12th SHEN's 6th Monthsary! :D
Written by: Chua Rui Zhen
Sooner than we expected, 13th January 2010 had arrived! This day marked 12th SHEN’s 6 months of being in Shanghai, a milestone in our year long stint in this vibrant city, and we were all excited to commemorate this special occasion. One of the many favourites of the Shanghainese is hotpot, and what better way to celebrate our 6th Monthsary over a hot boiling pot of savoury goodness?
Gathering at 海底捞, a hotpot joint well known for its excellent service and food, we eagerly dipped our chopsticks in and out of the pot, dishing out all the delicious goodies for our friends and onto our plates. This was of course coupled with the noisy chatter and infectious laughter of our batch, reminiscing over all the fun times in Shanghai and making up new ones to talk about in months to come.
After being in Shanghai for 6 months, I must say that it has really opened my eyes to the world beyond our little island’s shores. This bustling town full of vitality does not seem to be losing its steam in moving forward and her hunger for progress is growing larger with each passing day. It is only a reminder of how our Nation must constantly keep improving ourselves, in order to not get left behind in the trail of this rising dragon. One cannot imagine how fast China is progressing without being here to experience it and indeed, with the World Expo coming up this May, there is no better time for us to be here.
Speaking to my batch mates, it is unanimous that all of us appreciate the opportunity to have come here and feel that it has been an amazing exposure to the world outside. In this past year, we are glad to have learnt and grown (mentally and physically, unfortunately) so much, and this half way mark provides a good point for us to rethink our personal goals for this programme, and move forward in that direction in the next few months.
In the blink of an eye, just like how 6 months flew right by us, it was time for us to make our ways home. With bellies sufficiently stuffed and jaws overly sore from all the laughing, it was of no doubt that we had an enjoyable time, thanks to the colourful personalities of 12th SHEN.
Congrats on coming this far guys, cheers to another 6 great months to come! (:
