[Day 2]
Firstly, on the way to the first location on the coach, I learnt that what we call 米 in Singapore is called 稻子or稻米in Taiwan and that 米is the simplified version. This was the first difference in language that I learnt. It also made me realise what we have been learning is simplified, which led me to the next point. How can we say Chinese is difficult when what we are learning is already much simplified than Taiwan and China?
At the various Hakka cultural and history leaning sites, I learnt some interesting things from the tour guides there. I think the way that the Hakkas respect words, education and language is very unique and interesting. It is evident in the customs of the 敬字亭, which is a very intriguing concept (In short, these customs include respecting all and any papers with writings on it, eg. No stepping on them, no throwing them away, etc. on a fixed day every year, the papers with writings are burned in the 敬字亭and the ashes are brought to the mouth of the Meinong River). That shows how much they value education. This is very different from the situation in Singapore where most people have no appreciation or respect for languages. Therefore, I think we have a lot to learn from the Hakka people. We should at least know how to speak the language properly and fluently. The Hakka also have a lot of interesting rituals like the caponising rooster, holy pig and lamb's horns competition.
敬字亭 (Shrine to respect words)
Significance of oil paper in Hakka culture: "Oil paper" (油纸) sounds similar to "Having a son" (有子）
One of Hakka's interesting cultures and beliefs.
The Holy Pig competition. In this, the pig must be treated very well, for example cooling them down on hot days using fans to prevent their discomfort and feeding them good food to help them put on weight, in order to be a "Holy Pig".
Lamb's Horn Length competition
Caponising Rooster competition. (Caponising = castrating a fowl for better flesh taste)
For Kaoshiung History Museum, I didn't really catch much because it couldn't understand what the tour guide was saying. I think we would benefit more and understand better if he could be more straightforward and not go off track too many times.
For the British Consultate, I think it is curious that a simple lock mechanism in the door stopper can symbolise so much. The building architecture is also nice. As for the tour, I roughly understood what the tour guide said, but it would be better if he talked slower.
Part of the British Consulate
The door stopper I am referring to. It has a special meaning to its design. Can you guess?
Questions in mind:
*How different are the Hakka in Taiwan and those in Singapore?
*What is the exact origin of the Takao name?
[Day 3]
For the 十鼓 performance, I feel combining Wushu with drums is a very good idea, It's nice to watch.
The water stage is something new, fresh and interesting too. It totally enhances the effect and atmosphere of the concert. It makes it seem cooler and gives a serene, majestic and sacred mountain-top 山水 feeling. During the performance, I could see the concentration on the drummers' face. They put their all into the performance, you can see the effort. What we can learn from this is to always give our best in what we do. The performers are really talented. Coordinating the drumming with all the extra actions is not easy. I personally tried it before. Besides, they can play multiple instruments. That is something worthy of praise. I was quite happy to be able to try drumming in the short drumming class today. As I have tried the 24 Festive Drums earlier this year, I totally fell in love with the art. (Actually, i think I'm interested in too many things) I wanted to join the 24 Festive Drums as a second CCA but do not have the time to commit. Hence, I have always been waiting for a chance to drum again. This chance today was a total dream come true and I could not contain my happiness and excitement at being given the chance, even if it were for a short time. I will join the 24 Festive Drums for sure if I have enough time.
I think the atmosphere in the Confucius Temple felt very sacred and cultured. This is further enhanced
by the various plagues around the vacinity. I walked around the site with silent respect for Confucius. It felt very peaceful to be there. When I reached the building in which they were paying respects to Confucius, I bowed deeply to the plague because I felt it was appropriate to do so. This was a temple that honours Confucius, who was a very highly respected teacher and who contributed a lot to eductation. He is also a person worshipped to almost the level of a diety. Some of his sayings and writings are very very meaningful. He deserves utmost respect and I respect him a lot too. Therefore, I felt we should show respect by bowing. We have a lot to learn from him, so I think his lessons and sayings should be thought in school. I also learnt a lot about the ceremonies dedicated to Confucius and the temple building itself from the displays there. They were clear cut and easy to understand.
I think that the Anping Fort and Eternal Golden Castle does not have much, just symbolising what happened in the period before Taiwan was ceded to Japan and what the different occupants used the fort for.
Anping old street was rather small and had nothing much too. It had more souvenirs than anything. I think Jiufen old street, which I have visited before, is better. It is longer and has more variety. It also has much more nice food.
Colour
Red and gold
Red is the colour of happiness and passion. It symbolises the enjoyable time I had today and the passion for music that I have.
Gold is for the valuable experience and knowledge I gained today and also the majesty of the Confucius Temple that I felt.
Symbol
:)
Happiness and respect
Image
I think this is the most meaningful place that is very relatable to us as students. It is very cultural and is my favourite place. It's design is very traditional and nice too.
[Day 4]
Firstly, today the welcome ceremony was very nice. For the string and woodwind orchestra, they had a large stage presence and were totally into the song; you could feel their passion and effort. I think our Performing Arts CCAs have a lot to learn from them in terms of showmanship. As compared to 正心中学's performance, the performance we put up for them was rather meagre. :P
The 正心 String and Wind Orchestra performance
Our performance- A few dances and a rendition of our school-representative song 立化情 (River Valley school spirit), which was composed by our senior. This song reflects our daily lives as RVians and the little things that make RV RV.
As for the lesson observation, I think their class is rather similar to ours. Their class dynamics are similar, and they do things we do, for example making fun of each other and joking. This shows that despite different cultures, students are generally the same.
