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| Street Side Stalls |
When we first arrived, it was quite a sight with so many stalls that have bright and colourful banners. There was even an amusement park at the end, which was very different from a typical Singapore street.
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| War Memorial |
At the pier, we saw this stone monument. Mr Tan told us that it was a memorial for the Korean War. It commemorates the place whereby the US turned the war around and managed to get a fighting chance. Hearing this story was quite new to me as I did not know much about Korea and did not even know there was a Korean War.
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| Very Abundant Seafood Dinner |
When we entered the restaurant to have dinner, I did not expect such an abundant spread of seafood as the restaurant was a bit run-down. The biggest surprise that day was when the employee put in a live octopus into the steamboat, which was an especially memorable experience which I do not think can be found in Singapore.
Day 2: |
| Performance by IASA students in the welcome ceremony |
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| 'Welcome bag.' |
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| Autumn leaves which cannot be found in Singapore |
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| Spectroscope |
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| Finished Lego car |
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| Box of Lego Mindstorms |
- When/where did the experience take place?
Most of today's activities were in the Incheon Academy of Science and Arts(IASA).
- What did I do? What did others do?
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| Algorithm Lesson |
We participated in a welcome ceremony held by the students in IASA. We then went on to icebreaking before moving off to research presentation done by the 2nd-grade students about their respective STEAM projects(Researching and coming up with solutions about various problems). Afterwards, we went for lunch and joined the IASA buddy's respective classes(Mine was an Earth Science lesson where we learnt wind forces and types of winds). We then went on for an algorithm class which required us to build a lego car and programme it to navigate and obstacle course. Then, we went for the lecture by Mr Tan about radio telescopes and a bit of communication science. The last activity was held by the IASA's astronomy club NOVA. We got to make our own spectroscope and use a telescope to gaze into space.
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| The Moon |
- What happened that was significant?
The last activity with NOVA as I have never used a telescope before to see such a clear image of the moon and as it was very cold and windy at night which was different than the weather in the day.
Process:
- How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively)? How did I handle my emotional reactions?
The entire experience made me feel quite surprised as I had not expected so much effort to be put into them. I am very appreciative to them for going beyond what we had anticipated.
- Do I believe I should have felt differently than I did?
No, as I do not think I would have expected such a warm welcome on the first day and would not be able to feel differently.
- What assumptions or expectations did I bring to the situation (including my assumptions about other persons involved) and how did they affect my actions?
I did not have many assumptions as Korea is a new place for me, and I do not have any experience interacting with Korean students/teachers/staff. Despite that, I feel like they have done so much more than what I had expected, which I am really grateful for.
- What personal skills did I draw on in handling this situation?
Cross-cultural understanding. During the various interactions between the IASA students and I, we talked about many things in Korea which are very different from Singapore. I also needed to learn their cultural norms and adapt to it to prevent accidentally offending people.
- What personal skills would I like to have had I order to have handled it better, and how might I develop them?
Communication. During the interaction with IASA students, including our buddy, there were numerous times whereby they needed to translate some words as they did not know what it was in English. I feel that they put in the effort to try and communicate with us, and I could perhaps learn from them and try talking to others more despite possible language barriers.
Generalise:
- How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?
The last activity with NOVA as I have never used a telescope before to see such a clear image of the moon and as it was very cold and windy at night which was different than the weather in the day.
Process:
- How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively)? How did I handle my emotional reactions?
The entire experience made me feel quite surprised as I had not expected so much effort to be put into them. I am very appreciative to them for going beyond what we had anticipated.
- Do I believe I should have felt differently than I did?
No, as I do not think I would have expected such a warm welcome on the first day and would not be able to feel differently.
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| Night view of the city |
I did not have many assumptions as Korea is a new place for me, and I do not have any experience interacting with Korean students/teachers/staff. Despite that, I feel like they have done so much more than what I had expected, which I am really grateful for.
- What personal skills did I draw on in handling this situation?
Cross-cultural understanding. During the various interactions between the IASA students and I, we talked about many things in Korea which are very different from Singapore. I also needed to learn their cultural norms and adapt to it to prevent accidentally offending people.
- What personal skills would I like to have had I order to have handled it better, and how might I develop them?
