Day 4 (1 Sept 2008) - Welcome Ceremony at Wuhan Institute of Physical Education

After a weekend of fun and learning... we are going to the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education!!

The students will be attending 2 sessions of physical training besides the classroom experience at Zhuo Dao Quan Secondary School.

There are 3 sports groups which the students will be assigned to

• Wushu

5 students (including our non-chinese student Seshan) from SGS's Wushu Team will be training under the tutelage of a reputed Wushu Coach from the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education. I hope that besides honing their skills for Wushu, they will also experience what is it like to train in a professionally equipped training environment. More importantly, I pray with all my heart that they will internalize all the positive mental attributes that comes with a Wushu athlete.

• Rhythmic Gymnastics

The 10 girls will be attending lessons at Rhythmic Gymnastics. I hope that after this training, the girls will realize the importance of carrying oneself well. I hope they will be graceful and poised when they mature into young ladies. This is a gift for life if they "get it" *light bulb lights up...*

• Basketball

5 boys will be training with the bigger boys in this sport. We have 2 SGS basketball school team members in our midst and I wish that they can have learning takeways to contribute to their peers when they are back in Singapore!

We hope to work towards a well-rounded learning experience for the students.

The atmosphere in the library is sombre... all the students are engrossed in their revision.

At the front gate of the University of Wuhan.

LED display board showing a welcome message to welcome SGS at the front porch of the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education.

After the welcome ceremony, all of us are taken for a campus tour of this picturesque place. We are all amazed at the huge expanse of land & water that makes up this beautiful campus.

美丽的东湖 - the stunning lake in the campus- the place where students go for water-sports training or for leisure walks after lessons. Breath-taking view and cooling breeze.

Mr Xu Mao Wei (Associate Professor) Ph.D (Director of International Office) briefing our students before the campus tour.

Group picture after the welcome ceremony.

Shaking hands with Mr Tian Zhao Feng- the coordinator for our trip. I have been driving him crazy with my incessant emails and when I eventually arrived.... i start to irritate him with my questions. MUAHAHAHA...

The Director of the International office is very amazed that Seshan joined us on this trip...

I would like to commend Seshan on his very positive attitude about this trip. :)

This picture is taken outside the hotel which which we are staying at - Yin Hu Hotel. This hotel is right at the main entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education. We only need to walk for 5 min every day to get to school! Yippee!

We are honoured by the warm welcome :D

Students' Learning Journal - Day 3 (31 Aug 2008)

Edwina and Dolbie with our tour guide, Xiao He. We are going to miss you... Boo hoo hoo....

Lim Wei Hui Desmond (2A3)
I learnt about the wedding customs of the people of the Tu village. I also saw a goat tied to a tree on the way. On the way to the mountain, I saw water flowing down in the stream. The bus ride was unforgettable as it was very bumpy.

Chia De Han (2E4)
We woke up very early in the morning and had our breakfast. After eating, we went up on the bus and went to tour interesting places in Yichang. The bus ride there was very bumpy. Every time the bus went past signboards showing a trumpet, the bus driver would sound its horn. I saw interesting vehicles with only three wheels. After viewing all the interesting things in Yichang, we took a 5 hours bus ride to Wuhan. It was tiring.

Ong Yi Lin (2E4)
The scenery at Tian Long Yun Ku is very very beautiful. It shows me the beauty of nature. Although climbing is rather tiring, I find it worthwhile as I enjoyed myself exploring the cave. It was very cooling inside.

Ong Yan Lin (2E3)
Today’s breakfast was very delicious. There was noodles and bread. Finally, we girls ate more than the boys. Then we went to Tu Jia Chun to see how paper, ceramics and wine were made in the past. It must have been hard in the past when they had no advanced technology. Then we went to watch a cultural show. It was quite fun. During lunch, we ate food typical of what the village people have. Then we went to climb a mountain cave. It was very nice and cooling. Then we went back to Wuhan. The trip back was boring.

