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Arrived at Oriental Land, had dinner at the Multi-Function hall and had the chance to meet the rest of the campers.
We were placed in individual team groups where members from all countries showed friendliness and had the chance to contribute. Groups were tasked to design a group’s unique flag. Our Chinese group leader always included all members in activities and would occasionally make conversations to get to know us better.
After lunch we toured around Oriental Land to complete activities or visit places with a photo or video as evidence. We played this 4 hour scavenger hunt activity in assigned groups and made our way throughout the park using four wheeled and four person bicycles. The weather was very hot which affected the fun in the activity in a small way, but trying different activities and bonding with our group was worth it very much.
Our last activity of the day was to experience Chinese Opera culture and try traditional dresses. Some Chinese Opera performers visited and showed us some very impressive plays. We then designed and painted our own face masks as part of experiencing the culture that uses colour specified masks for their plays. Afterwards we were given traditional dresses that everyone enjoyed trying on; we all interacted and took photos. It was a night filled with chatter, smile, and laughs, a good way to end the day.
After breakfast we arrived in Zhujiajiao ancient water town and visited an ancient family home. We toured around town in our respective groups viewing beautiful, captivating lake and waters. Service boats offered rides along the lake which made the town glow in culture. The structure of the buildings and shops had a blend of modern and traditional. What I enjoyed the most was the view of the town whenever we walked up the bridges going across the lake. The unique and outstanding of Zhujiajiao left an incredible memory that I won’t forget so easily. I’m excited to visit the town again soon in the future.
Some professional martial artists gave an outstanding performance showing all types of martial arts, gentle, strong, loud, complicated, and simple. Two martial artists partnered to teach us a choreography. Tayla from WA and I practiced the choreography many more times than the rest because we wanted to memorise and get it perfect. The activity ended with all groups performing their choreography.
Our last activity was to paint our theme show on nations. We didn’t have much practise on drawing the things we were going to put on the painting beforehand, but in the end we finished our painting beautifully and we were very proud of the outcome.
We were taught how to do paper cutting and were then given time to create a picture on our own. Afterwards we departed to Shanghai Natural History Museum to explore the museum in our own chosen groups. I wandered through the whole museum looking at all the artefacts and animals. One of my favourite things was a 360 projector room that played a film of animal life in the deep water ocean; where I felt that I was underwater with the sea creatures. The museum was a great experience and everything was so aesthetic. After exploring the museum, we met with our host families that we were soon going to be spending time with for two nights and one day.
My host girl had classes so I met her dad instead and then finally met her at her cousin’s place where we would be staying because her house was small. We bonded firstly by playing Minecraft and connecting worlds. We then talked about our interests and music that we like. For dinner my host girl and her dad took me to a Chinese restaurant where they chose delicious food for us to eat. When we got back to their place, I was introduced to my host girl’s family. They presented me with gifts and welcomed me very warmly. We stayed up late that night, bonding together with her cousin playing Uno, Chinese chess and other board games.
The morning with my host families, was very refreshing with a sleep in. Around noon, we made our way to Jing ‘An Temple. We used the underground railway station, which I enjoyed as the subways were air conditioned which was nice. I had never been to a temple before so my host dad toured me around and even let me pray. Afterwards we walked around visiting malls and arcades, bought some fast foods and stopped at a restaurant.
We played basketball for around 3-4 hours at a public indoor court and my host girl’s friends invited us to have dinner with them afterwards. While eating, one of her friends would put some food on my plate for me to try. I was new, and I felt like a child again which made me feel very shy, but the friends started conversing with me and asked basic questions and often very random questions that even made everyone laugh. I enjoyed the whole day with my family as it was full of new things and wows. The laughter at the end of the day made it a very good memory that I know if I think about it again in the future, I will smile just as I did with them.
After breakfast, my host family took me again to a mall to buy some shoes, as I commented that I planned on buying them to use for an activity later that day. My host girl also helped me with my Chinese, she taught me how to pronounce them properly and how to write the characters the correct way. She then started writing a poem by Li Bian, a famous poet in China, called Zeng Wang Lun. LI Bian wrote this poem for his friend (Wang Lun) for Li Bian was going away leaving behind his friend, but as he was he hears faint sounds of stomping and singing. He then sees a pond as deep as a thousand feet, but he then compares that his friendship with Wang Lun was even deeper than that pond. When my host girl translated the poem to me, she then said that Li Bian was me and Wang Lun was her. I was leaving, but it didn’t matter because our friendship was already very deep that we won’t ever forget about each other. After having heard her say that, I felt the sadness and realization that my time with my host family was nearing to an end.
It was time to go back to the camp, and my host girl and her dad drove me back. She and I then met up with our chaperone and the rest of the Australian group. We spent our time on our hotel room, bonding and playing Uno while waiting for dinner and to go to a cruise trip along Huangpu River. It was a celebration night to say goodbye to our host families and to see the beautiful night view of Shanghai.
We were back to the camp schedule and our activity was to visit Shanghai’s tallest building, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. We travelled up to a very high section that had a glass floor. It was scary to walk on it at first, because once I take the first step I felt like there was no glass and I would just keep falling and falling. The view up in the tower was spectacular! You could see all of Shanghai and the mother river cutting across the city.
