2023 Volume I: Through the Lens of Time

Editorials

Hey Dunmanians!

As the new year begins, we often look forward to the future, rather than linger in the past However, as we welcome the new batch of Year 1s as well as Year 5 Joint Admission Exercise students, our CCA would like to take this opportunity to reflect on and remember the experiences that have made us who we are today.

As a chance to reminisce, our latest issue takes you on a journey ‘through the lens of time’ as we interview teachers and our principal about their past experiences, while also mixing in some fictional stories born from the creative minds of our writers. Not to mention, the little throwbacks to childhood we have scattered throughout the magazine. Remember folding a paper fortune teller in primary school? Head on over to page 18 to fold one again for old times’ sake

We at Publications would like to thank our teachers, Mdm Hong Lan, Mr Mark Ho, and Mr Tan Chwee Bock for their continuous dedication and impactful guidance in helping us throughout the entire writing and publication process. As for our fellow Dunmanians, we hope that you will find this Issue an entertaining and interesting read While we should always strive to look towards the future, let us remember to take the time to remember how our past has shaped us to be who we are today.

Our magazines, including this one, are also available online on Issuu (https://issuu com/dhs shpublications), so head on over if you prefer reading online, or if you’d like to check out previous Issues Have a great year ahead!

- Ong Sze Ching Shannon, (6C46)

Looking back… Looking back…

‘A New year, a new me!’ This expression is probably not unfamiliar to you. However, let’s take into consideration what Craig D. Lounsbrough, an author, counsellor and coach, once said, “Any new beginning is forged from the shards of the past, not from the abandonment of the past.” While we strive to always have the foresight and not be held back by the past, we should also reflect on the situations that have taught us to be who we are today. Growing from the past is as important as looking towards the future. Therefore, we hope that through reading this issue of D’Hour, you’ll be able to reminisce those cherished memories of your childhood, youth or even past careers.

鲁迅，原名周树人，是中国现 代著名的文学家。他的文学作品对 于中国社会思想的发展具有重大影 响，而他能取得如此大的成就和他 在儿时所形成的“时时早，事事 早” 的人生态度是分不开的。

鲁迅自幼就勤奋好学，十二岁 时跟随寿镜吾老先生学习，这是 所私塾，名为“三味书屋“。在他 十三岁时，祖父由于科场的案件被 逮捕入狱，父亲又患有顽疾，家境 一天不如一天，连维持生计都变得 十分艰难。还是孩子的鲁迅只得挑 起家里的重担，为生活而奔波。他 常将家里值钱的物品拿到典当行换 钱，给父亲买药吃。有 天，父亲 突然病得厉害，鲁迅只得 大早就 往返

于当铺和药店之间。当他好不 容易赶回学堂时，老师已经开始上 课了。素以严厉著称的寿镜吾老先 生 看 到 迟 到 的 鲁 迅 ， 当 即 责 备 道：“十几岁的学生，还为了睡懒 觉 而 迟 到 。 下 次 迟 到 就 别 来 了。”鲁迅听后默默点头，没有为 自己做任何辩解。

第二天 早，鲁迅就来到学

堂，在书桌右上角用刀刻下了 个“早”字，并在心中向自己承诺 要养成早到的好习惯，以后绝不能 再迟到。从那之后，鲁迅再也没有 迟到过，以绝不松懈的态度奋斗了 生，而这个书桌现在也依旧保存 在鲁迅纪念馆中。

时 时 早 事 事 早

作者： 王儷霏 (5C22)

十二月三十一日： 我的童话故事

十二月三十一日。一年又过去了。今年，我熬过了初院的第一年，我 在赛跑道上打破了个人纪录，我在新的班级里交到了志同道合的朋友，我 达到了我的目标......不知不觉日记本里记载了一大堆“目标已达”，最后写 下“今年好像是我人生中最充实的一年” 作为结尾。

仔细一想，我好像每年都会在日记里写这么一句话，但心里却从未觉 得很充实 好像总是遗漏了些什么。每年随着岁数的增加，做的事也多

了。人们常说完成的事情更多，就更满足，更有切实活着的滋味。但是， 我心里始终觉得小时候是最好的时光，总希望让时间能倒流，自己能穿越 时空回到小时候。

记忆中的小时候很简单，很单纯。小小的脸蛋似 乎时时刻刻都挂着一副无比灿烂的笑容。还记得小时 候没理由地盼望着长大，雄心勃勃地想像喜羊羊一样 机智地对付灰太狼，像朵拉一样背着背包探索世界， 像小叮当一样无所不晓，像钢铁侠一样拯救地球。虽 不现实，但那也不耽误我的天马行空，让“长大”值得 期盼。

