ProEd Council Winter Retreat 2010

Hi all this time it will be about our school's combined consortium council retreat to Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. I definitely had great fun there and I think some of the experiences are worth sharing with you all.

Most of the time spent were actually on the bus. The bus ride there was surprsingly long and we spent our time by playing cards or just talking. Some even slept throughout the whole journey!

Our first stop was the High 5 Bread Town. High 5 bread is actually quite remarkable because from a small bread company, they can evolve into one of the dominant players in the bread industry despite facing fierce competition. At the factory, we gained much insights on the history of bread, as well as High 5 bread making technology. It was definitely a rewarding visit.

On the way back to the hotel, we visited the Prime Minister's office and the King's Palace to take a few shots of the magnificent architectures. The tour guide then briefly explained Malaysian political structure. The King was not, as I previously imagined, the dictator of the country. In contrary, he was merely the religious leader of the country and only had the power of pardon.

The next day was mostly spent on a nature trail at the Malaysian nature conservation organization headquarters. We learnt a lot about the floral and fauna that flourished there. There were really many things I have never heard of before, like the umbrella tree and the giant ant species that carried a shell. We walked in the cool jungles for about an hour, learning about the different types of trees and insects before heading to the Twin Towers.

The Petronas Twin Towers were really high. I kept wondering how the modern day spiderman could climb all the way to the top. Besides taking pictures of that wonderful building, we also shopped at the KLCC mall for an hour before retiring for the day.

I think the last night was the most meaningful. Our consortium organized a council tribute to the secondary 3 students who would be leaving the council next year. We all sang songs as well as gave tokens of appreciation to the secondary 3s. After that, the Executive Commitee announced the Organization Teams for the following year. I was the Organizing Secretary for our consortium night! Looks like I'll have to work harder for the council next year :)

Looking back, the trip was definitely a rewarding experience. I had two takeaways from it - Firstly, I gained many precious insights into Malaysia's culture, from politics and forest conservation to 5cent things like bread making. Secondly, I made many new friends as well as strengthened bonds greatly with existing friends.

Any other thing I realised during the departure from Malaysia was that almost everyone bought chewing gum back to Singapore!!!

Last takeaway: "Things tend to flourished when you ban them"

Kampong Glam CIP 17/10/09

Few months since I posted... this time its about a trip to Kampong Glam to do some community involvement work. The trip was quite meaningful and I think some of my experiences there are worth sharing.

The venue was rather far from my house - Lavender MRT. I spent about 1hour redundant time on the journey. It was rather frustrating because I arrived 15 minutes late, and after arriving, my small class commitee team had to wait for another 30 minutes before we started towards the HDB flats.

The sun was searingly hot, we perspired profusely even before we started the work. It was then decided that our class team would take on block 7. It was 14 storeys high, a big difference from the 9 storey flats we experienced during our previous CIP trip. We agreed to start from the highest floor then slowly progress down.

A bigger surprise awaited us the moment we came out of the lift from the highest floor. The whole floor was just one small corrider, on the sides crammed with about 30 one-room apartments.

Nonetheless, despite all odds, we persevered and looking back now, it was really worth it. We got to meet all sorts of people from all races, traditions and religions, from all walks of life.

There were the devoted muslims and buddhist - they hanged big signs and altars outside their house. Their windows were crammed with 400-word literature essay regarding their religion.

There were the inconsiderate people - they blasted music from their stereo so loudly, and even opened their doors, as if they valued the joy of "sharing". One of them opened their doors and windows while cooking some dish that emitted some very awful pungent. I admit now - we skipped that apartment.

But as usual, there were the samaritans. One old and especially kind lady saw the beads of perspiration on our foreheads, and instantenously took out 5 packets of chrysanthemum tea for us to quench our thirst. She even invited us to have lunch in her house, but we turned down her offer tactfully.

Some houses all neat and organized, while some are totally messy. There is one house I still remeber till now - there were toys strewn all over the dusty floor, the cupboards were placed literally everwhere haphazardly and let out a terrible pungent.

The poor, shabby and noisy living conditions in Kampong Glam help us better appreciate and be aware of the serene, peaceful and conducive environment we stay in. We are truly fortunate people.