RR Hoops Playoff 2007 - The Story... By: The Boss No comments

And so...what a day of shooting hops we've had eh? Guess each one of you we're waiting anxiously for this post eh? Sorry pals...my bad. Been busy running all over the place...anyway, as promised here's the story!

There was a certain buzz about Real Sports Arena early in the morning on the 16th of June 2007, as more than a hundred basketball-crazy players/fans gathered for our very own inaugral Sel #6 Expedition Rangers' Hoops Play-off 2007. And what a day it was! Everyone was up early, warming up, stuffing down food, applying all sorts of cream, discussing team tactics, getting themselves pumped up. It was great to see soooo many new faces present too! A total of 8 guy teams and 4 girl teams took part in this event. It was great to have teams from Kota Kemuning CF, Convent School, other churches, Selangor 7, and of course, from our very own Sel #6 and Youth Alive. With all these teams present, it only meant one thing...a fantastic day of shooting hoops!

The whole event was played according to group stages, and the top 2 teams of each group progressed to the next stage, and from there on, the final 2 teams squarred off in the finals. Those of you who think that this was a friendly tournament, man...you're so wrong! This was exactly what it is...a full blooded, adrenaline-filled, heart-pumping, physical battle and gut-wrenching encounter! But hey, its all a part of the sport. Once its over, it was handshakes all around. No offence meant, none taken.

And after almost 4 hours of battle on the court, we finally have our very first Hoops Play-off champions! The results of the final battle are as following:

Guys
Champion: Multirace Nandei
Runners-up: The Conquerors


Girls
Champion: Jia Lat
Runners-up: Red Hot Babes

Enjoy the shots!

Cmdr. Reuben giving the players the pre-match briefing, although he knows nuts about basketball..:)


All the players in their coat of multicolours waiting anxiously for the briefing to end so that the match can start.

Team Multirace Nandei, together with Su Ann...not too sure what's so multiracial about them anyway. Mostly all Chinese except for one fella who's half Indon...

Team Jia Lat and Dot Dot Dot leading the way with their warm up session. Kinda' intimidating when you see a whole bunch of ladies doin' these sort of things...

A scene from the match between team Conquerors vs Guys From The Seven!

Everything was made more exciting with the many fine looking spectators and fans that we're present on that day...

The two of them literally forced their faces into the camera lense...so what to do? Have to take their shot lo...

Check out our referee Su Ann stuck in the middle during the match between the Multirace Nandei vs team Tutup Mata Hantam! Haha...

There she goes. Cheryl doin it again just before her match. Why does she always have to do that? :) The players from Dot Dot Dot facing the Red Hot Babes...

The main reason why Malaysian sportsmen dont go very far...in between matches, stuffing down a packet of nasi lemak. Aiyoyo...how to play like that la, brothers???

Ref Sern Yi briefing the ladies just before team Dot Dot Dot take on Jia Lat. This was probably the friendliest match of the day. And check out the little lady at the left. That's officially the youngest player ever to participate in a basketball tourney. Shortest also...give it up to Mie Shie! Haha....

The guy's finals : The Conquerors vs Multirace Nandei

This was one really hot match, as those who witnessed will tell. Great competitive spirit, great rivals, tournament favourites, dazzling skills on display...what a great way to end the tournament!

The prizes that awaits the winners...not bad eh? Pay only RM5 per person and this is what you get! Now that's what I call a good bargain...haha. Lovely eh?

Cmdr. Reuben given the honour to present the medals to the ladies champions and runners-up. Feels kinda' gaya doing that wei...

The winning captain, Amy Tan with her share of the champion's lot. Btw, that's sparkling juice...100% non-alcoholic! :) But still capable enough to have a 'champagne celebration'!

Team photo of Jia Lat. Women's Champion for Hoops Play-off 2007! Congrats...

Well done, ladies. Great show by the ladies in Red. Personally, my favourites to win the tourney. Looks like this year, all my predictions went out the window...haih.

