Thursday, July 1, 2010
Letters From Juliet
Has anyone else received a reply? I know of one that came to school which was Kylie's group.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A (belated) Day 10 post - Tour of London and the Crucible
Heyyy, this is Nicole and Eunice, blogging for day 10!
So in the morning, we had a guided tour around London with a local guide. Setting off from the Travelodge in Southwark, we headed for the bank where the London City Hall is located to have a good unobstructed view of the world-famous Tower Bridge. We also saw some very colourful elephant models which are to be auctioned off in Sotheby's after their display period during the Elephant Parade in different parts of London, according to our guide :)
(Of course, we also saw the rather-egg-shaped City Hall which looked rather like a UFO against the landscape.)
Following that, we crossed the Tower Bridge (which the Americans tried to buy many years ago, pooh!) and passed by the Tower of London. Apparently people still do live there, the brave souls. We arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral in short order and gaped at its sheer size and architecture. It is quite a feat considering that Christopher Wren had no cranes or other modern machinery to help him construct this enormous church.
According to our guide - she is an absolute well of trivia - it was a target for incendiary bombs but volunteers would climb to the dome every night to put out the fires started by those offending things. But the survival of the cathedral proved vital in giving the British confidence to survive the Blitz of Britain in which Britain was constantly battered by German air raids and were close to defeat before the Germans abruptly switched gears and went off to harrass USSR instead. We also crossed Blackfriars Bridge, apparently named after a group of friars who wielded great influence in that area since they could not get Queen Vic (of "we are not amused" fame) to come out of mourning to declare the bridge open.
We also got pictures of Big Ben in the middle of the London Eye, bit like a lollipop on a stick. Then we drove by the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster on our way to Trafalgar Square where the largest square in London is located with a monument Nelson's Column in memory of Admiral Nelson.
While we did not actually stop there, we managed to pass by THE Downing Street, see the monument to Florence Nightingale and watch part of the rehearsal for the parade that is to be held on the Queen's (official) birthday. It was quite impressive to see a band play on horses - the horse spoor the horses in question left behind didn't half stink! Also around this time, London's weather started acting up...
Not bad for a morning's drive around London, eh?
In the afternoon, we watched the Crucible in the Open Air Theatre at Regent's Park. The play began at 3.00 pm and it ended at 5.30 pm. It was drizzling as the play was staged so some of us bought ponchos to wear as we watched the play. Anyway the rain did not prevent us from enjoying the play and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The play is written by Arthur Miller to bring out the idea of tyranny of the majority and that the majority is not always right. Basically the play revolves around suspicion of witchcraft in Salem, where innocent people are convicted of practicing withcraft and hence sent to prison. Some chose to die for their beliefs and not turn themselves in for wrongs they did not commit for their name, and true enough they paid for it with their names.
After the matinee show, we spent some time shopping for souvenirs at a shop next to the Baker Street tube station. Then we took the tube to London Bridge station for dinner at Clink Street. This tube ride was different than the others because the tube actually broke down along the way! When we reached the Bond Street Station (which was one stop away from Baker Street), the tube halted due to 'technical problems faced by the train in the other station before us'. We were asked to wait for a while, but after about fifteen minutes the train master announced that the service was suspended. Hence we had to change tube lines to reach our destination. (Eunice would like to add that some of us were in a carriage full of *apparently* intoxicated football fans and they had very colourful language, especially visible after the first announcement) This experience was not very pleasant, to say the least, but it was interesting to have witnessed this happening because it made us think of the situation of the MRTs in Singapore. Many of us came out thinking that "this wouldn't have happened in Singapore" or saying things like "What if this had happened in Singapore?".
We suspect that this instance would have something to do with the overwhelming number of football fans crowding in the tubes. There was a football match in the afternoon, a League One Championship Playoff game between Millwall Football Club and another football club. Millwall had won the game and their fans were celebrating and being rather rowdy in the underground (i.e. banging on the walls of the train, shouting cheers which reveberated throughout the station, etc.). This exacerbated the unpleasantness of our tube journey, but nonetheless we managed to find some humour in the situation where things did not go our way.
After dinner, we proceeded to walk back to the hotel (in the cold, windy, London rain).
Jet lag be a sad, sad thing.
Jet lag!
Hello!
The jet lag was quite bad D: On the day we came back I couldn't sleep until about 6am, and then I woke up at 4pm and missed an appointment I had at 11!
Anyway just commenting on the idea about gun laws, the other day we watched a documentary in debates 'Bowling for Columbine' regarding gun laws in USA. It's by Michael Moore and explores many ideas with regards to bearing arms, including the right to self-defense (ie. the right to keep a pistol under your pillow every night and to shoot if you feel threaten?), whether or not the prevalence of guns in the USA translates into higher crime rates (compare Canada which has about the same amount of guns or more and yet has an incredibly low crime rate), the effect of growing up in a town where everyone bears arms (the Columbine shooting incident).
It's quite interesting and thought-provoking, so if you've the time do check it out!
Regarding UK's gun laws, they're apparently really, really strict.
The Firearms (Amendment) Act of 1988 made registration for shotguns mandatory. Shotguns were required to be kept in secure storage. Stricter laws in 1997 outlawed handguns.
The Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2006 made it an offence to make, import or sell realistic imitation guns, doubled the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation gun and made it a crime to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of any premises. It also increased the age limit for buying or possessing an air weapon from 17 to 18.
And yet in spite of these tough gun laws, nearly 600,000 people legally own shotguns, which fire pellets only, and more than 100,000 own a firearm, usually a rifle or high-powered airgun. Many of these guns, if fact most, are actually used for hunting purposes or for pest control.
However, comparing this to Singapore, the two countries' contexts is completely completely different.
1) Singapore does not have many animals nor land to hunt on. Thus no 'need' for a gun.
2) In Singapore under the 'Arms and Explosives Act', to own a gun you need a license. And seeing the above point, I think showing the need for a gun in Singapore is pretty hard. If you do not obtain a license and still get a gun, you can be charged with a $5000 fine and no less than 3 years jail term.
3) People generally avoid guns. Somehow, I think there's a stigma attached to bearing arms in Singapore. Nobody, and I really mean nobody obtains a gun except soldiers, and just the sight of soldiers holding guns in Changi Airport can strike fear in one's heart.
So well perhaps this is why Singapore rarely, or perhaps has never ever, has a case of a man with guns going wild (Thank God). In light of recent events, knives seem to be the fad.
Focusing on the question of whether or not UK's gun laws are strict enough? For me, I just think that they are strict, but can definitely be improved on. It is not a panacea, and the fact that there are still loopholes and crimes committed means that there is room for improvement. But because of the differences between UK and Singapore, UK will probably always have guns in the hands of citizens, however little.
At least the situation is not as bad as the US.
Cheers!
Joyan
The jet lag was quite bad D: On the day we came back I couldn't sleep until about 6am, and then I woke up at 4pm and missed an appointment I had at 11!
Anyway just commenting on the idea about gun laws, the other day we watched a documentary in debates 'Bowling for Columbine' regarding gun laws in USA. It's by Michael Moore and explores many ideas with regards to bearing arms, including the right to self-defense (ie. the right to keep a pistol under your pillow every night and to shoot if you feel threaten?), whether or not the prevalence of guns in the USA translates into higher crime rates (compare Canada which has about the same amount of guns or more and yet has an incredibly low crime rate), the effect of growing up in a town where everyone bears arms (the Columbine shooting incident).
It's quite interesting and thought-provoking, so if you've the time do check it out!
Regarding UK's gun laws, they're apparently really, really strict.
The Firearms (Amendment) Act of 1988 made registration for shotguns mandatory. Shotguns were required to be kept in secure storage. Stricter laws in 1997 outlawed handguns.
The Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2006 made it an offence to make, import or sell realistic imitation guns, doubled the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation gun and made it a crime to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of any premises. It also increased the age limit for buying or possessing an air weapon from 17 to 18.
And yet in spite of these tough gun laws, nearly 600,000 people legally own shotguns, which fire pellets only, and more than 100,000 own a firearm, usually a rifle or high-powered airgun. Many of these guns, if fact most, are actually used for hunting purposes or for pest control.
However, comparing this to Singapore, the two countries' contexts is completely completely different.
1) Singapore does not have many animals nor land to hunt on. Thus no 'need' for a gun.
2) In Singapore under the 'Arms and Explosives Act', to own a gun you need a license. And seeing the above point, I think showing the need for a gun in Singapore is pretty hard. If you do not obtain a license and still get a gun, you can be charged with a $5000 fine and no less than 3 years jail term.
3) People generally avoid guns. Somehow, I think there's a stigma attached to bearing arms in Singapore. Nobody, and I really mean nobody obtains a gun except soldiers, and just the sight of soldiers holding guns in Changi Airport can strike fear in one's heart.
So well perhaps this is why Singapore rarely, or perhaps has never ever, has a case of a man with guns going wild (Thank God). In light of recent events, knives seem to be the fad.
Focusing on the question of whether or not UK's gun laws are strict enough? For me, I just think that they are strict, but can definitely be improved on. It is not a panacea, and the fact that there are still loopholes and crimes committed means that there is room for improvement. But because of the differences between UK and Singapore, UK will probably always have guns in the hands of citizens, however little.
