Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Basic Military Training
So within a blinkxzxz of an eye, BMT is over. Though 2 months is a pretty short duration, but many fond memories were etched in our minds.
I was quite blessed to be in a platoon with no delinquents to deal with. Making friends with any of them is easy because they are very friendly bunch of people. Tekong was a nice place too. The bunks are nice and clean, toilets are well kept with a window facing the sea, food is delicious - it's like a mini offshore chalet. F coy is not haunted, or if there is any, not scarier than our PS and 2IC.
1st few days in tekong took a toll on me because of everyday's leg exercises and staircase. Comparing canoeing training with army training, canoeing training is tougher BUT at least we get to rest for the next day or we will be training another different group of muscles. Army training is different, lactic acid kept pouring into our calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteals and only until bookout day, then we can drain these lactate away. That's the price to pay for working and not exercising for 1/2 a year.
At least hardwork pays off when final IPPT and SOC comes. During BMT, we got to shoot our homemade assault rifle, the SAR21. It's so much easier to handle and shoot compare to M16! With the scope and laser aiming device, there is no doubt of 'securing a swift and decisive force should deterrence fail'. Throwing of hand grenade was also a great experience!
If you happen to encounter a bunch of botak chao recruits sitting together, you will CONFIRM hear them talk about field camp... sittest... because these are the key events that made us feel like a 'mighty warrior of our land'. Field camp is definitely a huge culture shock for most chao recruits. First, there is no toilet, you have to shit in a hole called shithole, which was dug nicely by our sergeants. Second, there are wild boars around, threatening to attack our field pack (where we kept our food). We were told that we should not, or rather we cannot do anything when wild boars loot our food. Third, we must be in high kneel position from point to point. The rationale behind this is to minimise individual's body exposure to enemy's sight. Sometimes in the expense of weakening your delicate knee cap when the place is full of sharp rocks. Fourth, rifles must be with us at all times. Even in sleep, we must already had a strategy to prevent our rifles from being 'stunned' by our sergeants. Fifth, we dug holes called shellscrape, and slept in it. When turnout in the wee hours, it looks like zombies just rose up from their graves. Sixth.. ARGH many many more... Well for sittest, is like a 2 day field camp. But its more fun because we have missions to do, like.. *military secrets*.. basically its like IQ tests.
Most memorable route march in BMT is definitely the last 24km route march. The final march before 'POP lo'. We marched through rocky hills camp, then to our urban operations area. After that, we are like marching down memory lanes, where we marched past field camp sites, field camp 5bx site, tactical fast march route etc... As we sing army songs and pop songs during our route march, as our morale reached its peak, a little sour feeling starts to grow in me... We are moving on with army life and we will be separated into different vocations, units, camps...
This is inevitable. But still, fond memories are created :).
Special thanks to:
Everyone in falcon platoon 4 for being nice and friendly!
Everyone in falcon platoon 4 section 2 for the late night stories!
My buddy for tolerating my nonsense!
Every commanders in platoon 4 for the discipline instilled in us and for being serious in training!
Every officers and csm in falcon coy for the effort they put in for every well planned events!
Everyone in drill squad for the effort and time even though we didnt win!
Everyone in tug of war for the effort and time even though we GG 1st round!
Everyone in NE team for the wonderful performance and video even though we didnt win either!
FALCON WILL FIGHT! FALCON WILL KILL! FALCON WILL .... YOU .... YOU .... YOU .... YOU!!
I was quite blessed to be in a platoon with no delinquents to deal with. Making friends with any of them is easy because they are very friendly bunch of people. Tekong was a nice place too. The bunks are nice and clean, toilets are well kept with a window facing the sea, food is delicious - it's like a mini offshore chalet. F coy is not haunted, or if there is any, not scarier than our PS and 2IC.
1st few days in tekong took a toll on me because of everyday's leg exercises and staircase. Comparing canoeing training with army training, canoeing training is tougher BUT at least we get to rest for the next day or we will be training another different group of muscles. Army training is different, lactic acid kept pouring into our calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteals and only until bookout day, then we can drain these lactate away. That's the price to pay for working and not exercising for 1/2 a year.
At least hardwork pays off when final IPPT and SOC comes. During BMT, we got to shoot our homemade assault rifle, the SAR21. It's so much easier to handle and shoot compare to M16! With the scope and laser aiming device, there is no doubt of 'securing a swift and decisive force should deterrence fail'. Throwing of hand grenade was also a great experience!
If you happen to encounter a bunch of botak chao recruits sitting together, you will CONFIRM hear them talk about field camp... sittest... because these are the key events that made us feel like a 'mighty warrior of our land'. Field camp is definitely a huge culture shock for most chao recruits. First, there is no toilet, you have to shit in a hole called shithole, which was dug nicely by our sergeants. Second, there are wild boars around, threatening to attack our field pack (where we kept our food). We were told that we should not, or rather we cannot do anything when wild boars loot our food. Third, we must be in high kneel position from point to point. The rationale behind this is to minimise individual's body exposure to enemy's sight. Sometimes in the expense of weakening your delicate knee cap when the place is full of sharp rocks. Fourth, rifles must be with us at all times. Even in sleep, we must already had a strategy to prevent our rifles from being 'stunned' by our sergeants. Fifth, we dug holes called shellscrape, and slept in it. When turnout in the wee hours, it looks like zombies just rose up from their graves. Sixth.. ARGH many many more... Well for sittest, is like a 2 day field camp. But its more fun because we have missions to do, like.. *military secrets*.. basically its like IQ tests.
