Group 1

Hello, we are Group 1 !

Our members are:

Chi Han, Saifana, Drolma, Shun Ren and Cynthia!

Join us on this fantastic Vietnam Learning Journey!

Pre-trip post

3rd November (Friday):

We began our SHOPPING SPREE, and searched HIGH and LOW while keeping a look out for UNIQUE and SPECIAL gifts that represents Singapore to give to the students at Hong Ha Secondary School in Vietnam as a TOKEN OF APPRECIATION for hosting us at their school.

 Right after the school bell rang, we dashed to Chinatown, in search of souvenirs which are cheap yet meaningful. Although we ourselves are Singaporeans, we were clueless about directions and nearly gotten ourselves LOST in this small country 😱. Luckily we got the help of our phones and we managed to our destination. 

 With a budget of only $50, we had to be cautious on what we spend on and plan our finances well. We visited various stores to check and compare the prices of their items. Despite the hotband sweltering heat, we were determined to continue searching for gifts. We knew our efforts paid off when we found some unique wooden magnets some elegant looking pens as individual gifts. As for our group gift, we bought many snacks such as the Merlion biscuits. Well, I mean who doesn’t like to get loads of FREE FOOD?

      Arguing over what to buy                        These are the goods we got for our BUDDIES

    After SCAVENGING and  BARGAINING for the souvenir at Chinatown, we decided to roam the stress of Bugis in searching for more goods, upon arriving, we realised that our decision on buying the stuff at Chinatown was RIGHT, as most of the items at Bugis are typical items but yet much more costly. We felt like we striked the iron while it is hot and really made good use of our budget

   LOTS of DISAGREEMENT

  Afterwards, we decided to take the East West Line down to Lavender to find some nice wrapping paper. We ended up grocery shopping and we’re overwhelmed and distracted  by the scrumptious food on display even though we didn’t buy them. As we were about to leave, at the corner of our eyes, we saw a craft shop selling wrapping products. When we went in, the price was RIDICULOUSLY affordable that we had to buy it! We paid for some gifts bag and left Lavender,satisfied and took the train back to Toa Payoh to get some Gem Biscuits as one of the souvenirs. It reminded us of our
 biting off the icing candy(gem) on top of the biscuit and neglecting the biscuits but ‘treasuring’ the gem. What a gem of our childhood days!

                          Hunting For FOOD                                 Precious Gems                 

     

Once Cynthia reached Drolma’s house, they IMMEDIATELY started packing the gifts into the irresistibly adorable (yet affordable!)  gift bags, and were ready in a flash to be given off to our group buddies. They took it further to show our appreciation by writing a small note for each gift and neatly

packing them into the bags. 

                    The Individual Gift                                      Our Leaders packing them nicely

6th of November(Monday):

Our Group Leaders, Drolma and Cynthia, went on a trip to search for more gifts as we realised that the group gifts is actually for the whole class and not for the group of buddies.😱They managed to find something within  our tight Budget as we had about $6 left only.

                                                                        Our Childhood snacks

 

 

Day 1

The Start of our TRIP

   We crawled off the bed at the wee hours of the day, dragged our luggages all the way from home to school. Boarded the bus, and proceeded on to the airport. we checked in at 7.45 and made our way in search for Macdonalds to have our breakast but, the airport was like a maze and lost our way AGAIN. Walking in circles and eventually ended up in 7-eleven.




   We boarded the plane and enjoyed our 2 hours flight and had our delicious in-flight meal. When we landed in Ho Chi Minh Airport, there was a delay of 30MINS and we were bored to death. When we FINALLY got off the plane, we waited or another 30 minutes to cross immigration, this proves that the airport is less efficient than our FABULOUS CHANGI AIRPORT. This made us realize that we are so fortunate that we have a efficient and wonderful airport and we should not complain that it is too big and confusing.



  When we reached our restaurant for our lunch,that was a whole table of feast waiting for our FAMISHED TUMMY. We diggeed in and played around or game to see who shall finish all the leftover. Chi Han forced eveyone to finish the food and we managed to do it with a LARGE TUMMY.
 




