looking for 3 doors down - its not my time

pls send to: httc1978@gmail.com

i think this is one of the more sane post that i can find around here these days. there should be more posts like these to make pple think more.. hence i tot 3 and 5 are pretty original, 4 sounds like a fable, and i can’t see how it links to the title at all..

the hk version a bit simplified and somehow is a less serious version. the main story and events are told but its different compared the the china version which i had watched. entertainment wise, HK version is better, content wise and details the chinese version will win for sure. not sure if the hk version is going to show what happens after liu bang wins xiang yu.

there are a few of such historical based chinese drama shows in series in those vcd shops, but probably less popular in terms of who acted in it etc. but the element of interest is more probably in the actual chinese history and the documented records available. the more records there are, the more possible it is to use them to conjure up a plot.

san guo is based on the novel/ romanticised version of the actual historical events, in someway, it has a lot of bias in terms of character interpretation.

in some way, the chu-han era (post qin dynasty) is pretty similar in terms of backdrop, i.e feudal warlords fighting each other being more powerful, having military advisers, tactics plots, exploits on human weakness etc.. same template, different characters but still interesting.

most of these interesting stories are more often during transitional periods of dynasties for example:

1. Chu-Han story - transition between Qin to Han
2. San Guo - from Han to Jin

Similar stories in the stores which i saw are about similar stuff:

Tang Tai Zong (li shi min) - beginnings of Tang dynasty
zhu yuan zhang - beginning of ming and fall of yuan
qing gong feng yun - beginnings of Qing
zhao kuang yin - beginnings of Song, i recalled SBC producing a show like dat before.

such turbulent periods (luan shi) also exist in the modern contect and shows have been made like

zou chu gong he - end of qing and creation of Chinese Republic, but i think China have some policy on showing stuff based on material in the modern days.. so there wasn't much about the history after that

The other show which I would like to watch to know the details of the era better is about the Mao Zedong and the civil war in China between the the communists under Mao and the Nationalist Party under Chiang Kai Shek. They had the modern stuff, guns canons etc but they also had able generals and strategies and events like the Long March, how they came together to fight world war 2, the soong sisters.. can wiki/ google it, but somehow having to watch it on tv seems to be a better experience.

i won the top prize of a lucky draw before.

it happened when i was still in sec 1. but i almost forgot when it happened til i recounted the details as follows:

the local CC organised a fun fair in my primary school compounds which was just behind my block. the first prize was a $3k OG shopping voucher. and OG was right next door to where i stay. haha those who know your landmarks well, should have figured by now where i stayed. anyway.. the mc was reading the numbers.. and i almost couldn't believe it when almost every number matched the ticket that i was holding.

i was there with my younger brother. my parents already gone home thinking it would not be that lucky.. haha.. but the best part that i recalled was the counting down to the top prize.. as typical singaporean, we all jeered when the number that was read out does not belong to us.. haha so when we counted to the top prize.. and when the number was read, i din even ask my brother to confirm it.. i just waved the ticket in the air as i raised my hand so that the MC could see and not skip to another number.. haha and well when my brther and myself was on the way to collect the prize, there still people booing.

so.. we got that 3k voucher.. my brother being 2 years younger still can't believe it. when we showed the top prize voucher to our parents, they were as ecstatic.. and i think after a quick shower, we got on straight to OG.

so we ended buying a lot of clothes and stuffs. i remembered getting a pair of track shoes.. the reebok ERS.. and it was this that made me realise it was in my sec one cos i wore it to sch the next monday. in primary sch, one wasnt allowed to wear track shoes. well, in my sec sch we were allowed. i ended up getting some NIKE shorts and 2 nike gym towels these are still with me today.. and its like more than 10 years.. haha

it is quite an unforgettable memory for me..

1st class or 3rd class i think if it appears on name card its just BXxx(Hons).

