M-A-S-Y-I-T-H-O-H

Credits to Yao Yang (who was, I assume, too shy to post his wonderful piece of work).

Edited slightly (I hope you don't mind), for City Developments Limited (CDL), which we're all indebted to =)

Project Masyithoh - A project that allowed 17 of us to do our small part for this tightly-knitted community in Yogyakarta. To pen down our feelings about Project Masyithoh is no easy task because it really is an amalgamation of joy, relief, sadness and many other emotions, all rolled into one. The best we can do is to break it down into parts and try our best to convey our thoughts simply through, what best we thought but, MASYITHOH itself.

Memories are there for us to relive the wondrous experience over and over again.

Aid that we rendered to the local community will go a long way in providing a more conducive environment in which the children receive their education.

Sponsors. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the people that have made all these possible. This includes City Developments Limited, Ice^3 café, and the numerous individual donors who supported us in all our fund-raising events. Their generous support is much appreciated by us, and even more so by the villagers whose gratitude we can only help convey on their behalf.

Youths. A project by youths, for youths. It was not a mere visit to Yogyakarta, but rather, a project spanning the length of 6 months in which we explored, discussed, and deliberated various issues pertaining to society such as religion, migration, income disparities, and much more.

Integration. The cross-cultural exchange has certainly benefited us in ways which no number of words can do justice to. Throughout our stay in the village, we ate, worked, played, and lived with the villages, with them sincerely acknowledging us as a part of their keluarga (family).

Tears. We were so attached to villagers that many of us shed tears of sadness when it was time to leave. There were tears of joy too, that we managed to forge such strong and beautiful friendships which we never imagined would be possible.

Hiccups. Throughout the course of the project, we had our fair share of successes as well as hiccups. More importantly though, our team proved capable in rising up to the challenges and learnt from our mistakes.

Opportunities. We are grateful for all the oppportunities given to us by our families, peers, sponsors, donors, and Indonesian friends. Without their support, Project Masyithoh would not have been possible.

Hardwork. The happy faces of the villages, their tears of joy, sadness, and gratitude, the completed classroom and the close bonds forged beyond national, religious, and ethnic boundaries are testament to the hardwork put in by all of us.

Mocca, My Diary

Mocca - Hanya Satu (OST. Untuk Rena)

Another favorite. Tho i do not understand haha. Nice tune

mocca - i remember

By Mocca, a jazz/pop band from java, Indonesia

way back into love.mp3.inspiration

Mmm..random stuff.
i guess it is a nice old song to share.
haha.Hugh Grant is so sweet while singing though his eyes r so small.

Ohya,he is really cute in the movie too n he hates bread =)
''The thing that really hurts is my upper gum. I think I may have impaled myself on a dinner roll. It's a very good thing they didn't have bread sticks. I could have lost an eye.''

Hello Masyithoh-ians. :)

The k session + dinner + dessert session yesterday was fun, maybe it's not exciting, but sometimes all we need is just the company and the joyous "feel", right? :)

Anyway, though I'm not sure how many of you would read this entry, I'm really touched that you guys always think of whether there's food for fy (and now me) to eat. I know that yesterday's dinner wasnt that great-tasting, and I felt bad that you guys didnt manage to enjoy the food you want. Sorry. :/

I'm not trying to promote vegetarian-ism here; just to provide some info about it cos I realise that people tend to be confused over what can be eaten and what not. Actually it's all a matter of personal choice, as well as the committment level. For me, I'm not at the highest level yet, I'm just a lacto-ovo vegetarian. :)

What is a Vegetarian?
A vegetarian is someone who chooses not to eat meat, fowl, or fish. There are numerous categories of vegetarians the list comprises of:
lacto-ovo (consume dairy products and eggs), lacto (consume dairy products), fruitarian (only fruits, nuts and seeds), vegan (only products of non-animal origin), raw foodist and macrobiotics.

Some chooses a combination of others as to what they wish to exclude from their diet, like the exclusion of only red meat, but not chicken or fish. They can be considered casual and semi vegetarians.

