PROGRAMMES | LUMEN
17 state ’ s unique tourist attractions such as Gardens by the Bay , while the Singaporean students learnt about Israeli cuisine such as falafel and humus , and iconic religious sites such as the Holy Sepulchre and the Mosque of Omar .
Nervana Razzouk from Jerusalem reflected that “ it was a very beautiful experience ” and that she “ learnt a lot from it , benefited , and knew more about Singapore .” Meanwhile , Richard Saleh thanked the teachers for the experience , while identifying having met ‘ amazing teenagers who live the opposite of our culture ’ had been an invaluable experience . Ms Lina Al Khateeb , the Jerusalem teacher-in-charge , also conveyed her ‘ heartfelt appreciation ’ to the SJI teachers - Mrs Violet Ng , Dr . Ng Soo Nee and Mr Raymond Karam - for their ‘ priceless efforts ’ in ensuring the smooth running of this programme .
National Tainan Second Senior High School - Taiwan Food was a popular and uniting theme that connected Josephians with their Taiwanese peers from the National Tainan Second Senior High School in the North of the island .
In the beginning , talking to a screen on both sides deterred many participants from initiating a conversation with the Taiwanese students . This was soon resolved when they found common ground with the Taiwanese students , particularly about food and bubble tea ! In spite of the language barrier where their Taiwanese counterparts were much more conversant in speaking Mandarin than they are , our Josephians
found new ways to communicate . Some explored new communication channels such as LINE and Instagram to converse and bond with their Taiwanese counterparts , while others used Google slides and Google Translate to bridge the gap in communication .
All these platforms helped the students produce an informative presentation about the respective topics that they had chosen . Through their research , the students spoke on the importance of the bilateral ties Singapore had with Taiwan , as well as the similarities of the two countries . From managing the nation ’ s resources to developments in Artificial Intelligence , and the evolving food culture during the pandemic , the students have learnt tremendously from the experience . Phua Xue En Tricia ( LE508 ) notes that “ with our improved Mandarin speaking skills , we managed to write notes to our newfound friends .”
Jinggu Minzu Middle School - Jinggu , China Josephians took on the opportunity to better understand the diverse cultures of the different
minority groups in Jinggu in the larger Yunnan province of China during their exchange with Jinggu Minzu Middle School .
It was indeed an eye-opening experience to interact with people hundreds of kilometres away through a small computer screen . The culture , the language and the friendliness of the Jinggu students made the GEP even more enjoyable . Despite the initial apprehension about their relatively limited grasp of Mandarin , our Josephians took the opportunity to improve their proficiency in Mandarin , as they continued chatting with their newfound friends at each GEP session . Each group researched and presented different aspects of Jinggu , Yunnan , such as an introduction to China , Yunnan ’ s geographical environment and scenic spots , their food culture , ethnic minorities , local products and transportation system .
During their final session which ended on a happy note , students from both schools put up an exciting series of performances , ranging from singing to dancing to arts and craft and even a self-composed Chinese rap .
Facing page ( centre right ) The Dead Sea Facing page ( tbottom right ): An online presentation of Olive Oil Festivals This page ( top left ): Humus and Falafel made with chick peas
This page ( bottom left ): Using channels such as LINE and Instagram , students were able to communicate with one another
This page ( centre ): One of the highlights for the cultural exchange programme with Jinggu Minzu Middle School was having a greater understanding Yunnan ’ s food and local products
This page ( centre right ): Presenting the geographical environment and scenic locations
This page ( bottom right ): Capturing online meetings despite the distance