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| Saturday, 22-Oct-2005 00:00 |
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MayDay Live Concert @ Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium
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Yes, you must thought that I must be crazy to fork out an exorbitant amount on Mayday live concert squeezing right in front at the 8th row of the front stage! 
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| Friday, 23-Sep-2005 00:00 |
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Gathering at Gan Guo Ju 干锅居
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It has been a really long time that we had not met up after we went back home. Now, it's finally another gathering!
And it happened to be the day where my left lens got washed into the basin! Damn 
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| Saturday, 30-Jul-2005 00:00 |
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Hall Convocation Shoot
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After 4 years of staying in Hall 6 in the same block, nothing else beats better than returning back and reuniting with old friends once again! 
A pity that a lot others were unaware of the event, alas, many were not around in hall on a weekend sigh.. a pity.. 
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| Tuesday, 26-Jul-2005 00:00 |
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Jakarta Trip Day 5
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We finally decided to put a stop to all those horrendous shoppings and behave like a tourist on sight seeing After much thoughts, we decided to go ahead to Punchak. Punchak is known well for its cool weather and its abundance of flower gardens and tea plantations.
A pity we only started moving off in the early afternoon. By the time we reached one of the flower garden there, it was already near evening time. We only spent slightly more than an hour inside their. Nevertheless, the trip was a refreshing break off the normal shopping routine. A temporary getaway from the perennial traffic jam in Jakarta also! 
We even made a stop trip to Bogor and had our dinner there before going on to visit a distant relative of mine staying over there.
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| Monday, 25-Jul-2005 00:00 |
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Jakarta Trip Day 4
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The past 2 mornings we were having Indomie and Setiap for our breakfast. Luckily we decided to take a stroll to the stretch of food stalls just beside our apartment hotel this morning to have our breakfast 
Their ayam soto, tahu goreng and gado gado are always a favorite for me. Guess no where in Singapore can you find an exact flavour of what I can get over here!
My aunts are going to shop at Pasar Pagi Manga Dua again. My uncle and I decided not to tag anymore as it can really be torturous for us. It is just storeys after storeys of clothings, bags and shoes. We decided to be more adventurous and explored further down the area.
Finally we ended up at WTC Mangga Dua. Well, it is just another, gigantic shopping mall again. A pity I did not have any travel guide of Jakarta. It seems all the touristy spots are all far apart and way beyond reach by us. Sigh!
We had our dinner at another part of Jakarta where we had a steamboat buffet. Can't recall what the place is either other than knowing the location is pretty near to my cousins accomodation.
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| Sunday, 24-Jul-2005 00:00 |
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Jakarta Trip Day 3
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My cousin convocation was held at some convention centre. All of us did not go to the centre itself as there were only 2 tixs available. Apparently, the place was horribly crowded with dunno how many thousands of graduates beening convocated that day! The traffic was jammed all the way even way beyond the start of entrance... I think i was stuck in the car for more than half an hour just for the car to enter the entrance and make a u-turn out to the exit!! 
As usual, the rest of my aunts have already started their shopping spree somewhere which I cant recall now. This place is supposedly to be filled with streets of stores selling shoes.
Ended the day eating at a Chinese restaurant for our dinner. Well, just outside the restaurant happens to be a durian stall. I'm amazed at how the durians were displayed =)
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| Saturday, 23-Jul-2005 00:00 |
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Jakarta Trip Day 2
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We had a sumptuous lunch at a restaurant serving Padang local dishes. The dishes were just too delicious. The usual array of food plates displayed right in front were similar to the buffet array. As easy as you-eat-you-pay, you-dont-eat-i-don't-charge-you policy
Padang yellow/white chicken curry is definitely not to be missed! A pity we didnt get to sit at another available spot of the restaurant which comes with a live band!
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| Friday, 22-Jul-2005 00:00 |
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Jakarta Trip Day 1
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The last time I stepped into Jakarta was 4 years ago, just before I stepped into my varsity.Jakarta was just a bypass for me from my backpack trip to Bandung. Back then, the streets were still rampant with demonstrations.
This time round, I finally got to experience Jakarta once again on the pretext of attending my cousin convocation Also it was a mini reunion of my relatives whom I had hardly seen for the past few years. And on top of that, this trip of mine was sponsored by my aunt.
We took a super cost saving route to Jakarta by first taking the earliest ferry from WTC and transferred to an internal flight from Batam Airport. However because of this transfer, we were delayed at the ferry terminal when we discovered that the porter over in Singapore had failed to load another carton of our goods onto the vessel! Damn!
Nevertheless, we still managed to savour our cravings of the local gado gado and mee siam before we board the flight. All thanks to my aunts who arrived early and specially packed from P. Buluh
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| Monday, 11-Jul-2005 00:00 |
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Convocation Day
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Finally graduated from my School after 4 years of hardship!  The 'abrasion' rate was indeed horrible. Apparently 500+ graduands are entitled to attend this ceremony but then again, this number includes those who had graduated a semester earlier. So the actual graduands from our batch is much lesser than that.
We can still recalled during our first year, my school course has an enrolment of 800+ students. By end of year 2, we could more or less predict the fate of our graduation day..
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| Sunday, 26-Jun-2005 13:10 |
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YEP Afterthought Reports from my remaining YEP Gang
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Pardon me if it infringed copyrights but it's good to have a permanent copy somewhere online.
If i ever have the time, i would like to post up all the photos we had taken..but i guess it will take me ages. 2 years after the trip, the photos are still on the disc. Hmm..
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My Story, Unabridged
By Benjamin Choo
Before
My story began half a year before the start of the expedition. Right from the time when news of the devastation caused by the tsunami in Bandeh Aceh broke out, I wanted to fly there to do something to help. And the only way to do that is via the Army. Too bad for me, I was already an inactive serviceman (actually it’s a good thing), so there was no way I could smuggle my way there. Hence, I had to live with supporting them from afar, by doing what the average Singaporean does best - donate.
After weeks of waiting for something to happen, my wish came true in the form of an SMS by a former SIF project manager informing me that SIF was looking for expedition leaders. Without hesitation, I signed up for the briefing only to find out at the last minute that I couldn't attend it because the auditorium was full. I couldn't just leave it as that so I thought of a brilliant idea to say that my name was mysteriously not in the list. Fortunately, they just told me to write my name down in another list. They probably knew there would be people like me, turning up unannounced.
