INDIVIDUAL
REFLECTIONS FOR OELP TRIP
{26th May ~ 2nd June}
{26th May ~ 2nd June}
Final Conclusion / Summary
I miss OELP badly and I wish there can be more of these experiences next time we are going out as a class. I have truly gained insights which widened my horizon and it felt great to have freedom and independence which made me miss how my parents would take care of me at home. Other than missing time spent with my classmates, I missed the weather over at China which was seemingly better than Singapore.
When I see people in Suzhou, their actions deeply heartened me and they challenged my initial thoughts that China is a dirty place where many people are uncivilized and they will spit on the ground and talk loudly. However I have noticed that the people in Suzhou will try to maintain and keep their environment neat and clean. They also talked at a moderate volume and the cars were parked neatly in the allocated car park. I realized that not all places in China were dirty and not everyone is uncivilised.
They tasted different from Singapore's food but I learned to accept the food of a different culture and embrace it as an experience in a lifetime. I picked up the skills of paper cutting in the museum and budget shopping in China.
I noticed that the students in China are more proactive and enthusiastic in answering questions than students in Singapore. I believe with this positive vibe in the class and a good attitude towards learning, everyone can learn better. Therefore I hope all Singapore students can learn from and develop a habit of enthusiasm in learning.
In conclusion, I grew to be more aware of the surroundings and situations I am in before I respond to it and also be a role model of my classmates.
DAY ONE
(6+am) Now I am
in my dad's car and we are on our way to Singapore Changi Airport. Excitement
was overwhelming me and I cannot believe we were to take the entire week off to
spend time with each other in China. Looking at the daybreak, as the sun slowly
creep out of the sky, I feel slightly uncomfortable to be out of my comfort
zone, without my family around me. However, I'm sure that this trip will still
be wonderful as I have my friends around me.
YAY Class Photo!!
(8+am) I bid my parents
farewell and told them not to worry about me as I will be strong. We checked in
the airport together and started taking selfies and photos. It was nice seeing
everyone together having some class spirit and I will never forget the moments we
do jumpshots in the airport with everyone looking at us.
I am extremely
excited to be travelling with my classmates! I hope to discover deeper about
China's history, the people's culture, economy and politics of China. I have
always been interested in the economy of China and I once read that research
states that China will be the world's number one in economy by 2090 and will
even overtake United States of America in the ranking of economy. I am less
interested about China's politics but I still want to know more and hope to
pick up interest along the way of learning.
(11+am) The
flight attendance are serving us lunch right now and I picked International
Choice! Best part of the lunch was the dessert. We had ice cream in a chocolate
cookie! Hurhur~
(4+pm)
After long hours in the plane, we finally arrived at Shanghai Pudong Airport!
The last 15 minutes was the most painful moments on the plane I have ever felt
before. Due to my runny nose, I lost a lot of fluid from my head. When the
plane was landing, the air pressure decreased and caused me to have a servere
headache. It was so painful I had veins showing on the left side of my face.
However, Teck Weng and Shin Young sat beside me and their constant comforting
made me calm down a lot. The flight crew also watched over me and tried to help
me during the 15 minutes. Although it was just a short 15 minutes but I really
want to thank those who have helped me.
(6+pm)When
we checked out of the airport and settled down in our tour bus, we set off to a
restaurant in the heart city of Shanghai. It was a 30 minutes ride and on the
way Mr Bao, our tour guide explained to us about the development of Shanghai
during its Golden Period in 1990. Shanghai used to be like the old Singapore
village until its Golden Era when foreigners come and invest in Shanghai and
also started businesses in Shanghai. They developed skyscrapers and was a busy
city.
(Around
7) We arrived at the restaurant and they served us
a lot of Chinese dishes. They tasted different from Singapore's food and we
were not familiarised with the food culture but we finished our dinner anyways.
It was funny how Mr De La Cruz commented on each and every dish that was served
especially the soup which was described as water by him. Although I agree with
him that the soup was blend, I learnt to accept the food in China and embrace
it as a learning point which shows me the life in China.
(8+pm) After finishing our dinner, we headed for The
Bund. It was a cruise that brings us around a river located near many
skyscrapers in the city. It was past dinnertime and the sky was dark. However,
the road to The Bund was not dark. It was in fact a breathtaking scenery where
lights were bursting from each skyscraper in the windy starless night. We took
a lot of photos and also learnt to stay close with one another as the place was
crowded. The night scenery on the cruise was absolutely beautiful and if I had
the chance, I would definitely go back again.
I feel that China is self-sustainable and have a lot of resources
therefore if they put their resources into use, it will bring them a rise in
economy. Tourism contributes to China economy through places such as hotels,
famous Pearl Tower, shopping malls and cruises in Shanghai. There are also many
finance industries in Shanghai such as DBS, HSBC and ICBS. People who come to
China to tour will spend money on these places and This contributes to
China's economy.
I learnt that Shanghai and Singapore were both once trading ports where people from other countries come by sailing on boats to trade in these ports. Looking at geographical co-relations, both Singapore and Shanghai have similar attributes like, they are both close to the river, making them trading ports and contributes to the economy these two places have today. I hope to experience how education works in China and how the China students study. I also want to pick up good learning habits from my buddies in school. I want to grow to be more aware of the surroundings and situations I am in before I respond to it and also be a role model of my classmates.
