(Still, photos credit to the team and owners! However, please do not use and share the photos without our permission ya!)
Disclaimer : All these blog posts done by me, are to act as a record, for me, to remember events we went through together throughout the 2 weeks and to remember the friends I made there in Laos :) It's not encouraging, not promoting, and not bragging that I joined such an overseas community service program.
ສະບາຍດີ Sabaidee :)
If you ask me, what's the greatest thing I got from the trip? The answer would be the relationship and friendship I built throughout the days in Ban Phongsavang :)
In ❤ with these people :)
Sometimes, it still amaze me that we actually don't need much time and effort to establish a friendship. All it needs is the TRUST. You don't need to come from the same background, don't have to share the same interest, don't even need to know the same language, yet, you can still be FRIENDS (ເພື່ອນ).
Would really like to record down every interaction, every moment we spent together, so that in the future I can look back and reminisce all these sweet moments. But too bad, I don't think I can express and deliver all the moments here with words. However, trust me, all those precious moments are well kept in my heart and my mind :)
So here, I will just share a few events happened to me together with the kids that are really meaningful to me.
1. Greetings with the kids
Starting from the first morning in the village, I made it a habit, to actually greet all the kids I met. Usually after breakfast, I will walk around (the kids by that time will usually gather near the classroom watching us having our breakfast) and for every kid that I met, I would offer to shake hand with them and accompanied it with the simplest greeting - "Good Morning".
In the first few days, I knew it well that not much kids that actually understand what I was trying to do and say. From their point of view, I was like the alien, going around and wanna touch their hands. Some of them (brave kids) will respond but most of them were so shy that they actually reluctant to even touch my hand hahaha :) Those moments when the kid ran away and when the younger babies even cried, OMG! I remember I ran away too hahahahaha :P
Naa :)
She will start crying whenever I go near her in the first few days LOL
But she is too cute, so I kept trying my luck and kept running away too hahaha!
Is it really necessary to do so? No one else was doing the same thing (Ya, now only I wondering why didn't I ask the team to do it together LOL). Am I forcing the kids and will they dislike me for forcing them in such a way?
I actually don't know. But there is always this one thing that kept me motivated to continue this greeting habit - the joy when they FINALLY willing to shake my hand! I am pretty sure if I keep doing the same thing, they will start to mimic and eventually learn. All I need to do is just to trust them and keep trying until they trust me :)
One of the very shy kid :)
"Yes, you can't be shy. You gotta take the initiative." I always had this monologue in my mind and this pushed me a lot. I even went to approach every kid on the tree alone LOL.
And I proved myself right! I got more and more kids that willing to shake hand with me after a few days. For sure there were still some that are very shy, but at least, they didn't run away anymore. They observed what we were doing, and few days later, they responded to me.
I had this same thought like you do, just a greeting only wor, no biggie also. Yes, I thought so too until it hit me in the last few days. I went around like usual and started to greet every kid I saw. This gang of children actually rushed to me and start yelling "Morning WanQi!" I knew they took it as a game, but the joy at that moment was just so overwhelming. I pretty sure I stunned for a moment.
The effort I put in is so little to actually deserve the happiness they gave me at that moment. Imagine from run away, until they willing to shake my hand, until they initiated the greeting! It's like oh well, they really learned something from me. And most importantly, they trust me and treat me as friend!
PS : OMG, typing this out alone already can make me so happy! I couldn't take it :D
What I really learned from this is that, you really need to trust, trust by continuously doing what you doing, you will achieve what you want, and sometimes more than what you expected :)
2. Medic case 1
In our team, we have Steven, the pro paramedic with us :) So whenever there's emergency cases or injuries, we will refer to Steven.
Steven and the kids :)
So, in that afternoon, I, being the part timer, joined the construction team, was doing the final touch up on our very own stretcher (Yes, the guys built everything from scratch). My job was only to help them paste the tape with my OCD-ness LOL.
