Melancholic Derivations

April 19, 2004

The past week has gone by like a dream. After all, being at the twilight of your NSF career does bring with it certain perks ; one of which being all the time in the world. Of course, I'm supposed to feel like I have all the time in the world and yet, I feel as if time is trickling down an ever-expanding crevice of an hourglass. It will be in about 2 months time when I shall take my leave from Singapore. My leave from 20 years of this peaceful and stable life in Singapore. Not that I'm saying Australia is unsafe or dangerous, it's just that the recent reports of gang wars and Osama's looming threat have shaken my confidence quite a fair bit.

I'd be returning to camp next week to clear out my paperwork and tie up any loose ends I might have left hanging after my hurried departure on the 8th this month. It feels dreary to be truthful and I don't want to go back unless I have to. But then again, I've dreamt of this day for years when I'd be able to walk into camp and not care about anything except signing my clearance and cleaning out my locker and table. This is the dream of every NSF ; to sign your clearance and to collect that pink card you have been missing for the past 2 years. And it is my time. My turn. After all this waiting, after enduring all the taunting from campmates long gone, after taking all the shit from imbeciles who can't find a better opportunity to impose their authority on me, after dealing with adversities thrown my way. Yes. My time has come. I can safely say.

Ironically, Ziig will be enlisting 2 days before I collect my IC and I guess I do owe it to him to send him off. After all, when I enlisted that fateful day on 12th December 2001, it was Ben and him who turned up at Pasir Ris Bus Interchange to afford me a send-off early in the morning. Perhaps this time, I shall go with Ben to afford him that same send-off. I've already passed on survival skills and valuable advice for surviving the army to him and whatever he does now is entirely up to him. On that note, I was just remarking last week how time flies. From lamenting about enlisting, to suffering in BMT, to seeing Ben enlist, to shifting camp, to watching Ricson & co. ORD, to LRI 2003 and now, to my ORD.

On a side note, it will be Mark and Eugene's turn next year. See what I mean by 'time flies'?

Traveller fell apart at 3:25 PM


	Now Spinning Heroes Theme - Heroes Soundtrack The Protagonist joel \| content \| driven \| focused \| motive-oriented \| cynical \| analytical \| God-fearing \| jaded \| Frequent Reads Ben Christie Christine Davina Eugene Jasmine Jeremy Jo-ann Kay-Lene Mac Tammy Vivek Past Rants January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 Tap My Shoulder		April 19, 2004 The past week has gone by like a dream. After all, being at the twilight of your NSF career does bring with it certain perks ; one of which being all the time in the world. Of course, I'm supposed to feel like I have all the time in the world and yet, I feel as if time is trickling down an ever-expanding crevice of an hourglass. It will be in about 2 months time when I shall take my leave from Singapore. My leave from 20 years of this peaceful and stable life in Singapore. Not that I'm saying Australia is unsafe or dangerous, it's just that the recent reports of gang wars and Osama's looming threat have shaken my confidence quite a fair bit. I'd be returning to camp next week to clear out my paperwork and tie up any loose ends I might have left hanging after my hurried departure on the 8th this month. It feels dreary to be truthful and I don't want to go back unless I have to. But then again, I've dreamt of this day for years when I'd be able to walk into camp and not care about anything except signing my clearance and cleaning out my locker and table. This is the dream of every NSF ; to sign your clearance and to collect that pink card you have been missing for the past 2 years. And it is my time. My turn. After all this waiting, after enduring all the taunting from campmates long gone, after taking all the shit from imbeciles who can't find a better opportunity to impose their authority on me, after dealing with adversities thrown my way. Yes. My time has come. I can safely say. Ironically, Ziig will be enlisting 2 days before I collect my IC and I guess I do owe it to him to send him off. After all, when I enlisted that fateful day on 12th December 2001, it was Ben and him who turned up at Pasir Ris Bus Interchange to afford me a send-off early in the morning. Perhaps this time, I shall go with Ben to afford him that same send-off. I've already passed on survival skills and valuable advice for surviving the army to him and whatever he does now is entirely up to him. On that note, I was just remarking last week how time flies. From lamenting about enlisting, to suffering in BMT, to seeing Ben enlist, to shifting camp, to watching Ricson & co. ORD, to LRI 2003 and now, to my ORD. On a side note, it will be Mark and Eugene's turn next year. See what I mean by 'time flies'? Traveller fell apart at 3:25 PM