Is this the end?

That was a special day
23 March 2002.

I believe there is definitely a sense of sadness in everyone of us whether we admit it or not, it is another thing. Three and a half years of life in NP, if I say that I don't feel anything, it is a lie.

I remember the first day that I step into NP. We were left in a room where two NCOs talk to us. As there wasn't enough chairs, we had to share with someone else. Since I was the only one from my class, I didn't know anyone. Then there was Ngai Ying who was also alone. She became my first friend in NP.

In NP, we always have interaction. I remember that the favourite question of all the ics was "Why did you join NP?" Then I will always come up with lame excuses but I think only a few people know the real reason. That is, it is easier to earn CCA points.

At first, NP was very strict. So, I dare not pon parades and I went for almost all the parades in Sec1. There was once during assembly, Ms Yeo said that for those who has full attendance for CCA for two years will get a gift from her. Then I was thinking, it's so easy. However, things change when I was in Sec 2.

I started to think that NP is getting sian and I realised that it was very easy to come up with excuses and they were accepted. Then, I started to pon parades.

At the end of Sec 2, me, Joanna, Sean, Yap Jia Hao and Nicholes went for the NPCC day parade. That was when I got back the interest to go to NP. There we were able to do things that we didn't get to do in school. We took out our beret in the open, sit in full U, march without clutching our fists and many more. The best thing is we do not have to see the CIs! The five of us were thinking why we were chosen. We finally came to a conclusion. WE HAD PON TOO MANY PARADES IN SEC 2 LIAO!

Then, we became NCOs. The first event was the ORD. I was the duty NCO and helped in the control room. It was fun as that was our first event. Then came the national event and the West Coast Hike. We had a combined debrief of 3 hours.

There were two most memorable events in my NP life. First was the annual camp. In the past when I was a cadet, I never went for any NP camp. The first NP camp that I went was as an NCO. I think what I remember most is the debriefs. On the first night, we had debrief till around 3am. Then that day, I had sentry duty at 4.15am and we had to wake up at 5 plus. So after I finished my sentry duty, I only slept for half an hour. It was the least sleep I had ever had in my whole life. It was during the camp, I saw the squad working as ONE. Although we ahd a lot of scoldings for the camp, I think that we did a good job. That was when I got closer with my squad.

The secong event is the drill com. I came up with the formation. We had six at first then cut to four then to two. This was the first time I got so into something since a long time ago. Wanyi was the commander. It wasn't easy. I remember on the first training, Nic and a few didn't come. Then we had to choose the reserves. We didn't know how so we left the decision to Sir Mun Fong who came up with a lame excuse that because Sunny is involved in the planning, he will be taken out. Here, I have to say a big sorry to Sunny cause I know how much he wanted to be in the squad but had no choice. It was at this time that I got to know Wanyi better, really better. I realised I didn't really talk to her in the past and didn't know her well. During this period of time, both of us encouraged each other and we almost gave up on the competition but then because of Mrs Lee's insistence, we joined the competition. When we were training for the competition, we actually became so angry with Mrs Lee that we came up with the idea of Mrs Lee, Ms Loke and Mr See marching in a three man squad. Though we had a hard time, we pulled through and became the 1st runer up. I do not want to say the reason but I think we were pretty lucky after all.

30 July 2005. I bid goodbye to NP.
These are all the wonderful things that I have encounter in my NP life. Today, all these have become fantastic memories that will always be in my heart. Always, forever, and ever...