Procrastination

Root Word: Procrastinate. (pro•cras•ti•nate)
“the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time”

So that’s how it’s like with my blog. After getting poisoned, it seems that I have had quite a few ideas on what to blog abt, and to add more pictures especially. But, lo and behold, the above-mentioned word takes over and I find a hundred and one other more useless stuff to do. Hah.

So I’ll make it up by putting a picture I took from Thailand while at training. Ok, not WHILE training.. that’s taboo.. after the serious training part.. Figured I got tired of my current wallpaper, and since I’m staring at this all day, I figured u might as well do the same. =P

River Kwai

It is Now

With great relief and gratification, I put up this post. =) today is finally the day of days.. when I finally graduate from the 8-month long stint. To say that it has been fulfilling would be as much of an understatement as to say that a hot shower feels good in winter, or that u’re just ‘glad’ if u picked up a million bucks. To say that it went easy, would also be a gross underestimation of the course. It is, after all, meant to train to make u a little more special.

The whole graduation package isn’t as big of a thing as I initially thot it to be. For one, there isn’t the whole brouhaha that comes along when the NSFs turn operational and get their crimson beret. There’s also that slight magic that got lost because the graduation date got bounced around more times than I have changed my underpants in my entire life, and mind u, that’s A LOT. Of course, u’d probably see a whole bunch of guys tearing if it had been presented to us at the end of the major exercise before coming home.. but that’s not the point.

So sum that all up and u basically get a quiet yet fulfilling evening. An evening that I’d probably cherish in yrs to come, not for the big fireballs that go off, or the holler of the fanfare as u march on into parade, but for the words spoken to each other upon receiving our prize. For the words Unspoken to each other as we just smiled at each other knowing exactly what we’ve gone thru and that there isn’t a need to say anything to know how we felt inside.

Sure, it could have been made a lot more spectacular.. heck, call in the media if u would.. but that’s not the point. It’s no longer abt showcasing to the world who u are or what u wanna be. It’s abt the Now. It’s abt the fact that u’re part of the team now. It’s abt the fact that u have made it.. and a new chapter begins Now. It’s abt working toward that goal at the end of the day.. His goal.. and that journey starts Now..

So I pray that I will continue to do what has been planned ahead of me, that I will not fall short of His expectations. And that I will continue to do well, not for mine, but for His sake.

The Poison

One man’s food is another man’s poison.. this poison however, was something that I have been fighting off and staying away from for right abt more than 2 yrs. The logic was simple, I didn’t have a NEED for it, it’s more of a WANT than a need, and so, I have no reason to get it.

Even on the numerous trips with my dearest friends, my good ol’ faithful one will always suffice. However, a comment I heard changed everything overnight. Literally.

One fine day I was at a reunion dinner with my dearest secondary school mates and the usual thing to playing with someone else’s BIGGER camera came into the picture. And there’s the usual fight-scene in my head that tells me it’s nice to have one, but I didn’t need a new one. Then comes the punchline, ‘Alvin, life is short. You should just get it.’

And that drove home the msg for me. The very next day, I was a proud owner of a Canon EOS 550D, with a 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm portrait lens that I got at a bargain price for submitting my warranty online.. some offer thingy that Canon had. How timely. =)

the poison.. =P

You see, if u know me well enough, I’m not exactly the type that will splurge mindlessly on things. ESPECIALLY so if it’s on myself. The you-dun-need-it thinking will usually always prevail. But the msg drove home something so real to me. Even more so with the nonsense that I do, day in and day out.. life really IS short. And having want something like that for so many years, I’m pretty sure that it’s not gonna be one of them impulse-buy thingies.. so it was a simple decision. A quick lunch, a quick coffee, a walk to 2 different shops to compare, and a proud owner of shiny new toy. =)

Life is short, what will you make of it?

Urgh..

I finally succumbed..

I got poisoned today.

