THAILAND - Kanchanaburi

Hey guys im back!

Well, im glad that this whole Ex. Crescendo Thailand is over! :))

Its more of a relieve i would say. Whatever it is, I believe everyone had a great and memorable time in Thailand.

The bunk. It reminds me of the thai ghost movie, The Dorm. haha.

Firstly, the infantry trainings there were much more fun and less tiring compared to the jungle survival trainings in Brunei. We used the TES set ( for ur info, its a laser device attached to ur body and rifle to determine whether u're alive or dead in a battle, cool huh?) during the missions we had. It was a 10 day back-to-back missions in which we do an attack at dawn and defence at dusk and vice versa. It was a inter-platoon war and its up to us to come up with the tactics and strategies to conquer each other. NICE.

Random Pics with Liu Bo, the China man & Ecknaath the Indian-Aussie boy.

There was one time when i was the GPMG Commander and just seconds the battle broke out, 2 of my MG men 'died' and i had to chiong and carry both the ammo box and the heavy machine gun and start doing my firefighting, leap and bound. haha. I was literally dragging myself with the MG on one hand and the rounds on the other and around my neck. Fuhh.. at a glance, people may thought Rambo on the loose. haha. I think my officer took my photos doing that so let's hope i get that soon. haha.

See those hills & mountains in the background? That's where we fought day and night. haha.

And i was chosen as the platoon commander for ASO -POI (Area Security Operations - Protection of Key Installations), which is basically planning and come up with a masterplan to protect the ammunition cache from any potential terrorists threats. I was asssessed though and personally, i think i did decently well but nothing spectacular. My platoonmates acted out as the terrorists and they give me one hell of a problem to deal with. Bombs, hostages, shootings ANYTHING you can think of. haha.

I've made a couple of good friends, both fellow men and animals. First was the Thai army liasion, TONG, who guide as through the navigation phase and keeping us at bay with the thousands of wild dogs there, AND also this white dog which became my team's recee force, tirelessly tailing us and recee for any hidden routes in the vegetations. haha thanks for the hospitality given. :) AND not to forget the persistent Thai villagers who kept selling us illegal redbulls, cokes, ice-creams, Pat Thai (fried rice i mean) and other stuffs. We were not supposed to bring any cash for trainings but some of us did and bought these food and drinks from them which encourage them to come even more! haha.

My last photoshot on the bus before we finally leave Sai Yok Camp. This is the view outside our dorm.

The town of Kanchanaburi where once Japanese ruled to transport goods & ammunitions and the POWs were held to built the Death Railway.

OKOK lets move on to the R&R there. I would say it is fun and cheaper compared to Brunei coz that's when it really unleashes my shopping frenzies. haha which is good ONCE in a while. =P I bought a several T-shirts, jeans, belts, bags and shoes. haha and not to forget some souvenirs for my family. Too bad just when i realize i wanted to buy some things for my friends but i had soo many things to carry home and decide not to. haha

The River Kwai Bridge in Kanchanaburi.

This is the cafe that sells the infamous freaking loong bread name of 'BREAD RUBS THE BUTTER ADDS THE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK'. That explains everything. Its hilarious when we kept ordering that particular menu. haha.

The floating market. Surprisingly i didn't buy much here coz the prices are all jacked up! mentang-mentang lah aku tourist. haha I tried to bargain though but erm.. not really good at that.

OK that's basically about it. 8 weeks to go! :)

Sawadeekhrap Singapore, Sawadeekhrap Thailand

Well.. im off for Thailand tomorrow.
It is going to be an another 3 weeks stint of trainings and mission exercises.
What should i expect:

• Ex. Red Beret (3D2N Navigation exercise)
• Ex. Homerun (3D2N Inter-Wing Defence & Attack exercise)
• Ex. Nomalcy (ASO - Area Security Operation)
  Ex. Finale (Hmm.. not so sure about this. Sounds scary though)
  

I got 4 days off-in-liew since Wed and it has been a catchin'-up session for me with my fellow JC and Sec sch friends. Like the reunion dinner with the PJC MCS members..

At Al-Azhar.


Bowling session with the PJCians.


Peeping mats crashing to someone's wedding reception in Sentosa. Haha.

And talking to Segaff's gf behind his back. hahaha! Ehh this look scandalous sey pahadal padahal.