At least the situation is not as bad as the US.
Cheers!
Joyan
The Lakes
You may have heard about the recent shootings in Cumbria. Rest-assured it is a very rare occurrence in the UK and hopefully a one-off.
A question for all you budding lawyers:
Do you think the UK's gun laws are strict enough? How do they compare to Singapore's?
Massacres, crackdowns - but still more than a million shotguns - Times Online
A question for all you budding lawyers:
Do you think the UK's gun laws are strict enough? How do they compare to Singapore's?
Massacres, crackdowns - but still more than a million shotguns - Times Online
GenNY - Hui Han and Jesslene
Hi girls,
As discussed last week, would be grateful if you could do a write-up of the trip for GenNY.
Your article should include your reflections, an overview of the programme and the highlights plus a couple of good photos.
Ms Heng's deadline is June 11th, so perhaps you could email your work to me first by the 9th June pls.
As discussed last week, would be grateful if you could do a write-up of the trip for GenNY.
Your article should include your reflections, an overview of the programme and the highlights plus a couple of good photos.
Ms Heng's deadline is June 11th, so perhaps you could email your work to me first by the 9th June pls.
Feedback Forms
Please don't forget about your feedback form when you go to school tomorrow.
PS: How's the jetlag?
PS: How's the jetlag?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Day 12 - Poetry Session + Hampton Court Palace
Today is our last day here in England - we all woke with this weight on our minds. Still, we were all looking forward to meeting a (living!) poet - Jacob Sam-La Rose 8D
After checking out of our hotel and hopping about in the cold (Ms Teng declared us amazing after we tried - and failed - to persuade her to let us seek warmth in a teensy convenience store) we entered a cosy basement room and met Jacob. He'd kindly set up the chairs in the room in preparation for us. He gave us all a warm welcome and a friendly introduction, telling us more about his work - he's not just a poet 'on the page', but enjoys and frequently does performance poetry. Also, he is an editor (mostly of other budding poets' work), creative director, consultant, mentor and educator! That is a lot of things to be. We were very impressed and interested indeed.
He began the session, aptly, with reading a few of his poems - firstly, on the common theme of an unrequited crush; secondly, Gravity (a poem on basketball and pursuing one's passions, applicable to many of us today), lastly, a touching poem about his father, Never. He quizzed us on the meaning and symbolism of his poems and seemed happy that we were a responsive audience 8D (Apparently, there are harsh audiences who just stare at their watches after his readings - how incredibly discouraging.)
(In case you are wondering about his poems, here is a live reading of Gravity!)
(Also, he is pretty big on social networking and outreach, so you can view his posts, or follow him, on twitter and tumblr. He runs a website as well.)
(And another of his interests is photography.)
He then 'hosted' a 'quiz show' on another of his poems, Jigsaw. It was a powerful poem, a musing of his father - whom he has met only once, as an adult - based on an old photograph. It touched us all. Jacob asked us simple, then challenging questions on Jigsaw, focusing on details and then on the meaning of the poem. In the case of Jigsaw, my group believed he eventually put away his father's photograph, in between old birthday cards and love letters, to find and construct an identity of his own - piecing it together (like the pieces of a jigsaw) from shared moments between friends, family, as well as the families of other friends.
After that he had us write down a list of people and places important to us, and then places and objects which we associated with each person/place in our list. Basically, he pointed out that poetry, or inspiration/raw material for poetry, can be found in places, people and things all around us - just as how one finds beauty all around us. I think many of us were inspired to explore such personal occurrences and find the poetry in each and every one of them.
Following which, we had the ever-useful question and answer session. It was an insightful session, during which we learned that, unlike many poets who prefer to be solely poets 'on the page' or performance poets, Jacob believes in finding equilibrium in being both as he gleans different experiences from performing poetry and putting it down on paper. He finds inspiration all around him, from overheard conversations on buses to more sentimental experiences of his own. Perhaps his work in photography also allows him to recognise the beauty in the world and to try to put that down on paper. Personally, I believe something which struck us all was his ability to take a personal experience and craft a universal message out of it - a message Jacob believes in sending out to as many people as possible, through his performance poetry, anthologies and work in mentoring youths in many, many schools.
Our dialogue allowed us to understand better the creative process involved in writing poems and how Jacob chooses to use poetry as a medium to reach out to others around him, and address important, pivotal issues in life. Jacob writes abstract poems as well as poems which convey a message, or poems which read like a story.
With that, we concluded our session with a group shot! Outside a building. We are not sure which. We all enjoyed it very much indeed, and were in fact honoured to have made the acquaintance of Jacob.
Following which we had lunch, and a bit of last-minute shopping in town. Eugenia, my buddy, will now educate you on Hampton Court Palace, which was magnificent, in my honest opinion 8D Except we did not get to see deer - oh, well.
At about 2pm, we were given slightly longer than 3 hours to explore the Hampton Court Palace on our own. Most closely linked both in history and popular imagination to Henry VIII, this great palace was once home to many royals for over 500 years. Today, half of Henry's Palace survives as the rest was rebuilt by William III as a stunning baroque palace. Both William and his wife wanted to rebuild the palace to satisfy modern aesthetic appeal (which was then the famous baroque-style architecture), but she soon fell ill and the couple ran out of money halfway into the reconstruction of the building. It was particularly interesting to see a building built using two different architectural styles.
The official representative symbol of the palace is Henry VIII's royal coat of arms, which is supported by the Tudor symbols of the red dragon of Wales and a greyhound. Inside the palace, we enjoyed a wide range of activities, from watching costumed live interpretations of Henry VIII's wedding to his 6th wife Kateryn Parr in 1543 (he had 7 wives in total) to knights battling in the joust in a Grand Tournament out on the impressive East Front Gardens. All these live interpretations were extremely entertaining and enjoyable. Not only did we see knights in action, we got to try on parts of their armour too!
Perhaps the most interesting attraction at the palace gardens is the maze, which is the most famous one in the world. My group members and I strolled through the maze and took 10 minutes to reach the centre, while our form teacher Miss Teng and classmate Hui Qi managed to complete it under 5 minutes. (all applaud in awe)
-
We proceeded to Heathrow Airport (voted Busiest Airport in the world!!), ate, and then sat on a plane for 13 hours before reaching where we are now - home.
We have all enjoyed this trip very, very muchly indeed - hope you have followed our travels with the same interest and enjoyment.
I realize that we have not managed to begin our days with 'meaningful quotes' as stated in our little booklet, but I can conclude this trip with one, because it is only the beginning of our very fantastic voyage into the world of literature, humanities (and sciences, if you want), and beyond:
After checking out of our hotel and hopping about in the cold (Ms Teng declared us amazing after we tried - and failed - to persuade her to let us seek warmth in a teensy convenience store) we entered a cosy basement room and met Jacob. He'd kindly set up the chairs in the room in preparation for us. He gave us all a warm welcome and a friendly introduction, telling us more about his work - he's not just a poet 'on the page', but enjoys and frequently does performance poetry. Also, he is an editor (mostly of other budding poets' work), creative director, consultant, mentor and educator! That is a lot of things to be. We were very impressed and interested indeed.
He began the session, aptly, with reading a few of his poems - firstly, on the common theme of an unrequited crush; secondly, Gravity (a poem on basketball and pursuing one's passions, applicable to many of us today), lastly, a touching poem about his father, Never. He quizzed us on the meaning and symbolism of his poems and seemed happy that we were a responsive audience 8D (Apparently, there are harsh audiences who just stare at their watches after his readings - how incredibly discouraging.)
(In case you are wondering about his poems, here is a live reading of Gravity!)
(Also, he is pretty big on social networking and outreach, so you can view his posts, or follow him, on twitter and tumblr. He runs a website as well.)
(And another of his interests is photography.)
He then 'hosted' a 'quiz show' on another of his poems, Jigsaw. It was a powerful poem, a musing of his father - whom he has met only once, as an adult - based on an old photograph. It touched us all. Jacob asked us simple, then challenging questions on Jigsaw, focusing on details and then on the meaning of the poem. In the case of Jigsaw, my group believed he eventually put away his father's photograph, in between old birthday cards and love letters, to find and construct an identity of his own - piecing it together (like the pieces of a jigsaw) from shared moments between friends, family, as well as the families of other friends.
After that he had us write down a list of people and places important to us, and then places and objects which we associated with each person/place in our list. Basically, he pointed out that poetry, or inspiration/raw material for poetry, can be found in places, people and things all around us - just as how one finds beauty all around us. I think many of us were inspired to explore such personal occurrences and find the poetry in each and every one of them.
Following which, we had the ever-useful question and answer session. It was an insightful session, during which we learned that, unlike many poets who prefer to be solely poets 'on the page' or performance poets, Jacob believes in finding equilibrium in being both as he gleans different experiences from performing poetry and putting it down on paper. He finds inspiration all around him, from overheard conversations on buses to more sentimental experiences of his own. Perhaps his work in photography also allows him to recognise the beauty in the world and to try to put that down on paper. Personally, I believe something which struck us all was his ability to take a personal experience and craft a universal message out of it - a message Jacob believes in sending out to as many people as possible, through his performance poetry, anthologies and work in mentoring youths in many, many schools.
