2011 c4e singapore trip report

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2011 Darwin High School Centre For Excellence [SINGAPORE EXCURSION]

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Centre for Excellence Singapore Trip 2011

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Page 1: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

2011

Darwin High School Centre For Excellence

[SINGAPORE EXCURSION]

Page 2: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Preface Boasting internationally acclaimed mathematical and scientific

achievements, Singapore, a country of 712 square kilometres and over

five million in population, is a place in which mathematical and scientific

interests may be nurtured and stimulated.

Furthermore, Singapore was also the destination of the educational trip

of the Centre For Excellence class of Darwin High School in December of

2011.It was here in Singapore in which the class of fifteen young aspiring

students spent a little over a week exploring the multitude of experiences

that Singapore has to offer, as well as several days in the neighboring

Malaysian city of Malacca (Sri Lankans not included).

Educational attractions include but were not

limited to the Marina Barrage, a monumental

feat in environmental engineering, a dam that

serves not only as flood control, but also

provides water and a leisure attraction for the

city of Singapore, as well as the Singapore

Science Centre, filled with a multitude of

captivating scientific and physics related tidbits

including numerous optical and sensory

illusions along with naturally occurring

phenomena. Besides these, attractions also

included the general must-see destinations of

Singapore. Examples of such were the

renowned “skyscraper with a boat on the top” otherwise known as

the Sands SkyPark, as well as Universal Studies on Sentosa Island.

The entire class was also very lucky to have the chance to

experience the Australian production of Wicked at the Grand

Theatre in Marina Bay Sands

However the best way for the experiences that occurred during the

trip to be conveyed would be through the words of the

participating students themselves. The following are just some of

the day to day accounts written by the students of Centre For

Excellence, Darwin High School.

Page 3: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 1 The majority of us arrived at 4pm at Darwin airport

for our flight to depart to Singapore. During this

time, we played cards on the carpet, eagerly

anticipating the boarding call. After our 4 hour flight,

which Mr Northcote slept through, we disembarked

the aeroplane and boarded a bus towards Aqueen Hotel on Lavender Street. After checking in and finding

the lavish rooms, we feasted in a nearby food court and for the first time, we experienced the colours and

tastes of Singaporean cuisine. We then ventured back to our rooms with a stop by a 7 eleven store. Upon the

arrival of our hotel, Rhiannon and Taima established their rooms as the “common room” and hosted many

of the students until late at night, playing games of Truth or Dare. We began to feel the impact from lack of

sleep and decided to hit the hay for the night.

-Rhiannon Holdsworth

Day 2 Day two was our first full day in Singapore. Our day began with a lovely

continental breakfast consisting of an assortment of deep fried foods and

strawberry jam on toast. We then made our way down to the MRT, which

was a short walk from our hotel, to the first stop of the day – Orchard Road.

There we explored a number of shopping centres, most a bit too expensive

for us, but all the same, very exciting to see the amazing buildings and colours.

Upon crossing the street, Rhiannon, Jim and I spotted a group of Abercrombie

and Fitch male models who were extremely attractive and also happened to

have their faces plastered on a nearby billboard. Jim wasn’t impressed. Later

on, we experienced some Singaporean culture and cooking at a busy

underground food court.

The Marina Barrage was our next stop, travelling again via the reliable public

transport, unlike in Darwin. Though we had planned to also venture to the

top of the Sands SkyPark, we were unable to do so due to heavy rainfall and multiple broken umbrellas

purchased at corner shops along Orchard Road. Nevertheless, we set off for our tour through the barrage

where our host described the many benefits of the barrage on Singapore’s population. Upon the facts and

history we learnt there, a few things included the vast significance the barrage has had on the availability of

potable water in Singapore and also how the enormous infrastructure has become a worldwide tourist

attraction. Inside the establishment, we were able to view a scale model of the functioning water facility

and get an understanding of the mechanics of it, whilst also viewing future plans for Singapore’s second

Botanical Gardens and other future plans. The tour guide also gave us a brief overview of the history of

Singapore’s water and how initially the country relied on imported water to sustain its growing population.

