During our Youth Expedition Project (YEP) to Cambodia last year, our team was told that Cambodia shared many of the same attitudes to dress and social taboos as other Southeast Asian cultures. Cambodians are extremely conservative, and naturally we would gain more respect if we're well turned out and modest in our dress. In general men should wear tops and women should avoid skimpy tops and tight shorts. However under the scorching sun of nearly 38ºC, it seemed that even gulping down a gallon or two of iced water didn’t help much to relieve the heat. It was during one occasion when one of the girls, Jenny, decided to challenge the tabooed.
That morning she emerged from her sleeping tent wearing a T-shirt with jean shorts. Most of us were bewildered; wasn’t the instruction not clear enough to forbid us from wearing any thing revealing in the village? A few friends and I went up to her and advised her to change out of her jean shorts to pants or three-quarters, yet she was adamantly unmoved. Her explanation was wearing long pants will only aggravate the condition of her heat rashes.
As we walked across the village to the pavilion for breakfast, we couldn’t help but notice how the locals were staring and pin-pointing at Jenny. It began to stir up some sort of frenzy, and did not take long before the village chief; a pleasant looking elderly man in his 60’s, arrived at the pavilion and interrupted our breakfast.
Our interpreter, Tim, explained that the jeans short Jenny wore brought grave disapproval from the locals as being offensive and disrespectful. Tim proceeded to apologise to the village chief on behalf of the team and Jenny, and reassured him that it was a mistake made in a moment of folly. We were lucky that the village chief was amicable in resolving this issue, for he didn’t persist in perusing the matter any further after Jenny immediately changed out of her shorts. Jenny certainly was taken aback by the degree of seriousness a pair of shorts could implicate, and it was indeed a lesson learnt for Jenny and the team.
Intercultural difference is something we cannot overlook nor take lightly; a simple show of affection may be ordinary in Singapore yet it is particularly offensive to Cambodians. Any display of public affection between men and women, even seeing foreigners holding hands is a source of acute embarrassment to them. We are just so glad that the incident did not affect our relationship with the villagers. It reinforced the point that to be responsible adults, we have to take particular caution in understanding and adhering to the different cultures’ ideology so as to avoid any unnecessary trouble. There have been instances where slight religious or cultural conflicts lead to fights and even escalating into war. All of these should be avoided, shouldn’t it?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Dentist fear led to girl's death.
The following is a report from the BBC News online I thought worth sharing. Reading global news never fails to snap me back to reality- life is not just about results and studies.
__________________________________________________________
An eight-year-old girl starved to death at home because she refused to open her mouth after a dental operation, an inquest heard.
Sophie Waller, from St Dennis, Cornwall, was so afraid of dentists she was sent to the Royal Cornwall Hospital to have her milk teeth taken out. Afterwards, she would not open her mouth and was given a feeding tube. The inquest heard that she died at home about three weeks later from acute renal failure.
Health deteriorated
Her parents, Richard and Janet Waller, told the inquest in Truro that Sophie had been scared of dentists and had refused to eat or talk when a milk tooth became loose. The inquest was told it had happened before but this time her GP arranged for her to go to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for the tooth to be removed under general anaesthetic. She was admitted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital on 7 November 2005.
Sophie's treatment:
7 November: Sophie admitted to hospital for dental operation
9 November: Sophie given feeding tube after refusing to eat
17 November: Sophie discharged from hospital
2 December: Sophie found dead at home
In fact, eight teeth were taken out so that she would not have to go through the trauma of losing a tooth again. After the operation on 9 November, Sophie would not open her mouth to eat or talk and was given a feeding tube on the ward.
She was discharged on 17 November and was taken home on the understanding a bed would still be waiting for her in hospital. Despite attempts to feed her and contact with a psychologist, Sophie's health deteriorated and eventually she could hardly walk.
She was found dead in her bed at home on 2 December.
Her parents said that four days before Sophie's death they rang the hospital to say they were bringing her back in but were told they could not. A pathologist, Dr Marion Brundell, told the inquest that Sophie had died of acute renal failure from dehydration and starvation.
The hearing continues.
