Shoshin-Zazen

Its no wonder the attrition rate for teachers is so high.

Have you ever been conned by “unethical business practices”? Just recently, i recieved a goodwill email which warned about some unfair marketing schemes that mulct your money.

For example, in the email there was this instance of a man who was selected for a “birthday celebration”. Its like this: the company which surveys people’s preferred birthday celebration style will invite people to attend a 1 hr celebration at an office with other birthdayees, and as such receive free gifts like DVD/MP3 players. After many assurances and email that the offer is legitimate, he finally agreed to attend the event.

In the end, it turned out to be a marketing ploy to attract people to come down to their office and listen to their marketing crap. Of course, he got really angry and demanded to have the free gifts as promised. He writes, “I’m given 2 stupid vouchers for even small items like MP3 player and digital camera.”

I try to surmise.

Offer: Free Birthday Gift that includes MP3 players, Home Entertainment System, etc
Catch: Listen to a sales talk which in return does not really fulfil its promises of free gifts.

Who is really the victim here? Some say it is the unlucky guy, but i beg to differ.

Of course, such practices are unethical and should be condemned and maybe even be prosecuted under the law. Worse still, it betrays the trust that the consumer places on the company. However, if one would to stand back and look at the whole picture, it issn’t that simple.

For example, imagine that there is no free mp3 player, no home theatre system, would you still be guilible to fall into the trap of these marketing ploys? Such marketing tactics employ 2 types of “pull-factor” to enmesh you in such schemes. Firstly, they try to win your trust being very professional and trust-worthy. This is obviously not very effective because we are, by default, quite circumspect about such sales tactics.

The sine qua non falls onto the second “pull-factor” which is one of the most time-tested yet powerful human proclivity of all time - Greed. There is no doubt that the “irresistable” freebies sweetened up the deal many times over. The hubris of greed is that it overides common sense and this is almost like an achillie’s heel to most of us.

Such marketing schemes are rather malicious because they bring out this amorphous weakness in us, and this is very apparent in the marketing world today. Even some advertisements though not all, fall under this category. Even charity shows that employ “lucky donor tactics” are not innocent to this type of marketing.

Call it the “survival of the fittest”, but it is a human instinct to be want and to desire, most of the time for our own boon. Unfortunately, excessive desire leads to greed and unhappiness. For example, when i see something so nice and beguiling on TV so much that i want to buy, but when i finally saved enough money to buy it, i am disappointed because it didnt look so nice in reality compared to on the TV. The human expectation or so-called “desire” creates disappointment.

Even in the email regarding the timeshare ploy, one cannot help but notice the disappointment in the man’s tone. In fact, there were actually some vouchers but he said that they were “small” items. Indeed, he expected more but in the end, what he got was a rise in his blood pressure.

One cannot help but empathise the betrayed trust and the time, energy wasted on such an issue. However, it is ludicrous to push the blame solely to the company simply because they didn’t force the issue on the invitation. Instead, we should first stop putting the blame on others and berate ourselves for bending with our desire and greed. Only then, will such a problem never occur again. Otherwise, such a problem will turn endemic and we will continue to fall for other types of “unethical” ploys - no doubt different in nature but still aiming to loosen your purse strings.

Remember, it takes two to clap.

I was just reading an account of a person’s climb of Kilimanjaro off the net.

as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of Kilimanjaro

- Earnest Hemingway, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”

HA! Just less than one month from my climb of Mt Kinabalu and i am already thinking of Kilimanjaro. Poor wishful thinking on my part to blithely think about conquering another mountain. Not just any mountain but one that is much superior in size than Mt Kinabalu. (Of course, its on the continent of Africa which i admit, sounds rather alien to me.)

There are a few points about Kilimanjaro that i would like to point out for my own sake.

1.It stands at 5895m!! No lifts! Can you imagine.

2.It has an eternal snowcap, which means i don’t need to bring along ice for my coke.

