2E Group 1: Heather (8)

Letter to SuZhou's Buddies:

雅心和桐雨姐姐：
你们还好吗？自从我回到新加坡后，我因为忙着做作业没时间和你们联络。我们那时来的日子刚巧是你们的考试时期，因此我也很抱歉叫你们和我们逛街。希望影响没那么重的:-( 在不到一个月的时间我也要去考试了。其实我们回到新加坡后，还要做一些关于这次旅行的专题作业。老师很注重我们和伙伴之间的接触，一直要我们从那儿学一些新的知识。我其他的朋友就说伙伴带他们看电影，包粽子等。我就说你们是最好的伙伴（≧∇≦）还送给我礼物，和我在QQ上聊天1-3-4 你们以后来新加坡时可以找我带你们出去玩。我知道新加坡里最好吃的东西哦*\(^o^)/* 希望我以后能再去苏州找你们。你们也可不要忘记我(~_~;) 这一次的学习交流真的令我印象很深刻。我全班都很想再一次一起回去很你们出去玩。(＞人＜;) 噢，我要走了就写到这儿。拜拜ಥ_ಥ

回复：(^^;;

Day 7: SHANGHAI/SG

With the teachers in charge of 2E ^^

does it look like i am falling off?? XD

Journal Day 7:
1/6/15 晴天
We are going back to Singapore and I feel reluctant to leave. I was still being emo after the talk last night T_T #posttripsyndrome We visited the Oriental Pearl Tower and visited the museum below it about the past Shanghai days.

Overall reflection:
In overall, I felt that the OELP trip is enriching and fruitful. For me, I have never been to China and only have a little knowledge on its cultural aspects. However, when I go for this trip, I learnt about many monuments, social skills and knowledge about its history.

For the cultural aspects, I was most impressed when I learnt about the history of Zhouzhuang and visited the industrial parks. Even though the guide's accent was hard to decipher, I tried to listen and was amazed to learn about the history of how Zhouzhang came about. It was fascinating to hear that it was spread through an artwork. The preserved housings and using of boats to transport made me know more about the traditional way of living in China. I was equally intrigued by the showcase of miniature China in the industrial parks. It was my first time seeing what goes on in an industrial park. I think it's a good idea to have such a place in Singapore too where tourists could learn how Singapore was developed throughout the years. I even picked up some learning points on how the Chinese people think before building.

I also learnt about social skills from my immersion to Xinghai experimental school. The students there were very mature and friendly. Even as we first stepped into the classrooms, they welcomed us warmly and even had a self introduction time. Their proactiveness in class is something most Singaporeans do not cultivate. Not only that, as we travelled around the cities each day, there were many locals who came up to us and asked us what we were doing. They were very friendly and sat with us during meals. This displays the friendliness by these locals and how they confidently came to talk to us.

Lastly, I also observed the buildings and monuments. They preserved many famous houses and open it to the public. We also visited hills and gardens. As I travelled on the bus every day, I noticed tall buildings like HDB and i did not expect it. I also see many electrical poles across the cities and it makes me wonder why they did not want to have them placed in the underground. There are many huge commercials signboards seen around as well, making China a commercialised country. The streets there are also filled with small shophouses where they mostly sell food. Throughout the streets, there are also quite a number of beggars, asking us for more. This proved that poverty still exists in China. On the last day, as I went up the oriental pearl tower in Shanghai, i realised that there were many tall and sophisticated skyscrapers and there is another side where there is just old houses. This tells me that the difference between the rich and poor are still significant.

Apart from learning all these, I felt that this trip bonded the class together even more. Although it is a pity that we only get to know each other better in such a late time, our class shared many enjoyable memories and took many photos together. We even get to know more about the teachers. Thus, this learning journey left an impact on me and I hoped that I get a chance to go again.

