Game for some turtle soup?

Long time since I last updated, there nothing to update. This few weeks the only things I have done are mortar drills, mortar live firing and plenty of driving. It was during the live firing that I found out that people like to fish inside SAF live firing area. That was the first fierce confrontation I saw between civilians and military personnel which involve the use of rifles and real rounds( no rounds were fired) as we have to protect our live mortar ammunition.

I also found out that the 1.5 tonner can overtake a Ferrari and enter its lane. My friend did that, lol. My mom said that driver allow this to happen to make us happy. I must admit though, the driver look suave and got the looks of a gentleman. There are still a lot of funny things which I'm not sure if I can blog about it, these are the funny things that spice up the mundane NS life...

Anyway I'm looking towards my block leave which is next next wed. I have no programs except to drink turtle soup. I last drank that about 10 years ago when my paternal grandpa brought me there. I have completely forgotten the taste but it is tasty. I'm looking for someone to join me but I doubt I can find anyone because of different schedule or lack of interest. Never mind I will go alone. Good food need no persuasion :)

Dual Vocationalist

I'm not sure if there a word called "vocationalist" or maybe i spelled it wrongly but anyway I'm a rifleman and driver now. There is no incentive in being a dual vocationalist, i do not have the driver monetary incentive when they a certain milage nor do I have the chance to clock the 7000 km needed to convert to civilian licence. It will just increase my chances of getting into troubles which I almost did when my engine stalled on the slope outside seletar camp when exiting the expressway. Luckily I remembered to step on my footbrake and apply the handbrake.

At first, I was tempted to blame the not so perfect vehicle but the words of my staff sergeant suddenly came to my mind,

"Don't blame the vehicle, a good driver can drive any vehicles".

Actually it's quite true since I have checked the vehicle before moving off and I have been driving it for a few times so its my fault for knowing it inside out. However I'm confident that there is no manual vehicles I can't operate after driving that MB 290 or 1.5 tonner. I passed my test in a jeep, MD 240 plus 50 plus km in the auto version, MD 290. Both jeep and 1.5 tonner are quite similar. A 1.5 tonner has 5 gears as compared to the MD 240 which has 4 gears.

Sadly I think the driving course is probably the last time I will ever drive a MD 240/290. Not everyone can ride on the jeep in outfield, it is used as personal field transports for big shots and ferrying them is not my duty.

By the way, being a SAF driver is not that easy as many people think, I not just talking about me. Imagine a 18/19 years old driving a 3 tonner 0r 5 tonner monster on the road, transporting 30 plus personnels, you ready need skills plus a whole lot of confidence. For a combat driver like me, I will be driving my deck of about 5 people and towing a mortar behind. I will be out operating the mortar with them but at the end of the day, if they are tired, they can sleep while I'm driving but if I dooze off, I dare not think what will happen next. Most probably I will be extending my ORD date.

The morale of the story is there is no free lunch in the world, when phrased in my context will be there is no free licence in SAF.

Lekuasimi

I'm feeling tired these days and definitely not just because of the driving course. My life is in a mess now I can't resolve it. In the past I like staring into blank space but now doing the same thing just mean taking a peek into uncertainties...

Despite this I still manage to cheer myself a little by looking at this music video, about driving.

Singapore VS Liverpool or Liverpool VS Singapore?

Firstly I was not amazed to see the pool of reds ytd, I felt extremely disgusted. I agree with Daniel Bennett. We Singaporeans share no community link to Liverpool FC, we don't grow up in Liverpool. so why are we supporting them over our own Lions? Buay Tahan, I holding myself from using the "T" words to describe them... After yesterday night, what is the point of celebrating National day? I cannot think in their shoes, those who are jeering on their fellow Singaporeans when a Liverpool players went down after a strong challenge... Enlighten me someone?

Driving a Mercedes Benz

Since 16 July, I have been driving a Mercedes Benz everyday. Shiok right!? Actually not really lah, The Mercedes I'm driving are not those E class or what, they are just SAF jeep. I was selected for SAF class 3 driving course by my platoon sergeant with the aim of towing a mortar to our new training ground in AI during mid september.

The 28 days course is a stay out course which means that I get to go home everyday( the dream of every NSF ). However things are not as rosy as it seems. At the start of this course, everyone is made to sign some sort of an agreement which commit oursleves to complete the course. In short this course is "drive until you pass". You will not pass out of this course until you pass. In most cases, everyone will pass but there exceptions. I managed to encounter one. He was from the last intake, from Air force. He couldn't pass out and was so stressed until he gotten a 58/59 days att c, I heard he went to seek help from the IMH. Scary siah!

The first few days, I went home everyday with a black face. I was getting in, out by my driving instructor until I no juice come out( in the word of my theory instructor). There no such thing as a free licence, you will recieve shit everyday until you numb. I kena scolded til the stage i suddenly become scared at the second driving lesson(excluding the orentation drive). I admit I too hum to speed up and my DI keep in out me becourse of this but how can you drive well with someone shouting beside you constantly so I cock up more lah... That is what they want us to learn there, to drive under pressure.