Well anyway, I was really fortunate that I was selected as everyone else in that briefing seemed to be much older and much more experienced than me. Goodness, most of those selected were either tertiary institution lecturers or some 10-time YEP leaders. I was almost certain my application would be shredded and that call from SIF would never come. I guess I managed to “smoke” my interviewers, who eventually became my project managers. In any case, I am really grateful that they gave me a chance. I didn’t do too bad, did I?
I was initially set to lead a team to Indonesia. In fact, I think there were about 20 teams in all. However due to the subsequent earthquakes, the management deemed it a no-go area. Thus, we were bummed out to Sri Lanka. No big deal except that we didn't hear any news for more than two months then on. Other team leaders started backing out one by one till there was only me. I persisted though the silence was killing me. Information about the trip was slow, which through time increased the possibility of the expedition being cancelled. Everyday I waited with bated breath, a phone call.
It finally came. Over the line Lynn said, "The expedition is confirmed, you are leaving in a month's time". I answered, "Err, okay". Possible but will be a mad rush. Plus the timing was impeccable. Besides being neck-deep with paperwork from the office, I was struggling to come up with programmes for a camp for youth-at-risk. All of a sudden I have an expedition to plan for, people to recruit and only one bloody month to do it!!! Suddenly my life became busier than Bugis Street on Saturdays. Due to lack of sleep, my day job suffered and I got bad rep for doing other stuff during office hours. Well heck, I’m already in it so its either do or die and I'll rather die than be responsible for sending a whole team to Siberia instead of Sri Lanka. Well at the end of it, it was all worth it. No regrets, if I could have changed the way I lived, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Form
Getting the group together was a challenge, but not as much as leading them. Most of these folks are older, more experienced and even more qualified than me to lead the team. Despite that, this group of people accepted me as their leader, which gave me the authority to make all the important decisions for them. All I could count on to tide me through was my self-confidence and meagre experience in India. It was certainly no bed of roses or pleasure cruise. We have had our fair share of conflicts, but somehow we always managed to resolve them. It surprised every single one of us that we somehow managed to gel well as a team. In retrospect, I guess the meetings, talks and mini facilitations (one with Mark as the devil's advocate) helped us synchronise our ideals and bond us together.
I strongly believe that the expedition would not have been such a success without the people who made up the group. First of all, there’s Mark, who without fail, brings much cheer and laughter to the group with his mad antics. Most importantly, he was a great help by “SPEAR”-heading the bed-making initiative. Without his vision, we would have been struggling with the bed making by ourselves.
In no particular order, I will continue to acknowledge my other friends in the group and next is my dear co-leader and facilitator, Rosalind. She is certainly something. Taking on a job without knowing much about it takes balls and this girl certainly has it. (Figuratively speaking of course). She also did a fabulous job facilitating us, despite it being her first time. You cannot imagine the amount of time and effort she spent strategising each facilitation session. Thanks for taking up this daunting task and also for having faith in me.
Next, is my bathing buddy, professional snapper and fellow strategist, Ron, whose valuable insight and comments helped fine-tune a lot of my ideas. Your eye for details is admirable. If I were as meticulous as you, I would be damn good at my job. Something I need to learn..fast.. haha…
Hannah, I remember how your star-gazing expertise helped me figure out how some star formations look like, though I’m pretty sure now even if it’s staring in my face, I wouldn't recall because I was sleeping most of the time. Thanks anyway for that and sorry again for the camera.
Esme, for just being you, flinging your hair and eating chocolate in the wind.
Xiuling - for being the object of adoration. Always nice to see how people are so magically attracted to you, whether they are adults or children. I guess it’s your magnetic personality and disposition, which is your strong point. I’m sure it will serve you well in the future.
Our Balapitiya Idol Weiwen, besides being the heartthrob of Sri Lanka and the object of affection for many a boy and girl alike (policemen too), had on his own initiative compiled an excellent guide which served us well during the expedition. His boyish charm and good looks were a constant topic of discussion and it was certainly great to have such a hungry person on the team.
Qingyuan, not to be outdone, has achieved something even more amazing. He had managed to form, within a matter of days, his own fan club. To achieve celebrity status in such a short time is no mean feat, and our dear Qingyuan, who oozes charm out from every pore of his body, does it in style.
The first time I met Qingyao, I knew I have met my match. This guy has such a rubbery face, it’s amazing this guy doesn’t get cramps from his huge grin. Though he comes up with wisecracks every now and then, acting very silly at times, he comes up with very sound ideas and is an excellent contributor in every discussion.
Miss Ma, or Guoxiang as she is more affectionately known, strikes me as a go-getter who lives life with a fiery passion. Since knowing her during one of the youth camps we were in the committee for, it’s difficult not to notice the seemingly boundless energy this girl has. In fact, she reminds me of an energizer bunny. Only thing missing are the ears and the drums.
How can we forget our dear Helen who has fed us so well? Churning out huge three-course oriental dishes, our iron chef has indeed made us less homesick by cooking piping hot home-cooked food.
Loo Shin has been a joy to have around within the group. She can be quiet at times, preferring to keep to herself to reflect on life and yet she can be really intimidating as well! However, more often than not, she reveals her gentle giggly side which balances it up! Plus she’s a very creative cook! Too bad we didn’t manage to try her apple ham soup that I heard so much about.
Last but definitely not least, I must send my appreciation to the two people, whom without them, I wouldn’t even be writing this report (Nope, not my parents!) - Elaine and Lynn. Thanks for being such fun and understanding project managers!
It was with this bunch of people that has made this expedition so special. It has certainly been a fantastic journey, one that I will always remember as one of the best things that had ever happened to me. It has not only given me an opportunity to fulfil my dream to see a part of the world that’s so beautiful yet highly under-rated, it has also brought my heart closer to Sri Lanka.
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02… Stripped of Creature Comforts
By Rosalind Yeo
It was with a sense of inadequacy and trepidation that I embarked on the Sri Lanka expedition. I had serious doubts about the extent of help I could render in these two short weeks, as did a few of my friends.
Without any inkling on what to expect, I braved it with an open mind and crossed the great divide.
