It was about ten years ago, I was nine at that time. During the summer vacation, our family visited an uncle who lived in a village in Sichuan. We stayed there for a week, which I thought it seemed three months. That place made me feel uncomfortable. One early morning, I was awakened by father and requested to work in farm for a day as uncle was sick suddenly. My work that morning was to feed the chickens. The living environment was simple and crude as only straw and wood there. It was noisy, chickens were all roaring cock-a-doodle-doo whole day and annoyed me.

Chickens eat there and excrete there, they seldom have a bath. The smell there was much smellier than in public toilet in China and nearly made me vomit. I picked up the feeds and put it into the trough. I saw they ate happily and nonstop. I tried a few feeds; they were tasteless and dry which like some overdue stuttered white bread. Suddenly, a chicken pecked my hand with its sharp mouth and started chasing me. It was painful and a little blood grasped out. I was scared and ran to wash my hand immediately. What a terrible experience!

I cried in there for a whole night and begged my parents to bring me home as soon as possible. As time passed by, it was already ten years. I was nineteen now. I have done lots of works to raise my experience. I want to challenge myself, thus, I have worked in different jobs like waitress and salesperson. In these jobs, I found myself was too weak. When there were problems or difficulties, I just want to escape from them. Becoming more mature is one of my long-term goals but I have no means to do so. ‘Why you choose to go the study tour to England but not volunteering in Sichuan? my friend asked me when she saw my application form. ‘Because I hate Sichuan, that terrible place. ’ I replied without hesitation. The moment was still fresh in my memory, that fearful moment. I remembered that nauseating and disgusting smell.

I remembered that annoying roaring. I remembered that unpalatable feed. I remembered that painful when I was being bitten by that chicken. After that incident in Sichuan, I swear that I must not go to Sichuan again. ‘But volunteering in Sichuan is much more meaningful as you can help those in need. I started to rethink it again and again… After that, in the following week, I left Hong Kong to start my volunteering in Sichuan. In Sichuan, there were still numerous poor big families, children cannot get enough food to eat or have medical care. They have miserable lives, without any luxury goods. I have to be satisfied as I can go to school and I can do and eat many things I want. Children there have to work hard every day; they feed animals, watering plants and collect products. Their hands were full of scars as they usually get hurt when they work.

During the volunteer work, we provided food and medicine for poor and they were happy to see us. I even help them to feed chicken again; however, this time was nice because I was willing to do so and I completely my work successfully. I was delighted that I chose to go Sichuan as this experience was life-changing and beautiful. I realized that one thing to become more mature is not to escape from what we afraid or hate, try to overcome it or even change it. Sometimes, what besieges us is our feeling and experience. The only thing we should do is not to besiege ourselves and overcome all difficulties bravely.