You know it’s not often that you can go to a camp in Taiwan and it’s a camp especially for Volunteers. What a privilege!
The best part about the camp is that you get to listen to a lot of “good stuff” from the Venerables in a very short period of time. What I mean by “good stuff” is lots of words of wisdom which makes you feel very warm deep down in your heart like drinking hot chocolate. It is also very useful for you to use especially in times of life crisis which you will never imagine that the crisis will come to you.
The entire trip is 9 days and 8 nights. 28/12/2007 to 5/1/2008.
Day 1 - Nong Chan Si – to stay for the night.
The 4 days Camp at The Golf Club.
You will be wondering what we are doing at the Golf Club. Please see from Day 2 to 5 as follow:-
Day 2 – Arrival at the Gao Xiong DaGangShan Golf club, Getting to know each other through fun-filled activities.
Day 3 – Seminar – Venerables’ Talk – We have a good fill of words of wisdom which touches our hearts and minds. In the evening session, we get to hear and learn from the Recounts of 2 persons who related their experiences of working as volunteers by. Very witty and clever deliverance of their experiences.
Day 4 – Seminar. Touching recounts by 3 volunteers about their experiences with Master Sheng Yan. Tears flow aplenty. In the evening session, we have our performance and celebration. Each group from each DDM Youth branch gets to perform an item. Countdown celebration – celebrating our entrance into the year 2008 1st Jan. We hugged and wished each other well.
Day 5 – Recounting and sharing of our experiences that we have during the period of time we spent in the Camp. Photos taken, well wishing and Goodbyes.
- Eating stall after stall in the narrow streets of Taipei with the Taiwan Youth Group people.
Free and Easy! Yeh!
Day 6 – Gu Gong - The Museum.
At Nong Chan Si, Sharing session with Venerables exclusively for Overseas Youth Groups - Malaysia and Singapore. During the recounts, I still feel very emotional although I have left the Camp. I felt very moved and touched by the happenings around me and also by my fellow travellers’ recounts.
We got to see the temple Yun Lai Si which looked like an administrative block. The building is very simple and large and its interior fills you with awe. We have dinner and receive gifts from Venerables in a ceremonious way.
We went to a bookshop and purchase our fill of books.
Day 7 – Visit to 2 temples.
1) Cheng Tian Si
2) FoGuanShan Jin Guan Ming Si – here we have A Venerable to give us counsel
one to one and one by one over lunch. Let us have a deep reflect on what we are doing presently and in the past.
After lunch, we head to Yang Ming Shan. We are looking for flowers over there. And there is despite the cold weather. The flowers are used paying our respects to the Buddha.
In the evening, we shopped at DanShui then collect stuff that we had left behind at Nong Chan Si as some of our comm. members have amnesia and I am one of them.
Day 8– Post Office, Arrive at (Jin Shan) FaGuShan just in time for lunch and then shopped at the bookstore there till dinner
Day 9 - We worked at FaGuShan – Chan Tang in the morning as volu
nteers. Then packed and left for the Airport. Goodbye Taiwan. Welcome home!
The trip is very fully packed and substantial especially for our self-improvement and development. It’s an extremely worthy trip and it’s even more enjoyable traveling with a group of friends even though fatigue fills the body. Through this trip I get to understand more of our own committee members. Hope we can work better together. Buck Up!
