PLKN : Night Duty

Every trainee is expected to be on at least one night duty.

Back in 2007, we alternate between company. Say that tonight 6 girls from Alpha will do the rounds. Tomorrow, would be Bravo's turn.

If you have night duty, you are expected to spend the night in your combat suit. You get to sleep for 4 hours in the common room and do the rounds for 2 hours. Ironically, I only noticed the presence of common room when I had my night duty ~ explains how occupied we were. If I'm not mistaken, night duty is the only time you get to use the walkie talkie. Unfortunately, nothing fancy went through ours when we had the walkie talkie with us.

Our job is to make sure that mosquito net is in place (our camp is in the malaria endemic area), bed owner on the bed and take the place of vice commandant alarm clock in the break of dawn. I don't really know how to explain my feeling but you know this person is like this during the day ~ proud, cheerful, annoying, detestable. They are your friends and enemies and now they are sleeping, in many different position, peacefully. Once, I did the round with Adeline and another girl. We had finished rounding on Bravo 1 and were few steps out of the front door when we heard my name being called out. We went in to find if anyone needs any help but everyone seemed to be fast asleep. The girls freaked out enough to not go in again after the second calling. I would like to think of it as someone pulling pranks on me, thank you.

I had the opportunity to be the alarm clock once. I don't remember if the boys were into it as well but anyway, to be the alarm clock, you need to line up in front of the vice commandant's chalet at the break of dawn and sing on top of you lung the National Service 'anthem' until he opens the door. I don't know why we didn't recite talkin instead. That would have been phenomenal and if he's sensitive enough, he would wake in no time.