Reflections in Singapore!

Appreciate all the reflections written during Friday's wrap-up session, and all your comments are so valuable as well! Thanks!

Here're some selected reflections:

Pu En:

"I think that the [IP2] Australia trip has made me know myself better, especially in terms of which educational path I would want to pursue in future, & I have also learnt to relate to others better by being more proactive when it comes to making new friends. Also, I learnt not to perceive people by what I have heard from others as they might not be the way others say they are. In addition, I think that the best way to know oneself better is through overseas trips or backpacking trips. It allows one to experience things that do not usually happen during our daily lives ."

Lemuel:

"I feel very special to be a Singaporean after the trip. I suddently feel proud that evern though our weather's kinda hot for so many months, we are very much an oasis in this region (in terms of our cultural diversity, acceptance, security, urban & natural landscape, educational system, etc.). Maybe the aborigines' struggle for human rights caused me to appreciate & love my culture more. I am more conscious of being a Singaporean and, weirdly, so proud as I walked along the streets of Australia .

"Through this trip, I learnt what it means to accept people from different backgrounds and different personalities. In a sense, I've become more tolerant. Now, I have to become more accepting. I also realised that being real to someone about your feelings, emotions & thoughts usually leads to a better friendship ."

Poline:

"Through this trip as a whole, I realised my identity is not shaped by the people I'm with or what I wear or what I do. The real identity is within myself, knowing what I want to do or achieve. Like on the long bus trips, just looking at the foreign scenery, it set me thinking about what I want to do in the future. Maybe it is when we're set in an unfamiliar context, then we'll really reflect.

"When relating to others, it is good to set aside all the pre-conceptions you have about that person and really start to get to know her/him. One thing I've really gained is a bunch of new friends whom I've had fun with in cold Aussie! Also, I've learnt it's BAD to choose who to talk to or be with because no matter who, you'll be able to discover something really special about the person! "

Anonymous student:

"I learnt that identity is not only about culture, practices and beliefs, it's accepting who you are and appreciating your differences & holding fast to your beliefs. Through the dialogue with the aboriginal woman, I've learnt that to have a strong sense of identity, we must believe in ourselves and respect our culture & ourselves. "

Anonymous student:
"Just like multi-cultured Australia, we live in multi-cultured Singapore. Many different cultures, practices and races. In many ways Singapore is similar to Australia, both a melting pot of cultures. Treating and respecting others, especially those who have different cultural practices, should be done seriously. There should not be discrimination. I know who I am, and am unique even in a multi-cultured society. Just like how the Aboriginals and white people live together, each is unique in their customs and practices. Despite the differences, everyone lives together in harmony (except for certain cases =)) they survive and thrive, and that's the beauty of it all."

Xin Yue:
"I think I've improved my personality and communication skills, Before the trip I was not very open to my Singaporean peers coz I was not very confident. But during this trip, I stayed with my group and in forced me to communicate with others, for example, the last MysteriAus and the project. It was a very happy experience. And during the learning of Australian culture, I found I was becoming interested in social science, this may be helpful with my subject choice in J1."

Anonymous student:
"I have realised that keeping your culture is very important. Even if being yellow-skinned can cause looks of disapproval from Western countries, who I am, deep in my roots, is most important. The aboriginal woman was the one who helped me realise the importance about culture. I also have learnt that being sensitive to other people is crucial, we must be careful not to hurt other people, even if it is unintentional."

Jay:
"I have learnt in greater depth about different identities and also managed to experience it at first hand. This experience has widened my knowledge base. In the beginning, I wondered if I will be able to be understood by the Australians due to the differnet accent. But I was proved wrong and I managed to interact with the people there very efficiently. One thing I noticed very evident in them is the ability to make extended conversations with people. I feel this is something we should learn. By having longer conversations with different people, we will learn more."

Ben:
"I have come to understand that it takes me alot of time to get familiar with new people, which I wasn't aware of before the trip because I always sticked in my comfort zone. But through the trip, I was forced to interact with new people, and learn to open myself up to others. Only then did I begin to interact closely with the people on the trip whom I didn't know.
It helped me realise I was active a night, because of my alertness during and after the reflections each evening. I learnt that my role among my group of friends was "the joker"."

Anonymous student:
"I expected to see a "different Australia" from what I saw with my family a few years back, and I did! I discovered a lot more about Native Australian Aborigines especially, it feels good when I know the veil of commercialised image of aborigines has been lifted, and I have also become more aware of the rich diversities of cultures in the world. I find the most important thing I took back, the lesson of humility. I used to think everything would be different, now I know that it is not so simple. Reality has hit me hard. My internal struggle throughout the trip took me a long time to sort out and reconcile with. Now I know, I am weak when I think I am strong, I am weak when my strength does not lie within but without, and that only God will make all things new."

Yu Hang:
"In the ways, I tried to know the culture of Australia, I feel that the art, the environment, the people, and the preferrance of people do matter. The identity is a multi-disciplinary concept that contains all these things. It helps me to enhance my awareness of my identity also has something to do with where I come from, what I prefer, what I have experienced, and these finally come together to arise the question who am I? In order to let others know who am I better, firstly I need to be aware about who am I in the first place. The trip had helped me to be much clearer about my identity. In the process that I come nearer to Australia, I also come nearer to myself."

Owyong Pu En (06V11):
“I think that the [IP2] Australia trip has made me know myself better, especially in terms of which educational path I would want to pursue in future, & I have also learnt to relate to others better by being more proactive when it comes to making new friends. Also, I learnt not to perceive people by what I have heard from others as they might not be the way others say they are. In addition, I think that the best way to know oneself better is through overseas trips or backpacking trips. It allows one to experience things that do not usually happen during our daily lives.”

Lemuel Teo (06V12):
“I feel very special to be a Singaporean after the trip. I suddently feel proud that evern though our weather’s kinda hot for so many months, we are very much an oasis in this region (in terms of our cultural diversity, acceptance, security, urban & natural landscape, educational system, etc.). Maybe the aborigines’ struggle for human rights caused me to appreciate & love my culture more. I am more conscious of being a Singaporean and, weirdly, so proud as I walked along the streets of Australia.
“Through this trip, I learnt what it means to accept people from different backgrounds and different personalities. In a sense, I’ve become more tolerant. Now, I have to become more accepting. I also realised that being real to someone about your feelings, emotions & thoughts usually leads to a better friendship.”

Lim Ching Jie Poline (06V12):
“Through this trip as a whole, I realised my identity is not shaped by the people I’m with or what I wear or what I do. The real identity is within myself, knowing what I want to do or achieve. Like on the long bus trips, just looking at the foreign scenery, it set me thinking about what I want to do in the future. Maybe it is when we’re set in an unfamiliar context, then we’ll really reflect.
“When relating to others, it is good to set aside all the pre-conceptions you have about that person and really start to get to know her/him. One thing I’ve really gained is a bunch of new friends whom I’ve had fun with in cold Aussie! Also, I’ve learnt it’s BAD to choose who to talk to or be with because no matter who, you’ll be able to discover something really special about the person!”

Anonymous student who didn’t give his/her name (!!!):
“I learnt that identity is not only about culture, practices and beliefs, it’s accepting who you are and appreciating your differences & holding fast to your beliefs. Through the dialogue with the aboriginal woman, I’ve learnt that to have a strong sense of identity, we must believe in ourselves and respect our culture & ourselves.”

What Hsien Liang's group says...

30 Jun

Today was the day where we visited the universities of New South Wales and Macquarie. All of us took back many lessons worth learning, such as the importance of being serious in our work and the number of options open for us in our everyday lives. All of us also discovered where our strengths lie, and what future studies to pursue in the years to come. Throughout the day, we met a lot of people and we are warmed by their welcoming and greetings. We were inspired by the learning environment of the universities and were very excited with the wide variety of subjects available for study overseas. The talks by students and professors of the 2 universities were enriching, as they displayed their own institution's strengths in their own rights and their significance in Australia. My group and I were thankful for these talks as they helped prepare us for the future.

31 Jun

Today we the visited one of the largest fish markets in the world,the Sydney Fish Market, only second to Japan. However, having the second largest fish market in the world, the irony is that Australians do not fancy seafood as much as other meat they take.

