National YOUTH Environment Forum (:

What does going green mean to us? That very question is the heartbeat behind our success during the National Youth Environment Forum (NYEF). The NYEF is a culmination of a month of planning, an effort to heighten green awareness and a common heartbeat amongst the 200 odd people seated there just yesterday.

First impressions? Not too good. The place was shabby for such an important event and the number of people present did not seem favourable for a good discussion. After the month of hard work we put in, was this the end? I thought that to myself, keeping it to myself and praying silently that would not be the case.

You know, life is always so unpredictable. Very simply put, NYEF was a success.

NYEF brought together people not only from Singapore but from all over the world and opened my eyes to new perspectives. There was this guy from Sweden and he spoke extremely fluent English. As he recounted Sweden’s efforts in going green which included the battery recycling programme, I wonder, how many of us actually bother ourselves with such a “mundane” topic? Perhaps none in Singapore, but it is a law in Sweden. What does this speak of us?

Not only that but working with a team of strangers was a first for me. They were special because we all started with a common goal – heightening awareness, providing a platform for discussion amongst the people. Hence, we seemingly worked and coordinated very well, possibly beyond my expectations. Certainly a first. It also goes to show how strong the pull of saving the environment is.

Definitely, I’ve also learnt not to judge things on the surface. Though it sounds kind of cliché, it is a true story of failure before success for me. How many of us actually look at ourselves in the mirror and feel that it reflects the worst of us, no matter what time of the day? Things are not as they seem.

NYEF – Naturally Your Extraordinary Forum. (:

Extraordinarily successful. Extraordinarily reflective. Extraordinarily green. xD