456 Advent Software’s Ocean Park Tour with Project Pearls

Written by Core Team Leader, Chessika Chua
Already the last day of February 2015 and time seems to be flying by and the years quickly pass. Why is it that time appears to go more quickly as we get older? Summer is here, rainy season next, another year to celebrate, and it is Christmas season before you know it. It’s actually “routine” that makes time go faster while unique and memorable events slow it down. Although there is comfort in routine, it does make time fly.
If you want to “slow down” and make your every day last longer, change the routine. Create unique experiences for each one. This is how our dear sponsor ADVENT SOFTWARE INC. chose to make their time worthwhile: to spend one Saturday with the kids from Project PEARLS at Manila Ocean Park!
Project Pearls aims to help the poorest of the poor children in the Philippines have a better life through feeding and educational programs. Pearls stand for Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love, Smiles.
Our Saturdate started by partnering the kids with their volunteer ates and kuyas. The first 5 pairs who found their partners became instant performers and had a dance showdown!
After the getting-to-know time, the volunteers and their partner kids were divided into 3 groups to start the tour! First stop: Oceanarium. It exhibits species that live in fresh waters. Part of the Oceanarium is Asia’s largest underwater viewing tunnel, where the kids and volunteers witnessed how different types of reef fish interact with each other. This area serves as a premiere educational facility, thus creating a fun learning experience for the kids and for the “feeling-kids” ates and kuyas as well.
Next stop: Amazing Stories of Yexel’s Museum where there are 7 spaces featuring life-sized toy interpretations, educational exhibits on toy making, spiders, outer space and more! Both the kids and volunteers had a fabulous time meeting Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, even the minions from Despicable Me and Darth Vader!
Ever dreamed of seeing a jellyfish dance and flutter up close? Well, our third stop was the Jellies exhibit where the kids and volunteers fell in love with the graceful dancing of these sea fairies! The group had discovered more about different jellyfish species from all over the world, from the smallest, largest, and even the most dangerous!
Our last stop was the Birds of Prey Kingdom where the kids and volunteers had a close encounter with the “Lawins” within a unique bird sanctuary as they perched in a hanging bridge along the coast of Manila Bay. Pictures were taken with these birds – perfect shots indeed to end our amusing tour! 🙂
It was essential to take our time with food too. Smiles between bites were evident as the volunteers and kids appreciated all the flavors in their meal. Everyone savored every moment while eating together! To cap off the activity, giveaways were handed out to the kids and happy smiles were ready for the group picture taking!
Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our own pursuits that we start seeing life more as a schedule to keep than a journey to be cherished. Our lives become nothing more than constant task lists, which cause us to move from one thing to the next without really enjoying any of it. But don’t wait for wonderful moments to happen. Make it happen NOW and cherish your time at: https://uhappyevents.com/volunteer/