Hellllo everybody!! I am very safe here in Perth! haaa... First 2 days of my trip has been great. The people here are extremely friendly, the salesperson here are so so so polite and helpful but the only setback is that having no company when i return to YMCA kind of sucks. So lonely... But I'm finding things to keep my company when I'm back and I should not complain because I chose it to be that way... haaa =X

Accommodation was quite unexpected. But what else can I ask for if I want cheap places to stay. Andre and his friend has brought me to quite a few places yesterday and today and its quite fun! Though the things here are quite expensive, and I'm beginning to be sick of chips (haha...) but it was still fun. Went to Harbour Town today and the things there are so so so cheap! I bought myself 2 fila polo tees (the only ones that could fit me) and am satisfied with it. The clothes here are tooo big for me. After that, we made our way down to Cottlesloe Beach. The beach is so so beautiful! Super duper windy and cold, but bright sun... Still not getting my tan though... haha... But its definitely an eye opener. Huge waves and clear blue sea water... wonderful...

Tomorrow I will be going to Canning River for a BBQ. Sounds so exciting! wahaha... But I can't wait to be back in Singapore too... Not that I don't like this place, but I am quite deprived here without the internet (though I am using it now, but I have to pay for it and it doesn't allow me to use MSN Messenger =X) and the TV. Booo!

Oh well... Can't wait for next Friday to come... heee =)

PS: I found out how to use MSN Messenger afterall... haha... Stupid me =X

Finally, the time has come... I will be flying off to Perth tomorrow morning. Kind of excited now and also a little lost. I can tell that my mum is worried for me and yet she wants me to do it. I felt a little afraid because its my very first time sitting an aeroplane alone, flying all the way to a foreign country and the only people I know there is Andre and Wen. Oh well, I sort of got over that scary feeling and I'm converting all this fear into excitement. Thank God! seriously, without His peace, I would be in a nervous wreck now. However, I hope things won't escalate tomorrow. I'm picturing this 7 day holiday as a 7 day field camp in the island. But, instead of training, I will be having fun instead! That is definitely better than the 7 day field camp I went through. So yea... Its all in the mind... Its all in the mind... Its all in the mind.... =)

I'm very very touched today. One of my colleagues gave me a very expensive watch as my ORD gift. I was shocked when she placed it in front of me and I was thinking of rejecting the gift. Oh well... All these gifts from people are making me feel more and more closer to my dept. The people I work with are great! My department has evolved into a lively and happy working environment. So closely knitted together! It definitely gives colour to my life in NS and whatever contributions I have made is not wasted because I know that my efforts are well appreciated by my frens and colleagues. So so so thankful for all of that! Praise God! =)

Anyway, I shall blog more when I'm back from my trip. Can't wait for next week to come... seriously.. heez...

Its a very very interesting and happy day for me! I attended my cousin and choon's ASLC graduation parade today. It felt kind of weird to be visiting an army camp as a visitor/"civilian". I just had a strong urge to put on my head dress and camp pass -.- But its definitely a great experience! I felt so stupid when my handphone's battery life was low and my camera ran out of battery only when I had reached home did I realise that the spare battery for my camera was actually in my camera pouch!!!! Was so angry with myself. Felt so stupid. But oh well... small matter... At least my aunt brought her camera along! Will be posting up photos once my cousin send them to me.

Anyway, I'm so proud of my cousin. He got the first silver bayonet for his signal course. The pride of my family. Of course, the other pride would be his twin, who will be commissioning as an officer next year. wahaha... So proud and happy for them =) I am also extremely proud of choon for persevering through his ASLC. I know its very very difficult for him but he made it anyway! So happy for him too! yay!!! Congrats to the new Sergeants!!! =)

My understudy is finally here! Praise God that I have someone who is so capable to take over me. Ask and you will receive, indeed! Anyway, I hope he will survive the next 2 days without me. Hopefully he will not be bombarded by people on his 3rd day. Praying hard for him...

Yesterday, I had a nature walk in that forsaken place called you know what. Its truly enriching! A site inspection turned learning experience. Saw the many fruit trees present and very very beautiful scenaries!! I feel so so lucky. However, I got 5 insect bites in return. They seem to love my right arm and the bites are beginning to swell, itch and cause pain today! Oh the agony! I feel so diseased. 3 huge lumps that are hard..... I wonder what they could be... Hmmmm...

Tomorrow shall be my shopping day with my cousins! Have been waiting for this very day to come since last week. Apparently the girls want to treat me since its their first pay day tomorrow. A bit paiseh but they insist. We shall see how its like tomorrow! Anyway, here are the photos taken during our family dinner on Saturday. It turned out to be a wonderful dinner in a very classy place. The only drawback is that its outdoor and the weather is not the way we want it to be... Therefore, I feel like a sticky pig and a pair of sweaty socks by the end of the day. But nonetheless, great company, great food! Nothing more I can ask for =)

i'm supposed to be doing the zao cai mao pose =X

We spent an amazingly long time in the same location taking these crazy photos......

She's such a cutie, my dear beloved cousin =)

Nice crazy shots aren't they. Wahaha.. Love them to bits (in a family kind of way!)