__________________________________________________________
I would love to hear what you have to say about this case. Who should be responsible for the little girl’s death? Should we always place absolute (and unquestionable) trust in the doctor's verdict? If you were the mom/dad, what would you have done instead?
__________________________________________________________
An eight-year-old girl starved to death at home because she refused to open her mouth after a dental operation, an inquest heard.
Sophie Waller, from St Dennis, Cornwall, was so afraid of dentists she was sent to the Royal Cornwall Hospital to have her milk teeth taken out. Afterwards, she would not open her mouth and was given a feeding tube. The inquest heard that she died at home about three weeks later from acute renal failure.
Health deteriorated
Her parents, Richard and Janet Waller, told the inquest in Truro that Sophie had been scared of dentists and had refused to eat or talk when a milk tooth became loose. The inquest was told it had happened before but this time her GP arranged for her to go to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for the tooth to be removed under general anaesthetic. She was admitted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital on 7 November 2005.
Sophie's treatment:
7 November: Sophie admitted to hospital for dental operation
9 November: Sophie given feeding tube after refusing to eat
17 November: Sophie discharged from hospital
2 December: Sophie found dead at home
In fact, eight teeth were taken out so that she would not have to go through the trauma of losing a tooth again. After the operation on 9 November, Sophie would not open her mouth to eat or talk and was given a feeding tube on the ward.
She was discharged on 17 November and was taken home on the understanding a bed would still be waiting for her in hospital. Despite attempts to feed her and contact with a psychologist, Sophie's health deteriorated and eventually she could hardly walk.
She was found dead in her bed at home on 2 December.
Her parents said that four days before Sophie's death they rang the hospital to say they were bringing her back in but were told they could not. A pathologist, Dr Marion Brundell, told the inquest that Sophie had died of acute renal failure from dehydration and starvation.
The hearing continues.
__________________________________________________________
I would love to hear what you have to say about this case. Who should be responsible for the little girl’s death? Should we always place absolute (and unquestionable) trust in the doctor's verdict? If you were the mom/dad, what would you have done instead?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
FW: NEVER EVER SHAKE YOUR BABY!
Most of the time I dont open forwarded emails, for there is just too much of the chain letter and junks being circulated around. However this message caught my eye, and I am glad it did so. Below is the email:
__________________________________________________________
December 4th, 2007, Jessica Sherwood had to do something no mother should ever have to do.At 2:29 pm Jessica made a very tough, but the right decision to take her little 3 month old daughter off life support In memory of little London Marie, i thought id start a little forward..Jessica had a message that i want every one to know..
This is what Jessica said:'If anyone has kids, make sure that you keep them with you the whole time. Don't give then to anyone that you don't trust. Trust me, I thought that I trusted Josh. But now as of December 4, 2007 at 2:29 AM, she is gone. My one & only baby. & He is going to pay FOREVER, even if he gets out of jail scott free, he will be dead no matter what. & To all my friends that know London , I am very angry & upset that I lost the love of my life, my babygirl. She died on her three month birthday .
London had six fractured ribs, both of her legs were fracture, & her brain was so damaged that if she were to live she would be a vegetable. So I did what was right & what was best for her & took her off life support. That's what you call Shaken Baby Sydrome [SBS].
For those of you who dont know what Shaken Baby Syndrome check out the facts ;
-Shaking, jerking and jolting can cause blood vessels in the head to tear or burst.
Shaken Baby Syndrome is the shaking of an infant or child by the arms, legs, or shoulders with or without impact of the head. This trauma can result in bleeding and brain injury with no outward signs of abuseOften frustrated caregivers feel that shaking a baby or small child is a harmless way to make the child stop crying. However, a baby's brain and blood vessels are vulnerable to whiplash motions, such as shaking, jerking, jolting, and impact. The neck muscles of an infant or small child are weak, so the child's head is relatively heavy and the neck cannot support the stress of shaking or impact
-Shaking a very young child, with or without impact of the head, can cause irreversible brain damage, blindness, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, spinal cord injury, seizures, learning disabilities, and even death. It is tragic that healthy, intelligent babies are suffering these disabilities simply because their caregivers don't know about the dangers associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome. An estimated 1,200 to 1,400 cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) occur each year in the United States .Only 1 out of 4 babies dies of Shaken Baby Syndrome. HOWEVER, the other three babies will need ongoing medical attention for the rest of their short lifespans.
