Discoveries About Community On The Way to Bandarpunch

Dr. Tamara Philip

I was on the expedition to Banderpunch, but struggled so much that I had to leave the training camp after just a week, and I never made it to the summit. But I learnt important lessons.

Before going to Banderpunch, I only really did things I was good at, so I rarely failed at anything. So it was a new experience for me when, a full 8,000 feet short of the summit, I realized that I could not go on with the expedition. When I got home to Mussoorie it really hit me that I had failed, and that too, in a big and public way.

At the beginning, I just stewed in my sadness, before realizing how many good things had happened to me through the process of trying, failing and feeling disappointed. Firstly, I learnt that it was good to try, even if I failed. In preparation for the expedition I got into the habit of exercise, which I am continuing. In the days on the expedition, I had wonderful experiences. If I hadn't even tried the expedition, I would have missed out on so many enriching things.

Secondly, I hope the experience of failing will make me a better teacher. Some of my students study hard, pay attention all the time, do all their homework, come for tutorials, and still perform poorly. In the past, I was sympathetic to them, I did a lot to help them - but I never really understood them. It is through this learning, both of failure as well the feelings associated with failure, that I believe I will become a better teacher.

Thirdly, it was good to have to deal with feelings of deep disappointment in myself. After leaving the expedition, I was overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy. I despaired of how I had tried and failed, and I was very, very disappointed in myself. I would lie awake and just cry about what I had failed to do. After some time had passed, and thanks to the support of my husband, I just had to accept that things just were as they were at the time. It wasn't the end of the world that I didn't get to the summit, and, when put into the context of my otherwise extremely blessed life, it doesn't really matter that I experienced disappointment over this.

I believe that these three things that I have experienced will help me to be a better member of our community.

I'm going to keep trying things! I'm going to be more innovative in my classroom and try things that I'm not sure will work. If you hear an explosion from the chemistry lab, that will be me trying new things.

Secondly, I'm going to be more gracious and accepting towards myself and others with regard to failure. In schools, we do difficult, crazy, challenging things, which are bound to fail from time to time. I might think twice before judging other people for their failures, and instead help them to move on from failures towards success.

Thirdly, I can keep my disappointments in context and not allow myself to descend into self pity. So what if I'm disappointed? I didn't turn my environmental science students into cycling, cotton-wearing, tree-planting vegetarians, did I? Its okay, I can live with the disappointment, and try again, next year.

So that's my message: a mountain beat me, and made me a better person.

Taeyeong Jun

The Bandarpunch expedition was one of my greatest life experiences. I will never forget the moment I reached the summit after 10 hard hours of walking and climbing from the last campsite. Along with my summit experience I have some touching memories related to our expedition. When we started our journey, some of us had very heavy backpacks. We were worried about the ability of these people to hike with all that weight on their backs. We decided that those who had less weight in their backpacks could carry some gear for others. As a team we tried to bear one another's burdens. This increased our team spirit and our joy during the whole expedition. When some of our team members had to leave the expedition early because of losing a family member or because the hiking was getting too difficult, we encouraged them as best we could. We prayed with tears for their safe journey out of the wilderness. These memories will remain in my heart forever as examples of sharing and caring for others.

FOOTNOTE: We acknowledge the contribution of the Hanifl Centre programme funds to this incredible experience: 60% of the costs were subsidized by the Hanifl Centre, in order to make it affordable for staff. The school considered this as an amazing opportunity for professional development – which it proved to be – and as an investment in staff retention: Woodstock is willing to invest in staff who commit themselves to the school.