church camp

With my back pack over my shoulders, n sunglasses on my nose, I stood in front of the church lobby, wondering what n the world hv I gotten myself into. I’m about to join a camp for goodness sake! Yet I wasn’t at all excited. Maybe coz I knew I would b going alone with nothing to be excited about. Only loh pui yee n I were from the English youth, the others (young ppl) were either young adults or from the Chinese youth. I always look forward to camps, leaving home n enjoying myself with new found, clickable friends. Just not this one. Dad gv me a sound scolding b4 allowing me to come for this camp, saying that I’m not spending enuf time on my skool work n stuff. I was also ordered to b mama’s temporary ‘slave’ for the entire camp duration, which I dun mind that, its jz that they should hv trusted me better from the start.
I went on the bus, walked straight to the back with yin yee n pui yee. They were merely the only ppl who I can hang out with, the rest are jz kids, or working adults, n not to mention, the elderly-s. I think there r more senior citizen than the adults n kids put together. I don’t mind them honestly, jz that they filled the place with strong ‘fong yau’ smell, which makes me feel dizzy. Throughout the whole journey, yin yee told me her whole few-weeks-back-drama, which I found it pretty interesting. Arrived melacca water city resort, still not in the enthusiastic mood, but smiled anyway. The place was cool, nicely designed with a man made lake rite in the middle n a hanging bridge across it. The activities available were also funjoyable, just that I din hv money n no one was appropriate enuf to go play with me. I helped mama carry her stuff to her room b4 I went to mine. I shared a room with lisun (gf of camp commander). I also shared an apartment with the wong family n mun yee’s friend Eleonor from England. Thought they wud b of good company but they were mostly out to melacca city n did not fully participated in the activities. So I sticked close to lisun, n prayed that I’d hv fun. Well, God was great as always, I did hv fun (if I look at the brighter side, that is).
The speaker was Dr. yee who was a researcher n lecturer in Theology. For a smart man like he, he’s very sociable, n said I looked like zhang zi yi. Even ps chan agreed. Haha, anywayz, his preaching was rather profound n not easily understood, however we got used to it after a few sessions of him repeating the word ‘Eros’ which form the word erotic. (song os songs 4:1) I din know that the bible was sooooo precise on certain things n it totally blew me away!
After sessions, we were separated into diff groups, n I landed in the most “cham” group. Our leader took off the next day to go golfing n some had children to care for, some din even know they were from our team, so the remainders who actually ‘wants’ to participate joined other groups. N the funny thing was, my group won 1st runner up in overall group points, haha. Maybe it was because we were given the same points as the groups that we participated in (telematch n talent performance). The 1st nite I managed to contact chee meng who came with his seniors to jz come hv a look c, n to meet up with me. Its been such a long time since I saw him n I wish he could stay n accompany me throughout the whole camp, but he had classes the next day. Anyhow, we had a good chat b4 I retreated to my apartment where Jason n Jerome came over to hv a chat with the former English youths (yin yee, loh pui yee, wong phui yee, mun yee, lisun, me). We played 2 rounds of chordai dee n I won twice.
Had a morning devotion with uncle Denise leading. Was rather funny, looking at how his daughters talked to him. Went for 2nd session, lunch, skipped 3rd session, helped out a little in the telematch preparation, then had a great time during the telematch. This girl called June was in my team n she stuck close to me. We really had fun looking at aunty wai ying flow flour as it stuck to her face, passing bananas with our knees, eating chili padi, garlic, onion, bitter gods, ginger…, running around with 2 old ppl complaining of their old age. Everytime I met /helped an old person, I gotta address myself as ho yoke lan’s granddaughter, or else they wouldn’t even remember u. after dinner, we had this talent nite thingy where each group had to come up with a sketch to sell a certain product. I was sooo funny looking at old ppl do the unthinkable! later that nite, we had a good game of cluedo. I almost won….almost! When Jason finally came, most of them were already sleepy, so the remaining games weren’t as challenging.
I woke up late on the last day, missed morning devotion, cuz I slept really late the nite b4. Dragged myself for breakfast n the final session. Went back feeling relieved that the whole camp is over. I finally could get back to my own world. But, I got to get close with June, n some old ppl who I never talk to even when I see them in church. Didn’t regret going for this camp just that it’s a pity that I wasn’t having fun WITH the ones that I usually hv fun with.
Overall, I found this year’s church camp very new. It was like I was going to another church’s camp n not my own. N most of them spoke in Chinese, n it really reminded me how sucky my Chinese is. There are a lot of thing I learnt from this camp, that I wish I had the time to blog it but sorry—no time.