The Wilderness Series #03 - Comrades In Arms and Surrender

NOTE: The entry below has actually been worked on many many times before this final release version, largely due to procrastination to complete it. So pardon me if some sections do not sound coherent or if they sound as if they were written by different people, I am a little schizophrenic. But lo and behold, it is finally finished, so before I apologise yet again for the long delay, enjoy the article.

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After more than a year and many many months since my last decent post, I've finally decided to break my long persistent procrastination and create a third addition to my long forgotten Wilderness Series. For those who have forgotten, here's a link to the previous release:

The Wilderness Series #02 - Behind These Wandering Eyes

As a tribute to the previous post, this one talks about friends as compared to guys. So there you go, enjoy!

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The Wilderness Series #03 - Comrades In Arms and Surrender
An article by Seraphim

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If I were to ask you, who can't you live your life without? Go past your corny cliche answer of your loved one and answer that truthfully. Okay, also exclude your maid out of that answer. What do you get? Your friends! You maid-cleaner-gardener-chauffer dependant lazy pigs! Yup, truth be told, you really can't imagine going through your whines and traumas without those creatures that you constantly abuse.

On a closer examination, friends come in different shapes, sizes, and purpose. Yes, purpose. There's always a reason why humans do the things they do, whether they're conscious of it or not. If you're still wondering what they could possibly be, read on, and discover the true cynical side to yourself.

For pure, genuine, goody-goody old-fashioned friendship

Well, if you live in the Disney movie world, you would know what I'm talking about. Some of you fairy tale suckers out there still believe in what is termed 'true friendship', where you really befriend someone unconditionally. As in, for free. I repeat, you kiasu Singaporeans, FREE! *gasp* Is that possible? Nah. Wake up people, we live in a world where nothing's free anymore. Not for real anyway. There's always a drawback for everything there is. So let's believe in some humanity and look inside yourself and find that truth as to why you tolerate that obnoxious friend of yours.

For Company

Hah, got you there. Even if this sounds harmless, it is nonetheless a selfish motivation, isn't it? How many times was it that you ask for the accompaniment of others because you don't want to appear anti-social in that high school environment of yours, don't want to be afraid to go to that spooky toilet or just can't stand the state of solitude that will haunt you if you are left in isolation. Oh, how hard the realisation hits you now, eh? Yes my dear sinful readers, you have committed this act before. Well, if you have any friends at all that is.

For fun

Not for fun as in for no reason at all, you simple minded caveman. As in, for fun and laughter, peace and joy. When you’re feeling high as if you’ve slurped sugar concentrated redbull with double shot of expresso, these kind of people are those who you look for to exert your excessive energy on. Probably also because they can get similarly high or are feeling just as high as you. Hell breaks loose when you guys are together in that discombobulating state of mind. One word to describe it? Crazy.

For benefits

The epitome of superficialism, this is it. Not everybody is meant for everybody else, but there are some people out there who you would like to be with because through them you can get what you want. It can be a lot of things, like other friends, money’s a common one, connections, and the list goes on and on. This is not something that everyone would do, but people who are wise, or plain old devious, would do this to achieve their ends. Not to say that this is dishonourable, to be realistic, but this is something that you would do if you want to survive in a competitive urban environment.

For other benefits

Friends with benefits. Sounds familiar? Yes, when two lonely souls chance upon each other in a time of social need and suppressed lust, the inevitable happens. You know you cannot, will not or do not want to be together, but that itch in your nether regions bring you both together for that release of wild energy building up inside you during the time you are apart. Do not be shameful of it, we understand the need for it, though the rest of society might shun you for that act. But hey, deep down, they understand too.

Okay, that’s all that I can come up with the half-mind that I have right now. I don’t know why but I always seem to be doing these types of articles when I’m feeling high, so pardon the weird incoherent language. So there you have it guys, the different friend classifications there are (or at least some of them). Just like the previous release, this classification can be interchangeable and intertwined, so have fun figuring out why you’re wasting your time with that bird brain sitting in front of you.

The WIlderness Series #02 - Behind These Wandering Eyes

Rafahn: Well, I've been rotting in Farhan's head long enough. Since he's down, I'll be doing a full-length article this time. Can you believe it? An article of my own!!! So, I'll make do without all the crap that Farhan always comes up with and share with you something that's close to your hearts. So.... enjoy!

