This Blog Is Now Private

Due to recent events with Intelligence and Poor Freedom of speech, I have to privatize my blog to avoid getting into trouble with Mindef Security Department. I don't understand...I am not revealing any restricted or top secret stuff in my blog. Since that I have been warned to shut my blog down, but I still love this blog and can't bear to just delete off every thoughts and essay I wrote... so I decided its about time to make my Blog Private and bring it to the next "No Hold Barr" area. Call me defiant or what, I just will not be back down by those in the Organization who can't even handle the truth in my blog.

So now its private and open to invitation only. Expect spark to become lightning and fire to become inferno from now on. Wonder how many people actually read my blog, it may be time I put a counter or something. The gate is closed and lock, if you wanna enter my realm...ask me for the key.

Anyway, just a note here. I am not against anyone whosoever when I write stuff in this blog. I just wanna jog down my feelings and thoughts thats all so that in the future I could look back and see how positive and negative I have been and make improvement to life and character through it. Its like a mirror you look back at yourself, but its the mirror beyond skin deep.

Las Vegas!!! Febuary 8 to 11th.

Right before my home trip in March, which was already confirm earlier on thanks to my Kiasu-ness in applying the leave during December, I will be heading to Las Vegas for a 4 days holiday with my room mate Ricky, my immediate counterpart at work Garfield, Kok Meng, Munkit and Wife + Aaron and Wife. Will be spending 8th of Feb Thursday to 11th of February Sunday at the world best entertainment city (as far as I know).

It all begin not so long long time ago when the United States President announced that US will be sending additional troops to Iraq and our exercise partner, the 82nd Airborne was going to be involved. We thus will not be heading for the JRTC exercise with the 82nd Airborne in February since they are going to be deployed oversea and obviously not joining them Iraq either. So the whole exercise was postpone and our "Dark Vader" (my boss by the way) release all of us to take leaves on February.

Applying the leave was the easy part, planning the trip was a real challenge. As we are a big group of 8 heading for the tour, we must plan ahead on where we gonna stay, gonna play and how we gonna get around in Las Vegas. I realized conflict could arise between different party during a group tour of such proportion after hearing stories from another of my colleague who went for a group skiing trip at Colorado. So a wise man will sit down on the table de-conflict all aspect of the itinerary with the rest to avoid all unnecessary unhappiness that might crop up during the tour. To have a peaceful trip, everyone gonna come to a common understanding and most important be open mind, open to changes during the tour and more "Chin Chai" and "Mai Hiam" too much.

We need to look for Flight tickets, Hotels and Car Rental. Things would have been easier if we are all CEOs, Tow Kay or just struck the lottery for we could just get the best air ticket, the best hotel along the Las Vegas Strip and rent a limousine for 8. Budget is an Issue and so is the timing for the flight tickets. Our plan--

Day 1 -- Fly off to Las Vegas early Thursday morning to ensure ample of time for enjoyment

Day 2-- Get a car and head to Grand Canyon to stay for a night and watch the sunrise the next morning. Head back to Las Vegas, check in to a hotel and explore the Strip. Drive around and around

Day 3--Still in Las Vegas, its so big we couldn't complete in a day. Do some shopping at the factory outlets over there. Drive around and around

Day 4-- Last Day in Las Vegas, its still very very big...we haven't finish exploring it for sure. Catch a night flight back to Dallas.

Simple 4 day plan but all the hotel booking (3 days at Las Vegas and another and 1 Day at Grand Canyon, flight ticketing (return tickets) and car rental could have been a mind boggling affair with lots of phone calls and trip down to tour agency 10 years ago. Most people would end up with swollen ears from Telephone calls and aching legs traveling from one agency to another to search for the best deal for the bucks. No so much today when we could all the stuff through the Internet, right in the comfort of our bedroom. Just an PC, Internet connection and credit card on is does the job.

Flight tickets, Hotel and Car Rental can all be found in this websites which combines all major airlines, hotel and car rental company bookings within a single website...

Travelocity

Expedia

Orbitz

There is option to book a package combination of Hotel+Air ticket or Hotel+Car Rental or Hotel+Air Ticket+Car Rental. Package combination usually earn savings compared to purchase of each item separately. Of course the option of just getting Hotel only or Air Ticket only is also available. This websites take away much of the trouble of searching separate company website for the right deals since everything happens just in one screen including every aspect a traveler will need to plan his trip

Timing, price, availability, airlines company, Hotel name and ratings and location, Car rental type and price, recommendation, electronic airlines ticket, online booking, printable receipt, destination weather, places to go, tour guide, everything a traveler need and sometimes even more information than you expect which will surprise some.

