Wednesday, May 28, 2008 @ Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Camp Magica
I guess I got to finish up what I have promised to do. The 3rd and final chapter of such a busy schedule during the last 2 weeks of the term was definitely the Tao Nan camp held right after Mardi Gras. The camp last year had brought back many fond memories: the kids, the fellow GFs, the camp songs... everything about Camp Hutan last year was fun and enjoyable. Therefore, the bar had been set and now it was time to see if Camp Magica had out-performed it's predecessor.

Duration: 23rd May to 26th May
Location: Tao Nan Primary School
Mission: Camp Facilitator

After the high of Mardi Gras and H.C. investiture during the entire day, I arrived in Tao Nan, full of optimism and spirit. Carrying my entire bagful of necessities, i entered the compound at approximately 11:30pm. Upon arrival, i had realized that the house identity was completed and I had nothing to do. I was slightly dispirited but was encouraged by the effectiveness (or rather, hastiness as i will find out later) of my entire team of GFs and managed to sleep despite the stiffness of the table and only about 4 hours of beauty sleep.

Day 1
Around 5:30 in the morning, i was jolted awake by my handphone alarm. I was totally stunned for a moment. I was actually still dreaming that the holidays had begun and why was i awake in such an early Saturday morning. Then the enormity of the things to come hit me. Immediately, my senses kicked in and I rushed through the morning routine before joining the fellow GFs in their breakfast. I remembered everyone was already looking a little sluggish. Apparently some of them had chose to sacrifice their sleep, something which i was thankful i didn't do. Then at about 7:30, the familiar sound of children filled the air, and the camp had officially begun. We sorted them into their various houses and before long, we were engaged in ice-breakers. That was when i found out something- my group had eleven boys!!!! ARGHH!!! I was pretty spooked at the thought of taking care of so many guys, something which i had not anticipated, as last year i only got 6 boys to take care of. Still, i calmed myself with the notion that i had one extra year of experience and surely, that should be an advantage? Or so it was.

Station games was relatively smooth sailing, with all the kids responding pretty OK with the challenges they faced. This also gave me a chance to see the characters of the kids, and keep track of the playful ones, or the "black sheeps". It was only until lunch time when i encountered my first resistance: A boy named Joel began crying when he couldn't finish the vegetables. U-oh, this was SO similiar to Wan Ying of K5. OMG, i wanted to help him, but I nearly failed to, as the kids around him began asking silly questions and if not for the arrival of Michelle, the House Chief, who brought the crying boy to the table of camp staff, i would not have known what to do.

Then it was Dragon-boating, which was one of my most favourite activity. Initially, the people there had suggested a one GF per boat ratio and if not for a single seat in the front which was empty, I would have been left on the shore. (As i had let Myra, my partner for M1 group to ride on the dragon-boat with the kids) So, i was given an opportunity to seat on the dragon-boat, and it was right in front, on the hull! Haha, that wasn't really a seat available, so i ended up being there. So anyway. i refreshed the experiences of "Ambush" with the kids by telling them to "attack" other sub-groups and very soon, the "war" had blown to it's full proportion. The kids, especially the boys, were totally engrossed with their "battle plans" and i was silently laughing at the simplicity of their "mission". In less than 15 minutes after setting off, i was already drenched and happy, and everyone was like a bunch of wet and cheerful ducklings by the end of the dragon-boating. I guess the exhilaration of making people wet with one's oars and buckets had brought cheer to all the kids and GFs alike.

