Getting ready to leave

It's been along time since i last blogged. I've been really focussed on spending more time and effort with the kids here at the ALbany Boys and Girls club....and doinng more shopping. For gifts and also for clothes, because the deals here are just too good to be true, in comparison to singapore. Oh man, I think i won't shop in singapore for a long time, eveyrthing is sooo expensive! Shopping really takes soo much time here, especially when travelling to and fro already take up 2 hours-since i don't have a car, i have to take the public bus. And that's excluding waiting time!

ALthough I am going to leave in less than 2 weeks (I amd reluctant to count exactly how many days i have left), I still get to know new kids everyday. I get to talk to them, engage them, remember their names, and they remember mine. It's just so sad that there are so many more kids i haven't got to know and I already have to leave. I wasn't sure if i should tell them about me leaving next week, I just dun want them to feel that I didn't really care when i leave. I told some of them today, and they were asking me when i owuld come back. All i can say is, maybe in 1 yrs time when i come back to do my masters. I don't even know if i would be near this place for my masters.

Today I asked Karly, the human resource manager if I could get some form of certificate that I have been here. If i wanna to continue working with children, a certificate of voluntary work here would be really helpful. I dun want any credit, I just want something that could help me continue working with children in the future. And I was really touched when she told me, whenever I'm not here, the kids go to her and ask her for me. They would say " where's Ms Regina? She gotta play with me".

Small little things like the kids remembering my name, asking around for me, asking me to go in to the pool with them, really makes me feel wanted here and reluctant to leave this place and these kids for good. It's like I've grown roots here, formed meaningful relationships and found unconditional friendship that fills my life with joy and contentment.

I've been starting to take photos of the kids and some with me. I'm going to put them into a sketchbook and get them to write something in it, even if it's their names. Photos always bring back good memories, and my time spent here has been one of the happiest so far. I've never been so reluctant to leave somewhere so much. But I know part of me is relieved to go back to my family, to see them again, to do the things we always do again. Doing this really distracts me from thining how sad it is to leave the kids. It's amazing, but it kinda replace the sadness with excitement, excitement to put as many photos and get as many kids to write in my sketchbook.

I really love these kids...and i hope if i do come back i might still be able to see them! Maybe next summer....Perhaps i can find a summer job here!