Day 21 - IS Lecture

I woke up at 8.20am hoping it would be a cold morning, but instead the weather was drastically hot! We attended class which was thought by Mr An, who lectured us on Chinese Traditional Thoughts. The lecture was fun-filled and I learn many new topics of the ancient Chinese. After class, I went for a refreshing juice to cool my brain down!



Lecturer Mr An
Standing before us is a great lecturer who is very fluent in the English language. He lectured us on Chinese Traditional Thoughts.


Dangerous Beauty
One thing I learn about beauty is the trap behind it. Not everything beautiful is considered good, as good appearance can be used to lure their unsuspecting victims.


Paying Attention
Every lesson here in Wuhan is beneficial, and thus is important to pay full attention and taking down notes.


Romance of The Three Kingdoms
Mr An is showing us the place and locations of the Hubei province and the Three Kingdoms.


Teaching a Friend
"You learn more when you teach someone". As the saying goes, I taught my friend how to wriggle his fingers to make it have a "wavy & wormy" effect. This is what I did to keep my mind occupied and focused during the break!


Juice!
Walking down 135 steps back to the hostel was a bit of a hassle. Furthermore, the heat from the sun is bearing down on me. I had no choice but to indulge in a cool refreshing drink!

REFLECTIONS

"If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is!" As what Mr An taught us, beauty is like a fishing line without a hook and a bait, but still catches a willing victim. Just like congruent situations in life, where monetary opportunity stares at you in the eye, what will you do?

It happened within Ngee Ann Polytechnic itself, where students were approached by Multi-Level Marketing Agents, who claimed that students who join will be successful and wealthy within a short period of time. Thankful to the quick response from the Ngee Ann Poly's lecturers and staff, these predators were fended off.


Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time.
-Albert Camus

Day 20 - Back to Hostel

Past midnight, we entered the locks for ships to pass through different heights in water level. It is a huge canal constructed to make it easy for ships to navigate through the river. It took a total of 4 hours to complete the whole process of moving the ship upstream, and thereafter, I took a short nap. The next morning at 6.30am was our breakfast. We left the cruise at about 7.30am for a 6-hour ride back to our hostel!


Ship Locks
Our cruise heading for the locks.


Queuing for Position
Our cruise had to queue in position for our turn to enter the locks, one at a time.


Rising Water Levels
Inside the lock, the front gate begins to open, thus releasing upstream water to flood the gates. Once the cruise rises to the designated water level, it moves on to the next lock, until all four locks are completed!


Bus to Hostel
I only got a grasp of a few hours of sleep. Thankfully, the 6-hour bus ride back to our hostel allowed me to catch up with my exhausted mind!

REFLECTIONS

In my module Maritime Management, I was taught on how ship locks worked and how it benefited shipping lines. However, I could not visualize how the actual process was carried out. And during this night, I was so happy and grateful that I could witness the whole process in action.

I feel that this Overseas Immersion Program has really benefited me a whole lot as it made me open my mind, and experience things that I can't in Singapore. In addition, there are many great things happening all over the world, and being there is a great honor, as Singapore is a small country and have limited opportunities. For instance, logistical function in Singapore is only a small market, whereas it is a mega business in countries such as the European Union.


Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.
-Demosthenes

Day 19 - Cruise Control

The bed seemed like a cradle, rocking back and forth, which made sleeping so peaceful. This morning we headed to Bai Di Cheng bridge, where we had sight-seeing. After which, we boarded a small boat wrapped around in life jackets, and paddled upstream where the waters were much cleaner and cold. Next, we got on a ferry which took us for a tour around the dam where we saw many eye-opening sights.


Our Cruise
We woke up in the morning ready for a brand new day! The room is very stuffy and still, so we decided to take a breath outside of the window.


Strong Bridge
When we turned our heads, we saw a long bridge stretching over to the other side of the river. The structure is supported by strong red steel pieces in an upward-curve design. This design is effective in holding thousands of tonnes of weight.


