Wee Leng :3

OELP Reflection : Day 7

Itinenary

SHANGHAI

- Qibao Ancient Town (七宝古镇)

- Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆)

- Depart from Shanghai

- Arrive at Singapore 

Qibao Ancient Town (七宝古镇)

七宝镇位于上海市闵行区，其形成可以追溯到五代十国时期，到北宋时已初具规模。其名称来源于当地的寺庙“七宝寺”，现已不存。面积18.10平方公里。户籍人口8.63万人（2008年）。现在的七宝镇是上海著名的旅游景点之一，蒲汇塘横贯古镇，河上有数座各具特色的桥梁。古镇老街在展示古镇风貌的同时也是一条繁华的商业街.七宝镇的蟋蟀是当地的著名特产，据说七宝产的蟋蟀勇猛好斗，属于上品。

Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆)

上海博物馆是一座大型的中国古代艺术博物馆，陈列面积2800平方米。馆藏珍贵文物12万件，其中尤以青铜器、陶瓷器、书法、绘画为特色。藏品之丰富、质量之精湛，在国内外享有盛誉。上海博物馆是1952年在当时的市长陈毅的支持下，合并了原有的几个博物馆而成立的。原址在南京西路325号旧跑马总会，由此开始了它的发展之路。1959年10月迁入河南中路16号旧中汇大楼，上海博物馆（新馆）位于上海市的中心——人民广场的南侧。1995年底，新馆正式建成。上海博物馆是与北京、南京、西安齐名的中国四大博物馆之一。

~ END OF DAY 7 ~

My Reflections

? Write down 3 sentences or more to describe what you know about Shanghai/Yangzhou/China before the trip.

? Write down another 3 sentences or more to describe the acquired knowledge and perception on China.

OELP Reflection : Day 6

Itinenary

YANGZHOU/SHANGHAI

- Travel to Shanghai

- Chenghuang Miao (城隍庙)

- Shanghai Science & Technology Museum (上海科技馆)

- Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠塔)

- Old French Concession (法租界)

- Tian Zi Fang (田子坊)

Chenghuang Miao (城隍庙)

At first, we thought that Chenghuang Miao was a temple and we definitely didnt expect that there would be so many shops and people at there. We were given 1 hour to dispatch into our CID group to do our shopping. As we went around, we saw many traditional buildings and temple-looking structures. However, there are lots of goods like souvenirs and local products and food for us to buy. It was really crowded and so we had to stick close with our groups. However, it was still enjoyable.

Shanghai Science & Technology Museum (上海科技馆)

上海科技馆是上海重要的科普教育基地和休闲旅游基地。上海科技馆项目占地面积6.8万多平方米，总建筑面积9.8万平方米。科技馆展示内容由天地馆、生命馆、智慧馆、创造馆、未来馆等五个主要展馆和临展馆组成，总投资17.55亿元人民币。上海科技馆是上海市最主要的科普教育基地和重要的精神文明建设基地。每个来参观的观众能在赏心悦目的活动中，接受现代科技知识的教育和科学精神的熏陶。

After that, we went to the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum (上海科技馆). We first entered the exhibition hall where there were many wax figures of many different animals. In addition, there was also a board where information on each animal will be given. This experience was like going to the zoo as the wax figures were very real. After touring around the museum, we went to watch a 4D movie which was a really fun and thrilling experience. It was definitely worth the time as it was a really fun and exciting trip to the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum.

Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠塔)

东方明珠广播电视塔，位于上海市浦东陆家嘴的未來主義建築，与外滩隔黄浦江相望。它原名上海广播电视塔而上海市民也常简称其为东方明珠。东方明珠由当时华东建筑设计研究院设计，1991年动工，1994年落成，总高468米。在1994年至2007年间，是中国大陆地区的最高建筑。2007年被上海环球金融中心超越。东方明珠自落成以后便成为上海天际线的组成部分之一，是上海的地标性建筑。

Next, we arrived at the Oriental Pearl Tower which is one of the most famous tourist attractions in China. It is very majestic and is most probably the tallest tower I had ever seen.  We then took a class photo with our class tees, in register order. We had to queue for a very long time before we can go up to the tower. It was really beautiful and stunning from the top of the tower. From the tower, we could see Shanghai's prominent buildings as well as the Huangpu river. Then, we went to the viewing platform where the floors are made of glass and they are transparent. Seeing the view from above, it was a different feeling. Apart from being fascinated by the view, I was thinking how I would be proud to be a Chinese because of how far Shanghai have changed, from a trading port to a huge city right now. We could also see many old buildings and this reminded me of what our teacher said about the values of preserving old buildings.

Old French Concession (法租界)

上海法租界（法语：la concession française de Shanghaï），大致位于上海市原卢湾区和徐汇区两区境内，东部狭长地带（今金陵东路及中山东二路一带）伸入原黄浦区。它是近代中国4个在华法租界中开辟最早、面积最大、也最繁荣的一个。同时也是上海的两个租界之一。

Then, we went to the Old French Concession. Due to the tight schedule, we just walked around and looked at the buildings as we did not stay there for a long time. The styles of buildings are different. We were able to see how foreign influence has affected Shanghai. As we walked around, we also noticed that there were a lot of youngsters and also foreigners. Old French Concession was a place in the past where foreigners gathered in China. The buildings in that area were also built according to western style and design and I believe that it still caters to westerners.  

Tian Zi Fang (田子坊)

~ END OF DAY 6 ~

My Reflections

? Discuss the dilemma of cultural heritage conservation and economic developement in Shanghai and China.

? What are some of the constraints Shanghai faced when developing its city? How do they overcome these constraints? Does Singapore face similar situation as well?

? What can Singapore do to make the local arts scene more vibrant?

EXTRAs:

? What are the differences between the Science and Technology Museum and the former residence of Zhu Ziqing? What does this tell you about Yangzhou and Shanghai?

? What value does the old buildings like the French Concessions have for the developers to preserve them? What is the point? Does this show the dilemma Singapore face when developing Singapore? Will China face more trouble in choosing whether to preserve or develop? How did Shanghai preserve old buildings to gain economic growth?

