Results for Blog Competition

You may visit http://profiles.friendster.com/shanghai07speedb for the results.

Unity Primary School Top 3 Blogs
1) (93%) http://www.shanghai08-wtbx.blogspot.com/
2) (92%) http://maypetrina-shanghai.blogspot.com/
3) (91%) http://ourjourney-toshanghai.blogspot.com/

Congratulations to Wan Ting, Bao Xuan, May, Petrina, Mathilda and Yong Qi for their excellent blogs.

Participants' Blogs

We have 9 blogs from the participants so far.
And we are still waiting for the other 9.

GET THE HINT?

Here they are:

Team Alpha

May Thwe Min & Petrina Teo Yun Zhen
http://maypetrina-shanghai.blogspot.com/


Team Bravo


Team Charlie

Regina Lim Si Min & Lim Shu Yi
http://www.lsylsm97.blogspot.com/

Neo Soon Keat & Ng Wai Hung, Daniel
http://shanghai2008neosoonkeat.blogspot.com/

Yeo Zhe Qi & Chua Wei Shan
http://weishanandzheqi.blogspot.com/


Team Delta

Arnold Lim Zhen Dong & Jeremy Chew Jun Heng
http://studytriptoshanghai.blogspot.com/

Lee Shannon & Tan Rou Jiun
http://shannonbetty-shanghaitrip2008.blogspot.com/

Wong Wan Ting & Tan Bao Xuan
http://www.shanghai08-wtbx.blogspot.com/

Mathilda Ong Le Shin & Lee Yong Qi
http://ourjourney-toshanghai.blogspot.com/

Wei Longtai & Tan Xin Da
http://www.david-shanghaiimmersionprogram.blogspot.com/

Merci Beaucoup!

On behalf of the Science Department, we would like to express our thanks to many of you who have made made this trip possible.

To Mr. Teoh and Ms. Teh, for their approval and support.

To Hasnah, Jean and Dewi for attending to all the adminstration and financial matters.

To Mr. Ken Lee for advising on matters pertaining to China and the trip.

To Mr. Lee and Mr. Ng, our OMs, for logistics and getting the rooms ready for all the pre-trip briefings.

To all other teachers who have contributed in one way or another.

To all parents for all the support and encouragement you have given to the participants and teachers-in-charge alike. We would not have made it through without you.

And lastly, to all the participants for being such good young ambassadors and role-models. You have certainly proven yourself and have made this trip meaningful and enriching for us.

Merci Beaucoup!

Homework!

It is time for all the participants to embark on their blog.

You can go to http://www.blogger.com/ to create a blog to show us your version of what went on during the study trip.

You are to work on a blog with your room-mate and are to complete it by the 23rd November 2008. Upon completion, you are to email your names and the blog url to ups.shanghai@gmail.com.

You may refer to this blog for ideas but we encourage you to be creative, innovation and original. So put your IT skills to the test and you stand to win attractive prizes.

You can also visit http://profiles.friendster.com/shanghai07speedb for judging criteria and past blog entries by participants.

Should you have any queries, you may email us at the above-mentioned address.

Happy Blogging!

Survey Results

All the pupils took part in a survey and the results are as follows.

From the results, we can see that the Shanghai Immersion Programme was successful in creating international awareness, instilling cultural savviness and fostering rootedness to Singapore in our participants. Way to go SIP2008!

Day 7 Reflections

This is the last installment and the largest collection (all of them) of reflections from our participants. Do read them as they talk about what they have learnt and experienced throughout the entire study trip.

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Yong Qing Yi, Megan & Zhang Yuning

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Ling Wei Ann, Bernard & Wee Jun Wen

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May Thwe Min & Petrina Teo Yun Zhen
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Ng Xuan Hui & Toh Min Xuan, Michelle
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Shadzee Binti Othman & Toh Zi Yi
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Chow Ka Hin & Muhammad Ismail Bin Isa
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Deana Syazwani Binte Azman & Lim Wen Xia
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Jeanon Goh & Muhamad Fudhail Bin Abdul Latiff
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Chua Wei Shan & Yeo Zhe Qi
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Chwa Wei Liang & Nicholas Kong Zhan Hui
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Lim Shu Yi & Regina Lim Si Min

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Ng Wai Hung, Daniel & Neo Soon Keat

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Chng Shi Hong, Brian & Chu, Jui-Hung (Jefferson Chu)

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Tan Bao Xuan & Wong Wan Ting
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Lee Shannon & Tan Rou Jiun
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Mathilda Ong Le Shin & Lee Yong Qi

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Jeremy Chew Jun Heng & Lim Zhen Dong, Arnold
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Tan Xin Da & Wei Longtai
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Day 7 @ Shanghai

It was a day of mixed feelings for all participants, both teachers and pupils alike. All of us were happy to have had a wonderful and enriching trip and were looking forward to reuniting with family and loved ones. However, many of us were sad to leave Shanghai where the weather is cool, food is abundant at all meals and most of all, the shopping opportunities.

The pupils were given a late wake up call as they needed more rest from the 'hectic' activities they had the night before. After breakfast, all of us sat down to pen down our reflections for the entire trip. You could see the emotions on their faces as they recounted the places they have been to, the new friends they got to know and the lessons they have learnt.

After that, the pupils were briefed on the finer aspects of packing. The teachers went to every room with weighing scales in hand like 'karang gunis'. This was to make sure that pupils did not exceed the baggage allowance.




