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[June 15, 2007 @ 7:17pm] |
People are now trying to sue cereal makers over unhealthy products!!! How stupid! It's like saying that you couldn't possibly eat anything else at 8 in the morning! I guess people are too busy nowadays to make a few sandwiches before heading off to work. How stupid! Don't take away junk food, please no.
You know, if choice really is such a problem, then why do we prize it so much. Blearghgh... left, right, left...
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[June 10, 2007 @ 8:20pm] |
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I got home from church and found it all so meaningless again.
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| From Russia With Love |
[May 05, 2007 @ 12:00am] |
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mood |
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 blah |
] |
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music |
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Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody |
] |
The easiest way to explain my absence here of late would be to simply admit that everytime I've felt like blogging, the words just wouldn't come out right. Alt+F4, straight to bed. Today however, I decided that I would just, blog. Thinking back, the past few weeks have seen so much, and yet so little happen at the same time. See, even as I type, I realise that my words are just so laboured. As if I'm struggling to express anything at all. It's got plenty to do with fluency and the "don't want to be open on my blog" thing. O wells.
Army lately has been, okay. It's just that. I have good friends and good company, the bunch of us working together to get through our course, while providing those much-needed moments of light-heartedness to get through yet another day of routine. The problem right now is that I'm struggling with a waning sense of motivation in my daily work. To me, the only thing worse than outright torture at camp would be endless days of insianity. The truth remains that yes, many people would rather be in my course than be just another rifleman chionging for just yet another exercise. But for now at least I'm wishing that I could find just a little something about my job to motivate me. For now, it's been friends and my own efforts at self-motivation that's been keeping me going. I've really done good for myself in Army so far, though I've begun to struggle quite a bit lately with all this. On a side note, I've been making an effort to speak good English lately. Months of speaking Singlish since I entered in January has really affected my fluency and pronunciation, and to be honest its depressing me! On one hand, I guess it's a good thing to be able to speak a mix of hokkien, malay and english fluently, and be understood this time! Gone are the days when my singlish seemed weird and foreign! On the other hand however, though I can still speak in proper English quite fluently, it scares me to realise that complex sentences haven't been coming out so easily lately.
O yes. NUS is being a bitch. Says that I don't meet MT requirement, gave me provisional admission. The bloody buggers. I passed my motehrfucking malayb la. I will call. They will not hear the end of it. They might not hear anything at all though, if I don't stop procrastinating and actually call them. I honestly can't wait to get to university, no matter what all of you people say. I'd much rather sit in an NUS lecture theatre than sit in one at Sembawang Camp, learning how to raise SAF forms for accounting purposes. Don't get me wrong, I've been bloody positive since Day 1 of National Service, doing my best at all I'm asked to do if only for the sake of my own ideals. At the same time, fear not, I make no pretense of loving this job. Duty it is, love has nothing to do with it.
And oh yes, am mightily sad that Man U lost to AC Milan. Screw you Andre. If not the Treble, a Double then. I'll be at Sentosa with the peeps tomorrow, and I really do hope that I'll be in a good frame of mind and that the trip'll reenergise me a little.
I cannot wait for Sunday.
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| You again?! |
[April 15, 2007 @ 10:03pm] |
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mood |
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Cryptic, no shit. |
] |
'Cause there's no comfort in the waiting room Just nervous paces, bracing for bad news And then the nurse comes round, and everyone will lift their heads But I'm thinking of what Sarah said
... that "Love is watching someone die" |
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| S&T |
[March 26, 2007 @ 6:56am] |
Ah. Time enough for a short update.
Today's my first day of course at Sembawang Camp, and the weather outside looks frightful. So begins 16 weeks of 0745-1730 days. I get to stay out! Joy. But since it's Sembawang I'll have to wake really early just to get there on time. Oh well.
My two weeks block leave wasn't a wasted affair too. Spent enough time with friends, and still had time to pursue my own things in my free time. Thank God for small things eh. I'm content, though the past few days has left with me with this one thing to think about. Hmmm hahah.
And on a final note: does my faith in God baffle some of you people? Admittedly, it seems rather uncharacteristic at times. I doubt I'll ever let go of it really. Thank God for small things.
Wish me luck. Private Gomes heads to Sembawang.
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[March 09, 2007 @ 11:09am] |
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music |
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Rilo Kiley - Go Ahead |
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Just booked out! I'm heading to CMPB after this for an interview for the position of writer at Pioneer magazine. First magazine I'll touch in ages that isn't cold and black, hur-hur. My gosh Daryl what's happening to you. Once that's done, I'll be finished with army stuff for the week. Just two days left next week! Joy.
