 | About Me | Dec 17, 2007 |
Here's a peep into my oh-so-boring life. =D had hall fright night recce today. it took place at the old changi hospital. the place is quite cool but quite spooky too. thank goodness i didnt see anything. well at least, its a new experience gained for me. and guess what, i've become a GL instead of an SA for hall camp. how great. more commitments required. well, there's certain things in life im quite unhappy and disgusted. there's so many ways to learn about my past, first through me, second through my friends. if u choose the latter, what makes u think its more accurate than getting info from me straight? honestly, i'm so freaking tired of a relationship, i might just decide to give up this one too. its sad, i'm adding to the numbers, not that i want to, but rather, i've overestimated him. not like my previous relationships, i would get to know the person better then get together. but this wasnt the case for this particular one, maybe its because of the long absence or something else that i've been trying to figure out. being in a relationship is definitely not easy. when i was young, i always wanted a boyfriend thats one and only. being young and naive, i have dreams like fairytale always wishing that i would lead a good life, get married to a prince charming and live in a place like alice in wonderland. when i grew up, i knew this was all just naive and idealistic thinking and this would never happen. then my perception of relationship begin to change when i gotten my first one. happy at the start, sad at the end. well, at least a lesson learnt. then a second. most memorable definitely. best friend then boyfriend. due to my stupidity and lack of "cherishness" things turned sour, another lesson learnt. then the third. this one, not worth talking about..then the forth. lets wait and see. tired. im exhausted from camp from everything. im glad im going off next week. i need the break badly. thank god. phew. i think i've neglected this blog for quite some time and now i'm gonna do something about it. i've been busy, busy travelling, meeting up with friends and doing all sort of things. as most know, i just came back from Sabah, Kota Kinabalu just last monday. It was a fantastic trip, it was also a totally different experience especially trekking up Mt Kinabalu with a different group of friends. nonetheless, it was a pleasant pleasant experience. i met up with my bunch of working friends to cycle and bowl at east coast. they're seriously the most whackiest, craziest people i've ever seen in town. though i'm not given a life of perfectness, i still wanna thank god for putting wonderful friends in my life. i feel so blessed just thinking of the friends who were there braving through the good and bad times with me. amazing. okay theres some construction going on like near my place and its damn annoying which keeps disrupting my flow of thought. i shall end here for the time being. Cheerios. Adios. its been ages, and once again, i'm back to revive this dead blog of mine. i wanted to blog a few days back, but didn't have the mood too, so procrastination stepped in and a few days passed... life, i meant my life has been one hell load of rollercoaster ride, emotionally and physically. my family, the most important thing in my life, is in a terrible state, upheavals of quarrels arguments fights have all taken place for the past few days. everyday when i journey back home, my heart will feel so so heavy, thinking what isit like at home now, what should i expect when i get back. and when i stepped into the house, all is asleep, and my brother would still be out. just today, i had my traffic police. just before that, my instructor was asking me about are your parents excited about u getting the driving license and all, i paused, and replied back. my parents quarrelled and i quarrelled with my mum. and i continued, none of my family members even wished me good luck for my test today. that was how heavy my heart was this morning, and the weather this morning was reciprocal as to how i was feeling. my day started with a heavy rain at 7am when i woke up. and all that in my head was "damn, i have never driven on a rainy day before, crap." anyway i've found sth quite interesting on emotions and weather? When there is a crisis in the human kingdom, there may be great upheavals in nature. Anger and fiery passions may create heat spells and fires. Coldness of heart and crystallized states of mind may create freezing spells. Drought can be caused by the imposition of thought that prevents an adequate flow of energy to the emotions. Collective lies may catalyze typhoons or earthquakes. The accumulation of negative thoughts or emotions in one area may pollute it, creating the necessity for a tornado or hurricane to sweep it clean. after driving, met up with sam and charmane for lunch. and after that i had to go for tuition, my mood