Today was one of the most exciting and interesting days of the whole trip! Only today, instead of taking the tour bus to all of our destinations, we took public transport around Taipei the whole day, using the metro system in Taiwan. As I travelled to different locations through the Taipei metro system, I realized something striking about the Taiwanese. In Singapore, in places like elevators and crowded places, Singaporeans do not usually queue for buses or trains, but just try to squeeze in as quickly as possible, making movement difficult. But for the Taiwanese, in crowded places, they queue up nicely and orderly, and thus makes moving into the train or up the elevators easy. I feel this is also part of Taiwan's culture, and the Taiwanese are brought up this way, which is good, in my opinion. The public transport is also very similar to Singapore, with different train lines and more of less the same arrangement of seats in the carriage, with a few exceptions. Most of the train services, however, are underground in Taiwan, while in Singapore, train services are above ground. This is one fact I find quite interesting about Taiwan.
Also, Taipei is really quite a large place, as to walk from the metro station to our destination , we really have to walk quite a long distance, whilst in Singapore, stations are very close to each other, and to walk from the station to a destination would not take very long.
The Taiwanese are brought up well in terms of behavior in public spaces. I wonder if this would change in the future, while the economy continuously improves. Meanwhile, in Singapore, would the behavior of Singaporeans change in the future? I think it remind a question yet to be answered, and we will only know in the future.
Friday 30 May 2014
Day5 shuliang
Today, we visited several different places in Taiwan. The one that captures me the most attention was actually traveling by public transport to our various location. i feel that the Stock museum was actually quite boring and the stuffs that they talk to us about are pretty irrelevant, they focused more on the history of stock market in Taiwan, rather than how stocks work and the impacts it gives to the society, so i find it pretty pointless.
The idea of giving us 1 day to travel to our location of interest through public transport was a really unique idea, it allowed us to better understand and experience Taiwan itself, rather than just sitting on a bus, which has practically no interaction with the locals. The railway, or rather the MRT, in Taiwan is rather similar to Singapore. Both are organized, many interchanges and easy assessibilty to different part of the city. The way the commuters board the MRT in the country is different, they normally form a L shape queue before they move in the carriage for a less busy station and something similiar to Singapore when it is in a busier station, which allows commenters to quickly get on and alight.
I would like to see why Taipei is able to have a much more train frequency as compared to Singapore which has lesser lines, but yet longer frequencies although Singapore is considered as a "better developed" country.
- Shu Liang
The idea of giving us 1 day to travel to our location of interest through public transport was a really unique idea, it allowed us to better understand and experience Taiwan itself, rather than just sitting on a bus, which has practically no interaction with the locals. The railway, or rather the MRT, in Taiwan is rather similar to Singapore. Both are organized, many interchanges and easy assessibilty to different part of the city. The way the commuters board the MRT in the country is different, they normally form a L shape queue before they move in the carriage for a less busy station and something similiar to Singapore when it is in a busier station, which allows commenters to quickly get on and alight.
I would like to see why Taipei is able to have a much more train frequency as compared to Singapore which has lesser lines, but yet longer frequencies although Singapore is considered as a "better developed" country.
- Shu Liang
Day 5 - Reflections
Today is the most special day ever. For the past few days, we have been moving from places to places by the bus. However, we used the public transport today! I realised that it is actually pretty similar in Singapore. The train gets pretty crowded when it comes to peak hours. Some of us couldn't even get in the train with us. But one thing I see is that the people there are actually very conscious of their surroundings and is very considerate. For example, the reserved seats are always empty. Also, when it comes to waiting for the train, the people always queued up in front and let the passengers inside alight before boarding. However in Singapore, people are often seen cutting queues and going into the cabin even before people can come out. One really special thing that I observed is the tuition advertisement on the train. I can't help but wonder if the tuition industry has became so scary. Every single corner of Taiwan are covered with advertisement for tuition.