Day 6: SHANGHAI

Piggin out at HaiDiLao

BEEEEEEFFFFFFFFFF

NIGHT VIEW with Liurongggg

Journal Day 6:
31/5/15 晴天
Finally, we left Suzhou for Shanghai. In Shanghai, there were lesser old-fashioned streets and rural places. That is because is more updated and commercialised. In Shanghai Urban Planning Centre, I learnt more about Shanghai's layout, how there are different districts and the bridges. It was similar to Suzhou Industrial Park and this proved that China like to have these kinds of centres to 'show off' their cities. I also learnt about more significant buildings (common=tall). They are grouped togehther away from the housing areas like CBD in Singapore. These buildings incooperate architecture ideas from both western and chinese. This changed my perception of China as they are willing to accept western ideas. Shanghai aslo have future plans lay out to have a green country (since urbanised cities cause more pollution), to incooperate wetsern ideas (to imrpove on country's culture and learn from others). They also have plans which seem impossible now like underwater cities and domes. Shanghai thinks ahead and are open to new ideas, which is admirable.

Then, we visited Nanjing Lu which is similar to Guan Ping Jie and Chinatown(SG). There were lots of people and trams and motorcycles drove past. This shows their disregard towards strict traffic regulations. At a bookstore, we saw students from Singaporean primary school and was thrilled to see them.

WITH VAL @.@

Nanjing LULULULU

Day 5: SUZHOU

Found this cool thing at the MRT station

LUNCH YUM :P

Journal Day 5:
30/5/15 晴天/雨天

I went out with my buddy. We first visited ping jiang lu via MRT. The MRT is a 5mins walk from the school and its in the underground, unlike Singapore which has MRT tracks above the ground. I think it is because Suzhou has many electrical poles in the air so it would be dangerous. The MRT station also have security checks to ensure that all MRT are safe. I realised that my buddy hardly take the MRT as they had to buy one-use ticket too. That might be because they live near the school and are not dependent on public transport. There were many small eateries and always have people standing in front of the shops, waiting to 'call in' cusotmers. In Singapore, people are not fond out of people yelling to attract and are only seen in wet markets. This is Suzhou's way of marketing. In shops, salesperson serve and follow individual customers individually and recommend them clothes. The advantage is that it is helpful but it is also kind of annoying >< Even though I know my size well, they kept asking me to try and even more times if i refuse to buy it. I also saw beggars asking for money. Many of us knew there were from illegal syndicate, just like what we learnt in CID.

WITH MY BUDDIES <33333

Day 4: SUZHOU

Morning exercises 0.0

JUmPShot muahahaha

WITH JIABAE

Journal Day 4:
29/5/15 阴天
                        Today, its the second time I went to the school. I even saw the students do 5 minutes of morning exercises. I think its a good idea to do so that students can relax and fresh air. Then, we went for a lesson on Suzhou's history. I learnt many folklores about Suzhou and historical figures. Due to that, I learnt many more knowledge about Suzhou but I could not get every information as the speaker was going too fast. I also went for paper cutting classes, where we traced out our horoscope signs and the teacher helped us laminate it. I had an enjoyable time having art lessons :)
                       Then, we continued on to the Master's Nets Garden. I learnt the history of it and was amazed at how the ancestors could buy such a big and beautiful house. The big and girl rooms were structured differently, with the boys being more superior. The garden in the centre was big and beautiful and made the house look more like a normal park.
                       Last, I went to Suzhou Industrial Park where I was fascinated. It was totally not what I had expected it to be. I thought it was boring and just merely another musuem. However, it exceeded my expectations. It was about Suzhou handled trade internationally and locally. I learn that it actually partnered with Singapore to do tarde and late Mr Lee Kuan Yew was the one who saw Suzhou as a potential partner. It explains with details on how they handle trade and their different services. They have self service where locals can come personally to their centre to have their transactions or do it online. They also explain the process after recieving an order. I think it is a good way to display their services and tourists can easily go there to learn more about their trade. I feel that Singapore should have this kind of 'museum' where people can learn more about the way Singapore works. The park also definitely showcased China's hgih technology. There was many interactive screens and sensor screen for us to try out. Their miniture buildings and display of lights awed us the most. Overall, I had a fruitful experience.

