OELP reflections

Day 1

We woke up early in the morning to go to hefei. We took the bullet train at 9.04 am from shanghai and reached hefei at around 12.26pm. It was a long and tiring journey. We went to eat luch after we reach. The lunch was not nice. After that we headed to 三河古镇。 it is a nice place with a lot of Chinese cultural and history. We went to different places to learn about people like 孙立人. It was a tiring journey as it was hot and there were a lot of flies.

Day 2

Today we went to the hefei 45 middle school. The school has a lot of people in the school, one class has at least 50 people, but their classroom is smaller then ours. Their toilet has no doors and it was very smelly. My buddy is very friendly to me . The class is very noisy during their 10 min break. They have system very different from us. 

5 things I like about RV

-Toilet

-Noise level

-Spacious classroom

-Lesser homework 

-End school early 

Day 3

 We went to the museum today. It was amazing to see all the things there. We learned more about anhui history. After that we went to the cutural park. We saw chicken fight , dog and horse racing. The animals were abused badly. Next we went to the circus, there were animal inside like the tigers and lions that are abused. Being hit by the iron bar once they do something wrong. 

Day 4

We went to huangshan today it was the most exciting part of the trip. We took the cable car up the mountain and climbed. We are not allow to take our luggage up so we brought small bag. The scenery was very beautiful there.

Day 5

We woke up at 4 to see the sunrise on huangshan. We saw monkeys there also. After lunch we stayed there for a while and we headed down the mountain. We went to yixian to learn about the cutural. We went to xidi and hongcun . The old buildings there look almost all the same , but was build by different families.

Day 6 

We went to tunxi today and visted Shexian , huishang big house and tangyue. It is almost the same as yesterday. After we were at the hotel we listen to a talk about Chinese culture. It was very boring.

Day 7

It was the last day in anhui. We went to tunxi old street to shop in the morning. After that we headed to hangzhou to visit the xihu. After that we took a 7h ride to shanghai airport. The trip was fun and enjoyable. We also learned a lot of things from it. 

-Winnie .

 

OELP reflections

       我们2E 展开了到安徽的学习之旅，在这个学习之旅让我获益不浅。我感到很兴奋也很开心因为我可以来到安徽，也与班上的其他同学创造很多美好的回忆。我学到了很多安徽的文化，如：建筑，饮食等等。刚开始我不习惯安徽的菜肴，但是日子久了，我也开始喜欢安徽的菜了！

       我们也和合肥45中的学生交流，更深入地了解他们的学习方式。 一个班上又差不多58-62个学生。他们的桌子和椅子都比我们用的还小，班也不是很大。但是我们学校一个班差不多有33-34个学生，桌子和椅子也比他们的大。

      我觉得合肥45中的学生都十分勤劳，也很用功读书。虽然老师会给他们很多功课，但是他们都没有埋怨。他们每天都会很晚才睡觉，因为他们都在复习作业，做作业。我觉得这种精神是值得我们学习的，就算我们有多少功课，我们也尽量不要埋怨老师，而是尽快把功课做好。而且，当老师问问题时，班上的同学都会积极地回答。这种积极的精神也值得我们学习。当老师问问题时，我们应该要积极地回答。这种行为也是对老师的一种尊敬。我也发现了合肥45中的学生上课时没有开所有的风扇。当我问我的伙伴时，我才明白他们这么做是为了要帮学校省电！我觉得他们很伟大，因为他们竟然选择不要开风扇为自己的学校省电。

     在这个学习之旅，我真正明白“世上无难事只怕有心人”的道理。当我在爬黄山时，我很多时候都想放弃，因为我觉得太辛苦了。但是，因为有了老师和同学的鼓励以及支持，我坚持下去，再辛苦也一定要继续爬黄山。我为自己感到骄傲，因为当我遇到挫折我也没有轻易放弃。

     还有，我一直问自己这个问题，为什么中国人似乎不注重自己国家的卫生呢？例如有些中国的厕所很肮脏，但是很多当地人并不把这件事放在眼里。难道这是因为他们习惯了吗？我非常好奇这一点因为我绝对不要新加坡的厕所肮脏。

    总的来说，在这次的学习之旅，我的收获很大。我学习了很多也与班上的同学、老师创造深刻的回忆。我更了解我的老师，也学会独立，怎么自己照顾自己。中国的确与新加坡不同，我也感谢学校给我们这个机会到安徽学习。安徽的确是个漂亮的地方，我会想念安徽的，也会想念2E 共同的回忆。

Yeo Yu Zhen (23) 2E

Trip Advisor

美味厨酒楼

🌟🌟 2/5 stars

We do not find the food very appetizing and the dishes mainly consist of  vegetables. The plates and utensils are not very clean too. The toilets are quite dirty and some toilets have no flush and door, thus this will cause inconvenience to people. However, we do appreciate the fact that there were quite a number of dishes for us to enjoy but we find that it is actually also a waste of food if we cannot finish it. 

High Speed Rail

🌟🌟🌟3/5 stars 

The ride was comfortable and many of us could sleep on the train. Although we were grateful that there were toilets in the train, to our disappointment, the toilets were in a mess. Many pieces of tissue paper were all over the toilet, and the flush might not work sometimes. However, the high speed rail ride was definitely fast and we managed to reach Hefei in three to four hours! The air-ventilation was also quite good. The staff was polite and they answered our questions patiently. During the ride, there would also be food services and there were always cleaners cleaning the train constantly. We were thankful for the cleaners as they cleaned the train just to let the passengers have a comfortable ride till their destination. We managed to get a good rest while on the high speed rail.

