Mister
Tell us about an experience, in school or out, that caused you to rethink or change your perspective. What impact has this had on you? (Maximum 200 words)
1.I finally moved from Singapore to Tianjin, Northern China after having lived apart from my family for 3 years. In Tianjin, tight financial circumstances and poor timing forfeited all other school options but Tianjin Yinghua International School. I enrolled in to complete Grade 11 and it came not just with the challenge in studies but also with, yet, another kind of separation- staying in the school dormitory and away from the family. I lived with the many fairly fair restrictions and “basic” amenities- dormitory power points were tampered with to ban phone charging and activities. If given a choice, it would not be a life I would sign up for. I tried changing things but the Chinese principal rejected me blankly in the name of tradition breaking and it got me so unhappy. Life there cannot be described as a box of chocolates but through this experience, I learnt what “true obedience to authority” meant. It let me see the obstinacy of my own thinking, breaking rules in the family and ultimately, disobedience to my own parents. It was a learning experience from the outside in, nonetheless, but was also one to stay permanently, in my values
2.Volunteering for a children's sports camp over the summer changed my outlook on life. One sunny afternoon, we decided to go outside and play soccer. The teams were split into volunteers and kids. Though it was unfair, the children faced this with a positive attitude. They actively ran around and chased after ball, trying to score on us. After awhile of playing, I found out that the kids started to develop strategies. They tried to distract us by pretending to be hurt or by running at the leader with the ball at the same time. I was sure that the kids knew their chances of winning were low but they still tried their best to win. When watching this I was amazed by the
1.I finally moved from Singapore to Tianjin, Northern China after having lived apart from my family for 3 years. In Tianjin, tight financial circumstances and poor timing forfeited all other school options but Tianjin Yinghua International School. I enrolled in to complete Grade 11 and it came not just with the challenge in studies but also with, yet, another kind of separation- staying in the school dormitory and away from the family. I lived with the many fairly fair restrictions and “basic” amenities- dormitory power points were tampered with to ban phone charging and activities. If given a choice, it would not be a life I would sign up for. I tried changing things but the Chinese principal rejected me blankly in the name of tradition breaking and it got me so unhappy. Life there cannot be described as a box of chocolates but through this experience, I learnt what “true obedience to authority” meant. It let me see the obstinacy of my own thinking, breaking rules in the family and ultimately, disobedience to my own parents. It was a learning experience from the outside in, nonetheless, but was also one to stay permanently, in my values
2.Volunteering for a children's sports camp over the summer changed my outlook on life. One sunny afternoon, we decided to go outside and play soccer. The teams were split into volunteers and kids. Though it was unfair, the children faced this with a positive attitude. They actively ran around and chased after ball, trying to score on us. After awhile of playing, I found out that the kids started to develop strategies. They tried to distract us by pretending to be hurt or by running at the leader with the ball at the same time. I was sure that the kids knew their chances of winning were low but they still tried their best to win. When watching this I was amazed by the