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| Arrived at Incheon Airport. First time here in Korea. The temperature there was at 13ºC. Incheon Airport was my first good impression of Korea. I was pleased by the welcoming attitude of the airport staff there. |
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| The restaurant that we had dinner at served mostly seafood. I ate vegetables like cabbages, bean sprout and radish. Was scrumptious and filling! I learnt the food and eating culture of Korean people. For example, they have many side mini dishes like seaweed, radish and spicy dried fish which can be added to our meal. The restaurant owners were also kind enough to prepare food for those who can only eat halal food and those who are vegetarian. They also cooked extra bowls of rice for those who were still hungry afterwards. |
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| The restaurant that we had dinner at was at Green Beach Point. Had learnt its history. Green Beach Point was where the first landing of the Incheon landing operation occurred.
Day 2
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The beautiful scenery of the Incheon city from the top level of the IASA school building.
IASA's school cafeteria. It was very packed as everyone in the school has the same recess time as one another. The seats had a unique design which surprised all of us when we used it for the first time. The food there is unique and filling.
Publish:
What did I do? What did others do?:
Firstly, I attended the IASA's welcoming ceremony which left a huge good impression on us. I met my buddy there where we introduced ourselves to one another. From then onwards, she accompanied me through the school where I attended her classes and lectures like the one which the IASA students presented 6 of their projects to us. The building and programming of the LEGO robot left the biggest impression on me today as I experienced how robotics is like and also learnt a bit of how coding is like. After dinner, I also attended the Sky Observation activity which was mostly held at the IASA school rooftop. Even though it was very cold there, I was engrossed in the looking of planets through the different telescopes there.
Process:
How did this experience make me feel?:
I felt very touched and emotional because of the effort and time they have put in to welcome us and the programmes they have set up for us. As the programmes they had planned for us today lasted a whole day, I could recognize the time and effort they had put in to organise them. Even though we were rowdy at times, the IASA teachers remained calm and managed to keep us well in control, and I really appreciate them for that. The IASA students and my buddy also treated me very kindly which warmed my heart.
Generalise:
How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?:
I have learnt the importance of cross-cultural understanding and respect. Even though we had communication barriers, we managed to overcome them with patience. The ice-breakers helped a lot and slowly but surely, my buddy and I became more open with each other throughout the day. I have learnt that Korea emphasizes on respect with one another and this is something that I can learn more from them. I can also learn to be more appreciative of their culture.
Apply:
After this experience, I feel like I should treat guests in our school SST with more respect and politeness. As a guest of SST in IASA, I feel very welcomed and respected through the way the IASA students treated me. Hence, I should put myself into other's shoes and treat guests in our school, even teachers, cleaners or staff, with more respect. An example of a simple act of respect is having the initiative to greet them when they walk by.
Day 3
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| The scenery of the river from the boat we took at the West Boathouse. |
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| A unique and eye-opening tour experience at the Hyundai Motor Studio Goyang. |
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| The scenery of the bustling city from the top floor of IFEZ (Incheon Free Economic Zone) Center. |
What did I do? What did others do?:
In the morning, we continued the preparation of the Public Forum Debate. Even though I did not attend the debate session, but from the pictures that the teachers took, the debate was clearly an exciting and intensive one. After that, we went to Goyang and attended the Hyundai Motor Studio Goyang tour, which was an eye-opening experience. Then, we took the bus back to Incheon where we attended the IFEZ Tour, which included participating in the IFEZ Center tour and a mini trip on a boat at the West Boathouse. We had a Songdo Tour too with our buddies. They took us to a shopping mall, where we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner as it was the only halal food restaurant there.
Process:
How did this experience make me feel?:
Even though today's activities were not as packed as the previous day, I still felt exhausted from all the tours that we had to attend today. However, the Songdo Tour really freshened me up. It made me feel included in the Korean culture as my buddy accompanied me in the mall, going to food stalls and supermarkets, which were unique and different from the ones in Singapore. All in all, the activities today were eye-opening and it made me realise and learn much more about Korea.
Generalise:
How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?:
I have learnt more about the Korean culture through my experience today. At first, I thought that the Korean Culture would be about the same as Singapore's. However, after today, I realised that the Korean Culture has many differences as compared to Singapore's. For example, when I had dinner with my buddy, she taught me certain phrases to say before eating as an act of politeness to others. Also, when making new friends, Singaporeans tend to want to break the ice quickly between two strangers, for example making jokes, while Koreans on the other hand, tend to have a formal protocol, as wanting to break the ice quickly would make them feel uncomfortable in the process.
