42 days in Wuhan

Day 41 (12-4-2009) - the Delayed final entry

2009-04-20T21:31:00.002+08:00

Day 41 (12-4-2009) - the Delayed final entry

Day 41; the last day in Wuhan. I realised that I miscalculated the number of days I was going to stay in Wuhan. The name of this blog should really be “41daysinwuhan” rather than 42.

As with any kind of goodbye or farewell, there is always a mixed feeling in the air. Part of you wants to stay; part of you wants to move on to experience what is ahead.

Wuhan has been a great home for me. I will always remember the friendly smiles that people would give us as we walk by, the giggles when we struggle to understand certain things, the help given when we were helpless.

But at the same time, there are also reasons for me to be getting home. I miss my family and friends. I’ve been longing for just a taste of Singapore cuisine. At times when it was cold, I dreamt of Singapore’s hot weather in my sleep. After 6 weeks, I just need the comforts of home once again. Still, something tells me that after some time, I’d be longing to go back to Wuhan, for countless reasons.

For now, it would be fair to say that I’m glad to be back. On the plane, when we were just reaching homeland, I experienced how beautiful the night lights of Singapore are when viewed from above. How bright and shiny the tiny island is, distinguishes it prominently from its surroundings. There was a loud cheer of jubilation when the wheels of the plane touched Singapore soil. We were home.

Everyone had their families and friends to pick them up at the airport, while I had requested my parents to stay home and allow me to get home myself, just for that sense of independence. It was one of the reasons why I went to Wuhan in the first place; to be independent.

In that quiet taxi ride home, the only thing accompanying me other than the driver was the song “Where I Belong” by Tanya Chua, played on my MP3 player. The lyrics never felt truer.

I think all these go on to say that as much as I love Wuhan, I still love Singapore most.

I gave both my parents a hug the moment I saw them. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever done something like that. After giving them the gifts I bought, unpacking my luggage, I did some catching up with the world through the internet, and now here I am typing this final post to be entered in the blog that has been telling the story of my life for the past 41 days.

A life well lived, with lessons learnt, memories to be kept.

Until next time, goodbye!

PS: I will miss you, Wuhan

2009-04-14T01:20:00.002+08:00

Day 40 (11-4-2009) - More than words

As the days come and go, you might have realized that my journal entries get shorter and shorter. It’s not so much because I’ve written too much in the early days that I have almost nothing to talk about now. Neither is it because there is nothing much happening in Wuhan.

There have been so many things happening here that I just find it difficult to put them into words. To put it simply, you’ll have to experience living in a foreign land for an extended period for yourself to understand my feelings right now.

I would like to apologize to the reader if the information I have put up on this blog is insufficient.J

However so, I feel that this blog has served its purpose, save for the upcoming last entry.

2009-04-14T01:20:00.001+08:00

Day 39 (10-4-2009) - Closing Ceremony

All the money I’ve been saving for the past 6 weeks, eating only a bowl of rice and an egg every meal, occasionally skipping breakfast, being left out from the restaurant and steamboat dinners, have all been spent today. Let’s marvel at the way things need time to be built, but just an instant to disappear or be destroyed.

I’ve only got 2 more days here, so by right, I don’t have to change any more money. However there are still some things that I have not bought. We’ll see how things go.

All in all, after the closing ceremony lunch during which we received our course completion certificates, the whole of today was spent on the last minute shopping that we have all intended to do all this while. I’m rather satisfied with what I have gotten for myself and my friends and family so far but there’s still work to be done and I hope tomorrow will be enough.

Looking at the certificate once more, which proudly showcases the Overseas Immersion Programme that I have completed, I can’t help but feel satisfied with what I have learned here so far. But let’s leave all those for the conclusion of this journal.

2009-04-14T01:19:00.003+08:00

Day 38 (9-4-2009) - City of Hankou

There is some sense of liberation in the air today as we finally completed Quiz 5, the last quiz. There’s also a feeling that everyone will pass it easily.

After Quiz 5 we went to visit one of the other 2 cities in Wuhan, Hankou. Just so you may know, the one I’ve been living in is Wuchang, the so called cultural city. Hanyang is the industrial city, and Hankou is the commercial city. True enough, Hankou is a very modern and urban place. The place we went to reminded me a little bit of Singapore’s Boat Quay, without the river. Its buildings are more modern, but it also has preserved some buildings which are stated to be “heritage architecture”.

Surprisingly, the things there are also very cheap, so shopping was a blast for everyone. So after much shopping, we visited the Hankou river beach.

I could not believe how beautiful this place was; a beach by the river, connected to a park, and shopping malls. It was just too bad we could not spend more time over there. We could have had a picnic, fly some kites; play with the sands, but there was just not enough time, also reminding me of how soon it is until our stay here ends.

Hankou has some buildings which have become important monuments.

The look on the shopping streets.

At first look, a corner or backalley like this is something you would want to avoid. But it is exactly places like these where you can get those mythical (imitation) goods for very good prices.

Bargaining is a common activity.
The most outrageous thing that happened was that we managed to make the owner offer us a watch for 40 yuan, when the starting price was 400 yuan.

Take it to the streets..

Needless to say, we shopped alot.

Took some photos, and then it's back to our dorms.

2009-04-09T22:35:00.002+08:00

Day 37 (8-4-2009) - Paper Cutting

As the day that we finally get home draws near, the weather gets hotter and hotter. Today was the first time in Wuchang that I perspired while walking at a normal speed. It seems as though Wuhan’s spring has only lasted 5 weeks, and it has turned to summer already.

Meanwhile, on our side of the story, we started the day off with Chinese Paper Cutting, which was rather fun. The point of it all was to cut out Chinese characters from pieces of paper and the one that we were all thought how to do was the word “happiness”. You can do all sorts of characters but I reckon that they have to be symmetrical, and your art and craft skills have to be better than mine.

So after that we had another industrial visit. This time, we visited an online education company. A brief question and answer session was all that was needed to cap off the whole trip. Once again, I feel we should have visited an industry more closely related to our course.

Day 36 - Preferences

2009-04-08T12:14:00.002+08:00

Day 36 (7-4-2009) - Preferences

Today was just another normal day as far as I’m concerned; Maths in the morning to noon, and free time from then onwards.

It seemed especially normal to me since I did not go out for a steamboat dinner with the rest, for 2 reasons. Firstly, I do not have the amount of money left to be spending on expensive meals (they said it turned out to be 25 bucks). Secondly, my favourite show was airing at 9pm on Discovery Channel. This would be my last time watching it so I did not want to miss it. (The rest would only come back at 2am, much to my surprise).

Actually there was one more reason; I had something better to do.

Well, enough of that; I kind of don’t feel good right now since I just sat through 2 hours of mild horror, as Manchester United drew 2 – 2 with FC Porto. Their performance was just mediocre and I fear that their loss of form will affect them all the way until the end of the season. Right now, I’m just hoping for the best (and cursing the last goal that Porto scored).

Day 35 - Great weather

2009-04-06T23:55:00.000+08:00

Day 35 (6-4-2009) - Great weather

Enter the last week of our stay here in China.

It seems as if every time we come back from a trip, the weather here in Wuhan changes. Thankfully, this time, it’s for the better. From weather that always rained down on us and made us feel cold, today’s weather is actually rather hot. I must say, being in hot weather makes me feel like I’m at home.

But I’m also aware that it’s raining a lot in Singapore these days (at least in certain parts). Flash floods in Chai Chee and mini “twisters” in Tampines; Singapore seems to be experiencing some rough weather.

We took advantage of the great weather today to walk around and do some shopping.

In other news, I am very satisfied with the 85 marks I got for the Common Test. But immediately after that, I had no idea on how to do Quiz 4. Looks like I’m going to have to work extra hard for Quiz 5. (Which is unlikely to happen).