Day5 yongkang
Through today's visit, I learnt more about stocks, which I thought was very complicated. It is actually just investing in a company and they will pay you when they earn money. The abacus course was also enriching, especially the amazing performance where people much younger than us calculates much faster. I also understood the difference between the MRT in Taiwan and in Singapore. In Taiwan, the frequency of trains is very high,yet the distance between stations seems quite near. But there are many exits without escalators which is very rare in Singapore. I wonder will the people still queue up for trains during busy hours in Taiwan, and why not having escalators only for some exits. Today was a unique experience that is tiring, but yet fulfilling.
Thursday 29 May 2014
Day4 yongkang
Through today's visit, I learnt many new concepts in math, such as game theory, I learnt more about tuition in Taiwan and how much can a university change the world. The game theory is very interesting but some part of it is quite hard to understand since there is many assumptions. I also thought that university is just transferring knowledge like any other schools does, but through Dr Feng's talk, I realised that universities plays a very important role in many areas. I also didn't expect tuition to be so common in Taiwan, since there are little tests, but today I realised that because there are little tests, the tests are very very important. The friendliness of Taiwanese is also very heartwarming, the managers in the tuition centre can just briefly talk to us since we will not be their customers, but they really spent a lot of time interacting with us and touring their facilities, which really impressed me. I would like to know more details about game theory, and the students' feeling about tuition since we didn't get the chance to interact with students today. I'd like to introduce Dr Feng's talk to my friends since it is really enriching.
Day4 shuliang
Today, we visited the Tsing Hua university. It was an eye opener as we are able to have the opportunity to experience how a university campus is like and how the students at Taiwan attend the university. I have learn many new skills and ways math can be applied. For example, the game theory was an interesting concept and theory which make more fun and use it on real life applications, the classes were pretty fun too with each of the unique professor giving their presentation. It really was interesting and I can see the usefulness of mathematics. The talk by the VP also gave me new perceptive of how important university are, and the importance of collaborations between universities.
Tuition street was also an interesting perspective, it allowed us to better understand the different culture, like in Taiwan, tuition classes are conducted in a much more bigger class size, it was also a very competitive thing as tuition centres will compete against each other to be the best and have recognition, the students themselves are also competetive to improve their grades. Tuition teachers in Taiwan are highly respected and are highly paid, as compared to Singapore, showing the importance and their emphasis on tuition.
- Shu Liang
Tuition street was also an interesting perspective, it allowed us to better understand the different culture, like in Taiwan, tuition classes are conducted in a much more bigger class size, it was also a very competitive thing as tuition centres will compete against each other to be the best and have recognition, the students themselves are also competetive to improve their grades. Tuition teachers in Taiwan are highly respected and are highly paid, as compared to Singapore, showing the importance and their emphasis on tuition.
- Shu Liang
Day 4 reflections
Today is different from the past few days in Taiwan. Instead of heading to local attractions, we went to the National Tsing Hua University for an immersion program, to learn more about Mathematics. There, we learnt more about the university system in Taiwan, about how certain modules have to be taken and a certain number of courses needed to pass the year and graduate in a certain faculty. In a way, the system is very similar to that in Singapore, as in Singapore, there are also a certain number of credits needed to pass the major that is chosen. It was a surprise to find out that there is no need for students to attend lectures in Taiwan university, as long as the students pass the course, the teacher would not care if the student attended the lecture or not. After that, we were also told that this was the same in Singapore universities. I didn't know about this fact before and thus found it very interesting.
We also learnt more about the Games Theory, whereby logic and knowledge is needed for a best solution to be achieved. An example is the "prisoners dilemma". It was fun to try to think as other people in a set situation. Lastly, at a large tuition centre in Taiwan, I found out that the tuition classes were at a very large scale. As many as 300 and more students attend a same class, like a mass lecture. I was really shocked, as tuition centres in Singapore emphasize a lot on small class sizes. In fact, most tuition centres in Singapore only hold classes of around 20-30 students, and not 10 times as much, like in Taiwan. The students in Taiwan are also very diligent and seem to pay much attention in the big lecture classroom.
One thing I am still unsure of was the mathematical part of the lecture held in the university. The topic taught by a student younger than us was a complicated topic, and even though it was taught in English, I did not really understand the gist of the topic. Another thing is that I wonder how the students do cope with such tuition, tuition homework and school all at the same time.
