Priceless lessons

Sometimes in life, shit happens.

Date: 23/12/11

Hey readers!

I'm back from the leaders' camp! 4 days 3 nights has been tiring and fun, shall do an update about some meaningful experience and valuable lessons i've learnt ad proceed to get my beauty sleep that i've missed these nights!

Firstly, my awesome group is called 'Pikachu', the group members are: WanXin, YiYan, Valerie, Angelia, HuiLing, YiPeng, Sean, Fikri, Isa and our dearest facilitators are Alvin and Sam!

Here's our flag, isn't it pretty? ;)

Here goes our cheer!

Pika pika pika chu,

chu chu chu !

Pikachu; standing strong.

Pikachu; movig fast.

Pika pika pika chuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Before i begin, let me thank Brandon Ho, the camp IC for intiating this camp! ^^

The first day began with us not being familiar with each other. My objectives of this camp:

-observe how others lead and learn.

-advise the juniors and encourage them.

-apply what i know into practice, when leading.

-really practice empowermet, step up and step in appropriately.

The first day was mostly games, games and more games, team building and ice breakers. Our activities ended earlier and lights out around 11 plus as it was going to be a hectic day tomorrow.

COMMITMENT.

2nd day, breakfast and a workshop by an external vendor, 4 hours. I swear my butt hurts like shit. There were 3 speakers, and they covered on the topics: Values, RAMS and facilitation respectively. Personally, the facilitation talk taught us about comfort zone, learning zone and panic zone. Sometimes to lead, you have to lose face. As the fun way works for everyone, everyone likes it! My takeaway for the other two talks are:

-how to be a good listener.

-risk assessment management (hazards, real risks, perceived risks.)

Last night before i slept, i stayed up late to write essay long letters to Sean and Angelia to encourage and influence them, passed them during amazing race. Our amazing race was at punggol end park. We went compass point first to get marshmellows, and headed to punggol mrt to play a game before taking a bus to the park. As our team lagged a bit at the front, we resulted to be the last team but fortunately we managed to catch up due to our teamspirit, and we did well in the games, scores were higher than other groups. The next activity was night walk/reflection. We walked a certain distance to this place with a beautiful and romantic scenery. WeiQing gave a talk and we did reflection. This time i wrote 2 pages long essays. We had a lot of free time sitting alone in a corner to write, afterwhich we put our letter into an envelope, sealed it and wrote our address on it. It's actually optional to choose to write for yourself or write to someone else but for me i chose myself. The school were really sent out the letter and i will only open 6 months later, on 21st June 2012. It was all silent except for the sound of the waterfall (man-made) behind the beautiful structure. WeiQing shared with us the story of HLC's roots, in Malaysia, infront of a waterfall. Explains everything. Our scenery:

Headed back to school, debrief and instructions for the following day, which is sec one registration were given. After showering, the HLC excos went to the next empty bunk to do admin work that is due tomorrow for the orientation. Everyone was brain fried. Hence, the concentration was rather off. Slept around 1 plus.

3rd day. Woke up early for registration. I swear i'm always the one who sleep the latest (excluding camp comm) and wake up the latest too >< I'll get my last tiny winy little wink minute of sleep before jumping out of the bed (sleeping bag) and prepare for the day. As the 2nd IC of the orientation, my duty was just to overlook the facilitators in the hall. But due to the shortage of student leaders, i ended up ushering too and there was barely time to rest. Around some time after 10, the crowd decreased significantly. Hence, i went down to the bookstore to help. I also ushered the parents from the waiting room to the bookshop to get their books :) Time passes fast when you have things to do!

In the afternoon, we played the Trust Fall. Basically, each round one member from each team will go up and stand on the table with their eyes blindfolded. The conductor of this activity (Mr Cheong & Wei Qing), will ask all the remaining members whether do they want to support them. What they did in the camp, are the worth the support from you. Don't be afraid to show what you really feel, it's alright if you don't support them for your reasons, cause it's something they have to learn why too. Each team has 10, so if less than 6 the blindfolded member will not be able to do their trust fall and will step down. It's really scary and a lot cried while standing up there waiting. I was the 3rd to go. Seriously, i was laughing when i went up and stood there.

'are you guys there to support you?'

'we are here to support you.'

It was still alright here, the next line, i took a deep deep deep breathe, cause after i said that i'm gonna fall.

'falling..'

'fall on.'

Another deep breathe, didn't hestitate thud. :) Also, the purpose of the game was that you won't know who are the ones who didn't support you and other people who know not supposed to tell too. But Yiyan told me everyone supported me :) I didn't support 2 person from my team, i'm not heartless, i was feeling like a bastard, but i want the person to learn and understand why.