How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?:
I have learnt more about the Korean culture through my experience today. At first, I thought that the Korean Culture would be about the same as Singapore's. However, after today, I realised that the Korean Culture has many differences as compared to Singapore's. For example, when I had dinner with my buddy, she taught me certain phrases to say before eating as an act of politeness to others. Also, when making new friends, Singaporeans tend to want to break the ice quickly between two strangers, for example making jokes, while Koreans on the other hand, tend to have a formal protocol, as wanting to break the ice quickly would make them feel uncomfortable in the process.
Apply:
When travelling to a certain country or city, I should first make preparations by researching their culture so as to not embarrass myself nor offend others unintentionally there. This way, I can be a good representative of my own country and at the same time, learn more about their culture. Also, I can learn from their culture, for example, their way of being polite etc, and implement it into my daily life so as to improve myself as a person.
Day 4
Publish:
What did I do? What did others do?:
In the morning till the afternoon, we listened to Biomedical Technology presentations by the IASA students as part of their research project in R&E (Research and Experiment). Examples of some presentations are how types of contact lenses affect the amount of oxygen that gets to the iris of the eyes and also screw retaining mechanisms in human bones. After that, we participated in Acid-Base Back Titration (which we also have learnt in the SST curriculum) with Aspirin and Antacid tablets. We were paired up with the IASA students there who assisted us in times of need. Then, we participated in the Public Forum Debate Tournament Round 2 and also the long-awaited Grand Finals Debate Tournament. After that, we bid farewell to our IASA buddies and exchanged gifts with one another. We had dinner at an interesting steamboat restaurant.
Summary:
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| The intense Grand Final Debate held at the IASA Seminar Room. |
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| Picture of me and my IASA buddy before bidding goodbye. |
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| Razaele performing a farewell piano piece. |
Publish:
What did I do? What did others do?:
In the morning till the afternoon, we listened to Biomedical Technology presentations by the IASA students as part of their research project in R&E (Research and Experiment). Examples of some presentations are how types of contact lenses affect the amount of oxygen that gets to the iris of the eyes and also screw retaining mechanisms in human bones. After that, we participated in Acid-Base Back Titration (which we also have learnt in the SST curriculum) with Aspirin and Antacid tablets. We were paired up with the IASA students there who assisted us in times of need. Then, we participated in the Public Forum Debate Tournament Round 2 and also the long-awaited Grand Finals Debate Tournament. After that, we bid farewell to our IASA buddies and exchanged gifts with one another. We had dinner at an interesting steamboat restaurant.
Process:
How did this experience make me feel?:
Like every other day, upon arriving at the IASA school, I felt welcomed by the warm gestures of the IASA staff and students. I was engaged in listening to some of the Biomedical Technology presentations as they piqued my interest. The Acid-Base Back Titration experiment was a bit messy at first as the space where we had to carry out the experiment was small and many students were walking around collecting materials or looking for the teacher. However, I felt involved during the experiment as the IASA students who were helping me were willing to let me do some of the experiment steps and also teach me if I were to make any mistakes. The Grand Finals Public Forum Debate really fascinating and gripping as two of the best debate groups face off against one another. As all good things must come to an end, I was a little bit emotional after bidding farewell to my IASA buddy. Even though it was a short 3 days with her, we created many memories together and she has helped me throughout my visit to the school.
Generalise:
How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?:
After experiencing the Biomedical Technology presentations by the IASA students, I have learnt that the students there are really passionate in their work and they take their own work very seriously unlike Singapore, where some students there do their own work for the sake of submitting it and some even not willing to complete it. Examples would be that the slides they have used for the presentation and their speeches are really well done. Even though they may not be strong in the English language, I could see that they have spent the time and effort in writing out their speeches and organising their presentation slides. Because of this, I have never seen any teacher being angry at them for their unsatisfactory work. They have set a good example for us.
Apply:
We should not take things for granted, even our own homework or school projects. Even though we may think that the concepts and skills taught are not going to be useful in our lives, we still must develop the passion to study and work hard. Even if we do not get the desired result, what matters is the amount of effort one puts in. This can be applied to other aspects of our lives too, not just academics.
Day 5:
Publish:
Day 6:
Like every other day, upon arriving at the IASA school, I felt welcomed by the warm gestures of the IASA staff and students. I was engaged in listening to some of the Biomedical Technology presentations as they piqued my interest. The Acid-Base Back Titration experiment was a bit messy at first as the space where we had to carry out the experiment was small and many students were walking around collecting materials or looking for the teacher. However, I felt involved during the experiment as the IASA students who were helping me were willing to let me do some of the experiment steps and also teach me if I were to make any mistakes. The Grand Finals Public Forum Debate really fascinating and gripping as two of the best debate groups face off against one another. As all good things must come to an end, I was a little bit emotional after bidding farewell to my IASA buddy. Even though it was a short 3 days with her, we created many memories together and she has helped me throughout my visit to the school.
