Standing outside a headmaster's office while some kid gets what you are about to get. But that was a cane. The rotan is more than a metre long, and around a centimetre thick. One end is neatly bound in pink string to provide a firm grip for the warder, who will arrive at the punishment block with a bundle of half a dozen or so canes tucked under his arm. The warder will be dressed in khaki trousers but will wear a white T shirt instead of his usual uniform top.
Freedom of movement is essential.
Before punishment begins, he will loosen up by beating the crap out of a large feather pillow, and making a lot of noise in the process. Just so that everybody knows what to expect. If this felt like it sounded, this was going to hurt a hell of a lot. I was second. Sitting through any more of these would have been almost as bad as the punishment itself.