was so so low that made me choose the long bus ride over the mrt ride. i knew, i needed the bus journey to just sit, think, reflect, watch, listen to my own feelings. and i did. i know i have high expectations for myself and i can't accept failure or defeats. since young, i have been driven by this thing called perfection or excellence, good or not, its up to individual's perspective. anyway, despite all the dull and disgusting side, there's always this little and most precious part of my life that i'm always looking forward to, and that's my friends. whenever i'm down, there'll always be someone whom i can depend and cry on. and i thank god for them. i met nat in the evening after tuition for threading. and we ended up shopping at little indian and mustafa. i spent like mad today. but at least, i enjoyed myself. okay, while trying the swimming costume, nat and i came to an agreement that we need to do our regular visits to the gym soon. shitttttt i'm getting out of shapeee. i have to stop whining. whining is bad. and tomorrow will be a better day than yesterday and the day before. i know it, somehow i just know it.  | Joy. | Mar 13, '09 8:49 AM
for everyone |
and finally. it's a friday. =) sitting down in my comfy pink chair, with the aircon blowing into my face, music blasting into my ears, this feels so good. if feels so good to be at home. how long have i not enjoyed this? sometimes going home on a friday is a nono due to the heavy workload. anyway, the week had been so hectic. With the upcoming road run, i had so so much things to do. ranging from printing of number tags to liasing for the ambulance to be down. well, at least all have been settled. whats left is the actual run itself. yay! i was in my daddy's car, and i realised that more often than not, people sometimes take their life for granted. i was passing by kallang, and there was this sign that was about fatal accident happening on 3 march. within these 2 weeks, i've read about so many deaths. one of it i just heard over the radio today, it was about an army personnel who was running his 2.4km and he died cos his heart failed. Life is so unpredictable, life is so precious, cherish your life. the weekend is here, so many things up ahead, so many things to expect. i'm looking forward to my weekend like every other weekend. anyway, my daddy just sent me a picture. i didnt know he took it after my run. 
it looks so funny. hahaha. okay, i'm gonna chill and watch the world go by. =) Goodnight world. and YES! i'm alive. =) i think i did myself good by taking the mc and skipping the test today. though it wasn't quite a good decision, at least i feel much better and happier now. The past one week or so had been hectic. so stressful. i was just talking to kelvin today and i realised that I'm not alone, the stress level is just way way to high for me to take it. sigh. maybe the next time around i got to start studying a little earlier, it'll prolly make life a tad easier for me. my life- its like racing in a sports car, in an never ending race. life is moving too fast, too fast for my liking. its been a long time since i last went shopping, watch a movie, chill out, and do the things that i enjoy doing. is this what uni life is all about? maybe? maybe not? Who am I by Casting Crows Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours
I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours 
hello. somehow i just seem to love this picture alot. got to go back to the books. wheee. i'm so lazy to blog. Zzzz. Finally its the recess week. no school but lots of studying to do. my yi gu wen final exam is on 2 March. how great. so much to study, so little time. and whats worse is with this angry stomach of mine, it makes me even harder to study. every now and then when the acid erupts, i have to squirm into a ball and rest on the bed for a few hours. this is bad. i have to eat blend food, drink milk every 3 hourly, it makes me sound like a baby i know. but what to do. had to stay up last night to do some stupid thing. Thank YOU for passing me all your undone stuff so last min and i had to struggle and call people up one by one at wee hours of the night to get the info needed. i mean its BOTH of our jobs, and its not mine alone. plus the state that i'm in, forcing myself to stay up to complete the work is pure torture. whatever it is. i'm pissed and if u were to ever do this again, i'm gonna bite you. on a brighter note, i've settled much stuff this weekend like my Mt k trip, SBS Road Relay and all. i ought to be happy. and a matter of fact, my lappy crashed.my report and everything else in my lappy was gone and now i'm lappy-less. This is one of the worse week that i'm going through. Laptop crashed, had to redo my lab report the night before submission, my bestie left for aussie already and i had test on the next day which was today (and i obviously screwed it up big time) damnn.
