Saturday, 27 February 2010.
Campcraft compeitition.

Today marks the end of my campcraft trainings. No more tying, no more peggings, no more squating under the hot sun tying lashings. No more manharness. No more coling. No more clove hitches. No more reef knots. No more throwing pegs around. No more showing attitude when we have to go another round. No more laughing and giggling (jiggling) to inside jokes during debriefs with our NCOs. No more sufferings from blisters due to pegging (Clare) and pulling manila helpms with our utmost force. No more downward force, upward force. No more being spars and bamboo pole up and down staircases. No more round lashes. No more 12.4.8. No more "tensions are not strong enough"s. No more "untidy clove hitches"s. & in 3 to 4 weeks times, no more Sec 4 NCOS.

Today also marks the start of U08's NCO journey. No more regular water breaks. No more seniors guiding us. No more early dsimissals. More Sec One Orientation Camp meetings. More lectures. More camps. More courses.

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For today's competition, it;s actually quite a failure I think . (MY OWN PERSONAL VIEW). So this was what happened :
Woke up at 515am in the morning and got out of my house as soon as possible. Met up with Clare and hit the McDonalds for breakfast. Headed off to the busstop opposite Unity, and bus-ed to Pierce Secondary. Ma'am Kaibing was briefing us about the procedures on the bus. Upon reaching, we sat int he canteen, registered and after some briefings, the competition started . OKAY THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED :
Once we heard the first long horn, I took the 3.5m manila helpms and nylon rope while Yingtian took others. Was practically dragging the spars to the farthest end and tied ours round lashings as fast as possible. I didn't bother to tie a thumbknot at one end because I was in a pretty rushing mood. Yingtian immediately proceeded with her 12,4,8 clove hitch, while I started with my manharness. I completely forgetten about the carabiner and immediately placed my nylon rope into my manharness. It was when Clare shouted : "Eh, 那个carabiner ley ?" that I realise dI completely forgotten about it. -.- So we had to remove the nylon rope, clip on the carabiner, and run through our nylon rope . It was really time-consuming and when we were finally done, we put everything in place and proceeding with guyline. When Clare and I were strongly holding on to our guyline and waiting for Yingtian to slowly leave the pole and reaching the peg, the pole almost fell. The CIs in charge was running in and out of the lot cause our pole was threatening to fall all the time. When Yingtian reached the nearest peg and tying her slipknot, the pole was shaking all about. & I REALLY MEAN SHAKE, SHAKE REALLY DANGEROUSLY. Clare ended up calling Cailing from the gadget to hug the pole while we tied. As Yingtian, Clare and I pulled at "3", Cailing actually post grip of the pole( as it's her virgin try) and the whole thing fell. Thus, she roughly gauged the middle point and called Amirah to hug it instead. We quickly carried on 'cause our fastest timing was, as shown on the previous post, 13 minutes. Initially, I didn't have any strength to pull my guyline. I get really nervous as I thought I will be the one ruining everything again. But then I thought : "I am useless, but still, I cannot let others' effort go down to the drain just because of my uselessness." . Then, out of nowhere, I pulled my guyline with MY ALL MIGHT AND STRENGTH. Miraclously, my guyline managed to tighten and I quickly end with 2 half-hitch and butterfly knot. That when roughly when I saw Yingtian having difficulties with her slipknot. I shouted : " Yingtian !!! 你可以吗！！！ " . I ran over and found out that she actually had problems with her guyline. I took over her and signaled her to settle the flag. I pulled her guyline with all my might again, and woohoo! It tightened . Fighting spirit, must be the help of competition around me . ^^ Settled flag and FLAG IS DONE ! IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. But the problem was, THE POLE WAS SLANTED, OUR 12,4,8 HITCHES WAS REALLY VERY UNTIDY, OUR TENSION WAS BULLSHIT. Gadget can't fit our mess tin, and shelter was not even up. ):

So much for that 12 minutes.

No personal offence but I think our training since Dec 15 has gone down the drain. i mena, this training had taught us what is campcraft, knots, lashings, this and that this and that ... But we were trained for more than 2 months, while other school only started when school reopened. So much so for not taking trainings seriously.

Now I miss tying guyline, tying round lashing, tying my 12,4,8 clove hitches, I miss pulling the school flag on my pole, I miss arranging my two spars and identifying the top and the bottom, I miss dirtying my whole hands due to the dirty field. I can't believe I'm saying this but I MISS CAMPCRAFT. ): & It so happens that campcraft competition occurs on alternate years and today's competition is the last chance U08 is experiencing this. When chance is just at our doorstep, we don't cherish it ... and when it's gone, we regret. People ...

After the competition, went to discuss proposal, and gossip session. i really went on hyper mode during the gossip session ! LAUGHING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SESSION ?! Hahaha, really had a good time . ^^

Next week schedule:
Monday - Dry shooting practice.
Tuesday - Sec One Orientation Camp meeting.
Wednesday - Meet up with Mdm Rashidah (?)
Thursday - YGSP Adobe Animation Workshop @ Ngee Ann + Trainings (Goodgame, after workshop I need to rush for training, hectic man)
Friday - HOPEFULLY I'm free ...




I know this is abrupt BUT I need to go and rush my proposal ... Or else tomorrow's exhausting workload is going to kill me mentally. No joke. Kthxbye.
Posted by P.Yuhuiz. on 6:06 pm