Immeasurable Joy & Thanks

:D
I'm feeling like the most contented 22yr-old-bloke in this world now~!
Thanks to Marcus & WanJun for party-planning & rawfood-preparation(applaudable nitty-gritty effort~!), Reuben for doing the groceries(finger-licking delectable treats~!), U-Wei & Juliet for Wine(mmm..hope y'all liked it?) & Apple Crumble(yummy~i'm sure y'all loved it!!) Daniel & Mandy for capturing the cheers on digital-film~ Appreciate the gifts frm Marc, WJ, Alvin & Gerald too.. But most of all, to the rest of you, my dear Brothers & Sisters:
Your presence alone was more than what I could ever ask for as a birthday-gift!!
Thank you all for coming together last evening to chill out & celebrate with me!

P.S.: I've to say I wasn't expecting anything more than your company, but well, well.. what a sneaky surprise from the gamemasters~!

& last but not least:
Thank you Jo, for being there; especially so when you've to take time off from your busy schedule and to familiarise yourself with the whole "family" that evening.
Thank you all; my Brothers & Sisters, for making her feel welcome too~! :D
******

A Star Is Born~!

Last Sunday, I went went with Bro Kerong & a mutual friend to support our dear Bro Melvin when he competed in the finals, of this local talentime competition(called Xin1 Yao2 Jie2 in Mandarin) featuring upcoming local Mandarin-song composers & performers:
******
Here are some snapshots of the event:

Not in the limelight
but still shining in his keyboard-performance of the song he co-wrote. Melvin is rapt in emotion here, playing "Kitchen" (Chu2 Fang2)














A Few Words
from the the composer himself(2nd frm left), after his second song. Yes, TWO of his songs made the cut for the Finals~!










Misc Shots:
























you can pretty much tell where we were seated from this shot.. lol.. ideal position for sniping photos w/o much intervention from ushers.. however, they did not seem to care much with ubiquitous camera-flashes throughout the event. Especially when guest-performer Gigi Leung came on stage to present two songs. My batteries were almost out then & I wanted to save the last bit for a Melvin-moment; just in case... so I couldn't take a shot of the HK diva~ >.<


It'll take more than chants and spells for your friend to win Pal.. heh heh... :-p











Melvin's song "Kitchen" wins the "Most Popular Song" award~!
Oops, I missed a chance to shoot the actual prize-presentation when the battery went dead crucial moment~!
The low-batt-beeping-alarm sounds as I go, "D'oh!" (>.<)
Strangely, after popping-out the batt from the camera & letting it "cool-off" for a while before popping it back in, I managed to catch this final group photo of all the participants and guests of honour~!
Well done Bro~!

"He"

A song I first heard in good ol' Anglican High school hall... So, I recently rediscovered it on this "AHS Musical Groups" compilation-CD we got in Sec 1, back in 1996.
Now, when I listen to it again, I feel the lyrics ring a familiar bell from long ago. Kinda like the chimes that the mass-broadcast speaker system play on the first noon of each month.
When I think about how I didn't receive Him back then, it's indescribably miraculous how I'm here today; acknowledging His presence and His love. I find this is a simple, yet emotive song about Him. I've got the MP3 if you'd like to hear it too.. For now, let's enjoy the words...

"He"
A
He can turn the tides
And calm the angry sea

He alone decides
Who writes a symphony

He lights every star
That makes our darkness bright

He keeps watch all through
Each long and lonely night

Chorus:
He still finds the time
To hear a child’s first prayer

Saint and sinner call
And always find him there

Though it makes him sad
To see the way we live
He'll always say,
“I forgive”

B
He can grant a wish
Or make a dream come true

He can paint the clouds
And turn the grey to blue

He alone knows where
To find the rainbow’s end

He alone can see
What lies beyond the bend

Chorus:
He can touch a tree
And turn the leaves to gold

He knows every lie
That you and I have told

Though it makes him sad
To see the way we live
He'll always say,
“I forgive”

******
Lyrics from www.gospelmusic.org.uk

Weiliang~21~Joseph

From left to right:

Douglas: Why is KorKor sitting on the floor~?
Derek: When will it be my turn~?

Weiliang: Why they make me wear this~!?












My brother,
this day,
you have come of age.

No more,
shall you be bound
to childlike freedom.

But hold on,
to that sense
of humility and love.

Trust,
what your faith
has provided you.

