Couldn't help it, but these two years have flown by rather slowly...but surely :)

First thing on my mind today when I was going through birthdays on facebook....Saw that the girl that I used to have a crush on...has the same birthday as my tormentor cum superior in ns...haha...what a coincidence...or a date I probably wouldn't forget for some time...

Would just like to summarize my thoughts on ORD, (first things first the events that have transpired over my long long ns life...)

1. Enlistment into BMTC

This, is truly, a milestone that I would not soon forget in the years to come, even to this day, after two years of serving the nation, that day would forever be etched into my memory. From the lining up at 8 am in the morning for the bus to changi ferry terminal, to the long and seemingly forever ferry ride to the cursed island, many thoughts rushed through my mind then, it was the most depressing moment of my life yet worrisome and uncertain...there was the worry for the A level results that were to come out in 8 days...as well as the chinese new year which just passed and then coming into a life of depravity and desolation (at least that was what I thought when I was going to enlist)...The day, however, did pass quickly enough. Following the parents' departure, it was just a matter of going through motion and following what I was being told....keep reminding myself that I was experienced in this (from my NCC days) yet another part of myself still keeps telling myself that I am in no way prepared for regimentation to this level...

After meeting my PC and PS, who were seemingly nicer than I expected, the next step was...the seemingly daunting and neverending 19 weeks ahead of me...how I was going to interact with my peers in the platoon. Naturally introverted, I do know I do not possess the gift of the gap, yet, I know I would have to learn it somehow throughout this mandatory process that every Singaporean male would have to undergo.

In the coming weeks, PT sure enough was tough, with my Sergeants fierce yet humour filled interactions with us, as well as a sergeant that was in ORD mood (Sgt Desmond :) ) really, I do miss that particular commander that showed to us a more human side of NSF commanders. Stories that we do hear about NS, can make me roil in my bed during the nights before enlistment...No doubt, the commanders that I had during my BMT make me grateful that they were at least humanly reasonable. Of course I did not walk into Tekong expecting to be treated like a young lord, but they at least made my expectation of BMT less horrifying than what I initially thought it was to be.

The following weeks rolled by and eventually the platoon bonded, all 60 of us, maybe excluding that guy from china who really has a huge language gap with the rest of us. Not speaking a word of English other than 'Fuck you' which he learnt from the commanders, it truly was difficult to assimilate him into the NS lingo...well, there were certain individuals who were fighting to enter command school (mayb a little too hard...) at the expense of the rest of the platoon. Most individualistic was this particular person, shankra, who was seemingly friendly, but yet at the same time backstabbing anyone whom he deemed as a threat, as well as to 'wayang' as much as he could...which we all could see very well and particularly no one needed to spell it out as it was too obvious...well anyway, this guy probably got the short end of the stick and did not even make it to command school at all...(serves him right)

Pop neared, and we eventually grew happier with time, and even despite the constant efforts by sgt vignesh to say 'you pop so what, you still come out as a private only...' well, at least we're not a recruit haha....

2. Turn Left to Heaven, turn right to Hell

Well, block leave came and gone, and when we recieved the posting of going to 30 sce...immediately googled it...and was immediately disappointed...with a massive sigh...i remembered the day when I got the posting...I just sat there at the computer, sighing away, despondant after reading so many forum stories about the unit...lol...

First reaction when posting in...saw another guy dragging the duffel bag...asked him...30 sce right? he was like 'sigh...............'

well the days of training were pretty much better than bmt 'relatively' however, there was this insecure spec, sivakumaran...sigh...keep asking about his command style and how is it like when obviously it's very f***ed up...well, him aside, the other specs were pretty much okay and humane...which I must mention my PC. He for starters, can be seen as a guy that really really tries his utmost best for the welfare of those under him. The things which we enjoyed under him would not have been possible.

3. HQ coy, Hq coy HQ coy, we are the best, we are the slackest, we are the HQ company!!

Shortly, after completion of the cbt engr courses, I was posted to S1 department as a clerk. Which I remained till this day. Posted to S1 department with this other useless guy...chen desheng...haha the scores of stories about him, are legion...there is really no limit to how much a person can prove himself to be so unwanted and useless (as proven by chen desheng..) then of course, there are a number of people within s1 department whom have really impacted my life and I still have vivid memories of them (whether fond or not...)

and not to mention my dear twh lol....truly a bittersweet (more bitter than sweet tho..) relationship...the scores of stories I could talk about him, (not to mention even a non stop 6 hour bitching session about the same person...) still...

4. NDP Experience

30 SCE was tasked with the role of handling some major aspects of the spectator managment committee, which I was involved in the orange sector (denoted by seat colour hehe), was a fun experience no doubt, with us burning saturdays and getting our mondays off....enjoyable no doubt, getting to skip a day of office with twh is awesome haha....well...not to say the least, got to meet some interesting people at ndp...heartware ushers were fun :)

5. HR audit

Lol...to say the least, the most inhumane part of my ns life and if i were to post any details here....it would draw too much flak lol....

6. ORD

and last but not least, ORD!!! This has really been a long, interested and meaningful two years, longer than i would have wanted to stay but still the journey has finally come to and end....everything that we have bitched about, gossiped about, worked hard for, is finally...over

ORD LO!! 3:57 PM