Personal Daily Reflection for OELP Trip
Day 1 (Sunday 24 May)
After finishing the task, Yan Yang and I set off to look
out for snacks. We both selected a chicken-flavoured cup noodles. We did not
buy much as we wanted to save up the money for other days. Then, we went to pay
for our items. The cashier asked me whether I need a plastic bag, I answered
yes. To my horror, she charged me 0.20 RMB. Not only was the plastic bag
expensive, I had to pack my own stuffs into it. This makes me think that China
is taking care of their environment for charging the use of plastic bag as this
will reduce the number of people using plastic bags. I felt that the service of
China workers are also not friendly. They did not inform me that I had to pack
my own goods. As I did not know the rules, they glared at me for blocking the
people behind. In conclusion, I think that there is an improvement for the
service in China and China is trying to save their environment.
Next, we went for dinner. The first dinner that I had in Shanghai was an unpleasant one. I was separated with my classmates and assigned to eat at the non-beef table. There was too much oil and salt added in the food. Another reason for the distasteful food was I had not adapted to Shanghai’s food culture. Even though the food was not nice, I finished my meal. There were some people around me who had leftovers. This is a bad behaviour as they were wasting food. After the dinner, we headed to our hotel, Holiday Inn Express. It was very beautiful. My room was 428 which was near to the lift. My roommate and I did all the superstitious precautions when we reached our room. We put down our luggage and bags before going down. As we were all very tired, the debrief was short and we went back to the hotel room to rest
Nanjing Road (南京路步行街) were big and there were many
supermarkets. Inside the supermarkets, there were international like McDonalds,
Uni Qlo, Starbucks and H&M. My friend and I went to McDonald. We realised
that the Big Mac is cheaper than Singapore. I think that this is because the
production cost in China is lower than Singapore. China used their own animals
to provide the food. This caused the price to go down. Nanjing Road are crowded
with many tourists. It was one of the places in Shanghai which contributed to
China’s economy.
Next, we went for dinner. The first dinner that I had in Shanghai was an unpleasant one. I was separated with my classmates and assigned to eat at the non-beef table. There was too much oil and salt added in the food. Another reason for the distasteful food was I had not adapted to Shanghai’s food culture. Even though the food was not nice, I finished my meal. There were some people around me who had leftovers. This is a bad behaviour as they were wasting food. After the dinner, we headed to our hotel, Holiday Inn Express. It was very beautiful. My room was 428 which was near to the lift. My roommate and I did all the superstitious precautions when we reached our room. We put down our luggage and bags before going down. As we were all very tired, the debrief was short and we went back to the hotel room to rest
Day 2 (Monday 25 May)
The second day, we visited many places. The first one was The
Bund (外滩). The weather at the bund was cooling. From the bund, we
could see many essential buildings across the river, for example, the Oriental
Pearl Tower (东方明珠搭) and Shanghai World Financial Centre (环球金融中心). On the
river, I saw many ships carrying goods passed by. This made me think of a
question: Does the people in Shanghai travel by ships too? We took a class
photo to snap down the enjoyable moment we spent in Shanghai.
The second place is Nanjing Road (南京路步行街). When
we reached there, 马哥哥informed us the meeting time and
description of this place. While he was talking, a beggar approached us with a
cup in his hand. He stretched out his hands to all of us to ask for money. I really
pitied him by his look and his hunch back. However, we were not allowed to
donate any money to beggars in Shanghai. I guessed he could not find a job to
sustain himself because of his venerable age. If he had children, his children
were indeed unfilial. In Singapore, such cases are rare as Singapore has
Central Provident Fund. The government would subsidy the old with the money
that they paid when they were young. In China, there was no such fund. That why
the old man would end up to be a beggar. I think that China should take care of
the elderly in China more.
The third place we went is Confucius Temple, 孔夫子庙. This
place was serenade. I could feel that it was suitable for studying. At the main
gate of the temple, there was a sculpture of Confucius. We paid homage to him
before entering the temple. There was a belief which stated that men entered
from the left gate while women entered from the right gate. We were taught many
cultures in China’s education. One thing that I found interesting was the
student had to sit on the floor for lessons in school. I recalled that I only
did this when I was in kindergarten. I felt fortunate that I was given a chair
as sitting on the floor for a long time would cause my legs to feel numb. Confucius Temple was considered as a heritage
for education. We prayed for our studies before leaving for our next destination.
