Strength

Had our first Macs breakfast in a month, it was such a delicacy when the feeling of melted hotcakes with sugar syrup and butter starts melting through my throat. Macs breakfast didn't taste any better than this! We woke up and rushed and make our way before 10am to make ourselves happy kids... And the only thing different that works here was that they serve hotcakes as a 2 piece hotcakes meal instead of 3, though cheaper, and their breakfast ends at 10am.

What can I imply? Maybe... China people don't wake up very early for breakfast or China people wakes up superbly early for breakfast as early as 6am to have their breakfast. But I'm glad, how we decide to be environmental friendly (Not that the air here is fresh and good enough) and they don't emphasize being environmental friendly to the air as much as Singapore (Go Green, take SMRT) campaign, they do actually do their part in making recycling bags and reducing the use of plastic bags due to their large population.

Our second day of holidays was spent bringing our friends to Hu Bu Xiang, where we left off yesterday and had a great time eating and shopping, how jealous they were to see our bags of purchase when we got back and were dying and excited to want to go there the next day as well. So we did. Everything was the same, some shops closed, some open, but there were a few that we've visited back again, like the bubble tea shop that my friend has recommended and made friends with.

Everywhere we go, people are curious of where we come from. This shows that we Singaporeans leaves a deep impression and traces everywhere we go, the way we act, the way we carry ourselves are being noticed by every one. We do have a special way of speaking, of our accent, of the environment that we lived and was brought up in, just that the younger generation of us do not know the hardship that LKY went through to make Singapore where it is today, to make it known and that we can be proud of. Returning back to our history... Not China History. Our Singapore History.

We've made friends with the sales assistants from the bubble tea shop, taking a break at the designated seating area for customers, they were nice and asked us to go back on the 9th and they'll treat each of a free drink of our choice! The owner of the shop made me feel like it was home, how I usually go to the same bubble tea shop near my place and how I always get discount, how we always get to talk about anything, it made me think that the life here wasn't so bad! Just that the sales assistants (Most of them) are not studying anymore and it's quite common in China...

Either their families do not have enough financial support to put them through school or their society is too challenging to continue.. Now that we're actually staying in a University we're always looking at universities students, those that are living a better life, being able to put through university and are smart enough to do so, yet we do not see beyond this life that we're encapsulated in, not always in this place, but the outside world. There are many who are left homeless, who are forced to go out to pick up leftovers from others, to beg for food. Sometimes we do not know the best of the world, yet we do not appreciate what we've got and only want more.

我们住在福中不知福。

The thirtieth day of our stay in Wuhan commences China Nation Wide National Day, falls on the same day as Childrens' Day as how we celebrate them in Singapore but unsighted here in China. Have decided to take this time off to explore as many places in Wuhan possible.

We decided to meet my friend from FMS staying in Wuhan University to have a walk at 户部巷, an ancient street filled with 400 years of Chinese history and Chinese delicacy ranging from seafood to grilled and teppanyaki food to our sorely missed 小笼包 in Singapore (汤包) here, usual dim sum... Never realised it was situated at Wuchang and our conversation with the taxi driver was fruitful and rich. How he explained to us that it was just under the bridge of 黄鹤楼 that we've visited but have never been, and it was near 武昌火车站. He has also told us how we could take this train that will be accessible to anywhere in China as all the roads are connected and through.

Upon reaching the place, it felt as though it was a part of Taiwan, as we sat in the cab and driving through the centre of both side streets, how they were parallel to each other and filled with little shops of everything and of shopping that was our favourite, we were thrilled before we left the cab. Upon setting our eyes on the 4-storeyed Meters Bonwe and Me & City, two of the largest well-known brands in China just like our Topshop, Topman and Forever 21 in Singapore, though not alike, just similar. What thrilled me most was how large their building and their infrastructure was! So China isn't all about being run-down and low class without nice places and departmental stores...

These shopping expedition trips just made us realise how much interaction we've made with cab drivers, how we frequently ask about the nice place to shop and walk about, to take pictures and scenery of, and taking the chance to remember and recognise the roads that used to be once unfamiliar and foreign yet not anymore. The matter of adaption of living here and their environment used to take a toll on my life, our lives, but once we've settled down, just like I said, our 30th day in Wuhan, it didn't matter very much anymore since we've known and figured our way around, and we've even know how to take bus and transit to another bus taking us to different places at a lower rate... :)

This is an accomplishment for us you see? Their buses are still not as technologized like ours in Singapore, however they do have some buses that allow tapping of card systems, most of them don't where you just insert coins or a dollar note into their machine, otherwise there will be a bus conductor on the bus to collect your fares once you've boarded. The people here can board from any doors (The Front or the back), they've just need to have the integrity to pay. Usually it's not easy to run away with a fare of 2 Yuan when the lady conductor recognises when you board, unlike in Canada the transit and transport system there is all about trust. I guess different countries have their different ways of their transport system, where Singapore you just got to only get up from the front door and pay before you get seated. What do I call this way? More systematic I guess...