Forgive me,
if I have not done
my uptmost as a brother you.

If anything,
I bid you Truth, courage,
wisdom and compassion always.

God bless Mum & Dad;
God bless You

Forgotten Feelings

I was alone in my room doing some work on the computer with MediaPlayer on Auto-Playlist. During some moment of deep thought, the orchestral theme of that film started playing. And then the memory of days long past get replayed in a grainy, sepia-tinted mental filmstrip. Again.

Do any of you remember watching the animated film "The Land Before Time" ?
I loved that so much, my Mom/Aunts probably rented the video for me; to watch it over, more than a few times~

The main "crisis" of that film was about how pre-historic Earth's geography suddenly changed; seperating land masses and breaking apart "species" of dinosaurs (& their "families"). I can only remember the name of the main character, the little brontosaurus "Littlefoot", out of the rest of his migratory-mates. And so, the storyline centred around Littlefoot & gang as they made their way through many challenges; to finally rejoin their flock where greener pastures lay.
Littlefoot had several moments of doubt when encountering difficulties in his journey, but he felt better once he thought of his mother & how he longed to be with her again. However (of I didn't remember wrongly), he lost his Mom when she fell into a ravine during some violent, episodic tectonic-activity. I felt really sad for him~! And when the film showed him revisiting fonder memories of his Mom, my little heart was touched as well.. I think that film left a profoundly nostalgic impact on me; making me fear for the worst should my parents be gone suddenly...

******
*gulp* *a tinge of guilt surfaces in own conscience*
where did those feelings of cherishing parental-love go to, over the years?
actually, they're still very much within me; just that they've become somewhat like a buried treasure-chest over the years... one that I've hidden away for too long & not know where to find it again...
I think the problem also lies with not knowing how to express it in words... I find it easier to just help out with the laundry or dishwashing; but I know that to really feel that kind of family-love lies in establishing the elusive connection with spoken words of love and gratitude.
Hope to do that... before it's too late!

*sniff* (-.-)
******
If we Hold On Together - Diana Ross

Don't lose your way
With each passing day
You've come so far
Don't throw it away
Live believing
Dreams are for weaving
Wonders are waiting to start
Live your story
Faith hope and glory
Hold to the truth
In your heart

If we hold on together
I know our dreams Will never die
Dreams see us through To forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I

Souls in the winds
must learn how to mend
Seek out a star
Hold on to the end
Valley, mountain
There is a fountain
Washes our tears All away
Words are swaying
Someone is praying
Please let us come
Home to stay

If we hold on together
I know our dreamsWill never die
Dreams see us throughTo forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I

When we are out there
In the dark
We'll dream about the sun
In the dark
We'll feel the light
Warm our hearts
Everyone

If we hold on together
I know our dreamsWill never die
Dreams see us throughTo forever
As highAs souls can fly
The clouds roll by
For you and I

Deeply Inside

(edited)

When you feel all hope is gone, seek peace within yourself & He will give you strength!

Just Keep Swimming

Bling-Bling
Swarovski'es under the ice-cream tub lid
:p










Dear Friends,
if you've been disappointed by lack of postings, I apologise for every unfruitful trip you've made to this musty, cob-webby place that is mah' Blog. A wave of projects has swept across my academic-life that threatens to flood, spillover & drown out other aspects of me; but I reassure you that I'm still clinging on to my rubber duc.. er, dinghy.

So, to ye faithful bunch who still drop by, Thanks Very Much~! I'd wish you left me a note or two though~ Even a simple "Hello :)" or "Jiak4 Ba4 Buay3?" would be really encouraging~! =D As it is, my numerous concurrent creative-projects are squeezing me dry of creative-juice to produce nothing more than rough research sketches... Argh.. But I'll try to spice things up with a pic or two to support (or rather make up for) my wordy,weary rantings ;-)

******

By the way, bro Alvin's recent posts are National-Geographic & DiscoveryChannel worthy~!
Check out his latest post on his cute cuddly 8-legged pet; and in a previous post, huge swimming creatures ~! Eye-openers I tell you~!

******


Into the West
Not too clear here, but I thought the interplay between perspective and light in the actual scene was interesting~ :)







******
When I was prayed-for by R and E recently, I listened to every comforting word they each spoke & I felt "loved" inside.. I was both touched and grateful at their gesture.. but I was also saddened, because I didn't know if the Holy Spirit would come to me at all.. "Do I even deserve His Love?",I thought.

