Sep 23, 2009 12:05 AM
i had my first ever presentation in smu today. i'm not feeling immensely relieved that it's one down, two to go though. the presentation didn't go too well, i stumbled alot and i know i could have done alot better, just that my nerves got the better of me. oh wells. at least tmr's bgs elevator pitch isn't graded so there's no pressure there. momental breather for now! i'm thankfully that readings and homework isn't as heavy this week if not i'll have no idea how i'd cope.
okay i should blog about y camp before i forget about my experience. y camp was about attending this camp with the people at apsn - association for people with special needs. even though i've interacted with mentally challenged people before (minds-lee kong chian gardens sch cip back in ac), this experience couldn't be more different.
firstly, the duration of the camp was way longer: from friday evening to sunday afternoon. secondly, the participants we were working with were really different. at apsn, they were quite normal in the sense that they could hold proper conversation with us. perhaps it was because they were older, perhaps it was because some of them weren't that mentally challenged. and that's the sad thing, some of them aren't that mentally challenged, yet they're ostracized by society. they just have a lower iq but other than that, they're like me and you. they talk about the crushes they have, they have feelings, just like any of us. they attempt factorisation which is what we have learnt, albeit ten years earlier than them but nonetheless, they still have the ability to learn it. despite all these, they're taken advantage of and have a certain social stigma. some others had autism and down syndrome, but they could be pretty adorable in their own unique way.
it was heartbreaking to see some of them crying at the end of the camp. they've built friendships with their buddies (us) over those few days yet there's no certainty that they'll ever see us or talk to us again unless we continue to volunteer and attend y camps. it's quite sad that just 'cause of their limited mental capabilities, their life is restricted by so much. they have no choice but to have their lives revolve around home and apsn (and their jobs if they're lucky), their friendship circle is limited to their family members and classmates at apsn and they don't have any freedom nor say in their life.
the camp was trying and i have to admit, my patience was at an all time low at some points of the camp. but the takeaway of the camp has been pretty big for me which is:
learn to appreciate the simple things in life. seeing the smallest things such as building a sandcastle put a smile on their faces made me realise that too often we're caught up in our hectic lives, that we don't pause and appreciate the simple joys in life. we tend to have those lofty ambitions and are never satisfied with what we have. but we don't realise that the simplest, most uncomplicated things can bring a smile to our faces too
and that mentally challenged people aren't that different from us. they just tend to express their feelings more openly and are more simple-minded. although their mental capacity is limited, but they're just like any other one of us