We also visited interesting parts of Taiwan like the natives and the Shih-Fen old town. I have learnt about the importance to preserve such cultures and to prevent them from being lost as well as have fun at the same time. I felt that the government have did a great job however it can be improved like the government could set up quiz to test people of their knowledge of Taiwan and even set up prizes for them to win if they manage to answer the questions correctly thus expanding people's knowledge about these cultures and also provide them with the benefits of prizes at the same time.
When we finally leaved Taiwan, it was a very sad occasion as we had to depart with the tour guide. The tour guide was a very caring and helpful in terms of queries on knowledge about Taiwan. I also recalled the interesting encounters like the ghost in the Ferrary hotel in Taiwan in which was not “real” and instead just imaginations. Our “neighbors” living beside us in the hotel even asked us and another room's people to join in in their room and to be safe from the so call “ghost”.
Sharlene: This class trip to Taiwan is an unforgettable one which our class has bonded a lot through getting scolded and learning as one. It is the most memorable among the few times I've been overseas. The trip to Taiwan has greatly increased my knowledge of Taiwan and learnt the differences between Taiwan and Singapore. I had learnt about the Taiwanese people, their education system, environmental ways and also that they take importance in preserving their history and culture. Lastly, I had learn to appreciate.
The Taiwanese people are courteous and demonstrated hospitality towards us, especially the students in the National Experimental High School. All of the students had made an effort to start a conversation with us when we first arrived the school and they offered help whenever they can. When we were finishing lunch, 2 students offered to bring us down to throw the unfinished food. They also gave a list of e-mails and names of theirs so that we can keep in contact with them after we leave the school. As well as being present and actively participating when we put up a performance for them. Their care and warmth made me feel very welcomed, and I'm keeping I'm contact with some of them online even until now! Yay! (Even though it's been only 1-2 weeks from the day we met them.)
They are also environmentally friendly as plastic bags are not provided when shopping. You will have to bring your own bag to contain all your products, reducing usage of plastic bags. At the school, we we're asked to throw the unfinished food into a separate bin and wash the empty lunch box. Then, we will throw the wooden chopsticks and lunch box into different bin. I think they will be recycled afterwards. There are also separate recycling bins located in public for different material so as to recycle the waste. Also, there also little dustbins located around in public but the streets in public and public transports, although allowed to consume food and drinks, are all very clean. By these observations, I think Taiwanese people are very serious in acting so environmentally-friendly and considerate.
The customer service in Taiwan is good as well. The store owners I met while shopping at Fenjia Night Market, Xi Men Ding and Shih-fen were kind and will even thank you when you walk out of their shop empty handed. I was very surprised because it was an act I do not see often in Singapore. When some of my friends and I went to buy some shirts or souvenirs, the store owner was friendly enough to start a conversation with us. When shopping at the night market, motorcycles and vans would drive closely to us and I think it is very dangerous and scary. Once oblivious due to the amazing food and products sold, there might be an accident. Also when taking the high speed train, there were no safety barriers along the edge of the platform like for MRT stations in Singapore. This had caused me to be more vigilant and to be more aware of my surroundings.
I think that the education in Taiwan is more relaxed due to the more time to rest in-between lessons. Although relaxing, their lessons are enriching and we can learn a lot from the one hour lesson. The 10-minute break between lessons for teacher's to extend the lessons by a few minutes to pack in what needs to be taught and students to prepare for the next lesson, and also the 25-minute nap time is important for students to re-energize for better learning. I do prefer Taiwan education system but I think Singapore's education system also has it's good points. Such as it is much stricter to foster discipline for those who can't demonstrate self-control. So as to achieve the best grades we can and for us to have good behavior.
