Post OBS

As I slouch myself in my boss' semi comfortable chair and feels a sheer of awkwardness for not having lunch and is in fact at the office during lunch hour, I start missing Lumut and everything that it had taught me during the entire 17 days I surrendered my soul there. OBS in Lumut simply put, metaphorically- a fusion of perfect storms and hard earned sunshine.

I refuse to bore you with the chronology of my daily activities in OBS, although going through the expeditions and outdoor activities were so much fun! Typically for someone who has never done any outdoorsy activities before, every single experience was jakunable and to a large extent triggered excitement in my soul. There were of course moments when I felt like crying after having completed an obstacle such as the rope obstacle, rappelling and rock climbing.

I was not going to cry because I was made to do it, I wanted to cry because I begin to appreciate how valuable life is-literally.

Imagine having to slide ur feet on two cable strings and balancing ur body with a bizarre looking blue ball attached to another string above ur head. My knees were literally shaking when I started to walk on the strings. So at that spur of the moment I thought, the only way to make this realizable, was to calm down because at the speed of the vibration my knees were going, it was confirmed that I would fall flat on the ground if I did not calm myself down.

Of course calming myself down means shrieking on top of my lungs first, then baca doa 1000 kali. Of course I would portray myself as gedik when my screaming can be heard, but not my bacaan doa. =p.

Anyways, to sum up everything, I did kayak, whaler, flying fox, various suicidal rope activities, rafting, jungle trekking to hell, and solo camping. There were OBS olympics, poco-poco and aerobics session in between the never-ending expeditions.

I LOVE poco-poco.

Water activities (kayak, rafting and whaler) were my least favourite as I hate going into the water with my life jacket because even with the jacket, I still think the sea is too big and the further I go, the more I'm not on flat land and hence bigger chances for me to just drown and disappear.

I dig solo camping the most!! The afflictions I got from the ceaseless challenging activities were instantly lifted by the sound of water streaming down the humongous and whopping 100-year old rocks, the sky blued upon me, the wind touched my face and swirled around my hair, the ants visited my food and shared my only meal with me- creatures of God that I failed to pay enough attention to back in my side of town which should never be disclosed. ehe. The combination of these elements around my solo camping site gave me the sensation of peace and tranquillity so it was at that point that I reached nirvana.

Nirvana: An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability or joy. Aummmmmm.... *meditate*

I was lucky to have gotten that spot for my solo night out. I was more fortunate as 'noone' 'visited' me that night. We were told that with the right intention, solo camping would be smoothsailing without any interruption from 'them'. I carved that saying in my heart and on my mind, and as soon as I was left alone at my spot, I said in my heart that "I am here to apply the camping skills I've learned and I am here to overcome my one and only fear that is to sleep alone. Because success to me means to be able to overcome my fear(s)."

And so I succeeded. Alhamdulillah.

Maybe God had tested me enough throughout the 17 days that He gave me the taste of nirvana at solo camping. I will always remember that feeling, and will live my life trying to attain that feeling again as often as I can.

OBS forces its participants to reflect on him/herself. I did just that and found that the self-discovery I made 3 years ago matches my discovery today. I knew exactly who I am and it was that that made me survived the rest of them who were battling to discover themselves.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be sent to Lumut because I have begin to learn the importance of being able to handle my emotions and self-control during the mother of all stressful conditions.

It wan in OBS that I learn the real meaning of friendship.

And that a real leader is one who can lead him/herself and is not afraid to be the only one with the unpopular opinion and strongly defend that opinion even if it means having to go against everyone.

HOCHUWEI!!!!!!!