I felt so bad after reading it, I couldnt even bear to imagine the pain and trauma poor baby London went through before she died. I did my own little research on this case, and found more cases where babies died due to SBS.
HOW HORRIBLE. I'm not in the position to judge who is at fault, because I dont know why did the mother left her baby with the father for 3 weeks without calling to check on them. Perhaps she had her own problems; perhaps she was trying to solve her own personal problems before fetching baby London back for a better life. The dad was young and inexperience, he probably had his own issues to deal with. Something that did not make sense to me was why did Josh's family refused to even touch the baby. There were so many of them in the house; if only all of them took turn to care for London, Josh wont be so stressed and frustrated and this tradgy wont occur. The website link hosted a firey debate sparkled by this incident.
http://unasked.com/question/view/id/12759
Sometimes in life, sheer pride and foolishness could mislead us into felony. Too often a time when the regret sets in, it would be too late. Should the guilty one be given a new chance is another delima altogether. The torment experienced by the little innocent will never comparable to whatever the guilt does to the man.
__________________________________________________________
December 4th, 2007, Jessica Sherwood had to do something no mother should ever have to do.At 2:29 pm Jessica made a very tough, but the right decision to take her little 3 month old daughter off life support In memory of little London Marie, i thought id start a little forward..Jessica had a message that i want every one to know..
This is what Jessica said:'If anyone has kids, make sure that you keep them with you the whole time. Don't give then to anyone that you don't trust. Trust me, I thought that I trusted Josh. But now as of December 4, 2007 at 2:29 AM, she is gone. My one & only baby. & He is going to pay FOREVER, even if he gets out of jail scott free, he will be dead no matter what. & To all my friends that know London , I am very angry & upset that I lost the love of my life, my babygirl. She died on her three month birthday .
London had six fractured ribs, both of her legs were fracture, & her brain was so damaged that if she were to live she would be a vegetable. So I did what was right & what was best for her & took her off life support. That's what you call Shaken Baby Sydrome [SBS].
For those of you who dont know what Shaken Baby Syndrome check out the facts ;
-Shaking, jerking and jolting can cause blood vessels in the head to tear or burst.
Shaken Baby Syndrome is the shaking of an infant or child by the arms, legs, or shoulders with or without impact of the head. This trauma can result in bleeding and brain injury with no outward signs of abuseOften frustrated caregivers feel that shaking a baby or small child is a harmless way to make the child stop crying. However, a baby's brain and blood vessels are vulnerable to whiplash motions, such as shaking, jerking, jolting, and impact. The neck muscles of an infant or small child are weak, so the child's head is relatively heavy and the neck cannot support the stress of shaking or impact
-Shaking a very young child, with or without impact of the head, can cause irreversible brain damage, blindness, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, spinal cord injury, seizures, learning disabilities, and even death. It is tragic that healthy, intelligent babies are suffering these disabilities simply because their caregivers don't know about the dangers associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome. An estimated 1,200 to 1,400 cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) occur each year in the United States .Only 1 out of 4 babies dies of Shaken Baby Syndrome. HOWEVER, the other three babies will need ongoing medical attention for the rest of their short lifespans.
Rest in Peace London Marie Sherwood
September 4th, 2007-December 4th, 2007
_________________________________________________________
I felt so bad after reading it, I couldnt even bear to imagine the pain and trauma poor baby London went through before she died. I did my own little research on this case, and found more cases where babies died due to SBS.
