This blog is all about me, and anything about me. Be prepare to be loaded with lots of food, movies, music, grumbles and even some foul language. This is the place for anyone who knows me, even on the most superficial level. Enjoy and hope you know me better each day. (please adjust your display setting to Unicode)
Pass the Baton
Out of no where, we in Beijing are informed that we are allowed to participate in a volunteer programme organised by Lien Aid, a subsidies of Singapore charity organisation, Lien Foundation. This new volunteer programme involves in improving the living environment of a rural, county school in Shanxi, one of the most poverty affected part in China.
Me, of course wanted to be part of it, and volunteered to be part of the reccee team on last Wed and Thurs.
But, back in office, I realise I am given now task to handle.
Also, one more person wanted to go there, though she is less exprience in similar sort of volunteer programme. She is such a stubborn women, with my boss permission granted, no way she will step down, and I will need to stay to cover her work in the office.
In the end, I decide to pass the baton, not even mentioning it to my boss, abd let she and 2 more person (one, who have the least idea of what he is going to do, and the other one, the class leader, who take it upon himself to take care of everything of the 14 of us...).
Their return was quite fruitful, with quite a bit of story to tell, and worked out how to do our part of the volunteer programme, that is to interact with the local student, in a more interactive way.
In a more cynical ways, thanks to them, I've got some free time on my own, while they are busy preparing the report in the weekend.
But, more importantly, I feel I should not hog on all the chances for other to see the world. I have done that in the past, and have only gain more enemies than friends.
In the end, if the project really going to execute, I can still contribute with my experience.
So, passed the baton I have, this time round.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 9/17/2006 02:12:00 pm
Let Them Go, Please.
I am fortunate that I have been given the chances to be away from home and family since young.
My parents went for holiday on their own, to Beijing, when I was around 5, and I was left with my grands, and I'm not a single bit sore about this.
In primary school, I went for all sorts of camps, and most memorable, Camp Leaping Wolf, where I get the 1st preview of army life.
Secondary days were even better: 10 days in Oz, 1 week in Terengganu, and numerous St John's camp.
JC, to Chang Mai, and proceed to Chiang Rai for 10 days, without any form of communication to outside world.
Then, of course there's NS, which is acutally less significant compared to those above, frankly...
In NTU, YEP Myanmmar, 3 weeks, and that's my first time I feel missing lou ma zi, but it lasted only one day.
And now, 9th week into my GIP in Beijing, I am actually rather annoyed by how so people can rant about their parents are visiting, and they cannot apply leave for classes to accompany them.
There are also more logical ones, who get their parents come over during the National Day week, or accompany the parents only after classes. And trust me, if lou ma zi is going to do that, I will definately give her a good scolding if she dare ask me skip class. They paid good money for me to take lesson at PKU, marked that.
Come on, if you are going overseas, you are expected to take care of yourself already. And please give your kids a chance to take care of themselves. This is the whole damn idea of sending your kids overseas what?
Homesick is not a crime, but when it hinder the chance to grow out of your comfort zone, it is.
Please, I beg parent-class people who will read this: don't bother to win Best Parent Award and bother your kids who's having exchange overseas too much. If you don't trust them, don't bother letting them go in the first place. Let them have a chance taking care of themselves, their future spouse will thanks you more for doing so.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 9/08/2006 11:25:00 pm
Taking Care of your Home Away from Home
Some turn of luck from previous post: ICT is succesfully defered; there's another anime convention in PRC National Day week.
But today, I am not going to rant about all these today. Today, let's discuss about household chores.
No one really likes to do household chores, and wished everthing is sparkling clean on its own. But facts of life tells us that other than change, which is the absoulte constant, is household chores is gonna stay in human civilisation's daily routine.
Not to mention, wildlife do clean their nest as often as possible.
However, most of us born in the 20th century last 2 deacades, whether you are male of female, household chores seems such a far away term. Everything is being taken care by the Minister of Environmental of State, aka your mother, or your maid. It's only when you are living in a home that is away from the place you have been calling home for the last 20+ years, then you realise the importance.
But then again, the degree of importance varies.
For me, this means automatically vaccuming the floor every 3- 4 days, cleanning the toilet once the first sign of "a layer of unidentified substance" ('cos the combination of this thingy is rather yarkky...) appears in the toilet sink, or when the coffee/computor table starts to turn spotty from white.
That maybe due to my hygine freak nature (not a lot, just a little).
On the contrary, this sense of home away from home develop at retarding rate.
Trust me, if I did not buy a vaccum cleaner in the 1st place, my flat in Beijing will be as dusty as it was from the last decade. Some people in my flat simply give a fucking damn about it. Not to mention, they can tahan their toilet sink (note: there is TWO toilet in my flat) to co-exist with "a layer of unidentified substance" of thickness peelable when dried, and not moved to do anything about it. I was so agitated that day when I saw it, that I rushed out of the toilet, grab my toilet cleansing detergent, pour it over, let the chemical reaction take place, called the two goons who used the toilet most often, and give them a short lecture on toilet cleaniness.
I have to admit, I felt I was a little too harsh on them, but the very fact that they do not give a fuck about their home's cleaniness just irk me.
And the reasons are simple: they stayed at home all their life, not staying in hostel in NTU; they were either in post that can exempt them from area cleaning during NS; they are Singaporean; they are doted by their mother.
There is nothing really wrong in this combination on its own, but when nonchalance kicks in, this spell trouble.
Living away from home is never easy, but taking care of yourself, ain't that the basic of life? Some enlightenment atone on those two please..
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 9/03/2006 09:51:00 am