The Light We Give.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The trip to Cambodia has been an enriching and unforgettable experience. I’ll never forget the amicable culture of the Cambodians and the beaming faces of the school children. I remembered the very first day when we stepped into the dilapidated school, we were greeted by the affable children that melted our hearts. Although these children do not have the basic needs such as clean water, proper stationary and facilities, they were contented with their way of life and even appreciated the fact that they have an education. Having an education is a privilege for them and they know it. Therefore interacting and teaching the children were such a pleasure. Even though the content that we have taught them were not sufficient nor satisfying to their needs due to the language barrier, I am sure that the children all had fun learning new songs, cheers and simple English. The construction work that we did benefit them and that made us contented. The children never failed to amaze us with their helpfulness, innocence and joy that were contagious and eventually spread to us. That is why we loved going to the school to do both the construction and interaction with the kids due to the satisfaction and joy that we derived from them. Not only did we give them the light, in terms of basic facilities and teachings, but also they too have given us the light- a new perception to how we see things after we go back.
I guess in Singapore, it is rare to be in a class filled with exuberant students, all eager to learn. I have learnt that being a Singaporean is a prerogative that we failed to realize at times. We are blessed with so many opportunities and comfort that we often take them for granted. After the trip, I came back appreciating simple things like food, water and clean toilets. All in all, mission OPIC has been and will be the most memorable trip I have ever been. (:

Labels: Kimberly

reflected at 1:01 AM