The last 24 hours have been a very long periodof time for me. It almost feels like I've been awake for 2 full days without rest. Though I did manage to catch intermittent sleep on the boat, however, when it rocks and rolls, one just can't sleep for very long. I felt so drained after attachment this morning, but surprisingly after a visit to church, I was full of energy again and raring to go! =) Ok, for today, I shall break down my blog into several parts.
Attachment with the Police Coast Guard Gul Base
I arrived at Boon Lay MRT station at around 6.25p.m to meet up with a latecoming Poh Yong (who arrived at 6.45) and a Wei Loong who was camping in Macdonalds. We delayed here and there, eventually meeting up with two of the regulars from my squad with a super late Edmund coming in to join us at around 7p.m We waited for the bus 254 at the interchange for such a long period of time thal we gave up waiting and decided to take a taxi off the the base. At that instant we flagged the taxi down, the bus passed us by! (Its always like this isn't it?). The taxi driver didn't know the way so we just ordered him to follow the taxi in front, which seated Edmund and the regulars.
Upon arrival, we were briefed about which boats we would each be attached to. It would be something in the range of 1-2 persons per patrol craft per patrol route. I was attached to patrol one side of Jurong Island against terrorist incursions and sabotage. Security had been tightened since 9/11 and I was told that a single bomb to any of the oil storage facilities on the island could literally wipe out the whole island in a tremendous explosion and take out the western half of Singapore along with it.
I met up my Crew Commander, a regular Sgt. He's a Chinese guy who didn't want me to address him as Sir. I just stood around and saw them draw their weapons from the armoury like they were drawing money from th bank. Literally. HK MP5 A2s, M 16s, ARWEN 37s, GPMGs, BULLETS, LOTS of them (about 1000 rounds I think) were just flying out of the armoury like nobody's business. The armourer gave this cheeky smile after cocking the MP5s and handing them over to the crew of the various patrol boats.I have to think that he really enjoys his job. After all, he gets to handle the biggest guns in the entire police force!
We left the base at about 9p.m, blasting at full speed of 25 knots out to our patrol area. My goodness, when I was standing at the open air portion at the back of the boat, I was nearly blown off! The wind was so powerful! Almost like being in a convertible Sports Car and racing down the PIE at 120 kmh. The engine was very noisy too! and balance became a factor becuase I have not ridden on a boat since OBS, which was like 4 years ago.
When the boat arrived at its destination, they Coxswain (as the Crew Commander is formally known as in seaman terms) stopped the engines and we began to scan the horizon, radar for any suspicious objects, boats, people and made written logs of our position, location and status quo. The weather was great, no storms, no choppy waves... Just that the sky was a little too bright, so there were no visible stars in the sky. The current was pretty strong though as the boat drifted at about 1.8 knots without any power from the engine.
I had intermittent sleep throughout the night as they patrolled the coastline of Jurong Island. With a boat swaying and rocking non stop, it wasn't easy to fall asleep, much less stay asleep. I knocked out at around midnight and woke up at 4, to see an immensely powerful cargo ship going at full speed next to the boat. It was a breathtaking sight to see such a huge vessel at its full speed.
Haha, Jurong Island: The Island that never sleeps. Lights are on 24 hours a day. The biggest ships in the country are docked here. The mightiest cranes and the largest storage facilities make their homes here, as well as the SAF Armoured Regiment patrolling the island. Thankfully, with all the lights and activites, there are lots of lights and the horizon is quite bright. I heard that in certain areas of Seletar, its pitch black at night and everything is dependent on the radar.
I slept after that and woke up at about 6 plus, it was enjoyable seeing the sunrise (or what I could make out of it behind all the industral facilities). Later in the morning, we docked at Jurong Island to buy breakfast. The tide was super low and all of a sudden, we could see the reefs that the beacons made their home upon. My Coxswain was quite daring and navigated the boat over some of the reefs without getting grounded. He's really quite pro man, as I was afraid that we might get grounded.
I was later allowed to steer the boat at about 5 knots or so later in the morning, when visibility was much better. I cannot believe that I'm learning to drive a boat even before I learn to drive a car! Its really fun to handle a boat, just that there's no brake, so one has to anticipate any sudden stops ahead. I once thought at 10 knots was slow, but I realised that in ship terms, 10 Knots is enough to make the boat seem that it's moving on white-water.
At about 9.03a.m, The control room radioed to us that our shift was over and we were allowed to return to base. We raced back with the otherPCG boats at our top speed of 25 knots, which made it appear that we were travelling on lots of white-wash. We hit the backwash of a tugboat and experienced 3 heavy bumps and smashes onto the surface of the water. I wished that I were attached to the 3rd Generation Patrol Boat, they're amongs the fastest in the Coast Guard fleet with a top speed of 40 knots!