Seshan S/O Veerappan (1E1)
Today we went to visit a cultural centre to see the lifestyle of the che xi people in the past. We then climbed up to the Tian Long Yun Ku (cave), on top of a mountain. We climbed at least 150 m to 200m. The view at the top of the cliff was especially beautiful as I had not seen such a view before. Climbing up was not a problem but coming down was. But somehow I managed to overcome my fears.

Adam Lim Jun Ting (2E4)
Today was a long and tiring day for me. In the morning, we went to the old places in Yichang. Most of the attractions involved the use of water, for example, water wheels. The rock museum was nice with many types of stones. We also went to climb a mountain. We walked so far just to eat lunch. After that we took the bus to go back to Wuhan. Our tour guide for two days left us. It was very boring on the journey back to Wuhan. We watched Garfield and a Chinese comedy entitled “Ju Qi Shou Lai”.

Patricia Ng Hui Yi (2E4)
In the afternoon we went to Yichang to climb a mountain. The path was very slippery and we almost slipped. The scenery was marvelous! The water flowing was very cooling and we could feel that the air was very fresh. We also went to the stone exhibition and it contained many stones. I would not have believed that a particular stone with flower petals was naturally formed if the tour guide, Xiao He, had not told us so. On the way, Xiao He left us and many of us could not bear to leave him.

Lee Soon Huat (2E4)
We woke up and have breakfast as normal. After breakfast we boarded the bus to visit three places. The best place was the climbing of the mountain. Though I know how a cave inside a mountain looks like, I have not experienced it before. After visiting the three places, we headed back to the hotel in Wuhan but the boring ride took us almost five hours.

Tan Song Leng Edwina (2E3)
Today we went to Yichang for a one day tour to tour the places of interest. One of the place we went to is Tian Long Yun Ku. We also went to a place called Lian Hua Dong. It is beautiful inside. It was warm outside but it became very cooling after we went inside. After that, we took a 4 hours bus ride to Wuhan. Both our tour guides, Xiao He and Wen Ting, parted with us. Most of us felt very sad as they have been with us for the past two days.

Lim Li Jun (2E3)
For today, only the breakfast seemed edible to me. After that we went for a tour to the rural area to experience their culture. I now have a better idea of the lifestyle of the rural area. We went the cave, named Lian Hua Dong. It is very nice and has a beautiful scenery. The mountain that we climbed to go to the cave was very high. The lunch was the worst I have had so far. Dinner was back at the hotel in Wuhan. I had a nice day.

Tan Dolbie (2E3)
I have learnt that China has many tribes with their cutures. I have experienced pottery making and learnt how wine is made. We spent our last day with our tour guide, Xiao He. We are very glad to have him as our tour guide.

Yip Poh Mun (2E4)
In the morning, we went to Che Xi Village. We saw the people there demonstrate pottery. There were also water wheels and wine making. We walked for a long distance before we reached the mountain. There were a lot of faeces from horses. I am glad Singapore does not have such situations. We walked high up the mountain. It was very beautiful. The ground was very slippery. We were all sad that our tour guide would leave us today. He was a really fun guide. It took about 6 hours to return to Wuhan. It was fun today.

Jesslin Tan Jie Ling (2E4)
I loved the nature of Yichang! :D:D:D There are many cliffs and rivers there. The caves are very beautiful but it is indeed tiring to climb up there, including coming down. It was a very fun day. The trip back to Wuhan was also very fun. Both our tour guides left us today. Boy, will we miss them! (Ms Lee, please do not get jealous when you see this. We obviously love you a lot since you were the one who brought us here, giving us a chance to see the world. Credit is given to you! :D)

Ang Shangsheng (1E1)
The hard boiled eggs during breakfast were half-cooked. To get to the cultural village, we had to cross the stream by stepping onto stones. It was very scary. The lunch is the worst meal so far. It had chicken head and housefly in the soup. The mountain is very nice and high.

