on life, meaning, and everything in between
Supposed to go back tonight, and be staying overnight in camp before going out field for exercise tomorrow.
My back problem is worsening. Last few days, I just felt a slight backache. Today, I start feeling muscular and nervous spasms all over my body when I lie down. Not good.
I think I will have to report sick. Don’t think I want to go out field. Don’t feel good dropping out like a loser, but I don’t want to injure myself for life over a few days of maintaining my ego.
Spent the whole day at the range.
Interesting new format now, makes the whole shoot feel more like an arcade game. It just got harder to get Marksman now.
Anyway, got a call from Chye Kwang to tell me everything is smooth in office. Glad to know that everything is ok, even though Teck Yew is on leave too.
Just got home. Its 10.30pm by the time I reached. I stay within 15 mins bus ride away from the camp. I can’t imagine the others.
Tomorrow book in again at 7.00 a.m.
Anyway, I noticed something in the range opposite to ours today. Another company was having a shoot. A 2LT officer was arguing with a Staff Sergeant over something to do with ops.
Watching from a distance, of course, I could not really figure out what they were talking about. However, this triggered an insight I got from watching commanders lead in my years of the NS experience. Being of the rank of a corporal, I could, obviously, watch everything, and just pass judgement… but I have seen some really bad commanders in my NS cycle.
The kind of commander that totally sucks is a combination of
The problem with this combination is that, on one hand, while trying to impress his superiors, he could fall flat on his face because he might not be realistic when setting a task, and his subordinates fail at achieving the unrealistic targets that he promised. On the other hand, he would also lose any respect that the subordinates originally had of him.
So? Complete failure…
Of course, in the Army, subordinates cannot leave his charge so easily, neither could they disobey his orders directly, so things would go on looking fine on the surface.
In the long run, the net result would be inefficiency. You would have people who cannot lead at all, in leadership positions. These people would not leave, since they know that they are inefficient, and would not survive in the real world. Instead, they would serve long and well in their positions and depend on their ranks to lead.
Result?
Inefficient SAF.
Fucked up person who will be ill equipped for the real world when age finally catches up and he has to leave the forces. His only skill? Managing people, which we know he can’t do very well anyway.
By the way, I am not really passing any judgement on such leaders. By the sixth one I meet, I have already gone past that. I just find it kind of sad?
There are a lot of personnel stuck in these kinds of position. The whole problem is… many of them might not even realise the truth, since they are sheltered by the system.
Thankfully its not like I am in the Army. It is much better in the ‘real world’.
1313 hrs
Just hours into my ICT, and I remember why I hate this so much. Procedures and protocol… Time-wasting… Procedures and protocol… Time-wasting…
Very annoying.
I guess I will not be able to furnish too much details about my training, but i’ll do my best to give sketchy details without sensitive information.
Oh, and I might not be able to bring my pda into camp, so I don’t even know if I can even blog.
1922 hrs
Confirmed. Though the official word is sketchy at best, and the only certain order is that no CAMERA phones are allowed. In general, everyone gets jittery when I bring a pda into camp.
Bah… I shall do without one then. I shall do things the old way… pen and paper.
Anyway… long day tomorrow…
Range.
Pic from Far East WebsiteMadeline and Tony came over to join us for a game of Cashflow 101. Tony chose to sit out of the game. While Madeline played with us, he took a nap. We played a standard two hour game, first half, and second half. Tried to explain the game mechanics, and the underlying implications to our everyday lives. I think she understands a little, but not too sure if she really got it.
Madeline said that we were two friends that Tony ‘approved’ of, and was willing to join us for a get-together. Quite a nice feeling, that.
That’s one big reason why I love Hwei Min so much. She has her faults, she might falter a little in our path, heck, I do too sometimes. But we are both on the same path, and if what our friends say is true, this kind of partnership is worth millions.
Just a quick note after such a long time of not posting.
Been busy lately, and really pushing myself to write down my thoughts before I lose them.
Anyway, the stupid haze had been coming back and forth for weeks now. Who is to blame for this? The Indonesian government? The farmers?
I don’t know. But I was downright dissapointed with Singaporeans who added to the problem. Last Friday was the Chinese Lantern Festival. Was at West Coast Park with a couple of friends for a barbeque.
Saw some people throwing sparkling fireworks onto trees. It had not been raining for days now.
Dry trees + Sparklers
=
Fire + Smoke + Burnt Tree
Wah lau… I mean, at least when Indonesian farmers are doing the burning, it is for a reason, right? They want to clear the land for their crops, right?
What’s with these Singaporeans? Do it because they damn bor liao or what? The funny thing is … these are probably the people who kao beh about the haze … and the loudest lor…