Batam Camp Reflections (5-7 Jan 2011)

Report by Michelle Ling (Sec 4 Excellence)

The school year of 2011 started on a high note - instead of the usual start of mundane lessons and monotonous introductions between new students and their teachers, the whole of HCIS was seething with enthusiasm and exhilaration as everyone awaited in thrill for their turn to board the bus heading to Harbourfront Ferry Terminal.

On arrival at the Terminal, everyone lugged their paraphernalia and whilst clearing Customs, the air was filled with the electrifying chatter in anticipation of what was in store for them across the border at Batam. When we all finally reached Harris Resort after a ten minutes walk from the Batam Waterfront, we were instructed to deposit our bags at the holding room. Subsequently, the Year 3 and 4 students were divided into groups according to their classes, and were instructed to participate in team bonding games. Following that, we had a leadership talk before a briefing on our next activity - the Amazing Race at the Mega Mall! We were given about an hour and half to complete it, and that amount of time included having our dinner too. Boy, were we short of time! The race was fun. We worked together as a class to help look for the answers and at the same time, explore the mall. When the race was over, we retired back to the resort and had a debrief before heading back to our respective rooms for a well-deserved rest!

The next day started off with a sumptuous buffet breakfast where we all ate to our heart's content to be recharged for a whole new day. When we were all full and ready to go, we proceeded for a trek to the Mata Kuching jungle. Trust me, when I say it was adventurous, fun, and frightening. Yet it was a wonderful experience all the same. Some of the obstacles were categorically nerve-wrecking. The trail is nothing like our Bukit Timah Hill! By the time we completed our hour-long 'journey', all of us were both dead beat yet elated. Soon after lunch we had another team-bonding game called Team Link. It consisted of a mat with boxes of numbers and our job was to ensure the whole class crossed over the whole mat without skipping any numbers while maintaining physical contact with each other. Now, the tricky part was that at any point of time, at least one foot had to be on one of the box of numbers, and no more than a pair of feet can be in the box! It was pretty confusing, but it was really cool. It really trained to be cooperative teamwork. I guess that's why they call it Team Link!

Shortly after, all of us went down to the gargantuan swimming pool in the resort for some water activities. Our very first activity was a water confidence activity. That was when the fun began! We were then given four barrels, a handful of poles and ropes to construct a raft in forty-five minutes. It was a competition between our class and another Year 3 class. We all took it pretty seriously! Every one of us then took some time to discuss and divide our work, before getting down to building the raft. When the time was up, the instructors tested our raft. It could actually float! We were successful! All of us cheered in unity and four of our classmates got the honour of sitting on the raft and rowing it to the other side of the pool. Our third and final activity was to fill a punctured barrel twice until the soccer ball in the barrel floated up - once with somebody inside, and the second time, without! It wasn't a piece of cake, but it certainly was a whole lot of fun! We were then allowed to go back to our rooms to take a warm hot shower and get ready for the Dinner and Dance event.

We first gathered at the holding room after freshening up before making our way down to the poolside for the D&D. It was really entertaining, there were songs being played while we were busy filling our stomachs, and chit-chatted with our friends. The D&D ended with what the instructors called the Highlight of the Night - FIREWORKS! It was absolutely amazing and beautiful. It was probably one of the few times I got to see fireworks so close up!

To sum up, this camp was really a memorable one. It will be remembered for a long time by myself and my friends.


巴淡岛拓展活动 文：S3E  黄季然

于今年一月五日，时值开学之际，我校全体师生500余人来到享有"小巴厘岛"之称的印尼巴淡岛参加拓展活动。在这与新加坡隔海相望的美丽小岛上，我们度过了难忘且愉快的三天两夜。这次的拓展活动给我校师生提供了一个促进关系的大舞台，作为本校新生，此次活动给我带来了难以磨灭的回忆，这三天里我和同学们打成一片，由当初的陌生人到相识、相知、相交到现在和他们一起学习一起嬉戏。

这次的活动经历对我们来说是一笔宝贵的财富，从中我们学到了团体的重要性，培养了我们的团队精神，促进了同学之间的情谊！犹记得第二天早上的远足活动，伴着朝阳走在原始森林般的观景园中，按耐不住激动的心情，激昂的走在蜿蜒的山路上，途中吊桥，陡峭的山坡等障碍物给这次远足带来了惊喜与刺激；下午的水上活动随着阴雨的天气如火如荼的进行着，水上造船，装满满是小孔的水桶，水球等活动大大的增强了学生之间的凝聚力；最后便是此次拓展活动的重头戏了，在同学们的阵阵欢呼声中，晚会拉开了帷幕，专业的乐队与主持将晚会带到了最高点，欢呼声彼起彼伏，一波接着一波！校长与老师们也很快融入到了这种欢愉的气氛中，与学生们欢乐一堂！晚会临近结束之时，空中放起了璀璨的烟花，它们象征这华中国际的辉煌，象征着华中学生的成就！迎接我校师生的是一个个美好的明天。

在之后对许校长的采访中，校长表示：这次活动不单单是为了培养学生们的团队精神，还为了培养学生与学生之间，老师与学生之间的关系，从而营造一个欢快的学习气氛。许校长认为：学习不应仅仅局限在课堂上，书本上的理论知识还应在生活中不断的实践，这次活动就是希望同学们能够学会如何面对困难，如何野外生存，生活就是一门最高深的学问，社会就是一个最大的讲堂。

为了纪念这次露营，在此赋诗一首                    《温情》

很快的这都成了回忆
离骚语录成集
三天两夜的点点滴滴
凝集成一道门
门内装满了回忆
让我驾着时光机
重温
将这一切刻印成永不磨灭的记忆
人生如同一个剧本
那次聚会仅是一个点
伙伴们卖力的演绎
仔细回忆那份喜悦
在晚霞消隐的那一刻
驻足 回首
过去的便是回忆
在我这如花般破碎的流年
伙伴们的笑声在我的脑海中回响
成为我命途中最美的缀点