OELP Reflections

Celest Seah (19)

Day 1
At 6 o clock in the morning of 26 May, I woke up feeling very exhilarated. It is finally the day of the long awaited overseas trip! My dad offered to drive me to the airport, which had saved me a lot of time. At the airport, all of my classmates were chatting animatedly, excited to be embarking on this immersion trip. After a four and half hours flight,  we finally arrived at Shanghai. China. We went to The Bund (外滩）immediately after that. We were appalled at the amazing sight of city, with the skyscrapers, the river and the oriental pearl tower. It was a memorable jaw dropping night view. Everyone took a lot of pictures, especially group pictures and videos. Following that, we went on a cruise tour on Huangpu River. There were many locals and tourists taking photos of scenery, mainly the oriental pearl tower. The LED light on the oriental pearl tower at night made it look very magnificent and I unknowingly snap many photos of it. After the cruise tour ended, we happily went to check in to the hotel, where we will be spending our first night in Shanghai...

Our class photo  airport

Oriental Pearl Tower

Our first dinner in Shanghai

Day 2

Early in the morning, we went to Yang Zhou by coach. We first visited the Ge Yuan Garden (个园). It is a very beautiful place with the decoration of nature. As we were touring the place, it began to rain very heavily. It was actually a wonderful sight to see all the different colors of umbrella held by my classmates. Following that, we went to the  Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal(京杭大运河). We boarded a boat for a tour on the canal. We are allowed to open the window of the boat so the cool breeze was very refreshing. We made our way to the Chinese Paper Cutting Museum（剪纸博物馆）. We are given a scissors as a gift from the museum. This visit is interesting as we get to have hand-on experience of paper cutting. Lastly, we visited the local supermarket. It was very crowded with shoppers. Our form teacher gave us some questions:

• What are the items sold cheaper in China? Cup noodles.
• What are the items sold more expensive in China? 1L drinking water. 
• Items China have but Singapore don't? Chewing gum.
• Items Singapore have but China don't? Sushi, Prata, Milo.

After the supermarket visit, we check-in to the hotel. We are very excited for the next day because we will be visiting the local school. 

个园

京杭大运河

剪纸博物馆

Day 3

Today, we spend our whole day in Shu Ren School. When we arrived there in the morning, we were awed by the size of the school. The principal was very welcoming and she even went to our hotel to accompany us. The school had many events planned for us and the day was rather packed. I was quite touched by their efforts to welcome us and treat us like an important guest. Firstly, we went to observe a Chinese lesson. Their students in China are very proactive in answering questions. They are attentive and actively participate in discussion. I think this stood in great contrast to Singaporean kids. After that, we had many events planned such as both parties sharing the cultural in their country and learning Wushu.We took a tour in the school garden. The garden is big and beautiful. Sadly, the limited land space in Singapore don't allow schools to have such a big garden in them. Following that, we played friendly games with the China students. There are 3 games, first game we had to put a ball in 2 person backs and then run, second game we have to jump in a rice sack and the third game we had to throw shuttlecocks into a bin. The winners were surprised by the soft toys they give as rewards. Even though i did not participate in the games, i had a lot of fun cheering for my classmates. Last but not least, we have a friendly basketball match with their school basketball school team. I was part of the team, and i had a lot of fun playing the game. Our classmates cheered their hearts out and i was touched. In the end, we got a soft toy too as present. After everything ended, I can't help but noticed that our school spirit stood in great contrast with the China students. We were cheering for one another, shouting 加油 throughout the whole game, whereas the China students only cheered when their team scored. I feel that this is something we can be very proud of. 

Some observations:

What are things we have in RV but shuren school don't?

• Lightning alert
• School Spirit
• CCA
• Wifi
• More variety of foods
• Uniform
• Clean toilet
• Whiteboard
• Locker
• Fan

What are things they have in shuren school but RV don't?

• Chalkboard
• Garden
• Staff canteen
• Calligraphy Room
• Coffee Lounge
• Can draw on walls
• Indoor Carpark

In conclusion, I still feel that the overall facilities in RV are better and i should appreciate what i have.

