Reflection for YISS Expedition 2014

Shahrul K:

At the start of the trip, I felt a bit awkward because I'm one out the two NCDCC cadets joining an expedition with the NCC cadets to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. I gained my confidence by asking my friends from NCC what we will be doing at Sabah. I learnt that we need to talk to others and get to know them rather than just keeping to ourselves. 

After we arrived at Kota Kinabalu Airport, we were introduced to our travel guides. They brought us to have our lunch and we got to try the local cuisine at a cafe. After that we took a 2 hour coach ride to a village primary school, where we had to cross a suspension bridge to get to the school. While crossing the bridge, it made me appreciate how fortunate we are in Singapore, where schools are easily accessible and we can take the train or bus to school. We got to watch a performance by the primary school students and we also played some games with them. Initially the kids were very shy but they slowly opened up to us during the games. We then headed off to our first accommodation and when we reached, we were ushered to the restaurant to have our dinner. The food was very delicious and different from the food I usually eat in Singapore. After dinner we went to our designated lodges. The bed was very comfortable and I had a good night's rest.

Crossing the suspension bridge

Us with the primary school students and teachers 

The next day, it was time to get ready for our climb. We had our breakfast first and a briefing by one of the mountain guides about the mountain route and the precautions to take note of. I was able to communicate with the guides easily as they speak the same language as me. I asked one of the mountain guides how many times he has climbed Mount Kinabalu, and his reply was 400. I was so shocked but at the same time, impressed. When we were climbing up the mountain, I saw some potters carrying things up to the rest house at Laban Rata. Some of them were already in their 60s, but they were still so strong. Although I was tired, I was motivated by them as we are much younger than them. We finally reached Laban Rata at 4pm. All of us were exhausted but seeing the breathtaking view in front of us made it worth the climb. We had an early dinner and after the dinner, I packed the things that I needed for climbing the summit the next day.

Arrived at Laban Rata

It was the day of the summit climb. My friends and I were excited about the climb as we discussed it over breakfast at 1.30am. We were briefed by the mountain guides on the rules and instructions on climbing to the summit. When we first started out the climb, it was quite similar to the climb we had on the previous day, but nearer to the summit, we had to hold on to a rope to support us in climbing up the mountain. We made it to the summit on time and got to see the sunrise which was very beautiful.The climb was a lot tougher than the first climb but it was all worth it when I got to witness the view at the top of the mountain. I learnt an important lesson during the climb up to the summit, and that is to always focus on where you want to go and never give up.

We reached the summit! 

We made our way down to the rest house to have an early lunch and rested for 1 hour before making our way down to Timpohon Gate. Before we set off, we made a goal and that was to catch up with the other cadets who had already started their descend down the mountain. We took very short breaks along the way as we wanted to achieve our goal. We were happy when we met up with the other cadets and they asked us how the climb to the summit was. Unfortunately, it started to drizzle and soon the rain got heavier. We were instructed to put on our poncho and make our way down slowly. It was difficult for us to walk down as the ground was wet and some of my friends even slipped and fell, but we supported each other up and continued walking. I was so happy when I saw the Carson Waterfall sign as that was an indication that we were near to the entrance. I increased my speed as I was walking up the staircase to the entrance as I could not wait to reach it! I was really glad that my friends and I had successfully finished the climb. After we took our late lunch, we boarded the coach and made our way to Ming Garden Hotel that we will be staying at for two nights. The hotel room was very spacious and had everything that we needed there. We had our dinner at a local restaurant located near the hotel and the travel guides even bought a cake to celebrate Nashrul's birthday! He was really surprised and delighted to see the cake.

Nashrul blowing the candles on his cake!

Enjoying the sumptuous dinner

On the fourth day, after we had a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, we made our way to a secondary school called La Salle School. We were introduced to six secondary school students who were accompanying us in our day of activities. We had a tour around the school to understand what is the school culture and activities they have. We then made our way to Mari Mari Cultural Village. We got to see how five different tribes lived, how they sourced for food and how they made a living. Some of my friends also got to try making Kueh Jala, which is a local delicacy. Before we left, we were treated to a performance and it was my first time witnessing the bamboo dance which picks up speed as the dancers try to dance between the bamboo sticks. The visit to the cultural village made me appreciate the life we have in Singapore, where we have food everyday and get to sleep comfortably at night. I learnt that I cannot take for granted what I have back in Singapore.