This websites are the holy grail of todays GlobeTrotters making planning a holiday so much more easier and less of a challenge especially for the budget conscience when it comes to comparing prices, getting the timing to make personal travel planning.

Due to our plan not to stay at Las Vegas on the first day, we thus did not get a combo package deal from the websites. So it begins a long night our bargain hunting, discussion, de-conflicting and planning. Thanks to the effort of Shirlene and Shirleen (Munkit and Aaron wife), in the end, We got our air tickets from Travelocity.com for just US$314.30 per person. We booked the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, 2 rooms, 8 guest, 3 days 2 night and less than 2 miles to the strip for US$353.68.

Realised that the gender role of women are crucial and this moment. They are good with meticulous planning and calculating. While we guys might look pretty dumb folded, lost and needing smoking,drinking, toilet and sleeping break frequently, we lend our muscles to carry the heavy stuff, physical endurance, stamina for the driving and loco-ness (craziness) during the trip while the girls do the planning. So we are the soldiers in the hot field while the girls are the mission planner in the air-con command center.

Whats outstanding at the moment is a Full Size SUV Rental handled by Kok Meng and Munkit and the 1 night accommodation at the South Rim of Grand Canyon...

Maswik Lodge

Its cheapest and closes to the Grand Canyon park Entrance and for US$188, 2 room, 2 queen size bed per room and 1 night. I love the nature and I'm sure I will be memorized with view of Grand Canyon as much as I was captivated by the view of Niagara Falls last September. Nothing I could blog about Grand Canyon and Las Vegas right now untill I see it with my own eyes. Stay tune for my field report....

View of Grand Canyon from the South Rim

What is Life?

Life is the beginning of the end,

it can only begin from one point,

and end at another and cease to exist.

Life can be lead to the end,

or it can be controlled to the end.

You decide if you want be lead,

or you want to be in control of your life.

My Favourite Video Today

Phone call to mum and working OT as Aviation Tech

Just called my mum after dinner (I have mash potatoes, bacon and egg FYI). I miss my family so I decided to call mum today after many many days of no calling home at all due to work and sleep commitment.

Well the thing about my mum is she always have so much to talk about over the phone. She outnumbered me in words by 100 to 1. I was only going, "uh, hmm, ok, yah, don't worry, mmm, ok mum, call you again some other day, take care". Go ahead and add in 3 mins of my mum nagging, complaining, concern and home reports. Today talk is something to do with my family back home. Somehow, she was so into her talking that I have hardly any chance to cut in and offer my advise and assurance at all. Now I understand, women just wanna "let it out" so they can feel better and probably they don't need any advise or help else my mum will just pause and ask me for a solution. To be honest, my mind was wondering off on the latest news around the world on CNN.com and my hand were busy click the mouse. To recall what she said earlier is like reading a torn page now...

Well, what to do...shes my mum and if it make her happy that I listen to her for 15mins stretch or more, I guess as a filial son, its best to lend a ear if not my fullest attention.

SHOULD Aviation Technician work long hour shift? I got my answer today from someone in my base. As a Aviation Technician, our work/job implicate safety and thus lives. If we have to work in fatigue, half asleep and half the attention given, we are putting lives at risk and eventually our own career at risk. I make the realization today that I should be assertive and call for time out when we stretch our work beyond 12 hours like last Friday. Luckily nothing happen but we won't be lucky all the time.

We are not office worker who could afford to make a mistake on paper and simply use correction fluid to erase to rewrite. We are not any hawker who could cook a fantastic plate of Chay Kwey Teow today but forgot to put See Ham tomorrow at the annoyance of the customer. We are Aviation Technician, where every bolts and nuts, screw and fastener, though small but have serious implication when not properly fasten or torque. So please, don't stretch us longer than we could take... it just ain't worth getting the job done fast today and getting a crash tomorrow. AND OF COURSE!!! NO WORK ON WEEKENDS PLEASE!!!! This is USA not China...

How not to drive

It was a long night shift for me, from 3pm on Friday to 9am the following day. Almost 18hrs of work and I am feeling really tired. Could have got home earlier if we were not stuck with bolt that fails to install properly.

