In the army...

And so it goes, and so it goes... I AM BAAACK! Actually it's not the first time I'm back from camp. It's my third time. I didn't have time to write an entry on Labour Day and the last weekend. However, it's a 3-day weekend for me this time because of Vesak Day on Monday. So here I am. Back again.

The dying question everybody wants to ask me: "How's life in the army?" First and foremost, I can't disclose the details here because of confidential reasons. But I can tell you my experiences about life in camp.

Well, the first day was quite interesting. That's when we were all new to army life and were wondering what's in store for us. We got assigned our bunks and beds, and slowly got to know our section mates.

Then as the days passed, more and more things happened. During the first week, we had an endless list of tasks to complete with our sergeants. Mostly the administrative stuff but by day's end, our free time was extremely limited. In the army it's "lights out" at 2230hrs. That's when everyone has to be in bed - sleeping. No talking on handphones or doing other stuff. Just be in bed. Sleep.

As the second week approached, we did have more time for ourselves. If you're wondering why I keep emphasizing on "free time", well, that's what everybody wants: Free time to do what they want! After all the exercises, lectures, and practical lessons, you just want some time to do your own thing and say, "Leave me alone."

It's amazing how so many things can happen in a day. There were times I literally thought that the lessons we had in the morning were part of yesterday's activities. We spend 17hrs awake and the rest of the 7hrs in bed. You can see how disproportionate the ratio is. Leave us alone for a few minutes and we'll have no problem dozing off in a few seconds. That's how tired we can be sometimes. But then again, if ours is already the modified Basic Military Training (BMT), what will the real BMT be like? I keep reminding my mates that we're very fortunate already...

The third week has just passed and I must say that things are much smoother now. Definitely more free time. We've almost reached the halfway mark of our BMT and the next few weeks will be pretty crucial. Just next week we will have our field camp. The outdoor camp every soldier must go through. It'll be an experience, no doubt. After that it'll be the main practical tests of our BMT. Once we have passed, you could consider us graduated from BMT.

So then, this is how life is like in the army. No doubt there are high times and low times, fun times and crappy times. It's all part and parcel of the army. I shall end here. And boy, am I tired. Oh, it's 2230hrs. Lights out!