Brownsea Island: Day 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9

A lot of information coming up by the time this post is done, even though I have to write it over several times.

Day 5 (28th of July):

A morning like so many else, except that on this day the first camp (the Patrol Leader camp) was to end. So the day was without activities and focused mostly on getting the scouts from the island to the mainland in an orderly fashion, after which 16 of us (including me) would be bestowed the honour of going to the jamboree for 2 nights. Do once we had dropped off the scouts 16 of us settled into a 16 man minibus (not counting luggage which stood in between us, in a total chaos of luggage). So the drive was supposed to take 5 hours, but due to the amazing driving capabilities of our driver it took a mere 3,5 hours. But upon arrival we discovered that we hadn't been properly registered in the jamboree database. So after a lot of hustle we finally got signed in under the responsibility of someone else, also known as the shortcut. We then had to wait in a big pavillion tent while our ID tags were printed (which took an eternity), and having to eat dinner and all the trivial things that English people love to do. So by the time we were ready to head out into the camp, it was 21.30; so instead of heading out to see Elin Paulsen and Ben Lommoeln I went to the bar to meet some of my Danish friends that I had met during dinner, but who didn't turn up until 10.20, so after talking to them for a while and a really hot Finnish girl called Wimppu (nickname), I finally went to bed (but not before getting her calling card). Late addition; on the way to the Jamboree I beat Jane 7-5 at airhockey (she plays regular hockey) at a roadway stop/shopping center/eateria.

Day 6 (29th of July):

This was the busy work-day for the 16 who went to the jamboree, which was to compensate for the privilige of going to the jamboree. We got up and ready to work by 9 in the morning, although only 4 of us were on time. But as we all scrambled down to another English tent where we had to pack plastic bags with free merchandise for the participants of Sunrise Camp, which didn't take that long despite it being 340 bags that had to be packed with approx. 12 items each. After that we had a 45 minute break where I walked around to the pavillions of other nations (we did the sorting in an area just behind the English tents) where amongst other things I found information on really cool scoutcamps I want to go to, and the specific subcamp that Elin is on (I knew which one Ben was on). When we came back from our break we got another half hour to walk around, in which I walked around with Helge the norwegian subcamp staff member and looked at more tents, taking some funny pictures (which will be uploaded at a later point). Upon returning from that extra time we were all assigned to the subcamps where we had to pick up participants the next morning from the Sunrise Camp, and cunning as I am, I made sure that I was assigned to Tundra where Elin lay in camp (which wasn't that hard since it was the furthest away and nobody wanted it). And to give us even more spare time, we were given plenty of time to get there and back (it was meant as an extra break). So I made it to Tundra and found the camp Elin was in, but lucky as I always am, she was more or less the only one who wasn't there; and the story was identical with Ben, except that his entire camp was empty. So by the time I got back to the meeting point our next job was getting started (I wasn't late though, I never am). Now the next problem was that a lot of countries (but less then half of all countries, and primarily African countries) hadn't selected which scouts were to go to Brownsa Island. I was assigned to go check up on Ghana, who unfortunantly weren't in their pavillion, in fact their pavillion was entirely empty, not set up in the least yet. So I went straight to my next duty of advertising the Brownsea tent to visitors and showing the around (we had 1 hour shifts). And as cunning as I am I only invited pretty girls in, and them showed them around (the tent). As my shift was ending Kaare came by (a Danish friend of mine), and after he had waited for my shift to be done, we walked around for a long time chatting about all the stuff people who haven't seen each other in 2 years. As he was heading into the IST camp I was running out of time, and had to return to the tent because we had to do set up a huge marquee for the reception that we were going to hold for the Brownsea Island participants. So when we were done with the helium ballons, the banners etc. we headed off for a nice dinner (the food on the jamboree is far better then on the "island"). Once haven eaten we went back to the marquee where obviously certain people were 30 minutes early and wanted in. But eventually the time ran out and the reception began with registration (19.30) and the presentation and introduction of the island (20.00), in between which we were supposed to mingle wit the participant, whom were also supposed to mingle with each other. But as per usual with events planned by English people it absolutely went bollocks, so that instead of people ending up in the subcamps they were intended to, they were just split at random, and all had to write down their names, gender, age and nationality. Granted some of the countries hadn't given the necessary information, why couldn't it be only them that had to write it down? However, many more things were to go wrong because of the planning in the following days, but I won't be writing about it much. It should also be noted that at this reception I gained fame with my co-staff as I asked Peter Duncan who he was, as I had no idea he was famous in the UK. So the presentation was in English and went fine, even including an English-French translator, followed by a video showing activities from Reloaded (a camp in 2005) accompanied by Hoppipola by Sigur Ros which is by the way my favourite song of all time, nothing puts me into a better mood. However it was really cool to meet all the scouts that would come out on the island, something you will read more about at a later point. However it did finish, after which we took some ballons with us and ran around the camp with (trying to trade ballons for services, unsuccessfully). When we finally made it back to our tents it was 10 o' clock and I showed 10 ballons into my 2 man tent (tight), and I headed to the bar to meet up with my Danish friends. When I got to the bar I found Anders in no time, and started talking to the two hot Danish girls he was there with (Leese who was a miniority Dane from Germany and Marie from Ribe) and talked with them for almost an hour before they ran off to find Faroese guys and Anders went to bed (I also shortly met Kaare). When the girls ran off I did indeed go to bed after tying my ballons to my tent (on the outside)