I was glad everything was over for the day and we mange to pull it off again. Feel relieved to be sitting back in my car and cranking up the engine for the 19miles journey home. I can't help dozing off momentarily while driving on the empty weekend's highway. Its not the first time I have problem keeping myself awake while driving to and fro work but it have never dawn to me as something dangerous until today.

I thought I was driving on the extreme left lane of the highway and suddenly, at a blink of an eye I ended on the extreme lane. Maybe this don't sound very much but the highway I am traveling on have 5 lanes in each direction so to change 5 lanes without me even remembering what happen was really a shock. Two thing could have happen, either I woke up unscathed or I woke up from a crash.

This is the wakeup call. I escaped from some form of disaster again. Something gotta be done about this. Of course I still gotta work and still have to drive to work, so I have did some read up on the Internet on causes of and solution to Drowsy Sleeping. Learn that working for 18hrs straight will have the same effect as drinking and driving. To combat against drowsy sleeping thus an accident, drinking coffee 30min before driving is a sure way to keep the alertness for an hour or two, more than enough time to get home safely. This technique will not work with heavy coffee drinker just like a single dose of drug won't satisfied a drug addict.

Its so much part of our life now

Its so much part of our life now that IT is no longer as fascinating as when the first time we seen it. Whenever we are baffled by something we heard, read or just suddenly pop into our mind, we look for IT to discover facts from fiction and rumors. When we need to find the nearest MacDonald or Supermarket in a foreign place we just step into, we look for IT. And sometimes, we have are desperately looking for gifts idea or some old stuff no longer sold in the market, we again search through IT. Some people wanna know the latest news and scandal of their pop idol and they discover through IT too. Right now, I am studying for my FAA certification and when I need further information for what I am studying about, for example what is a Metering Orifice or whats the color of certain additive added Jet fuel, I search through IT for the answer.

IT is IT--Information Technology of our Internet and its nothing exciting anymore and nothing new. Just that everyday new information are pump into this gigantic global network accessible by anyone with a PC, modem and telephone line/ cable. The collective term to describe all this information is age old. It have blended into our life so much that we instinctively and intuitively go for our mouse click each time we need to search, read, send and show information. Some people won't even appreciate or realise the power of getting information at a click of a button that would not have happen 1 decades ago. This kind of power bestow to mankind have never happen overnight like some Virgin Mary miracle but took a long period of refinement. Significantly, introduction of broadband have effectively breakdown almost all the barrier in Information Technology. Broadband really gave the power of "info at a click of a button" unlike dial up which is "Wait for info at a click of a button". What now left for us is not speed but content of our earth powerful information system and mans creativity and thoughts are limitless thus there isn't a exhaustive list of things we could do with this system we got in place.

I come to realise that you could literally base your entire study curriculum on whatever information you could source from the Internet. Just look at the choices we all got! I could search anything on Google for my studies and not to leave out "Wikipedia", the online Encyclopedia which have already turn my precious collection of thick Encyclopedia into household step stools. Maybe those old pages can be use to wrap Otak or Nasi Lemak.

So convenient that one day, books might be extinct and all that the future archaeologist might dig out from civilization is portable harddisk, DVDs and IPODs instead of stone tablets and ancient scriptures.

Of broken blade and bruised ego

Today I decided to bring the helicopter out of the living room and to the Indoor basketball court located within my apartment estate. Finally for the first time the Helicopter hover! For once, I thought that this contraption will never make it of the ground. You see, I have been training mostly through ground run and skiing around the mini-golf course behind my apartment, the Helicopter skid is touching the ground all the time.

Hooray!!! Life off! The birds is in the air! And now I learn the most important lesson of helicopter piloting... controlling the helicopter in the air is like balancing a marble on a convex surface. Its so hard to keep it in control and not flying about wildly. Sometimes the helicopter even threaten to cut my head off when it fly towards me. This thing seems to have a life of its own and that life is short lived with a loud crash to the walk...BANG!!!

Its not dead, its crippled... In Air Force context, this crash is an operator error and it happen in flight so the crash report is call FAIR. Don't just take the meaning by the word, FAIR= Flight Accident or Incident Report. In my case, its an Accident. UCFIT accident, Un-Controlled Flight Into Terrain (the wall in this case).

The bird was salvaged in one piece. Still have the out of the box look to it.

