MTGS

Today I went to work and my right chest kept twitching non-stop due to the muscle tear injury during my ICT, so annoying and disruptive and until today I still haven't get the referral letter from my camp medical centre. So I called the NS hotline, they forwarded case to my unit, basically the hotline people cannot do anything, might as well I call my unit directly. But at least my unit returned call really fast and told me my appointment was on 19 Jan lol, today 26 Jan and now then I know I have an appointment which is over, the guy said somebody informed me, yeah more like nobody informed me, the guy said he only received the letter last Friday which was 22 Jan and he mailed out yesterday or today, joker right, appointment over then mail out to me for fuck, contradicting right, if he received the letter last Friday, by then appointment already over, then why would anyone inform me? Really cock and bull story. Then I asked him about the cost, he said I don't have what M s

Since I am excused from push-up thought might as well try the Safra IPPT, friend say run treadmill in air-con room, very relaxed. I just need 39 points to pass, hope this time don't tear any other muscle lol. Now my arm bruised again, actually the bruising have mostly retreated but last weekend while carrying stuff into the back of taxi, the boot cannot close so I tried to elbow with my right arm, ended up hurting again, always forget not to use right arm, and I found that my left arm is very weak, too used to right arm already.

So fast last day of ICT, I checked NS Portal they updated another high-key for me, I just need to clear one last high-key and I can go MR! End of ICT also mean start of work, tomorrow have to go back to office, wonder how many hundreds or even thousands of emails to read lol, hopefully not much problem. And Chinese New Year is coming soon, I gave my mother $150 (sister also gave $150) and asked her to cook, might as well eat at home, eat at restaurant so expensive and the food not as good as home-cooked food. I missed my mother's sesame oil chicken and pig trotters, they are the best I have eaten so far, outside ones are too salty and not fragrant enough. I think if my mother open a stall can earn good money but I doubt she is interested, too bad I am not chef if not I can learn from her and open my own stall.

Tuesday I took my IPPT and tore my muscle, then I reported sick on Wednesday and got 84 days excuse upper limbs and push-up, today I checked the status is inside NS Portal, yesterday check don't have, so it means they take at least one day to update. So confirm I exempted from push-ups so only need to clear sit-up and 2.4.

Today go $14, come back $-0.1, my camp mates gave me too much, they say they last ICT so no more chance to give me lol wtf, sigh still have one more high-key, if this one my last I don't even mind paying all the taxi fares. But not so bad la, at least next one is my last, how siong also never mind, hope can go early and finish early. So tomorrow I think R&R, Monday maybe MR ceremony then out-process.

Today the bruising seems to have gotten worse, so this morning I went to report sick at the medical centre in my camp. Nowadays the medical centre look like polyclinic, very modern, last time very old dilapidated building. So the MO saw my arm, he did some basic movement tests, asked me to turn his fist, pull and etc, then he prescribed painkiller and cream for me, also gave me an excuse chit for upper limbs and push-ups for 84 days, that means I don't have to take push-up for IPPT, only sit-up and running. He also referred me to specialist for follow-up, I choose NUH so he referred to NUH sports medicine. I checked the 2 station IPPT score, need to achieve 39 points or more to pass, but no reward money, but never mind, just pass will do. And today so many of my friends received the pre-MR letter, that means confirm this one is their last ICT, I still have one more. And today taxi fares go $10, come home $18, still below budget ;)

Found that I have completed 11 ORNS cycles, if include this one should be 12, however out of this 12 I only have 6 high-keys and 4 low-keys, there is a 1 day low-key but I don't think it even matter since low-keys are pretty much useless. the crux here is I am short of 1 high-key to MR. I also noticed that I have a 6 day ICT, this is a low-key and basically I went back for nothing because it doesn't even help to bring me one step closer to MR. I also have a whole bunch of 0.5 day and 1 day call-up, why don't they just merge it and look at the overall figure instead, and I'm not alone, so many have served 12 or even 13 years or more but they still haven't MR because they didn't clock enough high-key, imagine the shock and disappointment these people get when they realize that it's not yet over. Some worse still, they get call back for two ICT in one work year, but only one is counted, what the freaking hell right, consider myself very lucky that I never k

