Hui Ying's Reflections

The short 10 days trip was amazing. So incredible that till now I still remember vividly what happened and what i have experienced.

I shall not talk about the educational stuffs that i have learnt during the trip, because i believe that is something people can read from books.

What was deeply engraved in my mind was, the vibrant life in P.R.C.
Shenzhen was nowhere near to what i had imagined it to be. Hongkong was so so so much exciting that i thought it would be! So are the rest of P.R.D states we went to.

Basically, just seeing lives of locals there was fulfilling. You get to see the different standards of living in a single area. Where people can live extravagantly, and there are some who are so poor, some who have to beg for money or even cheat in order survive.

Then we saw rural lives, city people - the middle-income, the poor and the poorest, and of course the rich. High buildings, big offices, malls bursting with life and energy - all these were evidence of rising standards of living and global competition in P.R.C. Are we, Singaporeans able to take the upcoming challenge? Can we, the "future pillars" of Singapore be strong and stable to fight the war and stay alive? I have no idea. I hope we do, because losing our foothold in this big big world can be disastrous for such a small country like ours.

Big companies are going over to China, small companies are investing in China. China China China. I wonder, has anyone felt the REAL power emerging from beneath? Though all these may just be speculations or predictions, which may not come true in future, WHAT IF they become true?

China has changed, is changing and will change. I realised I had changed, am changing and will change as well. This trip has given me alot of viewpoints regarding the big business world. It is sooooo big that no one can actually truly explore it. I am keen to do so. After seeing and hearing so many stories regarding the business world and the never-ending learning journey, i told myself, I am going to take up challenges/adventures that will benefit me in future. How tough it may be, I'm gonna try!

Neeky
12:33 AM

Kok Yong's Reflections

Indeed China wasn’t what we had thought of to be so backdated. During our 9 days of visit to the Pearl River Delta zone, we visited various industrial parks in the PRD Zone. We were all very amazed about the development of China Industry Park. They have some of the resources that Singapore does not have such as land. Their industrial areas are all at a very good location, with good accessibility to the airport, seaport and Hong Kong. Every cluster of their industry has diverse operation ranging from research & development to manufacturing & production to marketing. I was also very impresses with the working attitude of the Chinese, they were very hardworking, willing to learn and they are even capable of speaking English, Mandarin and Cantonese. The Chinese way and culture of doing business are very much different from Singapore – they speak mandarin and Cantonese frequently, they foster a lot on relationship and the pace of working there is very fast. Therefore I have learnt that working in China is not easy – one has to be able to speak mandarin or Cantonese, be willing to learn and sacrifice, must be determined and understanding the market and trend is also important. Indeed the 21st century is really the China world.

There are a few areas that I felt very unpleasant about China – the traffic there is very dangerous, there is no sense of direction at all. The toilet smell there is really unbearable and people there also don’t even flush after using the toilet – is very unhygienic. As for the food that we had was very oily and salty.

For our networking lunch and dinner, I feel very pleasure to be able to know and meet some of the successful entrepreneurs who were all also Singaporeans but have stayed and worked in China for years. This networking dinner and lunch also allowed me to learn how to exchange a business name-card which I have never done before. They shared with us their experience and knowledge of working in China, how they lead their life in China, and even encouraged us to work in China. We asked a lot of questions about the PRD industrial zone and they were all able to answer our queries which proved to be very useful to our project and also tend to deepen our knowledge of China. Their presence has really changed our perception of China. They even compared Singapore mindset with the Chinese there – Singaporeans are very cocky, calculative and not willing to take risks whereas the Chinese there they make fast decision and they are risk-takers. Through this networking, I have started to have a globalize mindset of working in overseas and moving beyond the comfort zone of working in Singapore. I also have a deep understanding of why some Singapore companies have switched their operations to venture in China.

I have never regretted signing up for this trip, it has really given me a real-life experience and exposure of doing business in China which I felt that I will never benefit from the -tutorials and lectures. Not only have I broadened my social-circle for this trip, I have also learnt to coordinate, communicate, lead and work in a team for my group as well as everybody as a whole. I have also learnt the importance of having a sense of urgency when doing business, we can’t afford to be late as we might give a bad impression and even lost a business deal. The Chinese’s worker there has given me a lot of inspiration. I hope through this trip, I will come back to be a more ambitious person and apply all the values that I have gained in China.

Neeky
11:51 PM

Wendy's Reflections

I guess most of us started off having negative thoughts about China. I dislike them too. But I do know that they are not backward. My dad had kept talking about China, how well they are developing and everything. My dad’s constant reminding that China is quite advanced and had exceeded Singapore really makes me wonder.

Before I continue, I decided to talk about the learning objectives that I set before I came on this trip

First and foremost, is learning how to do business in China. The most important factor of doing business in China is “Guan Xi” as mentioned by many. It is actually the interpersonal relationships like when we say building customer relationships etc. However, there are more emphasis placed on this when doing business in China. “Guan Xi”’s influence on business in China is great, it can even deter if you will succeed or fail.

Well, and now, I will like to talk about things I never thought I would learnt through this trip. When I went on visits or actually, once I stepped into China, I knew that I was wrong to think that China was a backward country. It is quite advanced and as many had said, it had exceeded Singapore in some areas. The labour force I realized through our guests, are not only low-cost but the quality of their work is at the same standard or even better than Singapore’s labour force. This really took me aback. The skeptical feel that had came with me to China had gradually vaporized and it was replaced with a new fear for myself and also Singapore’s labour force.

Then, another wave of realization came when we are having networking dinner with Mr. Justin. He commented that HongKongers and China Chinese do not like Singaporeans as they are very “haolian” or proud. This is really like a slap on my face because that is really what I am. I am proud of Singapore and I always think that Singapore is first and the best and everything but this trip really shattered what I had been having all these years.

Mr. Justin also pointed something out that is our advantage and also disadvantage. Singaporeans are good at organizing and planning and that is what we are strong in. However, this is exactly the same thing that fail us. He gave an example, “When you are at war, do you fill in forms first or do you take your gun out and fight?” I guess Singaporeans had to learnt to do some actions. Organizing and planning is important putting what you plan at the right moment is also essential.

Neeky
4:14 AM

Esther's Reflection

The trip was actually my first time in China. Since it’s the first time, I don’t really have any pictures in my mind how China is going to be like, except for things I heard about China back in the past, like atrocious toilets, backward infrastructure and the likes. People are all saying how fast China is developing, and it was until I saw it with my own eyes that I realized some parts of China are indeed becoming like any other cities in the world. Infrastructure in China was not as bad as people put it to be but the traffic is terrible and some of the toilets are nowhere near acceptable standards, though a rare few public toilets are comfortable to step into.

