Day 13 and 14 - The Last Night (and the last morning the following day)

2 weeks passed faster than I thought it would. Perhaps it was the early mornings and nights that made it seemed as though time flew. I was not feeling exceptionally high spirited the past few day, but it didn't change the fact that I was going to leave the village the next morning.

Looking at the green roof all lit and the little tables and chairs from the sibol school brought beauty to the once open space two weeks back, I was, and I still am wishing that what we did would be something functional and useful to the community in the long run.

This was my first overseas trip without my family. While I must admit I'm not one to miss home much, the people in GK Bagong Silang really made me feel at home. During the trip, I come to realise that home is not defined by the comfy bed we sleep in, or how big our apartment is. It is the people that make up the definition. A house without the people will still be house, yet, however small the house may physically be, it is the laughter and warmth that makes it a home.

We may have built a green roof for them with the objective to provide an open classroom space and an alternative to sustainable agriculture, but as the team knows, this is just one of the tiniest baby steps that we can humbly contribute to the community. Instead, as city dwellers, I personally felt that it was a trip that I received more than I gave. The mabuhay ladies fed me way better than I would when I stayed on campus (just cos sometimes even heating up food may seem a hassle [ok, fine, i'm lazy lol]); the children taught me how fortunate I am to have such a blessed education as if it was nearly a given right, not a privilege; my host family showed me how family togetherness is an integral part to making relationships work; the environment made me appreciate how clean Singapore is. There's so much more to take away than I initially thought the trip would do.

If I were to say I left for Philippines with an open mind, I have definitely brought back a mind full of rewards. As we chase for material gains and status in Singapore, we often neglect the simple life lessons that we can learn from around us. It may very well be the same takeaway if a community project was done in Singapore, but taking a step back to solely have your mind on it (tossing aside other commitments) and embracing that of a totally different culture was a truly enriching experience.

These were the thoughts that ran through my head the last few days. No, I would not and did not shed tears when I left GK Bagong Silang, because while I may miss the place and people, the memories are strongly etched in mind (and because I have a heart of steel and an ego too big for a 1.55m female). As some of us keep our memories through the many pictorial evidence(over 16gb photos! Super cam-whores ppl! Haha), I've kept them both in my heart and mind.

The initial thought for YEP, carrying out the expedition, meeting the villagers, experiencing a totally new and different environment and the new friendships forged inevitably made this entire trip worthwhile.