Toh Yu Xiang (2E3)
We went to Yichang to visit the cultural centre. We took a bus to the place and the ride was my second bumpy ride. The place was very “messy”. There was no traffic lights there. They do not care about the bus. The bus driver would horn at the pedestrians. It was so noisy that my friend and I could not sleep. This is the first time I climb a mountain. It was very high and the water was very cold. But this is a very nice trip because I could gain knowledge.

Ong Ying Yu (2E4)
Today we went visiting a village that shows us the lifestyle of the rural people in the past. After viewing, we went to the stone museum to see some interesting stones. After that, we went mountain climbing. It was very fascinating as the cave had lots of interesting stones. Going down the mountain was very scary as the steps were very winding and steep. Finally we were back on the bus for our 4 hours journey back to Wuhan. It was very sad to part with our two beloved tour guides.

Carol Chin Xinyi (2E4)
Today we went to the museum and I saw how the local people made wine, beancurd and etc using the traditional method as there was no machine. There was this water wheel that needed to be turned by feet. It was fun but difficult. We went to climb a mountain after our heavy lunch. It was a long journey back to Wuhan. It took 4 hours. I noticed that the highways and streets had few lamppost which made the place look darker. We are fortunate to live in Singapore which is brightly lit.

Soh Khee Siang Angus (2E4)
We went to see how water is used to conduct electricity. It was fun and interesting. We also went to a place with natural spring water and it was cooling. The bus trip back to Wuhan was tiring but fun.

Aloysius Lim Bai Jun (2E3)
Today as we went to tour the places of interest, we had to take a bus ride that took 2 hours. On our way there, we slept. At the Che Xi village, we learnt about their culture and belief. We also had wine tasting. The wine had 52% alcohol content. We climbed a mountain too. We bought things and ate there. We had takeaway from MacDonald’s when we were on the return journey to Wuhan. We heard snoring and laughetr. We sang on the way back and had a “bumper ride” as the road was very bumpy. We watched videos like Garfield. We would miss our tour guides, Xiao He and Wen Ting.

Teacher's Reflection for Day 3 (by Ms Lee Ting Ruh)

check out the distillation process in the making of wine!!! Wow... remember that Chapter in your Science textbook which explains the process of distillation??? HMMM.... i better go confirm with Ms Agnes Mok...

Ms Agnes Mok said the very thing i wanted to say throughout these few days....

"I am very heartened as I felt that this is learning at its best. An authentic learning experience, which is a very important aspect of the PETALS framework "

These words keep welling in my mind.... during the planning stages for this CPCLL overseas educational exchange program, this is what i wanted to achieve

• provide a chance for students to venture out and widen their personal experience



• create more opportunities for the students to "be in contact" with the Chinese Language & culture



• nurture a sense of belonging in them for Singapore while being more global-savvy in terms of understanding & appreciating differences

I really wish to educate and enrich the students in the "global awareness" department & cultivate in them certain cognitive abilities which are vital for the well-rounded development for the individual. I thought of combining the "modern" & "ancient" version of China's history & technology advancement to help us achieve this aim.

The 3 Gorges Dam would be the vehicle to drive this across. Before 1994, The 3 Gorges is the historical & cultural relic of China, after that(the start of the construction of the world largest dam - the 3 Gorges Dam) , it is the epitome of technology advancement at its peak. I would like to thank Ms Agnes Mok of the wonderful work, and for being so ready to coordinate with me & complete the assigned duties. Thank you again Agnes. From the bottom of my heart. You are truly one outstanding teacher :D

To enrich the students in the department of the cultural department, a walk down the ancient cultural village of the Tu Jia Zu was arranged. Our students had the opportunity to know more about the following:

• The Art of Paper making （造纸）

The students read about the art of paper making in one of the chapters in their chinese textbook 《蔡伦造纸》. I hope that by seeing the process ( for a few of our students... even trying out), students can get a better idea about how paper is made.

I even secretly wished that one day, it will be second nature to them to reconsider how they use paper because they understand the resources & procedures needed to make paper .

