A Slice of Life : Author : Dr. K.S. Kang

A Slice of Life

                                                                                Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

They called us cadets so as to make us feel special, unique and different from others though we were also normal students of a normal residential school. Since aim of our school was to hunt and tap officer material for the security forces so our day began at 5.30 a.m in the morning with rising bell. You were lucky if you did not find yourself waiting in a long queue before the washing room situated at the end of the hostel, that were termed as house named after several historical and illustrious personalities again so as to make us feel different from others. After getting ready quickly for morning Physical  Training session that lasted for almost one hour. If you were not in habit of rising early then surely you were bound to get late for PT and had strong probability of facing verbal volleys from Duty Master and PT instructor. PT was a daily ritual of jogging and a few physical exercises and running in the ground and if it was wet and rainy then this ritual was performed in the verandahs of the hostels. After the PT you would be fortunate to find early place in washrooms for bath lest you can find yourself at the end of a long queue outside bathrooms situated at other end of the hostels. After quick bath you have to dress up in Khaki uniform if it is not Saturday. Again to feel us special and unique we had don Khaki shirt, half pants and pants in winter, with black leather shoes and blue stockings. So as to give us a feel of soldier we had to wear a berry cap with school emblem and if it was a ceremonial parade then it had to be with an orange heckle. Like a soldier there were shoulder flaps with school and hostel’s name in brass and name plate at the top of right pocket and if you had some trinket then you can wear it on the left pocket. Champion house was give privilege of wearing a coloured lionyard too. Then there was a web or leather belt also to be worn daily. Evenings were spent in shining and polishing these accessories of the uniform by brassoinng the metal accessories and polishing and blancoing the web belt other wise you could be pointed out and punished for you poor turn out causing embarrassment for your house. After dressing up we had to march all the way to mess for breakfast and then to Parade Ground for School assembly that ended with march past giving salute to officer in charge. After the assembly there used to be classes till 1.30 p.m and as most of us were tired after the rigorous exercises in the morning so most of us used to feel sleepy in the last periods particularly if the last periods happened to be of Maths or Science subjects. After the classes we again marched to mess for lunch and after lunch we used to hurry to ur houses so as to get some rest. You had to cut your rest time if you were interested in Library or some other hobby activity as the classes for it were scheduled to be at 3 p.m. After the evening tea that was served in the hostels you have again to wear white shirts, white shorts and canvas shoes that had also to blancoed atleast twice a week so as to keep it shining white and assemble for compulsory games that used to be continue till 5.30 in the evening where you could p0lay several games like Basketball, volley ball, cricket, tennis and even baseball but mostly football was being played most of the days and most of the time. After the games again there was a hurried bath, as you were full of sweat and dirt after the games and the evening dress used to be white shirt, white pant with a school tie and we had to get ready for evening studies that were popularly known as Prep in the hostels, which were supervised by one of the teachers. It continued till 8.00 p.m when we again marched to mess to get the dinner lazily and lethargically. After dinner though some among us preferred to study but most f us considered our beds as final destination. This was the normal routine of a cadet of a residential school with military bias training.