If any one of you are interested in learning more, do visit this website,http://www.vegetarian-society.org/, or do a google search. :)

An interesting fact- do you know that humans are natural herbivores? Look at the structure of our teeth and you'd realise that our teeth are similar in structure to that of herbivores e.g. horses :)

Summer Blockbuster: Our Official YEP Video

Part1


Part 2

=((((, =))))

\(O_O)/

haha something light and funny for this lazy afternoon.





and my favouriteee



lol can go youtube to look at more adventures of Pankun and James. They're very happy animals.

*no animals were harmed in the videos, i vetted them before publishing*

If You Have the Guts...

If you still remember, we watched a couple of videos during our last pre-trip meeting which were pretty revealing of how our Nike/GAP products were derived.

All of us are consumers - we buy, use, eat, drink, and dispose of so many things each day, yet often remain unaware of how/where these products come from.

And if you still remember, the day our Indonesian counterparts invited two monkeys to perform for us. It was a kind and sincere gesture on their part, to express their gratitude and appreciation for all that we had done. Yet, little did they expect some of us to cry, while some of us simply walked away because we could not bear watching the poor monkeys being tugged roughly all around, with metal chains around their necks.

If monkeys are cute and intelligent animals to be loved and cherished, then why not watch these videos if you have the guts. I have to say these are not the worst you can find on Youtube. There are lots more out there, if you are interested.






It is one thing to watch these clips on a computer, and another to witness an animal's misery in real life. The latter leaves so deep an impression that it definitely is enough to last for as long as a lifetime, if not more.

I was watching a TV show just this morning with two Mediacorp babes shopping for ingredients at the Bukit Timah Food Centre. They were visiting some stalls in the wet market, and I saw neatly-arranged chicken carcasses and huge finless sharks selling at $10/kg, and just started crying.

Perhaps some people simply cry more easily than others do, but like what I would say, it is not just what you do that matters, but also, what you think that does.

In that sense, being a vegetarian is nowhere as simple as abstaining from meat and eating nothing but vegetables (or some say grass).

Rather, it is the mindset, the emotions, the feelings, the thoughts, of kindness, compassion, mercy, and sadness - feelings which I believe all humans possess - that we as humans, have most unfortunately allowed and condoned the proliferation of animal factories and slaughterhouses all around the world.

The next time you enjoy your steak, think of the cow that died for you. Think of the blood that it shed, or perhaps think about the reason it was born, and the painful life that it subsequently led just so that we humans could satisfy our foodie desires.

Not trying to turn anyone a vegetarian here (for it does entail a significant lifestyle change for the determined ones), but the least we can do is to eat less meat, and the question is - kenapa tidak? (why not?) =)

=((((((((((((, =)))))))))))))))))

To My Dearest Team

Dear All,

I definitely hope this won't be the last post in our blog, lest you guys remember me as the leader who made a grand and humiliating entrance at 10.20AM for the last official YEP meeting which was supposed to start at 9AM sharp.

I am sorry.

But...there is an essay that still needs to be typed.

I remember meeting up with Rosie at AMK Macs late last December, telling her that I needed a co-leader to start a YEP. God gave me a miracle when Rosie agreed almost instantaneously, and a great one she turned out to be. We spent weeks trying to think of a name for our yet-to-be-born project. Should it be called Project Bintang (Star)? Should it be called Project Start-Kaki? (something like kickstart)...or should it be called.....? Finally, we decided to settle on the simplest name of all - Project Masyithoh.

The two of us then began our intensive MANhunt (literally) for a treasurer and a secretary (a tough job), and by more strokes of grace we managed to con an unsuspecting Winston and Zong Hua into our team. Just like the rest of you, I am not sure if they knew at that time, what kind of crazy adventure they were about to get themselves into.

