Back Again!

After the Exams... I'm finally back on track with posting...

I've been pretty busy over the weekend - celebrating friend's birthday, going swimming and yesterday was my duty in camp... sorry for the long wait!

hehe...

Counter-strike

Its been a long time since I have last touched that game, maybe 4 years already and yet I played that game again last saturday. I would say I haven't lost my touch... its just that I'm easily bored of the game...

Spent some time trying to teach Dar how to set up and buy weapons etc, but I wasn't good enough at explaining the basics of the game. (Incidently, the way I learnt CS was also through self-learning.... Damien taught me how to shoot and buy, the rest is self-taught.) The best part, Dar was so good at the game that she got only 10 frags different from me! (even though it was 1 v 1)

Army

An old friend popped up in camp yesterday and today we chatted on some stuff regarding the Army.

Both of us agreed on the same thing - that SAF shouldn't have compulsory conscription.

Lets face it, the amount of money spent on NSFs of today can be put to better use if compulsory conscription is abolished! If conscription is like the USA, where it is all volunteered (or sign on in SAF speak), we'd have a large group of people who are dedicated in serving the nation and will be happy doing so.

Most of the guys of today lament at the thought of going through NS, complain while in NS and will dread reservist for the next 10 years then breath a HUGE sigh of relief after the whole nightmare is over. Why is this so? The answer, 2 years of our lives.

Although it isn't much, but 2 years of anyone's lives are precious and should be spent doing something meaningful and worthwhile. For the less well to do people, the 2 years can be better spent working and saving up money; for budding entreprenuers, they can actually start businesses and contribute more towards the economy. 2 years is a period of time where anything can happen.

2 years is also the gap that the men have with women in Singapore. Women in Singapore start out earlier that men in the working world, they get to be more savvy about the ways of working and be more street-smart. They also have got more time to earn the money (that guys in NS can never save enough unless they work part-time illegally) to buy expensive gadgets/jewellery/etc. Savings are higher than men too!

Pride to serve the nation, protect the country and also the "everyone oso go through army liao, you? No different" phrase. From the looks of it, the pride to serve the nation varies (especially for those who opt to sign on, they are usually the type who enjoy army, but not for the rest) from person to person. Perhaps a restructure of the Enlistment Act could create a better "working level" if women are also conscripted? Hey, if Malaysia can do it, why can't Singapore? China also does it, and its still the same thing, so what makes Singapore so different?

To all who read this: Maybe I'm just whining or maybe its pointless to even talk about it, but this is what I feel as a citizen of Singapore. I'm not the only one talking about it and there are many out there who might agree with me too! All I'm looking at are the ways in which could benefit the society and also the SAF which is a place that is changing into a 3G army. Things shouldn't be the same as it were after 1965, there are many differences in the world of today already, old rules must be reviewed to be ready when changes come about.

=)