Hey guys! It’s been almost 5 months since my last post and yes, I have been given the opportunity to continue writing about my journey in Dundee for another year; which is awesome btw! Ok, to start with a quick update: my exam results came, didn’t do as well as I would have wanted but I passed; year 2 MBChB here I come! Spent most of my summer in Singapore roasting in the sun, (the way I like) with temperatures going up to as high as 37 degrees. Spent a nice 3 or so weeks in India, where the temperature was a boiling 39 degrees, sometimes even 40. Didn’t like that part so much. But now to the most important thing I did this summer. I was part of a team of awesome people organising an orientation camp, specifically for Singaporeans going to Scotland this year. We had freshers from over 6 different Scottish Schools, namely University of Dundee, University of Glasgow, St. Andrew’s University, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Aberdeen and Glasgow Strathclyde University. With over 60 freshers and returners in this camp, it was one of the bigger ones that is being conducted for Singaporean students headed to the UK.
We named the camp, CAMP ALBA, after the Gaelic term for Scotland “na h-alba”. Our aim was simple; to hold a camp to allow the Singaporeans of various Scottish schools to get to know each other and to have fun, of course! We had multiple sponsors willing to defray the cost of the camp and we had so much support from all our seniors who were willing to help us in any way possible! Thank you all once again! The camp was held in Singapore at a the National SAFRA Resort and Country Club. It was grand, it was big, it was just super awesome! This is was 3 Day 2 Night camp and it was filled with activities with almost no gap in between each activity.
We started the camp with a few simple icebreakers so that everyone gets a chance to know each others’ names and the schools they will be going too.
Then we had lunch and moved on the highlight of day 1 – the wet games! We had organised for several games involving water “bombs”.
The groups even got the chance to get in touch with their inner child by taking part in a sandcastle building competition and then started playing in the water (an awesome way to cool down on such a hot day, if I may say).
Drenched from head to toe, the groups washed up and had their dinner. After a short break they started playing night games, games which were not that PG-13, but rest assured, still appropriate (hahaha).
Day 2 was a slightly different though, it was an amazing race sort of event, aimed at getting the groups to know each other more especially in different awkward situation we were about to put them in. This events had station placed all throughout the eastern part of Singapore. It lasted the whole day and the groups were exhausted by the time they ended it..hahaha…but time well spent! The groups knew each other better and had the chance to really bond with the fellow freshers.
Day 2 night, though, was the highlight of the day! We had seniors from the various Scottish schools who were in Singapore at that point of time come over to the chalet and we had a big bonding (sesh)ion (wink face). We played so many games and music was blasting, no wonder many freshers had said this 4 hours was all that mattered! (hahaha) Everyone went back to sleep safe (well most at least). Day 3 was a very relaxing day, everyone woke up late and had breakfast waiting for them on the table. We cleared up the place and left the chalet for brunch in a near by hawker center.
Though I did not get the chance to actually participate in this camp as a fresher since I had to keep running around to make sure everything was in place so that the rest will have fun, I believe the camp turned out well and I could not had done without the tremendous help from our very own Dundee University Singapore Society and every other exco member from the participating schools. This was no small feat and I hope the future excos, continue running this camp and make it better and better as the years pass!
If you want to participate in more of our DUSG events in the weeks coming, please like our facebook page or please check out our newly launched website! We have a mid autumn and Deepavali event coming up soon! Please do join us! Thank you!
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Reflections for Summer Part 1
As per how the famous “Phineas and Ferb” series theme song goes:
“There’s 104 days of summer vacation
And school comes along just to end it
So the annual problem for our generation
Is finding a good way to spend it”
I believe there can be no better way to spend summer then to have spent it planning and running this camp, but I may be wrong, feel free to share how did you spend your summer in the comments below! Till my next post, #udou