yep cambodia trip [dec 2004]

what are you guys doing right now?

2005-02-09T19:36:00.000+08:00

well..
had been wondering what are you guys doing now..

well..
first thing..
wish you guys xin nian kuai le !!
are you guys having fun out there??

hmm..
next friday will be our presentation..
like what tim tan had said..
i really really REALLY wish it WILL NOT end at all..
the days in cambodia are still fresh in my mind..
it's like things happening like yesterday only..
n i'm missing all the peeps who went there..

trying to break the ice between the people around us..
nyp people being called as the "lamers", that scares those who just finished their 'o' n said that they will not wanna go nyp..
n some slower people who we laughed at when they cant get the answer of the lame jokes/question..
the nights we spent together sharing our life journey n brain-storming for activities like the games with the village kids n high school students..
having praise n worship every morning..
the bible study with albert..
learning to play the guitar from one another..
the days at work filing the ground with soil, filing the bricks with cement, pouring cement on the floor that was filled n stacking the bricks [though i didnt have a part of it]..
the nights we spent together sleeping together..
some at the hammocks which was tied at the balcony..
some in the rooms provided [with crickets too]..
some at the rooftop with sky full of stars..
rice harvesting..
church service at pastor vansan's house..
bbq on the last day of stay at pastor reksa's sister's house..
the bidding goodbye in the early moring to ankor wat for sunrise..
the tour n picture session at angkor wat..
the bus ride to phomn penh..
the uneasy feeling at the backpackers alley-Lazy Fish..
the remorseful tour at the killing fields and the torture prison [which i'm not able to make it due to my fever]..
visiting of the orphanage [which i'm not there too.. :'( ]..
shopping at both the russian market n central market..
-arghz-
so much memories..
i really dont want it to end at all..
i really dont feel like coming back to s'pore for all those cruel reality..
-sobz-

well..
since we are back..
we must remember what we had learnt from this trip n apply it..
like what reuben said..
dont take it as a normal vacation trip..
must always remember what's our main objective to do this project..
well..
i'm sure i had made up my objective to be there..
to bring smiles to the people..
building the centre to make the people there to learn some skills..
to do as much as possible to their needs..
to make them feel that they are not neglected..
n the most important thing is to do things that glorify in the name of the Lord..
we had done our best to achieve all the objectives..
did we??

well..
if there's any chance..
i would like to do it again..
i think i'm loving to do volunteer work that helps those who are less fortunate..
i wanna people in the world to be happy..
to know that they are always remembered, not neglected..
i really thank God for giving me this chance to be there..
to let me experience life that does not happen here..
to let me know that i should cherish what i have now n be contented like the people there..

well..
learning that there's chicken flu in cambodia now really scares me..
i really would want us to pray for the people there that there will be no outbreak of the viruse to the people..
pray that they will be safe..
pray that there will be a better medical prevention..
pray that they will get over this crisis asap..
pray that the christian there will be strong in faith n pray to God constantly for what had happened..

written by: =vOnVoN=

What did you do during your holidays?

2005-02-06T13:50:00.000+08:00

Well, it's me again.

Not sure if anyone still visits this blog, but I sure hope someone does.

Last Friday during assembly, we had this talk by my school mates on their overseas trip to Shangrila, China. They were giving a presentation on what they did and how it impacted them. They were there for just over 2 weeks, like us, and they went there solely to interact with the villagers.

During the presentation, I couldn't help but think back on the days we spent in Cambodia. Funnily enough, I can still remember the van ride to Reaksa's place from the airport very clearly. Heh. Then I thought about the rest of the trip. There was this video segment, where they showed how the school children ran out of the school to say hi to my school mates. The entire school stopped lessons just to welcome them. It was the first time they saw foreigners you see.

I then thought about our walk towards the worksite, how the village kids run out everything they saw us, screaming their his or hellos.

Heh. Really brings back memories.

Well, the trip is going to end officially, in about 2 more weeks. Can't wait to see everyone again, but I don't want the presentation to be over so soon.

Why?

Simply becauase,
I don't want this trip to end.

Written by: Tim Tan.

YEos!

