Ahhhh Finally I feel much much better as compared to yesterday. Today's tour required us to walk more as we are going to many different locations like the Beijing Olympics Stadium 鸟巢, National Palace Museum 故宫博物院, National Theatre for Performing Arts 北京国家大剧院 and Tian An Men Square 天安门. It was loads of interesting factual information about the History of China which covers the high power distance between people.
As the world is modernising, the power distance ratio in some countries are decreasing to make the world a more comfortable place. In the past, the Emperor (President) would have a separate road to walk on and separate door to walk through. But now, the President uses the same road as everyone and uses the same door that many other people walk through.
However, as China only opened their doors to the world less than 100 years ago, they have developed to a country where people are willing to invest a lot into but there still much more to improve. That rate of development is not so rapid as compared to Singapore because of it's size! TianJin itself is already ~15 times the size of Singapore. Imagine the time needed to develop the whole country to it's full potential, that is going to take quite some time. The overall state that it is brought up to now is considered to be shocking as they did it in just 62 years. Determination is key.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
11 more days! - 1st April 2011
Ahhhh Finally I feel much much better as compared to yesterday. Today's tour required us to walk more as we are going to many different locations like the Beijing Olympics Stadium 鸟巢, National Palace Museum 故宫博物院, National Theatre for Performing Arts 北京国家大剧院 and Tian An Men Square 天安门. It was loads of interesting factual information about the History of China which covers the high power distance between people.
As the world is modernising, the power distance ratio in some countries are decreasing to make the world a more comfortable place. In the past, the Emperor (President) would have a separate road to walk on and separate door to walk through. But now, the President uses the same road as everyone and uses the same door that many other people walk through.
However, as China only opened their doors to the world less than 100 years ago, they have developed to a country where people are willing to invest a lot into but there still much more to improve. That rate of development is not so rapid as compared to Singapore because of it's size! TianJin itself is already ~15 times the size of Singapore. Imagine the time needed to develop the whole country to it's full potential, that is going to take quite some time. The overall state that it is brought up to now is considered to be shocking as they did it in just 62 years. Determination is key.
As the world is modernising, the power distance ratio in some countries are decreasing to make the world a more comfortable place. In the past, the Emperor (President) would have a separate road to walk on and separate door to walk through. But now, the President uses the same road as everyone and uses the same door that many other people walk through.
However, as China only opened their doors to the world less than 100 years ago, they have developed to a country where people are willing to invest a lot into but there still much more to improve. That rate of development is not so rapid as compared to Singapore because of it's size! TianJin itself is already ~15 times the size of Singapore. Imagine the time needed to develop the whole country to it's full potential, that is going to take quite some time. The overall state that it is brought up to now is considered to be shocking as they did it in just 62 years. Determination is key.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
12 more days! - 31th March 2011
Today, I realised how worried parents can get and how helpful friends are.
As today was the first trip to Beijing since the start of the OIP, we went to the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. When we went to the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven, I had a weird sense that I've been here before. So I thought back and remembered that I've actually been here with my family before! It really brings back good old memories from 4 years ago and I still remember the incident where I quarreled with my older brother.
Now as everyone grows older and becomes much more sensible, you would laugh back at all the silly things you've done and ask yourself why did you do it. Really nice memories.
Later in the day when we got back to the hotel, I was feeling slightly feverish so I opted out to go for dinner and stay back to take a nap. Tresca was also not feeling to well so we stayed in the room to rest. When we both woke up, I saw 2 bowls of porridge placed on the table so I asked Tresca who bought them. He told me Chia Chun went around to buy them for us. I was really touched by his care and concern even though we were not very close.
Next, I called and told my mum that I fell sick and so her nagging started over the phone. It has been very long since I last heard here nag and I felt warm inside as she scolds because she cares alot. Most of the time, she would be the one who keeps calling me to take my medicine and even bring it to me. That motherly love can never be replaced by anything or anyone. ♥
As today was the first trip to Beijing since the start of the OIP, we went to the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. When we went to the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven, I had a weird sense that I've been here before. So I thought back and remembered that I've actually been here with my family before! It really brings back good old memories from 4 years ago and I still remember the incident where I quarreled with my older brother.
Now as everyone grows older and becomes much more sensible, you would laugh back at all the silly things you've done and ask yourself why did you do it. Really nice memories.
Later in the day when we got back to the hotel, I was feeling slightly feverish so I opted out to go for dinner and stay back to take a nap. Tresca was also not feeling to well so we stayed in the room to rest. When we both woke up, I saw 2 bowls of porridge placed on the table so I asked Tresca who bought them. He told me Chia Chun went around to buy them for us. I was really touched by his care and concern even though we were not very close.