China's economy.
I learnt that Shanghai and Singapore were both once trading ports where people from other countries come by sailing on boats to trade in these ports. Looking at geographical co-relations, both Singapore and Shanghai have similar attributes like, they are both close to the river, making them trading ports and contributes to the economy these two places have today. I hope to experience how education works in China and how the China students study. I also want to pick up good learning habits from my buddies in school. I want to grow to be more aware of the surroundings and situations I am in before I respond to it and also be a role model of my classmates.
DAY TWO
The moment I sat on the bus, the tour guide explained to us that we will be passing by Suzhou, Wu Xi, Zhangzhou and Hangzhou before reaching Suzhou. He talked about Suzhou history and how it has developed over the days. Suzhou was his hometown where he grew up, therefore he knew a lot about that city. Suzhou have doubled their population in a short period of time bus because it had an economy boost due to Singapore's concession. Many people wanted to move to Suzhou residence because Suzhou had a better environment and they wanted to set up business at Suzhou because there were wealthy people at Suzhou rich are willing to support these businesses. Suzhou was called 吴国 in the 春秋 period. It was a place where characters in the 红罗蒙 book appeared. Hunger was commonly found in China and the people realized there was less hunger in Suzhou so they moved to Suzhou to improve their lives.
Wu xi is a place that was used to be very rich and was even nicknamed as the small Shanghai because mining occurred there very often. The land was very fertile and mining and agriculture activities occured there. However in a few decades, the mineral ores were all mined finished by the people in Wu Xi and they decided to leave the place to settle somewhere else with more fertile lands. This is how Wu Xi got its name because Wu Xi means No Mineral Ores in chinese.
After three long hours of bus ride, we came to a stopover at a public washroom and supermarket. The tour guide told us that we have just entered Suzhou and I feel that the weather there is very nice. It was windy and was cold but it was not snowing or freezing, the weather is seemingly better than Singapore and wish to have this weather in Singapore rather than be in the hot sun.
The moment I sat on the bus, the tour guide explained to us that we will be passing by Suzhou, Wu Xi, Zhangzhou and Hangzhou before reaching Suzhou. He talked about Suzhou history and how it has developed over the days. Suzhou was his hometown where he grew up, therefore he knew a lot about that city. Suzhou have doubled their population in a short period of time bus because it had an economy boost due to Singapore's concession. Many people wanted to move to Suzhou residence because Suzhou had a better environment and they wanted to set up business at Suzhou because there were wealthy people at Suzhou rich are willing to support these businesses. Suzhou was called 吴国 in the 春秋 period. It was a place where characters in the 红罗蒙 book appeared. Hunger was commonly found in China and the people realized there was less hunger in Suzhou so they moved to Suzhou to improve their lives.
Wu xi is a place that was used to be very rich and was even nicknamed as the small Shanghai because mining occurred there very often. The land was very fertile and mining and agriculture activities occured there. However in a few decades, the mineral ores were all mined finished by the people in Wu Xi and they decided to leave the place to settle somewhere else with more fertile lands. This is how Wu Xi got its name because Wu Xi means No Mineral Ores in chinese.
After three long hours of bus ride, we came to a stopover at a public washroom and supermarket. The tour guide told us that we have just entered Suzhou and I feel that the weather there is very nice. It was windy and was cold but it was not snowing or freezing, the weather is seemingly better than Singapore and wish to have this weather in Singapore rather than be in the hot sun.
The
public washroom was bigger and cleaner than I thought it would be but its
condition was still poorer compared to Singapore's. However, I feel that the people in Suzhou are
more civilized than the people I see in Shanghai. The reason I feel this way is
because I have noticed that the people in Suzhou will try to maintain and keep
their environment neat and clean where else in Shanghai, the environment was
messy and polluted. The people in Suzhou had bins to spit in and the restroom
was kept clean and dry. They also talked at a moderate volume and the cars were
parked neatly in the allocated car park. However in Shanghai, the people talked
very loudly, threw rubbish wherever they feel like, spit on pavements and the
restrooms had pee all over the floor which was extremely disgusting.
The tour guide told us about some of the favourite dishes which includes 三头鸭 and 扬州豆腐。We arrived at a restaurant for lunch after the long ride and we tasted 扬州炒饭 which was the best dish among all that we ate in the restaurant. We went to 个园 which is one of the most famous house in China and also top 4 of the World's Best Gardens. The part which I remembered the most clearly were the animal rock carvings that were placed in one part of the garden. They were really beautiful and I recalled the schools rock carving of the mother and son. I wonder how these rocks were chosen and carved before they were sold. I also remembered that a man-made mountain was placed at the entrance of the 个园. The tour guide explained that a man-made mountain was placed there because the Chinese believed that it was good to 开门见山, where a mountain is seen when a door is opened. The house was really huge and had a lot of bamboos and plants placed on grasslands beside pavements. There were also many concrete walls and artifacts placed within the four walls. I could feel the culture of the people in the Qing dynasty. It was called 个园 because the garden was originally built within a huge bamboo plantation and people took the side of the chinese bamboo character, 竹 and named the place as 个园. It was raining and I left my umbrella in the luggage out of carelessness but thankfully I had my two friends who shared umbrellas with me and I did not get very wet.
