'Of Little Things in Beijing' by Joshua Sim

As I sat down attempting to recollect my most cherished memories of the 5th Sino-Singapore Undergraduate Exchange, it struck me that it was the little things that I remembered most. It was the unique taste of the Chinese Barbeque in Shanghai, the odd smell in my hotel room in Beijing and the sight of cherries in Jinan which I most associate with the Cultural exchange. But most importantly, it was the people and the conversations that we had.

I've been to Beijing on a study trip a year before the 5th Sino-Singapore Undergraduate Exchange. Thus, I have already seen most of the tourist attractions and heard the stories by the tour guide. But this trip felt special. It felt different in the most subtle of ways. Perhaps it was the way in which we rush into every photo or the way in which we attempted to take 'jumping' photos at the forbidden city. I can't really tell. But it felt different. There is a sense of longing, even now, to want to stay at that same spot for a little while longer. Perhaps to finish up a conversation or perhaps to start a new one.

What I do know for sure about Beijing is that the places didnt change. The Great Wall still felt as majestic, the Summer Palace as beautiful and the Tian Tan as awe-inspiring. Everything looked the same.

But what was different this time was the little things that we talked about as we went to these places. The story of the Pink Bear by Shamantha, my discussion of philosophy with Wenqi, hunting for ice cream with Genevieve, complaining about the odd smell with Brandon... For me I guess, the Forbidden City was no longer just the Forbidden City, but the place with the best ice cream.

It is these little things which made the trip all the more memorable, for it was not just an attempt to know another country, another culture and another world. What mattered most is the people who opened their hearts on this trip, sharing their lives and experiences, and in doing so, also share their world with me. For me, this cultural exchange was not just one between our Chinese friends and us, but also between ourselves. A cultural exchange is afterall an attempt to bridge that impossible gap between two individuals. The attempt to share a piece of ourselves with others. Whats a better what to do that, that through little things such as ice cream and pink bears.

To these little things, I forever hold you close to my heart.