San He Gu Zhen

🌟🌟🌟 🌟4/5 stars 

We noticed that most of the shops sold the same items, including food etc. The place was quite deserted. Of course, we checked the toilet and we found the toilets okay. 三河古镇looked like an old Chinese village which was very different from Singapore. It was rich with Chinese culture and history and I learnt about many legendary people like 孙立人who lived in 三河古镇 before. We also visited some museums there with exhibits and realistic wax figures. We got to see how people in china lived in the past and it was very different from how their life is now. No doubt, San He Gu Zhen was interesting for us because we were exposed to the unique and different culture in Anhui. Thus, we rated it 4/5 stars. The tour guide was also good in explaining the facts about San He Gu Zhen but we felt that she should have gathered our attention first before speaking as most of us were either busy taking pictures or looking at the scenery and architecture. Thus, some of us could not understand things she had explained. 

RayFont Hotel (ShangHai)

🌟🌟 2/5 stars 

The hotel room was spacious and the beds were comfortable. There was even a balcony where we could enjoy the scenery outside. Therefore we were able to have a wonderful night after reaching Shanghai. However, there was no wifi in the hotel. Some of the faucets were not working properly and even after calling the staff, they did not fix it for us. This caused inconvenience for some of us as we had a difficult time washing our hands or brushing our teeth. Besides this, eveything is okay. 

Holiday Inn Express Hefei South

🌟🌟🌟🌟4/5 stars 

There is strong wifi in the hotel room and they have universal socket, which was definitely more convenient for us. The food the Holiday Inn provided also suits our appetite and they have a meeting room which allows meeting and easy discussion to take place. That was a good place for us to have our debrief every night.They have a minimart that sells a variety of items like food and water. The bed is very comfortable and the blanket is very soft. There are also 2 kinds of pillows to choose from, a soft and a hard one. The toilet is also quite big and clean however it is translucent and there is no lock. There is also a table for us to do our work. The Holiday Inn is also being environmentally friendly by pasting a notice on the bathroom wall to remind us to save water and to put used towels on the floor so that they can reduce the amount of detergent and water to wash the towels. This is really commendable! We enjoyed our stay at the hotel, thus we rated 4/5 stars :-) 

BeiHai Hotel

🌟🌟2/5 stars

Firstly, the windows are not closed and this caused unwanted pests like bugs to fly into our hotel rooms. Secondly, the bed is very hard. It is quite uncomfortable for us as we were not used to it. The hotel room is not as big as other hotels that we have gone to. Thus it is a bit cramped for some of us. There is also no lift and sometimes the television is not working properly. They also dont have toiletries and we have to use our own. However, we appreciated the fact that the hotel management provided winter jackets for us in the closet as it was quite cold on Huangshan in the morning. Therefore we rated 2/5 stars as we felt that the hotel has space for improvement. 

Jinling Yixian Hotel

🌟🌟🌟3/5 stars 

Some of us feel that the hotel is very dark and kind of creepy and there is insufficient lighting. However, the hotel room is quite spacious and big. The beds are also comfortable and cozy and there is a table for us to do our work. The television is working but there are not many tv channels to watch. The toilet is also very hygienic and we are quite satisfied with the hotel.

Rongding Hotel Huangshan

🌟🌟🌟🌟4/5 stars 

It is very big and there is a seminar room. The room provides water for us to drink too, this is definitely a considerate action. This hotel room is very large and can hold many people in a room. It is also well-furnished, and it looks inviting. Of course, the toilet is very hygienic. Thus we rated this place 4/5 stars.

Hefei No.45 Middle School

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

When we reached Hefei 45 Middle School, we were welcomed warmly by the teachers and students and they even gave us a gift. It was so polite and sweet for them. As a group, we went to the same class and attended the same lessons which were Physics, Chinese and Music. One class had many students probably around 58-64 students yet the classroom was around the same size as our classroom. Their table and chairs were also small and they had to share using the table and chair. When teachers asked a question, the students were very enthusiastic and eager to answer the question. However, their toilets were extremely dirty and there were flies. We did not even dare to go into the toilet and sometimes the stench of the toilet would waft in. The school was very small and the students in the class did not use fans and lights in some of the classrooms so that they could save electricity. Wow, we definitely did not expect that. We rated 3/5 stars and we were definitely glad that we had to chance to visit Hefei 45 Middle School! We hope that the toilet facilities in their new campus would be improved.

Anhui Museum

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

The building is very nice and big. There are descriptions for every historical item. The guide is very good at explaining and we learned a lot after listening to the guide. We were exposed to more of China's history like how some of the historical things were invented and how people in china lived in the past.

China Intangible Cultural Park

🌟1/5stars

When we arrived there, the place was completely deserted and we were the only tourists there. They abused animals. The things there are very old and not well-maintained. We rated this place 1/5 stars because we didn't approve of the way the people treated the animals. They hit the animals with a rod just to force them to perform, abusing the animals. Yes, we could understand that the people wanted to earn a living but did they have to abuse the animals? They could have encouraged the animals instead of hitting them if they chose to keep the animals. After the visit to China Intangible Cultural Park, we understood the difference in Singapore and China's culture. In some of the exhibits of the old houses, we also realised that some of the workers were sleeping inside the houses and there was litter all over the place. It was not a very pleasant place to visit.

Huangshan Scenic Area

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars 

It is a magnificent and beautiful place and the air is very fresh. But the cable car ride up the mountain was very squeezy. The shops sell things at the top of the mountain at an expensive price. Breathing the fresh air and looking at this wonderful scenery at Huangshan is just too amazing and unbelievable for some of us. It was good exercise climbing up Huangshan. However, we realised that all the resources the people needed up on Huangshan, including tourists' luggage and vegetables, were brought up by hand by the Chinese workers. It was a very tiring task for them and we feel that the Chinese government should find a way to solve this problem, or make the lives of these workers easier.  Overall, we had enjoyed our stay at Huangshan very much.  A must place to go! 

