hi, people! I'm back from the d2y camp X. it's a Buddhist dharma camp organized by the dhammaduta development youth club introduced by Melvin, and so I joined with my friends Jamie, Chze Hou, Benny, and Jason. =D
and so, imma gonna write a long post on this, so, prepare yourself. the camp was awesome, and I have LOTS of reflection. I have but one objective in joining this camp. its to observe and to see and to absorb. i need to jot them all down in detail before I forgot about it.
first, the camp is extraordinary. although Its said to be a Buddhist camp, there's less focus on the dharma and more on youth developing. All the games were fun, they were theme-based, and the organizers used them to convey a message, or prove a point related to life. they were creative, well-thought, applicable to real life situation, and inspiring.
There's sharing session after each activity and we were encouraged to raise opinions and views and experiences. the feed backs of fellow campers are actually quite constructive and listening to others' stories is one of the best ways to learn. By the guidance of the senior committees, we get to realize the importance of values and have better understanding of the human mind. We were reminded of the Buddha's teaching. Of moderation. Of mindfulness. Of kindness. Of appreciation. One step closer to The Truth, I'd say.
THE WORKSHOPS
I've lots of reflection after each of the workshops. my gawd, did my mind work like crazy. Most of the topics discussed during the workshops are EXACTLY what i always think about all the time. I don't really have a 'guider' for this except from my family, friends and books, some what i always couldn't get the answers. So, its sorta a relief to hear more views and sharing from the more professional senior committees.
One of the memorable ones is what I want in life. LOL. does that constantly come across my mind or what? yet. I couldn't get an answer. the senior committee said its something that we have to seek slowly, and the earlier the better, and also then we must work for it. and my answer for what I want in life? lamely, it's to know what I want in life == isn't that frustrating or something?
The other one is judgemental. Hrm. from values, we shouldn't judge others. what we know is always limited and there should always be second chances and space for changes. The other thing is that we shouldn't judge ourselves. Judging ourselves is sorta like forming a barrier around yourself and that limits you to do much less than you really could. hmm. i think i have more problem with the later. we sometimes subconsciously judge ourselves. and that's due to...lots of reasons? we think about how others think about ourselves too much. and usually people think about themselves more than they think about you. so, there's the reminder again.
There's one on expressing ideas i think? i forgot bout the name of that activity but the main concept is that each camper is to come out with a design for the iPhone 6 with new features and all and sell it. along the process, there's two senior committees that act as a lawyer and a engineer trying to bombard questions and critics at our designs. the idea is to push us further and allow us to improvise. and also to challenge us to see if we would stand strong with our ideas. Its a really good activity. but i sorta wasted it because i did not grasp the concept of the activity at first. i was more like randomly coming up with ideas rather than doing it the systematic way: from thinking-of-the-needs, to confirming-targeted-market, to innovatively-coming-up-with-problem-solving-designs, to thinking-of-a-way-to-sell, to fulfilling-and-impressing-our-employers, to handling-critics-and-problem-solving, and finally to presenting. its basically the way things should be done in the working world. and of course the essential qualities to excel in any sorta aims and careers we have in our life. after the activity, basically i see the need for myself to improve on many many aspects @@
One of the topics was on trust. some how, I've lots of reserve on this one. trust. do I have trust on people? do I gain trust from people? do i ever have a person I especially trust? or one I do not. in a way, my days go by without having to trust. people come and go, and I come and go. I don't hold on much on something, and hence others might be doing the same on me? It's not like I distrust others. more like I distrust myself. it's also related to my character. how many can fully accept me different as i am? I don't open up enough, some have said.
there were times that the activities caused me to be at the brink of tears. hmm, maybe it's because of the fatigue? I was quite emotional. one of them is the hari raya short video clip by petronas. the video was taken so beautifully, capturing beautiful moments. it looks like a dream to me. unreal. and it reminds me of goodbyes. only 20 years and I already hate goodbyes. permanent goodbyes. goodbyes at the junctions of paths. somewhat it makes everything before the goodbyes a dreamy memory. letting go and going on anticipating the future is something hard for me each time.
