First of all, I would like to say that my appointment was nearly 3 weeks ago from the date of posting this entry. I've thought of posting days after the appointment but I really don't know should I post it. Read it for yourself and all I stated here are true, nothing but the truth.
Few months before the actual day, I've received a letter from the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) stating that I need to book a medical check-up appointment. I went too quick that I clicked on the portal, filled in all the necessary fields such as family particulars, uniform sizes, shoe sizes and personal information etc. and book for the appointment. A step before my poly mates did. As a result, I went there alone. I tried to change the appointment but all slots were taken up. I didn't want to call the person-in-charge so I decided to go there alone.
I've been to the hospital for a yearly check-up with professor and also for a hearing test every year. All of the medical professionals that I've seen all these years have said to my parents, "Your son may not need to serve the National Service." I've heard that many times but for that stubborn me, I told myself it's totally impossible for me to not serve the nation. At most, they would let me to be a clerk. That kind of thinking continued to be in my head until the day of appointment.
Date: 18 September 2014
Venue: Central Manpower Base (CMPB) @ Depot Road
My appointment was 8.30am. To prevent me getting lost all the time whenever I reach a strange place, I've done homework days before the actual appointment. I reached the Redhill MRT at nearly 8am. Not a surprise to me, there were a lot of people at the bus stop and many people were waiting to board on bus service 145, the place that would lead near the destination after a few minutes walk.
When I reached CMPB, I had to go through a security check. After security check, I had to queue up to exchange my EZ-Link card for a visitor pass to enter CMPB. After the exchange, it's another security check. Well, it's a must to go through strict security checks before entering any facilities there.
I've reached the destination after a few minutes walk. As I entered, there were many people queuing up to get number slip. That's where the medical check-up began. I waited for my number to be called up to register for medical screening. As I was waiting, I looked at the 2 TV Screens located to my left and right. On the left, it was showing news and on the right, it was showing the "Every Singaporean Son" documentary. The recruits were digging the soil hours and hours, they received letters from their loved ones and cried and they wrote back with a kiss being stamped on the paper BUT! no red lipstick, obviously. It's green, you know what that green colour is. That scenario was what I saw while waiting. After that, it was time to register. By the way, the males wearing army uniforms, were they working as a clerk? I don't know as I continued to think the scope of a clerk if I was really posted there.
I've sent in all the necessary documents for them to look. All the documents were past year medical reports that I've received from the hospital. After the registration, it was time for check-up. The first station...Station 5. I went towards Station 5 and was surprised to see the letters "ENT"! What?! Are you seriously kidding me?! Sending me to ENT first was like giving me an immediate failure in academic tests. So, you already know the content of the medical reports, right? I've high-frequency hearing loss at a young age and that was due to an operation. I thought I would be sent to a special school but no, I'm receiving normal education and here I am, right now in Polytechnic.
I had to go there to accept the fate. As I entered the ENT room, there were two cubicles for two pre-enlistees to take the hearing test. My name was called after 10 minutes of waiting. Wearing my hearing aids along, I've told the person-in-charge of the station that I'm wearing hearing aids. That 1 sentence caused a traffic congestion in the room. I hogged up the cubicle for 10 minutes, on average a person only takes 2 to 3 minutes. I'm not acting in not raising up my hands even though I heard a sound. The sound was too soft that it appeared countless times in my ear. Sometimes I would raise up my hand when I heard a sound but through the earphones, I've heard, "There was no sound.". That sentence that I always hear in the hospital, it's also in CMPB. The person-in-charge also asked to stay a while more as what the medical report that I've given him was totally different from the results that I had. That's the reason why I hogged up the cubicle for a long time. Instead of asking me to go home which I initially thought, I went to the next station.
The next station was Station 4, the eyesight test. Not much of a problem, except for the fact that for the colourblind test, I've failed to name all correct numbers especially for the 2nd last number. It was totally hard that I almost wanted to ask, "Isn't that no number?". I moved on for the eyesight test. I covered my left eye with spectacles to read the last row and my right eye to read the last row backwards. That's where I received a comment, "Your eyesight is good.". I'm totally speechless.
Next up was Station 3, the X-ray station where I had to remove my top for radioactive x-ray. Nothing much to talk about. You only hear countless "Boom" in that station where the x-ray is being filmed. That's all.
Station 2 was next. I noticed that I was going backwards. The dentist checked my teeth and said a lot of things to another person. I don't know what were they talking about. I thought I could break the code but sigh.
The laboratory was the last station before entering Station 6. I took a cup with a litmus paper and went to the toilet to pee. Based on the previous incident happened 2 years ago, the volume largely decreased. A blunder happened here where I almost showed him the content instead of taking out the litmus paper.
After the test, it was the blood test. I had a blood donation a month ago and now they were going to take my blood?! Thankfully, nothing happened.
Station 6 was the next station. That's where a lot of people were waiting inside the room to get height and weight, electrocardiography (ECG), blood pressure and consultation. Again, in ECG, I had to remove my top to facilitate the procedure. Everything's fine except that I had to listen to "Boom Clap" from their radio while doing ECG. I almost wanted to move my body as the song went "Boom Clap".
It was time for consultation. One person in front of me printed the ticket by himself, only then he was asked by the counter staff about something and he gave up that paper. Then, the paper was taken by me with a waiting number "0030" and sat at the last row on the right. After sitting for a while, the counter staff asked me did I have a waiting number and I showed it to her. She told to move in front and asked the remaining pre-enlistees to sit at the last row on the right. The seats were filled up on the left. That's when the lady told everyone that the seats on the left are for the pre-enlistees who do not have any medical history and for the right, yes, medical history was involved. No waiting number is needed for the people on the left and that's the reason why the person in front gave up the number to me.
0030 was up at room 1. I went in there and received consultation from the doctor. I was told to remove the top and pants. There was one part of the consultation where I was about to remove the pants and showed him the "balls", I mistakenly heard that he was asking "Did you receive any operation?" instead of missing out the last 3 words "on your "balls"?" I initially answered I received operation at upper body. After that, I changed my answer after I heard him asking the same question. Still, I showed him everything where I had operations on.
Initially, I saw on his computer screen, it was a PES D for hearing. PES D was considered as a question mark as it requires you to have consultations at the hospital before receiving the actual PES status based on the results that they have gotten. BUT! After looking at my medical reports and typed a lot of things, I got my PES status and that result was totally out of my expectation. I thought I would have to serve as a clerk.
I received a notice from the counter and went home. What's missing from other pre-enlistees? Station 7 where a vocation assessment is done and photograph taking. I didn't get a chance to do the test but based on what I've heard and read, it made people went bonkers. Well, maybe not, some people said it's too easy for them.
That's where I realised why I was given that result. If MINDEF enlisted me, it would disrupt the whole procedure in the army for the 2 years even as a clerk. That reason I would accept, it's very logical. That's also where I don't know should I post this entry to share. It may sound like I'm faking myself to not go into National Service but with the documents I have given to them, I've admitted defeat. The professors and doctors were right. Why didn't I believe in them?
Sadly, I can't serve the nation but still I have to move on with my own life. Instead of serving the nation, I would serve the bond for 2 years, similar to National Service. It's the same after all.
I went for lunch after 90 minutes of check-up. Hopefully, it's not a record.
Epilogue:
I took the bus back for lunch but didn't notice that there is a loop for that bus service. As a result, the bus went one big round and passed by CMPB again. I was fooled by the loop again.
