Been back for awhile..

I've been back for quite a while already. But have been busy going out to update. Haha..

Training in Thailand was alright. The only complain has to be the weather and being away from home for 3 weeks. The weather started out cold. We had a shock when we first arrived at the camp at 2+am, and it was like 17deg C or something like that. A lot of us didn't bring jacket and our CSM had to hurry up with the issuing of field jacket to us. Settled some basic logistic stuffs and it was off to bed. I didn't wear my jacket to sleep at first, thinking it was in the bunk and a blanket would suffice, shouldn't be so cold. But I was awoken by the coldness 1 hr into my sleep and duly put on my jacket.. The following week or so was still cold. And cos I slept in shorts, most of the time my legs felt cold in the middle of the night. But still, I didn't bother to sleep in long pants, like most of my friends did. Sleeping in the wild in that kind of temperature was an experience. And I tortured myself by being too lazy to unfold the sleeping bag while others tucked away peacefully and had a good sleep throughout the night.

The weather turned warm quite suddenly, over like 1 or 2 days. Suddenly, it was not so cold anymore. The jackets need not be on till we slept at 11pm, as compared to 6 or 7pm initially. And over another couple of days, the jacket was really not needed. It was so hot during the day that we felt like being toasted while in the bunk. The bunk was one big oven. It was still warm at night and some of us slept in singlets.

The killer about the weather came during our last outfield exercise. The 2nd day of the mission saw us walking in full battle order, meaning all the field packs, rifle, standard equipments etc., and route marching for like 6 or 7 km in the afternoon sun. KILLER. A lot of us were on the brink of collapse. Even the exercise umpires who walked in just their uniform and basic equipments felt the strain (and heat, of course). Good thing that the people who role-played as enemy cocked up a few things and my platoon was spared from a tedious task after the march and we were able to just chill and relax till a less demanding task came to us. Heh..

All in all, it was a good experience. Something to really add to my already colourful, if not dreadful and siong, NS life. Overseas training really brings an added dimension to the whole experience. Something that will not happen whilst training locally. And of course, a batallion-sized mission brings everyone in the batallion together. The normal villians who tekan you to walk that extra mile, do one more mission, in our CO and RSM, are now in this shit together with us. Haha.. So it's really then, we are all "brothers". Lol.

The missing home part really kicked in after 2 weeks. When we were so near yet so far from coming home. Felt quite low right before the Batallion exercise.. Felt that we had enough. Can't describe the feeling. But I think walking through the night really suck big time. Even if that's the key in every attack mission. Budd, sleep-walking is now my forte. Haha. But it really ain't fun, the feeling suck. You really appreciate it if the leading platoon get lost.. (cos they'd need time to re-orientate, then we can prone down and sleep.) Wahahaha!!!

So much for overseas training. Been home for a week now and it has been good. Miss raining. It didn't rain a drop for 3 weeks in Thailand!! *shake head* And just back from Malaysia. Went Kukup then Malacca with my family. Kukup was damn nice. A big chalet-style apartment by the river with air-con and a seafood BBQ dinner, cooked by the staffs, not yourself. Shiok.. All for RM55 per pax per night. I'm definitely going back. Anyone wanna go?!?!