Next, we went to the Shouxi River (瘦西湖) in the North West of Yangzhou. It was found in Qing dynasty and have lasted for six dynasty as a scenic view. It was called a Shouxi river because it is thinner as compared to Hangzhou's Grand Canal. I feel that the scenery there was very beautiful and I took a lot of photos. Next when we finished traveling in the river, we alighted and walked to this paper cutting place where the first floor was a shop full of the paper cuttings that they have handmade. They were very creative to do paper cutting on paper fans, lamps and also chopsticks!
The tour guide told us about some of the favourite dishes which includes 三头鸭 and 扬州豆腐。We arrived at a restaurant for lunch after the long ride and we tasted 扬州炒饭 which was the best dish among all that we ate in the restaurant. We went to 个园 which is one of the most famous house in China and also top 4 of the World's Best Gardens. The part which I remembered the most clearly were the animal rock carvings that were placed in one part of the garden. They were really beautiful and I recalled the schools rock carving of the mother and son. I wonder how these rocks were chosen and carved before they were sold. I also remembered that a man-made mountain was placed at the entrance of the 个园. The tour guide explained that a man-made mountain was placed there because the Chinese believed that it was good to 开门见山, where a mountain is seen when a door is opened. The house was really huge and had a lot of bamboos and plants placed on grasslands beside pavements. There were also many concrete walls and artifacts placed within the four walls. I could feel the culture of the people in the Qing dynasty. It was called 个园 because the garden was originally built within a huge bamboo plantation and people took the side of the chinese bamboo character, 竹 and named the place as 个园. It was raining and I left my umbrella in the luggage out of carelessness but thankfully I had my two friends who shared umbrellas with me and I did not get very wet.
Next, we went to the Shouxi River (瘦西湖) in the North West of Yangzhou. It was found in Qing dynasty and have lasted for six dynasty as a scenic view. It was called a Shouxi river because it is thinner as compared to Hangzhou's Grand Canal. I feel that the scenery there was very beautiful and I took a lot of photos. Next when we finished traveling in the river, we alighted and walked to this paper cutting place where the first floor was a shop full of the paper cuttings that they have handmade. They were very creative to do paper cutting on paper fans, lamps and also chopsticks!
I also
learnt that the value of an item increased when more effort is being put in to
make it. When
we went to the supermarket, I have realised that imported goods in China are
more expensive because they needed competition in the sales market. and they
could not lose out to other countries. However, imported goods in Singapore are
fairly cheaper as they are more available.
DAY THREE
First things first, food. Breakfast provided by HotelInnExpress in Yangzhou was so much better than in Shanghai. Shanghai is more developed than Yangzhou but the hospitality was better in Yangzhou than Shanghai. We had a few protocols to follow and the ones we did the right was to be observant of our surroundings and follow teachers' instructions when they asked us to gather. We also kept track of time when we were given chances to explore around the place and got back to the meeting point on time.
Today is the day when we go to Shu Ren High to experience learning culture over at China. Among the entire trip, the third and fourth day was the most fun, most thrilling and most enjoyable for me. Firstly we observed their chinese lessons and I realised there was little difference in how the teacher conducts the class but I noticed that the students in China are more proactive in answering questions than students in Singapore. They were more vocal than expected and they were enthusiastic about answering posted questions. This is something I hope all Singapore students can learn from and develop this kind of enthusiasm in learning. I believe with this positive vibe in the class and a good attitude towards learning, we can develop more interest in learning.
DAY SEVEN
It was the last day and we set off to go to the Qi Bao Gu Zhen where there were many provisional shops set up along the roadside. We got our group identity from this trip and we also got to try out different foods they were selling in China. I miss OELP really badly and I cannot believe it ended so quickly! I wish there can be more of these experiences next time we are going out as a class. I learnt to much things about China and even made comparison to things in Singapore. Thank you roommate for sticking with me through thick and thin during this trip and I hope 2I can remain bonded even when we disperse to other places.First things first, food. Breakfast provided by HotelInnExpress in Yangzhou was so much better than in Shanghai. Shanghai is more developed than Yangzhou but the hospitality was better in Yangzhou than Shanghai. We had a few protocols to follow and the ones we did the right was to be observant of our surroundings and follow teachers' instructions when they asked us to gather. We also kept track of time when we were given chances to explore around the place and got back to the meeting point on time.
Today is the day when we go to Shu Ren High to experience learning culture over at China. Among the entire trip, the third and fourth day was the most fun, most thrilling and most enjoyable for me. Firstly we observed their chinese lessons and I realised there was little difference in how the teacher conducts the class but I noticed that the students in China are more proactive in answering questions than students in Singapore. They were more vocal than expected and they were enthusiastic about answering posted questions. This is something I hope all Singapore students can learn from and develop this kind of enthusiasm in learning. I believe with this positive vibe in the class and a good attitude towards learning, we can develop more interest in learning.
