端午長者探訪反思

4A(14) Abbie Lam

經過這次探訪活動，我學會了兩件重要的事：體諒和關懷。

當人的年紀越來越大，身體的健康問題就越是嚴重。到了「老人」的年紀，更是需要別人的體諒。我在活動中得知婆婆有許多不方便的地方，所以我們對老人更要體諒。

除此之外，我明白到對老人的關懷也是必要的。他們的生活並不像我們那般精彩，而是沈悶的，所以只要我們更曉得關懷他們，就能令他們更開心。

總而言之，這活動意義深長。

 

4P(22) Betty

今天我們去了探訪長者。我們探訪的是一對夫妻，他們都很友善，對我們很好，一見面就感謝我們去探訪他們。與我想像的不同，長者的生活並非很無聊很孤獨，他們也會參加社區活動，打牌、聊天、交朋友。

伯伯還跟我們分享他的人生經驗，並指家庭裡最重要的是溝通。從他的語氣中，我能聽出他很希望家中能有人陪他聊天。但同時伯伯也很為自己的兒孫自豪，他說他一直教他們道理，現在他的孫子已經成為一名醫生，他的兒子為他購買這間房子。

在伯伯分享期間，他的妻子雖然嫌棄他話多，但是也跟我們說了他們平日生活中的苦處。婆婆說她較多病痛，要吃很多藥，感慨還是年輕時好。伯伯和婆婆還抱怨很多津貼都申請不了。我聽了後心情有點壓抑。

透過與他們的對話，我了解了很多長者的煩惱，但也明白到他們最希望的其實只是兒女的陪伴，能夠關心他們。我也反思了我們為人子女，也要多多關心自己的父母。

 

4F(18) Susan

This time, as a senior, I go more confidence to ask the elderly questions. I got to understand more about them and their condition. In some ways, I felt quite sorry for them and I wish I could do more to help them. It was interesting to know about their history and information about them. They were really grateful for our visit and I was glad to hear that. This experience has helped me understand them more now. I wish I was better at Chinese, so I can ask them more questions as I was curious. They seem to have a simple life here in Hong Kong. I want to be able to help them more so I can see more elderlies being happy!

 

4F(28) Thapa Shalina

Throughout this activity, I have experienced that I am really close or attached to elderly people especially. I love to listen to them, they feel comfortable talking to us, which is really nice.

And I have learnt that, respecting and elderly presence are precious and important, they will taught me life values, which were useful as they have already gone through. I have learnt to respect and he really patient. I have gained memories. I feel proud to be volunteering and leading and guiding the junior forms. Overall, I learnt to cooperate as well with my group mates.

 

 

4T(23) Jeenat

We had to lead the lower form students to find and talk to the elderly. However, we could not find the place ourselves, it took us 30 minutes to find the place and at the end we only had 15 minutes to talk to the elderly. She was cooking food when we entered. She seemed extremely delighted to have us. Her home was beautifully decorated with photos of her family. We asked if she lives with them and she sadly said no. However, she seemed to be pretty happy and content with what she had. Therefore I have learnt to adjust to my surroundings and be content with whatever I have. Moreover, I have learnt to care for and guide younger people.

 

 

1E(3) Jan Chan

這天，我和同學們在FA時段到了櫻桃街大廈訪問了一位伯伯和婆婆。這次是我第二次上門探訪長者，但仍然有點緊張。我被安排訪問一位伯伯。起初，我以為長者都是難以溝通的，怎料伯伯和婆婆都非常開朗，訪問亦很順利。我們組的組員問了很多問題，例如：生活狀況、經濟狀況等。伯伯也分享了很多人生經驗，令我獲益良多。這次義工活動使我和長者有了交流，使我發現長者也不全是守舊派。我也學會了要嘗試了解長者，不要以貌取人。只要我們耐心和長者交談，便會發現他們的人生經驗是難能可貴的。「家有一老，如有一寶」也是如此道理。

 

1E(11) Hilary

我認為這次的長者探訪很有意義。這次探訪使我學習到說話技巧，另外，我還了解了長者的生活和習慣。雖然這次時間緊迫，但是我也學到很多，既幫助了別人，自己也感到快樂。我探訪的婆婆十分樂觀，雖然她的身體不太健康，住的地方不大，一個人孤獨地生活，但是她一直抱著積極的生活態度。她是我們的榜樣，我很欣賞她的態度。

 

1B(8) Eva

At first, although I had experiences in the past, I was scared because I didn’t really know how to deal with elderly. I was so nervous that my legs were shaking when my group was at the door. But when I entered the house, I saw a friendly-looking lady with a huge smile on her face. My heart was still pounding but not as much. We talked for a while and I started to get used to talk to her. I’ve learnt a lot about the life of an elderly, the fact that the lady’s husband passed away and she doesn’t have any children just breaks my heart. I have learnt that we really need to treasure what we have now because we don’t know what the future holds. We left with a huge smile on our faces and hopefully the lady will enjoy the dumpling we gave her!

