chang*

this is yong hwee, my little bro.

come to think about it, he’s not going to be little for long. actually, he was never very little in the first place. should he decide one day that i seem like a good surface to plant his butt on and take a break, i don’t think i will be blogging anymore.

today he received THE letter. the very one sent out by those compelled to uphold the statute that all singaporean boys be whipped into man in the mighty man-mincing machine known as the SAF.

of course we know that this is not true in all cases. i know, because i have seen with mine own eyes how people leave the army armed with the new-found wisdom of skivving and making sorry excuses. truth be told, we all pick up some of that along the way.

knowing my bro, he won’t be one to run afoul of the law. i don’t think he has ever been indicted for anything his life so far, and i doubt that he will start swearing at his commanders anytime soon. although silently doing so while commiserating with the sad sobs in the same boat as him is inevitable.

so as he begins a new chapter of his life (i love this expression, it is such a cliche that it has transcended the realm of tastefulness), i wish him all the best and that he will learn to put his trust in the Almighty, and learn to talk to God (and his platoon mates of course) during those quiet nights in the jungles the way i did.

i am not sure that army will be the key factor in making him a man. at least he will learn how to fire a rifle and knock people down in close combat. that is all i can ask for as a brother. in fact, i am giving him a headstart. we have both decided to join the gym at the community centre near our place.

tsk, the things brothers do for each other.

and for the love of ________, please don’t end up a clerk. bunch of wusses.

for more of my thoughts, click here.