Trip Advisory

I'm sure after our trip to Taipei, many of us must have mixed opinions about the places we visited. This is what my group thinks in regards to all those interesting places~

OELP TRIP ADVISORY 

Hotel

Throughout our entire visit to Taipei, our accommodation was a hotel in Taipei called RF Pretty Hotel. After staying there for seven days, here are our opinions on the hotel.

Pros

• The room was spacious and large enough for two people, which was the number of people allocated to one room. 

• The beds were very comfortable, which allowed us to have a good night's rest in preparation for the long day.

• The staff were friendly and provided good service, e.g helping us keep our key cards, clearing up our rooms for us, etc.

Cons

• The food served during breakfast the same everyday. It was rather dull having to eat the same food everyday.

• The wifi was slow - only a few of us could connect to it at once. This was a hassle for us as we were instructed to post daily reflections on our blog.

• The walls of the hotel rooms were thin - noise from the corridors could easily be heard from inside the room.

• The lobby of the hotel was very small and the limited space made it inconvenient moving around.

Overall, we would give the hotel a rating of 3/5.

Taipei 101

We visited Taipei 101 on the first day of our trip at night, primarily visiting the 89th floor. It was certainly a unique experience on the fastest lift in the world. We also got to see a Gemstone Coral collection, where we saw the world's tallest Gemstone Coral. Here are our opinions on Taipei 101.

Pros

• The device which the guide gave us was unique and useful - it provided us with information of different landmarks.

• We were granted a magnificent bird's-eye view of the brightly lit city.

• The souvenirs sold at the gift shop were very unique.

Cons

• There was only one lift for the huge number of visitors. We had to queue for quite a long time to get up to the 89th floor.

Overall, we would give Taipei 101 a rating of 4/5.

National Palace Museum 

We were rather stunned by the huge collection that the museum hosted. A must-visit for connoisseurs interested in the rich and fascinating history of Chinese art. Here are our opinions on the National Palace Museum.

Pros

• The museum is filled with interesting artefacts that were able to portray the ancient way of living in greater detail. 

• The museum was also able to flawlessly capture the Chinese's love for art and literature. 

Cons

• Due to its fame, the museum is constantly packed with people. It takes a long time to get from one place to another due to the throngs of people, and the long queue to view the 翠玉白菜 (Jadeite Cabbage) gets easily on one's nerves. 

Overall, we would give the National Palace Museum a rating of 4/5.

Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines 

A museum about the many aborigines in Taiwan. It was an enriching trip it It gave us a deeper understanding about the aborigines in Taiwan. The well-maintained exhibitions caught our attentions, as well as the rich culture of the aborigines that it displayed. Here are our opinions on the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines.

Pros

• It is complete with many detailed descriptions and painstakingly collected artefacts

• The snippets of information found beside each display was able to help us further understand the interesting and intricate lives of the aborigines in Taiwan.

Cons

• Some of the exhibits had information that overlapped and should have been placed together.

Overall, we would give the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines a rating of 4/5.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall & Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall

Both these places were built in remembrance of two of Taiwan's greatest leaders, Chiang Kai Shek and Sun Yat Sen. At the memorial halls, we got to learn about the contribution for the two leaders that made Taiwan what it is today. Here are our opinions on the two Memorial Halls.

Pros

• We got to see the change of guards at both memorial halls, which were breath-taking.

• We learnt much about the two leaders and their history though both the artefacts in the museum and the through explanation of the guides.

Cons

• The tour led by the guide was rather boring as there was very little hands-on activity we could do, which made the tour seem rather dull.

Overall, we would give the two Memorial Halls a rating of 3.5/5.

Ximending

A popular shopping district bustling with life even at night. There were many different shops selling all sorts of different things, catering to many different people of all ages. Here are our opinions on Ximending.

Pros

• This shopping district had many different shops which sold so many different things, some of which we would never find in Singapore. Etc. Manga shop~

Cons

• The place was really huge, which made it really easy to get lost, especially since there were no maps or anything similar provided.

Overall, we would give Ximending a rating of 4/5.

Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School

We visited Jianguo for two days for an immersion programme. On the first day, we got to explore the school and watch performances by the students. On the second day, we were attached to a buddy and attended their classes. Here are our opinions on Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School.