Then of course, we began our mass recruitment on IVLE, and when the number of applications by females came POURING in while the number of male applicants remained dismal, Rosie and I got pretty worried. I remember that night when ZH and I went round the campus publicizing our project illegally in toilet cubicles - perhaps that was how you found out about us.

Then, we interviewed one applicant after another, and ended up with the most perfect team we could ever find. In the bus on my way back home today, I flipped through your YEP Reflection Forms, and saw that quite a number of you had stated how you much you appreciate the team's diversity, and the fact that it was made up of people of such different personalities. In that sense, it was a tiny success for us, for we had, intentionally sought to recruit a mix of introverts/extroverts, serious pple/weirdos, and what not. It turned out to be a beautiful mishmash, and this period of being with you guys has made me realize how much I really appreciate and cherish every single one of you for who you are =)

It has been a 6-month long journey that turned out to be a whole lot more amazing than what I had ever expected or imagined. There's no need to go into the details of the experiences we shared, the special friendships we forged, the things we learnt, and the beautiful memories that will lie, forever, untouched, somewhere in a part of our hearts.

But from the depths of my heart, I will miss everyone of you, even as we continue our own life journeys, jump-starting our careers (Winston, Edward, Tian An), plunging into a whole new world (Zong Hua into the world of France, Yao Yang and Fake Ah Beng into the world of uni life, Sharon into the world of vegetarianism - I love the last one the most), and you bet I will miss the times we spent together.

And I will miss every single one of you, for the times you made me laugh cry, for the times you were happy, for the times you smiled and made me feel like everything I did was worth it.

Nevertheless, a part of me wishes that YEPs could be less of a hit-and-run thing, but instead more of a sustainable, long-term commitment to the betterment of a part of the world. Then again, as I mentioned during our last pre-trip meeting at NUS, YEPs are not just about what we do, but are also about what we think.

To me at least, it is the mind, the mindset, the thoughts we hold, the ways in which we approach things, and the lenses through which we look at the world and people around us which matters most. And in that sense I think I have failed as a leader - not utterly, but that there is simply so much left to be discovered, digested, and deliberated...so much more to be said.

It is this sheer vastness of unexplored ideas, thoughts, and cultures that is beyond what I could do in a long yet short 6-month YEP journey. And for that, I can only beseech you guys to see our beloved Project Masyithoh as a platform to reach out to newer and greater heights, with your own passions, dreams and determination.

I have absolute faith that we recruited the right people - all of you with your own ways of loving, your own curiosities, and your own desires for helping others, whichever community or particular social group it may be. And however you do it, the only advice I can give is to dare to be the change you want to see in the world (that overused but no less powerful quote), after which the only thing I can provide is my utmost support.

This is the time when there is nothing more I can do but retreat into the background, sit, wait, and pray that some day your little seedlings of love will grow into bigger and mightier projects with unbeatable spirits of their own.

I was at the neurologist last afternoon, with my 70 or 80+ years old doctor, his hair all turned white. Bored as he might have been in his clinic which was rather sepi (deserted) for the day, he asked about our project and said, Congratulations. These are things you should do while you're still young, so that when you grow as old as me, you can look back and say, I did this...this....this...... =)

Enough of my essay, I am deliberately yet reluctantly ending it here lest I inadvertently create in you a dread for reading long pieces of texts (if I have not already done so).

But thank you for coming into my life, thank you for being a part of Project Masyithoh, and know that I will miss every single one of you.

With love, happiness, and sadness,

Feng Yi

"But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger

You'll learn things you never knew you never knew"

- Colours of the Wind

Panorama shots

Stitching is not that good haha. Some "ghostly" images as a result

♥Cheers for Project Masyithoh♥

Seriously, I had been dreaming everything in Yogya for a week after coming back. everyone was in my dream.i miss everything and everyone so so so much! post-yep symptoms are with me for quite a long time.

Bathing with buckets of cold water.

Sleeping on the floor.

Istirahat and Minum the sweet tea.

Salim(Greetings) with the villagers and kids.

Sleeping and waking up early for the consecutive 14 days.