The tuition centre that we visited was a very interesting visit, as I have never really taken tours around such a large tuition centre before. It was also very surprising to look at all the facilities prepared for the students in the tuition centre, and realize that the Taiwanese do their best to give a best study environment for the students, very much different from in Singapore.
We also learnt more about the Games Theory, whereby logic and knowledge is needed for a best solution to be achieved. An example is the "prisoners dilemma". It was fun to try to think as other people in a set situation. Lastly, at a large tuition centre in Taiwan, I found out that the tuition classes were at a very large scale. As many as 300 and more students attend a same class, like a mass lecture. I was really shocked, as tuition centres in Singapore emphasize a lot on small class sizes. In fact, most tuition centres in Singapore only hold classes of around 20-30 students, and not 10 times as much, like in Taiwan. The students in Taiwan are also very diligent and seem to pay much attention in the big lecture classroom.
One thing I am still unsure of was the mathematical part of the lecture held in the university. The topic taught by a student younger than us was a complicated topic, and even though it was taught in English, I did not really understand the gist of the topic. Another thing is that I wonder how the students do cope with such tuition, tuition homework and school all at the same time.
The tuition centre that we visited was a very interesting visit, as I have never really taken tours around such a large tuition centre before. It was also very surprising to look at all the facilities prepared for the students in the tuition centre, and realize that the Taiwanese do their best to give a best study environment for the students, very much different from in Singapore.
Day 4 - Reflections
Compared to the past few days, today is pretty different. We spent almost the entire day in National Tsing Hua University. We even had lunch there with the students. After dinner, we went to the tuition street and wanted to conduct street survey for the students there. However, as most students are attending lessons, we are unable to do so. After spending a day out there, I learnt a few things.
Firstly, I learnt that there is a few differences between the universities in Taiwan and Singapore. According to the professor, the lecturer in Taiwan is much more friendlier than the lecturers in other countries. Also, the education system is in way more "flexible". For example, during the exam, the student can answer in any language they want. Secondly, I learnt that tuition is very common in Taiwan. There is so much advertisement out there for tuition. I find some of the conditions for the tuition very scary. Almost all tuition lasts for 3 hours. And the fees can sometimes be really expensive. Thirdly, I felt that the students here are much more self disciplined as compared to most of us. The students here can sit down there and study for two hours straight with an occasionally 10 min break. Despite the amount of questions asked today, I still have a few questions in mind. Why is that the students here are so motivated to perform well in exam? And I really want to know how the students felt about having tuition. Is it causing them more stress since they will have more homework. I find the time spent in the tuition centre the most interesting. It is definitely something that I won't see in Singapore. I believe that I will never ever see 300 students in one classroom just to listen to a particular lecturer. They were all so focused and serious... I will definitely share with my friends about this. :D
Wednesday 28 May 2014
Day 3 reflections
Today held many interesting and fun activities for me in Taiwan! We visited a local bank and a pawn shop, and queried about anything we did not know and wanted to find out about these places. Honestly, I did not know that we were just going to be standing at the 'entrance' of the bank and just be asking questions, but it turned out to be okay. I have always wondered how the banks determined the amount of money that is supposed to be exchanged for a fixed unit of foreign currency, and why this amount fluctuated at times. I learnt it was because of demand in the international market, something we did learn about recently in economics. The question had been on my mind a while, and I was glad that I finally realized why.
The pawn shop and the bank I visited, had quite some similarities and differences. The first similarity was that they both needed a permit to run the bank or the pawn shop, according to the laws. And to do that, first, they have to have respectable records, and not have gone bankrupt before. However, in the bank, there is no real need to have a lot of capital to start the bank, but opening a pawn shop requires a large amount of starting capital. Permits for banks cannot be transferred from one party to another, but owners of pawn shops can sell and buy permits from other owners.
In Taiwan, it seems like the banks is very very similar to in Singapore. They have a head 'bank' in both Singapore and Taiwan that regulates the money going in and out, and that also checks and ensures no fake money in the transaction.
We also visited the coca cola plant and the robotics company today. It was a very new and enriching experience, and I especially love seeing in real action the robots move and dance. Technology has progressed a lot and it'll continue improving itself. I enjoyed myself today.