2005-01-27T09:08:00.000+08:00

hey ppls..!!
glad to be back to enjoy the comfort of singapore...!
guess that singapore life has caught us again and
we are back studying and working...
and to some others watching cartoon network... (wonders who?)
stay healty all..!
(ben*2)

2005-01-06T21:19:00.000+08:00

realised that i had been a month??
on 2 dec 04 we landed at cambodia..
yar..

really missed those days in cambodia..
if i'm not wrong last month of today..
wee beng, tim bay n tim tan shared their life journey with us..
i still can remember quite a bit..
all i can say is that..
"go guys!! your life will be better..
just entrust your life to God..
must continue to serve Him n love Him.."

still remembered that something happened to me that day too..
kinda affected my plan..
did something that it's not supposed to happen as i had promised..
but..
it still happen..
the day just came..
knew alot of things suddenly..
like suddenly knew lots of the things that supposed to be hidden in that person's heart..
felt lost..
felt pressurized..
needed to catch a breathe to what had come to me..
needed some time..
needed to be with God..

aiya..
i dont think that person will remember that date..
will just remember what had happened..
maybe dont even know what had been told to me..
-shrugs-
better not make any wild guesses..
if things doesnt mean that way..
i will hate myself to the core..

well..
hope my yep friends are well..
able to adjust to their life..
to those studying:
continue to work hard..achieve your best..
to those waiting for result:
good luck to you guys..i know you all can do it..dont forget to put nyp as your 1st choice..hehe..
to those adults:
work hard..hope to be able to see you guys soon..

memories...-ben2

2004-12-28T22:21:00.000+08:00

dont know what to updateso many things happen
so many feelings..
so much love..
so much sadness...
k ba....
this trip had 2 many things...
the rushing on 1st day to the plane..
the brown well water (that was thankfully pumped from a cleaner well)
we bath in.the many many *10 stars at night...
(and shooting stars)
pow wow.. ( life journey )
this was my thought to thing about for the 1st day...
"what are we doing here?"
building a building? pouring conecrete.. ? build sumthing useful?
or building a building for the advancement of God's kingdom
i miss the entu we shown one the 2nd day ..
all we did was transfer sand for the foundation..
but we did it wholeheartly smiling laughting..
telling lame jokes.

.rember the outdoor movie ?
and market at the nearby temple?
hehe

so thankful of singapore pluming....
oh... guys u rember the plastic bag next to our faces when we are doing our number 2.?
(not watering the flowers..)
wows how after 10 days it dint choke...
hm.. sunday service..
testmony..ss how to play some cambodian games..
tiger and cow...and
some dumb handcuff game wee leng
i still have not figured out yet..bang bang who die game....
what to bring for a party...
in singapore we are so sheltered...
they kids are so happy there..
but behind that smile is there any problems they face??
health?
education?
family?

they are so independen they take care of their youger siblings...
us in singapore do we care for our brothers and sisters?

everything is so near in singapore 5 mins away 10 mins
by bus
walking..
train...
the nearest market near us in cambodia was the area market 1 km away...
and the village is 16 km away from the nearest city..

haiz..
cambodia is such a sad place it has been thru alot...
the mass killing...
2million of a populationg of 6...
died during that time...
no one was left unaffected...
so much violence..

what is the most importain thing ?

what would it take for u to kill some one..

miss angkor wat?
what?

haha rember when we woke up at 3.30am just for the sun rise..(its worth it man..)
so magnificient the structure..

haiz.. miss the kids at the orphanage..
what have i learned?
what will i change as a results of this trip
what are the things that i will treasure during this trip?
what is the most memoriable during this trip.
when i get back home what could i do?

rice paddy..
.bbq with our new cambodia friends..
yes...
may our friendship with each and every member in the team be as strong as ever
this special connection we have with each other i would tresure that the most...
everything we have shared, done..

Cambodia.. Wad an Incredible experience!

2004-12-28T03:20:00.000+08:00

It's my 1st time writing blog.. haha~ Looks like i'm a little late in writing here.. haha~ aniwae.. dis trip has realli been an INCREDIBLE experience for me.. Truly incredible, Madly astonishing, Deeply memorable..

