Once again... after having a room for 1 month (after ORD :p)... I'm roomless again. My brother's friend from japan is the new resident haha. Quite cool though, she owns a hill in japan!
Anyways, submitted the trackers registration form today. Whether I'll be going or not, it'll be in God's hands I guess? Saw jeremy during his lunch time and haha he look pretty reliefed being away from his kids lol.
Was reading 'On a pale horse' today and am still reading it. It's about a guy called Zane (sounds like my friend Zames) andhe's a guy who killed death and had to take his place... taking the souls of the world. It's quite a warped reality where science and magic is incorporated into everyday lives meaning that comfortable cars are a mode of travel as well as flying carpets. Even though it is in like an alter-reality, the themes and undertones are very earthly. The flaws of beuracracies; moral and ethical struggles; the lure of sin and the futility of following it. Then there are warped aspects where incantations such as Death, Time, Fate, War and Nature are actually offices held by people (like Zane who took the role of Death). Anyway one moral issue which stood out for me was the one related to euthanesia/ mercy killing.
If a person now... being sustained only by life sustaining equipment eg. heart-lung machine has absolutely no hope of recovery and is in agony to the point where he/she wishes for death instead of living, does it make it right then for the person to die by his/her choice?
If a so-called deemed terminally ill patient is kept alive only to die resulting in like a huge financial burden for his family/ loved ones is it 'better' to die then? What then... if the person would recover by a miracle the next day but you ended his/her life today?
Just yesterday though, there was a report of a little girl of 7, Dora, who was on the heart-lung machine, more specifically the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (Ecmo) machine for 21 days! as quoted from AsiaOne 'The surgeon revealed that in Singapore, the longest survival under Ecmo was 21 days for an adult patient. But for a 7-year-old to last that long on the machine would prove to be too much.' And this little girl of 7 managed to survive and recover from this ordeal! Showing improvement only on the 20th day. As a doctor once said... healthcare was meant to improve the quality of life... not the quantity of life. So Euthanesia? Stem cells? Food for thought...
Anyways... the amazing article can be found here.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Running Routes and Job Hunting
Currently these are the 2 running routes i have sourced out from my house:
The yellow line indicates the starting path shared by both. Near Kallang MRT, it splits into orange (esplanade) and green (indoor stadium).
The esplanade route has been quite a hassle because of alot of construction work will push you to the roadside where the fume monsters are. So recently, i have found the indoor stadium route which is slightly shorter but generally rather clear from the roadside except for the part where you have to go under a major road. If I extend the green route down south even more, I should be able to hit the marina barrage but that would be a 14km - 16km run... bleah. When i get my fitness back.
Anyways, going to apply for driving later and job hunting as been rather a hassle (should have done my CV in JC). Relief teaching in fairfield is quite hard because they're looking for those teaching history. Maybe a teaching assistant at NJ? The best would be a pharmacy assistant at some clinic/hospital. But without working experience, that is kinda hard to get. Ok... time to go to Ubi
The yellow line indicates the starting path shared by both. Near Kallang MRT, it splits into orange (esplanade) and green (indoor stadium).
The esplanade route has been quite a hassle because of alot of construction work will push you to the roadside where the fume monsters are. So recently, i have found the indoor stadium route which is slightly shorter but generally rather clear from the roadside except for the part where you have to go under a major road. If I extend the green route down south even more, I should be able to hit the marina barrage but that would be a 14km - 16km run... bleah. When i get my fitness back.
Anyways, going to apply for driving later and job hunting as been rather a hassle (should have done my CV in JC). Relief teaching in fairfield is quite hard because they're looking for those teaching history. Maybe a teaching assistant at NJ? The best would be a pharmacy assistant at some clinic/hospital. But without working experience, that is kinda hard to get. Ok... time to go to Ubi
Thursday, October 09, 2008
A Typical F Field Camp
A typical F field camp. F for Foxtrot, not the expletive but F for Foxtrot, my company.
The core of all Foxtrot outfields... rain. As with all my other field camps with foxtrot, rain has always been present; section, defensive, offensive, section refresher and now this one.
