The OBS diary ! Unforgettable trip ever !

At this moment, I’ve to tell myself that if I’d ever not be going for OBS this year, I’d be totally regretful !!! This year experience was way so much different and better then last year for sure. One of the best reason was that I was the only Vietnamese scholar in the group... great ! Last year got even four people ! Wahlau ! And the consist of member was also very interesting: most of them I only knew but had never talked to before, or very less likely to talk to (some of them even admitted that before OBS, he has never known that I was in IP2 – that was from Ryan XD ) I could really list the members in my watch out here now: Ryan, Bryan, Run Feng, Yi Xin, Wang Han, Abdullah, Akshay, Michelle Koh, Emily, Liz, Charleen, Joey, Wen Jia, Marilyn, Yijing. This group was such a greatest ever ! I really enjoyed myself, my chance being able to merge and made friends with many new and different people. My hope, and my effort would be that to keep this relationship lasted for long, long time in the future... We REALLY had such a wonderful time together.

Now, talking about experience, the first two days were not really anything that could be said about.

Next day, nothing really special: triyaking – a different type of kayaking boat but with three people paddling. I was practicing with Wen Jia and Akshay – still stick a little bit to the people I knew before ! I was not really excited though – because we just did the same thing like last year. However, knowing the schedule for Wednesday – which was the venturing around the swamp place by ourselves: navigation by people in the three watches; Ryan was navigator, Choon Fah was the right-sider, Tai Wan worked on the left side and Phong being the sweeper. Later on at night, we had a small session on the cutter – for sailing in the next days – though my main focus was just on the clear sky that night, can totally see Scorpius and Crux. I was really surprised that our group has learnt things so fast. This time round, I tried to make a little bit of communication – quite good though, but still subtle. And I could see some good inside people... think that I've almost never experienced within the hostel itself.

The sea-expedition day, the greatest trip of triyaking I’ve ever had. It was really amazing that everyone had improved from the last time (last year) – or maybe that was just because there were three on same boat, so way faster ! But still, the experience insight was marvellous ! While travelling through the swamp inside Pulau Ubin, we were quite a bit lost (as in the three watches) then our boat has been stuck at the plants, and tree branches for dunno how many times already ! But it was fun! People has put all their effort paddling through harshness and they were so patient also, while waiting for the direction out. I would think that those leaders, really has done a good job directing every single one around the route !

The next day, we started out the land-expedition ! This thing was the most funny thing that we’ve ever done together. For land-ex, we were supposed to self-navigate and find our way to all the checkpoints have been marked. The first one was really easy, we reached there in less than 30 minutes, then started to work on the obstacle-overcome. Though we kind of failed, the team has really put some work and seriousness on this challenge; I felt really happy. Next point was a little bit tricky (which would lead us into something much more fun later on) when we had to climb up to the hill and found our way to the top. That was kinda tiring and a little bit long-dragged. However, we later on had to walk downhill to come to another checkpoint. This here was really fun. We were lost, as none of us was good in navigation and the instructor was also not there – but around. We bumped into some other place which probably no one has ever ventured through before: there was a great spider which hanged loosely on its web between the plant, then the beehives high above. We really had fun that time. Then I also got some times to talk about random thing like ghosts, then knocking the beehives, then mosquitos... We passed through the mud drain, saw mud-skippers and crabs crawling around the water, then through the mangosteen trees. Everyone helped each other a lot to travel. Even we have treaded on tall grass and mudpool. After a while, we could see the main road (we even did one of the “dunno-for-what” quiz from Choon-the instructor) Then the time when we started sitting down on the road, waiting for the durians to drop down, and the joy of every single one, when the good-smell durian has come. I was very happy and enjoyed that moment during the whole trip. In the evening, while cooking, when I suddenly cut my finger with the can lid, I could see the care people gave to me; I really appreciated that and felt very grateful. Never in my life have I had that feeling before with friends. Then at night, after packing everything inside, we slept together under the cold of the night, and breeze from the sea started to blow into the tent.

On Friday, we started sailing. The moment on the cutter was such an unforgettable event. Every each one of the member came together, helped each other and worked out to move the boat. And time when we sang and paddled together, on the “slave-driving” boat and the captain – so-called – was just as well like “slave-driver” It has never been that fun before, walking around the cutter, helping around, slacking around, playing around, enjoying. And I still could never forget the relief of everyone when wind has come, took the tiredness of rowing away, then we – altogether as united one – hoisted up the sails. Then the maneouvre of the captain as the boat moving through the island. Time when we were laughing at lame jokes of Abdullah or when Bryan started to fall as sleep but smartly camouflaged by the sunglasses so that no one could ever recognise (but we did though :P ) In the night, sleeping on the cutter was such memorable experience; and that was the first time ever I realized Run Feng had such amazing interest on astronomy – especially astrophysics (it seemed that he became my fascinated character during the trip XP besides anyone else) The sky was quite clear that night though, and I tried to stay awake to wait for Orion to raise – dunno whether that was the time period or not; but luckily, I saw a shooting star though, just like last year, so I just made a silly wish on relationship then (but think that would be quite hard to happen XP ). Night was cool and clear, and silent on the sea. I could not really describe that feeling, but it was just like, the separation – really separation from the complicated, modern world – just to get some peace from the nature. It was absolutely peaceful, and I felt like I belonged there also – away from the danger of the society, away from the fake; only with those good friends I’ve just had, in the nature, wild but safe.

The second day of sailing, I was captain as first – however in the place of “slave driver” and I made people row for quite a distance (that made me feel a little bit guilty). Nevertheless, the trip was not a really good one – as we had to avoid many big ship and in one situation, we were even sandwiched between two tankers coming by. Around noon or so, the engine of the cutter was dead, so that we could not really continue the journey (though we were really near camp 1 right then) We arrived land earlier than other groups, and started unpacking and clean everything. Now we were truly a team – everyone was engaged and united. And it showed much clearly at night, while preparing everything, we were really having fun, and talking about lots of fun stuffs – and sick, obviously. . I loved my watch – Washington.

And when it was the day of leaving, I could not really sleep in the morning. I found a bit of emptiness inside me – I had to return to mainland, to the place that reality was not an easy thing to accept, as for now. I did not really like most of the scholars here – those that I found to be good were so few that counted with mere fingers. Somehow, I’d like the way my friends did. They were honest, nice and good – every single of them. And their thoughts were also different from some others. I did not know how to say it but just like, most people I was in contact with have the knowledge but their concern for others and care were not generous and buoyant like the friends I considered; I found in that thought a little bit of too much “self” and “plan” and “benefit”. That was really not good feeling. And these feelings made me just wanna come to school early, and got chance to talk. I liked to have sometimes hanged out with my watch members.

WASHINGTON ALL THE WAY !!! NJ ALL THE WAY !!! FRIENDSHIP ALL THE WAY !!!

I missed OBS, I missed my “friends” ... HAHAHA