OELP Reflection : Day 5

Itinenary

YANGZHOU

- Former residence of Zhu Ziqing (朱自清故居)

- Dongguan Street (东莞历史文化街)

- Slender West Lake & 24 bridges (瘦西湖)
- Dong Quan Men Alley (东圈门历史街)

Dong Quan Men Alley (东圈门历史街)

After our breakfast, we went to Dong Quan Men Alley (东圈门历史街). The local market sold a variety of things like handicrafts, accessories, books, pets and antiques. I noticed that there were a lot of pet dogs, hamsters, rabbits sold in the market. However, they are not very well-taken care of. Many of them were crammed together in one small cage. There were also many people performing magic by using different magic equipment and trying to sell them. It was definitely a very different experience as compared to a local market visit it was a very different experience of a local market visit as compared to the markets in Singapore.

Slender West Lake & 24 bridges (瘦西湖)

瘦西湖位于扬州市西北。六朝以来即为风景胜地，清代康乾时期即已形成的“两堤花柳全依水，一路楼台直到山”的湖上园林。瘦西湖融南方之秀、北方之雄于一体，清乾隆时期更是盛极一时，成为扬州雍容华贵的象征。瘦西湖现有游览区面积100公顷左右。1988年被国务院列为“具有重要历史文化遗产和扬州园林特色的国家重点名胜区”。虽不像杭州的西子湖、济南的大明湖那样声名赫赫，却也具有自身独特的魅力。在瘦西湖“L”形狭长河道的顶点上，是眺景最佳处。由历代挖湖后的泥堆积成岭，登高极目， 全湖景色尽收眼底。

After that, we then went to the Slender West Lake & 24 bridges (瘦西湖) to take a look at the scenery there. The slender west lake is very beautiful as the scenery was simply breathtaking. There were many historical buildings and also, simple yet elegant bridges along the lake. It was really relaxing while we walk along the lakes. Among all the bridges we saw, I feel that the 24 Step bridge was the most memorable one. It was built with white marble, the bridge is 24 meters (appox.79 feet) long, 24 meters (also appox.79 feet) wide, with 24 parapets and 24 steps hence the name - 24 Bridge. It looks like a marble ribbon fluttering on the water or a rainbow lying over the lake. In addition, according to a myth, someone saw 24 beauties on the bridge, thus the bridge was called the 24 step bridge. The interesting thing is that coincidentally, there are 24 girls in our class and we took a picture of all the girls in the class with each of one of us standing on one step each.

Former residence of Zhu Ziqing (朱自清故居)

朱自清故居始建于清代，是扬州典型的民居“三合院”建筑。目前是国家级重点文物保护单位、爱国主义教育基地和小公民示范基地，并作为名城保护的历史街区景点对外开放。1982年被定为市级文物保护单位。朱自清（1898-1948年），原名自华，字佩弦，号秋实。祖籍浙江绍兴，生于江苏东海县，因祖父、父亲都定居扬州，本人又毕业于扬州的江苏省第八中学（今扬州中学），后又在扬州做教师，故自称扬州人。

After visiting the slender west lake, we went to the Former residence of Zhu Ziqing (朱自清故居). It is located in the middle of some houses along the alley and it was preserved by the government as a historical site. Zhu Ziqing (November 22, 1898 – August 12, 1948) was a renowned Chinese poet and essayist. Zhu studied at Peking University, and during the May Fourth Movement became one of several pioneers of modernism in China during the 1920s. Zhu was a prolific writer of both prose and poetry, but is best known for essays like 背影.

While we were looking around in the house, our teacher Mr Dela Cruz asked us, "Why is this house preserved and open to public?"

I first thought that it was for tourism as the house had traditional furnitures and features, in addition his works are very famous hence, by preserving his house, it could attract tourists and gain economic wealth. However, during the debrief later that day, I found out that Zhu Ziqing was very loyal to the country and loved his country. After the Second World War, Zhu encouraged his students in Kunming to oppose Chiang Kai-Shek from starting the Chinese Civil War. In 1946, he returned to Beijing and was appointed the Head of the Chinese Language Department in Tsinghua University. When he heard of the assassination of patriotic authors Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo, Zhu disregarded his own safety to attend the funeral of both men. Zhu later died in 1948 due to starvation after joining the rebellion of refusing aid from the United States. Therefore, the government preserved his house to send the message to the Chinese that they should not forget their roots and learn from Zhu Ziqing who was willing to sacrifice his life for his country and by preserving his house, this will benefit the government.

Dongguan Street (东莞历史文化街)

Lastly, we went to the Dongguan Street (东莞历史文化街). The street was paved in slates and it was more traditional and less modern as compared to Singapore. We had to split into our own CID groups to do our own shopping. There were many shops which sold a variety of things like souvenirs and handicrafts. My favourite shop was the Tea House as there were many different kind of tea sold there and many of us wanted to buy some for our family and friends. Since the goods sold were generally cheaper and well priced, many of us bought souvenirs back. It was really fun to walk down the street and we could really feel Yangzhou’s culture there while we look at the different interesting things and food sold in the shops. Since we went around without a teacher, we learnt to look out for one another and make sure we were all safe.

~ END OF DAY 5 ~

OELP Reflection : Day 4

Itinenary

YANGZHOU

- School Immersion

// Meeting with school leaders

// Pairing with students for “Getting to know you"

// Welcome speech by Ms. Dong Aihua

// Teachers and students from RV to give a speech
// Giving gifts

// 编中国结

// 经典文学作品演绎

// Lunchtime

// Performances

// 参观书画展，学习汉字书法
- Xinhua Book Store (新华书局)

Meeting with school teachers

Today, we visited the older campus of Shuren School. The old campus is smaller than the new one and it does not have as many facilities. However, we were still wamly welcomed by the students, teachers and principals. After we took a group photo there, we proceeded to a meeting room to get to know our buddies.

