Day one, we assembled at Changi Airport and took the flight SQ832 to Shanghai Pudong
International Airport. We were made to compare Changi Airport’s Environment with that of
Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Firstly, In signages, Changi Airport has many
electronic signboard directories situated every few metres away and is written in four
languages, English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. We think this is because there are more
tourists and visitors from other countries in the airport and we have the budget to revamp
our signs to make them more easily readable. However, the signs in Shanghai Pudong
international airport is manual and only written in Chinese and badly translated English. We
think because English is the universal language and Chinese is their local language that their
signs are written this way. Their signposts are also scattered around although not carelessly,
but not as conveniently as Singapore's. We believe this is because Shanghai, which economy
is not as developed as Singapore, has more important areas to focus on than its airports and
thus, this makes the place less flashy and the signs not as developed as Singapore's. Changi
airport. Secondly, in the criteria of art installations, Changi Airport has lush patterned carpet
floors, air conditioners and art sculptures, giving the place a very classy feel. However, the
floors of Pudong international airport is tiled or in some places, marble and although there
is air conditioning, there is not sculptures or colour in sight except for the occasional
advertisements on the plain white wall. Overall, Pudong international airport gave a very
hostile feel to the environment, making Singapore Changi Airport feel more welcoming.
Lastly, the transport network in Changi airport is very advanced with its sky rail travelling
from Terminal to terminal within minutes and it's horizontal electronic ramps that allow
visitors a chance not to walk while travelling in or out departure halls. However, the main
mode of transport in Pudong international airport is walking and considering the place is
large, it gets slightly tiring. Hence, lazy or tired visitors taking midnight flights would prefer
going to Changi airport. Overall, Changi airport has a better name and reputation because of
its fascilities from its high budget the government allows in the developed economy of
Singapore.
On day two, we had a rushed breakfast because of some latecomers. Through this, we
learnt that punctuality is very important. These students held back the class and in
consequence, made everyone get a shorter time to have breakfast. This shows that we need
self independence and sensitivity so as not to cause inconvenience to others. Afterwards,
we visited the Wahaha company, which is currently the fifth leading beverage company in
the world, manufacturing milk powder, beverages, notebooks, ice cream, machinery,
retail,printing, dairy farming and pollen tonics. Wahaha had a rocky start, selling ice cream,
exercise books and drinks on a tricycle and in a school, along with some retired teachers as
staff. Slowly, through overcoming numerous obstacles, Wahaha has now become the most
well known beverage brand in China. Through our visit, we learnt about setting reasonable
goals, being resilient and being unafraid of entrepreneurship can bring up a great company.
Wahaha’s aiding in natural disasters and creative advertisements portraying celebrities also
gained them much popularity with the people of different walks of life and ages. Their
innovations with dairy products and risky expansion of the company was a big part of
leading the company into the route of success. Wahaha is a new hope given to many small
companies and a role model to follow in its principals of success. Next, we visited HangZhou
west lake which is a UNESCO world heritage. Initially, we were surprised that no admission
fee was needed since many governments of different countries view their heritage sites as
little gold mines to make additional money, not excluding Singapore where botanical
gardens need an admission fee. However we found out later that charging fees would
definitely reduce the tourism in hangzhou. The lake was picturesque, full of rich legends
pass down from generations to generations, some even reaching us, example 白蛇传. It was
sunny and windy at the same time, while slightly foggy. The pagoda showed the detailed
heritage of China and many love stories. The place even had a romantic feel, explaining the
two pairs of bride and groom taking their wedding photos there the same day we visited
the west lake. Afterwards, we went to the dragon well tea plantation, grateful to be under
shelter with a hot cup of tea since it started raining. We were told that up in the mountains,
it rained very frequently and was very cold because of he strong winds. This explains why
tea plays such an important role in Chinese culture. We also learnt about the village where
the plantation is held whereby almost everyone has a surname of 梅. This shows the culture
of taking one’s last name after a marriage, a practice, surprisingly getting less common due
to the new perspective of feminism. We also learnt about how our tea is made and when to
harvest it or how much tea one plant can produce a year. The tea was extravagant not only
in taste but in its price as well. Some classmates could pull through to buy a small Tin
though, with the e amount of money we brought. We learnt about the stories and about tea
today, covering two big parts of what we know of as Chinese culture.
Day two, we visited xuanyuan farm and harvested our own chilli, cucumbers and peaches.
Since young, we learnt the Chinese poetry:
锄禾日当午,
看滴禾下土。
水流盘中餐,
粒粒皆辛苦。
I haven't understood this poetry very clearly as I used to think that farming was a low status
job that require low brain power. However, I realised how hard farming can be once I tried
to do so on a few plants and there were hundreds of them! Farming also requires a lot of
brainpower where you have to match a plant characteristic to a certain criteria before you
are allowed to harvest it. If it doesn't match the criteria and is plucked, the food would be
ultimately wasted and food wastage has to be avoided as much as avoidable, meaning a
lesser income for the farmer. This trip allowed me to gain newfound respect for farmers.
