Memory

Memory is a form of immortality. If you make someone happy now, you'll make them happy twenty years from now by the memory of it. It keeps the past alive, and a good past is a bundle of todays well lived. Memory is the only paradise from which we cannot be driven.

Passing thoughts

I was back running at East Coast today morning! It's been some time since I ran there but the route still felt familiar and while running, some random thoughts passed my mind. So I thought maybe I would want to blog it down.

East Coast is a place which I always think its quite a distance to cycle with a mountain bike, less running it. But somehow, on a moment of impulse in choosing whether to run 21km or 42km, I signed up for the marathon last year, which forced me to run long distances and East Coast became the best place to train. I never thought I could finish running the whole stretch of East Coast. Somehow, it happened, together with running the whole stretch of Changi Coast Road that extends from the end of East Coast, which I remember I was swearing on the bike at the straight long road during Bike Hike 04. And eventually, I completed the marathon last year. All these memories of training and completing the race flashed passed while I was running today. And they did stir some ripples in my sea of thoughts: Things that I never thought I could have achieved, but did it anyway. And suddenly many examples just pop up, making this twenty years seem like an accident of events, or is it? Am I what I am today because of a series of accidental events in life? Pondering more, I thought these 'accidental events' happened because the seed of thought was planted in the first place. I did dream of running a marathon some years back.

After my morning run, looking at the morning sky and sea, I thought perhaps the story of life is how you want it to unfold. All events that can happen will happen, only if you can think of them happening.

Think to begin, Act to become.

ORD!!!

ORD LOH! I guess this is the much awaited time for a lot of us, NSFs. A time to leave the service to become a NSman. So how am I feeling today? Elated, delighted, excited, of course. But I must admit I also feel some attachment to my unit. The end always sets one thinking of the beginning. And here are some flashbacks.


Sunset

Evening

Pre-SOC

RSAF Combined Graduation Ceremony

Commissioning Parade



Thinking about it, ORD is not just about leaving the service and leaving a workplace. It's also about leaving a lifestyle I am so used to for 2 years. Its a lifestyle of military hierachy and culture. A lifestyle of chin up regimes, push ups, running around that SOC ground with extra sand cans. A lifestyle of playing pool at lot one in the evening, running around like idiots in ntu, doing stupid things and cracking jokes in the bunk, and of course not leaving out the countless fire fightings in the day. All are now the past. Can't say that all memories are pleasant, but they are definitely part of my lifestory that is worth remembering. All said, it's now time to move on back to civilian life! I love my Pink IC!

Farewell for Jason

Went to one of my rare JC class outings yesterday, which also served as a farewell to Jason, who will be going to Queensland, Australia to study Speech Therapy under MOH Scholarship. We had our dinner at The Chicken Rice Shop at vivocity before going up to the gallery for some catching up and photo taking.


Bought an apron and a cookbook of Singapore dishes for Jason so that he wont be eating fish and chips everyday!



My class is a 'global class'. My classmates are scattered all over the world, in places like Canada, USA, UK, France, etc. And now another classmate of mine is leaving for Australia next tues. As Jason is the main active guy who usually organise outings for the local guys, I feel yesterday marked the decrease in the number of get-together sessions. Perhaps, the nature of friendship and relationship is transient after all.

Cycling Trip to Sungei Rengit

Finally, I get to go over to Malaysia to cycle on 2 Feb 07. This idea has been planted in my mind since Nov last year and I was glad that it has become a reality. Initially, I planned it to be a two day one night trip so that we could cycle to desaru to stay over for the night and return the next day. However, the trip turned out to be a day trip. Well, all was not lost, at least it has happened! Hahaha, at least its not NATO - No action, Talk only. And I was glad that it was a fulfilling half day of exploration.

Jing Song, Siao Hui and I loaned the mountain bikes and helmets from Changi Point and headed for Changi Point Ferry Terminal to board the bumboat to Tg Pengelih. We wasted quite an amount of time waiting for the ferry as there wasn't enough people to board it. Damn, our precious time! Well, we eventually reached Tg Pengelih at about 11am and immediately commenced out cycling.

So here are some of the pictures taken during the trip.


The three of us


How cui is the signboard


Monkey!


Wayang