MAY 2004
OF ADVENTURE, DRAMA AND JINGLES IN THE JUNGLE
18 May 04 - From heart-stopping action and drama to strange call signs to jingles in the jungle, the 7th to the 9th of May 2004 will definitely linger in the memories of the 30 participants who participated in PETRONAS Adventure Team (PAT)’s annual staff trip. These 30 participants traded the comforts of city life to sample a taste of the wild outdoors with an expedition to Sungai Selai, Johor. Armed with a spirit of adventure, unwavering enthusiasm, and sheer grit, these participants embraced the journey with great expectations.
DAY 1
The journey began at 8 am with a briefing session by PAT team leader, En. Halim Abdul Rahman, and PAT representatives En. Azman Baharuddin and Dr. Zaini Shaarani. This was followed by a brief note of welcome from PETRONAS Motorsports representative, En. Khaleed Abdul Aziz, who later passed the baton to his colleague En. Khairul Hisham Mazlan who would be joining the expedition. The participants were divided into several teams and each team was assigned to their respective 4 x 4 vehicles. The first-timers eagerly awaited the journey to unfold, not knowing what to expect, while the second and third timers craved to relive the excitement of their first expedition.
As the drive progressed and all the vehicles were in convoy, the participants were introduced to Radio Petmos. Since all vehicles have radios, which had been tuned to the same frequency, Radio Petmos was created as an avenue for the participants to cultivate team spirit and to share the journey with the whole convoy. The participants introduced themselves and shared their expectations with the team. With this, the team, though physically separated, were brought together by the vibrant DJ En. Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil.
The team had an early lunch, and proceeded to the greatly anticipated off-road adventure. We traversed through oil palm plantations and estate houses before reaching the jungle. We could begin to feel a sense of wonder and amazement as we looked out of the windows, and pondered on the lifestyles of the people we passed by. It was amazing to see the look of wonder in their eyes as the vehicles passed by. What left a greater impact on us was the contentment we saw in them, whereby we were challenged to look at our own lives and reflect on how blessed we are in the midst of all the comforts that surround us.
As we reached the jungle, the path was narrow and bumpy. In fact, there were many places where there were hardly any paths. We must indeed take our hats off to the drivers who skilfully manoeuvred the vehicles through fallen trees, muddy paths and river crossings. The campsite seemed an eternity away, yet we savoured every bit of the journey; for it was not the destination that we sought, rather we strove to inhale and experience the journey in all its fullness.
City life had blinded us to the beauty and tranquillity of nature, and made us deaf to the eloquence of silence, which actually speaks great volumes if only we would stop to listen. This expedition was an excellent avenue to awaken us to savour the beauty of our surroundings. The expedition also taught us that though we might be tempted to believe that we can survive on our own, we actually need and are dependent on the people around us. It taught us that team spirit always wins at the end of the day.
No matter how experienced or prepared the team may be, off-road adventure has a tendency to spring surprises when least expected. We were in for a rare treat for not only did we experience the journey in the sunlight, but we were also privileged to savour off-road adventure guided by the moonlight. At the start of the journey, no one would have guessed that the day would end at nearly 4am, and that too in the freezing cold river.
We learnt to be prepared for the unexpected and to embrace uncertainties with smiles rather than frowns. When a vehicle could not make its way out of the mud, the participants had to brave bugs and leeches to help pull out the car. The climax of the journey was the river crossing which saw many vehicles falter midway in the river, whereby the participants had to jump into the water to help pull out the vehicles. With whispered prayers and teamwork, each team indeed managed to overcome the hurdles that we encountered.
With all the vehicles and team members safely at the camp site, the team went to bed. It is not always that one gets to sleep with a million stars overlooking you, and the river flowing nearby. It is an experience to be savoured, almost too enchanting to be true. The touch of the outdoors indeed serves as a magical balm for the weary soul.
DAY 2
The team continued the journey to the next camp site. We journeyed through Taman Negara Endau-Rompin to reach our final destination alongside streams of crystal clear water. The river seemed to invite us to take a dip, and many could not resist the temptation to swim. Standing in the jungle, with the river nearby and listening to the hum of the bugs and insects, we felt small compared to the vastness of nature. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, we felt closer to our Creator as we stood and marvelled at His creation.
We went jungle trekking in the afternoon. We also had the opportunity to feed wild fish. After the trekking, we were engaged in a simple exercise to encourage us to think out of the box as well as to cultivate a deeper sense of teamwork. Each team comprising of 4 members had to figure out a way to take a tyre from one end of the river to the other end and back.
Left to right: Listening attentively to the day's itinerary, kitchen with a view, and cheering from the sidelines. After dinner, we had simple games to test our co-ordination skills as well as build teamwork. We had to familiarise ourselves with strange jingles, and co-ordinate the lyrics with actions. The group had great fun laughing at one another, and also laughing at ourselves, whereby we learnt to take things in a positive manner, and to accept criticism as a way of building our self-esteem.
The expedition was successful in every sense of the word, whereby we probably learnt more in 3 days and 2 nights, compared to many trainings put together. We learnt to work as a team, to be patient, to persevere, to accept one another, to laugh at ourselves, as well as to savour the beauty of nature. The nature in all its beauty and simplicity is a great teacher. We are truly grateful to PAT and PETRONAS Motorsports for providing us with an experience to treasure.
Thank you once again for this privilege of discovering nature, and also discovering ourselves.