Day 7 (30th of July):

Bad start.... VERY bad day! Karen (my subcamp leader) forgot to wake me up at 4.20 (we had to leave really early to get the participants on the bus and away at 6.30), so instead I was woken up at 5... So as a result I was rushed upon and had to leave behind the expensive tent my father gave me, that I REALLY didnt want to leave behind. Anyway I got the subcamp in which I was supposed to pick up the participants about 30 minutes too late. But they were there and in good mood and some of the African scouts were packed in so tightly in clothes that it looked like they were supposed to go skiing, but I suppose the climate is extremely different and it was before sunrise. When we got there (to where the busses were supposed to leave from) the elements of English planning appeared again as the subcamp designation had somehow been changed and we had to go around asking everybody where they were from and what their names were, all of this being greatly delayed. When we finally left the jamboree, we were an hour late, and by the time we got to Poole we were an hour late. However the busride was very quiet as most scouts were sleeping (except for the Finnish scouts who were chatting away the entire 5,5 hour bus-trip because they were so excited), but when we arrived in Poole to get the ferry across to Poole all the scouts woke up and we had a very lively trip for which I got to pack down most of the bags into a little bag rocking about so hard, bags almost fell into the water, despite being packed securely. Once on the island we went to the Africa world tent and started making instruments for the carnival the same evening, which went really well, and didn't sound all that bad. On the funny note I found a guy from Sudan who was packed in really hard with big gloves and a thick jacket, while I was hiding from the sun (I went into the shadow) wearing a tshirt and shorts; he was very cold and I was extremely hot. When we got back from the tent we went to the subcamps and sorted people into tents (we ate lunch before going to the world tent). Once it was 18 o'clock we went for dinner and upon returning to our subcamps we prepared ourselves for the carnival and walked in a long (and loud) procession up to the Ford Marquee (the big tent where we eat and party), where there was a party all night long with the lovely Laura Bettinson who played in front of a nationally more diverse crowd the The Beatles, Queen, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones all combined ever did. And unlike the participants at the PL camp, these participants really loved the music (as did I) and it continued late into the night, and as with before I was up dancing all the time untill I went to bed; except for some short breaks where I talked with Kristian from Sweden and Minninguaq from Greenland. I should also mention that on this day (and before) I talked a lot to the two Swedes, the guy Kristian is 16 and has a huge fullbeard (making him look a lot older) and the girl Marie is 16 or 17 and really pretty.

Day 8 (31th of July):

