On the fourth of November, an otherwise bleary morning was further invigorated when Hua Yi Secondary School's cadets treaded onto the awe-inspiring path of ' The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum' located in the prestigiously revered Chinese Garden. Upon admission, we were gripped with shock to come upon the knowledge that the museum has attained the 'Guinness World Records' for withholding the largest collection of 3,456 tortoises and turtles in the world, comprising of 1,000 live specimens and innumerable ornaments, tablewares, furnitures and even the presence of toys in the aura of these shelled creatures. What a whooping figure!

Affable and friendly, Mr. Danny Tan, one of the collectors, was all ready to conduct a guided tour upon witnessing the bewitchment found on our astonished faces. We were exposed to the mystic jungle river, the harnessing charm and majestic beauty of the 'Radiated turtle' to begin with! The tanks were overwhelmed with turtles and tortoise you will dread missing! Now, i will have the shattering honour to introduce the sedative little ones!

The ultimate rarity: the 'Golden Temple turtle' , 'Golden Terrapin turtle' and the 'Golden soft-shell turtle'! For the flattest tortoise in history, the well-acclaimed 'Pancake tortoise' is renowned! The acritical 6-legged tortoise is none other than the 'Asian Brown tortoise', not to forget the 'Sulcata' ; world's third largest tortoise! Definitely spellbounded, the most dangerous turtle is the 'Alligator Snapping turtle'. Mr. Danny Tan elaborated on its menace, this very turtle can bite off your entire hand if you ever enter its mirthless jaw! Talk about a shielding facade of an enemy! Last but not least, the 'Snake necked turtle' is also our inhibited longest neck turtle!

Our cadets really had an unforgettable experience befriending the tortoises by feeding them cucumbers. Witnessing the bliss that was evidently seen, it was nonetheless a memorable trip. However, all things had to come to a conclusion. After taking pictures with the widely-acclaimed owner, we purchased souvenirs (yes, tortoises and turtles' ornaments of course!) and baded goodbye.

Our next destination is the 'Ren Ci Wan Qing Lodge' , a centre for the old folks to segregate and rehabilitate. Mounted with the recyclable materials like tissue boxes, toilet rolls and cardboards; for instance that we had readied ourselves with, all decorated and conscientiously designed. We were all prepared to set off. At the centre, we immediately got down to work without a hinge of time wasted on dilly-dallying. We were not oblivious of the fact that Christmas is dawning and it was very crucial to provide the old folks with a cheery atmosphere for happiness to sink in. Allocating and delegating the various tasks, the centre was soonafter transformed into a gleeful haven. Through implementation of arduous long hours and hard work, the sweat that lingered ensured our determination to succeed and to accomplish our 'mission'. The christmas tree created out of cotton balls, the glittery 'merry christmas' evolved, the star-shaped cards filled with our heartwarming greetings and the warm ambience we morphed were our dedications.


Glancing at the old folks' pleasurable looks, we were really delighted. After taking a group photo, we left with a lifting spirit. Fourth of November had knitted into joy and enrichment. Not only had we boosted our intrapersonal skills but also touched on the mundane lives of others! We will definitely be indulged in the self-awareness of aiding others in need and look forward to another fun-filled momentum! (: