Hello, I'm typing this from a little place called Australia.
Although such a long time has passed, I don't really have a lot to update on, which goes to show just how little actually happens around here. The first week was pre-insertion so basically we just hung around, "acclimatising to the weather", which in case you were wondering was pretty cold, with temperatures peaking at 26 degrees C and going down as low as 7 degrees C.
When we finally entered the training area, we were greeted by a huge patch of dust, rocks and dust. Seriously, you cannot go above 20kph without kicking up a sandstorm behind your vehicle, and anything you leave on your table will receive a fine coat of powder after a few hours. The most taxing period was the first 5 days in the training area, where our line-laying training was put to the ultimate test to lay close to a hundred telephone lines to various parts of the camp, nearly completely suspended overhead. It was challenging of course, but the feeling of calling home after a week using IDD lines that you set up yourself is a satisfaction that other vocations will never experience :D
And then there's the rebro duty. Occasionally, we will be sent up to this secluded hill in pairs to man a rebro station, and basically left to our own devices for 6 days. When I went up there for the first time as the first detachment, there was literally nothing up there and we had to set up tents and radios. It's basically windier, dustier and colder than anywhere at sea level, which is kind of sucky, but still I survived so I'm not complaining. My second duty is coming soon, but now we have lots of awesome stuff like electricity set up so all's good.
It feel's like just a few weeks ago when it was my friends and I hanging around after school, studying and trying hard not to get distracted, playing Monopoly Deal, playing with boomerangs, eating at the caifan stall and the chicken rice stall, and realising that we had failed at not getting distracted. Now the next batch of NJCians steps up to take the challenge, so I'd just like to wish all of you good luck :) (that is if any of you even come here).
I realise that all I want for my birthday is to be able to celebrate it with family and friends. Luckily, that's a present I'm confident of receiving.
