Seventh Day - I'm coming home, to the place where I belong ...

I can't believe that seven days have flown by just like that. I guess it must be true that time flies when you are having fun.
Here I am, sitting in the Computer Lab finishing up the blog entries while the students are making Indian jewellery in the auditorium, and I can't help but feel a tinge of sadness as I recall the many amazing experiences we have all had and the good times I have spent with the wonderful and quirky students.
Today's a really short day as we need to beat the jam this evening to get to the airport on time. Everyone is slightly subdued, probably because we all know that our adventure is about to end.
Well, I just want to assure all concerned that we are all well and will be back soon.
To end, I just want to thank all the students on the trip - Jowie, Yan Han, Esther, Jeanette, Jerome, Gigg, Yue Ying, Clara, Vivian, Shi De, Jonathan, Hui Khuan, Nerissa, Jovan, Alvin, Sean Lim, Sean Yong, Jia Min, Han Jie, Nicholas, Chiuen Chou, WILSON (so sorry I left you out the first time!) - for making the trip all the more special just by being yourselves and being a part of the trip.For one, I will never forget how wide, beautiful and radiant your hearts are when you did all that you could to bless the orphans in Coorg.
As a teacher, I sometimes do too much teaching and far too little learning. I am so grateful that I have learnt so much from all the students in big and small ways throughout the trip. What an experience!
We are coming home!

Best regards,
Roy Soh

Sixth Day - Home Visits!

We had art lessons shortly after arriving in school. We were each given a blank bookmark, which we had to fill up with drawings in the Madhupani style, a genre of Indian art. Later, we had a dance demonstration by 2 famous Indian dance instructors and their daughter. We were wowed by the intricacies of all the dance steps and the vivacity of the expressions on the dancer’s face. We got to join in a mass dance later, aided and abetted by the students of the school, who showed great patience and perseverance in teaching us their dances, especially when many of us had psychomotor issues! To round up the day, we had a fascinating lesson on Vedic Mathematics, which teaches us mathematical shortcuts to multiplication and subtraction. It was enlightening! We then waited in suspense to meet our hosts for the home visit.
This is an account of a group’s visit to an Indian home:
We boarded the school bus which was airy, on account of it having open windows. On the way, we interacted with the students, we had a bumpy ride as we enjoyed the “fragrance” of camel dung. On our arrival, we were given a warm welcome by the hosts. The student host’s mother offered us something for tea- vegetable cutlets and cakes. She also offered us a unique drink - minty juice with lemon and sugar. It was refreshing!
After a short break, we decided to play games with the students. We played a card game with them. It involves giving yourself a false name and cards are dealt to everyone. On the count of three, everyone shows the other players their top cards. If you have the same card as someone else, you must say their false name before the other party does. You then give your cards to the other person. The person who does not get rid of all his or her cards loses. In the end, Gigg lost the game and as a forfeit, we made him close his eyes while the girls dressed him in a sari. It was absolutely hilarious! Afterwards, we all dressed up in the traditional Indian dress- saris and dhotis. It was funny to see most of us dressed up so flamboyantly.
We then went to the terrace at the top of the apartments. It gave us a panoramic view of Bangalore as the host gave us a quick commentary on the development of her neighbourhood. We were taken next to the Sports Hall and park for recreational activities such as chess, table tennis and basketball. We really enjoyed ourselves! After all the fun and games, we took a nice stroll back to the house, where a sumptuous meal awaited us. We tucked into steaming bowls of homemade tomato soup, pasta and rice. We concluded the feast with Indian sweetmeats and a mango dessert.
After thanking our hosts for the feast, we bade them farewell and left, with fond memories of our visit fresh in our minds.

Fifth Day - Sri Kumaran, Shopping & ... Slurp!

