Group 6 16/7/2016

 16/7/2016

Today was our last day in Stanford. We went on our last excursion trip to Capitola.  It was a really cloudy day at first but it turned sunny when we arrived at the beach. We took a lot of photos there. We played with the water by the seaside and played volleyball as well. There were a lot of seaweed in the water and we took a lot of time to wash them away from our feet! However, we did not manage to get the Stanford lunch as planned. So we went to Five Guys to have burgers as our lunch. All group members had cheeseburgers and we had ordered different toppings. It was really yummy and some of us even had milkshake. It was really delicious. After lunch, we went back on the tour bus and headed back to our dormitory. We were all very tired, so we had a good sleep on the bus!

We signed out after we went back to the dorm and our group first went to drink Jamba Juice. The fruit smoothies were very delicious! Next we went to the Stanford market.  The things there were very cheap, such lip balms and other accessories. Some of them were only 3 US dollars, but they are sixty dollars or more in Hong Kong. We bought a lot of snacks and other items as souvenirs for our relatives and friends. We then later went to the Stanford Bookstore and we found a lot of bargain books. Though they were a bit dirty, they were sold at a really low price and we bought few books. Also, some of us had bought more Stanford University clothes. Our bag was heavy and full after we had finished our shopping plans. We had a really great time exploring the Stanford campus one last time. We all felt sad as it was the last time for us to run around the Stanford campus freely in this trip. We really wish to have a second chance to come to Stanford again and visit our home for these 2 weeks. Time flies really quickly and it is the end of our trip in the blink of an eye.   We have learnt a lot in Stanford.  It was a great opportunity for us to travel out of Asia.  Thanks to all the teachers and counselors for taking care of us.  Also thanks to our loving parents who gave us the opportunity to come here to experience this unforgettable trip.  Thank you!

Group 6 12/7/2016

12/7/2016

After breakfast, we had Anthropology as our first lesson today. It was the study of humans, such as human relationship with the nature. We learnt that in Anthropology we had to use a different perspective to see something familiar in an unfamiliar way. We read an article about the rituals of Nacirema. At first we thought that it was something uncivilized and they were a group of people who were religious and sadistic. But then the teacher asked us to spell Nacirema backwards, and we found out that it was Americans! We were really surprised and interested how differently we saw Americans when we use a different perspective. After that, we learnt how to apply Anthropology to world issues such as “Brexit”. We discussed the possible reasons why Britain wanted to join the European Union at first and why Britain wanted to leave the European Union. We also had a vote on whether Britain should leave the European Union. We also watched a video of Hong Kong people comparing Hong Kong with China. Moreover, we watched some comics drawn by Hong Kong people about Hong Kong vs China. It was really ironic and interesting.  The pictures talked about how different Hong Kong is from China.  For example, the traditional Chinese word of ‘love’ is with a heart inside and the simple Chinese word is without a heart inside.

          After lunch, we had Design Thinking Mindset.  We introduced our classmates to the teachers first.  Then, we went for a d. school tour.  D stands for design.  But we did some exercises before we went into the design school, such as needing to use our body to let people know what we were expressing.  We made the four seasons.  It was quite fun.  When we entered the design school, the room was silent.  The people were usually thinking of the things they were going to make.  The teachers also taught us why tables are designed in square shape.  It is interesting.  Then we went for a paper clip trade activity. The activity required us to take one paper clip and ask random strangers to trade us something more valuable in return. All of us traded something back, such as a pen, 1 US Dollar, etc.

          Later on, we went for shopping in Stanford Shopping Centre.  All of us went to the Bath & Body Works.  There were a lot of shower gels, hand cream, etc inside.  We bought a lot of things there.  We went to have dinner in McDonalds.  The taste of the burger is better and cheaper than Hong Kong.

          We are going to have a field trip tomorrow afternoon.  I hope it will be fun.

