Operation Orion

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Hear What Our 2014 Orioners Have To Say

February 3, 2015January 18, 2016
by Operation Orion

Check out our candid featured image! Looking back at photos of the trip certainly brings back many gold memories. Let’s listen to what some of our Orioners have to say about their experiences in Operation Orion 2014!

“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” As aptly quoted by Danny Kaye, visiting the village of Manle in Yunnan, China with Operation Orion 2014 was a journey of self-discovery that I had thoroughly enjoyed last December. It opened my eyes to the plight of those in poorer countries, from their different lifestyles to their different living conditions. Having been living in a city for my entire life, the living situation in the village provided me new insights and gave me a greater appreciation of the convenience that we enjoy in Singapore. For instance, in their homes, the villagers had to bathe in icy cold water in winters and electricity could only be available at night. It made me realise that we have always taken our convenience and wealth for granted.The December trip also taught me that rendering help to others is a fulfilling process. The construction of solar powered lampposts around the village not only brightened the once pitch black unsafe roads in the village but also the faces of the villagers. While we spent countless days and had to dirty ourselves with cement, soil and perhaps dried faeces when we were constructing the toilet for the villagers, seeing the end result of our work and the appreciative faces of the villagers made our efforts all worthwhile. The jovial and friendly nature of the villagers was also an aspect that truly touched my heart. Not only were they hospitable in letting us stay in their houses despite us being strangers, they also made sure that we were living comfortably and took care of our food. (The village chief asked me on the two occasions I met him if we were comfortable with the living conditions and whether the food was to our liking.) It made me realise that I should really learn from the villagers, to treat others kindly and warmly as how I would like to be treated.

Indeed, Operation Orion 2014 was a truly enriching experience that would surely leave a lasting impression in my mind.”

-Si Ling, Programs, Operation Orion 2014

“To me, Operation Orion is a multi-faceted institution where I get to learn about many things and it also provides me the opportunity to exercise what I have learnt. I still do remember the excitement after I got accepted into the team, and started to bond with the members through camp and fundraising efforts such as the booth sales where we courageously open to strangers to inform them of our project and get them to donate. As I was from the Operations team, we discussed and shared our research on formwork, brick laying, plastering, plants, and most importantly, safety. There were so much to learn from and experience even before we head for the trip.

Throughout the trip, I got to learn about the cultures and practices of the Dai subgroup; some of which are exotic such as the blackening of their teeth which represent beauty and the sacrifices they present to ward off evil. Indeed I was also surprised when they ate spicy food everyday due to the cold climate at that point of time. We got to experience the halcyon village life, and escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Waking up to rooster crows and not thinking about grades was a reality there. The villagers also kindly set up for us comfortable and cosy ‘futon’ for us to sleep on. We interacted with the villagers through tea sessions and they told us about what they do for a living. One information that I found commendable is that when they have to build a house in the village, each family has to send one representative to help. The art of collaborating binds the community together!

The construction of the toilets and installation of the lamppost was indeed an exhausting task but there was a great sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. I was exposed to cement mixing, brick laying and also learnt about the different types of aggregates used in the cement mixing process, and this benefitted me in preparing for the modules that I will be taking as a civil engineering student. I was impressed at the elderly women who could carry heavy workloads around.

Technicalities aside, the soft aspect of Operation Orion taught me that the gift of giving is a universal language. Being a non-native speaker of their language, I found it difficult to express what I really felt to the villagers or the students of the primary school that we visited but with the help of enthusiastic team members, I managed to overcome these challenges. One of the moments which I clearly enjoyed was when we visited Tao Nan school and the group of us have to take charge of a primary 4 class. The students were instructed to draw out and put their ambitions on paper and I taught them to draw. At the end of the session, the students asked if we were coming back the next day as they were anticipating so, but due to constraints, we could not and had to leave heavy heartedly. It was only a short period of time but it was worth living the moment.

As someone whose interest is cooking, I have also gained many life hacks and recipes. One of such is the method of peeling garlic, where the garlic is smacked and the skin will instantly burst open. As the group took turns to cook everyday, this was the first time that I get to cook for many. And to add on, the villagers were very hospitable, and knowing that I can only eat halal food, they went all out to fry for us fish and separate meals. I was very grateful.

In all, I enjoyed the operation and I felt blessed to be actually receiving more than I could give. This was truly a project where there were not many restrictions and were allowed to do what we wanted to do and it is student initiated.”

-Munsyi, Operations, Operation Orion 2014

“#adecembertoremember. Operation Orion 14’ was definitely a life changing experience that I will always hold very dearly in my heart. It was a period of growth and learning about myself as an individual. There is nothing more gratifying than to be able to make someone else smile and that’s how I feel all us OO 14’ members did when we were in Manle. We brought smiles to the villagers’ faces through many ways beyond our project objectives. We soaked ourselves in the local culture of singing and dancing during village dinner gatherings. We worked very hard alongside the villagers to ensure completion of the toilet we were building. As much as we contributed to the community, I feel that we gained so much from the villagers as well. Their hospitality and efforts to ensure that we were all comfortable despite their limited resources were very heart-warming.This was definitely a life-changing experience where good memories and strong friendships were forged and it would not have been the same if not for the strong team chemistry OO 14’ had. I would also like to make special thanks to all who were there for me when I fell terribly ill. And thank you everyone for the wonderful memories.”

