Memories…


The NS experience, one that all male Singaporeans can relate to. For many, this is one experience they wish they could do without; but for me, well, I definitely do not want to re-live my NS again, but the memories and friendship and life experiences that I’ve had from this experience, I’ll cherish and hold dear. One place that brought all these experiences together for me personally is the Officer Cadet’s School. The friendships, the suffering, the good times, the bad times, the times we almost got pissed drunk and the times we almost collapsed from sheer exhaustion, the stupid things we did and the stupid things we were made to do; most importantly, the WE that we could all identify with. This school, its buildings, the stones and tiles all stood witness to that.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about this place is the collective memories it holds for each and every batch of Officer Cadets, whether good or bad. The architecture may not have been amazing, groundbreaking or even fantastic. Some may even have liked to term it boring, but I find its spatial distribution, its hierarchy of spaces and its separation of private and public space very much the result of a successful design. While most spaces are not air conditioned, one would almost never feel the heat or be caught in the rain. Its attention to Singapore’s climatic features is reflected in its design what with high ceilings and strategically placed courtyards. And after having lived and used the place for 9 months of my NS stint, I must say that its design is a success.

Koh Eng Meng