This trip has gained me fruitful experiences nonetheless, something that we won’t have a chance to learn in the typical classrooms. For example, I’ve learnt to be open-minded and not be judgmental or critical towards another culture that I’m new to. I guess people in China are highly adaptable, since they often travel out of their hometown to another city in order to earn a living. I’ve also acquired questioning skills and realized how poor my mother tongue is.
All in all, it has been a memorable and worthwhile ten days trip, working and spending wonderful time with 30 other friends. Although I may not remember everything I’ve learnt and experienced during these ten days, there are still things that I will carry with life.

Neeky
3:20 PM

Kenneth's Reflection

Firstly, I would like to say that this trip has been a very memorable trip. Right from the start doing all the pre-trip stuff like journal, T-shirts, name cards and name tags to the preparation for the final presentation, it is a full one month plus of hard work. But I guess the hard work has all paid off with the success of the Final Presentation.

I did not have a really good impression of china at first, with friends and relatives saying all the negative things about the place. But after the trip, my impression had been changed. In fact, I would really want to have a chance of working there, but of course, I’ve gotta improve my Chinese. I think it’s a place full of opportunities but of course not forgetting the shrewd Chinese. When venturing into china, we must be really careful and alert so as to not fall into their trap.

The networking dinners have exposed me to something new. I remember the first networking dinner, I couldn’t eat much as I dare not eat and talk at the same time. Each time I tired to pick up some food, a guest would start talking, trying to be respectful, I put down my chopsticks to listen to what they say, and the worst of all, they never stop talking. In the end we left without eating much. But as the days go by, I’ve learnt to eat more at networking meals. By the last networking meal at Hong Kong, we felt very easy at the dinner table. Things went on so well that we were even treated to dessert by our guest. =P

Being on this trip has allowed me to get to know a lot of wonderful people. Although every one of us has a different character, we still managed to click. There weren’t any major problem throughout the trip, i guess this the result of the QC before the trip ba.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the school for allowing me to go on this interesting journey, Ms Tay, Mr Wong and Mr Lau make their own personal sacrifices to plan and guide us through, and each and every one in the class for your cooperation throughout the 10 days. From here, I wish everyone all the best in future.

Neeky
9:36 PM

Kexi's Reflection

My first time in China, my first time participating in company visits, my first time attending networking dinners, my first time exchanging namecard..there's so many of my FIRST TIME in this trip and it is definitely a fruitful experience to me. Unforgettable learning journey..

i would like to just write about my reflections after the trip - presentation. I was really overwhelmed after completing my presentation. though there are some disppointment in me, i'm still glad i did it. i was disappointed cos' i felt that i didnt present as well as the previous trial presentation. i'm elated that my confidence did not fail me and i managed to overcome my fear. everyone was stressed during the two wks because we were hard-pressed for time to complete our presentation. But after the hard work, i somehow missed those days everyone were working together to get things done. through this two weeks, i've become more confident about myself and learn how to overcome my fears. it's really great and i have NO REGRETS being the speaker of my group.

Neeky
9:30 PM

Jason's Reflection

These last ten days have been an enjoyable experience. The whole point of the trip for me had been realised. I had basically come here with a few objectives i wanted to fulfill. I wanted to be more independent, meet new people and more importantly get to know more about china, how businesses work there and the people who live there. For now I’ll cover the culture of the Chinese,

I'll start off with the people. I've realised so far in China, People in china are more willing to take risks. This can be seen everyday on their public road systems.. More importantly, it can be seen from the way they handle their businesses. They are willing to do things which are not guaranteed to succeed. This can be seen from the investors from Hong Kong into china as compared to investor from Singapore. As one of the guests from IE Singapore during our networking dinners, Singaporeans mostly fail in china because they spend too much of their time worrying if an idea is possible rather then risking some money and hopefully getting some returns. They would rather spend all their money and time on research and feasibility reports, sometimes missing the opportunities which present themselves. The Chinese on the other hand are willing to take a chance and go for these opportunities and invest money into it. They are willing to even help fund the efforts of others based on their relationships with others rather requiring any proposals and such. This brings up another point. “Guan Xi” or relationships. These are important things to Chinese. They are friendly to each other and are willing to help each other out. In doing so, they build rapports which are beneficial to each other. This can be seen from little things such as maybe helping each other look after their children. Things such as this also help establish your reliability with others and help you secure their help in future.

The next thing I’ll talk about is the ways of business here. In China, businesses, specifically the sales, seem to like to actively try to get the customers involved with the product to get them interested, unlike in Singapore, where the sales process still more passive. There, they will show you the way the product is made, let you participate in the process, all to get you interested enough to purchase the product. Examples of this can be seen from our previous trip to the almond cake factory, the tea plantation, and the Kiln. There, they introduce us to the process of making, let us play around with the partially made products and sample the products. We also get a brainwashing routine. It is effective but I’ve never seen it in Singapore before except from the mass marketing people.

Lastly I’ll touch on independence. I’ve always been a bit of a shut in for lack of a better term. Always staying at home, never going out. The only time I’ve ever been out of the country without my family has only been for camps with Ngee Ann. I’ve never gone on this long a trip before and I have to say it’s been an eye opening experience. Now I know. Pack my own bags. There is no need to bring that many clothes along. Also, I ended up doing all the normal survival stuff myself, learning how to survive outside by myself.

Overall this trip has been a great experience. I’ve probably learnt more practical knowledge about International businesses then I would have learnt in the old lecture tutorial method back in school. The people I’ve met so far have all been great, helpful and friendly. I’m a bit sad actually that the whole trip is coming to an end but at least I’ll still see everyone around the school.

Name: Tay Jian Sheng
Student No. 10005128B
Class: TT02

Neeky
6:46 AM

Alex's Reflection

Good morning Miss Tay Mr. Lau Mr. Wong and Andrew Having not to be to China before, I used to think that China is a rather back ward country with poor toilet facilities and infrastructure. But after visiting China and Hong Kong for 10 days, I have changed my thinking about them. I believe everyone should remember about the toilet with air con at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. For every city that we have been to, I should say the infrastruture of the cities is considered comparable to some countries. At the start of the trip a set of objectives were set. But I dare say now that the objectives were not a huge part of the trip, the learning experiences from the networking dinner guests were more important and I actually learnt more than I wanted to. Another than managing to learning more about the culture and history and their way of doing business, I managed to pick up some key points from the guests from the 4 networking dinners. A key point I heard was to be thicked-skinned and to be able to think out of the box. If people think out the box they tend to be more creative will be able to succeed better in china jus like what the Chinese people are doing now. Another point is to the need for adaptability. In any country we doing business the business culture can be very different. We need to adapt to the particular culture of the country for example China where drinking is considered a very important part of the business culture. I remember during one of the networking dinners, one of the guests asked why we aren’t drinking alcohol. But we got to follow rules and regulations set by the school. And when we understand people’s culture we will start to appreciate each other’s culture. One more point I would like to say is the teamwork that the whole group has. I believe at the start of the trip, we would not many people at the start of the trip but as we went through the 3 workshops and 10 days, believe we made more friends and are a close bunch at the end the study mission and we have built a teamwork which enables to carry out instructions given. At the trip, I believe the whole group performed rather alright with little problems. On the whole, I believe this trip has been very interesting and beneficial to me. I am definitely glad to be on this trip. Thank you.