I took some time out to walk around campus alone in the evening. I think Huazhong Normal University is a great place to live in, for reasons that can’t be put to words.

Day 34 - Lu Mountain

2009-04-06T20:12:00.002+08:00

Day 34 (5-4-2009) - Lu Mountain

Today is the day we “conquer” the Lu Mountain, otherwise known as Lu San. I seriously thought that we would be trekking for the most part of our way to the top, but what happened was we only had to walk a short distance, and then take the cable car all the way to one of the highest points of the mountain.

Since many of the days leading up to today were rainy, I was slightly concerned about the idea of taking a cable car up the mountain, when the suggestion was first mentioned. The weather had been so pathetic, that it seemed like a miracle that the sun was actually up and shining. Today’s weather was wonderful.

I’m not a person who is that afraid of heights. But when I was in the middle of the cable car ride up the mountain, I must admit, I was rather nervous; nervous enough to be gripping my seat as tightly as I can and looking down on the floor of the cable car.

It is in many ways different from the cable car I’ve ridden in Singapore. In Singapore, the height at which the cable cars hang at is no higher than Mt Faber, which is actually a hill. This one here is a genuine mountain. As it gets higher, it also gets windier and the car rocked. I did not like that part. And well, in Singapore, the cars are fully enclosed. Here, the cable car does not have window panes so it has an open air feel to the ride. In some ways it made the ride that much exciting. In others, it made it almost unbearable.

I had to give myself some time before I could sit properly, and fully enjoy the scenery displayed all around us from such a massive height.

The best thing that happened today was probably halfway through our ride to the top, when a certain song played on the loudspeaker radio. It was “Take Me To Your Heart”, the exact song we practiced and performed for Cultural Exchange Night, just a few days ago. I think this song has become some sort of a theme song for our trip and hearing it during the ride certainly helped calm me down and made the ride much more meaningful. I sang (screamed) along to it and I’m sure I was not the only one doing so.

Visiting Lu San (along with the Three Gorges) has provided us with a firsthand view of the natural beauty that China has. From gorges and cliffs to mountains and waterfalls, I have experienced much more than what I had expected, and much more than what I would have, if I had stayed at home.

start of the trail

cable car!!

streams

that lead to waterfalls...

end of the ride...

and end of the journey.

Day 33 - Hot Spring

2009-04-06T19:59:00.003+08:00

Day 33 (4-4-2009) - Hot Spring

Today I had one of the most relaxing days of my life, simply because we visited the hot spring.

Our impression of the hot spring was a natural one, among rocks and boulders, like what you always see on “Japan Hour”. After all, we were on the way to the Lu Mountain. Who would have known it would be a high class one, with VIP-style service all the way. I have never felt as important as a guest as I did just now, at the hot spring.

The place comprised of not one, but many mini hot springs, and you have the luxury of dipping into each and every one of them. There were so many types of hot spring that I forgot what were the names of the ones that I tried but one, which was Aloe. Aloe or not, all of them helped us relax and refresh.

Even better were the Jacuzzis which provided many ways for the water current to “massage” your body. Despite the wonderful hot springs, Jacuzzis, slides and saunas that we tried, the thing most worthy of mention was probably the service that they provided us.

I can’t help but emphasize this simply because it was the best kind of treatment I have ever received in my life. Since it was drizzling, they escorted us under an umbrella whenever possible. They also led us the way to where we wanted to go despite the distance between the two points. When you take off your slippers and enter the water, they rearrange it for you in a manner just so it will be more convenient for you to wear them back, after you are done. They provide you with a brand new towel when they see that you are not walking around with one. And needless to say, they did everything with a sincere smile.

So after all the VIP treatment that we got, we were keen to know what was in store for us next. We were sent to the hotel that we would be spending a night in. It might be because my standards are low, but the room I stayed in on this night was once more, the best in my whole life. It must be twice as big as the room I live in, at Wuhan. The toilet is clean and stylish, the bed is big, and I’ve got a Las Vegas look outside my window.

I can get used to this.

waiting for our locker keys at the hot springs

my keys bear resemblance to my name

enjoying awhile at the lounge after 1 and a half hours of hot spring-ing

like i said, i can get used to this

Day 32 - Industrial Visit

2009-04-03T23:54:00.002+08:00

Day 32 (3-4-2009) - Industrial Visit

We didn’t really have a good start to today. Out of 23 students, only 11 of us were able to make it to the early morning lesson on the Chinese Political System. I found this kind of annoying since we come here to learn more about China, yet some of us don’t seem enthusiastic at all when it comes to these lessons. How can a person ever be more enthusiastic about Math lessons than anything else??

Luckily the young teacher understood the fact that we had a late night and all of us were very tired.

I think the industrial visit today was okay. Seeing how 3D images, CGI and animated films are made was kind of interesting. I just don’t think that the industrial visit nailed us since animation isn't really our ideal cup of tea. I think that we should have also visited an industry more related to our course. What’s more, the visit was so short and I barely learned anything. But I appreciate them allowing is to step into their offices and work areas just to have a preview of how animated films come to life.

Day 31 (2-4-2009) - Cultural Exchange Night

2009-04-02T23:35:00.000+08:00

Day 31 (2-4-2009) - Cultural Exchange Night

Tonight proved to be another memorable night. For all the last minute preparation that we had, I did not expect our performances to be so successful for the Cultural Exchange Night.

But still, we did not have a good start. I, who was supposed to sing certain verses of the Take Me To Your Heart song on my own, had to deal with a faulty microphone. So at that point of time, I was a little bit stunned and clueless as to what I should do. In the end both Fareez and I had to share the same mic to sing the song. I appreciate the audience for waving along to my singing as it certainly made me feel comfortable, considering what I was experiencing. (Also considering just now was the first ever time I sang in front of an audience).

I would like to thank everybody else who performed a song after that, and made me look like an idiot because their mics worked on all occasions, and they all sang better than me. Just kidding.

The real deal was the skit that we performed. I don’t really favour performing for skits as I feel that they need a lot of time to perfect and we only had one night. Surprisingly, our acting was acceptable, and our jokes were on target. I got the feeling that the Chinese locals half of the audience enjoyed learning more about Singapore lifestyle through the skit, and the Ngee Ann Poly Chinese Studies students, well they just enjoyed laughing at the funny ways we all live.

There is no doubt I enjoyed myself tonight, adding on to the fact that I also met certain new people. As for now, I’m headed for bed since its going to be a long and tiring day tomorrow.

Day 30 - VISA

2009-04-01T20:58:00.002+08:00

Day 30 (1-4-2009) - VISA

Today I received a call saying that my Visa application which was previously accepted is now overturned due to a fault in filling up my name. I must now stay in China for an indefinite amount of time until the Visa thing is settled.

Nah just kidding. Happy April Fool’s day!

It’s such a shame that on this year’s April Fool’s day, WE have to go through our Common Test. So the days leading up to this day was spent on revision so nobody really had the time to plan any pranks. HOWEVER, Amanda and Agnes did pull off a prank on Fareez and I must say, I am impressed with how real the acting was. I NEVER could have seen it coming. I just feel lucky I was not pranked. But I think EVERYONE was fooled by the act the girls put up. Great job!

Everyone is occupied with preparation for tomorrow’s student exchange programme. We will have to give 2 performances which is decided to be a skit, and a song. I hate last minute preparation. We only have today and tomorrow to practice so I’m not quite sure how things will turn out but as usual, we hope for the best. I’ll definitely put more effort in this than what I did for Common Test though.

Hope tomorrow turns out to be yet another night to remember!

