Rantings

Despite having passed our IPPTs, my colleague and I decided to carry on with our weekly jogging sessions:

- to keep fit
- to continue to lose weight
- to aim better 2.4km timing
- to constantly go for more IPPTs so tat we can clear the one on jul 06.

NUS SRC track was so crowded and full of vibrance. I am glad that the students are enjoying their campus life.

Was reading the SPI ghost forum when someone mentioned abt the old Tekong Camp I. He wrote:

I was a recruit in Tekong, Camp 1 Echo Company back in 1997. It was only a short distance from Charlie Company. I never really seen the door, cos I did not dare to and my policy at that time was to mind my own business, and just endure that three months. And I did not know of the three door bunk at that time. But well, I enjoyed my time there, the beautiful sunset, the comaradarie, the home-sickness, the Echo dog, the good memories. It was hard going through it, but now that it has long passed, I am filled with memories never to be forgotten.

Coincidentally, I was from the same BMT batch as this person since Echo company (the one i was in too) was only restarted in late 1997. And I share exactly the same sentiments as him - Tekong will always be one of the most memorable place in my heart - the beautiful sunset, the comaradarie, the home-sickness, the Echo dogs......

The feeling of home-sickness was the most overwhelming, especially when looking across the tekong field, admiring the Singapore mainland, which is beautifully lighted with building lights and street lamps. It was the first time i realised and appreciated how lovely my home, singapore, was.

I guess the experiences by old Tekong camp 1 recruits would be v different from the newer soldiers. The long wooden bunk, lousy squeakly metal beds, super thin sponge mattress, tall rusty metal cupboards, dirty & rough-surfaced floor, not forgetting the horrible army cooked food (SUX) + having to march to cookhouse with our left hand holding on to our mess tray, fork, spoon and mugs + having to wash them with pathetic bar soaps and rotten sponges + clearing the rubbish and waste foods at the cookhouse after meals.

Recruits starting from 1998 no longer experience the above. They started to have nice tall beds, king coil mattress, wooden cupboards with personal compartments, catered food where they din even need to wash their own plates after use, minus the irritating mess trays, fork, spoon from their cupboards during stand-by-bed. They can even walk around in their bunks bare-footed as if its their own home....

And guess wat.. . i last heard soldiers nowadays do not need to do area cleaning, as all these r done by outside contractors!!! Alamak, I wonder if youngsters nowadays still fold their blankets and make their own beds after waking up. I seriously doubt so... pathetic... sighz.