Xiao Hua Issue 13

Xiao Hua 校話 ISSUE 13 | FEB 2016

Digital Security Beyond the servers

Whose responsibility is it to protect users from potentially life-threatening situations?

The New Age of

ROMANCE The perils and promises of e-dating

Race in Popular Culture

Is ‘affirmative acting’ politically acceptable?

Can culture be mixed with politics?

“滴滴答答”打車

Uber是在美國裡非常流行的手機電召汽車服務， 估計每天全球有超過一百萬的用戶使用。

Traditional values for modern times

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

For information on our wealth management services, please call Andrew Au on +(852) 2843 7855 or email andrew.au@cazenovecapital.com cazenovecapitalasia.com

The value of your investments and the income received from them can fall as well as rise. You may not get back the amount you invested.

Issued by Cazenove Capital Management Asia Limited who provide discretionary investment management services. Licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Registered address: Cazenove Capital Management Asia Limited (“CCM Asia”) of Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong. Company number 1814730. For your security, communications may be taped or monitored. Nothing in this document should be deemed to constitute the provision of financial, investment or other professional advice in any way. A16006.

A16006_advert_chinese international school_student magazine_traditional values_147x210L_v2.indd 1

Whatever we do, We do better than others – A Passion for Service

3 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

11/01/2016 09:1

Xiao Hua ISSUE 13 | FEB 2016

CONTENTS

XIAO HUA Masthead XH Announcements Editorial Board Editor’s Letter Faculty Letter School Yard

6 7 8 11 12 13

VOICES Get up Pop up: The CIS restaurant start-up led by Lucas Sin (‘11) A Solution to the Braemar Hill Traffic Problem?

Teacher Interview: David Varro Garden Project Reboot 漢基應用程式 Primary to Secondary Transition

17

18 22 24 26 28 30

WHAT’S COOL Dr Lingers CIS Merchandise 影評：腦筋急轉彎 Mana!

Girl Meets World The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

33 34 35 36 38 40

EDITORIAL

FEATURES Digital Security The New Age of Romance 尊敬長輩是否理所當 然？ 貧富懸殊的解決方案? 駭客劫富濟貧 The Great Vegan Debate Hong Kong Food Shops The Passion Hypothesis Political Apathy at CIS Race in Popular Culture Hangzhou

44 48 52 54 56 60 64 68 72 76

難民可以逃去哪兒？ “滴滴答答” 打車 Food Wastage in Hong Kong

82 84 86

HEALTH & SPORTS Frisbee at CIS - The Full Experience in Words Against the Tide Ball is Life: What it means to be part of a team Healthy Eating Yoga and Meditation

89 92 94

96 98

CREATIVE 傲海 Coming Home

102 103

Xiao Hua ISSUE 13 | FEB 2016

Falculty Advisor 指導教師 Claire Yeo Editor in Chief 主編 Catherine Wang Senior Editors Sunwoo Nam, Medha Goyal, Angus Lam, Joshua Hung, Justine Chen, Andrew Koo, Bernetta Li, Konrad Lee, Stephanie Leung, Charmaine Lai News Editor 新聞編輯 Esther Um Reporters 記者 Jasmine Liao, Crystal Lau, Ryan Lee, Evelyn Choi, Katherine Yang, Horace Wang, Esther Um, Monique Chan, Cindy Kim Sports Editor 體育編輯 Ailene Lung Reporters 記者 Joe Littler, Ailene Lung, Justin Choo, Jazz Topp Features Editor 專題文章編輯 Hannah Hui Reporters 記者 Ethan Lam, Christina Li, Faith Lee, Victoria Ngai, Adrienne Chen, Yuri Hwang, Abe, Kaitlyn, Constance Lam, Gabriel Lee, Ye Zhang, Kenny Jeong, Molly Megan, Angelina Wang Directors of Photography 攝影主任 Jacob Wong & Mathew Chow Photographers 攝影師 Gabriel Lee, Byron Lee, Mira Healy, Tiffany Li, Zenia Wong, Scarlet Au, Alison Wong, Phyllis Lam, Miriam Chasnov, Jiahua Chen, Andrew Sun, Kitty Ng Director of Layout 設計主任 Nicole Li Layout Designers 設計師 Shannan Liu, Florence Wu, Phyllis Lam, Christina Shen, Bertha Ho, Katherine Yang Director of Illustrations 繪畫主任 Natalie Lin Illustrators 繪畫師 Evelyn Choi, Chloe Lee, Adam Wang, Christina Shen, Sierra Chiao, Katherine Ye, Bertha Ho, Alison Wong, Ashley Tuen, Kristen Wong, Ciara Liu Director of Business and Communications 財務及傳訊主任 Joseph Wan Advertising Associates 廣告協會 Tsz Kwan Liao, Christopher Cheung, Peter Ko, Bonnie Lee, Sonia Yuen, Kelly Luy, Hillary Yuen, Kaitlyn Wells, Stephanie Yu, Shaice Ng, Jacqueline Ho, Cheryl Ting, Alison Wong, Edward Ha, Hannah Guo Chinese Editor 中文編輯 Crystal Leung Reporters 記者 Adrienne Chen, Emma Lau, Scarlet Ng, Natalie Chak, Miranda Jiang Production and Administration Manager 行政主任 Natalie Lui Xiao Hua is a registered student organization of the Chinese International School. The magazine published independently by students of the Chinese International School, 1 Hau Yuen Path, Braemar Hill, North Point, Hong Kong. Reporduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Xiao Hua magazine. This 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, photographys, 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 13

ANNOUNCEMENTS Join Us Are you a passionate writer? Are you an aspiring artist? Do you want to be part of Xiao Hua? Well wait no more!

Xiao Hua welcomes all students of Chinese International School to sign up and contribute to the magazine.

Let’s Hear from You! 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

7 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

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 has to offer. It offers advertisers access to an affluent community with a wide range of interests.

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

Tel: 6478 0234 Fax: 2838 9596

EDITORIALboard

Esther Um

Ailene Lung

Hannah Hui

Jacob Wong

Mathew Chow

Nicole Li

A huge well-deserved congratulations to this year’s fabulous staff! It’s been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with such a diverse group of talented and enthusiastic students, without whom the very essence of Xiao Hua would be lost. Their immense creativity and dedication is truly an inspiration and to finally see the articles, produced by dint of hard work and passion, published on the glossy pages of this year’s first Xiao Hua Magazine is beyond exciting. With incredibly elegant and mature insight imbued in each article, there is plenty to take away from this issue. Happy reading!

I have had a wonderful time as the sports editor for this edition of Xiao Hua. Before the journey began, I knew there were individuals passionate about sports and health, but was unaware of the extent to which each respective experience impacted their lives. Within these pages, writers share their trials and tribulations, each having made an effort to communicate honest, heartfelt experiences; I am so grateful to have been a part of it all. I ask that you take the time to sit down, consider each article and immerse yourself in what is presented, because only then will you be able to appreciate how each writer has grown through their individual experience. This journey has been the rainbow that finally led us to this glorious pot of gold - I hope you treasure it as much as I do.

What you are currently holding is the culmination of months of hard work by a team of dedicated students, bearing testimony to what can be accomplished in combining the talents, passions and interests of our up-and-coming writers.

This was a rather challenging issue for Features as it marked the passing of the baton from the seasoned to the newly minted. As features editor, I have listened and learned in the process as much as I have guided and nurtured. I have been constantly amazed by the tenacity of our writers; The writers who never threw in the towel, who instead approached me with fresh revisions each time they received their work marked over in red.

I can only hope that their passion is felt above all else as you browse through the pages of yet another issue. Please take a moment to encourage and support our young writers, as they have put in a great deal of blood, sweat and tears into the final pieces you see today.

Photography for this edition Xiao Hua has been a fleeting adventure. Packed with a ton of deadlines, jpegs and even more ambition, I have enjoyed every second of being a part of the journey in creating our school’s magazine. Through heading the photography department, I hope to bring forward new and colorful voices to make this issue one that will be fondly remembered.

Xiao Hua is a testament of the CIS community’s hard work and dedication, as well as a platform for CIS students to voice their opinions and showcase their talents. Ever since the very first edition of Xiao Hua, I have been constantly amazed by the commitment and talent that has been put into the magazine, and I hope this issue is no different. Working for the photography department has been a great pleasure, and I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I do!

Every semester, the creation of Xiao Hua feels like a journey. A journey that is filled with trials and obstacles, but in the end, through everyone’s hard work and dedication, we always reach our destination. As the head of layout, the commitment and potential of each member of the team has made me realize what really makes Xiao Hua so very unique and speical. Xiao Hua unites all sorts of talents into a magazine that can inspire the minds of each CIS student, parent, teacher, or alumni. It’s been a wonderful experience working with everyone on the editorial board. I truly hope that you enjoy this season’s issue as much as I do.

Happy reading!

News Editor

Sports Editor

8 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Features Editor

Director of Photography

Director of Photography

Director of Layout

ISSUE 13 | FEB 2016 9 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

editor’s letter Dear CIS Community, In times of change, the teenager takes centre stage.

We are quick to test new gadgets (hoverboards), satirize presidential candidates (Trump memes), and weave new phrases into our conversations (“On Fleek”). From the 1960s to where we are now in 2016, the remarkable elasticity of the teen spirit has enabled it to define entire cultural landscapes.

Yet each new generation of youth faces its own unique set of challenges. The theme of this issue, The New CIS Student, explores the complexities that CIS students often encounter in our increasingly connected world.

Natalie Lui

Production & Administration Manager As a medium of connection, Xiao Hua binds the CIS community with fresh thoughts on current affairs or creative pieces. It is another reminder of the vitalizing novelty of the young perspective — we are the future. There are voices to be heard and ideas to be shared; I hope this issue continues to spark conversation and creative innovation within the CIS community. Producing this issue has been a hectic journey, but one that I look forward to experiencing again!

Natalie Lin

Director of Illustrations Foremost thank you to all the dedicated illustrators of issue 13. Contrary to my expectations, the editorial was more than assigning articles and enforcing deadlines.

The process involved truly collaborating with each artist: sharing idea, exchanging views, discussing modifications and more. But apart from building a rapport with my illustrators, was bridging the gap between writer and illustrator - ensuring each artist understood the context they were illustrating for, and that their works did not accessorise the articles, but enhanced them. My team did not disappoint. Again, thank you all Xiao Hua illustrators, and I look forward to working with everyone in issue 14.

Crystal Leung Chinese Editor

Joseph Wan

Director of Business & Communications Raising money to fund this issue has been a challenge for the Business & Communications Team. With constant unanswered emails and rejections, the team was feeling down. We had not reeled in any money and the entire magazine rested on our backs. It was not until we got help from the CIS community, that we managed to get some much needed funds. Xiao Hua is constructed on values that the CIS community stand for: bilingualism, open-mindedness and care. And it is because of the care of CIS, that this issue of Xiao Hua can be distributed to the community. The Business Associates’ determination and perseverance combined with the help and care of CIS is something that I am truly thankful for. So, I would like, here, to acknowledge and thank those in the team and the wider community for their ongoing support.

隨著新一年的來臨，新一期的《校話》又出版了！這期, 中文部門花了不 少心思和腦根，探討不同的題材，用筆桿發表同學們的聲音，從不同角度 的話題著墨，為大家帶來在校園和生活中的種種奇想。我很榮幸能與一班 用心的團隊合作，共同經歷挫折，致力創造一本滿心滿意的出品。希望大 家細心閱讀第十三期的《校話》。新年愉快！

In reality, teenagers do not just actively shape culture, but are shaped by it. As the psychologist Erik Erikson noted in the 1990s, teenagers in the throes of adolescence “must derive a vitalizing sense of reality” from mastering experience that is simply “a successful variant of a group identity”. Erikson argued that social context, or “group identity”, is the ultimate factor in an individual’s growth, or that the setting of our teen years plays a large part in who we are.

The world that teenagers grow up in now is one dominated by technology and politics. We live in a digital age that demands constant attention and engagement. In The New Age of Romance, writer Christina Li discusses how our capacity for romance has been transformed by instant, online services.

We also live in a time of dissent and disenchantment, with protests, corruption, and issues of cyber-security surfacing on a day-to-day basis. Ethan Lam’s feature Digital Security Beyond the Servers, and Victoria Ngai’s 貧富懸殊的解決方案? 駭客 劫富濟貧 both look at the seemingly incompatible ends of privacy and social good. The article Political staff writers as they address different Apathy at CIS, co-written by Kenny Jeong and Ye aspects of student life.

Zhang, describes how students are forced to face the discomfiting truth of how little we know about The magazine you are holding right our local government. now is the product of months of preparation. Its publication was made We are characters living in a highly contradictory possible by the planning, layoutspace. While our connection with information has designing, email-writing, and editing offered unprecedented opportunities for growth, it has also introduced the difficult question of how we of our Year 12 editors and our Year can consolidate this information and make sense of 11 heads of layout and business. As the world. As a budding world citizen, the new CIS an editorial board, we have worked student must tackle this issue at its core. The articles to put our best faces forward, and are presented in this issue offer glimpses of the intense learning to do so with grace. research, writing, and mindful meditation of our

10 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

The voices in the pages that lie ahead

11 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

are of CIS students - teenagers who embody the best of creative impulse, who have carefully considered issues of concern and in response worked to produce something wildly original.

This is how we wanted to illustrate the new CIS student: resilient, curious, and reflective of an era of change.

Happy reading!

On behalf of the Editorial Board, Catherine Wang

faculty letter

In the dreamy, excitable

days of the 1950’s all manner of people experienced a version of the same utopian dream. Machines would do all the work.

Humans, meanwhile, would enjoy seeing their workloads reduce, become full-time hedonists, and spend their days watching great entertainment on very large screens.

In the 1960’s (and later in the 1980’s) an animated family called the Jetsons zoomed about the place in chrome-and-glass flying cars, watched programmes on flat screen TVs, had a clever household gadget that dispensed meals on demand and a funny domestic robot called Rosie. In this world the sky was always cartoon blue and desires could be met with the push of a button. The button was always red. The Jetsons was enjoyable and silly, but its themes were in keeping with the times, particularly the popular scientific interest in automating the domestic lives of working families.

The Hunger Games Trilogy depicts a more joyless version of the future. Suzanne Collins imagines a time when the grotesque, political elite of the Capitol,

rather than liberating citizens from tedious household chores - (btw shouldn’t all governments aim to do this!) - use technology to foment sharp social divisions and perpetuate inequality and poverty.

These pop culture scenarios peddle differing views of the social impact of technology. On the one hand it can provide solutions to the world’s problems, however grand or trivial; on the other hand, the power of technology may be taken and used by governments and corporations to manipulate public opinion and entrance a helpless citizenry.

Of course, what the Jetsons’ Skypad apartment and Panem have in common is a social vision where people, for better or worse, stare into large screens. At school and at home we spend our days working and relaxing by interfacing with computers. Screen technology is ubiquitous. Very few of us would want to carry a phone without a screen and we judge the quality of an aircraft, not by whether it has a well-trained crew, but by whether it has entertainment screens installed in the back of the headrests. Seemingly every other day computer manufacturers promise us

devices with bigger screens and higher resolutions. There is no question: the screen has become the trope of modernity, par excellence.

Whether we like it or not, the world is going to produce more and more screens for us to gaze intently at. And as it does, our world will need an even greater supply of scientists like Elroy Jetson and social scientists like Katniss Everdeen to think critically, out of the ‘screen-box’, about the issues that affect our planet.

Focusing on ‘The New CIS Student’, the magazine is a careful consideration of education, technology and politics and how these intertwine for the CIS-er in 2016.

As you read I encourage you to sit back, relax and relish the texture of the glazed and glossy pages; savour the vivid photography and superb writing; and, oh, please turn off your screens beforehand ... you don’t want to dull your vision!

Brian Mulcahy Head of Student Affairs

SCHOOL YARD 12 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

13 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

CIS Primary campus - Break time

CIS Secondary Campus - Inbetween classes

14 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

15 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Get up Pop up: The CIS restaurant start-up led by Lucas Sin (‘11) | Photography by Abi Yee

16 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

17 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Braemar Hill Traffic

By Jasmine Liao Photography by Byron Lee and Gabriel Lee It’s 7:30am. Waves of cars rush up Braemar Hill, all trying to desperately reach CIS before 7:55. The early morning traffic is a part of every CIS person’s life. The after school traffic is also the same deal. Hong Kong has been dealing with traffic problems for years, and this problem has gone unsolved for a long time. The main problem with traffic congestion is the resulting inconvenience and pollution. Many students living only a few kilometers away have to wake up much earlier to avoid the traffic. Many students are late because of it, and getting home takes longer because of the amount of cars lingering outside. Worst of all, it’s not only CIS that is affected by the issue. The other schools on Braemar Hill also have to deal with this mess in the morning due to the one road we share.

The amount of roadside pol-

lution generated is extremely high for an environment like Braemar hill, and this could really affect our health and CIS’s environment in the long term.

Why is there a traffic problem on Braemar Hill in the first place? The CIS community shares the road in front of our school with 3 other schools. On the way to CIS (Cloud View Road and Braemar Hill Road), there are 6 other schools. Because of this, schools within the vicinity have to endure the huge mob of cars that come up the hill every morning. Too many private cars carrying students, parents and staff to school undoubtedly increase our road blockage problem every day. Let’s do the math.

Of the approximate 130 people in each grade, let’s assume that 40 take private cars to school every day. Now multiply

18 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

this by 13 for each grade, then multiply that by 3 for each school. That makes a total number of 2080 private cars traveling up the hill every morning! Another reason that we are facing this massive traffic problem is simply because the passengers of each car spend too much time getting out of their car and moving on. The line of cars that line up the hill every morning are burdened even more by the slow progress up ahead, like a long line of people at the supermarket waiting to pay for their choice products. Without these cars, getting up to CIS (from the roundabout down on Cloud View Road) would only take 4 minutes; but with the traffic, at around 7:20, it would take 25 minutes to get up the hill!

However, the good news is that there are ways to reduce this traffic. One of the major ways we can help CIS’s traffic problem is by taking the school bus and/or taking public transport.

School bus rides offer a great opportunity to meet new people, chat with friends, and catch up on some sleep on the way to school. City Motors, our school bus company does its best to make sure the students arrive on time.

Taking the bus to school not only has its economical advantages, but it also has its environmental benefits as well.

Parents may not realize how much gas they burn driving to and from school until their child takes advantage of the public school bus system for a while. Saving that money can free it up for other things the family needs.

It also helps schools get their money’s worth out of the cost of maintaining and commissioning buses. While buses do cause pollution, they cause less pollution than the pollution created if everybody took a private car.

Consolidating transportation can keep air in Braemar Hill cleaner and keep the roads less congested. Public Transport at Braemar Hill is very ef-

19 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

ficient, since there are more than ten bus routes in the Braemar Hill Bus Terminus. Public transport in HK is cheap, efficient, and quick. We should only use private cars if public transportation does not work in our area.

Most importantly, if you live close enough to school to be able to walk there, do it! It is not only good for the traffic, but also good for your health.

At the end of the day, the main goal is to get to school, and public transport and school busses will definitely help achieve that. What’s the harm in that?

A newer solution to the ‘Braemar Hill traffic problem’ is carpooling. Carpooling is when 2 or more people who live close to each other take 1 private car together rather than 2 cars individually. This is an extremely effective method to reduce the amount of private cars in the area, as there are usually 2-3 people sharing a car.

That’s 2 less private CIS cars stuck on the hill. If all the students in the schools around us who take private cars to school carpooled, we could cut the amount of cars by half or even more! By carpooling, all students could arrive to school on time and the number or private cars would drop, thus creating less traffic. All well as minimizing traffic, carpooling can also reduce the amount of pollution created by car exhaust for the environment. Also, who wouldn’t carpool every day for the chance to chat to your friends or classmates going to and maybe from school? It helps you socialize with new people or friends, a thing that many of us all love to do. Along with the aforementioned reasons, it is also more cost efficient.

The cost for the expenses (gas, for example) for one car is certainly less than the cost for the expenses for 2 cars, and why waste money when 1 private car can complete the job of 2?

In an interview with one of our geography teachers, Mr. Osborne, the following questions were asked; 1. What do you think is the best solution for the Braemar Hill traffic problem?