Runners-up for the guys...team Conquerors. Honestly, I would have bet my house on them winning this tournament. These guys are good! Anyway, thank God I didnt...:)

Cmdr. Kyleen presenting the winner's medal to the guys. And up steps Cmdr. Zhi Fung, leading the way for his team.

Way to go, boys! Enjoy eating your medals and chocolates, as shown by our Milo man...

Well..before I'm done with this post, I'd like to appreciate all those who were responsible for making this event a huge success...if not, later I will kena stoned! Haha...

In no particular order of appreciation, I'd like to thank:

1. The Expedition Rangers of Selangor #6 for brainstorming, planning, discussing and getting things done. Well done, rangers!

2. Shaun Lim, the kepala. Great job once again for leading your pack. Next up, the world cup!

3. All the volunteer referees: Sern Yi, Gary, Khang Yin, Jason Ong, Ker Shin, Kelsey, Su Ann...and of course, our very own one-arm bandit, Cmdr. Wei Chuan. No one knows how much he sacrificed to get to this tournament. If you hear his story, you'll shed a tear...

4. All our volunteer scorers and timekeepers, for ensuring everything went on smoothly, fairly and helping us decide who won the match! Many thanks to Daniel Raj, Amy Joy, Cmdr. Andy, Cmdr. Kyleen, Cmdr. Eric, Lisa and etc. So sorry if I missed out your name.

5. Cmdr. Kenny and Lisa, for helping out with the poster design and forms.

6. To the players, team managers and everyone out there who had a part to play, and did extremely well. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2008!

7. Benjamin Hean...for all the help and assistance provided to get the courts ready for matchday. Thanks again, bro!

Once again, a big congratulations to the winners and the rest for putting on a show worth watching. Remember friends, bigger things ahead! Have a blessed week and God bless!

Anyone wanna futsal???

Adventure Camp 07 - The Final Chapter! By: The Boss No comments

Ahh...yes, finally. The conclusion. Seems like this day would never come eh? Haha...anyway, its been a pretty hectic weekend and a crazy-kutu start to the week for me! But hey, what's life without a few days like these eh?

After a fantastic 2 days of camping, everyone was pretty flat out on the last day. It rained the night before...so the morn was pretty cool and perfect to sleep in! Man...I had a tough time pulling myself outta bed! But hey...once the stomach starts to play music, you know its time to wake up and feed it. Glad to see many of them up and getting their fire all started, ready to cook the breakfast. I guess this camp taught us a thing or two about being independant and being responsible. Its like...if you wanna eat, you gotta cook! If you dont cook, you ain't got anythin to eat...so I guess that itself is a good motivation for everyone to get up and get started on the meals! :)

The first day was pretty hectic...everyone rushing to get their tents and gadgets ready, patrol song, yell and standard too. But hey, everyone was rewarded with a fantastic BBQ dinner that lasted throughout the night...it was just awesome sittting around the BBQ fire, with the lamb and beef section at one side, and the chicken and meatballs on the other side. We also threw in baked apples in the menu to keep the doctors away...yummy!

Day 2 was more formal in the sense that we had morning parade in full uniform after breakfast. Cmdr Andy shared an inspiring devotion which centered around raising our standards as christians and rangers, as well as not conforming to the standards of the world. We then conducted 4 stations for the rangers to improve their camping skills, which are compass, firecraft, ropecraft, and toolcraft. In the afternoon of Day 2, everyone was drenched as heavy rain kicked in and gave everyone a good wash. Some had the inside of their tents washed too! Haha...but hey, everyone was in good spirits and had a good time chillin' in the river. And what can I say about the campfire night? I personally was blessed and refreshed. I've been to many campfires, but this one was different. Those who were there will understand what I felt.

After all that we've done and the fun we've had, I guess everyone deserved a good rest on Day 3. After a hearty breakfast, we then had a short informal parade session. Every patrol was given the chance to belt out their song and yells for one last time before the camp ended, and everyone did well! The Ladybirds came all spotty, the Flies did their usual 'stinky' act, the Mosquitoes did their best doin what all pests do..and the Lazy Roaches once again lived up to their names! Haha...everyone had a great time. Cmdr. Jason then ended the morning parade session by sharing devotion about recognizing our position in God's kingdom.

