Wargamezzzz....

Was at the wargames centre this entire week, supposedly preparing for the major division exercise we're having next week. As with the last time I was at the wargames centre, it was a horrific waste of time, as we spent most of our time trying to get sleep by either contorting ourselves in the cushioned chairs or finding comfortable positions on the freezing tiled floor. Under such hostile conditions, sleep was fitful at best. What we were supposed to do, of course, was to rehearse and revise the operations that we were supposed to perform during the 4-day long exercise next week. Naturally, we did next to none of that and the only productive work was verifying that we had the correct types and number of units.

As negative as I may sound, I do think that the whole concept of wargames is quite good. It's probably excellent training for the high-level commanders in terms of planning and operations but for us peons who are merely mouse-clicking in the freezing cold computer rooms, it couldn't be a bigger waste of time. I really wonder what training value is there for us following the orders from above and moving the units to where we're told to move them. Geez.

Went for the Cornell Club reception for President Lehman at Raffles Hotel on Monday. I really love the contrast when I book out from camp for such events. It's mildly discomfiting to have people serving you drinks and asking for your empty glasses after you're done, after having booked out from a place where you're the guy who would be doing all the serving. In any case, it was quite fun, and I met up with a few old friends and got their namecards. Again, very disorienting - I felt extremely army-boy in front of them with their corporate-world appearances and habits. But I guess in a year or so, I'll be joining them in name-card giving and networking and what not. *shudder*

Interestingly, Jennie Chua (big boss of Raffles Holdings) was there at the reception - yes she's a Cornell alumnus! She definitely has a magnetic personality and a certain aura about her. However, I did find her a bit blunt at times during her speech but I guess she can afford to be, since she just joined the Cornell board of trustees.

Rumours have it that we NSFs might have a pay raise sometime this next month. Sounds too good to be true, and I'm quite prepared to be disappointed, since they just raised NSF allowance not too long ago. But you'd never know what's going on with MINDEF these days - first shorten NS liability then pay raise...