Project New Dawn

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Hey all!!!

This peom is written by a team member from my previous Laos YEP team. I am profoundly moved and I was awash with waves of nostalgia and wonderful memories. I found that this peom is a real work of art and really capture those food of thought that you all can ponder upon right now. How do you feel about your personal expectation and perception of Laos, a developing country before embarking on the adventure. Take a moment to think hard about it and I hope that everyone can gain some insights from this poem as we inch towards 16th May where our voyage towards more self growth and discovery will begin!

Of Knowledge

I know your country is poor.
I do not know the shade of your skin colour.
I have packed sanitary wipes.
I guess poor means dirty.
I slept on the plane,
I must recharge to bring cheer to you.
I guess poor means sad.

This is how you look like,
there are so many of you.
In long skirts, long pants and long sleeves,
Are you hot?
t is blazing in your country.
Yet, you bring out your rope of rubber bands,
jump and laugh,
you have examinations tomorrow.

We taught you past, present and future tense.
You giggled and looked curiously at us,
strange formations at our lips,
unfamiliar sounds and
alien faces.

You taught me about the present when I looked less obscure.
I have a digital camera,
we took a photograph together.
The present is now,
The future is later.
In the same clothes you wear everyday,
you carry a beautiful smile.
I have a big wardrobe at home,
I hate that my shoes are not colour coordinated.
I smile when needed, what is it like to smile
unconsciously,
the way you do.

We held hands and
laughed a lot
when words become sounds that mean nothing.
We like weaving thread around pencils,
running in pools that form after the rain,
I am surprised I am having fun
without my laptop and wireless network.

I look at the candid shot of us in laughter.
My friends and I from our developed country
are to help you and your friends in your less developed country.
I guess you are poor,
I am right.
But all my other guesses were wild and wrong.
In your little hut with no furniture,
you have everything we long for
and need.

Running in circles,
chasing the start point,
not knowing where it is,
or how to get there.
You knew all that already
because the present triumphs the future.
You understood that.

-Rubber Dust Singapore

With love,
Eric

Labels: Others


"LATEST: Congratulations to New Dawners~!! the project was a major success~!!"
We are a group of 22 youths embarking on a youth expedition project to Luang Prabang, Laos from 16 - 31 May 2008. The expedition is jointly organized by the Singapore Buddhist Lodge (SBL) and the NUS Buddhist Society. It aims to fulfill the needs of the students of Muang Kham Primary School. We will be teaching the students basic English, and also engage them in arts and craft sessions after their lessons. In addition, we will be constructing a cement multi-purpose court and pathway to the school. As of April 2008, we are raising funds to help purchase teaching materials, books, and furniture needed for our project. A part of the funds raised will also go to the filming of a documentary in Laos, and help our participants cover a part of their costs. Please support us by making a purchase at our online boutique Walk-In Felicity. For any queries, please contact us at laoyep08@gmail.com. Banner Handbook Local CIP T-shirt Design Others February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 August 2008	Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Hey all!!! This peom is written by a team member from my previous Laos YEP team. I am profoundly moved and I was awash with waves of nostalgia and wonderful memories. I found that this peom is a real work of art and really capture those food of thought that you all can ponder upon right now. How do you feel about your personal expectation and perception of Laos, a developing country before embarking on the adventure. Take a moment to think hard about it and I hope that everyone can gain some insights from this poem as we inch towards 16th May where our voyage towards more self growth and discovery will begin! Of Knowledge I know your country is poor. I do not know the shade of your skin colour. I have packed sanitary wipes. I guess poor means dirty. I slept on the plane, I must recharge to bring cheer to you. I guess poor means sad. This is how you look like, there are so many of you. In long skirts, long pants and long sleeves, Are you hot? t is blazing in your country. Yet, you bring out your rope of rubber bands, jump and laugh, you have examinations tomorrow. We taught you past, present and future tense. You giggled and looked curiously at us, strange formations at our lips, unfamiliar sounds and alien faces. You taught me about the present when I looked less obscure. I have a digital camera, we took a photograph together. The present is now, The future is later. In the same clothes you wear everyday, you carry a beautiful smile. I have a big wardrobe at home, I hate that my shoes are not colour coordinated. I smile when needed, what is it like to smile unconsciously, the way you do. We held hands and laughed a lot when words become sounds that mean nothing. We like weaving thread around pencils, running in pools that form after the rain, I am surprised I am having fun without my laptop and wireless network. I look at the candid shot of us in laughter. My friends and I from our developed country are to help you and your friends in your less developed country. I guess you are poor, I am right. But all my other guesses were wild and wrong. In your little hut with no furniture, you have everything we long for and need. Running in circles, chasing the start point, not knowing where it is, or how to get there. You knew all that already because the present triumphs the future. You understood that. -Rubber Dust Singapore With love, Eric Labels: Others