Once again, R's suggestion for me to continue praying hard echoed within. And so it shall be.
:o)

Finding His Way

caution: marathon post(s)

Today in school, I found myself surprisingly awake; despite having only roughly 4 hours of shut-eye. Firstly, I think it was by divine intervention that i even woke up w/o hearing the alarm ring~ I discovered later that my alarm was set to ring 12 hours later than intended~! Phone-clock was mixed up between a.m. and p.m.~!

Post-Dated:
Saturday 17th July
That must have been the first service I found myself somewhat disconnected from... most of the programme... But I believe there is purpose in it all. So, the emphasis was on "missions"; since it was the church's "missions festival" after all. But then there were some interesting testimonies:

There were two young people who shared their personal experience in missionary work. They were a 26yr-old lad and a 20yr-old girl. The man had been in the "missions-field" for about 7 years now; and he said he never felt any internal struggle or hesitation when he answered His calling. The girl however, said she had totally hated the idea of getting involved in overseas missions for a long time before. This attitude, she said; somewhat stemmed from her experience with her own missionary-father. He was very active in the mission-field & would frequently ask his daughters along if not they might not see him for up to months. But alas, during a service where her church's leaders were appealing for mission-volunteers, this girl who was still apprehensive & troubled by a nagging feeling, finally found it within herself to say, "Yes, I'll go~!". & as she said that, she immediately felt more at peace inside, despite the change of heart. And somewhat ironically as well, on her maiden mission to Timor-Leste, she became the 1st amongst her family members to spend more than 6 months away on a mission.. she was there for 1 whole year in fact~! She chuckled when she mentioned that she found that she even put on 10kg from her stay there; pointing out that a missionary's simple way of living does not mean having to starve...

An interesting piece of history Pastor BL related to us went something like that: Around 1266A.D, (Mangu &) Kublai Khan; son(s) of Genghis Khan, was ruling over the vastest empire ever held by the Mongol empire. Two Venetian merchants, Maffeo and Niccilo Polo, were brought before the Mongul rulers. After receiving the Mongul court's hospitality, the two Polos were sent on their way with a letter in Turki addressed to Pope Clement IV asking the Pope to send him 100 learned men to teach his people about Christianity and Western science. When the Polos completed the 3year-journey home, the Pope had passed away. When the Polos set off toward China once again, they only managed to bring with them two friars and gifts for the Khans. However, the friars turned back because of some difficulties faced early along the route. Thus, the Khans never received the 100 learned-men they had requested for. And the Mongul-rulers embraced Tibetan Bhuddism instead. And then Pastor BL said: Christianity's greatest evangelistic-opportunity ever, had passed on; His "hour of visitation" had gone. (You can read up more here; although not all the above revealed during the service are included)

Another issue discussed was about sacrifice.. Matt 26:6-13 were the verses highlighted...
The virtues of "courage" and "sacrifice", examplefied by the woman recorded in those verses; were then re-emphasised again in the Pastor's appeal for volunteers in the year-end mission to Timor-Leste.

& a meaningful quote was presented:
"He is no fool who gives
what he cannot keep
to gain that which he cannot lose"
- Jim Elliot(missionary who did not survive mission to bring the Word to natives in Ecuador's jungles)

******
Friday 15th July
Alas, the final installment in our musical buffet. What an enjoyable time it has been~ But, guess not all good things come to an end yea *wink* ;o) Most importantly, it was joyous _____ ____ ___~

******
As i skipped along the pathway toward the estates' gates, it was already starting to drizzle. I hurried and heard the sound of a plastic-card hitting the tarmac. I looked back & saw nothing unusual. Then, before i took another step, I reached for my shirt-pocket & realised that my EZ-link card was missing~! *That explained the sound~!* Ah, I almost panicked but retraced my steps and saw a small, dark drain(with metal grille cover) by the sidewalk. Oh man~! But before I imagined the worst, I bent down & felt the familiar plastic of an object right at the edge of the roadside-drain opening~! I wiped off some dirt from the surface and put the card safe back into my wallet. He's not let me down; get lost or leave me stranded since I began my personal walk. *smile* Thank You God~!

******
Could it be that: The Creator's test is set in our daily lives; in our very own mortal existence?

If it would do You justice, I'd strive for the what is lovely in Your eyes... but I cannot speak Your Word when I myself have not grasped it. So I pray that You build me up; to last the distance; so that I will confidently become a mouthpiece for Your word.

