I’LL be digging out a cardboard box this week that sees the light of day only about twice a year. That’s because I’m scheduled for a week of In–Camp Training (ICT) next week, and it is home to all the equipment I need.
I feel a bit like a psychic whenever I open it. Just about every item I touch brings a flashback, often painful or funny or both.
Some strange alchemy apparently happens whenever Singaporean men put on the green uniform. What can only be described as the army sense of humour is activated, often to hilarious effect.
I remember seeing a well-known local celebrity at my first ICT. Just like in the drama series he had acted in, he was an officer in real-life.
But when our Officer-Commanding announced to the men that he would be the acting second-in-command, somebody shouted from the back, “Acting only lah, right?” He was a big star, but everybody still cracked up.
Maybe it’s all to do with the NS experience. Maybe after all we did and saw, nothing can really faze us again. Maybe that’s why our mothers and sisters and girlfriends and wives can never understand.
I had a friend who once caused an emergency activation in the middle of a motorbike training exercise in the Australian bush. Watching the medic being transported to him in the dead of night, we were all wondering what had happened.
Then we found out he had sustained a hairline fracture of the nose. After colliding with a kangaroo. While the kangaroo hopped away and lived happily ever after.
Who else but an NS man could ever have a moments like that?
In my case, a motorbike once fell on my head; but that’s a story for another blog post.
I finished National Service almost 10 years ago, and this will be my fourth ICT.
But the memories remain strong, an essential part of who and what I am. And somehow, some things simply never change.
It’ll be good to see the boys again. Maybe one of their wives will go into labour while we are outfield again, just like the last time round.
When I’m done, I’ll be digging out the box again, and putting my things away; the memories will be packed away again for another year.
I can’t wait to see what happens this time round.