OELP Reflections:
1) I decided to come along to this trip because it would
be an exciting experience, and would let us learn more about China’s culture,
which is extremely crucial in this modern age as China is rapidly becoming an
expanding country in the global market. This information would be beneficial in
the working world to be able to converse with ease with China’s people, as
gaining a greater understanding on their society would help greatly. Also,
going to Hangzhou will be a real life experience of what it is to live in
China, which is completely different from Singapore.
I hope to enjoy myself with my friends at China. Hangzhou
is also renowned as a historical area in China, and I would like to understand
more about the history of China, as more knowledge is never wasted. Secondly, I
hope to pick up some of China’s culture and reapply it if I ever return back to
China on a later date. I also hope to learn some of the skills that people in
China might be teaching us, like picking tea leaves, drumming, etc. It will be
an extremely interesting learning experience as Singapore does not carry out
such activities due to many limitations in our country and society. Most importantly,
I hope to learn as much as I can from this Hangzhou immersion trip.
2) It was in the Hai Di Lao Hotpot Restaurant when I came
across one situation that made me feel strongly about. Chefs were doing a live
demonstration of making lamian, when one of them accidentally dropped the
dough, rendering it useless. Another staff of Hai Di Lao came towards the chef
with a smile, picked up the dough, and gave the chef another one. I was
impressed by their attitude, as neither did they blame the chef for making a
mistake, they actually gave the chef another chance to rectify it.
One person that taught me more than what could be
achieved in class was the mother of the buddy, whose house I went to. She gave
her all to making us feel at home anywhere we went, from bringing us to museums
cheerfully to catering to our every need, regardless of whether it
inconvenienced her. People might say that she was just a good host but she was
much more than that to me. She was the epitome of what it meant to face life with
a smile, and take it on without complain.
I learnt that China’s people were not the heartless
people that I thought they were from all the newspaper reports of food-related
scams and more, but actually very friendly people who would aid you in whatever
way they could if you had an issue to solve.
3) This trip would affect my future attitude towards
China’s people greatly, as I understand their culture and society much more now
after this immersion trip. It taught me to not judge a book by its cover, reserve
judgment first, and see the full truth for myself. It also taught me that in
facing life’s challenges, doing it without complain and with a smile was
crucial to solving them, instead of running away from the problem.
I hope that I will learn to empathize with people more,
as I saw the Chinese did it with all their heart and soul. I want to understand
the Chinese in China more, as I have had a taste of their culture and I want
more of it. I learnt many things from this trip, but the most important part of
it is to still face everything that comes along your way with a smile.
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