Sentosa (love the sun tan and the halo rainbow)

Good morning. 9:44 a.m. a very very early morning, with nice weather here in Macpherson or the area where I stay =)

Let's see, what shall we do today?

Freak! for one thing I know, I will have to go for fyp meeting, which, of all things, I dreaded the most. Before, I will be free to shop with an old friend at 313 =)

Anyway, what had been a long waiting Saturday eventually turned out to be a fun and interesting day. Hehe, with more than fifteen people turning up, and a few faces that I know, hehe, I felt so much comfortable.

It was 8:45 a.m. when I arrived at the platform of harbor front MRT station, on Saturday, 28th August 2010.

I looked around for the faces of GKY members and found no one around. So I called the person in charge, Melissa, (=p the only person I know with the contact number recorded in my mobile phone ) and found out, to my greatest relief that i was in the right station, except that maybe the people will be arriving in a little while.

Okay...I was too early...lol, pros and cons (RP screwed me already with its 15 mins before starting time policy) So, I waited and before long, a few people come, and few more, and a few more...and a lot more...and soon enough a whole crowd beginning to form as we made our way towards the tram station to Sentosa, Siloso Beach!

The time was about 10:30 a.m. when we reached Siloso Beach.

For a starter, we played ice breaking games, playing, singing, dancing, hopping, shaking, grooving and walking in a circle.

It was very entertaining.

After that, we proceeded on to play 'name naming' games, after we self introduce ourselves to one another, got divided in a group got challenged to remember and recall other people's name in another's team and if one soul is unable to remember or mistaken the other person's name,(like what happen with one of my team mates) then that fella will be shot with water gun. (The beginning of getting wet from head to toe)

Gee, enough with the water gun attack, we moved on to play guessing game, and carried on further with going out in the 'wild' to explore the different station and different games placed in that station.

First station is a disaster, we had to dig out some bits and pieces of puzzle's piece that were buried underneath a thick sand, and made out the picture of the puzzle, in order to get the clue for the next post station. (it reminded me of amazing race) =) COOL!

After we got the clue, we were each given a picture of unknown ladies doing some dance/God knows what (aerobic, maybe) which we were to follow and showed in on the next station. Individually first, followed by the whole team.

Lol. I have to admit that at times like that, in order to get the score, all sorts of shy nerves that are present in the body turns numb , and the un-embarrassed nerves turns in. Everybody's face and action was so comical then, that everyone can't stop laughing. LOL LOL.

Next, an even more exciting adventure'. We were told to stand in circle, and to take turns, squeezing sea-water out of a medium-size sponge with our butt. B-U-T-T BUTT! and nothing else. There was a moment of 'huh' session for everyone, but at the end of the day, again, for the sake of winning the game and ending that post quickly, everyone just butted in and butted out.

(pic: Inigo squeezing out water to pail)

Throughout the game session, I was not wearing my slipper for the sake of feeling the softness and hotness of the sand as well as easy reference to run! hahaha

The last station before we went back to have some delicious, yummy lunch (and of course getting more wet than just wet) three of us were told to hold on to a pail of holes(my goodness), with one member to help bringing in the water from the sea, and another member to answer questions given by the game instructor.

Team that was able to answer the question correctly will have the chance to scoop in as much water from the sea as the carrier is able to carry and to toss the water from a given boundary into the hole-y pail held by the other three members, with feet! BARE FEET! (sadis juga ya permainannya haha)

HAHA, sure you can imagine what had happened. lol

As a result, everyone had a wild wild wet experience! =9

And ohh., before I forget, we even saw a halo shaped rainbow circling around the sun that day. We were in the middle of stationing ourselves when Ko Hendra shouted, "semuanya ada rainbow di atas kepala kita, cuman bentuknya halo" (everyone, there's a halo shaped rainbow above) For a second, I thought he was joking, till i looked up and there it was, exactly above all of us, a beautiful circle rainbow, like an angel's halo could be seen circling around the brightly lit sun.

It was a rare occassion, and it was a beautiful, magnificent, indescribable sensation. Thanked God for that!