and as im typing all these now, dont you think life is just unfair? why do i have to go through all these shit. i'm just trying to be so patient and do things one at a time. sigh.
dear God, please give me the strength that i really really need.
its been a long time since i last blogged, just didnt have the time and mood to blog. my weekdays as usual loaded with school works club works sports and other stuff and as for the weekends, i've been burning them up with meeting my cousins and spending ample time with my family.
anyway, i have a plan, i have a GREAT plan, i'm gonna hide in my turtle shell for the next few days, i need time for myself i need to reflect i need to emo i need to do everything that i need to do.
| 11:11 | Jan 25, '09 10:36 PM
for everyone |
i'm just gonna blog about this interesting thing that has been happening to me. For the past few days, whenever i turned and look at a digital clock, 11:11 would always appear. kinda scary isn't it. it was until today, when i saw 11:11 at the clock in my lappy, i've decided that i should google it. Here are my findings: The Meaning of 11:11 If your attention has been drawn to clocks and watches at exactly 11:11, then read the following. Solara's and Uri's opinions: The endless reoccurrence of these hours 11:11, 11:01, 11:10, 10:01, 10:11, 10:10, 1:01 represents a positive connection and a gateway to the mysteries of the universe and beyond. 
A trigger of remembrance For many years the numbers 11:11 have been mysteriously appearing to people all over the world. Often appearing on digital clocks, the sightings of 11:11 tend to occur during times of heightened awareness, having a most powerful effect on the people involved. This causes a reactivation of our cellular memory banks. There's a stirring deep inside, a hint of remembrance of something long forgotten.
The appearance of 11:11 is also a powerful confirmation that we are on the right track, aligned with our highest Truth. Throughout the years, I have personally encountered thousands of people all over the world who, have experienced repeated sightings of 11:11. They all want to know what is happening to them and why. What does the 11:11 signify?
11:11 is a pre-encoded trigger placed into our cellular memory banks prior to our descent into matter which, when activated, signifies that our time of completion is near. This refers to the completion of duality. When the 11:11 appears to you, it is your wake-up call. A direct channel opens up between you and the Invisible. When this happens, it is time to reflect on whatever you are doing for a moment and Look Larger. A transfer is in position. You can enter the Greater Reality if you wish pray or meditate and seed your future and also, you can be seeded by the Invisible. You can ask for help in some specific area of your life or simply listen quietly and receive a revelation.
The appearance of 11:11 is an always beneficial act of Divine Intervention telling you that it is time to take a good look around you and see what is really happening. It's time to pierce the veils of illusion that keep us bound to an unreal world. You have been chosen, because you are ready, to step into the Greater Reality. To lead the way for others into a new way of living, into a Greater Love. To ascend from
duality into Oneness.
The 11.11 is the bridge our vitality and oneness. It is our pathway into the postive unknown and beyond. The Doorway the 11:11 This can presently be perceived
as a crack between two worlds.
It is like a bridge
which has the inherent potential
of linking together
two very different spirals of energy.
As we unite together as One,
bringing together our fragments of the key,
we not only create the key, but we make visible the Doorway.
Thus this bridge functions
as an invisible door
or a doorway into the Invisible realm.
The 11:11 is the bridge
To an entirely different spiral of evolution. The symbol of 11:11 was pre-encoded into our cellular memory banks long ago.
Returning our cycle of incarnations upon the Earth. The 11.11 has rested dormantly within us since that faraway position under time-release mechanization, combined with sealed orders which would only open when the 11.11 was fully activated. It has been gently sleeping, awaiting the moment of triggering. And now the 11:11 is finally activated... 11:11 is the pre-encoded trigger And the key to the mysteries of the universe and beyond. Some of you have recognized this symbol as something of significance, yet have been unaware of its true meaning. With the advent of digital clocks many years ago, the significance of 11:11 began to make itself felt, often appearing on clocks at times of accelerated awareness. For those of you who have know that 11:11 was something special, we now need you to come forth into positions of leadership. For you are important parts of the key.
