Post-Trip Entry by Mabia =D
In the blink of an eye, 15 days passed and now Serve Cambodia Team 2006, bringing back with them the ever valuable experience, mixed emotions and memories had safely returned to the warm embrace of their homeland, Singapore.
I had been to Cambodia for 15days and the experience and “enlightenment” from the service learning trip I returned with was just simply, simply no words that can describe. From the fearful me who had a withdrawal symptom just before leaving Singapore for Cambodia, to a stronger and a more independent me after leaving Cambodia for my homeland.
To speak the truth, I had witnessed some of the great changes in some of my serve team mates. Character wise i mean. I do not know if it is because that there are no opportunities for them to show their leadership qualities before the Serve Cambodia trip or what but, they really did "showed their true colours" during the trip at Cambodia, expressing their respectable and utmost leadership qualities. *Salutes*
As for me, although I think I am still kind of reserved, however, I feel that I am able to approach strangers more. As in, to ask “Why”, “What”, “Who”, “When”, “Where” and “How” in order to clear any doubts and not to blunder anything up because what we did over there really reflects us as a team, from Singapore. Especially for the case at BAC, where we were the pioneer batch to serve there, so whatever we do we must be cautious in order not to affect the “reputation” or set a bad record for the upcoming batches who were to serve in BAC.
Maybe, maybe people are sometimes forced to adjust to and fit the adversity of the environment. Maybe the character changes of some of us were due to the differentiation in the lifestyle over here at Singapore and over there at Cambodia. It goes the same way for the people at Cambodia. Especially the children, it must have been real hard on them.
After the stay at FGAC and BAC, the visit to Sunshine House and other places and most importantly of all, the reflection after reading the book “The Children of Sunshine House”, I realized that we are far much more blessed and luckier than the many of them. I learnt that there were just too many reasons that brought them to the orphanages and homes; sickness, the death of their parents, poverty, hunger and many more. On a deeper note, thinking, these children from homes and orphanages had suffered hardships and are very lucky to be able to be brought there, what about those children and people who are out there in the world who are not as blessed and lucky to be brought to the homes where they have a roof over their heads and showered tenderly with care, warmth and laughter?
Thinking of this, it really will make one feel so disheartened, thinking that one only have limited capabilities and are not able to do a lot to help everyone in need of help, hoping that everyone who are able, to lend their helping hands and do whatever they can to help.
Also, maybe due to the way they are brought up, they are much more disciplined and well-mannered than the children in Singapore. Maybe not all, but in overall, they are. This allows us to see the major difference between the way children are being brought up and the outcome of the way they are brought up.
Looking at the simplicity of life they are living there, we may feel like living over there, where everything will slow down in pace, where everything will be stress-free and where everything will be so light-hearted. Little did we know, they actually have their own problems. Problems which might not be deemed as a problem in our case. Problems of hunger, problems of love, problems of ill treatment, problems of longing for a shelter over their heads and many more.
To them, these are great big road blocks to their smooth future. To them, they could only walk a step at a time and dared not think about the future. To some of them, there is no hope. However, seeing and knowing that most of the children I interacted with during the trip had expressed their aspiration to hold great careers and to work real hard to visit us some day in Singapore, it was a real assurance to know that they are still gleaming with hope about their future. Hurray!
Leaving them to return to Singapore was a challenge. Although it was just nearly a mere week with them at each place but the bond and friendship had grown strong and sturdy over the days. Though we cried a lot and fought against the pain of us leaving them, I remembered one of the boys whom teased me for being horizontally challenged and no doubt I was a bit pissed initially and eventually my “anger” subsided because I find him nice and he said “Not goodbye forever” to me. Really. Tears flowed down immediately as I embraced him into my arms. Oh my god. And his name is, Sark. I will never forget you.
Last but not least, I want to say a VERY BIG “THANK YOU” to everybody who made the Serve Cambodia Trip a memorable, heart-warming and successful one! Thank you all for making it possible.
