The simpler life...

wow. it's been pretty long since i last came here. everything's totally changed. and it's not like i've had a dearth of things to blog bout. lots of things happened. and i did blog a lot. just all in my head. but never with enough impetus to type it down.

and truly a lot has happened... incidences in the ending part of army... some unpleasant, some not so bad. tuition and stuff... ord-ing... driving and all random assorted things. and thoughts/reflections wise also... the bit of idle time after army brought a bit of time to ponder and just muse bout anything and everything. stumbled upon a few interesting books here and there. there was one point i was considering revamping the blog again into something more analytical based. but oh well. i like to think a lot, but penning and expressing them not so much so gave up the idea. so guess this shall stay 'the simpler life' for a while longer at least for now.

i've always been pretty proud of how long this has gone on. it's been on-off a lot of times. a lot of breaks in between here and there. but 4 years it's been around already. started off as "Bliss, Nirvana", then "Doodles" and now "the simpler life". i guess time is right for some change. but i'd think bout that as time goes. sth i'm not as proud of will be my posts haha. read a few random early posts. and my, i must say i have really become a different person already... all the experiences, all the happenings over the world... wow.

"The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go

and it's with a wide-eyed wonder that i reminisce bout the past two weeks. syc, as always the case, is yet another total blast. and like everything else, the last is always the sweetest. '05 was great. '06 was a totally different thoroughly enriching and fantastic experience. and with that i must say i came into '08 with a wee bit of apprehension. but my, it still manages to top it all off...

"I knew much more then than I do now

just a few weeks ago i thought my syc adventures were probably over. 'd probably still go back every year for the evening with syc and stuff and occasional meetups with '05-ers but i must say i'm truly blessed to be able to come back one more time.

"A city lit by fireflies
They’re advertising in the skies
For people like us

i still remember that morning just two weeks away from the camp. got a msg from siew siew asking bout coming back to ace. i certainly didn't expect that, what with two years now in between my batch and the newest one. but when it comes i definitely won't want to let it go. but their timing was like so nicely planned. the day the camp ends i'd be flying off for family holiday to taiwan. so took a while to ponder and didn't reply immediately.

"And I miss you when you’re not around

just a while later linda's call came. talk bout stroking one's ego. i've always had a soft spot for linda and kah huay. they're always so super nice and all... and people who know me will know i don't often make the biggest impression and stuff out there. i must admit i was very surprised when i found only a few of us '05-ers were going back and they actually asked me. honoured sia. it was just like last year when i went back for the evening. linda and kah huay always mix up between me and leslie but other than that i don't remember making much impact on them. but when they saw me that day they could instantly remember my name when i took a brief moment to recall theirs. these are the kind of small things that really light up your day and all.

"Oh you look so beautiful tonight

but anyway, i digress, as so often the case. but hmm... i don't remember what point i was making also. let's just leave it that '08 was simply the best yet... on one hand it's way too short, but on the other it's hard to believe that all that happened in only one week. it sure didn't feel fleeting at all, but as the days started rolling i can't help but think bout the inevitable end and wish how it can drag on forever.

"Flash bulbs purple irises
The camera can’t see

the aces, the singaporeans under me (qihan, selina, basil and min ling), the interns (jimmy my bro, especially!), my thais (thank you for being wayyyyy too nice to me), P' Nui (the Thai chaperone, whom i got on very well with), the other foreign participants, the working com, those from the 05 batch that came back... it was simply such a magical time with everyone. words can never do it justice. even the infamous long JOHN silver incident lol. i somehow wasn't that affected as others. was great bitching fodder heh... can still fondly remember how next morning no one could wake up and only the few aces made it to hort park at first haha

"What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?

and right after sending my thais off at the airport it was my turn to fly. whoa. one right after the other and totally postponed the post-syc withdrawal syndrome of every year to now... taiwan was a bit underwhelming, not as fun as some other countries, but a vacation is still a vacation. i've missed way too many family trips and like last went overseas so long ago (japan during 04 or 05 i think) so it's definitely still fun and all. weather was good, and two weeks consecutively staying in hotels with bathtubs and stuff... i simply can't ask for any more

"Time… time
Won’t leave me as I am
But time won’t take the boy out of this man

i'm missing my point again, but that's normal here i guess. maybe this will just get everything rolling and i'd find the writing groove more often next time. til then

"The more you know the less you feel
Some pray for others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel… luckily"


Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights