Movies Ending With Coffins!

This weekend.

Hmm... I went to watch movies with Huimin, Chee Wee, Hong Yun and Junlong (he went for the second movie) yesterday.

I was tired but I opened my eyes big big and watched them with my heart. One was a Hong Kong Chinese movie, Yesterday Once More, the other a Hollywood movie, Ladder 49.

Simply to summarise, Yesterday Once More was nicer to watch. It was a somewhat negative romantic story I think, acted by Sammi Cheng and Andy Lau. Nice and a bit funny with some of the surprises happened between the divorced love couple of thiefs, but sadly ended with the male lead in the coffin.

But the female lead still had her hope to live on.

Ladder 49 was a story about a courageous firefighter's life. It was pretty straight forward story. Fire fighting, saving people, losing brothers in action. The male lead too also ended in the coffin.

Though frankly speaking its quite sad to see moviers ending with coffins, I really hope I'm not digging my own grave instead of trenches and shit holes for my field camp next week!

Slack & Tiring Week.

This week.

Well, well. Another week has passed. Really love getting my weekend book-outs. So far, I had no minors as punishments. So my free weekends should be safe. Ha ha!

But sadly, next week I'll be out for the weekend burn as I'll be having traning and lving in the jungle in my field camp. Next week should suck like hell as we had lots of physical demanding activities on. Fuck.

Anyway, as for this week, nothing much actually. Barred from lower limbs activities initially, the first twos days were easy to go by.

But the last three days were tiring because we had to wake up early and sleep late for our day and night 100m shooting range. Worse, accompanied by bunkmates each others' somewhat serious coughings (known as Tekong Coughs)during the nights and also days.

I'm tired now, but I'm gonna hang on for my fun!

The Army's Challenge Is To Overcome

Ever since then till now...

Well, well. I've been "slacking" as an ATTN B status recruit (meaning I'm on medical leave in Tekong) for about two weeks (these also includes the so-called progressive recovery periods, to do a certain amount of activites in 0%, 25% & 75%. But I'm perfectly barred from all activities...)

So since then, I was feeling bored as I spent most of my time "recovering" even though I'm fully recovered. The worst thing was not about the boredom, but my foresight that I'm going to suffer alot in future army activities as I miss alot of my physical training activities.

(For those I've only who know, I've attended only 2 5BXs and no ET Runs during my long recovery period)

And true it came.

I fall out half-way in my first road march, the 4km road march. My back was seriously in pain, and I was hardly catching my breath. I knew I was in trouble. I am worried about my future 24km road march! So I think I think I must try to work harder.

I did my SOC or Standard Obstacle Course. I had my two lessons. One the day before, one this morning.

I did have some problems moving to the decending steps of the Jacob's Ladder. I admit I had a bit fear of heights. But I persevered on to overcome the fear, to volunteer to redo it again and again, as I knew I must still finish it succesfully in the end as I can't escape it.

Another small problem obstacle was that zig-zag beam (I forgot what's the name). The problem is similar to the Jacob's Ladder, moving up the steps. But I managed to improve my technics moving up then from the advice and encouragement of Sergeant Yeo.

The rest of the the obstacles was solved easily, physically.

For my relationship with my buddies, I can say its neutrally good lah. I am a person who will help people only when my own responsibilities are done (as simple I knew I may get them into trouble if I don't handle my own duties well).

But my section (my bunk mates) unity is definite forged strong. We helped out each other alot.

As for disciplinary life, it looks like my platoon's life in Tekong will never be the same again. I was saying about the slack in my platoon discipline. I asked for more.

But now, it seems that I have asked for more than my platoon needed.

I have currently three active sergeants taking care of my platoon. Sergeant Ivan, Sergeant Fok and Sergeant Damien (nicknamed Sergeant Demon).

Sergeant Ivan is quite a joker but when it comes to serious business he demand your respect. Especially in safety procedures in M16 rifle related stuff. Not surprisingly, he's in-charge of the weapon store. Though not he is not exactly fierce, he will mark you with a "minor" or simply a black mark for mistakes on the list.

Sergeant Fok has been with my platoon since the start. He's a good sergeant. Basically, he's "neutral" in some sense. Nobody fear him, simply that his face looked like a kid as he's quite short comapred to other sergeants around.

