8 Comments
Sep 14·edited Sep 14Liked by Constantine Markides

I read your soldiering series like I watch vloggers in Armenia and Georgia i.e. I wish I was on holiday there, sharing coffee and kebabs. Our guys did 12hr shifts for 7 days, and if anyone misbehaved like this, they'd have been in jail, and their service time extended by the period they were imprisoned.

Expand full comment
author

I never would have thought of myself as the type who would crave some martial discipline, but it was a constant (and unfulfilled) fantasy of mine.

Expand full comment

It takes the tardiness of others to make us realise we don’t want to be them.

Expand full comment
Sep 14Liked by Constantine Markides

Another great post, but I have to believe there is a bit of exaggeration within your words. 😼

Expand full comment
author

Ha, I know it seems hard to believe but I took pretty meticulous notes and had a microrecorder on me most of the time. If there are any Cypriots out there reading this who were in the Arohas Conscription series, I bet they can back this up with their own first hand experience :)

Expand full comment

Okay, I believe you. 🐈‍⬛

Expand full comment
Sep 14Liked by Constantine Markides

Ahh, barracks life,if we acted like that we'd all be in the brigg. Then sent home with a dishonorable discharge,

But we had contact with the enemy three times a day.

It's name?

Army chow.

Expand full comment
author

Bon appétit!

Any sane army would. I wasn’t expecting a Full Metal Jacket-style boot camp experience but I also wasn’t expecting Confederacy of Dunces…

Expand full comment