The last two days, I wasn't updating my blog because I was down with SLAS*. Actually, it's something that can struck even the most weathered blogger of us bloggers, but I didn't really anticipate that one coming, not when I'm just starting my own new blog.
Well, either way, I managed to shake it off now. And my little journal I shall update, before it strikes again.
Anyway.
The last two days, which were the weekends, I went for UTP fire training. No, it's not something that most people would volunteer to do, so naturally I was there because I was forced to. See, the RCSU staff for my village(not THAT village. In UTP the hostels are called villages) just randomly select 10 rooms from V1(where I'm currently staying), call the students and say, "This is your lucky day! You have been selected to join fire training..." or something like that. Initially I don't wan't to go, but considering that I don't really have any credible plan on what to do during the weekend anyway, and that this could be a new experience to me, I relented and presented my overweight body at the Emergency Control Centre in MPH in the 8.57 Saturday morning.....
About 20 students were involved in the fire training(my roommate didn't come cuz he's supposed to go to
The briefing room as I knew it.
The briefing as I drew it.
At 2.30(supposed to be 2.00, we all came early but the fire staff weren't there yet) we started on the interesting part; doing the practical hose drill. Beforehand we did some stretching exercise(I hate the part where we all lari setempat. My feet felt so painful). Then we got into our groups and had two group did the drill at the same time while the others wait. My position was no. 1, so I got to hold the nozzle and spray people! Unfortunately what was supposed to be fun turned out to be quite boring - the water pressure was low, so I had to be content with spraying the grass and encouraging weeds to grow instead of dousing other people with H2O. After that we did another drill(there are three different hose drills), though this one's only a dry run. At about 4.30 we stopped, have tea-tarik and karipap break before going back to our village.
The next day(Sunday) was a blast. Early morning, we had our briefing on the third hose drill, the one that we would be doing for real that evening. Then we did the practice drill just to prepare ourselves for the evening, came back inside for yet another slide session about the various fire-containing systems used in buildings and briefing on fire-fighting gears. After lunch, and after 2, the moment came. One by one, the groups did the third hose drill with real H2O. It was fun beyond words. I handled the nozzle, so I had the firsthand experience of controlling wickedly pressurized water blasting out of the nozzle while getting half your body - underwear and all - drenched. My boat-like shoes instantly pulled off a Titanic. After my group's turn, I went and took pics of other groups' drill. Then, four people from all of us was chosen to do the drill once again, this one to set the time record for V1 residents. Since I was the only person with a true digital camera around, I was excused from the dream team(though I won't mind joining) to be the cameraman instead. After setting a new time record(which wasn't actually record-breaking but otherwise not that bad) we had fun sloshing around the compound and wasting precious H2O. Then it was picture-taking time before we had our tea break and bid each other goodbye....
Pretty much everyone who went to the fire training is here.
Honestly the experience was priceless. I though that I would be bored stiff throughout the training. Guess it's fun doing extra curricular activity after all. Guess being an antisocial alien is bad anyway. Yet, of all the things that happened that day, I couldn't get the pictures when we all get wet during the final drill because the damn camera's batteries managed to lose power that very moment.....guess I should really go for Sony ones....
*SLAS - Sudden Lazy-Ass Syndrome
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