Erik 🌙☀️⭐️

SELF-INTRODUCTION

Age:13

Birthday:8th May 2002

Hobbies:Reading,Surfing the web,Drawing random stuff that I feel like drawing,Gaming

About me:

Hi, I am Erik! I'm 13 this year,turning 14 soon.I live quite close to school and my family consists of my father,mother,sister and me.I had chose to come to RV because,well for one it is very close and I can get up at 7 and still not be late,and the programmes it has to offer had attracted me as well.RV is quite a well-known school and many parents would love for their child to attend school there,hence I feel quite prestigious to be able to attend RV.

I enjoy reading quite a bit and prefer mystery and fantasy genres above others.As many other teenagers,I do enjoy surfing the web as it is quite entertaining.I am actually quite bad at sports as I'm pretty weak physically,but I don't particularly hate sports either.

My Holiday:

Other than doing homework and going back for RV60 filming(I'm from infocomm and we were enlisted to film coverage videos of the rehearsals),I had went to japan with my family.We went to Tokyo,Echigo-Yuzawa and Kyoto.I had enjoyed the trip as I was able to experience the Japanese culture.I had slept on a futon for my first time,went to a hot spring for my first time and had saw snow for the first time!I was even able to go up the tokyo tower!It was a very enjoyable and enriching trip and I would definitely recommend Japan as a place to visit during your holiday,that is of course if you don't mind walking a lot.

This pretty much sums up my life,thanks for reading!    

                                                                  Extraordinary RV!

This is a picture of our school's eco garden taken from a bird's eye view.It may seem normal but close inspection will reveal a surprising detail---It looks like a periodic table! When I first noticed this,I was quite surprised as it was a foreign concept to me.Since then,I had gained more interest in our eco garden due to this hidden detail in our school's eco garden. I had chose this picture to depict the extraordinary in RV as I feel it really is rather amazing how they had managed to incorporate two different objects together.This shows that RVians are capable of creative thought process and thinking outside the box.Even a regular old school eco garden could be turned into something amazing just by being creative!Hence I feel this picture is able to best represent the extraordinary in our ordinary RV Life.

                                                                      Happiness

                                                              Does wealth affect it?

Does being rich make you happy?What makes you happy in life?What does happiness even mean?

Often we Singaporeans will question our own belief and perception of happiness.Do we define happiness by the amount of wealth we have or by interpersonal relationships with friends and families?Does materialistic gains bring us the happiness we sought after or does friends and families provide it?

Singapore is a very developed country.We are far more technologically advanced compared to,say,China.However,we have a lower happiness index than them.Why is that?The answer is simple-we are unable to acquire happiness through wealth.Happiness is our own perception and we ourselves have a personal definition of it.We trick ourselves into believing that through living a hectic and stressful live to earn money we are happy,yet this is merely a illusion we use to hide our sadness and loneliness.China is far less developed and consequently less wealthy,yet it's people knows how to appreciate life and how to earn their own happiness.Often,Singaporeans would skip bonding time with their own families in favour of working for money.We ignore our friends and families in pursuit of wealth,believing with wealth brings happiness.While to a certain degree this is true,the happiness that accompanies wealth and materialistic gains is only temporary.True happiness would last forever,and that happiness can only  be found with our families and friends.We Singaporeans should learn from the Chinese,see how though they have less wealth yet they have close interpersonal relationships with their peers and families,how they are able to live a happy and stress free life.While earning money is still important as it is the only way to survive within a developed society and mindset of Singapore,we should set aside time to spend with family and to do activities we personally enjoy.We should also look at the more positive aspects of life,after all all work and no play makes jack a dull boy,and that phrase has never been truer in regards to Singapore.I believe with the correct attitude and mindset,we Singaporeans will finally overcome the hurdle and achieve true happiness.    

                                                         

  Chingay 2016 reflections

Chingay 2016 was named,"Lights of Legacy,Brighter Singapore".It was a magnificent and grand show,and is used to celebrate Singapore's 50 years of independence.The first Chingay was held on 4 February 1973,with only about 2000 participants.Now,43 years later,it is a grand procession with more than 8000 participants,and it is something we Singaporeans can proudly declare ours.

The purpose of Chingay 2016 is to celebrate 50 year's of independence for Singapore and also marks the first year of singapore's next 50 years towards SG100.It also celebrates the legacy and wisdom of our late founding father,Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew,and other founding fathers based on the core values advocated by them and pledging our support to live by it and move forward together towards a Brighter future Singapore.

Comapred to the first Chingay,it has changed quite drastically.The purpose of the first Chingay was to add more colour and flair to the Lunar New Year celebrations.This was due to the fact that firecrackers were just banned a year before,after various incidents of indiscriminate firing led to fires,injuries and fatalities,and without it the Lunar New Year had became bland.To facilitate this,PA collaborated with the Singapore National Pugilistic Federation to put on a grand show to usher in the year of the Ox.It had became such a huge success that it was declared an annual festival and has since been held every year without fail.Today,Chingay is held to celebrate our independence and to convey our collective hope as a country for a brighter Singapore.

