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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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

My buddy from China

I assume my China buddy would be the only child in the family, but I think that he will be a friendly person unlike some people who thinks that the only child may be an introvert. Even though we may experience different cultures, I think we would be quite similar and have many things to talk about as we are about the same age. Thus, I think that I will enjoy exchanging with my buddy and have a great time in OELP.

OUR GROUP'S POSTER

My China OELP buddy

I think that my china buddy would be an only child. Therefore, we should have different personalities. I am looking forward to knowing my China buddy well and to make friends with my buddy, despite us coming from different countries and not meeting each other before. I would love to know more about her culture and things that are unique to them. Definitely, I am looking forward to this OELP trip

MY THOUGHTS ON THE CHINA BUDDIES BEFORE MEETING THEM

        I guess I am not expecting that much of them, i mean, I have been brought up in an environment whereby most China Chinese are as pleasant as any other people around my circle of friends. As the saying goes "Judge and be judged". To reduce the number of feelings of hurt among our new found friends, I hope to keep whatever negative comments and rumors I heard before to myself in this post and I hope that they turn out to be very sociable.
       However, I can safely assume that they are tremendously superb in their use of mandarin. I can also assume that they are very hardworking people that have achieved new heights in this century. Because China is currently developing at an astounding speed, I can also assume them to be very smart, even if they are younger than I am. Although this, my greatest concern is that they would be self centered, untruthful or shy. These are the few characteristics I found to be dominant in the children from one child families, especially in china. Otherwise, I would feel more comfortable in sharing my point of view of them afterwe meet.

Chingay Parade 2016 Reflections

This year's theme for Chingay Parade 2016 is "Lights of Legacy, Brighter Singapore" and in Chinese "智慧灯海，璀璨新加坡". This my first time attending the Chingay Parade so i was filled with excitement and curiosity.

When I was first introduced to Chingay 2016 by PAYM during assembly talk on 27 January, I did not understand what the performance really meant, I thought it was merely a performance during Chinese New Year Festivities.

On 30th January, the day of the parade, along the way to the F1 pit building, I saw many students from different primary and secondary schools gathering there just to see the parade, the place was packed like sardines. As we went into place, we took our goodie bags as we were directed to our seating arrangements. The goodie bag inclued a pompom, a pack of food, a clapper, and a tiny light buld with colorful lights. As we waited for the other schools to arrive, in order to keep us entertained, they put up a small uni-cylcle performance as colorful uni-cycles roamed across the stage,it was spectacular!

As our school was lucky enough, we had the highest seats in the middle so we had a really good view of everything.As I was too busy watching the performance, I did not take any photos but here are some photos of the Chingay Parade form the internet.

The High-Flying performance,








LED dragon dance,

Pole dancing?









After the parade I understood many new things such as the parade's purpose to celebrate Singapore's past 50 years of success and telling us to strive harder for SG100.

We should also thank the people who made contributions as this would never exist without them and we may not be enjoying of what we have now. I also think that the organizers of this event had done a great job in organizing the performance as with the lightings, and great performances, i do actually feel proud of Singapore. One of my favorite performance was the high-flying performance which consisted of people rolling through hoops and jumping around with bungee straps on their waists.

This parade has truly improved a lot since the first Chingay in 4 February 1973 as our late founding prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, thought that we should make some noise to drive away evil spirits as firecrackers are banned in Singapore.There were only about 2000 paraders at that time and performances such as lion dance, wushu, stilt walkers, etc. But now,there are about 1300 participants and havinga much wider variety of performance such as akido, dragons with LED lights etc. Many people form other countries with different cultures were performing too. This also shows racial harmony in Singapore and how Singapore respects people from different races and with different cultures in Singapore.

In conclusion, this performance was truly amazing and made me proud of Singapore, lets work hard towards SG100.

Chingay Parade 2016 - Lights of Legacy, Brighter Singapore

Chingay 2016 marks the first year of Singapore's next 50 years towards SG100 and hence, Chingay 2016 is aptly themed, 'Lights of Legacy, Brighter Singapore'. The purpose of this year's chingay is to celebrate the legacy and wisdom of our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and other founding fathers based on the core values advocated by them and pledging our support to live it and move forward together towards a brighter future, and to also bring people of different races and countries together.

