Thursday, December 9, 2010
Charity at Batam, Indonesia
I am back again after a longggggg hiatus from updating my blog, so basically, I am back here again because I have something very interesting to share with you. I have not been a person who is exceptionally excited and into charity work, especially overseas. I guess it is mainly because in Singapore, being a sheltered lot with high quality living compared to the other South East Asian countries, we rarely voluntarily step up to engage ourselves in these type of activities.
So since it was the holidays i decided why not give it a go? SO I ended in Batam on the 27th of November, all ready to go forth to spread the ♥. The agenda for the trip was simple and sweet: to visit the slums and orphanage, and make sure that they have a blast with us. Our leader told us that there would be approximately 200 little children there, and since she had been there before, she knew exactly what would excite them:
STUFF TOYS!!
So, like a group people awaiting the "grab-all-you-can" opportunity, we gathered in front of the entrance of Carrefour and waited. and waited. and waited until FINALLY the shutter was raised and we started our "shopping spree"! Pulling our baskets and pushing our trolleys, we searched high and low for useful items which not only came in bulk, but also fitted our budget. Any non-Malay speaking shopper would be in dire straits when faced with this sort of situation because fundamentally, you didn't know how to ask for more supplies. FORTUNATELY, *taps self on chest* equipped with Bahasa Melayu, I managed to be quite a big help :D The store assistants too felt more comfortable conversing with someone who spoke their native language.
So after our fruitful and productive shopping, we finally made our way down to the slum area. Whenever, the word "slum" was mentioned, the image of Slumdog Millionaire would immediately appear in my head; the dilapidated alleys, without a single decent house in sight, scavengers roaming the grounds, along with the strong stench of waste. I was mentally prepared as we approached our destination, and guess what? it wasn't that bad.
I was ELATED! Not because it dawned on me that the experience would not be as difficult and harsh as I thought it would be, but rather I felt comforted by the fact that their situation was actually relatively good for a slum. In my opinion, I would call it a kampung instead because the place for waste disposal was located near the entrance of the slum, so as you proceed further in, the smell was eventually completely dissipated. Some girls even came to greet us in cute party dresses :D
So with ALL the stuff toys, we started on our mission: PHOTO-TAKING TIME!!
It was rather difficult to get some of the children to smile at first because they were afraid of the camera - to those who have never seen it before, it can actually seem quite menacing and we were glad no attempt was made in using the flash.
The rest of the time was spent developing the photos ON THE SPOT for them, which was really fascinating to them because they got to witness the pictures coming alive, layer by layer. Despite the heat and humidity, all of us felt a strong sense of accomplishment when we saw the smiles on their faces (:
It is definitely an experience which i will never forget, and this has fired my passion to serve in more causes such as these. It is always important to note that SEA is, afterall, one big family, so we should always reach out a helping hand to those in need, especially the peopl living in our area, our global community.
6:10 AM
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Cambodia RSP trip (part 4)
7:21 AM
Cambodia RSP trip (part 3)
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Cambodia RSP trip (part 2)
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Cambodia RSP trip (part 1)
Well, it's been a while since my trip to Cambodia and I must say, my memory isn't currently in the best state. Nevertheless, I feel the need to write about Cambodia because it was this trip which invoked numerous emotions within me.
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
~~If you forget me by Pablo Neruda~~
Cambodia in my eyes is a rather fragile country, partly due to the fact that its haunting past still leaves remnants and debris in both the physical infrastructure of the country, but most importantly, in the hearts of the people. After all, the ones who make up a country are its countrymen.
Upon arrival at the airport of Cambodia (we did not land in Phnom Penh on the first day) and I was rather surprised that we actually had to alight the plane at the airbase, unlike the situation at the Singapore Changi Airport where airtight airconditioned tunnels form a seamless passageway to guide you all the way from the cabin of the plane to the welcoming airport building.