Pros

• The students and teachers were very welcoming and warm. They always made sure that we were comfortable in their school.

• The classes which we attended were interesting. All their classes except English class was taught in Chinese, which was a whole new experience for me. Also, unlike our school, they had compulsory third language.

Cons

• During lessons, some of the students weren't paying attention, which affected our impressions on the school.

Overall, we would give Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School a rating of 4.5/5.

National Revolution Martyr Shrine

A place built in remembrance of the soldiers who died in war. Here is our opinions on the National Revolution Martyr Shrine.

Pros

• The changing of guards was breathtaking and was made better by the fact that is held at a longer path than the memorials and is located outdoors, providing a better view. 

Cons

• There was no guide to explain to us about the up history of the shrine.

• There was nothing interesting to see or learn and it was rather boring.

Overall, we would give the National Revolution Martyr Shrine a rating of 2.5/5.

Eslite Bookstore

A bookstore which is a tourist attraction in Taipei. It is a huge bookstore selling a variety of books. It is one of the best places which we have visited in Taipei. Certainly a must-visit, especially for those interested in novels and books. Here are our opinions on the Eslite Bookstore.

Pros

• It sells a huge variety of books, ranging from classic literature to manga, catering to the likes of many different people.

• The books sold there are relatively cheap compared to other bookstores.

Overall, we would give the Eslite Bookstore a rating of 5/5.

School in Wulai

It was a different and unique experience, visiting a school for aborigines. We got to learn some of their language and participate in their lessons. Here are our opinions on the school in Wulai.

Pros

• The students were very friendly and helpful, making us feel welcomed. They welcomed us with a performance and helped us when we're encountering difficulties during lesson.

• The lessons were very different from the lessons we had - they were very hands-on and interesting. One of their lessons involved going out of the classroom, which was extremely fun.

• The students were very bonded. This can be seen in the way they waited for everybody to be ready before eating meals together.

Cons

• The toilets were really small and not very well maintained.

Overall, we would give the school in Wulai a rating of 3.5/5. 

Wulai Old Street

We visited a street in Wulai which sold mainly food. Here are our opinions on the Wulai Old Street.

Pros

• The stallholders were extremely friendly and had conversations with us when we bought their food.

Cons

• There were very little number of stalls on that street. There also wasn't much to see.

Overall, we would give the Wulai Old Street a rating of 3/5.

Raohe Night Market

A night market mainly for teenagers, selling food, clothes, toys and many more. It is a long, broad road with many stalls in the center, shoppers walking at the left or right of the road. It is a must-visit for teenagers and tourists as the items sold there would certainly appeal to them. Here are our opinions on the Raohe Night Market. 

Pros

• There was a huge variety of food for us to try, which were all very affordable and delicious. 

• There were many different things sold there which were all very appealing, especially to youngsters.

Cons

• There was no nearby toilets for us to use - the nearest one was a small cubicle across the road which was extremely dirty.

• There was insufficient preparation for when it rained. There was not enough shelter for us to walk under.

Overall, we would give the Raohe Night Market a rating of 3/5.

Confucius Temple 

The temple adds on to our knowledge of Chinese culture. It was immensely educational and the history behind the temple interested many of us. Also, we learnt more about Confucius himself. Here are our opinions on the Confucius Temple.

Pros

• The temple is decorated with many significant wood carvings that depict many aspects of the Chinese culture. Each carving has its own meaning and it was interesting to learn them all. 

• The video that was shown was educative, and it further explained the temple and gave us further insight on its history.

Cons

• The huge temple can be a hassle to explore. It takes a long time to view each carving, and other aspects of the temple. 

Overall, we would give the Confucius Temple a 3.5/5.

Gold Museum

Located in Jinguashi, it was able to capture our interest, not only because of its history, but also because of the multiple exhibits that showcased it in its former mining glory. Recommended to those who are fairly interested in the many famous landmarks in Taiwan.

Pros:

• We learnt about the rich history behind the Jingguashi itself. The many information provided beside the exhibitions informed us about the little details in the heritage of the location. 

