PLTC. Truly.

It's been two years, since XI PLTC. No one realised how time flew, at least not until the next PLTC was over.

I can still distinctly remember many things back then, I do believe those who went through could.

PLTC has always been an unorthodox symbol of hardship and torture. But it wasn't just that.

Batches after batches, we could vouch that apart from PLTC not being a simple walk in the park, it was when you realised how much others really cared, and what people can become in crisis, regardless of how long it would last after that.

But there was one thing for sure -- the experience was priceless.

I can remember, packing the night before and thinking that it was not as hard as my seniors had made it sound.

I can remember, falling in and receiving piles of shit(non-literal) in our faces.

I can remember, having only two minutes to get to the den from the eco pond to change, and return after that. (Now they have like 4, its not enough, and we could manage less than 3 minutes.)

I can remember, sitting in for lectures like a stone, battling drooping eyelids and still reminding myself not to drag our chairs when leaving. (I was one of those who suffered dearly, like 80 push-ups if I could recall)

I can remember, struggling to build a tower in ten minutes, and leaving at five to help another group, only to return to more shit for not telling our instructors beforehand.

I can remember, dissecting a frog, cooking it, though the lack of water made everyone end up with burnt frogs.

I can remember, walking 16km with a full pack and having only slept an hour for one day straight.

I can remember, snoozing on the bumboat to ubin, knowing that the real torture had only just begun.

I can remember, arriving in ubin, only to redo our bashas for more than five times because we could not hit the five minutes(maybe less) target.

I can remember, everyone sitting at the cooking area, each patrol with like eight packets or more of instant noodles, and attempting to hide them in the packaging to throw away after cooking all because it was freaking too much noodles.

I can remember, walking for another few km after midnight around ubin, while the adult leaders planted us all round the island for a solo night.

I can remember, being so tired that I kept sleeping while walking, and stood in one spot sleeping, for like more than five times, before Terence who was behind me bumped into me, the instructors thought something had happened to me.

I can remember, everyone sharing stories about how all the bushes and trees look like people and families and animals. We all had experience staring into bushes and trees deliberately to see if it was really an animal or something, only to find that it was yet another tree. Hallucination breeds.

I can remember, sitting inside my basha during solo night, thinking that raindrops outside sounded horribly like footsteps, and Kwok Chin's sudden call to see if I was alright spooked me.

I can remember, how the poor flying huge insects died at the tip of my burning candle. Gross.

I can remember waking in the morning, and waiting aimlessly for someone to inform me anything cos it was raining and that was the instruction; I was punked.

I can remember, while waiting, I used a tree for human waste disposal. xD

I can remember, seeing Joel cry cos he lied about a lot of things with regards to the solo night, and sleeping outside the basha with his candle inside.

I can remember, crossing the river and everyone was hiding their elation cos it was fun and refreshing, but we were too tired to had much expression.

I can remember, standing in ubin the evening before with only a t-shirt to cover the vital areas, and stark naked everywhere else, amidst powdering our balls. Me and Changda were unfortunate to stand in front. =D

I can remember, sitting on the bumboat back, and thinking it will soon be over. Everyone still kept quiet.

I can remember Falcon and Hawk patrol reaching first, and slacking in a corner while waiting. Shhh...

I can remember, washing up every single thing that we had used for the camp. Me and Jordan were like permanent at the now defunct washing area with 8(?) taps.

I can remember, running for like 100m in school in only underwear, with the rest of the trainees. It was the stretch from the washing area to the fitness corner. We were showering before the ceremony.

I can remember, having like 5 minutes, and everyone had to shower, like around 30 people, and there was only ten cubicles and a fire hose which Guang Jie was in charge of. Me, Sean and Xiu Qi squeezed into one. =3 And we made it in time.

I can remember, the ceremony where everyone finally heaved a sigh of relief, it was over.

I can remember a lot of other things, like gulping a carton of milk with my patrol and many other events.

But what's most important, I'll never forget. The bond we still share, and still can laugh about till today while looking back.

I'm just worried XII was far too easy on the 08 batch.