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The Wilderness Series #02 - Behind These Wandering Eyes
An article by Seraphim

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We've all gone through life, had a fair share of its hardship and shed a few tears. But the most memorable moments were the ones when we shared with a loved one. Speaking about loved ones, it's interesting to note how a guy can change when they face their counterparts. Today, let's take a look at some of these 'transformations'.

The Playboy
This is an obvious category; the name says it all. This guy is a sucker for relationships. Often we'll find him having more than one relationships at once. Let's not call it two-timing, let's call it multi-tasking. Commitment is a non-existent word for this guy. What pleases this chap are things that usually pleases his eyes. Like a busy fisherman, he'll reel in all the fresh, pretty fishes that comes near his line.

The Obsessed
While the Playboy is a sucker for relationships, this guy's a sucker for a specific girl. There's a slight understanding of commitment to him, at least as long as his obsession lasts. The distinct tell-tale sign of an Obsessed is the way he acts towards his girl. His fingers would twirl around his cellphone, bracing for an SMS from her, he can never keep her out of his conversations, and the ultimate confirmation of an Obsessed: he would die if his girl doesn't wave back. Yeah, I can hear the "ooh"s and the "ah"s already. You know what kind of person I'm talking about here right? A little like the Playboy, an Obsessed gets obsessed with a person who would catch his sore spot. If a girl were to find herself in the grasp of an Obsessed, don't reject him. Clean out his pockets first, he'll gladly do it.

The Desperado
This is an easy one to figure out. This guy's just plain old desperate. He's the type who's either new to relationships, became a host to newly raging hormones or been out of a relationship for too long. It's quite easy to recognise a Desperado; he'll try to catch anyone within his grasp. Either for a friend or a relationship, he'll grab them all. Usually likes to make known the fact that he's a real man and that he's got the girl to prove it. This guy wants to get the type that he wants, but beggars can't be choosers like they say, so he'll just grab them as they come.

The Family Man
This type's been getting more popular over the years. This guy's got a bit of the Playboy in him, but the difference is he won't admit them as relationships. Confused? Try replacing the word "girlfriend" with "sister" or whatever crackpot name they could think of. Does that ring any bells? We have to give them credit for one thing though, for calling their girlfriends 'sisters', they get one huge advantage: they can have as many girlfriends as they want without being accused of two-timing. Smart eh? I mean, it's logical, you can't have many girlfrineds but you can have many sisters. Man, this guy could have enough simultaneous relationships to make Playboy jealous. Like I said, this guy would never confess his love for his counterparts, calling it 'brotherly love' or something. Ugh, lame...

The Elephant Man
They say an elephant never forgets. I say an elephant has one hell of a thick skin. Just like our Elephant Man here. This guy's got a bit of the Desperado in him, with the difference being he doesn't acknowledge his own desperation himself. A master of drama, he'll act as if people actually think he's the hottest thing on legs, but of course the truth is much far off. Realising this is an impossibility for him, as he'll be obliged to keep thinking of his dellusional hot self. I guess there's no need to describe how this guy looks like; everything that's not what he says.

The Prince Charming
Don't get me wrong, the Prince Charming isn't the handsomest of them all. Hey, it's hard to keep beauty in royal blood you know. The Prince Charming is simply a guy who can keep his relationship (that's singular), quite a diversion from the guys above. He's not the sick one like the Obsessed, not dellusional like the Elephant Man and definitely not a Desperado. Just a guy who has a good old clean relationship, the classic type. That's not to say this guy's perfect. His imperfections? Er... I'll have to think about that...

The Lone Wolf
Aha, the final one on the list of misfits. Let's just get to the point here. This guy walks alone and wants to stay that way. Que themse song "Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams", heh. That's not to say he's gay either, since I'm talking about guys here, not people in between. This guy just wants to walk the lonely road on the boulevard of his own dreams. He doesn't mind it. I think.

So there you have it, the different classifications of the male mindset. Go figure out which one you are. Remember, in the real world, they tend to mix and match, so have fun classifying yourselves!

The Wilderness Series #01 - Of Glitter and Silk

Hello again readers. Allow me to apologize for the excruciatingly long article before this one. I guess I got carried away, and all that words seemed to have dampened the effect of the contents. Since that is the case, I’ll hold back the continuation until enough readers request for it.

For now, I have composed a little something about a topic that is very close to my heart. If the title doesn’t give away the answer, then read on. If you’ve figured it out already, just read on anyway.

