be movement
BUMPER LAUNCH ISSUE Pe o p l e Enterprises Organisations E x p e r i m e n t a l Tr a v e l
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IN FOCUS : SINGAPORE
Celebrating the courage to be
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EXPERIMENTAL TRAVEL Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand Express
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be movement · celebrate the courage to be
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TO BE OR NOT TO BE ? WE HAVE CHOSEN TO BE
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the story of be movement
Trapped alone in a locked stairway during the 11 March 2011 Japan earthquake led to many things that seemed important to fall away. After a period of deep soul searching, what remains is to drop the “me” and celebrate others who have the courage to be. Thus began the journey of be movement ...
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
Imagine… if everything that you’ve ever known falls away, all the limits and boundaries that were imposed on you disappear. Imagine a world without walls and ahead of you is just wide open space, where you can throw your head back, arms wide open and run like the wind. Imagine you can be who you are meant to be and do what truly makes you happy. What, then, would you be? Most social enterprises have a cause and we too, have a cause. Our cause is really very simple. Our cause is YOU. For every single you out there, who are going through the motions, getting by and getting numb, be movement is set up to inspire you to be. Not to be what society, family and friends or even you think you should be, but rather to leave fear and inertia behind and embrace the freedom that comes from being. Have you ever wondered why we’re called human being and not human doing? It’s because it is our birthright to be and be movement is here to celebrate the people, enterprises and organisations who have the courage to be. You may question if that is possible in an environment laden with history, perceptions and opinions. We believe so. After all, the earth has gone from flat to round and now metal flies in the skies. No two zebras have the same stripes. Likewise, no two human beings have the same fingerprints. There are more than 7 billion human beings on the planet right now, hard to even fathom that number in human forms, yet none of these 7,000,000,000 individuals have the same fingerprint. It is mind-blowing to even attempt to rationalise those unique lines etched onto one small thumbprint, no longer than 3cm in most people. How incredible this diversity that exists all around us, yet how ironic for the world to be covered more and more by the culture of “sameness”. be movement bookazine aims to inject into the cycle of sameness a fresh diversity and new way of seeing. We continuously work towards returning integrity to journalism, with genuine ad-free stories. These stories that you read were written from face-to-face interviews that came from a genuine, raw and heartfelt place. Very often the interviewees were deeply moved, as it dawned on them during the interview just how much courage it took for them to walk and breathe their beliefs. These unique moments of awe from the greater inspiration that moved them are what we hope to express and share with you, that it is indeed possible to walk your beliefs. be movement also looks at travel in an experimental way. In fact, we try to look at everything as an experiment, brand new each time, in order to create a space for the freedom to be. If you, like us, seek more space, more freedom and more authenticity in life, join us on our journey to discover what it means to simply be. - Cassie Lim, Founder of be movement •3
CONTENT In every quarterly issue we highlight a particular country and feature a select group of people, enterprises and organisations who have the courage to walk their beliefs. By no means representative, be movement goes with the flow and serendipitously draws together a diverse group of inspirational people from each country. In our premier issue, we highlight the city-state, Singapore, and focus on the soft capital, which is often overshadowed by its shiny infrastructure. We would rather delve deep than scrape the surface with anaemic fingernails, and all our interviews were conducted face-to-face as we believe the human connection makes for an irreplaceable authenticity and impact in our stories. Special Features
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Life is a Journey photography by Scarlett Hooft Graafland & written by Cassie Lim
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Pakistan (North-West Frontier Province) Travel Story written & photography by Hajar Ali, edited by Michael Laidlaw
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The Fisherman, Miner and Farmer written & photography by Navin Amarasuriya, edited by Michael Laidlaw
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Singledom in a Doubledom World written by Gerry Ang & edited by Michael Laidlaw
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Life Beyond Work, Shop, Eat written by Cassie Lim, edited by Michael Laidlaw & photography by David Lalanne
112
Academic Freedom and the Corporatisation of Universities by Noam Chomsky
118
Music and Humanity written by Seow Yi Zhe & edited by Michael Laidlaw
122
The Idea Book written by Fredrik Härén
164
Indifference? written by Michael Laidlaw & photography by Floriane de Dianous
192
PEOPLE
ENTERPRISES/ ORGANISATIONS
PAGEs 41 - 71
PAGEs 73 - 191
travel stories with a difference. exploring remote places, relatively untouched or somewhat different.
