BE x Victoria School 2022 - What’s stronger than Love? An Unbreakable Bond!
When you think of organizing unconventional outdoor school camps, Beyond Expeditions definitely comes to your mind. Our adrenaline-seeking adventures and survival skill workshops taught by our experienced facilitators will get you prepared for your next adventure abroad or even a simple weekend camping at Pulau Ubin, an island right off the coast of Singapore’s shore. But today, we would like to give a shoutout... to the Parents and Sons of Victoria School who chose to #GoBeyond and step into our Mongolian Yurt Camp for a 2D1N Survival Camp experience.
In the month of November, we had the opportunity to host 7 pairs of parents & sons from Victoria School who truly embodied their school’s vision and mission throughout the whole adventure. Each Victorian boy showed resilience, courage and camaraderie, qualities to shape them into fine gentlemen and a leader. The school aims to enrich their students through experiences that cultivate life long skills and better equip themselves with values and good habits that allow them to thrive in their work, community, nation and most importantly, family! The students and parents were pushed out of their comfort zone, tasked to lead by example and ultimately, take their unbreakable bond to the next level, or at least for some haha!
No one gets left behind!
What do we have in store for the adventurous folks from Victoria School? Each family travelled all the way to the Northern most part of Singapore early in the morning to meet their guides, Dzul, Kelly, Yong Xi, Yok and Wani. With a safety briefing and an introduction of the programme, they were led shortly towards the infamous WWII Marsiling Bunkers! They explored not one, but two of the abandoned relics left by the British Royal Air Force in the 1900s! What a way to start the morning, isn’t it?
Hearts racing and sweat dripping profusely, they stared blankly into the eyes of one another, anticipating for the bravest soul to lead. This was an unconventional way for the parent and son to bond, but it is one that will definitely etch in their core memory. They psych themselves up to face some of their gnarliest phobias of spiders, lizards and other creepy crawlies that live within the walls of the bunkers.
The North Bunker - occupied by your resident creepy crawlies, tangling vines and confined tunnels. It is definitely claustrophobic for anyone who isn’t a fan of what's waiting on the other side.
The South Bunker - Two stories underground, knee deep mud, no reception to call for help and pure darkness. The families only had each other to count on.
“Son, we got this!” As the parents gave words of encouragement to their sons.
Parents led by example by taking the lead, hiking up the hill and crawling through the tight spaces first. Their act of selflessness and bravery inspired their sons to follow suit. Without hesitation, each Victorian went through the tunnels like it was a regular school day. Equipped with the powerful Nitecore Headlights, they then explored the 2 story deep South bunkers. Leaving no one behind, every Victorian, whether they knew each other beforehand, cared and looked after one another as if they were brothers in arms! The light at the end of the tunnel gave them a ray of hope, reassuring them that they’re almost there!
Both parent and son embraced each other with a tight hug as they got out of the South Bunker alive and well… only leaving the bunkers in a mud brown shade from top to bottom. The bunkers hold so much historical value and it is very important to Singapore’s heritage prior to independence; a place that is definitely out of their Social Studies textbook. It was incredible to witness the big wide smiles on all of the parents’ faces when they see their sons facing their fears head-on and coming out of it with their heads held high, ready to conquer anything that comes. With their newfound determination, they were ready for the adrenaline-seeking activities back at our yurt camp.
Teamwork makes the Dream Work
The eager families couldn't wait to get down and dirty, literally, upon arriving at our Mongolian Yurt Camp. The sight and the vibe of the yurt camp got everyone overly excited for selfies, even though they were all famished after a rigorous morning trek! Till today, we are very passionate to showcase Mongolian culture right on Singapore’s shores. Come experience it for yourself!
Did you hear that growling? Oh, it's not one of the many wildlife you would see at our Yurt Camp, but the stomachs of our enthusiastic participants!
As excited as everyone was, Beyond Expeditions’ head chef, Kavita, prepared a scrumptious lunch (as always) to fuel our participants for the second half of the day. It was truly heartwarming to see new friendships forged amongst the boys, great conversations and laughters going around amongst parents and ultimately, creating deeper bonds and connections. It was a coming together for families! Our classic Survival Skills workshop will put their unbreakable bond and new-found friendship to the test!
The parents were ecstatic, recalling fond memories from their kampong times and National Service where they learnt a thing or two about starting a fire in the wild. The weekend proved to be a blast-from-the-past for the parents and an opportunity for them to impart these rudimentary skills to their sons. Can their teamwork make the dream work?
