AFTER 14 DAYS? no 15. It's really lagged, but the mood wasn't right for me to post about such a long and fulfilling trip.

At first, I thought it would just be a torturous trip where people realise the shortcomings and ugly sides of people we never saw. In short, it was just something bad and disastrous. And I had a feeling I'll flare up. LIKE FLARE UP.
And I did in the end anyway. Oops, my bad.

Not gonna do much description because it's tiring. So the FIRST DAY was just some administration stuff. Got to our base camps and threw our bags there. There was a briefing on waste management and food rationing. Everyone ended up with plastic bags full of food. There were biscuits, bread, cereal bars, apples, oranges, sachets of milo powder, chrysanthemum powder, coffee, and a lot of other small munchies which were HIGH IN CALORIES so that energy would be provided.

And it's precisely because THERE WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH food that I gained weight DURING OBS. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I saw the measurement on the weighing machine when I came back right from OBS. To laugh, because I was probably the only retarded one in school to GAIN weight during OBS when the food given to us were supposedly not nourishing. To cry, because not only did I not LOSE weight, yeah you got it, I GAINED WEIGHT.

The bad part of this is when people hear that you gained weight during OBS, they will be thinking: wa siao, what shit did she eat manz. Must have eaten other people's rations. Pig sia.
I didn't EAT their rations! I ate mine! I guess I just didn't starve myself because my appetite was good. Weird yes, but I never really understood how it felt to be hungry. I just know I like the feeling of eating. Of course, the feeling that your stomach is bloated is annoying, cos it feels as if you have a beer-belly. like ONE BIG ROUND PACK.
Sidetrack: I still haven't found the right spelling of pack. you know, like 6 packs. is it pack, or pec, or pac.

And my weight still hasn't gone down yet. Normally weight fluctuations will go back to normal, wouldn't they?!

Next me and Char went to check the store items and blabla.
Learnt to belay, which was really entertaining, although the person you are belaying ought to be lighter than the belayer, if not he'll probably FLY UP when he's coming down. Ha, I think only those who went through the entire thing will understand what I'm saying.

Then we cooked dinner. I think it was the first time in my entire life where I actually help out in making a meal. I have never cooked a decent meal before, except maybe helping to crack eggs? Eh no, I can't even crack eggs properly, without having a shell or two in the mixture. The surge of excitement when piping hot food was served is irreplaceable. And the joy of filling your supposedly-empty stomach with canned food which you never once exactly yearned for or fancied. I still don't exactly know the feeling of hunger yet. I think I'm just interested in the idea of placing food in my stomach.

There was some displeasure when some people just left to bathe without helping to clear up. I was annoyed too, but the great thing about reflections after a period of time is that when you think back, that mere incident seems too insignificant of any mention. Emotions fade.
So yah, I was really annoyed. Imagine climbing the (hill? mountain?) SLOPE and being sweaty and stinky (STINKY AS in really stinky because I sweat like a pig), to only witness people applying powder on their CLEAN BODY, smelling freaking good. Emotions will build up and you'll feel yourself bursting.

But anyway, who cares about it now, I'm SMELLING equally good now, or even better, hehe.
It's just that you'll witness the uglier sides of people during camps and you begin questioning if it is truly the real side of them, or it's just that it's their first time enduring such a stinky camp, that's why they're like that. It's understandable I suppose, not wanting to smell, and seeking the best for yourself. It's just a matter of priorities and perspectives.

Next we pitched the tent. It was the worst night of all, and we actually pitched our tent at the highest point of the hill -.- So it was muddy and dirty and itchy, but I think the most disturbing part was that we slept sweaty. So it's the same as waking up and and breaking out in sweat as if you played a basketball match in your dreams because you have a fever.
So this was the worst night I ever had, because I couldn't straighten my legs, and I did not dare to move about, in case I wake the rest up. And many a times I woke up, thinking it was probably 4 or so, but it was probably 2 or 3. Time passes really slowly duriing camps.


The SECOND DAY was completing the height elements. (I'm feeling a bit tired of descriptions now. Not to mention me feeling lazy now. gah I shall complete this for the sake of future memories)
They look easy but they definitely aren't. My whole body ached after I reached the top. Sweeyee was really damn bloody imba. And nothing beats the satisfaction experienced when you reach the top. Belaying was tiring and I had a rope burn as a result. Could see the pus which would be oozing out in the future. It still has an ugly mark on my hand. Hopefully it wouldn't turn into a scar.