Afterwards, we visited afterwards, we went to Zhongshan ancient village for a quick
outdoor lesson and to fully enjoy the picturesque scenery. The place was so well preserved,
it gave off a serene feel and of traditional taste. Later during our tour of the village, I learnt
that the village was shaped like a cow and was shocked to see the advanced means of math
and science concepts in place during the designing of the place. I used to think ancient
Chinese were underdeveloped, with only Confucian values but naught of science or math in
their minds but this trip proved otherwise. The designs of the water system was rather
fascinating. The water from the mountains flow down to multiple ditches in the village along
the sides of the houses. The ditches are then used to collect water for personal use, to put
out fires and much to our confusion, as a map of the village. Their use of brick and cement
was also surprising as in our minds, we thought them at the standards of using wood for
homes.
On the fourth day, we climbed up mount Huangshan. The climb up the uneven steps was
tedious and just as we felt we had enough stair climbing to last a lifetime, we are gifted with
a view of the valley. At first, we did not know why people enjoyed talking of mount
Huangshan even before we made our way to China but we understood immediately as an
ancient Chinese painting came to life right before our eyes. Soaring mountaintops covered
in a layer of misty fog that shrouded everything in that altitude. It was a cold, hard climb but
a climb worth it. We learnt about some uniquely shaped rocks and trees that was given
names over the years and slowly, became more creative. We began to see rocks as animals,
trees as personifications of human acts. We heard different calls of the native wildlife and
looked as the wildflower so bloomed to the sunlight that was surprisingly warm even 1648
metres off the ground.
Day five, we finally made our way to Hefei, Anhui where our first destination was Li
HongZhang’s Formal Residence. This tourist attraction is situated right smack in the centre
of the busy city life. There was also a lot of traffic and we were even stuck in a traffic jam on
the way there. There were modern stalls and sculptures on both sides of the street and even
a very modern shopping mall just a stone’s throw away. This made Li HongZhang's formal
residence stick out like a sore thumb. However a close visit if his residence shows deep
cultural roots. From the interior designs to the carvings on the wall, portraying bats and
grapes. Bats for prosperity and grapes for fertility. Looking at the place, a very clear struggle
for urbanisation and preservation of culture. Li HongZhang's estate is very big and its place
can be made into more than three new shophouses and a road to clear traffic. However, the
cultural heritage is unmissable. He also played a significant role in China history. It is very
fortunate to have such a well preserved artifice and it being under the government disposal
makes it just more valuable and rare. Afterwards, we visited Meiling fridge company and
realised That having a great mindset for setting a business like what we learnt in Wahaha is
not enough. Meiling company stresses on its staff member’s wellbeing. We learnt that being
a good business owner takes a lot of patience and sensitivity too. Afterwards, we saw our
buddies for r first time and got to know about their school lives better. I also realise that our
school Austen and theirs are very similar, being academically geared. However, facilities
wise, RV had better facilities than shoucun middle school. Afterwards, we reluctantly bid our
buddies a quick farewell and went to a local bookshop to compare prices. We bought a few
items and recorded prices. We realised that most items in China, although similar in
Singapore, might be less expensive. We think it is because most of it is made in China and
thus, shipping cost is unnecessary, making the cost cheaper.
Day six, we went back for our school immersion programme and performed for the school
students. We also set in for some lessons. We conclude that our learning styles are very
different. In Singapore, we mostly learn through textbooks and assignments. However, in
shoucun middle school, their lessons are very hands on and the teachers are able to
captivate students with brain teasers and abnormally difficult questions. Making lessons
unpredictable and exiting. After bidding a great farewell to our buddies and promising to
keep in contact, we headed for the biggest supermarket in Hefei and did some research on
the cost of groceries there, then comparing it to Singapore. Now, we realised that some
food like durian is actually more expensive than back in Singapore because of distance cost.
Day seven, we went home visiting with our buddy though instead of bringing us to their
home, they brought us to see a memorial slash museum about those who fought bravely
but lost their life in the wars. We were touched by their acts after hearing what they did for
the country and the hardship they faced not only on he battlefield but also during trainings.
China is unfortunate to lose such great heroes. It gave me thankfulness to out ns men back
at home to go through backbreaking trainings to protect us from any future enemies. Later,
our buddy brought us to a forest trail where we rode bicycles and enjoyed the view of the
go biggest freshwater lake in hefei, anhui. Afterwards, we visited baohe cultural park and
learnt more about the most famous person to ever come from herein,baogong. We learnt
about the great qualities of him and once again, saw the struggle for modernisation.
Afterwards, we went through a talk about huangmei opera, unique in hefei, and the renga
get drums, giving us a taste of hefei unique culture. Afterwards we had dinner at haidilao
restaurant and learnt how a good service is important in attracting customers.
On the last day, we took the high speed rail to Shanghai and know about the environment
problems that comes with the convenience of a high speed rail. Then, we took a plane back
to Singapore.
Overall, this eight day trip was packed with knowledge hat cannot all be fully absorbed. It
was one of the most fruitful trips I had overseas and is looking forward to another, although
I hop it would be less hectic so we have time to fully enjoy the beauty of hefei, anhui and a
whole new culture.