• There were interactive exhibits that were extremely fascinating, such as an exhibit that allowed us to view our weight in gold. Needless to say, those exhibitions were extremely amusing.

• Train tracks ran around the building itself, partially serving as a decoration, and the overall look of the museum was pleasing to the eye.

Cons:

• Most of the exhibits were about gold or mining. Although they were fairly interesting, some exhibits were quite repetitive, and wore off our initial enthusiasm and interest.

Overall, we would give the Gold Museum a rating of 4/5.

Jiufen 

The lack of hygiene in Jiufen is made up for by the wide array of items up for sale. The souvenirs beckon to the tourists, and the food sold are delicious as well as unique to Taiwan, which makes it even more special. Here are our opinions on Jiufen.

Pros:

• Jiufen is yet another old street that is home to many unique souvenir shops and food stalls. What makes it slightly unique is the history that the town has. The numerous shops were fun to explore, and there are many food items unique to Taiwan available for purchase.

Cons:

• Many of the alleys were in a state of disrepair, the stairs were not well-maintained, and it was difficult to locate the toilets and bins. 

Overall, we would give Jiufen a rating of 3.5/5.

All in all, we did not dislike any of places we visited a lot. Although some places might not have appealed to everyone, they had their advantages and learnings points. >.> I'm sure all of us enjoyed the trip, even if we did not particularly enjoy some of the places. XD

And there you have it~

'Tis pretty late now >.>

China's Dilemma

Reflect on China's dilemma between pursuing higher economic growth and escalating pollution due to industrialisation

Tzeh Yuan

If China continues to develop, it will continue to industrialize and this will lead to rapid economic growth. However, by building more factories, this increase pollution. However, in my opinion, China will choose to continue developing. The government and environmentalist will try to encourage people to stop pollution however they can not stop the economy growth. If they stop, china cannot progress and this is important as many Chinese still fall under the poverty line. Also, the humans are selfish and the Chinese citizens would prioritize their money over the environment. Yet, only when the effect of pollution affect them will pollution measures be placed.

YiDe

As one country pursue higher economic growth, air and noise pollution is created and this damage the environment. Thus, one can't have both and must work hard to create a balance to keep the country going with minimal environmental issues.

Hai Shu

Although China's economy has been growing rapidly, environmental stress is also added on to the citizens as their lives are threatened by pollution in various forms. China's air pollution has became one of the most serious in the world as 80% of the cities that emit the most carbon dioxide is in China, these high rate of carbon dioxide emission has led to fatal health problems. I think that the health of the citizens are much more important than the industrial development of china. Since a good government is one which cares for its citizens, I think china should think about the suffering and decrease the amount of carbon dioxide released by green technologies

Si Rong

China is a country going through rapid industrialisation. In order to fuel it's economic growth, it has taken to building more and more factories in order to earn more money, which in turn, escalates the pollution. I feel that China should prioritise the environment over its economy instead of the other way round. Not only does the increased amount of factory cause air pollution, it also contributes towards global warming, therefore affecting the world. Hence, I think that China should try to reduce the amount of factories it is building in order to reduce the air pollution that it is suffering under. However, China might find it extremely hard to make a choice between industrialisation and decreasing air pollution. Honestly speaking, I feel that it is impossible for China to achieve economic growth without adding to the air pollution. Hence, if China were to choose between industrialisation and decreasing air pollution, I feel that China should choose the latter. Even though China might not benefit economically from this move, it will benefit the health of the people in the long run. 

Jing Qing

China has had a huge economic growth within the last two decades. However, it's economic growth came with escalating pollution from its industrialisation. Every year, industrial air pollution alone killed hundreds of thousands of citizens. It's pollution is not restricted to China itself, but it has spread to other countries, even to Los Angeles and the USA. The health of the citizens in China should be the government's priority, and not China's economic growth. Furthermore, the industrial pollution is even affecting other countries, which shows the large amount of industrial pollution from China's industries. Therefore, I feel that the government in China should cut back on trying to improve its economy, and instead help to reduce the pollution.

