"The One with the pathway of the PTD..."

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Now if I were to describe to you in detail how my weekend went, particularly in dominant involving my recent PTD Assesment Centre (PAC); I'd extend this post into a huge transcript - like those email forwards.

Nothing could exactly articulate how I felt after the conclusion of the PAC yesterday. In a way, the whole 3-day assessment was gruesomely tiring, and emotionally as well as physically demanding (think running 2.4kms uphill in 12 minutes) but nevertheless weirdly satisfying. I couldn't begin explaining what it is that kinda ruffles this satisfaction I feel beyond comprehension, but I guess it kinda has something to do with the fact that this PAC has made me discover certain parts of me I've never known before; as well as certain aspects of myself which I thought would never surface again (oh, and definitely needs some brush up on!).

The PAC kinda had it all - public speaking, real parliamentary debates, problem solving, case studies, endurance run and fitness performance test, you name it. Like a commando's knife it crammed all the qualities a future PTD officer should excel in, and be assessed on. And the candidates; were another kind. Really rather the cream of the crop - considering apart from the 16,000 throngs of PTD wannabe's that took the initial preliminary exam, only 2000 were filtered through into this PAC. And from these 2000, only 800 will find it into the next interview session.

I guess one of the things that you could learn from life by going through these experiences is the ability to meet and greet new people - not only people you've never known but the type of individuals that has flairs and characteristics we've known nothing of. In short, brushing on your social and communication skills. Isolating the black sheeps from the white ones. The introverts from the extroverts. The passive from the active. I was rather lucky to have rekindled with some of my previous acquaintances from Asasi and UMS who was also a part of the PAC here at INTENGAH (INTAN Wilayah Tengah).

We went through a lot actually - waking up at 6am in the morning with non-stop activities till 10.30pm everyday. And in the same time keeping a sane-ly mental and physical appearance. We're evaluated constantly by the panels at all times - when we eat, sit, talk, even walk. Sometimes I wonder if most of the candidates were really being themselves (especially me..*sigh*).

But in the end, we concluded the whole session feeling satisfied with ourselves. Of course, these experiences are somewhat I felt worthwhile, and of course something I'll definitely share with my prodigies to come. Frankly I guess everyone needs these sorta things you know, to challenge yourself to a certain extent, to see if your really the person you think you are. And regardless of whether all of us make it into the interviews - I believe we all went home worthy of cause. At least better than those 20 which bid farewell halfway through PAC.

-JeP