Joel's Reflection 3 - Learning Journey

Prior to the learning journey, I had never been to some of the places like the URA building, Ang Siang Hill and Change Alley. The significance of these places and how it relates to Singapore’s progress never crossed my mind. As some might say, “ignorance is not bliss”, especially after having realised that like it or not, matters concerning Singapore is a shared responsibility for all its citizens. Yes, we may have different roles (with some having a direct stake) but at the very least, we should be informed. This was made ever so poignant when a few of us noticed how the tourists/expats knew so much more about Singapore’s history than even we do. Was it apathy, disengagement, detachment, indifference or just plain ignorance? Regardless, the learning journey changed all that.

The tasks from start to finish were (I felt) carefully scaffolded to cause a gradual awareness of national/ social/mobility issues within Singapore’s context with the essential question from the outset dealing with the notion of progress. The visit to the URA was a good reminder of the difficulties of maintaining our all encompassing country/state/city status in terms of planning and development, with relation to effective usage of land and thinking outside of the box. This coincides with the current issue of our population and the “White Paper” that was passed recently. It must be mentioned that for a country with not much resources, we have a nation of very resourceful people. Two things that stood out were the reclamation works (look at Marine Parade today) and the ability to utilise space underground. I never would have expected an expressway for vehicles to be built even deeper than the tunnels for our trains.

The trip to Ang Siang Hill that followed the visit to the URA building, framed a perspective of the past that made connections with the present and future. It is precisely this intertwined nature that showcases the journey of Singapore. I would say that I am still ambivalent with regards to “Old House at Ang Siang Hill” by Arthur Yap and the overall changes of the landscape in that area. For me personally, I questioned the idea of tradition and what value it holds in today’s modern context. After going through the activity and discussion, I also begin to question the value of nostalgia (if any) and these are topics with moot points that cannot be easily resolved. Nonetheless, it was the activities at this station that got me to this point (of ambivalence) as compared to when I first started out (ignorance). Further activities at Change Alley, UOB building and the Singapore River helped to problematise things further especially with taking on different perspectives in our debate of “Urban Jungle” by Ervin Ha. I feel that the compulsion to label polar opposites of good and bad results in a dilemma of choice/necessity and social obligation. The issues cannot simply be placed neatly into two extreme categories as evident by Lee Tsu Pheng’s poem of “Singapore River”. It is possible to argue for both sides (good and bad) but I find it essential to strike a balance between pragmatism and empathy which is much easier said than done.

I cannot recall the last time I went through a learning journey but am glad to have been a part of this especially since practicum is looming. With management and planning, it is easy to see the benefits that a learning journey brings to both organisers and participants. Indeed, much time and preparation is required for an effective outing but it would be well worth it in the end. Follow-up activities should be made mandatory for any learning journey to encapsulate learning and to take knowledge one step further. Just like how this piece affords reflective-learning and self-assessment, ensuring that a process of internalisation takes place that may otherwise not be possible without the design of a learning journey.