Looking back on 2008...

2008 just seemed to whizz by. Alot of the year was spent just wishing time would pass faster. And alot of that time was spent in camp. Training in HTA wasn't anywhere near punishing, but it was time I'm happy to reminisce in retrospect and avoid the folly of wishing I could go back to it, because I probably don't. HTA also took away precious time that I could spend with Cheryl, although I did not know it was that precious until it was all spent. I'm glad my family has moved on, not in an ungrateful way forgetting how much of a blessing Cheryl has been to us, but in knowledge that life goes on whilst still holding on to the fond memories we have of her and not wallowing in the pain of her passing.

Bravo, Paganini!

I thought I was going to be late as there was a jam along Orchard! Thankfully, I reached the concert hall with about 5 mins to spare. Whew, If I missed the first bit half before interval, might as well go home already. The first piece didn't really leave an impression on me, maybe because all I was waiting for was the Paganini concerto. I think this is the first time I actually listened through the whole concerto. The concerto is truly crazy. I thought the caprices was crazy, but I guess he composed the caprices for people to practice so they can play this concerto. The jumping double stops, the DID I HEAR DOUBLE STOP HARMONICS? the generous sliding thirds and tenths, left hand pizzicato and all the other crazy stuff that I forgot the violin could do. Well, I would say it was awesome if not for the soloists' couple of mistakes... just joking. I hope he actually sleeps and not just practices all day. He indulged us with an encore of "Paganini's Duet for One Violin". I don't know if he made that up or it's really a piece but it was awesome with a main melody and alot of left hand pizzicato at the same time.

After intermission it was a piece by Bernstein (who I never heard of) which figured as he's a contemporary composer and I really don't enjoy contemporary stuff. They lack melody and that to me, gets them down many notches in music. The Prokofiev was a nice end to the evening.

It ended a little later than expected because of the encore so didn't get to meet Shufen. Anyway, had a beef and mushroom pie and THE AWESOME tiramisu from Prego so I'd sleep a very happy man today.

16/11/08

Today was our last combined service as Psalmist :( It was really fun as usual. Love how practices get all whacky and it always turns out great for service anyway and we still have a rocking good time. Many people came up to me to say they enjoyed my violin playing today which feels very nice *head swells* even though when I took out my violin this week it had like mold growing on the chinrest and termites.

After service it was off to Radzali's wedding in Group Leader's car. Pretty interesting, this being the first malay wedding I attended. It's alot more casual than chinese weddings and I dare say more fun.

When life hands you scrap paper...

Make a paper aeroplane!

This morning I got a surprise. My Team leader handed me a Commander's Award. It was surprising because - I attended the Commander's Parade yesterday and didn't even know I won anything; I don't even remember what is it for. Better still, THEY GOT MY NAME SPELT WRONG. GAHHHH WAD THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THEM!! But crap, I think I'm still an awesome police man.

7/11/08

Falling sick from all the burgers and ice cream this week :( It was great though going to Island Creamery for the second time this week (and the second time ever). Wilson was working there so I got like half a tub in 2 scoops :D:D Waited for him to knock off then Brian and his gang made it down to ECP hawker centre for dinner. Felt like crap so didn't catch a movie. Probably going to be my last outing before the flu bug totally gets me :(

'A' treat!

Today was quite a bad shift. Got drenched in the rain for one of the messages, then a super bad headache hit me like a sledgehammer at by evening I felt like I was dying. Iman my partner was really nice and took care of me and got me panadol and water and kept asking me if I was okay throughout the shift. Just when things couldn't get worse, had to chase after this silly "dark skinned man" for the last message of the day. He had a head-start of like 100m so when he dashed across the road into some flats it was basically unlikely that we'd catch him. The funny bit is that, he didn't even commit an offence and even if we got him there wasn't anything we were going to do to him. Oh well, the exercise actually made my headache go away.

Tonight was 'A' treat, which is a fund from our division for our team to go out for some "team-bonding". Didn't think I would make it with my achey head but it was okay by the time shift ended so we headed down to Swensen's Orchard and had a crazy time making a nuisance of ourselves and terrorizing the staff there. It's kinda like a few-in-one meal because we're seeing off our team leader to another branch, and one of our SCs who's going to ORD. But it was still great =)

Bangkok!