Our living arrangements were better than I imagined. I painted a bleak picture of how things would be like before I departed – a lack of proper plumbing system, with toilet facilities in the open. Stripped of our creature comforts, we learnt to rely on the basics. There we were, the 14 of us – strangers all, caught in an unfamiliar environment, but we adapted.
My initial days were ones of discovery – of the locals’ warmth and affability. The people were often ready with a friendly wave and smile as we pass them along the dusty roads. I was buoyed by their reception of our intrusion, people who know little of their culture and what they must have gone through.
The best day I had in Sri Lanka was on my first Sunday at the beach flying kites. I’ll always remember the crashing waves, the swaying coconut trees, the uninterrupted stretch of pristine beach, the lovely sunset and especially the children’s laughter as the breeze swept their kites higher and higher. The images that Ron took that day would also be deeply rooted in my mind as they captured the vivid joy that day. Life that day on the beach was simple.
The scene was almost idyllic. But it was also that same beach where broken houses lay, shattered and abandoned. I would have simply walked past it with a dismissive glance if I did not remind myself of what happened six months before. Much of the physical landscape seemed to be cleared of the madness. Being where I was, I would probably never fully comprehend the impact on their human consciousness, how it has changed the people touched by personal heartbreaks.
It was poignant that the kids could run on that beach without fear or sadness. I could not even begin to imagine how things were like for them just six months before, losing their loved ones, homes and possessions as I sat there that day - the sheer terror, chaos and deaths that ensued. But their bright smiles didn’t reflect that, and that was what was truly amazing about the people.
I was also touched by the random acts of kindness around me each day – where a white-haired gentleman refused an offered seat on a crowded bus to Ambalangoda, proclaiming that we’re there to help his countrymen and the least he could do is to offer the seat. Often, you’ll see seats offered unthinkingly each time a pregnant lady, an elderly person, a person burdened with a heavy load got on the bus amidst the rough jostling and human crush. I suppose if we aint crush on a bus, we aint experiencing Sri Lanka.
There were also the children, who brought much joy, as they clambered around us eager to lend a hand. The children were also the ones who kept our spirits up all the time we’re there. I wouldn’t deny that there were moments of exasperation when they fought for our attention, but with all kids, it’s always the case of not having enough attention.
I was also moved during the days when we were building beds and the men came out to help. They just about took over the task of construction as I ruefully stood by making myself as useful as possible. These were able-bodied men who could do more for their families and community if given the opportunity, proper tools or training. Were they given that chance?
And there was the nice guide who gave a couple of wandering volunteers a ride to a hotel and instructed the staff to give us a good price for whatever we’re asking for. He stoutly declared that since we were there helping his people and the least they could do was not to fleece us. It was a hilarious, yet gratifying moment when I heard that.
Our hosts at the temple also extended warm hospitality with their home-cooked dishes and attempts to make our stay as pleasant as possible.
Such glimpses into the human heart, all the good and bad, were what made the Sri Lanka experience truly moving for me. I’ll have to acknowledge the lack of visible impact from the expedition on the community, but I like to believe that changes start in small ways. I like to believe that every action has a way of touching lives.
I believe they changed my life more than I did theirs.
“After all, whats a life anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life cant help being something of a mess, with all trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”
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This looks really like a typical prison commander report man
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03… Report
By Mark Khng
Pre-trip
Significant comments: Initially, I was not very comfortable with the group as the group members are mostly in their twenties who either are still in school or just graduated. I was rather apprehensive as I was afraid that I would be doing the usual YEP stuff which I thought is childish. So, in the only pre-trip event I attended, I made it clear how I see the trip should be. It was risky to share my views which may differ from the younger ones, but what the heck! I think at least it led to some deeper deliberation of the issues involved. I still cannot believe we almost dwelled into putting forth rules to govern the group dynamics….
During the trip
Significant comments: I was totally shocked to see the accommodation on the first night. I still think it is a big mistake to put us through 14 nights in the temple…. We should know better that monks make excellent peeping toms…. Well, at least I was not the victim…. I was demoralized to see the state of accommodation… almost decided to go awol or something to that effect. Luckily, as the days unfold, I found more reasons to stay on… the group is fun, cooperative, kind hearted, mature and tolerant. The leader is good and that makes a lot of difference… The food is ok, especially those night outs, enough shopping and beaching around the gigantic waves, got Sri Lanka girls to admire, the work was ok (with the help of the locals really saved a lot of asses)…. the locals are excellent bunch of people… the aftermath of Tsunami is a real eye-opening…. I think Sri Lanka is worth a visit again years down the road if I can afford to stay at Hilton…. Overall, this trip is worthwhile and a brief chapter of my life was enriched.
Post-trip
Significant comments: I think the energy left after the trip is still brewing…. New friendships are put to test now… to sustain takes a lot of effort…. If a core group can still remain core group 2 years down the road, it is a miracle already. Seriously, this group has a good bond that should be leveraged upon to play greater roles in the society.
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04… Reflections
By Hannah Leong
I joined this team without knowing anyone, but have since made new friends and learnt more about myself as well. Being the youngest member on the team, I was a little daunted at first, but I soon warmed up to the other team members and realized I could learn a lot from the wealth of experience they had.
Some of us were commenting that this was more like an Adult Expedition Program than a Youth Expedition Program, due to the way we handled our situations. We were able to get the locals to help in the building and distributing of beds, thus completing our task early, in contrast to the previous group who seemed to slog it out to the end. This may be due to the maturity in thought of fellow teammates, not just to follow the task assigned blindly, but to question what is best for the both the community and team, in accordance to the team’s objectives, and find the most efficient solution. Having more “mature” members on the team may have also helped in garnering the locals’ help, as we were able to relate better to the adults there and gain their respect. There was also the element of surprise, of course. Part of the plan was to distribute the materials for building the beds first, then go house-to-house to build them individually. After one day of home visits, upon returning to the site, we found that some families had already built their own beds! This caused some excitement among us, and definitely boosted our spirits, while accelerating our efforts as well.