people following their passions, giving it all, making a stand. learning and sharing, always expressing.
organisations with causes, contributing in their own ways. a ripple in the sea of life.
far away from the tourist masses and famous landmarks.
finding joy and fulfilment in being honest,
conscious enterprises, fearless and bold, original Livewires.
meeting local people, doing the unusual, or the usual. taking a break and simply surrendering to nature.
true to self, going for what they love. unafraid, taking the leap into the unknown, living life to the fullest.
both taking responsibilities, doing their parts, where life is one big cycle and we are all connected.
EXPERIMENTAL TRAVEL
PAGEs 17 - 39
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be movement ¡ celebrate the courage to be
Remove the mask Drop the baggage Let go and be free
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Contributors be movement is an ad-free quarterly bookazine that has no advertising revenue stream. We consciously choose to maintain the integrity of this space and of our readers by telling stories that deserve to be told, regardless of advertising agendas. be movement is only made possible by people who believe in what it stands for and, if you feel be movement is worthy of support, we would wholeheartedly welcome that through purchases of the bookazine, subscription, contribution, participation, feedback or collaboration. Please log on to our website at : www.be-movement.com for more information, or contact be movement at : connect@be-movement.com
Subscription Subscription for the be movement online version is available at USD 5.99 per issue and USD 19.99 per year via our online website and apps. Hard copies of the bookazine are available at HUB Singapore/ NYC Academy, 113 Somerset Road, Singapore 238165, and at all major bookstores and newsstands in Singapore. It retails at SGD 18.90. (EUR 12.50 USD 15.50 AUD 15) ISSN: 2301 3990 Newspaper Permit: C120654453 Official Printer: Asiawide Print Holdings (www.awph.com.sg) Website by Voilaah (www.voilaah.com) Apps by Xmind (www.xminds.com) Cover by Indigo Jones (www.indigojones.co.uk) 8•
Professor Noam Chomsky
Scarlett Hooft Graafland
Michael Laidlaw
Fredrik Härén
be movement · celebrate thethe courage to to be be BE MOVEMENT • celebrate courage
Seow Yi Zhe
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be movement ¡ celebrate the courage to be
‘‘Life is a journey, best travelled light, free and easy’’
photography by Scarlett Hooft Graafland & written by Cassie Lim
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be movement ¡ celebrate the courage to be
Log onto www.be-movement.com - find out what non-profits / social enterprises REALLY need - get inspiration on the courage to be - real people with real stories - join the be movement community - look out for our French and Mandarin online versions in 2013 - for every online subscription, we give one e-copy to our featured non-profit organisations
It’s time to do things differently
IN FOCUS FOR NEXT ISSUE :
BALi
BALi issue highlights: Green School (school made of bamboo) Nadya Hutagalung (ex-MTV VJ and board for Green School) Big Tree Farm (chocolate factory made of bamboo) CNN Hero of the Year 2011 - Ibu Robin Lim, Founder of Bumi Sehat Midwives centre Bali Eco Stay (eco-lodge beside the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jatiluwih rice terraces) Top Contemporary Artists (Nyoman Erawan, Mangu Putra) Jim Banks (ex-pro surfer)
be movement ¡ celebrate the courage to be
- Painting by mangu putra -
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“God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.” — Isak Dinesen
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be movement · celebrate the courage to be
EXPERIMENTAL TRAVEL ... different ... far-flung ... secluded ... unusual ...
