Pkchukiss - Reality Wine

National service is like a phase in our lives, one where we drop everything, stop being a student and start being a soldier. 2 years for those newbies, longer for those who enlisted before 2004.

But for the regulars in service, national service is nothing but a cycle that begins with raw diamonds, whom they will attempt to turn into cast-molded soldiers, then send them out when ORD comes around. After that, it is a lull period where those trapped in the system get their bearings before the next cycle comes again. Wash, rinse, dry, repeat.

Pardon me, but it sounds really monotonous work. Their only chance of a break from this cycle is to get a good enough review to push them upwards - into a different cycle. There, they are still trapped, doing the new things over and over again. It is kind of like a doctor who keeps getting patients with the exact same problems for 10 years in a row: don’t really think he will last that long in practice.

I went for my mandatory dental checkup at Kranji on the 27th, and met with Yong Ji, Jun Yuan, Ponnifer, and the few other guys whom were condemned to leave service in April. To say the least, we are all in the same boat, and we had fun nursing our jealousy of those who got their civilian I/C in March, and generally looking really good in front of the other NSFs still in service. I guess the t-shirt and jeans did help rub it in, because the stench of jealousy hung in the air. Perhaps that is why the medical centre decided to place the two waiting areas facing away from each other.

Very soon, a person dressed in scrubs over his uniform came out of the dental room, and walked around the medical centre. With his gloved hands, he touched the monitor screen, some pieces of paper, the door-knob, and a pen that was lying on the counter-top of the dispensary.

I hoped that he would not stuff the same pair of gloves in my mouth.

The actual check-up turned out to be very quick. You would lie down on the dentist chair, which is already reclined flatter than the sleeping beds on most airlines, and the dentist (not the same guy) dressed in scrubs will look at the nether corners of your mouth for wisdom teeth.

15 seconds was all it took, and I found myself on my way out. I had to finish my physical check-up on the same day, so Yong Ji kindly drove us back to camp. The MO (medical officer) was busy doing the check-up for a newly enlisted recruit whom was going to be sent into detention, so we had some free time, for which we went to our old bunks to take some photographs.

Everybody was happy that day. Well, not that recruit though. He must have been extremely demoralised that he is going into detention, and he got it rubbed in his face by meeting 5 people wearing civilian and ORDing soon. That’s why so many people have mentioned it before, and I will say it again: stay out of trouble, or you won’t have a peaceful national service!

[tags]national service, ns, singapore[/tags]

Filed under: General