Getting to know buddy

After we all settled down, we were given some time to get to know our buddies and also exchanged presents with them. Even though my buddy was a guy, it wasn't awkward at all. He was very nice as he attempted to use English to converse with me. Not only that, he was very humourous and told me many things about their school life in China. I found out that the students in China have to go to school early in morning and end school later than us. In addition, some of them have to attend tuition lessons and revise for their weekly tests. Before the session ended, we exchanged phone numbers and email so that we can keep in touch with each other.

Welcome speech

After that, the principal, 董校长, then introduced to us about Shuren School. 

校长告诉我们扬州中学教育集团树人学校成立于1999年6月。昨天我们去的新校区是叫做九龙湖校区而今天我们来到的是旧校区叫做南门街校区。目前，学校有初中部，高中部和国际部，一共有117个班级，5400名学生和400百名老师。

她也告诉我们树人中学自创办以来，一直秉持“人文与科学相融，全面与特色并重”的育人理念与育人模式，坚持“树人为本，服务社会”的办学宗旨，逐步形成了“立德树人，自强不息”的校风、“教书育人，精益求精”的教风和“快乐学习，健全成长”的学风。

学校一直坚持“三全”质量观，坚持走“质量立校、科研强校、文化兴校、特色亮校”发展之路，教育教学质量稳步提高。中考屡创辉煌，正取扬中、达四星级高中以上人数等多项指标稳居市直第一。高考成绩不断超越，本科以上及重点大学录取人数逐年攀升，深受家长赞誉和社会好评。

From this, I can see that Shuren School is really a prestigious school. The students are all very good in their studies and have done the school proud, not only academically but also, non-academically. 

Giving Gifts

编中国结

After that, we went to a classroom to learn how to 编中国结手链. 

老师简单地介绍了中国结。中国结是一种中国传统手编艺术。这个结代表结项的意思，吉祥如意。

After the introduction, we followed the teacher step by step. It was quite confusing at the start, however, after we got the hang of it, we managed to complete it and made our own bracelets. It was definitely fun and challenging and I would definitely do it again if I had the chance to.

经典文学作品演绎

After the bracelet making session, we went to a room which had a small stage. When we stepped in, we were warmly welcomed by the students who were already inside. After that, some of the students performed a Chinese skit for us. The students were all very confident and fluent in their Chinese. I can tell that they really put in a lot of effort into this skit as they memorised their lines really well and performed with emotions.

After the skit, the teacher introduced to us a Yangzhou speciality, which is the Yangzhou Salted Egg. The teacher showed us a video on the process of making a salted egg. After watching the video, the students gave us an egg each for us to have a try.

Lunch

Performances

After lunch, it was finally time for the performance. The MCs announced the order of the performances and we prepared accordingly. The students from Shuren School prepared some performances like playing the piano, saxophone and drums. Not only that, some students also sang while some did latin and chinese dance. They definitely put in alot of effort to prepare this entire performance. 

As for us, we did Chinese and Modern Kpop dance, a skit, class dance which was the house dance and sang love at first light and 隐形的翅膀 as a class.

The Chinese and Modern dance group was the first to perform. All of us were very nervous and anxious, however we still did our best to put up a good performance. 

Chinese Dance

Modern Dance

Next, it was the skit performance. The skit went really well even though we sort of messed up at the end. However, they managed to engage the audience by making them laugh during the funny parts of the skit.

After that, it was our class dance. The whole class managed to squeeze onto the small stage and we did our very best. Even though it was difficult to put up a performance as a class, we finally did it and it was definitely worthwhile practising this for a few months. :)

Lastly, 5 of the girls from the singing group sang one of our NDP song, Love At First Light.

 After that, the rest of the group joined in and they sang a Chinese song 隐形的翅膀.

After all our performances, we sang our last song which was 朋友, together with the students from Shuren School. 

After months of hardwork and practices, I was glad that our efforts was paid off with a standing ovation from the teachers and students of Shuren School. This performance really bonded the entire class and we definitely showed class spirit during the perfomance. OELP PERFORMANCE 成功 !!

书画展与汉字书法

After the performance, we all headed to the calligraphy room where we will be having a 书法 lesson. When we reached there, the brushes and calligraphy paper were already laid out neatly for us to use. It was really thoughtful of the students and teachers there. After a short introduction on calligraphy, the students of the calligraphy club came to us and guided us as we started writing. We were all amazed when they demostrated to us and showed us their masterpiece. The students were really patience and nice as they taught us the right way to write a set of words step by step. I really learnt a lot from them and had lots of fun.

Xinhua Book Store (新华书局)

After the school immersion, we went to the Xinhua Book Store. We split up into our CID group to observe the bookstore. We realised that many of the books were cheaper than those in Singapore. Hence, many of us bought many books back. 

Things that Singapore's bookstores have but not Yangzhou's:

- Assessment books in English

- Food

- Basket for customers to put the things they want to buy

Things that Yangzhou's bookstores have but not Singapore's:

- Assessment books in Chinese

- Sports equipment

- Rubik's Cube

- Calligraphy stuff

- Lifts

- Toilet

- Rice Cooker

- Seats for people to read the books

~ END OF DAY 4 ~

My Reflections

? Reflect on what you used to think about Singapore's education system. Identify how your understanding, opinion and beliefs have changed after theis school exchange. 

I used to think Singapore's education system...

But now I think Singapore's education system...

EXTRAs:

? What protocol did we do right and what did we missed?

? Compare the experience in Shuren School and RV. What are the similarities and differences? 

Things that we have in RV but not in Shuren School:

Things that they have in Shuren but not in RV:

OELP Reflection : Day 3

Itinenary

YANGZHOU

- School Immersion

// Travel to Shuren School

// Walk around the campus

// Attend a Chinese lesson

// Attend a Wushu lesson

// Watch a video about Yangzhou in the terrace classroom

// Have lunch at school

// Enjoy students' performances

// Rest or read books in the school coffee house

// 两校学生文化展示活动

// 趣味体育比赛
// Basketball Match

// Leave for the downtown

New Campus of Shuren School

After we had our breakfast, we visited a local school in Yangzhou, Shuren Middle School . The principal from Shuren Middle School made a trip to our hotel personally to fetch us to the school early in the morning. From this, This made us realised how much she cherished the friendship between both schools. Therefore we should be at our very best and give them a good impression of us. For today, we went to the newer campus which was much bigger than the older campus and there was more facilities there too. 