Our last stop for the day is Chenghuang Temple District, 城隍庙商业区.
This
is the place I like most out of the whole OELP trip. This place was famous for
their cheap items. Tourists who came Shanghai must stopped here for a shop. As
it was very crowded, we were requested to place our bag in front of us to
beware of pickpockets. We were over the moon once we heard that we had two
hours of allowance here. Some of my friends went to shops like snapbacks and
beanies. They said that the things sold here were so much cheaper than
Singapore. However, I felt that I had to buy some souvenirs here to commemorate
that I had been to Shanghai before. I went to a store which sold necklaces.
This store was meaningful because I am able to carve my name on it. Despite the
fact that I could afford the price, I still bargain for it. I realised that
there is a difference between the pricing of the things sold even in the small
area of Chenghuang Temple District. 10 pairs of chopsticks were sold at 30 RMB
after bargaining in air-conditioned shops while they were sold at 15 RMB. I am
the lucky soul who bought the 15 RMB chopsticks. After that, my friend and I
ate the authentic 小笼包 in Shanghai. It was enticing and a lot
nicer than the 小笼包 we ate in the restaurant later. Soon, two
hours had passed and we had to gather to leave for dinner. I hoped everyone had
enjoyed themselves today because I did.
Day 3 (Tuesday 26 May)
The first place that we visited is Shanghai Science and
Technology Museum (上海科技馆).
In some exhibitions of this
museum, there were steep stairs. I felt scared that I might fall. If there was
any serious injuries happening to me, I needed to visit the nearby hospital for
a check-up. I felt that it would be very troublesome to see the doctor. It
would be worse when I do not know or understand the procedures of China
hospital. Other than the stairs, I think that the environment and the
facilities of the centre are good. The environment includes the cleanliness,
the noise level and the atmosphere of the Science and Technology Museum. The
museum is almost litter-free. I can see many dustbins available for throwing.
The tidy environment showed that the tourists and the local threw their rubbish
into the bins.
Then, we watched a 4D movie, called细菌打作战. The
content of the movie is about the harm which Panadol brings to our body. I
compared the prices of a 4D movie in Shanghai and a 4D movie in Singapore. One
4D movie ticket in Shanghai cost 30 RMB while one is sold at $20 in Sentosa,
Singapore. Both places were tourist attractions but I think that the pricing
difference is due to the demand. In the Science and Technology Museum, there
was lesser people visiting it than Sentosa. The demand in Shanghai is low which
cost the tickets to be cheaper.
The next place, we went is朱家角古镇. This
place presents the history of China. The doors of the some stores are old and
fascinating. A tourist even dressed in the ancient China clothing which I would
only be able to see on screen. It could not be known as a business district as
there were little customers. The environment here is totally opposite of the
Science and Technology Museum earlier. The floors of 朱家角古镇
were
full of rubbish. I can also smell the stench of dog poos as I walked along the
streets. It was also unhygienic as I saw flies around some food sold along the
streets of朱家角古镇. However, we could not judge a book by its cover. Some
cafes are modernized and they provide free Wi-Fi. I conclude that朱家角古镇
had
successfully preserved the heritage of this place. It showed the impoverished
of this place but it kept up with the technology of the cities. Even though
China has worked well in keeping their heritages, she should work on the
environment and health in China. To me, these were more important than the
development.
The last attraction was M50 Art Galleries (M50 艺术画廊).
This place exhibited many art pieces. The amazing thing I found here is the
graffiti on the wall. This could not be seen in Singapore as you would get
fined for vandalising the walls. In China, the people were allowed to draw on
the walls. I reckon the government in China do not want to set this law because
they wanted the people to show their artistic talent. This would be a different
way which China used to groom artists. I am also surprised by China’s
discipline as no one ruined the drawings. Even though there is no drawing here
which I know, I found this place unique and a place which Singaporeans should
visit.
Day 4 (Wednesday 27 May)
We started off the day by visiting the Shanghai Urban
Planning Exhibition Centre (上海城市规划馆). We learnt about the
development of Shanghai now. A presenter is there to explain to us the changes
of the urbanisation of Shanghai.
First, she talked about the history when
Shanghai was once prosperous but it is even more prosperous now. She let us
watched the animation of the evolution of the Bund. She also showed us a large
scale model of the entire Shanghai and pointed out to different parts of Shanghai.
There are coloured lights to guide us along the scale model.