Some schools in Hong Kong have mandated that there is to be no private transport whereas CIS has preferred to negotiate and persuade. It is interesting, perhaps embarrassing, that the other educational institutions on Braemar Hill do not contribute to congestion to anywhere the same magnitude as we do. Non-CIS students either use public transportation or school buses. These options outperform carpooling in every measure in reducing traffic issues.

2.What do you think about carpooling?

Carpooling reduces the volume of vehicles arriving at school for sure. Some families already practice this informally and one of my colleagues, Mr Brian has even developed a mapping App which can be used to match up those people who are interested in making travel arrangements together.

3. What other ways can we contribute to help our traffic problem?

Year 12 Geography students conducted an inquiry activity for a number of years which focussed upon developing and evaluating solutions for traffic congestion and developed a range of potential solutions, some of which have been considered by the school. These included

20 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

incentives, fines for cars with only one student occupant, compulsory carpooling days, phased starts of the school day, traffic control schemes and so on.

A further consideration is that our traffic problem might not only be framed in terms of congestion, but also in terms of our general health at school. It might be convenient to drop off your child at school, but what if in doing so you were destroying the air they breath? Would it still be worth it? I would like to see research on the effect of vehicles on air quality in Braemar Hill to see whether this is an actual issue or not.

4.What do you think are the main reasons we have traffic on our hill?

Of course the educational precinct, of

which we are a part was never designed for private vehicle drop offs. People travelling from other locations should be using the transport terminus or walking down from the various institutions. In terms of design the roads are too narrow and terminate in dead ends. Consequently it is impossible to have a one way system that would clear the traffic.

The other major reason is down to personal choice. Some people value their own convenience highly and frequently this means using private vehicles and drivers.

The more people that make this choice, the greater the magnitude of issues grow.

Sadly, even electric vehicles contribute to the congestion by slowing traffic overall, so that more polluting vehicles are in

the vicinity of the school for longer and longer periods of time.

5.What are some ways our school is trying to solve this traffic problem?

The shuttle bus services provided by CSPTA and the school is one of the many potential solutions to traffic congestion at CIS. This is free of charge and requires no pre-registration. I would really encourage more families to get in behind this option and make a difference that would be appreciated by the whole CIS community. Dropping off students quickly and efficiently is being encouraged and staffed by the school and most parents or drivers comply in a socially responsible manner. It is annoying when people abuse these rules and act selfishly, especially in a school

21 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

which is otherwise largely free of entitled behaviour.

In conclusion, using public transportation and carpooling with CIS students living nearby could greatly help us resolve or minimize our Braemar Hill traffic problem, thus letting students to arrive to school on time and not miss any class time. Sometimes, students can miss up to 50 minutes of critical class time! If everyone in our school, both students and staff, could just make a small change in their lives and take public transportation or carpool, our traffic problem would minimize and our school could greatly benefit.

TEACHER INTERVIEW

By Gloria Schiavo & Catherine Cheng Photography by Scarlet Au

DAVID VARRO

So what got you passionate about maths?

To be honest, maths was the easiest subject in IB at CIS. The EASIEST? Yes. It was the easiest compared to everything else. I’m not a big fan of English… sorry English department! I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life in the future, so I thought I’d study math at university. I then realised that I truly enjoyed it and began to take serious interest in the subject. It’s beautiful. The things maths include… the rules, the identities, the things that hold.

In a way, math is a language that describes how everything works.

Do you think that your parents influenced your aptitude and interest in maths?

Perhaps a little bit, but it doesn’t exactly run in the family. My brother Bence is not great at maths. In fact, he ended up doing business management in university.

Given that they are two very different things, what do you think in regards to the relationship between liking maths and teaching children it?

Many children like maths because they find it easy, allowing them to get better grades without trying or worrying too much about it. Yet as they grow older, their liking for the subject develops into genuine interest, making them motivated because it then truly means something to them. It’s something I have experience with, and something that I think is quite interesting to observe.

So given your being relatively young, what do you think is different about you compared to other maths teachers at CIS? I think that in some sense I am able to connect with the students a little bit better– my experiences here at CIS are still quite fresh in my mind.

How many years ago were you here?

Five and a half years ago. I graduated in 2010. I know what problems they have because I consider the problems I had. I’m then able to explain it to them from a different point of view. Often, it might be a little better for a student if I explain it to them because I’m less formal, hopefully less scary.

22 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

That said, how does it feel like coming back to CIS? Do you work with teachers who used to teach you?

There are a fair few teachers here who have taught me, such as Mr. Tsang and Mr. King in the maths department. At first it was a little awkward as I know had to call them by their first names. In the change of roles from student to colleague it seems unnatural, but their friendliness made the transition a lot easier than I previously expected. What’s also a little strange is that my parents are also teachers. The awkwardness left when I was in school as I had them for substitutes and teachers for various classes. I had my dad as a teacher in math for a couple of months. I called him Dr. Varro at the beginning, but I ended up just calling him ‘Dad’.

In terms of your interests, I hear you’re quite interested in mixed martial arts.

It’s just like a fun thing I do. Before I decided to go into teaching, I wanted to be a stuntman. I had to do mixed martial arts to become a stuntman. I also did parkour as it’s a useful skill to have in the movie industry. I wanted to take my career to a further level, so I learned martial arts.

That’s the more general form of martial arts in that it incorporates everything, so it would have been really impressive to have on my stuntman CV. Do you think maths correlates to your stuntman hobby?

I mean, any form of motion can be explained by maths! If you want to describe movement, you can do it in terms if maths. Though if im doing MMA, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t an equation; it’s just about not getting hit.

Since you work here, do you still do MMA regularly?

ness. I’m actually working to get a teacher certificate from Deacon University at the moment. I applied to an online course. It starts in March and will be theoretically be finished in 12 months. It’s a year-long postgraduate course.

So what do you think of the new things you’ve brought to CIS, such as promoting math lab?

Well every year it’s the teaching fellow’s job to get math lab going. I kindly ask the Year 12s to come help out,. It kind of moved on because I’m always here, so anyone can come in at anytime.

Can students of all ages come too?

Yeah they come in all the time. Sometimes [Year 12]’s are sneaky and ask me physics questions, but I help out as well! The idea is to have the Year 12s to help the younger years: they can set their math foundations, but it also motivates the younger years to give back to the community later on. The place is usually swamped before tests.

What do you think about CIS’s testing culture?

Yes! They say when you go off to university two things can happen to your accent.

One, is that your original accent gets more dominant. Another is that the locals joke about your accent so much that you end up developing the local accent. I’m thankful that I didn’t come back with a Scottish accent though (no offense, Mr. King).

Since you’ve returned, what do you think of the direction that CIS is heading towards?

I came to CIS in ‘97 and graduated in 2010. Since secondary, there’s been a huge integration of technology into the classrooms. It’s useful and good to keep up with the times. I didn’t even have a computer until later in secondary. I remember when we first received interactive whiteboards: it was when I was in year 12 or 13. I had Mr. Kalsi and because he was promoting it, so we had to make a Youtube video talking about the benefits of the interactive whiteboard. It’s so different now, since it’s the standard in every class. I believe it’s a good thing, but depending on what subject you use it for. It’s definitely more useful in some than in others.

It’s great especially in maths!

It’s not too bad; I’m one of those odd ones who found university harder than high school. Though it may have just been the university I attended.

Where’s that?

Yeah, it‘s fun when you get a student to do problems on the board.

I’m glad that you’re not my teacher then…

Yes. 3 times a week.

I went to the University of Edinburgh.

You seem to still be exploring possible career options at this point– where are you at?

I couldn’t have guessed from your accent.

I’m exploring teaching and I’m keeping the books open with the stuntman busi

23 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

I actually had my dad do this to me when he taught me. He said, ‘David, if you can’t solve this problem, then you’ll receive no weekly money.’ The whole class was laughing, but it gave me more incentive to get it right!

漢基花園 發展計畫

By Adrienne Chen Photography by Phyllis Lam

學校環境給我們提供了一個優秀的學習環 境。不但是課堂教室和別的關於學習的設施，我們也 有一個操場、籃球場、足球場，甚至也有自己的私人 花園。不過，最近幾年，我們慢慢地在減少用我們花 園時間。 兩位十二年級的學生決定想辦法來解決這 個問題。所以，他們創造了漢基花園發展計畫。 漢基花園發展計畫是十二年級的羅丹彤和陳 家穎舉行的項目。這個項目有兩個主要的目的。首 先，它能增加我們用花園的時間，給小學和中學的學 生們一個更實際的學習經驗。我們的花園也可以教我 們關於環境和身體的一些教訓。例如，環境管理、健 康飲食、照顧和愛惜植物等。 其外，我們的學校的食物浪費情況越來越嚴重，但學 校花園能幫助解決這個問題。去年的學生會已經為我 們提供了一個堆肥機。不過，因為我們的堆肥機不是 很大，每天還有許多事物被浪費掉。所以，通過跟 Chartwells，學校的午飯公司，和我們學校的學生會 合作後，希望能夠減少我們每天在學校浪費的食物。

裡的堆肥做成給我們花園裡長的植物的土壤。兩位 說：「很多浪費的食物可以扔進堆肥機，這樣子可以 幫我們的環境和地球。不過，我們認為最有效的方法 就是最初不要浪費我們盤子上的食物。我們不應該需 要一個堆肥機。問題在於學生們吃不完飯，所以，如 果我們和 Chartwells 合作，希望可以讓他們在一個盤 子上放少一點的食物。」 當然，每一個項目都會遇到困難。因為這是 一個新的項目，兩個領導人也是十二年級的學生，因 此讓更小的年紀接管這個項目會更加困難。所以，他 們決定在年級集會的時間內簡單的介紹，促進這個項 目。 如果沒有大姐的支持，漢基花園發展計畫會 更難成功。就算是最小的差異，我們還是必須盡全 力，一起合作，一起努力，給所有人－不只漢基國際 學校，但整個香港，甚至整個地球，創造一個美好的 生活環境。

兩位學生也打算和學生會合作，運用堆肥機

24 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

25 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

REBOOT

Student Initiative

By Ryan Lee and Evelyn Choi Imagine a classroom filled, from wall to wall, with old technology of all kinds: mainly computers, but also everything from earphones to scanners. At the front of the room, somebody hooks up an original Mac mini to the projector and tries to insert a copy of Linux. At the back, somebody stumbles upon a rotary telephone.

Meanwhile, in another classroom, one can witness intense planning, website-creating, and public relations, all in an effort to find a home for the mechanical madness occurring just across the hallway.

This is Reboot, a student-run community service group focused on technological empowerment; that is, the distribution and disposal of computers as well as the teaching of how to use them. It’s undeniable that our school is focusing on service right now: the theme of the 2015 School Fair is “CIS Gives Back”, and students are being encouraged to participate in service groups earlier and earlier. But the prospect of getting involved beyond advocacy can be daunting to students: sure, you can put your name down on a sign-up sheet and run some bake sales, but real, hands-on, active experience can be hard to acquire.

Many of the established charity groups in school focus on fundraisers, and even with the more active service activities, there can

be a lack of motivation beyond fulfilling CAS requirements for the IB. That’s where unique, student-driven service groups come into play. From older ones such as 2010’s F.I.S.H. (Fishing Improperly Stops Here) to current ones such as the CPG (Commercial Production Group), all of them share one thing: passion in the form of a particular cause or skillset. Even if it comes in the form of refurbishing ancient laptops.

If the annual Service and Action Week (better known as its previous, less serviceoriented alias, Project Week) ever needed confirmation of its usefulness, here it is!

Reboot started out as an extension of the 2012 PW trip Ubuntu in India, which focused on bringing computers to and setting up a Wi-Fi network for children in need. In 2013, the India trip ran again, after which the establishment of the group arose from the question of how students could extend on the India initiative into a long term project back in Hong Kong.

However, activity went stagnant in 2014 as Reboot faced the question that all student groups inevitably come to: with members and leaders graduating or becoming too busy with IB to stay involved, how can the

26 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

group survive?

In 2015, the group, with its added members, could finally expand its operations.

Reboot started offering computer classes covering topics, such as social media, Microsoft Office, productivity apps and programming, to students, parents, and helpers alike, and its collection drives started bringing in more and more computers (as well as the aforementioned, random tech.). During the service week in May, some members catalogued existing old computers and installed Ubuntu (the free Linux-based open source OS) on them, while others organised weekend classes, created educational materials, and developed public relations with the CIS community.

Fast forward to Project Week 2015.

Reboot has met with several families in the local Sham Shui Po community that rely on public housing and government securities, and has given them computers while establishing a long term one-toone connection with them. Future plans include sustaining this connection with the families, collecting more computers, and fundraising through different school events.

The students of CIS working on Reboot We have had the opportunity to speak to Nicholas Chan, one of the original student leaders of the group, who provided insight into the motivations and views of Reboot.

How did the group come together?

“Sabrina Hoong (who graduated last year) was actually the student leader until she got to Year 13 and handed the group over to me. At first Stephen Liu was also in the group for I presume the same reasons. We’re quite technical minded so it seemed to fit.”

What was the motivation?

“Giving the computers to the children in India was quite fascinating because they can get so much out of it. Likewise, there are children in Hong Kong who don’t have the opportunity either, so I joined because

I thought it would let me bring that same kind of experience to people in Hong Kong.”

Who runs the day to day duties (before and now)?

“Sabrina dealt with public relations with the school community and organised computer drives. Stephen and I deal with the computers. When she left, I dealt with finding the recycling service that we sent a lot of our computer desktops off to. I also organised the first batch of computer classes with Mr. Mumm.

What has Reboot done inside school and to serve the community?

“It’s mainly two things: addressing the problem of e-waste by running school computer drives and teaching members of the community how they can use technology to boost

their productivity.”

Do you think Reboot has been successful so far? What do you predict for the future of Reboot?

“Well, I think Reboot has been quite successful. It hasn’t been fast, but what we’ve done is still an impact nevertheless. For such a group to last for so long was quite surprising to me and the only reason we can do so much now is because a lot more people have joined the team. Every course that we run shows how to improve and there are opportunities outside of CIS that Mr.Mumm has been looking at. We’ve spoken about working with Pathfinders and I’ve worked with them for other groups and the number of people who attend Pathfinders courses is quite high, so I would say it only gets better from here!”

27 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

漢基應用程式 為了支持學生和老師們的學習生活，必須要有一個漢基應用程式 現代的各種人都會有自己的一部智能電話，一 個“必不可少”的物品。大部分的用戶都機不離 手，整天都會被智能電話的螢幕吸引，如被催眠 一樣！而且，大部分的智能電話上都有下戴很多 的應用程式，包括遊戲、社交媒體，也會有些幫 助學業的！在漢基，學生們和老師們大多數都會 有智能手機，也會常常用著它來代替作業日記 本，所以為了增加每個人的學校生活的品質，一 般同學就開始設計一個學校的應用程式。

這個漢基應用程式是由學校的一個組織 創造的。這組織叫 CIS Startup Project (簡稱 CSP）。它分開成幾個部門運行，包括：企業和 營銷、法律、設計和編碼，而且他們今年的目標 是創出一個學校的應用程式。CSP職能為一個沒 有領袖的方式，因此每個人都是平等的，參考於 美國的高科技事業雲集的硅谷。他們認為通過運 用這個工作方式，不但能夠讓每個組員都能充實 地工作，也能減少組中的緊張和個人的恫嚇，所 以每個人都能有自信地分享自己的想法和意見， 還有他們也認為這個方式是比較高效，因為他們 能夠完成更快地完成更多的目標或項目，因此這 令CSP當作一個開放、友好的工作環境。 這個組織動力這個想法是來於一位同學，Victor Yin ‘17，他之前已經公布了另一個應用程式， 所以對這過程十分熟悉，而他從漢基的學生生 活，他看到我們的學校社區的人員都很一來運用 我們的電話，有時也會機不離手！所以他認為為

了支持學生和老師們的學習生活，必須要有一個 漢基應用程式，當成一個公共互動平台，讓學生 與老師們都能夠保持聯繫。

這個漢基應用程式有幾個特徵，比如說： 顯示午餐菜單、展示出12和13年紀的空堂、記下 每個學生的成績。這是為了整理和安排學生們的 學習和為了提高他們每天的學習生活。而且這個 應用程式也有個問答論壇，所以同學們、老師們 和員工能夠匿名地發表問題。它也能夠安排老師 與學生的會議。CSP 希望同學們從這些用途能讓 漢基的社區變得更相連和高效。 以上所列出的應用功能都會效益漢基的學生、老 師和工作人員，因為這些功能讓客戶高效地整理 自己每天在學校的日程，而且這些特徵能夠方便 地幫助老師們和學生們，或學生們之間保持聯 絡，這樣不但能避免我們的電子郵件收件箱被學 校通知和老師的信息充填了，也能快速地計劃你 的一周，甚至一個月或學期！

CSP計畫在11至12月中來發表這個應用程 式，讓我們漢基的社區都能下戴和運用這個軟 件。當作這個應用程式未來的客戶，我們應該對 這個應用程式感到興奮和期待，因為這個應用程 式不但能創出一個更優良的學習環境，而且能改 良我們各自的組織技巧，還能讓我們跟全校的人 員都能保持聯繫。通過這個應用程式，我希望這 真能做出一個大的貢獻，祝CSP能夠得到勝利！

Photography by Gabriel Lee

By Emma Lau

28 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

29 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

PRIMARY TO SECONDARY TRANSITION

By Katherine Yang | Photography by Zenia Wong The graduation from Primary to Secondary isn’t, of course, of the same magnitude as the graduation from school entirely, but it’s about a lot of the same concepts and involves a lot of the same emotions. In both cases, we leave behind an incubator of nurturing and exploration, and venture into a wilderness of uncertainty and excitement. The way we approach this first particular transition and what it means to us differs from person to person, but for the most part, the move signifies major changes in expectations and responsibilities, and thus, a difference in how we act and how we decide to fit into the world around us.

30 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

So, pre-transition: we 88 stand poised on the precipice, ready, as primary school counsellor Ms. Fenwick describes it, to “spread our wings”. This is the last year of a big part of our lives, something that feels like the only thing we really know. We are at the top of this social food chain, now, elders amongst children, the heads of the Primary Student Council, the leaders of school as we know it – Ms. Fenwick claims that this new taste of the unfamiliar and intriguing sense of leadership is a driving force from which stems a lot of “excitement” and “enjoyment”. Still, we’re not quite there; the promised land of ‘free will’ and ‘getting to be the boss of our own selves’ is a little way away yet. Part of this is because an essential principle of Primary is being inclusive and making sure everyone, regardless of skill level or character, is treated fairly and gets as much help as they need.

Teachers, parents, and domestic helpers alike all tend to, and are able to, actively ‘care’ for the students much more than in secondary. However, this means independence isn’t necessarily the top priority for us just yet. Academically, we are also warned that expectations are going to get higher and higher, and this starts to be reflected in the amount and detail

of our workload. Some of us want to soak up all the time they still have left in the shallow water, some of us would love to splash into the deep end, but none of us can hold back the river, nor push it forwards. So as we listen to our teachers lecture us about the next year, we continue to grow and learn, waiting in nerves and anticipation, in this limbo between childhood and adolescence.

Post-transition: 120 big fish have become little fish in this much larger pond, faced with a new culture and lifestyle, not to mention those tall, scary Year 13s. Organisation is one thing at the forefront of our minds: with new classes and rooms and many more than just the two teachers, we can’t help worrying: will I know where to go? what if I forget something? am I the only one who has no idea what’s going on?

Another significant change is socialising and interaction. Seven years is a long time, explains Ms. Fenwick, more than enough for a “very strong culture” to be formed amongst the students. Social circles or ‘cliques’ have naturally solidified by Year 6, but from the first day of Secondary, the dynamic is noticeably different, and the social structure becomes slightly more distinct, even stratified. On one hand, some of those ensconced securely into friendship groups might worry that their friendships will drift apart, and on the other, some of those not at the centre might worry if friendships will be easier or even harder to form.

Plus, there’s the incoming 30-odd students to think about too – aren’t they supposed to be smarter than us? what if they’re better at everything?

