I didn’t expect an invitation to the bloggers’ preview for the Navy Open House so when it arrived, I was both amused and curious. As it turned out, I was the ONLY female blogger who showed up. LOL! But I have to say that it all went swimmingly well and I had a whale of a time. 
If you’ve read my previous blogpost about the disastrous hair color I received the day before the preview, you will not be surprised by these pictures of me hiding my hair under a cap.
I have to state, upfront, that I found the preview so enjoyable thanks to one man, funnyman Terence Ong. He’s apparently one of the higher ranked officers in the Navy but I like the fella – he’s funny!
I was very nervous at the sight of ginormous mock-ups of missiles – some KILL planes, ships, subs, etc *shiver* But I could tell that Terence, aka “Sir” was very happy to share about those missiles. (@_@)
I had thought navy officers would be people without a sense of humor because everything associated with national defence is usually awe-inspiring and stern and not funny at all. Hur hur. But at the preview, I found that they are actually normal folks with extraordinary careers. I was also made to feel really at home by the lovely Lieutenant Q T Lin:
I was very surprised to meet this pretty female officer. In fact, I could not help but ask her why she decided to join the navy. She shared with me that her dad badly wanted a son and I guess, raised her up like one. So she’s no less capable than a guy at roughing it out and I found it interesting when she mentioned that the guys would cuss less whenever female officers were around. She also told me that it was no different working around guys – we are all just… people. And that made so much sense!
And one of the things I loved most at the Open House preview was the many photo opportunities. LOL! Here’s one well-taken picture of me from fellow blogger, Jerome’s blog:
I suppose I look dangerous… and an easy target – uniforms must never come in bright pink!
And there was a funny moment when I had to pose with another officer, who was kinda like… Are you serious? I have to pose with HER??!!
You’d probably have guessed by now that I’m not going to introduce the names of guns and warships to you, ‘cos *ahem* it’s not of special interest to me but at the end of this blogpost will be links to the male bloggers who will tell you about the corvettes, typhoon guns, amphibious crafts, and such. 
And here are two bloggers, all dressed up and looking very friendly. HP and Andy:
I also got a photo taken with naval divers. Apparently these guys don’t blink, their eyes are wide open in EVERY picture!
Tip: If you want to stand out in pictures at the Open House, ditch clothes in white, black, grey, brown etc.
We witnessed the storming of a ship, saw a submarine from afar, and spotted the divers dropping out of helicopters into the water. There’s nothing quite like experiencing this firsthand so make sure you are there at the Navy Open House this weekend!
You won’t be able to board a submarine ‘cos what goes on inside is all top-secret stuff but you can enter the mock-up and see how submariners live!
And there’s a whole range of vehicles you can check out, and pose in…
Here I am, looking very smug atop a tank:
And the biggest gun that day… which I’m told would have made me fly backwards from the recoil under normal circumstances.
We also went for a cruise, on one of the navy’s ships! It was too cool!
Funnyman Terence Ong aka “Sir” also found me a spot near the front of the ship when it was going at top speed and my goodness, the strong winds gave me an instant facelift! If I’m looking younger now, I have him to thank!
Snapped a picture of Sir mid-speech, with daddy blogger Andy next to him:
Bring your children along for an unforgettable experience! As long as your kids are not cranky, and don’t start wailing under a little sun, it’s fine. This blogger’s kids were super well-behaved and had a lot of fun!
And finally, a group picture after a memorable cruise experience!
See how easy it is to spot me? What did I tell you about choice of outfit color?
For the male blogger’s perspective about the Open House preview:
2) HP’s blog
Final words: I’m very thankful for this great experience – would never have thought that the Navy Open House is such fun! Many thanks to the fabulous folks at MINDEF for the invite, the Sirs and the Mams for being so welcoming and lots of thanks to everyone in the Navy for protecting our country and keeping our waters safe from external threat! *salute* 
Visit the Navy’s Facebook page and show them some love HERE.
When visiting the Navy Open House, do bring:
1) A cap
2) Sunblock
3) Water
4) Sunglasses
And wear a comfortable t-shirt and jeans or long pants, with track shoes. No slippers, sandals, heels, dresses or skirts as you may be boarding a ship and some “climbing” is involved. Balloting is required for some cruises.
See you at the Navy Open House!
18th and 19th May, Changi Naval Base.
Entrance only via shuttle bus from Singapore Expo, 8am to 4.30pm on 18th May and 8.30am to 4.30pm on 19th May. Visit the Navy Open House website HERE.
