东游记

大家好，我是来自南洋理工学院的李玫锦，是第八届汉语桥世界大学生中文比赛新加坡赛区的二等奖。之前，我只是个普通的理工学院生，直到参加了第八届汉语桥世界大学生中文比赛，我的人生才起了变化。当初参加这个比赛时，只有一个很单纯的想法，就是想要重新站在台上，把好久没弹奏的古筝表演，再次呈现给观众。可能因为对自己的汉语水平还蛮有信心的，所以早就已经有预感能进入决赛。因此，心里早有安排，初赛的时候弹奏古筝名曲《丰收锣鼓》，决赛则用我自创的古筝独奏曲《红颜怨君》。

我从13岁便开始学习古筝，至今已有8、9年的时间。虽然途中有停顿过一段日子，可是还好底子够深，所以只要稍加练习，还是能把曲子弹好。无论是初赛还是决赛，让我压力最大的不是古筝演奏，而是中文演讲。虽然从小到大，我都是学校里的“华文资优生”，但是到了理工学院后，可能因为不常接触到与华文相关的事物，因此中文水平已大不如前。在这样的情况下，要我一人扛起演讲的包袱，自然也变成了一件困难的事。难的不是我的咬字发音，而是在这么多人面前进行演讲的压迫感。也因为学校对我的期望，加上我内心莫名的压力，导致原本信心满满的我，在决赛时，因过度紧张，严重忘词。我还记得，比赛过后，我的导师告诉我的第一句话就是：“你太紧张了”。没错，我是太紧张了，后来得了二等奖，便一直责怪自己。责怪自己的理由不是因为没能得到一等奖，而是对自己演讲时的表现感到失望。

《红颜怨君》原本是我在中学时期，为了校内举行的古筝比赛，而创作的古筝合奏曲。当时，由于我的组员不合作，导致这首歌曲没能好好的发挥，因此我们输了。那一直是我的遗憾，因为这是我第一首古筝创作，却因为其他因素而没获得好评。参加汉语桥比赛时，我心想，或许这是一个机会，让更多人听到我的古筝创作，也同时为我争一口气，证明我的创作不是垃圾。在得知我进入决赛后，我便赶紧把《红颜怨君》重新谱曲，把更多的技巧加入曲中，写成古筝独奏曲。那时的压力真得很大，因为离决赛只有短短几天的时间，就算及时把曲子写好，也未必有时间能练习。还好“皇天不负有心人”，《红颜怨君》的独奏版在2天之内完成，在决赛时更受到了评判和观众的青睐。那时的我由衷感觉到，得不得奖已无所谓，最重要的是，我的古筝创作已受到了肯定。对我来说，那是多么令人感动的小小成就。

本以为美好的比赛结束过后，我就会恢复到原来枯燥乏味的生活，可是令人惊喜的是，我居然获选到中国参加“第八届汉语桥夏令营”，进行比赛观摩与当地文化体验。当我获知这个消息后，真的感到欣喜若狂，马上又感觉我的人生又重新亮起来了。这个夏令营一共有来自58个不同国家的大学生，观摩夏令营的人数可说是极为壮观。虽然夏令营和我学校的毕业专题作业会有冲突，可是我还是坚持要参加这个夏令营。感激的是，尽管可能会发生毕业专题作业未能准时完成的问题，我的负责老师仍然批准我到中国参加这个难得的夏令营。

