Farewell Session

Pre-session Preparation

A week’s long of discussion on whether we should go to east coast park to watch sunrise or stay at hall area to BBQ. The emails were accidentally sent to Jian Wen as well but well, luckily he didn’t notice them. (Author’s note: Despite all the discussions and travelling arrangement, it was finally decided that we would spend the night at Sentosa! =P)

Session day

We had boys’ home ‘exchange programme’ today! All of us went down to block B instead of our usual block D. When the boys came into the room, they were very shy, clustering at the back of the classroom. After inviting them to sit with us, all of us did brief introduction and played board / card games with them. Soke Hwa, Daisy, Shi Kai & me were grouped with another two boys and we played the Mother Sheep. I was very much surprised when one of the boys said he could cook a lot of dishes. (Author’s note: As a girl myself, I am ashamed to admit that I only know how to cook rice, instant noodles and fried egg.) And well, the session proceeded rather smoothly (except for a short circuit during the middle of the session). For some reasons, Jian Wen was supposed to do a forfeit by gluing his eyebrows together. (Author’s note: Fellow volunteers, I wonder when will he perform the forfeit? Don’t let him get away from it k!)

It was the last session for our graduating seniors. First surprise, Jian Wen prepared something literally big for us. Second surprise, the ‘something’ was actually a very nice mini-white board with collage of photos and message! Almost everyone was stunned, and at the same time, extremely touched by what he did. A direct quote from him, ‘hey I am a very nice guy k, I spent three hours to do all these!’

A sample of Jian Wen’s present to all of us!

Post-session Extravaganza

First stop: Newton Food Centre

The 12 of us (Jian Wen, Chin Han, Rabin, Xiao Hong, Boon Meng, Ah Chai, Jia Yin, Hui Wen, Hui Koon, Daisy, Sock Hwa and me) squeezed into 2 cars and travelled all the way from Boon Lay to Newton.

Late supper at Newton!

It was a very nice supper! Why? Firstly, we had rather good food such as stingrays, pohpiah ice-cream without pohpiah skin, hokkien mee, sotongs, carrot cakes, fried egg with oyster, etc… Secondly, the atmosphere was light-hearted and everyone was chatting away happily!

Rabin, after taking his very first-in-his-lifetime-bite of fried egg with oyster

Second stop: Sentosa

The remaining ten of us decided to station at the Palawan Beach to wait for the sunrise! Time was still very ‘early’ so we decided to take a stroll along the Southernmost Point bridge while figuring out which direction we should face to catch the best sunrise. After sometime of aimless walking, we decided that it was time for us to settle down at the beach for group games!

Game 1: The Ultimate Code (a.k.a zhong ji mi ma)

Punishment for the game: Finished 1/8 cup of chivas / gin mixed with green tea / plain water in a gulp

The first drunken one: Sock Hwa, after around 3/4 times of punishment, began to giggle and laugh. Everyone insisted that she was drunk but she refused to admit it. =)

Game 2: Forfeit Game

How to play: Each player draws a card from a set of cards numbered A-10. The lucky person who gets Ace can choose any two card numbers (without knowing who the card holders are) and the card holders must perform forfeit according to the lucky person’s specification.

Top 5 Censored Forfeit
5. A sexy dance by Rabin around Sock Hwa
4. Rabin passed his shirt to Hui Koon
3. A long & passionate kiss of a coconut tree for 10 seconds by Boon Meng
2. Sharing of twisties between Boon Meng and Ah Chai
1. Rabin and Chin Han kissed each other with a poker card in between!

Other forfeits included a Bollywood dance by Hui Wen & Ah Chai, a four-arms support by Daisy & Hui Wen, gulping down Chivas by Ah Chai and me, Salsa dance by Ah Chai and Hui Wen, piggy back by Jian Wen and me, sand-volcano building by Hui Wen and me, etc.

Soon, our long-awaited sunrise came! (Author’s note: I must really praise Boon Meng for being such a professional photographer. He captured lots of very nice photos!)

Just before we left Sentosa, we took a few more group photos!

It was definitely a night that I would never forget. Like what Hui Wen said, we spent the time playing like there’s no tomorrow! And like what Mark Twain said, “What is human life? The first third a good time; the rest remembering about it”. To all the leaving seniors, I wish you all the best in your future endeavours; and to all my fellow friends in WSC, I really thank you all for giving me a chance to experience such a fulfilling and fun CCA!

A talk conducted by 'Professors' from BLK D

Today’s session was really thrilling. The whole group of us, both volunteers and boys, were high on drugs. Opps, sorry, I meant high on the topic of drugs. Many thanks to Chin Han, Boon Ming and Hock Heng for taking time not only to attend the talk on drugs during our recess week, but also spending effort to share with us about drugs today.