Generalise:
- How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?
Throughout the experience today, I have learnt more about the importance of gratitude and putting in effort in all that we do. Throughout the day, there were many instances where I could see the IASA students putting in a lot of effort in doing what they were doing (E.g. Their self-study session, taking care of us, their buddy) and many times that I felt really grateful for the stuff they did. Sometimes I feel undeserving as we did not put in as much effort when they came to visit us.
- Does it challenge or reinforce my prior understanding?
It reinforces my prior understanding as it adds on to my previous knowledge of the importance of gratitude and putting in effort in all that we do.
Apply:
I learned that in life, we must learn to be grateful to others and appreciate the effort they have put in. We should also put in the same amount of effort as them to show our gratitude towards them. From today, there were many instances whereby the IASA students had set up very detailed and entertaining activities which really made our experience on the trip even better. They put in a lot of focus and effort into the things they do, and I feel really grateful for that. One example could be today during the algorithm class whereby we could see the IASA students putting a lot of effort to help us and going out of their way to allow us to have a better experience, whether it was making the car or programming the code.
This learning matters because it adds a sort of human touch in the things we do. When we are helping others, we put in the effort and try our best despite whether or not we are actually able to do it. When others are helping us, we must be able to express some level of gratitude and 'repay' their help.
In light of this learning, I hope to be able to be more grateful for others and show gratitude(Actions speak louder than words). Most of the time, I can feel thankful for others, but I do not usually show that I am grateful which might end up resulting in the impression that I do not feel any gratitude at all. Thus, I hope I can express my gratitude more often to those around me.
Day 3:
Publish/Share:
- When/where did the experience take place?
It took place at the Hyundai motor studio Goyang.
- What did I do? What did others do?
We had a tour around the motor studio to learn how Hyundai's car production occurs and the various steps and components that go into making a car.
- What happened that was significant?
The most significant thing was learning about the various steps and components that go into making a car, as I previously thought it was a simple process with simple materials.
Process:
- How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively)? How did I handle my emotional reactions?
I felt quite very intrigued and surprised that such a simple thing like a car which was usually made up of the same parts would have so many complicated steps and components that are necessary to the car production.
- Do I believe I should have felt differently than I did?
No, as I would never have expected the tour around the motor studio to be so new and interesting.
- What assumptions or expectations did I bring to the situation (including my assumptions about other persons involved) and how did they affect my actions?
I brought in the assumption that cars were all made of the same material and could be easily put together but with a different design that would allow us to see a difference in the car. As a result, I went into the tour, thinking it would be boring. However, the tour was really fascinating as we went along and learnt the various steps that go into car production, from assembly and painting to safety.
- What personal skills did I draw on in handling this situation?
Growth mindset, as I really had to change my perspective towards automobiles and could not just stick to my old way of thinking.
- What personal skills would I like to have had I order to have handled it better, and how might I develop them?
Maybe perhaps curiosity as I could have asked some questions instead of just having the tour guide explain everything. By asking questions, I could have deepened my knowledge.
Generalise:
- How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?
This experience has enhanced my knowledge on a few things, one of which being that we should not judge a book by its covers and jump to conclusions that quickly. Instead, we should try to take some time to look into it and understand more to make a conclusion.
- Does it challenge or reinforce my prior understanding?
This learning matters because it allows us to dive deeper into an issue and find root causes, which is an essential skill in research. During our research projects, if we jump to conclusions about specific problems or causes, we may not actually understand what was going on in reality and continue researching with a wrong basis to start with.
In light of this learning, I hope in the future, no matter what it is, I would not jump to conclusions that quickly and take some time to check and find out what was actually going on first. It is human that we jump to certain conclusions when we witness something occur or learn about some information. Still, I hope that I will be able to not keep on to that fixed conclusion and be open to other suggestions that may be able to change my thinking.
It reinforces my prior understanding as it adds on to my previous knowledge of the importance of gratitude and putting in effort in all that we do.
Apply:
I learned that in life, we must learn to be grateful to others and appreciate the effort they have put in. We should also put in the same amount of effort as them to show our gratitude towards them. From today, there were many instances whereby the IASA students had set up very detailed and entertaining activities which really made our experience on the trip even better. They put in a lot of focus and effort into the things they do, and I feel really grateful for that. One example could be today during the algorithm class whereby we could see the IASA students putting a lot of effort to help us and going out of their way to allow us to have a better experience, whether it was making the car or programming the code.
