Rakan Muda Camp (MARET)

Sunday, December 06, 2009 Camping , Food & Nutrition , High School , Nature , Outdoor & Adventures , Overnight Trip 0 Comments

Here are the details of the camp:
Date: 1st December - 4th December
Venue: School - Taman Botanical Ayer Keroh Melaka


Ahoy! I had loads of fun and also some not so fun stuff going around there. Firstly, I would love to give a loudspeaker on this: I HATE WEARING WET SMELLY SHOES ! oh my gosh.... that was the hell worst. I really hated it plus, wearing it for like whole day was like hell suffering..!

Anyway, let me give you the summary (it is really long though) of the camp.


we left school at about 3 pm +++ (it was supposed to be 2 PM SHARP,according to Madam but I don't know why we left like 1 hour later.) and my seat partner was Weng Yan. We were quite bored in the bus and I started reading 'Spook'. It's a book about science tackling the afterlife. Then I listened to some music on my MP3. Fortunately, we reached after like 3 hours ( I guess)


Then, we went to the forest-park and got to know our coaches. They were quite friendly and funny.*hah* The first activities were pitching camp. I volunteered *=P, perasan betul* to do it first without his guidance well, because no one wanted to try so I don't play the 'waiting-game' thing and I volunteered. By the way, if I don't, it will be an embarassment to SMKSS because we would look like some sort of bodohs. *I sound so perasan here XD*


Okay, so later after he gave out the flaws I did while pitching, we were given camp sites and all of us started pitching. I was grouped with 3 other Malay girls and then we had some tea-break sort of thing. We bathed (fortunately they had toilets. Concrete made walls and zinc to add on) then later we had a lil break before our dinner. After dinner, we had logo making and night walk.


I had to be separated from my bunch of friends because well, they used to numbering system to group us. It wasn't fun at all and I hate doing logos. I don't know why in every motivation camps or at least stuff like that, they must have this logo thing. Uggh. I don't like it at all.

Anyway, we had night walks later.


It's not your usual happy night walk where you walk with some bunch of your friends. we have to walk like ALONE. It was darn scary. That guy told us all sort of stupid junk (which was,actually,still, true) to scare us to our wits. He briefed us and added that the forest has loads of 'unseen-creatures' (he meant the spiritual world) and say that our objective to this walk-alone thing is to experience how the blind see. He also said that we are suppose to experience sounds and scenery that we like and do not like. We were given 2 codes. MARET Muda and Pisang. Pisang was the code for when you are hurt. MARET Muda was a to verify our self. Like when you see 'someone' you shout 'MARET' and if the other one shouts 'Muda' then you'll know that the person is 'safe' to talk to. If he says something else, just walk on.

*oh yea, our torch light and hand phones were taken away before we start.*


Before I started, I had so many stupid thoughts running in my mind. I pictured that some ugly looking ghost would come out and scare me and all those kind of things. When I was walking, I kept praying to God to have mercy on me. *lol* I know, it's pretty embarassing. Then as I walked, I can see 2 figures by my side. when I passed them, one of them said :"Satu Malaysia" and the other made funny noises. Right then, I immediately recognise them as humans. I wasn't so afraid anymore. (but I was STILL afraid) Then, as I walked along, I heard footsteps behind me. I was hoping that it would be Nicholas (he was supposed to be 'released' after me) and he walked like so fast that he passed me. I used the 'MARET Muda' code and he answered like supposed to. Phew. I was relieved. Before reaching to our destination, we passed another 2 people side by side of us and he said to me : "Amoi, baju kamu koyak"' and the other was like kept calling me because I didn't respond.


After my walk, I shared my experienced with others. I guess, I was the few lucky ones who didn't got the more terrible tricks. My friend said that those 'people' I saw earlier, one of them purposely followed them to scare them and some other stuff. Boy, I was glad that those 'people' didn't do that to me else, I might weeeee in my pants. *hahas*

That was great experience.

We came back to the campsite at around 1 am ++ then I had to do some guarding at night from
2 am till 3 am with weng yan.