Today’s sharing was simple, with just the speakers and a few pictures. Although there was neither power point presentation nor projector like we have in school, we still learnt a lot.

Below are the 9 types of drugs shared by our volunteers today:
1. Subutex
2. Cannabis
3. Cocaine
4. Ecstacy
5. Heroin
6. Ketamin
7. Inhalant
8. Methamphetamin
9. No. 5 Drug

One thing that surprised me today was the boys’ knowledge on drugs. Many of them already knew information on various drugs. Anyway, I think the drugs presentation served to provide more information on drugs not only to the boys, but to volunteers like me too. Really glad that I learnt more about drugs today!
After session was supper as usual, but it was a little different though, with an IQ question packaged with it. This IQ question was from Michelle, and it took us sometime to get the correct answers. Haahs. And of cos, our centre head DID manage to get the answer after much tries. *applause*
It was really hilarious.

Next week will be our last session for this academic year and also the time for the beloved centre head to step down. So be sure to come down next thurs to support our centre head! Hahahs.

Lastly, I really enjoyed today’s session. =)


Boys listening attentively to Prof Hock Heng aka Ah Chai

Prof Boon Ming explaining how Ecstasy can kill you!

Prof Chin han trying to bring some life to the class

Super Supper for the hungry volunteers

Yes! Another unglam pic of Mr Lee(related to the famous Mr Lee)

By Ivy

Tuition Birthday

It was 13 March. Thursday Again! If I had thought it’ll be ‘just’ another session at WSC, how wrong I was.

The sessions usually alternate between tuition and games. That day was tuition time. After we went through the usual routine to pass clearance, we proceeded to give them one-on-one tuition. Things went smoothly; the volunteers tried their best to teach them. On my hand, I taught history and it stunned me how attentive my tutee was. I had to confess though I was a History student in Secondary School, I never quite paid that much attention to my teacher before!

How time flies! Before long, it was time to leave. Then Jianwen reminded us that there was special activity coming up! Without further ado, we hurried to the area in front of the reception desk and sat down quickly. It turns out that some of our volunteers are having their birthday this week! Out came the birthday cards that we had written for Jun Wei, Ivy and JiaYin, as well as a big chocolate birthday cake!

Luck has it that only JiaYin was present. Excited as we were, Rabin, Chin Han, Seow Hong, Ah Chai and Boon Ming lit up the candles and we were ready to start! There was a mini ‘birthday prezzie’ presentation to Jia Yin by JianWen, while we sang a loud ‘happy birthday’ song to her. 21st birthday! Wow!
The ‘prezzie’ turned out to be M&M’s that JiaYin decided to share with us. So, while Boon Meng passed out the pieces of cake, we also munched on the M&Ms’ that JiaYin was so kind to share.

All in all, we had a fun and enjoyable time that night, and our stomachs were so full that supper was skipped! Yup, I’m really looking forward for another exciting time at Youth this coming Thursday!


Jianwen and JiaYin

Lydia and Celine

Ravaged cake

M&M's for everyone

The rest of the crew

Just for laughs

By Barbara Rebecca

Games Day!

Today, we had a session filled with fun and laughter. As this week was recess week, only a few of us met up in school for dinner before heading to the home. Despite the fact that it is recess week, the volunteers turn up was nonetheless good!

This week’s games session is slightly different as there is no game master, and we were asked to bring card or board games if we have any. So basically, we had a “minds cafe” session at Blk D. We were given games like UNO, UNO Stacko, Mother Sheep, Headbands, Risk and Poker Cards. Some of these games are brand new! Then we were assigned games and split into groups to play. I was in charge of Headbands, together with Celine. This game is basically like Indian Poker, where we have to wear bands on our heads and a card with a picture that we are supposed to guess. Rule of the game is that we can only ask yes or no questions within a limited time. At first, the boys in my group were rather reluctant to play as the box of the game says “For Kids”, and we look rather silly wearing the headbands (we looked very much like Sun Wukong). However, after much persuasion, we started playing the game, and it turned out to be really fun. =) They had so much fun they actually changed the rules and it became like a charade, with the guesser not having to ask any questions but the members acting out the answer.

As I looked around the room, everyone was having lots of fun, with Ah Chai’s group getting really excited and loud with their card games. Rabin and his boy were absorbed in their game of Risk, and Jianwen was playing with his Sheep game, which he was the only big fan of. The other room sounded like they were having fun too!
Our session ended later than usual due to some of us still playing and not willing to leave until the game ended. All in all, volunteers and the boys bonded really well, and enjoyed themselves tremendously.

