The Journey To Officership: Week 11 & 12 | Social Night

Taken on 23/12/15 BRAVO Social Night

Bravo Platoon 2 on the stage

Hey ya everyone! I'm so delighted to write up this blog post because it's something less dry and much more fun in it! I thank my readers for putting up with me on the less interesting contents over the past 10 weeks! As the saying goes, "After the bitter comes the sweet". You have finally reached the sweet part of my OCS journey! Applause! Hahaha

It's one event that every cadet looks forward to. A night where every cadet is caught beaming with excitement, happiness and pride. Simply because we have fought so hard over the past 10 weeks for this night! It's a great blessing for being able to bring either one of your closest friend or loved ones to witness this milestone of your journey. We're sincerely thankful for the opportunity. Therefore, I would like to take this chance to thank my dear, Kit, for making my social night a memorable and meaningful one!

Date: 23/12/2015

Venue: Officer Cadets' Mess

Time: 1830 hrs - 2230 hrs

Dress Code: No. 2

So what was my preparation for this social night? Here it is!

Booked out at approximately 1200 hrs and got a lift to Bukit Panjang to purchase flowers for the night! Believe me, I was contemplating so hard on how many roses to get: nine or twelve. After much hesitation and persuasion by the auntie, I went with nine roses. As the chinese saying goes, “长长久久“, henceforth I wish that everything will last for a long long time. Not really a superstitious guy over here, however since social night is a meaningful night for everyone, so why not give something that holds a meaningful message behind it? Hahaha. 

Thereafter, reached my girlfriend's house via a cab at around 1400 hrs but was an hour late. Opps! We had spent quite some time purchasing our flowers as the auntie was already busy with other orders and initially, she was also hesitant to take our orders. Nonetheless, she decided to help us! :D It's all our fault for being late due to the poor planning. :P Had lunch with her family and started the preparation from 1500 hrs to 1730 hrs. It's a mad rush, I swear! My dad then fetched me and my girlfriend to SAFTI for the social night! 

Okay, I know perhaps it's a boring preparation up there. HAHAHA

Maybe I should just let pictures to express the joy and excitement filled within the social night itself! 

My Wonderful Section! 

2nd from the bottom left (Section Instructor)

Section Swag Shot!

She gave me flowers! 

My dearest! 

Special thanks to my friend, Mike, for the photo booth! It was amazing!

Okay this is all! I thought I have taken quite a few photos last night but it turned out otherwise. :P On top of just socializing, there was also programmes such as magic shows, platoon performances and games! In essence, it's just a night specially set for us to commemorate our hard work! Thankful for everyone in my platoon! Let's advance into Professional term together! 

- Wonderful memories created

The Journey To Officership: Week 10 | Scorpion King

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Hey everyone! I know I have not been updating my OCS journey to everyone on a weekly basis. Fret not, I am finally back to do so! I am currently on my 12th week of OCS. 

As the name of the title suggests, Scorpion King, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Are we dealing with scorpions this time? Will we be crowned as the king of scorpions at the end of the day? Or is it just another name for our mission, but why scorpion king as the name? 

Truth to be told, I have no idea why SAF has named this mission as Scorpion King. My best guess on the rationale behind the name of the mission would be due to what we were going to do over the short span of 4 days and 3 nights.

Dig, Digging, Dug. Yeah, we were digging close to a total of 70 hours. Yeah, now you can figure out how much sleep rest we had in our mission. Other than our primary goal which was to dig and build up a all-round defence for our base, the secondary goal was also to conduct attacks on other bases. 

If there is one thing I want to rant, it's this: The weather sucked. Rained everyday. D:

Anyway, if I may break down the mission into phases, this would be it: 

Day 1

We were led to our defence site, and it looked as if the route to heaven. Before my eyes of our defence site was an up-up-up-up-up-uphill slope that we have to walk up! Notice the number of "up" was used, you can try to imagine how high it was. Walking it up with my FBO has already used up so much of my fresh energy before the start of the mission. So once on top, what's next? Started the digging of my own shell scrape and attempted to finish before last light. 

Day 2

Hey ya! Don't think I am sleeping! I'm still partially awake! Some breaks were taken in-between the mission though! Went for an attack mission at 0630 hrs and was sleepwalking for a good 2 km before contacting the enemies. Thereafter, continued with what I already started last midnight: my wonderful fire trench. I swear it was one of the craziest moment in my life. The amount of dirt and sand I have dug could accumulate to a mini construction site. 

