Back from Japan

15 June 2008

5 days since we are back

5 days have passed since we came back from Japan. Still misses those days in Japan..the weather, the people, the schools, the fun, the nights where i was so tired and yet had to walk around like zombie doing room checks... all in all...these are memories and experiences i missed dearly...

The organisers: Well, what can i say, they are great (i'm not saying i'm great though i'm one of them). Miss Teo and Mr Ong did a lot for this trip and i'm glad that everything went well...Well Done!.. Somehow, they taught me the "sentimental" part which resides in them more than in me! Being always practical and efficient, somehow, i will always question their work- What are the objectives? What are the desired outcomes? What can be done less to yield the same results? Why must we do these? Can it be done the other way round? Why? Why? Why? They were always patient (trying to be)... haha... to show me the other side of the story.

As Mr Ong will say to me at times "STOP being so efficient!" haha... think it make senses somehow when i see the joy in the kids when they were doing their scrapbooks, printing photos late at night along the corridors of our hotel room. I never heard a single complaint from them even though it was already late, and they were tired after a long day.

The accompany teachers - They were EVEN GREATER!! Really appreciate their patience and the ability to tolerate!

Patience with us - i remembered so clearly what Mrs Ong said when i told her that they can move off to shop around instead of following us around Chinatown looking for Bentos - "Don't worry, We understand". Something so comforting at the moment when 30 hungry students were roaming with us searching for Bentos.

Tolerated us - they were so accommodating to sudden changes in plan, and most importantly, tolerated the noises made by the kids along the corridor outside their hotel room!! Thank you... thank you.

The Students - They are a wonderful lot of students. What can i say- ALWAYS ON TIME. MY GOD... hopefully they are also always this punctual to school... haha... well.. very cooperative, very obedient lot. I really hope they will spread the things they learnt in Japan to fellow Teckwhyeans. Yizhen, pls do not say you will migrate to Japan and study there... instead, ask yourself what can we do, to make Teck Whye as enjoyable a place to study as it is in Japan. :)

One funny encounter i had with these group of students i don't teach-
1. MY SEAT BELT- Day 1... on the flight - I sat down next to one student and the first question he said me was - "TEACHER, LATER IF I WANT TO GO TOILET, WILL YOU SCOLD ME??" --- I had a lot of question marks from his QUESTION, and when i said YES... he literally took it in... :)
Then, when i wanted to fasten my seat belt, i could not find the other half of it...guess what...the student took mine and fasten to his..leaving me with one side of the belt...i have no choice but to yell ..." XXX, u took my seat belt!!''

One touching one
1. Saw two students with a plastic bag of food after our shopping trip at Shibuya. When questioned who is it for?
"Is for the driver, he is so poor thing, have to drive, no dinner" replied the students.
I was impressed with their thoughtful act. Keep up the good work!!

This trip, shares with me some nice and wonderful memories that made my third time in Japan still exciting as if it was the first time ........
Thank you all for making these possible. :)

Cheers,
Ms Ng

14 June 2008

this is missing from our learning experience (luckily)

Earthquake rocks northern Japan


At least four people have been killed and about 60 hurt by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake which struck the north of Japan's main island.

The epicentre was in Akita prefecture, 100km (60 miles) north of the city of Sendai, at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.

The tremor rattled buildings in nearby towns and in the capital, Tokyo, 390km (240 miles) to the south.

All high-speed bullet trains in the area were automatically shut down.

Click here to read more

13 June 2008

changteck, oh careless changteck

let me blog about my forgetfulness, carelessness of me during the japan trip.

the most serious was the camera, which was pretty dumb, but nevertheless, i shall give details about it.

the thing started when i realised i LOST my camera =/. i was devastated as it carried memories in there. the teachers - Mr Ong , Miss Teo , Miss Ng and Tammy-San, were very very helpful. for 30 minutes before i realised the camera was in my sweater, they searched everywhere with me because i told them that a man took a picture with my camera and ran off after taking the picture (P.S i ran off to look for the others ) . after i realised my foolishness, i apologized to everyone. But this embarassessment will be etched in my mind :(. i will be more careful and more RESPONSIBLE in the future, and i will change now.

lost and found
-chang teck , Mr Careless. :(

JAPAN rocks ! :D

Hmm,

I must thank the teachers who organised this trip for us! I really enjoyed a lot, a lot, a lot! Guess everyone of us enjoyed the trip! It was really a fun trip, although we had some scoldings from teachers when we did something wrong. Overall the trip was a good one! At first all of us were so excited 'bout this trip, and now we missed Japan!
Yeah, and i guess i won't forget the times we had in Japan, it was super duper fun. All of us didn't really want to leave Japan, but we had no choice ): haha. The Tour guide - Tammy-san was really a funny guy. I guess all of us will remember what he always said "Oh my Goodness! You must be kidding me! Oh come on ~" haha. He always crack funny jokes, stories and etc.

