Pre-Trip Task
1.Find out from your parents or online cost of a standard 4/5 room HDB flat(around 90-100sq m) in Punggol-around $450,000
2.Find out the current cost of a brand new Toyota Vios-1.5 Elegance (A):$120,888
1.5Grande (A):$125,888
3.Find out from a local supermarket the prices of the following:
-Cheapest 10kg packet rice-$13.70
-Cheapest one litre mineral water-$0.55
-Cheapest fresh whole chicken-$3.10
-Do we provide plastic bags and how are they used-Yes and it is for storing purposes.
-Who are the cashiers and what kind of services do they provide-The cashiers are Chinese,Malay and Indian.They only scan the products and do the transaction.
-Cheapest one litre of cooking oil-$3.70
4.How much is your school fee?-$28
5.How much is one litre of petrol?(95 unleaded)-around $90
6.How much is one movie ticket on a weekend?-$11.50
7.What is the average salary of a Singaporean?-$3770
8.One big mac meal?-$7.60
Education system in Taiwan
The compulsory education for Taiwanese students includes:
-6 years of primary education
-3 years of junior high education
The rest includes:
-3 years of senior high education
-4 to 7 years of college or university education
-1 to 4 years for master's degree
-2 to 7 years for doctoral degree
Find out about the school you are about to visit.(History,strengths,school day etc)
JGHS is a high school for boys located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei. It was established in 1898 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan and is currently the most (NO. 1!!!) prestigious high school in Taiwan. The school's significant red brick building was built in 1909 during Japanese rule and is considered one of Taipei's historical buildings.
JGHS is strong in subjects such as mathematics, science (natural & human), mandarin and 2nd foreign language (eg. English). Their school clubs (aka CCA) covers all aspects - academics, musical, athletic, service and arts.
In preparation for your comparative studies:
Firm up 3 questions you would like to find answers to during the immersion that could help you with your comparative studies.
1. Do the students have a lot of homework or assignments to do?
2. How many subjects do they have to study and what are they?
3. Do they have to take examinations?
If yes, how many and how frequently?
Group Work
Research on the place(Toucheng Farm) which we are going to visit in Taiwan
It is highly recommended that visitors in Toucheng Farm who loved to hike should try and hike the Caoling Ancient Trail.On the way up, there will be old engravings and explanations of plants growing along the trails.Upon reaching the top, there will be breathtaking views of Taipei which is worth taking pictures.
Toucheng farm's hostel
Hostel's room
View from Caoling Ancient Trail
At there,tour guides can also guide us in farming so as to experience life of a farmer and the hardship they been through so as to produce rice being served onto our dining tables.There are also activities involving contact with farm animals like collecting eggs from the chickens,feeding goats and bathing pigs.
Goats
Paddy fields
There are also hands- on activities such as T-shirt printing, bamboo and woodcraft making.We can make toys out of wood and bamboo using our imaginative minds and can also transform our white shirts into colourful shirts using a simple maple leaf and magical dyes.There are also activities like 天灯 in which we can write our wishes on it and let it fly up to the sky,but currently this activity is not available.The 天灯 may land with the flame still alight,making it a fire hazard.This is one of the dangers of 天灯.When the 天灯 lands,the leftover thin wire frame will rust away and it is hazardous to animals swallowing it.
The major lantern festival is the Pingxi sky lantern festival.It is held at the same place every year and on the same lunar calendar dates.In the past,sky lanterns are known to be sending one's wishes to the God or one's ancestor.In fact,Pingxi is the only place legal for sky lanterns and the best plan for them because of the low light pollution and the low population density,which makes the lantern more beautiful and distinct in the sky.
Group work
Find out the culture of the place you are going.Each member will choose one to research on.
Fashion in Taipei
Mei Xuan
To start off, the streetwear style of Taiwanese people has much similarities to that of Singaporeans in spring and summer. However, when it comes to autumn and winter, Taiwanese people wear warm clothes to protect them selves from the cold.
Let me now introduce some of the popular brands and/or shops in Taipei. One of them is Stay Real. Stay Real is a popular Taiwanese streetwear brand established by Ashin from Mayday. The brand has a history of collaborating with famous Japanese designers including Jun Watanabe and also Japanese characters like Hello Kitty.