通过这个夏令营，我学到了不少知识，也看透了一些原本想不通的问题。例如，新加坡学生在选读科系时，往往会把利益放在最前端，根本不会考虑自己是否真的喜欢。不过，汉语桥夏令营的学生，却令我感到佩服。大部分参加这个夏令营的营员都是念中文系的，可是当我问他们为什么会选择读汉语时，他们给我的答案，即平凡却单纯。他们说，会选择念中文系，是因为他们热爱汉语。我听到这样的回答时，心里除了无比的感动，还是感动。他们不是华人，汉语水平也不高，但是他们却一点也不担心这张中文系大学文凭将来到底能不能帮助到他们的事业。对于他们来说，能够单纯地享受学习汉语的快乐，才是最为重要的。说真的，我好羡慕他们，因为新加坡人缺乏的，就是这种对学习“敢爱敢恨”的精神。这群异国朋友，也让我深深地感受到，我们不应该一味地追求那些我们自己认为是有用的文凭，而是应该追逐我们真正喜爱的知识。夏令营结束之后，虽然我已经回到了祖国，可是我的心却仍然停留在夏令营的点点回忆，脑子里也不断想着异国朋友们跟我说过的话。我和这群朋友们到现在还是有联络，而且也得知他们都会陆续地到中国留学。看到好朋友们都在努力地朝未来前进，我心里满是羡慕。听他们说，国外留学生申请奖学金到中国念书都不那么难。这又到了现实的问题，因为新加坡学生要申请奖学金到国外念书，成绩都得很出色才行。虽然眼前的路看起来困难重重，可是我不会放弃，我也要好好努力，争取到国外念书的机会！这次我绝对不会再放弃自己的理想！最后，由衷地感谢中国汉办，感谢南洋理工大学孔子学院，感谢通商中国；没有你们的话，我就没有机会能够参与汉语桥，也不会领悟到这么多我从未想过的事情。真的非常感谢你们！

九月五日，我告别了家园，第一次来到了这片神州大地。。。

上海。

一个喧闹的城市，一个不夜城，一个不管是步伐还是节奏都非一般的城市，一个根本不靠近任何海域的城市。。。

老实说，来上海之前，我对上海的认识就仅仅停留在蔡琴 那首‘不夜城’的歌词里。

而下飞机的那一霎那，我简直是‘傻眼’了。迎接我的不是许文强那‘上海滩’般的社会而却是文明的高楼大厦。这简直就似新加坡！在某一个程度上，上海的文化，上海的市场，甚至是上海的经济都可以媲美新加坡！

如果说新加坡是花园城市，那上海绝对是‘包’的国度！不管是菜包，叉烧包，大肉包甚至是小笼包都是非一般的！就拿小笼包来说，上海就有蟹肉小笼，鲜肉小笼，咸蛋黄小笼…你能想到的，他们绝对都在菜单上。不仅如此，一笼招牌小笼包（六粒）只需要$1.5新元！！我特别介绍国定路的那间德龙馆！ 实在是赞！（不好意思，谈到食物，我特别的激动！若是要到上海，我可以为你们充当美食导游！）

撇开上海非一般的食物，我在这里认识的朋友也绝对是非一般的！首先，与我同宿舍房间的是一位韩国朋友。虽然，他没有韩剧那一般的梦幻但他的人简直是赞！他会在中秋节里送我月饼，在重阳节里送我重阳糕，在旅游时买特产给我！（对不起，又牵涉到食物上去）。

或许，新加坡人之间有一种说不上的默契,我在这里最要好的朋友也全都是新加坡人。一个新加坡人或许不起眼，但一群新加坡人却是非一般的‘狂野’！当我们聚在一起时，中国人的目光时不时就往我们这里扫视。我们甚至可以无聊到为自己取绰号（eg. 鱿鱼，bimbo etc)。我的绰号是水母，或许是因为较懒而头脑就如水母般不灵光。对于这样的绰号，我实在不介意因为与他们相比，我简直是望尘莫及！他们非一般的知识（不管是在社会学、国史、法学或是医学)，非一般的口才（不管老师在课堂上发任何的问题都能招架得住；就算是‘酸’人、吵架时也头头是道，句句刺中要害，绝不让步）都是可圈可点的！说实在的，他们那份执著，那份勇于追求梦想的勇气是我非常钦佩的！

这趟上海之旅实在是让我长进了不少，开阔了我的视野。我认为没有人能否认在经济发展中，中国这条巨龙已经觉醒了。如果我们要乘搭中国这辆金融快车，我们必须了解她的文化以及实情而上海绝对是第一站。读万卷书，不如行万里路，如果真的要了解中国的实情，最好的方法就莫过于亲身体会了！