Singapore was in a vulnerable position during droughts and floods and this engineering accomplishment has

meant that water can now be stored and exploited, making Singapore one of the few countries in the world

harnessing urban catchments. The centre features Singapore’s past and present ideas on how to fully

become a sustainable country. During the tour, we also witnessed a couple having their wedding

photographs taken and many school kids using the vast grassy area as a picnic spot. -Taima Rahman

Page 4: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 3 Waking up as early as ever, the morning buffet was an interesting

experience for everyone as they slowly woke up. However the day

was expected to be a busy one and the entire class was soon off to

our first destination, the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. This

involved learning not only about how the research was conducted

but also the practicalities and limitations of the research. The most

surprising thing was that the institute used fish for their experiments,

a species called the zebra. This was due to their genes being 95% alike

to human genetics, their significantly faster life cycles as well as their

ease of mass breeding. This became apparent as we were led into a massive room filled with aisles upon

aisles of small tanks filled with the fish. It was also extremely interesting to observe how the zebra fish

developed from an egg to a fish, a process that occurred within 24 hours. It starts with one cell that slowly

divides and divides in a process called mitosis until it finally forms a fish.

After a quick lunch and a timeout to catch our breaths, we were soon

on to our next destination, Singapore Zoo. This was a very exciting

attraction for all of us and the most interesting and shocking thing to

us was that many of the enclosures, especially for the monkeys were

entirely open and they were free to roam. To list but a few of the

animals that were there, there were all manner of monkeys, tigers,

elephants, seals, penguins, turtles, birds, even pygmy hippos and

many, many more. A particular highlight of the attraction was the seal

show which also included most of the class being splashed.

Dinner was at a nearby location outside our next event, the Night Safari.

Several of the other classmates also ordered classy mock tails such as

fancy pina coladas. Mr Northcote also may have encouraged gambling

though without actual money. During dinner we were also entertained

by a fire breathing show, the main performer also bearing a striking

resemblance to one of our other classmates that were not on the trip.

This of course sparked an enthusiastic applause from our general

direction throughout the performance. Upon being admitted into the

Night Safari, I also realized that I had no idea what the Night Safari

actually involved. However I soon discovered and was very surprised. It

was a night-time tram ride that passed through numerous

sections each containing different animals. The whole

purpose was to show animals in a very natural state, at

night, unawares of our presence. Thus there were no

fences or cages and glass panels. It was very unlike

anything that I had seen before. That night, upon being

warned of the early start the next day, everyone

begrudgingly returned to their rooms to get some sleep.

-Chris Zhao

Page 5: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 4 & Day 5 – Malacca Expedition Having stayed up quite late Thursday night the seemingly long drive to Malacca was a generally quiet one

with many sleeping a solid part of the trip. Getting up at 6am to begin the drive took quite a lot of effort,

however the allure of a change in country (and the possibility of being taxed by Mrs Tan for turning up late)

meant everyone was up and ready to go.

Apart from a few hiccups through customs (we won’t go there) and a certain Mr Cao who thought he’d left

his luggage outside the hotel there were no major issues.

Breakfast was a choice of sandwiches on the bus or deep fried

delicacies from a roadside shop and lunch entertained many with

spinning tables and a mass of traditional Malaysian lunch meals.

To finish the meal we each tried ‘chendol’ a Malay dessert which

most of us enjoyed.

Before long we arrived at our luxurious 5-star hotel. Whilst

walking up the grand staircase the phrase “a hotel can be judged

by its staircases” was used and sure enough the rooms did not

disappoint. With a pool and gym on the 4th floor and other

extravagances scattered throughout the hotel the 21 floored

building also possessed an amazing view over the town and ocean.

In the evening we walked through a massive shopping mall next to

our hotel and had dinner, where the ‘Blue Ocean’ spider drink was

popular, as well as other intricately presented ‘minuman’ (drinks).

Then we commenced the walk to the Malacca night markets, visiting

historical sites such as Portuguese forts and convents involved in the

past oceanic spice trade. It was said that whoever controlled the spice

routes controlled the whole economy, so these towns were valuable

assets for countries in the past. The view of the buildings and oceans

from the fort was truly spectacular, making you momentarily forget

you were in a city which was on par with the “old Singapore”.

Page 6: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

The markets were very popular, with roadside performers and stalls galore, ranging from deep fried snacks

to delicate jade jewellery. Watching our pockets and trying not to fall down unseen steps sounded stressful,

but adventuring through these markets was fun. After the markets we wondered back to the Hotel

Equatorial or to the mall to do some late night shopping, trying to spend the large of amounts of Malaysian

money we had unnecessarily changed.

Waking up on Saturday was much easier, some

getting up at 7am to enjoy the chilly 4th floor pool,

while some slept in until 8.30 and all enjoying a

buffet breakfast at the Equatorial.

Ready to go at about 10.30 all 14 of us jumped on

the bus once again heading in the direction of the

historical Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum. The

museum, made up of three long-standing houses

owned by the … family, displayed the diverse cultural

influences in Malaccan history.