After arriving at the base, I helped the guys pack up their stuff and left with Poh Yong and Wei Loong, who had their own long stories to tell, to Jurong Point to have breakfast at Macdonalds (again!). We split up and I went to Church.
Church
I reached church early to have my temperature taken near the lobby and changed my top into a nicer collared shirt. I walked around the lobby, went to buy a drink on at the cafe and then managed to get a seat at the lobby to rest my body and head for awhile. Saw Lydia, Alice, Janice come early to just say a few words to me (it really was few!), they left soon after Diana arrived so that they could all proceed to basement two for the Word Power test. Testing on how well they have remembered 10 selected verses from around the Bible.
Merf's new friend came today and I did not do my duty of greeting him. I didn't even talk to him! Same too to Diana's friend Claudia. I was just so cold and aloof. I don't like to talk to strangers, girls or guys, but at least with guys, I find it easier to connect with them.
Church was great. I learn how to handle disappointments in life. Eventually ending with an honest prayer session, giving my disappointments, grudges, worries, cares and concern to God (HE'S SO GOOD!). Worship was great, and so was Praise.
I felt guilty at offering time. I only gave God like 3 dollars? Its like, I'm giving my best by emptying my wallet, yet at the same time I feel that I'm insulting the offering. Sighs, the pressure to give more is really on me. Its like unless I give so and so an amount, that amount of guilt does not leave me. I feel that let God down very much in this area.
Its so true, I only pray to God when I'm in trouble, I only praise God when things are going good and I feel like it. I don't need to hide anything. God knows. My blog is just a brutally honest reflection of me and my thoughts. Sighs, I feel so far from God.
I want to call him my King, but yet I don't do HIS commandments and statutes. I want to call HIM my LORD, yet I don't have enough reverence for HIM. Sometimes, I really feel like a failure Christian. Its like I'm not worthy to be called a Christian even, much less a "Child of God".
Yea, no one will ever compare to my King Jesus. I don't want sex, money, drugs, friends, even life itself, so long as I can have HIM to worship forever.
"Bad things WILL happen to good people" - My pastor, Rev. Dr Kong Hee. Its so true, I think the reverse is true as well. I just lost my security pass today. Thankfully my OC squad said that this isn't a worry, just need to make a report and pay for a new one. But I can't believe that I lost an item that could well have being charged for negligence. I must strive to be more careful with my things, especially NS things.
There's dinner with Aunty Poh Lin later, its steamboat buffet, hope I'll be full.
Oh ya, DANG NI by Cyndi Wang Xin Ling is a very nice song!
Attachment with the Police Coast Guard Gul Base
I arrived at Boon Lay MRT station at around 6.25p.m to meet up with a latecoming Poh Yong (who arrived at 6.45) and a Wei Loong who was camping in Macdonalds. We delayed here and there, eventually meeting up with two of the regulars from my squad with a super late Edmund coming in to join us at around 7p.m We waited for the bus 254 at the interchange for such a long period of time thal we gave up waiting and decided to take a taxi off the the base. At that instant we flagged the taxi down, the bus passed us by! (Its always like this isn't it?). The taxi driver didn't know the way so we just ordered him to follow the taxi in front, which seated Edmund and the regulars.
Upon arrival, we were briefed about which boats we would each be attached to. It would be something in the range of 1-2 persons per patrol craft per patrol route. I was attached to patrol one side of Jurong Island against terrorist incursions and sabotage. Security had been tightened since 9/11 and I was told that a single bomb to any of the oil storage facilities on the island could literally wipe out the whole island in a tremendous explosion and take out the western half of Singapore along with it.
I met up my Crew Commander, a regular Sgt. He's a Chinese guy who didn't want me to address him as Sir. I just stood around and saw them draw their weapons from the armoury like they were drawing money from th bank. Literally. HK MP5 A2s, M 16s, ARWEN 37s, GPMGs, BULLETS, LOTS of them (about 1000 rounds I think) were just flying out of the armoury like nobody's business. The armourer gave this cheeky smile after cocking the MP5s and handing them over to the crew of the various patrol boats.I have to think that he really enjoys his job. After all, he gets to handle the biggest guns in the entire police force!
We left the base at about 9p.m, blasting at full speed of 25 knots out to our patrol area. My goodness, when I was standing at the open air portion at the back of the boat, I was nearly blown off! The wind was so powerful! Almost like being in a convertible Sports Car and racing down the PIE at 120 kmh. The engine was very noisy too! and balance became a factor becuase I have not ridden on a boat since OBS, which was like 4 years ago.