The pawn shop and the bank I visited, had quite some similarities and differences. The first similarity was that they both needed a permit to run the bank or the pawn shop, according to the laws. And to do that, first, they have to have respectable records, and not have gone bankrupt before. However, in the bank, there is no real need to have a lot of capital to start the bank, but opening a pawn shop requires a large amount of starting capital. Permits for banks cannot be transferred from one party to another, but owners of pawn shops can sell and buy permits from other owners.
In Taiwan, it seems like the banks is very very similar to in Singapore. They have a head 'bank' in both Singapore and Taiwan that regulates the money going in and out, and that also checks and ensures no fake money in the transaction.
We also visited the coca cola plant and the robotics company today. It was a very new and enriching experience, and I especially love seeing in real action the robots move and dance. Technology has progressed a lot and it'll continue improving itself. I enjoyed myself today.
Day 3 - Reflections
In the morning, we went to the Taiwan Business Bank and a pawnshop. Unlike the past, today is pretty different as the tour is conducted in a Q and A manner. This allows us to further understand how they operate since we are able to ask them questions. I felt that the Taiwan banks are much more friendlier as compared to the ones in Singapore. In Singapore, I believe that most wouldn't even let students take a look of how they work. Yet in Taiwan, the manager was really nice and friendly. Despite the amount of questions, he answered them all patiently and he always try to make sure that we can understand him. Although the structures of the bank are rather similar, the requirements of entering this industry is rather different. I spotted a few similarities. For example, north banks provided the same service of loaning, montage and investments. Yet, the difference in requirement is pretty different. According to the manager, it is not necessary to have a strong math background. Instead, it is the theory exam that they have to go through that is really important. Also, before coming for this trip, I always have thus question in mind: where does the bank store their money? Today, I finally got the answer! In Taiwan, they had this 中央银行 who is in charge of all the banks. All the money will be sent there and will be stored and check regularly. The visit to the pawnshop is also really interesting. The boss there showed us a few equipments that is used to check the quality of the diamond or gold. He also told us that in the past, pawnshop is usually found in the alley rather than somewhere so open. This is because of the conservative thinking of the Chinese - if they are caught pawning something, they will 'lose face'. I think this is one of the difference I spotted. In Singapore, pawnshop is pretty common to find. Also, in Singapore, the pawnshops do not accept cars and motors. Yet in Taiwan, they accept almost everything as long as it is not a house or a living object. But what really impress me is how the pawnshop operates despite the high risk involved. Almost everything is based on experience and I find this pretty risky. What if you make a wrong judgement? The pawnshop might just close down.
All in all, I really enjoy the visit to the bank and the pawnshop today. This is something that I definitely can't learn from the textbook. :D
All in all, I really enjoy the visit to the bank and the pawnshop today. This is something that I definitely can't learn from the textbook. :D
Day3 shuliang
Different in the way bank and a pawn shop works, and the way they are between Singapore.
Today was one of the more fruitful and enjoyable trip so far in Taiwan. I have learnt many new knowledge and stuffs during the visits to various organization, the ones that really interest me most is the Pawn shop and bank visit in the morning. The guides there were really interesting and try to engage and answer our question to the fullest although its most probably their first time doing such a tour. I have learnt how a bank actually works, how is earn and loses money, what the various service they provide, and the requirement needed to get in. At the same time, it also allow me to compare with Singapore the difference in the bank structure, although most are the same, the requirement to get a job in a bank is actually different from Singapore and Taiwan.
The pawn shop was also an interesting highlight, as an 16 year old, my perspective of a pawn shop was always as a secretive place that adults do not like to go, and its actually inauspicious to go to a pawn shop. After today's trip, I've learn what service the pawn shop actually provide and how they actually operate and earn money. It seems like for a pawn shop owner, its not an easy job to do and there are many risks to take, but it helps you to be street smart and able to deal with and work with random people.
overall, i think that today's trip was an experiential with a good mix of fun and learning, i had a totally wrong perception of the bank visit and it actually to be better than expected.