Imagine being soaked through your uniform, your socks, your underwear with rainwater in the middle of the night. You try to sleep but the cold is like a blockade between you and your place of serene tranquility; an impregnable barrier. You shiver... you pray and you shiver some more; until fatigue overcomes you and you knock out. Even when you manage to get wisps of sleep, you are waken up intermittently by the cold.
The worse night i've experienced thus far was defensive. Imagine this: You are digging your fire trench with your buddy when you hear the clash of thunder, followed by the ruffling of the canopy before you finally feel the relentless pattering of rain drops. You feel heavier because of the downpour which has soaked you. You see the dirt you have strenuously dug up being washed into your hole again. Eventually the water level rises above your boots and you realise you have to drain the water out before you can continue your digging. You take out your mess tin/mug to scoop out the water before you are able to continue digging. Eventually you realise the downpour is so heavy that you spend more time scooping out water rather than digging; your morale drops to the point you see it pointless to dig. You lie beside your trench on a groundsheet laid out by your buddy and try to get some rest. The rain constantly beats down on your face yet you are so shag you eventually knock out. About an hour later, you wake up shivering because your are on the edge of hyperthermia. You shiver continually and you keep on looking at your watch waiting for morning to come yet tick..... tick...... tick....... time passes second by second, almost not passing at all. Your officer then comes down and orders you to continue digging, yet the only thing on your mind is the bitter cold and the despairing task ahead.
Cut the long story short, eventually me and my buddy went to my sect comd/group 3 trench and started burning everything (solid fuel, kiwi, biscuits, paper) we could for heat. We managed to generate heat for an hour and a half before suffering the cold again. When the rain stopped, my buddy and I emptied out the water from the trench which was at waist-level before continue digging.
This field camp, another of my mortal enemies was present... balls and groin abrasion. Walking more than 20km with abrasion = not nice. The trek was screwed up! We started at upper thomson road because the gate to our starting point was locked! We had to wade across waist level stream or 2... walk along a narrow trek through the night filled with pot holes, roots and steep slopes where you held hands in a line just to get down safely. After walking for 7 hours, I was out of water because I was too lazy to carry my waterbag (lesson learnt) and got scolded for having a resup. Next, you cross through a drain which stinks like crap and you cross the water getting all wet again before waiting there for sometime because the front isn't moving. 10 hours and 16km plus of continuous walking... crap. Seriously my eyes were half-closed towards the end and I was seriously sleep-walking some parts, crap seriously. The silver lining though... I was praying continually, helps prayer life doesn't it?
Well... 3 more of these before i ORD!
Rants of a rifleman...
The core of all Foxtrot outfields... rain. As with all my other field camps with foxtrot, rain has always been present; section, defensive, offensive, section refresher and now this one.
Imagine being soaked through your uniform, your socks, your underwear with rainwater in the middle of the night. You try to sleep but the cold is like a blockade between you and your place of serene tranquility; an impregnable barrier. You shiver... you pray and you shiver some more; until fatigue overcomes you and you knock out. Even when you manage to get wisps of sleep, you are waken up intermittently by the cold.
The worse night i've experienced thus far was defensive. Imagine this: You are digging your fire trench with your buddy when you hear the clash of thunder, followed by the ruffling of the canopy before you finally feel the relentless pattering of rain drops. You feel heavier because of the downpour which has soaked you. You see the dirt you have strenuously dug up being washed into your hole again. Eventually the water level rises above your boots and you realise you have to drain the water out before you can continue your digging. You take out your mess tin/mug to scoop out the water before you are able to continue digging. Eventually you realise the downpour is so heavy that you spend more time scooping out water rather than digging; your morale drops to the point you see it pointless to dig. You lie beside your trench on a groundsheet laid out by your buddy and try to get some rest. The rain constantly beats down on your face yet you are so shag you eventually knock out. About an hour later, you wake up shivering because your are on the edge of hyperthermia. You shiver continually and you keep on looking at your watch waiting for morning to come yet tick..... tick...... tick....... time passes second by second, almost not passing at all. Your officer then comes down and orders you to continue digging, yet the only thing on your mind is the bitter cold and the despairing task ahead.