还记得小时候过生日的时候

都好像是件大事，还会邀请朋友

来生日派对一块儿庆祝。那时候 家里热热闹闹的，大家都围着我

唱生日歌，一个接一个地给我送 生日礼物。

现在的生日好像是个普通得再也不能更普通的日子。

别说什么生日派对，连能在生日那天与家人聚在一起，

吃顿好吃的都挺难的。十五岁生日，十六岁生日，十七岁生 日.....对我来说好像没什么影响深刻的记忆，也没什么太大的意 义。尽管每年生日我仍有抑制不住的喜悦，但与之相匹配的惊

喜事件好像再也不会发生了。长大的我 对“特别惊喜”的定 义也发生了改变。

我小学时期的休息时间，基本上都花在了与朋友玩耍

上。每到休息时间，我和小伙伴都会不约而同地在操场上 集合、玩耍。我最喜欢的游戏是“ice and water”。跑得慢的我

总是前几个被“抓到”的人，但幸运的我总会被队友救下 来。就是这种童真和玩闹伴随了我长大。长大后，我再也

没与朋友玩耍了。大概也没这心思去玩了吧。每当想起汗流浃背的我们返 回教室，大口喝水喘着粗气，但却依然坚持天天玩耍，我禁不住露出淡淡 的笑容，回想这些童年往事，无意间让我越来越疑惑，怎么小时候盼望着 长大？长大后又想穿越时空回到小时候？长大到底意味着什么？为什么以 前渴望长大，现在却变成一种恐惧？“长大”这简单的单词有什么深藏不漏 的魔法能让人时期待呢？

前段时间我买了一本儿童插画，一页一页地浏览上面的图案，它让我 获得一种莫名其妙的幸福满足感。

刚巧，这天我拆快递的时候被来家里做客的阿姨看到了。“这本书是你 买的吗？”阿姨脸上不解的神情让我瞬间感到无比尴尬，只能装作不在意的 样子。“啊，这个是我的素材，我看里面的插画挺好看的。” 我记得我一边 涨红着脸，一边快速地把书塞进纸箱里。这种无措、羞愧是从哪里来的 呢？我仿佛回到了小时候，妈妈让我表演才艺而我却弹了一首没准备好， 漏洞百出的曲子一样，在演奏完毕后，低着头接受无声的审判。

十二月三十一日，你大概没猜到我在那段落的中间部分写

了什么。我写了：我第一次考试不及格，我虽然交到新朋友但 也好久没联系我的中学朋友了，我不知今年留了多少滴眼泪。

我有时候累得发慌，有时候很想停下来休息一下，但却又像上

了发条的玩具小汽车，不停地往前驶，只有将眼前的这一段路 走完才有喘息的机会。然而每每停下来时，我的发条总会又蓄 满力，拖着疲惫的身子想着多走两步路......

我怀念的简单、平凡、无忧无虑的小时候，在我 的人生故事中占据了前几章。

现在长大了，该写下一章了。

可能这就是长大的意味吧，一个难 以琢磨、又简单又复杂的定义。也许记 录的一章接一章的生活点滴有一天能告 诉我答案吧！

AGoodBirth

What does it mean to be a good person? Clementine lay face up and pondered this conundrum. Is your goodness something that you yourself measure and decide? Or is it up to the judgements of other people? The questions only increased in breadth, branching out wildly in Clementine’s mind like an isolatedraintree,atreethatkeptgrowing far too much for its own good. Like how unanswered questions drove Clementine insane, the tree’s unruly branches curved back toward its trunk, as if about to strangleordecapitatetheirsourceoflife.

It was the night of her sixteenth birthday

All the birthdays in Clementine’s memory had been accompanied by the sombre melancholy of leaving the day behind. Especially since she was born in December, it was a day she would subconsciously (and sometimes consciously but secretly) look forward to all year. Like every birthday, Clementine had begun the day feeling like she had absolutely succumbed to the magical golden sunny bliss that only her special day could bring on, a feeling that persisted from her childhood days. Why wouldn’t she feel gloomy to watch it come to an end? Today especially, the weightiness of each tick of the clock reverberated in her core as her party was packed up. She couldn’t help but feel that turning sixteen marked the end of an era for her, and the start of a new one. She wanted to be a good person, or rather, thoughtthatsheneededtobecomeone.

