Monday, February 28, 2011

GE 22nd Feb Adventure day out - Awesome!!

                                                                    A different view!

My account of GE's adventure day out is based on Prasad's viewpoint or rather Prasad's view and my points have translated his views hopefully correctly. GE is an awesome team overall, all the teams I have interacted with over phone or met in person have been very welcoming and receptive. Phani's team enjoyed all the activities that were on offer. I hope Suma has registered that into her account, that when it comes to adventure and a real team day out, she can always call us.We have had a very good relationship with GE.

Our adventure activities, team building activities & water sports is a great break from the cubicle. Phani's team had never experienced such an adventure outing. Paintball, rock rappelling, tight rope walking, river crossing, water sports such as kayaking & canoeing and a host of other adventure activities. So, what was so great about the GE adventure? I can't tell you much as the joy of rappelling down a rock as a first timer or an experienced adventure enthusiast is different each time. Facing the sky just like the earth faces the sky makes you feel afloat. This is just one of the many descriptions I have heard over many experiences. These will hopefully stay forever but this is not the end of it. You don't need to be an adventure enthusiast to explore or challenge yourself. I am sure Phani's team will try it again LEVEL 2 perhaps.

Phani was a little apprehensive of our facilities as there were people from abroad who were joining them. But after witnessing our facilities, I think that thought disappeared. I can proudly say again and again that we are the only adventure camp to have really have clean rest rooms and a kitchen so efficient that most restaurants would feel embarrassed.

I hope Phani's team continues exploring new adventure activities and enjoys the adventure every time.

So, why go to a boring resort?


Cheers!
Moiz

Monday, February 21, 2011

Paintball - the real game!



Boys will be boys! But you should have seen these boys! They went wild with caution, amateur by age, professional in approach. They just took to it how a duck takes to water!
All hell broke loose when they took to the field. The reds seemed to dominate the blues! If red team had the ammunition, quite a bit of it, the blue team had the perseverance. This is how it is guys, Paintball!! These kids did what many adults dream of, or rather think of, PLAYING it PROFESSIONALLY! The sound of silence when the teams were into hiding, when no one knew who was going to fire, was just brilliant. The spirit was indomitable and the courage would bring shame to many. Well Done guys!! I must thank Dr Shivaprasad for allowing these boys to play the real game! May PlayStation rest in peace!


Wow guys! Your pics deserve some more comments than my own eyewitness account.in words.

Cheers!
Moiz

GEsus! what a day!




A Picture is worth a thousand words. No doubt about that! The account of their day out was through their wild pictures. They just proved with all the enthusiasm that adventure is in everybody, it just needs an outlet and possibly, Xtreme Zone Getaways is that outlet through which you encounter adventure. The GE team had great fun. Paintball, rock rappelling and many other activities which stimulated their mind and body, its a natural workout without the strain, infact its very refreshing. Why would you go to a boring resort when you can experience a real outdoor? We need to be a bit more real with ourselves, not just virtual. We need to experience fun and adventure. You don't need to be an adrenaline junkie or an adventure enthusiast, you just have to give it a try! In the isolation of Manchinbele, the expressions in the above pic with the Paintball marker took the cake! I must salute the spirit of GE Healthcare, no wonder they know how to keep themselves Healthy, especially Soma's team. Little network and less human habitation allowed Soma's team to bond well and enjoy a lot more! They were full of life, took on the challenge with a undeterred spirit to overcome. But most of all, I think they just enjoyed it to the core!
See you soon for an adventure day out! Again!

Moiz
"Thank you Prasad - eyewitness"



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Oracle side of life!




Ravi & team were surprised to say the least. Arun was the most comfortable of the lot. It was almost as if he knew exactly what was coming his way. From the trek itself, it seemed like a big surprise for the team. As soon as they arrived at the campsite, Ravi checked the rest rooms, he was satisfied with the hygiene. I must say we have really clean restrooms surprisingly clean for a campsite.

I loved the spirit of the Oracle team. This was their first ever adventure outing as a team.. They were a little scared but very determined to give it a shot, considering our safety procedures gave them more assurance, its always tough for the first timers. As first timers, they showed a few nerves but never short of courage. It was great to see everyone encouraging each other. As they say when your heart calls, don't hang up! & they didn't. They took every activity into their stride as if they were hungry for more. It was truly the spirit over the body, mind over matter, will against wish. Easier said than done. Done!


