Reflections:
The reason I chose to go on this trip, in the very beginning, was just to solely have fun, like what I did during our Primary School trip. But as this emphasized a lot on the "learning" process, I was intrigued by what the school have offered us. And when they announced that it was Hefei that I was going,it piqued my interest and excitement even more,as even though I have been to many places in a China, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, etc. I have not been to my father's birthplace, and where he grew up in. I also did not manage to go to too many places stricken with poverty, and I wanted to see how life was like there. I hoped to learn more about the lives of the people, the students, and such. Before I left, my parents told me that China was a rapidly improving country, especially in the cities that may have been considered run-down in the past, and I wanted to see what it was like for myself. I had some idea of their standards and cost of living, but no in depth, which was also something I wanted to understand. Lastly, I also wanted to bond with my class more and understand more about them outside the class.
A situation which impacted me the most is the wastage of food. Now, to many people it may seem like a trivial thing, but if you actually think deeper, it is not. Firstly, a table of teenagers. And 9 or more dishes are brought to the table, unless they are sumos or Georges, it is practically impossible to eat so much food, not even if you stuff yourself. And all the time, a lot of food is left, and sometimes, the vegetables are left untouched. We should not waste food, and instead, be grateful, why order so much when we can't even finish. It can be seen in practically every restaurant. For example, to celebrate a joyous occasion, a bunch of people come together and order lots of food and drinks and make merry. But when they leave lots of food is left. If it is not to their liking, it may be acceptable, but why order it in the first place? And if there is too much, why not takeaway? That is not a shameful act, but one that should be praised for. And you could tell the waiter/waitress to serve the dish in lesser amounts. The effort the farmers put into growing the rice, the time it takes, and everything from shipping to washing to cooking and preparing. Lots of sweat, tears and blood is required, just for one meal for a group of people? And the fact that they don't appreciate it and treat it as though it is not worth caring about? A chicken is slaughtered for meat, and fruits are harvested from trees, but you only take a small portion and throw away the rest? It is also not environmentally friendly, and resources are depleted to cook and stuff. And even though this can be considered shallow and such, like "We pay our hard earned money to them", but do the people who worked so hard actually get so much money? They may not even earn enough to support their families. This is my opinion, and what I feel strongly about, and I recommend and suggest, in this context, do not bite off more than you can chew, or do not order more than you can finish, literally. One of the teachers that brought us along, Mrs Lee, taught us many things, and constantly reminding us of the fact that we are not here to play, but here to study,and also the fact we are representing our school. Or else we may have fooled around, and not think deeply or observe the things and events which are happening around us, and personally, I think, I would not have such a fruitful trip.
This trip was quite like what I had expected, and I am not a wasteful person, at least in terms of food. And the fact that you need to observe, think deeper, and consider a problem, and truly understanding it before you open your mouth or voice out your opinions and such. I would try my best to change as in the past, I do think, but not deeply enough, and always speak first before truly understanding a certain topic. Applying what we learn not just in lessons but in our daily lives was an interesting thing to talk and think about everyday.
Overall, it was a very fun trip and I had a lot of fun and did learn quite a few things from Wahaha and Hai Di Lao "treat everybody like family!"but I was a little bit disappointed as we only went to the city and did not manage to go to places with much different living standards and conditions compared to Singapore, and also a little more time to enjoy the scenery. It was also really different to go with classmates and friends compared to going with parents and is something I would remember and treasure for a lifetime.
And thank you to the teachers that brought us along and spent lots of time to come up with the debriefing lessons, Miss Huang Ming Na, Mr Eugene Hui and Mrs Lee Li Mui. And many other things such aslooking after the sick classmates and such.
A situation which impacted me the most is the wastage of food. Now, to many people it may seem like a trivial thing, but if you actually think deeper, it is not. Firstly, a table of teenagers. And 9 or more dishes are brought to the table, unless they are sumos or Georges, it is practically impossible to eat so much food, not even if you stuff yourself. And all the time, a lot of food is left, and sometimes, the vegetables are left untouched. We should not waste food, and instead, be grateful, why order so much when we can't even finish. It can be seen in practically every restaurant. For example, to celebrate a joyous occasion, a bunch of people come together and order lots of food and drinks and make merry. But when they leave lots of food is left. If it is not to their liking, it may be acceptable, but why order it in the first place? And if there is too much, why not takeaway? That is not a shameful act, but one that should be praised for. And you could tell the waiter/waitress to serve the dish in lesser amounts. The effort the farmers put into growing the rice, the time it takes, and everything from shipping to washing to cooking and preparing. Lots of sweat, tears and blood is required, just for one meal for a group of people? And the fact that they don't appreciate it and treat it as though it is not worth caring about? A chicken is slaughtered for meat, and fruits are harvested from trees, but you only take a small portion and throw away the rest? It is also not environmentally friendly, and resources are depleted to cook and stuff. And even though this can be considered shallow and such, like "We pay our hard earned money to them", but do the people who worked so hard actually get so much money? They may not even earn enough to support their families. This is my opinion, and what I feel strongly about, and I recommend and suggest, in this context, do not bite off more than you can chew, or do not order more than you can finish, literally. One of the teachers that brought us along, Mrs Lee, taught us many things, and constantly reminding us of the fact that we are not here to play, but here to study,and also the fact we are representing our school. Or else we may have fooled around, and not think deeply or observe the things and events which are happening around us, and personally, I think, I would not have such a fruitful trip.
This trip was quite like what I had expected, and I am not a wasteful person, at least in terms of food. And the fact that you need to observe, think deeper, and consider a problem, and truly understanding it before you open your mouth or voice out your opinions and such. I would try my best to change as in the past, I do think, but not deeply enough, and always speak first before truly understanding a certain topic. Applying what we learn not just in lessons but in our daily lives was an interesting thing to talk and think about everyday.
Overall, it was a very fun trip and I had a lot of fun and did learn quite a few things from Wahaha and Hai Di Lao "treat everybody like family!"but I was a little bit disappointed as we only went to the city and did not manage to go to places with much different living standards and conditions compared to Singapore, and also a little more time to enjoy the scenery. It was also really different to go with classmates and friends compared to going with parents and is something I would remember and treasure for a lifetime.
And thank you to the teachers that brought us along and spent lots of time to come up with the debriefing lessons, Miss Huang Ming Na, Mr Eugene Hui and Mrs Lee Li Mui. And many other things such aslooking after the sick classmates and such.
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