Today I woke damn early at 5AM with great hope of passing the IPPT with incentive since it is now so easy, $200 reward money, but I tore my bicep at the push-up, wtf man, what are the chances of tearing bicep muscle while doing push-ups lol. Muscle Tear at Bicep Area Just now there was no bruising but after I got home, it started bruising with greenish and a red patch, seems like it's a patch of blood, something burst open inside. I was doing my push-ups as usual, at the 10th rep, I heard a crackling sound, the guy who assisted me thought I dislocated my elbow lol, he was so shocked hahaha, I was very shocked too, do push-up also can tear muscle. I did warm-up, don't know how come still can get injured, sigh, now have to go book outside. Then actually still got chance to pass, but my 2.4 KM cannot make it, sigh... damn sad day. Also this ICT so many of my platoon mates MR, next ICT I think only left a few cats wandering around haha. And today taxi fare is $10.60 go

This ICT going to be slack, only IPPT, route march and a lot of "self-maintenance", basically wait for time to pass, heng no field training. But today go back I very sian, quite a number of my platoon mates have already MR, and a large number coming back for their last in-camp, ahhhh I still have one more high-key. And tomorrow IPPT, try the 3-station, heard the push-up very strict, but now should be much easier to pass. Today taxi fare total I spent $14.25 go and $10.20 come back, share cab with 2 of my platoon mates so save a lot.

Wah na beh, sian, but at least after this one, I only left with one high-key, I think before 35 years old can MR. Tomorrow don't know friend going back or not, if going back then can share cab, if not I'll just have to take alone lol, anyway this time I going back for 6 days, weekend I think no need to go back, so I budget $50 a day for taxi, total $300, but I don't think will use that much, one trip with surcharge and booking at most $22-23, unless traffic jam. Next week don't know doing what, if can go range also good, maybe can earn $100, and I hope can pass my IPPT, this year I think 3 station, push-up, sit-up and 2.4KM. Hope no field training, but I think very unlikely.

Today I checked out the 3-station IPPT but first this is the 3-station standard: 3-Station Standard At first I was thinking the new system might be tougher since it has only 3 stations, last time was 5 stations, but I tried the calculator and got a pleasant surprise. 20 push-ups, 36 sit-ups and 15 mins for 2.4 and I get 53 points for a pass. This is not so siong for me. Pass! If I try harder, 24 push-ups, 40 sit-ups and 14 min for 2.4, I can get incentive which is $200. Incentive! Wow, now want to pass is much easier. One catch is there is a minimum amount you must do for push-up and sit-up or else you fail, for me is at least 11 each which gives me 1 point each which means minimum must get 1 point each for push-up and sit-up, surely I can do more than 11 la. Another good thing is I have one whole year to pass, and if I fail, I have another year to take RT, big improvement, last system was very punishing for working people, with this new system I think it will

It was fast, sent the email yesterday and today they replied, they told me to fill up some fields via email and attach my plane tickets which obviously should be referring to my itinerary. Now I just remember 01 May is labour day, I don't think they will activate on a public holiday right but I don't know, I never kena before doesn't mean it is impossible, anyway no harm informing them, just fire an email, sekali they really activate on that day lol. Come to think of it, if wartime, no matter what day also can activate, if war I don't think the commander will say hey let's enjoy the holiday and prepare for war later, no such thing.

Almost forgot, I will be going overseas on 01 May, I just remember it is within my mobilisation manning period, lucky I remember so just now I sent an email to my unit and cc contact@ns.sg just in case. I remember my manning officer told me if manning need to go overseas then better inform early with proof, so I also attached my flight itinerary. See what happen next.

Damn shagged, feel like dying man, I think I'm getting older, this kind of field training is getting too much for me, if I am 10 years younger I think I can still manage but at 31 years old, wah cannot take it, everywhere pain, totally drained of energy, can't imagine I still have two more high-keys to go, I also can't understand how some people say ICT is a holiday trip, how the heck is field training considered a holiday. Anyway lucky my commanders know that we are old soldiers, maybe that's why they allow us to go home and rest provided we can report back the next day on time, I think it's a fair deal and sleeping at home is always better than sleeping in the bunk. And I wonder when was the last time they cleaned the mattress, or do they even clean at all? Also to summarize my taxi fares so far, yesterday I mentioned that my taxi fares from Monday to Wednesday was $93.80, this morning I spent $23.40, just now spent $20.50 so total is $137.70, still within my

If I run slower by 2 seconds I would have failed lol, glad I pushed a bit more during the last stretch, at least I can get $100 for incentive pass, not enough to cover my taxi fares for this ICT but better than nothing. I calculated that I have spent $30 on Monday, $22.50 on Tuesday and $41.30 today, total is $93.80 so far, so I think my budget of $180 for taxi fares should be enough, just 3 more days to go.

