We are Group F!

Group F comprises 5 members.

☆ SuHang, 208
☆ Arienne, 305
☆ Fifi, 308
☆ Husnul, 206
☆ Grace, 303


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Portal

By Day

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8


Su Hang
- Reflection

Arienne
- Reflection

Fifi
- Reflection

Husnul
- Reflection

Grace
- Reflection


Others

- Information on Singapore
- Information on Yunnan
- Pre-trip Reflection

Archives

- October 2010
- November 2010
- December 2010

Credits

Layout & Banner: Arienne
Background: Photobucket
Icon: xxMandy20xx

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Sunday, November 28, 2010
Reflection Day 5 @ 3:57 PM

We continued with Taiji when we reached Anning Middle School, it was an unexpectedly difficult martial arts. I was struggling with the moves and I could not see the instructor from where I stood. Then we watched a video about Yunnan before learning Dai dance, we also got to wear some of their minorities groups' costumes. Each costume has their own distinctive features, as well as some highlights of their cultures. As for Dai dance, I was having difficulties learning some of the steps as it confused me. Followed up, we had Yi Dance and it was a very feminine dance and I was impressed by the guys as they tried to dance femininely as much as they could. I had a lot of fun too.

After the dance, we had to put up a performance, I was really nervous when it was my turn to perform with the Indian dance girls. The next thing I know, I was posing in my last formation, I could also hear people clapping and I was glad that I made no mistake. We had a mini game in between, Husnul and I volunteered to play charades, Hsunul was very creative which helps a lot. The performance brought by Anning middle school was great. Everyone did really well, compared to our previous performance at Wen Quan primary school. For a moment, I thought to myself that as long as we put in the efforts to do something, we could do it well as a group.

Before we knew it, it was time for us to part, it was the most disappointing part. Despite spending less than 3 days together, I couldn't bear to part from my buddy. We exchanged our gifts and I couldn't hold onto my tears anymore and I cried while hugging my buddy.

As for a conclusion for Day 5, we had a quick shopping at Walmart and I got tons of snacks.

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Reflection Day 4 @ 2:51 PM

We went to Wenquan Primary School for CIP and it was the coldest morning ever. I went to their toilet to pee and I was shocked by the fact that their toilet does not have any door. Despite it was dark, it was somewhat embarrassing and awkward to pee without a door.

Before it was my turn to teach the kids with my group, we went into a classroom and observe how the other twinning students teach the kids. The kids were really enthusiastic. When it was my group's turn to teach them, we started awkwardly and I wasn't sure what to do but I was glad that we have our buddies to help us, ensuring that they know what we have said, so that everything is going smoothly.

After teaching, we have to put up a performance for them. And I wasn't ready for it, nevertheless everything turned out well and I didn't made a lot of mistakes. We had lunch with our buddies and I also got to know them better.

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Reflection Day 3 @ 1:57 PM

I went to my buddy’s house with Nick for a house visit. They welcomed us warmly and told us about the area. Firstly, we tried to make some dumplings and it was my first attempt, nevertheless it was really easy and fun. After that, we headed towards a nearby park and a place called Nanyuan(South Garden) while Grandma and Auntie Yu preparing lunch, it allows me know how life is like over here. They also told me a lot about their culture, for example, the door couplets they pasted outside their door.

Lunch was awesome as we get to eat the dumplings made by us earlier and we get to try some of common local dishes, it was acceptable and I also get to know more about their cuisine. Followed by lunch, we went to a place called Wen Quan, they showed me around and even went hiking. After walking for a short distance, Nick and I felt breathless due to the high altitude. We had a quick mini-picnic before we heading back to school.

And we visit Yunnan Cultural Village and I felt it was an interesting place, we get to see their minorities groups. Every group has their own unique features and distinctive culture. It also allows me to know what do they do for a living roughly and this conclude my day.

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Reflection Day 2 @ 11:58 AM

We had the best breakfast ever since we reached kunming, and the temperature was colder than yesterday, about 9 degrees. Although everyone was having fun with the vapour coming out from their mouth but we ended up shivering when we reach Anning.

Once again, they welcomed us warmly with an opening speech, followed by the choir performance while wearing all the 26 tribal costumes. Being a guest, I was impressed by their efforts, trying to the bring the best of Anning. After lunch, the selected students had to bring their speech. Despite English being their second language, they were able to bring themselves so well and confidently, to the extend I felt that my speech was really shallow and ashamed by it.