Well, what's next? For the guys...one last chance of glory on the football field was simply too irresistable! And so...the male buffaloes headed off to the green field...while the ladies had their hangout session in the river, splish-splasing all around, chit-chatting and yaking all day long...

The pics will guide you on from here...enjoy Day 3!

If I were a flag, the morning was definitely a great day to be flying high!

The Lalat girls handling breakfast on the last morn...looks like French toast is on the menu!

More group shots of the Lalat patrol. Today was the guy's turn to chill and relax, and wait for food to be served!

The indestructable Ladybirds with their chicken nuggets for breakfast! I really wonder how they managed to keep it preserved for 3 whole days!! It tasted fine too...:)

"Alright boys...what's for breakfast?" Shaun asks. Dont these fellas wish their mothers were around at a time like this??? Hahah....

Good morning to the dragon...

A lil' coke in the morning really gets you running all the way...esp more so if its ice-cold! Mother Su Vien feeding the needy.

Cmdr. Reuben doing what he does best...cooking all sort of egg meals. We have telur mata-kerbau, telur mata-sepet, telur tak-de-mata, telur cincai (scrambled eggs), and...telur bakar.

The Quadruplet back to their favourite spot....as usual, running away when it comes to cleaning up! :)

Not too sure what Su Vien is up to...but she looks really weird doing that! Care to explain, Su Vien?

A scene during the final morning parade session. Doesn't everyone look so colourful in their patrols???

Lazy Roach Patrol Guide - Leonard Chee

Lil' Ladybird Patrol Guide - Yap Pei Jun

Mighty Lalat Patrol Guide - Jason Ong

NyamQuito Patrol Guide - Simon Kong

Devotion time led by Cmdr. Jason...

The Mighty Lalat family photo before their song presentation...

And here we have the brotherhood of NyamQuito...

And next, the sleepy and lazy Lazy Roaches...:)

And finally the cute, noisy Lil' Ladybirds! See how shy they are? All hiding behind their small patrol standard!

Mana tahu...the commanders also kena drilled for no reason...haha... kesian us man. Drill master - Cmdr Collin!

Finals words of encouragement and a job well done to each ranger for doing extremely well in this camp. I'm proud of these rangers. I'm blessed to be a part of this ministry. Always have been and will always be...

"One more please?" Cheryl begs the cameraman...more like 100 more!

Ahh...the ladies posing elegantly on the ever famous rock on the last day...enjoying their moment in the sun!

Well, its finally time to pack our bags and shelter...here's Jarrod doin his part. I wonder where has all his housemates gone to...?

If it fits in nicely, you know you got it right...as shown here by the ladies.

"Has anyone see my bar of chocolate? I know its still somewhere in here..." Shaun mutters as William, Kevin and James looks at him bemusingly...

The Adventure Camp rangers....what a great bunch! Its been a while since I had this much fun and excitement camping with a totally cool bunch of rangers. Looking forward to the next camp!

Always keep the flag flying high for Him. One heart, one Mission, one Goal - Royal Rangers. The Home of Adventure...

Well friends, throughout the camp, we've learned many things about life, our friends, and especially about ourselves. Over the years, I've asked myself "what makes a awesome camp? How does Royal Rangers camps differ from others?" And I realized that the core of having an awesome camping experience is to have great teamwork, putting others before you, and always looking out for one another. In this camp, I saw teamwork that would make any commander proud. I saw friendship strengthened, that will last a lifetime. I witnessed people make decisions for the good of others. I saw rangers displaying what it takes a be a leader. And most importantly, I felt a sense of togetherness and unity among the rangers that will spur them on to do greater things for God, realizing the potential they have coming together as one.

My prayer is that God will continue to use this ministry to raise up faithful, committed and dedicated leaders that will continue to reach out, teach and minister to His people and to be a servant in God's kingdom.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post as much as I've enjoyed posting and writing about it. Have a blessed week ahead and God bless...

