VENTURES'03

Overseas Trip

2008-03-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

hi guys wonder if anyone still reads this blog..anyway juz thinking that if we are really going for an overseas trip in around june we should start planning now so that every one can make arrangements.

let's avoid the situation where pple start saying "i got work/ i going overseas with parents or frens/ no money..."

so maybe if we are really going we can start to decide now?

saw this http://travel.priceline.com.sg/eng/promo/combo/promo.asp

not sure if it's a very good deal but at least we start off with something.

it's ok if we are not going for a trip...at least we decide now and not let it become some last minute thingy like our weekly soccer meetups =)

would prefer to go thailand or taiwan. any other input from you guys?

Photos

2008-02-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

hey guys these are the photos that we had taken before my camera died =(

anyway happy chinese new year! bon voyage to shi yang too! remember to buy things for us!

Reunion edited

2008-01-27T01:56:00.000-08:00

hi juz abit bo liao so decided to post here my views on the reunion lunch/dinner haha.

since shiyang is sailing..then i think the best time to have the reunion meal would be 8 FEB (Friday). think best is that we have a reunion lunch so that we can have more time for other things aft the meal and shiyang can go home early to pack and maybe rest.

so pls confirm ur attendance aft this post. think we shouldnt keep changing/considering the time if not this thing would be quite last min again. i think the 2006 reunion meal was quite bad. we ate at cine sushi rite but i dun have much impression of that meal. and i think not every one came for the meal also. i only have photos of 2005 and 2007 reunion dinners, so i think we should make sure every one comes for this yr's lunch and take a final group photo. like wad junior said this might the the last time we all can gather again before pple start going overseas to study etc.

so the details:

Venue: Kuishinbo Suntec City
Date: 8 Feb 08
Time: 11.30 onwards (tentative)

so guys let's confirm the attendance =)

*ha thanks to mr anonymous i realised my mistake. anyway the date wun make a diff la cos shiyang will be gone on 9th anw. but since 8Feb is the 2nd day of new yr, maybe a dinner will be more appropriate since by then most pple will be free rite?

or will this wkend be more appropriate?

Details of Kuishinbo

$24.80++ (Monday to Thursday) or $27.80++ (Friday to Sunday & Public Holiday), you can enjoy everything at midday except for snow crab and a selection of shells. If you would rather enjoy a languorous meal, complete with a free flow of snow crab, in the evening, go for dinner at $33.80 (Monday to Thursday) or $39.80 (Friday to Sunday & Eve of and Public Holiday).

Diners who arrive in droves will tell you that it's not just their free flow of Snow Crabs that attracts so much patronage, but the cozy and casual setting of Kuishin-Bo that makes it a perfect place for family gatherings and catching up with friends. Their deluge of promotions, such as Ladies' Night on Wednesdays (ladies feast for 2 hours at $24.80 or $26.80++) and 60 Minutes Lunch on weekdays ($19.80++ from Monday to Friday), only gives diners more reason to visit Kuishin-Bo for a fun and fuss-free meal.

TYF

2008-01-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

nice to hear fr sy again. Seen wad u post. Maybe we can discuss it over TYF. Saw yr schedule too. Most of us wanted it to be held on Chu San meaning 9th Feb. But it looks like u have set sail. So the next best and only choice left will have to be either 2nd (Sat) or 3rd (Sun) Feb. [FCUK, i just realise i cant make it these 2 days after i post this post.KNN.] So people please please please take off or leave or bring yr loves ones if need be just to attend our TYF. It will be buffet lunch kuishinbo at suntec city cos there will 12 of us. Yes all 12. 一个也不能少。不然不会是团圆饭了。Rmb it might be the last time again b4 all 12 see each other.

Thx.

v23

A Place To Hide

2008-01-20T23:53:00.000-08:00

hey peeps. im currently hiding at eetse's place. on liaison officer duty, which means i have to keep on going to the airport to receive foreign naval officers, and then send them to their hotels. fucking shitjob. just picked up philipinos this morning, but they missed me at the belt exit. in the end, i had to cab to their hotel (they cabbed to the hotel themselves) to arrange with them their schedules for the next few days. and tomorrow morning, i have to go to their hotel and pick them up, and them send them to the seminar in town. fucking hell. and i cannot claim my transport costs! im waiting at eetse's place because i have to go back to airport later at around 7.50 to pick up a peruvian colonel. i really hope he wont miss me this time. kinda hard to miss, with me wearing no.3 with peakcap.

anyway, my sailing schedule is as follows-

09 Feb - 18 Mar = Midshipman Sea-Training Deployment (MSTD)
09 Apr - 02 May = Overseas Exercise
06 May = ORD

for MSTD, will be sailing to Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu and Bangkok. if you have a wishlist, do give it to me soon.