Day 29 - Pre Common Test

2009-04-01T09:46:00.000+08:00

Day 29 (31-3-2009) - Pre Common Test

Much of today was spent on preparing myself for tomorrow’s Common Test. To say the truth, it doesn’t feel as if I’m facing a Common test paper tomorrow. Usually you’d feel nervous and tense that you’re going to fight for that 20% for 1 and a half hours. But right now, everyone is relaxed but nevertheless still rather worried about how it’s going to be.

We only get to practice with one past year paper; definitely not enough. What’s more these past 4 weeks have passed by so fast that I just can’t believe we have finished covering that much of the EM3A module. Whatever it is, I’m definitely going to be one of those who are going to struggle during tomorrow’s paper. Then again, it might only be me. I admire the rest of us here who do their work diligently, grasping the integration topics so fast (and leaving me behind). Just kidding.

I’ll do my best, as I would always do, even though my preparation is never a “best effort”.

Day 28 (30-3-2009) - 2nd Last Week

2009-03-31T08:43:00.000+08:00

Day 28 (30-3-2009) - 2nd Last Week

Enter the 2^nd last week of OIP. Pretty much the normal routine today. Event most worthy of mention would probably be the dinner we had at Sichuan Restaurant. The food there is always nice and all, it’s just that it’s a little bit pricy for a person like me, trying my best to save money for all the last minute shopping.

2009-03-30T09:06:00.004+08:00

Day 27 (29-3-2009) - A change of seasons

It’s not as if today was THE day that winter suddenly changed to spring, but the atmosphere around campus today was definitely different, and that of a new season.

The past few days have been cold, windy and rainy. Today it is still slightly windy but the sun is out and there are lots more people walking around.

I also say that there’s a spring feeling because the flowers are blooming. There are even flower exhibitions around campus. Like I said, it is as if, the seasons suddenly changed overnight.

The surprising thing is that the locals are just as amused as us, when it comes to checking out the newly bloomed flowers at the gardens and parks. I managed to find the time this evening to take photos of the flowers. It’s nothing much, because only a few have started blooming, but it’s still something worth a look

2009-03-30T09:05:00.005+08:00

Day 25 (27-3-2009) - Caligraphy and Shutter

We started the day today with a short Chinese calligraphy. I bet the Chinese characters written on the black board today confused both Chinese and non-Chinese alike. Ancient Chinese characters don’t bear too much of a resemblance to their modern counterparts.

If writing Chinese characters is hard enough, then painting it is worst. Try being a Malay doing it too.

Quiz 3 today was supposed to be an easy one but somehow, everyone had different ideas on how to do some questions so we don’t really know how well we would do. But I feel that I along with everyone else will pass.

Remember the group of Chinese Studies girls that I met on Day 12, they called us and asked whether they could interview us, regarding the topic on Malay food. Being in China, I guess they could go nowhere but to us to find their answers. Truthfully speaking, I really do not know much about Malay food and dining customs but I think that we gave them good and fulfilling answers for their research.

After having dinner at a local fast food restaurant, we went back to the girls’ dorm to watch the movie, “Shutter”. Never before had I imagined myself having to or wanting to watch such a horror movie. But apparently, scaring myself seemed like a better idea than just slacking alone without anything to do.

I think I enjoyed it. I get the same feeling whenever I watch any horror movie. Watching it is enjoyable and exciting but I hate what happens after that. I’ll start imagining things and be afraid of doing the simplest tasks, such as looking at the mirror. I guess that’s just something I have to deal with sooner or later.

2009-03-30T09:05:00.004+08:00

Day 26 (28-3-2009) - Backstreet Boys

Sometimes, having lots of fun inevitably means the spending of a lot of money, because that’s what happened today. Being the “money-saver” that I am, I always kind of regret spending lots of money all in a short span of time, but I guess today was fun enough to justify itself.

I had this stomach-filling lunch that cost me 15 yuan, then went to play 7 bucks worth of pool, then walked around and finally went to a KTV, for the first time in my life. I would say that it was one heck of a time I had in there, even though the English songs were limited to those of Westlife, NSync, Backstreet Boys and others. So other than singing nostalgic boyband songs, the girls also sang Chinese songs.

So today was kind of like a having-fun-through-using-up-your –money day. I was enjoying so much that I actually missed the “Earth Hour” event that I had been anticipating all week. At 8.30pm we were supposed to turn off our lights in respect of Earth and its ailing state. Truth is, even though we were not really participating and observing the Earth Hour, we DID turn our lights off, simply because we weren’t even at our rooms. So I’m satisfied enough.

2009-03-30T09:02:00.000+08:00

Day 24 (26-3-2009) - Laplace Transformations

There was nothing much today except for the normal routine. Laplace transformation is really very difficult. Either that or I was just not listening.

On an unrelated note, the weather has taken a turn for the worst ever since we came back from our cruise. Before the cruise, I was able to wear just one layer of clothing and still feel hot. But now, the temperature is back to how it was in the early days. Worst still, it’s raining, making it inconvenient to walk around campus.

The weather has to get better before any of us can continue having more fun.

Day 23 - Sports

2009-03-26T09:00:00.001+08:00

Day 23 (25-3-2009) - Sports

A tiring day is all that I can say. Today was probably the first time I really engaged in sports, other than just the normal kickabout that we usually have.

After a considerably difficult jog to the girls’ dorm, I played a little bit of badminton (with very lousy rackets), some basketball (which I’m really not good at) and finally some soccer (which I enjoyed most). Also did some juggling with the African students who live there. The funny thing is that whenever we play sports, we end up not having to play with Chinese students, instead, with international students. Not something that I had envisioned.

I forced myself to jog back to our dorm. Running in the cold is something I’m probably not used to, so I struggled then too.

In conclusion, I did not study today at all.

Day 22 - Renewed Spirit

2009-03-24T22:09:00.000+08:00

Day 22 (24-3-2009) - Renewed Spirit

I woke up this morning with a renewed will to study, and try to secure a pass for my EM3A module. It’s just one week to the Common Test and I’m feeling the heat. Every day from now onwards must be used to study and revise EM3A. EM3A will be my life for the next 7 days. Okay. Let’s hope that all this is not just fake hype.

Had a tutorial today, ate lunch, and did some catching up with the world through the internet.

Day 21 - Dining VIP style

2009-03-24T22:07:00.002+08:00

Day 21 (23-3-2009) - Dining VIP style

At 8am, we ate breakfast, our last meal aboard the cruise. It has been a long 4 day stay on water but I would say it was time well spent.

Our lunch at a restaurant nearby the jetty was simply fabulous. 13 dishes, VIP style, and we didn’t even have to pay a single cent. All 4 days, we’ve been eating restaurant food only, albeit the restaurant food on board the cruise was not the best around. This meal in particular, is in a different league from the rest.

The dishes just kept on coming. Best thing is that only one dish was pork, unlike during all other occasions. Every dish was tasty, especially the fish, sweet sour tofu, and, well, everything else. We were so happy with the meal that we just kept on taking photos with the food.

We said our goodbyes to one of our tour guides, who would not be following us back to Wuhan. After that was the long long 5 hour bus ride back to Wuhan. Then, we said our temporary goodbyes to the other 2 tour guides who would visit us again in a few days. Such is the bond formed between us in just a few days.

So excited, that we started taking photos.

And by the way, there was still more to be served.

Day 20 - Best night yet

2009-03-24T22:06:00.002+08:00

Day 20 (22-3-2009) - Best night yet

The unique experience today was that we got off our boat to a small pontoon and then were divided into small groups. We then went on to ride small “sampans”, paddled by 4 people and steered by 1 person each. We also had a guide that would tell us more about the place we were at, The Shennong Stream.

This is a branch river of the main river, the Yangtze River. This stream in particular, is popular because of its gentle waters and even more beautiful and breathtaking scenery. And believe me, watching the many gorges, caves, hills and other rock formations up close on a sampan, gives a feeling that cannot be compared with seeing it from afar from the cruise.