This is a period of mental and emotional development during which we all feel a strong desire to ‘fit in’, and in the face of changing culture and unpredictable developments, everything feels intimidating and intense.

At the same time, with responsibilities have come rights, and we have now have new freedoms to explore, to question, to create, more than we might even know what to do with.

Some of us drop by the other side of the school occasionally, finding solace in the comfortable familiarity, but mostly, there’s too many activi-

31 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

ties to be tried, too many mistakes to be made, too many experiences to be had to have the time or need to linger in what used to be.

To ease the transition, Primary and Secondary teachers meet throughout the end of Year 6 to the first few months of Year 7, checking in with each other to make sure that all of us are prepared to move on, and that we are able to adjust well to the new environment. Parents are an important part of the process as well, providing support and extra help at home depending on the student’s personal development. Ultimately, though, it’s somewhat of a leap of faith. It asks us to trust in ourselves, and to believe that throughout the next seven years, we will slowly and surely start to grow closer to the kind of individuals Primary has taught us we could be, and that we will build a new home of new memories in Blocks 3, 2, and 1.

? ?

Dr. Lingers

Add a caption: Got a question for Dr Lingers to tackle? Send it in at xiaohua@ cis.edu.hk.

Dear Dr. Lingers,

I feel terrible. Almost every day I get home and I watch YouTube videos for hours when I should be working. I know that I can do better than this but I can’t seem to control myself. What can I do?

From,

Bad atti-Tube

Dear Bad atti-Tube,

Thanks for writing in. It’s natural that you should feel guilty about not working, but don’t beat yourself up over it. What’s important is that you know that you need to work, and therefore can redirect your efforts to actually work. Don’t linger (ha ha) too long on your emotions.

So let’s take a couple of deep breaths and close those open YouTube tabs. All of them. Maybe even turn off your Wi-Fi for a while.

Have you ever thought about why you watch YouTube videos for hours?

Are you trying to avoid something? Is it because of the expectations of overbearing parents? Is it because you want your work to be perfect (perfectionism)? Is it because the joy that YouTube brings is more desirable than that of studying, or that you just don’t see the point in studying (a lack of long-term motivation)?

Is it because you’re scared of not being the best?

I’m no psychologist, and if you feel like you could use some serious support, I would definitely recommend speaking to someone more qualified than an advice column writer in a school magazine. But really, dear Confused, you need to un-confuse yourself. You can think yourself in the shower, talk to a friend, consult a therapist, or pay a gypsy to decipher your psyche for you in a crystal ball. Ultimately, it’s important that you identify some of the causes of your video addiction so that you can take steps to correct it. As Socrates

said, “Know thyself ”, and as Kanye West said, “I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts/got treasures in my mind but couldn’t open up my own vault”. Spend some time by thyself and crack open thine mind.

It’s hard. Trust me, I know how it feels. Not very long ago, I was caught in a deep pit of despair, selfloathing, fear, the whole shebang. I watched videos and scrolled through Facebook with all my free time, handed things in late consistently, and watched as my grades consequently faceplanted from sevens to fours.

I used YouTube, among other distractions, to run from the emotional issues I faced. But the thing is that you can’t outrun your problems. If you don’t face them, they will tackle you from behind and beat you with a baseball bat, GTA-style. There are real consequences attached to denial and they are not pretty.

Though I’m definitely in a much better place emotionally now, I have had to live with the report card debacle ever since. Don’t make the same mistakes.

For now, I would suggest that after reflecting (that MYP command term that we have all come to love), you slowly replace YouTube with some more constructive habits. Set some goals. Sink your mean, lean canine teeth into your work, and don’t let go no matter how hard it kicks back.

Best, Dr. Lingers

33 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

CIS Mechandise

影評腦筋急轉彎

By Horace Wang Photography by Mathew Chow

CIS has gone without an organized line of school merchandise for a long time, but thanks to the efforts of the Order of the Phoenix, that’s soon going to change. For almost a year now, the Order has been working to design and create a brand­new line of Phoenix merchandise. By further tying the school’s mascot and spirit together, as well as replacing the current limited selection of merchandise with a variety of options, the merchandise promises to be another exciting development in the time the Phoenix has been the school’s mascot.

When the Order decided to design new merchandise for the student body, it was naturally done with the intention of encouraging school spirit and in the hopes that members of the school community could display their school pride through wearing the school merchandise. Many members of the Order felt that the CIS community’s school spirit was dying out, and believed something new needed to be implemented in order to resurrect it to its previous levels. The solution was found in the fact that many students didn’t seem to be interested in the school clothing which was currently provided. It’s because of these two reasons that the creation of the uniform is not only the natural step in bolstering the school spirit and integrating the Phoenix mascot, but also a rsponse to the growing interest in being able to own school merchandise. Nicole Choi

(Y13), leader of the merchandise team, says that discussion of wanting to be able to own merchandise had come up in conversation from time to time. Developments, such as the cross country team getting new shorts, increased the talk about being able to choose from a new line of Phoenix merchandise, and reassured the Order that now was the right time to create one.

Paying close attention to what the com unity wanted continued to be a key consideration during the creation of the merchandise. Before they decided what products to offer, the Order sent out a survey, which contained options as unique as car stickers and Phoenix toys. The actual designs of the Phoenix t­shirts were partly inspired by the design of an old CIS t­shirt, but other than that, the inspiration for the designs of the new merchandise predominantly came from the aim of keeping them minimal and crowd­pleasing.

The Order’s collaborative dynamic and ability to compromise — traits that have been mentioned by more than one member of the team — made making major choices a much smoother process.

Among the decisions which had to made be as a group was choosing designs which would appeal to everyone.

As individuals, all members inevitably had their own opinions of each design; but as a group, they worked well together and were able to agree on changes to improve the designs. Combined with the insight and advice that the the publications office and art technicians provided in the creation of the designs, the collaboration involved in the process is undeniably one reason for the new merchandise’s success.

34 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

By Sheren Mao

Pricing is another area where the Order has encountered obstacles, but despite high production and shipping costs and minimum profits getting in the way, the Order was still able to stand by their intention of making the merchandise affordable to all.

Those who want to stay updated on the development of the merchandise can do so by following their Facebook page, “Order of the Phoenix”, which is coordi nated by the Order’s social media branch. Only Phoenix drawstring bags and towels are available as of now, but more merchandise is on the way. The shirt designs are nearing completion, and the Order hopes to have them in the Phoenix bookstore before the end of 2015. But for many of the Order’s members, who only have a few months left on the team, their hopes aren’t restricted to present devel opments. They hope to see their progress xpanded on by future generations of the Order, and that their accomplishments are just the beginning, not the end, of what the Order can achieve.

在2015年的夏季，負責編劇眾所週知的《天外奇 蹟》，《玩具總動員》等動畫作品的皮特多克特 (Pete Docter) 推出了一部既感人又逗趣的招牌 大作：《腦筋急轉彎》。這一部與迪士尼影業製作 發行的3D冒險動畫不但是皮特第二部以女性為主角 的電影，故事的靈感來於他的女兒。當他開始留意 到她在成長過程中的性格和情緒有所改變時，他咨 詢了不少心理學家，逐漸的從2009年起篇寫他的大 作。 電影講述到女孩萊莉的成長故事，記敘了她在人生 不同階段經歷到的高低起伏，最終都是為了呈現 出“一個孩子的內在成長”。萊莉的腦中有五種情 緒表現形式：快樂，憂愁，厭惡，恐懼和憤怒，他 們都是由一個控制台影響她的動作和記憶。當她 建立了一個新記憶後，它會被儲存在一個彩色水 晶球內，便在萊莉清醒時送往儲存。最重要的是 萊莉的核心記憶都存放在總部樞紐，各代表著一個 塑造她性格的個性島。主導萊莉快樂情緒的樂樂 (Joy) 為了保持她愉快，與其他情緒掌管憤怒的怒 怒 (Anger)，憎厭的懨懨 (Disgust) 和恐懼的驚 驚 (Fear) 千方百計的不讓情緒不穩，憂愁的憂憂 (Sadness) 插手。

萊莉因為父親工作的原因而搬遷至舊金山，被逼離 開她的童年之地和“死黨”之友便要面對和適應新 環境，此事對一個十一歲的女孩並不容易。那瞬 間，她腦海中的樂樂與憂憂不料迷失在儲存萊莉長 期記憶的迷宮區中，大腦總部只剩下怒怒，懨懨和 驚驚來負責，導致萊莉從一位滿臉微笑的女孩轉變 成一位憤世嫉俗的少女。直到樂樂與憂憂回到大腦 總部讓她重拾正常的情緒，萊莉經歷了一百八十度 的情緒波動，不但負面的牽連到她與朋友的交往和 與父母的溝通，還令她失去對冰上曲棍球的熱愛。 皮特創造的動畫片把人的內心世界擬人化，目的都 是為了傳達一個經常被忽略的訊息：人生不可能永 遠停留在高潮，只有經歷過高低起落才能讓我們從 喜怒哀樂的不同個度去看待任何事情，當我們失去 什麼的時候，也許能得到一些什麼。作為正在成長 的青少年，我們會無可避免的經歷到朋友的對待， 學習的壓力以及家庭的糾紛，可是如果我們記著皮 特的忠告，我們也許會體驗到更真誠的快樂。

35 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Restaurant Review

Mana fast slow food Location: 92 Wellington Street, Central Opening hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm everyday Website: www.mana.hk Instagram: @manafastslowfood Walking into Mana takes you away from the urban clamour of Hong Kong. Meditative zen music plays softly in the background and surrounding you is a winsome blend of earthy elements: chunky wooden tables, bamboo ladders, wreaths of plants, a stone water fountain, a brick oven, and even a buddhist effigy. But nothing beats the mouthwatering aroma of herbs, spices and roasting vegetables wafting through the air.

Understanding the importance of the role of food in fuelling the body and preventing illness, cofounders Bobsy and Christian assembled a menu that generously offers a diverse and colorful assortment of wholesome, gluten-free v egetarian and vegan locally-grown organic foods that are fresh and hand-made every day with love.

Soups, salads, mezze platters, veggie burgers and fries are part of the mains with costs ranging from $40 - $100. And their famous flats are categorized in a whole different section

with costs ranging from $45-50 for half-portion and $75-90 for full-portion.

For a light snack, mix and match your own salad with some irresistible potato wedges on the side or grab one of their revitalizing smoothie shakes. For a heavier meal, try any of their signature flats (or create your own!) with some delicious baba ganoush (eggplant, ol ive oil, onions, tomatoes, spices) or za’atar (salt, thyme, sumac, sesame) topping and treat yourself with a rich vegan hazelnut chocolate cake for dessert.

Mana also shares their love with the environment, admirably upholding their ethical values (stated on website) and taking the initiative to ensure that their products and facilities are as ecofriendly as possible.

To package their food, Mana uses 100% kraft paper boxes and biodegradable bags from sustainable forestry. Their “plastic” cups and straws are actually made from polylactic acid (PLA), which is a plastic-like material derived from plants. And even the interior was designed to include recycled materials, such as tables and chairs made from reclaimed wood.

36 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

By Esther Um Photography by Gabriel Lee

Water is also used efficiently. Even their toilets are environmentally friendly: Each one saves 85% water every with their low-pressure flush.

Fill your water bottle for free at their filtered water fountain. Mana believes every person should have the right to clean water without having to pay for imported bottled water, which creates a lot of waste.

Mana also encourages their customers to directly be a part of the initiative by giving a 5% discount to anyone who brings their own container. Recycling bins are placed in the restaurant for customers to sort their trash and Mana’s hired staff clean the soiled packaging so that HK Recycles can pick up and recycle it. Any food waste generated by the restaurant is sent to Permaclub to be used as fertilizer and grow more local Hong Kong produce.

Their effective waste management system means that Mana generates almost zero food waste.

Mana allows you to not only replenish your health with clean mood-boosting meals, but also live a more sustainable and ethical lifestyle. In a meat-crazed, grease-loving city, Mana is a refreshing addition.

37 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

The characters of Girl Meets World are very different to the typical characters you see on Disney Channel. Each and every one of them has another side to them.

Riley is usually very bubbly, cheerful and positive, with a fierce loyalty to her friends. However, in the later parts of the show, a fragility in Riley is introduced. It is revealed that she feels insecure about who she is, and constantly tries to alter herself according to what other people think of her. When a cyber bully attacks Riley for being weird, she lashes out at those closest to her when they tease her, due to her desperate wishes to be normal, yet doesn’t approach her friends for help since she believes that to grow, she needs to solve her conflicts alone.

Show Review

Girl Meets World What do you like in your TV shows? Are you looking for a laugh? Or maybe you’re looking for a deep, meaningful lesson? What about a sweet, relatable every-day life story with a feel-good ending? If you’re looking for all of those qualities in a show, you should definitely take a look at Girl Meets World.

Girl Meets World is a sequel to the hit 90’s TV show Boy Meets World, featuring the same characters and a whole new generation of new ones. The original series followed Cory Matthews as he overcame different obstacles on the path of growing up. Girl Meets World once again features Cory and his wife Topanga, but is centered around their daughter, Riley Matthews. Cory has now become Riley’s middle school history teacher, and uses historical events to teach life lessons to his daughter. For example, the events of the American Revolution is reflected when Riley chooses her friends over her family, against Cory’s wishes, and therefore defying the ‘father figure’.

Girl Meets World mirrors Boy Meets World in many ways.

Different characters from Boy Meets World often return and make a cameo appearance in the show, which is sure

By Monique Chan Photography by Tiffany Li

to bring back strong feelings of nostalgia from the viewers who have been following the story since Boy Meets World started. Many events that occur in Girl Meets World are parallel to those in Boy Meets World, ultimately teaching the same lessons to a newer generation.

Her best friend, Maya, is just as complex. She is outspoken and confident, but has an openly painful past. Her father left her at birth, and she is alone at most times since her mother has to work hard to keep the lights on. She shies away from hope in fear of being left down and seems to accept her life for the way it is, describing herself as

‘broken’. Then, there is the new boy from Texas named Lucas. He is seemingly squeaky clean, being nice and friendly to everyone, and Riley immediately takes a liking to him. However, it is later discovered that Lucas struggles with anger management, and was thrown out of his previous school for physical violence.

And finally, there is Farkle, a young genius who is completely self-assured in his intelligence. However, it turns out that he constantly struggles with his own identity. He was nearly diagnosed with Asperger’s, showing many of the symptoms, and is also heavily affected by what other people think of him, saying that when people tease him, it makes him “feel like a nothing.”

Each bubbly, cheerful character has a deeper, more vulnerable side to them.

Viewers have the chance to see characters truly grow and develop as real life kids would, which therefore makes them more relatable and realistic.

The show is beneficial to its viewers in many ways. It is educational to young children, teaching them not

In the early season of Girl Meets World, it seems just as fluffy as most Disney Channel shows. The stories are simple and sweet, and revolve mostly around the characters and their relationships with each other. However, as the show progressed, it started to change its stance.

Now, Girl Meets World is known for tackling numerous real-life issues, such as cyber bullying, physical violence, and autism and its acceptance. Now, the writers have promised to move on to even more serious issues. They issued a statement on Twitter, saying: “The simple stories portion of our program is officially over. You have asked us to take on real issues. We are listening.” There has even been discussion of moving Girl Meets World to ABC, so that it can freely explore more mature and controversial topics such as feminism and sexuality.

38 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

39 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

only history lessons, and links them to real life lessons as well. It can be light and funny, and at the same time convey the most important lessons to young viewers. It also shares nostalgia of Boy Meets World with its viewers, featuring many of the old characters as well as continuing their story. Girl Meets World has received positive critical response receiving a rating of 7.1 out of 10 on IMDB and 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also nominated for a number of different awards such as the Emmys. Rowan Blanchard, who plays the show’s titular character, has received attention recently for a speech she wrote regarding feminism. She is an activist, openly voicing her strong views on topics such as feminism, human rights, racial discrimination and gun violence.

She is also part of the HeForShe feminist campaign, and is globally recognized for being wise beyond her years.

Not your typical Disney Channel show, Girl Meets World is strikingly identifiable to viewers, offering not only comedic relief but heavier, more important messages and lessons about the challenges of life and society.

Book Review

The Sixth Extinction

By Esther Um Photography by Mathew Chow

world, from the remote isles off the coast of Iceland to the tropical rainforests of Panama, Kolbert collaborates with numerous scientists and researchers, each adding to her collection accurate empirical data and key perspectives and insights that corroborate the argument that humanity is propelling itself and the world towards the next mass extinction.

Every day more than 90 million tons of gaseous waste are being pumped into the Earth’s atmosphere. If we maintain current trends, the global temperature will continue to rise, triggering “world-altering events,” Kolbert writes. The ocean, which Kolbert notes has absorbed about one-third of the carbon dioxide we have produced, is being slowly warmed together with the atmosphere, a phenomenon that is irrefutably wreaking havoc on earth’s delicately balanced ecosystems. This warming threatens both the existence of living species with which we share the planet and the future of human civilization. “By disrupting these systems,” Kolbert writes, “we’re putting our own survival in danger.”

Many of us are familiar with The Five Worst Mass Extinctions - we’ve sat through science classes learning about the prodigal causes and effects of their effects and the dramatic changes they cause. Are we heading towards the next mass extinction?

In her new book, ‘The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History’, Elizabeth Kolbert shines light on the frightful and unnerving statistics of our planet’s deterioration.

“The current extinction has its own novel cause: not an asteroid or a massive volcanic eruption but ‘one weedy species’.”

Kolbert’s writing successfully captures the severity of the issues at hand, giving a vivid and honest portrait of a planet riddled with disease using a perfect balance of scientific rigour and wry humor that keeps you turning the pages.

On her unique travels around the

40 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Our oceans, a crucial food source and habitat for billions, have become warmer and more acidic as they absorb the increased heat and carbon pollution. Kolbert reasons that coral reefs are the most susceptible to being “the first major ecosystem in the modern era to become ecologically extinct”.

the last mass extinction, the Cretaceous Tertiary Extinction, some 66 million years ago. The Sumatran rhino, once common in Asia, has been reduced almost entirely as a result of habitat degradation and fragmentation. “In a similar vein, Jared Diamond has observed: “Personally, I can’t fathom why Australia’s giants should have survived innumerable droughts in their tens of millions of years of Australian history, and then have chosen to drop dead almost simultaneously (at least on a time scale of millions of years) precisely and just coincidentally when the first humans arrived.” Kolbert writes.

According to E. O. Wilson, a renowned researcher and retired Harvard University professor in the field of sociobiology and ecology, the present extinction rate in the tropics is “on the order of 10,000 times greater than the naturally occurring background extinction rate” and will reduce biological diversity to its lowest level since the last great extinction.

“Today, we are witnessing a similar mass extinction event happening in the geologic blink of an eye.”

pernicious mindset: we must deal with the immediate problems not the largest problems.

By substantially altering the integrity of the climate balance that has persisted in more or less the same configuration since the end of the last ice age, and which has fostered the flourishing of human civilization, we are risking our own future.

‘The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History’ is a gripping exposition, a compendium of scientific analysis and personal accounts. It is a comprehensive history of previous extinctions with thoroughly researched descriptions of the intricate web of life that bridges past and present. But most importantly, it is a call to action that induces readers to think deeply about humanity, the value of life, and the “the problem of sharing our earth with other creatures.”. “Right now,” Kolbert writes, “we are deciding, without quite meaning to, which evolutionary

Despite the glaring evidence that humanity is the dominant driving force behind our planet’s next mass extinction, we have been deplorably slow to adapt our destructive habits and adopt the necessary measures to solve this global environmental challenge. Our current response is still controlled by a

Changes so swift and drastic are causing entire species, both plant and animal, that cannot adapt to disappear at rates that have not been this high since

41 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

pathways will remain open and which will forever be closed. No other creature has ever managed this, and it will, unfortunately, be our most enduring legacy.”

42 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

43 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Digital Security BEYOND THE SERVERS When your friend leaves their computer wide open, what do you do? Chances are, you and a couple of your other friends will slam your fingers on the keyboard, make a beeline to Facebook and sabotage them— comment on a strangers’ photos, message fellow students confessing your friend’s “undying love” for them, change their profile picture to a stick of celery, or anything else that seems embarrassing.