3.It is a 6-day hike, and NO, you cannot walk the dog.

4.Health Requirements like these will shoot my mum’s blood pressure up:

“A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is compulsory and must be produced at the airport upon arrival. Malaria occurs below 1800 meters and you should use the recommended prophylactics. The best way to prevent contracting Malaria is to try and avoid mosquito bites by using an effect insect repellent, by sleeping under mosquito nets and to wear proper clothing after sunset. Meningitis can be present during the dry seasons.
RECOMMENDED IMMUNISATIONS: As a sensible precaution we recommend that you consider getting at least some of the following recommended immunisations:Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, Cholera, Tetanus ”

5.Its on Africa for ******sakes;Airtickets will cost a bomb.

Well well, there are many reasons that simply tell me to go back to bed and dream a nice dream about Bukit Timah Hill, and forget about Kilimanjaro.

Perhaps not in this lifetime.

We arrived at Kota Kinabalu International Airport and had a 2 hour long transfer to Rose Cabin, our accomodation near the moutain park itself. The drive was smooth and scenic although the peace was sometimes loudly punctuated by my fellow KTV singers at the back of passenger van.

Rose Cabin was nice, and we found ourselves in the company of 2 other groups of climbers from Singapore. One was a group of adults who was a little blunt and condescending. They called us “little children”. Of course, we preferred to remain little polite children rather than rude and cocky adults. In stark contrast, the other group was a family of 5, with 3 boys. Their parents were polite and friendly and we were glad to have them attempt the climb with us. Many families would not even think of climbing a mountain during the June Holidays, but apparently this family did just that. I admire their spirit especially the parents who always seem older and tired than their bubbly 3 boys. However, deep inside i somehow know that any parents will climb any mountain for their children.

The temperature outside Rose Cabin was already a cool and comfortable 18 degrees. The view was great but it started to rain in the afternoon after the mist moved in. We were dead bored, only the monotony of card-playing and grainy televison pictures helped us spend the remainder of the day.

The following morning, we woke up at 0600, all refreshed and raring to face Mt Kinabalu. After some breakfast, we proceded outside and from that vantage point, we were greeted with a magnificent view of our objective. Wasting no time, we got to Kinabalu Park Headquaters and deposited our additional luggage for 30 Ringgit. A certain and young James Yasin was to be our equable moutain guide and the first thing he gave us was a list of health warnings. Suddenly, the climb didn’t seem so chicken-feet.

We took a van to Timphonon Gate which was to be our starting point. We bought sturdy wooden poles to aid us in our trek for 3 Ringgit. Without any hesitation, we started the climb. Time was 0845. Deceptively, the start were a flight of downward leading steps which gradually turned into a climb. We came to Carson’s Waterfall after a few minutes. There were 7 rest-huts leading up to our accomodation at Gunting Lagandan at 3,323.5m. We reached the first 2 huts in no time but after a while, it started to drizzle and we were getting quite wet and cold. Our boisterous chatter had, in musical italian terms, diminuendo to a pianissimo. As if endemic, the rain grew heavier and it was time to take out our colourful ponchos. In a tapestry of colours, we trugged up the weather-beaten rocks and granite.

In total, we had to climb 6km before reaching Gunting Lagadan. For city dwellers like us, walking 6km on flat ground is nothing strenous compared to 6km uphill. My legs were begining to hurt as we reached the 4th and 5th hut and i start to think it was almost ludicrous to attempt the climb without pior training. Nearing the 5km hut, each step was quite an agony as i felt my muscles tighten almost to a cramp whenever i exterted strength on them. Kaizhe was in the same predicament as me, and i tried not to think so much of the pain and used every opportunity to stretch my thighs.

After 4 hours of trekking uphill, my breathing became more labored and the group found ourselves taking rest stops more frequently. To our chagrin, our guide who seem to leap and bound every step seemingly effortlessly did his best to encourage us forward and that Gunting Lagadan was nearby. Of course i should add that besides the occasional climbers we met during the climb, there were porters carrying loads up to an excess of 30kg. Some carried 2 gas cylinders which made our light backpacks look rather puny and pathetic.

