On November 10, 2013, the Banquet of Honour organised by FCBC, facilitated by Together in Transformation, was thrown for around 1,500 Chinese foreign workers. Aside from appreciating their effort in building this city and making our homes, we wanted to show them honour and respect – which was largely absent in their lives.
The programme consisted of a sumptuous eight-course dinner at a restaurant and a mesmerising performance by performing artistes of the Sichuan Disabled Art Troupe at TOUCH Community Theatre.
Due to overwhelming response, the foreign workers were split into two groups. The first had dinner followed by the performance, while the second enjoyed the performance before having dinner.
The foreign workers were shuttled in buses from their various worksites or accomodations throughout Singapore. Upon arrival, FCBC’s volunteers warmly received them with applause as they made their way to the restaurant or into the auditorium.
The performance that the Sichuan Disabled Art Troupe presented at TOUCH Community Theatre was made up of a number of acts that portrayed the grateful hearts of the people in Sichuan after receiving aid during both earthquakes. The acts spread the message of “Understanding Life; Firing Up Dreams” to showcase the self-improving, grateful and endeavouring spirit of the people of Sichuan. Most importantly, it inspired treasuring one’s life and all that one has, to strive for a better future. The performance by their own countrymen was very well received by the Chinese foreign workers. Some were even moved to tears!
The dinner was packed with joy and excitement. Pastor Cheng Kim Meng welcomed the foreign workers by reading a welcome speech from Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong. Following that, the foreign workers were entertained by the endearing and humorous emcee of the night, Pastor Lee Hak Ming, with a ‘three blessings’ ice-breaker and a ‘blessing’ draw, all the while feasting on a mouth-watering dinner spread. Our volunteer table hosts were diligent in serving and meeting the needs of the foreign workers. Some even had heart-to-heart conversations with some of the foreign workers who shared their life and work. The dinner ended with a banquet must-have – ‘yum-seng’ or toast, followed by a prayer of blessing.
During dinner, we managed to pull a couple of foreign workers away from their table long enough to have a short conversation:
Shen Tao, 46 years old, winner of the second prize of the blessing draw told us he has been in Singapore for about five months. Hailing from Tai An of the Shandong province of China, he felt that the Singaporeans behaved so differently at this event – everyone was hospitable! He was thankful to the church for the warm hospitality.
He also shared his three blessing wishes, which were that his family in China will be healthy, everything will go smoothly at work, and that he can earn more to send home to his family in China.
The other foreign worker we spoke to was Wang Bing, who said this was his third Banquet of Honour. He has been working in Singapore for 5 years at a construction site situated around Orchard and Somerset MRT. He was very happy as he felt all the effort he put in his work these five years received some form of affirmation and honour from the church during the Banquet of Honour.