Stupid Breakdown...

DAMN! Of all times my computer has to break down right now! At such a critical juncture! ARGHZ! I cannot wait for Tuesday to arrive. Coz Dell will be giving me a 1 for 1 replacement for the lousy 17-inch flat screen which refuses to display anything ever since Wednesday! Luckily the computer is still under warranty. But still, ARGHZ! I need my monitor replacement! I need my comp! RAH!

A MIRACLE!

YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS! I GOT IT! I GOT IT! WOOHOO! THE WORK & TRAVEL IN USA PROGRAM! I GOT IT! I GOT IT! HAHAHAHAHA! WOOTS! :D:D:D:D:D

Suprise Gloree!!

YAY! A great day well spent yesterday! Woots! :D

Went out with Timothy yesterday to get a gift for Sok Ee first. Shopped around at Vivocity, decided that there's really nothing suitable. We then settled on a book, and since Kino had 20% off yesterday, hence went to Taka's Kino and got this US culture shock book for her. Hopefully she will go there for the work/travel program, then the book will be of use to her!

Ok. That's the not so exciting part. It's after that! Haha. Berns came to join us at Taka. Had a plan to go disturb Gloree, since she had been ignoring both of us for a long time. We figured that she probably had mugged too much until she had forgotten the existence of her two buddies. Lol. So I've got this quirky idea, to get the MUG root beer drink, a 6-can pack, write funny stuff on the cans and give it to her. It kinda links right, in a rather 'cold' way as well. Haha. Anyway, it was some real effort getting the drink for her alright. Berns legs were like about to break coz he had walked a lot since morning, and my toe is still bandaged! The bad news was that outside was pouring heavily. So, to get to the train from Taka means having to face the danger of wetting my bandaged toe! Lol. Seriously man, when I was trying to make my way to the entrance of the station from Wisma, that 100m of road felt like 10 miles alright?! It's horrible, with the ground so wet and me trying my best to walk with great caution so as not to let my bandage get wet in any way! Lol.

Finally got to Serene's Macs. Sat there and wrote all sorts of crap on the cans. Lol. Luckily we only bought 6 cans, coz both of us were having quite a hard time figuring out how to decorate the 5th can onwards. Imagine if we had actually bought a carton of 24. Haha. When we were done, it was close to 6pm already. Called Gloree and thankfully, she was at home mugging! Made our way to her house and surprised her! Haha. Ok, not really a surprise anymore. Anyway, Gloree showed us her 'new' house too, damn nice man! She finally got her own room as well, congrats! Sat around, chat awhile, disturb a lot! I think. Haha. Seems like becoming a doctor looks really tough sia, all the notes that she have to swallow down... Amazing man. Gloree, jiayou alright?! Dun mug till you loose all your hair! Haha.

Ok. Hope BCG can meet up soon again. But it'll be after G's exams, C's return from India, and before B have to leave for his uni. Oh wells.. Till then.

This Different Week

So much has happened this entire week! If I were to squeeze all the events into just one blog entry, this will probably be the longest entry ever written by me. Maybe it could even go into the Guinness world records for being the longest entry ever written! Haha. Alright. I'll try, so here goes...


MONDAY

Don't worry. I'm not about to begin writing about every single day for this entire week! But Monday is one day that I must specifically mention! Well, it all began with my trip down to the MO. As usual, it was originally quite a boring day in camp. And I was about to pay the MO a visit for an extension of my 'excuse footwear' status, since the nail isn't out yet and it still hurts my toe when I have footwear on. I was actually just expecting to receive another status slip, with the MO probably saying something like we'll wait for another week and see if the nail loosens. Well, you see, it has already been a full month and, not only did the nail not loosen, it seemed to have grown firmer against the toe instead! Hence, as you can see, I did not received that status as I thought I would have. Instead, the MO decided to refer me to TTSH A&E and let the docs there decide if the nail should be removed. Imagine the horrors upon horrors hitting on me as graphic images of gruesome nail removal procedures flash through my mind. But of course, what feared me most was still the pain that would have preceded along. LOL!