Social media hijacking between friends is all in good fun— your friend will typically laugh it off, permanently displaying these posts on their wall like medals of honour.

Unfortunately, every once in awhile, somebody’s account may be compromised by somebody who isn’t their friend. The unsuspecting victim might click a link that promises free in-game currency, gift cards or more, and unwillingly surrender their login details to an anonymous party. While serious, the repercussions generally aren’t too harsh— you can regain access to your account easily enough, and the offenders will probably only have advertised some bogus product or software, or tried to gain access to the accounts of your associates, who are hopefully tech-savvy enough to know better. In more severe cases however, your finances can be transferred to an account against your will— your computer and it’s data could even be held hostage in exchange for a ransom. The growth of digital crime and identity theft is a worrying trend that’s only been on the rise as people begin to own more and more internet-connected devices.

A high degree of anonymity allows online criminals to evade capture, and digital crimes can yield a far bigger monetary pay-off as criminals are able to exploit vulnerabilities across different users and sites— if the servers of a single website or bank are compromised, it isn’t just

one or two users that are at risk, but potentially hundreds of thousands who are at danger of losing their account details and money. The promise of safety and a higher payout for potentially less effort is what makes digital crimes such as online fraud and hacking so attractive for would-be criminals, which is why the digital realm is quickly becoming the preferred medium for crime, and the economic cost cybercrime has on the global economy is massive— in 2014, McAfee, a computer security company owned by Intel, published a report that estimated the annual impact of cybercrime on the global economy was around $400 billion dollars. However, when we talk about digital crimes we tend to run under the assumption that these crimes only exist in cyberspace, and they rarely, if ever, manifest themselves physically. It’s all data breaches, money being transferred in the form of 1’s and 0’s from one account to another, but never anything physical. It’s a fair assumption to make, since for as long as the internet has existed, the digital and physical realms have operated almost exclusively.

However, in the near future, the entire landscape of cybercrime is set to change drastically. The “Internet of Things” is a term that is beginning to appear more and more often— the idea that a rapidly increasing amount of generic items are becoming “smart”, with the ability to be controlled by a smartphone over the internet. Everything from humble lightbulbs to vacuum cleaners can be controlled with your smartphone. It may seem like nothing more than a gimmick, another feature that looks great on paper, but won’t actually find itself being used— however, the uses of a “smarthome” extend far beyond the realm of simple party tricks.

Imagine a completely automated home—

44 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

By Ethan Lam

your phone detects you approaching the door, and tells your door to unlock itself.

The kettle begins to boil in anticipation of your arrival, and the lights are already on before you’ve even opened the door.

Even though this sounds like a home plucked straight out of an episode of “The Jetsons”, it isn’t a distant dream at all— it definitely won’t be too long before every home becomes a smarthome. The ability to interact with our homes when we aren’t even there, to be able to control everything from the palms of our hands is an incredibly enticing idea. It’s undeniable that the internet is rapidly integrating itself with our daily lives, and with that integration comes the potential for a completely different realm of cyber crime: Crimes that have physical consequences.

Just like any other new technology, smarthomes bring with them massive security risks— a surprising amount of information can be weaned from any component of a smarthome, with which a criminal could easily learn about your daily habits and eventually use that knowledge to commit crimes. A criminal could learn about your lifestyle patterns, such as what time you go to work and what time you get back, and as a result of having that information, break into your home with a very low risk of being caught. Since smarthome products are still so young and new, it’s only natural that the few products currently available on the market are underdeveloped in terms of security— these products do not even come close to being as secure as a computer(which is arguably never 100% secure), which makes them easy targets for hackers. As proof of how unsecure smart products are, the digital security company Synack Labs tested 16 common home automation products early in 2015 and were able to easily compromise all but 1 of them. With smarthome

technology adoption rates rapidly rising, such lax security standards are completely inexcusable, as having such vulnerable security is akin to handing over the keys to a huge number of homes to criminals on a silver platter.

As a testament to how popular the idea of smart-products is getting, car manufacturers are beginning to join the trend.

Autonomous cars have been all the rage in the tech world for seemingly forever, but are realistically still a few decades off from becoming completely normalized. Make no mistake though— “smart” changes are still happening to cars, albeit on a smaller scale. Google’s Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay standards allow Android and iOS devices respectively to enhance the functionality of built-in car control systems. Hardware wise, OBD systems, or On-Board Diagnostics, are built into virtually every modern car, allowing repair shops to quickly diagnose problems with a car through computers, instead of putting it through a series of trial and error tests.

The integration of technology with automobiles has brought with it an incredible amount of benefits— but as expected, with potentially terrible downsides.

Of all things, car-jacking certainly isn’t something you’d associate with a person tapping away behind their keyboard. In order to take control of a car, you have to be in it. Yes, getting your car stolen is terrifying, but is mostly mitigated by the fact that it requires the perpetrator to physically gain access to the car. It’s still a risk that comes with purchasing a car but, for the most part, is offset by the physical challenges of gaining access to another person’s car in the first place.

Until now. Hacking cars and controlling every aspect of them— including air conditioning, what music is playing, whether

or not the doors are unlocked, and even driving them completely remotely, isn’t a far-flung idea at all. In fact, it’s already been done. WIRED magazine released an article in July of 2015 detailing an achievement by Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, two security researchers who now work for Uber. The duo took full control of a Jeep Cherokee from afar while a WIRED magazine writer sat in the front seat, experiencing first hand what it was like to be remotely car-jacked. While the Jeep was on the highway, the duo turned the air conditioning all the way up, activated the windshield wipers, and eventually took control of the steering wheel and pedal. Thankfully, all they did was slow the car to a crawl, although in a later, more controlled environment, they drove the car into a ditch. They did this through a gleaming exploit in Chrysler’s proprietary automobile software, Uconnect, the internet-connected computer loaded onto Chrysler, Dodge, Fiats, and Jeeps that allows users to connect their mobile phones to the car, enhancing entertainment and navigation options. Since the car is constantly connected to a cellular network as a part of Uconnect, the exploit in question simply allowed the hackers to gain access to the car from anywhere in the country, given that they knew the car’s IP address beforehand. This is that tradeoff that we’ve seen countless times when it comes to technology— while technology has the potential to improve our lives, it also has the potential to allow us to be exploited.

Thankfully, Miller and Valasek are whitehat hackers, hackers who don’t hack for the purposes of sabotage or personal gain. The duo were in close contact with Chrysler during the development of the exploit, allowing Chrysler to put out an update to patch the security vulnerability

45 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

in their cars before the knowledge was even made public, although the methods through which they issued the update were dubious at best— they sent out USB sticks containing the patch over post, which conditions consumers to plug in USBs they receive as long as they look legitimate. This sort of response only opens up further avenues for criminals to gain access to cars— imagine the complications that would arise if they sent out their own USBs with rogue software. Realising their mistake, Chrysler eventually recalled 1.4 million vehicles that may have been affected by the vulnerability, and even took steps to filter out any potential attacks on cars through the cellular network linking the cars.

Digital security is still a massive issue that will only continue to persist as our devices continue to grow smarter and smarter.

While many digital crimes are reversible to a certain degree, being injured in a car accident is something that you really can’t reverse. All of this only goes to highlights the need for stricter security in all forms of technology— while many hackers do put their skills to good use by discovering and alerting developers to patch holes in their code that they hadn’t even noticed before, the same can’t be said for a solid portion of the hacking community— black-hat hackers are notorious for being rogue forces who sabotage for the sole purpose of getting a kick out of it, as well as gaining notoriety amongst their peers. These black-hat hackers are potentially some of the most dangerous people alive today— the usefulness and practicality of their abilities only continues to grow as more and more technologies are introduced to us. And if a black-hat snaps? It could spell disaster. The idea of “black-hats-for-hire” doesn’t seem so silly anymore, which could lead to a burgeon-

Illustration by Sierra Chiao

ing and thriving black market offering illegal services— services that have the potential to completely ruin lives, or topple corporations. Blackhats are indeed the mercenaries of the 21st century.

Digital crimes are a huge talking point in an increasingly tech-reliant world. This begs the question— does the internet make us more vulnerable?

Do the benefits of the internet outweigh the potential costs? In our modern world where people are rushing to complete task after task, never being able to take a moment to sit back and relax in a hyper-competitive world, convenience is king, and the internet is the tool that offers us the ultimate conveniences.

And the conveniences offered

are only going to continue to increase— humanity’s shift towards the internet is what is paving the way for ideas such as the internet of things.

We’ve grown so attached to the internet that it’s actually become a necessity— Estonia, Costa Rica, Finland, and France have all declared access to the internet as a basic human right. This simply goes to show that you need an internet connection to be a functioning citizen in the 21st century. The internet is essential, and unequivocally worth the costs.

Instead of constantly debating the hackneyed topic of whether or not the internet’s role in our lives is for better or worse, perhaps we should actually start fixing it. Whose

46 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

responsibility is it to protect users from potentially life-threatening situations?

Yes, the consumer does have a role, but there’s only so much a regular user can do to protect themselves. They’re powerless when it comes to doing anything other than using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authorization. The worst part about the internet is that it’ll never be 100% secure— new exploits will constantly be created, methods to work their way around new securities will always be found.

We’re always going to be vulnerable thanks to the internet, no doubt about that— but we can fix these vulnerabilities as quickly as possible so as to maximize security. It’s not just about

fixing problems before they appear, but rather, is about responding quickly and swiftly when the time does come. It’s the responsibility of the manufacturers and providers of digital products and services to constantly secure their services— and if the current situation is any sort of indication, we need to start pressuring them to step up to the plate and improve the general level of security.

As consumers, our power doesn’t lie only in protecting ourselves— it comes in our ability to demand change from those who are responsible.

47 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

A New Age of

Romance

By Christina Li

As a society, we are obsessed with technology. We tend to stay attached to our phones, monitors, tablets, with our eyes glued on the screens, watching hysterical videos of cats falling off roofs or scrolling through endless pages of Tumblr until our fingers became sore. As we continue to sit at home hunched over our desks, staring at our tiny computer screens, technology is progressing. Technology is being presented to us in different forms which develop every day, every hour: tablets, computers, Google glasses etc.

For many, it seemed like only yesterday when Facebook was introduced, and MySpace left in the dust. Technology is constantly shifting, transforming and presenting itself to us in various forms, and one of those forms is online dating. This article will cover a multitude of aspects on online dating, the reason for the sudden popularity, benefits and limitations for why adolescent like to use these sources, and how online dating ties in with Hong Kong.

The idea behind ‘online dating’ was introduced to society long before, and

at the time was hardly considered an option for love-seeking individuals.

However, as we started to enter the 21st Century, the stigma of online dating was abruptly removed. Our community had suddenly become infatuated with the idea, with the notion that a single swipe could start a potential relationship. Online dating websites and applications such as OKCupid, Tinder (although used more commonly for physical relationships), Lovestruck etc. have created windows of opportunities for individuals who desire love, but do not know how to approach the situation. Gradually, online dating became more and more popular, until it became an enormous role in many individuals’ lives, and this is because of many important factors.

So, what has caused this sudden obsession with online dating? Primarily, it was the constant changes in mainstream culture that had surged the popularity of online dating. As society becomes more and more centered around the phenomenon of the internet, designers are adding with more and more intrigue into their ideas,

48 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

which are specifically designed to suit their target audiences’ wishes. In this case, young groups are especially interested in finding love and starting relationships, and this has proved to be a large targeting area for designers.

The constant need for technology in our lives changes the nature of a vast majority of relationships, which then induces the need for more communication online. Especially with many millennials in society, the new age lifestyles they adapt to gives rise to the popularity of e-dating. The ever-constant looming presence of technology has oozed its way into every aspect of our lives, and eventually our love lives too.

However, experiences with online dating can be mixed. There are endless benefits and constant limitations.

Why are users so intrigued with online dating, and why are some so hesitant to try it? Well, the benefits or pros of online dating are often overlooked by people who tend to shy away from the experience. Firstly, the design of an online dating website or application provides effortless communication.

Only after a while of chatting up a person you’re interested in on these websites, you could be meeting up with them in only days, hours, minutes; whereas decades back, communication would require twice the effort. Secondly, along with such efficient communication, another beneficial factor to one’s love life is the compatibility between them and their partner. Many websites provide you questionnaires to promote chances of compatibility with two users. This makes it much easier for a user to determine whether or not they have common interests, are alike etc.

These are all fantastic for users, but what is even better is that the applications are easy to access, and simple to utilize; and these are only a few on the list.

And although the benefits of online dating are limitless, it is important that we consider the limitations. The main reason many users tend to shy away from the experience is because of these factors that cause experiences with online dating to be mixed. While some are rewarded with great results, being able to meet great individuals and starting relationships, others are not. This is because online dating is incredibly unpredictable, so it is important that users know what is in store for them.

Users ensured safety, happiness, or success. Similar to the benefits, these ‘digital landmines’ that online dating websites contain are endless. There is the issue with the figurative act of ‘shopping for partners’. The design of an online dating website or application specifically promotes users to explore various potential relationships, instead of the much more stable option of sticking to one relationship.. A large majority of online-daters experience this: scrolling past endless pages of possible users, selecting the ones they like and dislike, then chatting it up with whoever would message them back, and this is not necessarily a steady way to approach a situation.

Another gigantic peril that has been the focus of many concerned individuals, is the infamous ‘stranger danger’ issue. On online dating websites, there are many older men (and sometimes women) who take an interest with the younger users.

There have been infinite cases of catfishes, impostors, sex offenders, phedophiles on these various online websites. Because of this, it has led to over-caution, concerned parents to forbid their children to utilise these sources.

What many individuals have to come to the conclusion is that the although the effects and consequences of online dating are mixed, the benefits tend to overrule the limitations in many adolescent’s minds, which would explain the sudden popularity of this technology source. But what about online dating locally? What is it like in Hong Kong?

In Hong Kong, online dating becomes a bit more ambiguous. Because Hong Kong is such a small region with such a large population, the dating pool becomes much more focused. As you scan over the internet, you can find specialized websites and applications specifically for users in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, there is also a large imbalance of gender.

Hong Kong bachelorettes very obviously outnumbers their bachelor counterparts, and that serves a problem for the dating pools within the region. In 1981, Hong Kong gender ratio was 1,087 men to 1,000 women. However, 33 years later, a 2014 study proved that the gender imbalance has declined to almost 864 men to 1,000 women. With such a gigantic gender imbalance in the city, women in Hong Kong are growing more and more desperate to find their ‘perfect match’. In light of this, the online dating sources serve a great role in their crises. This is the reason why there are so many users of online dating sources

49 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

from Hong Kong whom are female. For HK women, this means that online dating will continue to play a large role in their love lives, and that would perhaps even lead to a heightened increase in men’s usage of online dating, as they realize that a lot of females are accessing these websites. The usage of e-dating in HK will most likely continue to grow in popularity, for a very long time.

As we continue to discuss the causes of the sudden rise in online dating popularity, it is necessary to view this subject from a professional or adult perspective. Therefore, in the following transcript, CIS’s guidance counsellor Miss Chang will convey her opinion on the shift in mainstream culture, and talk about the benefits and perils of online dating.

What is your opinion on this new shift in mainstream culture that has caused much of society to be fascinated with online dating?

I think the question that needs to be asked is, where are people meeting people? If you are a young professional, and you’re working from 8:00AM - 5:00PM every day, and you’re not a school environment where it’s easy to meet people with similar interests, where do you meet people? Do I meet them at the grocery store? At the cafe? At the bar? Does it mean I have to join a book club, or a hiking group to meet people?

I like this new change in society. What I like about it is that the world is slowly becoming more open to the idea. If you used to online date 10 or even 5 years ago, you would be considered a mutant. You’d be considered someone that couldn’t meet anyone in person, there was something wrong with you, and that you’re hiding behind a computer. But now, that has completely changed, and I think that’s great. As you grow older, you find that

your circle seems to get narrower, and so you start to expand it. And that’s why older people are more interested in online dating.

Being a young professional who moved to Hong Kong, the question I would wonder is: how would I meet anyone?

What do you think drives these people to utilise online dating sources? What is their motivation?

I think it comes down to two things. We are getting over our own pride. Because I think a lot of people didn’t want to admit they were online dating because they had a lot of pride. Because the assumption is, ‘Everyone is looking at me like I’m a mutant! There must be something wrong with me.’ It’s an assumption that you can’t meet somebody in real life. And that’s how online dating used to be viewed.

It was crazy to people when they find happily married people who met online, and they were somehow seen as freaks of nature, and they just needed to find each other because they did weird things and just weren’t ‘social’.

I think the motivation comes from wanting to expand your circle. In real life, it is harder to make those deeper connections, and to trust people. So it’s easier when you’re online. These online services create profiles based on what it is you don’t like and like. For example: If you want to date

50 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

someone between the ages of 18-24, or 30-35. These are sort of the criteria, they can’t be a smoker, they can’t be this, they can’t be that. So you can do some weeding out. I think it streamlines the process for whoever it is that’s going through it, and they think it’s easier.

I think the motivation comes from people not wanting to be lonely as well. Maybe it is because we’ve been in a place for so long that we’ve tapped out our resources, that we know everyone and we know these kinds of people, and we’re tired of them, therefore we want to expand our circles, but we don’t know how. That’s why many people turn to online dating as a solution.

What are your opinions on online dating, in general? What perils and promises do you think comes along with the package of online dating?

As a young professional, I think it’s a good thing. If people are being appropriate with online dating, and it’s clear what your intentions are, then it’s great.

Because I think if you’re on Tinder, and there are only pictures, and you swipe left or right if you like them, it’s superficial and not very useful to long-term relationships. Some people are on there for the right reasons, and whatever they may be, that’s okay, and we won’t judge them for it. However, if I’m looking at a photo of a male, and it’s a photo of him just

from his chest to right above his penis, it’s clear what his intentions are, and if you’re not looking for that, you need to steer clear of that. That’s what’s good about online dating, it puts everything out there.

What I don’t like about online dating, is that it is picture based! That is horrible.

It precludes the understanding of what it means to get to know someone. You don’t know whether that person who is on the other end of the dating medium is willing to engage in that. It’s similar to if you’re at a bar, or at a farmer’s market: are they going to approach you because you simply look nice? Or are they going to approach you because they want to get to know you on a deeper level? They’re going approach you based on the fact that they are attracted to you in some way.

Do you think online dating is beneficial to society and the youth? (Youth: Under the age of 18)

who doesn’t have the time or the opportunity to meet people, can participate in online activity. But for young people, I don’t think online dating is a good option, unless those sites are safe, and again that’s where we get into . It’s not something I would recommend, at all, for young people to get into. However, for young professionals, I think it is a great thing to have in your life.

With many individuals still remaining in a school environment, it is important to realize that although the option of online dating is available, it is certainly not necessary, while for many young professionals who do not have the time and strength to expand their circles, online dating is the perfect service to help them on their path. The idea of online dating will certainly flourish and develop, and hopefully in Hong Kong. And as the mainstream culture train spurs on, we will see where it takes us.akes us.

I would say no. There are so many opportunities for young people to be in communities, and to be able to commune. Being at school, being a student, it is a wonderful time to be able to meet people. And that is all the way through high school, college, grad school etc.

And being online, that can be difficult.