I believe we are or connected to an invisible spiritual thread, through which we can transmit information, thoughts, and feelings to each other, even if we never met. Use this channel to send help, prayers, love and positivity to humanity and all our animals.
okay. this is what i've found. so interesting. =D cheerios and adios! Happy Moo Moo-ing! XOXOXO! today is the eve of cny... my relatives and cousins are at my place now. everyone is so excited for tmr, new haircuts, new clothes, new dreams, new goals everything new, prepared for the new year. went for my last driving lesson before my tp on thurs. well, wonder what will it feels like, cant seem to anticipate the feeling that might stir in on thurs. vertical parking, parallel parking, slope, directional change, s course, z course, i did all of it today. i was quite sianz today during lesson cos all these thing seems so mundane, i've been having lessons on sat and sun for the past few weeks, maybe that's why. i was at chinatown with roger yesterday. went there for dinner, dessert and for a walk. dinner was great but expensive, dessert too, great but expensive. ohh. and dont ever try sesame paste unless you are daring enough. haha. a spoonful of sesame, the taste will linger in yr mouth and throat for quite awhile. after our dessert, we strolled the buzzling streets of chinatown, we ate so much la, dinner plus dessert plus the sampling of almost everything that could be sampled. terrible. i'm growing fat.  this was the dessert menu
on the left is mango with pomelo and on the right is the sesame paste 
taken by roger. me and the sesame paste. i know cny is coming and i shouldnt be blogging this, but, i'm still quite eff-ing pissed with this particular saleswoman at G2000. my mum was enquiring about the blouse and i know its the peak season, but that woman, who obviously wasnt from singapore, just couldnt care to explain properly and clearly which led to my mum asking her even more question, i mean, even i myself couldnt comprehend what she was talking about. so i told my mum, forget about it and dont even bother to buy the blouse. i just stared at her and walked off. what kind of an attitude is this. i mean it wasnt only us who were pissed, there was this other woman who doesnt seemed quite happy with her also. argh. disgusting woman. well oh well, theres so many different kinds of people in the world, some we like some we dont, shes probably one of the rare few whom i totally abhor. or even loathe. okay i should stop ranting if not this could go on like forever until the word limit stops me. =) well at least cny is tmr, i've got a new dress and i'm a happy girl. to everyone out there: happy chinese new year! Cheerios and Adios! XOXOXO   and finally, today is a thursday and i'm back in my cosy lovely home of mine. i'm not saying that i'm skipping class tmr, i'm just back home as usual on a thursday cos i miss this lovely family and this lovely home of mine. okay i'm watching the channel 8 show now and its soooo dramatic! hahaha. okay, i'm so glad that the long weekend is coming soon. i'm soo soo tired, from all the sports, studying and everything. i had 6 hours of yi gu wen lecture today and after that CPR test. so tired. just so tired. well at least, thursday is over. hahaha.i'm quite distracted by the tv show, and the structure of my blogging is kinda haywired but who cares. too lazy to edit it. okay just got a msg from my friend, saying that i passed my CPR test! YAY! coolness and greatness. All have been great, more challenges to come of which i shant fear. Cheerios & Adios peeps! XOXOXO! =DDDD YAY! guess what? ISG IS OVER!!!! and i just got back feeling so so so tired yet happy and satisfied. Happy for all the good things that have happened, Happy for the experience gained, Happy for the lesson learnt, Happy for the friends i've made, and last but not least, Happy for SBS's achievement this year. seriously, i've been overworking myself and my body. Almost everyday, i've got to play some form of sports, apart from ISG, there's still my lifesaving course, my driving lessons, piano, hip hop and i cant think of anything else. well, at least my TP is coming up (next thurs) and hopefully, i can clear it. i'm feeling so tired such that i cant even sort my thoughts properly to blog. i had in mind a few things that i wanna blog about, but just couldnt think of it now. this is a signal from my brain that i'm tired. and therefore, i should just end it here. alright world, good night. | sigh. | Jan 17, '09 10:39 AM
