I’m not sure if it’s the same for everyone, but personally, I feel that this trip has made me look at things in a different perspective. I’ve never been to Europe, and even if I did do research over the internet about the country, it’s a totally different story when you actually go to the country and experience it for yourself. The sights of Finland are definitely remarkable; no words could ever describe it, not even the pictures on the internet. I also come to realize of their culture as well. Most of us noticed that Finland has a whole range of salmon available in the market. Not once did I notice stingray… We also tried out their delicacies such as the reindeer meat. Their culture and way of life varies from that in Singapore. The people are more patient, even when our bus was causing traffic obstruction, no vehicles actually honked. The cars also waited patiently for us to cross the roads. Adding on, they were also very polite, especially the shopkeepers, as they will greet you and thank you even though you walk out of their shop empty handed. The lessons that we had in the school, has also given us the opportunity to get to know more of their country. For example, the fact that almost every student has a sauna at home, comes shocking to us Singaporeans since we rarely go for saunas. The fact that they had so little taxi is also something different from our country. Somehow, when we travel, we get to know more of their country, more than what we could learn via internet. In other words, what we’ve learnt is really valuable.

I feel that we were given the room to grow during this trip. We’ve gotten so much life experience, how to present ourselves well in a foreign country and got to know more of their lifestyle. It has also made me appreciate home a lot more, I feel a greater and more significant sense of belonging to Singapore. I guess its when we see the differences then we learn to appreciate. Somehow, it has made me grow fond of travelling since there is so much more to discover. Finland is a great country and I really want to thank Ms Yeo and Mr Lee & Ms Wong for giving me the opportunity to visit Finland.

Jessie

I believe I was lucky enough to be able to witness the beautiful acoustics of the Church reflected by the organist and the vocalist. Another great place would be EMMA. I was really inspired by the straw sculpture. There are quite a few ideas for modern art that would inevitably benefit La Vita Nuova.

Of course, this whole trip is not just about the places we’ve been to. The cultural exchange should take a more major role. In my opinion, between Finland and Singapore teenagers, we are all similar in our ways of utilizing technology. We enjoy social networking, entertainment, and of course, games. I guess it’s all due to the fact that our generation belongs to the digital natives. Despite so, our lives are definitely different.  The education system there is very self-oriented, unlike Singapore where teachers’ do push students to achieve more. I personally prefer self-oriented learning since we do best when we enjoy what we do. But I do understand that without the push of teachers, I wouldn’t be who I am now. I like their pace of life. It’s quite relaxing and not stressful at all. I really felt peaceful when I was there. It’s quite contrastive to the suffocating life of JC.

The trip widen up my perspectives about other countries, allowing to understand why there are certain policies set in place for us in Singapore. Nevertheless Singapore isn’t the perfect country for me to live in considering that not only it has a lack of natural resources, but also the environment for a less stressful lifestyle. But I am gratitude for what it has given a stable family, wonderful city life, affordable movie rates. Finland has definitely become one of my many choices if I decide that I want a change in environment.

I would say I wasn’t very responsible in the trip. Not only did I not help the team to take care of the school’s valuable equipments, I even had trouble taking care of my own. Moreover, I believe I didn’t do a good job in the debrief session. Teamwork on the other hand, I must say I did all I could. I helped both IT and PS team. Basically this trip really bonded both J1s and J2s. We really know each other inside out despite some misconceptions in between. I really felt like a family with them. We do have teamwork. We help each other out always.

Henry 

The 12-day Finland trip allows me to obtain one of many memorable moments in my life. Snow, lakes that are frozen, reindeer rides, cold weather and culture of the fins really was an eye opener. I will always remember the students in Tikkurilan Lukio, the over night train to Rovaniemi, Lapland. 

During those sightseeing trip, museum visits and the school visit, we learnt lots of things about the fin ‘s culture, values, beliefs and their country. 

We can clearly see that Finland focuses on design and media, from them having the design forum to provide citizens a platform for their creativity. They also have a long history in the field of arts, much longer than that of Singapore. This show that we, Singaporeans still have a long way to go, now all is in our hands, the future generation. Beside that, Santa Claus lives in Finland, something didn’t know before being in this trip. 

F is for family, and fins put family on top of a lot of things. Some would rather knock off early and go home to accompany their families. This is something we have to learn and use it efficiently, as this would strongly boost our family bonds. 

Filming skills, photography skills etc. what most important is the lessons that’s we learn from the mistakes we made such as communication, teamwork and taking responsibility of our actions. There was the case when I lost the banner, I knew I did my best to look for it and find it back. As a group, we took care of one another, especially those who are closer to us, such as our teammate and roommate. We work together to finish the task for the day, in the best possible way. Trying to solve or tolerate any conflict that we have. 