No one gets into the water without a life jacket, ground rules were in place but Oracle's innovation of backflips from the jetty was a sight. I have never seen a happier bunch in the water. Well, my summary of Oracle's water expedition which included kayaking, canoeing, swimming and raft building is very simple - AWESOME

It was not to get over their fears but to challenge their own will and at the same time enjoy it to the hilt. Some dedicated their adventure performance to their future wives, some to their new born babies, it must have been a dedication to themselves as well. But for everyone this was truly an X-perience! I must admit they enjoyed this outing to the core. Rock Rappelling, Raft building, Kayaking, canoeing, swimming & team building activities. No matter how much I write, this experience is incomplete without their feedback

Some highlights of their adventure day out:

Raft building - the courage and determination of Arun's team. The effort of Ravi's team

Rock Rappelling - Ritu's "I m not coming down" approach but she finally did it! & Ravi's statement to Prasad (our operations manager)  "U r truly the God of the site"


Kayaking - some never wanting to come back
                  some reluctantly handing the baton (in this case the paddle) over to their other team mates.
                 Some kayaking as professionals (ahem!) :)

Swimming - Thomas's "I am so happy" pic
Weird kind of flips into the lake

Team building activity: Toxic waste
Thomas's cheating right at the end.
Everyone trying to help to add to the confusion

The last image that I have in mind is of the 3 people on the rocks, one of them was Ravi, I don't quite remember the other two but I can say this much for the entire Oracle team: it was a pleasure for us!

A big thank you from our side!

Hope this becomes the Oracle side of life more often! A real team outing!



Monday, February 14, 2011

Lakeville!



After hearing Anshu talk about it, it actually stuck with me that these guys are ready to convert anything into a game. It also showcases how deeply involved, passionate they are about gaming. They have changed facebook into gamebook. As far I could know these guys, I think they are a happy bunch of people. Young, energetic and enthusiastic, these 3 words define them best. A company such as Zynga, adventure comes naturally to them. Everything real can become virtual; they have possibly treated adventure the same way. I am sure they must have been surprised, that a place like Xtreme Zone Manchinbele which is only 50 kms from Bangalore, exists.  I am new in Bangalore. I don’t know Bangalore very well but whatever I saw in Bangalore was practical, functional, planned, efficient that’s how architecture has been displayed in Bangalore with modern buildings serving the purpose. Xtreme Zone Manchinbele reminded Zynga of a world unchanged, where resources were limited and natural except our restrooms (someone kept saying they were really clean, appreciated). Sitting on the rocks, swimming in the lake and all the activities was an experience that no resort could have offered. The adventure activities were easy and tough depending on the individual. Paintball, rock rappelling, tight rope walking, river crossing, and water sports such as kayaking and canoeing must have been perfect for a getaway. People were really relaxed in the coco shack and enjoying the beautiful view of the lake. No one yet has been disappointed after coming to our Manchinbele site. We provide an experience that can only be experienced and not put forth in words. I think Suresh will agree, he was possibly the only one who enjoyed the motorboat ride, in the disguise to procure other elements (beer). We may never know the real reason.
 I am forgetting names but I remember faces. A wonderful bunch of people, Lavanya, Sanjana, Balu, Alex, Neha, Gopal (the hair stare)and many more.
I must confess that I loved the Zynga cooking exercise; I would recommend it as an adventure activity that we should possibly add to our list. I thought it reminded most people that there is nothing called a free lunch! They worked pretty hard for it and ate pretty hard as well (I should have taken Suresh’s advice of having lunch together)
Anyways, I am an advertising guy, I can go on writing bad copy but I should stop or possibly wait to play the game on their next team outing called Lakeville!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Paintmore!




Hey guys,

Hope the weekend went well. For Dhruv & his team, I think it must have been the best end to a Monday which no student, no working professional, not many people in this world are anticipating or excited about. I must admit, Dhruv & his team were the coolest bunch of people I have met so far in Bangalore. Brimming with energy,enthusiasm and a lot of fun. I am surprised they have never experienced adventure sports   (Reminder www.extremezoneindia.com) but they have had a tryst with Paintball which made it even more exciting. Dhruv unfortunately got "out" or shot really fast in the first game. He will be cursing me as there are hardly any pics of himself, considering he was the co-ordinator, thats a sin committed by me, please forgive. The highlight of the first game was the 2 against 1 ganging up. Raghu being the victim, giving in a good fight but it just seemed unfair, he lost. The 2nd game was much more competitive, so competitive that none of them were willing to get shot. Loads of movement, strategy and the only way for them to get out of the game was by finishing their pellets and the sunset played the villain. Less people more fun doesn't really apply to a game such as Paintball. Though they were few in numbers, they made a real fight out of it. Hope they continue playing the real game! And with more people next time. This was a real paintball team! Kudos to you guys!