Just returned by Synod Youth leaders Camp. A pretty much a fatigue inducing camp. I survived today with barely about three hours of sleep! (take my insomnia variation as a form of jet lag, or worst). A very informative camp, which lasted one night and two days (not much of a camp eh). The time table suffered from a lack of games, and a plethora of workshops and sermons which pretty much were the point of the leadership camp.
The ride to Bethel's was really an awkward ride in the Glory chinese bus. There was a weird resonance of sounds which made conversations seem twisted when one concentrates and listens. multi-conversations going on at a same time! can't really get much sleep in the bus eh!
We finally arrived. A stone grey-black monument high and lofty greeted us. Bravo! It was the gate-like thingy where the bus zoomed past! A new territory we entered! And then we arrived in a considerably large empty space which was supposedly the car park. Along the sides were a patch of green grass (assumed to be for recreational/flora and fauna 's sake), a mini basketball court, a decent size children's playground, and some monkey bars. It looked so empty, open, vast, and gigantic. The church building was coated with a nice stained glass finish, all colorfully transparent-opaque and radiantly glamorous.
Some of us could not resist the patch of grass for some random Frisbee throwing, but I stayed away as usual, admiring the fences along the church whereby slightly beneath the elevated land were landed properties. The canteen was pretty small, several tables and that was mainly it. Chicken rice we devoured and filled out pathetic empty stomachs and soon enough we got ourselves "registered" (in fact, more of attendance house keeping). Soon enough, the starting ceremony begun, and then greeted with sermon number one. The time table was intimidating. Only one hour of night games amidst the multifarious "stone and stare" sessions (of course with useful information diffusion though!) that at some point of time I worried if my butt could withstand the strain of having sit through many many hours of sermon/workshop!
The games were barely passable. And that alone, is really an overstatement. One game involved several sacrifices putting their hand into a freezing hot pail of water. Cold I mean. I tried dipping merely one fingernail in and believe me the ice smelt of Antarctica. Amazing how they manage to keep their hands in the pot of doom for such a long period of time. Everyone cheered, some stared with eyes that pop out in disbelief. It was the game of "endurance". And then I suddenly could empathize how people have been suffering in silence from my cold jokes. Cold is certainly not good, and I will reinforce my point soon enough later .
Another game involved three people blowing a balloon till it bursts. I don't really find it fun. I think sadistic people were involved in the planning of this game (or creation). mainly because all you do is hear girls shriek out in their soprano voices at highest possible frequency. I think that was the torture, not the exploding balloons (which were seriously unhealthy noise to the ear!). Not a game about guts, but a game about going through the motion, and boring every single person on both teams. But no, these sacrificial balloons were not a game, in fact they were the prelude to the real game. Great! An amazing tuck of war between two train of girls using a piece of cloth. We did not have anyone from the World wrestling federation, so obviously we lost. However, not because of strength (which seems to be overly emphasized by the station ironically named, "strength station"), but because the cloth slipped off our team's fingers. So, another bad game.
The next game they had installed was bible quiz. Name all 66 books of the bible chronologically with the aid of a bible in front of you. the most contradictory stuff I have ever seen, let alone game. Well, kudos to their effort because they actually did print out stuff for us to write on despite how minute that might be. Also a random bible quiz which I never really took part in. I was at the other section helping out at the 66 books of the bible chronologically thing.
Last but not least, we had this game of emotional charades. Given a line, a volunteer is supposed to say that line, portraying one emotion out of the sixty something random emotions given on a piece of emotional menu given to us by the facilitators. The only game which could have been decent if not for the continuous but random explosions of bursting balloons which had the entire annex hall engulfed. That was the minor, the major involved people pulling a piece of cloth across the already very confined annex hall. The shout, whines, wails and even the idle chatter of the righteously sian people played their own part in making these charades diminish into an inaudible level.
A night of disappointment, albeit the good effort. I hardly took part actually. The post game disorganization led the groups into circles playing their own choice of "motion in the circle" games which includes who what huh. You might not believe it but that was the amazingly most fun part of the night. Wow, really, until I got forfeited.
I had to complain about the already miserable time slot for games, but I think the lack of creativity in the games were exigent enough for me to dedicate some time to write about. Actually it wasn't the creativity. Soaking your hand in ice cold water is an awesome amazing fabulous wonderful creative idea, (whoever who thought of it), but apparently it isn't really very fun. Just one example, figure the rest your self. It wasn't really stations anyway, more of just a haphazard mass of people in Brownian motion in an confined area.