Day 3

Yeah, fire trench was almost completed! Went for an attack mission at 0730 hrs and was appointed as the section commander for breeching. Got screwed by instructors because things didn't went as planned and I delayed the breeching for my entire platoon. Things got better after we regrouped and went to attack again! :) Hereinafter, continued to touch up on my fire trench as well as setting up of concertina wires around our base! Went to the GPMG post to help out in the digging as well. 

Day 3 was considered as the most hellish moment of our mission. We had to ensure our defence was completed before first light on Day 4. Everyone worked their asses off and helped each other with their respective trenches. In particularly, many of us had went to help out with the COMMAND post. Perhaps, from the help required or rendered by everyone, you may picture how big the COMMAND post had to be. With the help of everyone, everything was completed at around 0400 hrs.

Day 4

Now with our defence completed! We went for our final attack mission at 0700 hrs. At this point of time, fatigue and hunger has already affected my energy drastically. Luckily, I was an observer on Day 4 for the mission. Everything went pretty smooth after our mission. Continued to touch up with whatever we could, and now comes the GREAT news! It's time to cover up what we have dug over the days! This also signified the end of our mission! Yup, we took a good few hours to complete the entire closing process. 

Day 5

Woke up at 0530 hrs and marched to Kranji Memorial Hall to learn about the history of our brave soldiers who fought during WWII. A pretty pleasant and insightful experience! By then, we were also already in our new set of uniform just except for the still squishy and muddy boots! Thereafter, as usual, continued with the cleaning and maintenance of our weapons. 

Happiest moment of the week: BOOK OUT! :D

- Hectic and shag yet at the same time, blessed by the angels as I did not have any encounters with scorpions along the mission!

The Journey To Officership: Week 9 | The Monster Gun (MG)

Finally! Have the time to update everyone again! 

Hmm! Week 9 of 38 already but it still seems so long! Hahaha. Let's go! I'm gonna fill you all up with what has happened this week!

The Monster Gun is indeed a powerful one. Just by the weapon's weight, appearance and complexity are sufficient to allow one to understand why is it a monster.

So what is this Monster Gun (MG) ? It is no other than the general purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) used in war to assault at least a platoon's worth of enemies. I was learning on this weapon's characteristics and handling throughout the entire week. 

Right after we have learnt about the gun, we moved on to Exercise Cougar (Section and GPMG Live firing) on Friday! Yup, it's live rounds. No longer blank rounds. Everyone was worried about their safety but SAF would always ensure that it's totally safe, otherwise I would not be here updating you all. Hahaha. I can't really reveal much but hmm, the experience was LOUD and THRILLING. It's once in a life time experience and I was taken aback by the impacts! Benefited quite much from the live firing. 

Ah yeah, almost forgotten! We also had a 9 km route march this week! Still quite manageable but I feel that 16 km will be the real deal for myself. 

Yeap, book out on a Saturday afternoon before hell comes next week.

SCORPION KING

- Quite a boring and exhausting week ... 

The Journey To Officership: Week 7 & 8 | The Ultimate Resilience

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One of the longest period spent inside the army training.

----Exercise Centipede----

Yeah, I finally started one of the highlights of service term in OCS: Exercise Centipede. It's a 7D6N outfield back in Tekong, where majority of the males started their NS journey. 

I'm about to fill you guys up with the experience! Let's go! The experience was surely not a pleasant and easy one. You have to do lots of high kneeling up to a point where your skin just tears even with the knee guard provided. Also, we had to build our own Basha tent to sleep in it for the next 7 days. My buddy and I had totally no idea how to build one as we were not taught how to build in BMT. So we just, "Aiya, all we need is a shelter and off we go!" Okay la, I enjoyed the stay in my own basha. Hahaha

Just like part and parcel of every soldier's life, you will have to camo on 24h the moment you're in outfield, the only difficult part was that you had to do it for 7 days straight. Honestly, I wondered how I survived. LOL. 

I remembered many moments whereby the stupid camo got into my eyes during section battle and I was blinded partially, and I had no absolute idea where I was advancing. HAHA. Aside from the inconvenience brought by camo on me, there was also tons of stores amounting to weight of 10+ kg to carry! "Section advance! Enemy Ahead! Enemy Overrun! Ice! Spider Ice!" were some of the frequently heard commands over the 7 days in Tekong. 