Upon reaching the school, we were warmly welcomed by the teachers and principals from Shuren Middle School. We took a group photo with the principals before going for a school tour.

During the school tour with teachers and the principal of Shuren Middle School, I saw many facilities that River Valley does not have as such a huge garden as there are limited amount of space in Singapore and a coffee house for students and teachers to relax after a long day in school. 

Chinese lesson

The school made arrangements for us to observe the students of Shuren Middle School during their Chinese lesson. They had their lesson in a recording room where we can view them from outside and also from another room. We observed the way that the students there have lessons and realised that they are much more proactive than us Singaporean students. They are more vocal and are able to express their thoughts clearly and share them confidently with their teachers and classmates. It was definitely fascinating for us to watch the lesson in such a high-tech classroom.

Wushu lesson

Afterwards, we attended a wushu lesson at the indoor sports hall. The students there were all very disciplined as they lined up and stood there until their teacher gave them instructions. In addition, when we started our warm up, which was to run a few rounds in the hall, the students there diligently completed the rounds and I feel that we should learn from their attitude. 

After the warm up, the teacher started to teach us their own wushu routine. Overall, even though it was short, it was much more complicated than our 立化拳. However, the teacher was patient and kind enough to repeat the movements for us so that we are able to catch up with him. 


After learning their wushu routine, it was our turn to show our 立化拳. Even though we were unable to recall the full routine, but we still tried our best to show what we could remember. Although it was not the best, the teacher and students gave us their utmost support and encouraged us by giving us a warm applause after our routine. 

Video

After the wushu lesson, we went to a lecture theatre to watch a video that introduced Yangzhou. After watching the video, we definitely got to know more about Yangzhou and the culture there. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhMwazfRgtE

Lunch

Students' performances

After lunch, we went to see some of the students' performance. We learnt that every week, different classes will have to come up with a performance and show it during breaktime. That day, few of the students from a class danced, sang and also, played the Guzheng. During the performance, many students came to take a look and give their schoolmates some support.

Tour Around School Garden

After seeing the performance, we went for a tour around the school garden with the school teachers and principal. The garden was really big and it had a waterfall, ponds, wooden bridges and lots of different plants. In addition, even though the garden is huge, there wasn't any litter found on the ground. The students must have done a good job in keeping the school garden clean. 

Coffee House

After touring around the garden, we proceeded to a coffee lounge in school. We were all amazed by the interior of the coffee lounge. It is thoughtfully designed for students to rest and relax after studying for the entire day. Students can read books or magazine and drink coffee in this coffee lounge during their break time. This is something that schools in Singapore do not have. 

文化展示活动

After resting a while in the coffee lounge, we went to the same recording studio, where we went to observe a Chinese lesson. There were around 10 students from Shuren School who were in the same room as us. Some of the students gave a speech in both English and Chinese and I was amazed by how they were able to speak fluently in English. Other than that, two of the students also performed Chinese dance. One of the students played the guitar while the other student sang. We were all impressed by their performance as they are very talented and did a great job. We also presented on VIA and environmental protection etc. We shared how schools in Singapore carry out VIA and also educate our students to protect the environment. 

赛趣味体育比

We went back to the hall, where we were going to have a friendly competition with the students. We were told that it was a tradition to have a basketball match whenever students from RV come over for a school immersion trip. In this friendly competition, there was a mini race and also a basketball match between us RV and Shuren School. The race required us to work in pairs and hold the ball between our backs, jumping in a sack, balancing a ping pong ball on a paddle and lastly, throwing shuttlecocks into a bucket. Everyone cheered each other on when the race was going on and we observed that this was something that the students from Shuren School did not do.

Basketball Match

It was even more intense during the basketball match. At first, we were already quite sure we will lose since our opponents were from the school basketball team and they are all big-sized and experienced in playing basketball. However, we did not let this crush our hopes. We cheered our lungs out not only to support our classmates but also, for the students from Shuren School. It was heart-warming to see how we support each other throughout the game despite the fact that we were losing. This was definitely a meaningful match as we showed our true class and RV spirit and this is something not every school have. I am sure even though we lost, we are all proud to be part of team RV. 

~ END OF DAY 3 ~

My Reflections

? What interesting experiences at the Shuren School did you have today? What good attitudes and behaviours can you learn from your peers in the partner school?

I think the more memorable and interesting experiences were the Wushu lesson and the friendly competition between RV and Shuren School.
From the Chinese lesson we attended, I feel that we should be more proactive like the students in Shuren. They are more vocal and are able to express their thoughts clearly and share them confidently with their teachers and classmates.
During the Wushu lesson, the students were all very disciplined as they lined up and stood there until their teacher gave them instructions. In addition, when we started our warm up, which was to run a few rounds in the hall, the students there diligently completed the rounds and I feel that we should learn from their attitude. In addition, although we did not do our best when we showed our 立化拳, the students still gave us their utmost support and encouraged us by giving us a warm applause after our routine. 
When we were touring around the school garden, there wasn't any litter found on the ground. I feel that we learn from the students as they have done a good job in keeping the school garden clean. 

? What are the similarities and differences between the education systems in Singapore and Yangzhou?

? How then can Singapore learn from China's education system?

OELP Reflection : Day 2

Itinenary

SHANGHAI/YANGZHOU

- Travel to Yangzhou 

- Visit to Geyuan Garden (个园)

- Chinese Paper Cutting Museum (剪纸博物馆)

- Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭大运河)

- Local Market Visit

Travel to Yangzhou

After having our breakfast in the hotel, we set off for Yangzhou early in the morning. Halfway through the journey, we stopped for a toilet break. There was a mini mart where we were given time to complete our task and also buy some things for ourselves. We took this opportunity to complete one of the task from our secret missions, which was to take a group photo with our tour guide and bus driver.