Generalise:
How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?:
After experiencing the Biomedical Technology presentations by the IASA students, I have learnt that the students there are really passionate in their work and they take their own work very seriously unlike Singapore, where some students there do their own work for the sake of submitting it and some even not willing to complete it. Examples would be that the slides they have used for the presentation and their speeches are really well done. Even though they may not be strong in the English language, I could see that they have spent the time and effort in writing out their speeches and organising their presentation slides. Because of this, I have never seen any teacher being angry at them for their unsatisfactory work. They have set a good example for us.
Apply:
We should not take things for granted, even our own homework or school projects. Even though we may think that the concepts and skills taught are not going to be useful in our lives, we still must develop the passion to study and work hard. Even if we do not get the desired result, what matters is the amount of effort one puts in. This can be applied to other aspects of our lives too, not just academics.
Day 5:
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| Stream Tour. |
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The entrance of the Science Museum that we had visited.
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| The scenery of Seoul City from the top floor of Namsan Tower. |
Publish:
What did I do? What did others do?:
Today’s morning was hectic. We weren’t able to get down in time for breakfast due to the large number of people who were constantly occupying the lift. We went to the Science Museum after arranging our luggages on the bus. We had our lunch there and proceeded to the stream tour. Then, we went to the Dongdaemun market where we shopped at the Malls and the street-side stalls. The waffles that I bought there was scrumptious. The food and items there, however, were more expensive than the food in Singapore. We went to Namsan park which is located at the top of a mountain. There were many love locks there which contributed to the beautiful scenery of Seoul City. We took many pictures there including the sunset. We then ate dinner there for dinner: chicken soup with rice. Today was our first time coming to Seoul City so we had to arrive at a new hotel.
Process:
How did this experience make me feel?:
In the morning when we had trouble bringing our luggages down to the lobby, I felt annoyed and impatient as my friends and I had to wait for the lift for about 20 minutes We weren’t able to go for breakfast too. However, the Science Museum that we went to next was very much like the Science Center in Singapore, and I was really engrossed in the various science concepts displayed there. There were many hands-on activities which taught us the science concepts, some of them including the formation of the earth and air pressure. I was very excited while strolling around the Science Museum as I was looking forward to learning new science concepts there. The stream tour made me feel calm and relaxed, and it allowed me to reflect on what I had done during my trip to Korea while strolling along the sidewalk beside the stream. The Namsan Park really lifted my spirits and made me feel energised even though it was really cold then at 3 degrees Celsius. I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and nature there. I was pleased with the dinner that they had served there.
Generalise:
How does this experience enhance my knowledge of a specific reading, theory, or concept?:
From the morning experience of having difficulties bringing down our luggages to the lobby, I have learnt that we should be more patient and adapt to the situation/problem that we are facing, and at the same time think of solutions to overcome them. Even though we were informed the night before that there will be difficulties bringing down our luggages the next morning, and had already planned to go down earlier in the morning, we still faced the same problem of not being able to beat the crowd in the lift. However, from this experience, we have learnt that things may go wrong even though we might already foresee the problems that they might bring. We have to adapt to the situation and think critically on the spot on how to solve the problem. Even though this might seem like a small problem, what we learn from this is very useful in many aspects of our lives.
Apply:
We should be able to face unexpected situations and adapt to it. An example of a larger scale problem would be hiking up a mountain. Before doing so, one might have already planned carefully (knows what to pack, knows when to hike, knows the weather conditions). However, upon hiking up the mountain, one might face an unexpected problem. Hence, he or she should have prepared to adapt to the unexpected situation and overcome it efficiently, if not it might hinder his or her way up the mountain. All in all, there are many unexpected situations that can occur in our lives no matter how carefully we plan them out, the most important thing is to expect the unexpected, be patient with dealing the situation and to think critically about how this problem could be solved.
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| Had a tasty large bowl of porridge for lunch before heading to the airport. |
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| SIM featuring the history of electrical appliances, such as phones. |
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| Bye Incheon! Thank you for all the great memories that we had made together! |
Summary:
On Day 1, I had thought that this trip to Korea would be just like my other trips to other countries, like my Vietnam GCP trip. However, as the days slowly progress, I had found my interest in the various activities organised for us in Incheon. I would like to thank the tour guide, the teachers and the students and staff in IASA for helping and hosting us. Without them, this Korea trip would not be that enjoyable. Other than having fun, I, of course, had learnt many values like teamwork and patience which contributed to my character development and growth mindset. To me, this Korea trip would be one of the most unforgettable trips.
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