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Commentater A: And the 5th place is EvE! OMG IT'S EvE, who would have expect them to achieve number 5th on the countdown!
Commentater B: AH YES,It's EvE alright. What did I tell ya... EvE obviously caused an influence to Takahina's life this year alright. It's after all his first most serious band he ever had, with originals being composed, more than 10plus covers being done...
Commentater A: But but, what bout his mother? what bout his family? They could have easily scored 5th place without a doubt!
Commentater B: AH YES, HIS FAMILY! Well look at his 4th place, obviously it involved his family, he still holds them in high regards naturally! Look more carefully will ya!
Commentater A: Takahina didn't seemed like someone who would go out often though, looks like NS really changed his life?
Commentater B: You think? NS only last for 2 years.
Commentater A: You won't know dude, after all you've have never been in ther, you signed some 309 shit remember?
Commentater B: The shit which will make me Gay and in the records of the Black File the Gov holds! DUDE THAT'S A SECRET MAN!
Commentater A: Anyways! Let's get back to the top 3 countdown now, as the most...
Commentater A + B: INFLUENTIAL in 2007!!
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Don't worry, the results won't be too surprising.
Number 3 in the countdown, and a not surprising one, will be the NS people I've met in this whole year.
But the main particular one, will be a man who made me realize reality in a whole different way.
As you guys know, Takahina used to be a trainee in St John who quit half way after getting his uniform and experiencing something called a Changing Parade. Discipline and hardship was somewhat enforced into him by St John. He hated it, but then at least St John has this unity called "suffering together".
Somehow, Takahina is a little regretful he went awol for St John.
For NS, you can't go awol, cause if u do so, your whole life will be awol.
Anyways, it's been a year in NS, Takahina is getting prolly adapted to the fucked up life in it. But then ever since he entered operation lifestyle and went into office work(Yes, he's an office spec), he experienced a new part of life which is more familiar to the working lifestyle of adulthood and something which you can never experience if you're a chiong sua soldier.
Office Politics.
The period while he was a trainee, was tough... and freedom-less, but at least he found buddies and less.... scheming people.
Buddies such as them...
On the left is yours truly, middle is someone named Boon Jun. Because of him, Takahina got a new name called Woon Jun in there, while he got called Boon Han.
There were also times when my instructors approached me and called me Boon Jun, people approached him and called him Boon Jun.
Woon Han this name, was non-existence.
And on the extreme right was Kenn. He has a photo of him playing CS with SAR 21 and his bunkmates in the bunk. Great stuff ^^
But now it's different. In the office and operational lifestyle, it's totally different.
Operational consist of merits, power and rank fighting, and hypocrites. A lot of it. And Takahina is greatly deterred by such stuff, but realises that he has to play it to ensure his survival in the great world.
People abusing their power, people spreading things which they presume they know about but they don't, people whom you don't want to let them know of stuff you say, unreal truth, helplessness of people in the bottom of the chain.
And you think you've seen it all. That is quite sad really. And to think, this is just NS, a portion whereby it's only a small chip in the office world. The romantism of Takahina is slowly slowly destroyed by the realism of the world. And for once, Takahina really felt anger, furious by a small issue turned big.
It's not really convenient to write them all down, and state on the person who is actually number 3 in the countdown. But he is in this countdown, cause of a the realism he showed me in this world unwittingly. And Takahina thought he knew it all. And it's also because of this that Takahina finally learns on how to be ruthless when he needs to, and to be like a chameleon, truly adaptive and street smart when he needs to. To being ruthless to anyone when he really needs to, to being adaptive and street smart at all cost in this world.
Takahina once stated before, "Never believe in anyone, not even yourself". This phrase is more profound than it seems, it instils beliefs in self-discipline, self adventuring, and the way to be ruthless and selfish when you need to. A chip of the block incident out of an example of a true Office Politics, further enforces it.
Office politics is scary. No wonder my mother complained about it so much while she was working in her bank.
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Number 2 in the countdown, is someone and something which Takahina hadn't dare to tell anyone. Currently only 1 guy knows about it and if possible Takahina will still want to keep it down. But out of respect for this person who once "loved" me, Takahina will mention about her.
My first and ex-girlfriend, Tan Shu Qin. (I won't post up her photo out of respect for her)
Yes, you guys heard it first and now. Takahina did have a girlfriend.
I know her through... DDR.
Yes you heard me DDR. Why? Cause she plays DDR as well, and she's as good, if not better than me. DDR is almost religious to her, and somehow that scares me a little. But when I know her at that time, I still didn't know.
Takahina don't really know much people in the local DDR society, he normally plays DDR by himself or with Tian Wei. But on this faithful day, Takahina was out for a night out, and went to the local CCK lot 1. Takahina likes Lot 1, cause the arcade has one of the most updated music and dance stimulation games. And is also conveniently very close to his camps. In fact it's the closest shopping centers around.
Takahina was playing DDR alone, when Shu Qin asked if she can join in, (cause DDR 1 credit can play 2 persons). And naturally Takahina welcomed her in. Soon after a few rounds of DDR, Takahina boldly asks for her number, which she gave without any concern whatsoever. From then on, Takahina begin to converse with her frequently.
Eventually things get a little heated up, with Shu Qin somehow asking funny questions and saying funny stuff. Emotions gets head on, and Takahina became Shu Qin's boyfriend outrightly. We went out on dates a few times, had frequent phone calls and private moments together (No hanky panky though). And on the 21st December, the relationship was off -- at least for me.
Not that there's no feeling involved, but Takahina can honestly say this, if given more time, more rational thinking, Takahina won't have said the "yes" word.