I can understand that an older person,

51 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

孝順長老

是否理所當然

By Faith Lee Photography by Jiahua Chen 孝順是中國人的傳統美德，是儒家 思想提倡的觀念，亦是我國各種民 族、信仰其中一個重大的共通點。 正所謂「百行孝為先」，這句話經 常掛在中國人嘴邊，由此可見中國 是一個多麼重視孝順之道的社會。 其實，孝順長老是否理所當然？ 「孝順」是指尊敬、順從父母的意 志，對大部分人說，是兒女對長老 應盡的本分。日常生活中，不論是 早上跟媽媽打招呼、為爸爸準備晚 餐，抑或是在地鐵上讓座給有需要 人士，都是孝順的表現。如今，儘 管孝敬長老的觀念還存在，但隨著 時代變遷，有人開始質疑此概念的 重要性。 不知大家是否記得幾個月前引起各 界震怒的「劍橋護老院事件」？位 於大埔的劍橋護老院，被揭發為長 者洗澡前，要他們全裸或半裸在露

天平台等候，涉及嚴重侵害長者人 權與隱私，被批評忽視長者尊嚴。 相信香港各位長者都曾為社會貢獻 良多，當中也許會有人因欠缺自理 能力與家屬支援，逼於無奈入住護 老院。護老院入住者可說是社會上 的弱勢社群之一，難道長者被如此 對待，是否無可避免？長者得不到 適當的照顧，家屬又是否有責任？ 最近，我國通過一部命名《老年人 權益保障法》，俗稱「常回家看 看」，顧名思義，是鼓勵孝順父母 的法例，要求兒女定期回鄉探望父 母，否則會有被判監的機會。這部 又稱「孝順法」的新法律引起大眾 爭議－－有人認為該法例體現了法 律的人性化，能夠喚起社會對老年 人的重視；有人則指政府強迫行 善，並且剝奪個人權利。其實被法 律強迫性地探望長老，是有別於從 心而發的孝順表現。

52 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

承接以上的觀點，也許有些人會因 為這個觀念，而濫用自己的「權 力」。比如說幾個月前又有一則新 聞，據報一名女子強迫一位小學生 讓座，搶去他的書包，結果跟司機 與多位乘客發生衝突。讓座的確是 尊重、關心長老的舉動，但這種自 私、魯莽的強迫性行為，偏離了「 孝順」的真正意義。後輩除了要學 會尊重長老，長輩自己也應該做好 榜樣。不論男女老少，只要大家同 心協力回饋社會，我國的未來一定 會變得更美好。 因此，孝順長老是否理所當然，本 人相信是視乎孝順的對象而定。不 過，孝順長老始終是兒女、後輩自 己的選擇，應該由大家自己衡量。 「孝順」未必是理所當然的規矩， 但我深信它仍然是一種值得學習的 美德。

53 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

貧富懸殊的解決方案?

駭客劫富濟貧

By Victoria Ngai Illustraion by Florence Wu 身在香港的我們，對貧富懸 殊這個詞肯定不陌生。所謂 的貧富懸殊，就是社會財富 分配不公，貧富兩端差異顯 著，社會財富畸形集中。

系统或网络安全來盜取富人 或者大公司的財富，自稱用 來劫富濟貧。

從古到今，解決貧富懸殊的 現象一直以來是人類的熱門 話題。“替天行道、劫富濟 貧”，《水滸傳》中梁山好 漢們的口號對於我們來講一 定不陌生。暫且不說“替天 行道”是誰給予的權利；古 代的那種奪取富人的財產用 來救濟窮人，難道就是解決 貧富懸殊的方法了嗎？

在2000年3月，駭客利 用Ddos的網絡攻擊導致 Yahoo、Amazon、CNN、ebay 等知名網站的癱瘓，可見 這些駭客的“威力”有多 大。最近，更有一部電視 劇“Mr. Robot”講述在晚 上化身为黑客的一名网络安 全工程师的故事。他遇见一 个神秘的无政府主义者招募 他加入一個反社會的駭客組 織，並想說服他擊垮一個影 響全世界的龐大機構，靠在 電腦上做手腳來劫富濟貧， 重新分配世界的財富。無獨 有偶，阿爾及利亞有一個駭 客人稱「快樂駭客」在不久 前利用電腦病毒入侵全美 超過200間金融機構竊取金 錢，隨後將偷來的錢捐給巴 勒斯坦的慈善組織。人們也 在網上議論紛紛：他究竟 是現代羅賓漢還是網路流 氓呢？

現如今，世界已進入網絡時 代，人與人之間的互動逐漸 轉到網路上，因此，劫富濟 貧的方法也升級換代。古時 的梁山好漢亦搖身一變成匿 伏在網上的駭客（hacker） 通過破解或破坏某个程序、

往往這些現代的“梁山英 雄”也有響應的口號：“為 富不仁，劫富濟貧”，但如 今許多全世界的富豪不再像 古代一樣“為富不仁”，更 會捐出大量的金錢做慈善。 比爾蓋茨和巴菲特曾訪問中

這種現象是世界性的。聯合 國開發計劃署（UNDP）在 2014年發表的一份報告指， 世界各國的貧富懸殊問題更 在加劇，對全球經濟和政治 穩定構成威脅。今年設定的 十七個“全球目標”之中， 第一個就是“沒有貧窮”， 第十個則是“減少不平等” ，可見貧富懸殊在社會上造 成的重大影響。

54 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

國並游說中國的富人為慈善 做出貢獻。此外，比爾蓋茨 和他的夫人在TED上面受采访 的时候，曾说过“捐赠我们 的财富是我们所做过最满意 的一件事”。可見，當代的 富人已懂得利用自己的財富 來濟貧。那麼，是不是還需 要駭客來動手呢？ 讀過《水滸傳》的都知道， 故事中智取生辰綱之後，梁 山英雄們拿出錢去接濟了其 他窮人麼？沒有，一文錢都 沒有！統統是自家兄弟給分 了贓！然後不勞而獲地先 富了起來，去盡享“大秤分 金、大塊吃肉、大碗喝酒” 的奢靡生活。同樣，許多現 代的駭客也是打著劫富濟貧 的口號，做出的行為卻只是 為了自己的名利。

再者，劫富之後就算真的濟 貧了，這在道德上還是存在 了問題。聖人孔子曰：“ 不義而富且貴，於我如浮 雲。”就是說，用不正當的 手段得來的富貴不是真正有 價值的。無論有什麼理由， 盜竊別人的金錢始終屬於犯 法的行為。富人不能“為富 不仁”，但是窮人也不能“ 窮而無德”。 綜上所述，如今駭客劫富濟 貧或許可能是出於好意，但 是最終卻不符道德，而且更 不是貧富懸殊的解決方案。 面對貧富懸殊的問題，我們 應該鼓勵有錢的市民為慈善 做出貢獻，用正當的手段去 造福社會，而不是通過“劫 富濟貧”。

55 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

THE GREAT

VEGAN DEBATE

By Adrienne Chen & Yuri Hwang

Veganism, with its promotion of an extreme and difficult lifestyle, has become one of the most frequently debated controversies of today. The decision to avoid all animal byproducts is, to fellow vegans, the only active and logical response to the inhumane slaughter of animals. On the other hand, to meat-enthusiasts, this drastic decision is incomprehensible and some may even argue foolish. Through such controversy, many negative and often misinformed opinions have been formed. The term “veganism” has become tied to much backlash- especially on the ever over-exposed media. However, all preempt judgements aside, veganism is a lifestyle, a choice for many; a choice that advocators believe can change the world.

“Animal lovin’ ain’t shovin’ em’ in the oven.” Harley Dunstone, aka “Durianrider”, is one of many famous vegan activists. The popular fitness blogger is outspoken in his views on the brutal savagery with which animals in slaughterhouses and factory farms are treated. Most, if not all vegans are proud animal lovers, disgusted by the moral injustice inflicted on other living beings by the meat-eating society. Many livestock farms around the world are criticised for their infamous mistreatment of animals, which have gained attention through many horrifying videos that have gone viral. Vegans, by cutting out all animal byproducts and thus their contribution to such atrocities, are taking real action, unlike hypocritical bystanders who “like” and “share” such videos but continue to consume and serve to the overall cause for such heinous crimes against nature.

and again to actively implement effective solutions. That’s where veganism comes in. Livestock farming is currently one of the greatest contributors to global warming. The extensive breeding of animals has caused a dramatic increase in the global emission of greenhouse gases; according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO), livestock farming generates 18% more greenhouse gas emissions than transport. Eating meat isn’t only killing the animals- it’s killing the Earth, too.

If saving the Earth and its animals isn’t enough of a reason, veganism also has the added allure of numerous health benefits.

Studies have shown that eating animal fats and proteins significantly raises the chances of cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, heart disease and many more life-threatening diseases. Another study showed that consumers of red meat and processed meats had premature deaths much more frequently than others. An article published in Food Planet explained that plant based diets completely eliminated one’s genetic propensity to develop type 2 diabetes and cancer. Vegan foods are significantly lower in fat and contain no cholesterol, aiding in weight loss and preventing obesity. Vegan diets are, unlike what many meat-eaters refuse to acknowledge, much healthier and nourishing to the human body- which is a completely different yet no less convincing reason for veganism. Vegans deserve respect not only for making such drastic and inconceivable decisions for selfless reasons, but also because those decisions were a real, active step towards eradicating the severe moral issue and has the power of changing the world.

“Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”

Photography by Gabriel Lee

Not only is livestock farming an unspeakable act of violence, but it is also extremely harmful to the environment. Environmental degradation is one of the most pressing issues the world faces today; its priority is no question, and yet the world fails again

56 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

57 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

There are many advantages to the notorious image of veganism. Not only are vegans choosing this lifestyle for ethical reasons, but also for environmental, health and even economic benefits. However, due to the common misconceptions of the reasons as to why people become vegan and the many negative stereotypes of vegans as well as how they act, as stated above, veganism is not a popular lifestyle option amongst the current generation.

Many people are unaware of the effects of becoming vegan, and how one small decision or action - turning vegan - could make such a large impact.

Photography by Constance Lam If veganism has so many benefits, why is it surrounded by so much controversy? The very simple and obvious answer is social prejudice. Humans have been omnivorous ever since the beginning of time; because meat consumption is an ingrained human behavior, many react strongly with judgement and criticism when such a deeplyrooted belief is questioned. Thus, no matter how many studies are conducted, many still refuse to acknowledge the benefits of veganism and choose to undermine and mock what should be respected as honorable choices. As Gary Yourofsky stated, “If every meat, dairy and egg-eater logically and compassionately re-evaluated their beliefs, they would understand why veganism is the only ethical and acceptable way to live on this planet.”

Not only is the concept of veganism foreign and thus unwelcome to begin

with, its reputation is further tainted by the infamous outspoken nature of some vegans. “Aggressive”, “preachy” and “high-maintenance” are words often used to describe advocators of the vegan lifestyle. These words are all so commonly used in association with vegans that it has created a perpetual - not to mention negative stereotype. Stereotypes do stem from truth- “where there’s smoke there’s a fire”- but again, stereotypes are broad generalisations and are often found to be inaccurate assumptions that are both ignorant and offensive. Veganism is about respecting other living beings- so why would vegans try to impose and force things upon other people that are clearly unwanted? Veganism is a choice. Vegans make their choice, others make theirs, and there must be a mutual respect for these choices from both sides. Nevertheless, preachiness and outspokenness

58 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

can be found among vegans. However, preachiness does not always have to be seen in such a negative light. Of course, it may come off as offensive when one’s behavior is pointed out and criticised but the vegan viewpoint must be considered. As stated earlier, many vegans are extremely strong advocators for animal rights and the ethical treatment of all living creatures. What do advocators do? They speak out about their beliefs and put in everything to make the world see through their eyes and try to understand just a little bit of how they feel. No matter how aggressive or opinionated they may seem, it just doesn’t matter- all that matters is getting their point across. Some vegans may be “preachers”. However, it is important to consider and understand that there is a valid and logical reason behind such strong advocacy.

Factory farms and meat consumption play significant roles in the degradation of the environment; it happens to be the leading cause of ocean dead zones, animal extinction, water deprivation and deforestation.

If the manufacturing of meat is reduced, not only can it reduce global warming, but it also eliminates excessive carbon dioxide production, reduces methane and nitrous oxide production, saves extreme amounts of water, reduces ecological footprint and most importantly, ensures environmental sustainability.

As the world population is increasing, the requirement and demand for food is increasing as well. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, “demand for animal flesh is expected to more than double by the year 2050”. Every year, more than 150 billion animals are slaughtered by the meat, egg and dairy industries. If the demand for animal flesh is expected to more than double by the year 2050 while the world population is also increasing, more than double of the animals will be killed and exploited for personal needs, which will create greater problems for the environ-

ment as well as the animals’ well-being.

Recently, WHO, the World Health Organisation has done research showing that processed meat consumption can cause many forms of cancer. This created a lot of controversy online and on social media, with many debates between people of different beliefs and lifestyles. Many believe that this is just a myth, and are skeptical by the idea of meat causing a life-threatening disease. However, it does cause cancer, and infact countless other health risks as well.

According to the National Institutes of Health, there were many other shown that red meat can increase the risks of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and can even shorten one’s lifespan by 10 years. Following this issue, studies have also been done on vegans, and almost all health results reported back were positive and healthy.

Veganism is not a diet that people follow just to lose weight. It is not a way to get attention, nor is it “high-maintenance”.

Veganism is an active and real step towards saving billions of innocent lives and the deteriorating environment. The failure to identify and respect veganism as a choice and lifestyle is unfortunate and highlights the close-mindedness of the society with a strong aversion to change. Veganism is justified, and this lifestyle or choice may lead to many positive changes to the world.

Hong Kong Food Culture

By Kaitlyn Wells and Abe Luk Photography by Byron Lee Hong Kong is famous for its culinary ambiguity. Around the city you can find a wide array of food which has roots in the West, other parts of Asia, and local cantonese cuisine. What our from dai pai dongs to ice cream parlours, Hong Kong is sometimes referred to as Asia’s culinary capital, while managing to maintain its cultural heritage.

T

raditional food shops are

abundant throughout Hong

Kong, from Dai Pai Dongs (大排檔） to Cha Chaan

Tengs. The many types of local eateries predominantly serve Cantonese cuisine, including the famous dim sum tourists just can’t get enough of. Dim sum is an amalgamation of small-portioned food prepared with tea, typically served as brunch. At some places dim sum is even available before 6am catering towards seniors in Hong Kong who rise early for morning exercises. Dim sum is a popular group affair, a time to socialize with family, friends and colleagues.

Another common local eatery is Siu Mei shops, another common local eatery in Hong Kong. Siu Mei is a generic term for chinese barbeque, usually meats roasted on an open fire. This can range from fancy restaurants, to modest shops on

60 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

the street displaying an array of hanging, cured meats. Siu Mei is a signature classic of Hong Kong cuisine. Additionally, Cha Chaan Tengs embody both the culture and ingenuity of Hong Kong. Simply put, Cha Chaan Tengs are tea restaurants, and offer new styles of affordable canto-western food. Li Po-chu, a retired owner of a Cha Chaan Teng in Mong Kok, says “You can find so many types of food in Cha Chaan Teng,” says Li. After 99 years under British rule, Hong Kong has adapted some of Britain’s cultural habits, such as mixing sugar and milk into tea. The western twist to cantonese food originating in Hong Kong is somewhat accredited to the British colonization. The styles of traditional food are too many to mention, the selection is broad and contrasting.

Hong Kong is a city where all cultures meet. There are a numerous amount of

international restaurants in the area such as Mexican, Indian and French food, especially Japanese and Korean. The Western influence on China has lead the country to be the leading food retailer in urban cities. It is simply outstanding the way that Hong Kong can achieve such cultural amalgamation. Historically, the influence has derived from the British colony. However, nowadays it develops from the wide range of nationalities that exist in Hong Kong, as Hong Kong has been exposed to different cultures in the past. The international influence has impacted Hong Kong by bringing us a variety of restaurants that consists of Mcdonalds, Pizza Express, KFC etc… It has caused a huge effect not only to Hong Kong, but also to China, with Mcdonald’s opening 10 restaurants per week and KFC having 4,260 locations in China in just 26 years. By having these restaurants, more people can expand their taste in food, whilst trying the different foods given by an international influence.

MTR Station Sai Ying Pun was opened within the past year. Around the west end of the Island line, there are many bakeries selling traditional chinese pastries and desserts, as well as other cafes and a variety of restaurants. Many of these chinese bakeries serve pastries and baked goods including egg tarts (dan tat), wife cakes (bun filled with wintermelon paste), and pineapple buns, all popular snacks. High Street and Water Street of Sai Ying Pun offer a

range of quaint cafes, East meets West eateries and fusion cuisine. Pizzerias, Thai, coffee shops and western bars are a common sight in the trendy neighbourhood Sai Ying Pun, a delight for tourists and locals alike. Emack and Bolio’s, an ice cream parlour that opened in October, was founded in Boston and has expanded its branches to Asia, where a store opened in Bangkok in 2014. Available is an assortment of ice creams, smoothies and chocolates. They bring cool toppings from the States like Froot Loops and Lucky Charms, as well as waffle cones embellished with other rare sweet treats. This ice cream parlour is a true American dessertery from all the way across the world, and this internationality is what makes Hong Kong so cultured.

Overall, Western culture has influenced food in Hong Kong by opening new restaurants that are suitable for anyone. It has provided Hong Kong with a wide range of food opportunities from it’s traditional Dai Pai Dong to their fine Italian cuisines. This brings a new perspective to Hong Kong- now not only does Hong Kong have their unique dim sums which have originated from long ago, but also have pizza parlours and fast food restaurants which showcase the nationalities that are located in Hong Kong. The positives of having international food is giving citizens a worldly experience from different countries. On the other hand, as Hong Kong develops, more restaurants will be built which might take away the tradition of dai pai dongs and dim sums. Hong Kong as a city has developed so much from the past, rebuilding buildings or revamping noodle stalls that one of our traditional aspects left in this city is the food sta=lls on the street.

61 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Food stalls on the streets: The many types of local eateries predominantly serve Cantonese cuisine, including the famous dim sum tourists just can’t get enough of.

62 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

63 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

The 21st century has given way to a generation of

THE PASSION HYPOTHESIS E

BY STANC CON LAM

“The key to a fulfilling career is to first figure out what you’re passionate about, and then go find a job to match.”

Or is it?

64 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

self-aware soul searchers. Globalization has revolutionized thought and facilitated great advancements in almost every field imaginable: technology, science, art, linguistics , film, photography, philosophy, mathematics. You name it, these advancements have driven our collective thirst for knowledge. As a result, the world has placed a stronger emphasis on education. In the span of twenty five years, the number of educated children globally has increased by 43 million, giving way to a more educated workforce. With the rise in demand for high paying jobs, more people have the privilege to live to work, instead of working to live.

Instead of worrying about paying bills and getting by in the present, people have the means to worry about the future, and to put their happiness first. They become occupied with the goal of self fulfillment, which is achieved by way of pursuing their interests and passions. It is generally accepted by most that doing something you are passionate about is far easier than doing something you are apathetic towards. The premise of “What Color Is Your Parachute?”, a job hunting self-help guide by Richard Bolles, encapsulates this in the following sentence: The key to a fulfilling career is to first figure out what you’re passionate about, and then go find a job to match. This has been dubbed “The Passion Hypothesis”, but what happens when it is proven wrong?

Firstly, we must begin by defining the following

terms; passion and hobby. According to the MerriamWebster dictionary, a passion can be defined as a “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something”. This is not to be confused with a hobby, which is a “pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation”. Often, a passion is confused with a hobby, but there is a crucial difference between the two. For instance, someone whose hobby is playing the piano enjoys playing it after a long day at school or work, and feels relaxed and gratified when doing so. On the other hand, someone who is passionate about playing the piano will dedicate a significant amount of time to practice frequently; even if they feel frustration at times, they are still driven by their passion and will remain persistent. Inevitably, their passion will be an integral part of their self identity, due to the amount of time and hard work invested in it. However, a hobby can become a passion, if the person finds the determination and drive to pursue the hobby as a living. Before jumping to conclusions, one must ask themselves the following questions before determin-

ing their passion: “Can I foresee myself pursuing this as a career in later years? Does this shape my self identity and self worth? Do I love what I do?”

N

eedless to say, passions play a vital role in student life, especially in a diverse, eclectic student body like that of CIS. We are perpetually encouraged by others around us: educators, parents, peers, to find something we are passionate about and to take our pursuit of it to the next level - by pursuing it professionally, or leading a club or after-school activity centred around it. The latter is easier said than done, as most students believe that they either lack the time and the experience. In short, taking initiative to pursue one’s passions and leading others in doing so can be daunting, which is why these tasks are often left to older, more experienced students in CISHK. However, student initiative is more prevalent in CIS Hangzhou, due to the marginally smaller student body. The smaller student body allows students to interact with each other more often, and they feel more comfortable and less intimidated by their peers. Students of CIS Hangzhou have established many student led activities and clubs, namely The Prompt (student-led literary magazine), Book Club, Photography Club, TedX, The Sing Thing (student-led a capella group) and Model United Nations (MUN). According to Flora Xiao (Year 11), co leader of MUN (CISHZ), “ If a student starts and leads the program; other students will know that they won’t be the only ones participating.” Other students have also vocalized their opinions on the benefits of student led initiatives. Sabrina Chan, an active participant in many student led clubs states, “Being part of student led initiatives from Hangzhou and now has made me understand the importance of seizing opportunities. It allows us to gain a better understanding of our subject of interest and how we can make an impact.” The increased camaraderie among students makes the prospect of student initiatives less intimidating, as the students are likely to support their peers who take initiative.

