Sunday, June 29, 2008

Communicating

On a Side Note...
Baby cooked carbonara for me last night =D
Have you ever wondered influential people seem to be more interesting/convincing when they speak (compared to others)? The secret lies in body language.


Well no, not exactly this kinda body language... Research has shown that when you speak to someone, that person is aided by not only your voice, but tone and body language as well, which helps them to remember or understand the message that you are trying to drive across. The effect of your speech primarily depends on your body language (55%), tone of voice (33%), as opposed to what you say (7%). Now that is something to ponder over, especially if you are one who easily gets others angry.


Listen

Another interesting point that I've learn about, is the traditional and simplified way of writing 'listen' in Chinese. The simplified writing has only 2 components to it, and it roughly translates to "One weighs what one hears and rebukes/refutes with one's mouth". Compare that to the old writing, which means "One listens with one's ears, eyes, and whole heart as if listening to a king". The older generation are certainly wiser than us.

Communicating is not just talking. It consists of talking, listening (not just hearing), persuading, and getting feedback. By recognising the differences (and exploring them) and perspectives of others, we can effectively improve on our dialogues. It is wiser to focus on the issue and not the person, as by doing the latter conversations can often become destructive instead of being constructive. Of course, it is easier said than done.


Quote of the day

Perhaps more than any other form of communication, writing holds us responsible for our words and ultimately makes us more thoughtful human beings

-Ernest Boyer

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 2:52 PM

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Monday, June 23, 2008

PLC

On a Side Note...
I had a dreamless sleep. I slept lightly and could feel myself half-awake all night. I don't want to be doing this in the jungle.
With great reluctance I leave the comfort of home, away from my family and loved ones, to undergo some stupid specialist training which I never wished for. I hope that I either find myself in a 3 week confinement, or be back in my unit. Until then.

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 7:21 AM

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Sunday, June 22, 2008

Amici

On a Side Note...
Pasir Laba Camp, tomorrow. No white lanyard, no OCT's allowance, no three weeks' confinement.
Wanted to take Christie to dine at Amici's before my block leave ends. Since Donald's birthday is on today, I thought that we might as well have a dinner together last night, which we did. Got him a blue striped necktie as a gift, which would come in handy. I'm glad that he likes it. Apparently, it was Christie's first time at Holland Village (and my 2nd). And I thought that I was the only one who've never been there =P


The Italian food at Amici is the best that I've had so far, partly because I haven't really been to other authentic Italian eateries. Donald usually goes light on Italian food as he says that it is very fattening due to the thick sauces used. We had a Calamari Fritters for starters, and we each tried something different from the last visit.




Sis had a Linguine Crayfish Pasta, while I had a Spaghetti Crabmeat Aglio Olio. The crayfish was fresh and succulent, and the pasta was a mix of sweet and spicy. Italian food's spiciness is nowhere near the Chinese', so don't expect to perspire while eating it. As Sis puts it, the Spaghetti Crabmeat Aglio Olio tastes better than her choice because the spaghetti has a subtle taste. The taste of the sauce seeps into the spaghetti, making it sapid and savory.



Christie ordered the Linguine Squid Ink, which is one of the favourites'. The linguine appears black due to the squid ink (hence the name, duh!) and has a distinct, pleasing taste. The cod tastes crisp and ambrosial, while the squid is al dente. The dish is unique and is indubitably one of the best there. Donald had the Codfish with Cherry Tomato. The cod was crispy on the outside, and filled with tender, succulent goodness inside.


We were all filled at the end of the course, especially me (who had to finish her's as well, but I'm not complaining =P). Still, their mouthwatering AND award-winning Tiramisu Classico was too tempting to resist, and my girl who couldn't finish her main course had to try it *hehe* The sweet and tasteful coffee liquor added an exquisite finishing to the already-delectable dessert. It's no wonder that it this sinful treat won awards!

After dinner, we retreated to VivoCity to catch the comical You Don't Mess With The Zohan. I absolutely loathe the extreme commercial times for Golden Village. The airtime for commercials at GV's theaters can be as long as 20-odd minutes. 20 minutes of my life is wasted each time I watch a movie at GV. Am I the only one who feels that GV's advert airing is absurdly long? Back to the movie, it is very exaggerated throughout, and it's one of the movies that I'd call 'stupid funny' - it kept the audience laughing most of the times. For the price of a weekend ticket, the amount of laughter is all worth it.

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 5:46 PM

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Saturday, June 21, 2008

How To Take Care of Babies

On a Side Note...
I used the wrong lubricant for my Rubik's Cube >.<













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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 12:50 AM

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Friday, June 20, 2008

T3

On a Side Note...
The bombshell has been dropped. Yes this is one posting that I didn't expect. Back to the jungle for now, it seems? This journey is one that is, and will be fraught with countless obstacles, as I've found out.
Baby and I went to T3 @ Changi Airport yesterday. It was a random idea to visit the place, as I heard it being mentioned over the radio several times in the past 2 days. Before we went to T3, we headed to Aljunied to visit a warehouse sale to check out the bargains.


Honestly it was a waste of time. The Levi's that they have are the Signature series, which are probably several seasons back. There's hardly any clothes that is fashionable. Still, the clothes may still be a steal for foreign workers =X


The viewing gallery at T3 is disappointing, as the glass panels are relatively dirty and there are 2 layers of windows that is a distant apart, which gives the feeling that you are far away from the runway. Though T3 is currently being promoted over the airwaves lately, there isn't exactly much over there. There are 22 F&B outlets, which provide an acceptable amount of variety. The retail outlets at T3 don't really stand out in any department. Most of the 'world-class airport' probably lies within the transit area, which is only accessible by travelers. There is a hotel that is linked to T3, which is pretty cool for a concept.


