Day 29

Finally, after our frantic moments rushing to complete the project, we had our final presentation today. It was a relief to have one more thing to cross of my to-do list. The presentation in Mr Chia's room went smoothly and it lifted a heavy load off my shoulders. It made me / us feel good and the final preparation for the cultural performance was carried out.

The girls' Nobody dance finally fell into place and it seemed like we were prepared for the big showdown. Also, our group performance, the Wayang Kulit was settled it was time to finally unveil our masterpiece.

Here are the photos of the whole cultural performance
:
The snacks that were given on our desks.

Group D: Led by Yu Chuan. With Yi Xian, Sheila and Edward. They sang Kit Chan's Home and it really did make me miss home.
Group E: Eliza's team with Michelle, Houng Sheng, Agnes and Eudora. They danced while Eliza sang Reach Out For the Sky by Taufik Batisah and Rui En.


The LSCT kids presenting their skit on life as a student in Ngee Ann and Singapore.





Our Nobody dance.


Group B: Shi Ling's group who presented on Singapore's traditional games. Along with Zhen Zhao, Hao Teng and Wei Lin.

The A- team with their cat walk in Singapore's ethnic costumes.

And not to forget, my group, Group C with our Wayang Kulit


Reflection: I remember dreading the time I had to practice the Nobody dance. Dancing has never been my interest and having to do it and standing in the front row most of the time, put me off really bad. I may have been a member of ELDDFS but I still do suffer from stage fright. Having executed the dance [though not the best], I feel proud of myself because despite my strong dislike for the art, I still gave it my best and tried it. It wasn't all that bad after all.

Day 28

The 2nd last lecture we're going to have for Project Management. For this lecture, Miss Hock had us try out an activity. She wanted us to build a bridge sturdy enough to hold the thick books that she had with her. It had to be of moderate length and the tricky part was that we had to make it entirely ourt of paper and paperclips. Nothing more, nothing less.

We were stumped at first but we managed to get past it and produce this:

Our length wasn't satisfactory but the strength of the bridge was up to [if not exceeded] our expectations. The little thing managed to hold up 5 thick books and a bottle. Not bad, not bad at all

The four of us headed to Pala after class to have lunch together and upon returning, we had to continue doing our project. The entire day was rather rushed as we had two things to complete.
1. Our project
2. Material for the cultural performance

Reflection: I felt that the activity in our Project Management lecture was a rather brilliant idea. It required a lot of teamwork and cooperation from the members and it was also fun at the same time. If I was asked to carry out this activity alone, it certainly would have taken more time. This experience has showed me that working in teams has its benefits because it is then that we can pool our ideas together and produce the best solution to a problem. Also, I find that the activity bonded us because we were having fun together. Besides that, instead of having usual boring lectures, this is a better method to engage students and capture their attention. Sometimes, we all need a little change here and there.

Day 26 & 27

Day 26

YAY WE'VE ARRIVED AT WU DANG!

The moment we arrived, we all had lunch at a restaurant nearby. The food there was okay and never missing the tomato egg dish.

After lunch, we had a bus tour around the mountains where we sampled tea and explored the place.

Walking around the place, my gastric hit me. So Joanna accompanied me to sit at one corner where we talked to the tour guide. After the talk, I was glad that to find out that the cable cars weren't functional. I'd rather climb the mountain than be on the cable car.


When my stomach got better, Jo and I walked around and we got to the wishing tree. We bought the red strip and tied it to the tree. I'm not a person who usually believes in this sort of thing but it wouldn't hurt to try it out.

Day 27

Today was a real accomplishment for me because I didn’t think it was possible or me to reach the top. Let me be honest here and say I’m not the fittest of people. The highest hill I’ve ever climbed is the Bukit Timah Hill that I go to with my mum when we have the time. So this was indeed a milestone for me.

While on the climb up, I saw the top of the mountain and it was really daunting. It had me close to giving up but then I realized that I’ve already come this far. Giving up would be rather pointless. Also, from what I’ve heard, previous batches didn’t have everyone reach the summit and I didn’t want it to be the case this time around. Because we all set off in our own groups, one person stopping would prevent the whole group from going up. I don’t believe it’s fair so I pressed on and pushed myself. After all, you never really truly know your limit if you don’t [push yourself].

Seeing the old men carrying up heavy loads of water and other stuff, I didn’t see why I should struggle climbing up with my stupid bag. It’s nothing in comparison and I’m a much younger person with so much more energy. Having to carry up loads more than 100kg, I find it really commendable.

There was this old man who was struggling with his load and it was a pitiful sight. True enough, it’s his job but sometimes, people aren’t all that strong or some factors could have contributed to fatigue. Being totally wiped out myself, I couldn’t offer any help when he asked us to help him. The guys however, split up the goods and carried it up for the old man. This laborious job doesn’t earn much but these people still do it because they need the money.

Almost there, Group B and us were happy that even though we started out the last, we ended up reaching the top first. Edward's and Yu Chuan's group would've reached before us but being the good people they are, they helped an elderly woman up the steps.

Looking at the view below us, I found it really breathtaking. The post for today, Day 27 is a reflection on its own so I don't think I would have that part here.

