Hurdle Before the Journey
5 months and 19 days passport validity period. That fact just bored into me when i found out there was a compulsory 6 months validity period if you need to travel overseas. My passport was left with less than that. Breaking out in cold sweat, I turned to my friends, Chloe and Joeslyn, who were with me in the overseas camp briefing room, "SHIT! I didn't know it was this serious! What should i do?"
Squinting her eyes at me, Chloe, who knew that i was aware of that fact 2 months ago and still refused to renew my passport because i was lazy, said "You see! Why didn't you renew it sooner? I think you should ask the people in charge if still can use not."
I pushed myself off my comfy seat and walked in the lecturers' general direction, braving myself for the worst. I approached a lady called Yvonne and explained to her the situation. After she got over the shock that she overlooked that tiny fact, she told me to call the Immigration & Checkpoint Authority of Singapore (ICA) and ask if the passport could be applied as soon as possible because the trip was in 2 days. I called them and they told me to bring along a set of documents and come by the next morning to arrange everything. YEAH!
It was so close! I was so relieved because the usual period to produce passports was 1 week and ICA only accepted my application because of the rush.
and like this, my Ipoh LEAP Camp trip officially begun...
Just LEAP
LEAP to the SP students who went to Earth Camp is a Leadership Development Program that helps the students themselves, including yours truly, to acquire knowledge of team management which comprises of mentoring and conflict management.
For me though, i just wanted to try the High Elements and White Water Rafting. Those were my purpose of attending the camp in the first place. Little did i know that there was so much more in store for me.
But first, let's talk about Earth Camp. This camp was interesting in a way where everything there uses recycled materials. Take for example the showering cubicles...
The black cylindrical things? They were originally water tanks and the shower heads uses non-heated water. It's not as dirty as you'd think, i thought it was a refreshing change of environment. I was only a bit bothered on the first day because the doors were particularly small for my height (1.72m) so i had to always remember to lift my leg up over the raised flooring to prevent myself from falling head first into that concrete floor.
To sum things up, Earth Camp was beautiful in its own way, there was fresh air constantly that rejuvenates you instantly. The only bad thing was the bunk beds in the dorm rooms. It was sooooo UNCOMFORTABLE. Whenever you turn in your sleep, the metal bunk beds make an irritating squeaking noise. I only wished that i could sleep in the tree houses where the two lecturers were in for the 3 to 4 days we were in Earth Camp.
The Treehouses
LET THE BEFRIENDING BEGIN!
Group 1. "I'm in Group 1," I repeated, i could feel myself starting to dread the 4 days of camp. I was going to be alone whereas my 2 best buds would be in group 2. To say i was sad would be an understatement. I was looking forward to hanging out with them and have the best times of our 3rd year but instead i was separated from the both of them and had to go through the camp alone. Well, that was what i thought.
Over the course of the 4 days, i made connections with FABULOUS people i'm proud to call my friends. I had such a fantastic time with them that i couldn't bear to let go on the last day. And by friends, i mean my group 1 mates. Although i wish i could have had more time to get to know everybody, i'm grateful for the time we got to spend together.
My awesome group mates include Alex (who is in my opinion, extremely wise and is a fantastic leader), Joey (very outgoing and caring), Jin Yin (cute petite girl), Amanda (awesome leader, is extremely talented and very pretty), Hui Xin (cool gal), Kristle (determined and brave), Yong Siang (nice guy with mega watt smile), Darrel (gentleman and has potential to be a great leader), Wei Ming (approachable and nice guy), Harrison (hilarious to the core!), Zheng Xun (nice guy) and Dylan (mei nan looking and is extremely approachable and a gentleman).
At first i was pretty shy until the morning of the 2nd or 3rd day (I can't remember) at Ipoh camp together where i became more open and a lil more my normal self- which is kinda crazy hahaha. From then on, i started to bond with the girls and a few of the guys. By the last day, i couldn't bear not to hang out with them because they're just such an awesome bunch of people to be with. Especially on the bus ride home when i started murmuring a song i heard a few years ago "I know that we will all be friends~~~"
Jin Yin who was next to me at the time laughed, "You sound so sad!"
You're a Gem
The last activity of the camp before we departed for Singapore was called 'You're a Gem to me because...' The activity was that everyone had to give someone a shiny pebble (which is provided by the facilitators) to someone they thought who deserved it, who they think are a gem to them. They would have to tell them why they deserved the gem and could give to as many people as they want, it's limitless. By the end of the activity, many people were sobbing like crazy, especially me.
Many told me i was a gem to them because i'm very cheerful, crazy and funny, that i brought life to the group. Someone also told me i was the girl version of Harrison (the funny guy in the group). I was speechless. I really was. To be honest, I never saw myself as funny and lively. I've always thought of myself as the dull girl who is always quiet. So thank you to the friends who made me realise that i brought something special to the bonding moments haha, TANKS TANKS!!!
Another unforgettable thing was that Alex told me that he learnt something from me and what he said from there really shook me.. "although you don't establish many brief relationships with people in this camp like those from other groups, you make deep strong meaningful relationships with the girls within our group. In a way, that's really meaningful because a bundle of sticks together is stronger than many sticks all spread out."
Alex is in my opinion, very wise and humble, i learnt so much from him, how to be a leader and many others.
I don't regret going for this camp even though i came home much tanner than already am. The gem activity and all the other moments are what i will never forget like those who encouraged me during the high elements when i was terrified of the obstacles, those who were concerned for me with i hurt myself with the crazy huge-ass real rocks-climbing, those who laughed at my jokes, those times when Harrison made everybody laugh until their stomach hurt, those times when Amanda teased me about the type of guys i like, those short refreshing conversations i had with Chloe and Joeslyn in the dorm next door every night and many many more. These are moments i would never trade for anything else in the world. THANK YOU UNIVERSE, FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. I've always believed that things happened for a reason and the reason why i wasn't in Chloe and Joeslyn's group was because i was meant to meet the fantastic, beautiful people of group 1.
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