Dear Diary of Year 2020 #4: National Day Parade 2020

 

Part 4: National Day Parade 2020

For the first time in my life, I am actively involved in Singapore's 55th National Day Parade. This year, with the pandemic raging across the world, the whole spectrum of programmes for the celebration had to be rethought. Instead of gathering Singaporeans in masses to watch a parade plus evening show at Singapore's city centre, it became a daylong birthday bash with activities taking place in both the heartlands and virtual spaces. The graphic below encapsulates the whole gamut of events on 9 August 2020, the day of celebration.

If not for the title and the descriptions, I totally would have thought that this map was depicting what could happen when war befalls Singapore. With all the pyrotechnics and military vehicles, it bore an uncanny resemblance to the maps representing the Battle of Singapore during World War II which I read from the history textbooks. Maybe it was because of all the reminders of the significance of this battle when marching through the same paths taken by the battling soldiers during the course of my National Service that led me to draw comparisons between what I see today and the historical events of the war. Nevertheless, it was obvious how bustling the island nation was on the 9th of August.

Another remarkable thing about this year's NDP would be how the concept of celebrating the anniversary of my nation's independence had evolved from parades involving displays of military might and community spirit, to expanding the concept of a "parade" to include programmes that every Singaporean can enjoy and participate in, so as to make the celebration more personal and organic.

A pack for everyone

Preparations for the big day started only a month or two in advance due to delays caused by the reconceptualising of the National Day Parade. It had be done to ensure that celebrations were carried out in a safe manner to protect the public from possible community transmissions of the coronavirus. However, there were still many things we can do for NDP other than all the parading and performing. I am referring to the SG Together Pack, a rebranded fun pack which was the mainstay of the NDP of previous years and were mostly given to the parade audience.

As I have promised in my July 2020 Kaleidoscope post, I will be sharing my experiences working behind the scenes of the packing of this special pack. Unfortunately, as I take care not to divulge any confidential information that may compromise the nature of the Army's operations, there will be some details that I cannot go into.

The packing of the SG Together pack was a special time for my unit and I. As a soldier that had just enlisted this year and got drafted into the Second Singapore Infantry Regiment, I had the privilege of getting to contribute to the nation with my battalion (along with other units who were working in other camps). This would mark the very first operation undertaken by my battalion, and to do so before we were deemed to be operationally ready was a rare occurrence in the Army.

The packing area was extremely spacious, so as to accommodate the safe distancing measures between the various functional groups (each was the size of a platoon, or about 30 people, just in case you are wondering). Everyone wore masks and gloves to prevent cross contamination of germs. These were testaments to the many safety measures in place.

With these measures being enforced, we got to work in July. Production lines were set up, motivational speeches were given, and music boomed from the speakers throughout each day of packing. My company's role was special as we were not directly involved in the packing of items. Rather, we supported and facilitated the entire packing process through the delivery of raw materials that came from stockpiles, as well as packing the finished packs up and transporting it to their designated pellets before they would be distributed to collection centres around the country. It was a tiring job which involved a lot of walking and lifting, but it was fulfilling because I got to interact with so many new people. Taking on a support role also meant more hours spent on accounting for all the stock involved in the packing, and that was when my mental sums were put into good use.

At the same time, we had other obligations going on too. During the month of packing, there was very little training, but we did some exercises every week to maintain our heat acclimatisation regime. This acclimatisation was done to adjust the body to the heat from the environment and from the body through carrying of heavy loads and wearing of protective suits. There was also guard duty where we needed to patrol around the camp in order to keep it secure from outside threats.

Amidst the sweating and toiling, we had our fair share of fun.  There were a wide variety of snacks given to us during tea breaks, including milk tea, ice cream and dim sum. The people leading the Army, our division and brigade also came to cheer us on. They even engaged in friendly competitions with the packers to see who could pack faster. No one had managed to beat the packers, because they were so well-trained and productive at their work that tens of thousands of packs were churned out in one day. Combined, it was as much as the fun packs that were produced for 3 years' worth of NDPs!