Taiwan takes a lot of importance in preserving their history, culture and also learning from mistakes. There are many memorial halls built for the important figures in their country such as Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. Lugang Old Town allowed us to see the houses of the past preserved until now and also some of the temples, one being the Tian Hou temple. The Formosan Aboriginal Village that showcased the different cultures together with an amusement park as an attraction so that foreigners and locals will be interested for the culture and thrilling rides. 921 Earthquake Educational Park shows that Taiwan took importance in using an unfortunate event to teach and educate the people in interactive ways about safety and the importance to be ready when an emergency or crisis rises. Also, after visiting the historic places such as National Palace Museum and the memorial halls, I think that my knowledge of China/Taiwan history is very little and I cannot really catch up with the information told to us. Thus I hope to read up more about the history of China/Taiwan, the information will also benefit in the subjects we are learning currently for history and RV literature. But I am definitely more aware of the values and beliefs learnt from Taiwan! :)
I feel that appreciation is something we should not forget. The students at NEHS were looking at me with such dreamy eyes when they knew we were overseas as a class, and even shocked when they realised the whole cohort went overseas. They were exclaiming, "哇，好好玩哦!", "好羨慕。。。", "我也要出國!". I then realised how fortunate I am to be able to experience this memorable trip and even to experience as a class. Also, appreciate the history and cultures of both Taiwan and Singapore.
All in all, after learning so much about them, I think that Taiwan is a place where I would want to visit again! However, I'm still proud to be a Singaporean because we put in effort to nurture these values as a country. Maybe because we are quite a new country, we still can improve and possibly learn something from Taiwan! :)
Shaun: I think that this 7 days in Taiwan has indeed fulfilled its purpose of teaching us the differences between Taiwan and Singapore and increase our knowledge on how Taiwan can influence us.
Firstly, I was surprised by the effort Taiwan puts into preserve and promote it cultures as in shown in the Hsinchu Aboriginal Village, National Palace Museum and Shih Fen Old Town. Although it may be true that the olden way of doing things is not as effective as those using higher technology, it is only by learning from our past mistakes do we invent new methods. In the aboriginal village, they used roller coaster rides to attract the teenagers, which is one way Singapore can make good use of our attractions such as Universal Studios.
Secondly, when visiting the National Experimental High School, we noticed the differences between Singapore and Taiwan's education systems. In Taiwan, the students could wear casual clothes to school, play around during class time and eat in class. However, the students choose to listen during class and clean up their class rooms after eating. After all, it is the attitude and mentality that matters the most. On the other hand, Singapore has stricter school rules and we can see it from the distinct difference in the students' behavior during class time. Although it may seem like studying is not as stressful in Taiwan, we understand that it is Singapore's education is actually beneficial to us and we should appreciate and be proud of what we have in Singapore. We should also learn from the students' enthusiasm and proactiveness in school.
Lastly, I believe what we have gained most is the bond our class has forged over this 7 days. If there was another chance, I would definitely treasure every single moment of the trip with my classmates as happy times really pass too fast.
Fiona: Through the 7 days of OELP in Taiwan, I have changed my perspective of the education system in Singapore, and also got to learn about and have first-hand experience with Taiwanese culture. While interacting with the students and teachers of the National Experimental High School (NEHS), I have come to realise the differences between the Taiwanese education system and the Singaporean education system. The students we met at NEHS had a lot of freedom as compared to us, and the atmosphere during their lessons was very hyped-up. During their lessons, they could jump and shout about, joke around with their teachers, and maybe even fall asleep and not pay attention, and the teacher does not bat an eye. I was amazed by the freedom they had, and how much fun they could have even during lessons. I was shocked by how much of a difference there is, and I have come to acknowledge the pros and cons of our own education system while experiencing theirs. However rowdy and hyper the students there are allowed to be, not paying attention and making notes in class probably does not reflect well on their result slips. The teachers in Singapore might be harsh and strict on us, but isn't that the only way to control our playful teenage selves, and the only way for us to actually learn and absorb knowledge in school for a better future? Some of us might have wished that we could be like them and be allowed to just have fun and relax in class, but have we really wondered what the consequences of such a carefree education system might be? Yes, our education system might be very stressful and restless at times, but I feel that that's the only way for us the have enriching lessons which are actually useful and worth our parents' money. After participating and experiencing lessons at NEHS, I am now more thankful for Singapore's demanding but more gainful education system. Apart from the realisation of our differences in learning environment, another main lesson I have learnt from this OELP trip is the culture of Taiwan and Taiwan's efforts to preserve these cultures. I was surprised by how