Our dialogue allowed us to understand better the creative process involved in writing poems and how Jacob chooses to use poetry as a medium to reach out to others around him, and address important, pivotal issues in life. Jacob writes abstract poems as well as poems which convey a message, or poems which read like a story.
With that, we concluded our session with a group shot! Outside a building. We are not sure which. We all enjoyed it very much indeed, and were in fact honoured to have made the acquaintance of Jacob.
Following which we had lunch, and a bit of last-minute shopping in town. Eugenia, my buddy, will now educate you on Hampton Court Palace, which was magnificent, in my honest opinion 8D Except we did not get to see deer - oh, well.
At about 2pm, we were given slightly longer than 3 hours to explore the Hampton Court Palace on our own. Most closely linked both in history and popular imagination to Henry VIII, this great palace was once home to many royals for over 500 years. Today, half of Henry's Palace survives as the rest was rebuilt by William III as a stunning baroque palace. Both William and his wife wanted to rebuild the palace to satisfy modern aesthetic appeal (which was then the famous baroque-style architecture), but she soon fell ill and the couple ran out of money halfway into the reconstruction of the building. It was particularly interesting to see a building built using two different architectural styles.
The official representative symbol of the palace is Henry VIII's royal coat of arms, which is supported by the Tudor symbols of the red dragon of Wales and a greyhound. Inside the palace, we enjoyed a wide range of activities, from watching costumed live interpretations of Henry VIII's wedding to his 6th wife Kateryn Parr in 1543 (he had 7 wives in total) to knights battling in the joust in a Grand Tournament out on the impressive East Front Gardens. All these live interpretations were extremely entertaining and enjoyable. Not only did we see knights in action, we got to try on parts of their armour too!
Perhaps the most interesting attraction at the palace gardens is the maze, which is the most famous one in the world. My group members and I strolled through the maze and took 10 minutes to reach the centre, while our form teacher Miss Teng and classmate Hui Qi managed to complete it under 5 minutes. (all applaud in awe)
-
We proceeded to Heathrow Airport (voted Busiest Airport in the world!!), ate, and then sat on a plane for 13 hours before reaching where we are now - home.
We have all enjoyed this trip very, very muchly indeed - hope you have followed our travels with the same interest and enjoyment.
I realize that we have not managed to begin our days with 'meaningful quotes' as stated in our little booklet, but I can conclude this trip with one, because it is only the beginning of our very fantastic voyage into the world of literature, humanities (and sciences, if you want), and beyond:
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain
Monday, May 31, 2010
Day 11
Hello everybody! This is Esther and Yu Xin! We're going to be blogging about Day 11!
So today, we woke up at 7.40 because we were ignoring the alarm (heh) and then we went for breakfast. Apparently, we are in the midst of the Bank Holiday weekend, so the hotel is extremely packed! As a result, we had to give up our family rooms of four people per room, and move into double rooms. Thus began the epic reshuffling of accomodation!
Following that, we made our way to the Imperial War Museum ON FOOT. The Imperial War Museum is extremely grand-looking, with two large cannons at the front. Below is a picture of the Museum (which will be placed here at a later date :D ):
In the museum, we were encouraged to view the Holocaust exhibition on the third floor. However, we were also given around two hours to explore the all areas of the museum. Indeed, the Holocaust exhibition was impactful and thought-provoking. It successfully managed to cover the entire topic. It was able to explain the causes of both the mass extermination of the Jews, as well as both the causes and effects of the Second World War. The exhibition contained both personal recounts and photographs. What we found especially memorable about the exhibition was the small-scale model of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The model showed tiny figurines of Jews pouring out from the mini trains, and entering the gas chambers to be executed. IT WAS SAD!! I (Yu Xin) was also somewhat angry after seeing records of the Nazis' wretched behaviour towards the Jewish people.
Another interesting section of the Imperial War Museum was the art gallery, which showed impressive art pieces created by war veterans and modern artists. For me, the most remarkable piece of art was the painting Gassed, painted by John S. Sargent. No photos could be taken in the gallery, but here is a picture from the Internet:
I viewed different things from Esther. One painting that struck me was "The Cemetery, Etaples", a relatively realistic painting of several women, mostly widows, at a cemetery in France post World War I. Behind them was placed a rushing steam train, which was meant to symbolise the fast pace of life, which goes on even after the death of the soldiers. After reading the description, I was slightly affected by the depressing mood of the painting...
Following that, we made our way to Camden Market for lunch! From the museum, we walked to Lambeth North station, and then we took about 20 minutes to reach the station Camden Town, which was buzzing with activity. It's actually a lot like Singapore's Bugis Street, except on a larger scale. Everything from clothes to food to souvenirs were sold, and actually I expected the wares to be cheaper than Singapore's but alas, it was not to be ): although the things sold at Camden Market are probably cheaper when compared to the proper shops in London.
We next made our way to Waterloo Station, and we walked to the London Eye from there! It is rather small in comparison to the Singapore Flyer, but still as grand! There was a really long queue, it being a Bank Holiday weekend, as previously mentioned, and everyone was jostling to get onto the pods. Anyway, we eventually got onto one of the pods, and there was a spectacular view! We saw many of the landmarks pointed out by our Blue Badge Guide yesterday, including St. Paul's Cathedral and the House of Lords. And we even tried to find our hotel (Travelodge Southwark), though I doubt we were successful!
The day ended with a really good but terribly filling dinner at Nando's. And now here I am, blogging to you from Travelodge London (Southwark), from room _ _ _ (don't think I can put the room number here :DD).
Love, Esther and YX
So today, we woke up at 7.40 because we were ignoring the alarm (heh) and then we went for breakfast. Apparently, we are in the midst of the Bank Holiday weekend, so the hotel is extremely packed! As a result, we had to give up our family rooms of four people per room, and move into double rooms. Thus began the epic reshuffling of accomodation!
Following that, we made our way to the Imperial War Museum ON FOOT. The Imperial War Museum is extremely grand-looking, with two large cannons at the front. Below is a picture of the Museum (which will be placed here at a later date :D ):
In the museum, we were encouraged to view the Holocaust exhibition on the third floor. However, we were also given around two hours to explore the all areas of the museum. Indeed, the Holocaust exhibition was impactful and thought-provoking. It successfully managed to cover the entire topic. It was able to explain the causes of both the mass extermination of the Jews, as well as both the causes and effects of the Second World War. The exhibition contained both personal recounts and photographs. What we found especially memorable about the exhibition was the small-scale model of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The model showed tiny figurines of Jews pouring out from the mini trains, and entering the gas chambers to be executed. IT WAS SAD!! I (Yu Xin) was also somewhat angry after seeing records of the Nazis' wretched behaviour towards the Jewish people.
Another interesting section of the Imperial War Museum was the art gallery, which showed impressive art pieces created by war veterans and modern artists. For me, the most remarkable piece of art was the painting Gassed, painted by John S. Sargent. No photos could be taken in the gallery, but here is a picture from the Internet:
I viewed different things from Esther. One painting that struck me was "The Cemetery, Etaples", a relatively realistic painting of several women, mostly widows, at a cemetery in France post World War I. Behind them was placed a rushing steam train, which was meant to symbolise the fast pace of life, which goes on even after the death of the soldiers. After reading the description, I was slightly affected by the depressing mood of the painting...
Following that, we made our way to Camden Market for lunch! From the museum, we walked to Lambeth North station, and then we took about 20 minutes to reach the station Camden Town, which was buzzing with activity. It's actually a lot like Singapore's Bugis Street, except on a larger scale. Everything from clothes to food to souvenirs were sold, and actually I expected the wares to be cheaper than Singapore's but alas, it was not to be ): although the things sold at Camden Market are probably cheaper when compared to the proper shops in London.
We next made our way to Waterloo Station, and we walked to the London Eye from there! It is rather small in comparison to the Singapore Flyer, but still as grand! There was a really long queue, it being a Bank Holiday weekend, as previously mentioned, and everyone was jostling to get onto the pods. Anyway, we eventually got onto one of the pods, and there was a spectacular view! We saw many of the landmarks pointed out by our Blue Badge Guide yesterday, including St. Paul's Cathedral and the House of Lords. And we even tried to find our hotel (Travelodge Southwark), though I doubt we were successful!
The day ended with a really good but terribly filling dinner at Nando's. And now here I am, blogging to you from Travelodge London (Southwark), from room _ _ _ (don't think I can put the room number here :DD).
Love, Esther and YX
Day 8- St. Mary's and THE 39 STEPS
DAY 8: We started the day at St Mary's in Cambridge in the morning, and were greeted by one of their English teachers, Mr Peachy. The students are preparing for their O's at the moment, so we didn't get to meet any students our age. We met some of his students, aged 14-15, and split into groups for a discussion between students of the two countries.
It was interesting to note the differences between our schools and hobbies. Students at St Mary's have opportunities to take a wide range of up to 14 classes, selecting 10 for their O's. Although they are a smaller school(500 in the senior school, aged 11 to 18, and 200 in the junior school, aged 4 to 11), their subject choices are broader and more varied, including Latin, Religious Studies and Textiles. They are also offered the opportunity to take two other languages besides English, without a selection process. They were very warm and welcoming, and we exchanged contacts and gifts at the end of the discussion.