Eventually, we managed to finish the building of beds and shelves a few days early. In the remaining days, we came up with impromptu plans – teaching the children some English, art and craft, and personal hygiene, carrying out some first aid, and holding an art therapy session. Sometimes the tables were turned, and it seemed like the children were teaching me rather than the other way around. It was interesting to interact with the children, sometimes being invited to their houses to meet their families and to see the conditions that they were living in. Most of the homes were spartan, with barely any furniture and personal belongings, and many locals expressed gratefulness for the new beds and shelves we were providing for them. It was a blessing that we were able to have the last few days for our own activities, as it allowed us to service the other needs of the children apart from material needs, providing friendship and happiness to them for those few days.
I believe most of the locals have moved on with their lives: the town is bustling, the children are back at school, and many locals are visiting the beaches again. However some find it hard to move on, like the carpenters with skills but no tools, and many who have been promised permanent housing by the government but have no sign of it materializing soon. The event still remains firmly etched in the locals’ minds; updates are being reported in the newspapers, and there is the constant fear of another tsunami coming, as seen when locals started moving into the temple on our last night after a rumor was spread.
Sometimes I wonder what impact we have made on the community there. Especially for this type of crisis relief, our team would probably have been the umpteenth team the village has seen coming to help them. They looked forward to us coming everyday while we were there, but they also welcomed the British tourists who dropped by to distribute sweets and gifts extremely enthusiastically as well. In those two weeks, I do not think we have made that great an impact or change in their lives. Some may argue that it would be better to just give them the money, seeing that the local carpenters can definitely build better and more furniture than us with the sum. However perhaps the value of placing such teams in the community is that we initiate and make sure the work gets done, ensure the money is used well to serve the community’s needs, and help the locals to help themselves, instead of letting the money sit with the local relief organizations perhaps on empty promises. I believe that though as an individual or team, there is only so much we can do, but the combined efforts of the many teams helping with relief work in Sri Lanka will go a long way in helping to rebuild the country.
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06… Report
By Ron Lee
The terrifying effects of the 26th December 2004’s tsunami shook the whole world with thousands of images flooding newsrooms from the countries affected. Pictures and reports of pure destruction and devastations that reflect the often sad stories of lives lost and homelands destroyed, the cruel reminder of the awesome power of nature and the call for foreign aid.
When the team leader, Ben, asked me to sign up for this expedition to Sri Lanka, I knew it was a chance of a lifetime for me to witness for myself all that I have only seen and read from public media sources and be there to offer whatever help I can contribute to the team and fulfil our planned objectives. It was only through the direct contact with the people and being there physically, will one realize then how fortunate we are to live in Singapore, to be sheltered geographically from any of these natural disasters such as this one that changed the coastlines of many.
This scene was captured en-route to Balapitiya, the base of our operations, while travelling along Galle road from Colombo. Barely 6 months ago, this stretch of road housed many beach-lined provision shops and proper infrastructures, flooded with people that have come in the fame of the beautiful Sri Lankan coast and beaches. Now this stretch of road and for most parts of the 60 odd km route to Balapitiya served as a stark reminder of the natural disaster that took the lives of more than 40’000 (CNA source in Jan’05) all over the island.
My personal encounters with the people of Sri Lanka, through our daily interactions in the Internal Displaced Camp for the Tsunami affected while building wooden frame beds and through the lens of my camera, illustrated the admirable fighting spirit of the human race in their bid to survive even the harshest calamities: smiling children playing in the old ruins of their former homes, adults helping each other in rebuilding what was formerly their village, shops reopening for business…etc. The physical and emotional scars of the tsunami are slowly fading away as the people of Sri Lanka, slowly but surely, rebuild their way of life that was disrupted so abruptly.
The fear of the sea was inwardly inherent in most of the people we came across during our stay in Sri Lanka. They don’t openly exhibit this fear or talk about it but you can feel it in the conversations related to the tsunami or hear it in their voices with genuine concerns of venturing too far out into the ocean. Generally, most children were not allowed to go near the beaches for fear of another sudden tidal wave striking their part of the island. I remembered the 1st time I step foot on the beach in Balapitiya and commented to myself that the beach was so intriguingly beautiful, at the same time, it can be so terrible. Perhaps our innocent swimming sessions in the evenings during our stay was deemed a crazy thing to do in the eyes of the people there for we do not know or even realize the real danger of the sea.
I was glad that I made the trip and through the whole process of interacting with the locals, learning their way of life and their language, addressing some of their basic needs like providing hands-on efforts in constructing wooden frame beds, shelves, administering first aid and conducting schooling lessons, I have learnt a lot about Sri Lanka, about my team mates and about myself. This trip has certainly influenced me to explore further avenues of contributions to the humanitarian efforts that are still much in desire in other needy parts of the world.
Special mentions to the team namely Ben (team leader & facilitator), Rosalind (co-leader & facilitator), members Jia Jia, Loo Shin, Esme, Guo Xiang, Xiu Ling, Helen, Mark, Wei Wen, Qing Yuan & Qing Yao.
You guys are a very special bunch of people who, despite the difference in our professions, age and backgrounds, have contributed your time and efforts selflessly to make this trip a very memorable one for everyone.
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07… I am never good with writing reports when everything ends…
but here goes. Just excerpts from my journal.
By Zhuang Qingyuan
It feels so sudden. This abrupt sense of loss; when you were once working day and night with a team and suddenly sitting by yourself penning this down in the train.
I am really grateful to my team for providing me with the opportunity to grow and express myself. It aint easy, especially when the difference in our age groups is striking. All the little things just illustrate how big a divide I am talking about. And one day, I will join my friends in their world, but till then, I really do hope we keep in touch.
It has been great to see for myself the extent of the tsunami. Pictures we see can never fully describe the destruction and the loss. The loss of lives, homes, livelihood and hope.
I see Sri Lankans reduced to begging using 'Tsunami' as the all encompassing excuse.
I see villages reconstructed from ashes. Wooden shelters/ tents in replacement of what were nice concrete private housings. These people have gone from all to nothing.
I see the scar of the tsunami on their psyche. The fear of the raging sea. The helplessness at their change in fate. Their lost of kin.
I hear that the papers are forecasting another tsunami within the next few years. I am told frankly just how hopeless the fishermen feel about this. They can't leave the sea, their livelihood yet cannot ignore its ever imminent danger.
On the last night in Balapitiya, a hoax warning of a tsunami send dozens of people moving inland to stay at the temple. Never mind that they had to leave their homes and sleep in the mosquito-infested open. Anything was better than a tsunami all over again.
