Xiao Hua Issue 12

Xiao Hua ć ĄčŠą may 2015 issue 12

the f-word

Changing Gender Roles

on race + tolerance Are we there yet?

1

xiao hua issue 12

illustrator: maddie griffiths(y12)

2

xiao hua issue 12

CS Logistics Centre (Luen Fat Factory Building), 2-16 Lam Tin Street, Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong.

Tel No.: (852) 2754 0638 Fax No.: (852) 2754 2234 Website: http://www.cargofe.com

3

xiao hua issue 12

Xiao Hua MAY 2015

ISSUE 12 XIAO HUA

CONTENTS

Cruising attitude 30 body image: is what i be up to you 31

Masthead 報頭 6

What’s Cool 流行文化

X.H 校話

online shopping: asos vs zalora 33 Diary of a Teacher: Mr megson 34 faculty Letter: CLAIRE mcquillan 10 the future is here: ground Editor’s Letter: SunWoo Nam 11 breaking technology 36 the science behind taking selfXiao Hua Announcements 12 ies 38 photographer interview: jean Happenings 簡報 gorguet 40 humans of cis 13 hot bites food finds: 22 ships 42 alumni corner 18 movie review: 親愛的，原來是你 43 movie review: interstellar 44 Voices 心聲 Editorial Board 編輯委員會 7

peer mentoring 20 boston time capsule 22 school introspect 24 石油輸出國組織 26 the race to selective colleges 28 菲萊登陸器 29

music 音樂 hk’s lack of music cultivation 45 Hksmf 48 interviewing cis alumni involved with music 50

4

xiao hua issue 12

Features 專題文章

editorial 觀點

on race and tolerance 54 the malala eFFect 58 psychology oF a classroom 62 追星利升弊 66 sat 的變化 67 a paradigm shiFt: paper to screen 68 our cis environment 72 one hundred years: on the importance oF remembrance 76 the F-word 80

idisorder 90 can watching movies in class help us 92 .b 課程 94 請對我撒謊 96 the Facebook demetricator 98 who’s watching the watchmen 100

hangzhou Features 杭州專題文章 the piano 84 chinese whispers 85 人在杭州 88 杭州隨筆 89

sports 體育 extreme sports 102 exercise to destress 104 ultimate Frisbee 106 Fitness 101 part iii 108 controversy in sports 111

creative 創意 旅人 114 digital state oF mind 115 pearls 116

alumni corner 校友

5

xiao hua issue 12

118

Xiao Hua MAY 2015 ISSUE 12 XIAO HUA

FAcUltY AdvISOr 指導教師 Claire Yeo EdItOr-In-cHIEF 主編 Sunwoo Nam MAnAgIng EdItOr & ArtIStIc dIrEctOr 設計副總監 Bernetta Li & Nicole Wang nEwS EdItOr 新聞編輯 Jackie Wu & Joshua Hung & Angus Lam FEAtUrES EdItOr 專題文章編輯 Medha Goyal cHInESE dIrEctOr 中文編輯 Justine Chen SpOrtS EdItOr 體育編輯 Konrad Lee MUSIc EdItOr 音樂編輯 Hillary Yuen & Sonia Yuen HEAd OF pHOtOgrApHY 攝影主任 Andrew Koo dIrEctOr OF pHOtOgrApHY Jessica Eu bUSInESS & cOMMUnIcAtIOnS dIrEctOr 財務及傳訊總監 Charmaine Lai prOdUctIOn & AdMInIStrAtIOn MAnAgEr 行政主任 Stephanie Leung Special thanks to cIS photography club SEnIOr nEwS EdItOr 新聞編輯 Jackie Wu nEwS EdItOrS Angus Lam, Joshua Hung Associate Editor Esther Um reporters 記者

Kenny Jeong, Francesca Li, Crystal Lau, Raghav Goyal, Florance Wu, Katherine Yang, Richard Ding, Joey Cheng, Stephanie Leung, Catherine Ding, Monique Chan, Soo Yeon Kim, Scarlet Au, Brian Lee, Shannon Hu, Evelyn Choi, Shana Li, Kameka Herbst, Alex Tam, Cuthbert Chow, Yumi Tang, Justin Ngai, Joey Alam, Sander Kujis, Edgar Yau, Tiffany Chan, Horace Wang, Simon Lam, Kaitlyn Wells, Sharon Kuo FEAtUrES EdItOr 專題文章編輯 Medha Goyal Associate Editor Hannah Hui, Catherine Wang reporters 記者

Catherine Wang, Ryan Lee, Jemima Barr, Jimin Kang, Ethan Lam, Wen Yee Chan, Sam Cheung Hana Davis, Hannah Jones, Hannah Hui, Esther Um, Stephen Liu,Yi Qiao (Rachel) Lau, Sean Meng, Christina Li, Yoon Ah Han cHInESE dIrEctOr 中文編輯 Justine Chen reporters 記者

Victoria Ngai, Ryan Tse, Nicole Li, Emma Lau, Sean Meng, Curtis Lo, Adrienne Chen, Justin Ngai, Sander Kujis,Tyler Weisberg Leung Yu Hang, JiaJi (Jefferey) Zhang SpOrtS EdItOr 體育編輯 Konrad Lee reporters 記者

Sean Meng, Alisha Tidmarsh, Martin Banson, Joey Cheng, Edward Ha

HAng zHOU EdItOr 杭州編輯 Victoria Ngai MAnAgIng EdItOr & ArtIStIc dIrEctOr 設計副總監 Bernetta Li dEpUtY ArtIStIc dIrEctOr Nicole Wang Associate designers Michelle Wu, Nicole Li, Natalie Lin Illutrators and designers 設計師

Nicole Choi, Nicole Li, Leung Yu Hang, Alison Wong, Adam Wang, Emma Lau, Sheren Mao, Sabrina Ma, Katherine Yang, Calvin Cheong, Kelly Luy, Wendy Wang, Sheila Zhang, Shane Yeung, Sierra Chiao, Ashley Tuen, Madeleine Griffiths, Kristen Wong, Cheryl Lee HEAd OF pHOtOgrApHY 攝影主任 Andrew Koo dIrEctOr OF pHOtOgrApHY Jessica Eu Associate Editor Byron Lee, Jacob Wong photographers 攝影師

Nicole Choi, Yunqing Hu, Britta Lam, Scarlet Au, Mathew Chow, Max Manley, Isabella Chon, Emma Kent Stephanie Wong, Elena Eu, Katherine Wu, Sharon Kuo, Jasmine Brian-Boys Miriam Finnemore bUSInESS & cOMMUnIcAtIOnS dIrEctOr 財務及傳訊總監 Charmaine Lai Advertising Associates

Hannah Guo, Francisca Lam, Kaitlyn Mingyi Wells, Christina Li, Cheryl Ting, Jasmine Liao, Marcus Lee, Alison Wong, Angela Stanton, Jessica Cheng. Bonnie Lee, Sonia Yuen, Hillary Yuen, Audree Wang, Yumi Tang, Wen Yee Chan, Lucida Ng, Justie Mak, Shana Li prOdUctIOn & AdMInIStrAtIOn MAnAgEr 行政主任 Stephanie Leung

Xiao Hua is a registered student organization of the Chinese International School. The magazine published indepedently by students of the Chinese International School, 1 Hau Yuen Path, Braemar Hill, North Point, Hong Kong, Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Xiao Hua magazine. The magazine is published termly. There is no subscription rate to Xiao Hua- the publication is free of charge to all members of the Chinese International School community. For enquiries, please contact the Xiao Hua Communications Department at cis.xiaohua@gmail. com. Xiao Hua is not responsible for loss, damage or any other injury to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork, or any unsolicited materials. Those submitting manuscripts, photographs, artwork, or other materials for consideration should not send orginals, unless specifically requested to do so by Xiao Hua in writing. Manuscripts, photographs, and other materials submitted must be accompanied by a self addressed overnight delivery return envelope, postage prepaid. The paper used for this publication is a recyclable and renewable product. It has been produced using wood sourced from sustainably managed forests and elemental or total chlorine- free bleached pulp. The producing mills have third party certified management systems in place. This magazine can be recycled either through your curbside collection, or at a local recycling point. Log onto www.recyclenow.com and enter your postcode to find your nearest sites.

6

xiao hua issue 12

Joshua hungnews editor Just like every issue before it, Xiao Hua 12 is the culmination of the hard work, dedication and passion of its staff. Nobody will deny that Xiao Hua takes time. The only thing keeping it together is the enthusiasm and eagerness of its writers and artists, and I can only hope that this passion is felt above all else when you flip through this magazine.

medha goyalfeatures editor Like every long term project, Xiao Hua has its ups and downs. But while the ups are predictably exhilarating, the downs are surprisingly cushioned. And after two years of editing I attribute this to the passion and engagement of our writers.

They get frustrated and persevere. They make mistakes, and then apologize and try harder the next time. In the end, their talent and smarts yield fascinating final products. I hope you enjoy reading their work as much as I enjoyed working with them!

angus lam- news editor Free pizzas and launch parties aside, there is really nothing more exciting and gratifying than the release of another Xiao Hua issue. After months of hard work and planning – within the ever-passionate Editorial Board and among the diligent Xiao Hua writers and artists – we have finally done it again. Within these pages are works of great global insight, of superb wit and humour, or of deep introspection; simply put, they are a testament to these students’ writing and artistic abilities. Hope you enjoy this issue CIS!

EDboard 2014|15 7

xiao hua issue 12

14|15

andreW KooHead oF PHotograPHY I can’t imagine what the photography department would look like without such wonderful, supportive photographers by my side. I’ve seen them grow, through all shapes and forms, and develop artistically as well. I’ve tried to put a lot of emphasis on being creative with their photographs, and trying to find new angles to get around challenges, and they have in all instances fulfilled and exceeded my expectations for them. I’m so proud of all of them. Happy reading! And remember all “There are no bad pictures; that’s just how your face looks sometimes” - Abraham Lincoln

Bernetta limanaging editor & artistic director Every single issue of Xiao Hua has proven how difficult but rewarding it is to produce a publication of this scale. Issue and issue again, our entire artistic team encounters many challenges, but through it all, I am proud to say that our team has done it again! I hope you all will enjoy this issue and continue to support Xiao Hua for its many issues to come! Have a great summer!

8

xiao hua issue 12

D justine cHencHinese editor 又一期《校話》出版了！每次收到 的不同題材的文章，每一篇都浸透 著同學的努力和用心。我深深感覺 自己很幸運能夠和大家一起合作， 從無到有，從頭至尾，整本刊物出 版，都飽含了同學們共同的心血。 這期間，有堅持、有歡喜、有挫 折、更有成就感。希望大家喜歡這 期的《校話》。暑假愉快！

board konrad leesports editor

stephanie leungproductions and Another semester, another issue. administrations manager I am so grateful to both my team of writers for working diligently to submit exemplary work , as well as the rest of the Editorial Board for not only supporting one another, but also just making the process of creating another issue so much more fun and enjoyable. I hope you enjoy the results of our hard work CIS! Go Phoenix!

It’s always an honor to work with such talented, passionate, and mindful individuals. I think that this is what makes the Xiao Hua experience so unique- the fact that everyone is eager to play their part, enabling an operation of over a hundred members to succeed. We defy (almost) all odds! I hope the effort that everyone has put into this issue shines through, and I hope that this twelfth issue of Xiao Hua will continue to impress. Kick back, relax, and enjoy the read, CIS!

9

xiao hua issue 12

charmaine laibusiness and communications director There are definite signs that summer is just about upon us and that marks the final issue of Xiao Hua in this school year. It has been a pleasure and an honor working with everyone from the Editorial Board and my fellow cohorts in the Business Department.

The passion, vision and tireless efforts of the team is the reason why Xiao Hua blossoms year after year. None of the achievements would have been possible without our hunger of expression and our sedulousness.

So, wherever you are this summer, I hope you’ll sit back, relax and enjoy a nice ice cream sundae while Xiao Hua offers you the ultimate reading experience. Have a nice summer and happy reading!

faculty letter Growth over Grades?

I was delighted to see in Dr Faunce’s recent weekly newsletter a note from a student referring to the work of Carol Dweck. Unknown to this student, the author of the article was the focus of the Secondary Heads of Departments’ professional reading last year. Her work on the importance of the “mindset” of the learner and those who support them in their learning has been part of what I would describe as an increasing paradigm shift in the academic life of the Secondary School: that which values the promotion of growth over grades and embraces positive psychology as a way to develop a growth mindset for learning.

Whilst CIS has long had a strong focus on academic rigor and the pursuit of excellence, this has been reduced by some in our community to a simplification of this ideal in what I might describe as a “race for Grades”. We are fortunate to have a strong academic student body at CIS with high goals and a will to succeed; this is something that we are proud of in our students and celebrate. The challenge comes when anyone involved in the learning of that student, including parents, peers and the student themselves begin to see the student as being defined in some way by their grade total.

Dweck’s work on praise is also something I would draw the reader’s attention to as her studies show some interesting insights into what she describes as the “Perils and Promises of Praise”. In her work in this area, Dweck has identified some aspects of praise that surprisingly have a negative aspect on learning. She describes a study in which two comparable groups of students are praised in different ways. One group is told when they complete their task that they are great, must be good at this subject and have a real gift in this area. The other group are praised in a different way, for their efforts and for rising to the challenge and trying hard. When the 2 groups were presented with more challenging problems, surprisingly those who had been told they have a gift in this area, shut down more quickly and believed themselves unable to continue, the alternative group stayed focused and wanted to use their effort to try for a solution and ended up more successful as a result. When given the opportunity to continue with harder or easier problems, those with the “effort” based praise predominantly wanted to go for the challenge whilst those in the other camp reverted to the less difficult ones. It seems that the group who had felt somewhat blessed by their achievement, believed that it only went so far and that beyond that, they were simply powerless to progress. They were happier to stay at what they believed to be their level and not push beyond the artificial barrier that had been constructed. This reminds me so much of many times in my teaching when I have worked with students who say things such as “I just can’t do math/art/ physics/ language – insert as appropriate”, indeed I even hear it reflected by parents in conferences where they say something similar about themselves, emphasizing to their child that some are just good and some things and not at others. This just encourages a fixed mindset that is convinced there is no potential for growth in the particular discipline.

It is the case that we all have areas in which we are stronger and those that require more effort to develop. JoAnn Deak, in her studies in brain development describes these in terms of rubber bands. Those areas that we enjoy and find

relatively easy, tend to promote positive feedback. This then encourages us to learn more – the rubber band begins quite stretchy and then we play with it and it gets stretchier still, other areas others need more attention and the rubber bands in these parts of the brain need a bit more coaxing. The point is that if you start to play with them, they too can become stretchy and malleable and the learning areas develop.

So instead of saying my grade defines me as a student or simply confirms that “I can or can’t do X”, we should be saying: “My grades are a good pointer to how I’m doing and these are the things I can’t do YET.” The paradigm shift I’m describing is to do with all our community celebrating and valuing the effort and learning that takes place throughout the year rather than merely looking at the number that may come home at the end of each reporting period. When we can all honestly say that we value the growth as much as or more than the grade, the paradigm will indeed have shifted.

Claire McQuillan References Dweck, Carol. Mindset, The New Psychology of Success.

Ballentine, 2006 Dweck, Carol. The Perils and Promises of Praise. ASCD. V 65. N2. P34-39. Oct 2007

10

xiao hua issue 12

editor’s letter A stream swerves through the trees until meeting the river and finally converging with the sea to become the lifeline of many organisms. Blood also flows through our heart to pick up oxygen that infuses life into different organs throughout our bodies. Similarly, our ideas move through society to shine a pathway to our future and act as a seed that enriches our culture.

When water stops flowing, a rotten stench may diffuse while when the circulation of blood is prohibited, our lives may be put at risk. Unlike these two cases, a sudden halt in movement of ideas may not appear to have the most obvious or seemingly “problematic” consequences.

With this disruption, however, the words culture and history will be stripped bare of intricate layers to merely hold rather monotonous and simple colors.

In Borrowing Brilliance, a book that I’ve read recently, I came across a very compelling argument by the author David Murray. Murray compares our emotions towards a lover to the development of ideas through what he calls a “lover’s paradox”. He states, “real love means letting go of the other, letting them fly, not trying to hold onto them”. Similarly, “capturing and holding onto ideas prevents one from letting them evolve… that an idea is a one-night stand, not a spouse to move in with, pick out drapes with, and settle down with”. Perhaps, Murray’s opinion for growth of ideas best encompasses the notion that our ideas must continue to flow – that we shouldn’t be stuck in the past but rather let the past be the door to our future. It is this aspect of the society adapting and accepting the growth of ideas that Xiao Hua tries to capture and explore in articles such as “The shift from papers to screens” and “On race and tolerance: Are we there yet?”.

At the same time, amidst the rapid advancement that has brought convenient and comfortable lives for most of us, some people encounter homesickness that evokes longing for the slow, analogous life of the past.

This may very well be explained as a natural part of the cycle – the desire for people to take a break from the endless, hasty movement of ideas. Especially in the article “iDisorder: Detoxing the digital age”, we learn about those who wish to stay away from the developing technology and, therefore, attempt to “unplug” themselves.

While it may seem like these people are going against Murray’s argument by trying to hold onto the past, if we view it from a different angle, can we say these people are “creating” new ideas or expanding the flow of ideas by moving away from technology, an aspect that has become a part of everyone’s daily lives?

As students, we may sometimes feel that our ideas aren’t grandiose or worth much. Regardless of how we view them, however, they are ideas that continue to trickle down our brains: that all have the potential to contribute to the bigger stream of ideas. I hope reading this issue will provide you the opportunity to think about the key we hold to changing the direction of our future’s flow of ideas.

Happy reading CIS! Sunwoo Nam

11

xiao hua issue 12

xiaohua

announcements

LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! COMMENTS (EVERYONE): Tell us what you think of Xiao Hua or any of our articles! We’d love your feedback. Please send comments to: comments.cisxiaohua@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTE: Please submit articles, artwork, short stories, photos or anything that fits our content profiles to cis.xiaohua@ gmail.com. Subject: ‘Attention:Administrator.’ Make sure you put your name and class.

ADVERTISING Xiao Hua is a unique high school publication in Hong Kong, being bilingual in Chinese and English. Featuring full colour graphics, it is also the only regular publication covering all aspects of CIS community life.

Published twice a year, the magazine provides detailed

coverage of school news, sports and arts. Features on student accomplishments, community news and cultural interests round out the editorial package.

With a readership of over 3000 including students, parents, teachers and alumni, Xiao Hua is distributed to a finely targeted audience. Xiao Hua is not just another school publication. It embodies Hong Kong’s unique blend of Chinese and Western culture, as well as the best Chinese and English student work the school as to offer. It offers advertisers access to an affluent community with a wide range of interests.

Business & Communications Department Room 1904, Chinese International School, 1 Hau Yuen Oath, Braemar Hill, North Point, Hong Kong.

Tel: 6478 0234 Fax: 2838 9596

12

xiao hua issue 12

HUMANS CIS PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB PRESENTS:

OF CIS 13

xiao hua issue 12

Petrus Fung

What year did you join CIS? I just joined CIS this year. I was in Kingston International School.

The school was way smaller. I think that at Kingston the people weren’t that friendly. I think that it is kind of similar, cause we also go to school like this but I think that there were more people.

14

xiao hua issue 12

GiGi Cheng

If you had all the money and time in the world, what would you change about CIS? Well, we are already building a new building, but before that was definitely space that we could expand. I know the school is starting financial aid - I want to see that take off a little bit more, because I know there are a lot of kids out there that would do well in our environment but unfortunately can’t.

15

xiao hua issue 12

george kwan

What is the most interesting thing about yourself that people might not know?

I actually like making things and tearing things apart as a hobby. When I was a little kid, I would take apart all these electronics like walkmans, disc mans, toys‌just in general taking apart things just to find out how things worked on the inside. Our house had a lot of tools so I grabbed them and started making things. I once made a basketball hoop just using things lying around. Sometimes I could put them back together, sometimes not.

16

xiao hua issue 12

Kevin quinn

What got you into teaching?

I hope that the way that I teach is a result of remembering the kind of student that I was and perhaps being effective in engaging the boy that I was back then. Primarily I teach because it is something that I feel that I can do well intrinsically. I feel that it’s just instinctual. Nothing is as clean or instinctual or as immediately gratifying as teaching to me.

17

xiao hua issue 12

happenings

ALUMNI CORNER ami jones (class of ‘10)

was excluded or left out. Weirdly, I felt that kind of thing much more at uni, which I hadn’t expected!

I had some really fantastic teachers, who really did care - I particularly remember my English and Drama teachers, I guess for obvious reasons. I remember having Mr. Topp for English in Year 8 and him playing South African protest songs on his guitar. I thought he was way too cool to be a teacher. I also had this teacher called Mr. Craig in I think Year 10, and he was completely mad.

He would spend so much time telling us these amazing stories about his life - such as the time he spent in Saudi Arabia - but somehow I also managed to learn loads from him. I can actually remember the specific lesson where he gave us an Ezra Pound poem, and he’s still one of my favourite poets today. I can remember being completely terrified of Ms. Stearns - like everyone else - for a lot of my CIS career. But by the time I was in IB Theatre I think she mellowed out a bit. We even had this really intense argument once in the middle of class, and she wasn’t even mad at me for yelling - I was amazed at the time, but I think she understood, and actually respected that I cared enough about it so much. I remember wanting to grow up to be exactly like Ms. Yeo, which I guess is a slightly embarrassing thing to say. It was her lessons that really turned what was a love for reading into a serious academic passion.

And I love stopping by to see my old history teacher Mr. Caves whenever I visit, partly because he’s a lot of fun to hang out with, but also his office has the nicest sofas.

On this issue’s Alumni Corner, we have been lucky enough to ask Ami Jones, actress featuring in the theatre production ‘Shrew’ and alumni of the Class of 2010, some questions regarding her life after graduating from CIS, her continued passion for drama and theatre, and her memories of secondary school life.

Where did you go to University and what did you major in?

I graduated in 2010 (Is that really five years ago? Doesn’t feel like that long...) and then went to Cambridge, where I studied English.

How has your experience in Chinese International School benefitted you?

In some ways, this is is an impossible question to answer - I spent pretty much every day of seven of my most formative years there! It’s had a huge effect in moulding who I am as a person, whether I like it or not, really.

But I’ll do my best to pinpoint some things.

I didn’t really realise till I’d left CIS how much I’d been surrounded by intelligent, well-rounded people. Seriously. You only truly realise what a special environment it is after you leave. Of course, the academic pressure of keeping up when you have peers that bright was pretty traumatic at times, but a lot of my closest friends are my old CIS buddies. And they’re still some of the most intelligent and lovely and fun people I know. I also realise what a positive school environment it was. OK - I hated the uniform and schoolbag policies too - but I never felt pressure to be cool or to fit in, and I never felt like anyone

18

xiao hua issue 12

Have you continued to pursue your passion in theatre?

Absolutely - much to my mother’s eternal disappointment, I fear. I think she still hopes I’ll wake up one day and decide to be a lawyer.

Despite not taking Theatre as your major, how have you managed to balance your studies as well as your passion for acting?

Ha - who says I managed to balance it? I probably spent way too much of my degree going off to auditions and rehearsals and shows - I remember skiving off a supervision once by saying I was violently ill and then being caught by my supervisor on my way back from rehearsals for a play I was doing. And I was terrible at getting to morning lectures because of all the nights I was at the student theatre bar. A lot of it had to do with the fact that it was Cambridge, which is famous for its student theatre and has the most active theatre scene for any university that’s not a drama school. There are at least four different shows being put on by students which change every week - some weeks there could be up to eight different shows happening across the uni.

I’m making it sound a bit like I didn’t work at all - I definitely did, and I learnt an incredible amount of things, but my point is when you really love something, it’s really not a struggle to find time to do it. You just do it.

What are your recent productions?

There have been a few bits and bobs, but the main highlight of the past year has been Shrew. It’s a one-woman show based on the Shakespeare play The Taming of the Shrew, which I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with.

It tackles a lot of issues I’m interested in, like gender and

feminism - we still live in a man’s world, and there are hundreds of tiny little corrosive, nasty things which can wear you down if you don’t fight back. It also tackles human relationships and the bizarre and sometimes unsatisfying direction life just takes us. I found the prospect of landing a boring job I hated like so many of my friends were doing, marrying someone I would end up hating, living this directionless, tragic life in a suburb somewhere genuinely terrifying. I spent a lot of time after uni thinking about this - real life can be vast and scary.

We’ve been incredibly lucky with the show - it started out in the Edinburgh Fringe, where we did 26 shows and got great reviews, and then we went to New York, which was just amazing, and just last December we did a show in Hong Kong, and it was great to see so many familiar faces in the audience.

What are your future plans?

Oh God, I have no idea. Well, I’m in rehearsals for a production of Cymbeline which a friend’s directing at the moment, and that will be happening in March. And also the London run of Shrew’s just been confirmed for June - and that will be the last performance. Beyond that... I really don’t know. I’ve been offered a place at East 15, a drama school in London, which I’d love to take up but drama school fees are expensive so I’m still working that out! I have a few vague ideas for shows bouncing around in my head, but I haven’t worked out yet which ones are worth bringing into the world.

19

Thank you for answering our questions and readily offering insight regarding your life beyond CIS!

xiao hua issue 12

voices

MENTORING writer: soo yeon kim (y12)

N

avigating through the academic and social confusion in this competitive school, especially for year seven to nine students, can be both a shockingly awkward and an awkwardly shocking time. This is why the peer mentoring system was created. For the first time in CIS history, the CIS community has been given an opportunity to reconcile the gap between MYP and IB students.

While younger students have community time, mentors will approach them to discuss any light-hearted topics ranging from complaining about excessive school work to Chartwells food quality. However, during Choices sessions every Friday, Dr. Mok and Ms. Chang teach mentors different mentoring techniques in the event that someone opens up about more serious issues, such as handling depression, family problems, etc. Cordelia Lam, a mentor from Year 12, says “it’s a lot about learning the psychology behind these issues and letting the person know you care by responding in the right way.” One of the things Cordelia learned is to “never give advice because throwing out ideas is not as effective as laying down all those ideas out by suggesting instead of instructing.”

In their latest session, mentors joined the Year 10 Choices session, during which both parties openly discussed heavy and intense matters. During the session, everyone was given a sheet of paper with various statements such as “I have tried drugs before”, “I have been hit by someone I love” and ”I have thought about or attempted suicide.” Next to these statements was a true or false tick box. After the sheets were filled, they were randomly distributed back to everyone. Ms. Chang and Dr. Mok then started to read out these statements, and those who marked ‘true’ would stand up. Afterwards, the Year 10s and Year 12s broke up into groups of eight and talked about what it was like to stand in other people’s shoes to represent their opinion. A Year 10 participant, who wishes to remain anonymous, said “It makes me think that I don’t know my year as well as I thought I did and I think that has something to do with the way we interact in a sense that the bigger the friendship group, the more things we hide just to fit in, and the less genuine we are.” Mentors saw their training come to fruition in a serious way as they got the year group to open up more about other issues and establish a connection.

20

xiao hua issue 12

A Bridge Between Juniors and Seniors?

This is the kind of interaction and impact peer mentoring has mobilized.

As of lately, the peer mentors will be focusing on teen issues such as self worth, especially in relation to the impact of coming college applications on CIS grade culture. They are currently preparing various presentations, and learning various techniques tailored to such large issues. Cordelia comments that “Year Seven to Nine is more about finding your footing as to where you stand both academically and socially, whereas from Year Ten onwards the focus is shifted to opening yourself up more to your friends once you’ve found yourself, and it’s at that point that people start to gain a greater sense of maturity.”

So what is peer mentoring? Peer mentoring is a bridge.

Peer mentoring is support system. It is a two-way window through which older and younger students look for a reflection of the past or a view of the future. Peer mentoring can be defined as multiple things, but one thing’s for sure: this system will continue to make a difference in the CIS community.

It appears that the gaping dichotomy between puny prepubescent juniors and big scary seniors is drawing to a close. Thanks to Mr. Mulcahy, Dr. Mok, Ms. Chang, mentors and mentees.

21

xiao hua issue 12

voices The BosTon Time Capsule

Would You Save Time in a Bottle?

WRITER: STEPHANIE LEUNG (Y12) ILLUSTRATOR: KRISTEN WONG (Y9)

22

xiao hua issue 12

U

pon hearing the words “time capsule”, most typically think of a futuristic pill with the powers to whizz us back in time. To be fair, the time capsule unearthed in Boston on the 6th of January this year isn’t all that different- it let us catch a glimpse of the past through the artefacts it contained. In reality, time capsules aren’t the futuristic contraptions that we whimsically think of, and are actually much more common and simplistic than we think.

So what exactly is a time capsule? Upon a quick Google entry, one would find that a time capsule “is a keepsake container of personal goods and information that shows a snapshot or memory of today when opened”.

There are currently 10 000 to 15 000 time capsules worldwide, but a lot of them will remain unopened beyond their scheduled time, their locations unrecalled; slowly evolving into misplaced and lonely memories held back in the recesses of our minds.

Time capsules are typically buried or hidden with the intention of leaving interesting artefacts to future historians or archaeologists, and of being opened at a scheduled future date. The most recent Boston Time Capsule was planted in 1795 by Samuel Adams, then Governor of Massachusetts, and Paul Revere, a metalsmith and Revolutionary War hero. It was placed in the cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House to celebrate its construction, and according to the Bostonian Society, the State House was the “center of Boston’s civic life” in the 18th and 19th Century.

The time capsule was discovered in the December of 2014 during repairs for a water leakage, and on the 6th of January, it took over four hours to simply loosen the screws on the time capsule in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and over an hour to empty its contents. Pam Hatchfield, the Head of Objects Conservation for the museum, used among other equipment a porcupine quill and her grandfather’s dental tool to aid her in the process. Malcolm Rogers, the Director of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, worried that the items would be “too fragile to take out”, and added that “[the extraction process] was like brain surgery, with history looking down on us”; needless to say, many watched the extraction in suspense. In the end, five folded newspapers, a commonwealth seal, a title page from the Massachusetts colony records and 24 coins were removed from the capsule. The contents were not a surprise, as the capsule was found and documented in 1855 during the construction of a new building for the State House. Its “amazingly good condition”, however, was.

