The next time I blog, I shall not try not to read other volunteers' posts first...
Their posts are really touching and they become some sort of euphoriant that keeps me craving for even more. I can barely stop reading till I finally reach the last post that I wrote; it's only then that I realise, ooops I haven't written anything yet haha. All these posts and photos bring back many sweet memories that the elderly have given me in the past two months. I admit, waking up early in the morning has never ever been easy for a late-night owl like me... let alone say waking up early on a weekend morning. But each time I think about the elderly at T.H.E.S (or the Havenue Sembawang Auntie whom I sometimes visit), I can't help but to quickly roll off my bed. Seeing the many posts on this blog never fails to refuel my desire to keep volunteering and to keep giving back to the elderly who have - directly or indirectly - given me more than what I could possibly ask for.
So now, I hope to add on to this beautiful string of posts by sharing what I experienced last Saturday. I spent that beautiful morning with Mr Lin, Chun Hai, Kai Him, Chuan Ren and Tai Xiong; you could say that I was a rose among the thorns (just kidding, how can the cute Mr Lin be considered a thorn hahaha). Chuan Ren and Tai Xiong usually work with children, so this was a new experience for them :) Mr Lin's house was slightly dirty - though not as bad as what it was on 13 Oct - and thus our efficient team did some housekeeping chores before having a good chat with him.
Mr Lin looked well and happy as he reminisced about the good ol' days. He told us that, based on past experiences, it's very important to do some surveying and research before choosing a house. His unit is well-chosen; he doesn't like units on the lower floors because there would be a lot of pests and fumes whenever fumigation is carried out (no offence to Mdm Ho *cough*), nor does he like those on the higher floors as they would be very hot and stuffy when the sun is directly overhead. Also, his unit faces the sunrise direction, so the warm sun rays serve as his natural alarm clock. His house is cool and windy too, thus he does not need to turn on the fan (which uses a lot of electricity and wastes money). Thus, Mr Lin is super proud of himself for having chosen such a wonderful unit, and we were very amazed by his conscientiousness and critical thinking skills :)
Besides that, we learnt that Mr Lin likes to volunteer too! He doesn't join the other elderly during their outdoor trips because his legs are "not so good", but he doesn't feel that he has missed out because he gets to help out at the TOUCH centre in the morning instead! He says that he will continue to volunteer for as long as he can, and to hear that coming from an elderly is very touching. Mr Lin has managed to incorporate volunteerism into his everyday life to the extent that it's second nature to him. While I'm not suggesting that all of us should emulate Mr Lin (it would be very noble to, though!), I just thought that his actions and mindset are worthy of our respect. Kudos :D
Also, Mr Lin shared with us his past travelling and working experiences. He left Indonesia for Singapore when he was only 7 years old; returned home when he was around 15 and came to Singapore again when he was in his mid-twenties. Since then, he has never returned to Indonesia again. He said that his living in Indonesia has allowed him to speak fluent Malay and this bonds him with his Malay friends in Singapore. The Malay (Bahasa Indonesia) that he speaks back home is way more gentle than the one he speaks here (Bahasa Melayu), and such differences could be observed in the diction and tone etc. He then proceeded to provide some examples (which we could barely understand or remember...). At the same time, Mr Lin told us that he came and stayed in Singapore to eek out a living. Through his various stints as hotel receptionists, he learnt that Malaysians rarely give tips while Indonesians are more generous. Sometimes, the amount of tips earned could easily reach about 1/2 of his basic pay! :O He also worked at Changi Airport, and he hinted that tourists at the departure area sometimes give tips too.
Last but not least, we discovered that MR LIN LOVES TO WATCH KOREAN DRAMAS!! He praised kdramas for their dramatic plots and twists, as well as their expressive actors and actresses. Mr Lin memorises the showtimes, and even knows whether a particular show has been aired on television before. He revealed that some of his previous jobs were specially chosen because they allowed him to get back home in time for his dramas. Evidently, watching television is a "very cheap" but interesting hobby that he enjoys everyday, In contrast, Mr Lin also criticised local and some Taiwanese dramas for lacking in flavour and distinctiveness. He said that kdramas are really good and that we should all go and watch them when we're free too :)
I just realised I forgot to take pictures with Mr Lin that day... Rawrrrr. I shall remember to take pictures with the elderly during my next visit. Pictures are always nice; they may capture us in our ultra 'glam' or 'unglam' states, but more importantly they capture memories and realities as they are at that very moment. Let's camwhore with elderly together kayy :)
Okayy I shall end here, continue reading some posts and sleep soon. FLAG DAY TOMORROW!! May we all collect lots of moneymoneymoney $.$
Love, Jennifer
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