2 words to describe today's experience
Good-bye & hellos. We said good-bye to our buddies in Busan High and hello to picturesque sites in Gyeonjoo.
2 highlights of the day
The first "lowlight" was the closing ceremony. I personally was reluctant to leave my buddy after interacting and growing closer to our buddies. We forged a new friendship through participating all the activities and I was a bit sad to see my friend go. However, the day turned for the better. We visited the UNESCO world heritage site and it was an eye opener as I understood the significance of Buddhism in the culture of Korea.
2 things I learnt about Korea
Buddhism is a critical part of Korean history. In the past, many Koreans who believe in Buddhism, have set up sites to honor their God. The sites being opened to tourists and given UNESCO further show the huge part that Buddhism has played in Korea.
Korea has a clean environment for humans and organisms to live together. For example, the Busan beach was filled with many sea gulls. This implies that the country is able to keep the environment clean and safe for seagulls to thrive.
2 things I learnt about myself
I learnt to try new things even though I many have prejudices about it. For example, I do not enjoy eating fish due to its fishy smell. However, since lunch was purely fish and had no choice but to consume the fish or go hungry. I tried the fish and it turned out to be delicious. I learnt to cope with heat. Even though the temperature was low, I still perspired and had to survive with two outer layers. I had to wear on the two layer because we were walking from E-mart and my hands were full of groceries, therefore I tolerated the discomfort and persevered to the end.
2 things I did not do so well
I think that what did not go so well was us not utilizing free time to do fruitful work. For example, while we were traveling from place to place on the bus, we were attracted to our phones doing other unproductively stuff and chit chat. We should have better used the time to do reflections instead of wasting the time.
2 things I look forward to tomorrow
I look forward to visiting National Science Museum. After getting a glimpse of the applications of science in Busan Science High, I am really exciting to explore and learn the applications of science at a national level. Although I would miss the learning journey during this trip, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. I'm kind of looking forward to ending this trip on high note by making the most of the last day.
Connect, Extend, Challenge
Today, we visited the Bulguksa Temple. During the visit, we saw many statues made of granite. This reminded me of old statues outside Parliament House in Singapore which is made of marble and looked "old". I was surprised to be told that the statues in the temple was made of granite and they looked newer than the Singapore statues although they were much older than those in Singapore. This challenged my thinking of architecture. This expanded my knowledge as I learnt that marble, a conventional material was actually less lasting compared to granite, which is seldom used. This showed me that unconventional materials can construct architecture that is of better design, strength and efficiency. This challenged me to try out different methods when doing something instead of using conventional means as the different method may turn out better.
Connect, Extend & Challenge
During the drone lesson, we were enlightened by the lecturer about the possible future of drones. This reminded me of drones which help improve service efficiency back in Singapore. For example, in Timbre @ The Substation, a live music bar and restaurant, drones transport food from the kitchen to a drop-off area where the staff pick up the order and take it to the respective tables. Hence, drones can play a huge role of our lives in the near future. Before getting our hands on the test drones, we were given a glimpse of coding used in the test drones. The new knowledge added on to my current knowledge of basic coding learnt during ICT lessons in SST. Lastly, we were challenged to make the drone fly. With no foreknowledge of how to make a drone lift off from the ground, we had to try and try again (and ensure the drone did not crash into and hurt anyone). After many failed attempts, we successfully lifted the drone off the floor ... only for it to fall back down again.
During the Mathematics lesson, we learnt about geometric shapes in 3D graphs. This was more in depth knowledge compared to content we learnt in Math in SST, such as topics like coordinate geometry, trigonometry and 2D graphs. The math question incorporated other elements such as finding the maximum and minimum size of a shadow when a light source was placed. This deepened my thinking as I had to take into account the different factors when calculating for the answer. Lastly, I was challenged as I had not learnt concepts that involved 3D diagrams and replicas of objects on the same axis. Hence, I had to learn along the concepts along way as I tried to attempt the tricky question.
3 words to describe today's experience
Reception, immersion & experimentation. The host school gave a warm and resounding reception as we visited the school. Through the Korean Cultural Activities, we were immersed in the uniquely Korean culture. The science lesson carried out in the school were experiment-based and gave opportunities for us to better understand science concepts through experiments.
3 highlights of the day
Visiting Busan Science High School was an unforgettable experience as we went through many interesting hands on science lessons. For example, we created a electromagnetic generator and sensor. The sensor was cool as it would light up remotely from the generator. The lessons taught me the real-life application of respective fields of science such as Biology, Physics and Engineering. Another impressionable experience would be experiencing the Korean culture through a workshop. The Korean workshop gave us an opportunity to understand and appreciate the Korean food, games and customs.
3 things I learnt about Korea
Korea is a very hospitable country and the Busan High School in particular did not spare a single effort in welcoming and introducing us to the school. For example, they organized a welcome ceremony and even a Korean musical perform to show their hospitality. Korean's eroding culture is worrying trend, this is especially felt by the older generation. With the world increasingly globalizing, many western culture has slowly infused into the local Korean culture. The instructor said that one of the primary aims of the workshop is to teach the younger generation about the Korean Practices as more of them are becoming oblivious to these practices. Korean Culture is very unique and emphasizes in passes if heritage from one generation to another. For example, the traditional costume for ladies are handmade by their mums and the ladies are in turn expected to do so for their children.