This period of time was a particularly memorable time for me as I had taken on an additional role as the safety advocate for my platoon. I took pride in my job, as I created makeshift handwritten infographics educating everyone on how to protect their backs, raised up safety risks to the higher-ups and provided possible solutions to mitigate them. I was overjoyed to learn that my work had earned the praise of my commanders.

Theme song

One of the things to watch out for before National Day is the rolling out of the theme song for the year. Having theme songs to mark the mood for each anniversary of Singapore's independence is a meaningful way for Singaporeans to reconnect with their national identity and rediscover what they are working so hard every day in this country for. 

It is also interesting to see the mixed responses by locals to the new theme songs each year, as it can serve as a reflection of local attitudes toward the homegrown music industry. While many previous theme songs have starred renowned artists such as J J Lin and Sun Yanzi, I am heartened that more recent songs have been featuring a greater variety of music makers. I believe that regardless of talent, skill level and the number of achievements, it is crucial for every Singaporean artist to be given a fair chance at showing what they have to offer. For the creative industry to work, it must be based on  organic and enthusiastic groups of young artists who have sufficient space to pursue their dreams. The National Day Parade is one such important space for them to showcase their skills and creativity.

Interestingly, the preproduction phase of the year's theme song, "Everything I am", occurred during the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore. This meant that masks and safe distancing measures were included in the production process. However, masks had not been a thing then, when the decision by the authorities was to not wear one unless sick, so there are a lot of scenes that still did not felt like the pandemic even existed. The music video was slow-paced and zoomed in on the lives of everyday Singaporeans trying to adapt to the new normal and overcoming adversity. In doing so, it expresses the gratitude of the sacrifices made by many selfless Singaporeans for the betterment of all of us.

The tempo of this song is so hypnotically slow that rather than feeling galvanised by it, I could not wait for the song to end. Some helpful viewers have commented that watching the video at 1.5x speed will make the song sound better, and I wholeheartedly agree with this. I felt that although this theme song was well-intended, what we need is less of tired faces and lyrics that sound weak-minded, and more of positive beats and driven appearances of people prevailing against their adversities during this coronavirus crisis.

Fireworks security

Another highlight of my NDP experience this year was my active involvement in the security operations on the day itself. My role was to collaborate with the Singapore Police Force to facilitate the security of the fireworks installations and work with Safe Distancing Ambassadors and Enforcement Officers to enforce safety measures to minimise the risk of the virus spreading around the audiences.

To put this into context, fireworks were set in different locations around Singapore, which includes the heartlands, this year because of the safe distancing measures and the NDP Organising Committee's wish to bring NDP to everyone's homes. Indeed, in an age where everyone had to be separated, we are fortunate to share the same sky, which sets the stage for these loud and colourful aerial displays.

It was a really eye-opening experience, because I got to learn how to manage different kinds of people and deescalate any kind of situation to prevent conflicts from happening. I was heartened that most of my worries were unjustified as the audience had been very cooperative with the security and safety measures in place. This was a unique opportunity for me to contribute to my nation in a different way from military exercises.

Sadly, I did not get to enjoy much of the fireworks even though I was in front of the Singapore Flyer, where there would be the best view of the fireworks setting over the Singapore River, as the smoke produced by the fireworks obscured much of the night sky in front of me thanks to the wind blowing it towards me. Luckily, I can still see the fireworks online, and not just from the NDP show itself, to make up for my regret:

(Animated gif taken from online)

This experience showed how worthwhile National Service could be. While all Singaporean men (and some women) would be able to look forward to different experiences in their services, I believe that the memories made  and the life lessons learnt over the many years of service would be the best reward they could get in return. Thinking to this point, I had gained another reason in support of my faithful defence of my country.

