Saturday, September 30, 2006

This week is simply a "kill-my-thighs" week. Tuesday afternoon was RSN X-Country event. Even though i am not one of those competitors, I still had to run(damn) 5-plus km on uneven terrain, which roughly translate to roughly 6 km on even terrain. Plus i just completed 2 km sea swim in the morning. Wednesday was IPPT and something went wrong in my mind to tell my body, especially my legs, to give my best and i got my best timing ever for 2.4 km run, 9 mins 07 secs. By this time, my thighs are beginning to feel some strain. Just when i thought Thursday will be a relaxed day, the instructors said that there will be a 6 km timed run. And again, something went wrong in my mind and i sort of give my best for the timed run. By this time, the strain has become pain. Ouch. But our boat got a surprise when we found out that out boat is the only boat whereby every boat member pass the 6 km timed run. *smile proudly*

Anyway, the final blow came on friday. Friday morning, sea-circuit. Oh great. Anyone want to volunteer to wheel me around on Monday?

Rather a quiet week i would say. Training was disrupted quite a number of times due to cohesion on friday, safety reflection day on thursday, recruitment talk on wednesday and RSN X-Country on tuesday. But hey, who don't wish for training to be disrupted? Besides, we have completed most of our pool training and the purpose of spending time underwater floating around, flying around, riding on someone's cylinders around or simply walking around(whatever you called it) is just to clock dive time.

Sayonara for now.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Remember i said in the last post that i have started diving? Ya, this week is purely diving (look, i dive almost everyday, save for friday) and boy, it is both fun and exhausting. Completed a lot of tasks underwater and proud to say that i had execute all of them successfully without any accident. Cool! One more week of diving in the pool and we will move off to the sea. Not particularly interested as the Sembawang sea is... simply cannot make it lah.

However, all is not well. Kenna whacked on Friday due to our dip in discipline. Well, can say that we deserved it and no complaints about it.

Went to a Magic: The Gathering event on Saturday @ the concourse. The event was a prerelease of Magic latest product. Quite a fruitful trip i would say. Returned from it with more cards, managed to get my hands on cards i want and most importantly, more experience. Should be going for the next one, if i have the money. Haha

Watched The Banquet(夜宴) this morning in the wee hours.



Good show, and i mean it. The show fully displayed how evil and treacherous human heart (人心) can be. The desire for revenge, for power and for love determine the flow of events and i would say the show is simply a fine piece of art. Why i say so? Because of the music, the emotions of each character, the colour contrast used, the gracious movements of the characters and how the camera is positioned. I almost feel i am watching a theatre show and not a movie. Recent films from China has shown that it can rival its Hollywood counterparts with quality (Think Hero（英雄）and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙)) and the Chinese has another advantage. 5000 years of history and arts. I can't express in words what i want to convey but throughout the movie, you can't help but marvel at how the actions are perfectly choreographed and you can feel the grandness of the Orient, of ancient China. Highly recommended as the battle in the movie, whether physically or mentally is simply classy.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Dramatic Week...

Ever since i was enlisted into NDU, people around me have been asking me for 5 months did I encounter any fishes and my usual answer would be nope. Come on, you don't expect my instructors to throw me into the sea straight away after enlistment right? I still have to go through Basic Military Training(BMT) before i embark on Combat Diving Course(CDC). The CDC is split into 5 phases, namely Physical Phase, Hellweek, Demolition Phase, Dive Phase and Land Phase. For the past 5 months, I have been through BMT and the first 3 phases of CDC. Don't think the 5 months have been an easy ride. Been through Hell and back and not forgetting emotional rollercoasters.

Anyway, i have started diving(finally...lolz). Went for Orientation Dive on Monday, 11th Sept, which happens to be my birthday. Wow. The feeling was simply marvellous. The ability to breathe underwater was such a great feeling. Furthermore, my first diving experience on my birthday. How cool is that? Haha. So guys, I can proudly say, I have started diving.

But that feeling never last long. Had an accident this week during diving. Yes, an accident. (Bro, if you are reading this, don't ever tell mum. Don't get her worried.) I was supposed to do a total of 3 Emergency Drills at a depth of 4 metres in the swimming pool. The first drill was carried out successively but the second one was a failure and...

You see, my buddy and i are supposed to do the Buddy Breathing Drill. The drill goes on like this. I had to signal to my buddy i am out of air and once he acknowledges it, I had to let go of my regulator(the hose that provide me with air) and we share his regulator. So naturally breath-holding was involved. When i passed him back the regulator and wait for it to come back, I let go of a little air but i opened my mouth too big and water began to gush in. This effect disorientate me totally and my nose took in water and i felt that i was choking on water without any way to get it out. This caused a natural instinct in me to shoot up to the surface. But, in diving, you CANNOT just shoot up from any depth. You must go up slowly so as to reduce the pressure acting on your body to prevent your lungs from bursting. So the instructor grab me down and start to stuff his spare regulator into my mouth. What happen onwards i do not have a clear memory of it but according to the instructor, i kept on pushing away the spare regulator and keep on struggling to break free from his grip. After a while, i was brought up to the surface. How i came up to the surface i had no idea. Furthermore, my buddy was totally stunned and he told me he saw my face turned into one that resembled a corpse. Wow.