Afterward, we get to learn Chinese Calligraphy, and I was having difficulties controlling the thickness of the brush and the stroke and it was my first time trying to write with a bush. We also learnt a martial arts called long fist, I was having a hard time following his action and I couldn’t see him from the back. After all the attempt to catch up, my hands was tired.

In conclusion, I have more exposure to the Chinese culture and I had fun yet tiring day in Anning.

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Reflection Day 1 @ 11:57 AM

When I just arrived at the kunming airport, we were welcomed cordially with roses by the local representatives. When I took my first step out of the airport, I could feel that the weather was cold, about 13 to 15 degrees and it was awesome. Reason being, Singapore is always so warm and I have always hope that it could been colder. My first impression of Kunming was it is full of trees and flowers and it is very clean, just like Singapore. One thing I hate is the traffic, the vehicles are almost everywhere, be it the street or road and it could be dangerous.

We had dinner at a restuarant, the food was fine. We returned to the hotel and prepared for the next day.

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Reflection Day 8 @ 9:21 AM

In this day, we packed our luggage and bags. We were leaving Kunming today. It was a sad day for everyone and it was exceptionally cold as it rained in the morning. We went to visit West Hills. Since it was raining, we did not go up the mountain but we took the buggy instead and went around the mountain. To make up for the time, we went for a little shopping at this funny shopping mall. There was a maze and we could only walk straight, we could not skip a department. Since I was left with very little money, I only bought three items and total, it costs less then 50 Yuan. We then had our last and final lunch in China before heading off to the airport. At the airport, we all received a CD from the principle of Anning Middle School. It was about our trip at Anning Middle School and the visit to Wen Quan Primary School. It was sad yet made me smile at all the silly things we did at their school. We finally got to go back to Singapore, home sweet home.

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Reflection Day 7 @ 9:20 AM

Today, we went to the famous Dinosaur Valley. We were led by a tour guide. The park was divided into two parts, a museum and a amusement park. We first went to the museum. There were a lot of REAL Dinosaur fossils that were showed at the museum. I was surprised even though I do not believe in Dinosaurs. I took a lot of pictures at the museum. We then got to buy some Dinosaur soft-toy at the souvenirs department. The dolls were really cheap, the largest one was only 50 Yuan which is $10 Singapore. We then went to the amusement park. I usually don’t take the scary rides but this trip has helped made me build up our confidence. I took ‘The Challenger’ which turns 24/7 and gets higher and higher after every swing. It was really scary and I almost puked but I didn’t. I then took the 360 degrees ride. It goes higher and higher after every swing but turns the seat at 180 degrees and then 360 degrees. It sometimes leaves us hanging upside-down in mid-air for a few seconds before turning again. At that point of time, after the ride, I immediately puked but there were a lot of my friends that helped me. The day was really terrifying yet great.

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Reflection Day 6 @ 9:20 AM

We woke up and had breakfast really early and left the hotel at 7.30 in the morning. We went to Anning Middle School for the whole day. We did TaiJi as soon as we arrived at the school. It was supposed to be calm and slow but we did it really quickly as it was hard to follow. The teacher was doing it slowly but the moves are rather hard to follow. We only had a 5 min break before we have to gather back. We gathered after the break and watched a 20 minutes video about YunNan’s different minorities and their ethnic costumes. We got to learn two type of dance. The first type of dance was easy and fun to learn. It was a unisex dance. The second dance was rather slow and gradually got faster and it was more to the feminine side. The boys find it really hard to learn. We then went for lunch followed by a party at the gymnasium. I played a game of carets infront of ALOT of Anning students. It was really fun yet a little scary. We the exchanged our gifts and did the first dance that we learned. It was sad but I tried my best to stay strong. We bid farewell and the atmosphere immediately turned gloomy. That was the saddest part of the trip.

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Reflection Day 5 @ 9:19 AM

We woke up really early in the morning as we had to go to Wen Quan Primary School and teach the students there science experiments and Singapore’s traditional games. The kids were really enthusiastic and keen to learn the games and participates in lessons. We were assisted with our Anning buddies. Everyone then tried our game and learned how to make a zero point rope using nothing but rubber bands. I even learnt a new game that could be played with the zero point ropes. At first, I was shy with my buddy but as we slowly laugh and have fun playing zero point, we got closer and got to know each other better. Today, I had my best lunch ever since we came to Kunming. One, there was coke instead of the usual Chinese tea. Two, we ate our lunch with our twinning buddy. Although at times we could not understand each other, we continued laughing and eating cheerfully together.