“ If a student starts and leads the program; other students will know that they won’t be the only ones participating.”

- Flora Xiao, Year 11

However, despite the deceptive simplicity of the

passion hypothesis, it has the tendency to backfire.

According to Dan Kinzer, the current director of

65 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

After school activities: CIS Frisbee Team Photography by Scarlet Au

experiential learning at CIS Hangzhou, “ We all see a passion as one concrete, almost tangible thing, and that is the reason so many people struggle to identify their passion.” Mr. Kinzer, who designs learning passion-driven and project-based programs with an emphasis on learning outside the classroom, also comments, “If we spent more time being fully aware of the world inside of ourselves and the world outside of ourselves I think we would discover that a great deal of what’s going on in the universe excites us immensely.” What both youths and adults hear often is the promise of fulfillment and self gratification that comes hand in hand with a passion, but equally often, people are still searching for their passions. To many, not knowing what they are passionate about is a source of great stress, self doubt and even self loathing. They lose themselves in their quest of self discovery, and at this point, the passion hypothesis has morphed into something entirely different, a trap of sorts, which positive psychology specialists have aptly called,“The Passion Trap”.

The passion trap is as follows: The more emphasis you place on finding work you love, the more unhappy you become when you don’t love every minute of the work you have.

“ We all see a passion as one concrete, almost tangible thing, and that is the reason so many people struggle to identify their passion.”

- Mr. Kinzer

Many people are aware that the word “passion” bears positive

connotations, but not as many are aware of the consequences of the unhealthy pursuit of a passion, otherwise known as obsessive passion. Robert J. Vallerand, a social psychologist renowned for his research on “The Dualistic Model of Passion” , makes the following distinction between harmonious and obsessive passions. When someone has a harmonious passion for something, they “freely accept the activity as important for them without any or little contingencies attached to it.” In other words, they are motivated by this acceptance to engage in the activity voluntarily. A person who has an obsessive passion allows their self worth, thoughts and feelings to be dictated by the passion. This may be due to external pressure, or contingencies such as social acceptance and self esteem. Essentially, these in-

66 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

dividuals cannot help but engage in rigid persistence toward the activity. While obsessive passion may lead to short term benefits, such as improvement in the activity over time, it also creates higher costs, such as emotional strain, a declining social life, added stress and fatigue. When we get caught up in the pursuit of our passions to the point of obsession, are we not defeating the purpose of self fulfillment?

When someone has a harmonious passion for something, they “freely accept the activity as important for them without any or little contingencies attached to it.”

to pursue. While it is important that we find our passions which will help us seek fulfillment and happiness, it is equally important that our passions do not control and dictate every aspect of our self identity, as is the case with obsessive passions, and that we do not need to create stress for ourselves in the pursuit of our passions. We should start by trying to develop a zest for living in the present, about what already exists and matters the most. In essence, we are in charge of our lives; therefore we create our own mindsets. Ergo, a new passion hypothesis emerges - we need not define our passions, and our passions need not define us.

In some respects, the passion hypothesis proves to be true. It is easy to pursue something that you are passionate about, as the excitement and enthusiasm you have for it only serves to motivate.

However, we must bear in mind that the passion hypothesis is only applicable to harmonious passion, which we should strive

67 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

POLITICAL APATHY WHY WE CARE

By Ye Zhang and Kenny Jeong Not too long ago, when umbrellas and tear gas were still capturing the zeitgeist of Hong Kong’s strive towards authentic universal suffrage, I stumbled across Rollo May’s Love and Will - admittedly, not very much of it, whether it was the sections on deeper consciousness or love or relationships or happiness, stayed with me. Amidst all the elaborate dissections of the peculiarities of human life, however, I remember one thing: on page 29 of the first section Our Schizoid World, May said “hate is not the opposite of love; apathy is”.

Of course, what he meant with such profound prose was probably largely different to how I interpreted the statement.

However, it still led me to ask myself a series of questions: is the choice to be numb to something the absolute antithesis of loving it? Do airs of political apathy reflect a form of tacit aversion towards issues that are not immediately “convenient” to care about? Do students at institutions such as Chinese International School Hong Kong even have the obligation to care about politics? Perhaps there will never be a correct, let alone definite answer to these questions - but what I have always believed is that the occasional airs of

68 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

political numbness here at our school are more of a reflection of student values.

Before anything, let’s clear a few things up - political apathy and political ignorance are two entirely different things. It is clear that no CIS student is entirely politically ignorant. Fortunately, with the trademark dissemination of charity groups, grassroot projects, and fundraising events, it is almost impossible for a student to be completely blind to political issues in the grand scheme of politics. All integral parts of secondary curricula such as Service and Action week, dressing casual purposefully for particular days and the mandatory participation in a local, sustained and active service are all designed to make us worldly young men and women. Frequency guarantees exposure.

Politically apathetic, on the other hand, is something that many students are entirely capable of. A politically apathetic student is an educated individual with some grasp of domestic or international politics who chooses to be wilfully apathetic on his or her own initiative due to a lack of interest. When asked if they read the news on the daily, these students will most likely respond with a “sometimes”, or “never”. When asked if they can talk about their view on a certain political stance, students will most likely respond with an offhand shrug, or an innocuous “I don’t know”. And unfortunately, it seems that wherever one may be, it has almost become normal, if not trendy to be ignorant. Indeed, the silence that pervades the classrooms of some students after being asked about the recent news by a teacher is only indicative of their lack of interest in politics and global changes.

This brand of political apathy that is popular amongst students is surprisingly contagious. Political awareness is treated more as an obligation by most students rather than as a fruitful pursuit and because students aren’t being “tested” on their knowledge of current events, for lack of a better term, being constantly politically aware is treated more as a mundane, obligatory task than anything else. The juxtaposition is strange, since most youth of Hong Kong are politically impassioned.

Occupy Central is a good example of this, where on television and radio, there were countless interviews and footage of demonstrations by local students and young civilians advocating the movement. By contrast, the number of CIS students who went down to Central with the intention of making a genuine difference, let alone care about the ramifications of universal suffrage pales in comparison.

As those who come from one of the most privileged and well-endowed schools in Hong Kong, the students of Chinese International School are believed to have not only immense academic prowess, but also a firm grasp of world politics and current affairs. Surely, given the picturesque environment in which most if not all CIS students are educated in, political awareness and advocacy should come hand in hand with their studies. Political issues, after all, are broached by teachers and parents alike on the daily: to a certain extent, we are all encouraged to read the news, contribute to charities, spread awareness, debate and discuss recent political events.

69 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

if we choose to simply make ourselves happier instead of becoming more familiar with legislation being passed in a distant country? Are we poor students if the rise of global temperatures falls lower on our list of priorities than getting more than 5 hours of sleep does?

If you haven’t realized, the picture is a lot uglier in person - despite all efforts and mechanisms in place to make politics enticing, most CIS students are still inexorably, adamantly, politically apathetic. While the average student here may not scream ignorance, he or she may lack real engagement with the dynamic political scene of both Hong Kong and other international communities.

Of course, I understand that it is extremely myopic and unjust to pigeonhole the entire school population into this description. In my 6 years here, I have seen students who do care - I love to concede that there are always flashes of genuine passion and inner drive in some individuals to create change in the immediate communities that surround them. For them, I have nothing but genuine praise. The point however, is that I emphasize that such qualities are always found in the same few individuals - as unfair as it is to perhaps label an entire school as politically apathetic, it is also equally hard to justify calling the school’s student body “politically engaged”, simply due to a few select students that may or may not exist within every year group.

Which begs the question: why are most students politically apathetic, given the environment and conditions in which they are educated?

The answer we face is extremely multi-faceted and but fundamentally very simple - it’s the environment we have built for ourselves here at school. The problem most likely exists because of a range of reasons: priorities, ten-

dencies, curriculum, stereotypes, and a lack of engagement or effect.

For the most part of our lives at CIS, we students are living in a nebula of academic projects, assignments and papers, along with the plethora of extracurricular activities and commitments we devote precious minutes of our own very limited time. Students micromanage their time and count not the hours of sleep but the minutes - passing time is not measured by days but the number of assessments you have in a week and it’s clear that most things come after the daily responsibilities of being a student. While there are benefits to surrounding oneself with an academically-centric environment, an implacable side effect of this is that students simply do not have enough time to deal with a task that does not release stress or anxiety that is forced to be bottled up over the week.

Another problem that seemingly contributes to political apathy in CIS is that politics are not integrated enough into the school curriculum. Off the top of my head, it feels as if the humanities are the only subjects that actively require relevant political knowledge, and even that to a limited extent. Generally speaking, most extracurricular activities also are not based on political awareness. When confronted with the option of sports, or community service, or anything else that is deemed interesting in the light of what’s trendy, most people would not spend hours of their life pouring over political decisions half a world away, unless they were really interested in it. However, once again, it seems as that no one is at fault - our teachers do amazing jobs at teaching students valuable skills and knowledge in their respective subjects. Co-curricular activities have created unique relationships between students and faculty. It’s clear that the CIS formula for education works - whether it can currently accommodate political interest and fervor into the equation is another question.

Lastly, as students, our lives are

constantly spiralling out of our control. As we get older, we face larger burdens and thus, our abilities to plan what we may encounter in our day to day life seems to fade away. When we feel that we have so little control and influence over even the most petty, tiny aspects of our lives, we will feel a sense of helplessness. And naturally, if we feel that we are placed in the backseat of our very own lives, only to stare wistfully at the different number of people who will sit behind the steering wheel, attempting to take routes which we have never heard of, is it not natural to feel that no matter how much we know about politics, we will probably never be able to make a profound influence anyway? This is precisely why other forms of apathy, such as the emotional kind, arises - the lack of command over our own lives leaves much to be desired and the last thing we feel is that we will be allowed to change other people’s’ lives.

Like May said, it seems to be true that“hate is not the opposite of love; apathy is”. No student at CIS really abhors politics and those who don’t have a natural inclination towards it are simply apathetic. And rationally speaking, it is absolutely unjust for anyone to dismiss a student for this explicit or implicit choice, unless something changes at CIS. And if we want to legitimately claim that we are the leaders of tomorrow, that change best come our way faster before the next big thing.

In the IB years particularly, with most students cramming for exams and preparing for universities, unless engaging with politics is directly beneficial to the next approaching assignment, it would be the farthest thing from anyone’s mind, buried under more pressing matters such as standardized testing and university applications. On the flip side, even by leaving very real aspects out like procrastination and laziness, when the student does find himself free and wondering what to do, can you picture him or her prioritizing dry articles and opinion pieces over sleep, gaming, or social time? And even if we do choose the latter options, and always put what is gives us the most happiness and satisfaction instantaneously - can we blame anyone? Are we at fault

70 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

71 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

RACE IN POPULAR

CULTURE

By Gabriel Lee

Popular culture is a raging machine that never stops producing. The moment you turn . The landscape of pop culture has grown so massive that it is impossible to keep track with the new information that floods in. However, the information we receive day to day is sometimes so focused on attracting more views, that we as consumers seemingly ignore the signs of clear appropriation and misportrayal of culture in the products offered to us.

Perhaps you’ve seen the Video Music Awards this year, where host Miley Cyrus was sporting a new hairstyle. The former Hannah Montana star debuted blond dreadlocks that ran to her back. This caused commotion in the US, and within 24 hours the internet had responded with comments such as “please tell me that Miley Cyrus didn’t just abuse

her whiteness and wore dreadlocks to the VMA’s.

Tell me this is all a bad dream?” and “Miley Cyrus in a blonde dread high pony cuz sometimes you OD on your appropriation pills”. Appropriation has been a constant misstep that pop stars frequently take, with a false perception that what they are doing is original. Cyrus was once America’s beloved child actress, but as she has matured, she’s begun to take on this persona of a ‘bad girl’. In 2013, she released a music video for her single ‘We Can’t Stop’, which became a house party anthem, and also introduced to the world a new side of Cyrus: a twerking, marijuana endorsing and controversial . The video shows Cyrus not only twerking, but also flashing a set of ‘grills’- a golden piece of jewelry that are worn like braces.

This type of jewelry is common among hip-hop

72 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Photography by Gabriel Lee

73 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Crowe, and stars Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone. It tells the story of a military contractor who goes to Hawaii to organize a traditional blessing ceremony. But the undoing of the film is that the character of captain Alison Ng, played by Stone, is one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter Hawaiian, and one-quarter Swedish. Stone however, is fully caucasian. This misrepresentation of culture not only shows that the casting process of Hollywood is deeply flawed, but also how the caucasian race is also being considered for roles that aren’t within their ethnicity.

This not only reduces the racial diversity of every Hollywood production, leading to a misrepresentation of the race that is being portrayed, but also reduces the chances of talented actors of other races to obtain the role.

Minorities are also being severely undercut in Hollywood productions as well, some even have to change their last name in order to obtain a role. A research study conducted by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American studies at UCLA discovered that in fact in 2013, only 16.7% of lead actors/ actresses were minorities. This data shows that minorities are struggling to find roles in Hollywood, but also how blind we are to the act of whitewashing. Chloe Wang, an actor on Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D, changed her last name to Bennet.

This name change lead to the end of her casting drought and within days she was offered a role on the TV series Nashville.

Perhaps the most shocking thing to be discovered from this story is that actors now have to undergo some sort of transformation in order to receive castings. This is alarming to many of Hollywood’s actors whom are minorities, meaning that they will have to forego their surname of speciality and cultural importance, and indigenous importance in order to seek jobs in the industry.

community, and was popularized by rappers in the south of the US. However, the movement Cyrus was endorsing was in fact ‘ratchet’, a word that is used for describing and denoting a female from urban areas and ghettos. The fact that Cyrus would try to approve this movement being that she grew up in a successful family that nurtured and cared for her in Tennessee, a far cry from the ghettos of Harlem or Chicago’s South Side, is simply perpetuation of African-American stereotypes to the same demographic of teenagers that hide their prejudice by proclaiming their love for the culture.

Another one of America’s most popular stars to come under fire would be Taylor Swift. The 25 year old recently debuted her visuals for Wildest Dreams, which shows the musician in Africa filming a movie. On the surface, Wildest Dreams may seem to pay homage to 1950s film classics such as African Queen, but one can infer much more than that. In this video, not one black African appears. If this

is indeed intended to be a tribute, wouldn’t it be fair for some of people of the land to appear in the video? The setting of the video only shows the raw, unpopulated mass of Africa, and suggests that it was nothing but barren and primitive before the ‘white man’ arrived. Perhaps there is an easier way of paying homage to these classic films without completely ignoring what the nation of Africa has to offer as a country with its rich cultural history and diversity of people. Swift may not have thought about these factors when she made this video, but it certainly would appear insensitive and offensive to the viewers of her video that were located in Africa. Both Cyrus and Smith have to be more aware of their audiences and the way that they receive the content, lest they infuriate ethnic groups.

However, the music videos that we receive aren’t the only type of media that steals from other cultures and misrepresents them. A film that encapsulates that would be the recently released Aloha, which is directed by Cameron

However, with all this going on in popular culture today, we have to remember that perhaps this isn’t in particularly the artist’s or the consumer’s fault at all. A recent article by the Atlantic shows that more and more students are being subjected to ‘micro triggers’ , and the offering of ‘I’m offended’ will be considered an emotional trump card, leading to people to rush to a quick decision or statement without considering the consequences of their actions. Maybe the state of mind that the consumer undergoes is one of sensitivity, leading to a rushed judgement and not the right decision.

With so much going on in this ever shifting plateau of popular culture, there will be certain racial elements that go unnoticed.

We as consumers however, cannot stay blind to the fact that there are certain artists that will exploit other minorities’ features in order to ‘relate’ with suburban consumers. There is an underlying culture of whitewashing in the pop culture industry, and we as audiences of these products of culture must realize that it is not appropriate to steal other cultures and pass them off as our own, without paying the correct and proper homage to it, and we need to comment and voice out our opinions regarding these products. Making these changes as consumers will no doubt lead to a gradual levelling in the playing field, letting minorities take on the roles that they are meant to play, without compromising any indigenous features.

HANGZHOU: TWO VIEWS ON INDEPENDENCE

By Molly Megan and Angelina Wang 1: Molly Megan Everybody’s read one of those books the ones where the main character goes to a new school and their world gets flipped upside-down. That’s exactly what happened to me.

It’s my first year in CIS, and coincidentally, it’s the year that students have the opportunity to go to Hangzhou. Most of the time, in those books, the main character hates their new school, but I’ve decided that I definitely don’t hate CIS. Let me tell you why.

The Hangzhou campus neatly fits onto

the Yuhua school map, and the facilities are nearly luxurious. The campus is very different, different from my old school (Renaissance College) and from the CIS Braemar Hill campus. The dorms are comfortable, the classrooms are modern and stylish and the residential and academic buildings remind me somewhat of a Greek temple. Almost all of the teachers, live on campus, some of them being our housemasters. Apart from them, we also have our coach mentors, who really are the MVPs of CIS Hangzhou. Imagine having to look after seven to nine, teenagers everyday? I can’t, I think after a couple of weeks, it would be too much to

76 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

juggle looking after the students, going to meetings and teaching classes from 6:30 to 10:00 everyday. Despite the hectic schedule that the coach mentors and teachers have, they still maintain a positive attitude to us, and I actually feel that my teachers are my friends. I can always rely on them if I want to tell them something or maybe if I just want to have a deep, philosophical conversation (mostly in HZx with Mr Kinzer).

Academic life in Hangzhou is very different from Hong Kong, there is far less work, but somehow we manage to push it away and end up thinking we have a lot

more work than we would if we didn’t procrastinate. We have the same classes as we did in Hong Kong, yet somehow it seems different. Different in a way similar to how Mr. Kinzer changed I.S to a course filled with exploration and deep questions named HZx. The class isn’t in classrooms and it involves us to plan a learning journey to try to answer the questions we formed at the beginning of each act. We go out on exploration days into Hangzhou, and after every exploration we have an exhibition to showcase our findings. On paper, it seems like the ideal class that everybody would want to take, but for a while, I didn’t enjoy it.

Maybe part of the reason why I didn’t like it being that in year 9, I loved I.S, and did very well in it, and I didn’t want to change.

Thankfully, I’ve slowly come to enjoy it, and after three months, I’ve found the key to enjoying the class. The key is to find a question you are interested in, and to explore places that you would actually like to go, not places that the rest of your group want to go to. The course is about being independent and it helps you step out of your comfort zone and into the real world of Hangzhou.

After living in the Hangzhou campus’s dorms for three months, I’ve found new

77 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

friends, definitely become more independent (which surprised my parents a lot when I visited on the mid-term break), and my Chinese has improved drastically, which was my main goal when I applied to CIS. It was hard for me not only to change schools, but to also to move to a new city, which is pretty much sounds like a horror story for a fourteen year old girl, but through all the challenges of CIS Hangzhou, the journey was definitely worth it.

pursue things that interest them: their “passions”, if you will. It is created by the student, for the student, and can be almost anything. It all starts from an Individual Question: a question you personally feel intense interest and connection that “resonates with your spirit” and that relates to Hangzhou and China.

2: Angelina Wang And really, what does it mean to be independent? To be capable of cleaning your clothes in a washing machine? To survive without having your parents in the same thousand kilometer radius? To complete work without the crutch of umpteen charlatan tutors? Confining and comforting yourself with friends and parasitic distractions in acute fear of waking up, and being alone. Beyond the ability to cleanse clothes and breathe without the omniscient presence of parents and the upheaval of mundane routine, what is independence, and why is spending a year studying abroad in Hangzhou so catalytic to this confounding concept?

At the end of the day, what have I learnt?