Now, I come to Sergeant Damien or simply nicknamed as Sergeant Demon by some in the platoon. He's a big guy. Guess his height is about 190cm. Strong and fit, but looked abit like a gorilla (you know, big arm, big body with big chest that kind).

Sergeant Demon can be a nice guy. But he's an extremely "moody" person.

One time he can be nice, talk and laugh at you. Another he can be fierce and barking like a dog. Scold the F-words. So far, I could say I'm the only person irritating him most (though I didn't get any punishments, as most scoldings) as I asked "stupid" questions at times.

But all I asked was a sincere question for his advice of my technics. Simple as that.

Anyway he can punish us like hell. Do push-ups or jumping jacks don't know up to how many times. Like this morning, my whole platoon was punished during a stand-by area check, when everyone wasn't ready for his arrival yet.

So we did about up to 100 jumping jacks to him thanks to him (He contributed 60% by the punishments).

Frankly speaking, I don't really hate Sergeant Damien in my heart. As he's a sergeant who asked for our best performance.

But the thing I don't like about him was that he was easily influenced by others. Example like other sergeants saying out platoon was slacking in discipline. Fine, this was fact.

But I came to the conclusion that he's easliy influenced because I heard he was a Mr. Nice Guy sergeant in the past. So what happended to him? Obviously, he was concerned that he was being too nice.

Our CCC (Charlie Company Clerk) who was OOT (Out Of Training), Jeremy, told me that Sergeant Damien always asked questions like "Am I being too nice?!" or "Is my face looked like I'm nice!?".

Even my bunk mate Yanren, or known as Y, who talked him before said that Sergeant Damien always asked these questions of whether he's nice or not nice.

Sergeant Damien definitely didn't really knew how to control his "mood swings" of being nice or not nice. That's why people were afraid of him at times. You simply didn't knew when he would be morphing into a "demon" and make the hell for us!

Tekong Fever!

Ever since last Wednesday.

Yeah yeah. I'm in the army now. I'm currently in the Basic Military Training Centre School 1's Charlie Company, Platoon 2, Section 3 and Bed 37.


 

Basic Military Traning Centre - Excel Through Basics
Basically its nothing more than a long, lifeless holiday camp.

Yes, I'm in the famous hantu company known to be haunted! There are known hauntings at 1st and 3rd storeys of our company line (building of my company). And yes, I'm living on the 3rd storey when there were hauntings. Some of my bunk mates did see some sightings, they said.

By the way, I wasn't suppose to be out today. Nah, I'm not deserting. I'm on medical leave which I don't really like. Tell you why I'm sick later.

As for the army life (in army, there's no life lah), I was basically adapting to the army routine and discipline pretty well enough, due to some of my experience in NCC.

I'm also nicely shaved botak by my father before I went in.

Now, every recruit in the army looked the same like me : )

The only problem was that I felt that the training discipline of my platoon was not firm enough.

It was quite disappointing.

Even my NCC days discipline was better than this! Some of my bunk mates who were in NCC before also felt that too.

Our sergeants were simply not firm enough on us. Extra foot drills lessons were basically none. There were only foot drills were when we were marching to the cookhouse for our meals or somewhere, or scheduled foot drills on the parade square.

This problem was due to the lack of more firmness of discipline induced by my section sergeants. And also, because due to the newly implemented 5-day working week, the top management manpower was having some adjustments.

Some of my sergeants were also going to ORD (Operational Ready Date). So does my platoon sergeant, Kelvin, whom I did not seen but only on the first two days. Sadly, the initial firmness of discipline induced by my platoon sergeant for the first two days was slacking quite abit.

So it was obvious that there was a slack in discipline of my platoon 2 compared to other three platoons of the same Charlie company.

Anyway, as for my section 3, my section mates who all lived in the same bunk were all very nice. When ever we had the free time, we all joked around and laughed to ease our stress. There was a total of 13 men in my bunk including me. Sadly, I couldn't remember all of there names and some not matching to they faces yet (but I remebered all their faces though). Maybe because all recruits basically looked the same also...