How shall I ask Him?

(Belated Post)
Last night
It was not your everyday sight on the usual Bedok North Exit from PIE... Not 30m into that tricky bend, we passed a sedan that had crashed into the left-side wall of the curved-road. I gazed in partial shock & amazement; at the rather mildly damaged(front was slightly crumpled with light smoke rising from under the bonnet) vehicle. Its driver & passenger in front (thankfully) seemed to be unscathed. The taxi-driver who I was riding with immediately exclaimed to me that, that very car had just overtook us not more than a minute ago before driving into the same exit. Now look where the provisional license holder has "parked".

******
One night before:
I said perhaps food and drink eases one into conversation & merry-making...
& so there I was...
in a sea of unfamiliar people; with only a few new acquaintances and you...
This I felt was what I had to do.. To aspire towards that similar joy in all those faithful hearts, I guess I have to seek and speak to those who are experiencing it in the now~!

******
& then, he suggested praying for me with another with church-mate. The words were meaningful no doubt. But they did not emote me to feel compelled to embrace the faith. & Richard said to me, "Perhaps you're not being serious enough.. But do not worry... If you should decide to challenge God to show Himself to you, He will speak to you if you pray hard enough", So that's what's left to do. To sustain my faith in Him not through seeing his physically-manifested Work; or hearing his spoken Word,, but through sheer faith.. even when I fall to my darkest hours; continue to pray I must.

******
Do not worry, for you did not desert me then -
for "our communion was not bound to words" or physical presence...
but i hope; unltimately in true faith and spirit.
:-) *contented smile*

Silently

Somewhere in this previous post , I talked abt one of nature's gifts - mutual unspoken understanding. Back then, when I only had my Chiching Brothers, I mused often about how I'd like to develop that kind of bond with someone special someday. Now, I'm elated to be actually working on it!

More specifically about matters of the heart:
So far, I find standing by these "universal-rules" has helped in the initial stages:
- consideration; respect for both parties' background, ways-of-life, personalities & percularities
- commandments; derived from the above, to do with respect
- communication; maintaining contact to bridge distances, that endures even periods of absence/silence
- community; on top of companionship; participation within the parties' social circles
- conscientiousness; of the above C's, without fail; but with forgiveness

Not the absolute set of C's by all means... but think these are kinda working well for us~ (you think so too? ;-)

******

& then after the energetic, charismatic worship, the Pastor reminded us about the importance of having "silence" & being comfortable in it.. so that we do not miss the slightest whisper from our Lord.. (& I thought:) or maybe, to even hear His "breathing" - His living-presence amongst us mortals.

Safety Gear

of parachutes and oxygen tanks and body armour...

It's an exhilarating feeling to have sky-rocketed myself into various new ways of life; its challenges & situations. It's the greatest ever, since N.S-days.. or really, since for the longest time in my life.. Heh~
It's looking bright and cheery now at 14,000feet(ask U-Wei abt his real sky-diving experience in Aussie) but think I've gotta make it to the ground soon. Get down to earth. Get hands dirty with proper work now. If not, hanging up in the skys will only get me sucked into a thunderstorm sooner or later~!

I think I'm free-falling now...
Parachutes? *check*

Ooh Yeah~

Reporing live frm LaSalle-SIA's DM-101 (Computer Lab)~!

I'm in the midst of the most babelicious looking beauties ever known to geek-kind; or mankind for that matter! Somebody spank me! Woohoo! My Design Technology module; in which I'm taught new sofware, is conducted in a computer-lab with the latest oh-so-lovely POWERMAC G5ives~! the 25 terminals each come with 20INCH CINEMA DISPLAYS~!! Wahhhh~!!! I'm drowning in my own drool already~!!

On a more serious note:
My classmates(who have by now dispersed into where I can only imagine as out-of-school since there is no class until 6:30pm later) told me that Adobe Illustrator is a more powerful software. Hmm, that gives me some consolation over my lack of Macromedia Freehand-knowledge. good thing I picked up basic Photoshop over the past months too! Later, I learn from my DT lecurer/tutor Yulius, that the Powermac G5s were a recent addition. They just replaced them last semester, upgrading from the years-old G4s.. Boy am I lucky to have come in at this time =) Yulius mentioned that the Mac versions of the Adobe software do not differ very much from the PC. Only some keyboard-shortcut differences. Otherwise, all the same in terms of functionality. *phew*

Ok, my stomach is calling again. Although my fingers waant to stay glued to the keyboard; & my eyes want to continue ogling at the 20" Display, I have to get sustenance to keep up. Oh, & I better visit the library to start research later.. Darn..

adious~ for now...

