Thursday, October 12, 2006
I thought I could relax this weekend, but no longer anticipate because there may be mobilisation. The probability is quite high, as one colleague told me the previous mobilisation was a false alarm.
We were briefed on our duty when there is mobilisation. I will be the chief activator of the north of this fucking land, and got a little worried because I only know woodlands is in the north. Is yio chu kang in the north or west? I hope it's not north because I really got phobia of it because of the road sign. Everytime I see the road sign pointing towards yio chu kang, it inevitably reminds me of my and sh. As I have always told my that she lives in the forest, because I am used to associating choa chu kang and yio chu kang with forests. They seem so deserted to me.
If the ns men failed to report within one hour of the mobilisation hour, my duty is to call and notify them. If they fail to report beyond three hours of mobilisation hour, I will have to take chartered cab to their house and serve them a notice. If they are not at home, I will have to paste a notice on their gate. Another thought arose within me: "Am I a debt collector? Some more I won't be in uniform. People will thought I am a sales person, refusing to open the door to me."
Mobilisation is to test the alertness of ns men in times of emergencies such as war. Seriously if mobilisation occurs during wartime, it means (to me) taking down my luggage from the top of the wardrobe, packing my favourite clothes into it, grabbing my passport and atm card, and off I am flying to anywhere far from singaroar!
Even though my weekend may be burnt, I am looking forward to mobilisation because we will be entitled to two days off.
At midday, I went with my officer to cmpb for work purposes. At 1 plus, we were done with our things and so had lunch at the canteen. Since we were not going back to camp, I edited her essay which she has to submit for her communications course.
To say frankly, I almost wanted to burst into laughter just looking at the title "Ah Choo and her father."
Come on! What an ugly name. Still got people use "Ah Choo?" It reminded me of a chicken rice seller in my neighbourhood. Suddenly I felt "John," "Peter" and "Robert" a nice name.
The story was about how ah choo and her father had communication problems due to differing mindset. She asked if it was a boring story, but I couldn't say yes! Throughout my editing I kept asking myself why she wanted to write on ah choo and her father, instead of ah choo and her colleagues, or even tom, dick, and harry.
But one thing I admire her was her thirst for knowledge. She's over fifty, yet still learning. Even though her grammar was way beyond salvation.
Sometimes I wonder if I should guard myself against her. Her colleagues and clerk gossiped about her to an extent I pitied her. I kept telling myself not to pity her, because one day I will surely regret it. For all the gossips, I shall let them in into my left ear and out from my right ear, unless she got on my nerves one day. Ahem! Should be one fine day...!
ah choo and her father... lol. ah choo was motherless, because her mother died while giving birth to her... her father was a traditional man... she hated to be controlled too much... her father retired early due to (deteriorating) health (such that) ah choo became the sole breadwinner... she believed one day her father (who usually kept to himself), will open to her... she prepared reunion dinner for him, but her father did not turn up as he was unprepared and felt awkward... (he only realised her daughter's good on his deathbed, whereby ah choo cared for him till his departure).
The above was my summary for an essay of over seven hundred words.
I wonder if it was her experience in life.
She let me off after my editing, at about 2 plus.
Nowadays I am looking forward to the week of deepavali. Off on monday and tuesday. No overseas trip though.
Come november there will be no public holidays, perhaps it's time to get an mc.
|Melvin Ng| 6:50 pm|
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