Next, I called and told my mum that I fell sick and so her nagging started over the phone. It has been very long since I last heard here nag and I felt warm inside as she scolds because she cares alot. Most of the time, she would be the one who keeps calling me to take my medicine and even bring it to me. That motherly love can never be replaced by anything or anyone. ♥
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
13 more days! - 30th March 2011
Finally! One module is cleared and we finally have a much more relaxed schedule. It being Mr. Tan's birthday today, all of us were busy preparing for his birthday celebration. 2 days back, we went around to look for a bakery and found one which has a 3 layer cake! In Singapore, a 3 layer cake would cost about 200+ but the one we saw cost 260... RMB! That equates to about 52SGD which is 1 quarter of Singapore's price. Immediately, we all agreed and took the 3 layer cake. Here's a picture of it!
As we are going to Beijing tomorrow, the role call was pushed earlier to 2200. Therefore, Mr. Chua helped us along for the night mini party at Buddy's Cafe in the Basement by dragging Mr. Tan to the cafe. Everyone had an enjoyable time and the person who has the most fun was Mr. Tan. He told us that every year, his family would buy a cake and sing a birthday song to him. But this year, it was different. We celebrated with him on behalf of his family and we could see tears in his eyes. That was the first 3 layer cake anyone bought for him for his birthday and the biggest one ever!
As a student, it feels really good to see our lecturers having a big smile on their faces and knowing you are the one who put it there. That sense of accomplishment is totally heart warming.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
14 more days! - 29th March 2011
Today was a day that I hope would only happen this time and never again. The reason I say this is because I did something terribly wrong today and I understand how Mr. Tan and Mr. Chua feels. For the OIP trip, they are like our parents to us and to them, we are their kids.
The days goes like this... As tomorrow's the final paper for APPG, everyone was busy mugging really hard for the paper. But during lunch time, I went to the hairdresser to get my hair cut, thinking that it would just take a while, which in turn took much much longer than anticipated.
Not to push the blame around or anything but I had the decision in my hands. I could have when to get a haircut after APPG and not during lunch time instead. Totally terrible terrible mistake I've made which made both the lecturers upset and made everyone's moral drop too. That feeling of knowing what my actions have brought upon also makes me upset and feel lousy.
Therefore, during the roll call in Mr. Tan's room, I shared how I truly felt about the incident. As I'm brought up in a way where leaving things unsettled causes me to be in a very depressed mood, I really shared and told everyone to not follow my footsteps. After sharing, he said this to me which really made me feel better. Mr. Tan looked at me and said "Being accountable is one thing but learning from your mistakes is the biggest thing". What is past is past, the only thing you can do is to learn from the mistakes and not repeat them again.
It almost brought tears to my eyes as I never expected Mr. Tan to even forgive me the slightest bit for doing what I've done today. I guess not every lecturer are willing to give a second chance and this was a real close call to be sent back because of today.
The days goes like this... As tomorrow's the final paper for APPG, everyone was busy mugging really hard for the paper. But during lunch time, I went to the hairdresser to get my hair cut, thinking that it would just take a while, which in turn took much much longer than anticipated.
Not to push the blame around or anything but I had the decision in my hands. I could have when to get a haircut after APPG and not during lunch time instead. Totally terrible terrible mistake I've made which made both the lecturers upset and made everyone's moral drop too. That feeling of knowing what my actions have brought upon also makes me upset and feel lousy.
Therefore, during the roll call in Mr. Tan's room, I shared how I truly felt about the incident. As I'm brought up in a way where leaving things unsettled causes me to be in a very depressed mood, I really shared and told everyone to not follow my footsteps. After sharing, he said this to me which really made me feel better. Mr. Tan looked at me and said "Being accountable is one thing but learning from your mistakes is the biggest thing". What is past is past, the only thing you can do is to learn from the mistakes and not repeat them again.
It almost brought tears to my eyes as I never expected Mr. Tan to even forgive me the slightest bit for doing what I've done today. I guess not every lecturer are willing to give a second chance and this was a real close call to be sent back because of today.
Monday, March 28, 2011
15 More Days! - 28th March 2011
2 more days and APPG would be over! It's shocking how time flies when you're balancing Studies and Play at the same time. For the whole day, all of us were mugging very hard for the last few chapters as it wasn't so easy to pick up the logic on how Methods and Arrays works. Mr. Chua saw us struggling with the chapters and so, he went through line by line, word by word to make sure we get everything right.
His teaching methods are quite different from other lecturers. At first, we would do it on our own and he would monitor our progress. Only when the exam date is near, he would try to clear up any doubts we have. I feel this way is effective as when the exams are near and you still don't understand, the mind would go all out to remember things that are needed. So by clearing the doubts a few days before, it would still be fresh in our heads. Our lecturers are fun people and at the same time caring which is rare as from what we hear from the other groups.
