My Mates,my room and the food
My classmates all not bad ..During my attachment to the swimmin pool days, i feared that i can't interact well with them.Seems that my worries were pointless.

1 room can sleep up to 4 person.The second sergeant or our class InCharge :Zhixiong and Coperal Andy (married)stay with me.Both of them are sign-on personnel.Lastly is one of my swimming pool budy Yin Lai.Andy get to book out special every weekdays 5 pm, and return next morning 6 .20 am.Becoz he's married ,therefore have this special priviledges. Marcus, one of our fit mates came to sleep on his bed everynight becoz he communicate better with zhixiong than his room mates.My room next door are also the pals (4 of them) of marcus from Charlie class.(for your info,my class is Delta).they come to the room to gossip and chat till late night.Of course everything going on in my room, i sure got participate one.

For the food, i started to lose my apetite..onli on the cook house's.We have either choice to go cook house or canteen to have our meals.Cook house meals are free of charge .. but the food cannot make it.Alternative will be to visit canteen.But i seldom do that becoz although rice is about $2, quite cheap.. but it cost $ .I rather eat cook house food and suffer in silence.

 
3rd-day-The Hell Finale
One unlucky accident happen to me on monday night.I fell down when i am running to the Swimming pool office to borrow air pump for basketball.My right knee is wounded and is bleeding non-stop.i went to borrow first aid kit from Physical training instructor from the swimming poool office and DIY my wound.My friends said it will be very tough day for me tomorow becoz much crawling and squating will be done in the maze..But whatever it is, since i have made this far to the last day, i gonna endure.
Tuesday morning is our theory test of fire fighting course.Nobody fail the exam becoz (1)we can copy from one another,but cannot leave the seat.(2)The sergeants(aka instructors) gave us about 20% of the certain Qn's answers on the white board.(3)if we raise our hands and ask,we will get what we want~hehehe.Well even so, i get 92 ;only one get 100.
After the test, we proceed to our second pratical test.The MAZE.2 person per group & never leave your partner behind.The conseutive groups were going in is about 2 mins interval. No trainees ever know how the maze exactly looks like.Becoz there is very little light and lots of smoke there.Hence we have to feel all the way through,depending little on eye sight.With not much light,we have to crawl most of the time as most of the path will be small tunnels.There's one difficult part is where we have to pass through a horizontal 3m water pipe with diameter about 60cm.Even skinny people will find it difficult to pass through, not to say those big plump ones.Dun forget our back supports the weight of the cylinder .Hence we need good partnership and coordination.First,the person have to stretch his arms out first into the pipe b4 entering ,then his body's turn to got in(like superman when fly posture)You can hardly move your limbs becoz everything is so compact.The second person will have push the first person,and 1st guy also have to shuffle himself out of the pipe .when first person came out of the pipe,the second person will go in and he will have also have to move himself to the front with all his might and stretch his hand out to grab the hand of the 1st guy.
So far there were many obstacles and i have onli list one.What i have said may seems simple.But try to walk around to find your way out in the dark with full battle order and breathing ovygen from gasmask.You will be in fear and panick of which way to go,also have to make sure your buddy is to be with u at all times becoz itsrather easy to lose each other in the dark.We have to be fast becoz oxygen that we carry is onli sufficient for about 40 mins. But for trainee like us who can't control normal slow breathing, we might finish it within 30 mins.But so far all never used up.I have to say once more, the expierience is undiscribleable....
Alas we saw light when we are climbing up the ladder to the rooftop.We are delighted and relieved becoz we know light =exit.Once we get out of the maze, i just ly down flat..like the others.i am Dead exhausted till the extend i can't
t even walk properly.i recover after 30 mins with the others...(Recover-Can walk but can't run )From that day onwards, i respect the fireman becoz they have undergone this kind of training which they consider it as the basic.Their training is much more tougher than we have all gone through.We are doing these for onli 2 days.... but they are doing these almost daily
Anyway at 3 pm, those who pass received the Fire-fighting basic course CERT.Each of us are very proud to have this cert becoz we use our every bit of blood , sweat and determination to earn it.I gonna frame it up.
I almost forget to list something out.Our class consist of 20 people,4 are ladies.They actually gone through the Fire fighting course with us and never back off.The Civil defense sergeants mentioned that no female ever fail the course b4.Although they are a bit slower,I still surprise on how they can make this far with us.I shouldn't underestimate them now...