- Shu Liang
Today was one of the more fruitful and enjoyable trip so far in Taiwan. I have learnt many new knowledge and stuffs during the visits to various organization, the ones that really interest me most is the Pawn shop and bank visit in the morning. The guides there were really interesting and try to engage and answer our question to the fullest although its most probably their first time doing such a tour. I have learnt how a bank actually works, how is earn and loses money, what the various service they provide, and the requirement needed to get in. At the same time, it also allow me to compare with Singapore the difference in the bank structure, although most are the same, the requirement to get a job in a bank is actually different from Singapore and Taiwan.
The pawn shop was also an interesting highlight, as an 16 year old, my perspective of a pawn shop was always as a secretive place that adults do not like to go, and its actually inauspicious to go to a pawn shop. After today's trip, I've learn what service the pawn shop actually provide and how they actually operate and earn money. It seems like for a pawn shop owner, its not an easy job to do and there are many risks to take, but it helps you to be street smart and able to deal with and work with random people.
overall, i think that today's trip was an experiential with a good mix of fun and learning, i had a totally wrong perception of the bank visit and it actually to be better than expected.
- Shu Liang
Day3 yongkang
Through today's visit, I learnt about how the banks earn money and how are they regulated, I learnt the difference between pawnshops in Singapore as compared to Taiwan,also learnt how advanced technology is nowadays. Singapore's pawnshops are wide spread and are counters are enclosed with metal bars. While pawnshops in Taiwan have a 'closer' feeling with the customers with just a window. Taiwan pawnshops also accept cars and motorcycles which are hardly accepted in Singapore. For banks, Taiwan allows student groups to visit while Singapore just declined, making Taiwan have a more friendly impression to me. I want to know that how does the pawnshop find a suitable price, since if the price is lower, the customer needs to pay lesser interest when claiming back their goods, while setting higher will cause the shop to earn lesser. I also want to know if the country secretly prints money and transfer it to the market will it still cause inflation? The visit to the robot factory is very interesting as it involves interaction, which is very outstanding from the other exhibition style places.
Tuesday 27 May 2014
Day2 shuliang
The National Space Organization visit at HsinChu science and Industrial Park. It was one of the most interesting site as personally, I am very interested in Aerospace engineering and even attended courses on it, this trips allowed me open a bigger perspective of Aerospace, it taught us something that I've never really heard before, testing reliability of satellite before it is launched into orbit. The park exhibition where it highlights the various technology that HsinChu park has develop is pretty interesting too, but I think that most of the stuffs there are either too complicated and pointless to use since most of the items are a tweak to the current technology and some of the gadgets there are actually more readily available in different sources (scanning apps on phone, rather than bring a portable scanning machine, which actually really takes up quite a lot it space ), or they are unrealistic as it is just a improvement to the current technology by adding more flexibility and redundant functions to it.
This experience for today doesn't really change my thinking about mathematics but rather about physics, i have learn that physics is really important and can be really applied and useful to everywhere around us. E.G. Aerospace engineering at DNSO, Electrical engineering and computer engineering at the Technological park, which is a large component that the Science park concentrates on, and also the physics of structural integrity and momentum in the Taipei 101 which allowed such a tall building to be standing high and proud even though its in a earthquake zone
- Shu Liang
This experience for today doesn't really change my thinking about mathematics but rather about physics, i have learn that physics is really important and can be really applied and useful to everywhere around us. E.G. Aerospace engineering at DNSO, Electrical engineering and computer engineering at the Technological park, which is a large component that the Science park concentrates on, and also the physics of structural integrity and momentum in the Taipei 101 which allowed such a tall building to be standing high and proud even though its in a earthquake zone
- Shu Liang
Day 2 - Reflections
I would define the high point as the memorable memory of the day. To me, the high point of my day is definitely the time I spent in Taipei 101. Taipei 101 is the world's second highest buildings. It is also one of the most stable building ever constructed. But what really interests me is the world fastest elevator. It travels at a speed of 1010m per minute which means we can reached the 89th floor in only 37 seconds. Equipped with the most advance high-tech components, they obtained the world record for being the fastest! Other than this fascinating lift, I can't help but wonder how a tall building like this can be build in an area that has frequent earthquakes. I heard that the way it is shaped actually helps it to build resistant against the vibrations during earthquakes. Also, to prevent movement due to strong wind, there is a damper suspended from the 92nd floor to the 87th floor. The damper reduced the intensity of the vibrations and thus, preventing any offset movement. At this point of time, I think math is pretty useful, even in real life. Without the background of math, I don't think Taipei 101 can even exists since it requires much accuracy. The background knowledge of math is indeed useful expect ally in the case of constructions. :)
Day 2 reflections
Today is the second day of my visit to Taiwan! Today, we visited many of the more famous landmarks in Taipei. Some of them include the Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park, the NARLabs - department of National space organization, Taipei 101, and the last item of today, the Shida night market.