His teaching methods are quite different from other lecturers. At first, we would do it on our own and he would monitor our progress. Only when the exam date is near, he would try to clear up any doubts we have. I feel this way is effective as when the exams are near and you still don't understand, the mind would go all out to remember things that are needed. So by clearing the doubts a few days before, it would still be fresh in our heads. Our lecturers are fun people and at the same time caring which is rare as from what we hear from the other groups.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Day 20 - 27th March 2011
Well, this being a Sunday, I've quite sometime on my hands so I've decided to blog about the things that makes me think. Even though it is the weekend, all of us are busy trying to finish up the Wine Factory Presentation and study for the upcoming test on Wednesday. The weekend is to give us free time but how we use that free time is another thing.
It doesn't mean that when there is free time, we have to go out and shop or watch TV. That is the wrong mindset and till that changes, it never gets you far. The reason is because if the hunger for knowledge or the responsibility of completing your assignments on time doesn't affect you, survival in the real world is impossible under these circumstances.
Day 19! - 26th March 2011
Today, I had the longest sleep in 19 days! It felt so refreshing after being quite deprived for sleep after so long. This shows how important sleep is and how much more energetic one can be after having a proper sleep. But, there was another thing that woke me up. It was Gary and he said "Dean! Bad News! For the Lab Test, everyone might have to retake it as there were problems!" The moment I heard that, I jump out of the bed and asked him why.
He told me Mr. Chua texted him to pass the message on a retest for those who didn't get their checkpoint signed. I thought back and remembered that I had mine signed so I wasn't as worried but I'm still worried for the rest who didn't have theirs signed. We are taking this module as a group and not individually, those who are in need shouldn't be left hanging. I was thinking, since there's the soft copy of the test in the thumbdrive, wouldn't that be fine? After thinking that way, Gary said his thumbdrive was EMPTY so Mr. Chua is going to discuss the issue with him. It's like nothing seem to be going his way!
Later in the day, Gary and I went over to 古文化街 to get his faulty watch changed. Apparently, the shopkeeper still remember us! The reason is because Gary slashed 50% off the opening price. So after that, while on our way back,we had to change to bus 643 at 滨江道. When the bus came, there were alot of people who wanted to board the bus and it's practically quite full so we waited for the next. Normally, the back door would be open so that more people could also board.
Now, some interesting happened. There's the bus conductor standing at the exit door asking the bus driver to not open it, so everyone has to pay for the ride. When he went to flag the other buses to stop, the driver immediately opened the door and a few people rushed up the bus! He saw it and quickly ran towards the front door of the bus, told the driver to stop opening the exit door and drive away. A really funny and rare experience!
He told me Mr. Chua texted him to pass the message on a retest for those who didn't get their checkpoint signed. I thought back and remembered that I had mine signed so I wasn't as worried but I'm still worried for the rest who didn't have theirs signed. We are taking this module as a group and not individually, those who are in need shouldn't be left hanging. I was thinking, since there's the soft copy of the test in the thumbdrive, wouldn't that be fine? After thinking that way, Gary said his thumbdrive was EMPTY so Mr. Chua is going to discuss the issue with him. It's like nothing seem to be going his way!
Later in the day, Gary and I went over to 古文化街 to get his faulty watch changed. Apparently, the shopkeeper still remember us! The reason is because Gary slashed 50% off the opening price. So after that, while on our way back,we had to change to bus 643 at 滨江道. When the bus came, there were alot of people who wanted to board the bus and it's practically quite full so we waited for the next. Normally, the back door would be open so that more people could also board.
Now, some interesting happened. There's the bus conductor standing at the exit door asking the bus driver to not open it, so everyone has to pay for the ride. When he went to flag the other buses to stop, the driver immediately opened the door and a few people rushed up the bus! He saw it and quickly ran towards the front door of the bus, told the driver to stop opening the exit door and drive away. A really funny and rare experience!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Day 18! T.G.I.Friday! - 25th March 2011
T.G.I.F! Amazingly this week passed even faster! As the number of the tests gets lesser and lesser, the time flies faster and faster. Today, we went to visit a wine factory! It's a collaboration between China and France. I have only seen the bottled wine but not the actual bottling process. One bottle of wine might seem to be a drink adults enjoy but the whole process of growing, culturing, and bottling is not simple.
Here are some photos of the making process!
Not only did we get to see the general overview of the making process, we also got to try an expensive bottle of red wine. Not any ordinary bottle but one that cost 4980RMB per bottle! Even though they know that we are students and can't really buy much items or even nothing, they still serve us with top quality products. That is the service that is really commendable. The company is really generous and the Quality of Service is top notch!
Here are some photos of the making process!
