Reflection on My Hanoi Experiential learning-Ong Shi Ke

My initial impression of Hanoi was that it is most likely not a place where there is many things to shop for. Also I assumed that Hanoi’s hygiene standard was incomparable to Singapore’s. However, after spending 4 days in Hanoi, my impression of Hanoi had changed. After visiting a few places in Hanoi, I realized that the hygiene standard in Hanoi varies from places to places. For example, certain restaurant that we visited had clean toilets while others were dirtier. Also, I realized that Hanoi had many things to shop for. For example, the streets around the water puppet theater had many shops. However, most shop sold almost the same things.

I had many memorable experiences during these 4 days in Hanoi. One memorable experience was the water puppet show. I felt that the show was a great demonstration of teamwork. The puppet handlers coordinated perfectly despite the fact that they are not able to see the puppet as they are behind the scene with a screen blocking. Apart from the teamwork displayed, I am also surprised that the puppet handlers were actually half-submerged for the entire show. I am surprised as initially I thought the puppet handlers controlled the puppets from a dry area. Another memorable experience was having lunch on a boat. I felt that the chefs/cooks were really incredible as they actually managed to cook all the delicious food for 25 people in a small kitchen. My best experience was the visit to the Dau Go Caves. I found the caves unbelievable. I think that the caves are certainly a fantastic work of art by Mother Nature! I found the caves superb as it is actually formed through erosion processes through rain and waves (told by geo teachers and tour guide).

The water puppet show(ending part)




The Boat we boarded....

Some of the food we had on board...

Dau Go Cave

From this trip, I learnt that being able to live in Singapore is indeed a privilege. For example, the drinkable tap water, the neat and safe flowing traffic and even the lockable and clean toilets. All of these which we Singaporeans have take for granted. Also, the life as a student in Singapore is way better than in Vietnam, Hanoi. For example, the big classrooms, the clean environment and air and of course the variety of facilities such as air-conditioned library and vending machines.

To end off, I am thankful to the school for giving this opportunity to go to Vietnam. Also, I would like to thank the teachers: Miss Ong, Mdm Wee, Mdm Tami, Miss Lim & Mdm Koh, for organizing this trip and to accompany us on the trip.

Reflection on My Hanoi Experiential Learning - Seah Jing Yi

HELLO! Sorry for the messy arrangement of th text and images.

Unless you pay me a hundred bucks, or else i will not use BLOGGER! -.-

Alrights, HANOI. The very first place that i took a plane to.
I thought airport in all countries are supposed to be very big, maybe some not as big as Changi Airport, but the one is vietnam is seriously small. :X
It's very cramp, especially when we were waiting for our luggage.
Can you imagine people from 4 different flights, waiting for their luggage in just 1 single luggage belt?!

After everyone finally got their luggage, we met our tour guide. (:
When we step out of the airport, OH MY GOD!
It's freezing cold, but i bet everyone enjoy it very much as in Singapore, we will never have this cool feeling even it's raining heavily.
I shall skip the boring part in the bus.
Trishaw, the best part of my first day.
I will never forget this experience. I can say it's more fun and thrilling than a rollar coaster!
You can see motorcycles, bicycles, buses and cars, so close, all around you.
At first, you may get annoyed of the honking of the vehicles.
But then i realised that it is their way of saying "EXCUSE ME!".
And none of them get irritated.
I also realised that they don't really have traffic lights, i had seen less than 10 of it.
But they were all experts in giving way to each other, even they were all going in different directions.
While sitting on the trishaw, i can see a lot of shops around. Some selling souvenirs, some selling clothes. I notice that there were some art studios too!
And the most impressive one, which is the street that were all selling SHOES!
I wonder how they survive with some many competitors around them, in the same street!

The second day, we went to the Hanoi University of Agriculture.

The professor speaks to us about economic and environment.
I think one day, they will earn big bucks from agriculture.
I totally love their fruits there, so sweet and fresh!
We then went to the Ho Chi Minh's Museum and Mausoleum.
Then follow by the One Pillar Pagoga and Temple of Literature, which let me know more about their religious culture.
Fortunately, we have a few hours of SHOPPING TIMEEEEE! :D
Glad that i manage to buy some souvenirs and a pair of shoes from that 'SHOES STREET'.
Me and my cliques are almost expert at bargaining for cheaper prices. :X
And last but not least, the Water Puppet Show.
I can say it's a little boring because i don't understand what they are talking about.
But it's quite intersting actually after Ms Lim told us more about the background history of the Water Puppet Show.
I was quite impressed. These actually came from farmers.
When i harvest season is over, they use these puppet show to entertain themselves.
But guess what, it became a traditional arts in Vietnam!
If one go to Vietnam, definitely cannot miss this performance. (:

I can say the thrid day is the BEST.
BEST FOOD, BEST SCENERY, BEST EXPERIENCE!
On the way to the Ha Long, we went to the rice field and take a look at how the farmers do the cultivation.