That the boy whom I met last night can no longer study but has to find work because the tsunami swept away his home and all his uniforms/textbooks.
That the fishermen, carpenters, masons, sit in their villages and idle because the tsunami has swept everything away and yet relief agencies do not see the need to provide them with tools. They have given the fish, but no the tools to fish. How ironic
But yet there is still hope. And as the foreign aid pours in and the human will to survive holds strong. There will still. Be. Hope.
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08… Report
By Guo Xiang
This expedition to Sri Lanka has been one of the most enriching and touching experiences. In the first place, I wanted to go with an open mind and not with a pre-conceived notion set in place. Maybe that’s why it turned out to be better than expected.
Nevertheless, before we went, I told myself that I should be mentally prepared for the worst case scenarios, re the conditions there after the tsunami, but more importantly to go with an open mind and heart and see how I could contribute to the rebuilding efforts.
The conditions turned out to be better than what we expected. The people seemed to have moved on from the time the tsunami had struck. It was heart wrenching to see the conditions - the spartan wooden shelters put together for the displaced. These shelters are, at best, rudimentary: to put it in perspective, the size of each is less than that of my Vice President’s office and she is hardly in the office. However, it is the resilience of the people that really moved me. They are an amazing people, moving on with such determination in a space of a few months after having survived a calamity and having lost their families. Some, perhaps more than others, were rather aggressive in getting what they want from us, be it money, clothes, something as small as a pen, plaster or water bottle. But most of them we came into contact with are warm, kind, friendly people with no ill intentions.
The making of beds is not just the mere act of hammering wooden blocks together, at the end of the day, the appreciation of the people tells us how much this means to them. We had deliberated on certain occasions whether beds were really what they need and should we do something else, but after one particularly open session where we had a very frank and open discussion, we decided as a team that we would go ahead to put in our best efforts in making the beds/ shelves. There was one day, the very first day of making the beds, it was a long, tiring day of sweat and hard work in the sun and rain, it was nearing the end of the day and our team of three were working on our sixth and final bed for the day, we were so tired I could barely lift the hammer (if I did, I would probably hit my thumb more than the bed). Then, an old lady of about sixty with her hair all white, came over with a tray and offered us tea that she has made specially for us, and that, tasted like the best tea I’ve ever had. The kind gesture of this old lady made me feel that they did appreciate what we were doing for them, and this gesture alone, of making tea for us, was enough to make me pick up the hammer with zest again. It was really encouraging.
Interacting with the children is really the highlight of the two weeks there. We conducted English class, art session, taught them some songs, games and origami. The art session was the most loved of all, you could see that they really enjoyed the art of free expression and came up with brilliant drawings. From their drawings, it is comforting and heartening to know that they are still children at heart, and that nothing can take away a child’s purity of mind and spirit, not even the tsunami. Most of the subjects of their drawing were family, house and the sea. Almost all of the drawings depicted the sea. This insight into the minds of these children tells us that they are very much a people of the sea (even after what had happened) and probably will always be. One can only hope that the tsunami has not left its scars too deeply in these children.
One of the best things on the trip is, undoubtedly, meeting this wonderful team of people, many of whom have become friends and buddies now. The spirit and camaraderie of the team are rather special and unexpected. It is hard to imagine a group of 14 people who came from all walks of life, getting along as well as we did. Despite the differences in opinions sometimes, we are on the same page, no matter how different our individual definition is – our objective is to do what we can to contribute to rebuilding the lives of the displaced. Of course, to put things in perspective, a short span of time such as 14 days, isn’t too difficult to pass amicably. However, I do really feel that we did exceptionally well as a team and I’m really glad to have been part of this team, not to mention having made some good friends along the way.
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09… Report
By Lin Qingyao
In Singapore.
We had our first meeting only three weeks before the expedition. It meant we had very little time to plan and prepare for the trip. There was also a lot of uncertainty about what is the situation and work over at the site. As this trip's focus is on Tsunami Relief, I was not too sure what to expect. I was concerned about how can we truly help (meet the needs of) the people over there.
We barely got to know all the rest of the team members before we board the plane. Moreover, we had members with vastly different backgrounds and ages. I was rather concerned over this lack of time for the team to build rapport before the expedition.
I cannot find a frisbee in Singapore.
I never eat my malaria pills.
I can't wait to embark on this exciting journey.
On the plane.
Played some Tetris,
Slept a bit,
and the food.
On the Bus.
We tried to count the number of <Turf Accounting> and <>. Then we fell asleep. I thought we told the driver to stop somewhere to have dinner around 7pm.
We eventually stopped at 9pm. We reckoned we better start to learn Singhalese fast or we will starve to death. Had our first experience of local dining. NO chilli for me in Sri Lanka.
Balapitiya
First Impressions. Temple at night.
Monks in orange robes. Sleeping on the floor.
Mosquito coils and mosquitoes. Oil lamps in shower.
They are the only ones left standing.
tall, lean and slightly bending,
They stood firm when the monstrous waves hit.
They stayed to provide food, water, shelter, work and life
for the people who remained.
They seem to know exactly what they need to do.
when you look at them now,
They seem so calm and relax.
nothing seems to daunt their spirits.
They do not mind if no one appreciates them.
They are contented simply standing there by the beach.
The coconut trees.
The living condition was better than what I expect, especially when I can tie my hammock for a good night’s rest. The food was unexpectedly good with Helen around. The people on the team were even better. It was quite amazing how we manage to gel in such a short period of time. There were minimum conflicts during the whole expedition. I wouldn’t say that’s definitely a good thing but it contributed to the success completion of our task. The dynamics of the team was excellent as there was a good mix of capable leaders and followers.
Honestly, the destruction we saw at Balapitiya was not as bad as what I expected. The temporary housing for the displaced was also quite substantial. Even though I have never been there before, I feel that people’s lives in town are slowly getting back in order. From the faces of the people we met, we cannot tell how the disaster changed their lives. I guess we will never be able to understand what they have gone through. However, I am truly glad to be able to play a small part in rebuilding their lives. At times, I can sense that the people appreciate our presence. The highlight of the trip would be the young ones we met. In them, we see the future of the nation. The smiles and laughter we saw from them carry the hope of the survivors. I wish them all the best.
