Personal Reflections (presented during PPT presentation)

Yati : During E&C week, I didn't go for OELP trip. However, I have spent a considerably meaningful week in Singapore. We joined Year Ones and participated BSP camp together with them for E&C week. We had Chinese traditional activities, such as Chinese calligraphy, mask painting and handheld fan painting, which we, Year Twos did not have a chance to do last year. In fact, I had never done such things before. I'm glad that had first-hand experience the cultures of China, instead of just learning about them from texts in school. Out of the three, mask painting was my favourite activity. It was fun to mix and match the colours and let my imagination run wild to come up with my own design for paint. I always thought that Chinese calligraphy was easy but this experience made me realise that it is not easy, at least for me, as my words came out quite ugly. It needs a certain technique to hold the brush and needs patience. However, all these activities were lackluster and boring. The instructors just talked on and on about their lessons. I think they could have made the lessons more interesting by adding humour and jokes or by other means. With Year Ones, my classmates and I visited Hainan Huiguan. Most of the persons-in-charge were mostly elderly. It made me and my classmate wonder if there are only old people managing the Huiguan and youngsters aren't interested in doing that business. If this continues, Huiguans might become 'extinct species'. I hope more youngsters will step up and take over the business so that Huiguans can survive throughout many more years and can be passed down on next generation. Without the passing down of traditions, I wouldn't have a chance to do calligraphy, passing face mask or visit Huiguan. From this E&C week, I learned that it is important to pass down traditions as they are a part of a race's identity, which defines who we really are, and lend a consistency to the race. It also lets the younger generations have a feel of what their ancestors have experienced and binds the whole race together.