Bai Di Cheng
After docking, we got off the ship and headed to the bridge leading to Bai Di Cheng.


Back Drop
The view from up the bridge is quite high and scary!


Bridge to Bai Di Cheng
It is astonishing on how they build this long and strong bridge centuries ago. The bridge also has to be constructed to allow height clearance for ships passing through the river.


Comb Manufacturer
Finishing the walk through Bai Di Cheng, we exited through several shops. There were many shops selling antique combs with ancient designs on it. This one however, has a pixel glass with workers behind manufacturing combs.


China Gondola
We down-sized from a cruise into a small boat, which is powered by 5 lean men with heavy endurance. They are aged between 30 to 65 years. And that was what kept us going for the next 11 kilometers.


Brute Force
The boatmen sling ropes around their body and used pure strength and weight to pull the boat upstream. This requires great teamwork and coordination. At the end of the ride, we showed our token of gratitude by donating some money to the boatmen.


Pyrotechnics
We upgraded to a ferry this time, and toured around the dam. Behind me is a smoke screen where farmers burn dead debris and collect the ashes as fertilizers for their crops.


Secret Hideout
Between the towering rocks is a hideout for small boats in case of bad weather conditions such as strong winds, heavy rain, or choppy waters.

The Mind Creates
Can you guess what this rock resembles? It looks like a face, whereby there are hair, eyes, nose and a mouth. I was chatting with a man from Beijing when we saw this rock, and he said: "The mind creates what one wants to see."


Floating Coffin
Between the crack of the rocks lay a coffin. The mystery of how the coffin is placed at such great height is not revealed. However, skeptics made several possibilities, and that is:

• Coffin was lowered by ropes from the top of the rock
• The water level was at that height in the past
• People raised the coffin from their boats to the crack

In the end, mysteries will always remain unknown.


House Warming
The night ended with a game of cards and company of good friends. The whole day was filled with fun and new experiences!

REFLECTIONS

I was very excited about putting on the life jacket and getting onto the small boat. However, I felt pitiful for the elderly boatmen as most of them were around their mid 40s, and some were as old as 50 ~ 60 years of age. I felt that my extra weight on the boat was a burden to them, but that is what they have been going through for decades. It is their livelihood. Even though they were old, their body still supports the kind of physical stress, as their body condition were still learn, fit, and full of endurance.

In Singapore, almost everything is motorized or computerized. This is what makes Singapore one of the growing economies in the world, as everything is up-to-date and kept as advanced as possible.

On the ferry, the man beside me from Beijing said: "The mind creates what one wants to see". I believe what he said is absolutely true. In life, you are the creator of your own world. Anything that happens is a manifestation in the past. One can also view things the way he wants it to be, whether it is wrong or right, bad or good.


You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about, the more you have left when anything happens.
-Ethel Barrymore

Day 18 - Sights of 3 Gorges Dams

This morning is the earliest I've ever woke up to! I've only slept for 1 hour because I had been staying awake through the night with my friends so that we could sleep on the 6-hour bus ride to Yi Chang. We gathered and left school at 7am. After which, we had a fine lunch followed by a glimpse of the 3 Gorges. The fun-filled day ended at 11pm where we finally boarded the 2-night cruise.


Lunch
After a long 4-hour ride, we stopped at a restaurant for a scrumptious meal. Our legs were cramped up from the ride and also needed a stretch!


Group Photo
After a further two hour drive, we stopped at a park for some sight-seeing.


Dump Truck
This is an old DAC 120 DE Earth-hauling dump truck in China. It us used for transporting sand and gravel for construction. The rear is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box which can be lifted up to allow the sand or gravel to be deposited on the ground. It is amazing to see a mega vehicle in front of me! Especially when my height is only up to its tires. I wonder how many thousand tons of cargo this dump truck can lift!



Leap of Faith
Moving on, we hiked up the stairs till we reached a place of scenic view. And we could see one of the 3 Gorges from here!


