I'm back. Back from Ubin. Back from a 2 day 1 night camp spent with my beloved 08A01C.
However, before I start on my log of the camp, let me first critique the pack list that I had used -
The only things I used throughout the camp were
[PE Shirt, underwear, White pants, 1 pair socks & track shoes] -
5. 1 x Jackknife
7. 2 x 1.5 Litre bottle [Unfilled]
8. 1 x 600ml water bottle [Filled]
11. 8 x piece of solid fuel
13. 9 x plastic bags
18. 1/2 x bottle of YOKOYOKO
21. 14 x elastic plasters
23. 1 x dynamo torch
26. 3 x carabiner
27. 2 x messtin
28. 1 x tommy cooker
29. 1 x set of fork and spoon
30. 1 x box of matches
31. 1/2 x can of deodorant

Anyway, camp rocked! From the setting up early in the morning (though I found it kind of a little draggy) but everything was great. So we went to Ubin, had lunch, started the hike! Truthfully on Ubin, given the number of routes, orienteering is completely useless unless the checkpoint is one of those cunningly hidden things nestled in the middle of the jungle, then that's different. But if it's along the trails, any map does fine. =) Anyway, I made a couple of errors, but they weren't that serious errors. Group A of A01C was brilliant! We completed all our allocated checkpoints, and the extra checkpoint in two and a half hours, and we used the rest of the one and a half hours to complete the other three extra checkpoints we weren't supposed to go to! So fun =)) The only complaint I have was that we were not told that we were allowed to leave our tents somewhere. So I happily packed an entire tent into my bag. GGXX shoulders. My bag was heavy enough already, with like 3 litres of water and all sorts of stuff like a box of oreos. Sigh. But hiking was really fun. Ubin is very nice to hike in. Especially the clay track where there are a lot of mudlobster holes, cos it rained in the morning, we ended up with approximately 2kg of clay on our shoes after walking through that area. It all fell off though xD. Oh I forgot to mention me not looking and walking into a shrub of thorns. got penty of cuts on my arm bleah. =(

Next was tent pitching. Well, pegs were completely useless on that ground. So stones which were plentiful were our main choice of support. Given the fact that some of the verticals were spoilt - refer to the top part not having any thin thing to put through the holes of the flysheet. Improvisation with pegs! xD Oh well. nothing eventful, other than the fact that I found the class too focused on discussing what to do. I don't know, but I've always found that fun activities tended to be what occured on the spur on the moment rather than planned activities of what to do. But sorry anyway, Simin. So we had dinner, (NOODLES!) cooked by our dear chefs shauna, sarah and joyce. (psst. it wasn't much to speak off) xD Given the time and money we had and the bunsen stoves we had I believe that we'd have been able to whip up DISHES instead of just noodles and egg. Oh well. Girls always say they can cook. Whatever.

Then we sat around the dead campfire that I had made, talking a little. I think the highlight of the talk was us calling Xinning, Alexis and Wanting. Poor Jun Han's handphone bill. But anyway, I still think it was a great activity. =) I wanted to include the non-present members of the class so we did it. xD How nice. Then I left to go for the night walk.

Truthfully, I'm quite surprised that I completed the night walk, all by myself on a dirt track on Pulau Ubin without any light. The track was relatively easy to follow, and the fear I usually have of the dark was not present. Or rather, it was present but there was nothing remotely frightening of walking down that path. In the dark of the night. I was thinking also, as I walked down the path. I mean, like how darkness, no matter what, is always a part of nature. Shadows cast, shadows fall upon faces. Darkness removes so many inhibitions that it is no wonder why so many people prefer the night time to daylight. Darkness - it's an unescapable fact of nature - will always be present in everyone's life. Darkness embodies everything that society despises - solitude, masking, the unknown. When, then will people realise that darkness is actually one of the best tools to treat emotional problems? Make use of the darkness to explore one's self. Make use of the darkness to sort out without yourself the problems that you have to face. Perhaps life would seem better after that.

When I got back from Mamam beach (including a chat at the house of the guy who keeps a wild (now domesticated) boar with our instructor), came back to sit around the campfire thinggy. We talked of our ambitions, our future professions. I guess it was surprising to hear some of them - to be a sheep farm owner, a housewife, and for me, a psychologist. We continued talking a little, then sung songs for a long long while. It was a different experience, singing songs in the dead of the night around a dead campfire.

Went to sleep in Jun Han's tent (the one I had set up) after that. My spectacles broke, right down the center when I applied a lttle bit of force to move it up my nose. Like what the hell. Had to go through most of the next day without glasses. Eurrrgh. At least you can still see the chapteh when it's flying =) New hobby! Play chapteh! xD The story of my arousal was kind of funny, given that at 6.30 I was wide awake already. Just that because of Celene and her nonsense of trying to make everyone wake up, I resolutely lay in bed for like 30 minutes more xD

So we had a sharing session about nature, and how we can relate to it. I chose the wolf, the symbol which I think represents me the best. A loner, a single unit able to manoeuver effectively. But yet, if there is a need, wolves can cooperate and work together in a pack to survive. Yep. it works. I'm sure of it. Wolves are good. Howl.

The last activity was qite lame, so I shall not speak of it. We had FRESH coconuts! Before taking the ferry back to the terminal where we had to STONE for a bloody 40 minutes waiting for the bus to come. Stupid bus company. Oh well, now I'm back. And I've got a number of mosquito bites that I don't really want to bother myself counting. So I shall erm do some work then go to sleep =)

Niiight folks! 3 hours of sleep is never enough. Ouchy achy shoulders.
Merv.

P.S. Reminder to my PW group! Meeting at Sab's house at 10am tomorrow!