My experience and learnings at 25th World Scout Jamboree-Korea
I am completely feeling overwhelmed while recalling and writing this . They say “Travelling – It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” and this is exactly what I am right now . Now I feel like I’m a storyteller who never gets exhausted of sharing her experience and how much she enjoyed the jamboree. A celebration of friendship , cultural exchange and outdoor adventure were the main highlights of the 25th world scout jamboree . We scouts got an opportunity to learn , grow and make lifelong memories ….. This is such a tough thing for me to write at the moment as the kind of fun and enjoyment we all had there is impossible to elaborate in words. Connecting with scouts from 158 countries , meeting new lifelong friends from different backgrounds around the world was undoubtedly an incredible experience which will forever be one of my favorite memories .The world scout jamboree is not just a gathering but it is a unique and golden opportunity where you learn , grow , enjoy and make the best memories . I am so thankful and grateful for this golden opportunity. Special thanks to Xavier International School , Nepal Scouts , organizing committee, Korean government , scout masters , unit leaders and IST .
MY EXPERIENCE :
These 10 days slipped into a moment of time. It was a Lifetime experience and I will never stop cherishing the time I had there . Honestly I had a feeling of nervousness , I was worried of getting home sick and I was afraid of socializing .
Day 1 : ( August 1 )
I had a hard time tolerating the heat but eventually we all were getting used to it . The best part of the first day was when we were divided into patrols for making dinner . We were assigned to make Mac and cheese . I was there to assist our main chefs (Paridhi didi and Prarambha dai ).
Day 2 : ( August 2 )
On the second day we went for different activities and it was pretty fun .I traded few badges that day and made few friends as well . The best part of the second day was undoubtedly the opening ceremony as scouts from 158 countries were gathered in a common ground .
Day 3 : ( August 3 )
The 3rd day was great . We went for activities and I made many more friends .The best part of that day was when I talked about Nepal with my friends from Belgium and when I received life lessons from a very special person while we were cleaning the dishes .
Day 4: ( August 4 )
The 4th day was pretty nice . We went for outdoor activities that day . We visited museums and we enjoyed a lot .
Day 5 : ( August 5 )
The 5th day was pretty fun as we went for outdoor activities like : museum , story block activity ,etc . We also got to experience traditional clothing of Korean people called Hanbok .The best part of the day was when I had fun talk time with my friends from Chile , Netherlands , Korea , Argentina , Portugal , Indonesia , Germany, Sweden , Switzerland , Brazil , Finland , Japan , Norway , Bangladesh, Philippines, Pakistan and Italy and when we attended the concert .
Day 6 : ( August 6 )
The 6th day was cultural day where we got to experience various cultures of different countries and we got to try different food .Getting to learn about global culture was so much fun and an unforgettable experience .
Day 7 : ( August 7 )
The 7th day was one of my favorite days as we had so much fun .We went to different activities site and made many friends from different countries , we traded a lot of stuffs , it was all so fun until we heard the news of Typhoon it was obvious that it would be our last day at the SaeManGeum campsite but thankfully the government managed everything for us and luckily jamboree was not over but as much as we were excited to escape the heat we were also sad as we were leaving the campsite which we considered as our HOME for many days . That day was full of memories I will never forget and I will always be thankful for .
Day 8 : ( August 8 )
The day we said the hardest goodbye to our jamboree site but also my favorite day . We were being shifted to Police Dormitory at Asan-si , a city in Korea . We were extended with a cordial greeting there which made us feel like we were safe at our own home .As soon as we got there we were offered with food and their great hospitality for which we will forever be grateful . The best part of that day was probably the time we exchanged horror stories , laughed all night, created stronger bonds and the hospitality we received from the police dormitory and the hardest part was the time we exchanged goodbye hugs with the friends we met at the campsite.