Being at the SFM was really an eye opener for all of us, we were introduced to the many different kinds of fish sold as well as the unique system that the Australians' adopt when selling our marine friends. How many of us actually have to bid for our seafood?

After that we made a trip to the Blue Mountains, it certainly was an enriching and all the more breath-taking experience. We tracked through the temperate rainforest at the same time admiring the awesome scenery.

The third highlight of the day was the dialogue session with an aboriginal lady. Though she being integrated into the modern society, taught us much about the aboriginals lifestyles, their beliefs and the mutual relationship they have with the land. During reflection time we compared this relationship with that which the westerners have with the environment, we drew useful lessons from that. One could in fact take two stances towards a certain situation one, adapt to the situation or environment and or two, make it work for you.

1 June

On the 1st day of June, we moved off early this morning to an Aboriginal art gallery near the city area to learn more about Aboriginal culture. We were allowed to paint our own boomerangs as a souvenir back to Singapore. The colours of paint we were allowed to use were only black, white and yellow, the 'natural' colours to the Aborigines. This demonstrated the uniqueness of their artform as their pieces of art were equally professional as modern art, although they were more restricted in terms of materials used.

After that, we went to take a tour at the Sydney Opera House. It consisted of 6 performance theatres, each of them being constructed for a different purpose. Also, we learnt that the roof of the Sydney Opera House was in fact designed by a Danish architect, not an Australian. This proved that Australia is indeed a diverse place, and that people of different race and culture are more than welcome to settle in the country.

Following the opera house, there was the NSW art gallery where we encountered many beautiful artpieces. The guide there led us through the gallery and told us the many different forms of art and their probable meanings. Throughout the trip, one can notice that most of the artpieces are those which reflects their lifestyles or experiences, just like those that we learnt about in the Aboriginal art gallery, amplifying the idea that our identity shapes our art and likewise art affects our thoughts and identity, with an example being that of the decoration of the room affecting our views on the artpieces. Therefore, everyone is actually a social construct with things around us affecting our lifestyles. We then also have to learn to adapt to the environment, just like how the artists make use of the different materials and skills (eg. brushstrokes) to create the kind of effects they wish to get.

Aside from the art in the art gallery, one thing we learnt from the trip was the importantance of taking care and looking after one another, especially when we are out of our own comfort zone. VIP had always tried to control the class's environment so as to ensure that Rhoda is okay with it. However, now that we are out in the open, we cannot control the situation. For example, the art gallery had deionised air so as to protect the artpieces. At the same time, it made Rhoda uncomfortable. Thus, since we cannot control the environment, the only thing we can do is to ensure that our friend is okay and looked after so that no one would be left unattended. As they say, "Two is always better than one, for when one falls down, the other can help him up", hence we should always take care of one another, especially if we do go for studies overseas in the future.

We visited the Migrant Centre after lunch, where the speaker gave a presentation about the refugees and unemployed migrants in Australia whom were in need of our help. This talk backs up our previous notion of unity within a group of people as each of us depend on one another in a way. Hence, it is up to us to adopt a caring attitude towards whatever we do.

2 June

We got off to a great start to the day by visiting the Hunter Valley Zoo this morning, after a 170km journey along the roads of Australia in the bus. Everyone was practically tired from yesterday's events, and as a result, most of us ended up sleeping on the coach. However, this sleepy mentality took a 180 degree turn when we set foot into the zoo and saw animals such as the koalas and the kangaroos up-close. All of us found a sudden burst of energy, with excitement and laughter brewing almost every other minute. This goes to show that each of us has a certain area of great interest where we can exploit our potential to the maximum. Although all of us are different as individuals, we are united by the common interests that all of us may share. Throughout the trip, we saw many different animals and how they have many features to adapt to the environment, and also how the zookeepers ensure that the environment is suitable for the animals, emphasing on the interrelationship of the environment and animals, and how it is vital for people to learn to be flexible and adapt to survive.

With our hearts all satisfied with the cute and cuddly animals, we washed our hands and left for the cheese factory for part of our lunch, where we were introduced and allowed to try different cheese. Through the cheese tasting session, we realised that everyone has different tastes, likes and dislikes. Then, we realise that it is crucial that we cannot take our views to be universal and learning to compromise and find a balance would be a wise thing to do.

Trip log by Andrea's group

30 May

We gained valuable information on studying in sydney. We learnt that studying overseas is not easy as it requires you to be independent and self-disciplined; you have to cook your own meals, look after yourself, manage your own money etc. However, it may be a fun and enriching experience where you meet many different people from different cultures. The unsw iss, support group for international students , left a very good impression on us,with their 'motto' arrive,survive ,thrive. It assured us that there would be someone around to give us support. Overall, it really was an eye-opener and a great experience.

31 May

First destination. Sydney fish market! We went on a tour round the fish market. Like we all know, the only fish market which is bigger than this is the fish market in japan. Unlike japan, which auctions off its wares by voice, the sydney fish market uses an auction clock to carry out the auctions. We realized that the market made use of technology to help them achieve maximun efficiency in selling off their products.

Trees...seas...birds...ferns...mountains...MOTHER NATURE Yup! Mother nature! Our next stop was the blue mountains. Here, we went on a LIGHT & EASY hike led by park rangers. We saw witches' leap, the three sisters, other mountain ranges and so on... We even took a railway which climbs up at an angle of around 50 degrees. Next we went to another town where we were given a brief introduction to aboriginal culture.

Throughout the whole blue mountains tour. We learnt about the biodiversity of australia and how they are taking measures to conserve their environment. They are even learning from the aboriginal people.

To conclude we had a most meaningful trip today where we came real close to mother nature.

1 June

Wow....just attended the aboriginal art workshop, very interactive and interesting. I learnt a lot about their culture but what struck me the most was the Musical instrument, the long pipe thing. It is amazing to see how a long pipe can actually produce so much sounds and tunes. It is simply rather ingenious of the aborigines, being able to convey so much stuff through different sounds.

We visited sydney opera house and had a behind the scene tour. GOSH! It was huge, having 6 theatres and the capacity to house 6000 people, it was simpley breathtaking!!! The art scene in australia is simply vibrant, seeing both the aboriginal and western arts flourishing. The arts is higgly encouraged in australia as we can see classes of students flocking to the NSW museum and we know literaturre is a must take subject for students. Somehow I feel that the arts flow in their blood.

LAST STOP!
Visited the migrant centre. Although it was rather tiring, I gain a valuable experience from it, learning how migrants aren’t given a helping hand in surviving in australia. I also learnt many stuff and troubles that the migrants faced.

IN ALL, it was a fun day, just a little tiring. NIL SINE LABORE:)

2 June

Alright, I guess that this blog will need some new fonts other than Arial and Times New Romans so I shall type in 13375l*34l<, just kidding.

We woke up cold and hungry in the wee hours in the morning and were welcomed with tasty, hot breakfast. Much better than what we've been eating so far. After which we set off on our long journey to Hunter Valley Zoo where we saw many native animals of Australia like the Dingos, Emus and Koalas. I was amazed at the different adaptations that each animal had that allowed it to survive in Australia's dry and arid environment. For example, the wombat has rear facing pouches that prevents the joey from being swamped with soil and scum when the mother is digging it's burrow with her front legs.

Soon we were off to Hunter Valley Cheese Co. to try some of their cheeses. One of the types of cheeses that i'll never forget is the blue cheese. Although it was the milder version, I think I won't be eating blue cheese for a long time... ...

To clear the "splendid" taste from my mouth we all went for a splendid barbie lunch which translates from 4(_)5513 5l*34l< into bbq! Woots! To my surprise, Australian barbie chicken tastes like char siew! Splendid!

To add onto the splendid experience, we went to a vineyard to learn how wine was made. They pick the grapes, separate the stalks and the skins, squish them and let them ferment in huge barrels made of 100 year old oak. \/\/0\/\/oneoneone!