 

 

1B(27) Winki Tsang

After the visit to the elderly’s home, I learned a lot of things! The elderly that I visited, she is Mrs. Wong, she is really nice as she asked us if we need some tea when we just go inside her home. One of the things that I have learnt is to be thankful. Firstly, Mrs. Wong is really thankful for us to come and chat with her, so I think I should be thankful that I have a family to support me whenever I am in need. Secondly, I should be thankful for what I have, like friends, they are always by my side when I am lonely or sad. Besides that, I also learnt that electronic devices are not a must that we use it for entertainment, it is just an accessory. We can play board games, chess or just chatting with friends face-to-face! It is just easy as that. Also, I have learnt that having a healthy body is really important to everyone!

 

1J(10) Nina Guan

今天我們去探訪了兩位老人。黃公公和吳婆婆。他們住的地方很小，但他們看起來總是笑瞇瞇的，也許是因為他們很樂觀吧。

我們和他們交談後才知道，他們每天都只是在看電視、散步、休息中度過。公公婆婆們有時候會去外面做運動，度過這漫長的時光。

我覺得他們很可憐，沒有人陪他們說話、過日子，只是孤獨地兩個人住在一起，共度時光。

我們應該珍惜現在的美好時光，不要等錯過了才後悔。珍惜現在所擁有的一切，我們每一個人都應該做到。

 

1M(34) Nicole Yeung

在這次探訪長者的活動中，我們探訪的是一位住海富苑的長者——陳伯伯。他和他的兒子一起住，但他的兒子不是外出上班，就是留在家中對著電腦，甚少理會他的父親陳伯伯。

經過這次活動，我認為作為子女，應多關懷父母及其他長者。不過，我覺得如果要以此類型的義工活動關懷長者，使用長期探訪及跟進的做法會更好。

Sustainability Thinking Seminar Student Reflection

I learnt a lot more things about sustainable development. The professor’s objective was to convince us by the end of the seminar that sustainable development is important, which he did. He told us a lot of interesting things about life in the past and life now and how people were much more sustainable back then. For example, he told us that since people in the past didn’t have the electrical appliances we have today, they made use of sunlight to light up and warm up their houses accordingly. This was one of the many things we learnt and it was a meaningful talk.

(From 4R 16 Ishika)

 

 

During this seminar, I learnt a lot about sustainable development and how it affects us in our daily life. The speaker was a very well-informed person from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He was invited as a guest speaker to talk in Lingnan University that day. In this talk, we learnt to build the skills needed to solve problems in the 21st century. These problems were specifically pointing towards environmental issues. The speaker gave us many scenarios to think about throughout the talk. There was one thought provoking case the speaker presented. It was about a warehouse. He asked us whether we would pick an old warehouse and get a whole new fire sprinkler system, or buy a new warehouse altogether. Using this example, he proved to us that if the planet burns down, there is no going back. He also gave us some things to note. For example, he told us that the human is the core and waste is failure. One big thing he mentioned was that everything is part of a system. All in all, it was a very informative seminar that I really enjoyed and I really learnt a lot.

(From 4R 10 Waqqas)

 

 

近年世界不斷提倡可持續性發展，不少先進國家都以此來成為未來發展藍圖。現今香港社會各區行人如鯽，香港作為一個人煙稠密的城市，地小人多。不論房屋丶環境丶民生議題都在社會討論得水深火熱，而且要配合可持續發展如何能使「現在」、「未來」互惠互利，值得深究。

這次我到嶺南大學參與此講座，感覺非常特別，因為我們是與大學生一同聆聽大學教授講課。大學教授以一些開放問題、例子，使我們思考可持續發展的想法，讓我們了解這種想法不只限於討論社會議題，在日常生活方面也能應用。在場的同學們更放下書本一起討論、互相聆聽學習，師生無分你我，對於還是中學生的我實屬大開眼界。