As with any time capsule extraction, the discovery of the Boston Time Capsule’s contents was received with a bed of criticism. Even though Sebastian Clarke, an appraiser of PBS, believes that the objects in the box would fetch a pretty penny “not because they’re rare, but because of the history behind them”, many beg to differ. Historians such as William Jarvis believe that time capsules do not

23

provide much historical information, and are instead filled with “useless junk” in pristine condition. Others also prefer if the capsules were filled with personal objects, as they believe that this would provide us with valuable insight into civilian life in the past. Despite the merits of locking away personal items to be opened in the future, there will always be preservation issues surrounding the selection of objects to keep.

On the other hand, some believe that this criticism is ill-directed, and argue that the Boston Time Capsule technically isn’t a time capsule after all. Time capsules were invented in the 19th century, and the Boston “Time Capsule” was buried in 1795. Using Jarvis’ own words, “the defining characteristics of the time capsule is that it must have an end date” of which to extract it by. And since the Boston “Time Capsule” was not planted with a scheduled end date, it is simply a box placed in a building, simply a “foundation deposit”.

Interestingly, repositories in foundations and cornerstones traces back to thousands of years. Knute Berger, a co-founder of the International Time Capsule Society, comments that “People have been putting things in the foundation of buildings for millennia”. Back in the 13th Century, Europeans would place holy objects in the foundations or cornerstones of their churches and cathedrals.

It is speculated that the Boston “Time Capsule” was laid as part of a grand masonic ceremony, as Paul Revere was the Grand Master of the state’s Freemason fraternity. During the ceremony, he said “May we my Brethren, so Square our Actions thro life as to shew to the World of Mankind, that we mean to live within the Compass of Good Citizens that we wish to Stand upon a Level with them that when we part we may be admitted into that Temple where Reigns Silence & peace”. Nowhere does it mention the unearthing and opening of the 10-pound copper box in the distant future, so it should be safe to assume that it was not part of Revere’s intentions for the “capsule” to be discovered and opened.

Although Time Capsules have long been the subject of polemical discussions between historians and archives alike, they haven’t always been the topic of great public interest. Despite the crowds that were drawn to the opening of the Boston Time Capsule, many lesser known capsules go unopened, never to be seen or heard of ever again. And yet, the practice of burying time capsules seems to be growing in popularity. As of now, four time capsules have been buried in space, with a fifth scheduled to be launched this year. How many of these thousands of time capsules will end up unopened, trapped in a awkward state of delocalization? And then, there is the issue of whether we should ‘add’ to a capsule and rebury it, kept in protective concealment for yet another extended period of time.

There are many questions that arise from these Capsules, and they all seem to link back to one devastatingly little concept that haunts our every decision: Legacy.

xiao hua issue 12

voices

SCHOOL INTROSPECT Things that are lost, forgotten, or underappreciated WRITER: FLORENCE WANG (Y12) PHOTOGRAPHER: MATHEW CHOW (Y11)

24

xiao hua issue 12

W

e often hear of large, popular student-run organizations, ones that challenge the unfounded perception that students cannot achieve the same things fully-grown, fully-educated adults can. Student-run charities like ‘Help for Helpers’, ‘Education For All’, the ‘CIS Human Rights Group’, the ‘CIS Green Group’, among others. Periodicals like Fragments, Scribbles, and our very own Xiao Hua. Collaborations between students and outside organizations, like ‘Feeding Hong Kong’, ‘Liberty in North Korea’, ‘Rotary’, ‘HKSA’, ‘Po Leung Kuk’, ‘Chicken Soup’, the list goes on and on.

But what you start to realize is that between rushing from one meeting to another, students can sometimes forget the significance of the issues and causes they’re zealously campaigning for. From holding bake sales to rallying on social media, it seems as though the groups are becoming more and more distanced from the actual issues at hand. Simply labelling an event as being “for charity” doesn’t actually convey as much information about the cause as one might think.

And to further dilute our intentions, another consideration that may be running through a student’s mind as they ponder over that term’s list of extracurricular activities is how the activity would look on a college application. The result of this? They might end up with a schedule full of extremely meaningful activities, each of which they will never have time to actually make an effort in. We have to be realistic about how much we’ll actually be able to commit to an activity. While it’s good to be an optimist, the distance between a good idea about an issue, to the actual result, is formidable.

While CIS students are often noted for their ardent support for many causes – a commendable quality and one we should be proud of – it’s important to take a step back and keep the big picture in mind. Reflect upon the reason you, passion running through your veins, went on Moongate and signed up for that group in the first place. More than likely that will be what sways the hearts and minds of your peers, not the triple-chocolate-vanilla-rainbow-swirl cupcakes that you spent all night baking. And hey, no one’s saying that cupcakes aren’t delicious and great for raising awareness. But maybe next time with each cupcake, include a fact about the cause you’re raising money for. You’d be amazed at how much icing can do.

Signing up for activities on Moongate isn’t like shopping at Forever21; you can’t add all of the items that seem attractive to your basket, only to stumble across them three years later, crumpled up in the bottom of your closet, when your mom forces you to join in on her Spring Cleaning frenzy.

Making a difference and creating a lasting impact on the activity you signed up for takes time and effort – the cause behind it deserves that much.

25

xiao hua issue 12

voices

石油輸出國組織 OrganisatiOn Of the petrOleum expOrting cOuntries

Writer: Charmaine Lai (Y12) illustrator: sierra chiao (y11)

「石油輸出國組織」是一個由世界主要石油生產國聯合而成的組織,目的 為共同對付西方石油公司和維護石油收入。它於1960年9月10日由伊拉 克、伊朗、科威特、沙地阿拉伯和委內瑞拉代表在巴格達開會商議成立的 一個機構,4日後「石油輸出國組織」正式宣告成立。 成員國由最初5個增加到現時12個,陸續加入的成員有卡達、利比亞、阿爾 及利亞、阿拉伯聯合大公國、奈及利亞、厄瓜多爾和安哥拉,印度尼西亞 和加彭是已辭任的成員,組織總部於1965年起設於奧地利首都維也納。 該組織成立目的是協調和統一成員國的石油政策和價格,確定以最適當的 手段來維護它們自身和彼此的利益;把有害因素消除以避免石油市場波動, 共同策劃各種方法確保國際石油價格的穩定。組織成員認為產油國應得到 國際間的尊重及穩定的收入,才能給予石油消費國有效、經濟而穩定的供 應;同時亦為石油工業投資者帶來公平的回報。石油輸出組織代表不能忽 視的政治及經濟勢力. 全球三份之二的石油庫存由這組織成員擁有,亦控 制着全球一半的石油出口。由於現代社會的運作絕大部分取決於由石油帶 來的能源,其一言一行均不能忽略。 雖然組織對全球的政治及經濟影響力不容忽視,但隨着時間流逝,大眾對 組織對石油市場的影響亦抱有疑問。數位成員曾於1973年的石油危機中 禁運石油,引發無論發達或發展中國家都出現高度的通貨膨脹,石油危機的 短短五個月間令石油價格上升4倍。這舉動固然彰顯了組織成員國對世界 的影響力,但同時向全球敲出了警號。由危機開始,石油消費國不斷尋找方 法增加石油供應,減低對組織成員國的依賴,削弱組織控制石油價格的影響 力,例如石油消費國努力令石油市場步向現代化,和之後不斷發現及發展大 型石油庫存,例如在墨西哥灣、北海及蘇聯。 石油輸出國家組織能否如其章程所言,能有效穩定國際石油價格?從石油價 的變化歷史,看來說不上成功。2014年6月時每桶石油價格為美金115元,到 11月期間跌至美金85元,跌幅高達35%。這個跌幅除了歸咎於全球經濟不景 氣外,亦由於成員國的石油供應多於國際需求。不過最大的原因是美國北 達科他州及德州巨大的產油能力,過去4年,油價一直於美金110間徘徊,但 由於這兩個州份大都推展於頁岩中鑽油的工業,由2000年開始至2014年已 完成了接近兩萬個頁岩井的工程,令美國石油的產量增加了三分之一,至接 近每天產油九百萬桶,產量只比沙地阿拉伯少一百萬桶,頁岩鑽油的技術突 破令全球由石油短缺扭轉成石油盈餘,在供求市場下,石油價格自然下跌。 26

xiao hua issue 12

2014年會議總結 會議由秘書長回顧石油市場概況,亦提出全球 經濟現況,尤其關注歐盟元區的主權負債問題, 已發展經濟區的高失業率,尤其是在歐元區,及 發展中地區不但經濟增長放緩,還有通脹危機, 這些都令石油價格的未來添上不明朗的因素。 雖然石油需求預期會有增長,但增長的部分有 可能被非石油輸出國家組織成員的供應取代。 總結時,組織成員國仍是採取了一個較為保守 的手段維持石油價格,會議決定維持現有產能 ──每日三千萬桶,成員間確認它們能隨時配 合市場調節石油產能,維持石油市場的秩序及 平衡。 若組織希望維持石油價格穩定及保障自己的 收入,必須與頁岩取油的國家角力一番。面對 科技一日千里,即使沒有頁岩取油,世界還有其 他研究關於獲取更多的能源,組織能否確保自 己的收入無損,必須在取油技術及成員國彼此 間能否通力合作實為關鍵,若只懂繼續依賴國 家天然的石油庫存及想窮盡方法單方面推高石 油價格,組織能否達成成立的初衷實在難以預 料。

27

xiao hua issue 12

voices

THE RACE TO SELECTIVE

COLLEGES

Why do we aspire for ‘7’s on our report card? Why are we interested in obtaining the highest grades? These questions have become particularly prevalent in recent years, as shifts in the attitude towards a higher education begin to emerge among the community. Whilst strong academic performance is a prerequisite to enter the most selective universities, such schools also look at other aspects of an applicant’s profile to distinguish candidates from one another. Perhaps by a system of causation and not correlation, this has lead to an exponential growth in interest towards leadership opportunities and charity work among the student community. The applicant pool continues to grow year after year, and it is now common knowledge that schools prefer students with a ‘holistic, wellrounded profile’, resulting in an even more competitive and overwhelming race to acceptance into selective colleges. But what exactly caused this? Is there now a difference in how students perceive entry to college?

In order to answer this question, I interviewed two CIS alumni: One went to the University of Chicago, the other to Brown University. Back then, the scene was much less competitive. Both scored around 2100 on their SAT, took no SAT subject tests, and had a GPA that was less than 3.8.

According to newest statistics provided by Naviance, the current state of the college application system is much more tumultuous and challenging. Most students accepted into Ivy League schools in the past couple years scored at least 2200 on their SAT and had a near-perfect GPA. For the most selective schools in the world, such as Harvard and Yale, a perfect SAT/ACT score and GPA do not guarantee acceptance, suggesting that there are too many students possessing such requirements. Where do these students come from?

Some would say the answer is SouthEast Asia. Many claim that because China has made great economic leaps since 1985 – resulting in an increase of the multimillionaire population – more families possess the wealth to send kids abroad for college, increasing the number of applicants.

Furthermore, as more and more tutorial centers are opening up (along with a plethora of other forms of educational assistance and assets), and as parents now have the resources to invest in their child’s education, it is only natural that these college applicants have become betterequipped with their application process, elevating the standards for all prospective students.

28

Writer: Joey Cheng

I interviewed one current CIS student to get a closer perspective on this “SouthEast Asia phenomena”.

This student, who comes from what he calls a “typical Asian family”, explains that what he studies doesn’t matter, as he is poised to take over his father’s business, and the knowledge required can only be gained through experience in the industry. He only aims to expand his network of friends and hone his social skills throughout his years in college, and apart from that “probably party the four years away”. He laments that “in [his] family, what [he] think[s] doesn’t matter.

What [his] father thinks is the key.” His father would say: “Go to Harvard. If not, then Yale. The rest of the Ivy League schools are your bottomline.” To the student, this serves as a suitable motivation to try and achieve the perfect SAT score and GPA, as well as to try and tackle a long list of achievements, accolades and activities.

Several students who have had a Western upbringing were also interviewed. According to some of them, their parents cared little about their academic performance in high school, and had no worries about their college choices or future career decisions. I asked some of their parents about their views on the competitive college application scene, and many dismissed it as an innocuous trend. Some have said that they preferred letting their kids enjoy their childhood and feel no pressure about their studies, whilst others stated that they are confident that their kids can make the correct decisions themselves – follow the flow, they said, and the kids will end up where they’re supposed to be. Compared to the parents of the CIS student in the previous paragraph, there is quite a stark contrast. Nevertheless, it shows how kids from different cultures have different viewpoints on what they should do to prepare for college.

Here we see the college application process differs for students from different cultures. Their attitudes vary, and hence the amount of pressure they undergo varies as well. Is there “the best process” for students to

apply for college? Probably not, but in most cases, the process should be for the student to decide.

xiao hua issue 12

菲萊登陸器 Writer: Justie Mak (y12) illustrator: Alison wong (y11) 2014年11月12日,工作人員的歡呼聲從德國達 姆施塔特的控制中心爆發出來。菲萊登陸器 就是那天隨羅塞塔號登陸在67P/楚留莫夫-格 拉西門克彗星的表面上。歐洲空間組織的菲 萊登陸器是太空探測器,它是羅賽塔號帶著的 一個機器人。它成為了歷史上第一個在彗星 上成功受控著陸的探測器。 菲萊在登陸67P/楚留莫夫-格拉西門克彗星的 前一天-11月11日,它的冷氣體推進器壞了, 不能正常工作。那時候,在德國達姆施塔特 控制中心的工作人員做出了一系列能不能登 陸的檢查,但是因為冷氣無法修復,所以科學 家還是決定登陸。菲萊的任務是積累十年的 功勞。2004年3月2日,阿麗亞娜火箭跟隨羅 塞塔號飛船和菲萊登陸器在屬圭亞那一起發 射,3907天,也就是說10年後,菲萊終於成功登 陸在67P/楚留莫夫-格拉西門克彗星上,成為 第一次彗星上有人造的物件出現。就像歐洲 航天局的局長多爾丹(Jean­Jacques­Dordain) 說“這是人類文明邁出的巨大一步。”

菲萊號將會在格拉西門克彗星上採集資料,然 後進行研究和試驗,讓科學家做出化學分析。 分析後的資料對科學家非常重要,因為這些資 料可以解開彗星生命源起的問題。 現在,因為菲萊登陸器無電,失去了所有通訊 的方法。但是科學家一早就預測到這個問題, 在菲萊登陸器上建於了太陽板。當彗星靠近 太陽時,太陽板可以接受足夠的陽光來把菲萊 重啟,讓它再有一個小時的功能。

29

xiao hua issue 12

voices

CRUISING ATTITUDE Cruising 30,000 feet above the air, in a steel bullet hurtling through the skies, makes for an interesting spectacle in human interaction. Whether its the ambiguous state of blanket cleanliness, the persisting smell of old coffee, or just the pressing feeling of the futility of life as you realize the last faces you may see as the plane goes down are obnoxious seat hogs 1 and 2 by your side; there is no better place to witness the joys of the human race than aboard an airplane. It is a fascinating study in social anthropology, because passenger’s attitudes to the situation at hand are often very distinctive and very pronounced.

A personal favourite type of passenger is what will henceforth be deemed Mr. Apathetic. The most wonderful thing about Mr. (or Ms, as it were) Apathetic is that they have not a single care to give about anything that goes on around them.

These people are in such a delightful state of chilled out sentiment that their seatmate next to them can do ridiculous things such as put on a face mask and proceed to cry for three hours at the BBC period drama Call the Midwife, and they wouldn’t even bat an eye. Not that I would know, of course. They may wonder if said seatmate is clinically insane, but their wooden expressions will never betray their inner turmoil, making Mr or Mrs Apathetic a delightful companion for those who are, shall we say, characters with a lot of personality.

However, the vast majority of people on planes are, understandably, not in quite such a pronounced state of zen. Enter the over privileged seat recliner. This is a pet peeve of mine, but in order to diminish my responsibility for my terrible attitude and lack of understanding, I’m going to go ahead and say that when I politely ask for the person in front of me to not lean their chair back quite so much, and then proceed to silently sit in my seat and weep when they refuse, I am in fact weeping for all of humanity who have to suffer this grave injustice. The truth is I understand that passengers are fully entitled to recline their seats. Airplane seats are notoriously uncomfortable, and people want to try and make the most out of a rather unpleasant situation. However what is perhaps more unpleasant than having to sit upright is having the person

30

Writer: Jing Wen So Illustrator: Michelle Wu

in front of you recline their seats to such an ungodly extent that your meal is now in your lap and your TV is so close to your eyes that you can begin to hallucinate that you have in fact entered the film itself. This is an especially painful situation for the more vertically endowed among us, with possible side effects including squashed legs and lifelong paralysis.

But let us not forget about the true stars of every airplane - the flight attendants. These men and women are truly the salt of the earth. There is not a high enough salary for anyone to be cleaning up vomit while pouring someone orange juice while fixing another person’s seatbelt, all while standing precariously in their heels behind the food trolley in a Richter scale 7.8 turbulence.

They exercise unwavering patience in the midst of severe sleep deprivation across five different time zones, and their ability to look perfectly kempt throughout all of this remains one of the largest mysteries of mankind.

Boarding a plane offers a unique view through a social microscope into the strange and wonderful world of human behaviour and attitude. In few other places will you see so many people joined in camaraderie by a mutual distaste of food and an anxiety over stepping over their sleeping neighbours to get to the bathroom. Movies aplenty are watched, passengers are enthralled by the harmonious wailings of babies, and sleep tempts and eludes all, all whilst being propelled through the skies with over a hundred total strangers. The Wright brothers once said that “the desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air”. Nowadays we travel through well tracked lands as birds look enviously at us soaring freely through space at full speed, and what an achievement that is indeed. The immense privilege and convenience of air travel is one that we are truly fortunate to have, and the interesting behaviours we notice (read: we are nosy enough to spy on) on the ride only serve to make it all the more entertaining.

xiao hua issue 12

BODY IMAGE: IS WHAT I AM UP TO YOU?

Writers: shana li (y12) yumi tang (y12) illustrator: shane yeung (y12) “What is attractive?” “Do you think I’m good looking?”

Often, our insecurities are only worsened by the media’s unattainable ideal figures. Images of flawlessness on social media, on roadside billboards, in magazines and TV programming are endless.

Indeed, wherever ‘photographs’ can be put, there are physically ‘perfect’ people there to publicize and embody. However, it is not a simple matter of superficial looks - the media’s beauty standards have and continue to negatively affect our mental and physical well-being.

A study conducted by the Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York recorded that between 1998 and 2009, coinciding with the decade surge of modern media popularity, the number of college students diagnosed with moderate to severe depression jumped from 34 to 41 percent, with a significant cause of the problem related to low self-esteem. Commercial Alert concluded that “pressure to conform to images of perfection in teenage magazines” has increased youth suicide rates in Britain, with 70% of teenage girls finding dissatisfaction with their faces, two-thirds thinking their lives would improve dramatically if they lost weight, and only 8% happy with their body.

Mainstream media - awash with standards for both men and women - is often held responsible for our deteriorating mental health. Photoshop has enabled advertising agencies to produce images that meet the toughest appearance standards. Advertising encourages consumers to spend time, energy and money attempting to satisfy the very same standards. Of course, our failure is inevitable - how can one be flawless? Even the highest paid supermodels don’t resemble their photographs. “I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford,” said Cindy Crawford herself.

However, “ads sell more than products. They sell values, they sell images. They sell concepts of love and sexuality, of success, and perhaps most important, of normalcy,” argues Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D. As such, as media consumption increases, it becomes more crucial to pay conscious attention to the appearance standards, implied personality traits, and stereotypical societal roles of “normal” men and women.

While some tirelessly invest their efforts into achieving perfection, others instead choose to challenge the pernicious images themselves. Steve Rosenfield, creator of the ‘What I Be’ photography project, is one such person. At its very core, ‘What I Be’ is about honesty and accepting diversity despite strict social standards and taboos, whilst being strikingly simple. It aims to destigmatise insecurities by capturing subjects with phrases or statements (of their choosing) written boldly in black on their face, arms and/or hands. Uncomplicated poses and clean backgrounds draw the viewers’ eye immediately to the person and the writing on them. Each image is captioned “I am not my ___”, a statement admitting that while they do struggle with these issues, they will not let it define who they are.

Steve Rosenfield started the project in September 2010, hoping to open up

lines of communication and spread awareness about anxieties that plague the minds of men and women on a daily basis.

A testimonial from Jackie Andrews, a participant of What I Be, reads: “The ‘What I Be’ project not only affects and changes the individuals who participate but also the community around them.

Positive and understanding vibes were flowing all through George Washington University after Steve came to campus. Words can’t quite describe how meaningful this project is, the photos speak much louder. Thank you, Steve!!”

The project has been rated the #1 art project by the Huffington Post, gaining praise from several popular media outlets, including ABC News, Buzzfeed and the Guardian. Rosenfield’s powerful photography covers a myriad of issues from genetic diseases to crime to emotional sensitivity. He has photographed more than 1,100 people to date and also collaborated with universities and private companies. Recently, Rosenfield has been working on a book about this project, which will include 500 statements from participants providing context for their images and Rosenfield’s own ‘What I Be’ image.

Another effort to redefine body idealism comes in the form of the “Fat Acceptance Movement”. Activists have extrapolated identity politics of the 1960s into the modern day world, calling for the elimination of discrimination based on body size, and encouraging ‘healthy lifestyles’ that move away from potentially dangerous weight loss promoted by modern media. The movement has gained momentum on multiple social media platforms, most significantly microblogging site Tumblr, and has successfully seeped into mainstream entertainment (Meghan Trainor’s single “All About That Bass” is a popular example).

However, the seemingly constructive “Fativism” movement has received backlash. Concern has been raised about its notions of a ‘healthy lifestyle’: Dr. Eric L. Ding from Harvard University states that “obesity is associated to dozens upon dozens of diseases, and all previous ‘fat-and-fit’ claims are woefully false”. Perhaps the modern obsession with the pretty-and-thin image stems from interests in human health; nevertheless, weight loss induced eating disorders are similarly prevalent as the prejudiced obesity problem.

Modern media is unevadable; it towers over us, feeding us expectations and drowning out individual values. We give in to society’s standards of beauty, not willing to forfeit acceptance. But magazine covers do not represent the entire person we should be; behind the lighting and makeup, there are blemishes that do not wholly define who we are. Social movements are realizing these problems one by one, and by promoting acceptance of these humanistic faults, are changing how we feel about the ‘ideal image’. It is up to us to find harmony between what is realistic and what is healthy, and redefine the concept of ‘beauty’ in the growing world.

31

xiao hua issue 12

S ’ T L A O H O W C 32

xiao hua issue 12

ONLINE SHOPPING ASOS vs ZALORA Writer: Nicole Li (Y10)

網上購物已經漸 漸變成了我們日常生活中 一個重要部分。網上購物 不但方便，還能省時間、 省力量，讓購物經驗變得 更加舒暢容易。網路上有 上千萬個購物網頁，但我 們最常會見到的兩個購物 網站就是Zalora和ASOS。 那麼，到底哪一個比較好 用呢？ Zalora是亞洲領先的購物 網站，分別在印度尼西 亞、馬來西亞、香港、泰 國、菲律賓、越南和文 萊都有辦事處。Zalora賣 不同品牌的男女裝、鞋子 等時尚物品，其中最受歡 迎的幾個品牌包括River Island, Mango, Dorthy Perkins, 和New Look 。Zalora的長處就是它提 供貨到才付款的方式，並 不一定需要使用信用卡來

購物。選好物品後，只要 填好地址和聯絡詳情，不 到五天貨品便會送到你家 門口。只要把所購買的貨 品的價錢給送貨員，購物 的過程就簡單地完成了。 這樣的付款方式非常適合 沒有信用卡的青年，而且 這樣也可以確保付款數量 的準確性，避免付款錯 誤。更方便的是，因為 Zalora在香港有辦公室， 所以如果貨品不適合客戶 的要求，客戶可以直接把 貨品帶到它們灣仔的辦公 室去退換。可是，Zalora 在品牌的多樣性上明顯比 不上ASOS。Zalora賣189 個不同品牌的貨物，但 ASOS卻有850個不同品牌 讓客戶選擇。如果客戶喜 歡網上購物，Zalora的選 擇比較有限，而且容易使 人沈悶。

Zalora webpage

ASOS webpage

ASOS是一個英國的購物 網站，同樣也賣各種 時尚物品。ASOS表示 “As Seen On Screen” ，而它的總部位於倫 敦。ASOS每個月有大約 21,300,000個不同的客 戶，是一個在全世界都 十分受歡迎的購物網 站。 它的網站非常容易 使用，而且它的過濾功 能比Zalora的更先進， 也更方便，有價錢、顏 色、和尺寸等過濾選 項，能夠幫助客戶立刻 找到想要的貨品。找到 喜歡的貨物，ASOS讓客 戶能夠通過影片看到模 特兒穿上衣服走起來時 衣服是怎樣動的，也顯 示衣服360度的模樣， 讓客戶感覺到彷彿是真 的把貨品拿在手中查 看。ASOS的另一個更特

33

xiao hua issue 12

別的特點就是在它的網 站上會為客戶介紹最近 的流行時尚或是一些時 髦明星所穿的衣服，給 了客戶一些購物前的靈 感。ASOS也會主持一些 有關時尚的比賽，讓客 戶可以參加，贏得獨特 的獎項或者是一些ASOS 優惠卷。可是，ASOS的 缺點就是它運貨的時間 比Zalora慢多了。 Zalora和ASOS兩個購 物網站都有獨特的長 處和短處。網上購物 時，如果你比較注重速 度和方便的網上購物經 驗，Zalora會適合你； 如果你比較重視多種選 擇和貨品是否流行，那 ASOS便更適合你。

what’s cool

For this issue, Xiao Hua has been lucky enough to interview Mr. Megson, who has been teaching Art at Chinese International School for the last 7 years, and will unfortunately leave us at the end of the year. Read on to learn more about his life at CIS, his passion for the Arts, and some advice he has for aspiring artists.

To begin with, which classes do you teach?

I have a year 7 advisory, I teach year 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 art group and I have a TOK year 13 class.

I have a lot lot of classes, the biggest time table in the Arts Faculty, because I wanted to teach a bit more in my last year at CIS.

DIA RY OF A TEA CHE ER

So do you get free periods at all?

I don’t have many actually. I think I have about 9 in a 12 day cycle. The rest of the time, I’m teaching. Right now, I’ve started to make the plant for the Little Shop of Horrors musical production, and sometimes I paint. Often times, I have admin work to do.

What do you like most about TOK? I like to try and help kids seek connections between the things that they understand and think they know, and how the holistic kind of knowledge actually helps with everything. I know the arts are described as an Area of Knowledge in the TOK course, but I tend to think that it’s more of a way of knowing in some ways. It’s more about the understanding and sensibility of our world and surroundings, not necessarily about truth and things.

MR MEG SON

Favorite artist?

Very difficult. I should answer with the first name that comes to my head, which would be Picasso. But I don’t think I really have a favorite artist, because there are a lot of different things in arts to appreciate, and there are a lot of different art forms to appreciate. I think appreciating art is like appreciating food, it really depends on what mood you’re in. So I don’t really have a favorite artist. I’m a bit of a traditionalist, I do tend to like written by Charmaine Lai representation art more than and Jessica Chan abstract art. Although some abstract art is beautiful, stand in a Mark Rothko room and it’s really a kind of spiritual feeling that you get.

Do you have a particular form of art that you like to create?

Most of my work is painting nowadays. I like to work with clay as well. But the past few years have been a lot of landscape work and more recently, I’ve been doing skateboard designs.

How do you get inspired?

I draw, I draw a lot. When I go to places, I usually draw. I very rarely take photographs. I prefer looking at things and draw 34

xiao hua issue 12

it rather than just taking a photograph because I remember more from drawing - well I don't know whether I do actually. I think I do, and the memory shifts and changes which is okay because it’s better than looking at the photographs.

to a particular reason. Good stuff comes out of CIS’s Art Department. I’d like to think that’s always been the case.

What’s your favorite country?

Italy. I love wine, I love food, I love the countryside, and as I said earlier, I’m a bit of a traditionalist in art, so I always find something in Italy that I don't know about.

Little churches or something like that. I love Asia as well, but for different reasons. I just admire the buzz of Hong Kong. It’s a very fast city, sometimes I find people a bit rude, but it’s just a mix of everything, isn't it? Culturally, it’s on the rise a little bit in a variety of ways. I think some of the art here is wonderful. You get a chance to take a look at a lot of young contemporary Chinese artists, some of which are very good.

How long have you been teaching at CIS? 7 years, but I’ve been teaching for 40 years.

Why did you become a teacher?

I became a teacher because my wife was pregnant and I thought I better have a steady job. I had made a lot of money making clothes for rock’n’roll bands, so I spent it on a PGCE and I’ve ended up teaching ever since. I love it. I’ve enjoyed it, it has been great.

“ Do it if you really want to do it. If you have a passion for it, and if you want to engage in it really seriously, you’ll have to work hard. ”

Can you describe your usual CIS day?

I take the 6:20 ferry and get in at around 7 o’clock.

But if I’m not teaching first lesson, I sneak in at 8 o’clock. I usually do a lot of admin work, check emails, see what’s going on in the day. Most of the time I’m teaching, I don’t have a lot of free time. Sometimes I’m very prepared for my class and sometimes I’m not prepared at all. But I’m not worried about that. I just come in and get on with it.

Do you have any advice for CIS students who want to pursue art?