--Alex

Neeky
11:26 AM

Chongling's Reflection

Name: Choo Chong Ling
Class: TB 55


I came for this trip without much information about the culture. During the trip, I have about the teamwork. How to work with the group and the cooperation between the teams. We have to responsible for ourselves and the team. Especially if the group is in-charged for the day. The group will have to make sure that everything goes smoothly; the response time is fast so that less time is wasted. I also enjoyed the networking dinner. We have the guests with us and they shared lots of stuffs with us. I realized I’m good at entertaining people. All I do is to nod, nod and smile. But 1 thing I didn’t enjoy is the fact that we ate little during networking business dinner ended up back to hotel called for room service ordered food. I’m not used to such dinner where eating and talking at the same time. But I’ll try to get used with it because I believe maybe in the future; I’ll will be having this kind of dinner. I observed that driver drives recklessly and they can overtake lots of cars. I f I own a license here, I think I would rather take public transport. I don’t want to die at a young age. I feel that it is an opportunity to come for this trip and I won’t mind working in china.

Neeky
11:25 AM

Gek Ting's Reflection

Reflections
International Business Study Mission

A Chinese country and a 100% Chinese, all I can think of is going back to learning about my origins, speaking in my native language. I love Chinese, reading as well as speaking. But after going to China, I would say I am not that Chinese after all. First of all, I cannot speak in pure Chinese without speaking in mixed language. Secondly, I don’t know much about Chinese history. Thirdly, I cannot write Chinese that well. After the trip, I think things are being improved. Now, I know that Dr Sun Yat Sen is from Zhongshan. Though he was a man of dreams of ambitions, he was a humble man. At the Guangzhou museum, I also get to see the various artifacts and clay models which demonstrated the transitions between the different periods.

The trip actually makes me love Chinese even more. It’s so full of meaning. A phrase 破镜重圆 actually came about when a couple broke a mirror and placed each half in the male and female grave in hope to reunite the next time.

My second objective is to network with others and to learn from their strengths. In the short 10 days, I get to interact with various people. Each of them has their various ways of communicating and interacting with people. Most importantly, I think silences should be kept at minimum. The conversation must be continued. These Singaporeans who attended the networking dinner were inspiring to me. They taught me to get out of my comfort zone as well as shared their experiences in China. All these sharing sessions enforces my understanding about PRD region.

China has vast land. Singapore? We are only a dot on the world map. China has billions of people. Singapore? We only have millions of people. Singapore has technology but China is also catching up as well. This left me the thought of what Singapore business environment really have to attract investments which can stimulate the economy. Singapore has no natural resources but only human resources. Human talent and ideas are what we can tap on to continue to be one of the most competitive economies. Singaporeans need to think out of the box to think of ways to do things which is different from other countries. If other countries need 3 people to complete a job, Singapore needs to find ways to complete the same job using 1 person or 0 people. That’s where our competitive advantage can lie. The fast growing PRD has indeed posted serious threats to Singapore but it can also be an opportunity as well. We need to tap on the opportunity to counteract the threats.

Reading and hearing things is never better to seeing things. Seeing things creates memories that will stay but reading and hearing things maybe erased. I’ll thank everyone on this trip who created memories that never ends.

Neeky
11:24 AM

Jean's Reflection

Name: Jean Wee Yunling
Class: TB 42
Module: IBSM reflections


This study mission has definitely given me an experience of a lifetime. Such opportunities do not come by so easily and I am glad that I am part of this pioneer study group.

All these years, I always have a certain mindset of China, which was that China was a really backward country and that China had really bad infrastructure and the people there are ill-mannered. This mindset of mine has also encouraged me to step up and sign up for the International Business Study Mission (IBSM) trip. It was an opportunity for me to learn and explore more about China and also, it was a chance to actually clear up my misconception about China. Also, it gives me the exposure that I really need.

Upon reaching China, I realized that I was totally wrong about China. China was definitely not as outdated as I though. Take one of the company visits as an example, its whole building and décor was totally amazing. It left all of us in awe. China also has a very rich culture and it was really interesting to be able to find out so much about China in a mere 10 days. I am sure that if we are given even more days, we would be able to learn even more. Nevertheless, it was good enough.

The company visits that we had are also interesting and informative. All of the companies we visited tried their best to answer all of our doubts and questions. Learning and listening from them was totally different from studying in a classroom. The question and answer sessions were also very informative as we could ask the representatives from those companies about anything that we are unclear of. It has also boosted our communication skills. The networking dinners are something new to us. It was an amazing experience for us to actually sit down with real life entrepreneurs and be able to find out their views on certain issues.

This trip has actually allowed me to gain lots of experience and exposure. Of course, it has definitely cleared my misconception about China. China was not as outdated as I have thought. In fact, it was even more hi-tech and has a very efficient labour force. In terms of culture, I have learnt about how sensitive they are to certain issues, their attitudes and values. Also, I have learnt how to get along with everyone else and how to work with other people with a totally different character. For my project group, I am glad that we were able to communicate and work together even better than before. By taking care of everything ourselves, I have also learnt how to be more responsible.

Last but not least, it is also because of the lecturers and fellow friends that made this study trip so enjoyable. It has definitely brought me a lifetime of beautiful memories.

Neeky
11:24 AM

Joanne's Reflection

Joanne Lim Fang Hou
IBSM reflection

3 main objectives achieved

I have benefited a lot from this ten days trip in PRD. First of all, I learned to push myself out to strangers from overseas and even school mates that I have never see before, work together and achieve our targeted result.

1) Better communication
I benefited most is through the networking dinner, I believe that’s one of the best section of the itinerary that most of us enjoyed most. We have been given this great opportunity to communicate with successful Business men and women who had chosen to venture out of Singapore. It is rather a relaxing item in the itinerary which also enhances our questioning power and etiquette manner over the table.

From the conversation that I have with most of the guests, I realized that they are more opened in their topics as compared to Singaporean. They are also able to share their experiences working in China and china’s way of doing business, mainly soft skill in surviving in this real world.

I also observed that what we say is rather important in a meeting or dinner. It expresses and shows our guest if we are prepared and that we are really here to learn or just for holiday. Thus, I would like to conclude for my first objective that, it is very important that ‘We are what we say’ and that I have learnt to act, think and react fast in whatever things we do.

2) Way of doing business in China
Most of us like wants to be an entrepreneur in future but of course it is not easy, it required a lot preparation, planning, product demand, capital, experiences and a lot of good connections. It is only with connection, we can joint venture or having partners with people we trust. China is indeed a great market to invest in, it have lots of land and labour. However, they still encounter shortage of skilled labour and good management systems

There is a lot of opportunity for us to venture in China as compare to Singapore, whereby Singapore is small in size, limited job vacancy and less opportunity to learn to be independent.