After this intriguing … the bus journey back to

Singapore began. The long hours between our stops at an organic farm, roadside eatery and our destination

were passed by card games, lively conversation and much sleeping. This was broken up by the delicious

experience of tasting the queen of the fruits, durians. After an entire day of travelling on a bus everyone was

relieved to eventually return to Singapore yet were grateful to have experienced yet another colourful

culture.

-Miranda Cowley and Darcy Moffatt

Page 7: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 6 The Botanical Gardens were beautiful, with a light

drizzle giving our experience a decidedly rainforest-

esque aspect. There were many types of flowers and

strange plants, as well as some well-placed souvenir

shops to milk the beauty of the gardens. The gardens

covered a surprisingly large area, with plenty of

walking on offer. The ArtScience museum had a very

interesting ‘Titanic’ display, but that was really all it

offered. The highlight of the museum among the

students was the sketch of a phallus which was

created with love by a few thoughtful boys.

These are some memorable quotes from the trip that while may not make any sense now were hilarious at

the time:

“Dude, how do you spell Singapore?” (Jim, Day 1)

“Let’s take a shortcut” (Je, Day 6)

“Samuel eat chicken rice for breakfast, lunch and tea” (Samuel’s grandmother’s sister, Day 6)

“This is so boring” (Prabhatha, whilst on a ride at universal studios, Day 7)

“Hey, this drink has Viagra in it” (Prabhatha, Day 7)

“This is like Dora the Explorer” (Jethro, Day 7 at songs of the sea)

“Beauty is pain” (Samuel, Day 8)

-Jethro Dickens

Page 8: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 7

Plenty of sleep was necessary for this thrilling day of Singapore. It was one of the days many of us were all excited for. Finally, it was the day we finally got to visit one of the tremendous theme parks in Singapore, Universal Studios. It was obvious that we shouldn’t eat too much breakfast, as this adventurous day consisted of many vigorous rides and roller coasters which would cause us to feel ill. After the delicious continental buffet, we set off to Sentosa Island by MRT where we spent the majority of our day.

After catching MRTs, Monorails and plenty of walking, we finally arrived at the enormous Universal Studios which made all of us ecstatic. The park features the world's tallest pair of duelling roller coasters that are based on the hit television series, Battlestar Galactica; a castle from the world of Shrek, Monster Rock, a live musical show featuring the infamous Universal Monsters and finally the world premiere of Transformers: The Ride which was fortunately opened recently. The only downside was that some of the attractions required a long waiting time due to its popularity.

Page 9: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

The park was also accompanied by several eateries which allowed us to eat lunch; one of which was a creative sci-fi themed cafe. This unique sci-fi themed cafe was designed with streaks of blue lighting and consisted of many varieties of food and beverages. The exhausting day caused the students to be worn out, however there was still yet more to come. Within the island of Sentosa, we watched the spectacular show named Songs of the Sea which features dramatic special effects, engaging music and exhibiting Singapore’s finest pyrotechnics, also accompanied by a live cast. The stunning array of lights, lasers, and fire and water jets combined with striking computer image projections was definitely a visual feast to the audience. After a long, thrilling day at Sentosa Island, it was time that we finally headed back to the hotel where

students finally got some valuable rest and prepared themselves for the next breathtaking day.

-Showmik Chowdhury

Page 10: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 8 Today we went to the Singapore science centre alone with the omni-Theatre and Snow City. We began the

day at the science centre which is full of interactive exhibits. There was an optical illusion exhibit, sound,

electricity, technology, maths and a biology exhibit which included a UV room, allowing you to see the

bacteria on your clothing. We all enjoyed being able to interact with the exhibits. After a quick lunch at the

museum, we headed over to one of the most the technologically advanced movie theatres in the world - the

omniplanitarium. We watched flying monsters, a documentary by Sir David Attenborough. An intriguing

show which included lifelike terrasoars gliding across the 6 story high spherical screen. Unfortunately, the

screen was a little straining on the eyes, with huge amounts of panning and objects that were too large to

follow.

We then rushed back to the science centre to watch the fire tornado demonstration. An exhilarating

experience with a column of fire climbing to 6 meters inside a specially designed glass chamber.

We then headed over to snow city. After we got kitted up in clothes that would look ridiculous in any Darwin

wardrobe, we stepped into the huge freezer with temperatures that ranged between -5 and -9 degrees

Celsius. Snow city had a large tobogganing hill, which after climbing, you could slide down in groups of up to

five on inflatable rings, though, just once, they let all 15 of us slide down together. We went to have a

picture in the snow which turned into a massive snow

fight, resulting in some very cold and wet clothes.