Do it if you really want to do it. If you have a passion for it, and if you want to engage in it really seriously, you’ll have to work hard. I shouldn’t say don’t listen to your parents because they don’t want you to do it because sometimes you do have to listen to your parents. However, we’ve gotten a lot of kids who go off to do business and things and then come back a year later saying ‘Mr Megson, I want to go to art college, will you mind writing me a reference?’ So there you go. Everything is difficult, it’s hard to make living in any kind of arts really, but thats the case with every profession. You just need to be lucky and most importantly, work hard and persevere.

What’s the most interesting artwork you’ve come across?

During one of the teachers-teaching-teachers session, I did a seminar on 40 years of teaching art. I have a collection of artwork that I’ve collected from my students over the past 40 years. Amongst that work, there are many examples that I could cite as a really interesting piece due

35

xiao hua issue 12

what’s cool

The Future Is Here: Groundbreaking Technology written by Simon Lam (Y9) Raghav Goyal (Y9) ILLUSTRATOR: SIERRA CHIAO (Y11)

dhairya dand’s super shoes our senses. Super Shoes also brings back the nostalgic thrill of barefoot walking. To Dand, feeling the texture of the path is as important as experiencing the journey through vision. Although Super Shoes doesn’t allow your feet to connect directly with the environment, it will bring you back to the process of exploration. After using Super Shoes for a while, users have said that they felt as if their feet knew where to take them. They had acquired a sort of sixth sense of intuition. Despite all the great details Super Shoes brings to exploration, there are some improvements that need to be made. The sole that goes inside the shoe might be uncomfortable for the wearer because the electronic components might poke into their skin. Super Shoes are only compatible with smartphones, which is rather counter-intuitive, as the entire aim of Super Shoes is to keep users away from smartphones. Regardless of its current limitations, Super Shoes give us a new avenue of exploration, and will only continue to improve.

Wouldn’t life be so much more convenient if one could go places without having to rely on a digital device for directions? In the future, your shoes could be your guide.

That is the goal behind the reputable Dhairya Dand’s new invention, Super Shoes. The best part about this invention is that you can upgrade any pair of shoes to super shoes. The technology behind these super shoes is simple. It is composed of two flexible fabric soles, both of which have three motors and a pressure sensor. These components allow the user to interact with their shoes. The three miniscule motors tickle the feet in multiple ways to indicate recommendations, reminders, and left or right turns. The pressure sensor is how the user communicates with the shoe, confirming directions or recommendations. The shoes take the user from point A to point B by tickling the left foot when a left turn is up ahead, and the right foot when a right turn is coming up. Taking it a step further, users can enter their own personality traits, ranging from favorite tastes to hobbies, onto an app compatible with Super Shoes, which can then recommend places of interest. Once connected to the user’s calendar, super shoes can send reminders if the user is close to a place being recommended.

Super shoes were designed to bring the lost desire for exploration back into our digital lives. With Super Shoes we can spend time away from our digital world, free of directions, spending some time exploring the world with

project ara Turning mobile phones into touch screen smartphones was only the first step in the process of creating the phones of the future. Google’s Project Ara aims to make the first customizable phone, taken mobile communication to the next level. Project Ara is all about making a phone that is customizable with interchangeable modules, which can be connected to a metal frame or shell. There are three types of shell sizes available: large, medium and small. The shell has space at the back and front for modules of all types of sizes. Each module brings a different feature to the phone. Modules are created by an array of third party companies through the Module Developer Kit (MDK), which allows companies to create quirky and stylish designs for the modules they make. Currently,

modules include a health sensor, thermal camera, night vision camera, air quality sensor and light sensor. Additionally, Google is partnering up with third party company Lapka to create sensor modules that measure chemical components in the environment and our bodies.

36

With the development of different modules, users can customize the phone based on personal preferences. If users desire longer battery life, they could slot in 2 battery modules and receive just that. As such, Project Ara is environmentally friendly, cheap and a great way to express yourself. There is one fixed shell shape with multiple modules available, so when a module breaks users can simply buy a new shell. As of now, Project Ara’s shell co-

xiao hua issue 12

mes at a price of around $50-$100 USD, with the separate modules coming at varying prices. Project Ara phone users will also be able to customize their own pattern designs and orientation for the modules they choose.

Despite its massive advancements in technology, there are limitations to modular phones like Project Ara. The freedom of modularity on phones comes at a cost, with the

electronic components in the shell and the modules the phone increasing the weight of the phone. Additionally, Project Ara could use up a lot of the phones memory, especially since it needs to control a wide variety of functionalities. However, if Google’s ATAP group can pull it off, modular phones might as well be the most widely accepted phone platform in the world.

nixie Recently, the wearable drone Nixie won the Intel “Make it Wearable” competition. The Nixie, worn on the wrist when immobile, can fly off and take pictures of the user from a distance farther than arms reach. As mentioned, the Nixie’s limbs can be folded into a wearable wristband and is easy and light to carry. It can definitely help capture precious and special moments without having to carry a camera. In some cases, when thrown out to a certain distance and location, the Nixie can also take pictures from an entirely new perspective, one that exceeds human ability. Additionally, the Nixie is extremely accessible, with every photo and video directly syncing into the user’s smartphone.

However, the Nixie can be lacking in certain aspects. The sturdy material and its four propellers could be uncomfortable to wear on the wrist for some people, especially in extended time frames. Although it may be efficient, many people may prefer professional cameras, as they can provide better quality shots and footage. Additionally, n one of the Nixie prototype demonstrations, the photographed image was blurry due to the movement of the drone.

Since it is still just a prototype, there are many changes and improvements to be made! Still, it is only a matter of time before the Nixie becomes the next big explosion in the technological market.

driverless cars The investment in high-end technology has led to the creation of multiple self-driving cars concepts by companies such as Google. Driverless cars were originally designed to create a safer and more enjoyable driving experience. Additionally, a driverless car can allow more people to get around easily by themselves. In 2013, the World Health Organisation estimated that 1.24 million people die annually from traffic accidents, nearly triple of UN’s estimate of murders each year, and double of the estimated deaths in military conflict. The NHTSA has shown that human error is the critical reason for 93 percent of crashes. These human errors and distractions include texting, calling, drunkenness, falling asleep, and looking at the wrong direction. Luckily, these errors can be prevented by removing drivers from the wheel and letting robots take control of driving instead, which could ultimately preventing traffic accidents and reducing deaths. The reduction of traffic accidents and the increased control of robots would minimise traffic jams and reduce highway capacity by a factor of 2 or 3 as they safely drive closer to each other.

However, there are certain obstacles that these cars face.

Currently only a few countries like Nevada, California,

Michigan and Florida allow companies to test driverless cars, hindering its development and testing. Additionally, the current software for these cars is not completely safe, as companies face legal challenges, as a crash caused by computer error could be extremely problematic. There are also future problematic situations such as a person jumping in front of the car, and the robot not reacting fast enough due to its programmed behavior.

37

As of now, a full autonomous car has not been created yet, although there are already a number of small steps and changes being implemented.

In the near future, many are confident that the challenges facing this project will be swiftly eliminated, and that a safe and efficient self-driving car will be developed.

xiao hua issue 12

what’s cool

The Science Behind

Taking SelfieS WRITER: EvElyn choI (y11) phoTogRaphER: maThEW choW (y11)

T

he popularity of selfies, also known as self-photography, has risen rapidly in recent years, to the point which Oxford Dictionaries named it the Word of the Year for 2013. Then again, selfies aren’t just a contemporary phenomenon either– the first photographic portrait ever taken was a selfie, and Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russian fame took a selfie with a Kodak Brownie camera in 1914.

Nowadays, selfies are more often taken with smartphones and webcams.

Does our selfie-taking say anything about us, our culture, or our state of mind? Why do we take selfies at all? To find out, we first asked CIS students to tell us how they take their selfies. Anyone can pull out a camera-phone, but there’s still positioning, facial expressions, additional equipment, and countless other factors to consider. How exactly does one take a selfie?

1.) Decide whether or not to take a selfie. Why do you want to take one? The reasons most commonly expressed by survey respondents include sharing moments with friends, to mark a moment of looking good, and simply for fun.

2.) Decide whether to use additional equipment. A Year 11 student commented that “a selfie stick is optional if you have long arms” and that “a long-armed dustpan will do for the cheapskates”.

3.) Pick a pose and facial expression. Out of those surveyed, 66% smile when they take their selfies. Some prefer to use props and locations as the focus of their selfie: “I usually just smile in front of the thing I want to focus on.”

4.) Decide whether to post it on social media. Almost 50% of survey respondents do post their selfies on social media platforms, though with certain constraints: one Year 11 student says they “only post them on social media for a good reason because [they] don’t like sharing pictures of myself outside of the small circle of people [they] intend to see it.” Others don’t like seeing selfies too often. Why? In the words of a year 11 student, “it makes you seem self-obsessed.”

For starters, the rate of selfie smilers in the CIS studentry is quite high– in a research project on selfies entitled Selfiecity, the highest smile rate in the 5 cities analyzed was 68% in Bangkok, while the lowest was 53% in Moscow, setting CIS near the top of smilers. This could signify any number of things, from happiness levels to smiling being a regular, accepted part of our culture, regardless of hap38

xiao hua issue 12

behind the scenes piness – or perhaps smiles are seen as more attractive. Out of those surveyed, 56% take selfies for reasons relating to their appearance.

Is vanity a leading factor in the prevalence of selfies? A study of 160,000 Instagram selfies by social media scientist Dan Zarella found that selfies with the hashtag #pretty had some of the highest “like” rates out of all hashtags used. Beyond that, photo editing apps are hugely popular. Though one could argue that people might want to edit photos other than selfies, Meitu Xiuxiu (美圖秀秀), a Chinese photo editing app specifically marketed as a selfie editor, has over 10 million users. The same startup that created Meitu Xiuxiu also creates smartphones specifically meant for selfies: Meitu 2, a phone with a 13 megapixel camera (for sharper photos of your own face) and built in photo editing functions that make your face whiter, smoother, and thinner. Clearly, making sure you look good in selfies is a high priority of selfie-takers.

On the other hand, such concern with your appearance in selfies might have negative implications. Ohio State University study showed that the number of selfies posted by men on social media and the time spent editing said selfies is associated with higher levels of narcissism and self-objectification. The worst known case of this is that of Danny Bowman, a British teenager who tried to commit suicide after being completely obsessed with taking the “perfect selfie”. He was diagnosed with technology addiction, OCD, and notably, body dysmorphic disorder. While it would be a huge stretch to say that CIS students who take selfies are irreparably self-absorbed or afflicted with some sort of disorder, some self-esteem issues could pop up with selfie culture– one surveyed student complains that “only photogenic people can produce good selfies”, and another takes

selfies for a “memory of feeling nice about how [they] look”.

This could have to do with how selfies satisfy our desire for increased exposure to our own faces. We can’t see our own faces in real life, and according to University College London neuroscientist James Kilner, when people are presented with a series of digitally augmented photographs of themselves and asked to pick the most accurate one, they will generally pick the most attractive one. With our lack of knowledge of what we look like, it seems reasonable that the ability to control that part of our identity is appealing, though potentially damaging.

Then again, dissatisfaction with our unedited, un-strategically angled faces are unlikely to result in extreme, Danny Bowman-esque situations, and many of the CIS students surveyed expressed completely different views on selfies. Indeed, the general opinion on selfies in CIS is far more lighthearted.

In the words of a Year 11 student: “They’re a way for people to appreciate and love themselves, and [people] should be able to do that without judgement from other people or worry of other people’s opinions.”

In all, selfies are a way for us to express our perception of ourselves. Though they could be harmful to those with a lack of self esteem, they often are just a way for us to show the world who we want to be or who we think we should be, and can even have positive results: for example, allowing people to create a positive self-image, rather than a negative one. Perhaps the best way to go about this phenomenon is to do the opposite of what we have done today: Analyze and scrutinize the ‘science’ behind selfie-taking. Maybe selfies work best in an atmosphere of simplistic, carefree indulgence, acting as a periodic escape from the stresses of reality.

39

xiao hua issue 12

what’s cool PHOTOGRAPHER

INTERVIEW

Jean Gorguet

A

t the beginning of the second semester, Jean Gorguet taught a class of Year 11 visual art students the basics of film photography. Born in France, Jean has used photography as a means of communicating past language barriers since the mid 1980’s. After a lesson developing film with Jean in the darkroom, I took the chance to interview him. Here is what he had to say about Hong Kong, Photoshop and emotional photographs of trees.

What about Hong Kong keeps your here?

I think that after a month arriving in Hong Kong, I had to go back to France to gather some things of mine to bring them back. When I landed back in Hong Kong, I thought, “home sweet home.” I don’t know why, but I felt good here.

Writer: Jacob Wong (Y11)

from them, Peter Lindbergh, Jacque Oliver, and also the female photographer Dominique Issermann, and they were all working in black and white. When I was a little boy, I looked at black and white pictures and that is what first attracted me. Also black and white attracts the attention on the personality of people, not on what they wear. What I am trying to say is that black and white puts more focus on the personality of subjects.

What are you views on photoshop and post-production editing?

I use it a lot. I love it. What I am doing on photoshop now I learned in the darkroom. Photoshop is nothing else than a darkroom but on a screen, on a computer. Photoshop possibilities are so limitless, that you have to learn how to limit yourself in order to find your style and define your work.

In general what are your favorite types of assignments?

When do you consider your photography art?

Mainly portraits, interior design. A bit of fashion. I do like to shoot a catalogue sometimes.

I do assignments and I do personal work, artwork. It’s a very simple question. when a client calls me, it’s an assignment; when I roam the streets its my artwork.

When looking through your photographs, it seems that the majority of photos are black and white. What about black and white photographs is most interesting for you?

What is most difficult about photography?

Assignments are difficult because they require discipline. You When I was learning my job, I was an assistant to some photog- have to listen to your clients, to their requests, so you have to be raphers, who are very very famous, who used to work in black able to understand what they are expecting. Then you have to and white, and still do work in black and white. So I learned a lot deliver. You are responsible as a photographer for everything.

40

xiao hua issue 12

If the makeup goes wrong in a fashion shoot, for example, it is the photographer who would be responsible for having chosen the makeup artist. This goes the same for hairdressers, stylists, everything. Clients spend a lot of money for having different talents, so [as a photographer] you have a heavy responsibility to coordinate.

What is most rewarding about photography?

The art bit is very rewarding because you can do what you want. You are free. It is your own imagination, you have no boundaries. So of course when you do nature pictures you know sometimes you have an amazing picture. I took a picture of a tree the other day, and it came out with everything dark all around, and the texture of the tree really punched out. It was a very simple photo, but its beautiful and very emotional at the same time. So those are photographs with great reward.

To what lengths have you gone to take a photo?

I’ve climbed up roofs. Lying down in the middle of a crossroad, just before the cars start. Sometimes you climb some walls. I remember for the demonstrations for democracy, you know the Occupy Central, I climbed up some poles to take pictures from a higher vantage point. So you need to just play and lie down in the drain, because if it is really worth it, you have to do it.

41

xiao hua issue 12

what’s cool

HOT BITES FOOD FINDS:

22 SHIPS Writer: Crystal Lau (Y12) 22 Ships, opened by Michelin Star chef (and Gordon Ramsay protege) Jason Atherton, has been in business since October 2012. Located on Ship Street, it is a small and dimly lit Spanish restaurant, with counter seating and open layout that allows customers to enjoy an al fresco eating experience.

Although 22 Ships only has thirty-five seats, the atmosphere in the cozy restaurant is perfect for quick meet-ups with friends. They don’t take reservations (unless it’s weekday lunch) so it’s imperative that you get there early to snag seats or it’s very likely that you’ll be waiting in a long line. There are three seating options: high stools at the big counter in front of the open kitchen, the small table in front of the restaurant, and the high tables inside the restaurant. The table at the front is partially on the sidewalk, so it presents a very unique dining experience. The best choice, though, is to sit near the open kitchen, because it is extremely enjoyable to watch the chefs cook and prepare the food. The chefs there all pay exquisite attention to detail, making sure the food is perfecto. Food presentation is high on their list of priorities - as it should be - and it is one of the many reasons why 22 Ships has been so successful.

With appetizers, egg dishes, seafood, meat, vegetables and dessert choices, 22 Ships has a wide array of food to choose from. The lunch special, the 62˚ egg dish, is a must have for anyone who visits the restaurant. With mashed potatoes, an egg, morcilla and bacon dashi, it is simply heavenly. The egg is cooked to perfection, while the bacon bits add more substance.

Any mashed potato lover would be ecstatic for this dish, and it is worth every penny.

The vegetable dish, with cauliflower, mushroom, parsley and walnut pesto, serves double duty as an appetizer and as a filling dish for a vegetarian.

Spanish people love their meat, so it’s hard to find a vegetarian dish at 22 Ships, but this one hits the nail right on the head for people who love their greens.

The flavor of this dish is a fantastic way to start off the meal, as it isn’t too filling. The seafood paella, fava beans and crispy bacon comes on a small plate, but it is surprisingly delicious. There is plenty of seafood, and the fava beans and bacon are packed with flavor, giving your taste buds a pop, making this dish incredibly satisfying. The beef tartare with egg yolk, parsley and crisps is another spectacular dish, with the egg yolk adding flair to the raw beef. The crostini crisps that the dish comes with is just right for scooping up the beef tartare, with the two different textures working perfectly together.

Overall, 22 Ships is a restaurant well worth the visit, especially if you’re into Spanish food (or are willing to try). The portions are leaning on the small side, but the place is perfect for getting a bite to eat with friends. You can easily share among a group of friends, so that you can try a little of everything on the menu, without your wallet having a huge setback (a plus side is that they don’t have a service charge).

The service is also impeccable, as the waiters are extremely well-mannered and the chefs are friendly and approachable. It would be a shame to be in Wanchai without dropping in at 22 Ships and experiencing first-hand their mouth-watering food.

42

xiao hua issue 12

電影評論: 親愛的,原來是你 LOVE, ROSIE

Writer: Emma Lau (Y10) 「親愛的,原來是你」是2014年冬天上映的英國浪漫喜 劇電影,由克里斯頓·迪他(Christian Ditter)執導,祖莉 特·杜克迪編寫的英德合拍浪漫喜劇電影。這部電影是 由西西莉雅·艾亨撰寫的小說《廷續彩虹的光環》改編 的。該片由莉莉·柯林斯(Lily Collins)、山姆·克拉弗 林(Sam Claflin)出演。

該故事講述的是羅絲(Rosie)和亞歷克斯(Alex)兩 個快上大學的年輕人。他們從小就是好朋友,但是當他 們長大時,開始互相有感情。電影的第一幕是羅絲十八 歲的生日慶祝會,因為她喝醉了,所以不小心吻了亞歷克 斯,但羅絲對這一刻沒有在意。那時,亞歷克斯也對羅絲 開始有感情,以為他們之間的親吻能令這段友誼變成愛 情。

那時也快到亞歷克斯和羅絲的中學畢業派對, 亞歷克斯本來是想羅絲和他作伴,但她一發現羅絲對親 吻一點意象都沒有,所以決定約學校認為最漂亮的女孩 子貝克妮(Bethany)。羅絲一聽到他最好的朋友不約她 去派對,感到他背叛了自己,而且她已經拒絕了加里克 (Greg),但最後還是答應跟加里克(Greg)去。 羅絲一聽

到他最好的朋友不約她去派對, 感到他背叛了自己,而 且她已經拒絕了加里克(Greg),但最後還是答應跟加里 克(Greg)去。

幾個月後,羅絲(Rosie)考進了波士頓大學,亞歷 克斯也得到了哈佛大學的獎學金,他們即將會開始他們 人生中一個新的階段。突然間羅絲開始感到不舒服,每 天早上都有反胃的感覺,原來她懷孕了。羅絲決定把自 己的生活停頓,而把孩子當她優先考慮對象。

當羅絲把孩子養大,她又跟她孩子的父親-加里 克,從新建立一種關係。另一面,亞歷克斯也跟很多女人 建立關係,而且也娶了貝克妮(Bethany)。但通過許多的 電子郵件和聚會,羅絲和亞歷克斯發現他們是注定要在 一起的。

雖然許多的電影評判都覺得這部電影不好。但 我要推薦這部電影給14-16歲的少女,因為這部電影十分 動人,觀眾能了解到兩個好朋友是注定要在一起的。他 們隱藏著自己對對方的感情,這阻礙了他們之間應有的 關係。觀眾(特別是少女)通過這部電影能學到愛不是完 美的,愛之美是它的缺陷和衝突。

43

xiao hua issue 12

what’s cool

MOVIE REVIEW

I N T E R S T E L L A R Writers: Tiffany Chan (Y9) , Kaitlyn Wells (Y8)

S

hortly after science fiction film Interstellar was released to theatres in late 2014, its worldwide popularity spread rapidly, becoming a major box-office success in many countries worldwide. Its commercial appeal was further extended by its overwhelmingly positive critical reception, which resulted in numerous film awards including an Oscar for Best in Visual Effects. An odyssey into the wide expanse of space, Interstellar tells the story of a small group of explorers who venture out into the universe in search of a new home for humanity. It must be noted, however, that the film is Rated PG13 for a few brief snippets of coarse language and intense action. Regardless, this successful movie has an amazing plot, visually stunning cinematographyand outstanding visual effects, making it a prime candidate for an exciting and thrilling night out with friends or family alike.

The movie begins with an interview of elders talking about the events that had transpired on Earth, and the adventure that followed. We are first introduced to expilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), who leaves his family and a dust-cluttered, dying Earth to head towards a wormhole near Saturn, which supposedly leads into another galaxy. He is accompanied on this journey by biotechnologist Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), Doyle (Wes Bentley) and Romily (David Gyasi), as the talented team seeks out an Explorer mission that was sent out 10 years ago to explore habitable planets. The story continues by detailing the team’s adventures in this edge of the universe, in a completely unknown galaxy, navigating through space in search of a habitable home for the suffocating human race.

Throughout its 2 hour and 40 minute run, the movie explores the ideas of time, space, multiple dimensions and scientific knowledge in a way that is easy for the audience to comprehend. In a daunting fashion, the main antagonist is simply the bleak calamity that is space, and the laws of science and time that dictate it. However, the elaborate story still requires serious concentration, as there are frequent flashbacks and references to the past, all

of which move rather quickly. Additionally, the movie is also quite emotional at times, especially when Cooper has to leave his beloved daughter young Murphy (Mackenzie Foy) behind on earth, as well as when scenes flash back to their memories and his mistakes. Every twist and turn is full of surprises and mindblowing anticipations, which all culminates in an epic yet unpredictable ending andresolution.

Furthermore, the cinematography is also a factor of the film’s greatness.The camera explores a wide range of angles and techniques, manipulating digital technology to create a fleeting sense of entrapment and encroaching claustrophobia. The camera angles not only focus on the characters, but also concentrate on familiarizing the audience with the beautifully designed scenes and setting.

Moreover, a wide array of filming techniques is used to make the film seem innovative and unique, with techniques that include using different gradient levels, zooming around from various directions, and swinging through walls all utilized to strengthen the theatrical nature of the movie. Similarly, there are some scenes with a lot of spinning and rotation, but instead of creating a dizzying effect, the camera crew manage to perfect a dramatic enhancement.

Finally, perhaps the most outstanding element of Interstellar is its Visual Effects. This area of excellence has been highly praised and recognized by critics and casual moviegoers alike. Interstellar has great animations of wormholes, the galaxy, extraterrestrial planets, the spaceship and even the emptiness of space itself.

The transitions and flashbacks are all very smooth and the visuals presented are out of this world. This is all brought together by creative images that are true works of art, alongside special effects that can only be described as genius brought to life. With intense colour and precise motion, every single scene looks incredibly realistic, making the audience let their imagination roam free within the realms of space and time.

44

xiao hua issue 12

lack

of music Writers: Hillary & Sonia Yuen (y12) Photographers: Edward Wong & Yasmin Subba When South China Morning Post published an article about an award-winning conductor from Hong Kong, it immediately caught our eyes, as it is extremely rare for musicians from Hong Kong to reach such high musical calibre and gain such privileged opportunities in the global music scene. The article “Hong Kong conductor Elim Chan urges city to nurture musical talent” is one that highlights the issues which Hong Kong musicians encounter.

Award-winning conductor Elim Chan is the first woman to win the Donatella Flick London Symphony Orchestra Conducting Competition. She was born in Hong Kong, and was the Music Director of the University of Michigan Campus Symphony Orchestra. As a recipient of the 2013 Bruno Walter Conducting Scholarship, Chan made her debut with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Orchestre de la Francophonie as part of the Summer Music Institute with Kenneth Kiesler and Pinchas Zukerman. Chan holds degrees from Smith College and the University of Michigan, where she currently studies with Kenneth Kiesler.

elim chan 45

xiao hua issue 12

music

Chan said, “local musicians in Hong Kong are often seen as less skilled than their foreign counterparts.” This is a prevalent problem is due to both Hong Kong’s lack of promotion of music and misconstrued representation or impressions of musicians from Hong Kong.

The interesting thing about Hong Kong’s music scene is that many of the upcoming generation are strongly encouraged, sometimes even forced, to pick up musical instruments. Many students are encouraged in the highly competitive musical environment to learn at least one instrument. This may strike a chord with a majority of the students in CIS, where everyone is expected to have played an instrument at some point in their life, usually the piano. Some children end up excelling and enjoying their involvement in music, but when they look into entering a musical career, Hong Kong students realize that the opportunities available for musicians are limited to say the least. Chan said that she had “enormous challenges facing the city’s undervalued music talent”, which reflects the predicament Hong Kong music students are in.

Additionally, Chinese music is promoted and supported even less in Hong Kong, as Western instruments and Western classical music have been predominant in the Hong Kong music learning scene. Mr. Waichung Ho has written, in the Educational Research Journal, that “students' lack of interest in learning Chinese musical instruments might be due to Hong Kong's historical lack of support for Chinese music, which is part of the cultural legacy of most Hong Kong music teachers, who are not confident with these styles, compared with those of Western classical music.” However, even with the intense music pressure that students face in the Hong Kong society, many students still feel unsupported in trying to channel their hobby into a musical career. This is because “the musical value of Chinese classical music has not been as highly regarded as that of Western classical music in formal teaching practices.”

46

xiao hua issue 12

Even though most musicians opt for another career, there have been a few notable Hong Kong musicians who have chosen to pursue a musical career.

Peggy Wu is a pianist who was offered places to study Law at Hong Kong University and London School of Economics, but turned them down in order to pursue her passion for music in Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in piano performance.

Having achieved the full 45 marks in IB in 2013, Wu surprised everyone by following her dream of becoming a concert pianist. Being such a high academic achiever and talented pianist, she has served to be an inspiration to many young musicians who, like her, have the struggle of choosing between pursuing a safe and professional route versus their passion. Instead of conforming to society’s expectations, she decided to take the road less travelled in order to fulfill her passion.

Possible ways that Hong Kong could promote music culture include the following: offering subsidies or scholarship schemes to support musicians more, placing more emphasis on music exploration and activities, and encouraging more participation in the arts. Hopefully, there will be more appreciation for music in the future, and more involvement of music in society.

peggy wu

47

xiao hua issue 12

music

HKSMF Writer : Hillary Yuen (Y12)

The Hong Kong School Music and Speech Association (HKSMSA) first introduced the Hong Kong Schools March, with the aim to promote the interest and raise the standard of students and teachers in Western and

HKSMF offers a range of different categories, including solo instruments, duets, choirs, and orchestras. The instruments involved are mainly classical instruments (such as the piano, cello, flute), but also include Chinese instruments (such as the Erhu, the Pipa, and the Guzheng). The categories are split either by age groups, or by the level of the students (junior, intermediate, senior). The piece is usually the same for all the candidates in the particular category, but an example of an exception would be the “Composer of

the Year� competition where the competitors can pick which piece to play out of a few set works. The groups and order of candidates are picked randomly, as the organization tries to make the competition as fair as possible.

This competition is quite significant to the Hong Kong music scene, as it offers the opportunity for students to perform and observe the calibre other students. All students are given comments, and given that they are not disqualified, they have the op48

xiao hua issue 12

portunity to receive marks and a placing.

The adjudicators are allowed to abstain from giving any placement if they feel the quality of performance is not up to par.

The winners receive flags, and depending on the category, have the opportunity to enter into the finals to compete for a medal or trophy. HKSMF also hosts a prize-winners’ concert, where the winners of the finals can perform to the public.

Music Festival (HKSMF) in 1949. It is an interschool music competition that is held annually from February to Chinese music, which has been firmly ingrained as a significant aspect of the Hong Kong music culture.

The benefits of attending HKSMF competitions include the many performance opportunities it provides, and the relative inexpensiveness (as most schools cover the costs). Since it is a interschool competition, it strengthens music appreciation in the Hong Kong community. Most of the adjudicators that the Association hires are prestigious, and this means the students can receive comments from experienced musicians. These types of activities or events also provide the opportunity to exercise the ability to receive criticism or

dealing with disappointing results, as music is rather subjective and the results of the competition can be unpredictable.

After asking different demographics opinions of the competition, here is a summary of our findings. Local school students have said that they feel proud when they represent their community or their school, and largely value the opportunity to perform. Students from international schools seem rather oblivious to the HKSMF and some feel averse to it, as they don’t like 49

xiao hua issue 12

the competitive atmosphere it administers.

As for parents, most feel that the competition provides training in performing in front of an audience and building up selfconfidence as well as facing challenges, and that it is a worth-while experience.

music

muSICAL CIS ALumNI WRITER: HILLARY & SONIA YUEN (Y12)

Who is your music idol?

The Xiao Hua Music Editorial Department is introducing a series of interviews about what alumni have achieved or how they have been involved with music after they have left CIS. For our inaugural issue, we have interviewed Robert Lee (‘12), Christopher Wan (‘13), and Brandon Lin (‘14). All of these alumni have made huge contributions CIS Music. Here are their stories:

What music inspiration did you have during your CIS life?

Did anyone influence you in particular? What was your proudest musical moment in CIS?

