away in wuhan;

Day 41 ; final farewell

2009-04-12T02:08:00.001+08:00

The day has finally came for us to reminisce the 41 days we had in Wuhan.

With all our things packed, we were ready to leave and yet at the back of our minds, we know we will miss this special place that has touched our lives one way or another. It isn't only about the food or the atmosphere that we lived in, but it is also about the people whom we have met along our journey here.

The morning was filled with smiles of excitement of going home to our loved ones and leading life like how it used to be; only that this time, we have grown to be individuals who are more independent and matured as well as having experiences that have taught us we will never be alone even though we may be miles and miles away from home.

All of us were engrossed in weighing our luggages because we wouldn't want it to be overloaded as we would need to pay for any excess weight. However, among the crowd, there were a few who were trying to hide their sadness with a smile. It wasn't something that was easily noticed but it was present.

Final group shot at the hostel. (:

WUST newsletter that was given to us when we were outside the hostel.

Guys at work. (:

Our hostel. (:

While some of them were standing around at the bus area, I decided to go across the road and take a last photo of the hostel. Coincidentally, I met these 2 kids and the stall owner. (:

Look at their innocent faces. Hahaha. It was something that brightened up my morning and kept me smiling throughout. (:

Did I mentioned that the three fingers is my new signage when taking photos? Hahaha. I learnt it from them. (:

The kids here are very different from Singaporean kids. They fall and stumble but they don't cry; they picked themselves up and continued playing. Maybe that is how they learn that if they were to ever falter in life, the first thing they should do is never to give up on themselves. Instead, they should look on the bright side and be happy about life. Simplicity, I guess? (:

Some of the girls playing with the kids for the last time. (:

I will never forget these people because they are perfect strangers who never fails to smile. (:

On the way to the airport, there were wedding cars on the road. (:

We've reached and soon, it was time to leave our footprints behind and take all the beautiful memories with us. (:

Some of us with the local students.

The teary moments. Joey said, "I hate the airport". I guess the reason is pretty obvious because it is a place where people arrive and make friends. Yet, it is also a place where these special friends made have to depart from that country to another.

It was hard for some of them to see us go. The only way to express how they felt was through their tears. It was like having to let go of a friendship that has been deeply bonded for the past 6 weeks.

Zee Min was trying hard to smile for the camera.

Both of us were all about smiles. (:

We turned and looked back at them to wave our last goodbyes. Those tears then turned into smiles and a little bit of laughter because we know that one fine day, we will meet again. (:

On the way to our first flight. (:

The deserted runway. Hahaha.

We actually had to take a bus here to board the plane.

The plane; China Southern Airline. (:

All excited about going home. Hahaha.

The second flight from Guangzhou to Singapore was really an experience. As we had to go through a number of procedures at the airport, it took us almost 2 hours before we actually reached the plane. Time really wasn't on our side as we had to run for the plane that would take off at 7.10pm. At 6.50pm, we were still at the immigration. It was very rush as the gate was all the way to the end and it was already the last call. Thank God we didn't miss the flight. (:

Leaving Guangzhou Airport.

Goodbye, China. (:

The food was good. We were starving the whole day actually. Hahaha.

We saw this magical view in the sky. I have never seen the moon so bright before. Maybe because it is always covered by the clouds. Hahaha.

Singapore! (:

While waiting for the plane to stop, Nadiyah and I had a small chat with the girl sitting the same row with us; Kisten. It wasn't too late for a short chat though. Hahaha. She is currently studying in MDIS and she actually travels to Singapore alone. She is really independent, isn't she. I believe many of them are too. (:

It feels so good to be back home. (:

NE Message: Singapore is our homeland; this is where we belong.

We treasure our heritage and take pride in shaping our own unique way of life.

Being in a foreign country for these 6 weeeks made me feel really proud to be a Singaporean because of our lifestyle that is very much different from that in China. Nowhere else is as best as home because this is where we grew up and, this is where we will always belong. (:

My dearest classmates and Mr Wong.

All I can say is a big thank you. (:

(: (:

(: (: (:

There's so much things I have learnt during my stay in Wuhan. I believe through experiences is where we learn the most because we will always remember it.

I would just like to share one meaningful lesson; we should slow down in this fast-paced society because the world isn't watching us break down. We are only humans who should live life to the fullest while we are still able to.

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning." - Ivy Baker Priest

OIP is only the beginning; we have alot more to learn in life to shape our future. (:

the story of my life in Wuhan, China. (:

Day 40 ; unforgettable bonds

2009-04-11T01:46:00.009+08:00

Our second last day in Wuhan. =(=

Xinhui and I decided to go for hair treatment that Pei Jie bought as a package. We planned it quite some time ago and also decided to cut abit of our hair. It would be much more fun if Nadiyah were to join us though.

Greeted by all the smiles at the doorstep of the hair salon made me smile too. They gave me a very warm feeling, I would say. That started my day off; just by having people smiling at me. (:

We had hair treatment first. (:

I couldn't really speak Chinese. Therefore, all I did was through actions whenever we try to communicate with one another. I can understand what he is saying, only that I do not know how to reply. The only question I managed to ask him was how old is he. Well, he is young; only 17 years old and yet, working at a reputable hair salon.

We had our hair cut after that. The hairdresser said I would look better if I were to rebond my hair. I went speechless because it would cost 168RMB but I still went ahead with it and Xinhui went to perm her hair as well. Hahaha.

All the hairdressers were very friendly. They would do their best to make their customers feel at ease and they served drinks to their customers as well. There was a lady beside me who was in the process of perming her hair. During the wait, her hairdresser actually went out just to get a bottle of drink for her. That is the extend of service they are willing to go for their customers. (:

My hair turns out alright, not too bad, but I'm happier about their service rather than just about my hair. Hahaha. (:

We had our last dinner at Lan Zhou La Mian.

This is the place where we would always go to for lunch and dinner such that we have created a special bond with the stall owners as well as the children. It is almost like a family. (:

Elder brother.

Younger brother.

We have always thought that both of them are twins because they really look like each other. Hahaha.

The elder brother don't really like to smile though or maybe he is just traumatized by the flashlights from many cameras. Hahaha.

First try: Unsuccessful.

Second try: Still unsuccessful.

Third try without the small kid: SUCCESSFUL. (:

I feel quite bonded to this family maybe because we have been eating at their stall almost everyday. Hahaha. But it is also the warmth and sincerity from them that I am touched about. They are always smiling and never once did they ignore us even when there were many customers to serve.

I will miss them, that's one thing for sure.

one of the basic things in life is to smile sincerely. (:

Day 39 ; Farewell Gathering

2009-04-10T01:22:00.000+08:00

Our second last shopping day. Hahaha.

Xinhui, Nadiyah, Weiguang and I decided to go to a shopping mall called "Kuma" as Ms Sally recommended that we should go there because they sell teenagers stuffs. Sadly, it wasn't what we thought it would be and the things there are quite expensive. Coincidentally, we actually have went around the area before as it is quite near to Bu Xing Jie.

We had to go back before 8pm because there is a farewell gathering with the local students. Farewell gathering..

TV Mobile in the bus. Hahaha.

A day of shopping made us happy. (:

When we reached Room 701, not many of them was there yet because they went to collect the cake.

We had to wait for the rest to come.

Today was also Rocco's 20th Birthday. 2-in-1 celebration. A happy one and a sad one.

The local students posing for the camera! Hahaha.

Bottom layer of the cake.

Middle layer of the cake.
Unforgettable memories..

Top layer of the cake.

2 birthday cakes and three-tiered cake.

HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY TO ROCCO! (:

Rocco plucking out the "2" and the "0" using his mouth. Hahaha.

All smiles. (:

The farewell gathering started out monotonous as everyone was doing their individual activity. There was karaoke! Hahaha. Some of us went to sing while the rest sat around. Towards the end of the gathering, it was more upbeat but the local students didn't join us. They were standing at the sides, watching us.

For reasons that all of us know, their tears started to flow.

Cleaning up time.

Photo of memories. (:

We will be leaving Wuhan in 2 days' time. Some hearts are heavy to leave behind all the beautiful memories that was felt and experienced for past 38 days. Every single day is special and the last days here will even be more treasured. (:

shedding tears of sadness..

Day 38 ; final presentation (:

2009-04-09T00:04:00.003+08:00

Our final presentation. (:

Xinhui was the first speaker. Her best presentation out of the three. Good job! (:

Followed by me. Hahaha.

Nadiyah explaining on the concluside slide.

Our Flexsim model! I'm so proud of it. Hahaha. (:

All smiles when the presentation is over. (:

Mr Wong actually complimented on us having a chart for our data. Hahaha. It wasn't as bad as the previous presentation though. Maybe this time, we were more prepared as a group. (:

Benedict did well too on his presentation. It was much more better than the previous one. Big improvement made. I'm sure he knows it too. (:

After our presentation, we bumped into Kidd in the lift. He offered to bring us to his hostel since he was going there to put his things. Without much hesitation, we agreed! Simply because we didn't had the chance to go into the guys hostel for the past 37 days. Hahaha.

Room 308.

5 guys staying in 1 room. (:

This is where they keep all their unused things.

Basketball posters!

Messy tables. That is why they would always go to the library to study as they don't have sufficient place to study in their room; unlike us.

A smiley dustbin. (:

Kidd was shy in taking photos and therefore, he decided to let us take his back view in his room. Hahaha.

Kidd and I. *Peace* Hahaha.

His English was good. (:

After all the sleepless nights, we decided to pamper ourselves and go for shopping at Wal-Mart. Xinhui had manicure and pedicure done to her nails. She looks quite edgy now. Hahaha.

Since it was taking quite some time for Xinhui to be done, Weiguang, Nadiyah and I went to shop around first. The moment we reached the top level, we were like "This is definitely the place for us to shop!" because it was similar to Bugis Street. Hahaha.

