Chingay Reflection

Before going for Chingay on the 21th of January, I had little idea of what Chingay was about and had never watched one live before. Thus, i was really excited for the learning journey. I did research on the background history of Chingay and found out that it was originally held at Orchard Road shopping belt. This made me wonder why there was a need for the change in venue. This aroused my curiosity and through my thorough research, it was to celebrate the millennium in 2000 and so the procession took a new route,still used until today, beginning at City Hall and ending at the Suntec City Fountain of Wealth.

On that very day, what welcomed me was a sky filled with ominous clouds and my class and I dressed in transparent raincoats at the F1 Pit. It was drizzling but what touched me even before the event had started were the volunteers who stood in the rain with their raincoats on ushering the audience, which in this case were the students from various primary and secondary schools. They braved the rain and encouraged us to move faster to make sure that we would be able to get to our seats faster and cause lesser jams along the way.                             

Since my class was the last to leave the school, upon reaching my seat, the show had already begun. The rain still poured down

The breathtaking view despite the drizzle!

 and some of us took out their umbrellas to block the raindrops from touching them. However, this posed as a problem and annoyance to those siting behind them because the raindrops that flowed down the surface of the umbrella dripped at the tip, making a puddle of water in the curved hole on the raincoat, near the lap. Nonetheless, i still got to see the breathtaking scenery of the Singapore Flyer from the top of the seats and the waterway that was going to be used the different event segments.

The two emcees, one speaking English and one translating it to Chinese, of the show talked more about Chingay and how it has become over the years of planning of the programmes. They introduced the theme of this year's Chingay, Soundwaves Chingay, WeCare Singapore and listed some of the event highlights. I think that since Singapore is multiracial and multicultural country, there was a need for another emcee to help those that could only understand Chinese but it made me wonder what about the other races. 

The grand opening!

As the sky slowly turned dark, the grand opening finally began. From my seat, i could see performers from different races coming together to perform, united as one. There were 600 performers from all races, ages and background. As they pulled the crescent moon and the five stars on our national flag, it exemplifies and uplifts the five core values--democracy, justice, peace, progress and prosperity. There was the showcase of 1,500 organisations of different backgrounds using specially designed "WeCare Sinagpore" banners. The performance was lively and mesmerising. What accompanied it was the perfectly-timed lighting and the slow rhythm of a song which made the segment even more perfect. I was really amazed me and felt fresh.


Somewhere along the show, the rain took to a halt and something that i will never forget is the incorporation of xinyao songs or Singapore songs into some of the segments. I sang along to the melancholy tune and reminisce the good old days where i heard or watched the music videos of those songs that really shape the Singapore of today. It made me realise how much Singapore has grown and induced me to feel proud for being a Singaporean, a part of Singapore. Some songs were familiar to my ears while i racked my brain to figure out songs that seemed rather hard for me to remember their names. Nevertheless, i had a fun time jamming along to the songs and even getting to know more about my friends who are into it as well! Different ethnic groups also performed with the xinyao songs and i am really proud that despite the difference in languages, races or even religions, we still work together, understand and appreciate every ethnicity.  

The firework display!

The finale was the showcase of the stunning water, fire, snow and lightning effects and made many in awe and amazement, especially me. It summarised this year's theme and displayed the youth's energy and confidence in overcoming the challenged ahead. What's a good show without fireworks? The fireworks used burst into different shapes and colours, giving off an high-spirited aura. However, the fireworks burst out behind me so i had to keep turning around in order to capture the fireworks that made me dumbfounded tons and tons of time. It made me wonder why and i was frustrated by the unfair of treatment but i soon broadened my point  of view and noticed that there were primary school students sitting opposite me. I immediately understood the treatment and the sacrifice that i had to make, just to make the experience for them a good and memorable one.  