Most memorable route march in BMT is definitely the last 24km route march. The final march before 'POP lo'. We marched through rocky hills camp, then to our urban operations area. After that, we are like marching down memory lanes, where we marched past field camp sites, field camp 5bx site, tactical fast march route etc... As we sing army songs and pop songs during our route march, as our morale reached its peak, a little sour feeling starts to grow in me... We are moving on with army life and we will be separated into different vocations, units, camps...
This is inevitable. But still, fond memories are created :).
Special thanks to:
Everyone in falcon platoon 4 for being nice and friendly!
Everyone in falcon platoon 4 section 2 for the late night stories!
My buddy for tolerating my nonsense!
Every commanders in platoon 4 for the discipline instilled in us and for being serious in training!
Every officers and csm in falcon coy for the effort they put in for every well planned events!
Everyone in drill squad for the effort and time even though we didnt win!
Everyone in tug of war for the effort and time even though we GG 1st round!
Everyone in NE team for the wonderful performance and video even though we didnt win either!
FALCON WILL FIGHT! FALCON WILL KILL! FALCON WILL .... YOU .... YOU .... YOU .... YOU!!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Metamorphosis
1 more day and that marks the end of my teenage life. As the day is pressing near, my excitement for NS grows exponentially. Not that I'm afraid of the training, or worry about anything, but its a new phase of life!
Since young, I've got a 'format' of my life - if nothing goes wrong:
Baby > Schooling > NS > Working > Marriage > Make Babies :D > Retirement > Deathbed.
Finally, I'm reaching the 3rd phase of my life. Many changes must be made. As Bible says, 'When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.' 1 Cor 13:11.
Oh yes, before I go in, I must thank all my wonderful friends for making these days the best days of my life. From our usual supper team, to genting team, to colleagues, to cell group and to ncc buddies, 'THANK YOU YOU' for all the wonderful memories! I will store them in a corner of my hippocampus!
I will enjoy army life :)
Since young, I've got a 'format' of my life - if nothing goes wrong:
Baby > Schooling > NS > Working > Marriage > Make Babies :D > Retirement > Deathbed.
Finally, I'm reaching the 3rd phase of my life. Many changes must be made. As Bible says, 'When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.' 1 Cor 13:11.
Oh yes, before I go in, I must thank all my wonderful friends for making these days the best days of my life. From our usual supper team, to genting team, to colleagues, to cell group and to ncc buddies, 'THANK YOU YOU' for all the wonderful memories! I will store them in a corner of my hippocampus!
I will enjoy army life :)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Shit Happens
NARUTO ROCKS.
In this long, long holiday, it's inevitable to daydream about the past and future.
Every moment we are consumed by time, digested as history, defecated out as lessons from the past. Whether you want to model yourself after your parents to your children in the future, or whether you want to be rich in the future, you harness the 'waste' you got from time and smeared it on your future.
But future is a series of events yet to happen. You may be the best father/mother in the world, but if your spouse do not commit, it's still a flawed family. You may want to be rich, but sometime in the future, your close friends or family need your money urgently, will you not help?
Your future may be a big fecal matter after all.
In this long, long holiday, it's inevitable to daydream about the past and future.
Every moment we are consumed by time, digested as history, defecated out as lessons from the past. Whether you want to model yourself after your parents to your children in the future, or whether you want to be rich in the future, you harness the 'waste' you got from time and smeared it on your future.
But future is a series of events yet to happen. You may be the best father/mother in the world, but if your spouse do not commit, it's still a flawed family. You may want to be rich, but sometime in the future, your close friends or family need your money urgently, will you not help?
Your future may be a big fecal matter after all.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Diary of Tears
1 litre of tears? How cheesy can this title get? Attempting to squeeze my tears out by just looking at this title?
I know I'm a little out of date, but recently I started watching this japanese series. I did not really achieve 1 litre of tears by the end of the whole series, but just a few packets of tissue paper. Nevertheless, I will cry more than a litre, if I'm suffering the similar disease.
Can you imagine your future being robbed away? Can you imagine that you are losing control of your body to the disease as each second passes by? Can you believe that such cruel disease is real and had tortured many people already?
The story is adapted from a victim's diary, Aya Kito, about her emotional struggles with spinocerebellar degeneration disease. Though I don't think the tv series reflected exactly what the diary is about, but it do tugged my heartstrings and dehydrated my lacrimal gland. In this tv series, you will see how Aya Ikeuchi falters with this incurable curse - from a lively schoolgirl/basketballer with a bright future, to a bedridden patient.
According to Hardy(2009), his bunkmates were also moved and had shed tears for the series. Thus, it is concluded that I am not a sissy. :D
-
Tuesdays' and Thursdays' land trainings are back to my life! I will work towards 'easy life' in BMT!
I know I'm a little out of date, but recently I started watching this japanese series. I did not really achieve 1 litre of tears by the end of the whole series, but just a few packets of tissue paper. Nevertheless, I will cry more than a litre, if I'm suffering the similar disease.
Can you imagine your future being robbed away? Can you imagine that you are losing control of your body to the disease as each second passes by? Can you believe that such cruel disease is real and had tortured many people already?
The story is adapted from a victim's diary, Aya Kito, about her emotional struggles with spinocerebellar degeneration disease. Though I don't think the tv series reflected exactly what the diary is about, but it do tugged my heartstrings and dehydrated my lacrimal gland. In this tv series, you will see how Aya Ikeuchi falters with this incurable curse - from a lively schoolgirl/basketballer with a bright future, to a bedridden patient.
According to Hardy(2009), his bunkmates were also moved and had shed tears for the series. Thus, it is concluded that I am not a sissy. :D
-
Tuesdays' and Thursdays' land trainings are back to my life! I will work towards 'easy life' in BMT!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
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