Last day.

28th Feburary 2006.

Today is the last official day for me in Bedok Camp. Finally... After so long... I'm out...

Tomorrow marks a new beginning. 1st March 2006.

Here I come!

Hope everything will go well there.

Guitar lesson 2

Guitar lesson today again. Not sure if I am doing the right thing... as in I went in without preparing anything and teach them whatever comes along. Actually I think it works fine so far, cos most of them are beginners and will learn just about all I teach. Haha. But maybe I should come up with a more systematic approach. Then we will not waste other people's (i.e. the student's) time also.

I need more male students!!! My students are all females again today. Got a few comments already... "Guojun, you going to be surrounded by girls again!" and "Guojun, you are so lucky!!"

Eh... Sigh... I dun teach guitar to get to know girls lah... Think I'm kinda past that phase already.. Haha. (read old) Oh ya, to answer JX: no lah, I'm still in the army. Am teaching guitar for free. Teaching guitar how to earn as much as working in the SAF? Haha.

What else happened this weekend? I banged my car at the back bumper on friday. Its the worst hit yet. Got one humongous crack at the back of my car now. *Heart pain! And I spend one afternoon repairing and restoring an old and worn out guitar. The 1st time I did this. Heehee, was so proud of myself. Maybe I can be a guitar luthier after I retired. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of the guitar before I gave it away.

Got 2 bottles of wine this week. Never had anybody given me wine in my life, then suddenly I got 2 within a week! Maybe I can start becoming a alchoholic. Heehee.

Posting out next week? Not 100% confirmed yet... I really hope so... Crossing my fingers...

XXXXXX

Haha.

Finally, I'm back again.

This week is a tad less busy, cos I will be posting out soon. (99% confirm lah) Suppose to be 1st March to report to my new unit but then, my posting order is not out yet.

I invited the guys to my place for dinner on Wed. The guys as in my WHOLE Company, all 50+++ of them. Its sort of a farewell party for myself before I get posted out. Lucky my house big enough to hold all of them. And they get to enjoy the food cooked by my mother. Which happens to be very good!!

And some of the guys get to play with my guitars. And I must say, some of them are very good! Like Alfred, which knows all the Metallica songs. I am not even an amatuer in front of them; I'm like a beginner!

Other things that happen this week? Hmm.. Went on the National Education Tour, Lion's Trail on Monday. Visited the new Supreme Court. It looked very mordern and cool, but I think it lost the traditional touch.

Nothing much for Tue and Wed. Met my cell leader for dinner on Thursday. Just for dinner and chit chat. This is actually the very 1st time I do this kind of thing in my life - to go out with my leader and have dinner, initiated by me somemore. Nothing much, just talked and get to know each other better, I think.

Sleep through friday and am currently doing duty on Saturday in my camp now. Haha.

Thats all more now. Hopefully I got time for more frequent updates when I get posted to my new unit! Yeah!

Of Cars and Guitars

Gave my 1st guitar lesson to my SM2 today. Had a lot of fun lah, cos I like playing guitar. But the turn out is not what I expected... 6 girls and ZERO guys!!! Sigh... I dun think I can really handle 06 x 18 year old girls by myself. Anybody volunteer to help? I think I need a lady helper. Ha! I had one initially, but she backed out in the last minute.

I supposed to have 2 guys students as well, but 1 backed out to concentrate on basketball, and the other forgot about the class today!! Hopefully next week's lesson will be better! Heehee, cannot wait liao. Guitar playing is so much more fun when you play together with other people. Best if there are other instruments, like drums and piano, but playing with other guitars is just as fun.

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Was at Funan Centre yesterday, where one of my students wanted to buy her guitar. Carpark was full and there is scarcely a empty lot in sight. Finally, I saw this car that was moving out of its space. So I turned on my hazard light and waited by the side. Then suddenly, this black Mazda 3 just cut in and take up the slot. Argh! Then the driver came out with this look as if he own the world and he can do what he want.

I. IS. SO. NOT. HAPPY.

I took a picture of the accursed car.

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I met Her today. After so long... She said "hi".. I said "hi" back..

Belated pictures

Eh... Here are the photos from Josh's Bday last week. Heehee, one week late liao...