Through e had been told tha ionable. She had bee y y as the angry child, always quick to throw a tantrum when things didn’t go her way. She recalled vividly the time when her aunt had babbled on about her friend’s daughter, whom she had praised with the accolade of being a “good girl”. Five-year-old Clementine had wondered what virtues her peer had possessed that she lacked. She had felt an ugly jealousy towards this girl whom she had never met. Her tot brain had even convinced her that her aunt was telling her that she was a bad child. Maybe that had been the first instance which sparked Clementine’s lifelong quest to be a good person

Clementine had long struggled with the inferiority complex of thinking she was a bad student. She wasn’t book-smart and lacked the ability to score in tests Furthermore, she could only be rowdy and inattentive during lessons, unintentionally giving her teachers the impression that she did not respect them. Yet, each time she had been told she was at the bottom of the class haunted her deeply. She hated that no matter how hard she tried she just couldn’t be a good student, one that her teachers would praise in front of everyone. However, there had been one teacher who had recognised her hard work Mr Sun once told her that her positive attitude towards bettering herself was something he admired. It had meant a lot to her then and still did four years later, but how could her attitude alone allow her to be a good student?

Oh Hui Wen Kaitlyn (6C12)

Teenagehood complicated Clementine’s relationship with her mother As she began to form her own thoughts and opinions of the world, Clementine found her mother gradually more unbearable and suppressive. In their arguments, both would throw heartwrenching words at each other She’d wish she wasn’t her mother's daughter, to which her mother would reply with, “You’re a bad daughter anyway.” She never meant what she said in those catfights and knew that her mother didn’t either But hearing it from her mother’s mouth that she was a bad daughter cut so much deeper than telling herself she was a bad daughter, which she assumed she was.

Now that she was sweet sixteen, Clementine thought she could no longer be this bad daughter and bad student. She had to start being good. She and her five-year-old self shared the same yearning for the approval of those whom she respected and cared about. Beyond her fundamental desire to be virtuous, she simply felt a human thirst to excel. Clementine needed to be a good person

Then it hit her, the true meaning of a birthday: the celebration of growth. She need not still look through the lens of her inner child; there was no absolute good or bad. She had been a difficult child, but not a bad child. A student is made up of more than just grades, and goodness is similarly multifaceted. There was not even a need to be so fixated on goodness as it is just a word after all. Clementine could take pride in the values she nurtured in herself: her patience, her craving for self-improvement, her love for her mother and others. But if it really mattered, she could say that she was good enough. Clementine lay underneath her rain tree, taking shelter from the tempestuous rain, feeling the warmth of her inner peace and knowing that all was right in her world.

采访老师们

的林培芳

老师为我们分享她的童年趣事。

安凤云老师也给我们分享了 她在北京与众不同的童年。

都说幸福的人用童年治愈一生，可见童年 是心中最僻静的一片乐土。

童年像是萦绕在耳畔的 乐曲一般，每每回想起 来，都会让人嘴角上扬

Needless to say, much of Gaiman’s success can be traced back to the things he saw and did when he was little By peering through the lens of his childhood, he could look at the world beyond what was visible to the naked eye. With a keen imagination fostered by his remarkable love for reading, Gaiman has crafted many meaningful adventures, intricate conflicts, and important lessons, one word at a time.

Perhaps there's much to learn from him

l G a i m a n l G a i m a n

It’s often the small pleasures and big moments of our childhood days that will come forward to remind us that we ’ re worth more than the world’s expectations, and then some.

And if you ’ ve been waiting for a sign to chase your childhood fantasies and write them down, here it is. Perhaps you’ll even become the next Neil Gaiman whose works everyone adores.

Written by: Samantha Sim Shi Hui (5C11) Ng Jie Ling (5C47) David Stephen Yeo Tzer Hee (5C22)

An Afternoon with our Principal,

Mr Chan Ying Yin

Written by: Siobhan Rose Lee (6C22), Lew Li Xuan (6C11)

The principal’s office is nestled behind the receptionareaattheGeneralOffice.Theoffice hasacomfortablesofa-and-coffee-tablesetfor hostingguests,andonthewidedeskiswhere alltheworkhappens.Theofficealsohasaview overlookingtheredtiledstaffcarpark,anda pictureofpreviousPrincipal,MrTonyLow, hangingonthewall MrChanYingYin,the manofourhour,satusonthesofa,andchatted withuswarmlyduringtheinterview.

Q: What did you enjoy doing when you were in secondary school?

