Highlights of my 20s:
Hit my 20 in May 2007. It was one of the most memorable experience. I remembered I just came back from Cambodia 2 months ago. Had fun and made a lot of great friends during my 16 days there. It is probably the longest time I'm away from Singapore too. I have some of them on my FB but unfortunately other than Gary, I do not keep in touch with any of them anymore.
Miss Penny went to study her PHD and is a mum now, Mr Soh has come out of the closet, Rena became a stewardess, Eric, Yi xian, Chu xiang are married. Eric had children. Hayden became an insurance agent, married with kids too. Guan Da and Pat got married to each other. Yvonne, Nurul and Meiqin are probably still in the nursing line but for the rest I totally had no idea where and what are they doing now.
I still remembered we still meet up often after that for BBQ and some charity works few months after.
During my 2nd last term in school, I was juggling between schooling and helping out in church camps during June/July period.
This photo was taken probably 1 day before I was hospitalised. I still remembered clearly that morning, I ate a lot of fruits during breakfast and little did I know that the fruits was not handled clean. I felt feverish after that but carried on with the activities and ate the seafood lunch which was one of the highlights of the camp. Within an hour I vomited everything I ate. We went shopping after that and I was scheduled for early return as I had school the next day. During that time I bought panadol and just sat at a corner resting and almost missed my ferry. I was scolded by the camp commander and I told him I might have got food poisoning. He was not very interested in what I was saying and was just so annoyed by my bo chap behaviour. (He is a super gan cheong person and did not fit into the church working environment and left full time ministry soon after that).
When I reached home I was just vomiting and having diarrhoea and headaches. I went to my house clinic and they gave me some medicine and I continued to school the next day. The next day, I felt worse and went back to the clinic and the doctor recommended me to the A&E. As I fell ill when I was overseas, I was quarantined for 2-3 hours until my blood test results are out.There was a policeman that stood right outside my room as well. That was the worse experience ever. Then the nurse just gave some painkillers and I was IV drip. My diarrhoea was all just liquid greenish and yellowish. After about 12-16 hours ordeal, I recovered and checked out. Hospital bills was about $160 and it was the first time in my life I was hospitalised. The following Sunday, Dennis told me that the next day after I left, many fell ill as well. The camp commander apologised to members who fell ill and even came to me and offered me a cake. I was totally not appreciative at all because of the attitude he showed me while I was so sick. He even said the resort offer a free 1 night stay for the church. Oh come on who wants to visit that place again.
21
2008 was the year that many things happened. Truly a transitional period for me. I returned to school after my 3 months of internship and finished my last term which was FYP. I think my FYP was a flawless project and very thankful for Derek for rendering his help like doing up a simple PHP script and poster design while I helped him in building content for his website. Look up 2007 post for how I hated my FYP supervisor for giving me a B+ and not knowing what I was doing.
After finishing school I was contemplating to go back to my internship company or work at somewhere new. So after much consideration I choose to work in Yamaha Plaza Sing. Mainly due to few reasons, I was once a student there, I loved music and Huihui used to work there for like almost a year when I was a student. From what she said, it seemed like a fun environment to work at. It was the most fun part time job ever. Knowing the cool staff, and most of my colleagues were into JPOP and Metal music that time so they had this long hair like a typical rocker. I even remembered when I was OTing because I was bit slow learning and executing certain steps and my colleagues helped or either waited for me just to chill out after that. I didn't go church during my time there too because Dennis was overseas for like 6 months and I had no friends in church thus there was no motivation to attend. I remembered celebrating my birthday chilling at a cafe watching chelsea game with Ian.
I left Yamaha like only after 3 months plus due to enlistment in June. During my enlistment day, my dad, grandma, cousin and his girlfriend organised a family breakfast with me and accompany me to Tekong. It was probably the last time I ever had any family meals after that. Army was tough for me and I was trying to lay low but deep in my heart I wanted to go OCS. I attempted to signed on pilot but was not selected and I did not get into OCS either. POP was in Sep and I went to SISPEC instead. Another 2 months of hell. In SISPEC I think worked harder than BMT but the more I initiated things, the more mistakes I make. My result in SISPEC was bad and I was posted to signal institute. A rare photo of myself during POP as I did not take any photos with my section mates and wanted to just go back home and rest. Sadly I'm not in touch in any of my BMT friends although I have their FB. Been through many life toughest challenges with these bunch of good friends.
