what a disappointment... Army Half Marathon-conditionin made me run 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, n 16km... n i was all ready for the actual... i clocked 1hr 40mins for 16km, which gave me a remote chance for finishin 21km in 2hrs 15mins...
in the end all i got was cramp, more cramp, n all cramps...
i was breezin n runnin at quite a reasonable pace... but the last 3km was done walkin, occasionally stopped by the excruciatin pain to stretch my legs...
when i hobbled past the end point in 2hrs 36mins, i simply stopped at the barricade, hanged on to it as others streamed past me w smiles all round, as my legs gave way...
n the Straits Times AHM guide advises us to drink frequently, even when not thirsty, so i drank at most of the water points, being thirsty anyway... which isnt my runnin habit... in the end i apparently drank too much n vomited... haha... how pathetic can a person get...
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
seasons of blame
the other day my sis asked, n i recalled why i named the ex blog "seasons of blame"...
at the time when i created it, there were many thoughts in me about blame... sth happened then, which surfaced the obvious... when sth happens, people seek to blame... sometimes almost a hysteria... so the question is can u even care to notice it as an outsider? because when ur a witness, most probably u'll be embroiled in the blaming game as well...
more significantly, i proved to myself tt i do also seek to find sth or someone to blame... n tts why im disappointed, in this fact about us...
in this i mean blaming sth, or someone, even if it's urself, when things go wrong... when things don't go accordin to plan, we want to pinpoint, like what they call "troubleshootin", or "after action review", or plain "learnin from mistakes"... but i think, we blame, coz we don't wanna look bad; we want to look like we know the fault; we want to feel like we are in control... this is a fact, not a revelation...
not forgettin we will always try to be less conspicuous n blame sth or someone else 1st... unless its bloody obvious the blame's on us...
it is a bitter pill to swallow about us humans... like many of these other pills we find to swallow every day...
at the time when i created it, there were many thoughts in me about blame... sth happened then, which surfaced the obvious... when sth happens, people seek to blame... sometimes almost a hysteria... so the question is can u even care to notice it as an outsider? because when ur a witness, most probably u'll be embroiled in the blaming game as well...
more significantly, i proved to myself tt i do also seek to find sth or someone to blame... n tts why im disappointed, in this fact about us...
in this i mean blaming sth, or someone, even if it's urself, when things go wrong... when things don't go accordin to plan, we want to pinpoint, like what they call "troubleshootin", or "after action review", or plain "learnin from mistakes"... but i think, we blame, coz we don't wanna look bad; we want to look like we know the fault; we want to feel like we are in control... this is a fact, not a revelation...
not forgettin we will always try to be less conspicuous n blame sth or someone else 1st... unless its bloody obvious the blame's on us...
it is a bitter pill to swallow about us humans... like many of these other pills we find to swallow every day...
Saturday, August 19, 2006
valiant thrust - now for 40SAR
monday, jasper stepped on my foot...
thursday, twisted the same foot after landin awkwardly n strained my neck in ACCT trainin...
friday, still mentally overcame (note: i did it mentally, coz physically they still hurt alot) all these to run 16km at east coast for AHM conditionin...
what a week...
anyway... our Bde soccer team kicked off our 3Div Soccer Tournament... n it was a good result... considerin we've always been the whippin boys... we actually drew 2-2 w 3SIB, formed by the HQ itself tgt w 5SIR... lucky 5SIR's intake has ORDed... still, it was a team half made up by malays... n since we've never trained tgt before, they stormed us... in 5mins we were 2-0 down, courtesy of an obviously offside goal, n a clinically-taken own goal, by our super-fit, super-strong RP who knows shit about kickin a ball around... but our captain Sgt Dinesh calmed the team, put hope in us, n led tgt by Steven we equalised by the 2nd half... could really have won it, since they're really surprised n shaken, but time wasn't on our side... oh yes Jasper stepped on my foot after we went for the same high ball...
