Metamorphesis

Yup. You hear it right the first time round. I really am a changed person. Thankfully, I am changed for the better. The reason -gasp- is because - I never thought I would say this- is Army. Amazingly, I am enjoying my stint in the Army. "Why?" everyone must be asking in their minds. For some time this same question resonanted in my mind. Was i being brainwashed unknowing at night with hypnosis by some top-secret task force? The answer, thankfully, was slightly less dramatic.( I know that my hypothesis on the hypnosis theory is wrong because I actually sat up one night to wait for the mind-altering minions. They never came.) It is because ..actually I am not really sure what it is because of.

Well.Maybe it had to do with the Idols Night competition which I was sort of sabotaged to join in. We decided to do a Jay Chou. ( We came in fifth.) Many told me if it weren't for my solo part near the end we could have been fourth. I wonder. Perhaps it was the notice board competition in which we came out tops.( beating Trunk 2 whose notice board I/c was Iggy. ) I actually had the nerve after the competition to get the vanquished notice board I/c, who was visibly distraught and highly buae song, to see what my company did. We of course pointed out that while our title was pain-stakingly cut out one by one of styrofoam on which we pasted red construction paper , theirs was coloured in by colour pencils. We also did our best to reconcile why we won and they didn't( it was actually more to put down their efforts)

It could be due to the Batallion Anniversary night I had last night - Four companies celebrating the birthday of our batallion( actually we were more for the block leave but..) under the decorations put up by none other than N36 and uniting for a single cause. We were also accompanied by people from the Tampines Home. Chin Da, thinking that he could flirt with the nurse , willingly volunteered but got more than he bargained for .

As for me, I sat with Mr heng( another volunteer) in an all-out effort to help him bridge his communication barrier with his friend from the home. Seeing that his friend was visibly bored during the lucky draws( we were down to the top twenty prizes) , I gave her my ticket out of the goodness of my heart.

" 0312 le, good number. already pa kat with the organisers already. Sure come out"

"sure, anot", she said some-what half apprehensively, half-smirkingly.

"sure la. You see lor. Later on they call you go up k?"

" OK! ". She lit up , almost blinding me with her mega watt smile.

All the while, I was thinking I could never be so lucky as to win a prize. But If the number really came up then really Qi Gek ah.

As luck would have it, the number came up during the 16th or 15th prize. ( i could not remember which as soon the number was read out, my heart gave a twist and i nearly went into fits)
As a true man of my word, I gave her the chance to go up on stage to collect the prize and take it home with her. Though I felt quite stupid but I knew that if anyone needed a gift, it was them, the people who society has ostracised has kept apart.


All said. I still really have no idea why I am enjoying my time in the Army. It could only be me. The thing is, I know that if there was something to give thanks to GOD for, it was for this once in a life-time experience in Army. Because some things are not for us to decide. What we have to decide is to do with the time that is left and make use of every day as if it were our last to make a difference in other people's life. Because people will not remember you for what you have but for what you stood for,what you believed in and what you did. People will remember you for what you were.