no more SITting around
Thursday, April 18
Today will be my last day in the branch.
I don't feel any sense of dread knowing where I'll be going; but that doesn't at all lessen the sense of sadness I feel, that comes when friends part ways.
I really don't know where to begin... I usually like to take stock of my takeaways from my experience whenever I moved from one posting to another within the Necessary Service, but my stay in TLS feels like it deserves so much more than that to do justice to my experience here as a whole, and what I'm feeling now. It sure doesn't help my thought processes that I'm on duty now and it's 3:45 in the morning. But I will make the attempt anyway. Beware though - I cannot vouch for this post's coherence!
I was first attached to TD on 16 August 2012. Originally supposedly the CI PA's understudy, I forfeited my chances at that when then Head TLS stole me over to help out with what would become my pet project. It may sound kind of stupid, but yeaaaa there's a lot more politics and complexity to the story, stuff which I see no point in telling anyone other than office colleagues anyway, haha. So let's just leave it as that.
In terms of job scope, I guess I quite enjoyed what I did, as it really played to my strengths. I researched and designed curriculum changes, wrote proposal papers, smoked up reasons to justify spending, proofread documents, and created and spruced up visuals using PowerPoint alone. It was quite an eye opener to see the back end of what happens in our military training institutes. Yes, I sometimes ended up doing mundane and pointless stuff which seemingly had no value, but helping to lessen the workload of your bosses, and helping them ensure high quality of work does have value in itself. And I'm proud of the work I've produced, sometimes even amazed myself with the end product I could see - only by God's grace. Apparently now they're having trouble finding SITs to replace me, but I hope stuff will fall into place (: (Though things look like they'll fall apart with everyone's imminent ORD and the complete lack of understudies at present...)
I never took my place here for granted - because I was always aware that I might be posted out at any moment, and I knew how rare it is to be able to stay out. And staying out gave me the time to do so much more outside - getting my driving licence, meeting up with friends, and spending nighttime with the family. Really, countless activities that I wouldn't have been able to do if not for my stay out job, and for that I am thankful.
As you all know, I was given the opportunity to go to Taiwan to help out with the training - and that is still one of the major highlights of my entire NS experience, being able to see a foreign city in a light other than as a tourist. I sincerely believe that my time there wouldn't have been so utterly delightful if the TD/TLS guys hadn't come along. After all, it's common knowledge that good company is an essential ingredient for a great holiday experience, and these guys brought all of their eccentricities, hilarity and intellect to the trip. It was really amazing :') I really don't know how else to describe it! It's just one of those experiences you think back upon and just smile to yourself :D Good times, good times. And I guess these are the guys I'm still the most fond of till now (: Kevin, the sarcastic master of languages; Tim, my supposed doppelganger; and Justin, my desk partner and breakfast buddy with his never-ending tales and discussions of world views.
 |
Kevin, Tim and Justin in Taiwan.
"Tell me again why we're doing this?" |
Of course, I can't miss out on Dash, who joined the branch only after my trip. Not to be racist, but he's one of the few Indians that I've just been able to get along well with! And he's seriously the first guy I've met who's truly innately a hipster - so hipster that he doesn't quite like to be associated with the term that has now been popularised, and become something that people strive to become.
And well, since we're on the topic of the people. It was definitely an eye-opener to be thrust in an environment where the JC kids were in the minority. I mean, really, wow, the progression I've had is really quite something, now that I look back on it. Going from the AC bubble into an RJ/HC-flooded BMT platoon, to a very mixed JC setting of Foxtrot, and finally to TLS. It's really been such an exciting experience to have my world view expanded so vastly, and to be able to make friends from such a diverse range of backgrounds! And my boss pretty much loved me too, so it was awesome getting special leeway from him at times, hahaha :P
I've spent the last 8 months of my life here, and I have just 7 months left in service. There's really no way I'll be spending more time in any one place for the rest of my service, than I have in this place. And for that reason alone, I'm sure I'll always look back on TLS with the fondest of memories.
 |
| TLS Cohesion 2012 in Malaysia, truly Asia. |
Heh, I honestly think my writing of late has done no justice to the emotions I've felt, and certainly don't seem like very entertaining or interesting reads... So for that, I apologise to my readers! But then again, my blog is for myself too, so I'd rather have a boring record of events, than none at all (:
AMEN;
5:34 am
