Hui Miang's 18th birthday today. (:

The only birthday during this Overseas Immersion Programme trip. She's lucky because she got a really huge birthday cake. Hahaha. (:

Since she likes sports, they actually got her a birthday cake with a basketball on it. How unique, isn't it.

Singing the birthday song.

Making a birthday wish. (:

I have always wondered why do we make birthday wishes. Hahaha.

I don't usually remember the birthday wishes I made so I don't really know whether birthday wishes do come true. This is something that is culturally diverse; Joey also made her birthday wish. It is usually believed that the person should not tell others what they wish for or else it won't come true. Hahaha. Similarities that bind us together. (:

Posing for all the cameras. She is popular overnight. (:

I had the biggest share among the four of us but then I finished it the fastest. Hahaha. No, I didn't gobble the cake down my throat. (:

While the rest were busy taking photos, we actually made some time to take a photo of us as usual. Hahaha.

I have really learnt alot for the past 29 days. It is not only about learning the culture in China but I am also learning about myself. I remember Mr Lim Choon Boo saying that there is surely something for us to learn everyday from our experience here. I couldn't agree more because I have not only widen my knowledge, but I have also grown as an individual as long as I am willing to give time for it; which I believe I had and will be. (:

I basically stared blankly at the screen when Mr Wong explained to us what we need to do for Assignment 2. I felt quite lost on what we were supposed to do and so, after he has explained to the class, Xinhui, Nadiyah and I went to ask him some questions to clear our doubts.

We then started a little on the assignment and did what we could. When our brain juice has ran out of ideas, we decided to go for dinner and have a look around for any interesting stuffs that we could buy. Hahaha.

Three girls and a guy. (:

We actually ended up buying some things unexpectedly. Hahaha.

In some shops, some of the shop owner or sales person may seem hostile and cold towards us. They may sometimes talk a little harsh and rude too. 

I remember during the City Tour, our tour guide actually mentioned that we should not get offended by the way they serve us because that is usually their communication style towards customers. Of course, sales person who work in shopping centers won't render that type of services because of the reputation that they have to uphold. However, no matter what communication style they have, we still have to respect it because it is their culture and thus, we should not be offended by it at all. (:

Xinhui actually wanted to throw away the bananas that we bought a few days ago because it looks rotten on the outside. I told her, why not we try to peel it first and see whether it is still edible or is it really rotten. If it is rotten, then we'll throw them away.

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Luckily we didn't. (:

I ate this banana because it still looks good and edible. (:

Today is the start of the 5th week since we have been in Wuhan and we will be staying here for just another 2 weeks. I feel that time has passed so quickly such that all these will soon come to an end. The bananas have actually taught me an important lesson that we have always been talking about throughout our lives; we should not judge a book by its cover.

Although China has faced a crisis because of the melamine milk last year, it doesn't have to necessarily mean that China only produces goods which are of poor quality. There are alot more pleasant things that China has which we can embrace and look upon to. (:

Xinhui, Nadiyah and I only started to have some fun when we went out during late afternoon to walk around the school area. Somewhere near so that we can save on transportation cost. Hahaha.

The picture above was taken at the track field opposite our hostel. I think it is similar to that of NS men who are having training because all of them are wearing the same uniform and its GREEN. Hahaha. There were women among them as well but only a handful. What they were doing was that they were sort of having NAPFA test. Some of them were running around the track and some were doing crunches. Or maybe it could simply be that they are having CCA activities like NCC? But most likely not because they look too old for that. (:

Luckily in Singapore, girls need not go through NS. If not, I'll be spending two years of my life building up those muscles. Hahaha.

I realise that in China, there are alot of breed of dogs. You can see dogs which are huge and fury, small and skinny. Some look nice to hold and hug because they are just so cute but some are a little too big that hugging them is like hugging a fury human. Hahaha.

The best is just to be contented with what we have. (:

We alighted at this place today. (:

Supposedly, we could have went sightseeing but due to the rain, most of us did not go because it was really cold and windy. Therefore, our tour guide brought us straight to the shopping area which is called Bu Xing Jie.

It was kind of drizzling but the coldness was still quite unbearable.

