My reflection before going Cambodia- Yanping

The first thought when I first decided to join Serve Cambodia 2006 is that this is my final chance to go with the school to experience something different and make more friends. I’ve already joined 2 camps in year 1 and 2. I need something different. I decided to join serve trip after I being through the module in my 3.2 called the Work-Integrated-Learning. This module taught me a lot especially about service learning which I guess I could further more get more from Serve Cambodia 2006.

In order to successfully proceed with the trips, many preparations are made and before everything could be started, we needed a team. Our team, 22 persons plus 2 tutors have been rather bonded even before we had our bonding camp. This is actually rather surprising. I would never imagine how this could be done.

Heading to Cambodia in less than 12hours time makes me realize that the whole team is actually sharing a common vision and hence this vision brought us together, bonded and working well together. Well, at least I hope that this bond will last even over at Cambodia. I know conflicts might have already been created during this period of preparation, everyone has learnt to bear with it and I guess this would be a very good chance for me to learn this life-skill of holding my temper as Miss Chew said. After all being over at another stranger country, it’s the best time to curb some bad habits and temper already.

It is really near to leaving my house for airport to meet up with the team. The excitement really does build up. I really wish to experience a completely different life which we had seen in local. A simpler life which seems much more unfortunate but who knows what the people of Cambodia are thinking? Being poor might not be too bad cause often city people had worried far too much about money. “Money is the root of all evil”. I somehow felt that they are living happier than us. They are striving very hard to live and yet in local, we see many trying to leave the world. They don’t have everything that this world could provide such as clean water, sufficient food and stuff, yet they want to live. In local, we have almost all we wanted to have, some chose to die. How ironic? I wish that by experiencing this difference of life will bring me better insights of life.

As one of the year 3s, I think I got the responsible to take care of the welfare of the teams; especially there are a lot of younger juniors in the team. Well, I guess it would be mutual roles of taking care. I hope I could help the team as much as possible with my given ability. Being a big sister may not be easy but I will try. I don’t want to let myself nor the tutors down.

Pre-Trip Post by Mabia =D

It’s now 11.43pm in the night. In 4 more hours I will be leaving home for the airport. Off to Cambodia. On what purpose am I going there for? SERVICE LEARNING that is. Finally, I learnt and understand the meaning and differences between service learning and community service. To think that I kept on saying “community service” in the past before the bonding camp at Punggol where I understood and learnt a lot about the cultures, practices of Cambodia and a lot of other stuffs. I am totally grateful.

Year 1 semester 1, when I am still a greenhorn in the polytechnic and am undoubtedly alien to what are being offered in the School of BA and others, I tend to hold back. However, when I got to know of the Serve trips being organized by School of BA, I told myself, I wanted to go for this trip at least once during the journey of my three years in this polytechnic. My friend then joined and so, for two consecutive semesters, I let this opportunity slipped past me. This semester I did not. I signed up the form with some of my friends and went for the interview. Unfortunately, my friends did not get in and I remembered during the interview and the confirmation, I was asked, “You sure you confirm you want to go if your friends are not selected?” Back then, I know I’m sure not to get selected if I answered “No” and I will not be able to go and when my friends are selected. So I answered “Yes”, and I am prepared for it. Really, even if my friends are not selected. So there I am, now preparing to go for Serve Cambodia Trip.

Sitting in the middle of the mess, CHOOSING what to bring over to Cambodia. Seriously, do the people in Cambodia have such luck like us to CHOOSE what to wear? I don’t think so. Singaporeans like me, are choosy and fussy over what we wear, what we eat. People in Cambodia are already very much contented if they have a roof over their heads. Shame on us. In order to be independent, to learn to show care and concern for the less fortunate, to lend a helping hand when we can, to experience what and how life is over at the other end of the world, I’ve always wanted to go for an overseas service learning trip. Of course, not necessarily overseas trip because, what can we do overseas when we are unable to even help our fellow elderly and the less fortunate in Singapore? Everything starts from scratch. Everything has its own originality. So we have to start from servicing our own country mates. We went to the so-called old folk’s home as our pre-service trip. It had been a wonderful experience as we can interact to a lot of elderly and we are able to communicate well. It’s been a pleasure to see how much they welcome and love us. So touching. So back to main point. Now I have got this chance to do my part, I will definitely make use of it to do my best to do what I can. Although there are sure to be conflicts, be it silent or verbal ones between the team mates, we know we are there to solve it, we are sure to go through all rough patches and blunders together. Am I not right?