• The Art of Ceramics making （陶艺）

Ceramics has its irreplaceable place and value in China's hisory...in fact, many astounding archeological finds began with finding hidden ceramics underground... it tells stories about how people lived years ago. Am glad that the students managed to have a go at moulding ad shaping the clay to get the shape and design they want.

On another level... when i saw Dolbie(2E3) and Yi Lin(2E4) carefully and gleefully shaping their masterpiece, I was reminded of the uncanny resemblance between shaping the clay in the ceramics class and the nature of "education" -- shaping the mind and character of the students.

• The making of Chinese Wine （酿酒）

I always felt that this is one topic which science and chinese language can work hand in hand to enhance the effects of teaching and learning for the students.

Best Chinese Lang concept to teach "酝酿" for Chinese Language class... through explaining to students of fermentation & wine making .. they will definitely understand better the idea of "酝酿" compared to chalk and talk :)

• The art of Iron-casting （打铁）

Good setting to explain the 成语 （proverb） 打铁趁热！hahahaha.... "Strike the iron while it's hot "

Day 3 (31 Aug 2008) - Cultural Discovery at the Tu Jia Zu Wen Hua Cun

Today is the second day of our day in Yichang. After the learning journey of the famous project glimpse at the China 3 Gorges Dam yesterday, we will be taking a look at another aspect of China today – the rich cultural history in this area and how it’s reflected through the people’s way of life.

We took the coach to 车溪 (Che Xi) and visited 巴楚故土园、三峡民俗村、水车博物馆、天龙石窟. This place featured the traditional & rustic lifestyle of the villagers years ago and one of the 56 ethnic groups in China -- “Tu Jia Zu”.


The Art of Paper Making
Students had the opportunity to see the entire process of the traditional art of paper making (造纸). Students showed interest as they could remember they were introduced to the “4 ancient art of China” (the art of making paper, invention of )during the training sessions. Chia De Han of 2E4 even had a chance to try his hand at scooping the pulp and spreading it evenly on the wooden frame where it will eventually dry and form paper. Valuable


The Art of Pottery
Besides paper-making, there was also the art of ceramics making. Students were able to give it a try at making their very own art piece. Dolbie & Yi Lin left the ceramic section happily J please browse the pictures to see their proud creations. Budding talents I would say.

Wine Making
Students are able to see how the wine is produced from the very first stage. However, our students are not very eager to try the finished product… it was a whooping 62% alcohol drink… Too over-powering…. Seshan just took a small sip… and he had to down half a bottle of mineral water to wash it down. Remember kids… excessive drinking is bad… :p

Iron- making
As the famous Chinese saying goes… “打铁趁热”。And of course, there is also its English counterpart “Strike while the iron is hot”… Why are these two phrases mentioned here?

This is manifested fully at this blacksmith corner. Students are able to see for themselves the traditional art of iron-making where the fire has to be kept going by burning firewood, and the flames has be maintained by constantly introducing oxygen through a manual gadget called “风箱”（feng xiang）Lee Soon Huat of 2E4 demonstrates the correct way to work this. Seshan plays the role of the blacksmith here… he tried to hammer the red hot iron in rhythm with the real McCoy (the gentleman in blue in the video)




Understanding the TU JIA ZU culture – marriage traditions
We were ushered into a rustic building and we waited eagerly for the show to begin. We are entertained by a “shadow puppet show”, depicting a fight between a crane and a turtle.

Following that is a song segment where the performers are clad in the traditional Tu Jia Zu Costumes and they sang melodious and catchy folk songs which tell stories about their simple way of life.

The most interesting portion is the preparations for the wedding, where it is the custom for the bride to cry before she leaves for her husband’s place. It was refreshing to know that every girl from that ethnic group starts to prepare for her own wedding from the tender age of 12. She would start to embroider her wedding apparel. Wow... interesting...

As the saying goes... A picture speaks a thousand words.... here goes...