PANAROMAAAAAAAaa MINI -_-#

Day 3: SUZHOU

Students doing eye exercises at Xinghai

Beautiful garden beside the sea

Journal Day 3:
28/5/15 阴天
                           Today, we went to Xinghai Experimental Middle School. As we first drove in, we were all awed by the size of the building. The principal gave an interesting speech and the performances by the students were enjoyable. They thought of us and sang an English song. As my friends and I entered our buddy's classmate, we were warmly welcomed. They draw pictures on the chalkboard. Even without the teacher, they had a self introduction of Suzhou by themselves. They are spoke confidently and friendly as if they known us for a very long time. This shows their maturity and independence. As we begin the first class, I realised that they do not greet the teachers, maybe because thye arre close to being a JC student. They alos did not have to wait for the teachers to ask, instead they answer quickly as a class. This is a good learning attitude - proactive. I feel the 5mins eye exercises are good too.
                        Secondly, I visited YiLi factory. Before I went there, I heard rumors about YiLi factory involving in a scandal. But I went there, I could not believe that they were involved. The process of making the milk was very detailed. They used milk from New Zealand, ensure safety and cleanliness. They even made different products to cater to different age groups and people. This shows about how they market and think of general public.

Day 2: SUZHOU

Famous poem at Hanshan Temple

Raining at Tiger Hill >< Many slipped

Journal Day 2:
27/5/15 雨天
                            During breakfast, I saw a group of China locals sitting together with a few of our classmates. Just like yesterday, they had conversations. If it was in Singapore, we would not sit with each other unless there are no seats left. This shows that the China locals are more open minded, friendly, selfless and like striking conversations with each other whereas Singaporeans are more inclined to the idea of minding their own business and being on the phone. It might be because Singaporeans still do not have a common identity and are not close as a multi-racial country.
                        It was a very fruitful day in terms of learning more about the historical aspects of Zhouzhuang. I was really shocked to see people stilll washing clothes in the waterway. It might be because Zhouzhuang is still a preserved historical place and people there are still not advanced enough or that they are more comfortable with the traditional ways. Not only that, I also saw people picking up the rubbish in the water on boats. This shows the people's efforts of preserving the place and keeping it clean. I also learnt more about how Zhouzhuang came about in the olden days. Due to an artist who drew Zhouzhuang, many people around the world were mesmerised by the beauty and tranquility of Zhouzhuang.
                       Then, at dinner, we went to a restaurant where many flags where flown. Among many, there is a Singapore flag. I was really proud to see that as it shows China has already started working with Singapore and it gives a chance for Singapore companies to further develop into the China market.

Day 1: SIN/SHANGHAI/SUZHOU

We arrived in Shanghai after a few hours on the plane.

Rode the maglev train, but was disappointed at how short the ride was.

Once we went out to the streets, the air was quite hazy ><

We ate dinner at the place where the owner was smoking in the restaurant and the staff skipped our turn which resulted in a fight between our tour guide and the restaurant staffs

I liked the sofa in the room though :D but the shower was quite translucent Hehe

Journal Day 1:

26/5/15 晴天

Today, I arrived in Shanghai. It was lready shocking when I was at the airport. Instead of the usual keeping to the left, we had to keep to the right. In Singapore, when tourists/students go on a visit, people tend to take pictures of us. But in Shanghai, they do not take pictures of us. It might be because Singaporeans are kiasu and China locals' lives are too busyor because China feels superior and feel its normal to see people coming to visit them. At lunch, the locals are also seen striking comversations with us. This sows how friendly and open they are. They are lighthearted and its in their culture to talk to others freely. In Singapore people are more conservative and they just 'mind their own business'.
We also went to the maglev museum. From there, I could see how they thought to build the train. It also shows that they learn ideas from other country and improve on them. However, by displaying the maglev train, it shows their superior and competitiveness to be the best country. There are also many electrical poles instead of the underground wires in Singapore. It might be because China is huge and they must have thought a lot about how they will prevent people from electric shocked on rainy days. There are also many signboards, showing that they are a commercialised country.

Lesson 15+16: China's Culture

For the past two weeks, we learnt more about China's culture. It is essential to know more about it as we would not want any awkward encounters or misunderstandings when we go to China. I was very shocked by its culture and learnt many valuable insights about it. Social norms are what the society perceives as acceptable. Some less acceptable things are e.g. yellow hair, shaking leg and playing with chopsticks.

