Sye Yuet's Reflection in the mirror....

I soaked in the sights of the hills and farmland, the sounds of children's innocent chatter, the chilly wind that blows and the starry nights.

Two weeks later, i was siting at Changi Airport waiting for Daddy to fetch me. I looked at the early morning sky ahead.

I came back humbled. Going out to the open and experiencing the lives of rural villages, i realised that i have been so ignorant of what i have been reading in textbooks. I never knew what "no proper sanitation" meant really, how "poor water quality" was. I thought i knew what they were, as an academic, yes. As a person, i was ignorant to what they truly meant until i saw it right in front of my eyes. I came back keener on what is written in textbooks, humbled that there are so much more things i dont know, and should know.

In case you were wondering, I was the girl who lapsed into a cold on one of the nights and was zipped to the hospital at night. Yes, its me....

In the midst of the cold night, i felt the warmth from my group mates as they tried their best to keep me warm with layers of clothing and packs of heat-pac. They were the sole motivation for me to get well as fast as i could.

I remembered that i was asked what my weakness was during the interview. I said i had little trust in others and maybe with this trip, i can build on having more confidence in friends. And indeed, that faithful night taught me that yes, there are people out there who care for me and will go out to help me in any and every way they could. They were the ones who gave me the confidence and taught me what unity is.

I enjoy the pre-trip preparations even thought it meant waking up early on a Saturday morning. It was during the trip that I met the team, got to know them better and discovered our strengths. I love the team as we are open to discussions and everyone participates actively in sharing our opinions. Everyone is comfortable with different ideas and keen to learn what others are thinking. I think a team can really work together when we can agree to disagree. And for that, i think our team accomplished it.

I will always remember this trip, the people and the days. Definitely.