Flexibility
We comtinued walking along the park, and my hungry friends were queuing for food such as corn, chicken wing, sausages, etc.. Over the railings of the park was a 60-meter drop to the waters. I saw a small fishing boat, which means there are fishes in the 3 Gorges dams!


Ship Lock
This is a ship lock device used for raising and lowering boats between different water level heights. It is very helpful as it makes a river more navigable and to allow a direct line across country that is not level. The main gate in front (picture above) will open to allow water to flood the lower lock, thereby causing the ship to rise.


3 Gorges
Behind me is a huge dam of the 3 Gorges. I've only seen pictures of a dam, but never expected the dam to be so MEGA SIZED! Of course, the tall structure has to contain large volumes of waters, and thus the walls have to be thick.


Cruise Control
After sight-seeing for the day, we had a delicious meal of dinner on the cruise. It wasn't exactly what I've expected of, a large cruise ship (similar to Star Virgo), state of the art facilities, proper toilet functions, clean and comfortable rooms, etc..


Room
The room had a standard 2-bed, work desk, and television as entertainment. Fortunately for my room, I didn't suffer the mishaps of having pest control. Other rooms had mice running around, cockroaches on walls, and insects flying around. I also brought a fishing rod to test their waters!

REFLECTIONS

The 3 Gorges dam is a hydroelectirc dam which generates electricity. Due to its mega size, large volumes of water flows through the generators which makes it the world's largest electricity-generating plant of any kind. This is an environmentally friendly way of producing energy for the country, as coal-fired power stations causes pollution to the environment. In addition, the unbelievable construction of the 3 Gorges makes it a great place for tourist attactions, as I've seen many caucasians sight-seeing.

One thing about China is, "Expect the Unexpected". It is good to have something and not need it rather than to need something and not have it. I expected a good cruise, but turned out to be much lower than expected. However, I was prepared for it. I heard that towels would be provided, but NO! Thankfully, I brought my own.

Most importantly, I appreciate that the best cruise available was given to us. I learn something from that experience, and gone through the two nights with ease. This comes to show that Singapore shows great passion and ensures excellent customer service in all sectors of work. One won't expect to see pests in their accomodation in Singapore. But I've adapted to China's culture and have more or less got used to it!


As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
-John F. Kennedy

Day 17 - Class Test

It is a wonderful feeling to get more rest and waking up slightly later! I went for a satisfying lunch at KFC before heading for my written test of Business Process Engineering. After the test, my friends and I decided to go for a walk behind the school along the Yangtze River.



Lunch
A standard meal from KFC in China costs $25yuan (S$5.10) which is priced around the same as Singapore. Therefore, there isn't any significant discount.


Lesson Time
Enough energy and ready to face another lesson!


Class Test
We had a written test today. It was pretty simple as I have studied a fair bit for the test. Although the test is 2 hours, I was a little complacent and spent 45 minutes on the first of four questions. I had therefore, little time to complete the last question.


Our Examiner
This is our examiner, Mr Loh!


Stroll In The Park
After a brain-wrecking test, I've decided to take a stroll along the Yantze River with my friends. This is a professional shot by my camera friend.

REFLECTIONS

From this afternoon's written test, I have learn not to be too complacent. This is the first time taking a test of a completely new module, and I have no experience in the format of this test paper. I spend 45 minutes on the first of four question of the paper, leaving me 1hr 15mins for the next three questions. This caused me to rush my thinking and speed writing, but unfortunately did not complete the last question.

From this experience, I've learn to budget my time allowance for each question, for instance 30mins for each question. If I have not completed the question, I would move on to the next one and come back if I have excess time.


Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
-Abraham Lincoln

Day 16 - Insights to China

Got out of bed at 7am to have breakfast before having morning class from 9am - 12noon. Morning class was an IS module which teaches about Feng Shui and Chinese Customs. Later on after lunch at 2pm - 5pm was our room presentation on Assignment 1.


