Y E P (Part 2)

2 days spent on an isolated island was a new experience. Sand in my feet 24/7. No clean water. Dry shower with lots of talcum powder. Great view of the sea, sun and sky. I mean..an island isolated in the middle of nowhere.. there seriously ain't any other type of view.

Just a few qualms. Insects (namely HOUSEFLIES that piss me off big time) and dirty toilets. I realised that one thing i can't stand is dirty toilets. But nuthin beat the pesky houseflies.

There were many experienced people in the session. I've learnt a lot from them, and I've learnt more about myself.

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We did a session called Life Journey during the night where we were supposed to draw pictures to share about our life. It was a sure way to get to know someone else much better and through their sharing, know what it is that matters to them. The older men talked about their family, wives, children and even their parents. I think its amazing...the way they remember their parents, or the passing of a parent, and the way they appreciate their wives and how much their wives matter to them, support them, understand them. I've never heard a elderly man speak as such about their wives before. Perhaps its becoz of my family culture ba.

I heard so many people sharing about the sudden passing of a parent. Returning home to find her dad cold on his chair. Receiving news that his mother died suddenly due to brain haemorrage (however u spell that word) in Thailand..etc. It's frightening that someone u love can pass away so suddenly, without warning, and how that incident can change lives.

What's even more amazing is how these people managed to pull thru the crisis and emerged so much stronger. So positive and being able to continue living their lives fulfillingly.

And I think about myself. Whether I'd be able to survive a crisis like that and move on ahead in life.

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We did another session on conflict management. I'm an "Avoiding Turtle". That is, i try to avoid conflicts and siam them as far as possible. When a conflict occurs, I'd tend to give in. I mean, its not that i always avoid conflicts.. sometimes I do face them head on..and my dominant style is still avoidance. I thought about it. Perhaps its due to personality, and then i realised it also has to do with family background. The way my parents handle conflicts influenced the way I manage them as well. Locking themselves in their own rooms, cold wars, sweeping them under the carpet, hiding them until it explodes. It was my sister who introduced the whole concept of speaking through disagreements and airing differences openly, addressing conflicts rather than hiding them. Something I've been trying out. But honestly, its safer to just avoid.

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I facilitated the session called "Social Tree". I was quite stressed for the 2 days, since my session was the 2nd last one. Of coz it wasn't perfect. I felt I spoke too fast, didn't link the concepts up well, couldn't bring the objectives across clearly. But at the end of my session, the participants gave their feedback. The main facilitator of the whole training said that I sound just like a teacher. The others agreed that I sounded like a teacher, that I was confident, and that I was able to provide a lead-in into the Social Tree concept through the use of an introductory activity.

Wow. It was really a boost to the morale, especially when the participants have been lecturers for a long time.

Of coz, they were also being nice la, but still. It felt good to receive affirmation after really trying to do my best for that session. Or maybe I was just a good actress. I could act the teacher role well. haha..though beneath it all, i was damn nervous.

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Anyway those were some of the take-aways from the training.

I got a clearer understanding of what Y E P is about. The passion emitting from the older, more experienced Y E P facilitators/leaders was definitely contagious.

People say I don't look like the camping sort. That I don't look like the outdoor sort. No doubts about that. I was surely love to laze around in an air-conditioned 5 star hotel room, but I can rough it out if I need to. And bringing students on expeditions, or going on such expeditions myself is something I'm willing to try.

Of coz when the time comes, you'd start hearing me express my fears and doubts.

But when that happens, just tell me to "Go for it".

I just need someone to push me off the cliff.