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Reflection Day 4 @ 9:19 AM

The visit to Shilin and Jiuxiang was mesmerizing as there were a lot of amazing things that you wouldn’t expect to see in Kunming. In the morning, we went to the stone forest, we were led by a tour guide wearing a traditional costume. There were a lot of natural animal-looking rocks and also a lot of large rocks which are really beautiful. When we reached the top, the weather was a little bit colder then usual but overall the stone forest was really fun. After that we had lunch followed by a trip to Jiu Xiang Cave. We had a little boat ride on this little… river? Which then do we proceed to the Jiu Xiang Cave. At first I thought the different light colours were by the crystals but, I was wrong. It is just light bulbs emitting different coloured lights. But they really did a good job at making the cave look eerie. There were a lot of mini waterfall in the cave and we had to climb a lot of long flight of stairs. It was worth the climb as we were then treated to a short cable car ride. The day was tiring yet awesome.

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Reflection Day 2 @ 9:18 AM

We woke up early and went to Anning Middle School for a full day immersion. We were warmly welcomed by 300+ students in their hall. Their MCs were great and they all tried their best to speak English. Anning’s Principle gave a speech followed by East View’s Vice principle. They gave us a short yet beautiful performance. They were dressed with different colourful ethnic costumes of the Kunming people. And then there were a short singing performance by four Anning students.They sounded beautiful. We then got to meet our new twinning buddy, which we have to go up to the stage and stand beside them. We then went for lunch at their school’s library. After lunch, we went back to the hall and both our school selected a few students to give a speech. It was all written by themselves and I think they all did a superb job. We then went around the school, did Chinese Calligraphy. It was hard yet fun to do. The teacher was really stable and good with his hands. We could see it with the strokes of his writing and painting.

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Reflection Day 3 @ 9:18 AM

I was nervous yet excited when I first met my temporary family for the day. My family is not like the other families. My day was accompanied by 5 awesome guy and 1 girl. My partner was Fairuz. We visited Kunming’s famous hot spring. We did some hiking, climbing flights of stairs and slopes that were really slippery since there were moss growing on it. The view after the tiring climb was breath-taking, we could see clusters of buildings which looks like 20 km apart. There were a little event happening at the mountain and China’s Soldiers were showcasing their military weapons. I then got to play a little see-saw and swing. After all that, we all left our family and headed to the coach which we then went to YunNan Cultural Village. There were varieties of different tribes that were cosplayed at the cultural village. It was a really thrilling experience. I took a lot of photos of the different items they have to show. Overall, the day was AWESOME.

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Reflection Day 1 @ 9:17 AM

When I first went out from the Kunming Airport, the weather was AWESOME! It felt like I was in an air-conditioned room except that im in an open area. The tour guide was really friendly, we received roses when we arrived. The tour guide was welcoming, he even said this, “If we do not give anything, we must refund their air ticket!” He was that great. When we first entered the hotel, everyone was talking and amazed at the hotel. The most exciting part was getting our hotel cards and having our first look of our own room which is shared by another person. When I first scanned my key card and opened the hotel door, my mouth immediately opened. It was very beautiful! We even had a bathtub inside of the toilet. Our first day was tiring because of the flight since we had to transit from Bangkok then to Kunming. But overall, it was alright.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Pre-trip Reflection @ 5:04 PM

Practices are taken place before going to Kunming which allow us to prepared our performance with confidence. Our group had chosen zero point for the game activities at Wen Quan Primary School. We had a hard time to get our group together for discussion. In fact, i learnt how to tire zero point.

As for the song and dance rehearse, it was quite messed up. For myself, it was the first time performing and can't get the steps right. But after practicing continuously and l finally made it!
I thought we would perform very well at Kunming and to show them what we prepared.

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Pre-trip Reflection @ 4:58 PM

When I first heard I was chosen for the trip, I was really really happy. We then had a lot of meetings and practiced for the songs. Apart from that, I had to help my group with the ropes for zero point, we have to make it by hand using rubber bands. I also practiced hard for my dance which is done with Mustaqim and Nabihan. There were a lot of preparations done before the trip. Everyone did a lot of work before the trip. We had to give a photocopy of our passport pictures and expiry date. Our food allergies and medications also had to be handed up. Everyone was busy before the trip, but the trip was really good and we could see our hard work really payed off. Good Job everyone!