I have also learnt that there are four key factors to starting business in China, they are having good infrastructural, location, branding and most importantly Guan Xi. In China, business man talks a lot about Guan Xi, it is the key of getting business done even after the contract has been signed.



3) Understanding of China’s history and culture
Beside company visits, we also visit historical museums to learn more about Chinese china’s culture and believe. I benefited a lot from it as I get to know better at the same time I gained a lot more interesting topics to chat or share with my friends or even clients in future to come. Now that I have learned so much about china, I have no fear working in such a big and developing countries.

Neeky
11:23 AM

Jocelyn's Reflection

Reflection

After spending 10 days in company visit, sightseeing & networking dinner with Singaporean working in China in different city of PRD Region. Last night, when I review the objectives that I had set for myself before coming to this trip, I feel that I had a sense of satisfaction.

Company visit

Before coming to China, I though setting up a business in China was like setting up business in Singapore. But setting up a business in China was not very easy. As you need to understand a lot of criteria such as industry trend, location, government incentive, the type of competitor, the infrastructure, finding a local partner and etc… Everyone has a culture that was immunity into their system was the giving out of name card.

Networking dinner

This is the first time, I attend a networking dinner. They invited Singaporean and foreigners who are working in china for a long period of time. They share their own working experience, lifestyle and culture difference working in a foreign country. Most of them give us opinion that it is time for us to come out of our comfort zone to experience a difference life and as Singapore is very well developed. In future year time, the market in China will be becoming bigger and bigger.

Sightseeing

I observe that different city had different lifestyle and culture. The most memorable was the crossing the road of a busy street. The traffic light was useless to the people as well as the vehicles as they did not obey the traffic and when we are crossing the road we were very afraid as we must look at both the traffic. I also remember that at the last night at the hotel Caton, our room had blackout 2 times and this teach me a lesson, remember to bring torchlight for overseas trip.

To wrap up my speech, as each of us come from different department and we only know which other for 10 days but I was very happy to know all of you.

Neeky
11:22 AM

Keena's Reflection

Through this trip, I have gained a better insight of China. Unlike those days where we have the perception of China as a backward country, it has been undergoing rapid economic development. As we pass through Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and back to Hong Kong again, I begin to understand why they are progressing so rapidly.

Interacting with the locals there made me realize one thing, they are humble and welcoming. Being humble is one thing that makes one feel comfortable when doing business.

Not only that, I have also learnt to be more independent and confident. I used to be one who always carries out task that are instructed. I begin to open myself up when I was given a chance to speak confidently to guests, directly and managing people during the DHL Danza‘s visit. I had to overcome unforeseen circumstances during the trip. For instance, scripts were changed last minutes during the presentation. I had to quickly switch my mindset as well.

Ms Tay, Mr. Lau, Mr. Wong and lastly, Andrew have greatly influence not only on my knowledge on doing business in China, as well as my attitude towards doing things. I have become more motivated and focus.

Being a Singaporean, I realized that Singapore have begun to lose its competitive advantages. In order for Singapore to gain advantages from China’s development, Singapore has to work closely with them. We are bilingual and our people here are willing to learn. Hence, it is one of the things we can work on.

I have seen how important networking skills are in the business world. Exchanging name card is seen as a common practice in businesses. It is enjoyable interacting with the 31 other members. This trip not only allows me to know more friends, but these friends can be part of future advantages. We have people from different sectors like accounting, banking, IT. Hence, in the future when doing business, I believe that they are the ones that can help me as we have once been through China for 2 weeks.

To conclude, my trip to the Pearl River Delta is has been fruitful. It will always remains in my mind unlike what is learnt in the books. I would like to thank the lecturers for giving me this special opportunity.

Neeky
11:21 AM

Lai Kuan's Reflection

--Tay Lai Kuan

Neeky
11:20 AM

Lay Hwa's Reflection

-- Koh Lay Hwa

Neeky
11:19 AM

Neeky
11:18 AM

Ng Qi's Reflection

Before this trip, I have many doubts whether I will regret going on this journey as everything seemed so tough. During the trip, I felt that there was no point regretting as the journey has started. At the end of the 10 day trip, I realised there was never a need for me to regret.

As one of the designers for our journal book, we faced a lot of problems like getting the budget approved, finding pictures that will stand out and liaising with the supplier. I must admit that it was not an easy task, but we managed to come up with an interesting design that I am very satisfied with. Thankfully, we were able to negotiate successfully with the supplier to give us the best price for our design.

Next, my group encountered some problems in our project. But with the help we got from Mr Andrew and our lecturers, we were able to ratify our mistakes. During the trip, we had group meetings almost every other day, but we still faced some miscommunication along the journey. Fortunately, we were able to identify and come up with solutions to solve the problems.

Throughout the journey, we visited numerous companies. It was indeed a lifetime of experience. Having witnessed how the companies in China extend their warm welcome, it shows that the Chinese firms highly treasure relationships with others which is different from companies in other countries. Some companies were more willing to share information while others are more conservative. Most of the businessmen we met are enthusiastic in meeting us, therefore we felt at ease or rather, we were able to communicate with them. Despite the fact that we are all Chinese and able to comprehend the Chinese language, at times, I still felt that my Chinese needs to be polished up, particularly when I do not know how to write the Chinese characters immediately after their response.

The thing I enjoyed most during this trip was the networking meals, as we were able to interact and to have our meals at the same time. It was not easy at the beginning as I was unfamiliar with networking. However, as we had more meals with the businessmen, we got to know how best to conduct ourselves. To add on, I believe that all of us learnt something new from the different networking meals. What the businessmen shared with us is very valuable to our future prospects. Not only that, being able to interact with the businessmen widened our social circle, knowing more of our peers in school and speaking more with our lecturers enhanced our knowledge and opinions.

Being able to visit historical sites allowed us to know more about the rich Chinese culture, thus we will be able to relate the Chinese history to our partnership in china in future.

In conclusion, I believe that I have gained a lot in terms of experience and knowledge. It is something that I will not be able to absorb if I were to join other events. I am very thankful that I am on this special journey. Like many have said, this is just the start of an exciting journey, we will gain more experience as we interact more with others.

Neeky
11:17 AM

Qian Ru's Reflection

In class, do you still remember the mind map we wrote about China? Most of us give negative remarks on them. But after visiting China, our perception has changed. During our visit to so many companies, we have met with many people. All of them look very professional in the way they dresses, the way they behavior and the way they talked.

Some of the observation made is the staff in Wal-mart supermarket is ranked differently from store man, supervisor, manager etc. The lower ranking staff must report to the higher ranking staff, although this is quite common in Singapore. What surprised me was that they form up in a squat and stand in straight position waiting for their attendance to be call and listen to instructions. In Spore, We can only see this in uniform group. This shows that the Chinese here are very well-discipline. They are not like Sporeans who tend to have high dignity. The Chinese are very serious in their work and they are very united when they are doing their work. They want to show others the best. All of these can be seen in the cultural show.