Not only did we get to see the general overview of the making process, we also got to try an expensive bottle of red wine. Not any ordinary bottle but one that cost 4980RMB per bottle! Even though they know that we are students and can't really buy much items or even nothing, they still serve us with top quality products. That is the service that is really commendable. The company is really generous and the Quality of Service is top notch!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Day 17 - 24th March 2011
Tired! Finally our hard work has paid off! The hard work in this context is about the powerpoint slides we did up just one day before. Even though the presentation was a little impromptu, we still managed to get it done up just in time! When we were doing the powerpoint on food, it brought back good memories of Singapore which all of us want. Being overseas for 3 weeks now, whatever things we don't really take notice off in Singapore, becomes an item we miss. For example the food in Singapore, we just eat to live. But now, we live to eat Singapore's food, the taste that is missing from our mouths.
Other things that are currently on my mind are Results and Lab Test. For results, I did some self reflection and told myself, results are not based on how smart you are but how hardworking you are. I think back and realised I've actually not put in much effort to work for my grades. I want to really change that mindset of mine but every time it is only valid for awhile and I'm back to my old ways. For APPG in China, I have friends who are pushing me to work for it as it decides my future.
This itself is already heartening as I know that there are friends around me who really care for one another. The group dynamics plays a vital role in ensuring that all the members are happy, healthy and safe. Thank you Mr Tan and Mr Chua on behalf of everyone for guiding us along and be there whenever we needed any kind of help or even as company!
After blogging, the weights have finally been lifted off my shoulders. In the past, I felt blogging was useless as it's like talking to yourself but after blogging for a few weeks, the reflection every day is really useful as I can express my feelings and talk about things that happened on that day. Alright! I better sleep early for tomorrow's test! Wish me luck!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Day 16 - 23rd March 2011
This week so far has been a busy week. 2 APPG Test, 1 done, 1 more to go. So many things going on in my head but luckily I'm still able to cope with the workload. Half of the OIP trip is going to be over and I've experienced lots of situations like a little communication barrier between the shopkeeper and students at the beginning but it's improving each day.
I have to say that Chinese is not my favourite subject but over in China, under these conditions, I have to communicate in Chinese. This being said, speaking good Chinese became one of my goals to achieve. Over the years, English has always been the main communication language be it at home or in school. As a result, not alot of teenagers, including myself can speak Chinese fluently.
We as Chinese should feel quite ashamed to be not able to speak our native tongue and as years goes by, the traditional Chinese language would not be as strong as before. For example, my buddy speaks 5 times when she is speaking with her friends. The speed she converse with me, to me it's relatively fast already! Imagine it being 5 times faster! I would be dumbfounded by whatever she says!
As I'm typing my blog, I'm also doing up the presentation for tomorrow. It is going to be the first time I'm presenting in Chinese and I'm worried I'll say something grammatically wrong and funny! Oh well! A funny experience would be a memorial experience! Let's hope I don't make a real big blunder!
I have to say that Chinese is not my favourite subject but over in China, under these conditions, I have to communicate in Chinese. This being said, speaking good Chinese became one of my goals to achieve. Over the years, English has always been the main communication language be it at home or in school. As a result, not alot of teenagers, including myself can speak Chinese fluently.
We as Chinese should feel quite ashamed to be not able to speak our native tongue and as years goes by, the traditional Chinese language would not be as strong as before. For example, my buddy speaks 5 times when she is speaking with her friends. The speed she converse with me, to me it's relatively fast already! Imagine it being 5 times faster! I would be dumbfounded by whatever she says!
As I'm typing my blog, I'm also doing up the presentation for tomorrow. It is going to be the first time I'm presenting in Chinese and I'm worried I'll say something grammatically wrong and funny! Oh well! A funny experience would be a memorial experience! Let's hope I don't make a real big blunder!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Day 15 - 22 March 2011
Stress stress stress! The first APPG test was held today but I feel I have not done up to my expectations. It's not that I didn't study for the test but it's more of the exam conditions that gives me the pressure even though I know how to do the questions. To get feeling of being pressurised away, all I can do is to try to get used to it.
Anyways! The test is already over so worrying over it doesn't make a difference to your marks but it only makes you unhappy. Unbelievably, it's already the 3rd week! 3 more weeks and we are all back in lovely Singapore. I think at the end of the trip, I'm going to miss Tian Jin and the people here. The livelihood of this place is amazing! Much more active then back home as most people there are either working or studying. As for here, the people balances their work time and play time very well so they can afford to go out and have a day off.
Back to today's trip to Eco-City, it was a new experience. The Singapore Government collaborated with the Chinese Government to develop this area which is self-sustainable. The reason is because due to the rising population and pollution levels, both govenment are trying to make this area as "green" as possible. A really good idea in my opinion because at least I know people are trying their best to make the world a cleaner place.