树人学校

Staff canteen where we had our lunch

The school garden

Day 4

Today, we went to another school campus. In this campus, there are only seniors who are aged 16 and up. We proceed to learn knot tying. I think this lesson is fun and enjoyable because I really like my final product. At first, i face a lot of difficulties but fortunately, the teacher is kind to walk around and help those in need. Next, it is finally the time for the highly anticipated performance time. Before the OELP, all of our classmates practiced hard during recess and after school to perfect the performance. After the both parties exchanged performances, everyone sang "朋友" together. It is very touching song and i'm glad we have the opportunity to do an exchange program with them. I enjoyed all the performances and it was my favorite program of the day. 

Following that, we went to have calligraphy lesson. As we regularly have calligraphy lesson in RV, I do not face difficulties throughout the lesson. However, the biggest problem was that the China students couldn't understand what I was trying to say. It could be probably due to my lack of accent. It was very difficult commuting to them. In the end, I show her my meanings through actions. Lastly, we bade farewell to the school. I was genuinely touched by their warm welcome and our treatment as an important guest. The school principal was very nice to us. We proceed to Xinhua bookstore next. I bought a book there which seems interesting. Most of the books cost 25 yuan(5 SGD), which I think is cheap. The book store is very big, with 7 stories and a lift. 

Difference between Yang Zhou bookstore and Singapore (popular)

Things Yang Zhou sell but Singapore don't :

• Sport Equipment
• Rice Cooker
• Vases
• Children corner
• Lift

Things Singapore sell but Yang Zhou don't:

• Printing paper 
• Decorative materials
• English books
• Food
• Baskets

The last place we visited for the day was the local supermarket. I bought a lot of chocolates there because in Singapore, my mum would always limit the chocolate i buy. There was not much difference in the prices of the chocolate between Yang Zhou and Singapore. I enjoy the supermarket visit because of the variety of things to buy, but i feel that the duration given to shop was too short.

Photo with my 2 buddies

Dance performance that i took part in

Singing "朋友" together

Day 5

We went to Slender West & 24 Bridges (瘦西湖)in the morning. The place has magnificent scenery. I think that the 24 bridges is interesting as it is called by that name because there are 24 steps in the bridge and in history, there will be 24 pretty girls standing on each step. Next, we went to visit the former residence of Zhu Ziqing. There, it exhibits the poems and stories that he wrote. One of the shprt stories he wrote was “背影”。I have read this story before and i think this stories hold a lot of meaning. Actually, i have never knew that Zhu Ziqing was the author of the story until that day. After the visit, i immediately thought back to Singapore founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. There are many talks around the country whether the government should preserve the house. Personally, i feel that his house should be made open to public and Lee Kuan Yew had mention before he wish to keep his house private after he passed away. 

Following that, we went to Dongguan Street, which is a shopping place. There are a variety of things sold there and the place is enormous. I bought a tea made locally from a tea house and some local handmade food. I can't wait to try it with my family. By the time we are done with shopping, my legs are extremely sore. Nevertheless, i feel that the time they had given to explore the place and shop was not enough. We went up the the tallest building there and took a group picture with the amazing view of the whole street in the background. I think this is a very good tourist place to visit which can benefit the country economically when tourist spend their money there.

Photos at Slender West Lake 

Group Photo at Dongguan Street

Day 6

Today, we travelled back to Shanghai. It was a rather busy and eventful day as i visited 5 tourist attractions. I was happy today as the class finally get a chance to wear our class tee because it is bright neon pink which make it easier for teachers to differentiate us in Chenghuang Miao, the first place we visited for the day. The tour guide only give us 1 hour to shop the huge place. It was very rush and in the end, my group only managed to tour half of the place. I was disappointed when i saw my classmates that went to the other half bought delicious food like mochi, as the side that we went to was mainly handcraft items and bags. Following that, we went to the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. We went into the Animal World and the highlight of the visit was a short 20 min 4D animated film of how germs harm our body. Through this cute film, i have learnt a lot. Lastly, we bought a lucky clover necklace as our group identity. 

