Blast from the Past: ROD not ORD

From MrBrown some time back... on days so way back that there were no handphones then so you had to queue up at the public payphone along with the other guys. Back when there were 3-tonners, not the Man 5-tonners now.

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You know you are getting old, if during your NS days...

There is a delightful thread on Sammyboy.com about how you can tell you are getting old, based on your National Service days. I added some of my own to the list. The Lau Peng amongst you, feel free to add to the list in the comments section. I also added some photos from my Army days in my Flickr below.

You know you are getting old, if during your NS days:

1. You were trained to use M16 and have no idea what SAR21 is.
2. You used an AR-15 before.
3. You used a metal tray for meals, and you had to wash them after use.
4. You were "served" by army regulars (who will show you a f**k face and scold you for not holding your tray properly) during mealtimes in cookhouse.
5. You joked about having ice cream for lunch in the cookhouse... and now they do.
6. Your cookhouse food was cooked by actual army cooks.
7. Your sergeant was simply known as "Sergeant", and had only 3-stripes.
8. You did not hear of any NSman "dying suddenly".
9. You were known as the "second-generation thinking soldiers".
10. You had to do "area cleaning" every morning.
11. You were ferried from one place to another in 3-tonners, not air-con buses.
12. Your 3-tonners sat more than 30 people.
13. You had to queue to use the public phone whenever you have to make a call.
14. Your combat rations consisted of "dog biscuits" + canned sardines + canned pork cubes.
15. You wore dog-tags because you were told to do so and had no choice; not because it was "fashionable".
16. You were issued those cheapo China-made black PT shoes (and yet you were able to pass IPPT using them).
17. You ogled at the canteen Ah Soh with lust because she was the only woman in the camp.
18. You even found the Chief Clerk attractive.
19. You carried the same made-in-China plastic mug for brushing the teeth, drinking tap water, cooking instant noodles, drinking some lame diluted beverage from the chow line, and slurping up night snack.
20. You wore No. 4 uniform that was meant for colder climate and had a rubbery inner lining which caused heatstroke during a 10k run.
21. You wore a WW2 American helmet.
22. Your Skeleton Battle Order (SBO) was called "the bra".
23. Your stand-by-bed had safety pins all under the bedsheet.
24. Your S1 office had typewriters.
25. You wore green PT t-shirts that expanded after a few washings.
26. Your made-in-China PT shorts were all blue and made of very thin material.
27. Your swimming trunks were black and look like tight shorts.
28. Your Ali Baba bag had no wheels.
29. Your Ali Baba bag was a long khaki sack.
30. Your boots had to be polished till you could see your reflection in it.
31. You used a heated metal spoon and kiwi to polish your boots.
32. You know what a Change Parade is.
33. Your name tag was handwritten with a black marker and a stencil.
34. Your bedsheets had a funky smell even when they were newly washed.
35. You got $20 for acing your IPPT, not $400.
36. You zeroed your weapon with a Canadian bull (or k*-n*-n*-b*) instead of an electronic oscilloscope.
37. You were part of butt parties during range.
38. You don't know what ORD is, but you know what ROD is.