Now that we are going to Cambodia, with most of us still unknowing what and how life there is and what is going to happen, I am sure no matter what happens, we will bring the best of what we can to the people of Cambodia, let them feel that love is all around the world and that they are being cared for. Strive on! Serve Cambodia 2006.

Mabia =D

Pre-Post Trip - Jian Zhou

In another last than 6 hours, I and the Serve Cambodia team will be on the plane, begin our journey to a place where I never been before to do Community Service, or rather, Service Community. This would be the 1st time I going overseas without parents’ companion. Thinking about this and some other reasons like of my brother and parents’ health and my younger brother’s exam , I will have a very reluctant feeling to go Cambodia, but then 17th this year and since I came this far, I think I should not drop my duties and carry on, doing something big alone.

I came across this Serve Cambodia when my friend asked me to join. And hearing a lot from my seniors and brother who was previously a Ngee Ann student too, this really interest me. I never regret joining this team because I came to know different kinds of people and at the same time, get to make new great friends. I still could remember only after the WIL-KEYS program that people start to get bonded among one another. And also, through our bonding camp, we came to know what kinds of characteristics we have in our team, how to communicate in order to avoid conflicts among each other and produce results became something which I believed everyone has learnt from the camp.

24 different individuals, originally didn’t know one another, came together to perform something for the outside world is definitely something which is difficult to accomplish. However, we made it seemed like the last 3 months had been a fruitful one. When told to others that our group has not yet done our service in Cambodia, some people wouldn’t have believed because of the way we acted, as if we have known each other for at least a year or so.

Being in this Serve team, I believed my purpose is really to help the people there, to help build a new and better place, but at the same time, having fun while working. Although I have done a lot of community services in Singapore, it is kind of different when you work overseas because of the environment, different kinds of people and unpredictable situations which you may not have faced before here. Watched a lot of documentaries when I was young, part of being influenced by my father, I have learnt a lot and realized how fortunate we are living in Singapore where water and food are readily available. Although my parents keep on saying that I still do not really have the survival skills yet, I am willing to try out this time.

I believed that this trip will be something which will bring the people there and us happiness, and also, valuable lessons of living to be learn. I hoped that conflicts among one another will be as minimal as possible and of course, everyone will enjoy every single thing they do there and instead of complaining why the thing happened, think about why this will happen and the ways to prevent the same thing from happening.

Pre trip post - [eStHeR]

“Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with that happened to him.” – Aldous Huxley

[just another 3hours before i see all you at the airport =))]

Life hasn't been quite the same for the past month. Holiday had been really different from all the previous ones. Holiday would usually means working and plainly hanging out with friends. For this holiday, I had been busy juggling work, meeting up with friends as well as preparing for this serve Cambodia trip. It is an experience little has, it is an experience that I chose to make it happens.

I took a big step out to apply for Serve Cambodia 2006, not knowing what’s going to happen. This is already the 3rd year of my polytechnic life, for the past 2 years, poly life simply means coming to school for lectures and tutorials. This trip is going to be a lifetime experience, a turning point in my poly life. When I first told my dad that I want to go to Cambodia to help the people there, he would go like “Don’t go lah! There are mines, very dangerous.” Now that he allows me to go for this trip, it just proves that he had build trust in me, know that I had grown up and would take good care of myself.