This learning matters because it adds a sort of human touch in the things we do. When we are helping others, we put in the effort and try our best despite whether or not we are actually able to do it. When others are helping us, we must be able to express some level of gratitude and 'repay' their help.
In light of this learning, I hope to be able to be more grateful for others and show gratitude(Actions speak louder than words). Most of the time, I can feel thankful for others, but I do not usually show that I am grateful which might end up resulting in the impression that I do not feel any gratitude at all. Thus, I hope I can express my gratitude more often to those around me.
Day 3:
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| Preparation for the debate |
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| Hyundai Motor Studio Goyang showroom |
Publish/Share:
- When/where did the experience take place?
It took place at the Hyundai motor studio Goyang.
- What did I do? What did others do?
We had a tour around the motor studio to learn how Hyundai's car production occurs and the various steps and components that go into making a car.
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| Hyundai car artwork |
- What happened that was significant?
The most significant thing was learning about the various steps and components that go into making a car, as I previously thought it was a simple process with simple materials.
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| View of a part on Incheon from IFEZ building. Many empty land areas had not been developed by the government. |
- How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively)? How did I handle my emotional reactions?
I felt quite very intrigued and surprised that such a simple thing like a car which was usually made up of the same parts would have so many complicated steps and components that are necessary to the car production.
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| Traditional Korean House |
No, as I would never have expected the tour around the motor studio to be so new and interesting.
- What assumptions or expectations did I bring to the situation (including my assumptions about other persons involved) and how did they affect my actions?
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| Public bookshelf. I had never seen it before, so it is quite interesting. |
- What personal skills did I draw on in handling this situation?
Growth mindset, as I really had to change my perspective towards automobiles and could not just stick to my old way of thinking.
- What personal skills would I like to have had I order to have handled it better, and how might I develop them?
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| Lecture about Astrology(Asteroids and Meteoroid) by the first person in Korea to venture into that field of study. |
Maybe perhaps curiosity as I could have asked some questions instead of just having the tour guide explain everything. By asking questions, I could have deepened my knowledge.
Generalise:
- How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?
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| Red setting sun |
- Does it challenge or reinforce my prior understanding?
It reinforces my understanding as I had already previously learnt the importance of not judging a book by its covers, but I would not have thought that the concept of thinking applies to things like car production.
Apply:
I learned that in life, no matter how trivial an issue can be, we should never jump to conclusions. Instead, we should try to find the root causes and problems. If we jump to conclusions to quickly, we would have a biased point of view towards the issue and not take the time to investigate if there were any problems.
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| Tteokbokki |
In light of this learning, I hope in the future, no matter what it is, I would not jump to conclusions that quickly and take some time to check and find out what was actually going on first. It is human that we jump to certain conclusions when we witness something occur or learn about some information. Still, I hope that I will be able to not keep on to that fixed conclusion and be open to other suggestions that may be able to change my thinking.
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| Also a part of tteokbokki |
Day 4:
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| Biomedical Lectures |
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| Titration in the chemistry lab |
- When/where did the experience take place?
It took place during the chemistry lesson when we were learning about titration.
- What did I do? What did others do?
We were learning about how to use forward titration(which we had learnt in school) and back titration to find out the various concentrations of what we were testing.
- What happened that was significant?
The most significant part about the activity was the 'foreign' lab and having to work in a new environment. Even though the IASA chemistry lab had some similarity to the SST chemistry lab, many differences made it a bit harder for me to do the titration.
Process:
- How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively)? How did I handle my emotional reactions?
The experience at first left me a bit stressed out as I did not know what to do/what to use, and our group doing the experiment was one of the slower groups. After finishing the activity though, I felt more grateful for the SST lab, IASA's chemistry lab is more cramped as there were other tables and chairs beside the experiment tables/chairs and was less organised. There were also many things which we had to do such as grinding the pellets in a mortar and pestle which we did not usually need to do as the substrates used for testing in SST often came in the form it needed for testing. As a result, I felt that SST's lab was 'better' than IASA's lab and realised that I should not always complain about our lab.