HOW HORRIBLE. I'm not in the position to judge who is at fault, because I dont know why did the mother left her baby with the father for 3 weeks without calling to check on them. Perhaps she had her own problems; perhaps she was trying to solve her own personal problems before fetching baby London back for a better life. The dad was young and inexperience, he probably had his own issues to deal with. Something that did not make sense to me was why did Josh's family refused to even touch the baby. There were so many of them in the house; if only all of them took turn to care for London, Josh wont be so stressed and frustrated and this tradgy wont occur. The website link hosted a firey debate sparkled by this incident.
http://unasked.com/question/view/id/12759
Sometimes in life, sheer pride and foolishness could mislead us into felony. Too often a time when the regret sets in, it would be too late. Should the guilty one be given a new chance is another delima altogether. The torment experienced by the little innocent will never comparable to whatever the guilt does to the man.
A Bad Business Letter?
I managed to find this email sent to me last year with regards to my broadband service, and I thought it would be interesting to share it. ************************************************************************************
Dear Ms. Toh:
The purpose of this is to convey to you my utmost sincere apologies for any inconvenience you may have experienced last month with respect to the installation of your Internet high speed service.
I just returned from vacation this week and found your file in my in-basket. As soon as I reviewed your case it was clear that your May 20th request for a change in service might have somehow slipped through the cracks. The only possible explanation I can give is that we have recently had a number of key staff changes which might have resulted in your letter being overlooked.
Consequently, I have directed our Installation Group to contact you by the end of this week to set up a time convenient to you when they could go to your house and install your new router and make the necessary adjustments to your software.
Because of this serious oversight, and as a testament to our appreciation of you being our customer, we are going to provide you with your first three months of high speed service free of charge. Therefore, your account will not be billed until October of this year.
Ms. Toh, let me assure you that what happened in your case is definitely not typical of CableNet's level of customer service. We continue to be committed to providing you and all of our valuable customers with the highest standards of service in the industry. Once again, our sincere apologies. We look forward in time to having your problem fixed.
If you have any concerns please don't hesitate to contact me at 6754-9785.
Yours in service,
Paul Cordero
Manager, Customer Service
*******************************************************************************
The sender corresponded to the letter of complaint I made via post, with regards to a delay in the repair job of my Internet service. There was no clear format in the letter but I could tell that the manager took effort in explaining his stand. This allowed me to understand and sympathise with the manager’s situation.
The letter was overall written in a clear and concise manner, each paragraph dedicated to explain every point the manager wished to make in a coherent sequence. The tone of this letter was also cheerful and positive, which I felt was appropriate since this was an apology letter.
However I was taken aback by how informal the letter was written, especially when this was an official letter intended for a customer. Perhaps the manager just wanted to lighten the mood in his “apology” letter, but it could potentially portray his company in the light of being unprofessional.
One more thing I would like to point out is the grammar of the second last paragraph. Perhaps it would be better if the paragraph was to be rephrased as the following:
Ms. Toh, let me reassure you that what happened in your case is definitely not typical of CableNet's level of customer service. We continue to be committed in providing you and our valuable customers with the highest standard of service in the industry. Once again on behalf of my company, I would like to express my most sincere apology. We look forward in time to having your problem fixed.
Other than these slight glitches, the letter successfully acomplished it's job in pacifying one angry customer.
Dear Ms. Toh:
The purpose of this is to convey to you my utmost sincere apologies for any inconvenience you may have experienced last month with respect to the installation of your Internet high speed service.
I just returned from vacation this week and found your file in my in-basket. As soon as I reviewed your case it was clear that your May 20th request for a change in service might have somehow slipped through the cracks. The only possible explanation I can give is that we have recently had a number of key staff changes which might have resulted in your letter being overlooked.
Consequently, I have directed our Installation Group to contact you by the end of this week to set up a time convenient to you when they could go to your house and install your new router and make the necessary adjustments to your software.
Because of this serious oversight, and as a testament to our appreciation of you being our customer, we are going to provide you with your first three months of high speed service free of charge. Therefore, your account will not be billed until October of this year.
Ms. Toh, let me assure you that what happened in your case is definitely not typical of CableNet's level of customer service. We continue to be committed to providing you and all of our valuable customers with the highest standards of service in the industry. Once again, our sincere apologies. We look forward in time to having your problem fixed.
If you have any concerns please don't hesitate to contact me at 6754-9785.
