I guess. Today was all shades of weird. But due date was pretty cool. Honestly, not movie of the year, but seeing Robert Downy Jr in those situations were enough to make me laugh. And the retarded jokes. lol.
Relationship module was, expected. Everything I knew beforehand so content = 0. Presentation by the speaker was quite ok. What a strange person.
403 outing today was, at best, a series of highly coincidental and distressing events. Starting from Gerlynn, who quite graciously emoed off at dinner, for no apparent reason. Gerlynn, if you're reading this, I hope you're feeling better :)
Yanling was getting a job at some tuition center and forgot the interview was today :O So she had to go early, and by early I mean before it even started.
Next up, Due Date, which was funny and retarded as usual.
Then, Dylan met an unfortunate and distressing incident, which led to him and Rachel emoing off early back to hostel. Dylan and Rachel, if you're reading this, I hope you feel better soon :)
We met JM, kashing and WX at makeout point on the roof, and it was awkwarrddd....
At that point Ming Yan was the only girl left, so we all just stared across the bay into the night.
Something felt wrong. It wasn't the usual warm, comfortable and safe feeling I get with 403. It was more of a hollow, cold, "stop lying to yourself" awkwardness. Ah well. Watch Bump to make it go away :D
I've always been bitching about how I never get to write narratives anymore, so I'm giving it a shot. In honor of Black Ops, T minus 3 days, I shall write one about the Vietnam War. Its a bit gory, so girls who read this, don't say I didn't warn you.
The Battle of Hill 137
Rick Hale, 23. 2nd Lieutenant, US Marine Corps.
19 October 1963
Dear Diary,
Same shit different day I guess. I think it's the jungle. Definitely the jungle. The rain pours down and hammers on your helmet like hornets, the vines clutching at you as you walk past, the insects swarming around you. We received orders to take Hill 137 today, "cake walk", the captain described it. The hill was fortified with Viets, and had a vantage point that we could use to walk shell fire into the valley to support the front line. The rain was beating down hard that afternoon, churning the mud beneath our boots, and making the jungle shimmer, as if ghosts walked through the vines. Soaked to our skins, we silently crawled up the hill toward the encampment ahead. There were two viets smoking in the hut, clustered around the radio that served as an early warning for the camp further up. Astley and I checked our weapons and pulled out our knives. I motioned the platoon to stay covered, and crawled out to the side of the tent with Astley. We heard them talking in their language, laughing at something. I raised three fingers, two, and one. We dashed in, I grabbed the viet from behind, plunged my knife into his chest, and covered his mouth. He struggled, and made futile attempts at defending, while he watched his partner suffer the same fate. I will never forget that look in his eyes as the life slowly seeped out of him, leaving behind only a blank, glasslike stare. We covered the body in tarp and moved on. I know I should feel something, he was a person, and I took his life. He was clutching a picture of his parents, and died holding on to it. I felt nothing. All I felt was numb.
We climbed up the hill to the edge of the camp. The rain had covered our advance and the viets were still relaxed, unaware of the danger that was watching them. The snipers took position in the trees, and the flamethrowers in front. I watched through binoculars, as the troops shuffled to and fro, chatting, doing laundry and smoking. To my surprise, I spotted women and children. A snag. I signalled for the radioman, a young corporal Blaine stumbled forward, probably his first battle, probably also his last, and he knew that too. I radioed in to HQ,
"Women and children in camp, is the mission a go?"
A rough older texan voice sounded on the radio, the colonel.
"Son, the viets have a fixed position down at that valley, it's a meat grinder." He sighed, "Lord help me, but we need that shell fire, mission is a go. Lethal force authorized."
I understood, it was our forces above these civilians. But something deep inside me felt wrong. "Operation is a go, on my mark" I commanded. "Three, two, one, mark."
Gunfire split the air like thunderclaps, snipers unloaded their clips into the command tent, and the front line opened machine gun fire. The camp was havoc, as the panicked viets ran around getting shot. A commander ran out of the tent and received 3 high caliber sniper shots, his chest opening like a blooming flower. The machine guns made short work of those in the open, cutting them down to bloody ribbons. The front line charged forward, into the trenches surrounding the camp. I dived into a trench, killing with short bursts of rifle fire. The mud splashed my boots, blood splashed my face, I could feel the heat of the barrel on my cheek. I climbed into the next trench, and was met with a disturbing sight. Till now, I still see it, whenever I close my eyes, I fear it will never leave me. It was a boy on the muddy ground of the trench, with a hole in his head, blood flowing freely and mingling with the mud, forming a disgusting mixture. There, cradling his head, was a soldier. But I could see he was no older than 15, carrying a rifle he could barely shoulder, crying over his friend's death. He looked up at me, a look of fear, despair and hatred. He screamed and levelled his rifle, as I scrambled to do the same. Whether I was older, luckier, or stronger, it didn't matter. The result was the same. The bullet caught him square in the forehead, and he dropped instantly.