Through the one hour plus show, it has really benefited me in many different kinds of way and i really appreciate and is grateful for this learning journey organised by the school. It has also answered my question that i had in mind throughout the whole show which is "So, what is Chingay?" To me, Chingay is  the time to showcase the variety of arts and masquerade by different races and countries.During the show, I noticed that the many of the show segments and performers were of different races and culture and this made me wonder why there was a need to do so. It soon dawned on me that Chingay is also a unique national festival celebrated by different races, religions, ages and creed with no barriers to separate Singaporeans and in turn allow us to celebrate together as one. Therefore, i deeply feel that Chingay has indeed fulfilled its purpose from my very own experience. It was neither a Malay festival nor a Indian festival but our own Singaporean festival. It was also neither mainly a Japanese show nor a mainly Singapore show but a mixture of different countries' cultures that makes Chingay special. I hope that Singapore's multiple interrelationships can  last long and make the future Chingay performances even more enriching and more exciting.  

The grand finale! 

This is really innovative!

Lesson 3: Perspective of a director

As a director, i wanted to show that in the Chinese culture, the younger generation are very filial to their parents, grandparents and those who are older and related to them. For the video, i requested one of the celebrity that i invited to be featured in the video to pour tea from a jar into a small cup and later move the cup towards the camera while singing the lyrics of the song "Welcome to Beijing". This scene shows how the celebrity is like inviting the audience with that cup and respecting them, just like how a child respects his/her elderly. 

Secondly, I wanted to show that in the Chinese culture, everyone is very bonded and close. For  the video, i requested three of the celebrities to prepare a table filled with ingredients that are normally used for a steamboat and among them, i asked one to put the hot pot on the table while the other two arranges the dishes. This scene shows how the Chinese work together to prepare the meal and reflects on how everyone are willing to help. It also shows how the three celebrities might be cousins or siblings helping one another and shows how bonded the Chinese are in the eyes of foreigners who are unable to understand Chinese well. 

Thirdly, I wanted to show to the world that traditions are still being pass down after many generations in the Chinese culture. For the video, I asked some of the celebrities to do traditional Chinese arts like doing calligraphy and shadow puppets while singing and some to sing it while saying it in a high pitch voice, just like those Chinese opera singers. From these scenes, they are able to demonstrate how these traditions that are usually used to represent China are still being taught to the younger generation and will continue to pass on the next generation.  

Lesson 3: Other forces that SHAPE culture

So, is the dynastic period the main force that shaped China of today?

Well, the answer is quite simple, no. There are actually 5 main cultural forces and they are Taoism, Confucianism, Ethnicity, Dynasties and Communism. 

After attending the 3rd lesson of CID, i have developed the idea that key milestones of China's history have also served as cultural forces. Many of the things around us are very much influenced by what has happened in the past and the present. The philosophies, the different eras of dynasties, the cultural revolution and the official identified ethnicity among the population in China have indeed changed the fate of China over and over again. 

For the area of philosophies, i have learnt the Taoism and Confucianism are very appealing to the Chinese rulers in the past because people who believed in those beliefs were passive and followed the traditions closely, thus, they had no means of rebelling against their own rulers. People who believed in Taoism were made to believe that natural world exists in perfect order and it is the human activities that disrupt the harmony whereas those who believed in Confucianism were influenced that people with higher status or greater power would be obeyed by those of a lower power so the people living in China then had to listen to the ruler's orders. 

For the cultural revolution, a very important and significant event that happened between 1969 and 1976, it has made me realise that the people of that era were no longer strongly under the influence of philosophies but communism.They no longer believed in beliefs, religions and nothing associated with pre-communist China and this turned into violence between the people and the Chinese rulers then. Something very surprising to me was when i found out that through that 10 years of rebellion, traditional ideas and cultures were never totally destroyed but people were more concerned with capitalism and these saw the increase of wealth and self resurgence of interest in China's traditional and cultures, especially when they could be sold or commoditised. 

The two cultural forces raised are two key milestones that shows the contradiction towards the people's mindsets of different eras as time progresses on. To me, these really shows how China has significantly changed through different events that happened and has truly shaped the China of today.    

Lesson 2: A representation of Singapore

I have decided to choose this picture because it shows some of the local delicacies sold in Singapore. It represents that Singapore is a multiracial country and the cultures here are diverse. To me, such harmony is certainly something the represents Singapore, a little red dot on the atlas. As a Singaporean, i am really proud to be able to meet and communicate with different races in ease with minimum racial tensions.Therefore, i have decided to choose the picture above to help further understand the uniqueness of Singapore.  