Next, it was finally the much anticipated visit to the Oriental Pearl Tower! The class went up all the way to a whopping level of 263! It is undeniable that my legs was trembling a bit at firstas i stared down below the transparent floor at the observatory. I feel like the floor is going to give way and then i will drop down from the tremendous height! ;p As glanced as the view from the top, it was truly an eye-opening experience! No words could describe the exotic view of Shanghai! I was so glad to have the opportunity to come up to the observatory. Even though i have came to Shanghai before, i did not managed to go up to the 263 floor. It was packed with tourists and the memory will definitely be etched in my mind for a long time to come.

We went to the Old French Concession next. It was just a short walk through of the place but i think the place hold quite a deep historical value. The buildings are traditional and in a french style. Lastly, we went to the Tian Zi Fang. It is a shopping place. I feel that the things sold there are very expensive, with 90% of the items are more expensive than Singapore. I was very curious as to why, because from what i have known, the cost of living in China are much lower than Singapore. It was a very hectic day and i have a lot of fun.

Chenghuang Miao

Queuing for the lift to go to 263 floor

View from 263 floor in Oriental Pearl Tower!

Day 7

I woke up with a very heavy heart today morning, knowing that this trip is coming to an end in just a few more hours.

The schedule was light as we only visited 2 places. Firstly, we went to the Qibao Ancient Town. It is a another shopping place! For the past 3 days, we have been endlessly shopping, and i actually enjoyed it even though i can almost feel a hole in my wallet ;_; Qibao Ancient Town is rather similar to Dongguang Street. There are a huge range of items we can buy. Finally, it is time for our last visit of attractions in China... which was the Shanghai Museum. It is a 4 stories museum and there are 16 exhibits halls in total. I managed to view around 10 of the exhibits. I think Singapore's museum is incomparable to China because China has a written history of 4000 years! My favourite exhibit was the ancient coin exhibit. There are so many different types of coin, some even as old as the BC and the AD era. 

Lastly, we had to go to the airport for our flight back to Singapore... even though sometimes i do feel a sense of homesickness, but i really do not want to trip to end so quickly. It was a very very incredible overseas trip. Most importantly, it is how my classmates have bond so well with one another over the past 7 days. I miss how we would play games during meal times and organize "illegal" meeting in hotel... I really love 2I and the 2 years we have been together was a fun filled times. I feel very lucky to be in 2I. <3 I will remember this trip forever !!!!!

 At QiBao Ancient Town

Ancient coins from Shanghai Museum

Byeee China :( 

ACTUALLY WE ORGANIZED AN OVERNIGHT CLASS CHALET TO CURE EVERYONE'S POST OELP DEPRESSION! :D

Shanghai World Financial Center

The Shanghai World Financial Center (上海环球金触中心) is a supertall skyscraper located in the Pudong China of Shanghai, China. It was designed by Kohn Pederson Fox and developed by the Mori Building Company. It is a mixed-use skyscraper, consisting of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and ground-floor shopping malls. Park Hyatt Shanghai is the tower's hotel component, comprising 174 rooms and suites occupying the 79th to the 93rd floors, and constituting the second-highest hotel in the world after the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, which occupies floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre. 

On 14 September 2007, the skyscraper was topped out at 492.0 meters, making it, at the time, the second tallest building in the world and the tallest structure in Mainland China. It also had the highest occupied floor and the highest height to roof, two categories used to determine the title of "world’s tallest building". The SWFC opened to the public on 28 August 2008, with its observation deck opening on 30 August. This observation deck, the world's tallest at the time of its completion, offers views from 474 m above ground level.

The SWFC has been lauded for its design, and in 2008 it was named by architects as the year's best completed skyscraper. In 2013, the SWFC was exceeded in height by the adjacent Shanghai Tower, which is China's tallest structure as of 2015. Together, the Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao Tower form the world's first adjacent grouping of three supertall skyscrapers.