I had been living in Singapore, in our own comfort zone for the past 18 years or so. I had always been pretty lucky, able to get into the secondary school and polytechnic of my choice as well as being able to study a course that I had interest in. Truthfully, I had never ever suffered before; I had been hiding under the wings of my parents all along. They had been protecting, caring me all my life, even till when I was packing my luggage my mum would be there asking if I had brought this and that along, etc.

It is time for me to do something, to help those little children who are not as fortunate as me. They are as fortunate as me but it doesn’t means that they are not as happy as I am. To each individuals, how to find happiness are different. Some people could easily be happy, while some have higher expectations. Hopefully, my presence there could bring a smile on their faces and hopefully, I could learn some things from them.

A part of me wanted to do something for the society, while another part of me wanted to go on this trip for an experience and to learn. Sometimes, I wonder whether I am going this trip for my own sake of is it to help others. During the bonding camp, we had been asked a question, are we going on a service trip or learning trip? I do not have the answer to it; perhaps there wouldn’t even be a model answer to this question or I might have the answer to this question only after the trip.

Through the bonding camp, I realized that I would be living with another 23 different people. Each one of us has different live, different experience, different opinion, different thinking and different ways of doing things. We can’t change anyone and we shouldn’t be changing anyone, each one of us is unique in our own ways. However, there are bounded to be conflicts. This is why there is a need for all of us to learn to accept one another, whether it’s the flaws or beauty that we have inside us.

This trip is definitely a lifetime experience that I cannot miss. We would go as team and come back feeling like a family. =)

esther

pre trip reflection from siwei.

i have heard about serve cambodia the first semester i entered ngee ann poly. i have friends who joined but i didnt think much of it. didnt really expected me to have joined in the end as well. the main reason for me to join serve cambodia is because i hope to share and help and of cause, to learn.

since young, i have been leading a good life even though i grow up in a single parent family. i am considered lucky enough because i still have my mum. children over at cambodia are ophans and i hope to bring joy over to them. i do feel that life in singapore is great and still, we kids still complain over slightest of things. so i hope, after the trip, i will be more sensitive to life and be more mature along the way.

when i was young, my mum often brought me to homes for the elderly to help them and stuff. as i grow up, these activities lessened. i miss the feeling when i helped people. when they smiled and laugh when you do things to help them. i will feel very good. this time round, i am determined to share the fun and happiness in me, together with the kids over in cambodia. i just enjoyed bringing laughter to people around me. i wan to do a part in spreading happiness around this world.

this will be a great learning opportunity for me to learn to be independent. it will be the first time i leave my home, my family for such a long period of time, to a foreign and unfamiliar place. its a once in a life time experience to me and i guess if i were to miss this trip, i will definitely miss lots of things to learn and lots more.

i believe this trip, will not only benefit the kids at cambodia. we will also benefit from it. we are not helping and serving them only. we are also learning from them. the different lifestyles that we have. there is too muach a difference. if they were to live our lifestyle, they will be happy and glad. if we were to live their lifestyle now, will we be able to take it? just pondering.

all in all, i am going to learn and to serve. this will be a very fruitful trip for me. i will cherish this alot as not many people have the chance to go and see the outside world. buddies of serve cam! i believe we can work very well, hand in hand to help to serve right? lets work hard together and cheers!! this is getting exciting for me. just a few hours left and i have to coop on my own without my family around me. after this trip, i will be another new person. this will most likely be a turning point in my life.

Pre-trip reflection - Hwee Yim

In another few more hours, I'm going to meet my team at Changi Airport. I'm looking forward to the trip and working together with the rest of my team. Its the first time I'm leaving my parents for another place for 15 days without them around.

I became interested about the serve trips during the freshies orientation. I wanted to go for the trip is because I had not experience community service at another country before. Its a good time for me to experience it. I had been leading a good life since I was born and had no real experience of how poverty is like. I had never been to a third world country and through this opportunity, I'm able to know more about the lifestyle and culture.