Construction, teaching and cooking instead of facebook-ing and shopping.

Leading a healthy and simple lifestyle there ♥ ♥ ♥

All these are such the unique experiences that I would never forget in my lifetime.

I remember, on the next day after coming back here, while I woke up, I thought I was sleeping at the floor of Bu Tina’s house, thinking of going to the kitchen and drinking the choc milk. haha.

I ♥ smile~

I ♥ rainbow ~

I ♥ green~

and that are the things I can find in Getas Village.

And of course, I ♥ minum choc susu =)

While time passing by, memories will slowly fade away; however, I believe it will be a beautiful mark in everyone’s heart ever forever.

The impact of every single thing is really really remarkable for me and there is nothing can be taken place. A BIG BIG thanks for everyone contributing to the whole trip~

If I had chance to visit Yogja again, I will definitely visit Getas Village again. That is the place full of my sweetest memories there.

Cheers for Project Masyithoh ♥♥♥

my hero :D

http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1276402319649RA23

The Recipe to Apple Soup

Hello all,

Due to overwhelming requests for the recipe of the infamous apple soup, I shall post the complete recipe here for everyone and anyone who wish to try it on their own. A word of warning though, you might get addicted to it =)

Ingredients:

1) Apples (Fuji Apples if you feel that you have extra money and prefer a sweeter soup, otherwise normal ones work just fine)

2) Potatoes

3) Carrots

4) Red Dates

5) Corn ( Try not to put too much of these, a little will do)

6) Chicken or pork ribs (Optional)

Procedures:

1) Boil the pot of water first without adding any ingredients.

2) Skin the potatoes and carrots and cut into cubes or whatever shape you fancy.

3) Place the potatoes and carrots into the boiling pot of water.

4)Place the red dates next.

5) Cut the apples into heart shapes.

6) When the water boils again, insert the apples into the soup quickly!

7) If you have chicken or pork ribs, insert them before inserting the apples.

8) control the fire well

9) To control the sweetness of the soup, add salt to it bit by bit till it becomes sweet. Remember, there is a limit to amount of salt added before saltiness takes over. To improve the overall sweetness, put more apples or red dates.

10) Viola! your apple soup is ready for your loved ones =)))))

project masyithoh, on a short list

10(+1) things that I miss about the project

1. Waking up at a normal time

I miss the feeling of waking up naturally (or unnaturally by evil forces like the roosters, cows and unexplainable knockings on the door) and walking to Bu Lulut's house for breakfast. TEMPE.

2. The animals

Even though the guys often plot ploys to murder the neighbour's rooster and hang the carcass outside our dorm to silence the other animals, deep down we are still animal lovers. The cows, ducks, chickens, botak sheeps added much flavour to the whole trip. ...oh and the 4 idiots.

3. The meals

Save for a few girls and Edward, most of us can't cook...decently. However, the fact that the standards of our meals fluctuate so immensely means that everyday is a surprise. Surprises are good, it's like those times when you dip your fingers into a packet of jelly beans not knowing what nice flavours you are going to get. Anyway, the homely feeling when we are sit around (always at the same position) and tuck into our meals is naise.

4. The music sessions

Edward fanatically strumming his guitar to familiar and nostalgic tunes while the guys sing to it while waiting for fud to come. His repertoire of songs allowed us to sing whatever's relevant at that particular moment, in that particular context *think "Waiting for you" while...waiting for them (the rest) to come*

5. The HTHTs

Just sitting around and listening alone is itself very entertaining. I'm glad we're so comfortable with each other that we allow each other a glimpse into our personal lives. A good way to keep in touch with the latest gossips/scandals/events. And a great way to really know each other better.

6. The minum minum

For guys, Ah Lau is surely a fatherly figure that we all adore. His "minum minum" never fails to make me chuckle. Sitting on chairs just beside the kindergarten and chilling out after work is therapeutic. It's like whenever I'm sitting there I will think "Is this deja vu? I feel like I've been here, done this before" Knowing when to work hard (and rest hard) is important, and our wise and sagely Ah Lau understands that.

