pre-lopusota (eek!)
Well, here I am again. Today is Finland's Independence Day. 88 years (I think. Err.) of independence now lies behind us. All things considered, that ain't much.
Anyway, I watched snippets of Tuntematon Sotilas (Unknown Soldier - Finnish war movie based on book with same title written by Väinö Linna). Funny movie. Or not. Man we still have the same practices in the "modern" Finnish army. And some of the same gear. Improvisation. The whole friggen Finnish Defence Forces is an improvised, rag-tag army of conscripts. I feel proud.
On Thursday, we'll leave for Niinisalo, a place somewhere close to Pori, where we'll have 9 nights, 10 days of camp. Living in a tent. Not sleeping. We won't even have the pretense of sleeping now, since they've banned the use of all mortars following the accident last Friday. Which means this will be a 10-day exercise in running around and pretending we're in war. I really don't know. Our lieutenant will come up with something incredibly painful for us to do, doubt it not. But, I might again be exaggerating the unknown, like I did before the whole march-thing. In one way, it'll be more exciting : we might meet soldiers from other places than the ol' home corners (should be lots of people arriving there), it'll be a change from fuckin' Syndalen or some fuckin' island, and there's a chance there will be observers around who'll keep a lid on our dear Lt.W. But probably not. We'll be camped in the middle of a forest somewhere, a couple of klicks from everyone else, like always. We'll have exercises 'till freezing 12-1 in the morning, then sleep maybe 2 hours max, then get up and continue. I doubt we'll see anyone outside of our own platoon except maybe the odd observer, and whomever happens to be there when we go get food.
Yip. Tomorrow I must get evening-leave so I can go buy chocolate. >_< everything was closed today. Duh. The alternative is frightening : no chocolate, 10 days camp. *shiver*
But after this, my friends. It shall all be over.
Wish me luck, everyone. Here's to hoping I survive.
Anyway, I watched snippets of Tuntematon Sotilas (Unknown Soldier - Finnish war movie based on book with same title written by Väinö Linna). Funny movie. Or not. Man we still have the same practices in the "modern" Finnish army. And some of the same gear. Improvisation. The whole friggen Finnish Defence Forces is an improvised, rag-tag army of conscripts. I feel proud.
On Thursday, we'll leave for Niinisalo, a place somewhere close to Pori, where we'll have 9 nights, 10 days of camp. Living in a tent. Not sleeping. We won't even have the pretense of sleeping now, since they've banned the use of all mortars following the accident last Friday. Which means this will be a 10-day exercise in running around and pretending we're in war. I really don't know. Our lieutenant will come up with something incredibly painful for us to do, doubt it not. But, I might again be exaggerating the unknown, like I did before the whole march-thing. In one way, it'll be more exciting : we might meet soldiers from other places than the ol' home corners (should be lots of people arriving there), it'll be a change from fuckin' Syndalen or some fuckin' island, and there's a chance there will be observers around who'll keep a lid on our dear Lt.W. But probably not. We'll be camped in the middle of a forest somewhere, a couple of klicks from everyone else, like always. We'll have exercises 'till freezing 12-1 in the morning, then sleep maybe 2 hours max, then get up and continue. I doubt we'll see anyone outside of our own platoon except maybe the odd observer, and whomever happens to be there when we go get food.
Yip. Tomorrow I must get evening-leave so I can go buy chocolate. >_< everything was closed today. Duh. The alternative is frightening : no chocolate, 10 days camp. *shiver*
But after this, my friends. It shall all be over.
Wish me luck, everyone. Here's to hoping I survive.