Recruit Life Changed Me, What Changed You?

Well, the 21st Obese Batch from Echo Company, BMTC School 1, just passed out from recruits to become privates, and including me too.

Welcome Private Zeng Ziting. It would have been great if my parents came and put the jockey cap on my head... hahaha...

A sure good way to break my heart...

Anyways, my operation has been postponed to 20th December. Can't really say that it's a situation of having no balls and such, but the real fact that I don't want to miss my week's worth of paid leave which I am enjoying now.

To enlighten you all further...

I was supposed to have the operation on 29/11/04, which was a Monday, but if I went for it then, I am automatically given two weeks of MC, which in turn:

1) Doesn't cancel away the week-long leave that has been deducted from my annual leave. In terms of Pte. Ziting's Kiasuism, is a very big loss.

2) Deprives me of getting out, enjoying a week long break I wanted after 16 weeks. Under military law, it is a crime for army personnel who is on MC and leaves home for no reason.

3) And to think how to go for that Platoon BBQ, watching National Treasure, watching Ultimate Pickups, eating @ Subway(whoops) if I had an MC now...

Ok, ain't I clever enough? But the world doesn't revolve around you Ziting... My intended date for the Op was on the 10th, which is a SG Soldier's payday, my E-Posting Day, deciding my NS fate for the next two years or so, and this coming friday.

The docs won't make it on the 10th so they delayed it to a monday, 20th December. Giving me an effective week to get comfortable at my new camp.

And of all things, I was interviewed by 3rd Guards to be a Guards Reconnaissance Biker. People around me have been saying about Guards, a unit that emits animosity towards Commandos, a 'light' version of Commandos, and of course very tough training short of becoming a Commando. Yeah, it's near to my wish of getting a driver's job as a vocation, but not like that...

Must skive... all the way. No point wasting my fucked up body for the Army. I swear man, the hype around Guards is making me think about reporting sick on the first day of reporting at the new unit.

Ok I think I'm getting out of topic, now back to.....

"Recruit Life has changed me, what changed you?"
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Well, this quote was somewhat adapted from someone's MSN Display tag, "Army Life has changed me, What changed you?", but the fact that I just passed through a recruit's life ONLY has made me rename that sentence.

Well, I noticed recently, that I have been harbouring a new approach towards air force, army, navy and police, in movies, in reality, in real life, in reel life.

I will notice the ranks that they have, the insignias they possess, and whether they are from land, air or sea.

To think that on one booking out, I was at my home's MRT station, going down the escalator, when I saw someone in his Smart 4 (standard neat wear for SAF). I kept staring at his side, and at his top, until I realised, "Chey, he's a Lance Corporal."

And that very guy patted his hand on my shoulder, catching me with a very, very shocked expression on my pale face. He said hi, I said hi too, and I went on my way.

And I saw his mother. "Why you never say hello to my son," she asked.

Then I realised, he's my neighbour.

Recruit life has made me a little more intimidated.

I also remember another incident, where my poly classmate, Big Brother Heng, who had gone through NS, telling us about his vocation in Combat Engineers, and the great adventures. But it happens upon this conversation...

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Singapore Ultimate Frisbee Opens Leagues at Marina South Park!!! Go GO GO!!! (ME)
what is your rank in the SAF ah?

| Permission To Mount The Bar -- sergeant! | (Big Brother Heng)
Lance Corporal

Singapore Ultimate Frisbee Opens Leagues at Marina South Park!!! Go GO GO!!!
Chey

| Permission To Mount The Bar -- sergeant! |
Lowest rank after private first class

Singapore Ultimate Frisbee Opens Leagues at Marina South Park!!! Go GO GO!!!
i still recruit, lower than Private...

| Permission To Mount The Bar -- sergeant! |
im cilivian. bigger than your Officer. Heh.

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it's quite difficult to raise my head now... the stigma's still there... wait till I ORD....... and I become civilian...


Even the fact that I'm no longer under the control of my platoon sergeant (my secondary school mate) or another sergeant (my Secondary School/D.I.T Senior), the stigma is there.

Will I recover from this box I call the recruit life?