The impact was so great it rip off the tip for one rotor blades. The tip of the rotor blade is usually the part of the copper that hit any obstacle of terrain, that applies for both RC and real life helicopter. An aircraft can sometimes still be airborne and remain in flight with 1/4 of the wing blown off but a broken rotor blade is going to seriously cause the entire helicopter to lost its balance. As though controlling it was not hard enough to begin with, controlling it while its damage is a daunting task for any pilot.

Just watched the Animation "Flushed Away" yesterday at the cinema. One of the bad guy mouse said "Keep you leg straight when falling into water". The helicopter in my case kept it leg straight during the final plunge to destruction and promptly knock off one of the 4 landing skid legs.

Not seriously damage, just 1 blade and 1 landing skid to be replace. The rest of the parts are still intact. However my confidence level and ego sure is seriously bruised. Looks like its gonna be a uphill climb to even fly like a ameuture.

Oh? Singapore is in China

Why do every American I met assume or mention Singapore is located in China? Looks like the country with Red flag and yellow star is overwhelming more familiar to the Ang Mo than a island, with Red, White, a moon and five star flag. I thought we are famous for going from a third world country to a first within 41 years of Independence? Aren't we suppose to have a share of International recognition too, especially in USA?

I guess its because most of the time, what they see is a group of Chinese in Military uniform and thats the sad truth cause most of the Air Force guys right here and even back in Singapore is overwhelming Chinese. If it have been a group of Chinese, Indian, Malay and couple of Eurasian guys having Dinner at a local United States restaurant like IHOP and WaffleHouse, in our RSAF coverall with the Singapore Flag badges on our left arm, I am sure the Ang Mo will not jump to the same conclusion that we are from China again. The less, all the different color skins, sitting peacefully for a dinner will baffled them where does this group of 'Rojak" people came from? Not China, Not India, not the Middle East and not from any Ang Moh country... but from a less known country of Singapore.

The next Ang Moh who ask me where Singapore is, I am going to tell them we "Rotan" and cane Micheal Fay for Vandalism.

Grandson of the first Helicopter test pilot

After getting familiar with the controls of my newly acquired RC Helicopter, I decided to bring it out to the mini-golf course to attempt a hover. So far, my living room adventure with RC Helicopter was mostly a 'ground run' affair, the bird never took off and for most part of its first two pack battery life was spend skiing on my table top.

It couldn't have been a much better place than the mini-golf course right behind my apartment, less than 100 steps away. Large open space, very flat ground and soft ground to absorb the impact of toppling and crash. For the next 1 hour, I learn what a difficult hobby I have just brought myself into. No hover, just several toppling from extreme ground resonance and a unsucessful hover attempt ending in a crash. Thankfully nothing was broken on my third day of practice, just a couple of scratches on the copter body and a few exhausted fingers. And the weather was winding, not a good day for flight with an Indoor RC Helicopter.

Just when I was about to walk home and call it a day, my neighbours husband pop out said good evening to me and ask if I fly the Chinook. Of course I don't and the usual reply was I am the 'GREASE MONKEY' and does not belong to the "Flying Circus".

Embaressing as it might seem with all the crash and toppliong, he was caught on attention of me playing RC Helicopter. We started chatting about my latest hobby, than into flying real helicopters and soon I learn...

HE IS THE GRANDSON OF THE WORLD FIRST BELL HELICOPTER TEST PILOT
FLOYD WILLIAM CARSON!!!

I was surprised for sure. Never knew my neighbours, his name David Carson came from such interesting background. Of course, that name doesn't ring a bell untill he actually told me what his Grandfather achievement are, a test pilot for BELL Helicopter from the 40s to the 90s...really proud and honour grand son we got here. Now David's father too was into Helicopter but Military wise, his father was a flight instructor for the AH-1H Cobra gunship and have train many pilots who fought in the vietnam war.

So interesting. Sometimes our life decision at a moment can bring pleasent surprise. If I have choose not to head outdoor to test-flight, I might not have learn something new about my neighbours.

Some how, I got home and Googled and Wikipedied 'Floyd William Carson', nothing came out of the search... Probably got the name spelled wrongly. Anyway, David is gonna pass me a DVD about helicopter that shows his granpa in it.

