What an awesome camp...it was an EXCELLENT break from all the poly life and fyp and uni stuff and all...just back to secondary school cca...and just having a great time working with the youths...but more than that..they are my friends, my younger brothers that im am happy to take care of :)
Well it actually started on a bad note...really bad note...but its the usual...i saw "E"...from a distance...i did my bestest to ignore...and soon with the start of BB my mind was back in focus...the year 1s had archery and i was with them...was fun to see some of them try shooting the bow...and one of them even had a bow that's taller than him...of course i couldn't stop making fun of him...I even had the chance to shoot and after a few bad shots...finally got the yellow zone that i was targeting for...now my bows wont keep saying that i can't "Shoot" properly...honestly for a bunch of year 1s their minds are filthy :P one even told me that his "semen can cure cancer" sometimes i dunno whether to laugh or be shocked :P
After archery 2 of my boys insisted on coming to my house to play games...so i allowed them...one promptly flopped on the bed while the other attacked the computer...I had to let them try playing the horror game, slender and one of my boys lucas was so scared after taking a few steps only and he gave up :P after that we went for lunch before heading back to the start of camp
At this part i heard a shocking story...i heard that the 2 boys were planning to transfer school...the form was even sent already...problem with me is that i get very attached to each of by batch of year 1s...thats why no matter how naughty or gangster or rebellious they are...i always leave a space in my time for them...and my devotion to their growth as my priority...to hear that they wanna quit cca...or quit school...or even transfer out...is quite a pain for me...i was sad to hear that to be honest...but i've decided to let fate decide whether they stay or leave...i will be losing 2 of the boys which im close to...cuz if lucas goes then elliot goes as well...those 2 are like peas in a pod :P hard to separate one :P
Anyway lets not think too much sad stuff...at camp my main job was as usual to help out in any of the ways i can and my first job was to help out with map reading and knot tying...but since lucas was so scared of the slenderman i kept scaring him by saying scary stuff abt slenderman stalking him...and in revenge he said he wouldn't share his braise peanuts with me (he knows i love it cuz i went crazy when i saw that he brought it)...so our slenderman vs braised peanuts battle continued almost thru the lesson :P
map reading was normal i guess (boring in my eyes cuz i hate it :P) but knot tying was fun...i allowed some of my boys to spam tie my hands together and i will escape with purely my fingers and not including mouth or other surfaces...was fun and thankfully i could escape all the knots :P After that session it was basha pitching...that one i sat out of it...and instead helped to prepare for the field cooking dinner. We had Clarissa on board with us...was cool cuz she was the only primer that was a girl...and she has a very strong stance and approach to things..which goes both ways honestly...but i know her heart is true to the "advancement of christ kingdom among boys and the promotion of something something reverence, respect and all that tends to a true christian manliness" (What the hell i still almost remember the object of BB O.O too much teaching does that to you)
Throughout the whole discussion was another disaster for me...i kept seeing "E" being adorable as usual...kept running around with frens and laughing...heart SHATTERED! but fuck it i guess?
So after much thinking and planning we started off the field cooking...was funny to see them cook pasta...PASTA! no joke for the first time i see pasta as field cooking food for camp...awesome them. There were huge fires...a burning mass tin...burning vege...a burnt finger of mine (i was the one doing most of the lighting of fuel) but in the end..their meals stood ready...and of course i was beside lucas sharing his braised peanuts :P but only awhile cuz i had chicken rice waiting for me as dinner...but lucas actually came over and brought the peanuts to me instead cuz he knew i liked it...haha so cute sia this kids...they really have huge hearts and really appreciate others :) im extremely proud of all of them...even the naughtier ones cuz for every weakness or defiance they show there is always a redeeming quality if people are willing to search for it.