I think its like doing more gives you more options and leaving more doors open. looking from the other angle would it be better if you chose not to do honours and then come back and say u regretted not doing it?

its only 1 year more to have more doors opened. How much difference can that make out of the rest of your career life ahead?

poison's every rose has its thorns got quite a nice solo.

but if you should listen to instrumentals instead.. esp the more melodic ones by joe satriani.. personal fave. "always with me, always with you".. do check it out.

i would perhaps want to contribute something from a different and broader perspective..

Something called the thinking soldier.. in the case presented.. you definitely have got one thinking soldier in the form of 2Lt Li who does think about broader consequences of certain practices or malpractices in the SAF. He is just one out of many.

All this talk about 3G.. it all boils down to something.. soldiers are thinking.. we have on our hands 2 commanders LTA X and the OC who are definitely not thinking harder/ better than they should be when they are confronted by the situation. If they are confronted by a real scenario in battle, they set out certain orders.. and someone comes up with an obviously better solution, i think the chain of command is definitely screwed. In so far as military decisions are being made, i think there should not be a doubt that there should not be room for questions. .people really just obey and so the whole war machine can be effective.. if you have one loose gear who decides to go turn another direction.. engine stall and the whole machine just stops in the midst of war..

I think there is a real cause for worry as to what kind of commanders we really have/ want to have and how they can really lead those who can think better than them.

Do we now still want to just go for the single direction where commanders just command, and people like your average soldier just go by orders and do what they are told to do? Or is there room for collective decision making to tap on the better brains that we have?

I see that more or less, SAF is driving or has been taking the direction where the top brass are filled with thinking people.. i.e. those who are the smart smart scholar types. when it comes to the crunch, i think they can make better decisions and weigh the consequences better. so they got the brains and rank to push things through.. yes admittedly they have no real battle experience.. but what to do? do we really want a war to test them?

the difficult part at hand now is to have the middle and low management filled with people with the same thinking calibre..

another part of this whole case is that 2Lt Li has already seized the "moral high ground". Its not right for him to complain to so many, but it pales in comparison with the wrong that he is complaining about and by cc-ing more people, i think he is also saying that all the other regulars who are doing the same things better wake up also. If SAF mete out punishment that is too harsh to the whistle-blower.. what message is SAF trying to send?

My brother who was a regular specialist, was so full of praise for 2Lt Li's action.. saying that it is really like that, regular regular cover backside.. and even more so if officers.. i hope the top brass really do take a look at the whole situation before this starts to jeopardize national security.

Originally posted by Kenashi:

must see if yr other half share the same interest as u.
if she does, it will make things more enjoyable n fun.
my friends r always introducing gals to me, but none that i have any interest in. maybe i am too picky they r going to introduce a sporty gal to me next time hopefully it works out

haha.. my friends tried to intro a sporty gal to me also.. but definitely can't work out.. cos i am not that sporty kind cos of some injuries.. and she is going on and on about going for marathons..

if anyone does recall the scenery of that stretch of road, there was more than one angsana tree there. I have a feeling that the tree that is now left standing was supposed to be chopped as well.. somehow, someone (and I am suspecting NParks) had a last minute change of mind and wanted to preserve the tree.

for the last few years motorists had to meander their way around that tree. Those who are familiar with the road scheme, will expect what's in stall for them, more often then not, those who came close to accidents are those who are not familiar with the road and the speed limits in place. The split caused them to have to decide left or right.. so you put all that together.. that's the accident or the near misses..

The tree should have been gone in the first place. But consider the following:

1. If LTA had chosen to cut the tree. Against the wishes of the green groups and those for preserving the tree.. The costs would have been saved. But what price does it have for our respect for greenery and how are we to price such trees and the greenery when we are branded as a garden city? Bearing in mind, there are going to be more road widening works and all.. to cater to 6.5m people and the increased traffic. For those who drive, take a look at how close the trees are to the roads and expressways.. If we don't try hard enough to save trees, we would gradually erode our status as a garden city.

2. So, LTA chose to protect the tree. And in so doing, spent money.

3. Going forward, if someone really dies due to an accident and indirectly as a result of that tree and the traffic scheme in place, how much will his/her life cost with respect the 400,000 spent? Imaging what will be the topic for discussion on this forum if such a case really hit the news.. a lot of people will be crying out .. oh.. should have cut the tree yadda yadda..