It was also during Operation Karang Guni that Mrs Chai insisted on taking a photo with Ka Hin; maybe she has narrowed down her choice of a god-son to him. :)


Lunch was served at the Astronuatic Centre Canteen. Pupils were treated to a buffet; the meal meal in Shanghai. It seems that the companies and schools in Shanghai or maybe the whole of China provide meals for their employees. All the employees need to do is to tap their ID card and lunch is waiting for them.


Ms. Yap came across an interesting invention - The Toilet Timer. I wonder if it was 30 seconds or 30 minutes on the clock. Both times seem to be a bit ridiculous for reliving oneself. We were also wondering what would happen if someone exceeded the time limit, would the door open by itself? Or would the toilet bowl eject you out of the cubicle?

Next, we proceeded to the airport, checked in our luggage and waited for the annoucement to board the airplane. Upon hearing that, there were shouts of jubilation as we were one step closer to home.

After a five hour filght, the participants were reunited with their families. After numerous hugs and kisses, they dispersed and made their way home to their comfy beds and a good rest.

Before we end, a surprise was also waiting for us at Changi Internation Airport. Nicholas's family has brought along 'Bibush' to introduce him to the participants. I guess Nicholas is going to have a hard time in school for the next few days. By the way Nicholas, does the name 'Bibush' comes from Big Bush?

That's all for the trip. I believe all of us had a good time and you too, have enjoyed reading our posts everday. See you in school tomorrow!

Day 6 Reflections

And... some more reflections for the day.

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Ling Wei Ann, Bernard

Toh Min Xuan, Michelle

Jeremy Chew Jun Heng

Tan Xin Da

Lim Shu Yi

Chua Wei Shan

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Muhammad Ismail Bin Isa

Day 6 @ Shanghai

Hurray! Today is a shopping day. The pupils were told on the previous night that today they would be visiting some places for them to get more souvenir if they had not gotten enough, or had not done so. And all of them were looking forward to the trip.

Our first stop is 城隍庙(Cheng Huang Miao). 庙(Miao) is temple in Chinese. We did not go to the temple, but we visited the shops around Chen Huang Miao.

Before shopping, the guide brought us to 豫园 (Yu Yuan). Some several hundreds of year ago, Yun Yuan was owned by a court official to be used as a private garden. Yes, a huge, private garden.
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The official must be very wealthy. Some of the man-made mountains came from rocks from a famous mountain.
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The transportation would be done in winter so that the rocks could be moved easily on the frozen, icy ground then (Science Concept: Icy surface -- slippery -- less friction). Well, people in the past were really innovative and flexible in trying to get their work done. =) Other than the beautiful and scenaric "mini mountains and ponds" (that were all over the garden), the owner also built many pavillions, resting rooms and even an opened-air Chinese opera theatre in his garden. I think we would all love to live in such a place. Don't you wish to have a personal cinema? =)


After spending an hour or so in Yu Yuan, we split up into our smaller groups to do shopping. Today, the pupils got to put their bargaining theory into practice.

Bargaining Strategies/Steps

1. Offer one-half, one-third, one-quarter or even one-fifth of the quoted price.

2. If the seller refuse your offer, say 'never mind' politely and walk off.

3. (This is when you have to pay attention to seller's reaction) If the seller could consider your offer, he/she will definitely call you back. Hee......

4. Then repeat your offer while giving the seller a chance to raise your offer sightly. In the end, the two of you should be able to come to a consensus. Hee.....

Several pupils used this set of strategies and they managed to bargain from RMB280 to RMB60, RMB108 to RMB12. Well pupils, I should really give you a certificate for passing the bargaining course. So proud of you!
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In our small groups, we went for our own lunch. My group decided that we want to try the famous Shanghai Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) - "Nan Xiang..." (Sorry, I can't remember the name of the restuarant). The dumplings there were simply delicious. Even the girls wanted more after they tried it. It was really a nice change from the usual 12-course meals (Honestly, most of us are a bit sick of it. Hee...) Oh, but at our lunch table, a question was raised, "How did the soup get into the xiao long bao?" And one of our well-read pupils managed to answer it (It can be related to Science in a way). The dumpling master will freeze the soup and add frozen cubes of soup into the dumplings when he is making it. After steaming, the frozen cubes will gain heat and melt to become the delicious soup inside the xiao long bao. Woah... we simply love the xiao long bao.



After lunch, we proceeded to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. We learnt that Shanghai is going to hold the World Expo in 2010 and they have already started planning it since 2002. A new 'town' is going to be built for the Expo. Of course, the pupils were more interested in the models in the exhibition hall than the plans for the World Expo. They went around taking pictures and trying to identify where the location of Pearl Tower was.
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In the evening, the China co-oganiser - Shanghai Society of Astronautics - prepared a farewell dinner for us. It was the usual 12-, or even more, course dinner. However, the surprise by not the food, but the need for us to do cultural exchange again. So, there we were, pupils, including teachers and Mr Charles, put up our Singapore Town again. This time, the pupils were more relax and we just had fun doing it. =)

The organisers were very generous. Not only were the teachers given mementos. four of our pupils were also awarded prizes for being outstanding during the study trip.
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Let's hear what they have to say about recieving the awards.

Ok, got to go. Have to start packing the luggage. Singapore, we are coming home soon!

Day 5 Reflections

Once again, some meaningful reflections from our pupils.

Zhang Yuning

Chow Ka Hin

Yeo Zhe Qi



Neo Soon Keat

Tan Rou Jiun

Lee Yong Qi