Another thing: Should I go Hong Kong? I've got an option to head over there with my dad for a couple of days. Language will be a problem though. And is there really anything to shop for or see there? Mmmh.
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| Live Range on Monday =) |
[March 04, 2007 @ 12:49am] |
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mood |
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blah |
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music |
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RADIOHEAD!! |
] |
Guess what? Drunk on Coldplay, Radiohead, Mae... You get the picture. Music's been my soma this evening. It's the sort of thing which helps when you've just gotten your results.
I didn't do badly, though I didn't really do all that well. Yes, someone shoot this bastard now! It's okay, I'm okay, nothing bad happened anyway. I'm just feeling mediocre that's all. There, I've said it. Me-d'oh-cur.
Sober up Gomes, sober up.
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| Results |
[March 02, 2007 @ 11:19pm] |
Mmm. Feeling mixed right now. Very.
I'm really happy for all my friends who did well though, especially my classmates. So happy for CJ's results. Thank God for little things. I'm really tired.
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[February 24, 2007 @ 8:24pm] |
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music |
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Hinder - Lips of An Angel |
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Time for a better update :)
Well I'd actually thought that NS would be quite a tough experience, given all that I've heard about it from family and friends. I'm not saying that it isn't tough, just that it's quite honestly been much better than I initially anticipated it to be. I'm currently a resident of BMTC2 "Taurus" Coy, Platoon 4. The platoon and section people are great, and I honestly couldn't have asked for better NCOs. I was fortunate enough to be put in an all-JC/English speaking section, given that the other sections generally speak a mix of Chinese and English. I was even more fortunate than that: I wound up with an ex-classmate of mine from Peicai in my section as well. Thank God I didn't have to worry about the language barrier. NS has been great in expanding my limited Chinese vocabulary (I group mandarin and dialects together, no diff to me), though perhaps most of which would really be quite useless in polite conversations. Oh well.
The training's been quite manageable and I'm really quite content with how things are going in camp. Truthfully speaking, the schedule's a lot lighter compared to other companies since we have about only two major events a day, with the day itself usually ending by 8. Drills and regimentation didn't come as a huge shock since I had already experienced it in God-forsaken NPCC. Turns out that that wasn't such a huge waste after all eh? Physical training has been enjoyable, since I've decided that I might as well push myself there since I have the opportunity to train now. I always think of Paul and Spencer at training whenever I feel like slacking off.. if my friends can do it, so can I! All in all Army's been just fine.
Another thing. Am I really a suay-mouth? Before coming into NS, I had this idea that spirits and spooks may/may not exist, the important thing being that you have enough faith in God and in yourself to not fear them (since I had this idea that by fearing them you substantiate their very being and hence give them power over yourself). As it was, I was quite stunned to see how quiet the guys would go every time the topic came up. I once asked (in honest ignorance) why we didn't have training on Thursday nights, my reply being weird looks and scared faces. What the hell? No one wanted to tell me at first, till finally the story about the disemboweled boy came out. Even my sergeants seemed quite scared of it. I honestly, I say it here, honestly, couldn't comprehend the fear. In any case, I recalled a friend of mine saying that Catholics have never been touched by anything in Tekong, and that belief alone kept me from fear. For a while at least.
It's no secret that I like the role of the honest skeptic. The fear and seemingly overly superstitious behaviour was something that both disturbed and intrigued me at once! If you haven't seen anything, why fear? Once again it was me and my blinding idealism that prevented me from comprehending it. Every time the topic came up, I took the opportunity to ask and find out more about this fear. Where did it come from? Didn't it make sense to have faith at such a time? Does it not make sense for us to follow in the Harry Potter's footsteps? Nothing to fear but fear itself blabla" Oh well.
I don't want to think about it anymore. I guess there is something in Tekong. In the end, "O. J. Gomes" (figure out what it stands for) finally lost his nerve one Thursday night. Sleepless and suddenly fearful, he grabbed his wooden rosary before finally falling asleep. Tell me a thousand stories and I'd probably still be cool. But nothing creeps me out more than seeing dogs going crazy and barking at nothing out of the cold blue. And it happens every Thursday night, never on any other. I like dogs. People say that dogs can see. Then why Thursday night? Why always that night? Why do they bark and howl crazily, all night long? Why...
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| Hello! |
[February 19, 2007 @ 6:31pm] |
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mood |
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 blank |
] |
Kinda lazy to update. NS is good.
Biggest worry, the As.
Happy 19th birthday to GK and Kerri.