After 5 hours of climbing, we finally reached Laban Rata Rest House, where we took our lunch. Laban Rata Resthouse stands at 3,272.7m above sea level, and they serve fried rice, noodles and hot chocolate. It is hard not to envisage the back breaking activity the porters have to do when you sip your hot chocolate and chomp on fried rice.

My dear group was not really in good shape. Some of us were feeling cold, because of the shorts that we were wearing and the wet shirts on our back. With some will-power, we managed to overcome fatique and mental inertial to trek the next 50m to Gunting Lagadan where we were to stay for the night.

Accomodation at Gunting Lagadan was spartan and non-heated (compared to Laban Rata.) We quickly changed out of our wet clothing and into warm layers. There was a common kitchen area and the rooms are small - 4m by 3m with 2 double decker beds. Kaizhe and i took one while the rest got another. As the afternoon passed, the mist cleared and the view outside was breath-taking. We had museli bars and instant noodles for dinner. Luckily, no one had any bout of altitude sickness.

The night was cold, about 7 degrees Celcius. My body, being more tightly affirmed with the humidity of Singapore’s weather, cannot agree with the cold. We tried sleeping at 8am to rest for the summit bit at 3am. However, i could only get to sleep at midnight with weird dreams plaguing me. Finally, i woke up 1.30am, shivering despite wearing 3 layers of clothing and a blanket. Utterly fed up with the cold, I went to make a hot cup of milo.

The summit bid started at 3am and we don our headlamps on and started in pitch black surroundings. Only the indifferent pictureque cresent moon and starry skies lay above us urging us to endure another 3 hours of climb to reach our goal. The air was thinner and it only took a few steps for us to get breathless. Eventually, we reached Panar Laban Rockface, where we have to climb a steep portion albeit with the help of ropes. I could see that most of us where already tired at this point, but we had no energy to complain; there was no turning back. And so we pressed on.

Everynow and then, i would look down below me and could see the blanket of stars all lay out before my eyes. The mountain laid infront of me was dark and omnious but this would all change as dawn grew closer. We had climbed for 2 hours when we passed the Saya Sayat Huts which are the highest accomodation on the mountain at 3,810m.

After sometime, we came to the moutain plateau where the gradient was less steep and the tone of the journey grew monotonous. Every 20 steps or so we had to stop and catch our breaths - i didn’t imagine the going would be so tough! Each 0.5km was more like an eternity. Where was the god-damned peak?

At long last, Low’s peak came into view and we could some light in the east. Sunrise was near. With the constant urge of our guide, we pressed on, probably energised by the ’sudden’ excitement of nearing our goal. Chen Guo and I were behind the group, both breathless and tired and was probably the last to reach the peak. We lumbered over boulders and rocks, and progress was agonisingly slow. The peak was crowded with people and it was a constant battle between standing up to see the sunrise and the strong wind that threatened to blow us onto the jagged rocks below. (I almost tripped while taking the summit video.)


Click here for the summit video
When the initial euphoria of the successful summit bid wore off, i really wished i could juz take a elevator and get back to Park Headquaters. God, this journey was not over - i still had to make my way down.

The way down was very tricky. I slipped once during the descent and it was scary to the say the least. The parts where it was quite steep we would have to do a mini “abseil”. Chen Guo had the most difficult time descending and his new yellow adidas shoes did not quite helped him in any way. The sky was getting brighter and we could see the dizzying heights we scaled only a few hours ago. Wei Ye commented that if we were not climbing in the dark, we wouldn’t have scaled it with so much enthusiasm. Ah, the power of sight and mind.

We got back to Gunting Lagadan in no time and rested for half and hour before carrying our backpacks and trekking poles in preparation for the final descend down to Timphonon Gate. We couldn’t help but imagine ourselves on a sunny beach away from the cold. Without the pressing notion of reaching the summit, i took the descent gently and enjoyed the way down admist the mountain streams and gorgous scenery.