There's plenty and MORE pics to come.. but too bad. i didn't have it with me now. Today had a mini picnic/beach/kite-running session with the CCKsians at ECP and it was nice man to see them after soo long. And also with my fellow 4/9 classmates yesterday when we had a BBQ outing at West Coast Park organized by our Class Monitor.. Harris Lim. haha. And oh yeah.. not to forget, the jamming session with the PJ Mats right after that at Chinese Garden.

Anyway, i lost my HP just now. hurhur. i placed it inside my pocket.. as usual.. and as soon as i realized it, there's a hole in my pocket! and it must have dropped it somewhere. Worse still, i knew the bat was low and i can't get it through. All the contact lists which i've collated for the past 6 years since i first use a handphone, ALL GONE. hai.. just the right time to lose it.

NVM. i'll try to get a new phone 2mr morning if possible. Budget pon budget lahh..

Oh YA, did i mentioned anything about a new guitar which i've just bought? OK not yet. well its worth freakin' $250 at Swee Lee in Bras Basah. Blue Fender acoustic guitar. well its quite costly for me.. especially when my initial budget was <$100! Well, like what amy said, its a "LONG-TERM investment". haha yelahh thanks eh..

Alright im off now, will be back again on 24th Jan. Till then, take care fellow readers. :)

Shaggedelic!

Hey.. I'm BACK again! Sorry i know its been some time i went missing, but i can assure you.. i have PLENTY of good news and memories to share! I'll try to squeeze in whatever i can say here, but SURELY.. this entry can't summed up what i've went through so far.

Brunei overseas training.

Although it has been more than 2 weeks ago since i came back from Brunei, the memories were still fresh in my mind. The endurance, the anxiety and the fear; there were times when these feelings were too immensed to handle; causing some of us to break down.

Sitting there quietly.
Just waiting for a miracle to happen.
Clueless of WHERE we were
and hoping.. just HOPING..
for someone to make that decision.
and carry on.

The 9 days i went through was the LONGEST 9 days i ever had.
With the limited supply of food (we were given only 48hrs of food ration), i had to resort, worse to worse, to eat a biscuit per meal everyday.

Some of the highlights i'll never forget:

• Ride on the Super Puma heli during mission.
• Resort to do the most gay-est hug at night just to keep each other warm.
• Killing a quail with my bare hands!
• A teammate of mine just broke down and cried when we got lost and in badly racing against time. (it caught me by suprise!)
• Another two of my teammates were stung by hornets.
• Combat swimming across Sungei Batu Apoi ( along with our field pack and rifle seyy)
• Getting leeches bites, sandflies, mosquitoes and bloodsuckers making my both hands swollen like Doraemon.
• Reaching the summit of Mount. Tegulong and Mount. Biang.
• Receieved a telegram from my family on the 8th day in the middle of the night and in the middle of the jungle sent by our instructor. ( many emo-ed that particular night by the fireplace)
• That FIRST step into our base camp at the end of the 9 days.
  

The experience i've gained throughout the JCC(Jungle Confidence Course) made me really REALLY treasure every single priviledges i have here in Singapore.

Imagine.. every single day you have to worry about the 3 basic things that a Man need to survive in the jungle; SHELTER, FOOD and FIRE. If it rains and your shelter is not up yet, you can just sleep in the rain for the next 12 hrs for the next daylight to come. Bcos of that.. u're cold and it need of warmth. But the ground is yet and the firewoods around u are wet too and so.. fire cannot be start. Considering food is limited, you have to think of ways to ration your food very wisely. And throughout the night, you have to start thinking about how to navigate to ur nxt checkpoint. In the midst of that, u're feeling very uncomfortable with the endless insects bites and the soaked uniform and socks inside your boots. And being alone, in the darkest region of the Brunei jungle doesn't help either.

Well, that's the WORSE CASE SENARIO i can think of, but thankfully, my situation was slightly better that that.

The experience was enough to make me lose 3kg. Others were better losing up to 12kg. But too bad i gained 5kg after feasting on the buffets during R&R. haha.

In the skytrain, just before i flew off for Brunei.

A week after we came back from Brunei, we had our Marksmanship Badge Test. I was optimistic but i knew this test is never been easy. But the thought of having the Marksmanship Badge on the no.1 spurred me on. With the additional $200 bonus, its worth every effort to hit the target.


