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Day two at Hye Camp is when campers, counselors, and staff begin to settle into the daily schedule. After working out all the kinks over the course of the first day, everyone gains a pretty good idea of what to expect from a typical day at Camp Hickory. Using the general daily routine described in Monday's entry as a guide, you will now experience "A Day In The Life" of a 15-year-old boy at Hye Camp:
"I woke up to the sounds of a bullhorn siren screaming across the campgrounds, and counselors prodding and pleading for us to get out of bed and get to breakfast. I'm not really sure why it seemed like such a good idea to stay up so late last night. The egg and sausage sandwiches looked ok, so I ate a couple. Our table was quiet; everyone is still tired. Where do those 10-year-olds get all that energy?
"The chapel was a little chilly, as usual. Fr. Tavit led us in prayer and talked to us about unconditional and unwavering love and faith in God. We left chapel and had to clean the cabin. At the end of the week, the cabin that was the cleanest through the whole session will get prizes. One of the girl's cabins will probably win, but you never know.
"Our first class of the day was arts and crafts class with Lisa. We spent most of the time making bracelets and necklaces. Breakfast is starting to kick in, and I'm not feeling so tired anymore. In fact, it's getting harder and harder to get Olympics off my mind. All we were told was that we were going to do a Scuba relay tonight, and no one is quite sure what that is. I think I'll make myself a necklace with my name on it.
"Next we had a culture class with Mrs. Toumajian. Her classes are always great, and today was fun as usual. She hasn't been to Hye Camp in three years, but she still remembers everyone, and of course we all remember her. First we learned a couple phrases in Armenian, and the root of their meanings. Then we got to hear some of Mrs. Toumajian's great stories, like what happened when Noah drank the Manjra, and how the snake's tongue and the swallow's tail became forked. All of the sudden, it was 10:45 and time to move on to the next class.
"The third session was free time for us. When every other cabin is in class, it doesn't leave a lot for us to do, especially considering there's only six of us in our cabin. I took a nap, other guys cleaned up or sat around talking. Soon enough it was time for the last morning class.
"The last class was religion, in the chapel with Fr. Zohrab Konstanyan. Yesterday, we talked about using our god-given talents and not hiding them or wasting them. Today, we talked about the difference between earthly and heavenly treasures, and what kind of importance each should have in our lives. Fr. Zohrab is always so excited about what he's taking about. After religion class, it was LUNCH TIME!!!
"To practice being a counselor-in-training, we've all been assigned to a cabin who's kids are anywhere from 9 to 14 years old. I have the 10-year-old kids and they go to the pool for their first afternoon sports class, so that's where I go. Swimming is always great, and afterwards we headed on over to the sports fields for our second sports class.
"Following in the footsteps of yesterday's Garo Yepremian kicking award, today was the Lisa Mardigian Shooting Challenge. Lisa claimed she was hurt, but I’m not sure I believe that yet. After she set the mark pretty high, making 12 baskets in 30 seconds, she was quickly knocked off as best shooter. Final results will be announced tomorrow. After sports, we had some free time to catch up with other cabins or swim some more.
"Finally, dinner rolled along and it was great; chicken, potatoes, and some home baked cookies. After dinner, the competitions for the night began. Unfortunately, our team is not the best and we barely managed to stay out of last place in all our races. Olympics concluded with the young kids being sent to a bonfire, while we went into the chapel to watch a movie about Armenia. On Thursday, we'll be at the bonfire while the younger kids get to watch a movie.
"It rained pretty heavy through most of the late evening, which made evening free time a bit more crowded than usual. The game room was packed, and the snacks were running out quick. Eventually we'll be going to bed, maybe even on time. See you tomorrow!!!"