-Nurul, Funds, Operation Orion 2014

To most of us, this trip has most certainly made our December one to remember forever.

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Time To Say Goodbye

February 1, 2015January 18, 2016
by Operation Orion

We did not stop with the toilet construction till the day before we were scheduled to leave the village. A machine was rented to help raise the mixed cement from ground level to the ceiling of the toilet housing.

Here are some of photos showing the progress of the toilet construction from Day 1.

The toilet is not complete before we left the village. However, we are assured that the villagers are continuing its construction till it finishes.

The installation of all 7 street lamps are complete! Bringing Guang (light) to the village at night. Check out more photos on our progress for the solar-powered lamp installation in our “Operation Orion Went To China” post!

This is Aileen leaving her mark in the village before we leave!

We packed our bags early in the morning as it was time to bid farewell to Man Le Village and its warm and friendly people. Some of the villagers held onto our bags and jokingly told us that they won’t be letting us leave.

We had our last meal there, before we proceeded on with a very last photoshoot with the villagers.

Then, it was really time to bid farewell to the lovely hosts and our home for the past 11 days.

Goodbye Man Le Village. We already miss you!

The music ends, but the melody lingers on.

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Cultural Exchange | Man Le Village X Operation Orion…

February 1, 2015January 18, 2016
by Operation Orion

From Gasa Town to Man Le Village – this is how we roll. On a rocky trishaw ride for 15 Yuan in groups of 4. Hold on tight!

So, that was a form of transportation we don’t usually have the chance to ride on here in Singapore! Now, let’s talk FOOD. Most of us were not used to the spicy food there. However, there were a few who could take the heat. Meet Vidhya, one of our members with one of the highest level of spice tolerance!

Every day, a few selected Food I/Cs will head down to the market to get ingredients to cook for lunch and dinner. The tomato egg dish was one of everyone’s favourite. It was a must-have for almost every meal! Some of us even cooked it or ordered it when we were back in Singapore!

A daily affair. The Food I/Cs, together with the villagers, would discuss and agree on what to cook, purchase the ingredients, prepare the food, then lay the table.

Some of the villagers offered us home-grown oranges as well. They appear to be green on the outside, but in fact, they taste really sweet! Fun fact: These oranges are used as part of the manufacturing for Fanta soft drinks! And thanks Rebecca for peeling oranges for us!

We also travelled, via trishaw, down to Gasa Town for a meal one day!

Bringing us back to the village… There were many dogs in the village. They have long fur and generally shorter legs than the average pets we see in Singapore. Some of them join us for meals too – waiting under the dining tables for somebody to offer them food. Meet Xiao Hei, a friendly dog which we affectionately call Jeff.

Besides being involved in operations (see “Operation Orion 2014 Went To China” post) and interacting with primary school children (see “Operation Orion 2014 Goes Back To Primary School” post), we also held dance practices whenever there was free time, to prepare for the Cultural Exchange Performance on our final night!

Meet Suezanne and Halim from Programs! Suezanne is our choreographer for the mass dance and the modern dance items, while Halim is the choreographer and performer for the solo Silat performance and also Suezanne’s assistant for teaching Orioners the mass dance!

While some of us were practicing for the ethnic song and dance performances, a village lady approached us with a music video player that looked very much like a laptop! She introduced us to a song that is extremely popular in China – Xiao Ping Guo (Little Apple); she had many different versions of it in her pink device! Here is Si Ling checking it out on a stool that village lady brought out for us!

So ever since we learnt about the song Xiao Ping Guo, it began to play in the village for the subsequent nights. The villagers set up a Karaoke Box and lights at the courtyard and asked us to sing and dance along with them! The villagers we so excited to teach us how to dance to Xiao Ping Guo, but most of the ladies were so camera shy!

We also use time in between work for bonding, mass clothes washing and getting to know our very hospitable hosts better!

Meet Aileen from Pubs! She is really good with kids and the girls just love her!

One of the major cultural exchange experience for the Orion girls was the donning of the Dai Cultural Costume! The costumes are all painstakingly handmade over the course of at least a year! Some of the villages got their costumes done for their marriage. It was such a privilege for the Orion girls to get the chance to put them on – all with the help of the generous hosts. They even got their hair done!

After days of practice, the performance night finally arrived. Dinner was served at the courtyard to accommodate the Orioners and the entire village and the performances commenced after the sun set.

Chinese song item by Si Ling from Programs and Yang Jie from Funds.

Silat performance by Halim from Programs.

Indian dance item by Vidhya from Funds and Clement from Programs.

Malay dance item by Alyssa from Pubs and Fauzi from programs.

Modern dance item by Suezanne and Fauzi from Programs.

After the ethnic song and dance items, we performed the mass dance and additional song items!

Video footage of the memorable night were all captured by our trusty and very professional videographer, Ben, who also wow-ed everyone with his soulful voice.

Our team leaders also presented the plaque to the Village Chief as a small token of appreciation.

