Today I choose to take MC, do my assignment and reflection.

I hope this will not become a ritualistic habit for me, seeing the MO, taking MC just to get more rest at home. Its been a long night yesterday after my Math lesson and I wish that Missy was crashing the classes with me :). It was through some casual conversation with Royd, Justin and this one other guy that I realized that we had numerous assignment deadline falling on the same week. Needless to say, it sparked my engine to 5th gear when I got home to start working on those assignment. Ended up sleeping at 2am and waking up late. I have to "excuse" myself to see a doctor as a result making up "excuse" that I am picking up medication for my old injury. Sighed...felt slightly guilty when my shift IC told me to go ahead and take it easy. After learning that the Empire flying program are light today and we got enough manpower for any contingency, I requested from the doctor a 1 day MC to rest at home. I'll be honest, I need a rest and knowing that the section will be in good hands without me around...I went ahead to excuse myself of work today. Was prescripted with more pain killers from Doc, enough for the next two weeks. I hate to say this but those old injury are working on me again, wish I got a new ankle.

Well, this give me lots of time and space today to yet again do my school assignment, do some life reflection and strangely with time, I suddenly got to catch up with lots of people today. Spotted Miss Wan reporting sick as well and chatted with her about how the rest of our batch boys/girls are doing so far. R and YY are married and got two kids, Xiao Bai early release from the force, Elijah still been holy, how our mindset 6 years ago and now are so much different. Than I met Jie Jie online while doing my assignment...catch up abit on life and relationship issues. While backing up my school work before lunch, I spotted a letter I wrote a year ago to my Peace Prairie Detachment Engineering Officer Cpt Commando when me and a couple of honest guys got into a minor incident blown out of proportion due to over sensitivity of the management. It however brings back good memory of my working experiences overseas. I send this letter to one of the honest guy - Dave- over the internet to share with him.

Today I learn about tax avoidance through my assignment of financial planning that is so damn unrelated to my part time studies of Aerospace Engineering. Interesting to learn that in an effort to boost our population, the government had intitated very lucrative child tax relief to encourage more babies from couple. My point is... you may have the money to have more kids but do you have time for them? Tragedy of modern society is we got less time for each other. So tax relief aside, we do have to examine our time management in this era where 8-5 jobs are not a norm. Next thing will be really important to adults who are going for educational upgrades. We part time students are allowed to claim tax relief for the money spend for our courses up to a maximum of $3500 per year. This is something to take note of, its an encouragement by our government for working adult to pursuit continuous education throughout their working life. When we stop learning, we stop living.

I took a step back from the pace of work and studies for this 10 mins of blogging. I'm thinking, why will I wanna stay back in the Empire? For one, its the job security and steady income especially right now when I am doing part time studies and with more commitment in other areas of life.... money is important although its not everything in life. For a second thought I stay because of the nice people I had work with along the years and build a good rapport with. Some of them are mentors to me for a moment or a period of time like Encik "Max" who straighten my discipline out because I was too damn playful in oversea detachment but who also give a good lisening ears and instill in me the value of "Leave no man behind". Nice people like shift IC who might know that I am really "kenging" an MC to rest (for that I apologize) but close 1 eye for today. The juniors who show me how much enthusiam and energy I had lost over the years. Cpt B for sharing his comics with me and many many other people along the 6 years of service. If not for the organization, I think I'm staying because I believe we have honest and down to earth people in the Empire to work with. Even the "Bastards" we met throughout the course of life in the Empire do teaches us a few things in life too, lets not forget about this people as well.

My focus now is on knowledge gaining through my part time studies and focus on teaching and transfering whatever brain juice I got to the juniors of my section. Whether I gonna leave or stay at the end of ten years, I hope this focus will lend me strength and stamina to endure through this sometime rather chaotic enviroment of the Empire. For now I shall stop, had my lunch, catch up on some afternoon nap and clear another round of school assignments. Meeting Missy tonight for late late dinner :)