2009 Recollections
Since I have still some time and in case i forget, i shall do a short recollection of 2009.
It's really amazing how the year has passed. So quickly even though i've been whining weeks after weeks how boring it had been.
January had been a mad rush of outings before enlistment. And i remember really enjoying myself to the fullest before my body gave way to illness. lol. I remember the anxiety of enlisting, getting my hair shaved, going into the world of regimentation in a lonely island offshore. Spending my CNY botak has been a new experience, with all lights reflecting from my baldness, i had been the centre of attention wherever i visit. But by no means more angpows unfortunately.
As BMT continues, things got tougher. Field camp was the highlight of bmt. The craziest shit they can make you do when you are dirty and sticky and angry. Combat rations that tasted like shit (i still can't believe people actually found it nice). The time i shed my first tear for my country. SOC then after which injured my knee without quite realising it. It just got me hurting for quite a prolonged period of time, which caused me to fail my ippt.
The experience of being cold, wet and muddy without a proper shelter, that's my SIT test. The time when everyone acts like god helping you with every single thing, that's SIT test. Repeatedly failing sbj due to my injured knee.
And of course after 9 weeks, there's the day we've been waiting for: POP! The fact that we're leaving the horrible island of tekong for good for a 1 week long block leave made us high.
Getting A levels results was a damn scary experience. The feeling of heart pumping so hard and fast then almost stopped at the climax. I guess miracles dont always happen. You get what you put in minus some luck. And i should be contented with what i got.
The rush for scholarships application was horrible. With my distracted nature and last minuteness and horrible essay-writing skills, i didn't even get my chance to be interviewed other than by MOE, which is quite a disappointment to be honest.
Life as a unit man. Dont need to be sandwiched like a spec, dont need to go through the long shit of ocs life. The posting really made my jaws dropped initially. What the hell is 39sce cbrd pnr was the first reaction. Reading on the half truths on the forums didn't qualm my nerves. Thankfully things werent as bad as they made it sound. Yes, the protective suits are hot, stuffy, stinky, disgusting but at least they didn't make us do impossible tasks in it (thinks MOPP4 SOC WTH).
My first birthday in camp. Still unaccustomed with the fact that sergeant is not a god unlike in bmt, i had to lose my hair to recruit hairstyle again. Bleh. But it felt good receiving your bday wishes while in camp. It made camp feel less out-of-the-world.
Fast forward to army open house, the first "ops". It was crazy doing all the saigang for it but ultimately, it's really fun to interact with the civillians. And saw a few familiar faces. And the number of offs we earned from that, till now, remains my number 1 top off earner.
Fast forward again till turning ops, another milestone of life in 39. Even though the turn ops exercise was xiong, which gave me a new experience of being evacuated to a medical centre with nothing with me but a goretex jacket, getting IV dripped, and spent my night alone in a medical centre sick bay.
===Continued in the morning of 301209 cos i was too tired last night and the post took longer than expected.===
So now life as ops company has been nothing but a routine. Sweep standby slack slack with some PTs here and there. Boring life most of the time, other than sweeps where we actually get to go out and have a look at the 'life out there'.
And of course there's the battalion restructuring which required us to change company. In my opinion, it's one of the rare good things that happened to me. The culture is so much healthier, which made us have more faith in the management. Of course, i won't be expecting it to stay the same throughout. It might just be a welcoming perks. Even if it's not, human nature will take over us and people will tend to take things for granted which lead to actions being taken. To be honest, this is a sooner or later kind of thing and i do hope it'll be later. By then, ORD mood can help compensate for whatever lost.
That kind of round up my 2009. Inevitably, army has made up the main bulk of it. Afterall i've spent around 5 days a week cooped up there. Thanksfully it has been made more bearable with the friends i've made. BMT friends and subsequently unit's friends. Also the many friends i will never forget. HCICO, HCCO, Puttie, S6E etc. Thanks for the numerous outings we had. And yes, i'm still yearning for more! Comeon, ask me out!
Ok, i'll post about 2010 in a few days time (hopefully) as we step into the new year.
