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#Overcame social shyness, interest in vegetarianism #Singapore wildlife rescue, knowledge about animals #Growth, Moved
Going to unfamiliar places and having new experiences was a big challenge for me.However, meeting new friends locally in Singapore and volunteering with adorable animals, I discovered a new side of myself and found areas of interest, so it became a valuable experience.
Volunteering to rescue rare wild animals that are physically and mentally injured in Singapore. Yang Haesong — gap-year participant (gapper) (18 years old, high school student / 2-week gap year). |
*All photos attached in this review are example images for illustration.
# I chose it because I thought Singapore was a safe place to travel alone.
I am Yang Haesong, a second-year student at the Jeju National University Affiliated High School, and I really love animals! This January I participated for two weeks in a program in Singapore to volunteer rescuing rare wild animals that were physically and mentally injured.
Because I usually like animals, I was looking for volunteer programs related to them.I chose Singapore because I thought it was a safe place to go alone.
I had previously traveled independently a lot with my older sister,and I had a lot of experience wandering alone abroad, so I was confident in finding my way and talking with locals.However, because I didn’t know much about Singapore, I asked someone who had traveled there and supplemented my preparation by reading about the local culture and travel guides while getting ready for the gap year.
* For Yang Haesong, who wanted new experiences and to explore career paths,daily missions that challenged existing assumptions and customized one-on-one personal missions for new experiences and challenges were provided, and a gap-year notebook to reflect on oneself and make plans was also provided.
# I was able to overcome my shyness a lot!
Before participating, I wasusually very shy around people I was meeting for the first time, and I wanted to change that.When I got there, even though I was very embarrassed, I started conversations first and actively sought out tasks; as I worked hard I became close with many people, talked a lot, and had many fun experiences,I was able to overcome my shyness a lot!
At the local organization, the volunteers who came changed every day,so it was nice to be able to meet many new people.And the staff explained even my trivial questions in great detail, took me around to show me places, and tried to teach me even one more thing, which moved me!
While caring for animals, I learned that turtles are faster and more active than I thought, and that iguanas and snakes are actually timid and don’t attack first, which made me let go of my prejudices about animals. Especially, taking charge of and caring for baby birds’ cages made me realize how fragile and delicate birds are, something I had never paid attention to. AndI learned a lot from the staff’s attitude and mindset of valuing life.
# People I met locally
First, my roommate and the one I hung out with every day, Marie; Kalai, who made me do a lot of work but also taught me a lot; Sandra, who practiced Korean with me; Anbu, who made sure I had delicious meals every time; Stanley, who was warm and taught me the work well; Joshua, who became friendlier over time; Yujin, who talked a lot and who I also went to the fish farm with; Duseong, who gave me lots of advice; Jessica, who showed me the cutest baby owl in the world; Ophilia, a friend who volunteered every week and is a year older; Juwei, who turned out to be friends with Ophilia; and many others whose names I unfortunately forgot or whose names were too difficult to write, but all of them who were fun remain in my memory.
And also the cool person who went out on rescues with me and bought me a meal, the taxi driver who lowered the fare and told me to have a good trip, and the shop staff who chatted with me at the mall and gifted me a pretty envelope.I really met so many good people!!
# After my gap year
First, I became good at talking with strangers. And now I''m no longer afraid of insects! My diet hasn''t completely switched to vegetarian, but when I can choose, I''ve tended to opt for vegetarian options.So I''m currently studying and thinking about vegetarianism.
After finishing the project, I began to notice animals on the street more and became more interested in them.So these days I''ve been avidly reading books about the iguanas, snakes, and birds I cared for.
# A typical day at the site
Work starts at 9:30 AM and we have lunch at 1 PM. We work again from around 2 PM, then clean up at 5 PM to finish. The staff buy both lunch and dinner around 1 PM and store them in the fridge.
# My gap year tips!
- Language
English and Chinese are used at the local organization, but English is used mainly. It might be helpful to learn the names of vegetables and fruits in English before joining the project, and even if your grammar is wrong or you only say single words, communication isn''t a problem—so just speak as much as possible!
- Accommodation
There can be many mosquitoes in the bathroom and kitchen; in that case, leaving a fan on and keeping the door closed prevents mosquitoes from getting inside, so that may help.
- Meals
If you can''t handle spicy or heavily seasoned food, it''s best to tell the local staff in advance. Also, if you buy lots of snacks and keep them in the fridge whenever you go out, you''ll have convenient food to eat.
- What to bring
It''s good to bring personal tissues, a water bottle, sunscreen, slippers, towels, etc. The local shower room is equipped with shampoo, body wash, a hairdryer, and a mirror, but toilet paper sometimes runs out, so it''s a good idea to bring your own.
- Recommended places to visit
I didn''t stay long so I couldn''t travel much, but I recommend seeing the night view on Sentosa Island! There''s a bridge from Sentosa to the mainland that you can walk across, and if you stroll there at night you can see the sparkling cable cars, the night view, and the sea. When I went it was almost midnight, but there were many people out walking—families, people playing instruments—and it felt very peaceful! Universal Studios isn''t huge either, so it''s nice to wander around at a relaxed pace. And if you don''t want to go far, I recommend hanging out at the malls at each station. The food is cheap and window-shopping is fun!