As we walked
around the scale model, the presenter explained to us how the buildings in
Shanghai were planned out. We had a 360 degree virtual reality as our last activity
at the exhibition centre. We were given some time to explore the place in our
CID group. During that time, my group played some enriching hands-on activities
which can also be found in the Science and Technology Museum.
Next, we visited Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆). Before we were allowed to
enter the museum, we needed to go through security check. Both the exhibition
centre and the museum required us to go through the security check. I feel that
there should be more security checks in more places to emphasise on good
security. In the museum, there were four levels. In each level, the exhibitions
were divided into categories. Every exhibition shows different artefacts which the
ancestors had left till now. I wondered how the ancient sculptures and
paintings still can remained intact after a few centuries. These exhibitions
exposed me to more China history. There was one which showed how the coins in
the past was made. I concluded that the people in the past were skilful as they
can made many things with limited resources.
Leaving Shanghai Museum, we went to Shikumen (石库门). Shikumen
was another preserve place like 朱家角古镇. In Shikumen, there were many
old buildings but there are no stores for selling. It is plainly to show the
living conditions of past people. The houses cannot be found in urbanised
cities like Singapore. The tour guide told us that the people in the olden days
were closer to each other. They would lend one another helping hand when anyone
in the community needed help. I felt that we were more and more separated as
just last night, some of us were using phone when eating dinner.
Following that, we visited the Museum of the First National
Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (中共一大会址). We learnt
about the revolutions that happened in China. These were inside our Year 2
History course book. Besides 1911 Revolution, we were also made known to 1949
Revolution when the Communist party fought with the Kuomingtang for China. I feel
that this information was very useful as we could understand what our history
teacher was teaching about 1949 Revolution when we returned school.
Lastly, we walked to Xintiandi (新天地). Compared
to Shikumen, Xintiandi was far more modernised. There were cafés along the
street but not many people were there. The place was tranquil and gave the customers
there a good environment. Although the prices there were quite high, some of us
bought books.
Cost of living in Singapore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr5IDQZw1as
The above link is the video of a news
reporting about Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranking. It is carried out
annually to give an indication of the relative differences in the cost of
living I global cities for expatriates or business travellers. EIU helps to
reflect the lifestyle of expatriates. Throughout the years, Singapore has been
increasing its rank. This year, Singapore surprisingly emerges as the most
expensive city in the world.
The EIU ranking (starting from the most
expensive country):
1)
Singapore
2)
Paris
3)
Oslo
4)
Zurich
5)
Sydney
6)
Tokyo
This investigation uses international
school fee, the best seats at the theatre, fine dining at top restaurants and
luxury items. It does not include public housing and transport. Singapore is
reported as the most expensive city in the world because of two reasons. First,
Singapore has a strong currency. For example, a brand new Toyota cost
US$110,000 in Singapore but only US$35,000 in Malaysia. Second, inflation
exists in Singapore. I think that this survey is not reliable. This survey is
based on the money foreigners spend in Singapore as locals are not taken in
account. We should comprise the local’s standard of living as well. I think
that Singapore is not the most expensive city in the world because the local’s
cost of living is not added in the research.
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Can we use the Merlion as our national icon?
CID Lesson (10 April 2015)
Sang Nila Utama was the prince of
Palembang. He wanted to find a suitable place for a new city. He set sail in a
number of ships. When his ships were out on the sea, a storm occurred and the
ship began to take in water. To prevent it from sinking, Sang Nila Utama threw
his crown into the sea as a gift to it. The storm eventually died down and he
reached Temasek safely. He saw a strange animal with an orange body, running in
high speed. This animal was a lion. He decided to build his new city in Temasek
and renamed this city Singapura. ‘Singa’ is a Malay word for lion and ‘pura’ is
a Sanskrit word for town. Thus, ‘Singapura’ means lion city.
I think that there is a need to have a
national icon because it gives us an identity. A national icon is like our
identity card. It serves as an identity of a country, in this case Singapore. The
national icon represents a country in many aspects. When tourists saw it, they
will need to understand the story behind this icon before knowing the country. This
will normally leave a deep impression for the tourists because this is their
first impression of the country. I think that this can all be done if we make
the Merlion as our icon. The Merlion reflects the story of Sang Nila Utama. This
shows the history of Singapore’s name in a legendary way. This will be unique
in the tourists’ eyes as Singapore uses a fabricated animal as our national
icon. The story behind the Merlion is also a myth which may not be real. The tourists
will be attracted by the contrast in our national icon to other countries’
icons such as monuments. They may come to Singapore specially for a photo
taking with the Merlion.
