Preparation for SAF Day Parade 2005 GOH (Part I)

The day started with me waking up at 4.45am (gulp!) and brush teeth, eat breakfast etc.. and we left camp on an air-con coach at abt 6.50am.. slept on the bus like for 30mins and then we reach SAFTI MI for our SAF Day Parade Rehearsal.. was expecting the journey to be abt an hour long, however, it only turns out to be 30mins.. so ya.. no choice.. woke up and went down the bus reluctantly..

This was my first time being in SAFTI MI.. and I must say tat it looks like a university to me.. particularly NUS! some of my friends say it looks like one of UK/US university.. well.. wat can I say.. except to say tat the place looks good, clean and big, becos' its where officers are trained! =)

So there we were at SAFTI MI with being the squash courts as the holding area! then abt 15mins later, we were ushered into the parade square.. when we first went there, we were shocked to see that there were I think close to 500 BIG moths all around the surrounding walls and buildings.. the concrete floor of the parade square were also filled with some of them.. and we were like trying our very best to aviod stepping on them, considering we were wearing drill boots (which were hard leather boots with studs and horseshoes below them which make a sound when u walk!).. I first thought those moths on the floor were dead, but apparently not! They were alive! The birds also had a feast on the moths! YES!! U've seen it rite!! BIRDS! They actually eat the body of the moths, leaving the wings behind.. so its quite disgusting becos' by the time we finish our rehearsals, some really gruesome remains of the moths' wings were like stuck to the concrete floor.. yucks!

We spend like 4hrs training.. and guess wat.. only for 5 basic moves.. they are:

- Marching in from form up area (FUP Area)

- March past the parade square

- Stand at attention

- Stand in at ease position

- Doing the 'homat' (which is the highest honour you can pay to sumone with ur rifle)


And of course, being the MPs (which is Military Police [drill unit].. whose drills are near perfect and this is becos' in camp, they have nothing to do except drills, drills and more drills.. so now u koe y they so perfect?) of course they are part of the GOH contingent.. but they do a different set of drills.. which is quite impressive, esp. the slow march! Its not easy.. but for us, its also not easy.. we have to do the 'homat' becos' not only the colour/flag party start marching in with the state flag and all, and the 'homat' is to salute the flag, we still hv to do the 'homat' till the MPs done with the slow march becos' I think they are so called the escorts for the state and regimental colour flags! so I think we will 'homat' like for close to 10mins.. this is darn shiong i can tell u!! your hands will start shivering..

As time passes, the place gets hotter and hotter, due to the heat emitted frm the concrete floor of the parade square.. moreover, we are wearing leather boots.. so its like my feet calling for help.. becos' heat is sumhow conducted thru the leather of the boots! Sweat start rolling down my cheeks.. but in particular for one (who is frm my base) actually fainted, becos' I think it was too hot and he had not enuf sleep/rest 2 nites before.. he told me he slept at 4am 2 nites before the rehearsals and woke up at 6am the same day.. becos' he was playing game)..
For me, though I had enuf sleep, my head was starting to ache and if I stand there any longer, I think I will fall like a dead cockroach.. serious.. my head was really aching at tat time.. no joke! So u can imagine how hot the place is!

After all these, it was time for us to leave SAFTI MI and back to our base! Waited like for the bus for abt 15mins (again, there was this delay of 15mins becos' of some miscommunication between the bus drivers!) and once on the bus, I start to feel sleepy and there.. I juz slept till I've reach camp.. juz like tat.. I slept.. Man.. wasn't it so comfortable to sleep! So u can see how tired I am after such a 4hr drill.. so now NDP GOH rehearsal really NO KICK loh! If u want to try the real stuff, SAF GOH is the way to go! =)

At camp, we ate lunch, send our arms and then we went for some admin time.. some went to bathe then sleep, while I actually polish my boots for nxt tuesday's SAF rehearsal at SAFTI MI again.. haiz.. then after which, I bathe and slept for an hour, b4 getting ready to book out!

Thank God tat I'm booking in tml instead of tonite.. but one thing bad is tat tml is another rehearsal.. NDP 2005 GOH rehearsal at Nee Soon Camp frm 2pm-7pm.. so by the time I send my arms at camp and bk out, it wld be close to like 8pm liaoz.. but thank goodness.. I've got a long wkend.. Only mon nite then bk in becos' tues morning, I've got rehearsal at SAFTI MI..

but then, I've got to run "Charlie" next wed (rite after the NDP GOH @ Nee Soon Camp and CANNOT rest/sleep till 4pm the next day (ie, thurs).. and then we rest, before proceeding to fri for SAF GOH rehearsal and then sat, we'vr got NDP GOH rehearsals.. its darn tiring I tell u! I hope I dun fall sick next wk.. if u can, pls. pray for my health for next week which is so shiong!

ok lah.. I think this is long enuf for a blogpost, considering I've spent 1hr on it.. believe it or not!

Enjoy ur long wkend while u can ya.. =)

Ciaoz n have a GREAT weekend ahead,
<<< abriel >>>