The Adventure Camp Story - Part 1 By: The Boss No comments

Have you ever had one of those days where you just didn't want it to end? Well my friends...I had 3!!! Can you believe this? 3 full days of fun, laughter, loads of camping and great fellowship with my fellow rangers! Yeap...that's how the rangers do it! Waking up to the sound of the river flowing, the freshness of the morning dew, the cool mist that blankets the land, campfires at nights, sitting and brewing a hot drink under the starlight....I'd do it all over again, pals. Nothing beats the fun and the adventures of the outdoors! Cmdr. Kenny was sorely missed...hahah...wait for the next one dude! Same goes to Cmdr. Sheila and Alison...:)

Preparation for this Adventure Camp started more than a month before the camp. Lots of stuff and activities needed to be planned and sourced. A big thumbs up and a bigger thank you to all the commanders and rangers who helped tirelessly and sacrificially to make this camp a success. Just so you would know, all your commanders went through a lot to make this camp as good and thoroughly enjoyable for each one of you. So if you see them, practice the David Wong-methodology...give them a HUGGG! :)

The morning started early for many of us. Some commanders were even awake by 6am...frantically hurrying to the wet market to get all the supplies needed for our 1st night BBQ! Grabbed every chicken wing and lamb that was available...haha. Then at about 9am, the campers started gathering in church. Great to see them all hyped up and looking forward for a torturious...opps, I mean wonderful time! Haha...nevertheless, some were expecting to be tortured! I wonder why...:) Everyone was busy checking to see if they got enough food to last them over the next 3 days. Yeap...just in case you're wondering if the rangers had their meals catered...haha...you're wrong! For this camp, every ranger had to cook their own meals. All part of the training...and everyone did well. My tummy can assure you that...

Stoppped by at the Sg Buloh rest area for one last 'civilized' meal before we headed off into the wild. Everyone was busy stuffing down burgers, fast food, salt, pepper, etc etc into their throat...anything edible basically. Ohh...some even had the luxury to enjoy a fantastic scoop of Baskin Robbins (31% off on every 31st!)!! Now aint that a great start to the camp or wat??? Stuffed...we then continued our trip and finally arrived at The Woods Resort at about 1.30pm. I guess everyone's reactions was kinda like similar to mine when I first visited the campsite a couple of months ago..."Wowwww!" Trust me friends...I've been to many camping trips, but this is certainly up there with the best. Nice flat grounds, shady, sufficient sunlight...best part of all is the fact that we're right next to the river! Yupp...all the mermaids and dugongs couldnt wait to take a dip...

After camp briefing and laying down the ground rules...the rangers hurried off to pitch their tents and get their chippewa kitchen done. Just 2 main rules for this camp...1. If its alive, dont kill it. 2. If its dead, dont bring it back to life.

Keep camping simple, thats my policy...

For this camp, the rangers were split up into new patrols, together with new faces as their Patrol Guides and Asst. Guides. It was a good to see new faces taking the lead, calling the shots, and taking responsibilities upon themselves. Leadership training camp for some of them, I'd say. The campers were divided into 4 patrols, as following:

i) Adventure Boys - Lazy Roach

ii) Adventure Girls - Lil' Ladybirds
iii) Expedition Rangers - Mighty Lalat
iv) Expedition Rangers - NyamQuito

Man...I'm telling you. The names chosen for their patrols....some really fit the character of the rangers itself! Some identified themselves with flies...irritating, quick, hard to swat, loves to hang around...errr...rubbish....then we have the ladybirds - graceful, pretty, spotty (sporty)....up next, the lazy roaches - lazy, loves to dwell in dark places, eats everything & anything!! And finally the mosquitoes...pests, bloodsuckers, eats and sleeps, makes that irritating buzzing sound in your ears....haha...fun camp wei! Well...we got them all, friends!

I'll narrate the story even as we go through the pics. Easier for me la...have fun reading!

This is how the campsite looked like. Its a great place. I'd recommend this place to anyone who's planning to have a camping trip. Any supporters??? Great spot, beautiful river...ahhh, the beauty of life! A great way to admire and enjoy God's creation is through camping, my friends. Just ask any ranger, and they'll agree!