The lawyer of Rosemary....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attn:Riccardo
This is to inform you that I have been informed by Mrs.Rosemary Everson
of her intensions in WILLING $2.5 million US dollars to you. I will
immediately proceed in notifying Mrs.Rosemary Everson's bank in order for
the funds to be released and transferred to you.
She has WILLED the funds to you based on her own decision. I will
require the following information below to process the release of the
funds and notification to the bank.
1. Full name
2. Country of Residence
3. Telephone number/fax.
4. Occupation.
5. Age.
Sincerely,
Frederick Peterson(Barr.in Law)
Deutschland
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So now, the lawyer of Rosemary have replied asking for my details.... Apparently, he is from Germany (Deutshland). Hmm...never knew there are people still using that name for Grmany. Well, 2.5 million at stack. I got to give accurate details. :)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Full name -- Riccardo Tan CheeMui
2. Country of Residence -- United States Of America
3. Telephone number/fax. -- 972-956-8459
4. Occupation. -- Not working...too sick to work
5. Age. -- 45

Are you from Germany and is RoseMary from Germany too? Please process the WILL as fast as possible. In Dire need of money.

Sincere,
Riccardo
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I will be US$2,500,000 dollars RICH!!! YEAH!!

Just got this E-mail from someone who finally is willing to part their hard earn money to me!!! Wow...incredible... So kind of Rose Mary. This is the most generous dying old women I ever met.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
roseverson@netscape.net
Dear Beloved,
My name is Mrs. Rosemary Everson. I am a dying woman who has decided to donate what I have to you/ church. I am 59 years old and I was diagnosed for cancer for about 2 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband, who has left me everything he worked for.
I have been touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of God, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly. Please pray that the good Lord forgive me my sins. I have asked God to forgive me and I believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation in less than one hour.
I decided to WILL/donate the sum of $2,500,000 (two million five hundred thousand dollars) to you for the good work of the lord, and also to help the motherless and less privilege and also for the assistance of the widows.
At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact that my relatives are around me and my health condition. I have adjusted my WILL and my lawyer is aware I have changed my will, you and him will arrange the transfer of the funds from my account to yours.
I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others. Contact my lawyer (Barrister Frederick Peterson) with this specified email:fedpeters07@aim.com and tell him that I have WILLED ($2,500,000.00) to you and I have also notified him that I am WILLING that amount to you for a specific and good work. I know I don't know you but I have been directed to do this. Thanks and God bless you.
NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. And Also I will be contacting with you by email as I don't want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me.
Regards,
Rosemary Everson(Mrs)

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And here is my heartwarming and grateful reply to her...

Dear Rosemary,

First of all, let me give a BIG THANK YOU to you! I am in a dire situation right now and having chronic health problem that threaten to dig deep into my pockets for many years to come. I have a family of 4 to feed and my wife is working hard to support the children and support my medical bill.

I don't know who you are and you don't know me. I believe its GOD who have make both of us come together at this very troubled moments of mine. I THANK YOU FROM MY DEEPEST Heart for your help! And I am sorry that you are in pain at the moment and going to die very soon but good people deserve the places in heaven and I will pray for you peaceful departure to the pearly gates.

PLEASE PLEASE reply to me, Riccardo as soon as possible. Your help have been most well timed. US$2.5 million is more than enough for my family and most importantly my kids to have a brighter future. I will promise to donate half that among to the Charity in your name.

Sincere,

Riccardo

**And I promise to give each of you readers US$1000 if you write some comment to my blog!**

My 1 Day short weekends

From this week and the next few weeks onwards, there will no longer be a 5 days work week for our guys. Thanks to the upcoming JRTC exercise, we guys gonna work on Saturday as well. So I only got 1 Day of break per week...

This week, I only have Sunday to rest. God rest on Sunday, so does Riccardo. Slept till 12 noon today thanks to the 13% White wine I consume last night.

Went to Walmart to do some weekend grocery shopping. I thought I pick turkey ham but when I got home, it turn out to be beef. I can't eat beef, not because I am allergic to it... its because of my religion and my mum. My religion, Buddhism, which is actually just life teaching but got misunderstood as a religion, forbids the consumation of beef and so does my mum who time and again tell me not to eat beef. I think its more towards my mum than my religion (again, its not actually a religion) that I refrain from taking beef, out of respect for her. But think about this, I don't take beef, but I eat Chicken, Mutton, pork, fish, turkey so whats the difference? They are all meat churn out of a slaughter house, right? So the cow is more sacred than Mary's Lamb or Chicken Little? Come on...

