I'm busy the next 2 days and I may not have time this weekend.
Since i last posted my face has gone from a lobster like colour to a more brown colour which is good! I thought id share with you now the times ive had with Breakthrough Centre in Bangalore.
I arrived on monday morning at the Centre greeted by old friends again and also some more breakfast that was more interesting than the mango flavoured cornflakes id had just half an hour before!
As you can see previously the centre is very well equipped and takes mostly corporate groups; e.g. companies, businesses, also colleges and schools from time to time.
The group we had monday and tuesday was an entrepreneurial group from a college. They had recently organised a group called E Cell and wanted to come away for some time and get the group together because most were from different courses and years. There were 2 lecturers with this group numbering 21 in total.
The first session involved getting your whole team across the ground while standing on planks of
wood, otherwise known as plank ski's. This proved difficult for the two teams.The activity involved alot of team coordination and timing as one faulty step causes chaos, and usually results in the team tumbling over each other and some words being exchanged!
After the first attempt we analysed the processes and went for another attempt which proved more successful, some teams before have made tens of metres within the specified time.
After the activity we moved onto the reviewing stage of the session. this involved analysing the processes and talking about what went well and what we could have improved. and what we can take a way as a group and use in the other activities, such as coordination and goal setting.
We ran another team task which involved passing an answer through touch without speaking or making any sounds. The answers had to passed down the line in competition to the other team, and the final person had to present the answer using one of 2 actions, this becomes harder
After a good lunch we started the nest task. This session involved blindfolds, which always make things fun! The aim was to pick up an object placed on the ground ahead of the blindfolded person. The person blindfolded has to he directed to the object. the problem is the other team members have some hindrances also. the person who can see what the blindfolded person had to pick up cannot speak and had to communicate to the their member through various signs, and the person who is shouting instructions cannot look backwards. This proves very hard when 4 teams are going at the same time!
After completing that session we moved on to more reviewing regarding communication and focusing and following instructions and so on. Also integrity and cutting corners, as most are tempted to look out of their blindfolds.
The next session was a low ropes session designed to get items to a 'village in danger'. Two group were given different routes reaching the same obstacle to finally reach the village.
One item involved pulling a rope to retrieve a zip line to reach the village. Little did the teams know that this was a dual group task and one team had to help the other team to rescue the village as one bigger team!
Instead they made it a competition, this was to do with our framing of the activity and using their assumptions to our advantage! it was interesting to watch.
The lesson was to look at the wider picture as you can tell!
After this we had free time until dinner and meetings were held within the groups.
I was staying on site that night.
The next day was the most fun for both the participants and the instructors!
We lead a session on the high ropes course. This course was very well designed and built including many different sections of varying difficulties.
I was stationed on one pole between 2 sections, one of which was quite difficult.
I had a few turn back and return to the previous platform, but most gave it a go and managed it well enough. The participants completed 6 sections before finishing the final Zip line down towards the ground. Some found this the most scary part of all, and some just went for it! like myself!
After sending most of the group onwards i moved on to complete the rest of the course
and show off a bit... the first section i did backwards most of the way and the second (balance beam) i did with my eyes closed! i really enjoyed playing around 30 feet off the ground!I have been on a few high ropes courses before, but none as good as this one!
After completing those sections i moved on to the 'hour glass' this is two ropes coming from the top diagonally, crossing over with one rope crossing it in the middle from the other end.
I completed the hour glass
successfully, but not without breaking a sweat... then i was told to do it the other way to come back to where i started, I just about managed it...I then moved on to the zip line to finish the session. most people had done it the right way up apart from one person who had done it upside down. I thought id give it a go; I got someone to video the moment for me.
But I cant seem to add the video right now, will have to another time...
After lunch we ran an activity that involved spelling! The idea was to arrange a word as fast as possible with the letters on cards provided. The word had to be presented by holding up the letters in your hands as a team. There was heated competition in this spelling bee!
This involved lessons in team roles, team management, trusting team members to do their jobs, involving every member of the team and much more.
one more task that afternoon was a task called the 'meat grinder', not as bad as you would think! Moving your whole team over a rotating wheel above head height.
This is just what i did in 2 days at Breakthrough. I hope to get more experiences when i return tomorrow.
Today ive spent the day with Raj at his house. I will be at breakthrough tomorrow and friday.
I'm then going to Avalanche again with Nandu on sunday to assist with a group of 75 young people coming on monday! This finishes on wednesday morning and then we will travel back to Bangalore for wednesday night, then im leaving thursday afternoon for Chennai to meet my family when they arrive friday morning!
Exciting stuff
Pray for my energy as i will need it!
Much love
Charlie D
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