Xidi and Hongcun villages

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

We learnt alot of things there. The guide was very detailed with the explanations. It was beautiful and we learnt about how people in china lived in the past. There were shops selling all kinds of different things there. The scenery there was so beautiful that there were some locals sitting by the pond to draw and paint. It was a place different from Singapore.

Huishang big house

🌟🌟 2/5 stars

It is very big. We learnt alot there like who lived in this place. Like the other places we had visited earlier on, the houses and exhibits were almost the same. We realised that the way people lived in the past is very different from now and how much technology has changed.

West Lake Cruise

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

The scenery is very beautiful but the life jackets are very old and dusty. It is very hard to wear and there are no instructions given. They did not brief us on any safety precautions and there was nobody on duty to keep an eye on the customers. We feel that the people should brief us on safety precautions just in case any accidents happen. The area beneath the seats were also very dirty and we could tell that it was not cleaned frequently. Overall the ride was okay and it was quite enjoyable.

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Yue fei Mausoleum

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

We learnt a lot about Yue Fei there. For example, General Yue Fei, the national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty, was born in a poor and humble family. But he later became an accomplished general and a man of integrity, and we should all learn from them. The tour guide was also clear in her explanation. There were many pictures of yue fei and we learnt about how he was like in the past. 

Tunxi ancient street

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars 

Along the street there are many shops that have existed for over one hundred years. Curios and knick-knacks including inkstones, brushes, local teas, and Mao badges can also be found. It appears to accompany the development of Chinese Hui Businessmen where shops are mad of bricks etc. There is nothing much to buy there except for some food like tea, cakes etc and souvenirs. There was also another food street selling the local delicacies. The things there are mostly quite cheap. It is really fun to experience shopping in china. We had bought many things at cheap prices! It is a paradise for tourists to buy souvenirs rich in Chinese culture with comparatively lower prices and is a must-see when you are traveling in Huangshan City.

Changi Airport

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

It is very clean. The crew on the plane is very polite and attractive. There are a variety of things to buy at Changi Airport. The toilets are also extremely clean. Everything is very wonderful. The terminal that we were on was very Eco-friendly as the ceilings were made of adjustable windows according to how bright the sun was and the temperature of the aircon was according to how crowded the area was.

Shanghai Airport

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

There is not much things to buy there and all the restaurants sell very expensive food. The shops mostly close quite early and the staff attitude is not very good. For example, the staff ignored one of our group members because she didn't call the staff 小姐. We feel that staff's attitude is very important because if the staff's attitude is not good, no one will want to come to the shop anymore. We feel that feel that some of the shops and restaurant at shanghai airport should be open 24 hours as there are flights and tourists arriving at the airport at every single time of the day and if there are no shops to shop around and no food to eat, tourists will be very bored.

http://www.123rf.com/photo_8344860_night-scene-of-shanghai-s-pudong-international-airport-terminal-t2.html

OELP reflections

25/5/14

Today was the first day of our tour. It was also my first time riding the high speed rail. Compared to the MRT we have in Singapore, it is very different as the trains in china are bigger, they travel longer distances and the passengers are also allowed to eat and drink in train cabins. Our train ride took 4 hours and it travelled at about 250km/h. When we arrived at our destination, I realised that the roads in china did not have clear lanes where vehicles could travel and it was quite dangerous. We could hear incessant car horning non-stop. After that, we went to三河古镇. It looked like an old Chinese village which was very different from Singapore. It was rich with Chinese culture and history and I learnt about many legendary people like 孙立人who lived in 三河古镇 before. We also visited some museums there with exhibits and realistic wax figures. I learnt about how people in china lived in the past and it is very different from how their life is now, this also shows how much technology has improved over the years.

 

26/5/14

Today we went to Hefei no. 45 Middle School. After I met my buddy, we went to have lessons together. What surprised me the most was how noisy the class was before their lesson started as everyone was talking very loudly. This was probably because the class had about 60 pupils,which was almost twice the number of pupils in our class. As a result of the large number of pupils in each class, the classroom was pretty cramp. The lessons were all taught in Chinese and it was quite hard to follow what the teacher was talking about at times because the lessons in Singapore were mostly taught in English. As I was attending the lessons with my buddy, I realised that the students in china were very proactive and responsive. When a teacher asked questions, most of the students would raise their hands and were very eager to answer the questions. However, in class in Singapore, when the teacher poses a question, only a few students will take the initiative to answer the questions. This is one thing that we can learn from the Chinese students, to be more proactive. Also, the students in china were allowed to wear their own clothes to school. In the afternoon, the students would go home for lunch and return back to school a few hours later to continue having lessons. I like the time system in Singapore better, because our school hours seem to be shorter and we can easily buy food in school instead of going home for lunch.During the lunch break, i went to a local supermarket with my buddy and I also visited her house. We tried some Chinese food with her parents and chatted. I was glad to have met my buddy and hope to keep in touch with her for a long time. When the day ended, a hot topic among our Singapore teachers and classmates were the toilets in Hefei no. 45 middle school. I did not get the chance to try using the toilets there but from what I heard, they were really dirty and unhygienic. From the classroom, I could already smell the urine scent which was not very pleasant. But if we look at this from another perspective, this could be to their advantage as the students would not try to skip class by using going to the toilet as an excuse. In conclusion, I feel that the schools in China and Singapore are very different and both have their good points. It was a good experience for me, attending the classes in China. 

5 things I like about Rv:

-Clean toilets. Compared to the toilets in china, our school toilets are cleaner and I learnt not to take them for granted from now on.

