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Born to a middle-income family with a wooden spoon, childhood was pretty normal. I have an excellent sister that really is like a second-mum and a fun-loving brother that behaves more like a best friend bounded by blood to me. Cousins that grew up with me still continue in my life journeys to grow old together. Got to know awesome friends in primary school that still remained awesome (otherwise even more so now). Some may have drifted off course, some still gathers every now and then, but friendships so long are hard to find and even harder to keep. Not many people actually lived long enough at my age to qualify some brotherhood as "old" but indeed, you guys have stuck around more than half my life. In fact, 60% and counting.
Family situation took a turn as I move into a different stage in life. Skipping school is no longer a result of willfulness but legitimate tiredness from working every weekend (and certain weekdays). Dad contacting cancer has so much impact on the whole family that even now we live in constant fear of a relapse. Grumbling about it is something I never do because I guess I was too busy fighting. And Lao Beijing fed me for so long I felt guilty by the fashion I left.
Secondary school has been legendary. From the retarded Band of Brothers (now disbanded more or less) to the match-winning basketball team (now mostly retired) to the forever-noisy sports class (now split) until eventually the Wine and Diner united to form the Avengers (that is still going strong). What else to ask for when you have such friends going through thick and thins in your life and stayed when you were at your lowest. One word, awesome.
Moving on and adapting to JC life hadn't been easy. 4 years in a boy school and out of a sudden we are dancing around and cheering everywhere. Sexy and Cutes were definitely an important pillar at that point, especially times when I disappear from lecture/tutorial or even schools. More than that, I would have stayed in AJ if it weren't for them and it wasn't, in any measure, an easy move considering the situation I was in back then. My escapade back to childhood dreams during my flying times is really the most thrilling happening in my studying days thus far. It may just be a Piper Warrior II and not some fighter jet, and I may not have proved myself to be a convincing pilot, but that short stint with soaring in the air was enough for me to tell myself I've tried reaching my dreams. I'm not cut out for it, so be it; move on, knowing I have not let myself down with regrets. Getting back to basketball was a really challenging task back then and the hostility from the team made it an even steeper uphill battle. I fought, and I conquered. We went on to fight for our glory and got defeated but somehow, the brotherhood didn't fail. The girls I got closed to during my VJ basketball life changed my life in many ways and I never understood why. Somewhere some mistakes were made; somewhere else the guilt faded and everything went back to normal. Sometimes, some things happen for no reason; sometimes, they really don't have to happen. Leaving VJ and forming the Awesomes/Kopitiam and PBK group through mahjong is another highlight that is still being highlighted and let's just hope the ink won't fade!
Enlistment, Route marches, Outfield, Turn outs, Medic course, Airborne, Red Beret, Overseas, ATEC, NDP, SAFDP, and ORD; still, nothing beats the thrill of secretly playing mahjong every night in Det office and run the risk of getting turned out! Luck has been a major part of my Battalion life after all the ups-and-downs in BMT that not many knows about. Becoming a runner really made everyone else think my life is much easier, only because they see the good and miss the downside. But I definitely won't play down the privileges I had! XD Clubbing would never have been as fun if it weren't for the bunch of Divine Boys. Dramas happened week-in week-out and we survived them all; nothing breaks us I guess! So let's just continue wrecking havoc! Good Boys went on to yet another amazing eye-opener of my life in diving and thereafter forming the Bobbing (insist on the double-Bs) group. Short term and Long term plan, definitely not gonna miss any interesting spots unexplored!
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As a passionate young kid curious about almost everything, few girls came into my life for some puppy love and nothing hatched obviously. Someone I have always wanted to go steady with, though, went off with my best friend. How innocent those times were (well, not exactly anyway).
