Exactly one year ago, at this time, i'd have had my first dinner in Tekong. I'd still be wondering what's going to happen, and who are these people around me who all look alike after the haircut.

Yesterday was enlistment day for some new 18 year olds. I know. I was there. I was sitting at the waiting area at the tekong jetty - in my usual smelly uniform, muddy boots and with a wet LBV strapped on. It was the last day of our field camp, and its been 10 field camps since it all began.

My whole battalion was there, and we all looked as the enlistees walk by the jetty with their family members, and they looked back at us like exhibition items. Then i suddenly felt very happy to be where i am now, to have gone through so much. I wouldn't want to think of myself back then, on the 12 apr 2007.

Keep it going.

Did i ever once said that i have a china man under me? He was posted to 1SIR after he completed his BMT(basic military training) in Tekong when my unit was transiting from our BMT phase to AIT(advanced infantry training).

He's from the fujian province. He can't speak English, although he understands a little bit of it. His father brought him over to Singapore and he was enlisted less than a year after he came.

But he makes a good soldier. He has an average build, but he's very smart and understanding. Once, i talked to him about NS, becos im afraid he wouldn't be motivated to serve in Singapore, and he told me, "jiu ba zhe liang nian dang zuo yi ge ren sheng de kao yan".

I think he's quite sociable, but the problem is i have 3 malays in my section. The malays are really active and really can talk alot of cock, and its a pity the china man can't really communicate with them. I'd always urge them to communicate using the chinese singaporeans as translators.

Actually, i have a problem communicating with him myself.

Once i was giving a personal lesson on weapon technical handling to my china man.

"Ru guo you zi dan ka zai li mian, ni jiu yao fang gei ta an quan, ba zhe ge dong xi na chu lai, ran hao la zhe ge dong xi. Ru guo zi dan bu zi dong fei chu lai, ni jiu yao yong zhe ge dong xi wa ta chu lai."

Obviously the problem is i can't say magazine in chinese, i can't say cock the weapon or pull the charging handle in chinese, nor the Ctool or SOG.

Now im learning chinese. After i "zhe ge" the smoke grenade so many times to him, he told he its called a "yan1 wu4 dan4".

During the field camp, it became even more interesting. He's so smart he learnt everything, from fire and movement to retrogade drills.

"Dang ni kan dao wo qian san ge ren chong shang qian de shi hou, ni jiu yao fa she lai yan hu wo men. Dang ta men dou pa xia qu hou, ni jiu bu guan wo zai han shen me dong xi, zhi jie chong xiang xia yi ke shu ran hou pa xia qu."

(when he see the first 3 ppl running to the next bound, you must cover fire for us. when i prone down, you just ignore what im shouting to the men, and run to the next cover and prone down.)

As we do well as a section, we also go through shit together. We'd endure distances and rain together. The first day in tekong was a full day of navigation. Initially it was so hot, 2 of my men said they feel dizzy and unwell. We took a rest, and suddenly it began to pour.

Initially i thought it was over - rain really kills off morale, but suddenly my men began to sing and make merry. Then the 2 of them told me they were feeling better, and we walked all the way for the next 2 checkpoints which totalled to 7km+, as we saw many other sections taking shelter from the rain in the vegetation, my section, queer as it sounds, kept singing at the back as i led them all the way to the end point through the rain.

It also rained heavily on the 3rd day. Once, lightning and thunder struck simultaneously - and it was such a loud bang everyone knew it was so close. Everyone instintively got down and even minutes later there were ppl who dared not move.

How harsh. The heavens not showing mercy while we're suffering. heh.