Wise Wishes.

It takes me two trains and one bus to transport me to university, every day. On some days, I find myself being very reluctant to drag myself out of bed two hours earlier only to reach my class on time. On some other days, I reach home with just adequate energy to walk myself to shower and crawl myself into bed.

While I was in Bario, Sarawak, I count myself fortunate to have witnessed not only the lives of the elderly folks, but also the lives of the school going children. Over the couple of days I have experienced at the schools, I have all my admiration towards how respectful they have been. To us, complete strangers at first and friends, at the end of the trip; I hope.

There was an interesting mix of enthusiasm and a care free nature I saw in these children that had me thinking of how much I spent most of my schooling years feeling rather pressured to perform academically better and only that. I remember not liking to stay back extra hours in the afternoon at school for classes and here I was, teaching English to a class of Form 1 students during after school hours, with an initial assumption that they were probably going to be napping in class and completely ignore my existence.

However, to my pleasant surprise, I had a great two hours teaching this bunch of excited and enthusiastic kids! I felt like I was doing something right when the students were so appreciative when I corrected their mistakes on their written essays. Getting them to interact in the beginning was a tad bit difficult, but the class got so much pleasurable when the awkwardness broke. Class ended abruptly one day, when the teacher made an announcement requesting all students to make their way to the hydro dam to have their bath as there was water rationing around Bario Asal.

Yet again I was amazed at how these kids did not rant a single bit or heaved a sigh at the thought of hiking up to the dam after a long day at school. They quickly got their towels and soaps, grouped up and headed to the dam while some boys sang songs and some girls had giggly chatters. At that moment in time, watching that sight; I had a hit of realization towards an aspect of myself. I came to terms that I should really reduce on focusing about my end of day exhaustion and simply try to look beyond and continue the walk.

Sometimes, I give in too much, simply too much towards my tiredness that the rest of my day goes to waste. These children too, have reminded me to be a little carefree. To always add the element of fun whenever possible. When I think about it, a little ease to the mind doesn’t really kill anyway. I have learnt to look beyond the situation and twist it into a little fun adventure. I would like to believe that these children had great fun bathing at the dam, might I also add how fast these children are at hiking!

More often than not, we all wanted to be adults as soon as possible while we were still in school. Through these children, I saw what schooling years and being young meant through a different lens. Carefree, enthusiastic, they have fun and they are focused whenever necessary.

Five days into coming back home and returning back to my everyday routine, I have these children at the back of my mind as a reminder that giving up really isn’t an option. Sometimes, all I really need is to embrace the journey and celebrate whatever it is the day presents to you; whether it is welcoming a complete stranger to teach you an academic lesson or taking a hike to have a bath after a long day at school.

Either way, life gives you a million parachutes, board it or end up watching it go by.

In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and - SNAP - the job's a game!

 Mary Poppins, A Spoonful of Sugar