after today, i shall strive to be productive in more days than not. catching up on shows is semi-productive i would say.. haha. okay but on serious note, i shall really start get serious and start working and do some leisure reading to get the brain working and not slack too much.

summing the year with YouTube

as the year 2013 is coming to an end in less than a month's time, many are reflecting on what they have done for the past 12 months. be it achievements, failures, lessons or experiences, all are worth treasuring and embracing. for all these elements are what make you you at the end of each year.

with so many social media improvements recently, Facebook event helps you sum your 2013 up in statuses and pictures on your timeline throughout the entire year. decent effort, i would say. well, YouTube also sums up the world in 2013 in one video as well. enjoy.

from Cameron to Malacca

hello everyone, got those photos from my trip transferred to my laptop so i can finally share some with you all. went to Cameron on Saturday early morning through a very very long coach ride and explored the highlands for half the trip before heading down to Malacca for the last night and finally back to Singapore yesterday evening. coach was practically the only mode of transport we used throughout the 4D3N getaway. here are few of the photos from my iphone.

first stop was lunch stop somewhere in the middle of somewhere in Malaysia.

the room fatbro and i shared in the hotel of Cameron Highlands. they did not have nor need

air-con system in the rooms. during the night time, the weather is cold enough to keep chill

the room as long as you leave the windows open.

the morning view from the balcony of my room, it was pretty cold even in the early morning.

next day, first place we visited on Cameron Highlands was Rose Valley. this wall is near the

entrance of the world of flowers.

the next many photos are few of the many flowers found in the garden. they are all so bright

and beautiful: -

shot with fatbro. so glad i wore bermudas that day. so much walking around and chance of

getting those pants soiled.

photo credited to the person not in the photo.. haha.

some hanging wooden house in the garden.

next stop was the Bee Farm. somehow there are some lucky bees that managed to escape

and fly freely around the area. so had to be careful where we put our hands there.

one of the many boxes that house an average of 5000 to 10000 bees in the farm. there were

many signs around indicating that the owner will not be responsible for any bee attack. so, one

can be daring to open the artificial bee hive.

more boxes that house the bees.

the following stop was supposed to be a strawberry farm where they let you pluck strawberries

on your own at a fixed cost. somehow, my family decided to visit this place on our own instead.

it was nearby anyway.

one of the many pictures in the Time Tunnel was this decade old picture showing one of

Singapore's founding fathers, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. and as you would guess it, the boy beside him

is none other than our current prime minister.

old bottles collected by the private owner of the Time Tunnel and put on display.

more old bottles.

the second biggest tea plantation in Malaysia was the next stop. the slopes were too slippery for

us to go explore part of the hills.. ohh well but the view and air was awesome.

the view of the sky from the top of the tea plantation.

well.. technically, i'm not plucking the leaves.

the hotel room fatbro and i shared for the last night in Malacca. this place had way better wifi

than in the highlands. well, perks of the city.

next few pictures was the last day of exploring in Malacca. all i know was many buildings were

super old and were build by the Europeans and what not: -

okay, that is about it. all the above pictures posted are not edited at all so pardon me if some of the lighting isn't that great or what not.

Malaysia is a good country to explore and shop but i still miss the roads of Singapore for it is more orderly here and what not. however, Malaysian drivers are way more patient and forgiving than Singaporeans. haha.. that's the main observations i had during the long coach rides.

fight fight fight

back from a short getaway from reality. just got back from the trip to Cameron Highlands and Malacca the last four days and three nights. shall update on them and share many photos taken probably tomorrow or the day after. for now, i feel like talking about the Little India riot.

was sadden and shocked to hear of that news two days ago when i was still high up in the hotel of Cameron Highlands. it came as a great shock at the very beginning. it has been say what, almost half a century, since Singapore had such outbreak of violence. and for a moment i felt that Singapore was not as safe as it used to be but the very next moment was different.

i started to feel really worried for those policemen/policewomen and paramedics and firefighters who responded to the entire nightmare. having many close friends serving in SCDF and police force currently makes me wonder if they would be alright. so far, none of them were directly affected, hopefully this good news stay for long.

came back home to see the responses and the many videos and news on the incident and can't help to notice something. the terms "bangla", "foreigners" are being loosely used for stereotyping purposes and what not. well, despite the incident, to be honest, i still appreciate those workers who have been quietly building things you all are living and working in. you seldom hear them complain, so why let one crazy moment of insanity turn one into hating them and what not?

well, to cut things short. they are human as well. they have families to feed. they have their own worries and problems. they make mistakes like we all do. so respect them and show humility. last but not least, hope this entire episode will pass by quick with minimal additional damage.

madiba

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall"

it is a pity to lost another great guy in less than a week. a leader who fell a thousand times but never stopped there. a leader whose courage and will inspired many. a leader whose legacy will run forever.

rest in peace, Nelson Mandela. you will always have a place in our hearts.

pals

half surprised to see these awesome celebrities writing a song for the late Paul Walker. enjoy the lyrics.

catching frozen fire

weird title not. yesterday was probably the first time in recent years.. or life, whichever, that i got to the cinemas and watch two movies in a day. managed to catch the movies "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "Frozen".

well, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" was nice, lots of action but the only disappointing thing about the film will be they decide to cut a lot of parts of the book. yes, it is normal for movies to be shorter and more brief than books but this was to the extent where some aspects of the storyline was not at its best quality. to those who did not read the book, i figure you will love it more than those who read though non-readers will be slightly confused towards the end. i can't wait for the next one on the third and final book of the series.

as for "Frozen", it is more or less a typical Disney cartoon show. this one is more of musical as well and though i'm not a big fan of shows having too much singing, i would say the songs and pieces in this show were great. the storyline was pretty original and at least the end of the show wasn't that predictable. watching all the snow and ice in the show can send one feeling colder too, especially in cinemas.

been spending a lot lately and now no more NS means i need to get a job soon and earn some income to support myself. left not much cash to spend but i'll figure a way. anyway, can't wait for Cage session with the usual NS soccer buddies tomorrow and short getaway to Malaysia this coming weekend.

a tribute

it has been a while since i pay tribute to an idol of mine. rather unfortunate that a day ago, the world lost yet another celebrity due to a tragic car accident.

the world mourns the unfortunate death of Paul Walker, who is famous for being the lead for all installments of the movie franchise "Fast & Furious". goodbye to a great and inspirational celebrity. goodbye to the kind and cheerful Paul Walker. the movie franchise will be so different without you. you will be missed.

last but not least, thought i would like to share a great quote from him

"i live by 'go big or go home'. that's with everything. it's like either commit and go for it or don't do it at all. i apply that to everything. i apply that to relationships. i apply that to like sports, i apply that to everything.that's what i live by. that's how i like it"

rest in peace, Paul Walker (12th Sept. 1973 - 30th Nov. 2013).