I'll update soon, I think. When I next book-out or somethin'.
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| Goodbye! |
[January 25, 2007 @ 10:32pm] |
I'd be bluffing if I said I wasn't even a little nervous right now. Oh well. It's been a good time bumming and all. It's still kinda hard to believe that "that day" which I've been warned about since childhood is finally here. Always dismissed it as something really distant.
So yes, I'm prepped up and ready to ship out to Tekong. I'll see everyone in a short while I guess. I pray that I adjust well and that the experience will shape me up in as many ways as possible. I'm going to miss plenty of people while away, definitely. I'm also going to miss Portugal vs Brazil on Feb 6th. Sigh.
Take care everyone! Be back later.
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| Goodbye 06 |
[January 09, 2007 @ 1:11am] |
|
 I started the new year with a wince, again. My heart sank lower with every count towards zero, while in the meantime everyone around me enthusiastically got themselves ready to cheer in another year. I guess it's nice that I really do appreciate growing up as my birthday passes each year. Giddy excitement is dramatically mixed with nostalgic musings of a year, good or bad, gone past. I liked 2006. I also definitely like the fact that I am, finally, 18. Heheh. Of course it wasn't really like that on the first of January twelve months back. I started off with the gloomy prospect of the A levels, hanging over me like a guillotine ready to drop. Dreary days of mugging was all I really had to look forward to while Rally preparations occupied the rest of my time. I'm glad it's all over really. I've yet to find out if I really did die during the As, so right now I'm just praying that God'll let me pull a Nearly Headless Nick. Rally on the other hand was a moderate success, and I  did come out of it for the better. I'm glad as well for the fact that I do know my class better than I did in 2005, and that at the end of the day all of us did gear up to actually study for the As. I am quite the lazy bugger, and I'd probably be lazier if it wasn't for the days of History prep at Jared's place or for GK's help at Economics. Am honestly going to miss playing bridge during breaks! Yeah, even though I did do stupid things (goddammit I was learning still right) like play the trump while still having a card of the same suit hidden in my hand...  Heh, but that's history. 2007 began for me with a game of bridge while the party was dying down. For once, I owned the table. The days after Literature paper 5 have been a blast, as I've been telling people. "I just wanna max out the hols before NS." Guess I have accomplished that at least, since I've accomplished little else lately. Had a nice gathering at my place on the 23rd. Spent Christmas morning at church, before visiting three parties after that. Gosh that was. Tiring. I've done so many things this holiday that I honestly can't remember much at the moment, adding the fact that I really can't be bothered to list them down anyway. It's been a good time and that I'm grateful for. 2006 has also seen a lot of new people around as well. Thank God for the new friends, the rediscovered ones, the ones that have always been around, and for the former ones. The Gabrielites and Kristangs have and will always be around with the same old nonsense. Thex (the boy who used to be known as Kenneth at the beginning  of 2006) of course certainly won't easily forget the year he "became more Christ-like", after having lost a few centimetres of skin. I got to watch my friend, the NYP cheerleader doing funny things on my computer screen. I witnessed GK shrieking like a banshee while playing games on Neopets (priceless, really =D ). I definitely won't forget the nights camping out in my living room with the guys during the World Cup, having Frois curled up on my couch refusing to wake for hours later. Or the late night chats with people like Bonnie, who never fail to throw my bioclock off balance. It's the simple things that have really made my days this year and I'm really appreciative for all of you who've been there and around; people who've made it worthwhile. To sum it up, growing up's been fun. 2007 looks ripe for fun and trouble, so I'll just have to wait to find out what lies in store for me. This'll probably be one of the last few entries (or perhaps the last one), so I'll leave a few shout-outs.  
