美丽的美里！

东马饥饿30的圆满落幕，也正好为2007年的饥饿30画上完美的句号。

在美里有很多的惊叹号：

哇！这里的人都习惯早到，非常守时！9点的约会，有人会早到一小时！

这里的人非常友善热心好脾气！前一天（分开不同时段）跟他们说我需要找。。。车子、鼓棒、轮推车、椅子、音响、报纸等等拉拉杂杂的东西，第二天准有！限时递送不收费！

连收拾场地也快过人！1小时不到整个场地清洁溜溜！举办这么多次饥饿30营，美里的厕所干净得令我目瞪口呆！

最夸张的是，我们在第二天设的早上“闹钟”根本无法派上用场，全部营员早上4点半就自动起床了，害我们三条直线直下额头：有没有搞错！

这次来美里是选对了！我们同工都很轻松的、优哉游哉的吃遍美里美食，然后才去筹备饥饿30的营会，天塌下来也不怕，因为我们的救兵阵容真的很庞大！呼喝一声，星洲派一批人过来、卫理公会派一批人过来、华总及廉律理工又派一批人过来。。。结果，场地布置一个早上便解决了！营会结束后的收拾清理半小时解决了！whoa..whoa…..whoa….

美里人也很热情好客人情味十足！很多人不怕我们这一批大胃王，纷纷要请吃哦！（这一次饥饿30，我没有瘦到，呜呜呜。。。）

非常写意的美里饥饿30。伙伴超棒，志工超棒，营员虽慢热、但配合度很高。^-^

超级爆笑的印度舞，让我见识了美里人的幽默、无架子，亲切感倍增。

有很多人要求我们在古晋、汶莱、诗巫也办一个饥饿30营，我在想：也要看一看有没有这么幸运，遇到象美里伙伴这么棒的人啊！^-^

谢谢你们的厚爱，美丽的美里人！

征雁 - 营长

Photos from Miri

Our friendly photographer, William sent us this email today.

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Dear all,
I have uploaded most of the photos (600+ actual photo taken is 800+) to my photobucket. However, I have resized all the photos to “low resolution” and is only suitable for you to see it on your computer screen. They are NOT suitable for printing.
If you want the complete set of photos taken by me, you may order a DVD from me at RM15 and I will donate all the money to World Vision. I will also cut a DVD and leave it at Soo Chew Photo in town (corner shop just beside the main market). If they don’t know what you are talking about, mention my name and ask to talk to Mr. Song.
http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m312/williamting/30%20hours%20Famine/
To order any print, just copy down the number of the photo from the above URL, eg, DSC_6369s.jpg (but you only need to give the number DSC_6369 to Soo Chew).
If you still want the full resolution of the photos in digital form which you have requested, I will upload it later (maybe this week and will stay there for only 1 month )
Best regards,
William

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So East Famine campers, you know what to do!!

East Famine

IT IS over. The last lap was floored and it was a success. The East Famine Camp was a totally new experience for many of us. The new crowd, the venue, the culture, the energy, the early rising sun…

Last Thursday, a team of WV staff & volunteers flew to Miri to begin preparations. It isnt easy to keep focus when you are in a new place and you want to explore and have fun and yet do your job…but thank God we all managed to remind each other to keep on track. On Friday, with volunteers from Miri, we started to set up the stadium…I spent most of the time trying to get the stage to look presentable and neat. -__-” It took a lot of effort, surprisingly…

Anyway, with the fabulous help from the volunteers, we were all set and ready earlier than expected. (Miri people are really generous when they help.) The team had a final briefing at night and prayed that all would go well. The day dawned and we headed to the stadium to do last minute preparations.

The moment I walked into the stadium, all I could see were all these ‘lemons’ walking around. No honestly, dressed in my orange WV t-shirt, I felt that I was in the wrong fruit basket. The volunteers outnumber the staff drastically, and since the campers were not there yet, I felt the minority.

At about 11ish, the campers started to arrive in earnest and soon enough, we started the camp with the icebreakers and the usual preparations for the Opening Ceremony. It was a new experience for me to see campers not get excited during the icebreakers (especially when those giant balloons appeared). It took quite some time for everyone to warm up to the event and the emcees on stage and each other. Again, it is the different crowd that we dealt with and the experience I must say, was refreshing.