Group 7 - Day 11

First thing today after a filling, warm breakfast was our final class of the course: Visual Designing Part II. Mr. Scott was kind enough to allow us extra time to complete our final presentations which would be presented later on during the day. Apart from that, we were also given the option to work on our own designs freely. The whole kitchen had a homey, pleasant atmosphere where everyone could work in comfortable silence.

At around 3 pm, the final presentations finally began. We elaborated on our favourite class over the course of the past 2 weeks, and found that it was hardly a challenge to get the words flowing, so enthusiastic were we. We chose the class on neuroscience, applying it to the others, or other experiences, in general. The presentations of the other groups were also highly entertaining and interesting; we found there was a ton to learn from what the others thought as well. Finally, the certificates presented to us gave us a certain satisfaction as we now have a sort of record of the progress we’ve made on this incredible journey.

To end this fantastic day, we engaged in a ferocious water battle, shooting water balloons at each other, especially Mr. Wong, who was our unfortunate victim. We also dashed to go fountain hopping, a popular tradition of Stanford dwellers. Splashing water at each other, we had so much fun we couldn’t stop laughing. Thank goodness a hot shower was waiting for us back at the dormitories, marking an end to this fun-filled and accomplishing day.

Group 7 - Day 9

Day 9

The day started afresh with a class on visual designing, in other words, art. Sketches of basic shapes (cubes, cylinders, spheres, etc.) were made, shading was implemented and the formation of a narrative on paper was formed, allowing us to tell a story with pictures. Although some of us were not as artistically gifted as certain others, it was safe to say that we had 2 hours of new and innovating ideas.

A 30-minute drive after lunch later, we found ourselves before the renowned Computer Science Museum, where ideas came alive. There were over 20 fascinating exhibits on the history of the development of computer technology, including that of calculators, punch cards and analogue and digital computers. Apart from learning about the history of technological development, we also immersed ourselves in the sheer complexity of the machines designed by what we can only describe as geniuses. It truly astounds us how utterly brilliant these scientific pioneers’ brains were, or are.

Next stop was the billboard of Face book. We took a group photo, committing the moment to memory. Even though it was totally different from what we expected, we were still stunned by the enormous scale of Face book. After all, one must want to forever remember such a prestigious moment of their lives; it is only natural.

After dinner and a break, we set off to the Fire Pit where we enjoyed the gooey texture of the s’mores, consisting of two crackers sandwiching a warm, melted marshmallow. They were a real treat for us since such food items were not something we were accustomed to. Many photographs were also taken to mark this special moment in history.

-Cydney Skinner, Jocelin Kee, Joyce Woo, Cherry Suen

Group 5 (16/7/2016)

Blog 11 (16/07/2016)

Sunrise; they say it represents a new beginning.

Let us tell you who we are.

Once upon a time (2 weeks ago), 42 St Paul’s students boarded a plane to San Francisco. We are 5 of them.

5 students, unsure of what time it was, unsure of what was ahead of them, unsure of who they were.

2 weeks later, 2/3 of the questions were fully answered. The other one was … half answered. But for 15 year olds, that was a head start.

2 weeks ago, we arrived at the San Francisco airport at about 12 noon. 1^st question answered.

Over the course of 2 weeks, we experienced productive and motivating lessons rich in information we’re irresolute in. We took part in recreational activities that helped the awkward and the shy improve their socializing skills, and helped the extroverts learn how to use their confidence to their full potential.

Not to mention, our sleeping habits were also forced to improve for the stressed, who used to sleep at 4am back in Hong Kong.  2^nd question answered.

After a 2 HOUR car ride to the beach, our sadness and nostalgia was forgotten for a while.  A game of football was played to help us engage with chaperones and counselors. Even though our group had mixed views about the beach, we all ended up covered in sand, soaked in sea water, and embraced by the glow in our hearts.

And when we went for our last Sign Out, realization hit us like a bus: we were leaving Stanford. Forever.

Each student came to this trip for different reasons. Some wanted to be smarter (Stanford IS one of the top schools in the world after all). Some wanted to search for a new adventure. Some just wanted to escape from their pressurized lives.