Secondly, we were attending their physical education (PE) class and I finally realised why they were all wearing jackets and long pants for PE. We had fun activities to do like running while balancing a ping pong ball on a bat and we had to compete which school was faster. Afterwards, I participated in a basketball match with the basketball team in Shu Ren School. They were really loud when playing the game and they took whatever chance they had to score the ball but because they were rushing, most of the balls didnt get into the backet. I realised how different we play in sports. Our team was to have long passes and was better in defense but their team was better in terms of attacking. They were really fast in dribbling away our ball and they were very rough when playing the game. I bumped into one of their teammates and I apologised to her. In return, she apologised to me very quickly as well and I then realised that it was their method of playing to be rough and strong in attacking but they were still very friendly.
What made me proud of my class was that we did cheers while our classmates were competing whether they were losing or winning. We showed them our class spirit and also took initiative to say thank you to our opponents, camerawoman, teachers and school principals. During class presentation, we were listening attentively to all the presentations and showed respect to presenters.
I feel that our words and actions reflects on our character and it also reminds me that we need a good attitude to do business with others. If we have no manners, nobody will want to deal with us in the future which will be a waste to our investments and talents. We showed the China students something they could learn from us ass well and that would be team spirit. They learnt to cheer for their friends whether they are winning or losing after watching us do it for our fellow classmates.
DAY FOUR
We are setting off earlier to go to Shu Ren Middle School today. I cannot believe they have two schools under the same name in the same city and the reason was because they wanted to separate the students according to their financial status. The bigger and newer Shu Ren High we visited yesterday was more costly and therefore some of the students had to transfer to the older and smaller Shu Ren Middle School.
The first thing I noticed when I stepped into Shu Ren Middle School was the stench that came from the toilet. Their toilet had a poor drainage system where all the pipes were connected together and only can be cleared when the flushing lever is pulled. I wondered how all the students in the school can bare with the stench and I was very grateful for having better drainage system in River Valley High. I am glad to be in Singapore where the government puts a lot of funds and efforts on education so we can study in a clean environment and I hope this is something we can be of role model to other countries.
I made friends with my buddies in China and it left a huge memory in me although it was just a 15 minutes talk. We exchanged emails and gifts afterwards and they had to go back for classes. After lunch, both schools performed up on stage and this was the moment that everyone was working for. For the past few months, our class have put in hard work to meet together as a class and think up on a string of performance. Our class chairpersons and CID reps put in tremendous amount of time to think of the dance steps as well as the things we were performing. Everyone have to give up our breaks to practice the performance and through these practices we have learnt to cooperate with others. To think about it now, it is sad to know that it was all over in 20 minutes.
DAY FIVE
We visited Zhu Zi Qing museum which was an ancient preserved infrastructure that attracts both foreign and local tourists. I learnt that Zhu Zi Qing died of starvation when he refused aid from Americans. Learning about Zhu Zi Qing reminds me of our late prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew. When Mr Lee Kuan Yew was around, he ordered that his house should be demolished after his death as he did not want people to make his death a big deal or the future generations to think of him as a mythical figure. However, the government decided to preserve his house so that the future generations can learn about him and support democracy even when he is not around. I feel that this place was made into an official tourist attraction was a message to tell the citizens of China to feel proud of China's rich culture and history and to be more patriotic.
DAY SIX
Firstly, we went to Cheng Huang Miao where we bought a lot of things from shops at a cheaper price. There was a lot of people and traffic so we had to stay together as a group. We also proceed to Science and Technology Centre where we got to catch a movie about bacteria and how our immune system help to fend them off. We went to the animal world that was also located in the centre where they display real figurines of animals that were waxed and preserved. In the animal world, I was amazed at the nature and we spent a wonderful afternoon there. After the Science and Technology Centre, we went to the Oriental Pearl Tower which was one of the highest skyscrapers that allowed us to take a view of the entire city at the peak of the tower. The scenery up there was breathtaking and I am definitely going back to the Oriental Pearl Tower when I am going to China next time. After the trip to the tower, we went to the street, Tian Zi Fang where french concession happened. I noticed that Tian Zi Fang had a different design than the rest of the areas around in the city. The design seemed to take the culture of the French people than the China people. From this trip to Tian Zi Fang, I have learnt about the different heritage they have in China and they developed these tourists attraction to earn money.
Firstly, we went to Cheng Huang Miao where we bought a lot of things from shops at a cheaper price. There was a lot of people and traffic so we had to stay together as a group. We also proceed to Science and Technology Centre where we got to catch a movie about bacteria and how our immune system help to fend them off. We went to the animal world that was also located in the centre where they display real figurines of animals that were waxed and preserved. In the animal world, I was amazed at the nature and we spent a wonderful afternoon there. After the Science and Technology Centre, we went to the Oriental Pearl Tower which was one of the highest skyscrapers that allowed us to take a view of the entire city at the peak of the tower. The scenery up there was breathtaking and I am definitely going back to the Oriental Pearl Tower when I am going to China next time. After the trip to the tower, we went to the street, Tian Zi Fang where french concession happened. I noticed that Tian Zi Fang had a different design than the rest of the areas around in the city. The design seemed to take the culture of the French people than the China people. From this trip to Tian Zi Fang, I have learnt about the different heritage they have in China and they developed these tourists attraction to earn money.
