Life is like a game sometimes

Happy national day. Doesn't really mean much to me, but as i had my Observer's Parade yesterday in camp just before we book out, i sang the national anthem again for the first time after like 4 years? Kinda emotional to sing it again after some time, and this time in military uniform, it made my Goosebumps stands. Nevertheless, i'll have to do that again on the 9th Dec, for my commissioning parade.

Just some quick updates and thoughts:

9:53s - That's 9 secs off the gold timing (9:44s) for my 2.4km run. Had my IPPT test yesterday and again, i missed my gold due to my 2.4km timing. Since almost a year ago when i enter national service, i have shaved off quite a fair bit for my 2.4km timing. Started at 15:00s, reduced to 13:00s, 12:30s, 11:30s, 11:00s, 10:30s, 10:14s and now finally to my all time best at 9:53s.

Lost count of the number of IPPT tests i had to retest trying to get my gold, probably over 15 tries since i got into army, and hopefully this coming Friday will be the day i finally achieve gold. Personally it's something great, cause i'm never a runner in my life. Sprinter maybe, but i hate to run long distance. And for this year Army Half Marathon, all i can say is that i'm glad i've regimental guard duty on the day before, which automatically excuses me from taking part due to safety concern of not having sufficient rest prior to strenuous exercise.

Speaking about this, one of my course mates was hospitalized due to punctuated lung. What was thought as fatigue and merely treated as normal chest pain, turned out to be something quite serious. For that if air in the punctuated lung is not being released, it will be accumulated and swell will occur, resulting in more complications. A tube was inserted to his non-working lung, hoping to release the air out, but somehow not all of it was being released. He underwent a pinhole operation yesterday, with 3 holes cut on his chest, to stitch up the lung.

Sometimes i just wonder all the tough trainings we forced ourselves to get through it, is it all worth it. Pride may be on the line to perform, but is it worth exchanging it for something which you will have to live with it for the rest of your life. Worst case, leaving behind your love ones, just for the word pride.

Last note about army, before this starts to bored you to tears, i just wish to touch on the point about behaving and acting like an officer. I felt that most of the people in OCS, they don't really have what it takes to be an officer of the armed forces. Not because their fitness is bad nor their knowledge or leadership is weak, in fact they excelled in all these, but what's commonly lacking in them is discipline and proper behaviour.

More than often, i would dare to say, as long as you're someone who can run a lot and run fast, everything else doesn't really matters. Fitness is always the first thing they judge you. Well, this isn't something new especially so when one is in the military business. How screwed up your marching, how crumpled your uniform, how sucky your attitude are, they all don't seems to be placed with much importance. Take my course mate as an example. I'm not going to mention his name here, but he's someone who will probably sit in the parliament someday, and someone who might be leading Singapore 20 years down the road. If you have been reading my blog, you would have know who i'm referring to.

Always arguing against the instructions given, lifting a leg on the front row of seats shaking them vigorously, putting on a super faded and creased uniform for parade, self cut his own hair trying to escape from being caught with long hair, and hurling away his vulgarities, how do you see him as an officer, not to even mention some political personnel if he would to be one in time to come.

Not trying to arrow him for all these faults, but i'm sure if you're someone whose dad is the leader of the country and is commented as a good Officer during his military career, i'm sure he could have done alot more to act more appropriately not just an officer-to-be, but also as role model for others to follow.

Side-tracking just a little, i'm getting pretty irritated with some cab drivers in Singapore. Having took quite a number of cab trips back and forth to camp since i enter national service, i'm starting to get annoyed with some drivers, especially those Mercedes cab drivers. I used to think that they should be the better drivers, not just in terms of experience on the road, but also the service and the attitude.

Do you often get questions from the drivers like, "Eh, do you want to go by PIE, or CTE?", "So you want to exit from here or there. Some customers like to exit there." or "Is that a single lane or double lane?"

Not that i'm critical to this tiny details, but i'm just wondering, the moment i board the cab, told the driver the destination i'm heading to, shouldn't he be the one suggesting to me the fastest route to it, instead of asking me? And if he's not sure which way to go, he should have just double check with me, instead of just moving on and then later make all the wrong turns. Worse still, talking on the phone, not playing attention to the traffic, resulting not accidents but missing turns and making a big round-about. And the worst they can do, is just charge the price on the meter even though it's their mistake of going big rounds.

I used to meet better cab drivers last time. One offered me sweets, another adjusting the air-con after realising that i'm trying to catch a wink, and one even suggested me to go for a nap and wake me again, for knowing that the journey is long and i just got out from camp. So am i too much to say that i just hope that cab drivers can be more initiative to provide better service, especially since the raise in the charges. Booking a cab at peak hour costs you $8.50 the moment you step into the cab. How's that for exchange of slightly better service? Be your own judge.

Last but not least, the thought i had in mind: "There are a lot better things in life than giving so much for a person."

In this cruel world occupied with majority of human race, it's not difficult to see that most of us are ruled by feelings. We always do what we wanted, even though it does really seems stupid or not logically at all. More than often, we are trying so hard to get something which is never ours, yet neglecting those we should have hold dear to. Like it or not, because humans are the governed by feelings, we will have our fair share of joys and sorrows. Not many creatures in this world do cry and laugh. And since we have the luxury to do so, the best we can do, is just to laugh our way off the sorrows and treat life like a game, with no restart. So live it once and live it good.

Till then.