Then on the cruise on Ha Long Bay, we had our delicious lunch!
And then i will let the pictures do the talking. ^^




We also visited the Thien Cung and Dau Go caves.
I can say the scenary is the best!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Then we went to a ceramic and hand embroidery workshop.

And the very last day, we went to the Agent Orange Orphanage.
I didn't wanted to take pictures, but to me i think the environment is not the best for the children to learn and play.
How i wish i was really rich, how i wish to build a better place for them to live, even if they only had a short lifespan.
But i see the children there are all so happy, they never give up on themselves.
I saw innocence in their eyes, they smile widely went they see us coming.
They don't know anything about their future, but here they are learning as much as they can, and maybe even trying to contribute to the society someday.
Something that struck me is that, i saw a group of girls doing hand embroidery.
And 'WOW'! I dont even have th patient to sit there for hours or even days to do that.
But they, even they have a little problems with their movement can do better than me!

In conclusion, i do enjoy the trip to Hanoi, a lot!
It made me realise that actually Singapore is once a country like Vietnam.
Since we can change into such a modern city why not them?
I bet the next time i go to Vietnam, there will be a great changes!
Place or thing that i will never forget is definitely the trishaw, Ha Long Bay and of course the Orphanage.
Looking back at my life as a Singaporean, i think i am so so soooooooo~ fortunately.
As students, we always hate school. With a larger population there, and with lesser schools, i think not all student can get educated. Even if they get educated, they would not be as well-educated as us.
So let's just treasure the knowledge we have and learn more with more passion! :D

Last but no least, i thank for the good weather.
Glad that everyone came back ALIVE! HAHA.
&Of course our caring teachers, Ms Lim especially, who had told us alot of info.
Mdm Tami, Mdm Koh, Mdm Wee and Ms Ong.
And also my group members, the rest of the SKY Achievers and Our TOUR GUIDE!!! ^^
Hope everyone enjoy the trip to Hanoi! BYE~~~~

PS : I HATE USING BLOGGER! I SPENT HOURS JUST UPLOADING THE PHOTOS!

Reflection on my Hanoi experiential learning - huimin

When i heard that there was a learning journey to Hanoi. There was a feeling telling me it was not going to be an enjoyable trip as my relatives told me that the dishes will be going to be full of vegetables and the place we are going is not some kind of urban area instead it is just remote areas. However, i`m still keen on going there.
The fist time when i stepped into Vietnam`s airport, I felt that their services is not very efficient as the procedures are rather slow. This can be seen from by the number of people crowing at one one area to get their luggage's. During the trip. I realise that the city have many beautiful landscapes. It is not like Singapore. In Singapore, when we look around there will be high rise buildings popping out from nowhere. But in Hanoi, the most frequent thing we see are plots of lands full of farming materials. The most important thing is that i think that Vietnam is slowly developing into another busy city. Vietnam is also trying to curb its problems by encouraging sustainable development on its agriculture's. Furthermore, Vietnam`s dishes is not as bad as i have imagined. Too me, it seems like some wedding kind of dishes. Every dinner and lunch, there will be alot of dishes on the table but nobody seems to want to try it out.
Three of my most memorable experiences are the water puppet show, the boat ride and entering the thien cung & dua go caves.
water puppet show: It is such a memorable experience as it is not like any puppet show. What make the puppet show special is because it is in the water performing and the music come from the group of musical players on a platform beside them. I think the people moving the puppets are very cooperative. Although the people making noise are rather noisy but still it is a great experience.
Another of my most memorable experience is the boat ride. This boat ride shows me how important tourism is to the locals. On the boat, i`ve seen locals working as chefs, waiters and waitress and lastly the sailor. Locals also sell handicraft on the boat. This is one of the way how they provide a living for their family. The natural landforms seen on the boat is also very beautiful. It is not like some artificial landforms made by man.
Lastly the third memorable experience is visiting the thien cung & dua go caves. If i had not visited there, i would not have known that there is such a beautiful caves in the m0untains. Even of i had visited there alone, i would also not know so much about the rocks and who founded it.
Last but not least, I feel that i`m very lucky to be a student in Singapore. If i`m not a Singapore student, i`ll not be able to taste the chances and opportunities given to me by my teachers and the government. I will also not have the chance to experience all this. I realise that failing examinations is already not a big problem. If i fail, i can still work harder to try to get good results. However, there are more serious problems faced by children in the orphanage in Hanoi. They have some kind of disability which no normal people can imagined. But yet they still work hard to prove themselves. Although the journey they encounter is painful and long but if they preserve till the end, they will eventually success and live on a normal life like any of us.

Reflection on my hanoi experience-Jolene.K

Before we touched down to the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. I thought that since its a slightly less developed country than Singapore, it would not have much facilities and shop buildings that are new. However, when i got out of the airport, i was surprised by the cold weather that seems to be constant through out the day.It got one of my friend with a slight flu. I could not get used to the food in the country though, probably i am too used to local food in singapore, nevertheless, i enjoyed some of it.I especially enjoyed the trishaw rides on the first day, however the roads were really crowded with vehicles, mostly of the motorcycles variety. It was probably the first time i fear for my life when crossing roads and in a trishaw.It was very scary. As we roam through the roads, i realised that the wires in the country were everywhere, it is probably why the country doesnt have double-decked buses.The air was also really polluted by the fumes from the vehicles moving.I am surprised that there were shop buildings like ours in singapore, like brand names and all.Overall i think that the trishaw rides is one of my best experience during the trip.






I also particularly like the trip to ha long bay. There was the food i liked=prawns! yay! also there was the scenary which is very visible from the boat. And i took many photos with my friends. The passage to the cave was quite steep, however, we were rewarded by the magnificent sight inside. there were animals features, there was also one that looks like the merlion.


We also visit the hilton prison. I guess this helps us to understand how the prisoners were treated and how they feel.There were also items that were displayed used to torture the prisoners. I am surprised that the females prisoners were also very loyal to their country even if they had been tortured by the french.This make me admire their courage and spirit towards their country.

The last day to the orphanage had been an eye opener for me, the children there look normal but they are really victims to agent orange. I feel a wave of sadness and pity towards them as they could never be able to lead normal lives.But they seem happy with what they have, even if they could never fit to society.

Through this trip i learn to appreciate my parents more, also i learn not to take things for granted at any point in time. To be happy with what i have now and to think myself lucky that i am living in a kind of luxury life since birth. I am grateful that i am born in singapore too. Lastly i want to thank the teachers for such a wonderful time during the four days in vietnam, i have learn quite a few things about geography even though i am a literature student.I would like to say that i would like to visit vietnam again in the future.

Reflection on My Hanoi Experiential Learning – Si Ying

Well, this few days in Hanoi had widened my horizon, through this trip I understand more about Vietnam, its culture and many more.

Before this trip, my impression of Vietnam has been like many other: a Third World Country. I thought that Vietnam was a less developed country. Mental image of a dirty road filled with a heap of rubbish, a contaminated river and numerous depilated and rundown building never failed to appear in my mind whenever Vietnam was mentioned.

However, obviously much of my opinion and impression was proven wrong as the four days trip in Vietnam changed my opinion to a certain extent, it was not as horrible as I imagined out to be. Instead, I find that Vietnam is very much similar to its neighbour country like Thailand and Yunnan in China. Traffic and road system in Vietnam was bad and messy but the unique culture and splendid scenery made up for its disadvantages.

During this four days, there are many wonderful and countless memorable memories and experiences.

So picking up the top three was really difficult, but well... I must say that the cyclo rides was the most unforgettable. On the first day, we sat on the cyclo and tour around the ancient quarters. The ride around the street was exciting, thrilling and dangerous, but that’s what made it exciting. The road was filled with mostly motorcycles, a few bicycle and cars. All the vehicles were moving in different direction on the same road lanes. Furthermore the cyclo was constantly changing direction or path to avoid collision with other vehicle in front. The uneven road practically made the cyclo jump which contribute to the fear or perhaps dangerous factors.

At the same time, we were treated with a fair share of Vietnamese daily lifestyle as the cyclo cycle round the street, through this I have a better idea of Vietnam and its people. Lastly, I had a slight idea of the traffic and road system as every second in the road was filled with drivers honking. This cyclo rides was comparable to a rollercoaster rides and it kind of remind me about racing where every vehicles wanted to reach their destination first, hence overtaking one another and making the road look so cramp.

Cruising to Ha Long Bay to visit Thien Cung and Dau Go Caves is next on my list. Imagine having lunch at breathtaking scenery, it certainly made a different. The experience was like a geography textbook come to life, where the picture of landform was right in front us. Of course, I couldn’t resist the beautiful scenery and snap a few photo and spent a lot of time appreciating and taking in of the scenery. The weather and the scenery made me feel calm and peaceful.

When I stepped in the Dau Go Caves, I was awe by this limestone cave with numerous stalagmites and stalactites. The colourful light lit the cave with a clear view of weathering process form in the cave. The Dau Go Cave remind me of the Jiuxiang Cave in Yunnan which both use colourful light to highlight the process occur and feature formed. Both Ha Long Bay and Dau Go Cave are certainly will not be found in Singapore, I spent most of the time absorbing the fascinating scenery and at the same time learning a lot of these process and formation of the landform. Hence, I have some idea of the beautiful landscape in Vietnam.

