Honey4Boyz

Post by: Silas I was first introduced to this event by my mother, and she asked if I wanted to volunteer. At first I was reluctant because I didn't want some unknown event to spoil my relaxing 3-week holiday. But then I thought "Why not give it a try? I could at least have the chance to experience work...". So in the end I acquiesced. I didn't like it at first, because all the work was repetitive and boring (at least there were free snacks and drinks). But I sucked it up and try to do it as fast as I can. I did feel satisfied as this was my first time working "behind the scenes". By the time we finished I couldn't believe I actually help to pack 4000+ of goody bags, with the help of other volunteers of course.  When it comes to events like this, I would always sign up as a participant. But this was something new, something outside my comfort zone which I would never forget. Before we left a few of us were briefed on how to register the p...

Written by Xian Wei When I heard that we were going to Vietnam, I knew that it was going to be an exciting trip.  We were going to Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, the old city name, for 7 days.  The weather forecast was around 23~25'C but when we arrived it was 30+'C! So much for bringing jeans...  We stayed in a 4-star hotel called Paragon Saigon hotel, next to many other hotels. We went to many must-go sites, like the  Ben Thanh  market, War Remnants museum, The Post Office( Bưu điện ) , Notre Dame Cathedral, Mekong Delta etc. There were many French architecture because the country was colonized by France for 100 years, But now it's a communist country. A common sight in the city- the messy electrical wires! Whoever who manages to 'organize' the mess into a systematic order should be elected as mayor. I hope it doesn't make one go hair-wired... One of the most memorable things I enjoyed in Vietnam was the food. Their food is very simpl...

Posted by Xian Wei This was the first Kiwanis camp organised for young teens. At first, I felt that this was just going to be like any other camps before. Since I didn’t know any of the campers (except one) I felt shy and nervous and didn’t talk much. Nevertheless, I felt really enthusiastic about a new experience.  We slept in dorms, much to my delight, and after we settled we went for ice-breaking sessions. When we were to be separated into teams I felt lonely because I’m not with my friend. So I just sat with my teammates and we discussed about our team name and cheer. After that we played station games. That warmed us up a lot and soon after that was over we became friends with one another.  Next morning I felt refreshed for the obstacle courses. This was the part that was most fun to me because I like more hands-on activities. We did the flying fox but it wasn’t as exciting as I’ve done it many times. After that long, tiring afternoon we had a l...

By Xian Wei  Our family went to Singapore for the Maker's Faire. We stayed at Changi Cove, which was near the airport at the eastern coastline. The hotel rooms were awesome. We could even doodle on a part of the wall of the hotel.  The big o' tree of Changi Cove. This tree is called the Pulai tree and it is still standing although it is 150 years old!! The hotel must have preserved the tree because it was part of a forest and probably didn't want to forget the forest that was once there. The Changi boardwalk, which is very near from our hotel. People can walk, jog or cycle along the coast of Singapore. The boardwalk is also a good place for fishing   as it is near the sea. What a nice contrast between lime green and grey. The airport is nearby so we could see many airplanes close up and tried to identify which airline they belong to. At Changi Point Coastal Walk. You could rent a bike and cycle there. There's a ferr...

Posted by Xian Wei This year, I joined an Adventure Sports camp for 3 days, also organised by Radiant Retreats. This is a level 2 camp, just before the Wilderness Skills Camp under the Bronze Category. This time there were about 16 participants. We were divided unevenly into 3 groups.  Rope Climbing...Our first lesson of the camp. The ropes blistered my hands..      After that, we went river trekking at Kg. Chemperoh again, but this time we went further upstream. In the midst of river trekking, we also did river crossing because the water was deep there. When we finished, we were totally drenched... But the water activities weren't over yet! We went for rafting after that and did river tubing there. It was really fun... By then the water activities were over. It was time to go back to the campsite...  The next day, we did basic abseiling. Next, we did map reading. We were asked to draw our dream island. The top left...

An Animation by XianWei The Characters Clockwise: Cackle the Witch; Mr Halloween, Kitty the owl-'n-cat. XianWei has made good strides, but still has much room for improvement!  Enjoy!!

Posted by Xian Wei I joined a wilderness skills camp for 3 days at Janda Baik. It was organised by Radiant Retreats. There were many levels of camps and this camp was Level 3 under the Bronze category. There were only 14 participants as it was held during a school week. Without hesitation, I joined the camp because I love camping, going outdoor, meeting new friends and learning new life skills. Learning the basic First Aid. It was our first and very important lesson. Arm sling (elevated) is when your collarbone is broken.  After that we went river trekking at Kg. Chemperoh. We learnt how to filter clean water from the river. Examples of what we should do when your friend is injured and when you are lost in the jungle... Helping an injured man...  My first time riding an All-Terrain Vehicle. It was very easy - like riding a motorcycle. Jumping from rocks to rocks instead of playing electronics, climbing over fallen trees i...