camping

I started to go camping since I was 11. I like leech and I love snake. I will pick up a leech whenever I come across one and put it in my palm and enjoy watching it sucking out my filthy blood. I once kept a snake as a pet until I married my husband. He can’t even stand the view of it so I have to let it go. Furthermore, Deni was sick. She bit me 5 times. She lost 6 of her fangs; buried deep in my flesh after rampant attacks. She has no big fang to kill even a small frog afterward. I let her go so that she could hunt for a suitable menu of a suitable size everyday.

I camped out so often that I put a target of 50 before I complete my Form Five. Accomplished. I had experiences where I went into the jungle alone, with my backpack and WITH a hope that any group camping in the jungle, will let me join them. (sounds stupid and dangerous rite now, but NOT then). (YES, I was that insane) Usually the group I met in the jungle welcomes me with arm wide open. I know people who really loves nature will not harm any being. All of them were kind. 

ONE of them helped me with my thesis afterward (can u imagine, I met an Electrical Engineer in my random jungle expedition? He constructed a lighting and wiring system for my thesis building, FOC – I owe him big time. The panel lovesssss the lighting effect!!).

I’d climbed some mountains. Which I don’t think telling others will make them look at me as any better than before. Climbing mountain has nothing special to it, for me. I didn’t feel excited to climb because it would be a very torturing journey to the top. I wasn’t happy when I reach the top because I still have long way down to go. And I am not happy reaching the land below because I had spent hours climbing and now I am back to the square one?? What the???

I also had experience canoeing along Nenggiri River@Gua Musang. Teh tarik colour river with 35 raging rapids. We constructed a steel frame canoe and tied 6 rubber tubes to it. And we sat on the tube :o) from dawn to dust, for three days. My canoe capsized and I nearly-drown. I can see the life flashes before me. Then only I understand why they always show that scene in the movies. It is really true. Everything flashes quickly, my mom’s face, my dad, my birthday celebration, the picture of me laughing with my sister, playing with my brother…. It was all displayed in front of my very eyes. I am sure I will be dead in a matter of second because I can’t manage to get out of the water. We capsized at the raging rapid and the current was very strong at the bottom. I was moving fast under the water. I hit big hard rocks several times and I don’t think I can stand another hit. They suddenly someone grabbed my shirt and whoa! Oxygen!!

It was a fun trip despite the near-death experience. But I suffer a fashion disaster for six months after that. No colour of tudung in my wardrobe matches my new skin tone (which is 10 times darker). And I end up buying the whole new make up set and the whole bunch of tudung to go with my temporary African look.

I love outdoor but I have to forget it now. At least until my child started their primary school. My in-laws still won’t believe me when I told them I camped out a lot and I did this and that. But, when I think of it, with my down to earth personality (am I?), with my fragile look (my in-laws said that), observant rather than talkative… who would??