GK - GK! Nothing much to say lah. Really. I promise yes, the belated present. Yes it'll be nice. Better than the one I gave you at Christmas at least! davvvvvvvid - Have a ripe 2007 mann. Glad things have been better the past year. Probably will get even better la. Will look forward to after-mass breakfasts, soccer mornings and perhaps another gathering, if I hold one. Thex - How's it hanging? Ha really glad that all's been GOOD despite the fact you're having a pissingly hard time lately. Drop me an sms when you get your results mann. Let me know how Garae and the rest did too. And oh yeah thanks for screening Borat. Frois - Dude, good luck with the new term. Party hard. And o yeah I still want to read the Marquis de Sade, so really if you don't need it as an accessory for a while you could lend it to me after BMT. And yes, ahem, the things I say do make people blush. alison - *nudge* sup pest. I still think your blog skin's messy! But it's okay. Thanks for the amusing emoticon-filled conversations on MSN. Someday Thex will retell the Tale of Tee Ang & Alison aye? He was a NICE guy lah. Natt - NATT. Enjoy first 3 months! Keep Lit as H2! I'm sorry that Cikgu Yati's your form teacher... she's really nice la but just that you won't be able to pon. Haha tough luck, talk to you soon. Syl - white girl got tanned!. can't call you oreo anymore. must change to chocolate cream oreo already. and yes, it's finally official thank God. =D Paul - thanks for the good times in 2006 mann. and the good music! always the good music. hope you have fun at tennis and training and stuff ;) Music I Loved, 2006 - Acid House Kings
- Mae
- Belle & Sebastian
- Kings of Convenience
- Rilo Kiley
- The Postal Service
- Frank Sinatra
- The Real Group
- DCFC
- Ben Folds
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| Merry Christmas! |
[December 26, 2006 @ 4:11pm] |
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mood |
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 Christmas! |
] |
Will update soon lahhh. After the party on the 28th. For now, I'll leave a couple of photos from Christmas night.
Nice picture of the Phipps, Gomes, Thex, Fernandez and Frois again. Haha
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[December 05, 2006 @ 11:47pm] |
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holidays, not wasted! but my lower back hurts like hell. i swear, i can fix this. i hope! shan't update till after Frois's party soon. or maybe a little after that.
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| Con Camp (Absent) |
[December 02, 2006 @ 12:21am] |
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music |
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X Japan - Endless Rain |
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Really did regret missing Con Camp this week. I kept on thinking about the group I facilitated from Sec 2 camp last year and was wondering how they were doing at camp. That, and just a lot of good memories made me want to be there again. Sentimental shit.
In the end, I did drop by on Wednesday. Rather impromptu decision. Slipped on my beach flops and jumped into the car. Had a great time saying hello and talking to everyone again. Struck kinda deep, the realization of just how long I've been away. Had a short but good chat with Christine too. Felt really good after that, just saying hi.
Heh. Still, was thinking a lot about my group. In the end I dropped by their blogs, and read up on what they thought about the camp. Guess that's why God let us have Internet. All's good, I'm glad. To just quote from one of them:
"mom: can we be friends again?
tht really struck me."
Yep, all's good. I'm content.
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| Dear Santa |
[December 01, 2006 @ 2:23am] |
 Dear Santa...
Dear Santa,
This year I've been busy!
Last Thursday I caught a purse-snatcher who stole ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) aerianta's purse (30 points). Last month I saved a busload of nuns in Angola (326 points). In February I gave izombiefied a kidney (1000 points). In June I bought porn for spiderpig (-10 points). In April I bought porn for fuhfuhfuh (10 points).
Overall, I've been nice (1356 points). For Christmas I deserve a toy train!
Sincerely,
darylg |
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| Purged! |
[November 25, 2006 @ 11:52pm] |
Just threw out 2 years worth of stuff. I feel good. Cathartic, therapeutic work. More importantly, cathartic.
Just spent 6 hours cleaning my room! I feel so domestic.
Just feeling so good, seriously. I'm feeling really at home right now, the first time since moving in in January. Feel like I've finally settled down, yeah. It's like, I'm discovering stuff about the house all over again.
Damn, wow, there's so much space! If a man's mind can be judged from the state of his room, then my head is certainly quite empty.
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| Finish exams already? |
[November 21, 2006 @ 12:20am] |
I should be studying.
Listening to What Sarah Said
& Just Like Heaven instead.
Oh well.
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| Stupid Boy |
[November 16, 2006 @ 9:20pm] |
I am very pissed off at myself. History was a total tragedy. Or a comedy. A tragicomedy. Not knowing how to do the China question was one thing. But the Origins question... omfgwtf. I realised that the question required me to understand what kind of information exactly was released after 1991 and how it affected current historical debates. I muddled through it and argued for the revisionist school of thought. It was only after the paper that my friends reminded me that the new thinking that emerged following the end of Cold War was "New Cold War History". Oh shit. Yeah, that one. The school of thought supported most vocally by historian John Lewis Gaddis.
Well, so lets have a look at my argument versus the model answer.
- I argued that -> American policy was aggressive and it was Stalin's defensive posture that reflected the nature of the Cold War as being American-initiated.
- New Cold War History? -> Argues that USSR was the active party, US holding back. Stalin is blamed for beginning the Cold War.
So my argument turned out to be the complete opposite of what really happened with the release of Warsaw Pact documents following the end of the USSR.
...
And another thing?
OH WELL.
***  He looks happy.
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Daryl Alphonse 