I would have to say, after coming to Northwestern, my music idol is my current teacher Mrs. Almita Vamos. She has taught me to play the violin in an unprecedented way - I’ve learnt to “sing” with the violin, and the musicality I have gained and experienced here is somewhat magical.

During my CIS life, The Trio was my music inspiration.

Although playing in the orchestra allowed me to gain valuable leadership skills in the EC and gave me the opportunity to meet awesome people, I feel like the music I created with The Trio was memorable and is something I still cherish today. It was those small moments we shared that made the music sound that much better.

My proudest musical moment in CIS was the moment right after I performed Bach’s Double Concerto with Sonia. I could not believe CIS music had come this far and had produced so many proficient young musicians with so much potential. I was also very surprised I was able to accomplish so much during my music career at CIS and even play a concerto with the orchestra. If I could choose another moment, it would be the joint orchestra in HZ. I don’t think I would ever get the opportunity to be the concertmaster of a 100+ person orchestra again!

How did CIS music impact your musical endeavors in university?

BRANDON LIN (CLASS OF 14’) I’m Brandon Lin from the Class of 2014. I was at CIS from Reception until Year 13. I’m currently a Freshman at Northwestern University in the dual degree program studying Violin Performance and Biological Sciences on the Pre-Med Track.

What does music mean to you? What role does music play in your life?

Music has and still is the center of my life. It is my way of getting away from reality and doing something I really enjoy. The power of music is paramount and it can transcend different emotions and translate through many different cultures.

As a passionate musician in CIS, I continued my musical journey into university as a Violin Performance Major.

Everyday at CIS, I was doing something related to music, whether it was CIS Pops Orchestra on Tuesday, Symphony on Thursday, Trio rehearsals or even EC meetings.

It was actually not possible to completely drop music; I knew that I had to keep doing music in university because it was something I genuinely loved.

What has been the most rewarding musical experience in university so far?

My most rewarding music experience at university so far may not so much be related to “music” directly, but about the people I have met here thus far. I am extremely amazed by the talent on campus. The passion for music on campus can be inferred just by the conversations that we have about last night’s CSO concert or even just how Maestro Yampolsky was playing Candy Crush on his

50

xiao hua issue 12

CHRIS WAN (CLASS OF 13’) Heya! I’m Chris Wan from the Class of 2013. I’m curcomputer before rehearsal. It’s the bonds and relationships rently in my second year at Cambridge University, slaving that music allows us to form that have been most rewarding away towards a degree in Biochemistry. When I’m not in the lab, I’m most likely in rehearsal for some show or confor me so far. cert. I also enjoy cycling in my free time, as well as finding What do you miss about the CIS music community?

The one thing I miss most about the CIS music community novel ways of incorporating Nutella into my diet. is the relationship I had with Mr. Rabach and all my peers.

The familiar faces I would see Thursday after school in or- What does music mean to you? What role does music play in your life? chestra are faces I really miss. I also really miss how I could Music is an incredible way of communicating. There are just casually walk into Mr. Rabach’s office for a conversathings music can say about the human experience that tion. That teacher and student relationship is something plain words just cannot express. Music is also an effecvery difficult to find in University. tive way of de-stressing; I find that playing or listening How do you balance your work and musical activities?

As I’m a dual degree student, I am usually a scientist in the to music during my spare time makes me so much more morning and a musician in the afternoon. At times, it’s very productive when I work.

Who is your music idol? difficult when you need to practice for a studio class or lesThere are so many musical figures, historical or contemson and you have a Chemistry midterm coming up, but you learn to practice and study efficiently to maximize time. As porary, that I find inspirational: JS Bach, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sofia Gubaidulina, Hilary Hahn, Stephen Sondheim, I’m doing things I love, it does not put a burden on me.

Jonathan Larson, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey are examWhy did you decide to pursue a musical degree?

I chose to pursue a musical degree because I really wanted ples. This is a diverse list of people, but they all seem to to continue playing music at a high level. Having played at share a similar instinct in constantly pushing boundaries CIS and APA all these years, I wanted to take my violin and moving beyond the status quo. I think that’s one of playing to the next level. However, I did not want to go to the most admirable attributes of being an artist in general.

What music inspiration did you have during your CIS a conservatory because I wanted to continue pursuing the life? Did anyone influence you in particular? subjects I loved. Therefore, I chose Northwestern which During my 7 years with the CIS Symphony Orchestra, allowed me to pursue both.

What words of advice would you give to current CIS stu- I had the pleasure of working with 3 conductors – Mrs. dents with regards to continuing playing music after high Thorman, Ms. Neil and Mr. Rabach. They each had different styles in teaching and conducting, and I learned so school?

If you are passionate about music and have even the slight- much just from observing how they ran rehearsals and est interest, do not be afraid to pursue a bachelors of music. how they communicated their ideas to students.

I never thought I would ever be going to a music school and it is still quite hard to believe today. But I believe it was one of the greatest choices I have ever made, because if I did not have music in my life, my college experience would be very different and I may not have enjoyed it as much.

What was your proudest musical moment in CIS?

My proudest moment has got to be when Cadenza, our beloved string quartet, performed a whole 5 minutes of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden during a trip to Hangzhou. It was an absurdly ambitious choice of repertoire, 51

xiao hua issue 12

music but after months of rehearsals we actually managed to pull it off, with much panache. Hats off to Sonia Yuen, Lorraine Sin and Virginia Hsu – that was no small feat!

How did CIS music impact your musical endeavors in university?

CIS provides so many opportunities for students to participate in, lead and even initiate a wide variety of musical groups. These experiences definitely increased my confidence as a musician, pushing me to make adventurous choices regarding music making at university. I’ve branched out significantly beyond what I used to do at CIS, and this has only been possible given the things I’ve learned from the CIS music department.

ratio and let it shift once in a while; as time goes by, your priorities may change, and it’s important to acknowledge that with corresponding changes in time management.

What words of advice would you give to current CIS students with regards to continuing playing music after high school?

What has been the most rewarding musical experience in university so far?

If music is something you’ve enjoyed at CIS, definitely keep doing it. Perhaps even more so than high school, university seems to be one of the few places where people really go all out in pursuing what they’re interested in. If you’ve got something you’re passionate about, don’t stand on ceremony. Audition for that stand-up sketch show, join the lacrosse team, start that rock band; you’d be amazed at how much you can do in 24 hours, and how many fantastic people you’ll meet along the way.

I’ve had a brilliant time at university so far that it would be impossible to designate just one musical experience as the most rewarding. I play in the university orchestra, and during this past summer we spent a week touring Belgium; it was a great opportunity to get to know an amazing group of likeminded musicians. We got to perform in some of the most beautiful cathedrals, while I also went busking for the first time. In this past term, I was lucky enough to be the assistant musical director of a production of Guys and Dolls; this was my first time working with singers in a musical theatre context, and I’ve met with some insanely talented musicians and thespians in the whole process.

Over the past year I’ve also been the president of the music society in my college; we organise weekly concerts and invite performers from inside and outside the university to give recitals. This has been a much more “behind-thescenes” role which gives a very different sense of satisfaction; I’ve learned so much about music making from an arts administration perspective.

ROBERT LEE (CLASS OF 12’)

What do you miss about the CIS music community?

I really miss the CIS annual concerts and assemblies, during which different musical groups would come together and perform for the wider CIS audience. Some particularly fond memories range from playing Dvorak’s From the New World with the symphony orchestra, performing A Celtic Blessing with the choir during a graduation ceremony, all the way to singing 月亮月亮 during MidAutumn Festival as a student in Year 1, with Mr. Tanner on the keyboard. Looking back, these were some of the most definitive moments during my time at CIS; we derive an incredible sense of community from these snapshots, for which I am extremely grateful.

How do you balance your work and musical activities?

Through trial and error, mostly; I’ve spent the past year and a half trying to find that balance, and I think I’m finally coming close to it. Obviously there isn’t a universal formula that works for everyone; you just have to keep evaluating and refining your schedule until you find a ratio that feels right. I think it’s also healthy to be flexible with that

Hi! I’m a sophomore at Brown University studying Urban Studies. I graduated from CIS in 2012, where I spent time in the choir, saxophonics (big band) and various student run a cappella groups and bands. I am currently the music director for the Jabberwocks, Brown’s oldest a cappella group.

What does music mean to you? What role does music play in your life?

Music is my emotional and creative outlet. When the going gets tough, I turn to music to get me through. Playing and singing allows me to more honestly and transparently convey what I feel.

It has also been a source of fulfilment and achievement as an art form. I taught myself a lot of what I know through YouTube and experimentation. Knowing that I’ve come this far from recording myself on a USB microphone in my bedroom gives me a sense of pride.

Who is your music idol?

I don’t have a single idol; my music is influenced by every-

52

xiao hua issue 12

one I listen to, but I often find myself emulating Michael Buble and Gabe Bondoc (youtube artist). As a musician, one of my main aims is to share my love of music through teaching and leading. I admire Victor Wooten (bassist) and Bobby McFerrin (vocalist) as music educators.

What music inspiration did you have during your CIS life? Did anyone influence you in particular?

Ms. Cathie Neil, a music teacher for some time at CIS, was definitely my biggest influence. Although I sang in choirs all my life, her choir was the first one that I truly felt passionate about. Through Vox Jazz, she introduced me to a cappella which continues to be my main musical pursuit.

Needless to say I would not be where I am today without her encouragement and mentorship.

What was your proudest musical moment in CIS?

Leading the CIS choir in A Celtic Blessing at my graduation.

How did CIS music impact your musical endeavors in university?

Besides Ms Neil being the spark of my a cappella music career, CIS taught me to pursue my passions. Being surrounded with adventurous and supportive classmates gave me the confidence to explore on my own terms, starting

my own groups and achieving success (and failures) along the way.

What has been the most rewarding musical experience in university so far?

Being the music director of The Jabberwocks of Brown University has not only taught me a ton about arranging and performing a cappella. It has made me a better teacher and leader, and gives me something to show for my efforts.

What do you miss about the CIS music community?

Definitely my fellow classmates. All the bands, a cappella groups, the CIS choir, and all my friends who’ve supported me through the years.

How do you balance your work and musical activities?

Google calendar, tasks lists and choosing classes carefully.

What words of advice would you give to current CIS students with regards to continuing playing music after high school?

Keep doing it. You might forget your calculus as you grow older, but music will stay with you forever. And in general, don’t wait for things to be served to you on a silver platter; it often doesn’t happen. Realize your potential and pursue your passions with conviction.

53

xiao hua issue 12

features

D On Race anD Are We There YeT? WRITERS: Jimin Kang (Y12) Jessica Cheng (Y11)| IllustratOR: Natalie Lin (Y10) The English writer H.G. Wells once claimed, ‘our true nationality is mankind’. Yet in a world that is starkly divided by lines of color, it appears the global community does not agree.

Today, it is not common to meet people of different skin colors in our everyday settings; yet, the term ‘racism’ is still very much alive in our media and on our tongues.

“But what does ‘racism’ mean and what implications does it have?”

The most commonly employed model of racial differentiation categorizes people into three races: white, black, and yellow (Asian). This provides an opening for prejudice and discrimination of large groups of people.

Racism refers to the ‘belief that all members of each race possess charac-

teristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races’ and the expression of such prejudice.

Throughout history, manifestations of racism have been observed time and time again. Some forms - institutionalized racism - are systematically enabled by governments themselves. Undoubtedly, the most infamous case of racism would be the Holocaust: for many years, the Nazis manipulated centuries of Jewish suspicion into racial scapegoating. Although Judaism is a religion, anti-Semitism was found on the belief that the Jews were, in fact, of a separate race. The eugenics movement dictated that non-Europeans were inferior, and thus the Jews were viewed as another race to enforce the idea of their separate, non-European culture and lineage. German Jews had no citizenship and thus had no civil rights.

The persecution eventually accumulated into the creation of concentration camps, from which devastating and harrowing tales still arise today.

54

xiao hua issue 12

Another example would be the Jim Crow Laws in 19th century USA. During this period, non-whites had to attend separate, poorly funded schools, or take different - often less pleasant - forms of transport. Alas, it did not stop there: the fingers of institutionalized racism also grasped the smaller parts of daily life, manifested through separate washrooms and water fountains. The most glaring of all were the clauses in state laws that practically barred blacks from voting rights. In a country founded on democracy, it seemed as if non-whites were completely left out of the equation. History has shown that racism can ultimately strip away the rights of individuals solely because of their race.

As we progress into the 21st Century, what is most surprising is that there is still clear evidence of systematic oppression against certain races. Just last year, a black teenager named Michael Brown was shot by white police officer Darren Wilson. But this event

TOLERANCE was not the sole reason why the world reeled in shock. When the world took a closer look at the Ferguson police force itself, findings included racist email exchanges between police and court officials that showed outright hostility and prejudice toward the black residents of St. Louis. Such emails were duly described “unequivocally derogatory, dehumanizing, and demonstrative of impermissible bias”.

The events of Ferguson shed light on police violence in America, particularly police violence towards AfricanAmericans. In an 8-year study, it was discovered that, on average, two black men are killed by the police per week.

In general, white-on-black homicide is over three and a half times more likely to be ruled justified than whiteon-white homicide. The notion of racism is firmly ingrained into history and into people’s minds. So ingrained, actually, that though society is supposedly “fair”, entire systems works against entire races. It seems eerily similar to Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more

equal than others”.

What is worthwhile to note is the effect of the media. Simply put, the media can be racist. For example, when a white crime is broadcasted in America, the criminals are usually sympathized by the press. The White skinned perpetrators of the Columbine High School Massacre were portrayed as depressive teens who were misunderstood. The report on 12 year black male, Tamir Rice, who was shot and killed by the police after being seen with a toy gun, included the fact that his parents had criminal records.

With the media being an omnipresent part of urban life, it is next to impossible to remain completely unbiased by popular media and culture. The bias of the media shapes the bias of the people. ***

“So if that’s the case, what can we do? Is it possible to create tolerance?”

55

xiao hua issue 12

Well, we’ve certainly tried. One of the most popular means through which race has been explored is, funnily enough, comedy.

Today, Canadian comedian Russell Peters has become a household name.

His many witticisms on cultural and ethnic stereotypes have racked up millions of views on YouTube and sold out entire arenas. But just as common it is for Peters to glibly switch between accents mid-speech, it is also common for critics to see him as ‘offensive’.

On Peters’ performances, an associate professor of English at Lehigh University succinctly comments: ‘sometimes it feels more corrosive than cathartic’.

It’s easy to understand why. Cracking jokes about upbringing and cultural history - two integral parts of one’s identity - will always hit a nerve. In a world that is slowly inching towards individuals being seen as individuals, many take offense at being ‘boxed into’ a stereotype, especially of the negative type.

features

I

Dean Banquet, the Executive Editor of NYT, claimed: ‘We have a standard that is long held and that serves us well: that there is a line between gratuitous insult and satire. Most of [the cartoons] are gratuitous insult.’

n an interview with Canadian television program The National, Peters claimed that he didn’t intend to ‘offend’ any race. Rather, he aimed to ‘raise them up through humor’.

In an interview with the LA times: ‘Come to my show and you literally see everybody [...] it somehow resonates with them because the world is not just black and white; the world is mixed brown, yellow, French, Arab, Indian, everything. I represent that.’

For some, the cartoons were a source of comedy; for others, insult. This is where the fine line between humor and offensiveness can be drawn. Although humor can be a good way to humanize an audience and unite people through a common interest, gauging the influence of comedy is subject to criteria such as who is in the audience, what they believe in and how much they believe in it.

The nature of comedy is such that it rarely abides to political ‘correctness’. We can take the argument for why race-based comedy is offensive and flip it on its head to explain why it is so entertaining. Because race is a theme that is close to home - not to mention a theme that everybody can relate to - jokes on race are a means of acknowledging that race and its many idiosyncrasies. When someone walks onto a well-lit stage and begins to laugh about the belligerent nature of Chinese shopkeepers, the familiarity causes not discomfort but rather amusement.

We often believe that we are inching closer to a world in which discrimination is a rarity.

Where ‘racism’ is an anachronism drowning in the tsunami of globalization. When we make such assumptions, however, it is unnerving to realize that, in the 21st century, a new kind of domestic discrimination is beginning to fill the void. Today, it might be ‘incorrect’ to offend a foreigner on the basis of their race, but it is not uncommon to persecute or offend a neighbour on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, lifestyle or language.

To the question of whether race-based humor can create tolerance, the answer is ambivalent. It really depends on the context.

For example, satire can be a form of ‘racebased humor’. But in many cases, satire is far from benign: when two gunmen entered the headquarters of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo earlier this year, killing 11 and injuring 11, it certainly wasn’t something to laugh about.

We’re seeing it happen right at our doorstep.

There has been no shortage of anti-Mainland sentiment in Hong Kong. We are all too familiar with the many perjoratives - such as the term ‘locusts’ - used to describe our neighbours. Search ‘mainlanders in HK’ on Google, and the first result you get is a blog entitled ‘Reasons Why We Hate’. Negative sentiments spiked so high the Chinese government had to draft up ‘etiquette rules’ for Chinese nationals to follow in Hong Kong - all because of the negative coverage they received from the Hong Kong media.

The satirical images of Charlie Hebdo have provoked fury, not least in many Muslim nations where any pictorial depiction of the Prophet is forbidden. When asked why The New York Times would not re-publish the cartoons in a journalistic sign of solidarity,

56

xiao hua issue 12

I

Dean Banquet, the Executive Editor of NYT, claimed: ‘We have a standard that is long held and that serves us well: that there is a line between gratuitous insult and satire. Most of [the cartoons] are gratuitous insult.’

n an interview with Canadian television program The National, Peters claimed that he didn’t intend to ‘offend’ any race. Rather, he aimed to ‘raise them up through humor’.

In an interview with the LA times: ‘Come to my show and you literally see everybody [...] it somehow resonates with them because the world is not just black and white; the world is mixed brown, yellow, French, Arab, Indian, everything. I represent that.’

For some, the cartoons were a source of comedy; for others, insult. This is where the fine line between humor and offensiveness can be drawn. Although humor can be a good way to humanize an audience and unite people through a common interest, gauging the influence of comedy is subject to criteria such as who is in the audience, what they believe in and how much they believe in it.

The nature of comedy is such that it rarely abides to political ‘correctness’. We can take the argument for why race-based comedy is offensive and flip it on its head to explain why it is so entertaining. Because race is a We often believe that we are inching closer theme that is close to home - not to mention to a world in which discrimination is a rarity. a theme that everybody can relate to - jokes Where ‘racism’ is an anachronism drownon race are a means of acknowledging that ing in the tsunami of globalization. When race and its many idiosyncrasies. When some- we make such assumptions, however, it is one walks onto a well-lit stage and begins to unnerving to realize that, in the 21st century, laugh about the belligerent nature of Chinese a new kind of domestic discrimination is shopkeepers, the familiarity causes not disbeginning fill the void.

Today, discrimination it might be Rampant may as mentioned above, has to become.

Whether or not Hong Kong is comfort but rather amusement. ‘incorrect’ to offend a foreigner on the basis not be as big an issue as it was in part of China is a debatable issue. of*** their race, but it is not uncommon 1960s America to or per1940s GerBut what isn’t debatable is the fact To the question of whether race-based secute or offend a neighbour on the basis of be careful many, but we have to We are social beings. We form that what we are witnessing in humor can create tolerance, the answer is their ethnicity, lifestyle or language. its hydra-head and recognize them, religion,of Hong Kong is a form of discrimi- communities, enhance ambivalent. It really depends on the context. fortify them. We base our percep- its beginnings elsewhere. It is nation. Many hold preconceived For example, satire can be a form of ‘raceWe’re seeing it happen right at ourwe doorstep. important ask ourselves how ideas about ‘mainlanders’ and tions on how people perceive us. based humor’. But in many cases, satire is far There has been no shortage of anti-Mainland race affects our societies and our adopt the consequent attitude on In this age of globalization, it is from benign: when two gunmen entered the sentiment in Hong WeWhy? are allBecause too we - although lives. becoming harder to ignore the Kong. the streets. Although there are headquarters of French satirical magazine familiar with the many perjoratives suchand backof different races many groups in Hong Kong soci- sheer diversity of our world and Charlie Hebdo earlier this year, killing 11 and as the term ‘locusts’ - used to describe our grounds - define each other, and ety that could potentially bear the the imminent probability that we injuring 11, it certainly wasn’t something to neighbours.

Search ‘mainlanders in HK’to ondo so as the we will continue brunt of focused discrimination, will be mixing with one another laugh about.

Google, and the first result you get is a blog world gets progressively smaller. more than ever before. ultimately the Mainland Chinese entitled ‘Reasons Why We Hate’.we Negative Whether use comedy to bridge - our neighbours - have become The satirical images of Charlie Hebdo have sentiments spiked so high Chinese gov-leave them be, Our perceptions of race may have ourthe gaps or simply the focal point for many Hong provoked fury, not least in many Muslim ernment had to draft up ‘etiquette rules’ for it is up to us. changed… but in what way? We Kongers and the media alike. nations where any pictorial depiction of the Chinese nationals to follow in Hong Kong may have tools to foster tolerProphet is forbidden. When asked why The all because coverage they We may be more accepting, we extent?of Wethe negative This ‘domestic discrimination’ is a ance… but to -what New York Times would not re-publish the received from the Hong Kong media. may be progressing; but there is stark reflection of the role of race may be combating discriminacartoons in a journalistic sign of solidarity, still a long way to go. in today’s society. It is a reflection tion… but how effectively? of what historical discrimination,

“WE ARE SOCIAL BEINGS.”

57

xiao hua issue 12

features

“Her story is one of incredible triumph and bravery; however, it also challenged several preconceptions about youth, activism, and making change.”

A

WRITERS: Ethan LAM (Y10) Cordelia Lam (Y10)

s mounting hype built around the an nouncement of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate in October, one name in particular perched at the top of almost everyone’s shortlists. It was that of Malala Yousafzai, a teenage student from Pakistan, who shot to fame as a fighter for girls’ education, and as a peaceful but powerful enemy of the Taliban. On December 10, 2014, Malala Yousafzai, at the age of 17, became the youngest recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize in history. Her story is one of incredible triumph and bravery; however, it also challenged several preconceptions about youth, activism, and making change. Not only did Malala confront the dangerous and extreme oppression of Taliban rule; she also blazed a refreshing trail for peaceful, youth-initiated, grassroots activism.

It is rather jarring for us to think of education as a privilege and not a right. In the mornings we rise bleary-eyed from our beds in a zombie-like state, and mutter grudgingly about going to school. Trudging into class may feel like

THE

a chore, but the idea of life without education is completely foreign to us. Sadly, this is a reality in many parts of the world, as it was in Malala Yousafzai’s hometown of Mingora in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. In late 2008, Taliban militants began occupying the Swat district, and “issued edicts banning television, banning music, and banning women from going shopping and limiting women’s education.” They targeted girls’ education specifically, and undertook a campaign of forcible closure and even bombing against schools that accepted female students. Girls were periodically banned from going to school-- to receive education steadily and consistently was impossible. Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, who ran a chain of public schools in the district, was himself an outspoken educational activist, and imbued a sense of righteousness and justice in his daughter from an early age.

malala 58

xiao hua issue 12

EFFECT

In September 2008, he took Malala to a local press club in Peshawar to speak about the crackdown on education, where she famously asked her audience: “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?”. Her speech received nationwide attention, and she soon appeared on the radar of Aamer Ahmed Khan, head of BBC Urdu. In search of a “novel way of covering the Taliban’s growing influence in Swat”, Khan and his team reached out to Ziauddin Yousafzai about enlisting his daughter to blog anonymously about life under Taliban control. Malala, then just 11 years old, began writing for the BBC, submitting handwritten diary pages to be scanned, emailed, and published on the BBC Urdu site. Her entries were written with the innocent candor of a pre-teen, but the fearmongering and violence of the Taliban regime bled through her words. Malala poured her anxieties about safety, freedom, and education under Taliban rule into the blog, and wrote prolifically about the Taliban’s military actions, anti-education edicts, and rigid regulations, including forbidding girls to wear colorful dresses and even to leave the house. In January 2009, she penned a haunting account of the psychological terror she experienced in a blog post entitled “I Am Afraid”.

“I had a terrible dream yesterday with military helicopters and the Taliban. I have had such dreams since the launch of the military operation in Swat. I was afraid going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools. Only 11 students attended the class out of 27. The number decreased because of Taliban’s edict.

On my way from school to home I heard a man saying ‘I will kill you’. I hastened my pace... to my utter relief he was talking on his mobile and must have been threatening someone else over the phone.”

The content of the blog posts was revealing enough to cause concern for the safety of Malala and her family. The BBC arranged for her to write under the alias “Gul Makai”, meaning “cornflower” in Urdu. Her blog shed human light onto the Taliban conflict,

and gave a face to the scores of people living under Taliban rule. Malala’s words were simple but genuine, and reflected her steadfast belief in universal education whilst living in the throes of a ruthless regime. As the blog received ever more attention, even leading to a documentary being produced by the New York Times, the person behind “Gul Makai” was finally revealed to be Malala. The Yousafzais began receiving death threats from the Taliban in the form of newspaper messages and notes slipped under their door. With the support of her father, Malala persisted in peaceful activism, speaking on television and at public events. However, as she travelled home from an exam on October 9, 2012, Malala was shot on the schoolbus by a Taliban gunman.

The bullet travelled through her head and neck, and stopped in her shoulder.

Her two friends were also wounded in the attack. She received emergency treatment first in Peshawar, then in Birmingham, and was comatose for over 7 days. She survived the shooting, but needed surgery to reconstruct her skull and to restore her hearing. She set up The Malala Fund in 2012, and continues to advocate ardently for universal education.

“There is a belief embedded deep within the history of society that young people’s ideas are not valuable.”

It is a widely accepted fact that young people do not have the capacity for bravery or sacrifice, for genuine empathy or selflessness. Young people often get a bad rep for being “too self involved”, “too naive”, or “too young to understand”. Malala’s commitment to her cause and her sacrifice for it completely shattered the fundamentals of that belief. She is now 17 years old. She boasts more extreme life experience under her belt than the most adventurous of adults, and has garnered the respect and adulation of humanitarians and world leaders alike. At the tender age of 11, she wrote precociously, dangerously, and with an urgent honesty 59

xiao hua issue 12

reminiscent of Anne Frank. Dissatisfied with her circumstances, she took it upon herself to take Malala got her start in activism on the Internet, specifically through blogging. Many people take the “fundamentalist” approach to activism, criticizing Internet activism for their relative inaction and unwillingness to contribute to their causes away from the computer. Malala’s incredible impact began with a blog, and ushered in a new wave of activism retooled for a newer generation. Young people today spend an immense amount of time on the internet, often on social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr in particular, which are both synonymous with activism. Raising awareness about social justice is easier than ever before; the scrutiny and outrage from the global community that arose over Ferguson, Chapel Hill, Occupy Central, and other events can be attributed to social networks. In fact, anybody with a social media account can attain global readership thanks to the internet. Another huge selling point of digital activism is anonymity— anonymity assures some form of safety as activists don’t need to be held accountable in the face of the law, allowing them to freely express their voice without fear of being arrested or otherwise dealt with. . The anonymity the internet grants someone is an incredibly powerful tool, although it’s use for the “greater good” can be debated. The existence of the hacktivist group “Anonymous” is entirely thanks to the blanket of safety that anonymity provides. However, Malala’s use of anonymity perfectly exemplifies how safety can allow people can bring about change. In 2009, Malala wrote a blog for the BBC under the pen name “Gul Makai”, detailing life under the rule of the Taliban and how her education was affected as a result. Her blog brought attention to the poor state of the Pakistani military, as well as the social factors that restricted women’s education.

features

R

egardless of the jeopardy her activism brought to her and her family, she followed through with her compulsion for change and continued to fearlessly oppose the injustice of the Taliban’s entrenched stance on education. Even after staring death in the face, Malala declared that she would continue to champion her cause. She exhibits an inspiring tenacity and endurance not typically associated with young people, and proves to the world that young people are more than capable of being changemakers. Her activism inspires young people around the world, and waves of youth activism have sprung up worldwide since her superstardom. At just 17, Malala is the spearhead of a movement that not only aims to make education accessible to all and to empower women and girls; it also demands that change made where it is needed, and that young people are recognized as principal cogs in the change-making machine.

Countless humanitarians have preached the gospel of peace and nonviolent protest throughout history - Gandhi, Martin Luther King, even John Lennon got in on the message. However, when it came to a hostile, unpredictable group like the Taliban, peace didn’t seem like a viable option. “Taliban” became synonymous with terrorism following its violent actions, and terrorism, a fearsome and powerful thing, could not be negotiated with or peacefully protested. That is, until a Taliban gunman shot Malala point blank on her

way home from school and she responded with unfathomable grace. In an interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, Malala was asked about her thought process in a confrontation with a Talib.

Her answer?

“I would reply to myself, ‘Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.’ But then I said, ‘If you hit a Talib with your shoe, then there would be no difference between you and the Talib. You must not treat others with cruelty and that much harshly, you must fight others but through peace and through dialogue and through education.’ Then I said I will tell him how important education is and that ‘I even want education for your children as well.’ And I will tell him, ‘That’s what I want to tell you, now do what you want.’ ” While her survival of the attack was nothing short of a miracle, Malala lives and breathes peace through her serenity and composure after the assassination attempt. Her measured response proved the triumph of peace against cruel and irrational violence. Her attack “received worldwide condemnation and protests across Pakistan. Over 2 million people signed the Right to Education campaign. The petition helped lead to the ratification of Pakistan’s first right to education bill.” Instead of swearing revenge and animosity for the Taliban, Malala carried herself with dignity and poise, gaining much credence with worldwide media, and with it enormous support for her meaningful endeavors. It is often thought that to counter terrorism, one must “fight fire with fire”; instead of sparring ferociously with her adversary, Malala exited the boxing ring completely, and acquired powerful, internationally-backed hero status through peace.

60

xiao hua issue 12

“I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk. I have the right to go to market. I have the right to speak up.”