I guess He had surely heard our prayers and Himself was smiling as He saw us playing, and digging, and tossing water, and squeezing water and getting ourselves wet and laughing and most of all, worshipping Him, as we celebrate the welcoming of new youths in the fellowship.

so, obviously, after a half day's of hard work and fun, we went back to the first station and filled the growling 'feed me feed me' stomach with nasi putih, and rendang, and perkedel, tambah cabe! hahaha asik deh =)

Yeah! I ate the Veggies =p

New Company (a new heart)

"To get out of the box"

Perhaps that is one of the feeling and new mindsets that I had received from the camp that took place a few days ago.
For the past few days, or rathers, ever since my friend and I had a chat about the circle of friends that we are having, which, in compared to the previous years, seems to be getting smaller; and it worries us tremendously, I had been thinking 'what is actually wrong with the people around me?" Or maybe, there is nothing wrong with them, neither do I (maybe I do), but more imporatantly, before we moved on to that, maybe I should also think about, what is going on?

And I realised, that maybe...for a while, we have been too preoccupied with our own comfort zone that we are beginning to only look at only what we feel is the 'safe-zone' and we also see what we wanted to see, or feel how we wanted to feel.

We are so used with the surrounding that we have, that at the end of the day, we started to box our mind and our social ability, to what we deem as how we wanted it to be. Thus at the end of the day, we only mix with the same people, and force to think in the same way, we had always think, and as the time goes by, forgotten the beauty of exploration.

The thrill of meeting up with new friends, the ideas of saying our name loud and clear, smiling politely and share some small introduction talk.

However, through the 3 days camp, I was brought forward once again, to self introduce myself, to be out of this little (corrupted box) and to begin with the exploration of new company to enlarge the almost enclosed circle.

I was glad, that through this experience, once again, I was reminded of the beauty of my own native language, Bahasa Indonesia and the way of living of Indonesian citizens which are by nature more amiable, approachable, talkative and crazy eater. (hahaha, not a bad thing...not at all...food is to be enjoyed when we are still alive, savvy?)

But above all these, is the fact that I was reminded once again about the beauty in being together with what we always call in Indonesian Language as "saudara seiman" (Family in Christ). Been sometime since we had a sense of belonging, after 'living' lives like a nomads in between 2 countries...Somehow, I really hope that through this camp, we are all driven to move forward to do something, or in other words, to give back to Him, with what we have, physically and emotionally this time, apart from just financially.

Of course, I also hope that...our humanistic judgement and expectation can also be lowered down this time. Maybe I should ask God to give me some grace in being a little less sensitive, and more ignorant (that occur in a good way) so that the one thing I/ we focus on is to serve Him and nothing else.

I was also comforted with the fact that my chains are gone.
Release...from the burdens that had been engulving me like a fire ball, that resulted in both body and soul burning with anger and disappointment and confussion.

Ironically, it all occurred even before the camp started.
That afternoon, before we set out to Johor and were in the middle of the service, the sermon on that day, touched me so much, knocked me so hard and healed me so perfectly, that for a moment I understood what He wanted to say to me.

For a moment I realised that I was being a little selfish with my thinking that death may be the best way out. Although if compared to the past, this sort of mindsets had been slowly making its way out of the back door; however, I really hope that it will not come back to me again.

For a moment, when I was blinded with anger and sorrows, I began to think that God is being less concern. Or maybe, He is actually there, but I was being self-reliant.
I was embarrassed with the fact that I have to bother Him with little issues, and thus, with pride I walk and with shame I fall, because at the end of the day, I was 'forced' back to return to His call and His help again.

I was made to understand that He cares even to the littlest, lamest issue in my screwed up life. Heh...but I guess at times, I just didnt want to bother Him so much. Guess at the end of the day, I was just tired...and when I began to get worn out. Then, stupidly, aimlessly, I put the blame on myself, on God's way, on God's approval in allowing all these to happen in my life.

I came before Him and brought with me thousands of angry questions, starting with the big word "WHY"

However, fortunately, I was healed...and made well once again; as thousands of tears streamed down my fatigue, lifeless face it automatically washed away the burdens I had in me. Hopefully, the next time things like this occurred, I wont wait till it all crumble down before I seek for the His help.

Haiz...pride and egoism.
Gotta get rid off you before you get rid of me.

Anyway, thanks for the camp...time to Walk His Path the way I should

Gotta go,
Take care now, Bye bye then =)

Love,
Me =)