Sanggup Berkorban untuk Negara Practical Lesson
'Are you in plkn?' 'Are you?'
That's the question that has been hounding me for some time now. Everybody wants to know. My juniors, my friends, my tuition mates, my family members, etc etc.
And in contrast to my calm and casual reply 'yes', they exclaim in shock, 'WHAT!!' 'Aduh!!'
Erm, hello? I'm the one going, not you.
I was quite calm when I checked and found that I was in. Ever since Arnan 'escaped' PLKN, I was sure that I would get it. Did I want to go? No. But I resigned myself to such a fate a year ago. So this comes as no surprise to me. And I'm not afraid. At least, I think I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, if you can survive three bukit mewah prefect camps, you can survive anything. Especially if you survived last year's camp and managed to survive organizing this year's camp, as I have done. But lately, I'm beginning to feel somewhat disturbed over my destiny.
I've heard snatches of conversations from other 'unfortunate' fellows who were trying to figure out a way to aviod this predicament. 'I have a health problem, looking at me!' 'I've heard of a doctor who will not clear you for plkn if you ask'......etc,etc.
Heck, I even found a question posted on Yahoo asking How to Avoid PLKN. wow.
Which makes me wonder: Is that the right attitude one should have towards PLKN?
Sure, you don't need to tell me the numerous reasons why us youth feel that way. I know and struggle with them myself.
1. Waste of time. Others are applying for scholarships, getting experience by working, taking driving lessons, going college, etcetc; and I will be stuck, for three months, in an extended prefect camp. I would learn some skills and such, but it would still be quite waste of time. I mean, 3 months!!!! I was actually thinking of joining the SU programme they had for after f5s. Now I can't.
2. High mortality rate. Look at it this way: we're not at war, and we only have one or two sessions playing around with firearms. Tons of money are being spent on insuring the comfort and safety of all PLKNers, so why are there still so many young ppl dying? Which country would have such a high casualty of deaths in a training centre? This is something to worry about. I would not like to die at eighteen at a training camp.
3. Terrible food, accomdation, etc. From the testimony of former PLKNers, it is really, really bad. One of my friends said that he had to go vegitarian. There were stories of food poisoning. Remember, I'm going to spend 3 months there.....3 months with bad food and smelly toilets? Three days at prefect camp, fine. 3 months..............................
And so on and so forth. Not to mention that I am also terribly afraid that I can't manage the activities there. I can even touch my toes without bending my knees. Three days of prefect camp is fine, because that's how long my adrenaline drive can last. I've never tried 3 months. Have I mentioned that I'm practically blind without my specs?
So, what does it come down to? Am I willing to spend three months at a camp where I might not make it out alive?
Touch wood, you say. But I do bother about that.
If I want to avoid PLKN, I can. I know I can. Many have done so. But....is that the right thing?
In moral class, we learn the nilai sanggup berkorban untuk negara. The willingness to sacrifice anything we have, including our lives for our nation.
In the Bible, Jesus once said, 'Give to Ceasar (the goverment) what belongs to Ceasar; and give to God what belongs to God'.
Yes, the whole PLKN thing is a farce. The whole thing may be a waste of time. It may cause me to have food poisoning. It will most certainly make me darker, have more pimples, sleep less hours, bring me back to the whole prefect camp torture thing. It may kill me. I might go crazy. I am afraid, to a certain extent, of crazy coaches who hate weaklings, stuck-up girls who refuse to be friends, of vigourous activities which might tire me out.
But I got to do it right? I can't back out. I won't back out either, given a chance. Sanggup berkorban, I am not. Don't start thinking that i'm some sort of saint. I just know that I got to do what I got to do. And I'm not condemning others who want to back out. This is just my standard that i've set for myself, that God has set for me.
Nike. Just do it.
So can I get an A in my moral exam??
That's the question that has been hounding me for some time now. Everybody wants to know. My juniors, my friends, my tuition mates, my family members, etc etc.
And in contrast to my calm and casual reply 'yes', they exclaim in shock, 'WHAT!!' 'Aduh!!'
Erm, hello? I'm the one going, not you.
I was quite calm when I checked and found that I was in. Ever since Arnan 'escaped' PLKN, I was sure that I would get it. Did I want to go? No. But I resigned myself to such a fate a year ago. So this comes as no surprise to me. And I'm not afraid. At least, I think I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, if you can survive three bukit mewah prefect camps, you can survive anything. Especially if you survived last year's camp and managed to survive organizing this year's camp, as I have done. But lately, I'm beginning to feel somewhat disturbed over my destiny.