I tried on wigs for the very first time! (:

The lady putting the hair net on my head.

Putting on the wig.

Adjustments to the fake hair. Hahaha.

Comb it to make it neat and tidy.

Thats me with a new hairstyle! Hahaha. (:

I decided to try on another hairstyle. Hahaha. (:

After shopping was done, the four of us decided to play arcade. 5 different games for 45RMB!

My new signage. (:

Bliss of happiness with our tickets! (:

3D Simulation.

Kiddy Roller Coaster. Amazingly we could fit inside. Hahaha.

Horses and carriages. We were like small kids. (:

I sat in the carriage with all the shopping bags. It was also because I didn't feel quite well.

Haunted House. (:

We also played the Bumper Car but we didn't manage to take a photo there. I really had fun today besides shopping. Hahaha. We shouted like mad people when we were in the Haunted House; shouted so bad that my head started to hurt after that. ):

We had to take a taxi home because I was feeling quite sick by that time. Thanks to Xinhui, Nadiyah and Weiguang for their care and concern. I really appreciate it very much. (:

smiles and laughters. (:

day 37 ; last assignment!

2009-04-08T23:45:00.004+08:00

Today was devoted in completing Assignment 3 which is our last assignment! We spent the whole day in our room trying to figure out what we are supposed to do and how to tackle the problem of the assignment. I was so engrossed in doing the assignment that I didn't had the appetite to eat lunch. Hahaha.

Dinner couldn't be skipped because my stomach was empty and I was starting to feel a little hungry. We then decided to go to Wallace to have our dinner.

On the table, there is some sort of like a donation box.

I don't really know why they have the horoscope on top of it. Maybe it is like a lucky star whereby you point the arrow to your horoscope and make a wish by putting some coins inside so that your wish will come true. Hahaha. But if you can see clearly, Sagittarius is known as Archer here in China. Hahaha.

In order to prevent people from stealing the box, it is actually chained up to the table.

Quite a good idea but if someone is good at breaking chains, then maybe they would have problems using this method.

My skin is as dry as ever.

Hopefully, our presentation will go well tomorrow. (:

last of the last. (:

Day 36 ; A touch of Adventure

2009-04-07T16:17:00.002+08:00

We were out to have fun again today! This time adventure fun. Hahaha. (:

Some of us were feeling quite restless because we reached back our hostel quite late yesterday night and only had a few hours of sleep since we had to assemble at 7am today.

We went to another campus of WUST at Zhong Nan where the ECE students are staying at.

First impression: This looks nice. What about their hostel? Hahaha.

We then had to walk a short distance to a place near the campus to have the activities. The instructors welcomed us and introduced themselves. Before starting the activities, we had to come up with a group name, group logo and a short cheer.

It was a little hard to break the ice among us because we didn't interact much as we are from different divisions and schools. Amazingly, we still managed to come up with a unique group name; AFRO!!

It was modified from the intial name that we thought of, which was PERM. Hahaha.

The guys were busy figuring out how AFRO should look like. Hahaha. (:

That settled our first task as a group. (:

He is our group instructor and also the overall in-charge. He briefed us on our second task; which was to come up with a wheel that all of us has to step on and it must be able to move forward. Our only resource is the newspaper. That is quite a difficult task. Hahaha.

With more brains, there will be more ideas only if everyone were to contribute their ideas. (:

Kumar and Ian trying to poke holes into the newspaper.

Almost everyone is busy at work and helping each other out. Thats what a team is about. (:

When its all done, it was time for the competition to start! Our group proudly bringing our newpaper wheel to the starting point. Hahaha. (:

We reached the finishing point second. (:

There were some problems coordinating the movement because some of us didn't really know what was going on. All we know was that we should be moving forward. Hahaha. But everything went good. (:

Competition is over!

AFRO. (:

The AFRO girls. Hahaha.

During lunch time, the ECE students brought us to their Muslim canteen to eat. Being hospitable, they carried over 2 tables and chairs so that a big group of us could sit together. Despite being "scolded" by the cleaner, they still went ahead and assured her that they would put them back. Hahaha.

After lunch, they brought us to around to see their hostel. Needless to say, their hostel is more comfortable and spacious. (:

Balcony for hanging laundry.

Living room with a television! How luxurious. Hahaha.

Living room with wooden sofa and table.

THE BEDROOM.

Mattress!

It is incomparable with our hostel. However, I still feel homely in our hostel as we get to live differently. (:

When we came back from lunch, we had a small activity of treasure hunt. After that, it was more of the exciting ones. (:

First up, Trust Fall.

I have always been afraid of doing this because there was once when I did trust fall, I fell through. Hahaha. From then on, I was scared whenever we had to do this. However, it went well. The instructor even said I fall very nicely. Hahaha.

The instructor had to tie our hands and feets together so that we will not hit anyone below.

Getting ready to fall.

Falling! Hahaha. (:

After the Trust Fall, we had to climb 8m above the ground and jump across a bridge of 1.2m long.

Us with our harness and helmets on. Hahaha.

Climbing was hard. Looks easy but it wasn't. Hahaha.

Getting ready to jump across.

And its over! Hahaha.

For both activities, my heart was beating quite fast because I was scared. But with a little bit of confidence, I managed to pull it through. (:

The last activity for the day was Rock Climbing! (:

Start of the climb.

Blue against Pink. Hahaha.

I couldn't manage to climb this part right here. ):

But at least I gave it a try although I didn't reach the top. (:

Life isn't always about perfection.

I guess the little imperfections is what makes our lives more meaningful. (:

The four instructors who guided us through the day. (:

After the activities were over, we had some time to walk around and take photos at the place.

This group of guys managed to catch a fish!

Letting the fish die slowly..

He is pulling the bait from the fish.

Fish = Food! Hahaha.

The three of us with Kumar from LSCT.

MDE, ECE and LSCT!

Three guys and three girls. (:

Its finally time to head home. (:

It looks like as if there are three suns.

Maybe we are just blinded by the illusion. (:

Presentation is on Thursday. All the best to us! Hahaha.

perfect imperfections. (:

Day 34 & Day 35 ; Last tour ):

2009-04-06T12:16:00.002+08:00

Day 34 ; Belle Valley & Village Life

Our last tour for the trip. =(=

The journey to Lu Ling Resort took around 4 hours plus. This time, our tour guide was different; no longer Han Xuan, no longer Qin ge. They are still the best tour guides I ever had in my travelling experience. It was really a pleasure to have them as our tour guides for two consecutive tours. (:

The road there was really bumpy. I was awoken from my sleep not only because it was a bumpy ride, but also because the driver kept honking at every turn he made. This was to alert any vehicles that were coming in the opposite direction as the road was quite narrow and the turns were quite sharp.

Some of us were irritated by the noise but I think it would be better to have those irritating honking noises rather than having two vehicles banging into one another. Hahaha.

Before checking in to our hotel, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. I'll definitely miss the food that we always had during these types of tours. Its either too salty or too bland, but still, eatable and edible. (:

During lunch, we went to the back of the restaurant and took photos of the lake! With us in the photos, of course. Hahaha.

Our hotel rooms!

Before heading out again, we were given some time to rest first; and this is what girls do best. (:

Finally, Belle Valley!

A place surrounded with beautiful nature. (:

Map & Directions. Hahaha.

Those are logs which mushrooms would grow on.

A group photo! I love the scenery behind us. (:

I thought we had a chance to get on the "boat" but we didn't. ):

From the picture, you can see that it is made up of using just wooden poles. Simple yet strong and uncomplicated. (:

Smile for the camera! Hahaha.

Two kids playing by the lake. I have always wondered how it feels like to grow up in the countryside. I guess they won't even know what a PSP is but they would know how catching a fish feels like; the sense of satisfaction from it. (:

While walking, Benedict fell into one of the holes by the side of the planks. I guess maybe he was just unaware of it as he was actually moving behind slowly. I hope the alcohol swab isn't contaminated because it was opened and wasn't used immediately.

A huge spider web. Complicated. Hahaha.

Most beautiful lake on earth; Belle Valley.

The four of us again. (:

Once we reached these rocky areas, everyone started taking photos as the view was really beautiful. The streams of water were calm, the atmosphere was neither too hot nor too cold and the sight of nature was magnificent. (:

Purple rocks! I think they are called Amethyst. Hahaha.

My first time seeing so many purple rocks around. (:

Weiguang, Weiguang. Hahaha. Funny pose~

I think Winson was trying to tell me that he was doing okay up on the rocks there. (:

The different four. (:

The elite three. Hahaha. (:

The first waterfall we came across. It looks rather man-made to me though because it just seems too perfect. Hahaha.

If only we could go nearer to the water; that would even be much better.

Smiling for the camera again. Hahaha. (:

Second mini waterfall! Looks more real now because the water falls through the soil. Hahaha.

Amidst the nature.

The voices that fills the surroundings. I think they were singing some traditional Chinese songs.

Another mini fast flowing waterfall. (:

Can you spot a face? Hahaha. The nose and the chin are kind of obvious.

Rocks that look like a dinosaur fossil. Hahaha. If you are observant enough, you may be able to know why it is said to look like a dinosaur fossil.

The girl who almost got lost in the nature. Hahaha.

The most perfect lovers: Randolph and Clive. Hahaha.

The Lover Waterfall. (:
It is believed that if couples were to make a wish at this waterfall, it may come true and hopefully it does. (:

Now its smiling and posing for the camera. Hahaha.

MDE group photo. (:

My last photo at Belle Valley; A pityful butterfly that was struggling for its survival.

After Belle Valley, we went to a village that is nearby to our hotel. It was an eye-opener; some lives in the world are just more simple and peaceful than others. (:

We had to cross this unstable and shaky bridge in order to get across to the village. It can only hold 10 people at any one time.