After the trip, when I am back in Singapore, I really feel that we are very small; in terms of size, history and the things we have here. There is so much out there for us to know and learn about, so many different cultures and people to see. Although we are a multi-racial and religious country, we still have a long way to go. Therefore we have to go out of the country more, expose ourselves and see more of the world. Although going out is important, coming back to our roots n stay here in Singapore is the most important.

Pamela

I learnt a lot about the history of Finland from the visit to the Suomenlinna Museum. What we saw on the exhibit were tools, weapons, ammunition and other items that were found in Suomenlinna. They were interesting to see as each of them has its own history. We were also brought to see a show where we learnt about the history of the fortress and about the Finnish war which involves Russia and Sweden.

When we were at Tikkurila Lukio, I noticed that there was no vandalism around the school. Not on the walls, not on the tables. I think the Finnish are very civic minded and they are able to respect someone else’s property. In Singapore, some of our students would vandalize the tables in the classrooms and lecture theatres by drawing or writing on them. This is where I think Singaporeans should learn from them. I also like the system of the students clearing their own plates and utensils. It is very organized because all the plates, cups and utensils go to one station and students place them on racks. Before the plates are placed in the racks, the students have to throw their food scraps away first, making it easier to wash them. It’s a system that I think would be good to adopt.

At the school, the film team took the opportunity in to interview some of the teachers and students for our film documentary. Every person we approached were spontaneous and very willing to let us interview them. The interview went quite smoothly because they were very friendly and outgoing. It seems their culture does not include them being camera shy like many Asians.

The Finnish students are very much exposed to arts as their school has placed many art pieces around the school. Helsinki also has various arts museums like ESPOO where people can appreciate arts. In addition, many monuments, statues and sculptures can be found around Helsinki. It seems that the Finnish place a lot of importance on Arts.

As a Singaporean in Finland, I feel that I am a representative for my country. Whatever I do, people will watch and understand how Singaporeans are like. By observing the Finnish at the same time, I realize they are very different and so is their way of life. This gives me a greater sense of belonging because I know Singapore is the only place I can feel at home. Finland is a great place, but it is still foreign to me no matter what.

I think everyone in the film team has shown a sense of responsibility because whenever they are needed for filming, they will always be around. When the others were shopping or doing some sight-seeing, we have to film. But they never complained and are very cooperative. Also, I think the group has put in effort for the making of the film. I think each of us has done our best. Some of us are experienced in film productions and some are not, but we have been encouraging towards one another.

Kevin

After my visit to Finland, I have learnt more about arts and media. For example during our visit to Tikkurila General Upper Secondary School, I have found out more about silent movies. To me silent movies are considered as a new concept as I have not watched any silent movies from television or movies in Singapore. Silent movies can be use to convey message to others as it is straight to the point. After visiting some museum such as Kiasma and EMMA, the art really influence me and inspire me. It changes me from a person who does not really know about arts to someone who appreciates arts and craving to find out more about all the art pieces. Arts do not need to be complicated, it only require more creativity. Some of the art pieces there are simple yet a lot of people find it interesting and admire it. As it really allows people imagination to run wild and it convey different messages to different viewers.

From Finnish culture, values and beliefs, I have learnt some very important things (family). Finnish treasure their family a lot and have very close relation with each of their family members. Unlike some Singaporean as people are busy workings and neglect their family members and people around them.  Looking that how Finnish student behave, I have also learnt that we must be more appreciative of people around us. For example, cleaners that help us clear our table. In Finland, students take the initiative to clear their own plates. I have also learnt more about how other people celebrate their independent day and charismas. I have also learnt more about different country culture different. For example Finnish only need to undergo national service for 6 months or they can even serve at school for 1 year.

The people around Finland have a slower pace of life as compare to Singapore. One example will be that Finnish people are more patient when it comes to queuing up for their food. Also Finnish tends to be more approachable and friendly. Finland also has a better welfare system to take care of the senior citizen as shops are built for the convenience of the senior citizens.

After going through this trip, it increases my sense of belonging towards Singapore. In Finland, they do not have cleaners along the road or street to clean the places and keep it clean. However to foreigners, Singapore is well known to be a clean and green city. Also in Finland, there is not much 24 hours services shop as compare to Singapore and Finnish do not have much spicy foods. While Singapore has 24 hours service shop such as 7-11 and fast food restaurants such as MacDonalds which cater to Singaporean late at night.

I have shown sense of respect to people around me by different ways. Firstly, by paying more attention to other and trying not to be distracted when others are specking. Secondly, I will also try to process my thoughts before saying anything to prevent saying any hurting anyone with my words. Lastly I will also give feedbacks to other in a polite manner which is by giving compliment first follow by telling them how to improve something. I have also show teamwork by discussing with my project mates before making any decision. Furthermore, we will try to spill our workload equally and help each other so that we can get our work done in a faster pace.  