While everyone's busy doing their lashing and ropecraft, here's Shaun Lim showing you how to hit a home-run!

The weird alien-like creature that got everyone jumping and screaming. Ever seen a stick insect in the wild??? Well, he's one fella we caught trying to crawl up our legs...nasty looking lil' fella!

Here we see the Lalat quartet taking some time off to chill in the baby pool. These 4 fellas are guilty of at least 3 crimes during the camp...1) Running off to the river during camp setup time 2) Abusing the camera lense and the photographer (occasionally themselves!) 3) Disturbing the peace and tranquility of the jungle...the usual crime.

After the heavy downpour on the 2nd day, all the guys decided that's it time for some macho-ness aka football in the rain and the occasional puddle of water and mud! This was like...Malaysian football at its worst! Hahaha...in fact, at times this was more of a comedy show! Ppl slipping and sliding all over the place..poor Ting Han got his face 'repaired' in a collision. Hahah....thank God he's alive and well! At the end of the day...the kampung boys won (the shirtless ones).

Wonder what the girls were up to??? They were chillin' in the river...having an All Women's Conference...:) They had their manicure, pedicure, and body massage stations all set up!

Well...naturally....after waddling in mud all day long, its time for the wild hogs to take a dip and have their very own guy conference. Topless, of course! :) That was the only requirement to join the conference. Man...noticed how 'white' these boys are??? You guys need some colour...

There were the usual fun times in the river...icy cold water...but its a great way to freshen up ourselves after a long day. The best part of all was splashing cold water on Daniel Ng and listening to his reaction. Classic, man! Try it friends...in church, in school...just pour cold water on him! :) And oh...congratulations to David Wong for going through a record of 5 baptisms!

The Mighty Lalats posing with their tiny kitchen...saving wood eh? :) Patrol Guide Jason Ong and Asst Guide Cheryl Lim leading the pack. Wahh..some more so ngam, both also wearing different colour! Top fly, wei...some more can hang clothes on the chippewa kitchen! Multi-talented wei...Job well done by everyone. I wonder what's up with Phaik Joo and the pot...:)

And here we have the swarm of Lil' Ladybirds! Cute leh??? Well...they certainly are. Its great having each one of them in the camp. Everyone's got a different and colourful character! The quiet, the weird, the silent, the loud, the mysterious, the fascinating, the public announcer, the parrot...for some of them, this was their first time camping. And they did tremendously well. Worked together as a patrol, lived as a patrol, grew as a patrol and enjoyed this camp, together with their patrol members. Camps are a great place to learn many valuable lessons and truths in life. Everything we do affects those around us. The decisions we make, the words we say, our attitude...and everyone pulled through despite the occasional hard times, and enjoyed this camp the way it was intended to be!

Di mana ada gula, mesti ada semut...Di mana ada sungai & ikan, di situ lah Cmdr. Gideon akan berada! Haha...beautiful river, fishes swimming around...the only missing piece in the puzzle was Cmdr. Gideon. And he didn't disappoint! He showed up with Elisa and Elena and his fishing rod in the front seat. Haha...in over 3 hours plus, he practically cleared the river of fishes! All ended up in his red bucket...steady man! That's why he's known as the Ultimate Fisherman! Sounds like a Starbucks drink eh...:)

Kelly, Kimberly and Su Vien preparing a scrumptious dinner for their patrol - Spaghetti! Who says we only eat Maggi mee and drink milo in camp???

I like these bunch of Adventure Rangers...they're oh-so mischievious, mysterious and you never really know what's running through their head! Looks like Ting Han's face seems ok after a nasty tackle in the earlier football match! Here they're seen preparing dinner. The first attempt at cooking rice in a mess can turned out rock hard. But hey, they got it right the 2nd time (almost became porridge)! Well done, lads...Anyone care for rice and curry? Yummy!

They dont call themselves Lazy Roach for no reason...here's one fella who lives out the patrol name...sleeping while the rest are busy working!

Ah hah! And here we have our master chef Andy cooking guess what...NASI LEMAK!! WOOO HOOO!!! The santan never smelt that good, I'm telling you...plus his very own camp-made sambal ikan bilis...its to die for! Fuuuyoh! Some more got spectators...:) Good stuff, bro...Its always good to have the best cook on your side!

