The Importance of Good Neighbours

Hi everyone, 大家好! I am Cheng Jie and it is my first time blogging here! Yesterday was the second time I participated in THES weekly visit. A note to all the kind-hearted souls out there who do not know me− I hope we will have a chance to work together and get to know each other better in future too!

I have always wanted to join Community Service Club to help those in need since matriculation; and it was through Joel that I first got to know about THES. I expressed my interest for this volunteering programme and eventually started my weekly visits in semester 2.

I was assigned to two elderly, Mr W and Mdm L for last week and this week respectively. Last week, I visited Mr W together with Joel and Chong Junn, and yesterday, I visited Mdm L with Kok Seng and Hui Jia. I am glad that both Mr W and Mdm L’s apartments were clean and in good condition. Unlike my past volunteering experience, I often encounter apartments that were filled with unwanted stuffs and infested with cockroaches and bed bugs. By having clean apartments, it would mean that we can spend less time doing household chores and more time to communicate with the elderly. It was through such communication time that we got to understand more about the elderly’s needs, thoughts and feelings – especially their hunger for companionship and a listening ear. As such, I believe that such communication sessions will help develop the bond between us.

During today’s visit, we helped Mdm L with some simple household chores. Meanwhile, we were also constantly chit chatting with her to ensure that she feels occupied and remained engaged with us. While cleaning, I noticed Mdm L’s uneasiness with her house’s dirtiness, particularly the large amount of lizard droppings on the walls. For this, I did some research and found some inexpensive solutions to get rid of lizards (http://sg.theasianparent.com/safe-ways-to-get-rid-of-lizards-at-home/), which the subsequent groups can try in order to help Mdm L.

We also got to know that Mdm L is actually a fan of MediaCorp artiste Xu Bin! She was very enthusiastic when talking about Xu Bin and repeatedly described him to be very handsome (帅)! She even requested us to print a photo of Xu Bin for her to admire! Surrounding the topic of handsome guys/pretty girls, Mdm L was further engaged by Hui Jia and Kok Seng, who showed her their ideal types for man/woman. We became so much closer than before and even ended with a selfie session. I could feel that she enjoyed the interacting sessions with us, especially since she was laughing out loud throughout. As for me, I definitely had a great time with the elderly and fellow volunteers too!

Lastly, through Mdm L's sharing, I realized the importance of neighbours. There was once Mdm L had a bad fall and her neighbour, sensing something amiss, came to her rescue. With increasing cases of neighbourhood dispute, it made me wonder that in today's society, how many of us would actually spare another thought for our neighbours (eg. Mdm L's neighbour) when necessary? It would surely be a better place to live in if neighbours start to interact with, care for and respect one another in order to foster bonds and rebuild the long-lost kampong spirit.

To end off, I would like to thank both Hui Jia and Kok Seng for the guidance today and Joel for introducing THES to me. I really enjoyed the weekly visits so far and will definitely continue doing so. I will also be looking forward to every Saturday− doing what I enjoy most to bring happiness to the elderly and get to know more awesome friends and elderly around. I gained a lot during the short 2hour’s visit that could never be taught in school. Hopefully, I could find some free time slots from my busy schedules to visit the elderly during other days as a friend after getting to know them better. Or perhaps, anyone of you that are visiting them on your own, don't BO JIO hor! xD

31 01 2015

Ng Cheng Jie