Hi 2017. You are finally here. You couldn't come any sooner. You got me all excited as I can finally countdown to ORD. So close, yet so far. I'm done with NS mentally but sadly my time is not up yet. Can't believe I actually wanted to extend my service. My soul would rot to its core if I were to stay any longer. I cannot even... nvm. I know I'll miss it but I'd choose to end even if say I were to get regular pay to serve. Yup. Sorry young boy. I've made you proud. Alas, we all know that you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. It was good while it lasts. Roughly 10 more duties to go. I only look forward to the small things that make me treasure my time there. Thankfully these moments still exist.

On another note, 2016 has been a year of countless discoveries. Some are beautiful, while some are not. Here's some that strike me the most.

1) The world is ruled by money, sex, power and fame.

It's the first thing I realised gradually upon turning 21. These evil powers have the ability to change people. It's part of our *nafs. Can't comment much as I can only think of solutions from my religion's point of view.

2) The world can be your heaven or a prison if you stay on the right path.

The choice is yours. We are always tempted to seek pleasure due to its gratification. It gets easier to fall back to the wrong path with a low level of iman. Thus, to stay on the right path, keep doing the small things that boosts our iman. Most importantly, don't leave out our prayers no matter what is going on in our lives. Better to have prayed and sinned than to have not prayed at all. May Allah swt guide us all on the right path.

3) Work is tiring. School is easy.

Slowly starting to understand why I have been hearing this point since my schooling days. On that note, I realise that there is so much going on around me when I am no longer schooling. Plus, I start to view people differently now that I'm technically working. Take a bus driver for example. As a student, I won't think much when I board a bus and see the bus driver. Not anymore. Now, I have gained the ability to be in their shoes when they're at work. So when I see a bus driver, I'd ask myself these questions:

What's his working hours like?
How many off days does he have?
Given a choice, would he choose another job?
Does he have enough time to spend with his family?

It's a daily affair on my off days and I wish I can turn off this present I received from turning 21. Really. Everywhere I go these questions would pop up in my mind when I see retail workers, F&B workers, security guards, cleaners, bus drivers, doctors... ALL THE JOBS IN THE MARKET BASICALLY, mostly for blue-collared workers though.  This happens when I'm overseas too. I guess I'll have to live with it. It'd be nice if more people can feel for workers. Like perhaps you litterbugs won't be fucking scumbags who expect cleaners to clean up after you. Or you wouldn't be rude to retail/ customer service staff. Maybe you keyboard warriors can stfu and replace those whose job is to protect the nation. Seriously. We are all earning a living. You demand our service so don't think that you can lord over them just because you undervalue their work. Get out mate.

4) Hitting the gym isn't my passion. I believe my passions lie in motorcycling (touring) and hiking.

I'd like to think that hitting the gym is just a scientifically proven way to put me in a good mood and also to empower myself. If not for the countless benefits on hand, I won't spend much time on it tbh haha. That's something rather surprising coming from me. Don't get me started on how much I love touring and hiking. Only been to 1 ride up north to Melaka last year and I'm already longing for more. Hiking itself is already an activity I enjoy. What more when it is usually combined with travelling. Looking forward to KL ride and Mt Kinabalu climb this year :). If I can find a woman who shares the same passion then I'd wife you immediately HAHA.

5) I cherish freedom. I loathe company. In other words, I am an introvert.

I like it when I am the master of my time and my thoughts. I feel suffocated socialising or doing something as a group. In fact, the world is a mean place for introverts. What more in my current line of work where you work as a team every single duty. I'd like to work independently one day if possible. But that's just unfeasible so I'd probably pick a job which is purposeful and not solely to earn my paycheck. That's just how I see it.

6) A job is a job no matter how much you think you enjoy it.

Before enlisting, I was clueless on the jobscope of a firefighter. Being a childhood dream job, it was something I thought I would breeze through due to the "passion" and "living my dream" mentality. Oh I was so wrong. Learnt it the hard way as a trainee and a firefighter currently. I'd treat it as an internship and thankfully I know now what goes on in this job. That said, at least now I won't choose a job solely based on its glamorous factor and prestige. Like how I thought being an air steward is the shit but slowly I realise the life they lead which has its drawbacks rarely made known to the general public.

I'm sure I have more points to bring out on my 2016 discoveries but these are just some pressing discoveries I need to share. Last but not least, keep in mind that your parents come first in your life.
May Allah ease our affairs and help me get through my remaining service and also my transition to being a student again.

lmao fts and get me outta here m8

*What is NAFS