*Peace* Hahaha.

Remember the logs that mushrooms would grow on? We got to clearly see how the mushroom grows! Fascinating. Hahaha.

Upclose. (:

At the village, Winson explained to me that this is like a place where they offer help for families in terms of family planning. This is because of China's one child policy that is implemented. Therefore, family planning is indeed important. (:

The satellite dish installed at the village. Although they are away from urban life, they are also resourceful and creative. (:

The abandoned house.

I think these are firewoods that the villagers would use to cook so as to burn the fire and also may be used as a source of light at night. Hahaha.

Rearing chickens can only be seen at villages. Hahaha. So cool~

A small alley.

Beautiful sunset. (:

Mr Wong started throwing stones onto the water and it jumped across. Everyone else started doing so too. (:

I believe these are the moments which we will treasure because these are the things which are simple yet we don't usually do them in Singapore. Our lives are the total opposite of this; we won't really have a chance to throw stones onto the water because we don't live near the lake and we won't really get to see the beautiful sunset because our views are blocked by tall buildings.

I will treasure moments like these because I have never felt such simple happiness before until today. (:

A villager carrying a baby on her back.

The village trip was indeed memorable even though it was only for a short while. (:

After dinner, we had a campfire whereby there were performances, dancing and singing. I guess everyone was just feeling euphoric. (:

Starting of the campfire.

The fire was really huge. (:

The guy behind was going to step on two knives with his bare feet.

The same guy stepping and jumping on the broken glasses.

It was quite a performance. I was amazed by it and I think they must have gone through alot of practices in order to be able to do such things. Great things doesn't come easily; only with effort and determination can we achieve something great. (:

Somehow, some of them happened to take the stage and sing! Hahaha.

LSCT students started it off.

Followed by Clive singing Kiss Goodbye.

I managed to capture a video of him singing. (:

Mengzhen and Franice joined in the fun too.

Masita, Hardy and Hajar can't resist the temptation of not singing. Hahaha.

What are singers without supporters, right? Well, here they are!

The ones who stood by the singers. (:

The entire performance ended with bubbles filling the air. (:

A big group photo to end the day. (:

too simple to be true. (:

Day 35; Lulin Fort Village & Kong Shan Dong

It was time to set off and explore!

Lulin Tour. (:

Map & Directions of Lulin Fort Village.

Lulin Fort used to be an army camp in the past. It was built on a mountain so as to prevent enemies from knowing where their troops are and also to allow them to easily monitor the movements of their enemies.

NE Message: We must ourselves defend Singapore.

We are proud to defend Singapore ourselves, no one is responsible for our security and well-being.

Not only do boys have to go through National Service so as to equip themselves with relevant skills and knowledge, citizens of Singapore are also encouraged to participate in civil emergency exercises so that we can strengthen our resilience as a nation. Even if we were to have advanced weapons for defence, it is of no use if the people are not united in defending the nation. That is why we practice Total Defence in Singapore. (:

Behind the entrance lies a long and winding road.. Hahaha.

I gasped at the steps that we have to climb. But after climbing Wudang Mountain, this is really nothing much. Hahahaha.

By the cliff. (:

And another cliff. Haha.

The description board about the longest vine in the world.

The longest vine is behind Yong Qi. It is called the Fu Mang Vine. It is 2 inches wide, 100 inches long and has a history of 2000 years. Thats REALLY long.. Hahaha.

Eternal Love!

This is actually a willow tree that has 8 vines twining around it and growing with the tree all this while. Many people think that the tree and the vine are like loyal lovers and therefore, they gave them the romantic name of Eternal Love. (:

At the end of the ups and downs of the steps. (:

We were feeling tired but that won't stop us from taking photos! Hahaha.

This is the Moon Pool; a twin of the Sun Pool. The story goes that Wang Kuang was washing his hands by the pool when he saw the sun and the moon reflected in the water and he took it as auspicious. Therefore, he named the pool Sun Pool and had another pool built nearby known as Moon Pool. Maybe he regarded that the sun and the moon must never be separated. Hahaha. (:

Behind us is the Hantian Gate and it is a naturally-formed rock gate. It is 25m high and 16m wide. It is believed that the gate is blessed and can bring people good fortune. Therefore, pilgrims actually come here to pray.

This picture looks like some music video. Natural wonders. Hahaha.

We then proceeded to another place where there were more interesting things around. One of them was this big chess set! We can actually stand on them. (:

A treetop? Hahaha.

A description about Yuanyang Trees.

These are the two ancient trees known as Yuangyang Trees. The trees are believed to have been blessed from Heaven and have never disappoint people. They would usually pray for their children and happy marriage under the trees.

A man playing a traditional Chinese instrument. Initially I thought it was Erhu but Xiang Yu told me that it isn't but its the family of Erhu. Hahaha. The man actually offered me to choose one of the wooden stick in the box and said that it was for free but I was reluctant to because I didn't know what it was for. Hahaha.

MDE girls! We were waiting for the LSCT students to arrive.

Mr Wong in action!

This time, it was for free. Unlike the one near the Yellow Crane Tower. Hahaha.

The last place that we went to was the Northern Soldier Fort.

A picture with the cement!

*Peace* again. Hahaha.

Actually I was a little afraid to step on the rocks because it wasn't very stable but it was now or never. Hehe.

What were we thinking?! Hahaha.

The man was digging the soil out. Maybe he wanted to remove the muddy water there.

This place is actually the ruins and remains of the army camp during the war.

An overview of the used-to-be war place.

A well!

Weiguang is showing his muscles off. (:

Archery. (:

We were actually allowed to try out but due to time constraint, most of us didn't had the chance to. Xinhui did but it wasn't very successful. Good try though! (:

I think this is like a tent where they would keep their weapons and stores.

Our tour guide who brought us around today. He volunteered to sing for us but he didn't know what to sing. Hahaha. I think he is still quite new in being a tour guide because he seemed very nervous when talking to us as a group.

Next, we went to Kong Shan Dong.

Since we were feeling quite warm, most of us left our jackets in the bus. No one told us that the cave would be cold. ):

The caves I went to in the past was usually warm. However, this cave was pretty cold. Cold cave! Hahaha.

This is actually a natural nuptial bed in the cave. They decorated the place such that it looks like a bedroom of a newly wed.

It isn't so clear but the sign says "Happiness Road" and "Long Road".

This is our last tour in Wuhan. 5 weeks may seem like a long road yet, this road has been filled with indescribable happiness.

in a blink of an eye. (:

Day 33 ; Han Zheng Jie Again!

2009-04-04T12:13:00.001+08:00

Honestly, I am left with so little money that I need to exchange S$ to RMB. Hahaha. Therefore, a group of us went to a particular bank to do so and it is quite a distance from our school. This is because not all the banks in our area here are able to exchange with Singapore dollars.

Sadly, when we reached the bank, the staff told us that they exchange money on Saturday except for US dollars; they only do so on weekdays. All of us were like "Huh..". Enough said. Hahaha. We then decided to withdraw money from the ATM machine because we desperately needed money. (:

The purpose of us exhanging money and not withdrawing from the ATM machine because there are cases whereby the machine is able to detect the password of the card. Therefore, those who implanted the detecting device at the ATM machine would be able to take our money away. So scary~ Thanks to Weiguang that I'm a little bit richer than I was in the morning. (:

We then proceeded to Han Zheng Jie again to shop! Hahaha. Shopping makes one go crazy because it burns such a big hole in your pocket that you can no longer store anything there. (:

Our stomachs were growling and grumbling because we didn't eat proper meal since morning. Therefore, it was hunting time for Lan Zhou La Mian.

On the way, we saw a small mosque. (:

The first mosque I saw in China.

The voice that fills up the mosque as he recites the Al-Quran. (:

We finally found the place to eat with the help of someone from the mosque. (:

Xinhui and Weiguang waiting patiently for their food to come.

Nadiyah and I were feeling quite hungry since we didn't had anything the whole day.

Roasted Beef Noodle. The first time I had it, it tasted nicer. Hahaha.

Potatoes and Tofu. They used a metal stick to actually poke the potatoes in.

Since our hands were full of plastic bags due to *excessive* shopping, we then decided to take a taxi home. (:

This is how the taxi looked like when we were going to Han Zheng Jie. It has metal bars that separates the driver from the passengers sitting at the back and it is quite squeezy.

This is another type of taxi that totally separates the drivers from all the passengers, even the one sitting at the front.

In my opinion, the purpose of them having the separation is that they have to take precautionary measures in case any passengers have ulterior motive, for example, robbery. I think this is quite a good way to ensure the safety of the taxi drivers. However, on another point of view, it shows that taxi drivers do not really trust the passengers as they do not know what they might be up to.

Well, it is still better to be safe than sorry. (:

Maybe in Singapore, there are more trust between taxi drivers and passengers and thats why it does not need to be implemented.

trust that should be earned. (:

Day 32 ; Computer Town + Dinner!

2009-04-03T11:55:00.000+08:00

We were quite indecisive today on where to go; simply because the three of us woke up late and there wasn't much time to travel to far places as there is a dinner gathering in the evening. After much consideration, we then decided to go to Computer Town! (:

Personally, I feel that there wasn't much to shop around because there are only expensive things and they are not what I wanted to buy either. We just kept walking around and look for a handphone with a TV function for Nadiyah. It turns out that it cost quite a bomb so she decided not to buy.

An overhead bridge whereby there were many people selling different type of things.

I think that in China, people are not restricted to open a shop wherever they want on the streets because they need not get a license to do so. As long as they have the goods to sell and specifically, cheap goods, there will surely be business for them. Hahaha.

