Roundhouse

This week we had a multicultural mix at Camas, attempting to build a roundhouse. There was some serious work done and as you can see, it looks phenomenal!

Of course there were also the usual Camas activities involved. The songs, composed in Thursday morning reflection outline the week quite nicely:

TEAM MONOCLES: (to the tune of 'We will rock you')

We will, we will wash you

Standing in a line
cleaning up the dinnertime
Gotta make sure all the dishes shine

Got bread on your plate
Clean is its fate
Monocles are here with Westminster and Cre8

 CHORUS

Monocles we roll
Cleaning up the toilet bowl
Got those germs under control on the Isle of Mull

Sweep up the room
With a great big broom
Gotta do it fast cause activities are soon

CHORUS

TEAM POLOS (to the tune of 'Summer nights'):

Girls: Here at Camas we have no hot water.
Boys: Here at Camas it keeps getting hotter.

Girls: I went for a shower it was but a trickle.
Boys: Hot water here! You smell of pickle.

Summer days here at Camas
but the girls they all smell of lettuce.

(Oh well-a well-a well-a uh!)

Girls: Tell me more, tell me more is it as cold as the sea?
Boys: Tell me more, tell me more it’s as warm as my pee.

Camas days drifting away.
Girls: If only we had some hot showers!

 

TEAM RUBBER RINGS:
(to the tune of the ‘cup song’)

I got a ticket for a long plane ride

2 pairs of wool socks for the way

And I sure have found some good company

I’m leavin tomorrow, whish I could stay:

When I’m gone, when I’m gone. I’m gonna miss it when I’m gone. And I’m sure I had some sweet company, I’m leavin tomorrow whish I could stay.

REMIX…..

There’s a centaur and a gnome
down the well there was a comb
buried Eric in the sand
and the kayaking was grand
Lots of midges, lots of rain
I still wanna come again
We went swimming ‘stead of sleep
scared the heck out of some sheep
- and I’m leaving tomorrow, wish I could stay

TEAM DOUGHNUTS: 

(to the tune of 'Mary's got a little lamb')

We met each other a week ago, week ago, week ago
We met each other a week ago
And we became the doughnuts.

Kristen has long legs, long legs, long legs
Kristen has long legs
The longest I’ve ever seen

Maddy has a fear of dirt, fear of dirt, fear of dirt
Maddy has a fear of dirt
She showers twice a day

David is the sprinkle boy, sprinkle boy, sprinkle boy
David is the sprinkle boy
He always eats his meat

Jakey is our safety man, safety man, safety man
Jakey is our safety man
And he saves all our lives

Georgie is the bog monster, bog monster, bog monster
Georgie is the bog monster
And fell waist deep in mud

Abby likes her morning swim, morning swim, morning swim
Abby likes her morning swim
You can hear her miles around

Nick is our sleepy one, sleepy one, sleepy one
Nick is our sleepy one
He’s always in his bed

Grace is our Mrs. Strong, Mrs. Strong, Mrs. Strong
Grace is our Mrs. Strong
She cart wheeled through the abbey.

James is our princess, princess, princess
James is our princess
He capsized in the sea

Avril has a special friend, friend, friend
Avril has a special friend
He is Jim the gnome

TEAM MARTIANS:

(to the tune of 'yellow submarine')

In the town where I was born
lived a man who sailed to sea,
and he told us of his life
In the rainy Camas bay

So we paddled to the pier
till we found a pile of rocks
we stacked them up really high
in our lovely Camas bay

We all live in rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay
We all live in rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay

And our friends come down the track
many more of the m live next dorm
and the anchor begins to ring

As we live a life of ease
Every one of us has all we need
Sky of blue and sea of green
In our lovely Camas bay

We all live in rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay
We all live in rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay, rainy Camas bay

Mermaid with Fish and Chips

Another week of Freeman College in Sheffield started with a desire to catch a mermaid and eat it with chips. There were quite a few attempts of fishing one but none were successful. 

Although we had cold showers, we had lots of laughs and giggles going kayaking, abseiling, camping (or rather glamping?) and on Iona. One night we even had a wild dinner in Ardanalish – a beautiful sandy beach close to an organic weaving farm. 

After everyone got ready for camping on Wednesday morning, the group set off. Once at Market Bay the students started fishing, swimming, playing cricket (?), discovering the surroundings or transforming into a mermaid with a sand-fishtail. When the boat arrived, we hitched up the tents (even students who were keen on “sleeping underneath the stars”) and started cooking.

After a game of French cricket and a round of rounder’s, we watched the sun set and set and set... Well when it was dark enough we got back and let one of the Freeman leaders entertain us. Even now I sometimes hear one of the vollies singing “Bum bum, do you want to be crazy? Bum bum, do you want to be nuts, like us?” another favourite was “boom chick-a rock-a chick-a boom”.

After an amazing Camas challenge meal, one of the Freeman staff dressed up as an old Captain who lost his treasure. He suspected that the wild Camas Pirates had hidden it. But as there were some clues left, everyone helped by collecting the pieces of a big map, which explained the way to the treasure. The treasured Haribos and chocolate were eaten during more songs and poems.

Seals and dolphins

This week we had a week from Mussleborough near Edinburgh. Right at the start of the week we had some "bog incidents" were some young people went waist deep into the bog around Camas. Luckily everyone was rescued and no one was lost…

The entire group loved splashing in water during kayaking and coasteering. One of the kayaking sessions ended with two girls having a fantastic time capsizing each other again and again. They had a lot of fun even when the boats were full of water. “They fill up again anyway! Why should we empty them?”

Another highlight of the week was trip to Iona. The trip ended with a ride on Mark Jardines boat “Birthe-Marie”. One half of the group went towards Erraid and spotted some seals; the other half got taken back to Camas and spotted a dolphin. What exciting wildlife!

The week ended with a great Camas challenge. We had a fire at the beach, of course with hot chocolate. Another lovely moment was when they presented each staff member a bracelet that they had bought for us on Iona.

On Friday morning the group sang about ten times “Happy Birthday” for Avril. They also gave her a lovely birthday card.

The Way-Ay Den Jordies

I remember a time back in Spring, when the dolphins came calling across the blue sea.

Along with them came a group from the town of Hartlepool in the country of Englandshire  (who don’t have the best track-record with wildlife considering the most famous historical moment of said town is hanging a Monkey for treason!!!!!). However this group seemed to get on with the surrounding nature very well, and were very happy not to be sitting at their school desks. Instead they chose to spend their days wandering across Islands (shall we say Mull and Iona) gathering rocks at the seashore to identify their age and rarity – to take home some precious, and to skim & skip others. Sitting on the sands at North end of Iona seemed like a Caribbean holiday, along with a wee bit of authentic sunburn, and lots of football. Along with seeing the oldest gravestones in the new museum; we even took over one of the chapels at the famous Iona abbey to retell the story of Oz and the many monks who lived on the ‘Isle surrounded by Sea’ and when they first met the ‘Jordies’ lead by ‘Way-Ay-den.’

Back at camas we all dived into the classic activities that make the week so fun. Although the chores were more challenging for some than for others – when faced with the terror of ...... Pete the chicken (she’s a gentle feathered friend you know) – rubber eggs were flying all over the coup. But really the teachers did very well in leading the way with the rest of the group in jollity and enjoying the holiday (even if some of them were very chicken-wary).

The week was topped off in style with a tasty Camas challenge, and energetic game of sniper. The beautiful decoration echoed the reflection with words from the heart about what everyone had found positive on their holiday here.