Well, so after the exams which brought the semester 3 to the end. I had Palapes Laut Kenaikan Pangkat. NO more senior cadet but now a Junior Midshipment. Then of cause was Chinese New Year which was quite packed this year, visiting so much that we didn't have much time to socialise. After that was back to University for Palapes Annual Continuous Training (ACT). This was a combined ACT with all the other local universities in Malaysia which has Palapes Laut. 8 uni all together.
University Malaya (UM, Kuala Lumpur)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM, Selangor)
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM, Selangor)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM, Penang)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu(UMT, Terengganu)
Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP, Pahang)
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM, Kedah)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM, Johor)
Our training was about 2 weeks at Kapal Diraja Sultan Idris (KDSI 1) aka Royal Malaysian Naval College, Lumut, Perak.
We were tahap satu (level one) trainees, while our seniors were level 2 trainees.
Our seniors made us shine our drill boot in the bus throughout the journey to KDSI 1.
When we reached there, we mustered then fill up forms and muster and off to our rooms to clean our cabins(our rooms are called cabins). Muster. Briefing at night (no dinner provided as training wasn't officially started). I'm in Thana Alpha division, tahap satu and on hijau satu watch/awasan. 31 of us in Thana Alpha Tahap satu,
A normal schedule would be:
4.45am Early Morning Activity (EMA) [jogging, jumping jack, push up, buffer, sit up and ect]
6am breakfast
Morning class
stand easy(snack time)
Class or Marching
Lunch
Class
3pm EA (Evening Activity) [Run, jog]
tea
preparation for night round
dinner
8pm Night round
11 ish pm supper
12am pipedown, [light out and no movement allowed but of cause we curi-curi shine shoe, iron baju, bath or wash clothes as quiet as we can, study.]
As tahap satu we are under ALPHA ROUTINE. This means run when we are under the sky.
Basically the whole camp was filled with
muster,
count strength,
change rig (uniform),
mess etiquette (eating square ie asking permisssion for everything, waiting for everyone to get food, permission to sit down, permission to eat, eat with fork and spoon quietly, eat with hand raising up spoon to mouth level then bring spoon to mouth in square position.),
constantly ironing clothes, shining shoe,
cleaning room and preparing for night rounds (no dust, standardized arrangement for everything eg. clothes type and folding, hanger color, curtain and every layout, reporting, toilet must be dry, clothes must be color, non-palapes things must be hidden from sight, bedsheet and everything must be neat and exactly same).
Class about navy communications(terms, Morse code, radio communication), seamanship (knots), damage control and fire fighting, core values,general navigation, international rules for preventing collision at sea, weaponry, marine engineering.
No time to rest, everyday maximum hour of sleep is 4 hours. With a mean time of 3 hours of sleep for 12 days, most of us only remember feeling sleepy throughout the training.
Fighting the sleepy feeling, Muster, Run and gobbling food in 5 minutes
made up at least 90% of the what we did.
Exam was hard as there were many things to memorise and a major portion whereby we have not learn yet.
Most of the lesson instructors did not know how to deliver the teachings well. 60% to pass or not next year we have to repeat the paper. Thank God, some instructors helped us out during the exam...huhu.
KDSI was kind enough to let non-muslim go out to church, buddhist temple, hindu temple eventhough they had some misunderstandings...LoL
The Christians were chinese and Bumi but we were sent to a Tamil church and so non of us understood anything. LoL
The Buddhist were sent to Hindu temple. LoL, I guess Malay Islam people don't understand that Tokong and Kuil are 2 different temples.
This is the first time I was scold by an officer because I'm too Lurus Bendul.
It was a really multicultural festive month.
Chinese New Year
Chap Goh Meh
Maulidur Rasul (Nabi Muhammad birthday)
Taipusam
Another activity we did was sailing, well,not really sailing but visiting the Malaysian Royal Navy Battle ship and entering a Malaysian Royal Navy multi purpose command and support ship (mpcss) and watch the training when there is an air threat at the sea. The ship sailed from Markas Armada to Pulau Pangkor and Pulau Jarak and back to Markas Armada, Lumut. We were on Kapal Diraja Sri Indera Sakti. We are not to post up pictures taken in the ship as it is rahsia negara. If other country see then they know our weapons, layout and operation thus we will be vulnerable. O.o
So, here's a pic of the ship with us on it, just the outside.
The weather at KDSI 1 was terrible scorching hot. Just stand 1 minute under the sun and we were sweating like pigs, literally wet like asthough we jumped into a swimming pool. And we didn't have any water cooler or water filter,thank God we didn't die of dehydration. My uni had 4.5 liters of water and a 100plus 1.5 liter bottle to survive for about 12 days.
The training at KDSI 1 was not as torturous as our previous ACT at KDSK last year. :)
OK, now some of you know that I have been trying to quit PALAPES a long time already, since 1st semester but was unsuccessful.
Malam Mesra we had standing ovation from all the audience , our presentation was the most proper and matured presentation compared to most of the others who did quite moral degrading skits but we somehow did not get any position. LoL. Whatever la. One team had 2 places ie 7th place and 2nd place. I really wonder how is that possible...haha. Malaysia Boleh, Navy Palapes Boleh.
I thought If I fail the exam here then maybe I can use it as a reason but I think I pass the exam la.
Hmm, so I'm already half year there, after June, my 4th semester is over and I'll be senior Midshipment already and then another year and I'll be a Subby (officer). I've already spend was wasted so much money on this Palapes and to get back the money I spend is highly not going to happen. So should I continue on as I'm already half way there or should I drop out now? I'm in between, just at the line of no turning back. Myself is telling me to quit but my other self is telling me that Since I've so close the finishing line, why not continue all the way?
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