Day 2: September 03, 2006

yeah at the Catwalk. I shake my return at the catwalk. Me while traversing the event.



IT’S GAME TIME!!!!!!! This is the day that we will try to conquer our fears, push ourselves to the limit and go beyond what ordinary humans cannot go. La Corona’s main attraction is the “Rope Challenges”. There are several physical and mental activities using ropes, high wires and cables that each participant needs to pass through. Each of us was given a partner or a “buddy” and both of you will try to hurdle the different obstacle courses they offer. My buddy’s name is Orly a guy from another team which has a distinction of quiet man and less talk. I’m not close with him and I don’t really know who he was, what interest him and at first if we will be a great buddies but since it is a “team building” so I decided to just let him play his game and let’s see from where can I go with. Before we proceed to the area we have a couple of warm-up where we will try to both extend ourselves holding both hands and our feet farther apart will try to reach farther as long as we can and YES we done it but this is not the true test it is just only a warm-up.

After a few minutes of briefing about the safety guideline we proceed to the area where we will have the different challenges. The first one is called, “Low-V”. From the name itself you will get an idea on what it is. A cable is attached to a coconut tree that will serve as the cross point and the two ends is attached to two pole and about two feet above the ground. The main objective is both of you can traverse to the other end at the same time without falling. What makes this difficult is the fact that you are pushing one another to create balance at the same time moving farther apart from each other while traversing in the wire. Aside from the objective to get to the other side this obstacle course is developing team effort as well as protecting one another. We have what we called “spotters” who will catch you if you are too tired and because of that you fall. Luckily my buddy is such a strong guy I think he is the one who carried the “fight” in that event. We are one of the two teams who successfully finished that event with flying colors. We are able to maintain our balance until we reach the other end. The next event that we will take is traversing in a wire where the objective is both of you at opposite ends will gonna cross to the other side without falling. On this event, the challenge would be both when both of you are at the center to change position as well as change the ropes. It requires balance, agility, strength and precision to maintain the balance. When we reached the center it was the time when we talked who will plant the foot first between the other’s legs and we decided that since I’m at a much better position I will be the one who will plant the foot in between his (Orly) legs. I slowly put my foot between his legs combating the swaying of the wire after a minute of trying to establish the best position alas! I do it!!! But that the game is not yet over, it is only the beginning; we need to successfully exchange position in order to finish that event. We need to exchange the ropes that help us maintain the balance. This come the struggle, I’m a bit wobbly and started to loose my balance, I’m started to shaking, but to my surprise, Orly did unimaginable thing to do. He goes straight to my back extend his arms to reach the rope that I’m holding at the same time still holding his original rope. He is at my back and also struggling to stay he is now holding the two ropes and I said to him, “Don’t release the rope! Hold on! Hold on! I will just reach your rope” When I get hold on the rope I said to him, “Ok release it!” Then before we started to move I do another “exhibition” I turned 360 degrees and after that we make a move to reach the other end. After that all I hear is clapping and great remarks on what we had done. It’s a GREAT GREAT event. All smiles!!!! J Thanks to him (Orly) he is such a very athletic guy more than I imagined. After this event we take a break. The menu is “pancit hab-hab and puto”. I’m not a fan of pancit but mind you guys it is one of the best pancit I ever taste aside from that the “puto” is also the best! DELICIOUSLY INSANE as GONUTS says.

Next in line is the “Slide for Life” after that great menu. It is the easiest event on that day since you will just slide from a mountain side down the ground. The last but definitely the hardest event is the “CATWALK”. The event mechanics are you need to climb to a 50 feet post, walk to the pole adjoining the two post and get back to the center to have a free fall or jump down. Orly my buddy is the first one who try it and it seems is look so easy for him. And then my turn comes, since we are the last two who did the slide for life now we will be the first for the Catwalk. When I’m starting to climb I don’t have any worries and I just feel so normal but when I am already at the top. I can hear nothing. It seems that it is my end when I fall even though I have a harness. All I can see is the pole that I need to walk on and nothing else. All I can hear is my breathing as well as my heart pumping. Certainly I will not back out or let me loose the said event without trying. So I just continue walking up to the other end and slowly back to the center. When I’m already at the center and I needed to jump, I have hesitation to do it because I don’t know what will happen next but there’s no way down except to jump…. I count one… two… three and then JUMP! It seems that it is so high…. YES! Thank God I’m still alive!!!! J

I’m so tired that day and I can’t anymore join the team on their videoke nights. I have flu and I just need a great rest so I sleep at around 10pm. I leave them singing as much as I wanted to but I have no voice that night.