Some Chinese people and their culture:

Filial piety
Be kind to others
confucius
Hot tempered
Barbaric
Impatient
Rude
money grabbers
talk loudly
connections are important
reciprocity

I also learnt some Chinese internet lingo (slang)

真是太给力了 = great!
神马都是浮云 = everything else is meainingless
520 = 我爱你
1314 = 一生一世

I also found out some weird Chinese food and how to reject them in a nice way, to politely reject them.

Starfish on a stick

Eggs cooked in boys' urine

Some funny signboards

26/04/2015

Lesson 14: Monuments

Monuments is a type of structure that was created to commemorate a person or important event, or which has become important to historic times or cultural heritage.

Some Singapore monuments:

Istana

Civilian War Memorial

Marina Barrage

Merlion

The symbol was designed by Alec Fraser-Brunner, for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and has been its trademarked symbol since 20 July 1966. The Merlion appears frequently on STB-approved souvenirs.

These five Merlions in Singapore are the only ones recognised by the STB:

The 8.6-metre-tall original statue at Merlion Park

The two-metre-tall cub statue standing behind the original statue

The 37-metre-tall gigantic replica – with Mouth Gallery Viewing Deck on the ninth storey, another viewing gallery on its head and Sentosa Merlion Shop – at Sentosa Island

The three-metre-tall glazed polymarble statue at Tourism Court (near Grange Road) completed in 1995

The three-metre-tall polymarble statue placed on Mount Faber's Faber Point

Due to the influence of overseas Singaporeans, even Singapore investors and friends of the country, variations of the Merlion statue can be found in Japan, China and the United States of America.

The Merlion has a lion head and a fish body resting on a crest of waves. The lion head symbolises the legend of the rediscovery of Singapura, as recorded in the "Malay Annals". Prince Sang Nila Utama rediscovered the island. When the Prince first landed on Singapore's shores, he sighted a mystical beast which he later learnt was a lion. The Prince then decided to name the island "Singapura" which means Lion (Singa) City (Pura). The fish tail of the Merlion symbolises the ancient city of Temasek and represents Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village. (Information)

It is an important symbol as it represents the start of Singapore's history and has been with the country since the first few years. It is widely known by tourists and there are many appearances of it on coins and sports events, etc. It is unique to Singapore only. (Question at issue)

Singapore can have other national icons other than the merlion. Many Singaporeans will think of other icons when they are asked of Singapore's national icon. Some would say the Singapore flyer. It is indeed the tallest of its kind in the world. However, this does not mean say anything about Singapore except that it has great architecture. Some say that Marina Bay Sands and Changi Aiport. These attractions are to be a part of the 'tourist package'. Travelling and staying in a hotel is a must for all. Furthermore, no one would want to come all the way to Singapore just to look at their national icon eg Changi Aiport. Instead at the merlion, they can visit the places around the Merlion. Merlion also provides historical background and its educational. When the Singapore Tourism board (STB) was searching for an easily recognizable symbol which represents Singapore, they chose the Merlion and the statue would be installed at the mouth of the Singapore River such that both locals and tourists would be able to admire the majestic creature.(POV+Purpose of thinking)

If we change our national icon from the Merlion to another, I think many Singaporeans would be angry. The merlion was the 'founder' of this country and its name has been with us since the start of Singapore. Once the head of one of the Merlion was struck by lightning and many Singaporeans believed that there will be misfortunes for Singapore. This, if they knew that Merlion is not our national icon anymore, they would feel as though one of their founding father has died. (Implications and consequences)

12/04/2015

Lesson 13: Golden Age of China

Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) The Tang dynasty was founded by Emperor Gaozu on 18 June 618. It was a golden age of Chinese civilisation with significant developments in art, literature, particularly poetry, and technology.

The textile industry prospered. The silk products were most renowned for their high quality. Advances were also made in the production of cotton goods. Cotton was widely grown in Turpan, Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces. In addition, there were very obvious improvements in painting and dyeing technology.

The manufacture of pottery and porcelain also started.

The porcelain Xingzhou kiln was noted for its quality and described as 'white as silver and snow'.

The white and green porcelain produced in Jingdezhen won itself the nickname 'emulous jade ware'.

The Yuezhou kiln made its mark by producing celadon characterised by its elegance, lightness and strength.