After a long journey back to Sydney, we freshened up and left to have dinner and a show. We're going to watch two short plays entitled This is a Play and Never Swim Alone. This is a play where the actors are aware of themselves being in a play. Great fun with lots of laughs. The second play, Never Swim Alone, was on a more serious note. I felt that it was about competition within society, betrayal of friendship and everything it takes to be the first. A play that gets you thinking... ...

3 June
Woke up in a cold morning, had the same kind hotel breakfast, hurry got on the coach. And today is Ahmad's amazing birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

We arrived at Western Sydney Nursery and garden at about eight. From the official we get the information that the forest area in Sydney is decreasing in a great speed, thus a lot of environmental conservation work need to be done. In order to help Australia to save their forest, we spent our whole morning transplanting the grass into separated cups. And we did over one thousands cups, everyone must have done at least 80 over. WELL DONE EVERYBODY!
We got to the water in a winter Australia afternoon! So that we could got some points for our mysterious 3 task. And we interviewed a happy Australian family. The task is fun!!!

And we got on a SHIP in order to view the NICE SCENERY around the Sydney Opera House.

Finally at night, we all dressed up nicely and went to see the REAL OPERA in Sydney Opera House. And the show is REALLY REALLY AMAZING!!! It is the BEST show I have EVER seen in my life!!!
HOPE TOMORROW COULD BE MORE FUN!

PHOTO COMPETITION! (this font is ugly, but nvm)

THEME: Show the diversity of Australia OR something that represents the essence of Australia

Submit photos to us cher-chers by this Friday

More reflections

Aussie trip day we woke up at an unearthly hour to visit the Sydney Fish market. It was a really interesting experience as we got to see how they bidded for the fish. we were also introduced to many different types of fish. What was really cool was that the fish only come from Australia and New Zealand waters! As we all know, Australia has this issue about importing food from other Countries and they would only accept fish from new Zealand because they share the same waters. Dug into a fresh seafood breakfast and set off towards blue mountains. Stopped by a candy shop to fill our sacks. The bushwalking at the blue mountains was certainly an eye opener! We got to see the 3 sisters and the eroded layers of rocks. the scenery was breathtaking and obviously something we would not see back in the sauna. We ended the hike with a steep 52 degree train ride back up to the top. After a quick bite, we attended a dialogue session with an aboriginal woman. She shared information about her culture with us. .... It was a very refreshing session for us as we got to finally see a real Aborigine. MysteriAUS that night was to prepare a dish that best represents and is iconic of Australia. Our group did a pizza face of an aboriginal man and we won! :D After today's session, the idea of conserving the environment was reinforced to us, we were also given eye candy to the wonderful sights that we do not get to see in Singapore. We also got to learn more about the Australian culture, for example their reluctance to eat seafood and their preference to eat meat. the wonderful tours that we attended today were educational and really did benefit us especially with understanding a different country's culture better.

-Lemuel’s group

Heyo! We are off to the hunters valley NOW and all the koalas, kangeroos are waiting for us. Personally this is going to be my first time seeing them and though I’m not a koala fanatic(Having seen all the koala soft toys), I still look forward to all thr fun we are going to have later on.Just passed by the Harbour Bridge and thought it`d be cool to do thr bridge climb and get hold of the beautiful scenery beneath. But Steve our bus driver just said it costs about hUndred odd bucks!!

Alright about last night,we all took a short walk down to Dahling Harbour after our dinner(turkish wrap;it was super big). Along the way,we saw practically more asians than the aussies themselves and it really made me think if I really want to study in an overseas uni in the future. Yes there will be agencies and special school groups there to assist, but what about the homesick? Nothing beats the warmth of home and your dear family member right. So I was wondering, being overseas alone is almost like surviving all by yourself. The other students being foreign too, will definitely care for themselves first. So yeah, it will be a life changing decision for one to study overseas.

Okay, batt is running out so toodles!

- Poline

1 June, Friday

Today, we checked out of our Dunmore Lang College accomodation early in the COLD morning when the Sun just rose from behind the horizon. Then. Our dearest coach driver Steve brought us to the Gavala Aboriginal Art Gallery to admire Aboriginal art of course! We witnessed, finally after so many days, an aboriginal playing the Didg. We also painted our very own bomerang -- Aboriginal style! I'm sure many of us had a great time. It reinforced the fragility of Aboriginal culture.

Then we went for a tour at the Sydney Opera House. Personally, I found it amazing. We got to see their many halls, including the Opera theatre! Patronising the Art is a way of life here in Sydney. The theatre companies work together very closely with local schools especially in the production of certain works they're studying in school. There are many other schemes and outlets for people to patronise the Arts in the SOH, like elderly friendly show times and productions that cater to EVERYONE.

From there, we went to the NSW Art Gallery. For an Art Gallery newbie like me, the experience was certainly... interesting. We realised that Art can really make you look at life from different perspectives. Some of the pieces were literally breathtaking for me. yay!

We travelled quite a long while to the CB Migrant Centre. The Korean lady talked a lot about the problems migrants face and what the centre did to help. Quote: Culture shock is culture shock, you can't prepare for it! Hmm... I wonder how many of us agree to it.

Then we checked-in to the Metro Hotel Sydney Central. It's a wonderful hotel with the nice comfy bed!

can't wait for tomorrow.

- posted by lemuelteo.

Today,we visited the national art gallery . After comparing and contrasting the drawings of Australia by europian and aboriginal artissts,I find we need toidentify the truth in isolation. We should not present the tree branches in curves just as we like that;we shoulde not ourline the aborigines by imagination without even meeting the. How we approach the truth is being humble and honest.

- Huang Sui

We just finished the bush walk at the Blue Mountains and i must say it was indeed a breathtaking experience! could see how much they emphasize on the aboriginal culture and the conservation of the natural habitat. The 3 sisters, waterfall...

and and, our group just cooked! Gosh it is fantastic and we definitely have a flair for cooking. Presentation is starting in a minute so I will probably continue later[= ciaoos.

-Poline

The visit to the blue mountains was fantastic! The scenery was beautiful. Had a nice time capturing some fabulous places in my lovely camera phone! I love the serene environment in australia. The sharing session at the museum was very enriching. Learnt much about them. How I hope I can meet the aborigines! Well, we are all now heading back to Sydney to our accomodation. Will definitely miss the blue mountains.

Today has been quite fun so far. No dry mini-workshops.

I had quite a lot of fun at the Hunter Valley zoo. I saw native animals like the kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats and dingos. It was a highly enriching experience and I managed to confirm my hypothesis that koalas are marsupials by speaking to the zookeeper.

We then went to the vineyard. Sadly, I did not understand most of stuff about the wine.. However, it is interesting tc note how much effort is put in to ensure that the resultant wine is of the highest quality. For example, we were told about how rigourous lab tests are conducted to ensure the purity of the wine. Furthermore, great pains are taken to ensure that the temperature at which the wine is stored does not fluctuate too much.

We have been to Manly Beach yesterday. Greedly I gazed at the scenery with my eyes acting as the camera. I thought I can trust my eyes, but when I closed them, the image in my mind was just shallow shadow. I saw seagulls but I couldn't tell you how many there are on the beach; I placed the surfers in the picture but I was not sure which one is the most skillful one...To portray the exactly true view, I need to focus on details. A blur scan on the matters can not record the truth.

- Poline’s group

Updates

30 Jun

Today was the day where we visited the universities of New South Wales and Macquarie. All of us took back many lessons worth learning, such as the importance of being serious in our work and the number of options open for us in our everyday lives. All of us also discovered where our strengths lie, and what future studies to pursue in the years to come. Throughout the day, we met a lot of people and we are warmed by their welcoming and greetings. We were inspired by the learning environment of the universities and were very excited with the wide variety of subjects available for study overseas. The talks by students and professors of the 2 universities were enriching, as they displayed their own institution's strengths in their own rights and their significance in Australia. My group and I were thankful for these talks as they helped prepare us for the future.

31 Jun

Today we the visited one of the largest fish markets in the world,the Sydney Fish Market, only second to Japan. However, having the second largest fish market in the world, the irony is that Australians do not fancy seafood as much as other meat they take.

Being at the SFM was really an eye opener for all of us, we were introduced to the many different kinds of fish sold as well as the unique system that the Australians' adopt when selling our marine friends. How many of us actually have to bid for our seafood?