DAY SEVEN
PLACES OF INTEREST IN YANGZHOU
In the last CID lesson, Ms Huang wanted us to do a blog post on the places we wish to go in Yangzhou, like places of attraction, landmarks and sights. I went onto Google to make a research on the top places of attraction and the Shouxi Lake located near slender west gate and was ranked number one! This is a beautiful photo of the Shouxi Lake. It looks like a nature museum that shows us the history of China with its greenery and scenic views.
Another place in Yangzhou that I hope we can go explore as a class together would be the yangzhou stone tower. The place looks like it came from the olden days and I feel that we can definitely learn a lot about China's history.
I hope my class can take this period of time to talk to each other and be more bonded and learn something together.
YOUTH CULTURE IN CHINA
As China moves toward becoming the world’s biggest economy, its teenagers are a subject of media attention for their fashion sense, their perceived rebellion against a restrictive government and the new sense of personal identity that is beginning to define the younger generations. Chinese teenagers live in a rapidly developing country and they experience many transformation in their lives. From 1978, China shifted its focus from socialism to modernization, and teenagers started to know the importance of money and materialism grew. From the 1990s on, Chinese teenagers focused on learning English and studying in the United States, as fashion surged and young adults became much less conservative. More Chinese adolescents and young adults are moving from rural areas into the city with hopes of better careers.
Many Chinese teens pursue Western culture, and they show it through their consumption of Western TV shows, movies, foods and clothing.Though government regulations have restricted certain TV shows, including crime shows and dramas, many Chinese television programs replicate the famous American versions. “China’s Got Talent” and “If You Are the One,” a Chinese version of “The Bachelor,” are popular.
Teens from affluent families and were raised in an environment of economic stability. They are brand-conscious, trendy and have plenty of money to spend. This wealthy portion of Chinese teens is a worldly bunch, often well-traveled and experienced.
Teens will differ in their value systems, interests and hobbies depending on whether they are from cities or rural areas. In fact, most youths still feel a deep sense of responsibility to their families, even though values are changing from generation to generation. The majority of Chinese teens are interested in developing a sense of their own individuality and personal identity.
Youths in China today are no different from other youths in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore. They enjoy spending time with friends going places like the bowling alley, game lans and shopping.
YANGZHOUS WEATHER AND FASHION
I did a research on the current weather and temperature Yangzhou is experiencing :)
Yangzhou or in Chinese, 扬州 is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province in the People's Republic of China. It has a subtropical monsoon climate with humid changeable wind with an average temperature of 15 °C annually, where it is the hottest in July of 27.6 °C and the coldest in January of 1.7 °C with a maximum temperature of 39.8 °C and minimum −5 °C.
Its has a colder weather than in Singapore and I feel that the people in Yangzhou would probably wear thicker clothes than what we usually do in Singapore. I went up to the Internet and did a search for what the people at yangzhou usually wear but I realised that the people today in yangzhou does not have a specific fashion in their city. Similarly, they wear clothes like how most Chinese would wear nowadays. However, I do notice that they will wear thicker clothes and jackets due to the weather over there.
We chinese will usually wear a "cheongsam" or in Chinese 旗袍 during festivals and important events. They come in many designs and they are a traditional costume for the chinese.
While looking up on the Internet for their traditional costumes, I realised how much the chinese costumes have developed over the years, from the Qing Dynasty till today. A one piece garment was the formal costume in China from the Qing to the Han dynasty and the costume was modified in the Tang Dynasty and further westernized to flatter body shape till modern era.
All in all, peolple in Yangzhou wears Cheongsam as a traditional costume during formal events and they usually will wear thicker clothes due to the cold weather over there.
Yangzhou is famous for producing handcrafts such as jade articles and lacquer wares. There are other famous local special products like fluffy toys, paper cuttings and bonsai (potted landscape). One of the most famous brand industry in Yangzhou is the Hubao Group.
The Hubao Group in Jiangsu is a star in China's clothing industry and is located in the culturally rooted in Yangzhou. It is very well known in the clothing industry in China and this famous brand industry is well-equipped with the world's most advanced technology, is taking the lead in new fashion designing and bettering its products in quality. Their well-known shirts, mostly dignified western-style clothes, jackets and underwear have received many good reviews by customers. They won over 100 awards which include the successive six international gold medals, the successive four National Gold-Bridge Medals, Product of Well-known Brands, the Inspection-free Brand admitted by the stare, China's Famous Name Brand and the Famous Exported Commodity.
WOULD THE MERLION MAKE THE BEST NATIONAL ICON FOR SINGAPORE?
Yes I think the Merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore. The Merlion has a lion head and a fish body resting on a crest of waves, which the lion head symbolizes the legend of rediscovery of Singapura. Singapore was still known as Temasek until Prince Sang Nila Utama of the Sri Vijaya empire rediscovered the island. When the prince first landed, he saw a lion that he felt was a mysterious creature and thus decided to name the island to Lion City.
