This OELP trip was definitely an eye opener for me. To be honest, I have never been to Shanghai or Yangzhou before. It is definitely a once in a lifetime experience in going to China with our classmates. From this trip, I have learnt many different cultures and values that the people in China have, while the people in Singapore do not. I have also observed the behavior of the people in particular places. These have made me wonder why they acted like this. But in a nutshell, the trip was definitely a fantastically superb one, and I had extremely lots of fun with not only my classmates, but with also the tour guide.
During the trip, our class went to many different places, some of which are tourist attractions, while the others are the ones which provide us with knowledge and a wider range of understanding. We have also went to a school in China, and interacted with the students there for 2 days. Over there, I have seen many different attitudes from the students and our local ones. I realized that they hardly ever drink water or go to the washroom in between lessons, unlike us, who takes the opportunity to go to the toilet every once in a while. The lessons being carried out are also very formal, and most lessons requires a microphone, so as to allow the students to concentrate on the lesson. Whenever they 起立 and 行礼, the students stand up very quickly, and when they greet the teacher, their body is at a 90 degrees angle. Our local students just take their time to stand up and moreover, they do sloppy greetings. Their actions made me extremely impressed with their school.
On the last day of our trip, we took the bullet train. I realized certain etiquettes the people over there have when they take trains. For example, in the train, the commuters try to keep their volumes down when they speak, so as to not disturb those who were sleeping. Also, in between the intervals of the train stops, the commuters let the other passengers alight first, instead of rushing into the train as fast as they can. These attitudes can hardly be seen in our country, in both MRT's and LRT's. It may be because the people want to grab a seat, however, I feel that such actions are just not necessary. There are certain areas that we definitely must learn from them.
I have also went to a Urban Planning Exhibition Hall in Shanghai. It had a lot of information, and it serves to remind the people of the past in Shanghai, and to show that Shanghai has went through a lot to be in its current state. Although Singapore have such art zones as well, I feel that the ones we have are a little boring. Perhaps we can add interactive games and colorful structures to attract more people to come.
In the trip, I went to 2 nice places. Shanghai and Yangzhou. I feel that Shanghai is a very modernized city with high rise skyscrapers and high class buildings. It is not surprising for it to be more prosperous than Yangzhou. On the other hand, I feel that Yangzhou is a very peaceful city, and the people living there have a very carefree life, as they enjoy and relax every single day. Shanghai has a fast paced life, while Yangzhou have a slowly paced life. Also, I realized that the people in Shanghai tend to relax themselves and drink coffee in shops, while the ones in Yangzhou are more active and they participate in different dances.
After this whole trip, and after reaching home, I felt that my home, Singapore, is still a way better place than China. Although it has warm weathers frequently, I feel that Singapore is a safe and prosperous country. Every country and city have their own lifestyles. Singapore's fits me the best, in my opinion. Maybe because I am too used to it! Although I feel that the pace in our lives in Singapore is too fast for me, I still enjoy my life here. I, am proud to be a Singaporean.
-Danson Tan (31) 2G
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