Rochelle 2A (19)

Overall reflection for the trip

On this trip, I have had many experiences but the three experiences that left the most impact on me was the planting of rice crops at Toucheng Farm, the visit to Hsinchu Science Park and the school immersion at Jianguo High School.

Firstly, the planting of rice crops at Toucheng Farm left an impact of me. Initially, I had this impression of rice crop planting that it was actually an extremely easy job as all the farmers had to do was to just plant the rice crops in the mud water and wait for them to grow before harvesting. However, after this experience, my impression of rice crop planting had totally changed. When I first stepped into the paddy field, I was really disgusted by the mud as it was extremely slimy and there were many water insects crawling about. Due to this, I tried to finish planting the rice crops I had as soon as possible. Despite this experience having been quite an unpleasant one, I have learnt that being a farmer is extremely hard and tiring. The mud in the water is slippery and causes one to slip and fall easily. If we, who only stepped in the mud for around 15 minutes or so, are already complaining here and there, how hard would it actually be for actual farmers to be in the paddy field for the whole day? Before this, I have wasted my food, especially rice, quite often, thinking that rice actually comes by pretty easily. However, after this experience, I have learnt to cherish the food that we get to eat and not waste it as it comes from farmers' hard work.

Secondly, the visit to Hsinchu Science Park left an impact on me. As I have visited Taiwan before, I had this particular impression that Taiwan is quite underdeveloped in terms of technological advancements and that it is not commonly seen/used in the country. The reason why I had this impression was that the parts of Taiwan that I have visited before had buildings that were quite rundown and the shops and facilities were all quite old. However, after the visit to the Hsinchu Science Park, I was able to see that contrary to my impression, Taiwan was actually quite developed with technology as there were many innovative and creative inventions that were made possible with the help of technology.

Lastly, the school immersion at Jianguo High School left an impact on me. During the lessons I had with my buddy, I observed the class environment and saw that some of the students were sleeping, eating or chattering with their friends without the teacher scolding them. I was extremely appalled and envious of how relaxed the class was. But later on, I learnt the reason why they could do those in class. It was either because they already know the topic very well and do not need to listen to the teacher's explanations or because they are able to ask their friends what the lesson was about after the lesson and catch up with what was taught before the next lesson. The other students were listening attentively and if they had questions, they would raise their hands bravely and voice their doubts, unlike us who are afraid of getting scolded by the teacher or getting mocked by our classmates if we ask questions. From this experience, I saw how hardworking the students were and I felt ashamed of myself as I am definitely not on par with them in terms of diligence.

Through this trip, I have learnt the importance of cherishing food, the need to be constantly improving on our technology and also the 'work hard, play hard' spirit. This trip has truly been a beneficial one for me as I got to learn and experience many new things that I couldn't in Singapore.

Daily reflections

Day 1 (25/5/15 - First day in Taiwan):

Today was the first time that we took a plane overseas as a class. It was a refreshing and thrilling experience. Upon reaching Taoyuan Airport, I was quite shocked. As I have visited Taiwan before, the experience and everything I have seen so far was quite different from before - probably because the one before was a family trip and this is a school trip. We took the bus to Toucheng Farm. We decorated sky lanterns with our wishes such as for studies and CCA. It was fun to see our lanterns flying up high in the sky but also quite disappointing as it dropped down quite soon. We fell asleep soon when we went back to our rooms as we were all very tired.

Day 2 (26/5/15 - Toucheng Farm):

We started our day off with breakfast at the farm. The guide at the farm brought us on a tour around the farm and explained to us about the different kinds of plants and animals we saw along the way. We built kilns, a traditional oven made of damped mud, in our CID groups and it was not a easy process. While we were building the kiln, the rocks kept falling off and we had to start over and over again until we finished it. The building of the kiln has thought me 2 things: 1) It is important to persevere when facing hardships. Only when we learn to persevere, then can we reach our goal. 2) A strong foundation is the key to success. Without a strong foundation, everything built upon it will not be stable and will thus crumble and fall. We also got to experience how it was like to step into a rice paddy field and even got to plant rice crops. When we first stepped into the paddy field, all of us were complaining about how disgusting the mud was and how there were insects crawling about in the muddy water. Although most of us got comfortable soon after, I was still extremely disgusted by the experience in the paddy field and tried to finish planting the rice crops I had as soon as possible. Thinking back about that day, I am quite regretful for the fact that I should have tried to fully enjoy the experience instead of feeling disgusted about the mud. Also, I have learnt from this experience that a farmer's job is extremely hard and tiring. If we, who only stepped in the mud for around 15 minutes or so, are already complaining here and there, how hard would it actually be for farmers to be in the field for the whole day? I have also learned to cherish the food that we get to eat and not waste it as it comes from farmers' hardwork.

