VOLUNTEER BLOG

A moment of reflection

by Calvin Ho

I’ve been struggling to write about my experience on Apo island for quite some time now.

I could elaborate extensively about the responsibilities of a volunteer, and explain how the project has the potential to protect the sea turtles and the community they support. Or preach incessantly about how urgently the ocean needs protection. 

I could try my best to make people notice how often we take for granted the convenience of daily life in the city without even noticing. Without a tap or constant electricity, simply living on an island isn’t so simple.

But I can’t even begin to put to words;

how wondrous living by the ocean is,

to be get to know a turtle personally,

to have corals in our garden,

to discover something new ever so often.

Or how fortunate I felt when I was accepted into such a warm and caring family;

preparing our meals on the balcony,

and experiencing the truly filipino fiesta spirit,

my colleagues, and the islanders, will always have a special place in my heart.

Or how breathtaking the sunsets are everyday,

oh the sunsets from our balcony,

and the contentment that it fills us with.

Or how magical it feels to be sleeping under the Milky Way,

for the first time in a long time,

I rather be awake than dreaming.

The truth is, no amount of writing would do justice to the experience I had.

The days I spent living by the ocean would replay itself ever so often in my subconscious and conscious mind.

I wish I could tell everybody all about it, but more so,

I wish everybody would take the chance to experience it themselves.

Calvin, third from the right, with his LAMAVE research family.

Calvin with a green turtle in the waters of Apo Island.

Sunset from Apo Island looking out to the island of Negros

Calvin Ho is an Engineering student from Singapore who recently volunteered with LAMAVEs Turtle Research and Conservation Project on Apo Island. Passionate about wildlife since a young age he also loves photography and shoots with film, a practice that has taught him to cherish moments.