                                      

People of different races and countries all came together and performed together, working as one. Some of the performers also performed according to their own culture, for example, one of the performance was Indian dance, and the performers wore Indian costumes. This performances introduce us to their culture and thus we were able to learn more about different cultures and respect them.

My favourite performance was the aerial stunt, as it is unique and different from the other performances. The performers were being high up in the air, doing stunts and moves. Another reason why i liked this performance most is that the performers were very brave and despite the dangers, they were willing to be performing, making the Chingay performance much more interesting.

The first Chingay's started in 4 February 1973. It's purpose was to compensate for the ban on firecrackers, a customary New Year practice to drive away evil spirits, with all its noise and gaiety. Firecrackers were banned as it is being considered as a safety hazard. The change in the purpose now and then is probably to unite people of different countries and races together, bringing Singaporeans closer, as we are a multi-racial country. 

Definitely, the organisers have successfully fulfilled the purpose, I could see the performers, enjoying themselves and waving the props together, during the finale. Friendships were created through all the rehearsals and trainings, and they were doing their best in the performance.

3-2-1 REFLECTIONS

3-2-1 REFLECTIONS ON THE ONE CHILD 

POLICY IN CHINA

3 things that I learnt

1) I learnt that a one child policy does not only affect the country, but it also affects the children that are born after the one child policy is implemented.

2) I learnt that the children born after the one child policy are least likely to take risks, are more self centred, more sheltered and less entrepreneurial.

3) I learnt that the country have been greatly affected by the growing population and the lack of entrepreneurial minds, thus, the economy would decrease in china in the long run.

2 perceptions I gained

1) I found out that there are always going to be problems in the long run or in the short term that may affect someone or even a big group of people negatively like in china. I find that the chinese government have to look further than just a few years and prepare in advance for the possible disadvantages that a new policy brings before even implementing it.

2) I find that the government also has to understand that all policies bring harm and we have to be careful and think twice before saying or doing anything or some things we do that might once seem harmless does not leave a deep negative imprint on anyone we care about.

1 question that I have

1) Is there anyway to make the benefits of a policy more prominent compared to the negative impacts of a policy. Thus, this can achieve a better social response of the people.

Does being rich means being happy?

Does being rich bring happiness?


Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world, but we are also one of the least happy countries in the world.

Most people in Singapore are rich and thus, they take things for granted and always ask for more. When they want more, they will need to work harder and will then have no time to enjoy themselves and do what they really enjoy. Thus, they will not be as happy.

Whereas in other poorer countries, people appreciate what they have and don't spend as much time trying to work harder to earn more money and thus, they will have more time to do things they like and enjoy. They will have time to do simple things that bring joy to them, which enables them to live a happier life.

Therefore, being rich does not necessarily mean being happy.

Does being rich means happy?

Being rich does not make you happier as you can only buy materialistic things and not care or love. Although buying things that you like do make you excited, it does not last long, while happiness can last for a lifetime. You do not have to be rich to be happy. All it takes is to be grateful and not greedy. We should learn to appreciate what we have and enjoy those things. It does not take a beautiful house to make us happy, we just need care and appreciation to make us happy. For example, not all rich people are happy. Some just want to be richer and richer, being unsastified with the wealth they have and they want more. This makes them sad as they do not appreciate what they have and they only think about what they do not have. However, poor people can be very happy too. I have a friend and she is quite poor. Often, she would not be able to eat expensive food and only eat what her mother cooks everyday. She does not complain but, she enjoys what she has and appreciate that her mother is cooking for her and she has food to eat, she learn to love what she has. Therefore, we should be happy despite being rich or not.

Does being rich means being happy?

    Even though Singapore is a rich country, the people are not necessarily happy as shown that China's people are happy even though they are not as rich as people living in Singapore.

    If you ask me why, I would say that being rich has completely nothing to do with happiness. People in Singapore work really hard just to earn money but working so hard just to earn money will make them tired and not happy. Even though people living in some parts of China are poor,but they do enjoy their life and is happy with what they have. To me,being happy is just enjoying life and has nothing to do with being rich.

    In conclusion, I think that without being rich and having lots of money, we can still be happy so being rich has nothing to do with being happy.

Chingay reflection

CHINGAY 2016

LIGHTS OF LEGACY BRIGHTER SINGAPORE

       

          From a humble beginning emerged a bright and colorful international celebration. Chingay has stolen many people's hearts, bringing them closer together and igniting their passion for Singapore in many years to come. 