Short relaxation session
Keeping an eye on light
Getting hooked on the language
Group pic
Bright and early in the morning, we headed back to the school for another fascinating day of school immersion. To start things off, we had a small yoga lesson conducted by a doctor and were taught little relaxation techniques.
We then went for a chemistry lesson and a physics lesson, one after the other. In the chemistry laboratory, the teacher had an interesting lesson all planned out for us. First, we were showed the reaction of zinc with hydrochloric acid. The test-tube containing the hydrochloric acid and zinc turned hot. To end off, they mixed vinegar with sodium bicarbonate in a film container to demonstrate how a fire extinguisher works. The cap was supposed to pop off once the chemical reaction takes place. However, something was wrong with the container and it did not work. They then mixed 2 chemicals together and lit it up. It looked exactly like a volcano spewing molten lava!
Moving on, during the physics lesson, we were taught that a ray of light actually bends when it passes through a different medium. The teacher showed us a experiment to prove this and we got to try it out as we managed to plot the path of light as it bent. We found it highly interesting and useful in terms of our conceptual knowledge.
Next up, we had lunch after the science lessons. We then had lesson in basic Kannada and we learnt how to say simple praises and recite numbers. We learnt how to say basic greetings too. It was a really engaging session and we really got our teeth into the language, with many of us seeking out the local students after the actual session, keen to learn more phrases and words.
As we had some free time in the afternoon, we went shopping after the programme at our school and we bought stuff like coffee, tea and tidbits. (It seemed as though they had just emerged from some jungle or lost civilization! – Mr. Soh) We bought some locally-manufactured cotton products like shirts, towels and dresses too.
We went back to the hotel and we had some rest before our debrief session. There was a real treat in store for us at the end of the day. We had Domino’s Pizza for dinner! Before we head for bed, we had a song and Reader’s Theater practice session.

Fourth Day - Our First Day @ Sri Kumaran!

Ice-breakers @ Sri Kumaran Children's Home
Ice-cream stall @ the Canteen
Library
Ascendas Information Technology Park
Group pic
Today we finally paid a visit to our partner in the Twinning Programme, Sri Kumaran Children's Home (Central Board Of Secondary Education). We found out that Sri Kumaran is different from TK as Sri Kumaran have primary, middle and high school levels all in one compound while TK is just a secondary school. There are 36 classes in total, 33-34 students per class. They also have Extra-Curricular Activities, or Co-Curricular Activities as we call them in Singapore.
Like us, C.C.A in Sri Kumaran is compulsory and they also have student councilors. Students are allowed to choose their own hobby classes like the CHOICES programme in TK and they get to choose one subject of their own interest every year for four years. They also use the same exam system as Singapore, much to our surprise.
In keeping with the warm hospitality that has characterized the Indian people since we first set foot in India, we were given cookies and tea during a scheduled tea break. Thereafter, we played some soccer, basketball and netball.
After lunch, we went to Ascendas Information Technology Park, approximately 92% of which is owned by the Singapore Government. It is a multi-facility area which has a shopping centre, offices, apartments, its own electricity generator and water treatment plant located all in an area of 69 acres. There is even a hotel opening soon in the compound itself! We were given a small tour around the main complex and the park’s very own shopping mall, which consisted of 28 shops, even a gym and banks. We were very impressed to see such a modern place located in Bangalore as it was a futuristic, self-sufficient and very advanced city within a city.
In the evening, we had a sumptuous dinner at a popular restaurant called Mainland China, which had delicious Chinese-fusion food. We were told that the chefs were actually trained by Singaporean chefs.
Finally, we went back to the hotel for our daily debrief session. Mr Soh emphasized that he was very impressed by our work in the orphanage as he talked about the significance of what we have done and the implications of having a service-minded orientation. We learnt that we are a blessed generation as we are made aware of the importance of service learning, and are given the opportunities to serve in practical and meaningful ways. Lastly, he also gave us little elephants (symbols of strength, solidarity and courage) which he meant to give us after our trip. He gave Han Jie and Nicholas, the two students who are overall in-charge, bigger elephants. We think that they truly deserve it for what they have done in the build-up to the trip and during the trip itself.

