Early snow in Beijing which started falling in October this year had us unexpectedly enjoying the falling specks of white on our heads for the very first time after having gone to the city for 5 years successively in November.

And a city covered in snow truly looks magnificent. It was like being in a completely different place altogether and everything just looked brand spanking new. Even the bikes took on a different air when covered in white robes.

In that spirit of refreshing and renewal, we wish everyone a wonderful Christmas season.

Isaiah 9:6-7
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.“

In this particular trip, we visited three companies- one that is Chinese, China Joint Venture Co. (Wahaha & Danone), another that is a Multinational (Bristol-Meyers Squibb), and finally, one that is Singaporean (Baekert Precision Engineering). Along the way, we challenged the students with puzzles on the bus and sent them on murder mysteries and treasure hunts while visiting some of China’s streets and museums. Below are some of the boys’ thoughts on their learning journey.

On business, especially with what happened at WAHAHA with Danone (legal tussle) and SIP with the Chinese government (from majority to minority shareholdings), one boy remarked that “different parties have different agendas, so you must ensure that your operating secrets are kept within the company to prevent copying.”

While some found the puzzles given on the bus confusing, others found it “an excellent way of looking at things from a different perspective.” Another said that “it made me think faster and at the same time learn patience as well as to persevere.”

When they were sent out to conduct surveys for their business, some dejected boys came back realising that “knowing how and what to ask is important so that people will not end up ignoring you.”

Set out on a murder mystery in the Lion Forest Garden, one boy came back with a rather insightful remark that the activity made him realise that “there is a deeper meaning to things and we need to look carefully to figure them out.”

We had purposely shown the boys contrasting museums, your typical Chinese museum, and the modern Chinese museum. Not surprisingly, the Zhejiang Museum got a low rating. What was surprising was that some really liked and enjoyed learning China’s culture & history regardless of how slick or old-fashioned its presentation was.

Although the Chinese Medicine Hall drew mixed reviews, some not liking the “smell” or the “rude clerks manning the very busy hall”, many still said that the place testifies to the “resourcefulness of the Chinese.” It also shows “how advanced they were in medicine” and “how they knew how to research and test before other civlisations could even start thinking about compiling a book on medicine”.

Finally, we can all agree with one boy who said (with regard to the progress in China), “changes come quick and furious so we need to be confident when we make our move.”