Giving out rations at my second hometown

Let's choose today to quench our thirst for the "good life" we thinks others lead by acknowledging the good that already exists in our lives. We can then offer the universe the gift of our grateful hearts.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

I took a little trip to Tanjung Balai with Kay Wee and a group of staff from Boystown. It was my first time going to this place despite going to Indonesia many times. The moment I set foot into this little place, a flood of thoughts came rushing into my mind. Hmmm... What is that feeling? It seems inexplicable and a little difficult to explain how I feel. It's been two years since I last went to Indonesia. I must say that I really miss Indonesia so so so much. And everything here just reminds me of Jakarta.

Well, there are still differences between these two places. We could only see the urban side in Jakarta, whereas Tanjung Balai showed us the rural part of Indonesia. And before I know it, everything here just reminds me of Cambodia. The shops, the people, the food, the traffic congestion and the vehicles. WOW.

We started off with breakfast at one of the shops. We ate Bak Kut Teh in the morning accompanied with Pokari Sweat. I really love the staff. They were all so friendly and warm that we could immediately hit off well once we met. The ration distribution started after we had our breakfast.

It was my first time giving out rations to the needy. I wouldn't say I learn much because we didn't get to talk to them to know about their living conditions. All I could only depend on were my observations. In the bus, I took a really long time observing the place and the people there. One thing I realise about myself is that I don't sympathise them but I actually admire them. This whole feeling is really new to me.

The kids there seem to inspire me. Like what Florence said, the kids are survivors to her. They are strays. They learnt how to survive on their own without their parents' guidance. I guess that is something not every kid can achieve. For example, if you leave a seven year old child in a jungle for a week, you'd probably find that child dead or still crying for help when you return to the jungle. But these kids are just strong. Of course, I saw some negative side of the kids. I saw a boy about the age of 10 smoking cigarettes. But you know what really amazed me? They are contented. How many of us are actually contented with what we have?

And the villagers inspired me too. They are the ones who are struggling so hard to earn a living. And they are the ones, who are like warriors, fighting to have their own lives. Isn't that just amazing?