Independence is not only what they tell you about on the brochures of boarding schools or the basic mind-numbing habits of survival. In the words of the dictionary, is to be “not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct; not dependent; not depending or contingent upon something else for existence, operation; thinking or acting for oneself ”. In my words, it’s a strong sense of identity, it’s accepting that sometimes people need help and sometimes people don’t. It’s valuing yourself and discovering who you are and what you stand for and knowing that regardless of what calamity or solitude occurs, you will not only survive, but thrive. Through being in Hangzhou for the short time that I have, being around teachers I respect, peers that I can banter with, my brain is being bombarded with such stimulation and new ideas and concepts I’ve never even considered, every moment my mind is exploding and imploding, flaring and blossoming. The lows are excruciating, the highs are the pinnacles soon to be broken by even higher ones. So, ladies and gentlemen, when you see or hear any rumors about Hangzhou or dismiss it as a crazy idea; and to any students and parents deliberating about what to think about Hangzhou all I say is: who do you want to be, and wherever that person may be, chase them.

Hangzhou and the experience I’ve had in the last few months cannot be condensed into words, but I will stubbornly endeavour to do so. As I’m writing this right now Hangzhou’s temperature is descending gracefully into a state of crisp pale-skied cold, and the schedule is so jam-packed that one needs to utilize every moment or the tide of stress will consume all time. During classes, most teachers and staff act as mentors and comrades visibly filled with passion and care for their subjects and the process of teaching and learning from and to everyone, who encourage mistakes and new ideas for growth. Let’s take a look at a subject exclusive and tailored for CIS Hangzhou, HZx. As one could probably guess, HZ stands for Hangzhou, and x stands for that undefined factor, the x to be sought and found in a learning journey. HZx is what CIS Hangzhou’s version of humanities (geography & history) made into a reality this year by the radical thinker, “tribal teacher”, and learner Mr. Kinzer. HZx doesn’t have the typical Year 10 history curriculum about World War 2 and Hitler- although you could choose to pursue such a subject if it were to tickle your fancy. HZx emphasizes allowing students to

78 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

79 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

ꨈ字

鷖⿡ㆭ⯥

⴨ؑ䘁ᰕབྷᇦ䜭ሽNj䴓≁njа䂎㙣⟏㜭䂣DŽ㠚ᗎ аབྷᢩᮈ࡙ӎ㉽䴓≁⊪ᗳ䘳䴒ᐢ㻛ᡠ⡝Ⲵ⇈䞧䑀 䐿ᡀа⡷⇈僨ⲴᇦൂDŽ⮦ࡍ┯㞄⟡ᛵǃ┯ᠧᐼ ᵋൠ䘳䴒ᇦൂ৫ਖ㿃а⡷ᯠཙൠⲴ䴓≁ྲӺ↓䶒 㠘ᐘབྷⲴ䴓䰌üüԆ‫ف‬ウㄏਟԕ䘳৫ଚ‫˛ނ‬

〳⟄

鴺➚ 侃ⵄ❏涸 Ⰺ䨞䊺竤 稡琎✫麔 娥❖➃侷 罜鸎 侷㶶〫剚糒糵♳⼮կ

✳⼧㔋蠜

BY

SCARLET NG ⠀䛸䕒

ウ

ㄏᱟӰ哬䙐ᡀҶӺཙⲴተ 䶒˛䙉а࠷䜭⭡ഋᒤࡽⲴ ᒮ‫ػ‬ཙⵏ❑䗌Ⲵሿᆙ䮻 ࿻DŽ2011ᒤⲴ3ᴸ7ᰕˈᒮ ‫ػ‬ሿᆙഐ൘㺇кງማҶаਕ ֶ㠚Nj䱯᣹՟ѻ᱕nj䙻अ Ⲵ৽᭯ᓌ⁉䃎˖NjӪ≁ᐼᵋ᭯℺‫ق‬ਠnj˄“the people want to topple the regime”˅㘼㻛ᐤ⋉ ⡮g䱯㯙ᗧ Bashar al-Assad Ⲵ⦘㻱᭯ᓌᤈ ᦅDŽቡᱟ䙉а㠹ᡀ⛪Ҷᕅ⠶≁ᙘⲴሾ⚛㐊DŽ⮦ ᒤйᴸˈᮈ࡙ӎⲴ഻≁㍲ᯬ㾱ᢃ⹤⊸唈ҶˉԆ ‫ف‬а֥к㺇⽪ေ৫᧘㘫㞀ᮇᕧ᳤Ⲵ⦘㻱᭯ ᓌˈ㾱≲㑭㎡лਠDŽ䱯㯙ᗧሽᯬ഻≁Ⲵഎ៹ ᱟüü᳤઼࣋⇪ᡞDŽӪ≁䮻࿻਴㠚࠶⍮ᩦྚൠ ℺ˈ㾱ሷ᭯ᓌⲴऒ࣋ᗎṩᤄ䎧DŽ ᙆ㍴㒄ˉԺ ᯟ㱝഻üüҏ҈㪇䙉᭯⋫␧ҲⲴተऒធធፋ 䎧DŽ㠚↔ˈᮈ࡙ӎⲴᡠተᙕࢷॷ㍊㠣аⲬнਟ ᭦᤮Ⲵൠ↕DŽ

䗴Ӻˈᮈ࡙ӎⲴ‫ޗ‬ᡠᐢ㏃㍟ぽҶ䙾Ҽॱഋ㩜↫ ӑӪᮨˈ㘼䙉ᮨᆇਚᴳ㒬㒼кॷDŽഐ↔ᮈ࡙ӎ Ⲵ഻≁ҏ䏅ᘉᜣ䘳ࡠ഻ཆDŽᡚ㠣ॱᴸˈᮈ࡙ӎ 䴓≁Ⲵᮨⴞᐢ㏃䎵䎺ഋⲮ㩜DŽ䙾ᖰˈԆ‫ف‬ѫ㾱 〫ትࡠ䝠䘁഻ᇦྲ൏㙣ަˈ哾ᐤᄙˈ㌴ᰖ઼Ժ ᣹‫ݻ‬DŽն൘ӺᒤⲴ九‫ػޛ‬ᴸˈᐢ㏃ᴹ䙾ӄॱ㩜 䴓≁઼〫≁䙢‫ޕ‬Ҷↀ⍢üüᐼᵋ൘䙉㺘ᖠӪ℺ 㠣кⲴ഻ᓖ㜭ӛਇᴤྭⲴ⭏⍫üü㘼䙉ᮨᆇᖸ ਟ㜭ᴳ൘ᒤᓅ໎㠣аⲮ㩜˄нवᤜᵚ㻛⃒⑜ࡠ Ⲵ‫⑑ڧ‬ᇒ˅DŽ

䜘࠶഻ᇦ‫ޕ‬൏㙣ަǃᐼ㠈઼㗙བྷ࡙ᐢ㏃᧕㌽Ҷ བྷ䟿䴓≁ˈ֯਴഻ࠪ⨮Ҷ䎵ࠪ䋐㦧Ⲵ⨮䊑DŽй ഻Ⲵ㏃☏⣰⋱䜭⅐֣ˈ㾱⛪ྲ↔ケ❦Ⲵаབྷᢩ 䴓≁ᨀ‫׋‬ᒷ䆧ሖᱟ䴚к࣐䵌DŽഐ↔ˈↀⴏ൘䘁 ᰕ㠹㹼Ⲵᴳ䃷ѝ䙊䙾Ҷ䴓≁䝽乽ᯩṸˈіṩᬊ ਴഻ⲴӪਓǃ㏃☏㜭࣋ㅹ਴ᯩ䶒ሷ160,000Ⲵ 䴓≁䃯䝽ࡠ਴‫ػ‬ᡀ଑഻DŽⴞࡽᴰ⛪䑤䒽Ⲵ഻ᇦ ᱟ᧕᭦40,206਽䴓≁Ⲵᗧ഻˗ަ⅑ᱟ⌅઼഻㾯 ⨝⢉DŽ㤡഻ਚ᢯䄮ሷ൘ᵚֶӄᒤ᧕᭦200,000 ਽䴓≁DŽ ↀⴏ൘ᱟ⅑䴓≁ড₏ѝⲴ㲅⨶᡻⇥ᵚ㾻ॱ࠶儈 ᰾üüަѝⲬ⭏ཊ⅑䴓≁┟⮉䚺ຳⲴһԦˈᴤ ᴹ䜘࠶഻ᇦሷሻ≲ᒷ䆧㘵ᤂᯬॳ䟼ཆDŽᗧ഻ᡰ 䄲Ⲵழ㠹ަሖҏᵚᗵᆼ‫ࠪޘ‬㠚Ӫ䚃ѫ㗙ⲴࠪⲬ 唎DŽӪਓ㨾㑞઼㘱ॆ୿乼೤䟽Ⲵᗧ഻㜭䎱₏੨ ㌽བྷ䟿ⲴऎअӪਓˈі‫׳‬䙢഻ᇦⲴ㏃☏ⲬኅDŽ ⇿‫ػ‬഻ᇦ䜭ᴹ㠚ᐡⲴа྇䴓≁᭯ㆆüüᴹӋ䔳 ሜ儶ˈᴹӋࡷ䔳೤䅩˗᭵㾱᢮а‫ػ‬㜭┯䏣ᡰᴹ ᡀ଑഻Ⲵᯩ⌅ᱟ䘁Ѿнਟ㜭ⲴDŽ 䴓≁ॳ䗋㩜㤖䘳ࠪᡠ⡝і㿃ᗇἢ䓛ѻᡰਚн䙾 ᱟ‫ػ‬䮻࿻ˈ䚴ᴹа⇥ᴤ╛䮧ˈᴤ㢡䴓Ⲵ䐟䙄㾱 䎠üüԆ‫ف‬ሷ㾱䶒ሽ᮷ॆᐞ⮠ᡰᑦֶⲴぞぞഠ 䴓ˈवᤜⓍ䙊䳌⽉ˈぞ᯿↗㿆ㅹˈ䚴㾱ㄝ࣋㶽 ‫⮦ޕ‬ൠⲴ⽮ᴳ᮷ॆˈ⦢ᗇ䓛࠶Ⲵ㛟ᇊˈіᧂ䲔 㩜䴓৫ሻ᢮㏝ᤱ⭏䀸Ⲵ䙄ᗁDŽ ᡠ⡝ѝⲴਇᇣ㘵ᖰᖰᱟ❑䗌ⲴӪ≁˗ᡠ⡝Ⲵ㎀ ᶏᱟୟа㜭ᗩᓅ䀓⊪䴓≁ড₏Ⲵᯩ⌅DŽ■

“滴滴 答答”打車

By Natalie Chak Photography by Gabriel Lee 在2015年，只要你擁有一部智能手機， 在手機裡安裝了任何一個手機電召汽車 服務，只需幾分鐘的時間，一輛計程車 或是uber車便會在你面前出現，載你到 你的目的地。為什麼這些應用程式在市 場裡會流行，它們究竟有什麼好處，同 時也有些什麼隱藏著的壞處呢？ Uber 是在美國裡非常流行的手機電召汽 車服務，估計每天全球有超過一百萬的 用戶使用。用戶只需要下載了軟件，提 供了信用卡的資料，便能隨時隨地找一 輛在用戶附近的車，車輛並會到達乘客 的上載點。快的Taxi 是香港和內地近期 一個最流行的手機電召車應用程式，它 與uber最大的分別就是uber的司機是自 己聘用的，開的車也是自己的私家車。 但是快的Taxi，顧名思義，是利用手機 軟件召計程車，來的是有牌照的的士司 機。 Uber 在外國的人氣很明顯影響了在香港 和內地新發出的應用程式，但是這些服 務在香港是否跟在外地裏一樣流行？我 訪問了幾個同學關於他們對這些手機電 召車服務軟件的經驗，發現原來很多同 學都沒有用這些軟件的經驗或習慣。有 些同學認為uber在香港比較昂貴，而且 香港的公共交通工具發達，不需要經常 乘計程車，有些認為uber要用信用卡付 錢有點麻煩。 快的Taxi在被受訪的同學 裏也不太流行，有些同學沒有聽過這些 服務，有些常使用過，但等待的時間非 常久，所以也沒有再用。

84 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

使用uber的用戶可能會喜歡uber的私家 車比一般的計程車更大更舒服，方便和 也可跟幾個朋友一起坐。另外uber 聲稱 乘客只要等十分鐘，車就會到達，有時 候可能比在的士站等更快 ，有些車更 會提供wifi。通常用戶不想用uber的原 因，都因為它的價格比較昂貴。一個關 於uber具爭議性的問題是乘客的安全， 因為任何人只要擁有車牌和自己的車就 可以成為uber的司機，過程比成為的士 司機容易得多。最近也有新聞報道 uber 的員工可利用軟件查到每個用戶的所在 地，之前也曾經出現過用戶曾經在外國 出現過乘客被uber司機性侵犯。因為種 種的原因，有些乘客可能對uber還是有 保留。除了安全問題，另一個壞處就是 這些應用程式多數針對年輕的用戶，老 人家們很多都不懂得安裝這些軟件，私 家車都去接了年輕人們，難令有需要的 老人家們享受到這些應用程式的服務。 但在過去的暑假裡，香港和外地都有不 同對手機電召車應用程式不滿的示威， 大部分的示威者是的士司機們，他們向 政府投訴被uber和類似的軟件搶生意， 收入大大減少， 他們更指提供這些服務 是違法的行為，所以向政府要求他們停 辦這些服務。 總括而言，uber在美國的誕生影響了不 同的國家裡的手機電召車應用程式。這 些服務雖然有好處，但同時也存著種種 的保留之處和安全問題。的士和打車服 務應用程式之間的比賽和不滿，至今還 沒有一個初定的解決方法。的士最終會 在科技的進步下被打車服務應用程式取 代嗎？

85 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

FOOD WASTAGE IN HONG KONG

By Cindy Kim Photography by Andrew Sun

Hong Kong is renowned for being one of the most delicious places on earth, with a stable and abundant food supply. With various cuisines and dishes, ranging from dim sum to pizza, there is no doubt that Hong Kong deserves its status as the world’s “food hub”. However, the immense amount of food that is produced each day is not being consumed at a fast enough rate, which leads us not only to the problem of our overproduction but also to our underconsumption.

According to the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, over 3,648 tonnes of food wastage is sent to landfills everyday, and the volume of food wastage has doubled in the last 5 years. Additionally, approximately 20 to 40% of the imported fruits and vegetables are rejected even before they reach the supermarkets, stymied by the strict cosmetic standards of the shops. Because of the dense population and high land cost in Hong Kong, the only dependable location to dump all the food wastage in are the three landfills, whose remaining capacities will be exhausted in 2015, 2016, and 2018. However, food disposal can no longer be done in landfills because of the rapid depletion of the limited landfill space and formation of greenhouse gases, such as methane, and wastewater at landfills, imposing

severe burdens on our environment. According to “Uncovering the Global Food Scandal” by Tristram Stuart (2009), food waste makes up 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions of developed countries. Furthermore, 1.3 billion tonnes — around one-third of the food produced for consumption, which is enough to feed the population of Congo, the world’s poorest country, for 1 whole year! — is lost globally. Moreover, according to the UK’s Waste Resources and Action Programme (WRAP), if we stopped wasting food that could be eaten, it would be equivalent to taking one in five cars off the road.

The emission of greenhouse gases is a singular problem that the world is facing, and food wastage plays a huge role in it. 25% of the methane gases (a gas 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere) produced from landfills is emitted because of food wastage, or 20% of methane emission overall. According to CSIRO data, throwing out a kilogram of beef wastes the 50,000 litres of water it took to produce that meat. Throwing out one kilogram of white rice wastes 1,550 litres and discarding one kilogram of potatoes wastes 500 litres of water. On top of this, one quarter of all habitable land is taken up by the the production of food along the supply chain

86 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

(harvesting, manufacturing, packaging, shipping and merchandising), as well as requiring copious amounts of fresh water, labor, energy and fertilizers. Whenever food is wasted, a horde of other valuable resources are therefore also wasted. Food waste and losses can also have serious environmental, social and economic impacts if not managed in a resource-efficient and responsible way – from polluting rivers, adding pressure on landfills, increasing methane emissions, loss of biodiversity as well as contributing towards climate change.

Currently, the government is organizing various schemes, such as the 2013 Food Recycling Projects in Housing Estates, Food Waste Reduction Program and the Food Wise Hong Kong Steering Committee, in order to reduce the amount of food wasted. This territory-wide food waste reduction campaign aims to promote public awareness of food waste problems in Hong Kong and instill behavioural changes in various sectors of the community, including commercial and industrial establishments and individual households, to avoid and reduce food waste.

To further strengthen the promotion of food waste reduction, the Administration mapped out a comprehensive strategy for the coming 10 years consisting of targets, policies and action

plans for better management to tackle the waste crisis in Hong Kong. This includes mobilizing the community, preventing and reducing food before it turns into waste, incentivizing separation, and finally, recycling and treating food waste into renewable energy along with fertilizers. The latter is something our school is contributing to as well with our new compost machines, located in the corner of the cafeteria. This pragmatic machine breaks down all of our food waste into nutrients that enhance the soil that could be used for more agriculture. Just because we aren’t a part of the government does NOT mean that we can’t help. With this machine, any student of CIS can help and contribute to the community, both helping with food reduction and embellishing the soil quality around the world.

Food is precious. It goes through a whole pr ocess of being grown, manufactured, packaged and delivered, disregarding all the water, fertilizers and money used only to be unfinished and disposed in a black plastic bag. We, as CIS students, must be aware of this issue and should not only minimize food waste (if you really REALLY can’t finish it, then put it in the compost machine!), but also raise awareness and spread the word of this problem so that we can help our local community as well as our lifestyles.

FRISBEE: THE ULTIMATE GAME

By Joe Littler | Photography by Scarlet Au

A small plastic disc flies through the air. A team of 7 charge down the field in pursuit, fuelled by the raw, unfiltered screams of encouragement from the sidelines. The other team waits on the opposite side of the field, watching the disc fly silently towards them; following its journey right until it skids into the ground at their feet. There is a slight pause as the disc is picked up, and the opponents come rushing in. All is quiet for a second or two, and then the battle begins. This is the game of ultimate frisbee, the magic of which is unknown to all except those who have had the experience of playing it.

I still remember the first time I played real ultimate frisbee. I realised that it was not just something you did at the beach; aimlessly throwing a disc around and praying it didn’t land in the sand when it was wet. On a sunny autumn afternoon in Hangzhou, I went and joined some friends who said they were going to play frisbee at the field. At the time, I had no idea that the sport I was about to discover would become my most loved and cherished passion. I expected just to chuck the frisbee about

88 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

for half an hour, then go back to the dorm and shower before dinner. Fortunately for me, I never made it to the shower. The rules of the game were briefly explained, much to the surprise of myself and a few others. I don’t remember much of what happened during those 2 hours, just the feeling of unbelievable joy that crept into my mind afterwards and stayed there for the rest of the evening, even as I sat down to dinner sweaty and uncomfortable. Whenever I play ultimate now, that same joy returns.

‘I realized that it was not just something you did at the beach’

Skip forward 2 years, and my passion for the sport is still burning as strong as ever - this is predominantly down to CIS Hangzhou. One of the main reasons I think so fondly of my time there is because of frisbee; Ultimate became so deeply

89 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

ble to think of anything else. Despite all the huge throws and diving catches that make the highlights reels, the ugly truth of ultimate is that most of your time is spent running. It combines stamina with acceleration, leaving you breathless after almost every single point. What makes the game so dynamic and captivating is the countless types of throws that you can make, the amount of strategy and positioning involved, and the mesmerising sight of seeing the disc soar through the air. That has to be my favourite part of the sport: the sudden release of the frisbee from the thrower’s hands, and watching all the players look up at the same time to find out where it went. If you’re ever watching a game, make sure to look out for that; it’s one of the funniest things you’ll ever see.

embedded in Hangzhou culture that we formed a team, and participated in two tournaments during the year. We returned to Hong Kong already tight-knit, and joined the CIS Hong Kong team immediately. Because of our preformed bond, we managed to win the Hong Kong under-18 tournament in November 2014. We continued training and building on our skills, also managing to win the 2015 Shanghai Open in May. The one factor that remained constant throughout was our closeness as a team, which I believe was the most important, however cheesy and cliche it may sound.