22 (Life in Army)
I was posted to signal sch in late Dec. It was a culture shock for me because in SISPEC everywhere we go we are always running and we are always behind schedule. Weekend was just spent sleeping. But signal school was more laid back. The instructors were more cultivated as well, meaning they don't shout or punished you for no reason. We trained together with the officer cadets and commandos too so we got observed a lot about each other. We graduated in Mar and got our 3rd Sergeant rank. Unfortunately I, along with 3/4 our my platoon mates was posted to 3rd sig Bn. Hell unit they called it.
My 1 month plus there was crazy. We were treated just like recruits and weren't allowed to sleep on the bed during the daytime. Can't use vending machine and washing machine. Everywhere we go, we got to march and sing. You never know where this treatment will end till the day you get turned out that night at around 2am. You will get Tekan the whole night till 8am in the morning. CO will paste formation badge on you and tell you well done and you know it is over.
I was really thinking about reporting depression that time. My right bedside buddy reported depression 1 week into the unit and left the platoon to be a clerk and my left bedside buddy was drafted into Ops Spec meaning he will do office/admin work and it is a stay out vocation. This cause many to want to sleep beside me. And I was so afraid to be called out to be platoon IC.
Thankfully by God's grace, during my 2nd or 3rd week there, our PC asked if anyone is multimedia trained. I raised my hand and along with 2 other platoon mates we were asked to do a simple video for the division. That moment changed my life. Although I did not know anything about video I was learning everyday. After that video was done, we finished our UIP and for the next 5 months I became the pioneer videographer to shoot for NDPeeps platform. Imagined booking in on mon, tue to fri is just conceptualising and editing videos and attending media events. Sat rehearsing for NDP. Life was great. I think I spent my birthday in camp and on one really know about it that day. Hated those SaBo session when they celebrated people's birthday.
After NDP, I spent my sep short break on a road trip to KL with my bunk mates. It was my first experience and so far the only experience. After that it was hell for another 2 month plus as we were getting ready for division exercise in Taiwan next year. I think I got my NYAA Gold award presented by the President during this time too.
I spent my Dec on a church camp with a bunch of youths. It was combined camp with other Diocese church. It was a good experience for me to observe other church. Never expected myself to be a youth leader that time and we were champions for the tally games.
My last week in 2009 was spent in HK. I went 1 day in advance and spent a day alone there while Dennis and his other friends will fly to HK from Beijing and reached on 2nd day afternoon. It was so scary that till today I don't know how I managed to do it. Imagine checking in to airport, boarding a flight and then finding your way to the motel and planing your trip for a day all alone. After checking in to motel, I went for a dinner and walk around Nathan street for awhile and went back to rest. The next day I went to MacDonald for free wifi and plan my way to Po Lin Monastry to catch the huge Buddha statue and see the filming location for infernal affairs. I got to do a little hike as well near the hilltop and gave up halfway due to lack of oxygen. By afternoon I quickly headed back and to joined Dennis and the rest. I must say the trip became more fun with those friends. The highlights were visiting wax museum, star avenue and ocean theme park.
These were my favourite photos taken during the trip. It was taken with my phone and although it looked kind of flat, I really like the visual composition. I even submitted them for my NTU ADM portfolio.
23 (Life After Army)
Jan to April was spent going outfield, checking vehicles and equipment and packing them for shipping overseas. Daily conversation in bunk was just about what to do after our NS. Some went on to study and some decided to work. Don't remember celebrating my birthday. And 1 day after my birthday I went to Taiwan. 21 days in Taiwan, that broke my record for Cambodia trip being away from home.
We spend first 3 days checking on equipments. Then another 2 days just waiting before we were activated for outfield for the next 12 days. The first 5 days was mentally challenging. We were camp at a huge field waiting for activation and I was the last vehicle to moved out. Then we were at an abandoned industrial area for another 2 nights. It was hard to sleep in the vehicle too. Next we went into a country side farming area for another 2 days. Finally our mission came, we were to be advance party to setup monitoring system for the whole division while returning back from exercise. The division could only moved out or return after we setup the communication. So we were the first to know that exercise actually ended. In the next 48hours we went like 300KM ahead to the final destination camp site. There was 1 major and a few MPs escorting our convoy. There was heavy rain, we went through cemetery, stopover at a temple and went through difficult upslope and long straight roads. Within our convoy there was even an accident that happened. Really memorable experience, dangerous as well. Felt like we completed a very important mission.