On our way to the shopping area, we saw several cars which were well decorated with ribbons. It is quite obvious that someone is getting married. (:

I think what differs their wedding culture with that in Singapore is that all the cars that are involved in the wedding are decorated with at least some ribbons. However, the car that the groom is in will be decorated with flowers as well so as to differentiate it from the rest. In Singapore, only the car that the groom is in will be decorated while the rest just follow behind. Hahaha. This is usually practiced in the Chinese wedding but for Malay wedding, the car may not necessarily be decorated. 

Along the shopping area, there were some "exhibitions". Hahaha. We then decided to take photos with them.

The three of us trying to imitate someone's trademark pose. Hahaha.

Group photo with the turtle!

That's me hugging the turtle. (:

We didn't really shop much because the things there were quite expensive and also we didn't bring alot of money out with us. When we were walking around, the place looks kind of familiar. Indeed, it was because we have actually been there during one of the days when we had our own free and easy time. 

Remember Mr Chen who showed us the way to Wal-Mart? That was exactly where we went today as well. What a total coincidence. We then decided to go there again and shop at Han Zheng Jie! (:

The big hole at the top of the building. Hahaha. It is kind of contradicting on how we thought that the building would shelter us from the rain but it turns out that the rain would still fall on us.

It is just like how if we were to buy something in Singapore which cost S$40, we would not think that it is very expensive because we are already used to that range of value. However, if converted to China's currency, it would be an estimation of 160RMB, which we would think that it is expensive. I hope I can get my point across though. Hahaha.

Xinhui and Nadiyah enjoying the sweet potato that we bought. I have never tasted sweet potato in Singapore before and this is actually my first time. The one we bought wasn't as sweet as the one that Randolph bought. They said the more orange the potato is, the sweeter the taste is. That's why I love the colour orange. Hahaha. (:

Coincidentally, we met our tour guides again. Qin ge and Han Xuan. (:

He was around the area because he was leading the ECE students to the shopping area as well. For Han Xuan, she was actually the tour guide for bringing people from Yichang to here.

I finally believe that it is fate which brought us together to meet them again. This time round, it will definitely be the last time that we will see them.  

There are indeed plenty of acquaintances in the world but very few real friends. I don't consider them as acquaintances but rather, friends who have touched my life even for a short moment of time. (:

The day started by us taking a big group photo while waiting for the bus to arrive. Our industrial visit today was to Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Company Ltd. (:

A usual sight seen in both Singapore and China especially during peak hours. This is what happens when the population owns too many cars. Hahaha. 

I notice that in Singapore, the number of Singaporeans owning a weekend car is increasing. I think maybe it is due to the high cost of purchasing a car and also the road tax. I doubt there is any such thing here in China. Some cars don't even have a car plate number! Hahaha.

The slow traffic was actually caused by a small accident between a car and a van. Here in China, people do drive recklessly on the road and most of the time, they do not give signals when they are entering a lane. That actually causes the vehicle on that lane to have emergency break and sometimes it can be really scary. 

However, I have never seen an accident before other than this in China. I think the drivers here are very skillful and it is a normal thing for them to enter lanes without signalling. They also don't really honk at other vehicles. They only honk at people when they are trying to squeeze through a small lane with their motorbikes! Hahaha.

By the time we knew it, we've reached YOFC! (:

Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable is the second largest company in the world and the largest in China that produces optical fibres. China is indeed well-known to the world. (:

A good company needs to have a good quality management system. (:

These are the glass cylinders after they have went through the processes at each stage. 

This is the glass cylinder which will actually be heated at 2000 degrees celsius to make it thinner and according to the requirements. The thickness is as thin as one strand of our hair! Imagine that thickness being rolled to around 200km. (:

The staff there have to wear a special suit so as to prevent contamination of the optical fibres from the dust that may be present in the environment.

Finally, the optical fibres! (:

Colourful ones for identification purposes. (:

Optical fibres actually conduct light signals over long distances. They are long and thin strands of very pure glass. The light is able to travel through the fibre because of the principle known as total internal reflection. That is how we are able to hear what the other person is saying on the other line of the phone as well as information that we are able to receive from the internet. (:

Things that man created always makes wonders. (:

Us!