There issnt much to say about the rest of the descent which we got over expeditiously although our aching knees were not agreeing with us. Our goal was Carson’s Falls and then to Timphonon Gate and then to Kota Kinabalu City where we can finally rest! We were back at Timphonon Gate at around 1300. Oh did i forget to mention that the fastest man to climb and descend the mountain (21Km) took only 2 hours 41 min and 5 sec?

Where thou next?

Ok fine, it issn’t really an “expedition”, more like an adventure. Just try to accomodate my inflated ego here.

Gustave Flambert once observed,

“Writing history is like drinking an ocean & pissing a cupful.”

While i try to be as accurate as possible in this “historical” journal of my mini escapade, i have to be brief as to not bore any potential readers.

My friend and i with a TIME magazine sitting in the shade of a grandstand of a parade ground on a merciless hot and sunny day - that was how it innocently began one and half years ago. I remember it was a mere conversation that sparked an idea and in turn led 5 untrained and inexperienced men away from a sunny paradise, to a mountain peak 4,095.2m high with almost freezing temperatures and gusty winds.

Flipping through my time magazine, i chanced upon this small article about Mt Kinabalu. (If you read this Jumari, you have my thanks!) We were bored, and fantasising ourselves on the cool moutain slopes helped us kill time. And so the idea skirted around in our heads for a while until it found new ground at the begnining of this year when i start to hunt for people to accompany me for this hare-brained adventure. By then, my partner Jumari told me he cannot make the trip, and so it was left only to me to take serious action.

Earnestly, I began asking around for friends to join me and by Feburary i was fortunate to have Jude, Chen Guo, Wei Ye and Kaizhe as companions on this trip. Of course, there were many rejections that did little to bend my enthusiasm. “Pay $700 to go and sweat and suffer? No way man!” was one such reply.

After some online research, the five of us decided to arrange our trip with Pacwest Adventures. The operation manager was helpful enough and we got through the administrative part easily. The cost of the trip was $337 excluding airfare. We added a few nights in Kota Kinabalu so the real cost of only the climb was only about $300. While planning and booking the airfare gave me quite a few headaches we were quite fortutious to settle upon SilkAir, for its convenience and affordability. Airfare via SilkAir: $295 We did considered AirAsia, but since it was based in Senai, Johor and had really weird take-off times, we decided on the former. Inevitably, there were a few screw-ups. The most annoying and notable one was the wrong names i (oops!) registered on the online air-ticket. These problems, though expected, were a real nuciance.

Probably will always be the case, but i can assure you that planning a week-long trip with 5 guys is not really smooth-sailing.

With the airtickets and accomodation arranged, what was left was some equipment that we needed to purchase. This was done over a space of 2months, right until the weekend before the trip. (Well, almost everyone likes cram to the last minute.) All of us bought $10 headlamps that we bought at the Army Market, Ponchos, foodstuff like Uncle Toby’s and thanks to Wei Ye, we got to eat dried brownies from Marks and Spencer’s. I splurged on a pair of Trezta Gore-Tex XCR trekking boots which set me back $170 but considering it was on 30% discount and the pain it saved me from during the climb, it was a good bargain. Of course, some of us bought new backpacks which i now certify 100% waterproof and worthy of another ardous mountain trek.

Here is our checklist: Equipment? Check. Foodstuffs? Check. Camera? Check… Training for the climb? Uh-oh.

It is quite unfortunate to note here that we had underestimated the climb despite many reminders to do so. Of course, that was before we saw with our own eyes the monstrosity we had to scale, and before the never-ending steps that accompany us most of the time. Although we did made it to the peak, i cannot help but think that if we were in better physical shape, most of us would have upped the ante on the enjoyment factor.

I think we were just plain lazy.

Ok, enough self-reproach.