Jin Yi's Reflection

Finally, we made the trip to Balai successfully as part of our overseas outreach program to serve and to learn last Saturday. Although it was just a one day trip, I actually learnt many things from the trip such as gaining a new perspective in life, a better understanding about the people in a small fishing village of Balai, a place beyond advanced technology like Singapore.

Due to time constraint, we only got to interact with the children in the fishing village for about an hour and roamed around the village to learn more about a fishing village like this. Time was precious, but we tried our best to capture everything we can.

My group and I together with Ms Azyanti chose to walk around to learn more about the place. I guess the place is really a typical fishing village. At the shore, there are many boats with fishing nets owned by the villagers which many used to fish in the seas to earn a living for themselves. There are many wooden houses scattered everywhere. They are not segregated with fences, not as organized as the houses in city area. There are dogs, pigs, and roosters wandering around the village. The families do not own any computers, only some families own an old television. Many sleep on the mattress on the floor. The living condition is generally poorer as compared to that in Singapore. Our group actually went to talk to the people about their lifestyles. Many thoughts flashed through my mind as I absorbed what I see and reflected upon myself how life had been for me. What struck me is knowing how simple their life is in a fishing village; how happiness and satisfaction could be easily gained from what they have. The feeling was indescribable.

I saw children entertaining themselves just by running after one another, climbing trees to pick up coconut, etc. Their smiles are simply innocent. Will the children in city like Singapore actually feel happy just by running after one another?

I saw almost every door of the houses was wide opened, the people do not seem to take precaution of thieves. Everyone seems to know one another very well. It is like the village is a big family. I wonder, how much do I actually know my neighbour? Do I even talk to them? Oh well..

I met a girl who is about the same age as me. A village girl who feels satisfied even though she does not have a complete education. A village girl who seems to have accepted her life of living in a village, a place of simplicity and tranquility, a place of growing up, getting married at the age of 18, bearing children and taking care of the family. I wonder, can satisfaction and contentment be achieved so easily for me? It may be different for a city girl like me as competition is necessary for the survival here. However, I guess I should learn to be contented in what I already have. This is what happiness comes in in life perhaps?

Understanding the different lifestyles of these people do make me feel that there is a need to help them improve their living condition. However, it is also when we serve that we get to learn to realize what has gone wrong in our very complicated lifestyle and that we may have lost the very simple form of happiness in life such as supporting one another in the family instead of craving for more material needs.