Other icons like the Changi Airport or
Vanda Miss Joaquim are suitable to be the national icon but none of them is as
distinctive as the Merlion. As you see the outlook of the Merlion, it is not
difficult to discover it is a creature with a lion head and a fish’s body. The Merlion
in Merlion Park can even spray water from the mouth. In my point of view as a tourist,
I am intrigued by the peculiar appearance of this animal. I will be interested
to find out the background of this creature. This will guide the tourist to know
the story of Sang Nila Utama which understands Singapore better. Although the
story is not true, it reflects the other side of Singapore of extraordinary. People
will also change their perspective of Merlion to a significant creature as it
reveals Singapore’s uniqueness. Actually, the Merlion has been our national
icon. I hope that my points in this reflection enhance the importance of the
Merlion.
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Remembering Mr Lee Kuan Yew
CID Lesson (27 March 2015)
With what you have learnt about golden age of Tang Dynasty, reflect on the things you have learnt about Mr Lee Kuan Yew and how Singapore can be seen to be at its own version of the "Golden Age".
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore had passed away on 23 March 2015, at 3:18 am. We felt sorrow upon hearing the news when I woke up on that day. He is one of our forefathers in Singapore. For one week, the Singapore flag is half-raised as a respect to him for his contributions to Singapore. For one week, citizens in Singapore mourn for his death. Fifty years ago, he cried for Singapore in a speech regarding about merger with Malaysia. Fifty years later, Singaporeans sobbed for him. During this week , many videos of him were put up in all approaches to the media. It is not until I have watched and listened to all the videos of Mr Lee Kuan Yew that I realised how much he had done for Singapore. One of the most important contributions is the promotion of greenery. Mr Lee Kuan Yew has personally planted many tree before. Without him, Singapore would not have won the reputation of 'a green city'. Besides this, he advocated the speaking of both English and Chinese. He does not encouraged Singaporeans communicating in dialects and recommended us to express ourselves in Mandarin. Nowadays, with a bilingual condition, Singaporeans are easier to find for jobs not only in Singapore but the whole world. This shows that he had high insight for the future. Although he had passed away, his spirits were never forgettable. The path to the success of Singapore was not easy. It was filled with difficulties for him to overcome. He had went through hardship in his life, for example the collapse of Hotel New World in 1986. Though his life was hard, he persevered and gone through the hard times with a never-dying heart. Under Mr Lee's guidance, Singapore is transformed from a Third World country to a First World country within a decade. I have learnt from him his strong-will and his patriotism to Singapore. He once said, "I have no regrets. I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There's nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got?. A successful Singapore. What have I given up? My life." Today, Singapore was not short of anything. We have a vibrant economy, sound education system and excellent infrastructure, housing and environment. I believe that Singapore will continue to improve herself as Singaporeans will learn from his spirits and work hard for the better of Singapore.
Now the question is how Singapore can be seen to be at its own version of the "Golden Age"? In my opinion, Singapore is experiencing its own version of "Golden Age". Singapore has a stable economy which provides job for almost everybody. The employment rate in Singapore is high. People do not have to worry about being jobless. The children in Singapore are also required to study. A compulsory education will assure the child for a job when he grows up. Singapore is also known as a "garden city". When you alight in the Changi Airport, the first thing you see outside will be trees alongside the roads. This means that Singapore has a good environment. We also have a strong military that we do not have to doubt about the defense of Singapore. We have sufficient supply of water and food. Even though Singapore consists of many different ethnics of people, there is no riots here. It is surprising that we can maintain peace and harmony. It is also very safe here under law and order. From these points, I can conclude that Singapore is a modernised urban country. Hence, my conclusion is Singapore is in its "golden age" because there is many evidences above which can prove this.
Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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Reflection on CID Presentation
CID Lesson (13 March 2015)
This is the picture I choose for my CID Presentation.
I choose this picture because I think it can best represent Singapore. This
image shows that Singapore is a multicultural and well-developed country. The
first three places are where the three main ethnic groups lived in the olden
days of Singapore. We celebrate racial harmony day to celebrate Singapore as a
harmonious country with a rich diversity of cultures and heritage. Although we
are different races, we are all from Singapore. The last place is Marina Bay.
