Saturday, July 31, 2010
SJAB, journey in Platoon 2
Just two more days, till one of the biggest event of the year in the SJAB calendar, POP (Passing Out Parade). After that, the current Sec 3s will take over as our trainers and PCs, and our squad will become Platoon 3. We would have to bid farewell to our current trainers and venture forth into a new experience; a tougher, stricter, yet more enriching journey.
Looking back, I had already gone through so much in this CCA, times of difficulty and teamwork, but all memorable. I still remembered last year, when the current Sec 4s took charge of the CCA; and our first impression was that they were strict and mean, and some of us even developed a greater hate for them and the CCA itself. The fact remains that some of us still dislike SJAB, but we gained some understanding on the reasons behind the procedures. Even though the squad started out with a bad impression of the Sec 4s, we were still able to get along with them as time passes, seeing both their authoritarian side, and friendly side.
The foot-drill sessions we had were obviously much harder compared to when we're Sec 1. It required more precision, better timing, and thus, was extremely tiring. Whenever a mistake was made, we would have to do the number of pumpings. First-aid sessions, however, were more interesting as they were more hands-on, together with longer 'Transportation of casualty' sessions. Recreational activities were rarer, and we had occasional trainings with the Sec 3s.
Now all these have passed as the squad will become Platoon 3, where we would be trained in leadership and discipline, but now we would wait till the judgement day arrives...
Posted by 2i202 at 7:01 AM
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A multi-racial experience
Today, our school organized a flurry of activities for racial harmony day, which proved to be more entertaining than I had expected. Prior to the events, everyone came to a conclusion the day would be exceedingly boring, since none really cared about traditional stuff.
When the events started, half the class stayed in class to slack, while some went to man the stalls. The bazaar was larger than I thought, though some items sold had nothing to do with the theme, but still, the variety of items sold was impressive. Our 2I2 stall was probably the most unprepared, yet the food turned out as a pleasant surprise.
Next, we had went to a performance in the auditorium. A band of malay boys greeted me at the doorway, and caused me to be periodically stunned afterwards. The four performances were great, all combinations of Hwachong students from different consortiums with other schools. My favourite was the indian bell performance; the music was hypnotising, added with the shining golden instruments, creates a surreal effect.
This was followed by an indian mass dance, which was quite an embarrassing situation. The dance was fast-paced and full of spastic actions, which was not that hard to do, but felt awkward. I especially admire the dancers and their energy and enthusiasm, which they incredibly managed to sustain throughout the entire day.
All in all, this was a more fruitful experience than I had expected.
Posted by 2i202 at 5:50 AM