Excited and ready to fly to Singapore and Malaysia for a nine day trip of a lifetime, the School’s bus left at 7.00am on the April 9 and drove to Sydney Airport with eighteen students from the Year 9 and Year 10 Mandarin language classes.
Fast forward to when the plane had landed, and the first noticeable difference in Singapore was the heat! Dinner was waiting in the air conditioning, much to everyone’s relief, and was a delicious mix between the traditions found in Singapore and China – one of the many chicken rice dishes consumed on the trip, Singapore’s national meal.
The following three days, TIGS students and teachers travelled to the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University to learn the art of Chinese calligraphy and gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese language (and a new language which combines English, Malay, and Chinese, known as Singlish), followed by afternoons of sightseeing. Sounds of amazement accompanied the views from the top of the soaring Supertrees in Gardens by the Bay, riding on a boat past the famous and historical Merlion, exploring the busy streets of Chinatown, learning about Singapore’s unique water management, and visiting multiple museums.
Everyone’s inner child loved Legoland, as the first stop in Malaysia, followed by a day at Chuang Hua High School where TIGS students and teachers were welcomed to the school, and the history of Chinese culture in Malaysia. The next few days were highlights, exploring the culture with more sightseeing of some surreal architecture like the Putra Mosque, Twin Towers, and the Batu Caves (where the monkeys caused lots of excitement and surprise), filled with delicious meals of Roti Prata, Nasi Lemak and various curries.
When it was time to go home, TIGS students and teachers travelled back to Singapore to fly out of Changi Airport – the best airport in the world – with a pool, butterfly garden and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. It’s rare to be excited about an airport, but Changi Airport is one of a kind and a great end to a trip that Year 9 and Year 10 Mandarin language students, and teachers too, will remember for years to come inspiring the love for exploration and the love for learning new languages.