for our reunion dinner, i duno about you guys, but i suggest we go eat zichar this year. since its approx. 10 of us, we can open 1 table. i know all of you are gona kaobei when i suggest eating at the zichar place next to my house. but seriously! its cheap and good. and variety too. so do consider!

ok, now to a more serious issue.

i believe only some of us are in the recent spate of emails that have been sent around, regarding our scout group. allow me to give you a brief account of what has transpired recently.

at the last aspire, a new band of results for grading candidates was introduced - Conditional Pass (C.P.). Essentially, those who fell under this band will have the opportunity to be re-assessed on areas they fell short in during the actual test. by the way, there were no TCHS ventures who passed this time round.

this new banding matters because it opens a potential can of worms- candidates can now simply aim to secure a conditional pass, and then return to be assessed on the weaker areas later on. this really defeats the purpose of aspire. as you all have experienced first-hand, attempting aspire requires much preparation, which is time-consuming. in our time, candidates are limited by the number of times they are allowed to attempt the test. it's either you succeed, or you don't. now, however, a test-smart candidate can choose to be an average joe in most aspects of the test, which would guarantee him a C.P., and then return to try his luck again.

i would also like to add that it is rather certain that the new assessment rubrics for aspire might not be well-thought out, and thus be unfair and incomplete. this ultimately results in at least another 2 batches of candidates who will fail the test due to an unfair assessment system.

if we choose to look beneath this new direction that the aspire testing team is taking, i believe there is ultimately only one outcome that introducing C.P. will lead to- that is, augmenting the number of PSA recipients. However, the end should never justify the means. if the mode of assessment for aspire was meant to be as such, it should have been made this way long ago. increasing the number of passes this way decreases the prestige that is lauded on the award.

while that is on HQ's side of events, i hope we, as the new elders of the group, should step out. i do not think that we are up-to-date knowledge/skill-wise, but these are things that we can pick up easily again with some effort. what we do possess, is experience of how childish and myopic our opinions on the world once were, and how we would re-do certain things, if we could. during our stint of NS, whether intentionally or not, we picked up bits and pieces of knowledge regarding manpower manangement leadership, and most importantly, how to be a gentleman and act that way. this, i feel, is really, the most precious gift of all. imagine if the person you are now, was the person who attempted PSA back then. would you not agree that it would have been so much more of a breeze to pass? or even been the envy of your fellow candidates, because you really have the demeanor of one that is so skilled, so knowledgeable, but yet humble and popular? i feel this way.

now imagine if our juniors were like this. they can be, with our coaching. it will not be easy, but i am certain that with dedication, it can happen. it is not an understatement when i say that we've shed blood and tears. so it is this place that has brought us together to become better people (most of us, anyway, less jianan) the unit is now entering a twilight zone, and frankly, it's heartbreaking.

i will be returning to the unit to help out fulltime after my post-ORD holiday. hopefully, i will be able to commit even after school starts. till then, we can only cross our fingers that the PSA drought does not continue, even though it appears that will be the case.

2008-01-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

well.. seoul garden was korean (sort of la, but not authentic, they adopt the seoul name though hahaha), suki was jap, and yum char was chinese..
so lets go multinational la this yr, international buffet also can? or mongolian (kublai khan or what? but i nv eat before la hahaah)? cannot think of any other types alr man.. just pushing ideas in haha

wenkai

2008-01-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

i suggest kuishinbo at suntec city. its a jap buffet think prob about 25 per person la. the food is not bad ;)

anyway i think maybe we shouldnt hold it during new yr. not too sure when ee tse is leaving for aus and shiyang is goin overseas also rite if i am not wrong...so maybe we can have the dinner earlier or sumthing.

yup hope this year we can have every one around again. someone should make sure that jian an doesnt work that day also. long time nv see him but i dun miss him at all haha.

Contribution of Ideas for CNY Reunion Dinner

2008-01-12T09:27:00.001-08:00

05 CNY RD was at Taka Seoul Garden. 06 CNY RD was at Cine Suki. 07 CNY RD was at Chinatown YUMCHA. Where will it be held for this yr? Calling all Vs to contribute suggestions.

Hope this yr attendance will be like 05's one cos as usual all of us will be heading off in our individual directions. We dun realli meet up as a whole so lets make sure it will be a meaningful one to kick off our lives as an undergrad in the different unis.

I suggest buffet. International Buffet @ Somerset? Idea for post dinner activity will be KBOX till 3am in the morning by Gwen Stefani. okay lame statement.

Wacha call?

v23
JUNIOR

2007-12-29T06:06:00.000-08:00

hey guys some of the photos we took in today's outing. anyway it was nice meeting up hope more people will come for the nxt outing. any ideas where to go for our cny reunion lunch/dinner?

Rover Scout Representative for HCI Rovers and Miscellaneous

2007-12-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

Kenneth need someone to replace him at HQ lvl. He ended his tenure of 1 yr liao. Job description. Meetings at HQ bi monthly to vote for or against issues or agendas brought up in the meeting. Implications - Need to pay Lao Lee 10 dollar registration fee. Any takers? If no one, i dun mind taking up the offer.

