| Letter to Parents - VYLC China Experience - Summary of Week 4 |
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Ni Hao,
In Hong Kong, we were blessed with fine weather as we had sunshine throughout the week. However, it was extremely hot and humid all day long! At times, it was difficult to avoid getting sunburnt, and sleeping in a tent when the minimum temperature was around 28 degrees was quite a challenge. These conditions once accepted, brought the students closer together as they had to step up and get on with being there and involved in the activities, so the outcomes at the end of the week were notably appreciative and positive. Student self-management was really important here too, for if they forgot to zip up their tent, they would get bitten by mosquitos at night. If they forgot sunscreen or didn’t wear their hat, they got sun burnt. There were daily reminders about this, but sometimes it is only through experience that teenagers learn. They have returned are all safe and are fine. Access to the Pak Lap area is only by foot or by boat only as there is no direct vehicle access available. It was an idyllic location and our students caught a Junk Boat from the Sai Kung Harbour in Hong Kong across the bay and then had a 30 minute walk over a saddle to get to the campsite. Sadly, as you passed by some beautiful bay coastline locations, you could see rubbish that had been washed up from the Pacific Ocean. Confronting, yet educationally in terms of our purpose for being in China, it highlighted one of the issues that local people and the world face. Nonetheless, students enjoyed their week. GeoTour walk – Pak Lap is a National Park in Hong Kong. The whole area is of world importance in terms of its geology. It has the largest diameter hexagonal rock column formations in the world. And the volcanic rock is light in colour which sets it apart from other basalt formations. Uncle Sam, our guide was a wealth of knowledge on the area as well as the local and Chinese history. Raft Building – This was a great team activity that involved everyone. All groups did really well working together to construct and complete their raft with the materials and ropes given, then paddle out around the marker and back with their raft still intact. Sea Kayaking – Again all groups had a great day out, paddling from Pak Lap to a secluded beach for lunch, then back. The conditions were challenging at times with the wind picking up. This created some choppy waves to paddle through along with boats passing by in the channel which also had to be navigated past at times. All groups did really well in supporting each other. Before we left, students learnt how to capsize and safely exit their kayaks. After the headwind on the way out, the return journey was very enjoyable with a tail wind blowing us all the way back to camp. Abseiling/ Coasteering – Abseiling was experienced at the end of one of the coastal cliffs. For some, this was their first time and everyone supported each other really well as comfort zones where pushed and conquered. On the way back students got to scramble along the coast which involved some swimming and walking along the coast. Duties/Community Service – Students were a great help around the campsite. There was a kitchen and we were extremely well fed. The food that came out of that small kitchen was quite astonishing. Students washed dishes and helped make future campsite areas by moving rocks to create small retaining walls to reduce the sand being washed away in heavy rains. They also helped clean and pack all the equipment away after it was used. All the guides were extremely impressed by our students, which added to a really great week. With only a couple of weeks remaining here in China, there is still much to do. Groups are finalising their project topic and they will be busy studying mandarin this week and next as their assessments take place in the final week. Busy times remain as the learning continues for a couple more weeks. Ziajian. Russell Shem - Campus Principal
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