Day 3 (27/5/15 - High Speed Rail, Hsinchu Science Park, Spring Pool Glass Factory, Inner Bay Old Street):

After breakfast at the hotel restaurant, we went on to Taipei Station to take the high speed rail. It was a brand new experience for us as Singapore does not have such similar transportations. Although the ride was 30 minutes long, it passed by unexpectedly quickly and we arrived in Hsinchu. We proceeded to Hsinchu Science Park where we learnt about Taiwan's technological advancements over the years and recent inventions which were free for us to try out. There was a particular invention which was a mini robot that could actually pick up small and lightweight items around for the owner. From this, I could actually see that technology has gradually caused people to become lazier as we all rely on technology be it for information or for work to be done. Next, we went to the Spring Pool Glass Factory where we learnt about how used glass was processed and recycled to be made into beautiful art pieces such as cups or displays. We had a hands-on experience whereby we could make our own DIY glass cups. Lastly, we went to Inner Bay Old Street where we shopped around and had dinner at a theatre-turned-restaurant. Today was a beneficial day as we made lots of comparisons between Taiwan and Singapore and found that there were many differences.

Day 4 (28/5/15 - Taipei Confucius Temple, Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei 101):

Today we went to the Taipei Confucius Temple where we witnessed a 巡香 process whereby 3 师傅 paid respects to Confucius and other scholars which were students of Confucius. We were then brought on a tour around the temple where we found out about various things such as the meanings behind some carvings on the walls and also the significance of the half-moon pond. We then went to a 4D theatre where we watched 4D movies that taught us about Confucius' Six Arts and the history of the temple. We then visited Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall where we witnessed a guard exchanging ceremony and understood about how Sun Yat Sen contributed to the 1911 Revolution. However, the narratives being presented in the memorial halls of Taiwan and Singapore were different - in Taiwan, they focused on Sun Yat Sen but in Singapore, they focused more on overseas Chinese rather than Sun Yat Sen. This made me wonder and conclude that Sun Yat Zen actually plays a more important role in Taiwan than in Singapore and thus the difference in the narratives being presented. Lastly, we went to Taipei 101 where we visited the observatory on the 89th floor. The view that we saw of Taipei was spectacular. We also saw the damper which actually helps in countering the force of an earthquake. I felt that the placing of this damper was extremely thoughtful as Taiwan is struck by natural disasters quite often so it is important to take preventive measures.

Day 5 (29/5/15 - School Immersion, Local supermarket, Raohe Night Market):

Today, we visited 建国中学 where we were welcomed warmly by our buddies. Even from here, I was quite surprised as they were all very friendly unlike we Singaporean students who are extremely shy. During the lessons we had together with our buddies, I saw how the students were like in class. When I saw that some of them were sleeping, eating or chattering however they like in class, I was extremely appalled and envious of how relaxed the class was. But later on, I actually learnt that the reason why they could do this is either: 1) They already know the topic very well and therefore do not need to listen to the teacher's explanations. 2) They are able to ask their friends what the lesson was about after the lesson/when they reach home and catch up with what was taught before the next lesson. The other students were listening attentively and if they had doubts, they would raise their hands bravely and ask questions, unlike us who are always afraid of getting scolded by the teacher or being laughed at by our classmates if we ask questions. Next, we went to Carrefour, a local supermarket. We completed our CID task #1 which was to find out about prices of some particular items in the supermarket and some other stuff. We took the rest of the time to buy some food that we wanted. Lastly, we went to Raohe Night Market where we experienced the buzzing night life of Taipei and what some of the activities the Taiwanese engaged in at the night market. Today was a long day but still, it was fun.

Day 6 (30/5/15 - Buddy outing, Book store):

Our buddies took us on a ride on a train from a station called 萬華 to 鶯歌. While waiting for the train, our buddies told us about a female priority cabin whereby they actually designed thus because they considered the fact that it is dangerous for females at night because they might encounter sexual harassment. From this I actually thought that Singapore should have such facilities too as we should always take safety precautions despite it being very safe in Singapore. In 鶯歌, we went for a pottery lesson whereby we learnt some basic pottery gestures in order to make our own cup/bowl/plate/vase. We had to be gentle in order not to ruin the shape of the clay. Pottery has taught me to be patient in achieving my goals or else everything will be ruined. Next, we took a bus to 三峡 where we went for tie-dying. We folded our clothes in a particular way and dipped the cloth in a dye and afterwards allowing it to turn from green to blue. This process has to be repeated 3 times. When finished, our cloths all had beautiful designs on them. After parting with our buddies, we went to a bookstore where we looked around for books we wanted. Generally, today was a fun day.