My gap year is
Experience★★★★★
Learning★★★★★
Environment★★★★★
Safety★★★★★
Leisure★★★
Going to unfamiliar places and having new experiences was a big challenge for me.However, meeting new friends locally in Singapore and volunteering with adorable animals, I discovered a new side of myself and found areas of interest, so it became a valuable experience.
Volunteering to rescue rare wild animals that are physically and mentally injured in Singapore. Yang Haesong — gap-year participant (gapper) (18 years old, high school student / 2-week gap year). |
*All photos attached in this review are example images for illustration.
# I chose it because I thought Singapore was a safe place to travel alone.
I am Yang Haesong, a second-year student at the Jeju National University Affiliated High School, and I really love animals! This January I participated for two weeks in a program in Singapore to volunteer rescuing rare wild animals that were physically and mentally injured.
Because I usually like animals, I was looking for volunteer programs related to them.I chose Singapore because I thought it was a safe place to go alone.
I had previously traveled independently a lot with my older sister,and I had a lot of experience wandering alone abroad, so I was confident in finding my way and talking with locals.However, because I didn’t know much about Singapore, I asked someone who had traveled there and supplemented my preparation by reading about the local culture and travel guides while getting ready for the gap year.
* For Yang Haesong, who wanted new experiences and to explore career paths,daily missions that challenged existing assumptions and customized one-on-one personal missions for new experiences and challenges were provided, and a gap-year notebook to reflect on oneself and make plans was also provided.
# I was able to overcome my shyness a lot!
Before participating, I wasusually very shy around people I was meeting for the first time, and I wanted to change that.When I got there, even though I was very embarrassed, I started conversations first and actively sought out tasks; as I worked hard I became close with many people, talked a lot, and had many fun experiences,I was able to overcome my shyness a lot!
At the local organization, the volunteers who came changed every day,so it was nice to be able to meet many new people.And the staff explained even my trivial questions in great detail, took me around to show me places, and tried to teach me even one more thing, which moved me!
While caring for animals, I learned that turtles are faster and more active than I thought, and that iguanas and snakes are actually timid and don’t attack first, which made me let go of my prejudices about animals. Especially, taking charge of and caring for baby birds’ cages made me realize how fragile and delicate birds are, something I had never paid attention to. AndI learned a lot from the staff’s attitude and mindset of valuing life.
# People I met locally
First, my roommate and the one I hung out with every day, Marie; Kalai, who made me do a lot of work but also taught me a lot; Sandra, who practiced Korean with me; Anbu, who made sure I had delicious meals every time; Stanley, who was warm and taught me the work well; Joshua, who became friendlier over time; Yujin, who talked a lot and who I also went to the fish farm with; Duseong, who gave me lots of advice; Jessica, who showed me the cutest baby owl in the world; Ophilia, a friend who volunteered every week and is a year older; Juwei, who turned out to be friends with Ophilia; and many others whose names I unfortunately forgot or whose names were too difficult to write, but all of them who were fun remain in my memory.
And also the cool person who went out on rescues with me and bought me a meal, the taxi driver who lowered the fare and told me to have a good trip, and the shop staff who chatted with me at the mall and gifted me a pretty envelope.I really met so many good people!!
# After my gap year
First, I became good at talking with strangers. And now I''m no longer afraid of insects! My diet hasn''t completely switched to vegetarian, but when I can choose, I''ve tended to opt for vegetarian options.So I''m currently studying and thinking about vegetarianism.
After finishing the project, I began to notice animals on the street more and became more interested in them.So these days I''ve been avidly reading books about the iguanas, snakes, and birds I cared for.
# A typical day at the site
Work starts at 9:30 AM and we have lunch at 1 PM. We work again from around 2 PM, then clean up at 5 PM to finish. The staff buy both lunch and dinner around 1 PM and store them in the fridge.
# My gap year tips!
- Language
English and Chinese are used at the local organization, but English is used mainly. It might be helpful to learn the names of vegetables and fruits in English before joining the project, and even if your grammar is wrong or you only say single words, communication isn''t a problem—so just speak as much as possible!
- Accommodation
There can be many mosquitoes in the bathroom and kitchen; in that case, leaving a fan on and keeping the door closed prevents mosquitoes from getting inside, so that may help.
- Meals
If you can''t handle spicy or heavily seasoned food, it''s best to tell the local staff in advance. Also, if you buy lots of snacks and keep them in the fridge whenever you go out, you''ll have convenient food to eat.
- What to bring
It''s good to bring personal tissues, a water bottle, sunscreen, slippers, towels, etc. The local shower room is equipped with shampoo, body wash, a hairdryer, and a mirror, but toilet paper sometimes runs out, so it''s a good idea to bring your own.
- Recommended places to visit
I didn''t stay long so I couldn''t travel much, but I recommend seeing the night view on Sentosa Island! There''s a bridge from Sentosa to the mainland that you can walk across, and if you stroll there at night you can see the sparkling cable cars, the night view, and the sea. When I went it was almost midnight, but there were many people out walking—families, people playing instruments—and it felt very peaceful! Universal Studios isn''t huge either, so it''s nice to wander around at a relaxed pace. And if you don''t want to go far, I recommend hanging out at the malls at each station. The food is cheap and window-shopping is fun!
My gap year is
Experience★★★★★
Learning★★★★★
Environment★★★★★
Safety★★★★★
Leisure★★★
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