Malala proved that the oppressed are capable of rising above any limitations by themselves in order to demand a better life. They do not need to depend on some force more powerful than them to rescue them— they are fully able to harness power to trigger change.

Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, a school owner and education activist, raised Malala in an environment that promoted equality, and encouraged her to learn. He allowed her to stay up long after her brothers had fallen asleep in order to talk about politics, and admitted her into his own school. In his words, being admitted to a school as a woman in a developing country “means recognition of her identity and her name. Admission in a school means that she has entered the world of dreams and aspirations where she can explore her potentials for her future life.” By educating her, Ziauddin was able to help Malala recognize the inequality that existed under the rule of the Taliban. As the victim of a brutal regime that devalued her rights, she managed to overcome the boundaries that traditionally kept women confined, all without any kind of financial or any kind of media backing. It is true that her blog for the BBC is what helped her reach the western world, but the BBC merely provided her with a platform to speak from— Malala was already making waves at age 10, when she began to blog, and volunteered herself for a New York Times documentary. Her message

spread, and it all happened out of her own resolve.

Indeed, a revolution does not need to have a catalyst in the form of some white-knight benefactor. Change can begin at the root of the problem.

“I have the right of education,” she said in a 2011 interview with CNN. “I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk. I have the right to go to market. I have the right to speak up.”

“Why do you risk your life to raise your voice?” a reporter asked her.

In perfect English, she answered that her people need her.

“I shall raise my voice,” she insisted.

“If I didn’t do it, who would?” she said.

Girls who are scared should fight their fear, she said.

“Don’t sit in your bedrooms.

“Ziauddin had a revolutionary zeal and deep commitment to education,” Ellick said this week.

“This charming little girl, she is a mini-version of him in many ways. She loves school, homework. Whenever she would meet me she had a bookbag full of books.”

“She didn’t have that idealistic activist attitude when she’s 10 and 11, because who does?” Ellick said. “Her situation demanded that she grow up before she should have. She caught his contagious commitment and idealism.” (Adam Ellick, NY Times documentarian)

61

xiao hua issue 12

features

PsyCh OF A CLASSR

W

hat exactly is considered a “typical� classroom?

It is universally agreed that a classroom is a space (usually in a school) where students are taught. However, the answer varies with different schools; students from one school could define their classrooms as a room with a chalkboard and neatly lined up desks.

Students from another may have a projector as part of their definition instead of a chalkboard.

What about our classrooms at CIS?

The furnishings of classrooms that we, students, are most acquainted with consist of beige chairs, white trapezoid tables and an interactive whiteboard.

Clean, tidy, organized, modern, spacious and peaceful are common adjectives students use to describe the space they learn in. Our learning spaces have continued to grow and develop to support our learning year after year, as we have incorporated technology into our learning and introduced new furniture into our classrooms.

A classroom in CIS consists of trapezoid tables and chairs and shades of pale beige and white that is so uniform 62

xiao hua issue 12

so as to be almost sickening to students sometimes. This is used to minimise distractions during class so that students can focus on what is taught during class. However, recently, new furniture has been introduced to many of the classrooms in CIS. The color scheme of our classrooms has changed as a result, from beige and white hues to vibrant greens, blues, reds and yellows.

An example of this is the Computer Science classrooms. The classic trapezoid tables and light beige chairs have been switched out for vibrant green chairs and primary colored desks. This has been beneficial to our learning: a study by the International Centre of Leadership in Education has proved that vibrant colored classrooms have been able to develop visual processing, reduce stress and increase productivity.

Yellow, red, blue and green are colors that we often use in our classrooms.

A study has mentioned that yellow increases feelings of liveliness, happiness and excitement in a classroom, while red can spark attention a subject and blues and greens can have a calming effect on students. All these colors mixed together create a balanced learning environment; there is a right amount of excitement in the classroom mixed with calmness.

OLOGY OOM writers: rachel lau (y9) ryan lee (y11)

We interviewed a few of our students about the new classrooms and they have responded with positive feedback. A student enjoyed the fact that the new furniture was aesthetically pleasing, and another said that the new classrooms were comfortable and functional. They also mentioned that they really enjoyed the comfort that the new classrooms provide; the chairs can be adjusted to fit their body measurements and the new splashes of color added to the originally dull classrooms create a much more positive learning environment.

“Technology has dramatically changed the teaching and learning in classrooms.”

CIS classrooms have been improving on another front as well. While they did not have technology once, they have begun to adopt it throughout the years, from projectors to interactive whiteboards to the 1:1 laptop program and the individual Google service accounts. Technology has dramatically changed the teaching and learning in classrooms. In order to encourage student participation in class, projectors and interactive whiteboards have been put into most classrooms for teachers

to present and teach content dynamically. With these tools, students are motivated to participate and present their ideas to a larger audience, and this prepares them and encourages them for public speaking.

Some students have mentioned that they can practice these skills by doing presentations involving auditory or visual support in the background. Interactive whiteboards are an easy way that can help teachers and students communicate with each other easily.

An example of this is during Math or Science class. A teacher can review a problem that students do not know how to solve. Students also find it helpful that notes taken by teachers during class on the interactive whiteboard can be sent to them to revise after class.

The interactive whiteboards also help kinesthetic students who are students that benefit from learning with movement, since it allows them to have a more “hands-on” approach to learning. For example, these learners can do a math problem on the whiteboard to learn how to apply a certain concept.

However, it can be a hassle for us, students or teachers, to connect their laptops to the interactive whiteboard system. This is why Apple TVs were introduced to many of the classrooms in CIS. Apple TVs allow content on our laptops to be displayed wirelessly with 63

xiao hua issue 12

AirPlay using one simple code which is much easier than trying to figure out whether a tangled bunch of wires work or not.

The student 1:1 laptop programme has seen laptops being used effectively in classes. Laptops usually switch up a typical lesson of a teacher just pointing to a board and talking. Students can use their laptops to view websites that are relevant to a topic studied during class, access many worksheets online and even use different software to support their learning. Students can also do some research individually, which makes them more self driven and motivated to learn. We have interviewed a few students and they have told us that they use laptops in more than half of their classes. On these occasions, they use laptops to take notes during class, do research and worksheets related to a unit learnt in class. Doing research during class is something many students have found to be helpful for their learning since it gives them freedom to explore subjects related to a certain unit learned in class that they take an interest in. Overall, students have mentioned that they really enjoy the laptop program for learning since they are able to learn in a more interactive way.

In Humanities classes, iPads have been distributed for mapping and data collecting purposes in the field.

features

H

ow does this compare to before? In the past, many teachers have

resorted to using textbooks, and the usage of media, songs and movies were up to the teacher. Most of the work was done in textbooks and the variety of devices was extremely limited. In the past, technology was not very prevalent.

In many schools around the world, there is an increasing prevalence and adoption of a “Classroom in the cloud� environment, which can potentially change the way people look at teaching. It is media-rich, and allows students to enjoy a hands-on experience with learning. Schools around the world have test-trialed virtual learning spaces to replace the traditional library, where students can control their avatar and access the content in any way they wish to do so. This also allows them to access the content asynchronously, meaning that they can learn outside of class time. Furthermore, these learners were able to view, interact, edit content and record notes at the same time. In this type of environment, a teacher serves to facilitate students’ intake of knowledge, while designing and delivering the content in a structure that is appropriate for the students. With technology, powerful learning spaces are going to be a lot more digital-based.

We have spoken of the technology and furniture in CIS classrooms, but

How do they benifit students and teachers? There are many factors to a

classroom environment which can determine whether it is beneficial to both students and teachers. Students may have different sensory streams and capacities, and therefore teachers 64

xiao hua issue 12

have to adjust the classroom to fulfill special needs. While learning in class, students may need to concentrate with different methods, and therefore teachers can adjust classrooms while suiting the needs of a group. The key for students to pay attention is to create an organized environment which spurs productivity. For example, playing music in the background can serve to establish quietness in the room.

How does the classroom environment affect student learning?

Learning is best done through student participation in discussion and activities since these things allow students to be mindful of topics discussed during class. This will allow them to have a good memory of a certain topic; when ideas are presented in an interesting way, the mind is most likely able to memorize and retain a set of information. However, in order to adjust the atmosphere of the room, a teacher has to rearrange the tables into a certain formation to make sure that students are motivated and have the capability to achieve their best and make use of their full potential in class.

To encourage discussions, a teacher may use a “U” or a circle formation, so that students and teachers can see each other clearly and therefore engage students in discussion. Many students have mentioned in a survey we sent out that the table arrangements have made it very easy for them to discuss topics learnt in class since they are able to see all of their peers. Some teachers may use a circle formation as it allows students to study and work together. In many instances, competition between different table groups may even motivate students further to try their best during class.

Working in groups can also help students improve their teamwork and sometimes leadership skills. Students have found this arrangement easy for collaborations in smaller groups.

1

VISUAL LEARNING

To stimulate visual learning and reasoning, a teacher can use text and pictures on paper or digital format. Color should be used to organise information or imagery.

2

As you can see, there are many variables of a classroom which can be adjusted to suit the needs of students in a learning environment. What teaching methods can be used by teachers to benefit students psychologically at CIS? This is what is called “Educational Psychology”. In order to teach strategically, educators have to know about how each of their students learn, and what they can do to benefit them individually. A teacher has to communicate facts to students in a way that they can comprehend and be intrigued about.

There are several methods which teachers can use to their advantage in order to make use of student’s sensory streams and help them to achieve their potential in the classroom:

3

kINESTHETIC METHODS

Kinesthetic methods are best suited to people who like to train their fine and gross motor skills. These two skills represent the movements which we are able to achieve with the human body, an example for the first one as picking up an object and holding it.The second one involves bigger movements, such as rolling, sliding and sitting. Some methods which can be used by teachers include games in PE or singing songs to learn a particular concept. Another example would be large movement activities such as dancing and bean bag tossing to improve rhythmic recall.

TACTILE METHODS

Tactile methods (which include the sense of touch) have the ability to improve one’s motor and coordination skills. For example, textured objects can be used to provide someone with a sense of depth, level and detail. A puzzle can be used to train a student’s mind and develop his/her thinking skills.

All of the examples above serve to reinforce information taught by the teacher. For example, kinesthetic learners are the most demanding of the three types of learners (auditory learners, visual learners and kinesthetic learners), and they usually require space and opportunity to explore, which traditional classrooms do not allow. A teacher can usually try to adapt and implement kinesthetic strategies so that students can receive appropriate guidance. It is also important to give a student space mentally and physically in order to give the freedom of initiating ideas and connecting different concepts together. This can be applied through the use of outside environments, or brainstorming sessions if such a choice is not available. A teacher does not have to teach eve-

ry single second; that is, a student can do useful self-learning which allows them to be more productive and motivated to learn.

Over the years, our classrooms have changed and are continuing to develop. Students have predicted that classrooms will be much more modernized in the sense that the furniture would look more futuristic and learning would be much more digitial based. Spending so much time in a classroom has become a norm for us, which is why we have never come to realize how much they have affected us as learners. We are fortunate to be able to be able to study in an environment that supports our learning with a positive learning space and technology.

65

xiao hua issue 12

features

追星利与弊 Writer: Justin Ngai (Y9) 什麼是追星？每當一些新電影，新歌或是名人 節目被市場接納而流行開來，劇中的明星們就 會跟著一起被人重視。有些人更會紛紛去研究 他們的衣著行頭和節目行程，不惜付出一切成 本只求見到偶像。這些人就是所謂的追星族。 如果被追的是影星，他們參演的電影一 登場，追星族們就會爭先恐後地去買票觀摩； 而且不出幾個星期，追星族們更會把偶像角色 的台詞背得滾瓜爛熟。如果被追的是歌星，每 一個演唱會，追星族們都會去捧場，並且收集 他們的正版CD 唱片。這些傳統的影迷和歌迷們 漸漸成了新型追星族裡的骨幹。 追星到底是好還是壞呢？一提到追星， 大家都會有一些負面的印象，如吸毒和濫交相 提並論，而且追星族這個詞，本來就略帶諷刺 和貶義。但是也有相當一部分的人用自己的方 式追求偶像，打破追星刻板印象的盲目性。因 此，追星的利與弊就成了人們茶餘飯後的熱門 話題。 追星應該有其正面性。這種行為是青少 年成長過程中尋找適合自己的榜樣，反映出自 己心裡渴望成為那個我的價值體現。追星也可 以是青少年寄託希望和理想的一種表現，因為 模仿一個成功者好過自己瞎琢磨而不知作為。 追星更應該是青少年建立自信心和受啟發的起 點。就如一位真正的實力派歌手王杰，他的名 聲，名氣不是靠運氣，也不是靠炒作，而是憑 自己堅持不懈的努力取得的。他的家庭背景艱 難，但他始終堅持了理想，他當過推銷員， 出租車司機，不管生活中面臨多少難關，他總 是以微笑來面對，最終走向了成功。這種成功 案例證明了只要不懈的努力就能換來相應的回 報，這種追星能點燃青少年奮鬥的心。

但追星也確實有其負面性。畢竟名人 大氣場的誘惑不是人人能抵擋的了的，而且追 星對於追星族經濟上產生的波動和負擔不是人 人能承受得起的。就用一位高中生作為前車之 鑑，他因盲目地崇拜追隨周杰崙，花光媽媽給 他繳學費的錢，用來購買一切關於周杰崙的產 品，甚至還想買了一套房子住在周杰倫家旁。 簡直是幼稚至極！ 曾經有一項社會調查，對隨機抽樣的幾 百個學生中購買過明星物品的人數做統計，有 94％的學生購買過偶像的相片、海報、寫真集 等物品，而其中經常性購買的就佔57％。這一 比例令人乍舌，在校學生哪裡有這麼強的購買 力？可不要小看這些個有簽名的筆記本，價錢 可以昂貴到你難以置信。再看看海報，CD，寫 真等等物品，加起來都有好幾百，甚至上千上 萬元。這對還沒有經濟收入的青少年來說，不 是在花父母的錢嗎？ ！ 更有極端個案，追星到了無法自拔的地 步，後果不堪設想。楊麗娟，一位來自甘肅省 蘭州的女子從16歲開始痴迷香港歌手劉德華。 此後更輟學瘋狂追星，父母阻擋無效，2003年 父母賣掉家中房子，2006年3月父親賣腎籌錢為 實現女兒赴港追星的願望。但最終父親更因女 兒盲目“追星”行為跳海身亡。將自己父母逼 上絕路的追星難道還不應遭人唾棄嗎？ 那青少年到底要不要追星呢？追！ 但要追得聰明，追得理智。我們要懂得識別名 人身上散發出來的是淡淡成功的芳香，還是迂 腐渾濁的銅臭味？背後閃爍著的是炫麗希望的 光環，還是耀眼強光的迷茫？追星要追求其精 神財富，而不是虛無飄渺，華而不實的夢幻陰 影。

66

xiao hua issue 12

SAT

的變化 Writer: Adrienne Chen (y9) 從2016年春季開始，美國大學入學考試 『SAT』內容將有重大調整，將會在許多 方面有所變化。在漢基國際學校，越來越 多的學生申請去美國的大學讀書，因此， 『SAT』的變化也將對我們的學生產生巨大 的影響。

考試卷的格式將會有明顯的改變。 現在的『SAT』由三大部分組成 －數學、 寫作和閱讀。雖然2016的『SAT』也將會 有三大部分，但是寫作和閱讀會融合在一 起，成為一個部分，另外兩個部分是數學 和寫作。新的『SAT』的總分不將是2400 分，而會再次回到1600分。

學生們需要在寫作和閱讀部分閱 讀文學與非文學類的文章，以及圖表、段 落、圖形等。運用自己的闡述能力，創作 能力，以及適當使用證據的能力，學生們 不但得改正一些小的錯誤，而且還得詳細 地編輯跟歷史和社會科學有關的文本，來 改善所提供的信息。信息裡也會出現一些 相關的詞彙，讓學生自己理解，然後適當 地運用。

現行SAT考試的作文與將要實行的 新SAT考試的作文會有很大的不同。最大的 不同是：學生在新的作文中將要閱讀一篇

文章，然後分析作者如何建立一個論點。 為了更密切地反映大學的寫作任務，學生 需要能夠用提供的文章找出證據，支持自 己的想法。新的作文部分的目的是鼓勵中 學生培養精讀，分析和清晰寫作的技能。 通過閱讀和寫作，學生們可以接觸到更廣 泛的信息，學會發展自己獨特的見解。作 文的題目會在考試前一段時間提供給學 生，而且會保持不變，但學生只有在考場 上才會看到所要分析的文章。作文不是必 須考的，但很多學校會要求寫作分數。

新的SAT的數學考試將分為使用 計算器及不使用計算器兩部分，考試時間 一共80分鐘，共有57個問題。其中使用計 算器部分為55分鐘，37個問題；不使用計 算器部分25分鐘，20個問題。前一部分除 了考察學生的代數能力外，還考察學生使 用計算工具的能力，後一部分則要求學生 能用數學解決實際問題。考試主要專注於 數學的三個關鍵方面：問題解決能力，數 據分析，核心代數，以及向高等數學的過 渡。

新的『SAT』考卷能訓練學生多種 技能，使學生們有更自由的思考空間，鼓 勵他們做好未來學習的準備。

67

xiao hua issue 12

features

PaPer

to

WRITERS: ESTHER UM (Y11) // CHRISTINA LI (Y8) PHOTOGRAPHER: MATHEW CHOW (Y11) ILLUSTRATOR: ADAM WANG (Y8)

e depend on numerous sources of information to educate ourselves and others. From paperback books, newspapers, magazines, television to the vast internet, we are constantly exposed to facts and figures, extending our horizon of knowledge. Recent technological advancements have made information much more accessible to all audiences. The dramatic changes have notably sparked major controversy in education. Different opinions have developed in attempt to answer the question: “What is the best method of learning?”, a question that is easy to ask yet difficult to answer with a simple response.

If asked to teachers, most of their responses would fall into the same category.

“A classroom filled with cooperative students...”

“Pupils respectfully listening and engaging in discussion…”

“A notebook filled with carefully written and intellectual notes.”

Can these qualities be attributed to both the traditional pen-and-paper education, or can they be adapted to the modern technological methods?

Although not obvious at first sight, the typical classroom has evolved significantly over the past century. Nowadays, if one walked into a regular english class, one would most likely observe a classroom full of students sat around tables, a whiteboard, a teacher’s desk and a teacher. A closer look would bring one’s attention to the illuminated screens of aluminum laptops, the colorful laptop cases piled around students’ feet and the occasional iPhone lying beside an open textbook.

Why is technology so essential to our education?

A computer brought to class seems to be all a student needs.

Whereas, flashback a decade or two, it would be unthinkable to even forget your pencil and notebook in your locker before class!

Under the boot of technological imperialism, CIS has recognized the potential benefits of the efficiency that comes along with modern technology and has made dramatic changes in its system of education including the introduction of the CIS Laptop 1:1 program, replacement of whiteboards with interactive whiteboards, use of School Docs Owner and Managebac.

However, at what point is too much? Is technology entirely beneficial to our education?

Of course not. Technology has opened doors to new problems.

With an impending deadline for a history essay, we first turn to the internet for our research. On opening a new tab, we are immediately bared to the insidious temptation of the Facebook icon in the Favorites bar of the web browser. Determined to get some work done, we ignore it and type “The Chinese Civil War” into the search bar; we’ve passed level one. Only five minutes have passed when Skype messages begin to pop up in the top right corner of our screens. Quickly, we force quit the application and force our attention back to the article that we have opened; we’ve passed level two. As we type up the first sentence of our introduction, our phones are vibrating on our desks with incoming notifications; we’re on level three. But we finally surrender to our impulses, close the tab, and allow ourselves five minutes of relaxation as a reward for typing the first sentence.

Game over. The five minutes stretch to ten minutes stretch to thirty minutes stretch to two hours. By the time we put down our phones, two hours have passed and we still only have one sentence written. Realizing how little time is left, we frantically open another tab and the game resets.

Our fingers itch with the urge to stay connected with the world around us, whether that is through social media, gaming or other platforms for “social” activity. The distractions are consuming our time, leading to hours of procrastination, and

68

xiao hua issue 12

cause some of us to have ridiculously low amounts of sleep.

The next morning, we reluctantly wake up to the sound of our alarm ringing at six o’clock and begin to pack our bags. Drowsily fumbling for our heavy folders and textbooks, we slide them into our bags. Finally, with great difficulty, we manage to squeeze our thick laptops into the tiny space left at the back of our bags. Slinging our bulky bags over our shoulders, nothing feels heavier, except, maybe our eyelids.

Not only does technology pilfer countless hours of our lives, but it also narrows our views and ideas. Typing into the search bar has become so habitual when it comes to extracting information that few people question the accuracy of the content provided. As we google, we become so accustomed to reading popular opinions — which tend to appear on the first page of the search engine, the only page that most people browse — that we may forget to consider the more “eccentric” ideas.

Society moulds our mindset as we internalize the more widely accepted explanations and theories. The constant spoon-feeding of information can cause us to unconsciously regurgitate facts and statistics we have read online during conversations rather than develop our own opinions on the spot.

Could this flat method of learning be smothering our ability to think for ourselves or take on a new perspective? This inconspicuous actuality haunts many schools: the slinking danger of cultivating well-educated, outstandingly promising, but useless students who fade into an indifferent middle age.

Instead of regretting our actions and blaming technology for our laziness and irresponsibility, we should be opening our eyes to solutions.

In the following transcript, CIS’s Director of Learning Technology, Mr. Szombathy, eloquently conveys his expert opinion on technological advancements in education and approach to technology students should have.

69

xiao hua issue 12

features

INTERVIEW WITH

cause they don’t have adaptations or they don’t have agreements in place at home on when and how we use our technology. So the responsible use policy and the whole idea of ethical behavior with technology is all part of the discussion, and it’s one of the challenges. And so I think that it’s empowering student directed learning; that’s where we want to be and that’s where we’re going. Because without the technology, if we don’t move, then we’re living in old paradigms where teachers control all of the knowledge.

I think it’s important that when you talk about the drawbacks, to also consider the fact that with technology, you are immersed in it in this world we live in; there are screens everywhere. Avoiding technology is not the answer; we can’t. And so we have to learn how to cope with it. And that means, taking when things are not working or when there are negative things, addressing them.

It’s a given that [technology is] not all good; there are lots of problems with it. Does that mean we throw it all out? Because some people would like to do that: to go back to the pretech days. If we accept the fact that it’s here to stay, and these are the problems, then what do we need to do to cope with that?

And I think that we’re doing a lot here at school. Maybe you can identify some of the things we are not doing, but I would say that there are things that families at home are not doing to help their kids be successful and let me give you an example. The big one’s going to be gaming, right? Especially boys who get addicted to games. Addiction is a whole topic that you could talk about. I like to use the phrase “technology is just an amplifier for what already exists”. So if a kid is addicted to gaming, the chances are very high that that student already has an addictive tendency, and if it wasn’t gaming, they would have found something else because that’s an aspect of their personality. And so we have to treat it not as a tech problem, but as a human problem. More often than not, people say, “Well technology is involved, so it’s a tech problem”. But when technology is everywhere, how do

MR SZOMBATHY What are your opinions on the advancement of technological education?

Well, I think it’s empowering student-driven learning; I think that’s the key to it all. Technology taking over learning, it’s an empowerment. There’s a shift happening from teacher-directed, teacher-driven, teacher-controlled learning experiences to ones where students are able to do that and pursue their passions.

What methods can students use to utilize technology and its full potential?

Well, to its full potential is quite a big question because I don’t think we’re seeing full potential yet, but there are lots of little ways that kids are able to pursue passions; everything is available to you at your fingertips. You are not relying on some adult delivering everything to you. If you have an interest, you can pursue it. And you can do that in school and out of school because of the technology you have. So in a grand sense, that’s the core of what we’re talking about here.

What are your opinions on the CIS Laptop 1:1 program?

Well, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. So I’m definitely in favor of it. It was something that I was brought to the school to help implement, and I believe in it; it’s the right thing.

But it doesn’t come without challenges, and some of those challenges are: how do you help families adapt to the change? The changes here were already around us; whether we embrace it or not is really the discussion. And so because we’ve moved on this way, as most schools -- at least top performing schools -- have done, the questions become: How do teachers adapt to that?

How do families adapt to having technology around twentyfourseven? And some families struggle more than others, either be-

70

xiao hua issue 12

you differentiate? So we have to be taking the approach that these are human problems that involve technology because it’s part of our lives.

So let’s look at it as a human problem, let’s not look at it and say “This is a tech problem; we have to fix the technology.” What’s the human behavior underlying this problem? Well it’s addiction. And they could be addicted to TV or they could be addicted to substances, or, you know, anything. And it’s an important distinction that I offer to you. If you take the angle that these are human problems, they’re behavioral, they’re attitudinal. They involve technology, which amplifies the problem. This amplification is an important concept because it’s what we observe. If kids are withdrawn, as in they’re not good at making friends, this makes it more the case because they can escape into the technology and then there’s a barrier. They didn’t become withdrawn because of the computer; they were already withdrawn and this just amplifies it.

And you probably see that amongst your friends if you think about it.

ith all the information we need so readily accessible, it is important that we make more use of the kinds of knowledge we decided to intake. The internet is a wonderful tool for personal growth as we gain culture through watching online videos, enlighten ourselves as we read scholarly articles, and experience the world through shared images. It is time we take the initiative to make improvements to our habits. It is time we realize that we are responsible for becoming more ethical than the society we were raised in.

71

xiao hua issue 12

Lay s

LLaayys s

features

our cis environment

D VO

s Lay

Lay Lays s

What traffic and half-eaten lunches mean for our planet, and what we can do about it.

Lay s LaysLa ys

VO D

s Lay

Lays

D

Lays

VO

WRITERS: hannah hui (Y11) // catherine wang (Y11) PHOTOGRAPHER: britta lam (Y12) ILLUSTRATOR: ADAM WANG (Y8) he term ‘environmental issues’ typically evokes stark images of post-apocalyptic decay: toxic smoke fuming from factory pipes, bulging garbage bags splitting open in dumpsters, schools of fish drifting in plastic nets. The exponential destruction of our environment has become a threat sensationalized by the media, and for this reason remains one of the most misunderstood problems of our age. To the consumer, these prevailing issues - melting ice caps, mass species extinction, water pollution - are far too pervasive and impenetrable to be addressed effectively, let alone on an individual scale. It’s a problem, we know, but it’s so monstrous in scope that our best efforts seem futile and all the more unnecessary.

Why would we care about dying coral when we’re in Hong Kong? What can we possibly do as individuals, or as a school, to prevent what seems like the inevitable destruction of the Earth?

The truth is, though issues like waste and pollution seem too global to be relevant, they are present in our everyday lives. The average CIS student is no stranger to the plethora of problems that our planet faces. And whether we like it or not, as a school, we must take responsibility for the environment of our local community. What is being done? And what more can we do?

Chances are good that you probably don’t think about environmental problems much in your daily routine. The thing is, it’s as present and inexplicable as the air you breathe — literally. Pollution is one of the biggest issues that Hong Kong faces today, annually causing more than 3,000 premature deaths and monetary loss of more than $39 billion as a result of medical bills and the value of loss of productivity. Additionally, 150,000 people are hospitalised for pollution-related illnesses each year, according to a study by the University of Hong Kong.

But let’s put that into context. Every day of a CIS student begins with 20-minute long wait. Unless that is, you dodge ‘Braemar rush hour’ because you have to get to school at seven for swim practice, or cross country, in which case you’ll get there in half the time. For the students who don’t need to get in early, their typical morning unfolds as follows: All traffic on Braemar Hill comes to a halt as streams of cars—mostly private vans chauffeuring students to school—slowly wait in line

to drop off their passengers and inch back down the stream.

It is not that the drivers drive slowly — in fact, they often turn and cut in attempt to get off the hill as quickly as possible — but there are simply far too many cars and but one narrow road that leads to campus. So you sigh. You wait. Perhaps you doze into a cat-nap, eager to catch some last minute quality shut-eye before the day really begins. But mostly, you’re frustrated, wishing you could be anywhere but here.

And then you arrive, and it’s all over; Until the next morning, that is. Then, you start again.

The traffic has become such a regular occurrence, almost a routine, that it’s simply a chronic nuisance rather than a pressing problem. In fact, many newcomers to the school have just accepted this as part of the CIS experience, having never seen anything else. The thing is, this number has been rising with huge implications for the other schools on Braemar Hill, and huge implications for the environment. Apart from the fact that it’s a nuisance for the rest of the residents on Braemar Hill, our traffic problem leaves a huge carbon footprint.

Road traffic is one of the main contributors to Hong Kong’s air pollution. No eyebrows are raised here — with a potential 7.2 million commuters that need to get to work or school and back, it’s not difficult to see why that would be the case. In fact, in as early as 2007, evidence of increased roadside pollution led to a citywide ban on idling engines. However, because none of the vehicles headed to campus constitute as idling, the fact is that that morning journey to Braemar Hill is exempt from this ban, although it results in the same unnecessary production of carbon emissions as that of idling engines — the very reason why the ban was put into place.

Student-lead groups have also played a large role. In 2013, a Year 13 Geography class, under the supervision of Ms. Smriti Safaya, organized an ad-hoc environmental group known as the Braemar Hill Road Warriors. For a year, the group cooperated with the CIS Green Team to collect data on the traffic problem, and presented their findings to the PTA. The program culminated in a summit, or the ‘Bringing Environmentally Sustainable Transport’ (B.E.S.T.) Expo that featured speakers ranging from Hong Kong-based environmental group ‘Clean Air Network’ and representatives from the government.

72

xiao hua issue 12

Although the issue of food wastage is critical, it’s still largely overlooked. This needs to change, and fast. According to the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, all remaining landfills will be wholly exhausted by 2018. In 2011, the last three landfills were estimated to be gone by 2014, 2016, and 2018 respectively; Now, only two remain, and one is almost on its way. There’s ample evidence to suggest that the culprit here is food waste: In Hong Kong, one third of all solid waste produced is food, with 3200 tonnes being sent to landfills every single day. To put this into perspective, if you loaded all 3200 tonnes onto the city’s yellow, red and blue citybuses, it would fill 120 of those double-deckers to the brim.

