27th,28th: chemical warefare course
All combat personnel likely to go through this course.It teach us how to be prepared in a chemical weapon invasion.For example our ship is sprayed with chemical by enemy aircraft ,we have to act fast.hence this is the reson y we have to take this course.
We watch the videos and studied the lecture to know how to survive in a chemical gas environment, onfo on variuos lethal chemicals and how to inject andidote to a chemical inffected casualty).
Later we were issued with boots,gas mask,suit(with head hook) and pants(they were made from sepcial material to prevent chemical to invade our skin), and gloves.There will be practical test (2 drills)on the second day.
1 st drill is to hold our breath and close our eyes, and we change our filter cartridge(when we took out the old filtercartridge, all gas were free to enter which is dangerous when during chemical warefare.)Then we were to exhale hard to force the gas out.Then we can open our eyes.
2nd drill is to wear sponge cloth with powder.We to hold our breath with eyes closed, took off our mask and wipe our head, neck and mask.I forgot what's the purpose liao. I think is to cool down our skin.
2nd dAy
We took our test paper after lunch.I read through the thick lect notes for about half an hour this morning.Last night went to play soccer and went gym.As the result i get 60. anway after that we took our practical tear gas test. 2 of us were divided into 3 group. One group at the time we went into the room,tight shut.At this time we were in full battle order.the instructor used a barnson burner to heat up 2 tear gas tablets.He asked us whether we can smell the gas.Whoever smell the gas could mean ither his mask is loose or the filter cyliner is spoilt.the 1st drill is not a problem, but during the second drill,after i shut my eyes then i took off my mask and try to wear back, i found out that i can't wear them with my eyes shut.I try to peep and wear the mask, but the tear gas is burning my eyes!.Soonafter,the tear gas burns my exposed neck and face.I wave to signal the instructor and he helped me wear the mask.The tear gas is in the mask, and i exhale to force the teargas out.My tears start to roll and have a running nose.Now we left the third test.We form a queue and one by one we have to took off our mask and say out our rank and name with our eyes open then open the door and get out..I am the second last one and can see many of my buddies are in extreme discomfort when they took off theirmask.one even vomited outside.after that, i found my self cannot open my eyes.The tear gas gets contact with my eye so long that it hurts them. i can't see and i walk back slowly with eyes open and close.You may not understand how the pain goes, but its like putting chilli padi into your eyes. No joke!.the instructor tell me to open my eyes, so that the teargas in my eye will dissolve when contact with air and will be wash by my tears.I took 3 mins to recover....its a good expierience after all.
i told my friends that i had underextimate the power of tear gas.on the news ,we can see riots in indonesia etc.And the militart police will fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.So i used to think, so tear gas is to make pple cry onli mah, so scary meh~?just smoke onli.
but afetr undergone this course, i know that tear gas realli burns the exposed skin and eyes,resulting to have severe runing nose and tears raining.
21th ,22th May:On Board Ship
We trainees boarded the LST(Landing -Ship-Tank) and stayed for 2 day 1 night.It is all part of our course,learning how the ship operate practically,instead of studying from the books.We also have to get use on how to work on unsteady ground due to strong current on the sea.
The Ship is about 150m long.The ship sailed from Changi Naval Base to south China Sea and stay there for 2 days..We are quite excited about this becoz it is our first time to board a military battle ship, and also my first time to ever board a ship.So far last time i onli boarded Pirate ship leh.
On our first Day, after the ship set sail,we are shown to our Cabin in the ship consist with double decker beds .By the way,The ship has a very good air conditioning system , but every compartment have a limited space.. quite squeezy.We walking around the deck of the ship and observe how the seaman work .I understand from here exactly how the anchor is dropped ,using of ropes under various conditions etc.We managed to see sunset and is my first time.I get to know that sun during dusk is dark orange ,or red when setting...its very memorable moment for me.
On the 2nd day, 4 am.Our instructor took us to the bridge or aka navigation room.He taught us how to do night duty when on board ship on either day or night.Binoculars is a must and other passer by ships have to take notice etc.After that, our class sat down for a break.I am amazed on why the ship is quite visible at night....and i knew its the moon light.I'm a ngiht owl and always went out till late night.I never realli care about the moon becoz the street lamps lights are bright enough.But this time the ship's on the middle on South China Sea.Its supposed to be dark... but i never know till now that moon light can be so bright that it can shine upon the whole ship so clear.The number of stars are definately much more than what i use to see along the streets in the middle of the night.Enjoying the art from god at night :the sky, the stars and the moon on the sea is a completely different expierience.The ship moves so quietly at night that u can hear your own breath and the cool breeze aginst your face ......while the sea status at that time is very calm.
Few hours after we had our breakfast, our instructor took us to the main deck for lesson again.Our class enjoyed the sea breeze, admiring the sea.i look around me,the sea, and understood y Columbus at that time knew from start that the world is round.From the ship, the sea around me is not a straight line... is more like a circular arc! Anyway, The south china sea is blue in color.When i say Blue, it is very very blue(hehehe Fei4 hua4).As a singaporean, i always thought that sea water is either brown or green color.Hehehe ironic right.? :P
Chalet
Yesterday evening went to chalet ,after book out from camp and sleep for a few hours.Its joan's chalet.
We realli enjoy ourself, and chat the old times and individual army stuff.Poly friends got Jiawei,Issac,Hongjin,Cythia,Jiaqi,Zhihao,Zhiwei.. and of course, Joan.We also play poker card tricks and Joan is always so blur about what actually the trick is all about till we expained whats exactly going on.
Then issac went to sleep, giving an excuse that tomolo is mother's day and his book in day and hence he have to sleep .By 3am, joan have went to sleep .Zhihao & zhiwei went back home.So sad~ -_-
We played the game "secret number".I dunno its exact name in english, but anyway we learn the game from the Taiwan TV show.Whole pple sit in the circle ,with the one who lost the previous game not to partcipate in the game, but to give a secret Bomb number from between 1-99 which he or she herself will know.He or she must write it out and not to show it out unless one of the players have shout the number.Then the players have to say out any number ranged between 1-99 one by one.
For example, the secret bomb number is 47. Player 1 shout out the number 55.The non-participant ,who knows the number will
reply:"(The range is...) 1 to 55.Player 2 shout:"46" And will be replied:" 46 to 55".This goes on till the player who shout the secret number will lose. And he will have to accept punishment.
For us, the punishment is to either eat soaked bread smear with chilli sauce & F&N orange juice or a drink mixed with F&N orange juice with coffeepowder.The non participant will shuffle 2 cards Ace aka "1" and "2" card and place them each on the disgusting food or drink,with the card undisclosed.If the player lost the game, he have to shout the number which decided on which punishment he have to take,without knowing what punishment befalls on him.the game last us till 6am.. and we slept till 10 am.We woke up and took pictures again and finally we can't bear to leave the chalet which we still have to.
Then went back to sleep or in coma till 8 pm....OH no! have to book in now. see ya.