  We took a 2 hours bus ride all the way from the resturant to the Minh Long Ceramic Showroom to try out hand painting our own ceramic plate, we wondered in the shop to look for some INTERESTING ceramic figurine and watched a 30 mins long movie about the process of creatining the ceremic products.




  We then took a  2hours 30 mins( FULL OF JAMS!!!!!!) to the city to have our our INTERUPTED DINNER(all thanks to the nose pollutants across our tables) But we still enojoyed our delicious meal.



  Then we took the bus AGAIN and to our surpise there was a road block inront o our hotels so the bus went round and round the hotel and eventually resorted to DRAGGING our laggauges and our lethargic body all the way to the hotel.

  AND THATS OUR DAY

hope u enjoyed it.

 

DAY 2
The day to get Dirty and Traditional

   At 5.30am, a room call wakes all of us up, and we dragged our bodies all the way to the dinning area to find a whole spread of breakfast(BUFFET) and boarded the bus at 7am. It was a rush and busy morning.


We left our beautiful hotel and head towards the Cai Be village to take a motorised boat to see the different local industries.

us enjoyin the view and breeze



Firstly, we headed to the rice paper making industry to look at how they create those paper-thin rice paper. We found out that they actually soak the rice and grin them into liquid form and and dry them, there are machine to help speed up the job.

Drying of the rice paper
M



Drying o the Rice noodle                         

The Machine that helps dry the rice paper




Next we took the boat and head over to a crispy rice cake and coconut candy workshop to look at the HARD WORK placed beside a cube of candy and the TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT placed behind a bar of rice crispy cake. One interesting fact that we found is that the products used to create those DELICIOUS snack are mostly recycle(Logan husk as fuel to make fire, sand from the Mekong river to heat up the rice). If you think that that is all that they can do to minimize wastage, you are WRONG, the by-products created are also recycled by using them as fertilizers or food for the animals.

Rice crispy fresh out of the wok                               The caramel that hold all the rice crispy together

The Last workshop that we visited is the mudfish catching workshop which allows us to get close to nature by going into the mud to catch some mudfish, many of us got dirty and realised that we DID NOT PREPARE ANOTHER CLEAN SET OF CLOTHES. But at the end of the day we had TREMENDOUS fun(Many of us got stuck in the mud and had to have a group of people pulling us out of the 'Quick sand' through this we managed to bond a bit more. It was one of the highlights of the day.



After playing a round of 'hide and seek' with the mudfish, we wash ourselves clean and boarded the boat to head back to the mainland, a surprise that we got is a bunch if COCONUT to ensure that we r hydrated. Then we took a 1 hour bus ride to have our lunch.


We went to have SEAFOOD at a fancy and nice restaurant where we had the "dinosaur egg", the elephant fish and the Vietnamese spring roll. Lunch was awesome. We finished EVERYTHING on the table as we were 'famished' after a whole day of fun activities.

The DINOSAUR EGG




After the Lunch we took a 3hours bus ride back to Ho Chi Minh City to get some stuff for the orphanage visit tomorrow, we got diapers, milks and many more daily needs. Once all the items are gathered, we headed to our dinner location to have our dinner, it was SCRUMPTIOUS and we realised how fourturned we are as compared to others.


After our meal we have to SQUEESE THROUGH THE CROWDS to reach the night market or our final shopping or the day, it was SPECTAULAR as there was may food, clothes and sourviners to get, we showed off our bargaining skills and got many good deal.



Today was both FUN and TIRING or most of us, we get to learn more about the culture o the vienamise and realised how fourture we are and now we are more apprecitive for what we have and not complain what we do not have.

THAT IS OUR DAY

HOPE YOU ENJOY

DAY 3

The day to crawl back in time

It’s our 3rd day in Vietnam!! How We wish time passed slowly:(. Anyway , we woke up at 6am, filled with tremendous energy. We ate breakfast at the hotel and the food was fabulous. What a perfect way to start the day !