Tang Tricolor Porcelain, decorated with yellow, green, white, brown and blue, became famous for the beauty of its designs and the pieces were acknowledged as fine works of art.

The Chinese were the first to develop the process of printing. During Tang dynasty, engraved plates were widely used to print Buddhist scriptures, calendars and collections of poems. In 1900, a Buddhist scripture produced during the Tang Dynasty was found in Mogao Caves in Dunhuang.

The Tang Dynasty was the golden age of Chinese poetry. In the number of poems and variety of poetic forms, the beauty of imagery and broadness of themes, Tang poetry surpassed all that had preceded it. The Complete Anthology of Tang Poetry, edited during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), contains over 50,000 poems written by some two thousand poets. The collection provides an insight into all aspects of the social life of the period. Tang poets are held in high regard and among the most notable are Li Bai, Du Fu and Bai Juyi.

05/04/2015

Lesson 8-11: CID Speech

For these few weeks, we started on our CID speech presentation about what represents Singapore best. When I first heard this, I immediately thought of what most students would not think, our founding father - Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Thus, after much searching, I decided to choose the picture that depicted Mr Lee at Singapore's independence speech.

After choosing the picture, I decided to do some research abut him. Just into an hour of research, I felt amaze, proud, touched yet guilty. Even though I have been living in Singapore for 14 years, I did not know a lot about my country's founding father. When I first learnt that he was Singapore;s first prime minister and world's longest reigning prime minister, I was shocked and amazed. I could not believe that I was living in the same years as Singapore's prime minister. As I continue researching, I found out his achievements and contributions to Singapore. I was even more shocked and regretted not knowing much about him.

That time, I was doing the presentation, Mr Lee was ill. Thus, I was even more determined to do a good job. Unfortunately, I rushed through my speech and my slides were too wordy.

A few weeks after my speech, Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away. I was really saddened by the news and deeply regretted not knowing him earlier. I was relieved that i at least did the presentation about him. I visited him at the parliament house and even waited for his funeral progression. because of this CID presentation, I learnt more about Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

29/03/2015

Lesson 7: China - Economy 2.0

What is the size of China's land mass? What is the likely implication of this?

3,854,082 sq miles

lot of space for office buildings, residential and commercial buildings, etc

Rent will be competitive with other countries and there are a lot of free space for economic activities to be conducted

What are some natural resources that China is endowed with?

Coal

Natural gas

Steel

Which is the likely implication of this?

Sell to other countries = $$ earned

Need not import factors of production

Do not need capita

What is China's corporate tax?

25%

One of the lowest in the world

Attracts foreign investors to the country to do business

Why have the Americans been causing China of keeping the Yuan undervalued?

S$1 is to 6元

Chinese exports will be relatively cheaper = bad for USA

Less countries are importing from USA and even Americans are importing from China

Who is China's greatest trading partner?

USA 🇺🇸

*Can buy more things with US$1 in China than in US*

Comparing Cost of Living of China with rest of the world

How much does a Big Mac cost in China ? 🍔

Low to foreigners but high to China ppl

What are some of the factors that give China the advantage?

Cheap labour

Cheap rental

Mass production in China

Pro business policies

Competitive exchange rates

Competitive corporate tax rates

Impact of economic growth in China

Social : Income inequality

Widening income gap between the rich and the poor

Not everyone has equal opportunities from the growth

Employment :

More people have jobs

Standard of Living :

People are consuming more goods and services than before

The Chinese are buying more high-end goods like branded bags, cars and bigger houses

Environment: POLLUTION!

22/02/2015

Lesson 6: China - Economy

China is a growing nation with a huge population and increasing economy. Research even proved that China will overtake America as the world's biggest economy sooner or later, making it an important country. Products with 'Made in China' printed on them are being seen more often as the economy continue to rise gradually.

China and its GDP

What is GDP?

In 2009, it overtook Japan and clinched the second place. Japan's GDP dropped to 5 trillion while China on an increasing trend.

What is the size of China's population? What is the likely implication of this?

Well, China's population in 2015 is an overwhelming 1,401,586,000 people even with the one child policy. However, compared to China, India is facing a greater increase in population. For China, these are the few of the many implications they face. There are a large pool of unemployed workers that will be recruited. This then in turn causes the job salaries to be lesser. The good thing about is that there will be lesser burden on the law firms as they can pay lesser to the workers but this is not good in the workers' point of view.

