yes, i have OFFICIALLY ended my first in-camp reservist training! it was tiring and really demanding but, i kindda enjoyed it, being back with good old friends who somehow, gave me some levels of assurance that life ain't that bad after all. they reminded me of those times when the definition of hardships were often pacified by strong bonds of friendship. and for that, i thank ALL comanders from the bravo company - kian wee, pei loon, nigel, alan, leon, hao wei, lee chai, azmi, peh, si wai, deepan, tee, xuguang, mansfield, hongwei, jason, alvin, azhar, shaun, jaya, andrew, john and many others who have supported me in many ways than one to make my appointment as CSM a fullfilling one. THANK YOU.

to all the men from the bravo company: you guys are undeniably the better, if not the best bunch of individuals from the battalion. THANK YOU.

to my fellow commanders from the other company, who never fail to check on how i was doing, giving me encouragements every step of the way - charles, hong wee, kenneth, kenny, yong liang, issac and many others. THANK YOU.

to my fellow other CSMs - yangjie, shawn, yanliang and alan - who i've worked with, the past 6 days, i thank you for everything - being there every time when i needed all the strength, advice and guidance. the work that we have done wasn't easy but you guys made it seem less tough for me, and for that, THANK YOU :)

these are the reasons for why, i do not mind, dedicating a week for the nation as part of my national service stint :)





***

i think, after a week of being isolated from the world and being in the company of good old and new frens who provided me with some great insights on life in general, i think i'm perfectly fine with not being in any relationship for now. i'm really happy with where i am now, and i just really wanna embrace what's here for me. i'm really excited for what is to come for the future, cos i think i have garnered sufficient courage to seriously leave this place temporarily, hopefully by next year, if all goes well, to pursue something that i have been wanting to do for a year. it is about time.


***

i have so much stuff to pack for my trip tomorrow, but i don't think i will be doing it today. cos i am so tired, and without any doubt, i don't really have that much motivation to do so because i have been feeling rather reluctant to go to china, especially lately. it's not in the fault of the team, it is me - i don't think i am really ready for it or for them, in every aspect. i was much much happier and excited to return for my reservist than go to china somehow..

nevertheless, i will somehow, yes..somehow compartmentalise those sentiments and focus on the primary objective which is to help the kids and villages in china. i hope it will be okay there, because even though i am there with 19 other individuals, i know i will be lonely.
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i'm this "close" to uploading my peektures now! you wouldn't believe where i am now: yeah balls! - ho chi minh city, vietnam - in a really "slum-py", dodgy and really ulu internet cafe (seriously ulu, with mutated lizards and rustic 1970s interior, the ones that you would have probably seen on the set of Growing Up, the first season. just outside, the "marching band" is currently playing a couple similar tunes for a funeral march past - gosh, morbid. as ulu as this place is, i'm back here because this place has the fastest internet connection in this district! AND this was the very same spot, where me, carol and ilyas had checked our results last friday, 29th may! how cooool is that dude! as for my results: i'm really happy and grateful cos it was certainly loads better than my previous semester! yay :)

our flight back to singapore is later at around 12pm(local time), so yeahh..we (me and hafiz - who has been rather angsty all morning cos his ipod "crashed" during the 10 hour bus ride from nha trang to ho chi minh city last night) are chilling here for now. no money. HAHA. its S$0.80 per hour of internet usage here. *cheap cheap

anyhows, carol and ilyas bid farewell yesterday as they embarked on their 6252398 other places to visit, in the northern region of vietnam, before flying to bangkok for their final destination of their inaugural "backpacking" trip in southeast asia (minus indonesia and malaysia). those buggers have truly amazed me! good job guys :)

this trip has been really enjoyable. i did so many things here and this is probably the first overseas trip that i didnt quite strive to purchase so many souvenirs and gifts or visit every single shopping district! i spent most, if not ALL of my money on food and tours. no shopping at all (cos i was seriously low on cash, HAHA). BUT, this was so much more fun - talking to the street vendors, slacking by the beautiful beaches, interacting with other backpackers in the bus, hunting for the few recommended halal eateries, bargaining just for fun, eating crabs by the beach, BBQ-ed squids, prawns and lobsters by the coast, swimming in the "clear" (definitely clearer than east coast's waters) and getting burnt to a point that i looked like a crab - that would eventually translate to a roasted exterior when i get back cos i am malay - HAHA, but screw it cos i LOVE swimming in the sea! awesome :) we followed the "FROMMER'S VIETNAM GUIDE" closely and checked out all (almost) the recommended activities and must see places. that book has been of tremendous help! i really wished more of my friends were here to join us, cos it would have beeen so MUCH MUCH MORE enjoyable and exciting! (read: sam, mz, este, fidah, fye..and basically everyone laa!)

i took tonnes of photos but i guess i will only upload an album on FB, cos i do not want to bore the people browsing through my vietnam albums with pictures that do not really mean anything to them except for "kay-poh-ing" and entertainment purposes! HAHA. OKAY, only 60 frames - of deserving images that best depicts the area/experience of visit will be uploaded! i guess i will be making my very own scrapbook or travel log for vietnam, so that it would be more memorable than just photos on facebook or blogs (in the event that these few platforms become obsolete in the forseeable future.)

"ah-ree, ah-ree, ah-reeeee"
bye bye. signing out from 273 Pham Ngu Lao - Quan I, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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