Initially, I thought the guns were fake because it was impossible to get real guns in Singapore along the street. I don't even know where we can get real guns in Singapore though; I don't think we can even get them. Hahaha. Weiguang then went to ask the stall owner about it and it turns out that the guns are real. Imagine if there was a mad person on the street and he opens fire; shooting aimlessly everywhere. Hahaha.

Puppies that were sold at 80RMB each.

I really pity the puppies because they were left out in the open and they were actually shivering because of the cold. Also, the puppies are placed in a cage and there were many of them within one cage; it restricted their movements as they couldn't move around much.

The stall owner then started to put on clothes for them to protect them from the cold. I don't think anyone is allowed to sell pets so openly in Singapore because they should also be treated with alot of care as we wouldn't want to have cases where animals are badly abused.

I am not too sure whether this is a zebra crossing in China because many people were crossing the road here although there wasn't any sign indicating that it is for crossing. It is really scary to cross the road without using the traffic light because most of the cars travel at a high speed and they don't usually signal when they are making a turn. The most important thing is just to be confident on the right time to cross because if we hesitate, we will never know what will happen. Hahaha.

My first ordered Starbucks drink! Hahaha. [Chocolate Frappucino]

I have never ordered my own Starbucks drink before in Singapore. (:

Xinhui drinking her Caramel Frappucino in the shoe shop. (:

This is what happens when there is nothing much to do. Hahaha.

It was then time to get back and go to Mr Loh's apartment for the dinner gathering. We had to miss a few buses because they were too packed with people and we couldn't get aboard. Sometimes people may board the bus from the back door and if they are lucky, they will actually get a free ride by not paying. Hahaha. But it's all about integrity. (:

It was raining when we were on the way back.

When we reached Mr Loh's apartment, some of them was watching Red Cliff 2. It was happiness for me because I have been wanting to watch that movie only that there wasn't any chance. Hahaha. But halfway, the movie suddenly stopped and we couldn't continue watching it. ):

Mr Ng then switched on the karaoke cd that he bought but most of the songs are Chinese songs. I just went with the flow. Hahaha.

Xinhui's vocal wasn't that bad. Nadiyah's humming was pretty alright. (:

Hui Miang, Mengzhen and Franice enthusiastically singing the songs. Hahaha.

I took a short video of them singing. Just wait until it is Vivian's part; I think she was on cloud nine today. (:

blissful happiness. (:

Day 31 ; Presentation 2

2009-04-02T11:50:00.003+08:00

We had our second presentation today. (:

It went pretty okay but since we were the last group to present, everyone was already feeling a little tired. We were about to lose the momentum of presenting but luckily we didn't. (:

Most of the group had the feasibility of their solutions questioned, including our group. Even before our presentation, we decided that if Mr Wong were to ask about how realistic our solutions were, we would have to remain calm, answer his questions reasonably and accept his comments in a positive way. Last but not least, SMILE! (:

However, he commented that our group was quite serious though. Hahaha.

In many situations, one idea may not be the best one; it is usually when we give and take then we would be able to accomplish much more than we know. It isn't only about us alone, but also about others around us. Just like how if we were to bargain for something that we really want to buy but then we are still not willing to pay, then we won't be able to own it.

Weiguang's group is really good at mindmapping. (:

Randolph, Clive and Benedict.

Benedict was feeling a little more nervous than Randolph and Clive because he stuttered and stumbled upon his words here and there.

Everyone went "Relax..". I just smiled at him. (:

For some unknown reasons, there was a centipede in our room. I'm not too sure whether is it a centipede or is it just simply anything that ends with a pede at the back. It moved really fast and blends with the floor. Luckily we had torchlight to shine on it to see where it was going. Weiguang and Xiang Yu helped us take it out. Hahaha. Thanks alot guys!

We girls just scream at the top of our voice. (:

one mind is not enough to accomplish something big. (:

Day 30 ; WUST New Campus

2009-04-01T04:44:00.016+08:00

We went to the new WUST campus today.
The journey there took at least 1 hour to reach. That is like travelling from Boon Lay to Pasir Ris. (:

The new campus was really huge, much much more bigger than the current campus we are staying at and of course, so big that NP is incomparable in terms of the size. Hahaha.

Firstly, we went to the library. The rules of the dress code here is quite strict because they actually don't allow anyone wearing slippers to enter in unlike NP library. (:

The entrance of the library.

The students must tap their student card here first before they can enter the library.

We were greeted by our guides today to tour around the exhibition hall where they showcase their long history of the school. We were lucky to have someone who is able translate to for us what was being said. (:

The history dates back to 1898.

Thats more than a century. Hahaha.

The students in the past.

Who says life in the past was boring? It was also filled with so many cultural activities, only that they don't call it Co-Curricular Activities.

A model of the new campus.

Thats our campus! (:

Us in the exhibition hall.

After visiting the exhibition hall, we went to the Medical College of WUST. This part here kept me awake throughout. Hahaha.

WUST welcomes Ngee Ann Polytechnic students!

At the Medical College, they brought us to the most interesting place; the place where they keep all the specimens which are used as a reference during their course of study. I admit that I was a little disgusted by it because it was so hard to believe that the specimens are real. Therefore, we were quite shock that they are really real when we asked the students there.

Walking around the place kept me thinking on how they were able to take out certain "things" in the body and preserve them in a glass container because it was really mind-boggling.

Out of all the sections there, Pathology was the one which caught my attention.

Pathology is the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of organs, tissues, bodily fluids and whole bodies.

I was quite intrigued by it that I decided to take photo of every single specimen. However, when I look at the photos now, I find them a little scary. Therefore, I actually edited one of the photos to post it up here. This for the convenience of all readers. (:
.

You can see what is actually the study of Pathology from the photo here.

We also went to the ICU Laboratory.

Pei Jie was trying to see whether the dummy was wearing any clothes. Hahaha.

They also have machines so as to simulate any real case situations.

I think this is a machine that test your blood pressure. Haha.

We got to see how the class was conducted during a practical lesson.

After touring around the Medical College, it was time for our presentation!

One of the students giving us a welcome speech.

Xiang Yu and Meiyi; they were talking about what some of the groups will be presenting. Xiang Yu spoke in English, therefore, Meiyi translated what he said so that the students could understand them better and know what is going on.

That's me listening attentively to the presentations. (:

During the interval, I had nothing to do. Therefore, I turned around and took a photo of them. I was just being random and I think they were quite stunned by it. Hahaha.

Soon after, one of the girls came over and asked if I could speak Chinese. Of course I said I couldn't. Hahaha. However, our conversation didn't stop there; we talked in English. (:

I find that their English is actually quite good. Although there are certain words that they don't understand, they made an effort to try to understand and they would actually try their best to reply in English too. (:

Her name is Guo Shuang. Most of the students in the new campus don't have an English name, unlike the students in our campus. I think they would prefer people calling them by their real name. (:

She is Gu Yingying. I thought she was the photographer for the day but it turns out that she is actually a reporter for her school. That explains the amount of photos she had to take. Hahaha.

After our presentations were over, the students got us involved by playing a simple game. The game was to pass down the message by acting it out. It was really funny. (:

There were two groups. Xiang Yu and Randolph were in this group.

That's Randolph passing the message down. Hahaha. They actually had to act like a pig so that the last person could guess it correctly.

The canteen with many people. Hahaha. Just like how Canteen 1 used to be.

Some of the students then brought us to see the school compound by walking around. There were alot of sharing of knowledge between the students and us. It was definitely a meaningful walk. (:

The guys are around 20 years old and the girl is 22.

*Peace* Hahaha.

Xinhui and Nadiyah looking tired from the walk. I was feeling a little tired too because of the unpredictable weather. It was hot and yet it was cold at the same time. The temperature changes so fast that I think our body couldn't really adapt.

Finally some activities seen. Hahaha.

We actually walked through a small plantation in order to get to the meeting place because we were running late. Furthermore, we had to make a big turn if we were to walk on the pavement. (:

Last few photos before we went 0ff. (:

MDE and LSCT. (:

I learnt quite alot just from talking with the students here. They were humble in a sense that when I complimented them on their English, they actually apologized and said that their English is quite poor. I think it isn't really easy for them to study and be far away from home because they had to come to Hubei Province in order to study in WUST. Therefore, they must work really hard so that their time and money spent on education is not wasted. (:

a meaningful walk. (:

Day 29 ; Birthday Celebration

2009-03-31T04:35:00.005+08:00

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. (:

everyday is a learning experience. (:

Day 28 ; Start of Assignment 2

2009-03-30T03:07:00.005+08:00

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.

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. (:

the banana lesson. (:

Day 27 ; Free and Easy Dog's Day

2009-03-29T23:36:00.004+08:00

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.

I'm not too sure what breed these dogs are. They have sort of "beard" growing or is it just their fur? Hahaha. Anyway, when we were there, the owner was playing around in giving water to the dogs. He was like putting the bowl of water down to let the dog drink but very soon, take it away from them when they didn't even manage to have a good sip of the water. Moreover, he only let one of the dogs to drink while the other had to wait.

What I like about the other dog was that it didn't just sit there and wait for the owner to bring the water. It actually picked up an empty plastic bowl and brought it over to the owner, indicating that it wanted water as well. Even dogs could made an effort to get something that they want, needless to say about humans who have much more capabilities but sometimes, its a pity that we just sit around and wait for things to happen. Hahaha. (:

Here is another dog that we saw who was actually fully clothed! Hahaha. The owner saw us trying to take photos of the dog and therefore, she stopped and pose the dog for us so that we can have a better photo shot of the dog while she hides her face behind the dog. That is really nice of her. Hahaha. If you notice, the dog even wear "shoes" on its paws. (:

Try to spot where is the dog in this picture. Hahaha.

There it is.

If you don't believe it, you will scroll up to see it again. Hahaha.