Before 2012, the workers get paid 200元-400元 a month which is around $43-$86. Due to the low pay, a major accident happened in 2012. There were a few cases of Chinese workers from the company Foxcronn that committed suicide due to the lay pay and stress. Here's a link to the news : http://www.cnet.com/news/riots-suicides-and-other-issues-in-foxconns-iphone-factories/

Where will China rank in the world in terms of GDP per capita? What does this mean?

China GDP per capita = each Chinese citizens gets around US$2000-2500 a year

Singapore GDP per capita = around US$3500

Less GDP = On the average, each Chinese citizens does not get a high amount of goods and services to consume, even though the country has been experiencing amounts of GDP.

As the economy worsen, the poor would not be able to afford the products. This will lead to a wider rich and poor divide. China is market economy but a communist government. People there wish for a free market economy where everyone will pay lesser for the products and pays will be given according to the pay the deserve.

When did China join WTO?

WTO = World Trade Organisation

China joined WTO in 2001 and the benefits of it are:

Reach out to the other country

Trade with other countries = more $$

Access to more international makers for their exports and allow more foreigners to enter the country freely

More 'Made in China' products

14/02/2015

Lesson 5: Singapore & One Child Policy

Unlike China, Singapore do not enforce on one child policy. Singapore is more troubled with its ageing population than the number of child each family has and that is the total opposite to China. In Singapore, even without the Government's telling us, we know to control the birth rate and its because we have high living cost and lack of space.

There are several more reasons:

We are a career driven country

Adults are in a relentless pursuit of excellence in jobs so they focus lesser on having a family

People want the best for their kids so they devote their resources on just 1/2 kids = higher income society

Now, Singaporean Government has to deal with the ageing population and come up with retirement schemes to support them as there are a handful of senior citizens without children. Birthrate have decreased a lot since 1970. Thus, there are not enough children to support the family. Although China has one child policy since the 1900s, it has not reach the point where they have too much of the ageing population (like Singapore).

Firstly, Singapore can do these to handle the ageing population:

society must also provide adequate social security, elderly-friendly infrastructure and health-care facilities to protect the frail who have severe ailments.

Like Japan, Singapore can have more young adult immigration, boosting low birth rates and bolstering economic growth.

Attract foreigners to support the economy

The Government could serve as a role model of filial piety for its poor ageing citizens

These reasons will help lessen the burden of their children.

These some ways some countries boost birthrate:

Singapore

The Urban Redevelopment Authority has place a limit on the number of small one-bedroom flats that can be built in an effort to curb the singleton lifestyle and encourage people to shack up and make babies.

Singapore spends around $1.3 billion annually on trying to convince its citizens to get busy, including offering $15,000 parental packages for each child, tax incentives, and extended maternity leave

South Korea

In 2010, the South Korean government decided to turn off the lights in its offices at 7pm on the third Wednesday of every month—called “Family Day”—to "help staff get dedicated to childbirth and upbringing."

Russia

In 2007, the government declared September 12 national Day of Conception, in the hopes that giving couples the day off from work to do their civic duty would result in a baby spike nine months later, on Russia’s national day, June 12. Women who gave birth on national day could win refrigerators, money, even cars.

Japan

Yotaro is a robot baby. He cries, sneezes, suffers that perpetually drippy nose that is instantly recognisable to any parent, giggles when tickled, and is calmed by his rattle. His creators are hoping that if he can spark some measure of parental emotion in the people who see him, maybe they’ll consider making a real baby.

Romanian

Though there are tax and monetary incentives to encourage people to have children, they also punished people for not having them: Childless men and women over the age of 25, regardless of marital status, were subject to a new tax that could be as much as 20 percent of their income.

06/02/2015

Lesson 4: One Child Policy

For this CID lesson, we learnt more about one child policy. Due to China's ever growing population, China started a new policy that there can be only one child per family. In November 2013, following the Third Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, China announced the decision to relax the one-child policy. Under the new policy, families can have two children if one parent is an only child. As a result of the policy, there are some economic and social implications.