Well, enough said. I guess most energy were lost to either freezing in cold water or sound energy released. So the rest of the night was dedicated to supper and sleep. What everyone was in dire need of. We proceeded to the bunks and it was so amazing to see a piano in the room! Oh wow I was delighted for once but then as I pressed the keys, the keys sunk like titanic of no return. It was an old yamaha piano, not even three quarters the size of a respectable upright. Opening the lid, it was nothing but a messy hammering faulty mechanism that will not respond. Oh wow, so much for the temptation.
The night was young at one in the morning. I tossed right and left only to be greeted by a fully clad in red (and red sleeping bag) Jonathan Goh Wen Quan who was laying motionless in a very spooky context. The paleness in the fantasized "bewitching hour" or the hour or twilight gave me creeps and chills oscillated my spine. I turned around, in deep remorse, and never turned back again.
The handphone clock strikes three and by then, Cinderella's shoes are now owed with interest, but I had a problem with jet lag-ish insomnia. I decided to unleash my bible and memorize the 66 bible books in order. Which I managed to, except some sections gave me some difficulties. It was a temporal memorization which is stored in my cache so do not expect me to fluently (or by any means, successfully!), recite all of them to you anytime soon.
I only managed to fall asleep at four, and I woke up at six to shower. Waking up early as never a motivation only until I saw two delicious grand piano waiting for me (in unlocked sanctuaries) for me to try when no one is looking (or awake). I'm not very sure if it's ethical but I suppose I don't have one ton fingers which will damage their hammers and render them titantic! Not going into detail but the grand piano was apparently not in good condition (upper registers!). Aww. And I never got to try the one in the main hall.
Shower, with gelid ice cold blizzard snow flakes. The shower tap was an ice beam, and icicle shot of water was really something I really do not need 6am in the morning. of course, the worst part was the cubicle had no space to put towels nor clothes! So much for complaining, I actually only spent a grand total of about 6 minutes and 43.2 seconds in there.
So the day approached. One hour of devotion, (which was manageable), then it was one and a half hours of workshop on how to counsel. Don't want to go into the details but it was fairly engaging initially but it went from good to bad, then to worst as time dragged on and the content got a little repetitive. Most of the stuff are simple, too simple to be true. In fact, they are so basic that most people know them. But I guess a little reorganization would help! So finally, we staggered into the 1 hour lunch break. The heavy breakfast (fried fat in Styrofoam), was too much for my stomach to handle without much rest (sleep!) so I skipped lunch all together. I landed myself in the annex cry room's sofa, pretty much drooling myself away to lalaland.
Accomplishment? I got up like right on time to get out, washed my face, get some coffee and head back for Worship and another round of two hour workshop. I don't want to go into the details but I was urged to go up and get some public counseling by the doctor in psychology.Haphazard confusing and rather awkward it became, and some people actually felt it was too fake. Well, it was partially true to those who are curious. Other than that, I don't really know myself.
So well, everyone was limping out of the sanctuary after the fourth hour of workshop we have not including devotion and worship which were all consecutively planned. The next installed was a one and a half hour bilingual sermon. I braced myself, still feeling awkwardness from that public "awkward" exposure. But well, everyone's head drifted to and fro. The information presented were meaningful and decent at worst but the fatigue was overwhelming. The earliest anyone could possibly have slept was one midnight and I suppose most people woke up in the middle wondering where the symphony of snores were coming from. (or it was sure the blizzard outside). Restlessness engulfed the sanctuary, but the message still was quite valid, clear and spoke to some of us at certain points, despite all the fatigue. I was still listening, at least keeping myself awake by doodling on the paper of notes (whoops). Turning our heads back would bring a devastating realization that many people were kidnapped by aliens! Wohoo! they went home! Oh wow.
So we stayed, closing ceremony and clean up. followed. I learn alot, but I have yet to digest and unwrap everything learn from fatigue.
And yes. The worship presented were of gradual vertigo intensities. The first of which, had really powerful drums. I feel that they have something against the dear innocent audience's ear drums! Because they were gonging and clashing like chinese new year lion dance and the songs sung were as strange as cheese tofu with strawberry, longans and some french fries. And worst still, when I was almost fainting from one song which was defying the safe decibel standards, they lyrics had " make it louder ". Maybe I do have Pentium one ear drum after all.
The best, Glory Chinese had the best worship of all with just the grand piano and the guitar, singing hymns and melodious chinese songs without abusing the drums and the ear drums! But the worst part was they somehow assumed that people could read chinese without the all so necessary lengendary han yu pin ying below the "oh i forgot how to read that again" character. Believe it or not, I struggled with the simplest of words.
Says something.
Not effectively bilingual.
Forgive my incomplete cadence.
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