It was our last night in Man Le village. Some of us stayed up to talk; some of us who weren’t feeling well rested early; some of us took the night to drop letters of appreciation into each other’s letterbox.

Some of us just huddled together on the rooftop and admired the beautiful starry sky; and some of us just didn’t want to shut our eyes and miss anything from then till the moment we leave the village.

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Operation Orion 2014 Goes Back to Primary School

January 31, 2015January 18, 2016
by Operation Orion

Besides working on site at the village, we also travelled to 2 Primary Schools to interact with the students there!

We started off the session with self-introduction and exchanged our dreams and aspirations, before playing icebreakers and indoor games like charades and Pictionary. We also conducted art and craft programs such as drawing, colouring and Origami folding with the children. They were all very bright, full of energy, and at the same time very polite.

They also loved having their photos taken by our photographers and some of them even asked us to teach them how to use the camera and took photos of their classmates!

Look how enthusiastic they became after the ice was broken!

We then brought them to the courtyard to engage in outdoor games, followed by photo taking sessions.

Time passed so quickly. Before we knew it, it was time to leave…

Lessons learnt from conducting activities with the students here include: Not every activity is suitable for children of all Primary levels, for example Origami folding is more difficult for the younger batches of students. Also, not every class had the same number and type of students, so we had to be flexible and adapt to re-allocations of manpower. Overall, everyone had a great time and adapted to changes quickly, despite being exhausted from the non-stop, action-packed day. Kudos to the Programs Team for planning, leading and getting the logistics during the trip itself!

On a separate day, we travelled further away to a school up on the mountains, bringing with us what worked and the lessons learnt from the previous school visit. The previous time, we were allocated a full day to the students, but this time, we had only had a few hours with the children as they had to participate in curricular activities in the morning. Hence, we explored the mountains and did some trekking before heading to the school!

Back to school!

We did a better job this time, running the program with no delays! Props to our Programs Head, Fauzi, who gave clear instructions and regular reminders for us to move on to subsequent activities.

Very quickly, yet again, it was time to say Goodbye. Before leaving, some of us caught a glimpse of the students’ dorm rooms.

This time, the Pubs Team also managed to print out photos for the school and classes, leaving them with pieces of memories of us to keep!

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Operation Orion 2014 Went to China

January 31, 2015February 1, 2015
by Operation Orion

We are back in Singapore! It’s been a month since our overseas expedition. We hope you’re curious to find out what happened and what we did during the trip! So, let’s turn the time back to 9 Dec 2014: The beginning of A December to Remember.

Operation Orion heads out of Singapore to embark on our journey before the sun rises.

And here we are! Touring Man Le Village in Capital Kun Ming, Yun Nan Province, China.

Everyone was randomly split into houses of 7 and attached to a family each. At the halfway mark of the trip, we were then re-shuffled into different houses to get the chance to interact with other Orioners and villagers.

This is where the different houses gathered for meals. Food is fuel.

Each day, we have different Food I/Cs travel down to the market to get breakfast and ingredients to cook for lunch and dinner. After helping the villagers with cooking and feeding the hungry Orioners, they get the dishes washed too.

This is Orion’s very own MasterChef, Munsyi! Singapore talent that brought us the opportunity to let the villagers get a taste of some of Singapore’s spices, with his specialty: Fried Chicken with tumeric powder and garlic.

Now, it’s time to get down to serious business. First, we excavate trenches at where the old toilet stood to build a stable foundation for the new toilet, which was designed with a proper piping, storage and disposal system for waste products.

Look at the very hospitable villagers who are always checking on us, rushing to us with arm sleeves and aprons if they spotted us without one on, reducing loads from our baskets and adjusting the position of the beams from our shoulders to our backs so that our shoulders would not get tired.

After the trenches were dug, we mixed the cement with sand, gravel, water and adhesive to be transported in buckets via human chain and poured into the trenches to lay and even out the foundation for the construction of the toilet.

“Great leaders don’t tell you what to do, they show you how it’s done.” Catch our great leaders hard at work!

Not forgetting our silent, watchful guardians during every Ops Session – our Safety I/Cs and First Aiders.

Besides working with the villagers to construct the new toilet, we also liaised with external vendors to install solar-powered street lamps to light up the pitch-black village after the sun sets. That explains the name of our project: Project Guang.

7 appropriate and strategic lamp locations were marked and holes were dug to fit the battery and the base of the street lamps.

This was the most challenging location as water constantly flowed into the hole that was being dug. Eventually, we managed to block the water from entering, using planks and rocks.

And finally, the lamps lit up the evening skies. Now, there’s no need to use torch lights to move around the village at night.

Before we end each day, we gather at a rooftop and sit in a circle for daily reflections for the day and suggestions to improve for the subsequent days.

Then, we would switch all the lights off. Still seated in the same circle, selected members the day before will then begin to share a personal story of something or someone that changed their lives in one way or another. Getting up-close and personal with Orioners in the dark.

Some of us will then stay back to write letters of appreciation or fun mail to each other, before we dispersed into our respective houses for freezing 1a.m. showers and heart-to-heart talks.

Stay tuned to find out more on what else we did during our expedition!