My Year 2020 Series | Part 3: Unit Life in the Army during the Coronavirus Pandemic

 

Part 3: Unit Life in the Army during the Coronavirus Pandemic

My BMT journey came to an end with an extremely tiring 24 km Victory March, the parade for the presentation of my division patch for mono-intake recruits like me and the momentous Passing Out Parade which changed me from a recruit to a private. I came back home, legs shaking, back aching, uniform smelling, and eventually passed out on my bed (disclaimer: I showered and had lunch) for a solid 6 hours in the afternoon.

While waiting for my unit posting, I got to enjoy the longest break I ever had ever since I enlisted into the Army. That break lasted a week, and was called “block leave”. During that long break, I had the time to sort out my personal life. I signed up for a scholarship, did reflections on my performance as a recruit, did a stocktaking of my army items and caught up on the shows that I wanted to watch.

I made a pretty depressing dedication on Instagram, noting how weak and helpless I felt during the tiring route march, thanks to my tendency to be affected under the heat easily. I took the opportunity to thank those who have helped me along the way too. I append the caption here:

END OF BASIC MILITARY TRAINING For me, this phase of life ended on a sad note. I did my best, pushed myself beyond my physical limits in my fatigued body, and ended up in a wreck. Yet, I believe I have grown as a person. During the route march, I had non-stop sweating. The heat I felt was so bad that it made me giddy. I felt so warm and so thirsty that I thought I would be able to suck the whole of the Singapore river dry. I learnt to focus less on the embarrassment of being the only person to take off my helmet (and later even my field pack that I carried) and channel my attention to the kind people looking out for me to keep myself sane. I thought I could walk for very long distances, for I spent much of my free time in that way while I was still a civilian. But by the time I arrived at the floating platform, I could barely stand up straight. My knees kept on bending, and my body swayed, about to faint any time. I tried to forget about the pain, and just move as fast as I can without being concerned about looking like a zombie. In the end, the results matter the most, all the other things are insignificant. Unfortunately, I could not attend the parade with my rifle. I only made it for the re-entry, where I did the pledge, anthem and cheer. Still, I was too tired to notice my surroundings and missed the platoon photo. I learnt not to despair, and did the things that only I could do at the time, that being helping my company mates to adjust themselves before the re-entry part of the parade. I could only receive a closure from this mad phase of my National Service thanks to the efforts of the commanders and my platoon mates. Thank you. I will always be grateful for their taking care of me. And sorry, for not being able to make you guys proud and kept on disappointing you. Fortunately, I had no regrets from my BMT journey. I did whatever I could, and understood more about myself from the success and failures that resulted from my actions.

Saying farewell to my BMT section

Things were pretty messy after the parade ended. Everyone was tired, and I even missed out on the platoon photo because I wanted to go home so badly. We did not really manage to say goodbye to each other properly. Therefore, my BMT section planned to have lunch together to get in touch for one last time.

The meeting was on a hot Tuesday afternoon, at a Korean BBQ restaurant in Orchard Central. We did nothing much but to talk and eat. I had quite a big appetite, so for almost 4 hours straight, I kept on eating, barbequing and taking more food and drinks. I have tried out most of the food and drinks, and have also learned how to cook a soft-boiled egg. Not everyone was so into eating, some spent the time mostly on their phones and some took a smoke break.

Anyway, by the end of it, we were pretty happy with how much we ate. Some of my section mates decided to linger around the area, while I headed to Mount Faber SAFRA e-mart to stock up on supplies - only to come back home empty-handed because it was closed on Tuesdays. At least, I got to enjoy the massage chair there, so the trip was not completely wasted.

As block leave ends, school holidays start and postings are released

My family had relatives over who had come to gather, have fun and eat meals together. These were relatives with my younger cousins since the March school holidays started and they had time on their hands. The gathering felt pretty festive and reminded me of the reunion dinners we had on Chinese New Year. For me, I exchanged pleasantries with the guests and mostly kept to my own devices, since I got hooked on a few anime and Korean drama shows.

