Outgoing Exchange Students

My SEP Experience

Chang Xiang Yun
Faculty of Engineering
SEP to Sichuan University, China

Having lessons whereby the medium of instruction is in Mandarin seemed like avery great challenge since majority of the lessons I have had in the past 15 years were delivered in English. However, I somehow found myself on board a flight bound for Chengdu, China for a SEP to Sichuan University for the second semester of 2006/2007.

Chengdu is so unlike what I have imagined, it is a pleasant surprise. I thought that it would be some kind of a rural city with the bare essentials and without the usual luxurious items that we take for granted in Singapore. It is apparently not the case and I find shopping in Chengdu a pleasure since I was able to get what I want and yet at a fraction of the price of that in Singapore. Chengdu is a rapidly developing city, yet in the midst of modernization it still retains its strong Chinese culture very evident in the food, the places of interests, the surroundings and even in the lifestyle of the people.

Sichuan University is also beyond my expectations. It boasts vast school grounds spanning two campuses; one in the town area and the other in the suburbs. Both have beautiful surroundings and greenery that hint the different seasons of the year. When I first arrived in early spring, I was surprised to see a dilapidated pond with dried twigs at the entrance of the school. However, as spring progressed into early summer, the pond revived and spouted out beautiful lotus flowers which were definitely a sight to behold. In view of our difficulties in having lessons in Mandarin, the lecturers were exceptionally helpful. They kept asking if we understood the lessons and bothered to explain patiently to us time and again.

The food in Chengdu is another part of fond memories. I particularly like this local dish called ‘Hong You Chao Shou or 红油抄手’. It is similar to the wanton or dumplings that we have in Singapore, but immersed in chilli oil. Most of the local dishes in Chengdu are spicy and oily. One might even find it more salty than desired. However, by requesting for less oil and salt in the dishes, they are actually very delicious.  Authentic ‘La mian or handmade noodles’ that are considered a unique dish in Singapore is a commonplace dish in Chengdu. There was this particular eatery that I always go to and the boss knew that as a foreigner, I could not tolerate as much seasoning and oil, so he would always send a special order to the kitchen to cut the oil and salt every time without fail. It also goes to show how friendly and considerate the people in Chengdu are.