Avalon

Origin

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Having stepped back into S*SP^C really brought back those memories of the mad rush and "mayhem" then. This same place I was so familiar with for those three months last year, yet the same premises I have grown so alienated from. I was there to supposedly be instructor for a bunch of NCC cadets attending their spec course (yeah like thanks, theirs last 4 days, ours... 6 months) but in the end I became more like a babysitter, shepherding them from one place to another.

Basically there was nothing much to do, because they had their own CLTs to sort out the admin and carry out the training, so my friends and I basically followed the motion, taking a group each. It was weird taking NCC people when firstly, I was from NPCC and secondly, it's just different between taking charge of students and unit guys. But I must say it was fun, though tiring. Being constantly bombarded by their enthusiasm (or maybe it's just them trying to act in front of me, ok.. being cynical) and over-flowing questions. "Sir, where's your camp?", "Sir, what do you do?" (something I myself am trying to find out with each new day), "Sir, how long is your course? What did you all go through?".... Asking about this and that, here and there, but somehow you just can't seem to pull a long face to stop their constant enquiries. Ya, they sure are a cute batch, and super funny too. I was testing them on target indication where they were supposed to shout a simple command to point out the target to their make-believe comrades, but some of them can give me really lengthy descriptions almost as though they are taking picture description for oral exam...

Interacting with these adolescents made me feel so old... I calculated they still have at least 4 to 5 years before they enlist. Although we both wear green, we are on totally different platforms. They cannot be punished physically, they can laugh and joke with their superiors at the risk of only a scolding at most, and they still aren't conscious of many things, intangible stuff like choice, life, safety, responsibility. At least, most still are not. But it's only normal, and the right time will come. Until then, they can merely pump me for stories regarding A-organisation, and I couldn't even bear to tell them the ugly sides of things. They are just too young, full of high aspirations, waiting to be impressed, with an excess amount of testosterones found in pubescent boys. (they can talk about nothing but their own female CLT when they are in their bunks... "a rose among the thorns, with an angelic smile that can brighten up my day", exact words I heard from my friend's account) Strangely enough, I actually felt slightly sad to see them go at the end of the course.

Probably, in life we start out from one point and reunite with that point sometime later in our paths. Change is imminent. But at least we have another chance to take another shot from that origin, and kick off a new start.

Envoy of the Stars @ 9:40 PM
-------------------------------