Hectic Week (edited)

Even though I came back only on Monday night (instead of the usual Sunday night), the week felt like a full-fledged 5 day week.

I was blissfully ignorant of the fact that I had to take part in the UIP (see previous post) until the very last minute. I was told to be a station 2IC in the line-laying station. At that moment, I felt very much like Alvin Ong in outfield, complete with a field chair and picnic lantern.

Spent the night in the training shed. Can never have a proper sleep on the concrete floor. Though my eyelids felt heavy, tired as I was, I could not sleep. And I also hated reeling back loose cables and seizing them back into the reel itself. With the dim luminence of the lantern and my sleepiness, baring the wires and doing seizing were almost impossible. I was amazed when the next group managed to establish telephone connection using the hastily adjoined reel.

It all ended in the morning. Finally. I must admit that I admire the resilience of the new men, sergeants and officers. They had to complete six gruelling stations throughout the night, get punished and somehow be on the ball all the time.

Slept for only a few hours the next day. Lo and behold, I have guard duty in the evening! Dragged my weary self to the armoury to draw my M16. Geez. Thankfully, the guard commander is my 2SG, so there is no fear of a turnout. Ate my night snack outside. The same puppy (white body with black spots) that followed us looked at me with sad-looking eyes. Took pity on it and fed it with the last bits of my fruitcake. In return, the hungry puppy licked my hands profusely, which I am too tired to move away.

The day after, (on Friday), I just slept for only a few hours (do I sense a deja vu), when I need to wake myself up for the (lame) SAF day. In which we had to assemble in the multi-purpose hall to take a pledge and swear allegience to the President, Singapore, Army, etc etc. Damn. And afterwards, I had to settle the guard duty forecast for next month (how ironic, I just did one yesterday), before rearranging my store for mock LRI inspection, in which RSM will attempt to bring down my B2IC (read=wayang). Grrrrrr. And the worst part was that after all the preparation, it was cancelled. Played Magic:the Gathering (a card game) with my storeman friends until last parade.