Following that, we were given a tour of the school. Here's us in the common room at St. Mary's:
The walls are lined with the students' coursework, from paintings to fashion design and textiles. It could be seen that they were very talented individuals. We stepped into a few classes, including a very engaging discussion taking place in the sixth formers' Classics class with only 4 students, and a series of very charming drama presentations by the junior students.
After the school visit, we left for London. We settled into the Travelodge there and met for a debrief, then set off for dinner at a restaurant in Chinatown. The Chinese food was surprisingly good, and we enjoyed some very "intellectual" dinner conversation.
We then walked to the Criterion to watch 'The 39 Steps'. The Criterion was a charming little theatre that was smaller than our school auditorium.
The play is a comedy based on Alfred Hitchcock's film with the same title. The story is originally from a book written by John Buchan ('The 39 Steps'), but Hitchcock changed some of the details, adding female characters to make the plot more exciting. The play is rather comic compared to the more serious movie.
The play is acted by a cast of 4 actors. There is one actor who plays Richard Hannay, the protagonist. The other 3 characters play all the other characters- the good the neutral and the bad. Altogether there are 3 men and 1 woman. Richard meets a mysterious foreign woman who tells him that there is a conspiracy going on, some very important national secrets are about to be stolen, that would threaten the whole of Britain. The woman is found the next day dead, and he has to escape both the police and the conspirators.
It was absolutely fantastic. It was amusing largely because of the excellent comic timing between the actors. The transitions of actors from one character to another, whether on stage or back stage, were seamless and flawlessly smooth to the point of laughter. The crew was also excellent. The comic timing depended on coordination between actors and the lights and sounds. Additionally, there were special shadow puppetry effects at some points of the show. All these were highly enjoyable and could not be done without the impeccable timing and skill of the crew. It was on the whole, at Charlotte says, 'sharp'.
Furthermore, the actors frequently broke out of the fourth wall. Their actions and words were deliberate (and outrageously hilarious). Often one would be stunned, or one's expectations flipped. Moreover, the actors had excellent voice and acting, and that led to the whole enjoyment of the show. All their characters were portrayed very differently, and with deliberation. The references to Alfred Hitchcock's films were also humorous in their own way, as famous films like Vertigo and Psycho were referenced at some parts of the show.
It was an enjoyable night for us (well at the very least for the two of us), and we went back to the Travelodge worn out but very happy.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Day Nine (Do you bite your thumb at me, Sir?)
Hello! This is Alicia and Hui Han. In a few words, day nine was a day of back to back activities, tired feet and much enjoyment.
In the morning, we took the London tube! (From Southwark to Temple station) For some of us, this was the first time on the tube, so naturally, there was much anticipation and excitement. The station façade really reminded us of our MRT station but the train itself had much differences. The individual carriages were separated by doors, and the seats on the train were foldable so as to maximize space. Another thing that caught the attention of some was the fact that the commuters kept strictly to the right hand side of the escalator, something that is unfortunately, a relatively uncommon sight in Singapore.
After a few stations and some walking, we arrived at King’s College (London) where a couple of really enthusiastic and welcoming students gave a short admissions talk about the UCAS, the five different King’s College campuses, student accommodation (guaranteed for only one year) and the social life of a King’s student (more than 180 clubs!). Following that, we had a tour of the Strand (one of the five King’s campus) and a visit to the campus library (which had lovely round rooms and two stories high bookshelves!). And yes, we did ask for our third and final set of prospectus. Some interesting and unique courses that King’s has include midwifery and War (a multidisciplinary study of the impact of wars on society, moral and ethical dilemmas during wars, contemporary security threats and peace support organizations ).
The first difference between King’s and Oxbridge that struck us was that the campus building was definitely much more modern (with concrete rather than bricks). Something else that we noticed was that the school population in King’s was more racial diverse than Oxford and Cambridge.
Next stop, the Globe theatre including a walk over the Millennium Bridge. There, our guide introduced the theatre to us and a managed to sneak a peek at a Macbeth rehearsal (fight scene!). The current Globe was built some 10 over years ago by an American architect. Because it is round, some people have described being in the theatre as being caught in a hug :] We also learnt that the groundlings who had no seats and had to stand and watch the play used to pay only one pence back in Shakespeare’s time. That’s roughly 5 pounds in today’s currency. The groundlings back in the old days had no access to proper toilets during the play and so they answered their calls of nature where they were standing. Guess the ground in front of the stage must have been really fertile then. Following that, we had a drama workshop that was really enjoyable! After a warm up which involved us trying to use a sword (our index finger) to stab our friends hearts (a hand placed behind our back), we split into groups to act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet (Thumb biting scene). Gradually, we added in stage movements, hand actions and emphasis on stress words.
After the globe theatre visit/workshop, we went off for lunch! We split up and had lunch at EAT/ Marks and Spencer. After which, we crossed the Millennium Bridge again and arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice. The court was a really beautiful place, a pity pictures were not allowed inside. At the court, we were taken to one of the courtrooms, while an explanatory talk was given. The talk was given by a retiree who had returned to give voluntary tours around the RCJ. He briefly shared with us the history of the RCJ, such as who designed the place and how it was designed. Every courtroom in the RCJ is different (the one we were in was the biggest one), and there is an imperfection in the RCJ which was made on purpose. He also explained to us that the RCJ does not take criminal cases (it mainly takes civil cases and appeal cases), before explaining to us the different levels of courts and various divisions of court such as the chancery division (for wills, contracts, bankruptcy, etc). After which, he explained the different roles in a courtroom and where they stood. We think that the RCJ visit was really interesting and enjoyable, and the experience of sitting in a courtroom was quite cool. Furthermore, the volunteer/retiree gave a really clear explanation, and he really sounded as if he enjoyed what he was doing!
We proceeded to walk all the way back to the globe theatre after the RCJ visit, for a dinner at Pizza Express before Henry VIII at 7.30p.m. Pizza was yummy! And some of us decided to get some gelato for dessert! After which, we readied ourselves to take on our (wonderful?) roles as GROUNDLINGS! It was free seating (rather, standing) so we rushed in at 7.00p.m to get a good spot, though we didn’t really very good spots. The play began, and I must say, I was really lost and confused at the beginning when all the dukes and men started talking and I had no idea who they were and what they were talking about! But after awhile, I began to understand what was going on, and I must say I enjoyed the play! Even though it is a historical play (hence lacking an exciting plot like Romeo and Juliet), the costumes and characterization were still very impressive. I really loved all their processions and ceremonies, especially the party when King Henry VIII met Anne Boleyn, as well as the final dance (with the cool clapping and turning). Queen Catherine’s character was also very well crafted, as her old and helpless state after the divorce evoked much sympathy in us, and the use of the servants who crowded around her also had much impact. Even though being a groundling meant aching and stiff legs for three hours (before walking back to the travel lodge!), I must say it was very interesting being a groundling (especially when the characters brushed past!) and it certainly kept many of us awake!
Day 9 was definitely the MOST TIRING day of the entire trip. There was so much walking, but at least it was good exercise, and there were many new, exciting experiences!
In the morning, we took the London tube! (From Southwark to Temple station) For some of us, this was the first time on the tube, so naturally, there was much anticipation and excitement. The station façade really reminded us of our MRT station but the train itself had much differences. The individual carriages were separated by doors, and the seats on the train were foldable so as to maximize space. Another thing that caught the attention of some was the fact that the commuters kept strictly to the right hand side of the escalator, something that is unfortunately, a relatively uncommon sight in Singapore.
After a few stations and some walking, we arrived at King’s College (London) where a couple of really enthusiastic and welcoming students gave a short admissions talk about the UCAS, the five different King’s College campuses, student accommodation (guaranteed for only one year) and the social life of a King’s student (more than 180 clubs!). Following that, we had a tour of the Strand (one of the five King’s campus) and a visit to the campus library (which had lovely round rooms and two stories high bookshelves!). And yes, we did ask for our third and final set of prospectus. Some interesting and unique courses that King’s has include midwifery and War (a multidisciplinary study of the impact of wars on society, moral and ethical dilemmas during wars, contemporary security threats and peace support organizations ).
The first difference between King’s and Oxbridge that struck us was that the campus building was definitely much more modern (with concrete rather than bricks). Something else that we noticed was that the school population in King’s was more racial diverse than Oxford and Cambridge.
Next stop, the Globe theatre including a walk over the Millennium Bridge. There, our guide introduced the theatre to us and a managed to sneak a peek at a Macbeth rehearsal (fight scene!). The current Globe was built some 10 over years ago by an American architect. Because it is round, some people have described being in the theatre as being caught in a hug :] We also learnt that the groundlings who had no seats and had to stand and watch the play used to pay only one pence back in Shakespeare’s time. That’s roughly 5 pounds in today’s currency. The groundlings back in the old days had no access to proper toilets during the play and so they answered their calls of nature where they were standing. Guess the ground in front of the stage must have been really fertile then. Following that, we had a drama workshop that was really enjoyable! After a warm up which involved us trying to use a sword (our index finger) to stab our friends hearts (a hand placed behind our back), we split into groups to act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet (Thumb biting scene). Gradually, we added in stage movements, hand actions and emphasis on stress words.