Cut the long story short, eventually me and my buddy went to my sect comd/group 3 trench and started burning everything (solid fuel, kiwi, biscuits, paper) we could for heat. We managed to generate heat for an hour and a half before suffering the cold again. When the rain stopped, my buddy and I emptied out the water from the trench which was at waist-level before continue digging.
This field camp, another of my mortal enemies was present... balls and groin abrasion. Walking more than 20km with abrasion = not nice. The trek was screwed up! We started at upper thomson road because the gate to our starting point was locked! We had to wade across waist level stream or 2... walk along a narrow trek through the night filled with pot holes, roots and steep slopes where you held hands in a line just to get down safely. After walking for 7 hours, I was out of water because I was too lazy to carry my waterbag (lesson learnt) and got scolded for having a resup. Next, you cross through a drain which stinks like crap and you cross the water getting all wet again before waiting there for sometime because the front isn't moving. 10 hours and 16km plus of continuous walking... crap. Seriously my eyes were half-closed towards the end and I was seriously sleep-walking some parts, crap seriously. The silver lining though... I was praying continually, helps prayer life doesn't it?
Well... 3 more of these before i ORD!
Rants of a rifleman...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Dreams...
Dreams...
As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.
I used to dream on a rather regular basis back during my sec school and JC days... now i dream only when i'm in camp or on duty. Guess i have many cares in army? Oneirology is the study of dreams... Dreams were one thought to be solely the domain of the subconcious... but various studies indicated then it involves several parts of the brain.
Do dreams carry meanings? I bet they do. Remember Joseph? He had the gift to intepret dreams.
So as I'm clearing leave this week.. I shall embark on some Oneiology.... let's see how things go...
As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.
I used to dream on a rather regular basis back during my sec school and JC days... now i dream only when i'm in camp or on duty. Guess i have many cares in army? Oneirology is the study of dreams... Dreams were one thought to be solely the domain of the subconcious... but various studies indicated then it involves several parts of the brain.
Do dreams carry meanings? I bet they do. Remember Joseph? He had the gift to intepret dreams.
So as I'm clearing leave this week.. I shall embark on some Oneiology.... let's see how things go...
Sunday, July 27, 2008
She who bears the name of ...
Soft, delicate innocent demure,
she lays there, crafty allure.
Doubts, hesitations and anxiety,
strangely but surely they disappear.
Morals, principles and beliefs;
things pale in the presence of her.
Opportunity knocks but once,
yet she's there till the door's ajar.
Chase... chase her away you may;
if not flee... run... even fly away.
However... however she'll always be near,
waiting patiently for you to sway.
Peace you may hope for,
with her peace you'll never get.
Lest you succumb to her,
which then... maybe... no definitely you'll regret.
Drats, indeed she's sly and complex,
leaving me drained and feeble; I can only fret.
Is there anything which i may do?
To get away...far from her grasp;
to unbind the shackles i've carelessly latched.
Slowly but surely I must overcome.
Ensure too that i stick to the narrow path.
With a steadfast resolution to last.
Yes... it may work, I'll be free.
Immense effort demanded but I'll be free!
Vigil, persistence and strength I need;
Close fellowships are welcomed indeed.
Yes! Alas! She'll be gone... to solitary isolation.
She... she who bears the name of ...
she lays there, crafty allure.
Doubts, hesitations and anxiety,
strangely but surely they disappear.
Morals, principles and beliefs;
things pale in the presence of her.
Opportunity knocks but once,
yet she's there till the door's ajar.
Chase... chase her away you may;
if not flee... run... even fly away.
However... however she'll always be near,
waiting patiently for you to sway.
Peace you may hope for,
with her peace you'll never get.
Lest you succumb to her,
which then... maybe... no definitely you'll regret.
Drats, indeed she's sly and complex,
leaving me drained and feeble; I can only fret.
Is there anything which i may do?
To get away...far from her grasp;
to unbind the shackles i've carelessly latched.
Slowly but surely I must overcome.
Ensure too that i stick to the narrow path.
With a steadfast resolution to last.
Yes... it may work, I'll be free.
Immense effort demanded but I'll be free!
Vigil, persistence and strength I need;
Close fellowships are welcomed indeed.