Lisa

Uspenski cathedral offers fantastic exterior and atmosphere. It is built high up the alley hence the scenery from up there was just mind blowing. The cathedral was just so mesmerizing even for a person who is not an orthodox like me. Many Finnish comes to Uspenski to seek help from Mother Mary. Jewelleries were usually offered. A tall standing desk was used to preserve these offerings. I am amazed that though Finland is a very developed country and the people there are mostly educated, they still strongly belief in this customs.

Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma inspires me a lot. Many interesting art works housed there. Some of the art works provides interaction with the audience. For example, the one that is located in the entrance of the museum. From a glance, it looks like an old game in the Gameboy. However, in fact, it is not. It took place in a classroom setting. It involves people sitting on chairs, rearranging themselves with the chairs and the tables. The movement aims to allow individuals to meet more other individuals from different part of the room. There were many other interesting art works there. It allows you to believe that nothing is impossible. it brings you up to a brand new perspective. All of you should go there sometime. How I wish I came there earlier so that I can produce more inspiring works for La Vita Nova though the present works were decently inspiring.

Oh interestingly, Finnish addresses their superior and elders by their first name. No Miss, Mr, Sir or Madam is required. For us Asians, this may sound rude but to them it is okay. I would say that they show their respect to their superior and elders through actions. They may not addressed them like how we do but the level of respect they had towards their superior and elders may be higher than the average man here. They treasure every relationship. Moreover, they are much more expressive than we Singaporeans are. They maintain close relationship between their teachers and others. To some of us Singaporeans, expressing our thoughts and feelings may be a hard thing to do. However, our affectionate towards our teachers and respect towards our elders is similar. Maybe we should try learning from them.

Oh yeah 6th December was their Independence Day. Finnish have indeed a different way of celebrating festivities. During holidays, Singaporeans would prefer to spend their money and time out with their family and friends. All shops and places of interest will be on their full force to welcome their customers. However, in Finland, shops are all closed. The roads were quiet. Everybody stays at home and take this chance to spend time with their family. I would say that they are relatively more family-oriented. I think our government is instilling this spirit in us but with the high demand at work and in our economy, I do not think this is possible in this short term of period. It may take time. However, we will get there some day.

All these differences just make me more appreciative to what I have now. I do agree that I love the cold weather…the snow…but the feeling is still not as good as you are here back in home. I would still prefer to live in my cloudy, sunny Singapore. However, i would definitely not hesitate to choose Finland for my vacations.

If I were granted the chance to choose to live in either Helsinki or Singapore, I would definitely say Singapore. Others always claim that Singaporeans are ‘Kiasu’. This means Singaporeans are always in a hurry to get things done. Try looking from a bright perspective. Singaporeans have a sense of urgency and always alert to changes. Our paramedics, our doctors are always fast in controlling their cases. Generally, Singaporeans takes everything seriously. Every move and every action has been given a second or third thought. Well it is okay to be different rite. As that what makes this world beautiful.

I went to Finland with a task of advising the vodcast and podcast team. My team consists of Afnidah and Kam Hung. I would say that we work pretty well together in Finland despite not knowing each other much. I think I have shown a decent level of responsibility and teamwork as a group. At times, I present myself as a member of the team who provide suggestions and alternatives and leave the final say to the leader.

I did my part in keeping us together working as a team. Multiple hiccups and unexpected situations have caused frustrations in my team members. But my support and encouragement has helped to loosen things up. What is the most important is, we must keep focusing and think rationally. Hiccups are born to happen in any cases. I hope this wonderful experience have taught us to be more adaptive and alert.  

Afnidah

Amazing! That is definitely the very first word that can express my whole journey during the Finland Trip from 1 December 2008 to 12 December 2008. There were lots of things that I saw and experienced and some of it made me changed certain principles of life that I had. This includes not being so complicated in thinking and appreciating quality time with family, friends and ultimately, me.  Otherwise, it just enhanced my beliefs.  That is being responsible, passionate and committed to what I’m doing. Ultimately, being thankful and proud to be a Singaporean and given the chance to explore the culture of others as it helped me realized that there is always something that we can learn from others and to analyze if it’s possible to adopt such a culture back here in Singapore. 

The very first difference that I have observed between Singaporean and Finnish with regards to the values and beliefs would be that the Finnish appreciates quality time with their friends and families and of course, themselves in a slightly different way than ours. It is true that some of us still do practice an Asian-oriented culture where family comes first and we take time to be with them. However, we tend to neglect the word ‘quality’ at times. 

An example would be the time that the Finnish take to complete their education. ‘Own time, own target,’ that phrase best describes their attitude towards completing their education. They may take more than three years to attain a Bachelor Degree. This is because they may choose to postpone their education after a year or two to actually go out to work to gain experience before continuing their studies. They rather make good use of their time by giving themselves the opportunity to explore and make mistakes. Like the saying goes, ‘slow and steady wins the race.’  

