RAGE Trailblazer..

Last weekend was an unforgettable one. Paticipated in the RAGE Trailblazer competition in Perak. This is an event organised by the Star Publications along with Maybank Graduate Banking for sixth formers and tertiary education students. Being there was like a reunion of my own varsity mates.... So many of our fellow uni mates were there at the competition. Every now and then, you bumped into someone you know!! Before the competition began, everyone was strolling around the Taman DR. recreational park, enjoying the picturesque environment. The overgrown trees bring solace and peace to the environment. Little did we knew that teams are grouped into clusters before the race. Teams were divided into clusters where we were identified by colours, namely, light blue, red, orange, cream, yellow and green. I was an orange. It was really a bright colour! No kidding. .. Before long after registering, 31 teams in a cluster were competing against other clusters.

Many challenging games that require both mental and physical strength were played. The games were inspired by the rich and wonderful history of the glorious town, Ipoh and Papan during the tin mining days. Giant sized abacus, milking from saya beans and tin mining was just to name a few. To add to the fun, financial planning were involved in the games. There were make shift booths where some booths offered loans, some booths offered savings account while another offer items to be rented. Cluster that managed to collect the most amount of money by the end of the preliminary round gains entry to the final round. By the end preliminary round, the Cluster that emerged the top was the light blue team. Orange did not made it to the finals. Nonetheless, we were the top half of the Clusters. Amazing prizes from lucky draws were given to partipants. I had gained many new friends and a group of wonderful cluster mates. We managed to keep contact and keep in touch even after the competition.

During the final round, the light blue team went to ghost town, Papan Perak. Teams relive the glorious days of Papan for the once rich and populated mining town. Teams had to decorate traditional Malay costumes, learn to sing Chinese Opera, research on local heroine Sybil Karthigasu and lots more. Above and beyond all, teams got the chance to experience the rich and diverse culture of Perak. These cultures must be preserved.

In a nutshell, we had a great fun! Teamwork and coordination were essentials.