Everyone had a GOOD walk today... Heh... Definitely burnt quite a few calories.... :D

Here is the cultural performance depicting the traditional way of life for the Tu Jia Zu people...
Hmm... you should really hear Toh Yu Xiang (2E3) sing in chorus from the audience with the pretty girls on the stage... "huo ji.... huo ji..... (it means "lover" in the native Tu Jia Zu language)"

(from left: Dehan, Shangsheng, Angus, Seshan,Jian Kuo & Soon Huat)

Farm food!! Look at the spread... home grown vegetables ... handmade tofu ... hand fed chicken soup with peanuts...& tea made from hand picked tea leaves!! Talk about HOME COOKED FOOD... MUHAHAHAHA

Look at the "kampong style" lounge chairs! ha... look at Yu Xiang from 2E3! (psss... please remember his face now... for he will be mentioned again later in this posting...

Doesn't this remind you of swordfighting movies set in ancient times? The pastures...the mountains... the winding roads... hehe...

Here is the place where the homemade soybean is prepared... And I heard that Aloysius (2E3) bought many cups of it...

Patricia Ng Hui Yi trying her luck at this... Supposedly... if you can produce a loud sound by rubbing your hands on the handle... riches will come your way.... Patricia... told you not to spend all your money shopping... see what you have gotten yourself into??!!

At the blacksmith shop... look at the tools hanging on the wall... don't you find them famliar? We often see them in the swordfighting movies... this was where Seshan(1E1) & Lee Soon Huat (2E4) tried their hands at role-playing the blacksmith... request the video from us! :p MUHAHAHA

Tan Jian Kuo (2E2) trying his hand at the grindmill... yet another tool which we often see in sword fighting movies... used for grinding of soybeans...Fresh soya bean drink anyone?? Tau Huay Chwee!!!

EHH.... another one? Why are the WUSHU members so obsessed with this "gadget"?

What now? Tau Huay?

MORE???? Dou Fu Xi Shi???? Now..... in movies ..... all ladies selling beancurd are all very pretty with silken tofu complexion....now?

Look at that!!! Pugilistic exponents!! Making their way across the swift flowing stream...

SOC-MIC (Standard Obstacle Course - Made in China)

Remember i mentioned that drinking is bad just now???? 62% alcohol!!!! Seshan's parents...please dun scold him... i assure you.... he took only 1 teeny sip...

These are the finished masterpieces by Tan Dolbie (2E3) and Ong Yi Lin (2E4)... IMPRESSIVE... for first-timers.. *wink*

(unchained melody playing in the background "ooooohhhhh my loooovvvee, my daaarlling....i hungered for your...... c,")

Dolbie trying the ceramic making...

Chia De Han (2E4 ) trying his hand at the paper making corner... Huge round of applause please everyone....

Students' Learning Journal - Day 2 (30 Aug 2008)

Ong Ying Yu (2E4)
I learnt that I should appreciate what I have in Singapore. We went to Yichang to go see the Three Gorges Dam. In the bus, the tour guide guided us along and the scenery was very beneficial.
Just now, we went to the supermarket. Along the way, I realized that there were no road lamps, therefore it is very dark and creepy.
Then it made me think how lucky I was back in Singapore, thinking it is natural to have road lamps.I also learnt a lot about the Three Gorges Dam.

Aloysius Lim Bai Jun (2E3)
I had great fun today touring the dams as we could bond our friendship and also make new friends, for example, the tour guide. The food was awesome during lunch and the beautiful scenery will always be kept in my mind. We travelled in buses for more than 4 hours. But that is worth all the bonding and the beautiful scenery.

Patricia Ng Hui Yi (2E4)
The 3 Gorges Dam is very well-built and it is very huge. It is used to control the amount of water if it’s flooded. We managed to see how hydroelectricity is being harnessed. We were very lucky to see the releasing of flood waters as it is said that it is not carried out everyday. I am very glad that the teachers brought us here.