I can't really remember what exactly happen and the above is all i can say. Throughout the week, i kept thinking over the incident and all i can add on is that i didn't make adequate mental preparations before the dive and the lack of coordination between my nose and mouth is what cause me to panic underwater. During the descent, everything was okay but somehow i feel water seeping into my mask. While travelling, I think i sort of breathe in through my nose so some water enter my nose. I quickly shut off my nose and it didn't cause much of a problem as the feeling of uncomfort is still bearable. Than, because i am the diver holding on to the float, my legs was constantly entangled with the floatline so i spent quite a while untangling myself. This process was worsened when i realised my mask is loose, thus allowing water to seep in. All these are too much for an inexperienced diver like me and hence my accident. But hey, the fact that i am here means i am well. Will I be scared to dive again? I don't know. Let just hope the next dive will be an okay one with sufficient mental preparations.

Was having a chat over meal with my friends in camp when one of them commented, "NDU is like a small kingdom on its own, with its own 'government' and rules and kind of shut off from SAF." Well, I can't agree more. When we out-station to other camps, the feeling is totally different from our camp. The people over at other camps are more rigid, ranks are more observed and when you are at Nee Soon Camp that is home to a number of units, the people tend to put on a front so as not to disgrace the pride associated with their units. Over at NDU, things are different. The people here are rather close-knit and different units mixed well with each other. No one put on a front and no one thinks that his unit is superior. Even Commander NDU wears a shirt and shorts while walking around, unlike other camps where the Commanding Officer is always in his No. 3 uniform. Maybe it is because of the relatively small size of the unit or because everyone knows that while diving, a buddy is very important as he/she can save your life and you never know who your dive buddy will be. Hence things are more relaxed, ranks are observed no doubt but when everyone is wearing shirt and shorts, the feeling of closeness is there.

Oh well. I need a break to relax. Having 2 tests over the week kind of kill lots of my precious brain cells...

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Recently there is this 'someone" out there who has too much time on his hand. So, he decided to flood my tagboard with insults. Using the name "Anonymous" or "ndu batchmate" to hide his identity, he insult me firstly with vulgarities and claimed that i reported sick everyday during hellweek. Well, i admit i visit the medical tent a number of times during hellweek but definitely not the extent of everyday and it was clearly stated in my previous post. So whoever you are, if you are reading this, wake up. Stop being childish. Hellweek is long over and my conscience is clear.

Anyway, enough about him. Went to Pulau Sudong and Palau Senang this week to do underwater demolition training. Kind of enjoy it cause the place is like a paradise. Firstly, the water is clear, MUCH more clearer that the one at Sembawang. The fact that you can see the seabed near the shore explains quite a lot you know? Secondly, the island is quiet and peaceful and NO mosquitoes. Wow. Don't mind living on the island you know?

The trip to Sudong and Senang was rather successful. No whacking session, no wet and sandy and we slept on safari beds. How cool is that? Haha. Oh, in case you are wondering, safari beds are like stretchers. =) The bad points of the trip is that we had to eat combat rations for 3 days. Oh my goodness. By the third day, i was skipping the main meal and crunching on biscuits instead. Seriously, the biscuits are much more nicer. Than we had to travel on this vessel which look like a landing ship, you know, the ones that carry soldiers from the big ships to the beach and when it land, the front part open and the soldiers charge out. Um, it was fun initially to travel in it but it get kind of wobbly when it stop moving and the feeling get worse after eating the combat rations. Furthermore, because it has no shelter, it is damn hot especially when you are wearing a BLACK wetsuit and the sun is directly above you. Guess what, this experience will repeat again in the near future. Oh...

Was appointed firer again. Again?! Kind of stunned as i was one of the firers for the land demolition training and was thinking that i won't be choosen again. But oh well, it is either the instructors don't like me or there is some conspiracy to kill me, the fact is, i am one of the firers for the underwater demolition training. Did the same shit and glad to be out in one piece. Haha. However, the experience would be even better if i didn't lose my mask. Had to sign 1206 i think and don't ask me how i lost it. One word, carelessness.

Played Magic: The Gathering yesterday. Had lots of fun as it is the first time i play Draft format. Blame it on my lousy drafting skills, my deck was not good enough to defeat my friends. Nevermind, revenge can be sought later. Went over to geylang for dinner. Initially my friends and I want to play . But after the first stop, heck la. Just walk and eat whatever catch our interest. At the end of the day, $12 for a fulfilling meal.

Currently addicted to The Sims 2 and really, no game can replace it as the best PC game ever produced. Now i seek your understanding as i end here and return to my fantasy land. =)

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Lectures again this week, this time on diving theory. Wah, it really makes me feel i am back in JC again as diving theory is as cheem as science at "A" level. But what makes it different is that it is... interesting. Really. From the lessons, you heard about what divers do and from the instructors description of their diving experiences, you wish you could plunge straight away into the water with your cylinder. But... diving only start after the diving theory test and after everyone has cleard their annual medical check-up, which is at least after 18 Sept. Oh well...

Talking about annual medical check-up, i had mine done on wednesday. Everything was fine until my urine show some problem. You see, urine can show whether your body is working well and most check-ups had this part where you urine on this stick and than the doc will know whether you are okay just by looking at the stick. For me, i took the test 3 times and i fail all of them. The doc says that i have traces of haemogoblin in my urine and i had to give them a bottle of urine for them to conduct tests on. Results will be known when i revisit the MO on 11 Sept (my birthday! Take note ya!) and whether i can carry on diving. Hopefully everything turns out well. Really hope to be able to dive...

Next week will be rather fun... i guess. Going to some island to do underwater demolition. Can't reveal much in case some personnal from Mindef is watching my blog closely and if i say anything more, Military Police(MP) will just bash through my door and grab me to the infamous Detention Barracks...