Unforgettable-How Can We Against Destiny  

     Map of Miyako Island                                          中文版                                       Mast on Ji Fung

1998 near the margin requirement of age, I took the outward-bound training at 34 years old.  'How can we against destiny', that was what I learned from the course.

Although near the maximum requirement, I had fully confidence in fulfilling all the challenges.  Finally, I found that qualified or not, it depended on God/Destiny but not on man.

Jump from the board to the sea, it should be the first event of the course.  But, this business was stopped by the sharks' active season in Hong Kong and we also escaped from such challenge for obeying the harbor rules in Japan.  Left Hong Kong, the first activity should be climbing up to the mast and moving horizontal to learn how to release the sail, it was like the right photo on top.  Yes, we had climbed up to the mast, but the rain came down, the sail must be turn in order to fit the wind.  So, our team had not the chance to move horizontal on the mast when the ship was moving.  About the 1,200 meters running, the way was not clear and there is no enough instructors or staffs to direct the 36 trainees, it resulted in most trainees lost the way and failed to finish the 1,200 meters that included me.  According to the environment, City Challenge instead of Field Challenge, camp on beach replaced sole stay in mountain, the tend of wind delayed the sailing schedule and it cancelled the raft race, it took away our opportunity of learning how to make raft by bamboo and large plastic tub.    At the end, the outward-bound training came as a making friend party and the only thing I learned form the course was 'How can we against Destiny'.  I learned it during the Sole Time.

May 25, 1998 our Sole Time started from this morning after breakfast; one day before, we reached Japan by 7 days sailing.  For other people, they need only 6 days.  This morning, we stayed beside the Hirara Harbor; it located in Miyako Island of Okinawa.  The instructors told us that the aim of Sole Time was let us escaped from the busy city and slow down for reviewing our past and re-planning our future.

During the Sole Time, we were not allowed to eat and we could not bring most commodities, except our sleeping bag and rainwear and one or two warming clothes.  At the same time, we would receive a canopy, three sheet toilet paper and five gallons drinking water (when you lacked of water, you could ask more).  We should put all the above equipment in a large and black colour plastic rubbish bag but it was not suitable to carry by short person like me.

For reaching the Sole Place, we must left the ship and harbor by shuttle bus.  In other course, the Sole Place should be in mountain or jungle but we stayed in an island and near beach, so our Sole Place was decided in the little beach.  Each beach would have four or six trainees and each trainee must have 10 or 20 meters activity area.  During the Sole Time, we could not talk with others, did not allow to play, must avoided to communicate with other trainees or local and we should not help the neighbors except emergency.  The shuttle bus ran around coast and stopped to release trainees a group by a group.

After two or three stops, the instructor directed Mr. S and me to leave the bus with other four trainees.  S was our team member but the other four were belong to other two teams.  Crossed the little thicket, the instructors found that the beach was too narrow for six trainees.  After discussion, our instructor ordered S and me went back to the bus and it was not an easy job for me.  The reason was we should carry the large bag and the five gallons water when we backed to the bus.  Getting on the bus, we still did not allow speak but we changed an eye signal with our team members to reflect our bad luck.  I thought that it was bad news for me the reason was that I always could not have heavy breakfast and I ate less for avoiding the traffic sick in the morning contrary to this, the Sole Time involved thirty hours and we did not allow to eat once it started.  The left and back, even walked slowly but carried the heavy bag, it might waste all my breakfast in this point and then I must had the same trip again.  Such bad luck.

When I was thinking the above, the bus stopped again and the instructor called Mr. S to leave.  They did not call me, one reason was they need to balance the number of boys and girls and the other reason was they did not want us to leave the bus together again.  Followed one or two stops, it was my time the instructor pointed Mr. M and me to leave.  Mr. M was our team member like S.  According the same situation of last time, we should cross the thicket before we could reach the beach.  When I saw the beach, I found that there was an woodblock beside the path, it looked like came from a broke boat.  It was wetted by the rain in last night and there was some sand scattered on; but I believed that it was clean and strong enough to be my bed.  If the instructor let me stayed near the path, I could get it.  I knew that the instructors would let us, girls, stayed beside the path, but I could not ensure I would be order to stay on the right hand side of the path.  If they ordered me to go to the left hand side, I would leave the path over 10 meters.  Obeyed to the rules in Sole Time, even the other girl she did not discovered the woodblock or no intention to get it, I still had not qualification to pick it.  The instructors controlled the Sole Area of each trainee that meant everything depended on Fates.

