the planning process

planning this japan trip has been a long and tiring process.

but we really want you to SEE the world. travelling really opens your eyes to many things which you can't learn, see and understand from your textbook and classrooms. even if you can't articulate your thoughts well, the FEELING and SEEING are intangible experiences which only you can understand.

we want all of you to enjoy the trip with many memories and will remember THE JAPAN TRIP, even 10 years on...

some interesting things during the planning process which we would like to share with you...

being forgetful procrastinators we all are, sensei ong's favourite line "write it down".

and this is the result of "write it down" when we plan this trip. your sensei do not have super power memory. this is how we remember things to do.

3 things that you are most likely to forget to bring

from personal experience, these are 3 essential things that you are most likely to forget to pack (only to remember it at the airport)...

1. toothbrush (you still need it in the morning before you leave)
2. spectacles (for the contact lens users)
3. handphone charger!!!

so, please, have a final check before you leave your home for the airport! - ms teo...

去日本做什么？

每一次去旅行，总是满怀期待的。
这一次还参杂异常的兴奋，因为我将踏足日本。

对于日本的美丽想象，应该是始于小叮当，然后是各种关于日本人创意无限的见闻，接着是让我们的年轻岁月痴迷的日剧......

对于日本却也同时存在疑惑和戒心，因为那段70年前残酷的历史，因为他们现今仍然鲜明表现出的强悍民族精神。

所以，这次到日本去，应该不像从前的旅游那样，只是吃东西买东西，只是走走看看拍照。
我们应该要更细腻地体会、更深入地思考。

去到日本要做什么呢？如果你明白我所说的，也许你可以参考我的建议：

1. 看
请同时运用我们的眼和心，去看看日本的每一个人、每一条街、每一个事物。这也是主办这次
japan trip的sensei们的最大用意吧。让我们看看日本小孩如何学习、日本人如何以礼待人、如
何维护环境、如何发挥无限可能、如何追求完美。

2. 听
我相信每到一个景点，导游总会为我们讲解它的故事和点滴。请用心聆听，那么在你结束这趟
旅程之后，你才会感觉自己有了最珍贵的收获。

3. 想
看了、听了之后，就应该开始用脑了。我相信每一个地点都有值得我们探索的意义，我个人最
期待的是参观靖国神社（Yasukuni Shrine）。当我亲身到了这个充满争议的地方，我会有怎样
的心情呢？它背负了一个沉重的历史包袱，也同时承载了一个历史教训。我最希望的是所有学
生在参观后都能对这段历史有更深入的了解。

4. 记
旅程中除了拍照留下纪念，也请大家动笔记录你的心情和收获吧。相信我，如果你能够亲自记
录自己在旅程中的所见所闻，你走过的路一定会更有价值！

之前讲的好像有点严肃，都不好玩。
当然，来旅行一定要有趣的。所以下列的事你也不能不做：

吃
我们对于日本餐并不陌生，但食物总是在它的原产地才最真实精彩。认真地品尝寿司、拉面，还有各种精致的食品吧。

买
我们肯定不用担心在日本找不到可爱有趣的东西，所以用心地为自己的家人朋友挑选最好的纪念品吧。

去日本要那么多事要做，请准备好你的体力和脑力！

--by Miss Lai (Chinese Sensei)

Japan Trip T shirt

kudos to shermaine, arena and wei ling for their hard work. these girls have persevered to produce the design despite many demands from us. they even made the effort to source for vendors on their own.

well, of course, our dearest fu ping, for his prompt collection of payment.

~ms teo

my first polaroid instant camera

I'm so excited about being able to take instant pictures wherever i go during this Japan Trip! Because I've finally got my polaroid camera!

Although it's kinda crazy to spend that kind of money for a piece of relic technology (you kids probably never heard of polaroid cameras or use it before, rite?), i simply can't resist it.

Teo sensei even described me as a dumb consumer.

Well, it's ok. At least i have the choice to be dumb for once. Life is all about being able to make choices!

I can't express why i can't resist the temptation to own one of this, but i think i share some of the sentiments posted by some of the Polaroid addicts who posted on the site, http://www.savepolaroid.com/, particularly the following...

"...Because watching the latent image appear in the tray or on the film is what got us addicted in the first place... Because there is joy in the simple, tactile experience... Because the process can sometimes be as important as the final result. Because digital isn’t the answer to everything... Because running across an old polaroid of your kids while searching for something in your dresser drawer floors you in a way that calling up digital files on your computer never will..."