After that we made a trip to the Blue Mountains, it certainly was an enriching and all the more breath-taking experience. We tracked through the temperate rainforest at the same time admiring the awesome scenery.

The third highlight of the day was the dialogue session with an aboriginal lady. Though she being integrated into the modern society, taught us much about the aboriginals lifestyles, their beliefs and the mutual relationship they have with the land. During reflection time we compared this relationship with that which the westerners have with the environment, we drew useful lessons from that. One could in fact take two stances towards a certain situation one, adapt to the situation or environment and or two, make it work for you.

1 June

On the 1st day of June, we moved off early this morning to an Aboriginal art gallery near the city area to learn more about Aboriginal culture. We were allowed to paint our own boomerangs as a souvenir back to Singapore. The colours of paint we were allowed to use were only black, white and yellow, the 'natural' colours to the Aborigines. This demonstrated the uniqueness of their artform as their pieces of art were equally professional as modern art, although they were more restricted in terms of materials used.

After that, we went to take a tour at the Sydney Opera House. It consisted of 6 performance theatres, each of them being constructed for a different purpose. Also, we learnt that the roof of the Sydney Opera House was in fact designed by a Danish architect, not an Australian. This proved that Australia is indeed a diverse place, and that people of different race and culture are more than welcome to settle in the country.

Following the opera house, there was the NSW art gallery where we encountered many beautiful artpieces. The guide there led us through the gallery and told us the many different forms of art and their probable meanings. Throughout the trip, one can notice that most of the artpieces are those which reflects their lifestyles or experiences, just like those that we learnt about in the Aboriginal art gallery, amplifying the idea that our identity shapes our art and likewise art affects our thoughts and identity, with an example being that of the decoration of the room affecting our views on the artpieces. Therefore, everyone is actually a social construct with things around us affecting our lifestyles. We then also have to learn to adapt to the environment, just like how the artists make use of the different materials and skills (eg. brushstrokes) to create the kind of effects they wish to get.

Aside from the art in the art gallery, one thing we learnt from the trip was the importantance of taking care and looking after one another, especially when we are out of our own comfort zone. VIP had always tried to control the class's environment so as to ensure that Rhoda is okay with it. However, now that we are out in the open, we cannot control the situation. For example, the art gallery had deionised air so as to protect the artpieces. At the same time, it made Rhoda uncomfortable. Thus, since we cannot control the environment, the only thing we can do is to ensure that our friend is okay and looked after so that no one would be left unattended. As they say, "Two is always better than one, for when one falls down, the other can help him up", hence we should always take care of one another, especially if we do go for studies overseas in the future.

We visited the Migrant Centre after lunch, where the speaker gave a presentation about the refugees and unemployed migrants in Australia whom were in need of our help. This talk backs up our previous notion of unity within a group of people as each of us depend on one another in a way. Hence, it is up to us to adopt a caring attitude towards whatever we do.

2 June

We got off to a great start to the day by visiting the Hunter Valley Zoo this morning, after a 170km journey along the roads of Australia in the bus. Everyone was practically tired from yesterday's events, and as a result, most of us ended up sleeping on the coach. However, this sleepy mentality took a 180 degree turn when we set foot into the zoo and saw animals such as the koalas and the kangaroos up-close. All of us found a sudden burst of energy, with excitement and laughter brewing almost every other minute. This goes to show that each of us has a certain area of great interest where we can exploit our potential to the maximum. Although all of us are different as individuals, we are united by the common interests that all of us may share. Throughout the trip, we saw many different animals and how they have many features to adapt to the environment, and also how the zookeepers ensure that the environment is suitable for the animals, emphasing on the interrelationship of the environment and animals, and how it is vital for people to learn to be flexible and adapt to survive.

With our hearts all satisfied with the cute and cuddly animals, we washed our hands and left for the cheese factory for part of our lunch, where we were introduced and allowed to try different cheese. Through the cheese tasting session, we realised that everyone has different tastes, likes and dislikes. Then, we realise that it is crucial that we cannot take our views to be universal and learning to compromise and find a balance would be a wise thing to do.

Updates

Thu, 31 May 2007

0720h
Gah. Yesterday was our first day in Australia...and boy it was tiring... I didn't get much sleep in the plane so naturally I was very tired (like everyone else). Consequently, we were all really struggling to pay attention in the universities.

However, the university visit really made me aware of the possibility of studying overseas as an international student. Prior to this, I have never really considered studying overseas, but now, I am quite impressed with the universities' attempts to help the foreign students adapt, so now the possibility of studying overseas suddenly doesn't seem so remote anymore...

1405h
The visit to the blue mountains was fantastic! The scenery was beautiful. Had a nice time capturing some fabulous places in my lovely camera phone! I love the serene environment in australia. The sharing session at the museum was very enriching. Learnt much about them. How I hope I can meet the aborigines! Well, we are all now heading back to Sydney to our accomodation. Will definitely miss the blue mountains.

1938h
We just finished the bush walk at the Blue Mountains and i must say it was indeed a breathtaking experience! could see how much they emphasize on the aboriginal culture and the conservation of the natural habitat. The 3 sisters, waterfall... and and, our group just cooked! Gosh it is fantastic and we definitely have a flair for cooking. Presentation is starting in a minute so I will probably continue later [= ciaoos

Poline, Yi LIng, Huang Sui, Jay, Kenny

Reflections in Sydney!

30/5/07

We gained valuable information on studying in sydney. We learnt that studying overseas is not easy as it requires you to be independent and self-disciplined; you have to cook your own meals, look after yourself, manage your own money etc. However, it may be a fun and enriching experience where you meet many different people from different cultures. The unsw iss, support group for international students , left a very good impression on us,with their 'motto' arrive,survive ,thrive. It assured us that there would be someone around to give us support. Overall, it really was an eye-opener and a great experience.

31/5/07

First destination. Sydney fish market! We went on a tour round the fish market. Like we all know, the only fish market which is bigger than this is the fish market in japan. Unlike japan, which auctions off its wares by voice, the sydney fish market uses an auction clock to carry out the auctions. We realized that the market made use of technology to help them achieve maximun efficiency in selling off their products.

-Andrea, Yiliang, Grace Ong, Thomas, YuHang

30/5/07

Went to visit the university of new south wales and macquarie university. We had a tour around the campuses and were introduced to the various courses available, such as new medical program in unsw, and had a look at the facilities and accommodations available on campus.There were also different clubs we could join, ....similar to what we call ccas in singapore . From the tours we realised that there are plenty of opportunities available and we should be open towards them, and consider all of them carefully. An ex-vj student, Bernice, currently studying fine arts in UNSW shared with us her experience studying in UNSW, the problems she faced,as well as how she adapted to the life there. After the tour, we were able to identify the pros and cons of studying overseas, and the support that we would receive from the school if we choose to study here, to ensure that we arrive, survive and thrive. We were also informed about the courses they provided and the requirements of entering the university so that we can chooose which university is more suitable for us if we were to pursue our studies in australia in the future. after this experience, we began to see the differences between studying in singapore and studying aboard....... There were societies formed to help international students adapt in a foreign environment. The people in australia very friendly and helpful as they would gladly answer any questions we posted to them.

-JunHan, Audrey, Jillian, KwanYong

31/5/07

We have learnt a great deal from the the Aboriginals. Unlike the European settlers who manipulate the natural environment drastically to suit their needs, the Aboriginals have developed a very clever way of lifestyle, especially with managing the resources, which is very closely tied in with the spirituality they share with the land they inhabitat in. They treat the land with utmost respect, not over-exploiting the land. This is reflected in their nomadic lifestyle and burning the land in a controlled manner.

These two different populations reflect the two contrasting schools of thoughts pertaining to the relationship between man and the environment. The whites believe that armed with advanced technology, they will be able to manipulate the environment, whereas the aboriginals' lifestyle are very much determined by the environment and will not try to change it to meet their survival needs.

I think we have a lot to learn from the Aboriginals. As we move on to JC, we have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone and take on an open and positive mindset. Just like the Aboriginals,we can develop ways to adapt to the new system and make the system work out for us.