-Smaller class sizes. When the class is smaller, we will not make so much noise when teachers are not around and teachers can pay more attention to students during lessons.

-CCA. This is something that is not found in china schools and I think it is useful for us as we get to learn a new skill and gain experience through the many activities  that are offered.

-Facilities. We are very fortunate to enjoy so many facilities in Rv that help in our learning and make school life easier, like science labs, lecture theaters, auditorium and the field. 

-Lessons taught in English. English is a universal language and it is beneficial for us to be able to understand it well. Also, lessons are easier to understand when they are taught in English.

27/5/14

Today we went to Anhui museum. It was a very big and beautiful building. There, a museum guide brought us around the museum and introduced the many different exhibits to us. We saw many different exhibits and learnt about how people in china lived in the past and what they used. I realised that the daily tools that they used were very different from what we have now, for example the houses or plates that the Emperor of China used. I feel very amazed looking at the artifacts, as I have never seen or used them before. The museum had many different kinds of interesting exhibits and I now have a deeper understanding of China's history. Next, we went to 中国非物质遗产园. This was definitely one of the attractions that left a deeper impression on me. When we arrived at our destination, it was surprisingly quiet and we barely saw any tourists or visitors there. Most of the things there were also very old. First, we watched a chicken fight. It was my first time watching something like that and it was really and eye-opener for me. However, I realised that the chickens there were probably mistreated because they seemed exceptionally violent and we were told to stay away from them. The chickens were very skinny and the workers let them fight until their feathers were dropping. We also witnessed a dog and horse race. These "performances" made me feel a little uncomfortable because the animals all looked very unhealthy and the workers were only focused on letting them race each other, not caring about the animals' well-being. After that, we went to watch a circus performance. We were almost the only spectators there. I I could tell that the performances were not very well-planned. For example, the first performance involved tigers. But when the tigers did not follow instructions to perform as planned, they would receive beatings by the other performers. This is a form of animal abuse and should be stopped. It also dawned on me that perhaps these workers did not want to abuse these animals, but they have no choice but to do so as they have to earn a living. We should look at things from different perspectives and not put all the blame on the workers of the attraction. I am very relieved that this situation is not found in Singapore as it is wrong.

COLOUR: GREY

SYMBOL: 

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28/5/14

Finally it was the day to go to Huangshan. After a four-hour-plus bus ride, we took a cable car up to huangshan. Then we walked to our hotel on huangshan, “北海宾馆”。After leaving our bags at the hotel, we continued to climb the mountain. Even though the path was stable and nicely paved, it was very tiring as there were many steps. Luckily, we did not give up and persevered on until we reached the top. Along the way, I saw something that I had never seen before: Male workers carrying shoulder poles climbing up the mountain. The items that they were carrying up includes tourists' luggage, rice and other daily necessities needed up on Huangshan. Whenever we saw these workers, we would keep to one side of the path as quickly as possible as it is obviously very tiring for them to be climbing up with such heavy weights on their shoulders. I feel that there is space for improvement on how things are carried up to Huangshan. Perhaps the Chinese government can come up with facilities that can help these workers and lessen their burden. From this, I learnt not to take things that we have for granted and treasure them. For example, when we were eating at the hotel up on huangshan, I would try not to waste the food because they were so painstakingly brought up by the workers. This experience at Huangshan was an eye-opener and it has taught me the meaning of perseverance and treasuring what we have.

29/5/14

This is the second day of our stay at Huangshan. We even woke up at 4 am just to catch the sunrise at Huangshan. But it was all worth it after looking at the beautiful view up on the mountain. After breakfast, we continued to climb Huangshan and went to the cable car station. I liked the cable car ride as it was not too slow and we could enjoy the view of Huangshan that was very precious and beautiful. This experience at Huangshan is very memorable and I will remember it for a long time. After leaving Huangshan, we headed to 西递宏村. It is located at 黟县. The tour guide told us that 宏村was previously called 弘村 and has 900 years of history. From the top, 宏村 has the shape of a cow, with the many parts of the village making up for the different parts of the cow. This village design makes the lives of the villagers easier as they can obtain water very conveniently. 宏村 has many old buildings and houses, like 乐叙堂. There are also a few beautiful lakes there. As I walk along the village, i see many people sitting along the lakes, painting the scenery on a canvas or drawing it on paper. This is a culture that is rarely seen in Singapore and it just shows how beautiful 宏村 is. 

30/5/14

Today was a very busy day as we went to 西递、歙县, Tangyue、徽商大宅院 and attended a seminar at our hotel. Most of these places we went were old Chinese villages and old houses that the merchants of Anhui lived. I felt that most of the places that we went looked the same and we learnt how the people in china lived in the past. In Tangyue, there were many archways built to commemorate what many individuals did for China. Luckily, there were signboards beside each archway and it really helped us understand more about each archway. The seminar we attended was very helpful to us as we learnt many things about anhui. It was quite easy to understand the contents of the seminar and I learnt quite a lot. However, I felt that the seminar should have been arranged for us to attend it at the start of the trip instead of at the end, so that we would have a deeper background knowledge of China and understand what we are taught during the trip.

