Groundbreaking

By Jiyun Shin

The big day had finally come. Full of excitement, the seniors gathered at school on Saturday evening, 14th of September, to leave Penang for our senior sneak to Phi Phi Island.

In the bus ride, the students were ready to set off on a new journey with mixed feelings: enthusiasm, fatigue, and anxiety; some people closed their eyes while others kept their mouth moving during the entire bus ride. After the long, weary overnight bus and boat rides, the students stepped onto the golden, soft sand and were greeted by singers and beach umbrellas that spelled “welcome.” The first stop at the resort was the breakfast buffet; the seniors were ready to feast as they grabbed the plates and eagerly waited in line.

While waiting in the lobby to check-in, the sponsors handed out the room keys and collected phones from the seniors. As soon as the seniors arrived at their assigned rooms, they quickly threw their dirty clothes on the floor and changed into swimsuits, rushing to the fun pool.

The senior ExCom organized an optional period where the students could maintain and strengthen their relationship with God every night before dinner. Surprisingly, around half or more of the class chose to spend more time with God and cooled down from the afternoon activities at the same time.

The dinner buffet on the first night was shocking and impressive. No one expected a meal full of sashimi, sushi, and fajitas. The students continuously gulped down the mouth-watering food until it was time for them to participate in the class meeting. To end the first day with joy, the seniors played a group activity called the human knot game, which included strong teamwork and helped create a tighter bond of friendships.

Tuesday was different; the seniors woke up early to walk to the Thai school for a service project. At first, the seniors had a hard time reaching out to the Thai students due to the language barrier; however, this was an exception for Wansuk Kunawaradisai (12), who knew how to speak in Thai. When all the other groups were done and spending time with the Thai students, the painting group barely had any breaks and continuously worked on their artwork. Whenever the sponsors asked the painting crew how much more time they needed, Grace Moon (12) responded, “It will end around 2:20, but we need to finish this.” Due to the scorching heat, most of the students paid for the boat ride that brought them back to the resort.

The most unwanted time of the trip eventually came; students were too busy taking photos so that they could capture every single moment and recall the memories they had made on Phi Phi island. As the seniors set their foot on the boat, they felt a mixture of contentment and misery, realizing that they would have to face reality soon. Senior sneak was an opportunity for the students to bond by creating splendid and unforgettable memories.

                        Photo credit: Mrs. Horton