I personally think that we should focus on what we are doing. Don’t be easily influence by others; give yourself a target or aim, then go for it. Don’t give up easily. Tell yourself u can make it, then u will definitely can. The Chinese are very flexible in they way they do business. Unlike Singaporeans, we tend to be too systematic in work thus we’ll lose out easily. We should think fast and act fast. If not people will catch up with us in a short time.

In this trip, I have met with many Singaporean who are working in China. They shared with us their experience, some of them are rather positive. They actually move into China to have a taste of the China economy. It’s not easy to survive in China because the population here is very big and the way they do things is very different from our style. For me, I think that by just listening to their experience and visiting China, we don’t really feel anything. We must really get into the situation, and then we’ll know how it’s like.

I have gain better understanding of China, as I personally get to feel the things around me. It’s easier to feel yourself rather than someone telling you, how the world is. Lastly, I think that my group mates really help me a lot, especially Keena. They encouraged me, gave me support, and gave me chance to present myself. As I’m rather quiet, they taught me how to interact and be social to the friends around me. Through these, I made a lot of good friends in this trip. This shows me how important friendship is. I would like to thank our lecturer who made this trip possible. If not for u, I’ll not have change…. Thanks..

Neeky
11:17 AM

Qiu Ru's Reflection

Throughout this approximate 1.5 weeks study mission, I’ve not only widened my knowledge on business practices, business culture and also cultural aspects of the Chinese in China and Hong Kong. It really proved to me how different the Chinese form different countries can be.

Firstly, the company visits had managed to reinforce my finding on my research topics. For example, the reasons why companies choose to invest in the PRD region. Besides that the company visits have also given me information beyond what can be found through researches. Especially during the Q&A sessions, we got to know about the different perceptions of the different guests speakers regarding similar issues. For example, most investors would think that the PRD region is worth investing, however, to Mr Raymond Choi, he felt that the PRD region’s market is already too saturated with the influx of investors. These experiences that businessmen have is much more convincing that facts.

This study trip has also helped me realize the effects of growth of the PRD region on the other countries especially Hong Kong. Hong Kong and China’s relationship are just like the left and right hands of a person, complementing each other in the business world. Hong Kong’s good logistics infrastructure aids China while the booming China also helps increase the demand for Hong Kong’s logistics services.

This trip has also helped me us widen my social circle. Through the business networking dinners and company visits, I’ve also managed to get to know more investors in the PRD region. Exchanging of namecards have also seemed to become a routine during the trip and we are getting better at it too. The importance of networking to the future working life was also highlighted to me on this trip. It is really an important key to business success.

On top of the business aspects experiences I gained. I also experienced the different cultures of Chinese in different countries. It was through this trip that I realized how bad it was for us to be speaking Singlish. It became so hard for me to speak pure English or Chinese. It was just too rooted into to mind. For example, daily speeches have also seemed to be so difficult and I just seem to be unable to get accustomed to the difference. Without this trip, I guess till now I still won’t be able to realize how hard it is to adapt to another culture.

This trip though tough, still has its little enjoyments occasionally. Most importantly, I managed to fulfill most of my pre-trip goals and I had also realized how important it is for us to observe as it is essential for such learning journeys.

Neeky
11:15 AM

Su Fang's Reflection
International Business Study Mission Reflection

Project: Strategic Considerations of Foreign Direct Investments in the PRD region.

Q & A sessions:
We have to be fast in asking questions, if questions are not posed quickly, we will miss the opportunity to ask questions. An example would be at China South Material City whereby the lady Victoria was quick on her toes. When there was a moment of silence, she immediately mentioned to bring us on the tour in the material city. Therefore, we have to quick on our toes during question and answer sessions. Subsequently, the Q & A sessions were much better and next questions were posed once the answer was given for the previous questions. Therefore, there were great improvements

Chinese businesses are relatively structured. For example in Gree Electric Appliance, they adopted the six sigmas. In my opinion, this is good implementation as consumers are assured of quality of the products they purchase as these products have gone through stringent testing before it is sold to them. In this case, it has highlighted to me that rules are meant to be followed. In life, rules are there for us to guide us. Without rules, things may turn chaotic and this may result in misunderstanding.

To do business in China, one has to be fast thinkers and quick minded. My observation at EPCOS with John, highlighted this point to me. During the Q & A sessions with John, he was very fast in answering our questions. He answered our questions steadily and he knows his facts at his finger tips, this despite he had a meeting to attend to after us. I reckoned that in the business environment, when we have to meet datelines we have to be objective and know our facts well. Another example would be at KPMG where Mr Raymond also had to make an urgent phone call before he came to meet us. These industry people are able to take stress and be able to adapt fast and be steady in their approach. From these observations, I hope I’ll be able to follow into their footsteps and learn more from them so that I can be as successful as these people.

At EPCOS, we had lunch in a simple yet memorable experience for us. It allows us to integrate into the Chinese culture and to understand their way of life/work through my observations when I had lunch there. The Chinese people returned their trays to the respective area after they have finished their meals. In Singapore, or rather in Ngee Ann, we are also encouraged to return our trays after we’ve finished our meals. But, how many of us actually bothered to listen and heed the advice given by the school management? I think we should reflect ourselves and our attitude with these Chinese people.

Learning experience to do business in China through networking dinner / lunch:
1) Every minute is important as time waits for no man in the business world. This point has been highlighted to us by the Singaporeans working in PRD region many times. Therefore, it has inculcated in me that in life, we should seize our time and grab hold of every minute in life. If given the opportunity to venture and work in different countries, I would definitely not hesitate to give it a nod to work overseas.

2) Chinese workers are very hard working
à They are willing to work on Public holidays even on Chinese New Year. At Epcos, the workers are paid 3 times more, these workers are willing to strive and work though it is a public holiday.
à However, in Singapore, most of the Singaporeans are not willing to work on a public holiday given though we’re given a double pay increment. We will whine and cry “hoo- haa” over every small detail. In my opinion, Singapore has many things to learn from the mainland Chinese. If Singapore is going to slacken in our pace, we may have to play “catch up” in the near future and we may fall backwards as China garners the competitive edge over us.

Marketing Strategy in China

We have visited the Dragon Ball Tea Plantation and the “Ju Xiang Yuan”. From my observations, I noticed that their marketing strategies are almost similar as both used our human 5 senses to entice us to buy from them

Personal Experience

The first night at Canton Hotel was horrendous and almost everyone had an “Eerie” feeling about the “Eeerie” hotel. But after listening to Mr Lau had to say about his experiences, I overcome my fear about the ghostly feeling about hotels. 3 nights at Canton Hotel with no harm done onto me, made me overcome my fear of the darkness and eeriness. Therefore, if I’m to enter into a hotel which is similar to Canton hotel or even worse hotel, I will remember Mr Lau’s story and overcome my fear.