Day 14 - 21st March 2011
Monday blues oh Monday blues... why do you always comes knocking on my door!
I'm losing my voice after all the singing yesterday at the KTV but it was all worth it! The fun and laugher gained from yesterday was unbelievable! All of us had a real great time as we sang with some of our Local buddies who took time off to accompany us! Thank you so much!
Today, in the morning was APPG where Mr. Chua went through the past year papers so that we would be prepared for tomorrow's test. He is a very caring teacher who takes care of his students and teaches the module very well. The level of understanding for this module is still not as strong. Maybe it could be due to the fact that we didn't have any actual test before this to know where we stand.
Afterwards was the Chinese lesson which the lecturer went through how words were formed from joining the characters together, resulting in a meaning which describes both of the characters together. For example, the word 仁(ren2). It is formed by joining 人(ren2) and 二(er4). The meaning of the word is being humane. This makes sense because 人(people) must help each other and each other is described as 二. It is like a person helping another person.
This Chinese character has quite a great impact as people should help one another regardless of the condition, but of course for good deeds and not bad deeds. Like the current Tsunami and Earthquake situation in Japan, even thought the Chinese had a past with the Japanese, they still sent aid over to Japan to help out in the situation. This is being humane and not think twice to help others out regardless of anything. A real lesson to learn from them.
I'm losing my voice after all the singing yesterday at the KTV but it was all worth it! The fun and laugher gained from yesterday was unbelievable! All of us had a real great time as we sang with some of our Local buddies who took time off to accompany us! Thank you so much!
Today, in the morning was APPG where Mr. Chua went through the past year papers so that we would be prepared for tomorrow's test. He is a very caring teacher who takes care of his students and teaches the module very well. The level of understanding for this module is still not as strong. Maybe it could be due to the fact that we didn't have any actual test before this to know where we stand.
Afterwards was the Chinese lesson which the lecturer went through how words were formed from joining the characters together, resulting in a meaning which describes both of the characters together. For example, the word 仁(ren2). It is formed by joining 人(ren2) and 二(er4). The meaning of the word is being humane. This makes sense because 人(people) must help each other and each other is described as 二. It is like a person helping another person.
This Chinese character has quite a great impact as people should help one another regardless of the condition, but of course for good deeds and not bad deeds. Like the current Tsunami and Earthquake situation in Japan, even thought the Chinese had a past with the Japanese, they still sent aid over to Japan to help out in the situation. This is being humane and not think twice to help others out regardless of anything. A real lesson to learn from them.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Day 12 - 19th March 2011
Today, was another day where we had an eye-opening experience. We met up with a few of our buddies and went to explore the 洋货市场 (Foreign Goods Market). The Foreign Goods Market is like Singapore's Sungei Road Market from what we've heard. HOWEVER, you wouldn't believe what kind of stuff they sell there.
They sell loads of items that are Dangerous and Illegal for example, Daggers, Tasers, Green Lasers and Axes! The whole group of us were shocked to see almost every stall selling those items. It really makes me wonder where did they get all of the items from and why are they even selling it in the first place. The sense of safety changed immediately and we didn't dare to bargain or even walk seperately in smaller groups.
The thought of wondering what are the items for sale used for, constantly send chills down my spine for the whole duration being there. Now, I learnt to really appreciate how well maintained is Singapore's security even though at times it could be very troublesome. One's life is precious no matter who you are and I really think Singapore has done a good job in keeping that level of peace and security for a safer environment.
They sell loads of items that are Dangerous and Illegal for example, Daggers, Tasers, Green Lasers and Axes! The whole group of us were shocked to see almost every stall selling those items. It really makes me wonder where did they get all of the items from and why are they even selling it in the first place. The sense of safety changed immediately and we didn't dare to bargain or even walk seperately in smaller groups.
The thought of wondering what are the items for sale used for, constantly send chills down my spine for the whole duration being there. Now, I learnt to really appreciate how well maintained is Singapore's security even though at times it could be very troublesome. One's life is precious no matter who you are and I really think Singapore has done a good job in keeping that level of peace and security for a safer environment.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Day 11... A lesson learnt.
TGIFriday! Just a blink and it's already the weekends! One thing I want to mention about is "Managing". While checking on how much I have today, I realised that currently I only have 3,200RMB (~640SGD) and I brought 6000RMB (~1200 SGD). When I went to calculate the amount of money I have left, I couldn't do much to get the money back.
Based on my calculations, the countable sum of money I spent excluding food is about 1000RMB (~200SGD). So that calculates my expenditure to 1800RMB (~360SGD) just on food for 11 days which is 163RMB(32.6SGD)/Day! I asked around the groups and the people who bought lots of stuff only spent around 1800RMB (~360SGD). Where could that amount of money have gone to? No one actually knows.