PAKISTAN
NORTH-WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE pg.18
THAILAND
DIPABHAVAN SUAN MOKKH pg.24
SRI LANKA
BAMBOO BICYCLE ROAD TRIP pg.34
PAKISTAN - TRAVEL STORY
North-west frontier province written & photography by Hajar Ali (First woman to cross the Empty Quarter in the Middle East)
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I
travelled to Pakistan in May 2011, right in the wake of the raid on Osama bin Laden. The news on Osama was still being discussed in Pakistani media, on the TV channel over breakfast in my hotel in Islamabad and books extolling Osama's virtues in Chitral. The trip to Pakistan, through the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), was designed to coincide with a festival in the famed and romanticised Kalash valley, a place called Kafiristan (translating into 'Land of the Infidels'), where the women dress all in black punctuated by colourful beading in their hair and around their necklines. This particular festival consists of a few days of ceremonies where the Kalash and visitors would dance together in honour of the fairies who would hopefully bless their crops. My journey began with an indeterminate flight to Skardu. No one knows ‘til about an hour before if the flight would actually run as scheduled, since it is weather-dependent. The last time I'd faced a similar situation of not knowing if there would indeed be a flight, or if I'd be able to get a flight back in time for my next trip scheduled a few days after, was to the Burmese Himalayas; fond memories and my kind of travel in no small part due to it all working out so well ultimately. I have my favourite landing strips and airports: those in Argentinian Patagonia, with a scenery so beautiful and an air so dry it immediately stopped my sinus problem from my sleepless nights in Buenos Aires; Bhutan for its reputation as the most difficult landing in the world; or the more remote landing strips in the bushes of East Africa with its unexpectedly prissy toilets. Out of these favourites, I reserve the term 'ruggedly beautiful' for the airport in Skardu; arid,
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desolate mountainscapes reflecting beautiful colours under the light of the sun. It was to be an initiation to my journey through the NWFP, long drives with the Hindu Kush as a backdrop, school children stopping for a quick drink from water sources flowing from glaciers and magically disappearing into the mountains once you stop for a photo opportunity or to talk to them, and places so poetically unexpected : the construction of dams around breathtakingly beautiful lakes funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); a group of boys playing cricket in a military school deep in the mountains; and a helicopter landing spot 'in the co-ordinates of nowhere' in the mountain range. There are plenty of magical moments, from a 'hotel' where guests have breakfast overlooking incredible views and sleep to the sounds of a gushing stream and where a meditation room substitutes for a hotel gym, or how upon accepting an invitation for tea out of politeness in the local bazaar in Chitral the landscape changes from the squalid, concretised bazaar to lush green fields, small streams you have to hop over, ducks swimming in ponds ‘‘The region's tribal warfare and religious strife reach back millennia. At the same time, the towering mountains and labyrinthine passes have isolated some peoples in time warps all their own. If you roam around, you can find tribes who claim descent from Alexander the Great's army, or meet a wizard who summons snow fairies from the mountains in a ritual that predates even the Macedonian conqueror's time.’’ - Paul Raffaele, for Smithsonian Magazine
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
and butterflies flitting around as you’re taken through a short, narrow alley that mirrors the scene of Harry Potter’s jaunt through Diagon Alley. Magic aside, the reality of issues in the NWFP include the preservation of Kalash culture. Access to festival grounds are framed by a metal detector door; purely symbolic, of course, as it didn’t seem to work, but which addresses the concerns of the government to prevent fanatics, who believe the Kalash activities to be unacceptable to Islam, from attempting to disrupt the ongoing festivities. That said, the Aga Khan foundation, which focuses on a small number of specific development problems by forming intellectual and financial partnerships with organisations sharing its objectives, has done incredible work in the NWFP. There are efforts to
create infrastructure for the people, from roads to schools to hospitals. This is apparent especially in Hunza, with possibly the highest level of literacy in highest level of literacy in Pakistan and where the people are the most accustomed to tourism (Pre-9/11).
‘‘If we have not found the heaven within, we have not found the heaven without.’’ - Lost Horizon, James Hilton
Urbane Nomads organizes trips to Chitral, Pakistan, for the annual, no-rules polo match, reputedly on the highest polo grounds in the world.
