S’mores, Midnight fun. Campfires. These words could mean only one thing—Camp Time! It was another year of school and time for another year group to be challenged by the IB. Everyone knew that all the fun and games had come to an end—it was time to focus during Mr. Komaki’s class and get into the university of their dreams. But, before the late-night cramming, there was still one bright opportunity to light things up—one last dance—the G11 DP Camp.
Our first day began as we set foot to YMCA in Yokohama amidst the ocean waves and the forest, its large, serene campus filling all our hearts with joy. The day at the camp started with us being split into groups rotating in different rooms to learn more about university and the Extended Essay (EE). For the EE session, we were split based on our subject choices and partnered with our peers to learn more about the essential points that would make our EE successful. During the university session, we cosplayed fake characters’ high school achievements and ranked which student had the best profile. As the stars lit up the sky, it was time for dinner. We all prepared the curry, adding heaps of curry powder in boiling pots while dicing countless vegetables. The aroma wafted through the outdoor air. At night, we circled around in the forest for a warm and cozy campfire, shivering as we listened to Mr. Waterfall’s scary stories about the mystery room—the very room that will haunt the one who says its name, unbeknownst to them. Dare I say room 204.
On the second day, we ate breakfast and were back doing intense leg day exercises with Mr. Waterfall, ‘enjoying’ a fresh dose of lactic acid. Then, we played an enjoyable murder mystery game (for which no one got the answer) with Ms. Godfrey. That night, each group performed their skit, and this article would be incomplete without keeping a written record of Jerry’s beautiful performance of Godfrey’s plan (inspiration taken from God’s plan by Drake). Drake himself would be proud of the sounds that came out of Jerry that night: the audience going wild, Ms. Albà and Ms. Godfrey having the time of their lives. My (Brhas’)
acting was spectacular, if I do say so myself. My portrayal of the third suspect in our skit really swayed the crowd and made the audience think that I was the one who became a little too excited with the five-iron club.
Later that day, just before going to the onsen for dinner, the whole grade gathered for some football— something that would never have happened outside PE class. We could only ever imagine playing football with all our friends on the most open field ever and right next to it, the sun was setting on the horizon. The sky, the ocean, and the land all came together and playing football was the finishing touch. What else could one ever want?
On the third and final day was the long-awaited kayaking: we all strapped our lifejackets on, and while one half of us went kayaking, the other half played catch in the deep ocean waters with a volleyball. Kayaking itself was so much fun and unexpectedly tiring, but with Mr. Komaki showing off his unmatchable kayaking skills (by rowing the boat while standing and somehow staying afloat) we all pushed through. All in all, it was such an amazing experience for everyone, though the sea urchins did get the last laugh.
After all that fun, it was time to say goodbye. Thank you, YMCA, for all those memories. On the way back to KIST, we were so used to having fun we needed to create some entertainment for ourselves. So, we sang “Wheels on the Bus” and “Let it Go.” It was moments like this where bittersweet feeling hits in and you think “man, I’m gonna miss this” and I feel like it was these moments that made us not only better friends but a big family. In that moment I felt something I never felt before, an almost desolate feeling that this was about to end. But like all good things, they come to an end: so, don’t frown because it was over; smile because it happened.