I think this is ridiculous. It all started out with story that Guan Yin father was recarnated as a cow, so we all should refrain from eating beef as practice of the religion. So someone who don't eat beef but gossip, is greedy, is cunning and commit felony.... that does not make sense. I mean, either you don't take meat at all and go vegetarian or you simply just eat anything as long as your health is not harmed. There should be not gray area.

Now cow story aside. I gonna watch ROBOT CHICKEN season 1 this afternoon, hopefully completing it. Stop motion animation + Puppet+ Parody + Extreme stupidity all roll into one.

Cocka-doo-doo..beep beep

In the evening, will join the guys for movie SAW III. Been quite sometime since I watch a horror show. The last one was 'THE MAID".

Like my rosy cheek?

Still eagerly awaiting the arrival of my RC Helicopter - Esky Honey Bee IV, can't wait to bring it for its first ground run and hover.



Now Dallas is getting really really boring. I need to get some fresh air soon or I die from my routine work and routine life. Getting into RC Helicopter is just one thing to pass the time fruitfully. How I wish time flies faster so I could embark on my home trip back to Singapore in March. Already planning to go Bintan and Thailand for R&R when I get back to Singapore. Also in my mind is a road trip to Yellow Stone Park and Petrified forest in July.

Want Quality and want to rush but there is no time

How can you expect quality work and still want things to be done fast? An old chinese saying "Ai Pi, Ai Qi, Ai Tua Liap Ni and Kia Cu Bi", translated as "Want it cheap, want it fresh, want it big (boobs) and want it to stay next door". I think the empire should seriously consider the fact that sometimes we got to do half hearted inspection or servicing just to meet the target. Please give us the time we need to do a job with completeness. Not that the given 8-5 working hours is not enough to carry out servicing, its that we guys are not dedicated aircraft technician at all, we still got to juggle with secondary appointments like tools, ground equipment, infrastructure, buying office stationary, infrastructure, POLs .... etc etc. Its call job juggling.

Its like the whole base depend on us to ensure it runs well beside making sure the aircraft fly safe and meet the operation requirement. Sometimes we got aircraft servicing deadlines to meet but also important secondary appointment to be carried out. Sometimes its squeezing our balls. Most of the time, I think it will be better off if we got dedicated logistic team in our base handling all this non-aircraft related logistic work.

Dedication brings quality. At less a dedicated team can meet all our secondary appointments' requirement (which will become their primary appointments' requirement) and even improve it along the way through consistent monitoring of the "Health" status of different aspect of our Base logistics and rendering indirect support to our aircraft servicing.

With a dedicated logistic team, it free us, the grease monkey, to dedicate more time and effort to achieve quality job and I am sure we feel much less painful when the rush factor came in and also we do not need to fire fight when the annual audit comes due to tons of back log accumulated in the pass because of lack of time.

Work is suppose to be fun and not hell... that way when everyone enjoy work, they naturally will like to put in extra effort, in their own time, to improve the system, the culture or the welfare of each other.

Right Ankle Sprain, Left Knee Cap Pain

What a way to begin the second day of the New Year. Instead of working today, everyone from our Base have a morning session of sports at Cimarron Park. Probably due to the passing of former US President Gerald Ford, all the Ang Mo from our base decicided to pay their last respect by taking an off day.

The Day could not have been more painful than I thought, althought its a R&R session of Basketball and soccer. I amazed myself by how prone to injury I am. Instead of getting injured in a Basketball game, I step into a pot hole on the grass patch and sprained my right ankle. The old injury reoccur again. Just sprained that same right ankle from stepping into a pot hole a month ago and now it happen again.

Continue on with the game after the pain subside (sensation is still there) and use much of my left leg for all the jumping and fast break. Guess my left leg never took this kind of punishment when my right leg was still at its 100% in the past cause after the game, I got a weird feeling from my right kneecap and when I sit down, squat down or bend my left leg... its painful.

The cold weather aggravate sports injury. Other than my misfortune, one of our guys sprained his back during the basketball game and have to be send to a doctor. Learn a tip, during this cold weather...a hot shower on the injured area will help soothe the pain.

After many weeks of night shift and almost turning into a night creature myself, I am finally back to the Day Shift from tomorrow onwards.

