Range... The First Outfield Experience

Hello, back here blogging again. Ok, last Monday we had our rifle range, something that I don't really like to do. Why? Because range usually ends very late. Moreover, it happened to fall on the eve of public holiday... Sad... Ok, I'll talk about that more.

In-Camp Matters
On Monday, we had our range, as what I said just now. Ok, this range is different from the range we had last time. For this one, we only need to come for 1 day for the range. Unlike what we did for ATP (300m) or CSS ATP (100m), where we were at fixed position standing, proning, squating or kneeling while shooting, for this one, which is the combat shoot we had to keep running nearer to the target from 70m to 20m. Well, sounds quite easy for some of you out there right? Not really the case for some people like me. Because I tend to get nervous quite easily, I actually missed some shots, especially when I reached 20m. Sounds quite funny right? But that's actually what really happened...

Anyway, for combat shoot, the scores (whether you pass with marksman, pass only or fail), it all depends on how well the detail did. So even if you can get full score, but if your detail did very badly, you might not get marksman, or even fail... But if you are only a less-than-average shooter, but your detail managed to get perfect or almost perfect score, you might get marksman depending on the total score of the whole detail. Well, it can be good in some ways, and bad in the other ways. I had one friend who managed to shoot well for the combat shoot (getting almost perfect scores), but because of that one person, the detail didn't get marksman, which means he didn't get marksman... Kind of wasted...

Ok, well I was very lucky to place in a detail that shoots very well. My total score is 17/20 for day shoot and 16/20 for night shoot, which totals up to be 33/40 (82.5%). For our detail of 5 people, we managed to obtain a total score of 95/100 for day shoot and 91/100 for night shoot, which total up to be 186/200 (93.0%). not only we were marksman and can get that $200, we were also the top detail as well. Well, at least that was something that brightened me up after the range.

Basically nothing so special happening on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Well, there was swimming meet on Thursday and Friday, so some people need to set up the PA system there. Also there was outfield for 40 SAR next week, so some people need to go to 8 SAB to mount sets as well. Other than that, there's basically nothing else.

Ok, very soon "the train is going to be diverted somewhere". Well, from next week, "the train operator need to go around the new diverted route for familiarisation", so we need not have to worry too much of being forced up to go inside the train from next week onwards.

Hari Raya Haji
Well, I only book out on that day itself because I feel that it was too late for me to go home after the range. Anyway, I was also going to sleep soon, so I decided to go back home the next day. Ok, basically nothing much happening on that day, just feel like another Sunday, just that I did not have my driving lesson and violin class on that day. Hmm... the sian thing is that I have to book in on the same day itself. Well, at least enough for me to rest after the range.

Flute
Well, think I'm getting to like my flute class much more. Just now, before attending the lesson, my flute teacher ask me whether I wanted to go for a faster class. Well, the class is doing Grade 4 Flute, so he ask me whether I would be interested to sign up for Grade 4 Flute instead of Grade 3 Flute. Hmm... doesn't sounds like a bad idea, but the thing is the scales are just too demanding in Grade 4 Flute. Anyway, the Grade 3 Flute scales are already demanding enough, reaching as high as F3. Well, he ask me to consider that first before giving him the answer. Anyway, as I afraid I might not cope with Grade 4 Flute, and I like my current class as well, I decided to sign up Grade 3 Flute instead after my lesson.

Well, most of the people in the class sign up for Grade 2 Flute actually. Only one girl in the class and I sign up for Grade 3 Flute. Well, my friend wanted to do Grade 3 Flute because of her portfolio, in which a Grade 3 Flute certificate would look much nicer than the Grade 2 one (I mean the number 3 looks nicer than the number 2, not the certificate itself). For me, I decided to go faster instead so that I can reach Grade 8 Flute faster... :P

Ok, after the class, I took the train back home, with 2 of my flute friends as well (one to Ang Mo Kio, the other to Yio Chu Kang). Well, as I was living in Bishan, one of my friend said that I should get up on the train using Gate/Door 16. I was wondering why I should do that. She then told me that Gate/Door 16 would lead me to the nearest escalator when I reached Bishan (the train leading to Jurong East). Then she also said that the nearest Gate/Door to the escalator in Ang Mo Kio is Gate/Door 17, while that of Yio Chu Kang is Gate/Door 18. Whoa, thought I'm already particular enough to board which cabin whenever I go back to Bishan (the last 2 cabins for the train going towards Jurong East, and the first 2 cabins for the train going towards Marina Bay), didn't know she's much more particular about which gates/doors to board the train. Hmm... nmaybe one day some people might come up with a guide about "which gates or doors to board the train in order to get you to the nearest escalators or nearest lift" guides.

Conclusion
Think that's all I can say about it. Now I'm going to get poor because of the violin/flute school fees, violin/flute examination fees and also something else which total up about $600. Hmm... my whole of January pay is gone... Kind of hurt when I had to use my reserves... :(

Chinese New Year is coming soon. Well, as Chinese New Year falls a bit too close to Christmas Day, I decided not to write Chinese New Year cards, as I run out of ideas on what to write on the card. Well, if you want to receive Chinese New Year cards from me, you can either send a CNY card to me first by mail (then I'll reply your CNY card), or you can request it on the blog here (through the comments or the tags).

Ok, that's all from today, See you people for the next updates!

First Blog of the Year...

Finally, me decided to take up some time to write a blog. Ok, a new year has just begun, hope that it will be better than the year 2005. Hmm... hopefully more windfall coming... :P

New Year Day
Nothing so special on that day actually, just that I do not have my violin lesson on that day. Well, actually no Flute and Violin lessons for 2 weeks because of Christmas Day and New Year Day, so I could just spent my time doing my own things, especially sleeping... :P Haha, me is a sleepy guy actually. When theres nothing to do at home, I'll just sleep at home.