31/5/14

Sadly, today is the last day of our OELP trip. We went to Tunxi ancient street and took west lake cruise and 岳王庙. Tunxi ancient village is a good place for tourists to buy local goods. I tried the red tea and green tea there ,as well as some biscuits. There were many different flavors for the biscuits, like sesame and peanut. It was very delicious. Many of us bought food and tea. There are a few streets of different styles in Tunxi and some of them sold food while others sold souvenirs. After that, we took a bus to Hangzhou and took the West Lake Cruise. It was a nice boat ride as we could see the beautiful lake and feel the cool sea breeze. One of the attractions of West Lake was was the Long Bridge. The tour guide told us that the history of the bridge had to do with a love story that happened during 南宋时期. The main characters of the story were 梁山伯 and 祝英台. They were very much in love with each other and could not separate on the Long Bridge. Thus, they walked along the bridge for very long, giving it the name "long" bridge.  Lastly, we went to 岳王庙. It is located at Hangzhou West Lake and it was build to commemorate 岳飞's contributions during 南宋时期. There were many things related to 岳飞 in the temple and I learnt more about him through the tour around the temple. Just like that, it was the end of our OELP trip. We went to many places and learnt more about the Chinese culture. It was a rare opportunity and it was an eye-opener that broadened our horizons.

Gwen Su (18)

2E

OELP Reflections

25/05/14

It is finally Day 1! We took the high-speed rail to transfer from Shanghai to Hefei. I was very excited about it as it was my first time taking a high speed rail. When I saw the train, it looked really cool and the outside making me even more eager to take the ride. However, the waiting time was a bit too long. When I board the train, it felt more comfortable then I expected. The seats were not very squeezy too. Since the ride there requires 4 hours, I managed to catch some sleep. During the ride, there will be food services. There are also cleaners constantly cleaning the train. I went to the toilet and I was surprised to find out that the toilets are in the dirty mess. After seeing that, I ended up not going to the toilet. XD Throughout the ride, I spent most of the time sleeping and there was no entertainment at all so it was actually boring. Nonetheless, I am satisfied to get an opportunity to board a high speed rail. After that, we went to Sanhe guzhen. It was an old historical place and there were houses of the olden people. I learnt about 孙立人 and other history of the locations present last time. It was a rare opportunity to be able to visit these places. I was able to gain more knowledge through this trip and look at the historical places. After that, we ate dinner and returned to our hotel. I looked forward to visiting my china buddy's school.

26/05/14

Today, we are to going to Hefei No. 45 Middle School. I was very excited and nervous about my buddy. When we entered the school gate, a group of china students who were most likely our buddies. We took a picture together and were given a souvenir. Next, we went to our buddies' classroom and had lessons with them. We had physics lesson where the teacher taught a lot of different kinds of formulas to use when doing the questions. However, I wasn't able to understand. I realised that they had hung famous sayings or quotes on the wall to encourage the students to study hard. The class that I went to had the quote "不为失败寻借口，只为成功找方法". I find it very meaningful and maybe our class can have that to encourage everybody? My buddy is called Tao Ran and she is very friendly and open-minded. She told me that her class consisted 61 students and the whole level had 18 classes, thus it was very competitive. I realised that they china students are very enthusiastic and participated in the lessons actively. I think we could learn from their attitude towards learning and perhaps we would be able to perform better. There was a break for the students to go home for lunch at 11am till 2pm. And after that, they would resume their lessons till 5-6pm. At the last period, they would be given a time to do their homework. The class chairperson decided to give us the time to interact with the class. However, all of us didn't talk much and only gave a brief introduction of ourselves and answered their questions like "What do we do after school or during freetime". After school, we went to our own buddy's house. Her parents was very caring and friendly towards me and kept asking me to eat more at dinner so after that, I was already very full. My buddy also told me that she is very busy with schoolwork everyday. They had to continue to study or do their homework even after school till 11pm. I felt that they were very hardworking and led a stressful life. Also, even during holidays, it is like "extended study hall" for them and their parents would enroll them in more classes. Finally, it was time to say goodbye. She gave me a present and we promised to stay in contact. After which, we went to back to our hotel reluctantly.

5 things i like about RV and why:

1) Clean toilets. According to Mr Wong, the toilets were an "eye-opener" as it is very dirty. I went to a classroom which was near the boys toilet. Even at a distance, I can smell the disgusting smell coming out from the toilet and there were flies around. 

2) Not as stressful as them. After going to their school, I found out they were very stressed as they had almost no playtime or time to relax. They had to study hard in a competitive environment and for their future.

3) A spacious classroom. Their classroom size is okay however there are too many students in the class and I find it squeezy. However, our classrooms are big and spaced out.

4) More facilities. Compared to them, we had a lot of facilities that are catered to us.

5) Canteen. We have a canteen which sells a variety of food and place for us to relax but they dont have one.

27/05/14

Today, we went to Anhui Museum and I understood a lot about Anhui. I remembered the 文房四宝 which are something like the four treasures and they are the brush, ink,  paper and ink block. I also understood about the olden lifestyle of people from Anhui. We also went to China Intangible Cultural Heritage Park. We saw performances by animals such as chicken fight, horse race, dog race and a performance by tiger and lion. I was really upset after watching the chicken fight because they are fighting with each other until they are hurt and their feathers are flying all over and we could see their flesh. Also, this would be a very bad influence to the younger ones. We also saw the performance of the lions and tigers where they are forced to perform and was being shouted or beaten if they do not do it properly. This made me feel really sad for the animals as they had to be trapped there for their whole life. We left early as it was too inappropriate. Then, we had a great time at the playground.

28/05/14

Today, we went to Huangshan. We took a cable car ride to the top of the mountain and I was very eager to see the beauty of Huangshan. However we would have to climb Huangshan in order to take a look at the breathtaking scenery. After settling down at the hotel, we started climbing  Huangshan. We were told to be climbing for 2 hours long which was something I could not imagine. Soon, we started climbing. At the start, I was feeling just fine but halfway through, I already felt like giving up. But since I've already climbed halfway, I should continue or else everything would go into a waste. Everybody cheered one another on and after a long dreadful time, we finally reached the top. We took lots of photos of the scenery. The air was really fresh and I was glad I did not give up as the scenery was really beautiful. After that, we were given free time to explore more or go back to the hotel. Since my legs are feeling really tired, I decided to go back to the hotel. However, the distance back to the hotel seemed really longer and further than I though. It was then I realised how much I've climbed. We ate dinner that night and played games. Then, the day ended with more free time for us. 