 
2nd day-Fire fighting Course
Afternoon is our practical .18 people is divided into 2 groups.We wore our full "battle order" and we must went inside a room were to endure the heat ,the smoke(not a problem as we have gas mask.) took turns to use the nozzle to try "an attempt" to fight the fire.The phrase "an attempt" means that fire reaches its peak. Hence the instructors just expect us not to give up and to fight fire using water hose with nozzle for about 30 seconds then next person's turn.We have tried 3 times each.

We were told to squat down at all times becoz of flashover We were told to observe it as well.Flash over is the stage where everything in the compartment is burned up the fire and the fire is at its peak.The ceiling is seen with thick smoke and i can see one line of fire floating with the smoke.yup, thats the stage of flash over ,which also the reason y we have to squat down.This goes on for about 5 mins.

3 people gave up and one of them vomited in the middle of the practical test.Another wobble around and can't see anything.He claims that his vision is all blaCK ,but he recover after 10 mins later .They failed the course ,therefore have to come back next time.Honestly speaking ,i was going to give up when the instructors annouced the test is over.Well..wearing gas mask is already very tough for me to inhale.Furthermore the high temperature in there and squating down for 5mins with heavy cylinder on my back have added to my difficulty in breathing.

Ok,so when instructors annouced to call it a day, we all rush out of the room.We take off everything and draw as many deep breath as we can.That moment is undiscriblable becoz u need to expierience it to know that feeling on how u realise that air is so preciuos.....our body is covered with the smell of soot.yucks.We took quite a well to recover ...Its more exhausting than taking 8 km endurance run.

 
Fire fighting Course
During my attachment to swimming pool days, i have already heard that fire fighting course is very Siong.It is a 3-day course.Last thursday,mon and tuesday.17th 21th and 22th April.But these days are enough tell your mind not to step into the Civil defense to be trainee again.

17th Our JRC class took a bus to Civil Defense Academy.We always wear "overall" to class.Overall=Those whole body uniform that Technicians wear.Furthermore the bus we have taken this 3 days is the same air-con bus with his air-conditioning spoilt.So its damn hot~!!!!!

We went to class room(finally got air-con) and were given a compiled lecture notes each.Then the sergeants there give lessons theoriotically on about what is fire and the equation of oxygen+heat+fuel=fire possibility etc.And we were also taugh on what kind of fire extinguishers to be used when handling certain cases of fire.For example.. u dun use water to extinguish fire supported by petrol or other flammable solution or use foam or water to extinguish fire cause by electric appliances.

After lunch, we went the store to try our individual sizes of fire jackets,gloves,boots and pants.Backplate & gas mask are also assigned to us.The whole battle order is about 7kg and is very warm when u wear everything.That excludes the oxygen tank (about 12kg) leh.Ok the worst part is that we also have to try on our gas mask.The gas mask is being pass down by many batches, and i get to know from someone that some of the last batches cannot get use of wearing gas mask and vomited with face mask on.The whole puke substances actually stays in the face mask unless u took it off and pour it away. Yucks!!!!Some more we found to have breathing difficulties when wearing them.The torture is undiscribable.. u have to breath a little heavy and the oxygen u breath in is warm and is stuffy.
Later we went back to the classroom with the "battle pack" and were brief on how the individual items work.The backplate is a little complex.Its is use to connect itself with the oxygen cylinder so that the backplate act as a medium to transfer oxygen to the gas mask.Backplate got a lung demand valve to connect it to the gas mask .The Backplate also have a pressure gauge to indicate how much oxygen left inside the cylinder.It glows in the dark.
whole course is 9-4pm.