After the globe theatre visit/workshop, we went off for lunch! We split up and had lunch at EAT/ Marks and Spencer. After which, we crossed the Millennium Bridge again and arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice. The court was a really beautiful place, a pity pictures were not allowed inside. At the court, we were taken to one of the courtrooms, while an explanatory talk was given. The talk was given by a retiree who had returned to give voluntary tours around the RCJ. He briefly shared with us the history of the RCJ, such as who designed the place and how it was designed. Every courtroom in the RCJ is different (the one we were in was the biggest one), and there is an imperfection in the RCJ which was made on purpose. He also explained to us that the RCJ does not take criminal cases (it mainly takes civil cases and appeal cases), before explaining to us the different levels of courts and various divisions of court such as the chancery division (for wills, contracts, bankruptcy, etc). After which, he explained the different roles in a courtroom and where they stood. We think that the RCJ visit was really interesting and enjoyable, and the experience of sitting in a courtroom was quite cool. Furthermore, the volunteer/retiree gave a really clear explanation, and he really sounded as if he enjoyed what he was doing!
We proceeded to walk all the way back to the globe theatre after the RCJ visit, for a dinner at Pizza Express before Henry VIII at 7.30p.m. Pizza was yummy! And some of us decided to get some gelato for dessert! After which, we readied ourselves to take on our (wonderful?) roles as GROUNDLINGS! It was free seating (rather, standing) so we rushed in at 7.00p.m to get a good spot, though we didn’t really very good spots. The play began, and I must say, I was really lost and confused at the beginning when all the dukes and men started talking and I had no idea who they were and what they were talking about! But after awhile, I began to understand what was going on, and I must say I enjoyed the play! Even though it is a historical play (hence lacking an exciting plot like Romeo and Juliet), the costumes and characterization were still very impressive. I really loved all their processions and ceremonies, especially the party when King Henry VIII met Anne Boleyn, as well as the final dance (with the cool clapping and turning). Queen Catherine’s character was also very well crafted, as her old and helpless state after the divorce evoked much sympathy in us, and the use of the servants who crowded around her also had much impact. Even though being a groundling meant aching and stiff legs for three hours (before walking back to the travel lodge!), I must say it was very interesting being a groundling (especially when the characters brushed past!) and it certainly kept many of us awake!
Day 9 was definitely the MOST TIRING day of the entire trip. There was so much walking, but at least it was good exercise, and there were many new, exciting experiences!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Day 7 - Cambridge
So the day started out with a walking tour of CAMBRIDGE (obnoxious much hahah). Our guide was a nice old lady called Mavis Drake :D And she's really cool and really likes lots of Apple products (ie. iPad, iPod). Plus, she can ring huge church bells even at her age. She is one of those who are really proud of being in Cambridge. Through the random facts she likes to share with us, we felt the (friendly) rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge.
Cambridge is the university of some very renowned people (including 87 nobel laureates) and really famous people whose our science classes are based on...
F=MA
That's Newton's first law... And Newton studied at Cambridge's Christ College. :O
Other famous graduates are Lord Byron, the mad bad and dangerous to know!
We went to a bar (which was haunted, of course) and Mavis tried to convince us that all the 007 came from cambridge.
to be continued...
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friends, food and fabulous fun
New friends at St. Mary's
Chilling out at 6th Form lounge
Rice!
The Crown
West End production of 39Steps
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Oxford-Cambridge: Cambridge-Oxford: Which is which?
Avenues?
Quad or Court?
College buildings?
or
Punts?
Some pix
Dove Cottage Museum
Contemplation: Swans upon the Bowness Lake, Windermere
Oscar of Haworth: Mosey Cosy
Haworth: Horses!
Drama workshop at Stratford
W.S. Yay!
Claire, our drama teacher
More photos to come...
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Oxford (Day 6)
HELLO!
This is Lauren and Crystal, and we are your bloggers for today :)
Time does fly, it is already day six! Today was full of interesting and new experiences to say the least. We tried our hand at punting, visited the Ashmolean museum/ went shopping and had an admissions talk as well as a Philosophy lecture!
Punting. Punting was indeed an unique experience. Then again, it felt somewhat like kayaking (the one we all had a go at during OBS). Some of us were really good at punting but unforturnately, some of us weren't and for those who weren't as capable in that sense, it felt pretty daunting. For one, our group wasn't able to complete the route because we were stuck going in circles for 45 minutes and eventually took another 45 minutes to get back to the rental station. Quite an experience indeed! Some groups were most definitely more successful and some even managed to establish their own methods of punting. Nevertheless, we are certain that everybody learnt a lot from the experience! :)
After punting, half of us visited the Ashmolean museum and the other half went shopping around Oxford's city district! Both parties enjoyed themselves very much! Those who visited the Ashmolean museum were full of praise for its fabulous and wide-ranging exhibits while those who went shopping came back with some great buys.
Following that, we proceeded to walk to St. Catherine's College where we had an admissions talk by an admissions officer from the college. We are sure that most of us have gained much from the talk! Personally, we gained new insights on college life, the support network as well as entry requirements.
Some information for those who did not take notes! :)
Background information on the U
The University of Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university and it has been around for over 900 years. Over time, it has produced 47 Nobel Prize winners! What's special about Oxford is it's turtorial teaching system which they claim is "unsurpassed elsewhere today". Currently, 14% of Oxford students are international students.
As an Oxford student, one would be a member of the University, a department as well as a college! There are also many sports (E.g. Tennis, Fencing, Dance, Horseriding, Ice Hockey etc) and clubs and societies (E.g. Law Society, Harry Potter Society, Oxford Optimists, Jazz Society, Wine Tasting Society etc) that one can join or participate in as a student at Oxford!
Entrance Requirements
Generally, 3As at the A Levels is a must! Oxford also seems to focus a lot on academics! During the admissions talk, they stressed the importance of being academically inclined and interested in the study area of your choice. One must also show aptitude and potential. To apply, you would have to submit your UCAS application (5 UK university choices, personal statement etc.) by 15th October and your interview application in Sept. As of now, interviews will still be conducted in Singapore. However, in the future, interviews might be conducted via Skype/ in Oxford etc!
Considerations
- High School Transcripts
- Exam/ Predicted Grades
- Personal Statement
- Teacher's Reference
- Pre-Interview Tests (esp for popular courses like medicine, law or PPE)
- Written Work
- Written Tests at Interview
- Interview(s) - Interviews are said to be entirely academic and will be discussion based. It is usually 20-30 minutes long and it should be intellectually challenging! It should somewhat take the form of a mini tutorial.
Fees
About USD$16, 000 for 30 weeks living expenses, and USD$40, 000 or less for course fees. Scholarship applications and more information can be found at the website: www.admissions.ox.ac.uk. The student union website is as such: www.ousu.org.
After the admissions talk, we had a Philosophy lecture by a Philosophy tutor from Oxford! He talked to us about "The Explanatory Gap". The philosophy lecture we had was certainly mind-blowing and somewhat different from the philosophy lessons we had in school. It was to some extent mind boggling and at times, we were not exactly sure of the direction we were heading. Despite our many questions, the lecturer was extremely kind and he tried to answer most of the queries we had. At the end of the day, philosophy seemed to leave us with more questions that answers. But as the lecturer said, philosophical discussions leave us more enlightened although we might not come to any concrete conclusions! All in all, a very enlightening lecture indeed. In addition, he added that philosophy can be applied to various other fields such as Science. For example, after a certain level, all scientific knowledge can only exist as theories and assumptions before mankind, as of now, is limited by our knowledge constraints.
Interesting huh? (:
Our day ended off quite nicely with a dinner at Browns' restaurant where we all had lots of fun! Right now, we've reached the Travelodge in Cambridge and are more or less settled in. So...that's all for now!
Goodnight!
P.S. Photos will be uploaded after the trip! :)
This is Lauren and Crystal, and we are your bloggers for today :)
Time does fly, it is already day six! Today was full of interesting and new experiences to say the least. We tried our hand at punting, visited the Ashmolean museum/ went shopping and had an admissions talk as well as a Philosophy lecture!
Punting. Punting was indeed an unique experience. Then again, it felt somewhat like kayaking (the one we all had a go at during OBS). Some of us were really good at punting but unforturnately, some of us weren't and for those who weren't as capable in that sense, it felt pretty daunting. For one, our group wasn't able to complete the route because we were stuck going in circles for 45 minutes and eventually took another 45 minutes to get back to the rental station. Quite an experience indeed! Some groups were most definitely more successful and some even managed to establish their own methods of punting. Nevertheless, we are certain that everybody learnt a lot from the experience! :)
After punting, half of us visited the Ashmolean museum and the other half went shopping around Oxford's city district! Both parties enjoyed themselves very much! Those who visited the Ashmolean museum were full of praise for its fabulous and wide-ranging exhibits while those who went shopping came back with some great buys.
Following that, we proceeded to walk to St. Catherine's College where we had an admissions talk by an admissions officer from the college. We are sure that most of us have gained much from the talk! Personally, we gained new insights on college life, the support network as well as entry requirements.
