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Sichuan OCIP
Friday, June 20, 2014
3 weeks in Sichuan has been an amazing time. Still remembered the time when I first signed up for this project... While everyone (or most of the people) would have said "I want to contribute back to the society", "I want to learn to be independent", "I want to see how much I can go", my answer to myself was: "I want to make more friends".
The thought of signing up for an OCIP was based more on the desire to make new friends than helping out. Went through my first interview but it didn't succeed. Then another opportunity came and I thought "Yes, I have to give it another go."
Then comes the first meeting with the 19 others who signed up for this trip as well. On the first day we met, we were asked to play bonding games. I was half excited, half worried. Excited because I know I'm meeting new people, alone. No worries of having people you know judge you, it's like 'starting afresh'. Worried thinking what if as times goes by, not everyone accepts me. What if others bonded well and being introvert, I got left behind. 
Subsequent-but-rare meetings went on as we got our roles allocated and started preparing for the trip. Can't express how thankful I am to be part of the fund-raising team. I may have went around shamelessly asking for second-hand clothes, ranted tons staying hours in the kitchen baking the cny cookies, persuading friends and people to buy our stuffs, complained having insufficient time for tutorials while working my ass off for the fund-raise events and even forcing myself to work part-time in school for the ad-hoc events to donate our salary back to the fund. However deep down I'm really, really glad to have done all these. The counselor once asked me if I hated all these things that kept me busy after seeing how tired I was after turned up during one of the sessions looking shag. And my answer was "Yes, I am very tired. But I am willing to do all these."
Honestly, if it weren't for all these fund-raise preparation and activities, the 5 of us won't have bonded so closely before the trip. Even though there were hiccups along the way and our team became smaller, the meal dates, staying up nights and prep activities amidst our busy schedules made us closer even before the trip itself. And I'm really glad to have the other 4 saikang warriors who made the sometimes-unbearable shit so much more pleasant. Of course, most credit goes to our boss who always shoulder the weight for us and rarely complained even if someone gives him shit. Kudos boss!
 
 
After landing our foot in Sichuan, I was shocked to see how a ride to the village school can transform from a place with proper roads to an area with rocks and uneven ground. Every morning as the bus ferry us into this undeveloped area where the school is located, the bumpy ride in made us jump in our seats. When we were introduced to our students, I didn't felt much at that point. As much as I wanted to remind myself of the purpose of this trip, I felt the distance between our level kids as compared to other levels. We were then later told that P3 is the most well-behaved level in the entire school. Perhaps that's why I couldn't feel as much love from them, reason being they were less expressive than their fellow schoolmates.
 
As the days of teaching goes by, my heart really goes out to some of my kids who were squinting their eyes at the blackboard. Some had no basic stationery like erasers and pencils, having to borrow from their neighbors when asked to copy down notes. They treated our plastic file present like some precious gift and could not bear to take their worksheets out during class, as if worried that their worksheets would be crumpled if they does that. When we gave them small snacks, they cherished it like anything and even brought back to share with their siblings.
 
   
 Even though we did not manage to impart them as much as we initially wanted to, I had the biggest takeaway during the 3 weeks with them - be contented. Their innocence made them cheer at trivial things we adults often overlooked in our lives. Small praises would make them cheer in joy even though it may seems lame. And there I realized as adults, we often over-think matters and miss the simple, yet happy moments in life.   
   On the other side after lessons everyday, I couldn't deny we were practically enjoying life. Sometimes it feels like a holiday we came for rather than a OCIP trip. $4 Hair washes, $0.60 KTV, shopping, HTHT, afternoon naps, rubber bands trading, beer-drinking and playing cards are the things we do amidst the daily reflection and lesson plans. Knocking on each other's door became a habit because every afternoon I'm too bored having nothing to do.
 
 
 
  
 
3 weeks passed by so quickly that before we knew it, it's time to go. The last few days became hectic as we slogged out in the afternoons preparing their report cards, writing them messages behind class photos, packing the goodie bags, writing their names on the certificates and preparing a farewell video. On the last day after distributing all the stuffs and showing the farewell vid, I was asked to say something to the kids. For a moment I didn't know what to say. Then I thanked them for all they've showed and given to us. The class looked at me and nobody said a word. As if worried about the awkwardness, I passed on to my other team members and the kids came down with us when we were about to leave the school. We played one last round of the catching game they taught us. When it was time to go, suddenly the kids started crying. I got tongue-tied looking them cried. All these time I thought perhaps they won't be very affected by us leaving because they rarely expressed how much they liked us. But all of them cried, and I stood around not knowing what to say. I couldn't say '再见' because there is no next time. When one of them asked if we will come back again I didn't know how to reply. All I did was weakly rub their arms, held their shoulders and told them not to cry. While walking out the main gate all of us turned back looking at the kids wail and cry. Some of us cried because the 3 weeks simply isn't enough, others because we miss them.
On the bus to the airport, I looked out the window and wonder how great it would be if we just had a few more weeks. Perhaps these kids would have learnt more than they had. Although it seemed like we were there to give, in fact we really received more than what we gave. Values we learnt as we interact with them were the takeaways for us during these 3 weeks. If any regrets, it would be not doing more than what we've done so far. The time when I've just started to match their names to their faces, we were about to leave. To the adorable P3 kids that I've taught, "老师有哪里失责的地方，真的很对不起！希望现在的你们都好，老师很想念你们！" The 3 weeks have been 'life-changing' in one way or another to each of us, I believe. Friendships built will be here to last and the times in Sichuan won't be forgotten easily. Mega thanks to everyone on this trip who made it so memorable. I can't repeat enough how many times I'm missing the fun and laughter during the 3 weeks' time... |
Goodbye.
Gracia
Kexin
Mabel
Cyrus
Joey
Kaili
Meixuan
Najmah
Qwerty
Shugee
Siewying
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