Yours in service,
Paul Cordero
Manager, Customer Service
*******************************************************************************
The sender corresponded to the letter of complaint I made via post, with regards to a delay in the repair job of my Internet service. There was no clear format in the letter but I could tell that the manager took effort in explaining his stand. This allowed me to understand and sympathise with the manager’s situation.
The letter was overall written in a clear and concise manner, each paragraph dedicated to explain every point the manager wished to make in a coherent sequence. The tone of this letter was also cheerful and positive, which I felt was appropriate since this was an apology letter.
However I was taken aback by how informal the letter was written, especially when this was an official letter intended for a customer. Perhaps the manager just wanted to lighten the mood in his “apology” letter, but it could potentially portray his company in the light of being unprofessional.
One more thing I would like to point out is the grammar of the second last paragraph. Perhaps it would be better if the paragraph was to be rephrased as the following:
Ms. Toh, let me reassure you that what happened in your case is definitely not typical of CableNet's level of customer service. We continue to be committed in providing you and our valuable customers with the highest standard of service in the industry. Once again on behalf of my company, I would like to express my most sincere apology. We look forward in time to having your problem fixed.
Other than these slight glitches, the letter successfully acomplished it's job in pacifying one angry customer.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Scene 2.0
I decided that i should work on the language and tenses of my previous post, and below is the revised one!
************************************************************************************
This happened to me a few months ago. The director, Ivona, of the India youth expedition project (YEP) suddenly called for an emergency meeting. Although I have known her for about 2 years, yet our relationship was not exactly "fantastic". It didn't bother me much; perhaps our personalities were just too different.
When Ivona took up this year's project, I was exhilarated because I was looking for a community projects to participate in. She was reluctant to recruit me at first, for the vacancies were limited (25-30 pax), and she felt that other students should not be denied of the opportunity to experience what we went through. Fortunately, she succumbed to my pleas in the end.
The project seemingly proceeded very well from the surface, but it was always the way she handled things that made the team uncomfortable, like making sole decisions without consulting the team. Despite the fact that a few members had raised it up to her before, she was apparently not receptive towards criticism. However, the team was still feeling optimistic that she might change for the better in future.
Ivona also assigned us the various roles and responsibilities in the team. She made me the assistant director, which I took it up with pride and honor. The team got along very well and we all enjoyed working with each other. The "D-day" came to us as a complete shock, comparably a flaying pain. Ivona announced that our budget had increased by 3-fold due to some unforeseen circumstances, and our participation fees would be raised from $1000 to $2000. As students many of us could not fork out this large sum of money; it was devastating but I decided in the end to give up the chance to travel to India. Ivona then suggested for me to remain in the team as helper instead. I agreed, steadfastly recovering from the agony of not able to go India. The only comforting fact was by helping out in Singapore, it reassured me that the kids in India will receive my love as well.
The emergency meeting on Monday was yet a second blow for me. None of the team-mates nor I, as the vice director, had any clue on what Ivona has to tell us. As she walked into the room, we waited in anticipation and ironically, a glitch of fear about the unknown.Ivona took a deep breath and began speaking in a hardly audible voice (as usual). "As we all know some of our members won't be able to join us in the upcoming India trip, hence I held a second recruitment drive and now would like to take the chance to introduce to the team these new members. Also, there will be a change in the originally assigned roles... Alexis shall replace Shiwei as the vice director, Thomas will be the new logistic head...."
I could feel the room spin beneath my feet, as her voice slowly faded into a low, monstrous dragging tune. Like a diathesis of my heart, I felt the tightness of my chest setting in, yet gathering all my strength to utter my disappointment out."Ivona why is it so that you made such major changes in the team but yet I only got to know it now? Perhaps it would be more appropriate if you had discussed this matter with me first!"
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, and that started a little commotion. Ivona shook her head and tried to explain that it was a decision she came up with only last night, based on the fact that the team could not have a vice-director that would not be able to travel with the team. I realized how little my voice was in the team; for Ivona had been the only one making decisions. Clearly her mind was set and nothing I say would shake her decision.
************************************************************************************
This happened to me a few months ago. The director, Ivona, of the India youth expedition project (YEP) suddenly called for an emergency meeting. Although I have known her for about 2 years, yet our relationship was not exactly "fantastic". It didn't bother me much; perhaps our personalities were just too different.
