Parannoyed Delusions

Last week, on the 11th, I went for the YAWA 5th International Children's Conference on the Environment in Teluk Bahang, Penang. It was a great experience. For those uninitiated, YAWA is Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that exist purely to instill a love of and care for the environment in young people. Check out their website, I helped design it. The theme for this year's conference was "Save the Seas Around Us". There were almost 200 participants (including volunteers) present. I was there as a volunteer, specifically as an Audio Visual Crew. My job was also to update their website regularly, a job I didn't do quite well because of time limitation and slow internet connection. So I ended up just walking around snapping photos.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing this entry is to tell you of my experience there. I had been looking forward to the sea, the beaches, and the boat rides to and from the beaches (the beach we were supposed to go to, Pantai Kerachut, was on the other side and would be quicker to reach via boats). The last time I went on a boat ride was probably ten years ago, so you can imagine my anticipation. So that's that.

The second thing I'd like to mention is that on the bus journey to Penang, I was reading a book by Paulo Coelho entitled "The Alchemist". A beautiful book about following one's dreams, and learning about oneself through the universal language of nature. Inspired, I was (rather naively, so to speak), hoping that the seas and the shores of Penang (be them polluted or not) would teach me something.

But they didn't. Instead the very things I learnt were entirely from the people there. I learnt about blind but not unwitting dedication. I learnt about undulating commitment. I learnt that somewhere out there, there are these people, a "new kind" of people, that is commited to changing young lives. These people are the volunteers and escorts that helped make the five days of over 180 young children an experience to remember. And they did it for nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that they've made a difference, however big or small. I myself was proud to be a part of this event, however small the part was. And I'd do it again next year, without question and beyond doubt.

P.S.: If you were at the conference, drop me an email!