RSPVH Anniversary 2014

Through the eyes of our volunteers-a volunteer's diary
Written on 05-08-2014

As a new volunteer, I have only been in RSPVH for 1 year and this is my first time attending and also aid in the planning of VH Anniversary event. It was held at Changi Beach Park on 3rd August 2014. I learnt from seniors that this event aims to celebrate the achievements of RSPVH through fun and engaging activities. This year, we had some games and a BBQ session. This event is really eye opening to me because I always thought our events are focused on our beneficiaries but then I learnt that acknowledging the hard work of each and every one of our VH volunteers, past and present, is also important so that they will be encouraged to do more and better. Participants include current volunteers, our beloved seniors and of course not forgetting our beneficiaries.

For starters, bene(s)=beneficiary(ies)

First stop-GAMES! 

1 bene is attached to a blindfolded senior and is tasked to guide this senior through a simple maze and on the way, complete a number of stations. At each station, the bene is to answer riddles of different disciplines like math, science, general knowledge or even questions about movie titles! The senior attached is only to assist the bene in answering the questions. Once all the stations are completed, the game ends. Both parties had an enjoyable time.

Next stop-BBQ food galore!

The benes were settled down as some of the volunteers get busy to prepare the food. After a tini wini bit of waiting, food is served! Everyone had a great time eating and chatting as the dusk slowly sets in.

Good food + Great people = Awesome time

Last stop-closure.

Here, prizes were given to recognize and congratulate volunteers who have made outstanding achievements to RSPVH. Definitely not forgetting the speech made by our awesome Chairperson.

At around 7 pm, the benes were sent home.

Always remember that keeping the environment clean is everyone's duty! Me and my peers cleaned up the pit area and headed home.

Although it was a tiring day, it is also a rewarding day. Here is wishing RSPVH leaping to greater heights! 

RSPVH 8th Anniversary

Through the eyes of our beneficiaries-Siew Ling's blog
Written by Siew Ling on 22.06.2010

Every June, my RSPVH friends will book a chalet for 3D2N. On the second day, they will organise activities for the beneficiaries.

This year, the theme was YOG. The YOG mascot Lyo has gone missing. The RSPVH coordinator has been approached by the YOG committee to ask her VH specialist teams to help find this mascot.

The teams were "James Bond" (Yay! My group), "Nancy Drew", "Sherlock Holmes" and "Scooby Doo".

Station 1: Bowling
We stood on the top of a slope. At the bottom, there were some pins. We were supposed to knock down the pins with a soccer ball. I only managed to knock down seven of the 10 pins on both tries. Strike was just so near! The beneficiaries were supposed to score 50 points. After that, the volunteers were supposed to bowl backwards. XH got Strike on both tries! Amazing job! Like the beneficiaries, they also needed to score 50 points.

Station 2: Make Some Noise
We were going to hear 10 recordings. In each recording, we had to identify which instrument made that note and the correct sequence. There were six instruments - a triangle, a clarinet, a Mu Yu, bells, a tambourine (which I held) and another percussion instrument which I have no idea of its name. It felt like a drumstick. On the fatter end, there are like a few bracelet-like bands. To make a note, you turn the bands. It makes scraping sound. The recordings first started with three instruments then increased to six.

Eureka

Through the eyes of our beneficiaries-Siew Ling's blog
Written by Siew Ling on 17.03.2010

On Sunday, I went to the Science Centre with my little VH friends and a group of RSPVH friends. Earlier in the morning, I accompanied my mother to the market. Whenever she goes out with me, I will carry the plastic bags which led the owner of a fruit stall at Chinatown to mistake me as the maid. Uncle, do I look like a maid? Why do you speak to my mother in Hokkien but Malay to me ah? After I reached home, I still had another half an hour to get ready. At 11, I left home. There is no bus on Sundays? After more than fifteen minutes, two buses finally stopped in front of me, the second one was the one I was waiting for.