The first thought which came mind was not that Singapore had much better facilities but the fact that this unique feature in itself made alighting of planes, well, more interesting. Waiting in the hot sun to enter the customs whilst being greeted by a building with a somewhat Minangkabau architecture (sorry but I am not exactly sure what term I should use ^^) is definitely not what Singaporeans see everyday.
So I shall pass talking about the bus ride and how all of us drifted away into dreamland, and start on the first stop of our itinerary: the silkworm factory.
Everything seemed peaceful, calm and inviting when we first entered the premises of the factory and tourist shop, as being a wood-lover, I felt rather at home amidst the wooden stilt structures within the area. However, as we made our way further to the first exhibit, we were greeted by a not so pleasant bunch. I'm not talking about the people of course, they were hospitable and friendly towards us foreigners, but rather I am referring to the baskets teeming with silkworms.
Welll.. moving on :) This was the first time I have actually seen how silk is manufactured. One would expect machinery of advanced technology, considering how Singapore is all for technology, but instead we entered a very humble labour intensive "industrial building" - if I may call it that. While we students and teachers were complaining about the intense heat during this dry season, the workers happily went about their daily work routines is long sleeved shirts and long pants, not showing a single sign of unhappiness. In Singapore, these kind of jobs which demand intensive labour and effort are often unwanted or frowned upon, but what many of us fail to see is that we should not look at this in the perspective of "This is a tiring job, let someone else do it" but rather it is an opportunity to learn a new skill. I can surely say, compared to our businessmen and women adorned with power suits, these diligents workers and surely more agile and productive than we are.
The following photos below show just a few of the many intriguing machinery used in the factory:
Since shopping at the night markets is not exactly the main point of the trip, but i would like to share this interesting thing I saw at the markets ^^:
how CUTE! :))
and last but not least!! OUR VIEW FROM OUR HOTEL ROOM!
6:29 AM
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Day 3-7 TKC
Day 3 was the first day of our visit to Tunku Kurshiah College for the school immersion programme.
The school immersion trip with Tunku Kurshiah College, in Negeri Sembilan was really enriching for us as we had the opportunity to observe, compare and contrast our lifestyles and that of the Malaysian students. We definitely suffered from a culture shock from the first minute which we stepped into the gates of Tunku Kurshiah College. Upon arrival at the college, we realised that many of the facilities which we expected to see in the school grounds were absent, the living conditions were not as pristine as we had imagined it to be and some of the toilets were not functioning properly. However, it took us a while to realize that it was not the school which fell short of our expectations, but rather, that we had lost the true meaning of attending a school.
We realised that the real existence of a school was not so that the students could admire the school facilities or for the students to regard it as a resort whereby studying comes as a package deal. We were inspired and awed by the students’ passion and spirit of wanting to excel in school, and the hospitality which they showered us with during the entire four days of immersion programme. Many of the students live in the dormitories, far away from their homeland, and yet their drive to excel remains strong and is evident through interaction with them, and the expectations which they set for themselves as students from the best girls’ school in Malaysia. Furthermore, it was also a wonder how the girls at Tunku Kurshiah College manage to juggle between their school work, school duties and other co-curricular activities which, to us, seem like a tall order with our already busy schedules every week. Through this experience, we learnt about independence and not to take things for granted and to appreciate the numerous luxuries which we are able to enjoy here in Singapore.
My buddy was AWESOME! Her name was Fatihah, and she was a senior by one year. It was touching how she was willing to leave her family, to travel all the way from Perak to Negeri Sembilan just to study in Tunku Kurshiah College, unlike us who have already started complaining about taking the MRT from Orchard to Jurong East. They realy understand the worth of education and treasure it so much that they are willing to sacrifice many things. Despite the strict rules, due to the fact that it is a boarding school, they still enjoy their education there, and have no signs of regret at all.
Apart from our observations and conversations with our buddies, we also went through some lessons in school, and the most memorable ones were definitely the pantun and dance lessons. Pantun is a form of Malay poem which has very melodious and unique intonations such as the stresses and the slurs, to further bring out the rhythm and beauty of what the pantun is trying to convey to the reader.
