It’s the night before the opening ceremony! Hope you are all excited! Everyone’s deep in preparation for the week’s competition and events. We know you must be working hard, but take a break. Relax! Chill for a bit!
A Peek from a Planner
by Tan Yan Keat Jarrett
SIMC2.0 Planning: Becoming the Tourists of Singapore
Welcome to Singapore! Hope you’re looking forward to a packed week of mathematics, puzzle-solving, and… exploring Singapore?
Five months ago, I was filling up the form to be a member of the SIMC2.0 Core Planning Team. I didn’t realise that what was supposed to be the final leg of my leadership journey – the last of my contributions to the school – would become an expedition into unexplored corners of Singapore, as we planned for multiple learning journeys and engaging activities.
Come aboard the SIMC2.0 Planning Committee tour bus!
The Streets, Roaring with Life
The first stop of our excursion? Chinatown! The streets roar with life as crowds of tourists and locals populate a mix of modern and traditional architecture – religious sites, ornate buildings selling pastries and souvenirs, adjacent to sleek glass windows housing offerings from specialty chocolates to fine dining. “Chinatown is truly a mesmerising mix of modernity and tradition,†I thought, as we walked along the pavements, soaking up the atmosphere.
These are… HDBs?
Google Maps in hand, we navigate through the winding shophouses in Tiong Bahru, stopping by the various quaint cafes and parks. What strikes me the most are the idyllic white HDB (Housing Development Board) public housing blocks, echoing an era of Singapore’s colonial architecture, the remnants of an Art-Deco style long replaced by the efficient, towering HDBs we know today. Accustomed to boxy glass skyscrapers and the fast-paced nature of life in Singapore, these charming housing blocks, the plethora of tiny cafes, curved walkways and intricate architecture provide refuge from the busyness of life in Singapore.
Flying Away from Singapore!
We meet up at Jewel Changi Airport for one last reconnaissance trip – to identify the best pick-up/drop-off points and waiting areas for the SPLs (Student Programme Liaisons). Little do we know that our work-driven outing will lead us to discover a foosball table in Jewel, a makeshift arcade at the basement of Terminal 3, and Changi Airport’s renowned slide at Terminal 3 – It’s 12m tall and the world’s tallest slide in an airport!
Across these five months, it’s been an extraordinary ride on the SIMC2.0 Planning Committee bus. Proposal writing and logistics planning aside, I am thankful for the chance to navigate around Singapore, seeing our lovely garden city from a different perspective. As my journey ends and yours begins, I wish you all the best for SIMC2.0 2024!
From the Airport
by Ng Cheng Jie, Seah Shang-En Zachary, Elgin Rahardja, Lo Ian Ee Eleos
SIMC2.0 Day 0: All the Best to the Participants!
Today, several Student Programme Liaisons (SPLs) and members of the SIMC2.0 Core Team visited Changi Airport to welcome participants arriving from overseas for SIMC2.0. As part of the publications team, we had the wonderful opportunity to join them and capture the participants’ initial impressions and feelings before the event begins.
To be honest, interviewing the participants initially felt stressful, especially since we did not know if they would be keen to participate after their long flights. However, our apprehensions quickly disappeared as we interacted with them. The students and accompanying educators answered our questions with friendly smiles on their faces and remarkable energy, which put us at ease.
The palpable excitement among both students and educators about SIMC2.0 stood out most during our conversations. Many of them expressed keen interest in the academic challenges ahead, particularly the problem-solving aspect and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) lecture. Their eagerness to dive into these intellectual pursuits was truly inspiring.
“We’re really excited, as we’re the first team from Cambodia!†– Remy from New Generation, Cambodia
“Yes. We are very excited!†– Miranda from Fazekas Mihály High, Hungary
“Excited, terrified, but mostly excited!†– Janneke from John Monash, Australia
Yet, the competition itself wasn’t the only thing they were looking forward to. For many participants, this was their first visit to Singapore, and they were eager to explore the country. They mentioned several tourist attractions they hoped to visit, including Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and the Merlion. Their enthusiasm for experiencing a new culture and exploring a foreign country was very heartwarming to witness.
“We’re going to do research to prepare for the competition, and we want to visit some places famous in Singapore too, like Marina Bay Sands,†– Remy from New Generation, Cambodia
“What we have seen so far… it is magnificent. Out of this world. We are in JEWEL, Changi right now, and we have not seen anything like this before in… the entirety of Europe,†– László from Fazekas Mihály High, Hungary
“The atmosphere, the ambience so far… I dig it!†Shyam from Padma Seshadri Bala Bhyan, India
We are incredibly grateful to the participants whom we had interviewed for their willingness to engage with us despite their travel fatigue. Their positive attitude and openness are really admirable. Arriving in a new country and immediately participating in interviews is certainly not easy, yet we were only met with grace and enthusiasm. Their curiosity and eagerness have set a positive tone for the days ahead. With that, we wish all participants the best of luck and we hope that SIMC2.0 will be an enriching and memorable experience for everyone involved!