Adam Lim Jun Ting (2E4)
Today I woke up quite early but later than yesterday. Took 4 hours to come Yichang. Went to see 3 Gorges Dam. It is very big and I took a lot of pictures. But I took picture until no battery. So sad…The food at the hotel nothing to eat one. After that, go buy snacks. Tonight going to eat a lot already. At the hotel restaurant eat not much.

Lee Soon Huat (2E4)
Woke up at 6 o’clock. Had breakfast and headed to 3 Gorges Dam. Breakfast was delicious. Journey to Three Gorges Dam took us 4 hours. Slept on the bus cos nothing to do. Beautiful “Feng, Shui” at the 3 Gorges. We were very lucky because they only release water infrequently. Quite happy la. Headed back to Yichang hotel. Went to buy some snack before going back. Guess I will be tonning for the night. Or maybe not. HAHA. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Jesslin Tan Jie Ling (2E4)
The scenery of Yichang is beautiful! It is a place I’ve always wanted to go. There is indeed a difference between the water in the upstream and downstream.The toilet locks are very different from Singapore including the electric sockets.

Ong Yi Lin (2E4)
The scenery in Yichang is very beautiful. I have learnt why the dam is built.
1) to prevent flood
2) to use the water to generate electricity
3) to increase tourism

Seshan S/O Veerappan (1E1)
Today all of us traveled to Yichang to view the Three Gorges Dams. The journey to Yi Chang was a bumpy but a nice experience. At the Three Gorges Dam, we were brought to view the totally mesmerized especially the top view of the Dam, I was able to see everything. This is the first time seeing a huge dam and will be the best one too.

Desmond Lim Wei Hui (2A3)
I learnt that the Dam was higher than what I imagined. On the way to the San Xia Da Ba, the road is way unsteady than Singapore. I learnt about the different sculptures at the memorial garden.

Ang Shang Sheng (1E1)
The first time I drank hot milk and I hate it.Smell and taste bad. The bus is not steady at all. The Dam is very very nice and big. I think we are very lucky to see the releasing of the flood water. I felt super tired after the trip.

Yip Poh Mun (2E4)
It took about 5 hrs to reach the 3 gorges dam. The scenery there was very beautiful . Many pictures were taken. The dam is to control the flood. I have bought some postcards of the 3 gorges dam.I am fortunate to able to come to such a nice place.

Toh Yu Xiang (2E3)
Today we are goingt to Yichang from Wuhan. The place is very far. We took about 5 hrs plus on the bus. The bus is very small, very difficult to sleep and very difficult to do this homework. The bus is very bouncy. The ride is like a roller coaster ride. And it’s my first most bouncy bus ride ever.

Carol Chin Xin Yi (2E4)
The project of 3 gorges dam was fantastic. It was huge in size and it works wonderfully. This project is a very challenging one. The scenery was marvellous, especially the Yang Tze River. It was amazing how the 3 gorges dam works. Energy is converted as the turbines turn in order to generate electricity.

Edwina (2E3)
The moment I saw the dam, I’m amazed by it. It’s a lot bigger than what I was thinking. It is huge and nice but as I was told about the history, homes of people and memory are gone when the dam is built, I feel sad despite the good construction and the good scenery.

Tan Dolbie (2E3)
I have learnt that such a huge man-made object can be of tremendous help to people living there who is always troubled by floods. Despite all the beautiful scenery that is conserved for many centuries, it’s going to be destroyed in the future. Because of the long trip on the bus, I’ve come to know how big China actually is.

Ong Yan Lin (2E3)
When I first saw the dam, I was so excited and amazed. It was so huge. I have learnt that the dam was very useful to people by helping them generate electricity and control floods. The air there was fresh and the scenery there was so beautiful that I took many pictures. I cannot imagine that it was so big. They have built the place for us to see the construction sight better. And I think that they are quite good and kind.

Lim Li Jun (2E3)
At the 3 gorges, I have experienced that the air and scenery in China is very good. The dam was big.The size of it was out of my imagination. I learnt that the dam provides lots of electricity and also helped to control floods in China.