Target of Opportunity

ok.. so it's the formation's 41st birthday and we got half the day off.. not like it really mattered cos now that the course's coming to an end, we're pretty much free anyway..

so anyway, i couldn't give up this chance to send in a post cos it's been a while since i'm able to do something like this. it'5 raining outside but i'm sitting comfortably inside a nice quiet Subway watching the cars go by happily and enjoying a nice hot sandwich.. all this after sending my car in for servicing.. so she drives pretty much like a brand new now.. nice and smooth. also, i'm happy i introduced yang to uncle anthony's workshop.. happy for him cos now he has a reliable and trustworthy mechanic to go to who doesn't try to rip him off.. and happy for uncle anthony too cos i just brought in another customer for him =)

So u see. i couldn't pass this chance to blog abt today.. oh and here's a shoutout to all Subway lovers. it's 1-for-1 sandwiches this saturday at the branch at The Verge. ground floor. that's the place they used to call Tekka Mall, opp simlim and near little india.. =)

Ok, now let me get back to enjoying my day off.. =)

meet Bumpy

Hi, so I’m back from the advanced selections and basically my sad story, of sorts, is that I injured my right foot. The top part of it. Don’t ask me how, cos I’m not sure either. I just know that I walked and walked and it started to hurt and it didn’t get any better.

So anyway, it’s a mix-mash of feelings. Cos on the one hand, there’s my preferred unit to go to and on the other hand, there’s the “what if I’d stay on and persisted, it would have probably felt good to complete it” thinking. So basically, the past weekend was a mixture of emotions for me. Relieved yet disappointed. Calm yet envious.

Decided not to sink any further into the whole emo bit so while settling daddy’s iPhone contract earlier (YES!! Even my dad’s got an iPhone now.. I want one but I can’t get one. Darn..), I dropped by the supermart to get some ice cream, just so I can have it with the hot fudge that dar got for me some time back..

Then the usual walk in the supermart leads me to the auto section of it.. I bet it’s a ploy. The ppl who designed the layouts of the supermart probably have a Degree at how to suck in boys and their toys, ppl like me. So from simply getting some wiper fluid, it led on to getting a can of carb cleaner and then some cleaning cloth and a new can of WD-40 which also comes with a free cloth.. and no, it doesn’t stop there.. my car (aptly named Bumpy in case u were wondering abt the title of this post) has got the passenger side’s wiper broken.. well, it still wipes, just that the rubber bit isn’t really doing it’s part.. so I decided to get a replacement and DIY it.. but it was more expensive there than I recalled at the petrol kiosk.. So on the way back, I dropped by Caltex to get one of them.

the spoils of war.. haha.

So hopefully now, I’ll get a slightly better performing car.. just this past weekend, I managed to open the air filter and get into the iac valve to clean it.. but I figure it’s still not THAT clean, cos the rpm symptoms still return.. hopefully, now equipped with the proper cleaning tools, I’ll better be able to fix up Bumpy.

The windshield too! Finally no more ugly streaks or water marks or basically anything that stays on the windshield to irritated the crap out of me while I’m driving.. =)

Ok, I just realized that I haven’t exactly placed a picture of Bumpy here since I got him in april.. maybe in the next post.. =) thot I’d start blogging with pictures again. Recall how I used to blog with tonnes of pictures per post. Hah.

Latest earwax? The O.C. soundtrack – Mix 1.. =)

nostalgia at it’s best..

Dear Lord,

Hear my cry, as I cry out to you. Before me stands a mountain so tall I feel dwarfed. Before me stands a river so wide I’m afraid. Before stands the impossible, making me feel inadequate. But mostly, before me stands a choice, that I never wanted to make. A choice that was never mine from the beginning. Yes, I have tried to convince myself of what I will choose, and where I will go.. but right now, I commit it unto you. For I have done all that I did not for myself nor for my own gains. I have spent the last yr chasing not after my own dreams and goals. I have suffered, I have been bruised but I acknowledge that it is Your will for me to be here.

So give me the courage to face my mountain, give me the strength to swim that river, and give me knowledge that u are with me every step of the way.. that I will not be walking through this alone, nor will u leave me. Give me the right spirit to embark on this journey whatever the outcome may be.

And lastly, make me a light that will shine for You. For I am lost without you, and so are those around me. May You continue to empower me and to use me for Your purposes so divine. Reveal to me your will that I may be reminded why I’m doing this.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.