The local students have brought together a Mooncake Celebration Mini Fest for us over at their clubhouse. It was a heartwarming sight to see everyone including both lecturers and students as a class there to celebrate together with us. What have caught my attention was they have a great way to organise such events, just like how we see it in Taiwanese Game Shows (E.g. Jacky Go Go Go! Or 我猜我猜我猜猜猜).

Due to our lack of exposure of such events and game shows that are not commonly held in Singapore, when the hosts initially started the games for us to guess who've got the most sour drink/edible item, none of us dared or wanted to be called. But as we get comfortable with the hosts and the people around us, we've decided to voluntarily take part ourselves. We started mixing around with the people from other schools and realise it wasn't that bad being friends after all.

I guess we've got to learn making friends the harder way. Through times and events like these, it's sad how we've only learn how to treasure the people that has been around us only when time is nearing an end. But we shall make this a fruitful and eventful learning journey that each and every one of us will remember. Bring home the values that are worth learning, we will be richer in life.

We had yet another interesting lesson with Professor Phillip An, however moving on from 孔子 we're on to the topic of 阴阳图 and 老子 which is a significace to Taoism that is indigenous to China and how it has exerted great influence on the thinking of the Chinese people. The whole lecture was long and interactive which is how a lesson should be, but the most important thing that I've learnt and have a deep impression of that Prof Phillip An kept emphasizing on over and over again was how Taoists believe that they should put thelselves and become a part of nature (他们叫做吾), and when you are in nature you'll realise why and how things became like that and become a part of it, then we will understand the beauty and formation of things that has descended upon our beautiful place called Earth.

It was enriching and exciting once he touches on Wudang Mountain, a place that we were all familiar with having visisted over the weekend, how 道 is commonly used and how much meaning it has to that single Chinese word. 他们说是道式，自身从社会有巨大的距离，利用独自的时间来休养和去另找自己的平静，让自己也变成大自然的一部分。那武当山有它的高度，许多道式的人都要天人合一。他们相信，当你能变成大自然的一部分时，你会长生到老，会成仙。

We have also learnt the contrast between Confucianism and Taoism, how the both beliefs have brought good and bad to the people. How good things that were contributed by the individual philosophers upon reaching leaders' hands have turned bad and into ruin, how they twist the different philosophies into their own benefits and do harm to the people. Which brings up the question of 无为 or 有为？

How rulers can possess both qualities at the same time, how we human beings using another recursive approach of going all out to do something or to destroy nature for anything that benefits us. But little did we know how by destroying nature and discovering new things and nuclear weapons has also become a threat to not only third world countries but to everyone in the world, for fear that we might not live past the next day.

There was also something that I've thought and learnt about memorably, how Singapore Government have limited power because they do not want our country to be filled with propaganda and to be fully controlled, unlike in China where a figurehead takes most of the control where all voices are as one, where they do not have a chance to speak, and that could probably be the reason to the rise of protests in China.

There was definitely one thing that I've realized till date, how we the consumers of the store owners will tend to ask us a similar question all around. "你们是哪里人啊?" and followed by "你们到底说的是什么话? 为什么我们一点也听不懂?" It is seemingly a trap. They will usually answer their own rhetorical question by saying "你们是不是广州人啊?" and we know we're not and will reply by all means the truth that we're Singaporeans and we're proud to be of it.

Little do we know that how much money that we've been conned of, how the prices of our shopping products could have gone lower by another 20% but we didn't have a chace to bargain any lower because of our indecent accent! Some of them are what I might call 霸道 (beast) because they know they are going all out to cheat every single cent, but us being us and having a magnanimous heart, we just leave it be.

See the difference? Even accent makes a difference and where we are from, how we are brought up and the environment that we live in, we have a similar accent that nowhere else has. That once a person besides you starts speaking like you, you turn around and can affirm yourself that he or she is from where you are. Like how people in Wuhan has this accent that makes their words still sound like Chinese but a little off tone? You'll start to pick it up once you've heard most of it. Our growing up environment plays a very huge part in our lives.