I can't wait to use my polaroid camera! - mr ong...

My gift for my host family! =)

Booklet Labour Pain

after weeks of procrastinating... and discussion over the content, the layout, the booklet size, the colour coding...

we finally produced our little japan trip booklet...

Earthquake Survival Tips

The Japanese archipelago is located in an area where several continental and oceanic plates meet. This is the cause for frequent earthquakes across Japan. Imagine living in a land with such uncertainty? How did they cope with this? Maybe you'll learn more from the interaction with the students there.

But before we learn more about how uncertainties in the natural environment have shaped their lifestyles, culture and development, let's us get familiarized with what to do in the event of an earthquake.

BASIC RULES TO REMEMBER!

Rule 1: Protect yourself and your friends!
The initial strong shakes of an earthquake last only for one minute or so.
Get yourself under a sturdy table, desk, etc. to protect your head from falling objects.

Rule 2: Avoid rushing out of your house/building!
It is dangerous to rush out of your house/building.
Carefully check the situation around you and try to act calmly.

Rule 3: Open the door to secure an exit!
Especially in a reinforced-concrete apartment, the door may be deformed by a strong earthquake and cannot be opened, confining you in the room. To avoid this, open the door quickly to secure a way out.

Rule 4: When outside, protect your head and keep away from dangerous objects！
If you experience an earthquake while outside, you should protect yourself from falling concrete block walls and falling objects, such as windowpanes and signboards. Take refuge in a safe building or an open space nearby.

Rule 5: If you are in a department store, theaters, or the like, follow the instructions of the staff!
In place where there are a large number of people, some may panic. Avoid being caught up in such panic and try to keep your head.

More tips found in your handbook. Do remember to read them.

One Point, Japanese - Photo Taking

"One Point, Japanese"

Hmmm.... sounds ungrammatical.

If you are wondering about the title, let me take you through why we chose this ungrammatical sounding title... well... it's really not that uncommon to find Japanese using the phrase 'one point'.

The semantics of this phrase is rather difficult to explain. Simply put, 'One point' is similar to 'One-stop' as in 'One-stop solution'; so when we say "One Point, Japanese - Photo taking", it simply means this is all that you need to know about the Japanese language for photo taking!

Wakatta (Understand?)

Mr Ong

Important Advice to Muslim students

Dear students concerned,

It is extremely important (in other words compulsory) that you bring some can food during the Japan trip. Canned tuna, chicken curry, cup noodles, instant noodles, small bottles of jam/peanut butter, biscuits etc.. are some examples of food you should bring along. Have about 5 to 8 cans of food, some instant noodles for the trip at least packed in your bag, in a separate bag or compartment for easy access in case you need to declare. Bread can be bought in Japan.

Beware the last day, we may have to eat out on our own before we take the flight home. So, in case we can't find any restaurants you only have your food pack!

Sayonara!

Madam Sumarni

One Point, Japanese - Manners

Ice Breaker Sessions & Briefing for Parents (24 May 08)

We had an ice-breaker session today; it began with some introduction games and followed by some team-building games.


After the introduction games, I noticed that everyone have some common goals, meeting new friends, getting to explore somewhere out of Singapore and many others. I also get to know some of my schoolmates better.

All those laughters really help everyone to bond a lot. I have learnt that in order for everyone to work as a team, we must have trust in one another. I do think that having trust in one another will help a team to work more efficiently and faster. Most importantly, I feel that the the last 2 games are the ones that help a lot. Those games need cooperation and trust from people, also like what Mdm Sumarni said, everyone has different thoughts therefore we must try to understand and trust one another. - Li Ching

A recount of the ice-breaker session by Chang Teck

We had our icebreaker games yesterday which were conducted to bond the Japan Trip students together.

How exciting!!!

It began with a small group activity. We were separated first into groups of five and we were given a soft toy to pass around the members of the group. Members of the group were required to introduce themselves, and I can see some of the members were very nervous. =)

We were then ‘rounded up’ in a big circle; everyone had a chance to introduce themselves to students from other groups. It was exciting as a soft toy was thrown to choose the next student to introduce. I introduced myself as “Cool” Chang Teck from Secondary 3 Best.

