So Far, So Good: Diary of a Patriotic Corper

Being here at camp has been way different from what I could have expected in many ways. I had expected a regimented lifestyle, but there are now other factors that I hadn't foreseen. It's been quite a challenge to be myself and live the way I do here. And so, my hopes and drive to make entries into my Diary of a Patriotic Corper as often as I want disintegrated day by day.

Here I am now, however, thanks to a rest day such as this, Sunday. Apparently, Sunday is the only day that we have very few activities—usually only religious and voluntary ones.

On the other days, rest is only a facade and a figment of my imagination. And, being a graduate of the university and having grinded for years to bag my engineering degree, I thought I'd get some deserved peace of mind. I wonder what I was thinking. Apparently, the older I get, the more adulthood shows me its true colour.

We are to leave our dormitories at 4:30 a.m. and make our way to the parade ground for assembly. This implies that I'd have to be up way before to get ready and meet up; usually, it's 3 a.m. On the parade ground, which is basically a wide and open field with a pavilion serving as its focal point, we would go through a routine and leave about 6:30 a.m. for other activities.

Two hours of being on the parade ground wouldn't be much of an issue except that we have to stand all the way through.

The routine we go through every morning is called "morning meditation." It starts with singing worship and praise songs together, led by someone (or people) from a platoon, and then we'd move on to speeches from officials (about four of them). Afterwards, we usually have exercises to warm up for the day. That one is oftentimes fun, unlike the rest.

So, normally, I would be thinking about food to eat around 7:00 a.m. or thereabout, but it's another story here at camp. Sadly, the next thing isn't food. It's parade practise.

Some of us have been selected to be part of a parade squad for our platoon. And, of course, I joined them. Once a Navy boy, always a Navy boy—and so I didn't hesitate. We would then practise for about an hour and end around 8 a.m.

Now I can get breakfast. But here's the catch: I usually have just about thirty minutes to get back to the dormitory, get my food flask to be served in, get to the dining hall, and return with food. Then, they blow the bugle, signifying that it's time to leave for the next agenda, which is supposed to start at 9 a.m.

In the last couple of days, we have been undergoing a programme called SAED (Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development). And it runs for five long hours and ends at a non-negotiable 2 p.m.

It is after 2 p.m. that we get to eat lunch. Then there's a short time to rest again. I try to take a nap around this time, but it never works. Most times, the bugle catches me unexpectedly, and then it's off to the parade ground again. To do what? To march again. Or maybe participate in other activities, such as sports.

Around 6 p.m. is when we get to eat dinner. Afterwards, we were sent off to a hall for some other activity. Most times, it's social night. We've had a talent show, a cultural dance competition, a comedy show, and a drama competition. The competitions are between platoons.

The social nights don't last long, and so we are usually done with them around 9 p.m. Then we have about thirty minutes to do what we'd like around until we hear the bugle again and are sent back to our dormitories. People usually visit the Mammy Market to eat, like me. The Mammy Market is basically a market where we get what we need: food, electricity to charge our mobile devices, buckets, e.t.c.

Lights out is at 10 p.m. The camp's electricity is turned off, and we're all expected to go to sleep and do nothing else, or we get into trouble like the night we got punished. And, then again, I repeat the same cycle the next day from around 3 a.m. on, except on Sundays—the rest day.

My experience so far has generally been bittersweet. Oftentimes, "it's surprise surprise" for me, but the brighter side of it all is that the experience is fresh, sometimes exhilarating, and I keep meeting incredible people every now and then.

It's Monday now, and I just got to publish this. Again, they are after my life here. Heh. Thank you for reading, and we'll see you in the next one!