In Continuum.

Dig, Scoop and Drop

I lined up for my food as usual a couple of days ago in camp.It was one of those mundane moments as you stare at the back of the guy in front of you wondering if he could move a tad bit faster.The employees of SFI(Singapore Food Industry)worked their asses off as usual,lined up in their aprons,caps and face masks scooping food into our plates.Food,that's a very nice way of putting it really.To be honest with you guys,no matter how much they try to convince us that the food is a big leap forward from the food they had like ten years ago,i still think it tastes like shit no matter what.

I know,that it is a tough job scooping food for a whole bloody battalion of soldiers but seriously,the food still tastes like a five day old lunch every single time,every time.The broccoli hardly passes as a broccoli,seriously.And the so-called "pork" refers to that little portion of meat under that huge chunk of bone.That is probably the reason why,the instant noodle industry is thriving very well in the military world.

Anyway,my point of this whole entry is this thought that i had while queueing up for my food.I remember this other occasion when myself and a couple of guys were tasked to pack out-rations for the new commanders who were training outfield.Basically,instead of eating in the cookhouse,those training outfield will have packed lunch.So we had to pack for them,basically.

Everytime that happens those staff would have to paste this sticker on this bag,and whoever collects it would have to sign in this column while a random staff would have to sign in another.So this lady was teaching me how to fill that form up when it was her turn to sign.

Here's the sad part.

She didnt know how to sign.Not even like,her own name.

So i asked what her surname was,and she said "Lim".So i told her to just write that down instead of just signing it.She didnt actually KNOW how to write "LIM" on that little line on the sticker.

Which made me think about how sad these staff of SFI are.I mean,every single day they are doing the same old shit.Dig into that tub of crap,scroop a chunk of those out and drop them down on the plate for us to eat.Then repeat that same motion for a thousand times before they get to breathe.Three times a day of that,and five days a week as well.They dont get well paid,they are not well-educated,and what kind of career options have they got?

It's just kind of sad,when everybody in this world,in the working world are trying their best to earn a living.A lawyer,a construction site worker,a doctor or like these SFI staff.They are all trying to earn a plate of food everyday,but they are just working on a dead end kinda job.Doing the same thing over and over.It saddens me to know that they are going to have...no way out of this crap ass job for the rest of their lives.Yeah,sure they can quit for something better.But what kind of job can they possibly get?

You dont know how to read,you dont know how to write.You dont know how to sign your name and neither do you know how to write your surname down on paper.Where can you go?What are you going to do with your life?

It's just kinda depressing to know that there are people in this world who have totally surrendered to their fates?That they tell themselves each and everyday,"This is it.This is as good as it gets" and never do anything about it.A screwed up life remains as that,and never takes a step forward and sometimes even backwards.How do they live with themselves,it confuses me sometimes.

It's scary how,or where life can bring you.And it's worse to know when you have totally surrendered to such a fate,to be beaten down by it and smile despite the utter pain inside.