Today was quite an eventful day for me. First off, this is
the first time travelling so far without my parents, let alone with friends. To
me, this trip is very meaningful as I’ll be learning a lot of new things out of
school and my home country. The fact that I’m all the way in Suzhou for this
learning journey with my friends makes it very meaningful.
Secondly, this is my first time in Suzhou and Shanghai. Since it’s my first time, I’m excited for all things to come. Lastly, I got to
taste local Suzhou cuisine. It was a blast, literally for my taste buds. Most
of the dishes here were spicy and strongly seasoned with various spices, which
is why some dishes did not suit my taste.
Overall, the first day in Suzhou was mainly spent on
transportation. From 5 hours on the plane to 2 hours on the bus, we went from
Singapore to Shanghai and finally to Suzhou. I’m expectant for newer things
I’ll experience tomorrow at Huanli Company.
Chua Xin Tian
Unlike Singapore, the weather here is very much tolerable,
not too warm and not too cold. It’s a great first experience as I was able to
escape Singapore’s excruciatingly hot weather. It’s great walking out the doors
feeling neutral, and not frustrated with the sun. I’m now just hoping that the
weather would remain tolerable for the next few days.
The second rather surprising encounter was our arrival at
the Shanghai airport. We managed to get pass the customs quickly and
efficiently, without any disruption, definitely painting a great first
impression. The last and of course the most important new experience would be
tasting the tang of independence.
This is definitely my first time travelling without the
guidance of my parents. They would be the only source I would go to when in
need of assistance. However, they are absent in this trip, and I would have to
learn how to be independent, and know how to take care of myself, my belongings
and of course, my siblings.
Ashley Wong
The first new experience I have encountered today was boarding
an airplane with friends I have known for years and friends who are very close
to me. Since it is not my first time boarding an airplane with friends of the
same school, the feeling wasn’t surprising yet it was very enjoyable. Thinking
back to the times when I went to an overseas trip to Penang with my friends in
Primary 5, it was nothing compared to this 5 hour journey with the Broadrick
ALP 2017 group.
The second new experience I have encountered today was an
extraordinary exposure to a new country which I have not visited yet - China. I
used to think that China has rundown houses but now this beautiful city changed
my view, specifically, Suzhou. It definitely is comparable to Singapore’s
careful planning and architecture, there are also “HDB Flats” all around
Shanghai. These flats are also quite colourful.
The third new experience I have encountered today was to try
out new Chinese dishes from China which were surprisingly spicy yet tasty. I
really love how they prepared the vegetable dishes and they tasted great. The
dishes are sweeter compared to the Chinese dishes in Singapore and are
definitely more spicy as mentioned by the tour guide on our way to the
restaurant. In conclusion, I have survived day 1 and enjoyed it thoroughly even
though we did not venture out much in Suzhou. I hope to further develop my
feelings and liking to this country.
Jefry Sanjaya
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