Finally, I got it.  Maybe the instructors considered that I had walked a long road at last stop, they made decision after discussion and the result was allowed me to stay near the path and ordered the other girl, she was not our team, to go to the left hand side of the path.  She should walk about 10 or 15 meters to leave my area.  At this moment, I believed that the Fates/God might concern with me.  I deeply believed that if I had been left on last stop, I would not come here and would not get such a good Dragon's Bed.  (Dragon's Bed is the bed of Chinese King.  Compare with other trainees, they would only lie on the sand but I could sleep on the woodblock, it was like the King could sleep on his luxurious bed) I checked the woodblock and ensured that it was clean and strong enough so I moved it to an ideal place for setting up 'my home'.  The woodblock had not worms and ants and I knew that Uncle Sun would work hard to make it dry before evening so I would have a good sleep at that night.

Turned back to the thicket, there was some small trees but its leaf was very interesting.  The leaf was clean and full and around the stems liked flowers on the stems.  I took a cluster of leafs from one tree, it looked like a feather duster and I used it to clean out the sand from the woodblock.  After cleaned the woodblock, I started to search sticks for hanging up the shelter and build my Utopia.  I used to camp with friends so hanging up shelter would not be a hard work for me.  Although we were not allowed to carry cords, there was two cords on my jacket and some rubber bands on my kettle; it was enough for me.  Looked around the ideal place, there was many sticks that would suitable for hanging up the shelter.  Finished my work, I tried to search if M need my help, he opened his hands and let me know he lacked of material.  I threw some sticks to him just like I did not want them stayed on my site silently.

After all, I sat down on my Dragon's Bed and concerned others.  I felt odd and asked myself 'A, why they would set their tents on the middle of the beach and it only leave the tidemark one or two feet.  If we meet stronger high tide, they may be wetter and need to remove their tents.  Why they don't set the tents near the trees more than near the tidemark like me?'  We should keep silence so I could not ask them and there would no responds.  Reflecting for this situation, I got my vision back and fell down to my fantasy world.  I did not think that the behaviors in the real world were caused by its own reason. 

The Sole Time passed fast than my expectation, 30 hours was like 5 or 10 hours.  Just as my prediction, the high tide was stronger and the three persons busied in moving their tents under the wind and rain.  For me, I trust that gloomy weather is my good time; I enjoyed the Sole Time leisurely and carefree.  Thanks for my friends, I used to camp or hike with them and Aunt Wind and Aunt Rain always would be our partners, about Uncle Thunder and Uncle Lightning they also would follow us.  In that night, Aunt Rain and Uncle Thunder sang overnight but I still had a good sleep.

Returned to the boat, the first thing I asked M was why they would set their tents on such a bad site.  The responds surprised me and made me asked myself 'How can we against destiny?'.   The first respond came from my team member M; both M and me stayed in the right hand side of the beach that meant I separated M and the other two trainees who stayed in left hand side.  M complained that the trees in back were full of mosquitoes and insects and flies, it made him decided to set his tents near the tidemark instead of near the trees.  At the same time, the trainees who stayed in the same beach with us agreed with M and their complaint like M.  Most mosquitoes and insects and flies; dirty and could not near.  After the complaints, they asked me why I set my tents with such short distance with the terrible thicket.

Seas supported boats but boats also capsized in seas, trees welcomed visitor and they also could make troubles to visitor.  Their responds gave me surprise but my respond also made surprise to them.  Recalled our memories, we could only say that 'How can we against destiny?'.  There was four trainees on the same beach and our sites were ordered by the instructors; all the other three in front of arbors but full of mosquitoes and insects; only me around by thicket, they were clean and lovely, lack of insects and flies; I used the thicket to clean the woodblock and dried my rainwear by hanged it onto the thicket.

But the most heavy shot came from the experience of S.  At the beginning, I would stay in the same beach with S but there was no enough area so we came back to the bus and were divided to different beach.  During the night, I had a good sleep but he was wet and poor.  The abnormal strong high tide was not only wet M and other trainees, who stayed on the same beach with me, it also wet S and the trainees they stayed on the same beach with him.  At the highest tide, they had only two feet to stand and they must hanged their package on their hand to avoid being wet.  No way to leave, sleeping bag was wet and clothes were wet, finally they determined to stay with others.  Two girls and one boy, they lay under one tent, even they had not do anything wrong, the actions had been account to break the rule of Sole Time.

In my opinion, we joined in the same course, fell in the same team, traveled by the same boat, practiced the same training, slept on the same beach and carried the same commodities, whatever you were rich or poor, the experience would same or nearly; I could not think that Paradise and Hell was only separated by a sheet and it would make our stories quite difference. How can we against Destiny?

September 10, 2001　

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