Moving on to boys school saw me moving into a relationship I never really moved out of even until now. Someone I devoted a large part of my life into that probably would, and still will, be a strong contender as the individual that shaped me most into who I am today. There was a time I never thought of the future because it was presumably so fixed onto proceeding with that one girl that no alternatives seemed reasonable. The time was wrong, literally. I haven't regretted giving up on that one thing I should have treasured because that process of losing something/someone so important is easily the most enriching lesson of my life. I have nothing further to say, let's just wish each other all the best in the future and move on as friends. Too much have been talk about about this girl and nothing is worth harping over at this point...
At this point I want to insert a certain girl that is never my girlfriend but yet played an equally important role in my life. Someone I am so comfortable with she could have really been a soulmate for life if things didn't take a turn down south. One night is enough the greatest regret in life to happen. Just one wrong move. In fact, this mistake triumphs the one of losing that someone I love. Indeed, it is one mistake I will never allow myself to commit again and one of the rare few events I still feel guilty over and regrets about.
Moving on saw the wild side of me indulging in temporary lust and that is when I met this crazy girl that changed my perspectives about many things. Even until today, she remains the craziest one I know. If my friends-after-breaking-up theory holds, I wasn't serious about the whole relationship. I saw the rash and irrational side of me that did crazy things because of her. It is nothing anyone can be proud of but my time with this retarded one is really the most fun-filled journey and once again, I regret no bit of it. Everyday entails some surprise and some are really unforgettable. What holds more value is really the friendship we maintained after the whole fiasco/saga that is really pretty amazing in my context. Out-of-the-book!
While busy enjoying my singlehood, dreams came true. Cinderella agreed to date the (other) Prince Charming finally and everything really just happened without me really knowing what went on. It really felt like a dream; so unreal it's as though I woke up from a long night after we broke up thanking that nothing disastrous happened in the process and it didn't end up a nightmare. The proud theory I held on so dearly was proven wrong so easily as though it didn't hold any worth at all. From BFF to BGF and we went back to being each other's BFF as per normal. A blink of an eye and a snap of the fingers; it happened and it ended, inconsequentially. Life has been good to me; some things I thought lost, came back unharmed. Let's just keep it this way...
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In my 21 years, I've done so many things. I indulged in smoking, drinking, clubbing, gambling and lazing around. But these really don't qualify as achievements.
I have been through different phrases of life and every individual one brings about all sorts of different memories I'll never forget. Playing the lead role of Prince Charming in school musical Cinderella, participated in overseas exchange to Australia with the Drama Club, competing in SYF and attaining Bronze award with the school's Choir, participated in zonal tournaments as school team member in Basketball and Volleyball, appointed as a Conflict Manager, participated in the Leadership camp to Kota Tinggi and attaining 3 A* 1 B for PSLE. Enrolled into CHS Sports Excellence Programme, achieving 4th place in C'div interschool Basketball Tournament, selected for Combined Schools, claimed the Championship trophy in the B'div Basketball tournament, went on exchange with the basketball team to Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan, appointed vice-captain for the team, participated in Sec3 camp to Teman Negara, and completed O'levels with 7 As and 1 B. Started working at Lao Beijing at the age of 14 and part-timed till 20 years old. Short stint with Senso restaurant for a month. Attained 6.4 flying hours as a Student Pilot with SYFC, achieved 3rd in A'div Basketball tournament and completed A'levels with 6 Distinctions and 2 Bs. Enlisted into Commando Formation for NS, passed out from BMT and Commando Medic COurse, certified first-aider, CPR- and AED-trained, passed out from 201st Basic Airborne Course, went through training in Brunei, completed 72km Route March, presented with Red Beret, attained double RedCon 1 status for both company mission being the first in history, winning the Best Unit Competition, participated in bilateral training exercise with Thai Rangers, presented with Thai wings, part of the NDP11 SAFDP11 and President Swearing-in Ceremony 2011 Guard-of-Honour contingent, appointed CSM assistant, President of Mess Committee, Company Medic and Assistant Company Clerk, promoted to the rank of CFC, received testimonial with double A grading for P&C. Worked as part-time tutor and Admin assistant at Akzo Nobel, contracted financial consultant after passing SCI M5, M9, M9A. Offered placing in NTU Biz/Acc double degree and NUS FASS. Offered HDB Scholarship.