The visit to the Hilton Prison and Agent Orange Orphanage shows us the terrible truth of war. We often heard people telling us how horrible it is but we couldn’t understand how terrible it is. Hilton Prison shows it all, the horror of Vietnam War, the torture method use and execution equipment and it also shows the horror of any other war in general. There was an indescribable feeling in me while looking at the information and tools displayed. War was and always cruel, all this killing and humiliation was indescribably cruel. The atmosphere in the Hilton Prison was quite...tensing, and when I peek through the hole, I got nearly frighten out of my wit as I didn’t expect a life size model to be inside the cells. It is this kind of feeling which I suppose they wanted to convey to us about the Vietnam War.

The visit to Agent Orange Orphanage tell us about the after war impact on the second and third generation Vietnamese even after the war was long gone. Agent Orange is a kind herbicide that induces growth of plant which the American soldiers use to kill the board leaf plant so that the Vietnamese soldier couldn’t hide. The children in the orphanage suffer from birth defect and disabilities mostly due to Agent Orange. It was definitely heartbreaking for not only me but many other people as the children were trying to cope with their suffering.

The reason for putting the Hilton Prison and Agent Orange Orphanage together as a third most memorable experience were because both have a common aim of showing the destruction war causes. Hilton Prison shows how the prisoner and victim suffer under the hand of their enemy during the Vietnam War while Agent Orange Orphanage shows the impact of the Vietnamese children and people after the Vietnam War. I believe that the Vietnam was less developed than Singapore due to the huge impact of the Vietnam War which probably affect Vietnam growth and economy.

The trip has taught me to be more independent as I couldn’t depend on my family. Everything has to be done by myself and also learn to control my purse string.

I also learn to appreciate Singapore and my school as in Singapore, the road was safe and not as hectic as in Vietnam and the education system was in such a way that we learn more about other things beside studying the textbook all day long. This Vietnam Trip prove that Singapore educational system is quite creative and not so deadpan as many thought. The trip helps me to understand geography more as reading textbook couldn’t compared to seeing it yourself.

Lastly, I learn to look thing in a different way as this trip help to broaden my view on certain issue and not to be a frog-in-a-well.

Finally, I would like to end this reflection by thanking the school for the organizing the Vietnam Trip, the teacher for preparing the trip and assignment and making this a wonderful and unforgettable trip ever. Our tour guide and not forgetting the driver (who spend a lot of time driving – the three and a half hour ride to Ha Long Bay), and fellow schoolmate and friend for making this enjoyable and fun :D

Reflection On My Hanoi Experiential Learning - Adrian

When we first arrived at Hanoi, my first impressions were that is an undeveloped country, with neither proper toilets nor roads, and that their facilities would be very old and basic. However, i slowly realised that even though vietnam is still developing, it can still be a very good place to live in. As Vietnam was influenced by the french in the past, you can get to see many french-styled buildings there, which shows that not only does Vietnam has Geographical features, it also has Historical features.

The stay in Hanoi had left me with many memorable experiences, one of which was the cyclo ride around Hanoi. The cyclo ride taught me alot about their traffic here in Vietnam. Even though they have traffic lights and pedestrian crossing, they do not really use them. When on the cyclo ride, the traffic is just so cramped! You could just stretch out your hand and touch the motorcycle next to you. I find it quite wierd though, even though the traffic is cramped, no major accidents had happened before, maybe its because of their flexible driving skills. Even though they keep honking at each other, they do not scold foul languages at each other, which shows how compassionate vietnamese are.
Another memorable experience was the trip to Ha Long Bay. While on the ferry, we could see many landforms formed mainly by erosion. Some are headlands, bays and wave cut platforms.

On Ha Long Bay, we get to enter the one of the famous tourist spot in Vietnam, the Dau Go Cave! In the cave was limestones being corroded through solution. The Cave was so big and when the tour guide told us that the limestones would only increase in 1mm of length every year, i wondered how long did it took for the cave to form such a magnificient site!
Last but not least, and the most memorable experience to me was the visit to Agent Orange Orphanage. Previously, the Orphanage only accepts children who suffered from the Agent Orange, now, they also accepted children who are physically or mentally disabled. The Agent Orange could be pass down for generations, and now the Orphanage has 3rd generations who suffered from the Agent Orange. Upon visiting the Orphanage, i finally knew how fortunate i am.

This trip had taught me to be independant, and not to take things for granted, which i have always been doing before. I have also learnt to appreciate everything in Singapore as i do not have to go through any hardships in Singapore.

I would like to thank the teachers, friends and the tour guide(Mr Quynh) for making this such a memorable trip.

