Dar-Izzah Survival Camp!!!

Phewwww... Assalamualaikum, everyone! Ah, it's so good to return to this site again, typing away instead of creating hopeless promises that I'll come back to write a new post one day. Which I am! Okay, maybe it took me too long for this, and I never actually continued any of my trips and it's unfair of me since I keep saying I would. But I'm back now! Yaaaay!

A little update before we start: I can say I've been all right throughout the year. Dar-Izzah has expanded, I think I mentioned that, with 50 people fitting in. A couple of students moved, but we keep in touch. A new student entered too. Our favorite Teacher Nafeesa left us a while ago, but we still keep in touch through emails, and she comes back once every three months or so. We still miss her though, and we were wild when she announced herself after her wedding.

My parents and little brother has returned for good from Italy, and my father started working at his old office in Kuala Lumpur. Mother though - she's working almost everywhere but here. Currently working in Johor, but she comes back every weekend. She was at Jakarta and India the other days. Yusuf started to go to our kindergarten, so I have to send him on my way to my class, and take him home. My cousin just recently moved to her new house with her family, so I have my bedroom all to myself - except when my brother decides to sleep in here some nights.

Now, what I'm really excited to tell you readers is about our latest activity in Dar-Izzah - Survival Camp! If I was writing this before the camp itself, I would be complaining about how I imagined it to be. Needless to say, I survived it! Usually we'd have Summer Camp, but with Teacher Nafeesa gone, I think no one bothered at all. Instead, this camp is especially for Dar-Izzah students, which our teachers organized for us!

On Friday, 8th of September 2017, about 44 Dar-Izzah students participated in a Survival Camp taking place in Sungai Besar. The excitement commenced as early as the day started, with our routine morning class meeting. Wafea's group shared about manners when we arrive at camp, which are useful tips. Afterwards, Teacher Nina announced our roommates on the condition that none of them can be altered.I did not mind my own initial roommates; Sabrina, Saffura and Fatini. All of us were divided into groups of three or four in one room, depending on the size of the room.

After Teacher Hasni announced the activities the day before, my anxiety was instantly overcome by enthusiasm which had driven me to bring along my camcorder. I made sure to film every moment, capturing evry face in my videos. WIth two backpacks and two small sling bags, I wasn't entirely burdened with weight. Before the arrival of the bus, we all had our snacks and some of us bought a few refreshments at Seven Ten. I was among the last to board the bus for I was waiting for someone, but after stowing away the heavy baggage, I climbed the bus and took a seat with a partner near the back.

Our departure was scheduled at 10 am, with students comfortably seated in one bus and one car, though I doubted it would stay comfortable throughout our two-hour journey. Skyscrapers and city buildings started to vanish one by one as we approached the countryside, and all we could see on either side of us were verdant paddy fields glinting under the high noon sun. Frankly, I did not expect what I would see upon our arrival at D'Idaman Homestay. I aniticipated wooden dorms surrounded by a path of field for our accommodation, but instead, huge chalets and brick houses amazed me. We were all assigned a room or chalet, and there were a few adjustments made, but I was content - six roommates in one big chalet with two rooms, a beautiful porch and air-conditioning for me.

Naturally, we were all thrilled and ventured into others' rooms to compare or simply chill. Some have a huge space compared to others, some have flat screen TVs, and some, my chalet for instance, have a porch, an area to relax and inhale the country air. We dared not go near the palm oil plantations. We were allowed time to settle in and rest before lunch - perhaps not the boys, as they needed to head for Friday prayer. After lunch and prayers, we still had lots of time to nap or play out in the road.

We were required to gather in the dining hall at 4 o'clock in the evening for a briefing by one of the organising staffs. He explained all the activities we would do from that night until the next day. Of course, being in the country, every activity relates to Malay tradition and culture, and we do thing the traditional way. The activity for the evening was a traditional game called 'baling selipar', and hence the name, it involves throwing slippers.

After Maghrib and Isya' prayers, we headed to the dining hall for dinner. The night was cool and eerie, sending chills down our spines, especially since the dining hall is the closest to the open field that led to the palm oil plantation. That area was completely enshrouded with darkness, and the border between the light in our area and the dark was a single chair in the middle of the road. Freaky.

At 8 pm, give or take, we boarded the bus driving towards the activity centre, Homestay Sungai Haji Dorani, Sungai Besar. It's located in the middle of paddy fields, and it's quite creepy considering that we knew we're about to watch a haunted performance, as they said. We were all warned to not make exaggerated sounds, so as not to 'trigger the spirits'. I'd like to think that as ridiculous, but I was creeped out myself. The performance wasn't that scary, but what really gave us heart attacks was the whips they cracked every minute! It resounded throughout the building and every time they crack it, I felt like my heart stopped for a bit. The best part of it was probably the second act, when they took out princess masks and the tiger was unleashed. Some of the front row screamed when the tiger neared them, but the teachers and camping staff only laughed.