My room experienced blackout on the 3rd night at Canton hotel and we didn’t have any source of light except for a pathetic beam of light from the handphone. We were scared the wits out of us when we had total darkness in the room. One sure thing that I’ve learnt is to bring a torch light with me during the trips.
China has deep cultural roots. At the Wong Fei Hong demonstrations when the kids were demonstrating their kung fu skills, it came across to me that the younger generation is still very much attached to cultural roots. Moreover, what inspires me most is to find out that foreigners are also learning from the Chinese counterparts about culture traditions and I noticed one of the foreigners actually became a disciple of one kung fu masters.

At the Sun Yat Sat Memorial hall, I left the place with a lasting impression. The quote that I shared with everyone was “ Learn something about everything instead of everything from something”, which implies that in life, we should learn a little things from everything so that we can be more knowledgeable and resourceful in life by knowing a little of something.

Lastly, through my experiences to carry my “hippo” around which resulted in greater difficulty especially for the guys to carry my luggage up the buses, what I’ve learnt most is to “TRAVEL LIGHT”. If the others didn’t learn about that…I sure did… and I have all the guys to thank for working so hard… !

--SuFang

Neeky
11:11 AM

Weiling's Reflection

Never regret coming for this trip. This trip is a fruitful trip and it was really an eye-opening experience for me. Through this trip, I get to know more friends and people in the business world. Social circle widen. Learn to take the initiative to talk to guests during networking. It is when you have a network that it will be easy for you to seek for help. Learn to adapt in different environment. For eg. Hotel Canton. Most of use find it eerie etc. but it was when we were told that it was because of the colour of the furniture that lead us to have such feelings then we feel much better. We were told to look out for more practical things such as the fire exit etc instead. Learn that we must control our thinkings and emotions instead of letting it control us. Communication plays an important role so as to allow everything to go smoothly. Through meetings, punctuality is important as it shows how serious are you to turn up punctuality. Quick response plays a part too as we must always be alert and able to react fast in different situations. During meetings, it is important to pay attention and being alert when the speaker is talking. We have to take note of what is being discussed in the meeting so as not to have any repetition. Gain a better understanding on doing business overseas. Such as in China, signing of contracts does not means that it is a deal. It simply means that it is when the negotiation just started. Relationship(GuanXi) with people is very important when doing business in China.Through the company visits, gain a lot of knowledge through the Q & A sessions, tour around the company etc. Had a lot of first time experience there. First time trying out how to make almond cakes, first time entering into production factory n know about those interesting procedures, first time visiting big warehouses with air-conditioned and without air-conditioned. Find it very interesting and fun. Have a better understanding on the different types of marketing. First time seeing human marketing whereby the staffs taking signboards and walking down the streets. Overall, from this trip, I have learned to be more independent such as making decisions on my own etc. After these 10 days, my impression on China has changed. After all, its not as bad as we thought of in the beginning. The Chinese are very keen to learn and are very willing to share. This trip is really a very good exposure for all of us. If given a chance again for this type of study mission, I’m sure that I would like to go again.

--Weiling

Neeky
11:09 AM

Pei Xuan's Reflection

Initially, during the first workshop, we were told to list out all our objectives for this trip. I have listed out 7 objectives in total.
- adapting to the different environment and culture
- Make friends and learn outside classroom
- Explore self
- Be more discipline
- Able to use mandarin more fluently
- Deeper understanding of China
- Have fun

I think I had met like around 5 objectives. The 5 are:-
- Adapting to the different environment and culture- Make friends and learn outside classroom
- Explore self
- Deeper understanding of China
- Have fun

I feel that I have actually adapted well in China, is because of that I am able to sleep well and sound through the night. I had also tasted one their dish, pig’s tongue, which I initially do not dare to try it at all. Although after trying it on the second networking dinner, it tastes like nothing, I would not try it again. Though is only a small piece of tongue, it is like a big step to me.

The next thing is that in the Hotel Canton, which is famous for the “eeriness” among us, at first I think we make a big fuss out of it of being so scary, but in the end we still stayed and survive for the 3 nights there and rested well.

The next objective that is met is that I had made lots of friends during IBSM. I the beginning of the workshop and everything, I only knew like 7 or 8 of them, but now is like the whole class and the business people including Andrew. The company’s visit really makes me learn a lot of things outside classroom because a lot of this company’s speaker shares their real experience which cannot be learn in the books. One of the example, I’ve learnt about giving a sum of money to a 3rd party company to settle the problems (bribery) and write off as a legal expense. That is something textbook would not write about.

And after the 10 days trip, I definitely had a better understanding of China. Some years ago when I came to China, I sworn to myself that I will never step in China again, but I did and broke my promise. However I had never regret breaking that promise and also I am now keener to join the workforce in China and Hong Kong. I believe that working in a developing country that is coming out fast; we could learn a lot more things than working in Singapore. Now instead of calling the Chinese cunning, I described them as clever. This trip had really makes me admire Chinese businessman.

Lastly, I had learned something new that was not listed in my objectives. I believe that my skill for crossing roads had improved from the so call training I received in China when we were out on the road. It does not makes any difference whether is there traffic lights or zebra crossing or not, it is still the same as they are not there. And finally, I believed that everyone here had real fun in these 10 days.

Neeky
11:07 AM

Xiao Han's Reflection

Firstly, going for this trip was to allow me to gain a better view about China because my impression of it was very bad. I actually perceived China to be a rather backwards country with uncivilized and cunning people living there. However, I realize I should not have stereotyped the country without even being there and interacting with the people. Thus, I joined IBSM and the moment I arrived at ShenZhen, I knew I was wrong. There were high rise buildings and flashy signboards greeting us, giving the feeling that I was in Hong Kong. Besides this, through the interaction with the tour guide, Steven and other local businessmen that we met, I become conscious that the Chinese are very hospitable and helpful people.

Of course, before going for the trip, all of us were to map out our objectives and I actually met them. First of all, I wanted to gain independence such as waking up by myself on time and be punctual. This is important because back home I actually had to rely on my mum to wake me up which is a very bad habit.

Next, I wanted to widen my social circle and also learn teamwork. Through this trip, I actually made many easy-going and jolly friends which made the entire trip quite relaxing and fun. As for teamwork, there is tremendously improvement in our teamwork as compared to workshop 1. Everyone in the group is very cooperative and the amount of work is shared equally among the members, which made doing the project a lot easier and efficient. Besides this, networking skills had improved a lot. Through the networking sessions, I grasped the techniques of how to enjoy dinner while questioning your guests, how to break the ices by making small talks and be more confident. It was truly enjoyable.

Thirdly, I wanted to gain an insight of the cultures of China because it is a country rich in cultures such as the many traditional customs which I gained more knowledge through the tours of Wong Fei Hong’s martial art school and Sun Yat Sen’s memorial hall. In addition, the art of doing business is important in order to work there. What I learnt is to be able to maintain your business; you need good relationship with the local companies. Besides that, negotiation of a contract will start after signing it, hence a ÝES’ doesn’t constitute to a “YES”. Culture is an essential element of our lives because it reflects our way of life and how we act, thus understanding it is important.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone for making this trip enjoyable and a success.

