A Competition at the NYSC Orientation Camp
It was a competition that came with life lessons. I can't forget the experience in a hurry! I did my national youth service at the NYSC orientation camp in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos State, Nigeria, in 2017. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a compulsory one-year program for all Nigerian graduates, and the program usually begins with three weeks of camping at the orientation camps.
For this camping, you will meet graduates from different universities, different tribes, and different cultures, mixed up to perform different activities together for 3 weeks before being posted to establishments to serve our father's land for one year. It's usually a fun experience at the camp.
While I was in the university, I heard a lot about NYSC camping, how the soldiers give corpers thorough training, the platoons, the queue for food, the queue to fetch water and bath, the waking up by 3am with rigorous exercise, the match past, the allowee, and lots more... I watched the pictures of others in the camp, and I was craving the day for me to behold my own NYSC life experience. I didn't want to be told! Even though I was already married with a child during my NYSC days, I didn't use my baby as an excuse not to go camping. I craved first-hand experience, and I got it.
Out of all the activities we did at Iyana Ipaja Camp, the food competition was the one in which I participated actively, even though it turned out sour for me at the end of the contest.
Nigerian jollof rice with chicken and salad
As someone trained by her grandmother in things concerning the kitchen, I wanted to prove myself at the NYSC camp, and this made me register for the food competition immediately after it was announced. I already made a few friends before the D-day, so I requested their assistance. We stepped out to hire pots and other cooking equipment I needed for the show, as I had none while going to camp. As others were cooking their tribe meals, I chose to make Nigerian jollof rice, well garnished with fried chicken. I had enough money with me then, and I could buy all the ingredients I needed for this food. I made sure not to show mercy in the use of ingredients so that the food would come out so tasty. We were timed! So I was trying my best to be fast enough. You needed to see how ladies with aprons were so fast, like a robot, preparing varieties of dishes. Obviously, all of us wanted the prize, but unfortunately, everyone cannot win.
Just when I was about to mix my ingredients with the rice, I don't know what happened, but the gas finished!
This got me so devasted. I lost hope in winning the contest. I blamed myself for trusting the woman who gave me the gas cylinder and assured me that it had enough gas inside. I would have topped it to be sure it could carry me throughout the food contest. I watched my competitors round up their meals and serve them on the decorated table, and tears flew from my eyes down to my cheeks. I tried to control my emotions, but I couldn't stop being hard on myself. I have imagined winning the contest. I have imagined how proud my husband will be of me and lots of other imaginations, but none have happened. I think I didn't pay attention to the details. I should have realized that this is a competition and should not dwell on assumptions. It was a great lesson learned. However, I later got cooking gas from my colleagues after they were done to finish up my cooking.
The stage where I felt the most loss in the competition was during the prize giving; however, I learned to always pay close attention to details instead of dwelling on assumptions.
This post is in response to the #hivelearners community contest on the topic titled The Last Contest.
Thanks for reading through!!.
Please note that the image is mine!
Happy new month 🎄🎊😇
So sad that you weren't able to prove your culinary skills during the competition. It must have been really painful especially after trusting the person who told you the gas cylinder was filled. That's why in life it isn't ideal for us to place our total trust in others because they can disappoint when it matters the most.
Indeed, I wasn't able to prove that and it was painful, no doubt 🧐. I spent money getting ready for the contest.
Yea, I blindly trusted the woman but Lessons learnt
Yeah, But you were able to cook the food and not put the materials to waste after your friends finished cooking right?
When I saw the title, I was coming to the comments to ask what a whale like you was doing at NYSC, only to read the post and find out that the events in the post are from your pre-whale days.
Every time I read these NYSC posts, I learn something new. I didn't know you guys were trained by real soldiers. Or did I misinteprate what you meant? I'm honestly confused why soldiers are training graduates majority of whom will not go into the army.
I'm curious though. Whatdid you do with all the remaining ingredients after the gas went off?
