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“Go! Go! Go!”
Like a swarm of angry ants, we streaked through the short field heading for our designated spots for cover. The first bullet whizzed by as the adrenaline kicked in and triggered the first volley of shots from our opponents.
No, this wasn’t a computer simulation. This was real. Well, as real as it gets. This was paintball!
We fired back.
Dust clouds rose up as the parched land beneath our feet complained, begging to be left alone and be still.
Chaos ensued. One by one, hands were raised to declare a hit. People went to the safe zone to and wait 10 seconds before getting “reanimated”
Laughter filled the air as fear blended seamlessly with the drive to come out on top. Everyone became an action star that day. Guns blazing. Getting hit. Running back to the safe zone and regenerating.
Today, we weren’t civilians. Today we weren’t the mild-mannered people silently (unless Karl is providing details about how a certain program works or Mint is showing off his talent in singing…) working in front of our computers. Today, we were soldiers. And our aim was to eradicate the other team with paintball pellets!
Within seconds, we had won. Our designated runner, Mr Vince Olamit had taken the flag and waved it proudly in the air.
We celebrated loudly. We thought ourselves invincible despite being outnumbered.
We then proceeded to lose the next two scenarios making the other team the ultimate victor.
(My First Person Account: Chipester Khan)
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April 6, 2019. Dash 10 Social Event (Paintball & Wargames at Forest Hill Resort
The buildup to this day was excruciating. What seemed like forever was, in reality, barely 2 weeks since the announcement.
We were going to have a Social Event or a Team Building Exercise if you will. But ever the progressive company, Dash 10 decided to go the less travel route and opted to book time at Forest Hill Resort for Paintball and wargames.
No one knew what was going to happen once we were on the field. The only thing that was sure was that the group would be divided into two and those who had prior experience with guns would be in separate teams.
This was an odd combination of people from all departments from the Research & Development Team, Service Delivery Team, Customer Care, Business Processing, HR, Management and Finance.
This is one of the reasons why Dash 10 is an exciting place to work in. It’s a very dynamic place with a great culture and excellent Work/Life balance.
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What is paintball?
Paintball is an activity that uses gas-powered guns specially fitted with a chamber to take in bright paint encased in jelly called paintball pellets. These pellets explode on impact and release its content effectively marking the person hit with a bright colour.
There are different scenarios from capture the flag to defend the base and elimination of the opposing team. We played all three.
What Happened
A roll call was given assigning the members of the two teams. We then donned our respective colour coordinated body armour with the girls receiving additional arm sleeves for added protection. This was a contest between the Green and Orange camo teams. Protective masks were handed out and donned. A short briefing followed on proper gun handling and the basic rules for each scenario.
And we were off!
It’s funny how an hour and a half seem to just pass by so quickly.
By the time we were done, the sun was at its highest point and was beating us down mercilessly. It’s a good thing the food was ready when the last person was taken out and the field declared free.
A short prayer was given by our Senior Designer, Roque Jay Maneja and a short appreciation speech by Andrew for those who participated and about the day’s events.
Games followed after filling our bellies with the food.
The place was filled with children which added to the festive atmosphere Forest Hill Resort had. The excitement everyone experienced in the field was carried over to the mess hall. Videos, pictures, stories were traded. Everyone compared bruises, scratches and where they basically got hit.
At the end of the day, it didn’t matter who won or lost. The pain, the scratches and bruises, these were just some of the things experienced by those who participated. A few splotches of colour on their shirts proof that on that day they were fully committed to experiencing the game of paintball.
What mattered most was that everyone had fun, the honour system was honoured, and that when push comes to shove, we are able to band together, commit to a plan and execute it as discussed. It didn’t matter if you hit anyone or you got hit the most, what mattered was how you played the game. But the most important thing we all took home with us was the camaraderie between all, teammate or not and the shared experience that you can only get from participating in activities like these.
And as we headed home, I had these thoughts in my head: “Come Monday, they’ll all be walking funny but they’ll have a great story to tell after that.”
I wonder what exciting activity we’ll have next?
Interested to become a part of the Dash 10 family? We’re located at 2/F Karpentrade Bldg, along McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City. Bring your resume, a positive attitude and skills. For more info, check out our site at: https://www.dash10.ph/