We spent these 2 weeks with independence. There was nothing in our way, and we were in charge of our own paths in these golden days. We were ourselves.

Through diverse and remarkable activities, passions were discovered and pursued (in a short-term). Each and every day, characteristics were exposed and distinguished, and don’t forget: it happened in 2 weeks.

But we still had a long way to go, and this trip will forever be remembered as a dear, cherished memory, enclosed in our mind palaces forever. 3^rd question, half answered.

Tonight, we will beg the serene moon to never fall, and the sun to never rise, so we can stay here for eternity.

Group 3, 16/7/2016

Group 3
Eunice Cho, Sabrina Lee, Eunice Lee, Stephanie Liang

It was finally the last day of Stanford. Today, we went to the beach in Capitola.

When we first arrived in Capitola, the weather was not as fine as the other day in San Francisco. The sky was not blue, it was very windy and all of us were very cold. However, when we arrived the beach the sun came out! It was warm and we enjoyed hanging around in the beach. The view was gorgeous and   ``1qfascinating; we rushed to the sea side and took a lot of pictures together. We played volleyball with our teachers and friends; the game was really exciting and fun.  After all these activities, we had our lunch in a fast food shop called “Five Guys” which was very famous in the United States. We tried many different kinds of burger. We felt so excited that we could try local fast food before we headed back to Hong Kong. The burgers were very delicious and we could feel the difference between the ones in Hong Kong.  In general, we had spent an amazing day in there.

To conclude this trip, our favorite activity was the San Francisco field trip. We knew and understood more about San Francisco and its history. Besides we took a lot of picture and recorded our beautiful memories with the fascinating views in San Francisco. We would like to come to U.S.  to recall our memories here. We are looking forward to the next San Francisco Trip.

Looking back to the past eleven days, from all interesting lessons to amazing field trips, we really experienced and learnt a lot from teachers and consolers.  We would never forget what we have learnt in these two weeks, we would also use the knowledge in our daily life. In addition to this, our friendship and bonding between classmates became stronger. We made new friends, we enjoyed our times playing and working together in the dorm.  We would like to thank all the people we met in this trip, without them, nothing could work successfully and we all would not have such a wonderful trip. We would never forget all the things happened in this trip.

Group 1 14/7/2016

14/7/2016
Group 1
Zoe Au Yeung
Rachel Lam
Chelsea Ng
Helen Yu

Our lovely day began with the second session of Visual Design Thinking lesson. We focused on calligraphy and writing words artistically today. Our instructor, Professor Bill Scott, guided us through, using calligraphy pens to show us how to write our words neatly. It turned out that calligraphy was a challenging task as it was difficult to control our pens and we had to have a steady hand in order to write neatly in calligraphy. We had a wonderful time exploring the beauty and skill involved in calligraphy using special calligraphy pens. We also had a simulation game named 'start a company'. It reminded us of our Economics class, where we analyzed the cost and social conscience of the use of automobiles in the industry. We were shocked that we had already came up with ideas on starting a new automobile company in less than an hour's time. We understood that by exchanging ideas and communication with others, we could come up with more creative and outstanding ideas!

After lunch, we had our second session of our class 'Blogging Your Journey'. Our instructor, Ms Nada Milijkovic, gave us valuable advice on how to create an interesting blog. She taught us some effective means of communication and also discussed the development of journalism. She also allowed us time to work on our blogs. While typing a summary of our whole journey, we couldn't help but reminisce about the lovely days we have spent at Stanford.

Our Stanford tour hadn't come to an end yet - there are only 3 days left. Just the thought of this makes us feel sad as this has been a wonderful learning experience for us. Although we didn't have control over time at our disposal, having no time to slow down, we have enjoyed living in the moment and spending the remaining days meaningfully. We would treasure the remaining few days here at 'lalaland' where everything is simply perfect, and we hope to leave Stanford living our limited time to the fullest.