Hey everyone.
I guess its also about time I actually pen(type) something down for my testimony. NTC, ….. I guess NTC is so unique in a way that though all of us went thru the same things for 4 days, but each of us came out learning different things. Things that only we ourselves understand and benefit.
4 days in a training camp! : not exactly the idea I have in my mind on how to spend my public holidays, since holidays are kinda rare now. ( just like all the other working peeps) . The only motivation for me to go for this camp is to actually complete the requirement for my LMA. Honestly, that was the reason why I was there. But you never can know just what NTC can do to you!
The most significant thing that I learnt during this camp is not the camping/ranger skills or anything related to the outdoors, but I learnt and felt the importance of having a support group.(in this case, its my patrol members and fellow Sel 6-ers) and also learning to get comfortably uncomfortable. Many instances during the camp, I wanted to call it quits. Though after going thru JLTC, I roughly know what to expect for NTC and was mentally prepared for it. So I walked into NTC with my eyes wide open and yet I almost yielded.
Each time I wanted to call it quits, this thought will come into my mind. ‘”What about your patrol members?” … “why are you giving up on them when they did not give up on you ?” rather depressing and the weather did not help at all..hehe.…
I looked at my patrol members, they are all busy about getting things done and being so co-operative, some (1) was even so nice just to hold a torchlight for me when I was washing the utensils at the river in the dark Haha. I was really encouraged . And because of my patrol members, I pushed on and thru. Just like everyone else have said, the patrol system works, its true. But another thing that also work, is having friends around you to support you.
Each time when we have rotation classes or parade, we manage to catch bits and pieces of what is happening in the other patrol, familiar faces and people of same frequency, knowing that I’m not the only one going thru this ordeal and I’m not going thru alone indeed was an extra dose of strength for me.
I was encouraged to see Jays, Ben and even William laughing at the fact that their uniform was wet! ( I had mine wet too) hehe. William even stood under the sun after the morning parade alone , just to dry his uniform. Haha. That really made my day in camp. That little ‘act’ woke me up and told me to look at the bright side of everything!. So what if my uniform is wet? .. just dry them.. So what if my sleeping bag is wet ? DRY them!.. So what if the kitchen is not done ?just get it done!. So what if bakau is tough to chop/saw ? JUST CHOP IT!. Or ask someone stronger to do it!... Its all NO BIG DEAL! Haha .... the idea is not to let circumstance arnd you affect you negatively.
Also..Many times, without us realizing, We as cmdrs, we tend to frustrate our rangers by getting them to do things OUR way. Well, I had go thru this myself in the camp for me to realize that. Only by putting yourself in your rangers shoes that you will see things the way they saw.
I started by saying I was in NTC because I wanted to complete my LMA, but now I think … God wanted me to be there to teach/remind me of many many things. He just used LMA to make sure I was there.
I just thank God for all that has happened in the camp. Every single bit of it .. I thank God. Also, personally wanna thank ‘Councilmen Eric’ for constantly checking on me making sure that I dun give up. Hehe...( ei...he says if I walk out of camp… he will follow behind! Haha …so I got no choice but to stay!.. if not ...everyone got no food dey! Hahaha )
After having gone thru everything, my moments of inspiration came when after we graduated, and we were all gathered by the side by Reuben as Selangor 6. I looked at us, we are all from different background, different walks.. different profession… but we all had one thing in common.. NTC.
Having said that , this one month break is probably my time to re-orientate, re-charge, re-fresh, re-focus for another year ahead starting from Nov 2008!
Cheers!
4 days in a training camp! : not exactly the idea I have in my mind on how to spend my public holidays, since holidays are kinda rare now. ( just like all the other working peeps) . The only motivation for me to go for this camp is to actually complete the requirement for my LMA. Honestly, that was the reason why I was there. But you never can know just what NTC can do to you!
The most significant thing that I learnt during this camp is not the camping/ranger skills or anything related to the outdoors, but I learnt and felt the importance of having a support group.(in this case, its my patrol members and fellow Sel 6-ers) and also learning to get comfortably uncomfortable. Many instances during the camp, I wanted to call it quits. Though after going thru JLTC, I roughly know what to expect for NTC and was mentally prepared for it. So I walked into NTC with my eyes wide open and yet I almost yielded.
Each time I wanted to call it quits, this thought will come into my mind. ‘”What about your patrol members?” … “why are you giving up on them when they did not give up on you ?” rather depressing and the weather did not help at all..hehe.…
I looked at my patrol members, they are all busy about getting things done and being so co-operative, some (1) was even so nice just to hold a torchlight for me when I was washing the utensils at the river in the dark Haha. I was really encouraged . And because of my patrol members, I pushed on and thru. Just like everyone else have said, the patrol system works, its true. But another thing that also work, is having friends around you to support you.
Each time when we have rotation classes or parade, we manage to catch bits and pieces of what is happening in the other patrol, familiar faces and people of same frequency, knowing that I’m not the only one going thru this ordeal and I’m not going thru alone indeed was an extra dose of strength for me.
I was encouraged to see Jays, Ben and even William laughing at the fact that their uniform was wet! ( I had mine wet too) hehe. William even stood under the sun after the morning parade alone , just to dry his uniform. Haha. That really made my day in camp. That little ‘act’ woke me up and told me to look at the bright side of everything!. So what if my uniform is wet? .. just dry them.. So what if my sleeping bag is wet ? DRY them!.. So what if the kitchen is not done ?just get it done!. So what if bakau is tough to chop/saw ? JUST CHOP IT!. Or ask someone stronger to do it!... Its all NO BIG DEAL! Haha .... the idea is not to let circumstance arnd you affect you negatively.
Also..Many times, without us realizing, We as cmdrs, we tend to frustrate our rangers by getting them to do things OUR way. Well, I had go thru this myself in the camp for me to realize that. Only by putting yourself in your rangers shoes that you will see things the way they saw.
I started by saying I was in NTC because I wanted to complete my LMA, but now I think … God wanted me to be there to teach/remind me of many many things. He just used LMA to make sure I was there.
I just thank God for all that has happened in the camp. Every single bit of it .. I thank God. Also, personally wanna thank ‘Councilmen Eric’ for constantly checking on me making sure that I dun give up. Hehe...( ei...he says if I walk out of camp… he will follow behind! Haha …so I got no choice but to stay!.. if not ...everyone got no food dey! Hahaha )
After having gone thru everything, my moments of inspiration came when after we graduated, and we were all gathered by the side by Reuben as Selangor 6. I looked at us, we are all from different background, different walks.. different profession… but we all had one thing in common.. NTC.
Having said that , this one month break is probably my time to re-orientate, re-charge, re-fresh, re-focus for another year ahead starting from Nov 2008!
Cheers!
Cmdr. Kenny Chin (the middleman in the Chin Muskateers!)
*** The End ***
On a separate note, a very happy birthday to our dear friends who celebrated their birthday this week. Here's the birthday babies!
i. Daniel the 'Long-Walking' Pua (21st Oct)
ii. Jayson 'The Indestructable' Phuan (22nd Oct)
iii. 'The Bottled-Ginnie' Wong Tzi Li
Hope you all had a good week and an absolutely fantastic day! God bless...
Happy Deepavali to each one of you...I have extra oil and coconuts if you need em'...
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