Travelogue Part One

Should CCAs be held only on Fridays in secondary schools?

Co-curricular activities (CCAs) in secondary schools take up a lot of our time and secondary school students stay up to 7pm in school on an average CCA day. Recently, an article appeared in the newspapers about holding CCAs during curriculum time instead of after school.

Curious about students’ reactions to this practice, I interviewed a student from our school to find out what she feels about this proposal.

“CCA takes a toll on students, leaving us with very little or worse, no time to do our homework or catch up on our studies. For sports CCAs, students even train during the holidays, and they even have to miss their lessons to train for their upcoming competitions. I really feel stressed when I think about how CCAs compete for our time. However, CCA participation can help us to get the two bonus points that can enhance our L1R5 scores. In other words, while students would like to have more time to complete their assignments and study for their assessments, they also realise that

participation in events is equally important.

Hence, holding CCAs on Friday is a welcome change. However, we also

realize that there are certain constraints in implementing this initiative. Hence, the Media and Publications Club members decided to get the opinion of our school leaders. Our Principal, Ms Pauline Fun said, “There may be a lack of facilities. We may not be able to have all the CCAs in one day as there are quite a number of CCA : the sports CCAs, clubs and societies and performing arts groups in SJC. There may also not be enough venues in our school to conduct all CCA sessions simultaneously, so some groups may need to share venues. This idea has both benefits and disadvantages. For instance, students will feel fresher to start their CCAs on a new day and they will participate more readily. In the end, students are the ones who will benefit. Whether we implement it or not, either way there will always be a consequence. Some students may not be as enthusiastic because the duration will be too long and they may get bored.”

Ms Fun also raised several valid points, for example, the lack of space and facilities and the lack of enthusiasm among students. After what Ms Fun had mentioned, we realized that there are always two sides to a coin and we need to weigh the pros and cons before we decide to adopt an idea. Our current CCA schedule may seem to take up a large part of our afternoons, but it teaches us how to manage our time and priorities. We learn how to juggle a packed schedule so that, when we enter the workforce in the future, we are able to handle tight schedules and time constraints. This training prepares us for the 21st century working world which requires us to multi-task.

A Secondary 4 girl opined that we should consider the benefits as well as the constraints of this idea and though it might appeal to some of us, others might not welcome the suggestion. As this is an implementation that will affect many of us, it should be considered carefully, taking into consideration the various factors and the opinions of all concerned.

After careful consideration, we decided that this idea should not be implemented in our school due to the space constraints and the negative impact on the students.

Written by: Meha Masurekar (3 Endurance)

City of Batam Batam, the largest city in Indonesia, is well known for its beaches, and of course its duty free shopping. Last month, my family and I headed for Batam by ferry, which took us only forty minutes.

Upon arrival, we headed to the KTM resort, a resort that has an outdoor pool, barbeque and many facilities where we can host activities.

After settling in the resort, we went to the largest shopping mall located in Batam, Nagoya Hill shopping mall. Interestingly enough, the mall was divided into two different

sections, one selling food and beverages while the other selling souvenirs, handbags and many other items. The food stores at the mall sells a variety of cuisines from various regions of Indonesia. Unfortunately, the majority of the menus are in Malay . There are also retail stores in the mall selling clothes and accessories. However, a lot of the merchandise are stacked up along the side of the walkway, which becomes a hazard when the area is crowded.

As Batam is well-known for its beaches, we headed to Nongsan beach, where the atmosphere is more relaxing and the place less crowded. There are even spas and eateries nearby that offers a great view of the sunset.

If you’re interested in local architecture and history, Tanjong Uma, a village which has stilt houses over water and sites rich in history, would be perfect for you.

For photography buffs, you could head to Barelang Bridge, where you can take gorgeous photos, with a breath-taking view of the sunset. Moreover, there is a line of various restaurants, where you can dine, chill out and enjoy the sun set.

Overall, I think Batam is a great place to relax and to unwind from work, school or even for a simple vacation!

https://www.tripzilla.com/batam-itinerary-2d1n-3d2n/63412 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batam

By:maasha anisha 1endurance

Night Safari Singapore!

Are you a fan of lions, deers, wolves and other nocturnal animals but hate that they are always sleeping during viewing hours? Come pay a visit to the world’s first night zoo! Visiting Singapore for the first time, I, being a huge enthusiast of crepuscular animals, made the trip to Night Safari as it was the first thing on my to-do list for the June holidays, because I was quite eager to see how they behave during their most active time of the day.

Having purchased my ticket online, I entered the safari at 8:15pm, which, in hindsight was not the best idea, as it is the most crowded time of the day. The line for the tram had already grown to frightening proportions so I decided to take the walking trail instead. I recommend that you do this as well, as I was told that not only were the queues usually an hour long, but the

tram does not stop at each enclosure, giving you only a few fleeting seconds to view the animals inside, whereas going on foot gives you a better, more up-close view of the animals, and as much time to marvel at them as you please.

Tigers are my all-time favourite animals, so I excitedly made a beeline to the Malayan Tiger enclosure, located at the East Lodge trail. Once I caught a glimpse of the breath-taking creatures, I was completely in awe at how majestic they looked prowling around their enclosure. I tried to take a few photos to capture the moment, but seeing as flash photography was prohibited, my pictures were only semi-visible at best. I was still content, though, as just the sight of the animals out and about was more than enough for me. Visiting other animals along the same trail, I was pleased to see that the enclosures provided a great view of the animals inside. Some notable ones I saw were the serval cat, spotted hyena and sloth. I gave up on snapping pictures and decided to just keep the fantastic sights in my memory.