Some information for those who did not take notes! :)
Background information on the U
The University of Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university and it has been around for over 900 years. Over time, it has produced 47 Nobel Prize winners! What's special about Oxford is it's turtorial teaching system which they claim is "unsurpassed elsewhere today". Currently, 14% of Oxford students are international students.
As an Oxford student, one would be a member of the University, a department as well as a college! There are also many sports (E.g. Tennis, Fencing, Dance, Horseriding, Ice Hockey etc) and clubs and societies (E.g. Law Society, Harry Potter Society, Oxford Optimists, Jazz Society, Wine Tasting Society etc) that one can join or participate in as a student at Oxford!
Entrance Requirements
Generally, 3As at the A Levels is a must! Oxford also seems to focus a lot on academics! During the admissions talk, they stressed the importance of being academically inclined and interested in the study area of your choice. One must also show aptitude and potential. To apply, you would have to submit your UCAS application (5 UK university choices, personal statement etc.) by 15th October and your interview application in Sept. As of now, interviews will still be conducted in Singapore. However, in the future, interviews might be conducted via Skype/ in Oxford etc!
Considerations
- High School Transcripts
- Exam/ Predicted Grades
- Personal Statement
- Teacher's Reference
- Pre-Interview Tests (esp for popular courses like medicine, law or PPE)
- Written Work
- Written Tests at Interview
- Interview(s) - Interviews are said to be entirely academic and will be discussion based. It is usually 20-30 minutes long and it should be intellectually challenging! It should somewhat take the form of a mini tutorial.
Fees
About USD$16, 000 for 30 weeks living expenses, and USD$40, 000 or less for course fees. Scholarship applications and more information can be found at the website: www.admissions.ox.ac.uk. The student union website is as such: www.ousu.org.
After the admissions talk, we had a Philosophy lecture by a Philosophy tutor from Oxford! He talked to us about "The Explanatory Gap". The philosophy lecture we had was certainly mind-blowing and somewhat different from the philosophy lessons we had in school. It was to some extent mind boggling and at times, we were not exactly sure of the direction we were heading. Despite our many questions, the lecturer was extremely kind and he tried to answer most of the queries we had. At the end of the day, philosophy seemed to leave us with more questions that answers. But as the lecturer said, philosophical discussions leave us more enlightened although we might not come to any concrete conclusions! All in all, a very enlightening lecture indeed. In addition, he added that philosophy can be applied to various other fields such as Science. For example, after a certain level, all scientific knowledge can only exist as theories and assumptions before mankind, as of now, is limited by our knowledge constraints.
Interesting huh? (:
Our day ended off quite nicely with a dinner at Browns' restaurant where we all had lots of fun! Right now, we've reached the Travelodge in Cambridge and are more or less settled in. So...that's all for now!
Goodnight!
P.S. Photos will be uploaded after the trip! :)
Day 5 (Oxford)
Hooya this is Jesslene and Hui Qi who are your bloggers for the real Day 5. We are officially in the scenic town of Oxford (which Huiqi always thought just referred to the school) that is currently on a rare heatwave (remember to drink lots of water). This can be seen in the photos by the realllly bright sunlight. Alright. So, just a mini-recap and little thoughts for the sights and sounds of today.
First of all we met our blue badge city guide, who turned out to be a real pro. Bringing us to the doorsteps of a few colleges - Christ Church, St. Catherine, Merton, and a few others that we didn't really went into. We can see the importance of their gardens by noticing the really generous amount of space that is allocated to their well kept lawns and I think this is really unique of Oxford and England. Singapore pales a little in comparison.
Christ Church is really pretty and of course we all learnt about the Harry Potter filming as well as other locations. What Huiqi really likes is the insight on C.S. Lewis and how we learn the inspiration behind his stories - the wonderful Alice and the rabbit hole, etc. Another major attraction is the cathedral itself, which really is awe-inspiring and certainly beautiful.
Alright so we went into St. Catherine and we had a lecture on Jane Eyre. We learnt more about the different possible ways we could read the book. We considered how we can read a book and approach it from different angles, which is something we've never considered. I guess we get really caught up in trying to understand the content most of the time that this is something really new and it most probably never occurred to us that we should consider the writer and the historical context in which it were written.
St. Catherine is really different though, in its clean lines and modernity. I think that today's tour of Oxford was really enriching because we got to see and contrast the different colleges.
Understandably everyone felt a bit overdressed during the dinner but I think we guys looked presentable. The dinner was very interesting because we got to speak to very friendly alumni that were eager to share as well. The shared background of a NY girl really helped to bridge any gap and we had a lovely time with them. The most valuable part of the interaction is most probably getting to know more about how they integrated into the local culture. As we heard from them, the social life of the locals are built on the basis of alcohol, pubs, and partying (which our seniors were not comfortable with). Our seniors also mentioned that although they might be able to communicate with the locals, they did not forge especially close bonds with them.
This is Hui Qi and Jesslene, signing off.
First of all we met our blue badge city guide, who turned out to be a real pro. Bringing us to the doorsteps of a few colleges - Christ Church, St. Catherine, Merton, and a few others that we didn't really went into. We can see the importance of their gardens by noticing the really generous amount of space that is allocated to their well kept lawns and I think this is really unique of Oxford and England. Singapore pales a little in comparison.
Christ Church is really pretty and of course we all learnt about the Harry Potter filming as well as other locations. What Huiqi really likes is the insight on C.S. Lewis and how we learn the inspiration behind his stories - the wonderful Alice and the rabbit hole, etc. Another major attraction is the cathedral itself, which really is awe-inspiring and certainly beautiful.
Alright so we went into St. Catherine and we had a lecture on Jane Eyre. We learnt more about the different possible ways we could read the book. We considered how we can read a book and approach it from different angles, which is something we've never considered. I guess we get really caught up in trying to understand the content most of the time that this is something really new and it most probably never occurred to us that we should consider the writer and the historical context in which it were written.
St. Catherine is really different though, in its clean lines and modernity. I think that today's tour of Oxford was really enriching because we got to see and contrast the different colleges.
Understandably everyone felt a bit overdressed during the dinner but I think we guys looked presentable. The dinner was very interesting because we got to speak to very friendly alumni that were eager to share as well. The shared background of a NY girl really helped to bridge any gap and we had a lovely time with them. The most valuable part of the interaction is most probably getting to know more about how they integrated into the local culture. As we heard from them, the social life of the locals are built on the basis of alcohol, pubs, and partying (which our seniors were not comfortable with). Our seniors also mentioned that although they might be able to communicate with the locals, they did not forge especially close bonds with them.
This is Hui Qi and Jesslene, signing off.
Day 4! :D
Hello everyone!
This is Joyan and Michelle, blogging for today’s events(: So the very first thing we did today was to go for the Drama workshop in Juliet Room. Unfortunately there was a small mishap when the timings were mixed up. Apparently we were to report at 9am, and the very nice trainer – Claire had been there since a quarter before 9. However due to some miscommunication, we only reached slightly before 10am. Thankfully everything was soon settled by our awesome teachers and we were able to attend the workshop successfully!
I think the Drama workshop was really quite a success as Claire was very entertaining and also introduced us to many different and eye-opening drama exercises. One example would be the exercise where we were to pretend to be objects that complemented other objects. This forced us to think out of the box and also think of apt actions to represent the objects!
Claire also introduced to us the different forms of comedy such as black comedy, miming, comedy of the manners and so on. Later, we even had the chance to act out a short excerpt of a play written by Shakespeare involving two pairs of twins. This was especially interesting and funny as some of our classmates could really act super well! It really showed us how every word, action, and movement can mean so much and bring across completely different meanings.
I think the drama workshop was truly an eye-opener, allowing us to step out of our own normal characters and try to be somebody else completely different.
After the drama workshop, we went to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace. First we went through a museum showcasing Shakespeare’s history and his works. I was really inspired by this because the various short video clips shown of Shakespeare’s works really showed how his works have been adapted and acted out throughout the years, transcending all time boundaries. I think it’s good too that the United Kingdom, in particular this place we went to today – Stratford, prioritizes culture so highly. Clearly a lot of time and resources had been spent on building the museum and every part of the museum was designed exquisitely.
Later at Shakespeare’s birthplace, we also got a sense of how Shakespeare lived his life when he was a young kid, and even a teenager like all of us! The houses then in his time were vastly different from the sort of houses we live in these days. So it was really very interesting to see how a famous writer was born and lived in those days!
Following that, we had lunch (Pasty Presto’s!) at a park in the Town Centre. The park was extremely interesting as there were many other people having their own picnics at the park! There were families, teenagers, couples and many different types of people. Not too far off from where we were eating was an entertainer who called himself a ‘magician’. Personally, I found him rather annoying but he was able to attract quite a number of people who surrounded him and sportingly helped him in his acts, giving him money afterward.