This was the day of activities for the international team in which I had been allocated Zimbabwe, Ascension Islands and some more countries that elude me right now, but I should be able to add them later. There was a girl from Zimbabwe whom I talked A LOT to about the situation in Zimbabwe, the problems and the contrasts with Europe and what she preferred in Zimbabwe and here, and what I felt were the important differences, something I felt was really good. However our activities were first Archery (freaking awesome, and led by two Welsh guys) followed by Healthcare which was a GDA (Global Development Activity) which is a relaxation activity so the participants aren't too exhausted and learn about how the system works in other areas, how fortunate they are, or how it is better in other countries, so they can help improve the situation in their countries. After that we went for Corical making which is the art of making boats in an old traditional Welsh way which Baden Powell did with the scouts in 1907, it was really interesting to see them make a boat of sticks and plastic (originally the Welsh used cow hide); but as per usual at this point of the camp, the media comes along and interrupts the activities and asks us to do other stuff that will look nice for the tv, and I felt that it was annoying that the activites were interrupted but we have to put up with it, and besides the presenter was cute, so I couldn't refuse her (girls, learn that weakness in guys). But we were able to return the activity and finish it before lunch. After lunch we were 4 activity groups going on the same activity, so I was allowed to get off for the first 1,5 hours so I could check my flighttickets as I might wanted to change them to give me more time, but the price was ridicoules, approx. 92 pounds to change y flighttime, so I would rather take my chances on the flight. When the 1,5 hours were up I returned to my group and helped them cut down the rodondendron that is strangling the natural growth on Brownsea (and by help, I mean I watched), all the while which I talked to the temporary extra Wolves subcamp staff Marcella from Chile, who just happened to be really nice to talk to. Afterwards we went to the Replica Camp to build the bridge agian that we built on day 4 (duh), but we stopped just before it was completed so it would look like they finished it on the 1st of August for the BBC cameras. Afterwards we went to dinner, ate dinner, returned to our subcamp, walked back to Ford Marquee and had another party, where I didn't dance much and went a lot earlier to bed, after talking some to Minninguaq and the Danes, Swedes, Finns (hot girl), a girl from Luxembourg (hot) and a girl from Malta (hot).
Late addition: I was just reminded of a very funny incident. I was talking with Scott (a member of staff) and an american participant about religion, pollution (and effects of pollution) and the creation of the world/universe. Anyhow as I am a secular agnostic who believe we can still save the planet, I was passionate; so was Scott who is a secular atheist or agnostic, except he believes that it is too late to save the planet; and the american was halfway presbyterian and halfway scientific. Anyhow, during the discussion I said that I had never been touched by a greater being (about religion) after which Scott reacher forward, touched me on the shoulder and said "now you have me".

Day 9 (1st of August):

A BIG day for scouting, started with us getting up at 4 o' clock (oh the misery), and we didn't even get to watch the real sunrise as we had to herd the scouts around, waking them up at 4.15 (and of course my contact lenses for playing up), first for first breakfast which was a chocolate muffin and some water to drink. We then got ready in our uniforms (actually we did that before we went for breakfast) after which we waited for a long time before walking to the Replica Camp in a big carnival procession waving all the flags of the world, making noise and dancing all the way to the live BBC broadcast. The ceremony itself was slow and boring with Peter Duncan blowing a horn which people found entertaining, and the horrible band The Promise played 3 songs (oh, misery) and a lot of noise with people playing on plastic tubes (lots of people actually), lots of pictures being taken, and all the scouts crossing the bridge as a sign of entrance into the new scouting centenary, followed by a lot of speeches about the great prospect of scouting, after which we all danced back to the Ford Marquee. Back there we had second breakfast and recieved our sunrise camp neckers and sunrise camp badges (staff already had those). The next 30 minutes or hour went with people running around signing each other's neckers, and I also had the participants I had been talking to sign my necker. Before we left we had our lunch, and then walked down to the boats, sailed to Poole where I swapped a Brownsea shirt for the 12 super cool Hong Kong contingent badges, and we then said goodbye. But the next crew which arrived today was ready, so I hastily grabbed a Jumbo Sausage and Chips and ate it in a hurry, before I got on the ferry back to Brownsea Island with the new scouts for the NCC (New Centenary Camp). Once on the island we had second lunch (my fifth meal of the day) and walked out to the Inter-America tent where I fell asleep and slept for 1 hour (accident) while the 3 other wolves subcamp-staff people took care of the participants. Afterwards we just walked back to the subcamp (we were supposed to go to another worldtent, but there was no time), sending scouts for dinner, where the media demanded the wolves (scouts) for some tv shoot, where I told that they could if they wanted, which they all did, and some participants from other subcamps also tried to sneak into the shot. Afterwards we went down and the participants got their silly hats for the scouting birthday party, where I am sitting outside the Ford Marquee in the internet cafe updating my blog right now, after which I will go to bed... Goodnight.