Spreading festive cheer

As part of their Chinese New Year celebrations, students from Residential College 4 (RC4) organised a variety of activities for their residents, both local and international. Residents enjoyed a traditional lo-hei gathering, a practice that symbolises abundance and prosperity through the tossing of a variety of ingredients like shredded vegetables, sauces and condiments. The local students introduced their international peers to the auspicious sayings and the significance of the ingredients involved.

“Even if it was very unusual to eat that mix of food and the taste needed getting used to, it was very nice that we had the possibility to try [the lo-hei],” said Peter Leandra, who is on an exchange programme from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

The different houses in RC4 also conducted various activities centring on the celebration of the Lunar New Year, spreading the festive cheer with song, food and laughter.  These included a hotpot dinner, hand-rolling traditional glutinous rice balls called tangyuan, a visit from the God of Fortune and scavenger hunts, among others.

It was an eye-opening experience for many of the exchange students residing in RC4 as these activities were a first-time encounter for many of them. Many expressed enjoyment and curiosity about discovering more about Singapore culture and traditions.

For Kim Kyung Moo, an exchange student from the University of Hawaii, these were just some of the many activities that has allowed him to integrate and interact with local students and understand local culture.

“As an exchange student, my sources of contact with local students come from the international student organisation, classes, and the residential college. Nearly all of the local friends that I have met so far have been at RC4 events, which I attend with great relish. I look forward to seeing how my RC4 involvement evolves over the course of the semester,” he shared.

By Residential College 4