CID 2016 2K (06)
Thursday 16 June 2016
Monday 9 May 2016
Group member: Lee Xinying, Valerie Tan, Shu Yiyang, Keagan Kong, Geraldine Goh
No. of locations :12
1. National museum of Singapore
2. Esplanade
3. Fort Canning
4. Bukit Timah Hill
5. Sentosa
6. Wild Wild Wet
7. Indian Heritage Centre
8. Chinese Heritage Centre
9. Maritime Experiential Museum
10. Malay heritage centre
11. Adam Road
12. Mc Donald
7. Indian Heritage Centre
8. Chinese Heritage Centre
9. Maritime Experiential Museum
10. Malay heritage centre
11. Adam Road
12. Mc Donald
Monday 18 April 2016
A site I wish to preserve
A site I wish to preserve may mean nothing to you but it means a lot to me. The site would be my home. You may ask why my home when there are so many other places besides my home? This is because this home is really important to me as it contains many memories of mine. Since I came to Singapore in 2004, I have been living in this home for the past 11 years. 11 years out of 14 I have spent in this home. This is a place where I feel safe and comfortable when I reached home from school full of stress. My home is really important to me as it is hard earned by my parents so it is really meaningful. Hence I wish, if possible, I can preserve my home.
Monday 28 March 2016
education in China
EDUCATION IN CHINA
This is a picture of what we learnt about China's education.
We also learnt that AnHui Secondary School. It has produced 5000 graduates and moved into a new campus in 2007.
What questions we have:
1) what is the school specialised in
2) what grade student are our buddies going to be in
3) would we sit in the lesson with them
China's education system and the school we will be visiting
The education system in China:
The education system in China is different from Singapore's. It consists of 6 years in primary school, 3 years in secondary school, 3 years in high school and 4 years in university if you are capable. Shanghai has been the top of the Programme for International Student Assessment for the past recent years and has never been overtaken since then. Many people criticise China's education system as it is stressful but I do not really agree with their thoughts. Even though China's education system may be stressful, but it is effective in producing top scholars and giving their scholars a brighter future ahead compared to most other countries. From my own point of view, I feel that China's education system may even be more effective than Singapore's as it can produce more quality scholars compared to Singapore.
The school that we will be visiting:
The school that we are visiting is 安徽寿春中学, located at China, Anhui, Hefei, Luyang, 濉溪路. Their school motto: 为成功人身做准备 which means preparing for a successful future. I'm very interested in this school and is expecting lots from this school as it seems to be an interesting school.
3 questions I have:
Will China surpass USA in economy and be top of the world one day with such an effective education system? (As some people says China will in 2028)
Can China hold on to number one in Programme for International Student Assessment for the years that is to come?
How long will we be allowed to experience China's education when we are there?
The education system in China is different from Singapore's. It consists of 6 years in primary school, 3 years in secondary school, 3 years in high school and 4 years in university if you are capable. Shanghai has been the top of the Programme for International Student Assessment for the past recent years and has never been overtaken since then. Many people criticise China's education system as it is stressful but I do not really agree with their thoughts. Even though China's education system may be stressful, but it is effective in producing top scholars and giving their scholars a brighter future ahead compared to most other countries. From my own point of view, I feel that China's education system may even be more effective than Singapore's as it can produce more quality scholars compared to Singapore.
The school that we will be visiting:
The school that we are visiting is 安徽寿春中学, located at China, Anhui, Hefei, Luyang, 濉溪路. Their school motto: 为成功人身做准备 which means preparing for a successful future. I'm very interested in this school and is expecting lots from this school as it seems to be an interesting school.
3 questions I have:
Will China surpass USA in economy and be top of the world one day with such an effective education system? (As some people says China will in 2028)
Can China hold on to number one in Programme for International Student Assessment for the years that is to come?
How long will we be allowed to experience China's education when we are there?
Sunday 20 March 2016
Should Singapore be complacent?
If you were to ask me, I don't think Singapore should be complacent as there are still many countries ahead of Singapore and Singapore still has many room for improvement. And as Singapore is a small country and depends on many other countries such as Malaysia for water, she should not be complacent or other countries may no longer want to help Singapore such as supplying water.
Also, even if we are advanced, we should not be complacent as we should remember that there are always somebody ahead of us and we are never the best as nobody is perfect. Therefore, I feel that Singapore should never be complacent.
Monday 29 February 2016
My China Buddy
Before I go to China, I feel that my chinese buddy in He Fei will be very introverted as he will likely be the only child of his family. Contrary to my personality, only children are also often high-achieving, motivated, and successful. As I am middle child, I feel I am often neglected by my parents as most attention goes to my younger sister, who is 1 year younger than me, and my older brother, who is 4 years older than me. Thus I feel that me and my china buddy will bond very well as I read somewhere that people with different personalities get along with and bond with each other better. Hence, I am very excited for this OELP trip as I enjoy making friends with people of other races or nationalities as me.Sources:
1) http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/eischens2.html
2) https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/field-guide-families/201210/the-secret-powers-middle-children
1) http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/eischens2.html
2) https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/field-guide-families/201210/the-secret-powers-middle-children
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