We had our mini amazing race around Stratford-upon-Avon after lunch! I felt that it was the highlight of the day as we were able to experience the Shakesperean culture of this town for ourselves and get to know more about him and his works through exploring the area and doing the tasks ourselves. We were to split into groups of 4 for this activity, with people that we had not been sharing the same room with. I grouped up with Esther, Simhwee and Charlotte while Joyan grouped up with Hui Han, Eugenia and Charis. We were given a number of tasks relating to the town, Shakespeare and literature, and we were to finish the tasks by a stipulated time. The first task we had was to take a picture in a jest pose. For my group, we had a cute family of 4 help us take a photo :D We then rushed down to the lake to take a picture with the swans at the lake. On our way to the next task, we saw a fountain designed in the shape of two metal swans and decided to take a picture of it just for fun :D Not being able to find the location of our next task, which was the Shakespeare monument, we asked a policeman where it was (:
I found the monument extremely interesting and I felt that it adequately portrayed some of Shakespeare’s best works and the different genres. To me, the masks on the monument were especially fascinating as the masks had either a smiling or a frowning face and each had various types of plants pouring out of its mouth, symbolising the many types of genres. Another of the tasks was to go to Shakespeare’s grave and write what was written on his gravestone. I did not realise that Shakespeare was actually buried within the church! (Holy Trinity Church, to be exact). We then headed to the school where Shakespeare studied at, taking a picture of it. While looking for the school, our group got lost! We couldn’t find the road that the school was on (when we followed the map) and we had to ask many passer-bys where the school was.
The second last task was to go to Waterstone’s bookstore, find three of Shakespeare’s plays and take a picture with it, making sure that we took a picture with it that depicted the title of the book. Last but not least, we had to post a letter to Juliet’s balcony in Verona!
Overall, I really enjoyed the entire experience as we were able to mingle with the locals (by asking them directions!) and we got to feel the culture of the place by running around looking for items that belonged to Shakespeare. For me, I learnt to interpret literature by experiencing it and acting it out (: Special thanks to the teachers for planning this and allowing us to run around on our own! :D
Tata! :D
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Joyan and Michelle (:
This is Joyan and Michelle, blogging for today’s events(: So the very first thing we did today was to go for the Drama workshop in Juliet Room. Unfortunately there was a small mishap when the timings were mixed up. Apparently we were to report at 9am, and the very nice trainer – Claire had been there since a quarter before 9. However due to some miscommunication, we only reached slightly before 10am. Thankfully everything was soon settled by our awesome teachers and we were able to attend the workshop successfully!
I think the Drama workshop was really quite a success as Claire was very entertaining and also introduced us to many different and eye-opening drama exercises. One example would be the exercise where we were to pretend to be objects that complemented other objects. This forced us to think out of the box and also think of apt actions to represent the objects!
Claire also introduced to us the different forms of comedy such as black comedy, miming, comedy of the manners and so on. Later, we even had the chance to act out a short excerpt of a play written by Shakespeare involving two pairs of twins. This was especially interesting and funny as some of our classmates could really act super well! It really showed us how every word, action, and movement can mean so much and bring across completely different meanings.
I think the drama workshop was truly an eye-opener, allowing us to step out of our own normal characters and try to be somebody else completely different.
After the drama workshop, we went to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace. First we went through a museum showcasing Shakespeare’s history and his works. I was really inspired by this because the various short video clips shown of Shakespeare’s works really showed how his works have been adapted and acted out throughout the years, transcending all time boundaries. I think it’s good too that the United Kingdom, in particular this place we went to today – Stratford, prioritizes culture so highly. Clearly a lot of time and resources had been spent on building the museum and every part of the museum was designed exquisitely.
Later at Shakespeare’s birthplace, we also got a sense of how Shakespeare lived his life when he was a young kid, and even a teenager like all of us! The houses then in his time were vastly different from the sort of houses we live in these days. So it was really very interesting to see how a famous writer was born and lived in those days!
Following that, we had lunch (Pasty Presto’s!) at a park in the Town Centre. The park was extremely interesting as there were many other people having their own picnics at the park! There were families, teenagers, couples and many different types of people. Not too far off from where we were eating was an entertainer who called himself a ‘magician’. Personally, I found him rather annoying but he was able to attract quite a number of people who surrounded him and sportingly helped him in his acts, giving him money afterward.
We had our mini amazing race around Stratford-upon-Avon after lunch! I felt that it was the highlight of the day as we were able to experience the Shakesperean culture of this town for ourselves and get to know more about him and his works through exploring the area and doing the tasks ourselves. We were to split into groups of 4 for this activity, with people that we had not been sharing the same room with. I grouped up with Esther, Simhwee and Charlotte while Joyan grouped up with Hui Han, Eugenia and Charis. We were given a number of tasks relating to the town, Shakespeare and literature, and we were to finish the tasks by a stipulated time. The first task we had was to take a picture in a jest pose. For my group, we had a cute family of 4 help us take a photo :D We then rushed down to the lake to take a picture with the swans at the lake. On our way to the next task, we saw a fountain designed in the shape of two metal swans and decided to take a picture of it just for fun :D Not being able to find the location of our next task, which was the Shakespeare monument, we asked a policeman where it was (:
I found the monument extremely interesting and I felt that it adequately portrayed some of Shakespeare’s best works and the different genres. To me, the masks on the monument were especially fascinating as the masks had either a smiling or a frowning face and each had various types of plants pouring out of its mouth, symbolising the many types of genres. Another of the tasks was to go to Shakespeare’s grave and write what was written on his gravestone. I did not realise that Shakespeare was actually buried within the church! (Holy Trinity Church, to be exact). We then headed to the school where Shakespeare studied at, taking a picture of it. While looking for the school, our group got lost! We couldn’t find the road that the school was on (when we followed the map) and we had to ask many passer-bys where the school was.
The second last task was to go to Waterstone’s bookstore, find three of Shakespeare’s plays and take a picture with it, making sure that we took a picture with it that depicted the title of the book. Last but not least, we had to post a letter to Juliet’s balcony in Verona!
Overall, I really enjoyed the entire experience as we were able to mingle with the locals (by asking them directions!) and we got to feel the culture of the place by running around looking for items that belonged to Shakespeare. For me, I learnt to interpret literature by experiencing it and acting it out (: Special thanks to the teachers for planning this and allowing us to run around on our own! :D
Tata! :D
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Joyan and Michelle (:
Day Three (Haworth and Stratford)
Salutations! Greetings from the North! This is Charis and Celine, your bloggers for today.
Today we left the beautiful Lake District (sob D:) and headed for Yorkshire, more specifically, Haworth, where the famous Bronte family lived. The Bronte family are an extremely important fixture in the history of English literature, and being as this was a literary tour, it was essential that we visit. While we were coaching to the house of the Brontes, (this has now been converted into a museum to pay homage to the Brontes) we were struck by the beautiful landscape, not beautiful and serene like the Lake District, but fierce and treacherous and wild, with the rough terrain and the craggy moors with tufts of grass all over the place, almost liberating in its wildness.
When we reached the Bronte house, we were taken for a talk, which educated us on the life and times of the Bronte family, and the circumstance under which the three most famous sisters (namely Emily, Charlotte and Anne Bronte) might have written the classics which made them timeless. As many of us had not read the Bronte books, this talk was certainly an eye-opener and it really helped us understand the history behind this obscure and mysterious literary family.
Then, we took a tour round the Bronte house. It was especially impactful to see so many of the items that the Brontes themselves might have used, more notably, Charlotte's gown, and the chair in which it is said that Emily died in. It drove home the fact they were real people, not just a fixture in literature, or a fixture in the past, but they lived and breathed and they were people, real, talented people who left behind a legacy that will stay with the human race forever. And this was really a mindblowing thought and it really made an impact on us.
After that, we went to the souvenir shop and all of us attempted to buy down the store, but failed, thankfully, otherwise our luggage would have been stopped at the airport going home. :)
We then headed down in the coach to Stratford, thus leaving the North for good (sob D:) We were to watch a play that night, Romeo and Juliet, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. As we've all analysed the play in our Sec 2 LA classes, most of us were familiar with the play. We thought the acting was rather splendid and the whole atmosphere of the theatre and having a play brought to life was an excellent experience for us all.
Finally, we rushed back to the travelodge, fatigued but happy. We thought it was an extremely enriching and fun day, and we look forward to more happy days to come! :)
This is Celine and Charis, farewell and good night!
Today we left the beautiful Lake District (sob D:) and headed for Yorkshire, more specifically, Haworth, where the famous Bronte family lived. The Bronte family are an extremely important fixture in the history of English literature, and being as this was a literary tour, it was essential that we visit. While we were coaching to the house of the Brontes, (this has now been converted into a museum to pay homage to the Brontes) we were struck by the beautiful landscape, not beautiful and serene like the Lake District, but fierce and treacherous and wild, with the rough terrain and the craggy moors with tufts of grass all over the place, almost liberating in its wildness.
When we reached the Bronte house, we were taken for a talk, which educated us on the life and times of the Bronte family, and the circumstance under which the three most famous sisters (namely Emily, Charlotte and Anne Bronte) might have written the classics which made them timeless. As many of us had not read the Bronte books, this talk was certainly an eye-opener and it really helped us understand the history behind this obscure and mysterious literary family.
Then, we took a tour round the Bronte house. It was especially impactful to see so many of the items that the Brontes themselves might have used, more notably, Charlotte's gown, and the chair in which it is said that Emily died in. It drove home the fact they were real people, not just a fixture in literature, or a fixture in the past, but they lived and breathed and they were people, real, talented people who left behind a legacy that will stay with the human race forever. And this was really a mindblowing thought and it really made an impact on us.
