MSN's being a pissifying bitch. Doesn't let me sign in!!
Oh well. Yesterday was great. I managed to "get a life" - in the words of Lta Peter. (Joanne, if you're reading this, stop laughing. STOP. hahaha) Yeah went for training and almost capsized a gazillion times when I was taking this new J1 girl in a K2. But it was good to hit the water again after more than a month. Looking forward to MORE training sessions from now on since after 1st March I'll be free till the 20th. No, I'm still blisfully in denial that results are coming out. Shhhhhhh.
Then went for dinner at Vibe - Meritus Negara. It's a newly renovated buffet restaurant, and let me tell you, I ate SO MUCH that I couldn't move. The highlight was probably the grill, where the chef brings freshly grilled skewers of meat - over 10 different varieties - over to your table and slices it for you. The LAMB. My god. I went crazy. It's $42+++ but we had 20% discount, so it was very very worth it.
There's an AEP Reunion lunch at Rice Table Suntec later. Kinda looking forward to seeing everyone again. Rachie msged me last night saying she can't wait to see me. So sweet. Realised how much I've been estranged from the outside world lately. Time to catch up..
Vanessa Lim 1:55 a. m.
Today was a nicenicenice day. Had a nice time just sitting down at Thai Express and Max Brenner's chocolate bar chitchatting over stick noodles, calamari and chocolate fondue. Company was good - we do get along quite well - and the food was terribly sinful. It was a sluggish, lazy day, but yet its days like these that we really should cherish. It's rare that we actually get to just sit down amidst a nice ambience and just mull time away, blissfully unaware of the people and flurry of activity around us. The sheer indolence of the wind as it playfully caressed the trees, the clouds shifting and floating.. everything was perfect today. Perfect R&R.
I can't believe that in less than 2 weeks time, I'll be passing out. BMT phase will soon be over.. 1st March, to be exact. Amazing. 41st WOCC - my extended family over the past 2 months.. we'll all be split up. The Navy people would head to MIDS wing, the Airforce people will go to AIR wing. Only the Army ladies would stay in SIERRA. Honestly, I've more or less decided that I'll stay in Sierra if everything goes well with the dreaded results. It's now the vocation of choice. Armour? Artillery? Guards? Infantry? Signals? What the heck. Like I was just saying today, I hate making decisions, but yet I know the time to take a stand is drawing nearer..
Thinking about the future scares me. Sigh. During my block leave till 20th March, would probably be going abroad.. perhaps to Aussieland, according to daddy. Then I can recce Canberra/Australia National University, and after that take a train to Brisbane or something to visit my aunt. Gold Coast - if nothing goes wrong - here I come!
Vanessa Lim 9:29 a. m.
I blew 200 bucks today.
Something came over me yesterday when I was out with Jinping at Jurong Point after booking out. Considering that payday was on the 10th, and I hadn't even done much to January's pay, my fingers started itching. Ohhh man I felt like spoiling myself so bad. I wanted to go into any shop and just buy whatever I liked. Such was the COMPULSION! MAGNETISM!!! But I controlled myself. Only spent on Lta Peter's farewell gift, but then it'll be shared among the platoon.. sooo. Then after that, I found $30 in my bag! Don't you just LOVE finding money in unexpected places? It did nothing but intensify my itch to buy something.
So I bought myself a pair of Levis after giving in to the temptation. On top of that, tried on this Levis jacket which was going for $50 only! It was such a nice snug fit. No alterations needed too! And surprisingly, my dad urged me to buy it. "Look! It fits you perfectly! The sleeves!! The length! The cut!!" Needless to say, I caved in. Then went to Peninsula and bought some Liverpool stuff to hang in my bunk. Wanted to buy a jersey but my dad promised he'd get his friend in UK to check out the price there before deciding.
Having money really rocks, but I'm not the type who would spend often. I'm pretty guarded and I'm a Silas Marner who hoards and hoards at heart, but once in a while, to relieve tension, some little impulse shopping is extremely cathartic.
Vanessa Lim 8:06 a. m.
You'll be loved you'll be loved Like you never have known The memories of me Will seem more like bad dreams Just a series of blurs Like I never occurred Someday you will be loved You may feel alone when you're falling asleep And everytime tears roll down your cheeks But I know your heart belongs to someone you've yet to meet Someday you will be loved
Someday you will be loved - Death Cab for Cutie
Okayyy, like whaat Chunhow said - FIELD CAMP IS OVER! Seriously, now that I've made it past that, it feels like I can conquer everything! Well, it was okay, apart from the fact that my forehead is a sandfly bite plantation. I woke up with my forehead swollen and the instructors said I looked like a luohan. Lta Peh actually asked me for lucky numbers. Sheesh. Now my limbs are really splotchy and gross. Oh, and I didn't bathe for four days. Wonderful. Haha. It wasn't that bad. In fact it was quite exciting. There was even a simulation of an artillery bombing at 3am in the morning where we had to prone in our bashas and yell "ARTI ARTI!!!!"
Yeah had another IPPT run down and this time I began to actually see signs of the old me again. Got full points for everything, and my run was actually a sub-12.. so erm that was kinda shocking. PLUS, I jumped a 210 for standing broad jump, and did 35 chinups, did a sub-11 shuttle run and over 50 situps. Yes such figures amaze me. Shades of my past are finally emerging again, but I have to say that I'm not at my best yet! Still can push. So for those who're worrying about me being in there, I'm fine and dandy and really really enjoying myself.
With regards to the looming results day, I'm trying hard not to think about it. Imagine if I don't do well enough for the scholarship. I'd hate to leave the army. I've grown very very attached.. seriously. I can't imagine myself not commissioning after everything I've been through.. really. Sigh. I do want to sign on. Really. Just hope that.. everything goes well. Hope.
Vanessa Lim 4:43 p. m.
Well, the past 3 days have been the most torturous days. 8km route march on thursday, which caused me to develop two humongous wobbly blisters on both feet that stretch across three toes each. Then the next day we had an SOC full run down. For the rest it was their second trial, but for me it was my first cos I missed the previous one cos of cramps. (I just realised how ungrammatical that was, but I'm really lazy to rephrase) Yeah so, stuffed two insoles into my boots and wore two pairs of socks and went through the bloody obstacle course. Time was 9:05, which is credible, but I think if I hadn't fallen off the swinging bridge and if there weren't blisters, should be able to do sub-9. Bloody hell. I fell off the SWINGING BRIDGE. Uh, the most amateurish thing and I goofed up. Embarrassing.
7-11th feb's my field camp and I'm soooo scared of the instructors stealing my rifle in the middle of the night. I'm gonna stuff it into my shirt and tie the rifle sling around my neck. Think this is the time when I'm grateful for the fact that my rifle's retaining pin is super tough to manoeuvre, so it won't be that easy for the instructors to dismantle my bolt carrier group. Yeah baby.
Other than that, I was very very touched by the gestures of one of my instructors. As in, such little things really mean a lot to me, and I was so surprised to find the leaflet on my bed after I returned from the toilet. The shin splint thing was informative, and the other leaflet really showed me that there are people out there who really care. In times when faith is very conspicuously hiding in the wings, such people thankfully prove to be a little bit of a redemption point.
Vanessa Lim 12:58 p. m.