At night, given more time for our disco night preparation and here's our show. My group did a typical singaporean drama. Firstly it was 'on the mrt', followed by 'taxi driver' , 'free tissue' and lastly British VS Singapore. As we were given very little time to prepare, the performance didn't run very smoothly but, WE STILL HAD FUN! :) Brandon the chikopei is super hilarious and cool! xD Also, the performances from other groups made the teachers, mr Cheong and mr ang no eyes see >< We didn't go for quality as our main purpose was to have fun on the last night. Party time. ZhiLin shout 'i want see lynette dance!' too noisy, couldn't be heard. And he shouted again even louder. Woah yea, challenge mysef, step out of my comfort zone, i requested for the song goodbye baby and did solo. Yes i was nervous, all the eyes were on me. Someone shouted they wanted 360 degree, cause the audience was around me in a circle. Yes, challenge the process, i changed direction and i did it. It felt great really, daring to try and did something you never expect urself would dare to. :) Party the night away and HLC tradition, wrote post-it notes to acknowledge each other!

As it was the last night, we can sleep at any time we want. The excos stayed outside the library to talk for quite awhile before we went to bathe. It was around 3 plus in the middle of the night. Valerie, YiYan and I laid on the basketball court staring up into the dark black sky. It was really dark, but really peaceful. Mini h2h with them, they shared with me about their problems, went back to bunk. Second session, went down GRC wall again and had a talk with Yiyan and ZhiLin. We were talking about the sec one orientation, me being the 2nd ic, some conflicts between the main comm (hlc excos..) I can't say much here, but he said something that really triggered my emotions and my tears swelled up my eyes. He saw that and quickly said, that time i tweeted, i'm not gonna cry in this camp, like how i did last year. So he told brandon, this siao girl say not going to cry in this camp, he even took a screenshot of that tweet in his phone. Immediately, i wiped away my tears and said i never cry >< slept around 4 plus :)

Last day, went to hougang point with Pikachu ntuc to get our breakfast after playing this game which entitlesus to what we have for breakfast. Was playing finger pepsi cola xD story session by weiqing. Last group debrief with our facils. After that it was the most emotional moment of this 4 days. Our activity was to take a gem, and go to the person you would like to thank, and tell him/her why. I know it sounds normal but it was really really uncontrollable when u find the courage to go to the person to say how u feel and really thank him.

The first one i went to sean. I actually wanted to say during the debrief but saying it to him alone only was better. Sean, it is really a pleasure to have you in our team because you know, leadership is about relationship, building relationship. Both of our character are more of the stubborn type and we know it we have conflicts easily. But i learnt how to build relationship with people of the character like you, which i seldom see and really is a lesson learnt. Thank you.

Next was zi yang. I would like to thank you because of the talk we had yesterday. It was the first time we really talk non stop as we somehow share the same feeling towards one thing and from the random stories we shared, we understand each other better and learnt a lot from it too. When he was listening he nodded his head and tried to remain calm but he's tearing already. I was tearing too, it was very hard to talk, with your eyes watery and facing a guy and talk, but i finished what i had to say and really really tried to hold back my tears. Sean's eyes were watery after that too.

Next was zhilin. I want to thank you because of the talk we had last night regarding the orientation. You are always there for me, when no one can really understand me, even when they say they do you're the only person that really makes me feel you can understand what i am talking about. Tears were like choking my words, and a lot others approached him before me so his eyes were full of tears too. But i had to finish what i say. Really thank you for being there for me and give me advice.... Now as i'm thinking my heart as the achy feeling like gonna cry again ><

Couldn't really control my tears, it flowed non stop even though i wanted to stop it so bad. Went one corner to cool down first and Alvin came to approach me. Yi Peng was sitting he didn't go around to appreciate the people cause he said he didn't want to cry, he's eyes were watery ... Let's get back to Alvin. He thanked me and i cry again lah.!, he told me like really if without me the team wouldn't have its success now, and i cry again. Then the brandon don't know why walk up and down beside me then i don't want let him see i cry so i kept wiping my tears whenever they fall and like try to smile and look another side >< I really don't like people to see me cry. Then after alvin say finish and left, he sat beside me and thank me. I kept taking in deep breaths to calm myself down cause i have a believe that as a leader emotions controlling is very important.. A leader cannot be so emotional and cry so easily. But i'll remember what you told me :)

Next yiyan ran to me and hug me and thank me too, followed by wan xin. Valerie gave me a hug too and when u hug u cry even harder. After that quickly walk around to cool down. Break camp.

Went to the new coffee shop around the hdb flats with hlc excos to eat, just a simple meal but quality bonding time :) Headed home. Raining, drenched.