Timeless Botany

Morning Glory ;shot whilst on bus to workplace, earlier this year. Such was inspiration, other than the thought of you... ;-)

******
When the gift was passed-on to its intended recipient, it was not exactly what the gift-giver had hoped for. The petals had yet to be split outwards to display its blossom. & so, the Lily remained innocent as it's sealed-state & pristine exterior; susceptibly a gesture of hope & redemption.

We learn of the white flower's blossoming days after. Even though the gift-giver never saw it, he revelled in knowing that she appreciated the gift; even to it's final wilt & wither.

******
Perhaps, how beautiful a flower's bloom appears to one; depends on one's state of mind.

******

Algal Bloom inside Bedok Pond 'B' (Man-made Water Catchment). The sun gives life, even to what is actually a huge drain.



White Hibiscus from a few years back. I don't remember seeing a white one before that. So, I was struck by its beauty and was glad to have had the camera with me~

******
& I forgot to ask:
"Did the sunflower reveal its full bloom; in all its leafy green & bright yellow glory?"
Because that day had been blissful, the thought of your joy supercedes the eventuality of the stalk of life... To me, it remains smiling even though I cannot actually see. It is because I feel.

Inseparable & so, old they grew; together.

The First Hour

(updated...)
Reporting live from LaSalle's library:

8:55am
earlier, i hopped into a cab from Kallang MRT & zipped down to school in 5mins! Darn~ I'd better wake up earlier for this class in future!!

9:00am
my classroom is empty
i wait along the corridor; watching students strolling to class along the groundfloor plaza... the canteen looks lively already...

9:10am
this other person waiting along the corridor comes up to say "Hi"
"er, you can call me.. David"
"oh, my name's Eunikee" (tt's how i think it shd spell; frm what she said) -.o
she mentions her indonesian-heritage and then her class begins not long after

9:25am
i head(storm) to the Design Staff Room to seek out my supposed tutor for the lesson "Design Practice 1" I was supposed to have.. Well, found out from this lecturer that i was just supposed to come for the orientation later in the afternoon. Oh well, at least she apologised for the communication breakdown. Hmm, guessed I should have asked for confirmation also, during registration-day last week.

9:35am
I head to the library. I step through the dark-screened door cautiously. On my right, I hear a mildly rowdy discussion corner before I even turn to see. To my left, I spy beautiful iMacs lined up in a row of wooden computer desks. Not a difficult decision to make.

9:40am
Plodded onto the seat at the only unused station. Ah, the sleek LCD-display... That curvaceous mouse... The pristine minimalist keyboard... erm... but where's the power-switch ah? asked this girl beside me who looked slightly irritated(myb amused inside/having morning sickness) and she directed me to look for a button behind the LCD-panel's base. Neat.

10:00am
after admiring the aesthetics of the software, i finally find the familiar Internet Explorer application. Then, I proceed to bombard the online community with limited reach and ammunition(er.. no MSN Messenger ard here.. just have to make-do with Blogger!)

10:30am
the canteen is calling for me... wait, the canteen is calling my stomach... or perhaps, the stomach is taking over my brain... well... more later.. when Oriientation begins proper.. will probably go somewhere to nua all the way till after lunch..

******
retelling frm home
11:15am
i've just finished an ice-milo with my home-packed sandwich... i trod across the plaza toward the Design-block when I hear my name called by a familiar voice. It's E.T! Oh what a nice surprise~! He was having a break and had to go for class only at 1pm. I had time until 2pm. So I head toward the canteen with him again... I got a ham & egg sandwich from the snackbar since I didn't want to just watch my pal eat alone. While at it, I felt rather self-conscious & suspected that there might be some other students there who found me familiar; from not longer than 15mins ago.

11:40am
i follow E.T. up to his assigned classroom, one of the few dedicated to the Interior Design programme. The air conditioned ambience felt welcoming; on such a hot, sunny day.

