2009HOBY經驗
HOBY
All About HOBY
By Sunny Cheng
2009 HOBY WLC Student Ambassador
Tou-Liu Senior High School
Although I felt unqualified in comparison with the many talented
students from all over Taiwan, I started to build up self-confidence and to
bloom throughout every stage of reaching the HOBY World Leadership Congress (WLC)
in Washington, DC. While going through the selection process, I realized how
deficient I was; however, I had gained self-confidence by undergoing not only
frustration and sadness, but also lots of joy from the smiles around me that had
broadened my life.
Before leaving for the WLC, our Taiwan HOBY group stayed in Los
Angeles for a week to prepare for participation in this activity. Even now, I
still clearly remember how we continually practiced our dance every night for
the talent show. From a beginner to an expert, every breath I took brought me to
the next level; the flashbacks from this experience have both filled and engaged
my mind.
In Los Angeles, we had the first chance to meet the eight HOBY
student ambassadors from Mainland China. During our seven-day interaction in Los
Angeles, we were no longer just Taiwan HOBY and China HOBY. We had united as
teammates, partners, and, moreover, as friends.
Under the repeated urging from HOBY WLC, I was very “fortunate”
to be selected in a group without any other Chinese student ambassadors. Before
the WLC began, I was full of passion, thinking “I will show the spirit of Taiwan
to the world!” However, I chickened out later when I actually had the chance.
Now, I regret my fear. In the first few days at the WLC, I went through a
chaotic period, mostly having the thought that “silence is golden.”
Nevertheless, on the third day, unexpectedly my depression had
gone away like a sticker without glue, which no longer restrained me from
presenting my country. The night of the presentation, for the sake of
introducing and promoting Taiwan, I completely got the silence off my chest that
should have been thrown away a long time ago. After striving my best for the
dance performance, my smile had turned into my name, “Sunny.”
Once I left behind the old me, my teammates were surprised by my change and
started to interact with me. I must say that because of these excellent young
Taiwan citizens, we may have increased Taiwan’s tourism income tremendously
—lots of foreign friends have fallen in love with Taiwan.
But when everyone was engaged in introducing their countries,
many Taiwan HOBY student ambassadors became sick and were quarantined. It is
needless to say that we were worried about them; their absence from the talent
show was a pity.
Although one week was not a short time, when you think about it,
seven days were definitely not enough. On the night before leaving the WLC, my
teammates and I gathered in the group room; what remained in our minds was
everything that had happened over the past week. A few hours ago, we had the
perfect ending dance, filled with the laughter and friendly faces. All of a
sudden, I wished everything could stop at that moment, and that the dawn would
never come.
It was a once in a lifetime experience. Even though it was very
short, it left me with an eternal memory. I did not regret the decision I had
made. In our lifetimes, there are lots of “people moments.” Out of all these
moments, it is hard, or sometimes impossible, to see those people ever again.
However, how gratifying would it be if I can leave a smile, or a teardrop for
them?
Because of them, my world has begun to change.
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