Like Tim Tan, I've also learned a lot, so much so that it's simply too hard to pen things down..

I didn't come to this trip wif so much of anxiety an anticipation.. i dunno y oso but i juz didn't feel excited abt it.. but luckilly, e moment i reach airport on Day 1, all of ya made me feel e excitement n anticipation..

I guess it's impossible for me n everyone to pen down e happenings of dis whole trip.. it's juz too much to write abt man.. E ppl, lifestyle, poverty.. E stars, sumptous meals, games wif village kids, games wif high school youths, church services, life story sharing, pow wow sessions, catapult making n shooting sessions, slacking sessions, bathing times, shitting times...... all of this i miss i miss n i realli miss..

i'm realli glad n thankful that i'm able to adapt well dere n b able to make such gd frenz dere.. i wanna highlight 2 frenz tt i made dere.. Narath n Chok.. they made my stay a very wonderful n memorable one.. wif all e catapult sessions wif narath, khmer learning sessions wif chok.. It's juz so wonderful.. It's oso amazing tt ppl frm diff countries, speaking diff language can become such close frenz.. It's realli a blessing.. Of course they're nt e onli ones who made this trip so memorable but everyone dere.. Radid, Makra, Rado n Tok Lar.. they gave mi lots of happy moments too.. Not forgetting Reaksa n his family, esp his sis for tolerating all our nonsense.. haha~ i guess we're e grp tt breaks e most things sia.. so realli wanna thank them cos if nt 4 their understanding, our trip will nt b even half as memorable.. Lastly, it's all of ya tt made my trip so wonderful.. seriously, we might nt b metting a lot aft dis trip but realli, u all have shown me a miracle!! A miracle tt how ppl frm diff woks of life can come together as one.. n be so close.. wif all e honest life sharing sessions n our work.. U all rock man!! so dis r all wad i experienced.. n wad i missed...

I've truly learnt a lot thru this trip.. how we shld b appreciative of thingz n ppl ard us.. how we shld b more aware of thingz happening outside.. I've oso seen how God works miracles in ppl's lives.. It's realli amazing.. Dis trip is oso definitely an eye-opener 4 me.. Though it's 1st time experiencing such lifestyle.. but somehow i love it man!! i love e stress free life, e slow pace life n e happy life!! I realli see how fortunate we are n yet we dun realise it.. E ppl dere r living in poverty n yet they r still so happy.. b4 gg to dis trip i totally dun understand.. but aft dis trip i guess i noe a bit more.. E ppl dere r veri easily contented n live in veri close-knitted families.. This warmth in e villages is something tt i've longed for n it's oso something which we'll nv experience here..

I've never ever regretted in signing up 4 dis trip, never regretted coming here n meeting u guyz.. never regretted living in cambodia 4 17 days.. I simply love dis trip too much.. so i guess i'll b back again nxt yr.. so i guess tt's all 4 now.. will miss e times we had n wish all of u all e best in wadeva u do n Som Priah Protin Po!! Orkun Chiran 4 making my experience such a memorable one.. wish u all an Early New Yr!!! take care...

~3yE power~

Sweet memories...-Huishan

2004-12-28T03:19:00.000+08:00

yeah...
finally i've remembered the password n address..

yippie..
yep ish indeed fun.
recallin de time wen we r all gathered at changi.
those uncertain faces..
how wuld our triip be with total strangers of nt stayiin together.
we've onli met 1 anth fer lk 4 times ?
n nt to mention tat's the maximum no.
so i've met a few lk onli once or twice ?
n not even finishin toking one full sentence wit dem.
wooah tt's darn short ??

iimagine ...
i'm wonderiin

the outcome was indeed great..
we merged so well
werked so happily
slp n smell one anth.
bear wiith one anth flaws
those snoring..
we cared n nagged at 1 anth.
driink moore h20,
shiit more
n pee moore

to divert attention of beiin one anth's angel n mortal
we treated one anth wit care n loorve..
but tt's nt the main thiing bout it..
we sssiimply juux caare fer 1 anth.
truly we cared..!

we shared our life stories...
neva even tut of leaking a tiny weeny bit to strangers
i did!
n sooo they're nt strangers..
dey're a bunch of great super darn fantastic frends..
we're 1 family
wiit 1 heart.

