Monday, June 20, 2005
2005 June Holidays First Week
AB Camp and OE
AB Camp (Alpha-Bravo Camp) is a leadership training camp. ODAC J1s are supposed to attend it. It was quite a good experience in a sense that, there are things about leadership to be learnt in the camp. ODAC people were split up to about two people to each group. I was in Blackfoot. There’s Snow (track), Izhar (council), Zhen Long(table tennis), Guo Jun(Chinese Orchestra), Nur Aini( interact), Marianne (AVA), Chang Tai (ODAC!) and Me (ODAC!).
First Day was spent in school and we played mission games. We didn’t win but had some fun out of it. Learning points are emphasized over and over again. Then there is bunk inspection and all the punishments (push-ups). Found out that I am suppose to be Day 2 campers I/C. I was in some sort of shock as I was hoping that I won’t be the camper’s I/C just before they announced it. Took the initiative with some other ODAC people ( Hazel in particular) to organize the bunks. Lunch was quite interesting as we are suppose to sit back to back with our teammates and eat lunch without using our own hands. So in the end, I was feeding Chang Tai and Chang Tai was feeding me. Got to complain about the fact that he kept shoving heaps of food into my mouth when I have not swallowed.
Second day, went to Sentosa to have Island training. We had some mission games again in the morning. One important point I have learnt is to be able to let go. If you have tried to help your teammate along for many times and it is hindering your process to the ultimate goal, it is time to learn to let go of things. Since we lost 3 games, we had to carry 12 bottles of 1.5l water with us in the afternoon. We had a lunch of bread with sardines and tuna since we didn’t win so many games. Then had some amazing race kind of game in the afternoon. After it ended, we were asked to blindfold ourselves on the bus and they said they will bring us to some unknown place… we ended up in some corner in AJC to do some reflections. Well, as camper’s I/C, I did quite a bit of running around to get things done. Maybe, I can consider it not as tough as being I/C in Red Cross. Thanks to all those trainings back in IJRCY. I think I did well as an I/C in terms of organizing the people. One particular incident was to split the whole group of 96 people to use different water coolers to fill their bottles before they rushed off in a disorganized manner.
Third Day, we played some games again and including the egg parachute thing. Oh yes, we were given 3 eggs before the games start. Zhen Long broke one egg in his pocket during a game. ODAC need not participate in the physical trainings on Day 3 but we hear it was tiring. We rose at the same time as them and helped to draw out plans to standardise the bunks though. Anyway, we left at lunchtime to go home to pack for our overseas expedition to Malaysia that evening.
We came back to AJ in the evening to do some more packing. We ordered pizza and Vanessa bought this yummy cake to celebrate Sheng Long’s birthday. Later that night we went on a bus that brought us to Malaysia customs then changed bus there. We reached the foot of Mount Belumut in the wee hours of the morning and it was cold! We unpacked when we reached base camp and brought the necessary stuff and went for the trek. Myra and Chingyi did not join us though because they had really bad blisters due to AB Camp. It was really dark and we had to turn on our headlights. Then these flies are so attracted to our lights. I think I sniffed in some flies. The trek was a tiring uphill climb and at times it was really steep. Managed to get to the summit. However, the climb down… I hurt my old injury at my left ankle. So I had to trek down slowly. I felt really bad to delay everyone. Thanks loads to Alan, my trekking buddy, Chang Tai, Sheng Long, Wan Hui, the seniors (especially Yan Ling) who accompanied me down. Teck Hao also sprained his ankle. Gosh. Both of us are alright now so no worries. After we descended, we took a bumpy ride on this truck to Sungei Yong waterfall. We still had to trek in a little, cross this bridge made out of logs with nowhere for you to hold on to and this small stream. We set up our tents and cooked at our camp side. The macaroni soup tasted nice- really. The water there was really clear and cool. When having our debrief at night, Sheng Long pointed out a firefly and shooting stars to me. As I was looking at the sky, I felt so close to nature. The sky was so filled with stars that are so bright and there is the creaking of the insects along with the soft murmur of the water nearby and the cool breeze. I saw the shooting stars flew past the midnight blue sky, it was so fast that it disappeared really soon.
The next day morning, the rest went to the top of the waterfall while a few of us (Alan, Teck Hao, Wan Hui, Elaine, Yan Ling) stayed at base camp with Mr Lim. When they came back, we packed and walked out a little to wait for our lorry. Our lorry came and it drove us out of the oil palm plantation to the main road where we boarded our bus. We went to this restaurant for lunch. The lunch was quite nice and we thought about AB Campers, eating food put in white Styrofoam boxes. We boarded the same bus all the way back to AJ. At the Singapore customs, Jia Sheng ask me to keep chewing gum in my bag and I refused. Sorry dude but you know it is illegal yet you want me to bring it over when it is not even mine. So we went back to AJ, cleaned up the equipment and all, changed and joined back AB Camp. We had a nice buffet dinner served to us by teachers and had a concert. It was a great dinner. It was really nice of some of the campers in my group to write me these short notes. After dinner, we cleaned up, packed and it was time to break camp and say our goodbyes. I hang around with the ODAC people for a while and dad came to pick me home. That was really nice of him! J
Really a fruitful week in which I had my fair share of fun and also had many take-aways about character development. I felt that I have indeed gained something out of this week of AB Camp and trekking.