Yes! Alas! She'll be gone... to solitary isolation.
She... she who bears the name of ...
Saturday, July 05, 2008
A warrior's argument
"Honour and glory? A warrior's life is void of it!"
"Fighting for righteousness? Fighting for peace? Fighting for God and country?"
"What does it mean for you to fight?"
"To defend my loved ones, to protect the weak, to aid the helpless, to free the opressed!"
"What then do you need to win a battle, to win a war?"
"Strength and courage, wits and sharpness, vigil and endurance."
"At the core of it, do you not need to kill?"
"Should the need arise... yes. It is but an unfortunate product of war."
"Is killing not a sin; the transgression of a moral principle?"
"Well... it isn't pleasant nor do i derive pleasure from it."
"Then why do you kill?"
"It is unavoidable in war! I would rather be free of this moral burden... but in battle, should the need arise... it becomes a dastardly neccessity."
"A neccessity? Tell a mother, a widow, a daughter who lossed a loved one that is was a neccessity that their father, their husband, their son had to die!"
"If it wasn't them, It would be I who is in the grave."
"And therefore you kill."
"Yes..."
"In preperation for a battle, we are drilled in the techniques of killing; trained to fight with aggresion, to fight without fear, are we not?
"True..."
"What drives aggresion?"
"Anger... rage?"
"Is one fearless when death is knocking on the door intermitently, when writhed faces stare at you with their last breaths?"
"No."
"Anger and fear - derived from the deadly sin of wrath is it not? You draw your strength from anger, sometimes to an extent where the sea of red overcomes you; you kill brutally, savagely, mercilessly. Your fear causes you to react without thought, it nurtures the selfishness in you, it destroys the tranquility of your soul!"
"..."
"Do you call killing someone's father, husband or son honour? Is being reduced to your animal-like instincts glorious?"
"..."
"Isn't killing an intrinsic aspect of a warriors life; like wings of a bird, hoofs of a horse. Killing is an integral way of life of a warriot rather than just an evil by-product."
"..."
"Speechless now are you not you self-righteous fool?"
"Well..."
"Well what?"
"Well... would anyone with a sane mind, with an ounce of goodness in them, enter a battle just for the sake of killing?"
"I... I... I don't think so."
"Would anyone with a tinge of righteousness, enter a war for the sake to experience bloodlust, to experience killing without any legitimate reason?"
"Probably not..."
"Would anyone with loved ones leave their homes for the sake of killing when they themselves could be seized by death without notice?"
"No... I guess not."
"Why then, do warriors do battle? Why do kingdoms and nations fight wars? Why do they do so even with the knowledge that people will kill and be killed?"
"Because there are things worth fighting for?"
"Even worth killing? Dare I say muder?"
"Probably?"
"I ask you then, why did you choose this brutal unforgiving path of a warrior? To kill? For gold and repute? For freedom?"
"For peace..."
"For Peace? Oh, the irony of it, to fight for peace!"
"Our kingdom has been in chaos since the fall of our King. The Royal family has been in strife for that coveted throne, order in the kingdom has been lost. Didn't you join the army also with the hope of restoring the peace we once had?"
"Yes... then i shall pose another question."
"You sure have alot of questions..."
"In raiding the bandits, killing the outlaws, forestalling the rebels and terrorist destroying the peace, do you see yourself fighting for peace?"
"Sadly... no."
"You realise that through our battles, through our raids, through the fights and killings we witness and survive that the unlawful people we kill are very human; that we too destroy some other people's peace."
"True."
"We are warriors who started with noble ambitions, with righteous reasons and good hearts... Ultimately though, we are foot soldiers and these goals are not plausible; we do not see them happening nor being accomplished. We have learnt how to kill and we only know how to kill. We have lost those noble goals because we do not see them! What we have left is to fight for honour and glory."
"Honour and glory? What honour and glory? There is no honour nor glory in a warriors life. Didn't you derive that conclusion yourself?"
