BSA Jamboree 2010 - Days 6 and 7
Day 7:
I woke up in the morning, ate breakfast quickly and headed out to our contingent. I got there before most of the boys left for the day. I sat around camp and chatted with the leaders of the contingent (yes, we are doing that alot here). While we were chatting, a strong storm blew through and almost took one of our dining flys with it. The storm ended as suddenly as it began. After the storm, we all walked down to the lunch kiosk to get lunch before they stopped serving it at 2:00PM. We left the camp about 1:20PM and the first kiosk we got to (near Mysterium Compass) was out of lunches. So, we walked to the kiosk between subcamps 15 and 16. After the rain, it was near 100% humidity. I was sweating so much that it was actually dripping off my forearms! I have not sweat that much in years. But, as the humidity dropped the weather started feeling great. Another big storm came through the camp that night and really dropped the temperatures. Overnight it got down near 60 degrees.
After we were finished eating lunch, I walked with Baryn and Hale to the kayaking area. Unfortunately, the area was closed because of another possible thunderstorm. We waited around for them to open but then they closed all the activity areas and told everyone to get back to their subcamps because a large storm was approaching. It was disappointing to not be able to do the activity after such a long walk. It made the walk back feel even longer.
When we got back to camp, the boys were all out playing with each other. Some were wrestling, and others were playing touch football, soccer, and "ninja". "Ninja" is a game the Koreans taught our boys and it seems to be spreading around the Jamboree. It is an easy game to learn and can be played just about anywhere. To play, the boys stand in a circle and bow to each other. Then, they step back into a fighting stance and make ninja noises. Each takes a turn trying to "chop off" one of the arms of another kid by touching them on the arm below their elbow. If you lose both arms you are out of the game. Only one person can "attack" at a time. The last person with an arm wins.
One of the patrols invited me to eat with them. They cooked spam and ham in Italian dressing. It was very good. I was able to hang around the camp a little bit later because I didn't have to rush back to my camp in order to make it in time for supper. I left the subcamp about 8:00PM. On the way out, I took some photos of boys trading patches. It is amazing how many boys are out trading patches every night. I was told there would be much patch trading but I didn't realized how much until I actually saw it. Did I mention it is an amazing sight to behold? They line the streets all haggling with each other. And by the way, it is amazing.
One issue the leaders of the contingent have had is boys going off by themselves. In order to enforce the buddy system rules, they implemented a new disciplinary measure for being caught outside of camp without a buddy. Anyone caught without a buddy outside of camp has to spend the next day in camp cleaning up after everyone else. It is a big punishment because of how important it is to follow the buddy system. The photo below is Mark lecturing the boys on the buddy system and telling them about plans for the next day. The boys get to do Technology Quest and Mysterium Compass on the same day.
I got on a bus at the subcamp about 8:10. At that point, a long journey began for me. I left my camera on the bus when I transferred to a red-line bus at the Mahone transfer station. I realized it about halfway down the red line when I wanted to take a picture of the sheer number of scouts out trading patches. I asked the driver to stop the bus and got off to wait for a bus going back to Mahone transfer station. When I got back to the transfer station, there were no green line buses to be seen. So, I started walking to the subcamp hoping to catch the bus on which I left my camera. I didn't know it yet, but the green line buses had stopped running early. About 20 minutes later I was back at the subcamp reporting my lost camera and begging Brian Stegar for a ride back down to Longstreet. I had no intention of walking four miles back to my campsite. He told me he would get me back to my camp but I would likely have to wait an hour or more. I was fine with that but then looked up and there was a bus in the subcamp! Luck was with me (except for the lost camera). I ran up to the bus and boarded it. It turns out the bus driver decided to do an extra run to catch anyone who might have missed the buses before they stopped running. The bus driver called in my lost camera but nobody had turned it in. I expressed my gratitude to the driver many times on the way back to Longstreet. I got back to my tent about 10:45PM and went straight to bed.
Day 8:
Today was a work day. So, I spent 9:00AM to 5:00PM in the exhibit area. I called lost and found a few times but my camera was not turned in. About 4:15PM, Mitchell showed up without a buddy to pick up the cell phone I charged for him the night before. Mitch and I both lectured him on being alone and I made him stay with me. After work, I walked back to camp, put Mitchell on a bus back to him subcamp, and got an early supper (they are scheduled to open at 6:00PM but there were already open). When I was finished with my chicken paste and salad meal, I decided to go up to the subcamp to spend the evening with our contingent. As I was walking to the bus stop, I looked up and saw the driver of the bus I was riding the night before. I waited for him to get off of his cell phone and had this conversation with him:
Me: "Excuse me sir, were you on the green line last night around 8 o'clock?
Driver: "Yes, I was."
Me: "I'm hoping you remember me. You stopped the bus before the bus stop for me so I could run and catch another bus in front of you. I jumped off your bus pretty quickly."
Driver: "Oh yea, I remember that."
Me: "I left my camera in the seat when I got off your bus last night. Did someone happen to turn it in?"
Driver (with a smile on his face): "You mean...*he rummages around a bit*...this camera?"
Me: "Woo-hoo!"
I literally jumped up and down in joy. Then, I got on the bus and gave the man a hug. I have him a Jamboree patch in thanks. I was upset about losing the camera but I was more upset about losing the photos. I was very happy to get the camera back.
I made it to the contingent's campsite about 7:00PM and found Ed and Becky Meek there. They were visiting Hale. I hung around the camp and listened to the boys tell me stories about their day and show me what they got patch trading. Then, I found out Mr. Kim, the Korean scouts Tae Jang Nim (Scoutmaster) wrote the Korean Scout Handbook! He asked for my home address and told me he would send me a signed copy. I hope he remembers, it would be pretty cool to have a Korean Scout Handbook signed by the author.