Yang Zhou's Festival

The festivals celebrated in Yangzhou are:

Christmas and New Year’s Day
Date: Dec 25, Jan 1
Christmas and New Year’s Eve are increasing in significance but are still not widely celebrated by Chinese people except for the exchange of cards and a little extra spending around Christmas time. There are Christmas and New Years celebrations held where there are many foreigners.

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)
Date: First day of the Chinese new year
Also known as Spring Festival, this is the most important festival for Chinese people. It begins on the first day of the lunar calendar so the date varies from late January to February. It is a time to visit family, set off firecrackers, give red bags of money to younger family members and eat cake. It is also a month long winter break for students and teachers.

Valentine’s Day
Date: Feb 14

Lantern Festival – Mid February
Date: 15th day of the Chinese year.
On the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival is held. Lanterns light up the streets and people eat sticky rice.  It marks the end of the Chinese New Year festival.

QingMing Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day)
Date: April 4, 5 or 6.
It is a time to pay respect to deceased ancestors. It is not a public holiday.  The date of Qingming festival is determined by the solar cycle.

International Women’s Day
Date: March 8
Employers give women half a day off work or give them some money.

International Labour Day
Date: May 1
This is a very busy time for travel in China. Employees get a 7 day straight holiday.

International Youth Day
Date: May 4
Fits within the Labour Day break.

International Children’s Day
Date: June 1
Kids get a day off of school or have a "fun day" at school.

Birthday of the Chinese Communist Party
Date: July 1

Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Liberation Army
Date: August 1

Dragon Boat Festival
Date: 5th day of the 5th moon
Dragon boat races are held and people eat sticky rice. This festival is on the fifth day of the fifth moon. It is to celebrate the hero Qu Yuan who protested a corrupt emperor by drowning himself. Fishermen raced their long boats out on to the water and then beat drums and threw rice in order to drive the fish away from Qu Yuan’s body.

Chinese Valentine’s Day
Date:  7th day of the 7th moon

Teacher’s Day
Date: September 10
Teachers get presents.

National Day
Date: October 1
This is the birthday of the People’s Republic of China. This is one of the busiest times for travel during the year since many Chinese people get a seven day break from work or school. It is a time to spend time with family and friends as well as the beginning of a major shopping week.  Shopping areas become packed with shoppers searching for National Day deals.

                                         (Women from Yang Zhou dancing to celebrate)

Moon Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival)
Date: 15th day of the eighth moon
It’s time to eat moon cakes. On the15th day of the eighth moon this festival celebrates the harvest.

older reflections

During the holidays, I spend a lot of my time having CCA, from 9-1 during November and 9-5 during  December. There is also a lot of homework for me to complete. So in overall, the rest time wasn't as much. I spend most of my time watching tv and playing phone.

On Nov 8, I went to watch a movie with my aunt and we had a scrumptious meal after that.

On Dec 9, my family and I went for a vacation to Chiangmai, Thailand. We visited the Golden triangle where we could easily visit Myanmar and Laos just by taking a boat across the Mekong river. It was a good experience to visit the other countries.

On Dec 19 I went to watch 'Big Hero 6' with my good friend. I feel that we have bond a lot during this "movie date". Since the movie is more of comedy based, we had a good laugh over the movie. We had a delicious pepper luch after that.

In conclusion,I have a good holiday and have gotten ample rest. I look forward to my year in year 2😃

A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS (1)

23 Jan 2015

My CID teacher show the class a picture of a vulture stalking a starving child.

I was very curious and interested in this photo so I did some research.

Information of the picture:

In March 1993, photographer Kevin Carter made a trip to southern Sudan, where he took now iconic photo of a vulture preying upon an emaciated Sudanese toddler near the village of Ayod. Carter said he waited about 20 minutes, hoping that the vulture would spread its wings. It didn’t. Carter snapped the haunting photograph and chased the vulture away.

