it was a blissful chilly Sunday morning, after a good night of rest. I'd decided to spend the night in camp because NDP rehearsals had wrapped up late yesterday. By the time i got back to camp, it was 12am already!

There are certainly things to look forward to, highlights and nice parts that you can't wait to see, for each rehearsal. In my case, i think i'll enjoy them so much more because of all that laborous heavy heavy stuffs that have to be done for every Saturday. Launching and Keeping 40 boats, including their engines and all those stores and props is really tiring stuff man. What you'll see on the actual day undermines the work effort that we put in. You know i used to think that my NDP involvement will be like more in-the-public-eye sort of thing; standing in the crowd, looking smart and directing their movement, or issuing tickets while interacting with the public. haha... too bad. So I'm on the water all the time, victim of curious stares from tourists riding on DUCKtours, dragonboaters, worshipping tourists who surround the vomiting Merlion, people standing the platform in front of the Esplanade, and even the construction workers over at our Clifford Pier holding area standing tall above us leaning on handrails and looking at us like we're some hippo exhibit in the zoo...

But i have to say from our position in the parade itself, we're the closest one can ever get to the fireworks. So close i am that the water buoy to demarcate the out-of-bound safety area is just in line with and beside the position of my boat. I'm thankful that we get treated to fireworks display which when seen, will always trigger euphoric ecstasy in everyone. And also a spectacular aerial display by the fighter jets; of how these jets pencil on a sheet of skyblue canvas. its brillant i tell you. Especially when a heart-shape is drawn, i can like imagine gasping couples in one the Singapore Flyer capsules doing their romantic thing, with that symbol in the background. Snap a photo and send it to the Straits Times man.

I'm eagerly waiting for my Dad to return back home - anytime now. For the past month my family is very much disperse. So i'm looking forward to us getting together again.
vin

went down immediately to meet a student after guard duty today. Had initially planned to conduct bible study but was informed to go through a set of evaluation points with him which he was asked on Saturday to consider and ponder upon. Objectives were met in our 2 hr meeting and thank God for the problems that surfaced which we identified. Thank God for the discerning mind to reproach and dig deep to find the root of the problems. Thank God for gentleness in the way i made him realise his wrongs, but uncompromising in driving home the seriousness of it.

vin

my upcoming 3days off (which i was so looking forward to) is rudely wrecked by a 24hr duty caught in between Wednesday and Friday. This coupled with my guard duty tomorrow, i can only sadly say that my offdays and the enjoyment which can be exploited out of it has been trimmed to the bones. But still i hope i can still meet my student on Wednesday or Friday.

vin

'i'm fine'

i've been absent here for too long a time that i've accumulated a rich farrago of things/thoughts that have corralled into a space deep within my recesses that threaten to spillover, or explode. too many things to share with you that is well out of the comfortable reach of conversing even when we meet eye to eye over a cup of mocha. its not your fault, i know its primarily mine. We all have different vocations, occupied with activities so different and our schedules are a starking contrast in difference. But nonetheless i just thank God that we get to meet each other at least for a few hours set apart by all of us to commune in church. That just proves it all isn't it, we may be spending 6 days of a week doing different things, but we'll still give each other that brother/sisterly smile or ask that question of 'how are you' that is heartening. Although you can't understand fully the struggles i face when we part from church falling back to our steady rhythms of life, i believe that you care and love me. haha :)


vin