Inside Outland

Life is a great adventure.

The motto of Outland Adventure. Indeed. So memorable. :) March 26. A day to remember.

I was with Jane for three days (and nights) in a row. Last Friday, the break-down moment, I slept at their boarding house. Saturday implies FOOD galore! We slept at Pam's. Uraya Fiesta! And last Sunday, I missed her mom and dad so I went with her to Panabo. Haha! I'm the official palaboy of the new millenium. Haha!

My phone is the official inutil phone of the year. The LCD cracked, so I can't read see the messages, the numbers, the TIME. In short, I can't see EVERYTHING. The Outland Adventure was scheduled for Monday and we are about to meet at 6:30 am. Since I have no clock with me, I went with Jane all the way to their house in Panabo. Wahahaha!

I always knew not to trust Ateneans. Haha! That supposed-to-be 6:30 became 8:30. And after fourteen of the expected twenty-five came, we took off. We fetched three more others along the way and proceeded to Maa Diversion Road for the great adventure.

"Leave your worries behind."

That's the first rule as what Kuya Tata said. He is the manager of Outland Adventure. With him are other facilitators, John, Ian (James Yap look-alike says Ate Cherrie), and Sir James Gatchailan. They looked so simple and approachable. Trust me, my jaw dropped when I learned that Sir James was actually THE OWNER of Blugre. Tsk. Amazing. They were a happy bunch. They scared us out of our wits when they showed us the waiver. Indicating that they would not be liable if ever somebody got hurt or DIED. Migawd. How can I leave my worries with that?

But with God's grace, nobody got hurt at the end of the day. The whole day was divided to two. Morning will be for the "low elements" and the afternoon are for the "high elements". We had some "easy" games in the morning. After the challenges, they would brief us about the insights we learned and such. Trust. Humility. Unity. Faith. Courage. Those were just some of the things we learned.

Here's the list of the LOW ELEMENTS tasks.

~ Trustfall - you are asked to stand in a platform three feet above the ground, turn your back and let yourself FALL LIKE A LOG. Your groupmates are going to stand in line to catch you. This may seem very easy. But TRUST me, the falling feeling is NERVE-WRECKING. You're expected to FALL LIKE A LOG. No bendings allowed. This might seem like a piece of cake for cheerleaders. But what the heck, I am no cheerleader. The scariest part is the middle of the fall. I was like, "OH MY GOD! WHERE ARE THE HANDS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO CATCH ME!" And the happiest moment is when you would feel your back touching the palms of your groupmates. Safety and security at last! Hahaha!
Insight: It tells us about trust. Even if we know that someone is going to catch us, we could not help doubting about their presence. Trust is a bilateral agreement. You can never trust someone who is not willing to KEEP your trust. And that someone cannot get your trust if you are not willing to give it at the first place. Trust, like pride, is rare. You cannot give it to anybody else. And trust would never exist without faith. Because it is that faith that keeps the trust unbroken.


~ THE Wall - I don't know if this has a name but we call this The Wall challenge. There is this fifteen-feet high wall that we have to climb. We can not use anything. No ropes, no ladders, no anything. Just ourselves. This is a group work. There are eight of us in the group. After strategizing for 1 MINUTE, we became "pseudo-cheerleaders" for a moment and started making human pyramids. After a million gasps and sweatdrops, all of us managed to climb except Elly. Elly is the largest person in the group. He was the one carrying the "climber" so he was the last to climb. We tried everything to get him. That includes Kat hanging herself from the wall so that Elly could hold her feet and climb. But since we can't hold Elly's weight and we're running out of time (yes, there's a time limit [20 minutes]), he waved his white flag.
Insight: The wall symbolizes the problems in life. There are no walls too high if everyone is helping one another. No matter how high a wall is, someone would eventually give a hand for you to climb on. This someone may take the shape of a friend, or a family member. But usually, it is God who extends His arm for us to hold on. We just don't realize it. We applauded ourselves for making it to the top of the wall. But in all the cheers, Elly got the loudest. Sometimes, you just have to let go of your dreams. And it takes great courage to say no. It takes strength to admit that you are weak. It takes a hell lot of that.