After snow city, we got back on the MRT and headed off

in our own directions with a curfew of 10pm. Some

went to little India, China town or Dhoby Ghaut. Half of

us came back before 8, buying lots of fruit, bakery

goods and chocolate on the way home. We had a UNO

party with fruit chocolate fondue and decorated the

room with strings of flowers we bought in little India

(we later learnt not to eat fruit on the bed). The other

half of us were a little late in getting back. Overall it was

a very interesting day and we all really enjoyed

ourselves.

-Chloe Wallent and Louise Jettner

Page 11: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 9 We kicked off the day with an early start around 8am, we enjoyed a breakfast quite different to what we are

used to back home. We are not used to eating fried food

and sausages in the morning for breakfast. After

breakfast we headed out towards the NEWater Plant via

MRT and bus. We experienced how Singapore had

revolutionised its dependence on natural resources. We

were also given a few samples of pure H2O, however we

learned that we should not excessively consume this

water as it does not contain any nutrients hence it could

induce reverse osmosis within the body. It was a very

rewarding experience.

After we headed out the Singapore Discovery Centre,

upon arrival we were led into a theatre where we

watched a short movie which lasted about 40 minutes.

To be completely honest the majority of the class

thought it was quite humourous rather than touching.

Later in the day we headed out on a shuttle bus which

showed us around the camp of the Singapore militia, it

was indeed very interesting as to how soldiers complete

their training and we were surprised to learn that the

majority of training is completed in Queensland due to

Singapore’s small land. It was a very interesting display

with amusing effects, we enjoyed it a lot.

The tour guide then led us to arena and we were treated to a game of laser tag, this involved a team of 5

persons per group. It was indeed an interesting display.

Later that evening we headed out towards

Sarangoon to go the PARTYWORLD which is

a karaoke and leisure club. We were

provided with a spectacular room complete

with plush sofas, massage chairs, multiple

plasmas, a pool table and a very exotic

massage chair which indulged everyone

with a relaxing massage. We sang the night

away and got very competitive whilst

playing pool, enjoying complimentary

drinks and finger food. Overall we had a

great and enjoyable night; many of us

haven’t participated in karaoke in our lives.

Regardless we all had a great time.

-Saad Abbas and Jim Browne

Page 12: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 10 Waking up to the sound of the alarm clock, the

sunshine of Singapore greeted us to another yet

new day. After enjoying a long warm shower, our

bodies were dragged down stairs to fill our

nutrients that would be needed for our

adventurous day that was installed for us. Riding

the MRT to Tempanine we got off to a rough start

as the planned “5 minute walk” turned out to

being more then 15. As our group finally found

our way to “Wild Wild Wet” we enjoyed the water

park going on different water slides and wave

pools until 1 O’clock. Lunch was a choice of a

variety of cuisines that was located next to the

park. After eating our lunches the group was split

up into people who wanted to go shopping and

people who wanted to go back to the hotel and

relax.

After being hyped up about the “Wicked musical”, everyone was getting ready dressed in their best outfits.

An hour of dressing and spraying went pass as everyone was finally ready to head to the MRT station

boarding the train that would lead us to Marina Bay. On the arrival of Marina Bay camera flashes exploded

everywhere as the mob made its entrance to the theatre….

As the curtains of the theatre rose up a sense of excitement and emotions could be felt. By the end of the

musical a mixture of action packed and thoughtful feelings wrapped us. Through the musical it had made us

realise the real meaning of friendship and how it was also with us never leaving our sides.

-Je Jun

Page 13: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

Day 11 Today was the last day of the Singapore school trip for most of us. How did we feel? Exhausted, due to

having 5 hours of sleep and then going to Marina Bay Sands SkyPark and looking at the spectacular view.

However there were a few problems with this. For starters, it’s 56 stories high and provides us with a full

panoramic view of its surroundings. While this did make the journey 56 stories up worth it for most of us, I

was terrified. The wooden floor was also a cause for worry, as it would gently sway and send chills down my

spine because I kept visualising us falling to our doom. While up at the SkyPark, we had a 20 minute guided

tour, which took us into the hotel guests’ area on top, where there was a pool that looked like it led right off

the edge of the hotel- that was pretty much it for the tour.

