DAY 1 (25/4/14)
Today we took the High Speed Rail from Shanghai to HeFei and had lunch. Lunch today wasn't that satisfying and the toilets there totally disgust us but it wasn't that bad since we already had some mental preparation that the toilets in China will not be as clean as Singapore's. After lunch we went to 三河古镇 where I learnt a lot about some of the famous people in china history. 三河古镇 is a place with where many outstanding people in china's history resides. Some of the people i learnt about were 孙立人，李鸿章 and 杨振宁. One interesting fact i have learnt was that 杨振宁 was the Chinese man to receive a nobel prize and he specializes in physics.
Today, we went to 合肥45中 for a observation program. On our way there, the new tour guide told us many many facts about Anhui and HeFei. Some of the more interesting and new facts to me were that the happiness index of the people living in Hefei is the highest in the whole of China! I was very shocked by this fact. Next, HeFei has the highest increase of GDP for a consecutive 8 years! I have always thought that Hefei is a not so developed place in China but instead, it was the total opposite thus i was taken aback by this fact.
Next, after traveling on the bus for quite a period of time, we finally reached the school! Firstly, we went for class with our buddies. There are a few things that i have noticed about the differences in classes in China and Singapore. The students in china are really pro-active!! Whenever the teaches asks a question, the students will immediately shout out the answers. This leads me to my next point, i realised that the china students do not raise their hands before answering questions. In Singapore, it is a must to always raise our hands before talking in class as it is deemed as a form of respects towards to teachers. Also, they do not greet their teachers when they enter the classroom. It is a must for us to greet teachers when they enter the classroom as it is again, a form of respect. However, from their actions, we can see that they respect their teachers a lot although they do not do what singaporeans think is respectful. They also have a 10 min break after every 40 min class. I feel that Singapore schools should implement this so that we will not doze off so easily in class as we can use the break to rest and prepare for the next class. After having lessons with our buddies, they brought us out. My buddy brought me to her house and to the park.
After spending a day in the school with my buddy, i've discovered that they are many differences between the education system of China and Singapore.
5 things i love about RV:
-cleanliness
-hygiene
-quiet
-class size not too big
-classroom is big enough for a class
After a day in the school, i've realised that their toilets are very dirty and smelly. They have almost 60 students in a class with a very small classroom which makes their seats really cramped. They are also very noisy during their breaks which will get irritating sometimes. Therefore, i am thankful for the above 5 things mentioned.
DAY 3 (27/5)
Today, we went to the anhui museum in the morning. At the museum i've learnt about the different things used in different dynasties such as windows, pots and memorial archways. One of the more interesting part of the museum i that 文房四宝 gallery. There, i learnt more about how the paper is made, i also learnt that the 毛笔 are made of different animals' hair such as rooster and rat.
Next, we went to the intangible cultural heritage park. We went to watch rooster fighting, dog relay and a circus show. The rooster's feathers were dropping and its whole chest was red with many injuries. The dogs were so skinny that we can see its bones. The circus show started off with the circus master commanding the animals to do some acts. They beat them when the animals didn't obey them. I was very angry and sad. I feel that tigers should be living freely in the wild life but instead, they are captured and forced to perform these inhumane acts. Though animals are not like human, having to ability to talk, they still have a life and they still have feelings. I believe that everyone should have the freedom to not do things that they do not like. Likewise for animals, they also have a life and they should be living freely, wildly in the wild life instead of being enclosed in such a place getting tortured by, getting deprived of the rights they have. Although i am strongly against these acts of abuse, i also understand that the circus masters also have to make money to live. However i still think that this is a wrong way to make money. Being able bodied, they have many other choices to make money.
DAY 4 (28/5)
After breakfast at the hotel, we set off on a 4-hour bus journey to 黄山! After the long journey on the bus, we finally arrived at 黄山市. After lunch we boarded the bus again to the cable car. We then took the cable car up to 黄山 and climbed our way up.
After climbing countless flights of stairs, we finally reached the peak of 黄山!! The scenery up on 黄山 was totally breathtaking. It is no doubt a must-see in china. After exploring the mountains for quite some time, we headed back down to our hotel and had dinner. Sadly, we did not have any debrief tonight as we have to sleep well and wake up at 4am tomorrow to catch the sunrise!
DAY 5 (29/5)
Woke up at 4am today to see sunrise at huangshan!! The guide told us that there is only a 50% chance of us seeing the sunrise as it is spring now, however all of us woke up at 4.30 to see the sunrise. And we saw the sunriseseeeee!! It is my first time catching the sunrise and it was reaaaaallyyyyyy beeeaauutiifuull~ *.* no regrets waking up at such a unearthly hour to catch the sunrise!!
After breakfast we went back up the mountains and had some free time to explore 黄山! With such beautiful scenery, who wouldn't spam pictures up there? Coincidentally met a rv senior who graduated in 1967 up there and we sang the school song with him in 黄山! Before we know it, it already time for us to leave 黄山 and head to our next destination. Already missing the beautiful 黄山!
Next stop: yixian!
We visited yixian, a place with 200 years of history! They have a drain with steps above it to allow them to wash their clothes without obstructing the way. They also designed the houses in a way that if a fire breaks out, the houses surrounding it would not catch the fire.
Today, we went to visit many villages such as 徽商大宅院 and tangyue. I realised that although all the villages belonged to different people, they all looked rather similar. I especially like the village with the seven memorial archways, each with a different story and meaning behind it. Some of the stories behind the memorial archways are about loyalty, filial piety and chastity.
After visiting many villages today, we had a 2 hour lecture at night. The whole lecture allowed me to know more about Anhui's history, local food, and its famous people. It definitely increased my knowledge on Anhui!
After the lecture, we had a circle time. The circle time allowed us to know more about our classmates and made me reflect on myself and the trip. It made me think about the purpose of the trip and if i have achieved it. After watching the slideshow of all the pictures Mr Wong took, it made me really sad that this trip is coming to an end.
DAY 7 (31/5)
Time flies, today is already our last day of the trip. Cant help to feel sad that the trip i was looking forward to since the start of the year is ending...
We visited TunXi Ancient street in the morning to SHOP!! There were many things to buy there but however, we were only given 40 mins to shop which everyone thinks its not enough. One thing i've bought there was a fan where the owner would think of something meaningful out of your name and then write on the fan on the spot!
Next, we boarded the bus again towards Hang Zhou. After 2.5 hours of bus ride, we finally reached and had our lunch there. After lunch, we went to take a West Lake cruise. As it was a man-made lake, the scenery around it was not that nice but still, we took many pictures at the back of the boat and enjoyed the cruise!
After the cruise, we walked over to the Yue Fei Mausoleum. Yue Fei is a man who loved his country and was loyal to his country. There is a round shaped tomb at the end of the mausoleum where they say Yue Fei is buried in it. Many respected him a lot and paid respect to him.
We headed to the airport next. It is really sad to be leaving China, to be leaving the good times spent with our teachers and friends. We had dinner ourselves at the airport. We got some free coupons as our flight got delayed and since we already ate, we used the coupons to buy 2 ice-creams where we ate one ourselves and decided to give some random strangers the other one! Better to give than to receive :)
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