After playing the introduction game, we stayed in our circle, and Jovinson and his fellow councilors introduced this game called “Do You Love your Neighbours?” The game was hilarious especially when Ravin was asked that question. He replied a “No”, and said he loved girls instead. Everyone had a great laugh as the girls had to rush to find a vacant seat so as not to be the one standing up.

We were divided into groups of 10 each just after that exciting game. Nobody expected more excitement to come when we were required to interlock our hands and tangle them up. We all had to rack our brains to untangle our hands. That was tremendous work.

We were the second group to untangle ourselves. The last group had to perform the “chicken dance” which was so funny.

After an awesome day, I can sense that everyone was looking forward to the trip.

One Point, Japanese - Greetings

the original speech

Trip Japan

B: Good Morning Teachers and fellow Teck Whyeans, I’m Pearry from 3C and I’m Ravin from 3D.

P: Are you people going anywhere this June holidays? I’m sure some of you will be going overseas this June holidays. Anyway, do you guys have any idea on what is going to happen during the June Holidays?

R: Yes! A group of 30 Sec 3 students will be going to Japan. We will be there from June 2 to 9.We intend to learn the cultures and traditions of the Japanese people there.

P: There will be a home-stay with the Japanese families there. We will also be taught the Japanese traditional practices such as Kendo which is a tea ceremony. Adding to that is………

R: Wait! Hold on partner….we can’t just tell them “everything”! We can’t just tell them all the details….remember?

P : Oh yeah, I remember….sorry, I got so excided that I nearly split the beans...Haha

R: Pardon my partner for his silliness…we actually have a “blog” in the school website all about the Japan trip if you want to know more.

P: You can get more details about the Japan trip by just logging in to the school website than click on the “Japan Trip blog” button that can be found bellow the “school cockpit”…

R: You can post comments and read the entries on the blog…..

P: (Interrupts) Much like the normal blog that we have.

R: (clears throat) Like I was saying….you can post comments, Read up on the entries and find out what’s going on.

P: We really hope you can support us by giving your comments…especially from June 2 to 9 as we will be in Japan updating the blog every night! Don’t worry because we’ll keep you posted.

R: Please do visit the website. The blog is open to both the teachers and students.

P: That’s pretty much we have to say, so (together)happy holidays and

B: Sayonara!

End

the amended speech

Trip Japan

P Good Morning Teachers and fellow Teck Whyeans. I’m Pearry from 3C.

R And I’m Ravin from 3D. Heh, Pearry, going overseas this June holidays?

P Yeah, I am going to Japan.

R Heh, me too. Do you mean you’ve been selected for the Japan Trip?

P Yeah. Eight Days In Tokyo (loud and clear). I heard that we will have school visits, home stay, attend kendo lessons and going to places like Kawaguchi, Akihabara, Shibuya, Ghibli Museum … (lost in thoughts)

R Choto mante!!! We can’t be telling them now what we are going to do during our Eight Days in Tokyo?

P Oh yeah. But I want to SHARE my experiences with fellow Teck Whyeans.

R Oh, don’t you know we have a blog that allows us to SHARE our Eight days in Tokyo experience?

P Really?!

R Yeah. You can find the quick link on our school website or log on to www.eightdaysintokyo.blogspot.com. The teachers and us will be sharing with the school on our pre-trip preparation, our daily activities while we are there. Teachers and students will get to read our daily updates and they can post their comments on the blog.

P Wah, that’s cool. We hope that you can support us by giving your comments…especially from June 2 to 9 as we will be in Japan updating the blog every night!

R Yes. Please do visit the website. The blog is open to both the teachers and students and we hope that you will enjoy the eight days in Tokyo with us.

P&R Thank you.

occupational obsessive compulsive behaviour of a teacher - to edit everything!

but kudos to pearry and ravin , for the original speech. =p

Flight Details

Singapore - Narita SQ632 , 02 JUN 2030-0720
Narita - Singapore SQ 11 , 09 JUN 1910-0115

Who are going?