－－CLing网站启用仪式与青年论坛

18 July 2009 

照片 Photos

来宾抵达

开场表演：Skye Sirena 演唱

通商中国总裁杨莉明女士致欢迎辞

四名本地音乐人许环良、李思菘、小寒和陈迪雅与在场观众交流，分享了自己在中国为音乐事业打拼的经验。

调酒师现场演绎CLing 饮料花式调酒表演

李总理品尝CLing无酒精鸡尾酒饮料

司仪小猪与坚文

CLing 网站启动仪式

李显龙总理上台“应考”，连闯三关，答对三道有关中国的常识题，才正式启动网站。

本地乐团“红毛派”现场演唱华语歌曲

林俊杰如何红到中国？本地音乐人大揭密

通商中国和omy将联合主办一个青年论坛，邀请本地四位知名音乐制作人和歌手－－许环良、小寒、李偲菘和陈迪雅，与青年学子分享本地流行音乐人向外发展的心路历程。欢迎中学至大专院校的学生，以及有兴趣的工作人士报名参加。报名截止日期是7月13日。

刚获颁新加坡杰出青年奖的本地歌坛小天王林俊杰，也是深受中国大陆歌迷喜爱的本地歌手之一。英校背景出身的他，如何在中国、台湾、香港闯出一番事业？

除了林俊杰，本地流行音乐界的多位歌手和创作者，例如孙燕姿、蔡健雅、陈洁仪、阿杜、小寒、黄韵仁等等，也在大中华地区交出了令人瞩目的成绩单。

本地流行音乐人才备出，他们到大中华地区发展，需要具备什么样的条件？一首创作或一个歌手面对新、中、港、台四地，会有什么不同的策略或主打重点？本地年轻人要在中国大陆展拳脚，会面对什么挑战和困难，又有什么优势和机遇？

通商中国和omy将联合主办一个青年论坛，邀请本地四位知名音乐制作人和歌手－－许环良、小寒、李偲菘和陈迪雅，与青年学子分享本地流行音乐人向外发展的心路历程。论坛的主题是“红到中国，难不难－－谈新加坡流行音乐走出去”，欢迎中学至大专院校的学生，以及有兴趣的工作人士报名参加。

青年论坛是“CLing乐在其中”的活动之一。当天的另一项重点活动，是通商中国和omy携手合作的华文学习网站CLing的启用仪式。启用仪式将由我国总理李显龙主持，他也将参与中文堂游戏挑战，回答有关华文语文与现代中国相关的问题。同时，李总理也将和与会者分享学习华文华语的心得。

CLing乐在其中－－CLing网站启用仪式与青年论坛

日期：7月18日（星期六）

时间：2.30pm-5.30pm

地点：Dragonfly, St. James Power Station

入场：免费

报名：点击这里下载报名表格 (Word Document)

报名截止日期：7月13日（星期一）

http://showbiz.omy.sg/Showbiz/E-News/Story/OMYStory200907091425-73759.html

My NTU China Shanghai Immersion 2007

一眨眼，两年飞逝而过，回想起当初踏上 NTU Global Immersion Programme 是我这一生最难忘的美好记忆。2007 年就读NTU 的我，一听说有机会能够到中国实习，心情无比的兴奋。

中国的崛起是这个世纪的重点。有机会亲身的体验，亲眼见识中国的改革开放，那是非常难得的机遇。我带着期待和兴奋的心情，提呈了申请表格。周遭的朋友很惊讶我何以唯独选择到中国实习， 而放弃了在新加坡公司实习的机会。

得到幸运女神的庇佑，或许也和我积极的态度有关，终于让我成功争取到去上海实习的良机。在长宜机场， 我轻轻挥手向家人告别，带上既兴奋又紧张的心情踏上了我的中国东游记。