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“‘Neither drunk nor sunstruck’, said Dravot. We have slept over the notion half a year, and require to see Books and Atlases, and we have decided that there is only one place now in the world that two strong men can Sar-a-whack. They call it Kafiristan. By my reckoning it’s the top right-hand corner of Afghanistan, not more than three hundred miles from Peshawar. They have two and thirty heathen idols there, and we’ll be the thirty-third. It’s a mountainous country, and the women of those parts are very beautiful.” - The Man Who Would be King, Rudyard Kipling
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‘‘When it comes to believing things without actual evidence, we all incline to what we find most attractive.’’ - Lost Horizon, James Hilton
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‘‘To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.’’ - Pearl S. Buck
Photography by Floriane de Dianous 44 •
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
PEOPLE ... passion ... start ... create ... explore ... express ... learn ... love ...
pg. 42
At What Price Passion?
Film & Theatre Director - Glen Goei
pg. 46
In a Niche of My Own
pg. 50
the most creative country in the world - North korea?
pg. 54
In the Mood for Love
Founder of Urbane Nomads & First woman to cross the Empty Quarters in the Middle East - Hajar Ali Author & Speaker on creativity - Fredrik Härén
ex-Discovery Channel Executive - Alison White
pg. 60
Yoga is like Brushing Teeth
pg. 64
Magic of the First Book
pg. 68
Iyengar Teacher & Practitioner - Elain Lim
Founder of ‘‘My First Book Project’’ & Google Executive - Nawan Poovarawan
Music for the Earth
Musicians - Michelle Chua, Toh Tze Chin
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PEOPLE
AT WHAT PRICE PASSION? GLEN GOEI - FILM & THEATRE DIRECTOR
In today’s context, “ passion ” is a glorious word that conjures up intense emotions, from deep desires to overwhelming enthusiasm, especially when it comes to doing what you love. Modern self-help books often encourage people to do what they love and find their passion and somehow life will be full of magic and joy. Whilst not entirely true, it is not entirely false either. The word “ passion ” used to have a very different meaning up until the 1600s and stems from the Ancient Greek verb πάσχω (paskho), which means to suffer.
O
ne person who has intimately experienced both ends of the meanings of passion is Glen Goei, respected film and theatre director in Singapore. Glen’s brush with fame came early at the age of 26, with his Olivier Awardnominated performance in the title role of “ M. Butterfly ” opposite Anthony Hopkins in London's West End. At that time, Glen had graduated from the University of Cambridge shortly before and was told that the right thing to do was to pursue an accounting career. Recounting those days with a smile he said, “ Every time when my human side wants to move away from the arts or from something creative, from what I now know is a calling, the universe will conspire to bring me back.” Back then something within him did not feel right and he decided not to rush into accountancy and to spend some time in drama school.
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This decision led him to be spotted by an agent, who subsequently contacted him to audition for “M. Butterfly” and he has never looked back since. Life was plain-sailing for that period as he enjoyed a multi-award-winning tenure as Producer-Artistic Director of Mu-Lan Arts in London, which was the first Asian theatre company to be established in the United Kingdom. His film career also took off with his first feature “Forever Fever” (aka “That's The Way I Like It”), which he wrote, produced and directed. It was the first Singaporean film to achieve worldwide commercial release and it was also a very special film for him. ‘‘‘Forever Fever’ was a documentary of my life growing up in Singapore in the ‘70s. “Every time when my human side wants to move away from the arts or from something creative, from what I now know is a calling, the universe will conspire to bring me back.”