Marina bay is located in the Central Business Districts (CBD). Singapore has a
stable economy because of many companies set up there. Therefore, this picture
shows Singapore from two aspects, a multicultural country and an increasing
economy which makes Singaporeans special.
Below are my strengths and areas for improvements for this
presentation.
Strengths:
Well-developed
content
v Relevance
between my content and picture
v Express
my point clearly
Areas for improvements:
v More eye
contact with the audience by not referring to the script to often
v Speak louder
when delivering my speech
v Time management
can be better
Generally, I guess everyone had put in a lot of effort in crafting the speech that they feel they can substantiate their ideas easily. I think that they had successfully carried out their opinion of what make Singapore special. We can explain to China friends very well now on what makes Singapore special. Some students even spent time drawing the picture that can represent Singapore. It is very hardworking of them to draw on their own. However, I think that the class can improve on their eye contact with the audience by memorising the script. In overall, everyone has done well! :)
Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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Ying Jia
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Lifestyle in Singapore and its impact
CID Lesson (17 February 2015)
In this
lesson, every group were required to bring two receipts from any department
store in Singapore and used them to calculate the cost of living per person in Singapore.
We had a sum of about $10 per day. I think that our group had the average
amount because other group has as low as $7 and as high as $15.
In
my opinion, although the living standard of Singapore is high, the
food sell in hawker centre and the public transport fee are affordable. For example,
a plate of chicken rice is between $3 and $3.50. The fee of a public bus is 55
cents. These payments are actually reasonable for a middle-income family. The high
prices are mostly seen in Central Business District.
Individually,
I spend around $1 on transport fees as I board both MRT and public bus. For food
and beverage, I spend around $4 each day, which is two-thirds of my pocket
money. I will try to save up money every day. Besides daily expenditure, I (my
parent’s money) pay money for tuition fees too.
I
feel that Singaporeans are leading a comfort life although the cost of living
is high. Singaporeans have a choice on luxury stuffs or simplicity. Lastly, I am
looking forward to the OELP trip to Shanghai so that I can compare the
differences between the lifestyles in Shanghai and Singapore.
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China's economy
CID Lesson (6 February 2015)
I think that as China opened up their country to international trade, China's economy went to a growth. When China opened up their country, more countries are able to buy China's goods. China can also sell more goods to other countries. Due to this reason, the economy in China starts to increase. China also joined World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 December 2001. WTO deals with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. China now ranks 2nd in the world in terms of nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP is one of the primary indicators used to gauge the health of a country's economy. Getting 2nd in nominal GDP shows that China's economy is increasing. There are higher profits for companies in China which means higher stock prices.
Singapore may benefit from China's economy because Singapore has a good relationship with China. As an international country, Singapore can trade more with China's goods and earn more profit. However, Singaporeans may choose to buy from China companies which are set up in Singapore because of their cheaper products. This may cause the economy in Singapore to decrease.
Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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The birth rate of Singapore has been declining tremendously in these few years. Thus, population growth leads to a decline. This will result in aging population. As the population of Singapore starts to decrease, the taxes, including Goods and Services Taxes (GST), may increase to remain the high economy of Singapore. The cost of living in Singapore will therefore increase. The higher cost of living may cause people to want even fewer children to be able to support the family. Due to the rise in taxes, the working population will suffer higher burden and receive more stress. When the working population experiences greater stress, their health will be affected.
To prepare for the dwindling and aging population, Singapore can improve the facilities and health care services in the neighbourhood. For example, structures such as ramps, lifts at every level, non-slip surfaces and hand railing can be built in more mature HDB estates can be built to allow the elderly to move about more easily and so remain independent. Besides that, employers could also encourage retraining and learning of new skills among older workers so they remain employable to overcome labour shortage problem in Singapore.
Singapore may benefit from China's economy because Singapore has a good relationship with China. As an international country, Singapore can trade more with China's goods and earn more profit. However, Singaporeans may choose to buy from China companies which are set up in Singapore because of their cheaper products. This may cause the economy in Singapore to decrease.
Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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CID Lesson (30 January 2015)
A picture paints a thousand words part 2
This lesson, we were instructed to
memorise the above picture as detailed as we could in one minute. After the one
minute, the picture was taken away and we had to draw as a group what we could
remember in a new piece of paper. My group did not manage to draw out
everything that we saw. My group divided the photo into layers and two persons
were responsible for each part. Although we planned out well, we could only
recall the obvious portion of the picture.