After that, we went to the souvenir shop and all of us attempted to buy down the store, but failed, thankfully, otherwise our luggage would have been stopped at the airport going home. :)
We then headed down in the coach to Stratford, thus leaving the North for good (sob D:) We were to watch a play that night, Romeo and Juliet, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. As we've all analysed the play in our Sec 2 LA classes, most of us were familiar with the play. We thought the acting was rather splendid and the whole atmosphere of the theatre and having a play brought to life was an excellent experience for us all.
Finally, we rushed back to the travelodge, fatigued but happy. We thought it was an extremely enriching and fun day, and we look forward to more happy days to come! :)
This is Celine and Charis, farewell and good night!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Day 2 (Kylie and Yu Jie)
Hey everyone, sorry about the late post (it's currently Day 5 right here and we're in the beautiful Oxford!). Right after arriving in Manchester airport, we set off for Lake District and visited poet William Wordsworth's houses. The first house we visited was called Dove Cottage, a small, rather dark cottage where he lived with his wife, sister and children for 9 years. We really wonder how they managed to live in such conditions fo so long! O:
An interesting fact is that they managed (apparently) to keep their food, wine and vegetables fresh for up to 2 weeks in a cool room. We were shocked at the size of their beds and furniture as they were quite tiny. We also visited the garden that Wordsworth landscaped. However, it was not as nice and as large as the one in Rydal Mount, his second house.
After we proceeded to Rydal Mount, where he stayed till his death, we were clearly able to see why he wanted to move there. It was a much larger house where his many children could stay comfortably. The garden was spectacular, with many picturesque scenic views and trails where we could walk. It overlooked the rivers and lakes around the house, and we even sat and lay on the grassy lawns (which was really quite well maintained!).
We also found out that the house has been owned (and is still lived in by) Wordsworth's descendants. (To digress now, the people around us are taking pictures of some spiderlings on the table right next to us. GROSS!) It must be fascinating to know that their ancestor was a famous poet; Yujie finds it really cool that there are also pictures of his descendants on the wall.
After this interesting experience, we took a cruise on the beautiful Lake Windermere, which is England's largest natural, ribbon lake (aka it is long narrow and finger like). The cruise lasted about 30 minutes but it felt much shorter as there were so many things to look at! The geography students were fascinated with the mountain and houses that overlooked the lake. :)
Dinner was at one of England's famous pub houses. We each had three different types of meat (turkey, beef or pork) and we could try the different types of sauces (eg. brown sauce) meant for each type of meat. We also stuffed ourselves with the wonderfully sweet and rich desserts! Lovely, yum yum!
Annnnnnd that concludes our post for Day 2.
DAY ONE :DD (teck and simhwee!)
GOOD MORNING NANYANG!!!
Day 1 - CHANGI AIRPORT!
Hello everybody! Today was our 'first day' at the Changi Airport. Many parents came to see their daughters off. We checked in 8pm and we had time for a light supper at Coffee Club/other food stalls. Some of us had the time to go shopping and got necklaces!
We entered Gate 14 and waited for a while before we boarded the plane. The plane ride was 13 hours, which most of us split between sleeping (or not, apparently, according to Jessica), watching movies/tv shows (Including The Spy Next Door, Scooby Doo, Percy Jackson, etc.), listening to music, playing games and eating plane food (good/bad depending on who you ask!). We also had a nice pilot who was extremely enthusiastic and entertaining, which made our trip very enjoyable.
We had to stop over at Munich at 6am for about an hour, till we travelled for another 1h and 45mins to Manchester Airport. Manchester marks the start of Day 2 :]
Photos will be added after the trip!
Love,
Teck and Sim Hwee
P.S. UK IS AWESOME <3333333333
Day 1 - CHANGI AIRPORT!
Hello everybody! Today was our 'first day' at the Changi Airport. Many parents came to see their daughters off. We checked in 8pm and we had time for a light supper at Coffee Club/other food stalls. Some of us had the time to go shopping and got necklaces!
We entered Gate 14 and waited for a while before we boarded the plane. The plane ride was 13 hours, which most of us split between sleeping (or not, apparently, according to Jessica), watching movies/tv shows (Including The Spy Next Door, Scooby Doo, Percy Jackson, etc.), listening to music, playing games and eating plane food (good/bad depending on who you ask!). We also had a nice pilot who was extremely enthusiastic and entertaining, which made our trip very enjoyable.
We had to stop over at Munich at 6am for about an hour, till we travelled for another 1h and 45mins to Manchester Airport. Manchester marks the start of Day 2 :]
Photos will be added after the trip!
Love,
Teck and Sim Hwee
P.S. UK IS AWESOME <3333333333
Saturday, May 22, 2010
We Have Arrived - Message for parents
We landed safe and sound in Manchester Friday morning. All the girls were instructed to call/text parents upon arrival in Manchester. Unfortunately it seems some of them did not..
We were delayed in landing so had to go straight to the Lake District. The SIM cards were not available at the airport and, due to the delays, we did not have time to make a de-tour to buy them - we hope to get them in Stratford (Saturday evening).
So to confirm: we have just arrived at our Travelodge in Bury for the night (now 10pm Friday) and we will be leaving for Haworth and Stratford tomorrow morning. Apologies for any undue concern caused - everyone is fine.
We were delayed in landing so had to go straight to the Lake District. The SIM cards were not available at the airport and, due to the delays, we did not have time to make a de-tour to buy them - we hope to get them in Stratford (Saturday evening).
So to confirm: we have just arrived at our Travelodge in Bury for the night (now 10pm Friday) and we will be leaving for Haworth and Stratford tomorrow morning. Apologies for any undue concern caused - everyone is fine.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Blue Jackets - All Sorted
3/14 have donated three jackets so everyone should have one. If anyone is missing one, please let me know!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Blue Jackets
Could someone (Amanda/Yu Jie) please give me an update re: how many blue jackets we are short of pls?
Oxford University
Oxford
One of the oldest surviving universities in the English-speaking world, and among one of the highest renowned universities in the world.
University Colours: Oxford Blue
Motto: Dominus Illuminatio Mea (The Lord is my Light)
Oxford student population of over twenty thousand comprises of students from 140 countries and territories, a third of which are from outside of UK.
The academic year runs from October to June, and is divided into 3 eight week terms: Michaelmas (autumn), Hilary (Spring) and Trinity (summer).
Major events include: The Boat Race, Varsity Football Match,Varsity Rugby Match, Encaenia (when the University awards honorary degrees and commemorates its benefactors) and Degree Days (takes place throughout the year, when students graduate).
The Collegiate System
Oxford University comprises of 38 independent, self-governing colleges.
"All Colleges invest heavily in facilities for extensive library and IT provision, accommodation and welfare support, and sports and social events. The relatively small number of students at each college allows for close and supportive personal attention to be given to the induction, academic development and welfare of individuals.
Each college has its own Governing Body, comprising the Head of House and a number of Fellows, most of whom also hold University posts. There are also six Permanent Private Halls, which were founded by various Christian denominations and still retain their religious character."
History: Key Events
1096: Some form of teaching known to have existed in Oxford
1167: This developed rapidly when Henry II banned students from attending the University of Paris
1190: Arrival of first overseas student, Emo of Friesland (haha, what a name.)
1355: Edward III paid tribute to the university for its unsurpassable education and the services rendered to the state by alumni
1833: From this year, Oxford sought to revitalise the Catholic aspects of the Angelican Church
1860: Historical debate between Thomas Huxley and Bishop Wilderforce takes place in University Museum
1878: Academic halls establish for women
1974: All colleges changed their statutes to admit both men and women
Norrington Table:
The Norrington Table is an annual ranking that lists the colleges of the University of Oxford that have undergraduate students in order of the performance of their undergraduate students on that year's final examinations.
Currently, the Norrington Table is calculated by awarding 5 points for a student who receives a 1st Class degree, 3 points for a 2:1, 2 for a 2:2 and 1 for a 3rd, divided by the maximum possible score (i.e. the number of finalists in that college multiplied by 5), and expressed as a percentage (rounded to 2 decimal places) per college. Although the difference between the highest places on the table is usually very slight, the top colleges remain very competitive about their rankings on the Table. Their competitiveness has been heightened in recent years by increased media attention on the rankings.
Previously the university had refused to endorse an official table, leading to inaccuracies (see Criticisms below), so the university finally published its own rankings using examination results from all final year undergraduates in 2005.
Applications to Colleges:
· Apply around September-October in your J2 year, results are out usually in December-January
· UCAS forms (Common Application) allows you to fill in five UK schools of your choice
· You can only choose either Oxford or Cambridge to apply for, you cannot choose both
· When applying, you can choose colleges in Oxbridge of your choice; alternatively you submit an open application, which means if accepted you would be placed in colleges which have vacancies
· Some colleges look more at your academic performance as compared to your extra-curricular activities
Notable Alumni:
26 British Prime Ministers, including Margeret Thatcher, Tony Blair and most recently, David Cameron.
Bill Clinton, 42nd Prime Minister of the United States
Authors like C.S Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles; J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy; Joseph Heller, author of Catch 22; Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, and many others.
Poets like Percy Shelley, T.S. Elliot, A.E. Housman and John Donne.
Actors like Hugh Grant and Kate Beckinsale.
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