We steeled ourselves all weekend, did our best to relax and distract, pampered ourselves with plumes of frigid air conditioning and plates of delicious comfort foods, and generally did everything we could to counteract the coming onslaught of filth and privation at the Longmen Camping Ground for the annual Grade 8 Camp.
This of course was last weekend, and I didn't complete a blog entry last Monday as we were well into the greasy depths of yet another chapter of this most unfortunate week of the year. We were thrust right into the zone from minute one at school on Monday as the kids twittered and bothered, lined up with overblown cases and pillows, then marched as one to the phalanx of buses that would transport them northward into the blistering heat for the next five days.
Cass hates this week with a rare passion: in fact I can't think what riles her to the same extent, except maybe various fools that we have to contend with from time to time. Her mood visibly droops as camp time approaches, although she does a remarkable job in hiding this sombre feeling from all and sundry at school. I am less successful in masking my true feelings: it seems quite a ridiculous exercise to punish the kids so tortuously through the day just in the hope that "at least they'll sleep well tonight". What?! I'm not sure of the learning goals here but surely it has to be more than that. The real killer is that the faculty are expected to not only accompany the kids on all their adventures, but also to monitor/coach/supervise/model for them as well: in my mind, the oldies need a little more care...we're four times their age!!
Anyway, suffice to say, the experience was as horrendous as usual. The food was sub-standard and served up from a secretive kitchen by grubby attendants, the activities were arduous and of questionable merit and the sun roasted and singed throughout the five days with no relief. At least there were some small mercies: Cass and I had an air-conditioned cabin for the 6-7 hours we were allocated for sleeping, and I only had to brave the tents for the last night. The clear skies meant no extra discomfort due to rain, and the kids were generally, and remarkably, well behaved....no doubt utterly exhausted as we were!
It's a 1980s model summer camp that works for the sporty and energetic kids, but not for a lot of others. Its model has been supplanted by more inclusive (not pure PE activities) camps with a far greater emphasis on safety and negating risk factors. It just hasn't moved with the times at all. I've got a sneaking suspicion that our gleaming new Tech Cube, due to be open in January, will be hosting various week-long projects in September next year. Wishful thinking? Watch this space.
Suffice to say we weren't at all impressed! We did our best to wash the stink of camp off over the weekend, both physically, with suitcases full of dirty laundry needing to be loaded, washed and dried as well as metaphorically where we ate tasty food and reveled in the comforts of home with our two lonely furbabies!
Photos: Wol and I needed to watch a prelim final of AFL on his phone as the internet was out at the Green Bar. Photos from camp. Someone need a beer on our shopping trip on Saturday!