7. The vroom-vroom

Nuff said. Awesome.

8. The villagers

They really treat us as part of their family. Despite language barriers, they never fail to display their enthusiasm and interest in engaging us. The handshakes, smiles and greetings are little but important gestures that showed me how hospitable they are.

9. The Kindergarten

Going there everyday and witnessing how our classroom is slowly growing up brings me a sense of comfort, joy and relief. Just before we left, I made a last visit to the classroom. It's nice to see that it's almost done and our efforts are coming to fruition. Really hope that the subsequent batches of kids can enjoy the new classroom (and learn more English so that hopefully one day they can understand what we wrote for them)

10. The kids

They're like little beansprouts, or balls of energy. Whichever way you see it, they are indeed quite a handful. The demure and quiet girls are cute while the guys are just...being guys. Sometimes, they're pretty much uncontrollable and we just allow them to run wild. Thankfully though, there's still the Feng Yee's adage-worthy "they fell sick because they are naughty", I think that's how the kids are kept in check.

10+1. THE TEAM

random thoughts of mine

Our short tinge in Indonesia officially ended when we boarded the plane on 3rd June morning, bringing back with us memories which would last for a while, if not a lifetime. :)

The 2 weeks trip had left a very deep impact on me. So deep that I know I'm gonna hate myself should I let these memories and friendships fade away. Words can never express the sense of loss when I wake up on my bed and not on the floor with my house mates beside me. I miss having lunch and dinner together with the team. I miss going to the market and cooking together. I miss the kids' innocent smiles and laughter. I miss the weird sounds at night when we were trying to sleep. I miss the walk home after team meeting at Bu Tina's house. I miss the muddy roads. I miss the cold showers. I miss the buckets of sweat because of construction work. I miss taking jump shots under the banner. I miss the villagers' friendly greetings and heart-warming smiles. I miss, I miss... So many so many things. All left behind in Jogja. The only comfort we can seek is in the memories and photos we have brought back with us. And the little things in life we have learnt from them.

At the beginning of the trip, some of us girls were saying we wanted to go home, and that we regretted coming over. It's amazing how fast all these negative thoughts just seem to evaporate away once we have immersed ourselves in their culture. Time seems to come to a standstill during the first few days at Getas. The pace of life is much slower than Singapore's. I still remember the first time when my group, Sulawesi was scheduled for construction work; we were told to report at 7.30am but we ended up starting work at 9am! Lol. The workers taught us to rest whenever we feel tired and to do things slow but steadily. Indeed, though they stop for breaks now and then, they were efficient workers. Once they start work they are not just slow and steady, rather, they are fast and furious.

The kids have taught me lots too. I have lots to learn from them. Their happiness comes from the little things that we would never stop and take a second look. Simple activities- playing with soil, playing catching, football or simply making fun of each other are sufficient to fuel their happiness. The activity I enjoyed most with the kids is the kiteflying session. I love to pick up their fallen kites and release them on the count of "satu dua tiga, lari!" :) One kid even passed her kite to me and asked me to run so that she can have a feel of releasing the kite. I gladly obliged. The feeling of running without a single worry is priceless. Though it was only a few seconds of peace and serenity, I think I had experienced the innocence of a child in that fleeting moment, if it's possible. =)


I've learnt so much and received so much that I know some of these memories may be lost before they have a chance to be shared. While it's a regret that I'm unable to hold on to these beautiful memories, I'm glad to have found 16 friends who have been through the same journey as me. The photos are testaments to a common memory locked in our hearts.

Lastly, Project Masyithoh rocks. :)

Update on Project Masyithoh PoloShirt

Hi All,

This is an update on our group shirt.

Thank You

We wish to express our sincere gratitude to all who have supported us since our inception in February 2010. To date, we have received kind sponsorships, donations, and purchases from groups and individuals from varying walks of life.

THANK YOU!