Neeky
11:06 AM

Zhao Yuan's Reflection

This trip was indeed a fruitful one to me. It was an eye opener and there was lots of exposure. This trip was not just like any leisure trips as the places that we visited were quite different. There are little places of interests visited and mostly are companies, factories or manufacturing plants. Compared to the past, China is more develop now. An example is from the no door toilet to a well-furnished air-conditioned toilet. During this trip, I gain new insights of their culture. To the Chinese, it is just being polite to tap the fingers on the table when someone served them tea. It is a sign to thank the server. To us, we do not do such a gesture, as it is not seen that often in Singapore. The way that the Chinese welcome their guests is also so unique to us. When we were at Walmart, the staff actually stood outside the store and waited for us. As we approached the entrance, they actually clapped and cheered. This experience gave me the feeling that I seem to be a very important guest. From the sightseeing scheduled, I have slightly more knowledge about China’s history. Understanding their history allows me to know why the Chinese have certain mindset. Through this trip, I have also learnt about the style of doing business in china. At many times, when a businessman says “yes”, it may not really mean that it is “yes”. Even when a contract is signed, it does not mean that the deal is clinched. It may simply only mean that it is the start of the negotiation. A lot of those successful deals are gotten through “guan xi” which is relationship. Therefore, maintaining a good relationship is essential. From all the companies visited over the past few days, I have gotten more relevant information for my project and it will definitely plays a part when I need to write my report. All the Q & A sessions had also added on to my learning. From being alert so as to not asked repeated question to phrasing and translating question properly to introducing ourselves before posting a question and many more. I feel that asking questions play a vital role, as it will enhance my learning. The key to clearing my doubts and to have a clearer picture of what was going on is to ask when there is a need. Planning and coordinating the day’s program is not easy as well. It is the opportunity to learn and work with each other regardless of whether I know or do not know the person. In this trip, communication is very important. Any miscommunication that occurs will affect the progress of the program planned. Being able to be flexible and adapt to the situation was also essential. Even when we were uncomfortable with our accommodation, we just have to bear with it. The best part of the program comes in when networking lunches and dinners come in. It was real life experience which I benefited lots from it. It is not just as simple as exchanging name card and eat a meal together. A lot of small talks were being carried out so that the atmosphere do not feel funny as if it was like a formal Q & A session. Everyone has to play a part to the conversations or else it will come to a point when it is very quiet and no one talks. In fact, it was the time when I can learn a lot from all those businessmen working overseas. In fact, through all these networking session, it gives us more chances to be open to the overseas market. Some of the businessmen have offered internship opportunities while some have offered full time job opportunities. In this trip, I have known more people and thus widening my social circle. A lot more connections are also gotten from this trip that may be useful to us in the future. This trip has allowed everyone to be more closely bonded with one another. It is like from strangers to classmates to friends and even to close pals. Without you guys, this trip will not have been possible. Lastly, I want to thank everyone that made this trip successful, fun and enriching.

-- Zhao Yuan

Neeky
11:04 AM

~Huie Tieng's reflections~

Before coming on this trip, I thought that China was a very backward country. I had also heard many stories saying how bad China was.

However, this trip changed my perception of China. China is now moving very fast and is getting better each day. The Chinese work very hard and they are all very willing to learn.

From this trip, I have also met many of my objectives set. One of those is to get to know more about their cultures. Their culture and ways of advertising is very different as from Singapore. Their culture is very unique.

An example is our visit to Wal-Mart. They welcomed us warmly with their cheers at the main entrance. This really surprised me a lot. It made me feel as if I was some VIP visiting their store.

Another example is when we walked along the street called 上下九路. I saw a group of waitress walking or marching down the street with banners and boards to promote their restaurant. I also noticed that sales assistant in apparel shops used clapping of hands to attract attention of the passer-by.

Lastly, I taken note of was that advertising boards and banners were all very big. Some of the banners were so big that it seems to cover up the whole building. They also make use of very bright and luminous colors. Beside advertising boards and banners, their products such as apparels were also mainly comprise of colors such red, orange, yellow etc. They seldom have the color black. I suppose this was due to the Chinese culture of associating black to death and bad omen whereas red or any bright colors as luck or good fortune.

Next objective I have met is to increase my knowledge regarding doing business in the PRD region.

From all the company visits and networking meals, I have gained more insights on PRD region and some skills relevant to the business world today. I realized that interpersonal skill is very important and it is necessary for us to build up our networking circle in order to be successful. Punctuality and fast response time plays a plays an important part too.

Another objective which I had met was to be more independent and adaptable. I am now a much more independent learner. I learned to be more observant and alert on my surroundings. I believe I had also learned to adapt to the different environment I am in.

An example is the Hotel Canton. I really felt very uncomfortable about it. However, I had to try adapting to it. Another example is the food. Their foods were all too oily and salty and were all far from my likings. To be truthful, I am one who is very fussy about food. Throughout these 10 days, I had no choice but tried adapting to it.

To conclude, I have gained a lot of lifetime experience which money cannot buy. It is really an eye opening experience for me and I had learnt a lot of things which cannot be found in the textbooks.

--by Lim Huie Tieng

-=TiNg=-
3:31 PM

Joan's Reflection =D
My first impression of China was quite bad. I thought that China was quite in bad condition like the environment etc. However, when I came it is not as bad as I thought. Certain parts of China are quite modern. As for the services, I think they still need more improvements. I’m also impressed that some China and Hong Kong people know English.

The 4 main objectives I learnt during this trip are understanding China, knowledgeable, networking and teamwork.

The trip to China had helped us to understand more about China. We went to the Chinese Folk Culture Village, certain Memorials and Museum. Through all theses, we get to know more about China’s history and cultures.

Through the visit to the companies, I’m able to get a better understanding of business. Before we went for the trip, we already have some information. However the understandings of it were still not enough. During the trip, we were able to know more about business like why they chose to set up here, what are the opportunities, how they overcome their problems. The information is accumulating and getting more and more. We are getting more knowledgeable too. There are also some interesting things in China. For example in the Wal Mart, there was a staff greeting the customers at the entrance. It gives people a feeling that they are welcomed warmly. We also went to factories to have a look. I think this is the first time that most of us went to the factories. We even had a hands-on experience on making almond cakes which is very rare for us.

Next objective is networking. Actually, during the first networking dinner, I was very afraid to speak up or chat with the guest but my friends around me encouraged me to speak up more. After that, I’m able to speak with the guest better. From the networking dinner, I’m able to get more information from them. They are willing to share their experiences with us and telling a lot of information that we are unable to get from books or internet. For example, they told us that normally the Chinese doesn’t like to sign contract as fast as possible like the westerners. They normally like networking first then sign contract. I think that we all managed to do well and getting better in giving out name cards too.

Lastly, I learnt about teamwork. Without our group cooperation and the teachers, I don’t think that we be able to complete our project. Everyone did their part and completed the jobs assigned to them. And with the cooperation from the whole, the trip was successful. From this trip, we also managed to know more friends from different courses and communicate with them.