The Survival Skills Workshop is a true test of utilising natural materials you can forage in the natural environment to keep you alive. Our team of facilitators demonstrated their impeccable skills on how to handle each equipment with a safety briefing before announcing the challenge. Families were put to the test to saw and chop enough firewood to sustain their fire, and successfully boil a pot of eggs.
Learning survival skills is new to all of the young Victorians, and definitely a step out of their comfort zone. However, witnessing their parents get on their knees and striking the bushcraft knife against the ferrocerium rod repeatedly (some of them persevered for over an hour!) got them inspired! With adrenaline running through the veins of the young Victorians, they got their game faces on. Within seconds, you could see each and everyone of them working collectively - foraging different materials for the fire and taking turns strategically to saw and chop for sufficient firewood.
To witness such camaraderie between loved ones was truly inspiring. All it took was a little inspiration from parent to son, and that is why parents can be a children’s best role model! It’s as though you’re watching Mickey training Rocky to be the best boxer there is. Just like Rocky who eventually achieved his dream, families successfully achieved a blazing fire, big enough to boil their eggs, completing their mission together.
Home is where the Tent is!
The long eventful day only meant that the families deserve the absolute best after working tirelessly. Just like the saying Home is Where the Heart Is, for tonight, Home is where the Tent is! The young Victorians work alongside with their parents to pitch their tents for the night, and although it may be the first time for some of them, the beauty of it is figuring out the process together as a family.
It isn’t a five star hotel with comfortable king size beds and a luxurious bathroom, but right here in the great outdoors, under the beautiful fairy lights, with your loved ones, it is an experience you wouldn’t want to trade for! What better way to end the night. Oops…in fact, there is a better way!
A Victorious weekend for the Victorians!
As the sun sets and the fiery flames of the campfire rise, the families gather near the campfire to celebrate with a hearty dinner. Laughs were shared, some even reminisced about the activities in the afternoon - the difficulty of starting a fire, the perseverance required to saw and chop the logs, but amidst those difficulties, there are valuable lessons to take back as well. It was the perfect moment for them to sit by the fire with their loved ones and relive all of the wonderful experiences they have had today.
Hearts were full of joy and contentment, but their stomachs were still missing something. Wonder what it could be? The answer? A big bowl of white fluffy marshmallows. The most classic way to end an eventful adventure with Beyond Expeditions - Marshmallow Roasting By the Campfire. With skewers in their hand, the young Victorians poked a few marshmallows and shared them with their parents.
As we bid goodnight to the families, our founder, Scott, shared his sentiments on spending quality time with family.
“Spending time as a family, especially putting your phones aside and being present are hard to come by in today’s day and age, especially with busy work schedules, school commitments and worldly distractions. It is imperative for us to put in the effort to be there for our loved ones. And when you actually have that opportunity now, cherish and treasure those little moments! Being in the outdoors is a great way to disconnect and reconnect with people that matters in your life. So thank you parents and Victorians for your precious time with us and inspiring us to continue to do what we are best at. Till next time!”
— SCOTT, FOUNDER OF BEYOND EXPEDITIONS
Just like the fiery flames, Beyond Expeditions hopes the spirit of adventure in our Victorians burns even stronger after such an eye opening experience. We have always been about creating connections with new people and fostering stronger and deeper bonds amongst loved ones, family and friends. It was indeed a victorious weekend for our young and aspiring Victorians! Looking back at today, they will look up to their parents as their role model, a best friend, a guide, a teacher and a true companion in the outdoors. We, Beyond Expeditions, would like to extend our gratitude to all parents out there who showed what it takes to be the Number 1 Parent in the world! Your hard work goes unnoticed!
If you are looking for something unconventional, join our outdoor survival camp which will be an unforgettable experience for you! Don’t just stop here, Go Beyond and create an adventure for you and your loved ones! We’ll be waiting for your arrival…
Article Written By: Dzul
Beyond Expeditions’ Adventure Content Writer since June 2022 and pursuing his Communications Degree in Singapore University of Social Science. He hopes to continue his knack for travel writing, sharing stories in hopes of inspiring the travel bug in his readers. He dabbles in photography on the sides and wants to incorporate beautiful visuals in his storytelling. A true fan of the outdoors, his thirst for adventure is second to none!