Economic Impacts:

Greater tax burden on the younger generations

Slower economic development due to ageing population

Social Impacts:

Shortage of women (Families only want a son)

Generation which is less altruistic, less trusting, less trustworthy, more risk-avenue and less competitive

I do not agree with China in having their policy. As much as this will slow down the growing population, there citizens will be more stressed, especially the newer generations. They might be the apple of the eye to their families but when they grow up, the entire family's welfare is depended on them. If they are having troubles in getting a job, then the entire family will suffer. The child will also be lonely during their childhood and might grow up selfish as they used to get everything they want from their families. The good thing is that all the parents' time and effort will be spent on that single child and that child will be well-groomed when he/she grows up. But there are parents that only want a son and they will kill the child if it is a girl and keep on trying. This point made me believe even more that one child policy is bad.

06/02/2015

Lesson 3: Observations & Communication Skills

Today, we learnt about observations and communication skills by starting off the lesson with the 'broken telephone game'. Our teacher showed the first person in each group, who is Michelle in my group, a picture. Michelle and other first 'players' then turned to the second player to tell them about the picture and so on and so forth. The last player then drew out a picture of what they heard about. We were really surprised by our group's drawing as it was totally different from the picture shown.

We learnt that proper observation is really important as it helps us distinguish different things from one another. It also let us see and experiences things for ourselves and look deeper into things. And that is why we have to communicate more effectively. If we do not communicate effectively, we will deliver distorted messages that will cause misunderstanding and there will be a communication breakdown. Just like during the 'broken telephone game', due to miscommunications, the message delivered from the start to the end changed drastically. It also can lead to that outcome if the observations are wrong in the first place.

Thus, we have to improve by choosing the more important stuff and be careful what our choice of words. If you forget, some parts of what the previous person had said, we should choose not to say it rather than to say the wrong message.

Since the picture was about one child policy, we also briefly discussed about it. We mentioned that one child policy is much emphasised in China. We also talked about its advantages and disadvantages.

03/01/2015

Lesson 2: Poverty in Singapore

Poverty in Singapore? It is a rarely heard or seen. There are hardly any beggars here especially in those more commercialised area like Orchard or Marina Bay. Is it because there are no poor people in Singapore? In every country, there are of course different 'classes' of people - rich and poor. But then why does Singapore has less beggars than in third world countries like Africa?

Firstly, like what i said, Singapore, a growing nation with modern technology and high living standards, grew from a third world country to a first world country. With the huge population, it will be reasonable to think that there are some people out there that are neglected. But Singapore government has many plans for different people. From the Financial Assistance Scheme to banning of illegal beggars, everyone regardless of rich or poor, are able to survive.

Although there are nobody directly begging for money, there are some that does 'indirect begging'. Take Woodlands Interchange for instance, there are often old people seen selling tissue packets to commuters. These elderly has a permit hung around their necks, proving that they are allowed to sell there. This also applies to handicapped people and those showing their talents in return for a bit of money.

Although there are a few poor elderly here and there struggling to make ends meet, I am glad that it is a lot more little compared to Africa, I hope that the government try to aim for zero beggars or elderly selling tissue.

18/01/2015

Lesson 1: Holiday Reflection

During the holidays, although I did not go anywhere far, I was busy from going to CCAs to going back to school for Orientation.

November was a month full of tiring and long CCA sessions. It was also a month for me to catch up with studies and sleeps. I was also more open to the world as I had plenty of time to read news and go out with my friends. This made me realise how much i had left out while I was preoccupied with school work. I was also very energised and happy as I got to sleep in longer than usual.

On the other hand, December was the total opposite of November. Since I was in Orientation, I had to go back school for training frequently. On top of that, I was also an emcee so I had more workload than others. Even though this training were long and tough, I was happy that I could spend it with the new friends I made. I had a lot of fun during those days and learnt a lot of things which I never learnt before, example how I can engage the audience as an emcee. Orientation also taught me a lot about bonding as a team as the Orientation go through thick and thin together.

In a nutshell, even though I had to give up travelling overseas, I was glad that I could learn something in return. Because of CCA and Orientation, it has been the most fruitful holiday I had.

18/01/2015

2E Group 1

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Students doing eye exercises at Xinghai