Oral Presentation Reflections

YiDe

I learnt that I must remain calm and not freak out because it affected my performance and I under-performed. I should keep calm and carry on but I was too nervous and didn't do as well as expected and instead, I read the wrong slide when presenting. I also learnt that I should be aware of the audience and keep eye contacts with them to keep them interested and listen to me. During the presentation, I could tell that some of my classmates were bored by the large chunks of information thrown to them and I learnt that I must be more funny and throw some humour into the presentation to make it more entertaining and engrossing.

Si Rong

During our oral presentation, I learnt how important keeping calm during a presentation is. I understood the importance of verbal communication, and using our oral presentation skills, tried to express our thoughts of the Chingay Parade to others. If I could try again, I would try to maintain eye contact with the audience, and enunciate my words clearly.  

Hai Shu

I should be more calm, and have a better standing posture as I kept leaning against the white board, and it showed that I was sloppy. I should have more confidence in myself, and memorized the script a bit, as I had very little eye contact with the audience. I was nervous as well, as when one of our teammates said the wrong slide, I forgot to change the slides according to the script.

Tzeh Yuan

It was not very very good as I stammered and did not pronounce some words properly. I attribute that to the fact that I was very nervous during the oral presentation. Also we did not practice well enough. However it was a good learning experience as I wasp forced to present when I usually won't. I will try not to rush in pronounce my words as during the presentation I rushed in speaking resulting in my words being unclear and mispronouncing some words.

Jing Qing

I should have been more confident as i had memorised some of the script but I still kept looking at the script, even for the parts that I have already memorised, which reduced my eye contact with the class. I should also have spoken louder and clearer as I was a little to soft and some of my classmates could not catch what I was saying. We should have made our presentation more humorous as it was evident that the class got bored listening to our presentation. 

Chingay Slides

Lesson 3 Reflection

Si Rong 

Today's lesson required us to find an item to 'sell off', in a sense, and we had to present and promote the 'item' to our class. We also had to do a poster, which would aid our presentation.

During our discussion, my group decided to sell off one of our group members. Because we were trying to 'sell off' someone, we had to find some interesting and useful factors to promote. Our group was honestly one of the more rowdy ones, and the discussion was very lively to say the least. We had fun pointing out certain aspects of our group member and penning it down into a coherent 'poster'.

I suppose that we were attempting a more humorous approach at presentation when we sent Tzeh Yuan up. 

Also, the lesson gave us a bit of a leeway to explore Tzeh Yuan's presentation abilities, and by observing him, we found areas which we could improve on. Today, I learn how presentation skills were quite crucial in life, and some of the criteria in judging someone's presentation. It was a very interesting and fun lesson.

Jing Qing 

In this lesson, I learnt about how to deliver a good presentation. We learnt to be able to speak loudly, clearly and cohesively so that our audience will be able to hear what we are saying. Our presentation should be engaging so our audience will be interested and will pay attention. We should also be careful of our hand gestures and we should have eye contact with our audience. To practice, we were tasked to advertise an item to the class as if we wanted to sell it. We didn't do too bad but our speaker, Tzeh Yuan, spoke too fast and used to much unnecessary hand gestures. Overall, I learnt about good presentation skills that is very useful in our school life.

Yide

I learnt that the volume and clarity of the speaker (Tzeh Yuan) is very important as the it help ( him or her ?) broadcast ( his or her ?) message across to every single one of the audience.

I also learnt that it is important for the speaker to have eye contact with the audience so he can share himself openly with the audience and demonstrate sincerity and honesty in his message.

Tzeh Yuan

During the class we learn presentation techniques. It was then tested by trying to sell off an object. In my case our group tried to sell off Yide. Why? Firstly, I think that the most important thing about a presentation is content. Though I could pick an object that I truly felt was useful and bring out its good point, I chose a comedy route instead. Selling a human is so much of a moral issue that even the thought of it is hilarious. By capitalizing that and stressing out the funny things, I thought that it would be more engaging to the audience. However I am well aware that I don't have very good presentation skills which I will try to improve on. In the end, I realized I made a mistake. By stressing out the funny points instead of stressing out the good points of Yide, I did not really made Yide look like a desirable product to buy. So sadly, no one bought Yide. Hai Shu In this lesson, I learnt about how to deliver a good presentation. We learnt to be able to speak loudly, clearly so that our audience will be able to hear what we are presenting to them, and not make them guess what we are saying.We should also be careful of our hand gestures and we should have eye contact with our audience, so as to make the audience feel engaged or involved in the presentation. To make us practice our presentation, every group was supposed to make a poster to sell of something. Tzeh yuan was the presenter thus the teacher gave feedback based on him.