Third Day - The Highlight of Our Trip

Heart-warming scenes




Today was truly the highlight of the trip for all of us. What we did, felt and experienced were truly priceless and would soon constitute sweet memories that will stay tucked in our hearts forever.
In the morning, we took a trip to the Coorg Boys’ Home. The orphans greeted us warmly with their eyes and smiles when they first caught sight of us while peeping through the windows.
Before we could interact with the very adorable children with wide smiles and even broader hearts, we were introduced to the superintendent of the orphanage and briefed about how the orphans had ended up there. The majority were abandoned, rescued from tricky home conditions or lost their parents at a young age.
Immediately, we felt very lucky indeed to have parents, and to be living such an easy life back home in Singapore. The orphans sang a folk song for us and it was a tremendous welcome even though we had no idea what they were singing to us.
After the initial awkwardness that accompanies first meetings, we started to warm up and resolved to do our best to be a blessing to the orphans as best we could. We played some ice breakers with them and gave them toy cars as prizes. It brought great pleasure to all of us to see the smiles on their faces. We had great fun teaching them Chinese greetings and numbers. We also sang Singapore folk songs and performed two Readers’ Theatre performances.
Although most of the orphans only understood simple English at best, they still participated actively in all our activities. We were filled with joy and a tingly satisfaction to see them smiling throughout our time there. We felt glad and well pleased to be able to have such fun with the orphans. To be honest, we wanted to stay on for a longer time, but time constraints and workers waiting to repair some parts of the orphanage meant that we had to say goodbye.
It warmed our hearts to see that the children were also very contented with the toys we had given them. After all, it is not often that people visit these orphanages and give the children toys or daily necessities. Our mission, as discussed in our debrief session the day before, was to help them forget their misery and experience joy. We felt that we had accomplished that with room to spare.
After we left the orphanage, with a tinge of reluctance and sadness, we made a long eight-hour trek back to Bangalore. At least we had a good dinner awaiting us at the end of it. We were treated to steaming hot pizzas (with a local twist) at Pizza Hut before checking in to VT Paradise, the hotel that would be our home for the next four days.

Second Day- Coorg

Windflower Spa Resort
Lunch time!
fun shot
Coffee factory

This morning, Jeanette and Esther were late for breakfast because they thought that they were supposed to meet at 7.45am when it was actually 7.30am. Well, they had to report for dinner earlier as the rule is that we have to come 15 minutes earlier for the next meeting if we are late.
After breakfast, we went to the silk farm and learnt that a lot of work is required to make final product. It takes about 90 to 200 hours. The winding of the silk thread, with the help of modern machinery, is done at a high speed of 800km/h. Then the threads are weaved into a piece of silk cloth and patterns are made with the help of wooden pecks. The factory was very noisy and some workers chose to wear ear plugs to reduce the noise. Interestingly, we also learnt that silkworms eat only mulberry leaves.
During lunch, we received the disappointing news that the visit to the orphanage would be postponed to the next day. However, that also meant that we have more time to prepare!
Next, we went to the coffee factory. We found out that there are actually four different types of coffee beans which are kept in sacks and stacked up. These coffee beans are then graded. They are washed to remove the skin that covers the fruit. The final product is then exported to other places around the world.
On our long journey to Coorg, Mr Soh took a video of a group of us sleeping on the bus. It took about three hours for us to get to our hotel, so many of us were fast asleep, which made for really funny viewing. One of us was even drooling a river!
We made it to our hotel, Coorg International, close to dinner-time. After our showers, we played table tennis and carrom. Some of us were definitely better players than the others! Thereafter, we ate dinner and rehearsed our songs and skits for the last time. Finally, we had our nightly debrief session before heading to our rooms for some well-deserved shut-eye.