However, here in Singapore, we are just so used to rush to complete things because we adopt a sense of urgency. This is because we are then able to do a lot more things. In other words, we tend to take too many things in our hands and we always go on an express route where there must not be any room for errors or we will just plummet. We just want to get it over and done as quickly as possible and at times, as mentioned, neglect the word ‘quality.’   

Another thing that impressed me would be the way the Finnish artist think. Its all back to basics. For example, there was an art piece in EMMA where from a far it looked like it was made from a hard material such as marble but I was wronged. As I went closer to observe the beautiful sculpture, it was actually a rectangular block filled with thousands and thousands of transparent straws. I just never thought that a simple straw that I used for drinking everyday can create something so beautiful and out of my mind. They used simple materials and everyday phenomenon to create quality and meaningful artworks.  

It just made me realized that at times we are the ones that are responsible for making our lives difficult and stress. We just think too complicatedly. At times, we just need to take a step back and keep it simple. Only when we have mastered the simple things, we can then go on to challenge ourselves with greater things.  

In addition, when I was in Tilu, I saw one of the students practicing self-responsibility. It was during lunch time and the group of friends was sitting beside me and what happened was he accidentally spilled some food onto the table. He went to return his trays and actually came back with a tissue to wipe the spilled on the table. The fact that he actually makes the effort to clean it so as to make it clean and comfortable for the next users shows that he is not self-centre. However, here in Singapore, we still have students or in fact adults who just don’t even bother to return their trays and depend on others to clean it for them and after them.   

In my opinion, a simple good deed goes a long way. We have to be responsible for what we have done and I think here in Singapore, we are just too pampered. Everything is at our convenience. We must not take it for granted and we need to eliminate the self-centre attitude apart from being a gracious society. It is true that habits are not so easy to get rid of but it takes time. To add on, we were given the chance to view a silent movie. To be honest, I am certainly not a fan of such a movie. I doze off a couple of time but I wanted to be polite so I had to eat lots of sweets throughout the entire movie. This shows that it is not easy for us to accept something that is different and never seen or done before. I guess, it is important for us to understand it first before we can learn to accept it and ultimately, appreciating it.   

There were definitely some ups and downs in the process of doing our project there but I am thankful that my teammates were cooperative and always helping me out. I believe I have shown patience and understanding too. This has enable me to see our strengths and weaknesses and at the same time work on our differences in order to make the best out of it. I also understand that I must commit myself to what I intend to do. There are at times that we need to inject some humor and fun during our course of work but must also know the limits to how far it goes.  There were moments that I blamed myself for assuming certain things and in the end the things were not done. This could be because I was too trusting with my teammates. I suppose no harm is done if I take the effort to remind my teammates every now and then to do certain things. No doubt, as human beings, we tend to think too many things and forget others.  

Ultimately, I am proud to be a Singaporean because we have the people spirit. We have the spirit of togetherness. For example, having school uniform is not such a bad thing after all. This is because when I wear my uniform and I go out of school and I saw someone else dressed in the same uniform as mine, I tend to smile and say ‘hi’ even though I do not even know the name of the person but I know that he or she goes to same school as me and it’s always a good feeling when they respond back with a smile.    

Last but not least, the education system of being all-rounder has thought me the need to be flexible. During the whole trip there, I had encounter lots unexpected moments. However, I just had to improvise and came up with appropriate steps to take. That is when mistakes start to come in but most importantly, I learnt from it. Then again, that is where I learnt the true meaning of expect the unexpected.  

Kam Hung

From the seven days of touring around in Helsinki and Rovaniemi, I’ve learnt quite a lot from the places I’ve visited. On the first day of the trip, we went to the Temppeliaukio Church, which really surprised me. The structure of the building was built with rocks, I should say a big rock being blasted with a hole in it forming the church itself. I should say that I was very lucky that day as I could enjoy the music played by the famous organ player using the largest organ I’ve seen in the church. I truly like the organ, it’s just so beautiful.

I have also visited quite a number of museums like, Suomenlinna Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, ESPOO Museum of Modern Art (EMMA), Design Museum, and a few more. Two museums had given great impressions upon them; they are the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma and the ESPOO Museum of Modern Art (EMMA). In Kiasma, the art pieces that I’ve seen were such good art works that it’s actually part of our daily lives yet we didn’t notice it. I like two of the art pieces very much. One is the art piece where it uses a projector to display the kind of teamwork in human beings. This art piece is showing a group of people sitting on chairs and they have the equal ratio of chairs and tables. Next piece was the plasma television that the art piece was being displayed. The artwork was about a human face but it was being showcased using torchlights outlining the face. Next, in EMMA, I really like this art piece. I’m truly amazed by it. This art piece was done with 21000 used straws. From far, I see the art piece as a marble cylinder, but when I walk closer, it changesits true form, a rectangular block.

