Camp people and stories - 2002.08.29

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You can contact me at stuffaround@yahoo.co.uk.

This is Andre Hall - Jaguars counselor (Younger Boys Unit). He featured on the cover of the "Young Salvationist" of August 2002 - a national magazine published by the Salvation Army. He is very much into arts and drama and is an excellent dancer. Together with Nakia, he wrote the script of "The Moses Experience," a play that we put on for opening night of Music Camp. He choreographed the dance moves (I should know - I was part of the Slave dance that stayed up till 1 in the morning on the night before practicing - but it was good fun!).

I also played the part of Old Pharoah in the play. Mission - to look big and scary. It's debateable as to how far I did that, but I did get to shout really loudly. Good times!

This is Christian in the foreground - one really funny kid with an attitude the size of...Lord Farquad's castle in "Shrek" (and no, he's not trying to hide something). Christian was in my cabin for the final session, and kept on trying to set me up with Becky (Robins counselor). Becky played along (yes, she DOES have a boyfriend) and Christian was convinced that he was responsible for bringing the two of us together. And he wanted extra snacks for that....YEAH RIGHT!

The camper on the left is Curtis, who occasionally uses his brain, but the rest of the time picks up sticks and grass and shoves them down people's shirts and in their ears. The camper on the right is unknown.

This is Carol, a Pheasant's counselor (Older Girls) who is looking rather tired in this picture, but has the courage to attempt a smile. Carol was a part of the plot to duck tape me to my bed in the middle of the night and carry me about a mile down the road to a traffic circle and leave me there. About 15 other people were in on this plot, but unfortunately it never got carried through. This is a pity, because I think I rather deserve *some*sort of retribution for many of the pranks I was a part of this summer.

One which particularly springs to mind is the flour-bombing of the entire Older Girls and Younger Girls Units - 6 cabins in total. And yes, Will and I flour-bombed ourselves, just to make us look innocent...it worked for a while too!

This is Pirate Night at the Waterfront, where the Pirates capture the Canteen Queen in front of all the campers at dinner. Then after dinner all the campers go down to the waterfront and witness a massive fight between the pirates and the counselors, which the counselors eventually win. This is a Younger Units experience, and so I've never personally witnessed a Pirate Night, but word has it it's good fun. This is Dave Clay, Steve and Josh looking very victorious after kicking some pirate .... butt.

Aaaah, yes - Dave Clay. Pirate killer extraordinaire and musician of note (haha) who can play guitar and some really funky piano (plus he loves singing Frank Sinatra's "New York" at random moments, as well as Bohemian Rhapsody). He also won "Rookie of the Year" - a much-deserved award. He's taught me words such as "Scouser" and....ok, that's pretty much the only word he's taught me, but that's ok. Sometime I'd like to stay with him in Liverpool, and sometime he's going to stay with me in Johannesburg. Perhaps even next year during the Cricket World Cup, which South Africa is hosting.

This is Fran - Indian Lore person (a Program Area on camp) and Cosmic bowler. This is a pic taken on my first night at Camp Wonderland - I arrived at camp, was introduced to about 70 people, and then went Cosmic bowling. This is bowling with smaller pins and balls, but all the lights are turned off and it's a night club-like atmosphere. Loud music, sycha...psychaed....psychadel....bright colours and lights - good fun. Except that this happened at 9 at night and my body was saying "Hey PUNK BOY! IT'S 3 IN THE MORNING AND I WANT TO SLEEP!!!"

Geoff and Kate - the other two South Africans on camp. Geoff is from Grahamstown and Kate is from Durban. Geoff won the "Space Cadet" award at the end of camp, for comments such as "Hey Suzanne - did I sleep out last night?" (at breakfast). He's pretty laid back, but an awesome guy. Perhaps I'll visit him back in SA.

On the right I present...Kate! The loudest person on camp! Kate is Waterfront director, and has travelled more than any other person that I know. She made the front page of just about every newspaper in Durban after performing CPR on a lifeguard friend while she was a lifeguard, and basically bringing him back from the dead a couple years back. She's visited just about every country in Europe, and is going to Thailand after camp (after she's gone to the UK). She's a great person and I feel good counted amongst her friends. Hopefully I'll be able to visit her after she gets back to SA - in December/January sometime. This may be quite possible, since Ryan Elmer (long break log cabin Ryan) is probably coming to SA in Dec/Jan, and I'll be taking her to see Kate. Do I sense a reunion coming on?

And now a brief message for everyone reading this - if you're young (below 90) and would like to travel - come to Camp Wonderland! It is really a fantastic place to spend summer (well, actually winter in the Southern Hemisphere, which basically means that you get a year-long summer), earn some bucks and meet some of your best friends.

Graham. British. Woodchucks counselor. Becky's boyfriend. AKA: Tonsil. Last know whereabouts: travelling about the US with my partner in neglect, Will Edwards. Posing in this picture next to the "artwork" performed by his cabin in the "Boys night in" evening program. Chew up twizzlers (yukky plastic candy) and spit them out. Sometimes throwing up deliberately (YUK!).

Nakia and Allie during some arb evening program. Skit night, I think.

Another skit night thingy - Donnie drank a cup filled with these ear buds (or Q-tips) covered with real earwax and worse.

This is Roman in the foreground trying to kiss the camera. He has one arm and no legs. He gets around on two detachable prosthetic legs and has such an awesome attitude. He's still very much a kid, but he was in my Bird Study club, and it was one of the best priveledges of summer getting to know him. That's what camp is all about!

Saira Thomas. Older Girls Unit leader. Was proposed to by Scott over one of the breaks near the end of summer, and accepted (duh! Since the wedding date was already set!). She's Ryan's roommate and was caught on film with a really funny expression. Not sure why. But she'd probably pay money for this photo NOT to be on the Internet...*nudge nudge wink wink hint hint*

Scott and Tara - secret camp couple. O wait, I probably shouldn't be typing that! But Scott is great - he lent me duck tape whenever I needed it, and also helped sit my cabin many times.

This is everyone. Opening day. Boundless enthusiasm.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No - it's....SUPER JAMES!

"Truth or consequences" - girls evening program. Usually results in the counselors being covered with some kind of food. In this case, Vanilla pudding.

Thomas - Irish (oopps! NORTHERN Irish). Beaver's counselor, and wore a shirt on the last opening day reading "Slightly Apathetic Staff." An inspiration to us all!

Here's Tyra - Thrushes counselor, and someone that would always look at me funny, and then laugh. You know I appreciated it, Tyra! We had some good times - one in particular, when it was raining and we were doing a CDA (counselor directed activity in the cabin) and I bought half of my cabin over to hers and sang songs. Picture it - a whole bunch of 16-yr old Bears singing songs with a group of 7 year old Thrushes - so much fun and one of my favourite camp memories!