Students carefully made their way down from the rock path, while helping out one another and carefully following instructions. (Photo by Leong Li Ling)
On December 28 and 29, 2013, partipants of the Tzu Chi teenagers’ class ( the "Tzu Shaos”) held a two-day year end camp to conclude the year-long lessons.
Unlike the past where the Tzu Shaos usually visited the community care corners or recycling points, this year they spent their first day of the camp hiking in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve as the organizing committee wanted their charges to be close to nature while they bonded with each other.
On that fine Saturday morning, volunteers set off in four buses with 155 Tzu Shaos in tow. Due to the large number of people, the group was split into two, each taking a different route with the older students on the more challenging path. With the encouragement of the volunteers, everyone successfully completed the hike.
A Tzu Shao giving instructions on the various tasks to the students as they embark on a hike filled with interesting challenges. (Photo by Khor Kim Seng)
Returning to Nature
For most children who live in the city, walking in the woods, breathing fresh air, and stepping on the dirt paths is a rare experience. For many of the students, it was their first hiking experience. “There are many trees, the road is winding and not level." Student Chen Yun Liang shared his observation. "I think nature offers us many conveniences, for example, when we feel hot, we can make use of a leaf” said Xu Hui as he fanned himself with a leaf.
In order to make the hike more interesting, volunteers from the Tzu Chi Collegiate Youths designed a number of small tasks for the students. For example, their first task was to locate a big tree, whereupon the members of the group were to link their hands and surround the tree.
Along the way, their other tasks included looking out for, and taking pictures of mushrooms and small animals, finding the largest leaf, the longest twig, and having the courage to take pictures with other hikers. While having short break in the pavilion, they played the game of “Word Solitaire". In the process, they needed to climb up many steep steps. Everyone was drained and breathless towards the end.
“Along the way, I saw things that I had never seen before, like huge leaves, cool streams of water and the giant forest ant." commented student Lee Shu De. From the small tasks, Lee also learned a lot: "The forest is very important, if not because of the forest and the trees, we will not have fresh air, we will get sick and so will Mother Earth; so we must protect the earth and the environment."
It was Lin Zhi Hui’s first time participating in the camp and she soon realized hiking was not easy as she had not mastered the climbing skills. “I'm closer to nature today. I learnt from the game that unity is strength. The Word Solitaire game required everyone's cooperation, if a person does not obey the leader's instructions, we may not complete the game."
Their first task — locating the big tree specified and encircling it for a group picture. (Photo by Khor Kim Seng)
Through finding the largest leaf and the longest twig, students realized how important the forest is for providing oxygen and thus the necessity of protecting the earth and environment. (Photo by Leong Li Ling)
Going Downhill and Uncovering Potential
Fourteen-year-old Fu Yi Cheng was the leader for the group of younger participants. This is his seventh time hiking up a mountain. He started hiking with his parents and aunts since he was eleven. "I am confident in leading the group as I have experience. If I climb alone it is no problem, but leading a group of 50 is a challenge for me.”
Fu Yi Cheng likes hiking; he enjoys the scenery, fresh air, and at the same time he can train his leg muscles, endurance and perseverance. "The beginning of the route is easier, but it becomes more challenging as it progresses so there is a need to lead those who are not so physically fit to complete the walk earlier." The “challenge” Fu Yi Cheng referred to was the rock path where both groups needed to walk through.
Descending from the rock path, everyone paid full attention and listened to the volunteers’ instructions, and one by one, they climbed down slowly, careful not to fall.
Team leader, Lin Jia Xuan explained that since she was the first to descend, she would let those behind her know where to step on for a stable footing and what they can hold on to. Lin was very pleased to see her team members helping each other and successfully completed the tasks. “As part of the team, I feel very happy that we have all successfully completed the challenging route. Helping and seeing others around me succeed is a joyful thing.”
"I think finding one’s balance is the biggest challenge; sometimes I worry about losing my footing and falling, or that a branch will break, or I that I will clutch on to my classmate in front and fall down together. Although many of us fell, we picked ourself up again bravely and no one cried. We had the same understanding that if need be, we will link hands and cross the path together for a greater sense of security.” Twelve-year old Shen En Qi shared how they overcame the challenge together.
Meanwhile, the students and the volunteers also encouraged each another. The volunteers helped the students when they fell while the students looked for branches as walking sticks for the volunteers. Through the hike, the bond between the volunteers and students improved tremendously.
Shen En Qi (front) felt the biggest challenge when descending the hill is in being able to keep one’s balance, However with mutual encouragement, they would bravely pick themselves up even if they fell. (Photo by Chai Yu Leong)
Exercising Bodies and Brains
Since Mr Lee Zong He got to know about Tzu Chi at its 20th Anniversary exhibition, he was impressed with the Chinese traditional values that Tzu Chi promotes and thus brought his son for the hike. He has plans to enrol his son in the 2014 lessons.
“The feeling of hiking with the team is different and my son likes it very much. They can learn from each another and they help one another especially when they were taking the downward route.” Mr Lee said that though they hiked often, his son found it difficult when not spurred on by the team spirit which he had experienced with the rest.
Mr Lee further commented that during the hike, the children were given a learning opportunity that was hard to come by in daily life. During the trek, they utilized both their brains as well as their body when they paid attention to the ground conditions in order to prevent falls, and in navigating
the downward descent, they learnt how to obtain a firm handhold. He has signed up as volunteer in the Tzu Shao class and hopes to develop spiritually together with his son. He feels that as humans are not solitary beings, we can all learn from one another.
The planning group indeed put in a lot of effort especially for the hike. They meticulously planned for it and involved many volunteers such as medics, as the route involved some difficulty and they were worried the children would not be able to complete it. Surprisingly, all of the children completed the hike and when they saw some of the volunteers walk slowly, they would show their concern, something the planning group was most gratified to see.
Since August 2013, the Tzu Shaos have been involved in preparing a segment of the “Dharma as Water” stage adaption and they have grown much in the process. Later, many of them also took part in the “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation during the year-end blessing ceremony in December 2013. In addition, the hike to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was not only a display of group effort for the Tzu Shaos, it was also a gift of learning for the new year.
Students putting up reports after what they had experienced and learnt after the hike. (Photo by Chai Yu Leong)
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