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Permission to Come Aboard...


Picture credit here

"Atteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen-shun!"

31 bodies in immaculate white uniforms snapped smartly to attention, sitting rigidly in their seats. 29 cadets with faces unsure of how this person standing in front of them would be - strict, rigid, disciplined?... or relaxed, easy-going, and a slacker for the rules? The 2 officers among them looked cool and unaffected.

I walked briskly but surely to the table at the front of the room, put my things down, and faced the class.

The cadet-in-charge for the day got up from her seat and walked smartly in my direction. Upon reaching the spot exactly half a metre from me she halted and snapped to attention.

"Assalamualaikum sir!" She said in a clear, clipped voice. "29 cadets and 2 officers reporting for duty, requesting permission to carry on, sir!"

As if by imprinted on a cellular level, my body responded almost automatically through half-remembered gestures and nuances.I was transported to another place, and another time, where instead of clean white uniforms, I saw the dark blue uniforms of the cadets of the Royal Malaysian Police...

I realised I too was standing at attention.

"Carry on" I responded, also speaking in clear, clipped tones.

This was going to be interesting... Teaching English to Officer Cadets of the Royal Navy.

Comments

izzati fuad said…
wah...are u in lumut?
Yana Ismail said…
huhu..teringat my bro..alaahai..rindu;(

mesti mereka seronok. u ajar..huhu;)
Ijat,
Yeah,i'm here in lumut..wanna keep me company? :-)

Liyana,
I'm having a great time teaching here..d cadets are really nice students..UTM students can sure learn a thing or two frm them
izzati fuad said…
nak! nak! i jalan-jalan,cik lah mengajar la ye? :P ahaha
Anonymous said…
Sir..........
Vulcan team reported.....
thank for teaching us sir............
www.cereal_89@yahoo.com
Yana Ismail said…
Huhu,memang kami blh blajar bykk dr mereka,huhu.nk ikot jalan2 jgak,huhu
Anonymous said…
On board a ship???
Vulcan,
It was a pleasure to have you on board.. :-)

Anonymous,
It's a figure of speech,u nincompoop! ;-)
Hehehe..
Anonymous said…
Sir,would u send the picture that we took all of it ....
send at my email....



www.cereal_89@yahoo.com
Syafiq,
I will upload to my flickr and then give u the url

Liyana,
Sorry...I dah sampai rumah pagi td... hehehehehe...
Guys,

here is the link to the flickr url
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16870599@N03/3083991400/
Syafiq Suraji said…
sir, u r teaching navy cadets huh..
surely no latecomers like me aite?..
btw enjoy ur new experience...
Chuck,

Latecomers are severely punished in the navy...
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