AB Camp and OE
AB Camp (Alpha-Bravo Camp) is a leadership training camp. ODAC J1s are supposed to attend it. It was quite a good experience in a sense that, there are things about leadership to be learnt in the camp. ODAC people were split up to about two people to each group. I was in Blackfoot. There’s Snow (track), Izhar (council), Zhen Long(table tennis), Guo Jun(Chinese Orchestra), Nur Aini( interact), Marianne (AVA), Chang Tai (ODAC!) and Me (ODAC!).
First Day was spent in school and we played mission games. We didn’t win but had some fun out of it. Learning points are emphasized over and over again. Then there is bunk inspection and all the punishments (push-ups). Found out that I am suppose to be Day 2 campers I/C. I was in some sort of shock as I was hoping that I won’t be the camper’s I/C just before they announced it. Took the initiative with some other ODAC people ( Hazel in particular) to organize the bunks. Lunch was quite interesting as we are suppose to sit back to back with our teammates and eat lunch without using our own hands. So in the end, I was feeding Chang Tai and Chang Tai was feeding me. Got to complain about the fact that he kept shoving heaps of food into my mouth when I have not swallowed.
Second day, went to Sentosa to have Island training. We had some mission games again in the morning. One important point I have learnt is to be able to let go. If you have tried to help your teammate along for many times and it is hindering your process to the ultimate goal, it is time to learn to let go of things. Since we lost 3 games, we had to carry 12 bottles of 1.5l water with us in the afternoon. We had a lunch of bread with sardines and tuna since we didn’t win so many games. Then had some amazing race kind of game in the afternoon. After it ended, we were asked to blindfold ourselves on the bus and they said they will bring us to some unknown place… we ended up in some corner in AJC to do some reflections. Well, as camper’s I/C, I did quite a bit of running around to get things done. Maybe, I can consider it not as tough as being I/C in Red Cross. Thanks to all those trainings back in IJRCY. I think I did well as an I/C in terms of organizing the people. One particular incident was to split the whole group of 96 people to use different water coolers to fill their bottles before they rushed off in a disorganized manner.
Third Day, we played some games again and including the egg parachute thing. Oh yes, we were given 3 eggs before the games start. Zhen Long broke one egg in his pocket during a game. ODAC need not participate in the physical trainings on Day 3 but we hear it was tiring. We rose at the same time as them and helped to draw out plans to standardise the bunks though. Anyway, we left at lunchtime to go home to pack for our overseas expedition to Malaysia that evening.
We came back to AJ in the evening to do some more packing. We ordered pizza and Vanessa bought this yummy cake to celebrate Sheng Long’s birthday. Later that night we went on a bus that brought us to Malaysia customs then changed bus there. We reached the foot of Mount Belumut in the wee hours of the morning and it was cold! We unpacked when we reached base camp and brought the necessary stuff and went for the trek. Myra and Chingyi did not join us though because they had really bad blisters due to AB Camp. It was really dark and we had to turn on our headlights. Then these flies are so attracted to our lights. I think I sniffed in some flies. The trek was a tiring uphill climb and at times it was really steep. Managed to get to the summit. However, the climb down… I hurt my old injury at my left ankle. So I had to trek down slowly. I felt really bad to delay everyone. Thanks loads to Alan, my trekking buddy, Chang Tai, Sheng Long, Wan Hui, the seniors (especially Yan Ling) who accompanied me down. Teck Hao also sprained his ankle. Gosh. Both of us are alright now so no worries. After we descended, we took a bumpy ride on this truck to Sungei Yong waterfall. We still had to trek in a little, cross this bridge made out of logs with nowhere for you to hold on to and this small stream. We set up our tents and cooked at our camp side. The macaroni soup tasted nice- really. The water there was really clear and cool. When having our debrief at night, Sheng Long pointed out a firefly and shooting stars to me. As I was looking at the sky, I felt so close to nature. The sky was so filled with stars that are so bright and there is the creaking of the insects along with the soft murmur of the water nearby and the cool breeze. I saw the shooting stars flew past the midnight blue sky, it was so fast that it disappeared really soon.
The next day morning, the rest went to the top of the waterfall while a few of us (Alan, Teck Hao, Wan Hui, Elaine, Yan Ling) stayed at base camp with Mr Lim. When they came back, we packed and walked out a little to wait for our lorry. Our lorry came and it drove us out of the oil palm plantation to the main road where we boarded our bus. We went to this restaurant for lunch. The lunch was quite nice and we thought about AB Campers, eating food put in white Styrofoam boxes. We boarded the same bus all the way back to AJ. At the Singapore customs, Jia Sheng ask me to keep chewing gum in my bag and I refused. Sorry dude but you know it is illegal yet you want me to bring it over when it is not even mine. So we went back to AJ, cleaned up the equipment and all, changed and joined back AB Camp. We had a nice buffet dinner served to us by teachers and had a concert. It was a great dinner. It was really nice of some of the campers in my group to write me these short notes. After dinner, we cleaned up, packed and it was time to break camp and say our goodbyes. I hang around with the ODAC people for a while and dad came to pick me home. That was really nice of him! J
Really a fruitful week in which I had my fair share of fun and also had many take-aways about character development. I felt that I have indeed gained something out of this week of AB Camp and trekking.
what we could have been, 12:18 PM.