Group photo. (:

MDE group photo. (:

Comparing steel manufacturing and optical fibres, I think Singapore would most likely go into the optical fibres industry if compared between the two. One of the factors is because of the space, which steel manufacturing would not be able to operate without a large area. Considering a small country like Singapore, it is quite impossible to have that. Hahaha. Also, Singaporeans would prefer working in a high technology environment as compared to that of a steel industry. 

Who knows, maybe Singapore will be the third largest country manufacturing optical fibres. (:

After the industrial visit, most of the MDE students went to Wal-Mart to have our lunch and shop around. Xinhui, Nadiyah and I went together, this time round without Weiguang because he is going for homestay at Joey's place.

On our way back, we actually took a double decker bus! My first time! Hahaha.

As you can see, the pathway is a little small and squeezy but we are able to pass through because we are skinny enough! Hahaha.

The seats are not so comfortable though. It doesn't have any cushion but that won't matter. As long as we can have a seat, we are more than happy. (:

The bus system here is such that when you want to alight at a particular stop, you can just alight without having to press any doorbells. This is because the bus will actually stop at every bus stops and wait for awhile for any passengers to alight. Therefore, if the bus is packed with many people, you really have to squeeze your way through fast so that the doors won't close when you are about to alight. If not, you just have to shout across to the bus driver to open the door for you. A little embarrassing? Well, not to them though. (:

For dinner, we brought our food over to Mr Loh's apartment because some of them were having a trial session for next week's get together session. The cooks for the night were Xiang Yu, Stephanie, Mei Yun and Seok Hui. (:

Seok Hui cooking the supposedly-to-be omelette. (:

The food that they cooked. It may look plain but I think it tastes nice. (:

Xinhui drooling over the food on the table and thinking when she can start eating them. Hahaha.

City Tour tomorrow! (:

Both LSCT and MDE had a 'Singapore Presentation' today. (:

It went well with LSCT starting with the geography, places of interests, food & fruits and student's lifestyle in Singapore.

When it was MDE's turn to take the stage, I presented first by introducing the various courses and explained about BPQE. 

Personally, I feel it is quite a sad thing that BPQE is phased-out. From what I know, it is because companies has low demand for graduates with these quality knowledge and skills as most of their employees have already acquired them. Thus, resources can be better used for more important courses like ISCM. 

Well, nothing lasts forever. All things are in constant flux and the only constant is change. What we can do is to adapt to these changes appropriately. (:

Soon after, Xiang Yu's group (which consists of Nadiyah, Seok Hui and Vivian) presented their item first. Suddenly, everyone in the audience started to look up and attentively listened to their presentation. (:

They presented about the transportation in Singapore. I find that the way they presented was very interesting. They used the screen as a platform to convey the real scenario while acting out the situation. All of us had a good laugh when they mentioned about the ERP system and how when it was lunch time, we would immediately stop work and go for lunch. Hahaha. Good Job! (:

It was then followed by Weiguang's group (which consists of Xinhui, Zee Min and Masita). 

Another interesting presentation. (:

All about the fines imposed in Singapore and the focus was on smoking, littering and spitting. Good job too!

I think it reflects on how opposite the law is in Singapore as compared to China. I have never really seen any 'No Spitting' sign during my stay here in China so far. In my opinion, I find that it is quite an obnoxious habit to just spit anywhere and almost everywhere. It is really all about hygiene as diseases could spread easily. At times, you could see some people spitting out from their car window or even stall owners who spit while handling food. 

Those are just what I observe. (:

They also showed a really funny video in Hokkien.

Xinhui presenting! (:

Finally, it was Randolph's and Clive's turn to present on Peranakan Culture. (:

It went quite okay although the content was kind of dry. I think most of the Chinese girls paid attention because of the people who were presenting on it. Hahaha.

After that, Stephanie and Benedict presented on Malay culture. 

We ended MDE's presentation by singing Rasa Sayang, a traditional Malay song. Childhood memories were suddenly relived. (:

LSCT and MDE then ended the entire presentation by singing Singapore Town together. I believe memories are made of moments like this; whereby we stand proud of who we are and bring our Singapore spirit wherever we go. Words can never really replace the feeling I felt at that moment. Just by singing a simple song, it created an obscure feeling in me which I know not of how to describe it. (: