Life onboard..

If there is someone who hates rain,come onboard with me to the ship. Every morning we pray for rain,so that we can skip morning PT. Thats how our day begins here. Welcome to the second phase of my training...
Our day begins by the pipe's call (a small curved pipe that produce a soft sound) usually referred as hands call at 0530 hrs. We pick up out toilet kit and rush not to be late,for the fresh water will be available only for the next 10mins. Shave,brushing or anything else using water which forms the routine has to be completed within this short span. At 6,we gather for morning pt. It ends at 0730hrs. Again the fresh water will be available for the next 10 mins.
Soon after breakfast, people designated as messmen for the day carries out cleanship,and rest of us arrange our beds to the so called ship state condition. Believe me,ship is a congested place to inhabit for us,but a paradise to bed bugs,cockroaches,rats and diseases until and unless we keep it clean.

Lectures are boring,a few are good. Its the time meant for second slumber until we hear the announcement "hands to lunch ". The much awaited lunch and sweet dish vanish from the kitchen in no time. But that is the time I hate the most. There are a few rascals who always break queues and fight for food. And believe me I dont stand there with my hands tied and mouth shut as before. I react,and atleast a few have changed their attitude.

Evenings are beautiful. We may get an hour's liberty,which is more than enough to have a 'chai n snack'. Dinner begins at 1830 hrs,but we go to bed only by 2230 hrs. Dinner will be light on account of the snack and taste. So we order buffer food via civilian bearer. This is the best part of stay. Upto 2000hrs we will be fiddling with our phones,and soon after that,when we settle for study periods,we will be struggling with the apetite to have porotta,or brosted chicken and the fizzy drinks.

Privacy is the factor which lacks here. May it be the bathroom or the bunker. If there is a piece of biscuit,there will be a hundred hands to share. So eating under cover,is not just a matter of stealth,but a matter of survival. 4 mallus and a manipuri forms our peer. We have found the serving berth of mess as a cover and the big blower pipe's platform as a haven to have food. The duty cooks will b doing their duty adjacent to our dining area. So we have to be extremely careful not to crack jokes, whisper and not to choke and cough while having food in a haste. Even the soft drink bottle has to be opened without a single fizzy noise. Thats the funniest part. We learn how to communicate through actions. Sometimes certain looks even convey some meanings. Thats how we learn about each other, thats how we learn comradeship... Will be back with more stories. This is just a beginning.. Stay tuned.