Thoughts of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year Thoughts

Hai Shu

1 colour- Red. It symbolises happiness, prosperity and good luck, thus it is the best colour of new year.

1 symbol- 

We give red coloured hong bao to people on new year to wish them happiness and a good year ahead 

1 image- 

People always eat new year eve dinner with all family members, it is symbolises that everyone is together, and the atmosphere is happiness.

Si Rong

1 colour- Red. The Chinese view it as a lucky colour as it scares away the 'Nian'.

1 symbol- 

The inverted '福' means '福倒'. It can also be read as '福到'. 

1 image- 

Of the many things I look forward to during Chinese New Year, it is the firecrackers and fireworks I love.

Yi De

1 colour- Yellow

Yellow is hope everyone will be cheerful and be positive.

1 symbol- 

The rabbit is not to forget who you are. (Because Yi De is a rabbit)

1 image-

The image is hope that everyone have a good and prosper (work or study) year.

Jing Qing

1 colour- Yellow

1 symbol-

Feeling happy about upcoming CNY

1 image-

 To me, Chinese New Year is a happy and joyous occasion

Tzeh Yuan

1 colour- red

Chinese new year everything is decorated in red

1 symbol- 

That was something I looked forward to

1 image-  

In the end it is all about wishing for good luck

Lesson 2 reflection

Reflection 2

Si Rong

This week, we learnt that a picture speaks a thousand words, and we must look underneath the underneath. We were showed a few photographs, and told to infer from them. There were many suggestions, and I learnt there are ways one may perceive a picture. We also had a short introduction about poverty in many countries. I also learn how fortunate we are compared to many others in the world. I feel guilty that I take so much for granted when others have nothing at all. 

Hai Shu

Poverty is everywhere on the world, but people may be poor for different reasons. Some people are beg cause they really need the money and the money they beg 100% go to them, while some people beg for other people , and thy use children to assist them to help beg for money. And most of the money they beg go to the boss(the person ) in charge. My feelings is that some people may be poor, but they really need the money, and they beg for themselves, thus we should give them empathy. Others may be working for other people, though they may be poor, but they do not use righteous ways to beg,  thus we should not give them empathy , as they do not get the full amount.

Tzeh Yuan

During the class, we were shown two picture of poverty. One was a picture of a homeless man and the other was a picture of a lady and an infant. After learning that the lady and the infant was part of a syndicate, most people say that they will help the man. Well logically helping the man is the better choice....or is it? See, the man is able bodied and he can earn the money himself. Also he does not need much. The lady however is part of a syndicate (unwillingly) and in terms of who needs help more, it is definitely the lady. However donating won't help her. In her situation, I wonder what can anyone do to help her. 

Jing Qing

We learnt about poverty around the world. We were shown two pictures depicting poverty. The first picture had a man who was very poor and made a living collecting and selling unwanted things. However, one day the cart he had to store his things had been stolen, and he was left with nothing. Another picture had a woman carrying a baby asking a man for money. She was actually part of a syndicate, and most of the money she collected would be given to her boss. After seeing those two images, I realised that we are all very lucky to have a roof above our heads. I find the two people very pitiful. They both worked so hard and yet whatever they had earned was taken away from them. It made me realise that we should cherish whatever we have and not take things for granted.

Yi De

I learnt that poverty exists, even in Singapore. However, as long as people work hard, the government will help them by giving them money to encourage them.

However, in European countries, the people don't have to work and they will be paid. This is a bad policy as people are lazy and will not be motivated to look for jobs.

I also leant that beggars can be in a syndicate. They beg and the money go into their bosses' pocket. I picked up the lesson that looks can be deceiving and we should think before donating money. However, they are genuinely poor and I pity them.

In conclusion, poverty exists in every part of the world and the government and people should help the poor and needy.