I came across Southern Ridges Trail when I was reading something and decided to go exploring it. I had plans for a while, but never put in into place, and what better time to do it than during block leave?

So I roped in Derek and Kok with me. They did their research beforehand so I just turned up and followed :P

It starts from West Coast McDonald, cutting through NUS, entering into Hort Park before reaching the nice looking bridges between Kent Ridge and Mount Faber. It conveniently ends at Vivocity, so it's a perfect trail if you're looking for comfort after a 3.5hr hike.

So yea, Mount Faber - conquered.

The Mount is so misleading. It's like I've conquered a mountain. Except this mountain is 100m above sea level and has fancy restaurants on the summit.

I went down to check out NUS-NTU AstroChallenge as a spectator, after 5 years as a competitor. Actually, I was there because I had nothing cheaper and better to do during my block leave. It's the longest 'holiday' I'm going to have for the next 2 years, and I'm not going to spend it stuck in my house.

I was expecting a top 3 performance from BP, and an appearance in the finals for ACJC. I'm not that demanding, you know.

In the end, NUSH was third, RGS was second. I thought it was a déjà vu moment, because RI don't usually get knocked out of top 3. But BP won, and I'm happy for them. As for ACJC, they made it to the finals, so that's some results to show for their work.

The day when you graduate from The Island was crazily fun and exhilarating. Excluding your platoon mates, it's difficult to find someone who felt exactly the same because everyone went through very different experiences on The Island (I'm smiling at you, Kok).

Being the medically unfit lot of us, we don't get a parade, and our parents don't get invited to see us (and hence no camera to photowhore). So we improvised by getting someone to bring a camera and we had our photos taken at where we got off the bus.

Looking at the photo again, calling it 'exhilarating' would be a slight understatement. There was a weeny bit of sadness, because we won't be playing Risk or chess in our bunks anymore. We do miss the times we get to slack, and how we would spend it talking cock. That's life for you, I guess.

Prelude: I'm binded by the Official Secrets Act, but it covers only official info and not my thoughts and feelings so I suppose I'm fine with writing and blogging this confinement period to get me through. If there is any problems, please inform me.

I'm writing this on the back of a piece of paper of things-to-pack, 'cos I didn't pack any other pieces of paper. It will be something like the Prison Diaries by Jeffrey Archer, except that's it is about army and much less detailed.

Oh yea, my bad for being slow in posting, I kept forgetting about this.

24 Apr: Day 1 - Goodbye World
2225: First day was just depressing. I'm guessing it is missing my hair, family and freedom all rolled into one that turned me off. Kok witnessed my hair being shaved. I saw XJ when I went over to his school for dinner. Both of us were pretty surprised 'cos we weren't expecting to see each other.

25 Apr: Day 2 - Back To School
2359: Everything is so regimental, but it's already 29mins past bedtime. I was talking to my section mates all the way during free time, got to know the people who I will be sleeping in the same room for the next 7 weeks. Oh damn, someone is shouting lights out.

26 Apr: Day 3 - Is This The Real Life?
1400: Free time till 1600. Awesome. Just saw HuaiCe, he's staying in the block opposite mine. Regimental life suck.
1530: Sergeant just gave us a army journal book to write in. I'm sticking to this piece of paper. Writing on that book makes it as though my writing is an idea from army. It's not.
2030: Free time till lights out at 2230. 13 days to book out day.

27 Apr: Day 4 - The Food is Okay la
2230: No admin time. Tmr there's a survey regarding food in the canteen. Some auntie came over to psycho us into giving it the best grade. No attempt was made to hide her intent. Her company is probably paid bonuses based on the survey.

28 Apr: Day 5 - I Have TWO Guns Now
2154: 24mins after lights out. Couldn't sleep again. Writing on my bed by torchlight. Received our rifle in a rather tribal-like ceremony this morning while it was still dark. I saw Sagittarius and the core part of the Milky Way while we were sitting down there before the ceremony. Confirmed it with my bunkmate who's into Astronomy too. It's a pretty awesome sight. The rating for the sky here is right between mainland SG and Mersing. Tmr is IPPT and it will be the most strenous day yet.

