Sec 1 Annual Camp at Sarimbun Campsite

This, to be really honest with you, has been the most extreme camp I have ever been through - this camp has genuinely left me with strong, mixed emotions and has made an ever-lasting impression in my memory; but why do I say so?

Okay, the reason is really simple =). I, together with my camp groupmates, have been through some seriously unprecedented encounters and experiences:

1. The encounter in the common toilet on the first night
2. The devastating incident on the second night
3. The huge hole in our A-hut (15)
4. The camping experience as a whole
Let me cover each part on a case-by-case basis.

Firstly, the encounter in the common toilet, which was meant for the campers of Outram Secondary School and St. Patrick's School, on the first night. At around 4.40a.m., a couple of hours after the ghost-storytelling session by one of our roommates who was at Sarimbun for the 7th time, my friend sleeping on my left started, as usual, shining the torch in my eyes in the attempt of waking me up.

He told me that he needed to go to the toilet, and after much reluctance, I accompanied him to that common toilet. We were told to go in pairs, and I was glad he woke me up, because when I was waiting for him outside the cubicle, with a torch in my hand (I'm not sure if he heard it), I heard a slow, steady series of knocks on the 3 metal pipes of the common shower, and the knockings took turns. Then, one of the showers (the one furthest away from me), started to spurt out water, bit by bit, without any warning. That seriously freaked me out. (By the way, if you visit the Scout's website, look under 1966, and you'll find that the Sarimbun Campsite was built.)

Okay, now to the second encounter. We were sleeping in our A-Hut, and at around 2.40 a.m., my other roommate shone some torchlight in my eyes and I woke up only to find another one of my roommates lying motionless on me. I found out that he was bleeding on his cheeks and temple. Shocked. Real shocked. I told that guy (keeping names in discretion) about it, and we ran to the White Tentage, where we found a couple of trainers still there.

So we related the condition of our friend to them, and two of them ran with the First Aid Kit in hand, and informed the Camp Chief, who later informed the Camp Commandant, a teacher from our school. We found out how he got injured and hmmm...maybe I should pay him a visit soon.

Anyways, the 3rd part. Not such a big issue here, but when we entered our A-Hut, we found that some nice people had helped us by bearing a nice big hole in the bunk, and causing us to have to share the remaining space in the A-Hut. I shall exclude the minor details (:.

And finally, the main part of this entry: the camping experience as a whole. Naturally, I would say, that the trainers have done a good job; I mean, at first, I thought that the camp was terrible, but after the camp, I found out that I could "act faster, move faster, chop chop"..(my trainer's motto). They have been really strict, which is both good and bad, and I presume you know why. Things have been done in a rather rushed pace, so there I suppose it was because we did not have enough time, but I would not want the camp to get any longer either.

But generally, I wouldn't really mind to get back to InnoTrek (the organiser of this camp) and have another camp, but not like the one I had, because it was too hurried. Right, I cannot think of any conclusion at this moment, I close this entry with a quote from my trainer:"From mistakes we gain experience, and from experience we avoid mistakes". And that's a memorable camp.



Photo From:

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/nature/5489573-camping-at-the-lake.php?id=5489573