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YES! Right tonight on the 24th of May, 2012, I've officially graduated from Nanyang Technological University!!

I'm a Second Class: Lower Honours student!! Awesome!

I didn't think that I could pull myself back up and hence I gave up. But like multiple times in my life, as it has been taught to me, is NEVER to try for anything. Whenever I put in effort for something, it doesn't happen.

Fuck that. I slack and laze around and I get EVERYTHING I want. How awesome is that? These past 5 years   in the Army and my studies have taught me that effort is worthless and unrecognized. This is how I'll roll from now on.

Job hunting time!

爱如潮水

Life, life, life. you're one ironic asshole.

This is one of the earliest songs I learnt to sing as a child, never knowing its meaning.

Yet here I am, nearly 20 years later, understanding the full meaning and impact of this song, and hah; how true, how true.

I would tear if I could, but it seems that they've ran out of supplies.

(I still remember me singing this song, badly out of tune at Raffles Place, with my family. I vaguely remember we were lost/waiting for someone to go somewhere, with the adults being fed-up. Memories.. the most heart-warming yet heart-breaking thing to ever exist in our hearts..)

Forest

Once upon a time, a fruit farmer, wanting to start a fruit farm, went to choose a tree in a forest.

The forest was amazing. It teemed with life, and is filled with a huge variety of trees. A lot of them had fruit farmers working on it, trying to harvest the fruits/seeds, or taking care of the tree in hopes of causing it to bloom.

Some of the trees were young, some were old. Others looked vibrant, while some looked like they were dying. The awful ones were diseased, but yet were able to conceal their sickness somewhat by bearing colorful fruits and pretty flowers that never lasted.

Taking his time to pick, the farmer came across a simple and plain tree. It had no redeeming feature, and did not show any signs of bearing fruits nor flowers. But something about the tree attracted the farmer, and he chose to stay with the tree.

Over time, the farmer spent time and love on the tree, coaxing it to grow, supplying it with water, fertilizer, and most importantly, love. The tree began to grow, but still there were no signs of fruit-bearing. The farmer started to wonder if he made the right choice.

Regardless, he pressed on, believing his choice correct.

True enough, eventually, the tree showed signs of flowering. It grew a bunch of beautiful flowers and it captivated the farmer. Delighted, the farmer went on his work with renewed focus, happy to see results begin to flourish.

However, things were not to be. Everyday, the farmer had to travel through parts of the forest in order to look for fertilizer, water, and return home. During his travels, he encountered different types of trees, and even grew to know and understand some of them, especially those that were close to his life. Seeing how these trees flowered and bore fruits, the farmer couldn't help but turn green with envy, especially so when they belonged to other farmers.

Yet, he persevered. Believing in the tree, he kept to his tasks, showering it with love and attention.

Time passed, and bit-by-bit, the tree grew, and bore even more flowers, but still, no fruit.

The farmer was despairing. All the other trees around him had grown large and healthy, bearing loads of fruits and causing endless joy for their respective farmers. The tree that the farmer chose still stubbornly refused to bear fruit, and hence the inevitable came: the farmer left.

The reason for his departure was simple. He had sought out other trees and found one that was able to bear fruits with little coaxing. Of course, there was a price to pay for having such easy fruits: they were not as tasty as other fruits and sometimes turned out to be bad. The tree also showed evidence of having previous farming owners, and hence it's quality and lifespan would definitely be much shorter.

The farmer, despite this, was happy with his find. Simply because he didn't seek a tree that was perfect. He just wanted a tree that would belong to him exclusively. He didn't care how the fruits it bore was like, as long as it was edible. But as with all humans, there are always regrets and reservations that one would keep when it came to items and assets of sentimental value.

The stubborn tree was left abandoned. Other prospective farmers came along, and were either turned off by the tree's apparent lack of fruit-bearing abilities, or just couldn't manage to coax the tree into growing any further.

The tree began to leak sap throughout its body, and it flowed with ease, daily. Its bark and branches turned brittle and broke away, leaving behind holes that wind could pass through. And when the wind did, it gave off an eerie whistling sound, akin to that of a whispering cry.

To date, the whispers of a crying tree could still be heard, rustling through the green forest, ever-teeming with life and beauty.