Block Leave Period (Part 2)

Ok, here I go again, blogging.

Christmas
Nothing much happening during Christmas, since our family usually don't celebrate them. Well, too bad there's no exchanging of presents within our family and relatives (I only done that in camp, when we were instructed to do so), so no surprise for me...

Well, about the exchanging presents in camp, for those who want to know what I bought, it's actually a Forever Friends photo album bought from Hallmark store at Novena Square. The present cost me around $10.50 ($9.50 for the photo album and $1.00 for the wrapping paper). It's really worth taking that present actually in my opinion (based on what other people give), but too bad the present was not pick up by anyone from our platoon... Anyway, I pick up a mug with a Tasmanian Devil cartoon on it. The mug cost $4.50 when I check out the price. Anyway, since it looks kind of cute to me, I decided not to take the price into my heart. Well, at least I didn't pick up some kind of junks from there, like the grass mat from PSQ, or a lipton tea cup set, which I supposed it came free when you purchase lipton teabags. Hmm... come to think of it, I should have bought some music scores, or some academic textbook/workbook/assessment book which cost around $10, to give the person who pick it up a great "surprise"... =P

Christmas Cards
Recently, I decided to give my platoon and my friend, Kavan, Christmas cards each. Well, I feel that I get to know you people from my platoon much better, so I decided to give you'll Christmas cards. Hope you will keep them as part of friendship and memories. =)

Ok, so far I received 7 christmas cards and 1 christmas e-card from my friends. Out of all the 7 christmas cards, 4 of them were sent through post, the other 3 were sent by hand. Well, at least there's improvement, since I recevied none for the past few years. For those that sent christmas cards and e-cards to me, I would like to say a big Thank You!!!

Movies
Ok, I've just watch The Family Stone with my sister just now. Well, the movie was quite nice and funny. For those that have nothing to do at home, you can catch this movie if you want to. Ok, the next movie I'm going to watch is Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit. Not really sure when I'm going to catch the movie, maybe before the start of New Year, or after I go back to camp, not really sure when though...

MapleStory
Haven't seen me in MapleStory for some time? Well, I decided to put aside MapleStory for a short period of time, so that I could do other things during the block leave (like driving, playing The Sims 2, watching movie, practising my instruments etc). So, when while I be back ,playing MapleStory? Perhaps next year... Never mind, I'll still log in ocasionally to see how things are going on.

The Sims 2
Well, I decided to get back playing The Sims 2 after being put aside for a long period of time. Anyway, as now I'm rushing to let my sims grow up, I decided to use some cheats on it. =P Well, that's the only way I could think of... Just for those who want to know, I created my family and me inside the game. Well, it kind of simulates the more powerful version of myself (being more intelligent, more fit, more skillful and better attitute than my actual normal self) inside the game (other people as well), just only for fun, so that I can see how is it going... =P Well, since I got Nightlife expansion pack a few months ago, so I should start playing and see how it is like after installing the expansion pack, right?

New Year to 2006
Well, 2006 is coming in a few days time, do you have any resolutions yet? Well, for me... haha... currently don't have yet. Maybe I think through what I've done during the year 2005. Hopefully I could excel in my studies when I get into the university... =P

Well, think that's all for now. Next updates will be... still not realy sure actually... Well, need to think of something to type before posting a blog entries... Anyway, I'll inform you people when I next update my blog.

Anyway, wishing you'll a Happy New Year!!!

Back to Blogging: Block Leave period and before that

Ok, haven't been posting blog for already quite sometime as I was quite busy recently. After someone mentioned about updating my blog, I decided to spent some time on my block leave to tell you what happen then.

In-Camp Matters
Currently we were having low-key. Well, even though there was no outfield, we still had quite a lot of fatigue work to do. That's what low-key is all about. We had to help out to prepare for certain inspections during that period. Quite a lot of things to do, especially when "the train operator force us to get up the train, even though we wanted to stay put, or wanted to reach other destination instead". Well, I supposed the train operator wanted to show others that he's working (even though he's actually not most of the time), and the way he operated the train was really quite unstable. Kind of scary to board on that train...

Well, since there wasn't any outfield, there was no need for a duty signaller to be inside the ops room. Ok, at least no signal duty for us, BUT as there was shortages of sergeants, we had to do company orderly sergeant (COS) duty instead. This one can be quite stressful or lax, depending on how you see it, depending of the mood of certain people and also depending on the day of duty.