AND alhamdullilah.. i achieved that. though i didn't get the $200 that i want. Bcos i achieved it on the 2nd try. only on the 1st try we can get the badge +$200. and come to think of it.. i missed by 1 shot during the first try! I can't believe that 1 shot worth $200 has just gone down the drain. just like that. on the LAST SHOT SOMEMORE. haha.

Last Saturday was the 71/08 Commisioning Parade and i was tasked to do ushering and crowd-control at the grandstand. And that's when the first time i donned on the no.1. The parade was something very special to the graduates who had spent a solid 9 months to eventually become a 2LT, 2nd Lieutenant. That moment of relief and joy, when they threw the peak caps high into the sky, gives me motivation to press on. Just 3 more months to go, and i will eventually be there too, standing in the middle of the parade square doing that same accomplished things, knowing i've done my parents proud. That's what i want. And that moment will stay inside my mind to motivate me.


Elroy and me preparing before the parade.

I'm currently on leave for this whole week, clearing my leave that is. Well i decided to spend the time with my family and we had our holiday overseas trip to KL and Genting. I've yet to receive the photos from my sis.. so i guess i'll talk about that the next time. What i can say is.. Genting was happening man! As what i've told some of you, the festive season mood, decorations and the cold 14degrees celcius temp. just make me feel as if im in Europe seyy. haha

K.. i'll stop here. Hopefully i can get some of the Brunei pics to be uploaded here. Other than that, see you guys soon! :)

Brunei

Well, this is going to be my last weekend before im going for Brunei for the next few weeks till 3rd Dec.

I know its going to be tough..

It is never easy to navigate through.
I need that mental toughness with me very soon.
and the strength from Him.
I need that little push of motivation for me to pull through.
For that nine days of survival.
I need to overcome the hunger and pain.
The isolation and the rain.

I want to make my parents proud.

Having that badge across my chest.

One is already down from the 13 Melayu-s Band of Brothers in Echo Wing. I hope there's no more.

Updates

Wow.. that's a month since i last post an entry.

Something which have been VERY long due is, Hari Raya!

Its was very demoralising with the fact that i need to book-in that first day itself by 2200hrs.

I insisted on my family to continue jalan raya while i go home myself but they decide to go home early anyway, and i guess we went to only two house-visitings.

Well, the baju kurung was bought by my mom. She bought it herself coz i didnt have time to buy for myself in the first place. Its NICE.. but its abit kuch kuch hota hey though.

I did manage to squeeze my 3rd weekend to go out with my fellow CCKsian and PJCian peeps. In both occasions, its either i came freakin' late (7pm i mean. haha) due to my late bookout, OR leave early due to my early book-in timing. Its really frustrating but of coz.. its all about SACRIFICES.

Im trying to think of what else to write other than ARMY life, but i can't man. That's the only thing that has been revolving my life now.

WELL, 4 weeks done in Pro Term now and i will be going to Brunei very soon on 13th Nov. That will be about 2-3 weeks time? Yeah.. and ohh Thailand too in January. That will be a total of two months stint overseas trainings.

I have always been feeling strong, excited and raring to go for the challenges ahead but also, deep inside, homesickness tend to settle in me too. I remember exactly how low i felt during the first two week in Pulau Tekong and also the first few days in OCS. The morale was so low to the extent that i had high fever( if im not wrong 39.8C) and i had to be given IV drip for few days.

"Soldiers are meant to be fit, but what makes the difference from the others is their MENTAL STRENGTH."

That was what my dad always remind me whenever i felt low in camp, and his words have motivate me all these while.

OK.. Maybe i should share some glimpse of my 4 weeks here so far in Pro Term.

The first would be.. i was chosen for Cadet Platoon Commander(CPC) on the first day on Pro Term and not only that, i had to carry out that responsibilities for 4 weeks! overtime sey.. coz it was suppose to be 3 weeks max. darah up man.. haha. but it was a good lesson for me coz it made me ON ALERT anywhere, anytime.

The other would be during Urban Operation exercise whereby we need to do a swift attacks to buildings. I was called a hero (haha!) by my officers coz of some reason or another. Its difficult to explain it here but basically, i did some things which should not be done due to the risk but i did the right thing. aisey man! haha.