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The Wilderness Series #01 - Of Glitter and Silk
A tribute to the student councillors
An article by Seraphim

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[ Part I ]
Early morning, at the start of another school day, I stepped into the school feeling as though I’m doing it for the first time, for this time, there was something different. Unknowingly, I slipped into the morning crowd towards where my class was seated. It all seemed normal, yet I could not dismiss the emptiness that now resided in my heart.

I did not need a reminder of what I was missing, but a reminder was what came into my sight. From across the parade square I saw it; a glitter of gold reflecting the might of the morning sun and a swish of blue silk cascaded by little torches. It was the councillors’ badge and tie.

For almost as long as I have been in my school, the only version of myself that I could remember was as a councillor. But now that I have stepped down, my whole school life was seen in a whole new light. Without my appointment, I have begun to realize that being a councillor means a whole lot more than just wearing the badge and tie. Now that I am without it, I have begun to miss it.

One might ask, what is it about a councillor anyway? A councillor is truly to be a class above the rest. Their lives are dominated with authority and discipline, from the very start of the morning. A councillor’s routine starts with the punctual reporting and performing of duties. To even broaden the gap differentiating councillors and mere students, they even sit at a separate place. Checks on appearance and punishment are even done internally, isolated from outside influence. But that is just what everyone sees.

To be a councillor is to be more than just a disciplinarian. Every councillor is part of a bigger picture, one that have come to terms as family, for their relationship among one another is that close. Within the council itself are systems to keep every councillor in check, from their discipline to their very welfare. Councillorship is not to just be looked at, but also to be looked after. Only with that kind of unity can the council function properly.

Truly, a family exists within the council. They share numerous joyful moments together. A councillor’s life is full of outings for bonding, pizza treats for laughs and chats for the sake of fun.

This is not to say that it is an easy life. The consequence of misconduct is far more severe for a councillor. Upon their shoulder sits a very heavy responsibility, concerning not just themselves but the whole student body, as that is where their service and purpose lies. On the other hand, with these downsides in their lives their bonds become stronger, for it is not the happy times shared that brings people closer, it is the sad times that does.

[ Part II ]
For me, my life as a councillor was an unforgettable one. My batch was the earliest to be recruited, with our selection near the end of secondary one. Before we were even recruited, we were fortunate to participate in a selection camp, where our performance influenced our chances of proceeding.

Since the investiture was in mid sec two, there was an awkwardly long probation period. Most of us took this in a good sense as we got to do what the other batches did not; get to know the Exco. Due to the short coinciding service duration, the other batches of recruits barely had much chance to interact with their Exco, so we were considered lucky.

The official start of councillorship was a grand one, with a grand investiture and a councillor dinner just a week after that. Working with the new Exco was quite a fulfilling experience. We got to know how the other tick through daily duties and the torturing camps we endured. Kind to think of it, it was under their leadership that the most trying camps was conducted.

Then came my third year in school, qualifying me for an Exco appointment. Naturally, I was nominated for an Exco position. Looking back at the time before becoming an Exco, the journey before it was the most significant. The assistant Exco had to put together a play done by the new recruits, and to me it was under that pressure that we got to know each other by name. The final Exco was not as we expected. There was a lot of discontent (especially me) amongst us, something that we later found to have a different effect.

The Exco was finalized, and we had to bear our grudges against one another. The Exco were really strangers to each other at the beginning, some even had enmity between each other. Through our service for the council, we developed a strange dependency for togetherness, and become the closest of friends.

Now it is sadly the end of that road for us. The last part of it was the most tasteful. The Exco had a first hand experience at the process in the selection of the new recruits. Only then did we realize the importance this had to the school. We weren’t just separating the good from the bad, instead planning for the future of the school. Being a councillor gives one an opportunity to make a change, a power that could not be taken lightly. Only those with the purest of intentions were endowed with such power.

The investiture was yet another symbolic part of my service. The transition of the Exco was the sifting of the sand from the previous Exco to the next, symbolizing the handing down of our legacy and knowledge to live on in the new council.

Now that the 5th Executive Committee members along with the other councillors have stepped down, we sit back to watch the newly formed 6th Student Council fall into place and hopefully, bring up the legacy of the councillors.

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A big thank you to all those who have helped the councillors in one way or another.
To the teachers who led us, a big hug for your perseverance and support.
To the ex-councillors under the charge of the 5th Exco, we salute you for your undying dedication to our cause.
To the 5th Executive Committee members themselves, there never was a tighter friendship than ours. I’ll always miss you guys.
To the 6th Student Council and its Exco, you can’t go looking for that light at the end of the tunnel. You have to spark it yourself. Now.