We had a lovely night back in our rooms and tiny houses. Since my room had six people, we decided to wrap up the night with a little fun game of 'galah panjang' and 'nenek kebayan'. That's right, in our chalet. It's big enough. We might be a little loud, but I don't think anyone heard us. When everyone had their turn being the 'nenek', instead of retreating to our rooms, we laid blankets and sleeping bags on the floor of the living room and decided that all six of us should sleep together for the first night. It was so much fun! We didn't put the lights out yet. Some of us watched the horror movie on TV, others boiled water for ramen. And yes, we ate ramen before lights out. One by one, we all fell into deep slumber.

Four hours later, my alarm buzzed, but no one else woke up. It was too cold, because we opened the doors of the two rooms the previous night to let the air-conditioning out. Half an hour later, most of us were awake, and everyone took showers. We headed out for Fajr prayer, seeing everyone again in the morning, or sleepy. The little time before breakfast was spent in our rooms, getting ready for the day.

After breakfast, we hit the road to our activity centre, where we'd spend most of the day. Our first activity was batik painting. Batik prints had been provided for each and everyone of us, and we all used watercolour to brighten it up. Everyone did amazing jobs! Except for me, maybe. The designs consists of both flora and fauna.

The activity that followed was learning how paddy was processed to rice in the old days. We learned the traditional way practically, separating the chaff and letting them fly in the wind.

Before proceeding to our next activity, we were allowed to explore the area. Everywhere around us were paddy fields. The air was fresh and everything was enjoyable. We took photos of rare flowers, photos on the tiny bridge, next to the stream, the bridge behind the centre that led to home stays... We walked around fo hours, snapping photos at the paddy fields and collecting dried paddy.

After lunch and prayers, we were given bases of kites that were already put together for us. All that's left for us to do is some gluing and decorating. Strings were distributed to everyone and the first few people to finish immediately got up to play. In just half an hour, everyone was outside, kites soaring high in the sky over the paddy fields. It was a great sight, and such an enjoyable activity. I still have my kite with me here and it's almost two months now.

The next activity requires special fish-catching skills. It's time for a mudbath - literally! 'Menggogoh' was what they called it, and it means catching fish with your own bare hands. All of us were required to get into the muddy water. It was quite unnerving to feel our feet sinking into the mud when we first stepped in, but eventually we all calmed down and focused to catch the 40 catfish swimming in the water. Except that the water is not clear at all and we can't see any of our swimming buddies down there. In the end, only one or two of us were successful.

We all washed up continued exploring the area while waiting for our bus. When we got home, we washed up properly and spent the evening resting in our rooms.

That night, we returned to the activity centre and our next activity begins - nightwalk. I expected a all 50 of us to walk around together with a guide telling us where to go and where everything was, but that wasn't how it was at all. We were divided into four groups, each with a leader at the front. And no, the leader wasn't one of the staffs - it was just us. The leader of each group was given a literal torch - yep, just fire on wood. And we really need it, because there was no streetlight anywhere. The orders was to go along the road until we find a checkpoint. There were 4 checkpoints altogether, and we need to make it back to the centre.

Group by group, we started along the trail. There was complete darkness except for the light at the front, and thank goodness I was at the front, with the leader in front of me. We walked in line, aware and conscious of our surroundings. There were soft noises surrounding us, but we only continued to walk among the paddy plantations. The cold night breeze almost blew out the torch, but our leader, Anati, knew how to handle that. To pass the time walking around the entire area, we sang and made jokes and chattered before reaching the centre again. Sometimes we passed houses, other times we crossed roads. It seriously fun in the end, though eerie at first. I thought we might be able to spot an owl. I guess not.

The staffs said that before this, they set up 'ghosts' to scare us along the trail, but after the 'ghosts' received blows to the head, they decided not to continue. It way calmer without them anyway, but maybe it would be more fun if they still did that.

We slept soundly back in our rooms that night, since we're all tired. Three of us in each room under the roof of our chalet this time. We were all exhausted, but I'm sure we had a good time.

The next day was our last, and we didn't spend it at the centre. We visited a kuih factory where our traditional snacks were made and observed how they were produced. I guess everyone could agree that the best part was free samples. Initially, we're supposed to watch the production of Nata De Coco too, but we were running behind schedule. At last, we packed up and boarded the bus to head home, missing the countryside. It seriously felt like we've been there for a week!

That's all I'm able to share! Thank you for reading ~ Assalamualaikum!