'ello Before I go Duty (Again)

Hello there!

Welcome to foongonline.blogspot.com once again! It's the New Year and we all have a future to look forward to. For those who make resolutions, remember to ask yourself the motive behind it. Is it for your own ego or is it for others, or for God?

- An Update

Been out with the guys, Jiaqi, Weiting, Qap and Tris today. Went to Serence Centre's Comics Mart for some warhammer stuff, then headed to Sunshine Plaza for a meal together (where coke costs $1.30!), and had a comfy discussion in the Coffee Club in Hotel Rendevous.

Received a great Christmas gift from Jiaqi, and I admit it did catch me off guard! Well, it's a Forces of Valor M3A2 Bradley CFV (Calvary Fighting Vehicle) with markings from Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is named after General Omar Bradley, a decorated US hero from WWII.

Here's a pic I have got for y'all


Armed with a M242 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun, a co-axial M240 7.62mm machinegun and twin tube TOW launcher, the M3A2 is a formidable package. The Bradley was designed to operate beside the M1 Abrams MBT (Main Battle Tank). Also, the M3A2 differs from the M2A2, as it carries a 2 man scout team while the latter carries a 6 man infantry section.

Although it has proven to be effective in the Gulf War (destroying more armoured vehicles than the M1 Abrams), the Bradleys did not fare as well in Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is largely due to mobility kills (or getting disabled) from RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades) and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) used by insurgents. Current US Army doctrine would be to allow the crew to escape at the expense of the vehicle.

My camera skills aren't up to scratch yet but this will have to do for now. I am thinking of painting it a little bit more, the viewports are not painted, and the turret's colour is a little different from the body. But hey, it's great anyway man. It might jut get me started all over military models yet again.

- Duty Blues

Sigh, tomorrow it's duty for me again, on a public holiday to boot. Well, my friends have remarked that I have been getting quite crap dates for duty. Sometimes I feel that I am planned for such dates as I am too nice a guy. It's not my style to claim leave days thanks to a packed schedule and I might be needed to be around.

To me, I won't let it bother me. No point wallowing in self-pity over it. There's stuff to do in camp and I seek ways to occupy myself. God put me in Mandai Hill for a purpose. Heh, this kind of burden is nothing compared to the stress I will sign myself up for if I enter medical school. I take it as an opportunity to learn how to use my time well, and to do my job in spite of how much I abhor it. The Rough Road of Maturity I'd say.

Gotta prepare for interview on 11th Jan for Queen Mary, wait for the rest of the replies (hopefully good), complete my Common Application for USA Colleges, look forward to the next weekend (Church, friends and other great things in life) and perhaps get my warhammer army going again. See lot's of stuff already....

Hope you guys are keeping up well. I know school's gonna start soon and some peeps are flying off overseas in Feb. Life's going to change a lot when 2007 kicks in full swing. Wonder how we all be like in the future, espacially for myself!

- Condolence

On a darker note, my maternal grandmother passed away on 1 Jan in Australia. The news did shake my family, espacially for my mother because she is very close to her. Right now my bro and mom have already flown to Aust. I'll pray for their trip and hope the funeral goes on smoothly. My heart goes out to my grandmother.

Man...it's getting late. Gotta catch the z's soon. Before I go, I'd like to wish you all well while I retire into the night for duty.

God Bless
Joshua the COS on 2nd Jan 07