Reflection On My Hanoi Experiential Learning - Helina Foo

I didn't think much of Hanoi before I was there. To me, Hanoi was a poverty-stricken country which had yet to flourish, since the majority of Vietnamese are farmers and they don't earn big. The foul-smelling airport and chaotic roads confirmed my belief. However, I soon realized that although the country is developing and there are limited facilities available, Hanoi can be an awesome place to live. I didn't know I would see gorgeous old French-style buildings and endless plantation landscapes. It is such a beautiful country! Well... except for the wires. I think they're called wires. They are so ugly!

Above: Cable wires. They are everywhere.
Below: French-inspired buildings.

One remarkable experience I had was the cyclo ride. Initially I thought it was a trishaw, but Mdm Koh said otherwise. Trishaw is attached to a bicycle and the driver cycle beside you while the driver cycle behind you in a cyclo. I googled it so hopefully it's correct. Like everyone else, I love the cyclo ride! It is so dangerous and can I say 'shiok'? In fact, I think the government should establish an age limit law for riding cyclo or a motorcycle; accidents may occur real easily. I'm kidding. Vehicles are appearing from all four directions as there aren't any traffic lights, they just honk and drive. Pedestrians crossing the roads don't bother with waiting; they simply step out to walk to the other side. The vehicles will automatically slow down for them. Once, I even saw a woman carrying a bowl of piping hot noodles crossing the insane road. I will miss this scene because this will never happen in Singapore.
Another adventure in Hanoi was the visit to Ha Long Bay. Yes, breathtaking scenery with what all those landforms but I preferred the cruise. It felt so cozy cuddling up in the suntan chair witnessing the headlands, bays and wave-cut platforms. It was the dry season when we visited Hanoi, therefore most of the landforms we saw were exposed and it was easy to imagine how the landforms looked in high tide due to the water mark on the rocks. Perhaps when I cruise Ha Long again in the future it wouldn't be as lovely.
Last but not least, we visited an orphanage with victims of Agent Orange. Agent Orange is a chemical used in the Vietnam War and it is deadly. We didn't saw any children with abnormal features in spite of some children having to have their arms and legs stretched so they can walk. It is so melancholy seeing how they wail due to the pain yet they still tried to withstand it. My heart goes out to the volunteers and nurses who gave their time for the children. I always take things for granted. I never bother to appreciate my life or that I have no mental disability. Those poor kids! They are so young and innocent, yet they have to be affected by the effects of Agent Orange. I cannot believe they accepted their life and tolerate pain.

Both pictures: Ha Long Bay.
Below: The Fighting Roosters.

One important thing I learned from this trip is that everybody's different. I know it's odd to learn something like that. Some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and never lift a finger to do anything, while some people were born into an underprivileged family with disabilities and had to work hard all their lives. We just have to accept our lives and live it, not abuse it or whine about it. Not only that, we also have to accept other people for who they are and respect them for it.
I also learned to adapt to new surroundings. In Hanoi, the weather is dry and chilly unlike the humid and blazing hot weather of Singapore. It may be tough trying to adjust to new living conditions and not able to drink straight from the tap, but it is necessary we adapt because in the future we might work in foreign countries and we need to be independent.
In addition, I also want to really appreciate my life and be thankful that I have awesome parents, teachers and schoolmates. I'm grateful that I don't have to bear the consequences of any war, and I should lend a helping hand to the people who are in need. Thank you to the five lovely teachers for making this trip successful. And thanks to my classmates too! :)

Reflection on My Hanoi Experiental Learning - Mustaqim Bin Hasif

You know upon arriving in the Hanoi airport i straight away knew that it is a less developed country and i knew that it is very different from Singapore. At the airport i think we waited for like about 20 minits before we got all our luggage. I thought that it was going to be a normal boring overseas trip but i was wrong as i felt my heart beating faster as i saw our tour guide and i thought that it is going to be fun as he looks confident about the places that he is going to show us. So we went to change some of our US money into Vietnam dong. When the guide ask us to wear our jacket i thought that it could not be too cold but i was wrong, as soon as the doors open i felt the cold wind outside the airport. When we were on the bus i saw tube houses and alot of motorcycles, speaking of this during the trip i never saw any incident happen which was quite strange as the traffic there was quite messy and they do not follow the law but maybe they only need their common sense to help them guide their way. Maybe this is how my impression of Hanoi change. Now my impression of Hanoi is that it is a country where you can learn many wonderful things from if you came from a developed country.

As we were on the bus on our way to lunch i saw many padi fields which was amazing as we cannot find this in Singapore. My most memorable experiences there was how cold the weather was as when i wore a jacket i still felt the cold breeze, How special the temple of literature was to them (it is called that because behind the temple there is a university), and how they truly respect their past heroes by praying to them. This are my 3 most memorable experiences that i treasure when i came back to Singapore.