We had fun singing songs, cheering on our paddles just so that we could overtake the others. I pity them for having to work so hard actually. This short little ride on a river in between the gorges, I would remember as the more prominent thing that I have done here in China.; a truly unique experience.

Other than visiting another small county, we went back to our boat and had a party, dedicated to our 3 wonderful tour guides. We were supposed to each say something in dedication to them, but because that idea could turn out to be rather plain and boring, it was decided that I, alongside Fareez (2 non-Chinese) would represent everyone, and make a heartfelt dedication to them; in Chinese (Mandarin).

I barely had 30 minutes to practice for my so called speech. It went something like this:

Wo xiang he ni men shuo shen xie xie! Ying wei ni men shi hen hao de dao you, ni men ye shi wo men de hao peng you. Wo hen kai xin ying wei ni men yon yin yu lai jie shi gei wo ting. Lai rang wo ming bai. Zu hoiu, wo men fei chang gan xie ni men! Zhu ni men shi ye shun li, xin xiang shi cheng! Xie xie!

Very simple Mandarin, I know. I did it perfectly a few times during practice, but during the real thing, I could not help but ask for help just 2 times. But I think everyone understands and know that I have put in sincere effort.

The rest of the night is history.

The Shennong Stream dat we went through with a "sampan"

Friendly waves and faces

Some island which was our last stop for the Three Gorges cruise

Day 19 - The 5 Gates

2009-03-24T22:05:00.002+08:00

Day 19 (21-3-2009) - The 5 Gates

Guess what I saw out of my room window, first thing when I woke up this morning. The answer is not as interesting as you might think it could be.

I saw the exact same thing I saw before I went to sleep. In other words, the boat had not moved a single inch the whole night. There was quite a commotion about people wanting a refund and all and we were clueless as to what was going to happen.

The situation was made clear to us during breakfast. Throughout the night, the fog was too thick to navigate through, so the captain decided that for the safety of the passengers, he should wait until the conditions are better. It was indeed, a good decision but for some, it was troublesome. I was willing to wait at all costs, just for the safety of myself and the rest. I admit I WAS a little bit nervous on my maiden cruise. Just being on water made me nervous but I did not tell anyone.

We were then given 2 choices. Plan A: We wait on the boat for an indefinite period of time until the fog clears up. It could be an hour; it could be a day, who knew? But we will still get to see the Three Gorges, the attraction that we have travelled so far to visit.

Plan B: We get off the boat, take a coach to the Three Gorges Dam (not the Three Gorges itself), and then we visit another natural attraction which is described to be as beautiful as the Three Gorges. We would also get to go home earlier and not waste any time. Moreover, 2 of the girls were getting sea sick, so getting off the boat would be a wise choice.

There was just one problem. We were not exactly at the jetty. Before it stopped for one whole night, the boat had gone a few kilometres away from the jetty. And because the captain will not be going back to the jetty, but will only go forward as planned when the fog clears up, we were unable to leave the ship. So Plan A it was.

We distracted ourselves from the inconvenience by playing card games, something we would go on to do, whenever possible. By lunch, the boat had started moving and there were no problems from then onwards.

Breathtaking is the word I would use to describe whatever I saw, on the way to the Three Gorges. I do not think I would be able to describe my feelings on this with words, so I shall not do so.

We spent a lot of time fooling around at the upper deck on the boat. It’s a nice place to be with all the scenery around you, and the cool night wind.

I had to stay awake slightly past my bedtime because I had to witness something that must not be missed: the 5 Gates of the Three Gorges Dam.

This dam (the largest in the world), other than controlling the level of water and generating massive amounts of hydroelectrical power, is used to transport boats, from a low level of river water, to a higher level, so that the boat does not have to ride upstream. Every time the boat wants to get to a higher level of water, it waits inside a huge “room” which is then filled up with water. Alongside the rising water level, the boat also rises to a specific height and then it is able to advance to the next part of the Yangtze River. This procedure repeats another 4 times.

Seeing this enormous mechanical wonder open and close its gates, it truly was a spectacle to behold.

These are the scenes when our boat is "inside" the huge dam, the water elevates, and we rise. After that the gate opens and we go through to the other side, sailing on a completely different (higher) water level.

Day 18 - Trouble trouble

2009-03-24T22:03:00.003+08:00

Day 18 (20-3-2009) - Trouble trouble

It was a very rushed morning, having to board our coach at 7.00 am in the morning. We woke up at around 5am, did some last minute preparation, kept our laptops at the girls’ dorm and we were finally ready to set off on our 3 day trip.

Long bus rides are always pleasant as far as I am concerned. Accompanied with my trusty Ipod as always, I would listen to slow and simple songs while looking on as the landscape passes me by. This I believe is my secret hobby.

As I started to doze off, from one long blink to the other, I witnessed how modern buildings turn into flower fields, then back to buildings, and then once again turn into beautiful fields of lime green. I never really went about asking what flower that was; I just know it filled my eyes, for the best part of the journey

Our first destination was the city of Jing Zhou. Jing Zhou is bordered by the exact same walls that protected it from enemies in ancient times. So just being there, allows you to relive the history and let your imagination run wild. Taking photos at a place like this is completely necessary.

After lunch, we were in for another long ride to the city of Yichang. Yichang is where we will board our cruise and leave for the Three Gorges.

What we did not expect, was that there was going to be trouble at the jetty. Apparently, there was a dispute between the tourism company for our cruise, and the government tourism body. The company said that it demanded an interest for letting everyone use the jetty which they own, while the government probably thought otherwise. We had to patiently wait for 2 hours in total. Things got mad when people started throwing fists at each other, and the situation called for the police to be there.

In Singapore, I do not think any tourism company would dare go against a government body.

At this point, we were about to go for our contingency plan; leave the jetty, go to another one and board another cruise, which is actually about half a star better than our current one. With a drizzle pouring on us and as the evening got colder, this was really not a bad change of plans.

But, it was not meant to be as not long after that, they settled the dispute and we finally boarded the cruise.

I think that the rooms are not bad at all. We have an LCD TV, 2 very comfortable beds and a seated toilet (a rarity in China). This is all that I need to survive for 3 days. I am just disappointed with the facilities that are available to us. There are only 3 things: A mah-jong room, a KTV, and a cyber cafe. It does sound okay, but, consider this: I do not play mah-jong, the KTV was fully booked for all 3 days and the cyber cafe was down.

I guess it’s all up to us to entertain ourselves during our free time. Hope this turns out to be as fun as I hope it would be.

Day 17 - Pre Cruise

2009-03-19T21:40:00.001+08:00

Day 17 (19-3-2009) - Pre-cruise

My quiz results were rather disappointing. 57 marks out of 100 is hardly comparable to the 80s and 90s that everyone else is getting. It feels a little bit pressurizing that everyone is doing so well.

The tour guide for tomorrow’s cruise came today to brief us on the safety issues aboard the boat. I’m not expecting so much of a classy cruise, rather, just a decent one, so I don’t get too disappointed when I see it.

This will be my first time being on a cruise, explaining why I’m so excited right now. What’s more, I’ve been dying to see the rural, countryside of China. Let’s hope the Three Gorges are as gorgeous as what most people say.

Have to head to bed early today. Will blog again in a few days.

In Chu culture patterns, it is common to see the Phoenix triumphing over the Tiger or the Dragon, in contrast to other places in China which puts more emphasis on the latter 2. This might suggest that the earliest people of Chu worshiped the Phoenix as a totem.

Day 16 - Quiz and night life

2009-03-19T16:51:00.001+08:00

Day 16 (18-3-2009) - Quiz and night life

Last night I studied all the way till 2am and today, during the quiz, I realised that I did not know how to do 30 marks worth of questions. What a disappointment. I guess it can only mean more studying from now on.