First Day- Mysore

To our relief, the new airport was much better than the old airport. We had learnt from Han Jie, who visited Bangalore last year as well, that the old airport was chaotic and noisy. We also heard that if we did not rush to our luggage, people would take them for us and ask for money in return. The old airport was also very messy and people had to wait very long just to get out. Thus, we were very glad that everything was very organized upon arrival and we cleared customs in less than twenty minutes.
As we headed towards Mysore we saw a farm, an empty plot of land and several older buildings next to one another. Some parts of Bangalore reminded some of us of some parts of Malaysia and Thailand. On the roads, traffic was frenetic and interestingly, they have three-wheeled cabs known as “Autos”, also known as “Tuk Tuk” in Thailand.
After hours of traveling, we arrived in Mysore and visited the Maharaja Palace there. It was magnificent and opulent as the Royal family was very rich. It also boasted rich cultural heritage and history, with a mixture of Eastern and Western styles clearly evident. The sight was spectacular. Clearly, it is very well preserved as it looks new, although it is actually 96 years old.
We also stopped by the sandalwood factory and learnt that sandalwood can be made into incense and oil. The guide ran through how sandalwood oil is made. Firstly, the wood is chipped. It is then stored and compressed. Water is then sprayed in, before steam is added into the storage compartment. Steam and oil vapour is collected. Cold water is then run along the side of the collection pot to condense the vapour. Oil, being less dense, is collected at the top. 5ml of oil costs 650 rupees, so it is quite a lucrative trade for the locals.
Finally, at the end of the day, we went to our hotel, Sandesh the Prince, and checked in. After a good dinner, we rehearsed the skits and songs we would be performing at the orphanage. When we were done with the debrief session that followed, we headed straight to bed as we were bushed.
We can’t wait for tomorrow!

RE: Final Push, People!

Yo peeps,

Just want to say how proud I am of all your effort and time spent on the intensive preparations for the trip. Although many of you must be tired, I think we are pretty well prepared and ready for the journey to India. One more week so push on, folks!

Regards,
Roy Soh

Fifth Training Session

Yesterday was our fifth training session. We packed up the sweets we had bought for the orphans into gift packs. Each gift pack consists of a packet of Oreos, two packets of Toberone chocolate and two different types of sweets and mashmallows. We are planning to tie them up with ribbons so that they wil look more presentable. We also packed the bags, toys, umbrellas and the packet of sweets into different boxes. Then, we practised our songs and the different phrases and words in the languages that we are going to teach them there. We decided that one person will say the English word and then another will say the Malay or Chinese translation, and that half-way through, we can ask them what the word in Malay or Chinese is withdout refering to the small booklet we are giving them. Most of us did not know how to sing the songs and when some of us are singing, the rest were laughing as it was really very hilarious as their voices were very low or out of tune or just simply funny.

Fourth Training Session

Today, the CIP Committee together with the Programmes Committee worked together to complete the skit so that we would be able to start rehearsing the Reader's Theatre performances during the next training session. Some of the Sec 2s in the Programmes Committee continued with the booklet today. Unfortunately, they were unable to complete it. They learnt that they must be FOCUSED and do work seriously or else nothing can be done.
The logistics committee also gave more suggestions on the icebreaker games.
Meanwhile, Mrs Lim gave some of our passports back as some of us may need to travel overseas before this twinning trip. Mr Roy Soh was beside her and kept peeping at our passport photos. It was embarrassing!

Third Training Session

Today is our third training cum preparation session for our Bangalore Twinning Programme. We had to choose our t-shirt sizes and we decided to adopt the old design which is the black shirt with orange trimmings. Then we split into our respective groups to discuss and prepare for the trip. The Logistics Committeee sorted out the toys and packed the ones in good condition . The CIP Committee thought of icebreaker games - Simon Says and Numbers. They also practised singing some Malay songs. We learnt that we must take more initiative to help and that we must organise our work efficiently.