The photograph was sold to The New York Times where it appeared for the first time on March 26, 1993 as ‘metaphor for Africa’s despair’. Practically overnight hundreds of people contacted the newspaper to ask whether the child had survived, leading the newspaper to run an unusual special editor’s note saying the girl had enough strength to walk away from the vulture, but that her ultimate fate was unknown. Journalists in the Sudan were told not to touch the famine victims, because of the risk of transmitting disease, but Carter came under criticism for not helping the girl. “The man adjusting his lens to take just the right frame of her suffering might just as well be a predator, another
vulture on the scene,” 

Carter eventually won the Pulitzer Prize for this photo, but he couldn’t enjoy it. “I’m really, really sorry I didn’t pick the child up,” he confided in a friend. Consumed with the violence he’d witnessed,
and haunted by the questions as to the little girl’s fate, he committed suicide three months later. 

Source: https://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/vulture-stalking-a-child/

 Reflection:

I was very surprised at the story. Carter's death was a tragic one. A photograph had actually cost him his life. This story has strike me hard as it make me realized how lucky I am. I has always take for granted over the fact that I'm living without any worries about lack of food or water. Furthermore, I even complains about having to go to school. I had not thought about children from other countries that do not even have a chance to go to school. This has inspire me greatly and deply regret taking everything for granted and oblivious to other sufferings. After this CID lesson, I had start to cherish things more.

After that...

My CID teacher showed us a picture of two beggars, a man and a woman. the question was if we have 1 dollar, who would we choose to help. Most of the class choose to help the woman because the woman is carrying a child and she has more difficulty than the man. However, I chose to help the man because the man perhaps has a family to support and he look disabled.

After my teacher tells us about the background of the 2 beggars, everyone immediately change to helping the man instead because of their background. The man is actually a disabled man whereas the woman work for a syndicate to cheat people in giving them money. The baby that the woman was carrying is not her own and it was use to make people pity her. 

Therefore, I learn that we should never judge the book by its cover. Knowing one's background is very important. My CID teacher has also warns us to take precautions when helping beggars during our OELP trip.

BLOGWORK!

REFLECT ABOUT POVERTY IN SINGAPORE

Singapore is known as a prosperous and rich country. Recently, Singapore has also been crown as a most expensive city. However, there is no exception from poverty. In 2002, there are 16% of familes living in poverty. However, in 2013 there are 26%. There are one quarter of families that does not get to enjoy the privilege of the modern society such as smartphones and watching movies etc. However, the government has help those families with Financial Assistance Scheme". It helps parent lessen their burden of having to pay for their kid's school necessities. I have also research about a campaign that is called "Singaporeans against poverty". It is a campaign that aims to raise awareness about poverty in Singapore. Many Singaporeans have taken everything for granted, and i am no exception. We complain about the food we eat, the clothes we have and especially having to go to school. I feel guilty whenever i think back on myself.  正所谓；身在福中不知福。

A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS (2)

30 Jan 2015 and 6 Feb 2015

Reflection(30 Jan):

Ms Huang first showed us a picture of riot started by foreign workers that took place in Little India in Singapore. The class gave many negative comments about them and believe they only create trouble. Later on, she showed us a video of a dormitory that the other foreign workers live in and asked if our opinion changed. I was shocked by the condition of the dormitory. Pests are observable everywhere and the toilets bowl cannot be flushed. I immediately grew sympathy of them having to live like that when they have contribute so much to Singapore's urban development. They built buildings for us and it is definitely a job that no Singaporeans want take on. Personally, i feel that they should be given a better dormitory to sleep at because they don't deserve such a dirty place. 

Back to my opinion, i feel that the workers that riot was wrong.They should not have chosen this way of settling their unhappiness because it will just worsen the whole situation. They had gained many hates from Singaporeans and as a result, they were send back to their own country.  They should have known the consequences would be dire if they caused trouble in Singapore. Nevertheless, it is still saddening to think that their lives would be more difficult because they had lost the opportunity to work in Singapore.

