At the break of dawn, we left the Stratford Travelodge in our
coach for one of the greenest sixth form campuses in London. This fresh campus
belongs to Gumley House Convent School, where we visited for a day of cultural
exchange with English students of our age.
During the one hour coach ride, Mr. Chee Kam provided a crash
course on how to properly appreciate and critique the plays we watched over the
past days. My takeaway is a 3 step guide on how to achieve this - by analyzing
the plays' set, costume and lighting.
Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Gumley House's staff, the
Assistant Head Teacher Mrs. Windmill, Director of Specialisms Ms. Roberts, as well
as their Head Teacher, Mrs. Kolczynska. Mrs. Windmill began our day by
introducing to us their school's culture, curriculum and various activities
they have been participating in. From her presentation, we learnt that the
172-year-old Gumley House has been actively involved in international
conferences such as the Women of the World Festival (WOW) and has also hosted
their own conferences such as the Globalization Conference 2013 to prepare
their students for the changing needs of today's society.
Following that, the moment we were waiting for arrived. We were
finally given an opportunity to interact with the sixth form students of Gumley
House Convent. Our group of Saints were split up into two separate groups to
attend either a Sociology or Geography class. In the Sociology class, we were
all made to rank the importance of our different family members. The different
priorities between Singaporean and English students were an interesting
observation made by us. On the other hand, the Geography class engaged in an
intense debate on three aspects of globalization - branding, technology and the
environmental impact. In this debate,
our students paired up with the Gumley House students and debated against them.
After getting well acquainted with our sparring partners, we headed over to
their school library for more light-hearted activities. All of us were
inquisitive of each other’s' cultures and way of life. Some of us were stunned
that the popular bubbletea we drink locally was also available in London, and
the Gumley House students were envious that Singaporean McDonald's provides
deliveries, a service they are unable to enjoy and a privilege that we take for
granted.
On the same subject of food, a feast greeted us after our various
activities. The kind Gumley hospitality included a tasty array of sandwiches,
cakes, fruit and sushi. Gumley House's staff even personally served us tea and
coffee.
After we filled our stomachs, we headed to another block within
the campus to help a group of "professional journalists" with their
news report projects. A group of Year 7 students greeted us with vibrant smiles
as we entered the room where we were interviewed as part of their Integrated
Learning Programme. Cameras were set up, questions on Singapore were prepared
for us and we were treated like celebrities. They possessed the zest, energy
and enthusiasm that some of us teenagers seem to have misplaced. Thankfully,
they restored it back in me and these 12-year-olds have been the most memorable
group of people on this trip for me thus far. We concluded the day at Gumley
House Convent with a gift exchange session, when we presented to them our
personalized gift of a collection of twenty- five postcards handmade by
us. In turn we received a bag of
exclusive Gumley merchandise which contained several postcards, stationery and
a pin badge. However, all good things come to an end, and we departed from
Gumley House Convent feeling sentimental.
The next stop of the day was the Victoria & Albert Museum
(V&A). On the coach ride to the destination, Mr Chee Kam enriched us with
yet another insightful discussion about how literature can be applied to real life.
He stated that Literature is the very study of the way of life and it equips us
with lenses of different perspectives in which we use to explore the world as
it is. The importance of improving our language and writing skills were
underscored, and we realized that the role of literature in our lives are much
more prominent than we thought.
Feeling inspired and enlightened, we finally arrived at the
V&A Museum. Founded in 1852, it was named after Queen and Prince Albert and
is the world's largest museum of art and design. Containing 5000 years of
history, it spans a diversity of collections/cultures/periods in history. We visited the Edwardian, Victorian and
post-war period exhibitions and galleries. Several people in our group
enjoyed the exquisite greek statues while others were more inclined towards the
museum’s extensive gift shop.
Right afterwards, we took the Tube, alighted at Aldgate East
Station and walked along the streets of Brick Lane. Now entering a 'dodgier' part
of London, we stopped at an Indian restaurant, the Standard Balti House. After the
naan feast, we came to a consensus that that was one of the best Indian meals
we’ve ever had. We then took the Tube back to Stratford Travelodge and
concluded with an early night.
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