Ohh ya, the other day(2 weeks ago if im nt wrong) i went to play a field soccer match for Hafiz's team, my close friend from cckss. I remember coming late(bgn lmbt sey.. due to late book-out the previous nite), and the team i was supposed to play for was 2 goals down. and what do you know?! Khairul Ruzaini came to the rescue! haha. and match ended 6-3 with me scoring 4 goals. hahaha.

OK.. I have to go now. 2200hrs is the book-in timing and i need to prepare the same ol' stuffs again and i'll be back by next monday.

Take care my fellow readers. :)

End of Service Term + Block Leave!

Its been more than a month the last time i've blogged!

To start with, i've just completed my Service Term in OCS. And on wednesday we just had our 24 +6km route march and we've gotten our SENIOR BAR! With that, im now having my block leave till monday morning and there, starts the Professional Term for the next 5 months. What surprised me was how much i have persevered throughout this holy month of fasting. Although there were 6D5N field camp, with the inconsistent weather between scorching hot and freakingly cold, and the endless digging of shellscrap and fire trenches, im still fasting without any premature breaking of fast so far. Alhamdullilah. :)

ANYWAY, we had Social Nite' as part of the event at the end of our service term. I would say it was OK. The performances were good and the food were nice, but i was hoping the games would be more exciting though. Whatever it is, that night was supposed to be for us to become a GENTLEMEN lah katekan, and it was compulsory for us to bring along a date. And soo.. as spoiler as i have always been, i decide to bring along my sister!

Yi Long, me and the China man Liu Bo.

Ikhtiar, who almost wear the same outfit as me except the white belt.

The chocolate fondue was nice..

And yesterday was my first time playing at Kallang The Cage for a soccer kick-around with my platoon mates. It was full of fun, even our CPT Clarence joined in even though his wife is heavily pregnant back home! i wonder if i would to that too next time. haha.

NEXT TEAM!

After that i met up with my fellow sec sch mates who wanted to break fast together, and we had it in BAGUS in IMM. haha quite pathetic considering we can go to some better places to eat. haha but NEVER MIND.

It was great to meet them again to catch-up with one another and with the fact that i was the only one serving NS now, i feel abit older sey.. haha. feeling keabang-keabangan katekan.

AND TODAY, i just came back with my family from ANGSANA in JB to do some last min shopping for Hari Raya. I didn't really buy for myself, since i've already bought my Baju Kurung from Geylang last week, and so i decide to buy some pirated PS2 games instead! hahaha its been awhile i did that. Only my mom and sis were very active in shopping and i can't do much but to relaks one corner...

Its been awhile since i last make those random expressions. haha.

Preparation for Hari Raya is been good so far. My parents decide to renovate some things in the house like the lightings and the toilets. And me and my bro helping out with the painting of house. I realized that EVERY YEAR without fail my family has always been changing the colours of the walls! SEMANGAT Hari Raya beb...

Sadly, i won't have much time to go out with my family and friends for Hari Raya gatherings, because i will only be available on the first day of Hari Raya and the consecutive Saturdays. So.. my friends out there, KIRIM SALAM jelah dari saya!

Just in case if i didn't get the chance to say this..

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my fellow readers..

SELAMAT HARI RAYA.

MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN. :)

take care.

SISPEC BSLC: From Private to Corporal

After 8 weeks period in SISPEC BSLC, it was finally over and done with. Everyone was rushing to go off for their respective vocations and it was such a waste that we didn't have the time to say a proper goodbye and well-wishes.

Alhamdullilah.. i would say the course has been smooth-sailing for me throughout. I've made dozens of friends, but alot of close ones too especially my platoon mates; Rayyan, Silas, Jack, Hady, etc.. my best bed-buddy Junan and not to forget my arab PJC bro Syed Segaff!

I would say Hotel Company has really groomed me into a better person, both physically and mentally. I felt so much fitter now after those 4km runs every morning, and also handling the pressure and responsibilites as the Leader Platoon Sergeant (LPS).

It was such a honour and bonus for me to have my contributions recognized, and that, initially it was annouced i was in the top 5 in the platoon. Few days later, the LPS for the day came up to the whole platoon, "Guys, after the analysis of IPPT results, theory tests and peer appraisal, your Platoon Best is Khairul Ruzaini."