Upon reaching Yangzhou, we went to have our lunch there. In my opinion, the dishes served are a bit different from those served in Shanghai. 

Geyuan Garden (个园)

清代扬州的盐商开始营造园林，至今还保留着许多优秀的古典园林。其中历史最悠久、保存最完整、最具艺术价值的，要算坐落在古城北隅的“个园”了。个园由两淮盐业商总黄至筠建于清嘉庆23年（公元1818年）。1988年个园被国务院授予第三批“全国重点文物保护单位”。个园是以竹石取胜，连园名中的“个”字，也是取了竹字的半边。这应合了庭园里各色竹子，主人的情趣和心智都在里面了。此外，因为竹子顶部的每三片竹叶都可以形成“个”字和在白墙上的影子也是“个”字，因而取名为个园。

After our meal, we visited the Geyuan Garden. It was beautiful and much larger than we expected. Our tour guide explained that the Geyuan Garden. Huang Zhiyun bought the land and rebuilt the garden as a private retreat. Huang Zhiyun loved bamboo, believing that they were as persistent, modest, straightforward and loyal as a good man. We were surprised to know that merchants could actually earn so much to buy a land and build a house like this and this made us realised the importance of the merchants in ancient China. The buildings were very old and it is preserved as people can connect with our roots as it has historical value. Despite the rain, we were able to enjoy ourselves and also learn many things from our tour guide.

Entrance of Geyuan Garden

Chinese Paper Cutting Museum (剪纸博物馆)

中国剪纸博物馆坐落在扬州历史街区东圈门内的盐商名宅——汪氏小苑后花园里。这里小巷幽静、古朴典雅，尽显古城风韵。 中国剪纸博物馆由中国文联副主席、中国民间文艺家协会主席冯骥才先生倡导。它是扬州工艺美术集团公司和扬州工艺厂有限公司共同投资建设，以展示、保护、传承、抢救和研究中国剪纸艺术为己任，旨在促进中国剪纸事业的繁荣与发展。

Because of some confusion, we were unable to start our paper cutting activity on time as 2G was occupying our slot. Therefore, we made a detour to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal first before going back to the Chinese Paper Cutting Museum. 

In the museum, we saw displays of Chinese paper cutting and they were all done beautifully. We were given a pair of scissors each to start cutting our own picture given. It seemed easy when the teacher demostrated, however when we started cutting it ourselves, it was rather difficult and it requires alot of patience and determination to complete.

This Chinese Paper Cutting Museum holds a historical value. It is because paper cutting by hand without the use of machines adds a certain value to the product as every piece is different and hard work and effort is put in to the product. In addition, since cutting paper by hand is the tradition, by preserving this museum allows Chinese to get in touch with theirs roots by experiencing it hands-on.

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭大运河)

The scenery of the Grand Canal is beautiful and all of us feel relaxed. There was a small television to show us videos which introduced the places we went past as we move along. After this ride, we definitely became more knowledgeable about Yangzhou. 

Local Market Visit

After that, we visit the local market in Yangzhou to buy the things we need and also compare the prices of the items found in Singapore and in Yangzhou. Not only that, Mr Dela Cruz also gave us a task, which was to find out what items are more expensive in China as compared to in Singapore, vice versa as well as what can be found in the supermarket in China but not in Singapore and vice versa.

Things that are more expensive in China:
- T-shirts
- Durian
- Sunglasses
- Lego
- Apple

Things that are more expensive in Singapore:
- Instant Noodles 

Things that cannot be found in China's market but can be found in SG's:
- Milo

Things that cannot be found in SG's market but can be found in China's:
- Chewing gum
- Bed

~ END OF DAY 2 ~

My Reflections

? CSI: Colour, Symbol, Image
Choose a colour, symbol and image that best represent a thought, an idea or an experience which you would like to share with your group.

Colour
Green. We went to the Geyuan Garden and it was definitely a new sight for all of us who grew up in the city. The garden was beautiful as it is filled with bamboos and other plants and it was very well preserved. It is very rare to see such gardens in Singapore and this visit to Geyuan Garden really allowed us experience how it was like in the ancient China and to understand the culture in China.

Symbol
A happy face. I was glad that many of us, including myself were able to complete our paper cutting. It seemed easy when the teacher demostrated it to us, however when we started cutting it ourselves, it was rather difficult and it requires alot of patience and determination to finally complete it. Without perseverance, we definitely could not be able to finish it.

Image
Flags of many countries including the Singapore flag. At the trip to the supermarket, I saw a Singapore product, Hello Panda, at the imported goods section with a Singapore flag bedside it. I was really proud as our product was actually placed beside the products of other major countries like Japan, Malaysia and U.S.A. Even though we are small in size, we are still able to sell our product in China. This made me feel proud to be a Singaporean.

EXTRAs:

? What are the differences between Shanghai and Yangzhou?

• Shanghai has MORE high-rise buildings/skyscrapers than Yangzhou.

Shanghai is more focused on business and development while Yangzhou is more focused on preserving the culture by preserving the buildings which has historical value.

• Shanghai has MORE traffic jams as compared to Yangzhou.

Shanghai has a greater population therefore, there are more vehicles on the road as compared to Yangzhou.

• Shanghai is cleaner than Yangzhou generally. (e.g. the toilets)

Since tourism plays an important role in Shanghai, it is important to leave a better image to the tourists who are visiting Shanghai, by keeping the streets and toilets clean. It will affect the investment opportunities in Shanghai, which is important for the economic development. Therefore, more effort is put in maintaining the toilets in Shanghai as compared to Yangzhou.

• Yangzhou is MORE traditional as compared to Shanghai, which is more modernised.

Yangzhou has more building and tradition which are worth preserving as compared to Shanghai.