12:30pm
Both me & E.T. head to the library. after a little browsing, we parted as E.T. went off for his Drawing class. I decide to plant my bottom at an iMac-terminal and grope the uber-cool keyboard & mouse with my lovestruck fingers. Can one ever have enough of so yummy a hardware i wondered?

1:15pm
A friendly lad steps up to the unused terminal beside mine. He asks if I knew how to power-on the iMac. So I showed him where to find the Power-switch. Nice to be able to "pay it forward"; I thought. He then introduced himself as Keshav & said that he'd arrived in SG only 5 days ago. I learn that we happened to be pursuing the same Graphic Design Degree, only thing different was that he was starting out in the Foundation Year whereas I was going into Level2(Year3). Said he'd no family here to support him & asked if he could approach me in future for assistance on school matters & etc. I told him that I was new ard here too, & asked him not to misunderstand that my being-in-Year3 was a sign of experience of the school's academic systems and the such. He seemed a good guy who's all alone in a foreign land, so I gave him my email and contact no. just in case there was some way I could help. I leave for my Orientation and bade my 2nd foreign acquaintance of the day "Good Luck".

******
2:10pm
Orientation was nothing fancy. It was rather a serious overview of the academic structure & outlineof the year's projects and objectives. When the session ended; after just over an hour later of teaching-staff presentations, I found myself slightly unnerved. Now, I have to pick my project-work soon & embark on it asap~! Missing the first Design Practice session (a few periods with tutor)this morning due to miscommunication doesn't help at all. And I still don't know who my fellow classmates are; except for the class-rep whom I marked my attendence with.

******

I finally pick up my order at 3D Sense Media School. Will test my Wacom tablet out later & myb post something I create with it. heh heh...

*naggy but motherly voice* "ah long" "come & have your dinner~!"
Till later folks~!

A New Hope

Well well... wadeya' know... tommorow's the first day of school~!!
Nothing too hair-raising though. Been through it before. Just that now...
I get to do what I lurve--------!!!

Now, I haven't got much things to say before the big day tmr. So here's a buncha' visuals to reward you for taking the trouble to drop by this place :o)

******
Contemplation
Fighting back the pre-school jitters,
I ripped out some of my hair.

Ok no... I just went to see the barber.
Opted for the no-fuss short-crop.

Much to my Mom's delight.
Maybe Mom knows best after all.
:o)




Sweet~! *Slurp*

King's Banana & Strawberry Swirl~
don't resist anymore!

You know you wanna go
grab yourself a tub now~!!

Muahahaha~!!
;-D



Presenting...
Fusilli Pollo Vedure
Pasta-spirals in light cream sauce, sprinkled with chicken shreds & assorted vegetables.

Got to help Mom out in the kitchen tonight.
Had fun cooking actually. Hoho..

One more dish to my repertoire~!
That makes 2 altogether (>.<)
Heh heh.. ;-)




******
Till tmr folks~!
*prays for good-hair day*

Farewell

Dear friends, it's good-bye~ to my somewhat hedonistic lifestyle(of 2 months) now. After registering myself at LaSalleSIA's orientation , I am officially bound to student-dom once again; & will be subjected to 17-weeks of full-time grilling in Design. See my timetable to get an idea of days to come. At least we can look forward to a similar vacation-break between Nov-Dec~!! So, expect to see less of me ard here(wasn't much to begin with.. hoho) but perhaps more of my school work. We'll see.

Scene from Bt.Timah Nature Reserve




Spiritual awarness when you look toward the heavens:

Should you gaze till you can't keep still any longer
& regard it's infinite expanse with constant wonder;

believe that through the canopy is your entitled freedom,
& beyond the skys reigns His eternal kingdom.

Eye Power

Recently, when I was making a new pair of glasses, I found out that my eyesight had improved. And this was no small progress, considering I dropped from 700/675 to 600/575. I am amazed myself (o.0) How did I do it? Maybe the late nights and adequate late-morning-sleep did me some good. Hoho...

******
WR's latest free* advice on relationships:
"Do not rush into one like the way a kid does when he unwraps his b'day presents"

Well, at least that should apply to most people in general. It may not appeal to those of you who adopt the Commando / Navy Seal (Bros, you know what I mean right?) approach, but really, I feel patience does count.
(* hence no guarantee :p)

******
Other events:
My ex-boss was promoted on SAF Day(1st July)~! Congrats to MAJ Koh~!!
My TD-buddy Cong turns 22 today~! Think he's having fun in a Sentosa resort/chalet now~!