What was the toughest part in exercise Centipede wasn't the section fire movement missions, instead it was the navigation once again! Walking up to 10+ km under the flaring sun with heavy stores was a killer. I suffered severe back pain from it. Luckily, it was only temporary and I recovered quickly. 

TECHNICAL BREAK AT DAY 4! YES! You are not seeing it wrong! It's a break!! Okay, the best part of it was habouring inside a lecture room with AIR-CON watching the movie titled "Lone Survivor". Fresh rations! FRESH! I enjoyed totally! However, the break was shortlived! We were brought back to the harsh reality on the same day. 

Gone was the navigation, now we were left with assessments to assess whether we were capable of being section commanders! My assessment didn't went smoothly and only managed to scrape through it. Oh well, I gave my best and I had no regrets. 

I also found out I wasn't as good as compared to my other section mates in fire movement. I died a few times during my friends' assessment. Thereafter, I was nicknamed "Why I Die" because I always ask the instructor why was I declared dead. My friends would then laugh and just call me a burden. Hahaha. It was really a fun and thrilling 7 days outfield with my section mates! 

We ended off the Exercise Centipede with a 8 km tactical route march back to our last habouring area before heading back to OCS. 

To sum up, Exercise Centipede was an outfield to assess cadets whether were we capable of taking lead to become section commanders. 

----Post Exercise Centipede----

I cleaned my SAW weapon for a good 7 hours to clear off the carbon accumulated over the 7 days. It was like a living hell for me as I had to clean like crazy after firing 200+ blanks. 

We were all definitely shagged out from the exercise centipede ... but what's coming up next was truly a test to our resilience.

We had 6 km endurance run the day after we returned back in OCS. Okay I gave my best and completed with a timing of 30:29. 

The day after our 6 km endurance run, we had our 6 km fast march in the early morning before heading for Exercise Coyote: Urban Operations (2D1N). 

Exercise Coyote was damn fun la! Clearing staircases and rooms were super thrilling. Combat in urban areas were so much easier to me. 

YOU KNOW WHAT'S NEXT? BOOK OUT LO!

- Not enough time to rest at all. 

The Journey to Officership: Week 6 | Section Drills

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This week was a short one! Started off the week on a beautiful Wednesday.

It's a week whereby our physical limits were tested and pushed to the limits. I swear, I almost died from it. It's a totally new level of shag-ness with stores strapped onto your body walking long distances on rocky roads with steep up and down slopes.

This was also the moment where I realized my combat fitness is ZERO, literally. I was constantly grasping for more oxygen every step I took. I was so freaking close to falling out but of course, I didn't because of my friends who cheered each other on.

Yup, so with a unprepared state of mind and combat fitness, we completed a whole day of navigation walking for long distances for numerous hours. Although I disliked combat rations very much, I realized that I was left with pretty not much choice but to consume so as to survive and push on.

Other than navigation, we also had section fire movement drills. Communication was the key to success in every fight. It was extremely difficult to get everyone on the same page initially, however with more practices, we eventually formed a link within our section. Pretty glad that there was not much argument between section mates along the learning process.

With that, we are heading to Tekong for a 7D6N outfield next week!

- Tired, I need some good rest. Haha

The Journey To Officership: Week 5 | Demolitions, Weapons, and PT

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This week was a mad rush!

It's a cycle of learning followed by tests one after another. The tempo was really fast. We had live firing on demolitions, M203 and matadors for this week!

Let's touch on the demolitions first! So it's just waiting for your turn in green uniform the entire afternoon. Door charges, cross charges, claymore and i-chain were the ones we had during our live firing. Only the selected few based on test results will be chosen to do Door charges, cross charges and claymore. Well, I wasn't selected for anything so I only got to do i-chain! Should have studied harder! Haha.

Moving on to the most anticipated and exciting part of the week, the live firing of M203 and matadors! I swear it was damn fun la. Pew --- shoooooo at a rate of infinity ---- boom ... BOOM!! Everything went smoothly and ended by early afternoon. Headed back to wing line for lunch!

IPPT test 3 was also held in this week! I'm happy that I made a big improvement!! I did a total of 60 push-ups, 53 sit-ups and gotten a timing of 10:23 for my 2.4 km run! Like finally!! I'm out of the RT zone!!! I"M SO HAPPY! Hahaha, I guess I will just have to keep fit on my own then!

There was also a 4 km fast march. It would only be so much more manageable if people at the front stayed compact at all times.. platoon 1 has a small gap, platoon 2 widens this gap, and platoon 3 runs up to close up the gap. This is a fast march and not a fast run!! Haha but anyway, good workout on my legs. It was burning after we completed the march.

