In one of his most memorable experiences during National Service (NS), Corporal First Class (CFC) (NS) Harold Cheng found himself stranded with his three-man detachment in a mango plantation at midnight while training overseas in 2011. If that wasn't scary enough, the group also stumbled onto an enormous gravesite.
"I asked my superstitious second-in-command in jest if he'd like to hold my hand. He said 'yes'," recalled CFC (NS) Cheng, a signaller in 167th Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) Battalion.
"So there we were, decked out in full battle order, holding hands as we navigated our way through mango trees and dead people."
Funny anecdotes like this come easily to CFC (NS) Cheng, a computer graphic artist and avid gamer.
One person who appreciates his fun-loving attitude is his wife, Elizabeth Huang. The two met while studying in Nanyang Polytechnic and dated for eight years, making it through his NS and studies, before settling down together in 2015.
"Looks fade but a sense of humour can only get better," said Ms Huang.
"We believe that couples that play together, stay together. Unless we find a really powerful sword or something in a game, in which case all bets are off!"
The two are clearly kindred spirits, something that he realised soon after meeting her. "I knew from the moment Elizabeth made me laugh that I was going to marry her one day. We're soulmates."