I learn that i need to do well in my studies and get a good job in the future not only for Singapore but for the whole world as a single person can make a big difference to the world. I also learn that not ever country is like Singapore, peaceful and developed, as there are also country which are less developed but the people are living a happy life. Lastly, i learn that Singapore is helping Vietnam to developed by buying their materials which is a good thing as both country will develop.

Lastly, what i want to say is that i will miss the cold weather and the environment there as the people is very loving.

Reflection on my Hanoi Experiental Learning - Nur Syahidati

When the teachers told us that we were going to Hanoi, the capital of vietnam i assume that the places will be filled with tall shopping centre and etc. But i was wrong. When we first arrive in the city, the capital was filled with tube-like buildings. the wires were entangled and could be seen hanging from the ground. The weather was extremely cold for me and i woke up every morning sneezing non stop. Thank you jolene and hui qi for all those tissues. Hanoi felt like a third world country. But as the days went pass, i discover that the country's way of life is very simple. Unlike singapore that has a stressful lifestyle. Most of the vietnamese uses scooters to get to and fro. On the first day, i felt scared by the motorists as when we were on the trishaw, the motorists were honking and some of them nearly crush into the trishaw.But then i found out that their honking meant "excuse me" in a polite manner although i could not accept that fact. It might be because in Singapore it carry a totally different meaning.





(look at the distance between the trishaw on the righthand side and the motorist)

If i have another opportunity to go to Hanoi, i will definitely go on the cruise to Ha Long Bay.
The scenery was exceptionally beautiful. I had a wonderful experince there taking photos and learning how all these places were formed.




The visit to the Hilton Prison had revealed to us the tortures that was used by the french on the vietnamese. I am really amazed by their courage and am indeed surprised at their loyalty for their country. Although being kept in a dark room and did not know of what their future holds for them, they refuses to budge to give away any information to the French.

The visit to the orphange had left an impact on me. It was really sad to young kids at the age of 2 or 3 years old couldn't walk or stand. There were therapists helping them but they were crying and just seemed pitiful and helpless.

During this trip, i have learned never to take things for granted . I am really grateful that Singapore does not have the weather that Hanoi have. I also discover that one should not take advantage of the facilities that one have. I am just grateful that i was born healthy. I would like to thank the teachers for giving us such a memorable time. Lastly, i would like to say that Vietnam is a wonderful country.

Reflection Of Hanoi By JunJie

Yes Yes i know,its late and im on the computer. Its bad for me i presume? Anyway,the trip to Hanoi was full of big bang of exciting activities and experiences.For my first impression of Hanoi, i first thought that Hanoi was an undeveloped country whereby its more to what it is like in the 19th century of Singapore,but it prove me wrong as the days goes by as i can see construction of buildings and shopping centres which told me that Hanoi is not as undeveloped as i thought, U could say that they are catching up to how a developed country is like.

During my stay at Hanoi it has taught me lots of things and left a lot of memorable experiences in me, one such experience was the trishaw ride around the streets of Hanoi which i rate it as TOTALLY AWESOME! It surprises me a lot, though that the traffic was heavy and cramped but the cars and motors gave way to each other despite the unorganised traffic movements,when a car or motor honked at U do not be shocked as it is something like 'excuse me coming through~!' (correct me if im wrong though). It gave me an impression that they are very flexible at driving as they do not bang onto each other's vehicle nor any pedestrians which i was going like 'Wooooaah! this is some great driving skills!' (gotta learn that when im legal to drive).From this, they have taught me how road courtesy is important in managing the movement of traffic other than keep honking on the road. To me it was fun as U don't get to do something like that in Singapore now.Now If U try something like that in Singapore im afraid U might get a knocking down experience to the hospital rather than a fun and thrilling experience. (Touch Wood Though).

Another example was a boat trip to the Ha Long Bay (I spelt it correctly right?), by the way i was trying to upload some pictures for display but well the uploading was like forever so never mind. I encourage all who have the intention to visit Hanoi to take a boat trip to the Ha Long Bay. the scenery was more beyond what words could describe it, when i look at them i felt at ease and relaxed, free from the troubles of the world (but there is no such thing as U can escape from the troubles of the world), I bet that U couldn't see something like that in Singapore can you?

There was another experience that dealt a great impact on me during the stay at Hanoi, which was the visit to the Hilton Prison whereby it was once where the Vietnamese prisoners were locked in, It was in fact shocking as they showcase how the prisoners were tortured and what are some of the methods that is being use for execution. The methods used for execution was brutal and the methods used to torture prisoners were cruel, i was wondering if the people who are killing and torturing the prisoners are even human. However there are prisoners who managed to escape the prison and also from the suffering.

I am fortunate to be a Singaporean ( thats who i am and where i grew up) as Singapore is a peaceful country whereby there is no conflict within the nation and i need not go through hardships like what the Vietnamese prisoners did. After what i experience in Hanoi and compare it with Singapore. I learnt how to not take things for granted as the things that i took for granted was very important that one is fortunate to have it.

