The trip to Chongqing was very long, but memorable. Whether it was sitting on the airplane flight to Chengdu watching Dune Part 2 and talking about who the best character is, or relaxing on the high-speed train from Chengdu to Chongqing, looking at the beautiful scenery outside the window. Although at first, we dreaded the flight; wishing that we could just magically teleport to Chongqing, we now cherish the time spent on the plane and the train, talking to and learning about our friends, and maybe even making some new ones.
One of the first things we did when we arrived in Chongqing was visit the Bashu School. The student volunteers who helped us out were amazing, taking time out of their learning to enhance our experience. For our first class, we were split up into groups and sent to the actual classes of the Chinese students. The students read out Chinese poetry in a Literature class, and learned about buoyancy in a Science class. We went on to decorate fans in the traditional Chinese style of lacquer painting, which was a greatly enjoyable experience. After this, we went to eat at the cafeteria. It was grand in scale, with countless different types of foods to try. It was truly amazing (and rather chaotic).
After this, we went down to the school’s library to have a little bit of a relax, we partook in a Music class. We learned songs such as “You Are My Sunshine” on the ukulele, precisely fingering the chords. Next, we went to a Debating class, where we discussed the topic of which type of learning is better, traditional learning using textbooks, or modern learning utilizing devices. This class was truly enlightening, allowing us to see from both perspectives. Finally, we went to a dumpling making class, where we learnt to make dumplings in the traditional Chinese style.
We learnt a lot on this visit, all-the-while making some new friends. The next day, we visited a different campus of Bashu School. Firstly, we got to learn a whole lot about the history of the school, and important people in the history of it. After that, we got to choose between doing either a physics or a chemistry class. Both were equally enlightening and enjoyable, truly allowing us to extend our learning to a whole new level. Then, we went on to have some free time on the underground basketball court. It was humongous and ever expansive. It felt like I was in a whole new world! We then learnt kung-fu from a Master, meaning he was being practicing the art for a long time (even longer than we have been alive)! He taught us a lot about the art, teaching us both offensive and defensive moves. Finally, we went to do an activity where we place flowers and such into baskets full of foam to make beautiful pieces of artwork for Mother’s Day. Overall, visiting Bashu school was an enlightening experience for all students and teachers involved, teaching us a lot about both the culture of the Chinese people and new concepts in all parts of life.
– Benjamin, Year 9 Student