Some people may ask me why do I have to go all the way to other country to do community service where we could also help the society in Singapore. In Singapore, there are helping hands everywhere while in third world country like Cambodia, millions of kids out there, searching for helping hands and warmth.

I join this trip is also to get to know more new friends. Some of us really bond before the actual trip. But will we still as bonded after the trip? I join this trip is also to train up on my leadership skills. I believe leadership skills can be improved on through getting myself hands on.

I was selected to be the I/C for logistics. I had never do logistics before and I had a hard time esp during the bonding camp where me and my partner had to rush the logistics stuffs. As both of us had no experience of doing logistics before, we had a hard time getting things done. But luckily, guidance from the more experience ones had really help us alot in getting the things started.

I hope for a good trip to Cambodia and a good team working together. Bringing joy and warmth to them, hoping to add more colours to their lives.

Pre-Trip - Dickson

In another 12 hours, I will be meeting up with 23 others at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1, Row 5.

In another 15 hours, I will be flying off on JetStarAsia 3K591 heading towards Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

In another 17 hours, I will be on a never-stepped-before foreign land, away from my family and home.

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Approximately 4 months ago, I retrieved a SERVE Cambodia 2006 form. I filled it and handed it up, even without the company of my friends.

It is going to be an opportunity of a lifetime.
An opportunity to journey through from 1st World to 3rd World.
An opportunity to widen my viewpoints and thoughts.

Pictures speakth a thousand words.
In pictures, we see smiles before a Singaporean skyline.
In pictures, we see smiles before a Cambodian village.
We live in high-rise buildings, they might not have a house.
We pick on food, they might be starving.
We wear branded, they wear rags.
But do you see any differences on those smiles?

No. Despite the differing lifestyles, we all wear the same smiles. In fact, I think their smiles come more often than ours... They are contented if they have a roof, clothes and food. We never get contented and continue chasing after more money, bigger houses, better food and more branded.

I ask myself, "Do we have the right to judge that we are leading a more right, better lifestyle than the Cambodians? Is it definitely better if they develop and live our lives? While the Cambodians have their problems, we have our own problems too. Will it be better if they live our lives, are exposed to our problems and become as glum as we are? Will they be better off being status quo?".

Think again, our main objective for the trip is perhaps service-learning and personal development. Our secondary objective is to help the childcare centres build requested facilities.

We are there to learn and realise ourselves more.

For the past month, we have worked together and it all had turned out well.
24 different individuals, 24 different personalites, 24 different thinkings.
In the next 15 days, 24 of us will be our only reliance.
In the next 15 days, 24 of us will once again make things happen and turn things out well.
In the next 15 days, we will learn what we cannot in textbooks and 150 days.

pre trip post by peiwen

This is not my first time going to Cambodia, in fact it is my second because I am still so in love with that place. Cambodia is a place very rich in culture and heritage. Even though the people there may not have the best environment to live in, they are still very much blessed with various organizations and missionaries groups to relief their situations there.

Being in Singapore makes me feel very fortunate when I compare myself to other people. Most of my needs are being met and I do not have to fret over the basic needs of life. Unlike me, the Cambodia children may even have to worry about their 3 meals and a shelter for them to stay under, so what is going to happen next in their life and what is their future? They probably won’t even know the answer themselves. The more fortunate children would probably have a roof under their heads, meals being taken care of and even a school to study in. But the unfortunate ones do not even have clothes to wear.

Many times I would think I can help the children there and try my best by providing them their needs, it is true I can help them but also in fact they are the ones that help me learn and giving the experience I would not have if I did not choose to go on the trip. It helps me to learn to be contented and see beyond my own needs and being exposed to the world out there.

This team is made up of people with different personalities and characters. As far as it is, within a group, there will definitely be different opinions. The bonding camp was like training ground for all of us when we learn to work with one another. So I think it is very important for everyone to have open heart and mind to be ready to accept each other. That is a part of growing and experiencing. I believe it is essential as well in the future in handling human relations.