29/05/14

It was 4am and we had to wake up. We had to climb a short distance up to look at sunrise. I had never seen the sunrise before so I was really looking forward to it. It was really cold in the morning and we had to wore big jackets to keep us warm. After making our way up, I was disappointed that there were already so many tourists crowding at the place. I was unable to take a look at the sunrise properly:( Then, we went back to sleep and went for breakfast. After breakfast, we took a bus ride to YiXian. We went to Hongcun and learnt more about the history. I loved the lake at Hongcun as it was really beautiful and peaceful there. There are also a lot of people drawing the scenery of the lake. Then, we went to eat dinner and went back to the hotel. I felt that today was quite relaxing for everyone.

30/05/14

Today, we went to a lot of places at. They are Huishang big house, Huizhou Ancient City, Tangyue. There were a lot for us to absorb that day and I found out that actually certain places looked alike. At the night, we had a lecture. I was able to learn more about Anhui in depth and it was a very meaningful lecture. At the end, we had our last meeting which was sad and Mr Wong showed us magic tricks and we were off to sleep.

31/05/14

Time passed very quickly and its already the last day. We went to shop Tunxi Ancient Street and some of my classmates went to buy tea. I went with some of my friends to the further part of the street but to my disappointment I was not able to buy what I wanted. I drank a big cup of bubble tea which is really cheap and delicious too. We went to Hangzhou and took the West Lake Cruise. Although this is my second time going Hangzhou, I still loved it a lot especially the Cruise. Next, we went to the Yue Fei Mausoleum where we left hurriedly after a short while. Since everyone felt like eating fast food, we left for the airport early and had more time to look around at the airport. After eating dinner, we had to get ready for departure. However, the flight was delayed and we were given a voucher to eat. Although we were very full, I went to eat Ajisen Ramen with my friends. Then, we went back to Singapore. This trip is really fun and it is definitely worth it. 

Teo Lian Wei Vesy(20)

2E

OELP reflections

Day 1 25 May 2014

Today, we all woke up early and we took the High-speed rail from Shanghai to Hefei. It was a really fun and interesting experience because it was my first time taking high-speed rail. It took around 4 hours and we spent time sitting in the train, talking with teachers and friends and sleeping. I was indeed surprised by the high-speed rail because it travelled many kilometers per hour, totally different from the trains in Singapore. After we left the station, I was shocked at the roads in china. There were so many cars and it was really dangerous if we walked slowly as the cars might just drive in. After that, we went to a restaurant to eat. To be honest, I disliked some of the dishes that were being served and mostly contained vegetables. I was kind of sad that many dishes contained vegetables and some of us disliked them. After eating, we went to 三河古镇. It is about 40 km south of the city lies Sanhe Ancient Town. With a history of over 2,500 years, the town has well-preserved examples of ancient architecture and streetscapes, and is also celebrated for its cuisine. We learned a lot of stuff and also took many photographs as memories to be preserved. We also learned about famous people such as 孙立人, who was best known for his leadership in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War and 杨振宁 was the first Chinese man to win a Nobel award in physics. There were also people selling things like food to the tourists. After that we went to have our dinner and we enjoyed it more than lunch. 

Day 2 26 May 2014

Today we visited 合肥45中 and I met my buddy! She was the class chairperson and a very friendly person. When the teacher was having lessons, she would kindly explain to me what the teacher was talking about. We had Physics, Chinese, Music and history lessons together. However, I had a hard time understanding the lessons because the teachers taught the pupils in Chinese. This was different from Singapore because teachers in Singapore will teach the lessons in English except for mother tongue lessons. One thing I noticed about the students in 合肥45中 was they were very proactive in lessons. Whenever the teacher asked a question, they would shout our their answers. I felt that I should learn from them and try to be more proactive in lessons as answering the teachers' questions is also a form of respect to them.I love going to Hefei 45 Middle School the most, as I get to experience the education system in China. We learn to be appreciative of what we have in RV due to the better facilities in our school as compared to the schools in China. ( toilets, tables, chairs etc) the tables and chairs are small, sometimes unstable and some of the students even have to squeeze and share the chairs and tables. They also do not have as many facilities as compared to us. We should also learn from these students' studying attitude as they listen to the lessons attentively, strive to complete their work on time even if they have to sacrifice their sleep and they always have the determined mindset to succeed.

Also, I realised that when the students were having lessons, they would not switch on all the fans and lights to save electricity for the school. I feel that they were very responsible because they knew that they had to save electricity for the school at such a young age. It was indeed commendable. The school's toilets were smelly and we didn't dare to go into the toilets. Their lessons ended at around 5pm. It was so long. 

After that, we went to our buddy's house to look at life in China. I noticed that the roads were dirty and full of rubbish. I feel that we should not litter our surroundings as littering the environment is a very irresponsible act. In Singapore, first-time littering offenders who discard minor litter such a sweet wrappers improperly are liable for a $300 fine! Those offenders who throw larger items such as plastic bags can go up to a fine of $1000! The fine for repeated offenders may go up to $5000. This shows that singapore government is taking littering seriously and we should all strive to keep our environment clean. Littering has a negative impact on the people and the environment as well, for example pests transmit diseases which can make the people sick. 

