Soccer Madness @ East Coast (25 Oct 08)

With the youths' love for outdoors fun and energetic games, the team bonding this week at East Coast was perfect to expend their restlessness and forge strong bonds through teamwork and teamplay. RED team's (my team ;p) in charge this week, and the girls designed the 'Photo Hunt' game, while the boys were in charge of 'Soccer Madness'. All in all, a fruitful Saturday afternoon well-spent dashing about East Coast.

And my first taste of soccer was not bad at all, to say the least.

Beautiful shot taken by the youths during 'Photo Hunt'

One of the 'Photo Hunt' challenges - write CampVision in the sand..

Buddying up with one of the fishing hobbyists

Getting down to playing soccer!

Our two Thomases having a friendly game

Closing reflections

CampVision Charity Carwash

We are moving another milestone forward to organise a mega Carwash next weekend! For the first time, the youths will be involved in fundraising, experiencing what it is like to contribute effort and hard work, and working as a team to make the expedition dream possible. Amidst the sweat, tears and laughter, we hope the youths will learn and grow through engaging the public, sharing the dream with strangers, and enrolling them to believe in what we do. We hope they will come to own the expedition as theirs, pouring in dedication and perseverance to wash cars for a cause.

And we need your support to make this happen. Come join us this weekend! And bring your friends too! Not only will your cars be spick and span, you'll drive away feeling good that your support for the youths made all the difference.

Date: 8 & 9 November 2008 (Sat & Sun)
Time: 9.30am to 6.00pm
Price: $10 only
Venue: Shell Petrol Station (Exit of Upper Bukit Timah PIE)

Funds raised will go toward CampVision Expedition 2008, sponsoring 20 youths at risk to become Leaders in Action to contribute to improving the lives of the underprivileged in Cambodia.

The Charity Movie Night (17 Oct 08)

In life, we never walk alone. I was touched by the number of friends who came to support our charity movie - all of them who took time out to be with us, to give their blessings and best wishes for the expedition.

It was my third time watching "To Speak", yet the message of the story never fails to move me. I cried buckets the first time I watched it because it embodied so much of the struggle, pain, and lack of support that you would experience when you first take action on a dream. It reminded me of my struggle to realise some of my dreams, and how hard it is sometimes to remove the obstacles along the way. Sometimes, the obstacles block and overwhelm, and hope fails. That's when it gets really dark, when you look at your dream and question yourself for your utter foolishness. I have been there, in that space where you cannot find the strength to hold on to the dreams that means so much to you.

But, and this truly illustrates the beauty of "To Speak", I was also reminded of the power of dreams, how when you have a compelling vision driving you, when you have absolute determination and perseverance backing you, when you are honest-to-goodness sure that you will achieve your dream, come what may, the gods align with you. The journey may be a rocky road full of bumps, trips, bleeds, but hey, you will get there. Maybe not quite in the same way that you had originally envisioned, but you will get there, with angels supporting and lending you a helping hand just when you need it the most.

It echoes this expedition journey, the excitement, toil, love and passion that goes into this journey, to bring us thus far. Without all of you around us, we will not be here.

My gratitude to all of you who came and were a part of making our dream possible. I wish you the best, that you too will go forth and live your dreams. Live a life with passion and love, life's too short for anything else.

Our next screening is on 26th Oct 08 (Sunday), 3.45pm! Don't miss it!

Mingling around outside Sinema Old School

Craig sharing how he embarked on his journey of making "To Speak" & the amazing experiences he has gained from it

Presenting Craig with our handmade gift of appreciation

Come Listen.

To Speak is to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice. But it will be with a voice that is drowned in an age fascinated by zooming car engines and an imploding financial market. In such a time, to speak requires one to be extraordinary - to stand with strength, courage and tenacity. To be loud enough before one’s voice dries up in the throat and one’s existence quietly fades out.

In a film by Australian writer/director Craig Ower, called “To Speak”, tells the story of a girl named Ratana who lives in poverty and suffocating pessimism of her fellow villagers. Like everyone who dreams of a better life, Ratana dreams of building a new and permanent home for her family. When a radical opportunity presents itself to Ratana, her life is taken on a collision course that will question her convictions and challenge her stand with her family, the village and even Mother Nature herself.

Inspired by a true story, To Speak is accompanied with beautiful musical compositions by our late national dragon boater, Reuben Kee.

Lending voice to this production is a chorus of 30 individuals from Campvision’s Expedition Agape who invite you to lend your eyes and your ears, to what Resilience has to say about a people and its culture long silenced by slave camps, killing fields and the Khmer Rouge.

Let us not turn ourselves away.

To Speak will be screened on:
17 October 2008 (Friday), 8.30PM and
26 October 2008 (Sunday), 3.45PM
Venue: Sinema Old School, 11B Mount Sophia Road #B1-12 Singapore 228466
Ticket Cost: $20.00 each (free seating)

*Proceeds from the screening of To Speak will go toward sponsoring youths-at-risk for an empowering overseas service-learning expedition with Family Care Cornerstone Project, a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia dedicated to improving the quality of lives of the underprivileged

Splash! (27 Sept 08)

Dragonboating! A day with gorgeous weather!

Totally soaked, and a quick reflection in our buddy groups

Splashes of merry-making at the waters of the Kallang River is what I would affectionately reminisce about dragonboating.

I needn't explain the vigor and energy that typically goes about this uproarious activity. The pictures you see here are sound evidence of the paddling, racing and splashing. Wet to the skin, that is.

Action packed aside, perhaps what was more rousing for me, were the differences we all had.

To some, it was talk less and more action. To others, otherwise. For some, merriment was key. For others, champion mattered. Some buried our heads into chopping the waters with your paddles, some had their eyes set on how close we are to the next boat. One or two commanded the counts, others sliently followed.

The contrast was striking. Maybe that's what it is in a team. Maybe that's what we need in a team. How then do we complement, contribute and conquer?

At the end of 3 races cum roaming and paddling, the return journey was the toughest. Keeping my hands on the paddle demanded more willpower than I expected. As my physical strength gradually defied my wishes, what came as a strong mental boost was seeing the rest of us still rowing and paddling, and really looking at how far we have gone.

At the end of the day, maybe it isn't so much about the action, but the CALL behind the action. It's the call that unites, yet the action that differs. Have we all understood? Are we on track or on check?

Our friendly and energetic supporters

Celebrating a day well spent

By Hui Qi