It's great that you're thinking about the unethical side of overseas volunteering, Yanqin! I think firstly, we need to ask ourselves what skills do we have to contribute during the volunteer trip, that is in-demand in the host village/country and when carried out, will positively impact the community we are trying to help. Why should we spend $7-800 to fly down to build a well, when the locals can do it 10x faster? Instead of teaching the students English, why not plan some sort of curriculum for the teachers, or maybe even partner with a local university to come up with a long-lasting education plan? Keywords here are continuity, longevity & efficient allocation of resources (so that both sides benefit!) Hope this helped

@lynnchan @Sharon-Lok yes me too! experienced the same thing in Sapa, Vietnam, and it was the only thing that made the trip unpleasant. I decided not to buy because (1) I really had no need for these souvenirs (2) I didn't want all the other vendors to target me and (3) to do so may encourage more locals to start selling souvenirs.. and I'm sure there are other means of livelihood that are more sustainable, generate less waste and not dependent on the tourist dollar.

@Rebecca-Lim This is such a relatable question! When it comes to packing for my travels, I try to plan my outfits for each day, and pack them in a single Ziplock bag so that it’s easier to pull them out without having to unpack my entire luggage. I tried switching to cloth packing cubes, but found that it takes up more space than a Ziplock would, because of the air it packs into your luggage. I have reverted back to using Ziplock bags since. I try to reuse them during the trip by using them to pack my clothes at the end of my travels, but I still end up creating a lot of waste. What else can I do? Love to hear your suggestions if any, @Sharon-Lok! Thanks in advance

@Eelin-Ong You can go to this page on their site, search by country and you'll find the location of little free libraries across the world, including Asia! https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/

@Lin-Yanqin Thanks! I'll bear this in mind when considering whether i hire a car or take the train .

@ho-shuhuang When you don't feel like doing anything at all, a small step makes all the difference. Thank you for reminding me of this today.

While we can wield our might to be as strong and as resilient as we can be, some people need that extra nudge to build their resilience. For instance, if one grows up in a household where his parents are verbally abusive, it might take him a lot more effort to fight his inner demons (i.e. being self-critical, low self-esteem, etc.) than someone who's confident having grown up in a health household. Of course, like what @maitatoy has mentioend - resilience is a muscle that we need to flex! It's just that we have to acknowledge some people are born to be more athletic than others.

Thanks for your input @ho-shuhuang. Yes a diagnosis certainly is like a double-edged sword! A diagnosis is something that can serve as a useful starting point, and we reckon that shouldn't be the final goal or determining factor in our daily living. In many ways, stigma happens when people misuse the "label" and see it as a be all and end all, instead of seeing that there is life beyond the definitions of a disorder.

@Warmanadarsh2504 It sounds like you're going through a tough time finding someone to hear you out. We're sorry that you're going through this right now... Loneliness can be a crippling and overwhelming emotional state to be in. We can't specifically advise you on how to improve your relationship with your friends or family, but there are others who are willing to talk with you through these difficult times. Perhaps consider speaking with a counsellor? There are a number of mental health helplines which @maitatoy has provided. Some of them are free. You're never alone, and help is available. You can even remain anonymous for some of these services. We hope you'll feel better after speaking to someone who is trained and who would also talk to you without judging. Sometimes loneliness can be our friend. It allows us to be still in this noisy world, and from that we develop greater strength and resilience.

@Sharon-Lok thanks for the great tip on using apps! Aside from the period tracker, one of the apps we've come across is Dailyo, which lets us to rate our moods daily and record our activities. Pretty useful for people who prefer a more pictorial way of recording their moods! There's also Mood Panda which is similar but has a social function to it - it lets users publish their struggles publicly and receive "hugs" from those in the same thread/channel. If a person is not into apps, journaling and writing are also good ways to becoming more aware of their emotions. Simple things such as listing their symptoms as bullet points, or laying them out in a table really goes a long way in tangibly monitoring their moods across a period (or periods) of time.

Alfred's suggestion is great. The Creature Feature should speak well to the young and the not so young. I think we can do more too. Helping to talk to people in our lives about the issues is one big way to spread awareness, especially those that we know take TCM. We want everyone, humans and wildlife, to be healthy and safe, and there are great plan based TCM options out there that help people to get better, and is ultimately better for wildlife too! Wins all around!

It is has been said, that journey is always better when it is shared for focusing only on ourselves will not reveal our life's purpose. Strangers it may seem, but, they were God-sent Angels as channel of blessings for you to see His goodness and great mercy.

@gizellealpuerto I like your suggestions, Gizelle! Participating in the local economy helps secure jobs which stems the need for people to venture off and possibly risk their lives to trafficking. It's a good reminder that we all can't do everything, but we can do something. Even the act of listening can provide support to the downtrodden. Thanks so much, Gizelle.

@alfred76 I totally agree! It really doesn't take much to make someone's day.

Listen and pay attention to all the emotion. Suicide do not happened overnight. It is an accumulations of incidents which needs to be managed by people who believe in that person. This is what I am improving on, to coach people and not the problem.