The dog is actually peeing on the trees to signal the boundaries of its territory. I think this is what most animals would do in order to mark their own territory. If any other animals were to come in to their territory, they won't be happy and may pick up a fight. Hahaha.

Unlike dogs, we don't really have any territories to mark unless we have our own private property. Hahaha. Boundaries between countries may sometimes result in conflicts because one would claim a particular area belongs to them and the other would also claim the same thing.

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

a reflection of us, humans. (:

Day 26 ; Passing by Bu Xing Jie

2009-03-28T19:57:00.007+08:00

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. (:

real friends are too precious to lose. (:

Day 25 ; Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable

2009-03-27T16:42:00.008+08:00

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! (:

a comforting touch. (:

Day 24 ; 'Singapore Presentation' Day

2009-03-26T14:40:00.010+08:00

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. (:

no other place I'd rather be; only Singapore. (:

Day 23 ; ladder of generations

2009-03-25T01:10:00.015+08:00

This morning, I just realised how dry my skin is due to the cold weather and lack of initiative to put moisturizer. It looks quite old and wrinkled. Hahaha.

I notice that in China, most woman has swollen and wrinkled fingers. Xinhui, Nadiyah and I concluded that it is because they do alot of rough work and maybe because they also don't put moisturizer during winter/cold weather. But they like to do knitting despite how rough their hands are! Everytime I walk past the janitor's office in the hostel, she would always be knitting while watching television. Not forgetting to smile at us too. While walking down the street, I would also see many of those knitting shops and the lady boss would sit outside the shop and knit. (:

I think in Singapore, not many people are interested in these type of things unless it is their hobby. Usually, these are hobbies of the older generation and the skills that they have are usually not passed down. Maybe the reason is this..

It looks kind of old-fashioned to the younger generation.

Hehehe. =P

OR we simply do not have the time to do all these due to the career-minded concept that we are experiencing as the standard of living in Singapore is rather high as compared to China.

This reflects one of the NE messages:

We have confidence in our future.

United, determined and well-prepared, we have what it takes to build a bright future for ourselves, and to progress together as one nation.

In order to boost Singapore's tourism industry, the government has planned to build the Integrated Resorts (IR) which are expected to create 35 000 jobs directly and indirectly. Through this, the imaginings of a global city becomes a reality. Singapore will not just be a small red dot on the world map. It may be small in size as compared to other countries like China and even the standard of living is quite high, but we are progressing together as one nation for our future. (:

Maybe thats the reason why we are having the Overseas Immersion Programme; to be well-prepared in building a bright future by collaborating with other countries. (:

As I was lying on my bed today, I realised that our room is quite messy. I wonder how the Chinese students are able to keep their room in tip top condition as they actually stay here for a few years because of studies. Maybe like I said, we are just too pampered in Singapore. Hahaha.

The interesting thing in the food shop that we always go to is the ladder. Hahaha. I just knew how they actually climbed to the second level where most of the raw food are kept. If you can see clearly, there is a hook placed just outisde the entrance. In order to stabilize the ladder when climbing, the top step of the ladder is hooked onto it and leaned against the wall. It is that simple. (:

Flexsim test was managable. (:

yet another simple day. (:

Day 22 ; sky lanterns

2009-03-24T23:10:00.005+08:00

I just started compiling our Peranakan Culture slides for Thursday's presentation. (:

This wasn't what we initiated to do actually. We wanted to do on student's lifestyle in Singapore. However, it is a topic that the LSCT students have already prepared. Thus, we decided to do on Peranakan instead. It is actually a learning in disguise because I never really knew about Peranakan even though I only know that it is a mixture of the Chinese and Malay culture.

Mengzhen's group and my group combined efforts to do on this topic. Honestly, we only started on it this week because there were change of plans in the itinerary of the presentation. We are almost there and I believe we will do a good job on Thursday. (:

Peranakan is one of the ethnic groups in Singapore under the category of others which is only 1.4%. In Singapore, we only have 3 main ethnic groups that is Chinese, Malays and Indian. However, in China, there are 56 ethnic groups! That is really alot as compared to Singapore. The muslims in China are called Hui People and they are one of the largest ethnic minorities here. (:

I'm glad they are around or else Nadiyah and I may have big problems finding food over here. Hahaha.

Today is our last practical lesson on Flexsim. We need to brush up our skills on it so that we are able to do the test tomorrow. Hahaha. Actually, for the past few lessons, we were not able to get same answers because of some wrong input of information. Hopefully, everything will go well tomorrow. (:

We saw something unique today after dinner.

Its called the Flying Lanterns which is also known as Sky Lanterns. (:

I couldn't manage to capture a nice picture of it because by the time we realise it, it was already so high up in the sky. ):

I have never seen this in Singapore before though.

It is actually a traditional Chinese communication tool that is invented thousands of years ago for military signalling purposes. However, it became a popular feature in some of the Chinese festivals. People would write down their wishes on the paper surface of the lanterns and lit it up to let it fly. It is believed that the laterns would bring the wishes to Heaven where it will come true. The higher it flies, the more likely Heaven is to hear their prayers. (:

lights of the sky. (:

Day 21 ; Lesson of Experiences

2009-03-23T21:28:00.001+08:00

Everytime we have an excursion or industrial visit, Mr Wong will always summarize it for us because he knows that we may have missed out on certain things. (:

Therefore, before starting on BPE lesson, he told us that not many Chinese people have went to Wudang Mountain. Opportunities like this are indeed very rare. I think one of the reasons is because of the travelling distance that they have to travel to Shiyan, west of Hubei Province, in order to go to Wudang Mountain. As China is a very big country (9 596 960 sq km), they would need to travel long distances and it would be quite expensive unless they have their own transportation. Furthermore, the entrance fee is not cheap either. Maybe those are the reaons why not many have gone to Wudang Mountain. We are the lucky ones. (:

Mr Wong also shared with us his experiences in Egypt and Nepal, in which he climbed to the Everest Base Camp. I love these sharing sessions; there are many things to learn from about life around the world. He told us that two of his friends actually gave up on the climb because they couldn't take it anymore and so they turned back. I guess it wasn't an easy climb at all.

I have never really given up on trying to learn the Chinese language, especially with much help from Xinhui. Sometimes I do understand what the Chinese people are saying only that I don't know how to reply. I understand because I used to watch Chinese dramas in Singapore. Hahaha. Well, the best way out is just to point or do some actions to communicate. But I know that they know we are still clueless on what each other is trying to convey. Hahaha.

Today was quite a casual day though. After dinner, I had some trouble finding a rubbish bin to throw my empty bottle and it is inappropriate to just throw it anywhere. In Singapore, you can see the green rubbish bins almost everywhere. (:

I wish they had more of these around though, not only at Wudang Mountain. (:

priceless learning. (:

Day 19 & Day 20 ; Wudang Mountain

2009-03-22T18:20:00.021+08:00

a recollection on Wudang Mountain. (:

day 19 ; Wudang Mountain, explored!

The journey to Wudang Mountain was a very long and cold ride.

It took us around 6 hours to reach there.

During one of Ms Sally's lesson, she did explained to us a little about Wudang Mountain.

Wudang Mountain is actually a sacred Taoist Holy Land in China which was listed as the World Culture Heritage Site. This is because of its naturally magnificent views, brilliant serenity as well as the charming touches that composed this beautifully renowned mountain. It is mostly famous for its long history of Taoist practice and profound culture as well as its deep-rooted tradition of wushu.

Compared to Singapore, the highest hill that we have is only Bukit Timah Hill. I guess the history of it isn't as rich as that of Wudang Mountain. Because of that, I believe people like us should really treasure this chance to be able to step foot on this mountain not only to admire the scenery, but also to appreciate the presence of the mountain itself. (:

Today we went touring around the mountain. We went to the different places of attraction of the palace halls and temples which showed the practice and culture of Taoism.

The first place we went to was The Prince Temple. (:

This is the place where the Chinese would pray to the God of Zhenwu so that their children will become bright and intelligent. Zhenwu was actually the Prince of Jinle Kingdom. He ran away from his kingdom and came to Wudang Mountain to learn Taoism and become immortal.

The buildings at The Prince Temple were built in 1412 in the Ming Dynasty.

The long winding passage that leads to the temple.

The zigzag walls actually gave me an impression of some mystery that lurks behind them.

Hahaha.

This is actually a place where the Chinese would burn the incense. It is also commonly seen in the other temples.

I wasn't really able to take the whole picture of the beams.

There are actually 12 beams piled and intersected upon one another on 1 pillar as you can see from the picture. The purpose of this was to evenly distribute the weight of the roof and also to save the floor space so that it can be used to the maximum. Isn't it simply a wonder that the Chinese architecture were brilliantly built? They don't even need to use concrete to make buildings. Just strong beams will do. (:

A group photo outside the temple. (:

The next place we went to was The Purple Heaven Palace. (:

The history behind The Purple Heaven Palace was that Emperor Zhenwu was once the ruler of the Middle Heaven. He stamped out the demons and brought peace in the Heavenly Palace. Thus, the palace is now a peaceful residence of immortals, which reflects the Taoist ideology of holding themselves apart from the world.

At the palace, there are quite a few halls such as The Purple Cloud Hall and The Parents Hall. The Purple Cloud Hall is the place for prayers and religious services and The Parents Hall is where the statues of Emperor Zhenwu's parents, Emperor Mingzhen and Empress Shanshen, were worshipped in the middle shrine.

A view of the palace from the outside.

At the palace, this was the one which caught most of our attention. (:
WUSHU!

We thought that some of them were girls. But on second look, all of them are actually boys. (: The master was very strict with them. If they did not do any steps properly, he would come over and hit them on the abdomen. The boy whom he hit was trying hard to do the step but he wasn't able to and was actually enduring the pain. Maybe it was because of the prolonged practice that they were having. I guess this is how they discipline the students so that they can master the wushu skills. It could also be because to keep up the recognition that they have for their wushu.