So at 11am, I when back to the medical centre with a buddy, took the ambulance (for the first time) and head down to TTSH. Before I continue, I should give special attention to my buddy, Alex! For being so nice as to accompany me throughout the entire ordeal. He was basically there just to kill time alright. And without him, I probably would have died of boredom. Ha. Reason?! Upon arrival, I was amazed to realise that the waiting time just seemed like forever?! There was like only 47 patients awaiting consultation, and yet the time displayed was approximately 2hrs!! It was close to noon and both of us were really hungry. We wanted to leave for lunch, but was advised to stay for the triage first. After about 30 minutes, my name was called and I was asked to describe about my condition. The nurse did all the basic procedures necessary, then asked me to go for an x-ray. I was wondering like what for?! It's just a nail injury, there was no bone fracture or whatsoever. But nvm. I just went to have that x-ray, after which my triage was done!

Then both of us wondered whether if it would be safe for us to leave the A&E area for lunch, as we were afraid that my name would be called. There was this young, wheel chaired lady in front of us, having a cast over her leg. Alex set her as the indicator for my turn, as she was there before us, and if she enters, it would most likely be my turn next. At that time it was about 1.10pm. Luckily we were smart to have consumed our lunch first, coz when we returned at around 1.35pm, that lady was still there. LOL! So we sat outside, assuming that my turn would be around 2pm, we waited till then, go back inside, and still see the lady waiting for her turn! Haha! Wait and wait and wait! Finally, at around 2.15pm, the lady went in, and 5 minutes later, I was called to enter as well! I was pretty nervous at that point in time. Dr Eva Luis was the one who saw me. She looked at my toe, asked me a few questions, and decided that the nail should go. Arghz! Even more nervous now...

Approximately 3pm now. I was outside the operating theatre, waiting to be called in. I thought it should happen soon, but no! Waited for like 30 minutes before the nurse inside called me in! And so I lie on the bed, having this great sense of dread drenched from head to toe. Wait and wait and wait, finally heard Dr Eva's voice. She was like, "Sorry young man, forgot about you." Lol. Then she took some form of knife and began cutting on my toe. "Young man, if it hurts, you must let me know." At first it was ok, then it got more and more painful, till a point where it was hurting so bad my mouth was wide open. "Alright! Sorry young man, but I have no choice. Gotta jab you. It'll be very pain, just bear with it." Just imagine the fear in me! Then I felt the needle, and the pain was indeed horrendous!!! So terrible I was biting my blanket, groaning away. Must have been a laughing sight, but I really don't care! It's just living hell alright?! Got jabbed twice some more! When the jab was done, I saw my toe swelling into the size of a ping-pong ball!! It felt funny, probably coz it was numb. Then doc began extracting the nail. At first was ok, I could feel the movements but not the pain. When she started pulling out the nail, that's when it hurts all over! WOW man! Lol. There she was trying be quick and comforting me, while I was squirming and fighting the intense pain! It's just horrible, unimaginable pain, pain and still more pain! Finally, after some struggle, the nail was removed! "Young man, you want to keep your nail?" And she let me see the extracted nail. I was like "No thanks!" "You sure you don't want to keep it?" "No thanks!" Lolol.

Dressing was done and I left the operating theatre. Toe felt super numb, like I was just carrying a lump of something walking around, like that part of the leg didn't really belong to me. Lol. Concerned Alex must have been relieved to finally seeing me walking out alive! Haha. Waited outside for further instructions. Got my MC of 4 days! And also a referral letter to the polyclinic for further dressings. When we finally left TTSH, it was close to 5pm! Amazing man! 5 hours at the hospital! And so I thought, what kind of medical standards does Singapore provide, considering one simple nail removing process requires 5 long hours before it's done. The cheek of them to charge us exorbitant fees some more, claiming that they are providing better service and hence the relevant rise in costs too. Utter nonsense man! Does this mean that it's like probably 10 hours in the past?! -_-

Anyway, imagine the horrors I was facing after the anesthesia began to fade away. Though that slip of MC gave me much smiles on my face (HAHA!), the pain really just robs any form of happiness in me. When I was asleep in the middle of the night, at 4am, the agony was so bad it woke me up abruptly! And there I was trying all sorts of funny positions, just so that I could hopefully stop that excruciating pain. Didn't have a good night sleep at all. The next day, when I got to the polyclinic for a new dressing, I was totally disgusted by my toe. It's just gross to the core, and it seemed to be growing abnormally. The nurse that did the cleaning for me wasn't gentle either. It's a torture alright, having to go through repeated sensations of pain as that cotton wool of don't know what solution comes into contact with my open wound. RAH! I'll never forget this entire ordeal man!

So, I simply spent 4 days rotting away, with the pain slowly fading away with each passing day. I'm glad that I can sit comfortably in front of the computer, typing this out for you to read! Haha. Felt rather bad actually coz this week was outfield week; I was at home 'enjoying' while my mates were out in the fields training. Shouldn't have been like that lah, but I cannot help it either. At least it'll heal much faster now, and hopefully I will be able to wear shoes/boots comfortably in India!