We then visited Shanghai’s History Development Museum. Inside it had the development or vehicles and forms of transportation. They also had replicas of buildings and houses in China and the most interesting of all was the wax models of the Chinese people throughout the generations. The models were protected by a wall so could not go very close to them, but we saw a wax model of a homeless man that was only behind a short gate. We got to take a selfie with him and I even tried holding his hand. The wax models look so realistic but if you touch them, they are like jelly. It was very different and weird.
When we finished seeing the museum, we had lunch in a Coca-Cola restaurant. Then we travelled to another destination where we would have our Theme Show on Nations Presentation and Free Market. We had brought so many items for the free market, everyone wanted a stuffed koala or kangaroo, and they tried the lollies on the table and finished all the ANZAC biscuits. One of the main things was also the Aussie tattoos. After the free market, we watched a movie/documentary about Shanghai, its history and tourist attractions
By the time we got back to the hotel, it was time for dinner. However afterwards we went off to Tianzifang where they let us roam about the area to try the food being sold and most importantly, shopping for the things we wanted.
I wandered around on my own, and I couldn’t help to appreciate the beautiful structure of the buildings and how simple the roads were designed. The sellers were particularly kind, because they knew I was a foreigner. It was a very calming and healing time for me, just walking around and enjoying my surrounding
After breakfast, we travelled for 2-3 hours to Yanshan Deep Water Port which gave an amazing view of the ocean as well as the land. We could only stay there for a short while, because travelling there took so long and we still had a schedule. We then arrived at Maritime Museum, where we got to watch clips of Pacific Rim in 4D. It was my first time watching in 4D, so I wasn’t anticipating what would happen. When the chairs started to move and water was sprayed on us, it gave me quite a shock. But when the chair suddenly poked our back, I let out a very loud scream. The 4D movie experience was very thrilling and I definitely want to try it again. We were then given time to wander the museum on our own and I spent that with Cameron looking at the artefacts and relaxing.
This day was the last time we were paired with our selected groups and we visited Shanghai Zoo. Group Nine went straight to see the panda first. Then afterwards we explored more looking at the deer, zebras, and elephants. Then we went to the reptile zone and monkey zone.
The next activity was to visit Changning Folk Culture Center. Still in our groups, we went from room to room and waiting inside were teachers to help us and teach us things for the activity in the room. The first activity we tried was paper ripping, it was similar to paper cutting however you don’t use scissors at all; instead you rip the pattern you want. In another room, we were given a fan and on the table were paint brushes and paint. They told to feel free and draw whatever we wanted on the fan, and they gave us half an hour to paint. Next, some people from the groups were chosen to wear clothing that Chinese people would wear in a traditional wedding. The people dressed up then marched around the room’s short hall with the pretend bride being carried in these traditional little houses. Our last activity taught us how to make a five knot bracelet. It took me multiple tries to get the knot perfect; in the end the teacher did it for me. I’m still wearing that bracelet now.
After dinner, we departed to Shanghai Centre Theatre to watch an Acrobatic Show. The show was incredibly impressive and the performers were doing many dangerous stunts that they successfully portrayed. The show was absolutely worth the time and the applause that we gave throughout.
We had one last activity before the Closing Ceremony and start packing our luggage. We went touring in the Old City; it was similar to Tianzifang as it had shops in everywhere building. But another thing it was famous for was the old landmarks that it had and it’s building. We saw a temple there, and a large pond with a bridge, in the pond were hundreds of fishes, tiny and big.
After wandering the old city, we went back to the hotel, we practiced for our closing ceremony performance and then we rested for a bit. The girls in the OZ group thought we should sight see more, so we did. Our chaperone took us to a shopping near Jing ‘An Temple, but we had to rush back to the hotel so we ended up not buying anything.
We got back just in time to change into our camp shirts and went to the ceremony. Our country was one of the first to perform which was both good and bad. Good because after our performance we could just relax and watch the rest of the countries. Bad because we didn’t practice enough and we were all nervous. I believe that we did very well, we made a few mistakes but we were not the only ones. Thinking about it now, just makes me laugh.
Everyone performed very well; most of us sang, some danced and even acted. The last to perform was China, we ended with the song What Makes You Beautiful and made all the campers go up the stage to sing and dance with them. When the song finished, everyone started talking and got each other up on stage, being noisy as usual. Until I saw that some started to cry. I was on my own just looking at everyone say goodbye when I saw a friend that I had just started getting close to crying, I went to hug her and found myself bursting into tears as well. Time was a gift as it let us cry, laugh and smile together up on the stage that night. Then it became an enemy when the night grew darker and late.
The Shanghai International Youth Interactive Friendship Camp of 2017 is an experience that is very hard to forget. Once I came back to Australia, it felt like those ten days of hot sun, bilingual people and unforgettable sights; were all a dream. It was then that I realised that time went by way too quickly and it made me wish that I had bonded more with the friends I made. I highly recommend attending this camp when you get the chance. It’s a once in a lifetime experience that will change your life and the way you live forever.
I am extremely thankful and will be forever grateful to the staff and volunteers of SPAFFC and the Shanghai Youth Federation for the wonderfully warm welcome and close attention that was paid to us during our time at the camp.
Thank you also to ACFS for choosing me to participate in this wonderful opportunity.
