LEARNING JOURNEYS
Luang Prabang , Laos This trip is one that will be etched in the memories of all who came . Initially , there were few expectations before the trip , but by the time we were due to leave , most of us wanted to stay a little longer . Albeit being a modest 4 days long , this GEP in Laos has taught us many things , such as generosity , humility and contentment . The 2 days spent in the village allowed us to truly see how the life is like in the rural . Unlike what is advertised by most charity organisations , the reality is that the villagers , especially the children , are extremely content and happy with life , and even give wholeheartedly to us when most of us would not do the same easily for them . The food that we received during the homestay period was delicious , and even reminded some of us of home-cooked food back in Singapore . The thought that the families put into taking care of us was extremely heart-warming as well , with small acts like leaving the lights on even though they were sleeping already , to cooking new dishes for us immediately if we requested for them , even if they had prepared a full meal already .
The project work that we did was both meaningful and satisfying . We were tasked to build a wall for a building that was to become a teacher ’ s office in the village school . The wall , however , was to be made out of mud bricks , so we ended up spending almost 2 full days nearly knee deep in mud . Still , the students , the teachers and the village children all helped out , and formed invaluable bonds in the process . The children would hold our hands as we walked around in the mud to mix it , help us transport wheelbarrows of mud to the brick making site , and had their fair share of fun by chasing us around with muddy hands , often ending in our messy and muddy demise . However , we embraced it , and thoroughly enjoyed all the time we spent in the village . We also learned a great deal about the different cultural groups in Laos , about their origins , traditions and evolution . The sights in Laos also is not something to ignore . During the village stay , our various treks , the waterfall visit and various other activities , the sheer beauty of Laos , with its lush forests and vast fields , is something that we simply do not get to see in Singapore , and waking up to such a view for multiple days in a row really was a breath of fresh air for us .
JOSEPHIAN ANNUAL 2018 77