Settling Into Camp

As we entered the Osaka Children's Centre, all of us were required to remove our shoes and change into wabaki (Japanese slippers for indoor use). As we settled, the Chairman of the 4th Cubs Goodwill Camporee from Osaka Scout Council welcomed the us to Osaka and explained that although it is very cold, it is not winter as yet. He also went on to tell the excited contingent that Autumn, the season we are experiencing, is his favourite as nature displays itself in vibrant hues of red, orange and yellow.




After his welcome address, we had to learn the discipline of making our beds each day. The Centre's Estate Manager taught everyone how to prepare a Japanese futon for sleeping, and how to pack it up in the morning. Everyone will need to do this every morning, a Scout discipline. He also emphasised on two simple camp rules:

1. Do it yourself
2. More beautiful than before

With that, everyone was sent to dinner.It was the first Japanese camp dinner and we also had to be briefed on the rules. As we enter the dining hall, we are expected to wash our hands with soap and water before collecting our food. After we are done, we are also expected to clean up our tables and drop off the cutlery into a hot water bath before leaving the dining hall.

Of course after a short rest, it was shower time!We took some time getting used to the traditional Japanese bath and onsen (indoor hot spring). First, we had to take a communal shower before getting into the really hot onsen! It must have measured about 45°C and by the time we got out, we were red like cooked prawns! ;) However the benefit of this bath was that we slept soundly through the night. Life is good... Zzzzz....