Another popular shop in Taipei is the Leeco outlet there. Although Leeco is a bit small and limited, it actually fares pretty well with regards to the brands it carries. You will find a pretty nice variety here as the mall includes brands like Samsonite, American Tourister, Roots, Timberland, United Colors of Benetton, Columbia, Vans, Energie, Miss Sixty, as well as some Dada, Nike, and others.
Last but not least, we have the Ximending night market. The best way to describe this night market is modern, stylish and young. It is known for having the newest fashion trends and is one of the most popular and active night markets in Taipei.
Folks in Taipei
Huang Yuan
In Taipei,The main religions are Chinese folk religion, Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.Back then in the 17th century, there were small settlements of Chinese and Japanese maritime traders and pirates.In 1895, the Manchu government in China ceded Taiwan to Japan due to the surrender of the Sino-Jap War.When Japan took over, they treated the buddhists better than other religions because they shared the same religion.However, Taiwanese refused to "japanise" when Japan brought out the idea as they found out that Japanese priests can eat meat,marry and drink wine while the Taiwanese can neither do all of them mentioned.The Japanese also realised that the religious culture centered around folks temple acts as a major obstacle which obstructs them from "japanising" them.Hence, temples were demolished and the Taiwanese started to lose faith in China for not protecting them. However, Japan did help to develop the travel infrastructure in Taiwan as it is not fully developed and people found it difficult to travel around.They constructed a network of railroads connecting all regions of the island,This actually promoted the rise in importance of some Buddhist,Taoist or folk temples as islandwide pilgrimage sites.
Rochelle:
the largest ethnic group in taiwan are the han chinese, which make up about 30% of 23 million population. the most widespread languages spoken by the taiwanese are mandarin chinese and formosan (aboriginal/indigenous) languages. the taiwanese are known for being very hospitable, and often refuse gifts from others. they believe strongly in omens, which could possibly explain why their geographical names always means something wonderful or good, such as "paradise valley", "heaven's gateway" or "happiness road". they are also really into longevity, therefore death is considered a taboo topic, or one that should not be discussed openly. as a result, they avoid the number 4 as much as possible because in mandarin, 4 sounds like death. as a result, most buildings in taiwan don't have a 4th floor - the floors go from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and directly to the 5th floor. as for their traditional values, they believe in proper (social) relationships, practical wisdom and proper conduct, which come from confucianism.
Food:
Shao Yi:
In the early 1900s, the Taiwanese version of beef noodle soup is now one of the most popular dishes in Taiwan. The Taiwanese "xiaochi" has also been very popular. Many travelers go to Taiwan just for the xiaochi. The most common place to enjoy "xiaochi" in Taiwan is in a night market. Each night market also has its own famous "xiaochi". Such as the fried and steamed meat-filled buns, oyster-filled omelets, refreshing fruit ices and much more.
Li Ying:
FOOD in TAIWAN- History, facts, Must Trys!! :)))
The food in Taiwan mostly comes from Chinese cuisine. Taiwanese versions of these cuisines tend to be somewhat oily, though, and completely authentic mainland cuisines are rare. The Taiwanese are in love with eggs and seafood. Traditional Chinese food can be found in Taiwan. Pork, seafood, chicken, rice, and soy are very common ingredients that are being used. Beef is far less common in Taiwan as many elderly refrain from eating them. The famous must trys in Taiwan are oyster omelette, crispy taro ball, sesame oil chicken/noodles, oyster mee sua, lu rou fan, beef noodles, flame grilled beef cubes, chicken cutlet, grilled squid, smelly tofu, and pearl milk tea.
There are some popular food sold at night markets in Taiwan. They are:
Scallops
Black pepper bun.
Barbecued sausages
(Actually, these food mentioned above are famous in Rao He Night Market, which is where we will be visiting HOORAY so look forward to eating them!!!)
Here are some descriptions of the popular food in Taiwan.
