SMA - OSHIMA

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Day 3!

08 October 2013

Today, we had to move from our original accommodation at the Oshima-maru to the Guest House within the school as a typhoon was hitting the shores of Japan. As such, the Oshima-maru could not be docked at the pier and had to be moved out at sea.

During the day, we would tour their school facilities, and getting to know about their simulators and what do they use to enhance their learning.

For the Marine Engineering students, we would tour their engine room simulator. Although their engine room simulator isn’t as nice and up to date as compared to the ones we had in Singapore, we managed to work with a simulator that has a real working engine, and had the rare experience in getting hands in how to handle such a engine, and overcoming with the loud noise made by the engine.

As for the Nautical Studies student, they toured the Bridge Simulator at the school, and managed to get hands on with the route that we would be taking from Oshima to Imabari in two days time! They were able to familiarize themselves with the route, and know where are the hazards points.

In the evening, we had a tea appreciation session, in which we better know how Japanese green tea is brewed in the process of serving their guest. The tea was served alongside a mochi, a Japanese desert.

Collecting our breakfast at the school cafeteria

Tea Appreciation Session!

Oshima Bridge Simulator

Briefing on the route that is going to be taken

Giving an introduction of the SMA to the students at Oshima

Token of appreciation presented from Mr Naung to Professor Park

Joshua and Syahmi in the bridge simulator

Syahmi and Vignesh in the bridge simulator

Sleeping room in the Guest House

Japanese desert

Joshua trying out the bridge simulator

Group photo during english lesson!

Tour Of Hiroshima

07 October 2013
0730: Breakfast
0830: Departure from Oshima College
1030: Arrival at Miyajima; Commences tour at Miyajima
1230-1330: Lunch
1400: Arrival at Hiroshima
1400-1530: Tour of the Hiroshima Peace Museum and A-bomb dome
1530-1900: Free time at Hiroshima
1900: Leaving Hiroshima
2030: Arrival back at College
2030-2200: Free time

We left the college at about 0830, as we headed to Miyajima and Hiroshima later in the afternoon as we have a one day tour around the Western part of Japan.

We arrived at the Miyajima at around 1030 in the morning, and we started our tour by going to the Miyajima Shrine. We would tour the shrine, and took many pictures there as it was a world famous UNESCO site. On our way to the shrine, we even saw many deers along the street!

After the visit of the shrine, we would walk around Miyajima, eating their various local delicacies like strawberry ice mix (something like strawberry ice kacang!), various flavored fish cakes, and the famous Japanese soft ice cream!

We went back to the mainland by boat at about 12, stopping by at a stop area to have lunch before we moved on to the Hiroshima A-bomb dome and the Hiroshima Peace Museum. The Hiroshima A-bomb dome is the remaining shell after Hiroshima was bombed with the first Atomic bomb in 1945, which triggered the end of the Second World War.

We then walked over to the Hiroshima Peace Museum, where many artefacts showed the remaining pieces that were left behind after the bombing of Hiroshima. We also had many learning experiences at the Peace Museum, that we would not be able to learn from school!

We were brought to the shopping street in the evening by the Japanese students, where we had a shopping spree! There were many familiar shops that we would shop at in Singapore, for example, H&M and Daiso. In the evening, we went to a nearby restaurant and have Japanese pancake mix, Okodomiyaki. It was fun as we were able to make the pancake on our own and able to try something which we would not be able to find in Singapore!

And with that, it rounded up our day, before we start to embark on our learning journey!

The Miyajima Shrine

Group Photo of SMA Students

The A-Bomb Dome in Hiroshima

The washing hands tradition at Miyajima Shrine

Group Photo upon returning from Miyajima

The entrance of the Miyajima Shrine

The ferry to Miyajima from mainland

Hiroshima Peace Park

Hiroshima Shopping Street

A view of the A-bomb dome inside the Hiroshima Peace Museum

Students reporting for lesson at the Oshima College

Hiroshima tram

Oshima students at Miyajima Shrine

Group Photo at the A-bomb dome

SMA students at Miyajima Shrine

Entrance of Miyajima Shrine

On the ferry to Miyajima

Okodomiyaki

Miyajima ferry terminal

Hiroshima tram

SMA Students

Oshima students at lunch

Okodomiyaki group!

Lunch!

Group photo at the Miyajima Shrine

Saturday, October 12, 2013

OUR FIRST DAY!!!! (05 October 2013)

05 October 2013
2000: Meet at Changi Airport Terminal 2
2145: Take off from Changi Airport to Haneda International Airport

06 October 2013
0600: Arrival at Haneda International Airport
0740: Take off from Haneda International Airport
0915: Arrival at Fukuoka Domestic Airport, transfer to domestic line to Hakata Station
1041: Leaving Hakata Station on board Shinkansen Sakura 548
1127: Arrival at Tokuyama Station
1200-1230: Lunch
1330: Arrival at Oshima College
1330- 1500: Introduction of Oshima College and Oshima-maru
1530-1700: Badminton
1700: Rest
1800: Dinner
1800- 2200: Rest time

We would begin our 14 hours journey to the Oshima National College Of Maritime Technology from Singapore’s Changi International Airport Terminal at 2145, on board ANA. We would first arrive at Haneda, before we took the domestic flight to Fukuoka Domestic Airport.

Upon arrival at the Fukuoka Airport, we would have to transfer to a domestic subway line, and change to the Shinkensen at the Hakata station before meeting up with the Oshima students at Tokuyama Station.

On our arrival at the Oshima National College of Maritime Technology, we were given time to settle down, and a short tour of the Oshima-maru. We then had a game of badminton as part of bonding activities, before having our dinner!