抵达上海，耸立的高楼大厦默默地迎接我们的到来。繁华都市景观，有规律的城市发展，让我心里燃起一丝丝佩服之情。我们住进了上海火车站附近的公寓。那栋楼面向苏州河，空气清新；环境优雅。白天举目可见上海的老百姓漫步在公园里，夜里挨家挨户的灯光，呈现出一副美丽的夜景。

最初几天，我们很兴奋地到处探索新环境。 周围有什么小吃店和附近有什么公交车我们都牢牢并清楚地记在脑海里。哈哈！我们已经逐步开始融入上海社会咯！

在公司实习的日子印象难忘。我很幸运遇见了一批很好的同事。他们皆非常亲切友善，把两地的文化差异化为乌有，让我有宾至如归之感。大伙儿的办公手法接近，少了摩擦，多了友谊。下班后，我们一起打网球、做运动。我也有机会到公司的厂房看了生产线的运作。那里的工人，每天勤劳工作14 小时但是薪水相当微薄，心理骤然泛起对他们的丝丝同情和些许的不平。 治理一个庞大的地区，真的很不容易，社会阶级的不平等，多少也会被忽略。

六个月的实习，我们也借机走遍了大江南北，如杭州，无锡，浙江，南京，北京。 这些地方都给我们留下了许多美好的回忆。下次我将一一细说。

光阴如箭，我在上海的学习走到了一个歇息站。为何不说是重点站呢?因为我觉得我与中国的缘分未尽。这一次宝贵的学习经验，不只丰富了我的人生，我也学会了如何独立生活，待人处事有一套正确的方针，对于分析事物观点和积极学习的生活态度，也一定的层面。这些知识不出现在学校的课本里，它潜伏在我们生活的点点滴滴！

上海的探索之旅，开拓了我的视野，增长了我的见闻。生活中的美，在于如何运用我们的知识与智慧。

苏州河

谢宇昇先生

Haha I went to inner Mongolia on the dragon boat festive break. Went there with Beijing GIP people because Peijie was there. On the first day, we went to the grassland. Oh, it was cold, really cold. The period we went was supposed to be summer already, but I was wearing a jacket with 2 t shirts inside and still feeling cold. The grass wasn’t as good as we expected it to be. There wasn’t really much grass actually. But I liked the fact that there were a lot of animals there. Haha a big fat black pig, sheep running around, horses and camel and chicken. I thought it was sorta cool cos it gave me a very rural feeling, something like staying in a village. Because we rarely see all these stuff in city life and haha there was horse shit all over the grassland, it was like landmines everywhere. It was true that the grass wasn’t to my expectations. But I still thought it was kinda cool, to come to inner Mongolia, to see the grassland and most of all to live in a Mongolia hut. I mean, how many people get the chance to see grassland, how many people get to go inner Mongolia. That’s why I felt it was a totally different experience. We went horse riding also on the first day. Haha I thought that was really fun too. In fact 4 hours of horse riding, till my butt hurt.
At first I was still quite scared, when the horse ran faster , I was so afraid it would go out of control and I would start panicking. Ha but hours of training made me a more confident rider, such that in the end I actually wanted the horse to run faster cos it was more fun that way.

I loved the second day the most, cos we went to the desert. I thought this was really cool, a lot a lot more cool than the grassland. I was quite impressed with the desert actually. We went sandsliding and camel riding. I thought this was the crux of the whole trip, cos frankly speaking, if I didn’t come china, the possibility of me coming to a desert would be quite low. I’m not trying to promote gip and get people to come. But frankly speaking, how many people have actually gone to a desert before. I got the chance to go this time cos it wasn’t exactly that far from Tianjin so it wasn’t that expensive. If I didn’t come china, the possibility of me travelling to come to a desert would be quite low, cos with air tics and stuff it would be quite expensive.

I thought the third day wasn’t that great, cos it was visiting the city area and stuff. And well, all cities are relatively the same. I mean, I went to xi an city, Tianjin city, Beijing city, inner Mongolia city. I think the difference between all of them weren’t that great. Well, cities would always be cities.

