so the dust has finally settled, all the key events have been completed, save for SOC (Standard Obstacle Course)

This results in us all being kinda lepak these few days.

Well I am now typing in the dark, thanks to my computer experience that is allowing me for a rather fluent typing speed. Quite impressed since I have not done such things for 3 years?

Army has so far been eye-opening, tiring, stressful yet blissful. So many events have happened, and as what the Company Officer in charge said, "fast and furious batch". Can you imagine 2 months have already passed in such a jiffy. Just last week we were complaining and moaning about the endless rain spells, toiling and (for some of us) leopard crawling in the mud. And now we are here doing nothing but cheer for games day, and having able to sleep at a much earlier time than normal.

 

You realise the immense importance of being able to either sing or shout loud. Singing helps in road marches alot, it really lifts off your pain and burden psychologically. Furthermore, many people evidently can't sing in the army, so you will stand out! Singing also requires no instrument other than your mouth, and hence you can just sing when you are bored waiting due to some sgt's mistake or some screw-ups in scheduling.

 

Army has been eye-opening as you are now exposed to a regimental lifestyle. I think I covered this before in my previous blog posts, so yep. However, in order to make your life better, its sometimes good to talk to your sgts about things in life? Most of time they are just only a few years older than you, and hence there can be some common topic of interests - i.e. football. You will realise many of them are willing to talk cock with you, and share their own life experiences with you. It is only during the serious parts - i.e. marching from place to place - where their black faces will appear, and when gossip starts to revolve around the sgts. So in fact my life in BMT is considerably much better than what I expected. Maybe its my luck I got into Leopard?

 

Army also makes you cherish your things better. For instance, we didn't know we loved our bunk so much until we got into field camp. We did not know how cookhouse food could taste so good untill we ate combat rations. And to think that we have been lamenting about how dusty our bunk was or how dismal the taste of the cookhouse food for the first few weeks before field camp?

I know you might just pass it off as a "aiya this happens all the time", but this makes me wonder: will we learn this lesson and apply it to our normal lives? Cherish your friends, cherish your family, cherish your health, cherish your time. This is a good piece of wisdom commonly neglected or shaken off.

 

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anyway, alot of events have happened in my life now. the mad rush for applications - the near breaking down from the pressure and my seemingly low-confidence in myself. the completion of field camp, SITEST as well as IPPT (where I amazed myself by getting my first 5 points in sit-up). some of my closest friends have at least found some directions in their life. changes to the family.

now I am just ignoring everything else and tasting the sweet peaceful air around me - everyone's asleep while I am typing this. It has been quite some time since I last stoned, staring into space and watching the clouds go by. I realise such opportunities are indeed hard to come by in  our hurried world, but they are essential in keeping your sanity in check, allowing you to breath and enabling you to [completely] rest. and Army provides alot of that. I really enjoy being alone, staring at Changi Airport and seeing planes enter and leave, minus the emo part about "I wish I was in that plane".

 

Army has kind of become a solace for me. I can come in and be immersed in a different life. Its like going on a holiday to another planet where your worries are left at mainland. Of course I still have my worries, but at least they are shifted to the back of my head. I am totally distracted once I enter tekong, and I am really really thankful for this. imagine going home, and having to listen to the same old reports from my parents, think through which uni to apply and stuff.

 

no, I am not going to sign on though. Army will just be a point in time through my life. It will be an experience that will remain in my life.

Ok, this is quite retarded. As what I normally tell my friends: "You have only been through less than 20 yrs of your life and you are saying life sucks when you have at least 40 more years to go?", I have only gone through 2 months out of the 1 year 10 months of Army. Maybe I am talking too early.

 

Ok change Army to BMT then :)