Day 9 : ( August 9 )
The 9th day was fun too as we went for water activities at a beach . Watching everyone play Table Tennis and receiving the generous hospitality from the police dormitory was probably the part of the day I will always remember .
Day 10 : ( August 10 )
The closing day , the hardest goodbye , the day that marked the official ending of world scout jamboree -2023 , and the day I was mentally,socially and emotionally not prepared for at all .As I wrote earlier , those 10 days really slipped into a moment of time . That day we attended the k-pop concert and the closing ceremony which was held at the Seoul World Cup stadium .
IMPACTS 25TH WORLD SCOUT JAMBOREE HAS MADE ON ME :
(1) Confidence Boost : Meeting people from different global background and being complimented for our unique culture has been such a fun part . I got complimented for wearing nose pin (fuli) which is also a part of Nepali tradition had also made me embrace all parts of my Country more .
(2) Social skills : As I mentioned earlier I used to be a little afraid of socializing before but during the jamboree I was building up my social skills in a very fun way by making and starting conversations with many global friends which I believe will always help me in my upcoming days.
(3) Being able to adjust different weather conditions : As we were used to the perfect moderate weather in Kathmandu which is neither too cold nor too hot it had been hard for us to adjust in that hot weather for the first few days , PS . You guys probably did hear the news about Typhoon but it was not that terrifying as people exaggerated in news headlines we were always safe and we evacuated safely , overall such chaos also taught us something positive like we should be able to adjust everywhere and as the motto of scouts is “BE PREPARED” this really helped us learn many things .
Things that I loved the most about Jamboree and got inspired by :
(1) The management : Hats off to the management team and the government for their brilliant management skills , efforts and how they handled all those chaotic situations in a smart manner . I got inspired by how everything was so well managed and how we participants were provided with all the necessities like food supply, power bank , water supply , sunscreen , table fan ,umbrella , hat , etc etc .
(2) Positivity and Kindness held by everyone : I was so stunned by how everyone even strangers we met at different shops , stalls were so friendly and generous . Everyone there were filled with positivity and were spreading positive vibes and kindness .
(3)Friends I met there : I made friends there. I couldn’t be in contact with many of them so I cannot really recall their names right now but everyone I met there will always be in my memory and they will always be special. A Korean lady I met at the battery station on the first day , An uncle from USA who complemented me on my photography , traded the cutest waggle with me on the occasion of his birthday , Girls from Indonesia , Girls from Taiwan , Guys from Argentina and France , Girls and boys from Portugal who invited us to try their cultural food , IST members from Switzerland and Italy whom I met at the Dalgona activity,Nick(Luxembourg), Issa (Chile),Rafa(Chile) ,Simon(Chile), Sofia (Chile) , Luti (Chile) Maya(Sweden), Emu(UK) ,Nina(Germany), girls from Japan, participants from Bhutan ,Efan and the girls from Netherlands , UK girls I met at the washroom , Girls from Brazil and Switzerland ,participants from Bangladesh , Girls from Philippines ,An uncle from Pakistan who gave us fans , girl from UK with whomI jammed 1d and Taylor swift at the washroom , a guy who randomly joined me when I was singing 1d songs ,I sadly don’t have contact with any of them . I apologize if I missed anyone I surely did miss mentioning many of them but they will always stay somewhere in my mind .
THE PEOPLE IM STILL IN CONTACT WITH :
Ivana(Chile), Vera(Sweden),Julie(Sweden) , Marta(Sweden) ,Joanna(Sweden) ,Vali(Austria) , Barry (USA) , Connie(UK) ,Thea(UK),Evie(UK) ,Evan(UK),James(UK) ,Johanna (Norway) , Ellinor(Norway) , Petra(Norway),Johanna(Germany)
I am deeply appreciative of everything . I am immensely thankful that I got an opportunity to become a part of a history and I will never forget the fun times and lessons I learned from these people : Paridhi didi , Sanskar dai , and their group I will call them ( SSPP) they know exactly who they are .