I searched my bag and luggage and to no success did I find additional money. Maybe when you are overseas, you would tend to spend money without considering much about the price as Singapore's currency is 5 times bigger than Chinese Yuan. The dreaded feeling of being broke is actually very tough especially when you are overseas. There is not much people you could rely on like your parents or relatives. You are all on your own.
Well, this situation serves as a warning to me and all I can say is I'm not learning it the hard way. One thing that I have to do now is to really control my spending regardless whether it is on food or on clothes. Never take things to lightly as you'll suffer the consequences in one way or another. It's only in a matter of time.
Based on my calculations, the countable sum of money I spent excluding food is about 1000RMB (~200SGD). So that calculates my expenditure to 1800RMB (~360SGD) just on food for 11 days which is 163RMB(32.6SGD)/Day! I asked around the groups and the people who bought lots of stuff only spent around 1800RMB (~360SGD). Where could that amount of money have gone to? No one actually knows.
I searched my bag and luggage and to no success did I find additional money. Maybe when you are overseas, you would tend to spend money without considering much about the price as Singapore's currency is 5 times bigger than Chinese Yuan. The dreaded feeling of being broke is actually very tough especially when you are overseas. There is not much people you could rely on like your parents or relatives. You are all on your own.
Well, this situation serves as a warning to me and all I can say is I'm not learning it the hard way. One thing that I have to do now is to really control my spending regardless whether it is on food or on clothes. Never take things to lightly as you'll suffer the consequences in one way or another. It's only in a matter of time.
17th March 2011 (10th day of the trip)
Everyday comes with a new experience and today, that experience was the most shocking one in my life.
After APPG at 11:30, Eugene, Gary, Kristabel and I went around to look for food that we have yet to try. We started exploring opposite our hotel and found this stall that was selling fried noodles with fried chicken. Eugene saw that it looks good, said "This should be good stuff!" then sat down and waited.
5 minutes later, the food came and he mentioned that this is so far the best fried noodles. So out of curiosity, I went to order one for myself. After taking the first mouth, it felt like I was back in Singapore. It tasted exactly like Singapore's dry fried noodles which brought memories of Singapore. The warm feeling in my heart felt like I was at home. Really touching. However, while at the noodles stall, I heard this guy talking to the stall owner.
When I overheard what the person said, It brought tears to my eyes. The person told the shop keeper "Do you want to eat dog meat?" while pointing at an innocent homeless puppy. At that time, my heart sank and I was taken back that such thing does actually exists in China and not just hearsay. But luckily the shop owner said he has a heart and doesn't want to do such an inhumane thing. In the end, I'm not too sure what happened to that innocent puppy as we had to go to the hotel to get our stuff. I wanted to tell the person off at that moment but we aren't in Singapore where the law is above everything. All I can say is that, I'll NEVER EVER hurt an innocent puppy even the slightest bit as dogs are Man's Best Friend.
This is really an eye-opener which is breath-taking but I didn't see anything so I cannot assume that such a thing does really exists. Hopefully, the person was only joking with the shop keeper and nothing else other than a joke :(
After APPG at 11:30, Eugene, Gary, Kristabel and I went around to look for food that we have yet to try. We started exploring opposite our hotel and found this stall that was selling fried noodles with fried chicken. Eugene saw that it looks good, said "This should be good stuff!" then sat down and waited.
5 minutes later, the food came and he mentioned that this is so far the best fried noodles. So out of curiosity, I went to order one for myself. After taking the first mouth, it felt like I was back in Singapore. It tasted exactly like Singapore's dry fried noodles which brought memories of Singapore. The warm feeling in my heart felt like I was at home. Really touching. However, while at the noodles stall, I heard this guy talking to the stall owner.
When I overheard what the person said, It brought tears to my eyes. The person told the shop keeper "Do you want to eat dog meat?" while pointing at an innocent homeless puppy. At that time, my heart sank and I was taken back that such thing does actually exists in China and not just hearsay. But luckily the shop owner said he has a heart and doesn't want to do such an inhumane thing. In the end, I'm not too sure what happened to that innocent puppy as we had to go to the hotel to get our stuff. I wanted to tell the person off at that moment but we aren't in Singapore where the law is above everything. All I can say is that, I'll NEVER EVER hurt an innocent puppy even the slightest bit as dogs are Man's Best Friend.
This is really an eye-opener which is breath-taking but I didn't see anything so I cannot assume that such a thing does really exists. Hopefully, the person was only joking with the shop keeper and nothing else other than a joke :(
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
16th March 2011 (9th day of the trip)
Half day! Today was a short school day as we were given some free time to relax after days of mugging for APPG. At the same time, by giving us some free time, we managed to research on our IS topics e.g. Transportation, Architecture and so on...
