Tat Kit

 Pre-trip Questions

How much are the school fees of sacred hearts subsidized, if at all ?

How much of the of the national budget of Taiwan is used for education ?

 Are there any special schools in Taiwan that are the equivalent of say, ITE? 

Do you think the Merlion would make the most national icon to represent Singapore?

Yes, I think that the Merlion is the best icon to represent Singapore because it is unique to Singapore and no other Country has any connection to it like Singapore does.  Singapore was founded by an Indian Prince, Sang Nila Utama, otherwise known as Sri Tri Buana,prince of the three kingdoms, one of which was temasek. The Merlion has a lion head because that was the first animal Sang Nila Utama saw when he came upon the island of Singapore.(even though it is now widely agreed that he saw a tiger) the fish tail of the Merlion comes from the fact that Singapore was a small fishing village in the past when it was known as temasek and that it was, and still is largely dependent on maritime trade.
The Merlion is also known widely across the globe to be a representation of Singapore as it is a unique icon of Singapore and has also become a tourist attraction. If you ask any tourist who has been to Singapore, they would have probably visited at least one of the 5 Merlions in Singapore. When Singapore is mentioned to tourists, they will immediately associate it with the Merlion because it has become a national icon of Singapore that is recognized all over the world.The Merlion has also created a special identity all Singaporeans can assume and carry proudly with them around no matter where they go. It also gives all Singaporeans a sense of belonging whenever they see or hear of the Merlion.

Some may think that the Singapore Flyer or Marina Bay Sands will be a better national icon to represent Singapore as compared to the Merlion. But I do not think so as these infrastructures were only built in recent years when Singapore has already modernized and become prosperous and thus lacks the historical and cultural value behind the Merlion. Other countries can also build exact the same infrastructures like the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands but tourists will not recognize it as representations of Singapore as these buildings have nothing to do with how Singapore came about. To me, there is nothing else that can hold the same historical value and give Singaporeans a stronger sense of belonging other than the Merlion. Thus, I can conclude that the Merlion is the best national icon to represent Singapore.Posted by ngtatkit at 06:59
reflection of not bringing CID file. I feel very disappointed in myself not bringing my CID file as i had clearly been reminded to pack it. instead i carelessly forgot all about it. Next time, I shall take are to heed the reminders so as not to repeat this mistake.
things that i have learnt about the Tang dynasty, reflection on LKY and Singapore's golden age.
I learnt that the tang dynasty,at its peak was the dynasty that covered the most land area.It was considered a golden age of china as with its large population base, it could form large armies, which it used to subdue neighboring countries and to take over their resources, allowing them to prosper. even when the tang dynasty was collapsing and censuses were more inaccurate, the population was estimated to be around 80 million. the Tang was also a period of progress and stability. Chinese culture flourished as many great poets and painters emerged. there were also many new innovations such as woodblock printing and an earthquake detector.
lee kuan yew was the true founder of modern singapore. it was due to his contributions that Singapore today is a thriving and rich country. I feel that we are indeed in the golden age of Singapore. we are at peace, currently uninvolved majorly in any war. we are becoming more and more prosperous. Our arts scene is thriving, our army though small, is definitely not second-rate. judging by these factors, Singapore is truly in a golden age. the credit for this goes to lee kuan yew. Singapore was his life's work, and he did everything possible to see it grow. with his passing, Singapore has reached a milestone where it has finalized it process of development. our founding fathers are gone and it is now the next generation that must take up the responsibility of supporting and developing singapore. Posted by ngtatkit at 05:47
individual reflection about Suzhou industrial parkI feel that Singapore got the worse end of the deal with china when it agreed upon the Suzhou industrial park. It seemed like a fine idea when Singapore agreed with China in 1994 to build a giant $30 billion industrial park in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou to attract foreign investment to the world's most populous nation.
Five years later, it was heavily in debt due to undermining local officials who set up a rival park close by, forcing Singapore to cut its interests in the original project.Singapore's senior minister at the time, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew pointed to the difficulties that arose in signing agreements with the central government that were then implemented by local officials who "have their own imperatives."
The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, which was intended eventually to become a self-contained manufacturing, urban and high-technology center covering 70 square kilometers was a joint project with the Chinese central government in Beijing. But it ran into trouble when local officials began a rival operation, the Suzhou New District industrial park.
Mr. Lee said the city government was "using us to get investors in, and when investors came in, they said: 'You come to my park, it's cheaper."'

The park had lost an average of $23.5 million a year since 1994 and that its loss would reached $90 million by the end of 2000.
In June, after it failed to persuade Suzhou officials to throw their weight behind the Singapore-built park, Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding with the government in Beijing under which the majority stake and management control over the park would be transferred from the Singaporean to the Chinese side Jan. 1, 2001.
As a result of this face-saving exercise, Singapore's share in the venture was reduced to 35 percent from 65 percent.When this took effect in 2001, the park finally turned its first profit. Thus,Singapore was the worse off, having sustained losses throughout while china was raking it in from the SP and using Singaporean expertise. we were effectively back-stabbed by the Chinese. If this incident has taught us anything, its to not trust the Chinese.
Posted by ngtatkit at 06:51
CID reflections I feel that poverty is not very widespread in Singapore. Although there are people who struggle with money in Singapore, you do not see many beggars or homeless people like you can see in other countries. This is mainly in part due to the efforts of the Singaporean government. They give subsidies , rebates, and medisave to all Singaporeans. Hence, not many people in Singapore are extremely impoverished. And for thoses that are, the government gives them large subsidies, and if the Mai breadwinner is unable to work due to an accident, medi save covers most of the bills. Hence, I feel that true poverty is now very scarce in Singapore.Posted by ngtatkit at 05:25

my December holidays (Tat Kit)my December holidays  


 During the 2014  December Holidays,  I went to many different places in Singapore. However, one of the places that really caught my interest was the walking path off west coast park. When we reached there at around 3 p.m. , I was amazed at the sights. The scenery was beautiful. As I rollers skated along the scenic side paths,The sky was clear blue and the waves were splashing rhythmically against the rocks, giving out a peaceful and soothing sound. However, the blaring sounds of horns were heard as cruise ships were sailed out of the nearby Ferry Terminal.    
    After strolling at the park for approximately 2 hours, my family and I enjoyed a delicious meal of seafood at a restaurant located just beside the park , while enjoying the atmosphere of sea air combined with the wonderful scents of dishes being served. It was an enjoyable day for me and I believe that my family felt so too.

there was also a large,sandy playground with many attractions, such as the above image; a zip-line, the image below;a large pyramid with slides. i climbed to the apex of the pyramid and enjoyed the beautiful view. however, my sister was too scared to climb to the top and remained on the bottom 3 floors of the pyramid.

Posted by ngtatkit at 18:38