The most memorable visit was to the national space organization. There, I learned a lot about the topic 'space'. Topics such as how satellites are constructed and tested to allow smooth flight into space, what they are used for, and 'space junk' were broached. Through this experience, I had to think about a subject I have never touched in my life, thus allowing me to learn more about this subject, and also, learn how mathematics and physics such as 'gravity' is shown in real life situations. How big a satellite should be, and it's orbit is all precisely calculated using mathematics. Though this, I learned that mathematics is indeed a useful tool in real life.
A very well known landmark of Taiwan, Taipei 101, is surprisingly also constructed using mathematics and physics. In Taipei 101, a damper is used to reduce the impact of natural disasters on the tall tower. The tip of the tower is also edged, to reduce the strength of the wind at high altitudes.
Today has been a very interesting and fulfilling day. Looking forward to the following days.
The most memorable visit was to the national space organization. There, I learned a lot about the topic 'space'. Topics such as how satellites are constructed and tested to allow smooth flight into space, what they are used for, and 'space junk' were broached. Through this experience, I had to think about a subject I have never touched in my life, thus allowing me to learn more about this subject, and also, learn how mathematics and physics such as 'gravity' is shown in real life situations. How big a satellite should be, and it's orbit is all precisely calculated using mathematics. Though this, I learned that mathematics is indeed a useful tool in real life.
A very well known landmark of Taiwan, Taipei 101, is surprisingly also constructed using mathematics and physics. In Taipei 101, a damper is used to reduce the impact of natural disasters on the tall tower. The tip of the tower is also edged, to reduce the strength of the wind at high altitudes.
Today has been a very interesting and fulfilling day. Looking forward to the following days.
Day2 yongkang
The advancing technology really amazed me, seeing portable scanners with wifi, 'dancing music' with 70+LED lights and Singapore's power in astronomical area. The world's fastest elevator also took us 80+levels up with only 37 seconds.
But the most surprising part, is that I can hardly find a dustbin when we were at 师大夜市, but more surprisingly, the floor is very clean! Everybody holds on to their rubbish until they see a dustbin, but what I do not understand is why don't they install more dustbins? It might make the place abit unclean but it will be much more convenient. Still, I respect Taiwanese for their responsibility that they really want to protect their environment from the heart. Previously, I thought mathematics is only useful when doing questions, but today, I have seen how it influences everything in our life. A slight error in the astronomy industry means a satellite will be unable to complete its mission and a huge sum of money will be wasted.
But the most surprising part, is that I can hardly find a dustbin when we were at 师大夜市, but more surprisingly, the floor is very clean! Everybody holds on to their rubbish until they see a dustbin, but what I do not understand is why don't they install more dustbins? It might make the place abit unclean but it will be much more convenient. Still, I respect Taiwanese for their responsibility that they really want to protect their environment from the heart. Previously, I thought mathematics is only useful when doing questions, but today, I have seen how it influences everything in our life. A slight error in the astronomy industry means a satellite will be unable to complete its mission and a huge sum of money will be wasted.
Monday 26 May 2014
Day 1 reflections
I used to think that
a) In Taiwan, there are more small individual houses and very few tall buildings.
b) The common language that is spoken is Chinese and Cantonese.
I know that there are many night markets in Taiwan
I think that Mathematics as a subject is very interesting and useful in application to real life situations.
