11/21/11

My love for this blog

Needless to say, i enjoyed writing in this blog. Time and space may have constrained my entries to less than one in a few months, but certainly the enjoyment lives on everytime i visit this blog , because:

1. This blog was created by my first batch of primary school tuition students. This year,they have just finished their Os. Wow... how time flies.

2. This blog was established during the times when i climbed / skated hard. The very existence of this blog was like a wonderful milestone for a boring man like me.

3. This blog saw me through the dark hours of preparing FYP as well as the final moments as a student before i embarked onto working life. Metamorphorsis told through this blog really...

4. Tight for time, i only continued blogging significant moments here. Well, this keeps me going on and the blog is used for stock taking from time to time.

11/5/11

being over zealous over things

Maybe i already knew this all along, but something recently happened to me that made me realised the truth in this.

Have you ever encountered someone who wants to do something big and has lots of fire and drive for what he/she holds true? Those are people whom one would usually look up to.

But when you try to live out that similar aspiration in your own way, that same fella comes along and show you how it should really be done. That doesnt really give one the space to try things out and learn from it

Over zealous, i mean extreme zealous can downplay your teammates. That i will always remember.

10/14/11

Mixed blessings

Recently, i got locked out from my own sim card. It was actually a consequence of my own 'evil' doing. Had a rough day that time at work and the last thing you would ever need is a phone that cant be reached from the outside world.

I was supposed to skate and then attend a bbq with a group of friends that evening(It was something pre arranged weeks ago). I guessed that the skating portion of the evening was called off due to bad weather, but i just thought i had to reach them to explain that i needed time to settle my sim card first before going to meet them for the bbq.

Heavy headed and drained, I drove in the persistent drizzle towards Parkway Parade shopping ( the nearest Hello! shop ) to get my sim card treated right after work. Believe me, the feeling of not being contactable was scary and dumb.

It didnt take much effort to navigate to the singtel shop in a seemingly empty PP shopping centre( in fact its a wonderful time to take a walk there. Not much human traffic then ).Right after the ordeal in hello! shop, i tried to make some contact by looking around for a public phone. Till today, i still cant forget the overwhelming sensation of assurance when i saw the PUBLIC PHONEBOOTH sign.

But what i saw beneath the sign wasnt that welcoming - it was a card phone booth.

I looked at the coin in my hand and this thought of having a phone card suddenly felt alientating. Where on earth do they sell phone cards these days?! Do they even sell it in the first place? Feeling lost and frustrated( plus fatigue from work ), i tried to convince myself that maybe i should have just gone home and sleep my woes away instead of dragging myself to meet my friends with a new sim card that wont work until half a day later.

It was at that very moment that i pondered over how i could survived on coins and card phones back in my early teen years. Appointments could still pull through ; somehow people back then could honour timings and locations to meet.

IF only my phone worked....I could have easily text-ed my friend and conveniently made my way home instead of wondering how or what to do in ECP before the bbq. No strings attached. Everything could be solved with an sms.

In the end, i still made my way to ECP. True enough, my skater friend was still in ecp waiting for me to turn up. The restlessness in his eyes( from waiting for me for 30min ) suddenly morphed into a smile of relief .

I felt better too. Something in me felt glad that i didnt "fly my friends the kite".

6/15/11

A new phase in life, at work

Training as an OJT had finally came to a sweet end as i cleared my validation at first go. The days after 3rd of June 2011 felt lighter ; I guessed this was only natural after going through what i deem as the string of hurdles in life.

It started with my wife's pregnancy and my boy's birth late July last year. Then came nights of inadequate rest. I lost track of time back then; I had to fly off to thailand in August for my in camp training evaluation just a month after my boy was born. Following that, I started my radar training ( for my 2nd atc license ). Life in SAA was tough. It took me many weeks of doing things blindly that i suddenly saw light in what i was trained to do. The final challenge of this was the beginning of OJT in SATCC where the colleagues you used to work with will see you in a much different light.

The only consolation throughout the much dreaded training phase in the centre was that my off days are OFF ( i.e no need to be rostered for standby ) and i KNOW everyone in the centre ( as compared to the alienated sensation i had when i was training in an unfamiliar environment for my first rating ). With patience and lots of dedications from my mentor Lionel and Stanley, things were much more manageable during the ALMOST half a year of training. Words alone cant express my sincere gratitude towards the 2 of them ( and all the others in my watch ).

Looking back, i gave myself the ultimate credit for having pulled through 11 months worth of obstacles( from July 2010 to Jun 2011 ). I think i need to slow down abit for now, having regained some form of stability in life.


When i penned down the title of the blog, i had initially left out the COMMA sign between LIFE and AT. I believed that life IS life and work IS work. There had to be a very clear distinction no matter how much both terms could affect each other. Hopefully i can still achieve a work life balance by doing my work well and at the same time achieve good times spent with my family.

4/14/11

Moving on....

Life so far has been mundane. The work aspect of it.

I guessed putting life to work sounds oxymoronic to many. Its either work or life ; Work= no life.

I am trying very hard to get through this period of monotony, while doing my best to inject life to work so that i dont feel that dreaded everytime i head to office. Hopefully, life will seep back into me when i get my 2nd rating.

And that is why during my rest days, i do my bid to keep a healthy mind by doing all those stuff i loved doing. It has never changed : Gaming ( street fighter ), climbing, skating and running.

Living my life day by day, these are the consolations to keep myself moving on.

2/10/11

Happy CNY everyone!

Finally, the first post of 2011!

The month of dec 2010 had been an eventful one. At least i saw myself skating more than 5 times in a month. Pure slalom sessions to be exact.

Words cant really describe my feelings for graduating from the recent SAA course. I could only say that somewhat, the light hit me at the very last moment. Even the instructors were amazed at my improvement over the last...3 weeks of my course? With this, i hope not to disappoint anyone in the centre, especially when all of them are so dedicated to coaching and imparting knowledge, patiently and professionally.

At home, things seem to be changing; My boy is no longer the sedated and quiet infant that most came to know many months back. He has developed very good reflexes and portrays a very keen interest in his surroundings. He wants a hand in everything he hears and sees. What a challenge for his parents!

I am gonna set myself some resolutions for 2011 ( yes, i know i have been posting this "procastinating statement" on fb for the past 2 years on my wall ).

1. I hope to be more patient and be a forgiving father to my boy. No hitting and shouting at him unless realliy necessary( hmm... what's NECESSARY ???)

2. To be a good husband to my wife, be there for her when she needs me most.

3. To clear my radar rating. Be daring to commit and have an open mind while doing every session.

4. Personal health and fitness. Watch what i eat and reciprocrate with the necessary exercises. Will i get to climb more than 5 times this year? ( I last climbed in september with Abel; seems like he is my only hope ).

Alright, lets keep the resolution simple, just in case i lose sight of my targets easily.

HAPPY CNY to everyone who sees this!

Siang Ping