for everyone |
i'm just a girl, who just hasn't seen the world, who doesnt even know what she wants. i just burnt my whole day today. wanted to get down to doing some revision for my yi gu wen mid terms today, but i was out the whole day till now. Was just chit chatting with my cousin about some stuff. and we both came to a common topic and yup. (we all know what isit and therefore i shouldnt just blatently state it here.) Sometimes, it just makes me wonder, why do we feel the way that we are feeling? the opposite party just keeps giving us confusing signals that confuses us and plays with our feelings. i mean, if u like the person, just let your actions show it! and if u dont, dont be a jerk and give false hope. i dont know why am i ranting. i feel so unjust,,, Bottom line: Mabel shouldnt bother or care about anything except for her family, friends, her studies, career and future. and she just needs God, Family, Friends and herself. thats it. THE END. We departed from Singapore at 0730hr on the 1st of December from Singapore Cruise Center and began our 6 days journey of ‘touching hearts and changing lives’. On the ferry, some of us caught a nap or two while others are excited about what will greet them on the shores of Karimun Island.
People taking forty winks  
The excited ones
Upon arrival, we cleared the immigration with relative ease thanks to our guides. We were greeted by our buses which is entirely made of wood except for the engine and set off to our accommodation immediately. Boarding our wooden bus 
The little buses were kind of squeezy but we enjoyed the ride nonetheless
As soon as we arrived at the hotel, Padi Mas, we packed our day packs, were briefed on matters regarding our work and headed off to our respective worksites (SMP Muhammadiyah and SDN 006 Pongkar) where we worked on for 5 days.
Briefing at the hotel lobby At the secondary school- SMP Muhammadiyah, we were first warmly greeted by the teachers and students whom served us scrumptious home-made food.
Arrival Enjoying the local delights that the locals prepared for us Our local guides- Dedy & Chris enjoying their food Over the days, we conducted English lessons with the students and introduced other interesting activities to them.
English lesson(s)  
Balloon sculpting with students
Apart from conducting the lessons and activities, we had to build 3 wall partitions creating 3 rooms used as a sick-bay, the computer lab and a storage room from scratch.
We had to transfer bricks over to our worksite with the help of the local students and make our very own cement manually with the assistance of the school caretaker. Honestly, mixing the cement is a physically challenging task. Transferring the bricks We handled more bricks with the help of the local students. 
We formed a human-relay system to effectively pass on bricks into the precise worksite.
 
Some of us started laying the very first bricks. Floors were hammered down to create the right foundation for the walls. As the days go by, the walls started to take shape as the team work hard for completion we leave Reaching the top… Upon completing the wall, we started to do plastering to give the wall a smooth surface.
The Walls.
 The group here also made white boards for the secondary school.
Making the whiteboard Over at SDN 006 Pongkar, the other half of the team was greeted by the cheers of the young children and the smiles of the teaching staff. The group was tasked with completing the plastering of the computer lab, painting of its interior, painting murals and conducting lessons. The team split the work among them and works on several tasks simultaneously.
Mixing the cement for plastering Some plastered the wall at the back Others cleared what we call “the earthquake zone” of debris so that we could plaster the stretch of wall Others painted the interior of the computer lab green -The completed room
With the left over green paint, we painted the gate, motorcycle shack, the steps and the flag pole upon the request of the school. Painting the gate with the local children… Some painted murals on several walls. The completed murals We also conducted lessons for the students there and had a great time as the response was overwhelming. Apart from the regular English lessons, we taught the students origami ranging from t-shirts to inflatable rabbits. We also tried making fluff balls and balloon heads with them and had so much fun.