Finally started embarking on our 6 hour bus ride journey to Wudang Mountain, the renowned place of Wushu and Martial Arts Learning and Cultivation from the words of mouth, not being able to justify the truth of the fact that by far we're as unlucky to be visiting the Wudang Mountain on a rainy day. I've learnt that Wudang Moutain was known for many Taoist Monastries, for teaching and practise of meditation, martial arts and other other fruitful activities. It was to my surprise it was such a beautiful sight... With all the sky scraping mountains planted across both sides of land, the peace and quietness and serenity of the place, how amazing one could actually find such peace in nature during cultivation and cleanse oneself of their soul, how many tedious years it'll take and it will be such an honour.

I've familiarized myself with the places that we've visited, like the Prince's Study Room and the number of temples situated alone in Wudang Mountain, for example the Nanyan Temple... Though it is not a common practice for me to visit such places, but I'm sure it was a great experience and I've learnt how to respect their culture and learn to follow the leader. Anyway, there was a point that the tour guide noted out, how girls should cross the 门槛 over with their right leg and how guys should cross it over with their left leg. It is actually a spiritual belief but it is up to us to believe it or not. 心可有，不信可有。

We then managed to troop over to have a look at The Thunder God Cave and The Permanent Peace Temple, and how many tedious steps we had to take in order to pay a visit deep inside. It was such an awesome sight to see how the mountains, the clouds and green nature intertwine, it had never been that spectacular in my life! Well, it is not an every day thing where you get to be above the clouds for more than a day and experiencing the feeling of being at The Top Of The World just like the olden days song sang by The Carpenters, there you stand thinking about your loved ones and how you wished they could be there standing right beside you.

And most importantly I've learnt how to be content with the things that we have, that once we've adapted we will miss the place that we treat like home. And that good things will arise once the bad days are over. Reason being for proof, how we got a fabulous room and toilet for our one night stay at Wudang Mountain, though there were many inns situated right beside one another which shows a sign of competitiveness, however they do benefit in their own way. However old looking ours stood on the exterior and on the corridors, though it cannot be compared to the hotels in Singapore, how dilapidated looking, but our rooms were beyond expectation and we should be glad and content that we're thanking God for every minute spent. But there will also be a minor part of us missing our hostel (For their famous squat toilets) and the cosyness, the closest feeling next to home. Learnt how to treasure things that appears right in front of us that we don't notice each day, but only miss it when we're gone. Life's like that.

The next day did not come easy. Those who've not opted to take the cable car up the mountain definitely brought back memorable experiences that cannot be bought by money or exchanged. It was a valuable experience and how much interaction was done between our group mates, how we've helped one another to overcome such a huge obstacle that we've even once thought about giving up. It was about the determination and stamina to keep your body going on. And I've learnt that it was also every single one of us that played a part to motivate and encourage one another. If not for that, the journey would be slow, un-enriching and unvaluable. Through this, we've learnt how friends give one another support, lets you lean on one another and futher proving my point on my previous entry written on the High Elements bit Wednesday, how "Friends will always catch you when you fall or be there for you" it doesn't only comes once yet we see it in our every day lives.

The feeling of accomplishment kicked in when we reached the top of Wudang Mountain by foot. It was energy draining but many of us treated it like an exercise, like a physical test despite being under the sweltering weather. The air was cooler when we reached the top, and once again everyone was taken away by the breathtaking view. We were as though situated in the middle of no where, we and only we. We've learnt about the infrastructure at the top of the mountains, and how the people used to climb all the way up here to pray and meditate, how they believe the closer you are to the sky the closer you are to God and you will be enlightened and will find the way. And I highly doubt they are mystical beliefs. And I myself chained another lock at the top of Wudang Mountain just like how I did in Beijing, with all sorts of feeling immerged in me, how much faith I have in something that'll happen.

The lesson there was valuable and unexchangable for anything else. It has taught be the value of life and serenity, the peace and calmness and how much hard work and effort it takes to cleanse oneself of their soul and be pure, but how fast it takes for human beings to succumb to temptations around them all the time.

I JUST TYPED A WHOLE CHUNK OF TEXT OF FEELINGS AND THE CONNECTION HERE JUST SCREWED UP!

