From sea spray to study days
Day 1
We assemble in the student lounge as eager new 9th graders on the promising morning of the 25th of September—prying ourselves very deliberately away from the post-summer grip of IGCSE. Soon we board buses, and a two-day adventure awaits us.
Our first stop of the tour is Hakkejima Sea Paradise, home to aquatic critters, many a carnival ride, and an
(out of service) roller coaster that flies over the sea. As we gallivant about the park, we occasionally spot other groups of KIST students and teachers as we go on our merry way. We visit the water raft ride (multiple times!), the paddle boats, the Viking ship with a stomach-dropping swing, the merry-go-round, the food court, the aquarium, and finally, the gift shop. Despite the heat, we enjoy ourselves, and indoor attractions give us a welcome break. Soaked in sweat and raft-ride splashes, students and teachers load back onto the buses that were awaiting us back to the hotel and dinner.
Day 2
After our breakfast buffet, we headed towards our homeroom groups to participate in group activities and goal setting. Though the idea of ‘nori’ money was nice, we struggled to link limbs with paper as part of the team-building session. Some slid their way to first place by laying on the ground. Others rebelled against benefactors who invested in their own interests. After these academic sessions, with a view of Mt. Fuji and beyond, we boarded the bus for Enoshima.
Excitement rekindles as we cruise along the coastline of the beautiful Enoshima sea—we see windsurfers, yachts, seagulls. A scavenging hunt for monuments between four teams ensues post-lunch, contrasting the tranquility of Shonan Village only a few hours before. Weaving through tourists and lively crowds, we visit various sites in the scorching heat of the sun. Benten, the goddess of fortune to which Enoshima Shrine is dedicated to, seems sympathetic, as we get tickets to observe the whole of Enoshima from the top of the Sea Candle. We lean against the railing not knowing what to expect...
And it seems ethereal.
The sea of teal blue waves crashes against boulders—almost beckoning the waves to knock them down. Each attempt fails miserably, only to give off foam, frothy plume that soared skywards, showering the surrounding greenery in damp, cheeky splashes. The waves pull back slowly, gracefully like a dancer bowing out, only to launch itself upon the rocks once more. A patch of island stretches out into the sea and over the patchwork of yellows and greens, dark greens and the occasional roof of an ancient house; two hawks battle for prey midair. Nothing in our textbooks could have ever described it to us—it is nature at its most majestic.
Our exit ticket is ice cream, shaved ice and other treats near a denim-themed food stall. Then, just like that, it’s over. We trudge reluctantly back to the buses, reminiscing over the golden slivers of happiness that had slipped through our fingers. A pleasant wave of sleep envelopes us as we collapse onto the bus seats, tired out after a long day of hiking. Time does its thing, and the silhouette of school soon looms ahead like a villain’s lair. Those who awoke just then are horrified as they are catapulted back into the IGCSEs, for the sound of the sea left us long ago. All around was darkness, traffic lights and the faint smell of exam stress.
But if camp taught us anything, it’s this: we’re in this together.
And together, we might just survive.
