The wonders of Earth in one & a half hour...

Our planet...

Our shelter...

Our one and only home...

Earth

During our Environment lecture today, Mr Chong showed us this movie entitled "Earth". It's been 5 weeks since i watched documentaries. And this was definitely an eye-opener to all of us, showing the effects of our wrongdoings on Earth. Not only does it affect us, it affects the animals, plants, nature, beauty, atmosphere, climate of the Earth.

Do we have to lose those beautiful, majestic animals?

Do we have to lose those waterfalls, mountains, forests and aurora-filled skies?

Do we have to lose everything that was once laid out perfectly for us?

No.

I don't know about the others but I ain't going to lose them.

I would do my part as much as i can to save this Earth.

Speaking of Environment lesson, common test is coming up. Everyone are banging their heads aginst the wall. Everyone are grinding their noses against the notes. Everyone are stressed out to the max. Personally, I'm also suffering without the luxuries of my home to study peacefully. All I've got is a small wooden table, uncomfortable bed to sit on and study, irritating Internet connection that doesn't work properly and of course, the ever-so-cold weather. But what really wonders me is that the China students here are used to this way of life. In fact, they live in a room filled with 6 people. They live in a place where there's no heater. They live in a place where there's no hot water to bathe. Yet, they live their life as normal as it could be. Back in Singapore, we complain for every single thing. If we do not have this or that, we start whining. That's not the case in China. They accept whatever they have. That's something I've observed these past 5 weeks. Looks like we got to learn to appreciate what we have rather than whine on what we do not have. Having everything isn't everything afterall.

Living in a world with wires as thin as my hair...

With it, we get internet.
With it, we can keep in touch with our loved ones.
With it, we are connected globally without moving out from our couch.
Without it, there's nothing.

Optical Fibres.

These are the cables that have so much benefits in them. An invention that will be greatly appreciated by many for years to come. We depend so much on it now that we could hardly live without it. Why? It provides us with Internet, phone lines and even serves us in the medical field. With such marvellous uses that it can be put to, who said humans can live without it?

And of course, we got the rare chance to visit the place where optical fibres are manufactured. I have seen the process of manufacturing optical fibres on Discovery Channel before, but never have i dreamed that i would one day be in the place where it is all made. Interesting.

We arrived at the Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cabling Company (one of the largest optical fibre company in China) at around 10am. Greeted by an employee of the company, he explained to us the process verbally on how it is made. With our minds enlightened, we were brought on a tour around the company. Before that, we were forbidden to take any photos as much of the process is the company's secret. Looks like this is the case for many high-tech companies. First, they showed us this room where the raw material, glass, is sterilized and cleaned to perfect conditions. Also, we were told that the sterilization area is kept clean with a maximum of 10,000 dust particles per square meter of the gross area. Now that's what i call clean. After that is done, the glass tube is inserted with gases such as silicon chloride and Germanium chloride in order so that it is coated on the inside. The tube is then 'collapsed' to form a big solid glass rod. After which, the rod is heated to a temperature of 2000 degrees Celsius and a thin strand of optical fibre is formed in a 30-m high tower. The final step is to test for the quality of the fibres manufactured. Strict tests are done in order to meet the customer's needs and satisfaction.

I researched on the Internet and found out why we are using optical fibres now instead of copper wires for telecommunications.It is because, firstly, it is much cheaper. Secondly, if optical fibres are used, more information/data/bandwidth can be transmitted compared to copper wires. Copper wires also have a very short life before it needs to be replaced. Thus, optical fibre is in great demand now.

After our trip, we were brought to the Wuhan University to view the Cherry Blossom's. It was my first time seeing it in my entire life. However, it was not as beautiful as expected to be. Most of the flowers were gone. Nevertheless, i still appreciated the fact that i got to see such a rare flower.

Something too common in China...

