It's been three weeks since I've returned from Suzhou/Shanghai and the memories are still fresh in mind and everything seems to have taken place only yesterday. I'm glad that I've embarked on this fun-filling and meaningful journey.
Initially, when we started to get to know the children in BOAI, there were fears within me, fear of how I am going to help the children and whether I am to help them or not. There were many of them, most of them with cerebral palsy. Some others are suffering from autism and behavioral problems. They looked so normal and so adorable, but yet, heaven is cruel to them, to play such a joke on them. I remembered the first two days, where I felt quite lost, wondering where to start with. Should I just observe the kids and do nothing, or should I get myself involved with their physiotherapy? But I didn’t know anything and I was afraid I would be disrupting their progress, so I looked on quietly. Frankly speaking, the first two days were quite an ordeal to me because I felt very bored, just staring at them. But fortunately, I started chatting with the kids and making them comfortable with my presence.
By the third day, I was actually quite used to their slow movements. I seemed to somehow have treated them normally, just like us. Day passed on very quickly and I didn’t realize we are coming to an end of our 11th day stay at BOAI. I was so reluctant to leave because I’ve grown so attached to the kids and the place. But we cannot be there forever; we have our own lives too. Compared to the kids, yes, I am more fortunate because I can lead a normal life, but what I don’t have is their determination, patience and independence. They are so young, yet they are very strong-willed. They did not cry no matter how painful their physiotherapies are. I felt so ashamed, when I complained about the little pain I suffered. How can I compare my pains to theirs?
The visit to the orphanage in Suzhou was short but memorable. The children age ranges from 1-15 or so. Some of them are perfectly normal, some suffered from muscle problems (cerebral palsy) and some are with Down syndrome. I was with this very quiet and cute boy, who apparently can’t stand or walk. He sits there all the time, silent all the while. We spent only about one hour there, because the kids got to leave and have their dinner. From what I’ve heard, the orphanage is actually not opened to public visits unless they are there for adoption. Thanks to Principal Liang, we managed to visit the place.
In Shanghai, we went to the Hua Mu old folks home to do some gardening. We were to help plant some flowers and tidy up their garden. Before that we had some sing-a-long sessions and pass the ball game with the old folks. Immediately after lunch we went straight to gardening! Everyone had their job. Some were planting and some were painting the benches. I was painting the benches and I realized it’s not very difficult.
The next two days was a day where we really immerse into the culture of Shanghai. We went to the wholesale centres at Qi Pu Lu to shop around for clothes, shoes and bags. There are too many things to see and it’s very tiring. After shopping for a while, you’ll feel like going back.
The last day we went to this Sun Yat Sen museum. It was interesting because I’ve heard of his great name but never truly understand the story behind him. I feel so ignorant about China’s history. Mrs Koh’s words always reflect in my mind, China is a country with thousand over years of history and we, Singapore has only about 42 years of history, how can we compare to them? True enough. We should really read up more on China’s history.
All in all, I’ve really learnt a lot from this serve trip. Everyday is spent wisely, unlike in Singapore, where my days are sometimes gone without doing anything. I’ve become more conscious of the people around me, my family and friends, learning to appreciate them and love them. There are too many lessons learnt from this trip and they are forever etched in my heart. If I was given a chance to go for another serve trip or to visit Suzhou again, I’ll definitely go for it.
Initially, when we started to get to know the children in BOAI, there were fears within me, fear of how I am going to help the children and whether I am to help them or not. There were many of them, most of them with cerebral palsy. Some others are suffering from autism and behavioral problems. They looked so normal and so adorable, but yet, heaven is cruel to them, to play such a joke on them. I remembered the first two days, where I felt quite lost, wondering where to start with. Should I just observe the kids and do nothing, or should I get myself involved with their physiotherapy? But I didn’t know anything and I was afraid I would be disrupting their progress, so I looked on quietly. Frankly speaking, the first two days were quite an ordeal to me because I felt very bored, just staring at them. But fortunately, I started chatting with the kids and making them comfortable with my presence.
By the third day, I was actually quite used to their slow movements. I seemed to somehow have treated them normally, just like us. Day passed on very quickly and I didn’t realize we are coming to an end of our 11th day stay at BOAI. I was so reluctant to leave because I’ve grown so attached to the kids and the place. But we cannot be there forever; we have our own lives too. Compared to the kids, yes, I am more fortunate because I can lead a normal life, but what I don’t have is their determination, patience and independence. They are so young, yet they are very strong-willed. They did not cry no matter how painful their physiotherapies are. I felt so ashamed, when I complained about the little pain I suffered. How can I compare my pains to theirs?
The visit to the orphanage in Suzhou was short but memorable. The children age ranges from 1-15 or so. Some of them are perfectly normal, some suffered from muscle problems (cerebral palsy) and some are with Down syndrome. I was with this very quiet and cute boy, who apparently can’t stand or walk. He sits there all the time, silent all the while. We spent only about one hour there, because the kids got to leave and have their dinner. From what I’ve heard, the orphanage is actually not opened to public visits unless they are there for adoption. Thanks to Principal Liang, we managed to visit the place.
In Shanghai, we went to the Hua Mu old folks home to do some gardening. We were to help plant some flowers and tidy up their garden. Before that we had some sing-a-long sessions and pass the ball game with the old folks. Immediately after lunch we went straight to gardening! Everyone had their job. Some were planting and some were painting the benches. I was painting the benches and I realized it’s not very difficult.
The next two days was a day where we really immerse into the culture of Shanghai. We went to the wholesale centres at Qi Pu Lu to shop around for clothes, shoes and bags. There are too many things to see and it’s very tiring. After shopping for a while, you’ll feel like going back.
The last day we went to this Sun Yat Sen museum. It was interesting because I’ve heard of his great name but never truly understand the story behind him. I feel so ignorant about China’s history. Mrs Koh’s words always reflect in my mind, China is a country with thousand over years of history and we, Singapore has only about 42 years of history, how can we compare to them? True enough. We should really read up more on China’s history.
All in all, I’ve really learnt a lot from this serve trip. Everyday is spent wisely, unlike in Singapore, where my days are sometimes gone without doing anything. I’ve become more conscious of the people around me, my family and friends, learning to appreciate them and love them. There are too many lessons learnt from this trip and they are forever etched in my heart. If I was given a chance to go for another serve trip or to visit Suzhou again, I’ll definitely go for it.
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