On the bus.
Everyone was sleeping. Or at least I was.
On the plane.
More tetris,
More sleep,
And the food.
Singapore
I am happy and fortunate to be living here.
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10… Report
By Seah Xiuling
The trip to Balapitiya allowed me to do my little part to this community amidst many other stronger and wealthier charity groups. I’m thankful for this opportunity which enabled the ignorant me to see and meet different incidents and people. However, 2 weeks was a relatively short period and I felt that I have not seen enough and thus in no position to report on the community. As such, I would prefer to bring this report down to a more personal level, as my way to thank the people I have met. People who shared with me what really happened on Dec 26th and how it changed their lives. Many of whom have befriended me and touched my heart.
I would like to thank Sidi, the monk, for giving us a place to stay in his temple. For his recollection of running 400m from the beach back to his temple when the 10m high waves approached and showing the faint brown water lines left on the remaining walls of the temple that helped me visualized how high the waters actually went.
I would also like to thank the guy whom we met on the bus to Ambalungoda. The seemingly friendly person who showed us around the town while sharing the difficulties his family was facing after the Tsunami. He, in the end, got a tin of milk powder he had asked for. And I had a lesson on human nature.
I am also thankful for the lady in the TSH who showed me the picture of her beautiful daughter whom the waves have taken away, sobbing. An incident that left me helpless and the only thing I could give her was a gentle pat on her shoulder.
And many thanks to the little warriors who helped us unload and piled the wooden, bulky planks into the hut at the TSH in pouring rain. We had a good laugh when one of the walls of the wooden hut collapsed when it could no longer withstand the weight of the planks.
Not forgetting the villagers for giving me a pleasant surprise for building many of the beds on their own initiative without our help over the weekend. A heart-warming moment in deed! And to think I was once sceptical about their willingness to help themselves.
And also to the ever welcoming children who never fail to swamp to me each time I visit the TSH. This celebrity treatment and their infectious laughter always add a smile on me. Special thanks to my young little friends for their unexpected sweet gestures that made me felt like we were buddies.
Last but not least, thank you for the members of the team. Some have said this trip differed a lot from the usual YEP format. But I would like to think that it’s the 14 colourful personalities of the team that made this YEP so very unique.
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11… Post Tsunami Rehabilitation Expedition
By EC
Balapitiya, Sri Lanka
6 – 20 June 2005
Writing a report has been never been this difficult since I started working. For some reason, I have decided not to maintain a journal for this trip. Perhaps, it’s because I am on a career break and did not want to document events happening be they factual, thoughts or opinions. More so, I find it difficult to pen certain thoughts or experiences in just a few paragraphs.
So, below are just some of the many random recollections…
The Objectives
Prior to the trip, we had a few meetings mainly to get to know one another, setting our individual and group objectives, and aligning expectations of what to do in Balapitiya. There seems to be a lot of unknown factors at that point since none of us has been to Sri Lanka before and we are unsure of what was expected of us when we get there, except to keep an open mind.
The Place
Balapitiya is a beautiful place with one of the nicest beaches along the coastal areas. Standing by the beach, it seems surreal that I was actually standing at the spot that was washed by the tsunami waves half a year ago. Turning around and seeing the uprooted trees and badly damaged housing structures made it heart retching.
The town doesn’t seem to belong to Sri Lanka, if you ask me. The houses have been replaced by temporary shelter housings, in rows of wooden huts, with each cluster of wooden huts labelled with banners, flags or plaques showing the contributions by the various countries.
The People
The locals are generally very welcoming. Through the various activities, like bed building and hygiene sessions to origami and art therapy sessions for the children, we get to interact with the locals. Everyone is more than willing to share his/her experiences of the tsunami, and how it has affected his/her life. Some of us feel they are making use of this chance to get our pity so we will give more to them. But who are we to judge what they do is right or wrong if this is all it takes for them to survive (and perhaps, survive better than their peers).
Will life ever return to how it was before the tsunami? Will the foreign aid continue to pour in? How long before the scars of 26th December 2004 tsunami are healed and future threats of tsunami be over? We can only wait and see…
The Group
This has been a very interesting group, with people from different age groups and walks of life; from undergraduates and people having their career breaks to architect, banker and prison officers. It is amazing how such diverse personalities can click and work together. The group dynamics have been remarkable and I have learnt a lot from everyone in this group.
I am grateful to the group for such a memorable experience. It is definitely one meaningful expedition I will treasure the lessons learnt from this unique group of individuals.
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13… An Unforgettable Youth Expedition Project Experience at Balapitiya, Sri Lanka
By Helen Lim
"Can I follow you?" I asked my Commander Mark Khng one day, after his superior approved his participation in a Tsunami Project to Sri Lanka for the Youth Expedition Project (YEP). I was attached to Prison Department SPEAR Force as Senior Admin Officer at that time and now I will be transferred to Cluster A2 as Personal Supervisor with effect from 27 June 2005.
"Are you able to go?" he replied.
"Why not, if you agree...." I replied in my email to him.
God has finally answered my prayer! I have always wanted to find the opportunity to get in touch with the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) so that I can volunteer my service to help the victims in the Tsunami Project. After knowing that my Commander is volunteering his service, I sought his assistance to include me in the expedition.
My application was successful but it had to be self-funded. I told my Commander that I did not mind as I was doing this for God. This was just like my Batam mission trip to an orphanage for a similar project, which included collection of old clothings, toys and storybooks before working on-site on projects which included painting five buildings – internally and externally, clearing a polluted river, digging a well and a 50-metre drainage, as well as teaching the children some basic English.
After my one-week Batam mission trip from 29 May to 3 June 05, I continued with my YEP project at Balapitiya, Sri Lanka for another two weeks from 6 to 20 June 05.
On the date of departure to Sri Lanka for the Tsunami Project, I waited excitedly at Changi Airport (Terminal 1) at 1.00pm and met up with the rest of the participants (11 of us departing on 6 June 2005 for Flight UL 312 at 3.30pm) ranging from 19 to 28 years old and I was the oldest of them all (keeping my age a secret!).