The body of the Merlion symbolizes Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village called Temasek. The head of the Merlion symbolizes the original name of Singapore, Singapura, where 'Singa' means 'Lion' in Malay. I feel that the Merlion can show a lot about Singapore's history and how Singapore progressed untill today. However, I feel that there are many national icons Singapore can have.
Firstly, it would be a greenery icon because Singapore is a clean and green vibrant city where all the countries took role model of and started to plant more trees around their neighborhoods as well. Secondly, I feel that a statue of the late Prime Minister can be Singapore's icon because Mr Lee Kuan Yew was the founder of Singapore and everything we have today in Singapore is all thanks to his great foresight, ambition and his efforts. Last but not least, I feel that our multiracial society is something all Singaporeans should be proud of. We are living together in peace and harmony regardless of race, language or religion and this could be a national icon for Singapore as well.
In today's lesson, we were given 10 minutes to do research on the golden age in Tang Dynasty and the contributing factors to it. I learnt that it was because of the various development in China at that time such as the woodblock printing that has made written words to be more available to more people and books could be more conveniently published, resulting in increasing rate of literacy because even the lower classes can study more cheaply in that way.
Another great invention was the astronomical clock which was water powered throughout the entire country. There was great improvement in mechanical engineering, medical. cartography as well as alchemy developments. These factors contributed to Chinas Golden Age where it grown to become superior.
REMMBERING MR LEE KUAN YEW
Recently our late founder Mr Lee Kuan Yew has passed away and I realised that he was the one who helped Singapore to achieve the Golden Age we are enjoying today. Without Mr Lee , Singapore would have to depend on Malaysia for water supply and might even need to continue to merge with Malaysia where people of different races are treated differently. There might still be riots between different clans and our housing development might not be as good as today. Thanks to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, we have a non-corrupted government that we can depend on to set good policies and laws to improve Singapore, even taking consider of those minorities. I feel that we as Singaporeans should not take all of these for granted and we should continue to be good citizens and strive to keep Singapore in the good state Mr Lee had left us.
Thank you Mr Lee. Without your great foresight and determination, Singapore might not reach this far today.
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POVERTY IN SINGAPORE
Today in class, we have learnt a few things about China's economy as compared to Singapore's. Singapore has developed into a first world country within 50 years in the hands of our late founder, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Currently, Singapore has a world class economy and most of the people is financially stable. However, there would be minorities that does not have a good job wage or a stable income. These people are mostly either the poor elderly who cannot work because they were too weak. Some of them might not be well educated for a better job and the wage given is too low to provide for a big family. Some of the elderly even have distant relationships with their children after they have grown up and can provide themselves. Therefore, without the aid from their children or relatives, they have no one to turn to for help, therefore they live in poverty.
I believe that all of us have seen street beggars in Singapore even though it is illegal. In shopping malls, coffee shops, outside MRT etc: They are mostly disabled people who tries to sell tissue on the streets to feed themselves. I feel that in Singapore, it is seldom to see people who look healthy to be begging. Most of them look disabled or old and they have to turn to begging in the end. Currently, there are 200,000 local familes who are living at the bottom of the income scale. The poorest 100,000 households only earned $1400 per month which is barely able to feed a family of 4.
I feel that there will be poverty in every country but it is more of how the government tries to resolve these problems even if it only consists of the minorities. I am proud of Singapore's governance because I have seen the ideas they have come out to help our country in this situation. Two examples are the Silver Support Scheme and the Central Provident Fund that I have read on the Straits Times. The Silver Support Scheme helps to give payouts to families each month to help them in their monthly income. The CPF is also another great idea that helps the working adults save for their future, when they grow old and retire. However, it is a problem because of Singpore's dwindling which has already caused burden to the economy. On top of inflation, the Silver Support Scheme must definitely give more and more payouts to the families which even more pressurizes our economy burden.
All in all, I have learnt a lot from this lesson and I have also found out additional information from other sources :)
HOW WILL AGING POPULATION AFFECT SINGAPORE'S ECONOMY?
The human population of a country does affect the economy of a country. We were explained the simple concepts behind these situations and I have learnt that the overpopulation in China once caused it to have less resources and jobs for everyone. However, after China gave out the one-child policy, the birthrates have decreased and this aided the economy situation in China. In my opinion, every Singaporean counts. I feel that with the decrease of population, there will be more old people in our society and when they retire, there might not be enough young people to replace their jobs. Therefore, more foreigners will be employed to do the work for us and Singapore might have to depend on immigrants to sustain the country. Our economy might decline and there might be a need to open more elderly homes and some children care centre would have to close down. There might also be lesser enrollment of Singaporean children in schools and there will be more permanent residents students in school. This photo shows what might happen if the population decreases too much.
我认为新加坡人应该多生小孩，为自己和下一代着想。这样子也能为新加坡做出贡献。我认为政府给予新加坡宝宝Baby Bonus能够鼓励夫妻有勇气多生孩子。我也认为 多几个孩子能够一起负担责任，不会那么孤单。我有两个姐姐，我们能够一起负担家里的事情，我们也会一起孝顺父母，不让他们老的时候感到孤独。
ONE-CHILD POLICY IN CHINA
Today in class, we learnt about one-child policy in China which helps to control the massive birth rate and fertility rate in China and also helps in slowing down China's population growth. When there are fewer people in China, it would leave more resources to the rest of the people and it brings people better resources to enjoy for themselves.
