The Other Side of Life: Moral’s Trip to Taman Sinar Harapan

The one thing that is usually not present in a person’s life is a sense of gratification. We are never satisfied and grateful for all the pleasures that we enjoy in life, don’t we? I mean, all that we can see are the pleasures of others around us. We are clouded by the visions of beauty and wealth that we see in others that somehow, we are ignorant of the pleasures and beauty that we possessed. They always say that the grass is much greener on the other side. But, we might also overlook the fact that our grass is also green and there might be others whose grass never attained this kind of greenery.

On the 12th of August 2006, I saw the other side of life from the side which I was standing. I crossed the fine lines between happiness and misery, wants and needs, perfection and imperfection. I saw the other side of life on that day and it wasn’t the most beautiful view but it was certainly the most thought provoking. It was a view with a melancholic atmosphere. It was a view where tomorrow don’t bring much of an enticing prospect. It was a view of loneliness and sweet broken promises. But it was also a view that instilled a sense of gratification in me. And it was a view that showed me that no matter who you are, there are still people who love and care for you. From abandonment comes compassion, and from compassion comes hope. And from hope itself, comes life.

The Moral’s "Rombongan Pendidikan Moral ke Taman Sinar Harapan" was held on the 12th of August 2006. Together with 80 other Moral students and 4 teachers, I went to Taman Sinar Harapan, a home for people with disabilities. The home was situated at Kuala Kubu Baru, which was about 30 minutes drive away from school.

On that day, I arrived at school about 7.00 in the morning. Once there, I was given a special "Treasurer" tag for the trip’s comittee members by N.K.C., the comittee’s President. After that, I sort out all the receipts and money and other stuff like that. The bus departs from school at about 8.00 in the morning.

We had a safe and pleasant journey to the home. While we were on our way in the bus, Pn. Low sang a Chinese song. It was really sporting of her to do that. Once we arrived there, all of us were required to line up in pairs. We were then given a briefing by one of the helpers of the home after we had assembled ourselves at the Dewan Serbaguna. We were told that pictures of the in-mates were not allowed to be taken. This is to ensure that there won’t be any negative speculation should the photos fall into the wrong hands.

We were then taken around the home and shown to the people around there. This is really my first time at a home for people with disabilities. Therefore, this might explain the feeling of conscience that was haunting me. I don’t know why I felt this way but I just felt it. I guess it might be because looking at all this people reminded me of how lucky I had been but I had never really been thankful.

In one of the hostels at the home, there was one inmate who asked the helper who were giving us the tour on when will her family come visit her. And the helper replied by saying, "Hari Raya nanti". Then he turned to us all and said that usually after the families had left them here at the home, they will only visit once in a blue moon. Or maybe never at all. While he was explaining this, I heard the inmate told another helper that she can’t wait until Hari Raya when she will be able to taste her grandmother’s lemang and rendang. Hearing her saying all this with a voice that is so innocent and pure almost brought tears to my eyes. There was also another inmate who was a twin. She was born with disabilities but her other twin sister was born without any complications. I suppose this is one of life’s anatomies. Life is never always fair. But then again, who do you blame it on?

After the tour around the home, all of us divided ourselves into groups and did some social work for the home. Together with a few of my classmates, I went to a hostel called Asrama Teratai. This was where they placed the inmates who needed all the basic helps to get on with life. They are feeded and washed by the helpers at the home. My classmates and I did our work and took turns snapping photos to be included in our Moral project later on.

Around 11.30 in the morning, everyone’s work was done and we prepared to leave. We said our farewells to all the inmates and left the home around 11.45. On the way home, everyone was pretty exhausted. The melancholic feeling that we all had back there at the home evaporated when the soundtrack of High School Musical was played. We even had a game where when the person who was conducting the game shout out a feature or characteristics, all of us had to shout out a name among ourselves. The person who was called was required to perform some silly and funny request.

We arrived at school safely and had our lunch which was KFS’s chicken and pizzas from Domino’s. While eating, we all discussed and contemplated all the stuffs and lessons that we had learned. After that, it was the end of the trip and everyone headed back home.

So, I learned a thing or two on that day. Be grateful for all the pleaures that you enjoy in life. Be thankful for the life that you live. And most important of all, cherish yourself just the way you are for nothing is more beautiful than a person who cherished himself.

P.S. We are all perfect in our very own ways.