在講座完結前，我還「膽粗粗」的向教授請教在「金錢」和「可持續發展」兩者之間如何選擇。我想，畢竟在不少國家（尤其發展中國家），以「錢」途看未來，比「可發展」的未來重要。教授不但没對我的問題感到煩厭，反而和藹可親，打開電腦搜尋一張分隔中美洲島國「海地」和鄰國「多明尼加」的相片。只見多明尼加一片翠綠，海地則山脊貧乏；只有一線之隔，環境卻差天共地。他告訴我海地從前跟對面的「天堂」無異，但該國後來因為「金錢」而放棄「可持續的未來」，結果換來的只是一個不論現在或是未來都只剩貧窮的國家。不知該國有沒有後悔當年一意孤行的決定？

所謂「一子錯，滿盤皆落索」，我在這次講座中學到了：選擇面前的路既要想一下未來，也要衡量得失。

(from 4R05 Thomas Chan)

 

Sustainability Thinking Seminar – Student Reflection

I learnt a lot more things about sustainable development. The professor’s objective was to convince us by the end of the seminar that sustainable development is important, which he did. He told us a lot of interesting things about life in the past and life now and how people were much more sustainable back then. For example, he told us that since people in the past didn’t have the electrical appliances we have today, they made use of sunlight to light up and warm up their houses accordingly. This was one of the many things we learnt and it was a meaningful talk.

(From 4R 16 Ishika)

 

 

During this seminar, I learnt a lot about sustainable development and how it affects us in our daily life. The speaker was a very well-informed person from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He was invited as a guest speaker to talk in Lingnan University that day. In this talk, we learnt to build the skills needed to solve problems in the 21st century. These problems were specifically pointing towards environmental issues. The speaker gave us many scenarios to think about throughout the talk. There was one thought provoking case the speaker presented. It was about a warehouse. He asked us whether we would pick an old warehouse and get a whole new fire sprinkler system, or buy a new warehouse altogether. Using this example, he proved to us that if the planet burns down, there is no going back. He also gave us some things to note. For example, he told us that the human is the core and waste is failure. One big thing he mentioned was that everything is part of a system. All in all, it was a very informative seminar that I really enjoyed and I really learnt a lot.

(From 4R 10 Waqqas)

 

 

近年世界不斷提倡可持續性發展，不少先進國家都以此來成為未來發展藍圖。現今香港社會各區行人如鯽，香港作為一個人煙稠密的城市，地小人多。不論房屋丶環境丶民生議題都在社會討論得水深火熱，而且要配合可持續發展如何能使「現在」、「未來」互惠互利，值得深究。

這次我到嶺南大學參與此講座，感覺非常特別，因為我們是與大學生一同聆聽大學教授講課。大學教授以一些開放問題、例子，使我們思考可持續發展的想法，讓我們了解這種想法不只限於討論社會議題，在日常生活方面也能應用。在場的同學們更放下書本一起討論、互相聆聽學習，師生無分你我，對於還是中學生的我實屬大開眼界。

在講座完結前，我還「膽粗粗」的向教授請教在「金錢」和「可持續發展」兩者之間如何選擇。我想，畢竟在不少國家（尤其發展中國家），以「錢」途看未來，比「可發展」的未來重要。教授不但没對我的問題感到煩厭，反而和藹可親，打開電腦搜尋一張分隔中美洲島國「海地」和鄰國「多明尼加」的相片。只見多明尼加一片翠綠，海地則山脊貧乏；只有一線之隔，環境卻差天共地。他告訴我海地從前跟對面的「天堂」無異，但該國後來因為「金錢」而放棄「可持續的未來」，結果換來的只是一個不論現在或是未來都只剩貧窮的國家。不知該國有沒有後悔當年一意孤行的決定？

所謂「一子錯，滿盤皆落索」，我在這次講座中學到了：選擇面前的路既要想一下未來，也要衡量得失。

(from 4R05 Thomas Chan)

 

Beijing Science Camp

呂晞揚

清華大學是中國數一數二的名校。有幸來此參觀及交流，我們每一位同學都非常珍惜這七天的時光，希望能夠把中國現代的科學知識帶回香港。

漫長的飛機延誤和旅程令我們非常疲累，雖然我們差不多凌晨才到達清華，但輔導員和工作人員仍在課室等候我們 ，把一些房間用品和規則都一一告訴我們，真是非常感謝他們的耐心。

在短短的七天，清華大學為我們準備了不同科學課程， 還邀請了不少著名教授為我們介紹中國的科技發展及現代科學知識，實在令我們獲益良多。另外，最令我深刻的是晚上的科學活動，其中一課是輔導員教授我們如何把不同的飲管，製成一條橋樑。然後，把一樣重量的水瓶放在橋上以比較橋樑的承托力。最後竟然我們的組別，在比賽中勝出，竟然可以承載著30瓶同樣重量的水（800毫升）。那天的課程更讓我們都了解了世界上要有不同橋樑背後的因由，實在令人深刻。