Good Bye to the Volatile 2006, Hello Mysterious 2007

Boy....what a great way to spend my first New Year eve in United States...Base Guard Duty. Never have my New Year eve been so peaceful and quiet. No countdowns, no party popper, no rowdy crowd and less the agony of taking public transport after the New Year party. Just 2 guys (not faggots), a couple of security guard, a few guard dogs and the "Dustbin" Ferrets to welcome the New Year 2007 in Peace Prairie Detachment. HOPE YOU GUYS DRINK YOURSELF SILLY FOR THE NEW YEAR!!! Happy New Year 2007!!!

The Year 2007 marks the 3 years old Birthday of my blog "Riccardo talk cock, Sing Song and Play Mahjong". And for the record I have blogged 245 times of my Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Complains of work, bragging, sorrows... of girls and boys, man and women, evil boss and great Enciks, the darkest hours and my adventure in United States. Of course its alot of cock talking and blogging right here sometimes but to survive the blog for 3 years and to make blogging my life long hobby eventually is kinda a achievement myself. Even thought I am not sure who is reading my blog at all cause there is just so little comments but will keep it going through 2007. What is interesting is 5 to 10 years down the road, when you blog for many years, you could look back into your life and laugh or cry about yourself. Thats the beauty of a online journal.

So here I go, summarizing my life in year 2006. The memorable moments and the painful moments and the funny blog that I have blog about for this 1 year and my thoughts about it right now... This means I got to read back on my blog from Jan 06 to Dec 06. Lots of stuff I have wrote and I have forgotten so its nice to revisit again.

JAN 06 -- I WELCOME YEAR 2006

The above blogs was written at the beginning of the New Year. The year 2005 have been a very very very bad year for me as far as losing lots of Vitamin "M" is concern. So far my ship have been sailing steadily and have in fact reached 'The New World' like Chistopher Coloumbus. (The New World is actually USA). Interesting look into my Chinese Zodiac. So far I make no achievement in what so ever wood industry mention in the prediction. As for Romance, I consider myself in courtship as the prediction are said and yes, I feel the obstacle right now due to both our distances and time zone difference from each other and I just hope we both could overcome this obstacles well together.

Jan 06 -- 26th Jan 06

When it comes to money, its the war between the Devil and the Angel. Coming to the USA, with all the numerous sales each weekend and the BIG sale on many public holiday. One could nearly succumb to the Devil's will. The fight between our Angels and Devils is getting stronger everytime the discount get higher! Research is the key to good pricing, and prudency is the wise to buy things. I buy what I need so far but will be increasing my spendings in Year 2007 to get some really cool novelty item not sold in Singapore so that I can start a small Online business (E-Bay or Yahoo Auction) when I am back in 2008. Have been getting lots of guidance from my Angel side of mind to get into RC Helicopters recently and have been doing some research into the hobby before buying my first RC helicopter. Learn not to jump into any thing without thinking with my head. The Angel is strong so far...

Feb 06 -- Garang Little Bee

THATS NOT ME IN THE PICTURE. Can't believe revisiting this blog after so many months. I look totally horrible from that Bee sting. Still, I am amazed how this bee decided to sacrifice his life in the most unusual way... flying into a bikers helmet while he is travelling at 50km/hr uphill and stinging him right between the eyes (head shot). I am still alive now but could have suffer some P.HD (Permenant Head Damage) that I might not be aware of. What I am aware of is I have rashes and difficulty breathing the next time I get another insect sting and it happen right here in United States few months ago. I was totally covered in Rashes and nearly need to head off to the hospital due to increase difficulty in breathing. Learn that the flu medicine that makes you and me drowsy is an excellent Anti-Allergy medication cause two tablets miracluously stop all the Allergic reaction but it makes me super drowsy.

Mar 06 -- Paintball Shoot Out

Really enjoy my first paint ball game and the group picture we took look so cooooolllll..... Got to pay alot for the game but it was fun for everyon non-theless. Was having headache during that period to rope in people to join in for the game. Some have no time while some find it too expensive. But manage to organize this small sucessful gathering for everyone. All my good friends are either busy with work or with family, looking back at the sucess...I thought I could be the event planner the next time and organize for gathering activity for the guys. Right here is the US, we play paint ball in the forest like real combat soldiers with gullies suit camoflage, ambush and even vehicle convoy sometimes. Its a bigger arena right here and much much more shagging and need more tatical planning than playing in a small backyard compound.

April 06-- Singapore is bloody hot!!

