National Service in Kem Etnobotani, Gua Musang.

After 11 years of formal schooling and now waiting for her exam results prior deciding on her next step, my daugther Yan Yee was eagerly waiting to be called up for national service. It did not take long, after about a month after her final exam, her name was found listed and her assigned base camp is at the Etnobotany gardens in Gua Musang, Kelantan.

I am glad she was finally called up, she told me it would have been dissapointing if she was not. Only 80% of the qualified candidates are actually called up this year. The training will last from late December to mid March and it will be her first time to be that far away from home for such a long duration.

As a father, I was worried whether she could survive the tough environment and challenges she is going to encounter soon as all this while, she was leading a sheltered life shielded from the harsh realities of life in society. But at the same time, I know deep down there will come a time in her life where she will need to and must learn, that there is no running back to papa or mummy everytime she come across an obstacle but to face it and cross that bridge by herself, there is no better way I can think of to start being independent than being in a supervised camp performing her national service.

On her 3rd week at Kem Ethnobotani, parents were invited to be there for a formal family day visit. From Taiping we drove 240 km to reach Gua Musang, passing through part of Cameron Highlands via Simpang Pulai. It was quite a scenic drive throughout with a number of bends and corners encountered along the way which make it that little bit more exciting, the journey lasted for about 3 hours.

(National Service Personnels assembled for the commandant's review)

(March Pass)

(Obstacle course demonstration)

(Yan Yee with her friends)

(The Family)
(Private Yan Yee resting her tired legs)

On the drive home, I was rather please she had adapted reasonably well with camp life and I have no doubts what so ever that she will do well and survive it. Our baby girl has grown and became more mature in the last 3 weeks, the time for us to let go gradually and be less protective has begun as she enters her next phase towards adulthood.