A second issue that is intricately connected to food waste is hunger. In Hong Kong, it’s sometimes difficult to think of hunger as a genuine concern. Our concrete jungle of skyscrapers, seemingly entirely unabated by physics, reach heights so high that their tips no longer scintillate in visible sight — well, aided by the low-lying smog that masks our city, of course. But regardless, our city seems to be the epitome of affluence in every sense of the word. It’s easy to think of hunger as a hardship that exists elsewhere, maybe in some remote corner of a hardto-pronounce African state; malnourishment is only a concomitant effect of war, famine, or abject poverty. In truth, hunger is much closer to home than most believe. In Hong Kong, more than 1.5 million people of all ages suffer from food insecurity.

Every day, 300,000 children do not get their three meals, and one in three seniors struggle to meet basic nutritional needs.

ut what more has been done? The answer lies largely in the school administration. The joint CISPTA GC-School Leadership Transport Committee continues to meet and discuss the possibility of shuttle-bus locations and a second drop-off point. Solutions so far have included various attempts at encouraging carpooling and the use of bus service, parent surveys, the possibility of mandatory bussing, and the introduction of the driver code of conduct. Of course, the power of the office has its limits, and there is no easy solution to what remains a huge problem in our school community. In a May 2013 Secondary School circular, Headmaster Ted Faunce acknowledges the urgency of the situation. “We need your support, understanding and ideas as we tirelessly try to tackle a problem that doubtless holds the record as the most frequent CISPTA agenda item since our Braemar Hill campus opened in 1991.”

That’s not the only issue that we face as a school. In our daily lives, food wastage is easy to ignore. On an average school day, students flock to the cafeteria, frantic to get in line for Chartwells. But students leave almost as quickly as they had come - forget the peas, there’s that Human Rights Group meeting you need to catch, or that math test after lunch that you had absolutely no time to study for the night before, or those music reflections you need to catch up on. The list goes on. On any given day, walk to the plate collection point to return your tray, and you will see plates of uneaten meals, perhaps most notably the bouquets of broccoli and cauliflower that the student who refuses to eat his greens artfully arranged in boredom.

CIS FEEDING HONG KONG

73

xiao hua issue 12

features wareness of this issue has been raised within the school community. One of the many things that has been done is the global issues group Feeding Hong Kong, which works with local charity Feeding Hong Kong to address issues of food wastage and hunger. Activities by Feeding HK have included bread runs, where students can help redistribute bread from participating local bakeries and restaurants to food banks, an ‘Empty plate’ Instagram competition, where students post pictures of their finished meals on their phones, and poster awareness campaigns around the school.

New ventures include the upcoming Teacherchef competition, where teams of teachers are challenged to use limited ingredients to create healthy dishes to raise awareness of saving food. As Bernetta Li, student leader of the CIS Feeding Hong Kong group aptly puts it, “We have great food, but when we do miss a meal, it’s not something that’s of significance to us. Here, we’re trying to bridge the two issues, pre-

venting food wastage to aid food hunger. So, you know, it’s like a double whammy. Two birds with one stone!” she jokes.

Apart from student groups, the Student Council has been working with the CISPTA and Chartwells to establish a food composting system. As much of the food waste that we produce daily is eventually thrown away, the composter could serve as an eco-friendly alternative to the garbage can.

Fertilizer produced could even help fuel the currently underutilized garden.

The thing is that green action, like anything, takes time. We remember the endless awareness campaigns, yet we still ride our private cars to work, even take indulgent 30-minute showers. The stark vignettes of a polar-ice-cap-melting, dumpster-overflowing armageddon portrayed in documentaries and posters make us feel guilty, but ultimately produce no lasting effect. Nobody does it. It’s so inconvenient. Why should I?

“NOBODY DOES IT.” “IT’S SO INCONVENIENT.” “WHY SHOULD I?” What can be done, then? Can we take action help our school environment? In order to make a real impact, groups will need to focus on community-based action, starting from within the school. As David Brian, long-time head of the Geography department puts it, “Things have to change from the inside out.” What is more important than any number of movie screenings and powerpoint presentations is establishing a culture of proactivity. Mr. Brian runs the Environmental Heroes Program, a collaborative initiative with Conservation International that teaches students to become environmental advocates and help spark social change.

Too long have activities focused on fundraising and poster campaigns instead of sustained, local involvement. “What’s important now is that we make a change,” he stated. After all, it’s not the people who turn on the lights who waste energy — it’s those who leave the lights on.

Every student can make a difference in the school and for our planet. Walk the extra ten steps to the recycling bin. Finish the food on your plate. Things don’t have to be extreme - you still need to flush the toilet after you use it, of

course - but things have to be done. Change is possible, but it takes time. It requires us to face our unhealthy habits and challenge what we believe about the way we live. It takes a certain measure of humility to accept that yes, this is what needs to be done. This can be tough. But it will help the keep the world. And as every student should know from MYP Science, we only have One World, and as it happens, the environment is a huge factor.

For a moment, forget the hackneyed mantras of ‘Love Mother Nature’, the sirens on television declaring the imminence of a climate catastrophe. If you look out of almost any classroom window, you can see verdant banks of the surrounding hills, and on a clear day you can even see the layers of green stretch down to the pooling shadows of Victoria Harbor. It’s a wonder that in the reputed concrete jungle of Hong Kong, we can have this little bit of nature for our school. It does not resemble the horrific, zombie-land, mess of toxic waste that the documentaries claim our future is. The hills are beautiful. For now, at least.

74

xiao hua issue 12

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

75

xiao hua issue 12

features One Hundred Years On

THe ImpOrTance Of remembrance WRITER: JEmIma BaRR (Y11) For a few minutes each year, the hum of CIS students at break time gives way to silence. On 11th November, or ‘Remembrance Day’, the entire CIS community solemnly gathers around the Moongate, some wearing a red poppy on their lapels, listening to the sombre sound of ‘the Last Post’ resonating around the courtyard. Everyone casts their eyes down while a two minutes silence is held.

Hong Kong. The workers tended to be poor farmers, who were driven to work in Europe by the poverty of the region, China’s political uncertainty, and the higher wages they could earn.

On trains and ships, the workers made a gruelling trip to France, which lasted three months. Around 700 perished enroute, due to disease and terrible weather and living conditions.

Once in France, the workers were swiftly sent to work wherever they were needed. The work included digging trenches on the front line, repairing tanks, transporting munitions and supplies, working in factories, on farms, mining, and assembling artillery shells. Many fell ill from the different diet, the intense damp and cold climate, and the back-breaking work. They were not seen as equals to their fellow soldiers; rather, they were not allowed out of camp to socialise locally, and were dismissed as mere coolies for cheap labour. While the Corps did not take part in combat, they were working in dangerous conditions on the front line, and an estimated 20,000 were killed. This was in contradiction to the promise given to the Chinese government that the CLC would not be deployed on the front line or in dangerous areas.

After the war, the British Government awarded a War Medal to every member of the CLC. The medal was like the British War Medal awarded to every member of the British Armed Forces, except it was made out of bronze, not the usual silver. Those who survived returned home with savings, but with the grim memories of the horrors of war, and without the recognition that came to the troops that they served. Others remained in Europe and set up immigrant communities in districts of Paris and London, forming the first ‘Chinatowns’.

2014 saw the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. It also heralded a series of events to remember incidents and those who gave their lives during WWI, to take place over the next four years around the world. However, amidst this commemoration, there are many questions that are no doubt pondered by a contingence of young students. Who are the individuals that we are remembering? What role did our own ancestors have in these events? What was the role of the country in which we live?

Particularly in Hong Kong, why do we still remember a war that seems to be largely European, that occurred over 100 years ago?

What is our role in remembrance today? This article will attempt to provide answers to these questions.

How was Hong Kong involved in World War I? World War I was largely fought thousands of miles away, but Hong Kong’s role, while mostly forgotten, was of great importance. When war broke in 1914, the British regiments stationed in Hong Kong were recalled to Europe, leaving the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps, made up of local men, to patrol and defend Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s largest contribution, however, was the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC). By 1916, there was a great need for labourers to fill the manpower shortage caused by the casualties from the war, and Britain turned to its colonies and China for workers. The Chinese government, going through their own revolution, very willing to oblige in order to gain greater international recognition and sent approximately 140,000 workers, largely from Shandong and Hebei provinces, as well as from 76

xiao hua issue 12

How is WWI remembered in Hong Kong?

“We have Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist prayers, and Confucian recitations spoken by their various leaders”

Next to the bustling highway of Queens Road Central, and amongst the towering skyscrapers, stands the Cenotaph. Etched into its stone faces are the words ‘The Glorious Dead’, and 英魂不朽浩氣長存 (‘May their martyred souls be immortal, and their noble spirits endure’). It was built initially to commemorate the dead of World War I, and later the dates 1939-1945 were added to honour those killed during World War II. Today, it is the site of the annual remembrance service held on the closest Sunday to 11th November. The Reverend John Chynchen, a priest at St. John’s Cathedral has been part of this service for over 25 years.

He described the order of the service: an assembly at 10:00am, of members from the Royal British Legion, the Hong Kong Ex-Servicemen’s Association, various Consul Generals and leaders from eight different religious groups. Other attendees have included Prince Charles in 1989 and 1996. The opening address is held in both Chinese and English and ‘The Last Post’ is played, before two minutes silence is observed.

Wreaths of poppies are laid and prayers are said by each leader from the religious groups.

Being part of the service since 1989, John has seen it undergo many changes. The biggest change, he recalls, was the inclusion of many more religious leaders. “When I started”, he says, “we had three religious leaders at the service, all of whom were Christian: myself, from the Anglican Church, a priest from the Roman Catholic Church and a priest from the Methodist Church”. Now there are representatives from seven different faiths, “We have Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist prayers, and Confucian recitations spoken by their various leaders”.

This is, perhaps, testimony to the great number of men, from many nationalities and religions that were involved and gave their lives during WWI. Tucked away in the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens stands another monument, a memorial arch, dedicated to the Chinese Labour Corps’ involvement during WWI and later involvement in WWII. However, it has only been in recent years that the CLC have been recognised during the remembrance service, “2014 was the first year I became conscious of the CLC element in the conflict”, John says. However their inclusion in this service, albeit belated, as well as the attendance of many different religious leaders at the service, shows that this was truly a global conflict and in the interests of everyone to continue to remember their sacrifice.

77

xiao hua issue 12

features

Why do we continue to remember a war that occurred over a century ago?

and great grandmother worked for the British army, “My greatgrandmother Lucy was a nurse for the wounded and my great grandfather Pierre was a soldier during the Battle of Jutland”. A Year 11 student’s great-grandfather was “one of seven who survived in his battalion at Galipoli, was injured at Passchendaele in 1917 and was one of the first members of the Royal Flying Corps (later the RAF).” Her great-uncle was killed at Ypres.

Other students had relatives who were field medics, sailors and regular soldiers.

Knowing that relatives of the CIS community have been affected sheds a personal light on this area of history that, because it was such a long time ago, can easily turn into events and statistics, without personal connections. Even if we do not know if our relatives were involved in this particular event, it may be interesting to explore personal connections our families and relatives might have to other historical events.

The outbreak of World War I was over one hundred years ago, sixteen years before the current monarch of England, Queen Elizabeth II was born, and out of almost everyone’s living memory. The only understanding we have of the war is through poetry, old newspaper articles, history books and stories passed down through generations. Globally, we do not regularly commemorate other wars and events from a similar time ago as greatly. So why do we continue to remember this war?

The Reverend John Chynchen believes that World War I is of particular significance because it was the first that was of “global interest” and “involved many countries”. He states a sobering thought that “most people alive today, particularly in the United Kingdom, had at least one relative that was killed during WWI”. The losses of the CLC, as well as other non-European forces show that this was the case for people from many other countries as well.

Even a largely European war still has relevance in Asia, as Mr Mulcahy, one of the leaders of the CIS Remembrance assembly, says: “From an historical perspective, events that took place in Hong Kong during WW2 were certainly influenced by WW1, especially if you trace the way the relationship between Japan and Germany changed after 1918 and especially in the 1930’s.”

The CLC’s involvement in WWI has been called the ‘Forgotten Army of the First World War’ by the SCMP. It is an area of history that is not widely addressed when discussing China’s modern history. However, they aided the war effort greatly, and recognition of this is important.

Even closer to home, students and teachers at CIS have fascinating stories about their relative’s involvement in WWI. A brief survey revealed a member of staff whose grandfather was in the first landing at Galipoli, who was injured and ill for the rest of his life. A Year 7 student’s great-grandfather

What is our role in remembrance today?

We mark Remembrance Day on the 11th November, the end of WWI, but perhaps it is in fact an opportunity to think of all those who died not only during WWI, but who have died during armed conflict throughout history and in the present day. This is certainly a view that Mr Mulcahy takes:- “The CIS Remembrance honours the lives of all those who have given their lives for peace and freedom, conditions that we often take for granted. As such remembrance is not specifically focused on WWI. Overall, remembrance is about a shared humanity and asks us to reflect beyond ourselves; therefore, I think it is a very valuable educational experience for everyone.”

In Hong Kong, we lead very privileged lives away from conflicts that rock many countries in the world today. Remembrance is not only important to think of those who sacrificed themselves to provide the safe world in which we live now, but also to think of those who are not as fortunate as ourselves who still live in areas of conflict. Tragically, there is no shortage of victims of contemporary conflicts to keep in our thoughts.

78

xiao hua issue 12

79

xiao hua issue 12

features

THE

F-WORD WRITER: HANA DAVIS (Y12) // WEN YEE CHAN (Y12) pHoTogRApHER:SHEILA ZHANg (Y11)

W

omen earn 70 cents to every dollar a man makes. The reason for this difference in income is justifiable: women are weaker than men, they are often misguided by their maternal instincts, and must take time off work to focus on taking care of their children -- which is how it should be. Furthermore, women are often swayed by their hormonal tendencies, and cannot make rational decisions.

Thus, they should not be given positions of power. Though some may believe in the impossible notion of gender equality, they should definitely not identify as feminists.

Feminists are crazy, bra-burning, man-hating people, who try at every possible moment, to turn everything into a feminist violation.

Though we may think the statement above is absolutely absurd, the sad truth is that many people have this derogatory mindset in today’s social climate. As author Dale Spender eloquently puts, “Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions, for safety in the streets, for child care, for social welfare, for rape crisis centres, for women refugees, for reforms in the law. If someone says, ‘Oh, I’m not a feminist’, I ask, ‘Why? What’s your problem?”

By definition, feminism is a movement that aims to achieve social, political and economic equality for both men and women. It is the belief that the sexes are equal, and thus have equal rights and opportunities. This seems obvious enough, yet there is no country in the world where all women can expect to see the realization of these beliefs. No country in the world can yet say that they have achieved true gender equality.

Despite this simple definition, many women avoid identifying as feminists fearing that this “label” is too extreme, or mistake this term to be synonymous with misandry.

This misconception has been further promoted by celebrities who hold a lot of power in terms of swaying public opinion. Though there are a few celebrities who have been able to use their fame to promote the movement, such as Emma Watson or Angelina Jolie, many in fact turn the clock back and publicize their misguided views on feminism. For instance, Lady Gaga said “I’m not a feminist. I hail men, I love men, I celebrate American male culture – beer, bars, and muscle cars.” Shaliene Woodley, who when asked whether she was a feminist, said, “No because I love men, 80

xiao hua issue 12

and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from power’ is never going to work out because you need balance.” Or even Evangeline Lilly, who said, I’m very proud of being a woman, and as a woman, I don’t even like the word feminism because when I hear that word, I associate it with women trying to pretend to be men and I’m not interested in trying to pretend to be a man,” she said. “I don’t want to embrace manhood, I want to embrace my womanhood.

These misconceptions have led to negative connotations that cause many women to avoid subjects such as feminism and gender equality entirely in fear that they would be viewed as extremists. While there are a few empowered celebrities like Beyoncé or Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who openly identify as feminists, many avoid the subject entirely in fear of losing their fans or ruining their image.

In fact, what is most shocking is that it is often women themselves disparaging or failing to support a movement where the only consequence would be an improvement in their lives. This has led to a large amount of statements like “I’m not a feminist, but...”, only to then voice their support for gender equality. These contradictory statements further validate these misinterpretations of feminism, and greatly hinder the feminist movement. Furthermore, the negative connotation of the word makes it all the more obvious that we still live in a patriarchal world. If women themselves don’t support the movement, gender equality will continue to be a distant goal.

Perhaps this view of extremism can be traced back to the women’s liberation movement in the 20th Century, where a small portion of overpublicized women used extremist actions to gain the attention of the media. This included bra-burning and crowning a sheep pageant queen. All leading to feminism being referred to as “the other F-word”.

In actual fact, being a feminist doesn’t mean that you can’t be feminine or that you can’t fall into gender stereotypes. It means that you don’t believe there should be stereotypes to fall into, and believe in the right for men and women to have equal opportunity in all aspects. Somehow, people can’t seem to accept the fact that women can wear dresses and love pink and still believe in gender equality.

You can’t judge someone’s beliefs or intellect by their appearance or taste. Zooey Deschanel, who is often criticised for “taking feminism back” with her girly fashion sense and hobbies makes this point wonderfully when she states “Acting 81

xiao hua issue 12

features

feminine and dressing feminine - what does that have to do with tend to choose Physics or Math. For example, in a Year 12 Physanything? That’s just my taste. ” ics HL class, the boys outnumber the girls 4-to-1. This begs the When discussing feminism and gender equality with question: Where does this conditioning or stigma against girls other members of the CIS community, we collected a variety taking these subjects begin? of responses. Many students identified as feminists when told We don’t seem to grow out of this divide. It is a well that it meant equality for the sexes, quite a few were in full sup- known fact that the number of boys studying engineering in port and knew about the movement already. Possibly one of the college greatly exceeds the number of girls. In 2010, 30% of best comments we collected was “How can people say feminism enrolled engineering students were female, but only 18.5% gradisn’t a man’s issue? It very clearly is. In fact, it’s more than that, uated with degrees. This trend is seen across most STEM proit’s a people issue.” However, there was still a large portion of grams, and is known as a “leaky pipeline”, where it can be obstudents who had the confusing and contradictory mindset that served that many females drop out of STEM programs during “I believe in gender equality, but I am not a feminist.” We found their education period. Research has seen that in many engineerthat despite a few misconceptions or a bit of stereotyping, the ing colleges, females experienced a lack of respect from male younger years for the most part believed the idea was simple- counterparts. This combined with isolation and insecurity leads -everyone should be equal. However, many of the older stu- to them dropping out. (Aggarwal, Varun) This gross neglect of dents were turned off my the negative connotation of feminism females is not uncommon in many subjects and jobs, and has and refused to identify as feminists. led to the male domination of many fields such as Mathematics, Sadly, extremist attitudes and lack of focus on what Technology and Law Enforcement, where female officers are feminism is really about has led the movement astray. Not much often imagined to be brutish and aggressive. Instead of accepthas changed since the time of Gloria Steinem and the height ing the fact that some jobs are a “man’s field”, why not fearlessly of the feminist movement in the mid twentieth century. Only cross that invisible barrier?

5.2% of the Forbes Fortune 500 top CEO’s are women. This Despite this trend, women outnumber men in almost unacceptably low figure is a sign that despite the increasing num- every field at tertiary educational institutes. In 2008, for both ber of stay-at-home-Dads, and increasing awareness for gender private and public universities, the ratio of women to men on equality, equal opportunities, and equal pay, we still live in a des- average was 6:4. (Forbes) This figure has only increased in recent picably misogynistic reality. years. However, this trend reverses once people are on the job At CIS, while we may not feel any social pressure in market. Why isn’t this surplus of educated women reflected in choosing subjects, there is a very clear divide between the “boy the job sector? Furthermore, once hired a woman must often subjects” and the “girl subjects”. When selecting classes for the work twice as hard as her male counterparts. The less-qualified IB, girls tend to gravitate towards the Arts, English Literature male will often get promoted over the female, and in situations and History for their Higher Level subjects; whereas the boys where women are promoted over men, people often jump to 82

xiao hua issue 12

the conclusion that she must be favored due to her sexuality, not her intelligence or working ability. This may have to do with the differing expectations women and men face. Dr Sigrid Evelyn Nikutta, CEO of BVG, explains this inequality in leadership positions. She has seen the trend that women tend to be hard workers but are less likely to speak about their accomplishments than men. In our current society, women see the need to ‘ask permission’ to succeed, and are less likely to speak up while men usually seize every opportunity. Emma Watson, in her famous UN speech, observes a similar trend: “When I was 8, I was confused for being bossy because I wanted to direct the plays that we would put on for our parents, but the boys were not.” It is a disappointing fact, that members of the male gender are more encouraged to take on leadership roles, even at a young age, while females are more likely to sit on the sidelines - and we have no one to blame but ourselves. In order to change this societal perception, a change is needed, so when the next opportunity arises, speak up and don’t ask for anyone’s permission.

As Nike says: “Just do it”.

We have, seemingly, since the beginning of time, had very defining gender stereotypes - a man must be the breadwinner, a woman should be the homemaker. A man should be tall, strong, masculine and tough, whereas a woman should be ladylike, elegant, thin, and feminine. We live in a world where women are expected to be beautiful, they’re supposed to put on makeup and wear nice clothes to please men, instead of doing it to make themselves happy. As Emma Watson puts, “Why can’t men admire and appreciate the beauty of the female body without trying to claim it as their own? We don’t do that to works of art in a museum, so we’re basically saying those pigments on canvas or carved pieces of stone are more valuable and deserving of our respect than living, breathing human beings.”

To see if such stereotypes exist at CIS, we created our version of the “Like A Girl” Commercial, where young children and teenagers were asked to perform tasks ‘like a girl’. We found that many of the primary boys would giggle and throw ‘like a girl’ when prompted to do so. However, every single girl reeled back her arms and threw with all her might. We were pleasantly surprised when the same thing happened on the secondary side.

This shows to us very clearly that at CIS, we live a life of unequal privilege. We are luckier than 99% of the world, not only by our wealth or social status, but because our parents love us equally.

The girls are not limited by their families or the school for being born daughters. Likewise, the boys are not loved anymore because of the sheer chance that they were born male. Boys and girls alike are encouraged to be whoever they want to be, to strive for whatever dream they may dream, however impossible. We are taught to be unapologetic about who we are, and to always try our best. Though this is the norm for us, it certainly isn’t for the much of the world. Just kilometers away, across the border, girls are abandoned every day because they ‘cant bring as much wealth’ to the family, or ‘pass on the family name’. The age old idea of “重男輕女“, or favoring boys over girls, is very much alive.

Women have certainly come a long way from the 1920s, from the height of the feminist movement, but we are still far from being equal to men. We may endeavor for gender equality, but for significant change to take place, everyone must get involved. There can be no more passivity in following the movement, and no more shaming people for identifying as feminists. Feminism is very clearly an issue that impacts everyone in the world. As Malala Yousafzai argues, “We cannot succeed if half of us are held back.”

83

xiao hua issue 12

hangzhou features

THE

PIAN

O

PHO WRITER : TOG RAPH VIVIAN G U ER: IN GRID (Y10) TSAN G (Y10

)

B

ack at CIS Braemar Hill, my locker was on the eighth floor, and so was my Advisory. As a result, I spent a lot of time hanging around the English block doing work and (most of the time) doing nothing. Last year, someone put a piano up there, wedged between two sofas. Being away at CISHZ now, I don’t know if it’s still there, but I thought and still think that the piano is the best thing that happened to that space.

It was pretty beat-up. I think that’s why it was left out there. The tops of some keys were gone, so plain wood shone between black and white. There was a key with its hammer missing, so it made an odd dissonant noise when struck. It was probably out of tune. But a piano is a piano, and even a decrepit one can make magic.

If you know CIS students, as extraordinarily talented and well-educated as we are (ha), it should come to no surprise that a large percentage of us know how to play piano.

And that year, the CIS English block was filled with music. Students exchanged places on the piano bench, and a wide variety of pieces could be heard, from simple tunes learned in music class to complicated exam pieces out of textbooks to piano covers of popular music.

I enjoyed being in the English department during break, listening to the piano, listening to the people singing and harmonizing and having fun. I think part of the reason I was so fascinated is because I myself don’t know how to play. Watching other people play effortlessly is really quite humbling.

Anyway, I came to CIS Hangzhou and lo and behold… another piano. This one sits in the corner of the library meeting area. It’s quite new, and not even ours – it’s rented from a music store or something, and so we have to be very careful with it.

Happily, all the dire warnings about damaging the piano haven’t deterred people from playing it. I suppose a piano is a piano, under any circumstances.

I think I just want to say I’m terribly grateful we have a piano here in our residential area (there’s a proper grand piano in the music building too), as well as people to play it. You might think that a library is a strange place to put a piano. After all, a library is a place of quiet and a place of reading. But school libraries are different. They have to allow for students, and we’re pretty loud sometimes. The library in CISHZ is divided into two sections, with a short open walkway connecting them – one section is the meeting area, where we have all of our (you guessed it!) meetings, and the other side is the reading area, which is full of books. Not many people go to the library in their spare time, especially the reading area of the library. We’re usually up in our rooms procrastinating secretly or down in the games room procrastinating openly. Or out on the field or in the fitness room getting exercise.

The point is, it’s usually quite peaceful in the reading area of the library. I don’t spend much time there, but every once in a while it’s nice to go down and read and listen to the music drifting out of the library meeting area. It’s a good place to go if you want a little peace and quiet, especially if you don’t mind not having any quiet, with the piano going and all.

When I first came here to CISHZ it was new, but at the same time, comfortingly familiar. CIS is still CIS - there is familiarity to be found in the little things as well as the big things. I think what is great about CISHZ is that it gives us CIS students new perspectives on our lives, our schooling and our environment, while still remaining the school we know. And we students are just the same.

84

xiao hua issue 12

Chinese

Whispers WRITERS: constance lam (Y10) // natalie chak (Y10) PHOTOGRAPHER: constance lam (Y10) 85

xiao hua issue 12

hangzhou features

C

hina is the world’s most populous country, with a thriving economy and rapidly developing cities. Yet our native Hong Kong is rampant with prejudice towards mainland Chinese people. Many are under the assumption that Chinese people are impolite and uncivilized, and this negative image of them is triggered by certain actions, such as the overcrowding of shopping districts and the milk powder debacles. However, one cannot form a valid opinion based on rumors and petty discussion, and students who had spent a year abroad in China found that their perspectives had changed greatly afterwards.

It is inevitable that some of us, just like many other Hong Kong citizens, may have held prejudice against mainland Chinese before coming to Hangzhou. A Year 10 student currently attending CISHZ states, “Initially, I had my doubts about attending school in Hangzhou. Before this year, my impression of Chinese people was not a very positive one. But this year abroad in Hangzhou has shown me that it’s not only rude people that make up China, but there is so much more to China as opposed to what we see in CEP or vacations.” A year abroad in Hangzhou entails constant interaction with the locals, which is an imperative part of our experience. Our student body consists of students from various parts of China in addition to existing CIS students or Hong Kong students, and there are many staff members who are native to China. Coach mentors are indispensable members of our staff who live with students in their dormitories. They work side by side with the teachers in organising school events and maintain order in our dorms, undertaking roles of responsibility. This year, four of our coach mentors had previously worked in Teach For China, and are native Chinese themselves. Over the course of this year, we formed close bonds with the coach mentors who have become the street savvy older siblings that we wish we had. Furthermore, the CISHZ campus is situated in Greentown Yuhua School, and students attending CISHZ participate in after school activities, such as African drumming, yoga, football and archery with Greentown students. Becca Guo, a former Greentown student who is currently attending CISHZ states that, “The GYS students are very welcoming and helpful, and many of the CIS students last year made friends with them.”

In addition to befriending the local students on campus, the students of CISHZ are very lucky as they are given the chance to interact with locals through various different opportunities. There are four weekends throughout the academic year designated for homestays with local families. The host families are those of Greentown students, and CIS students spend the weekend in their homes. Many host families also take students sightseeing, giving them a chance to experience Hangzhou city life. As Chinese people are known for their hospitality and generosity to guests, the students enjoyed their homestays and gave positive feedback, especially Jennifer A, a student in CISHZ. “They were very welcoming and friendly to us, they cooked really good Chinese food for us and showed us around Hangzhou.

I even felt bad since they bought us a lot of gifts. Whenever we leave the campus and go out, we never see the chaotic scenes in Hong Kong, in fact people are always civilised and very helpful.”

Furthermore, interaction with local people is imperative during the Interdisciplinary Experiences (typically abbreviated to IDE) planned by the coach mentors. In the most recent IDE, students were asked to interact and socialize with more people in Hangzhou. The entire student body contributed to the website “Humans of Hangzhou”, inspired by the work of Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York. Through this opportunity, students learnt about the many interesting and inspiring life stories of the people here. It is definitely not easy to stop strangers and have them willingly open up to our students. Fortunately, the people in Hangzhou are very friendly and willing to talk to us, despite the fact that there were language barriers between the locals and some of the students. Upon talking to the locals, students discovered hidden stories behind individual lives within the Hangzhou community.

Hong Kong’s colonial history is one of the reasons that causes the ongoing tension between us and mainland China. Although the reasons behind the conflict are justifiable, the people of Hangzhou have proved to us that there is a lot more to Chinese civilians and their culture than what is portrayed on the daily news. This year in Hangzhou has opened our minds and changed our perspectives about the generalization of China, helping us learn to respect and broaden our understandings of the place we live in.