We had dinner at Sakae Teppanyaki, which was really good. The skillful chef was very polite, which is typical of a Japanese, I think? The fried rice that he prepared was very tasty, and it obviously wasn't enough for me so I ate some of hers =P The set that we had included an appetiser, miso soup, bean curd, mushroom, salmon, and beef. HSBC cardholders enjoy a special 1-for-1 promotion, which makes it very worthwhile.


Looks appetising, doesn't it?

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 5:11 PM

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

My Running Route

On a Side Note...
Posting will be out on Friday morning 1000 hours. Until then, I'm kept in suspense of whether I've been posted to OCS. I don't have doubts in my performance, but there's always an uncertainty over it due to my ORD date.
Been keeping up with the early morning calls and exercise so that my fitness won't deteriorate during these 11 days. I don't fancy doing morning jogs in camp, as I have to change from the singlet to T-Shirt right after the run to go for breakfast. That'd mean wearing perspiration-soaked T-Shirt to breakfast everyday. If I run at a fast pace, my knee hurts at times, and if I run slowly, the sergeants will try to push me to run faster. Can't go fast, can't go slow. That's the pain of morning runs in the army, which is why I often skip the run. I'm now on glucosamine and calcium supplements, which hopefully will help strengthen my knee.


The above is my running route. I take the green route past Innova Junior College and the Singapore Sports School, until Drive 19 (which is in front of Christ Church Secondary School. That path alone is approximately 1.4km long, so just to and fro adds up to 2.8km. Minimally, I do 3 laps around Drive 19 (blue route), which is 900m per round. The entire regime adds up to 5.5km, which I've been keeping up to for the past 4 days or so. I figure that if I continue this for 2 months, my tummy should totally be non-existent =P

With the closure of Streetdirectory.com many months ago, I was like crippled when it came to driving. Fortunately, yesterday's issue of Digital Life recommended a few other alternatives.

StreetDB is by far the best pick, in my opinion, as compared to the 2 other recommendations by Digital Life. The 3 mentioned websites offer virtual maps, which is better than the late Streetdirectory.com, when it comes to navigation.


StreetDB

StreetDB's virtual map system also provides a very intuitive step-by-step (or rather, junction by junction) driving guide. It is better than Google Maps as...


Google Maps

Google Maps do not display most buildings and local amenities. The maps even display the direction of traffic along roads. However, Google Maps is global, which means that it can display the streets of most (if not all) countries. Its only disadvantage is that you have to be more precise when entering a location. Try entering Woodlands, and you'll find the map of Woodlands County in Canada.


Rednano's Map

Rednano is a relatively new search engine by SPH Press Holdings. It is by far the first local search and directory engine, and it even includes local maps and driving directions. It is currently in Beta phase, and from time to time it has glitches which returns no results during searches. Other than that, it is also has a notably slower loading speed when you navigate through the virtual maps.


The blue space is what you'll see when you navigate the map. Google's loading time is acceptable, with the new areas showing in less than 2 seconds, while StreetDB's map reloads almost instantaneously. For now, StreetDB wins hands down.

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 12:49 PM

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Saturday, June 14, 2008

The Idle Log

On a Side Note...
I am idling.
I can totally relax for the remaining entire week or so. Over the past 2 days, I have
- Tidied up my room
- Sorted out my messy wardrobe
- Rearranged my stuff in the drawers
- Folded all my army clothes and
- Packed all my army gear into my field pack and duffel bag

Feels good to just relax without a care. Feels as though I'm ready to report to my new unit anytime. OCS?

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 2:32 PM

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

No Tellin' Me No

On a Side Note...
The passing out parade is over. I feel indifferent towards it. Most recruits would feel proud of it. To me it holds its own significance - the obstacle that is holding me from realising my goal. Let there be no more hold-ups.
I never allow anyone to tell me what I can do or can't do, other than the legally or morally obligated stuff. It has been a full year of waiting and persevering, and no one can put me down by doubting me over my pilot ambition. Whether I can make it or not is not up to anyone to say. If I fail, I tried. But if I fail to withstand cheap discouraging words, I deserve to fail.

11 days of block leave left to enjoy. 4 days on my own. Feels like there isn't much to do, but I'll try to keep to jogging every morning to keep in shape and not slack off. Shall be visiting the PC Show later, which reminds me - I have to go soon. Shall update again some time soon.

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 2:22 PM

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Sunday, June 08, 2008

The Next Wave

On a Side Note...
A sense of satisfaction and somewhat relief fills me as BMT draws close to an end. I don't feel very proud of it though, since it took me a year to finally get this over and done with. Though it may be only the beginning, this extended beginning is the start of what may become a lifelong career. I'd gladly perish in the skies for what I want to pursue - To be above all.
Passing out parade on the coming Wednesday. The 9 weeks' of training is ending. I couldn't be more glad, but that's not to say that I want to go back to my previous unit and grow fat again. If I had wanted to slack off, I could possibly avoid returning to BMT for a long time, but there is something left for me to do. It'll be a long journey, with a 3 week confinement to welcome me. Though the posting will only be out on Friday, I believe that it's either back to unit or OCS for me.

A year has passed, just like that. A year of waiting, a year of lying low, a year that might have been intense and full. Though I missed out on a lot, I have also gained in other ways. What began as a gamble has become something that completes me. I would not have been the me now, if not for you =)


Quote of the day

The safest principle through life, instead of reforming others, is to set about perfecting yourself.

-B. R. Haydon

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Penning my heartfelt thoughts at 12:39 PM

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