On a bright Sunday morning, the much-anticipated unit postings were released online. I was relieved to be posted into infantry as a trooper, but part of me felt bad about the opportunity cost of having forsaken the path to a commander. At the end, I rejoiced, knowing that as a trooper, I would probably have less duties and could have more rest time.

New faces, same commanders

Being placed into a mono-intake batch meant that most of the people would walk the rest of the NS journey together with me after BMT. As such, most of our commanders were familiar faces. There were surprises - my platoon had a new platoon sergeant who is a good-looking Indian lady, and there are quite a lot of men from other companies in BMT posted into my company.

It took some time before we broke the ice and began to mix around more. At the start, there was a lot of explaining to do and lessons to go through for the new people. Fortunately, everyone is a quick learner and we get along well with each other. It was heartening to see the new guys open up more and become more involved in what we do at our unit.

In a couple of months after being posted to my unit, there were even more new and familiar faces joining us in our NS journeys. These were mainly the fresh batch of commanders who went to training institutes after BMT to learn how to command people.

Being a rifleman in an infantry unit - during a pandemic

Being a rifleman meant that I had to carry my SAR 21 rifle wherever there was a mission and to take down enemies or defend an objective. Since I was a reserve, I switched to the semi-automatic weapon when its original holder had to retire for a while due to knee injury. My unit is a motorised infantry, so I can expect less walking and spending more time on the terrexes in future, when training and missions gradually introduce the motorised aspect of operations. For the rest of the time, there were physical activities to build up my physical and combat fitness, and also cleaning and maintaining of the equipment and living quarters. We would also celebrate festivals together and commemorate milestones with parades.

Training changed drastically under the Covid-19 measures. The amount of movement we can do at any one time has been reduced. That meant when moving out of camp for training, everyone had to do it batch by batch and that was especially the case for live firing exercises. As such, there were some sessions that had to be conducted during the weekends where there were no more available slots on other days. Everyone also had to abide by safe distancing rules and wear their masks. Coloured tape started appearing everywhere to guide people on where to stand, and “spider webs” made up of paper strips demarcated different parts of a building to their respective functional groups. I welcomed the change because it meant that the tempo of training had been lowered and that we also did not need to camouflage on our faces in the field. As for large scale events like parades, they had to be scaled down significantly - only those that were involved were to be in the mustering square, while the rest stayed within their individual functional groups in the building.

As Singapore started moving on to Phase 2 of exiting the Circuit Breaker period, things gradually returned to normal. The camouflage was back on, and more of us could gather in any place at any point of time. Still, there were stringent measures in place. These included the enforcement of mask-wearing and social distancing, frequent temperature taking, banning most sports and games, making declarations using SafeEntry and not mixing around with other functional groups.

2020 Series | Part 2: Basic Military Training

PART 2: Basic Military Training (BMT)

Basic Military Training is the most disruptive thing that has happened to my life. I mean, I had to be away from home to undergo training on Pulau Tekong, an offshore island that is geographically closer to Malaysia than it is to Singapore, and the transportation there was quite inconvenient - I had to switch trains, catch the bus to the ferry terminal and board the ferry bringing us there. The training was so hectic that I barely had enough time to take a shower, much less use my phone. Even when I am outside of camp, I would still be required to prepare for the upcoming training for the next week. Despite all my grievances, I would say that this training had been a life-changing journey for me. Not only was it a process of self-discovery, I also got to appreciate more about the importance of defending Singapore.

In my first few weeks of training, everything seemed so difficult to me. 

I could recall vividly about the in-processing procedures. There were many items that were issued to each of us, most of which I could not name. Although there were commanders to help me, I had trouble finding what I was asked for as it took me some time to understand the names and the usage for the items. I felt that I was peering at an alien civilisation, with many weird objects that I had never encountered in my daily life. I had to put my own personal bag (or civilian bag) neatly with the rest, carry the extremely heavy bags of issued equipment and items upstairs where the company bunks are located and finish up checking on them. Thereafter, there was a survey before dinner time. During this process, I was so dehydrated that I felt my strength draining out of me, yet I could not muster the courage to ask for the usage of the water dispenser, since I would feel really guilty for troubling others over my own needs.

