I know where North is!
Many years ago, I joint the Outward Bound School for a 9 days course. OBS is a place where you get to train to work together with your teammate by suffering together. So called team building activities.
That involves 24 hours alone time being stuck in the jungle with some supply, ground sheet and poncho. You are supposed to write what you feel during that 24 hours alone feeding mosquitos. A few actually wrote “to kill all the mother-fucking mosquitos” (in his own words) down and pass to the OBS instructors.
Another event was to kayak for 3 days and 2 nights from one of the northern islands to the southern islands of Singapore. Needless to say, that was a tiring job, especially when you are doing it against the current. Worse is that we are paired up with 14 years old kids from St Joseph Institutions.
I got paired up with this kid who claims to know where the direction North is. Well, he said he is tuned to the way his bed is positioned at home and by conjouring up images of his bed, he knows where north is. I played along and do occassionally ask him where north is, just to kill the mundane task of kayaking with no ends in sight. I think he is either sunstroke or something.
Another gal friend of mine had the worst luck. Her 14 years old succumbed to seasickness and had to be put on the rescue boat. In the end, she kayak alone for that freaking long journey. From my vintage point, she looks like she was going to die with her head bowed and the movements were robotic.
At night, we rested onland, where we can hear the traffic expressway. Many a times, I just want to run on the expressway and haul a cab back home and rest. Then join my team the next day for the push back. I think its a test of will power not to let into the temptation.