Sometimes, I do think that children in Singapore are being too pampered. In the past, parents really put their trust in the teachers such that they did not mind if the teachers were to scold their children for the mistakes that they did. However, in the present time, if teachers were to raise their voice or scold the children, some of them would complain to their parents and parents would then question the teacher. How ironically things are changing.

Hahaha.

Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, students in China do not dare to go against or oppose the teacher in any way because they do not want him to lose face. Maybe we should start inculcating this to a certain extent. (:

Wushu students wannabe.

Hahaha.

MDE Wushu!

See the small statues on the rooftop?

If I remembered correctly, there were four men who are tied to the middle of the rooftop so as to hold the building together. This was because they actually wanted to be higher than Taoist God, meaning more powerful than Him without even putting in any effort. Thus, He granted their wishes by placing them higher than Him, that is on the rooftop.

The story shows that we should never ask for the impossible. Be contented with what we have and if we want to have better things, we must always work hard for it. Good things don't come easily. Only with effort then can we see the results. (:

Somehow, the palace looks like a painting in which we are standing in front of.

Magical. (:

The last place we went to was Xuan Di Temple. (:

The temple is behind me. (:

A group photo. I wasn't smiling because of the tiredness from walking up the hill. Hahaha. (:

The soothing wind that swept across their faces. (:

This was a common sight seen here. I am not too sure how much they charge though. But it seems fun! Hahaha.

The red strips are actually for the Chinese people to pray for their loved ones and also for themselves. They believe that the higher they throw, the higher the chance of their prayers being answered because it will be nearer to Heaven. (:

After that, we went down the mountain by bus. I had a little motion sickness because of the rounds of turns around the mountain. Hahaha.

We soon checked into our hotel rooms at Wudang Mountain Hotel. (:

Unexpectedly, the hotel rooms are much better than we thought it would be. Our room was a little bigger than the rest because Xinhui, Nadiyah and I shared a room while the rest was two to a room.

The bed was VERY comfortable. The mattress was so thick that the moment I lied down, I didn't want to get up. Hahaha.

Well, Weiguang and the three of us decided to take a walk outside and explore the area for a short while to buy some food to fill our stomachs.

The post box.

And again, unexpectedly, there were small fireworks!

In China, people are free to do things that they want. In some aspects, it may be good because they are not restricted by the law. However, it may also pose certain problems to the society. For example, the fireworks may disturb some people around the area because of the noise produced. It may create unhappiness because they may feel disturbed by it. But I think the Chinese people are quite acceptable towards it. (:

If this were to take place in Singapore, you will soon see red and blue lights flashing on the road. (:

day 20 ; Wudang Mountain, accomplished!

Honestly, I wasn't prepared to climb Wudang Mountain today. I wanted to take the cable car up but then I changed my mind. Well, I guess this is adventure is a new and different way. I'm glad I did changed my mind. (:

We saw this man carrying 2 wooden doors up the steps. The amazing thing was that he was going much more faster than us. Hahaha. He carried the doors by using a thick pole and placing it on top of his head while carrying it. He then put the weight of the doors on his back, get his balance and continued walking. (:

Only after several flight of stairs, we were thinking, "How long more will we get there?".

Hahaha.

A group photo with our tour guide. He climbed up with us as well and he kept saying that we were going to reach soon although it was still far away. I guess it was a motivation for us not to give up. (:

While walking and climbing, we saw this beautiful scenery that shows the view of the rest of the peaks around the mountain. (:

Us!

My first reaction when I saw this was "OH MY..". Hahaha.

But we still made it through with each other's support.

While climbing this 100-step stairs, I saw a lady carrying 2 big packets of incense on her shoulders and I heard a small girl counting the steps while climbing. Even though the lady was carrying quite a heavy load, she still encouraged her daughter to carry on counting. (:

Throughout the climb, the five of us stayed close to one another and encouraged each other every time we felt like giving up. It was hard in the beginning because the steps were steep and furthermore, we didn't really do any warm-ups. We were also not used to walking such a long distance and this time, it was climbing up vertically. Well, there is always a first time to everything. (:

And finally, when we reached the Golden Summit, we felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. The view there was definitely worth the climb. (:

Usually, different people have different perspective about the things around them. Some may look at things only on the negative sides and forgot to see how colourful the other side is. During my stay in China so far, I feel that at times I do look at certain things on a negative view. Like how can they survive with toilets without door, the cleanliness of it and even the way we are being served as customers. Well, I guess that is just their living style and culture.

But if I were to always look at things that way, my perspective would be so little that what I see is only that much.

But if I were to further widen my perspectives for the next 2 weeks, I would see things even more than what they really are.

Just like this.

It is more beautiful this way. (:

This is the Golden Palace that is cast in copper and coated with gold. The Chinese people would walk around it while touching the bars. Some would even throw coins up to the roof of the Golden Palace. Sitting in the palace is actually the statue of Zhenwu.

These photos were taken when we were at the Golden Summit. (:

Around Wudang Mountain, there are actually peaks rising one higher than another and range upon range of mountains rolling towards the Golden Summit.

We took the cable car down the mountain. (:

You can see that it is actually very steep. It felt like we were going down 90 degrees vertically.

Our lovely tour guide again. (:

Before we departed, she told us that it was fate which brought us into meeting each other this time round as she wasn't supposed to be there. One important thing she said was that we must always treat others with a sincere heart without hoping anything in return. The least we could do is to smile and make others' day. (:

Day 18 ; Shopping Spree at Han Zheng Jie

2009-03-20T02:52:00.006+08:00

We had our Test 1 for BPE today.

Honestly, even though it was open book, I find that it was quite difficult. The answers can definitely be found in the notes but it was the explanation part that took alot of time. In the end, I didn't really manage to finish the paper. Maybe it was also because of my poor time management in completing the questions. Hahaha.

After the test, Xinhui, Weiguang, Nadiyah and I went for a shopping spree at Han Zheng Jie!

The journey there took around 45 mins.

AND OH MY, the bus was packed with so many people that everyone practically squeeze through to move around. This isn't something we usually experience in Singapore whereby people may sometimes be inconsiderate as they do not want to move in or even pretend not to know that they should move in to allow more people to board the bus. They are just comfortable standing at their places and remain standing there while ignoring the situation. However, over here, the Chinese REALLY squeeze as much as they can, only that they don't really say "Excuse Me" or "Sorry" when they are moving around.

We didn't alight at Han Zheng Jia but it was just around the area. When we kept walking, we were wondering why there are so many shoes shop and not a single clothes shop at all. Well, we got to know that actually that place is called The Shoe City. That explains the reason why. Hahaha. Silly us.

There was actually a fire breakout at the area. It was my first time seeing such things. Smoke filled the air and it was making us hard to breathe, so we went away from the area quickly.

There were many fire engines stationed at the area. I think the firemen were rescueing people who were trapped in the building. By the time we were there, there wasn't any fire except for the black smoke.

Tons and tons of rubbish were piled up. I realise that in China, they don't usually use trash bags to collect the rubbish in the rubbish bin although in the picture you can see a whole pile of them. I think most probably it is because trash bags are normally non-biodegradable. If they were to use them all over in China (and China being the 4th largest country in the world), it will actually harm the environment pretty badly.

Housing estates along the street.

We met a helpful man today. His name is Mr Chen. (:

After buying some stuffs from his shop, he actually offered his help to show us the way to Wal-Mart, which was a 10 minutes distance walk. Initially, we wanted to take a taxi because we didn't know how to get there. Well, it was really our luck to have met someone

like him who was willing to show us the way. (:

I believe that if we are willing to extend our hands to help someone today, someone will eventually help us when we are in need of one. So, I guess maybe that is what the Chinese believe as well. (:

They don't have B1 or B2 in their lifts but a -1 instead.

Hahaha.

Shopping made us happy. (:

happy, happy. (:

Day 17 ; Last Lesson

2009-03-19T02:48:00.006+08:00

"Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind." -Lionel Hampton

Ms Sally has definitely touched our hearts not only through her teaching, but also her humbleness and sincerity. She has really helped us alot in many areas especially in letting us know the directions to get to a place. She would never hesitate to extend her help even if she was quite unsure about certain things. Any doubts or questions that we had, she would research on it and pass to us the information the next day. For that, I am really overwhelmed with gratitude for all the help that she has given. (:

On behalf of MDE, Xiang Yu presented her a small gift as a token of appreciation. (:

MDE group photo. (:

Well, today is the last lesson for IS. Time passes so quickly that we barely even realise it. =(=

The focus for today's lesson was actually on the Chinese Etiquette.

Usually when the Chinese are doing business or building any other form of relationship with others, there are four things that they will always practice. They are Mianzi (face), Guanxi (relationships between people), Keqi (humbleness and modesty) and "Do in Rome as Rome does".

The one that I find most interesting is..

Mianzi

It actually represents the idea of shame and it is the worst thing for a Chinese to lose face. This means never to insult, embarass or demean a person as this would cause him to lose face. It also applies when trying to correct someone his mistake. Even in a class, students must never correct their teacher even when he makes a mistake or is unsure about certain thing. This is because teachers are usually more knowledgable than students and therefore, it would cause him to lose face if the students know more than he does.

The reason I pick this out is because I feel this is the one that differs us from them. In Singapore, we usually have the tendency to show others that we are better than someone else without considering much about their feelings. It could be in terms of studies, sports, fashion and simply anything in our daily lives. I realise that sometimes people do give hurtful remarks to one another which would cause him to lose face in front of others.

I think it is because all of us grow up in a very competitive environment in which our mindset is only wanting to be the best. However, everyone has their ups and downs in life. No one is perfect. What we can do is to look at our imperfections perfectly. (:

Here are some things that we also learnt about Gift Giving Etiquette.