So.. did LTA regret? Nope.. I dun think so.. why should they be?

Its never an easy black and white case. the intention set out to keep the tree was a good one.. but people dun follow rules despite the signs that have been put in place. If you ask me, i have to tell you that the motorists who dun follow the rules are the ones who is now causing the govt to spend the additional amount to cut the tree. if anyone who has to regret, should be those motorists who actually dared to complain about the tree being a hazard. They should have obeyed the traffic signs in place first.

For those who are suggesting to transplant.. please think again and very hard.. the tree might be in danger and if it fails, are you going to say "on, they shouldn't have spent the money to transplant"

was attached before for about 3 years.. then broke up early last year and has been single since..

I think there can be a lot to do.. perhaps even much more to do with your life as a single than if you are attached. I find more time to exercise.. go gym, go cycle.. go around island, take photos.. recently even found time to do some volunteer work.. all of which i find, is quite fulfilling and enriching and more meaningful..

would be good if one can find a partner to do all that together, but otherwise, dun force it.. its better going at it alone..

back then when i was attached, its like going out on dates, dinner, movies etc etc.. dun really share alot of interests in common and hence was a bit difficult to sustain beyond that.. so it ended. I dun think i look back at that as a regret.. somehow after going through all that.. the bit abt bu zai hu tian chang di jiu.. seems to have more meaning..

I remember doing the following:

1. Being the cause of a chair topple which saw my younger brother ending up in hospital for surgery to remove a broken toe nail. He was like only 2 years old and was crying all the way.

2. Used to scream out of my house window for no reason...

3. use to take chopsticks and use them on tupperware just imitate drumming on them..

4. had a very run down guitar and a very kiddy speaker with a microphone set. but at certain volume settings, having the mike inserted into the acoustic guitar allows one to create a "distortion" feel through the speaker.. this served as my electric guitar for quite a while..

5. My father bought quite a cool hi-fi set.. i think i abused it by using it as the amp for an electric guitar.. the amp has blown since..

6. I use to blackmail my brother for foul words he says.. just to get him to do things for me..

7. used to compete with my brother in a game to recap interesting things that we had been through in the past.. the game went all the way into our early teens...

8. challenge my brother to name things related to almost anything.. names of countries, names of toys, names of transformers ..

9. just go to OG every week to just stare at the size of the fortress maximus toy box.. which was almost the same height..

10. bought a airplane model (those that requires glue and assembly) and threw away the box which had instructions... so in the end the plane never got off the plastic bag..

11. played with paper bullets and staple bullets too. almost blinded someone.. hit lower left eye.. but was nv caught cos no one own up and everyone was punished..

12. there is also this little thing you can do by twisting the individual staplets together to create some thorns that you can put on seats during class.

13. i used to throw tantrums by banging my head on the wall.. i recalled this incident when i couldn't draw trees and leaves the way my mom did... haha.. and i just got up and banged my head on the wall just to express my frustration.. haha

I also remember some of my brother's pranks:

1. We were at my grandma's kampong and he rubbed medicated oil onto the nose of cats just to see them react. Its really cruel but the expression from the cats are quite funny. He did the same to chickens.. but the chickens simply just ran and ran..

2. He was angry at my mom once, he just took out her ic and threw it out of the window.. to this day. my mom nv knew how she lost the ic..

3. This next one happened quite recently.. so not so much of a childhood thing for him. This time he was angry with my dad and suspected him of breaking some of the stuff that belonged to him. In retaliation, he threw away my dad's MP3 charger and USB cable..

Memories..

not accurate.. profiled as left right.. but seems more like right left..

underneath it all – no doubt

teenage dirtbag – wheatus

you raise me up – josh groban

life in mono – mono

belief – john mayer

nothing else matters- metallica

yi shi de mei hao – angela zhang shao han

red house – jimi hendrix

shine – collective soul

zhu fu – zhang xue you

Like a star – Corrine Bailey Rae

bad day – daniel powter

Hero of the day – Metallica