Alright! I got myself a new pencilcase from MYUK, a new wallet and spiffy new pens and writing pads.
However after buying all of the above and lugging them around on foot for 5 hours, I realised they are quite heavy. This means that my luggage allowance of 20 - 40 (depending on the airline ticket) kg will be a hassle, considering that winter clothing are quite heavy themselves.
On a bright side, I am cheered up after looking through all the MYUK designs. They are always good for a quick laugh. I got this one as it reminds me of myself.
Hahaha ~ Dragging people down since the start of time! -ARP
Copyright belongs to the publisher, Crown or the cover artist.
Starring
Brad Pitt, based of a book with the same name, World War Z is an action, horror
movie about an apocalyptic outbreak of Zombies (supposedly originating from some form of rabies) and ex-UN top-dog
investigator Gerry Lane (Pitt) races to find a cure for the outbreak.
I
have not read the book.But from what
I heard, (and Wikipedia Yay!) the
book explores geo-political issues as well as questioning how effective a
modern army will be against a Zombie outbreak.
While
critics go about saying the movie diverts itself from the source material. I
feel that the movie (surprisingly?)
does cover the general idea although a viewer might have easily missed them
amongst the tension generated with the horror elements. This is especially so
with the zombies’ tendencies to do Dynamic Entry-Style body slams into the
scene. Well, I have not read the book so I cannot be sure about the source
material.
DYNAMIC ENTRY!
Scenes
I find interesting are.
-Spoilers
below-
This promotional poster image does not belong to me. Copyright belongs to PlanB Entertainment and other relevant parties
In
the supermarket, the policeman rushes to grab his share of the supplies instead
of investigating a murder(self-defense)
or the gunshot. What this can be said to show is the societal breakdown as law
enforcement members will be more concerned with surviving then upholding the
law, as people’s lives seem to be worth less and less. The pharmacist dude (not sure of that one) was a little odd
though, seemed like a cool character but was not explored afterwards.
The
US Carrier Group that acts as a safe harbor from the outbreak operates in a
really practical manner, to the point of kicking out ALL non-essential persons
cold-heartedly. Okay, they are not exactly abandoning them but you were not
supposed to know that till the end. For example, they threw Lane’s family into
a containment camp (or was it
concentration camp), later mentioned as a safe zone, the moment they
thought Lane died in the plane crash. This practicality may be necessary but an
attitude that is very different from all (excepting
dictatorships) government system now.
A
consistent image is that of military troops getting overrun by the Zombie
horde. While minute outbreaks were taken out or held back by troops, in the
Jerusalem and various parts of USA scenes, the sheer mass and numbers of the
Zombies totally overwhelmed the military. As my brother puts quite bluntly, it
is hard for us to fathom what it will be like fighting such an enemy. Imagine a
million enemy combatants. Now if you have a battalion of troops (approx. 600) with each soldier carrying
2 combat loads (1 combat load = approx.
3-4 magazines of 30 rounds each) assuming every shot is a guaranteed kill,
which is not the case in the movie, the battalion will only be able to kill (600 x 2(4x30)) 144,000 zombies. You will
still be facing 800,000 more zombies and chump change.
Okay,
there were some portrayals in the movie that I find particularly irritating. I
mean; Lane is presented as some super survivalist where everyone just seemed to
be slowing him down. From his daughter screaming for her blanket at a real dangerous
moment, to the scientist falling and killing himself with his pistol or the (other) scientist who seems to find
something particularly noisy to step on and lure zombies. In the WHO part of
the movie where they had to grab the viruses, Lane practically went ahead and
did it all by himself while the doctor and the IDF soldier went running back to
safety. Yeah, it made for some nice action scenes and they were justifiable but
it still irks me as a moviegoer.
All
in all, I found the movie interesting (feels
like a L4D match) and I loved the ending scenes, especially the sight of
Russians roaring their defiance in the Zombies face and wading in with
pickaxes, but I do not judge it as worthy of re-watching. A decent 4/5 if you
like this kind of semi action semi horror films.
Visited
Drs. Horne and Chin for my medical checkup that is required for the VISA
application yesterday (Thursday). The
service is real face and good!
I
had my check-up done by Dr Lu (What it
says on his door) and it was quite an interesting check-up. The good doctor
seemed to be real interested in my future plans, what I think working should be
like and general issues. This is not to say he was unprofessional or slacking
in his work. He did a real thorough job!
So anyway… one thing he mentioned that I find real
interesting is the idea of a Calling. Now how would you go about defining what
a calling is. You could see it from the person’s own point of view, where a
calling is any job he strongly desires to get. While what exactly is a calling
is hard to pinpoint.
1. An inner urge or a strong impulse, especially one believed to be
divinely inspired to accept the Gospels as truth and Jesus as one's personal
savior.
Between
the doctor and I, we got out some examples of our own.
Between
the doctor and I, we got out some examples of our own.
Doctor
– Teaching – Military are but a few we talked about.
Of
those, teaching was one that was closer to my heart. While my passion is in
English writing and thought analysis, followed by design, I feel that Teaching
holds a special place in my heart.
I
feel that it is just a core part of me, the desire to teach. While I have
rejected any ideas about teaching, when I look at how I interact with others, I
realize that I keep trying to give advice, the make people think and question,
to teach.
Is
that what they mean by having a calling?
Well~
I
shall see what the future holds then!
-ARP
sensei on a side note, my checkup was delayed as they found traces of blood in my urine sample, seems that I have to drink more water...