 
Weekend break
Yestereday had hours of swim at 2pm after i step home 9 am.Then i sleep at 10 pm....ZzzZZzzzz .You can seldom see stay-in personnel in the army having 8 hours of full sleep.Later go swim again becoz my skin is getting fairer~ I have to book in at 11 pm.Free time is so short... :<

 
what are prowlers
Prowlers are sort of guards walking around the Sembawang naval camp to make sure everything is fine .There are 8 checkpoints around the camp.These prowlers have to walk to each check point in order 1 to 8 or 8 to 1.The Checkpoint is actually a mailbox with numerical number painted on it.A book will be inside the mailbox for prowlers to sign and write down the time it reach the checkpoint.And he have to use the walkie talkie to com. back to Ops room and say (for example):"Ops room, this is prowler 1 , checkpoint 5 Rounds Correct over.
Ops room:"Prowler 1,this is Opps room.Time is 0210."
Prowler 1:"Prowler 1 Roger.Time 0210 Over"then you know whats the standard Ops room time and write it down on the book and move on.
Checkpoints are ussually located beside doors or gates.Prowler 1 will walk from checkpoint 1 to 8 and Prowler 2 will walk 8 to 1.It must be within 1 hour b4 Prowlers walk back to office or they call it Operations room(Ops room).
If your prowler duty start at 1 am, if u finish your round and reach Ops room at 1.45.You get to rest in the air-con Ops room till 2 pm whereby u continue your second round.If u have walked checkpoint 1 to 8,then the second round will be 8 to 1.One shift= 2 round.Simple.
Prowler 1 and 2 will each be equiped with torch light(if duty at night),whistle,m-16 rifle with live rounds and a walkie talkie.While walking along the way,if suspicion took place like fences are cut open,unfamiliar face walking in the middle of the night, corridor lights off instead of on,gates are not lock etc.Then one of the prowler holding the walkie talkie will Coms. back to the opps room to let them sent reinforcements to come.But ussualy these cases does not happen.hehee oppZ. -_-

 
Stress days II-Guard duty
Everyone in the army have to do guard duty.Everyone plays a part.Sad right?
Last week i have said that we had done understudy of guard duty and one of them is to search cars for strange items or bomb -like objects etc.Understudy means u follow people who is doing guard duty around,take note what they should do during guard duty.And most of the time they will let u try.
Wed was our 2nd understudy of guard duty.After lessons end at 5 pm, we have to assemble and divide class of 19 people into 3 groups.Well at weekdays,the guard duty starts from 6 pm to 8.30 am next day. Group A is to understudy for 2 hours and the other groups rest.Then Group B take over and so on ,also can be known as shift work.Waa lack of sleep.So what does the understudy exactly do.They follow the guard duty peronnel .
One shift consist of about 5 person doing guard duty with about 2 second seargeants,one staff-sergeants and one warrant officer incharge of us.They will be walking around outside or inside the office.At weekdays night or 24 hours weekend starting from morning till next morning ,there there will be 2 groups of 2 prowlers. One QM assigned to stand outside the office to see any suspicious or funny things going on outside the office area.total 5. (so understudy is about one trainee have to follow one person)total 10 person.So i have been following the prowlers with my trainee buddy for 4 hours.I told ya right, one shift is 2 hour and there are 3 groups.The understudy guard duty start from about 6 -8am.
So what doea the Guardduty is all really about?i brief u on that later becoz my First guardduty is on good friday..yesterday