I had missed a few meetings with the team since I was away in Batam, l thought I would experience a generation gap after meeting them the first time at the airport. However, things got better after a couple of hours. Most of us were excited and talked throughout the 4–hour flight to Colombo.
From the conversations, I understood that there was a total of 14 participants (8 females and 6 males) who signed up and three of the participants, including our Leader, Benjamin, have flew to Sri Lanka two days earlier to make the necessary arrangements. This YEP mission to Balapitiya, Sri Lanka was to make one bed and one shelf for each household. We were to provide for a specific camp site, about 120 households which were about 200 metres away from our accommodation. We would be staying in an unoccupied temple hall in Sri Pushparamaya, Nayaka Temple. The team had also planned a barbeque and short skit for the locals on the last day of our stay at Balapitiya. Wow! It sounded interesting to me, we would be there to work as well as to play and I was looking forward to it.
On arrival at Colombo Airport and after checking out our luggage at 8.00pm, we were tired and hungry. We thought of looking for a place to have dinner, but the driver informed us that we needed to travel another two hours to a town, which our leader Benjamin had arranged for us. We had no choice but to tighten our belts. Luckily, Esme took out her tidbits and shared with everyone.
It was another three-hour journey to reach Balapitiya. Everyone in the mini-bus was so tired and could not wait to get to the next town for dinner. At 10pm, we were served with a huge serving of noodles and fried rice in a dim lighted restaurant. After the dinner, we traveled for another one hour. Perhaps due to the dim road lamps and bumpy road, most of us were rocked to sleep, not knowing that we had reached our destination. We were awakened by the sudden halt and we were enveloped in total darkness. Three of our members, Benjamin, Rosalind and Ronald, had arrived earlier to recce the place. They welcomed us to our accommodations, one of the unoccupied temple halls.
There, I encountered the worst state of living condition and I was to stay there the next two weeks! I began to feel twitches of regret, but was hoping and praying to see miracles the next day. Oh my God! Did not have my shower on my first day here! Rosalind was telling us not to bathe as water is scarce there. How could I survive? I need to bathe at least twice a day as I perspire a lot, otherwise I will be very stinky!
I was delightfully surprised to see a hose-bathing tap when Rosalind brought us on a tour around the temple premises at 1am in the morning. I thought to myself, perhaps I could sleep early and wake up before dawn to have a shower. However, I could not sleep throughout the night. The buzzing of mosquitoes was most irritating and I did not sleep on my first night there. Impatiently, I waited for dawn to break. Then, I took a quick shower and was stung by dozens of ‘huge commandos’ mosquitoes, double the size of the mosquitoes in Singapore.
Feeling terribly upset at the unbearable living conditions, I was on the verge of packing my stuff to stay in a nearby hotel or resort. At least, I would be provided with a fan and mosquito net. But how could I afford to do that? I could not leave the team. I told myself that I was not there to enjoy my holiday but to be with the mass.
Before I left Singapore, a priest from the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, Father Luke Fong had blessings for me. He assured me that God would not blame me for not attending Mass for the next 2 weeks as I would be with the mass, reaching out to his people and this is sufficient to compensate for missing Mass.
“Do I want to back out now?” It wasn’t me then. I was aware of the poor conditions of the affected area but I was not prepared for the mosquito attacks!” Well, to console myself, at most I would spray more ‘OFF’ (mosquito repellent) and wear long-sleeved shirt and pants and socks to prevent myself from being attacked.
On the second day, Benjamin brought us around the temple’s premises again. In the daylight, we finally had a full picture of the surrounding. It was a peaceful and quiet environment and surprisingly there was no mosquito in the morning but full of houseflies. We met Amara Siddhi, the abbot of the temple who was a small-built, young, friendly and helpful person. Along the way, we saw gigantic millipedes and creepy spiders about the size of my palm.
Benjamin also oriented us around the village and we finally saw the raging sea. Vague pictures stirred in my mind of the Tsunami tragedy that I had seen in the news. I shuddered with goose pimples at the sight of the strong current that rose to about 2 feet high and thought, “if another Tsunami arises at that moment, where could I run to as I am not a good swimmer?”
On our way back to the temple, we drank from freshly plucked coconuts and tasted the crunchy white flesh, which we did not have the luxury of having in Singapore, at least for coconuts that cost less than 30 cents each.
Everyday, we walked to the campsite that was located 200 metre away from our accommodation. Along the way, the locals with smiling faces greeted us. The children welcomed us stridently with “Hello! What’s your name? Where you come from?”, while the elderly would say “Thank you Singapore!” We felt rather overwhelming by their greetings and we thought initially that they could speak English. We were disappointed when we realised that they only understood and spoke these two sentences as they spoke mainly Singhalese.
Besides helping at the campsite, we also did our own shopping and cooking. We would rotate among ourselves to do marketing cum cooking, area-cleaning, washing toilets and boiling water. Water was the most basic necessity and we took turns to fetch and boil water; at least 6 to 8 bottles of 5 kg for each day’s consumption.
The toilet system could not flush off the paper and we needed to throw the soiled toilet paper separately in a plastic bag. We did not mind washing the toilets as the stench of urination was unbearable.
For a few of our evenings, when we finished the construction of the beds and shelves early, we would immerse ourselves in the ever-raging waves where it had engulfed thousands of lives. We did not think much of that tragedy, especially when we felt most comfortable in the cooling sea after a hard day’s labour.
On some evenings, we would go to the town for dinner. The food was tasty but very salty and we have to wait at least 45mins for the food to be ready to serve. On our way back to the temple, we would hail the local ‘3-wheeled” taxi which cost about $1.50 per trip and could take up to three passengers.
I had a great time in Sri Lanka (back to my childhood 'kampong' days) despite the ubiquitous mosquitoes after dawn and unpleasant living condition in one of the unoccupied temple halls. The buzzing from the mosquitoes and their bites would keep a few of us up. I could not even sleep soundly for half an hour in the first week.
Things became better especially after getting to know the locals better. It was a fruitful and meaningful trip for me for various reasons:
Being able to involve myself whole-heartedly in this project without worrying about my family. I was grateful to my brother for taking care of the family and often received phone messages from him that everyone was fine at home, asking me not to worry about them.