I am sure that the memories of our time at Cambodia will be deeply etched in our hearts.
Mabia
Serve Cambodia Team 2006
I had been to Cambodia for 15days and the experience and “enlightenment” from the service learning trip I returned with was just simply, simply no words that can describe. From the fearful me who had a withdrawal symptom just before leaving Singapore for Cambodia, to a stronger and a more independent me after leaving Cambodia for my homeland.
To speak the truth, I had witnessed some of the great changes in some of my serve team mates. Character wise i mean. I do not know if it is because that there are no opportunities for them to show their leadership qualities before the Serve Cambodia trip or what but, they really did "showed their true colours" during the trip at Cambodia, expressing their respectable and utmost leadership qualities. *Salutes*
As for me, although I think I am still kind of reserved, however, I feel that I am able to approach strangers more. As in, to ask “Why”, “What”, “Who”, “When”, “Where” and “How” in order to clear any doubts and not to blunder anything up because what we did over there really reflects us as a team, from Singapore. Especially for the case at BAC, where we were the pioneer batch to serve there, so whatever we do we must be cautious in order not to affect the “reputation” or set a bad record for the upcoming batches who were to serve in BAC.
Maybe, maybe people are sometimes forced to adjust to and fit the adversity of the environment. Maybe the character changes of some of us were due to the differentiation in the lifestyle over here at Singapore and over there at Cambodia. It goes the same way for the people at Cambodia. Especially the children, it must have been real hard on them.
After the stay at FGAC and BAC, the visit to Sunshine House and other places and most importantly of all, the reflection after reading the book “The Children of Sunshine House”, I realized that we are far much more blessed and luckier than the many of them. I learnt that there were just too many reasons that brought them to the orphanages and homes; sickness, the death of their parents, poverty, hunger and many more. On a deeper note, thinking, these children from homes and orphanages had suffered hardships and are very lucky to be able to be brought there, what about those children and people who are out there in the world who are not as blessed and lucky to be brought to the homes where they have a roof over their heads and showered tenderly with care, warmth and laughter?
Thinking of this, it really will make one feel so disheartened, thinking that one only have limited capabilities and are not able to do a lot to help everyone in need of help, hoping that everyone who are able, to lend their helping hands and do whatever they can to help.
Also, maybe due to the way they are brought up, they are much more disciplined and well-mannered than the children in Singapore. Maybe not all, but in overall, they are. This allows us to see the major difference between the way children are being brought up and the outcome of the way they are brought up.
Looking at the simplicity of life they are living there, we may feel like living over there, where everything will slow down in pace, where everything will be stress-free and where everything will be so light-hearted. Little did we know, they actually have their own problems. Problems which might not be deemed as a problem in our case. Problems of hunger, problems of love, problems of ill treatment, problems of longing for a shelter over their heads and many more.
To them, these are great big road blocks to their smooth future. To them, they could only walk a step at a time and dared not think about the future. To some of them, there is no hope. However, seeing and knowing that most of the children I interacted with during the trip had expressed their aspiration to hold great careers and to work real hard to visit us some day in Singapore, it was a real assurance to know that they are still gleaming with hope about their future. Hurray!
Leaving them to return to Singapore was a challenge. Although it was just nearly a mere week with them at each place but the bond and friendship had grown strong and sturdy over the days. Though we cried a lot and fought against the pain of us leaving them, I remembered one of the boys whom teased me for being horizontally challenged and no doubt I was a bit pissed initially and eventually my “anger” subsided because I find him nice and he said “Not goodbye forever” to me. Really. Tears flowed down immediately as I embraced him into my arms. Oh my god. And his name is, Sark. I will never forget you.
Last but not least, I want to say a VERY BIG “THANK YOU” to everybody who made the Serve Cambodia Trip a memorable, heart-warming and successful one! Thank you all for making it possible.
I am sure that the memories of our time at Cambodia will be deeply etched in our hearts.
Mabia
Serve Cambodia Team 2006
posted by MaBia at 12:06 am
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