Next up is the overseas trip, glad many have attempted to reply and those who replied. Looks like we are flying overseas afterall right before school starts (June-July). However one person might not be joining us is Ee Tse. He is flying off to Australia in Feb to study. So the immediate concern now is not the trip but next year CNY Reunion Dinner.

3 yrs ago it was at Taka's Seoul Garden. 2 yrs ago it was at Cine's Suki. Last yr was at Chinatown's Yum Char. I hope next yr one will be a memorable one b4 12 of us going on our separate paths again, studying in different school and having our own lives. We need not meet up regularly but at least be present for the annual reunion dinner.

All right bo?

v8 - JR

2007-12-05T01:50:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!
Long time no see... finally i can attempt to lead a more civilian life now. 4.5 weeks in the outback is not fun at all. No permanent shelter for the whole time there... damn hot in the day and damn cold at night. Especially since as a scout I am not with the armour vehicle all the time... so at night I just sit on my motorbike and freeze. SAF goretex jacket is useless against the coldness in wallaby.

Anyway that's all over... whew.

So, regarding the trip... I really love Taiwan when I went there in August. Could not get enough of that place... wouldn't mind going there again, same with Hong Kong, and can u believe it or not.. I have not been to Bangkok before! So definitely I would not mind a trip there. These days Malaysia quite dangerous leh, especially to Singaporeans. Anyway there are budget airlines flying to Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok... so it need not be so expensive.

I have no idea what my schedule would be like yet after I ord on 1st day of cny together with ps... so I dare not commit a date as to when I will be free. But I guess I can plan my schedule around the trip if we are going. Just plan it after my ord on 070208, bcoz I have no more leave next year!

And we should try to meet up soon... I have not seen you guys in AGES!! Unfortunately next 2 weekends I would not be around... going for holiday. But the wkend after hari raya would be good.

Regards
V15 Xavier

overseas trip!

2007-11-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

alright i also feel that may is the best period for us to go on a good holiday cos i supp some of us plan to matriculate earlier and it's not the peak period for holidays so itm ight be cheaper..

personally i would prefer hong kong or taiwan.. i think driving to malaysia nowadays sounds rather unsafe?? yea but preferably not too far away cos of budget constraints... lol.

Cheers,
V5

2007-11-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

well it looks like the best time is before uni starts right most people can make it..
anything is fine with me man hahah but i cant drive sry guys im gonna have to be a leech
but yeah lets actually go on something and put words into action alright!

wenkai (wtf if sianghan is V7 and jianan is V9 then im what lol)

2007-11-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

hey dudes, i think it is a good idea to hold the trip just before the start of our uni days next year because by then i have already gathered savings and earned my annual leave from my job! For me i think can only apply 5 days leave, so plus wkends is 7 days. I think overseas trip to bangkok, hong kong, or taiwan is fine with me. Self drive to malaysia is quite dangerous I personally feel.

Regards,
V10
LEO

V17 thinks...

2007-11-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

well as you guys know of my extended stint in the armed forces, I ORD on 6 May 07 (sianghan's birthday), which means I cannot go on long holidays before that.

I think Malaysia is a good option, but frankly i want to sit aeroplane la. Bangkok, perhaps?

I haven't been on a decent holiday for ages, so i don't mind spending more to fly further.

anyway, miss you guys. i've only been seeing alot of V8 and V11. The rest... oh well.

V17

Overseas Trip for Venture '03

2007-11-19T07:39:00.000-08:00

Okay guys, someone gotta start the ball rolling and i shall be the one.

First of all, i m thinking of an overseas trip for the 12 of us next yr. So i need all the feedback i can get.

Pls reply the following qns by stating yr v_ and answer all the qns by posting at the comment section.

Q1) Are u interested in the first place whereby 12 of us can go overseas and have hell of a time together since the Malacca Jamboree? Y/N

Q2) If Yes, when will be the most ideal time whereby u will be free next yr? Pls give a definite timeline. For me it will be right before school starts.

Q3) What will yr budget be like? The reason i chose before school starts, bcos we can save up in the months leading to it.

Q4) What will be yr favourable destination? Dun come n gimme answers like Punggol Tan or Pulau Ubin Scout Site cos i m gg to smack u. I was thinking driving up to KL/Malacca/other places since most of us got license and that we can take turn to drive.

okay thats about all. Pls give valuable feedback. Most impt, PLS REPLY. btw jianan is still alive, he came to my hse last sat.

Yours In Scouting,
v23 ~jR~

2007-02-25T03:39:00.000-08:00

THIS SITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

MEANWHILE, Vs please update your scedule for the next few weeks.

P.S: We maybe going V11's house this saturday, 3 Mar'07.