All Aboard!

余廼生（Nelson）

        What’s the recipe for a fruitful summer? Would it be cramming for SAT? Hitting movie theaters for movies that you can download? Doing house chores? Or evolving to a couch potato? If you are disinterested by those humdrum alternatives or facing a burdensome dilemma, I’ll strongly recommend you to engage in Selah’s summer program.

　　Selah has commenced numerous summer programs for students and teachers who cherish music and creativity. Initially, I was sort of nagging myself about wagering my vacation for a music program. After six hours of train to the camp, I convinced myself that I made the worst decision of my life. However, I slowly realized that I was inherently wrong.

This summer we held a camp for students of Taitung’s Wan - An Elementary School. Although Taitung hadn’t been as developed and urbanized as Taipei, Taitung’s bucolic and serene charisma conciliated everybody’s weary soul. The air was clean and fresh; the mountains vigorously stretched beyond the horizons; the rice fields gracefully rolled out like sheets of green mattress; and the roasting sun slowly baked behind the soft marshmallow clouds. We walked from the train station to a little but cozy motel and settled down, biked around the neighborhood at evening, and stopped at an elevated porch so we can rest our eyes upon the sparkling night sky where Heaven meets Taitung. So far, I think this summer program wasn’t too disappointing.

For the next two days, we had lots of fun and joy with the students. We basically had four teams, and eight kids were allocated to my team. Chris, my best friend, and I supervised the kids to name their team, choreograph their cheer song and dance moves, play games, participate in activities, and show their best demeanor. Chris and I learned how to act as leaders and role models for the kids to follow up. As the awkwardness and tension got loose, all the kids and captains from different teams bundled together into a huge family. I haven’t felt such a strong sense of companionship and unity for years already. I told myself that six hours of train was worth the price.

When it was time to say goodbye, my heart almost crumbled. As Chris and I handed out the certificates and accolades to our kids, I was tormented by agony; however, simultaneously, I was also mollified by our accomplishments. Before we left, many kids came to us and asked for our contact number, E-mail, facebook, you name it. On the way home, everyone mingled and laughed about the anecdotes from the past few days. Although the camp was evanescent, it left me remarkable stories and experiences that I could bequeath to people who want a rewarding summer with Selah.

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needed a little more impetus to express themselves, Nelson and I eventually found an equilibrium. I certainly wish I didn't have to leave them so soon.

I cannot underestimate how formative and important an experience this was for me, one I wish I had much earlier in my own life, especially considering the career path I am on. Certainly there I saw how beautiful a place Taidong is and found it interesting how everyone on the team worked together.

What was most important is how an activity can keep you busy both day and night, not only in the teaching, but also in getting to know the people around you. Any activity that asks for one's full attention is, at the end of the day, a worthwhile one.