ORD Commemorative Post I: Smells of 2008-'09

January to March 2008
The overpowering stench of brine from the estuary and garbage from the swill point
The smell of equipment fresh out of plastic covers, screaming out to be dirtied somewhere
The first whiff of Tekong and Marsiling
The sea breeze

March to May 2008
The smell of sterile equipment
The smell of equipment that has been sterile for a long time
The smell of blood
Whatever the rest of Nee Soon Camp smells like

June 2008
The smell of my helmet which has never been washed
The smell of other non-washèd equipment, not unpleasant, but boasting of long service anyway
The smell of airfields
The smell of air 1000ft above ground (actually doesn't smell much)
The smell of training mats
The smell of the dustbin I emptied with maggots the size of my pinky crawling towards the rim

July to August 2008
Can't remember what this smell is like, but am sure it is not good

September 2008
The Brunei forest smell (ah, so sweet and beckoning)
The swamp's aggressive pong halfway between Rotorua and a wet oil painting
The smell of permethrin
The smell of Biang (forest smell + awesome cooling wetness!)

October to November 2008
Smelling whatever that need to be smelled across the island. YARRRR! 86.3k FTW

December 2008 to February 2009
The smell of harbour water
The smell of harbour water after you wash it off in the shower, and when the drains are choked

March to April 2009
Taiwan's welcome with spring flowers
Taiwan's welcome with unhealhy but very tempting foodstuff
Instant noodle from the dispenser
Funny assorted drinks from the dispenser
Pork and non-Thailand rice and lots of gravy
Spray paint, wood dust, marker ink in the planning room
The mouldy smellin' draughts

April to May 2009
The smell of keropok (and the breakfast, the lunch, and the dinner, which are all the same really)
The smell of the thingimmabob you have to eat with a raw green chilli, and which I usually don't
The smell of teh botol
My buddy's canned food
Toilets (now how do I forget this)

June to August 2009
The stench of sweat (never been worse than now)
Superheated tarmac
Raspberry ice cream
The new bunks

September to October 2009
The new bunks
The brine again
Vico, Milo's bastard half-brother
Tekong (this time underground)
The smell of the auditorium (and business center)
Choco mints
Bananalite
Beef teriyaki and lamb stew freeze-dried
Fruit grains
Tea from the blended drinks stall in the canteen laden with cream and sugar
Dogs
The Thailand underground
A herb which has a smell I find very irritating (Mentha sp.?)
Thailand food obtained through clandestine purchase

October 2009
The smell of an empty bunk.
And then came the smell of a thunderstorm. I watched the rain and watched people get wet as they ran past the parade square.

November 2009