After that crazy fun of paddling, we returned to school feeling pretty tired. Yet, the day was only half over. Now comes the madness for the GFs: bathing the kids. MAN!!! I NEVER EVER want to bathe 11 kids again! (well, at least let that horrible experience fade away before throwing to me that challenge once again). Imagine having to repeat the same instructions like more than 5 times, of course with the shouting, as everyone was busy asking questions about what to bring. The IRONY is that i was actually shouting the commands of what to bring. Of course, something that is hould have already known: 10 year kids have an attention span of a goldfish, NOTE: ATTENTION SPAN) By the time i got them out of the classroom, my 45 minutes to bathe them had been reduced to half. Worse still, Safwan's group was using the toilet and i ended up waiting outside together with the "soccer team" teaching them cheers, which they had listened with half-enthusiasm and irritation. Then, in a blink of an eye, i was inside the toilet, shouting commands for them to change out of their clothes in like a minute before hosing them all, which also got me half-drenched. The most irritating thing to note was that there was an entire House (I think it was Dolphin)cheering outside, and the door kept OPENING!!! I was like, "Dammit! Stop opening the door, I'm showering the kids, but i sweared some of the kids out there did that on purpose, and i could have sworn that there were a couple of girls peeping at my boys. Pervs!

So anyway, after bathing the kids, which took almost a lifetime, we sat down for dinner. Joel cried again. This time, Myra and i sat beside him and tried to encourage him, but to little avail. The guy just couldn't finish his veg. In the end, there was no more time and we had to "help" him, by throwing away his packet of half eaten veg. Night games began and soon every guy in my group was becoming a pest. Besides Joel, who cried AGAIN for not being able to take part in the basketball shoot-out, Joshua, Justin and RuiChen aka. "Chicken" became the notorious 3, always taking their own sweet time, and never failing to do their part in keeping me angry, either by forgetting their instructions or taking their own sweet time. Oh C'mon!!! They are guys man, army in like, less than 10 years? And they are walking slower than the girls. (I was really starting to admire Myra's position). If i ad been given full authority, i could have let loose the urge to slap them. But of course, this was a camp, and my duty was to protect them, not harm them. So i had to Tahan all the way, although i did remembered screaming at them at one point because they were totally doing their own things and were not united as a sup-group! That, in fact, was the first time in my entire life i shouted at a bunch of kids. I don't even remember doing that to my group in K5. Guess there's always a first in everything. So, i think because of the shouting, a boy named Christopher began crying as he was scared of the entire night and homesick as well. At least, that was a reasonable excuse to cry and he was off to an hour in the Ops room. By the time it was over, i got to keep up the shouting and managed to keep them in one piece into their tents. I remembered entering the shower at around 12am, wishing that the jet of water from the showerhead would just dissolve my entire being. I was TOTALLY shagged.

Day 2
I nearly could not wake up! I was zoned-out, and if not for the parchy throat of mine, begging me to run to the water cooler to take a sip of ice cold water, i guessed i could have just clung onto the bed/table and slept on. Anyway, i failed to cling onto the table, and i was thus making my way towards the tents half-expecting my boys to be up and running like mice on glucose. Well, surprise surprise! At least half the guys had already brushed their teeth and cleared their tents, something that i was secretly proud of. After about half an hour of renewed shouting, i managed to get them down for breakfast at the canteen.

Note: my sub-group is always the last one to reach any destination, and NO! It's not because i have the most guys in my group! Apparently, TJ's quote of "If we go alone, we go fast, if we go as a team, we go far" is definitely true in this aspect huh?

The Amazing Race got off to a sizzling hot start, and i mean literally BURNING HOT!!! I was already sweating only like 10 minutes into the start of the journey, which in addition to the unbelievingly stubborn boys and the never-ending road from one station to another, I was totally dehydrated man!!! The worst thing was, the kids have no sense of discipline, and every 3 minutes, i have to stop them and shout at them. I guessed i earned the nickname "DEVIL" or "TYRANT" by now. Even the smallest and cutest boy in my group, Siew Wyne, also got moody with Justin Jnr, and i had so many roles, ranging from facilitator, to "father", to "caretaker" to "punisher" to "peacemaker". I tell you, the list can go on, but i'm really keeping my words toa minimal. Anyway, the whole event ended with a cheering competition, which i half-screwed up when i forgot my words while leading the sub-group with my cheer. MALU! ARGHHH! Still, the humidity and stiffling heat was soon replaced with welcoming coolness when everyone made their way back to school, aching legs and all, to have their lunch.