This is the surprise look on Josh's face when he arrived home. Ya, we planned a surprised birthday party for him. Its a bit dark though, cos the light is at the back.


Josh and his bday card....

And his bday cake.... cos he like to play tennis..


Happy Bday Josh. May God bless you abundantly.

On forgiveness

I dun really like to update my blog only once a week. But time and space does not allow me for more frequent entries.

A quick weekly update...
Basically, my company supported a Full Troop Exercise for a Battalion where we played enemy to them. Had a lot of fun and even managed to "win" them, even though we had only 20 people to fight one Company (about 100 ppl). Heehee. I think my guys are hysterical when we won! Haha.

Exercise finished on Thursday 0000 hrs and I dun get to sleep until 4am. But over all was fun. Had the rest of the week doing nothing but rest and recuperation, and played some games.

This week is also Sanctification Week for church, where we come together and pray and set ourselves apart for God for this year. I had to miss the 1st few sessions cos I was away at Lim Chu Kang.

Just want to take note of yesterday's session, where Pastor talked about communion and forgiveness. I know that message was for me because even before I went into church I met the people I need to forgive. That is why I was so quiet the whole time during church last night.

Forgiveness is not easy. Especially when the hurt is deep, and the other party did not show remorse or regret. But it had to be done. Because bearing the grudge only imprison my soul and spirit, while the other party goes on partying. Hated is a burden to heavy for the human shoulders to bear, and the heart of stone brings judgment only to the self. Anger and malice shrivel the soul who bears them unceasingly. Forgiveness is the only key to set the spirit free.

But most importantly, God forgave our sins, and Jesus died for us while we were still His enemies.

So I did. I forgave.

Note:

Happy Birthday Josh!

On 12 February... every year.

Pictures and thoughts to be up later. Very lazy now.

Yeah! Family Day!

Had a nice weekend today.

Spend the 1st half of the day at Sentosa for our 7SIB CNY cum Family Day celebration. Which was very fun. Although we stayed there from 9am to 2pm, it doesn't feel like we stayed so long there.

As usual, we were the organising party for the Bde this year. But this year's was much better done than the last. Everybody, including the children, all had fun today. Here's the pictures to prove it:


The Officers of BRC. And the organizing committee for the Family Day!


The 3 beautiful angels who helped made the event a success. Haha.


Oeii!!!


The winners of Tug of War... BRC! Help Lah!!!!!!!!

Then after Sentosa I went to meet my SM2s at Funan Centre. They had an activity in the morning but I was unable to join them because of the family day. So I went down to meet them after that. Was so disappointed that only 4 of them turn up in the end. *sob*

One of them, Huang Yi, wanted to learn guitar so I brought her to buy one. As usual, I recommended Takamine's G 230 at Davis, which I think it's a wonderful guitar for a beginner. I recommend this guitar whenever people tell me that they want to learn guitar. The only draw back is that it cost $200, which is a tad expensive for some people.

After that we went to Swensons for some gourmet ice cream, where I discovered that Huang Yi's birthday is next week! So we ordered one Fire House Happy Birthday for her. Wahaha!

Birthday girl and her birthday.. er.. ice cream.

Home sweet home (burnt out)

Its been a while since I got home. Ha! Think my parents misses me quite a bit. But it can't be helped. Cos need to work mah. Hopefully things will get a bit better in a couple of week's time.

I am tired. And feeling a little aimless now. Haha. Feel like not doing anything, or rather, I don't feel like doing anything now. But then I don't feel like going to sleep either. TV is showing the HK show on Ch 8. But I don't feel like watching TV either.

Sorry if I sounded whiney... just wanna release some stress for now. Maybe I should go and play my guitar.. or something... But then I can't get any inspiration.

Maybe I should just stare at the LCD monitor and stone...

Haven't been watching the movies for a while. Am thinking of watching something this weekend.. or not? I get turn off when I think of the crowd I have to battle if I try and catch a movie on the weekend. Was thinking maybe I want to watch the Johnny Cash movie.

I am like so lack of drive now... Hopefully will get recharged after the weekend...

Oh ya, I forgot. Thanks Dawn for your concern. I have recovered since that night. And thank you for your continual support for my blog. And Shantay Serene, if you are still reading this, thank you for your comment also. It was very encouraging.

