Nope, This Ain't....

part 3....

Will need to digress a little bit.

Just survived a trip to Kuala Kubu Baru for some white water rafting. Organised by my company's sports club, I essentially went for free.

A quick setup. I actually did my first white water rafting 4 years ago in Kota Kinabalu and frankly speaking, I recall I had such a torrid time I vowed never to do it again. I fear large body of waters and do not like adrenaline rushes. But for some unexplainable reasons, the moment my company anounced this event, I signed up without even a blink.

That I lived to write this meant that I survived the event. It was much easier this time, for many reasons. The main one was not because I was wiser (that term really escapes me...) but because (IMHO) my raftmates and I were so hopeless and out of sync the guide decided to get more help each time we were about to pass through the rapids. That, as well as this time us being allowed to 'sit in', which basically means enjoy the ride while the guides do all the hard work keeping us alive..

My raft had 6 participants and 1 guide. From the beginning of the ride, my guide was giving us quite a hard time as he tries to whip us into discipline to no success. Some rafts had 2 guides and no prizes for guessing there were some complaints as to why they get 2 while we only get 1. After going through a couple of rapids, at one point our guide were heard to be so disappointed with our workrate he said it 'embarasses the government' (spoken in malay).

This did not go down well with most of my raftmates and they continued to find fault with his attitude and delivery. They complain his technique and wanted to train him on how to motivate us better. They were basically to used to the positive encouragement methods employed by American companies. I tried to explain to them that this is the Asian way; If you suck, you suck. Period. No sugar coating. No anxiety over how we may fail to handle the humiliation of being told off. The truth, nothing less. Get over it.

Unfortunately, the rest of the 'crew' couldn't see the light of day and they had little good things to say about the guide. I pity him and them. Him because his good work isn't valued. Them because they can't handle the truth. By the time the whole thing was over, he finally explained why he as so hard on us at the beginning. Rafting is an activity that each raftsman (and woman) needed to contribute to ensure the safety of the raft. Without concerted efforts, the whole experience would either be lacking; the guides will chose to take us through easy rapids; or extremely dangerous if the guide decides to let us capsize. Them being the experts, surviving a capsize would be all in a minutes' work. But for people like us, who do this sport once a lifetime maybe, the whole thrown overboard experience can cripple a person...It can also kill...

Nevertheless, everyone of our 50+ participants lived to tell the horror stories of being thrown overboard, raft capsizing and all the bumpy rides over the rapids. As for me, I managed to stay inside the raft all the way though half of the crew did get thrown overboard...Which is cool...

I should do this again...Someday. Hopefully the next time it will be a good crew of raftsmen (and women) who will not be to frail to get a good whipping or two. Only then will the experience be one that is worth remembering for good...