- Here comes my 3 days rest! :D

The Journey To Officership: Week 4 | Sweat through discipline

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Finally, it is almost a month into OCS.

We had a 5km endurance run and the timing was required to be under 26:10. I was praying so hard to myself that I have to do it under 26:10 because I wanted no more RT on Saturdays. Somehow, the constant reminder to myself about wanting no more RT fueled me to run non-stop! In the end, I made it with a timing of 24:51. I was also surprised how I managed to complete it with that timing. 

This week was also the learning of signals! I have learnt so much about the signal kits as well as on how to use it. It's damn heavy, I swear! Outfield is going to be a challenge to each and everyone's resilience and a test to our team spirit. 

This week was more chill than the others, as I was one of the selected few to rehearse for the change of command (COC) parade for the incoming and outgoing commander of OCS. Practicising under the hot sun for 15 hours is no easy feet. Furthermore, we were wearing ILBV and holding rifles all the time. Fortunately, we made it and we did a good one for the parade! Our peers whom were watching us also praised that we did well! I guess our efforts did paid off after all! 

We also had our lecture on M203 for next week's live firing and technical handling test! 

- Can be considered the rest week before the hell starts. 

The Journey To Officership: Week 3 | Weapons and NAVEX

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First week in Bravo Wing. 

It was entirely a culture and regimentation shock for me when I stepped into Bravo wing. Indeed, I did felt a drastic change in the environment and the way things are conducted.

As part of an official start to service term, we had a change of command (COC) parade to officially welcome the cadet appointment holders. Basically, they are the ones whom will lead and run the show for the next 3 weeks. 

There comes my IPPT test 2 in bravo wing. I did a total of 48 push-ups, 50 sit ups and a timing of 10:39 for my 2.4 km run. The outcome was rather disappointing. I was faulted a few times for my push-ups. In the end, I have gotten silver for my IPPT. Here comes my remedial training (RT) on Saturday. I wonder how physically exerting will the RT get. It seems like I'm still not fit enough to get away!

Remember that I mentioned about how much love I have for navigation? Yes! I'm finally entering the forests to do my solo navigation for the day and night! I would say that one must be careful of the terrain as it isn't a flat ground. It's full of fallen dead leaves and branches as well as big roots with elevated ground at some portions. I fell quite a few times due to carelessness. I did fairly well for the day! The night was the more challenging one as the visibility was constrained and you tend to take smaller steps to avoid falling down. In short, navigation is awesome la! Haha.

Yeah, I'm officially learning my first weapon: Section Assault Weapon (SAW), aside from SAR 21, It was an interesting one and is far more complex than SAR 21. You can go full burst with the weapon unlike SAR 21.  At the same time, many people have warned how SAW is prone to negligent discharge (ND) if not handled carefully. Technical Handling Test (THT) and theory test were conducted before we went for our live firing the next day!

Yup! The live firing was an awesome experience la! You really got to try the power and speed that SAW has to offer you. I had a great time although I missed all my bullets on the target. HAHA. I guess the bobo legacy still stays in me.

- Adventurous weeks ahead

The Journey To Officership: Week 2 | The Initiation

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Second week of confinement over in OCS and I'm already missing my loved ones, but at least my time is considered better to the three weeks confinement in the past.

We had 4km endurance run and the timing must be kept under 22 minutes. Through that run, I guess my fitness wasn’t there yet as I failed to meet the timing. Over in OCS, majority of the people can really run, and I mean for real. Their 2.4 km running timings were really fast, not forgetting to mention their endurance run as well. Gym orientation was also conducted for us. I must say that the gym facilities in OCS had so many more varieties for people to choose and work on their muscles.

Next up! It's time for my leadership field camp. Throughout the leadership camp, it was quite a pleasant experience! We played games which required team effort to accomplish it. As we did meet the timings and so we were granted the privilege to wash up before insertion into the woods for our solo night camping.

And once again, we had lessons and tests on Military law and navigation. I must say that the favourite part of the CLM term was navigation. Although the technical part of it was dry, but navigation is fun and a useful skill to acquire, I swear!  Very soon, I’ll be inserted into the forest for day and night solo navigation! :D

Yup, as the title speaks for itself! It's the moment where we had our initiation ceremony to receive our two white bars! Welcome to service term! Yup, more responsibilities would naturally come with the rank and seniority vested on our uniform. I'm looking forward to it! At this point of time, I'm already transferred to Bravo Wing. So, I'm a Bravo warrior now. :P

YES! The day where every cadet dreaded for after a good 15 days of confinement! Family day! :D We, cadets, were the tour guide for our loved ones on that day! I toured around with my loved ones and you know what's next? I'm out of the camp! Hahaha back to civilian life for 2 days!