Us at Mari Mari Cultural Village

On the last day, we packed our bags and had our last breakfast at the hotel. We headed to Kota Kinabalu Airport and bid farewell to our travel guides, who were very hospitable during our 5 days here. I felt kind of sad before I boarded the plane as I know that I will miss Sabah, especially Mount Kinabalu. 

In conclusion, I developed resilience and confidence when climbing Mount Kinabalu. Climbing the mountain was hard but my goal was to reach the summit and I am really glad that I achieved this goal. I have to thank the mountain guides for giving me the confidence and motivation to reach the summit. I also learnt how to respect other's culture and beliefs when I visited the primary school and secondary school, as well as Mari Mari Cultural Village. I am really glad that I had the opportunity to go for this expedition. 

Reflection for Day 4

Aidil Yassin:

6 local students joined us today for our tour. I was quite surprised to hear them speak differently from us. We may expect the local people to speak Malay fluently, however Sabah people tend to speak with an Indonesian accent. One of the local student was my buddy, his name is Sam. I sat with him in the bus and chatted with him about Sabah, and found out how the weather is normally like, how he travels from one place to another and what are the past tribes that Sabah had. Through talking to him, I learnt that Sabah's lifestyle is completely different compared to Singapore's. Thigh-length floods are common in certain parts of Sabah, while in Singapore, it is rare eventhough we may experience heavy rain. The locals have to wait for about half an hour for their public bus to be transported from one place to another, while in Singapore, buses take around 10 minutes to arrive. There are a lot of jungles in Sabah & less city areas while Singapore has few jungles and there are buildings everywhere. It was interesting to find out about the lifestyle Sabah has from my buddy. I've learnt that living in Sabah is not as easy as it is in Singapore. Through this experience, I've learnt to appreciate what I have back home in Singapore.

We went to Mari-Mari Cultural Village in the afternoon. The cultural village showcases how 5 different ethnic tribes in Sabah lived in the past. Some of the tribes do not exist anymore, while some still exist but prefer to live in a more modern way. In the older tribes, they lived in villages that are made out of only bamboo sticks. They had to find their own food to survive, make their own fire with just bamboo sticks and rice was gold for them as it was rare at that time. This tells me that the past times in Sabah was more difficult than it was in Singapore. Headhunting was famous at that time and the people live their lives with fear of being headhunted. Thankfully, headhunting was banned in Sabah at 1910. Through this visit to the cultural village, I feel blessed that in Singapore, we do not need to hunt for our food, we can get it instantly and it taught me to be more grateful for the things I have.

Overall, I have learnt some school values from this trip such as resilience when I was climbing the mountain, respect for other cultures and their beliefs, being confident in interacting with the local students and our tour guides and being compassionate by motivating my friends not to give up and look forward to the aftermath of the climb. This trip was really meaningful for me and I've gain a lot of knowledge through it.

Misnurlifah:

Today was a real eye opener for me as we went to visit a local secondary school, La Salle School. We met a few local students, one of them was my buddy, Shenassa. Initially I had the impression that she was a very quiet girl, but when we chatted on the bus, I was surprised that we have a lot in common and we had much to talk about. It made me realise that I should not judge someone before I get to know them.

After that we went to Mari Mari Culture Village. I got to learn a lot of things through this visit. I learnt about the process of making wine and how the villagers protected it from being stolen. I also 

learnt about how the villagers created fire from using just bamboo shoots; it seemed easy at first but I realised that it was actually tough to even create a spark. I felt blessed that in Singapore, we do not need to use such methods as we have lighters and matches to start a fire. 

I got to witness how people from different tribes greeted each other when they were crossing each other's territory. To be honest, I was quite scared when I was doing the re-enactment but I am glad that I got to experience it. I really enjoyed the performance at the end as it was really unique and I have not seen such a performance in Singapore. I was amazed at how quickly they could perform the bamboo dance and my friends Fathin and Dian got to try it on stage too!