The organisers have managed to convey this message beautifully.With every performer decked in bright and colourful clothing and bright lights bathing the stage,it really is a "Bright Singapore".Watching the parade,we are able to feel the hope for a brighter future and gratitude towards our founding fathers.Programmes are all choreographed beautifully and every performer had managed to bring out the best of Singapore.All in all,it was grand and beautiful parade and was successful in coveying it's messages towards all those who were watching.It was able to unite all singaporeans through a collage of performances incorporated together into one Chinagy Parade,and it is glorious. I really loved watching this chingay.It was a brand new experience as I've never watched Chingay before(family never bothered to watch although they are planning to go watch this year's chingay).It was a school organised trip so I get to go watch it with my classmates first before going with my family.I was bouncing in my seat,excited to see what creative ideas we were able to come up with this year.The MCees ha tried to rouse enthusiasm first in the audience by getting us to move our body,and though most of us couldn't be bothered with doing it I have to applaud him for a good attempt.Watching the performers walk one by one down the stage was simply breathtaking.Every movement,every step contributed to the overall grand feeling of the parade. The environment was perfect too.Chingay was held in the F1 Pit's this year and despite the ominous black clouds hanging in the skies it didn't rain(I guess we could count our lucky stars for that).They had used many bright lights to illuminate the walkway and the accompanying music was powerful and appropriate too.The cheers of the audience as well as the MCee's riveting narration added on to the experience.It was able to generate a aura of excitement,grace,beauty and hope and it had deeply touched my soul.It would definitely be a scene I would never forget. The performer's themselves were breathtaking too.Dressed in fine clothes,they looked very graceful and beautiful while dancing down the walkway.More than 8000 people took part this year and you could see all the effort and sweat that was poured into making this parade a huge success.The programmes were amazing too.They were choreographed to bring out the harmony of singaporeans and all the core values our founding fathers had taught us.All of us audience was deeply touched by the effort put into it and was inspired to try our best in whatever we do as well and to hope for a brighter future. All in all,It was a magnificent performance,It was soul wrenching,breathtaking,grand and beautiful.The music was amazing,the performance was top notch,the environment was perfect and all the audience can appreciate it.I was deeply inspired by all the effort that went into it and was in awe by the end of the parade.How I wish I could one day be a part of such a grand parade,to be able to proudly declare my contribution to it.That day,I had made an oath to one day volunteer to be part of Chingay and make it shine even brighter and be the grandest of all parades!In the future,I would definitely come back and watch it again,and I will always remember this Chingay parade as the grandest of all,and be proud to call it Singapore's Pride.                                                                   Lesson Reflection 3-2-1!!     

3 things I found out:
3. Number of child affect standard of living 
2. Singapore Two-Child Policy Implementation in 1972
1. China Two-Child Policy Implementation in 2015
2 perceptions I gained:
2. Effect on economy on having too many or too less children
1. It is not easy to design a convincing poster to bring across a message to the public
1 question I have:
1. Why did China, after so long, finally changed it's One-Child Policy into Two-Child Policy?

Should Singapore be complacent in her achievements?

Should Singapore be complacent? Sure, we have achieved many great accomplishments, but does that merit us the authority to possess arrogance and complacency in regards to our achievements? 

Many other countries are catching up to Singapore in terms of their economy. They are steadily gaining power and economic acknowledgement, and if we are complacent is past achievements we will soon lose our position and influence. If we do not regularly reflect on both our achievements and mistakes, we will not be able to improve ourselves and make ourselves more relevant in this society and world.

We have to be open minded and not only view our accomplishments. We must reflect on our mistakes too. Only then can we efficiently improve ourselves. Even though we have went through many obstacles in the past and have trampled over all of them, there will be many more in the future and if we do not prepare ourselves for them, we will eventually topple. If we want our majestic country to prosper further, we have to think ahead and strategize for our future. 

Hence, I conclude we must not be complacent. If we are, it will eventually be the reason for our countries fall and our inability to stand back up again.

Singapore in the future                                                                                                 

This is what I believe Singapore will look like in the future. A tragic tale of a city drowned within the deep ocean-a result of human actions against environment. However,despite this,our Singapore spirit will forever live on,giving us hope,and eventually giving us the courage to rebuild Singapore back to it's former glory. Our Merlion will be witness to these,and serve as our beacon of hope,reminding us of a past,a majestic city standing proudly on it's own. Now,the merlion will be our angel,our angel of hope,it's wings serving to take us to greater heights.

Pre-Trip Reflection

Through this trip to China, I wish to learn more about China's economy and compare it to Singapore's and study the differences.  I also wish to learn more about China's history and what is it that led to China being the developing country it is today. The gardens we'll be visiting holds cultural and historical importance, and will allow us to learn more about China's culture and history. Being able to go on a educational trip to China is a rare occasion and I plan to make full use of it and fill myself to the brim with knowledge. As a class, I hope we'll be able to bond more on this trip and learn more about each other, fostering deeper friendships and developing meaningful memories. I hope this trip will be one I'll never forget and will cherish forever, knowledge and memorise I'll hold dear.