-PuEn, Jonathan, Josephine, Kevin, Rhoda

1/6/07

Today, we visited the national art gallery . After comparing and contrasting the drawings of Australia by europian and aboriginal artissts,I find we need toidentify the truth in isolation. We should not present the tree branches in curves just as we like that;we shoulde not ourline the aborigines by imagination without even meeting the. How we approach the truth is being humble and honest.

-Huang Sui

1/6/07

Woot! I finally had some proper rice after sooo long. I.just had lunch at a Chinese buffet restaurant, and boy it tasted of home. Had some really cool food ZOMG!!!

I went to the Migrant Centre just now and we had a very enlightening talk regarding problems that immigrants going to Australia may face, and the sources of help they can find from the Australian government.

I realised that a migrant's life may not be as free and easy as it seems, and they will most probably face plenty of problems. However ever, I think that these risks are probably insignificant in comparison to the benefits of migrating.

-Kenny

Hunter Valley Zoo

Sorry for being bored in the middle of the night~

BUT~

FOR ZOO LOVERS LIKE ... MUAAA (see ms low~ ^_^), we can't give this a miss.

IT's A MUST GO!!!

and bio teachers will love it! just wondering whether mr shi has any problem with it ...

Anyway... Here are some of the things i present to you after dripping a lot of sweat and doing a lot of hard work. (dripping of sweat = excretion) HAHAHAH! expels... SALT

The address:

138 Lomas LaneCessnock

NSW 2325Australia

Opening time: It opens from 9 AM to 4 PM.

And you can feed the kangaroos, wallabies, deers and birds!

but of course you can feed yourself.

ANDDDDD... we are having our BARBEQUE LUNCH I suppose!
(drool peopleeee)

(might play around with video cam for chinese project. HOSTING THE BBQ SHOW HAHAH!)

^_^


Here is a list of animals available~~~

Agile Wallabies, Albino Wallaroos, Albino Tammar Wallabies,

Blue-tongued Lizard, Bearded Dragons (ooh. wonder what this is), Black Swans, Blue-winged Kookaburras

Crab-eating Macaques, Cockatiels, Carpet Python, Crested Pigeon, Crimson Rosella, Chital Deer, Cape Barren Goose,

Dingoes, Diamond Python, Ducks,

Eastern Brown Snake, Emus, Eastern Rosella, Eclectus Parrots, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Eastern Wallaroos

Fallow Deer, Fan-tail Pigeons,

Gang-gang Cockatoo, Guinea Pea Fowl, Geese,

Koalas, King Parrots,

Lace Monitors (Goannas),

Major Mitchell Cockatoos


Ostrich,

Pheasants, Peacocks, Parma Wallabies

Red-necked Wallabies, Rainbow Lorikeets, Red-collared Lorikeets, Red-necked Pademelons, Red Kangaroos,

Spider Monkeys, Swamp Wallabies, Silky Chickens, Supurb Parrots, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Sugar Gliders

Tammar Wallabies,

Wombat (Common), Western Red Wallaroos


Seems like no underwater things for SHARK lovers like me! T_T

Shan't post pictures.
Witness the beauty when you get there. ^_^




Posted by the meddlesome food group members. [[ace`]] junhan jillian KY

WINE TASTING

Sorry people I was too bored after pia-ing for my Language Arts SIP so now I have a lot of freetime.

^_^ sharing and presenting to you... the art of wine tasting.

(a question to you guys : wine tasting = art?)

3 STEPS - LOOK . SMELL . TASTE

LOOK:

The wine should be held in front of a white background so that the colour can be seen!
E.g. White wine : green - yellow - brown (more colour means more flavour and it's older ^_^)
E.g. Red wine : pale red - deep brown red (lighter colour means older!)

Rim colour: the... meniscus. YEPP! purple tint = young . orange - brown = maturity
Swirling: observe body of wine for alcohol content and/or sweetness level

SMELL:

2 methods:
1. take a quick sniff. formulate the flavour. take another sniff
OR
2. just take one big sniff <-- aint this simpler.

RMB to swirl before smelling!.
allow oxygen to enter wine.
"releases the esters, ethers, and aldehydes that combine with oxygen to yield the bouquet of the wine. In other words, swirling aerates the wine and gives you a better smell."

You should be able to smell either:
wood, flower, herbs, spice, fruit, earthy(notsure?)

*remember the smell of the wine that u dont like and don't buy that one. XD

TASTE

heh. finally! drink up! ... still got steps...

initial taste: your initial impression of it when i just touched ur tastebuds...
taste: take in some air, slosh wine arnd in mouth to taste better
(examine body and texture of wine: light/rich? smooth/harsh?)
after taste: the time the taste lasted in mouth and was it pleasant.

1. Swish the wine around in your mouth

Now we know that all the taste buds on your tongue can detect sweetness, sourness, bitterness and saltiness! (not like what we learnt in primary school, tip of tongue = sweet) So to let all your taste buds enjoy the wine, swish it around in your buccal cavity!

2. Smell the wine
70%-75% of what we taste is what we smell!!!
If you don't smell the wine, you won't be able to enjoy it fully. Without our sense of smell, we CANNOT detect flavours such as smoke, chocolate or herbs.


OK PEOPLE!!!
enjoy packing your luggage!

Brought to you by [[ace`]]
and her aussie group members junhan jillian ky

Shock closure of UNSW Asia in Singapore!

Hihi, pls read today's front page... the newly opened UNSW campus in Singapore will be closing in June! Reason cited is smaller-than-expected student enrolment.

This leads us to wonder:
Is their marketing to blame? Did they advertise enough, considering such aggressive ad campaigns like SMU's?

Is it because students still desire the Australian education experience, which they can't get in Singapore? Is the experience more important than just having the name UNSW on your cert?

Cheers mates!

Cheap (?) Stuff you can get!

Alright. This is late, but yeah... Haha.
Things you can get with 5 Ozzie Bucks! (or around there o.o)

Food:
- TimTam (US$1.50) [Btw, its a recommendation on 5 Takes forum to try every single flavour ]
- Natural Confectionary Jellies (US$2.95)
- A decent dinner and a pint of beer at a random pub
- The pint alone costs Au$2. O.o
For supermarket goers:
- A newspaper, Plus:
-- 2 litres of milk
-- 1kg minced beef
-- 1kg of cheese
-- 1 stack of printing paper
Shower Stuff:
- Shower gel, milk, oil, soap bars (US$4-5)
Gifts:
- Keychains: road signs, pendants, koalas, boomerangs, kangaroo, kookaburra, wombat, opal rock, aussie flag (US$3-5 individually)
- Stuff in the kitchen:
-- Australian Aprons (US$8)
-- Tea Towels (US$5)
-- Pot/Oven Mittens (US$3.50-4.50)
-- Mugs/Cups (US$4-5)
-- Coasters (US$5)
-- Fridge Magnets (US$3-ish)
Car Stuff:
- Road signs (US$2, 4, 7 dependent on size.)
- Bumper stickers/Decals (US$3)
Other Random Unassociated Stuff:
- 24-hour ticket for infinite Aussie train rides
- 45-piece puzzle (Au$4.50)
- Clip-on Koalas - the type everyone's sick of now (US$1)
- Finger puppets - zomg cute (US$4)
- Plushies - mostly koalas (US$5-7)
- Hat/Tie/Lapel pin (US$4)
- Pen with Australian flags or roadsigns plastered all over (US$2 each)
- Mousepads (US$7.50)
- Gift certs, Ties, paintbrushes, Stamps, and a lot of other teeny things.

alrighty, that's all we've got.
We thank random search engines, more search engines, and even more of em.
I personally thank my Australian friends whom i have not seen as it is on a random online game forum.

and i personally do NOT advocate going out in the middle of the night to go pubbing, nosiree no. that would be bad, undisciplined, possibly unlawful, and we'd get ugly hangovers the next day UNLESS we drink a pint of water and eat a Panadol before we go to sleep.. yeps.
(p.s. stock up on panadols? yall think? i can't find how much they cost there. XP)

So. Cheers!
ZOMG 6 DAYS TO TAKEOFF ZOMGWTFBBQSHIFTONESHIFTONESHIFTONE!

btw, this is kevin signing off. XP

Must Try Food In Sydney!

