the Lord is really gracious to me, today's training was bizarre. was supposed to be 'mua-chi'-i.e mochi-ed today at the beach, but they called it off at the end. anyway i'm aching all over from the past 2 days of intensive training. So i was really dreading today's training which had us take a large boat to Pulau Sudong for some chiong-sua drills then being transported to shore at East Coast Park. haha... When the ramp went down i believe we shocked many civilians having BBQ or just present there by running out to a certain formation in front of their very eyes. Then it got even better when we were like wondering when the torture session will commence, so with many eyebrows raised and fingers crossed, we marched off much to our gleeful disbelief. i mean, its like a mandatory thing that all trainees attending the course will go through, being thrown all over the place and asked to do stuffs to get us all soaked, tired, wet, dirty, just like mua-chi. If you get the chance to hear from a guardsmen, they'll fill you in on their unforgetable experiences during their course, one of which is definitely beach-PT. So now i'm back home, still aching all over.

Maria Sharapova's in town. With Anna Chakvetadze. I saw some of her photos taken at Fullerton Hotel with the Singapore backdrop, i have to say she looks fatter than usual, and her hair is frazzled, i mean, she's supposed to look like that right, after like a long flight from States. And what with Haagen Daaz as the official ice-cream for her hopover here, and Zouk as the official night venue for her own party tmr, and with no daddy to guard her except her coach who's her only companion, we might see a puffy tipsy sharapova on Sunday. Anyway i got a couple of free tickets for her match on Sunday , which i can't go coz i'll need to book in early. Not that i really want to see her play anyway. for an upclose and personal experience, i will suggest going into Prada or LV and wait at one corner. i've never been a fan of Sharapova leh.

Thanks to everyone for Birthday wishes. i was so tired yersterday night when i returned from outfield that i couldn't even finish replying all the SMSes, i even left some SMSes unread and went to sleep. But thank you everyone who SMSed. and WaiYin who called! haaha...

Vin

i thank God for the many public holidays that punctuates the course, it definitely makes the week seem shorter and we've more to look to to lift our spirits. Christmas is going by just as any other public holiday, in fact the 'mood' hardly gets into me, coz most of the time i'm in camp. its only until i pass by Orchard Road in the bus on my way home, or even going to Parkway Parade yesterday after book out hoping to pick up a few gift items. Thank God i've still managed to prepare a few small gifts for the few close ones i'm compelled to thank God in my prayers.

haha... at Cold Storage, at the cold storage section, i saw a crowd, all making their purchases of turkey ham, bacon, chicken etc... i guess this is a time when families and friends come together to have a good meal.

Christmas is really all about Jesus Christ. Thank You Lord for being so merciful to us by sending Jesus Christ to free us from death and sin. Its merry Christmas for us Christians indeed.

i'm really glad and thankful to hear that yesterday's Christmas event at church went very smoothly and well. i only came in at the final gospel sharing part but thank God for everyone who'd contributed and participated in the event! from the food(Eunice did a terrific job and showed her sense of commitment) to the skit performers(who delivered to the best of their abilities). i believe God did watch over this event through all our prayers, Jiayan, Chris and Geok lan placed their trust in the Lord, and the Lord made it good. well done, all glory to God! May the message of Jesus Christ convict our listeners of sin.

Watched Alvin & the Chipmunks late last night! wonderful movie to catch this season i think, i really enjoyed the movie. Thank God for LiangFa who so willingly drove us home :) Alvin is just so cool, so cool. i love Alvin.

Had breakfast at Hsiao Ling & MingDe's apartment early this morning. Was so looking forward to seeing Hsiao Ling again. My thanksgiving overflow whenever i see her.. Although i went to meet her with nothing more than a lemon sponge cake, she's warmed my heart. The married couple prepared a lovely western breakfast :)
thank God for the sweet and short time of catching up. I've got a new belt too! :) something that i need now in and out of camp.

have a Blessed Christmas.
Thank You Jesus.
Vin

turned into church today and it suddenly dawned on me that the rest are away at field camp. haha... so i made a u-turn back home.

thank God for getting me a week into the course already. I was so afraid, i prayed with christian mates who's just as scared as i am. the course is really demanding from all sides, but i've come to realise that its intentional that they crush our motivation and will, with the aim that we can still remain on course, keeping our head and producing optimism through motivating ourselves even at our lowest. they're out there to step all over us and the treatment i've received so far is by far worse than that of a recruit undergoing BMT. Can you imagine? its like our hard earned ranks has been stripped until the end of this course. well, anyway in addition there are like 3 officers, and a few more coursemates with a heavier rank than us who's also going through similar treatment as us.

on wednesday i fell ill. the same illness that plagued me for 5 weeks, which started on the 1st day, on my previous course. came down with fever again last night -38.7deg. pray that i may recover my full health back soon. still down with thick mucus and my voice is almost gone.

i'm clinging on ever so closely to God.

Vin

jordin sparks

at the guard rest room off duty yesterday morning, i tuned on the tv and it had American Idol on show. Its the repeat of the latest season i found out after a while. well, i didn't know any of the idol contestants as it was a rather hectic year for me, which i had to give my all-time favourites Amazing Race/ Survivor painful misses.

they were having this special banner episode which had the running theme of 'Idol gives back', to which the contestants' choice of songs were based on for that episode. As each of the contestants took turns to sing, my other 2 friends who were with me dozed off. But i'm glad i stayed till the end. Coz this young lady took stage to deliver a song which had such a resonating effect on me. then i found out at the end it was Jordin Sparks. Who is the latest American Idol.

Impeccable. when i came home today, i just had to get hold of that performance again, then i went you-tube to do a search for it. I don't remember when i've ever used you-tube except early this year when i had to research on Aurora for the Malacca Mission Trip.

Jordin Sparks - You'll never walk alone.

take care everyone!
Vin

hangover

the guard duties within a span of 3 days have made my head spin literally. inadequate rest and lethargy is my state of mind and body now. Remember the only night that i can spend at home? it didn't help much, as i suffered a pretty high fever through the night, which also saw the worst of nightmares i've had ever since the day i received my posting. Since that day, i've found it harder to fall asleep, frequent nightmares are haunting and damaging to the mind, i doubt my sleep actually work to yield any rest or recovery to my body, i will wake up with aches in my joints, head, inside the head, you know, just like an everywhere. i looked at myself in the mirror at 4am today. my eyes sparkled lifelessly and its supported by really heavy dull eyebags. i could have passed off as a zombie.

peace is all i need. situational peace. my mind can't stop thinking, thinking, thinking. And my head feels like a *bowling ball. any plans made to go for today's Bible Trail session, i've called it off for the sake of my health.

pray that i may rest well. 24h Saturday duty up next.

Vin

*term used by GeokLan

leaving behind those days.,,

i'm on mandatory leave clearance. I'm so thankful for this actually, which comes at a time when half of the week i'll be doing mundane - 'sian' guard duty. i've just completed my 1st(of 3 duties) yesterday till this morning. stood at a sentry post for 8 hours in total. And today happens to be the only time i can spend the night sleeping on my own bed for this week. Coz Saturday i'm rostered for another 24h duty.

Today is precious. Next week is looming ever closer. And my weekend is trimmed. So Sunday is interposed to today. together with its warmness and all the thoughts that will run through my head.

my heel is hurting. i hope it doesn't get any worse, coz it does hurt when i run.

this post doesn't really tell much... hmm... can be utterly ignored.
Vin