Overall Reflections

At the end of the Taiwan OELP trip, some of the students (Yeong Ying Xue and Ng Kwok Wing), have come up with a reflection pertaining to their experience during the trip.

___________________________________________________________________

I feel that this trip to Taiwan has been an incredibly fruitful one. Being on my first trip overseas since entering River Valley High School, I felt quite a bit of apprehension at the start of the trip, as I didn't have an idea what to expect. I find that I have significantly increased my knowledge of Taiwan and world events in general, and also I feel that I have grown in a psychological sense.

This trip has really sparked my interest in foreign cultures and Chinese language. As we visited the Taiwan Public TV station, I found the fact that the show was presented in dialect to be quite interesting. It is something we never see in Singapore due to the Hakka community being a very small group of people. Furthermore, it has introduced me to how a television programme is produced from behind the scenes. When we watch television, we often only regard what is onscreen and forget that much more hard work happens behind the scenes.on the second day of our journey, I was not looking forward to the museums that we would be visiting, as I had little interest in Chinese artefacts and such. This taught me to be more open minded as I ended up enjoying the tours immensely, never to jump to conclusions as something may turn out very different from what it seems. From this situation I also figured that I was to be more appreciative of culture and tradition,for in this fast-moving modern world, it is crucial to stick to our roots.

As we went to Jianguo High School for a school immersion, I realised that the Taiwanese had a greatly varied learning attitude and educational system as compared to Singapore. They were significantly more carefree, learning very independently. I feel that this should be what Singaporean students should learn from. Singaporeans are very competitive when it comes to academics, which may negatively affect some students, but if we had adopted the more laid back style of Taiwanese students, there would be a high chance that students will perform outstandingly, like those of Jianguo high school. This has made me more aware of the similarities and differences of our education systems, and further opened my eyes to the possible improvements that can be made to our Singaporean society so as to make it flourish to a greater extent.

Through the many night markets we have visited, I truly experienced the upbeat Taiwanese nightlife. This made me ponder why though I often visit  "pasar-malam"s, that I had never felt the enticing atmosphere of that I experienced in Taiwan's various famous night markets. Perhaps if is because of Singaporeans and their lack of ability to have a good time, or maybe just that Singaporeans are just never happy, as recents findings show. Although Singapore is greatly successful in many aspects such as tourism and economic activity, we aren't happy with our lives. Taiwanese always seem jovial and optimistic, though prone to natural disasters, maybe that is another learning point for all of us, that success doesn't determine happiness, and that our fellow citizens need to stop and smell the roses, to truly enjoy life instead of seeing it in a technical and mechanical manner.

By Yeong Ying Xue 

_____________________________________________________

Throughout the six days of the trip, I feel that I have learnt a lot. I've eventually realised that Taiwan indeed is a country rich in history and culture. Even though it is a small country, there are a lot of hidden 'gems', such as the aboriginal culture, its landmarks and complicated history.

On the first day, I was extremely excited for the trip since it was my first trip to Taiwan. Of course, I was not disappointed. I visited a TV station for the first time and it was very interesting. However, I feel that our behaviour was rather obnoxious as we were quite noisy. Other than that, I think that the day was fine. Also, we ate hot pot for dinner! It was super delicious and somehow I feel like eating it again... 

Then, the second day came. It was a long day. We went to two different museums and I certainly gained a lot of knowledge from it. I learnt about the national treasures of Taiwan and also about the aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. I never knew about certain practices of the tribes and I really gained a couple of insights from it. Then, we went to Jiufen Old Street, where we ate lots of yummy foods.

On the third day, we went on a school immersion at Jian Guo High School! The best thing about it was that Jian Guo High School is the top high school in Taiwan! I feel that the experience that day was quite impactful. First and foremost, this was the first time that I have visited an all-boys' school so I was naturally very excited. I have also learnt a bit of their history. In addition, they have regular breaks between lessons unlike in Singapore. After th visit, I think that students from Singapore should more outspoken towards their learning. For Taiwan, students are fairly more comfortable and fun to be with, and they are not afraid to speak out and do not feel awkward. Then, we went to Lin Liu-Hsin Puppet Theatre Museum where we witnessed a puppet skit which I found very entertaining. We also learnt about the different type of puppets, and the puppet history of Taiwan. 

On the fourth day, we went to Taichung. Before that, we visited Wulai School which is located deep in the mountains just outside Taipei. I feel that this is a very meaningful experience as we learnt about the aboriginal language, dance and culture. Then, we took the high speed rail and visited Carton King where we were taught on how to make a simple paper windmill. We also bought loads of things there! 

On the fifth day, we visited 921 Earthquake Museum where we learnt about the dangers of an earthquake and also the causes of it. Then, we went to the Sun Yat-Seng Museum where we learnt many things, such as Dr. Sun Yat-Seng's life and his impact on China. 

Finally, on the sixth day, we went to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall which I then realised that it is located just beside the Sun Yat-Seng Museum. After that, we returned to Singapore. 

Overall, I feel that this trip is a very significant trip for me as I found out a lot more about Taiwan and it was definitely worth it to embark on this trip. 

By Ng Kwok Wing