在整個科學營中，反倒令我最難忘的是設施的衛生和清華大學的時間分配問題，我們學生只有約15分鐘時間吃飯，時間實在不夠；在宿舍上的房間，我們首天一進入房間後竟然看見一條「鹹魚」（鹹魚外形的坐墊）門口在「等候」我們，實在令人震驚，希望清華大學改善此類衛生的問題，避免再次發生「鹹魚」在門口「等候」學生的事件。

七天的旅程飛快便過去了，我們的眼界都開闊不少，更體驗到清華大學的文化精神，令我們更加清楚知道大學生活的情況。 我們都感受到這個世界真的很大，還有很多事情是我們還未發掘的，故此我們需多加努力，走在學習的道路上，多加學習和吸收不同的知識和文化，避免做一個井底之蛙。

 

黎澤朗

時光茬苒，七天旅程如夢似幻的過去了。有幸來到中國數一數二的清華大學進行交流，我終於有機會一睹清華的風采了。

清華大學優美的風景， 古樸的風貌， 令人感覺別有一番景緻。青綠的樹， 伴著古雅的建築。令人感覺清新，這裏的人溫和友善，校風自然很好。

第一天班機延誤令人也身心疲憊，凌晨才到達目的地。但工作人員卻耐心解釋房間的細節，他們的耐心令人不言而喻的感激。

清華大學在短短七天告訴我，科學是新世界的第一步 。我看見嶄新的科技以及頂尖人物，這令我們重新認識科學，這令我看見科學的未來。告訴這些我的都是清華大學科學營，榮幸到此學習。

再次感謝清華大學給我們一個機會學習，我們會永遠記掛着這裏的一點一滴。感謝帶班輔導員們的耐心及對科學的熱誠，我們有緣再見。

 

林昊軒

這次全國青少年高校營收獲豐富，不但學到不同知識和學習文化，更在這次營中認識到很多的朋友。

在知識方面，我在清華大學的大師課堂上學到了不少學校學不到的科學知識，例如引力波、科學如何被應用於辨別冬蟲夏草的真偽等。更在這次營中見到中國其中一位拿了諾貝爾奬的教授，朱棣文教授，而且還有機會聽他報告有關頻率的科學知識，實在令我大開眼界。在學習文化方面，經過跟清華大學的學生交談後，發現中國的學生是非常勤奮的，還能一心多用。例如他們能一邊上課，一邊做練習，而且每天更會用十八個小時來溫習，包括在校的時間。他們勤力的程度令我十分慚愧，因此我回到香港後會更加努力學習將來報答國家。

在七日的科學營中，最有趣的事情是我在廁所裏認識了很多內地朋友，聽到很多他們的故事。由於洗澡的地方是公共浴室，大家在洗澡的時候，都會問一問對方是來自什麼地方，然後開始對話交流，因此很容易就能認識到朋友。從交談的過程中，我明白到內地學生是多麼的勤奮和刻苦。例如我認識了一個來自北京本地的學生，他告訴我很多他們讀書時候的事情，原來內地的學生是需要接受軍訓的。另外，我又跟一位在清華讀書的學生聊天。他十分用功讀書，連暑假也用來去進修，讀碩士課程。這令我發現原來在香港和在中國內地讀書是十分不一樣的。

這次旅程中，我經歷很多第一次。例如在香港，一般大學宿舍是不會拿不同各種各樣的卡去洗澡和拿飲用水。但在這次北京之旅，我嘗試了第一次控制洗澡時間，因為洗澡是要在洗澡卡裏扣錢的，這令我明白水是十分珍貴。還有第一次真實地看到一台專業的離心機，第一次像大學生一樣上課學習，還有當然不少得第一次來清華大學。這次的旅程將會永遠烙印在我人生的旅程簿裡，將會成為我人生的一次很有意義的活動。

 

曾敏棋

「巴拉巴拉逼—–巴拉巴拉」桌子上傳來擾人的旋律，我張開了沉重的雙眼，看到眼前模糊的身影，我伸手關掉智能手機的鬧鐘鈴聲。沒了那擾人的旋律，沉重的睡意立刻襲來，我被拉到了那個充滿回憶的夢裏。