Biology lesson observation : Bacteria Cultivation
During the tour of the school, I think it is cool to have a swimming pool. The school is pretty big too.
School swimming pool
Just a cameo appearance because it's too cute not to - an adorable fluffy bunny found in the school garden
I really enjoyed the pineapple plantation visit and the DIY pineapple tart making session. I learned things about pineapple that I never knew, like that pineapple actually grows forth from many flowers.
Pineapple tart DIY (a gigantic tart)
Pineapple plantation: The fruits wear "hats" to protect them
Dinner today was enjoyable too. The impromptu concert put up by Rachel and some 正心中学 students was nice. Our buddies' parents were very hospitable and funny. We also learnt more about the Taiwanese culture from this.
Sumptuous dinner
Dinner performance
[Day 5]
I think that the towel factory was interesting. We learnt more about towels than we might not be able to learn elsewhere. We also learnt how to differentiate a good towel from a bad one and how to fold the towel into cute figurines. Now, I can apply what I learnt to make gifts for people. No wonder the factory is so famous! It's towels are also very soft and fluffy, like touching a cloud. It is very nice to touch.
The little figurine I made
Hard at work folding towels
Look at the towels! Their texture is so nice
Next, the 布袋戏 museum was nice too because it is something that we can't see in Singapore. I think it was intriguing to learn about a different culture or tradition and in the process, even learn more about my beloved suona because suona is used to play music for these shows. (I play suona in my school's Chinese Orchestra). The puppet performance was enjoyable too, as we learnt a lot about the different types of puppets used from the puppeteer. However, I did not understand some of the things said because of the dialect used.
Suona <3
Traditional puppet house
How puppets are made
Puppet show
For the balloon sculpting and magic classes in Sacred Hearts (正心), I think it is nice for students to have classes like that. It acts as a leisure time for students to relax but also learn new skills. Unfortunately, we Singaporeans do not have the luxury of incorporating these classes into our lessons because of lack of time. The students' attitude was good as they were attentive even though these were not examinable subjects.
Magic class
Balloon class
Our school Vice Principal, teachers and classmates with their balloons
For the CCA viewing, I think their CCA is much more relaxed and not as strict as ours. In that way, the Singapore system is better because it trains responsibility and discipline.
Their Scouts. I think our uniformed groups are stricter on their cadets than this
Lastly, for the showcase put up by the Sacred a hearts music stream students was really nice. They are certainly talented. I think this annual showcase is a very good platform for students to perform. It also helps to show parents what their children have been doing and gives students a good way of evaluating their performance and seeing how much they have improved, and how they can improve even more.
The Brass and Woodwind Ensemble
Violinists of the String and Wind Orchestra
Talented flute soloist
[Day 6]
Today was our last day in Sacred Hearts. We went to observe some classes. Some of the students were very quiet while some were welcoming and friendly towards us. I think their Geography class is interesting because the way they learn is by thinking, comparing and asking questions, instead of learning from textbooks. The English lesson was not bad though, I must say their English is quite good. At least, they speak proper English unlike ourselves.
English class with the students performing a skit.
The cooking lesson was fun and we made a few new friends. They were very welcoming and took the initiative to talk to us and manage the cooking. Although it is similar to the Food and Consumer Education we have in Singapore, their class has more variety and they learn more cooking compared to us.
Making pastry
Final product
Later in the day, we went out with our respective buddies and their parents. The parents of my buddy were very hospitable and took very good care of us. They even bought us rain coats when it was raining. They paid for almost everything and adamantly refused to let us pay them back. They also welcomed us to their house in the evening after we had gone to the Janfusun theme park. It was nice to experience a house in a different country. It was very big, had a pond outside and a lift inside the house. It was a good experience because we do not have these kinds of big landed property in Singapore. In the end, their warmth and sincerity really warmed my heart and I was very grateful for them.
Mirror cave @ Janfusun theme park
We are fairies!
[Day 7]
Today, sadly, was our last day in Taiwan. On the way to the airport, we went to the 921 Earthquake Memorial Park.
This was a very solemn place. There are collapsed buildings from this major 921 earthquake in Taiwan preserved and kept as they were. I could see the collateral damage done by the earthquake and see for myself how serious earthquakes can be. Before coming here, I had only ever saw earthquakes on television. My reaction had always been merely "Oh, that's terrible! How are the people there?", but now after seeing the damage before my eyes, I can sympathise with earthquake victims more and want to help. In the park, there were also numerous information boards placed around the area giving information in various languages about how buildings are affected by earthquakes, why certain things collapse in a certain way, myths and legends surrounding earthquakes and natural disasters, and so on. There was also a small earthquake force simulator for visitors to experience being in a earthquake. The tour guide was informative and clear in her explanation, making it easier to understand. Overall, I think this was a very meaningful and educational place. It teaches us to respect and never underestimate nature's fury, and reminds us that our lives are always at her mercy. The Taiwanese government has made the right decision in keeping the damaged buildings as a memorial and reminder and not rebuilding this place.
A track totally torn apart by the earthquake
Partially-laid railway severely twisted by earthquake
After that, we headed to Taoyuan International Airport to go home :( T^T
All in all, this trip was not only enjoyable, it also taught us a lot about Taiwan's culture and its various specialties. In the process, we bonded more strongly with our teachers and friends too,which is priceless. Besides, we made many new friends in Taiwan and created many great, precious memories that will stay within our hearts for years to come. I surely do not regret going on this trip, even a tiny bit.
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