After that...

We played a game. One person in the group will get to see a picture, and she has the explain the picture to the next person and so on. The last person would had to draw on a paper what (s)he hears and understand. I am the one that has to draw. It took me quite some time to understand what the picture about. The picture depicts three layers of generation, the youngest one supporting the oldest one. Of course, what i drew differs from the original. I feel that it is due to miscommunication.  I personally feel that the objective of this game is to initiate proper observation and clear communication. Through this game, i learnt that it is important to observe and listen carefully in order to get a clear picture.

Reflection(6 Feb):

We learnt about the one-child policy in China. Due to the rapid increase in China's population, government has started a one-child policy. Each couple is only allowed to have one child. If a woman is found pregnant to hacve a second baby, she will have to abort the baby. I feel that there are pros and cons to this policy. I had thought about implications of this policy.

Implications:

• Companies will earn  lesser because lesser baby products is needed.
• Less people having burden of having to buy necessities for more than 1 child.
• Low birth rate
• Undivided attention from parents
• More boys will be born instead

I personally take the stand of disagreeing with the policy. There are certainly more advantages of having more than child.

BLOGWORK!

Dwindling population in Singapore

There are a very low birth rate in Singapore. This is due to the high cost of living in Singapore and it cost a lot of money to raise a child. Most parents work and do not have much time for their child. To encourage more births, the government has given many privileges such as baby bonus to new born baby. Singapore has also brought in many immigrants and the population has since increased by a lot. I think that right now, Singapore does not really have major problems with dwindling population.

CHINA - ECONOMY

13 Feb 2015 & 17 Feb 2015

BLOGWORK!

Reflect on China's economic growth and opening up of their country to international trade. Explain the possible implications on Singapore.

In this 2 lessons, i have learnt a lot about China's economy growth. I personally feel that China has develop tremendously. Government is efficient and had ensure China's ever-growing prosperity. Opening up their country to international trade is a good measure as it allow them to connect with the world and keep up to date about what is happening in the trade world. It also has many advantages on Singapore. Singapore had benefited a lot. Some successful joint ventures in China are Suzhou Industrial Park, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city and Capitaland Mall in China. All these benefit both party and at the same time, the relationship between both country is better and closer. It is a good thing to be working hand in hand with China, therefore it is important that we must maintain good relations with each other.

  

Merlion - our national icon

Sang Nila Utama once saw the a sea monster that was half fish and half lion in Temasek (former name of Singapore), hence he named it merlion. Till date, the merlion has been our national icon. I think merlion can be used as the national icon. The merlion has a history that can be backtracked to the olden times. Many historical things has been removed from the modern world, thus there are not many left to be appreciated. Since merlion has a longer history than most of Singapore's places of interest, i think that it can represent Singapore as the national icon. However, i feel that the Merlion should made known more widely. I feel that not many tourists even know that merlion existed. Usually, what they hear are the universal studios, resort world sentosa and the marina bay sands. Few actually heard of Merlion. Once my cousin from Malaysia came to Singapore for a visit and she told me that she wanted to go to universal studios and garden by the bay. When i ask her if she knew about the merlion, she replied that she had never heard of it before. I was shocked and it had lead me to realise that the merlion is actually not a common or famous place of interest for everyone.

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

I am deeply saddened by the passing of our founding father. He has devoted his life to build Singapore to the modern city. No words can be used to describe my gratefulness to Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He is an inspiration to everyone. From him, i have learn to always stay determine despite setbacks. My parents always me tell great tales about Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He is a great hero in my eyes. As everyone said, no other politician can ever replace him. Without his fighting spirit, we would probably still be a third world country. There wouldn't be so much education opportunities for every children. I am grateful of the good relationship Mr Lee has made with leaders from other countries so that students are able to have immersion programme and interact with people from other countries. I can enjoy my life peacefully without needing to worry about my basic necessities. There is always clean water coming out from the tap and i do not have to worry about starving. I am very lucky to be born in Singapore and having such a great leader.