Touched

Just last week, a very pretty lady added me on FB.
I had no clue who she was as the name was not familiar.
Then, I checked if we have any common friends and she's my brother's friend.
Weird.... because I know most of my brother's friends and I seriously do not remember this pretty lady!

Anyway, I added her to see who she was.
Browsing through her photos, I still could not figure out who she is.
Then, I came to her album labelled "Friendship Village".
The name was extremely familiar. I took a peek.
The background was awfully familiar.
The people in the photo were somewhat familiar.
Then, I saw a photo of a HOT SPRING. TADAH~!
I knew where it was. And I knew why it looked so familiar.

It's Thailand, Yala, Betong. A small village on the mountains near the borders of Thailand and Malaysia.
My first trip there was when I was 14. I went with my mum and some of her friends & my friends to do mission work. We played with the children, visited families, taught the children English, etc. The first time I was there, I felt like a little girl, tagging along with Mummy.

I remember clearly. The friendly smiles from the villagers, the warm welcomes and the wonderful homecooked food!!!

I was very shy on my first trip, and did not really interact much with the children there.

Then, my mum wanted my brother to go and take a trip there. And we organised another trip the following year. This time, my mum put all YOUTHS in the group and we only had 1 adult (she's actually considered youth cos she was only in her mid-20s). The rest of the group consisted of 15 - 18yos. I was the youngest in the group, but my mum said that they all had to listen to me. Why? I was the only one who went up there before. [Finally! A chance to control all the big boys who always bullied me!]

The journey up to Southern Thailand, Hatyai was not easy. I recall taking a coach from Singapore's Beach Road. Then, we travelled through Msia, stopping at Alor Setar  (sorry, there's a mistake!) BUTTERWORTH (near Penang) to change into TAXIs to bring up to Hatyai. But we did stop at Alor Setar for breakfast & fuel. Scary experience with rains and the windy roads.

Once in Hatyai, we had to find our way to the travel agency to wait for our contact person from the village. I was the only person in the entire group that recognised him! Tired and sleepy, I had no choice but to shoo the big boys into the travel agency while I stood outside keeping a lookout for our contact guy. Due to miscommunication, he only found us after 3 hours. He went to the wrong travel agency. -___"-

The journey up in a beat up pickup truck took 6 hours. Along the way, I must have wasted at least a dozen plastic bags from all the puking. The big brothers in the trip were nice and ensured I was hydrated (but I hated them for treating me like a baby).

Once we've reached, the big boys (my brother and his friends) were 'lost'. They did not know what to do and where to go. This little sister had to bring them to the 'house' and show them to their room, teach them how to use the toilet (no flush) and show them how to boil their bath water if they wanted a warm shower.
I remember teasing them about being the big boys but needing their little sister to look after them.

When I brought them out to meet the kids for the first time, they could not communicate with them. After my first trip up, I picked up some basic Thai while staying in the village and took up Thai lessons while in SG. It helped alot. The kids started to warm up and some of the older kids could speak Chinese.

We got very close and attached to the kids in a week, and we cried like mad when we had to leave.

I remember the nights we spent, sitting under the moon with the kids, telling them stories about Singapore.
I remember the yummy local treats the kids bought for us after school, on their way home (can't find them in Thai eateries in SG).
I remember the songs we taught them, and they songs they taught us.
I remember boiling eggs with the kids at the hot spring.
I remember eating half boiled eggs right off the shell.
I remember how the infants and toddlers were simply left in cardboard boxes with a blankie to entertain themselves while their parents were working.
I remember how the kids had motorbikes and brought us out on joyrides.I remember sitting at the only 'restaurant' in the village which was built on a stream and watching waste material go down the stream.
I remember how the kids caught a giant spider in the guy's toilet without bating an eyelid. 

Anyway, the funny story about the SPIDER....
One of the guys was taking a shower in the toilet.
Then, suddenly, a HUGE spider (the size of an adult palm with fingers included) appeared on the wall of the toilet.
The poor guy RAN OUT of the toilet (I think he remembered to grab the towel to cover the vital parts) SCREAMING!!!!
And the kids came to 'save us' by catching the spider with their bare hands and simply letting it go outside the house.
What an experience!!

It was really a great experience being there, changing the kids' lives.
And they really changed my life too. 
That trip taught the big boys to show me some respect as a leader.
And it showed me that when given the right opportunities, anyone can rise up to be a leader.


Then, when I was 16, I met my hubs and 'went steady' with him.
After my O levels, I decided that I wanted to meet the kids again.
This time, it was more of a family trip.
My mum and dad, my sis and I and my hubs (at tt time - BF).
My hubs loved the kids and cried when we had to leave - THIS MAN IS A KEEPER.


And now, seeing this pretty lady on FB, I went to dig out my old photos.
That small little girl we had so much fun with,
blossoming into a pretty young lady with a bright future.

The kids are mostly in uni now...
And I feel so proud of them!
Breaking the cycle of poverty by studying hard like we told them to...

If only our local kids can understand the hardships other face to even get a chance to study...
They may appreciate what they have even more...

I am really grateful that my mum invited me there...
To experience what it's like to be blessed in a different way...
To understand that what we have in SG is really alot more than we can ask for...

And I'm thankful to the kids who touched our lives...
I wouldn't have known the soft side of my hubs if not for them... :D

Will blog about another trip to an orphanage in another part of Thailand when I was 17yo :D