After the trip to Three Gorges Dam, the rest of the week was yet another exciting and anticipating week. Other than having normal lessons, we will also be going on trips to factories and heading to Wu Dang Shan(无当山) during the weekend!
The first trip was to visit the factory which manufactures metal sheets. It was cool to see how the metal got heat up and cools down. The heat which radiate from the metal is enough to warm us from the cold weather. As it is all our first experience to visit such a factory, we were overwhelmed by the process. Furthermore the heat from the metal feels like our dorm heater, due to that we were able to concentrate on the process and not the cold. It is amazing to see how a simple metal sheet requires the long process and big machines to be made. The difficult and time-consuming process is done so as to make sure that the metal made is of quality and be able to serve its purpose for a long time. Hands off to the people!!
Next was a trip to the Coca Cola factory. After all the amount of coke I drank when I was little, I became very interested in the manufacture of the drinks. What goes in it? How was it made? Questions flood in my mind as I try to visualize how the manufacturing process goes on. Furthermore, the glass bottle of coke in the stores in China has intrigued me into their production even further as Singapore does not have this kind of bottles. Upon arriving, we started taking photos and were eager to start our tour in the factory. With a brief in introduction and a bottle of coke, we started the tour.
My excited mood was dampened a little as we arrived and realize that the factory was actually closed for maintenance. As such, we were unable to witness the process of the coke being made and poured into the glass bottles. As a consolation, we did have a brief introduction of how the process was like and even visited their museum which shows cases all the products related to the Coca Cola Company. Well, I guess this is better than nothing?
A trip to Si Men Kou（司门口）with Mr. Imran was a fun and eventful experience. It was fun to visit a new area and even board the bus in Wuhan for the first time. It was a nice experience as it is the first time we went out with Mr. Imran and we get to understand him better.:) We tried the food and it was delicious as it is the first time we ate and tried local food. I even got a watch which I really like.
After seeing so many things which are related technology, it is time to kick back and relax with the nature. So off we go to see the blooming of sakura! It was a time for us to relax and admired the flowers. As a bonus, we even got to visit and explore Wuhan University as the flowers are located there! Instead of the usual classroom, it is definitely a change in the scenery to be able to admire the flowers and take a break from the stressful and nerve breaking week of tests and presentations. The flowers were amazing but so were the people. It was extremely crowded and packed as everyone rushed to see the sakura. Everyone hopes to get a view of the flowers at its early stage before they wither. The place feels so full of life and we can definitely feel the touch of spring in the air. With such a happy feeling, how can the one not enjoy this scenery with the wind blowing at you and the positive vibe from the people around you?
A positive trip certainly changed my perspective towards my day. I envied the locals for being able to enjoy such view. It must have been a refreshing trip for one to lift their spirits and throw everything behind them. However what that shocked me in compare to everything I experienced was actually the bus ride. It was my first experience and yet it gave me the deepest impression. Compared to Singapore, the people here really get to do whatever they want to on the bus. They have the free will to eat, drink, and spit on the bus. What was the most unforgettable was that the toddler actually pooed on the bus and his mother just allows him to. Furthermore they did not even clear it up and leave it in the bus. This was a shocking action for me as I am used to the cleanliness in Singapore. This reminded of what I learnt in the presentation by the class today. When you eat an apple and it tastes worst, the following apples which tastes normal to others will be super sweet for you as you will compare it to the first one. The same lesson applies to this incident. This is a norm for the people yet it is something which is hard to tolerate for us as we have not had such experience and we normally will compare their actions to those in Singapore. This is something in which I should learn to adapt and come in terms with as it belongs to the culture of a country.
