Triston

Pre-Trip Reflections @Changi Airport:

1.   How do you feel about the upcoming trip?

I was very enthusiastic about this upcoming trip as I was looking forward to the events in the itinerary.

2.   3 Things that I am looking forward to

I am looking forward to experiencing the exhibits in Tech Dome as I read it was very educational.

I am also eager to go to the observatories as it is my first time being in one.

Lastly, I look forward to learning more about the Penang food.

3.   3 things I hope to learn from Penang

Penang’s culture, stars and constellations, and new science topics covered in the Tech Dome.

4.   3 things I hope to learn from my friends

Leadership, teamwork, communication

5.   3 things I hope to learn about myself

My weaknesses and how I should improve, how independent I am, and my level of curiosity for science

6.   3 challenges I give myself

Try new food in Penang. Being more independent. Experience exhibits in the Tech Dome.

7.   What are my expectations of Penang?

A food paradise and a beautiful place as there are many observatories there.

Reflections(Day 1):

Thinking back over the day what I valued most was star gazing at the observatory. We were all familiarising ourselves with the telescopes there and neighbouring stars and even galaxies. I valued this particular event the most was because I had even seen stars and let alone our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda. One of the things that surprised me was how powerful the telescopes were as we were able to see another galaxy light years away.Something I have found out about myself is that I will learn more if I stay curious. I believe that as long as we are interested in a certain topic, we will be more curious and eager to learn more. When I heard what the others in my group thought I was surprised because I did not know they were so knowledgeable about stars.In the future I would like to know more about stars and admire the beauty of our universe.

View of Andromeda from DSLR camera looking into a telescope

Reflections(Day 2):

Thinking back over the day what I valued most was the Tech Dome. The Tech Dome consists of many exhibitions related to science. The reason why I valued Tech Dome the most was that Tech Dome has many interesting exhibits that I had never seen in other discovery centres and these exhibits allowed me to learn many new science concepts. One of the things that surprised me today was the sun flares and sunspots seen through the telescopes at the observatory in Tech Dome. I was amazed how the sun flares react and also at the material around the sunspots that created a spiral shape. I believe that experiencing the science is one of the best ways to learn the science concepts behinds it. When I heard what the others in my group thought I was amazed at how interested they were about the sun the craters on the moon. In the future, I would like to experience more of these science exhibits to get to know more about science concepts

Telescope at Tech Dome

Reflections(Day 3):

Thinking back over the day what I valued most was the invention exhibition. The invention exhibit came from Taiwan which showcases a lot of different interesting inventions, which includes equipment like swiss knifes and much more. Another event I valued equally is the invention exhibits that showcases many new and exciting exhibits.One of the things that surprised me was how much technique is needed to do the wall climb in the Tech Dome as I always thought to climb faster pure strength is needed. I learn best when there is an element of fun and competitiveness, like in the challenge in the invention exhibition. I believe that even without the equipment, people who enjoy star gazing can still follow their passion but starting small, like taking positions of the sun every day to track its positioning. In the future, I would like to visit other places with beautiful night skies.

Invention Exhibition at Tech Dome

Reflections(Day 4):

Thinking back over the day what I valued most was going to George Town as I get to achieve one of my goals for this trip, which is to know more about Penang’s history and culture. George Town is rich with culture and history because it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and buildings cannot be demolished. One of the things that surprised how George Town has a rich history, dating back to 1500s. I really admire the way how our tour guide, Mr Norman, knew so much about the History behind George Town and even Buddhism even though he’s not Buddhist. I believe that we should keep an open mind to learn more. When I heard what the others in my group thought I was surprised because of how interested they were in Buddhism even though some of them are not of the same religion. In the future I would like to learn about cultures of other countries.