I believe every trip is different. Even though I would likely know what I would probably expect there in terms of environment and people, but unexpected events will still occur. I am someone who does not like changes; therefore I hope to be able to adapt myself in every situation I face.

Some of the objectives I have the trip I hope to achieve is I hope to bless the children with what I have, build friendships in this team and gaining new perspectives different from the previous trip.


I hope that all of us can have fun and learning something valuable from this trip…:)

Pre-trip Blog Entry-Latifah

Life is full of people who will make you laugh, cry, smile until your face hurts, and so happy that you think you'll burst. But the ones who leave their footprints on your soul are the ones that keep your life going.

Since 1st year in poly,i came across this poster that reads SERVE CAMBODIA...I've always wanted to take part in overseas expedition project but i simply cannot find the time to do just that..But now that i have one more semester left in Ngee Ann Poly,i feel that i should contribute my time and services to make their lives a much more happier and fulfilling one...Living in Spore has made all of us very dependent on our family and friends.Everything that we want is right in front of our eyes and because of that,we tend to take things for granted..The reason i signed up for this Cambodia trip is to challenge myself physically and mentally and to raise my limits up to a certain level..I've heard people say that their lives have made a 360 degrees turnaround after they come back from an overseas expedition project...

As you know living with 22 people with different kinds of personalities is indeed not easy but im willing to see hw it turns out to be..I guess thru the preparations that we have made as a team made mi realise that a person could have double personalities which is a good and bad one.This is indeed a test of friendships as to whether they are real friends or just friends that are onli there for you at that moment of time only..

Im glad that i have my own grp of friends who supports me in participating in this overseas expedition project.Juz a few words for my fellow team mates: Though sometimes some of us do miscommunicate, i hope that we put all our differences aside and maintain a positive attitude in Cambodia..Imagine that all our tiny squabbles and misunderstandings are nothing as compared the poverty lives that Cambodians has to go through everyday of their lives..

3 cheers for our Cambodia trip!!!!

pre trip post~

Everyone born in this world has a unique role that only he or she can fulfill. Were this not the case, we would not be here. The universe never acts without cause; everything invariably has a reason for being. Even the weeds people love to loathe serve a purpose. I might add that every cherry blossom has its own personality, a purpose and meaning in life that is unique to it—as do the plum, peach and damson.
Daisaku Ikeda
http://www.ikedaquotes.org/contents/quotes/life.html

When it was announced that it is going to be either Cambodia or Thailand, I wanted to join the Cambodia team. Why? I felt that between Thailand and Cambodia, Cambodia still needs more help, in terms of economic and standard of living. There are so many things that really made me want to go Cambodia more. The culture, the experience beyond just sight seeing, the lessons we can learn beyond textbooks.

She is still a 3rd world country, who suffered under Pol Pot. Millions of people killed under his rule. There is still the Vietnam War, which also got Cambodia involved. She needs a helping hand badly though she is improving.

As with the quote above, each and every one of us in the team are different individuals. Each of us are unique in our own way.

A plum is a plum. A cherry is a cherry. A peach is a peach. A damson is a damson. When all are planted into a garden, they beautify it. People get to enjoy the scenery. Each of us with different characters are coming together, to help someone else in need, to give others a better life. To put aside all our differences and go there together as one. Before we help others, are we helping ourselves too? To strengthen each other’s strengths and to overcome own weaknesses.

To teach what we learnt, to understand, to love, to forgive, to forget, to smile, to solve, being passionate, to bring joy to the places we are going. It is all so many different emotions coming together as one, from many different people. Many bodies, one in mind, but are we there yet? I do hope so since its just hours to the trip now.

This team, consisting of 12 year 3s, 5 year 2s n 5 year 1s, is the largest team so far who’ll be going to Cambodia all these years. With half the team graduating soon, would the others cope? I think they did a good job in the bonding camp. *cheers for them*

Cambodia is a place where most of us will be there for the first time. What will happen there? What is it like over there? How tough will it be over there since most of us are so used to the luxuries we have in Singapore? Will we get used to the culture there fast? Will we interact well with the kids? Will they enjoy what we gave them? Will they remember us? These questions I do not know and will not know till we come back from there.