we ate crickets n spiders
shoppin madness at phom penh.
we cuddled at our super comfy bed in de guest room
we sung songs i will run to ya no. 1 fav.

i misss huggin kids
the laughter of their happiness
the innocent touch of them.
the kindness tat the villagers showered us
the sour spicy food in reaksa hse.
the heart wrenching life stories he shared wit us
his magnamious heart which forgiven his enemies.

i'll neva eva forget the Pol Pot regime.
it tut be a grrt life lesson.
i can sense the bitterness inside the victims.
the cries...
the helpless sight of them.
the tortured they went thru.
astounded by the whorrle process
i'll cry
i'll pray.

i loorve de shootin stars
the clear skies of puok village
the windy nites.

n i suusppeor duuper miiss moi freens...
weiliang.weebeng.qiusong.mr`roy`eyepower.weeleng`mentor.
hweeying`mentor. joanne.zhengxiang.albert`leader.
reuben`leader.daryl.jack2.timi`tan.tim`bay.joshua
n not forgettin to mention my nyp dudes funky freens.
ah`fang.ben2.eby.von.x2.suyun

hooppe i've miss no one..
no grudges! hahaa
bless all of ya...!
taKee ultra super careee...!

Reminisces

2004-12-23T01:38:00.000+08:00

I've learnt alot.

Touched down @ Changi Airport on the 18th Dec, 2pm. Had mixed feelings when the plane landed. A part of me wanted to go home, to the comfort of technology and the warmth of my family. Another part of me wanted to stay in Cambodia, with Reaksa and his family, with Chork and Narath, with the Cambodia YEP team. What can I say? I've experienced lots with them, be it happy or sad. We played, slept, bathed, worked, studied, praised the Lord, sang, laughed, everything together. The past 17 days.

It's always the same: on the 2nd of December, we met at Changi Airport at 5.45am. I still can strongly envisualise the scene there. Really memorable. Was kinda sad to leave Singapore and my family. Then 17 days later, I can't bear the leave Cambodia and go back to Singapore.

What we learnt was really uncomprehensible with words. It was a case of more than words. The bond, the friendship, the love and care we showered with each other, the times we urged each other to 'drink more water!'. The unique ways of how we behaved, how we reacted at times.

The memorable times we shared at work, at play, the late night Pow Wow sessions by our dear Ruby, the truthfulness we had when we were sharing our Life Journeys, the Polar Bear and Policeman game, the bond with the high school kids, the catapult shooting with Chork, Narath, the places we visited, the bugs we ate, the bugs that bugged us, the dish washing, setting up, cold nights, countless shooting stars, song leading, falling ill, romantic baths, eating, drinking litres of water per day, shitting, laming, plain having fun.

All this I will miss.

Written by: Tim Tan.

back from cambodia

2004-12-21T10:02:00.000+08:00

well..
i'm kinda missing my friends i had made in my yep group..
missing the kids there..
missing working at the worksite..
missing POW WOW sessions with our group leader..
missing the starry sky in cambodia..
missing the shooting stars that we can catch in cambodia at night..
well..
i just missed every single little things that we had encountered or did in cambodia..

haha..
let me update what i did in cambodia..

day 1
- first time leaving singapore to a foreign country..
- feel super giddy in the plane maybe because 1st time on plane..
- reach Siem Reap n found out that it's SUPER HOT there..
- sat a van to Reaksa's sis's place..the ride is SUPER bumpy cuz of the uneven road..along the way just saw alot of attar house and water buffaloes..
- reach the place we are staying..glad that we are living in a place that have concrete walls compared to the attar house i saw along the way..living place is passable or can say that is the best house you can find in the village..
- didnt eat much for lunch..i'm not used to the food there..cuz i'm abit fussy about food..
- went to look around the village..well..just felt that i had been out-casted..well..maybe it's because it's the 1st time i'm out of singapore n i didnt really know what would happen to me, kinda became a burden to some of my friends?? then when trying to be friendly to Mari (a small village girl), she just pushed me away..it made me felt even worse..just felt that i'm not wanted there..
- did ate a little for dinner..
- played "pig" after my shower..was very funny..haha..i did sabotaged some of the to became pig at my level..haha..good game..
- had POW WOW session..briefing about how to share our life journey to our friends..
- went to star gazed for awhile..slept at my hammock..

