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A la Survivor
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Originally uploaded by: KnOizKi
The meeting was a success, afterall. Hoorah for the weather too. Yes, we had our weekend activity - one of those things we do on a quarterly basis as part of our job to stay away from work. I still considered it as “work” but despiteof, end of the day, the experienced was just rewarding. Our theme: Trust & Confidence.
So off we went to the village part of Hong Kong, Sai Kung - the most popular place for summer. The Beach. No, it wasn’t about wearing my HOM or parading in the shore with a kickboard along with the beautiful ladies sunbathing to get a nice X-mark tans into their already pale looking skin. We actually did some “Survivor” series. Tough work but fun at the same time. It was the same activity we did last year, but it was a little different this time. We headed to the small camping island.
The place is for the kids who take summer camping classes to learn how to do some push-ups. Nah, just some ordinary kids who sent by parents to avoid wasting their youth on playing video games during summer school break. I remembered my Scouting days in High School where we pack stuff, collects huge bamboo sticks, pay a sum of money to cover all the expenses and enjoy the freedom (of being ‘wild’ away from parents, hahaha). What I like the most was the view. I couldn’t believe there’s such a facility like that out of the city. It felt like I was going back home to my Island province. As we travelled by boat, it reminded me of the realities in life where I was literally too closed to being swallowed by the sea.
So of course, the view was breathtaking. I like to travel by the sea, so it was never new to me. The heat of the sun was so appealing. I guess about time to have a serious “sun tanning” to get rid of my pale-looking-old-ugly skin. I love getting the tan out of doing something without trying too hard to look like an A|X models.
The great challenge there was to build a ‘Sink or Float’ survivor boat out of 8 plastic poles, 4 empty plastic barrels and 20 pcs of ‘rough’ stringropes. It was real tough because I had to use my little Boy-Scout skill by doing the perfect knots and place the barrels on each sides, so that once you throw them off the water, it won’t lose apart. The water looks like a lake to me but I was optimistic that the trainers would not let us swim as it’s not a “swimmable” water - the goal is not to get wet while on the boat. Not literally get wet, but not to swim. Interesting, I thought.
We weren’t aiming to get the prize, the thing is, we participated, we worked as a team even if my hands was barely wounded because the ropes was so hard, I had blisters on my hands. Since I was the only english-speaking person there, with a help from Marcella, my translator, I didn’t alienate myself to others and I think I made a really good teamleader for that. Not many of them knows how to tie a correct knot considering bamboo scaffoldings is used by HK contractors routinely in building projects. It’s just weird they didn’t know any of it.
Well, what could anyone just say? I made them speechless for doing a great job on the ‘knotting’. While on the water, our group - we were divided into two with eight on each - made it the first round. The padding and shouting “yat - yee - sam” (1, 2, 3) was so funny. The girls were screaming of course in fear they’d all fall off, so it was more than fun. So we paddled and we paddled until we reached the middle part of the lake (water is too dark, I tell you), we were told to switch position off to the opponents boat. That was the hard part. There were thoughts like, “Are you gonna trust their boat? What happens if they didn’t fixed the ropes strong enough, we would all get drowned”. In short, it was all about the “Trust and Confidence.” Camera is pointless to this event at this point, so I didn’t take that much pictures.
So it was a great activity. And oh, man I had muscle aches, like a big Elephant just stepped on me. I couldn’t even sit flat with my ass on my chair but I was not complaining - considering I hadn’t done anything more productive (like exercising anyways) these past week. To end our activity, we dine out at one of the most secluded area 20 minutes away from Sai Kung to this fishing village, an al fresco seafood dining that you just have to forget using chopsticks because Chinese food is simply palatable.
We had big lobsters!
Ooooh that sounds like you had a blast K. And again mentioning about Chinese food makes me drool. Gosh lobsters! Now I am envy!
K I only have 3 people to wok with… team building will do drinks at the pub wow hahaha
Charles, chibugan was the prize so that’s why I joined this activity.
Sha, but of course. A threesome is considered big anyways.
Wooow, what a trip - sounds like you had a blast - and how well documented with all the lovely pics - thanks for sharing!
Now wonder you felt warn out but happy anyway!
Hmmm Lobster - my favorite see food:-)
That seems like so much fun, I betcha everyone is thinking that you’re the hero, somewhat not fair that you had to do most of the work eh, most city folks just don’t know how to get their hands dirty. I love being outdoor like this, I did something similar to this once, but it’s been so long ago, I vaguely remember now. I wouldn’t mind being at work like you, especially a lobster treat, yummy!
Renny, glad you enjoyed the photos. We got lots from our HR who initially documented the event. The restaurant is known for tourists (and locals alike) but if I’m planning to go there again, I probably need to hire a car and on a group, although, you can order lobsters in the city, it is not as exciting as being in the fishing village where you actually pick your own fish to be cooked. And because we were all starving, hands dirty, I didn’t even get a snap of the lobsters on my camera.
Ginger, I was one of the group leader for this activity. We picked water sports because it’s summer so everyone would participate. I think they were complaining of the burning weather. For me it was perfect. We even had to put a 130% Sunblock on. Well it wasn’t just lobsters, we had a big garoupa, shellfish and of course, Chinese people would never sit in a table without noodles and steam chicken. But I skipped those.
wow, i wish our meetings were somewhere like that. all i ever get to see is the same round table, in the same white room, with a pile of old newspapers… not to mention the same crap said at every meeting. just jealous, looks like you had fun!
J, this only happens every quarterly so it should be a more comfortable space than having it in the pantry.