It was just a visa check for me, yet after my luggage passing the automatic X-ray checking lane, I knew that I had crossed the border. As for the border issue,it was not unfamiliar to me, in the ever-romantic book
Today in the English lesson,Karen the cat asked me wether I brought back chewing gum from Malaysia,I gave her a naiive smile and a naiive answer,like a judge making an announcement:"it is illegal to bring chewing gums into Singapore."Yes,I am always a legal citizen, in China and in here.
The trip was promised to be an interesting one by Ms Yeo for many times during the briefing and preparation session in assembly and enrichment. This is proved to be an "unbroken promise". After the four/five(for uniform group) days, I am sure that everyone has enjoyed the integrated trip to the maximum.
Personally, I feel extremely fortunate to be able to have such experience in my secondary life.Perhaps this kind of camp is too common to be excited for some of my peers who have attended Leadership Camp,CCA Camp,Church Camp or whatsoever.But for me,this is my first camp. The first time is always beautiful due to its freshness and the anticipation that it triggers.
My excitement defeated my drowsiness as the bus left the Malaysia Immigration Bureau and headed towards the Eagle Ranch Resort,Port Dickson at Lot 544,Batu14,Jalan Pantai. On the way,I was discussing with Yan Hui about the primitiveness of the Utopia and Chinese history of the transition period from feudalism to socialism while I was obsessed by the long-missed primitive element of Malaysian highway.
The primitiveness of Malaysia is just like China,pure,fresh and original.For one moment,I though that it got me home. This feeling grew tenser and tenser as the bus passed by numerous shops,"restorants",motorbike retail shops and even the modern shopping district areas are like China's Hualian and Jinboda alike.
We arrived at the Eagle Ranch at noon when the blistering sun began to shine on us. The resort has various types of residential areas including Paddock Chalet,Kampung House,Log Cabin, Bandwagon,Tepee,Log Dorm,Paddock Dorm and A-Hut. I was assigned to the 8-person Paddock Dorm while the boys lived in the 10-person Log Dorm. Some fortunate ones,including my sister,were able to enjoy the comfort of the Bandwagon with colour TV,hot bathing water, cupboard and a big table. I lived with Yeeling, WeiQi,Shirlene,Sherry,Valerie Goh,Jesslyn and Mia.It was a crazy group of amazing creatures and we shared the dorm for the two day's time.The most interesting episode was the "bathing war".Everyone wanted to be in the front of the long queue and as a result,someone needed to make sacrifice.Mia failed to get a position in the first day and I was the last one to bathe in both days,although my hair is not the shortest. The girls joined their beds and shared the potato chips.Valerie Goh was an early bird and it was because of her that all of us got up in the morning on time. I also have to thank Jesslyn for being so considerate and helpful that she kept the dorm key every time.
We went through Jungle trekking the first day,there were a lot of mosquitoes in the jungle and I put on long pants and insect repellent.We appreciated those traps set in the forest and learned about the setting tactics. Human beings are cruel,they are cruel to strangers,to their neighbours,their friends and themselves.
The second day was a hectic day because we went through Obstacle Course, Abseiling, Archery, Sea Rafting and Night Walk. I successfully passed all the obstacles except the last one which was a mud pool,I hanged over there above the pool for several rounds and finally tried to grab the Malay safety guard.Unfortunately enough,he was not reliable and I fell into the mud pool and drenched all my back and my pants which I had to throw away later. Even the guard was nearly to fall into the mud under my powerful pull. It was WONDERFUL to be drenched by mud,although it was sticky and stinky,yet it was indeed an experience for life.
The abseiling was like suiciding. Jumping off the platform was like jumping off a cliff,or...into the sea,like Rose.
"You jump, I jump." My favourite line.
"I want you to paint a picture for me,wearing this...wearing only this." I remebered those romantic days when I crouched in the medieval armchair in my house watching the movie with my loved ones. And now, I jumped.
I had no phobia,perhaps I am only afraid of being lonely,and what is loneliness anyway? It can be translated into three different Chinese words which transfer different levels,that is,from the superficial one to the spiritual one.