It was such a pleasant surprise, and before i knew it, i was asked to go for the OC interview for the selection of Company Best. i tried my best though, but my impromptu technical handling tests didnt go well and so i got the Company 2nd Best. A good achievement for someone who didnt dare to dream to become the best at first.

What was in my mind was simple: Have the right mentality and do my best.

And that was exactly what i said when i was interviewed for the OCS-crossover selection. 10 panel judges against 7 potential candidates. Everyone was trying their best to sell themselves and i gave a simple, yet maybe too humble for an answer. There was one part i even included in on how much i was inspired to follow the steps of Leftenan Adnan. haha. abit corny but i thought i gave the perfect answer. Thankfully, i was the 28 chosen out of the 42 who went for the interview.

From a Platoon Best, to Company 2nd Best and now here am i, going through Cadet Conversion Course (CCC) for my preparation to OCS, it has brought me so far beyond my boundaries that i've never dream about. A different and a long route maybe, but i hope it won't put off my spirit.

In addition, we had our 28km route march on thursday night till the next morning, and immediately we rushed off for the graduation parade. It was such a honour for me to have the Corporal rank on my no.4 from the CO himself who is a Lieutenant-Colonel, and what's more important and memorable was that i was standing in front of the whole company getting the Platoon Best award.
I felt the closing stages of the course was going rapidly fast and at one point of time, i was still unsure and asking myself whether this was a reality or just a dream. It takes me some time to grasp what's going on.

Nevertheless, here am i preparing for my next phase of my NS life. BMT days are over, SISPEC BSLC just ended, and now 2 weeks of preparation and off to work towards my dream for my lieutenant rank for the next 7 months. It is long way to go, but im sure it will be worthwhile.


They were no parents invited to take our pictures during our graduation parade, so.. that's the reason why this entry is lacking of pictures. This is the best i can get. hurhur.

Anyway, take care my fellow readers. :)

Weekends

I've come to realized that i've been going out quite often every weekend. Army days really take the leisure off me(and to the rest of NSF out there) so we'll tend to make full use of our time off.

Yesterday, the plan was to attend my first driving theory lesson and go out with the PJC mats for some jamming or playing pool. YES im taking my driving licence now! :) However, got a call from Firdaus, my close buddy back in CCKSS, to visit the CCKSS food and fun fair. I was reluctantly initially coz its been 3 years i've graduated! confirm the teachers there won't remember me, i thought. and also bcos of the time constraint since i was rushing for the afternoon lesson. Did went for it, but merely for 20mins so i didn't really manage to talk to my former teachers.

Rushed for the lesson immediately after that and met with the guys. We went to the MI mart opposite PS and planned to watch The Mummy but as expected, it was fully reserved! hai.. and had our dinner at Mackenzie Rex restaurant. my first time there though and i would say the chicken rice is superb! do go and try it.





Today was equally fun too coz i had my first mini bike run at Tampines. Initial plan was to play at Kallang but due to time contraints, we stopped for breakfast in Tampines and play at some multi-story carpark. haha asal main rembat je. But it was fun man!
The funny thing was.. i went very fast with that bike, probably due to the fact that im quite light, compare to Anuar. haha!
At one point, we imagined ourselves racing in F1 and anuar 'lost' bcos his engine died just at the beginning of the 'race'. hahaha.

Got to go!
An hour more to book in. Take care guys!

3 more weeks to pass out!

its been very tiring nowadays. i guess this is where the honeymoon period is over. hurhur

i managed to sleep at most 4 hours for this entire week. we had our 4D3N field camp in lim chu kang and a live section firing on friday. With an additional responsibility of being the LPS(leader platoon sergeant), it'd made the situation tougher.