Many things happened during these few weeks.. All of us are busy with all our different roles. Let us all really come together as one to bring joy, hope, fun, laughter and happiness to all around us over there.

cheers

joy

My Pre-Trip Reflections
By Ginni :D

I’m always very interested about overseas community service and had looked forward to be able to participate in it. Hence, I would like to make use of this opportunity to thank Ngee Ann for allowing me to participate in it and to thank the teachers for selecting me. THANK YOU! :D

For me, I joined Serve Cambodia without knowing anybody but will the mentality to help the less fortunate over there and to gain multiple experience, life skills and beautiful memories from there. And I’m very glad to be able to know this group of friends from Serve Cambodia. Each and every one of them is unique in their own way and has a character of their own.

Joining the trip as a year 1 is quite intimidating for me as I didn’t know anyone there at first, but slowly, as time passes, things got better. The seniors really taught and helped me in several many things such as computer knowledge, leadership skills, interpersonal skills and etc.

During the bonding camp, we were asked many questions such as “is this trip more of a service or learning”, “what’s the difference between the Cambodian kid and me?”, “what’s the difference charity and transformation?” To be frank, at this point of time, I still dun have a complete answer to these questions. And this worries me, because if I don’t have a answer, why am I going Cambodia? And I hope I’ll be able to answer these questions when I come back from there. But nevertheless, I hope to learn as much as possible from the Cambodian kids and the whole trip itself. They may not be as fortunate as us (we Singaporeans) with e stable government and economy. Poverty over there is prominent.It’s difficult for them to have 3 meals a day, a proper sleeping area, a proper home but yet they are able to carry a smile. Why is it so?

As the trip draws nearer, meetings become more frequent and hence the probability of having conflicts is inevitable. Through these conflicts, all of us grow up. We learnt about the good and bad points of each other. We learnt about each other’s management style. Some may be stubborn, some may be quick-tempered, and some may be the peace-makers while some will just sit back and be the audience.

As much as how I looked forward to the trip, I questioned myself if I’m able to adapt to the environment there. Will I get use to the food over there; will I be able to get use to the culture over there? How adaptable am I? Being born in Singapore, most of us are pampered with the “good things” that we have over here. Will we be able to put the “good things” down and not compare to the Cambodian?

Someone once asked me, “Why am I paying $388 to serve others?” I answered by saying “I don’t pay to serve, but I pay because I’m want to serve”. I want to give a helping hand to those in need over at Cambodia. I want to have a feel of what it is like out of the comfort zone. I want to feel what it is like to live in a third world country.

All in all, I hope that the trip will be enjoyable and fruitful to each and every one of us. The trip ahead may be tired and challenging, but fear not, because we all have each other for support and help. I believe we’ll be able to work as a team and laugh, smile, joke and cry as a team.

My Reflections - Alexander

Sometimes I think to myself, am I doing enough for the community? Recently, I was pondering upon this question, and the answer is clearly a “NO”. What does it mean to “do community service”? What does it mean to “give back to the community”? Many people have different viewpoints on this. There is no definite answer, but to me, what matters most is the intention behind doing “community service”, in other words, are we doing community service for the right reason? I feel that learning only comes after this stage.

Living in Singapore, I would say most of us are more fortunate (economically) as compared to the population in Cambodia, where we are heading to. Because of this, some of us (eg. me), are more pampered and spoilt (not that being in a more fortunate country is bad). In short, we take things for granted.

As I was packing my bag for the trip, I realized I was taking very long, in fact, it was longer than usual. I had so many things to pack, so many things to choose to bring. I was thinking whether I should bring a backpack or a luggage. What I am saying is, I was “spoilt for CHOICE”. Thinking about the Cambodian kids, do they generally have this service/privilege called “CHOICE”?