#1 Oyster Omelette 蚵仔煎
The famous Taiwan oyster omelette is popular in many places in Taiwan. For some reason, it draws locals to a few famous shops at Ning Xia. The omelette is made with eggs, vegetables, and oysters. It is a must try for at least once in Taiwan. (Yummy :P)
#2 Crispy Taro Ball 香脆芋丸
There is a stand called "Liu Yu Zai" which sells crispy taro balls. It is a combination of taro and egg stuffed in a dough and then being deep fried. This snack is very Taiwanese as it is more of a salty snack rather than a sweet one. (Yay)
#3 Sesame Oil Chicken/Noodles 麻油雞
Another famous restaurant in Ning Xia is the Huang Ji Sesame Oil Chicken restaurant. Kidneys, liver, hearts, and noodles can also be used. All of them are cooked with sesame oil and carry that flavor. These restaurants are common in Taiwan. This dish has a very distinct Taiwanese taste, but it is not for vegetarians :(
#4 Smelly Tofu 臭豆腐
Anyone coming to Taiwan for the first time will experience a strong bad smell in the air. This strong pungent smell comes from smelly tofu (chou tofu in Chinese). Smelly tofu is a form of fermented tofu, which gives it the strong odour. Its tofu has been marinated in vegetable and shrimp broth that has been fermenting for a long period of time. There is another type of smelly tofu that is served with goose blood, which is rarer to find. (Yuck :/ )
Other common food in Taiwan:
Mochi is a sticky rice snack flavored with sesame seeds, peanuts or other flavourings. One can also include ice cream in this snack. (Really?)
Soy milk and breakfast sandwiches. One will be able to recognize "Yonghe Dojiang" as a breakfast shop that is sprouted all over Taiwan. These shops are very popular with people who are looking for late night snacks and workers who are getting up early. (Hooray)
Sun cakes are sweet stuffed pastries that are round like the Sun. (Yes!!)
Turkey rice consists of bits of fresh turkey mixed with steamed rice and vegetables. (Yummy!)
Sources and references (Thank You!):
AFTER THIS BRIEF DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE FOOD IN TAIWAN, WE ARE SURE YOU ALL WILL LOOK FORWARD TO IT!! YAY
Group work
Investigation: Can we use the Merlion as our national icon?
What is so special about the Merlion that it can be our national icon?
The Merlion is a well-known symbolic figure for Singapore. When foreigners hear about Merlion, they will instantly know what it is. The Merlion attracted a lot of tourists. It is a tourist attraction where many visitors flock there to take a look at the famous statue. These are the special features of the Merlion. Other than that, the Merlion is made out of a lion's head and a fish's tail. The lion head represents the name lion city, which Sang Nila Utama had bestowed upon our island upon discovering a lion. The fish tail represents Singapore's history of once being a fishing village. The Merlion is a 37-meter tall statue. It can be our national icon due to these special features.
Have we taken for granted that the information we have gathered are appropriate to make us say that the Merlion is our national icon?
Is there information that we have missed out in considering the Merlion we our national icon?
The story about Sang Nila Utama was a legend and it may not be true. Hence, the Merlion may not be the best icon for Singapore as it clearly shows how it represents Singapore based on its name and not about who built this city.
There are also other tourist attractions such as the Esplanade and the Changi Airport. These popular tourist attractions could be considered as our national icon too, other than the Merlion.
Woodblock Printing
Woodblock Printing is one of the many things that is invented.It made written words available to other audiences.The first documents made from Woodblock Printing are Buddhist texts and calendars for the marking of auspicious dates.With this,people could buy cheaper sources of study so as to be educated for the lower-class people,which explains that the Woodblock Printing contributes to the Golden Age of Tang Dynasty.
Rvhs CID 2 Group 6 2015's photo and description
Ever heard of a puzzle? I bet you did. Each puzzle piece is unique from the rest and has its own features. All these different puzzle pieces come together to form a beautiful picture. Without any one of the pieces, the picture would be incomplete.
Wyatt Cai, the cheerful and tall boy in Softball CCA
Rochelle Chua, a flexible girl in Dance CCA
Mei Xuan, a rabbit-lover in Girl Guides CCA
Shaoyi, another cheerful and thoughtful girl in Girl Guides CCA
Li Ying, the clever girl in SJAB CCA
Lastly me, Huang Yuan, a tall and responsible group leader in Basketball CCA.
"Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean."
-Ryunosuke Satoro
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
-African proverb
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Mei Xuan, Li Ying, Rochelle
From bottom right:
Shaoyi, Huang Yuan, Wyatt
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