THANKFULLY, i've come out one piece this week. And with all the drills and exercises we had in the dirty wet outfield, that also means more clothings need to be brought home for washing. nice lah..

anyway, yesterday went out with my arab buddy, segaff. The initial plan was to meet at 5(am) to avoid the traffic (and ERP) to have our breakfast(well.. in NS we are trained to eat early breakfast. haha) at the newly-opened Changi Airport T3. but the fact that we bookout late and reached home at 1am on sat morning, we ended up meeting for lunch at IMM. brought along anuar and syazzie for a walk in town too and anuar almost got his PS3 from the arcade machine in Bugis Junction. i think he's frust now considering he's just a block away from that ultimate price. haha.

later in the evening, went out with my family for the Perkumpulan Seni dance and drama in Republic Poly. quite an interesting one although the dancers did quite a no. of glaring stumbles.

and that was yesterday. This morning i was invited for a friendly match at west view pri, and to think about how karat i've been so far, it was such a surprise i can still scored 4 goals and assist the other 2 in a thrilling match which ended 7-4. haha! guessed im physically much better now from all the army regimes.

and the funny thing was.. i was soo shagged that even when i had my haircut just now, i felt asleep! For a couple of times, the barber had to adjust my head coz my head kept bobbing up and down. and when it was finally done, he asked me, " tired eh? ok im done.. u can go home and sleep now." and he laughed. haha kurang asam betul..

Another tiring week im expecting to come with Wanderers(navigation test in Lower Mandai), IPPT and 3D2N Grandslam field camp. let's go...

Photo of the week: Its me on segaff's mini motor-racing. u don't need licence to race with this bike!

Do you know?

Yahoo the complex internet organism has complicated name. Word \"Yahoo\" is shortcut for \"Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle\"

Best Week of NS Life.. So Far.

Yes Spain won! Though i've predicted Germany to win, i actually wanted Spain to win it. SO THATS OK. :)

This 2nd week of ARMY life in Pasir Laba was filled with theory and practical tests. There were theory test in TSR(Training Safety Regulations), practical tests in techical handling of the latest weapons SAR-21, GPMG SAW, ARMBRUST METADOR and not forgetting the navigation exercise. Im glad that i've cleared all the tests well. :)

Friday we had our first IPPT, and im thankful my fitness from Tekong is still here in Pasir Laba. and because of that $200 extra for this month! :)

And of coz the higlight of this week would be the SISPEC's Sports Day!

There were basically 5 sports to participate for; Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Tug-O-War and Route Relay. A week before i was chosen as the Soccer I/C so as to gather the best players from the company to participate in the 9-a-side inter-company tournament. I was given only 14 slots for the team but there was at least 17 players to choose from and so, i had such a dilemma to drop 3 of them.

Anyway, it was for the benefit for the team and i had to made that decisive choice. That night before the actual event, our CSM(Company Sergeant Major) called up the respective sports captain for an urgent meeting. He wanted to know which sports has the most confidence to win because there's this 'Joker Card', which will double the points for the sports we bet on it. When he asked me, i told him, "We'll try our best, but i do not want to put that pressure on the team". And that, the 'Joker Card' was given to the Basketball team.

Hotel Company, where i belong to, was the Defending Champion for the previous Sport's Day, and so, the expectation was high. However, soccer was never a forte for us, and so we're the underdogs. Charlie, Bravo, Juliet and Kilo company are the top 4 favourites. I decide to give them a peace of mind and told them "try your best, have fun do our company proud". I used what i've learnt from the years of experience from Football Manager(haha!) to come up with a formation and strategy so as everyone in the team can compliment with each other's abilites. Just after we settled down at the granstand, it was announced,"First match of the day, Hotel company vs Bravo company!"

The strategy i came up with. ITS OK IF YOU DON"T UNDERSTAND! haha

Quarter Final:

My close buddy from PJC, Redzuan was in Bravo and i was happy to meet him once again for a game. The 1st half we were pushed back all the way deep into our penalty box because we hadn't really settled down and get our momentum. 2nd half was better when we had some glittering chances but spurned it, including one which hit the post. And it ended 0-0, PENALTY SHOOTOUT and we won! in which i missed mine. hai..

Semi Final:

That was when we finally played beautiful football! we played against Golf company and we dominated the whole match. The first goal came when i started the counter-attack and dribbled from halfway line and assisted Kanu, our left milfielder for a tap in. i scored the 2nd goal after we did another swift counter-attack! 2-0 the final score. :)

FINALS!:

I was nervous yet quietly confident that we can win, but Juliet company has some of the best individual talents, ranging from club players and national U-18 player. I told the team before the game "Guys we've come this far, and we've exceed our expectation, let's finish this off!"