Overall, the programmes were similar and the campers did it with enthusiasm to match the West Famine. But because this is the very first time for the campers in East Famine, they really did not know what to expect so the night was difficult…since they were hungry and the stadium was really cold. By the second day, most people were lethargic but I must say to their credit, they put up a good fight and accomplished their 30 hours!!

The staff and volunteers really pulled a good and smooth event. Thanks to all those who were dedicated and really went the extra mile to help WV. And to all the East Famine campers, kudos to your success in the 30-hour Famine. It was wonderful having you all!!

To Infinity… and Beyond!

One of my enduring favourite cartooon characters from Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear, has this to say before blasting off to the rescue: “To infinity and beyond!”

And yes, half our office has “blasted off” to Miri this morning to conduct our first ever East Malaysian Famine. Yes, half the office and 14 boxes of stuff: handbooks, certificates, banners, posters, masking tape, walkie talkies, security tape, signages and all the other equipment you need to run a Famine. (Only Logistics knows exactly what is in which box and who it will be handed over to - they have The Check List.)

On another note, we’re so sorry that the West Famine photo gallery isn’t up yet. We are in the process of sifting through 5,000 photos taken by (I think) 7 cameraman.

In the meantime, have a look at some excellent campers’ perspectives. Some have written blow-by-blow accounts of their experience and have lots of photos too!

http://ighostwalk.blogspot.com/

http://jchan8840.blogspot.com

http://wvfrenz.blogspot.com/

http://mikemmery.blogspot.com/2007/09/30-hours-famine-mission-accomplished.html

To infinity and beyond!

++hsienling++

最爱是你们！

哇哇哇。。。

最近有很多人恭贺我，说营会很成功哦！

听了、看了很多人的分享。热泪满眶。我何德何能呢？是我的同事劳苦功高呢！他们是我最棒、最值得信赖的战友。

我的同事都被这个营会差点整垮了，所以我最重视他们的感受。幸好，大家都很包容这次突如其来超大型的饥饿30， 几乎拼了老命在筹备。。。他们最辛苦，因为除了饥饿30外，他们仍有本身的职务在身。不象我，我只有一个负担而已。。。而且还是全公司的人陪我一起扛。

再来是我们的合作伙伴及媒体伙伴们。为了这个营会，大家都豁出去了不断在宣传。星洲的同工, 精英大学的同工及988、RedFM的DJ们都出钱出力的忙着帮我们宣传，不收我们分毫。这一份热诚让我们感动良久。

有很多人要求明年要办更大型的营会。。。世界宣明会的我们却一直在冒冷汗。

至少我个人而言，不想再整垮我的战友。为了饥饿30，他们还延后了自己堆如高山的工作呢！

当然，我们也希望能让更多人参与饥饿30。所以，现在正在绞尽脑汁在想如何达至两全其美的解决方案。若你有任何可以让5000以上的营员齐聚一堂又不会让我们做到“过劳死”的话，欢迎提供建议或合作方案！

此外，我们的志工也是鞠躬尽瘁、死而后已的战斗士。他们都牺牲了不少时间、睡眠、力气来帮忙我们筹备。办公室“人山人海”到没地方开会的场景，仍深留在我脑海里。

当我听说有一些人欺负我们的志工/同工时，真的很生气。让我早点知道的话，我会当场给予警告！不懂得尊重人的人，我不会客气。在NGO工作的人，不代表我们好欺负。

我也看了许多在部落格的留言，感动的无话好说。。。只有一件事你们好像弄错了：要感谢的对象，还包括你们自己。

朋友，不是你，哪里来5000人齐聚一堂气势如虹、热情澎湃、全心合一的扶贫壮志？

最精彩的节目，由最热情的营员支撑着。否则，哪来精彩？

最艰辛的人道工作，也是由你们在支撑着。

怎么忘了给自己一个最热烈的掌声？

啪。。啪。。啪。。啪。。啪。。啪。。。

谢谢你们，真的真的好爱你们！

征雁 - 营长

Next Step

WOO HOO!!! HOW IS EVERYBODY??!?!??!

Yes, the West Famine has successfully closed. Well, almost closed since we still have a lot of unpacking, returning of items (especially lost & found items), thank you calls, letters and notes to be done, updating the website etc etc. EVERYTHING to be done to show our gratitude and relief…because the West Famine was really quite awesome.