• In Shanghai, there are signs with two languages (English and Chinese) while in Yangzhou, there are only signs with one language which is Chinese. 

There are many foreigners coming to Shanghai for business therefore, there is a need for them to put up signs with both English and Chinese so that the foreigners are able to understand. 

• The pace of life in Shanghai is much faster than in Yangzhou.

This is because of the central business districts in Shanghai. While in Yangzhou, their pace of life is definitely slower and more relaxed.

? Why are goods cheaper in China as compared to Singapore?
This is because many goods are made from China and there is no need for China to import goods from other countries, therefore minimal transportation fees are needed. While in Singapore, we need to import goods from other countries to meet the needs of the people. Therefore, generally, the goods in China is cheaper as compared to Singapore.

OELP Reflection : Day 1

Itinerary

SINGAPORE/SHANGHAI

- Depart from Changi Airport 

- Arrive in Shanghai International Airport

- Dinner in Shanghai

- Cultural visit to The Bund (外滩)

- Cruise Tour to Huangpu River (黄浦江)

- Check-In Hotel (Shanghai Holiday Inn Express Gongkang Hotel)

- Debrief

Depart from Changi Airport

All of us arrived at Changi Airport early in the morning and we were all very excited as it was the first time we are travelling overseas as a class.

At Changi Airport ^^

CID Group 2 <3

Before departing from Singapore for Shanghai, we were given a booklet with the necessary information we need and also guiding questions for our daily reflections. This reminded us of the objective of this trip to China which was to understand Chinese culture in the past and present and experience the traditions and way fo living of the Chinese.

In addition, we were given a secret mission which was to complete the tasks given as a CID group.

Tasks:
1. Ultmate selfie with the whole class and teachers 
2. Picture of the group and the bus driver and the tour guide
3. Creative jump shot of the group
4. Picture of a Singapore Brand in China
5. Creative picture of your group with all you buddies
6. A classmate sleping on the bus with the mouth open 
7. A wrongly translated public sign or public announcement 
8. A fruit tree
9. A Singapore flag
10. 30 secs video of the group doing the Matt Harding Visa dance with a famous backdrop behind. 
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVOsBVDXSzc&hl=en-GB&gl=SG )

After checking-in, we were finally on board the plane. Luckily for us, we had a small televeision for us to watch movies and listen to music on the plane. Even though, it was rather uncomfortable to sleep, however it was an enjoyable and pleasant plane ride. 

Arrive in Shanghai International Airport

After a long 5+ hours flight, we finally reached Shanghai and we were greeted by our tour guide (姓：包). On the bus ride, 包导 took this opportunity to introduced Shanghai to us and told us more about the history and how Shanghai has developed over the years.

At Shanghai International Airport :)

Our Tour Guide

包导 told us that Shanghai is also known as 大上海 due to the following reasons. Firstly, Shanghai has a big population (2300万 - 2400万). Therefore, during the weekends, there will be many people at places like 城隍庙, which is the Chinatown in Shanghai. Secondly, it is due to the high number of vehicles in Shanghai (5万5千辆). It took us quite a long time to reach our destination as the traffic there is very heavy and 包导 told us that Shanghai is therefore known as 堵城. Thirdly, it is called 大上海 because there are many tall building and skyscrapers in Shanghai (高楼大厦) and what makes it amazing is that they are all different and it is almost impossible to find buildings that are similar.

Shanghai was once a fishing village like Singapore. The people were all fishermen and they invented a tool for fishing called 沪. This word is not in use now but it is the first word found before the car plate number in Shanghai. 沪 is also another name for Shanghai. 

After China's defeat in the First Opium War, foreigners came to Shanghai to start business and build many companies and industries there. From then, Shanghai start to develop and prosper. Since Shanghai was at the mouth of the Yangtze River, there was many people and is always bustling with activities. Along the Yangtze River, there are 18 ports and one of the more famous ones were 上海滩 and 下海滩 but slowly people start to gather at 上海滩 and hence they named the entire city as 上海. 

Shanghai is also well known for its food. One of the famous delicacies in Shanghai is their 南翔小笼包 which can be found in 城隍庙. In addition, since many of the restaurants have English menus, many westerners have came to Shanghai to open restaurants. Hence, we are able to try dishes from many countries in the world even though we are in Shanghai.

南翔小笼包

Dinner in Shanghai

The Bund (外滩)

外滩是上海市中心的一个区域，由一段沿黄浦江的马路和沿路的建筑和设施构成。可说是上海重要的地标之一。外滩全长1.5公里，南起延安东路，北至苏州河上的外白渡桥。东面即黄浦江，西面是旧上海金融、外贸机构的集中地。外滩沿路坐拥二十多幢风格各异的的历史建筑，有折衷主义的，也有文艺复兴式的，还有早期现代式的，故而被誉为“万国建筑博览群”。自上海开埠后，外滩就开始成为了上海乃至中国的金融及贸易中心，也被称为“东方华尔街”。1943年起，外滩的正式路名为中山东一路。

When we reached The Bund, we could not help but start to take photos as the scenery was beautiful. In the evening, all the buildings are lit up and the scenery is marvellous. From where we are standing, we were able to see the different buildings that 包导 has mentioned. As we started to walk along the walkway alongside the river, we were able to see the financial district over the river and the old colonial buildings on the other side. 

 Night View of the Financial District

Night View of the Old Colonial Buildings

Jump Shot ^^

Class Photo at 外滩

 Huangpu River (黄浦江)

包导 has arranged a cruise tour along the Huangpu River. There was a really long queue before we could board the boat and it was rather crowded. But after the long wait, we were finally able to experience the cruise tour. When I went upstairs, the scenery was definitely breath-taking. The city lights reflected on the river and  it looks even better as compared to seeing it from The Bund. It was definitely worth it even though many of us were already very exhausted from the long flight and bus ride :)

Tickets :)

东方明珠塔

Debrief

It was around 10pm when we reached the hotel. While 包导 helped us check in, we went into the meeting room for our debrief. Many were already very tired and exhausted. Thankfully, our teachers were understanding and thoughtful and so they made the debrief short and sweet. Mr Dela Cruz gave us some questions to think about and we could reflect on them in our reflections. After the debrief, all of us headed to our hotel rooms and we could finally rest and prepare for the next day. 

