Our Final Words…

Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.’

Theodore Roosevelt (1858 – 1919),

26^th US President (1901 -1 909).

Roosevelt has captured our learning experiences so succinctly during these past 10 days. We can dream, imagine, visualize, recreate new landscapes and relive experiences, as if we are present in that harsh environment, lived there in that period of time, and engaged with all our five senses in those special moments. We must never underestimate the potential and power for possibilities that lies in the human mind, the most fundamental tool we have at hand for learning deeply and richly. It is only through the mind that we are able to get glimpses into the past, to live the lives of people worlds apart and in different realms of time from us.

On this journey, we have walked the hallways of the House of Seven Gables, sat on the pathway outside and saw, felt, smelt and touched the falling autumn leaves… it was amazing!

We have treaded the footprints of the early pioneers, and through their eyes, saw the many challenges that they were faced with when settling down in New England. Salem in New England was beautiful and is not all that doom and gloom, but having endured the cold winds and rain there ourselves, we can understand why neighbours behaved the way they did in Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ and resorted to blaming others for practising  witchcraft; at the very least, it ensured their own survival.

We have dreamt of being a Harvard, MIT or Columbia scholar, our feet on the ground but with dreams and hopes high up in the air. In all the different places we went to and through the various learning activities, we have imagined our lives differently…We feel and empathize with Raoul’s deep grief and anguish when Christine leaves him in ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, we feel Ben Stiller’s exhilaration as he runs around when the characters of the Natural History Museum come alive in ‘The Night at the Museum’.

But most importantly, this journey has shown the resilience of the human mind and spirit and its innate ability to overcome setbacks and still venture forth to learn. When faced with Hurricane Sandy’s arrival and her disastrous aftermath, our minds constantly being assaulted by the visual images we see on the TV in the hotel, and what we hear, what did we choose to do? With our feet planted on the ground, we chose to compile collages, draw images and symbols, sketch scenes and write poems and stories based on all our sensorial experiences and observations of what was unfolding before us. And the human mind tells you that life goes on, no matter what … The lessons are endless, we only need search for the gems behind them.

We sincerely hope you have learnt as much as we have from this journey. Thank you for being our travel companions!

Love,

TEAM USA 2012

Day 8 - Heritage trail of NYC

America's most famous icon-the Statue of Liberty 

A group photo at the  Brooklyn bridge 

Doing reflections at Dubai Airport during our seven hour transit 

Think, think, think...

Day 8 - A National Education lesson through Hurricane Sandy

Sandy affected many people in New York City. When the hurricane attacked, houses were damaged, the power supply was cut off and food supply was limited. In the hotel where we stayed, we came across a lady who had to temporarily stay there as there was no electricity in her home. Where the marathons were concerned, the efforts of the people who were training was wasted as the marathon eventually did not materialise. High schools were closed. As a result, we were unable to visit Eleanor Roosevelt High School as planned.

Despite what happened, the New Yorkers did not allow this matter to dampen their spirits. The sales personnel still say "Hi" with a smile; and the others whom we run into also seemed rather positive.

~Aqilah, 4/2

I can still remember the first time we heard about Sandy. It was the night we reached the hotel in Boston. However, little did I know how grave the situation was an the impact it would have on our trip as well as the people in New York City. Every morning, I would see images of Hurricane Sandy on the television and news updates about how Sandy has disrupted the lives of the people. The news reporters would be at the scene and I saw huge, strong destructive waves that uproot trees. For us, we had to stay indoors on one of the days. We were also unable to visit Ellis Island, the high school and the United Nations tour. The houses in New Jersey were damaged and subways were flooded. Shops had to be closed due to the cut in power supply.

The people whom we met did not complain about their fate and came across as rather hardy. They carried on with their duties and remained upbeat.

If Hurricane Sandy had hit Singapore, everyone here might have been in a state of panic and would probably take a very long time to adapt. We might be too concerned about our losses instead of moving on. For me, I feel that even though natural disasters rarely hit Singapore, we need to be mentally prepared and develop the resilience to overcome the odds.

