Rainbow Trek and Pillow Wars

View from... Somewhere along the Hong Kong Trail. Ik, helpful. #NoFilter #SoLovelyThatTheTreesAndHillsAreOnlyStepsAwayFromTheCity

Dear Internet Friends,

It’s been a while since my last text-heavy post. In fact, my most recent two were videos. Have you watched them yet? ;)

If I recall correctly, I hinted, in last week’s post, at an explanation on Pillow Wars. We’ll get to that in a moment. Firstly, I want to share with y’all my last Saturday doing the Rainbow Trek.

Rainbow Trek is an annual 25/50km hike on the Hong Kong Trail, for Island School y12 students. Students get in groups of four or five and together, they complete the hike with the intent to (i) raise awareness; and (ii) raise money. For what? For New Sight Congo - an NGO founded by Hong Kong-descendant Joyce and her husband Henri, who is from Gabon. New Sight has been dedicated to helping the blind and visually impaired of the Congo republic since 2006. Joyce and her team operate on the locals in a hospital they’d funded and built themselves; in addition to this marvellous service, homeschooling and childcare help is also provided. Their work covers 3 areas: prevention and cure (since 80% of the blind in our world are needlessly so - their causes of blindness are preventable or treatable); helping the blind (helping those with irreversible blindness cope with their disability and be okay with it); and training and education (educating the community about eye health and care, simple hygiene, and for those who wish to become supportive staff, Henri trains them and teaches them surgical skills) - I find this last one most remarkable. Bring a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. You can find out all about New Sight Congo here: http://www.samoutou.com/?i=13935 and learn how you can help!

Anyway, back to Rainbow Trek, I’d done it last year, when I was a y12. This year, as a y13, the hike was absolutely not mandatory. But here’s another chunk of news: I’m trekking in the Himalayas in a month’s time! WOOO! (More details... later.) Sooo, TRAINING. A group of y13s also going on Nepal Trek was invited to join the y12s last Saturday morning on the Rainbow Trek. Whew - what a sentence! So off I went with the four y13s who actually bothered to turn up ;)

I started my morning bright, early, sun-shiny and excited. Behold - an influx of pictures!

We did the 25km hike that day. At the 18km marker, I fell. It was a trail path, I was leading, I was moving quickly, and because I'm a genius, I landed on my ankle at an angle of 90˚. In other words, I twisted it. I scrunched up on the ground, immobile, for half a minute, then teachers came and bandaged it up. It's no big deal - I know ya'll are thinking that too - but believe it or not, it was my first time injuring myself that way. I live a boring like ok. Anyhoo, I, according to a photo caption my friend and co-hiker posted on Facebook, 'soldiered on'... Yes, for the remaining 7km. Was I crazy? I always think to myself, It's all in the mind. I'm not sure if this is admirable or unhealthy...

So later in the evening, I scribbled this down and Instagrammed it:

Get it? Please tell me you get it.

I grabbed a Niro Chicken Wrap from Prêt à Manger after the hike. It's a new product; it was the first I'd seen of it. I was confused when I encountered it in the open fridge - was that... Seaweed over the tortilla wrap? Yes, in fact, the whole shebang is inspired by Japanese flavours! In the wrap, there was chicken breast, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, ginger, black sesame seeds, and sesame dressing! It was delicious.

That sunlight tho.

Oh yeah, so I had to practise RICE: Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. I'm missing out the Elevate part here, but. uh.

If you're following me on Instagram (@jaaananannn), you'll have seen this already. Hats off to you.

Then, I got hungry. Look - a wild biscuit.

And here's my swollen ankle. How pleasant.

Shout out to my creative ankle-selfie-photographing technique.

And here's dinner: Vegan fusilli dish with fresh carrot, tomato and broccoli. And by fresh I still mean cooked. Dw. Actually, it was leftovers. See how I made it sound fancy and vaguely appetising?

Finally, after wasting time on the Internet for many hours, I fixed myself a Fruit Bowl. I missed these things. 

I don't even remember if I had Maths tutoring that night. I may have. Either way, it wouldn't have made a difference to me - I was exhausted. Hear me loud and clear: EX •HAUS•TED.

Before I sign off, worry not - I didn't forget: PILLOW WARS! Let me explain.

The Wednesday before the Rainbow Trek training hike, the guys were playing Pillow Wars in the Senior Common Room. Yes, I am not a senior at school. #FeelingOld

I decided that I should go up against them. Me, clocking in at 100lb, and them, at 160-185lb. I told you I'm a genius, remember? How it worked was, that we each were to hold two sofa pads (you know, those squishy cushiony lengths on which you place your bum) in front of us and CHARGE! at each other. And kind of chest-bump. Only this was with pillows. Hence the CHARGE!

Granted, the boy I (tried to) CHARGE! at weighed the same as me (? - but really, he's skinny, but tall, but we tied at arm wrestling, but he plays rugby...), yet when we hit, well, he hit me. I went flying backwards, landing flat on my bum. I couldn't move or sit myself up. At this point, I'm beginning to evaluate my capacity for common sense. Another guy had to pick me up and transfer me to a sofa. One day I'll remember this and laugh. Actually, I'm laughing now :D So that was my Pillow Wars experience.

The lessons I bring to y'all today are:

1. Bring a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. If you care for someone, teach them to fish. I mean, share with them your knowledge, experience, insight. It can only do them good.
2. Mind over matter (I hope you figured that out from the picture!). Soldier on - unless it's clinically disapproved. Though I'm pretty sure a doctor would've forbidden me to walk that last 7km...
3. Pillow Wars is fun. Just do it with people your own size. I'm warning you now.

That is all for this post. Jan out.x