七天，對某些人來說可能根本不屑一顧，但對我來說，這七天我學會和感悟了許多許多的道理，雖是短短的一周，卻讓我終生難忘。

清華大學又稱為「清華園」，是一座集學術成就與優美風景為一體的中國頂尖大學。能夠邁進清華，在清華園中能夠洗滌心靈，拓展視野，開闊思維，更新觀念，都令我激動萬分。

那天因天氣惡劣，飛機延誤了三個小時，而在到達清華時，已經是凌晨十二時多，當時我們帶着濃濃的睡意摸黑在凊華中遊走，二時多才回到學生宿舍找周公。

直到下一天，我們才真正的一睹清華的真面目。清華古色古香的建築物上掛着一個個圓形的校徽，在紫色背景的襯托下，燙金般的「清華大學」四個字更顯其高貴優雅，加上校訓「自強不息，厚德載物。」，令人完全不能忽視。四處都有學生在校中趕急的四處奔波，有的走路，有的騎腳踏車，有的在車站旁等待校車。走着走着，膝蓋傳來陣陣的刺痛，使我不得慢下腳步，減輕痛楚。

這時我組的輔導員帶着單車走到我的身旁，我看着他眼中一絲絲的擔憂，他說：「要座我的單車嗎？」我毫不猶豫的點頭了。他語氣略帶笑意的說：「上來吧！」。坐在單車上看到的景色與走路看見的景色截然不同，空氣裡飛揚的塵埃伴著汽車噴吐的尾氣，還有急匆匆趕路的行人，面頰掛帶著憂心的表情，在各自的道路上匆匆忙忙的走過。向前看，看着輔導員默默載着我，那辛勞的背影漸漸的刻在我的腦海中。

清華的學生對學習所持的態度使我感到十分的慚愧，平日在香港上學時，我已經用了自以為認真的態度去面對學業，沒想到清華大學中芸芸眾生對學習所持的態度遠超越我的想像也遠超越我們香港的學生，他們都捉緊每一分每一秒學習。反觀香港學生經常在抱怨香港讀書的壓力大，以此作藉口去到處遊山玩水，實在是比不上中國的學生。

在清華逗留了七天，當中有甜有苦，但我們都十分珍惜所有我們所經歷的，包括我們組的兩位輔導員，他們是我永遠也不會忘記的輔導員，長輩，朋友。在旅遊巴上看着輔導員的背影，再一次的感受着分離的不捨。雖說“人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺。此事古難全。”我們無法阻止離別，但我們可以祝願：“但願人長久，千裡共嬋娟！”無論我們之間相隔多遠，那一輪明月總會讓我們的心相照，情相依。

「起床啦！」睜開眼睛，依舊看見那一個背影，只是那不是夢境中的那一個令我十分思念的背影，而是在香港的母親而已。

S2 Sabah Sustainable Development Tour (Student Sharing)

Elizabeth Tang, 2C (32)

We went to Sabah, Malaysia on this study tour. The trip was better than I had expected, especially when I only knew a little about Sabah before the trip.

During the trip, we went to many places of interest such as the Mari Mari Cultural Village, where we learnt about the five tribes in Sabah, namely Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut , Rungus and Dusun. We also got to know about the different cultures and traditions of these tribes. A highlight of the trip was the visit to the Mount Kinabalu National Park where we learnt about the importance of wildlife conservation. While we were hiking, we came across different kinds of animals such as orang-utans and proboscis monkey which are unique to the island. We also saw different special species of plants such as rafflesia, which is the world’s biggest flower.

It was a memorable and enjoyable trip. We truly thank the teachers for giving us this opportunity to have another type of learning experience outside the classroom.

 

Damon Wong Tik-Man, 2C (37)

I think the trip was very interesting and rewarding as we got to see how the government of Sabah conserves the wildlife for sustainable development. We also had a chance to see some very rare species of plants which can only been seen in Sabah. In Hong Kong, there aren’t many rare species of plants we can see, and people do not seem to pay as much attention to wildlife conservation.

The trip allowed me to gain valuable insights into environmental protection. There are some special plants and animals like the Chinese White Dolphins in Hong Kong. I think there is an urgent need for us to protect and conserve these species so that our future generations will be able to see them.

Samareen Ali Sajjad, 2I (31)

During the study tour, we visited a local school called SMK Narinang. The students there were so welcoming that they put on some excellent dance performance for us. We also danced with the students and had a good chat with them, talking about the differences in school life between Hong Kong and Sabah. It was such a valuable experience to meet with the local teenagers and have a glimpse of their local way of life.

The best part of this trip was that we had plenty of opportunities to take part in different interactive activities through which we could develop communication skills. We also got to understand our classmates better.

On the whole, the trip was very interesting and educational. We learnt a lot about the local culture as well as sustainable development in Malaysia.

Prefect Training Day – Prefects’ Reflections (March 4)

Asha Limbu of 4R

This was the first prefect training day for this year. I was not able to come for the morning section since I had to attend a competition that day. Fortunately, the Prefect Team subsidized us to take a taxi to the camp site for the afternoon section.