I stood there, feeling the shame and indignity of it all, fighting the strong desire to vomit.
"LIEUTANANT!"
I turned around. Corporal Blaine ran towards me, holding the radio. "Command needs..." What command needed, I never found out, because as he ran toward me, a hole appeared in his chest, the size of an apple. The last look of surprise on his face as he died, I will never forget. "SNIPER!" I yelled, and hit the ground. A white hot line drew across my arm as I dodged death by the centimeter. I watched as the rest of my platoon took over the base like a bloody montage of death. One threw a grenade into a hut and ducked as bloody limbs flew out. Another fired a steady stream of napalm into a trench, turning those who had been hiding into screaming, dancing torches of fire. A woman tried to surrender, but was mercilessly blown away by a shotgun. The miasmic smell of death surrounded me, the screaming a siren in the air. The last thing I remembered was an explosion before I blacked out.
When I came to, the battle had died down. The bodies were being dragged to a corner, while prisoners were interned right next to it, crying over the corpses of their friends. Our wounded were being treated, and a command post was being set up. A sergeant helped me to my feet and to the command post on top the hill. It had a perfect view into the valley below, I could see viets camped and fortified to the teeth. I keyed the radio to HQ and said "Mission accomplished". Praises and well wishes I did not hear. I turned to the sergeant for the bad news. "17 out of 60 men killed, 23 wounded. Preliminary body count is ongoing, but we estimate 157 viets killed, plus 42 women and children." I nodded. Acceptable. The battle of Hill 137 had been won. But as I close my eyes now, I hear the screams of the fallen, the surprised face of the corporal, the child soldier in the trench, and the charred bloody remains in the pile.
My cousin Darren, who is my gaming buddy, is now working at funan challenger and can stow a few so that I don't have to queue up. So any orders for Black Ops, can ask me.
I really have nothing to post nowadays. I mean this a template for my day. A typical weekday.
0800 - wake up
0820 - really wake up
0830 - play Civ 5, sims 3, or whatever game tickles my fancy
1200 - Hungry, sms around for lunch plans
1230 - Go out for lunch with guys, hang out for a bit
1400 - Afternoon plans like go out to orchard or hang around WCP
1800 - Dinner, hostel or otherwise
1830 - Hang out with 403 :D
2230 - Roll call, bathe
0000 - Sleep
Repeat.
Usually by the time I get to bed I'm super tired, and can't be bothered to post. I'm not even sure that these posts matter much anyway. Most people go to blogs to find out what other people think of them and their activities anyway. Plus, the people who actually read these I hang out with during the day. So logically, they want to find out the stuff that I won't tell them in person, but write about under the pseudo-safety of this blog. So I shall humor you. No one said I had to write the truth after all. ;)
Dylan. I know you're reading this. In fact, I'm right behind you...
You owe me 5 bucks if you turned around. You're an awesome person. More than anyone else I want to know you when we're like 40, cause you're a wild card :D
Gerlynn. Reading your blog makes me feel guilty that I haven't posted haha. You're going to have a wonderful life, that much's for certain. Just remember us when you write wedding invitations :D
Rachel. You're an awesome person too. We go back quite some ways, and you've always been there, 103 - 403 :D I remember our late night msn convos, and always logging off at 1030 to sleep lol. You've found happiness, don't let go. :)
Ming Yan. Another 1-403 :D You've been incredible throughout, from teaching me chinese to putting up with short jokes XD Kidding, kidding. Unfortunately, you seem to be following a road I cannot follow, which will probably end up in China XD Remember to send me an invite for my first trip to China :D
Jing Min. My rock of stability and moral compass. You've been there for me while adjusting to 505, and of course, helping each other through awkward scandalous periods, or sometimes making it worse XD You, Ron and KT make 505 awesome. JERKs forever :D
Stuart. Its not common to find someone sicker than me. So kudos for that too XD You always know what to do at the right times, and I seriously respect you for that. You're a great role model and awesome drinking buddy later :D
Wen Xiang. You're a stand up guy, but you can't live 2 lives, so pick one and be awesome at it :D 403 will never turn our backs to you.
Yan Ling. You're an enigma. Arguably the most successful single in NUS High, yet still unattached. Well, someone has to maintain that 5.0 amiright? :D But seriously though, go out with Zong, you guys could probably breed a new superintelligent race of humans :D
Bernard. Where to begin? You're awemazstounding. My wingman for life yo. It may be hard to see where life takes us, but you'll always be, my wingman :D
To anyone I've missed out, here's a handy form:
Dear [Your name here]
You've been [positive adjective] to me throughout [time span]