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
“ The Singapore theatre scene is like one big extended family and we are constantly pushing ourselves to take responsibility as an artist and to seek the truth.” - glen goei
- glen goei, film and theatre director -
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the soul beneath THE
glitter __
Singapore 76 •
be movement ¡ celebrate the courage to be
For PROFITS / enterprises
NON-PROFITS / SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
ENTERPRISES & ORGANISATIONS … play … imagine … lab … consciousness … pg. 74 To be the Designers of Our Age Architect & Design - ONG&ONG
pg. 86 Goodbye Routine, Gone Adventurin’ Adventure Travel with a Cause Gone Adventurin’
pg. 92 A New Way of Working Transport & Logistics - Pan Asia Logistics
pg. 128 Hubbers do Epic Shit Co-working Space - The Hub
pg. 106 Serving and Believing in the Bottom of the Pyramid Market in Nigeria F&B, Manufacturing - Tolaram Group
pg. 140 Website for the Elderly Agelessonline
pg. 132 Not Just a Company, a Family Printing - Asiawide Print Holdings
pg. 156 Freedom to Be Counselling Centre for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals & Transgenders - Oogachaga
pg. 146 From Great to Significant Fashion Manufacturing - Sing Lun Holdings
pg. 160 Money should not be a Showstopper Empowering Others - Empact
pg. 170 Living Buildings, Endless Possibilities Construction - Yau Lee Holdings
pg. 180 Green Website for Businesses Green Business Times
pg. 184 Defending the French Spirit French Chamber of Commerce
pg. 190 Spending for a Cause Stuff with a Difference
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Enterprise ONG&ONG
To be the Designers of our Age Architecture & design
‘‘I decided at some point to leave Singapore afterwards, because I felt that if I were to achieve anything on my own merits I needed to be viewed on my own terms. Insofar as I was viewed in the shadow of so-and-so, I might not ever get that accreditation on my own.’’
- Ong Tze Boon on growing up as the son of the first elected President of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong
Meeting Ong Tze Boon, the Group Executive Chairman of ONG&ONG in person, was a revelation. One would have thought that, being the son of the ex-president of Singapore, Tze Boon would be more serious and staid. On the contrary, he displayed a lively demeanour and was thoroughly engaging and candid throughout the interview. From his immaculate jacket with a colourful lining, to his comfortable usage of impeccable English and the very local Singlish, Tze Boon is a fascinating character. His refreshing honesty is what made this interview exceptional in understanding what it means to have been born into a privileged and respected family. In one of the most intimate and heartfelt interviews I have conducted, we can share the personal journey that Tze Boon undertook in becoming his own person and stepping out of his family’s shadow. As ONG&ONG celebrates its 40th anniversary, we explore how Tze Boon eventually overcame rigorous challenges by increasing his parents’ architecture company from a 62-person operation to the current 800 staff within a decade. You may be surprised to learn that what motivates him is not the usual drive for money that we so often hear from people, but rather, Tze Boon’s enthusiasm cannot be equated simply with verve. Far beyond that, his is a gazing into the quantum leap of the future, believing that the future really is just around the corner.
Interviewer : What was it like growing up as the son of the first elected President of Singapore during Mr Ong Teng Cheong’s term between 1993 to 1999? Ong Tze Boon : I won’t go too far back, just to the time when I went to school, entered the army and worked in the US. Principally, being the son of someone so prominent cast a huge shadow and along with that all kinds of expectations. Junior College was hard, because everyone in school for instance would expect me to get “A”s. The minute I didn’t get an “A” and got a “B+”, it was like, “Ong Tze Boon got a ‘B+’!” Interviewer : So you were under a lot of pressure? Ong Tze Boon : A lot, indeed. I remember in those days it was very trendy to ‘taper’ your pants and we would alter our pants, deliberately to not wear socks and wear “Bata” shoes. Those were the days. (Smiles). Of course the school did not condone wearing shoes without socks, there were so many people doing it, yet I was called out during assembly to be made an example of. The teachers felt that, if they could make an example of me, they could easily deal with the rest. Since young, I was always called on to lead by example, whether it was for good or bad. I have always wanted to just lead a normal childhood, but I was not able to do so and it does not come by asking, “Can I have it, please?” There was no option of an unobtrusive childhood for me. The army was the same. When the officer said, “Gentlemen, can we have a volunteer please?” and everyone tried not looking at him, surely then someone would say, “Ong,” and there I go. I got called up again. Interviewer : How do you feel about it?