the other one is the survey form. argh. its just a survey form, a 10 minute activity. it consists of questions about our parents. situational questions, where we're suppose to relate and recall memories of our parents in the first 16 years of my life. stupid I know, but I somewhat feel sad when I was filling in the 'mother' part. I actually skipped the section where they asked personal questions like 'does she speak warmly to you' 'do you share issues with her' some sort. the problem is, I couldn't recall, the details. also, most of the questions do not apply to my mum's situation. sadder still, I couldn't get a certain answer, as I don't know much of my mother then. I could only maybe guess, or wish perhaps? or rely on blur memories of what is was. and it sorta pained me if i need to fill in answers by guessing and assuming. what sadden me more is how blurrier the memories have became. and the ever so stupid 'what if' s thoughts come across my mind yet again.
there's lots of other topics as well. all with deep insight and needless to say inspiring. Of believing, of gaining confidence, of never giving up, of positive thinkings, of moderation, of leadership, of team building, of being present, of loving...
THE PEOPLE
on a higher note, I enjoyed the camp, of course. there were fun and super fun times. and I especially enjoyed watching others having fun. A group of positive people, all enjoying the times of their lives, stress-free and being present for each other at that times.
and the senior committees. lol are they the pros or what? with a forever strong fighting spirit towards well-defined dreams and positiveness and clear vision of what they want to achieve. and their success in them. and their willingness to share and spread and to help, and to make this their life dream. and i found out that some of the activities are actually last minute work? (due to unforeseen weather changes and delays) LOL all the activities looked so well-planned i didn't even imagine they actually came up with it at last minute. this showed how experienced and skilled they are with organizing such activities. they were able to control and adapt to the situations despite unforeseen and abrupt changes. pro!!! duh, I salute them. duh, I wish to achieve something of the same level and gain a life full of meanings too.
and also, the campers. and the rest of the committees. all of them are simply lovely, loving, kind, friendly, high-spirited, positive, admirable and all. there's a few which I've gotten to know more than others. some which I may not cross path with again in future, but, you've given me some light and inspiration. and I'm thankful for that =D and also, we got invited to join the d2y committee to organize another camp catered for teens in the end of this year. I think I might just give it a go =D
and then, of course, I enjoyed the company of my friends who went to the camp with me. I simply just appreciate the fact that we have met and became friends. i'm glad that we study engineering and have met. i'm glad we went for the same intake in monash and have met. i'm glad that they went for the camp. i'm glad we did understand one another even more after spending four days and three nights together. We spent the nights talking, playing, doing assignments, crapping, joking, laughing, bullying, camwhoring, pulling a prank. more playing, tickling, spacing out, lying down, yawning ... basically, just being there, at that moments. seriously, friends staying up late together at night is one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. I'm glad that you are my friends. i'm glad we met. =D
THE FUN PARTS
here's few of the epic games that we have played which I would like to mention. the first one would be Animal kingdom. it's similar to the concept of the animal chess, if you know what it is. each of us represent an animal which could only hunt or be hunted by certain other animals. it's like a game of tag at the same time a war game between two kingdom of animals. It's a game I have yet tried before so it was quite new to me. Some how the game made us animal-like, or wild-like even, just like the animal roles we represent. LOL. predators hunting preys, dogs chasing cats and mouses, mouse fleeing and hiding behind stronger animals. hiding at the same time chasing, solely having fun, reacting on instinct and reflex actions. CUTE. and also they have added in small team building games in between rounds of battle. and each win in the team building games earns you a special ability in the battle. so we were like playing one main game with many little games at the same time.
The other epic game is the Zord game. some sorta superpower of the power rangers I heard? Like a game of war between transformer made of humans, we have to collect Ammos ( water balloons) before getting into the war mode. and the worst part is we have to find the Ammos by only using the stupid 'mobile mode', which is having four person to carry one person as a group, looking for hidden ammos at specific stations without disconnecting throughout the progress. sadly, I was heavier than chze hou, and hence I'm one of the carrier. LOL. gosh, did it almost cost both my arms? though melvin and Nigel and carmen definitely suffered more than me. oops. I even got bruises from chze hou's elbow hitting into my arms! then we finally, FINALLY gotten only 4 Ammos after an hour of walking and carrying and interlinking. and it was raining throughout the whole game. and flour is thrown into our faces. and needless to say we need to support the extra weight of the extra four water balloons at the end of the journey. EPIC!
