Sunday, August 06, 2006

Just a quick update for civilian friends out there, who wield the power of freedom and choice.

I recently fell into the clutches of evil viral fever, and sucuumbed to 3 weeks of virtual inactivity. It's tiring. Like trying to fight a monster or a disease. It began with a 40 degree Celsius fever, which caused the medic at SAFTI to jolt back in his seat. He quickly rushed me to this room filled with metallic cupboards and pressed my armpits with cold cloth. Ticklish, but too sick to care.

Then, Tekong camp came and I missed everything. As I sat on the sick bay bed one morning, I suddenly felt alone. My nose was blocked, the freaking aircon was freezing my head off, everyone was asleep, and I began to feel useless, having been in this condition for such an obscenely long period of time. It was the perfect Sylvia Plath moment, with her "African cat" and "walls closing in on me" in Tulips, it felt exactly like it.

But somehow, at the same time, these weeks have been the most fulfilling. I FINALLY stepped down as CWSM, a kickass job. At Tekong sick bay, my CWSM rank caught the eye of an Officer who retorted, "The shittiest job in the world." That moment, it made me proud that I have weathered through so much. After I removed my rank that day, I felt something missing in my life, suddenly I had time to sit down in the bunk. I could visit the toilet after breakfast and sleep on the dot at the lights out timing. It felt strange being a cadet again, more slack, but also less fulfilling in a way.

Off to Brunei on National Day. See You.

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