Warning: This is going to be a super long post.

Finally back to update my dusty blog. *wipes dust off. i have jus completed International Cadet Exchange (Singapore) recently, which was like yesterday. send off the final cadet and officer, Tyler and Phillip from Australia in the evening and Alister in the early morning.

shall start with my reflections on Vietnam Trip first then move on the IACE (Singapore)

Vietnam History Trip (Hanoi) 31st May 06 to 4th June 06

i would say that the trip overall was pretty fun and enjoyable. re-establish my links with my sec and primary school makkals (brothers) and got to see the many different sides of people and i must say my impressions of them have really changed alot. this trip really open my eyes to many things which i onli suspected but not confirmed. if you want to know what i think. jus refer to elly's blog coz i am asking the same type of questions as she is.

Day 1

met dom & sk for lunch at the airport around noon. saw navin there who invited us to join us for lunch. haha, can you believe that i pack my bag onli in the morning as the previous day i was in camp helpin out for IACE. so it was last minute rush for me as i decide what to bring and what to wear.

later, we went to T2 to makan our lunch at the staff canteen and slowly rot our time away there until it was nearly time when mark and inez *aherm* called dom to ask where he is. so sk and i decide to be invisible and hide away. dom went to meet them and later we meet up to go to budget terminal to meet up with the rest of the gang.

what is a trip with out a bottle of vodka? bought a bottle at the DFS before we departed for consumption during the trip. before long, we are goin on board the plane to embark on the great journey towards the unknown- Hanoi. on board the plane, i was pleasantly surprise as it was not as bad as how i picture it out to be, my initial impression was formed by my friends who describe it as if it was really dangerous and run down. but it was nice and comfortable, though the seats were jus a little bit cramp.

and we reach hanoi after a 3 hours flight and when we touch down, we were greeted by Quinn (not the exact spelling but that was how he told us to prounce his name) and taken to a Vietnamese vegetarian restraunt for dinner. though some of the food was rather bland, i must say that it is still very nice. after that we check in to our hotel- Volga Hotel, a 2star hotel but i would say it seems more like a 3 or 4 star hotel. the room condition was good man. i have no complains abt it as i have slpt in worst before. but i like the bed as it is very hard and comfortable.

after unpacking our things, i decide to call it a day and rest i was quite tired due to the fact that i did not sleep for the past 2 days as i was having fun in camp.

Day 2

we visited Ho Chinh Minh's Mausoleum, House & Museum, Hoa Lo Prison and ended off with the Water Puppet Show. i like the water puppet show as it was pretty nice though it was boring for some of it. then in the night, i cause some confusion as Bartley Gang thought i was with the Indian Gang and the Indian Gang thought that i was with the Bartley Gang. haha. while during this time i was in my room sleeping peacefully. the Bartley Gang had a party without me, which i do not really mind as i would rather stay in my room and rest then waste my time with certain irritatin people there. well, i can be anti-social if i want to. do not need company to survive. not the type that without some attention i would feel sad or wat wan.

Day 3

we went to the Vietnam National University and the Temple of Literature. at the university we interacted with the students there and quite enjoyed ourselves though it was burning hot. the students were warm and quite hospitable and we felt jus at home there.

in the afternoon, we went to the french quarter and we visited St. Joseph Catedral. it was truly a classic church, after that dom and i separated from the group and went to explore the church and went on our way for our own shopping, meetin up with the rest later. after that we went to the Opera House and i was impressed by the imensity and grandeur of it all. manage to secure myself a box seat. lol. not to watch a play but jus to sit down there and see the interior of the hall. that very night, we had a opening ceremony for the Vodka and drank to our heart's content and had a very interesting discussion with someone who is just to stubborn to understand the simple points that i was tryin to put across.

Day 4

we left the city area to move to to the countryside. and we visited the Phat Diem Cathedral. it was a chinese-looking church. the journey there took abt 3hours and we visited the area and i saw many paddy fields. the church itself was more impressive by than St. Joseph's. but the trip there was spoilt by some people who just cant keep their mouth shut but rather choose to question the core of our Catholic faith. showing no respect at all to our religion. questionin Cathlolism itself in God's Own Backyard.

after that we went for some shopping at the night market and bought stuffs and we called it a day. of course, what is a day without some vodka? dom, elly and i together with mr lim spend sth in the room talking some kok before we went off to sleep.

Day 5

Check out in the morning, and after that it was off to Pottery Village and i am amazed by how something so difficult can appear as something so easy to the craftsman. went for a cyclo ride after lunch and i really enjoyed the ride. it was jus like riding a trisaw. and we went around the Old Quarter. after that we head off to the Airport to prepare to come home.

and finally it was Home Sweet Home!!!


International Air Cadet Exchange (Singapore) 28th May 06 to 12th June 06

in total i help out for half of the exchange due to overseas trip. and i totally enjoyed myself there as we bonded with the cadets. of course we visited the standard places of interest in Singpore eg. Zoo, Sentosa, Night Safari, Wild Wild Wet etc. me did not go to all the places but to some like the zoo and sentosa. though it was free for all the CLTs, i would say the Air CLTs really did try to make their stay as fun as possible but interacting with them and making them feel at home. but i simply do not understand the unnecessary presence some Land people. after all this is purely an AIR stuff. they come for it also extra. like when they visit the Airbases, they really stand out.
not that i wanna say, but i think that some people are really born with thick skin and skulls even though they may be smart and come from branded schools. IQ high but EQ low. maybe the dumb blonde theory is correct except that this time round is not a dumb blonde but a dumb chinese. but ya. we can all feel the animosity that is in existence whenever that they are around and they cant feel it? are they really that thick skin or bu yao lian (dun wan face) ? i do not believe it. they should jus knw when to quit even though their intentions may be good? is it? shall be nice and give them benefit of doubt. :)) would say that we treat them nicely coz there were foreign cadets about. but if not....god knows what wld have happened to them.

see i am nice and not like the meanie that feline say i am. kekeke.

like they say, birds of a feather flock together. no wonder She is such good friends with them. all of them are exactly the same. thankx god, she wasnt helpin out too otherwise she would have join the list of hated outcasts which i think she should.

am really sad they have to go as after all, all good things must come to an end. i do hope to see them again sth in the future though i doubt that there wld ever be such a chance again.

i guess that is all for now. shall comment more tomorrow.