i have, over the years, gotten more convinced that life is not all about work and money. it is about embracing the various experiences that one can and will encounter as one ages/ grows. it is about living and appreciating `the' moment. i have also come to be less judgmental about people, events and things that people do that i may not necessary believe in. i have come to remind myself that i should not be too quick to pass judgments on them. it was this that led me to do several things when i went through the process of leaving service in late 1999/ early-2000. things that i would have never even thought of doing earlier due to my own prejudices against them.
firstly, i dyed my hair. i had the impression that dying of one's hair was something that only ah lians and undesirable characters do (at least in singapore). and these characters usually do not have good reputation - in their uncouth conduct, in their mannerism, in everything they do. well, that was my perception then. but i couldn't be more wrong. ah lians are as human as you and i. and dying of one's hair has no connections whatsoever with ah lians, to say the least! it was me and my stereotyping. and i thought, hmmm, why not dye my hair once and see what the experience was like. and so, i did it in sep 99 - 4 months before i left service. it was, to a large extend, me challenging myself. and perhaps, to a smaller extend, challenging the system. to do that, i had to bleach it first for my head of hair was black, so black that no amount of dye would have any effect on it. i dyed it burgundy. it looked blackish brown in the room and in office. and everyone in office did not give a second look at it. but when i stepped into the sun, my hair glowed bright red! i looked like a brunette! and that was when i got lots of stares. it was rather funny! but of course, i acted blur.
secondly, immediately after leaving service in early-2000, i got myself a tattoo. again, i had previously stereotyped tattooed people as gangsters. anyway, i challenged myself again. i wanted to experience it. i wanted to experience how painful it. i had my tattoo done at heeren. it was a half hour process. the first pierce was the most memorable. and during the process, i perspired like nobody business as it felt like someone using a knife to slowly carve your skin. anyway, i decided that the tattoo should be at a place where i can see it if i want to and won't see it if i didn't want to. in a way, i want to not let it irk me sometime in the future... in the end, i got the tattoo done between my shoulders below my nape. i still have it today. and i still quite like it.
thirdly, i got my ear pierced. it was also something i thought i want to experience. i pierced my left ear. in fact, after all the hype, the process itself was a non-event. i had it done at wisma atria basement 1. walked into the shop, picked the stud, walked to the counter, the lady took out a puncher, placed it at my earlobe and snapped! it done. i had quite a bit of fun trying out different ear rings after that... now, i don't even bother to wear ear rings, the novelty has subsided. but i enjoyed the experience.
:-)
firstly, i dyed my hair. i had the impression that dying of one's hair was something that only ah lians and undesirable characters do (at least in singapore). and these characters usually do not have good reputation - in their uncouth conduct, in their mannerism, in everything they do. well, that was my perception then. but i couldn't be more wrong. ah lians are as human as you and i. and dying of one's hair has no connections whatsoever with ah lians, to say the least! it was me and my stereotyping. and i thought, hmmm, why not dye my hair once and see what the experience was like. and so, i did it in sep 99 - 4 months before i left service. it was, to a large extend, me challenging myself. and perhaps, to a smaller extend, challenging the system. to do that, i had to bleach it first for my head of hair was black, so black that no amount of dye would have any effect on it. i dyed it burgundy. it looked blackish brown in the room and in office. and everyone in office did not give a second look at it. but when i stepped into the sun, my hair glowed bright red! i looked like a brunette! and that was when i got lots of stares. it was rather funny! but of course, i acted blur.
secondly, immediately after leaving service in early-2000, i got myself a tattoo. again, i had previously stereotyped tattooed people as gangsters. anyway, i challenged myself again. i wanted to experience it. i wanted to experience how painful it. i had my tattoo done at heeren. it was a half hour process. the first pierce was the most memorable. and during the process, i perspired like nobody business as it felt like someone using a knife to slowly carve your skin. anyway, i decided that the tattoo should be at a place where i can see it if i want to and won't see it if i didn't want to. in a way, i want to not let it irk me sometime in the future... in the end, i got the tattoo done between my shoulders below my nape. i still have it today. and i still quite like it.
thirdly, i got my ear pierced. it was also something i thought i want to experience. i pierced my left ear. in fact, after all the hype, the process itself was a non-event. i had it done at wisma atria basement 1. walked into the shop, picked the stud, walked to the counter, the lady took out a puncher, placed it at my earlobe and snapped! it done. i had quite a bit of fun trying out different ear rings after that... now, i don't even bother to wear ear rings, the novelty has subsided. but i enjoyed the experience.
:-)
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