It's All Started with Mistakes

It's all started with mistakes. I was almost late. I forgot to bring my EZLink card. I didn't prepare much than enough. I was skeptical.

It was the first day, finally, for all of the fresh RSP Youth volunteers. For most of us, this would be the first ever experience for us. Some of us were anxious, some were agitated, some were highly excited (well, at least for me...) ! To summarize, the butterflies were choreographing in our stomach...

We reached the Boys Home located very near to NTU campus before 8pm. Honestly I was quite surprised to see such a 'high security' facility in this area. There were even a double layer of huge fence for clearance of cars and visitors. My thoughts were dwelling, 'What are these? Who am I going to deal with?'. Fortunately, there were total 19 of us. Well, we were such a huge group anyway, nothing to be worried right?!

After a mini briefing, we were allowed to enter out block D facility. Walking through long corridors, we browsed around, looking through the high and hard steel fences built all the way, there was a slight discomfort. 'It's a huge cage' quoted from one of us. Yea, to some extent I agree on that. Perhaps that was the first time we walk in a 'huge cage'.

The kids were quite excited to see such a huge bunch of us. We were brought into an activity room and began our activity of the day. We played a classic game where all the participants were required to find words from the given alphabets. Haha, my heart was pumping as I'd need to attract the kids' attention to the game as well as start to create a bridge between us. It started with a brief introduction. Well, it came to me that some of them were actually quite talkative. Afterall, they are the same person as we are. It's really a nice session. I wish I could have more time interact with them.

One hour was really short for us. After Jian Wen annouced to the kids that we would be coming back 2 months after, some of them said they hope to see us again soon. They were really taking initiative to help us tidy up the room and in a blink - everything was in place again, and that was the end of the session.

To me, I've never deal with youth before as my previous experience was to deal with small kids. This was my very first experience and somehow I am highly motivated and very keen on looking forward to the next session, sadly speaking, will be months after now. Anyway, I know all of us are ready now. From what I see and feel, I give you a definite, defiant Yes. There is no doubt, and time will prove it.

- Boon Ming

WSC Appreciation Dinner 2007

The night was rainy but the members' spirits were not dampened by the wet, muddy journey as droves turned up for the annual dinner appreciation with ready smiles and hungry stomachs in anticipation of the mouth-watering eight-course feast in a cosy Chinese restaurant known as Guilin located at Bukit Batok.

The annual event is to thank the old volunteers, anyone who has served with their hearts for a minimum of one year, for dedicating their time and effort in helping people who are less fortunate than us. The world is not a fairy-tale land for anyone. But helping one another is the only way to bring us closer to this Utopia.

During the event, our attention was divided between the food and the entertaining host. Guilin restaurant's reputation will unlikely be affected by its food review here, so lets begin the food report :) The food neither exploded any orgasmic sensation in the palate, nor tasted like common hawker food. It was generally satisfactory to most of us, based on no one commenting similiar to - "The food is fan-freaking-tastic!" - within hearing range, or throwing up within sight.

The host, an NTU student, created positive energy in the atmosphere with his antics, to add to the socialising amongst ourselves over dinner. Couples were drawn from the crowd to play in games like acting in MTV to Indian, Malay and Chinese songs. The audience were very amused as a result. The guest-of-honour, an NTU professor, also displayed his martial arts skills with fierce shouts accompanying every bone-breaking leg or hand thrusts.

The new committee was also ushered in officially that night and appreciation awards were also handed out to deserving volunteers. Overall, it was not a bad way to spend a rainy evening :)