I woke up in the morning, ate breakfast quickly and headed out to our contingent. I got there before most of the boys left for the day. I sat around camp and chatted with the leaders of the contingent (yes, we are doing that alot here). While we were chatting, a strong storm blew through and almost took one of our dining flys with it. The storm ended as suddenly as it began. After the storm, we all walked down to the lunch kiosk to get lunch before they stopped serving it at 2:00PM. We left the camp about 1:20PM and the first kiosk we got to (near Mysterium Compass) was out of lunches. So, we walked to the kiosk between subcamps 15 and 16. After the rain, it was near 100% humidity. I was sweating so much that it was actually dripping off my forearms! I have not sweat that much in years. But, as the humidity dropped the weather started feeling great. Another big storm came through the camp that night and really dropped the temperatures. Overnight it got down near 60 degrees.
After we were finished eating lunch, I walked with Baryn and Hale to the kayaking area. Unfortunately, the area was closed because of another possible thunderstorm. We waited around for them to open but then they closed all the activity areas and told everyone to get back to their subcamps because a large storm was approaching. It was disappointing to not be able to do the activity after such a long walk. It made the walk back feel even longer.
When we got back to camp, the boys were all out playing with each other. Some were wrestling, and others were playing touch football, soccer, and "ninja". "Ninja" is a game the Koreans taught our boys and it seems to be spreading around the Jamboree. It is an easy game to learn and can be played just about anywhere. To play, the boys stand in a circle and bow to each other. Then, they step back into a fighting stance and make ninja noises. Each takes a turn trying to "chop off" one of the arms of another kid by touching them on the arm below their elbow. If you lose both arms you are out of the game. Only one person can "attack" at a time. The last person with an arm wins.
One of the patrols invited me to eat with them. They cooked spam and ham in Italian dressing. It was very good. I was able to hang around the camp a little bit later because I didn't have to rush back to my camp in order to make it in time for supper. I left the subcamp about 8:00PM. On the way out, I took some photos of boys trading patches. It is amazing how many boys are out trading patches every night. I was told there would be much patch trading but I didn't realized how much until I actually saw it. Did I mention it is an amazing sight to behold? They line the streets all haggling with each other. And by the way, it is amazing.
One issue the leaders of the contingent have had is boys going off by themselves. In order to enforce the buddy system rules, they implemented a new disciplinary measure for being caught outside of camp without a buddy. Anyone caught without a buddy outside of camp has to spend the next day in camp cleaning up after everyone else. It is a big punishment because of how important it is to follow the buddy system. The photo below is Mark lecturing the boys on the buddy system and telling them about plans for the next day. The boys get to do Technology Quest and Mysterium Compass on the same day.
I got on a bus at the subcamp about 8:10. At that point, a long journey began for me. I left my camera on the bus when I transferred to a red-line bus at the Mahone transfer station. I realized it about halfway down the red line when I wanted to take a picture of the sheer number of scouts out trading patches. I asked the driver to stop the bus and got off to wait for a bus going back to Mahone transfer station. When I got back to the transfer station, there were no green line buses to be seen. So, I started walking to the subcamp hoping to catch the bus on which I left my camera. I didn't know it yet, but the green line buses had stopped running early. About 20 minutes later I was back at the subcamp reporting my lost camera and begging Brian Stegar for a ride back down to Longstreet. I had no intention of walking four miles back to my campsite. He told me he would get me back to my camp but I would likely have to wait an hour or more. I was fine with that but then looked up and there was a bus in the subcamp! Luck was with me (except for the lost camera). I ran up to the bus and boarded it. It turns out the bus driver decided to do an extra run to catch anyone who might have missed the buses before they stopped running. The bus driver called in my lost camera but nobody had turned it in. I expressed my gratitude to the driver many times on the way back to Longstreet. I got back to my tent about 10:45PM and went straight to bed.
Day 8:
Today was a work day. So, I spent 9:00AM to 5:00PM in the exhibit area. I called lost and found a few times but my camera was not turned in. About 4:15PM, Mitchell showed up without a buddy to pick up the cell phone I charged for him the night before. Mitch and I both lectured him on being alone and I made him stay with me. After work, I walked back to camp, put Mitchell on a bus back to him subcamp, and got an early supper (they are scheduled to open at 6:00PM but there were already open). When I was finished with my chicken paste and salad meal, I decided to go up to the subcamp to spend the evening with our contingent. As I was walking to the bus stop, I looked up and saw the driver of the bus I was riding the night before. I waited for him to get off of his cell phone and had this conversation with him:
Me: "Excuse me sir, were you on the green line last night around 8 o'clock?
Driver: "Yes, I was."
Me: "I'm hoping you remember me. You stopped the bus before the bus stop for me so I could run and catch another bus in front of you. I jumped off your bus pretty quickly."
Driver: "Oh yea, I remember that."
Me: "I left my camera in the seat when I got off your bus last night. Did someone happen to turn it in?"
Driver (with a smile on his face): "You mean...*he rummages around a bit*...this camera?"
Me: "Woo-hoo!"
I literally jumped up and down in joy. Then, I got on the bus and gave the man a hug. I have him a Jamboree patch in thanks. I was upset about losing the camera but I was more upset about losing the photos. I was very happy to get the camera back.
I made it to the contingent's campsite about 7:00PM and found Ed and Becky Meek there. They were visiting Hale. I hung around the camp and listened to the boys tell me stories about their day and show me what they got patch trading. Then, I found out Mr. Kim, the Korean scouts Tae Jang Nim (Scoutmaster) wrote the Korean Scout Handbook! He asked for my home address and told me he would send me a signed copy. I hope he remembers, it would be pretty cool to have a Korean Scout Handbook signed by the author.