Ever since I came into the polytechnic, I told myself that I would try my best not to be such an introvert, and just be “active”, and participate in whatever activities I can participate in. Ever since, I have joined many things, ranging from teambuilding camps, to leadership roles in the school’s orientation programme for freshmen, roles in my cca, even roles outside school. What have I learnt from these? I have learnt more about Leadership. Is Leadership important? Yes, leadership IS important. However, what good is leadership if you can’t even CARE for people? What good is leadership if you only think about yourself?

On another note, by working as a team, there is bound to be arguments, conflicts, silent wars, negative remarks about/to each other. I guess having these “vitamins” makes the team “healthier”, in the sense that we will be able to learn from each other’s mistakes, and then grow as a leader/follower from there. However, having an over dosage of these “vitamins” will not be too good for us. I guess we should learn to accept each other and forgive all past grievances. By forgiving, I do not mean forgetting, as you might have heard from some people saying “forgive and forget”. How can one forget, unless he is brainwashed? However, by forgiving, I mean to put away all anger, malice, slander, hate, and not bring it up again such that it may cause more hurt. Which is easier? To continue hating, leading to gossips, leading to more division among the group, or just simply forgiving? On the other hand, does asking for forgiveness mean you “lose face”? I do not think so. We should also understand that as humans, we are all different; we have different styles of working, different personalities, etc…

I believe that we are still learning, at least, I am still learning, because I still have a lot to learn, whether it is about leadership, or about caring, or about forgiving, being more understanding, or about Cambodian kids, their culture, their lifestyle.

For this trip, let’s all have fun together while learning; let’s exchange our laughter with them. I believe that this trip will change my view on many things by the time I reach back home. I am glad that I have the chance to go for this service learning trip to Cambodia.

By,
Alexander Tang

Pre cambodia trip post

The many sounds that meet our ears, the sights our eyes behold,
Will open up our merging hearts,
And feed our empty souls. - Stevie wonder

Its funny how we (ie; young Singaporeans) took things for granted. We have a decent roof over our head, a world class education system and almost everything in our mercy, and yet we are complaining abt everything and anything 24/7
And i do that all the time. Even though, im fully aware that some of teens ard my age in a 3rd world country are probably much worse off than i am, no food, no money and no house. I would watch them on TV and thinking "oh poor them...i should consider myself fortunate and not take things for granted." And i would be all remorse about how self centred i was...for the next 5 mins or so.

See, the thing is, Singaporeans in general, are a fortunate lot and we will never know how fortunate we are till, we really experience life in a 3rd world country. It's not the same as watching them on Discovery channel or in the news. And so this Serve Cambodia trip is a great start for me.

I hope to make a difference, big or small, to their lives. Mr Ng once said during the bonding camp about how we are going to bring joy/happiness to their lives. And i am like "REALLY DUDE?" I was thinking are we the happier ones just because we have an easier life compared to them. Does all this things like, good food, a condo, a stable PAP govt make us a happier lot? Or are we all just encased in a hollow shell chasing the Singapore Dream? I don't know.

This Serve cambodia trip also serves as taking a huge leap of my comfort zone and experience the hard life.

Pre-trip post! Enjoy!

I have always been living in comfort due to my parents’ hard work and I got to admit, there are times when I take my family, friends and money for granted. I know how lucky I am to be born into the Goh family, living in Singapore where it’s strategically located, it has a stable government and it’s a peaceful country. But there are times when I lose myself and find my life meaningless. Hence the decision to join Serve Cambodia because I want to know what it’s like to live in a less developed country and how it feels to be them, eating, working and sleeping in poverty. And I’m in need of a change in environment even though it will only be for two weeks.

The Serve Cambodia team has been meeting up constantly for the past few weeks. Yes, there are conflicts, differences in opinions and unsetting issues, but I hope that we can learn to accept one another’s flaws and accept that person for who he/she is. That’s always two sides of a coin, what you perceive may be different from me but that doesn’t mean either of one of us is wrong. I guess everyone needs to keep an open mind and accept other opinions.

