When Change Is The Only Constant.

*yawns.. it's been a long day and the rain that I prayed so hard for finally came (yes, just the way I want it, full blast) Spectecular isn't it? Let's recount what happened today. =)

First, I'm glad that Mr. Wong said that our presentation is interesting. [Thanks to Mr. Leong! ^_^ We changed the entire structure overnight!] While we were struggling, putting the slides together.. LW and XL were playing maple. Quite comical with LW shouting at XL,' Bless Me! Bless Me! Or heal me! Heal me! Hurry up, XL! You are damn slow!' Yea, and we did it =)

Ok, next part of the day is to OCS [Officer Cadet School]. I'm saying this for the benefit of those who hasn't got a chance to go there (girls especially, cause you may never get to go there) Hmm.. first, our guide, Kai hates being an Officer Cadet in training. Hates it like mad.. (oh, you don't have a choice as to whether you wanna be an officer cadet) Tells us that it's a bloody waste of time and he just wants to be a driver but failed his basic theory (90% is the passing mark) Tells us that the food is horrible and they get freaky trainings like at 4am?
[You can tell that he's pretty pampered..and oh, he didn't grow up mentally prepared to go for NS.. went overseas.]

We went there and sampled the food that they eat.. It wasn't too bad, seriously. Their bunks are seriously neat too.. but quite plain. Well, you aren't staying there as if it's a chalet =D guys, be ready for standby bunk where your trainers checks your bunks for cleanliness and tidiness.. If they are not satisfied, they can always make it messier ;)

Introduced to weapons used. First, there's GPMG [if I'm not wrong, general purpose machine gun] quite powerful, killing about 100 men per magazine? After that you have to change the barrel because it would turn freaking hot] and the worse part is that you have to clean it.. which is not as easy as you think due to the incomplete combustion of carbon..[happy cleaning guys, and it get's worse when you are shooting blanks like I did today ;)]

There's also 84mm (something that weighs about 11 kg and is recoiless when you fire) given the name 84mm because the diameter of the hole that the bullets come from is that wide. There's SAR 21 local. Not too sure how it works ;) guys, happy shooting AND CLEANING.

Played with NVG [night vision goggles] Don't really think it's very good (yea, since it's the most basic ones that they use) If you spoil it, good luck man.. YOU ARE SO DEAD. The lens can cost over 10 000 bucks. A guy spoilt his and he signed up for full time service.. sad case..
Li sha and I were looking at each other with the night goggles and we looked like ghosts! Serious! It's quite interesting, knowing how they work.. Some kinda electron excitation thing.. ok, I still don't like physics.
Better quality ones would be those that you see on tv.. thermosensors integrated with da guns..

It started raining and we rested in an air-conditioned place. Supposedly where the guys slack after they had a hard training. There's a bar and so you can get some alcohol or stuff.. There were several swords hanging on the wall.. Mainly for decorative purposes. There's the excalibur, the sword of charlemagne..and something held by or presented to Richard Lionheart(King of England?) (these are all characters and objects created based on myths and legends) After walking so much, I fell asleep on the couch and wandered off into dreamland...

Got woken up by someone and we had to go to the parade square.. but it was wet and so there wasn't much we could do or see.. Oh.. but the path from the 'tunnel' to the entrance of the parade square is rather interesting. There are about 7 values on the wall such as courage, care for team mates? and professionalism to state a few.. and the one on courage was by Mark Twain, 'Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.'

If I'm not wrong, an officer cadet graduates and will walk pass this 'grand' passage, moving into the parade square. And there will be an initiation ritual in a tall glass room where the guys will recite the creed and sing the OCS song. The Flame will be ignited and the guys have to carry this heavy and huge sword. See.. swords are very meaningful. Each one has it's own story and it's personality. 'The sword embodies the character of a Warrior. That of strength and courage. Let this be a sacred reminder of our calling and our purpose.. [sorry, words not very accurate here.. >.<>
Yup that's the most sacred place there..

So the whole idea is that the training takes about 9 months and less. Certain structures of the building symbolises the womb and an OC in training will grow and develop in this 'womb' and after that walk out of the place. The 'passage' that I mentioned would be the.. vagina then? yea.. it's technically correct =P So the BMTC would be where the egg (camp) and sperms (guys) meet? and those zygotes (chosen people to be officer cadets) will move to OCS and develop in the 'womb'? Sounds like it, right? [THEREFORE WOMEN ARE IMPORTANT. Heh.]

Yea, we talk about how wonderful it sounds and how horrible the trainings can be.. and of course I appreciate the fact that the trainings at least help to build up the stamina, mental and physical endurance for the guys. I just thought, in the event of a war, how many would be willing to sacrifice for the county? How many are really serving with honour? Then I have problem understanding what honour really means and why do we need that? What's so great about honour? [and a friend of mine told me that stupidity is a subset of honour..all the more confusing me] Why can't we serve with love? Why do we need to fight? Why is it so strange/ironic.. Fight for Peace and Peace-warriors.. Or am I just being dumb?