We then took a 2 hour bus ride to our very first destination. The Cu Chi Tunnels!!! It was the tunnels created by the clever Vietnam soldiers when they were at war with the USA. We first watched a video presentation and understood the map of the city, in which the tunnels were created. Then shockingly, a VETERAN of the war came to the front and told us firsthand his personal feelings and experiences when he was a soldier involved in the Vietnam war with the USA. We were then able to ask the VETERAN himself, our extremely curious questions. Unfortunately, we were behind schedule and could not finish asking our questions. Next we went to personally experience and see for ourselves the Cu Chi tunnels and its different features like the shooting hole and the air ventilation used for them to fight the USA and to breathe underground
. We were also able to go through a long way of the tunnels in order to understand better the lives of the soldiers underground. After we finished, our legs were extremely sore and tired. However we were all glad to be able to experience this once in a life time opportunity. When we were on board the bus again to go for our lunch,we were still extremely impressed with the tunnels. Example , how the soldiers were able to travel underground and live in them.

The resting spot for the worn out soldiers



The cross section of the Cu Chi Tunnel

Lunch was the local cuisine and it was fantastic! What a way to replenish our low energy!!

            LUNCH NOM NOM NOM                                                           You want a salad bowl?

Still behind schedule, we rushed to a orphanage that was not supported by the government but by a 80 year old woman who accepts children that are affected by the radiation due to the inheritance of their parents. The moment we stepped into the orphanage, our feelings were solemn. We carried the things we brought for them and gave them to the owners as a little act of kindness.We then walked around the orphanage just once because we were rushing for time to go to our next destination. However, that one round made all of us remain quiet and reflect on ourselves. The children were physically,some mentally affected by the radiation caused by the chemicals from the war that were passed down atleast 3 generations. They slept in metal bed frames, still young to understand the sad situation that they were in. When we saw this sight, we felt bad for them as well as ourselves. Why? Felt bad for them as they were unfortunately chosen by god to be the less fortunate beings. Felt bad for ourselves as we realised how fortunate we are currently but we are not grateful for them, something that other people might be trying
their very best to attain.

We were then back on the bus to go to our next destination ; which is the war remnant mueseum. Our ride was 2 hours long , again. So we used the time to sleep and rest our body in order to refuel our energy.

Upon arrival, we saw many aircrafts,military tanks and firearms of the military. It was a ‘wow’ sight! The museum is 3 stories high, each floor containing very different information compared to the previous one. When we had finished all the exhibitions, we realized the importance of avoiding a war with another country.

                                                              

                                                               
Dinner(SPICY!!!!)

Overall, for today, we got an eye-opening of the world and the past that we did not get to experience before. If we were given an opportunity to gain more knowledge of past or current world events that had a huge impact on the world, we will definitely grab it again!

HOPE YOU ENJOY OUR DAY

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING OUR DAY

 DAY 4 

The day to make NEW RIENDS!!!!

Another day another adventure. We woke up nice and early, had our breakfast at the hotel and boarded the bus and proceeded on to our first destination for the day ; Hong Ha School. We left the hotel feeling extremely hyped up and enthusiastic.

When we reached the school, we were greeted with friendly smiles and open arms. The programme started off with a speech from the vice principal. After which, we shared a little bit about Guangyang Secondary School. Soon after, we were able to experience how their classes are like. It was definitely carried out in a different manner from singapore classes. Next up was our favourite segment, the games! We had a very fun time explaining to them and coaching them in the games. We also prepared some prizes for them for winning the them. We were glad that many of the vietnamese students enjoyed what we prepared for them. To end the programme, we had a photo taking session with the students and staff. Although it was only a couple
 of hours that we spent there, we all made really good friends and none of us had the heart to leave. Eventually, we bid our good byes with heavy hearts and proceeded onto our next destination.

