Time has passed pretty fast. Before I know it, it’s Monday again. Last Monday was my first day of freedom. I am supposed to ORD on June 10, 2007. At June 8, 2007, a Friday, we gotten our identity cards back. Yeah joy and all, but things didn’t just end that smoothly.
On June 9, 2007, a crazy sergeant had a terrible idea to call us to come back to camp. He requires some computer stuff to be done. And he thought of calling us back on that day with the argument that we technically haven’t ORD yet. I was shocked and disappointed. I didn’t know he would even have that thought in his mind.
He didn’t say that due of anger, he said that due to desperation. He even called me personally but I didn’t pick it up. I didn’t notice his call. He called when we’re all happy and celebrating at Paragon. When I saw his missed call I almost screamed, “what the fuck?”
Thankfully, our still-serving friends helped us fend off this sai kang. All has ended already though. They can’t call me back for such requests any more.
Yes! I have successfully ORD-ed. There is no more army for me.
Even the ORD countdown widget looks problematic. I wish I has time to reopen and take a look at what’s wrong with the codes but I don’t really have the time. I’ll rid this widget and post my problematic ORD countdown widget for everyone to download. As you can see, it is a little buggy when it countdowns to -0 since there isn’t such a thing.
We’ve waited for so long. I waited to post something the moment I gotten my Pink IC but I couldn’t. The feeling is just incredible. I part with my Pink IC two years ago and now I’m held it tight and place it in my wallet.
We then went to watch a movie called Zodiac which is pretty good except that it’s a little too lengthy. We went to eat and celebrate.
Life has just resumed.
At the end of national service days, things remained rather unresolved. We are leaving. Unresolved are usually technical problems, and sadly, friendship and teamwork problems. Sometimes we know of a problem but just keep quiet and let it pass. Our communication level could have been improved. I constantly wish we can be more truthful, more open, more easy with sharing problems.
I don’t really know what impression I give to my platoon-mates. I tend to be the person that go around listening to things here and there. I’m very glad to have to opportunity to listen to most sides of the story but regrettably, I often keep it to myself and not share it around. Most of the people don’t want to let the opposing party know.
You know, I thought the best way to let each other work better is by laughing off someone’s mistake. Not behind the person’s back but when the person is present. We got closer together this way but it’s starting to show side effects.
[This entry has been edited to remove a few paragraphs. I'll post happier things soon.]
It’s about time. Perhaps I waited too long for this post to be made. But I am going to leave the Singapore army to be a civilian again. It gave me many things and it took away many things from me too.
I’m feeling quite happy generally. Sorry that I couldn’t find time to blog. I’ve been a little busy here and there. A little tired mentally too. I’ve been involved in some minor projects and it took up quite a bit of time. I’ll blog more soon. Life’s pretty easy at the end of national service.
The true story occured during 1987, an army officer-to-be, Lawrence Leow, was training in Brunei when he had a heat stroke. The heat stroke got him stucked on a wheelchair, breathing through a hole in his neck. Today, he receives S$500 (US$330) a month as a compensation.
(Uncle Sun: I want you for Singapore army and you can’t fucking choose.)
Leow served the nation during his mandatory two-year military national service just as I did. (I’m completing it in 26 days by the way.) According to blog The FunkeeBlog, a US citizen in Kansas collecting unemployment benefits would receive more than him for his sacrifice for his country as a soldier.
The recent case of the Taiwan aircraft accident would probably make people rethink about serving the nation. When I first entered BMT, we went on to swear to the officers that “we will always support and defend the Constitution. We will preserve and protect the honour and independence of our country with our lives.” We would scream “with our lives” as loud as we can to emphasize on the self-sacrificing behavior. When reciting the SAF pledge or creed or whatever, I had a sudden thought, “would I really exchange my life for this?”
I’ll leave it to you to think about it. I shan’t reveal my answer but it isn’t a hard guess I suppose.
[via Mallr]
Two men died after 2 Taiwanese fighter jet crashes. Singapore Army sent people to Taiwan to train. The two servicemen who died in the incident have been identified as 19-year-old Corporal (CPL) Isz Sazli Bin Sapari and 23-year-old Private (PTE) Fan Yao Jin. Their next of kin have been informed. (Source)
Taiwanese fighter jet crashes; 2 pilots, 2 Singapore soldiers killed
TAIPEI : A Taiwanese fighter jet crashed on Friday morning during an exercise, killing its two pilots.
The aircraft crashed within the grounds of a military base in Hukou, some 50 kilometres south of the capital Taipei.
Two visiting Singaporean military personnel were also killed, and two others have been hospitalised.
Two visiting Singaporean soldiers who were in a storeroom at the base were killed.
Nine other Singaporeans were injured, two of them seriously.
They were there in support of the Singapore Armed Forces’ unilateral training in Taiwan.
According to doctors, both men suffered from second to third degree burns on their head, shoulders and back.
They are now undergoing intensive care at the hospital’s burns centre and doctors are desperately trying to stabilise their condition.
The Taiwanese Defence Ministry has grounded all its F-5F fighters pending the outcome of an investigation into the accident.
This is the second crash involving an F-5F jet fighter in a year.
Last June, an F-5F crashed into a rice field during a training flight, killing a pilot and injuring the other pilot.
Taiwan has about 60 ageing F-5 jets, and it is trying to replace them with newer fighter aircraft. - CNA/ch
Source: ChannelNewsAsia
I was blissfully unaware of this news, I was happily reading news about Paris Hilton and Bush impeachment. I’m a little amused that they had to stress the training as unilateral.
I’m going for a national education trip later on at 1PM and honestly, I’m not exactly keen on it. This time the national education trip is at Jurong Town Council. I wonder what’s there to view there, probably some industrial buildings and a history of the manufacturing sector in Singapore - which doesn’t interest me that greatly I have to say.
(I drew the above when I was a kid, it looks like I have excess amount of red crayon and paint it seems. Either that or I really like red that time. I was trying to depict the scenes of National Day Parade. I realize most of my art are about Singapore and the local culture.)
But I kinda have a liking to these national education trips during national service. I didn’t quite tell my friends this; they probably think I’m crazy of something. These trips are actually quite interesting, it brings me to places I don’t really know and it’s always fun to go around exploring the city. (And of course - a clear opportunity to go out of camp.)
It’s through these trips that I learn more about the country I live in. I’m quite clueless about our past and our buildings and stuff. I keep thinking that it’s what’s happening now that really matters. However, I start appreciating the history and might just start to understand what people mean when they say “history is important”.
These little history made me appreciate what we have and it shows you the mistakes we had made in the past. And when I made the trip to URA last year, I felt hopeful and motivated to move as a whole (minus the national service part since I couldn’t quite agree with the presense of national service till today).
Well, I’m off to Jurong Town Council already. No pictures this time, but I’ll share with you guys what I learnt.