During these 8 days in Anhui, there were many situations that left a long lasting impression on me. Some of them were moments that would make me break into a grin when I think of them while some would make me touched and I feel that those moments were extremely touching to me because they were unexpected and certainly unforgettable. Those situations could have just lasted for a few moments for example somebody unexpected could have took the extra mile to ask if you were okay and constanly looking out forward for you just because you were feeling unwell. Even a simple act of loaning your jacket to your group member who was running a fever touched my heart. I always knew that our class was made up of people that value friends but this was the first time that I really saw how all of us cared for one another like one big family.

The situation that makes me feel most strongly about was the two nights where we were practicing for the performance that we need to put up when we arrive at our buddy school. Initially, there was many disagreements among ourselves and all of us were feeling very agitated because it have been one or two hours since we started rehearsing but we have not done anything besides arranging our line-up for the performance. Moreover, our performance was in two days! We were clearly running out of time. All of us did not want to present a sloppy performance to our fellow frineds in China because not only we are presenting Singapore, we are presenting RV and most importantly, our class. We didn't want to show the students and teachers in China that we do not have the capablility and frankly we simply didn't want to lose face. Fortunately, we decided to get our act together and start to work as a class. We practised hard and we made sure that all of us know the movements. Honestly, this is the first time me seeing my class being so serious about  practicing for a performance, this is the first time where 2F actually is nervous before the performance. On the second night, there were still changes to be made to our performance and as a member of our class, I saw how stressed out some of my fellow classmates were and some of them broke down due to the pressure. What was comforting to me is the fact that we encouraged each other and tried to help one another in every possible way. That night, I really saw the class spirit in us and even though I cannot guarantee that all of us put a hundred percent effort into it, I am certain of one fact, most of us did put our hearts and souls into practicing even though singing and dancing are things that we are not good at. In fact, to some of us it is not within our comfort zones to sing and dance in front of a crowd. I feel that all of us put in alot of effort but the group that was dancing Indian dance left the most lasting impression until now. From the first rehearsal that we have, they were the ones that were most passionate about dancing and also they were facing some changes in their dance steps during the last rehearsal. To me, it was incredible how they managed to dance as a group with the last-minute changes. However, to the teachers , the movements were still messy even when we are supposedly going to be dismissed from the rehearsal and told them to stay back to brush up some of the movements. Some of us could not understand why they had to stay back to continue practicing because it may be a fact that the dance may not be good enough but couldn't the teachers see the amount of effort that they have been putting in?  Some of my classmates voiced out their opinions and asked the teachers for the reason for the group of people that is involved in Indian dance need to stay back. There were a few sentences that really showed how strong and alive our class spirit was. I remembered some of the things that my classmates said were “We are a class, since they need to stay, all of us should stay” and “Teacher, if you say that we should sleep because it was a long day  then what about them who need to stay back? Won't they be tired as well? ”.  

Upon hearing those words, I cannot help but smile because this shows that most of us care for each other. I believe that those words are enough to prove that 2F is united as one big family. These moments and my friends taught me that true friends are people that will stick with you through thick and thin and they will support you no matter what happens. The reason why I feel that they can only be fully experienced out of the class context is because when we were in Anhui, we only had our teachers and our dearest friends to rely on. We do not have our parents by our side and it is a complete new and foreign experience for us. It is the first and last time that 2F will have this opportunity to go on a trip together as a class and through these days they have taught me alot. My friends taught me that friendship is something that you cannot live without and friends are people that we should cherish. They also taught me that we should believe in ourselves. Honestly, I did not have any confidence in our performances and felt that we will present a half-hearted performance. Even though our performance may not live up to our own expectations, I feel that our efforts did not go down the drain. I learnt that as long as we do our best, we can prove to everyone who thought that we couldn't make it wrong and that we are right. Nothing is impossible in this world, it is up to us to make things happen and also in the word ”impossible” says ”I'm possible”.   

This trip have certainly affected my behaviour and attitudes in a way where i realized that I should not be complacent and continue improving because China is indeed advancing faster than I thought. I feel that we are Singaporeans students are still have plenty to learn from our Chinese counterparts in terms of our learning attitudes. When we visited our buddy school during our trip and we went to observe the lessons that were conducted, we could see and conclude that there were many differences in terms of our school environment, teaching methods , teac. The most obvious differences were the tables and chairs that are used. Instead of tables and chairs that are made of plastic were used, wooden ones were use instead. Also, unlike Singapore, they use black boards and chalk instead of white boards and markers. During the short one and a half days that were spent in the buddy school, I realised that the students there are all very welcoming and friendly. One good example would be when it was raining and we needed to travel on uncovered areas, they were all more than willing to share their umbrellas with us. They were all very friendly and approachable. Besides that, their learning attitudes are indeed commendable. Almost everyone in class would have a notebook with them and they would always take down notes during the lessons. Comparing their learning attitudes to my learning attitude, I realised that I have plenty of areas to improve on. Clearly, they were more keen learners than me and as a Singaporean, I felt a tinge of shame because similarly I am receiving a good education but I'm not appreciative of the education and opportunites that I have received. This trip to Shou Chun Secondary School has certainly enlightened me and motivates me to put in more effort in my studies.  

Also, this trip has taught me to be more independent, to display good teamwork,awareness, sense of urgency and appreciate the  things that we have.These values are life-long skills that are essential to possess and they would help me especially when I have to go out to the society to work. I learnt that everyone's opinion during groupwork should be valued and they provide a different point of view to when we are discussing about and we need to have social awareness. A good example would be on the day we were climbing Huang Shan. When we were trekking on Huang Shan, it is our responsibility to be careful and keep tight with the tourguide. If we are not aware of our surroundings then we might just slip and fall off the pavement or get lost in the crowd. Moreover, we need to look out for each other and if we do not have social awareness, there is a possibillity that we might cause inconvenience  for our teachers and tourguide if we were to get lost or get injured at Huang Shan. Something that I can bring back to our daily lives and Singapore is to be appreciative of the things that we have in Singapore. The reason I would say this is because when we visited Shou Chun Secondary School,we received a huge shock especially for the girls. The toliets in their school did not have any doors and it was a big contrast to the toilets that we have in our own school. They were also of a low sanitary level which resulted in us feeling uncomfortable to use the toilets . We needed to have one of our friends to stand in front of the cubicle to act our “door”. However , I realized that the design of the toilets also has its own advantages. They can ensure that students would spent a minimal amount of time in the toilets. Through this experience, I have gained many insights and it made me understand I am provided with a comfortable and good environment to study in and I ought to be thankful for the facilities  that we have in River Valley High School. I hope that I bring back the acceptive attitudes that we should have back to Singapore as in Singapore we are made up of four races and we need to learn to live in harmony. Without accepting and embracing our differences, living in harmony will not be possible.