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Pre-trip Reflection @ 4:45 PM

Before we reached Kunming, I could feel everything is in a rush especially preparation of the game, it is hard to get everyone to work together. We have our own things to manage, be it dental appoinment or bridging, so we have to split the things up in order to get everything done before the deadline. When we finished everything, there was a subtly sense of complishment.

As for Indian Dance, even though I am someone without any dancing background, the dance was not really tough. Although I didn't struggle a lot but I tend to forget some of the steps, which was quite embarrassing. Overall, it was great because I get to learn a dance which is something very new to me and I had lots of fun as I get to meet new people and bond with them.

We also had to sing, it was terrible because the lyrics can't get through my head and I wasn't sure of the moves. Well after all the catching up, I literally died twice.

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Pre-trip reflection @ 1:21 PM

Our group has chosen to contribute with the game activities simply because it was way more fun and exciting. However, the days before the Kunming trip, we simply had a hard time communicating as a group. Simply because everyone had a busy schedule. That was a challenge. Eventually, as a group, we managed to overcome it. Though we could not get everyone for every meet ups, we decided that the best way is to split the work. For example, one was tasked to do research, another was asked to decorate the teaching board and the duties went on. At the end of the day, though our work was nothing much but I was very glad at the great effort we had put in.

The CIP was not all about the lessons though. We also had to perform for the fellow students. I was one of the girls who was chosen to dance Indian dance. It was more like a Bollywood dance, if you ask me. At first, I was uncertain. I had this bad experience when I was still in Malay Dance so trying to dance again was really something uncomfortable and a total nightmare. However, right from the first lesson, the girls were very cheerful, heartwarming and nervous like I was. We were basically all on the same boat; uncertain of what to expect. Everything turned out to be such a breeze after all. The steps though we got them mixed up ever so frequently at first, we finally got the hang of it at the end of the day. I also think that as a group, we have bond so much and we have helped one another in every other way. For example, if someone did not get the steps right, everyone patiently waited and willingly showed the correct steps.

We also had a singing session as a whole group. It was a fun experience though singing is not my forte. I tried to think that this whole singing thing is about entertaining these kids. It's not about me being all uncomfortable on stage. It's about making them smile and enjoy the performance.
All in all, the pre-trip was pretty much a fruitful one. After all, what is a school trip without planning ahead?

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Places of interest in Kunming @ 4:08 PM

- Places Of Interest

Here are some of the places of interest.

From Top Left to Bottom Right: Stone Forset, Western Hill, Dianchi Lake Scenic Area, Yunnan Ethnic Village, Golden Temple, Jiuxiang Scenic Spot



The rest of the attractions in Kun Ming
  • Wuhua District
  • Yuantong Temple
  • Jingxing Street Bird-Flower Market
  • Golden Horse and Jade Cock Memorial Archways
  • Xishan District
  • Dianchi Lake Scenic Area
  • Yunnan Nationalities Museum
  • Yunnan Ethnic Village
  • Qiongzhu Temple
  • Daguan Park
  • Western Hill
  • Dragon Gate
  • Panlong District
  • World Horticultural Exposition Garden
  • Black Dragon Pool
  • Golden Temple
  • Shilin Yi Autonomous County
  • Stone Forest
  • Anning City
  • Anning Hot Spring
  • Yiliang County
  • Jiuxiang Scenic Spot


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Food, Lifestyle & Sporting Events in Kunming @ 3:44 PM

- Food Event (Jindian Temple Fair 2010)



Traditional Jindian Temple Fair is held in Jindian Park from the 8th day of the first month of lunar calendar to the 10th day. Pilgrims will be al over the Mingfeng Mountain.

Local snacks of Kunming, such as Shaoerkuai (baked cake made of boiled rice), Guanguan Rice Noodle (rice noodle cooked in small jars), Zhuazhuafen (a sweet cold food for summer) and Rose Miliangxia (rice milk in a shrimp’s shape with rose sugar) etc, can be found everywhere on the mountain. Also from the foot of the mountain to the top are all kinds of special local products.

It is as bustling as many other temple fairs in other places. There will be all kinds of special local products and food in the fair. Tourists can also enjoy the beautiful flowers in the park, various entertainment activities and a large mass artistic performance etc.