"Our honour and glory comes from giving our all in fighting. In fighting, we do our best in order to complete our mission at hand, in order to survive... and most importantly, to ensure that our brother in arms return in one piece. Through my battles, my honour and glory comes from doing the best for my brothers till i have breathed my last breath. We are probably still alive not solely on luck or fate; but because someone took a blow for us, someone covered our back, someone,who sacrificed himself for you and I. Therefore I will give my all for my brother in arms for what was done for me; sacrificing what i have to give, my morals, even my life. Giving my all; that is the greatest act of love for my comrade, that is my Honour and Glory!"
"Hoho... I guess that is true when you put it that way."
"My brother in arms... for Honour and Glory, till death do us part."
"I rather we live pass this tumultuous period and go back to our peaceful lives."
"Indeed.. indeed. Woe to us though, for I think peace would be a concept we grasp no longer when this is over."
"Fighting for righteousness? Fighting for peace? Fighting for God and country?"
"What does it mean for you to fight?"
"To defend my loved ones, to protect the weak, to aid the helpless, to free the opressed!"
"What then do you need to win a battle, to win a war?"
"Strength and courage, wits and sharpness, vigil and endurance."
"At the core of it, do you not need to kill?"
"Should the need arise... yes. It is but an unfortunate product of war."
"Is killing not a sin; the transgression of a moral principle?"
"Well... it isn't pleasant nor do i derive pleasure from it."
"Then why do you kill?"
"It is unavoidable in war! I would rather be free of this moral burden... but in battle, should the need arise... it becomes a dastardly neccessity."
"A neccessity? Tell a mother, a widow, a daughter who lossed a loved one that is was a neccessity that their father, their husband, their son had to die!"
"If it wasn't them, It would be I who is in the grave."
"And therefore you kill."
"Yes..."
"In preperation for a battle, we are drilled in the techniques of killing; trained to fight with aggresion, to fight without fear, are we not?
"True..."
"What drives aggresion?"
"Anger... rage?"
"Is one fearless when death is knocking on the door intermitently, when writhed faces stare at you with their last breaths?"
"No."
"Anger and fear - derived from the deadly sin of wrath is it not? You draw your strength from anger, sometimes to an extent where the sea of red overcomes you; you kill brutally, savagely, mercilessly. Your fear causes you to react without thought, it nurtures the selfishness in you, it destroys the tranquility of your soul!"
"..."
"Do you call killing someone's father, husband or son honour? Is being reduced to your animal-like instincts glorious?"
"..."
"Isn't killing an intrinsic aspect of a warriors life; like wings of a bird, hoofs of a horse. Killing is an integral way of life of a warriot rather than just an evil by-product."
"..."
"Speechless now are you not you self-righteous fool?"
"Well..."
"Well what?"
"Well... would anyone with a sane mind, with an ounce of goodness in them, enter a battle just for the sake of killing?"
"I... I... I don't think so."
"Would anyone with a tinge of righteousness, enter a war for the sake to experience bloodlust, to experience killing without any legitimate reason?"
"Probably not..."
"Would anyone with loved ones leave their homes for the sake of killing when they themselves could be seized by death without notice?"
"No... I guess not."
"Why then, do warriors do battle? Why do kingdoms and nations fight wars? Why do they do so even with the knowledge that people will kill and be killed?"
"Because there are things worth fighting for?"
"Even worth killing? Dare I say muder?"
"Probably?"
"I ask you then, why did you choose this brutal unforgiving path of a warrior? To kill? For gold and repute? For freedom?"
"For peace..."
"For Peace? Oh, the irony of it, to fight for peace!"
"Our kingdom has been in chaos since the fall of our King. The Royal family has been in strife for that coveted throne, order in the kingdom has been lost. Didn't you join the army also with the hope of restoring the peace we once had?"
"Yes... then i shall pose another question."
"You sure have alot of questions..."
"In raiding the bandits, killing the outlaws, forestalling the rebels and terrorist destroying the peace, do you see yourself fighting for peace?"
"Sadly... no."
"You realise that through our battles, through our raids, through the fights and killings we witness and survive that the unlawful people we kill are very human; that we too destroy some other people's peace."
"True."