I happened to come across this site (actually it's more of a blog) which lists in great detail the various restaurants in Sydney, from the CBD to Chinatown, from Darling Harbour to the beaches, from the North to the South, from the East to the West, this site provides information perfect for those keen on having the best delicacies in Sydney. Systematically listing and classifying the restaurants by location, the author of this blog does a fantastic job in introducing the must-try foods in Sydney.


One restaurant that caught my eye was the Pier 26 @ Darling Harbour. This restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes, like BBQ Prawn Skewers , but what really made me drool was the Beer Battered Fish & Chips, with tartar sauce and lemon.

Here's what the author had to say: "Fish and chips are similarly swoonworthy. The beer batter is light, airy and almost cloud-like in appearance. The fried is fried to a pale golden brown, in fresh oil which leaves no sticky residue. Chips are crunchy batons, the tartare sauce has the right among of zing."

Check it out at http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/ !!!

Posted by Kwan Yong, Jillian, Audrey and Jun Han :P

Chemistry, the central science

Thanks Sharon!

Yup, when we step out of Singapore we realise that it's actually a very small place... and it's good to broaden our horizons so we won't be frogs in a well, and realise that Singapore actually has much to compete against and much to improve upon =)

It's also very different living far away from your family and parents... read: Freedom! Can be made the best of, and can be abused... but the flip side is that you need to do everything yourself! Pay the rent, bills, tv license, manage bank accounts, write cheques, buy groceries, cook, clean, wash clothes, buy a car! Haha!

Another question:
What courses are available in UNSW or Macquarie that are not available in Singapore?

For me to know and for you to find out... =)

Reflection! ((:

Hey! I am fast (: Look at the time. LOL. Okay, here's the reflection for my group!

Okay, my group reckon that there ARE indeed advantages about studying overseas. Although you have to leave everything down here in Singapore that you like to go over there just to study, there are indeed advantages, like you would be able to get a better job and you are exposed to more things around the world and that you have a wider perspective of studying as a whole.

Also, as my group did on psychology, we realised that there are more things out there than only Biology, Chemistry and Physics. We realised that the world out there is indeed very big and free for us to explore, and we should not be stuck here in our own little world, thinking that we are everything, we know everything, and we have seen everything. Also, there are the aviation and petroleum courses that the other groups presented on.

Therefore, we should all realise our potentials now, think about our future, and now what we want for ourselves now! (:

Group... Nameless Till Now!
Hsien Liang, Sheng Chow, Xin Yue, Kelvin, Sharontan (:

Conflict of Beliefs. What I think of what he thinks.

refering to kevin's post, and also the film we watched...

humans, like any other living organism on this earth, strive for only one thing: Survival.

and also like any other living organism on this earth, he is also driven by one other thing: Fear.
Fear of factors that endanger his survival. Fear of factors that may endanger his survival. Fear of factors that seem to be endangering his survival. Fear of Differences.

in a possible scenario..

you were walking home peacefully. you're imagining eating dinner with your family comfortably at home later on before you start mugging. suddenly you see a cockroach approaching. you freeze. the neurones in your brain start firing. what is that thing? it's so small, it's got wierd things on its head, it's got six appendages and it looks dirty! ARGH! it doesn't look like me. it must be dangerous. i've got to protect myself. then you decide whether to run or to annihilate the threat by stepping on it. your brain starts calculating the risks involved in both possibilities. it figures that dirtying your shoe is not as bad as letting the threat live and later eat you alive. then you start stomping your feet.

have you ever thought about what the cockroach must be thinking? Imagine..

you were scurrying on the ground. sniffing the air for food. you pick up an scent. mmm, smells good. you follow the scent trail. you're looking forward to it cos you havent had a nice meal in ages. suddenly you sense something else. you stop in your tracks. you then see a human coming in between you and your meal. the neurones in your cerebral ganglia start firing. what is that thing? it's so big, it's got a wierd head with no feelers, it's only got four appendages and it's so undirty! YUCK! ARGH! it doesnt look like me. it must be dangerous. i've got to protect myself. then you decide whether to run to the nearest hole or confront the threat. your tiny brain starts calculating the risks involved in both possibilities. it figures that there is a higher chance that this thing would run cos all those you've before ran when you approached them. you then dash in its direction. you then experience darkness.

yea. so it really isn't so different how organisms think.
it even applies to face-offs within the same types of organisms.

like humans.

when the white people landed on a previously-assumed uninhabited island, they had a shock when they saw darker-skinned people waiting on the shores. the white people had never seen these people before. their instincts tell them that these people must be dangerous. cos they dont look like the white people. they must have some kind of a disease or something. they must be removed!

when the white people landed on their shores, the Aborigines must have had a shock to see wierd looking people with light skin and thick hide. they have never seen such people before. their instincts tell them that these people must be dangerous. cos they dont look like them. they must have some kind of disease or something. they must be removed!

both parties had the same thinking. but why was there only one that so-called succeeded?

because they could. they were the stronger ones, equipped with technology. they were the ones who had the advantage. they were the humans that could step on the cockroach.

the other party was weaker. they did not have technology on their side. all they had were hunting equipment. they were the ones who had the disadvantage. they were the cockroaches who could not scare the humans away.

life is all about survival. survival is all about winning. winning is all about advantage. advantage is all about differences. differences is all about nature. nature is all about life.

Bet you didn't know

For starters here are some little known facts about Sydney Opera House

1. The sails of the Sydney Opera House were built using three tower cranes made in France for this job, and costing $100,000 each. Sydney Opera House was one of the first buildings constructed in Australia using tower cranes.
2. There are 1,056,006 roof tiles covering an area of approximately 1.62 hectares that sit over the structure. They were made by a Swedish tile company, Höganas, and whenever it rains, the tiles clean themselves.
3. Paul Robeson was the first person to perform at Sydney Opera House. In 1960, he climbed the scaffolding and sang Ol’ Man River to the construction workers as they ate their lunch.

There are some Sydney trivia on http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/html/2282-sydney-trivia.asp But here are some of the more interesting ones...

1. Around 80 per cent of the Australian population lives on or near the coast.
2. Sydney is one of the most multicultural and multilingual cities in the world, with people from more than 180 nations, speaking 140 languages.
3. One of Sydney's most famous beaches - Manly - was named by Captain Arthur Phillip after the "manly" physique of the Aborigines he saw there in 1788.
4. It is a little known fact that Sydney is older than many other great world cities including San Francisco, Washington, Los Angeles, Singapore, Toronto and Johannesburg
5. Opened in 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge cost A$20 million - then 10 million pounds sterling - and took until 1988 to pay off. Giving the bridge a complete new coat of paint takes 10 years.
6. The Sydney Opera House cost A$102 million and was paid for through a series of lotteries.
7. Sydney was hit by a freak hailstorm on April 14 1999. Hailstones the size of golf balls and oranges pelted down, smashing roof tiles and damaging cars, particularly in Sydney's eastern suburbs. As a result, more than 100,000 insurance claims were made and the total damage bill was estimated to exceed one billion dollars. Amazingly, only one life was lost - a man drowned when his boat sank due to hailstone damage.
8. When the British first arrived at Sydney Cove, there were approximately 3,000 Aborigines - using three main languages - living in the Sydney area. Through contact and disease, most were wiped out in the first five years of the colony.
9. Today, the Sydney Metropolitan area has the largest Aboriginal population of all Australian cities, with 30,800 Aboriginal people.
10. Legend has it that when the 233 entries for the design of Australia's most famous building, the Sydney Opera House, were being judged, Joern Utzon's winning drawings were plucked from the pile of rejects by one of the judges.
11. Sydney has had only one fatal shark attack since 1937.
12. Many Sydney and Australian restaurants are described as "BYO". This means that the restaurant is not licensed to serve alcohol, but that you can "Bring Your Own" wine with you.

These facts are brought to you by the people who created the City of Sydney website::Sydney Media::City of Sydney and the people who copied those facts and pasted them here, namely

Andrea &
Grace Ong &
Thomas &
Yiliang &
Yuhang

A Short History of Nearly Everything. In Australia.