And here we have the NyamQuitoes working hard to get their dinner prepared. Fantastic bunch of guys, I'm telling you. Great to work with, fun to be with...just makes me wanna cry...:) Their tagline: We Like To Suck, But We Don't Suck!

Just sounds so wrong, guys...haha

Here's Nick Choo and his...err...mess can and a fireball!

'When the night is gone..and the land is cold, and the moon is the only light you see...'

The Ladybirds enjoying their moment together after dinner...

Our very own chinese version of 'Jamie Oliver', Cmdr. Andy putting the final touches to the dishes for our Commander's nasi lemak meal, which naturally some insects crashed the party...

"I think this is how we do it..." Su Vien and the traditional can opener she got from the museum!

I'm telling you...food never tasted this good! I'm sure Michelle will testify to that...amen?? Enjoying her dinner kau-kau in the cool of the night!

The look good in the day...but even better at night! Just look at the amount of food consumed by these Ladybirds...scary wei!

Cmdr. Zhi Fung getting the rangers into the mood just before campfire night! Song and yell presentation time!

"Why Lord...why me???" I cried...

Our ever popular Cmdr. Collin given the honour to light the flame for the campfire after his tiring 10m Olympic torch run...poor fella...must be tired...

There's always something special about sitting around a campfire under the starlights...that fire carried on burning throughout the night...providing us with warm fellowship all night long...

"Dei...is that a bear track? No la...maybe its a....deer track?? Rabbit track?? How about a pig's track??? Hmm...cant be la....maybe its a...its a.....its a......

TRAIN TRACK laa.... (ok, for those who didn't get it, nvm...)

The campers were in for a fun night, for sure...esp since their commanders pulled out every trick and joke from our treasure chest collection! :)

Here's the fortune teller Cmdr Reuben together with our first victim, Zhi Kai...before he took a very very looooooooong walk...

The patrol guides and their assistants going through a mind-teasing 'opposites' game...poor fellas...physically drained throughout the day...now mentally drained also! Haha...

The final 2 contestants doing the 'One, Two, Juice!' using body actions! Haha..here's Nick with Melissa doing the 'water' dance!

Oh man...is that what I think it is?? Is that ....poop???

"Ya la...certainly tastes like poop!" Collin happily answered...:) We'll save the ending for next time, friends...

Here we have Andy telling us a story of a very short man...and we're not referring to Daniel Raj ok...seriously...:)

A scene from the next short skit...I guess some of the senior rangers are very familiar with this one...

It only takes a spark to get a fire going...and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing...

That's how it is with God's love...once you've experienced it, you've shared His love, its fresh like spring ...you want to pass it on...

"Light of the world you stepped out into darkness, opened my eyes let me see..." When we sang that song that night, the words somehow became so real to us. And once we began to worship Him, the warmth of His presence just began to fill that place...its was a special feeling dwelling in His presence, its the midst of His creation...God was there, friends.

Once the campfire service ended, the rest continued to do a whole lot of weird stuff with their candles...esp the wax! One of it included waxing cmdr Andy's hair on his feet...:) Man...you should hear him scream!

Plenty of wax figures were made that night...including this one!

Well..after a fantastic day, its time to just chill out...laughing, telling jokes, singing songs...playing with wax...testing out ppl's slumberland (stomach)....

Amy requested for this...cauz her face wasn't in the previous shot...just look at her laughing wei...wat a nut! :) (she's the one with the Selangor colour tracktop!)

Ok friends...this has been one super long post...and now I'm tired...stay tuned for the 2nd and final part of the Adventure Camp story. Its been a wonderful camp with special memories for me. And to top it off, I'm proud to be a part of these wonderful bunch of rangers...they never fail to amaze you, and never fail to impress you. They also never fail to irritate you! :) But hey...I salute each and everyone of you ranger and commander!

Have a great night ahead and stay tuned for the concluding story! I'm off to dinner now! Till then, God bless!!