The staff were celebrating for a while and now, we have geared up for the next step. You know, a little break to walk the longer journey. The East Famine is next, we are focusing all our attention to that event, and even if it is a smaller event than the Famine that had just passed, we want to give it our best. It is the first ever 30-hour Famine in East Malaysia so we are going into unchartered territory and we are really not sure what to expect from the crowd there. But we pray that what we are preparing and doing would agree with them too.

Tomorrow, the 1st group of Famine staff would be heading to Miri for the Volunteer Training Day. The whole day, we have been running around the office, making sure everything is correct. One does get confused after a while because the West Famine material is SIMILAR but not the same. So there are changes to be identified and made. I especially salute the Logistics team because they have to start from scratch…a new location all together so new solutions as well.

But we are all keeping in mind that we managed the 5, 000 over campers camp and we are encouraged by that. I hope that every camper had a fantastic time during the camp and whatever that you have learned will stay with you and it will be generated into action in the near future.

Personally, I want to thank my Production team who worked so tirelessly with me for those 30 hours. You all ROCK!!!!

Famine Countdown - it’s almost here!!!

What’s going on behind the scenes in the final days before the Famine? Here are snapshots of our hectic days: 

Manning the phones:

Conducting stand-up meetings because we’ve no time to sit down…

Hand-writing countless stickers…

Preparing group leaders’ sign boards (that’s a whole bunch of numbers!)…

Sorting out the signs (table not big enough for this job)…

Keying in donation cards…

Counting and re-counting toilets (very important)…

Designing at break-neck speed (well, not exactly break-neck, but my neck sure is sore!)

The pictures tell the story..we’re chugging along at full speed towards the Famine. See you this Saturday!!

hsien ling

*Pro-phew* Work

I am so glad to see people still coming to the blog. Truly, greatly encouraged…especially when I have not updated for so long.

So sorry, but work is going rather mad at the office. I am full steam ahead working on Production work. Yes…*Pro-phew* work. I say *phew* each time I strike one thing off my Production list. Just a glimpse of what has been happening at my computer:

There are other more complicated stuff happening on other computers around the office. Gosh, you should see the design work that is happening, all the finance data entries, the logistic master request lists, the programme timetables, the IT equipment check list and all the sponsorship arrangements. *take deep breath*

*PHEW* I literally spent 70% of today listening to song after song to match to the programme or promo clips. My ears hurt…and as I was telling my friend on MSN, I wish I was Mrs Potatoe so that I can take my ears off and rest them.

A Sneak Peak at the Volunteer Training Camp

On 21st July 2007, 450 volunteers converged at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil to be equipped to lead and serve our campers. The training lasted the whole day, and is the first of the two part series of volunteer trainings that we’re holding.

I’m under strict orders not to divulge the exciting games that we’re going to be playing during the camp, so some of the photos are a bit cryptic. You’ll find out what your leaders were up to when you come for the camp. Enjoy!

Bilingual emcees William and Mei Yee working their charm on the crowd.

Meanwhile, our security honchos, Theodore and Ming Sen have a serious discussion on.. err..security.

This volunteer isn’t doodling, he’s following instructions.

Our camp commander exhibits her special powers! Guess what she’s doing? (Volunteers, please don’t give the game away!)

++hsien ling++

We Move Things & People

The title is the tagline of one of the most important teams for Famine. They are the people who make countless trips to the location, count each chair and lamp-post, draw up several contingency plans for every possible situation, ‘create’ emergency systems, purchase all items needed, allocated manpower and objects to their right places, etc, etc, etc. They are known affectionately as the LOGS team aka Logistics Team.

Yes, it is their job to make sure everything that we plan is made into reality through the most practical and effective way. It’s no small feat to plan for a mega event. Below are a small portion of what these wonderful team does:

The LOGS team works endlessly to make things comfortable for everyone…so when you come for the camp and see the labeling of every possible item, the room allocation, the water (instead of food :p) the traffic wardens…all the things that run like clockwork? They are planned and coordinated by a small team of people who have amazing compartmentalized minds paired with equally fantastic imagination to predict possibilities. And the best part I love about the LOGS team? They have awesome practicality…it’s kinda mind-blowing.