But at least this ICT is not as tough as it sounds, this morning when I heard that we have a 3 days and 2 nights field training, I lost my breath for a while, really felt like fainting, and I was totally "sian" for the whole day, my platoon mates probably felt as "sian" as me but still we knew we have to do it because no choice. Luckily just now my officers announced that we will take turns to do it, that means one platoon will go first and then come back, the other platoon will take over and then continue the second day and night, and we will probably finish in 2 days and 2 nights instead, phew, I heaved a sigh of relief. 1 day and night not so bad, just endure a bit and that's it. Sigh, but after this still have 2 more high keys, I wish they will shorten ICT, maybe cut down to 8, 10 cycles a bit too much, why not they channel the money to raise NSF salary instead, reservist personnel not cheap because Mindef have to pay us civilian salary. Oh by the way to

Now that I have moved to a new house, I now live farther away from my camp, if I take bus/mrt, it will probably take me around 1 hour and 30 or 45 minutes so I have contacted one of my platoon mate who lives nearby and we will share a cab to and fro the camp, I think one person would pay about $12-$15, actually if driving it's not really that far, about 20-25 minutes drive so if take taxi I think max is $30. I think we might have another mate who wants to share so per person's cost will be reduced further. I think I will budget about $180 for taxi rides lol, but I don't think I will spend that much la.

Next month going back for ICT, see my old friends again, but damn stupid, waste of time, probably go back and wait for time to pass, go canteen break, walk around, go emart, talk cock, sleep, what else, maybe go range, go get $200 also not bad, nowadays the range at the new facility, it's almost as if they throw money at you, there's no way you cannot get the money, they let you take until you get marksman. And maybe I can get to clear my IPPT via the new system, sit-up, push-up and 2.4km, lol sure pass and sure get $200, go one ICT can get $400, really not bad. Sometimes I also feel bad, I'm a taxpayer and I'm wasting my own money, funny right.

Finally they did something about the IPPT, there are several changes and it's quite a long page to read, let me highlight the important ones that every NSmen will want to know, as for the details, you can click here . All changes will start from 01 Sep 2014, including the pilot implementation of the 3-stations IPPT. IPPT monetary awards increased, gold from $400 to $500, silver from $200 to $300, incentive pass from $100 to $200. NSmen will have 1 year to pass their IPPT, another year to clear their RT if they cannot pass, total 2 years. If you are in 9 months IPPT window on 01 Sep 2014, you will enjoy a 3 months extension. If you are in 3 months RT window on 01 Sep 2014, you will enjoy a 12 months extension. One-time reset of default offenses if you can clear your RT within current RT window+12 months. 3-stations IPPT are Push Up, Sit Up and 2.4KM run, maximum of 25/25/50 points respectively for a total of 100 points (refer to the details link for the scoring board). Fo

Source According to the expert, most people fail at chin-ups, standing broad jump and 2.4KM run. Sit-up I think most people can pass, even plump people should have no problem because most people have ab muscles, just that cannot be seen unless you are very skinny or ripped, as for shuttle run, also most people can pass unless you leg pain or else very hard to fail. Chin-up Actually this one not difficult, should be the easiest to maintain, all you need to do is go buy those doorway chin-up bar, mount it up, pull everyday, starting cannot even do one never mind, everyday keep trying, do until you can hit one good chin-up or pull-up, but you got to have a moving target though, cannot just say today aim for one, one year later still aim for one, like that forever fail. Try one week aim for one, ten weeks aim for 10, it's possible, all you need to do is put aside 10 minutes everyday and just whack, do until your arm cramp. Standing broad jump A lot of people think you need pu