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
Ong Tze Boon : The general public always think that I had it good in the army. (Smiles) That’s certainly a public perception, but the reality on the ground is that the officer who was leading the platoon was also out to set an example that he wasn’t biased. Therefore, I started the army on non-neutral grounds, as both the public and the officers had preconceptions against me. Interviewer : How did people know you were the President’s son at that time? Ong Tze Boon : They know. People talk. It was not like I waltzed in and put up my hand and said, “Excuse me, I am so-andso’s son.” A normal person starts out on neutral ground in the army. Meanwhile I felt a differential of two : one from the public and one within the army when I started. Interviewer : Was the army difficult? Ong Tze Boon : (Short pause) I think for me, I built my independence from the army. As much as I found it difficult, it was also character building and so kudos to the military. Would I go through it then again? No. When it was done, I decided at some point to leave Singapore afterwards, because I felt that if I were to achieve anything on my own merits, I needed to be viewed on my own terms. Insofar as I was viewed in the shadow of so-and-so, I might not ever get that accreditation on my own. Interviewer : Did you think going away to the US for studies was a good move for you? Ong Tze Boon: I think it was a good move. Most importantly, it did one thing for me. You see, when I had arrived in the US I was such a nerd. I was in California, UC Berkeley, and I remember it was my first semester and first week in school. There was one guy whom I recognised from my class back in Singapore. As I walked by, he said, “Hey dude, what’s up?” and I replied, “Hey, 80 •
you know…” and he walked away! I was baffled. I thought he just asked me “What’s up?” and I was about to share with him what WAS up and he walked away. Then I learnt that “What’s up?” is just a greeting. Interviewer : (Laughs) So did you speak the way you do now at that time? Ong Tze Boon : Not at all. It is only since being in the US that I speak the way I do now. Interviewer : Was there anyone who knew you were the President’s son in the US? Ong Tze Boon : No, nobody, which was invigorating. What America has done for me is it has changed me to be more participatory and articulate. This I would credit to being in the US. When I came back to Singapore, I taught as an external tutor in the NUS School of Architecture for five years. I realised, when I asked if anyone has a question, no one ever has a question. However, as I was leaving the lecture room, people came to me with questions. On the other hand, in the US before the lecturers could even finish talking people would jump in and ask questions. Interviewer : So it made you a lot more proactive? Ong Tze Boon : Definitely, and I recognised that there are no dumb questions when you are learning. Interviewer : Would you say that you became your own person? Ong Tze Boon : I found a little bit more about who I was and I was given the opportunity to evolve. The American education system really makes you evolve. There’s nothing about syllabus at all. You had to choose what you wanted to do. You had to calculate what were the modules you wanted. Everything you had to decide on your own. My parents left it very freehand and I chose my education on my own terms. That
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
- ONG TZE BOON, GROUP EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF ONG&ONG -
“There are no dumb questions when you are learning.” - ong tze boon
to me was the greatest value from my parents sending me for an education in the US. Interviewer : When did you return to Singapore? Ong Tze Boon : I returned in 1994, as my mother felt it was time. I graduated in 1992 from my Masters and worked for over two years. By then, my father had cancer and my mother asked me to come home. Hence, I packed up and returned to Singapore and started work in my parents’ company on 1 June 1994. I can still remember the exact day. Interviewer : What position did you start out in? Ong Tze Boon : Architect. My mother made it very clear that I was sitting on this legendary floor where they had first started out in 1982. My mother made sure that I was kept as far away from her as possible and put me under the tutelage of another senior architect. I started no differently from anyone else. Although I was very privileged to have worked in the US for over two years,