Finally, time was up, and war mode begins. the battle field is so cool!! the location is at the car park. the committee purposely have their cars surrounding the battlefield. then, they start their car engines and lit on the headlights. LOL. isn't the atmosphere cool or what?? rain pouring, engines roaring, and four groups of rangers in megazord mode preparing for battle with the ammos. with flour still poured onto our bodies, water balloon thrown at each other, the battle begins. Everyone was cautious, and careful to carry the attacker on top of their shoulders, and each ammo was so precious. Annnnnd. suddenly everyone was attacked by the committee!! they just throw flour and water balloons at us non stop!! and finally the TRUTH is revealed: the whole setting of this game is just a set up!! to force all the campers into fatigue just so that the committee can attack us with water balloons with us defenseless and clueless. needless to say,
ALL HELL BREAK LOOSE.
campers quickly fall out of their formations and attack the committees. its a Water balloon fight between campers and committees. and the night ended with flours covering the committees for head to toe, everyone soaking wet. rain pouring...engines roaring....
The jungle-trekking was also awesome. The special part is that its not a pure jungle-trek activity, but also calibrated with station games along the way. And again it was sort of drizzling. thx god the route is not that slippery and all of us was safe. though jamie knocked her head on a bamboo tree i heard O.O I was grouped with jia yin , darwin, marvin and nigel in the games. sorta felt guilty for causing much delays on the stations due to my lack of balance in nature @@ slipped countless times when we're supposed to stand on a rock in the river with one leg until the task given is completed. LOL my leg was shaking with soreness and melvin was just standing next to me with watching eyes i couldn't cheat and rest for a while =/
Another memorable event in this journey is the egg breaking game. we were each given an egg to protect at the starting of the camp. those who broke their eggs would be punished by being tossed into the river. my egg was broken even before the guys tried to break my egg. LOL. sorry, but I didn't know I was evil myself when I decided to steal Jason's and chze hou's eggs. kinda revengeful though they failed to break my egg =p I was hesitating to break them though, after I got the stolen eggs, but they somewhat just got broken by fate or accident =p. chze hou's got broken when i accidentally knock it over with my elbow on jamie's hand. jason's just cracked when chze hou was helping him to wash it with the water current at the waterfall. karma =p and hence I got them dragged down to the river together with me as a punishment for the campers who failed to protect their eggs. It was raining, we were soak, we got splashed, we splashed each other, we were shivering in cold, i was beaten up with wet T shirts == , and duh we had fun. and I did not feel guilty for indirectly breaking the eggs one bit =D
some of the other crazy stuff during the camp =p
lol. chze hou pee-ed. karma =p
the epic moment when a voice from one of the girls saying 'eh your butt!' to another person, and the epic reaction of blondie covering his pants mistaking he was the one referred to. LOL.
jason's where's my abs look. ahaha.
The epic moment when melvin was telling zhi jie that he was palm-ed by others when melvin himself also....=D
the guys playing 'land ball' in the pouring rain for HOURS. pure craziness. lol.
Megazord in battle mode
covered in FLOUR and SOAKING WET.
at the waterfall
Animal kingdom. RAINBOW TEAM =D
black team
caterpillar crawl
the epic punishment for egg-breakers
before meal
camwhoring =D
designing iPhone 6 in American-Idol-Judge style =D
caught chze hou happily arranging his hair even before the camp. =D
le gf at the camp =D
more group photos =D
the ladies =D
the gentlemen
d2y camp X!!!!
This camp, brought back to me countless memories. COUNTLESS I say. memories of my family. memories of Pmo camps, 21st cs, prefect camp, and more pmo camps. although with the same structure, it's amazing how this camp felt completely different from the last ones. Maybe it was because for this camp, I joined in with a different purpose, a purpose to see it all, a purpose to reflect on myself. rather than just a camp organized by a club in high school. or maybe it's just because of the different stages of my life.
any what, it had been a wonderful journey for me. I hope the positiveness would go on and that I really did succeed in reflecting on myself this time.
many many many thanks to melvin and the comittee of the d2y =D
til then.
chaoz~