In the afternoon section, we only had one activity, which was the main activity for this prefect training — the high ropes course. Many of us were too scared to go on the ropes course. I was feeling weird; I was scared, but I still wanted to try. My partner and I kept on hesitating until the last moment. Luckily, we were the last group and we had the chance to keep trying before the time was up.

After I did the activity, I felt a sense of accomplishment and was really happy to be able to finish the course. It was scary but very exhilarating! I am looking forward to the next prefect training day very much!

Rachel Wong of 4R

I only took part in the afternoon section since we had a competition in the morning. After we arrived at the training site, we had our lunch and then started the afternoon training section. The coach explained the safety precautions of high ropes course to us. The high ropes course which we had to do required us to work in pairs. The other students had to pull the safety rope for the challengers while they were trying to accomplish the task.

When I was up there to challenge myself, my partner and I needed to hold each other’s shoulders and then switch to hold each other’s hand, as we gradually became more and more far away from each other. However, we were not quick enough in doing the switch, and most of my strength had been used to pull the safety rope for the previous pair of challengers. At last, I fell down from the rope. Though we didn’t succeed, we have challenged ourselves to try. This was indeed a memorable training for me.

How Debating Changed My Life

by Shama Mashroor

Writer’s Profile: 2014 HKMA David Li Kwok Po graduate studying English Language & Comparative Literature at the University of Hong Kong has just made it to the Dean’s list this year

I still remember my first ever debate. I remember being wildly aware that it was my first rodeo, and also a little self-conscious about being dressed like a Christmas tree that day – my knees were knocking so hard! But as the years progressed and I started immersing myself in the world of debating, I felt like a whole new portal had become unlocked. Debating can change a person in so many ways. Confidence is just the beginning. To be able to engage in a high calibre debate, you will have to be knee-deep in a pool of research and critical thinking. No fact goes unchecked, no article unclicked. Think piles of printouts strewn all over your living room, post-its covering every inch of your workspace including your forehead, and 5 different coloured pens lodged in your hair. No issue in the world is too complex for a debater who has done their research! In the long run, this no-Wikipedia research training has helped me write some of my most thorough and insightful papers at university. The scared bespectacled girl from 5 years ago has now grown up to be a bespectacled girl on the Dean’s List at the University of Hong Kong, and I truly feel from the bottom of my heart that I owe this success to my wonderful teachers in HKMA, especially my debate coaches, Ms Kingsley and Ms Fernandez, and my debate team who have stood by me from the very beginning. Thank you all for making this possible.

S4 Camp Reflections

Andrew Chan (4I03)

From the 3rd to the 5th of November, we S.4 students attended a training camp.

To be frank, I wasn’t expecting much from this camp but I changed my mind soon enough at the camp.

We started off with simple foot drills and some ice-breaking games, getting to know each other better and working together more efficiently. Nothing was exceptionally hard to do or solve, that is, until the next day.

Early in the morning, we were forcibly awakened by our instructors, ate a depressing breakfast, grabbed the tools for making our own lunch, then went hiking in groups of 10. The hike started off easy enough, no steep slopes or uprooted branches; it was smooth-sailing towards our destination. By noon we reached the top of the mountain and cooked ourselves a fantastic meal with instant noodles and instant curry packets. Then it all went awry.

The journey downhill was much worse than going uphill. Imagine yourself spending every single ounce of your energy on climbing up the mountain with a steep slope, uprooted branches and a slick layer of mud.  Now try to envision yourself going down that same slippery slope. Most of my teammates were battered going down. But fortuitously, nobody got more than a few scratches or a few bruises. Do you think that the story ends here? Nope, not even close. Our hike may have been over but the day wasn’t.

We were approximately 10km away from the campsite and we could either choose to wait for the bus or walk. There was only one problem. All of us S.4 students were waiting for the same bus and the bus only comes every half an hour.

We quickly decided that walking back to the campsite would be ideal as we would have to wait for a long time before we get a ride on the bus. However, one of my teammates said that he was tired and suggested waiting for the bus. Despite waiting for an hour, we still didn’t get to get on the bus. We had another small vote and decided to finally start walking. My teammate, on the other hand, was throwing a temper tantrum about walking another 10km. To make matters worse, we couldn’t go anywhere as we had to move as a team. We had to coax him into walking and finally, he reluctantly agreed, though he kept complaining about his aching feet the whole journey.