One of the defining characteristics of the sport is its strong foundation of spirit. The games, even at world championship level, are self-officiated. All fouls are called by the players themselves, with no referee being there to adjudicate. When a foul is called, the two teams discuss with one another until they agree on a solution. Frisbee may be the only team sport where debating skills are important, which says something about the essence of the game. No matter how intense the game is, no matter how

much is at stake, frisbee is and will always be a friendly sport. I’ve played many competitive matches, and all of them, without fail, have ended with something called a spirit circle. This involves the two teams forming a huddle, with no player being next to a member of their own team.

Both teams highlight the other’s strengths, and celebrate the hard-fought battles of the game. This is something truly unique to ultimate, and is the main reason I am proud to associate myself with the sport.

“I’m proud to associate myself with the sport”

When you play ultimate frisbee, you enter a state of flow; all the worries and thoughts of the outside world disappear. This is true of many competitive sports, but it becomes really apparent in frisbee. When played competitively, there is so much focus required, it’s almost impossi-

90 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

you will not regret it.

As I think back to the Shanghai Open earlier this year, at the exact moment we realised we’d won, I honestly cannot recall feeling happier in my entire life. To some this may seem peculiar, to have such a connection to what is, in its least glamorous form, a CCA. However, to myself, the CIS Ultimate team, and the rapidly expanding community playing all around the world, ultimate is not just a sport. It’s a mentality.

And that, my friends, is why disc is life.

Despite all the technique and tactics involved, frisbee can also be played with zero concentration and zero skill. Part of the fun is being able to create some sort of game with just a disc and a bunch of friends.

Whether it’s throwing a frisbee off the side of a boat for someone to dive off and catch, or throwing trick shots through people’s legs until everyone has bruised shins; there’s never a dull moment when there’s a frisbee.

The appearance of the Diploma Programme in my life has forced me to cut down on my frisbee time, but I still try my best to keep the sport that I love in my life.

So many memories have already been made, and so many more will be created in the future. In a few weeks we will defend our title as Hong Kong champions, and the same goes for the China tournament in May 2016. If you ever have the opportunity to play a game of ultimate frisbee, I strongly suggest you seize it;

91 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

AGAINST THE TIDE

By Ailene Lung Here’s an early memory: Back when I was a toddler, my family took my sister and me to AMC to have a swim in the pool. Besides my mom bathing me in our little pink baby tub daily, I had next to no experience with water, so it was only natural that I was stunned when my dad secured a plastic noodle pool toy around his waist, picked me up and brought me to the water. I must admit I was never a kick-andscream kind of baby; rather, I would convince myself I was not afraid of anything and give it a go. With my floaties around my arms, we explored this “great unknown”, my arms and legs flailing in response to this strange new bubbly, rippley world. This was right before Dad suddenly looped the noodle under the water and said, “hold your breath and swim through it”.

I’ll never forget the struggle (or at least the worst kind of struggle you can possibly experience as a toddler) and the feeling of finally swimming through and breaking the surface - at that point, I felt I could do anything. Not long after that, I started participating in real sports. Though sport has been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember, it was only later that I understood how significant it was in my growth as a person: I learned how to develop better relationships, communicate more effectively, handle my emotions and generally develop a more positive outlook on life.

ignored, and swimming eventually stuck to me. I swam at Association X (I won’t name names) for nearly eight years, and underwent significant changes during this period of time.

I realized that when you’re a child, you are so unaware of the things that go on around you that your actions are almost purely based on impulse - you do things because you want to. At least this was the case for me - I never gave a second thought to anything I would do; as a result, I didn’t think about the consequences of my actions, always living in the “now” and focusing purely on the task at hand. This kind of attribute can be negative in social situations because

of the rules that go

with being in them

(the ignorant little

me was obviously

unaware of this),

but in sports, it

helps you focus

and you don’t experience pressure precisely because of this lack of awareness. Your mind is in the now and you’re ready to go, or in other words, you literally “Just Do It” (Nike!). It was no surprise that it was during this time period that I consistently achieved personal best times, and I couldn’t be happier.

“I realized that when you’re a child you are so unaware of the things that go on around you”

Getting started wasn’t easy. Indeed, I always wanted to try new things, but this was something my parents initially had to push me to do. Why? Because swim training looked so hard! Before my first session, my mom said to me, “just give it a try - if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it”. When you’re a seven-yearold child who knows nothing about parental tricks that are later denied to have ever been employed, you’ll do anything you think will get you what you want. Despite my efforts, my pleas to opt out were

But everything changed when I switched swim groups a couple years later; I grew older and became slightly more aware of myself and the environment around me. Until quite recently, I was the kind of person who was afraid of my seniors, especially teachers or coaches, which would explain how I could never stand up for or express my own thoughts or opinions confidently, if ever. I was downright fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing, and afraid to anger or offend anyone. To move to a swim squad of a higher caliber and being coached by one of the strictest coaches at Association X only induced more fear and heightened my submissive nature, because

92 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

I felt the pressure to do well. During that period of time, I trained six to seven times a week, but only out of fear of letting my coach down otherwise. A question I was frequently asked was “How do you do this? You must love swimming so much!”, and I would typically answer, “It’s alright”. I tried to convince myself that swimming was my life - it was what I was supposed to do, but I would always feel

“My parents never truly understood how I felt”

a sense of dread every afternoon once school ended and training was next on the schedule. Eventually, my mentality began to spiral - at the end of private lessons with my coach, he would tell me with such confidence that there was “absolutely no doubt I could achieve a certain time in competition. Easily!”.

Rather than encourage me, it was the burden I would bear to each competition. I would sit in the chair at the marshalling area tense and cowering with a pit in my stomach, thinking about what I would do if I could not fulfill my coach’s expectations, imagining the look of disappointment on his face if I failed, the comparisons that would be drawn between myself and other pupils, and the silent treatment I would receive (which I was no stranger to). It is clear that psyching myself out did not help at all, resulting in me constantly performing better in training than I did in competition.

Needless to say, my coach and I had a less-than-stellar relationship, and at that point, I could honestly say I despised the sport. Not only did these routines cause me to forget the pure joy I had first felt as a young child, but they also caused me to carry this mentality through to my school life, effectively influencing the way I communicated with my teachers and peers.

aged to quit training at Association X. This was a major turning point for me - I began to swim at school, though at a much lower frequency - around three times a week. I soon learned that the school environment suited me much better as my coach understood what I was going through and accepted the decisions I made. I finally learned to let go and relax - rather than focus by practicing ignorance, I could focus by being aware of myself and the people around me. I learned to remove the pressure off myself, and to my surprise, I even began to move more smoothly through the water again! I decided I would swim to prove to myself that I could do it rather than prove myself to others, and though the significant decrease in training prevented me from going beyond what I had achieved in previous years, I finally felt that satisfaction again - the kind I would only feel when I achieved my goals and not the goals of others.

So do I regret starting to swim? Do I wish I never had to endure those few years? Absolutely not. In fact, without it, I doubt I ever would have broken out of this shell of fear I was encased in. Those few years were my wake up call - I found the person I wanted to be, and I could not be happier than I am now.

Sport is not something you do “just because”. Sport is not a means to prove to others what you can do, and it most certainly does not purely rely on the physical.

How you perform and how rewarding it is is based

“Do I regret starting to swim?”

My parents never truly understood how I felt, but my mom did pick up on some signs. As I grew older and school workload increased, I was then encour-

on the way you tune your mind, and the only person who can control how you do is you.

So the next time you go for practice or a competition, think about how it affects you. If it brings out your best or leaves you feeling healthy, strong and positive, you’ve probably found your match.

93 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

see blame and negativity being thrown around. Yes, mistakes may have been made but there is a fine line between constructive criticism and personal attacks and my teammates tread this line comfortably. Just being surrounded by teammates provide emotional security after losses and heighten the joys of securing a victory.

BALL IS LIFE

No argument necessary - the benefits an individual can reap from participating in a team sport far outweigh that of an individual sport. Think of it this way: team sports = individual sports + more! Respect, dedication, cooperation and selflessness are just some of the values that can be acquired from being part of an active sports team. And what better sport exemplifies these values than basketball?

If I could sum up my whole 5 years of playing both pickup and competitive basketball at CIS in one word, it would be positivity. The guys in my team don’t get enough credit for being such positive, supportive teammates. After a loss you will never

My endearing relationship with basketball has not gone without a hitch. Blame it on age, but the allure of the other different sports available when I was growing up proved to be too much. I was constantly jumping around different activities and hobbies in primary school and never gave much thought to the advantages of choosing just one sport to place all your heart into.

That changed in Year 8 when my application to CIS was successful. Blame it on age again, but I immediately conformed to what all of my peers spent their lunchtimes doing - playing basketball on the courtyard. Prior to my time at CIS, I had a 6 month stint with football and hadn’t touched a basketball in ages so don’t give me hate for air- balling my very first shot at CIS. An airball is when the ball deceptively arcs towards the basket like it’s about to swish but doesn’t end up touching anything, the sound of the bounce amplified by shame. Needless to say, I took a hiatus from these lunchtime sessions, only resuming when the embarrassment had subsided. My transition to CIS was eased by the sport, however, as I managed to foster friendships, develop an understanding of the culture of CIS, and even pick up some basketball lingo. The opposite of an

Basketball: What it means to be part of a team

By Justin Choo | Photography by Justin Choo

94 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

95 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

airball is a swish, one of the most fulfilling parts of the game. The ineffable surge of satisfaction that courses through your veins when the ball hits nothing but net speaks for the beauty of the game - it can only be achieved when the mind is one with the body. From the delicate flick of the wrist down to the perfectly coordinated elevation of the legs, swishing requires every single facet of the shot to be flawless.

It took 2 years for me to muster up the courage to join the basketball team. My first experience playing competitive basketball came in CIS Hangzhou when we faced Hangzhou International School in a friendly match.

The game went right down to the wire, ending in a loss for us unfortunately. Disappointment aside, I loved it. I loved the adrenaline of competitive basketball, I loved the unity of our team, and I loved when we ran a smooth offensive play that confounded the defence, leaving them scratching their heads and wondering where the ball went.

To whomever is reading this: I implore you to seek out a team sport that you might enjoy playing, and join it! I simply cannot think of any negatives to come out of it apart from physical injuries which can easily be prevented by learning how to play the game safely and taking the necessary precautions. Team sports in general promote virtues that extend far beyond the sport, outweighing the benefits of partaking in an individual sport.

Finally, GO TIMBERWOLVES!

TO HAVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

By Jazz Top Photography by Miriam Chasnov

There was once a time when I thought eating an Oreo drenched in Nutella in between two saltines was the most nutritious thing in the world. I ended up skipping proper meals for Wang Wang cookies and classic potato chips because I told myself, “It’s okay, we have PE tomorrow anyways”.

It was an issue - I had zero motivation, and to be completely honest, I could barely run 100 meters without getting a stitch or losing my breath. I was deeply and shockingly unhealthy. Have you heard

96 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

of marshmallow fluff ? It used to make me so happy that I considered it my best friend. I was running slower, sleeping less and had absolutely no confidence in myself. I eventually figured that my lifestyle needed to change, so I slowly started making changes. Today, I’m a pledged VEGAN, meaning I do not eat any animal, or anything produced by an animal. Before that, I was a VEGETARIAN, meaning I did not eat any meat.

I’m energetic, happy, and have never been more confident.

There are three basic ‘must-knows’ and tips that will help you understand the benefits of being healthy, and how you can make important changes to your lifestyle.

Changing your lifestyle means many things. It involves changing the way you way you eat, the way you think and what you do. The question is why? Why should these changes be made? What is the importance?. Yes, we have all been told that we should eat our fruit and veggies because it’s good for you, but there is so much more. Small things like removing soft drinks from your diet or preventing yourself from eating that last chocolate bar go a long way. Cutting unnecessary foods from your diet and replacing it with healthier products will increase your energy, allow better sleep, and some even claim major skin improvement.

deeply unsatisfied with yourself. Making these changes do not go unnoticed, but remember, it does take time. Of course, your choices do not only affect you, but the environment around you as well. A key reason for making the above changes to your life is to help decrease the amount of animal cruelty and environmental destruction.

Changing your way of living encourages you to have an active lifestyle.

It is not only important to cut ‘junk food’ out of your diet, but exercise is equally as important. I’m not saying you have to go from one hour workouts to six, but rather, find ways to increase your active life. As you start finding ways to do more exercise, you will find that your self-confidence will boost as well. Maybe it is because you are feeling fresh, cleansed, and free of the food that once made you feel so

So how do we make these changes? We stop making excuses. It is easy to put things off and wait until tomorrow, but why wait when we can start today? Find ways to feel motivated. Start with a friend or family member, or find inspirational quotes and stories. Change your mindset and tell yourself that working out and eating healthy is fun, and that you love the way you look.

Making these changes do not happen instantly. You can not go from eating meat everyday, to suddenly not eating anything produced by an animal. That type of diet will not last. Taking your time, cutting things out one at a time will help you get use to the changes and the process will be so much easier.

In terms of exercising, if you were someone who rarely does anything active, start by walking everywhere. If you go straight into high intensive exercises you will find yourself losing motivation really quickly.

Find a workout you like and take it slow - there is nothing wrong with taking your time.

When do you start making these positive changes? Right after you read this. Do not reach for that unhealthy snack - instead, grab an apple or banana. Got time after school and plan on chilling in Causeway Bay? Walk! The time is now. Be your own inspirational story.

97 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

YOGA FINDING YOUR BALANCE

By Ailene Lung

Here’s how I started: ever heard of hot yoga? I sure didn’t! But amongst all the styles of yoga that were almost completely foreign to me on the list of class choices given (eg. Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa etc.), “hot yoga” sounded straightforward enough to attract a newbie like me.

met with a wave of heat - I could bet it was something like 40°C in there. People were decked out in professional yoga gear, calmly lying on the ground with their eyes closed, towels neatly folded beside them. Because the mats were organized like tables are in a public exam, all I could see were rows and rows of bodies lying on the ground in front of me. It’s an interesting experience, staring down at rows of people who look like they’re asleep… but that’s beside the point. So I lay down on my mat and immediately felt beads of sweat forming all over my body.

Now, we all know that gravity loves to make friends with anyone and anything, so all the sweat was drawn downward to form pools on the mat (TMI). It didn’t feel pleasant - we hadn’t even started doing the poses yet! But when the instructor walked in and began to speak with a calm, soothing voice, everyone entered a trance-like state, got to their feet and began the movements. And so my focus was taken off the stickiness.

On the day of my first session, I walked into the yoga room and was immediately

I must admit that sustaining a yoga pose is no easy task, as each one requires

Disclaimer: I’m no yoga expert, so please don’t expect expert terminology.

Before I ever had a taste of yoga, I thought it was boring and did not see the appeal. I’d watch TV commercials for milk powder or health drinks that involved people doing yoga to advertise the health benefits of said products, but I didn’t think any of the movements looked challenging enough to possibly have such positive effects on the body.

Despite my doubts, when my mother received a free 2-week yoga class trial from work, and I had time to spare over the summer, I decided to give it a go. I had no idea what to expect.

98 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

specific positioning of the body to reap the full physical benefits. Even the most basic-looking “Warrior 2” pose is tiring, and my goodness - the “Downward Dog” can be a killer if you try to hold it for 2 full minutes, especially when sweaty palms make you slip all over the place. If you are shaking from the effort and feel achy, you are probably doing something right. And then there’s the part where sweat comes down your face, but you lose balance if you try to wipe it away. Falling down is REALLY embarrassing; trust me - it is quiet enough to hear a pin drop, and there are mirrors everywhere, so you probably shouldn’t risk touching the sweat. Let it come naturally. But despite all these little complaints, I left the session feeling like I had worked hard, and was actually quite refreshed.

I realized yoga poses also require quite a lot of mental power to sustain, and full awareness of the body is necessary to perform properly. The great thing is that the calm, quiet environment allows you to tune into your body, eventually leading you to feel when your feet are not parallel, or when your weight is not distributed evenly, or when your knees are not at 90° angles. Yoga really encourages a kind of mindfulness that is difficult to achieve amongst the hustle and bustle of the city - the space is literally a calm bubble amongst the skyscrapers and cars 99 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

zipping away outside the windows of the room.

After the first couple of experiences, I became hooked, and signed up for as many sessions as I could cram within the span of two weeks. I tried out as many different styles of yoga as possible, though I must admit that I could not (and still cannot) differentiate the names. I eventually decided that morning sessions at around 7am were my favourite, because I would do yoga with an instructor who would get us to face the windows through which I could watch the city grow brighter. The best feeling is when you are calm and aware enough to appreciate the nature that shines through, regardless of the web of infrastructure that we live in, while simultaneously strengthening your body and mind. Oh, and the satisfaction of taking a nice cool shower afterwards is just too great!

When the two-week trial was over, it was like parting with someone dear; I could not sign up to become a member as there was no time to continue once school started. What I did know, however, was that if I was ever given another opportunity to do yoga again, there would be no doubt I would jump at the chance. And for all you readers out there, I encourage you to do the same I’m certain you’d love it.

101 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

By Horace Wang Illustration by Krysten Wang

By

102 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

103 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Connected Learning at CIS - “Synapse” Synapse is a way of connecting student curiosity and interests to relevant professionals in the world outside of school. The aim is to offer students and teachers with an interest in Science, Arts, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Robotics and Design, channels that enable them to build social-impact projects that set them up for academic and career success.

Examples of the programs that will launch in 2016-17:

How’s the new building coming along?

• “Startup Weekend Teen” - 1st ever in Hong Kong; Hangzhou on horizon

Tremendous progress has been made – the builders are almost halfway done – 5 out of 11 storeys completed.

• Financial Algorithms & Coding Weekend series with financial professionals for coding/maths students • DJI Robotics “Maker” Bootcamps Robotics mini-workshops, with Shenzhen summer camp

• Beijing Tech Summer Camp - Envision program merging engineering, science, hardware, medicine, entrepreneurs & humanities • Digital Media & Public Leadership - Professional led mentorship series For more information on Connected Learning at CIS, contact Director of Connected Learning, Doug Crets at dcrets@cis.edu.hk

CIS Trailwalkers Keeping a lower profile than our dragonboat teams, CIS Trailwalkers have also been lighting up the Maclehose!

Last year, our team comprising Oliver Williams ’97, Wesley Wong ’97, Steve Baram ’99 and Derek Baram ’00 completed the 100km race in an astounding 18 hours 43 minutes, coming second in the education sector and this year, we’re fielding 2 teams:

Congratulations! to CIS Alumnus David Hsieh ’99, who is one of eighteen 2015 David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship award winner. The award aims to help the most innovative early career scientists to explore new frontiers in their fields. David is currently an assistant professor of physics at Caltech in California. He earned his BS in physics and mathematics from Stanford and his PhD from Princeton. He was a Pappalardo Fellow at MIT before joining

104 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Caltech in 2012. David’s research involves searching for unusual form of matter which are not a conventional metal, insulator or magnet. His research offers possibilities for new electronic device functionalities and high-temperature conductivity.

105 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13

Chinese International School Trailblazers From left to right: Joonbae Park ’99, Pete Sabine ’99 Tony Sabine ’96, Frankie Kwok

CIS Phoenix Pineapple Buns From left to right: Galvin Chia ’08, Jason Yu ’02, Jonathan Song ’09, Philip Wai ’05

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.

TURN YOUR CREATIVITY INTO A CAREER. SCAD Hong Kong courses enhance your creative expression and emphasize the in-demand production skills and techniques necessary for a successful career.

Learn more about the university for creative careers.

SCAD Hong Kong offers: 21 art and design programs from a range of 14 majors

SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TO SCAD HONG KONG TODAY.

International student body that broadens horizons via cultural exposure Advanced learning resources Unique opportunity to experience life at SCAD’s other campuses in Savannah, Atlanta and Lacoste Active learning through collaborative projects and internship opportunities with major international and local brands

admission_hk@scad.edu 852.2253.8000 scad.edu/hongkong

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

Courses of Study are registered with the Hong Kong Education Bureau, registration numbers: 261958-261971 and 262196-262202.

It is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recognize any qualification to which these courses may lead.

108 XIAO HUA ISSUE 13