Brian's overall reflection

During the span of the one week that we went to china, we saw many, smelled many, tasted many and learnt many. We were exposed not only the history that made china what it is today, but also exposed to the culture in which the people lived with. we have also gained insights in China's education system as well as some of their mindsets, way of thinking. Apart from all our take backs from China, I have enjoyed myself greatly and I feel like I gotten fitter from all the walks and climbs.

During our first day there, we took the high speed rail to Hefei Anhui. To be honest, this was not the first time i took the high speed rail. i had took it once in Europe to get from one state to another. However, when i stepped into the carriage of the renowned high speed rail that made china unique, i was immediately dumbstruck, wonderstruck. Up till this point in time i was still doubting China's credibility, i did not want to believe that a less developed country like china could have things that very developed, more ethical, more advanced countries like Europe have. And even up to the point where the train moved i was still in disbelief categorising all that is happening to be a hallucination. On the other hand, I was still able to understand the need for such an invention. China is so big, so wide, that the only way to do inter-province business were with the use of the high speed rail. The current uses are to transport cargo and businessmen from one province to the other, exactly my point.

Without the high speed rail, people would take about 11 hours to reach beijing, and 6 hours to reach shanghai (all based on hefei) but with the induction of the high speed rail, the time has been greatly reduced. This would be beneficial to many, as they can now spend more time doing whatever they have to at their destination and not have to spend so much time on transport. The high speed rail could also be beneficial to the visitors. Just like our case, we could save more money if we took the high speed rail instead of a transfer flight. Hence, the high speed rail is definitely a great invention.

After our trip on the train, we went to iFlytek. At this juncture, i am literally overwhelmed. I was also aware that China was always out to copy others for their own benefit. However, my impression changed slightly. It might be true that they use the ideas of others to make their own, but they are not as square as you think. They incorporate the use of artificial intelligence into a phone like siri, but they also used it in the making of hands-free car operating systems. I was impressed. This trip has certainly changed my perspective of China's technology. Personally, i think China has made a breakthrough. a hands-free car operating system definitely has its benefits. Furthermore, China is not like Singapore, where a simple trip to the next neighbourhood takes 5 mins. In China it would take more than that, and by having this system they would be less likely to get into car accidents. (The chinese are busy people, and would have to make calls often) This is certainly a great invention.

Apart from this, i did not realise that china was capable of such serene sceneries. I always had this mindset that everything in china was going to be not up to standards, and that the entire country is polluted in every way. I did not believe that huangshan was going to be as spectacular as the swiss alps. However, after the entire tiresome climb up and down the unrelenting sides of the mountain, I inexplicably have this feeling of serenity. I could totally feel what the pioneer generation has always revered huangshan as. It was definitely different, unique and it is certainly one of the highlights of the trip. 

I have come to understand that though china may be a less economically developed country, they are still capable of much more. They were able to use current technology to come up with stunning new models. They are able to innovate and come up with shocking ideas to beat their competitors. Just like Cathay Air (the airline that is based in hong kong), though their airplanes are much smaller than ours in singapore, they are constantly finding new ways to twist and turn the odds to make it their own famed accomplishment. They were able to finds faults in Singapore's ideas and have came up with solutions that never ceased to amaze me. I am confident that in the coming years, china will continue to exceed the expectation of others and soar to new heights. Now when someone ask me what I think about china, I will definitely know how to answer them. “magnificent & spontaneous beyond measure”