                                                       Us with our cute and beloved buddy

LUNCH TIME

                                                                Some traditional food

Our second adventure of the day was A COFFEE WORKSHOP! We were a few metres away from the doorstep of the workshop but we could already smell the heavenly aroma of coffee. We were immediately drawn to it and we were desperate to see how it is processed and how it tastes. We got to experience first hand how the coffee beans are made into coffee powder. From the roasting to grinding, powdering and packaging. It was truly a remarkable experience. We were already very happy to have had the chance to experience this. However, little did we know what was in store for us. A taste of the marvelous coffee ofcourse!  The coffee was sooooo delicious that even a person who dislikes coffee, will love it from the first sip of the
cup. It was sooo good that we could drink it all day. Then we found out, that there was no need to do that. Why? We could purchase it straight from the shelf, nice and fresh. Also, we found out that the coffee was only exported to Russia. Which means, its rare to get it elsewhere but we could get it for a cheap price but great quality. This coffee experience is definitely one of our favourites from this trip!

                                                                The door of the shop

                                  coffee beans being roasted                    Raw coffee beans

After the shopping trip, we went on to out last destination; The Water Puppet Show. The water puppet show was interesting and even though it was in vietnamese, we could understand the basic story line. It was truly intetesting and we were in awe looking at the way the puppets moved with such synchronisation. It really got to us how much of practice and rehearsals they must have done to be behind the curtains but still be able to control the puppets with precision.

The outer view                                                            The part where the dragn SHOOTS FIRE

HOPE YOU ENJOY OUR DAY
THANKS FOR READING

DAY 5

The day to say Tạm biệt
Việt Nam

  Today is the day we’re leaving Vietnam. We felt delighted and relieved, but also upset and reluctant because when we first came, we missed home and longed to go back, but yet, we were excited to see what this 5 Days 4 Nights Trip would bring us to.

    Unfortunately, today began with something we never expected would happen— losing the precious laptop that doesn’t belong to us! We were extremely anxious and curious where the laptop has gone to. Some students started the “blame game”. Others, together with the Teachers began searching high and low while groups were completing their booklets and setting a meeting day. Lo and Behold, it was found in the bus, laying there on the overhead baggage compartment. After knowing that this incident we learnt our lesson to be more responsible, aware and not to blame others but try to resolve any issues together. We let out a sigh of relief and some, guilt, and headed downstairs to board the bus to check in at the airport.

    On the way to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, we drove past the majestic Cathedral and post office, and were still amazed by its beauty.

    We checked in as a group at the airport. This was my first time seeing my luggage pass through the luggage check point! We were excited and crowded along the line.

    Since we had time to spare, we headed to stroll around the area and tried to finish spending our money. We went to Burger King to grab a quick snack and we saw our Teachers. Hence, we decided to leave when they leave too, to avoid being late (hehehe).

    After we were done gobbling up our meal, Mr He came over and we toured around the airport as a group. As expected, the items ranging from even a bottle of water to souvenirs and food were very pricey, and we felt that it was a waste of money even though we were trying to finish spending.

  We then sat down and shared our stories with each other. Then the announcement was made that our flight was delayed. So, other than chatting, we decided to play with some apps such as Boomerang and Snapchat for filters to kill time. We saw our teacher, Mdm Rozainah, ‘living life to the fullest’ while she takes a nap with her adorable, INDISPENSABLE Winnie the Pooh neck rest. Oh, how we wish we could be as relaxed that moment!

   She then called for History students to take a group picture and a Boomerang before boarding.

  On the plane, most of us sat with students from our school, while I sat beside a total stranger, alone, FOR THE FIRST TIME. I was nervous, of course, but I’m glad that she was friendly.
                                 Flying up in the sky like a free bird

   After an hour and a half, we landed in Singapore, and were on our way to immigration point. As a Singaporean, I would definitely prefer to do self-check ins at the immigration point. However, I was stuck and had to be referred to the counter nearby. Thank goodness, we were able to cross the immigration point after the help we received from the officer. We felt very grateful that we received help.

    We collected our baggage and took the last group photo before boarding the bus to send us back to school. 

   There it is, we reached and thought— Ah, Home Sweet Home. Right then, there was nothing better than knowing that we arrived safely, and home is still the best place to be.
                                    The final group picture

HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS TRIP 

AND THANKS FOR READING