Pagsanjan Diary: Day 1: September 02, 2006

First of all thank you for giving time to read my adventures as well as my misadventures. This is a bit late since it happens 2 weeks ago and my original plan right then is to write this diary after we arrive from Laguna but due to some misfortune my father was brought to Philippine Heart Center’s ICU because of the heart attack. The story about my father’s fight to survive the 3rd attack will be on another post. This part is purely our Tier 2 Team Building at La Corona. So here we go…..

Day 1: September 02, 2006

Honestly speaking, I’m not excited with this team building for the reason I have not yet know why. Since we were the last team for the shift which will end at 8am the departure time was 9am. So right at the tick of 9am we bring down the stuff we need like foods, projector. Cams and BEERS (boxes of beers). When we hit the ground floor I see a nice big bus and I know it’s not ours since we are only 26 and I already expect a smaller vehicle for us. Yes I was right it’s a coaster. We put our things and choose our comfort seats and the bus roll even we have a little problem since one of our teammate is not yet around and we just wait for him for an hour.

Once the coaster started to roll its wheels we started to take pix, sing songs, crack some jokes but it was not too long since a lot of us is a bit sleepy so we just take a good nap right after we hit the SLEX road. When we are about to take an exit, one by one is starting to fire-up everyone is cracking jokes, its OKRAYAN time na. And pity to those people who we just pass by but for the benefit to be used for the subject matter in our okrayan J

I’m enjoying the coaster ride to “Pagsanjan”. I really like long travel and watch every scene that passes by specially those green and lushes fields as well as beautiful ladies of Laguna. I’m at the window of our van staring at every detail of our journey to the place we will spend our next 3 days.

It’s already noon when we arrived at La Corona the resort where we will have our team building activities. The place is pretty good clean and peaceful area. Once that we got the key of our room we put all our belongings there and after that we go back to the reception area to take our lunch. After our lunch we took a two hour rest in our room coz at 4pm we will start our activities. That is the first time I meet our facilitator. The first chant or dance that they teach us is the “Trend Micro number 1, I am number 1, you are number 1”. It is like a warm up for the next activities that we will do. Aside from the dance we also sing a “James Ingram” song entitled as “Whatever we Imagine” which I will to share to you the lyrics.

Don't be afraid

I can meet you halfway

We can't always know

where the road ends up

but with some luck I know we can go

Wherever we imagine

Why should we wait

later on may be too late'cause where can we run

when you see there's half a chance

that we might really become

whatever we imagine

And I imagine you and me

just taking shots at what we see

and if we fallwe'll shake away the dus

tand just outlast them all

You ought to see

all your heroes in me

but if we get wise

we can break the walls we make

and you can see in my eyes

whatever we imagine

And I imagine you and me

just taking shots at what we see

so let the walls go down

and we can try it again'cause nobody can stop us now

Don't be afraid'cause I'll meet you halfway

you're not far behindif we climb this hill

I know there's still a chance we can find

whatever we imagine

A nice song which I dance with a nice beat!!!! That’s the start of where they will feel my power :) :) :) after the activities the dinner is prepared outside the reception area and it is setup in the middle of the resort with a Videoke. This is the first time I sing a song using a videoke. It was the 6cycle Mind’s Sandalan

Sandalan:

Kanina pa kitang pinag mamasdan

Mukha mo'y di maipinta

Malungkot ka nanaman

Kanina pa kita Inaalok

ng kwentuhang masaya

Parang sayo'y balewala

Chorus:

Sige lang, sandala ka na

At wag mong pipigilan

Iiyak mo na ang lahat sa langit

Iiyak mo na ang lahat sa akin

2x

Andito lang naman ako Makikinig sayo

sa buong magdamag

Sakin di ka balewala

Repeat chorus

It‘s a great relief to sing a legitimate song and get a score of 96!!! Yipeeeee way to go to the new Videoke King J . I still join the group even though I’m not holding the mic but I was singing with them. To wrap up this day, I enjoy the first day activities and still looking for some more in the next two days. When the clock stike at 10pm I said its bed time. So I can be ready for the next day nerve wracking activities......