Unexpected Friendship

Shanon:
Every year students who have just graduated from high school are randomly selected for a compulsory military program called National Service (or NS for short) which usually lasts about three months. The selected students are sent a letter of notice two months before deployment, which are normally located in the rural areas of Malaysia.

Anyway, I was one of the "lucky" ones. I did not think twice about going but my parents insisted as it would be a really good experience, and neither I or my dad would get into any trouble if I went. I got posted at a camp in Sepang, Selangor named Kem Princess Haliza. When I first saw it on the letter, I thought that the camp would be covered in pink and everyone would be running around with tutus. As it turns out, I wasn't even close.

When I arrived at the camp with the rest of the trainees from my state, it was almost midnight and we were exhausted, nervous and starving. The camp looked plain and boring. There was basically no wind that night and although the fans were turned on, it was so humid that it didn't make any difference whatsoever which was practically torture. Homesickness struck me right after I got registered which took an hour because it hit me that there was no going back now.

We were lead to our dorm rooms in pitch black darkness. It felt like we walked for a good 400 meters before we saw light in the distance. The gravel surface made it hard for us to drag our luggage so we ended up carrying them instead. I helped a stranger carry her luggage because she was really having a hard time. She tried to make small talk as I struggled to balance myself while carrying my luggage as well as hers and my knapsack on my back. It was okay. I liked the challenge.

We soon reached an intersection where we had to split into different dorms. When I entered my dorm room which was around 1am, I was so tired I guess it showed on my face because I was told I looked like crap. Overall, it was one of the worse nights of my entire life.

Bel:
I was one of the first ones to arrive at the camp and the only one who was wearing shorts too. We weren't allowed to wear shorts but I really didn't think anything of it. When I arrived at the dorm room, there were only a few of us. The dorm looked like a long corridor filled with 28 beds and lockers in total. The lockers were really compact and the bed was quite hard.

One of our lockers. Guess whose?

The atmosphere was pretty tense and not long after, a couple of girls started crying. I guess reality just hit them. They're tears and cries made me feel really sad. But I tried to hold it in. After about an hour of settling in, other trainees from a different state started coming in. One looked particularly pissed off. I thought to myself that I would never be friends with this girl. She looked really mean. 

It turns out that girl was Shanon.

Shanon:

The first few weeks was actually really fun. We had so many competitions that it brought everyone in my dorm room closer together. 

Everyone helping out for a poster competition.

Bel:

We also got to attend prestigious events and witness national ceremonies which was pretty cool.

Meeting our Prime Minister's wife, Rosmah.

Shanon:

I liked it when the dorm room was empty.

Bel:

Yeah, we would take out are stash of snacks and enjoy them together.

Shanon:

It's not that we did not want to eat the food that was served but sometimes the food they served weren't actually considered as edible.

An almost empty dorm room.

Shanon:

Competition in this camp was tight because there were only four companies in our camp which were Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. Bel and I were in Bravo. For two months straight, we were the champs for every single competition. It was crazy.

One of the competitions.

Bel:

We got to swim and kayak in the lake. I was so happy our kayak didn't capsize.

The two of us at the lakeside.

Shanon:

Didn't think we could coordinate so well.

Kayaking in the lake.

Watching trainees who are learning to kayak.

Bel: 

Besides that, I also got to face my fear of heights two days straight. On the first day, we got to try out the flying fox and on the second day we had to abseiling from the same three story platform.

Standing at the edge of the platform.

The guys at our camp showing us how its done.

Bel doing the moonwalk down the wall.

Shanon sitting down and catching her breath halfway.

Shanon losing her footing but still looks pretty cool.

The awesome feeling of having completed it.

Shanon:

Not only did we have to compete in all the competitions, have special classes to attend, complete activites, and wake up at 6am every single morning. We also had to wash our own clothes by hand and keep our dorm room and our own bathroom clean. It was actually a lot of work. But I'm happy to say that teamwork can make it a lot more easier. I guess our good teamwork is one of the reasons why we do so well in competitions.

Keeping the dorm clean.

Bel:

One day, our supervisor announced that we were all going to visit an army base to learn how to fire M4s. It was an amazing experience.

Firing range at the army base.

Trainees just finish firing their shots.

The army men showing us how its really done.

The army firing squad taking a break from the scorching heat.

Picking his nose.

Lining up before the General arrives.

And taking a nap under a huge tree.

This army camp was the bomb.

Shanon:

By this time in point, Bel and I were becoming really good friends which made the experience even better.

Selfie while watching a competition.

Our company showing everyone how marching is really done.

Bel:

We got last place though.

Our Christian community on the camp with our youth leader Mr Thye.

Shanon:

Bel and I were invited to attend a military event at the famous Dataran Merdeka.

Happy faces.

Bazooka goes boom!

When did spiderman start wearing a helmet?

Shanon:

A few days before the three months sentence is over, we have to live out in the woods (or in this case beside the woods) for a whole day.

Shanon stealing Bel's bag with stealth.

Friends that have been with us through the thick and thin.

Bravo girls group photo.

Photoshoot with friends.

Although it doesn't look like much, this is celebratory feast on the last day of our sentence.

Rack full of slippers.

Bravo boys group photo.

Waking up for the last time at the camp.

A single bed with a super hard mattress and a super slim locker, please?

Everyone all packed up and ready to go home.

The final goodbye.

Pretty clouds and free ice cream. It can't get any better than this.

Shanon:

Although, Bel and I lived in different states, we still keep in touch and three and a half years since then, we're closer than ever. I guess the experience we've shared has something to do with it.