I also kena hopefully my only remedial training where I was treated to 15 mins of "God and Satan"(cnt understand why he cnt use the words good and evil to give his words a more neutral tone) talk before we went on to practise. For that RT, we were on the jeep for 1 hour 30 mins but I only drove for 3 km. LOL I can run more than that distance in the same time.

His favourite words to suan me were "Ong you don't want to learn huh, you nt interested what I'm teaching you huh, stop behaving like a stupid fool". Everyday I kena f. Now I feel I can act in the Gold 95 FM advertisment "hear only the good stuffs" NOw when he say "Fuck you lah Ong!!!" I can reply with a smile "yes Sir". Seriously numb liao. However I don't hate him for I know he is just making sure I can pass my test.

Interestingly, we laughed when getting in out by our theory instructor by get angry when getting the same treatment from our DI, people who are "lucky" enough to go for the course wll know. Recce trooper have first priority

Just today I almost get into an accident. this was my second day driving on the public road. It happened around the Bedok MRT station. He asked me to make a U-turn, at first I U-turn into a bus lane. He look happy and said

"you know why today can turn into bus lane?" It was during this time I steer half of the jeep into another lane, then his face changed suddenly with a hint of terror, he muttered something and grab the steering wheel from me to turn back into the lane, behind me wasa barrage of vehicles. I almost got into danger but I feel funny looking at his expression. This is something money can't buy, for anything else there is mastercard...

However I still picked myself up, driving is like that from my limited experience, you cannot be affected by one incident or else you screw everything up later. I can now control the vehicle only my reading of the traffic situation need to be improved. However many drivers like to bully L plate driver, they cut your lane like no bussiness, taxi don't signal when turning. There was once where I was stopping to brake to keep one vehicle distancewhere two cars cut in in quick succession. There was also a E class, I stopped swee swee one vehicle distance between me and the vehicle in front of me then he just cut in without giving any signal.

Taking the stressful practical driving aside, we have the destressing simulation drive, in cockpit, like Gundam. I nthat drive you can mount kerb, langga as many ppl you like just make sure you don't overdo it as failing it could land you another RT.

I will be taking my test in 2 weeks time, hopefully I can pass and return quickly to 3 SIR, trust me you will rather be doing SOC and IPPT than going for this course. To convert a military class 3 to a civillian one, I must get 7000 km in my 2 years which will only be possible if I become a SKW ( Sai Kang Warrior).

Sick In Tekong

Currently down with flu, cough and fever. The flu have been bugging me since last week but things got so serious on wed that I went to see the MO, the flu had turn into a blocked nose and my mucus was lemon yellow in colour. The MO gave me medicine but after a 2 hours wait there. I did not take the cough medicine as I don't feel my cough was that serious until Thu night.

Everyone, please do not think seeing a MO in Tekong will mean more rest, it just means that you will do more "shit work" under the disguise of light duty. For example, your friends will be doing SOC but you will be helping them loosen the sand, unloading and loading of equipments, under the hot sun. I think I have loaded and loaded about hundred plus rifle for armourer inspection.

Talking about rifle, I'm happy to say that I'm a marksman, hit 30 target out of 32. I missed a shot each in the day and night shooting. The night shooting was a slightly harder as it is hard to see if you hit the target. My "wife" didn't let me down as for the 2 days shooting, I only suffered one IA and that during the trial test. My secret is just stick it into your "wife" as many times as possible and make sure she is cleaned from top to bottom especially at the trigger part.

To me, the skill of squeezing your trigger slowly is not very important. If you do not have a firm gripe of the rifle and you still take your time to slowly aim, chances are the whole rifle will be shaking and your aiming will be off. So for me, I just shot when the aiming is there but you must remember to release your trigger fully after each shot or else it may cause another IA later.

Thinking about the shooting now, I feel that it could have contributed to my worsening flu. The smell of the gunpowder is over-powering and you happen to open your mouth after each shot, there is a high chance you will choke on the gunpowder.

So far, the range is the my most enjoyable activity in BMT. Other than shooting, the rest of the time is spent on waiting and buying snack from the "ninja bus". Maybe my cough was caused by the snack and soft drinks I drank during the soft drink. I spent about 10 over dollars on the snack and drink...

And yeah it's 3 more weeks to POP. I just want to serve my NS on the mainland, the weather changes in Tekong are too drastic.

Updates

Juz finished all of my outfield, u can't believe how glad I'm am to get away from the camo cream, they are the worst thing a solider can put on his face. After being in Tekong for abt 1 month, I can safely say heatstroke is more common than u think and ppl can joke abt everything in NS.

For example, ytd when marching back to company line from cookhouse, we saw some medics urgently unloading a semi unconscious guy on a stretcher who I assumed is from outfield judging from his camo cream. Most probably he is suffering from heat stroke, but some guys from our platoon joke that they are practising sniper drill. Sniper drill go normally like that, a guy will act dead as he is shot by the sniper his buddies is supposed to evacuate him and run as fast as possible to a cover.

Actually I dunwan talk abt NS one but my life practically revolve around it... Just came back from Singapore Discovery Centre for NE. Really inspiring, make u think NS is really impt for Singapore. SIngapore is worth defending although it quite sian for me at the moment...