XPDC Camping N9

Spent my one week holiday escorting students to a Camp at N.9 along with another fellow j/u.
Have to admit... I missed my comfy bed.

The first 2 nights were spent at a Camping & Recreational Spot at Kg. Sungai Besar at Gemas. Kayaking and Orienteering/Navigation were the main activities. For the Kayak aktivity, students kayak-ed about 2 hours down some parts of the Muar river ( THE very river where the legendary Hang Tuah had used to spirit away Tun Teja... so history said la). Murky river it was as it had rained heavily a few days before. I could smell the mud in the teh-tarik colored river. And I knew in such conditions, ada lumpur, ada kerbau... ada lintahhhhhhhhh... not that I'm queasy or afraid of leeches la...

I must say, the time difference between West and East Malaysia is something I almost forgot. I was wondering why I was feeling so hungry when the sun had yet to set. As I put up my wrist to offer my eyes better confirmation of time, I was quietly jolted. Uiikk... 7pm.. the sun was still out. Patutla my stomach was protesting..

The 3rd day saw us packing up and moving to the train station at Gemas. Hahah... kind of funny for me. Of all the years I was studying at UPM, never have I boarded the train before. I should have. It was a short 30 odd minutes ride to Bahau but enough to add to anyone's experience. We got off, boarded the many coaster buses and proceeded to Kg. Lonek for the Homestay Program. Kg. Lonek was a sweet, small village to visit. There the students were given a chance to go round the village and participate in some of the prepared homestay activities via bicycle ride. There were the craftmaking through the use of Rubber tree leaves and the dehusking of coconut using wooden spokes. Then there was the 'mengoca' or catching catfish using bare hands. 'Mengoca' comes from the word 'kocak' in malay or to agitate the water fiercely- to stun the catfish - and quickly catch them.

Raising the state flag

body rafting/ water confidence

nice sticker..

briefing before the kayak activity

my first time seeing a kelong in a river..

all aboard...

this chinese girl from Pahang wanted to take a picture with me.. don't know why..

welcoming troupe at Kg.Lonek (Homestay programme)

err... not enough bike helmets...

Dehusking the coconut

Have you watched te malay thriller movie 'Waris Jari Hantu'? I haven't. This house (the Pengerusi of the Kg.Lonek Homestay's house) was apparently in the movie... the waris jari hantu's house.

'mengoca'

Haa... Paintball mania... the jurulatihs preparing the markers..

Load them up!!

Crazy paintball... this is what happens if you play with no rules and wearing thin tracksuit only... more than two weeks passed before the skin looked almost normal

oh..ya.. we won 2nd place in the Cultural Dance Competition..

not bad for last minute preparations

Damai at Damai SC

And so it goes.. and so it goes..
Had gone to Damai Specialist instead of Sabah Med Centre. My last visit was almost 2 years ago. This time, the doctor was friendlier. More approachable I think. I could joke with him and had him smile too. I was nervous. Aaanything could happen. The old report said there were only cysts on the left one. Now there are cysts on both. At least they're benign.. so far.
I'm still healthy. That's a good thing, right?

Burnout

Went running round Likas Lake yesterday..around 5pm. As usual, saw many different kinds of runners, walkers and lenggang-lenggang-ers... Those with mp3-players plugged into their ears were aplenty..and also those who wanted the other runners to listen to what they're listening too. They look like adverts for music, jogging/walking past you... I'm just wondering.. how can they jog listening to Kenny G? Slow and sentimental lagi tu..

Anyway, managed 2 laps of the lake.. barely able to reach the 2 lap mark..with lungs feeling like they're about to burst.. Today, my legs feel funny. The muscles don't have that aching feeling. However, my legs feel like I've been standing still for too long. Mau kena massage la ni..

Read a message from a dear friend on my fb yesterday.. and read Bong's entries.. reminded me of my years living with my Sarawakian friends.. was reminded of their BM dialect..

Kedak tok lah... kamek try kelakar bahasa sarawak la kali tok.. ngan campor2 dua igik bahasa lain.. hahaha.. dah lamak gilak sik kelakar kedak tok.. mun ada pun... sik lamak. Ya pun, mun bejumpa ngan member nok pandei kelakar bahasa tok. Sik da peluang ba.

Kamek gi jogging marek. Ingat maok cari timing belari.. Nenga2 kamek JU ada fitness test tengah bulan tok. Kononnya 2.5km run dalam masa 15minit.. 200m swim in 20mins. Pasal renang ya... sik hal bagi kamek (fuiyoo..angkat bakul!!) tapi part belari ya.. uh... dah lamak kamek ninggalkan arena tok. Padah sidak senior ari ya, ada gik sit-ups, push-ups and lari angkat beban... mun kedak ya.. tpaksa la kamek prektis ngangkat sofa kat umah kamek ya..

Apa pun, bagus juak ada fitness test tok.. skurang-kurangnya dapat di maintain tahap fitness.. kamek rasa excited juak... bukan apa... ada la member lain ya... cakap bukan main.. Nya padah ngan sesiapa ja nok nenga, nya tok mun renang... berjam-jam di kolam pun sikda hal.. (kamek rasa renang katak ja ya...) huahaha... So, maok juak kamek nangga ke-terrer-an nya ya.. dan pasti lawak dan lucu nangga gelagat member2 lain kelak...

Camping Week

The XPDC Pendidikan Luar for High School students 2009 was held this week 24-29th March. Heheh... Mamai beat me this time in blogging about the same event since he also came down from Keningau to go on duty. Anyway, he brought along his camera this time and was seen keenly snapping pictures away. So, this time, you have more pics, Mamai.

I was among the few jurulatihs who handled the bicycling trek from the Kem to Kiulu Township and back. 7 and a half to and fro cycle trip back and forth mind you.

A few hardworking Ju's spent the whole night

checking and fixing the bicycles for the cycling activity.

They decided to 'open up' an ad-hoc mechanic shop...

Other disciplines were the Water Confidence, Orienteering, and Flying Fox. Two afternoons' activities were the Cabaran Hutan/ Rentas Halangan. You could refer to JulietPapaGolf's page for pictures since I didn't take as many.

During the closing ceremony, all of us JU's were required to don the official JU uniform.. What should have been a smart ensemble of attire was somewhat marred by the footwear of some of us.. heheh.. padang basah and becak baa... rusak la nanti kasut binulang limpas padang...

There is always something different to learn for me everytime I go to Camp. Different circles of people, attitudes and different happenings and occurences. It helps mightily too if the trainers are of the same wavelength.. makes work easier and better done.