Two months have passed since the Senior 1 students had off-campus military training in the beginning of this semester, but I still have a very fresh memory of the four-day training and I know I have learned some things that will benefit my life.

    On the first day when the military training instructors came to our school, we were full of excitement — we could be out of school for four days without our teachers’ supervision and could enjoy something different from the everyday campus life.

    Everyone seemed to be quite happy with what would come next. However, when the stern-faced instructor stepped into our classroom, the whole room suddenly became quiet and we were stricken by a nervous tension.

    Then, half an hour later, we got to the training center by bus and started our training. The instructor of my class, surnamed Liu, was a very serious and strict man. He made an impression on us that he was tough — completely different from our more patient teachers, and that he would not tolerate any mistakes in our training.

    On the first day, we didn’t see a smile on his face at all. But as time went by, Liu and the students got a little closer and we sometimes saw him smiling. I thought he was a warm-hearted man inside and only pretended to be emotionless.

    During the last two days, we were able to do the parade steps and morning exercises, but we couldn’t do it very well. Liu taught us with great patience, again and again, and finally we learned to do the steps in a tidy pace. Each time we made progress, Liu would give us a rest as a reward.

    On the last day we passed the training examination. We were all relieved that our intense training was over. But honestly, we were also a little sad that we would leave this place of such unforgettable memories and the people with whom we had made close friendships.

    I will treasure these memories, and use the experience to help me to do my best in facing all future challenges.