As I arrive in Taiwan on my first day here with my batchmates, I realize that Taiwan is in fact very similar to singapore, with many tall buildings in the city area of Taipei, and yet, Taiwan seems like a more traditional kind of place, with many local dishes and food, in different areas of the city. I'm sure I'll enjoy the coming few days here in Taiwan!
a) In Taiwan, there are more small individual houses and very few tall buildings.
b) The common language that is spoken is Chinese and Cantonese.
I know that there are many night markets in Taiwan
I think that Mathematics as a subject is very interesting and useful in application to real life situations.
As I arrive in Taiwan on my first day here with my batchmates, I realize that Taiwan is in fact very similar to singapore, with many tall buildings in the city area of Taipei, and yet, Taiwan seems like a more traditional kind of place, with many local dishes and food, in different areas of the city. I'm sure I'll enjoy the coming few days here in Taiwan!
Day 1 - Reflections
Before going to Taiwan, I heard about the slashing incident and all those tragic that happened. I am kind of worried at the start. But oh well, we can't simply avoid going overseas. I mean, life goes on no matter what, right? Besides, I heard that Taiwan is an interesting country and they have been really accepting towards most tourists. And I really want to feel the difference in the culture between Taiwan and Singapore. :D I used to find math useless because we don't exactly use them in our daily life. We don't use trigo in the supermarket, do we? :D
After a day in Taiwan, I felt so happy that I came for this trip. Everything have been pretty awesome so far. I like how Taiwan encourages recycling. For example, most stores here don't give plastic bags for free. You have to pay for every plastic bag you used. Also, the people here are really warm and nice. When we were roaming around at 淡水老街, a few people told us that we shouldn't be roaming around at this time and etc. These small acts of kindness really make my day. :D
After a day in Taiwan, I felt so happy that I came for this trip. Everything have been pretty awesome so far. I like how Taiwan encourages recycling. For example, most stores here don't give plastic bags for free. You have to pay for every plastic bag you used. Also, the people here are really warm and nice. When we were roaming around at 淡水老街, a few people told us that we shouldn't be roaming around at this time and etc. These small acts of kindness really make my day. :D
Day 1 reflection shuliang
I feel that Taiwan is a country that has many deeply rooted culture in it. It also has many delicacies and various products as seen in the 淡水街. I really am looking forward to the next 5 days as we get to explore deeper into Taiwan and its Science and Technology impacts. Surprisingly, the weather is pretty similiar between Taiwan and Singapore and that that the local delicacies are also a result of mix culture.
- Shu Liang
- Shu Liang
Day 1 reflection yongkang
I used to think
Taiwan only uses traditional Chinese
Taiwan's street is full of foods
Taiwan is technological advanced
Mathematics can only be useful in school
Welcome to Taiwan
I feel excited about the next few days of our journey.
It is a beautiful and diversified place.
Both have both eastern and western foods
Both have similar weather
Singapore seems to be more organised to some extend in terms of formation of streets
Taiwan only uses traditional Chinese
Taiwan's street is full of foods
Taiwan is technological advanced
Mathematics can only be useful in school
Welcome to Taiwan
I feel excited about the next few days of our journey.
It is a beautiful and diversified place.
Both have both eastern and western foods
Both have similar weather
Singapore seems to be more organised to some extend in terms of formation of streets
Saturday 24 May 2014
Individual shuliang
I wish to forge more friendship during this trip. Since it's the first time i am going to Taiwan, it would be interesting to understand their culture and ethics. At the same time, we can also learn more about how Mathematics can be applied into real life.
- Shu Liang
- Shu Liang
Individual
I hope that through this trip, I would forge friendships with people other than my classmates or squad mates. Also, I wish to see how math can be applied in real life in terms of technology, banking and etc. But most importantly, I wish to experience the difference in culture of Singapore and Taiwan. Since they are really different, I believe that there will be drastic contrast between SG and TW. :D
Thursday 22 May 2014
Individual
I wish to learn more about how math is applied in real life , in areas such as banking and technology. Also how different is math used in Singapore as compared to Taiwan, and if there are any difference in the standard of math we are learning as compared to them.