Day 1

Caught the 6pm flight from budget terminal on Tiger Airways to Bangkok. The terminal is really its namesake and is an impoverished step-cousin of the other 3 beautiful terminals. Anyhow, that's not the worst bit yet. There's only 1-2 counters open depending on the flight and they're really slow, saw queues forming that really scared me. Fortuantely, got in queue when check-in opened for my flight early so didn't really have to queue much :) Reached BKK and out of there at about 9 since they're an hour behind. Brian and Dean came to pick me up. Dropped my stuff off at Brian's place and ate at a nearby roadside restaurant (something like zi char sort). My first thought that it was going to send me to the toilet for the next few days but fortunately my stomach was okay. We were supposed to go to this club called Hollywood with another friend at 10 but went kind of late and missed quite alot of the performances. Brian knew one of the girls there from before so she got us a red label at her own staff price of 400 baht (~17SGD) which is insanely cheap considering that it costs 620 at the BKK DFS.

After the performances the DJ started work and there were bartop and pole dancers and halfway through the bottle my head already started to spin woozy.

Day 2

It's Chulalongkorn Day and a public holiday for Thais! Woke up really late and we went down to Platinum Mall by the BTS (their MRT line).

Platinum mall is like Far East Plaza, only taller and selling only clothes. Only about 1 in 20 stalls had guys stuff but I quickly realised I was spending quite fast. After controlling my hyperventilation at the sight of all the nice clothes, they dragged me off to MBK which is a mall nearby. They have alot of other different stuff there but alot more clothes too! Grabbed some more (surprise, surprise!) CLOTHES! Stomachs were rumbling so we went to the McDonalds there.

I knew it existed even before I went there but seeing it in the flesh was too much for me. Ended up all 5 of us ordered the same thing and man, they should have this in Singapore too.

THE DOUBLE BIG MAC FOR THE WIN!

Caught Tropic Thunder which was a darn lame movie but the cinemas there are abit different because they don't allow baggage in (which means they kindly took our crazy load of shopping for us while we watched the movie) and they play this song for their with a video where everyone has to rise in between the commercials and the movie.

Day 3

It's a work day today so went down to Brian's office with the other attachee from TP, Sheng Wei. The office is located in the city area.

Only the 2 of them were at work because I guess the other 2 staff wanted to take a nice long weekend break. Waited patiently for lunch and we went to this nearby market beside the office to buy food.

It's quite a surprise, coming from Singapore, to see an area like this in the heart of their CBD but well the food's really good so who's complaining. Apparently, it is rude to eat from the disposable packaging so we controlled our ravenous appetites and put the food on plates.

After lunch, went upstairs to make friends with 2 huge frog cushions and we played in lalaland together. Headed back to the apartment, did some laundry and had a swim at the apartment's swimming pool. Being too lazy to walk out for food, we ate the food shop at the ground floor (they do room service too!) Wish there was such good and cheap food in Singapore.

Day 4

It's the weekend so the place to head to is Chatuchak weekend market which was on the other end of the BTS line (the apartment is like at Pasir Ris, and Chatuchak at Boon Lay) but the trip only took about 30 minutes. Dean told me before that that Chatuchak was like Bugis Village X100 and I didn't believe it until I saw it. It was massive and really crowded!

Walking through the endless roads within the market and into the shops area itself was really tiring and we stopped by one of the food centres to eat. This is like the grandmother of cai peng and zi char stalls.

Even the noodles and prawns are huge!

Not to mention the biggest kickass teh-ping ever.

Passed by the super big park to go back to the BTS station after a super long day of walking and shopping

The end of our Chatuchak experience :(

Day 5 (last day!)

Woke up at lunch time and we went downstairs to this roadside stall just outside the apartment. It's kinda like a fishball noodle stall here. The soup is delicious and the fish balls taste pretty good too. If he opened a stall here he could put up a fight with Bedok's Blk 85 Ba Chor Mee and be really rich. 

We hijacked the unlucky ice cream man who just happened to pass by and managed to accost him of some ice creams.

I'm leaving behind this room that I've slept in for the past 4 days (4 of us sleep here!)

On the way to the airport

A group picture of my 3 proud tour guides and I.

Thanks guys for the wonderful trip!