 
Stress days
From last recent monday till Good friday are very tough days for us.We have to study and do practically how to use a S-A(surface to air) & S-S (surface to surface)gun.The gun is fixed to ground on the training shed for us to learn and try,with bullets or rounds .These guns can be found fixed on many ships for defense or attack.The caliber is 0.5 inch.There are certain commands we have to follow when performing on this weapon.We were taught that when we are preparing to engange enemy ship or aircraft, the duty officer will shout the command "gunner 1,close up!"Me or example gunner 1 will have to remove the muzzle and gun cover,check if there is any rounds inside the firing chamber of the gun(if so, take down the round number and discard overboard).Then answer back to officer:"gunner1 close up Clearaway bore clear!"Next he will shout"gunner 1 load!" Then I will cock the gun, feed the gun with the life ammo and put the gun to "safe mode"(meaning that the gun will not fire even u pull the Fire trigger).Then have to shout back"gunner1 loaded half-cock." haha sounds funny?But cock in military terms means the final step b4 abilty to fire the gun whereby a round inside the magazine will be insert into the gun firing chamber after cock.There are much more commands, but i think list 2 enough liao lah.and some more the most difficult part is to answer back after u have followed the officer's command.(readthe previous 2 examples.)Y can't those officers let us Fire At Will when we see enemy aproaching.By the time we answer command here and there, enemy run away liao loh.(joking)

 
YaPPeEEe~!!!!! Saturday is the day that everyone in the camp is looking for! Catorgy 1 swimmers book out at 12 pm while the other Cat. 2 or 3 swimmers have to stay back for swimming lessons.We went to Tuas naval base today for an excursion.We onboard the ships ,guided by these seaman specialists there and were shown around the place. We get into the ship's navigation control room or "Bridge".The specialist explains to us how does the radar ,magnetic compass,maps of the singapore sea shown on the computer with GPS support and helm works on normal ship operations.We boarded 3 ships : APV(Anti-Submarine Patrol Vessal) ,MCV(Missile Convette Vessal) & MCMV(mine counter measures vassel).MCV is good at enganging enemy submarines,ships and aircraft. MCMV is sent to the front line to clear sea mines before the main battle ships move forward into action.APV is a patroling ship with little fire power, buts good at dealing against submarines.
Well,we also get the chance to tour around the ship to see where the marines work,eat and sleep.Every ship is air conditioned to maintain the operating electronic or computer systems,hence is quite cold inside.Some ships can draw in sea water and filter them into fresh water.Therefore the crew will be unable to bath for days if their ships do not have this capability.
Ok i going out .I onli have 30 hours left of freetime at home b4 going back to camp,hence thats y i can't type as much and exact as b4.
lios

 
A small break
Now i am in Junior Rating course liao. A basic course in the navy b4 posting to other vocation.I have to stay in camp except sat sun home. Wed can go back home from 5pm-11.30pm.So far i can't get use to staying in.Becoz we have to sleep around 11.30 pm and wake up around 5.30 am.That's not enough sleep plus u have to attend all those classes .The class teaches us about navy ceremonies,sea survivor etc.Due to lack of sleep and these subjects are boring anyway, i always can't control myself and sleep in class.~Hehee same as the other 35% of the class.Today morning also have to learn how to do guard duty by standing by the Sembawang Camp enterance and search the incoming cars for suspiciuos objects. .I brought newspapers there on monday and i can't afford the time to read finish.The scedule is too tight.

 
Last Day in Swimming Pool
I have said days ago that my course is going to start on this monday.Quite down and somemore i suffered a small blow when 3 of my buddies in the swimming pool is seperated from me onwards.5 buddies in swimming pool minus 3 will be different class with me - left me and one of my buddy.Whaa kow....4 months together in swimming pool and now have come to the end.We will be in diff class and will not be sleeping or studying together.Well as i have read " Who Move My cheese" months ago, i am mentally prepared to adapt the new environment.I will get to know 30 soldiers classmates from tekong who will be coming here on monday and will be staying with them as well.i start to miss them already.Joel...Fusheng..Jian kuang...
Today we held a belated birthday treat for huiwen in Sakae sushi.(i believed to have mentioned few days ago that my friend's birthday falls on 2nd april).She like the bracelet and necklace we bought very much.Yeah, always feels good when someone likes your present.Hope Zhiliang,Liwen,huiwen and me will 4ever be like young kids in the neighbourhood,friends4ever~~F4.