First half we dominated the match, but 2nd half was a hard-fought one. It was such a demoralising moment when 5 mins to the final whistle, they scored! It was a miscommuication in the team and they took that chance. Determined, we quickly took the kick-off and before i knew it, i earned a freekick for the team. Rayyan, our right midfielder, took it and scored! The match went on for the next few mins with us spurning one chances after another, and it ended 1-1. to PENALTY SHOOTOUT!

The penalty rule is that there will only be three kicks for each side. I was not confident to take it(since i missed mine during the 1st match), but the team insisted that captain should! I agreed but i told them im taking the last one coz i was really hoping that we would finish the shootout fast and not to dragged it till the last kicker!

1st kicker from Juliet: That U18 National player scored!

1st kicker from Hotel: Roland, our ex-VJC centre back scored!

2nd kicker from Juliet: Saved!

2nd kicker from Hote: Rayyan Saved!

3rd kicker from Juliet: Saved!

And Kanu, turned to me, "its all up to you man."

I was so nervous that i can feel the body stiffened! As walked to the penalty spot, i didnt look up, placed the ball and adjusted my socks to buy some time for me to calm down. As i take the 3 step backwards( yes i count it!), i saw the keeper was praying i guess, placing both hands over his mouth looking down, then look up and started jumping around and waving his arms. For once, suddenly i feel the goalpost is so small! Flash of memories appeared upon me about how Terry missed the penalty during the Champions League Final between Manutd and Chelsea. and there's similarity to it. Our team was wearing blue, i being the captain, and taking that decisive penalty kick!

I didnt plan where to slot that ball, i didnt even think what kind of celebration to do IF i do score. i ran up and sidefooted it...

AND

SCOREEE!!

My mind was blank momentarily, and the next thing i knew i was running back to my team, screaming in joy! They jumped over me and gave me one of the gay-est hug i ever had! hahaha. the rest of the 200 company mates ran into the field and joined in with the excitement. I won't blame anyone if from afar, you mistaken it for a Euro 08 victory! haha.

This trophy will remind me how much the team worked hard for it.

Moments after that, CSM came up to me personally to congratulate over the team's success. I was delighted for the team as we overcame the odds, worked hard for each other, team spirit, the never-say-die attitude, and as what people always say,

thats the TRUE UNDERDOG STORY.

EURO 2008: My Prediction

Man.. my two favourite teams are out, Portugal and Netherland.
Nvm.. im supporting Spain now!



I hope to see more of this celebrations from David Villa.
But somehow i have this feeling Germany may nick it in the end.



And this guy, Michael Ballack, will play a significant role to their success. Who's up for it?

NEXT: SISPEC Pasir Laba

Went to my cousin's wedding the other day.
And he's married to a Penang 18-year-old girl, now my cousin-in-law Aisyah.


The Bride & Groom of the day.


My family, without my dad who was on overseas trip.


Yes! I spoilt this picture. haha

I was wondering why he, who is well-built and good-looking working as a SCDF DART team commander, decide to marry a decent, low-profile girl when he can just go for any singaporean girl. No offence to aisyah bcos both of them are perfectly meant for each other. :)
So I interviewed him the other day, and he replied it short and sweet,
"Singaporean girls are high-maintenance. Hard to please them."

haha. NO COMMENT.
But of cos that's only a generalisation. Im sure there's plenty of girls out there who is doesn't fall into that category. No worries.

And man.. I was posted to SISPEC.
My cousins were like "Woah thats good. SISPEC is for those who did well for studies and physical trainings!" and they were explaining to my aunties, before i knew it, compliments and praises coming in.
haha THANK YOU i felt better.
So off tomorrow to Pasir Laba.

*Another shot for that chance*

Quotes from BMT days

Some of the memorable quotes/conversations i'll remember from my BMT days..

"Give a pat on the shoulder of the person on your left and tell him,
'If u cannot sing, don't sing!
Give a pat on the shoulder of the person on your right and tell him,
'If u cannot take it, just fall out. Don't pull down the whole platoon. The safety rover is always on standby. Don't waste its petrol."
- Sgt Joel, during route marches.

"When i ask u all to squeeze, u better squeeze fast.
When your movement is slow, i will be angry.
When i am angry, i will ask u all to squeeze and spread and squeeze and spread.
When u all keep on doing squeeze and spread, u will be tired.
When u all are tired, your movement will be slow.
When your movement is slow, i will be angry..." - Sgt Hozefa, during our routine exercise regime.

