The Grass Is Greener On The Other Side?

I am starting to hate it when people start comparing how "chao keng" or "garung" one can get.

"Oh, so you PES C storeman lah, wah lao chao keng."

"See those PES E ones. So good sia, 8-5 job leh"

"Arty so slack, wait you come my OCS course then you die arh!"

"Don't compare with me can? !@#%$#$ My SOC got bring dummy hor."

And the examples are endless, given that every single guy I know would talk about NS once the conversation starts. But what exactly qualifies one to comment on others? Only when they have went through them, that is what I strictly believe. You are not qualified to say that one's life path is smoother until you have really went through the sweat and blood the other person went through.

What makes you think a man does lesser than a specialist? Or a specialist lesser than an OCT?

What makes you think that people's 8-5 job is better than your stay-in one?

What makes you think that a tankie is a better/ worse life than an infantry trooper?

What, makes you so different that you can look down on others?

Is it the elitist culture? Is it one's upbringing? Is it one's ignorance?

There are no singular answer, and there will never be one. It's time to stop gloating or boasting. Every life is unique in itself. You might complain that the PES E guy have a good life, but would you exchange for that job for a hole in your heart?

-- "Silence and Absolution" by Pui Kit in his blog "The Detached World"


Glenn and I had a chat with one of the MT drivers during this Bersama Lima Exercise. As I am typing this, I couldn't recall what exactly did that driver say that make me realise how tough a driver's life actually is. All that I can remember now is the shitty job (in my opinion) of camouflaging a 5-tonner with a 15 metres by 15 metres camouflage net.

Trust me, I have handled camouflage nets before. A 12 X 12 one is frustrating enough.

And these guys have to climb up the tonners to do the camouflage. Apart from tired arms and sweaty backs, they also risk losing their footing and fall down the height of a tonner.

Oh, they also risk being charged with speeding. Or with crashing the military vehicle. They risk being sent to the detention barracks.

On a separate occasion during this exercise, I spoke to the signaller attached to us. Their jobs ain't as simple as we had always assumed.

Prolonged, excessive built-up of lactic acid in your muscles is not the ONLY shitty thing that can happen to you in National Service. I now realise how bad the lives of the seemingly slack vocations can be.

We are all in this together. The grass is not always greener on the other side.