Something about their food, I’ve tasted quite a number of different dishes of Finnish food over there. I found out that most of the food were quite salty and the flavorings were quite thick, something that I as an Asian, not used to it. But this had made an unique experience for me, getting to taste other kinds of dishes. They also have salmon as their staple food, which had shocked me in one way or another. Salmon in Singapore was considered very expensive, but to them was rather cheap. I really do like to eat salmon, but not too much. This was something different from what we have in Singapore.

The period that I visit Finland, was the winter period. I’d to get use to the ‘extreme’ cold weather there, as compared to Singapore. It is cold and it is my first time seeing and feeling ‘real’ snow, something that could not be seen in Singapore. In this trip, although the cold weather makes one not to sweat easily but frequent intake of water is necessary, so as not to fall sick. I’d also learnt how to make snowballs, and I’d a lot of fun playing snowball fights with the team and the Finnish students, and what’s more was that we played in the graveyard! 

The last four days were used to visit the school there, Tirkkurilan Lukio. On the first day, I was very nervous that I thought I couldn’t communicate well with the students there, but to my surprise, the students were very approachable and very friendly. I’d a very memorable experience in the school, and I actually look forward to going to school for the next few days. i was surprised that Singapore was quite well known to them and I felt proud about this. Singapore being so small yet known other big countries. I just feel good about this.  

There were 15 students went for this immersion trip. I was in charge of the equipments brought over. I’ve regretted for some of the things I’ve don’t over there, causing some problems. I should have done my part more seriously. I feel that the whole team was not so ‘united’ initially, but I feel that it’s due to the short time we had spent together, not knowing each other well. After few days, the whole team was actually much ‘united’, more bonded together, we had a lot of fun and we really enjoy the time spent together. Often we were scolded and nagged by the teachers but we had tried our best to improve on what we’ve done wrong. By the end of the trip, the bonds that we’ve form with each other had made me miss the whole group of friends a lot.  

I have learnt how to communicate and interact better with foreigners and friends through this trip; urgency and responsibility that we should instill in ourselves. Furthermore, teamwork is another important component that we should have in order to work towards a goal together as a group. Encouragement and appreciation towards others are also important too.

Teck beng

Embarking on this trip to Finland has enabled me to know more about their culture differences, their environment and also the place that we have visited. Visiting the various different sites has helped me to gain a greater understanding of the place in Finland and it has also allowed me to look at things in a different perspective. It has also helped me to gain interest in appreciating art pieces. Their scenery was very beautiful and it was something that we could hardly see in Singapore. I have noticed that Finnish students are very patient, very friendly and that they could easily strike a conversation with you even though you are a stranger to them. The environment of their school was quite different from ours in Singapore. Theirs was fully covered and they could easily travel from one place to another place in the school without even getting outdoors. However in Singapore, our schools tend to be open-air. This might be because we do not have winter and that Singapore is a temperate country. After interacting with the Finnish students, I realized that they are not much different from a typical Singaporean teenager. They did the same thing during their free time except that they attend a lot of parties and that they love sauna

The teamwork of the whole group was very good. For example, in Tikkurila Upper Secondary School, whenever we passed by a door, someone would take the initiatives to hold the door so as to allow the rest of the group to passed. Wake-Up calls were also made to remind people to wake up on time. Help was also readily given to those who need it. However the sense of responsibility from the whole group was not very good, equipments were not take care of. For example, equipments went missing for quite a number of times. But after a few days, we became more responsible of the things that we have been assigned to take care of. Overall, this whole group has been great. As for my own group (IT), the teamwork was great but I was not very responsible as I did not ensure the tasks given to be uploaded on that very day. Things got dragged and soon we were very far behind from where we have targeted to finish.

Marvin

Wow, this trip has certainly been something new and interesting. Never thought I would see snow in my life frankly. So far being my first success school trip outside of Singapore, (First and secondary was disrupted due to terrorist activities) it was really enriching. It was the interaction together with the students and Finnish people on the streets that made this trip so different from following a tour group around attractions. I have learnt many new things about their culture and took back many new lessons that I could apply to in my daily life. However, nevertheless I will start with my understanding of the attraction we visited. 

First day of the plane, we realize how 18 degrees in an air-con room in Singapore is nothing compared to their temperature. Despite our heavy armour of jackets and coats, we were freezing. One of the first places we visited was Rock Church which was literally a church within a rock. Actually through out the entire trip we have also visited the Temppeliaukio Church and one other with the students in Finland. As a Christian it was interesting to see the emphasis of the design of the churches in Finland. It less modern compared to the Singapore churches and instead of bands you see a simple organ in every church. 