1. Do not give scissors, knives or other cutting utensils as it indicates the severing of relationships

2. Do not give clocks as they are associated with funerals

3. Gifts may be refused three time before it is accepted

4. Always present gifts with two hands

And the Chinese believe that the gift is nothing much, but it is the thought that counts. (:

One of the Chinese philosophy in China is Taoism.

I find it interesting on how Taoism actually came about.

The story goes like this..

Once, a man named Zhuangzi dreamt that he was a butterfly and didn't know that he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was. However, he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who dreamt he was a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi.

Thus, this is actually known as the Transformation of Things.

Complicated?

YES. (:

Well, at least to me.

Hahaha.

I will definitely miss Ms Sally's lessons which are always so informative.

But most importantly, all of us have learnt something throughout these 3 weeks. (:

lessons of memories. (:

Day 16 ; First Presentation

2009-03-18T00:51:00.006+08:00

Our first presentation. (:

It went okay, I guess. All of us did our best with the efforts that we have put in.

Since we are here for 6 weeks to complete our Business Process Engineering module, I feel that the lessons and schedule are quite tight and we have to really keep up with the pace. Usually during normal semester, we tend to procrastinate and push our work only when the deadline is nearing. Honestly, maybe that's why I'm finding it a little hard to cope here because everything seems to be moving too fast. Hahaha.

Well, what I know about the local students here is that they will tend to always finish their work on the day it was given. Only after completing them then can they enjoy and play for the rest of the day. However, our case is usually the other way round though.

I think it would be good if we were to adopt this habit of theirs. In that way, students can manage their time better instead of always saying that they do not have enough time to do projects and assignments. Not forgetting the stress that we always claim to face. (:

Maybe I should start practising this habit very soon. (:

When stress is over, it is all smiles. (:

Well, today is one of the more interesting lessons for IS. We learnt about the history behind the foot binding and the Chinese queue that was practised during ancient China.

Let's start with foot binding. (:

The lady above is not suffering from any growth on her feet.

This is how their feet looks like when they have bound feet with their shoes on.

What about without the shoes on?

BRACE YOURSELF. (:

I find that it is really amazing how their feet grows to be. Instead of how it will normally grow, the toes would actually grow downwards and under the sole of the feet to form a 'pointed lily bud'. They also had to bend the middle section of the feet so as to reduce the distance between the toes and the heel.

The rationale behind this foot binding or better known as 'Lily Feet' is that it was regarded as a symbol of feminine beauty and royal approval (high-class). This is because during one of the dynasties, the emperor ordered his concubine to dance in front of him in bound feet on top of a 'Golden Lily Platform'. It was also to keep women from "wandering" which was actually to control them. The practice then became a custom which lasted for more than thousand of years in China.

Imagine your feet growing to about less than three inches which is only 7.62cm!

Hahaha. (:

I can't really imagine the pain the women had to go through. They even had difficulty in walking and had to have someone assisting them. In my opinion, this practice became a custom because it actually started with someone of high status, that is the emperor and thus is being highly regarded by many people. Just like what we always say, a leader leads by example. (:

Ever wondered why the Chinese men used to have long hair during ancient China?

It was because they were being forced to have one.

It was actually a specific hairstyle worn by the Manchus from Central Manchuria and was imposed in China when they dominated the Chinese state after the fall of the Ming Dynasty. It was a symbol of Ming Chinese submission to the Machu ruling and as an identification of the Chinese who refused to accept the Manchu domination. They had to do so within 10 days or else they had to face death.

From these two examples that happened during ancient China, I feel that people who are in power would look for ways to create a significant practice that would symbolize their ruling. It could be a good or bad thing because people would eventually remember them for the things that they implemented and how they have made them suffer or lead a better life.

Of course, people would always try to stand out from the rest;

Wanting to be different, unique and outstanding.

But I believe being ourselves and who we really are is still the best. (:

the "unusual" practices. (:

Day 15 ; Wugang Steel Mill

2009-03-17T19:48:00.005+08:00

Today, we had an industrial visit to Wugang, a steel mill in Wuhan. (:

It is the third largest steel factory in China.

I remember learning about the manufacture of steel in Engineering Materials during Semester 1. Well, Mr Lim Choon Boo had actually explained to us the processes involved in manufacturing steel. However, it was hard for us to visualize how the processes actually are unless we see it for ourselves as we do learn better and grasp things faster if it is more hands-on.

I managed to do that today. (:

Start of the tour around the factory:

Vehicles had to stop in order to allow the cargo to pass through.

This is an efficient and effective way to transport materials to the factory or transport the steel which have been manufactured from one factory to another.

It helps to save time and more things can actually be transported at one time.

This is the factory which we went to.

It is where the raw materials of iron ores, coal and limestone go through certain processes so as to manufacture steel. It is quite a pity that we were not allowed to take photos of the processes. This is because it is to avoid any leakage of information of the company's processes to outsiders.

During the tour inside the factory, there was only one person at the front who showed us through. Therefore, at the back, we did not really know what was going on in the processes as all we could do was just to look, obeserve and analyze. However, our dear lecturer, Mr Wong, explained to us the entire process when we got back from the industrial visit. (:

And so the manufacturing of steel works this way..

1. The raw materials are added into the furnace to produce molten iron at 2000 degrees celsius.

2. It is then moulded into a rectangular block at 800 to 900 degrees celsius.

3. The iron block is pressed to a certain width (1.7m) and thickness (350mm).

4. It is being washed with water because there are some lubricants on the rollers and thus, the impurities are removed.

5. It is then quenched repeatedly so as to cool it down.

6. The steel is then rolled and the process is completed.

Mr Wong also told us that the company is proud to be able to produce their own steel. This is because what if in the future, other countries decided to stop selling their products to China? This comes back to the issue of being dependent on other countries which I have mentioned previously. Therefore, it is important for them to come up with their own products and depend on themselves. This also applies to Singapore, in which we are a country with few natural resources but we have to maximise the use with the pool of resources that we have.

Many countries, including Singapore, are working hand-in-hand with China because they are currently expanding in many areas and aspects. This would actually help the individual countries create more opportunities and build good relationship. That is one of the reasons why we are having this Overseas Immersion Programme in China, I suppose. (:

A group photo at the end of the tour.

An even larger group photo with the LSCT and ECE students. (:

the process which matters. (:

Day 14 ; generosity and trust

2009-03-16T12:02:00.002+08:00

I couldn't really understand what was being taught today during the practical class.

Flexsim seems a little harder today than usual.

Benedict and I were trying to figure out where we went wrong but everything looks fine. This is because many of us had different answers from one another, unlike the other time. However, we just decided to stick to what we have done and submit the report accordingly. (:

At times, I feel that we are too cautious with the outcomes/results that we have. Wouldn't it be better if we believe in our work as long as we have given our best? Indeed, everyone wants to be the best and stands out from the rest but I think the process matters more than the results. (:

Being a regular customer of the satay stall, we actually had 2 free satay sticks today from the stall owner. I guess we have build a certain trust with him such that he is willing to give us free satay even though we are not locals.

Just like in Singapore, some stall owners are very generous and would give their customers more than asked as they have build a good relationship with them. I hope to see more of this in the last 3 weeks to come and definitely in Singapore. (:

trust in a relationship. (:

Day 11, Day 12, & Day 13 ; Three Gorges Dam

2009-03-15T22:26:00.005+08:00

The excursion to the Three Gorges Dam was indeed an eye-opener.

We didn't only went to the dams but we were also able to view the magnificent and majestic sceneries that lies along the Yangtze River.

The dam's name actually refers to the breathtaking limestone cliffs of Qutang, Wu and Xiling Gorges which are located along the Yangtze River.

That's where the name Three Gorges actually came about. (:

And our 3 days 2 nights excursion starts here..

day 11

This is a model of the entire Three Gorges Project.

Of course, the focus was on the dam itself but there is also the two-way five-step ship lock.

It is actually a facility for the 113 meter drop between the upstream and downstream that is separated by the huge dam.

Building the dam was definitely not an easy task.

The engineers had to solve a number of unprecedented technical difficulties that occurred not only at the dam but also at the ship locks.

They had to ensure that the ship locks are able to work as planned or else ships may just get stucked inside the ship locks. (:

A view of the entire stretch of the Three Gorges Dam.

In order to build the dam, many archeological sites had to be submerged beneath the waters.

This includes ancestrial burial grounds and fossil remains which would be lost.

Many people also had to be resettled to higher grounds and this was the major controversy.

It is because they had not been compensated adequately and they also lost the high fertile land that they owned.

I feel that certain issues could have been addressed more appropriately.

I believe that for everything that we do, there are definitely pros and cons to it.

Not all times that it is only about the recognition and reputation that may be gained.

It is how the group of people involved reacts and deals with the concerned issues that matters.

Nothing in this world exist without disadvantages. (:

But the Three Gorges Dam definitely helps to generate power for the country and therefore, they need not be too dependent on other countries for crude oil.

I believe this is also one of the reasons why Singapore had came up with NEWater.

It is because we do not want to be too dependent on other countries for water and thus, we have to find our own way of recycling/renewing water with the resources that we have.

NE Message: No one owes Singapore a living.

Indeed, we must always find our own way to survive and prosper and turning challenges into opportunity although we are only a small country.

If you look closely at the top of the mountain, you can see the shape of Mao Zedong lying down.

To the left is his head, followed by his body and to the right are his legs.

There are some angles which have even better view of it than this.

I didn't manage to capture it though.

It is interesting how the Chinese people can make out something simply out of the mountains.

I think it shows how good they are at looking things from a different perspective.

Even when it was mentioned, some of us could hardly identify the shape of it.

