This ICT I achieved something. It is not something very spectacular or terribly significant. But as we try to spend the long hours as fruitfully as possible, this is nevertheless something notable, at least on a personal level. What’s that? Well, there is this flight simulation arcade game in the spec mess, I cleared the Intermediate Level.
I’m surprising myself by writing something about SAF PT shoes. But the new SAF New Balance shoes are pretty good, so it is something worthwhile to write about. It looks quite unique (in a good sense), and the mesh material that covers most of the shoes make the shoes very airy and comfortable to wear.
There is a certain even that is an annual necessary evil for Singaporean men. At least almost year, and for many Singaporean men. It’s reservist service, or In-Camp Training. Some like it, don’t like it, but almost everyone has lots to complain about it. In fact, it is so strange that even those who are not serving are part of the complaining lot.
I’ve been expecting some action from Mindef for some time. There is so much on Facebook about our military organizations, reservist units, operations, training, etc. My reservist flight has a Facebook group. So does the squadron, and some sort for the air base too. I was quite amused when I first discovered it. Particularly since even photos, even photos of myself (not taken by me or uploaded by me), appear in the groups. There’s nothing confidential or sensitive, but I just thought it quite interesting to learn about their existence in Facebook.
It’s the RSAF’s 40th anniversary this year. The last couple of years, the RSAF (and to some extent Mindef as a whole as well) seems to be making lots of effort to reach out to its “men” in more personal ways, to re-invent itself and to run itself like a modern private corporation. This is not bad, of course, since there are certainly some things that military organizations can learn from the private sector too.
Did you read today’s Straits Times? As I was reading this article, I thought to myself, isn’t this the ultimate solution to the perennial problem of manpower shortages to staff our army? This could be a great way to reduce the national service liability for Singaporean men. In particular, the so-called years or cycles of “operational ready” national service could be reduced once there is less pressure on manpower demand.
I was quite surprised today, while browsing through my own blog, to find an advertisement for the SAF. How curious that the contents of my blog could have been deemed suitable for the placement of an army advertisement. How odd, considering that most of us conscripted into the army really don’t quite like the army. I know, after you’ve been through it, it doesn’t seem all that bad, but I’m sure those still in it think otherwise.
The RSAF cordially invited me… not to be a VIP guest at the next air show, but to attend a Team Building event. How sweet. Perhaps if it doesn’t clash with any appointments, I might drop by. But no! It’s not optional… because they also issued a SAF100A!
For what it’s worth, the Team Building is not in an army camp. Guess where? Country club! (Well, a SAFRA country club…) Nice to see the SAF becoming so people-oriented. 
Let’s be honest, mobile phones have become a necessity, even in the armed forces. Nowadays with just about everyone carrying a camera phone, and the armed forces still in their archaic ages trying to ban camera phones… what to do when you go NS or ICT?
Ok, phones without cameras aren’t so rare yet. But let’s move along a bit. 3G is getting more prevalent. People like me want to web surf (with a proper HTML web browser), download emails, etc. No camera is fine, but can we still have all that?
I just completed three weeks of ICT. I used to hate ICT tremendously. During my active times, I was a combat medic in the RSAF. We used to say, the worst that can ever happen to us was to eventually get posted to a certain squadron after ORD. Well, many years after ORD, I was posted out to that squadron. Perhaps I pissed off my CSM too much.
To make things worse, while other people get to embrace the concept of “high key” and “low key” ICTs, I was told up front that in this place, all ICTs are “high key”. If that is not bad enough, some people’s “high key” means 10 days. But we were also told up front… ours will be 21 days. Or more. I have been doing 23 days for several cycles. Once even 25 days.
I think we had 11 oysters each, from The Line restaurant at Shangri-la Hotel. It's a big buffet with plenty of food.
Lunch at Lerk Thai some weekends ago.
