Sunday, December 21, 2008
End of ICT
20th Dec 2008 marks the last of my 2nd ICT.
Being high-key, the ICT this time is longer, more physically demanding, and of course, more mentally-draining.
Well, I'm not sure how to blog about it, so I'll write in rough points
1. It's a completely different world inside. Once you're in, it's like Light touching the death note book after forgoing it, the memories just flood in at an instant, and you transform back into 'kira', or a soldier, in this context.
2. It's a weird feeling. One part of me feels happy to be inside. In that sense that when you're in, all the troubles outside seem to just go away. Like I do not need to worry about money when (almost) everything is free, no need to worry about results, internships, or think about current affairs or like Blackburn Rovers' plight etc etc. Also, it's great to meet the guys up after 1.5 years, and it seems like we had never been away. Another part of me of course, moans the loss of freedom of movement (it's the same outside, just the difference in the overwhelming degree of loss), the loss of individuality for the sake of conformity, and of course, doing everything similiar to what we did when we were in the active days, when our fitness levels obviously belonging to the civilian group.
3. You really switch off the outside world once you're inside. A short chat with Patrick (also from FASS) made me realise this. It's like, there are people telling me about the CAP leak, my mind like wasn't even excited or nervous about it, just simply "orh, ok, let me know only AFTER I finish this ICT". If I were never inside, I'm pretty sure I will be quite concerned about it, and perhaps a few skipped heartbeats. Also, you hack care the news going around the world (much like when we're in school camps), and you just concentrate on grinding out the days to let them pass.
4. Outfield sucks. I like travelling around Singapore in our scout jeeps, sometimes passing by curious bystanders, and enjoying the wind of the open-air vehicle. However, it's another story when the camo is on your face, the fieldpacks and stores are all over, and you know the fact that entering a mosquito-infested area is imminent. I also hate lying on grounds with soft mud, with trees roots underneath your butt, and slopes which makes it impossible to have a good rest.
5. Saviour is the man who invented the mosquito coil. Of course we shouldn't be doing it, but it is really effective. Without it I would have surely died from the vicious stings of the insect, as once you enter the vegetation, they don't fly to you, but zoom in on you in SWARMS. The last few hrs when my team run out of it made me realise this. The constant 'zzzzzzoooooom' sound the mozzies make as the fly past your ears when you try to sleep is irritating, not to mention the 'love bites' they leave on your hands, ears, and neck.
6. Ironically, the most enjoyable part of ICT is the RT on saturday, for people who failed IPPT (yes I fall into this category, gone were the days of 9.40-ish timings). It's a nice feeling everyone doing PT doing in the morning, as I can see smiles amongst everyone regarding the tough-yet-fun nature of the push-ups, jogs, crunches, and tug jumps. It's good to see our Support guys together again, it feels like the old days. Actually, without the regimentation of 'shouting counts' and doing things uniformly, PT can be fun, as I believe guys have this 'feel-good' factor when we exercise.
7. IPPT has taken a different tone this time round. With the reality of the late out-pro hitting me, and the system changed to remove university students' immunity from RT, I realised I had to clear IPPT. To prevent RT from taking my time away 2 times a week, no choice, I have to embark on my own training, pass it, and be free. I need to clear it twice, one before my birthday, and another before the next ICT (14th Dec 2009), so I can afford to slack and out-pro earlier.
8. It's good I talked to OC (who was a civil service scholar) on the last day, making me more aware of how the civil service operate, on how a non-scholar like me would be disadvantaged, and how to get relevant skills when I'm finding work. I'm kinda open to more possibilities now.
Well, it's back to civilian life for me, but I'm not sure how I want to spend this holidays. Perhaps the usual dota, dota, movie, movie, outing, outing, then when the semester starts, it's back to more tuitions + IPPT trainings + mugging for me.
Something struck me. As we go deeper and deeper into the tougher and tougher world of adulthood, how do we maximise happiness subject to the fact that we need to work to get money to obtain what we want in the first place?
It's certainly something I would be pondering on, so I can find a sustainable yet realistic balance on work, money, and 'life'.
As for now, I will just enjoy the slack! OUT-PRO LOH!!!
lowtide blogged @
9:40 am