3 things I learnt about myself
I learnt that I'm able to manage physical discomforts. I was nursing a headache since the afternoon and have been able to survive so far. I've learnt to start conversations. I'm usually awkward when meeting new people. However, realized that my buddy was even more shy. Thus, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and consciously keep the conversation going. Due to my effort, the conversations were more fruitful.
3 things I did not do so well
I had a stomachache so it might have been due to consumption of uncooked food on Day 1. Hence, I need to be more conscious of hygiene. I think I'm still a little awkward, especially to my buddy. So I think I need to be less conservative and learn to be more open to new people.
3 things I look forward to tomorrow
I look forward to more lessons in Busan Science High School. After catching a glimpse of how interesting the lessons and activities are, I hope to continue to enjoy the fun lessons. I also look forward to visiting the Samsung Renault factory. Being one of top car makers globally, I hope find out what makes them one of the best and how they have or continue to adapt to new competition and challenges.
3 words to describe today's experience
Hot, cold & warm. The hot experience in the Steel factory, the cold weather and the warm reception of the locals summarize the day.
3 highlights of today
Firstly, trying to eat spicy food for the first time in my life. Although I gulped down many glasses of water after, I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new.
Secondly, visiting the POSCOS factory was very exciting. I could feel and hear the processes of producing steel from a close but safe distance. It felt like I was watching a Steven Spielberg movie with all the special effects
3 things I've learnt about Korea
First, their leaders have great foresight and persisted to develop a steel industry to improve its economy although they were rejected by many international organizations. This persistent paid off as Korea has become one of the world leaders in technological developments. The people are very hospitable. The tour guides and staff were very friendly and rendered help whenever it was required.
3 things I learnt about myself
I learnt that I can push my limits and live outside my comfort zone. Today I ate spicy food for the first time in my life and it was not so bad. I've learnt that I can be responsible and make appropriate decisions. I rejected the temptation of watching movies on the plane and instead got some quality sleep.
3 things that did not go so well
I forgot my S&W attire this morning and had to trouble my relatives to deliver it to the airport.
My MacBook crashed just before I left for the airport so I had to bring an iPad instead.
I tried the spicy food and the food might have caused some physical discomfort
3 things I'm looking forward to tomorrow
I looking forward to the interesting and engaging lessons and activities at Busan Science High School. I'm also excited to meet my old buddy from the previous trip and my new buddy. I'm looking forward to the cooling weather which make me feel more comfortable
Feeling of this upcoming trip
I feel privileged to be selected by this as I see this as a good opportunity to expose myself about Korean culture. I also feel very excited as I enjoy traveling and I hope to gain more insight about Korea
3 things that I look forward to
I look forward to the food. As Singaporeans, we are all food-lovers so I hope to pamper my tongue with unique and scrumptious delicacies.
I also look forward to the interaction with Korean buddies and fellow schoolmates on this trip. I believe friendships can be built and strengthen such opportunities as people are faced with awkward and sometimes challenging situations. Through such situations, we can better develop communication skills and cross cultural understanding.
Lastly I look forward to visiting the local attractions. I am certainly interested to visit the Samsung Factory to find out how the company has become so successful and hopeful gain some invaluable insights
3 things I like to learn about Korea/Busan
I like to understand the trade system in Busan. Being one of the top trading ports internationally, I hope to understand how they trade and what allows the industry to continue thriving.
I would also like to understand the technological used in Korea. It is a well known fact that Korea has the highest internet penetration rates globally, so I hope to have a glimpse of such fast internet speeds and possibly how this internet drives the technological developments
Lastly, I would like to understand he education system in Busan Science High School. Coming from a country that heavily emphasizes on education. I like to understand how the Korea system matches or exceeds the Singaporeans system, especially the Accelerated Learning Paths in the school.
3 things I hope to learn from my friends
I hope to learn from my friends how they grasp concepts and gain understanding from learning journeys in Korea. Since all of my fellow friends are top 10% of the cohort, I hope to understand and learn how they gain knowledge and apply it effectively.
Next, I hope to learn to strengthen friendships with my fellow schoolmates. What better way to learn to build friendships than to actually do it!
Lastly, I hope that to be a better team player. Through all the trials and tribulations, I hope to contribute in every possible situation.
3 things I hope to learn about myself
I hope to learn the limitations of myself. For example, I do not consume spicy food. However, Korean food has a tendency to be spicy, so I hope I can resist the spiciness of the food and try a bit of the food.
Secondly, I hope to learn my strengths of myself. Through the many different programs and situation, I hope I can discover more hidden gifts I have and use the gifts to serve a better good.
Lastly, I hope to discover some weakness and either improve on the weakness or learn to accept the weaknesses.
Expectations of Korea
I think the few paragraphs as above explain my expectations clearly.
