It's been over a month since we started the academic year at HLFS CAL and we are still getting to know each other. Everyone seems to be close to their classmates but, still not that familiar to each other;what we needed was a catalyst to push us to make friendships outside our current comfort zones. The Farm Day was the catalyst we were looking for.

Before we arrived, many of uswere a little afraid of getting dirty and the life like a farmer was not something many of us aspired to. The flying mud, the shortage of water, all of these things were driving us crazy! However, it didn’t affect ourenergy for the Farm Day. Although sometimes, wecomplained about the rough facilities, the time we spent digging up the ground with our hoes turned out to be so much fun.We had the chance to get close to nature and actually didn't mind getting dirty at all. Some schoolmates even threw their shoes away and stepped on the black field with their bare feet.

Group work was one of the most valuable lessons we learnt while we were there. When we were working in the fields, we could see our classmates working together, which not only increased efficiency but also developed friendships. Farm Dayactivities actually helped us see the benefits of working alongside our friends. Once we started working, we either bravely cut the fish into pieces or fought in the mud trying to catch the fish or were dealing with the firewood. Everyone was trying to do their best with their own jobs and we all contributed to the big goals of the whole group.

During the two-day activity, we became closer and much more united. This is a memory we will treasure forever.

(Year 1C Sadie Yu, edited by Ms. Menton；Photo by Mr. He)