After the tour and making it safely back down to the floor, we had free time to do shopping so we parted

ways here and went to do our own shopping. From memory Louise, Chloe, Miranda, Darcy and Chris went

to Orchard Road, while Sam Yick and I went to Sunshine Plaza and Plaza Singapura, traversing seven storey

shopping centres and braving the circle line on our lonesome. Once everyone’s shopping was done, we

planned to rendezvous back at the hotel for some last minute packing and preparations and to everyone’s

surprise, I returned back to the hotel with Sam in one piece. After getting our passports and new shopping

packed, we head to the airport.

We arrived at approximately 6:30pm Singaporean time and went to check in and once that was all over, we

headed to Saboten for dinner, a Japanese restaurant. There are few words which could describe our

experience at the restaurant, but some of them are fatty, greasy and cold. The food we ordered was so

greasy and unhealthy it was a pleasure to eat; chances are there were tonnes of MSG in the food since it

tasted so good. After the pleasant meal and enjoying everyone’s company, we went to the departure lounge,

saying our final farewells to Chris and Mrs. Tan, who were staying behind to go on further holidays.

In the departure lounge we had some time to kill and we did this by means of shopping and taking terrible

pictures of each other. Showmik, Prabatha, Jim and Je, went and brought matching “I <3 SG” shirts, and

wore them until we reached Darwin- we pretended we didn’t know them for the time being. After stocking

Page 14: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

up on junk food for the plane and chilling on the ground, we made our way onto our flight and departed for

home. There are few words which could describe the flight, but some are: terrible, painful and sleep

deprived. I am unsure whether others got to sleep well, but I sure didn’t due to the arm rest not staying up

and the lights being full blown for the flight.

Arriving in Darwin was a bitter-sweet feeling, we were reunited with our family and hometown but we had

to leave behind the cheap food, amazing shopping and cleanliness of Singapore. However regardless of what

we each felt, one thing was certain: we were home.

-Michael Cao

Page 15: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

“I really enjoyed the trip and wished

it was longer. There was nothing on

the trip that I did not like and I had

a great time.”

– Jim Browne

“The trip was fantastic. Mrs Tan and

Mr Northcote did a really good job of

organizing everything. Singapore is a

lovely place; I wouldn’t hesitate to go

there again.”

-Louise Jettner

“The entire trip was fantastic, Wicked

was an amazing musical, all you can

eat buffet with hash browns, fried rice

was amazing, good company with

friends including new bonds with

Louise and Chloe especially.”

-Michael Cao

“The best bit was most

definitely the Wicked play!!!

It was fun to ‘dress up’ and

see something of such a

calibre as it was.”

– Miranda Cowley

“I love Singapore and will never

forget any of the amazing stuff

we did.”

– Rhiannon Holdsworth

“A trip of a lifetime, made even

better with friends and teachers –

good company, overall a very

excellent trip”

-Sa’ad Abbas

Reflections

Page 16: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

“Singapore trip was tonnes of fun, if

only it had been longer! I really

enjoyed the different cultures and all

the activities that Mrs Tan and Mr

Northcote planned for us, it was well

worth it”

– Chloe Wallent

“Singapore was the best time I’ve

ever had and it’s not just because it’s

a great city to be in but time spent

with friends, new and old, is

something that can’t be beat. Oh and

Wicked was amazing!”

-Chris Zhao

"The Singapore trip was one of the

best trips I have been on; it allowed

me to become closer to my friends

and build a better relationship with

peers & teachers. It was a

tremendous experience and was

definitely worth the money!"

-Showmik Chowdhury

“Singapore overall was the most amazing

trip- one I will never forget. However the

highlight was definitely seeing the musical

Wicked. The singing, dancing, costumes

and acting were all perfect and left me

amazed. It was the perfect end to such an

awesome trip. “

–Darcy Moffatt

“Not a regular school trip, but

a trip of life”

–Je Shortcut Jun

"I laughed. I cried. I sang. A

great experience. Wicked was

immense"

–Jethro Dickens

Page 17: 2011 C4E Singapore Trip Report

“Being immersed in culture,

education and FUN!!! Good!”

–Sam Yick

“Definitely memories I will always

cherish. I couldn’t have asked for a

better group of people, teachers, or

place to visit!!”

–Taima Rahman

“It was a brilliant trip - above my

expectations. Fantastic bonding

with students and teachers

alike. LOVE IT !!!!!!!!”

–Esther Tan

“Enjoyed it very much, an

exhilarating experience, it

was great time with my

friends.”

-Prabatha De Silva

It was a fantastic trip, all the students were

fantastic, especially since the atmosphere was

exceedingly relaxed and independent, the behavior

was also outstanding, everyone was friendly,

everyone was involved, there to have a go and

participated fully, a fun packed program.

-Kevin Northcote