Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach

Like all first days, or first weeks, or first anything, it will always seem the longest.

My first day back to the PA was especially long, compared to the rest. And I'm sure that last week will seem long when I compare them with the weeks to come.

On Tuesday, the curse of the PA came upon me again as I fell sick. I'm not entirely sure what happened but by Tuesday, I knew my health condition would deteriorate when I realised I was plagued with the annoying sore throat. Wednesday, that developed into a sore throat-running nose tag team handicap match. Thursday, it transformed into a 3-1 tornado handicap match with the cough teaming up with the other two. By Friday, I was completely out-numbered four to one with phlegm adding up to the equation. Suffice to say, it wasn't the best week for me. It didn't help with the fact that this was my first week in and could have made a better impact on my newly made friends.

Anyway, physically, I couldn't have done any more to impress because I was completely out of their league. They were better conditioned, and better mentally. My friend and I were downcast with the 'weaker' ones as we fell short of being physically capable among the rest. Mainly because they have always been training since the start of NS and had been in the PA for more than a month. But as for us, we were basically on a road of physical agony after being out of action for nearly 3 months. Can't blame us for feeling so elderly after the training.

Basically, that day we had physical training (PT), we were forced to run 15 laps around the track, along with exercises in between each run.

It was a test of great endurance and I really can't count how many times I really wanted to give up because I was on the brink of giving up so many times. But the sight of one of my friends suffering the consequences of giving up these runs kept me running before finally crashing into the finish line.

The torture seemed endless. Like this lasted a thousand years and yet, the thoughts of the beautiful day when I get to ORD from this dreadful life-style kept flashing itself in my head. The things I would do. The things I could do when I'm finally done. How funny this would seem when this is all over. But at the present moment, the day I am first looking forward to would be the day I pass out as an OCT to become a police inspector.

This week has been the rehearsal week for the 128th intake and our senior OCTs passing out parade. We basically didn't do much this week but I don't think it really did me any good because I only got more envious of our seniors as they were practicing for their POP. Each time I watched them slow marched across the face of the grand stand, it only stirs up this desire in me to wanna pass out now! But then, I'm hit by the bulldozing-fact that it's still another 6 months away and this is only my first week back. How crap.

At least being OCT isn't as bad as being a normal trainee. As my friend and I entered into the rooms of the Alpha coy for the first time, I said, "We have seen what very few have seen. Things which people have only imagined was true in the police academy's best coy."

And now, I reveal it to you, what my eyes have seen.

I think my expectations were really high going into the coy, so it wasn't as outstanding as I thought =P Nevertheless, many of the things I have heard were real. There are two people to each room. We have one toilet joining two rooms together. The cupboards are more than two times the size of a normal trainee. We all have our own desks, chairs and laptop with internet connection (but many of the sites have been blocked off. Anyone with really good recommended proxy sites, please tell me! XP). Alpha being next to bravo coy, we are directly opposite from the female's bravo coy, so we've got a good coy that faces us XP ...... In a good way! It just means the FIs can't as easily spot us sleeping on our beds from the opposite coy because they're not allowed there. Ew, c'mon guys. Don't get any dirty ideas now. I must be a good boy. tsk. lol

Besides that, nothing much different ... to me anyway. There's also a mess where there's air-conditioning, fridge, TV, DVD-player, and other stuff. Not overly excited about that though.

Actually, I just realised how true my friend was in saying that when you're out in division, you wanna go back to the PA, but when you're in the PA, you really wanna get out there. I believe those words because I experienced them both twice. I remember going out to division wishing I was back in the PA. But now that I'm back in the PA, I wanna go back out!

I admit that I got nostalgic about division life during my first day back. It's normal. When you're used to one thing, the first day of change will always be the day where you'll wanna go back to the norm. I just need a few more days to get back into the gist of things. Kinda sucks though.

I think the highlight of the entire week was to finally get to talk to my former OC squad again. I saw him in the morning yesterday while doing his 2.4km run for the IPPT test but didn't get a chance to talk to him for very long because he was in a lot of 'pain' from running. lol, but later that afternoon, he managed to catch me as I was heading back to my barrack to book out. He didn't realise but I also wanted to talk with him so I didn't bring up the issue of having me having to book out. I chatted with him and to be honest, it was really pleasant. Even though I called him 'sir', it didn't feel like a trainee and OC squad talking anymore. It was like a friendly conversation mainly because I have now gotten the experience of going out into the police world and how people around your rank were considered your friends, not superiors. It was really nice and I actually wanted to talk longer but because we were booking out, I was afraid the rest of my squadmates would be waiting for me so I didn't want to hold them up. If not, I would have talked for as long as I could have. Oh well, I've got 6 months to catch up with him.

My former OC squad is on loan to the PA and will be there for 2 years, which kinda coincides with my NS life-span; even though I'll ORD two months before his loan is over. Although he isn't my OC squad anymore, I don't think I can ever not refer to him as sir. It's just like a child who has been taught to address his elders as uncle or aunty, they can't refer to them by their names anymore. It'll just be too weird. Not even when I pass out and out-rank him by many ranks, I don't think I can not call him sir. Just wouldn't feel right. Cause he was a really good OC squad. He was good to me and as a result, look at how far I got. I might not be his best or highest scoring trainee in his course of time there, but at least I will be his first 'best trainee', and he will be my first OC. That'll go a long way, I reckon.

Anyway, this could get deep so I'm not going to attempt any more lol. It's the weekend and I want to enjoy my freedom while I still can!

16 out of 22 months to go! ^^ We're on the way!