Be the Man! Do The Right Thing!

Updated to change the format a bit, and added in the Chinese characters.

Been a bit drained lately. Not sure if it is the work load, or the constant tension level, or just plain lack of sleep. Right now, I just feel rather burnt out.

I need some time for myself. At times like these, I'd like to be left alone, except for chatting with a few close friends.

Writing on my blog is nice too. I think it has a soothing effect on my spirit, to just sit down and have my thoughts manifest as words and letters in front of me...

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"我只想做个好人" - I just want to be a good guy

My guys are watching 无间道II，"Internal Affairs II" in the same room as me as I am writing this now. I have not actually watched part 2 of the trilogy but I roughly know the story, and also that the line above was pivotal to the plot.

I want to be a good guy too. When I was young, I always thought that I was the good guy. Quiet, studious, obedient type. (at least I think so.. Haha) But as I grow older, I realised more and more, that I am not a good guy. I think I have a "bad" side, who is very capable of very bad things... Anywayz.

Actually, the Chinese "我只想做个好人" can be translated to either "I just want to be a good guy" or "I just want to be a nice guy". A "good" guy is very different from a "nice" guy, I believe. The nice guy does things that other people liked him to do. The good guy does what is right. It took me more than 20 years of my life to realised that, which shows how stupid I am.

Now, this is the difference: The nice guy aims to please people. The good guy aims to please God (or whatever kind of Absolute he believes in.)

I am a "nice" guy, and not really a "good" guy. I know because I always wants to please people as opposed to doing what is right. Pleasing people had always been the motivation of my actions, which is actually self defeating and an impossibility, cos you know that you cannot please everybody all the time.

I think I learnt about this weakness of mine about 3 years ago, when I start my career in the army. Whoever heard of an officer whose primary motivation is to please all his men? And so I had a very difficult 1st year in the force, both with my work and with my boss.

Anyway, I had come a long way from there and I have learn a lot in these couple of years. There is still much to learn in this life, and I thank God that He has always given me the chance, and not condemn me for who I am.

Sick.

Am... so... sick...

*pain!

Weekly update

Eh... din do much...

Impt/ things to note and remember...

Had Ben's wedding on Sat. Was great. Will post the pictures when I got them.

Had a very bad toothache for the past 3 days. So bad that I can't sleep at night. Until my friend suggested that I take Panodol before I sleep.

Very very pain. Will see the dentist tomorrow.

Had dinner with my Bde Comd today also.

Thats all. Very quick update. Cos tired, and no time.

Thanks for reading.

Who'd hear the echos of stories never told?

Echoes. They are the result of the reflection of sound. Sound comes out from a source, travels in a straight line, hits a hard surface and is reflected back to its source.

That is an echo. For there to be an echo, there must 1st be a sound.

Men need stories. Stories are food for the soul. Literature, whatever its form, is nourishment to the spirit. Read a good story and your soul will be edified. A bad story, like junk food, only serves to corrupt and destroy.

The greatest story has been told - The greatest King, the Ultimate Betrayal, the most Handsome Prince and His sacrifice, the return of His most beautiful Bride and the destruction of Deceiver. There is no love story that equals its intensity. If you have not read the story, go and get the book.

The story has been told countless times, repeated tirelessly. And it's prose echoes endlessly throughout the Universe. Those who have ears let him hear! Look around you. The echoes are everywhere. It's in the flowers and the rainbows, the bright blue skies and starry nights. You just have to open your ears and hear. Maybe it’s a bit harder now, with automobiles and jet planes dominating the sonic atmosphere. But the echoes are still there. You just have to open your ears and hear. I assure you, it is worth the effort.

If you think Lord of the Rings was great, go read the real story. If you think Narnia sounded so real, go real the real story. If you think Star Wars was great, go read the real story. Yes, Star Wars is also one of its echoes.

The greatest story has been told, but it has not concluded. If you will open up your heart, you can be part of the story as well. Be part of the story; be on the side of the King. For although the story has not concluded, its ending is cast in stone. And it will be a happy ending.

Have you heard the echoes? If so, I invite you to hear the real story...