Tagged: NS

A Sociological Empath

ORD Dream

Note 1: Originally published on May 31, 2013 Note 2: The afterword is (al)ready. A peculiar thing happened. I dreamt… of the day I ORD. Few details still stay with me, but while I shook the hands of ma’ams without making eye contact – whether out of habit or shyness – there...

A Sociological Empath

NS: I Had It Way Easier

Note: Originally published on Oct 20, 2012 Earlier this week, we were shown an episode of Every Singaporean Son II as part of a monthly gathering. A lad hugs his mum, bids her goodbye and then leaves with his dad to report for his first day in OCS. The dad...

A Sociological Empath

NS: When there’s No Work to Do

Note: Originally published on Sep 21, 2012 When you are at work, and you have no work to do, what will you do? Find or ask for work to do? Act like you are doing work? Sit at your desk and stone? Read, surf the Net and chat?

A Sociological Empath

My ORD Speech

Next week, my indirect understudy will be graduating from two years of NS! I hardly enjoyed my stint as a clerk, especially the final months leading to my own ORD. Yet these final few months also yielded a friend.

A Sociological Empath

After-Effects of NS (for an FASS student)

I view my life in 6-month increments. 1st half, 2nd half. I find it a useful medium-term outlook, to make plans and work on them. Maybe it’s the conditioning of a dozen years of school. Perhaps it speaks to the larger constraints of working society. Nonetheless, I find it functional...

A Sociological Empath

My ORD Thoughts

NS is like a school you never picked, but got picked by. When something is not your 1st choice, or 2nd, or 3rd, it can be hard to be bothered. Every day is a struggle between sloth and diligence. It often seems that, whether we do more work or less,...