No studying today though, the end of a quiz must always be followed by an evening out of campus, including dinner. So today, we went back to the Southeast Gate as there is a Halal stall there. On the way, we met Mohamed, a friend we made during our earlier days.

Even though the bazaar-like atmosphere at the Southeast Gate is always bustling with activity, the streets are dirty, probably the dirtiest around. I’m surprised that a place like this would attract the most number of street food hawkers. Or maybe, it’s the huge amount of hawkers that cause the polluted streets.

As the days get hotter, we realise that the insects also start to appear; probably not the best of news, given how dirty the streets already are. One thing is for sure, we will not be returning to the Southeast Gate next week onwards, when we predict, the weather will be much hotter.

Close to 4 weeks in, and I’m still an admirer of Wuhan’s night life. Even at night, people are everywhere. Shops are still open, and there is plenty of activity. Today we explored another side of our area and found even more cheap bargains for shirts, shoes, and the usual stuff. The conditions of these places are dirtier than usual, but the goods are still attractive.

Back to the bunk, which I predict will be another late night, this time not for studying, but for fooling around.

Day 15 - Chinese Etiquette

2009-03-19T16:49:00.000+08:00

Day 15 (17-3-2009) - Chinese Etiquette

Today was pretty much the normal routine. The only difference was that our morning lesson was about Chinese Business Strategies and Social Etiquette.

Regarding this matter, the main thing you have to take note, is what Confucius said, “A man of honour insists on his principles but bears with others’.” We must be Respectful, Tolerant, Credible, Wise and Beneficial. And it’s all because of very direct and simple reasons.

People won’t insult you if you respect them.

People will support you if you are tolerant.

People will trust you if you are credible.

People will approach you if you are wise.

And people will help you if you are beneficial.

I find all these very real, and useful. Other than this we also learned Chinese salutations, customs of a visit, and dining practices. The only problem I found with these lessons was that they should have been thought to us way earlier than today. For more than 2 weeks I was clueless as to how to dine properly, greet properly or to put it straight, do anything properly. I recall the 2^nd day whereby I was seated at the same table as the dean of the school for lunch and had completely no idea what to do. I certainly wish that I did.

Day 14 - Yellow Crane Tower

2009-03-19T16:48:00.001+08:00

Day 14 (16-3-2009) - Yellow Crane Tower

Today’s weather was probably the closest to Singapore’s that I’ve ever experienced here in China. It made me feel very comfortable, naturally. First of all, the sun was up and at some point, it seemed as if it was shining down on us at full force. There’s also a different feeling to the wind. Days ago the wind always brought with it and annoying cold chill that would kill us every time. Today, it was more of a warm and nicer feeling.

The main highlight of today was our visit to the Yellow Crane Tower. Contrary to what we all thought, the tower is actually quite close to our area. I have to say, that I was a little bit disappointed when I learned that the tower was actually reconstructed a few times through history. I thought it would have been much nicer if we were visiting an untouched ancient/historical site. But I also figured an untouched ancient tower could also be the place I spend the last moments of my life in.

I think the Yellow Crane Tower and its surrounding parks are all beautiful. It’s the kind of place whereby you just can’t stop taking photos in. Most important was being at the top floor of the tower and looking down on the great scenery of the city of Wuhan, which I realise, is actually rather modern.

I got myself a pendant which has my name carved in Chinese characters. “Ah Du Ah Zhi”, or so they say. The best thing is, it seems like it has already brought me good luck. Just as we arrived back in campus, Dr Zhu told us that we might need to write our names in Chinese characters to fill up a certain form. I for one would know how to do that.

I also got a souvenir for my uncle whose family sent me to the airport the day I departed. I hope they like my taste.

Some people were complaining that the $25 we spent at a restaurant just now was not worth the food. I would somehow agree to that but only because there was no food for me that was completely Halal, except for the “pan cake” that they served last. So throughout the whole lunch, the only servings I ate, was rice, broccoli and prawn; kind of plain but I managed to fill my stomach so I’m not complaining.

Another thing that I have noticed about life in Huazhong Normal University is that the night life is really very lively. The main reason is because most students live in campus and so they are still around at night. But the more important thing, is that they take the initiative to be out at night and engage in activities, rather than just call it a day. I think that even if Singaporean students live in campus, night life would not be as entertaining as what it is here. Today I saw indoor skating, students playing table-tennis, students exercising at the gym, and much more, all at night. If they’re not doing any of this, they will be at any free room and be studying. I guess students here are very proactive.

Talk about being proactive, I think it’s really time for me to kick it up a bit and start to get out of my room more.

Day 13 - Accidents and Beyond Bugis

2009-03-19T16:47:00.001+08:00

Day 13 (15-3-2009) - Car accidents and beyond Bugis

First thing I did this morning was to play games on my laptop. Then as usual, I would go out for lunch with the others, deciding on where to go, when we’ve met in the middle of nowhere.

So today the plan was to go beyond “Bugis”. “Bugis” is the name of a shopping centre that we have nicknamed for our convenience. As of yesterday, we have not yet gone beyond this point. We explored beyond today and realised that there really was nothing much along those roads. We did find a cinema, first one ever that I’ve seen since I got here. And we also got ourselves some McDonalds Coke Float, something which is extinct in Singapore.

One thing we realised as we were window shopping among the many many shops in town is that there are no more discounts going on. Everything is returning to its original prices. Either that, or everything we saw were new arrivals. Whatever it is, I’m sure I will stay faithful to the “hidden gems” that we’ve found when I decide to do my last minute shopping.

Amanda introduced us to yet another connection of street shops. A very dandy place, considering it sells things from the range of sports equipment to musical instruments. But more importantly, the place seems like a good place to get all your souvenirs. Needless to say I will be returning to that place more times than once.

Other than all the walking around, one very significant thing happened today, when we were heading out of campus. A toddler almost got banged by a car. I was always anticipating when something like this was going to happen. It’s not that I want it to happen, but with all the carelessness going on when the Chinese drive and jaywalk, I am in fact, surprised, to see an accident like this happen 2 weeks after I got here. I’m amazed with how little accidents there can be considering their traffic. But I still believe my life span decreases when I just walk on the streets.

It is really a blessing that the toddler was never hit by the car. Instead, he just fell down on the ground, in shock. Considering the sound the car made when it skid and stopped, I would say that a fatal accident would have happened if he had not avoided the kid. The situation went back to normal after just a short commotion.

So one thing to take note, no matter what, accidents do happen, so from now onwards, be extra careful when crossing roads.

Day 12 - United vs Liverpool

2009-03-19T16:46:00.000+08:00

Day 12 (14-3-2009) - United vs Liverpool

Today in the morning, I was still resting up and making sure that I fully recover, but by afternoon, I realised that fully recovered or not, I could not afford to waste any time doing nothing in my room. Instead, I should get out there and do things.

My decision would indeed pay off. I met quite a few people today.

The first activity I was about to do was to play soccer, when I saw Ram, the person who invited me to play soccer, happily walking along with 2 Chinese students. Ram had seen the pair holding table tennis bats, and having a passing interest on table-tennis; he approached them and asked if he could join in. Apparently, the 2 are very friendly, even going on to say that they love to have foreigners here in China. Now, isn’t that delightful to hear?

I talked to one of them about many things, mainly about studies. The pair is taking a major on Political studies and will attain a master’s degree in 2 more years. We talked about how difficult it is for Chinese students like them learning how to speak English. Indeed, I had quite a tricky time understanding what he was trying to pronounce; but I made it through fine, and we had quite a free-flowing conversation. I guess it helps for both parties to want to talk. The great thing is that we exchanged numbers and they suggested that we visit their dorm and go out for dinner some day. We’ll see how things go.

