标准华语

昨天和几位军中好友乘搭德士到了义顺军营里的文工团参加试镜会。途中，德士司机就好奇地问我们要到义顺军营的目的。我当下的反应是要回答：“参加文工团的试镜会。”然而，我马上犹豫了。我暗忖：司机是否晓得什么叫做“文工团”呢？我是否应该用个司机能听得懂的词汇来回答呢？而且要如何用司机能听得懂的语言来解释什么叫做“文工团”呢？

我身旁的好友直截了当地回答道：“我们要参加文工团的试镜会。”

司机“哦”了一声，懂不懂得什么是“文工团”，他的回应摹拟两可。

我开始问自己是否想太多了。问自己为什么，也凭什么质疑他人的中文程度。

后来我发现我也常常用十分浅白，甚至粗俗、不标准的华语和低下阶层的人，如：德士司机、巴刹摊贩、熟食摊贩、安娣阿嫂。。。等进行对话。

说好听一点，我这样的举动叫做“亲民”，就好像台湾的政客爱用“台语”来演讲或发表声明一样。然而，我自己最清楚，这样的举动并非出自我的博爱，而是出自我的精英主义。我瞧不起这些低下阶层的老百姓，不相信他们的中文程度有我的好。（当然，我也不是在老王卖瓜，我也坦承自己的中文程度还有进步的空间。）

所以每当我和这群人对话时，脑袋里总会不断地思考，在那茫茫的辞海里找寻那浅而易懂却又能表达我所要表达的意思的适当词汇。

是否真的想太多了呢？

但是，我也不想经历那种因他们不明白我所使用的词汇而所造成的尴尬。

不想让人觉得好像学历比较高的我无法和低下阶层的老百姓沟通。

不想让别人把提倡“精英主义”的标签贴在我的身上，我自己知道自己提倡“精英主义”就好，不要陌生人这么说我。

在爱面子和不要瞧不起低下阶层的人们之间，很难抓到那平衡点。

天生欠骂的人

我们都希望自己是一道光芒四射的光，但是置身在阳光普照的光明之中，我们如何成为别人世界的光芒？

当你愿意走进他人的黑暗之中，你就会成为他的世界的光芒，并且转换他的黑暗成一道光。

关键是，你愿意吗？

摘自《小灵魂和太阳》

不是我悲观，而是有时并不是你愿不愿意的问题。很多时候问题出在那黑暗的浓密。若他人的黑暗是无比的广阔、无比的深邃、无边无际、无穷无尽，那么要将他的黑暗转换成一道光芒，需要的就不仅仅是你的那道光芒四射的光，所需的是个具有极大穿透力和杀伤力的武器或魔法，以便能将他的黑暗彻底地毁灭掉。

所以，对于某些人，你是很难好声好气地尝试感化他。说难听一点，有些人就是欠骂，天生就是吃硬不吃软，只有对他凶、对他破口大骂、严厉地斥责他，方可让他吸取教训。

当我们抨击专门针对某个人的一群人时，是否也该想想为什么他们会针对哪个人呢？所谓“无风不起浪”，这么多人对他不满，不可能是一项集体的恶作剧，那“受害者”本身必然就有问题，所以才会激起大家的怒火。

我也不想骂人，毕竟骂人真得伤身伤神。但是有的人实在是欠骂，不骂他就会连累到其他人而已，造成其他人的不便与麻烦。

为什么这些人就不能用心一点、专心一点、细心一点，办事不要粗心大意，不要慌张鲁莽，用最清晰的思维完成制定的任务，不就两全其美？我们不用费神地去责骂他，而他也无需让自己受到这么多部必要的委屈？

最近好歌榜IV

Songs that I am listening to recently.

Post-CNY

F*ck!

I just realised that the 33rd Students' COuncil was having a CNY celebration at Mrs Ang's (the overall teacher-in-charge for the 33rd Students' Council) house until 4 PM today.

I forgot to reply to the invitation when it was sent out way before the actual Chinese New Year. Procrastination really kills.

Even though I only booked out at noon today, I could have still made it to the celebration-cum-gathering had I remembered to reply to Sharmaine (our council president), rememebred the date and time and rushed down by cab (despite the exorbitant cab fares).

Lesson to be learnt: Never procrastinate.

Military Police

I have been selected to go for an interview/selection test for Military Police.

The job scope sounds like it suits me -- raiding. Raid the commanders' and the recruits' bunks. Pornographic materials found? Shall bitch at them like I've never bitched before, before I handcuff and charge them. Mobile phone chargers uncovered? Same punishment as above mentioned. Electronic storage devices detected? Ditto.

The job requires one with an eye for detail, which I have after much practice from my working experience as the Section/Bunk I/C and as the Toilet I/C (I know where dust and grime accumulates and I dare to claim that I am an even better expert than your foreign domestic helpers and mothers in area cleaning). The job requires one to be very stringent when necessary, which I can easily become.

And most of all, the training that I will received is not THAT physically and mentally demanding as compared to trainings in Officer Cadet School (OCS) or SISPEC.

I have never ever considered the option of the military police "career path" until I was informed of the selection test. Maybe I should give it a shot.

Chinese New Year

Food Galore!!!

Grandma's Curry!!! Best in Singapore!!!


Cabbage Soup with meatballs and abalone!!!


Black Pepper Crab!!


Deep-Fried Buttered Prawns

Braised Pork!!!


Steamed Fish!!


Reunion Dinner!!!

昨晚洗澡前，光着身子赤裸裸地在镜子面前欣赏我那胀鼓鼓的肚子，那是春节假期4天下来大肆进食的成果。然后，我坐在马桶上，放了一声又长又响的屁。这种颓废的感觉，我已经很久没有经历了。这种又长又响的屁，只有当你暴饮暴食后才会产生的，不可能在军营这么一个注重士兵的纪律和饮食习惯的环境里出现的。

Field Camp

Field Camp is over!!

Imagine 6 days without a proper bath, without a proper brushing of teeth, 4 days without excreting waste matter from your anus, and 6 nights of night blindness.

The only incentive of field camp is to allow me to escape from light pollution caused by urbanisation and for once understand the meaning of "starry starry night".

The last time I see such beautiful stars was at Perth, Australia about 4 years back.

Field camp, for some reasons, felt similar to the 1-night camp I had in the woods of Perth. The darkness, the vegetation, the cold nights that never fail to interrupt my beauty sleep, the night-time physically-demanding activities, it seems like a deja vu. Only that it was much more enjoyable 4 years ago.

Honestly speaking, I have not learnt much from this field camp. I don't think my combat fitness and knowledge have improved after this field camp. If I had to say, I would think that this field camp has made me more appreciative of civilisation and comfort.

I am just glad that field camp is over for me. For now. Hopefully it's for good.

P.S. Combat rations (i.e. food pre-packed by SAF in green vacuum-sealed packs which are to be brought along by soldiers in their field packs) actually taste much better than the food we eat at the cookhouse back at camp.