The last time we went to 滨江道, we only managed to walk half of the street as it was really long! This time round, we took the tram from the start all the way to the end of the street and started walking back. There are a lot of things we experience over there, for example, how friendly can local shopkeepers be. The shopkeeper would ask where are you from and keep a smile on their face even when your give a low price for the item you want to buy.
This kind of service attitude is really commendable! I really admire this kind of service as it not only makes the customer feel comfortable spending money there, it also puts a smile on my face in this case. Even thought the culture makes the locals appear aggressive, they are really nice and friendly people. Totally not how people stereotype them to be.
The last time we went to 滨江道, we only managed to walk half of the street as it was really long! This time round, we took the tram from the start all the way to the end of the street and started walking back. There are a lot of things we experience over there, for example, how friendly can local shopkeepers be. The shopkeeper would ask where are you from and keep a smile on their face even when your give a low price for the item you want to buy.
This kind of service attitude is really commendable! I really admire this kind of service as it not only makes the customer feel comfortable spending money there, it also puts a smile on my face in this case. Even thought the culture makes the locals appear aggressive, they are really nice and friendly people. Totally not how people stereotype them to be.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
15th March 2011 (8th day of the trip)
Today feels like a normal school day but the excitement still goes on (and on and on)! In the morning, Eugene and I went to try the bubble tea located just beside the basketball court of the University. It's was a quite different perspective! Back home, when bubble tea comes to mind, it would be a cool and refreshing drink. HOWEVER, in China, it's a hot drink during this time of the year! One sip of the drink warms our hearts and hands from the cold shivering wind.
It might seem to be all just fun but there are lessons learned. I bought a sausage egg-wrap for 3元(~S$0.60) which was bigger than the size of my palm. That size of serving for that price can never be found in Singapore. Nowadays, even for S$2, there is not alot of things you can buy back at home as compared to what you can buy over here. This shows the cost of living in Singapore as compared to China.
The locals as mentioned by my buddy, are people who takes life slowly by doing whatever they want to and like. To them, that's the way of reliving stress and not worry so much about everything they do. It's living a carefree life with lower stress level, resulting in better health and longer life expectancy. But, even though their lifestyle looks very relaxing, they would work for what they want and never give up.
Monday, March 14, 2011
14th March 2011 (7th day of the trip)
Bam and there goes the 1st week of the trip! My my... The days are just passing too quickly that 5 weeks could be too short to bond and enjoy with everyone. The weather today was exceptionally cold that wearing 4 layers still feels cold! 4 layers! Well, from what I've heard from Mr. Chua is that it is due to the sandstorm that causes high wind speeds which in turn, drops the overall temperature to less than 10 Degree Celsius.
For the IS lessons today, we attended 汉语 课 (han4 yu3 ke4) which is actually Mandarin lessons and an economics talk regarding China's Progress and TianJin's ECO City. The Mandarin lesson never fails to keep me captivated as today's topic was about how chinese characters came about. I doubt many teenagers or even adults would know how the characters originated. They are actually simplified pictograms drawn during their time! What a cool way to create characters!
Today was a long day and tiring day but it was fruitful. We managed to cover quite a number of stuff for APPG and learned new Chinese history. In Singapore, it being a multi-racial society, culture passed down from our ancestors were less practiced. This could also be because of Singapore being a modern and fast paced society, locals have little time to follow cultural routines. One phrase that I learnt today and find very true is "Being hardworking brings you a bright fututre, but staying humble is the one which actually brings your further".
Today was a long day and tiring day but it was fruitful. We managed to cover quite a number of stuff for APPG and learned new Chinese history. In Singapore, it being a multi-racial society, culture passed down from our ancestors were less practiced. This could also be because of Singapore being a modern and fast paced society, locals have little time to follow cultural routines. One phrase that I learnt today and find very true is "Being hardworking brings you a bright fututre, but staying humble is the one which actually brings your further".
Saturday, March 12, 2011
12th March 2011 (5th day of the trip)
Hooray! It's the weekends! Today, we were told to work on our individual IS group topics for example, Architecture, Food, Culture etc etc. All of us took the public bus for the first time and we were all so worried that we missed the stop that we kept looking out to see if the bus was somewhere near our destination.
Luckly, a helpful and informative passenger managed to tell us where we were supposed to alight and directions to the place. Finally we got to the place and it rings a bell! I've actually been there before! There are tons of stuff here, from food to dessert to toys and even knives!
After the food street, we went to 古文化街 (Culture Street). It was an eye opener as there are a number of cultural artifacts and architecture. At the culture street, a number of us went to get a sketch of our faces from the side stand sketch artist. He did it in less than 5 minutes and it indeed look alike!