GK 1. Sheng-Xiang
RB 2. Bernard
LB 3. Cyrus
LM 4. Prash
CB 5. Urs truly
SW 6. Steven
RW 7. Weixin
DM 8. Jasper
FW 9. Junze
AM 10. Dinesh
AM 11. Li Koon
thursday, twisted the same foot after landin awkwardly n strained my neck in ACCT trainin...
friday, still mentally overcame (note: i did it mentally, coz physically they still hurt alot) all these to run 16km at east coast for AHM conditionin...
what a week...
anyway... our Bde soccer team kicked off our 3Div Soccer Tournament... n it was a good result... considerin we've always been the whippin boys... we actually drew 2-2 w 3SIB, formed by the HQ itself tgt w 5SIR... lucky 5SIR's intake has ORDed... still, it was a team half made up by malays... n since we've never trained tgt before, they stormed us... in 5mins we were 2-0 down, courtesy of an obviously offside goal, n a clinically-taken own goal, by our super-fit, super-strong RP who knows shit about kickin a ball around... but our captain Sgt Dinesh calmed the team, put hope in us, n led tgt by Steven we equalised by the 2nd half... could really have won it, since they're really surprised n shaken, but time wasn't on our side... oh yes Jasper stepped on my foot after we went for the same high ball...
GK 1. Sheng-Xiang
RB 2. Bernard
LB 3. Cyrus
LM 4. Prash
CB 5. Urs truly
SW 6. Steven
RW 7. Weixin
DM 8. Jasper
FW 9. Junze
AM 10. Dinesh
AM 11. Li Koon
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Armor Road Relay 2006
(from top) foreground's 8 SAB Specs Team, background's 40 SAR Officers Team; the relay, mi to my CSM; the debrief by Bde SM MWO Gordon; the Specs Team; combined Officers n Specs teams
a faith im countin on...
apparently the obscure battle btwn shawn n i seeped out, thru, where else but his outlet...
my Coy 2IC Cpt Gaston came to mi...
"his bro-in-law's the S1 4SAB... contacted mi n alleged tt a Spec is markin shawn... tell mi abt it... i believe in u..."
"u juz carry on w wat u do, be fair to everyone... but push him to his Ops limit... it's his job to be workin... dun worry abt his bro-in-law... he sldnt be interferin..."
OC saw mi...
"u ok huh? wahlao he doesn accuse anyone but the fairest Spec i hav! dun worry... to mi, the line btwn Specs n men is v clear... if ur a man, u'll do ur job, n better not step over the line, or i'll kill u..."
my CSM, who saw my 2IC speakin w mi, approached mi...
"nvm, alot of Ops requiremnts are comin up... we'll push him to the limit... i'll personally ensure he gets the toughest Ops role... this way he cant escape... he has broken the chain of command by goin thru his bro-in-law... now we've more a reason to kill him..."
the ever garang Staff Francis...
"Major so wat! we'll not let him interfere here! this is our Coy, n we'll decide wat to do w our men! if shawn gives u problems again let mi know... i'll personally kill him..."
n for a lil extra testimony...
my Ops Spec Staff Ben was gatherin the various platoons' standby orbat, n he, out of curiosity, asked for my role... i answered him, as allocated, tt im attached out as Commander's M113 signaller... he gave a short look of awe n said, "oh, ok... good lah... u sld be the best man for the job..."
OC runner weihong relayed a msg to mi the other day, then remarked tt i can go check w OC, as usual practice... coz OC told him im the Spec who never fails to check back w him... haha.. i thot it was teasin, coz it painted sucha regimental picture of mi... then he disclosed tt OC mentioned before, tt he can always trust tt things will be executed if handed to mi... "he trusts tt u will get it done..."
i didnt post all these to challenge tt idiot, or prove any point, or juz plain show wat they think of mi... it's coz... im really touched by all of em... it says alot abt wat ive been doin n contributin to my unit... at least i know i can leave the army knowin i played a positive part...
my Coy 2IC Cpt Gaston came to mi...
"his bro-in-law's the S1 4SAB... contacted mi n alleged tt a Spec is markin shawn... tell mi abt it... i believe in u..."
"u juz carry on w wat u do, be fair to everyone... but push him to his Ops limit... it's his job to be workin... dun worry abt his bro-in-law... he sldnt be interferin..."
OC saw mi...
"u ok huh? wahlao he doesn accuse anyone but the fairest Spec i hav! dun worry... to mi, the line btwn Specs n men is v clear... if ur a man, u'll do ur job, n better not step over the line, or i'll kill u..."
my CSM, who saw my 2IC speakin w mi, approached mi...
"nvm, alot of Ops requiremnts are comin up... we'll push him to the limit... i'll personally ensure he gets the toughest Ops role... this way he cant escape... he has broken the chain of command by goin thru his bro-in-law... now we've more a reason to kill him..."
the ever garang Staff Francis...