Ok, during block leave, I bought a set of Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum) DVDs to watch at home. Well, after watching that in camp, I suddenly have much interest on the show, so I decided to get one for myself. Well, after just watching for one episode, my sister also show great interest in the show as well, and started watching with me. Well, the show is so nice, the two of us can just spend the whole day watching that show. Ok, think I just wasted my block leave just watching Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum) and sleeping... ;P

Flute/Violin ABRSM Practical Examinations
Ok, I obtain the registration forms for the practical examinations just now after my flute lesson. Well, think I will be signing up for Grade 2 Violin and Grade 3 Flute. Hmm... didn't expect to be much more expensive than what I expect, with Grade 2 costing $147 and Grade 3 costing $152 to sign up. Think the fee Grade 3 exam is approximately the total fees for the Traffic Police Class 3 practical exams (including rental fee, warm-up fee and so on). Haiz... look like my pocket is going to get a big hole soon... :(

Anyway, I noticed that the keep increasing the price of the exams fee. 5 years ago, (which is 2001, the year I took my Grade 8 Piano exams), the fee for Grade 8 practical exam is just slightly more than $200. Now, the fee for Grade 8 is $307. Think there's a big jump between this 5 years... Haiz... why can't the exam fee gets lower instead? They should also consider people like us, who don't get much allowance... :P

Well, actually think I was not so unlucky. One of my female friend had to do Grade 6 Music Thoery this coming March, and also Grade 8 Piano and Grade 3 Flute between July and September. Well, that's going to cost about $600 for her. Moreover, she had to take her O Levels this year, with Chinese papers at around June. She also had to undergo some music competition around June as well. Think she is going to have a hard time this year... Ok, taking about her, she suggested to me that since we know how to play the Piano, we can be just be each other Piano accompanist for the Flute exams. The idea can be good, especially if our exams are just one after another. Hmm... me haven't been attending Piano lesson for more that 2 years, don't know if I can be a good Piano accompanist for her... Hope that I don't cause her to get lower marks becuase of that... :P (Well, no marks will be given for the Piano accompanist.)

Driving
Ok, this is something that I don't really like to discuss about, seeing how lousy my driving is. Well, have you realise that I don't smile as much while I'm back in camp after block leave. That's because of this, DRIVING. Recently, there's suddenly appear one particular driving instructor that teach me halfway on my syllabus. Well, Whenever I get this instructor, my mood well just turn EXTREMELY BAD. Why? Because this is the only instructor that "fail" my lesson, not because we cannot finish the subject, and also not because I need to do something before I can clear that subject, BUT just because I need to practise more on the subject. Hey! Isn't that what revisions are for? Ok, I may not be doing well for that subject, but that instructor, instead of telling me where I need to correct, just KEPT QUIET throughout the lesson and only tell me those mistakes at the end of the lesson, then he FAILED my lesson. HMMPH!!! What's the meaning of this? Anyway, heard from him that his student will need to take 2 sessions to clear vertical parking, and also 2 sessions to clear parallel parking. What a waste of time and money, when most of the people can just do it in 1 session each. Anyway, because of that, I had failed 2 subjects and to pay for extra 2 session for that. No matter how I tell him, how little my allowance is that I can only book a certain amount of sessions, he just wouldn't listen. What a stubborn instructor! Also, his teaching attitute and personal attutite are both equally poor. Whenever I get him, I can get near-miss accident... (Luckily there's no accident yet, or I've to write and accident report.)

Anyway, after my driving lessons today, I decided to speak to the chief instructor and tell him that I DO NOT WANT that particular instructor to teach me. Well, he said ok, and ask me to tell him the reasons as well.
Reasons:
1. He had POOR teaching attitute.
2. He is wasting my money because I need to go for extra sessions to clear that particular subject.
3. I HATE his teaching methods.
4. I DON'T LIKE his attitute towards me.
5. He just don't understand me at all after that many sessions (unlike other instructors, who can understand me before finishing just 1 session only).
6. He is stubborn and don't care about other people's opinion.
Well, after all I said to the chief instructor, he thinks that most of the reason I gave him are quite personal, so he put "Just Void" for the reasons. He also promised me that after that, I won't get him anymore next time when I come for my driving lessons. Haha... feel so much happier after that. Think you can try that if you have certain instructor you don't like in school and you don't want him/her to teach you. :P

Treble (Alto) Recorder
After hearing what SJ said about Recorders, and after listening to some Recorder music, I decided to get myself a German Treble (Alto) Recorder for $17. Well, it's atually bigger than the Descent (Soprano) Recorder, the one that we used to play in primary school, and has a lower pitched as well. As the Treble Recorder is pitch in F (even though it is non-transposing), I'm just not used to the fingering. Imagine when you play a C note on a Descent Recorder, with the same fingering, you get an F note on the Treble Recorder, so a D note on a Descent Recorder will get you a G note on a Treble Recorder for same fingering, E note (Descent Recorder) -> A note (Treble Recorder), F note (Descent Recorder) -> B flat note (Treble Recorder) and so on.

After trying out Treble Recorder, I find that the Flute is much easier to play, because the fingerings for Recorder are more complex than that of the Flute, especially for higher notes. Well, I'll bring both the Flute and the Treble Recorder to camp for those people who want to try out next Tuesday night.

Conclusions
Ok, think that's all about it for this blog. Think I'll be signing up for my FLute/Violin exams tomorrow (Sunday) after my violin lesson or next week, after any of my lesson. Also feeling much happier now after "voiding" that particular instructor. See more on my smiles after Tuesday (after I'm done with my range).

The next blog updates... as usual not really sure when is it. Well, I'll write the blog when I have time and have something to write.

Ok, that's all about it. See ya!