Ok, I admit...I wish I was back in Singapore with the Sun right now. I realise I am not a cold loving guy. My hands get cold very easily. I miss the sun and the heat back in Singapore now and can't wait to get back in March. So far the hottest temperature experienced is still in Singapore while the coldest was -3 degree celsius here in US.

May 06 -- Welcome to US

Its been almost 8 months in US right now. So far its been life-changing in terms of career and life. I love this country but have so far been confined to TEXAS Dallas. All work and no play make Riccardo and dumb boy and Dallas is getting boring. My plan for this 2 years in US is nothing short of visiting as much places as possible on this continent. Plan for year 2007 is a road trip with couple of guys to Petrified Forest and Yellow Stone Park. Next will be a visit to California and the San Andreas Fault line. Finally before my trip end, a short tour to New York by plane to experience the city most featured in movies. This country is just too big, so I have been selective...

June 06 -- The night is so short, so are those shorts!

Hmm....Hooters girls.... This is where our RT (Rotortunist Section) holds their farewell party for guys going back to Singapore after their tour of duty right here. I like the girls not just for their body but they are really excellent host and deserve every dollar of tips they get.

July 06 -- Ant Colony, Finale!!!yu

Probably the strangest pet I ever kept in United States. Ants, Harvester Ants to be exact. All dead and sprouting fungus right now. Will be getting couple more to re-populate the tank beginning of next year. I still got a spare Ant Aquarium at home, might be planning to donate the old one to my airbase as a nice desk aquarium and a future desktop lighting when the ants die. One of the coolest stuff I ever own in US.

September 06 -- A Call from the Vet...

Still, its a mystery and crime unsolved to me. WHO KILL MY PET! Which Mother F//*/#$$&*&ker SOB would do such a cruel thing? Although it have been months but I just couldn't help suspecting the obvious. God will be the judge. I will never never tolerate animal abuse in my life after this incident.

September 06 -- Day 3 Toronto: Niagara Falls

Still the most breath taking sight of my life. I will definately revisit Niagara Falls again before the end of my tour of duty in USA. Just so awesome. Regreted not getting the Inniskillin Ice Wine from the Winery at Niagara, will get a few bottles of it back to Singapore as collection. Sweet tasting wine from the world famous waterfall..

Oct 06 -- Post Maiden Sushi Making Report

My first time making Sushi!!! It take so much time and effort that I think the next time I gonna make it, it will be back home with my girlfriend or family. Still a pretty good effort for a first timer, don't you think so?

Nov 06 -- Something I learn today

I should print out those sketchy comics I make and paste it on our base noticeboard and see whats the reaction of the bosses. Still feel the "Empire" got a huge room for improvement in policy and processes. Can someone like me, even though junior ranking, have the right to say about the system and the oppurtunity to make positive and convinicing changes to our current processes? Its not about cutting corners but about streamlining and the Empire needs a lot of Streamlining at the moment. The "Empire" just have too much friction in everything they do and friction create heat, heat create undue stress, stress leads to frustration, frustration leads to Anger and Anger leads to occupational depression...

Dec 06

Well the best blog for Decemeber should be this one I am writing right now. Because its the last blog of the year and there can only be one blog of its kind. Hmm...I can hear the sound of Firework at the moment. Boom Boom Boom....its Year 2007!!! And it another moment to plan what I gonna do for 2007.

1) Pick up RC Helicopter as a Hobby. Always wanted to do so but bordom in Dallas finally got me out of the sit and into the cockpit. Starting out with a 4Channel RC Helicopter first so as not to discourage myself from complex control and expensive crashes. Once I get the hang of it, will be moving on to 6 Channel and finally gas powered.

2) Get my FAA Certification. Cost about US$1000 to get the certification but its a great aircraft certification that will qualify me to work in US Aviation company as a technician when I leave the Air Force in the near future. I plan to work in US in the future but I knew it is going to required lots of studying and practice of my trades.

3) To improve my life and personlity through Buddhism. The teaching guides me well during my darkest time and I have not been practicing and read the teachings lately. Only through consistent contact with the teachings will I be able to live a life of love, compassion and wisdom. I have been neglecting spritual improvement lately and one can actually feel the emptiness after a while. Its not a religion...its a science of life.


Not going to make too much plans for 2007, the focus for the year will be the undivided attention to this 3 big plans, Past-times, Career, Spritual improvement.

Happy 2007 New Year to all of you and Peace and Love be always with you.