Quick Rant

The SAF administration officially sucks. I just received a call-up for Jan 2008. Now this sort of thing is not supposed to happen because it's right smack in the middle of term time. From my understanding, this sort of thing never happens because the SAF plans all of their ICT trainings and what-not such that it all coincides with the major term breaks of the local universities.

So nevermind all that, I go ahead and apply for eDeferement via the NS Portal website, and there I find out that it is severely inadequate. It assumes that anyone who is applying for deferment is doing so because of IHL/industrial attachments. This is fine, but it's SUPER STUPID when you look at the electronic form, and realise that the entire thing is actually skewed towards those with industrial attachments. I mean, come on, how am I going to fill in the section that says. "Date of return from overseas attachment" when one, my attachment may be local, and two, I night not even HAVE an attachment. And this is a MANDATORY FIELD mind you...freaking stupid. %%*(&^$(&^#$#^

Anyway, I figured something out, and sent in the application anyway, and yesterday I received an SMS stating that I needed to fax in supporting documents. I was like, WTF? What supporting documents? The SAF has called me before to check up on what I am currently doing, and I've reported my status to them dutifully. Well, I called the wonderful helpline, and the extremely unhelpful (and might I add, 'dead') woman flatly told me that I got called up in Jan because I did not apply for IHL (Institute of Higher Learning). I was like, but don't you guys already know I am in NUS i.e. an IHL?

She went on to explain (after I told her that I was not aware that there was such an avenue to apply for IHL status) that this information is not given out to NSmen, and that only upon asking will such a request will attended to. This got me really riled up. Not only is there no connectivity between the universities and SAF, there is also no inter-connectivity between the admin branch which manages NSmen, and the freaking helpline. If there are so many grey areas within an organisation, it is no wonder there are so many disgruntled people out there.

I wonder if I will get slapped with anything for lambasting the SAF, but I quite honestly am very unhappy with the administration. Now I have to go and find a letter that says I am in NUS, so that I can prove my current status as a student of the university...preposterous!

ARGH!

I hate stupidity...hate it hate it hate it...

Time Waster

Another fun way to waste time! Wheee...

(I like what I read here though...sounds good yeah? HAHAHA)

Lets101 - Free Online Dating

Pictures of November

Here's a quick photo update of the things I've been doing this month:

Seafood Paradise from Billy Bombers!

[compliments of Aiman who I spent one whole day with catching up. It was great fun! ^_^]

Teriyaki Chicken Don (far above)
Unagi Don (above)

[Dinner at Yisheng's Dad's store just outside Fong Seng. Most of us had these two dishes. Excellent excellent food, and very generous servings! Thanks Uncle! There was even home-made bak-kut-teh soup! It was very light, and boast of many herbs and extras to keep us growing boys strong and healthy! ;) ]

Kikyou Set at Waraku

[More Japanese food at Waraku where we had a nice birthday dinner for Lionel! Yums!]

[This is Mish's dog, Dashie, tied around my thigh while she went into Provenance bakery in Holland Village to get something for herself. He really is the cutest thing, and I didn't even mind the allergic reaction I got on my skin after playing with him.
The things we suffer for cuteness. Hehs.]

Chocolate Chip Scone & Custard Cream Cone

[These two wonderful creations are from Provenance too. These I had with Samuel, and it was our after dinner dessert. The scone was only SGD$1.00 and the cone was SGD$1.30! Very affordable yeah? I'm beginning to fall in love with that bakery...so many nice breads there...sigh]

Alex and his new goggles.

[This is what happens when you dare me to put up your pictures. For the world of me, I have no idea what's so exciting about buying a pair of goggles that you'd send me an MMS of yourself in them. It was quite the shocker though...so here's the embarrassing post I said I'd put up. Heehee...enjoy folks!]

Me & Me

[This is what happens when you're jealous of your Mom's new Sony Ericsson K770i...you begin to play (i.e. camwhore) with the 3.2 megapixel camera which your VGA Motorola L6 OBVIOUSLY does not have...this sucks, I want a new phone too! Argh!]

Well, that's about it for the month of November for me. I am quite sure there won't be much else happening the rest of this month as it's exam month. I'm going to head down to school to mug now. Wish me luck! ^_^

Good luck to all those having exams this month! JIAYOU!

PS: As Dan would point out, I think I have too many exclamation points in this post... (as always)

Stardust

Just finished reading the book...it was really nice. Here are some excerpts which I really liked (damn! the romantic in me strikes again):

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"But I almost took you through with me!" said Tristan, aghast. "I tried to, last night."

"Yes," she said. "Which only goes to prove that you are indeed a ninny, a lackwit, and a...a clodpoll."

"Dunderhead," offered Tristan. "You always used to like calling me a dunderhead. And an oaf."

"Well," she said, "you are all those things, and more besides. Why did you keep me waiting like that? I thought something terrible had happened to you."

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I won't leave you again."

"No," she said, seriously and with certainty, "you will not."

His hand found hers, then. They walked, hand in hand, through the market.

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I love the familiar banter between Tristan and Yvaine...sigh... =)

Now to watch the movie...sighz...