I just wanted to say that being a anti-camp socialite, it was definitely my virgin experience at all high elements activities! I have never felt so vertically challenged in my entire life. It was definitely an amazing experience, that everyone in my team had shown such great enthusiasm and have been ever so encouraging, that everyone one of us made up the high planks and to be able to judge the distance across from one plank to the another was not easy, but everyone definitely put in their effort to make themselves get across. It was such a comforting sight to see everyone getting down safely. There was so much communication that needed to be done, for those who've went up first to share their feelings while they're high in the air, though not suspended, but being attached to a rope to a belayer while in mid air on a suspended plank was not an easy task.

Trust fall was not another easy activity either. There was so much commendable effort that was in this. Everyone came together, helped one another, supported one another and kept taking turns to substain the weight of our friends being pushed from a free-fall height which wasn't easy. It wasn't something that only one or two person could be able to manage it with, definitely not for the whole body length and to be safe without any injuries, but somehow we all did it in the end. It was something like "We will catch you when you fall" which strongly justifies my point of the saying that goes "Friends will be there to catch you when you fall", just like how we all did. I learnt it better, and comparing it with the old tale of The Ten Chopsticks Brothers, how 1 chopstick can be easily broken but when it becomes a bunch it is stronger. And that's what we are. Working together, we will not be easily defeated and swayed. Same applies to all battles fought in war. No one can go to a war alone. It is as though you are fighting a losing battle right from the beginning.

Rock climbing was the highlight of my day! I have never had the feeling of being suspended in mid air and having nothing to support yourself except for a rope, the stones and how we've got to overcome our body weight, gravitational pull from the Earth and when it comes to the harder part of the 90 degrees curve, and how you got to match everything of those with just the little steps on the stones and the weight on all limbs. It was definitely crazy but it was fun. And on my first virgin attempt I'm surprised I've made it up to a commendable height, managed to draw the line with Jerry and a step behind Yong Jie. But the feeling of accomplishment have never felt greater! Everyone in the team played a part, in constantly giving you encouragement and strength to keep on going, and this is a test to go through knowing how to plan a step ahead as you keep going, and it isn't as easy as it seemed from the spectator view below. You've to overcome all your thoughts and to plank on the determination, it's easier said than done.

And I'm glad that there's so much that I've learn and picked up from this day, this very eventful day that I might probably remember as far as I go, how I had my first rock climbing experience somewhere on foreign ground, and I'm proud to say I've made very good friends during this trip and I'm keen for them to stay. It'll be 6 weeks spending with one another, the bond will be closer.

Till then!

Had another IS lesson by Philip An today about Confucianism Taoism and Buddhism. The whole lecture was implicit and interesting and it creates a black hole for the depth of understand of the history of beliefs, how Confucius came about and how his thoughts and theories teaches other people about principles and rules in life with every standing moral behind it.

It then came as an alert alarm when he touched on the topic of the democracy in Singapore, unlike in their olden times in China where they experienced dictatorship during their days. And it was back in the BC years and having been a history student learning about dictatorship starting with Mao. He expounded his ideas about a People's Democratic Dictatorship and was recognized for his speech during the founding of the Communist Party of China. There was another familiar term that Professor An did not mention about, about the Marxism of China of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party known as the CCP which we constantly kept hounding at during our O levels period.

We should be glad to know that we are born and living in an environment (Not starting out as early as China) and past the dictatorship and revolutionary period, and being situated in a democratic city where no revolutions, no street protests, nobody of any special power would be able to overthrow the emperor which we do not have, not even a sultan but a president, and will not be able to do so. We do not have any power lords taking control or reigning over different cities, and Singapore as small as it seems, separated into different zones managed by different Community Heads, we are content about our political views. I recalled about how we used to be a part of Nanyang when I watched 出路when I was younger, though we did not survive under a feudal system, our history was bad and harsh, nothing compared to China with the Three Kingdom taking place, but every country has their youth.

In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang united the various warring kingdoms and created the first Chinese Empire which was called the 战国时代. They used to have many warring kingdoms and periods, many revolutionarists stood up and wanted their ideas to be shared and heard. Chiang Kai-Shek was another revoluntionarist during this period as well. Qin came up with the philosophy of burning and burying of scholars because he did not want to be won or overthrown and did not want anyone to be smarter than he was. There were many good deeds that he had done, despite the good deeds there were many things that he was infamous for as well. The burning and burying of scholars is an example. We do not go through such brutal mental torture in Singapore, and we are strongly against the idea of it and works it otherwise. Nothing like that in our history had happened, and we are constantly being encouraged by our government to study more for our future. The education competition level have been raised, just like before, how our government value every single citizen they have. We are 公民, just like how learning 好公民 in Primary School was compulsory. In exchange, the people in China like how we watch in the movies are called 老百姓. Indeed.