In conclusion, I quite enjoyed the journey. Cos I also achieved my motive of meeting up with peijie. The four of us, me, xz, peijie, Carmen all went to 4 different parts of china and in the end only me and peijie met up. One main reason I enjoyed this trip was cos I got to meet up with her. And because we stayed in the same room, we had a lot heart to heart talks and catching up. It was like spending quite a lot of quality time and I thought it was quite cool. Meeting up with an old friend. But of cos, there were disappointments too. I thought the Mongolia hut wasn’t that cool cos it was too commercialized, very different from the one I thought. Cos it wasn’t the one that normal inner Mongolians live in. In fact, there were beds and toilet inside. It was more like a hotel actually. I thought there was no point that way, cos we wouldn’t be able to experience the true inner Mongolian lifestyle. The camp fire at night and the grassland also wasn’t as great as I thought.

But overall, I enjoyed the trip and truly feel that it is a must go trip. If not for anything, go to see the desert and grassland. I mean, how many people get to see these stuff in their lifetimes. I think that it quite a experience.

The road at chang chen was not entirely just bricks and steps, there were several parts of changchen that was mountainous regions. Actually to think back, it was quite dangerous, because for those mountainous regions, the pathway was quite narrow, and once you fall off, you really fall off the hill. Plus when we went, the snow haven’t melt, so many parts were quite slippery. However, i still felt the trip was rather worth it.
The second day, we went to pan shan. 乾隆说过：早知有盘山， 何必下江南. ha true, the scenery at pan shan was really quite beautiful. I took quite a lot of photos too. Ha we started climbing at 9 then we reached at 3 pm. ha imagine if we were to climb up and climb down, how long that would take…
For the 2 days we stayed at ji xian, we stayed at a place called 农家院. these places are quite common in rural places of china. the farmers rent out their rooms to tourists for a few nights. They charge you price and they cook for you 3 meals and provide you a place to stay in and hot water to bath in. I feel one should go stay in nong jia yuan because its cheap and another thing is that, its part of the china experience. cos its something different, waking up to the calls of chicken and seeing ducks running around. and dont worry, its not really very run down, they have the basic facilities. you do have toilets and beds to sleep in. when i say toilet i mean toilet bowl, not some shit hole, so its not really very run down

When we first came to tianjin, about 1 month later after we reached, we went to a place called ji xian. Its a place at the northern part of tianjin, quite far from the place we live in. The whole trip was just two days and we went during the weekends. First day, we went to 长城. ever since i came here, i’ve heard people talked about chang chen here in tianjin, and i was rather bewildered cos i always thought chang chen should be in beijing. But then now i know that it is a misconception. There is chang chen in all parts of china, its just that beijing’s is more developed as a tourist attraction.

Once we alighted at the bus station of ji xian, there were a lot of people outside asking if you want to go this place , want to go that place. Then they give you a price, if you’re ok with it, they will send you to that place. Or they can help you plan your itinery also, bringing you to this or that place for a certain price. People like these are rather common in china , i observed.

When we went chang chen, we were the only people at the tourist attraction. My colleagues told me it was because we went at the non peak period, people normally go when all the flowers bloom cos its nicer. When we went, the weather was still very cold, because the snow still havent melt. Howver i enjoyed the experience, in fact i was amazed and astonished when i saw chang chen. I went to beijing’s chang chen few months later too but i prefered tianjin’s. Maybe becos it is less developed, thats why i feel it is more original and natural. Things that are too commercialised and developed tend to lose their beauty. And maybe it was also because there was only us on the whole mountain, thats why i felt the whole journey was alot more serene and peaceful, it was like we bought the mountain. I enjoyed the experience quite a lot and in fact that was the first time i really climbed a mountain, unless you consider bukit timah a mountain. It was tiring but there was a sense of accomplisement. Many of my colleagues felt we go at the wrong season, and when they saw the photos, they didnt feel the trip was worth it. Maybe it is because they are used to seeing scenery like that. We singaporeans however dont get to see stuff like these, cos all we see are buildings. and singapore is so small.