~ END OF DAY 1 ~

My Reflections

? See... Think... Wonder... 

Describe one place or situation you saw today.

Huangpu River along The Bund

What are your thoughts on it?

I think that it is very important as it contributes to China's economy and played an important role to China's development by tourism and through finance. I can see many people taking photos of the night view and there were many hotels and shopping malls. We also went on the cruise which were also signs of tourism. There were also banks which shows that it contributed to China's economy financially. In addition, The Bund is also similar to Singapore as it was ince a fishing village as it is surrounded by water and it acts as a trading port but now it is more of a tourist attraction. 

What are some questions you have?

Will the place continue to help in Shanghai's development in the years to come?

EXTRAs:

? What contributes to China's economy?

Tourism and finance conributes to China's economy. I can see that there are many people taking photos at The Bund and therefore, I could infer that it is a tourist attraction. There are hotels and shopping malls, as well as the cruise tour along the Huangpu River. And when tourist spend money in the shopping malls, pay money for hotels and cruise tours, it contributes to China's economy. Along the way, I also saw many banks and it definitely contributes to China's economy financially.

OELP Reflection : Pre-Trip

My Reflections

? Is this the first time you are traveling overseas without your family? Write down how you feel about embarking on this trip.
No, this is not the first time I am traveling overseas without my family as I went on a school immersion trip similar to this in primary school before. However, I was still excited since it is the first time the entire class went on a overseas trip together and I am glad that the school gave us a chance to embark on this trip to learn more about things I have studied in school and have a chance to experience it first-hand.

? What are your expectations for this learning journey? (what I hope to learn, what I hope to experience, how I hope to grow)

During this trip, I hope I can learn about the culture of China and find out the difference between the culture in China and in Singapore and also how China has developed over the years. In addition, I hope to experience how is it like to live in China and understand the way of living there. Not only that, I hope to grow by gaining more knowledge about China, also by being independent and have self discipline throughout this trip.

Reflection (National Icon)

Do you think the Merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore?

Yes, I think that Merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore.

This is because the Merlion is an unique mascot for Singapore, which has a lion head and a body of a fish that represent Singapore as a fishing village and also a lion city. The lion head symbolises the legend of the rediscovery of Singapura (a.k.a Singapore). When Prince Sang Nila Utama first landed, he saw a lion and felt that it was really majestic and mystical and therefore he decided to name the island 'Lion City'. Since Singapore was a fishing village then, the sculpture is designed with a lion head and a fish body. The body of the Merlion symbolises Singapore's humble beginning as a fishing village when it was known as Temasek. Hence, the Merlion depicts Singapore's history and how Singapore progressed till today, therefore it would make the best national icon.  

In addition, the original Merlion was built by the late Singapore sculptor, Mr Lim Nang Seng. The Merlion was placed at the entrance of the Singapore River to welcome all the visitors coming to Singapore. Many tourist will therefore take photos with the Merlion and also buy souvenirs with the Merlion printed on it. Therefore. it is a must-see for all tourists and this shows that the Merlion makes a good national icon. 

Last but not least, the Merlion is unique to us since this sculpture cannot be found in other countries. Hence, when the Merlion is mentioned, we will think about Singapore therefore it would make the best national icon. 

Therefore, I conclude that the Merlion would make the best national icon for Singapore.

Reflection (Remembering LKY)

With what you have learnt about the golden age of Tang Dynasty, reflect on the things you have learnt about LKY and how Singapore can be seen to be at its own version of the "Golden Age"

During the golden age of Tang Dynasty, China became a great world power. It was a period of great strength and prosperity.

Just like China, I believe Singapore too can be seen at its own version of the Golden Age and it is because of what our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew did for Singapore. He transformed Singapore from a small fishing village to a big city it is now. After the separation from Malaysia, people in Singapore was left with nothing. People were starving and had no money. However, Mr Lee came in and helped change Singapore by enduring and preserving through the hard times. He used 4 principles to govern Singapore, which are Meritocracy, Multi-racial, No to corruption and Self-reliance. 

Meritocracy is where everyone has an opportunity to succeed on the same tests and challenges, and the best is selected, regardless of who that person is. A meritocratic system prevents the most debilitating excess – the transfer of positions of power to one’s kin regardless of capabilities, which would cause most government and enterprises to lose their effectiveness. Therefore, Singapore's government is very effective and we are able to be at where we are at now. 

Since Singapore consists of many races, it is important to be a racially harmonious country to maintain peace and harmony for Singapore to prosper. Therefore, Mr Lee fought for equality between races and helped Singapore to become a racially harmonious country.

Thirdly, Mr Lee believed in no corruption since he knew that Singapore would not prosper if people especially leaders are corrupted, so he make sure that there is no corruption and because of that, Singapore now has one of the least corruptions in the world.  

Lastly, self reliance which is reliance on one's own capabilities, judgment, or resources; independence. Mr Lee used what he has to the very best and try to solve problems and challenges faced in Singapore. Therefore, because of that, Singapore has become a prosperous country and hence Mr Lee hoped his people can be self reliance too.

 And now, Singapore has changed from a third world country to a first world country. He is a great man and I am deeply saddened by his passing. I am really grateful for all the contributions he has done for us. We will always remember his spirit and live on his legacy.

Reflection (Economic Growth)

I feel that China's economy is growing rapidly because I was impressed by how much China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) have surged up the global rankings. Up till now, China is second in the entire world. China manufacture many goods since its corporate tax rate is lower than USA's therefore other countries would want to import goods from China. However, because of their huge population, it causes many people to be unemployed and have low salary. These people become very poor and do not have a proper place to even sleep in. Therefore, the GDP per capita is low as compared to other countries. 