P.S. Please leave a tag ;)!
It's really amazing how the year has passed. So quickly even though i've been whining weeks after weeks how boring it had been.
January had been a mad rush of outings before enlistment. And i remember really enjoying myself to the fullest before my body gave way to illness. lol. I remember the anxiety of enlisting, getting my hair shaved, going into the world of regimentation in a lonely island offshore. Spending my CNY botak has been a new experience, with all lights reflecting from my baldness, i had been the centre of attention wherever i visit. But by no means more angpows unfortunately.
As BMT continues, things got tougher. Field camp was the highlight of bmt. The craziest shit they can make you do when you are dirty and sticky and angry. Combat rations that tasted like shit (i still can't believe people actually found it nice). The time i shed my first tear for my country. SOC then after which injured my knee without quite realising it. It just got me hurting for quite a prolonged period of time, which caused me to fail my ippt.
The experience of being cold, wet and muddy without a proper shelter, that's my SIT test. The time when everyone acts like god helping you with every single thing, that's SIT test. Repeatedly failing sbj due to my injured knee.
And of course after 9 weeks, there's the day we've been waiting for: POP! The fact that we're leaving the horrible island of tekong for good for a 1 week long block leave made us high.
Getting A levels results was a damn scary experience. The feeling of heart pumping so hard and fast then almost stopped at the climax. I guess miracles dont always happen. You get what you put in minus some luck. And i should be contented with what i got.
The rush for scholarships application was horrible. With my distracted nature and last minuteness and horrible essay-writing skills, i didn't even get my chance to be interviewed other than by MOE, which is quite a disappointment to be honest.
Life as a unit man. Dont need to be sandwiched like a spec, dont need to go through the long shit of ocs life. The posting really made my jaws dropped initially. What the hell is 39sce cbrd pnr was the first reaction. Reading on the half truths on the forums didn't qualm my nerves. Thankfully things werent as bad as they made it sound. Yes, the protective suits are hot, stuffy, stinky, disgusting but at least they didn't make us do impossible tasks in it (thinks MOPP4 SOC WTH).
My first birthday in camp. Still unaccustomed with the fact that sergeant is not a god unlike in bmt, i had to lose my hair to recruit hairstyle again. Bleh. But it felt good receiving your bday wishes while in camp. It made camp feel less out-of-the-world.
Fast forward to army open house, the first "ops". It was crazy doing all the saigang for it but ultimately, it's really fun to interact with the civillians. And saw a few familiar faces. And the number of offs we earned from that, till now, remains my number 1 top off earner.
Fast forward again till turning ops, another milestone of life in 39. Even though the turn ops exercise was xiong, which gave me a new experience of being evacuated to a medical centre with nothing with me but a goretex jacket, getting IV dripped, and spent my night alone in a medical centre sick bay.
===Continued in the morning of 301209 cos i was too tired last night and the post took longer than expected.===
So now life as ops company has been nothing but a routine. Sweep standby slack slack with some PTs here and there. Boring life most of the time, other than sweeps where we actually get to go out and have a look at the 'life out there'.
And of course there's the battalion restructuring which required us to change company. In my opinion, it's one of the rare good things that happened to me. The culture is so much healthier, which made us have more faith in the management. Of course, i won't be expecting it to stay the same throughout. It might just be a welcoming perks. Even if it's not, human nature will take over us and people will tend to take things for granted which lead to actions being taken. To be honest, this is a sooner or later kind of thing and i do hope it'll be later. By then, ORD mood can help compensate for whatever lost.
That kind of round up my 2009. Inevitably, army has made up the main bulk of it. Afterall i've spent around 5 days a week cooped up there. Thanksfully it has been made more bearable with the friends i've made. BMT friends and subsequently unit's friends. Also the many friends i will never forget. HCICO, HCCO, Puttie, S6E etc. Thanks for the numerous outings we had. And yes, i'm still yearning for more! Comeon, ask me out!
Ok, i'll post about 2010 in a few days time (hopefully) as we step into the new year.
P.S. Please leave a tag ;)!