Classroom Corridor
The corridor of the classroom has a wide walkway and allows passerby to view above and below floors.


IS Lecturer
The lecture for this IS module was held by a China lecturer. There were a total of 140 power point slides for the lecture, with each slide in essay form. During intervals, he would show us interesting videos of Feng Shui, weddings, etc..


Headsets
An innovative idea of having headsets in the classroom. This is to prevent lecturers from losing their voice while teaching as their voice will be heard through the headsets.


Group Presentation
This is our first presentation in Wuhan, and we were also the first group to present! Presenting in front of unfamiliar faces was a little tough at first, but after getting over with my adrenaline rush, it was much easier.


Mr Loh
Our module (Business Process Engineering) was taught by Mr Loh.


Success
We could finally take a breath of relief after a good presentation.

REFLECTIONS

It is a great opportunity to learn the customs and practices of the Chinese here in China. It greatly differs from Singapore. The headsets installed in the classrooms were a good invention. Not only does the lecturer not raise his voice, and the headset makes his words more clear which results to better understanding. In Singapore, we use portable microphones which are attachable on the body by a belt. However, the microphones may have interference signals and the voice portrayed is not very clear at times.


Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does not become a part of the moral tissue.
-Edith Wharton

Day 15 - Orange Barbecue

Mandarin Orange Farm
This is the first time I've ever visited a farm yard full of Mandarin Oranges! The plantation is so wide that I couldn't even grasp an overall view of the field.


Huge Mussel
I ever thought I could find a pearl inside an oyster. How disappointing it was to find out that it was only a mussel. On the flip side, it was the biggest mussel I've ever seen in my life. It was the size of my hand!


Doctor Octopus
Trying to train my psycho-motor skills, I begin juggling three oranges. It wasn't too difficult after all!


Tapioca
A fresh tapioca from the undergrowth. Such a raw scene to dig up a matured tapioca plant. Guess what's going to happen to it next?


Outdoor Cooking
Survival situation kicks into place. Starting our own fire, we cooked the tapioca. How tasty it was, fresh from the oven.


Water Boy
After a nice afternoon nap, we headed for the camp site for a barbecue organized by the China student leaders.


Barbecue Pit
A couple of portable barbecue pits were issued to each group of students. We were given charcoal for the barbecue, but there were no fire starters! We improvised by building a foundation fire with twigs and branches, before adding in the charcoal. This eventually kept the fire going for the night.


Lava
The night filled the campsite with darkness. Torch lights were not good enough to keep the place lighted. Therefore, we used tree branches to set up a campfire. Not only does it produce enormous amounts of light, but also heat! After the barbecue, my clothes all smelled of smoke and requires tougher washing.


Fireworks!
This wasn't national day, but an ordinary night. Students purchased fireworks and turned night into day! It was really a romantic night to miss.

REFLECTIONS

China has a vast amount of land. And it is really a great pleasure to see live mandarin orange plants, tapioca plants, cucumber plant, pumpkin plant, etc.. The evening barbecue was spectacular as it brought all the different schools (MDE, LSCT, ICT) together and know one another better. At the same time, we get to interact with the China student leaders and find out more about their culture, lifestyle, hobbies, etc.. This allows me to know the different cultural differences between China and Singapore and appreciate the luxuries that I have.

Fireworks are illegal in Singapore due to the "danger" it poses. Certain fireworks create large explosions, and may cause serious injuries if it comes into close contact with human. It all depends on how the citizens behave toward such items that requires a certain level of maturity. If a person play by the rules and follow safety instructions on how to handle a firework, then he stands a high chance of being all right. However, if a person intentionally fool around by accumulating large contents of explosive powder, or aiming the rocket at his friend, then an accident is imminent. Therefore, I believe that the Singapore government has banned fireworks for the better of the country and its citizens.


For years governments have been promising more than they can deliver, and delivering more than they can afford.
-Paul Martin