Held at St. Lukas Apostolic Centre, Kota Padawan, Kuching, Sarawak from 4-14 June 2009, the ASC YCS 2009 was held, brought 3 issues - food crisis, climate change and human rights education. Participated by youths and priests from 10 nations of Asia, the programme also held to bring awareness to environmental issue among participants, besides making desicions in IYCS in order to make the world a better place. The 10-day event was filled with a lot of interesting activities such as exhibition, exposure trip to NGO sites and villages, workshop, talks, taize prayer, Borneo culture night, YCS session council, and Asian culture extravaganza. The amazing thing is, it was the first international event that I ever joined!! I was the LOC (Local Organizing Committee) during the event, joined the Exposure Team together with Brian, Lucy, Evelyn, Kenny, Precinia and many more.
Leonard Bonny Palma, Asian Team 2006-2009 in the opening address
Dancers pose with Archbishop John Ha of Kuching
Tara.....tara......tara..........OOOHHHH!!!!
Inspecting delegates before going for exopsure programme
At Sarawak Biodiversity Center, Semenggoh
Interaction session with the villagers of Kampung Pasir Tengah
A walk to the Sg. Biawak at Kampung Pasir Tengah
With Deepak (India) and Andy (Myanmar)
Hahaha, we are the team that bring the delegates for the exposure programme, so I experience the way tourist guides do!! As almost all of the villagers are not English speaking, so I have to do the translations to the villagers as well as delegates. The task gets more challenging when 1 of the delegate in my group (as all delegates are divided into many groups and are assigned to different villages) totally not speaking English, but only Mandarin. Luckily, 1 translator that is from the LOCs was sent into our group, so I have less burden to translate the language I did not know!! Overall, I really like the exposure, I danced during the opening ceremony and the Borneo culture night.
We danced 'Wek Jonggan' of the Salako tribe during the Borneo culture night
Not bad, Fr. James!!
Wuwh...I'll be missing this moments
During the Sessions
Owh, one more part I do like most, Asian Culture Extravaganza!!! It was the peak event of ASC 2009. I feel like attending the Rainforest World Music Festival! ( which I can't attend this year, so that event is in exchange of it...huhuhuhu) It was a very energetic night, where a lot of entertainment and dances from the nations of the Asia continent. Poco Poco from Indonesia that I like most because all of us Sarawakian knew the dance well!! Before the party ends, we have some joget with the song 'Kampung Love' and 'Semina Duduk Berimbai' as the lullaby that leads the atmosphere.
Fr. Simon Poh of Kuching presided the closing eucharistic celebration
Let the 'Lord' talk to you......
SOME SCENES DURING THE ASIAN CULTURE EXTRAVAGANZA
But most of all, I learnt something more meaningful through ASC - friendship, graditute and teamwork. I make a lot of friends, not only from LOC, but withe the delegates also. I feel that the world became so small here, as we get to know each other so fast, even though most of us are not of the same nationality and races. anyway, it was a phenomenal event, God really have this plan for me and everyone who participated. Serving the Lord is always FUN!!