Greetings to all again. (:

From what we have sourced from the Internet, the history of Australia began when people started to migrate to the northern part of Australia approximately 40,000 to 45,000 years ago. Australia was first sighted in the 17th century by the Europeans, which is probably why present-day Australia is inhabited by a large proportion of white people.

The pioneer immigrants to Australia settled themselves at the northern part of the continent and nearby islands, and they were the Indigenious Australians, or more commonly known as the Aborigines. About 2.4% of Australia's total population is made up of these people. They led fairly normal lives, which was disrupted very suddenly by the colonization of the British. Racism took place, as the white people believed themselves to be superior over the Aborigines in many ways. They also believed that the Aborigines were 'unclean', and devised many methods of wiping them out. This included violence, confiscation of land, disease outbreaks and poisoning of food and water, which reduced the total Aborigine population by about 90% over a century.

Also, as seen from the video 'Rabbit-Proof Fence', Aborigine children were removed from their families by the Europeans. This also constituted to the genocide of Aborigines.

Erm, sorry if this piece of information is really dry and boring and everything (because it kinds of reminds us of Mr Yang here and his SS lectures =X). My group and I will try to find another piece of interesting fact or figure about Australia sometime soon. Apologies again. Peace out.

(Oh, I almost forgot. Most of the imformation here is found from Wikipedia. Phew, nearly got penalised for plagiarism. (:)

Sharon
Xin Yue
Hsien Liang
Kelvin
Sheng Chow

Identity.

I think that this is a very important factor that makes up each and everyone of us here; it is what makes us unique and different from others. I feel that identity is something that is very cool. It is controlled and determined by US. We decide whom we want to be, how we want to be and so on.

As everyone is different, learning to accept and adapt to others becomes part of the life skills that we have to pick up along the way. Only by accepting others for who they are, can synergy and effective working take place. I think the best way to be able to accept and acknowledge others is through dialogues. When we go through dialogue sessions, we get to know the culture and the character of the person. Also through dialogues, it is more personal as compared to introducing or getting to know someone via msn or phone. Face to face is always better.

However, when engaged in such dialogues, we have to do it with an open mind, and being open mind is something I think we have to possess when we are in Australia. It only through this can we learn more and adapt faster when we are there.

11 more days((:

puen.

Tell us!

Okays, these were what you folks chose to discover & tell us:

Jun Han's group: Must-try food in Sydney
Poline's group: Must-see sights in Sydney
Pu En's group: What you can buy in Sydney with A$5
Grace's group: Must-buy items in Sydney
Hsien Liang's group: Must-know history of Sydney
Andrea's group: Less-known facts about Sydney

Have fun! =)

EL

Conflict of Beliefs. What I Think.

Hmm... about the conflict of beliefs..

I personally think that it isn't right for anyone to remove someone or some party just because they don't fit in. But in a world now, where people here and there cross paths like... i dunno.. spiderwebs upon spiderwebs? it's very hard to fully acclimatise to one's surrounding people. People here and there doing things you know you don't believe in, but you can't exactly walk up to that person and say "Hey, I don't like what you're doing, so go away!" All you can do is to either avoid that person, ignore him or smth. Each person has an individual right to do what he/she wants, unless his actions compromises another person.

Like online. Anyone can be anyone and everyone. He/she can do whatever he wants. He can surf anyone's blog, post any comment he wants, make any website he wants. Noone has the right to stop him/her unless what he is doing causes actual harm to someone else..

For e.g. i can like whatever music i want. People can say i'm emo, rock, pop, lousy taste, anything. But i am entitled to the right to listen to my music either way. Similarly, i can defend the music i listen to, saying it rocks, its the best, etcetc. But i cannot force mine onto others. I can pass what i listen to to others so they can have a try, but its up to them whether they accept it, listen to it or delete it afterwards.

I guess when conflicts happen, the parties involved can only try and discuss to create a compromise that all can be happy with? It's the only way to prevent war from happening anyway..

But if conflicts do not get resolved (as shown in many, MANY cases today), i think the only way to solve things is to split these 2 groups up. Segregation is preferable rather than all out war, isn't it?

-Kevin

More is better?

Hi!

Y'noe, it's very easy to quote all the politically-correct propaganda about how cultural diversity is better, that one shouldn't discriminate against another's culture & beliefs... But what if your worldview/culture/beliefs are in direct opposition to someone else's?

What if the beliefs of a cultural group within a nation/country/society hinders the progress of the other groups?

Take for example the issue of the Jehovah Witnesses and their belief that their male believers should/must not go to war (or engage in national service). One reason why this group is outlawed in Singapore is because they forbid male believers to take part in national service.

Is the government wrong to outlaw the group then, since putting this policy into effect reduces the cultural & religious diversity of our society?

What about fundamentalists of certain religions who believe that it is a sin to work on the Sabbath? If it goes against the principles of an individual to work on a certain day of the week (for that matter, there could be other examples of infringement of beliefs/rights, not just this) and the employer insists that the individual has to contribute to the company's progress by going against the individual's principles, is the employer at fault? Is it not unfair on the majority or the others in the company if, by allowing the individual to stick to his principles, the rest of the company suffers? To pursue the example of working on a sabbath further: What if, by allowing the individual to rest on the sabbath, others have to work harder to cover the additional duties, or the profits of the company go down? Everyone in the company then has to face the consequences of this action, not just the individual.

This brings up the next question: Who has the right to decide which belief system or cultural worldview is "better"? In a case where the 2 belief systems/worldviews are in conflict (and there is no way to compromise), who chooses which is ascendant? Does the majority group always have the right to insist? Or should it be the older/indigenous people group?

What do you folks think? Post comments! =)

It would also be interesting to find out (both through preliminary research & by speaking with Australians during the trip) how much of the issues brought up here are relevant to the relations between white Australians and aborigines.

In other words, how do the worldviews of the aborigines & the white settlers of Australia differ? Are these still very different in modern Australians of aboriginal descent & the other people groups that make up Australian society?

We could also ponder over the causes for the racial riots that occurred within recent years in Australia (particularly, in Sydney!).

Cheerio!

Ms Low

Our thoughts. Our beginning.

Greetings to all! Our group feels that the video 'Rabbit-Proof Fence' and the session on identity was enriching and inspiring, therefore we would like take these sessions as lessons crucial for the beginning of this new journey to a foreign place.

It is saddening to see racism being displayed in Australia many times ago, where the white Australians strutted around like lords while the Aborigines farmed and led hard times. This demonstrates the fact that people in ancient times did not care who other people were or how they felt. As long as their own needs are met, they are willing to do anything. This proves that respect for each other was not met, resulting in the racism as shown in the video.

As time passes, we have to accept people for who they are and what they do. We are unable to always have our way in doing things. Hopefully through this trip, we would better understand ourselves as individuals and of course, unite as one voice. Peace out.

Sharon
Xin Yue
Hsien Liang
Kelvin
Sheng Chow

Reflections for 2nd pre-trip session

hi!

basically after watching the movie "Rabbit-proof fence", we felt that the white-Europeans in the movie were being racists towards the Aborigines, and that they shouldn't discriminate the native race and try to breed them out. By doing so, as time passes, the native Australian culture that originated from the native Aborgines will be lost forever. This is one of the consequences which other countries suffer when they undergo globalisation. We also began to realise that we're actually very lucky to be in a multi-racial society where people are respected and treated in the same way, regardless of race and religion, hence we should appreciate the society in which we live in.

12 days to go... can't wait...

kwanyongaudreyjillianjunhan

Due to popular demand...

Hihi all! Yes yes making a post in response to pple's naggings... Have no online life to speak of as I'm only online in school! Chat with me! Haha...

Anyway, try to guess who this person is...

Likes music, soccer, noodles like mee pok, bowling, DOTA, maths, and is lousy in chinese and hates chinese!

Cheers!
Mr Shi

Reflections for 3rd pre-trip session from the 2nd most punctual group!