When Ivona took up this year's project, I was exhilarated because I was looking for a community projects to participate in. She was reluctant to recruit me at first, for the vacancies were limited (25-30 pax), and she felt that other students should not be denied of the opportunity to experience what we went through. Fortunately, she succumbed to my pleas in the end.
The project seemingly proceeded very well from the surface, but it was always the way she handled things that made the team uncomfortable, like making sole decisions without consulting the team. Despite the fact that a few members had raised it up to her before, she was apparently not receptive towards criticism. However, the team was still feeling optimistic that she might change for the better in future.
Ivona also assigned us the various roles and responsibilities in the team. She made me the assistant director, which I took it up with pride and honor. The team got along very well and we all enjoyed working with each other. The "D-day" came to us as a complete shock, comparably a flaying pain. Ivona announced that our budget had increased by 3-fold due to some unforeseen circumstances, and our participation fees would be raised from $1000 to $2000. As students many of us could not fork out this large sum of money; it was devastating but I decided in the end to give up the chance to travel to India. Ivona then suggested for me to remain in the team as helper instead. I agreed, steadfastly recovering from the agony of not able to go India. The only comforting fact was by helping out in Singapore, it reassured me that the kids in India will receive my love as well.
The emergency meeting on Monday was yet a second blow for me. None of the team-mates nor I, as the vice director, had any clue on what Ivona has to tell us. As she walked into the room, we waited in anticipation and ironically, a glitch of fear about the unknown.Ivona took a deep breath and began speaking in a hardly audible voice (as usual). "As we all know some of our members won't be able to join us in the upcoming India trip, hence I held a second recruitment drive and now would like to take the chance to introduce to the team these new members. Also, there will be a change in the originally assigned roles... Alexis shall replace Shiwei as the vice director, Thomas will be the new logistic head...."
I could feel the room spin beneath my feet, as her voice slowly faded into a low, monstrous dragging tune. Like a diathesis of my heart, I felt the tightness of my chest setting in, yet gathering all my strength to utter my disappointment out."Ivona why is it so that you made such major changes in the team but yet I only got to know it now? Perhaps it would be more appropriate if you had discussed this matter with me first!"
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, and that started a little commotion. Ivona shook her head and tried to explain that it was a decision she came up with only last night, based on the fact that the team could not have a vice-director that would not be able to travel with the team. I realized how little my voice was in the team; for Ivona had been the only one making decisions. Clearly her mind was set and nothing I say would shake her decision.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Scene.
On one of the Mondays, the director of our current India youth expedition project (YEP) called us up for an emergency meeting. Her name is Ivona, and the group of us got to know her through the previous similar YEP (but was in Cambodia). Although we have known Ivona for about 2 years; yet our relationship was not exactly "fantastic". This matter didn't bother me much; different people got different personality and probably we just weren't meant to be "BFFs".
When Ivona took up this year's project, we were all exhilarated; because one thing for sure is the undeniable fact of our passion and desire to get involved in such community projects. She was a bit reluctant to recruit us at first, for the numbers were limited (25-30 pax), and she felt that other people should not be denied of the opportunity to experience what we have had went through, but in the end she succumbed to our pleas.
The project seemingly proceeded very well from the surface, but it is always the way she does things that made all of us uncomfortable. She seems to be making sole decisions without considering consulting the team. Despite the fact that a few of the members have told her before, she was apparently not too receptive towards that suggestion. Ivona assigned us the various roles and responsibilities in the team. She made me her assistant director, which I took it up with much pride and honor. We worked hard and played hard, breaking the ice with the newcomers at such astonishing speed we surprised ourselves, until one fateful day.
That "D-day" came to us as a shock, comparably a flaying pain. Ivona announced that our budget have increased by 3-fold due to some unforeseen circumstances, and our participation fees will be raised from a maximum of $1000 t o $2000. We were all full time students and none of us could fork out that sum; devastating as it was, we however had no choice but to give up the chance to travel to India. Ivona then agreed on the idea of allowing us to stay in the team as helpers instead. We agreed, steadfastly recovering from the agony of not able to go India. The only comforting fact is that we helping out in Singapore assured us that the kids in India will receive our love as well.