We hope that our T-shirts will bring you happiness, the way you have brought much happiness to others =)

T-Shirts For SALE!!!

Design

Hi All,

Below are the 3 options for the Polo shirt Design. Choice of shirt will be white polo. Please indicate your choice in the poll on the right. Click on image to enlarge. Thank You!

End of 3-day Fund-raising at NUS

Weex ~ End of our 3-day fund-raising activity at NUS ~ It was exhausting at times, but yup, we had fun ya ~ =)

Thanks to all who have contributed at our booth, be it on the Adopt-a-Tile, purchase of Victoria's Secret products, ice-cream, photoframes or other items on sale ~ =) Each of your contributions count towards the success of Project Masyithoh. :) Thanks a lot!

Thanks to Project Masyithoh team for the great effort in raising funds for our YEP these days ~ Feng Yi and I are really grateful and delighted to have you guys on board, taking turns in manning our booth and actively reaching out to our schoolmates in campus. Well done guys!!! :) So proud of you all... And thanks so much to our fund-raising team for the intensive planning and arrangements for our activities... we understand it's indeed a hectic period for most of us and we really appreciate the time and effort everyone has put in. :)

Probably launching more fund-raising projects over the next few days ~ Stay tuned... :)

Fund Raising @ NUS Arts Walkway!

Come visit our booth!

Pre-trip CIP to H.O.M.E. @ Eunos- 13th March

The day started off with the usual stuff, meeting and walking to H.O.M.E. together. Great time for bonding as we walked and chatted along the way. :) Oh ya, H.O.M.E. stands for the Humaritarian Organization for Migration Economics, which is a local NGO aiming to help migant workers who have encountered problems while working in Singapore.

When we reached there, we were greeted by a very big-sized dog (besar!). Hmm, kind of scary! Anyway that was secondary… We were there before the Indonesian domestic workers arrived and so we had some time to adjust and get comfortable with the small but cosy area. We decided to stand and let them sit instead. This is definitely not the “tibetian” culture where the tribe sits and the guests stand. :P

The domestic workers arrived shortly and we began the session with a photo-taking session! Haha. Then Chia Nee led a short round of introduction. I’m really sorry that I couldn’t remember their names (one is nina I know… help anyone?). With the ice considered broken, we kick-started the session with some basic terms of addresses led by Rosie and Tsiat Siong. The workers were really good at pronouncing, just that they had some trouble with daughter. We tried ‘nu’, ‘nyu’ but they couldn’t do it. I guess it has got to do with the natives accent. *Oh, I think we tried ‘nyi’ at a later part, and it worked pretty well.*

Group photo. :)


Next up was the Simple Conversational Dialogue by Winston and me. Hee, I was in charge of writing the pin yin and had issues with some words. Guess my Chinese is getting rusty! Many thanks to those who corrected me lest we impart the wrong stuff to them. :P


Michelle and Yuan Xin taught the fundamental contrast, and I feel they did well as they cite daily instances whereby the phrases learnt would be useful. Interestingly, for Chinese whenever it’s the opposite we add a “bu” and for Bahasa Indonesian, we add a “tidak”. The beauty of languages huh. :)


Lastly, Sze Yin and Yao Yang led the teaching of the song "Ke Ren Lai". The domestic workers picked up the melody really fast, and I felt so tone-deaf compared to them. I couldn’t catch the tune of Bintang Kecil (small stars). Apparently I think most of us couldn’t, except for maybe Winston whom Nina pointed out especially. Lol.

They are writing the lyrics to Bintang Kecil.

The session was fruitful in my opinion as we managed to learn some basic B.I. I hope the workers find it a great learning session as well. I remembered nina because she was the most diligent one, actively copying down notes, asking questions and throwing out suggested Indonesian expressions to teach us. Best student award goes to her definitely! Haha. The others were not bad either, their notes were all filled, and they looked genuinely interested which is both heartening and encouraging. :)

Alright, this seems to be a long post! Shall end it with a picture we took before we left. Cheers!