Like what the title suggests, this is something very common in China. Yet, it is interesting to me. Deeply amusing i should say. Provides me with some kind of entertainment when I'm walking along the streets in China. And nope, I'm not being sarcastic down here. Look closely at the picture of a dustbin and you can see this:

"PROTECT CIRCUMSTANCE BEGIN WITH ME"

I always get to see this sign whenever I'm going for my lessons. Moreover, this dustbin is located at the International School Block in WUST. Weird isn't it? I have seen many of these kind of signs ever since i arrived in China. I seriously wonder how the tourists that come to China get to understand these signs.

I still remember clearly that when China hosted the Olympics last year, it pledged to the whole world that it would brush up it's English usage in China. Looks like it has only been done in places where the Olympics events were held. For the rest, it was still the same. No changes have been done I presume. I understand that China is now a rapidly industrializing & modernizing country. Yet, such simple errors that are not rectified would set them back a long way. China is good in putting its words into actions, but still lag in putting its actions and thoughts into words. That's something they have to work on.

Tomorrow will be filled with a trip to a Fibre Optic Company. Hopefully, it is as interesting as the Steel Factory...

The warming sun,

The mild chilliness,

The sudden gush of cool wind...

That's a perfect combination of weather.

What more could i ask for in Wuhan?

Nature at it's best...

Life is all about expecting the unexpected

Life is all about pushing your limits

Life is all about overcoming obstacles

The 3 valuable lessons that I learnt when I conquered yet another mountain...

Why is China so big? Always have to sit on a bus for many hours to reach a destination. And that was what exactly happened on Saturday morning. We sat on the bus for 8 hours (it only takes 1 hour to go from one end of Singapore to another) and reached there at around 2 in the afternoon. We ate lunch at a local restaurant. I seriously think the tour is on a strict budget because almost every single dish was vegetables. What happened to all the meat in the world? Gobbled up by an unknown monster or something?

Once eaten, we were brought to the base of the mountain where we transferred to another bus that brought us up the mountain. Oh boy. The ride up was really one of a kind. Twist left. Twist right. Bumpy. To top it all, the driver acted as if he was driving a Ferrari instead of a bus loaded with innocent people. Thanks for the drive up Mr. Ferrari Driver but no thanks. Roller coaster is way better. We were brought to many scenic spots around the mountain. At one part, we were brought to this aged temple which looked so old yet well preserved. It was just so rich in history and culture. The buildings also looked majestic with elaborate, unique designs of its own. We also witnessed a Wushu session at one of the places. There were even young kids as young as 6 training under the watchful eye of the Master.

With that, we were brought to our hotel. And frankly speaking, I never ever would have thought or even dreamt that we would be brought to such a hotel. It was just so inviting when we were brought in. It had the same standards as Singapore’s 3-star hotel i should say, but much better. Bed was perfect. Toilet was good. Television showed English movies. Goodness. It’s like a dream come true. But our happiness was short lived. First of all, we were only staying over there for 1 night. Secondly, we had to prepare for the next day…

Mr. Wudang Mountain’s middle name is Taoist Holy Land. Standing tall at 1610 metres above sea level, he looks extremely majestic with clouds for his hair. His moustache is made of trees I guess.

We started climbing the mountain at around 9am. Even though we were all mentally prepared, it was obvious that none of us were physically prepared. Nevertheless, we still took up the challenge that was laid in front of us. We were forewarned that it would never be an easy task. Muscle aches, extreme exhaustion & tendency to give up. These were the words that tried to make us fear. We knew we could never succumb to them. We knew that life will never be a bed of roses. We knew we had to overcome those boundaries and beat those fears we had. We knew that if we had each other's encouragement, if we had that determination, if we had that personal goal to reach that summit, then nothing could stop us. And we had ALL of them in our possession. And so..we climbed.

This mountain was a challenge to me as it had staircases, unlike the other 3 mountains that I've climbed before. You might think that it's easy with staircases but for truth to be told, walking on trails and slopes are much easier. First part was smooth sailing i should say. However, at one part, Xin Hui started feeling dizzy probably due to the altitude. We knew we couldn't leave her behind. It was our first test. We waited patiently as she recovered and made sure she felt better on the way up. Now that's what i call pure teamwork. But what i admired the most was that Xin Hui never gave up. I could see determination in every inch of her face. She overcame her obstacles. Now that's something she should add to her 'List of the proudest moments of my life'. Kudos to you Xin Hui! Hats off to you!

