Random ramblings

I've finally managed to do two hours of proper study, I guess that gives you an idea on how productive my holidays were. After 2 hours of Southeast Asian history at a McDonalds near home, I've decided to ditch one hour of literature so that I could hang out with a couple of old comrades who interrupted my lonely existence. Ah, the joys of "lepaking" with a few friends, bullshitting about how screwed up our lives are, talking about future ambitions and reflecting on the past with the benefit of hindsight. Moments like these, no matter how scarce, are always more enjoyable than surfing the net or even LAN gaming (with I enjoy with a passion mind you), even if all we do is to talk in some secluded corner of Bedok Central, made cosy by the cool, humid equatorial night. I hope we would be able to do something like this again, I really do.

SLCamp 2011, something's up, and it's good.

It's been 4 days since SLCamp 2011. It was simply amazing. The activities, the people, the bonds and the spirit that we all had. If this is what being a TJCian means, I am definitely in the right school.

It would be a total bore, and not worth my time (or rather, yours) to recollect every single moment (or most of it) in the camp. That's the job of my two cameras, my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 and my disposable Fujifilm. However, those 3 days and 2 nights in kota Tinggi's rainforest resort as well as a few hours in TJC and several parts of Singapore during day 1's nomadic race, were freaking awesome. While I do not expect my group to be as bonded as my pre-U seminar team, I am sure that change is coming. While the games, the jungle trek, the raft building fracas and the campfire were activities that every single Leadership camp would have, I have a hunch that change is coming to TJC, and this year's batch of SLCampers (with me as one of them) would lead the charge.

First though, I must have my say about the camp itself. The Sportsexcel ppl who made the camp happen...they have their work cut out for them. It was a rather unique experience. From the accomodations which consisted of tents made out of plastic covers over small concrete platforms, to the showers which did not work (forcing us to use the low taps instead, squatting down naked is never fun), to the small rickety canteen which became a melting pot of facilitators, participants and everyone else for those short few days.

While the activities were not as tough as some of the other camps which I've attended, there were times and trials where my limits were probed. Especially in a segment in which my team had to build a raft out of vats and poles and rope. Bloody hell, I regreted it when I overestimated the abilities of myself and my group. Thank goodness we managed to get our vessel into the water, I've never swam so hard (or so willingly) in my life. Moments of blood, sweat and tears aside, all work and no play makes Jack a dull emo kid. There was much fun to be had in the camp. Be it the numerous times my group and I played the "nah nah" game on the last day, to the campfire in which everyone was as high as a bunch of junkies on 50% pure Colombian cocaine, goodness gracious me, those were fun times. The photographs I've taken of (in no particular order) Jonathan, Leon, Jia Khee, Peggy, Yu Hang, Christian, Gaya the Great and Myself will be preserved for prosterity.

 
Even as I ramble about the details of the camp. Something more important than friendships, fun and memories was to be gained from the camp. I cannot really describe it, any one word would be too vague to decribe it. Whatever it is, it just involves the revival of a long lost TJ spirit. I am not too sure on how to go about it in words...screw it. I will talk about that when I am able to.