Anyway, I am extremely happy today because my application for relief teaching is successful! Woohoo! Praise God!! Once again, ask and you will receive, indeed! Time to go look for school to teach! Yippee!

And its 17 days to the big O. With just a blink of an eye, my 2 years of national service has finally come close to an end. Life has definitely been insightful and enriching for me through these 2 years. I am very lucky to be able to hold my current appointment as it really puts me in many situations that would train my stress tolerance and planning skills. I have learnt many many things out of it and I am definitely glad that I was chosen to do it.

It is not always that you get good bosses. I am so lucky to be able to have 3 extremely good bosses (not licking any boots here) who never fails to crack me/my department up. Though workload increases with the work environment that I am in, it is how understanding and appreciative my bosses are for the work that I have done that makes me feel committed to my department. It just feels nice to have your superior appreciating what you do, cover for you when you do something wrong and even not scold you when you did not complete what is asked of you. So so nice...

My AO is also one good guy whom I really respect. Though he is the only one who has ever given me an extra throughout my 2 years stint, I still respect him for who he is. He did not even scold us today even though we were late to set up for water point and even help us contact the duty driver to bring our stuff over. And of course, his care and concern for me will never be forgotten lar... Trying his best to fight for a understudy for me... and always having my interest in heart, kind of reminds me of my DY (who will return only after I ORD... boo)!! So so so nice...

The great company I had at my old branch and my present unit has definitely helped me sustain through my NS. Staying in was so enjoyable with nat nat, Andre, bobby, da da, Xavier etc around. Though all of them have left, their understudies remain... wahaha... Set, Kenny, Desmond, Gerard are people who really care for me (Smallest in rank among them... Not much of a choice eh... haha... jk). Helping me whenever possible... Definitely won't forget those bunk mates of mine... Heez... Of course, at present, there is our dear Quek who is funny in his own way, Adam, my lunch buddy, great fren and classmate/past and future schoolmate, Malvin who appreciates my baking, my fellow finance people like Hamza, Mun and Shaun who will destress together and complain to each other about our work, and of course the nice newcomers in my department, fel and jon who are my gossiping (sinful... so so sinful), singing and irritating (in a good way) partners. With these people lighting up my work environment, it makes each day pass so much easier. So so so so nice...

I'm happy... very very happy that God has blessed me with so many wonderful things. Yay! Of course I will never forget my close friends who has always been by my side for the past 6 years, Chase, Choon, Ernie. Life has never been worst. So yar... I'm one big happy guy now and nothing can bring me down... Woohoo!! (except maybe work? haha..)

So looking forward to my shopping trip with my cousins on Thursday, my cousin, samuel and choon's POP this Friday, Church this Sunday and definitely, Perth Trip next Thursday!! yay!! As for Ms Lim's (Or should I say Mrs Li) wedding and my family dinner last Saturday, I shall blog about it, with photos, on another day =)

4 more working days before I go off for my C cube. Life has definitely been exciting so far this month. It feels as if I am lavished with work to mark the upcoming event by the name of the big O. It has been a very stressful period for me definitely. With super wierd dreams about work and sleepless nights because of work, life can never be more exciting than this. Oh well, complaining about if definitely doesn't help. All I can do is to just take it in my stride and take it as a God given experience for me to increase my stress-intake level so as to be prepared for better things ahead. yea! =)



Through this experience, I've realised something. Doing work at home definitely takes away some of the stress I face. You can take your time to finish it, there will not be anyone shooting arrows at you while you are in the middle of something, and the environment is just so comfy! That's why its home.... heh...



Anyway, its a piggish day for me today. I just couldn't wake up from bed. Every part of my home seems like a comfy place for me to sleep. I just feel soooooooooooo tired, as if I have done a million guard duties. diao diao... I ate and slept, ate again and slept again, I wonder why I still cannot get fat. But I have no choice but to force myself to stay awake now, to make sure that I am tired enough to fall asleep tonight (just in case... heh heh...).



Choon is back from Taiwan like finally. Met him on Monday (like finally) and came to know many things about that wonderful place called Taiwan. Woohoo... and the Sun biscuit from Taiwan rocks by the way... Haha...



Jonathan came back from Hongkong/China too! (like finally) Now I have one more person to arrow my work to and someone to irritate me at work... yay! so entertaining =) He bought the many flavours of wife biscuit (they called it a cake, but i feel that biscuit sounds more appropriate... heh heh) which rocks as well!! Though the blueberry flavoured one was out of stock, the raspberry one is still not bad as well... together with the honey green tea one and the original winter melon one... yum yum...



And it will be my turn to fly off soon! Aussie trip will be in 2 weeks time and I feel so so so excited! Andre has been telling me how warm that place is now because of the hateful season called Summer. I guess its good in a way... Might come home with a nice tanned skin... haha... =X Oh well, he plans to bring me to the gym at Aussie... ... ... ... Actually, i don't reall mind because I have not run for like a zillion years and I don't even remember when I last touched those weights in the gym... So yea... A new experience... Gym-ing in Australia.

Many big events coming my way and I just can't wait! exciting exciting exciting! =)