There's also another Ops B duty as well, but at another location. WQ, WB, Stanley and I were ask to do that. anyway, it was a short 10 days duty, in which there was 2 public holidays during the 10 days. Kind of sad that I could not join PSQ games and WF birthday party, which was held at the time I was having my duty.

There was also COCOC parade, which was held right after our Ops B ended. Anyway, as I was involved in Ops B, I did not have to march in the parade. Didn't really have to do the PA system as well.

Basically nothing much, just only had admin or fartigue work to do in camp.

Driving
Well, for those who didn't know, I started learning driving for more than 1 months already. How is my progress, someone might asked. The only thing I have to say is that I'm really very slow when learning driving. Think I wasn't that kind of people that is prepared to be on the road. Still another half of the whole syllabus more. Wonder when I could finish the syllabus at least (not to even talk about when I could pass my driving...:P)

How much have I covered, someone might ask. Well, I can tell you that I am soooooooooo slow, to the extend that I do not want to comment about this... The most I can tell you is that I've pass my BTT and FTT.

Classical Violin Course
Recently our class had started to slow down, maybe because of our lack of practise at home. Well, anyway, we can't really finish Suzuki Violin Course volume 1 by the end of 2005, even though the teacher aim to complete them before that. Maybe the pieces are getting more difficult that it is quite difficult to just sight-read and play them straight away. Well, think we could only start volume 2 earliest by mid-January to early February.

Hmm... recently I find that my violin isn't producing a nice tone, no matter how I played them. I supposed the violin that I had was just a China-made lousy student violin, costing around $170. Think my ears sensitivity on violin tone has increased after having 8 months of violin lessons. Think it's time for me to change a new one. Well, I was eyeing on the $1500 intermediate Yamaha Violin, which I think it looked nice. But I think the cost is a bit too high for an intermediate violin, so maybe I might consider getting Synwin violin, which is generally cheaper than the Yamaha ones. Never mind, me only intending to get them ealiest on June 2006, so there's some time for me to consider.

Yamaha Flute Course
Well, if you didn't know, I was being transferred to a faster class, as my teacher said that I hhad already learn how to read notes, so I should go faster. So, my music lesson schedules are as follow currently:
Flute: Sat 4.00pm to 5.00pm
Violin: Sun 1.00pm to 2.00pm

By right, according to the brochure, I should complete Flute 1 in 12 months. Well, after transferred to another class, I managed to conmplete it in 3 months, currently doing Flute 2. Think I might have skipped quite a lot of things in Flute 1 textbook and the supplementary flute pieces as well. Not only that, my Flute fees had increased from $68.25 to $84.00 after completing Flute 1. Really quite hurting to my pocket... :(

ABRSM Examinations
Think the registration for ABRSM examinations will start around January 2006. Well, I'm going to register for both Violin exam and Flute exam. For violin, think I could only take Grade 2 violin, since there are still a lot of things to I haven't learn and pick-up that is or might be required for a Grade 3 violin student, and also based on the standards we are now as well. I can skipped Grade 1, since we are about to start pieces of Grade 2 standard very soon.

For Flute, the teacher recommend us to take Grade 2 Flute as well. Also not much point taking Grade 1, since we are approaching Grade 2 standard. Thought of taking Grade 2 Flute, but there's a girl in the class that said that she want to sign up for Grade 3 Flute, so that her portfolio for music looks nicer. Heard from her that the portfolio is to be shown when she wanted to sign up for Music Elective Programme, so that's why she wanted to take Grade 3 Flute. Well, she also asked me to take Grade 3 Flute with her, so that she would not be alone, and the teacher said that based on my standard, I can sign up for Grade 3 Flute. Hmm... after certain consideration, I think I may sign up for Grade 3 Flute instead of Grade 2, so that I could go faster (and also Grade 3 Flute exam pieces sound a lot nicer than Grade 2 Flute exam pieces).

Block Leave
Well, we had to clear our leave at the end of the year. Some people used that period of time to go overseas, while others take this time to go out with their friends and so on. Well, for me, I decided to do some driving, play computer games that I have not been doing during the past weekends, catch some movies and also to rest at home. Haha... think I must have spent too much time sleeping that I don't really feel like getting off the bed. Anyway, just for those who want to know, I'm planning to watch The Family Stone and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit. When is it, still not really sure yet.

Ok, think that's all for my blog. When will I post the next entries, I'm not really sure actually... :P