I slept at the last bed of my bunk, bed 37. So, I had two buddies. One is Leon, a tall guy with ang gong (tattoo) at his back, but he's a nice and independent guy, so a pai gia (local gangster) at all.

As for the other buddy, Andy Ng or Andy Junior (as we have another Andy in our bunk who was older), was sometimes irritating me. Not very independent. Always asking the same questions. Asking me to help him this and that.

Fine, I will help him if he don't know.

But the problem is that he's not learning fast enough. Even things like simple things like straps also have to teach him. I'm not even sure whether he's listening during training classes. I always have to show him or teach him to do something several times, even I taught him don't know how many umpteen times, like tying the boots and even simple things like folding shirts neatly.

He is a cockster who talked alot. A certified NATO (No Action Talk Only) member.


 

"Cock, use your common sense and initiative lah! I'm not your mother!"

Sometimes, I felt like using this motto, "Leave your men behind. Especially if you got two buddies, one is expendable."

Ha ha : P

I may leave my men behind, but I will come back for them later lah!

Now back to my medical story. And in this story, I've gone through alot of needles.

I had a double injection of tetanus and typoid injection both at one time and taken disgusting polio drops in my mouth at the medical centre on last Thursday.

After that we should be expecting fever within 24 hours or so.

So on Friday, I had a fever in the early morning. Reaching as high to 38.5 degree Celsius. So I reported sick and visited the Tekong Medical Centre. I've seen the Medical Officer (MO or doctor) and I was admitted to the sick bay because my fever was high.

I was put on an I.V. drip. The medics there were all very nice. But they found that my veins were thin, and also running or shifting. So they poked me two times unsuccessfully (which were not too painful as it was enduable on my right top fore-arm) till the third time where the I.V. drip was finally flowing properly (this was painful as it was on my left bottom fore-arm).

The I.V. drip stand was a cheesy, lame and weird thing to bring along with me everytime. I even had too take it with me (it got wheels) to toilet to pee. I laughed alot then. It was quite lame actually.

But I didn't look after my drip. So I think the medic also didn't poke me properly also. So my left fore-arm was quite bloated, which I realised it during my lunch when I put my poor arm on the table.

I wanted to laughed then. My left fore-arm looked like a pig's limb or something.

But luckily it wasn't permanent. It went off a few days after I was discharged from the sick bay during the evening, on the day I was admitted. But it left my left fore-arm's skin a bit saggy though.

So I was on ATTN B status for two days. Meaning I couldn't be on any training. Luckily, there wasn't much to learn for that two days. I hate to miss any training lessons as I could be on confinement to have make up lessons. By last Sunday, my fever was gone and I was well.

But sadly, on yesterday, my fever shot back again. I was under the hot sun and was in the extremely warm and humid multi-purpose hall while attending the CO's Address and SAF Core Values Book Presentation Ceremony. The worst thing was that I didn't sweat much, even though I drank much more water then other people (as I was having a fever, I drank more).

So after dinner, I immediately felt very warm inside my body and unwell. And I took my temperature immediately. My body temperature soared to as high as 39.7 degree Celsius.

So I reported sick immediately.

The MO, seeing since that he already three patients going to be sent back to Singapore mainland to be checked at the Changi General Hospital, also put me on the the send-off list.

Duh...

I felt very sian then... I REALLY HATE MYSELF GETTING SICK!

But I knew I had to go report sick anyway, so I could know what the hell is wrong with me and get well soon, so that I can get back to my training routine quickly.

So I was driven in a military vehicle to to the Pulau Tekong Jetty, accompanied by my section sergeant, Sergeant Lionel. We took a boat back to Singapore mainland's SAF Ferry Terminal. Then we were further transported to the Changi General Hospital's Accident & Emergency centre.

Waiting for hours with my sergeant, I took an X-Ray and blood test (yes, needle again to draw my blood) with suspicions of having dengue fever and pneumonia after my genral diagnosis. But the results were all clear of that. I was having the same URIT condition I had back in Tekong.

But now I am on ATTN C status, meaning I'm on medical leave, from yesterday to tomorrow.

I really hoped I could fully recover and get back to my training soon. I don't know how much I've missed out on my training. I don't want to having confinement on my weekends for extra make up lessons!

Weekend freedom time are my precious!