The next morning, we were bombarded with so many activities. We had morning exercises, then later we had Jungle Trekking. According to our coach, it is a 5 km walk.We were suppose to mind our talking while in there and not suppose to say 'Sesat' at all because something might happen. *remember,the forest is where other creature lies, spiritual, so to say*


The whole thing was awesomeness!! I love the part where we have to walk through the pool-river thing. It was the best!! Although, the height of the river was till my chest. Fortunately, it's a stationary pool-river or else, the stuff that I'm holding will definitely get wet. (I had this black bag with my camera,water,notepad, stationary)


After we got out from the forest, we were gathered at this still-developing park and there was a huge shallow pond. We had to use the mud and soil mixture from the ground and wipe it on our whole face. I even cracked a joke and said :" Facial mask everyone!" then applied all over my face. There was a tingling sensation as the thing was drying and I really feel like scratching it off but I know I shouldn't and so it stayed there for long.


Then, we walked further and stopped behind some bush and listened to this man talking about herbs we can eat and use in the forest if we are lost in the forest. We got to try some berries that looked like small star fruit. It tasted tangy. We also learned about some herbs that we can apply on open wounds so that it will heal faster.


Later, we walked back to our campsite, as we walked, other visitors looked at us with a strange look. We walked back to our campsite to have lunch then we had other activities and no, no washing our face except our mouth part area for eating. We did orientation. It's like sort of a treasure hunt thing where we use compass and the bearing (the bearing is given to us) to find our way. While we were 'hunting' there were also other visitors and all of them looked at us with the expression :" What are these people doing??!??!?!"

Finally, after all groups found their 'treasures' we got to wash our mud face. Woah! Refreshing.Then, we had yet another activity : Water related activity.


All of us had to walk like about 2 km to this place where our activities were supposedly be Kayak and Wall Climbing. Unfortunately,due to the bad weather, our Kayaking was canceled although out coach briefed us about how to Kayak and those stuff. It was replaced by Dragon Boat and Swimming. We had about 11 of us on each boat with a single side oar each. What we are suppose to learn there is group work and coordination with our members. If our strength and techniques are not properly balanced, our boat would not go the way we want. It sounds easy but it's not at all.


We also had knots session. We were taught on how to tie different knots. One of them was the reef knot and.. I forgotten the rest..! But I DO remember how to tie them. (I loved knots since I was young so, it's not surprising that I know how to tie them but not remember their names. *chuckles*)


Later, we walked back and rested. Had dinner then public speaking. OHMIGOSH I hate public speaking! When it was my turn, I decided to talk about my camp experience. I scribbled on my notepad and I think this girl, next to me saw it. She was before me and I was shocked when she told her title. When it was my turn, this fat a$$ woman (one of the minor coach helpers and I don't usually insult people but she made me angry) accused me of copying her and asked me to change my title. I denied of course and showed her my notepad that I scribbled on. I decided to speak in English and it went so wrong. Not even one quarter way through, I stopped and after a few moments of silence, the coached asked me (in Malay of course) :" Finished?" I hesitantly and feeling embarassed (blood was rushing to my face) said :"yes" and I scrambled back to my seat.


I became upset a lil about my verdict that the girl copied me, or not..? I started writing to God *er....* and said all that I had to say. I was even trying to calm myself and think that maybe that girl did NOT copy at all but it was so impossible...! She was just next to me and how can it be that coincidentally she copied my title? HOW CAN IT BE? I felt so sad and embarassed at the same time (embarassed for my speech earlier) and I wrote to take off that feelings and on top of it, I decided to pick up this winged ant on the table and fiddled around with it. I felt so much better. I love insects.

Then, we slept.



The next morning, we had Wall Climbing and I really sucked. I was telling to Weng Yan that it'll definitely be easy for the skinny people because they are lighter and that it was not necessary for them to use more arm strength. Heh, I think my hypothesis was right because surprisingly, weng yan (girl category) reached the highest.(She was the lightest) She didn't make it to the top though.


After that, we had the closing ceremony, had lunch and we all head back to KL. *home sweet home!*

Yea, this is such a long post..! I hope you've enjoyed it..!




P.s: The boys got punished for not tucking in their shirts. I've a vid of it but the file is sooo big that I'm quite lazy to upload to youtube. Anyway, here are the boys.s.