this is not what i was originally going to put here cos i had a song trapped in my head. but it was supplanted by kajagoogoo. that's because i'm watching the news. they were a one hit wonder in the 80s and one of their members has great ink. and they are so good that i can't even remember the original song i had stuck in my head. they have reformed to cash-in cos i guess they have run out of money. like spandau ballet.
but the real subject of my entry today must be camp. in contrast to the last one ( Friday, November 30, 2007, sorry, haven't worked out how to do the link yet...i will research and update if i can be arsed).
in order to make this clearer i have added subheadings...cos i left them out of my last assignment and that cost me an A!
history
i went to this camp as an 11 year old.
weird factor
i think i have identified the cabin i stayed in.
the thank goodness i know what i'm doing factor
no one from the campsite did the meet-and-greet. handover was done by the teacher from my school who was here before me. none of the activities were explained, but as i have done camps like this before i have picked up some knowledge (like how to put on a harness so it is safe).
our parents were FANTASTIC
the parents we took with us had done this all before. they could safely put on a harness. they were OK with students kayaking in a river which the students LOVED. and no-one died on my watch.
the benefits of going last
at my school all our students went to camp in a two week block (not my choice-the boss dictated it). i went last. this was for selfish reasons cos i wanted to spin out the work for as long as possible so i didn't have to do so much planning (we do too much paperwork at my school..it's getting me down). but...by the time we went all the kinks had been ironed out. like the uncertified flying fox. like the inappropriate food (which i have no issue with. thanks vegetarian kid. your food was great. i'm glad i could share it as a low fat option).
i am the bedtime nazi (and thanks sylvia)
i took 11 and 12 year olds on camp. they notoriously take AGES to sleep..what with the talking and all...on the first night we confined them to their cabins at 8.30pm. they knew lights out was 9.30 pm. i enforced that. and the thing i learned from sylvia? i plonked myself on a chair in the middle of all the cabins with my book. they knew i was there. and they did not make a noise (well...we were mean to three cabins..me and another...but that may be another blog..if i remember)...we had to do punshment for three cabins...but long story short...they were all asleep by 10.10pm. when i told the boss that she was amazed...and thus laid down the challenge for day two...
day one's challenge
i'm 'slightly' competitive...(well more than slightly)...and one senior teacher said she got a good night's sleep cos she got into bed at 12.30 am. i was determined to beat that. which i did. so when the boss said she was amazed i had them all in bed asleep by 10.10 pm i had to beat that.
day two's challenge
so that was a nice set up for day two. i beat that. the chillins were bedded down by 9.55pm. i am the night-time nazi. plus i know that i will get questioned about the time. so i had a witness. (who's queen?!).
the downside of early nights
the first night they woke me up at 5.30 am.
the second it was 4.30 am.
on both occasions i rolled over and went to sleep.
but i did a major guilt trip.
it was a short timeframe
three days. at first i was annoyed cos deep down i enjoy camp despite the last entry...and here's an interesting segue...one of the parents i had on camp last time was here this time. we got on OK. she was my 500 partner and we played OK together. i am shit at 500. i enjoy it but i don't play intelligently. but the short timeframe worked. and we can do EOTC at the end of the year. i get to go to laser strike again. i love laser strike.
the how did we ever cope without it factor
where i was there was no cellphone coverage. luckily i had to take a boy to the doctor yesterday so i went back to modern civilisation briefly and it was nice to get texts. then today when we got back i texted my arse off. i also got a decent coffee. i hate being a coffee snob. i didn't drink coffee for THREE DAYS! plus when i texted my brother to gloat that i was the bedtime queen he informed me that i had probably ruined their camp cos we all know that staying up late is what they all aim for. i think deep down they were OK with it.
the camp staff
we met no one that was running the camp. but the kitchen guys were HOT. fijian. lovely. and the one that took his shirt off when chopping wood in the cold...well i wouldn't kick him out...
conclusion
i enjoyed camp this time.
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