"We are warriors who started with noble ambitions, with righteous reasons and good hearts... Ultimately though, we are foot soldiers and these goals are not plausible; we do not see them happening nor being accomplished. We have learnt how to kill and we only know how to kill. We have lost those noble goals because we do not see them! What we have left is to fight for honour and glory."
"Honour and glory? What honour and glory? There is no honour nor glory in a warriors life. Didn't you derive that conclusion yourself?"
"Our honour and glory comes from giving our all in fighting. In fighting, we do our best in order to complete our mission at hand, in order to survive... and most importantly, to ensure that our brother in arms return in one piece. Through my battles, my honour and glory comes from doing the best for my brothers till i have breathed my last breath. We are probably still alive not solely on luck or fate; but because someone took a blow for us, someone covered our back, someone,who sacrificed himself for you and I. Therefore I will give my all for my brother in arms for what was done for me; sacrificing what i have to give, my morals, even my life. Giving my all; that is the greatest act of love for my comrade, that is my Honour and Glory!"
"Hoho... I guess that is true when you put it that way."
"My brother in arms... for Honour and Glory, till death do us part."
"I rather we live pass this tumultuous period and go back to our peaceful lives."
"Indeed.. indeed. Woe to us though, for I think peace would be a concept we grasp no longer when this is over."
Friday, April 18, 2008
Reheva
Reheva Reheva,
Jewel of Draumaland.
May ye trees flourish forever,
May ye stature be ever grand.
Ravines flow through thee ever free,
Wildlife in thee never scarce,
Ever beautiful may ye be,
And ye woods ever robust.
Reheva Reheva,
My toil in Alue never ends,
Thy solace in you my endeavour,
Thy path of freedom is through your land.
Lavea on thy other bound,
That freedom I seek,
On the other side of Lavea my hopes abound,
Perhaps… perhaps hopes too big for the meek.
Reheva Reheva,
Thy beauty my solace
Yet my despair persists forever.
My peasant life void of grace
Tribulations to remember,
Pain my daily bread.
Take… take my child from this fate so dire,
Thy path where I rather he be dead… be dead.
Jewel of Draumaland.
May ye trees flourish forever,
May ye stature be ever grand.
Ravines flow through thee ever free,
Wildlife in thee never scarce,
Ever beautiful may ye be,
And ye woods ever robust.
Reheva Reheva,
My toil in Alue never ends,
Thy solace in you my endeavour,
Thy path of freedom is through your land.
Lavea on thy other bound,
That freedom I seek,
On the other side of Lavea my hopes abound,
Perhaps… perhaps hopes too big for the meek.
Reheva Reheva,
Thy beauty my solace
Yet my despair persists forever.
My peasant life void of grace
Tribulations to remember,
Pain my daily bread.
Take… take my child from this fate so dire,
Thy path where I rather he be dead… be dead.
Monday, March 24, 2008
In retrospect
July 10, 2007, that's the date of my last post...
A myriad of events have happened since that unremarkable day...
In my opinion, few would have actually foresee what would be the series of events that i would go through for the rest of my army life. From my last posting... I was still at cmpb waiting for my bslc course in sispec, waiting to go to an advance course and become a spec somewhere(hopefully in airforce)... In summary, this was how things went:
24Sept: sispec 'b' coy
26 Sept: out of course after injury in SOC and reporting sick(MOs....)
27 Sept: posted to signals institute and failed to pass the relevant FFI to enter the course
Early Oct: posted to 6SIR as a rifleman...
Jan: turned operational...
Mar: appointment changed from 2LAW to OC linesman
Things haven't really been bright as i expected from my last post...
A JC student in a rifle coy as a rifleman is not as easy as one may think. There are only 2 'A' levels riflemen in my coy. I got quite a big culture shock when i entered platoon 18 of my coy.
1st, the chinese, malay split... there isn't any real conflict going on but as a saying goes 'like with like' Didn't have to deal with these kind of things up till well... 6SIR. I rather mix freely
2nd, really different culture from that of a JC batch... you strive for your best because you need to, because you want to... or just because you don't want to disappoint yourself, be it past failures or just because you don't want to drop below your past standards. Here in my platoon... why suffer and chiong when you just serve and f off.... why do you need to do extra work when you still get the same pay?