In conclusion i think that this trip to Hanoi was worth the time and eventful, i would like to thank the teachers and the tour guide (Mr Quynh) who has participated in this trip as long as all the other students as well. It was indeed an interesting trip that has spiced up my holidays.

Reflection on My Hanoi Experiential Learning - Onesia

My first impression of Hanoi was that it is a undeveloped country and has only some basic facilities available. I thought that Hanoi was like the olden days of Singapore whereby it is still undeveloped and there are many forested areas around. However, my impression of Hanoi has changed after spending 4 days there. Although Hanoi is not a developed country, but it is a developing country. You can find shops and houses along the roads. They even have shopping centers and a university there.

During my days in Hanoi, i experienced many different things. Some of these experiences are so memorable that i would not forget for the rest of my life. One of it is the visit to the Hilton Prison. At Hilton Prison, you can see how cruel the french were as they tortured the prisoners by giving them little food and water. They even locked them up in a room, and chained their legs. The room is often overcrowded. The second memorable experience is the visit to Ha Long Bay. At Ha Long Bay, there are many different formation of rocks. They are formed by continuation erosional processes. We also get to visit the Dau Go Cave; It was a magnificent sight. There are many rock structures that are formed over thousands of years. Another memorable experience is the visit to Agent Orange Orphanage. Most of the children there are victims of the agent orange. I think that they are very pitiful as they had to suffer alot because of the vietnam war.

I think that i'm very lucky to be a Singaporean as i do not need to go through wars and hardships like the vietnamese people. I learnt that i have to cherish what i have now and not to take it for granted.

Overall, this trip to Hanoi has been a fruitful trip. It had widen my knowledge of Hanoi.

Last but not least, i wish to thank all the teachers who accompanied us to this trip to Vietnam. I hope i can get to visit Vietnam again.

Reflection on my Hanoi Experiental Learning-Xue Ting

Located near the river, Vietnam has very fertile lands and
are mostly involved in primary industry, farming. It has
been known as the second biggest exporter of rice in the
world.Unlike Singapore, they don’t use high-tech farming
but animals like ox to plot their farm. These traditional
farming requires a lot of hard work from them.

Vietnamese live in overcrowding houses which goes up
to mostly fourth-storey high.

Vietnam has a chaotic traffic with vehicles zooming across
recklessly. Their mode of transport is mostly motorcycles.

The noise pollution from the motorcycles is deafening.

These are the common sights I had seen in Vietnam

which left me the impression that it is not as developed.

But after all these days, I saw the fighting spirit in the

Vietnamese. Undaunted by Vietnam War,they have

been trying to develop by all means. They hope that

other countries like Singapore would cooperate and

invest in their products. They also have been setting

goals for themselves such as developing the country

successfully by 2020. This is something that we,

Singaporeans should learn from. Never give up!

Getting to know more about Vietnam is not just looking

at the roads or houses in Vietnam. During these four days,

we visited some historical as well as geographical features

in Vietnam.

Sitting on the coach to Ha Long Bay area was a thrilling

and fun-filled experience. I had seen many interesting

geographical features such as the stacks, sea cliffs, shore

platforms, headlands and bays. Seeing it with my own eyes

was different from seeing it in the textbook. It was incredibly

amazing that water can shape these landforms so beautifully.

This is one of the famous tourist spot in Vietnam, the Dau Go

Caves. Limestone is being corroded through the process

solution forming such magnificent caves.I just can’t keep

my eyes off it!

It was the first time I visited a prison. It had a historical
significance for the Northern Vietnamese as it was used

by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners

and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during

the Vietnam War. Here, they displayed information on

how the French tortured and interrogated the prisoners

by rope bindings, irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary

confinement. It was a tough time for them.

Through these four days, I get to know more about

Vietnam as I immersed myself into their rich historical

and geographical features. I also learnt many life-saving

skills. Being in a foreign country, I had to learn to be

independent such as managing my own time, managing

my own spending and taking care of my own safety.

Moreover, I realized that being a student in Singapore is

really fortunate. Unlike Vietnam, It is safe in Singapore,

with videos cameras almost everywhere and police stations

just a mile away. We have all the facilities we want, such as

proper sewage system, proper sanitation. We don’t have to

worry about the hygiene in Singapore. However, we should

not take things for granted but appreciate everything we

have now, our homeland, Singapore.