1 of the games - RISK a game of global domination


By Yan Sing

Drugs and You

Today, 1st of March, Chin Han, Boon Meng, me , and the other 5 volunteers for Block B(Yoke Wen) and Boys Hostel(Chen Hui, Hui Min, Desmond, Frederick) attended Drugs Training and Dialogues organised by MCYS(Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports) at MCYS community hall, 17th level, MCYS builiding.

All volunteers that attended the training

MCYS building

Due to some technical problem, we arrived late at MCYS building at about 230pm, but the training supposed to be started at 2pm. We quickly rushed into the training hall and we saw alot other individual volunteers and employers also attended that training as well.
Our speaker of Drugs Training, Mr Eddy Razali (refer picture below)

Mr Eddy, Drugs Training speaker

Mr Eddy's presentation

We also given a nice brochure which inside contained of alot useful informations about drugs

Drugs and You brochure

Mr Eddy shown us alot of informations and figures of different drugs such as Subutex(which cost $120 per tablet),Cannabis(Ganja, is a kind of plant which originally green in color like seaweed), Cocaine, Ecstasy(known as playboy),Heroin (Pek Hoon),Ketamine(Vitamin K),'Ice', Inhalants(Glue-sniffing) and others. Besides that, he also told us some of the effects and dangersof drugs, what are withdrawal symptoms and also the penalties of possessing, consuming or trafficking drugs. Moreover he shown us pictures of people getting strokes of cane on their backside(very ugly!!).

Subutex

Cannabis


Heroin


Ketamine


Methamphetamine or 'Ice'


Inhalants


Ecstasy

Effects,Dangers and Penalties of possession or consumption of Ecstasy

We also been told that ladies must beware if someone treat you a bottle of mineral water, that person maybe injected Ketamine into it without your known and let you drink. Ketamine can cause you unable to move, distort your judgement and cause confusion. In order to prevent it, shake the bottle u received before you drink it. If the bottle contained Ketamine, you will see alot of white bubbles after you shake it, so DON'T ever drink it.

Moreover, do you wonder why Ecstasy producers want to risk their clients' life by adding rat poisons and pendaflour tube glasses into Ecstasy?? It is because glasses are used to cut your stomach inner part to increase absorption of drugs whereas rat poisons are used in order to prevent blood clogging .(Very cruel!!)

Ecstasy will caused hallucination, inability to think, see and co-ordinate properly,jaw clenching, teeth grinding and uncontrollable shaking. How to control a people after he/she has consuming Ecstasy, there is a special solution where you put a pacifier into his/her mouth,then he/she will calm down more and won't shake that aggressively.
These are some of the special knowledge that we learned from Mr Eddy.

After the drugs training, there is another Dialogue session with a MCYS officer.

MCYS officer

She shared with us that Boys and Girls Homes have plenty of programmes are being held with different purposes. Below are list of programmes:
1.Stop, Think and Do
2.Emotional Intelligence Programme
-eliminate the use of violence
-conflict resolution skills
-interactions among residents
3.Parenting and family Bonding Groupwork
4.Outdoor adventure learning
-experienced learning
-develop team spirit, trust, responsibility and accountability
5.Sexuality Workshop
-sexuality and sexual development issue
-danger of unprotected sex
6.Anti Drug Programme
7.Preparatory programme for Day Release Scheme (DRS)
8.Job Preparation Programme
-residents learn to write resume, job application, interviews
-interest in finding a job
-conducted before their placement on DRS
9.Service Learning Programme(Teen A.C.T.S)
-self development, reflection, project management
-recognise their strength and weaknesses and to affirm one and another
10.Preparatory programme for dischange
-cope stresses from community
11.Recovery and Empowerment for Sexually Abused Vistims(RES)
12.Self Harm Intervention Programme (SHIP)
-understand their self harm tendencies
13.Support Group for Young and/or Expectant Mother
-insight into different stage of pregnancy,caregiving
(Programme 11 to 13 are for Girls Home)
14.Positive Adolescent Sexuality Treatment (PAST)-Boys Home

-residents with sexual offenses or those with history of sexualised behaviours
15.Violence Prevention Programme(VPP)
-help those with history of violence/ aggresive
-mange anger in a positive manner
16.Theft Intervention Programme (TIP)
-theft is a common offense in Home
-help those history of chronic pilfering
-prevent theft offending cycle
-relapse prevention plan
17.Spectrum Rainbows Programme
-help single parent families

Then we have our refreshment before we continued another dialogue with the same MCYS officer.

Chin Han having his delicious food


Discussion between Boon Meng and Mr Eddy

The second dialogue was conducted in another room where we giving our feedbacks to MCYS officer about what we have done during our sessions in Home. Besides that, we also suggested that more workshops and trainings to be held in future for NTU volunteers.

In the room where second dialogue was conducted. We brought in food as well. Haha

After the second dialogue, we reached the end of our 2-3 hours training. We took our last photos with MCYS officers before we left.