Anecdotes of my Happy Moments...

After reading other people's blogs describing their spiritual and physical experience during the camp, I have decided to write something about my emotional experience. That's right! my happiness during the camp. Didn't Fr. Chan say we needed to share the happiness with others? Let me practice it here!

Honestly before I went to the camp I really doubted whether the camp would match up to its title - Journey of Happiness. Would it make me more happier in 4 days?? How would the program team buddies package this event and do the magic to make every camper happy?? At one point I was thinking the title must be another gimmick to attract campers. Sounds like a travel agency promoting a trip on an ad. Also, I expected the run-down of program must be more or less the same as last year's. Same old same old~

Well, to my expectation, father's presentations were quite academic. But I did learn something. I understood what happiness was all about in the biblical and philosophical sense. I heard the word happiness many times. But my emotional brain talked to my logical brain. For the rest of the camp, could I experience happiness through my feelings than merely through listening to words?

That question changed my attitute. Yes!!! I decided to "feel" the happiness rather than just hearing the word happiness. So, I became more aware of the moments that made me happy.... I had captured my moments of happiness during the camp. Let me share these with you:

:) Just flipping the albums near the entrance, I found it quite interesting that some veteran campers looked so young and their hairstyle were so "yeah" 8 years ago. In fact, some of us were laughing. Those albums immediately created funny topics among campers.

:) For a number of times, the musical team members raised their tone super high and super loud at one or two sections of a song. No doubt they were hyped. That moment of exciting feeling was contagious!

:) Usually I wouldn't notice the taste of the bread as it was never served as main course. But during the fasting lunch, I paid attention to the taste. I finally discovered the chemistry between sweetness + bitterness in the bread (cos' I over toasted it). It was so great!

:) After the camp fire, I was saved from any mosquito bites. Thanks God! I felt great. Should give credit to the person who came up with the idea to share the insect repellent.

:) The moment I entered the room I found a bath-tub in the bathroom!! Big deal~~ But this is the first time I stayed in a room with a bath-tub instead of a tiny shower space as there was last year. I enjoyed it~

:) I used the bathroom in the basement every morning to avoid line-up in the room. You know what? I saw familiar faces over there every morning although I actually was not too familiar with some of the people. It is a feeling that you're expecting to meet the old buddies in the same place at the same time every morning. The moment I said hi, it feels great!

:) Remember I did a little sharing on stage as a planning team member? I wasn't really 100% prepared for it. I didn't even have a script in detail. But it turned out ok. Felt great afterwards ...

:) As GF, I washed the foot of a team member. That team member was surprised the water was so warm. I was happy when I knew he enjoyed it.

:) Being served also gave me happiness. I requested for help to change the towel paper in the bathroom. I wasn't there when it was changed. A while later I noticed it was done, I knew someone had served me. (Thanks so much, Simon!)

:) We had Taize in the morning the first time. It was very innovative. Did you notice the Kleenex was not quite used by people? In the past when this event was held at night, there were crying momemts in people. But now we did it in the light. I observed. Some people were smiling instead of crying. Perhaps praying doesn't have to make you cry. We can smile in praying. I also smiled during the taize prayer. What a good idea now I have discovered! The changing of time for this event really gave some campers the happiness.

:) Have you ever had a moment of happiness when you received a surprising gift which was exactly what you wanted? It happens that I broke my cell phone string a few weeks ago. The souvenir just came in handy at the end. It was cool~ Thankyou!

There are many more other moments of happiness I wanted to share with you. But the point is I eventually had been through a journey of happiness after 4 days. I discovered that you don't have to throw a big party or celebration, or receive big gifts to make yourself happy. Happiness exists in trivial moments of life just like the examples I gave. Stop being busy and make yourself be aware of the little things that happen around you. Open your heart and you will feel the happiness. Have you watched the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness"(Will Smith)? 'Pursuit' more or less implies you need to take action to find it. Second, don't let other negative feelings (e.g. sad, angry, disappointed ...) occupy you as two opposite feelings cannot co-exist. For instance, you cannot be happy and sad at the same time. It all comes to your attitute. Do you choose to be happy?