Monday 19 May 2014
HTC
It is formerly known as High Tech Computer Corporation. It is the one of leading brand for smartphone in Taiwan and the Asian region. Ranked the 98th top brand in the Interbrand's Best Global Brands 2011 report. However, its market share have fallen to below 3 percent since the entrance of strong competitors such as Apple into the market. This has in turn caused a devaluation of the company, with its stock prices falling by 90% since 2011.
Even so, it remains the largest player in the ICT sector of Taiwanese's economy, which contributes 6% of Taiwan total GDP.
Even so, it remains the largest player in the ICT sector of Taiwanese's economy, which contributes 6% of Taiwan total GDP.
Gigabyte
GIGABYTE Electronics is a Taiwan-based manufacturer of computer hardware products best known for its motherboards. Actually, more of electronics is involved than mathematics. Since they are manufacturers of computer parts like mother board, they need integral skill to be able to perform the job functions correctly. For example, engineers will need to be able to calculate algorithms to ensure that software programs function most efficiently.
Math in tecnology
In the modern days, banks uses very advanced technology in different areas,such as the counting system. The math algorithms used to calculate is also complicated. The area of astronomy of course involves more math. With a little off in calculation, a spaceship might never go into the space.
Sunday 18 May 2014
Individual
Pre-trip
Some background information on
a) Hsinchu science and industrial park
Taiwan’s technology sector is concentrated in the 50-mile industrial area linking Taipei to the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park. The Hsinchu region, like Silicon Valley, appears as an exemplar of Marshallian external economies, in which the localization of skill, specialized materials and inputs, and technological know-how generate cost reductions for individual firms and increasing returns to the region as a whole.
The Hsinchu Science and industrial park was launched for a few purposes; revitalize the country's economic growth, to establish its indigenous high-tech base, and to slow down the (then) serious brain drain problem. It was made to model after Silicon Valley in California, and has since become the "Silicon Valley of the East".
Over the years, the science park has expanded into six different areas: from the park that takes its name, as well as Zhunan (竹南園區), Yilan (宜蘭園區), Longtan (龍潭園區), Tonglou (銅鑼園區) and Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park (新竹生物醫學園區) — that span a total area of nearly 1,400 hectares.
The park has helped made Taiwan's high-tech industry famous worldwide, and houses many Taiwanese heavyweights (technology based companies). These companies are best known for their top-notch manufacturing and design.
b) NARLABS - Department of National space organization
National Space Organization (NSPO) of the National Applied Research (NAR) laboratories was established in 1991 and is the sole institute that takes charge of the execution of the national space program and the development of space technology in Taiwan.
NSPO have actively implemented to become the center of innovation and excellence for the space technology through the development of satellite programs. They have assumed responsibility for providing the technological R&D platforms needed by Taiwan's innovation economy.
a) Hsinchu science and industrial park
Taiwan’s technology sector is concentrated in the 50-mile industrial area linking Taipei to the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park. The Hsinchu region, like Silicon Valley, appears as an exemplar of Marshallian external economies, in which the localization of skill, specialized materials and inputs, and technological know-how generate cost reductions for individual firms and increasing returns to the region as a whole.
The Hsinchu Science and industrial park was launched for a few purposes; revitalize the country's economic growth, to establish its indigenous high-tech base, and to slow down the (then) serious brain drain problem. It was made to model after Silicon Valley in California, and has since become the "Silicon Valley of the East".
Over the years, the science park has expanded into six different areas: from the park that takes its name, as well as Zhunan (竹南園區), Yilan (宜蘭園區), Longtan (龍潭園區), Tonglou (銅鑼園區) and Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park (新竹生物醫學園區) — that span a total area of nearly 1,400 hectares.
The park has helped made Taiwan's high-tech industry famous worldwide, and houses many Taiwanese heavyweights (technology based companies). These companies are best known for their top-notch manufacturing and design.
b) NARLABS - Department of National space organization
National Space Organization (NSPO) of the National Applied Research (NAR) laboratories was established in 1991 and is the sole institute that takes charge of the execution of the national space program and the development of space technology in Taiwan.
NSPO have actively implemented to become the center of innovation and excellence for the space technology through the development of satellite programs. They have assumed responsibility for providing the technological R&D platforms needed by Taiwan's innovation economy.
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