From this activity, I have learnt that
proper observation, effective communication and teamwork are important. I think
that my group succeed in communicating effectively but we have poor observation
skills. Proper observation helps us to remember things in details. Our mission
fails because we were not attentive enough. If all of us pay close attention to
the details, we will be able to remember them easily. This will lead us in
drawing the whole picture. Besides proper observation, effective communication
is another essential factor. It allows us to convey our message well. My group
is able to illustrate some sections correctly as we discussed who are
memorising which segments.
I can apply the observation skills I
learnt today when I am in Shanghai. I can observe the surroundings carefully.
This improves my understanding to their cultures and lifestyles. If I can
master this skills, the OELP trip will be a meaningful one.
Predict the future scenario of Singapore given the dwindling population growth. Reflect about possible situations that might happen and how Singapore can possibly prepare for that.
To prepare for the dwindling and aging population, Singapore can improve the facilities and health care services in the neighbourhood. For example, structures such as ramps, lifts at every level, non-slip surfaces and hand railing can be built in more mature HDB estates can be built to allow the elderly to move about more easily and so remain independent. Besides that, employers could also encourage retraining and learning of new skills among older workers so they remain employable to overcome labour shortage problem in Singapore.
Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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Ying Jia
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Is there poverty in Singapore? (A picture paints a thousand words)
CID Lesson (23 January 2015)
Without any research, I personally think that there is no poverty in Singapore because I think that the basic needs of all Singaporeans are being met by Singapore government. However, after checking the dictionary on the meaning of poverty, I changed my point of view. Poverty refers a person having little or no money, in short means poor. Since poverty refers to a person being poor, I can predict that there is poverty in Singapore. Singaporeans may have no problem in filling their stomachs but they can be poor. I think that Singapore government is putting effort in solving the problem of poverty. They will make sure everyone's needs are being met before solving the problem of poverty. Based on my prior knowledge, I know that the Singapore government has a financial assistance scheme. This is created specially for the poverty. Hence, I can conclude that the government is controlling the number of people who are in poverty in Singapore. If the government is limiting the people in poverty, Singapore should have a lesser number than other countries.
After stating my opinion about poverty in Singapore, I do some research about it. In 2002, there were 16% of Singaporeans earning below $1000 monthly. From 2002 to 2011, the porverty rate increased by 1 percentage point, on average each year. In 2011, 26% of Singaporeans experienced poverty. In 2011, the people lived in poverty had earned below $1500. Forwarding to 2013, the percentage of Singaporeans in poverty increased to 28%. After getting the numbers right, I found an example of a family in poverty.
Nurhaida Binte Jantan is a 29-year-old unemployed single mother with six children from five to 13 years old. She lives in a tiny flat, just 30 square metres, with little furnishing.The children share the single bedroom - their only bedding is mattresses and thick blankets. Nurhaida sleeps on the sofa in the living room.
She receives weekly groceries from charities, as well as about S$600 ($474, £262) a month in government aid and money from a boyfriend. But she admits that it is difficult to make ends meet. She has not been able to afford asthma medicine for her second daughter for months."No one can afford to get sick in this house because our finances are too tight. It's quite tough and a struggle for me to be raising them up," she said. "I have to look after this house 24/7… so for me if I were to find a job, it would have to be a night job, so that once they are in bed, I can go out and the older kids can watch the young ones."
To be frank, I do not understand the feelings of the underprivileged because I have never experienced any financial problem in my life. While searching the answer for this question, I have a deeper understanding of the underprivileged. I am more grateful for the things I have and not take them for granted.
Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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My End-of-Year Holidays
This post is about what I do during the holidays. I did a series of fun, exciting and interesting events over the holidays.
I started my holiday with a trip to Japan. The trip lasted for one week. My family and I did not go with the tour. This trip was planned by us. Hence, our transport for the whole journey was train. Japan is similar to Singapore as it also has a convenient train system. After being there for a few days, I could basically traveled around Tokyo myselfWe started off at the Fuji Mountain. The temperature there was as low as eight degree Celsius. It is the lowest temperature that I ever experienced. Although I wore two shirts and one jacket, I still felt cold. We took the bus that brought us around the town beside Mount Fuji. However, when we arrived at a sight where we could see the mountain, clouds and poor visibility blocked the view of Mount Fuji. The greatest pity of the whole journey is that we were not able to see Mount Fuji.
I had finished describing my vacation to Japan. It was a splendid trip for me!
Bye ~~~ XOXO
Ying Jia
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