Two weeks before, I was very excited about the Cambodia trip and anticipated tons of fun. But today, I am somehow afraid to expect too much. Nonetheless, I hope this trip would make a difference in my life as it will definitely be a memorable journey. I expect a different me when I’m back from Cambodia or rather a much better me. I want to learn to be independent, selfless, to have a caring heart, to curb my temper and improve my tolerance and patience. Through this trip, I wish to get to know all the 24 of us better and to not judge others based on words of mouth but through interaction. And that when we are back in Singapore, we will all still remain as friends and not foes. Forgive and forget.

I hope I can help the people of Cambodia and that I can bring them joy and laughter. And also that our stay there would leave them memorable prints in their life as it will definitely have an impact on mine.

As for the Serve Cambodia Team 2006, I feel that we are going that with the same goal and intentions, so let’s do everything with perseverance and patience. The road ahead may seem daunting at times but with will power, we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. And we should enjoy doing everything out of passion and loves. It is pointless doing something that you are forced to do.

Let’s enjoy our trip, have tons of fun and laughter and not be crippled by obstacles along the way but try to overcome them. =D

YuanJin

Reflections before the Cambodia trip-Stanley =D

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston ChurchillBritish politician (1874 - 1965)

With this quotation in mind to serve and to give the less fortunate I took the first in joining this Cambodia trip. Wanting to broaden my horizon and to see the world we live in. Perhaps living in Singapore we have everything we want and have a stable government to take care all of the citizens. We do not need to worry too much about food, water and shelter these basic necessities; we cannot see how many people from other country is living in poverty and constant struggle for survival.

Watching the Documentary about the developing country I have always want to experience it myself being there. Looking at the poor, the staving, the death, the sadness in people in the television I wish I could do something. Luckily in NP I have the opportunity to do something for the poor. Although it may be a two weeks trip, we cannot save the people; we cannot change the people life and eliminate they gloominess. However I believe it will make a different in myself.

We make a living by what we get but what we get does not write our life. We may have big car, luxury house and tons of money but that does not mean happiness. True we can live lavishly but the heart of one person will not me full if we do not give. It does not mean we have to serve the poor, but at least make someone happy. Family members, friends? Only when we give then we will feel the fullness in ourselves, it does not mean money but true giving. A spoken thanks form the people and a smile will be anything worth doing. What I want to say is that I want to brighten some people. Although is just a small act it like organize games and paint a wall it makes my life in this world meaningful. Life is the events and live is the basic need to stay alive. We should live our life rather than to live for the sake of living.

Cambodia, helping people, love, and friends and giving all these are big words before the trip. I personally know it is just saying but only when I did it than I will truly understand. People, will there be happy when they see us? We they feel warm? Will they understand? Will things happen as we planed? Although having the heart to serve but these uncertainties makes me worry. Nonetheless I feel that that uncertainties make it special to go Cambodia, if everything happened as we planed the value is not as great.

Many things are going on in organizing the trip, many views from each person and many objections in disagreeing with others. We may not have the same perception, same personalities and same feeling. However, I believe the people going the trip will bring a whole heart to give and share and they know the reason of their life. They want to serve so they join the trip right?

People say that serving trip will be more work and fun, but I am sure that we will take pleasure in the work we do. Getting fun from social activities, sight seeing and shopping. And that everyone will get his or her thoughts back to Singapore. The trip will be a memorable (bad or good) and fun.

I do not know what will happen in Cambodia, but all I wish is that everyone will be save back home and that we will be a person who has the extra passion in our heart.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

Stanley

hello everybody,
i'm so sorry for not passing the message abt today's meeting efficiently. it's my bad.
SORRY GUYS!
n because of this, some of u guys were not told of today's meeting n that missed out the information.
n i realised that i shdn't rely on the blog too much. hahha.
(:
ginni