Initially when I signed up for GIP, it was because all my friends wanted to go Shanghai. So I was thinking of joining in the fun because it seemed pretty fun to go on exchange with a group of close friends. What more, to a brand new place and country. Therefore, when I knew I was going to Tianjin, I had second thoughts. Firstly, it was because Tianjin didn’t sound that interesting. As in, when people mention china, how many of them would mention Tianjin, people normally know china by Beijing and shanghai.

Ha so it was with this mentality that I embarked on the trip. Time flies and I’ve been here for near 2 months. These two months I can say I learnt some stuff. When I came here for 2 weeks, I lost 2000 rmb. That day was because I went shopping with a colleague and then she left early. So I walked alone for couple of  hours. And maybe it was because I brought too much money along with me, people one look know I foreigner and so I was targeted. After I came here, I lost my scarf too and my handphone was spoiled after it dropped on the floor. Can say a lot of things happened to me.   But then I think it’s a good experience and a chance to learn. Cos it reflects that a lot of times I am not vigilant enough about the surroundings, or in layman terms blur. That’s why I feel by coming china, a place so far from home, and being away from home for 6 mths, I can truly learn to be more independent and how to better take care of myself.

We came in a group of 15 people. 4 of us staying in Tianjin university and 11 of us staying in TEDA, an economic zone in Tianjin. I am staying in TEDA and because there are many of us in TEDA, it is very fun. We hang out a lot together. During weekends, when we have no work, we go out and play together. We also take dinner together everyday, and sometimes after work , we would go each other’s house to drink, play majong and stuff. I feel lucky that there is this big group of us, because it makes things a lot more fun. If there are only 3, 4 of us, I believe life would be a lot more boring. I believe this 6 months would  be a good chance to forge close friendships. Within a group of people, there are bound to be differences, because everyone comes from a different background and have different mindsets. Therefore, I feel this is a good chance also to learn how to get along with people admidst the differences. That is a lesson very valuable in life.

We went travelling to a lot of places within these 2 months also. We went out of Tianjin to a place called shi jia zhuang, that is the hometown of my colleague. Then we went great wall in Tianjin too and went climb a mountain called pan shan. Do not be surprised that Tianjin has a great wall, actually a lot of places in China have great wall too, not only Beijing. In total, I climbed 3 mountains already because we climbed a mountain in shi jia zhuang and great wall is also actually a mountain. I feel that ever since I came here, I became a more adventurous girl. Before I came china, the only mountain I ever climbed was bukit timah, and frankly speaking, if you go and climb china’s mountain and compare it to ours, ours really is just a slope. It is a totally different experience. We took 6 hours just to get to the top of the mountain. I think if we walked down also, we would take really half a day to finish the trip.

I am going Beijing next week to meet my parents, so till then I shall share more…….

FY

“东游记”之取经分享会
“Go East” Preparatory Workshop

22 January 2009

照片 Photos

 Emcee Collin Xie
司仪谢定倡

Prof Er Meng Hwa giving a welcome address
余明华教授致欢迎词

SingCham Executive Director Mr Koh Chin Yee sharing on the social norms and cultures in China
中国新加坡商会执行总监许振义先生与学生分享中国的社交准则及文化

 
Q&A…
问答时间

Former GIP (Jul to Dec 08) participant Miss Lin Weiqi sharing on her personal experience.
全球教育计划的前见习生(2008年7月至12月)林玮琪小姐与学生分享自身经验。

 
Thank you Mr Koh for the interesting sharing.
谢谢许总监有趣的分享。

 
Thank you Weiqi for sharing with us photos and video.
感谢玮琪与大家分享照片与录像。

Group photo…BC Youth Sub-committee members, Mr Koh Chin Yee and Business China CEO Mr Sam Tan
通商中国总裁陈振泉先生、许总监与通商中国青年工作小组委员的全体照