Henry Chow is a Rover Scout and the current Department Head for Information Systems. He was also a contingent member of our 6th International Service Project to Taiwan, with his role being the videographer for this trip.
I didn’t like challenges as a kid.
My goal back then was to avoid every single obstacle, taking the path of least resistance and to essentially proceed through life in as much comfort as humanly possible.
Naturally then, when asked to take part in a vacation that consisted primarily of working in a high-stress, time-crunched environment, the budding hedonist in me would have undoubtedly refused; laughing all the way.
And yet, I found myself on a flight to Taiwan just a few months ago while tasked with one of the more demanding roles of the contingent- the job of a videographer. Though I would be accompanied on this trip by close friends, a sinking feeling in my gut would persist throughout the hours before our arrival at Taoyuan airport (not from the airline food, mind you).
I was clueless as to what kind of work I was getting myself into, and fearful that this trip would conclude as just a disappointing work vacation of little value. I was right, but only about the “busy” part. We hit the ground sprinting.
At the airport, we immediately started filming the interactions between us and the Taiwanese Scouts, while simultaneously prepping our files for editing. The media team and I worked during whatever break in activities, and in whichever locations that we could. This included places such as the tour bus, in restaurants, rural areas and so on. Our work would extend past the curfews, of our own volition, as we worked together in order to reach that hard-sought deadline. This would be true for nearly every proceeding day of iProj.
Strangely enough, I didn’t mind any of it. None of the fatigue or weariness of working for about 10 hours each day for two weeks had really crossed my mind, because I was so focused on producing the best videos possible in the limited time that we had.
I didn’t even know I could work that much in a day, or in a week; nor the fact that I even enjoyed capturing/editing videos that much.
Since people consider University to be a place of self-discovery, I would argue that International Projects offer this opportunity as well, perhaps in an even more potent form. Both provide a significant challenge for the individual, and the right conditions for that challenge to be completed. In completing this trip’s challenge, I’ve gained knowledge about the surprising amount of work that I’m capable of, and a sort of litmus test for a field I was interested in.
I’m certain that this International Project will linger in my mind as a significant milestone for personal growth, and that the lessons learned will remain relevant throughout the rest of my life. The spectacular views and great food weren’t bad, either.