The students made their way to the all-too-familiar restaurant for the same breakfast for the 6th consecutive day. As they lamented the lack of variety, they knew it was eating to live for the time being. With the 2030hr lights-out timing, many were energetic, enthusiatic and looking forward to helping out at another school. The principal met us at the hotel lobby and the exchanges took place before boarding the bus.
This is a much smaller school - half the size of Jin Shan Xiang. The kids welcomed us with the usual "huan ying" cheer and we were quickly ushered to the flag pole for the flag raising ceremony.
Coloured chalks were distributed to our students and they were invited to draw on the outdoor chalkboard. Immediately, favourite SGP food, flag, esplanade, merlion and flyer appeared under the deft and not-so-deft hands. At the sound of the bell, the children rushed out like bats leaving their caves at night and surrounded the chalkboards.
The children's attention can only be kept that long and soon, they were playing catching, "eagle catching chicks" and hantam beanbag. Soon, the skilled labour that we hired arrived with cement, bricks and their tools and the foundation for the ping pong table went underway with the students lending their hands. The students would have a hand in discovering/nurturing the next Yao Ming and Zhang Yining, hopefully.
The rest of the day was spent building the table and serialising the donated books. We were hosted to lunch by the 2 principals and as usual, there was the "wo3 jing4 ni3 yi4 pei1". The only difference is that it is not beer, but hard liquor. After a few shots, i turned tomato and had to resort to mixing it with coke and voila, burbon coke.
At the debrief, I reminded the students that it will our last day to do something for them. I want you to leave Lijian feeling ambivalent. Look at your response to "What I could have done at Jin Shan" and do not let history repeat itself.
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