Sea rafting was wet with fun. I am an expert in tying the knot and due to our cooperation, we finished building the raft like a flash of light.The raft proved to be quite stable because we successful came back from the sea without injury and disbanding of the raft.We got the 3rd position,CHEERS! I was one of the peddlers.
In the Night Walk,a sweet 309 girl walked in front of me and kindly reminded me of any obstacles and stretching out branches. She likes Chinese pop music,and I like her. She also went for the Beijing trip and loved it.
We checked out of the Eagle Ranch and headed for the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia(FRIM) in Kuala Lumpur. At first I thought it a relaxing one like going to a botanic garden.However, it turned out to be a challenging one and we even faced the danger of being bitten by leeches. Beeleng,Valerie Tjota and Fiona were bitten by those rapidly moving creatures. I got too panicky and skipped all the way in the FRIM,Jian Peng laughed at me but I did not mind.Being alive is always better than being laughed at,although being bitten by leeches will not cause death. As a biology student, I know too well that leeches produce anti-clotting substances in their saliva and some medicinal leeches are used to encourage blood flow.Perhaps I will continue to be afraid of them until one day I am really bitten by them and realise that"it is nothing".
In the afternoon we went to do CIP in the Mentally &Physically Disabled Home,the people there suffered from different kinds of deformity.They are from young to old,in all ages, achieving a life cycle laiden with sadness and bitterness. We sang songs to cheer them up.I believe we made a difference. Saying that we feel so fortunate may sound like cliche,but it is true.Destiny has bestowed us a good body and intelligence,it is our duty to make good use of it, or it is one of the most serious wastage.Wasting is a crime...
At night we checked in the Pearls International Hotel. It was grand and well decorated,except a muscular and stocky figurin man standing at the entrance.I lived in the tenth floor,and the room was quite nice.It made me think of the time when I had my graduation test. In order to save time,all applicants of our high school booked a hotel room besides the testing point.The room was even better.At night,we strolled along the lavish lane to push aside all our anxiety; in the morning, we got up early to do the last-minute revision,welcoming the tests that we began to find romantic. At Pearls International Hotel,with the whole day's exhaustion and tiredness,I stumped towards an armchair by the window and plopped in, gruntling at my aching leg and those sprawling scratches.In such a big room, my minds began to swirl again.
In the hall,I saw uniform group people for the first time since the long vacation.The aggragation was holy and impressive,although the discipline check was strict and intense. Ms Yeo paid tributes to all the group commadants and respective teachers-in-charge,I saw Mr Eric Tan,too. It was like meeting long missing brother(exaggeration only). We gave every teacher a loud applause,even the once stern figures looked so charming that day.
Then came the last day, and the day of departure. We went for the Kuala Lumpur city tour,including the police station and the National Monument. Beautiful memories were captured in photos and we all knew that it was almost time to leave.
The last highlight spot was Petrolsains in the twin tower. Initially I thought it was nothing but a boring science revision about fractional distillation or the compressivibility of liquids.To my great surprise,it was like an enormous science centre.Although I have been to many science centres alike with similar facilities for numerous times,the Petrolsains really attracted me a great deal, especially the Dark Drive.Though it was artificial,it showed all the magnificence that high-tech can show.In the end I could only regret that there was not enough time for us to speculate what we had learned.
Departure was made less depressing by a camp like this,with all of us tired and terribly missing home.On the way back to Singapore,I did not sleep and looked attentively at every patch of Malaysian land,it was a land of magic,a land that is a hybrid of achina and Singapore to me, and a land that is spectacular in its own ways.
Goodbye,Malaysia,I do not know what time I will come to see you again. I will not miss you because you are not my home,although a shadow can be beautiful,too. I am happy that I come back to Singapore again,the island, the mini-country,the home.
To my delight,I was the first person to alight at Singapore Immigration House and I was also the first person to alight at Nan Hua and cheer to all of the welcomers. That was, the first in our bus, which was the last bus to arrive in Singapore...
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