I had a lot of fun playing soccer after that. I have to say, that playing soccer really gives me the feeling that I need, to feel at home. It’s quite a pity that I had imagined me having the chance to play with foreigners. Instead, all they ever care about is basketball, something I don’t really excel in. Nevertheless, nothing can stop a soccer player from enjoying his kicking of a ball.

After that, was time for dinner at the usual Halal stall. We’ve gone there so many times, I bet the owners can anticipate what we would order. But today’s dinner would have a certain spice to it, as we coincidentally met a group of Ngee Ann students (Chinese Studies) eating there too. Again, I met and exchanged numbers with others. I feel that meeting new people gives me a certain joy, especially so during this trip, as it brings more meaning to me being here. Before this, I would not even care about making new friends. Chinese Studies students have to stay here for about 4 months. I wish them luck for that.

Internet posed a problem today as we suddenly got cut off from it. Not the best time for this to happen, as Manchester United and Liverpool were going to play at 8.40pm. Times was running out, so in the end, we made a long trip to the girl’s dorm to access their internet and watch the match. I regard the trip as extremely anti-climatic as Manchester United ended up losing 4 – 1. I would not like to elaborate further.

I watched Stardust on HBO after that; a movie which I think was very disappointing. Then it was time to rest up for another free day the next day.

Day 8 - 11

2009-03-19T16:41:00.003+08:00

Day 11 (13-3-2009) - Bread and Crackers

I am feeling much better today, but I’m not taking any chances and am playing it safe as to what I eat and what I do for the next few days. I’m going to eat mainly bread and crackers and rest for the main part of the days.

I also returned to class today. EM3A lessons are going at a frighteningly fast pace. I fear for the worst as I’m not as mathematically gifted as everyone else, and have already missed out on quite a lot.

I’m hoping my condition keeps getting better.

(A little bit disappointed that the field trip today was postponed)

Day 10 (12-3-2009) - Diarrhea, still

Today, diarrhoea has rendered me unable to attend classes for the whole day. It’s a pity because there was a lesson on the Chinese Education System in the morning.

Once again, I am in my room, suffering alone. I’ve run to the toilet countless times and have almost finished up the supply of toilet rolls enough for a few weeks, all on my own. I swear diarrhoea is such a troublesome thing.

When you are feeling lonely, uncertain and uncomfortable as I am, you start to think of home, and all of its luxuries; the safe and good food, the temperature that you are accustomed to, and so much more. So far, in my stay here in Wuhan, the 2 hardest things to adapt to are food and the cold weather but nothing has disrupted my stay more than this ongoing diarrhoea.

Dr Zhu suggested that I go to the campus clinic should anything get worst. I am certainly hoping for the opposite. As for now, I searching the Internet on what to do during diarrhoea and I’ve found out lots of things. Among them are, drinking lots of water to rehydrate yourself, do not starve but instead eat frequent small quantities of bread and crackers, and always keep a check on hygiene. God bless the Internet.

Let’s hope this setback end by the weekend.

Day 9 (11-3-2009) - Diarrhea

I am currently sitting here, typing this entry, all alone without anyone of my mates around in their rooms. Everyone is out eating dinner, walking around, or namely just having fun, while I am stuck here with a really bad stomach ache.

It has not been the best of days for me. First of all I am down with diarrhoea. I’m not entirely sure what is the cause of it but it is still bugging me after 3 days. Luckily the feverish feeling I felt on Monday did not escalate to anything more troublesome. I guess I have not adapted to the food here well enough yet, even though the only thing I’ve been eating is Egg Fried Rice.

Egg Fried Rice itself, is another problem. I’ve been eating the same thing so many times, that I have suddenly lost my appetite. I skipped breakfast and only ate some street food for lunch. It tasted good though.

Moreover, today’s math quiz did not go well for me. While some people were able to finish it in an astonishing 10 minutes, I struggled to almost the end, and yet could not complete the paper. I guess that really sums up my day.

Although I had a good start here in China, things have suddenly changed for the worst, given what I have described above. But don’t get me wrong. As soon as I am feeling any better, I’ll be looking to get out of the hotel more and try to immerse deeper into this big Chinese community around me. Of course, much time will also be needed to practice my Maths.

As for now, I shall stay quiet in my room and wait for the chicken burger that Jonathan promised to buy for me.

Day 8 (10-3-2009) - Integration

As usual, I am having problems trying to grasp the Mathematical subject of Integration. I feel that the lessons are going at a very fast pace, but it has to because we have limited time to complete the module. Let’s just hope that I would be able to pass this module, even without flying colours.

Day 7 - Confucius and Pasar Malam

2009-03-19T16:40:00.001+08:00

Day 7 (9-3-2009) Confucius and Pasar Malam

Today was supposed to be the day we visit the Yellow Crane Tower. However, Ngee Ann Poly’s Deputy Principal Mr Foo visited us all the way from Singapore. So due to some changes in the schedule, the trip was postponed.

However, we did have a very interesting lesson on Confucius and Lao Tzu. I find the stories of their lives and teachings very intriguing. One thing that I never knew was that Lao Tzu was at one time, the teacher of Confucius. There are some quotes that I find very nice and relevant. For example, “Learning without thinking is vain. Thinking without learning is confused”. Isn’t that just perfectly true? And this one I’m sure most of us have heard, “What you don’t wish for yourself, do not do to others”. They call this the “Golden Rule for Global Ethic”, and I totally agree.

We also started off our learning of the EM3A module. Today was just a revision, but I can see my difficulty in integration today, a sign of worst things to come. What made matters worse was that the classroom was so cold! It was unbearable! Over in Singapore we can freely control the room temperature to our liking. Yet another thing we Singaporeans take for granted.

We brought everyone to the Southeast Gate that we explored 2 days ago. As expected, everyone loves the “pasar malam” feel of the streets. It’s always full of people and food, most of which I am unable to eat. So after eating and much joking around the streets, it was time for the usual long and lazy walk back home. But that was the time when we saw the campus bus! 1 yuan per ride was a good enough offer so for the first time ever we experienced riding a vehicle around Huazhong Normal University campus.

It was a pleasant ride home and a much better alternative than walking. Let’s just say that the simple 5 minute ride made my day.

the wonderful night life at the streets of Wuchang.

riding the mini bus that transported us back home

Day 6 - Arcade

2009-03-19T16:39:00.002+08:00

Day 6 (8-3-2009) - Arcade

Nothing much happened today because it was a “free and easy” day. All we did was more shopping.

I had a very light lunch, buying a “Singapore Style Burger”. After that we went to the arcade to hang out and wait for the other group to reach.

Somehow, the arcade has a kind of “casino” feeling. There is this game, whereby you insert a coin and you have a chance to win many more coins. In Singapore, I think arcades only have one or two of these games. But here, the arcade is full of this game and the sound of coins dropping makes it feel like a casino. What’s more, unlike in Singapore, they have lots of arcade staff walking around and making sure everything is going rite. I dun think they do their jobs very well though, because at first look, I can already spot so many people kicking and pushing the machines to force the coins to drop. I found this kind of funny.

I think everyone bought at least one item tonight. As for me, I bought an extra jacket because wearing one is not enough. And even though I already have two, the other one is just simply too thick. I want to look more casual, to be honest.

I will probably remember today as the day I felt slightly feverish and worried about getting sick. Other than that, it was just a normal day.

Day 5 - Hubei Museum Visit

2009-03-19T16:36:00.004+08:00

Day 5 (7-3-2009) - Hubei Museum Visit

In addition to what we have learned yesterday, today we visited the Hubei Province Museum and saw the actually artefacts of ancient Chinese history.