Takahina asks for a few things regarding relationship, and one of them is communication. Shu Qin fails terribly in that area, which is also one of the reason why we broke up. Communication in a relationship is like experience points in a RPG, it can make a lousy character to be one of the best characters, likewise good communication between both parties can have a relationship plausible. Maybe not the best of any relationship but communication can keep a relationship ongoing. I believe in the long term, communication will be the most important thing between any couple.
Shu Qin wasn't really well educated and her linguistic skills are rather... poor. To be frank, of her close to 500 sms I've received (she is good at spamming smses), I can't comprehend fully 99% of them. I have to use my comprehension skills to decipher her smses. When I try to talk to her, it's almost like talking to a primary 1 school kid. And she tends to get rather childish and outrageous on occasions... All in all, not really the perfect girlfriend you would want.
Communication is rather difficult. She don't understand what I really want, and I don't recognize or agree what she really needs. I tried to held up the relationship, I tried to communicate with her, I tried to be patient. I can't.
Her somewhat foolishness, persistence and lack of independance deterred me eventually, and Takahina ended his first relation. It was a... rather peaceful one. No arguments, no tears. Just smses and questions.
Why Shu Qin is in my countdown for the 2nd place, it's cause she taught me something, something Takahina would never have thought, and she's the one person, to have ever made Takahina deny and break all his own principles and laws.
What she taught me. She showed me this thing called "love without thought". For the first time, Takahina sees how someone, a girl especially in love can act. (or maybe it's only her). Somehow, the relationship opened a new sighting to Takahina's view which I can't really explain. The feeling of being loved, the feeling of being concerned and wanted is not something you can get anytime.
Somehow, after this whole incident I've grown more respectful to girls in love. Regardless of how shameless, how incredible or how wrong it should be. I don't mean girls in lust though. Lust and Love is a total different thing.
She gave me... an eye opener, she gave me an experience, she really shocked my life this year on how careful I should have been. There arises how I broke my own principles. Never break anyone's heart. Never be the one to initiate the breakup. It seems Takahina overly romantism and idealism is already gone.
Did she really love me? Or does she actually understand what is love exactly. No one knows for sure, I doubt if she herself knows it too. And it's now I understand why they also say girls hurt the most in a relationship, if all girls are really putting in their feelings and no variables involved that is.
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The time is here and now. The top person who influenced Takahina the most. This person, doesn't know who is Takahina. Takahina have never seen this person in real life. Then how would Takahina know this person who is unrelated to Takahina at all? His book. The person...
Yes. Robert Kiyosaki.
Takahina was about to go overseas to Australia for his NS training when he met up with Tian Wei for supper. Then Tian Wei passed him this book... this sacred holy book called...
Rich Dad Poor Dad.
From then on, the opinions, the suggestions and the many things which the book taught and talked about enlightened and fully opened the views of Takahina. Perhaps its because the book and what Robert taught about is somewhat similar and different to Takahina's Takahinaism, perhaps it's because the views in it is logical, sensible and yet creatively interesting to Takahina. Takahina is instantly overwhelmed and overtaken by it's power. Financial power perhaps.
What the book taught, is more than just financial knowledge and the wealth. It's the principles behind it.
One thing I've just seen through is about fear. The fear of rejection, money, risk etc etc. Human has many fear, money is one of them and therefore they call for security, hence the opinion of a job security is pleasing to anyone. But normally a job security would render you the lost of financial security.
But behind such a simple thought, it's not just fear of money, but I've learned of fear of rejection and such, and what people will do with it. Yes the book was intended to shape one up to be rich, but then what matters in being rich, is the person behind it. And from reading it, I've gained knowledge of how exactly and what exactly I should do to achieve my dreams, my wants, my needs. It takes more than just discipline, more than just skills required, more than just knowledge. Its takes a whole new person willing to make changes, willing to make risk, willing to go out there and do something, after doing careful planning and organising. Even if you lose, you fail, you go down. Treat it as a lesson and try try try again.
It almost seems to be a simple lesson we learn and hear in everyday life.
"One is never too old to learn." - Chinese Proverb we hear everywhere.
"Failure is the mother of all success."(sounds damn funny) - Chinese Proverb we hear everywhere.
Self Discipline instiled in us by NS.
And some other advices and things you never hear or was opposed to, such as taking on risk. Robert Kiyosaki also continued on stating on many financial knowledge stuff and characteristics. It also carried on talking about investment, business knowledge many other should know things in money and the rat race of life which the majority of the world is unknowingly in. Takahina has no wish to be in it, and undeniably, Takahina will be following what Robert Kiyosaki has taught in. Maybe not totally, Takahina will model his teachings in the book to suit Takahina's lifestyle. But, certainly, it'll be affected and modelled after what "Rich Dad Poor Dad" said.
I don't know how this book affected Tian Wei, but this book affected the way I operate now. It also affect on how I think about my future. I don't have the skills to be financially free, don't have the character yet to be one. But Takahina will strive to be one. Takahina will be a person he wants to be, and fulfill the dreams he wants. Thanks to Robert Kiyosaki's book. He may not know it, but the degree this book changed me, is enormous.
Why this book is number 1 in the countdown is for obvious reason. This book I think could be attributed to shaping out my future path. And the future, will be going on and on.
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So here you have it.
5th place: EvE
4th place: Grandpa
3rd place: NS
2nd place: Shu Qin
1st place: Robert Kiyosaki
Thank you all, and have a very happy new year ^^
(Sorry ar ben, you name not in hahahahahahahaaha)
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