By the time we reached the campsite, I was literally trying to hold back myself from lashing out at him. As if all this wasn’t enough, some teachers came to me personally to ask me what happened. That basically ruined my night and gave me an opportunity to learn and grow, learning how to be a better leader, teammate, and supporter and growing up with the mistakes and to not repeat them anymore.

On the last day, we had to build our own raft. I felt a lot more calm and collected than the day before as I had realized that nobody can be perfect and one has to lose a little of their wishes in order to satisfy others. We had a blast making the raft as everyone did all they could do.

After the camp, I’ve become aware of the fact that no team will ever succeed without teamwork, and sometimes one has to sacrifice one’s personal gains for the greater good. Thank you to all the teachers and instructors who organized this camp and for making it possible.

MALIKSI Jhen Ira Salarda (4D21)

On the first day of camp, we first went to our designated rooms. I got to know more about my roommates as we all gathered in a circle and talked about ourselves. It was so cool to know about them. An hour later, we rushed to the gym and had several group activities. More fun began at night. We headed out of the campsite and slept in the wilderness. I enjoyed spending the whole night time with my friends in the tent, and chatted so happily that once a teacher needed to stop us for creating too much noise.

On the second day of camp, I got up pretty early. It was an achievement for me to get up before 6am. I watched the sunrise for the very first time and it was incredible. Later that morning, we had to pack up to go back to the campsite. After breakfast, we went to the sports area where we received our equipment for the hike. Not so long after, we started our hike. The walk to the designated mountain already made me tired. When we got to the hiking place, the first few miles were very chill. Then came the steep slopes, god knows how much I was struggling. I thought the steep slopes would be the hardest part of the hike, turns out it wasn’t. In order to reach the top of the mountains, we had to climb the steepest and rockiest part of the mountain. I was frightened because first of all, it was really slippery. When we reached the top of the mountain, i was very dehydrated. I had run out of water half way through, but thank goodness we could buy water and other types of drinks. We originally planned on making Carbonara for lunch but we ended up cooking the ramen noodles they provided. The hike back down was easier. I was exhausted. When we got back, we had a BBQ. It was the first time I’ve actually BBQ-ed, I had attempted barbecuing several times before but I always failed

To sum up the last day, we performed our “drill” and had our group activities, which was super fun.

The camp has taught me to be more patient – I had to wait for my mates during the hike as some of them were quite slow. I’ve also learnt to appreciate the littlest things in life: someone or something that provides support to me. Lastly, the most unforgettable experience was when it was time to head home because I finally overcame all the challenges in the camp, and got to tuck myself in my soft bed and fluffy blanket.

 

Reflection for the TREATS Day Camp (Oct 15)

Justin Lui (4I22)

On the 15^th of October, 4D and 4I students went to the Tai Tong Holiday Day camp, to join an activity held by TREATS.

It was really an unforgettable experience. We met people with different abilities and backgrounds from Yuk Chi Centre. We played different games with them throughout the day.

At first I thought it would be quite boring as we need to play some “childish” games with students from the Yuk Chi Centre. During our lunch time, one of the students didn’t even know how to hold a bowl filled with rice, and of course, the bowl fell to the ground. My classmates and I laughed but now I realize I was wrong.

For the activity in the afternoon, we had to cover our eyes and walk through the campus. It was childish for us undoubtedly, but that’s the reason why we had to play this game. We need to learn to respect different people with different abilities. Throughout this game, we had to take the responsibility to take care of these students. My partner, Sam, who is hyperactive, seldom listens to the instructions given by the teachers. I felt really tired asking him to go back to the place he should be staying at.

Notecards were given in the game and we had to explain what was happening to them. I was quite confused why they didn’t read the instructions by themselves and I discovered that they don’t really have the ability to read. We had to read the words on the notecard one by one.

It seems I have changed a great deal after the camp. I realized I was really lucky, to live happily as a normal person. Not everyone is as lucky as I am, some might get different illnesses which will cause bad effects on their daily lives. We ought to respect them and also learn from them, as they don’t give up because of their illness.

Hilary Kam (4D14)

We went to visit young people who are mentally challenged.  During the visit we tried to communicate and tried to complete different missions with them. The most memorable thing that happened to me was a girl who played the first game with me, which required us to hold each other’s hands. At first she was not willing to do so and even wanted to run away. I felt sad at first because I thought she disliked me. A while later, I found out she was just too shy and did not know how to express her feelings. I tried to let her feel more comfortable with me and the unfamiliar environment that we first came to, by talking to her about myself and giving her snacks. After a while she she was ready to work with me. Finally she was happy to hold my hand and complete the game with me pleasantly. At last when we had to leave, she came to me and gave me a hug and said that she was happy to know me, which made me feel so satisfied and warm.