- Happy week !

The Journey To Officership: Week 1 | The Introduction

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Hello people! It’s been awhile since I updated everyone what I’m up to! So right after the posting, I got into Officer Cadet School (OCS) and I felt that it will be worth penning down the memories along this journey of mine. Bear with me as I share all the NS related stuff. Hopefully, this can be a countdown timer to my commission! 

Got into Charlie Wing for my CLM term! Supposed to have an orientation run around SAFTI led by seniors from Delta Wing, however it was raining so we did not get to do so. We ended up learning more about the culture and history of OCS. On a lighter note, I miss my bed! As part of the orientation phase, we also had many lectures on safety, the do-s and don't-s in OCS, the appropriate haircut and so on. I really had difficulties trying not to fall asleep. :P

Subsequently, I also had my first IPPT in OCS that week. My results were 57 push-ups, 48 sit-ups and a timing of 11:06 for my 2.4 km run - it's rather bad. Oh well, that just meant that if I don't improve in my second IPPT, I'll face remedial training (RT) on Saturday. I have heard that it isn't a pleasant experience, they will really push you out of your physical limits.

We were also taught on chemical defence during wartimes. Yup, wearing those masks were part of the learning plan. I swear the mask was so so so uncomfortable for me, because if you can imagine now you're breathing through a confined hole provided by the mask..

Finally, it was time for us to do our 5M confidence jump followed by 265 steps stairway tower climb. I thought 5M confidence jump will be an easy one for myself because it didn't look so high to me. This is where shit gets real. As I arrived at the 5M platform jump, I was "WHATTTT". I swear it was damn high! I was like okay if I don't do it, I'll be screwed. So I just shouted what was required, "To lead, To excel, To overcome" and I took the leap of faith and leap off while closing my eyes. I swear the hanging time before you get in contact with the pool was awful. LOL. Somehow I felt that it was better not to close your eyes the next time round. Not to forget, the view from the tower was breathtaking! You can even see lights of changi airport if you're there in the early morning hours! 

- Not a too shag week

Beginning of a new phase | National service

“Just like every young man serving the country, like it or not, it is still a compulsory two years that we have to go through. Two years is definitely not a short time, whether will it be filled with either tears of joy or sorrow is for ourselves to decide. I believe each and every phase of our lives has something important for us to take away with, which in turn, will turn us into better people, so cherish every of our moments with our hearts.”

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Like every other Singaporean young man out there, I was a little apprehensive about my time in national service. How was I going to best prepare myself mentally with the fact that my freedom was going to be compromised in weeks to come? Let’s just admit, it was only through those times that you started realizing how important every second was and you fought for whatever time remained to pursue the things you love to do.

Fast forwarding time ... 

The time for enlistment was finally here, 15^th July 2015. I woke up to a heavy heart not knowing what was expected of me inside the army, but only one thing for sure was that I will miss my beloved ones. I swear my soul was not with the army despite being there physically on that day. Many thoughts were running through my mind.  I was introduced to the sergeants and officers in-charge of our company and my platoon respectively. That day was considered the best day of my recruit life as the sergeants and officers were friendly and nice to us, contrary to what many described as to be. However, there’s always a saying, “The only easy day was yesterday”. It was true enough.

The next morning after our enlistment day was a major culture shock. We were required to fall in at ridiculously early timings as well as abiding to seemingly impossible fall in timings. It was certainly not easy at the start. The adjustment period, known as the confinement week, had definitely helped most of us to get used to the culture. Adjusting to life in army was no easy-feet. Seeking permissions for every single thing wasn’t a habit initially. Then, of course, many of us learnt our lessons through the tough way. We were punished as long as our discipline expectations were not met with what was minimally set. 

Second to discipline which many of us, including myself, dreaded the most were physical trainings. One of the commonly dreaded PT would be AGR, which stands for Ability Group Running. We had to run continuously for a required duration and every session only saw increased duration which explained why many of us were not looking forward to it. Despite the negative feedback, as a recruit who has gone through AGR, I have got to admit that my stamina has improved! 

As weeks passed by ...