Lesson 2: Forces that SHAPE culture

After watching the video on the 2nd CID lesson, i realise that the forces of culture can affect a country. In the context of Singapore, immigrants that work or live here, the mindsets of the immigrants in the pioneer generation, the ethnic groups present here, the religions that are practiced by the people and the population growth are just some of the factors that contribute to the cultural forces that shape Singapore, making Singapore unique and different from other countries. They have played a huge role in creating the present Singapore through the decisions they have made in the past and different customs brought from abroad.  

In my opinion, to make my oelp trip enjoyable and enriching at the same time, being aware of the cultural forces present in China will benefit me in making me better understand the diverse and maybe complicated culture of China. Furthermore, i believe that some of the cultural forces shaping Singapore can be used as questions that i will be having in mind during my oelp trip since Singapore and China have somewhat similar culture and heritage like the immigrants, different groups or classes of people in China. This would allow me to reflect, relate and compare the differences between these two countries, hence improving my assumptions and inferences, making them as accurate as possible, other than correcting my stereotypical mindset towards the culture, heritage, education and economy of China and experience one week worth of fruitful experience there.   

Therefore, i have come to the conclusion that culture is a complex and multi-dimensional topic. What i observe, hear and smell are just the tip of an ice berg of the country and so to further deepen my knowledge pertaining the country, I would have to do more research regarding that country, spend more time living there or even blending in and communication with people living there.

How i spend my holidays last year

Most of my November holiday was spent in Singapore. i just stayed at home, doing my homework and watching videos on my phone while sometimes, i had to go to school to attended CCA training for the upcoming competitions. I would read books that i had at home during my leisure time and go out to nearby shopping malls during the weekends for dinner and shopping.

During my December holidays, i traveled to Cameron Highland, Malaysia's most extended hill station, and got to experience the sixteen degree Celsius there. Since it was cold, i had to wear long sleeved clothes paired with a jacket or a sweater. I managed to visit a strawberry farm where i not only got to see red and green strawberries growing in front of my eyes but also different kinds of plants that can adapt to the cold weather there like cactus which varied in size and colour and succulent plants. Other than the strawberry farm, i also visited the 'BOH Tea'' plantation but it was a pity that i could not watch the process of making tea through the tea leaves, however, i got to consume the desserts sold there and see the breathtaking view from the balcony of the cafe. Dinner provided by the hotel was steamboat and it was really nice since the weather outside was extremely cold. What is a holiday without visiting the local pasar malam there! The aroma of the food wafted in the air as i walked down the stalls with my family members. Although it rained for two out of the four days i stayed in Cameron Highland during the night which affected the experience for the pasar malam, it still was a interesting and fruitful one. On the last day, the last destination was the lavender garden. The fragrance of the lavender was refreshing and the lavender ice cream was susceptible. The scenery was incredible and spectacular as well. 

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Lesson 1: My perspective towards China

I have reflected that I have a stereotypical mindset towards Singaporean and PRC Chinese, thus, I look forward to the oelp trip to clear my doubts towards both groups and in turn, gain deeper understanding and knowledge to both the cultural, education, economy and heritage difference between Singaporeans and PRC Chinese. 

Lesson 1: Self Introduction

Hello. I am Chan Wai Wen from class 2J. My CCA is NCC and I am from Shuqun Primary School. My hobbies are reading books, especially genres like mystery and humour, and listening to songs while doing my homework because it makes me feel calm and slowly relieves my stress from school and other aspects of life as well. I am Singaporean and my favourite food is pizza. I have two siblings, an elder sister and a younger brother so this makes me the middle child. I use more of my left brain than my right brain because I do things systematically and orderly. I feel that I am an introvert and an extrovert at the same time. I look forward to the upcoming oelp trip and bond more with the class so that we can have memories that are worth lasting forever since this is the very last year we are as a class. I hope that I will be able to cope with my studies and competitions that I will be involved in because year 2 life, an important yet hard one, will be very tiring.