Y.LEAD: Meet the People Session (Part 4: The Japanese Edition)
Y.LEAD 2017
Special Edition: The Return
-
Time sure flies when one is having fun. With two more days left to go, the Y.LEAD Seminar is nearing its end. Now that our guests have stayed in Singapore for a period of time, what are their thoughts concerning Y.LEAD Seminar and Singapore?
This time, we interviewed someone special from Japan - Mina Maeda.
Left to right: Kwee Zhi Hua, Mina Maeda, Joanne Chin Yue Ting
It may come as a surprise to many that Mina Maeda is attending the camp for the second time. Hence, we are keenly interested to find out what she thinks of our school’s special programme:
Interviewing Mina Maeda
Q: Why did you decide to join Y.LEAD Seminar again?
A: I came back this year because I regretted not being able to express my views and thoughts much previously due to the language barrier. I want to discuss issues and share my opinions more readily this year.
Q: What is different about this year’s Y.LEAD Seminar?
A: The main difference would be the people participating in the seminar, thereby enabling me to make new friends. Moreover, I am also able to better understand the discussions during the Y.LEAD seminar this year.
Q: What was the biggest culture shock for you during this Y.LEAD Seminar?
A: I was amazed at how Singaporeans are able to speak so many languages even though they are living in such a small country.
Q: Which is your favourite part of the Y.LEAD Seminar this year? Are your groupmates friendly?
A: I enjoyed the discussions with my teammates the most. My groupmates made an effort to repeat the instructions of games to me when I did not understand them. My fellow participants and facilitators also demonstrated care for one another.
Q: How is the Y.LEAD Seminar different from other events in your school?
A: We do not have programmes that solely focus on developing leadership skills.
Q: Rate this year’s Y.LEAD Seminar so far.
A: I would give it an 8/10!
left to right: Mina Maeda, Kwee Zhi Hua
Mina is enjoying her second time at the Y.LEAD Seminar, and we hope that this year’s participants are having a great time too! Curious for more responses from the participants? Do come back for more articles and updates on the Y.LEAD seminar 2017 over the next few days!
-
2. An interview with a teacher chaperone from Japan
Note: This interview took place on the first day of the Y.LEAD Seminar, 17/7/17.
Q: How do you find Singapore so far? What do you like about it? A: I arrived in Singapore yesterday (16/7/17). My impression of Singapore is quite good as I feel that Singaporeans are very friendly and efficient. Q: As a teacher, what do you hope your students can learn from the Y.LEAD Seminar? A: I hope that our students will be able to find out more about their strengths and weaknesses. Normally, Japanese students tend to be shy and very quiet and may not have the courage to express their opinions in events like this. Hopefully, they can become more vocal after participating in this seminar. However, one strength that our students have is their consideration for other people.
Q: What are some differences between Singapore and Japan? A: Singapore is a multicultural country and this is quite different from Japan. I also feel that Singapore students are more proactive than Japanese students. Q: What is your impression of the Y.LEAD Seminar so far? A: I am actually quite impressed to find out that the event is mostly run by students; I didn’t know about that at first. I can see that the students are leading very well. Q: What are your thoughts about the theme of this year’s Y.LEAD Seminar? A: I think that it’s a very good and relevant theme. It’s helpful to think about it but, at the same time, difficult to discuss.