Group 2

Hi there, we are Group 2

Our members are

Qi Heng, Charlotte, Yan Ping, Jolie and Gwyneth Yeong!

Join us on our Vietnam Learning Journey!

Day 0: Pre-trip Preparation!

We went to ION Orchard’s Daiso to get the bulk of our items for the individual and group gifts at only $2. We then proceeded to go to Bugis Street to shop for some Singaporean souvenirs and we ended up with some traditional snacks and pens!

We then had lunch together and packed all of the individual gifts into goodie bags.

  

What are some difficulties we faced?



At first, some of us didn't know one another and after this outing, we started talking and eventually bonded with one another. Another difficulty was when we couldn't decide what unique souvenirs would accurately represent Singapore while being original and different from the other groups.

How did we solve these difficulties?
We all worked together to decide on different souvenirs we thought would best represent Singapore as well as including some "hands-on" gifts for the Vietnamese students.

Day 1: First impressions of Ho Chi Minh

On the first day we assembled at Guangyang Secondary School at 6am. We were extremely excited and couldn't wait to go as this is the first time for many of us to travel to Vietnam. We travelled to Changi airport, where we boarded SQ 178 to fly off to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! We also managed to enjoy a lovely brunch a thousand metres above the ground. Once we were back to ground level, we were introduced to our tour guide. He was a very patient man who taught us many things about Vietnam such as the history of the 30 year long war that happened there. We also had a delicious lunch in a local halal resturant. We rated the food there 10/10 (would eat there again!).

After our bodies were refueled with energy, we travelled to Minh Long 1 Ceramics Showroom, a place where plenty of high quality and expansive porcelain ware were displayed. We even got a chance to design our very own customized procelain plate with paint! After our hands were tired from painting, we sat back and relaxed to watch a film on the many processes of producing procelain ware. We wrapped up the day with a long drive back to the city, and also a big, hearty dinner at another halal restuarant. My friends and I were mouthing down spoonful after spoonful of mouth-watering food (another 5 stars from Yelp!). After our bellies were filled to the brim, we left for the hotel for a good night's sleep to recharge our batteries for another fun-filled day tomorrow!

Day 2

Starting our day with by enjoying a wonderful hotel buffet..

 Otw to the Mekong Delta River...

When we reach the Mekong River side, we boarded a boat. the boat was very spacious and all the students was able to board the boat , it even had a toilet and lifevest. Not only so the service on the boat was amazing as there was a tour guide where she told us about our surrounding and hence we were able to understand the surrounding better. Along the way fruits and drinks was provided to us as well.

Secondly we went to the place where rice crispy was made. we were able to know what it was made out of and the process of the making of rice crispy .
Thirdly we went to see the making of rice cake. We were able to see the steps and taste the food produced on the spot . To me it was a experience i didnt really try before and i know if i was there alone with my family i would not have understand the difficulties in making it.

 At the muddy field we were given a chance to experience the catching of mud fish. Tho it was chaotic and dirty we took up the challenge and we enjoyed the experience .we are more than willing to try it again

Lastly, some of us was asked to help out and purchase the items to give to the orphanage by going to the supermarket in vietnam. it was very crowded and it was pretty big. the things that we bought are basic needs such as diapers, milk and toiletries.

Day 3: 

After we had our breakfast buffet at the hotel , we proceeded to the Cu Chi Tunnels.we had to walk through the forest before arriving at the entrance of the cu chi tunnel.the Vietcong was based during the Vietnam war. We managed to have a tour inside the tunnel system. The tunnels are very narrow and dark .

We had a chance to go through the tunnel which was a different experience for us.through this experience we managed to have a better understanding of what the viet kong been through during the war.the tunnel was so narrow that we had to crouched down to walk through.

Here is the short video of how the bamboo trap looks like. The bamboo trap was one of the method used to capture the US soldiers.

We went to deliver the products to the orphanage, at the same time we were able to see the orphans who suffered from the agent orange. The effects of agent orange caused the people to be unable to live their life normally.although some of us was scared at first ,but we still mustered our courage to interact with them. This made us feel sad seeing the orphans being locked as if they are prisons. An important lesson we took away was that we should apprciate what we have and not take things for granted.we should make good use of the opportunities we have.

We went to a halal restaurant to have our lunch.

Next , we proceed to the war remnant museum where we are able to have a better understanding of ehat happened during the war.

Trace of large bomb

A child lost both legs . He was injured on the way from school due to a missle of a fighter aircraft.

Victim of unexploded bomb.this person's son died while he was cutting forage and the sickle hit a bomb, activating it.

Child victims of agent orange

Little viet. He was born in 1981 , with his conjoined twin brother Duc in kontum,central of vietnam. Duc died in 2007 due to deterioration.

Little Phuc. The US forces sprayed a large amount of agent orange so as to easily defect the fetus.

We went for dinner.

Day 4:

After a tasty breakfast, we proceeded to Hong Ha Secondary School for one of the highlights of the trip: the cultural exchange.

There, we were warmly welcomed by the Vietnamese students and after a short english lesson with them, we got to teach them how to play numerous traditional Singaporean games.

In just a few hours, we had made many new friends from the school! We were able to present them the gifts we spent weeks preparing during our pre-trip preparation. Our hardwork paid off, as the students recieved the gifts with huge smiles on their faces.







But we eventually had to leave for our next destination. We exchanged social media details, promised to keep in touch and took many photos. And with a heavy heart, we bid each other farewell and waved goodbye from the bus windows as we travelled to get lunch.





A quick lunch later, we travelled to our next destination: Nam Son Coffee Workshop. Over at the coffee workshop, we had a chance to witness how coffee beans are roasted. In addition, we enjoyed the best coffee we had ever tasted. We even bought some coffee powder to take back home for our families to enjoy some.

To our biggest surprise, our teachers promised us an additional shopping trip! We were jumping for joy as we scrambled around the marketplace, doing some last-minute shopping.








With new goodies in our hands, we proceeded to Golden Dragon Theatre. There, we were able to sit back and watch the internationally well-known water puppet show. We laughed as we watched the puppeteers control their puppets with perfect coordination and were mystified by how the puppets were controlled.