Deepening my understanding of my Commander - I did not know that he has a great talent for playing the guitar, and he sings well. He is a totally different man when he is not in his uniform. The Commander-in-uniform is a disciplined and serious officer who was often deep in thought, but well-respected by his juniors and peers, while Mark the civilian is a helpful, fun, kind and caring person as he is able to interact and play with the children and mingle with the locals. He was also very dramatic, entertaining and funny while rehearsing for a play for the community. Qingyuan and Qingyao were so amused by his antics that they were laughing and rolling on the floor, and the rest of us were laughing till our tears rolled down our faces.
Being able to stay and eat together in harmony with my group members. We had a great time spending our minutes and seconds together. Every day was filled with fun and laughter even though deep within our hearts and minds, we were terribly exhausted especially after a day of hard labour, sawing and nailing of the beds and shelves, loading and unloading of the material from truck to store and store to truck and carrying the finished beds and shelves to the locals.
Deep down inside our hearts, we were filled with passion and love, being able to extend our helping hand to the community. We did not grumble of tiredness but just felt that the community, especially the men, need to be more involved. Our spirit was willing but our flesh was weak, and the day seemed longer than the night.
Knowing their conditions and seeing the devastated state they were in, we had no complaints staying in a roof-leaking temple. At least, it was much more spacious than the locals’ living quarters in wooden temporary shelters.
We had a great time playing games with the children each day after completing our tasks. Initially, Qingyuan and I taught them 2 games: the “Eagle catch the Chicken” game and “Dog and Bone”. We had a hard time teaching the children to play the games due to the language barrier but eventually we succeeded. The children played in an ecstatic state of delight as none of the other YEP’s groups had spent time playing with them.
It was a blessing in disguise after we had played the games with the children. The next day, more of the older children came to offer us assistance in sawing and nailing the beds. We were already very sore and we felt that we might not last till the last piece of bed and shelf was completed. We were glad when the children offered their services and at the end of the day they would ask us “You coming tomorrow?” And when we told them “Yes”, they would smile.
I felt fortunate to be able to share the joy and happiness of the children, even though they looked very gloomy and dismal in their eyes... I felt that they struggled very hard not to weep especially those who had lost their parents. This was relatively true when I asked a few of the older girls, tears lingered along their lids and I wondered how they were going to survive after this catastrophe. I found it hard to communicate with them and what I could do was to give them a warm hug and say a little prayer over them, hoping that they would grow up to be someone great in the future. As the saying goes, those who can survive the catastrophe will have a great future.
It was indeed amazing that the children were able to identify a few words after our members, Ronald and Loo Shin volunteered to conduct the basic English class with them. The children were thrilled to be awarded with sweets when they answered correctly. They would then slowly savour the sweets to its fullest.
They were deprived of too many things… lack of parental love, education, new clothing, toys, slippers, food, beds, etc. I believe that my niece would not want to linger longer in this environment as she is pampered by my sister’s in-laws with toys, clothing and sleeping in air-con room.
A few of the children were quite talented and they drew beautiful pictures of the sea, their village and animals. They were delighted to see theA4-size paper when we first handed it to them, while back in Singapore we are wasting so much of paper everyday. To them, it was so precious, as if a dollar to two was given to them and they drew on it cautiously.
Xiuling, Guoxiang, Jiajia, Qingyao, Hannah, Ronald, Rosalind and Weiwen taught them ‘Origami’- how to fold a crane, frog, boat or T-shirt. Majority of the children would ask us to write both our names on their masterpieces and said they would keep them forever. This was very touching to us and we realised that they appreciated our presence there, teaching them, helping them, as well as playing with them after our work.
During our facilitation night, every one of us shared our daily experiences, reflections and lessons learnt. We were told to share the happiest moment in our life. The most significant thing! Why we join this YEP? What to do next? This life-enriching facilitation night engaged us in deep reflections and sharing of personal and invaluable lessons that caused us to learn and respect one another even more.
The locals were in a state of survival and struggles. When we issued a bag to one family, we needed to issue a similar one to another house otherwise ‘quarrels’ would start. Two women would wrangled over T-shirt, a sight which one could not imagine, of their desperate state if one was not there to witness it. They squabbled over a T-shirt for 15 minutes and I had a hard time separating them.
Unfortunately, I got a knock on my forehead when one of the women raised her umbrella to hit the other but luckily for me, it was a very light knock on my forehead. I pretended to be in pain and rubbed my forehead hard. At last, they stopped after seeing me rubbing my forehead. She apologised to me and left quietly while the other stayed, complaining to me that the other woman had money and a big house and still wanted to compete with her for a T-shirt.
I was rather astonished to hear this but deep in my mind when I started to think again, “Are we bringing more trouble for the poor or are they staying in an indigent environment. Since all of them have survived the catastrophe, why can’t they give way to one another?”
During our last night stay in the temple, we organised a barbeque for the locals. We intended to perform our play but due to unforeseen circumstances, many of the other locals fled to the temple for shelter as there was some rumours that another Tsunami would come on that night. We started to feel uneasy and ended our barbeque earlier. We cancelled our play as more strangers would be coming into the temple and we needed to guard over our belongings. Furthermore, we also needed to wake up early to leave for Colombo at seven o’clock the next day.
Unknowingly, the two weeks’ stay in Balapitiya had finally ended. During our last day at the campsite, we bade farewell to them. The children were rather upset and most of them asked for our addresses and reminded us to send photos to them. They shook our hands and thanked us for our assistance. The women also came out to thank us for the beds and shelves.
I felt a sudden relief and comfort that the mission was finally accomplished and all good things ended. Even though during the initial days we were caught unexpectedly, we all managed to survive and pull through the two weeks sharing our woes.
I wish that the people who have survived the ordeal will face their lives fearlessly and pray that there would not be so many disasters on this planet, otherwise more people especially the children will be living in fear, hunger and loneliness…
I hope that this group of friends will remain bonded forever and if possible, to embark on another mission together as we have already placed our trust in one another, knowing that each and everyone will commit themselves totally to help one another. I enjoyed those moment when we were together and looked forward to meeting them once in a while when we are in Singapore.
At the end of it all, it was a fun and enjoyable trip, despite the agonizing scene that I have witnessed, fond memories were crafted in my mind and I bet I will remember this trip forever as it has left me with unforgettable lessons, wonderful experiences and meaningful reflections!
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