hello fellow volunteers,

i know i've been rather quiet around here, but it's time for me to share my thoughts and insights about my volunteering experience so far.

after volunteering at mindsville for more than six months, i realized i've learnt a lot from both the residents and volunteers. i remembered that before my first visit to mindsville, i was pretty worried about how things would turn out, how the residents would treat a stranger, and i have to admit that i was quite scared also. but after that visit, i realized i was wrong about everything i had in mind. for that first visit, the resident i was with was Lai Hoi and i could remember how she approached me when i just stood there, and how she held and squeezed my hand. i was really surprised then but at the same time, i felt really touched by her actions. communication was kind of difficult at first because some of them were unable to express themselves clearly. but as time goes by, i learnt to understand more about what they are trying to say, from their body language and facial expressions. and even for some, you don't even have to wait for them to speak to know what they're going to say, like Sothi (always asking "where you go?" :D). from this, i guess it has helped to train my patience, having to repeat certain things over and over again to the residents or listen to the residents talk about the same thing over and over again hahaha. another thing is, i never expected that a mere 3-hours-session could make the residents so glad. and they're happy because of your presence, not because of what you did and who you are. it's just that simple for them, but i guess these are the things we slowly forget as we grow older. and because of this reason, i felt that i was able to put down all my troubles over at mindsville and truly enjoy myself, be it going through the obstacle courses, singing, dancing with them or simply just watching them enjoying themselves. i guess this is why it keeps me coming back and motivates me to want to do even more for them.

like what Wei Chung had said previously, "never underestimate the residents". and i only began to truly understand this after the TH camp, seeing how independent they can be. and for the abseiling...yea the residents might be freaked out in the beginning but i'm really glad that they were willing to take this challenge and face their fear. i was teary-eyed when i watched each pair of volunteer and resident descend together from the tower. the support and the encouragement...it's so hard to say. all in all, the TH camp was a great learning experience for everyone. kudos to the organizing committee, volunteers and residents :D

and not forgetting the volunteers, thank you all for your guidance and for sharing your experiences. it's really enjoyable to be with you guys, working towards the common goal. i'm really glad to meet this bunch of active, supportive, helpful, fun (and the list goes on....) volunteers. you guys rockkkk!!

i don't know for the rest of you but i think...i used to treat the residents as young children when i first started out. for now, i'm learning to treat them as adults and i'm trying to kick the habit of holding their hands like what the more experienced volunteers have been talking about. i guess it takes time for all the volunteers to accomplish this but most importantly, i think there's a need to keep emphasizing this every now and then. never mind, let's work towards this together! oh, i'm glad that TH is becoming a big family with more new volunteers joining us but i do hope that they can stay to learn more about the residents :)

every visit is another learning experience. mindsville has become a part of my life now, and i won't forget about that. looking forward to learning more from residents and volunteers :D

p.s. wah i was expecting a short and sweet post but it turned out to be this long hahahaha. and it feels awkward not having visits for 3 weeks. sad ahhhh!!!! :(:(
take care and God bless every one of you. have a nice week ahead!

cheers,
yingyi