coming back to Singapore was a totally different learning curve. I guess cultural differences and the way things were done here were different. Interviewer : Did you feel like you needed to prove yourself here? Ong Tze Boon : No. By the time I came back, academically I’d done all right. No shy, no shame. I did well in work too and got some awards here and there. It was refreshing when I came back to Singapore, because everyone had forgotten about me. I fell off the radar when I left aged 18. I found those early years rather difficult, as I had very few friends. Most local architects graduated from the NUS (National University of Singapore) School of Architecture. There were about 100 each year from each cohort. Therefore most architects had at least one other friend in their firms and, if not, the rest of the cohorts would be working in the same line in other firms, so there’s a lot of contact with your peers. Meanwhile, when I graduated I had no cohort and I knew
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‘‘I am finding my outlet of selfexpression through adventures.” -ashwin subramaniam
- Ashwin Subramaniam, co-founder of Gone Adventurin’ BE MOVEMENT • celebrate the courage to be 90 •
Social Enterprise Gone Adventurin’
GOODBYE ROUTINE, GONE ADVENTURIN’
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GONE adventurin’ adventures with a cause
hilst the majority of young people today are engrossed in consumer and pop culture, in search of the coolest parties and hangouts in town, Ashwin Subramaniam, co-founder of social enterprise Gone Adventurin’, has been attracted to a different kind of party; one that involves heavy doses of adrenalin rush, fresh air, sunshine, rainfall and lots of mud. Although Ashwin comes from the banking industry and was a National Director of Association for the International Exchange of Students in Economics and Commerce (AIESEC), he does not give the impression of being one of the stuffy corporate personnel. When asked if he felt he was missing out on parties and fun, Ashwin winked and said, “ Don’t you know that AIESECers are known to have a good time? ” He then shared stories of going for midnight swims in nature, or late night cycling, which somehow always include an element of adventure. Dressed in sportswear, Ashwin seems to bring the outdoors with him and exudes an active and positive spirit. Being an avid cyclist and adventurer, Ashwin is
always bursting with bright ideas on exciting travel destinations that bring people to remote corners of the world. What sets Gone Adventurin’ apart from other adventure travel companies is they are an adventure travel social enterprise with a heart. They combine adventures with social causes, aiming to “inspire lives and empower community through the spirit of adventure.” What began as an informal hobby two years back for Ashwin has evolved to become an adventure of a lifetime. Back then, Ashwin set up Gone Cyclin’ to raise funds for a a project called “Spinning Dreams Timor”, and took off on a cycling expedition of 410 kilometres over five days in East Timor. This first experience opened his eyes to a whole new world of creating social impact through adventure and engaging with the local communities. ‘‘Only in winter does the pine tree show its true strength’’. - Confucious
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According to him, although he was consistently among the last five persons to arrive, he had the time of his life. He felt as though the experience served as a catalyst to create positive change around him, as well as inside him. Little did he know then that what started out as a one-off adventure would evolve to be his life journey in creating social impact through adventure. For their first project in East Timor, Ashwin and his team managed to raise support that far exceeded their expectations. Following that, they organised a second project in Cambodia, this time involving nine people, and that too was a success. Buoyed by both successes, they organised a third project in Laos, and this time Ashwin met his first major challenge.
The one-week trip in Laos from 17–26 February 2012 was supposed to support education. However, largely due to the trips being scheduled too close to one another, there were no finalised participants except Ashwin. Common sense would have said to reschedule. However, Ashwin is not one who takes the common route. He decided not to reschedule the trip, as he believed every adversity leads to a seed of opportunity and that even one individual can still make a difference. Therefore, he went for it and it was the toughest ride that he has ever experienced. “One man with courage is a majority.� - Thomas Jefferson
Spinning Dreams Timor Gone Adventurin's first project (as Gone Cyclin’) :
Spinning Dreams Cambodia Gone Adventurin's second project :
The concept behind the project is to undertake a physically and mentally gruelling challenge to raise awareness for Timor Aid's Working with Weavers Project and thereby make a positive impact on society. His team participated in the second Tour de Timor competition from 13th to 17th September 2010 in Timor-Leste (East Timor) to : • support East Timor - a young, developing country and democracy emerging from a violent past; • raise awareness and SGD 50,000 of funds for Timor Aid - a NGO based in Timor-Leste; and • inspire young people to take on their own challenges to make a positive impact on society.
