4–year RHD Celebrations@GESS Experiences by Bryan Au (4D)

Good morning Mdm. Tan, Mr. Lee, Mr. Tan, teachers and my dear GESSians! I am Bryan Au from class 4D. I joined GESS in 2012 and it was in this year that GESS started the RHD celebrations@GESS project. I have the privilege of experiencing all four years of RHD experiences. As I reflected, I enjoyed the ‘Eat with Your Hands’ activities in 2012 and 2014. Coming from a Chinese family background, I found great difficulty when I was challenged to eat nasi lemak and tear the roti prata into pieces using only my right hand. It was a delighting experience as I hardly use my right hand for eating. I realise that nasi lemak and roti prata did taste different when they were eaten with my hands. I could feel the grains, meat and the food before I put them in my mouth. I also realise that it is quite an art to eat with our hands. I am impressed with my non-Chinese friends who are able to eat with their hands without messing up the table. Eating together made me more aware of the cultural differences we have in Singapore and hence I would be more sensitive in my conduct with my non-Chinese friends. In future, if I were to be invited to have a meal with Malay or Indian, I would know what to expect and do and would practice using only my right hand to skillfully eat food as a form of respect to their culture. I also remembered taking photo with the Indian Boy Standee last year and taking a photo of myself dressing up in a Sari or Sherwani costume. It was a rare opportunity for me to put on an Indian traditional costume. I found the whole experience refreshing. Lastly, the traditional games organised by the NPCC cadets this year were interesting. Though I played these traditional games before in my Primary school, I realise I do miss playing them. Congkak, 5 Stones and flipping erasers are easy to play and they are a good way to bond and have fun with my peers after a quick meal. Last Friday, we celebrated racial harmony through sports and games in the Sports Fiesta. I think it is a good way and it should continue as a school tradition. These RHD activities helped to reinforce the importance of speaking and behaving responsibly towards other races. I am sure that these activities would allow us to foster strong friendships with one another. I feel that I am now more culturally sensitive and pro-active in understanding other cultures. Thank you for your attention.