We saw lots of things such as objects from the bronze culture, the lacquer culture, the phoenix on top of a lion patterns and more. There were also lots of belts, crowns and accessories decorated with jade and other precious stones. But to me, the most fascinating object of all, were the huge bells that the ancient Chinese used. The moment I saw it, my imagination started running wild as to how in the world the Chinese used those huge bells.

I did not have to wait long to find out the answer, as soon after, we were treated with a live performance of Chinese orchestra, using ancient musical instruments, including the huge bells. Believe it or not, I am a silent fan of symphony music and one thing I love about Chinese orchestra is that it can be very soothing and very powerful.

Needless to say, I was mesmerized by the whole performance and never wanted it to end. But sadly, all good things must come to an end so after that we headed back to our coach and had a short tour around the East Lake which would turn out to be another great treat.

The lake was amazingly beautiful with its clear blue water. As the bus took us round the whole lake, at times we had the tall trees as the lake’s background, and at time we had the city skyline; all great scenery if you ask me. It was kind of disappointing to not be able to step out of the bus and experience how being at the lakeside really is.

We had free time after that and I decided to walk around town once again with Wilfred and Hao Bin. This time, we visited the electronics shopping malls. Very similar to Singapore’s Sim Lim Square if you ask me. But I think the real highlight of our little walk around time was seeing how random the Chinese people can be, on the streets.

A few days ago, we saw how they could set up basketball rings in front of shopping malls and play basketball over there. Today, we saw how they could play Chinese chess and attract large crowds of spectators around them, and also play poker cards. The things these people sell on the streets can also be random, ranging from pencil cases, to watches.

After we got back, I thought I could finally take a break from all the walking. It wasn’t meant to be though, as soon after, the guys decided to check out the place where we could use our internet. When we got there, we decided that we wouldn’t use the place for internet at all. Reasons being, it is a self study area so you must be very quiet there. Secondly, there are no power points where we can plug in and charge our laptops. Lastly, the signal is also quite weak so perhaps it’s not worth the 5 minute walk.

Since we were already outside, Dr Zhu suggested that we get our dinner. For this dinner, we went out the Southeast Gate, a first for all of us. Here I realise that the streets of Wuhan are filled with lots of food stalls shops. It is so lively at night; it feels like a “pasar malam” night every night! We found yet another Halal stall where I ate my now favourite Tan Chao Fan (Egg Fried Rice).

On impulse, after that, we bought ourselves cold milk tea. We really should have bought hot ones because just minutes after we started drinking the milk tea, we were already freezing cold. As much as I remember, it was a great uphill struggle to get back to our rooms, fighting through the cold and tired feet.

I feel that today was actually quite a tiring day given all the walking I made. But yet again, I learn more new things about Wuhan and its people.

Hubei Provincial Museum

there were many student visitors..

as you can see, i was excited from the very beginning

Johnathan likes this statue alot

I thought that these majestic bells
had a very haunting presence.

Day 4 - Chu culture

2009-03-19T16:35:00.002+08:00

Day 4 (6-3-2009) - Chu Culture

Nothing much happened today except for the lesson on culture that we had. But today also reminded me of how we take the little things in life for granted.

At first look, the major adjustment we all have to go through over here is the weather, but this itself is a force of nature which we cannot change. Other than this, we have to boil our water all the time before we drink it from the tap. We also are still struggling with life without the Internet. Without it, I realise that I am so outdated. For example, I did not even know that my favourite football team, Manchester United, played a match 2 days ago.

One more difference is that over here, we have lots of technical difficulties with computers and things like that. The absence of our wireless internet itself is one. Today I realised that back in Ngee Ann Poly, the reason why our lessons run so smoothly is because we can afford good equipment and have very skilful and efficient team of programmers and technicians who can help us with any technical problems.

Having to change classrooms due to computer faults was kind of troublesome but I shall not complain about it. After all, I feel that the lesson was well worth the long wait.

Altogether, I learned that before there was the Hubei Province, there existed a kingdom called the Chu Kingdom, during the Spring and Autumn Period, and the Warring States Period; important periods whereby slave society collapsed and feudal system was established.

Then, in 221BC, the first emperor Qin, conquered all the 7 kingdoms and therefore created China, the first centralized feudal autocratic dynasty.

However, the Chu culture of the Chu Kingdom still remains.

Things I learned about the Chu culture are the Bronze Culture, Lacquer Culture and more. I find the stories of the Mandarin duck, Qu Yuan, the Phoenix, the Nine-heads bird all fascinating and I hope to learn more about them as we visit the museum tomorrow.

All in all, today was an average day so I hope tomorrow will be much better.

Day 3 - Meeting new people

2009-03-19T16:34:00.002+08:00

Day 3 (5-3-2009) - Meeting new people

Today I believe, is the best day yet. Even though there was nothing planned today and we were all just on our own, we actually did many things.

For a day so good, it actually did not have a good start. We all woke up late and way beyond breakfast time. So when it came to meeting up for a meal, it was for lunch. Basically, we all skipped breakfast. Moreover, when we got to the campus canteen, we realised that the stalls were already closed. The decision after that was to go out to town, find your own place to eat, walk around and meet up again 2 hours later.

My group which consisted of me, Fareez, Shakir, Jonathan, Hao Bin, Yi Ren and Wilfred went to the left side of town, while Ram, Chao Liang, Edward and etc went to explore the right. First thing that caught our eye was the term “Singapore Style Burger”. We did not know that burgers from Singapore even had a specific style. One of us just had to try it and Jonathan volunteered to do so. It is a good thing that it tasted good.

Next, we explored a fancy looking shopping centre, probably similar to Orchard Road’s Heeren. Most or all outlets over there are well known or reputable brands so there was really nothing to do there, except for have our lunch at KFC.

The next shopping centre we explored would be the one that would leave a great impression on us. I would say that it is similar to Bugis Junction or Far East Plaza. With so many fashionable shops, extremely reasonable prices and a fun arcade, the place is like heaven for a typical Singaporean teen. I am so glad that the youth here in China have similar fashion and entertainment tastes as us Singaporeans. We almost got carried away by playing the arcade games, if it wasn’t for the machine breaking down and reminding us what time it was.

Now that we are done with the entertainment part of today, I shall elaborate on the meaningful part. Priceless moments and events which we never knew could happen.

Our visit to the girl’s dorm was only meant for us to play soccer outside. We never knew that we would get the chance to interact with so many people.

First of all it was Alex who played soccer with us. Alex is a Russian (who does not look Russian at all), who speaks very fluent Chinese. After having fun with him, we met Mohamed.

Mohamed is an African from the war-torn country of Somalia. Because of that, many people like him are forced to migrate to other countries. As for Mohamed, he has chosen to travel China, and is finally settling down and learning the Chinese language. He then plans to stay on and take a major on Medicine. Big plans for him! He’s an extremely nice guy and even volunteered to show us where the Muslim restaurant is, as he is also a Muslim and eats there. For me, it is a great blessing to have been able to meet him. Words cannot describe how happy I was to have been able to find this Halal stall. I’m even happier that the way we found it was by making friends with other people; one of my main objectives in this trip.

So after having my first ever official Halal meal in China, we planned to just walk back to our hostel and call it a day. However, when we were passing by the park, we saw lots of people gathered there, and conversing with one another. We then remembered that on Thursday and Friday evenings, English Speaking is conducted there. Basically everyone just hangs around and speak to whomever they want to, most importantly, in the English Language. I feel that it is a very meaningful and beneficial activity for them, as they do not get many chances in conversing and improving their English Language. We decided to join in, and talk with 3 very nice people, Frank, Saint and Aimee. They are all locals, from a neighbouring university, majoring English. I mainly talked to Saint and he shared with me some things about himself.