The concept is the same and this time it is to raise awareness for Carpets for Communities, another sustainable social project. His team organised a 400 kilometre trip over five days from 17th to 26th June 2011, from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap to : • support Cambodia - a young, developing country and democracy emerging out of a violent past; • raise awareness and SGD 60,000 of funds for Carpets for Communities (CfC) - a NGO based in Cambodia; and • inspire young people to take on their own challenges to make a positive impact on society.
- Ashwin and team training at mount faber in singapore -
From left to right - kimble ngo, ashwin subramaniam, ivan tay and laurens koppelaar
Overly ambitious and perhaps somewhat inexperienced, Ashwin chose a difficult 400 kilometre route over five days, across mountainous terrain that was physically very challenging. He almost thought he could not make it to the finish line, but took heart from the encouragement back home from family and friends. Although the expedition raised very little money, his experience was priceless. He learnt what not to do and how to fine-tune his adventures, planning and marketing strategies. With this experience under his belt, Ashwin has moved on to create more exciting and successful campaigns, such as his recent project with BP de Silva Group of Companies. When asked why he embarked on this, leaving a promising career with a big corporation and forsaking security for the great unknown, Ashwin answered with a wry smile, “It is my self-expression. I am finding my outlet of self-expression through adventures. I usually am a reserved person.” What a selfexpression! In his own words, “Life is, after all, either a great adventure or nothing!”
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“Dusk approaches, and the abbot of a nearby monastery walks towards me silently and calmly sits down to meditate. I only feel peace of mind and compassion. The next moment I’m puzzled. I wonder how this sudden peace and compassion came over me and for a few minutes I feel like a muddy pool of swirling water. And then, as if the mud settled down slowly in the pool of my mind, I realise something that changes my way of being forever. I realise how in the course of just one day, I experience all kinds of people, a myriad of emotions and a bunch of feelings - some interesting, some inspiring, some saddening and yet some heart-warming. But just like what the monk cultivated and experienced today, if I allow all of them to be just as they are - make none of them right or wrong, none of them perfect or imperfect, and soak them all up - then there’s this wholesome peace that settles, a peace unaffected by any trouble and which nobody can ever ruffle, and a compassion from which I have the power to create goodness all around. I practise this and am a happier ‘park bench’ (person) each day from that day on.” Ashwin Subramaniam
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
- Ashwin
n Subramaniam, co-founder of Gone Adventurin’ -
“Life is, after all, either a great adventure or nothing!” - ashwin subramaniam
- photo from spinning dreams cambodia, provided by gone adventurin’ -
be movement · celebrate the courage to be
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Written by Michael Laidlaw & Photography by Floriane de Dianous 196 •
be movement ¡ celebrate the courage to be
Indifference? What does it mean? To care less, be careless, or ignore the last candle flame on your birthday cake dancing like a child’s first stumbling, wavering steps? I don’t have the answers, but I have scorned so many opportunities to be creative. Some say the worst thing in life is to waste talent. I can think of far more terrible and horrifying things than that, but this idea of lost time crucifies me every day. Like Prometheus, come and eat my liver, or my heart, watch me heal and then devour me once again. I’m not a musician, or a poet, but I see things uniquely (as we all do) and so how do we juggle and sculpt these images? What do we think as we try and hang notes on the shimmering stave of the sunset, or breathe a song into another’s mouth? Is it indifference to others, or to ourselves; the drunken “Good Samaritan” merely imagining he helped someone, or the footprints in blood as he staggered home to sleep? Last night the scream of the tram’s sparks tore through my dreams and I scraped the words from its wheels to lure me from my private hell, but today I am talented, inspired, breathtaking, a young boy playing in the park and dreaming of the day I will be grown up. Indifference no longer suits. I want to be my own ounce of sky!!
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We are not trying to change the world There is already constant striving in the world We are not about trendsetters or taste-influencers, hippest or coolest, the price of the suit We are not selling an image Beyond all that : We are completing a cycle to return to Authenticity Human Spirit Integrity be movement - celebrating the courage to be
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movement be movement ¡ celebrate *be the courage to beis printed using eco-friendly soy ink