well-preserved their culture is preserved there in Taiwan, especially the culture of the aboriginal tribes, which we got to experience at the Formosan Aboriginal Village. The cultures of the aborigines have been kept alive in Taiwan, and they are even given priorities by the government for education and at government workplaces. As well as for the old buildings and structures which bring up the uniqueness of Taiwan and its past. At Lugang Old Town and Shihfen Station, there were shophouses and old buildings that were still very well-preserved and opened to public. There were even people still setting up businesses and selling things at the shophouses, showing how this trend is still kept alive in Taiwan. This reminded me of Singapore's hawker centres and wet markets, which are slowly decreasing and disappearing as we modernise. As the hawkers and shop keepers are aging, the youngsters who are to inherit their parents' stalls are becoming more interested in better jobs for themselves to earn an easier living. Thus, in years to come, these hawker centres and wet markets would have to close down due to the lack of hawkers to man these stalls. The culture of traditional Singaporean food from hawker centres would then be lost, and modern air-conditioned supermarkets in shopping malls would slowly replace the wet markets, which we can already see today. After walking and shopping the old streets of Lugang and Shihfen, I have come to realise the importance of preserving our culture. I think that it is important to preserve them so that the future generations and youngsters like us would know and be able to experience for ourselves our parents' and grandparents' way of life, and be grateful for what we are enjoying now. I now sense the urgency to preserve our hawker centre and wet market culture, and hope that we could be as effective as Taiwan in this aspect. This OELP trip to Taiwan has allowed me to increase my knowledge of Taiwan, and be more aware of the values and beliefs of the Taiwanese people. After the fruitful 7 days spend in Taiwan, I have learnt to appreciate our education system, and also learnt the importance of preserving the uniquely Singaporean culture. Overall, we've had ups and downs during the trip, having been reprimanded by teachers and praised occasionally, and really bonded as a class during this week. I am thankful for being given the opportunity to go on such a hands-on trip, to enhance our learning and also to be able to experience Taiwan for ourselves. And of course, after being able to experience Taiwan and comparing the two on my own, I have become more proud of being a Singaporean!
Esther: This trip to taiwan has really enriched me a lot. Before the trip, i was not thinking of what we can learn there but instead what fun we can have as a class. Even though we had fun during the trip, we had also learnt a lot of things that were not accessible in a classroom. The experiences are one of a kind, and we would never have learnt so much if we were just in the classroom listening to how taiwan was like. We learnt so much more about taiwan's culture and history thanks to all of our teachers and tour guide who made this trip possible. Visiting different places in taiwan has really taught me many things, such as why there is a lack of dustbins, their friendliness and most of all, how eco friendly they are.
The few places that i had the deepest impression on was hsinchu experimental high school, the aborginal village, and the fengjia night market.
At hsinchu experimental high school, we could compare the differences between singapore's education system and taiwan's system. While i learnt that there was quite a few similarities like how they have tests and exams, i also learnt about how different how systems are. The kind of system in taiwan allows the students to be more independent and learn on their own, but in singapore, we have very strict teachers that usually does not allow us to play around in class like what the taiwanese students usually do in class. However, they can still maintain their good results but if we were in their system, our results would drop quickly as many of us would never stop playing and start studying. But both systems have their pros and cons and we cannot tell which is the best.
The aboriginal village let me learn about the cultures of the aboriginal tribes which is not possible in singapore as we do not have our own tribal tribes. We also learnt about how they attract youngsters to learn about them. But usually they are more attracted to the rides instead of the educational component. That is very sad as they should learn about the country's history as they are preserved very well and it is something very rare that can not be seen in many countries. We also learnt their cultural dance and it was very interesting.
The last place was the fengjia night market. Fengjia night market has taught me how eco friendly and friendly the store owners are. There is hardly a dustbin to be seen and you have to store your trash into a plastic bag before finding a dustbin to dispose them. They also have 3 different dustbins when u find a dustbin, a food disposal bin, non-recyclables and a recyclables bin. The shop owners wers also very friendly, which is what i think singapore can learn from them as some of the shop owners here gives us glares when we spent a long time in a shop, but end up not buying anything. However, the shop owners there were still friendly and had a big smile even when we went out of the store empty handed.
The museums that we had visited also enriched us as we learn about the history and culture of taiwan slowly through those visits to them.
Overall, i really missed the trip and i would not hesitate if there was another chance. Through this trip, we had learnt so much more about taiwan than just sitting in a classroom listening to taiwan's history and their way of living. I can not wait until next year where i would get to share my experince with the year 2s.
