Kayaking and Beach Clean Up

Date: November 18, 2010

Location: Sarasa watersport grandstand 

Purpose of experience: community service, environment appreciation, teamwork

Highlight of experience:

After a run through/practice of how to get on and off the kayaks from the water, group three depart from Sarasa grandstand. Our first destination was a resting point where we had an icebreaking session, beach clean up, and found an awesome then onto our destination where we enjoyed poking around the island and had lunch.

What caused you the most anxiety?

I would call myself an athletic person, though when I saw the island we would be kayaking to, I thought it was a joke and we would be going to a closer one. I knew I would be able to finish, but was nervous a bit nervous since i'd never kayaked before. When we started paddling toward our first destination, it was no longer a joke and my partner, Dean and I put forward our best efforts.

Was there any aspect of the experience that surprised you?

what surprised me most was how many treasures we found along our kayaking journey. At our first resting point Hj Ramley found a balankas while we were cleaning up the beach and we all learned a thing or two about the sea creature most of us had never seen before. We were also lucky enough to find ripe palm fruit, also something that most of the students (including myself) had never tried or seen before- it reminds be of a cross between lychee and an avocado. Walking along the shore, our Curlews group and a few others saw the Bruneian flower, different fruits (we were most curious about a red pineapple looking one hanging from a palm- like tree) and found a soccer ball to keep us preoccupied while waiting for lunch. I couldn't have expected any of these fun surprises.

What were the three most important things you learnt from the experience?

1. beach clean up can be as simple as picking up a bit of trash as you go and when people work together, clean up is quick.

2. Teamwork and communication is essential to getting first ;)

3.Even though some experiences are difficult, if you at least try to find the joy in them, the experience seems to blossom into an exciting and positive experience.

Which aspect would you include in your future behavior based on your learnings from this experience?

As one of the instructors pointed out, we can apply that fact that hard work , including perseverance and consistency, that we practiced while kayaking can be applied to our study habits as studying/hard work pays off in the end. Sometimes things seem extremely difficult and intimidating, even impossible, but if you start with trying, and continue to do your best, you will complete your journey and be successful in whatever you do; may it be studying, working, or kayaking! :)

Thank you Hj Marliza for this great experience.

Christine Lynn Hixenbaugh, 10N0001, November 18, 2010