On the ride up to Science Centre, SM gave each of us a piece of bread. I had one with mushroom, potato and cheese. I asked HS if he wanted to try my bread. He kept insisting that he did not want to eat my saliva. I said jokingly that according to some myth, if he ate my saliva, he would be very obedient and listen to me. Hahaha... To prove that he will not eat my saliva, I tore the other corner under the watchful eyes of SM.

At the Science Centre, we were all divided into four groups. Each group was named after a famous scientist, mine was Darwin. We were given the admission ticket and were told what we would be doing. After that, we all walked towards the entrance. About that time, it started to rain. My mother told me that the last time I visited the Science Centre, I was only 5. So long ago! =P

When I went into the gate, the staff gave me a UV stamp slightly below my elbow.

Q: What exam paper do you sit for before the age of 13?
A: PSLE

Happy Family

Through the eyes of our beneficiaries-Siew Ling's blog
Written by Siew Ling on 01.02.2010

Yesterday, I went to the "Happy Family" event organised by my RSPVH friends. This time round, we could bring friends along. So, I took my mother along. While she waited for me to get ready, she fell asleep on the sofa. We left home at ten to 11. My mother saw bus service 70M and told me to board the bus. I told her that was not the right bus service so she apologised to the bus captain. A little while later, bus service 7 came which was the right bus.

At Paya Lebar, we waited for a few other people and the bus. The rest of the small group and the bus were late. My mother saw two bus service 7 when we were there. Oh, my friend P went to Lavender to pick my ex-Secondary School schoolmate, LY. P doesn't know how to go there and got lost so they were late. When the bus arrived, my mother was surprised. Instead of the smaller school bus that I usually take, it turned out to be a coach bus. P told her that there were many more people taking the bus.

On the long journey up to NTU, many of us were engaged in the activity we have been doing on the bus recently - Playing UNO! Haha... E, HS, JK sat on the seats while L and I sat on the floor. I had to keep standing to let people walk to the back seats as I was sitting at the aisle. Playing the "Reverse" card is confusing as we had to remember who was supposed to go next. My mother said we were reaching so we packed up.

I thought we could bring friends along? My mother was the only Chinese parent and there were two more Malay ones. She kept saying that the other Chinese parents were probably busy preparing for the coming Lunar New Year. I told her if she were to stay at home, she couldn't do much because her "Maria" which is me, was in NTU that day. No one will be there to help her with the cleaning and carrying.

Xepressivour

Through the eyes of or beneficiaries-Siew Ling's blog
Written by Siew Ling on 21.12.2009


Yesterday, I went to the Xpressivour event organised by the RSPVH friends at Toa Payoh Park. There was light drizzle throughout the event. The bus dropped us at Toa Payoh Interchange. From there, we needed to walk a far bit to the park itself.

Many people turned up for the event despite being a Sunday. Everyone like to say this to me, "Siew Ling, do you still remember me? I ever spoken to you." I am bad with names. Even if I remembered their voices, I forgot their names. Haha...

At the park, TL brought me to my group leader for the day - YT. Each of the beneficiaries was given a name tag. I recieved an early Christmas present from my ex-Secondary schoolmate. Thank you LY! Before the actual event started, we did some warming up, things like doing self-introductions to your group members and come up with a cheer. My group was called Music. Every group did their own cheer and it was time to kick start that day's activities.

Station 1: Mystery Box
This station made use of our sense of smell. We were supposed to identify the contents inside a cup. I'm hopeless at this. I think I kept smelling the smell of the cloth. Later on the bus, S agreed with me that the cloth itself also contained some flower scent. Well, lucky for us, we had a few wonderful group members and they correctly identified the smell, getting seven out of the eight right. Fantastic!

Station 2: Dance
In this station, a volunteer was paired with a beneficiary. We had to learn some dance moves. We were supposed to dance in the rhythm of the music. Apparently, all our tempos were different, some slow, some fast. While practising the dance steps, A taught me some other dance moves to a Korean song and English song. A, you watch too much MTV. =P