37th SSEAYP 2010 - Night of Destiny

Day 49 - 12 December 2010

Due to the spread of Influenza virus, all the Participating Youths (PYs) of the 37th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP) were advised to don masks. It was an experience having a mask on while doing morning exercise in the Pacific Hall.

We had the Post-Programme Session IV (Sharing of Individual Reports by Discussion Group) led by the Discussion Group Steering Committee members. Basically, everyone shared their personal post-programme commitment to do some projects to contribute to society. One of my projects involved developing youths via my Residents' Committee Youth Chapter as well as create more opportunities for the sharing of cultural experiences.

Since Discussion Group (Youth Development) ended early, some of us gathered at the Veranda to print photographs (there is a photo-printing machine on board) and send postcards (there is a postal service too!). There was a Postmaster, who everyone would vividly remember because of his cranky style of speaking English. Before Fuji Maru berthed at a Port-of-Call, he would close the postal service and then sent them off on land. We could purchase postal stamps from him. Lamination cardboards were also distributed to allow us to turn photographs into post cards. The stamps were valued based on Japanese currency, so I wondered how local postage services processed our mails.

Even though some postage services could take a time longer than our SSEAYP journey, many PYs faithfully sent out postcards to friends and families. Some even sent to themselves, so they could be reminded of the memorable journey.

I made my first postcard with a photo, bought a stamp and deposited it at the postbox. I intended to get the postcard mailed to Mortal in time for Christmas greetings, but the postcard would never reach Mortal due to unexplained circumstances.

Postmaster Match was kind enough to let us have a copy of his namecard with Fuji Maru chop

After lunch was Club Activity (Presentation), where each contingent shared the activities that was conducted over the past 50 days. The format of the presentation was such that each contingent must involve PYs of other contingents during the sharing, so as to show the learning and gains by the PYs.

Sharing by Cambodia PYs

Sharing by Indonesia PYs

Sharing by Japan PYs

Non-Japan PYs playing the Japanese Drum (Taiko)

Sharing by Lao PYs

Sharing by Malaysia PYs

Sharing by Thailand PYs

Sharing by Vietnam PYs

As the Influenza virus outbreak got worse with more PYs in the down with flu, PYs were asked to wear double mask for added protection.

Group Leaders Meeting in preparation for Farewell Party

I was roped in to be a co-Master of Ceremony with Tan (Thailand Assistant Youth Leader) and thus had a meeting to discuss the programme.

Typing out the script

We would not have guessed that our preparation would go to waste when the Japan Government cancelled all activities due to the virus outbreak a day later.

I rushed out a script (thanks to my Toastmasters background) and rushed with Mortal to participate in the Night of Destiny.

♥ We cleared the first stage with mutual trust ♥

The Night of Destiny was a gameshow, organised by the Vietnam Contingent, to select the best couple on board Fuji Maru.

The first stage was the bound-legs race. Losers were eliminated.

The second challenge was a series of questions to test if both parties could answer them the same way.

Q1: Where did the both of you first met?

Q2: What is the most attractive thing about your partner?

Thanks to PG (Philippines) who raised some of these questions over a lunch a few days back, Mortal and I got full score for this challenge.

The last challenge was the most difficult - identifying your partner just by the touch of his/her hand.

And we made it!

Emerging as "Best Couple"

Concurrently, at the Pacific Hall, the Lao Contingent held a Mr and Miss Apone Lao. The Singapore Contingent also held a move screening of "Homerun".

After the Night of Destiny, the Singapore Contingent held a Mambo Night at the Emerald Lounge.

"Only you can set me free,

cuz I'm guilty, guilty as a girl can be.

Come on baby can't you see,

I stand accused of loving the first degree..."