Yo! Yesterday's pretrip session was great! Identity is the word...who are we? who are you?...the answer lies in your hands...identity is something that is fluid. YOU decide how you want it to be. Everyone has different identities. As such, we must learn to accept others' identities and adapt to it. Through this, sharing of ideas can take place. Different people, different identities, different ideas, different thoughts, different behaviours, different backgrounds, different interests, different styles, different passions, different interpretations of the world...etc. Our perception of the world is clouded by our identity. But remember, there is always a second facet that we can look at if we are willing to. The world we see is not all. There are other worlds out there. eg. Australia. We need to be able to leave our perception of the world behind in Singapore when we leave for Australia. In this way, we can be open-minded to a different world over there in Australia. Enjoy!!!

2nd Reflection from the most punctual Group

"Identity?What is that?"
"traits, preferences and memories?"
"okay...so what is this going to have any link with identity?"
"hm...placing us in a foriegn environment would probably allow us to uncover parts of our identities that we take for granted while we are in our comfort zone?"

So...after being random for four sentences...this is my group's reflection

Probably if i study overseas, the part of me that would be threatened the most would be the singaporean indentity within me. Can you imagine me not speaking singlish and not be able to take spicy food stuff? hm...i think i probably cannot..

When one study overseas, we experience a new culture and environment and once we adapt to it, one's identity would be changed. The singaporean identity within us would have been fused together with elements of the foriegn country.

yep...so that's all from group...thanks for reading this boring post "yawns"
Good night!

"Stolen Generation" Reflection

Well, i think that it is "kind" of the whites in Australia to try to "save" the Aborigines from..proverty? However, by doing so, using brute force, they are breaking the families apart and according to an account given by an Aborginal :
" I've got everything that could be reasonably expected: a good home environment, education, stuff like that but that's all material stuff. It's all the non-material stuff that i didn't have--the lineage..."

The whites may have known about the benefit of the project, that is, allowing the Aborginal community to be able to participate in urbanisation, but "the non-material stuffs", such as loss of real identity, feeling displaced, losing lineage, being separated from the family for years, are too great sacrifices made. Why not celebrate cultural diversity, having the whites accepting the Aborginals for who they really are? All in all, looking at the project as a whole, i think that the whites are just invading into the lives of the Aborginal communty, writing laws to legalise their actions, breaking families apart forcibly, because they cannot tolerate cultural diversity.The project is clearly racist.

The beauty of life does not lie in being rich, or being part of the upper class of a superior race. For me, the beauty of life is simple. Having enough to eat, a warm and confortable shelter to cover you from the storms and blazing sun and enjoying the presence of your loved ones. So i think that the Aborginal community should be left undisturbed. The scene of the children being captured "legally" and separated from their families for good is truly disturbing.

Hey! Hi all(:

I'm here to do the reflection for our 2nd pre-trip session today on IDENTITY..

What our group probably found interesting was that the characteristics that made up our identity were actually those we had taken for granted.
If you are a girl.. you ought to wonder.. what if you were a guy?
If you were a guy.. you ought to wonder.. how life would be as a girl?
Apart from gender, our race and our name, things like our school and CCA can actually be part of our identity allowing others to know whether we are sports or musical-inclined for e.g.?

The purpose of the australian trip is prolly to uncover the truths about the Australians, and find out more about their identity. In that way, we would be able to understand their culture and practices better.

Identity is actually a very abstract concept that can be very unique to any one person or to a nation. And through this trip, let's hope that we can learn more about ourselves and hmm.. better cherish what makes us whoever we are(:

till then, tata!
i can alr imagine myself sitting on a plane flying to aussie alr!
whew..

TATA!

Reflection for the second pre-trip session

Kinda late...but better late than never.

I have to admit, the movie was more like a documentary than a movie. I felt that the issues that were being dealt with were deep, complex and meaningful.

It is indeed depressing to see such racial discrimination occurring in the past. It makes me think twice about taking for granted the racial harmony we enjoy in Singapore.

I have once read a book on Darwinism, and it states an amazingly offensive view - that apes evolved into Africans, then Africans into Asians and Asians into Europeans. It seemed to imply that Europeans were superior to people of other races.

It seems that such a mentality was at work in the movie, explaining the need to "promote" the half-caste children and assimilate them into the social structure of the Caucasians.

From a pragmatic point of view, it is no doubt beneficial to "help" the aborigines in the film by introducing them to the European way of life, especially in the light of capitalism. But the main issue about this that disturbs me seems to be the fact that the Caucasians in Australia back then seems to feel that the Aborigine's lifestyle is inferior to that of European civilisation. They did not seem to appreciate the diversity of culture.

In fact, the incident seemed to me as being similar to what the Nazis did. There seems to be a tinge of social Darwinism in the issue...

The film made me feel uneasy... I feeling that I am still quite unable to properly explain.

HI HI!~
I know it's a little late but yeah.
This is just a short reflection of what happened during the first pre-trip session.

We were first asked to draw the outline of the continent.
The whole group's reaction = O_O
JunHan: "I think it looks like a car"

so I drew a car.

and turns out it doesn't really look like that after all.
^_^

all of us couldn't really picture it except the psycho yiling who remembered the outline from dont know somewhere...

Then we were asked to go into a room full of products to see which is Australian and which is not.

And after the answers are announced, we were really shocked at some of the products we always thought was made in Australia.

AND... we got to know more about what kinds of products are produced in Australia.

So in the end...
Australia = koala eating eucalyptus + kangaroo hopping around

Australia is much more...

15 May 2007

Weather Reproting...Still cold, I like!

Alright, Teh 1337 weatherman speeks
Weather at Sydney airport on 13th May Sunday
Sunday evening is going to be fine and partly cloudy with light northwest to northeast winds.
Ah...Shifty winds again but hey no sailing at night ya?
Temperature as of 1640 hrs (Aussie time) is 21.3 degrees.
Maximum temperature: 23.7 degrees Minimum temperature: 15.8 degrees
Well, it's still cold (duh). AND THAT'S GREAT! WOO! Imagine camping in LT 1 and that's Australian weather for you. Heh heh heh
Wind speed will hit 17 knots or 31 km/h. Ahh, not as bad as last week but the wind is still gonna howl and scream.

General reprotings:
Same as last week, nice and cool. Fine and cloudy weather so we don't get baked in the sun.

That's all folks.
Teh 1337 weatherman has spoken

Pre-trip Session 2 - the aftermath

Hi folks!

I hope today's session was both an eye, as well as a mind-opener for you! I apologize for the technical difficulties that delayed the start of the session, causing many of you to miss the later part of the film (doesn't seem quite right to call it a 'movie' huh?). I know the film was rather heavy going but I think it did a pretty good job in bringing a personal account onto the screen.

So now what do you do?

Read the notes we've provided - absentees, please collect your copy from Hsien Liang. The notes will give you a more complete picture about the Stolen Generations.

Do note that the film is based on a personal account - so it is biased. But there is always two sides to the coin right? Try to keep this in mind while you try to find more information and you may come to understand why some members of the Australian public refer to them as the "Stolen Generations" (in quotation marks).

Then its time to reflect and blog! We've provided you with some questions you should look into and we look forward to reading your answers.

It would be good if we can hear from every group - so each group member may want to take turns to blog after every pre-trip session.

Come on, share your views!

reflections from the most punctual grp

i feel the unique-est thing and the strength of the Australians is their ability to do things as a whole and understand each other. The Australians really embody the spirit of "One people, One nation". The Australian government has called for a 4-minute shower thingy in a bid to conserve water during this period of drought that Australia is facing. And also the effort to reduce greenhouse gases by turning off lights when not in use. The Australians have effectively done these such things and are terminating greenhouse gases with entreme prejudice. So that's what I feel is so special about the land down under.

I'm looking forward to the trip and seeing things from a different perspectives which I did not do in my past visits to aus. The pre-trip session last friday was meaningful and made me feel excited bout going to aus

I really appreciate to get a rough idea about the culture and icon of Australia, so that we can get correction or prove of the imagination in our minds during the trip.

Kangaroos and koala bears were the first things that came to my mind when someone mentions australia, but now it's vegemite. The pre-trip session has shown me that there's much more to australia, only waiting to be discovered.

grace andreathomasyiliangyuhang