Tan Jian Kuo (2E2)
Chang Jiang is indeed a wonderful place. The jiang is very strong. It’s quite windy today. There is something that prevents flooding. The place is worth going because there are many places that are very beautiful.

Soh Khee Siang Angus (2E4)
I was shocked to see that the dam was actually so big and the river was very long. It was a very good experience for me.

Chia De Han (2E4)
The bus journey there was long and tiring. The tour guide explained to us about the dam and I learnt about the dam from him. When I saw the dam, it was really big. The Yang Tze River is also big and long. The mountains are as high as the clouds. And it is very nice.
Special reflection: I forgot to bring the file to Yichang because I did not know I needed to bring it. Ms Lee said the night before I think. Maybe I was just too tired to remember. I promise to remember whatever the teachers say no matter how tired I am.

Teacher's Reflection for Day 2 (by Miss Agnes Mok)

Trackers of the present. They wear clothes nowadays.. Eh this tracker looks suspiciously familiar... Looks like Seshan??!! Hahaha >.<

Trackers of the past. They use their combined physical strength to pull ships and boats up the Yang Tze River. This photo came courtesy from the "accidental buy" by Poh Mun...

A breathtaking view of the dam. We were very lucky to see the releasing of flood waters through the sluice gates as it does not occur everyday.

Who's the real teacher? It's Edwina!!! Hahaha :p (Everyone, I stressed again... I am 19 years old. Please stop asking me about my age ok?)

This is the closest we got to the Three Gorges Dam! Let's take a picture!

Today is the day that I have been waiting for. After the many hours of reading up, searching on the internet, viewing videoclips and preparing teaching materials about the Three Gorges Dam, I am finally bringing the students to the place itself! I really hope that the students would apply what they have learnt over the two weeks of prior training and appreciate what they see today.

We started with a long bus ride from Wuhan to Yichang at 8am. It took about 4 hours and we stopped at "258 Resturant" for lunch. Thereafter, we continue our journey again and finally reached Three Gorges Dam at about 3pm. During the bus journey, I did a short recap on the information about the Three Gorges Dam. I am very proud that the students could answer every single question that I asked. They knew that the Three Gorges are made up of Qutang Gorge, Xiling Gorge and the Wu Gorge. In addition, they could state all the details of the Three Gorges Dam (Shiplocks, Shiplift and Dam) and their functions. They could also describe and explain how electricity is generated from the hydroelectric power station. These lovable students could also state the many reasons for building the dam: Flood control, Clean hydroelectricity, tourism and navigation. They could also appreciate the consequences, such as resttlement of people, that comes along with this big project. In my heart, I knew that this is bound to be a very fruitful trip for all of them.

When we reached our destination, the students were very astonished at the size and structure of the Three Gorges Dam. They were amazed by the difference in water level between the upstream and downstream of the river. All of them were asking many questions related to what they saw, including why the water appears to be dirtier after leaving the sluice gates. I reminded them about the slit buildup in the reservoir upstream and how the Three Gorges Dam is made to remove the slit during the release of the flood waters. We also felt very lucky to be able to witness the releasing of flood waters through the sluice gates as it does not occur daily. The students took many photos and were so excited upon seeing the huge shiplocks, the on-going construction of the shiplift, the dam and the hydroelectric power station from many angles. I am very heartened as I felt that this is learning at its best. An authentic learning experience, which is a very important aspect of the PETALS framework. Seshan highlighted this fact very well: After hearing so much about this mega dam during the preparation lessons, he is seeing it for REAL. He almost cannot believe his own eyes.