The children singing London Bridge
Origami classes
 
Posing class?
The group at 006 Pongkar was treated to a surprise picnic on day 4 at the Pongkar beach by the teaching staff to serve as a bonding session between the team and the teachers. Not only were we lucky enough to have lunch with a picturesque view in sight but were also able to savor the big and delicious coconuts that a teacher grew in his own front yard. To round off the trip, we took a boat ride out to sea for some spectacular scenery.
Our picnic at the beach We call him the jack of all trades for being able to do almost anything. 
Happy team with our coconuts…
 
The boat ride…
To be continued.. Yepp there's more! Done by: Yishi, Huimin, WaiSum & Asyifah its 3.41am. i should be sleeping. but somehow, i just wanna enjoy the quiet night while everyone is asleep. i feel happy but i dont know for what reason... it has been a long long day and i ought to feel tired. but i'm not. =DDDDD and so quickly, the year is coming to an end. and 2009 will be here in no time. this year has indeed been a fruitful, enjoyable, meaningful year for me. I've more or less achieved most of my goals. 1. Experience: Summited 3 mountains (Mount Rinjani, Mount Datuk, Mount Panti) and completed Stand Chart 42.195km! 2. Skills: Sports Climbing level 1 & 2 cert, Kayaking one star Abseiling Level 1, First Aid Cert, Life Saving 1, 2 and 3 3. Knowledge: Hmmmm. i dont know how to quantify it. An overview of this year, i was working as a freelancer in outdoor companies whilst waiting for my A Level results. Then, there was a transition, like flipping into the next chapter, when i entered university. NTU was never my first choice, never was and never wanted to get into NTU. Always wanted to get into Medicine at NUS. but well oh well, NTU wasnt as bad as i expected. The environment has been alright and my friends here are great, or should i say fabulous. At least i didn't regret being in NTU. 2009: A better me obtaining greater achievements leading a happier life than 2008. Dear God, thank you for the wonderful year, thank you for watching over me, my family and my friends. thank you for being so ever faithful, ever so loving, ever so great. thank you for everything that has happened in my life. thank you for being there when i need you most. thank you for shinning light through my darkest path. thank you Lord and i love you much much more than anything in this world. and as we bring 2008 to a close, bless year 2009. Amen Goodbye 2008, Cheers to 2009! much loves, Mabel  Panaromic photos of SAJC OCIP 2008 Cambodia from 13th Nov - 27th Nov.
 Above: Agkor Wat  Above: Agokor Wat  Above: Mural Paintings of new library at kchass school  Above: View from Floating School at Siem Reap  Above: Countryside view of Village area in kchass  Above: Countryside from homestay
 Above: Countryside view from kchass village
To be continued...