All in all, I learnt some school values from this expedition, one of them was resilience as I had to push on till I reached Laban Rata, which was really tiring to me. Another value is respect where I learnt to respect others' religion and beliefs. Also, I showed compassion to my friends, especially my buddy as I lent her some things that she did not have for the trip.

It was really challenging yet a fun expedition! If you are planning to climb Mount Kinabalu, you have to prepare yourself not only physically but also mentally. You have to persevere until you reach your goal.

Birthday boy at the summit!

Reflection for the climb

Fathin:
For the climb to Laban Rata, I was not really ready because I was scared that I might fall or slip as the rocks may be wet but overall, I'm impressed and proud of myself as I successfully got to climb a mountain at the distance of 6km, which to me is a really long distance. I thought that I couldn't make it to Laban Rata but I made it.

Customary jump shots

In the middle of the journey, I had some breathing problems. However, with the help of my friends, I had the courage and motivation to carry on and push myself instead of giving up. Another challenging part was when we had to climb up the rocks that are not really stable. We had to learn to stabilize ourselves to prevent us from falling and we have to learn not to give up even though we are exhausted and having muscle cramps. We supported each other and everyone successfully reached the mid point which is Laban Rata.

On the second day of the climb, when we were preparing to go up the summit, I was really nervous but tried my best to overcome it. When we were climbing halfway, I had difficulty breathing. I used the oxygen bar provided to us but it did not improve my condition. Hence, I decided to head back. I cried but I knew that I had tried my best. If I am given a chance to climb Mount Kinabalu again, I will do it again and put my best effort.



Dian:
It was the start of our climb and we were very excited! The lodges we were in was really nice, not something I expected in a school trip. I had a good sleep and was up early to pack my climbing bag.

Starting at Timpohon Gate

We started the climb in high spirits and kept going for the next 6km. Despite the long journey and unending stairs, all 22 of us managed to reach Laban Rata in good time! I think what was in everyone's mind was the fact that every step will bring us closer to our destination, and through all the sweat and tiredness, the feeling of reaching Laban Rata was well worth it. That night, all of us had to sleep at 8pm as the summit push will have to start at 1.30am the next day.

Made it to Laban Rata

We woke up at the time and grabbed a quick bite and headed for a safety briefing. The weather was extremely cold, something I am not used to at all, but I still wanted to aim for the summit. It was tougher than I thought as we got breathless easily and it became steeper and steeper. My buddy, Fathin, and I were allowed to attempt the summit climb, but due to the thin air, Fathin had to turn back. I was sad, but i know all the more I had to make it to the top because I'm the only girl left in the summit team. I really want to thank the guide for motivating me along the way, using quotes such as "mind over body". I can't deny the fact that at certain points I felt so tired and exhausted, but as I watched the sunrise above the clouds, and enjoy the scenery of the smaller hills and mountains around. I told myself, it was all worth it.

On the way down.

Such beautiful weather ! 

Slight rope work required. Nothing is impossible now!

Finally at the summit, and at sunrise! So proud of each and everyone of us.

Reflections day 1.

Fathin: From my point of view, I can see that the students are happy and excited to play the games that we've planned for them. I am quite impressed with the students because they were really participate and cooperative. It was fortunate that the kids understood Malay, thus conversing with them was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I am also really glad that I got to organize the games for those kid bacause with this, I get to communicate with them better as I do not know them at all till I get to meet them today. I am looking forward to the hiking part as I get to climb Mount Kinabalu, and really see for myself what a real mountain is like.

Played games and prize presentation 

Entrance of the school we visited

Tree planting

Shahizzat: For the primary school visit, I am quite happy as it turned out quite well and we could communicate well with the students. I'm quite amazed by their performance just now. There were a few ukuleles and an acoustic bass guitarist. They put up an awesome performance and I had to constantly remind myself that they were only primary school students. These kids really warm my heart.