We were punished almost every single day for every other mistake that someone has made. Despite the harsh punishments, we have bonded better as one in the process. Nothing else also mattered when you witnessed your fellow friends carrying out the similar punishments as you. Over time, we were still punished over the same old mistake which led me pondering for the reason: Was it carelessness, selfishness or laziness that resulted in us committing the same mistake? Or it could be just a choice that we have chosen? I was pretty aware that everyone knew what was right and wrong. And so, I concluded, choice really mattered, as your next course of outcome was based on it.

Trainings would only get tougher over time, just like what SAF has always told to the parents: progressive trainings. The toughest time was during outfield. How was I going to survive among hard soil, trees and with limited access to clean water? The combat ration was already a bad enough experience for me. Every inch of the outfield was pushing me out of my comfort zone. To make things worse was the digging of what seemed forever to take shape shell scrape. I have tried my best to make my first attempt a good one, yet circumstances were not in my favor. Honestly, I hated the times in outfield but when one asked me of my experience in BMT, outfield was the first thing that surfaced upon my mind. 

Nearing the end of BMT ...

Around this timing, recruits would have completed 90% of the required key activities before they could POP. The spirits in every recruit was high as they could finally celebrate all the hardships they had gone through, what’s even best were being witnessed by their loved ones. I was no exception. I wanted everything to end it immediately but before that there was a 24km route march. It was a major hurdle for me. I had many reservations whether I could complete it as I was carrying a heavier load and marching a much longer distance this time. I knew I was not the only one worried about the 24km route march. Many of my peers were feeling the same as well. However, we cheered and told each other that we will complete it and make it to the stadium to toss our jockey caps. That mental support built much positivity in me. 

Graduation Parade!!

I was so proud of myself for completing the 24km route march as I had many reservations about my physical level. We made it to the stadium at around 1:21am after a long 6 hours of marching where we slept inside for only about 2 hours before waking up to give our final best shot in BMT. This parade was also the time where many recruits have waited for! As it signifies the end of our recruit lives! Haha.

What's up next?

Two months indeed passed by within the blink of an eye. It was a short yet hectic one for us to go through. I'm rather looking forward to my next posting! I don't know what will I be expecting again! And I'll have to go through the same old shit (cycle) again. Before that, I shall enjoy the short hiatus from army! See ya guys when I have time to write up about my life again!

7 Text Messages Your Guy Will Love To Receive

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Having a hectic schedule ahead for the week, thus not being able to hang out with your loved one too often? One can always turn to text messages to communicate or contact your loved one, so as not to miss each other too dearly. Through this, you can also brighten up or motivate each other’s day! If you feel that you are running out of ideas on how to brighten up your guy’s day using text messages. Do not stress over it, I will be helping you by giving a little inspiration! These text messages will be likely to make your guy feel happy and blessed as well as feeling appreciated by you. You might also be the reason behind his motivation and positive outlook for the day or week just because of one of these text messages! 

1.          “I miss you”

Very often, we text people to express how much we miss them – friends and families – serving as a reminder to them that they are remembered. It’s perfectly normal to send this text a few times within a day, as it will make the other party feel cherished by you. Although it is a simple and sweet text, it holds significant meaning! If you are only beginning to see the guy more often, hold back a little! As he might feel rushed, and this forms an impression that you’re rather clingy. Do not worry so much, if you’re a committed couple as it shows your love for him.

2.          “You always have your ways to make me feel happy”

If you do feel blessed and happy when you’re with your guy, do let him know how he has managed to achieve it! This will serve as a direction for him as well as greater motivation to thrive for the relationship. It is always good to admit what you enjoy receiving from him and it also gives him greater confidence since he knows that positive impression has been made so far! 

3.          “I had a great time spent with you”

It is important to show that you enjoyed the moments spent with him. As it reassures him that his company is important and has lightened up your mood for the day! If your relationship is new, this can also encourage him to invite you out for another date. It also does not matter if you’re together for years because it will remain as an important form of reassurance to both parties forever. This can help to create a healthy relationship! 

4.          “You’re so attractive”

You can admit that which part of his physical appearance has attracted you! Although, it is usually taught that what’s inside is much more important, it is certainly good to let your guy know that a certain feature of his has captured or melted your heart. As who wouldn’t love to receive compliments? This will certainly make his day! Girls will also love to receive them too!

