Team Project HUH

Let me first start with the team that I worked with. Project HUH team was formed in mid-2007. About 16 individuals who were very interested to gain some experience in service learning, were selected to embark on this project expedition. The place where we were assigned to render our 3 weeks of services, was at Ansuansunthorn School for the Deaf, which is located at Chiangmai, a beautiful city in Thailand. Ansuansunthorn is a boarding school that enrols hearing-impaired students from all over Chiangmai. Since the team was formed by a group of educators and the place that we rendered our services at is an education institute, the desired learning outcomes of this project were naturally education-related. It was such a humbling experience to be able share and exchange some of knowledge that we had gained from our respective teaching practices to some of the educators that we met in that school. I believe that many of us had gained a lot of knowledge from the many days of observing how the school functions daily – from how the lessons were conducted for their students to the students-teachers interactions outside of classes.

Just a few weeks before we set off to Chiangmai, we attended a workshop to learn some basic sign language skills. I remember attending the workshop feeling a little worried because I was afraid that I might not be able to absorb as much as I should. I really wanted to be able to communicate effectively with the Ansuansunthorn students. Thankfully, the workshop’s facilitators were patient with us and we managed to cover quite a lot of the basics of sign language. Of course, it was not enough to save our lives (considering that the workshop was to teach sign language for English Language and most of us were really surprised to be informed that there’s different sign language for the various languages used around the world), but at that point in time, what we have learnt was just enough to aid us for our stay in Chiangmai. Other than the workshop, most of us did our own extra preparation by learning from the various resources found on the internet and books.

Despite knowing so little about the usage of sign language, all of us managed to communicate with the community in that school. I guess when the little fish is taken out from it’s cosy pond to swim into a bigger lake, it has no choice but to just keep on swimming. Constant interactions with the many people that I met when we were there allowed me to learn even more about communicating using sign language for both English and Thai language. I learnt a lot because of the patience and unrelenting efforts of the children and teachers there in trying to constantly ensure we understand one another.

Carrying a notebook and pen was really necessary when walking around in the school because when sign languages failed us, we communicated using primitive means – writing them down on paper and pen. It really helped to ease a lot of communication difficulties.

So we talked to this couple from Bandung and the conversation which at first revolved around vespas and certain places around the city, suddenly came to this:

(Translated from indon)

Bandung girl: So why Bandung of all places in Indonesia?

Me: (in the most bimbotic tone) Cos it’s cold here!

And then it went *cricket* *cricket*

In all seriousness, i wanted to say that it was cos of the people, music and culture but i couldn’t structure those thoughts into a perfect sentence.

Oh well. i miss bandung already… explored so much and learnt so much.

And there are still so much more to explore.. :)

Hfz and I managed to catch a local indie gig there and it was really great to see the local kids there gather and have fun with music. We had a reaaaalllly nice time.

Here is some from the many many photos we took.

at hasnah and tigor's wedding

taken from: http://www.wowwowwed.sg/tigorandhasnah/tigorandhasnah.html

19th february – it’s been a year! time really flies when you’re simply happy and having fun <3

Probably the trigger of this all is from watching the sisterhood of the travelling pants part two with my girls. Watching that show makes me feel SO thankful that I still have my closest girlfriends with me even after all these years. Despite my shortcomings, they have always accepted me for who I am and although they have their own opinions about whatever decisions that I have made in my life, never did they judge. I can totally be myself whenever I’m with them therefore their presence always make me feel so at home. Despite the differences and the progresses that we have made in our lives respectively, we were always genuinely very happy for one another because we have nothing to prove to one another.

I know that the last few years had not been easy for all of us. So many things have happened. Sometimes we lost track of the ongoings of one another’s lives but when we meet it’s always so easy to continue from where we left. Maybe it’s because of the solid foundation of our friendship so that’s why we can still go as strong. Of course like every other long lasting relationships, our friendship hasn’t been all smooth sailing and fairytale-like. But I guess time heals all wounds.

I would never have imagined myself to be saying this at the age of 25 (cos I used to think that we only have to deal with crap friends when we were younger given the fact that nobody knew any better).. but I think old habits die hard, a lot of people’s undesirable characters never really fade with time and so with that, I can safely say that I have lived long enough to see a lot friendships formed for all the wrong reasons..

Friends being really hypocritical with one another.. I really dislike bitchings about other people and I really hate it when I’m trapped in conversations that revolve around that. I think a lot of people fail to realise that there’s a thin line between sharing whatever pisses you off about other people that cross your line and just plain mean bitching about other people, i.e. no topic, then suddenly talk about people whose lives I have no interest in whatsoever. ALSO, I think that it’s totally LOW to bitch about your own best friends to other people.. I mean if you can talk abt your own best friends LIKE THAT.. it really shows what kind of person you are..

Friends using friends for personal gains.. for e.g.: MONEY, tapping into your contacts for their personal gains (cos they’re losers like that), gaining more friends (cos like how they admire you, they admire your friends too), getting into guy friends’ pants.. etc

Friends who obviously have insecurity issues with themselves and then they conveniently burden you with their issues by getting jealous of you for GOD KNOWS WHYYY

Friends who seem to be more like your ‘fans’ than your friends.. e.g.: they always have only good things to say about you that it makes it all seem SO FAKE.. like, HELLO! nobody is perfect!! are you stupid or are you stupid??

Friends who take other friends totally for granted.. they only look for you when they need you to do something for them, the kind of friends who have ulterior motives.. or those types that make you feel bad for not calling them and asking them out (THIS despite you having asked them out for countless of times… like why can’t for once, they initiate?? THIS act is also QUESTIONABLE. Do they do this just to satisfy their pathetic conscience?? it’s forgivable if they are really sincere about it though) despite them  being the total ass for being MIA for reasons only GOD KNOWS..

So with that I have come to realise that having my girls is such a luxury.

True friends is not something that everyone has….

I feel so blessed and I’m thankful to God.

Please listen and show them some love!

This Is Atlantis
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=436528228

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; big men and small character; steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce; fancier houses but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember to say "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
 

enough laughters for now. gotta get back to studying!!