Outward Bound Singapore!
Friday, June 4, 2010 @ 6:55 PM
HELLO I'M BACK!
So here's a rough explanation!
For all our meals:
Well, we cooked our own dinner using solid fuel.
Cooked like Maggi mee, and stuff like luncheon (lanjiao) meat :X
and braised peanuts (my favourite!) :D.
Breakfast and lunch we ate bread with condiments and stuff,
Uncle Toby's and more.
DAY 1.
Well, we had an orientation with Cecilia, our instructor. :D.
So yeah, pretty unsure of everyone though.
I was glad I made more friends through this camp! :D.
So yeah, we learnt quite alot of communication skills.
I chose to be the Day 1 IC with Wei Xiang :X
Then we went to our 'void deck' or store, it was like a chalet.
LOL, inside very smelly :X
Okay, so we learnt how to capsize in a kayak and empty it of water and stuff.
Wore the long sleeves and (baggy) track pants.
So yeah, that was pretty much it, in the day.
I also volunteered to be the Sea Expedition Leader! :D, and along with Jordan! :D
At night, we slept up a hill, it was pretty much a forest though.
Loads of sandflies and mosquitoes made the night quite unbearable,
but we managed to sleep it through.
Slept with Wei Xiang (Lex) and Jordan Tan :D.
Day 2.
Woke up in the morning, and we did belayer school,
which was kinda boring, cause I knew how.
Plus the belaying method is like so, weird.
I couldn't do it properly.
I must do it like how I was used to in school ><.
Then we tried the trust fall, whereby everyone would stand up a raised platform,
and fall onto a mat supported by the rest of the members of the watch.
Then we went for the Sea Expedition.
Also had to re wore the wet attire,
which was like drenched in sweat and seawater.
Okay, so we did the Sea Expedition Rescue,
which involves two kayaks in a T formation and,
combining several techniques to get the water out of the kayak for it to float again.
It was really fun! :D.
After that, I was with Jordan at the Port side of the Diamond formation.
Well basically here's an illustrated diagram :X.
X = Kayak.
Ignore the ______ (underlines!)
________________X
_____________Navigator.
______________X X X X
____________X X X X X X
___________X X X X X X X X
___X Port. X X X X X X X X X Starboard. X
___________X X X X X X X X
____________X X X X X X
______________X X X X
______________Sweeper.
________________X
So yeah, basically at the Port side, we had to maintain the kayakers,
on the right side of us, so that they do not drift away :X.
Pretty stressful cause the current kept pushing the other kayaks towards the left,
and we had to keep them in the diamond formation,
and that they took a long time to turn and go back in.
So yeah, the current played a big part in making us tired.
Basically to turn sharply, I had to rely on my abdominal muscles.
Must gek the muscle :X.
Okay so we kayaked across the channel from Palau Ubin,
which we didn't stop at all, since it's a busy channel with many big ships.
So yeah, it wasn't THAT tiring though.
So then we paddled along the coastline to the Outward Bound Singapore Reception Centre,
and we camped out at a field.
Still, it was filled with sand flies and mosquitoes.
Slept with Lex and Jordan again! Really fun sleeping with them.
(Don't think wrong, we had a fun chatting spree okay!)
Haha okay. Had a well, average sleep.
Day 3.
Woke up early, around 5+.
Unpitched the tents ><>
Since we kayaked and reached early, we had LOADS of free time!
It was a great place!
It was mostly mosquito free, except for the infestation of sand flies >
So when we pitched it, we forgot to zip up the mosquito net,
so at night, our tent had insects like, Sand flies, spiders, grasshoppers and stuff.
Had to remove them by flicking 'em and letting them fly out and stuff like that.
So yeah, we filled up our jerry cans at the water outlet,
courtesy of the PA Water Venture! :D
I also used the toilet to berak! :X.
Didn't do that for like a few days, cause I didn't before the camp either! :X.
Okay, then we had a gathering, to choose the second batch of Sea Ex Leaders.
And we chose JJ! :D. Hahaha.
Collected lightsticks for our kayak the day tomorrow in the early morning!
We had a good rest, and woke up early at 3am the next day.
Day 4.
3am, as stated.