day 2
- 1st day of work..filling the ground that the previous group had dug..quite surprised that we can do our work so fast..
- ate quite well for every meal..
- experienced short circuit in the middle of my shower..lucky there's a torch n i'm almost done..haha..

day 4
- work per normal for day 3..same as day 2..planned for the games we were be playing with the village kids for the next day..
- went for church service in pastor vansan's house..was asked to share my testimony..didnt know what to say..but just shared what came to my mind..
- after service stayed around at the pastor's house..was carrying pastor's baby..they all said that i looked like a mother..haha..-shrugs- took pictures with the baby n some of the kids there..
- taught the girls there some game we played in singapore..they really learnt it very fast..
- went back for lunch..more decent food..cuz reuben cooked..tau gay..missed it lots..
- went back to the village..have to play with them..was happy that they did enjoyed the games we planned..most of the kids just kept coming to you cuz they wants the sweets you are holding..we even played catching with them due to the fact that they were eyeing for the sweets..
- have this particular small girl..she kept sticking to me..she's really cute..once she didnt see me..she will go n find me..as if i'm her mum..so yar..she's my 'daughter'..
- in the end..cant bear to leave the kids..cant bear to say 'bye' to my nu er..but yet..we had to leave that place..
- shared my life journey..xiu xian n eby shared theirs too..i cried after i shared my life journey..hmm..not trying to say that i lead a bad life..cuz dont really feel like sharing everything..just wanna let the people know that i'm just the girl they know..but yet..i shared almost everything about my life..well..it's good after all..shared something that had been locked in my heart for so long..it's good to let it out..

day 5
- reaksa shared his life..was impressed how he had overcome everything that had happened in his life..he talked about forgiveness..n it set me thinking again about my life..
- changed of work plan..my group have rest in the morning..work in the afternoon..easy job..just fill the brick's holes with cement..haha..so shuang..was taking my own sweet time doing..

well..
for most of the time, mainly just work..
we did went for some shopping at the city of siem reap cuz we cant have our boat ride..
cant go for boat ride cuz the boatman is trying to cheat us money..
so we decided to change plan..
bought a shawl for myself..
hehe..
we also went for rice harvesting..
was fun..
cutting the rice n bundling it up..
n vansan made a whistle out of the rice stem for most of them..
didnt take cuz i find it annoying..

we played with the high school kids..
had lots of fun..
hehe..
had bbq with the villagers too..
it was before we leave reaksa's sis's place..
learnt some of their traditional games..
was really really fun..
went to catch the stars for the last night there..
managed to see 3-4 shooting stars that night..

woke up very early to go to visit angkor wat..
cuz we wanna catch the sunrise..
well..
did catch the nicest shooting star i ever saw before i board the van to leave that place..
sunrise was nice too..
climbed some of the temples at angkor wat..
didnt take alot of pictures..
but i helped alot of them to take..
n we stayed at a hotel for our last day in siem reap before we head to phomn penh..
the hotel is super nice..
food for that day is also very nice..
haha..

in phomn penh..
bad experience at the Lazy Fish..
it's a guesthouse for backpackers..
hai~
dont say it here..
lucky we agreed to change the place we are going to stay..
didnt really sleep when i'm at there..
that's why fell sick the next day..
moved to stay at asia hotel..
but went to the 'killing fields' with them in the morning..
cuz the headache got worse during lunch time..
so decided to stay in the hotel..
running high fever..
missed the visit to the museum..
think there's alot more to the killings of the people in the pol pot period..
hai~
it's over..

then more shopping..
shop for the fund raising stuff..
shop for our own stuff..
haha..
hmm..
last night was touching..
shared what we felt for this trip..
what we learn n stuff..
said what we wanna say to the group of people that we had stayed throughout the trip..
wrote things for every single person..
pack bags n stuff..
left to the airport the next day..
everyone is not really willing to leave cambodia..
everyone is having withdrawl symptoms even before we touched singapore ground..
felt so foreign when we reach singapore..