Dreamz
1:00 PM

At the beginning of the workshop, it all started out with a group of students and most of us do not know much about each other. To me, a lot of unfamiliar faces, coming together for the same purpose.

From the preparations, to running the daily programs, the post-trip final presentation, all are run by us - the students with the aid of the lecturers as facilitators. I came to realize that very often, what we see on the surface are not the only things that are done. There are a lot of other preparations done but unseen. This study mission has enlightened me with regards to my views and opinions about China. It made me came to realized that China is really catching up with the rest of the world. China has abundance in raw materials, resources, land and man. In addition, she has long, rich history and culture that are strongly embedded into the younger generation nowadays even.

The potential of China is slowly revealing, however many thinks that China is developing too fast. Companies and fast-thinking businessman that realized this had now penetrated into this large market. Indeed, to work with the Chinese, Patience, Relationship and Cash (PRC) are the most important factors. Having a government official as a partner in the business, it would be half as fast and easy to get things done and procedures cleared.

Visits to the cultural sites made me realize that they have gone through a lot and to preserve their history, something like this Chinese proverb “yin shui shi yuan”. The children there had been sent to training school at a young age to learn marital arts or even skills. Though this, cultures are much passed on the younger generations. Like the lion dance, a lot of training and practices are required, the training that the children has to go through everyday, a lot of hard work and determination are needed. To put up a successful performance, it is not the individual effort that counts but it is of the whole team (to set up the performance ground, the musicians, and the “shi fu” etc).

Bringing me to my next point, being a Deputy CEO, I am exposed to things I have never done before even in leadership position while in secondary school. Learning to work and complement your partner’s strength and weakness are crucial so as to play our roles well. I am not a person who likes to stand in front and gives instruction etc, whilst Kenneth is able to that thus, often, he takes charge of the “Front stage” while I share the “Back stage” work. Being in a team, it is important to complement and bring out the best of your teammates, helping them to realize and maximize their potentials, not complaining and pull each other down. The same goes for my group mates, I’ve learnt to be even more understanding and tolerant towards differences, being responsible. I wish to thank my group mates: Lihua, Esther and KokYong, for being so understanding and helping me out due to the fact that I’m tied down by my duties, be it while on the 10 days or even before the trip commenced.

During the company visits, most of the time, it is the General Manager or the Senior Executive who receives us personally. I think I am very much impressed by the fact that they are willing to take the time off their work to meet us. Usually, people of such high designations would have lots of work to be completed and to businessman, every minute is money to them and not many people would be willing to sacrifice such time. But at this point in time, we being only students, do not bring much value to them yet they kindly took time off their work to meet us. I think Mr Andrew plays a important role as well who helps us to contact those people. (All this are results of networking I guess.)
Even for networking dinners, after a long day of work, those expatriates could have gone home to rest, but they have kindly agreed to meet us and share their knowledge and experiences with us. From them, there are many life experiences told to us that we could never learn off from books.

To be able to go to China and experience this new learning journey is really something new for me. Experiencing it myself has enhanced my learning. It is much more better than just reading from notes and materials. Besides, one will be able to remember better instead of just reading then forget.

All these while, we have been taking electricity for granted in Singapore. In China, it dawned on me the importance of electricity. Over in China, companies have to stop work due to such shortages and it could amount to a considerable sum of losses for the company in the long run if not dealt with carefully. Resources like electricity, oil, natural gas, water and clean air are depleting as the human population rises.

Overall, from this trip, besides learning more about China, I came to find out more about myself like my strengths and weaknesses. I have also made many friends since the start of this journey. I would like to thank the lecturers: Ms Tay, Mr Wong and Mr Lau, my group mate and everyone on this trip. You all certainly has left footprints in my heart!

iEf!eF
5:32 AM

Chunyang's Reflection

When I first apply for this trip, I did not even know about the existence of Pearl River Delta region. (What a mountain tortoise I am!) 3 months later, I am to give a presentation on my project topic regarding the PRD region with the research and first-hand experience there. The IBSM trip had definitely widened my vision.

My first objective was to increase my knowledge about the culture in China.

The visit to Sun Yat-Sen Memorial, I found out that the people in the olden days of China are actually very innovative. There was this delicate ivory ball which is made up of 11 layers. It was being curved from inside out and when it is placed in water, it does not split open.

At Huang Fei Hong Memorial, we watched the lion dance performed by both the children and the teenagers. People in China are still very traditional compared to us, Singaporeans. We only get to see lion dance during festive occasions whereas in China, lion dance is still very popular. It was an eye-opener because the kids were so young yet they managed to support one another and performed various stunts. I was impressed that the coordination within them was so good that there were no hip-cups. At the end of the lion dance, people rushed forward to feed the lion with money in exchange for a strip of paper bearing words of good luck. I guess it is the young children way of earning money.

My second objective was to have an experience of what it is like to do business in China. I realised that at both the Tea Plantation and Gu Xiang Yuan, they used all of our 5 senses to engage us in their products. This is their special way of marketing their products to us.

At the Tea Plantation, they had allowed us to enjoy the fun of making a wish. Then they show you around their plantation and even allowed us to learn how to cook the tea leaves. Lastly, we tasted samples of the tea and new tea leaves were brought out for us to try. The people had tried to convince us that they do not cheat our money by trying to squeeze as many tea leaves as they can into a bottle. However, when you think about it, the additional bit of tea leaves does not really cost much.

Similarly, at Gu Xiang Yuan, they had also prepared some flour for us to try to make our own almond biscuits. Then, we are given samples to try. The exquisite packaging of the almond biscuits is an additional drawing point to attract consumers in the market.

My last objective is to develop team spirit within my group. Being the in-charge for day 2 was stressful. We were the first group and had completely no idea how to run the show. To me, the responsibility was heavy. We had to make sure that everyone is punctual and moves together with no one being left behind. During the company visits, we had to be initiative in the asking of questions, to ensure that there are no repeated questions and no silence in between. I found out that communication is essential within my own group to have things done effectively and efficiently. Lastly, full cooperation from the whole class is needed in order to get things moving quickly and smoothly.

This is my first school trip as my parents had never like or allow me to travel out of Singapore with the school. I am really glad that I had applied for the trip, gotten accepted before telling my parents about. It was difficult at first, trying to persuade them, but I am thankful that I stood firm and gone ahead with the trip. It not only had been a great experience and exposure for me, it had also convinced my parents that I can take care of myself and is responsible enough for my own belongings and actions.

I want to thank the lecturers for organising this trip therefore giving us the opportunity to widen our horizon. The trip was so successful only with the full cooperation and contribution of each individual. You guys rock! =)

yang
5:20 AM

Hi there, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to IBSM Journey, a new blogsite created by publicity officer, Hui Ying, which is none other than me. Haha~
This shall be where we will post and share our experiences for the past 10 days.

If there are any problems, do contact me @ my email or leave me a message in my MSN chat window.

Just flood this blog!!

Neeky
2:12 PM