All of us learnt something today which is there are a minority of locals who are actually quite friendly and helpful. The impression of the local Chinese during the first few days were frankly not assistive but this event led to a total change of our mindsets. Most of the time the first impression is the greatest, however, the shocking one stays the longest.
11th March 2011 (4th day of the trip)
Today, we learned about Chinese Cultural Arts like Paper cutting and Painting. Also, we sat in for a Mandrin lesson. Firstly, let me talk more about the Mandrin lesson. The overall experience of the lesson was very iunique! It is the first time I enjoyed so much in mandarin class. We were shown a movie clip and there were questions we had to discuss on.
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| Static Charged Felicia! |
This experience is quite unique as back in Singapore, there wasn't such a method I've experienced. Secondly, another new experience is the Paper Cutting. The paper cutting session was really awesome as no matter how you cut the patterns, the unfolded result would turn out really nice! The best part of it all is that the person teaching us paper cutting is considered a National Treasure! All of us were shocked to know that he is so famous but would come all the way to the university just to teach us is amazing.
Overall, time spent in TianJin is fruitful as I'm learning new things everyday. Not only we get to learn new things, we also have our fair share of fun like discovering a new western cafe at the basement of the hotel where they sell real good food. Delicious!
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| Group photo after Night Lesons! |
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| Mr. Tan and Mr. Chua Enjoying themselves too! |
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| Local student reading out loud to be able to remember notes. |
Friday, March 11, 2011
10th March 2011 (3rd day of the trip)
Today we had our very first APPG lesson. The lesson was really enjoyable as Mr. Chua engaged us into the lesson by joking with us along the way. I feel this kind of teaching method not only manage to get the students to participate but also learn effectively. So far, I've only seen a few lecturers who are able to successfully engage students to learn.
We also had an IS lesson taught by the local lecturer about the history, culture and places of interest in China. As I was listening to her, I realised that the Chinese culture over here and back in Singapore has some differences even though we are also Chinese.
For example, she mentioned that during a dinner event, the hots must be seated facing the door and the most important guest is seated on the high hand side. Sitting opposite the host would be his/her secretary who would cheer on the guest to enjoy and drink more.
At the end of the day, I've learnt more about the China Chinese. They are brought up in a way where respect and ranking are important factors to consider no matter where they are, be it during eating or studying. I feel this kind of manners that they culture over the years are really worth preserving as the current generation of people neglects the culture.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
9th March 2011 (2nd day of the trip)
Day 2 of the trip! Time really flies when we are enjoying ourselves! Today, we went over to TianJin University of Technology to interact with the local university students. The university is just located opposite the hotel we are staying in and it only takes less than 10 mintues to get to class! Back in Singapore, it takes me more than an hour to get to school as I live in the north-east side of Singapore.
Back to the day events, we had lots of fun together with the local students as they were really friendly and are as eager as us to know more about the cultural and lifestyle of each other. Before the trip, I was worried that there would be a minor language barrier due to the speed they converse in and me being a little rusty in my Mandarin.
Overall, what I've learnt today is that the local's has that eagerness and that strong hunger for knowledge as compared to us Singaporeans. Maybe it could be because we Singaporeans are living in our comfort zone which could make us not have that kind of spirit towards learning. I feel that cultural differences does really make a lot of different.
Here are some of the photos we took!
Back to the day events, we had lots of fun together with the local students as they were really friendly and are as eager as us to know more about the cultural and lifestyle of each other. Before the trip, I was worried that there would be a minor language barrier due to the speed they converse in and me being a little rusty in my Mandarin.
Overall, what I've learnt today is that the local's has that eagerness and that strong hunger for knowledge as compared to us Singaporeans. Maybe it could be because we Singaporeans are living in our comfort zone which could make us not have that kind of spirit towards learning. I feel that cultural differences does really make a lot of different.
Here are some of the photos we took!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
8th March 2011 (1st day of the trip)
Today, for the first time, I'm going overseas with a group of friends for 5 weeks without my parents. The feeling of being alone is scary but at the same time a great learning experience. I had friends who camped over at the airport to send me off which was really touching. Thanks guys!
Anyways, the day was filled with excitement, for example, the part where we ran for our flight, literally! This happened due to a miscommunication between the airport staff and us. Mr. Tan and Mr. Chua read the boarding gate number from the departure information board and so did Kristabel and I. However, the stated boarding gate was wrong and luckily Gary asked the airport staff regarding the flight as we waited for quite sometime at the holding area.
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| 21 of us in the elevator rushing to the boarding gate! |
Imagine Gary didn't ask about the flight, we could all be stranded at the airport for hours! This day got me thinking, sometimes we shouldn't assume things and if things doesn't seem right, ask immediately. The responsibility I'm holding on making sure my group members are all okay also adds on to making sure everyone is alright and not only yourself.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
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