Second Training Session

Some of us brought toys and bags to donate to the orphans in Bangalore. We packed most of them into A4-sized boxes. The Logistics Committee helped to tie up the boxes. We also received our itinerary and the pack list for the trip.

On the first day in Bangalore, we will be going to a silk farm in Mysore for an educational tour before departing for Coorg. Then, on the second day, we will continue on our learning journey. We will be going to a cocoa,tea and coffee plantation, a spice garden and to see some waterfalls. We will also be learning things beyond our textbooks. On the third day, we will be going to an orphanage to donate some toys, books and bags to them and also teach them some simple Chinese and Malay. There will be two Reader's Theatre performances - the stories of Sang Nila Utama and the Bukit Merah. Through these skits, we hope that they will get to know some of Singapore's culture. Then, on the other days, we will be embarking on our school immersion experience.



The CIP group worked on the booklets on Singapore's language and some traditional Singapore songs whereas the programmes group worked on the skits and the programme for this trip. Some of us continued to learn to use the tablets so that when we are in Bangalore we would be able to post posts efficiently on the blog.

We chose our T-shirt colour combination and also recorded down our T-shirt size. When we were doing on our work, we had some visitors. A group of professors and students from a university in Thailand came in and Han Jie briefly explained to them the purpose of this trip to Bangalore.



On the whole, we have completed some work but we still have lots more to do and also please be reminded that the next training would be on 13 May, this coming Tuesday from 2.30pm to 4pm in the PCCG room.

The First Training Session

Today was our first training session as we prepare to head off to Bangalore for our overseas twinning programme.
Firstly, we were introduced to Indian culture by good-humoured parent volunteers who talked to us about the food in South India, which is where Bangalore is. Indian food is seperated into North and South India food. We learned that roti prata in Singapore is called parota there, and also that vegeterian Indian food is not all about vegetables. There are a lot of other varieties too. A lot of South Indian food that we learnt today are made of flour(eg. rice flour) and the food we learnt about today all come with Indian sambar. Chapatti, which looks like Singapore's roti prata, is also called roti in India. So, when you are India, do not say you want roti prata or they will be confused about whether you want roti or parota.


Then we went to Little India to try out the food and expand our dietary dimensions. The food was very delicious and the masala dosa is a definite must-try. The food there had myriad flavours - sour, spicy, sweet, salty in an explosion of taste, but nonetheless, delicious. It is also very colourful as there are a lot of different spices which are all different in colour.



After that, we proceeded back to school for our very first training session. We learnt how to use a tablet pc and also tried to anticipate the problems that will surface there so that we are better prepared for any contingencies. We also decided who will design the trip t-shirt and finished up some preparation for the Singapore Day (a cultural event to showcase Singapore's vibrant and unique mish-mash of cultures)at the orphanage and hosting school before we were able to go home.
All in all, a memorable day as our tastebuds will never be the same again.

What's Happening?

This year, we are planning to bring some of the cultures found in Singapore to Bangalore like our ethnic costumes, traditional games, food, languages, and folk tales etc. We have come out with some ideas and plans on how we're going to share with them on our culture.

Also, we plan to raise funds again, but this time, for an orphanage in Bangalore. I hope we raise enough funds to buy the items that they need! : D

- H.

Once Again...

This year, we are going to raise funds for a orphanage in Bangalore. They are in need of things like rain clothes and rain shoes. So we are going to use the money to help them. Hope we can raise lots of money from the donation.

This year, we are split into 3 committees to separate the work among ourselves. The 3 committees take charge of different things. There are the programme committee, CIP committee and the logistic committee. We are going to organise a Singapore Day there at Bangalore and we are now preparing for it. We are learning a lot of things as we go along planning for things and such. Learning to think of the conditions and so on.

-J.M.

Hello 2008!

This year, the learning journey to Bangalore continues, more updates coming soon!