But after dinner was bad..i realized that the night hike route was &%$* beyond anything..not cuz it sucked...but it was dangerous...i know yishun well and at night...seletar dam is a gathering place for gangs and also street racing...and they expected our boys to cross the dam and come back...my heart was filled with worry...i actually went to each senior and reminded them to take care and control the boys...not to attract attention to themselves...and even prayed a prayer for their safety. (Yea i prayed...now you know how important each of them are to me)
So the hike went not too bad...there were lots of animosity in the group i was with...3 boys were extremely rebellious and simply did whatever they want...and as usual...i take the back seat row and observe how things were handled...and here is where assessment and all the social worky stuff came into use...i watched as their squad leader tried to shout them in place...failed...their squad members pestering them to walk togther...failed...even one of the sir running at lest 200 m to catch up with him asking him to stop and trying to talk to him...failed...to the point whereby i couldn't take it anymore. we were at a pit stop and they were not allowed to buy drinks...but 2 of them insisted and said "sir only what...scared him for what" and headed off to the shop...i ran up to them did some convincing...i didn't have to say much...these boys were the first batch of year 1s i took as a helper in 2010...so i know them rather well...i simply said in chinese "please dont make my position difficult...you know i try my best to see that everyone is happy but its hard for me when you all are doing this cuz i am not in full control cuz im just a helper here" just a simple sentence and they replied "we also dont want to make you feel bad..but sir always like this then (insert vulgarity here)" but in the end..they listened to me and didnt even enter the shop to buy and just went back to the squad...
this is the simple reason why im so nice to them...one of the primers asked why im always so nice to the boys...i would have gave him the answer but it might be to technical...my general rule of thumb with youth is this...do not look at them frm a top down perspective...put yourself at their level...talk as if you're one of them...they may not like you..then earn their respect...once you have achieved that...no matter how rude they are to you...they will always still respect you...because they know that you have been sincere and consistent with them...and to male youths loyalty can be a big thing...i have used the same method to teach all 3 of my year 1s batch and results have always been similar...last year's gangster even thought that i was a gangster cuz of the way i talked with them and all...you really have to earn their respect..once thats done so many of your work with them would be so easy...even now those gangster...one of them is suspended frm school already but he still calls out my name with a huge smile when he sees me..and we can still talk for super long if time allows...such is the rapport that i always build with my year 1s...because starting young means that if you succeed...it will last them for the remaining years and even past that.
However i guess people have different style...and thats why im a helper..i do not wanna be in the system and be expected to shout and scream like a dog...as a helper i can use my own methods...as long as at the end of the day the job is done right...and my image does not demand me to put a fierce face...i rmb one of the boys asking me..why you wanna come back BB....i told them that being with all of them made me feel real and myself....
So obviously i didnt sleep the whole night...as usual...first i spent so much timing convincing 2 of my rebellious boys not to jump over the gate to go to frens house to take things...and instead ask the fren to pass to them thru the gate...this is also another thing abt the rapport with boys...the amount of things i hear frm them is astounding...most of their complains they tell me in hopes that either i can just listen to them or if i can do something to address the issue...they will trust to tell me things that they are abt to do wrong...so i always have an advance early warning system that tracks most of the negative movements and plans of the boys...allowing me to intervene as much as i can..and not bringing in other authority when not necessary...another section of my time was spent talking to the 3 rebellious boys and soon convincing them to go to sleep...only after that was my job really done and i headed down to join clarissa and some of the primers for prata...there we had a good catching up and bonding session with lots of laughs. then we headed back and i had a super long talk with clarissa abt BB and her future here...was enlightening...but more importantly...the classmate i had for 4 years in sec school is now my "colleague" in bringing BB forward in our own ways...it was great :D
Well after the boys woke up....oh and i woke lucas up well...i whispered into his ears "the slenderman is coming run!" his eyes popped open immediately and i started laughing...and he started whacking me in revenge :P but the boys were extremely tired and lethargic...but thankfully we ended fast and the camp ended
Honestly this was one of the most fruitful camp for me...in terms of the things i have learnt and reinforced in my work with youths...yes my methods may not be liked by others cuz its too soft...but my goal in BB and focus is the boys development and their experience in BB...both of which i can help...and i will...my work here is satisfying...and much more rewarding in the process as well...i ever regretted returning to help BB...im happy here :)
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