I forgot how exactly it happened, but by the time we got the stretcher done, I was told that a kid had a cut on his toe. Without hesitation, I let him sat on the stool and Steven was getting the first aid kit. With the very limited Laos words, we managed to convince him to let us treat his toe.
According to Steven, the cut quite deep and dirty. And Steven being the fans of ethanol, he chose to clean the wound with 70% ethanol. For us, we are used to all these treatments and we know what to expect. But it's definitely a different case for the kids there in the village! They don't know what ethanol is for, and they don't even know how pain it gonna be when we cleaning the wound.
With only the wound, the boy had already tell me that it hurts but he can still take the pain. I knew cleaning will bring him more pain thus I offered him my arm and asked him to hold on it. So Steven proceed to clean his wound with ethanol, and we can clearly see that the boy was in pain. What surprised me was the strong will he has.
Although he was holding my arm, but even in pain, he was so so strong to take pain that he didn't even need my arm LOL. I was trying to ask him to yell or even scream whenever he feels pain, but again, he chose to just mumble. And remember, he didn't know what's going to happen next. It showed how much he trusts us, and even if it caused him more pain, he didn't push us away, but he trusted us that we will help him.
What about us? Will you still willing to trust someone when you can't communicate well with them and worse, they bring you pain also? Why does a kid can choose to trust people easily, but not us? What changes does the society brought to us?
3. Medic case 2
Before the story, let me introduce to you, one of the naughty kid that I really like :
This 5-years-old boy, Somjai
(Their name actually in Laos characters which apparently I still don't know how to read and write LOL)
So this is actually an incident related to him. He is really cute and adorable, however he is really naughty. He likes to bully me LOL =.= Whatever I asked him to do, he will never do. But if others asked him to, he will follow. But cause he is too too cute, so I still kept disturb him la hahahaha :P
See, he never want to take a proper photo with me :'(
And even ran to climb up to the tree when I ask him to take photo LOL =.=
So yeah, basically you know he doesn't really "like" me.
This incident happened in the evening of the last Friday we spent in the village. We just came back from another village and I wanted to get back to the school to get my things so I can shower. We were climbing the ultimate long staircase and halfway through we saw this little boy sitting beside the staircase.
So yeap, I went to talk to him like what others did also. BUT, to my surprise, this little boy told me something that he didn't tell others. He showed me his finger and telling me that it's pain. Checked his finger carefully and called Steven to help. The guys carried him to a better spot so Steven can give his finger treatment. I followed and accompanied him all the way till he got the treatment done.
Not a very serious injury, but only a cut and some swelling. I can still remember the way he mumbled to me telling me that it's pain while he was receiving treatment. Same like the other kid, he didn't scream, but his expression really too cute hahahahaha :D And I love it when he being such manja to me!
It's actually one of the happiest moment in the village for me. It is like he FINALLY recognized me as his friend. It showed that he really trust me :D
But he still bully me after that incident LOL =.=
Kids are really simple, be good to them and they actually know it well. They might be playful and naughty, but when he needs help, he will go to those he trusts :) I'm not implying that he trusts me most, or he doesn't trust other. Just that I am really glad that, at least I am one of those that he trusts! Also, 打是疼，骂是爱 :)
What if, we, the adults can be this simple too?
4. Unloading logistic
So every time we went in to the village, we will be bringing lots of logistic items with us, be it our luggage, our water and foods, construction items and etc. And like what I mentioned previously upon reaching the village, there's this super long staircase that welcome us and it's near to impossible if our team were to bring every item ourselves to the school.
Must mention, we had 3 times in total in the 2 weeks to do this unloading thingy, 2 times when we entered the village, 1 time for the solar panel to enter the village. So, usually we will form human chain (but can only reach halfway) to shift things and the guys will bring the heavier items while the girls will be bringing the luggage.
Yeap, that's us unloading the items.
