"Yet another week has passed" is what i always say when its time to book out. Indeed, if I were to count the number of weeks left for me to pass in my NS life, it will total up to a miserably large integer that I dare not think about. Alas, the short weekend is not always there for me to enjoy for i almost got deprived of it this time. Well, i passed my tests and got awarded my weekend free (those who unfortunately fail have to return back to camp for retest, i believe). Casualty aid practical test on monday was okay, tuesday's PAM stable test was one that i almost failed and really affected my morale and confidence level. The ultimate PAM unstable test on wednesday was horrifying for i was one of the "lucky" few to be called upon and assessed by my senior instructor (he failed people easily). Still, i manage to pass under him for hell-knows-what reasons. And then, that marked the end of the paramedic phase of the course and now we embark onto the combat phase, i.e. chiong sua. I will not be surprise if i get to hear "full battle order" or "1 minute, camo on" for my remaining 4 weeks in the course. How else can i be not environmental friendly since i am GREEN almost everyday.

Yesterday's class gathering had a disapointing turn-out of 6 person including me. We watched the Simpson's movie after dinner at suntec and that basically marked the day i had on saturday. The weather these few days can be described by the word "wet". It has been rainy all day long everyday which reminds me of the december period every year. Unfortunately the big holiday we are looking forward to is national day and not christmas. Blame it on the La Nina effect i guess. It is going to be a wet wet summer. Travelling from point to point within the camp requires us to put on an extra piece of fabric call the gortex, a.k.a. raincoat. Still, the camp's policy of marching point to point remains firm and hence the use of shelthered walkways (i can hardly find any) is minimal. Speaking of gortex, allow me to digress to its substitute - umbrella. Perhaps the recent popularity of this song "umbrella", that top world wide charts for weeks after weeks, was due to the erratic rainy season plagueing us. Coincedentally, "La Nina" and "Rihanna" rhymes pretty well which probably constitutes the greatest 2007 mid-year phenomenon of umbrella craze.

Anyway, less than 2 weeks to my birthday. I wouldnt want to think of celebrating it normally like all other years for i face the possibility of having guard duty on my birthday. Such things cannot be help and "no one can be blamed". Still, it is a rainy sunday noon and the grumpy mood in me keeps on pounding with regards to booking in hours later at night...

Its time to book in, once again. Before i leave my cozy home to embark on another week of trecherous journey in the camp, i shall discuss a little about last week's training. Basically we do the same old thing again, bandaging and stuff and it is really hard to keep myself awake despite the extra dose of caffine i could administer during the hard-to-get free time. The climax of the week is Thursday evening where we practise on our first 16G IV session. 16G if you have knew, is of the size of a Yakult straw (unlike the thinner 20G we practised on previously) and imagine piercing it under your skin, navigating under it to find the correct vein and successfully launch it in. It is infact an excrucinating experience where i have to resort to biting my own jocky cap. One of the most hilarious scene i've witnessed was when one of my platoon mate was in such great pain and fear that he bit his jocky cap, clinging on to another's leg who stood nearby, shaking all over and shouting in pain "I'm not scared" as though he is giving birth. Never underestimate the power of 16G. Anyway, tommorow, tuesday and wednesday are exam days for me where i will be tested on all the bandages and PAM. I doubt i can pass for it is really difficult trying to remember all the 100+/- types of bandages. We will see as it goes.

I dread sunday night for it is book in time.

Everytime at this point of time i hav a reluctant feeling to return to camp.

All i wish for now is ORD...which will take place 2 years later.

I want to get out of army asap...but there is this incomplete duty to serve the country.

I want freedom.

Life as a trainee now is, perhaps, turning for the worse...

Night training every day, higher emphasis on discipline and stuff, controlled practice, 16G...

Hopefully i can make the best out of it...

Hopefully i can survive yet another week to the next bookout.

One week in my new unit, i mean posting, as a combat medic. I can only say i missed Bronco alot. Well, life here in SMTI has much more freedom and canteen breaks, the sgt no longer treat us like babies, we can do much more things on our own, the food here is tastier, the toilet is bigger and shower cubicles have doors...but i still miss Bronco. Haha. Maybe i am not used to the culture of SMTI yet or something. Well, its less physically demanding here in SMTI but we have alot to study. 13 textbooks to study during our 9 weeks stay here. We have test every week and most importantly, the most dreadful IV sessions await us. We will be doing our first IV session tml and i can start imagining the excrucinating pain everyone will experience since we are a bunch of unexperienced students poking each other with long thick needles. Haha. Anyway, today's newspaper has a special edition on NS 40 and it has a 2 page report on some familiar faces in BMT. One of which is my Bronco OC whose report took up 3/4 page full. And behind him were us, asked to pose for his photo shoots a few days before we POP. It just brings back the fond memories of BMT i had. Haha. Anyway, still have to study for this thurs medic test. I wonder how i am able to cramp in so much info in such a short time!!!