PAPM Outing to Ferney

It had been long awaited … and finally the big day had come: that of the PAPM outing! I must admit that for me, as an admin, seeing people participate online is one thing, and seeing real live members in front of me, chatting with them, exchanging views, if not jokes, is another!

I always relish those moments when we finally get together – and then we realize that PAPM is not just like any other virtual facebook group. We are here… we are real and we intend to stay…

Logistics is a key issue in such an outing – frankly, it’s a nightmare when people confirm and then don’t turn up. Sometimes it’s something that they can’t help, but very often some do confirm and never turn up… Their loss, I suppose :)

With about 30 people having confirmed, the majority decided to meet in Curepipe while some others decided to wait up at Mahebourg. Finally we all headed to Ferney, where we greeted each other, and welcomed those who were coming for the first time. It was a great time for people who had known each other for weeks or months virtually to actually discuss in person!

Choosing the menu was yet another hilarious matter – it seemed the people there had never had such a big group together! Once that was decided there came the very serious issue of collecting money for the meals and what a brilliant idea it was to use Sakura’s hat to collect the money!

When that was done, we rushed to the little bus and after a bumpy ride (amidst the cries of “mo p mort!”, “pa roule trop vite, chauffeur!”, “tantion viraze dangereux!”) we ended up at the picturesque restaurant.

The meal was briefly dealt with – on ne badine pas avec les PAPM! – and we were soon eager to explore the valley. I had kept a surprise for the members… which in part was revealed by our guide! In fact we had been contacted by one of our members, Kendy, who offered to film some scenes from the outing for the MBC news. We had thought it an excellent idea – but didn’t want to cause too much excitement and flurry. All I wanted was that our members be in their natural environment, taking pictures without feeling self-conscious. Little did I know that I would myself end up having to talk in front of the camera!

We finally set off, following our guide who have us helpful and informative tips about the region and the natural environment. I must admit that many of us were overexcited and probably our guide must have wanted to pull her hair more than a few times. But we appreciate her smile and the fact that she stayed on with us more than she should have. Thanks Sandy!

From then on, our members were unleashed into the wild. Some were discovering strange plants or bizarre rock formations. Others were fascinated by the greenery and the play of lights and shadows. Some were more interested in taking pictures of other members or furthering their portrait-taking skills. We even had a few posing sessions with our accompanying friends who kindly and patiently acted as models for us. And as for the karate moves? This was just part of the great mood that prevailed during this outing.

By the time we reached the restaurant again, waiting to be picked up by the minibus, we were very much exhausted but still feeling the closeness of being in a group that shares the same passion. Some of us were already regretting that the trip was over… but don’t worry guys, we’ll have another soon enough!

My heartfelt thanks to all those who made this outing a success, especially Khat (Sakura) who made the booking and negociated on behalf of PAPM, Bryan who got us a van to and from Ferney, as well as the MBC team, headed by Kendy Mungra, who have given us more exposure by featuring us in the evening news. Then finally, to all the members who came and added to the lovely spirit of participation. Long Live PAPM!