Saturday, January 29, 2011//1:08 AM
the peripherals on my mind
The holidays just ended last week and I've just ended week 1 of the new school semester (which this serial skipper managed to skip completely).On my last weekend before the semester started, I went with my church and many other people to Batam for a weekend medical outreach. I was slotted into the children's ministry which was super tiring because prior to the trip I was told that the children's ministry was less tiring than those on pharmacy duty. So there was that. But, like the other trips that I've gone on before, I soon realized I received more than I gave. My first impression when I saw the village was how happy they were with their simple lives and I kind of envied them for how contented they seemed (simple life, no complications with academia/jobs,blah blah blah). I guess I've been romanticizing the idea of a simple life way too much.
While I'm guessing that I may be right to a certain degree, the error in my first impression was obvious when we started giving out balloon sculptures and stationery. Children and mother's open hands all shoved right in front of your face, the crowd pushing against you, demanding for more balloons till you and your 3 other friends have been backed into the corner trying to churn out as many sculptures as you can. Supply and demand 101. We tried telling the group that one child could have only one balloon but we got screwed by the language barrier. Some of the mothers would snatch the balloons from our hands as we were about to give them to the little kids. The episode with the stationery was slightly more intense. I think the mothers and kids alike could sense when the gifts were growing lesser, because the semi-organized queue morphed into a mob. More hands thrust in our faces, but this time the crowd really closed in on us. Our shirts (and bras) were yanked(to get out attention I think? or maybe because they were also losing their balance and about to fall), tears started welling up in some of the kids' eyes and the mothers were getting really aggressive. When we couldn't tear the plastic bag fast enough to distribute the stationery, one mother grabbed it and tore it open like it was nothing. Then I dropped some of the gifts because I was losing balance and the crowd all zoomed to our feet. If the children's ministry team didn't hold hands together, I think we'd all fall and hurt ourselves pretty badly (I think getting trampled on would be a high possibility, I'm just saying). I know the lady from the Indonesian church who came over to assist us hurt her finger.
Things were much better on the second day when we were distributing balloon sculptures to the kids at a local church. They were polite, calm and the language barrier wasn't so bad. Wow, what a difference sociological backgrounds make.
Back here, not having a balloon to play with or some stationery is no biggie. The kids here wouldn't even fight that hard for something so trivial. So when I saw how much these little things meant to the people at that village, I realized that however simple and contented they might be, they knew they were missing certain things and were craving a better life with better things- so much so that they would fight so hard to receive these little things of little value. Besides the usual wake up call on how fortunate we are, I learned that I was wrong. I was wrong to assume that these people wouldn't miss what they don't have. Although they might not exactly know what they're missing (xbox, anyone?), they know they're lacking something; so when they see something from us outsiders, they clamor for it so badly just so they can pretend to be like us for awhile or at least to just enjoy something special. I might have forgotten to mention that the kids were all (probably all) wearing second hand clothes. One of the kids was wearing a primary school PE shirt from Singapore. However naive I was, I'm glad I snapped out of the assumption that these villagers (I have come to associate them with all the less fortunate people living in third world conditions which is quite horrid of me) have learned to live with what they had and were not sad about what they lacked. I finally saw the "darker" side of their lives, I had a glimpse into their almost-desperation to own something nice/fun/special and how hard they fought to own a balloon/stationery set. I always thought that they had grown calloused to the realization that they would never be as fortunate as us but I learned that they still feel this ache and perhaps it is not something that can become calloused.
I'm also more grateful for the meds that I have at home now and the fact that we have lots of doctors here, and I'm always touched when I see God's different people all worshiping the same one God. Language and appearances aside, we're all the same and I think I will never get tired of witnessing different nations coming together and sharing this great bond of love. Intense and heart warming stuff, I tell you.
I think my experience with this village was one of the rougher ones cuz my other friends went to other villages and the kids there weren't as out of control. I'm just grateful that those who made this trip their first mission trip had wonderful experiences. This was more of an eye opener for me. If I have the energy and resources to make it for the next trip at March, I'd love to go. I think it's one of those things where you can't expect vast success or improvement by the first trip. It's a work in progress.
On unrelated news, I finally submitted my withdrawal form to the university today. The past 5 months have been a struggle and it's been wearing me out. I really hope the school will let me leave but if I'm stuck there then I'll take it as a sign from the Big Daddy upstairs that He wants me to struggle on with lit. UGH BUT I REALLY REALLY HATE IT. I HATE IT SO MUCH THAT IT HAS MADE ME AFRAID OF READING. I'M SERIOUS! AND I'M SUPER UNHAPPY IN SCHOOL AND THE TRAVELING SUCKS! LOOK AT ME WHINING AWAY THIS IS PATHETIC BUT I CANNOT HELP IT. SIGHHHHHHHHH
We'll see where this goes from here. I need more strength and faith. And lit skills. -.-
Oh, and my aunt and grandma stopped by from Monday to Wednesday and my aunt gave me one American and several Canadian quarters and I duno why BUT I LOVE THEM AND I FEEL REALLY HAPPY WHEN I THINK OF ALL THE DIFFERENT HANDS THAT THOSE COINS HAVE PASSED THROUGH. For a semi-germaphobe I'm a little nuts. Trust me to romanticize the filthiness that money brings.