Post-OELP Trip Personal Reflection Report

Year 2 Suzhou OELP
Name	School	Class	Stream	Period of Internationalisation Experience	Country of visit
Xu Chunxi Erik	River Valley High School	2G	Integrated Programme	20 May to 26 May 2016	China
Reflections: Ask me a year ago if I was excited for OELP, I would have flat out said “No”. Leaving my family for a week to go to an overseas country with my class where anything could happen to me and I have to walk? Thanks, but no thanks. However, before I knew it, OELP had arrived. I remember the day before our flight, I was thinking,” OELP is really coming, it almost seems like a dream. I never thought the day would come so soon.” Even when I was on the flight, it still seems like a dream to me, as if this was all a fabrication my mind made up while I was in slumber land and I was exploring the intricate dreamscape my mind had created. To be honest, I hadn’t really wanted to go on this trip, I couldn’t imagine myself having fun in Suzhou. Everytime I thought of the impending OELP, dread fills me, yet among the wisps of dread lied a heart of curiosity. What was Suzhou like? How different is it from Singapore? Why was it different? What is the history shrouding this mysterious city? Day to day, these questions filled my thoughts, and I had hoped going on this trip would answer them. I guess you could say the reason I chose to go on this trip is largely due to the curious part of me, the part that wants to gain new knowledge, and also due to the part of me that wants to bond more with my classmates and teachers, whom I only interact with within the confines of a classroom. Of course, there has to be certain decisions made as well, and the decisions I made was to simply trust my classmates and teachers. Trust they will sate my burning curiosity, trust they will allow me to have fun, trust they will guarantee my safety, trust they won’t make me regret going for this trip, and trust them I did. It certainly paid off well, with me coming back a happy boy. Enough about me before the trip though, let’s talk about the actual trip itself. The trip was relatively uneventful, with almost no incidents happening, barring the expected illness that was bound to befall on some people. There was one incident I came across that I still remember strongly, though. It was day 3 of our trip, we were going to a restaurant for lunch after visiting the lion groove garden. We were pouring some drinks into each other’s cups when we noticed some black stuff floating in one of the cups. They looked like mosquito eggs, and of course we were all disgusted. The silverware and plates were dirty too, and to me this reflected the restaurants sanitary standards. If they failed to meet such simple standards, how could we, as patrons, have faith in their food? The service weren’t top-notch either, and it almost seems as if we were annoying to them. I get that we were noisy and it is hard to deal with customers all the day, but they must retain at least a semblance of politeness and not just throw our food onto the table, right? Phew, that was quite a rant. Of course, on a educational trip such as this, we will bound to meet new friends, and they’re bound to leave lasting impressions on us. One such person happens to be my buddy, 林立源. He was born in Taiwan, and had came to Suzhou to study. Though he was of few words, I had really clicked with him. We were able to hold conversations, and he displayed a surprising amount of curiosity regarding Singapore and it’s educational system. In return, I asked him many questions regarding China’s educational system as well, and he was able to answer them brilliantly. I learnt how stressful their lessons could be, how competitive they were, and how much they valued a good education. These are all lessons I would never have been able to learn while in a classroom in Singapore, and I am grateful for them. I had learned many other things as well, of course. I had certainly expanded my knowledge during this trip by leaps and bounds, and one fact I learnt had intrigued me. We aren’t allowed to bring water into the supermarket. I had found this, certainly very weird. I mean, you can only be cautious to a limit. Apparently, they do this to prevent you from stealing bottles of water of the same brand from the supermarket. I can’t help but feel this is rather… unnecessary. Singapore doesn’t implement such a system and we don’t receive news of people stealing water from our supermarket. What if someone was dying of thirst in the supermarket but couldn’t save himself cause he couldn’t bring water in due to a fear of something quite unlikely happening? This trip had certainly been interesting. I had tons of fun, and gained new knowledge of China. Though, after this trip, I would certainly be grateful in the future. Seeing how hard the teachers and travel agency worked behind the scenes to ensure a smooth journey for us, I can’t help but feel I was useless, and the least I could do is to show my appreciation for their hard work. Ultimately, though it was us students who are the stars of this trip, the teachers, travel agency and tour guide are the unsung heroes, and I would be sure to show my appreciation to them. Thinking long term, I hope to be more independent and mature after this trip. Being away from my family for 1 week has opened my eyes to how dependent I am. Being dependent isn’t a very defining trait, of course, and I hope to be able to improve on this and become more independent and survive on my own on the future, after all my parent’s won’t be around forever, and if I want to be a successful adult in the future, it is essential for me to learn to be independent, no matter how painstaking the process is. I had learnt many things while on this trip, such as the economy of Suzhou and their educational system. I can compare them to Singapore’s own economy and educational system and draw a conclusion regarding which country’s system is better. I had a lot of fun on this trip, and hope to be able to go on more of such trips in the future.