"Captain Roger: Is your name really TEA?
TEA: Yes
CR: Yes? that's all you can say??
TEA: Yes INDEED.
CR: So you're saying my rank is INDEED?!
TEA: oh sorry, Yes SIR!"

"You don't want to polish ur boots right?! Nevermind push-up position down! down,down,down,down..
Some of you don't want to count right?! Nevermind crunches position change! up,up,up,up,up,up...
Still don't want to do properly right?! Nevermind jumping jacks position ready! 16 counts of 40!"
- Platoon Sgt Joe Wee, during inspection of attire.

"Look around you now.. sound off if anyone making any pussy sounds or showing pussy faces, just ask them to fall out!" - Sgt Joel, during breaks in route marches.

Just ended our Ability Group Run(AGR)...
Sir: Guys, you all feel shag anot?
Recruits: Yes sir.
Sir: Well, whenever u feel shag, u shld turn and look behind.
We all turned around, and we saw the singapore flag.
Sir: Whenever you all feel shag, just look at the flag. Remind yourself why you are here in the first place, then you wont feel so shag.
Haha patriotism!

SGT Joel: Guys, when you jump off the ramp later, shout a girl's name that you like.
The rest of us: Felicia Chin!
SGT Joel: knock it down 20.
and we've realized that she's was his. In his dream at least.

POP Oh!

Orion contingent arrived.


I was so glad both of them were there to witness it.

I feel a little weird as im typing these words out.
Its been more than 2 months ago since my last entry, and i should say NS made the brain function slower than usual.

Anyway, tuesday ago, it was such an emotional yet enjoyable moment I had as soon the MC officially announced, "Presenting to you, the TRAINED SOLDIERS!" And i knew finally, BMT days are over.

Im glad that i've made it through the tough trainings, long runs, several route marches and going up and down the standard obstacles. Not to forget, the endless 'knock-it down'!
During the 9 weeks being stranded in Pulau Tekong, I've gained (better) discipline, time management, armed combat experiences and of cos.. friendship.

It started with 51 of us in a platoon but 4 got injured and went out of course.

We experienced the ups and downs together, for example. being punished to go up and down the from 1st to 3rd level of our company building several times for falling in late. Countless sets of push-up to crunches to jumping jacks just because the minority didnt polish their boots.

On a positive note, we managed to get our 'revenge' on the sergeants and officers on the last night before we POP. It was like a night war, going on the whole night till 1am, drenching them up with a super-combo mixture of water, camo cream, prickly powder, toothpaste, detergent, combat rations and anything you can think of. HAHAHA.

Some of the highlights of my BMT:

Firstly, i had my rifle stunned by my sergeant during field camp! It was such a demoralising moment for me because i was so tired that i didnt sling the rifle properly before going to sleep. And barely 10mins, i woke up and realized i was hugging nothing but myself. Confinement for the week. Nice..

Secondly, I had the best timing for shuttle-run in ORION company! And I did it consistently thoroughout the 3 IPPT tests. :) Not only that, im happy to announce that im one of the 25 gold medallist for IPPT out of the 200 recruits in the company. aisey man.. haha.

And lastly, im pleasantly surprised that i was selected for the Drill Squad. Basically that's the so-called regimental marching and precision rifling. 60 recruits were interested initally but they wanted only 30. So they cut down, choosing the best 30, and i was one of them! haha lucky me. And you know me.. i was a total noob in marching before this, and to come this far, im happy for myself. To think about it.. the other 29 were previously from various non-uniform groups and i've been living with only soccer and malay cultural society. haha. We did decently well though, came in 4th in the drill squad competition.

The siblings.

Orion Platoon 2.

He's the man. Our platoon sergeant and section commander, 3rd SGT Joe Wee.

Nicely taken photo. We tossed the quietest guy in the whole platoon, Kumar!

Though he can be irritating at times, he is cute in some ways.

AND PRESENTING TO YOU! Army life can turn you gay..

Personal discretion is advised.

Here's a video basically sums up everything on my POP day. Enjoy!

And for now, im having my 2 weeks break before im posted to my new unit. In the meantime, im badly in need for a rest!