The Finnish emphasis on design does not just end there. Their love and pride for design and art can also be seen by the number of museum and art pieces around the city area. There is the Kiasma Museum, Design Forum Finland, ESPOO Museum of Modern Art(EMMA). At EMMA, there was this really interesting art piece that was really interesting to me. The artist used different tones of grey together with Black and White to make an interesting combination. Despite the lack of vivid colours the vibrancy of simple dull colours made this piece stand out. I love B/W art pieces therefore this was my favourite piece. Truly is in Singapore, we do have these museums as well. However, unlike the Finnish, there is a lesser tendency for us to take pride and notice of these places. The Finnish really embrace their love for art forms. Even in schools budgets are set for the school to buy art pieces to be placed in the school. Schools in Singapore may want to consider this outlook especially if we want to be a regional hub for art appreciation. 

The interaction with their students also shed new light on their culture and their likes and dislikes. Frankly despite being so far apart there was a no much of a difference between them and us. However, even with the freedom they have in school they have a strong sense of discipline that separates us. 

This trip has been a truly enriching one. Of course there was a filming of a special short film done in Finland. It was great to know how a group of rather strangers grow to enjoy each other presence through out a month. I am truly thankful to have such an amazing and impromptu group of people. Of course there have been issues of procrastination and difference in ideas. But nevertheless, we manage to help each one out and share our ideas in a group. This trip also made me realize how Singaporean I am. Ignore the term but no matter how well I can blend into the other country, Singapore would still be home. I love the Finnish culture and pace of life. I even love their food. But I would always come back to Singapore to seek solitude and to eat hot home cook meals.  

Faiszah 

In Singapore you don’t really get bus driver greeting you the moment that you step onto the bus. What touched me in a way that at the end of the day after driving us all around the whole day, the driver would get down  and stand at the exit door to say good bye to us as we get down from the bus. I think this is one of the difference in culture. I realise that they emphasise a lot on manners like thank you and hello. Nearly all of them are very polite. In my opinion, I feel that we Singapore lack graciousness like we often skip our thank yous. I feel that we should actually practice that because it would be quite a good practice and image that we would have. 

Besides that, I learnt a new thing from Mr Lee. I am from iBCS so I do not really the skills like in photo taking nor filming but I wanted to learn it. I was struggling to get a good film of the man who was performing and Mr Lee helped on how to set the camera properly. Besides that Mr Lee taught me how to get a 360 degree capture of the entire church. Thanks to Mr Lee I leant something about filming that day. The structure of the interior was also beautiful. The ceiling had copper wires and it was shaped almost like an oval.  

Going to the Market hall was exciting because we get to see the fresh food that the people and Finland enjoy. Their market hall was different from what we see in Singapore wet markets. This Old Market Hall I think is a cross between supermarkets and wet markets. I learnt that since Finland is located near Norway where a lot of salmon could be found, therefore, in Finland there is an abundance of salmon. In addition to that, to preserve the salmon, they smoked it. So there was a lot of fresh and smoked salmon.  

We were also very lucky to get to visit the Sibellius Monument. I learnt that he was a very famous music composer from Finland and the monument was built to commemorate him. The monument itself is an art piece of wonders. It looks like a piece of organ that was structured beautifully in steel. 

The first art piece in Kiasma that we saw was the floating book in a tank full of water. I think everyone was amazed just by looking at it. I was excited to look at this type of art and I wanted to look at more. Looking at the gallery just reminded me of La Vita Nuova back home in Innova JC. I remembered when I get to view the gallery the first time, I was struck by how art need not only be defined like drawings and sculptures but also by using media together with creativity to form an art piece

We went to Espoo to go to the EMMA museum. When I went it, it wasn’t like Kiasma. It was much more of art pieces, paintings and sculptures. What I like the most was this art piece that was made up of straws. From far, it look like a huge round vase but when you come close to it, it was actually rectabgular in colour filled with I think close to 20 000 straws. It is just wonderful how art can play tricks with your eyes. Beside that, they were other sculptures of people and more paintings. One of the pictures on the wall also captured my eyes. It was called Ossi. I think that picture was carefully thought off because when I read the words on the picture, it made sense and struck me like why didn’t I think of that?

When we went to the Santa Claus post office to send some cards back home to family and friends. I also wrote some words of appreciation on a postcard which will be sent to Ms Yeo, our principal back in IJC. After that, me and Ruo Ting paired up and went shopping in the mini shops that were available. I think it was a great bonding time actually because I don’t really know Ruo Ting that much and she is quite the quiet one. I really like shopping with her, she was really fun to shop with and we talked a lot during shopping. I guess that taught me that we cannot really judge someone unless we really know them. 

During the Husky Farm, I like the fact that one a husky has ‘retired’ or too old to bring us humans for rides, they farm would allow them to live on the farm. This shows that the people there love their animals a lot and care for them even though they could not do any work. After the talk, we went on to see puppies and how these puppies, when they were old enough, would be paired up with ‘senior’ husky so that the ‘senior’ husky could teach the young ones on how to bring us humans on the ride. The puppies were really cute and we were told some of them like to steal gloves! That’s quite comical.  