China abolished this policy in year 1978 and there were many advertisements in China to encourage it. The population was too high in China and it was hard to cope with little resources for everyone so the government had to come out with a policy so that fertility rate can be controlled. However, this policy also brought about many consequences. Some consequences I have identified are:
-the next generation of children cannot cope with their parents financially as they were the only child in the family.
-lesser chance for adoption as many parents would rather raise their own kid than adopting one.
-many disowned daughters in China as parents would prefer a son.
-increasing number of couples turning to medical facilities for twins as there was no penalty for twins.
-many couples going overseas to give birth to their second child eg: Hong Kong (birth tourism).
-accusations of human rights violation as the number of abortions and sterilizations increases.
Although there are many negative consequences, there was also benefits that were brought about by the policy.
These resources can be invested in building better homes for the people in China as well as providing better medical facilities, advancement in technology and improvement on education facilities and this causes people to have better lives in China.
When there are fewer children in China, the children in China can get more chances for better education because there are less competency for enrollment and there are fewer children to cope with for each teacher. China also uses the resources to focus on education as they built more schools and facilities for the students, providing a better environment or students and in turn, they will get better educated people to work for the country and its economy will flourish even more.
Therefore I agree on the one-child policy in China as it brings economy growth in return and improvement in people's lives but I feel that family planning should be taught to everyone in China so they can better manage their family in the future.
FRUITFUL DECEMBER HOLIDAYS
In the holidays, I spent most of my time participating in various voluntary work and learning a new culture. My favourite hobby is Table Tennis and Photography!
First of all, Im a member of Blossom World Society and they allowed youths and adults to join many different kinds of voluntary work. For the first few days of my November holidays, I was welcomed to attend an event whereby we set up our own booths and bringing the Happy Formula to over a thousand of children from different international primary schools. When I was there, I also learnt what is the Happy Formula :)
The Happy Formula is (O+A)
"O" stands for "Observe" kindness
"A" stands for "Appreciate" kindness
I have used the Happy Formula in my daily life. I see things more positively and will observe people's kindness :) afterwards I would appreciate them more by saying "thank you" more often and also praise them for their contribution in group work.
I was happy to share this formula to the young children as I know this can educate them to be more appreciative towards others. I hope that even more people will get to know and learn from this so we can all create a more peaceful society :)
Secondly, Blossom World also organized an event "Iron Will" where it teaches us about S.M.A.R.T. goals and what to do to achieve them. I was really surprised to learn the exact same thing when i attended the first CCE class with my new form teacher, Mr De La Cruz.
I built up confidence when socializing with other people in my group and did not fear to speak up in a group. I learnt to listen to other peoples opinions and respect their thinking.
Other than the Iron Will youth camp, I also participated in being a befriender in the Children's camp held at Kallang Community Centre held by Blossom World as well. I learnt to work with kids around 7-8 years old in my team and also gained experience with dancing on the stage. I used to have stage fright but these camps built up the confidence in me and I am no longer afraid to share my thoughts and speak up on the stage. This also trains me to speak up comfortably in class sharing etc:
In this Children's camp, we also learnt about having gratitude for our parents. They have taken care of us in every way since the day we were in our mother's tummy. The children there are taught to appreciate their parents and through that, I have learnt something along with them. They made us write gratitude heart shaped cards to pass to our parents at the end of the camp. All of us were also taught to help our parents massage their shoulders so as to thank them for working hard to raise us. During this camp, me and my friends recognised our parents hardwork to care about us. They worked from early morning to late in the evening so as to earn and give us the things we want. They also took time off when we are sick to take care of us.
The one thing that hit me the most was the roleplay done by our fellow befrienders at Blossom World. My seniors there played characters of a family where the sister is a rude teenager and expects her parents to pay her money for doing house chores. At that moment, I remembered myself doing that too once when I was in Primary 3. The mother character then stepped in and explained to her child. She said,"Everyday without fail, I cook meals for you. Free of charge. I wash, iron and fold clothes for you, free of charge. I cleaned your room once a week, free of charge. I carried you in my tummy for 9 months, suffering from the extreme pain, free of charge. I loved you since the day you were in my womb and took care of you everyday, free of charge." When she said that, I realised that my parents have done a lot for me and yet we take it for granted and thought it was their duty to do so. I felt remorseful about letting my parents worry about me and decided to change my attitude towards my parents. As the chinese idiom goes "饮水思源", we should repay them for taking care of us everyday.
Apart from the camps, the whole lot of Blossom Youths also participated in going to Old Folks' Home and brought them to Underwater World together! Although I didnt manage to take photo with those cute grandpas and grandmas, but we all did have fun! Through that experience, it made it widen my horizon and I even went to look up for a few Hokkien and Teochew dialects so as to prepare myself to have a conversation with them!