Nashrul:Today was a very memorable day for me as I got the chance to meet some primary school students from a local school. The school was located near the mountains which gave it a very special feel. There were several animals moving around the field on our way to the school. Did I mention that we had to cross a pretty long bridge to reach the school? It is so unlike what I am used to and it was really an experience I will never forget.
I found out that the villagers had to walk several kilometers to go to school everyday. This struck a chord in me as I pondered on all the luxuries I have back in Singapore.
Another highlight of the visit was the fact that I got the opportunity to plant a tree in their school compound. This was something new to me, and I thought it was very meaningful as it symbolizes the true meaning of leadership, being adaptable like the plant taking root in a new environment. Overall, I really enjoyed today's event and am looking forward to tomorrow's challenge!

Leaving a legacy!

Crossing a bridge to reach the school.. It was scary!

The children impressed us with their talents!

Group shot!

What life is really all about.

Reflections for YISS Expedition 2014

Here are the students' goals before the trip.

Sabrina :

I hope to reach the summit and come back down safely, and at the same time motivate my friends. Also, I hope the unit will work together as a team and never leave anyone behind.

Misnurlifah:

To challenge myself by making it to the summit, and to ge tot know more about my buddy, Sabrina. I wish to see both NCC boys and girls bond grow stronger as we get to know our strengths and weaknesses through the climb.

Akmal:

To never give up even though the journey ahead is tough, know my NCC friends better and to learn to be confident. I hope that the unit will become closer after this expedition, we will complete the course together and never leave anyone behind.

Nashrul:

I hope that I'm able to improve my communication skills with my peers, and I want to be able to improve my mental tolerance. I also hope to be able to improve in giving instructions. My goal for the unit is for us to be more united, bring back valuable experiences as leaders to share with our cadets and live the NCC core values.

Fathin;

I aim to reach the summit and encourage my buddy along. My hope for the unit through this trip would be that everyone strive to be the best that we can be.

Dian:

My goal is to be able to reach the summit safely, slowly but surely. 

Asyraf and Alex:

My aim is to complete the climb, know my NCC mates better and encourage them during the trip. I hope that through this, the unit will be bonded and we will forge new friendship.

Shaidil:

My goal is to reach the summit and be a more confident person after the trip. I hope everyone gets to complete it together and we all will learn to communicate more during the trip.

Darryn:

My goal is to experience the feeling of conquering a mountain and experience the Malaysian culture while there. I would also like to forge new friendship during this trip. 

Aidil Yassin:

I hope to learn to communicate better throughout this trip and also learn to be a better leader.  I hope the rest of us would use this opportunity to live out the school values such as compassion, resilience etc.

Irwan and Shahizzat::

I want to reach the summit of Mt Kinabalu and not give up along the way. I hope that the unit will learn to be more resilience and I hope i can share this experience with the rest of the unit.

Roshen:

I hope to learn more about the culture, and experience climbing a mountain. Through it, i will be able to learn values such as resilience and it will be something i can share with my cadets in unit.

Faiz Daniel:

I would like to be the first in my family to reach the summit fo Mt Kinabalu, and also to make new friends during the trip. I hope that we will be able to complete this journey with everyone at the top of the mountain.

Wafi:

I hope to learn more about people in Kota Kinabalu, and also reach the summit of Mt Kinabalu. I wish that everyone will be united throughout the trip as we overcome all obstacles.

Hakim:

My aim is to finish the climb, persevere and never give up along the way. I believe i will be able to learn something new during the trip. I hope that we will all bond well with one another and have an amazing experience.

Kok Jun:

I want to reach the top of the mountain with a smile on my face. I hope that everyone will be safe as well.

Deying:

MY personal goal would be to make it to the top and not give up halfway. I hope that i can make new friends and that we will all be closer after the trip.

Shahrul:

I hope to become more confident and i will speak up more during the trip. As i meet the people in malaysia and live with my friends for the next few days, i hope that i will make new firends, and be more courageous in speaking up.

Danial Yazid:

I want to prove to myself that i can reach the summit, and this will be recorded as one of my greatest achievement in life! I hope to encourage my friends as we embark on this journey to conquer the mountain.

Hanis:

I hope to be a better person after this trip as i reach the summit of Mt Kinabalu. I hope that everyone will complete it together, safely.

Stay tuned!

We are a few days away from our trip! Do stay tuned to this blog as we will be updating it on a regular basis during the trip :)