I was unable to catch up with some of the training, especially on the weapon handling. There were so many things that I got unfamiliar with that I panicked during the lesson and could not understand a thing that was going on. There were commanders and section mates living in the same bunk as me to help me out, but I was not relieved by their assistance because I was too used to working alone. I realised that I had selective listening and was afraid to approach others for help. These were communication issues that would haunt me for the rest of my BMT.

I did not know what to do. My section commander was so nice that my whole section agreed not to do anything to infuriate him. All of my section but me seemed to know exactly what to do, but here I was stuck in my own world, struggling to come out of my shell. Many people were frustrated with me being unable to come to terms with what I did not know and what I disliked. Soon, I started to doubt myself. With the simplest of tasks like putting on a uniform, folding clothes and carrying a bag, I had to go through the motion many times before I was confident of doing them. Otherwise, I would just blank out and make many stupid mistakes. Sometimes, I even wondered whether I had a childhood that was too sheltered, or I had some sort of mental problem.

The way most people started off their conversations with me was, "Are you okay?" To some, this question could sound comforting, but to me, it was an affirmation that something was wrong with me and it made me depressed. I could not blame them for asking me that question. Usually, any sort of fatigue or exasperation would show through my face. My face could not lie, whenever I felt that I could not go on anymore, I looked like I really wanted to die. It must have been painful to look at me being like that.

I think my mindset made things unnecessarily difficult for me. Training was supposed to be tough, but instead of showing any determination of completing it, my mind was full of self-defeating thoughts like, "This is too difficult." "Impossible, that can't work." "No, no, I won't be able to do this..." "What? I cannot understand. Help!" These thoughts made me lost my drive to face my mistakes and strive to be a better person. Thankfully, I had buddies, mentors, commanders and officers being patient with me, encouraging me on and giving me advice on how to break out of any dismal situation I found myself to be in.

I did not have a strong mind, and my physical body was breaking down as well. Booking out of camp became extremely important to me as it was a time when I could rest and recover. I got abrasions, bruises, cuts, ankle sprains, heat rash, throat infection and sores... Most of the injuries were minor enough to be healed within a few days, but the throat infection had me go through one week of medication, and the sprain caused me to be excused from running, marching and jumping for 5 days. And during training, I usually had problems with the equipment and the heat. Whenever I march with long distances with a helmet on, I would start to feel light-headed and feverish, and I would be sweating so much that I could not pass urine for more than half a day.

My lack of leg strength was a weakness in me, and my legs never failed to get sores after each book out before the weekend. My legs got so beaten up after the 24 km route march, the final strenuous activity in BMT, I could not even stand for long for any kind of parade, hence I could only join the later half of the passing-out parade. Most of the training for the parade I have done before that were wasted as my body was not in a condition to be able to deliver the standards required from me on the actual run.

Luckily, it was not all despair and depression during BMT. I had my fair share of fun moments and memories. 

I would remember fondly of my days shooting rounds to my hearts content when I acted as the enemy during the group battle course, the performances that were put on to commemorate significant events such as Chinese New Year and the end of the BMT training, as well as all the weird and funny questions during the engagement we had with the officers. I also could not forget how people were nice to me, giving me snacks and looking out for my health. I should treasure these memories and use them to help me feel positive and stronger when moving forward with my National Service journey. These experiences made me feel that I would give my all to bear arms so that I could protect the smiles of others.

It was mostly about me ranting and a bit of sharing of my experiences during BMT for this post, but I really want to drive home the importance of learning from my mistakes. Keeping an open mind toward any new challenges, interacting with people and remembering the reason for all the difficulties I went through was what I failed to do as a recruit. Without them, it would be just as difficult to make it through BMT as it is for the rest of my life.