The first time we unloading the items, the villagers were asked by our guide, Mr Tay to help and so they helped us. And majority of the kids were there looking only. Kinda difficult start hahahaha :P Then the kid got asked by the elders to help, that was when they started to help us. I was pretty amazed by how strong they are! 2 little girls will be able to bring 1 bottle of water (more or less 15L) and a little boy can take our luggage (more or less 10kg) till the school. It's really kind of them to help us cause we can offer nothing to them. Their help are much appreciated, or actually more to much needed, cause we would probably "die" if we were to bring everything there ourselves. Our stamina indeed, a lot weaker than the kids hahahahaha :P
Fast forward to the 2nd and 3rd time for us to unload our items. Unlike the 1st time, there were a lot of the kids standby there to help us! Since the 1st time, I will always be the last one to go off from the boat and the team would probably reached or halfway back to the school by then. I will usually be the loner there at the beach to look after the things (usually water bottles cause we will bring in at least 25 water bottles each time).
During the 2nd time (I knew many of the kids by that time d), again I stood there alone to look after the things. And I saw a lot of kids standing around. Initially I felt bad to actually ask them to help us, so I stood there and did nothing.
But who knew that the kids will come and approach me! We can't communicate through normal conversation cause my Laos language still at beginner level 1. So we were communicating using body language. It touched my heart when I saw the kids were trying their best to help out. And for all of what they did, it's for no reward! I remember I were arranging the kids to help me take the water bottles, and those small cute kids like Somjai who is only 5, offering help too! But ya la, me not that evil to ask these little kids to take heavy items, and I remember I asked them to help me bring shoes (yeah my team member climbed up to the school without wearing shoes =.=) and some plastic bags with small items.
You won't understand why, but looking at them being happy cause they can help, can make you super satisfy and happy too! I guess they are happy cause they managed to contribute and to help. For me being happy, I guess the reason behind is because it's just too heart warming to see kids treating us as friends, offering us help. K k, honestly, maybe a small part of it also because we can get things done a lot faster hahaha :P
The 3rd time
During the 3rd time, we were shifting the solar panels and batteries. Very heavy item that required few men to carry. And this time round, we got help from the villagers, majority teenagers. I don't know why, my team trusted me a lot LOL. I was given the task to ask people to help. We actually even went to ask the kids to help us spread the news saying we need help hahahahaha :P
But it should be done by me also la, cause again, I was the last one staying at the beach looking after the items =.= And this time round, the kids actually knew that they can't help much, cause even the ladies in our team couldn't help much LOL. But again, the kids there really have the magic to impress me! The kids knew that they couldn't help much, so after the men carried the item, the kid, in pair or in 3, will take and bring the paper boxes for them (All panels are unpacked but they still need the cardboard as cushion) And a few of them actually went a few rounds just to help to take the cardboard and paper boxes! None of us ask the kids to help, but they did it themselves.
One thing I learned is really, do not hesitate to offer help and also let others to help. Yes, you might think it's the worst thing to ask the children to help, but what if they are more than happy to help? Give them a chance, let the kids volunteer, recognize and appreciate their efforts. It's really how you view this at a different angle. I let them help me, without going beyond their ability, and I let them know I really appreciate their help too! Looking at their shy faces when I went to say "Thank you" to them, that feeling is like they happy, and I got even happier :)
OMG, forgive me for the words diarrhea :D
Let's spam photos now hahaha :P
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They are so adorable, so simple, so pure, so innocent, so much that actually you will fall in love with them dearly. All the interactions, all the small little things that they did for you, it is really something you can't ask from else where. You will need to experience it, go through it and feel it yourself!
I don't know how much I helped them, I don't know how I brought a difference to their life, I don't know how their future gonna be like, I don't know whether will they still remember me after years.
But I know, we exposed them to something different. We have tried to make a difference. We created precious memories. Most importantly, we will never forget we did something different together in this summer.
I miss you guys, my dear little cute friends!
Kup-jai lai lai! Laa-gawn!