After 2 and a half hours, we reached the 'Golden Summit'. Smiles from every direction. Satisfaction and pride welled up in our hearts. A sense of achievement deep within us. It was as if we were on top of the world. What more we could ask for?

And we did something that no one could have possibly done before. We shouted 'The world is very big' in English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, Cantonese and Hokkien languages. That should prove how very proud we were of ourselves. Even as the chilling wind pierced our skin like icy cold knives, it could not stop us from taking tonnes of photos. We stayed on the summit for an hour. However, it was extremely crowded. It was like as if 50 people were trying to squeeze into a tiny bedroom. It was that crammed. The locals were pushing like mad as if their life depended on how fast they could reach the summit. Goodness. It's wayyy different in Singapore i believe. We do give way to other people even if we are rushing for time or something. Now that's something the Chinese locals have to learn. Be more tolerant and patient.

Once satisfied, we descended and took the cable car ride down. It was definitely scarier than i thought. But who cares? All i knew is that the cable car was bringing me one step closer to my bed. I was extremely tired by then and i wished for my bed back at the hostel.

My wish came true after 6 hours in the bus. My bed was united with me. It was time for dreamland. Zzzzzz....

Palace Of Steel

Something that we cannot live without..
Something that provides us with a roof over our heads..
Something that is counted as one of human's greatest inventions..

STEEL!

We went to a steel factory yesterday morning. We reached the Wuhan's 'Jurong Island' after 40 mins on the bus. You know why it's Jurong Island? Beacuse it looked exactly like what we have back there except that it was a little run-down and old. Other than that, the sort of companies and industires down there are almost the same as the ones in Jurong Island.

We were brought straight to a company that was extremely BIG. With our helmets on, we went in(we were utterly disgusted with the way we looked. Especially me. I felt so disgusted so much so that i don't even dare upload that photo of myself wearing helmet here.) & ohmygod! The heat in the factory was so overpowering! On top of that, we were wearing many layers of clothes and sweater. Goodness.

We walked along the whole stretch of the prouction line of steel. First it came out of the blast furnace(heated up to 1000 degrees), cooled, chopped, cooled again, flattened and rolled . It all happened in just half an hour? Amazing. It was a pity that we couldn't take pictures in the factory though.

However, there was 1 thing that i observed. I noticed that the factories there release alot of gases into the atmosphere. Even as we left the place in the bus, i could smell the stench of thick smoke in the air. It was extremely polluted and yet, there are humans who work there everyday. Now that's something China has to focus on and change. It's like damaging the environment and their dedicated workers in the name of money. Probably China should take a leaf out of Singapore's books. Disappointing.

An enriching experience though.

One step closer to Nature...

3 days past by too fast. I wish those 3 days would repeat itself once more. Just once. I miss everything.

The serene atmosphere, the peaceful sounds of Nature, the chilling wind, the moving mountains, the sparkling stars, the fiery sun, the bright moon, the rush of calm river, the rustling bright green grass, the swaying trees, the fluffy clouds..

To top it all…a peace of mind…

Something I would wish for the rest of my life…

Just once more please. Could history ever repeat itself? If it does, then there’s nothing I wouldn’t sacrifice for it.