After lunch, it was Rock Climbing and Abseiling, whereby i spent 3 boring hours getting the kids to support their fellow friends as each of them attempted their climb one by one. I guessed the other GFs were responsible for making the entire house seemed like watching a soap drama. Imagine the sight: About 6 GFs sitting in a row sleeping on their hands, while the kids in front were totally feeling bored and listless. I tried to do my part to liven things up, but apparently, one's Man action in this case cannot really make much of a difference. I was so thank ful when the whole thing was over, although showering the kids was also another episode that i did not wish to repeat in the blog.

Then after dinner (another forgettable episode), it was CAMPFIRE NIGHT!!! YEAH! HAHA, i must admit that this was one of the highlights of the entire camp. However, as compare to the previous year, it was a little disappointing as the camp songs were done a little hastily and the kids had little time to learn the songs. Still the camp performance was pretty good for Fierre, my house. Here's how it goes:

All:
1,2,3
Stand up (Clap x2)
Be Proud (Clap x2)
Say your name (Clap x2)
Out loud (Clap x2)

GFs: I say we say who's the best!
Kids: FIERRE, FIERRE!
GFs: I say we say who's the best!
Kids: FIERRE, FIERRE!

GFs(kids echo): Early morning late at night,
 Fierre House charge out to fight!
 All together as one,
We will win the war tonight!
Altogether: We will win the war (x3) [With fingers clasped and stomping]
Whoosh!

GFs: Oh it was SAD,
Kids: so SAD!
GFs: Oh it was SAD,
Kids: so SAD!
Altogther: Oh it was SAD that the BIG ship went Down to the bottom and Ignus, Kretor and Viento all go down, it was SAD that the Big ship went down!

GFs: Fierre, are you ready?
Kids: Ever ready!
GFs: Give me one clap!
Give me 2 claps!
Give me 3 claps!
Altogether: Lets BURN their house down!
[Stomp, Clap, Stomp, Stomp, Clap,
Stomp, Clap, Stomp, Stomp, Clap,
 Stomp, Clap, Stomp, Stomp, Clap,
Stomp, criss-cross, whoosh!] FIERRE!

Haha, I'm so proud of this cheer! It's like the best cheer i ever done with just a 2 hour preparation, including teaching the kids and all! It was so cool! Haha, partially, it's the H.C. spirit and orientation fever that hit me during that short spate of time, but i swear that being able to lead the kids in cheering for their house is something that i deeply enjoyed, albeit with sore throats and husky voice. The rest of the night was pretty much a blur, and the only other enjoyable thing was being able to sit down after a long day's work and playing a few games of Bridge (with Hilary, Suzanne and Bobby) with my brain began to shut down and the 3 of them telling me to sleep (cos i was losing the next 7 consecutive games with all my partners- cool record huh?)

Day 3
Finally, Monday arrived and i was really waiting to get out of there. Telematch began after breakfast and area-cleaning, which was HOT!!! I mean, the weather was scorching, and the kids were COMPLAINING, and I was SHOUTING! Then the inevitable came, i LOST my voice. Arghh, until now, my voice is just starting to return to normal. So anyway, the last day was pretty much a blur, as i was really tired and waiting for the entire thing to finish and apart form the super yummy lunch buffet that the camp organizers treated us to, as well as a few photos taken with the other friends I made with the camp, i reached home and SLEPT THE DAY AWAY.

Now, I'm really uber tired, so i'm not giving any excuse for ending of the blog post so abruptly. I will give my special thanks for all the people who had made my camp enjoyable and of course, memorable in both good and bad lights. So, all these writing has made me rather shag, as if i'm going through Camp Magica all over again. Well, let me recap them all in my sleep tonight. Till then, TATA!

By the way, I'm testing the font size to large, hope some of u can see better. But seriuosly, I'm tempted to change the blogskin altogether. So I'll see about that.
Some photos:
 M1!

 Kids and me doing some dance

What's left of Iban!

Labels: