Two days down...Seven Weeks to Go

Monday was our first day with the kids, 70 or so came for surf camp and we've had between 6 and 8 coming for the "adventure camp" that I've been working.

Yesterday I lead kayaking in the morning, it was the second time I've ever lead it. It went well and it was a really good learning experience. The waves rolling in were probably around two or three feet, so it was really crazy trying to get some of the kids out past the breaking waves.

I was back helping a really slow boat get out and I got dumped from my kayak, which is really easy to do since they are sit-on-tops and there's no real way to hold on to them. So I get back in give the slow dual kayak a good push out, climb back in my boat and dump again. Frustrated I power out through the rest of the waves and try to reassemble the group of 3 kids boats. I patted my pockets and realized that my phone (which was double bagged in ziplocks) had disappeared. I forgot my watch and I really wanted a time keeping device or else I would never have brought it out on the water.

An hour and a half later, the session was over and the kids were back in on shore. We dragged our kayaks in about 4 inches of water along the beach back to the trail where we could pick them up with the pushcart or "trolley" as everyone says around here. As I was walking my boat back I spotted some plastic floating up along the shore and when I picked it up my phone was inside, good as new. I was so excited and did this crazy jumping dance. Irvin was right in front of me looking puzzled, all he saw was me picking up a piece of garbage or "rubbish" as all the Brits say and then jumping up and going crazy. Usually Pui O beach garbage isn't worth celebrating over since there is literally a tandem dump truck load of it washed up on Pui O Beach every day. Once i told Irvin the story about my phone falling out he realized I hadn't completely lost it...

Monday afternoon was beach games lead my one of the new senior leaders, while the rest of the senior leaders and the new Operations Director had a really good talk about how the morning went. I never thought I'd be able to write "Treasure Island" and "staff development" in the same sentence, but here it goes.... This summer at Treasure Island has been going so well in terms of staff development. Which leads me today...

Tuesday June 30, 2009
Last week we went up the gorge with our training group. Most of the senior leaders learned how to set it up from Khem our Nepalese rigging guru and veritable Renaissance man. We have a certain amount of ropes and carabiners and leashes to place safety lines at sketchy parts of the gorge right outside of Pui O. The new director had me fill my pack with all the ropes and pieces needed to set up the gorge and sent me off to do my best with setting it up. He'd follow us up and double check the ropes before letting the kids on them and then bounce back and forth between the riggers up ahead and the group of kids following behind. It was a great learning experience for me, someone that has never done much rock climbing or rope work. Like anything else it's all pretty straight forward, it just takes proper instruction and some practice, both of which I received today. Next time I feel like I can do the whole thing no problem and be 100% confident in the safety of the entire setup too.

We taught the kids surfing this afternoon, it went pretty well, but it was tiring being in the water for almost 2 hours with waves beating down on you constantly. I don't know how the surf camp staff does that every day.

Tomorrow is biking and beach games and also Hong Kong SAR day, which celebrates the day that Hong Kong broke off from the UK and rejoined China.

Thursday is an overnight with the kids and me teaching some wilderness skills...