Back to basics: Beginning of time

Ok. It's not exactly the real beginning. Just to look back at 2005. Hmmm... it's going to take long so if 1 entry can't cover I will split it up. We'll see how it goes, don't expect me to remember everything.

2005.......................the obvious..........................

2 decades old in the first month. Nothing much happened that I could recall. Just that I was still adjusting myself. Yes Yes It took me a long time to adjust myself to this camp with people that I don't know. All of them were strangers then... and some of them still are. I could still remember doing duty on New Years day. Hmmm.. just hope it doesn't happen again. Haha.

I wasn't an active blogger then. I only blogged when I felt like it or something that I want to remember when I looked back at it. Things were different last time. I used to keep to myself in the past. I have to admit that I hate big crowds. I tend to keep to myself and not take center attraction when I'm out in big groups. But in small groups... you know what I mean.

I also bought a gift for someone but I just don't have the time to give and the person wasn't anxious at all in receiving it. It's still at home, my home. Things really changed... don't even want to recall it.

Hmmm...couldn't remember much what happened then. So I will fast forward. The next big thing that happened was the time when we had a lot of exercises. Week after week we went outfield, paint our faces, walked till our feet turned sore, sweat till we smell like pigs. Yeah I remember that. Though tiring and dead, we managed to pull through. It amazes me till this day how I could survive that. If that was suppose to test my physique then Ops Iodine tested my mental endurance. Weeks on end we have to stay in the camp, 6 of us at a time. Spent the whole day doing what? Sleeping, playing games, chatting, eating and more sleeping. If I recalled correctly it happened 5 times in all when we were on Alert red.

Then it was a slack period after our Alert red as we were preparing for NDP, well they were preparing, we were covering. Learnt that Marina South was a dull place in the day but at night it turned into a smoke bellowing factory with steamboats and the sounds of frying food. The NDP period was the most taxing if I were to look back. Not for them but for me. But all in all I enjoyed myself, the fireworks, the performances, and mostly the patriotic feeling. Though my mind wasn't at ease throughout the whole thing, it was at least tamed. Doing duty during the carnival was downright boring as there was nothing to explore and we were expected to stay in the premises of the HQ and not loiter like some loose animals. Don't even make me recall the times spent at Marina. I hate it.

Soon we were heading to Brunei for Ex Lancer in late August till early October. 2+ weeks in Brunei. Felt better while I was in Brunei, maybe the vast landscape and the cool weather took me away. Yeah that was it. The gargantous mountains and the winding river was a sight not to be missed. It's not everday that I get to travel to a foreign land. The furthest I've been is Sarawak and that was in my sec. sch. days. Though we weren't involved in the exercises, the days spent out in the jungle seems like eternity for me. The days were long, nothing to do except sleep. I won't ever forget the experience I had there. Too bad I didn't have a camera with me or else I would have snapped up photos like mad! Spent the first 3 days fasting in Brunei. Missed my family tremendously and also my friends back in Singapore. Never been more glad to land back in Singapore. Hectic as it gets, this is where I belong.

November happened last month when Hari Raya was celebrated as usual. Fun as it was, I managed to collect money too. Haha. Some of my distant uncles thought I was still in secondary school. Hmmm... I feel so young. When I told them that I'm ORDing in April next year, they would each say that time really fly huh? I would just laugh and agree. But in my heart it was the longest time of my life. I dread going back to camp.

Meet up with my JC mates too. All grown up liao. All pursuing their individual goals, having a different lifestyle, adopting different fashion. Had a great time then thinking and joking about our JC days. But things changed... I hope they change for the better.

Now we've come to December, the last few days of it. Did duty on Xmas day itself. Managed to give some of them presents and got a nice pendant in return. Really meaningful I have to say. Also got a big Xmas card which I liked very much. It's not everyday you receive gifts from friends. Though I don't celebrate Xmas, I celebrate giving gifts. But I learnt that the greatest gift that you can give is a simple smile, it works everytime, even though some of it is fake.

Clearing my leave till next year, only have a few more days till the new year. Wow! Didn't realise I spent 45 mins on this entry. I might have missed a few stuffs here and there. Intentional or not, you decide.