NE Reflections - Group 2

1. 1. What has this trip taught you about another culture?

It has taught us that people of different cultures have different practices and emphasize on different things in their teachings. For example, the English choose to preserve History of many forms and from many countries – whether it be the Egyptians, Ancient Greek or Ancient Japanese. They value the aesthetics whereas in Singapore, we place more emphasis on the Sciences and the development of our nation.

Also, unlike in Singapore where everyone minds their own business, the people over in England tend to be friendlier and more welcoming, and we think we as Singaporeans should try to be like that too. (:

2. 2. What are some of the things that you can learn from the British to improve Singapore?

Firstly, we can learn to speak better English and this will help us to score better for out English exams! :D *grin*

We can also learn how to be more approachable and friendly. The English are friendlier than Singaporeans and we find that they are more courteous as well. If we can learn how to be like them, emulate how they communicate with and serve others, we believe that we will be able to progress and further improve our Service Sectors and the overall impression that foreigners have of our citizens.

This way, Singapore can also be known for its excellent services and good food :D

3. 3. What are some of the things that the British can learn from Singapore.

We think that the British can learn from Singapore in terms of public transport. In London, the Tube train is not air-conditioned, and during the summer peak periods, the train would start smelling and people would feel uncomfortable. Thus, they should change all their trains to air-conditioned ones like in Singapore.

We also think that they should improve the overall safety and security of their country. When we were in Chinatown, a shopkeeper warned us that the area had pickpockets that preyed on foreigners/tourists, and we had to keep an eye out for our belongings all the time whereas in Singapore, it was safe to place out wallets and our pockets and the chances of getting it stolen was very low.

4. 4. After going on this trip, are there any aspects of being in Singapore or being a Singaporean that you have learned to appreciate better?

We have learned to better appreciate the convenience and safety that we have in Singapore. In London, not all the Tube stations are open during the weekends and hence, if a certain station is not in operation, we would then have to walk to the nearest station which is at least a 10 minute walk whereas in Singapore, all the stations are open 7 days a week.

We have also learned to appreciate they safety that we have in Singapore better as while we were in London, we always felt the constant fear of having our stuff stolen by a pickpocket. However, when we are in Singapore, we felt completely safe and had no insecurities regarding out personal belongings.

Lastly, we have learnt how to appreciate the food that we have in Singapore. Most of us were sick of eating Western food after 3 days and were craving Chinese food almost all the time! So it is safe to say that after this experience (although an eye-opener) will enable us to savour and appreciate the local food in Singapore :D