Sometimes, it just takes that one split of a second to see the whole picture. (:

This was the ship lock that I mentioned just now.

It was taken before the water level rose.

However, this is only one step.

It is really huge, isn't it? (:

How it works is that the gate will open for the ships to move in.

Once the ship lock has been fully occupied (most of the time, the maximum is 2 big ships),

the gate will close and after some time the water level will rise up.

This will then lift the ships up to the next water level. (:

While waiting for the water level to rise, the person on the ship behind us actually used a wooden pole to avoid their ship from hitting the one in front by directing it to the side.

The water level rose up quite fast and before we knew it, we were reaching soon.

The whole process only took around 15 to 20 minutes.

There are more to explore for the next day.

the dam and the ship. (:

day 12

We had to change from our ship to a smaller one that will bring us to the Shennong Stream.
At the Shennong Stream, we have to further change into a smaller boat.
This is because we will get to experience how the boat trackers actually work. (:

While looking at this flight of stairs, I had some random thoughts;

I can't imagine myself climbing those steps though.

Little did I know what was in store for us today.

Hahaha.

Many of us were quite fascinated by this bridge.

I guess its because we have never really seen such a long bridge before.

Hahaha.

The waters are really green. (:
So green that we can even see the reflection of the surroundings quite clearly.

A group photo. (:

As usual, the three of us. Hahaha. (:

There they are the boat trackers! (:

Well, they may look small, skinny or old but don't underestimate their strength.

With 17 passengers and 5 boat trackers on the boat, they indeed have alot in them to row the boat just by using those paddles.

There is actually a boat tracker at the back who will manipulate the direction of the boat.

And again, the water is just so clear! (:

What they are doing is they are pulling the boat using ropes that is attached to their body and the boat.

They have to pull the boat because the area here is filled with many sediments and the water is very shallow.

Therefore, the only way to get the boat across is by pulling them. (:

The footwear that they wore looks like any normal sandal.

But it is made up of a material that is non-slippery so that they can pull the boat through the slippery rocks which they stand on and not hurt themselves.

After we have experience that, it was time for us to get to the smaller ship and back to the original one.

Here are some views taken while on the way back.

Civilisation on the high land.

A cave that leads to nowhere?

Hahaha.

When we got back, we rested for awhile and had our lunch.

Well, there were more interesting things to see today. (:

See the small red "hut" in the middle?

Initially, we thought it was a temple but it wasn't.

When we had a closer look on it, it was quite empty inside.

Remember the mountain that looked like Mao Zedong?

Here is another one that looked like the Buddha's hand. (:

We actually had some sightseeing at Chang Jiang San Xia.

However, it was already quite late in the evening so we couldn't really see much except for the ones at the musuem.

The musuem actually showcase the olden artefacts that were found along the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.

The orange lights is actually the flight of stairs we had to climb in order to get to the musuem.

It was kind of tiring to climb in the cold weather and without doing any warm-ups.

Hahaha.

This is the interesting one that we saw while on the way to the Shennong Stream;

Only that here at the museum, it is placed in a transparent container while the one we saw was hanging up in the cliffs on a plank.

It is actually known as the Suspended Coffin and is the funeral customs of a civilisation known as the Pu People.

It was believed that the higher the coffin is hung, the greater the filial piety is expressed.

The coffin is made from a tree trunk and sometimes two bodies might be placed in the same coffin.

Interestingly mysterious. (:

A poem that is inscribed on a rectangle stone.

The furnitures here are actually 400 years old.

Pearls are also used in the furniture as a symbol of royalty.

These seats are usually for the more important persons.

I guess most of us were tired by then because of the weather.

The sun is there but the coldness is also present.

It was like a mixture of hot and cold. (:

just a mixture of everything. (:

day 13

Most of the time spent today was on the journey back to WUST.

Along the way, we stopped at a place to buy the speciality food.

I didn't buy any though.

During the stop, I had an urgent nature's call.

Xinhui asked around where the toilet was and surprisingly, they offered their help to show us the way.

And they are..

The Policemen!

Hahaha. (:

This shows how they are willing to extend their help to others. (:

In Singapore, we don't see rubbish bins being placed inside the toilet cubicle.

Over here, they are placed for a reason;

After using the tissue to clean yourself, you shouldn't throw the tissue into the toilet bowl but throw it into the rubbish bin.

This is because the pipes are designed only to take in materials that can be dissolved and tissue can't be.

If not, the pipe will be choked and all the materials down the pipe will float upwards..

Hahaha.

Better to be safe than regretting it later. (:

And this is our lovely tourguide who filled us with so much information within these 3 days;

Explaining to us every single detail that we should know. (:

the end of the trip. (:

Day 10

2009-03-12T22:00:00.010+08:00

I peeped at the window this morning just to find puddles of water on the ground.

If it was in Singapore, I would be jumping around with happiness.

But here, it means that it would be more than just coldness;

My teeth would chatter and my body would shiver especially when the wind blows.

It just gives me the chilling feeling.

The temperature for today was 8 degrees.

Hahahaha. (:

Opposite our hostel is actually a driving school.

You wouldn't get to see this anywhere in Singapore whereby there is a driving school within the campus itself.

In this way, it is really convenient for the students to have their own driving license as they need not travel much of a distance for the lessons and practicals.

What I notice about the driving school is that the circuit can be considered relatively easy;

Unlike those in Singapore.

If only I could be enrolled into their driving school, it would be so much fun!

Hahahaha. (:

We will be going to the 3 Gorges tomorrow until Sunday. (:
Mr Wong explained to us the purpose of the dams and the consequences of building them.
It was mainly for flood control and also for generating power.
However, it caused unhappiness to the people who made a living around the area.
Therefore, there was a actually a controversy about the benefits of the dams.

The dams are situated at Yangtze River.

It stands at 150m and stretches for 2km.

I would really love to see how huge the dams actually are. (:

As usual, today's history lesson was informative.

Ms Sally gave us a reading material with all the information about all the emperors.

Today's lesson reminded me of what Mr Wong mentioned during one of the BPE lessons.

The Chopsticks Theory.

It is easier to break one chopstick than compiling all the chopsticks together, and trying to break them.

I believe all the different dynasties has contributed one way or another to a stronger and more independent country which we see presently.

Something so strong definitely couldn't be built just by one dynasty, but by many.

It slowly builds up over the years and finally, People's Republic of China was known to the world.

Just like the Malay saying that goes, "Sikit sikit lama lama jadi bukit." (:

This is what you "touch" when you want to cross the road so that it would turn green man.

A little different from Singapore in which we just touch instead of press. (:

After buying our necessities for tomorrow's excursion, we saw a group of people doing some dance along the street. Yes, along the street.

One person led the dance while the rest just follow through.

I think it is a form of exercise for them.

Well, who wouldn't want to join in the fun when it is for free?

Hahahaha. (:

the chopsticks theory. (:

Day 9

2009-03-11T23:47:00.009+08:00

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift; that's why it is called the present."

it is also because of yesterday's history that makes today's gift a beautiful present. (:

China's history is indeed like a painting scroll; a very long history and tradition of 5000 years.

there were many things to be learnt from the rise and fall of each dynasty.

some rulers were respected by many because of his great achievements for the country;

while some were disliked by many because of the cruelty and harsh treatments imposed.

well, there was one outstanding ruler though.

she was Empress Wu Zetian;

who was the first female emperor of China during the Tang Dynasty.

amazing right?

but she did some ruthless things to get where she was in order to gain power and control.

i feel that at times, power can make humans inhumane.

wanting to gain power is usually the driving force of making people change who they really are.

they are willing to do anything and everything so as to get what they want.

but at the end of the day, is it really worth sacrificing so much for it?

it all depends on whose hands the power is in. (:

but the topic that caught my attention the most was the four great inventions.

compass, gunpowder, paper and block printing.

these were the inventions that were made by the great inventors in China. (:

for answering Ms Sally's questions correctly,

Mr Wong got himself a pen. (:

he was ecstatic. (:

and even more ecstatic.

hahahaha. (:

after the long day of lecture, some of us went with our dear lecturers for dinner.

Mr Loh actually brought us to have a look at his apartment. (:

don't be deceived by the looks.

hahahaha.

his apartment looked really cosy; just like how it would be like in Singapore.

and there is a toilet bowl in his toilet!

on the way to our dinner place, we went to the market for a short while just to have a look around.

amazingly, the market is still open although it was already at night. (:

my eyes widened with childish glee as i saw this. hahahaha.

its because this is the first time i see such vending machine before.

i guess the society here is more open towards such things.

it could be one of the ways for them to encourage safe sex.

it could also be because of the one child policy that is implemented here.

back in Singapore, these type of things are usually regarded as taboo.

but i believe sooner or later, we would have to be more open-minded towards such things as well. (:

Day 8

2009-03-10T23:03:00.002+08:00

today wasn't like any other days. ):

there were less activities;

xinhui, nadiyah and i decided not to go to wal-mart with some of them just yet because we wanted a little more time to rest this mind of ours.

from the day's lecture and practical, it was already quite alot for us to take.

(one of the signs that we're growing old, hahaha)

well, Flexsim was a little confusing.

but Mr Wong patiently repeated himself to any doubts that we had

although it has already been mentioned before.

so the question was,

do we increase the number of processors or do we improve the efficiency of the operators?

both actually. (:

just like how most people here do business. hahaha.

they wouldn't want to lose any customers even if their customers were to bargain like mad.

that is why they are quite open to bargains and would most likely give in reasonably.

i like the way xinhui bargains; and it is indeed true that she has the Chinese accent.

hahahaha. (:

we had a different style of lunch today too. (:

it was something like what we would usually have back in Singapore;

having some dishes that is shared by everyone.

but i also see some of them eating alone with just one dish.

maybe it is just that they are used to it? (:

a little more than simple. (: