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SEALNet Diary

Written by Thuy Nguyen (aka Tweeee)

Tuesday, 23rd August 2011 We all have been enjoying SealNet Project Singapore 2011 throughout the past few days. We have worked together, have learned from each other, have shared the great memories, and have become one whole team. We start the new day with our usual morning exercises, following by some toasted breads for breakfast. Today, we are going to spend our afternoon with some new friends, who come from Indonesia, Philippine, Myanmar, or Thailand. They come to Singapore to work as the domestic helpers. Most of them share the same hopes and dreams. They hope to support their family financially and they dream to have “a good life”. However, each individual person has her own story that leaves the great painful mark in her past. Tien Tran, who is in charge of the interaction activities today, has worked hard with the service team to plan the schedule. We hope that we would be able to listen to their stories, to share their pain, and to help them to overcome the difficulties. In addition, the leadership team also has the team-building workshop for our high school students. We want to build the connected relationship with them while helping them to develop their leadership skills. The day went very successful with all the activities and workshop. During the dancing activity, we truly shared the laughter and joy. Our new friends were very open to us and willing to share their life stories. While listening to some of their stories, some of our members were in tears. We were sad because we felt the empathy. In general, it was the very productive day for us and for all of our students, who were with us every second of the day.

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SEALNet Diary

Written by Jason Parmenter So after all that hard work and with minimal sleep the only thing on everyone's minds was a night out in Clarke Quay to dress up, let it all go and have some fun. Clarke Quay is a hub of bars and nightclubs and served us well on our night out on friday night. Joined by most of the college students we revelled in Yellow Jello bar first of all. It was great to see everyone let their guard down in different and often hilarious ways. We shimmied and shook ourselves, whilst breaking it down, two stepping and bumping'n'grinding to the sounds of Singaporean-flavoured international pop/rock. No one else did it better than us that night, especially Thuy who rose from her slumber to take Clarke Quay by storm. After a good time in the bar we moved to the club, Rebel, which should have warned the other revellers we were coming. After awhile queuing we got into Rebel and there I watched on as men from all over the club stood and stared as everyone made their way to the bar. Taking advantage of their preoccupation I slid to the front of the bar queue, like a seasoned pro. Thank you, ladies! Once drinks were in hands we moved onto the dancefloor to make everyone else look like amateurs. It was eventful, and that is where I should probablly stop. We have the memories (mostly) and the shared fun that will stay with us for a long time. Shout outs go out to everyone who joined us and that everyone really got into the spirit of the evening. I should also thank Sophie who provided assistance to the cheeky people who had one or two more drinks than needed, naming no names. :) I had such a good night that in my week off, after the project, I blessed Clarke Quay with my dollars on more than one occasion.

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SEALNet Diary

August 22nd

Written by Qianying

Day 4

  We went to the Botanic Gardens and spent two hours with Indian migrants playing games, dancing, singing, and drawing. Thuy did a brilliant job at leading the event, and everyone became comfortable with one another’s presence after a round of introduction. The migrants and our students were very sporting- dancing and singing to the music, forming friendships and sharing stories.

  In the afternoon, we set off for Lucky Plaza and split into our teams for fieldwork. After that, we rushed to Little India, where we met up with Bangladeshi writers of a local Bengali newspaper, Banglar Kantha. At the second floor of a shop house, we settled down comfortably in a cozy living room. It had a high ceiling and a wooden floor that had a big carpet on it.  The host had even written a big welcome poster for us.

  Eventually, we split into small discussion groups during which the Bengali writers shared about their lives and motivation to write. It was insightful as the session challenged Singaporeans’ perceived views of Bangladeshi migrant workers. A man shared that he came to Singapore because it was extremely difficult to get a job back home. All in all, it was very inspiring to be reminded of the common humanity that we all share.

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We just hope for the best la...

- VJC students in a planning session for an event with migrant (domestic/construction) workers

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SEALNet Diary

Written by Evelyn

21st August, lunchtime at Cuff Road in Little India.

He had beautiful eyes. Light sepia, and thoughtful. That was the first thing I thought during our conversations with the migrant workers – the second being that he couldn’t seem to smile; not fully at least. I’m not sure his eyes ever did throughout the whole time we were there.

In that dimly lit room, sitting on the soft carpet and trying to reach out to someone so dejected, it occurred to me how ironic the situation sometimes is. These were soft-spoken men, vulnerable individuals quite the opposite of what the Other is often construed as. We forget so easily, that people are just that – people. Every stranger that crosses our lives sees the world through different eyes, and lives in a cell of consciousness we can never fully understand. I guess this is what we call ‘perspective’. A mind-boggling thought.

We listened to a story that day, and heard firsthand how people can readily compromise others’ well-being for self-benefit. Should we be disillusioned? On the streets we heard and saw hope, too. The strength people possess, and through that their dignity as well. In adversity people find reasons to smile.

So. The key word is ‘can’.