First day was dedicated to the Three Gorges Dam. It was 7am. With us towing our backpacks and our bodies, the day started off with a 5 hour trip on the bus. Not a good way to kick start our day isn’t it? Much of the time in the bus was spent yawning, sleeping and snoring (in order). Lunch arrived soon after and for once, it was a proper one. It was a 10 course lunch if I’m not wrong. After which, we FINALLY reached the Three Gorges Dam. To tell the truth, I couldn’t feel my butt after sitting on the bus for so long. Once again, I was impressed that we were security-scanned just like in the museum. I used to have the impression that China always closed one eye when it comes to security. And so it seemed. I realized that those important places of interest have such high security status. With that done, we boarded an Eco-friendly bus (Sure? I noticed loads of smoke coming out from the exhaust just like any other vehicles on the roads of China) and brought to the first scenic point of the Dam. Such breathtaking view it was. Even though the Dam is not yet finished, it looked strong with water flowing to it in all directions and it surroundings covered with luscious greenery and mountains. I feel that the Three Gorges Dam is an Engineering feat even though it does have its disadvantages. It can produce a large amount of electricity that can reduce the usage of the natural resources to accommodate its energy needs (probably Singapore should take a leaf out of its book) This proves that mankind can create anything from nothing. Now that is something you can never get to see in Singapore. Even the Marina Barrage is nothing compared to the Three Gorges Dam. After touring the whole area, we were brought for dinner. It was at the same restaurant that we had our lunch though. Food was still nice I guess. With our stomachs loaded(and feeling abit light-headed), we set off on another bus journey to our river cruise ship. The best part was that we were extremely late. We were supposed to reach there at 6pm but we only reached at 6.45. Now that’s a major punctuality problem. We were told that the cruise boat we were living in is a 4-star boat. Oh my goodness. Little did I know that our version of 4-star and China’s version of 4-star are at two extreme ends.

Let’s compare:

Toilet:
Singapore’s version of four-star: Bathtub with heater. Toilet bowl that is flushable at all times. Complimentary shampoo/soap/towel provided.

China’s version of four-star: Shower head that spits out water every now and then when turned on. No heater. Toilet bowl has emotions. If it’s happy, it flushes with its contents spraying out. If it’s not, contents float around aimlessly. Complimentary hard toothbrush with a half-finger sized toothpaste tube provided.

Room:
Singapore’s version of four-star: Ample space that is good enough to fit 3-4 people.

China’s version of four-star: Ample space that is not enough to fit 1-2 people.

Bed:
Singapore’s version of four-star: Two pillows with a very comfortable bed and blankets to go with.

China’s version of four-star: One small pillow with a fairly comfortable bed and very thin blankets to help you withstand the very cold temperatures.

Cupboard:
Singapore’s version of four-star: Large enough to pack your luggage-load worth of clothes.

China’s version of four-star: Large enough to stuff one skinny human inside and nothing else.

Television:
Singapore’s version of four-star: Comes with all kinds of channels 24 hours a day.

China’s version of four-star: Has emotions just like the toilet bowl. If its happy, it shows Chinese channels that I completely do not understand. If its not, it shows attitude by giving you a blank blue screen.

P.S: The 1st night passed with insects flying around the lights while I was sleeping……..
Interesting isn’t it? Guess I can’t expect anything fancy for the next 4 weeks. Now I’m wondering what are those conditions for the 1-3 star rated places. Should I think about it? Maybe I shan’t.

Second day was indeed a memorable one. We were woken up abruptly due to the loud banging of the tour guide on our room door. That’s their version of wake-up call I guess. Breakfast was served. After which, we transferred to another boat. Wondering why? This boat specially brought us through the Yangtze River. And oh my god! Such beautiful scenery there was! It was just fantastic! Amazing! Astounding! Out of this world! ________!(there’s no more words in my vocabulary to describe it any further). The mountains, rivers, clouds, sun, trees & grass perfectly complemented with each other. It’s like many pieces of jigsaw puzzles were put together to form a perfect, indestructible piece of Art. It was definitely a feast to my eyes. Now that’s something we don’t see in our everyday lives don’t we? It’s a pity that Singapore does not offer such beautiful scenery or it would be a perfect place to live and die in. I was also slightly surprised that there were people living on the mountains. It got me kind of jealous that they are able to live in such beautiful places whereas we only get to see such things once in our lifetime. After two hours, we were asked to leave the boat to transfer to a small sampan that is rowed by people with the aid of oars. We were brought on a mini tour around the river nearer to the mountains. The amazing part was that the water was sparkling, crystal clear. It was just captivating to sit on a small sampan and watch the sparkling water flow beneath and around you. I even drank abit of the water just to taste how it was like. It tasted just like pure water and tasted much better than mineral water. At one part, when the sampan reached shallow water, the boatmen got out of the sampan and attached strings to the boat and pulled it across the shallow water. Now’s that what I call sheer strength. That’s something that caught my eye. After that, it was back to the boat with our dinner served hot and tasting plain as usual. Once dinner was loaded with weird expressions on our faces, we went up to the deck. And oh my god. Stars, stars and more stars. Stars in every direction. Stars that shone brightly against the dark sky. Stars that shone brightly in unison at me. A view that was oh-so-beautiful. After that? WUST Sweet WUST.