"Major so wat! we'll not let him interfere here! this is our Coy, n we'll decide wat to do w our men! if shawn gives u problems again let mi know... i'll personally kill him..."
n for a lil extra testimony...
my Ops Spec Staff Ben was gatherin the various platoons' standby orbat, n he, out of curiosity, asked for my role... i answered him, as allocated, tt im attached out as Commander's M113 signaller... he gave a short look of awe n said, "oh, ok... good lah... u sld be the best man for the job..."
OC runner weihong relayed a msg to mi the other day, then remarked tt i can go check w OC, as usual practice... coz OC told him im the Spec who never fails to check back w him... haha.. i thot it was teasin, coz it painted sucha regimental picture of mi... then he disclosed tt OC mentioned before, tt he can always trust tt things will be executed if handed to mi... "he trusts tt u will get it done..."
i didnt post all these to challenge tt idiot, or prove any point, or juz plain show wat they think of mi... it's coz... im really touched by all of em... it says alot abt wat ive been doin n contributin to my unit... at least i know i can leave the army knowin i played a positive part...
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
combat line specialist
the Malaysian Armed Forces came aknockin recently... think it was in the news... (a visit lah! were u thinkin something else?) in both their n our efforts to strengthen the political relationship, many others suffered... these were colonels up to generals... n their visit required the best prep, best effort, n best result...
i was there... ah kang, ah yong, leo, eric were there... the combat line team of 2006, how we call ourselves, happened... set to stay in the history of 8 SAB Sig Coy...
we suffered for em tt nite... ok maybe, like i really think, it was our great Ops Officer who put us in tt shit... by delayin thru the morning before, sittin there in office, when all of us knew we had to lay line, lotsa line... by not maximisin the help we clearly needed... then showin me how much line knowledge he lacks, but worse, how reluctant n stubborn he was in lettin a seasoned Specialist run the show... n of course, his failure to protect us from a poor higher command...
DyS3 was clear... he wanted to set off smoke for the Malaysians... so this was what we have at hand... 8 lines, from the control chamber to the range butt... this is, mind u, an armored vehs range, so tt distance is more than 1 km... we've 5 guys... n we reached the range at 1930... n in 11 hours this must be ready n workin...
cold n outfield... dark n mosquitoes... we completed the job at 430... close to 50kg of line was expended tt nite... we returned, washed up, came back in smart attire, n carried on w the display for the visitors... we were literally fallin aslp while standin... n not to mention DyS3 only used 2 lines...
u can hardly respect a soldier by his rank, however he earned it... but by what he's gone thru...
e job was not done... after ensuring the PA and other comms durin the display worked, and after the visitors had left, it was Post-Ex... we went out into e sun agn, albeit with more manpower, and proceeded to retrieve e lines... it went into e late afternoon (how long has it been?)...
i duno abt my men... by e time i went to bed, i was 34 hours awake.... match tt...
i was there... ah kang, ah yong, leo, eric were there... the combat line team of 2006, how we call ourselves, happened... set to stay in the history of 8 SAB Sig Coy...
we suffered for em tt nite... ok maybe, like i really think, it was our great Ops Officer who put us in tt shit... by delayin thru the morning before, sittin there in office, when all of us knew we had to lay line, lotsa line... by not maximisin the help we clearly needed... then showin me how much line knowledge he lacks, but worse, how reluctant n stubborn he was in lettin a seasoned Specialist run the show... n of course, his failure to protect us from a poor higher command...
DyS3 was clear... he wanted to set off smoke for the Malaysians... so this was what we have at hand... 8 lines, from the control chamber to the range butt... this is, mind u, an armored vehs range, so tt distance is more than 1 km... we've 5 guys... n we reached the range at 1930... n in 11 hours this must be ready n workin...
cold n outfield... dark n mosquitoes... we completed the job at 430... close to 50kg of line was expended tt nite... we returned, washed up, came back in smart attire, n carried on w the display for the visitors... we were literally fallin aslp while standin... n not to mention DyS3 only used 2 lines...
u can hardly respect a soldier by his rank, however he earned it... but by what he's gone thru...
e job was not done... after ensuring the PA and other comms durin the display worked, and after the visitors had left, it was Post-Ex... we went out into e sun agn, albeit with more manpower, and proceeded to retrieve e lines... it went into e late afternoon (how long has it been?)...
i duno abt my men... by e time i went to bed, i was 34 hours awake.... match tt...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)