For example, he is majoring English, and is also taking courses on hotel and hospitality. In fact, he already has working experience in Dubai, which I feel is very impressive. Here’s the treat. Saint actually plans to go to Singapore and work soon in the future. Well, we shared with him how there are many working opportunities in Singapore for foreigners like him, how the tourism industry would be getting a boost with the Integrated Resorts, and most importantly, wish him well for his further studies. After saying our goodbyes, we finally went back to our hostels.

I really like what I have done today, interacting with people from all walks of life. Even though today was free and easy, I’m glad we took the initiative to try things.

Us and our new friend Mohamed (extreme right) outside the Halal stall he introduced to us.

Day 2 - Opening Ceremony

2009-03-19T16:28:00.002+08:00

Day 2 (4-3-2009) - Opening Ceremony and awkward dining

I woke up on day 2 feeling very cold even though I had my windbreaker on. We realized much later on that we left the window open and did not turn the air-con on properly.

We had our opening ceremony at 8.50 am so we did not have time to go anywhere for breakfast, given the time we woke up. Half of the opening ceremony was spoken in Chinese, a language that I am familiar with, but not by any means understand. Luckily, English was used later on and we were briefed roughly on what is going to happen for the next 41 days.

Campus tour was very interesting. I really love this campus as it seems to always be filled with life, even in the earliest of morning and the coldest of nights. I remember last night, when we just arrived in campus that I thought we were still on a normal street in Wuhan. I did not know that the big buildings, roads, road signs and others were all part of the campus. Right now, I still can’t believe that campus feels so unlike a school; much different from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

We went to see many places during the campus tour, but my favourite was the basketball court, where you could see many students gather to engage in physical activities, most notably Tai Chi.

We then had our lunch in a restaurant, in a hotel, in the campus. Again, I still couldn’t believe that all this was part of the campus. The lunch we had was probably my highlight of the day.

Jonathan, Shakir and I, had unknowingly put ourselves in a difficult situation. We were going to have our lunch at the same table as the 2 guests, the deans of the university. None of the 3 of us was aware of the Chinese customs and proper way of eating dinner. We did not even know what we could and could not eat! So I was very pressured and nervous throughout the dinner, constantly reminding myself not to do anything stupid. One thing I did not understand was how often u had to give a toast with someone.

We later learned that the giving toasts or saying cheers is very common in dinners between business partners, or in our case, between guests and hosts. Luckily, Shakir bravely broke the ice by giving a toast to Mr Liang, one of the deans of the school. I learned a lot from this dinner alone. I also tasted one of the signature dishes of Wuhan, “Toufu pi”, aka toufu skin (I am unsure of the spelling). I feel that Toufu will be very important during my time here as it is a Halal food, and it is quite healthy. The way it is served here in Wuhan is also very delicious.

After that it was pretty much our free time but we decided to go shopping together as a group at the supermarket nearby. There, we bought what we felt we needed. Some people bought hangars and mugs while others were more concerned about detergent and toilet rolls. I bought a fair share of stuff but I felt that nothing was as important prickly heat powder. It keeps you slightly warm, and I can substitute it with bathing if I feel that I’m just too cold to shower.

We did something very important after that, which was to get a local Sim card to call one another, and also to call our family and friends back at home. My mother was delighted to hear from me and for the 100^th time, reminded me to take care of my money and belongings properly all the time.

I had another interesting time when I was eating dinner. We had it at the same place as the previous night, and Shakir, Jonathan, Fareez and I sat at a separated table from the others, as we wanted to eat Halal food. We had much difficulty communicating with the Chinese waitresses and needed urgent help from our Chinese friends. In the end, we ordered rice, with 2 dishes of fish, 1 dish of toufu and 1 dish of corn. Once again, the toufu did not disappoint and so did the fish. Overall we had a great dinner but we were just jokingly annoyed by the fact that the waitresses stared, looked and giggled at us while we were eating. Maybe it was because of how we used our spoons and chopsticks, or maybe it’s because of how hungry we looked while we were eating. Whatever it is, I hope that we did not leave a bad impression.

We then had a brief meeting at the girl’s hostel, which I believe, is far better than ours, because they own their own bathroom, they have a personal desk and drawers, and most importantly they have Internet access. But I am not going to complain so much as my decision to come here was to put myself out of my comfort zone, and live a simple life.

After the meeting we went back to our hostel, played some cards, watched some TV and went to bed late as we knew there was going to be a free day the next day.

this photo was taken after the awkward lunch that I had. nevertheless, it was still a nice and memorable opening ceremony

Day 1 - Lots of travelling

2009-03-08T13:22:00.004+08:00

DAY 1 (3-3-2009)

Without any kind of doubt, I was always going to be the first person to arrive at Terminal 1 of Changi Airport. I arrived at the airport at around 11pm on the night of the 2^nd of March, a symbol of my family’s enthusiasm. With that, I had to wait 7 hours until the rest of the group arrived; most of the time I used to just wander around. But 7 hours passed swiftly and soon I found myself checking in. I gave a symbolic last wave to my parents, and we were already on our first few steps to China.

Much of our time spent in the airplane was used for sleeping. When we reached Guangzhou’s airport about 3 hours later, I had my first few experiences with the Chinese people. I looked around shops like Baleno, which sold 2 shirts for 8 RMB. I found a McDonalds, but to my disappointment the outlet only sold ice-cream and other simple snacks. When I was starting to get hungry, as if it knew, the 7-11 appeared in front of my eyes. But I realised still, that I did not have many choices for lunch, so I ate prawn crackers. After that, we boarded our next plane to Wuhan.

When we reached Wuhan, it was colder than I expected. I realised that borrowing a windbreaker and gloves was a wise decision. We had a minor problem at the airport as a few girls got separated from the group and went the wrong direction. I actually saw them straying away from us but did not do anything as I assumed they knew what they were doing. I regretted keeping quiet and I would look to identify any problems from here on, and help to solve them if I can.

I had a pleasant bus ride to Huazhong University. Looking at the passing scenery which slowly changed from wet rice fields to modern buildings, accompanied by the music from my Ipod, I had a great time; but I also fell asleep later on. Before I knew it, we had already reached our hostel.

My opinion on our hostels is that it is totally satisfactory. We have our basic needs like thermostat, water boiler, a comfy bed and more. However the only drawback is that we currently have no access to the Internet, whatsoever. This, I feel, is a major blow as I had previously planned on updating a blog every day, for all my friends to see in Singapore. I really hope that we can get access to the Internet soon. [oh but we have it now (: ]

The last highlight for today was probably the welcome dinner we had in a restaurant in campus. I have to say that the food was marvellous. It is just that I have to be wary of what I am eating, as some dishes contain pork which I cannot eat as a Muslim.

With that, Day 1 ended with all of us tired of travelling, and urgently needing a night’s sleep.

contrary to popular belief, other countries also have nice airports.

Geography at it's best.

Our very first meal in China.

2009-02-28T21:27:00.004+08:00

Alrite.

Apparently, as part of the China Studies module that I will be taking in conjunction with the Overseas Immersion Programme, I'm supposed to start a blog in which I will post my thoughts and reflections of whatever I will be doing at Wuhan, China. I quite like this idea because I have always believed that reflections are a great way to cap the day off.

Anyway, you must have realised that I'm using proper English, without any shortcuts or short forms. I will try my best to remain this way as this blog will contribute to whether or not I pass this IS module. So visitors of this blog, I will be adding a tagboard soon enough so please keep the language in here clean. And also, as much as possible, give me your thoughts on whatever that I have posted here.

The temperature is freezing cold there so as for now, I'm trying to get my hands on a good piece of winter jacket. I also need a phone because I cannot trust my own anymore.

(testing image sizes)

first post

2009-02-28T21:22:00.001+08:00

Departure from Singapore: 3rd March 2009
Time: 0800

Estimated Arrival at Wuhan: 3rd March 2009
Time: 1900

(I'm really just testing this Blog out)

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