~Kylie Chia, 3/8

Hurricane Sandy has not only disrupted the lives of the United States but our Literature journey's itinerary. In certain cities of the United States, it was so serious that lives were lost and homes, destroyed. The roads, pavements and houses were also flooded. Many people were affected and forced to evacuate.

Not only were the lives of the locals affected, our plans too had to be changed. We did not manage to have the United Nations tour, Ellis Island or conduct the exchange with the high school. However, our teachers and tour guides handled the situation very well as were able to visit other famous and educational spots such as Empire State Building.

~Aqilah, 4/3

Day 8 - "There can be no greater issue than conservation in this country."

Why do you think the U.S. government spends so much on conservation?

The U.S. government spends so much on conservation to allow their future generation to know about their past and tradition. It can also be used for tourism purposes. People would come just to see these special, old buildings as they are rich in history and tradition. Also, President Theodore Roosevelt says that conservation is essential as it could prevent wildlife and plants from facing extinction. When animals and plants become extinct, it could impact the eco-system. 

America keeps old monuments and buildings as a way to show the next generation the buildings that they treasure such as the museum which is steeped in history. 

~Aqilah, 4/2


I think it is because conserving is much cheaper than tearing down or destroying buildings. Refusing to tear down these old buildings could also mean that they are full of history and valuable. Hence, the U.S. government spends so much money to conserve them.

~Rong Xian, 3/8

The US government spends so much on conservation to allow their future generation to know about the past. This gives them a sense of identity and vicariously, a sense of solidarity. It will also give a boost to tourism. People would come just to see these old buildings as they hold so much historical significance.

~Ashley Tan Si Hui, 3/8

With the decreasing biodiversity of the place, it is of key importance to protect what remaining things we have left ion Earth. Because they want a future for their children, conservation is definitely important, especially in a place like New York City where concrete and steel buildings triumph over plants.

~Goh Muxi, 3/8

Is this necessary? Should the Singapore government do the same? Include your thoughts, and feelings.

Singapore frequently destroys old buildings to make way for new ones due to our limited land. Singapore, unlike USA, does not refurbish important monumental buildings and preserve those which could potentially give us a sense of solidarity and identity. An example would be the Kallang Stadium. Although they are renewing the stadium, it cannot be said to hold the same historical value as its original building. I feel that the Singapore government should make a concerted effort to keep certain monuments and perhaps refurbish them as I would like to show my children and grandchildren the heritage of our country. 

~Aqilah, 4/2

These efforts are necessary and the government should do the same because when certain things are destroyed, they are gone forever. The feeling and the value of these things would be gone. It would be very difficult to re-create them once they are lost.

~Rong Xian, 3/8

Day 7 - Student's Visual Art Explorations

Artwork by Nur Sarah

Day 7 - It's another enriching day!

A visit to The American Museum of Natural History 

President Theodore Roosevelt-the first President in America to make conservation a priority

Remember the dinosaurs coming alive in Night at the Museum? 

At Rockefeller Plaza  before our National Broadcasting Company (NBC) tour 

Words of inspiration 

Day 6 - Phantom of the Opera

This is posted on behalf of students and teachers who were, in every sense of the word, haunted by it. 

"I still cannot believe until now that we had seen the musical. It is widely known internationally and needless to say, the musical was incredible....I am so blessed."

Nur Aquilah, 43

New York City was filled with widescreens and different blinding lights, the booming of the stereos. We rushed like the speed of cars into the Broadway theatre (Majestic).

Our first time at a musical, we were struck with awe as we saw the majestic architecture, which was a reflection of the musical itself. Amber lights and crimson seats, we soaked ourselves, guys sitting with class, girls sitting with poise. We readied ourselves for the musical.

As the lights started to dim, eventually dimming the theatre pitch-dark, a booming voice pulsated off the walls. The leads were dressed in elaborate costumes with intricate deigns. Their classically trained voices sent shivers down our spines. The props appeared on cue. The dedication and professionalism of the cast and crew were evident.

With such an enchanting performance, the students were engrossed. The chemistry between the leads, Christine and Raoul, was electrifying and had us on the edge of our seats, with eyes fixated on the stage, trailing after their every move.

Amal, Rachel, Kylie and Maverick