Friday, 15 August 2008
D-7
What a Friday. And Singapore just won the semis for women's table tennis - so now it's either a gold or silver.
And it's been my last week of training in camp before I fly off to thailand next week. Did 16km route march yesterday and boy am I glad it's over. After all, when you start using words like freaking and 鸡蛋 ever so often, you know that army's taking its toll on you. Well, I guess everyone's definition of vulgarities is different - for some, perhaps only the f word and hokkien terms of certain body parts are vulgar; some, damn and shit will suffice. Then, there's the in-betweens of 'hong gan', 'du lan', and the all-familiar knn. [I hope my blog don't get flagged coz of this -.-] Still, who is to say what's what? I guess it just boils down to the individual. After all this time in army, I must say it's no longer offensive to hear such expletives - in fact, many times I laugh at those statements. And of coz my stand is still against vulgarities, and I do frown on those who use them ever so often. I guess, once in a while it's pretty understandable to want to use certain intensifier/quantifiers, by those I [self]qualify my frequent use of 'damn', random expressions/outbursts of 鸡蛋 in the army, and once in a blue moon use of 'freak'. And as for the rest, I'm pretty proud to say I don't venture into.
Well, before fellow fervent bros and sis in Christ start to give me the look, or bypassing fanatics shell me on the tagboard, I must say that my anti-vulgarities stand is always made known to those arnd me - classmates and armymates. And in fact, just last Thursday, when I remarked 鸡蛋 to one of my men, kiat tat [my 4-yr-classmate] mis-heard it as the hokkien term for a certain body part and commented it was his first time hearing me scold such a vulgarity. Ohwells, after I clarified with him, one thought came to mind - people do remember me as someone who doesn't use vulgarities. Yes yes I hope I don't sound vaguely Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde here.
Went to Kranji War Cemetary, Old Ford Factory and the Battle Box @ Fort Canning Park today, as part of some cohesion activity thing. Nope, not gonna rant one whole long entry about the 2nd World War etc etc but just wanna touch a bit on Kranji War cemetary.
It was my first time there and I must say, it's been a long time since I had that sort of a calm, peaceful feeling. All was tranquil and serene. I can't find words to describe that sense of ... I don't even know what to say. It's just inexplicable I guess, probably due to my limited vocabulary, but perhaps the best word I can find that kept occuring to me was that, the place was romantic. No, it's not the lovey-dovey romantic kind where you would go to this place with your boyfriend or girlfriend, but romantic in the sense of the Romantic Movement in the later part of 18th Century.
Inevitably, as I walked along rows and rows of the tombstones, the line Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori from war poet Wilfred Owen's poem comes to mind.
Dulce Et Decorum Est
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.
GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. And as someone who's in full-time national service, albeit ending in less than 3 mths, I thought it was apt to just pause and think about it for a moment. I can't say I'm the most patriotic in the country, but I must say Singapore is a country I'd like to be in, to live in, where my friends and family are in. And while I know of many people who would head for the airport should news of war spread, I'm also certain that should such a day come, I'll grab my stuff and head back to camp.
And it's been my last week of training in camp before I fly off to thailand next week. Did 16km route march yesterday and boy am I glad it's over. After all, when you start using words like freaking and 鸡蛋 ever so often, you know that army's taking its toll on you. Well, I guess everyone's definition of vulgarities is different - for some, perhaps only the f word and hokkien terms of certain body parts are vulgar; some, damn and shit will suffice. Then, there's the in-betweens of 'hong gan', 'du lan', and the all-familiar knn. [I hope my blog don't get flagged coz of this -.-] Still, who is to say what's what? I guess it just boils down to the individual. After all this time in army, I must say it's no longer offensive to hear such expletives - in fact, many times I laugh at those statements. And of coz my stand is still against vulgarities, and I do frown on those who use them ever so often. I guess, once in a while it's pretty understandable to want to use certain intensifier/quantifiers, by those I [self]qualify my frequent use of 'damn', random expressions/outbursts of 鸡蛋 in the army, and once in a blue moon use of 'freak'. And as for the rest, I'm pretty proud to say I don't venture into.
Well, before fellow fervent bros and sis in Christ start to give me the look, or bypassing fanatics shell me on the tagboard, I must say that my anti-vulgarities stand is always made known to those arnd me - classmates and armymates. And in fact, just last Thursday, when I remarked 鸡蛋 to one of my men, kiat tat [my 4-yr-classmate] mis-heard it as the hokkien term for a certain body part and commented it was his first time hearing me scold such a vulgarity. Ohwells, after I clarified with him, one thought came to mind - people do remember me as someone who doesn't use vulgarities. Yes yes I hope I don't sound vaguely Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde here.
Went to Kranji War Cemetary, Old Ford Factory and the Battle Box @ Fort Canning Park today, as part of some cohesion activity thing. Nope, not gonna rant one whole long entry about the 2nd World War etc etc but just wanna touch a bit on Kranji War cemetary.
It was my first time there and I must say, it's been a long time since I had that sort of a calm, peaceful feeling. All was tranquil and serene. I can't find words to describe that sense of ... I don't even know what to say. It's just inexplicable I guess, probably due to my limited vocabulary, but perhaps the best word I can find that kept occuring to me was that, the place was romantic. No, it's not the lovey-dovey romantic kind where you would go to this place with your boyfriend or girlfriend, but romantic in the sense of the Romantic Movement in the later part of 18th Century.
Inevitably, as I walked along rows and rows of the tombstones, the line Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori from war poet Wilfred Owen's poem comes to mind.
Dulce Et Decorum Est
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.
GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. And as someone who's in full-time national service, albeit ending in less than 3 mths, I thought it was apt to just pause and think about it for a moment. I can't say I'm the most patriotic in the country, but I must say Singapore is a country I'd like to be in, to live in, where my friends and family are in. And while I know of many people who would head for the airport should news of war spread, I'm also certain that should such a day come, I'll grab my stuff and head back to camp.
18:12; The Pianist'
thePIANIST;
~ice dragon~
edmund
twenty one
phpps tchs hci nus
bmt-b sispec-g eti-ep
npcc choir
piano
edmund
twenty one
phpps tchs hci nus
bmt-b sispec-g eti-ep
npcc choir
piano
theLOVE;
violin
saxaphone
jazz
spiritual revival.renewal
books
lit
friends
love
saxaphone
jazz
spiritual revival.renewal
books
lit
friends
love
theWISH;
personalised room
keyboard
games
books
love
guitar lesson
jazz piano lesson
love
guitar lesson
jazz piano lesson
theCHATTERBOX;
theESCAPES;
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~`church
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GUM |
iloveegg:) |
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~`others
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