- Do I believe I should have felt differently than I did?
Yes. I should have appreciated the SST lab from the beginning.
- How did this experience make me feel (positively and/or negatively)? How did I handle my emotional reactions?
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| Farewell ceremony |
- Do I believe I should have felt differently than I did?
Yes. I should have appreciated the SST lab from the beginning.
- What assumptions or expectations did I bring to the situation (including my assumptions about other persons involved) and how did they affect my actions?
I brought in the assumption that the IASA lab would be similar to the SST lab and would not actually have much difference. However, I was proven very wrong. I should not have assumed that schools of different cultures would have the same lab. Instead, I should have thought about how their lab would be different from us.
- What personal skills would I like to have had I order to have handled it better, and how might I develop them?
I should appreciate what I have more often but at the same time keep an open mind to different things. Through the experience, I managed to develop more appreciation about the SST lab and at the same time learn about other labs such as IASA lab and understand how their lab might be made to allow their students to have better learning.
I should appreciate what I have more often but at the same time keep an open mind to different things. Through the experience, I managed to develop more appreciation about the SST lab and at the same time learn about other labs such as IASA lab and understand how their lab might be made to allow their students to have better learning.
Generalise and Apply:
This experience has made me realise that we should appreciate the things around us, even simple things such as a school laboratory before it is taken away from us. Throughout these few days, there were many times where I felt luckier to be a student in SST, one of which was when we learnt about the packed student schedule of IASA students and the fact that they can only go back every 2 weeks on the weekends to visit their family. Even though I know how to appreciate the things around me, I realise that I am usually only grateful for more important things, such as having a nice family or not living in poverty. Still, after going through the experience, I have realised that sometimes even the small things that seem insignificant are essential for us to know how to be appreciative of. I hope in the future, I can put what I have learnt today to action and not waste this learning.
Day 5:
Publish/Share:
Today's experience took place at a pavilion/temple at the tower. Some of my friends and I were taking photos when an elderly lady walked past and tried to signal something. At first, we could not understand what she was trying to say. But then, we finally put two and two together. She had been pointing to a small square at the centre of the pavilion/temple and was trying to show us that she wanted to pray there. (That's why I think it might be a temple)
Process:
The experience made me feel quite stunned as I thought it was a public pavilion that my friends and I could take photos with/of and that the pavilion/temple was not an area for praying. However, we just moved a bit out of the way to let the lady continue. Through the experience, I had developed a stronger cross-cultural understanding as most cultures all tend to have prayed and even though this was a foreign country, the people here would also follow their religion/culture and practice praying. However, I could have improved on my critical thinking skills as it took me a long time to understand what the lady was trying to convey despite her actions being the same.Generalise:
Through the experience, I have learnt some things, main one being that understanding and respecting other's religion/culture is important. Throughout the journey, there were some instances where I could see Korean culture, which is different from Singaporean culture. There was also the lady praying at the pavilion/temple, which made me realise the importance of respecting their religion/culture and trying to understand it. This learning is a reinforcement to my prior knowledge as Singapore already had many diverse cultures and religions which I had to respect and understand.
Apply:
I learnt that no matter where we go, respecting other cultures is very important and that we should not discriminate other cultures or religions. However, there are many people around the world that do not follow this value, resulting in various conflicts. Thus, I believe this learning is very important as learning this value will allow us to try and spread the message of the importance of respecting others in all aspect. In light of this learning, I hope I can convey the message and improve on myself to respect all those around me as well.
Day 6:
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| The Samsung Innovation Museum. |
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| Evolution of Mobile Phones |
Just like this phone, humans have 'evolved' a lot since the old times. However, if we want to bring the dream of a smart future to reality, the Earth has to sustain itself until we reach it, which at the current rate of global warming, is quite a challenging task.
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| Incheon international airport |
I chose this photo as it was my first and hopefully not last place in Korea. This was the place that started the Incheon OLE which allowed me to learn many things and take home many memories with me.
Throughout this journey, I think that the most significant throughout the activity is the interaction with the IASA students. Interacting with them allowed us to learn various new things, whether it be Korean culture or about science, etc. The students were also very welcoming and went out of their way to try to make our experience much better.
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