Ok. So this is a really long post. But I'll continue! Haha. The next part shall be short.


SATURDAY

A good day spent with Benjamin and Weemin! Haha. It's quite amazing that we actually met up, considering Wee herself said she only wanted to do so after her exams! But she couldn't take the stress and so she needed some singing to unwind! Haha. A good thing too, coz it has been almost 1 year since the last time we sang. It has also been a long time since I last stepped into a KTV room. Well, I must say that K-Lunch, though it's the most affordable package, the standard has really dropped. I'm rather disappointed with the lunch set especially. It used to be so much more tastier, and that the portions were bigger. But seems like the company is going on a diet; not only had the portions decreased significantly, the food itself isn't of any quality. Oh wells.

After the singing, the three of us went to Wang Jiao for some afternoon tea and snacks. The food is not bad, but the price is slightly steeper than usual, considering that there's that extra 17% to add! Ha. It was then that we began our usual chat and loads of nonsense appeared! Like this Weemin keeps insisting I should meet this girl called Kelly, as she thinks that both of us will be the perfect couple! Arghz! For like 1 hour she was harping about it non-stop can?! Lol. We also talked about our future, how time really flies. Like before you could even realise, we have already entered into our thirties, and still single! Wah! And then there was the funny dreams, and Ben trying to picture me as the CEO of Boeing, SEA. Haha.

It always feels great spending time with old friends, friends that you have known for so long! Ok. This entry is long enough. I shall stop here. Till then.

No Topic

I know I've threaded in dangerous waters once again. It was wrong, absolutely wrong, and I shouldn't have even begun in the first place. I really must learn this lesson well, and come up with measures so as to ensure it does not happen again. Coz at the end of the day, I'm not only reaping nothing, but simply just hurting myself. This silliness has got to stop! It must! For now, I'll deal with you, hard, and I believe I will still be able to cope. Once I'm done, it'll be the last experience I'll ever need, and I vow never to allow it to happen ever again! Trust me, I will succeed!


When things gets way too overwhelming, maybe it's the time to stop all of the frenzy, make some self-evaluation, and get that focus back on track!

R/D-ejected

Pam! I didn't know you visit my blog! Haha. Anyway, if you ever come across this, thanks for the encouragement! :)

Reading what I've typed over the previous post, I still cannot understand how on earth I had managed to amass such a great amount of determination and spirit towards this work/travel thing! Seeing myself gleaming with much enthusiasm over it, and even saying that I'll do everything by myself just to be able to work there, it's amazing man! Lol. Coz honestly speaking, I'm very much battered by the entire issue right now. Hai!

I simply just feel like crying right now, to let it all out. It's a really huge struggle alright. A part of me wants me to never stop, to keep that burning flame of determination alive; that despite all the setbacks and difficulties I've encountered, I must still continue and devise a way to work in the USA. Well, then there's the other part that can completely comprehend the entire issue; that it's obvious there's no way any of those agencies will be able to accept me. I use the word 'able' coz even if they are willing to do so, I doubt they have the ability to grant me the necessary documents for the work/travel program. It all boils down to the most crucial form, the DS-2019 form, which specifically states that I must be a full-time student can then I be eligible for it. Without this form, I will not be able to apply for that J-1 visa, and thus will not be allowed to work. Hai. Let's then not talk about doing it all by myself, coz it's simply horrendously complicated! The visa to apply, that H-2B, might take ages before being granted to me. Plus, with no contacts and such to even begin with, finding jobs, transport, accommodation etc. will definitely be a massive headache. It's just too overwhelming...

I truly, most sincerely, greatly, really, damn with all odds that I want this thing! But most of this spirit simply vanished after that fateful talk I had attended in NTU, last Wednesday. It's by a private company (shan't name it), which I had called a few weeks back and had rejected me. The reason I went there again was coz after emailing to some international agency, they referred me back to them, plus this company itself told me to come down for the talk! And so, after patiently listening to what the company has to offer for its program, I dropped the bomb on the speaker! She was just totally stunned that I wasn't a student. But she left me with this little tinge of hope, that she will check back with her company to see if I am eligible for it and will then get back to me. Of course, it's Saturday now, and that phone call hasn't been made. So this little hope is more or less dashed. Sadden I am, deeply disappointed.

