I think I haven't really had the time to sit down and settle my feelings for the FOP projects I was involved in thie year. It's been awhile since rag, but going for the AGM on Wed reminded me of that period of time.

Becoming part of Arts Camp Ocom was sort of an accident. Joining the PRTeam aka Awesome Threesome was sudden. Being part of Arts Camp Ocom was an interesting experience. If there was one thing I really learnt was to how to work with different people during various situations. And I do mean different people. Also, do not think admin work is easy. It is not. Like really truely not.

Just before and during the camp awesome threesome wanted to die. It might have seemed easy to the rest running around with the camp in the hot sun. There we were sitting in the air-conditioned clubroom or LT facing our laptops and listening to music. But really, there were so many times we were pressed close to tears from the stress. Having to take shit from everyone and not being able to let it out. Staring at multiple exel sheets with font size 9 throughout the day/night/morning. Keeping track of those DAMN FUCKING KEYS. Dealing with irresponsible people. Calling people 24/7. Having a smile no matter what. Planning ahead to be as efficient as possible and still having screw ups.

At one point during the camp itself, at least personally, I was pretty against the Programmers. Always being in the clubroom ment I only saw them when they were resting there, taking a break, sometimes even complaining about how they had to take multiple roles..etc. I got pretty mad. Firstly because the PRTeam never had a break. Sometimes we were so busy we didn't even have time to eat. And while they complained about their multiple roles, at least they got to interact with the camp. The only time we had that chance was the once or twice we were station masters. We never saw the bonding between OGs that everyone talked about. We never saw the spirited cheering from the houses.
Of course I was being unfair. Programmers had their own kind of stress, problems and shit to deal with. And as idealistic and cliche as it seems, we are one Ocom family. =)

Arts Camp really took it's toll on me. So much so I refused to got back to Oweek as the PR again. I know a few people were counting on me to go back. And I probably pissed off a few people by not going back. I would have really wanted to help TK. But Arts Camp just exhausted me. At that moment in time the bad experiences outweighed the good. Now of course when I look back, I'm really happy I joined Arts Camp Ocom. For the things I learnt, for the friends I made and simply for the experience itself.

And Rag. I wasn't part of the com so I wasn't that stressed. But still, I learnt much from being in Rag. I saw the ugly side of people and became more aware of everything around me. I felt the pressure, the hopes, the bond and the friendship. Rag's tagline is appropiate. Passion, Friendship, Triumph.

Truely, when the last week arrives and you're so sleep deprived and your whole life revolves around cutting and pasting and sticking and folding, Passion is the only thing that keeps you going.

When you're tired and fed up and things don't go right, Friendship is the only reason why you keep going back. It's the reason why things don't get mundane. It's the reason why it's 4am in the morning, you have hundreds more flowers to fold and you just keep going.

Triumph. The traditional meaning of it has eluded Arts once again this year. But the Triumph of putting the last flower, of making the last brick of pushing the props and completing that five minutes of awe. I can't describe it. You have to experience it to know it.

While to a certain extent I had more fun and made closer ties with Arts Camp, Rag is the project I know I'll definitly be helping next year, even if I won't be as involved as this year.
Because Rag is a project where every little bit of help is truely appriciated. Every can you cut, someone has one less can to cut, a bit more time to fold. Evey paper you fold, someone has one less paper to fold, a biut more time to pain. Every square you paint, someone has one less square to pain, a bit more time to cut. Every little bit you contribute, you know you've helped.

This three months holiday was probably the most meaningful and productive one I ever had. I don't regret it.