After 18 days in Taiwan army camp it was R&R. First day we went to some theme park and night market. 2nd and 3rd day I went with just Yong Li and Daryl to walk about and catch nice scenery. The rest went for hair cut and clubbing which I'm not very keen. But overall think i enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd day:)
After returning from Taiwan, I ORD. The next 2 months was just finding a job. I was very keen on being a filmmaker and don't mind starting from the lowest which is to be production assistant. After sending so many resume I got a job in a small production house.
I spent a few weeks preparing for this global scholar and leaders conference which turned out be some self proclaim events by some delusion individuals. The conference went on anyway for a week as I volunteered for it. Well to me it was another opportunity for me to make friends. After that I started my job as production assistant.
For the next 5 weeks, every day was hell and were so long. The producers were being difficult to me. Asked me to do house cleaning. Every other day buying food for the crew. Doing transcribing. Running errand and doing location recce with vague information given. I think once I worked 12 days straight and totally lost track of time. The director decided to let me go as he did not know what I can do when production start and deep inside me I was rejoicing. Hallelujah!
So I signed up a filmmaking course at Objectifs and make my first short film. Directing my first short film. I think the experience was better than being a production assistant. I bumped into a friend outside a tuition center while I was having dinner one day. He is the owner of the center and I randomly asked him if he is looking for people to hire and I started working there like a week later while learning at objectifs. It was during this time that I also started trying out acting and started to go for audition. We managed to screened our work in Dec and I was so excited to let people watch my film. Yay! Although only 1 friend came to watch my film.
24
After working part time in the tuition center for like 4 months and doing acting, my savings was depleting. During this time my grandma passed away too. I decided to go back to my internship company as a full time staff. The decision was because I could save some money, pick up some part time filmmaking course and do shooting or act during my free time.
I went back in March. Officially celebrated my birthday for the 1st time and in the company during a meeting. Everyday was quite mundane in the company except during our company retreat. I thought we were going overseas but in all my time there we never had any budget. It only happened when I was an intern then.
Early Nov I went to a church conference with WM and Jo and their church mates. During that time I was thinking about leaving CHS. Spiritually I was not growing, i didn't had much friends there and went to church because I was serving not because of God. The conference crowd was huge we had maybe 500 people there. After the conference, we went to stayed in Kuta for 1 night and went to Ubud to stay for 2 nights. The villa at Ubud was serene and really nice. I hope I can return again one day. The Kuta night stay we went for post conference party. Cause me and WM to have slight diarrhoea. So we did not do any xiong activities during ubud stay. It was just chilling at cafe, went to monkey temple and trying out some of their local delights. I always prefer small group interaction like 3-4 people as compared to big groups. It was also during this time that Jo talked about leaving the job and leaving SG. I was thinking about making plans to leave too as I don't see a future in that company.
Had a quiet Dec. I believed it was also during this period that Dennis and I consulted the CHS pastor at that time about reform in the church. I consulted Pastor Titus too but I came to realised how fake and bias he is and stop contacting him altogether. 3 months nothing was done and I left CHS.
25
Early the year I went back to saints alumni band and started practising my saxophone again to play for a funeral and huihui's wedding. I decided to spent the next 3 months taking part in a short film competition. My rationale was to give my 120%, win something and given internship with Jteam and got a valid excuse to quit the company. Sadly I did not win anything. Jo left the company in May and Andy left in Sep.
I auditioned for ABTM and became an extra. Shot with them for like 7-8 days with them. Then went for light and grip workshop with NCC. I started attending NCC but not on regular basis though. I joined the 48FHP, Fly By night and durex competition.
It was a hectic year as I need to covered up for Andy when he left and to continue pursue my passion in film.