It was a short 3 hour lecture, but it feels as though I've been enlightened, nothing like a brainwash, about the ancient times. Being a history person, I've known and learnt so much more from it, and the literacy quotes have been more than meaningful. We used to learn that during Higher Chinese days, and stopped picking up Chinese ever since we entered poly, it's a shame though. Nothing beats knowing about the history be it China, Russia, Germany and all their different revolutions. How Russia has Rusputin and Germany has Hitler, and once you've known more about it they are a bunch of beautiful indexes in words.

In Beijing I've visited the place where all emperors are buried, and I've been to war memorials with the different emperors of different Periods and Dynasties, from Han to Song and how standing on the Great Wall how my mum taught me to feel the pain for the people who've lost their lives to build this today, how she taught me to cry for the deceased and their family or loved ones for it to be so memorable, how there hadn't used to be any cargo lifts to build it to such a height. Then again it returned back to square 1, if only Qin Shi Huang Di had not summoned people to build the Great Wall of China. But it was stated as one of his greatest contributions during his term served, there were the good and the bad. And I'd always like to think of the good.

Then are we willing to sacrifice ourselves if there ever is a need that arises in Singapore that requires manpower to build a... Hydropower electricty huge dam just like the one in 三峡? More often than not, the conservative families in Singapore would rather keep their sons to themselves as we all now lead such blessed lives.

The first ever virgin experience of being encapsulated on a ship in a dam and moving through it was purely orgasmic and amazing. Though I slept through and missed the first opening and closure of the first dam, but later in time I woke up during midnight and witnessed the third and the last for myself. How all the ships have been rejecting the water out and how at 90m we've descended to a height of 75m before another dam closes. I've never seen and heard anything more amazing than this, less said since I've been through it!

Not that we Singaporeans are less fortunate to experience such natural findings, like how this dam was made and what it is for, the electricity and how famous it is in China, just like Beijing's well known Great Wall, how many millions of people suffered for this man-made disaster. It was simply breath-taking to be there to know it and feel it. Everything works better if you know the beliefs and history behind it. The remaining hours we've spent on the ship was just our leisure time, most of our times spent being asleep otherwise glued on the on repeat television programme. The meals served wasn't half as bad as our trip to 绿林山. How we've learnt to experience the worst before having something that tastes more than better? Still, nothing beats the first lunch meal of our journey on Friday. The setting of it still lingers in my head.

We must all have seen on their local postcards of 宜昌, where naked men and bodies have ropes hooked around their shoulders and in a man-slavery position they start pulling our weighted average of 850kg 17 man boat on the rocks. I couldn't have believed it was such a sight until I've seen them with the exact same position, only dressed, with my own naked eyes. It was heart-wrenching, torturous and demanding, but I figured it was their way of life. Life that we've never been through or have expressed our emotions in, way that my heart beats unanimously with their efforts, and it wasn't just one, but more that could be named.

I've seen two-man sedan where you plot your asses on their sedan chair and they take every single effort to carry you either up or down the flight of stairs of 白帝城. I've sighted so many manual labours here in China and as compared to our trishaws in Singapore (Not even rickshaws like the olden times) how can we even compare? They live their lives as though without regrets, doing the same thing continuously every single day, not knowing their aim in life or just feeling content. And how could we, only students in Singapore feel the least amount of being stressed over simple things that expects very little out of ourselves? Are results everything? Which explains how we've survived our weekend of knowing our results, some overjoyed, some disappointed... But we can all still get by.

The weekend was amazing, and so much that I've picked up from it. Though we were most of the time travelling between high rocks and short mountains, of gravels and trees and green grass, it puts our minds at ease, and if only you are willing to pick out something from it, learn how these rocks originated from, and why people that lives around those mountaneous areas burn lower trees reaching the river peaks, you will then understand why things happen. I've asked and learn, how the people burn lower trees that are reaching river peaks, to avoid branches and decayed trees to drop in and pollute the water in the river as winter is approaching, and they had yet better to do it now than later. Smart choice, but how tedious again to row yourself to the spot and being able to climb such rocks under such conditions. They have to be very skilled in doing so.

They have so many raw skills and talents embedded within them. What have we got?