        The bright and shining festival used to celebrate Chinese new year but now, transformed into a whole new culture pertaining to our pledge's " regardless of race language or religion." People from all over the world fly to Singapore every year not only to participate in this huge festival but also to perform.

       This year, there were many floats of many diverse countries like Japan, India and many more. This represents the racial harmony Singapore can bring us all and hopefully it can " build a democratic society" by allowing every race and religion to portray themselves in the brightest and most colorful way.

      However, I have to bring up the fact that our founding father, as they mentioned, Lee Kuan Yew, created this festival to celebrate Chinese new year, as a compensation of the ban of firecrackers as a fire hazard in Singapore. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when in found out how much Chingay has changed over the years. Now, only a small portion of Chingay represents the direct meaning behind the very reason why it was created in the first place- Chinese new year. 

       I really wish that in the year's to come, Singapore will not lose Chingay's oldest culture and meaning. It will be very pitiful to see it change to just anther festival without any real or ancient meaning to it.

      Regardless, i can safely assume that Chingay can " achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation" among Singaporeans in the years to come...

Chingay 2016
A brighter Singapore
Lights of Legacy

 we the citizens of singapore

 pledge our selves as one united nation

Regardless of race, language or religion

 To build a democratic society

,

Based on justice and equality

So as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation

Does being rich necessarily mean being happy?

DOES BEING RICH NECESSARILY MEAN BEING HAPPY?

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small fishing village.
As he sat, he saw a fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.
The businessman, impressed, asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was puzzled.
“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap. When evening comes, I join my friends in the village to play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”

The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman.
“I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you could spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible and sell the remaining your family does not eat. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon, you will be able to set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to the city, where you can set up a headquarter to manage your other branches.”

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”
The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house. You'll will be rich!”
The fisherman asks, “And after that?”
The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire. You can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap, and when evening comes, you can join your friends to play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”
The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”

            This is a classic tale from brazil that can help to explain perfectly that being rich does not necessarily mean being happy. Although this folk tale does not show a big contrast in happiness level, we can tell that the end result of both scenarios are the same regardless of whether the fisherman decides to extend the business or continue to fish enough for his family. 

           Money is just a currency that people use as a more advanced or organized way of bartering. However, many people think that the amount of money you have is the determination of how happy you are. I dont think this is true as statistic shows Indonesia has happier people than Singapore although we are the country with better economical strength. I think that we should focus on being happy rather than to get richer. Loosen those muscles and smile! :)

RV60 Reflections

The purpose of celebrating RV60 is to celabrate RV's birthday. It is also for the alumni to come back and look at the school after they had graduated. However, we faced many issues when we were practicing for RV60. For example, many of us had to come back almost every day for practices and we could barely enjoy our holiday, also spending less time with our family. The practices are also often in the sun and it had been really hot despite being at already 3pm. Also, some of us live very far  awat from school, causing us to reach home at around 8pm. However, we still have to finish our homework and some of us still have other activities like tuition or some other classes. Thus, many of us were very tired and sleepy in school, not being able to pay full attention during lessons.This issues are unique to this situation  as other situations, not most of the students are invovled. I think that people volunteer to help out for national day as they are proud of Singapore and wanted to do a part in celebrating this special day, showing their love for the country. The students in this school does have school pride but they did not realise that as most of them are complaining about being tired. However, on the actual day, most of us started to realise that they are proud of the whole celebration, proud that RV had became 60 years old, as thatis not an easy feat. I am sure most of us felt a sense of pride when we were performing, and when the audience clapped for us. From this inference, I am assuming that the performers had enjoyed performing for the audience. Students should not view negatuvely towards their own school because it would be the school that they will spend few years of their lives in, it would also be the school where you had chosen when you wrote down your choices after PSLE. Also, the school had nutured us, teaching us not only studies, but also manners and things like that. If we view negatively towards our own school, we would not enjoy the years we had spent in the school also, we would feel unhappy and these few years that we would spent in the school would be a torture. We all want to have memorable memories during our school life and we should like our school and appreciate what it had done for us, being grateful. Being a student in RV, I feel proud because it is a school that many students had wanted to enter. Also, it provides good education and a good study environment. I am proud that I have teachers who are willing to spend time to help us when we do not understand some things that were taught in class. I feel very grateful and happy to be a student in RV.