Tales from National Service (PLKN): Fantastic Four

We all met on the first day and we all clicked immediately. (Lol, perhaps its the fact that we'rw most probable the only English speaking people in the whole camp) Tall one is Ching Sien, the one next to me is Jia Kit whom we call JK and the one in the front is Nicholas. JK and Nicholas are bilingual while me and Ching Sien are bananas (Chinese who cannot speak Chinese...lol)

The thing about National Service is that you really need good friends to help you through. We watch each other back, making sure we all wake up on time, eat together and et cetera. I really thank God for sending me such an good bunch of friends to hang out with.

I've seen people who refuses to make friends with other people and they look miserable ALL the time. Feel really sorry for those people. I actually tried making friends with them but they choose not to even though approached by other people. I call this 'digging you own grave' !

Tales from National Service (PLKN): Malaysia 2020

Alright, here's a rant on National Service. One thing about this place is that you meet people diversed background. Hence, you have groups of nice people and also those who make you shake your head. Here's why....



The kitchen when we all wash our dishes.


The sink where we all wash our dishes.


The rack to arrange WASHED dishes. Haihs.....I just don't get why people can't push in the trays properly. Seriously, its actually easier to push it in properly than placing it in that diagonal position!


This is another thing that I have a problem with. People not washing their cups and trays. Who do they think they are huh? They think they're somehow more high and mighty hence refusing to wash plate like us lowly people.

Oh, and don't get me started on the washing. I actually decided to wash my tray/spoons/etc BEFORE and after eating, simply because some people don't know how to wash their plates properly! I tell you, its not the canteen's cooking that is causing food poisoning. Its these dirty plates.

Tales from National Service (PLKN): When you're hungry

...you go to the canteen! Here in National Service you get fed really well. We have 6 meals a day-breakfast, morning break, lunch, teabreak, dinner, and supper.

About the food, its alright. You do miss home cooked food after a while. However I do appreciate their effort in trying to cook different cuisines (Malay/Chinese/Indian). They're also sensitive towards every race's needs. There's vegetarian food available too.




The eating place....


HAhaha, this is perhaps one of my favourite spots in camp. Its freaking hot here so I come here all the time to buy cold drinks. (Yeah, its unhealthy......but its really hot okay!) This mini grocery shop also sells the necessities like soap, toiletries and such.

Tales from National Service (PLKN): Bald

Yup, its one of the requirements in National Service. All the guys would have their hair shaved bald on the first week. I do understand why they did it although I did not like it. When everyone first arrived, we all had our own hair styles.

And some of them hairstyle were REALLY funky, like Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol) funky. So I guess it makes sense to standardize our looks to make us look more neat. By the way, I kinda like it! Feels really windy and the bald head makes the heat more bearable.

A Tour Around the Dorm Area

Alright, today I am gonna show you around my dorm area. Its off limits to outsiders so consider this as an exclusive tour xP

This is how the dorm building looks like.




Here's some clothes hanging. We have to do our own laundry here (which I absolutely detest) by hand! However, there is laundry service for the clothes and uniform that they have provided.

Beautifully decorated toilet door, done by the occupants of the previous camp trainees.


These water tubs are for use when we run out of water (which happens quite frequently). We're supposed to bath using our own buckets. Some uncivilized people actually jumped into it and bathed there. I detest that idea. Two weeks later, I was doing the same thing..... =D


Inside of my dorm.....




These are the pictures of a few friends that I've met. People here are really warm and friendly. We bond alot bitching about the trainers and problems we have with the camp. Initially everyone was mixing around with people of their own race.

Soon after a week or so, we were all laughing and joking around together, which I think is really awesome. The people in this camp come from the 'Triple S"-the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor.

Tales from National Service (PLKN): National Service

Yeah! I got 4 days of holiday during Easter break weeks/months ago (lol I'm blogging in advance). So I had the opportunity to post up the pictures I have taken so far in National Service.

This introductory post is just to clear the air on what National Service is all about. I've got a few queries from you people, asking what it is.

Well, every year the government's computers will randomly select a number of student who have just graduated from high school to join a compulsory army-camp-sorta-thing. The government have yet to obtain enough money to accommodate ALL the high school graduates so currently only those selected will have to go.

What is the purpose of this camp? Well its first and foremost aim is to encourage racial integration. Malaysia consists of many races, so this camp is supposed to 'force' us to mix as we live together. We also have character building class (which is all that psychology thingamajigs-confidence, attidute, etc) and military based training like self defence, weaponry (M16 training!), navigation (so we don't get lost in the jungle) and the one I hate most which is called 'Kawad Kaki' which is that march-in-formation-thing.

This camp lasts for 3 months and our parents can visit on Sundays. Basically our weekends are pretty laidback and we have time to catch up on our sleep. Weekdays are packed with activities from 5.30 am to 11.00 pm.

The trainers here can be described as 'Hulks'. They're alright when you are good, but when they get angry...........you better start running. They're good people though, despite their occational tendancy to overeact to certain situations. You really have to be thick skin here.

So thats about it! Hope you've got a better grasp on what National Service (Program Latihan Khidmat Negara) is right now.

*Just for your info I'm stationed at Kem Paya Indah. Its near the Sepang Wetlands, near the airport. Yup, airplanes fly by every few minutes or so!

Miss You Guys

Hello to you Photography Group. Still remember the awesome times we had at Sepilok. This video tribute is for you peeps (if you havent seen it on Facebook).

Photography Group (in no particular order)
Kel Vin, Jirwan, Jeremy, Kah Mun, Sonia, Jasmine, Joye

Pool

Pegs on a line

These were taken in my garden about a year ago. Its been one of my favourite set of photographs ever. I really like the idea of making something as mundane as pegs seem interesting, so enjoy!

Dionne

You must be wondering why I have been bombarding you with kids pictures for the past month or so. Simple answer. I have nothing else to blog about! This is all that I could compile in the short time I had.

Well, Dionne is the DIVA of the group. The drama queen extreme, she adds a kick of sass to the family. She's really photogenic and it was easy getting her to pose, she had no qualms about getting photographed and even bugged me to photograph her. Looks like she's a natural poser!