From the trip to school, I have learned more about how the people in China study and some things that we should learn and not learn from them. When I went to my buddy's house, her parents welcomed me warmly and even let me try some food like 粽子. It was sweet and I had never tried it before. We then continued to talk and they asked me about crime rate in Singapore and taxes that we had to pay. Although we only met each other for a day, we got along really well. We promised to keep in touch by emailing one another when I return to Singapore. We had lots of fun and I knew an interesting fact. In a supermarket, they would lock the item so that it would not be stolen. For example, they locked the ferrero rocher chocolate to prevent it from being stolen. 

Group Photo with our buddies :-) 

5 things I like about River Valley☺️: 

1. Toilets. The toilets in our school are really clean as compared to those in China. I learn to appreciate the toilets we have in RV and thankful for the hard work our school cleaners who clean them. 

2. Class size is small. In 合肥45中, a class has approximately 58 to 62 students. However in RV, a class has around 30-34 students. I would prefer the class size to be small as the class will be very noisy if there are many students. Also, two students had to share a table and some other students had to share tables with more than two people. It was very cramped. I was happy that everyone in our class can have a table and a chair. 

3. Shorter school hours. We end school at an earlier time than the students at around 2.30pm excluding cca and stuff. However they end school at around 4:45/5pm. They will have very little time to complete their homework and rest. 

4. There is a canteen in RV . In 合肥45中, there is no canteen to sell them food during recess and lunch. Therefore they have to go out to have their own lunch before coming back to school. I find it very troublesome because you have to go back home to have lunch and to come back to school again. Thus I feel very grateful that we have a canteen in RV to sell us food, more convenient for us and we do not have to waste time going home. 

5. Better facilities. The school in China did not have much facilities and thus they could not experience more things. Therefore I am grateful that RV has many facilities, for us to experience new stuff and to gain knowledge. Having better and more facilities can also lead to more fun activities being planned and easier way of learning. 

Day 3 27 May 2014 

We went to Anhui Museum. We saw many antique objects and we learned a lot about China's past. Also we learned about Anhui Four Treasures of the study, the Xuan Paper ( Materials and making of the Xuan paper ). Brushes were made of horns of animals. A highlight of the exhibition is the Shang bronze unearthed in Anhui Province, such as an exceptional Shang bronze pot in the shape of an animal unearthed from the Cai Marquis Tomb of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC). The ChuDing, which is 113 cm high and weighs 400 kilograms, is the biggest and heaviest extant one of its kind since the Zhou Dynasty. After that, we went to 中国非物质文化遗产园. At first I was interested to watch the chicken fight as it was my first time seeing chickens fight, but I totally regretted when I watched it. It was indeed heartbreaking as using chickens to earn money was just so downright cruel. We also watched dogs and horses raced. After that, we went to a circus to watch stunts performed by both animals like tigers and humans. I was really shocked when I saw how the tigers were treated. The people mistreated them and hit them with a rod when they refused to perform. I felt that they should not do that because the tigers also and their own lives. They should not torture and abuse them just to earn money for their own interests and for themselves to have a better life. However I also understood that they needed to earn money, but they should have used other ways to earn money instead of abusing the pitiful animals. We should cherish the tigers too. I feel that China should start to ban these type of activities and let the people know that animal abuse is wrong. It was indeed a sad day as I saw animals being abused in front of my own eyes. We then went to a playground to play. 

Colour : RED because red symbolizes prosperity and China is very prosperous in the past. 

Symbol : 

This is a picture of one of the many types of different buildings in the past. It shows how it is being built and the design of the infrastructure. 

Image : 

A picture of how the people in the past work and I am grateful for all the contributions they have done for us. 

Day 4 28 May 2014

We went to Huangshan! All of us were really excited. The bus ride was around 4 hours and we even stopped to buy some snacks so that we would not be hungry in the bus ride. After we reached, we took the cable car. The scenery was so beautiful! All of us were busy taking pictures of the scenery. After that, we had a 1 hour climb so that we would reach our hotel rooms to put our bags in. When we reached our hotel rooms, we put our bags and continued with the climb. No doubt, the climb was really tiring and the steps seemed to be endless. However, all of us persevered and continued to climb. Nobody gave up. Everyone started cheering and supporting one another whenever somebody felt like giving up. We had lots of fun taking pictures and chatting. The weather was also wonderful, making the climb an enjoyable one. I enjoyed this climb a lot even though I felt that it was tiring. I learned to not give up easily, and persevere till we succeed. 

Day 5 29 May 2014 

We woke up at 4.30am to see the sunrise. It was really cold in the morning. I guess we were lucky especially because we got to see the sunrise even though we only had 50% chance. The sunrise was so beautiful and I am glad that we woke up early to see it. After that we also continued to climb to visit the scenic areas. We saw many monkeys and some people even took pictures with them. We also had lots of fun. Before we left Huangshan, we met an RV senior and sang the school song with him on the mountain. He still remembered the school song! I was really glad that we could meet our senior and even had the chance to sing with him. We then left and took the cable car again. We went to hong cun ancient village and learned a lot of nothing's about. Hongcun like who built it. It is a really beautiful place, with clear lakes and old houses. Hongcun was founded in 1131 by Wang Wen, a Han dynasty general, and his kinsman Wang Yanji, who brought their families from Qisu village to the upper part of the stream near Leigang Mountain and built 13 houses there. The village knew two periods of great prosperity, 1401-1620 and 1796-1908. The Wang family became officials and merchants and accumulated enormous wealth, which they used to endow their home village with many fine buildings. Around 1405, on the advice of geomancers, a channel was dug to bring fresh water to the village from the West Stream. Some 200 years later, the water supply system of the village was completed with the creation of the South Lake.