Then..... er, what did we do? Oh, we learnt how to kayak. Training for the next day.
We kayaked to camp 2, and this time we had a wonderful place to pitch our tents. BY THE SEA, where you can feel the breeze and hear the waves. Without the mosquitoes, I might even consider the experience romantic. hahaha.

DAY THREE
Kayaked the entire day (8 hours to be precise, is it?) with 4C. Heng the weather was good, not blazing hot. I think I would have died, although I really love the scorching sun. Charmaine kept splashing water on my face when she was attempting to kayak REALLY FAST.
hahaha, although there were time when our spirits were low and I totally felt like stopping and pigging, there were memorable times when we began laughing like mad, for I don't-know-what reasons. hehe.

Then dinner. Maggee mee this time. Could see that some people were trying to make up, and it felt good. Gerald was really hungry when he gobbled the food that he declined at first, until Amanda they'all pushed the food to him. Stupid guy kept claiming that he wasn't hungry. Ya right.
But it was really sweet. Ha, camps show the noble side of people. So now I wouldn't only think of him as a gl person who calls me black black one.

Camped at the kana sai place again -.-

DAY FOUR
We were late. Like 1 and a half hour. Breakfast was just everything and anything. And I learnt how to use the can-opener like imba fast. Quite fun. I think it's a great way of venting your frustration. Imagine the can to be someone's head, and think like this "Now SCREW YOU, I'm gonna pierce your tiny head and eat your brains out, you LOUSY. Look what I've in my hand. it's a CAN-OPENER, now say your last wishes"
I sound like a budding murderer. ohno. Are people gonna repel me, like really fast soon? hahah. Okay la, I didn't think like that when I was opening the 2 cans of fish luncheon meat. But anyway, can-opening is easier than it looks.

We totally missed out on rafting because we did not have enough time to build the damn raft which is so bloody difficult to build. Of course I didn't exactly help (cos I'm not a UG PERSON, okay excuse), but I was just being extra, carrying the barrels and hopefully providing some (necessary?) help.
Asked for a time extension and I seriously thought we would be given extra time. When they blatantly said no, I felt anger, then disappointment. We were late that morning, so we didn't exactly had any right, did we?

Then there was this talk about the importance of time. (oh this talk was held in the morning) I think it was really meaningful. we only have 86 400 seconds every day, and they can no longer be given back to us, no matter how wealthy we are, or how blissful we once were.
And I'm actually glad that we were denied the time extension because I wouldn't remember this event so vividly.

Dinner was awesome because there was nice meals. We had eggs, and loads of luncheon meat. I think I just sat there and opened the canned food. nothing else. Jamie and Grace cooked. The knife is really @#(*&@*$&#! Can't even cut shit. zzz. I gave up after like 4 cuts.

It was great I guess, cos I talked more to people whom i wouldn't talk to in school. It was really surprising when yen lin and I actually began talking hahah. You know, there are some people in class which you will just smile or say hi to, and after that, nothing progresses. There wouldn't exactly be other reasons to talk to her right.







The last day was just clearance of the store and saying the last goodbyes to the camp. Ate KFC after that and took the train back home. Packed my stuffs and slept till 12. Snacked and watched teevee until 2 before dozing off until 9 the next day. Then played mahjong hehe.

The final night's briefing was longer and usual, and we had our final reflection entry. Everyone shared their feelings, and we gained more than we lost in the entire camp.
Gained tolerance and appreciation for whatever we have, lost our expectations of cleanliness...
It wasn't exactly a life-changing experience, but it truly tested our limits, mentally and physically.
And most importantly, it allowed me to know the importance of time.

But I believe I'll still procrastinate. Like why not. I hafta force myself. FORCE MYSELF!

And this quote from OBS is really meaningful

You will never be able to seek new oceans, if you don't have the courage to lose sight of the shores

Forgot the exact words, but it's really true. How many times have we dared to try something different? Who knows, things may have turned out differently...


Boundaries were meant to be unreachable and limits, stretched.