For our last trip as a group we headed to Singapore and spent a night/day out on the town before flying back. It was a short trip but we managed to fit a bunch into it! For our first night there we all headed to a jazz club that Jacob found to hear a show and relax our muscles. All of us girls were a little sore as we had just come down from climbing Mt. Kinabalu and anything that required the knee to bend and lift or was an in/decline was a scream to the muscles. On our way to the jazz club we found an arts show all done with fire. It was amazing to the eye and from a distance it looked like fire was floating in the dark. Who would have thought in the middle of Singapore you could find giant balls of fire and some blues music? Not I but it was the highlight of my trip to Singapore! We did eventually made it to the jazz club and enjoyed a few hours there before heading back to our host house for some much needed sleep. The next day we spent our time at the massive Singapore zoo. It is a very large zoo with so many different animals to see and shows to catch. We were able to watch a water show and the elephant show! Something unique to this zoo is that many of the cages are open. At some parts you needed to watch your head because there could be a monkey or two hanging above you! Here are some pics to sum up the trip.

Side note: Kiley the mini pic is for you!

In the clouds

Well it has been a busy time here on this side of the world and the computer has not really been a part of the adventure lately. For that I am sorry and will try to update you the best that I can in the events that have happened in the last couple weeks. The first main event was the scaling of Mt. Kinabalu by myself and fellow YAGM volunteers (Erika, Ellen, and Katherine). It was a grand adventure that we have all been looking forward to for quiet a while and at last it became a reality. So in getting ready to hike up a mountain we asked the locals who have done it what we would need. Many of them told us to pack warm clothes and chocolate. Well, packing for Malaysia really didn't spark the idea for a sweatshirt (however a flannel shirt did make it is!) so a warmer layer was borrowed and some chocolate was donated and we were ready. Early in the morning we grabbed our bags and headed to the bus stop to find a ride to the base of the mountain. We arrived around 9:00 am found our guide and headed out. At first we started walking down some stairs (the wrong direction when the goal is to get to the top) but soon after the trail took a turn and it was all up hill from there. From talking to people before hand I was able to learn that much of the trail had been made into stairs and depending on who you talk to these stairs may or may not be steep. Well, they were pretty steep in some parts and not so steep in others. After the first few hours of hiking my legs started to feel that upward climb pretty well and by 5 km my lips were a lovely shade of blue but with only 1 km left to the lodge I was not going to turn back. Finally, there was the outline of a roof when you dared to look up. The last km seemed to take a very long time and was also the most rocky but it was worth it. We reached the lodge mid-afternoon and were very thankful for a warm beverage and a chair to sit in. The four of us had made it to 11,000 ft and were now in the coldest weather we had ever felt in Malaysia. It was time for a little rest. The final leg of the trip would start early in the morning, 2:00 am so now it was time to sit, stretch, and eat.

Early the next morning we all got up and put on many layer

s of clothing because we were told the wind was very cold on top and headed to the lodge to grab some food. I walked down with my friends feeling slightly dizzy but ready to persevere and climb that mountain. Once we got to the lodge and found a table the others grabbed some food and I just sat. My body was not cooperating and the thought of food made me want to hit the bathroom right away. The outlook for me making it was not looking good. The others gave me a package of

crackers thinking that if I could eat anything maybe it would be ok but just thinking about opening that bag and smelling the crackers. . . lets just say it wouldn't have been a happy ending. 2:30 rolled around and it was time to summit. I wanted to go and I wanted to force my

body out of that chair and go but my body wanted to lay down and sleep and just breath. The others got up and left as I remained at the table wishing I was walking with them. I came to Mt. Kinabalu planning on climbing the mountain to the top but it didn't happen. Instead I came to Mt. Kinabalu, climbed to 11,000 ft., watched the sun rise in the clouds (we were literally in the clouds), felt sick most of the time, and had a blast. Would I do this again? You bet! Next time I would just bring along some altitude sickness pills so then there is nothing standing in my way of the top! It was a great trip that I, mostly my legs, will never forget and hope to someday do again.