The Pull-up is one of the more demanding exercise
and station for the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) in the
Singapore Armed Forces. Also known as Chin-ups or “Oh My Gawd Just 1 More”,
they involve griping a horizontal bar and lifting yourself up so that your chin
is above the bar. Sounds easy? When you try it you will find it otherwise.
What I say in this posts are based off my
experience when training to do Pull-ups. Some of the facts are probably wrong
so do take the information with a pinch of salt. Pull-ups are sort of an
obsession of mine back when I had to take the yearly IPPT. (ahh the good ol’
days) There are different ways of tackling a pull-up and different types of
pull-ups.
A proper pull-up involves muscles from all over
your body, from the triceps to your core muscles. They all play a part in
allowing you to pull yourself up in a smooth motion while maintaining a
straight posture. (By bending your knees, it becomes easier to pull but does
not really count as a “proper” pull-up)
Here is the interesting thing. By adopting
different postures when doing a pull-up, you will utilize different muscles.
For example, a wide arm grip will use more of the back muscles compared to a
narrow one, which uses the biceps more. A proper pull-up is supposed to fully
utilize the large back muscle yet not forgetting the other muscle groups such
that they work in unison to achieve an easy pull.
I feel that training for Pull-ups matches my
character perfectly. Doing ten pull-ups only takes a minute or so and I just
have to do it 3 times a day, once before my meals to maintain. Short, sweet and
simple.
I remember watching one of Bear Grylls’ series
about the French Foreign Legion. There, they require the recruits to do at
least ten pull-ups before they go for their meals. The instructor said
something that stuck in my mind.
“A man who cannot pull his own body weight is a
waste”
Here, a simple pull-up can mean so much more. After
all, the act of pulling oneself up is literally pulling your whole body up.
While that can be seen literally, it can also be viewed figuratively. Doing a
pull-up involves your own strength. By doing a successful one, it means that
you have just lifted your whole body up by
yourself. One small step to prove your own self-worth.
It is winter over in Australia right now. The 4
seasons are akin to mystical beasts like the Unicorn here in Singapore. After
all our weather patterns go something like “Sunny”, “Sunny with traces of
clouds” and “Sunny with rainclouds”. An equatorial country with a mean
temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and real high humidity, winter is certainly a
foreign concept to someone like me.
So, what exactly did I get for my trip down South?
Well, long johns for innerwear, followed by wool pullovers and windbreakers,
one for indoor one for extreme conditions.
I find that travel shops, especially those specializing
in winter clothing such as ColdWear or WinterWear will stock clothing that are
suitable for such a trip. (I hope! Or my first few posts from Australia will
be filled with Pain) Not only that, they usually provide pamphlets that show
what one will need for various temperature ranges. Those provide a good rough
guide for your purchasing needs. If you require more detailed information (like
I do), all the shop assistants were able to answer my queries with
information and advice to my satisfaction and you can feel free to ask them.
I realize that different brands have different
qualities and that is one thing to take note of. As I will be going to
Australia for an extended stay, it is
crucial that my clothing do not fall apart on me after a few rounds of washing.
All in all, I am real satisfied with what I bought
today. Pictures will be up when I get my camera and you will certainly see them
in action when I get to Australia!
There is another aspect of religion that I feel is not touched enough upon. The prayers that bring
hope, the prayers that strengthen, to not change others but better oneself.
Aspirant(LT) André Louis Arthur Zirnheld,
The Paratrooper’s Prayer
I’m asking You God, to give me
what You have left. Give me those things that others never ask of
You. I don’t ask You for rest, or tranquillity. Not that of the spirit, the body, or the mind. I don’t ask You for wealth, or success, or even
health. All those things are asked of You so much Lord, that you can’t have any left to give. Give me instead Lord what You have left. Give me what others don’t want. I want uncertainty and doubt. I want torment and battle. And I ask that You give them to me now and
forever Lord, so I can be sure to always have them, because I won’t always have the strength to ask
again. But give me also the courage, the energy, and the spirit to face them. I ask You these things Lord, because I can’t ask
them of myself.
This is the translated version, the original being in French.
I am an Atheist, how you feel is up to you, but this is my 5 cents
worth. While it is named as a prayer, I see it as a call as well, a reminder to
hold fast on one’s own values, of discipline, of will to carry on. While I do
not believe in any God, I still have my own values, my own Ethnical system that
I use to judge my actions and guide my life.
My primary creed goes like this.
Take,
not the easy way but the right way. Everytime.
There are others but I shall not dwell on those here.
Of
course, there is the question of what is right, what is wrong, an argument that
can be debated till the Sun goes out and still go on. However,to be able to judge for yourself what is right and what is wrong
is a clear sign of independence and maturity.After all, you cannot have
your parents or your priest standing beside you as you make your choices
everyday. Not just that, an act of kindness, whether it originates from your Christian background or just plain old morals make no difference in my opinion, it is still an act of kindness.
I
detract.
As
I read this prayer, I feel a connection to the author. When the situation
becomes dire, what I believe I need to do is not to look around for help, be it
divine intervention or buddy assistance. Instead, you should stand up and get
yourself out of the situation.Only when facing conflict
and uncertainty will one be able to grow and better oneself!Of course not everything is
to the extreme as in the case of Lt Zirnheld. Day to day decisions count as
well. (Although they are far less dramatic)
-ARP Some of you may have noticed the post changed. I do my best to iron out any grammatical/spelling errors as I check my blog on a regular basis, and take note of all your comments. Comments that I will heed and use them to improve myself and this blog, so Keep them Coming!