26
This year I did not make any films. I decided to wait for the right timing when new staff came to solved our manpower issue but it never happened. One of the manager even quit after like less than 1.5 years into the job. So i decided to hold a little longer first. I prayed about it and there was no deliverance. Mar came, then I told myself perhaps May? May came and gone, nothing. Then I told myself Aug. Aug came and was about to end. I tender in end Aug and immediately 2 new staff came. I extended till Dec. I also went for my first NCC mission trip in Sep and did a couple of outreach shoot for church.
The photo sums up my year in 2013. A year of open doors, a year of close doors.
27
Decided to signed up for a acting course and driving lesson. Did had a short spell with a wedding videographer to shoot 3 weddings and 1 corporate videos. I was helping Kevin for 3 corporate videos shoot. I thought he could used me on a regular basis like at least once a month but it never happened. We discussed about making short film too but all were just fruitless discussion. I started to formed friendship with my CG mates too. It was a year that I was just grateful for everything in my life.
It was also partly cause my cousin got into trouble with the law and was convicted. The house has lesser negative energy and I could roam around and do many things alone at home. Seriously I can never understand his crazy ethnic. Tattooed his whole body, having a daughter and refused to marry his GF and doesn't want to work but want to have a car.
This is the year that many of my friendship outside of church are put to the test as well. And many I have lost touch.
28
First half of the year I was just concentrating on few things. Acting, fitness and getting my driving license. Finally in June I got my license.
Decided to pick up a photography course in Aug. During that time my dog passed away too. I was so devasted and really blamed my grandma silently for the loss. But in a way I'm happy too because if it was still around it would suffer even more as my grandma is just not capable to take care of it.
Went for my first church camp in 6 years and really enjoyed it. But it really felt different in a way that previous camp I'm either organiser or leader in the group. Being in NCC made me even more passive and I just want sit around and just be a member or spectator.
Friends in the CG starts to leave and the worse part, is the announcement of the split of CG. Most if not all the people that I'm close with or could relate to are assigned to the new CG. I remained in the same group.
I also managed to get an acting job that paid me $1k for 8-9 days of filming. Probably the highest since I started acting. Decided to end it with a photo below. The photo is taken during my photography course. Really touch me to see the relationship between man and God. I see so much humanity and sincerity in this picture.
29
This year I faced the strongest spiritual warfare ever in my christian life. I went for 3 job interviews and was rejected. I find it so difficult to connect with my current CG mates. I had so little acting jobs and zero corporate video shoot. With all this happening I decided to stop attending church and CG meetings. So far it has been a month since I stopped attending church.
Perhaps it is time to explore other CG and the best time to leave. I'm a bit tired of exploring too actually. The process of being in a new environment, getting to know new people and building relationship all over again is just tiring.
This 2-3 years, people have come and go into my life in an extreme pace, and my surroundings changes all the time. Be it in work or church. However, I believe that much of what's inside me hasn't change. I am thankful to the people for their support and concern towards me. It had made me realised the value of friendship and to let go of those that are meaningless. I hope not to develop this habit of laziness in me because when I'm not working i'm either slacking at home, watching films or reading. Sometimes I don't see progress. When this happens, specially when there is no work for 1-2 months, everyday or week becomes long and meaningless. Almost unimaginable at times and I do not how to explain to the people around me about what I do everyday at times.
Despite temporary moments of happiness that I find, there is always this emptiness that seems impossible to fill. I wondered at times why God made human relationship so complicated.
In any case, bearing in mind of how blessed I am, I will move on. And carry on living.
Few days ago I was acting as a father. The children were adorable and the experience made me reflect on many priorities in life.
I have tried, and I will try even harder in everything I do. I may not have the biggest things in life but I will always take comfort in the little ones that I have. Everything shall come to pass. And it will just get better.
I have spent a big bulk of time watching many quality films and relearning acting all over again. And I shall announced that I'm in the scripting stage for my first feature length film. I hope to produce and act in it. I am 1/3 through the script for my 1st draft. In the next 10-11 months I planned to finished the story and perhaps carry on going for interviews. Thereafter I will save up, take a break for a year or so before I go into development hell.
My early 20s has been really exciting but not much into my late 20s. This sums up my past 10 years. There are posts that I wrote more in details, like driving experience, acting and filming career and my past full time job. By the Grace of God I am where I am now. I hope in the next 10 years, more exciting things is to come. More friendship develop and more films to be made!:) Peace
