It's unfortunate but I have to take the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) every year and I figured there's no better time to face it than today - just before the semester starts anew and my fitness becomes non-existent again. So, I gave it a rather lacklustre attempt and won myself a consolation prize of $100. Not too bad, I guess.

Taking the test in a military camp felt strange. I haven't been to one for as long as the pink IC became my possession again, which has been more than a year long. I had cleanly forgotten that camera phones and MP3 players are banned items and happily brought mine in. I didn't even bother tucking in my shirt but got away with it. A sort of sadness lingers about the place somehow. It's a relatively new camp but it lacks a life, not just because its occupants are gone for the weekend. The NSFs guarding the camp don't look at all happy; the horde of middle-aged Remedial Trainees strutting around in mismatched PT attire appear seriously unglam. And there's plenty of bad English too.

So it brought back all those feelings. Thankfully, I've moved on from there and I'm happy with civilian life as it is now. Now that IPPT is done, whatever NS commitments shall be pushed to the backburner and I will duly forget all about being a reservist until the next time a MINDEF SMS appears on my handphone again.