Woke up, was quite shag at first,
and after a good brush at the seaside,
I was quite refreshed, cause I was those type that couldn't stand my morning breath.
So yeah, poured water on my head too.
So after that, we helped to load the backpacks of the 4 watches' tents and stuff onto the,
SANDPIPER! Which is the instructor's boats :X.
Well, in the process of unloading, I got stung by a jellyfish >
Adding on the abrasions I had sustained from the first 3 days ><,
from my old shoes that I used for wet activities (Which I planned to throw away after the activity.)
Okay, so we kayaked in the dark, towards Palau Ubin.
It was a long way ahead!
We persevered, (although I didn't, CHEY! LOL)
and in the process of reaching our destination,
we layed our eyes on a beautiful sunrise! :D.
During the paddling, Me and Jordan, raced with Elvina and Lex HAHAHHA.
It was the most fun kayaking session.
I kept screaming 'I power!' LOL, as in I've got power, and not 'Eye power' >
Most of Marshall was like, at the front row of the diamond formation,
and we kept rafting together, and shouting 'WAZZZUPPPPPPPP!'
Like in the Annoying Orange episodes at youtube.
Well, alot found us irritating, but come'on.
No encouragement, everyone paddling quietly?
What's the fun of it without some excitement?
Yeah, you could shout 'Shut up la you all', and stuff like that.
But come'on, wouldn't it be boring if you didn't take it as a joke,
and laugh along as well? You would even fair better at least. ):!
So we reached out destination under 3 hours, instead of the expected 6 hours.
How great were we? HAHAHA.
When we reached Palau Ubin, we were given like 4 hours free time,
to shower, pack everything, to sleep (which we didn't, at all), and do anything we want!
HAHAHA, FREEDOM!
Well, after that we wore a fresh pair of trackpants and a shirt,
and did the High Elements Inverse Tower activity!
Okay, I have to admit, i'm a rock climber, and i'm scared of heights.
But I still try anyway.
So the first activity relates to clipping a carabiner with a ladder rope thing connected,
to climb the sideways staplers in the log,
then proceed on higher to a cargo net and climb to the top!
Before shouting a value we have learnt in the climb.
Then the second activity was like, movable and shaking logs,
with ladders below.
Okay, because of my height, i couldn't reach the logs properly, so I was scared of like,
falling, although I was safe. I hate falling ><>
At last, I just did it, just do. And I made it to the top,
Despite my shaking balls (LOL joking).
HAHAHHA.
Okay, so after that, we pitched our tent at the place we had at day 1,
but below the hill.
Sandfly free. :D. But mosquitoes are quite a considerable amount.
Slept peacefully and woke up feeling great!
Day 5.
The final day, which is today!
Woke up around 4.30.
Unpitched the tents, and took a great bath.
Feeling refreshed, we packed most of the things, and reported to the,
OBS big big sign thing, at the front of the whole centre.
So yeah, 2 people overslept and we waited for like 40mins. -.-
Then we did PT, which consisted of,
25 pushups (so little hor? :X), and about 50+ counts of 4 Jumping jacks.
Many people like, lazy la, not leader ma hor? Then never do properly. ):
So must redo, and redo, and redo. Sighhhhhh.
So after the PT, we had solo timing, to reflect on our friends and ourselves.
After that, we went to wash our stuff, to store in our well, store.
Had lots of fun, playing with the water too haha.
So after that, we met Cecelia, and got our certificates and stuff.
Then we assembled at the MPH, and were dismissed soon after.
I missed everyone. I missed OBS. I missed my friends.
So yeah, took the jetty back to the RC,
Met Mr Goh and the bus, took it back to Springfield,
then we met Amanda, Kai, Andy, Zhao Ming, and é rest :D
So overall, we didn't meet the expectations but went beyond it.
We kayaked and reached our destination faster than usual,
and did many things that made our instructors amazed.
Well, Team Bravo, certainly became leaders in the end!
Through much teamwork, perseverance and communication,
we could achieve anything!
I really learnt alot of values and skills from this camp,
from cooking my own food, stepping out of my comfort zone, to kayaking and camping.
This is certainly the best camp i've been to!
So yeah, that's all I have to say!
Byebye!
Vincent!