Hi, this is Naveen from trip 4, to Karimun. The impression I had about the trip before we went to Karimun was that, we were going to certain schools in this village like area to do basic construction work, thereby helping the community. Well, it was actually much more than that. This trip has been an eye-opener, enabling me to see the other side of life which we are'nt used to seeing. It should be mentioned that through this trip, i have also been instilled with many important values that i will treasure always. I was assigned to SMP Mohamadiyah secondary school for all the 5 days. Our goals were to build 3 partition walls, make white boards to replace some of the black boards, set up about 5 computers and to teach basic english to the students there. Construction was not our cup of tea initially. It was a daunting process, from making the cement to shifting the hundreds of bricks to stacking them up in alignment to plastering. All these could not have been done by us with out the guidance from uncle anwar, the keeper of the school. If we stopped work at 4 pm everyday, he would stop his, only at 5 pm. Whenever i became tired mentally, he was the driving force that kept me going. It was just amusing to know that he is so old, yet bubbling with stamina whereas, we were so young yet lacking it. Well he is truly an inspirational figure to many of us. The students too, in many ways changed my mindset. You see, it was only the first day when they became such good friends with us. In the first few days, I hated myself when they made an effort to remember my name but i did not remember any of theirs. Apart from being very warm and welcoming, the students were contended with what they had. The class rooms had no fan at all, but it didnt deter them from keeping their cool. Some of them didn't have pens, only pencils, but, it didnt stop them from keenly taking down notes when we taught them english. We also found that most of the students were orphans, which means they received no parental love. I think that this very fact that caused them to see the school as their family. Everyday, after the school finishes at 1 pm, the students would come back to school in the late afternoon to meet up with one another. They would mostly chit-chat and sing songs while someone plays the guitar. It is somewhat funny to see that here in Singapore, many of us hate school, but there, school is something that cant be seperated from the students. Another thing that i realised was that the level their of friendship with us was much deeper than ours' with them. During our stay, we received many poems from the students showing how much they loved us and how much they will miss us once we leave and so on. Some of them went to the extent of developing the photos that they took with us and giving it to each of us personally. However, on our own, we just bought them sweets and lolly pups. Was that the only thing that we could do for them to show our gratitude? One of the things that also struck me was the information that the local tour leaders provided us. Here in Singapore, once we finish our education, we have to FIND job. It means that there is already an existing job and we have to get it. But in karimun, the students have to MAKE their own job. This is because there aren't many jobs available. So the graduates have to create their own jobs based on what is essential in that island. This goes to say that most of the time, what one studies has no link to the work that one is going to do in the future. Then the question arises, why study in the first place? well, this is the question that has made some students like ZUL from Ponkar primary school in Karimun to quit school, given the option to choose either survival or studies. Zul is just one of the many students who quit school to work and feed his family. The question of what will happen to these students in the future is for us to ponder. This trip has certainly changed me metally and physically to a better person. It is my realisation that real help is nullified unless we come out of our comfort zones and create a partnership with the people we are helping. Hello. Nadia here from OCIP Karimun. I just came back from OCIP. Before I landed on the island, I wasn't sure of my purpose of coming to this trip. I had little confidence in myself and I didn't believe I can make such difference in someone's life. As such, I actually thought my presence would be of no use. But i knew that it would be silly of me to withdraw from this trip especially since I'm the expedition leader. Firstly, to my fellow dearest teammates, I would like to apologize for not being a good leader. For being MIA during dry runs to not being loud enough during my announcements. And also to the teachers for not being responsible enough when a task was given to me. Many thanks to all of you for your continuous support despite what I've done. I'm glad i persevered on. The experience and lessons learnt throughout this journey are priceless. Unfortunately enough for me, I didn't get to spend the whole 5 days with the students. Instead, I had 2 days with SDN006 Pongkar and another 2days with SMP Muhammadiyah. It wasn't enough. But I enjoyed it. The students in Pongkar taught me how i took education for granted. There they have to choose survival over  education and yet, i took my education for granted. The students in Muhammadiyah taught me how i took my parents for granted. How i always hate hearing my parents nag, but there they were wishing to hear their parents nag. Being a councillor before, I interacted with many students younger than me. I had said many goodbyes. However, during the farewell, I was shocked I actually shed tears uncontrollably. All the students salamed us. From the first girl to the last boy, I continued crying. Funny, cos I wasn't even close to any of them. I cried even more when they presented to me flowers and rings and letters and I had nothing for them. Only two days with them and they showed me such love they have for their kakaks and abangs(elder siblings) which I think I failed to do as a sister to an elder brother and a younger one. I went to this OCIP program with the intention to help others. Little did I know, they helped me a lot instead by teaching me valuable life lessons that can never be taught in a classroom. Without doubt, I think many of us came out of the ferry a better person than before this journey started. Despite being darker, smelly and injured, I'd do it over again.  | Guestbook | |
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