~ The Log - we sat down a log while listening to Sir James. We thought it was there for "relaxation" purposes. We were wrong. Hehe. The rules? We were asked to stand on the log. When we finally did, we are asked to line regarding the order of our birthdays. Those whose birthday comes first should be on the right side. We are supposed to arrange ourselves WITHOUT falling off the log. If somebody fell, we would be asked to repeat the process all over again. We only have three chances. Whew! That was quite difficult. Given that the log was thin enough for one pair of feet. What we did was, someone would sit down so that the other can pass above him/her. And after a few shouts and steppings, we did it. Nobody fell so we got it on the first try.
Insight: Humility is strength. Being humble and stooping down for others to step on you is difficult. But if everyone would be humble enough, no work is that difficult. Crab mentality is very popular to Filipinos. If only we are humble enough to put a stop to this, all would end well. Humility is not a sign of weakness. It is actually a manifestation of strength. It is when you are strong enough that you share your strength to others. So that they may achieve the same pedestal you are resting on.

After the morning activities, we ate a meta-satisfying lunch. Buttered chicken and chopseuy! Yumyum!

The afternoon activities were filled with "high elements" challenges. We are then taught how to use a lifeline (harness, helmets, and the caradaber/cabarader/carabar --- Urgh! Whatever) I tried the trapeze jump, catwalk, vertical playpen, and the zipwire.

High Elements:
~ Trapeze Jump - this is absolutely scary! You have to climb a twenty feet platform, shout your greatest goal or ambition, jump and tap a ball hanging from a rope five meters away from you. And these are the actual reactions.

My turn
Me: WORLD DOMINAAAAAAAATION! Hahaha! Joke. Gusto ko maging ambassador sa -- sa --- wherever! Maski asa! Talon na ako... 1.. 2.. Waaah. Kuya, sandali lang. *deep breath* One, two.. Waaaah.. Kelangan talaga to? *sniff* (WORLD DOMINAAAAAAAATION! Hahaha! Joke. I want to be the ambassador to-- to --- whereve! I'm jumping... 1.. 2.. Waaah! Sir, wait. *deep breath* One, two.. Waaaah.. Do I really have to do this?)
Jane: Huy Bam! Ambak na buh! Wahahahaha! Nangluspad lagi ka! (C'mon Bam! Jump! Wahahahaha! You're turning pale!)
Pam: Hahaha! Si Bam na isog kaayo nangluspad! (Hahaha! Brave Bam is pale!)
Me: Moambak na jud ko! Isa, dalawa... Waaah! Pam! Taas au siya! Kut-tabareeeeeeee! *jumps* (I'm jumping! One, two... Waaah! Pam! It's so high!)

Pam's turn
After reaching the platform, Pam hugged the post. FOR FIVE MINUTES.
Jane: Huy pam! Naa ka dira para moambak! Dili para gakoson ang kahoy! (Hey Pam! You're there to jump! Not to hug the post!)
Me: Wahahaha! Nangluspad man pud gani ka! Pam! Ambak na! (Wahahaha! You're turning pale too! Pam! Jump!)
Pam: Baaaaaaam! Jaaaaaaaaaaaaane! Mobaba jud ko! Mobaba jud ko! (Baaaaaaam! Jaaaaaaaaaaaaane! I'm climbing down! I promise, I'll climb down!)
Me: Baba na! Ambak na! Hahaha! (Come on! Jump! Hahaha!)
Pam: Seryoso ko ba. Mobaba jud ko dira sa hagdanan. (I'm serious. I'm climbing down.)
Jane: Ay sus pam! Naa na ka dira! Kaya mo yan! (For God's sake Pam! You're already there. You can do it!)
Pam: Takot baya ko sa heights! (I'm scared of heights!)
Me and Jane: Sige na bah! (Just do it!)
Pam: *gulp* *sign of the cross* *jumps*
PS. PAM. is. an. ATHEIST. Hahahaha.