Going to a new place
Learning new things
Meeting new people

Thank teachers, fellow travelers, and tour guide for making this came true :D

Reflection on My Hanoi Experiential learning- Angeline Chua

The four days trip to vietnam, Hanoi was an eye opener to me. It has changed my impression of Hanoi. At first, I thought Hanoi was undeveloped. When we reached the Hanoi airport, my impression of Hanoi was still unchanged. There was a strong and unbearable smell at the airport. Which made me thought that Hanoi must be very dirty and I had second thoughts of going to the toilet at the airport. The impression of how the housing looks like did change. Their housing was about 4 stories high and was closely packed together.
Most of the people there own a motor instead of cars. The motorist there made me thought that they do not care about their safety as they just cut each others lane and do not stop at traffic if there is no predestrian crossing the road. Before we go to our hotel, we had a trishaw ride. It was very fun. However at times I was frightened that the motorists would knock into me.
When we arrived at the I was surprised to see that there is computer for us to use freely with internet available. As I said I thought that Hanoi was undeveloped, which means that they would not have computer, but I was wrong. Hanoi had all the natural resources that they needed. So afterall I do not think that Hanoi is undeveloped.
During the 4 days, we visited many places that was unfogettable. One of the places was the Ha Long Bay. Before we reached Hanoi this is one of the places that I was looking forward to visit. Based on the picture that our teachers gave us showed me that this place is very beautiful. And it was indeed very beautiful. I had a good time on the cruise. The scenery there was unfogettable. We travelled on the cruise to Dau Go Caves which is a limestone cave. Climbing up the stairs to the cave was very tiring but after seeing the cave, all the tiredness did paid off. The trip along the Ha Long Bay thought me a lot about how these landforms were formed. And I believed that I was very satisfied.
Another place that was unforgettable was agent orange orphanage. I saw it with my own eyes how the children are suffering. In the past this orphanage only aceepted children who are suffering from agent orange but now, they also accepted children who are suffering from mental and physical disability. My mother always tell me that I am very fortunate yet I still take things for granted. Now seeing them in such pain made me realised that I should not take things for granted.
I had learned a lot of things. At the Hanoi University, I learned about the Vietnam economic and enviroment development from the professors. Unlike Singapore the students there do not have their own table. They have a long stratch of table shared by about 6 people( I think). I also learned that why Singapore traffic is organised is because the traffic rules in Singapore is very strict. In Singapore we are considered very fortunate as we had all the nessities that we needed. In Singapore I took many things for granted eg. my teachers. When we are there the teachers were busy preparing for our everyday trip when they are already very tired. So I think that it was the teacher who made these trip a success.
Thanks to: Mdm Wee, Mdm Koh, Miss Lim, Mdm Tami, Miss Ong. And our tour guide, Mr Quynh.

Reflection on My Hanoi Experiential Learning- Angeline Ong

The trip to Hanoi has really been an unforgettable and eye-opening experience for me.

When I heard that Vietnam is a third world country, I thought that the hygiene standard of the country will be very poor and there will be no proper toilets. However, it was better than I expected, there are proper flushing systems like what we have in Singapore. On the other hand, the Vietnamese are very traditional and backward in terms of transportation and dressing. For example, cows and buffalos were seen on the roads and this is the scene that Singapore was 60 years ago. Straw hats were worn by the citizens and goods were carried on their shoulders as seen in the picture below.

One of the most memorable experiences that I had was the trishaw ride. It is where I got to look around the Ancient Quarters of Hanoi and know more about how the Vietnamese lead their lives. As it was the peak hour, many scooters/motorbikes were seaming through the small passageway. Due to the polluted air, many of them had masks on.

There are no directional signs on the road, it is pretty scary to cross it as cars are coming in all directions yet thrilling as we will never get to experience this in Singapore. While travelling on the trishaw, I saw barbers along the street, it is rather surprising as they do not have a proper salon.

The other memorable experience that I had was the cruise ride on Ha Long Bay to the Dau Go Caves, I had always looked forward to it as I saw the pictures on the handbook. Indeed, the view was breathtaking. It’s really amazing how nature can form such beautiful landforms.

Finally, the trip to Agent Orange Orphanage was really heart wrenching. Looking at the innocent children suffering from the effect of war, it reminded me of my grand parents and how they have suffered during the Japanese occupation in Singapore. It’s even more heartbreaking to witness one of the children crying because of the pain she’s experiencing during physiotherapy. War was indeed ruthless and we should advance peace in mankind. Making the world a better place to live in.

I really felt very fortunate to be living in a country where I do not need to worry about our safety, about the cleanliness of food etc. Being in a foreign country without my parents around was quite a challenge as I depend a lot on them. But during the 4 days trip, I’ve learnt to be more independent and to manage my own spending. It also taught me to be grateful for what I have and to cherish the things and people around me.

Of course, I’d like to thank the teachers who organised and guided us throughout this trip—Ms Ong, Mdm Wee, Mdm Koh, Mdm Tami and Ms Lim. Not forgetting our tour guide-Mr Quynh! :D