I guess I have to accept this fate then. If it does not happen this year, then it'll happen next year, hopefully. Like what you have said Pam, it's not all the time that I get to have such a long, forced break. Gotta make other plans then. And hopefully they will be as meaningful and fruitful as this one! Hai. I'm still hoping that the phone call of hope will come soon! It's now or never, isn't it. Oh wells. Wish me luck.

Economic Woes

Hai. Of all times, a financial crisis has to happen when I am about to ORD. Seriously feeling damn sian right now! It just makes me feel so sick seeing the economy plunging in this manner! Stock markets that were once rich are now being emptied out like nobody's business. Currency values are dropping so much they seem like they can hit rock bottom real soon. Arghz! I'm especially frustrated when seeing our dearest SG dollar falling, while the USD pegged against our dollar consistently rising. Man! It was like USD$1 = S$1.44 last Monday, and it rose to as high as USD$1 = S$1.48 on Friday. A 4 cents leapt in just five days! Ouch man! Furthermore, hearing the news of MAS shifting its policy stance to a zero percent appreciation from modest and gradual appreciation, makes me feel like killing myself! ARGHZ! It simply just means that the SGD will further weaken, while that freaking USD will just rise higher and higher. Damn it!

Why am I so concerned over this crisis?! Coz it really matters quite a lot for my plans after ORD! If the economy isn't going to do well, it means lesser job opportunities for me. It means I might not be able to get a better paying job, something I greatly require in order to be able to finance my trip to the USA next year. Furthermore, with the USD value rising ever higher, my budget for this trip will simply increase accordingly. The only thing then that I can hope for is a depreciation in value for goods and services! Or else, my overseas plans for next year will be absolutely doomed! :(

Working overseas is also another issue bothering me greatly right now! Think about it. It makes perfect sense to be working in the US, earn some good USD, and then spend those USD right?! In that fashion, I won't have to be paying for the exchange rates, saving me a large sum of money, and thus allowing me to have a greater spending power when I holiday at there. Hai. Unfortunately, it somehow just sounds too good to be true now isn't it?! I've been trying to contact so many agents that offers this Work/Travel USA program, but to no avail. Either they say I am not eligible because I am not yet a student, or else they don't even bother replying my emails. How man, how?! I really really really want to do this thing, spend a good 3 or 4 months over there, gaining a brand new, unique experience! I do think that this is the best way to spend those few months most fruitfully, rather than to just get another office job in Singapore and rot it away. Arghz!

With that horrendous trip to India coming up, there's really very little time left for me to get all this stuff settled! Becoming more and more frustrated over this thing! Damn it! If seriously no agents is willing to aid me, then I shall just do it all by myself. Apply all the damn crap by myself, and hopefully be able to get a decent job when I reach there. I know this sounds totally crazy, but I'm only saying so because I have full support from my dear parents! Hahaa. So by hook or by crook, I must do this! Despite all the difficulties and hardships I'm facing, I will not give up! Throw everything you have at me, and I'll still fight my way thru you! RAHHHHH!!!

Ok. I shall stop here. Will continue with my search now. Till then.

Simple Update

Alright! Time for a simple update. Coz I'm too lazy to blog! Lol.

First and foremost! I've passed my range!! Miraculously!! WOOTS!! It's seriously a miracle man, considering how badly my team had done. There were just way too many screwed ups in the range, and especially for the night shoot, anything that can possibly go wrong simply went wrong! Suppose to be a target of a kind, turns out to be another target errorneously displayed! I was very certain that my team scores were like crap. Coupled with the fact that my standing shoulder shoot was very lousy, I thought I was bound to fail. Then the surprise came by the conducting officer that everyone passed! And so HOORAY! All four major obstacles, IPPT, SOC, ACCT & RANGE! I have managed to clear every single one of them! No more troubles or worries for the rest of my nsf life now! :)

Watched Eagle Eye with Kimberle on Friday! It's an awesome movie man! Steven Spielberg has done it once again. A very intriguing and thought-provoking movie. Questions how much privacy remains in your life; your personal life, your sensitive personal information, how much more private are they now? How safe are they when you disclose it over the network! Haha. I shan't spoil much. Go watch it for yourself if you haven't done so.

Oh wells. Dun have much time to blog. Quite a lot of thinking done over this weekend. Self-reflection. And sometimes we have to do stupid things just because we cannot control our emotions. Dumb man! Shan't elaborate anymore. Got outfield this coming week! 4D3N! Shiok man! I hope I can wear boots well this time. Alright. Till then.