It's over! Got back in the evening, super tired! This stream runs through the campsite. Surrounded by hills, the mornings are really beautiful and quiet here. Was a good camp for the kids (all of whom are primary age)! Most of them said they want to go back again. Journey home, the last 50 km before home is always the hardest, if you are the driver... the tiredness really sinks in. But God was good! All of us got back in one piece! 8) I had Joyce and 3 kids in my car. We made good time despite the pre-Raya traffic.
We had a 'Cookout' Session... letting the kids do fried rice on charcoal stove. I think it made some of us appreciate the gas and electric stoves a lot! I vaguely remember the 'big-do' every morning at grandma's over her huge wood stove! Cooking those days was a lot of hard work. Chop the wood, start the fire, stoke the fire, keep the fire going... you've to multi-task while you cook!
A Camp is incomplete without hitting the outdoors. Since we had really small kids with us, we swapped stream trotting for waterfall dipping. And they had fun.. thankfully this place is still clean. Our Malaysian rubbish mentality is the reason for the spate of leptospirosis in our rivers.... Sheesh!!!!
Sessions were fun. I salute Peh Lan for her commitment and also those who went to help. And also for the young people who went despite having to pay the full campers fees. Camps such as this will not be complete without them to play the roles of big bros and sis.
And the kids... today's kids are different from my gen when we were their age. They seem to know more but they are also kids with little exposure to nature. Most of the city kids squirm, squeal or cry at the sight of bugs.... what more leeches. That one, sure to elicit cries of fear and tears. Also, this is a gen grown up on 'kakak this' and 'kakak that' (read that as maids). One kid told me her mother sent her for the camp so that she can learn to organize herself (things), do things for herself. We had to do all those things as part of chores at home. Plus, the influence of the media... it's apparent. LOL! In our days, we played a lot outside. It's not safe for kids to do so these days. So, while the kids seem 'smarter', there's also this sense of helplessness when they're out of their sterile and concrete world.
3 days away from home. While some didn't like the hike to the waterfall (they enjoyed the playing with the water) and had to do many things for themselves, most if not all enjoyed the fun and friends; and they wanted the camp to last a little longer. I had to piggyback a girl up to the falls on the way up. Tim did most of the carrying during the later part of the hike. My gym, swimming and games sessions paid dividends. LOL! I surprised myself. Hiking - the lesson behind; hard work pays... all the hard walk, for the fun of frolicking in the water! Reap what you sow... in a positive way! 8)
Been over 20 years since I attended a camp where I had to 'rough' it out like this. However, even this is luxurious by our standards those days. But it was fun; something which is good for the kids. It's always good for kids to know about God, to have that compass in their life, to know that they are loved. Faith keeps us going when the going gets tough in life. And tough times ebb and flow in our lives.
