STARY STARY NIGHT (PART 3)


We now had reach the third and final camp site in our 7 days long field camp. Where out mental stregth was tested to the limits.


We had to dig our own shell scrape. It had to be the same length as our body and the same width as our body. And we had to dig a additional hole for our field packs. For at least 3 persons; one of my friend, my bed side buddy, and me had to dig beside a tree, and all we did was not digging a hole. It's removing tree roots. Lot's of them. For one other unlucky guy, he dug up a whole ant nest.

We dig, we dug, we dugged. And soon, it was very dark. And we were forced to abandoned our hole to have our dinner. Along the way, some of us fell into holes. And while having dinner under the light of the picnic lantern, me and four others panic when we realised that we were not carring our own rifle.

After our dinner and our usual powder bath, we were told to go back to sleep in our own hole. Yes, there were all sorts of bugs in my hole. But as my eyes refused to stay open, i decided to sleep in and wait for my sentry shift.

Sooner than i expected, my shift came. and all through out my shift, my buddy and i began to practise the art of sleeping while standing. But since i have been practising that in the mornings of every monday till friday in the north-east line since my poly days, i naturally fared much better than my buddy.

Soon, our week long field camp came to an end. We finally realised how wonderful the ride of a 5 tonner is, how colourful the colour our barrack line building is, how good the cook house food is, how beautiful our toilet bowl is, the power of hand phones, and the wonders of music from your mp3.

Whatever it is, immediately after our shower, a sizeable squad of men from my platoon, this includes me, fall-in and moved off to the medical centre to report sightings of rashes forming up on various parts or our bodies.