Wanting to make the most out of my visit, I decided to watch the Creatures of the Night show as well. There were only 15 minutes until the next performance at 9:30pm, so I decided to start heading to the amphitheatre and wait there for the show to begin. It was quite good for a twenty-minute show which featured a variety of well-trained animals, varying from cute and intelligent otters to a fearsome spotted hyena. I found it extremely entertaining, but was rather distracted by my grumbling stomach. I had not eaten since my breakfast before the plane ride to Singapore, and I found, midway through the performance, that I was starving. I had been told that if you were late, the staff would not let you enter, so for fear of being tardy, I had not dared to stop for lunch.

I chose to eat at a Subway close to the park, as the Ulu Ulu Safari Restaurant required a reservation at least 24-hours prior to one’s visit. I |regretted not doing my research before arriving, as the food looked positively heavenly to my ravenous self. It was all local food, like chicken rice, briyani and chicken tandoori.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Singapore Night Safari, and hope to be able to return and try out other trails, along with the tram ride and restaurant food! There were many memorable moments during my trip, and some especially special ones, with the tigers, that I will forever hold close to my heart. I am so grateful to my friends for recommending this place to me!

Written by: Koh Han Ju (1E)

(image source: https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g294265-d324761-Reviews-Night_Safari-Singa-pore.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=400925226 )

World of Baguio City

Do you remember watching a scene from “Maleficent” where Aurora and Prince Philip met in a beautiful scenery? Or have you ever wanted a horse-riding experience? Baguio City is the right place for you! With breath-taking sights and memorable family activities, this is a vacation you’d never want to miss.

Mines View Park

Baguio is actually located on a mountain so driving up to the very top takes almost four hours. But it’s worth it! You can enjoy the gorgeous sights. Looking at them, for me, makes me forget that I live in a world where fantasy doesn’t exist. It’s like something out of a fairy-tale. The real deal, however, is in Mines View Park. The minute you stand and take a look at the view, it’s like you’re in a whole new world. The scent of fresh, crisp air, the sound of birds chirping their relaxing tunes. Honestly, I can’t find the words to describe how beautiful the views are.

Strawberry Farm

I’m a huge fan of strawberries. Visiting the Strawberry Farm was a great experience for my family and I. This activity surprisingly strengthened my bond with my parents. I’m going to make a bit of a confession here. I secretly ate Strawberry. The sweet, juicy flavour hits your taste buds, making you yearn for more of the fresh taste. Once you’re done picking

your desired amount of strawberries, you can either bring them home or give them to the farmers to be made into the best strawberry jam you’ve ever tasted! Baguio is known for making amazing jams so don’t be surprised if you find yourself buying jars of Strawberry jam after having a taste of it.

I really miss Baguio City. I hope to return soon. There are many more exciting tourist attractions located there. I suggest visiting the place and exploring the city. I promise you that you won’t be disappointed!

Maxine Gabrielle 2B

Travelogue: Switzerland

Some people describe Switzerland as ‘the second heaven on Earth’, and while I was sceptical at first, I could not agree more now that I have seen and admired the country in all its glory. With its adorable country homes, mouth-watering cheese fondue and snow-covered mountains that backdropped lush green fields, Switzerland truly is a country hard to dislike!

My family and I took a train from Frankfurt, Germany to Lucerne, Switzerland, where we stayed for three days.

There, we stayed at “Hotel Des Alpes”, a hotel located along the pedestrian zone of the heart of Lucerne, which faced the crystal clear Reuss River and the iconic Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge). The Kapellbrücke is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, as well as the world's oldest surviving truss bridge. Thus, the hotel was a convenient location surrounded by a variety of shops and places to eat, with only a walking distance away from the bridge and river. While we were there, we got to wake up to a beautiful

view of the city and the sunrise every morning. Unfortunately, we did not get to explore Lucerne much on the first day as we were feeling weary after travelling on a train for so long.On the second day, we took a day-trip to Jungfraujoch, a glacial pass between the Jungfrau and Mönch mountains. At more than 3400 metres high, it is often referred to as the ‘Top of Europe’ due to it being the highest train station in Europe. We got there on a bus that drove us through several towns such as Grindelwald and Interlaken, and a long red train that took us up the mountains. Up in Jungfraujoch, we tried the cheese fondue and visited the world’s highest Lindt chocolate store. It was so cold up there, perhaps about -19 degrees celcius, that my teeth started chattering! When it got to the evening, however, the view from the Sphinx Observation Deck was mesmerizing that it made the cold and tiring journey of travelling up the mountain worth it.

You could see the top of the mountains blanketed in snow and the sun slowly setting behind. It truly seemed like a winter wonderland! I could not get enough of the view.

The next day, we explored the city of Lucerne. While exploring, we met and chatted with a few locals along the way

despite a little bit of a language barrier. They were all really friendly and we got to teach them more about Singapore while we learnt more about Switzerland from them. We visited the chapel bridge, which was adorned with pretty light decorations, and admired the Reuss River with the morning sunshine illuminating its clear blue water. Fortunately, we did not have to travel far as the bridge and river were right outside our hotel. This allowed us to have time to shop around stores nearby our hotel. Sadly, we did not have enough time to do anything more after that as all the trains in Europe followed a really tight schedule thus we had to reach the train station on time to catch our train which would take us to our next destination, Austria. As soon as I got on the train, I immediately missed all the sights and views of Switzerland, and the warm hospitality offered by the Swiss locals. I knew I would never experience travelling to a place as spectacular and breathtaking as Switzerland.

In conclusion, I recommend travelling to Switzerland!

Irina Gabriella 2E