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ST JOSEPH ’ S INSTITUTION • JOSEPHIAN ANNUAL 2014 LEARNING JOURNEY
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION ( IE ): TRIP TO SHANGHAI & SUZHOU
By Marcus Ee ( LE 304 )
Day 1 : When we first arrived at Suzhou , we were in awe of the breathtaking scenery of the city and the view of the villages . At the top of our first stop , Tiger Hill , there was a strange tilted pagoda which managed to withstand the test of time with the skilled workmanship used to build it back in the day . There was also a pond known as “ JianChi ” which has a splendid view . After Tiger Hill , we headed to Shan Tang Jie which is a shopping street by a canal specializing in the sale of various kinds of counterfeit products sold at a cheap price . Our last stop for the day was for dinner at Guan Qian Jie , another shopping area . We spent most of our time there searching for food as we were hungry . We finally decided to have our dinner at a Chinese eatery and had our debrief after we headed back to the hotel .
Day 2 : The next day began with the school immersion programme which everyone had been longing to experience . The school there had been completely different from what we had expected . It was very different from how Singaporean schools operate , For example , their school hours were much longer . However , the time we were able to spend communicating with them was very limited therefore we had very little time to get to know about their lifestyle and culture better . Our next stop was the silk factory . We were brought to the silk factory and we learnt how silk , the item that is most well known in Suzhou , is made . They had a worker from the factory explain to us how silk was made and the life cycle of silkworms as well . They also told us the benefits of using silk as a material compared to polyester . We learnt the process of making silk as well . The last stop was the Suzhou Industrial Park which is famously known to be created by Singapore . The tour guide gave us an explanation of how Singapore played a major role in the development of the industrial park . As we went to the park in the afternoon , it was not as packed and therefore we were not able to mingle with the crowd . And this marks the end of our trip in Suzhou .
Day 3 : Finally , it is time for us to head over to Shanghai ! Most of us have been anticipating this moment as it is our opportunity to experience the true city life that we were all told about . For us teenagers , Suzhou was very different as it was more akin to rural riverside towns whereas Shanghai , being a bustling metropolis like Singapore , was what we were more accustomed to . I think this was probably why most of the talk shared in the hotel rooms were of our activities in Shanghai . After the lengthy bus journey which saw us trapped in a massive traffic jam , resulting in half of the passengers taking an impromptu nap , we somehow miraculously managed to reach our destination earlier than scheduled . While most of the party assumed we were headed back to the hotel for a rest , we were instead treated to a pleasant surprise . Going with the objective of understanding good entrepreneurship , Claudine brought us to a famous patisserie situated in the heart of Shanghai : the House of Flour of ‘ HoF ’ for short . There , we were welcomed by the owner of said patisserie , Mr Brian Tan . He shared with us his life story and how he fought through hardship and near bankruptcy to open up the No . 1 dessert destination in Shanghai . After his extremely inspiring sharing session , we were introduced to mouthwatering food and decadent desserts . Mr Brian was gracious enough to give us a discounted price on all his beloved cakes and sweets . Put simply , this was by far the best meal of the trip .
Day 4 : Setting off at the usual 9am , our first stop in Shanghai was the Shanghai Urban Planning Centre which chronicles the story of how Shanghai went from being a small modest town to becoming a large vibrant city . One major highlight of the Centre was the ‘ mini ’ model of the entire city that spanned practically the whole floor . It was very carefully detailed and it even lit up ! God knows how many hours were put into recreating the whole city in this manner ! Our next