There’s just too much that Mother Nature has to offer.

Memories that I would never forget..

Could history ever repeat itself?

Oh careless Kumaran..why why why???

Past 2 days..

Lessons, lessons and more lessons. Being in Wuhan is more stressful than i thought. Blog, assignemnts, tutorials, lectures and projects to catch up with. On top of that,the weather has become worse than ever. It reminds me of the day we arrived here with nothing to do but shiver the whole day. The weather was supposed to get better this week..but well..put it this way. Singapore's weather is way better than China's one. Much better. How i wish i was under that soothing sun with nothing but 1 layer of clothes.

Classes on Environmental Technology has been interesting lately. We watched a movie called 'The Inconvenient Truth' by Al Gore. I should say that he is a great environmentalist brave enough to spread the message on global warming and it efftects on humans like us. I was so impressed with the way he presented the information such that i would start thinking twice about doing something against Mother Nature.

After which, it was lunch time as usual. Then?

HISTORY OF CHINA!

Goodness gracious me.

China's history is so vast and detailed that i could not really catch up with what the teacher was saying. The lesson was abit dry with too much of facts.

Nevertheless, i realised something. I observed that the Chinese people here treasure their history with PRIDE & DIGNITY. It's like a pool of treasure that they are destined to protect without bringing any harm to it. Let's just compare this with the Singaporeans. I bet that there is AT LEAST 1 person out of the 4.5 million people who do not know who our country's founder is.
Now that's a moajor difference between us and the Chinese here.

Once our lesson ended, we headed back to our dormitory. & holly molly!! I realised that i left my VERY IMPORTANT POUCH somewhere. CARELESS CARELESS CARELESS. Inside it contained my Ipod, wallet with loads of money and my I.C. You have no idea how panicky i became. I ran back all the way to the classroom. And it was locked. Lucky Jasper and Yong Qi came to my rescue and helped me get the keys from the teacher and open the door. To my very great jump-for-joy relief, i found my pouch. Now that's one valuable mistake that I've learnt. Goodness.

Next stop: Three Gorges Dam

How's the trip going to be? I don't know. I will know it in a few hours.

Hectic..

Life has been hectic! Class, assignments, blog. It's like I'm back to school. It's okay though. I will get used to it. On the bright side, i made new friends. Whooots! That's what this trip is all about right? Make new friends. They are super clown people who are crazy most of the time. Did i influence them? Or the opposite? Ahhh well. Here they are:

Shan Mei being a clown on her bed

Shan Mei molesting JQ

From left: JQ, Me, Valverie, Shan Mei, Jeremy

Us at steamboat

Valverie & JQ never eat for the past 10 years...

Weather is getting extremely cold. Where's the sun man? I should start to appreaciate the sun more when I'm back in Singapore.

Amused by Amusement Park

As the title suggests, we went to the amusement park today. We took a bus there and it was our first time actually. We were only charged around 2 yuan for each person which was extremely cheap compared to the bus fares in Singapore. It took us around 40 minutes to reach there. I noticed that the amusement park in China is extremely weird as they have a large park with just a small area dedicated to the rides. The rides/games there were quite boring except for a roller coaster that looked just like the one that can be seen at Genting. After playing that, we had a walk around before heading off to a shopping mall for a dinner of steamboat. Food was average though. Not much of variety to choose from. Damn.

I miss Singapore food. Where's my mee goreng?? Nasi Lemak? Prata?

Those are dearly missed by me.

Fun Fun Fun!