The Malay dance which they taught us was somewhat familiar ground as we had done something very similar during the RSP camp which we took part in Victoria School. Unfortunately, we couldnt remember a single thing, except for the fact that we had done that dance before. So after learning and practising the dance steps, it was show time, and we were actually quite good at it after all.
A treasure hunt at Seremban lake gardens was one of the games and activities which we went through. Although the drizzle tore our map and caused our activity sheet to slightly disintegrate, we still "braved the storms" and completed the entire course. Of course, my team came in ans CHAMPIONS! receiving a huge hamper as our prize. :D
6:48 PM
Monday, November 30, 2009
Malaysia: a neighbour and friend
An immersion trip, 9D "vacation" to Malaysia brought me through their culture, heritage and education system by engaging in an exchange programme with the best girls' school in Malaysia, Tunku Kurshiah College. We did not immediately venture forth to the school on our first day, rather we took to sightseeing in Melaka as our first stop of the trip.
Melaka, being the cultural and traditional state that it is, really opened our eyes to the history and lifestyles of the people there. Upon arriving at site, we were introduced to the various religious places of worship found along jonker street and its vicinity. We were surprised how similar singapore was with Melaka, in a sense that a hindu temple, chinese temple and church could all be found of the same street, serving as evidence that the two countries are indeed open to various religions and therefore live harmoniously as multi-religious countries.
The tour consisted of visits to:
Tranquerah Mosque
where we had the chance to catch a glimpse of Sultan Hussein's tomb, covered with royal yellow cloth, signifying his status and power in the Malaysian community and royalty.
Our next destination was supposed to be Bukit Cina but due to the unpredictable weather, the sudden downpour hindered us from carrying out the rest of our itinerary, causing us to be "trapped" in St. Paul's Church to seek shelter and observe a lizard. Despite the rain, I still had to confess that the first day was interesting in its own way: the vivid descriptions of the stories behind the murals, decorations and paintings in the temples and churches were an eye-opener to me and my RSPmates.
DaY 2
we gather for breakfast in the hotel cafe and set off for the chitty village. These people living in the chitty village are not the common folk whom you spot everywhere in Melaka, rather this is a special group of people - the chittys are actually Indian traders who, during the period where spice trade was at its peak, travelled from the Southern parts of India to Melaka, where they married the local women. Although they accepted the Malay cultures as their own, they still managed to maintain their religion, which was hinduism, within that community.
It was very interesting how the chitty was an example of not a clash, but a beautiful mix of culture where everything ranging from festivals to traditional costumes seem so exotic. One of the Chitty villagers demonstrated how to string flower buds to form a delicate flower garland, but unfortunately, our butter fingers were not able to accomplish that tall order given to us :D
We visited the Chitty museum as well, which showcased the cooking utensils, things needed during a typical Chitty wedding ceremony, and other symbolic accessories or decorations.
After experiencing the cultural side of Malaysia, we abruptly shift to adapt to the metropolitan area of Malaysia, the administrative capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya. To be able to observe the stark contrast of two totally different areas of Malaysia in one single day was certainly unforgettable. Putrajaya looks as if it was modeled after a city from a science fiction novel, having larger than life buildings with amazing architecture, the sheer size of them would surely WOW you. Along with the unconventional streetlamps and traffic lights,the futuristic feel of Putrajaya is a city like none other. (I'm starting to sound like a tourism advertisement) Certainly, it's a trip which I would never forget. I guess the setting up of Putrajaya brings Malaysia one step closer to fulfilling their dream of "wawasan 2020", refering to the vision of Malaysia becoming a developed country by the year 2020.
Shopping is not exactly the most interesting tale one can find in a blog, so since im skipping the details on that, it has come to the end of Day 2! Tomorrow? It's really the start of the school immersion programme with Tunku Kurshiah College. :D
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