Back to the emergency meeting on Monday, none of the team-mates nor I as the vice director have a clue what Ivona had to inform us of. As she walks into the room, we waited in anticipation yet ironically, a glitch of fear on what news we will be receiving.
Ivona took a deep breath and spoke in a hardly audible voice (as usual). "As we all know some of our members won't be able to join us in the upcoming India trip, hence I had a second recruitment and would like to take the chance to introduce to the team these new members. Also, there will be a change in the originally assigned roles... alexis shall replace shiwei as the vice director, Thomas will be the new logistic head...."
I could literally feel the room spinning beneath my feet, as her voice slowly faded into a low, monstrous and dragging tune. Like a diathesis of my heart, I felt the tightness of my chest setting in, yet gathering all my strength to utter my disappointment out.
"Ivona why is it so that you made such major changes in the team and yet I, as your vice-director only got to know it now? Perhaps it would be more appropriate that you discuss this matter with me first!"
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, and that started a little commotion in the room. Ivona shook her head and tried to explain that it was a decision she came up with only last night, based on the fact that I couldn't join them in the India trip. Almost immediately I realised how little my voice was in the team, for Ivona was the only one making decisions and rather apparently her mind have being made up and nothing could shake her decision. I was upset, yet there was nothing much I could do.
When Ivona took up this year's project, we were all exhilarated; because one thing for sure is the undeniable fact of our passion and desire to get involved in such community projects. She was a bit reluctant to recruit us at first, for the numbers were limited (25-30 pax), and she felt that other people should not be denied of the opportunity to experience what we have had went through, but in the end she succumbed to our pleas.
The project seemingly proceeded very well from the surface, but it is always the way she does things that made all of us uncomfortable. She seems to be making sole decisions without considering consulting the team. Despite the fact that a few of the members have told her before, she was apparently not too receptive towards that suggestion. Ivona assigned us the various roles and responsibilities in the team. She made me her assistant director, which I took it up with much pride and honor. We worked hard and played hard, breaking the ice with the newcomers at such astonishing speed we surprised ourselves, until one fateful day.
That "D-day" came to us as a shock, comparably a flaying pain. Ivona announced that our budget have increased by 3-fold due to some unforeseen circumstances, and our participation fees will be raised from a maximum of $1000 t o $2000. We were all full time students and none of us could fork out that sum; devastating as it was, we however had no choice but to give up the chance to travel to India. Ivona then agreed on the idea of allowing us to stay in the team as helpers instead. We agreed, steadfastly recovering from the agony of not able to go India. The only comforting fact is that we helping out in Singapore assured us that the kids in India will receive our love as well.
Back to the emergency meeting on Monday, none of the team-mates nor I as the vice director have a clue what Ivona had to inform us of. As she walks into the room, we waited in anticipation yet ironically, a glitch of fear on what news we will be receiving.
Ivona took a deep breath and spoke in a hardly audible voice (as usual). "As we all know some of our members won't be able to join us in the upcoming India trip, hence I had a second recruitment and would like to take the chance to introduce to the team these new members. Also, there will be a change in the originally assigned roles... alexis shall replace shiwei as the vice director, Thomas will be the new logistic head...."
I could literally feel the room spinning beneath my feet, as her voice slowly faded into a low, monstrous and dragging tune. Like a diathesis of my heart, I felt the tightness of my chest setting in, yet gathering all my strength to utter my disappointment out.
"Ivona why is it so that you made such major changes in the team and yet I, as your vice-director only got to know it now? Perhaps it would be more appropriate that you discuss this matter with me first!"
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, and that started a little commotion in the room. Ivona shook her head and tried to explain that it was a decision she came up with only last night, based on the fact that I couldn't join them in the India trip. Almost immediately I realised how little my voice was in the team, for Ivona was the only one making decisions and rather apparently her mind have being made up and nothing could shake her decision. I was upset, yet there was nothing much I could do.
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