29 Apr: Day 6 - We're Sitting Here and Talking Cock
2200: Free time since 1600. I thought my 2.4km timing was bad, by there's a lot who have worse timings.
P.S. 7 people in my platoon passed IPPT. I'm one of the 7 :D

30 Apr: Day 7 - I'm Getting Fat
2225: More free time. My platoon is so bored, we're voluntarily doing more rifle drills to perfect it. It is actually rather fun. Anyway, I'm not judging my BMT period based on confinement period. Oh, and my platoon haven't been 'tekan' yet.

1 May: Day 8 - Countdown Begins!
2225: Nothing much to write about, except 7 days left to booking out!

2-5 May: Day 9-12 - One of My Guns Went Live
5 May, 2220: Went for live shooting at the range for 4 days. Almost no time to write during this period. Sergeants were very tense, because there are some idiots who don't seem to understand safety procedures. Anyway, I'm now a bobo both in CS and in real life.
The entire afternoon of day 3, and whole day of day 4 was free for me; other platoons shooting for day 3, and reshooting for bobo for day 4. The officer showed us a movie on the evening of Day 4. For 2 hours I felt like I was back in SG, watching a show in a theatre. It felt good.

6 May: Day 13 - Alert!
2225: We had our first ever stand by area. Found out we're booking out at 1615 on the 8th while our OC was scolding us (he was threatening to delay it). Everyone was in awesome mood after the scolding.

7 May: Day 14 - I'm High
Tomorrow is a book out day
Book out book out
Tomorrow is a book out day
Book out book out day hey!

8 May: Day 14 - BOOK OUT
Mega spring cleaning today. Turned the bunk upside down, mopped the floor, wiped the top of the fan and everything. Book out day was awesome. Everyone was high. Woo!

It's my turn to report to Tekong. In 729 days, I'm going to be a free man. I think I'll do a countdown thingy on the sidebar after I survive the 2 weeks confinement.

That's all for now, so long.

Click for clearer version

I saw this on Sunday papers, and I took out my pen and did some Math. It's like the fun-based Math homework you once did when you were in lower primary.

Answer: [PAIGEFOXISBADATMATH]

It was as wide as my palm.

Last game was on the 9th. Kenneth is MIA again. Oh, and did I mention my sprained ankle?

Good luck to all enlisting on Mon/Tue, I'll be joining you guys in 2 weeks. That's the last you'll see of my long hair too, I had it trimmed today.

I've been waking up at 8am almost every weekday for the last few weeks (yes, I know, surprise surprise surprise, DW is not in bed in morning) to kick a ball with a bunch of people.

It's contributing to my physical wellness for NS: running trains cardio, pushing people improves strength, and spraining my ankle twice in 2 months helps in bluffing the sergeant.

Keeping in line with the string of "last X before NS", we went to have our last dinner. We have it on good money that Tekong does not have sushi in its menu (maguro sashimi field ration anyone?), so we went to Sakae's buffet dinner to eat our fill.

At the end of 4 months of freedom, and you're slapped with reality of NS in 5 days time, everyone acts like it's the end of their life.

Or simply because we over-ordered and is turned off by the potential wastage charge.

We weren't exactly the best patrons, and raucous would be a really nice way to describe us. Getting slapped with extra charges from the manager was quite possible. But whatever. When it's time for last orders, we ate the dessert, paid up quickly and disappeared, before they clear the plates and decide on any surcharges.

Good soccer, better dinner, best company.

I tried a bit of photoshop work (oh yea, I'm bored), it didn't come out that well but I had nothing else to post. Photos were from the BBQ at Ivan's place.

I'm still alive, but counting down to NS. It's like counting down to your death day (in some sense), you can understand yea?