Day 7 (31/5/15 - National Palace Museum, Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines, 剥皮寮 old street):

Firstly, we went to the National Palace Museum which displayed artefacts such as the jade cabbage and meat-shaped rock. The artefacts were extremely beautiful and interestingly carved. This proves that the people who created the art pieces are very creative and they have worked hard in order to create the artefacts we see. We should learn from their attitude they had such as being creative and apply it in the future such as in our project works. Secondly, we visited the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines where we learnt about the aboriginal people such as their history and lifestyle. There was a part where we watched a video clip and saw how hard the aboriginal people worked in order to make threads from nature that can be further made into clothes. This made me realise how fortunate we are to be living in a environment whereby everything is already done for us. We should appreciate what we currently have instead of complaining every now and then. Lastly, we went to 剥皮寮 old street where we learnt about how this place originated and how it got its name. Sadly, today is our second last day in Taiwan. I will definitely miss this place.

Montage of Singapore youth culture and Taiwan youth culture

1) Singapore youth culture



Singapore youth, which are mainly students, are always preoccupied with school life and homework. We also use a lot of social media to interact with other people. Such common apps used are Whatsapp and Instagram. Singapore youths also love the food here in Singapore, which we commonly describe as a 'food paradise'. Lastly, kpop has become a trend among Singapore youths as Singapore has gradually became the center of the kpop industry.

2) Taiwan youth culture



Taiwan youths love to frequent the night markets, or 夜市, to enjoy the bustling night life while enjoying the snacks available and also do some shopping. Variety shows are commonly watched by Taiwan youths as a source of entertainment and have some good laughter. Taiwan youths also frequently visit convenience store, because as the name suggests, they are convenient and basically provide you with basic necessities. Lastly, releasing night lanterns are also a trend amongst Taiwan youths as they believe writing their wishes on it and releasing it into the sky will bring them good luck.



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

The Merlion is a creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The lion head represents "Singapurs", which means "lion city". The fish body represents "Temasek", when Singapore was once a fishing village.

I think that the Merlion is not suitable to be Singapore's national icon. As mentioned above, the Merlion's origin is related to Singapore's history. However, Singapore is currently developing and striving to become a better nation. We will need an icon that is more "modern" and can show Singapore's uniqueness.

In fact, I think that our national orchid flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, is a better national icon for Singapore. Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen as our national flower on 15 April 1981 due to its resilience and its ability to bloom all year round. It represents Singapore's unique hybrid culture, which is our multiracial society. It also requires loads of sunlight and a vertical support in order to grow well. This translates into the fact that Singapore requires much love, care and support from each aspect in order to thrive well and become a prosperous nation.

Therefore, I feel that the Vanda Miss Joaquin is more suitable to be Singapore's national icon rather than the Merlion.

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

the Tang Dynasty is considered to be the golden age of China because there was advancement and development of science, technology (i.e. inventions) and medicine. there was also dominance in the field of politics, economics, military power and foreign relations. Tang Dynasty is also considered to be 'popular' out of all dynasties in China's history as the poems written back then were very brilliant. such example is the poem 《静夜思》written by one of the most famous Chinese poets, Li Bai (李白).

Singapore is also at her golden age right now. Singapore is highly developed with all necessary living conditions present within our reach. Singapore has also turned from a third world nation to a first world nation because of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's tremendous contributions. This is evident as whatever we see around us is a result of his time and effort put into developing Singapore — such as our HDB flats, our clean & green environment and the clean water we're able to get just by turning on the tap.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew is Simgapore's father. i feel that all Singaporeans should learn from the values he has displayed — perseverance and resilience. we must be grateful towards him. without him, we Singaporeans would not be able to live in such a luxurious environment now.


