Final visit to HuShu School

We wanted our final visit to HuShu School to be a memorable and fruitful one. As such, we had prepared beforehand a couple of dance items for the students to learn. Hearing from their teachers that they loved dancing to pop and kid songs, the songs “Baby Shark” and “一起身芭舞” were selected. The students enjoyed learning the dance moves step by step and also the interaction with us. Some moves included shaking the arms, clapping and running around.

Not only were the students having fun, they also managed to engage their teachers to join them. The song “一起身芭舞” was the next segment of the dance which required a pair effort. The students needed to find a partner so that they could hold hands and dance during the chorus of the song. It was an excellent sight to see that they were dancing to the beat and having fun. As the songs ended, they cheered and were applauded for giving their best efforts during the dance. Not only were the teachers proud of them, the students also gave everyone hi-fives!

As a parting gift to the school and the students, our group gave out sweets, biscuits and pencils as a momento. We took a group photo before thanking everyone for having us over the past 3 weeks. Thank you HuShu School and see you next time!

Geely Volvo TaiZhou Production Plant Visit

Following up from last week’s trip to HangZhou’s Geely headquarters, we were given the opportunity to visit Geely Volvo’s Production plant. Though it was a 5 hour ride to TaiZhou, the scenery en route to the destination was extremely beautiful. We passed by numeral hills and went through many tunnels. On the horizon, we could see the mountain ridges 50km away and small towns scattered along the countryside. It was not only peaceful, but also a respite from the busy city life.

Upon reaching the plant, we were greeted by Jimmy Chen. He is one of the 5 employees that started with the TaiZhou Production plant back in 2010. Back then, due to intense competition in the automobile trade and also starting a new plant from scratch, he described the struggles that the company had gone through. However, they persisted and thoroughly deserved the success that the Geely Volvo plant has today. Though there were many ups and downs during their journey, they now stand as one of the fastest growing automobile companies in the world.

Jimmy gave us a tour around the plant where we got to see the production chain of a car. This starts from the combined effort of all the employees who first combine the engine, gears and support of the car. Next, windows, frame and seats are added. Geely utilizes a Just In Time (JIT) method where cars are produced based on the demand of the customers. Some cars that were produced were special orders which meant that they had maybe a customized frame, frame colour or engine. Afterwards, we saw how each car had to undergo stress tests that ranged from speed to durability. Not only was the production process very efficient, it was also extremely organized. We all got to take home a Volvo lanyard with us as a souvenir. It was indeed a day well spent!

Happy Holidays!

The dragon boat festival is here! Besides eating dumplings and watching dragon boat races/activities along Xihu, we decided to venture to Long Jing Chun. Situated just 3km away from Xihu lake, Long Jing Chun has a long history of tea planting which dates back to 1500 AD. Known for its high grade and flavorful tea leaves, the leaves are split into 3 grades dependent on the date of each harvest of leaves. The tea hills owned by the locals can take tourists 5-30 minutes to complete the route depending on the height of each hill.

Walking up, though it was hot and tiring, we could see up-close the beauty in each tea shrub. Moreover, the multitude of terraces on each hill around us where the tea shrubs grow further amplifies the beauty of Long Jing Chun. The place is also home to domesticated cats who take care of their owner’s property and prevent any deft fingers from taking away tea leaves!

At the top of the hill, the overwhelming scenery will impress any individual. Looking down at the valley, one can see Long Jing Village. Surrounding the village are endless greenery and tea terraces. An excellent viewpoint sits at one of the walking paths that gives a bird’s eye view of Xihu and Xihu’s waterfront district at the horizon! Though they may not have dumplings here, but we managed to get a sip of Long Jing’s tea on this adventurous day!