Sleepy night the day before the camp, running to buy utensils as I totally missed out the utensils from the list, can't find till I gave up and went to the Hougang to search for it. I did not look forward on going to the camp but it was compulsory. Heard the entire story from my sister who went to OBS (Outward Bound Singapore) her bad memories pushed to me.
Having a different environment around make me feel weird, unusual as things that I always have is not with me, especially hand phone. Hand phone was not allowed to be brought to the camp. All I brought was water, things listed on the piece of paper, wallet and a fan. I made a right choice that I brought the fan as it was hot and now still hot there as there was no shelter. As I love to be in coldness, without air-con was the toughest thing ever.
Sun was blistering. I was sweating. Every second my skin becoming darker. I was drying up, water decreasing but temperature does not change. Finally the supervisor came, but was briefing to us slowly, teaching us what to respond like 'SAINTS Oiiiii' we must respond "oiiii....~~" I did not know that I would experience again that 1 second is a very long period of time.
Next, our class set up the tents, wondering why they never set for us. As we fix the tent, I realised that tent is not so easy to fix alone but easier if we fix it together. Fixing tents were not the way I thought it would be. I realised that even this small matter of fixing the tent also requires teamwork. When I went in the tent, it was as hot as standing in a crowded place with fire surrounding around me.
As I see the watch second hand ticking one by one, reached the time where the entire student currently in our school, dismissed and walking back home, but we were listening to our trainers. I did not feel relaxed as we must follow what the trainers said. We were like robots that listen to the teachers and just doing it.
Our first activity was rafting. My imagination was rafting a stable, prepared raft but my imagination cracked as I heard that we must make with four sticks and four tires. We grouped ourselves into two and finally made one. We took turn and I finally got cooled with sea water. Comparing this with other activities was boring. Other activities for the first day were something that we can play in our normal lives.
Lunch was my only time that I enjoyed most. I was tired after the physical activities that we done after rafting. To my surprise, it was given with the container and a plastic spoon. I wondered what my effort was, searching around for utensils. The proportion was small. The food was nice as we were hungry. We did activities after the lunch but were boring as we did these kinds of activities before in primary school.
When it was time for bed, luckily we were able to shower as there was toilet but the toilet was flooding and muddy. The mud is caused by the normal academy peoples after their mud activities. I am not so satisfied with these inconsiderate peoples. They should wash themselves by the hose first rather than making us feeling uncomfortable while showering.
We slept in the tent but it was not comfortable to sleep in as there was 8 peoples sleeping in one tent and also, the guy sleeping next to me keep on insisting that he want to sleep head the other way round as it was hot but I kept on shouting and complaining as if I sleep with his head on the other side, it also mean that his feet will be facing me. I felt so unhygienic and I forced him to turn back to the original sleeping position.
I thought this procedure will continue for the next day also, but a miracle happened. I would call it a god’s blessing. It rained. I was jubilant as the number of after lunch activity was reduced, but the blessing did not last long. We replaced the outdoor activities with indoor activities. It was another ‘waste of time’ game. I felt the school was cheated 80 dollar each person as it was not worth the money, doing these activities that we already done and know. These activities on the second day was just using of muscles and brain of a primary 5 kid’s knowledge.
We should have gone to some rock climbing place and experience new things which is the goal of this camp. Kayaking was another imagination. I finally realised that being at home is the best thing ever as I could do the things I want to do, move when I want to, not being controls around like this camp.
Campfire, to describe it in one word is boring. The fire was dim. The activities that we did during the campfire were dull. It was dark. I just could not see a thing. When we were watching the dancing competition, some of the people shined the light at our player, letting them not see the trainers dancing, so that he cannot mimic the trainers. Teachers did not stop them too.
Our final day was just cleaning up, trainers saying to make this place cleaner then before but I thought that is impossible as we did not have sweet wrappers or some biscuit as they were not allowed.
We headed back to school, dismissed and the next day we have school. I wanted one day of holiday for us to relax ourselves at home, air con to the max and sleep for like 24 hours, enough for us to release this 3 days of stress and tiredness.
The environment was better than OBS but wanted activities that OBS gives like 8 hours continuously of kayaking or some rock climbing.
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