This is my 3rd year to take part of the MSF Orienteering Competition. Different from the game participants, being a crew member isn't playful. Managing the affairs of more than 2000 people is challenging but the great people and experience let us get it through. Though I'm not qualified to be a MSF volunteer in Africa (at this moment), this event gave me at leat 0.1% feeling of actual humanitarian missions.
From registration to prize presentation, no task is kidding. This year, I was repsonsible of the baggage storages. As all participants can only carry competition-related materails (e.g. compass, map, water) during the game, other belongings has to be left in the baggages counter. The baggages area wasn't luxury but just a defined sandy field. Each team (may consist of 1 to 4 people) can allocated a "slot" to store their baggages. Actually the slot was just a plasitc bag in a small spot along one of the eight lines, arrange by team codes.
From registration to prize presentation, no task is kidding. This year, I was repsonsible of the baggage storages. As all participants can only carry competition-related materails (e.g. compass, map, water) during the game, other belongings has to be left in the baggages counter. The baggages area wasn't luxury but just a defined sandy field. Each team (may consist of 1 to 4 people) can allocated a "slot" to store their baggages. Actually the slot was just a plasitc bag in a small spot along one of the eight lines, arrange by team codes.
Well arranging storage sections by team codes was a little challange, since short time from preparation to the game began. We did it but the real task was ahead. People came almost at the same time with one thought, let the baggages stored asap and then start the game on time. We, a team with 15 people, had to do two things - pack & put. Packing the baggages was relatively easier than putting the baggages to proper locations. Each baggages can be consisted of more than 4 big backpacks, and even "inhandy". That could be the blackholes for me, the "relatively" slim guy. Luckily, there were several muscular volunteers from Custom & Excise in our team!Loading the baggages was just the first half of our mission. Unloading was another, after the participants finished the game. This part can also judge how well we did in the loading period. No thing is perfect in the world, so our job is. Most baggages were placed in right locations but a proportion of them were in wrong order, due to hurry in rushing moments. That caused more time to get the pack back to our tired-and-exhausted "clients". We still satisfied our performance, as the whole mission was completed safely, without any loss. From 9am to 3pm, I felt just 3 hours and got a little sun-burnt (I should put on a cap!).
All is worthwhile. I was just a very little part of it, but others and I really did something.
Where was the competition location? Tai-tong, Yeung Long. One of the final frontiers in Hong Kong, where still have the smell of green. When I looked back to the concrete jungle from the green palace, a question raised - are city development and nature friends or competitors? I do hope they are friends, they live with each other. What do you think?
Tag!!Beyond Barrier Orienteering MSF
