"Only after going through Marketing for Mamas, however, I realized that lasting solutions do exist and that we could all volunteer our gifts of the head, hand, and heart to be a part of it."

Cambodia was nothing short of a magical experience. But not for the reasons one might expect.

This episode taught us several valuable lessons that we will carry with us beyond this course – not least of all, the importance of building strong, genuine relationships within that said ecosystem.

Spending time in nature makes us kinder, happier, healthier and more alive. This calls for some nature therapy, and Sweden's untouched wilderness provides the perfect antidote.

You become more and more like the people you spend the most time with – and in this fast-paced world, these people are most likely your co-workers; so choose your friends carefully and your colleagues even more so.

Purpose can come from the grand and majestic but also from the everyday. How do we make sense of all that and find our very own?

In Singapore, we may have more financial capital, but here in Cambodia it seems they possess more of the other capitals. It seems pretty funny to me how we, considered by some definitions a more developed country, “progressed” when really we are merely exchanging one type of capital for another.

The village used to be a place that was left behind, as young adults headed for work in the city, leaving their parents and young children at home. There's a parallel here to the situation in my home country, China, as Baan Rai Kong Khing's past mirrors that of many rural villages in China.The lack of industrial development and education cause a deficiency in job opportunities and income resources, forcing people to leave their hometowns to become cheap labourers elsewhere.

Stepping out of Hong Kong’s sophisticated MTR system and into the streets of Sham Shui Po, I was instantly struck by one thing - contrast. The next few days were going to reveal more of Hong Kong’s contrasting landscapes as we carried out the legwork and groundwork to prepare for an exciting new course on social innovation in 2016.

As I think back, I am not too clear on why as to I decided to go on an OCIP trip like this – was it to confirm my cynical criticisms on volunteerism or a subconscious desire to prove myself wrong? Whichever the case, I don’t think I’m regretting it.

When we were asked about the dangers we needed to pay attention to in the forest, Sierra asked us what the most dangerous creature in the forest is. Someone answered 'snakes', while others answered 'monkeys'. My answer was the mosquito. To our surprise, all of us were wrong; Sierra told us that the most dangerous creature who can cause damage to the forest is ourselves - humans.

Knowing where our food came from seemed to make the food taste better - it was a sense of knowing what we have is from the earth, and that we were only taking what we needed.