Today was indeed the most memorable day ever since i got here. The temperature now is on our side. It's getting slightly warmer and i can't wait to roam free on the streets with just one layer of clothes. We woke up at 7am as we had a sightseeing trip planned for us. Our first stop was the East Lake District. Ohmy what a beautiful place that was!! There's a saying that 'A picture speaks a thousand words' right? Here goes:

Beautiful? No? Go dig your eyes. Because it is more than beautiful. It's more beautiful than words can describe. I am seriously wondering why Singapore does not have such beautiful parks. However, we did not have much time to walk around fully as the tour guide was rushing us here and there. If only we had more time to walk around...

After the Lake, we headed off to a museum. It was such an important and highly-protected museum that they even have a airport-like scanner to scan bags and such. I was a little puzzled at first. They even restricted us from bringing water bottles in. However, once entered in, i finally understood why. It was because the artefacts in there are so well preserved and protected that a slight change in the atmosphere,humidity,pressure etc. could destroy it. Moreover those artefacts were over 5000 years old and had such elaborate and genuine design of its own. Even with the most skilled craftsman in the world, such artefacts can never be reproduced or replicated once more. Cool.

After a Great Walk in the museum, we went to have lunch at a food street which was obviously FILLED WITH FOOD. FOOD. AND MORE FOOD. All hell broke loose. Everyone immediately went to get something to eat. The best part was...i ate all kinds on things. From egg-prata like sandwich to sugar syrup covered strawberries to seafood, we ate ALOT of food stuff. Overall: FOOD WAS FANTASTIC.

And that's Xin Hui eating a sausage from the prata-like bread. That's not her tongue. Need i say more?

Next stop: Yellow Crane Tower.

It was kind of boring as there wasn't much to see and the place was overcrowded. Nevertheless, it was great knowing that this place is still very well preserved. The view at the top of the tower was also astounding actually. Even if i stand on the last floor of a HDB Flat, i would not get such a beautiful view.

After that? Home Sweet Home =)

Whooots!

Alright. That's random picture right there. And that's definitely not me raping the Ultraman on his head.

Mr Chong said that my blog is boring with no pictures and covers only the good aspects of China. Alright. So i present to you a brand new Kumaran with a brand new twist in this blog of his.

Back to business..

Morning was the usual affair as always. Woke up late and rushed to class. I also noticed now that the weather here is much better since we had arrived here. I think that I am the only one now wearing so many layers of clothes and a super thick jacket. No wonder i get the stares in the street. Or is it because of my skin colour? And I have a weird feeling that the locals here have NOT seen an indian guy amidst them. They look at me as if I am some entertainer/clown/alien(whichever way you put it). But who cares? I'm kind of getting used to the attention here. Should i enjoy it? Maybe i should ;)

During a break during class, this is what happened:

Hardy challenged Alan to a game of arm wrestling.Alan seems to be suffering whereas Bambang seem to be looking at a pretty girl. You might never know.

Our first lesson on Environment Tech. was interesting as it was a brand new module that i've always wanted to learn. It's a pity that we are damaging the environment so badly. Lucky Mr Chong opened my eye to that fact. Thank you Mr Chong! Now i can hardly wait for the next few lessons...

Once our lessons were done, we had cup noodles for lunch(too much sodium intake in China already) and had a little slacking time before we headed off to have our dinner with Mr Chong and our new foudn friends. Want to know what i ate? Here it is:

Mushroom chicken rice with claypot!

It was nice actually. Better than expected. Except that it's not spicy. We indians always must have chilies to survive. Looks like i have to get used to the new taste.

Alright. I think it's time for me to sleep. Have to wake up early tomorrow morning. And i miss my home. Random again.

A much better day...

