One Year in Timor

Went to check out a photography exhibition, One Year in Timor, at The Art House earlier today. The photographs were the work of a photographer who spent a year volunteering in Timor Leste (aka East Timor). There wasn't a lot of photographs on exhibit but the photographs were rather nice, and so i still ended up being late for a dinner appointment with a friend. :p

Anyway, one of my goals for this year is to learn to take better photographs with my micro four third. ( ok, so mine is a beginner's camera and i was made fun of by my basic photography teacher. But it's a first step! ) Till now, I am still using automatic mode whenever i take photos, and actually, most often with my iPhone..I'm really doing no justice to my camera!

Anyway, below is my favorite photo from the exhibition, A Hamlet in the Forest. Don't ask me why but something about it just drew me in and i came back for it for a second time before i left.

And here's an interesting snapshot outside the art house using my most handy camera, the iphone. :p

Kranji Countryside outing with the Kids

Went to the Kranji Countryside with the children from Kidsread program on sat. It was quite an interesting visit and reminds me of my kampong days when we used to live so close to nature. Anyway, the Kranji countryside was supposed to have been named the world's first and best LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability)  region. Do check it out for something different to do in Singapore. :)

 

 

Riverkids Gala Dinner

Me with other volunteers at the Riverkids gala dinner. :)

Morning at Nursing Home

The Kidsread program has ended for the year so i have my saturday mornings more freed up to join some other volunteering activities. Spent some meaningful time this morning playing Bingo with the elderly folks at the Man Fut Tong nursing home. The two old ladies whom i was helping with during the Bingo game was smiling broadly at the end of the game as they had won a few times during the game and had amassed a plastic bagful each of prizes. :)

While helping an old lady to her bed after lunch, we striked up a conversation. It was a nice interesting chat and she started to tell me about her late husband who had passed away a few years ago. The old lady started weeping uncontrollably when she relate how well her late husband had treated her when he was alive. It was tears of loss and I can feel my heart aching with her. Told old granny that she is the lucky one. Because, not everyone is fortunate like her to have someone who loved her deeply and treat her that well like her late husband.

We chatted more and moved on to other lighter topics before i have got to go. The old lady thanked me for coming to see them and spending time with them and telling me her name again. I walked away thinking that if only i have more time, i'll really like to come back to volunteer more.

I wish there is less heartaches and sufferings in this world.

Sabbatical - Things to do - Volunteering

There's so much things running in my head on the things i can do and pursue during my personal sabbatical from work it sometimes gets me really excited. I would be driving and suddenly would have some bright ideas on a business plan, or i would be lying on my bed imagining all the things i can do and learn that my mind gets so active i couldn't sleep. Just yesterday, i woke up from bed in the middle of the night googling on volunteering and charity. 

When i was 17, i wanted to be a social worker. After completing my JC studies, my plan was to enroll in the university to be trained in social science.  However, a teacher dissuaded me and convinced me that it was better for me that i go get a traditional professional degree which is a safer bet for a better income job, unless i have a rich dad. I can always do volunteering work or engaged more in charity at any later point in life. I gathered the advice was pretty practical and makes a lot of sense and  hence dropped the idea to be a social worker as my first career.

Since i graduated, work has been relentless and it just gets heavier over the years as i get more entrenched in the working world. I tried to do some charity here and there but time and work demand always work against this wish. This is one of the reasons why i have been having ideas to stop working in the corporate, to start a business or something, to one day have time on my hand,( the new rich (NR) to borrow Timothy Ferriss), so that i can spend time on meaningful things, such on charity, and on things i have interest in.

Anyway, to side track a bit, i recently bought this book, The 4-hour work week from borders, which talks about escaping the 9-5 and it has been a really inspiring read. At least, it provides some hope that this kind of lifestyle is possible.According to the author, the New Rich (NR) are those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: time and mobility. This is an art and a science we will refer to as Lifestyle Design.

Back to my volunteering. I'm considering this or a residential Zen training in my potential to-do -list plans. It's a residential volunteering opportunity where you get to live in the study institute, work on charity and non-for profit projects, study on Buddhism and spend time learning on personal development.Volunteers will live at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley in shared rooms and receive vegetarian meals, a small living expense stipend, and a full scholarship for Institute classes and workshops


I think it's quite meaningful as i can get to do meaningful charity work (i'm thinking of working on Tibetan Aid Project ) and gets to improve on my knowledge on Buddhism. But as i have other plans to consider, i do need to seriously plan my schedule a bit to see if it works. Otherwise, i will explore other options.

 Photos of Tibet

Life is great when you have time on hand! :)

Photoaid 2008

Last sunday was quite meaningfully spent doing my little bit to help raise fund for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar through the PhotoAid 2008 campaign, an initiative by volunteer photographers from Clubsnap.

Was rather tired by the end of the day but nevertheless felt rather good. And it was rather interesting too, observing the behaviour of people at the Merlion park, especially the different reactions and behaviours of tourists and visitors who were being approached to donate funds.

And here's some picture taken from Yunfen's camera...

Me "drinking" from the merlion fountain and Yunfen looking shock. haha

Jingshi and me

Jingshi, Yunfen and me.

And here's the group picture.

The Dear Little Princess from Camp Rainbow

The little princess i befriended at the volunteer camp sms me last night.

Princess: Are you sleeping now
Me: Nope. I'm driving. On the way home from yoga.
Princess: OH
Me: Why aren't you sleeping yet? It's late
Princess: I miss you what! rabbit.

Her reply brought a huge smile to my face. :) It's nice to know that you must have meant something and had made a difference one way or another in someone's life for them to miss you.

It was 3 full days of interactions and fun we had. She was a really shy girl at the start of the camp. Yet over the course of the camp, we had so much fun that she opened up very quickly to reveal another lovely side of her. She was like the princess in our group, for she was the youngest. And all the other befrienders doted on her a lot too. After the camp, we had a few more get together sessions. Her dad remarked that she had changed alot since returning the camp, much more outgoing and confident and kept thanking me that night when i sent her home after the appreciation tea. The camp had made a positive impact on her.

Actually, the camp was a learning experience for myself too.

One snippet in my journal recorded a moment when she seemed to prefer the company of the doctor assigned to our group than me.

"...For a short moment, I turn away from her, for I couldn’t handle rejection. Why does she seem to prefer the doctor’s company more than mine? Sometimes, we have such big ego and pride, that the tiniest little act of injustice(we felt) done to us causes us silly hurts that we shut off from people.

I guess she could sense it. For she sorta shy away from me when I started playing with the other kids and did not follow her everywhere so much. And so she turned to the other befrienders, and me to the other kids whom seemed to appreciate and love my company. And suddenly there existed a wall between us. And I suddenly sensed that she was a little shy with me.

Then I quickly thought to myself, what’s really important is that she enjoys herself and I need to manage my own feelings better. And so, we begin to have fun again. :) "

After the camp, little princess smsed me "I love you.". Her sms made my day that night. When you give love, they will find a way back.

Life is too short to be little. When we rise above petty hurts and pride, and embrace them with love and understanding and compassion, the world becomes a much better world, for ourselves and the people around us.