So to make up for my lack of a photograph to frame this post and because I've been running NS errands (the only ones I actually plan to run, I wasn't planning on letting it take up too much of my time), I shall spend the rest of this post talking about 2 things related to my enlistment on Thursday, 'cos the number of days I have left till then can now be counted comfortably using the fingers on one hand.
1) Just because I've not actually talked about it doesn't mean I have not completely and utterly dissected the exact date and time when I'm going in, so now's a good time to get these thoughts out. 8th January 2009, 11:30am will be one of those seminal moments I probably will remember, along with November 20th 2008, 10:00 am and so forth. So first, the date. Of those of my ilk, there are just 2 intakes we could have been assigned - freakishly early January, or freakishly late April. I have been stumped each and every single time I've tried to rationalize how we've been put into these 2 groups, though the best answer I've got so far is from Josh, who is the authority I trust most regarding such matters, and it is a fairly positive answer. Of course, there are times when I think that having 4 more months to myself would be welcome, 'cos I've never actually had that much time to not do anything, but I've already more or less lived the days after my exams the way I would have wanted to, and I wouldn't change a thing about the past weeks, and my thoughts are subsequently directed to two important facts about this date that affords me reason to be content. Firstly, I don't think I would have really spent my time doing nothing, instead working probably as either a tutor (surprise surprise) or coach (excellent money I'm told), and since I'm not particularly inclined to the idea of working now when I've got the next 35 years after Uni to do that, it's good that I've got something to occupy my time with now. Secondly, going in early means that, if PSC doesn't work out, I'll be out in November 2010, rather then the next year if I had been shuffled into the April batch. So within the early January intake, there are 4 possible days, the 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th. I've considered if I'd be happier having one more day to myself like those going in on Friday, and then I think about those going in on the Tuesday (ok so they don't actually go in then since it's results day) or Wednesday and I'm ok with Thursday. That said, the majority of the people in school (and outside school for that matter) whom I'm closest to are either in the April batch, Jan 28th, or Jan 9th, the latter being particularly true for those in my class and ex-class. Despite this, the 8th is perhaps the single most populated date where the people I know are concerned (there's a rather crowded FB group as evidence), and I do know some good friends sharing the same date, so that's good. Second, the exact time. Off the top of my head, I know of 3 others who have the same time, none of whom I'm extremely close to, but that probably won't be a matter. Just as Josh was pleasantly surprised to see people he knew on his enlistment day almost exactly 2 years ago when I went to see him off, I probably will see people whom I know then.
2) The prospect of having 22 months required of me is something which does keep me up at night thinking, more so these days as Thursday approaches. However, it is not entirely negative. This is for a few reasons. First and foremost, I've more or less witnessed first-hand the completely successful tenure Josh has had, and if I were to be able to replicate half of that and emerge not only unscathed but better for it, I'd have reason to be at peace. I don't actually know anyone very personally who has gone through the PSC route which I want, not even my direct seniors, so it's kinda hard to envision it exactly. But if that doesn't work out at least I can envision the regular non-PSC route quite clearly. Secondly, some of my those in my year have already been in since December and seem not to have been entirely traumatized, and it is their can-do attitude that gives me reason to think that it's perfectly manageable. Thirdly, my direct seniors, at least those I know personally like Auggie (ok, I think he's the only one I know personally; I wasn't quite chummy with the class of '07 for some reason, hmmm) have managed half of their tenures just fine. Though apparently none of them are taking over in Tekong, I'm told other things about where I'm going that are pretty ok, all things considered.
There you have it, my necessary reflections before I begin 22 months, whenever they may be completed. If Thursday is 0, today is 5, and with a little more of it left (and it's already been a pretty good Saturday, on both the productive and social fronts I might add), I'll be sure to make the countdown from day 5 really (for a lack of a better word) count.