After that, we went to the Artikum, one of the museums in Lapland. The museum showcases a lot about how the people who used to live in Lapland before like the Samis. I like the exhibition on Samis a lot because they are very good in their craftsmen. They are able to weave backets and even make their own national costume and the design on those costume were very detailed and intricate. It is like they are like a fashion designer themselves. I was just amazed at the design and details.   

When I went to this school, I was amazed at the difference in their school and ours. Even though I estimated that the size of the school is much likely the same size as IJC, they were a bit different. Like their classrooms had window blinds and outside their classrooms, they had hooks for them to hang their coats. But other than that their classroom is much like ours.  

I also loved that fact that their school bought art pieces and put it around the whole school when we were given a tour by the students around the school. I like the Pi structure. It is perfect to put something like that around the school compound because it is related to Maths, one of the school subjects and for us also. I also like the 10 different pictures of 2 Finnish actresses that displayed a lot of different faces for different emotions. 

“Hissi” is a silent film which meant the lift. It was my first silent film even though I knew that people like Charlie Charplin had acted in silent movies. I felt that it was very different than the normal movies that we watch which uses a lot of sound effects to make the movies convey emotions and make the movie very much a live. Silent movie to me is very simple but at the same time quite straightforward because the actor was able to use a lot of his face expressions to kind of like explain his feelings and all that. 

On the third day, we went to the St.Lawrence church with the Finnish students. The church reminded me of Temppeliaukio church because they also had organs. The church was quite small but still very beautiful. When I went outside with some of my Finnish friends, some of us were making snow angels and taking pictures. The next thing we knew, we were making snowballs and throwing them at each other. We were having so much fun that actually we only realised that we were playing in the graveyard! I realised that it doesn’t matter where you are but who you are with. We had so much fun that day, it was something that I will always remember. 

During the last day, I felt sad because I felt 3 and a half day session in Tikkurila Lukio wasn’t enough and I wanted more. Like more bonding and more learning should have taken place. But even so, I treasure every bit and every moment there because for me it was the first time that I get to bond and learn from other people who lived on the other side of the world who is almost the same age as me.

I learnt a lot of things from the trip about the people in Europe expecially Finland and their culture, values and beliefs. Firstly, I observed that they put a lot of emphasise on their manners like thank yous and welcomes. I think this it part of their values and culture. They are much more polite and gracious and we should impart that value in our lives. 

I was quite surprised that the students are punctual for class and they would wait patiently for the class to start by sitting on the benches outside. Only one of them was late for class and he apologize and Antti let him in without any further questions. Like in IJC for example in my opinion, I observe that there would be lots of students still coming in to class even though the bell rang like 10 to 15 minutes ago. I think that maybe this could be the difference in self-discipline which could be attributed to the environment they lived in and maybe their upbringing. 

Even when we went to have lunch in their school canteen, we realized that the tables are clean because the students would put away their trays and plates away themselves and arranged it properly in the cleaning trays. This is in contrast in our own school canteen. I have seen students leaving their plates around even though they could actually do put their food plates away. This has invited a lot of hungry birds and in the end we would complained that a lot of birds are flying in and out of the canteen and dirtying the canteen when it was actually us who were responsible for it. 

After going through this trip, I realized and learnt and even grew up in a lot of ways. By going on this trip, it sets me thinking of a lot of things in the world. When I am in Singapore, we could only get to observe the European culture through television screens and other forms of media.

I get to learn what teenagers around my age who lives on the other side of the world usually do, how they behave, how they think and their values. Even though some are definitely contrasting but some are just quite similar. As I experience everyday, I appreciate a lot of things back home like the weather. Even though it was nice to experience different type of weather, at times when it was just overbearingly cold, it reminded me in Singapore when I don’t have to jump around in public just to keep warm. It made me missed Singapore in a way. 

Another was I know that they people in Finland were mostly Catholics or Christians, they have a lot of churches. Even though their churches are breath-taking, however, I appreciate Singapore’s more. In Singapore, there is not only churches but also temples and mosques. In Finland, for major festivals, they get to celebrate only Christmas but we in Singapore should be lucky that we get to enjoy a lot of other cultures and festivals. 

Before we departed from Singapore, we were already kept busy with planning out what we needed to do before, during and after the trip. As part of the team, I brought in ideas and suggestions to improve on. I also attended the mini lessons that Shou Jun gave us on how to upload using html and some basic Photoshop. It wasn’t easy to upload even though I have written the steps down in my notebook or even though Shou Jun had given us instructions for us.  