16 hard-earned distinctions out of 20 major papers taken.
Flew a plane, jumped off a plane for static line parachuting; drove a boat, leaped off a boat for Basic and Advance Adventurer diving certification; Climbed the 1276m Mt Ophir and conquered several 42.195km marathon. More to come I hope!
And most importantly, to all who used to call me fat or thinks I'll forever be ugly.........
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (It's not a middle finger and I'm wearing swimming trunks for the record, so please don't report me ^^)
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I have never thought of birthdays as an important day because everyone else's day goes by as per normal with 24 hours and nothing extra to render your "big" day any worth in congratulating. But hearing all the speeches people made during their 21st birthday celebration triggered me to type out my whole life story (now at 1am when I have work tomorrow morning). I don't have a birthday cake to show, but what I do have, is a unique life story to tell. You may not like it, but it's alright because it doesn't belong to you. But if there is one thing that really matters to me in life, it's kinship and friendship. So people, stay close, don't go; we still have a long way ahead.
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Father and Mother, I really haven't mentioned you in my whole story because I always eat my chicken meat last when I order chicken rice. Someday our path will split and our lives will end like this post do, but thank you for going through all the pain in bringing me to this world. Sometimes I think it's sad that I joined this family this late and the time I have with you folks is limited, but then again, what really matters is the quality of the time we spend together. You'll never be reading this and you probably won't understand even if you do. I'm writing this as though I'll be passing on tomorrow but I really am not. Being expressive is the last thing we have in this family but sometimes emotions are really something we cannot control. Since I can never bring myself to say these out, let the keyboard do the job...
I have never come across any parents that are as awesome as the ones I have. They are so cool they are not very sure where my school is or even what the name is, but they are proud of everything I have done. They never forced me into studying, and though I did on several occasions lied about my results, I am pretty sure no blames will be made no matter how disastrous they were. "Why are you not studying?!" is never heard, except when you hear "studying" mistakenly for "sleeping". No parents give the freedom that you have given me and that is the sole reason I am the mature man I am today. The trust that you gave me is something I really appreciate because I have seen how peers crushed down on mounting family pressure. I have never felt inferior having to work part time while studying because the family wasn't in the best financial state when I needed allowance, in fact, it is something I am really grateful of. I tell people how independent I am since I was sec 2 and the respect I gained is something we should all be proud of. No mother will ever ask their son "why not now?" when they say they wanna get a tattoo when they turn 21; and no father will wake up at 3 am just to accompany his stressed-up son in studying when he knows there's no other way he can help. No mother will wake up at 7 in the morning realizing there is no more chicken essence for his son with an important exam upcoming and walked all the way to the nearest 7-11 to get one; no father will come home to a whole pile of dishes and wash them without any complaints knowing his perfectly fit son could have washed them himself. No matter how willful or unreasonable I am, you stood by me, yet never allowing a chance for me to turn out to become a spoilt brat. If I ever have a chance to turn back time and have a say in my incarnation, I will still choose to be back to this family to suffer all the hardships together. The only thing I would have wished for, and am still wishing now, is for us to have another 30 years together.
There is this one blog posts that is sitting alone in my draft box now that I never dared to post because I don't have the answer. "Am I ready?" is the title, and obviously I am not. The brave front I put up, the optimistic smiles I carry, the independence I boast; I realize they are all but empty shells. I am never gonna be ready for the day we bid goodbyes. Someday we'll all move on, and I understand why my father constantly talks about "going home" soon. He just want us to be prepared when the day comes. It will definitely come, and I'll definitely hate that day.
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Someday, I'll be gone too. Uncertain but definitely.
