yoyo...back to blog...looking at the timing i should be sleeping at this moment but i'm still facebook-ing...so can't sleep and came across Mark's Profile which he post about he personal story about his life in NPCC shall copy and paste his story in my blog...haha...hope he dun mind just wanna share.

His Story goes:

I can be considered as a guy with multiple interests. But there is this one interest which has been with me for 8 long years. Come to think of it, it is hard to imagine spending such a long time with it.

My relationship with NPCC started when I was around 6 years old. My brother was from it and is still in it today, but that's another story by itself. I remember volunteering myself to help coat his boots and always looking at his uniform in awe. Guess that's where I honed my boots polishing skills guys, 14 years ago. But one thing was for sure, the decision to join the Corps started from there.

In 2001, I joined the Corps officially as a cadet of Hong Kah Secondary, HKSS for short. My initial idea was to join my brother's unit, since he was such an outstanding cadet and CI from that unit, it wouldn't do me much harm either I guess. Instead, I was posted to HKSS. But this was the best arrangements I ever had in my life so far. My time spent in HKSS was a very eventful one. I was exposed to countless of things, taught many kids different things and of course, raised my voice at them too. There was a saying in HKSS,"You will hear Mark, before you see him." I can say safely that I would be on the top "Most-Hated" list if there was one. An official one that is. Ever since I joined the Corps, I have been very active in NPCC, from sponging off my brother to self-practice to buying knots book and trying to learn every knot in it, you name it, I've done it.

Promotions came in fast and a few of us got promoted. But some events caused me my promotion and I remained untouched some time. By the time I left the Corps at secondary 4, I was given, not promoted, the rank of SSGT, I guess, in view of the contributions I made to the unit. When I was in secondary 4, I heard news about going for CI course. Back then, I was contemplating about it and asked my parents and brother for some advice. Eventually, I decided to go for it and try it out. It was a decision which I never regretted.

Learn, Unlearn, Relearn. This was a phrase my Officer once told my friends and I during my NCO course. April 2006, I began my life as a CI Trainee (CIT). Training was taxing both physically and mentally, having to juggle school and course at the same time. But I would come to realize the other side of the story in the later part of my life. After 3 long months of course (back then, it was spread over 3 months), I had finally graduated as a PCI. This again, marked a new turning point in my life. I had fresh ideas, tonnes of it, as of every new CI. Time passed by and it soon came to me that, not every change or ideas that I wish for it to happen, will happen. But that did not stop me from learning. I was attached back to HKSS, my "birth place" and I reigned terror once more. Hahaha. There was one incident which I remember though. I was witnessing the passing-out of the batch who took over mine. The batch which I brought up. As I watched on the parade, and saw how well the whole batch marched, it just brought tears to my eyes. From a bunch of kids who knew nuts about drills to an elite bunch of cadets, they were truly my pride. Well, I hid my tears naturally. I went on for 2 years in my unit and saw plenty of changes. Then, I saw my chance to move on and learn more, for learning never stops, right?

In 2008, I went for an interview for the post of an Instructor. A CI-Instructor, CII for short. I was my dream to be a CII, but unfortunately, I was not chosen. The chance came up to me when I was chatting with the Coordinator about it (whom I did not know was the Coordinator at that time) and my other friend sent me the application form. I took the chance, signed up for it and went for the interview. There was a written interview, which I did not fare well for I did not study for it. I was pretty confident of myself at that time, only to know that there are really others, who are way better than me. Course experience was a very different one. It was a very goal-orientated course and every one of us had a single, common goal. It felt good actually. As for the what is and what's not of the course, well, when time comes, I will write about it. I went for my second course in 2009 and it was a whole new story once again.

Right now, still in 2009, I have spent close to 8 years of my life with the Corps. She can be considered as my long-term relationship girlfriend I guess, having a love-hate relationship with her. To say the truth, NPCC has given me plenty of things and there are more to come. The time spent with her has been a very fruitful one. This is where I found one of my few best friends, some close friends and of course, plenty of friends. I fell with her, fell from her and fell because of her. Yet she has also taught me to pick myself up and never give up. NPCC has become a lifestyle for me, no longer an interest.

I have friends asking me, particularly one, what do I see in NPCC and why am I so attached to it. These are two questions which I find it hard to answer. Maybe it's the bonding that I have there. The friends whom I have befriended. The lessons which I learnt from her. It maybe it's all these things which brings me so close to her. The passion I have garnered since I was a kid till today. The passion of guiding kids and showing what NPCC is all about. The passion of sharing with them what NPCC has given to me. I guess these are my reasons for staying. True enough, I do not stand to gain anything from her and at the end of the day, it is just a CCA, an interest, a passion. It does not feed my empty stomach. But it feels my heart and warms me up. It is where I can turn back and say,"This is my second home." For that, I thank you. I thank all those who have worked me with before, who shown me guidance when I needed them, who have stretched out their hand to me and to those, who cried, sweat, bled, shouted and laughed with me before. Without all these, there wouldn't be a Mark you see today. Thank you.


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After reading his long long story, just wanna crop out one portion of it which is:

[I have friends asking me, particularly one, what do I see in NPCC and why am I so attached to it. These are two questions which I find it hard to answer. Maybe it's the bonding that I have there. The friends whom I have befriended. The lessons which I learnt from her. It maybe it's all these things which brings me so close to her. True enough, I do not stand to gain anything from her and at the end of the day, it is just a CCA, an interest, a passion. It does not feed my empty stomach. But it feels my heart and warms me up. It is where I can turn back and say,"This is my second home."]

The above portion which I crop out is the answer that many of my friends and relatives and even my parents have asked me...indeed it doesn't feed my empty stomach and won't give me my future but is just that something that pushes me to go on in the Corp...many may say that i'm stupid and crazy for being so ON for the Corp but is something unexplain-able to say lor...hope the part that I crop out answer the questions :)