My officers said that there is no running away from the 2 years of National Service being in the military, but how well spent these 2 years would be is entirely up to me. How very true.

UPDATE: Came across this blog post shortly after reading this and I found it to be quite helpful in tackling my problems. Usually, many of the negative emotions we feel stem from being unprepared for many situations and the self-deceit that we put ourselves through just to forget about how difficult the world can just be. This morning ritual described in the post can help us cope with that negativity. Cheers!

https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2020/04/pandemic-ritual/

2020 Series | Part 1: Warming up to the year 2020

My first post in this year! There is so much to say, but l shall begin by giving an overview of what this year means to me.

Two acts, two ages

2020 is the most defining year in my life up till now. My lives in the year 2019 and 2020 were worlds apart, being in completely different environments, and living with a very different purpose. 2020 marked the end of my years of schooling and the beginning of National Service, an obligation that all healthy young Singaporean males have in order to defend the vulnerable lion city from hostile forces.

At this point, there are a few terms that await clarification - compulsory education and National Service. These are the things that every male Singaporean like me will have to go through in his life because the law of the land requires them to be. Their respective statutes are the Compulsory Education Act (Singapore Statutes, Chapter 51) and the Enlistment Act (Singapore Statutes, Chapter 93). Note that not adhering to these acts can have really scary punishments - these are one of the highlights of Singapore Law.

Compulsory Education Act

Enlistment Act

Section 3: Compulsory Primary Education 3.—(1) A child of compulsory school age who is — (a) born after 1st January 1996; (b) a citizen of Singapore; and (c) residing in Singapore, shall attend regularly as a pupil at a national primary school. (2) Where a child of compulsory school age fails to attend regularly as a pupil at a national primary school as required under subsection (1), each parent of the child shall be guilty of an offence. Section 7: Penalties 7.—(1) Any person who is guilty of an offence under section 3(2) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

Part III: National Service Enlistment Act Section 10: Duty to report for enlistment10.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the proper authority may by notice require a person subject to this Act not below the age of 18 years to report for enlistment for national service. (2) A person required to report for enlistment for national service shall report to the proper authority on such date and at such time and place as may be specified in the notice and shall attend from day to day until duly enlisted. (3) Enlistment for national service shall be in the manner approved by the proper authority. (4) No duty of any kind shall be imposed on a person required to report for enlistment or service unless he is found fit for service. Part VII: Miscellaneous Provisions Enlistment Act Section 33: Offences 33. Except as provided in section 32(3) and (4), any person within or outside Singapore who — (a) fails to comply with any order or notice issued under this Act; (b) fails to fulfil any liability imposed on him under this Act; (c) fraudulently obtains or attempts to obtain postponement, release, discharge or exemption from any duty under this Act; (d) does any act with the intention of unlawfully evading service; (e) gives the proper authority or any person acting on his behalf false or misleading information; or (f) aids, abets or counsels any other person to act in the manner laid down in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e), shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both.

Now, having your life defined by all of these acts may seem absurd at first glance, but they are necessary for society to function well as a whole. Education is one. Singapore used education to improve the literacy rates and skills of her citizens, allowing them to be able to work in industries and pick up new skills quickly, which will eventually pave the way for a vibrant, resilient economy good enough to be the financial hub of Southeast Asia. Defence is another important part of our society and nation-building, since it protects the very sovereignty of the place. This is important as we need to constantly put up a good fight for the right to make our own decisions and do what we want (as long as we stick to international regulations).

Singapore's dollar notes (the current Portrait Series that are in circulation now) are a good reminder of this, since the themes for the pictures on the back of the $2 and $100 notes are "Education" and "Youth" (which includes an image of a young soldier raising the flag with the SAFTI tower in the background) respectively.