Day 6 30 May 2014 

We went to many places as compared to the other days. The first place that we went, Xidi Ancient Village. The buildings are also very old. We went to Huishang big house, Shexian, and Tangyue too. Xidi is actually very similar to Hongcun. Xidi was originally called Xichuan (West River), because of the streams that pass through it. It owes its growth to the Hu family from Wuyuan (Xinan), who adopted a son of the Tang Emperor Zhaozong (888-904) after the Emperor was forced from his throne in 904, naming him Hu Changyi. One of his descendants moved his family from Wuyuan to Xidi in 1047. The construction of a number of important private and public buildings began at around that time. I learnt  one type of architecture, which was called 马头墙 and was set up on the roof of all residences. The purpose was to prevent fire from spreading to other houses in case of emergency, when a fire happens in the vicinity or the neighborhood.After that,we listened to a talk about Anhui. I learned a lot from his talk and became even more fascinated about Anhui's culture. This had indeed widened my knowledge. We were grateful for the talk given by the professor. After that we had a class bonding time. We bonded more with our classmates and learned to support one another. 

Day 7 31 May 2014

It is the last day of our trip already. We finally got to shop! We visited  Tunxi Ancient Street to buy some stuff for our family and friends. I bought Chinese tea and some Anhui local food to let my parents try. After that, we transfered to hangzhou and took a boat across 西湖. The boat ride took around 20minutes. The water was about 1.5 meters deep, and the boat was also traveling slowly, making it a safe ride. We also took many photographs of the beautiful 西湖 while listening to the tour guide talk. After this, we went to Yue Fei Mausoleum and we learned that he was a hero who sacrificed a lot for his country. I guess people in china really admire and respect him that they specially built a temple about him. Then we were leaving China and going home. I really  missed the times we had together. I appreciate the school giving us a chance to go overseas with our classmates. In this trip, our class had bonded more and we supported one another in times of difficulty. We shared food, listened to each other's troubles, played together, had fun with one another. Anhui is indeed a beautiful place. I had learned a lot after going on this trip, for example, Anhui's food and culture, differences between China and Singapore's cultures, differences between people in China and us etc. I will want to go on such a trip again. 

In conclusion, we have learned a lot during this OELP trip. We learned about Anhui's culture, food, people, architecture and more. We learn to look at things in a different perspective. For example, we first thought that people in China talk loudly and that they are rude. However, they are not rude at all. They are just used to talk loudly. This is because there are about 58 to 63 students in a class. The teachers have no time to focus on every student and the Students have to fight to answer the teachers whenever they ask a question in an orderly manner. Thus the students have to speak loudly so that they will be heard by the teachers. Also, there are many people in China. If you are walking outside you are bound to be surrounded by traffic everywhere, which means that it will be quite noisy. To listen and communicate with someone effectively, even if they are right next to you, you need to raise your voice otherwise you will have to constantly repeating yourself. this shows that people in china are just used to talking loudly in public and does not necessarily mean that they are rude. 

We have gone to many historical places in Anhui which include San He Gu Zhen, Anhui Museum, Xidi and Hongcun ancient villages and more. We now know more about historical figures and their contributions (for example. Yue Fei )  and what they did in the past. However, Singapore does not have as many historical sites than China due to the limited land area. But both countries do have historical sites for the younger generation to learn more about them. We hope that Singapore can build more historical sites.

At Huangshan, we learn to be more determined and to always persevere even when we face obstacles. Indeed, Not everyone in our class is sporty and likes to exercise, and to these people, climbing a mountain is definitely a challenge. But, with perseverance and resoluteness, we managed to climb Huangshan as a class. We supported one another  when some of us felt like giving up while climbing Huangshan. We also sang songs to cheer one another up. We bonded as a class and this was definitely a good opportunity for us to forge new friendships and mend broken ones.This was also an important lesson as we learned that friends are important in our life and will always be there for us. 

We are thankful for the opportunity the school has given us as this was a good chance for us to expose ourselves to a different environment and broaden our knowledge. This OELP trip has also prepared us for the leadership opportunities in the upcoming years. We also have less homework and projects as compared to our seniors therefore we can have more time to discuss and reflect about the trip. this OELP trip has enabled us to be more mature, responsible as we take care of our partners and own valuables and to be critical thinkers. 

Yeo Yu Zhen (23) 2E

Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum!

Facts about Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum :-) 

Invested and built by Hangzhou Municipal Government, Hangzhou Arts & Crafts Museum is located in West (Gongchen) Bridge Historic Block and is adjacent to China Knife, Scissor and Sword Museum, China Umbrella Museum on the north, Dengyun Road on the south, Xiaohe Road on the west and Grand Canal on the east. The museum is rebuilt from the old workshop of Honglei Silk Mill and is the expanded and upgraded version the three national museum, i.e. China Knife, Scissor and Sword Museum, China Fan Museum and China Umbrella Museum.

The museum covers land area of 7571 square meters, building area of 5149 square meters and overall floorage of 18930 square meters. The third floor is a 3000sqm basic display area that is divided into four categories, i.e. carving, ceramics, embroidery, weaving, metalwork, folk arts and crafts, to comprehensively display Hangzhou’s development history and outstanding achievement arts and crafts. The second floor includes the master’s workshop and temporary exhibitions halls and is the platform for art exchanges and creation research. The first floor includes public service area, boutique exhibition area and specialized recreation area. With proper layout and complete function, the hall can meet demands for visiting, appreciation, study, exchange, shopping and recreation for visitors of various levels. Meanwhile, Hangzhou Teenager Culture and Creativity Training Center on 4th floor will make use of the rich cultural resources of the museum to promote enlightenment and development of arts and crafts in Hangzhou.

Opening Hour: 9:00-16:00 from Tuesday to Sunday (closed in Monday)