After an early awakening, students left for Siaoyoukeng with great excitement. As they arrived in the beautiful and rural place, a pungent smell of sulfur blew over their faces and a hill can be seen from a distance with smokes lingering in the air. While students’ were walking through the path, what came to their sights was the spectacular and breath-taking cave-in landform. Pupils started taking pictures, writing the notes and raising their hands for questions while the narrator gave them specific explanations. “I would like to stay here longer and walk farther to see more places,” said Supacheep Yodpanaprai from Thailand.

Album - Siaoyoukeng Recreation Area (Student Guide)

In order to assist students in operating several instruments, the Practical Test Orientation took place in a scorching hot afternoon on the Gung-Guan campus, NTNU. The orientation consisted of assembling a telescope, using the clinometers and GPS, on-line data analysis and handling the rod.

“Students, please follow your teacher assistants while we call your serial number,” an announcement was being made from the counselors. Some of the students have already learned to operate the instruments from the handbook while others have not. Nevertheless, students still concentrated on listening to the teacher assistants’ instructions before they actually operated the instruments on their own. Moreover, pupils also helped their fellow students to understand and practice the instruments with pleasure. Even on the way back to the hotel, they were still sharing their feelings with one another, “we are ready but still being nervous for the practical and field trip tests tomorrow.” It’s the time for competition to fight for the honor.

Album - :Practical Test Orientation - (Mango)
Album - :Practical Test Orientation - (Vicent)
Vicent

While some of the mentors and observers went on a one-day excursion (Gold Ecological Park & Jioufen Old Street) to explore the beauty of Taiwan, others stayed in the hotel to have their 3rd International Jury Meeting. After a good night sleep, the 3rd meeting was filled with even stronger spirit. Mentors from different countries raised questions and discussions to ensure the smoothness of the test. Having finished the 3rd meeting, the mentors and observers took the chance to visit the former world’s tallest building- Taipei 101. One of the issues that were discussed among the mentors and observers was, “why are there so many red-color roofs for the building roofs nearby? Shouldn’t they be light-colored, so they can reflect part of the sun-heat?” To a lot of people, they would not concern about this and perhaps care more on the color of the building itself than the roof. IESO, however, cares something more than that, which is, eco-friendliness

On the 4th day of the IESO 2009, some mentors, observers and guests from Argentina, Indonesia, Korea, Sri Lanka, U.S.A. and Ukraine went on an adventure for mining. With the wonderful weather and the comfortable breeze, it was a perfect day for the excursion to the Gold Ecological Park. As these mentors and observers have been worn out with all the discussions, revisions, and translations of the test items, their having a day of excursion to the mountainous areas brought them a great deal of excitement. However, despite the marvelous and spectacular sceneries, climbing up and down the hills and mountains has kept them sweating and merely out of breath.
       
        At noon, all of them had Chinese food for lunch at the park. The Ukrainian observers enjoyed the authentic miners’ lunch box they had ordered and were very delighted to find out that they could keep the lunch box with beautifully dyed cloth and a nice pair of chopsticks as a souvenir.