Upon receiving an email from HR earlier this year that I'm required to attend the last batch of camp training, I had mixed feelings. First, I was esctatic about the fact that I'll be skipping work for the sake of work. Haha. However, I was quite disturbed & concerned with the condition of the camp we're bound to stay. There were so many what ifs:
1. What if the toilet/bathroom is dirty?
2. What if we need to sleep in tents?
3. What if there're creepy crawlies crawling into our tents?
As the date looms closer, I started to panic for the worse & secretly hoped that the training for my batch will be cancelled due to poor weather conditions. However, knowing that this would never happen; we still rode the bus ride to COPE Adventure. In case you wonder where this camp is, it's situated next to the popular Ampang Look-out Point overlooking the KL night scene.
Upon arrival, we were ushered by the trainers to the multi-purpose hall which resembled the hall back in my high school.
After registration & a short briefing, we were taken to our assigned tents for the 3-day stay. When our tents came to sight, we were kinda scared that the tents would collapse anytime judging from the worn-off fabric outside & the rickety poles which hold the tent together.
What was surprising is that the tent was built on solid cement with tiles. And can you imagine sleeping in tents with air conditioners included? For once, I felt like we're given 5-star treatment in a camping zone. The only prob is we don't get to sleep on soft mattresses but on canvas beds like those in army camps.
In a nutshell, the activities arranged for the 3 days training which covered both indoor & outdoor was pretty interesting as it aimed to instill the team spirit & cultivate leadership skills among all participants. Some outdoor activities were physically challenging & even had me ended up with a sprained finger. Jungle trekking was indeed exciting cuz we had to cross through muddy terrain & small rivers under the heavy downpour. I have to agree whole heartedly with the trainer that every jungle trekking experience is different. Despite fearing for leeches crawling into our track pants, we learned basic survival skills ie starting a fire, building a shelter etc.
During our stay, there was no complain on hygiene cuz the toilets plus bathrooms were clean. Food was awesome with lots of variety & menu change every day. You wouldn't believe if I said that the food was as good as hotel buffet, perhaps even better some hotels. On the last day, we had such a great time that we didn't want things to end so quickly. Friendship was forged & with status quo stripped off, everyone treated each other equally with much respect & honour. We left with a heavy heart but hopefully the lessons learned from the training can be applied & practised in our daily lives - whether it's at home or work. Below are some of the snapshots I took during my stay at camp.
Training cabin
Signboard
Boys' camp at dusk
The woods nearby our camp after dark