22nd January 2024
-Anonymous
I used to travel and see beautiful landscapes while enjoying taking photos and immersing myself in the surrounding beauty. My friend once invited me to try something new that we had never done before.
"Tara. Let's try a new experience."
I came to the realization at that point that I was only limiting myself to things that I already knew. So why not give it a try? Moreover, this is something I had always wanted to do, and this year I never thought it would happen.
I was exposed to firearms from an early age and even attempted to use a handgun with my father's help. That's when he started training us on how to defend ourselves and how to be ready for sudden circumstances. Still, it was the first and last. As I got older, I started to like seeing strong female leads in action films. When they battle against enemies, I think they're amazing and cool. Since then, albeit not to the degree of engaging in actual combat, I have yearned to be as physically strong and skillful as they are. I also sincerely want to learn how to handle firearms at this age and acquire some karate skills or such. This is, I suppose, the result of being a soldier's child.
We registered during the final quarter of 2023 for this event, which was scheduled for January 21st. That was, in fact, yesterday. My friend helped me fill in and she even paid for me as my budget came short and the deadline was too early. Of course, I returned it to her after my payday. A friend in need is a friend indeed, and I am thankful for having her. This fun shooting costs HK$200 or more than US$25 but it also includes lunch and certificates.
About the current Weekend Engagement topic by @galenkp:
Outdoors or indoors this weekend, what's your preference and why? Remember to use your own photos.
My answer is obviously outdoors because if I stay indoors, I would only crave Korean dramas which is bad for my eyes. I always prefer the outdoors; exploring new places, and discovering new things for my eyes and camera, lol. Why not? It's more beneficial for my health and soul.
Fast forward to the 21st, we were too excited. I got up earlier than usual for this thrilling event because I was part of the morning group. I met some pretty Filipinas and Indonesians who were part of the group and traveled to the venue together. Once again, the Introverted lady emerged from her shell and learned to socialize. Though rare, this is a worthwhile experience. The transportation problem made the early schedule rather late. I later learned that the traffic problem was caused by a marathon.
At 11 in the morning, we finally got on the bus and headed to the shooting camp.
And off we went to the Kamandag Funshoot organized by FEARS Airsoft. This fun shooting is managed by some Filipino professionals. It is situated in a remote area far from roads and residential buildings. We followed the signs as we went along a paved route. The shooting camp is like an abandoned place as there are remains of debris and wrecked structures.
Kamandag is a Filipino term that means venom or poison produced by wild animals like snakes causing harm or even death. But in Filipino expressions, this has different meanings depending on how you use it, which often depicts negative attributes.
We arrived a little late, so it appeared like everyone was busy getting ready for the gun shooting. The lack of organization disappointed me a little. Even though there were three stages, the shooters didn't seem to know where to go. We basically started anywhere we wanted to since there weren't adequate preparations. We can even start from the hardest stage to the easiest or otherwise. Many were beginners, others were second-timers, and the rest were regular shooters and professionals.
Orientation and proper gun handling and shooting. But I found it unorganized and useless.
Stages 1, 2, and 3 (from easiest to the hardest).
Shooting began in all stages. Anyone can line up and try. That's a bit unorganized. A beginner must start at stage 1, and not just anywhere else.
Now it's my turn!
Practice shooting
I had a chance to be taught by a Chinese man during the practice shooting. We actually just saw him shooting at the corner, but not part of the shooting stages. After asking him to teach us, we took use of his gun for a few pictures, lol. Since we were only shooting airsoft guns, it was easy to learn and handle a pistol gun. I did it impressively as a first-timer. You can check this short reel about my gun shooting.
Stage 1 shooting
The practice shooting was simple at first, but during the actual shooting with a timer and watchers behind me, my heartbeat paced faster which affected my performance. In the end, I finished the round with 7 targets in 68 seconds. That was longer than I had anticipated. The shooting targets on the stand were rotating, and I found it hard to focus while feeling nervous. It was my first time, anyway. The result wasn't that bad either.
Stage 2 shooting
This time, Stage 2 featured a rifle gun, and it was my first time firing one. We were unaware of the stage 2 shooting rules because we arrived later than others in the group. Thus, we lacked knowledge about it. Gladly, a lady assisted every shooter, so I learned how to handle the rifle properly, but not how to shoot. There wasn't any trial shooting either.
The fact that I hadn't practiced shooting a rifle even more concerned me. This time, there were 25 targets. It took me more or less 20 seconds to figure out how to shoot the rifle properly because it was my first time using it. I spent 81 seconds in all, which was kind of embarrassing. Most likely not, if a practice shooting was conducted beforehand. However, it was charged to experience. At least, I already knew what to do the next time.
Stage 3 shooting
The most thrilling part was the last one. There were two groups of targets, and we had to go through a short tunnel (not really real) in between. We had to duck carefully because if we touched the sticks at either end by mistake and they fell, we would be eliminated right away.
The first set of targets. It required 2 shots for those on the ground, so 9 shots in all.
Ducking, running, and passing through the short tunnel.
Reloading the gun.
And I was almost done! Those targets on the stand were rotating, there were three circles, so it was the hardest part.
And I was already comfortable handling the rifle gun this time. It surprised me that it just took me 64 seconds to complete the hardest stage. All in all, my performance wasn't that bad for a beginner.
By the way, there's complimentary food at this fun shooting event. We felt that the payment was well worth it because there was a lot of food. Since the organizers are Filipinos, we had Filipino food as well. I felt bad for the Indonesians, though. For the midday munchies, there were also sweets and other treats, and more food was added later in the afternoon. Thus, we simply continue to eat in between shooting.
Later we found out that this shooting only costs HK$150, not HK$200. Thus, the Indonesian who recruited us gained a quite decent amount of interest from us. Such a business-minded one.
The Great Shooters' Award presentation was the final event. I did not anticipate receiving any recognition for my performance. However, I was fortunate enough to win a small pocket bag in the raffle drawings.
I can honestly tell that I had a great time during this enjoyable shooting event. And following this shooting, my friend and I were convinced to return the next time. Like the others in the camp, I'm genuinely determined to learn more and master this subject.
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As the saying above goes, "Life gets boring, so don't be afraid to try something new." I love having fun and going on adventures. This experience inspired me to try other activities this year not only hiking and traveling. Among the new things I wish to try are wall climbing, bowling, rafting, surfing, and running marathons. I'm hoping to make them this year. Let's just enjoy life and explore new things while we can ☺️.
Happy new week everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend.
(All photos are mine)
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