Jane's turn
Jane: Hihihi.. Hala! Taas bitaw siya! (Hihihi... It really IS high!)
Me: Go Jane! Ambak na! (Jump!)
Jane: Moshagit nakog goal? Err... WORLD PEEEEEEACE! (Should I shout my goal now?)
SSE people: CHAR!
Jane: Hehe.. One, two.. Err... Pam! Bam!
Pam: Wahahaha! Nangluspad si Jane! Piktyuri Bam! (Jane turned pale! Take her picture Bam!)
Jane: Waaah! Di nako kaya! (I can't do it!)
Me: Kaya yan! Nakaya nga ni Pam! (Of course you can! Pam did it!)
Jane: sige na.. 1, 2, 3! *jumps* OUTLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND! SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!
Me: Hahahaha! Nagmura si Jane! Pam! Narinig mo yun? Nagmura sa Jane! (Jane cursed! Pam! You heard it? Jane actually swore!)
Pam: Bwahahahahaha! Oo. Hahaha! Kabalo diay siya ana. Hehe. (Bwahahahahaha! Yah! She knows how to swear afterall. Hehe.)

~ The Catwalk - It is the "high" version of THE LOG. This time, you have to climb twenty feet high and walk the plank of death. Hehe. I kid. You have to cross to the other side then get back to the middle and jump.

My turn
Fact: I climb FAST.
SSE people: Aba, aba! Paspas au mosaka! Excited!
Me: *after reaching the top* Toink. Hala. Waaaah! Pam! Piktyuri ko! Hehe. *talking to myself* Hmm.. Ngano gakurog man ko? Di man ako takot sa heights. Pero bakit ako natatakot. Urgh. Kaya ko to! Kaya ko to! Hala. Hindi ko na talaga tawanan yung mga takot sa height. Weird lagi to. Waaah..
Pam: Hala! Ginakausap na niya ang kanyang sarili. Naku. Tsk.
Me: Kuyaaaa! Gakurog ko! Kuya! Sandali lang. Wala akong sense of balance!
Kuya Facilitator: Ok lang walay balance kesa walay sense!
Me: Waaaaaah! Daya!
*after reaching the other side and going back to the middle*
Me: Whew! Kaya ko na to! Mygad! Kaya ko na to! Kuya! Magtalon na ako!
Kuya: Go!
Me: Hala Kuya! Mabigat baya ako!
Kuya: Ok lang. Madami kami dito. Tumalon ka na!
Me: Ok. 1, 2... Ay teka! Pam! Picture-an moko! Hehe.

Pam's turn
Pam: Aw. f****. Ang taas!
Me: Hoy Pam! Bibig mo ba! Hehe. Kaya yan! Whooo!
Jane: Go Pam!
*Pam crosses the bridge without looking down*
Pam: Oi! Dili nako mobalik!
Me: Baliw! Alangan namang dyan ka lang hanggang mamaya!
Pam: Ok. Balik na ko. Whoo!
Jane: Hahaha! Pam! Pwede ka na sa Davao Light! Hehe.
Pam: Tse! Bam! Picture-i ko! Hehe.
Jane: Utro pa ni!

Jane didn't tried the Catwalk because she was amazed with the Vertical Playpen.

~ The Vertical Playpen - it's a series of rubber tires and logs arranged vertically. The goal is to reach the bell on the top. This requires two people. Jane and me were partners. We didn't have anything to say because we are too busy gasping for air. It is so difficult. Whew! It took us 48 years to reach the top. Hehe. And my arms are battered.

~ Zipwire - I'm not sure about the name of this ride. It is similar to that of the Indiana Jones ride in Eden's Nature Park. The only difference is that, the cable here is between two mountains. Hehe. We ride to the other side then walk back to the other side by crossing the river. This is my favorite "high element" challenge. I was not at all scared since we used to have a ride similar to this back in my Girl Scout Years' Challenge Valley.

That was fun!

Click the pic for the album. :)

At the end of the day, I can say it WAS an experience. It was all worth the 150Php paid to Kuya Josie (our SSE Representative). But then, we found out that the ACTUAL payment is P1,800! OMG. We saved a lot of money! The Division shouldered our bills! Bwahahahaha! We save P1,650! Whooo! The cherry on top of the cream!

Amf. What a way to start the summer break. 150 bucks is worth all the fun.

And the muscle sores. ;)