86

xiao hua issue 12

87

xiao hua issue 12

hangzhou features

人在杭州 WRITER: VICTORIA NGAI (Y10) PHOTOGRAPHER: VICTORIA NGAI (Y10) 現如今，所謂的“學習”已經不只是坐在教室裡聽老師 講課了，在漢基杭州就能驗證到這一點。一月二十二和 二十三日，我們全體師生參與了一次coach mentor組織 的IDE (Interdisciplinary Experience)。我們分組分別去了 杭州周圍的不同地方去訪問一些路人並且拍照記錄。就 如“Humans of New York”，我們把每一次訪問的精髓 和照片一起放到了我們的網頁上，就叫“人在杭州”（ 更多可見 http://www.yuyi.org.cn/humans-of-hangzhou/ ） 。

訪問路人的過程當中，我們得到了很多不同的 回答。我就在菜市場訪問了一位賣酒的阿姨。以下是我 們的對話： 我：“你為甚麼會開始做這個工作？” 阿姨： “為了生存嘛。” 我：“那你對酒有興趣嗎？” 阿姨：“沒有。”

我和小組分享了這個訪問，我們都意識到了真 實生活的艱難和身不由己。原來，能把工作、興趣和謀 生結合在一起是一種幸福。人生有太多的無奈，在此我 們也真心希望這位阿姨的生活會有所轉機，而她終有一 天可以做她真正喜歡的工作。

我又通過一個訪問了解了上一代對我們這一帶 年輕人的看法。在西湖景區，有一位媽媽帶著她的兒 子觀光，我跟她聊了起來。她拉著兒子的手，告訴了 我：“我小時候是在農村長大的，我現在很懷念當時的 生活。現在的孩子缺少這種經歷，就像生活在玻璃球裡 邊一樣。”在回學校的路上，我又遇到了一名乞丐。在 她的杯子裡放了一枚硬幣之後，我問她是從哪裡來的， 她說：“甘肅。”我緊接著又問她為甚麼會來到杭州， 她說：“因為暴雨。”這些真實的對話讓我們陷入了沉 思：難怪人們說“不如意事常八九，可與語人無二三” ，要達成願望，除了自己的努力，還有很多超出個人控 制範圍的因素。人們口裡的港孩更需要真實生活的磨 練。

這兩天之內，我和其他同學們都有很多其他充 滿意義的訪問。通過這次體驗我們認識到了杭州各種各 樣的人，如本地人、外國人、解放軍、農民、學生等等 以及不同年代的人，並了解了他們不同的看世界的角度 和生活中的困難與往事。這不僅讓我們以嶄新的視角來 看杭州這座城市，更使我們明白了每一個人都有自己的 故事，而就是這每一個獨特的故事給城市帶來了其與眾 不同和多樣化。此外，我們還通過這次IDE學會了與人 溝通的技巧，更提高了中文能力。沒想到，這樣一次“ 突破教室四面墻的一堂課”給我們帶來了比在教室裡面 學的更多更廣泛的知識、能力和感悟。

88

xiao hua issue 12

<九點繳械之後>

杭州隨筆 WRITER: chee ling wu (Y10) PHOTOGRAPHER: ingrid tsang (Y10)

<清晨一景>

十一月底，杭州天氣突然變冷了。早上，從宿舍走 去餐廳，短短幾分鐘的路程，變成了那一天遇到的第二個挑 戰（第一個當然就是離開溫暖的被窩）。走出閘門時，迎 面而來的是刺骨的寒風。最先走出來的同學（通常是最早起 的那班人）紛紛拿出手機，看看清早的溫度有多低，再把雙 手塞進口袋裡，迅速地走向餐廳。接下來出發的同學，樣 子比較悠閒；他們也陸陸續續地去吃早餐。再過大概5至10 分鐘，第三批同學就會露面。他們通常會忙著找打開閘門的 門卡，還沒吹乾的頭髮在冰冷的晨光中閃耀著晶瑩晶瑩地亮 光。只見他們衝出閘門時，一邊緊抱身軀，一邊大叫“哇， 好冷！”，正好與剛吃完早餐的第一批同學打個招呼：“今 天的早餐好吃嗎？”

“有湯麵！”

“好㖿！”邊說邊跑步沖向餐廳。 嗯，冬天的早晨大約就是這樣的。

晚上九點，是一天中最忙亂的時刻。功課 要交出去，電腦和手機也要準時交出去。只見寢室 裡每人都非常忙碌。同學們匆忙的身影穿梭來去。 交了電腦後，趕緊拿出日記本，加入客廳的室友 開始專心寫日記。這也就是我們Family Time的開 端。如果沒有其他的宿舍任務成，寫日記剩下來的 時間是給我們自由發揮的。有時我們會慶祝同學的 生日，有時會玩Pictionary，很多時候我們會各自 分享當天生活的點點滴滴。我覺得過完一整天后與 大家聊天，是很有意思的。每每在這個分享快樂與 憂傷的時刻，我會感到我們整個宿舍就像一個大家 庭一樣，互相照顧。如果考試的壓力太大，我們會 支持對方；如果發生什麼值得紀念的事，我們會一 起慶祝……甚至有些時候，一些平時應該做的事， 譬如洗碗筷，也會在這時一起做。這是我們宿舍生 活中特別保貴的時刻。 來到杭州以前，我一直以為住宿生活無可避免會帶 來課業、時間丶室友相處等種種壓力，和住在家裡 的閒散自由氣氛完全不同，我尤其害怕萬一與室友 合不來該如何是好。 出乎意料的是，在這裡生活了幾個月之後，在這些 日復一曰的小小時刻當中，我己経不知不覺融入了 這個大家庭，感覺同學們就像家中的兄弟姐妹一 様，大家朝夕相處，不只默契日增還感到心靈相通 ～一個眼神交流便知早餐合不合胃口～一包方便麵 散發的濃郁香氣立即溫熱了我們的心，這些片片段 段，組成了我杭州生活的趣味畫面。

<午後的泡麵>

早上四堂課上完之後，就到了午飯的時間。午餐很 平常，大家慣性塞塞肚子。因為宿舍里永遠有吃不完的零 食。有關泡麵的故事，通常是發生在下午兩三點的宿舍裡。

每到下午兩點多，總會聽到客廳裡有人非常禮貌地 拋出這樣的問句：“親愛的朋友們，請問誰有方便麵？”當 然，誰都不會輕易地把’寶物’交給他。

如果真的很饞，想吃泡麵想得要命，他就會走進每 一間房 間，向每一位室友親切問好，順便說“你有沒有泡 麵啊？什麼口味都可以喲！”有些沒有泡麵的就愛莫能助地 笑一笑，搖搖頭；而另外有些沒有泡麵的就會趁機加入’討 面大軍’的行列，跟著他去向別的孩子要泡麵……結果總是 皆大歡喜。過了一刻鐘左右，當客廳飄來一股熟悉的泡麵味 時，大家都染上了莫名的幸福與滿足感。就這樣，瀰漫在宿 舍裡的出前一丁香味，把大家緊緊地擁抱在家中廚房的溫暖 當中。 89

xiao hua issue 12

editorial

W

iDisorder Detoxing in the Digital Age

WRITER PHOTOGRAPHER

KATHERINE YANG (y10) JACOB WONG (y11)

as that a vibration in your pocket or just an itch?

How many unread emails do you have? Did anyone like your last Instagram photo? What was your last Snap? How is your virtual army doing? Have your crops grown yet? Is it time to collect the daily bonus yet? Sounds exhausting. Unless you’re one of the seven people worldwide who haven’t bought into the mass hysteria of smartphones and easy technology, this might well be your constant internal monologue. By now, our world has moved past behemoths of machines to wearable, foldable, extendable products that can go with us wherever, whenever. And sure, this is great for innovation and for advancing science, but of course, the increasing ubiquity of technology is bound to bring with it some serious harms and damaging consequences.

Some examples of technology’s encroaching invasion on our lives are ridiculous to the point of being laughable. In 2010, a Bulgarian councilman was caught “milking virtual cows” on FarmVille with government-issued laptops during more than one meeting, offering as defense that another councilor was 6 levels higher than he was. (He was fired.) There are mobile applications that reduce communication down to pressing a button to send a ‘yo’, or that show what’s physically ahead so users can use their phone while walking. Then there are cases that disturb and horrify. A 20-year-old died from a blood clot after sitting at his Xbox for 12 continuous hours. Another 18-year-old chose to leave home rather than quit gaming when given an ultimatum from his parents.

‘Internet Addiction Disorder’, 90

xiao hua issue 12

occasionally nicknamed ‘iDisorder’, began as a satire in 1995, but society’s relationship with technology has progressed now to the extent that, though not yet officially part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the American Psychiatric Association is definitely considering it “as research data accumulate”. Some also argue that it should be called an obsession rather than an addiction, that our constant need to check devices has less to do with chasing pleasure—addiction—and more to do with reducing anxiety—obsession. It’s important to note that technology is not by any means all-destructive—stock platitudes that the screen’s radiation causes cancer or that excessive typing cause carpal tunnel syndrome either aren’t supported by evidence or simply aren’t true; furthermore, not enough long-term research has been conducted to establish a comprehensive picture of the harms and benefits.

That being said, there is considerable, scientifically-backed evidence that constant use of technology can be psychologically and socially harmful.

Researchers have found that there are two types of technologyrelated anxiety. First: ‘technostress’, which occurs when newly adapted or introduced technology causes distress because of difficulty or incompetence. (Think Facebook or YouTube and redesigns.) Second is ‘disconnectivity anxiety’, a persistent condition arising from unease caused by technological disconnection from others. This is extended by a phenomenon named ‘fear of missing out’, or FOMO, a fear of being excluded from a rewarding experience such as social interaction, leading to a compulsion to take the opportunities offered by social media to constantly compare one’s status and satisfy

particular psychological needs. It’s why we constantly refresh our feeds and look for alert notifications and messages. In fact, data from the Locket app shows that the average Android user checks his or her phone 110 times a day, the highest being 900. Another similar concept is ‘phantom vibration syndrome’ (also known as ‘fauxcellarm’), which is the sensation and false belief of feeling or hearing one’s mobile phone vibrating or ringing when it isn’t.

In the bigger picture, there’s a darker implication of how technology is affecting person interaction and behaviour. A book about technology and interpersonal relationships from professor Sherry Turkle has been aptly called Alone Together, a relevant title in light of now-commonplace scenes such as a restaurant full of people looking down at their phones instead of across at each other. Instead of being ‘in the moment’ with other people, we experience countless important events through the distilled filter of a camera lens, effectively removing ourselves from the situation.

Instead of spending time with our friends, we fixate on our ‘friends’, or the number we can garner, many of whom we have not ever spoken

to, nor ever will.

So what are people doing about this? The most effective way to reduce these effects, most people agree, is simply to unplug, disconnect, recharge.

This is usually done on one’s own initiative, but one of the larger organised efforts is Camp Grounded by Digital Detox. For a hefty fee of $570 USD each, people aged 18–75 come to a weekend retreat in California, trading in their phones, watches, and other digital paraphernalia for playshops and activities that emphasise “individuality, self expression, friendship, memories and the great outdoors”.

Campers are not allowed to talk about work, their ages, or to use their real names (each is given a fun nickname). Billed as “summer camp for adults”, it’s been quite successful, attracting over 300 campers in one session, including high-profile stars such as “One Tree Hill” actor Sophia Bush alongside senior staff from Facebook, Google, and Twitter, many of whom come away with high praise of the project and a renewed outlook on the way they want to live.

This way of thinking is one supported by people of all ages, professions, and cultures. Mr Anthony Coyle, teacher at CIS, is one such advocate of ‘digital detoxing’.

Technology, he says, is “getting to the extent where not only do we use technology as a tool but […] it controls our existence”. Concerning the social implications, Mr Coyle likens the situation to an old Greek saying: “the owl of Minerva takes flight only in the gathering dusk.

The owl of wisdom—we will only understand a period once the period has passed, and we’re looking back.”

In his life, there are “hard and set rules”: he doesn’t have an iPhone, he checks his email only a few times throughout his work day, his child 91

xiao hua issue 12

is not allowed devices at the dinner table, et cetera. “It is not necessary for existence to be constantly looking at a computer,” he argues. “I hope I’m a happier person for it.”

Tom Hanks would agree. Though a huge part of the fast-paced modern entertainment business, the actor uses a manual typewriter and snail mail as much as he can. He lists three main reasons for this: one, the grand, resonating sounds of creating anything from a shopping list to a literary masterpiece; two, the physical pleasure of typing; and three, the permanence of the hammer striking the ribbon, “pressing the dye into the paper where it will be visible for perpetuity unless you paint it over or burn the page”.

He describes it as a poetic, powerful experience of communicating thoughts and creating something special. It’s a jarring contrast to modern technology—something that’s fast, exact, and easy to edit on, all of which makes it also superficial, impermanent, and hard to make meaningful connections with.

The most effective way to reduce these effects, most people agree, is simply to unplug, disconnect, recharge.

So unplug once in a while. Leave your phone out of the bathroom.

Read the physical street signs instead of the dot on your GPS. Your Sims family and friends don’t need you as much as your actual ones do IRL.

editorial

Scarlet Au (y10)

CAN WATCHING MOVIES IN CLASS HELP US?

T

he practice of watching movies in class has been a controversial topic of discussion among the educational community. The belief that it helps students learn—beyond the constraints of a conventional classroom—has been questioned by many different members of the school community. In order to understand this phenomenon, Xiao Hua has decided to investigate the topic in greater detail, aiming to provide readers with a deeper insight on movie-watching in class, and how our school community views this.

As students, we’ve all experienced this before—a substitute teacher walks into your English classroom and pops in a movie disc. You prop your elbow onto the desk in front of you and lean your cheek against your hand. For the next hour or so, keeping your eyelids separated is suddenly harder than ever. After what seems like hours, you finally walk out of the classroom feeling groggy and sluggish. We all know what this feels like—it’s as if the whole

SHARON KUO (y10)

lesson has been a useless waste of time.

But it’s not just in a substitute lesson when watching movies can be a bore. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching a movie of the book you’ve been reading in English class, or a seemingly endless documentary in Science, they all end with students barely able to keep their eyes open, scrolling on their phones, or doodling on whatever happens to be convenient. Is watching movies in class utterly useless? Is it just something that allows students to have a little break? That’s what it seems like. But what if watching movies in class can actually help us, if it’s done the right way?

Evidence seems to point towards the fact that movies actually let students gain a better understanding of the unit they are learning. Studies show that 60–65% of the population are “visual learners”, and learn best when they are able to visualize learning material—which is exactly what watching a movie enables a student to do. This means that

Evidence seems to point towards the fact that movies actually let students gain a better understanding of the unit they are learning.

92

xiao hua issue 12

In many cases, teachers utilize movies to help guide students through the journey of education, simplifying and cementing newly introduced concepts in the form of artistic and entertaining media. students are able to get a more holistic picture of what they are learning, or of concepts which may be too difficult to explain through words. In many cases, teachers utilize movies to help guide students through the journey of education, simplifying and cementing newly introduced concepts in the form of artistic and entertaining media.

After laying down the foundations, teachers can then solidify this concept through other various in-class activities.

Though movies themselves may seem counter-productive, the class discussions which follow could also be a good learning experience for students. Through the sharing of their thoughts and opinions after watching the movie, students are able to engage in discourse regarding the content and themes present in the book, aided with a visual guide of the events that transpire within the text. In subjects such as English and Chinese, after studying a text in class, many teachers like to share with their students the film adaptation of the book as a means of furthering their understanding of the reading material, particularly in areas related to setting, character and atmosphere.

Perhaps more fundamentally, movies provide a much more entertaining way to learn, with many students preferring them over more traditional ways of learning. As stated by About.com, “[movies] can extend learning beyond the textbook and build interest for students”. This is especially true for younger students whose attention spans may be shorter; watching movies could help these students develop an interest in the topics that they are studying.

On the other hand, though watching movies may seem fun and exciting, not all movies are entertaining. Sure, there are a few documentaries that are fascinating, but after spending multiple lessons doing nothing but watching a lengthy movie with a dull voice droning on and on, the idea of watching movies in class doesn’t seem too compelling anymore. In addition, some teachers have voiced their concerns over how students could be easily distracted whilst watching movies, and how sometimes

However, when they were asked whether they thought it was the most effective way of learning, some of the students had doubts,

by watching movies students are actually procrastinating from doing schoolwork.

According to a survey we conducted among students in our community, most students love watching movies in class, as it provides them with a different method of gaining information, and allows them to sit back and process the information that they have previously learnt. In particular, students thought that watching movies in Chinese and English proved to be the most helpful out of all the subjects. However, when they were asked whether they thought it was the most effective way of learning, some of the students had doubts, saying instead that movies only distracted them from their academic studies.

Numerous experts have voiced their opinion on this matter, with one suggesting that aside from acting as a supplementary tool, movies can teach students how to think. “Movies can help students’ brains process the information they learned and apply it in lifelike situations”. When watching movies, students will put themselves in a character’s shoes and analyze the situation, asking themselves what they would do if they were in that situation. He also points out that “historical movies can help students experience what it was like during the time period and how laws or acts affected people”. However, one pushback to this would be that not all historical dramas have accurate factual information, and it may be hard for students to separate the actual facts from Hollywood embellishments of the movie.

In conclusion, watching movies in class has its advantages and disadvantages. So how do we make sure we are using movies in the most effective way? Experts suggest that teachers should occasionally pause the movie and discuss certain points with students, to prevent students from losing focus, and at the same time making sure students are actually gaining knowledge from the movie. Watching movies in class can be educational as long as it is used in the most effective manner, and the most effective manner would be to make the experience as interactive as possible.

93

xiao hua issue 12

editorial

.b 課程

Writer: Crystal Leung (y11) Photographer: Britta Lam (y12)

試一試 .b 其中一個練習： 雙腳踏地，手放在大腿上，挺直腰背，閉上眼 睛，把注意力放在手指頭，它能感覺什麼？冷或 熱？癢嗎？準備好就可以張開眼睛。剛才這個小 練習叫“FOFBOC”，正正體現了 .b 課程其中一 個重要的理念——正念(mindfulness)。 正念就是提倡我們運用自己的注意力到四周的 環境，用好奇心和開放的角度迎接不同的體驗。 現在的人通常會不斷為已經發生或即將發生的事 情作出擔憂和評論。但透過正念，希望大家多加 留意正在發生的事件，把注意力放到現在。 .b 的課程是由接收 .b 導師培訓的漢基老師授教， 每週五的下午上課。它跟其他課程不同的地方是 它不像一般課堂的形式——聽課，寫筆記，閱讀 課本。每一個 .b 的課堂都充滿互動性的討論，和 實驗性的活動，令學生即時體驗該課的新知識。 學生不會長時間坐在椅子上，在有些活動，他們 可能躺在地上，躺在桌子上，做一些跟正念的活 動。教學材料不僅是一本書冊，更包括影片，錄 音和幻燈片，配合不同學習模式學生的需要。這 些課堂既具理論性的教學，也含有能強化課堂知 識的練習。 .b 希望令學生用正念提高他們的注意力，所以 他們可以更高效率明白上課的內容和好好利用學 生有限的時間來溫習。注意力加強後，還能令學

生在體育和音樂方面的表現有所提升。另外， .b 希望通過他們的小練習，舒緩學生的壓力和憂愁。 這能令他們採用一個冷靜和客觀的態度處理一些 難關，幫助學生應付考試及其他人際關係的事務， 加以改善學生的身心健康。 .b 的課程編排一個均衡，循序漸進的課程，從 學會掌握一些生活技能擴展到在人與人之間運用 這些技巧。每一堂課都專一針對一個技巧，提供 有充足的時間探索這些題目，詢問老師不解之處， 在生動的課堂活動中獲益良多，促使學生完全掌 握不同類型的技巧。 愛琳，一名 .b 參與者，表示她「學會以一個更 淡定和專注的態度面對學業上的挑戰。」另一個 學生，照溪，說「.b 提高我對四周環境的敏銳度， 令我多些享受生活中的美好。」在眾多的反應中， 大部分學生都認為 .b 是一個令人放鬆和獨特的課 程。這個課程不但給繁忙的中學生帶來一個輕鬆 的下午，還能培訓學生冷靜地處理情緒和生活上 其他事務。

94

xiao hua issue 12

“

.b 提高我對四周 環境的敏銳度， 令我多些享受 生活中的美好。

.b 的十堂課

0

正念簡介

1

鍛鍊注意力

2

陶養好奇心和善心

3

認出焦慮

4

反應和回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

5

正念與運動

6

學會倒帶

7

與困難為友

8

學習感恩

9

八種技巧共冶一爐

95

xiao hua issue 12

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

關於正念一課，教導學生對 現況作出有條理的回應

editorial

請 對 我

撒謊

探討政治人物誠信問題

96

xiao hua issue 12

早

前英國交通部長訪問台北市，更 向新任市長柯文哲送贈在英國只 有特殊功績人士才能獲得的珍貴 懷錶。事後柯市長竟向記者表 示自己會把錶“轉送給別人， 或拿去破銅爛鐵賣點錢“，明顯拿來賓犯 了「送鐘（終）」禁忌一事開玩笑。雖則 部長在選擇禮物時犯了大意的錯誤，但她 事後已立刻為自己不諳風俗公開向對方道 歉。反觀柯市長的處理卻有欠風度，顯然 因為缺乏當政治家的經驗（上任前他一直 是醫生）。 雖然我相信柯市長並非刻意針 對部長，但事實上卻讓對方感到難堪；非 但不能顯得自己坦率一面，更白白地蒙上 「沒有教養的人」的污名。這時候如果柯 市長懂得如何利用一個善意的謊言去給部 長提供一個下臺階，相信情形將不會如此 尷尬。 英國一名政治學家紐爾曾花了三 年研究現代史上著名的政治醜聞，包括水 門事件、克林頓性醜聞、英國首相貝理雅 和美國總統喬治布殊揚言一定找到伊拉克 的大殺傷力武器等，得出的結論就是選民 發問得愈多，政治家撒謊就愈多，形成以 一個謊言去蓋過另一謊言的惡性循環。 事實上，真正的語言「偽」術家 並不需要靠權利去鞏固自己所興建的謊言 危樓，而美國歷屆總統便是當中的表表 者。從七十年代尼克森就水門事件自辯時 所說的「我不是騙子」，到九十年代克林 頓佯言「跟那個女人絕對沒有性關係」， 以至近年美國政府打著「自由」的口號去 暗地裡竊聽外國元首的對話，並且打壓及 通緝洩密者。雖然謊話層出不窮，但都離 不開模棱兩可、矢口不認、聲東擊西等語 言「偽」術伎倆的純熟應用。

撒謊大賽所定下的唯一規矩，就是不允許 律師和政治家參賽，理由為以這兩種職業 為生的參賽者將會有「不公平的優勢」， 可見大眾一直以來對這些專業都持刻板印 象。

我們愈要求透明度，政治家就 愈趨向「使用迴避和顛倒事實 的伎倆」 雖然政治家們大多是撒謊高手，但大眾又 是否不需要承擔任何責任呢？負責研究的 學家紐爾作出補充，政治家選擇撒謊，無 非是因為大眾口不對心。表面上公眾鼓勵 政治家們坦白，但當我們聽到醜惡的真相 時，卻又不切實際地要求政治家們擁有比 我們更崇高的道德標準，紛紛聲討他們。 我們愈要求透明度，政治家就愈趨向「使 用迴避和顛倒事實的伎倆」。當我們捨棄 這些無理的要求並減少發問，政治家自然 就能夠減少說謊的需要。紐爾還表示，在 某些情況下，政治家使用語言「偽」術也 是有需要及可以諒解的，比如說當國家安 全受到威脅時，公眾便「有權要求政治家 撒謊」。 綜上所述，大眾應該學會如何明 辨是非，減少在選舉前夕被輿論動搖自己 明智的決定，開始以政綱及實幹而不是花 言巧語去選擇最適合的候選人。另一方 面，政治家也應該避免作出一些難以達成 的承諾，或刻意地去隱瞞真相，從而減少 社會中的猜疑文化，重建政府的公信力。

有趣的是，英國每年定期進行的

97

xiao hua issue 12

Wrtten by Ryan Tse Y12 Illustration: Shane Yeung

editorial

98

xiao hua issue 12

The Facebook Demetricator: To S e e

N ot To S e e

Or

Imagine Facebook without any numbers that may define different values of your account. Imagine not seeing how many notifications you have, how many comments your friends have shared with you on your posts, how many likes your posts have, or how many friends you have. ‘A certain amount of people liked this’, with people being shown as a number, may have been what you saw on a regular basis whilst scouring your newsfeed or after posting a new profile picture.

But what would it be like if Facebook replaced all the numerical data with blanks?

With Facebook Demetricator, you might just find out.

Facebook Demetricator is a free web browser extension that removes all forms of metrics on your Facebook page. It was built by a researcher from University of Illinois called Benjamin Grosser as he discovered the metrics of Facebook was causing anxiety across the website. Once you enable the browser plug-in for either Chrome, Firefox or Safari, your Facebook feed will have an instant makeover. You will no longer be able to see how many people have liked a certain post, or even how many hours it has been since the user posted it. Even the trademark ‘Add Friend’ button will be altered.

The intention Demetricator is trying to implement on users is to take away the need for a certain amount of metric numbers to satisfy someone. After all, we are all guilty of neglecting someone’s motive for posting a particular post or skimming over insightful comments, feeling as if they are of little value compared to the amount of shares or likes you get. This focus on quantity (numbers) over quality (purpose) is believed to cease with the Demetricator.

The Facebook Demetricator has been a controversial topic. Some people have decided that it was a good idea; getting rid of the metrics would lessen people’s need for competition on the social media site. Your statuses will no longer be defined by how many likes you have, and your own account will not be defined by how many friends you have. After all, it is widely believed that Facebook has become a place of a popularity contest, instead of a genuine sharing space that it initially started off as. For example, many find

Written by Monique Chan Y11, Catherine Ding Y9 Illustration: Ashley Tuen themselves to be reluctant to post a new status or upload a new profile picture, fearing that they will not have a sufficient amount of likes since they have associated ‘likes’ as a sign of approval from peers. This is also reflected when someone posts a proposition, and others tend to ‘like’ their post as an affirmative instead of commenting and sharing their feedback.

On the other hand, will the Demetricator appeal to a wider audience, such as younger or older teens that have been influenced completely by social media? According to Greg Sterling, 94% of teens have a profile on Facebook, because how else are you expected to socialize further or catch up on news about your peers, right? The pressure to get an account and then use your account to compete against others is immense for teenagers, which is why although the Facebook Demetricator has a solid and moral aim which many people agree with (though not wholeheartedly about, not taking it so far as to enabling the software), it is unknown how many people would really want to wipe away all sources of self satisfaction and lose in the popularity contest. It can also be argued that the whole point of Facebook is to keep uploading content as that is what makes a user engaged in the website in the first place. Like any sports or video game, we are constantly wanting to achieve higher points than our competitor in order for us to win. The motivation for all of this is what makes these things fun, pleasurable or even necessary. In our lives on this planet, we are expected to do well in school, go to a high-ranked university and then have a career in which we compete against each other for money. All of this is related to a scoring system, a fact of human society that has inevitably been rooted into how Facebook was created and what it is used for nowadays.

To conclude, the Facebook Demetricator will likely make us stop being so threatened by the endless appearances of numbers over our newsfeed and timelines. The metrics utilized on Facebook plays directly into our social environment, which primarily focuses on the value of numbers as a measure of success, and it is high time that we take it upon ourselves to challenge the status quo and make our lives less about numbers and more about words.

99

xiao hua issue 12

editorial

Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Watching

The Watchmen?

Written by Richard Teng Y12 Illustration: Madeleine Griffiths Photo: Bernetta Li

O

One of the suggestions that have been put forward and is ver the past year, stories of police officers rapidly gaining traction is to implement police cameras and to needlessly exercising violence in their efforts to perform their duty have shocked and outraged the ensure that on duty officers wear them. This proposal is a very interesting one, as it has a fair share of advantages and disadpublic. Stories of the shootings of Brown, Garner and others vantages, and is actually already implemented by some police have rattled the collective conscience and, as a result, many force in select areas of the United States. Regardless, the curvoices have taken up the call to condemn the senseless actions rent proposal is to make these body cameras both ubiquitous carried out by the police and to demand reforms in order to and mandatory for police officers. However, before analyzing abate the terrifying rise in police brutality. Whether or not the rationale behind implementing or not implementing such these reforms should be implemented does not seem to be the widespread measures, it would be prudent to take a look at the question. Instead, the focus seems to be on how these reforms reasoning behind why such a proposal was made in the first should be implemented and what these reforms should entail in order to enact the most positive and constructive change place. possible. In the opinions of many, change must be made in order to rebuild trust in our police forces and to ensure that such things do not happen again.

100

xiao hua issue 12

The main issue issue with the sorts of cases that arise from police shootings is not so much that there is a gross miscarriage of justice but that a miscarriage of justice, if and when it occurs, is created by a lack of sufficient evidence. In many cases, this is due to the fact that much of the evidence provided is either circumstantial or completely nonexistent and is predicated on witness testimony, a form of evidence that many argue is neither reliable nor conclusive. The recent ubiquity in mobile video recording devices has meant that many events can now be captured on film relatively quickly, but these recordings fail to do several things. They are seldomly able to capture the scene in its entirety, and, secondly, are entirely incapable of capturing the events as they unfold through the lens of the police officer.

Body cameras for police officers seek to bridge this gap and create a source of evidence that captures the entire length of the event and records the situation as it unfolds in the perspective of the cop. This point is crucial because police officers are trained to react in a certain manner if they feel that there is sufficient justification for the use of such force, something that can only be determined in the moment and from the position and information that the police officer has at the time. Officers are only entitled to respond to a situation with the appropriate amount of force, and any disproportionate response is subject to scrutiny. Police cameras allow this evidence to be collected efficiently, making it easily accessible during investigations into police misconduct or any other claims levied against police officers.

As mentioned previously, the system can also be used to indict police officers whose conduct has gone too far. As in the case of the James Boyd shooting, police body camera footage has been used to determine whether there was sufficient cause for the use of violence, and issue that has always been at the crux of cases involving police officers. Therefore, police body camera footage seeks neither to exonerate nor charge officers with crimes but merely seeks to be used as a tool for the collection of additional data for the judicial system to use.