I've heard snatches of conversations from other 'unfortunate' fellows who were trying to figure out a way to aviod this predicament. 'I have a health problem, looking at me!' 'I've heard of a doctor who will not clear you for plkn if you ask'......etc,etc.
Heck, I even found a question posted on Yahoo asking How to Avoid PLKN. wow.
Which makes me wonder: Is that the right attitude one should have towards PLKN?
Sure, you don't need to tell me the numerous reasons why us youth feel that way. I know and struggle with them myself.
1. Waste of time. Others are applying for scholarships, getting experience by working, taking driving lessons, going college, etcetc; and I will be stuck, for three months, in an extended prefect camp. I would learn some skills and such, but it would still be quite waste of time. I mean, 3 months!!!! I was actually thinking of joining the SU programme they had for after f5s. Now I can't.
2. High mortality rate. Look at it this way: we're not at war, and we only have one or two sessions playing around with firearms. Tons of money are being spent on insuring the comfort and safety of all PLKNers, so why are there still so many young ppl dying? Which country would have such a high casualty of deaths in a training centre? This is something to worry about. I would not like to die at eighteen at a training camp.
3. Terrible food, accomdation, etc. From the testimony of former PLKNers, it is really, really bad. One of my friends said that he had to go vegitarian. There were stories of food poisoning. Remember, I'm going to spend 3 months there.....3 months with bad food and smelly toilets? Three days at prefect camp, fine. 3 months..............................
And so on and so forth. Not to mention that I am also terribly afraid that I can't manage the activities there. I can even touch my toes without bending my knees. Three days of prefect camp is fine, because that's how long my adrenaline drive can last. I've never tried 3 months. Have I mentioned that I'm practically blind without my specs?
So, what does it come down to? Am I willing to spend three months at a camp where I might not make it out alive?
Touch wood, you say. But I do bother about that.
If I want to avoid PLKN, I can. I know I can. Many have done so. But....is that the right thing?
In moral class, we learn the nilai sanggup berkorban untuk negara. The willingness to sacrifice anything we have, including our lives for our nation.
In the Bible, Jesus once said, 'Give to Ceasar (the goverment) what belongs to Ceasar; and give to God what belongs to God'.
Yes, the whole PLKN thing is a farce. The whole thing may be a waste of time. It may cause me to have food poisoning. It will most certainly make me darker, have more pimples, sleep less hours, bring me back to the whole prefect camp torture thing. It may kill me. I might go crazy. I am afraid, to a certain extent, of crazy coaches who hate weaklings, stuck-up girls who refuse to be friends, of vigourous activities which might tire me out.
But I got to do it right? I can't back out. I won't back out either, given a chance. Sanggup berkorban, I am not. Don't start thinking that i'm some sort of saint. I just know that I got to do what I got to do. And I'm not condemning others who want to back out. This is just my standard that i've set for myself, that God has set for me.
Nike. Just do it.
So can I get an A in my moral exam??
You know what... i think PLKN is something that if you get it, you get it... it is like, what is,is.
ReplyDeleteWhen i was waiting for the list to come out, i said if i picked, than fine i will go. if not...
anyway, i didn't feel anything about it. But i knew if i got it, i would want to go for the first batch.
i think give to ceasar thing is correct in this case...
God bless you, hannah! JIAYOU.
ReplyDeleteSure you can get A for moral, even if they test on practical, i'm sure you deserve |bow low|, anyway, all the best. Don't know why, your blog made me remember David (in the Bible one)'s spirit at the Brook Besor account. haha.
SA-LUTE!!
little bro............so zadao already la me =__________="
ReplyDeletei'm just saying what i feel la, not a saint .....
good for you. I feel mi am not ready for NS yet...haha
ReplyDeleteAnyway, God Bles YOu!
hi hannah! =)
ReplyDeletewas great seeing you at the bk quiz. congrats on winning those awards, too! =P
and about NS... i'm glad you have a good, down-to-earth attitude about it. not like those who panic or try to get out of it or are super-negative about it. Christians are called to be counter-culture, and i think you are practicing that with this attitude. well done! =)
go to NS as an ambassador for Christ. that's what i always try to tell people who are chosen. =)