What does OBS mean by the way? OBS is Outbound School. Basically, what you have to do is get out to the sea and be prepared to be challenged physically and mentally. It can as well be in the forest, but due to PETRONAS necessity, we are required to do the water activity, which is fine with, AT FIRST... We began the slot with a goal setting session. Abang Azmi which is a responsible person to me and my MULU groupmates asked us to pick photos which describe our feeling and our expectation the most. I could not remember what pieces I chose last time, but I think it was a one person swimming in the sea photo. The colour is blue with slight green tone, buoyant ball at a side and front, just to guide the swimmer to the front end. The swimmer is using a floater as he might not know how to swim. I think that photo describes me the best. I used colour to describe my goal. The colour may as well be said as PETRONAS colour theme. The buoyant at the front end stands for my goal. I am the swimmer. I want to be a PETRONAS officer in any highest position I could achieve in future. The buoyant ball at one side as a guide, all student advisors, colleague scholars, the convertible loan, rewards given, activity organised and internship opportunity are all my guides towards my goal. All are influencing my life though I sometimes feel tired of those matters. As soon as I signed the contract which bonded me to this company, I know I am soon to carry huge responsibilities to myself, my family, and the respective company which is fine as I even dream to be working at KLCC since being in primary school. That photo also describes my expectation on OBS activities. Full of exhaustive water activity, yet to achieve one goal, which is to train ourselves to be rational at any level of pressured situation. All PETRONAS wants is an employable employee to serve the company, so they worked hard to produce the models and organised such program.
So, our second day starts with kayak introduction. I once had this kind of briefing back in AC when I served Extramural centre (EMC) for my CAS requirement. Kayak in AC was a lot of fun and much easier compared to this. At least, I can carry a kayak back and forth of the keeping place. But not for this yellow fibre kayak. It is freaking heavy and I could not even carry one end. I felt such a loser, woahhh cannot even help my kayakmate if we happened to capsize in the sea. So, we learnt a few knots which also learnt for climbing purposes back in AC. All memories suddenly came and I was overwhelmed a bit. I started to know my groupmates better, some are in the States, France, Hong Kong and Canada. They are pretty impressive compared to me, and I felt inferior a bit. But, everyone has their own abilities, right? I comforted myself and tried to feel better by telling myself 'it is positive that you know someone is better than you, so now you ahve to far better than them'. And... at the campsite, you surely cannot be such a lazy whore and stand only on your feet. You are supposed to team working in every way you could as that criteria is what they want in a working team of PETRONAS. How can you work in the future if could not cooperate with colleagues and commit to the assignment given, right? So, this camp taught me to put aside my laziness and started to be helpful to each other despite your anger and tire.
Ohhhh, busy day ahead. It was third day that we had to go out kayaking for almost 12 hours. It was super exhaustive day. Can you imagine floating on the sea without proper seat and food? Haaa that was what we felt throughout the journey. When reminiscing of that hard time again, I laughed. I remembered when we had to go side by side to pee, to get sweet crackers. Ohhh you won't eat sweet biscuit at your home, unless you're living in evergreen way as your grandparents or parents do, right? Tell me what you eat when playing playstation or even watching TV. It must be music munchies and twisties. But, sweet HUP SENG crackers meant a lot to us by that time. It was heavenly appreciated when you munched it in your mouth. So, talking about kayak. My kayakmate, his name is Asyraf and I knew him well already. He is my best friend back in AC and up till now, except that he's now busy with his girlfriend of course. But yeah, my good friend in sweet and trough. Frankly speaking, as a man, of course he's much bigger than me and much energetic compared to the tiny me. He swept the pedal more than me, I was just being helpless. Thank you Asyraf, I owed you big! Sitting on kayak was not that comfy and floating on the sea was not my favourite either. I don't know how to swim due to my laziness waking up in Sunday mornings for swimming lessons back in AC. But that is not the thing. Being in the sea means you have to be either completely well or seasick a bit or seasick A LOT. And I, yes I have seasick. I cannot bear the stationary kayak and move the perpendicularly to the wave. Oh My God.... It is one of the worst things I ever had. Lucky I did not throw out or else Asyraf could even get sick too. I forced myself not to puke and tried to occupied my mind with other thing. We arrived at Tanjung Sekadih? (*I don't remember the name) late evening. Two of my team mates arrived earliest as one of them had an emergency case, she had worst seasick that she could hardly bear the sea for even a minute (*okay, this is exaggerating). So, we arranged the kayaks, set up tents, cooking dinner and prepared for post mortem. We then had our new strategy for next day's journey and went to bed with new hope for tomorrow to be better.
5 days were enough to burn my skin. Even my aunts said I looked like striped cat. My nose and hands were darkened. My black scarf changed colour. But, I still looked healthy and fit *I guessed so*.
Not everyone favours of this camp. They would rather involve in other kind of camp instead of this. But for me, after went through the hardship, together with my team mates, the camp would be my sweetest team building moments I would cherish the most. I fall in love with the live spirit from each one of us. Everyone was very supportive and sporting, even though we were tired after kayaking for the whole day, none of us fought or shouted at each other.
Seasick. One of the common words when involving with water outdoor activities. Not everyone was fit with the planned expedition, even I had motion-sick. The big waves did challenge my mental fitness where I had to bear the throw-up feeling until the end.
All the love shown, hilarious laughters and determination spirit, will be remembered forever deep in my heart.
