GPS CEBU 2013

 Tap Tap Barangay<3

 

Zandra's Barangays

 Photo Credits to Lloyd<3 

The Arts Camp Video~

Wow, just wow.

Been back from Cebu for about 4 days and I've only gotten around to writing a post about my experience about now. I'm just very grateful for my experience there and for the activities and projects I got to be a part of. I've learnt a lot of things during GPS, about poverty and money, about family ties, friendships and bonds, about my teammates and about myself. I'm very thankful for a lot of things that went our way during the trip, for the kids that turned up during our arts camp, for the food that was cooked for us everyday by Atte Nora and Kuya Alberto, for the weather during our mural painting days, for the bonds that we formed with the kids and the members of the Barangay. Most of all I'm very thankful for my team, all 18 members including Mr Ong and Ms Darrell



Thank you guys for making GPS one of the most memorable and the most meaningful trip I've had in SOTA :) We had our spats and our disagreements but I think we all turned out right in the end and we managed to work really really well together and we bonded so much in 13 days. You guys are the most inspiring, hard-working, driven, committed, fun and creative people that I've had the privilege of working with and I couldn't have asked for a better GPS team to journey with :) <3

xxTsui

BRB

Be right back: flying off to Cebu for GPS in less than 8(?! i think) hours and I can't really sleep. Been so pumped for Cebu, I can't believe its really happening. But it is, and I think I should sleep soon :(

Today has been pretty good, but I don't have time to post a detailed entry :( will get right on that when I'm back!

-the brother is back from Tekong too-

Be safe ok? This goes to Nat, Gwen, Ching Yi, Sing, Ethan, Amelia, Chaice and everyone else. Hope all your GPSes are successful!!

xxTsui

On Kayaking and Rivers

Just got back from the Year 5 Leadership Expedition trip to Endau Rompin!

Love my team and all the people in it. I think we all learnt a lot, not only about kayaking down rivers, but about ourselves and each other. There were a lot of things I learnt from this trip, to be patient when the people around you are frustrating you, to learn that sometimes its okay to feel uncomfortable but you can't let that affect you, to be tactful and mindful of the situation and circumstances around you and also that perseverance will take you very far. 

But one thing I took away from this trip was a metaphor that I thought up on the bus ride home. 

Life is strangely like a flowing river.

The river is constantly changing and flowing, its one way for some and another way for others. There isn't a hard and fast way or tactic to conquer a river, it depends on luck, timing, judgement and gut-instincts. 

A lot like life really.

We all go through life, and like the river, its going to be different for all of us. Sometimes, the current of life is going to push us along and help us paddle to reach our goals and destinations. Sometimes its not going to be that kind, it'll be so still that it seems like the river is stagnant and we have to work harder to get there. Other times the river have seemingly insurmountable rapids that makes you balk at its measure. 

I realized that I've been struggling with my own set of rapids recently. The endless torrent of schoolwork, deadlines, emotional commitments and stupid feelings that ruin everything. If it's anything that I've learnt that can be applied to real life in Endau, it's that when you hit a rapid, you can paddle left and right but there is one thing you should never do if you don't want to capsize and possibly endanger your life: You can't stop paddling. 

I've wanted to give up and throw in the towel for IB for the past term. It would be easier and its sorely tempting to just give up and sink back into the state I was in and just be swept away. Or change course and to some extent river entirely because life is getting tough.

But I can't give up now, what's infront is only going to get harder and harder, no matter which 'river' I choose. Plus I can't afford anymore 'capsizes' because its really easy to just be swept away and be lost in the torrent of negativity. 

Finally found it in myself to start being more proactive and knowing that I can do this. I can finish the IB and it's a lot more comforting to know I won't be in it alone and I'll have my family, my friends and my teachers around to support me too :) 

"For all rivers eventually flow to the sea, for that is the goal of all bodies of water." 

Go Rompinhoods! 

Tsui