I woke up to yet another Monday. On the surface, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for the brief shower that occurred at dawn. As I understood it, during the first half of the year in the Philippines—right before the rainy season—rain typically fell in the afternoons.
I didn't mind it. When I peered out the window, a dreamy mist had settled over the town, and the air was thick with petrichor.
This Monday, the fifth of February, marked the first day of the second week of training. As planned, it was time to issue rifles to the recruits and begin marksmanship training.
Unsurprisingly, the mere sight of rifle crates being carried out of the Casa Real had the recruits murmuring with excitement in their formation. Smiles spread across their faces despite the wet condition of the plaza, where mud and puddles soaked their boots.