5.          “You compliment my life”

If you find that your guy has certain traits that compliment your life, let him know about it! If the both of you are a new couple, he will certainly be more than happy to know that you find him suitable for you. On one hand, it gives him confidence! On the other hand, he knows that you are thinking about him as well as for the future! He will be extremely glad for it!

6.          “I can’t wait for the next outing with you”

Let him know how much you love being with him. As he will be informed that you enjoy his company as well as how good you think of him! In return, he will certainly enjoy the time spent with you in the next outing better. He will also feel more relaxed if the both of you are in the beginning phases of a new relationship. In short, being expressive about your likes or dislikes can forge a stronger relationship between the two of you. 

7.          “I need you”

Telling your guy how much you need him at one moment of your life can make him feel that how important he is to you. However, if the both of you only started the relationship recently, try not to express your current needs using the word “need”. As it may make your guy feel pressured. Find other ways to hint him that you need him now and he will put in the effort to ensure that you’re in his safe arms. Conversely, in a devoted relationship – this will strengthen the bond between you and him as well as brighten up his day!

10 Subtle Signs A Guy Has Feelings For You

If you have a hard time in determining whether your friend has interests in you, these 10 subtle signs might help you. I admit, it is not that easy to tell sometimes, but with extra attention paid the next time you are with him – you should have an answer. The signs alone may not be true at every situation, so try to put all of these signs together and discover the magic! This list may not be exhaustive, and of course, there are many more!

1.          He texts you when he is out with friends or family

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One of the more common signs is finding the time and effort to type you sincere and cute messages to entertain you. This indicates a high chance he has feelings for you, but it may also means that he is bored and needs someone to chat with. Even if it’s the latter case, he has thought of you and texted you while he’s out. Also, if he tries to keep the conversation with you alive for quite some time … then you should be clear that he may have something for you. 

2.          He remembers almost all of your preferences and interests

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It is uncommon for a guy to remember a woman’s preference and interests. The reason is that majority of the guys do not take notice of events or happenings not of their interests. This can make a woman so mad at times, but hey, that’s just us. So, be extremely delighted and blessed if a guy does it so to make you feel important and wanted.. 

3.          He gets nervous

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If he is able to communicate normally with everyone, but he acts weirdly with you … do not worry! That happens most of the time when people meet their crushes right? If he gets only nervous with you, it means he has something for you. A guy will not simply be nervous with a girl he has no feelings for! Look out if he acts differently only with you, before jumping to a conclusion that condemns him to be weird. As he is trying his best to give the best impression!

4.          He gets a little touchy with you

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In a date, if you find him trying to slightly lay his hand on or over your shoulder occasionally, it is a strong indication that he wants to be close with you.

In a group outing, if he tries to stay near to you as well as taking notices and responding to your needs among everyone quickly … then he certainly likes you more than just a friend.

5.          The eye contact he gives

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Eye contact is an important and easiest way to figure out whether someone has feelings for you. Ever experienced an eye contact that seemed full of sincerity and genuinity? If you did feel it before, believe and listen to your heart’s say! There is a high possibility that the guy likes you and wants you to know it. 

6.          He asks you out

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When a guy asks you out for a date, it is just one of his many ways to get to know you better as a person. It is also one of the many strong signs that he has feelings for you. He wants to test it out with you! Surely, social media platforms can serve this purpose too, but what beats communicating face-to-face as it is so much more sincere and convenient! Only if you feel comfortable with him, then shall you accept his invitation. 

7.          He gets jealous over your other guy friends

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If you find a guy getting jealous easily over other guy friends you have been hanging out or chatting with, then that should be it! - He likes you. It goes the same when you really feel that he is checking out your guy friends by constantly asking questions related them. Also, if his replies looked a little different and a tinge of jealously could be felt within it … then yeah he certainly has feelings for you.

8.          He teases you slightly

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Does the guy always try to pull off some jokes on you? That is one of the ways to make the outing more lively and enjoyable for both. If he keeps placing the effort to make you laugh, then he does like you. This sign alone will not help you that easily to tell whether he has feelings for you, so try compiling with the other signs and you will notice! 

9.          He opens up to you

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All humans are indifferent – be it man or woman – and it is universal and known to everyone that an individual only opens up to someone important to him or her. If he talks to you about his past, current or future life, he wants to hear what you think and whether are you concerned about it. He wants you to know him better and hope that you would share back too! This will create a closer bond between you and him.

10.        He does the extra mile for you

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Whether are the exams coming or an important event is coming up in your life, if a guy does something simple, may be just writing a sincere note, or special to encourage you and keeping your spirits up – you are blessed. He remembers it and he wants you to know that there is always someone you can count on in the most challenging and difficult situations.