Throughout the whole day, I entirely changed my impression of the mentally challenged youngsters. Before knowing them, I thought they were rude and selfish and didn’t know how to share, but I found out that they were all so sincere and simple minded. They felt happy because of small things, such as giving them candies, giving them praise or simply a smile. They would not seek for fame, money or social status, they just want simple happiness, such as having delicious food, going to Disneyland with their families, etc. And the thing I really appreciated was they were always smiling and spreading joy, which we could learn from them.

I was very happy to have such an opportunity to get to know them and have a chance to correct my prejudice towards them. I hope that I have a chance to meet them again!

Internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers

RAI Sharon (6F15)

Having joined the SHINE Project, I was able to get a two-day internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). My experience there was full of learning opportunities and discoveries about the corporate world.

PwC is the world’s largest professional services firm, offering auditing, tax, consulting and advisory services. While a considerable percentage of its workforce comprises of auditors and accountants, PwC is also reputed for its remarkable consulting department.

Since I was only job shadowing for two days, I wasn’t able to take on any heavy work like doing market research or developing a full strategic plan for a client. However, with my mentor’s guidance, I did learn that the consulting department was separated into several teams. My mentor was in a team for people and organisation. She was responsible for helping a client company reorganize their human resources and write a full report on how her team’s plan helps them.

Moreover, at PwC, I attended a team meeting, during which members reported updates about their current mission or discussed future company goals. That was possibly the most memorable experience I had at the company.

PwC also has a really interesting and meaningful program for their employees. It’s called “lunch and learn”, which happens once a month. Employees gather around for a department lunch and attend a specifically organized talk which aims to educate them.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and I was thoroughly surprised by the relatively relaxed environment and the company’s aim to develop its employees’ capabilities.

PHAGAMI Merina (6R17)

My job shadow experience was at a multinational firm called PricewaterhouseCoopers. PwC is involved in many different kinds of jobs, such as accounting, risk management, etc. In general, PwC gives advice to all kinds of companies, from multinational corporations to small family businesses, and helps them become more competitive in the market.

Everybody was constantly telling me that I can’t go anywhere without a good Chinese- speaking ability. That scared me a lot and stopped me from grabbing opportunities and trying new things. That took away a lot of my confidence and was one of my biggest limitations. When I read that the project was more focused on giving ethnic minority students a chance to explore and learn, I knew that I had to take this opportunity.

In one of the departments called the Accounting and Audit Department, I experienced the typical office working environment at a multinational firm. However, I also got to experience a less typical version of what people would call an ‘office’, as in everyone getting their own cubicle. They have what they call a ‘bar’, which has food and drinks that you can enjoy with your colleagues after office working hours or during the occasional ‘party’. They believe that this increases work efficiency as staff members are allowed to take breaks and make changes when needed, which motivates them to work harder.

From the job shadowing experience, I learnt that I don’t have to do be a doctor, a lawyer, or a teacher in order to make a difference in people’s lives. We can also influence people by working at a firm like PwC. While at PwC, I got to experience this monthly event they have called ‘Lunch and Learn’. Last month, there was a talk by one of the top businesswomen in the UK on the healthcare system of Hong Kong. The Consulting Department is basically responsible for helping companies be better at what they are. In the case of the healthcare industry, PwC could give advice to the Hospital Authority, to health insurance companies, etc. Different industries are performing various roles in society and making peoples’ lives better. When the talk was over, the head of the department stood up and said, “If you have any ideas, feel free to tell us, and you could be the next person to change the healthcare system of Hong Kong”. The fact that I was in a room full of people that could change our lives with just one idea was very inspiring to me.

Before this experience, I couldn’t see myself living and working in Hong Kong at all since I had no hope in myself. However, these few days with my mentors have taught me that even if I can’t speak fluent Chinese and even if I’m not 100% sure of what I want to do in life despite being an S6 student, it’s not the end of the world. More than half the employees at PwC don’t know Chinese at all, a lot of them aren’t even from Hong Kong/ are ‘ethnic minorities’,

In the past, I felt confused about what to study and what to be in the future. From the job shadowing experience, I learnt that I don’t have to limit myself to be a doctor, a lawyer, or a teacher, etc. Many of the PwC employees have a completely different degree from what they’re doing right now, one of the employees even worked at Disney before working at PwC, and one of the company’s partners, who everybody knows, is a Punjabi guy from London. This experience has helped me to understand that what I have studied may not be totally relevant to my job but what skills and qualities I have learnt at school and will learn at university are more important and transferable. This has taught me that career is a process of personal and professional development rather than a degree or a job.