There was a curious sort of atmosphere in the room that day. Everyone treading carefully, but also honestly – trying to make a connection. It reminds me that we as individuals are capable of so much. Think about our capacity for both unparalleled cruelty and amazing compassion. Today was a hopeful day. :)

- evelyn

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I don't think hobo-ing is allowed here guys...

says Si Hui (PS '11 mentee) at a corner on The Verge's 2nd floor while our team was literally being hobos and just spread out all over the place and got reprimanded by a patrol. go SEALNEt.

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I want photos with a soul

Thuy, in a meeting on the art exhibition

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SEALNet Diary

Written by Quyen

August 16th

I arrived in Singapore after some flight delays and 3 hours of tiny baby screaming on the airplane. Got picked up by Evelyn at Changi and immediately felt extremely comfy around our badass PL who, despite not knowing her way around very well, always strutted forward very confidently. Talk about positive attitude and a willingness to tackle things head-on. Then I met Qianying and fell in love with her smile.

Evelyn, Qian and I picked Steph up at the airport, got some American unhealthy Burger Kings and went back to Qian's house. Eve had to go home and did some pre-project work so it was only me and Steph sleeping over at Qian's. We were given a super comfortable bedroom and great food plus chocolate as a late night snack. First night went super well.

August 17th

We (Qianying, Steph, Evelyn & me) camped out at the airport again to pick the rest of the team up. I've already gotten bored of listing everything we do day-by-day so I'm just gonna sum up this day quickly. We picked up Cindy (our 4th PL!), Tiam (peer mentor), Hsiao-Tung (team mem from Wesleyan!), and Meagan (our super fun and awesome mentor!) We also experienced a minor freakout, thinking that Jason had gone missing and was nowhere to be found at the airport, but then everything was resolved. The rest of team was either at the hostel already or coming the next day.

Highlight of the day was probably the colossal amount of time that we spent at the airport starbucks, planning, talking and picking people up simultaneously. Tiam'd brought longan from Thailand for us, which you can tell from the picture of this entry. Go Asian fruits!!

Oh, also, we settled into Betelbox Hostel on Joo Chiat Rd, which from what we've heard, is kind of near the red lights district. What a great start to our project hahaha ~

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SEALNet Diary

Written by Cindy Au

August 19th, 2011

For the past nine months, I have been carrying in my wallet a note written by a boy whose face I no longer remember. Scribbled in broken English, the note reads: “Forget me not and visit me if you have the time. I hope you enjoy your life and get the things you want.” Despite its worn edges and wrinkles, the note embodies all of my fondest memories of SEALNet Project Thailand 2010.

  One never knows what images one can preserve in one’s memory, returning to the warm and consoling environment of one’s country after an expedition abroad. As I sit here in the cozy atmosphere of our hostel’s reception room to write this blog, I realize with a great nostalgia that most of what I most vividly and longingly recall from the trip last year has been lost. I remember the little girl whose eyes sparkled every time I bought her a cone of ice cream, and I remember the way the kids giggled every time I greeted them in incorrect gestures. But mostly, the trip has vanished, leaving behind only this little note and the sweet memories of the children whose smiles still shine brightly in my heart.

  Today is in many ways a very important stepping-stone for our team as a whole, and for me personally. Today is the day we get to meet our high school mentees! Just as my interactions with the local students in Thailand have changed me, I sincerely hope that our team will be able to touch as many of our mentees’ lives as possible, as I am absolutely certain they will touch ours. In every SEALNet project, something in me changes, it seems to me, and further motivates me to inspire a new generation of service leaders who are not only equipped, but also dedicated to making a difference in their own community.  No matter what changes take place in the world, or in me, I hope that somewhere, in another corner of the world, there is someone whose heart the sincerity of our mission has touched.

  There were two very powerful activities during our meeting with the students today. The first one was a sharing activity facilitated by Sophie and Phy in which everyone sat in a circle and wrote down anonymously what he/she looked forward to the most and is most concerned about with respect to the project. After the notes had been placed in the middle of the circle, everyone took turn to come up and read off one of the notes in the pile.This activity, however simple, did a great deal in connecting everyone in the room. People’s thoughts are so exposed at moments like this, their deepest hopes and fears lying naked on the floor. As a participanting the event, I couldn’t help but feeling safe, warm, and even hopeful, as I gradually realized that despite our cultural differences and roles in the project, we all share the same hopes and fears. The atmosphere was solemn enough, the confessions were sincere enough, to give the exalted feeling of being a part of something special, something full of aspirations, something that although challenging, holds endless promises to be fulfilling.

  The second activity was the round table discussion in which we all took turn to share our motivations for joining the projects. As people opened their heart and shared how their backgrounds have motivated them to take part in the project, we sat solemnly in the room, being grounded in the presence and the wonderful feeling of being understood and inspired. From the enthusiasm of the students, our team members derive a feeling of personal fulfillment. When the reflective activity comes to an end and everyone sat there silently in the room, grasping the gradual emergence of a powerful community of like hearted individuals, the high school mentees’ energy becomes that of mine, and life seems hopeful, joyful, and gratifying.

  I sat there silently and smiled. I have never felt so fulfilled.

  Here in this little corner of Singapore, brain and heart, faith and hope, are linked in unity as we march on toward a lofty endeavor.

       - Cindy