With under two weeks left before I have to surrender myself to the local concentration camp report for enlistment, I took the the task of shopping for the necessities.

I’m a geek, and the only bag I own which carries anything worthwhile is my Targus laptop backpack, and that wouldn’t do. I settled on one of those side-carried sports utility bags, much like those which terrorists in fiction love to carry around their arms and bombs in. Next were a few miscellaneous items like clothes hangers, washing powder (can’t wait to sing “Laundry Day” while doing my own laundry) and a pair of swimming goggles which somewhat matched my eyesight but not really at the same time. I’m sure I’ll bump into something with it on.

I’ve been advised to get a pair of cheap plastic spectacles but I can’t be bothered to. With my eyesight, there’s no such thing as “cheap” spectacles. And frankly, a pair of huge, thick and black plastic spectacles would just make me look plain dumb.

After going countless years without a watch, I treated myself to one. I carried one that had its wrist bands broken in my pocket throughout secondary school, and after that I relied on my mobile phone as a time keeper. I’m allowed to bring in a mobile phone, but not carry around with me all the time, so I’ve no choice but to settle for a cheap digital watch.

On the topic of mobile phones, although my Sony Ericsson W950i should be allowed in without problem since it’s not a camera phone and it does not have any removable memory sticks (4 GB internal flash ftw), I decided not to take the risk of either having it confiscated or stolen, and downgrade to an old school phone like every other fellow NS-men. In my case, it was a Nokia 6100 which was handed down to me by my dad. I’ll be able to make calls from time to time, although I’m not sure who I would call. There isn’t many people that I talk on the phone to.

Left: W950i. Right: 6100

The remaining items, which are not pictured are the stuff which I have but can’t pack yet, due to obvious reasons, such as toiletries, underwear, nail clipper and slippers.

Aside from all the above, I bought a pack of mixed vegetables and a dozen more eggs to supplement the grind of my egg cooking skills (omelet, half-boiled, hard-boiled, scrambled, regular fried). I’m not sure what I’ll use the mixed vegetables for at this point. I’ve survived on a week of my own cooking so far (because my mom started work), but I’m rapidly running out of ideas on what to make that’s within my reach.