well..
i enjoyed my trip..
it really taught me alot of things..
in the past..
not really willing to reflect on my past..
but this trip..
alot of sharings need to reflect on our past..
even though not really willing..
but glad that i felt good after sharing everything..
daniel even wrote to me to thank me for sharing everything so honestly..
well..
glad that everyone shared their life journey so honestly too..
everyone have their own life..
n it really really make me feel that i'm not the only person experiencing a bad life..
well..
those life journey that was shared will always remain in my heart..
n you guys will be in my prayer list..

just wanna say that..
be brave in whatever that will be coming into your life..
may God be with you throughout everything..
love you guys lots..

may our unique friendship lasts very very long!!

written by: vOnVoN

comments :
At 10:17 PM, Huiying said...
Hihi,, my turn now...Was feeling real bad on the last day. Couldnt talk.. Arghh....
I wanna speak!!!Perhaps I'm at e mentor "old" stage liao.
Din really have cambodia withdrawal symptoms.
Guess the sore throat and inability to speak did some help.
Went home, tired. Wanted so much to talk bout my trip but cant.
Duh... Then went 2 see doc in the evening.
He asked bout e trip, also wan so much to tell him how interesting everything was.
But he said: Keep quiet. Duh..
Cos if I wanna regain my voice, gotta stop talking... Cant take it...
Scared will forget if I dont speak soon...

Next day went shopping for Christmas presents cos my frens meeting up 2 exchange presents. Only half done.. No time liao.
Monday, went to work despite my doc giving me MC for 2 days.
Sigh... perhaps e workload was so huge tt withdrawal symptoms just stayed at e back of my mind.
All the projects that I have asked my colleague to continue on... she just kept postponing it...
My boss too.. Duh...
How are we gonna survive like tat??
So start clearing all the work. Still got loads...
Missed e movie w you all tonight.
Sorry. Can't make it.
Theoretically work ends at 6pm. But worked till 7.30pm today.
So cant make it anyway. See you all on 29th Dec!!So long ya. Green green...

worse arm ache ever

2004-11-17T01:05:00.000+08:00

why i'm like the only one writing this blog?
well..
never mind..

haha..
just came back from my camp..
the camp was fun n fruitful..
learnt alot..
then went for my last jab on monday..
now my arm is aching..
having problem when have to do things in the 1st aid course..
plus huishan kept hitting on my arm [where i took my jab]..
i cant stand the aching..

well..
adult 1st aid was fine to me..
kinda refreshed my memories about 1st aid again..
did bandaging today..
small piece of cake man..
haha..
then the lecturer also showed us videos about the working life in ER at america..
when watching the video clips..
had headache..
maybe cant stand the sight of the injuries or just the aching of my arm..
-shrugs-

well..
i did have fun today..
n tomorrow will be having CPR..
my favourite..
hope i can perform well tomorrow..
n thursday will be the test..
will work hard to get the cert so that we can take care of you guys in cambodia..
=p
just kidding..
i dun wan anything to happen to anyone of us in cambodia..

remember to eat your malaria pills..
is one pill weekly hor..
NOT one pill daily hor..

written by: vOnVoN

yep dec blog is up!!

2004-11-11T01:34:00.000+08:00

kk..
let me be the 1st one to start the ball rolling..

well..
the nyp ppl had come up with this idea to set up a blog so that we can all write about how we feel about this trip..
for example, we can write about the preparation of the trip, life at cambodia and life after that..
we can also use this way as a form of updating our lives..
maybe after 5 years n you come back to read this blog..
you will find back alot of memories..
n maybe some of us are still friends by then..[hope so]

haha..
well..
took the jab on tues..
luckily there's still not much aching yet..
hope there wun be any cuz we still have camp..
kinda having headaches bcuz have to cramp alot of things in my mind..
cuz i have to do two things at a time..
so will kinda mixed up the yep n the camp..

haha..
hope you guys had taken your jab..
heard that tim tan had high blood pressure..
hope it will go down to normal..
n remember to start taking your pills next monday..
n will eat it every monday after we finished everything!!

written by: vOnVoN