Therefore, splitting our lives into different Acts makes sense in terms of personal development and nation-building. These Acts help us to rehearse our lives and equip us with the necessary abilities in our formative years, so that we can achieve success in the later years of our lives.

From Singapore's laws to Shakespeare

If all of this felt heavy, let us take a refuge in the literature of the great William Shakespeare. His famous line, "All the world's a stage", attests to this weirdly theatrical feeling I am experiencing in life right now.

"All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages." ~ As You Like It, Act-II, Scene-VII, Lines 139-143

Two of the seven ages are "the whining schoolboy" and "the devoted soldier". Both seem to be different characters in a story, but in our lives, they are one. I see myself reflected in the first few ages in the Seven Ages of man.

The schoolboy

"And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel*

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school"

*Note: a satchel is a bag with a long strap that is carried over the shoulder

These lines really bring me memories. I remember when I first entered school, I was tearing up at the thought of being separated from my family and having to fend for myself in an alien environment full of strangers. School life was far from comfortable.. The difficult homework, lengthy commitments and stressful examinations gave me a lot of trouble. Unless one has a very positive mindset about learning and sees a strong purpose in the knowledge he gains, I can really empathise with the unwillingness felt by the schoolboy, but more importantly, I learnt to appreciate the quote "Growth happens outside of your comfort zone." as I continued my schooling.

The soldier

"Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard**,

Jealous*** in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation****

Even in the cannon’s mouth*****."

Some definitions:

** bearded like the pard: Pard was the Old English word for a leopard. The beard of a young man is so patchy that it looks spotted like a leopard. The comparison also works on the level of personality. A leopard is the perfect animal to describe the lines that follow, for with all its might and hunting prowess, a leopard can get quite egotistical and temperamental. A beard could also represent the honor that both the soldier and the leopard strive to protect. After all, a beard is a proud possession of men, and it takes time to grow one to perfection. Here again, bearded could mean spotted, for like a man’s beard, a leopard’s spots are its pride.

Well, in the Singapore Armed Forces, we are required to shave and cannot keep beards. Maybe it is because beards are so hard to maintain and it may also get stuck in the chin strap of the helmets. In the meantime, we have our uniforms, bunks and weapons to maintain.

*** jealous: implies a person who takes precious care of something

**** bubble reputation: a bubble is empty, so by 'seeking the bubble reputation', Shakespeare means that the man does things that make him look good even if they are pointless.

^ Looks like the concept of having "face" existed a long time ago. But such things have disappeared from the Army, which is prized for its practicality and safety.

***** cannon's mouth: a 'cannon' was a large gun, and it's 'mouth' was at the front - so the man seeks his reputation even if it means standing in front of guns, i.e. going to war or getting in fights

^ This honestly reminds me of the "Tank Man" picture from the Tiananmen Square protests. I can understand the visual impact of this picture better now because it is the literal representation of such a strongly-worded metaphor.

In this case, the soldier does not just apply to the military. It can also mean a man that takes his job seriously. Currently, I am striving to apply for a scholarship and a university to further my education. Higher education will be the phase where I get specialised knowledge and invaluable life experiences before I dive into the working world. This is a long, hard fight in its own right!

Goals for 2020

After all this poetry appreciation, it is time to return to reality. For this year, I will try my best to stay healthy too, but more importantly, I want to find out what I can, and want to do in my life. The two-year disruption for National Service is a blessing in disguise for me, because I have more time to think over what kind of aspirations and career I want to pursue in my life. These are very important life decisions, so there can never be too much prudence in choosing what to do. However, it is also essential not to hesitate too much in making up my mind, or I may miss out on a lot of experience that

In addition, I want to have a clear idea of what to believe in. There will not be anyone that will always tell me what to do, and I have to be more independent when making decisions in life. That is why I have recently started to read up on religious texts to stock up on some wisdom, and make revisions to my moral compass so that I know what kind of values I want to be guided by.

Credits:

Singapore Statutes Online

Genius

BBC Learning English