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Anthony |
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Bobby |
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Dorothy |
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Ellen |
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Grace |
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Heidi |
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Jacky |
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Manna |
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Sally |
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Tony |
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Deal Every Hiccup with a Smile
Jacky Tam
After nightfall, we were surrounded by the silence of the night with the sky full of gleaming stars. What a wonderful scenery for laying on the rocks, whispering our thoughts in -3°C breezing wind. Looking back, living in the moment. What a wonderful time.
Before this services trip, what feared me was neither no mobile signal, no hot water or not even no meat, what I feared most were those unknown challenges that I would face in the coming days: The insecurity of walking in the dark without a torch and the insecurity of not knowing if the road ahead would be wide, flat or full of obstacles.
Usually, I love to plan properly before a trip including checking the weather forecast in detail and getting well prepared. So when I realized that it would rain most of the time, I was so disappointed and lost and could not stop worrying about the trip. I worried about what scenery I would miss, and I also worried that the Walkathon which I was so eager to join would need to be cancelled.
I still remember the moments on the morning of the 3rd day, when we practised yoga under the "dong-dong" rhythm of rain on the tin roof. Pink advised us to focus on our bodies, to communicate with ourselves at that moment and to feel the immediate feedback of our body when it extended or bent. If we don't compare ourselves with others, then we would find our true selves. Flashing back, I realized that we had to be open-minded no matter it was raining or sunny to enjoy the moment and to find those forgotten values: team spirits, friendships, interactions with local kids, the joy of harvesting potatoes and exotic dinners, etc.
Looking back over the bleak passage survived.
(The return in time) Shall not be affected by windswept rain or shine.
(Su Shi – Lyrics to the Melody of a Pacified Storm)
There is no need to be too calculative. Just to deal with every hiccup with a smile.
The core value of this trip is self-reflection and how to change myself. This Nepal trip is an education that shocked me to the bottom: I learnt the huge difference between the two places and I learnt to review my attitude of life. On this trip, we practised sorting wastes mainly paper and plastics. The paper would be kept locally for burning, and plastic waste would need to be cleaned thoroughly first, and then carried back to Hong Kong. After all those works, I realized that we people produced so much plastic waste. To improve the environment, we must start from everyday life to recycle waste and to practice “plastic-free”. Although the waste recycling process is still at very low efficiency, we shall do what we can.
Actually, to raise the awareness of us city people to go green is already a good beginning. I wish that we all can keep practising “plastic-free” & “recycling” in our life, as such, the world could be changed gradually.
(Thanks volunteer Ellen Chan for translating Jacky’s testimonial from Chinese to English)
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