 
5 teams 5 event in the Sea,
Today we went to Tuas Naval Camp at 10 am for the compeition which actually started at 1.30 pm.There are 5 events and 5 departments are in it.The 6 of us,one sergeant,3 trainees(me fusheng and Ying lai),one PTI and 2 life guards, step into the rubber dinghy boat and start rolling.We have to get the momentum and the coordination correct inorder to bring the best out of us as most of us have not row the boat b4.3 people on each side and the only problem occured was that the boat will not go totally straight to the direction intended.The strength of one side is either stronger than the other or vice versa.So we planned to adopt the "Left Left Right Right" method to solve it.one person will see the shout.The left will row 2 times, then right and so on.Until when if the boat is turning left out of the lane ,the guy will shout "right right right" till then boat return to course, then continue the "Left Left Right Right".
Ok the actual compeition begins,1.50 pm.I took off my shirt as i going to be wet if i row and put on the life jacket. We row the rubber dinghy boat, and the method can't seems to work.We get 4th.The coordination is not there.From this expierence, i know that individual skills and effort alone can't win the game.You must need team work and coordination too.Well we are very disappinted from the results,of course.Some even try to put blame on someone.Well,maybe what they say is right.But to me, we win as a team, lose as a team.If we win, we will be hugging each other...shouting cheers etc.But if we lose, we might see cases of accusing the weaker individual.Is that the nature of mankind?or u call this pple "no sportsmanship?"
Anyway, Fusheng take the second event and get third.And during the last event, i was called in the last min. to be involved.The last event is 4 X 100 m canoe relay.i quickly hop into the canoe and row to my repective position.i am the last man and i screen through the 4 opposition team.....keep asking myself:"Can we Win?"
BEEP! The horn sounds..My second teammate is in the first position till when the lifeguard,Nowell,my third teammate take over and canoe 70m.The boat capsize.He try to get into the canoe, but failed repeatly as the current was too strong.so he swam and dragged the canoe for the rest of the 30 m to his finsihing line.He spent about 3mins.. and our position dropped to last.The other 2 teams capsized too, but recover within about at most 2 mins.I admire this determination to swim and drag the whole big canoe towards the rest of the 30 ms.Not so eassy leh. The current was damn strong.The 4th position contestant was just 2 meteres infront of me.I use all my might to canoe.My desire is to win at least the 4th position .I row as fast as i could.But it is not so eassy as the faster I row, the more i cannot control the canoe which had been shaking furiously. I have understood by then why Nowell and the other contestants capsized.I should not row the boat so fast blindly becoz of the large current.well anyway, i got 4th.
The rest of the teammates were disappointed.But we gave each of ourselves consolation and encouragement.Do better next time.This experience is very nice.when i got home around 5 pm, i found myself turning dark brown in color .hehehe must be the stupid hot sun again~

 
The Clock is ticking
My Junior Rating Course is going to start on the 7th April .For this course, i know i have to attend lectures,learn fire fighting(have to carry the heavy fire extingiusher and run up and down) and have to keep short hair(have to say good bye to my old hairstyle),and have to observe the strict military discipline..All this is a nightmare compare to my life in the swimming pool.
This few days i have to start packing my bag becoz i will be staying in the Sembawang naval camp.Will be back home onli on Sats and Sunday.I will miss alot of shows like "Duke Of Mount deer" and "The threhold of the Era"...argh!!!!!!
By the way, The seargeant of the Basic Military Training have request to ask the lifeguards the instructors and us to participate in the rubber dinghy boat racing held in the beach of Tuas naval base.2 of my friends forseen this and applied leave b4 hand to avoid the compeition.(Joel and Jian guang)As my request was a bit late, mine was turn down by the Physical Training instructor. We all are been forced to go..and "been forced" is a common phrase in the army.You will get use to it.