Day at the Beach

This past Wednesday Cheshire

Home took all the residents on a picnic

outing to the beach. It started early

by loading everyone up in the one van with a wheelchair lift and as many set up our camp for the morning. The of

the staff cars as possible. The van had to take a few trips as more than a few

residents are in wheelchairs and only about five can fit in the van at a time. We

went to a nearby beach that is fairly

wheelchair friendly and residents had fun dancing, swimming, eating on the grass, a little bowling, and more than anything just enjoying our time out! The day wasn't too hot and it was great to see the residents outside of their normal routine. It is amazing how different people are when their

environment is changed. Some of the residents surprised me in how well they adapted to a new routine and environment. It seemed to help that they were

also surrounded by their normal group of

people. After a relaxing morning we dove into our picnic. This consisted of a fried noodle dish with chicken and vegetables, steamed vegetables in a thick sauce, some fruit, and KFC chicken. Oh, and don't forget the

rice!!! It was a great picnic and the residents enjoyed it immensely.

After the food and a

little bit of time to let it settle it was time to hit the water. This basically meant having anyone not in a wheelchair jump in and take a bath. It was a fun time to watch as some of them

enjoyed it and others thought it was the end of the world. In the end though they all ended up being wet and for the most part clean!

I just hope next time we could have our swimsuits on for this. I think

the pictures can explain a lot more how fun this event was!

Village Doctors

My supervisor at Cheshire Home used to travel with this group quite a bit when she was working in Sandakan and when the opportunity arose for her to join them on this excursion she invited me along. We started out early on Saturday morning and started the long drive through windy roads in the mountains to a small remote village. Here we got busy right away. There were tables set up, in what appeared to be the villages meeting house, to see patients and distribute medicine. It was a fantastic event to witness and be apart of. We spent all day Saturday meeting the villagers and distributing medicine, food, toys, and clothes. At first it was

very overwhelming for me because I had no idea what to expect and what needed to be done. The group I was with had a pretty solid routine and they each had their duties to complete. When asked to do something I gladly pitched in otherwise I was left to observe, visit,

and learn. Let me tell you, I learned a lot on this short trip. There was one doctor with us and he was very willing to teach me about the conditions of the village and what sort of things they usually encounter. If memory serves me right he called

me over and said, "Sit down and learn." So I did. I learned about arthritis, asthma, malnutrition, lice, and much more. Watching all the people come through our little makeshift clinic was eye opening to how different the world can be just two hours away from your own home. In the village it was hard to get to a clinic of any kind for medical help. Through many conversations with different volunteers on this trip I was able to learn that they try and do these village runs as much as possible. Some will try for the minimum of once a month but organizing enough people to go and getting the supplies in is sometimes difficult and they are not able to go. When asked how often a doctor, themselves or others, come to each village they said it might be once a year. It is just amazing to think that many of us can drive 15 minutes and see a doctor and others wait a whole year.

After a busy day a group of us gathered up our bags and followed the local kids down to the river for a bath. We thought the kids were just going to show us the river and turn around and head back up but that is not how it went. As soon as we reach the waters edge they stripped down and jumped in! The joys of being a kid in a village. No worries, no shame.

Just the joy of swimming in the river with friends and in this case a few strangers. The rest of us were a little more modest and either wore a swimming suit or our clothes. After our bath it was finally time to get some food. So we all headed back up to our base camp and through our bags in their respective spots and

got ready for dinner. The night lasted a long time with visits from the head of the village (and a group of boys that hung out with me for a long time), sharing stories and songs, and having many discussions. It was a great end to the day. All that was left to do was sleep. We were very blessed and offered a place in the main area of a house. It was very kind of the village and they went out of their way to make us comfortable.

The next morning was a blur of goodbyes and loading into the large 4X4 trucks to carry us home. The weekend was one of the best weekends I have had and it allowed me to see so much more of what Malaysia is made of. It is one weekend I hope can occur at least once more before heading home.