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is the result of a collaborative agreement between the governments of China and Singapore to jointly develop a socially harmonious, environmentally friendly and resource-conserving city in China. This maintain the good relationship between Singapore and China and is a good platform for both countries to collaborate. 

Reflection (Singapore's Population)

From now till 2030, some 900,000 Singaporeans will move past the age of 65 which is three times the number of Singaporeans aged over 65 today.

This will cause major social and economic implications on Singapore.

There will be fewer children to take care of their elderly parents, and more elderly would be living alone. They cannot take care of themselves and the children will have to take up more responsibility of taking care of their parents as compared to those with many siblings.

There will cause a greater demand for healthcare as the elderly get sick easily.
As more workers are getting older and they retire, it will be challenging to sustain our economic vitality and grow opportunities for young Singaporeans. Singapore government
t would spending a lot on healthcare as the number of elderly Singaporeans grows. Without a healthy economy, our financial resources will feel the strain, as we need to meet the needs of the elderly as well as provide better education for the young, etc. Therefore, Singaporeans might need to work at an earlier age and for longer working hours.
Government must encourage marriage and parenthood, by providing more support to Singaporeans wanting to start families by making it faster and easier to get housing to support earlier marriages and births. In addition, that can also enhance work-life measures to help working couples balance work and family commitments.

I feel that it is important for us Singaporeans to help Singapore continue to prosper in the future by starting families and giving birth so that Singapore would not have such a problem in the future. 

Reflection on 23 January's Lesson

I feel that this lesson taught me a valuable lesson. I have learnt that not everything is what it seems to be on the outside therefore we should not jump to conclusions or judge someone without knowing the full story.

During the lessons we were asked who we would rather help? The man or the lady? Without knowing the full story and just by looking at the photo, I decided to the lady instead. From 
the picture, I can see that the lady was sharing a newspaper with a random stranger. This shows how poor they were since they could not even afford a newspaper. I will choose to help the lady because she had a child to take care of and she could not go to work with a child therefore her source of income is from people like us. I believe with a little help from everyone, it would eventually help them a lot if they use it for the right purpose.

However, after the different stories about them were revealed, I realised I regretted my choice of helping the lady. Reason being the lady was from a illegal organisation that scam people's money. By giving them money, it is not helping the poor people working for the organisation instead it is benefiting the organisation itself. Therefore I feel that it is not right for them to cheat the public's money and they would have to bear severe consequences in doing so.

As for the man, he was sitting along a road, holding onto a cardboard stating that belongings were stolen and has nowhere to live. I also found now that he only had one arm therefore he could not find a work easily. Therefore, I would donate to the man since he genuinely needs to money to call someone and not planning to cheat our money.

Poverty in Singapore grew from 16% in 2002 to 28% in 2013. This is shocking to hear since Singapore is the richest country in the world, our government has one of the highest national reserves and surpluses in the world, but we have the highest proportion of poor among the developed countries and the countries in our region!

In Singapore, it is highly unlikely that you will find beggars lining the streets or see starving children walking the pavements, scrounging for food. The poor and needy in our society struggle with “relative poverty” —simply defined as that their financial resources fall 
substantially below what is needed to pay for the necessities of living in Singapore. Students often have to stop schooling to work at a young age.

My December Holidays

During this December holidays, I went to many interesting and fun places in both Singapore and Malaysia.

In mid-December, I went to Universal Studios Singapore with my family. It was a really fun experience for me as it was a great family bonding time since we rarely have the opportunity to. Although my parents and my brother were afraid to ride some of the rides, it was also exciting for me to ride them alone. However it did rained a little but thankfully, it stopped after awhile and we were able to continue playing. I enjoyed the Mummy Ride the most as it was super thrilling. All in all, this trip to USS was a great time for me to talk to my family more and I enjoyed the time spend with them.

Not only did I went to USS, I went to Adventure Cove too with my brother and aunt. I was super excited and wanted to try all the slides. Although some looked frightening to ride, we still went ahead and rode them and we had no regrets because it was super fun. I really admire my aunt as she is always so daring since she is able to ride even the scariest-looking roller-coaster. In addition, one thing that really struck me that day was that since we cannot bring our hand phones along while riding the slides, there were more chattering among friends or families. Furthermore, the queues were very long thus I felt bored without my phone and the three of us even ran out of topic to talk about. So, this really shows how much have hand phones changed our lives.

Throughout the holiday, I had to go back to school for dance practices. During the holiday practices, we starting learning a new dance for the upcoming SYF. As the days passed, we were told repeatedly that we are not up to standard and our instructor was very frustrated. I felt bad since our instructor has expected a lot from us and we have disappointed him. Therefore, during the future dance practices, I will always do my best and reach up to our instructor's standard.

Other than going for practices, we went for a dance chalet. It was a great bonding time for the entire dance society and our dance batch mates. We went night cycling and even told ghost stories. Even though it was a rather short trip, it really allow us to talk, eat and play together since we are not able to do so in dance practices.

In addition, we went to watch a dance performance put up by the Dance Horizon Troupe. Some of the RVDS dancers were in it too. I was deeply engrossed in their dance as there was so much meaning and emotions behind it. The dancers were very good at expressing the story behind the dance. After every performance I watched, I always hope I will be able to dance so professionally like them.

At the last week of December, I went to Desaru, Malaysia with my family and my parents' friends and their kids. On the first night, after we checked in our hotel, we went out at night to the beach to enjoy the scenery. It was rather awkward at first since we were not close yet. However, the next day, we went swimming and played together in the pool. It was then when we got really close. At night, the kids went back to the hotel room while our parents went out. We got to know each other a lot better as we chatted and played games together. Even though this trip was very short, but it was a good time for me to relax, allowing me to have a great start in the new year.

During Christmas, Yuhan, Shi Ting, Zhi Yi and me had a gift exchange. We had a great time trying to guess what we got and Shi Ting got me these cute cup and tumbler.

So, this concludes the end of my school holidays. This holiday was filled with so many fun activities and I was glad that I am able to enjoy during the holidays.