When the boat arrived at its destination, they Coxswain (as the Crew Commander is formally known as in seaman terms) stopped the engines and we began to scan the horizon, radar for any suspicious objects, boats, people and made written logs of our position, location and status quo. The weather was great, no storms, no choppy waves... Just that the sky was a little too bright, so there were no visible stars in the sky. The current was pretty strong though as the boat drifted at about 1.8 knots without any power from the engine.
I had intermittent sleep throughout the night as they patrolled the coastline of Jurong Island. With a boat swaying and rocking non stop, it wasn't easy to fall asleep, much less stay asleep. I knocked out at around midnight and woke up at 4, to see an immensely powerful cargo ship going at full speed next to the boat. It was a breathtaking sight to see such a huge vessel at its full speed.
Haha, Jurong Island: The Island that never sleeps. Lights are on 24 hours a day. The biggest ships in the country are docked here. The mightiest cranes and the largest storage facilities make their homes here, as well as the SAF Armoured Regiment patrolling the island. Thankfully, with all the lights and activites, there are lots of lights and the horizon is quite bright. I heard that in certain areas of Seletar, its pitch black at night and everything is dependent on the radar.
I slept after that and woke up at about 6 plus, it was enjoyable seeing the sunrise (or what I could make out of it behind all the industral facilities). Later in the morning, we docked at Jurong Island to buy breakfast. The tide was super low and all of a sudden, we could see the reefs that the beacons made their home upon. My Coxswain was quite daring and navigated the boat over some of the reefs without getting grounded. He's really quite pro man, as I was afraid that we might get grounded.
I was later allowed to steer the boat at about 5 knots or so later in the morning, when visibility was much better. I cannot believe that I'm learning to drive a boat even before I learn to drive a car! Its really fun to handle a boat, just that there's no brake, so one has to anticipate any sudden stops ahead. I once thought at 10 knots was slow, but I realised that in ship terms, 10 Knots is enough to make the boat seem that it's moving on white-water.
At about 9.03a.m, The control room radioed to us that our shift was over and we were allowed to return to base. We raced back with the otherPCG boats at our top speed of 25 knots, which made it appear that we were travelling on lots of white-wash. We hit the backwash of a tugboat and experienced 3 heavy bumps and smashes onto the surface of the water. I wished that I were attached to the 3rd Generation Patrol Boat, they're amongs the fastest in the Coast Guard fleet with a top speed of 40 knots!
After arriving at the base, I helped the guys pack up their stuff and left with Poh Yong and Wei Loong, who had their own long stories to tell, to Jurong Point to have breakfast at Macdonalds (again!). We split up and I went to Church.
Church
I reached church early to have my temperature taken near the lobby and changed my top into a nicer collared shirt. I walked around the lobby, went to buy a drink on at the cafe and then managed to get a seat at the lobby to rest my body and head for awhile. Saw Lydia, Alice, Janice come early to just say a few words to me (it really was few!), they left soon after Diana arrived so that they could all proceed to basement two for the Word Power test. Testing on how well they have remembered 10 selected verses from around the Bible.
Merf's new friend came today and I did not do my duty of greeting him. I didn't even talk to him! Same too to Diana's friend Claudia. I was just so cold and aloof. I don't like to talk to strangers, girls or guys, but at least with guys, I find it easier to connect with them.
Church was great. I learn how to handle disappointments in life. Eventually ending with an honest prayer session, giving my disappointments, grudges, worries, cares and concern to God (HE'S SO GOOD!). Worship was great, and so was Praise.
I felt guilty at offering time. I only gave God like 3 dollars? Its like, I'm giving my best by emptying my wallet, yet at the same time I feel that I'm insulting the offering. Sighs, the pressure to give more is really on me. Its like unless I give so and so an amount, that amount of guilt does not leave me. I feel that let God down very much in this area.
Its so true, I only pray to God when I'm in trouble, I only praise God when things are going good and I feel like it. I don't need to hide anything. God knows. My blog is just a brutally honest reflection of me and my thoughts. Sighs, I feel so far from God.
I want to call him my King, but yet I don't do HIS commandments and statutes. I want to call HIM my LORD, yet I don't have enough reverence for HIM. Sometimes, I really feel like a failure Christian. Its like I'm not worthy to be called a Christian even, much less a "Child of God".
Yea, no one will ever compare to my King Jesus. I don't want sex, money, drugs, friends, even life itself, so long as I can have HIM to worship forever.
"Bad things WILL happen to good people" - My pastor, Rev. Dr Kong Hee. Its so true, I think the reverse is true as well. I just lost my security pass today. Thankfully my OC squad said that this isn't a worry, just need to make a report and pay for a new one. But I can't believe that I lost an item that could well have being charged for negligence. I must strive to be more careful with my things, especially NS things.
There's dinner with Aunty Poh Lin later, its steamboat buffet, hope I'll be full.
Oh ya, DANG NI by Cyndi Wang Xin Ling is a very nice song!
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