 
1st April..Rajan's Birthday
Yap! Yesterday was rajan's birthday.I rushed home and hurriedly prepared his present b4 going out to meet issac and VJ on the train at 7.30pm. They were my poly classmates ,also the only guys out of the 7 buddies going to Rajan's birthday.We went to Rajan's house and this is my first time i ever set foot to the house of an Indian family.The house have full of laughter with kids playing around, and the adults bussy serving the guest with great hospitality.Rajan and his mother,sister and brother were occupied serving the guests.The house was crowded with guests and it's neighbour's children playing around inside the house.Such family warmth is cannot be explained.In my block, i never seen children running around the corridors.This is because the children are too occupied with their tutions and homework.I seldom seen my neighbours chit chat with each other.Just a "Hi and Bye "i think.Because The adults are too bussy to deal with their own stuff.Or this is an excuse that actually Singaporean like to get on with their own lives, not willing to spent time on their neighbours?
Anyway theres lots of Indian catering food .Issac ,Vijay and me sat down and eat.Well interesting part was that VJ is an indian whom is english educated.Simply speaking, he dunno how to speak Tamil well.So when rajan's mother approach to VJ and ask in Tamil how's the food. VJ was stunned.Then i explained that VJ does not know Tamil well.Rajan's sister was shocked.........
Ok we cut the cake ,played Dai Dee and left the place becoz it was late.

 
Physical strength=60%
metal strength=80%
Yesterday slept since 7 pm till today 7 pm, hence that time did not type anything here .Well a major incident happened yesterday.One of the Life guard's handphone 8855 nokia was stolen.His name is Rizal. It happened around 11.am when the 3 of us ,the trainees,were in the gym with Rizal.Rizal have left his hp in the office as ussal.The office door is open wide as its air-con is malfunction 2 weeks ago.While during this period of time, there were other 4 people left in the changing room,Chua,Fusheng and Yeo ying.
Yeoying is a guy who looks and acts ah beng who smokes and talks loudly. While he joined us for a month and he gives the life guards and the instructor a bad impression,thinking he is an ah beng who gives trouble.
Fusheng is one of the 5 Old birds(including me) whom the life guards trust and friend with.
Chua is the guy who waits for the course to start like us and he joined us since last month.He rides a bike and smokes like there's no tomorrow .But he's helpful and friendly.
The 4th person is an indian guy,everytime u see him, he sure talking on phone or sleeping in the changing room.He talks like starhub his father open one.(i'm not sure if he is using starhub or singtel, asking him tomorow)when u see him every where including play soccer , he confirmed using his phone and chat.He only stop using hp when the Pysical training instructor(PTI) ask everyone to swim.Hahaha If he swimming also use hp, we the other 7 person really bring incense paper and joss sticks to pray him argh.He like to shift the responsilbity of doing things to others.Which means that if the life guard needs 4 volunteers to carry stuff etc, he will continue to chit chat like he dunno English.(note:He speaks Tamil on hp).I complain so much, not becoz i racist arh.But sooner or later i going to observe his face to see if his either side of his face got any hp marks or not.
I may seem to be talking out of point, but this are vital facts that i must say so that in this paragraph, u will know the details.As i have said,rizal was with us in the gym all along till around 11.20 am.When he got back to the office, he was shocked to find out that his hp was been stolen.you may think,so the suspects should be the 3 in the changing room right?Well to Rizal and all the life guards ..and life guards, the highest suspect was actually Yeo ying.Becoz to them, he have got bad attitude and talk like ah beng.They trust chua and fusheng.by this time all of us from gym return to swimming pool.Well they searched the bags immediately, but in vain. But where was yeo ying?He was in the cookhouse with fusheng, and the lifeguards suspected him.Rizal went to find him in the cook house .Rizal asked in the manner that yeo ying is obvious the one who took it. They nearly have a quarel. 5.30 pm,When we are prepared to leave the swimming pool for home, they search us again....

Point of view:So wat if the guy have a bad attittude,smokes,talks loudly and behaving like an Ah beng?Does it mean that these kind of people should be suspected if any crime happens to occur around them?I feel sorry for Yeo ying.Most of the people have suspected him.Fusheng have swore to have witnessed Yeo ying sleeping in changing room for hours,so he can't be the one.Somebody must have sneaked in and stole the Hp.
I know the feeling of nobody believed in you.It hurts deeply.The only thing u can do is to always believe in yourself.