Haha, it didnt turn out as well as I expected as they will reply me in dialects and I cannot understand most of what they are talking so I just nodded and kept on smiling at them. A few of the grandpas and grandmas had a little bit of problem walking and they needed to take medicine. I still remember being on duty to keep a look out for these two grannies. They did not talk to me at first and I was told to put my arms behind their backs so I can support them if they fall off the bench. I was really worried to see them trembling on the bench so I held onto their arms instead.
There was one grandfather who had mental disorder so he was shouting throughout the entire dolphin show. He even spit out his false dentals which was kind of disgusting, but the nurses there were so so extremely kind and soothed him in many ways. Finally, he fell asleep for the rest of the journey. I really appreciate the help of the nurses and I realise they are so kind and so brave to take on this job. I only took care of the old folks for 5 hours and I was already exhausted, but it reminded me that they are doing this job for more than 12 hours everyday and they did not even complain. I felt that they were the true heroes and heroines that I look up to.
I only managed to take photos with other volunteers that I made friends with that day :)
Other than the voluntary work, I have also learnt a new culture from the Indians! I went to a workshop and invited all of the regular volunteers to join and learn from two Indians that taught us how to decorate the floors with coloured grains during deepavali. From that unique experience, I learnt to understand and appreciate the culture of Indian people.
Guess which one is mine!
We also held a big Christmas party at Blossom World Centre for all the Blossom Youth volunteers and had a gift exchange! I got a 'TYPO' turquoise planner that costs $15 :D my present was a Cotton On mug!
Some people are missing from this group photo :/
In this Children's camp, we also learnt about having gratitude for our parents. They have taken care of us in every way since the day we were in our mother's tummy. The children there are taught to appreciate their parents and through that, I have learnt something along with them. They made us write gratitude heart shaped cards to pass to our parents at the end of the camp. All of us were also taught to help our parents massage their shoulders so as to thank them for working hard to raise us. During this camp, me and my friends recognised our parents hardwork to care about us. They worked from early morning to late in the evening so as to earn and give us the things we want. They also took time off when we are sick to take care of us. The one thing that hit me the most was the roleplay done by our fellow befrienders at Blossom World. My seniors there played characters of a family where the sister is a rude teenager and expects her parents to pay her money for doing house chores. At that moment, I remembered myself doing that too once when I was in Primary 3. The mother character then stepped in and explained to her child. She said,"Everyday without fail, I cook meals for you. Free of charge. I wash, iron and fold clothes for you, free of charge. I cleaned your room once a week, free of charge. I carried you in my tummy for 9 months, suffering from the extreme pain, free of charge. I loved you since the day you were in my womb and took care of you everyday, free of charge." When she said that, I realised that my parents have done a lot for me and yet we take it for granted and thought it was their duty to do so. I felt remorseful about letting my parents worry about me and decided to change my attitude towards my parents. As the chinese idiom goes "饮水思源", we should repay them for taking care of us everyday.Apart from the camps, the whole lot of Blossom Youths also participated in going to Old Folks' Home and brought them to Underwater World together! Although I didnt manage to take photo with those cute grandpas and grandmas, but we all did have fun! Through that experience, it made it widen my horizon and I even went to look up for a few Hokkien and Teochew dialects so as to prepare myself to have a conversation with them!
Haha, it didnt turn out as well as I expected as they will reply me in dialects and I cannot understand most of what they are talking so I just nodded and kept on smiling at them. A few of the grandpas and grandmas had a little bit of problem walking and they needed to take medicine. I still remember being on duty to keep a look out for these two grannies. They did not talk to me at first and I was told to put my arms behind their backs so I can support them if they fall off the bench. I was really worried to see them trembling on the bench so I held onto their arms instead.
There was one grandfather who had mental disorder so he was shouting throughout the entire dolphin show. He even spit out his false dentals which was kind of disgusting, but the nurses there were so so extremely kind and soothed him in many ways. Finally, he fell asleep for the rest of the journey. I really appreciate the help of the nurses and I realise they are so kind and so brave to take on this job. I only took care of the old folks for 5 hours and I was already exhausted, but it reminded me that they are doing this job for more than 12 hours everyday and they did not even complain. I felt that they were the true heroes and heroines that I look up to.
I only managed to take photos with other volunteers that I made friends with that day :)
Other than the voluntary work, I have also learnt a new culture from the Indians! I went to a workshop and invited all of the regular volunteers to join and learn from two Indians that taught us how to decorate the floors with coloured grains during deepavali. From that unique experience, I learnt to understand and appreciate the culture of Indian people.
We also held a big Christmas party at Blossom World Centre for all the Blossom Youth volunteers and had a gift exchange! I got a 'TYPO' turquoise planner that costs $15 :D my present was a Cotton On mug!
Some people are missing from this group photo :/
We also had a BBQ Chalet!
Finally, we went to Jamiya's Children Home and celebrated Christmas with the malay kids there! It was a bit difficult to converse with them at first as they did not feel comfortable with seeing strangers and they were kind of mischievous but it was still fun as we brought them Xmas gifts and taught them about the Happy Fomula! :)
This is me and my close buddy, Gwyneth :D We were the Santarinas for that day.
This is the end of my wonderful December Holidays! Hope you enjoyed reading!
Thank you
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