Despite the fact that people tend to sensationalize police cameras as a method to gather evidence for victims of police brutality, there have been incidents in which evidence recorded by police body cameras have been used to exonerate police officers who have been accused of using excessive violence. This is a testament to the merits of body cams, as they allow policemen to be more secure of themselves and their actions. It is crucial that police officers have the freedom to operate within their legal parameters without fearing their actions, as their response to specific situations may very well have been justified, but may be viewed

as overuse by outsiders. As such, police cameras not only serve as evidence for miscarriage of justice, but can also be used to defend police officers against unjust allegations of disproportionate force.

Some proponents of police body cameras have also argued that, on top of acting as a source of additional evidence for legal cases, the cameras also act as psychological deterrent.

The argument is essentially that, because police officers will have constant surveillance when on duty and are aware of such a system, they will be incentivized to seek more peaceful resolutions to potentially charged situations and will resort to violence less readily than when they are in a situation without a body camera. This train of logic seems to have some valid weight to it, although past police department behaviour seems to indicate that the use of body cameras does not seem to influence the actions of police officers all that much.

Additionally, many police departments release footage of police cameras on a very selective basis. It has been the tendency of police departments in the United States to withhold footage that is potentially damning of police officers under the pretense of ongoing investigations and to quickly release footage that clears the name of police officers. Whilst the intentions of the latter are good, it is worrisome that there are double standards when it comes to how information is handled. Even more troubling is the fact that the police interfere with the data and attempt to manipulate it to portray themselves in the best possible way to the public. This raises the question of whether or not the information presented by various police departments can be entirely trusted, as it is clear that there is some effort being expended into deciding which videos are released and which are kept.

Therefore, it can be seen that the fault here lies not so much with the technology itself, but with the implementation and manipulation of the technology at the hands of police departments after it has been used. Police body cameras should be implemented nationwide as a measure to collect additional evidence during legal cases, that much is clear.

These devices can and do provide extremely valuable evidence that can be used in investigations and trials. The crux, therefore, lies not in the technology but in ensuring that police departments maintain a high degree of professionalism and adhere to the same standards when presenting video footage as evidence. Only then can police body cameras reach their full potential and provide the impartiality that everyone so greatly desires.

101

xiao hua issue 12

sports

EXTREME

BY JOEY CHENG ILLUSTRATOR: MINA SHIH

Extreme sports are activities with higher level of danger, mostly resulting in a serious injury such as broken bones or even fatalities in accidents. So why are people attracted to such threatening experiences, and are even willing to put themselves in harms’ way?

Perhaps one reason is the thrill--the adrenaline rush that extreme sports bring about is addictive. Adrenaline is a hormone-- triggered in our body when our body senses danger, essentially a self-defense activation system in our body. Our body senses danger in any sorts, a sudden loud noise, sudden movements, or anything that your mind subcon-

sciously believes can physically harm you will be registered as ‘danger’, and as the adrenaline rushes in, our senses are heightened, watching out for swift movements or listening for threatening noises such as quick shuffling feet in preparation for retaliation, and our heart rate and metabolism increases so we can react promptly. This also results in a numbing of pain, and people sometimes outperform their physical capabilities, which is why fighters sometimes don’t feel pain until their bout ends. This adrenaline rush gives the feeling of being stronger than ever, and occasionally gets people ‘high’, and as extreme sports entail numerous high-risks, 102

xiao hua issue 12

effectively dosing out high quantities of adrenaline. Thus, extreme sportsmen enjoy the thrill and excitement that adrenaline brings them when participating in their sport.

Sports such as offshore racing (boat racing), motor racing (Formula One or NASCAR), and parachuting are recognised as extreme sports. In offshore racing, boats are propelled along shorelines at a top speed of 113 km/h. The race tracks are sometimes narrow and difficult to turn in. There have been incidents where boats crashed into shore-sides or even bumped up onto dry-land, endangering

sports â&#x20AC;&#x153;Extreme sports are activities with higher level of danger, mostly resulting in a serious injury such as broken bones or even fatalities in accidents. So why are people attracted to such threatening experiences, and are even willing to put themselves in harmsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; way?â&#x20AC;?

spectators themselves. In Formula One, whilst controlling machines capable of reaching speeds over 300 km/h, drivers also have to navigate tight corners at such high speeds.

With a staggering G-force (the amount of force pressed against the drivers during acceleration) present, drivers are required to maintain a high level of concentration during long races as well as persevere against heat radiated from the engine and weariness. Formula One forces drivers to undergo high doses of adrenaline during racesindeed, deaths have occurred where race-cars have undergone crashes.

For parachuting, if a parachute fails

to deploy, death is almost guaranteed for the diver as one plummets into the ground from hundreds or thousands of meters above ground.

What attracts viewers to watch theses sports then? There are different reasons for different extreme sports.

For offshore and motor racing, spectators are mostly intrigued and awed by the speed the machines possess. My brother, an avid fan of F1, finds the technology implemented in these machines fascinating, and he also enjoys the sounds of acceleration emitted by the engine--what he deems sexy, implying that these extreme motor sports showcase the highest

103

xiao hua issue 12

capabilities technology possesses.

Maybe humans have simply been fascinated by speed since their creation. Nevertheless, spectators are always dosed with adrenaline when they watch these machines zoom by like lightning. Other extreme sports, such as rock-climbing and parachuting, attain less popularity from viewers probably because viewers attain less adrenaline when watching movements at low speeds.

Regardless, extreme sports provide us with a look at the endless possibilities the human body can experience and the inherent thrill in participating in such activities.

sports

EXERCISE TO DESTRESS

BY ALISHA TIDMARSH

104

xiao hua issue 12

Everyone knows that school can be stressful, and sometimes that stress can become overwhelming. It is important to put aside a little time to destress, to keep yourself happy and healthy!

1

Hiking

Hiking is a great activity to do with friends on a weekend and the results are incredible. Just a little time spent doing some exercise out in the open air can do wonders to your stress levels. All you need is some power snacks, plenty of water, friends and/or family if you want some company, and of course a hik-

2

Peak. It really depends on personal preference! The best way to find a hiking route is to look for a guide that suits your needs such as “The Serious Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong”, or “The Leisurely Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong”.

Yoga

One of my favourite ways to destress after a demanding week of school and assessments is yoga.

Yoga is a form of meditation that clears the mind. It can be done in any relaxing environment. Some people prefer to join clubs such as Pure Yoga, whilst others like to find their own space such as a peaceful beach or a park. Yoga can involve

3

ing route! The best way to plan your route is to first decide what kind of environment and level of intensity you are looking for. Some people enjoy more strenuous hikes such as the Twin Peaks, Tiger’s Head, or Sunshine Peak, whilst others may enjoy something more relaxing such as Dragon’s Back, or the hike to the

can either involve an instructor, or can be self initiated, and both ways result in positive and healthy effects.

I have been a member of Pure Yoga and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere there, however I have also experienced yoga on the beach whilst on holiday and this to is a very relaxing way to take part in the exercise. If looking for a good beach

Buy yourself a plant!

Science has shown that simply being around plants can induce your relaxation response. I interviewed Vanessa, a true plant lover and this is what she has to say: “Recently I have found the beauty in tending to plants. I started off with a banana seedling and the instructions told me it would take one to six months to shoot. After a month it had already begun to grow and the result was so satisfying that I wanted to

buy a few more plants. Now I have a variety of different plants which I water each day, and I find the whole activity to be both satisfying and destressing. I recommend anyone with interest to pursue their plant growing interest because you will not regret it!”

105

xiao hua issue 12

to go to, my favourites are Discovery Bay beach, Shek O beach, and Big Wave Bay beach (however this involves a hike to the location).

sports

ULTIMATe FRISBEE

BY RYAN HSU 106

xiao hua issue 12

N

early three years have passed since Mr. Phan and a group of enthusiastic CIS students created the CCA Ultimate Frisbee, the first of its kind here in CIS. This group was roughly composed of a dozen players, who despite being dedicated, were also often short handed.

However, this is no longer the case.

Currently, there are 29 members partaking in Ultimate Frisbee, which the age group ranging from Year 8s to Year 13s. Whether it is to have fun or to throw their worries away, all members commit to training every Friday from 3:00-4:30 at the sports field. Slowly but steadily, Ultimate Frisbee has grown tremendously at CIS, and may just become one of its major sports.

One of the main reasons for the surge in popularity for Ultimate Frisbee is the return of last year’s Hangzhou class. As team captain Brian Lau (Year 11) tells us, Ultimate Frisbee was an integral part of CIS Hangzhou life.

“The year in Hangzhou was the ‘growth spurt’ for ultimate frisbee. I don’t remember why, but every time we had free time in Hangzhou, around 20 of us would go to the huge grass field and play ultimate.

As interest began to grow, Justin Choo and I started a Hangzhou

Ultimate Team and we even organised trips to tournaments in WuHan and Shanghai.

I am sure that while frisbee grew in CIS HZ, it also grew back here at Braemar Hill.”

B

rian has cited his past summer experiences in the US as the catalyst for developing a passion for Ultimate Frisbee. Like many others on the team, he became fascinated by the thought of playing a sport that revolved around a disc. Soon he became inseparable from the sport by continuously playing the sport and developing better skills.

Brian describes the best thing about frisbee as being inherently simple; It is an extremely accessible sport to play. One simply requires a disc, a playing field and a bunch of enthusiastic friends. The sport is also very inclusive, with each team consisting of only 7 players and often comprised of both male and female members. These are the signs of a truly unique sport.

C

ompared to other Athletic CCAs, Ultimate Frisbee is much more accessible to beginners and is very easy to pick up. A usual training session consists of passing the disc around, followed by cutting and defending drills. Practice then breaks into scrimmage between 2-3 teams depending on the number of players. As Brian says, scrimmage 107

xiao hua issue 12

is very intense and players often end up lying on the floor exhausted with their arms over their faces.

The great thing about Ultimate Frisbee is that it truly embodies the spirit of a team sport - players don’t blame each other for their mistakes.

Instead, they encourage each other to do better on the next play and erase their previous mistake. Whilst a large percentage of the Ultimate Frisbee participants consists of Year 8s and 9s, they don’t feel discouraged because of the positive atmosphere and the relationships that the players share. Brian Lau expresses his hopes that “people will respect frisbee as a sport and have many more players for this incredible game.”

One of the senior participants of Ultimate Frisbee, Jack Mulcahy (Year 12), has been participating in the sport since Year 10. As a member of the inaugural group, he has seen the growth of Ultimate Frisbee in CIS throughout the years. Jack has shared his thoughts on why Ultimate Frisbee is so enticing and his hopes for its continual growth:

“Ultimate Frisbee is a combination of both fitness and tactics. Not only does it require teamwork, but the individual elements of the game are extremely rewarding. It is a sport that continues to grow in popularity by the year, and I hope to see it one day be played at a professional level.”

sports

FITNESS 101 PART III

WRITER: KONRAD LEE (Y12)

Can you feel it CIS? No, we’re not talking about the constant pressure that the school year exerts on us year round, but rather, the fact that summer is right around the corner! That’s right, and we all want to be in peak condition in order to be able to fully enjoy those couple of months of freedom (and also look good whilst enjoying it, but that’s not really the point. Maybe. Possibly). Since exercising not only improves your mood, making a remarkable difference as to whether you enjoy every second of your vacation or kinda just mope through it, and also boosts your energy , which is the literal deal breaker as to whether or not you are capable of staying up late at night to watch movies and have fun, this is definitely something you do not want to miss out on. Thus, we proudly present to you the third installment of “Fitness Guide for CIS Students”.

108

xiao hua issue 12

CARDIO 1. HIGH KNEES This exercise combines the typical running motion with

INSTRUCTIONS:

exaggerated knee lifts. Which basically looks and

a. Stand in place with your feet hipwidth apart.

sounds like you trying to knee yourself in the face (Don’t

b. Drive your right knee toward your chest and quickly

worry, that’s not actually going to happen). This is often

place it back on the ground.

used by runners and other athletes to improve their run-

c. Follow immediately by driving your left knee toward

ning form as well as lower body speed, power, and flex-

your chest.

ibility, so pretty much beneficial overall. It’s is also a really d. Continue to alternate knees as quickly as you can. good way to get your heart rate going in a short amount of time and get your blood pumping, so let’s get started.

2. BURPEES Yes. We know. Burpees: That terrible exercise the PE de-

INSTRUCTIONS:

partment usually loves making you do during the time of

a. Stand in place with your feet hipwidth apart.

year when the Fitness Unit rolls around. However, there

b. Drive your right knee toward your chest and quickly

is a reason for them acting like sadistic despots (Sorry PE place it back on the ground.

Department, we love you). Burpees not only work your

c. Follow immediately by driving your left knee toward

entire body, being a full body move, but they’re extremely your chest. convenient as they can be done anywhere, with the benefit d. Continue to alternate knees as quickly as you can. of boosting your endurance.

3. JUMPING JACKS

INSTRUCTIONS:

No, we don’t those half hearted floppy seizures that have

a. Stand with feet together, knees slightly bent, and arms

to be done during warm up for PE. We mean doing real

to sides.

jumping jacks. Doing jumping jacks spark a chemical ef-

b. Jump while raising arms and separating legs to sides.

fect in your body, releasing endorphins which act as pain

c. Land on forefoot with legs apart and arms overhead.

relievers and give you a sense of wellbeing, In addition,

d. Jump again while lower arms and returning legs to

the deep breathing you do while performing this exercise

midline.

clears your mind, sharpens your focus and energizes you.

There’s also the fact that jumping jacks help your muscular endurance, so really, there’s no excuse to put off this amazing exercise.

109

xiao hua issue 12

sports STRENGTH

INSTRUCTIONS: a. Stand in front of the box with feet directly under the

1. NEGATIVE PULL UPS

hips and hands by your side.

We know what you’re probably thinking. “There’s more

b. Lower yourself into the jumping position by bending at

than one type of pull up? WHAT?” Luckily for you, yes, different variations of pull ups exist, and the negative pull up is one of them. They’re great for building the strength

the knees and hips. Keep your head up and back straight. c. Explosively jump from the crouched position whilst swinging the arms.

to do a full pullup for those who are working towards

d. Land softly on the centre of the platform absorbing the

that, and help with upper body strength.

impact with your legs.

INSTRUCTIONS:

e. Stand tall.

a. Grip an overhead bar with your palms facing away from f. Return to starting position by either jumping backwards you off the box, or by stepping down and repeat the moveb. Get into the top most position of the pullup exercise

ment.

(Which means arms flexed and chin above the bar). c. Slowly lower yourself down, taking as much time as

3. LUNGES

possible, into the dead hang position (arms fully extend-

Lunges may look like a ridiculous 80’s dance move, but

ed).

they are actually an incredibly useful exercise that not

d. Get back to the starting position and repeat the pro-

only improve leg flexibility, but gives you better balance.

cess.

The fact that they strengthen your lower body is an added bonus, one that we’ll happily take.

2. BOX JUMPS

INSTRUCTIONS:

You know the scene in Avengers where the Hulk can leap

a. Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders and

really, really high? Do you have a secret yearning to ac-

back relaxed, and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front

complish that, as well as bashing someone into the floor

of you so you don’t keep looking down).

multiple times whilst calling them “Puny god”? Do you

b. Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both

want to know how he managed to do that? Two words:

knees are bent at about a 90 degree angle. Make sure your

Box. Jumps. Box Jumps not only make your legs crazy strong, but they also help prepare you for other sports due to the fact that the explosive power needed to perform this exercise is essential in performing any sort of sport.

A word of caution though: please remember to use a box that is the right height for you or you will end up with really bruised shins and knees, and your dignity slightly

front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn’t touch the floor. c. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position. d. Alternate to your other leg

bruised as well.

110

xiao hua issue 12

IN SPORTS LEAGUES [PATRIOTS, NBA LOCKDOWN] WRITER: MARTIN BANSON (Y12)

I

In the following two days after such an over-

n modern society, sport has become an integral part

whelming victory, the New England Patriots were found

of our lives. Whether it’s following your favorite team, or

to have 11 of their 12 balls deflated under regulation. The

bemoaning of the current state of a sport, sports have

outrage that followed afterwards spread like wildfire, with

become a constant in society. Sports leagues such as the

phrases such as

NBA and NFL are major professional sports leagues that group different franchises in one league to allow them to compete against one another in their respective sports.

However, in recent years, controversy has rocked these

and“DEFLATEGATE”

leagues to their very foundations, with scandals piling up and fans displaying both shock and resentment in such

used commonly both on online forums and prestigious

revelations.

sports media outlets such as ESPN and Bleacher Report. Although there was no conclusive evidence that the

The tendency to believe the worst in a team is

Patriots had cheated at all, the public instantly assumed

most aptly shown by the scandal surrounding the New England Patriots following the AFC Championship game.

The Patriots, an American Football team based in Boston, MA, have enjoyed large success at the top of their divi-

tion, he was ignored by public media and detractors, who

for such a long time, destroying any hopes of reaching the

This great success is largely attributed to the amazing

playoffs for other teams and ruining Super Bowl dreams,

coachquarterback tandem of BelichickBrady, but many

with many decriers admitting that if another team had

were wary after the 2007 Spygate controversy, in which

committed the same “crime”, they would have not been

the Patriots were found to be filming team play calls. As such, after their AFC blowout victory over the Colts 457, over an opponent whose strength was on par to that of

Aaron Rodgers admitted to inflating his balls past regula-

was largely driven by the Patriots’ long reign over the AFC

4 times in a row and the Super Bowl 6 times since 2000.

many questioned how such a large victory was possible

the worst.Although even Green Bay Packers quarterback

clamored for the Patriots legacy to be tarnished. This hate

sion, the AFC East, travelling to the championship game

the Patriots.

“ONCE CHEATERS, ALWAYS CHEATERS”

as mad. In fact, a similar incident happened around the same time regarding the Atlanta Falcons creating fake noise in order to gain advantage over their opponents, yet was overlooked and put aside by the media in favor of the much more controversial Patriots affair.

111

xiao hua issue 12

sports between players and NBA management over wages.

The players wanted higher pay, and the NBA would not give it to them, and were very rigid about it. This caused the players to go on strike, and initiated a â&#x20AC;&#x153;lockdownâ&#x20AC;? for 3 months, during which talks oc-

A

curred between the players union and the NBA in order to come to a compromise.

With the NBA was effectively paralyzed for fter a week and a half of Patriot bash-

a few months, the media constantly hyped and ex-

ing and heated talk regarding Brady and Belichickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lega-

acerbated the situation, despite constant reassurance

cies, the media calmed down in preparation for the Super

from both NBA commissioner David Stern and the

Bowl showdown between the Patriots and the Seattle Sea-

player union. This media influence, which was large-

hawks. After a narrow, drama filled victory by the Patriots,

ly negative, caused many to believe the NBA lockout

there left no doubt in the minds of both supporters and

could possibly last forever, and many fansbegan to

opponents that they were the best team in the league. The

despair and lost interest in the NBA, instead turning

Super Bowl win was crowned by the investigation hitting a

to other sports, such as football, college basketball,

breakthrough discovery. 10 of the 11 illegal balls were just

and baseball.

slightly under inflated, with the one handed to the referee greatly under regulation. Upon further investigation on air

Even after the NBA lockout was resolved,

pressure and temperature, it was concluded by the investi-

statistics showed that there was a smaller viewership

gation that many of the under inflated balls were caused

than before, with many having migrated to differ-

by inflation in a hot room and taken out into the cold. The

ent sports due to the pessimistic view of the media.

vastly under inflated ball, was in fact deflated a further 2

Again, the media exacerbated and worsened a situ-

pounds. There has been much controversy of how this

ation that could have not been that bad, and caused

happened, whether the Colts deflated it on the

a negative impact on the parties involved, whether

sideline to provide a convenient excuse for their loss or

it was the Patriots or the NBA, they were able to

an intentional deflation by the Patriots. Looking back, the

dramatize and over complicate an issue that would

media has admitted to the dramatization and the over-sen-

resolve itself.

sationalist approach that they took toward this controversy.

Another example of a sports league controversy that occurred in the past few years was the 2011 NBA lockdown, which occurred because of a disagreement

112

xiao hua issue 12

113

xiao hua issue 12

creative

旅

人

作者 梁語桁(Y11) 插畫 林欣穎(Y10) 我沈重的靴子拖過那粉 狀的雪，繼而慢慢劃過荒涼的地 平線。冬天寒風摑我蒼白的面。 身上的羽絨套也不足以保持我的 體溫，使我的雙腿顫抖。

野，遠離繁華的都市，遠離烏煙 瘴氣，遠離親友。這是自由！這 是我想要的自由！ 這是——我 再次捧腹大笑，笑到飛霜冷結我 的喉嚨。

幾個小時後，我仍然踩 過無盡無際，白茫茫的曠野，在 呆無生氣的高樑赤木中穿梭。現 在似我已完全一人，看似這裏居 住的動物都在深冬長眠。我雙腿 麻木地抽蓄，冷鋒敲打我的腦 袋。陽光照在我的面孔上，卻不 能舒緩我面上的僵痛。沒人會找 到我，可能幾天後，動物也認不 出我是什麼。

我眼前的景象突然凝 結。我能看到雪花的一條一條細 緻的冰柱，蔚藍的天陰沈起來。 眼皮僵結不動，我的腰部扭歪 了，使我重擊雪地。我的視線 變得越來越檬濃，越來越暗。 最後漆黑一片，狂風睡了，我 也睡了。

當我踩出一叢積滿冬雪 的松林，頓時因失重跪下。沈重 的背包“抨 ”一聲掉在地上， 但我不自 覺地拗緊雙頬的肌 肉。我從來沒見過一個更蔚藍的 天，一個更潔白的樹林，一個更 清純的心。一瞬間，所有的絞痛 和雜念都消失了。我再感覺不到 嚴寒無情的風暴，而是活著帶來 的螫刺。 我歇斯底里地笑，為自 己的遭遇而笑。有人會聽到狂風 的咆哮，或暴雪的肆虐。但我享 受這交響樂。現在的我深處荒

一線柱光從我微開的眼 簾溜進，我慢慢用雙臂支撐自己 的軀幹，用逐漸恢復的體力站起 來，伸手拍掉頭上的雪。下巴感 覺有一點黏稀。我沿著僵冷的 面龐擦了一下，手指沾上深紅 的液體。 四周好像絕無一人，但 我身後有一個背包，裡面還有一 些攀山用品和罐頭食物。我掙扎 幾次，才能背上這個寶貝。眼前 一望，雪一定飄了很久，陌生的 森林都變得很潔白。我伸頭仰 望，欣賞著這片美景。我從來沒 見過一個更蔚藍的天。

114

xiao hua issue 12

D i g i t a l S t a t e of MinD Written By Horace Wang (Y12)

At approximately eight o’ clock sharp, Hollis Smith’s alarm went off. He woke up and went downstairs to have his breakfast. His wife was already sitting at the other end of the breakfast table, her fishbowl helmet fastened on. His wife ignored his numerous good mornings, prompting Hollis to assume that she was looking at photos of the exotic French food that her friends on holiday were eating or even the most recently uploaded video of a kitten playing with a ball of yarn.

The train to work was packed full to the brim with hunchbacks, their faces illuminated by the crystalline screens of black boxes. Some of them were listening to music, others were furiously tapping away, united by the addictive sensation of having all of their senses neutered by the gadgets in their hands. Even the elderly woman sitting next to Hollis was currently entranced by the smartphone that her grandson had gotten her.

From the entrance into the office, Hollis could see at least six employees who weren’t working. For one, the employee sitting next to Hollis was engrossed in a game of Minesweeper, cursing every five minutes. Hollis turned towards his distractor and politely asked him to stop, but that only brought about more curses. It only stopped when Hollis’s boss did his regularly scheduled parade around the office, prompting the procrastinating employees to close the windows when he walked past them and re-open them when they were out of his direct line of sight.

At noon, Hollis went to the new fastfood restaurant with a couple of his colleagues.

The sign on the table proudly declared that this

restaurant was one of the first stores of this chain to experiment with using tablets to order food.

The conversation between Hollis and his other employees had a few uneasy pauses – after all, it wasn’t as if they had much much to talk about other than work – but it wasn’t until much later that Hollis realized that the conversation had gotten to the point of no return. Sighing, he took out his own phone as he tried to think of the most convincing way to seem engrossed by the bright screen on the mobile device.

After work, Hollis went to the nearest grocery store. He pushed his cart around the store, constantly dazzled by the bright yellow discount stickers and the jingles over the intercom that informed the consumers of the latest holiday special. His already-tedious experience in the line wasn’t helped by the presence of the harpy standing in front of him screeching into her cellphone.

Hollis wanted to get a good night’s sleep, but his wife had other plans. He wrapped a pillow over his head in a valiant effort to block out the light and the sound of the movie his wife was watching. He never used the home entertainment movie projector himself, but his wife had wanted one so badly that he eventually gave in. The credits rolled, but his wife wasn’t ready for bed just yet. She turned on her fishbowl helmet and chatted with her friends in Paris, now that it was morning there. Only around an hour later did the lights and sounds in Hollis’s bedroom fade away.

It was the first peaceful moment Hollis had had the entire day.

115

xiao hua issue 12

creative pearls

By Kenny Jeong

Nam did not return on the morning of his birthday.

We lived by the ocean together, but Nam and I never spend time with each other; we used to be fishermen a few years back when we built our house on the shore, but Nam lost his left arm in the war a few years ago. On good days I still sail out and bring back back twenty fly-fish or more for us to eat, store and sell. On days that are not so good I find a few oysters washed up on the shore to wistfully stare at on the dinner table. But even those days are not terrible; occasionally, I find pearls that Nam has been making necklaces with for the past few years. This was a hobby of his that he picked up during the war.

Everyone hated the war, but for Nam and I, it’s the few years that we want to carve out completely from our lives. But those memories continue to haunt us, even after everyone’s reminders that it has passed and will never return. Everytime I hear the sound of the motor of my fishing boat starting up, I think of the shrapnel penetrating the corrugated steel walls of our barracks; every time I hear a car engine, I think of the long, gruelling hours that Nam and I spent on board a jeep, praying that we would get to the next station safely; worst of all, everytime it rains, Nam and I think of when the ceiling almost collapsed while we were taking shelter from the monsoon in an underground tunnel.

While I am out fishing until the sun starts to sink below the horizon, Nam stays at home. I am not quite sure what he does during these long afternoons; when I leave the house at dawn to go fishing, he walks several miles up to his friend’s house, where he helps to sun dry the fish from the previous night’s catch. When I arrive home late into the hours of the cloudy night, he is out on his evening walks along the shore. Since he usually returns around midnight, I make myself supper, leaving his share on the front porch outside. Most nights, he leaves it untouched; I assume my cooking always disappoints him. Back when we still used to fish together, usually on his

birthday or mine, we both walked a dozen miles down the shore to a nearby village to spend a part of the inheritance mother and father left us - but since the war, Nam and I never found time to make the trip down.

When I returned home the night before his birthday, I decided to wait for Nam with a glass of his favorite soda and a bag of castaway oysters. I remember sitting on the rocking chair with my hands on my knees, staring blankly outside through a developing crevice in the wall. I sat there staring, hoping to find a silhouette of a small, gaunt Vietnamese boy wearing sun-bleached shorts walking on the coast.

Torrential rain continued to sail down the grooves mapped out by the peeling paint of the exterior, finding its way inside the house through the wooden walls that always seemed to be permeable in the monsoon season. Eventually, the sand on the floor that Nam treaded into the house became one with the water, swirling violently like the storm brewing outside. As I waited, hours trickled by like the rain rolling down the walls of our house, but Nam was nowhere to be seen.

Eventually, early into the dawn of the morning, after I was defeated by an overwhelming sense of ennui, I decided to find something to occupy myself with. I grabbed one of the oysters that I brought for Nam and I opened it up. Unfortunately, there was nothing inside but the quivering flesh of the oyster. As I hurled it into the stormy sea, I reached for another one on the table. But once again, there was nothing inside the oyster but the squirming flesh of an oyster. It was not long before I found myself opening all the oysters in the bag, only to find three pearls in the whole batch.

Carrying all three pearls, I went to Nam’s room to put them where I usually would. Before I turned the doorknob, I heard a loud thud from inside.

Frightened that the roof collapsed, I walked into the room.

Nam lived to be sixteen.

116

xiao hua issue 12

photographer: mathew chow (y11)

117

xiao hua issue 12

reunion noun re·union \(,)rē-’yün-y n\ e

: an act of getting people together again after they have been apart : an act of reuniting : an organized gathering of people who have not been together for a long time

Full Definition of REUNION 1 : an act of reuniting : the state of being reunited 2 : a reuniting of persons after separation

San Francisco Reunion

reunion noun re·union \(,)rē-’yün-y n\ e

: an act of getting people together again after they have been apart : an act of reuniting : an organized gathering of people who have not been together for a long time LA reunion

Full Definition of REUNION

1 : an act of reuniting : the state of being reunited 2 : a reuniting of persons after separation London reunion

London

New York

San Francisco

NYC reunion

Los Angeles 118

xiao hua issue 12

119

xiao hua issue 12

SCAD Leading the World in Creative Education The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) provides specialized art and design education and professional career preparation through locally accredited bachelor's and master's degree programmes focused on student success. SCAD's presence in Hong Kong places students from around the world in closer proximity to a world-class art and design education to prepare them for creative careers.

SCAD Hong Kong offers: 21 art and design programs from a range of 14 majors International student body that broadens horizons via cultural exposure Advanced learning resources Unique opportunity to experience life at SCADâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other campuses in Savannah, Atlanta and Lacoste Active learning through collaborative projects and internship opportunities with major international and local brands

120

xiao hua issue 12

SCAD Hong Kong, 292 Tai Po Road, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong

121

xiao hua issue 12

122

xiao hua issue 12