Teacher Organisers:

• Mr Ong Khai Ming
• Ms Teo Yen Peng
• Ms Ng Shu Wen
• Mdm Sumarni Ismail

Teacher Participants:

• Ms Lai Yin Fong
• Mrs Ong Lee Choo
• Ms Jennifer Lai
• Mdm Wong
• Ms Nurjannah

Student Participants :

• Arena Poh Zhi Yun 3B
• Artiaga Pearry Gene Diaz 3C
• Caroline Brigritte Dass 3D
• Cheong Wee Ting 3E
• Chia Cai Yun Nur Dariah Bte K 3E
• Chong Yi Da 3A
• Chua Jia Xin 3C
• Derrick Oh Wei Cong 3A
• Evelyn Tan Sher Mei 3C
• Faizal B Jasmuri 3B
• Goh Chang Teck 3B
• Jeremy Lim Kang Qi 3A
• Khoo Fu Bing 3F
• Ko Li Ching 3A
• Koh Kia Hwee Rebecca 3A
• Lee Sing Yee Brenda 3A
• Lee Zhi Yi 3E
• Liang Yi Zhen 3D
• Lim Li Ting 3C
• Muhd Aliff B Norshah 3A
• Neo Shu Yun 3H
• Nicholas Jude Ong Soon Teck 3D
• Nurul Herniati Bte Moleya 3B
• Nurulhafizah Bte Haron 3B
• Ravinderpal Singh Gill 3D
• Soon You Liang Ronald 3E
• Shermaine Tan Wan Ting 3A
• Tan Kia Shiang 3B
• Tan Wei Ling 3B
• Wong Yan Jing Delicia 3C

It all began from here (teachers' version)

It all began from here. The three of us visited Kyushu (southern Japan) for a (social) science immersion programme. Being my first time in Japan, I was intrigued by little red bags, the vending machines and the limited express train.

During this trip, we visited elementary and high schools. Miss Ng and I were fascinated by their classroom seating arrangement, their orderly movement around the schools, their monotone greetings to their teachers and their colourful noticeboards that creates a sense of belonging. Do all these sound (un)familiar to you?

I guess the idea of 'visiting Japan' has a strong appeal to many of you. Last November, Mr Ong and I decided that we want our students to witness the clean streets without rubbish bins, the crowded orderly subway queues and perpetual polite greetings. These are their culture, what can you learn from them? You have heard of all these during assembly. Now you are going to verify those words with your own experiences. And of course, nothing beats seeing the world with your own eyes. Geography lessons on volcanoes will never be the same again when you have seen a volcano (Mount Fuji) yourself.

And we are off to Japan again this June holidays.

From the initial proposal to the tedious plannings every weekend, I think our hard work pays off when we saw the overwhelming responses. We are sorry to those students whom we did not select. We have to make choices. To compensate for that, we promise that our participants will update you with every bits and pieces of their encounters in Japan. You will get to enjoy eight days in Tokyo with us.

For the participants, I must have disappointed you when I showed you the list of "Things to do in Japan". I must repeat, "you are not going there with your families for sightseeing". However, we are quite pleased with you as you have been cooperative on our various requests. A big THANK YOU to the members in T-shirt comm and Blog comm. Your enthusiasm and effort to meet our high demands have been noted.

Thanks to technology, we live in this shrinking world. We hope that all of you will enjoy our eight days in Tokyo.

cheers =p
Miss Teo

p/s: we are really thankful to the people who have given us their support and guidance for this trip from their previous experiences. thank you. *green*

Our excitment

At first, we were all wondering what was it about. But after the briefing during assembly, we all went crazy and were jumping with joy!

All of us were anxiously discussing about this Japan trip, leading us to conclude that it is a must-go-trip!

Hence, we decided to rush to register for the trip on Monday, which is the starting day of registration as according to Mr Ong and Ms Teo.

On the 28th April 2008, the results of who's going for the Japan trip came out. After school, we all rushed down to the staffroom to see the name list of who's going. To our shock, our names were not listed in the results. Our hearts sank as we saw the list. We went to find Ms Teo quite a few times after our CCAs, we told her that we wanted to go Japan very much, and hoped that she would consider adding our names into the list. After much discussions, the teachers then informed us that we had to pray hard that there would be students opting out for the trip.

But after a few weeks of arrangements, the requirements for entry to the Japan trip was altered, and those who went for other overseas trips with the school were not able to go for this trip.

And so, those on the waiting list, including us, managed to be part of the participants going for the Japan trip! We were overjoyed and were so looking forward for that day to come!

Therefore, we must thank the teachers involved in the trip to Japan for letting us having the chance to go to Japan and enjoy with all the other students and teachers! Thankyou so much! And we believe that we will definitely enjoy a lot during the trip! Bon Voyage to all :D

- Signing off,
Liting [ 3C ]
Jiaxin [ 3A ]
{ looking forward ! } ^^