3rd, different values we hold? I will not smoke... have sex.... curse and swear.... gamble..... yet well... there's a significant proportion of my platoon doing that and to them, it is 'okay'. Imagine... my bmt platoon only had 1 smoker. But that aside, I'm truthfully glad that they have such blunt honesty... only a pity they see these vices as a norm of their lives. A different side of society i guess?
4th, spiritually, it is EXTREMELY taxing... there's a bunch of backsliders... moral values are seen as something which is impractical to uphold. Due to deployment, i can hardly go to church... or cell group. Help! I need someone to be accountable to... I want to listen to sermons... I want to go for praise and worship... holy communion... argh! Really miss church alot.
Nonetheless... I have grown to like... even love my platoon for who they are... though i must still admit there are still things I loathe about my platoon, a love-hate relationship in an unrefined form. I do love my section indefinitely... fun bunch of crazy dudes.
Well, from march i got the new appointment as a OC linesman which is basically more or less a company runner... less sleep at company line but also much less work at deployment. I used to think that I'm a task-orientated person... seriously, this appointment has really made me realise that i'm really more of a people-orientated person; Social butterfly perhaps?
A blog is somewhere where one is able to express.Yet like all forms of publications, the whole raw story can't be told, there's only limited space in print and there's censorship too; be it the writer or the laws he is subjected to. Subjugated freedom of speech i guess?
1st post in more than 1/2 a year. Cheers!
A myriad of events have happened since that unremarkable day...
In my opinion, few would have actually foresee what would be the series of events that i would go through for the rest of my army life. From my last posting... I was still at cmpb waiting for my bslc course in sispec, waiting to go to an advance course and become a spec somewhere(hopefully in airforce)... In summary, this was how things went:
24Sept: sispec 'b' coy
26 Sept: out of course after injury in SOC and reporting sick(MOs....)
27 Sept: posted to signals institute and failed to pass the relevant FFI to enter the course
Early Oct: posted to 6SIR as a rifleman...
Jan: turned operational...
Mar: appointment changed from 2LAW to OC linesman
Things haven't really been bright as i expected from my last post...
A JC student in a rifle coy as a rifleman is not as easy as one may think. There are only 2 'A' levels riflemen in my coy. I got quite a big culture shock when i entered platoon 18 of my coy.
1st, the chinese, malay split... there isn't any real conflict going on but as a saying goes 'like with like' Didn't have to deal with these kind of things up till well... 6SIR. I rather mix freely
2nd, really different culture from that of a JC batch... you strive for your best because you need to, because you want to... or just because you don't want to disappoint yourself, be it past failures or just because you don't want to drop below your past standards. Here in my platoon... why suffer and chiong when you just serve and f off.... why do you need to do extra work when you still get the same pay?
3rd, different values we hold? I will not smoke... have sex.... curse and swear.... gamble..... yet well... there's a significant proportion of my platoon doing that and to them, it is 'okay'. Imagine... my bmt platoon only had 1 smoker. But that aside, I'm truthfully glad that they have such blunt honesty... only a pity they see these vices as a norm of their lives. A different side of society i guess?
4th, spiritually, it is EXTREMELY taxing... there's a bunch of backsliders... moral values are seen as something which is impractical to uphold. Due to deployment, i can hardly go to church... or cell group. Help! I need someone to be accountable to... I want to listen to sermons... I want to go for praise and worship... holy communion... argh! Really miss church alot.
Nonetheless... I have grown to like... even love my platoon for who they are... though i must still admit there are still things I loathe about my platoon, a love-hate relationship in an unrefined form. I do love my section indefinitely... fun bunch of crazy dudes.
Well, from march i got the new appointment as a OC linesman which is basically more or less a company runner... less sleep at company line but also much less work at deployment. I used to think that I'm a task-orientated person... seriously, this appointment has really made me realise that i'm really more of a people-orientated person; Social butterfly perhaps?
A blog is somewhere where one is able to express.Yet like all forms of publications, the whole raw story can't be told, there's only limited space in print and there's censorship too; be it the writer or the laws he is subjected to. Subjugated freedom of speech i guess?
1st post in more than 1/2 a year. Cheers!
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