Halfway through our journey, we came across stalls that were selling souvenoirs and momentos. Finding it hard to resist the temptation of shopping, Angus brought a pack of Fengdu cards. To an ordinary student, this could be just another pack of cards. However, to all the students in this trip, Fengdu (or "Ghost City"), holds a special meaning as they were introduced to this city during Miss Lee Ting Ruh's cultural preparation session. They were also told that the entire city of Fengdu is submerged due to the flooding caused by the building of the dam. Many others brought other souvenoirs related to the Dam. (Including an accidental purchase by Poh Mun, hahaha)

Finally, we reached our last stop of the viewing of the Three Gorges Dam. This location was a great spot for photo-taking! As we were leaving to take the bus back, we saw a structure of trackers (people who pull boats and ships up the Yang Tze River). Our dear Seshan posed with this structure, allowing us to make some interesting comparisons... See picture above.

Overall, I have to say that this has been a wonderful and enriching day for me. Not only did I get the chance to see the Three Gorges Dam myself, I could engaged students in their learning. All this would not be possible if the preparation work was not done by myself. I am thankful to be given this opportunity to help the students on this learning experience and certainly hope that the students have also learnt a lot from me as well.

Day 2 (30 Aug 2008) - Learning Journey to the 3 Gorges Dam

I almost forgot to add this picture: Giant worms!!! Everyone was raving about these worms that they found in the vicinity of the Three Gorges Dam.

oh my god... It is our dear Miss Lee and Miss Mok... Typing our daily reflections into the computer so that it can be uploaded to this blog. Poor things.. please go and get some beauty sleep quickly, teachers...

Eww... Who are these two people? Sitting down in front of the computers typing in this dimly lit room...

On our way back... Aloysius proudly showing off his new "pet" crocodile... Hahaha

Now it is our turn... Say Cheese!!!

Our two beauties (Dolbie and Edwina) at close encounter with the Three Gorges Dam.

Wo ho ho... Wo ho ho... Everybody wants Kungfu Fighting... (See the Wushu Masters in action... Jian Kuo and Desmond using their eye powers instead)

The "Mother Hens" and their "chicks"... We had to split to smaller groups as we moved around the three stations to view the Three Gorges Dam.

Argh! Don't throw us into the rubbish chute! This is big... It can fit all of us in there!

The dam...

The ship locks...

Yeah!!! We finally reach ...... The view from the top is magnificant...

“白日依山尽，黄河入海流。欲穷千里目，更上一层楼” our dear students emulating the famous Tang Poet Wang Zhi Huan.... one has to climb to greater heights if one wishes to see the scenery far away.

Can't decide which is more captivating... The release of flood waters from sluice gates or Myself?? :D Muhahaha...

Taking a look at the Three Gorges Dam from the Model Room...

This is an image of a ship lock.. Every ship has to cross 5 of these ship locks in order to cross the Yang Tze River.

Our "chicks" ready to set off in their search for knowledge... Look how happy they looked!

We finally reached the Three Gorges Dam at 3pm! This place is so cool! Can you see the shiplocks and powerlines behind us?

We bought our tickets to view the Three Gorges Dam... p.s Guess whose fingers are these? (you have 50% chance :D haha) For answers, look through all the pictures or you may ask any of our students...

The cutest boy that you can ever find (Shang Sheng)... with his favourite food (Long Bean!!) Ummm....

Lunch at 258 Resturant... Bagus!!! Delicious!!!

Setting off to the Three Gorges Dam! Yeah! Beginning our 4 hour trip...

This is the day that teachers have been waiting for. We will be going to the Three Gorges Dam to witness the magnificent project. After close to 5 hours of travelling, we finally see the shiplocks and the dam that was shown in Ms Agnes Mok's powerpoint presentation during the training session back in Singapore. It was very heartening to hear students' cries of amazement and astonishment about the scale of the project. It shows that students have retained the knowledge that was taught and they have tried to apply it by matching what they have seen to what was taught.

In addition, it also made our day when the tour guide asked if the students were briefed about Wuhan prior to the arrival here :) she said that our students managed to answer the questions about Wuhan and the Three Gorges Dam. (ALL FOUR TEACHERS GRINNED FROM EAR TO EAR.... MUHAHAHAHAHA)