7 Signs you are crushing on someone

How often do you get trapped in the maze of love? Everyone was borned into this universe to feel and appreciate the beauty of our nature and surroundings. That had also made us fall in love with people whom we just know or had been around us all the while. As commonly, we would take some time before we realize or notice the beauty within people.  Situations whereby we fell so hard in love with a person whom we just know also exist, but there is nothing wrong as long as you know the reason for it. Humans are emotional species and most of the time; what becomes the pillar and provides motivation for us to fight on or pursue our dreams are our loved ones.

So what will be the 7 signs that you are crushing on someone?

1.          Finding ways to keep the conversation going  

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You will crack your brain juices to figure every possible ways to keep the conversation going. This will also be the time where you find out your real creativeness. Go ahead being nonsensical and becoming other sides of yourself, and who knows the other party might find you interesting to talk to. Just a word of caution, do not deviate from your real self too much. You will understand it why when it becomes a real setting.

2.         She or he is constantly on your mind      

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This is an universal indication to everyone. We all know it. Being largely distracted as a result of it, is a strong signal that you are not giving up on this feeling. And of course, you will feel really motivated and driven in this moment! (:

3.           On cloud nine when the they respond positively  

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Ever experience nights whereby you can't sleep because of excitement and happiness? 

4.           You can’t take your eyes off of them 

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You always take chances to secretly glance at them. Yes, you probably have a crush on them then! 

5.           You get nervous before you see them

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If you tend to get nervous before meeting someone, chances are you have a crush on them. Your heart feels fluttery and there are butterflies in your stomach. However, it will be better to sort out your nervousness or anxiety, as these may be tell-tale signs to the other party that you are feeling uncomfortable with them. 

6.           You wonder what they think of you 

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Being overly particular over how will that someone think about you? Then you might have a crush on them! You may want them to think that you're an interesting and fun person to be with! Also, leaving a good impression on the first date.

7.           You secretly hope that they will ask you out again

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If you secretly hope that this person will ask you out, then you absolutely have a crush on them! Being in love can be a good thing if both makes the effort to keep the fire and passion going. Be sure to be a responsible lover to your crush! (:

Let's welcome the Goat Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Good afternoon peeps! 

It has been a long while since I posted anything on my blog. So I will be sticking to the tradition of sharing about my life! That is also the main purpose of writing a blog – to stay connected with my old and current friends.  

Before I go on writing, I will like to wish all my Chinese friends a Happy Chinese New Year and may all spend time to catch up and show concern for their loved ones in this joyous festive season. To my non-Chinese friends, I wish all of you happy holidays and may this be a time for you and your loved ones to catch up after a hectic year.

I hope everyone will prosper in the Year of the Goat. I wish your family be filled with bountiful happiness and a smooth-sailing year for all.

I do not know if anyone still follows up on my blog, so I apologize for not being able to update for the past several months. As my commitments in both school work and personal had left me with not much time to write up a post. But fret not; I am finally over with my polytechnic studies and I am back! 

So what’s next up for me? I am in the midst of applying into local universities as well as government and institutes scholarships. Not to forget, I will be entering National Service to serve the nation very soon. I will say that year 2015 will be one of the most exciting years, as there will be plenty of surprises – good or/and bad ones. It's also a year whereby I decide where and what I do for the next 10 years. I will keep the tradition alive to update everyone on where I go in the near future. Meanwhile, I like to take this chance to wish everyone that they get what and where they dream to go! Don't be too discouraged by unpleasant outcomes. It's perfectly okay to feel upset and disappointed for just a short period. As it has been said, "Failure is hard, but it is worse to have never experienced it". There will always be ways to find out the real purpose in you. I sincerely hope everyone is able to reach their goals! 

I guess I have more or less summed up the recent events in my life to everyone. I know it's a little short but I swear any more details will certainly bore you. So I hope being short and sweet will be nice for you. (I hope so!) Hmm oh ya, I am now in the midst of generating new topic ideas to write for my blog. It can be similar to the ones I previously wrote on. (i.e. 10 things your partner never says, but you need to know it, 7 bitter life truths you have to know) if you want me to write something that you will be interested to see, you can tell me here and I will be likely to select the ones which I am most prepared to write on: 

http://goo.gl/forms/EXkbRGmBgU

I wish everyone a blessed and purposeful year ahead!