This post is dedicated to my best buddy, wishing him a very Happy and Blessed 21st Birthday!
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Hi guys! I am a friend of XXX, and i am the guest blogger for today's post!
I feel that National Service (NS) is of utmost importance in the growing up years of every male Singaporean. It is an amazing place where you can befriend new buddies, gain independence, challenge yourself to do things which you never knew you would be able to, and most importantly, to shape your character and attitude.
Many of my friends have the negative attitude that NS is a waste of time. Two years of time are removed from a youth's prime, where he could be doing many things. ( Most people proclaimed. ) I agree to an extent that getting a degree two years earlier would be advantageous in terms of revenue earned / experience gained in the working world. However, how many people do actually has their mind set on studying at 18 yrs old? Take a look at game shops, LAN shops and clubs. How many boys do you find hanging around everyday? MANY. If the two years is SO important, you would in fact see many NSFs studying instead. Of course, i am not a pro mugger ( a Singapore term to describe people who study non-stop day and night ). We must understand that Singapore is a highly competitive place to be in. The reason so is because we can only provide world class human resouce, the brains, due to our limited natural resources.
My foreign friends often lamented that they could sense the "pressure" when they are here on holidays. Reports have compared Singapore with Hong Kong regarding the fast-paced of living, and i sincerely do not wish to reach a day where people would comment that our competitiveness can be seen even by the pace we are walking. ( which is evident in Hong Kong today )
Thus, I feel that the two years of NS is actually a break from all the education from the past 14-15 years. Now, I shall elaborate on the above points from paragraph one to substantiate my statement.
Firstly, when you enlist and undergo Basic Military Training ( BMT ), it is a place of unfamiliar faces. You are forced to interact together with a new group of strangers. More importantly, you are entrusted with the responsibility to take care of your buddy. You must know of his whereabouts 24/7, and this is no laughing matter. There isn't a commander to recruit ratio of 1:1, and you are the link with higher authorities if something happens to your buddy. Furthermore, NS is a conscription for every Singapore male citizen. This brings together people from all walks of life, and under regimentation, everyone is "forced" to work together, or await punishment. Independence is also gained when most recruits are confined for the first 3 weeks in Pulau Tekong, not able to see their family members. This is also the time where you start to treasure the new found friendships, which goes a long way.
Secondly, NS is definitely not easy. Physically, it pushes one beyond your limit. An example would be the Standard Obstacle Course, with one station being the appex ladder. I am afraid of heights, and i literally stood at the top for 2mins. Even till today, more than a year since my BMT, i still recall the scene where my entire company, with my OC, cheering me on. I was especially weak in height stations, but my platoon mates kept encouraging me to climb the ladder over and over again. They did it together with me, and with their help, i completed the SOC test.
Thirdly, there was this exercise where my buddy and i had to dig a fire trench ( A 2.5m long, neck deep hole ) We were given barely a few hours to finish digging. However, the terrain was so terrible that it took us one day and one night to finish digging. The fatigue not only arise from digging, but also having to complete missions throughout the day and night. In that situation, i really relied on my buddy. I am very proud of my friendship with my buddy. Our friendship is so strong that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves just to let the other rest.
I recall the instance where we decided to dig in shifts, swapping every 15mins. It was my turn to rest first, but i woke up 30mins later, seeing him continuing digging. I asked him why hasn't he woken me up, and he said he saw me sleeping so peacefully, and did not want to disturb me. I quickly shoo-ed him to sleep and it was my turn. I continued for the next 30mins. At one point, i looked at him and went to check if he was awake. What greeted me was his tired face sleeping peacefully. I smiled to myself, glad that he is resting comfortably, and this gave me the strength to continue digging the next 15mins. Eventually, i became too tired and wanted to wake him up, but decided not to disturb him instead. I went to my area to rest, which became an hour of sleep. When i woke up, i saw him digging again. After questioning him, i realised he woke up when i just fell asleep. I scolded him about not waking me up when it was my shift, and he shouted back that i didn't wake him up when it was his shift either. Both of us just looked at each other, smiled, laughed it out and continued digging, now together at 0430hrs.
Really, i have found many bosom buddies in NS. It really is my biggest takeaway. The daily interactions with people from all walks of life also made me want to strive harder to achieve the standards of those high fliers; the story of those who face family problems, but still possess a strong character, jovial attitude, really put myself to shame. It also made myself more humble, more understanding, and more grateful.
This post is not a propaganda about promoting NS. It is just what i had gained from NS. It may seem perfect, but i have decided to paint only the nice pictures. I do not want to taint this post with numerous bad encounters. The ill experiences are a good reminder for myself not to commit the same mistake as the other party. It also made me a stronger person by going through the tough times, making the tough decision. As the saying goes, tough times don't last, but tough men do.
Finally, just take what i say with a pinch of salt. Afterall, this is only MY personal experience!
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This buddy is non other than Churn Hoe.