Today was a much better day really. Weather was fine. Atmosphere was good. What else could i ask for? Today started off with a class at 9am. We rushed to class a we all woke up late. Upon reaching, we were informed that the class was postponed to afternoon unfortunately. I felt sad as i had wasted my beauty sleep. With nothing else to do, we went to the supermarket to stock up on our necessities and had a hearty lunch at McDonald's which was stone's throw away from the supermarket. I found out that the service in the shops that we visited were much better than expected, but could be better. The locals always seem to have a smile on their face wherever they go. After eating, we went back to the University to have our first IS Class on the history & culture of China.
5000 years of rich History to be heard. Countless numbers of cultures and beliefs to be known. Thousands of languages to learn. Uncountable places of interest to visit and be mesmerised. These were the things that i learnt in my IS Class. I was sincerely impressed when i learnt that China's history is much richer and more interesting than Singapore. On top of that, i came to know that four ladies were famed as the "Four Great Beauties" of China thousands of years ago and they are still remembered up till now! On top of that, i was shocked to learn that Wuhan locals are referred to as 'nine-headed birds' by other Chinese in China due to their wit & cunningness. Cool isn't it? I noticed that the China people respect and treasure their history with pride & dignity. I guess that is 1 lesson Singaporeans have to learn from them.
After our enriching lesson, we had a short rest before heading off to a shopping mall with the friendly local students. We ate our dinner at a local store and oh boy! The food was delicious! I loved the dumplings best. It was filled with soup and meat and when you bite it, you can feel the soup gushing out, perfectly complementing with the meat in it. Overall, it's the best dumplings i had ever had in my life. The tofu here was also nicer than those you can get in Singapore's seafood stalls. With our stomach's filled with delicious food, we went to the arcade in the shopping mall. My jaw dropped once i saw the arcade as it was extremely big! I was like a kid let loose in the amusement park once i entered the arcade. We had a hour and a half to play the games there. Fortunately, the games there were much better than those in Singapore's arcade. With our childhood memories relished, we left the mall and took a taxi back. On the way, a minor unfortunate incident occurred though. The taxi driver did not know how to get to our destination. Sad wasn't it? And it was our first time taking the taxi. He went around in circles and our local student leader kind of fought with him & managed to guide the way back to the school. Fortunately,we were not required to pay the full taxi fare. Home sweet home. Tomorrow would be a better day...

2 days never felt so long...

1st Day:
It's been 2 days since we have been here. 1st day wasn't much of a fanfare due to the travelling. I was really scared when i left Singapore, not knowing what lies ahead of me for the next 42 days. A little regret and sadness was felt once Singapore was out of my sight. Nevertheless, i still had my friends by my side. Journey to Wuhan was a smooth one, except for the fact that the Airport Officer was staring at me for no reason while checking my passport. Once reached, we were shown to our dormitories, which was not too bad(i can't have high hopes can I?). However, weather here is very cold, which I'm definitely not used to. Layers and layers of clothes is needed just to keep myself warm. This is something which I have never ever experienced in Singapore. On the bright side though, the students here are extremely friendly in every way. Even though i am of different race, they still talked to me, which was heartwarming. After which, it was sleeping time.

2nd Day:
We woke up at 11am and went to have our breakfast. More like lunch actually. It was rice with egg, spicy chicken, green pepper & fish. It's taste was very different from the Chinese food that we usually buy in Singapore. I have to get used to the food here i guess. After that, we were brought outside for some shopping. I realised that the things & food here are EXTREMELY CHEAP compared to that of Singapore(wish i had brought more money). We stocked up on our necessities such as kettle, cups & food items. We also bought our prepaid cards, which was still cheaper than expected. After that, we went for our dinner in a small coffee shop. I had egg noodle, which was nicer than spaghetti. The noodle was so thick that i only managed to eat half the plate. Once dinner was done, we were brought to the lecture theatre for a movie session. However, due to technical problems, we could not watch the movie. Instead, we had a intro-session with the local students here. What really impressed me was the English names they had. Some of it are as follows: Fire, Walter(sounds like water), Ice, Rocco, Journey etc. Still, they were a bunch of friendly people who never failed to answer our queries even though they couldn't understand/speak English that well. One of our student, Yi Sheng, was forced to sing for the local students. Another thing that impressed me was that the students here are very sporty unlike Singaporean students. If we ask them to do something, such as introducing themselves or sing in front of everyone, they do it without hesitation. If the same is asked from a Singaporean student, whining and shouting starts overflowing from all direction actually. Unfortunately, I am one of them.