relationship, sportsmanship and leadership

This is the second time it has happened.

These guys in my squad are either deaf, or they have absolutely no discernment at all. It could, no, it must, also be that they do things with no consideration of their consequences. A different group of them have been caught in the act of treating the new guys to their form of welcoming. I wouldn't want to go into much details because it will only make you readers irk. Now the management in my unit has already taken actions, drastic ones, not only against the culprits, but also against all else innocent parties in the squad.

That's the unfair part. But the most injustice thing to me, was the transferring out of my OC, who has been pillar (for me) in this squad. It's cliche to say so, but he is the best person I can talk to about anything. I found him a very approachable person, albeit a stern disposition. I wasn't even around during his last tour of duty, as I was on medical leave. Yesterday was his last day, and there was this unspoken sadness in me when he said this the first thing when he saw me yesterday morning: 'Zeya, today is my last day with you.' It's sad to see him be transferred out in such a short notice, but that's the hard fact of reality everywhere - dynamism and subsequent adaptation.

Well, I've decided to dedicate my 4th-placed medal I achieved today, at SOC Track & Field 10000m Men Open, to him. I ran for him. There were numerous times he unofficially let me off so that I can take part in events such as the Mizuno Wave Run, and the more recent SMRT challenge. I don't mean to just narrow every thing he has done for me to the former example. He has been such an impact in my NS life in SOC that it is simply doing him injustice to merely list them down. Whatever he 'preached', while others took it as nagging, I took it as wise words from a wise man.

Okay, that would have given you an idea of how much I respect him as a supervisor. To me, he will always be my OC.

Now, the 10000m Men Open. Controversy!

Yea I mentioned above that I got 4th place. Well, I will always believe that I was the 3rd guy to cross the finishing line. You see, there was this Indian guy, also NSF, who was very close to me for the first few rounds. I'd overtake him and he'd overtake me again. This happened a few times, until maybe the 8th or the 9th round when I started to pull away from him. That I remember very clearly, because I knew that there were only 2 runners ahead of me, in terms of position. And the status quo remained, or so I thought. I cross the line, believing that I'm 3rd, until the strange thing happened. That Indian guy, actually completed the race before me and was approaching me from the stands to ask what's my timing and position. When I told him I'm 3rd, he refuted and said that it's him who got 3rd.

I made this known to one of the officials, who was patient enough to hear my arguments. Obviously, that Indian guy wasn't talking. The officials who was keeping the record was on his side, and there was no way that they've made a mistake, or so they claimed. But I refuse to give up without putting up a fight (not literally) for a competitor's rights. To me, he ran 24 rounds instead of 25. This dispute was made known to the Convernor of the events, who then played the objective role by saying that the results will remain, unless that Indian guy admits that he indeed ran one less round. But obviously, he wasn't talking! And no person in the right frame of mind would give up a higher position for a lower one.

So back to the official whom I spoke to first. He said, "You know in your heart that you've got 3rd, and it plays down to sportsmanship. If that's really true, then he (the Indian guy) has no sportsmanship." I had to rest my case then. I guess it was God's way of telling me 'Eh, you ran with swollen face (from the tooth extraction), 4th place already very good okay!' Haha.

The run was at the nostalgic Home Team Academy by the way. After the entire event, we had lunch at the Cafeteria, which was our hang-out in the night back in the days of basic training there. This ASP from my company say beside me. He knows that I would be returning to serve the bond of my scholarship in the years to come. And without asking, he gave me what I regarded as a valuable advice: "As a leader, you've to lead by example. Be with your men, so that your men will be with you. When you meet difficult people, take the soft approach, talk. If it doesn't work, do it again. If it still doesn't work the third time, go on the hard one, then pull back."

Okay one last thing! A point having zero connection with the above. A point to prove NUS's efficiency. I made an appeal last Saturday via email to the Office of Admission, as I wanted to change my business adminstration course to economics. Don't ask me why - it's not because I don't know, neither is it because I don't want to say, I'm just lazy to type. But I think in that same number of words I could have told you why. Ok lah, I found economics a more relevant and personally suited course, that business admin, which is rather theoretical and not quite me. So the appeal was made on Saturday, but I assume they received my appeal yesterday, the start of the week. And today, they sent an email informing me that my appeal has been successful! How efficient!

Ok, so this has been another mass post.