What's this whale 🐋🐳 I am reading here
Hahaha 😂🤣
Looks like the NYSC stuff is a different thing in Ghana. Those soldiers will take corpers to a hard type of drilling similar to what they experience in their profession..infact the experience is a mixed feelings, fun and hard labour.. lolz 😂😆
I waited for my colleague to finish and I used their gas to finish up but couldn't present my food 🤦
In fact, I am pained in arrears as you mentioned you garnished it with no mercy. Unfortunately, some situations are for lessons despite our efforts
Hahaha 😂😂🤣
It's well oo
That's part of life
You're right.
It's part of life
You learned a vital lesson and just not paying attention to detail ruined everything that you had in mind.
Life caught us unaware many times because of our unpreparedness and it is better when we take those lessons seriously.
I am familiar with the Nysc camp at Iyanapaja, it was my route back then.
Unprepared nkem
I really learnt from my lack of attention to detail...it's all good
Wow, I can't even imagine such unforeseen circumstances in such a competition. I'm sure I would know what to if I were to be in such situation
Hehehe, I wish I found ways to handle the situation but there was tension
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it's hard knowing when gas will get exhausted. It may be burning so bright then the next thing it will go off, everything happened for a reason. The jollof rice looks so enticing
My dear, this same gas has been a disappointment...I just have to accept things as it is
Thanks for the compliment
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Ohh my!
I can imagine how devastated that must have left you. One thing I know is that you can cook pretty one and you would have won that contest. It's good to know that you learnt your lesson.
Yea...I already prepared to win and it hurt when expectations aren't met
Lessons learned is the main thing
Oh no, this was so sad but it's good to learn something from that experience.
It's very important to pay attention to detail no matter how little kt may be.
At first I thought it was the first to finish the food competition, I will ask you to call me next time🤣🤣🤣.
The food came out looking nice though and I am sure it tasted nice too even though you didn't emerge the winner.
Hahaha 😂😂
It's well oo
Attention to details is one thing that shouldn't be taken for granted but I am glad that the experience taught me Lessons
Chai, I would have felt very so so bad o. What a disappointment, I was so eager to hear the victory oo, is a good thing you learnt a lot from the contest.
Smile 😊
There was no victory oo 😂
But it's all good
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I can feel your pain, after hiring cooking equipment and spending money to buy ingredients, it turned out that way. It was a nice experience, at least you learned your lessons of not depending on assumptions. Nice reading your post and I also learned.
Yea, the only nice experience is the lesson learnt 🤗
The experience in NYSC is always fun and challenging. You get to learn a lot of things.
If there is one thing I never want to experience while cooking, is gas getting finished. This is highly annoying and can spoil the outcome of the food.
I can imagine how you felt after planning for the delicious food and thinking of how you'll win, it actually hurts. Thank God you were able to finish up the cooking, at least the food was not a total waste.
Popped in from dreemport, #dreemerforlife
Hahaha 😂😂
It indeed an unforgettable experience
At least the fod weren't wasted
Thanks for the visit
This is a horrible experience, I can imagine how bad you felt. I don't know who can start making a colourless cylinder that can tell when gas is finishing 😅. So sorry to hear what happened to you.
A similar thing happened to me recently, I was going for a convention with my family and we decided on moimoi. With all my preparations( washing the beans, washing leaf, blending and all that). I didn't remember to top up the gas too. After blending the beans just when I was about to start cooking, I found out the gas finished last night n my girls who cooked dinner forgot to tell. 😅. It was a Sunday, no seller around. I just added salt to the blended beans and abandoned it. I even forgot to put it in the refrigerator, out of anger. But miraculously, till we went and came back in the evening, the beans was preserved. 😅😅
Hahaha 😂😂
This kind of experience is not always pleasant 😂
What a life
That must have been so embrassasing, to just be there in the midst of every other competitors and unable to do anything because you had no cooking gas.
I have learned a lesson as well. I really may have done the same and not checked if there was cooking gas that I was given, but now I know better. You can't really trust people, and it's better to be prepared beforehand.
Exactly 💯.... unpreparedness can result to regret...it was a nice lesson learnt despite how ugly the turn out was
Sweet Nkem