And thus ends my rant about all the peripherals that were clinging onto the edges of my mind!
[If I sound highly incoherent that's because I am and also I haven't written in complete sentences in forever and I'm starting to form my own caveman language. I've also been watching too much TV. School bad, TV good. ]
Monday, January 17, 2011//2:00 AM
hopeful hopeful hopeful.much better than screaming "hopeless hopeless hopeless"
Mainly because hopeful has an alphabet less to type than hopeless
hopeful.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011//12:18 AM
AHAHAHAH*choke*
Crazy Girl where "Crazy" doesn't even begin to describe her craziness: "Tell the fucking truth! You're dating her, Aren't you?! I know you are! Don't try to deny it!"Unfortunate Boy stuck in an unfortunate situation: "I'm telling the truth when I tell you I'm not dating anyone! Honestly! Please! She's just a friend!"
Nutjob Girl: "How dare you lie to me! Just tell me the truth! Say it! Why can't you tell me the truth!!!!"
Unfortunate Boy: "This is stupid! I'm telling you the truth! Why can't you believe me?! I.Am.Not.Dating.Her!"
Nutjob Girl: "Just say it! I want to hear you say it!" *SLAP*
Unfortunate Boy: "Ow! What the hell? Alright! I'll say it just so you'll stop acting so crazy! I'm dating her. Now will you please put your hand away? I swear, my face hurts like a mother!"
Nutjob Girl: "Omigod, I knew it. I knew you were dating her!"
Unfortunate Boy:"Uh, actually, I'm not. I just said it so you'd shut up. You're uncontrollable!"
Nutjob Girl:*SLAP* *SLAP* *SLAP*
I'll take a guess and say Nutso and Swollenface weren't even dating.
Saturday, January 8, 2011//11:27 PM
Disney Princess Challenge
DAY 1: Favorite movie: The Little Mermaid (This should be a hint about the answers to come)
DAY 2: Favorite princess: (Are ya kiddin' me?) Ariel. HANDS DOWN.
DAY 3: Favorite prince: Prince Eric! JUST LOOK AT THIS: http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2009/10/disney-heroes-like-youve-never-seen.html
DAY 4: Favorite song: Part of Your World
DAY 5: Favorite kiss: ALL Disney princess kisses rock.
DAY 6: Prettiest princess: Ariel/Aurora/Belle
DAY 7: Favorite castle: King Triton's castle
DAY 8: Saddest moment: When King Triton destroyed Ariel's secret collection/Beast dying/Belle sacrificing her freedom for her dad
DAY 9: Favorite couple: Ariel & Eric/Jasmine & Aladdin
DAY 10: Best hair: Ariel. How can she look so good underwater?!
DAY 11: Favorite animal sidekick: Sebastian/Abu
DAY 12: Favorite non-animal sidekick: Does Lumiere count?
DAY 13: Favorite outfit: Ariel's sparkling outfit after her dad transforms her fins into legs/Belle's yellow gown/Tiana's sparkly white strapless dress
DAY 14: Favorite villain: Ursula (why is she the only villain with curves?), Maleficent, Lady Tremaine, Dr. Facilier (There really needs to be more male villains!)
DAY 15: Favorite romantic moment: Belle & Beast's dance, Ariel & Eric's boat paddling
DAY 16: Favorite singing voice: Jodi Benson as Ariel
DAY 17: Best eyes: Belle
DAY 18: Favorite name: A.R.I.E.L (I wished that was my name ever since I was a little girl)
DAY 19: Favorite soundtrack: T.L.M soundtrack! (I think I could sing certain songs word for word last time)
DAY 20: Funniest moment: Chef Louis hurting himself trying to catch Sebastian
DAY 21: Favorite quote:
Aurora: Well, I'm really not supposed to speak to strangers, but we've met before.
Philip: Where?
Aurora: Once upon a dream.
ALSO THE ENTIRE LYRICS TO "PART OF YOUR WORLD"
DAY 22: Bravest princess: Mulan (was she a princess?), Belle
DAY 23: Favorite dance scene: Belle and Beast (BEST BEST BEST EVER)
DAY 24: Favorite parent: Belle's dad ties with Mrs Potts
DAY 25: Favorite lyrics: Part of your world/Under the Sea
DAY 26: Most magical moment: After Beast gets resurrected and his entire castle transforms back to it's original state. (Jasmine & Aladdin's magic carpet ride is pretty cool too)
DAY 27: Best wardrobe: All the princesses (Except Snow White. I'm sorry!)
DAY 28: Favorite sequel: Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time, Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea
DAY 29: Favorite overall moment: When King Triton gives Ariel legs and gives his blessing. Also, every happy Disney princess ending.
DAY 30: Favorite happy ending: Ariel marrying Eric!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011//2:59 AM
HAHAHAHAH
