Xin Tong's "little" story.

Name: Xin Tong Chow (XT)

Date: 13 February 2012

Expedition: 07C as Host Country Venturer (Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia)

What are you doing now:

Ecological Frontier Program with Institute of Ecotechnics

What has Raleigh meant for you:

I have a few great adventures in my life, Raleigh is one of it.

My Introweekend was mentally challenging for me, I could barely speak English properly. Therefore, there was this quiet kampong moi confused between the words “repellant” and “propellant”. I had to just force through the weekend with broken English. It was great! That was what Raleigh used to mean for me, my English class around the English speaking community.

My expedition fundraising was the most busy and eventful Valentines in my life. The community spirit of Raleigh KL family was tremendous, some people hardly know me but they made time to help me nevertheless. We organized Blind Dates, we sang dedicated love songs in bank office, we sold thousands of roses and most importantly, I achieved my target and made so many lifelong friends! Years after, 2 couples that I sold roses to, got married, I was happy as Larry!

Raleigh expedition is a self discovery channel. You watched yourself transform into many other forms that you could never imagine you could be. Those scars, blisters, muscle aches, burnt mess tin, stained shirts, tanned skin and worn out apparels did not seem significant after all. You keep finding treasures in your day by day life.

I found wonders of waking up to the joyful songs of gibbons and birds rather than screaming alarm clock. I found ways to sleep under a leaking tarp without getting wet. I found spirit to trek into the dense jungle and up the steep mountain slopes while screaming in pain and crying over my weak body. I found time, to write poems and letters. I found time, for conversations. I found time, to reflect and think. I found joy of freedom, to create your own adventures. I gained so much that what I gave in seems very insignificant.

Serving in Raleigh KL committee was another adventure. I organized a trekking trip to Gunung Tahan, compromising 18 young souls. During that trek, unintentionally we were practicing the 5 boundless emotional expressions which are:

Courage in the face of adversity

Friendliness towards happiness

Compassion towards misery

Generosity towards achievements

Equanimity towards stupidity

What a meditation! It was an unforgettable trip for me. Many of us became best of friends since. During my committee term, I was the secretary 1 that sat too long on the president lap hence romance developed. We became the eloping couple that traveled 20,000kms with our self-built mobile home in Australasia and creating our adventure of a lifetime.

Raleigh made me what I am today. She was part of me, is part of me and will always be part of me. Raleigh gave me hell lot of hope, courage and independence. So all in all, you can say, Raleigh means bloody lot to me. That is just my little story.