G9-10 Week Without Walls 2019

Trips & Expeditions

Grade 9&10

Week Without Walls

Hui Hui For this year's WWW, we went to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Quoting Mr. Bill, "people fly from all over the world to visit Cambodia. Even though Thailand is neighboring Cambodia, most of you guys have never been there before." This country was simply breathtaking. One of the places I most looked forward to visiting was Angkor Wat, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Despite the scorching heat and hours of walking and climbing, I eventually reached the top of Angkor Wat. The structure was just amazing, with impressive architecture and incredible engineering, the walls imprinted with the Khmer people’s rich history and illustrious culture. This amazing experience was only a small part of the whole city of Angkor. From the amber lake to the breathtaking sunset, I will never forget all of these amazing experiences. Most importantly, what made this trip extra special was the friendships we gained. From holding hands while tackling those steep steps, to taking pictures feverishly, I will never forget how my friends encouraged me to keep going and assisted me when I needed help.

Ang Ang For five days, G9 and G10 students were able to bond during this year’s Week Without Walls trip to Cambodia. The purpose of this trip was to better understand different cultures. Although Cambodia is very similar to Thailand, the differences in our history that surrounds the temples we visited are very prominent.

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We visited the famous Angkor Wat and I was fascinated by the cultural integration in its infrastructure. Unlike Thailand, the temple was converted from Hindu religion to a Buddhist temple and was renovated by French colonies. The highlight of Angkor Wat are the stories engraved onto its wall; stories of gods and demons carefully carved into the stone walls of the temple show the appreciation of religion in the past and how it was considered a core element of a kingdom.

Trips & Expeditions

One of my favorite activities was the cooking competition at the Khmer restaurant. Although I cannot cook at all, I enjoyed learning about Khmer cuisine and how Cambodian pepper is incorporated in almost every dish.

In conclusion, this WWW trip provided a great oppertunity to bond with our friends while experiencing Cambodian culture.

William Visiting Cambodia was always something on my bucket list, and this Week Without Walls made it my dream come true. Being able to visit one of the 7 Wonders of the World was truly an honor for me. Us, as Class of 2023, also had a great opportunity to bond with Class of 2022.

Throughout this amazing trip, we obtained knowledge that can’t be learned through textbooks such as the structural design of Angkor Wat, and the meaning that lies within each side of the walls.

What really blew me away were the images carved on the wall representing ancient mythology, portraying the antique story behind every single line of carving and how it is related to the temple. Knowing about temples in Cambodia was only a fraction of what the trip was about. We were also able to encounter the exceptional culture of Siem Reap such as the Artisans and the outstanding performance that was shown after the dinner, even the pottery representation of the ancient Naga. We were able to bond with Class of 2022 basically just by spending quality time with them and the activities that the teachers prepared for us. Overall this was an incredible expedition to Siem Reap.

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Trips & Expeditions

Great What could be more amazing than a trip to an inspiring world heritage site that is very stunning for its incredible details and complex meaningful stories set behind the drawings? Angkor Wat: A windy Tuk Tuk ride through temples, a taste of Cambodia food, and an entertaining show about Ancient Bayon. Five days in Cambodia, a nearby country that is new to many students, was a very good way to spend valuable time with our friends and learn about a different culture and the stories of the Khmer empire.

I have to admit that the first day that we arrived in Siam Reap was pretty tiring. It was a very hot day and we went to Angkor Wat straight away.

However, when we finally reached the temple and walked inside the massive buildings, the hot temperature and feelings of exhaustion disappeared. It took us half a day to explore all the neatly carved pictures and every detail of the buildings.

What I most enjoyed was going to Angkor Ta Prohm and watching the sunset. Angkor Ta Prohm has many trees and the buildings are very organized. I felt very calm and cheerful when walking in the shade, taking photos, and listening to our guide explaining all the historical information. Furthermore, the sunset was very charming: the weak yellowish-red light blended with a pinkish-blue sky was splendid.

I wish to have taken more photos with my friends, but this chance to hang out with my friends is something that is memorable. The path through the woods back to the bus was quite fun. I got to talk with my friends and get my body moving, burning all the calories from the food that I ate.

In conclusion, I would like to again say that this trip was very enjoyable. If I had a chance to visit Cambodia again, I would surely choose to visit Angkor Wat, Angkor Ta Prohm, the sunset hill, and spend more time on Angkor Thom.

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Trips & Expeditions

Kamlai From the 18th until the 22nd of November, G9 and G10 students went to Siem Reap, Cambodia, a neighboring country so close to Thailand. The goal of this trip was to learn about new cultures and traditions.

One of the most memorable places we visited was Angkor Wat. It was so much bigger than I expected and I now understand why it is one of the seven wonders of the world. The carvings and drawings on the walls of the temple were so complex and intricate. Even though all the places we went to were all very impressive and interesting, the most memorable thing was bonding and creating new friendships. We laughed and played games all day. New friendships were formed for both grades. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and hope that WWW next year will be just as fun.

Nicky During the trip, we visited numerous temples and historical sites, for example, Angkor Wat. The walls inside the temple were all meticulously carved with Hindu epics and historically significant events in Cambodian history. We also visited Angkor Thom, which was a large capital city with numerous temples inside. We used tuk-tuks to conduct tours of this city, visiting sites such as the Bayon temple, the central impressive temple and the Ta Prohm temple, which was one of the filming sites for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). These sites were truly amazing and often made me, and presumably many others, wonder “How did they build this back then?”.

Other than temples, we also went sailing in the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, where we stopped at a floating crocodile farm. Additionally, we went on tours of Artisans Handicrafts d’ Angkor, where we learned how sculptures and paintings are made, and also hosted our own cooking competition at a Khmer restaurant, where we learned about Khmer cuisine.

Overall, this trip provided us with a once-ina-lifetime experience at a beautiful and historical country.

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