- Lifestyle Event







The photo taken on Feb. 9, 2010 shows lanterns featuring the theme of the unity of China's 56 ethnic groups at a lantern art festival for the upcoming Spring Festival held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. Nearly 100 sets of artistic lanterns that reflect folktales and traditional custom are presented in the event.

- Sporting Events


Kunming Tuodong Sports Center

Kunming Tuodong Sports Center is a multi-purpose stadium in Kunming, China. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 40,000 people. Tuodong Sports Center is located in downtown center of Kunming City at the elevation of 1,891m and occupying 5.4 ha. Tuodong Sports Center is one of the major sports centers in Yunnan province and Kunming City for physical training and various types of races and contests. The stadium is equipped with glass fiber-reinforced plastic chairs that can accommodate 40,000 audiences. The football field in the center is of international standard at 105 x 68 m and surrounded by 8 plastic tracks. A great many international sports events and matches of large scales have been conducted in the center. Other facilities in Tuodong Sports Center include swimming pools, well-equipped gymnasium, Ping-Pong rooms, etc. All are compliant to relevant international standards, and ideal for training and matches for basketball, volleyball, judo, fencing, and marshal arts.

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Education System in Kunming @ 3:32 PM

Kunming is a major educational and cultural center in the southwest region of China, with universities, medical and teacher-training colleges, technical schools, and scientific research institutes.

Here are some of their Universities in Kunming.

- Yunnan University
- Kunming University of Science and Technology
- Yunnan Normal University
- Yunnan Normal University Business School
- Yunnan University of Finance and Economics
- Yunnan Agricultural University
- Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Kunming Medical University
- Kunming University
- Southwest Forestry University
- Yunnan Arts University
- Kunming Metallurgy College

Private Language Schools
- SFL Language School

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Geography of Kun Ming @ 3:04 PM




The Map Of Kunming


Kunming is the capital of Yunnan province, in southwestern China. It is located in east-central Yunnan province. It is located between north latitude 24°23´ and 26°22´N, and east longitude 102°10´and 103°40´E, with a total area of 21,600 km2 (8,340 sq mi). Its widest stretch from the east to the west amounts to 140 km (87 mi) and its largest expansion from the north to the south amounts to 220 km (137 mi).

Weather of Kunming


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History of Kun Ming @ 3:00 PM

The development of Kunming’s economy and society is very closely associated with the formation and evolution of Dianchi Lake. About 4,000 to 7,000 years ago farming minorities settled in the Dianchi Lake area and began primitive agricultural activities there. The paddy cultivation, for instance, has taken place in the Dianchi Lake area for thousands of years.

From 298 B.C. to 277 B.C. the Zhuang people from Chu State established the Dian Kingdom here in Dianchi Lake area, which brought a more advanced culture from Chu State and the middle of China to the Dian Kingdom and invigorated local politics and the economy.

In 617 the Tang Dynasty was established. In the middle of the Tang Dynasty, the Nanzhao Kingdom held sway in the Erhai Lake area. Duan from Dali seized power from the Nanzhao aristocracy through a series of social reforms, which boosted the development of local commerce, the handicraft industry and foreign trade.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the city was the seat of the superior prefecture of Yunnan. In 1276, Yunnan was created a provincial level administrative district, and Kunming became the official center of politics, economy and culture. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the government chose Kunming as a commercial port. In 1910, Dianyue Railway was completed, which comprehensively enhanced the role of Kunming.

Yunnan was peacefully liberated in 1949, and after 1949, Kunming developed rapidly into an industrial metropolis with the construction of large iron, steel, and chemical complexes, along with Chongqing, Chengdu and Guiyang in the southwest. In the 1980s and 1990s, the city center was rebuilt, with Swiss help, in its current modern style to impress visitors attending the 1999 World Horticultural Exposition. Now, the World Horticultural Expo is widely regarded as a public relations success for Kunming, which seemed to exceed almost all expectations. The Expo made the outside world take notice of Kunming

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Friday, November 12, 2010
Pre trip reflection @ 5:36 PM

Pre-trip reflection.
Before the trip we had to practices for our performances, lessons and games and some of us had bridging our dental appointments but in the end we still finished everything. It gives me a sense of achievement. The singing was okay for me as I could remember the lyrics and dance moves.

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