perhaps these few days are the beginning of a journey of self-discovery? as in it can be quite literal.

this morning, due to the rain, i had to postpone my cycling trip. so i went to clear up my drawers. and i found this very important key that i had been looking for for almost a year. that key opens up another drawer in my closet.

the reason why i was desperate to open that closet is because i kept my RC car in it. i was worried that i might have absentmindedly lef the batteries inside and that the batteries will start to leak and spoil the Car. it cost me a good fortune to buy that RC car.

people from CJC especially from guitar club will remember me bringing it to guitar practices and playing that while i should actually be playing the guitar.

but back to the point.

i found this slip of paper and on it are the words:

JEFFREY YAO

"Remember the rain"
~S/CLT Ian

my god.

the memories came flooding back.

i opened the slip of paper cautiously and re-read the contents:

Dear Jeffrey,

I can see that you have gone through many experiences as a cadet, probably negative ones. I hope you learn from the creed "to shun the bad practices of those who have gone before me". Remember that. Also try to speak up more, as a CLT, one must learn to scold when necessary. It has been an honour being your instructor.

Sincerely,
S/CLT Ian Soh.

the 46th Cadet Lieutenant Course. where the entire platoon of air cadet trainees volunteered to take our punishment in the rain due to our own lack of discipline. we could have skipped the punishment due to the thunderstorm. but we took it.

and we matured. each of us in our own little way.

NCC is not about a bunch of kids pretending to be soldiers. it's about kids who are willing to take themselves out of their own comfort zone.
no doubt all the current CLT Courses will not be stay-in course. the trainees will never know what it'll be like to suffer for three weeks.

but the point is, military regimentation is one thing. we've all learnt to work together.

and Ian Soh was the first real capable leader i came across in my life.

it should be MY honour to have him as my instructor.

===========

went to bed at around 3am and when i woke up, i was finally able to fix the headlamp onto my bike. was able to go for my cycling trip after the rain stopped.

on my way back, went to get a haircut.

and the barber asked me: sideburn?
ME: cut.

i didnt want to get in trouble in camp because of my sideburns, so just cut it.

but that dude took his electrical shaver and started shaving from the bottom of the sideburn all the way to almost the TOP of my head.

ME: UNCLE! SIDEBURN ONLY!
barber: ya ya. i know. donch worry. i cut hair for army before.

what the hell.

now i look no different than those BMT recruits.

misadventure