Day 25

We had our practical test today and despite having done the practices a few times over, there were still parts where I messed up. But it's over now and there's no point crying over spilt milk.

After the test, we all separated into our groups to complete our project. We are going to leave for Mt Wudang tomorrow and there wouldn't be sufficient time to finish our things by Monday. We managed to complete a little part of the project and then people started leaving to go out shopping.

While people headed out to shop, I went with Yu Haw to the vegetarian restaurant to see how the ingredients were cooked and see the preparation process of the popiahs [the ones we had on the day of the hotpot].

The vegetarian boss was very welcoming and received us rather warmly. He then started to show us the ingredients involved in the making of the filling and proceeded to have the cook stir-fry the ingredients. On top of showing us the preparation process and letting us taste the food, he also packed it for us to bring back to the hostel. To me, that was a reflection of true hospitality and things like this are far less likely to happen in Singapore. Back at home, people only seem to care about their business and not about fostering a relationship with the customer. It appears to be very mechanical and insincere but I guess that is a part of our culture we have developed due to globalization.

Day 24

Today, we had a barbecue with the China students and it was thanks to them that the event was made possible.

Walking along the usual jogging route, the barbecue was little further than that and the whole of us were divided into 3 groups. One was way ahead, the other [mine] was wedged in the middle and the last group was lagging far at the back.

Upon reaching, we threw our bags together on the floor and went to the tables to see what was going on. The local students and some of us were preparing the food that was to be barbecued. From chicken gizzards to hotdogs, cabbage to cucumbers, the variety of food there was quite large.

Seeing how there were enough hands around and there wasn't a place where I could jump in and help, Brenda and I went to lie on the hammock.

After eating and all, I walked around with Shi Ling and I couldn't help but notice the active life the Chinese people lead. In the park alone, there was a roller skating rink, a basketball court, a badminton court, table tennis tables, and also a pool table.

Reflection: It was really nice for the local students to prepare the event for us. They took charge of bringing the food and also the preparation of the pits.

They way they do things here varies from how things are done back at home. Usually, barbecues in Singapore are held at night over drinks and games but they hold their barbecues here in the afternoon instead. One thing is for sure though, it's where friends have fun without worrying about things.

Besides that, I have observed that despite their huge portions of food, people here in Wuhan [China too perhaps?] are not obese. It is likely due to their active lifestyle which keeps them healthy and fit.

No matter how busy their day may be, these people will always manage to squeeze in some form of sports in their day. On campus, it can be seen that the students play badminton till late [near our study block] after their classes.

Day 23

Today was a short day that was partially filled with project work. Below is a picture of Sheila writing in Chinese to place our order.

After getting our work done, we had dinner at the Happy Lemon Restaurant and we went to the flea market later in the night to see what the hubbub was about. Some of my friends have been really enthusiastic over the place and cannot stop talking about how they want to go back there. From one end to the other, the road was littered with stuffed toys, pets, watches, electronics, lingerie, bags, shoes and clothes. It didn't really sell things that were to my liking but it was a decent place.

The place was considerably packed and having gone there in the late evening, we didn't take note of the time and ended up returning to the hostel late. I was fined for the first time and I believe it was a fair punishment to us all.

Reflection: Punctuality is vital. It isn't nice to keep people waiting. Especially your lecturers. Being responsible for our welfare, I understand Mr Chia's cause of worry when we weren't back by curfew. I apologise for my lack of responsibility and also hope that it would never happen again in future.

Day 22

What I am going to blog about today might be a very sensitive and controversial topic but I feel that these people have to be treated as equals too. Being that way is not a choice but it just is the way how certain people are. I know science isn't the answer to everything but this website and a few others have explanations as to why these people deviate from what our culture deems as normal and appropriate. Today, I'm going to blog about the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual] Community.

While Jiali, Eliza and the other girls had their hair done at the salon at the backstreet, I was out in the balcony for some fresh air. At the same time, I was people-watching and I happened to see 2 guys openly being affectionate with each other. From stroking each others hair to hugging, it was apparent that their sexual orientation wasn't like the most of us.

[I did not snap a photo of them for privacy reasons. I believe that people should be given their space and that you do not necessarily need a photo to tell story. It may be dry but at least it's respectful.]

In most cultures, especially Asian ones, being gay is heavily frowned upon and it might even lead to families disowning the queer member. However, the two guys were being affectionate in full view of the public and their openness really startled me. It also made me respect them because despite knowing the discrimination they face, they were not afraid to show who they truly are.

People oust things they think are abnormal or strange. But who are we to decide what is normal? Everyone has different ways of doing things and there isn't one ultimate way that people are supposed to abide by.

We are the human race. We have to put aside our differences and religious beliefs and accept others for who they truly are. I have a gay friend and he is even more fun and creative than a bunch of straight people put together. Because he isn't seen as 'normal', sometimes people find it hard to accept him despite his wit.

Like one of our NE Messages:

We must uphold meritocracy and incorruptibility.

We provide opportunities for all, according to their ability and effort.

A person's sexual orientation is no reflection of how their work performance are. Whether people are straight or whether they are not, everyone should be given the same opportunity according to their ability and effort. To