Reflection on China's economic growth and opening up of their country to international trade + possible implications on Singapore

I think the reason why China has been growing tremendously in terms of economics is because it is a largest global hub for manufacturing. China is also the largest exporter of goods in the world, as well as the second largest importer of goods. It is the largest trading nation in the world and plays a vital role in international trade, and has increasingly engaged in trade organisations and treaties in recent years. Being a part of the World Trade Organization has already brought many benefits to the country.

ever since China opened up their country to international trade, it has been "the world's factory". by this, it means that China produces (and exports) many goods. by becoming "the world's factory", it has brought about a tremendous change in China's economy.

however, I think that China's growing economy will bring about negative impacts on Singapore. as China's economy continues to grow and expand to more trade, Singapore will have to strive harder in order not to lose out. but because singapore is just a small island, other countries will choose to trade with China instead, because they know that China has many natural resources to itself so their goods will be cheaper.


Reflection on 1 child policy & link to Singapore

the 1 child policy in China was established in 1979; it subjects the citizens to a strict one-child restriction. the policy is enforced at a provincial level through fines that are imposed based on the income of the family and other factors.

i feel that if the 1 child policy was used in singapore, it can have both positive and negative effects.

firstly, one positive effect includes parents not having to spend so much money on children. nowadays, more and more money is needed to raise a child. if the birth rate is higher than the rate of money being made by singapore, sooner or later, there will be a decline in the economy.

secondly, one negative effect is that there will be lesser people in the workforce. there are many important jobs such as doctors that cure illnesses, lawyers that solves cases, teachers who pass on knowledge and many more. if the population decreased continuously, there will be lesser people joining these important jobs that have a huge impact on people's lives. without these jobs, the quality of people's lives will start to deprove.

however, singapore and its citizens need to know how to prepare for situations like these. we can hold campaigns and prepare lessons in school to educate people about the effects of a dwindling population. people will then be encouraged to make an effort in preventing a dwindling population by encouraging the people around them to not be so afraid of giving birth to more than one child. they should also tell them that it is good to give birth to more children, but not too many.


Reflection on CID lesson of 30/1/15

today, we learnt that we should never judge a book by its cover, and that behind every story, there is an unspoken truth that we have to realise before giving a definite conclusion.

firstly, we were shown a story of a man and his wife on a ship. the ship was sinking, and there was only one spot left on the lifeboat. the man pushed his wife behind him and hopped onto the lifeboat. at first, all of us thought that the man was cruel in doing so as he should have guven a thought for his wife, who most likely also wants to live. however, we later knew that the wife had actually contracted a terminal disease, and the reason why the man had hopped onto the lifeboat was because he felt the need to take care of their children. from this story, i have learnt that before getting to know the big picture, we should not jump into conclusions immediately.

then, we were shown a picture of the situation of the riots that broke out in little india. in the picture, it was shown that people were throwing stuff around, rubbish was green all over the floor, and a police car was even overturned. at first, we all thought that the indian workers were to blame because they drank too much. however, we were then shown a video of the living conditions of the foreign/indian workers' living conditions. they were constructing a condominium, yet they lived in such a place with poor hygiene and little space to walk about. from this, i learnt that not should we give a conclusion so quickly knowing what happened, but instead, also look at the other side of the story.

therefore, there are 2 key points that we learnt today — one, we should not jump into conclusions immediately and two, we should always look at both sides of a story.



Reflection on poverty in Singapore

I feel that poverty in Singapore isn't such a big problem as compared to what other countries face. in Singapore, generally, most people live under a roof, and even those not so well-to-do families live in smaller flats which they can afford.

talking about low-income families, they are more well-to-do than the poor families in other countries such as India. this is because the low-income families in Singapore can actually apply for subsidies, bursaries and even scholarships for the children who are studying. most of these families are eligible to receive the money because the criterias are not very strict.

In conclusion, I feel that Singaporeans should count themselves lucky to be Singaporeans because Singapore is a relatively rich country, and that the poverty problem here is not very big.



December holidays reflection

during the school holidays, I did not go overseas. however, I did do a few things that are worth mentioning.

firstly, I met up with my friends to do homework. although I actually admit that we often distract each other by talking about irrelevant topics, I must say that it was very meaningful. doing homework with friends gives us the advantage of asking them questions we do not know. also, we can learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, this helping ourselves to improve.

secondly, I went out with friends. we went to shop, to eat, to play etc. although we must be able to complete our homework, I feel that sometimes, we need to give ourselves time to relax, instead of cooping up at home, stressing ourselves out with homework. too much of stress can also cause our health to be affected in a negative way, thus going out with friends is a very good way of destressing.

however, I did not start most of my homework until the last week. because I started homework so late, I panicked a lot. I feel that we should not do things at the last minute. instead, we should do our work early and beforehand as doing things at the last minute can cause some serious consequences.