悄悄话－Whisperings－: Secondary 1 Cohort Camp 2009

Day 1

We left the school around 8+ / 9 (?) for MOE Diary Farm Adventure Centre. Nope, you don't get cows and sheep and what nots. Click to view some facilities at DFAC.

I was attached to half of 1-3. 19 of 1-3 members were under the care of me and trainer Fa-Ri-S (I can't remember his name... Anyone remembers? Farihz? Or?). They had ice-breaking games on the first day after checking in. Teachers have the luxury of having bunk beds while the kids had dormitories w/o beds. Heh, it's a camp after all! Don't expect a bed of roses!

Ice breaking games included this rope game where the team has to pass the rope from one member to another without letting go of each other's hands, within the stipulated time. 1-3 complained that I sabo-ed them. 'coz I requested the trainer to alternate the kids in a boy-girl-boy-girl manner. Hee. That's more fun right? And team work should be like this, regardless of race and gender!

Then it was lunch time, where the kids had to sit together in the canteen, eat with their own utensils, wash up after eating and listen to instructions or no food would be served.

After which, it's games again! There were several stations, both outdoors and indoors. Here are some photos from the various stations...

Team rope-jumping which requires team coordination.

I've no idea what Kian Yee was doing. -.-""

Notice a TV? With antennae too short and a curious remote control.

A very busy bathroom... Bathtub, taps, shower head and a bathing man. :D

The girls pose~

Jacky running away from my camera... (I have to say, he had been a wonderful sport, 'coz he was made to do a forfeit - ie, to sing a love song to a female. and he chose me... haha... poor boy, must have mustered much courage to do so!)

Kian Yee doing his forfeit...

Every time someone does a forfeit, our trainer leads him / her along.
Then I wonder, who's the one really doing the forfeit?

Climbing the Wall... I also had a go on the Nitro Crossing. Woo, it looks harmless but it's really exciting...

After dinner, the night activity began. Groups of 10 were created and they were to enter the dark forest with no torchlights, no teacher guides and no trainers. They were left on their own to trust each other and work in a team to complete the trail. I have to say, everyone was fantastic. I was stationed in the middle of the forest with another teacher + trainer. It was scary enough and at times, we even thought we saw... the... unexpected... Scared the wits out of us adults. So I have to salute the 13-year-olds...

But the sight we saw at the end of the trail was breath-taking. It was late at night and even so, it was fantastic. It's a best spot for those martial arts flicks to be filmed! Tall rock walls and all...

The night ended after the adventurous walk and while the kids went back for their washing up, I was back at the bunk to do more marking. T.T

The best joke of the day was the frog in the female teachers' toilet. We screamed (it could jump REAL high) and engaged the help of our brave male teacher to chase the poor frog out. We must say, it's a really resilient frog, to have made its way up the 2nd storey toilet!

The mini + slightly albino frog behind the shower head compartment...

Day 2

After a terrible night of hardly any sleep... We must urge all campers... Next time, PLEASE switch off your phones and on top of that, REMOVE ALL ALARMS!!! Can you imagine phones ringing persistently through the night and alarms from various phones (There were so many phones collected from students in my room...) that totally irritated us big time...

1-1 to 1-4 started out on our Bukit Timah hike after breakfast! We came to the place that we ventured without lights the night before... And this is how it looks...

My photo doesn't do the place justice... It is much more magnificent.

We move out as a team...

Beautiful trunk... There're 2 trunks stuck onto each other we think...

Resting before entering the Nature Reserve

We await our turn to get into the nature reserve...

We made our way in despite the impending weather...

But alas, the weather was not good. We only managed to walked a bit when we were told to head back to campsite...

Look at the overcast skies!!

And we ended up taking pictures while waiting to get back...

Say Cheez!

Huixin and me. HAHA. Her pouty lips *and insists that the picture be deleted! Apparently not!* and me being all wet and sticky.

And then we headed back in the torrential rain. Some kids wore ponchos, I carried my umbrella (and still got wet anyway), others walked / ran in the rain... By the time we were back at the campsite, we were all dirty and wet. On the way, some people complained on the how tiring it was. Hey, I wasn't even saying a thing about it, how can young people like you complain?? Aiyoh... It was good workout, I gotta say!

I didn't stay for the afternoon activities as I had to leave the campsite for a workshop. So I wasn't sure what went on. If the weather was alright, I suppose the kids had abseiling and rock-climbing activities? :*( Boo... I wanted so badly to see (if not, try out) these heights stations!

I was back in the evening to see them preparing for the campfire... 1-3 was outside the canteen, practising the cheers...

However... some people were not too active. :(

Campfire begins!

1-3 lining up for cheers competition

The video...

Campfire ends...

Day 3

After breakfast, students got to see some photographs taken over the few days and also had to do area cleaning. After which, we headed back to school and there we parted ways. I believe there were many take-aways despite the "pain" and "torture" some people felt. I think it was more than memories that we bring home. There were friendships fostered, lessons learned - teamwork, cooperation, resilience, coordination etc...

All in all, I had a fanta-bulous time and I hope all the Sec Ones treasured theirs too!