See Tammy-san! found that i have a pic of him. haha!

At Ghilbli Musuem !

Over there, we tried a lot of different food, and seen a lot of different things. We have learnt a lot. It was quite a memorable trip for us :D & especially this place that we went - Yasukuni Shrine - a place where Japanese goes to honour their ww2 soldiers. It was quiet there. Learnt quite a lot that night as Mr Ong and other teachers discussed with us about the ww2 and the controversy surrounding that shrine. It was quite interesting to me, as the place felt so scary to me! haha. & so we got to know what happen etc etc, and its like we're having history class!

At Mt Fuji was quite fun too. We get to experience the cold up there. Oh & the Sulphur emitting volcano! The smell ... gosh, it's sooo like bird egg smell! Stinks man. & i'm soooo happy to know some Japanese friends during the school visits! they're sooo friendly and cheerful. ok guess i'll stop here, no idea what to write already... just take a look at my pictures and share my joy.


See the teachers having FUN too! :D


See all of us waving BYEs to the Narita airport ! aww. really missed Japan alot alot.

& some of us like Me Jiaxin Yizhen Brenda Delicia, have decided that we must MUST go back to Japan when we have the money! of course that is when we work. & i didn't get to see Cherry Blossom! ):

LITING:D
Always love JAPAN ! :D

TWSS JAPAN TRIP ' 08 ROCKS :D

To all teacher-organizers:

THK YOU SO MUCH FOR ORGANISING THIS TRIP FOR US!

We had a very FABULOUS, FANTASTIC and EXCELLENT experience there!
I'm sure all of us have enjoyed a lot a lot a lot in Japan.

FYI, this is my first time going overseas, & that really made a BIG diff to me!
It was seriously GREAT to have the opportunity to be on this expedition to Japan! I had been waiting for a chance to go overseas since i was young!

This trip which included many NICE ppl had really made me cried out of joy.
The teachers were simply KAWAII NEH! they're not them exactly?! hahaha :p
I truly enjoyed the memorable days 020608 - 090608 in Japan.

Some of the places & things we did and learnt during the last few days of the trip! ^^


Gotemba.


Lake Kawaguchi + Flower Garden.

Fuji Visitor Centre.


Mount Fuji 5th Station.


Ms Teo being knocked hardly & blessed! Actually all of us did ><>


Mount Fuji.


Peace Memorial Park - for commemorating end of ww2



We den headed to Hakone for a boat ride to view this crater lake
Luckily we made it in time, its the last boat of the day :p



Owakudani [smelly mountains! sulphur dioxide stinks?!!!!!!]
Meiji Shrine.

These are pics of weddings of Japanese culture we took there.

Harajuku.!
We saw sth!
its HER ~ &
- - -
Shashin onegai.! :p
[ COSPLAY ]

All of us den went to looked out for things tt are good for an upcoming bazaar in sch!
Students & teachers are warmly welcomed to buy anything we sell ; coming up v soon. (:

Went to Shibuya on Day 7, window-shopped for a boring 3 hrs (EXPENSIVE STUFFS) :x
I was quite sad, cos that's the teen pop culture industry but i bought nth :/
Last ride on Yamadasa's coach with Tammy-san ): He shared a lot of their values and history.

Last time taking the cOoL lift in Wishton Hotel Yukari ><
Ms Teo& Ms Ng giving out last briefing b4 we reach Narita Airport.
I was rather sad at tt moment ):
JAPAN'S FUN! ^^

JIAXIN HERE ; ENJOYD SUPER LOTS :D

BTs in Japan

Dear friends,

2 days after we came back from Japan. How is everyone? Although the trip has ended, but I'm satisfied with all the memories and surprises.

Wanna thank you all for giving me such a great journey. The trip is so exciting because of you. And you guys still have to take care of me other than the students, haha.

I also wanna say.. Congratulations, i think you guys had done a great job. I like the idea of this learning journey so much, the things that you want the students to learn, the ways that you want the students to experience the trip (scrap book, blog..). If I could organize a learning trip, I also want it to be this way. And more importantly, you can work with good partners who share similar thinking! hehe.

I'm happy that I can join you all in this trip. Maybe next time we shall go on trip on our own!

Yanfang =)