Throughout the trip, especially since after Shou Jun fell sick, we didn’t want to trouble him more by asking him more questions so me and Teck Beng look up at the instructions and tried to upload the photos and the reflections. Uploading the reflections wasn’t difficult as uploading the photos. There was once when we tried to upload for a lot of times the photos for day 3 and day 4 and the website kept showing us that there was an error. We tried another way and tried zipping it again but the error kept showing up. But somehow, miraculously we manage to upload it. 

Ruo Ting

There are so many cultural differences between Finland and Singapore that it would take me forever to list them out. So I will just highlight those which I find particularly intriguing.  

1. The Finns put their family above all.

I was told that the Finns have a structured working hours system. (for example, the tour bus driver will not work beyond 7pm) I originally thought it was because the Finns are very health conscious people and that they do not wish to overwork themselves. But I was later told that the reason why the Finns knock off on the dot was because they value their “family time”, and do not wish to compromise their time spent with their family due to work. 

2. The Finns do not emphasize as much on monetary achievements.

From the few Finns that I spoke to, I realized that the Finns would rather get a low-paying job doing something they enjoy, as opposed to getting a high-paying job doing something they have absolutely no interest in. I think this differs greatly from the Singaporean society where many, without a doubt, would have chosen the latter. I believe this is something Singaporeans can learn from the Finns.  

When the pilot announced that the plane was touching down in Singapore, I felt a sudden burst on happiness. It may sound a cliché, but that was really how I felt. In retrospect, I think the reason I felt that way was because I knew that I was finally back home in Singapore, where my friends and family are. Even though Finland is a wonderful place, I doubt I will move there if given the chance because I am born and bred in Singapore and it is inevitable that I developed a strong sense of belonging towards Singapore during the many years that I have lived here. I believe that the sense of belonging that I have towards Singapore is what ties me to our country, and what forms the root of the life that I have now. 

Shou Jun

Christmas, while celebrated in most countries, there are quite a bit of similarities and differences. Comparing how most people celebrate in Finland to Singapore, there are similarities in Christmas dinner, where we gather with our relatives to have a sumptuous dinner and exchange gifts. The little difference though, is that in Helsinki, they have people to be Santa (literally and dressed like Santa as well), and give presents to their loved ones and relatives. In Singapore, this is not really common. We have, however, Santa at shopping malls giving out presents to little ones. This has brought some awareness (in me) that while the same kind of festival is celebrated all over the world, it is celebrated differently from place to place, country to country and from race to race. 

Teamwork is what makes or breaks the team. Taking up responsibilities and cooperating with each other will help make the team, but the lack of these would break the team than make it. Throughout the trip, the team has been reminded of this: each and every of our actions has consequences, and as a team, one’s consequences affect the whole team as well. I felt that while most of us do not realize, each small action can snowball into a boulder, causing inconveniences for everyone. Responsibility for both before and during the trip must be taken into account, and failure to do so will drag the team down. I have learnt this, from not preparing well enough and not reporting medical conditions dutifully which caused trouble not only to my teachers, but my team as well. To work as a team, to fulfill everyone’s goals, will bring not only satisfaction, but also bonding. 

Wee Jie

From the places that we have visited, I have learned mainly about the Finnish culture. And I have also learned about their pride, we way they show how much they love their country. I have also learned that the Finnish are very resilient, in the sense that, even after the war, with no one to help them, they are still able and determined to make it out on their on. And through this determination and perseverance, the Finnish people have managed to create a lot out of nothing. They created a unique culture that most countries cannot follow. They created their own government, currency, culture, art and even education system. These are all learning points that every one should learn from. I for one know that if I do falter and fail at any point in my life, I will remember lessons like these, to remind myself to stand up tall and stay strong. 

The Finnish youths are in fact, pretty much like us (Singaporeans). We all go through similar rites of passage as students, study subjects that we do not particularly enjoy, yet some how we all make it through in the end. However, I would say that the Finnish do take pride in the culture a lot. An example was when we were having an interaction session with the Finnish English class; one Finnish student was saying that their chocolates are better than German or Swedish chocolate. I feel that this shows some form of pride by the Finnish students towards their own culture. 

I think from the environment, I have learnt to think differently and dare to be different. I think I get this idea from the Rock Church, Design Forum, Sculptures and their Art pieces. I feel that when the Finnish dares to be different to create something out of nothing. It is not that Singaporeans do not want to be different, but probably, we are more likely to take a wait and see approach. This might be because of our Asian culture that causes us to be very wary of the way people look and think of us. 

However, I do feel a strong sense of rootedness to Singapore. I still love Singapore. I think this trip has made me appreciate Singapore’s unique culture. Like the ‘kiasu-ism’ of Singaporeans. We may not like it, but hey, that is our identity. We may complain a lot, but that is the way, we Singaporeans do things. Ultimately, which ever country I end up in, long term or short term, there will always be a sense of rootedness for me to Singapore. I will return to Singapore because this is where I’m from.