A:MostlyhobbiesIlikedcooking,Ipickedit up from my mother Then, there was “TechnicalStudies”,asubjectwhichtaughtus howtomakethings itwasmuchsimpler than the robotics today. We made chairs, carvedwood,andhouseholdthingslikethat Mybiggestachievementwasmakingahammer successfully.Allwegotwasametalchunkand a block of wood, and we had to make a hammerfromtherawmaterials.Ifeltquite accomplishedaftermakingthehammer

It was a few days before the ChineseNewYear,andMrChan waslookingforwardtocookinga steamedfishforhisfamily’sreunion dinner.

Q: Can you share one of your happiest memories from your youth?

A: Happiest memory… was having fun, playingwithmyfriends.InJuniorCollege,I joinedtheCLDDS theChineseLiterary DramaandDebateSocietybecauseithadall ofthosethingswhichIenjoyedunderitI’ve

written drama scripts, directed dramas, and eventakenpartindebates,allinChinese.We hadalotoffreedomwithwhatwewantedto do,soweranaconcertfeaturingthediverse co-curriculargroupsfromtheperformingarts. InJ1Iwasjustacalefare,butinJ2Iwas

electedintoEXCOandIalsohadextra dutiessuchastheStageManager.Itwasa lotofresponsibility,andalotofhard work,butthecamaraderieandfriendships weforgedmadeitallworthitInfact,I kept the ticket and programme bookletforalongtime

Hisgazeturnedawayfromustosomefaraway destinationthatneitherofuscanviewnor reach ourselves, with over forty years of nostalgiainhiseyes.Wemovedon,andasked himwhyhebecameaMathsteacher.(Itwas becausehelikedMaths)

Q: If you are comfortable sharing, is there any part of your past that affected you negatively? Or that you regret?

A:[Hetookadeepbreath]Iwasnotvery physicallyfitinmyyouth.Iwasnotverygood atsports.AndIdidn’thaveahealthylifestyle.I wasnotveryactive.Atmyage,itcatchesup. We have to be more responsible with our health Igojoggingdailynowtogetregular exercise.IfIcouldturnbacktheclock,I’dbe moreactive.Youtwoshouldalsobemore active.Iwouldlikeyoutosharemyadvicein yourmagazine:wecannottakeourhealthfor granted

Q: Will do. Moving on, what is a quote that has stuck with you through the years?

A:“Noonecareshowmuchyouknowuntil theyknowhowmuchyoucare”Doyouknow whoit’sfrom?

Q: [After we googled it] Theodore Roosevelt.

A:Yes,andittookyoulessthanaminuteto findoutwithyourphone.BackwhenIwasa student,wehadtogotothelibrarytofindout, andwewouldn’tevenknowwhichbookto startwith Butnowit’sdonealmostinstantly It’sverydifficulttograbstudents’attentions

nowadaysTheattentionspanofstudentshave reducedtremendouslyAndofcourse,teachers will have to try new methods of getting studentstobeinterestedinlearninginclass. Younger teachers are probably also digital natives,butteachersfrommygenerationhave toplaycatch-upInthenext10years,whatelse willweneedtolearn?

Butsomethingsareimportantforever,withor withouttechnology Theneedforvalues,and tohaveanopen-mind

It’s about an hour after we started the interview. Before we left, Mr Chan showed us a copy of this year’s edition of More Than Words. “You know, they’re making this mostly digital now. There are only a few physical copies of it being printed.” He thumbed through the copy in his hands. “What about your magazine? Is it digitalonly, or…?”

Thatwasagoodquestion!Ourmagazinecan alsobefoundonissuu.com,justsearchtheuser: DunmanHighSchoolPublications.Wehave gleanedsomuchfromMrChanonhowwe canbeastudentandpursueourpassionatthe same time Thank you Mr Chan for this interview!

calefare /kah-lah-fair, kair-lair-, kɑːlɑːˈfɛː, kɛːlɛː–/ n [Cant , origin uncertain: see 2008 quot ] Also cair-lairfare, calefare, callafair 1 An actor playing a minor role or bit part in a film or television programme, an extra 2 fig. An idle person, a layabout; a supporter, a hanger-on. There is truly no such word in the dictionary. Pronounced as “care-lair-fare”, the term refers to bit-role actors, or extras in the entertai[n]ment industry in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. No one can really agree on how to spell the colloquialism, some spell it as “Callafair”, some spell it as “Cair-lair-Fare”. According to the producers, the term “calefare” – literally translated from Latin means to “keep warm ” And since the producers decided to spell it as “Calefare”, we, the calefare, are sticking with it Nobody really knows for certain how we extras came to be referred to as “calefare” One theory is that the term evolved from a Cantonese phrase (“chia li fei”) that referred to the lunch packs served to us – tomato rice, curry rice and coffee

Paper Ball origami

Light, vivid colours and easily pocketable. Do you still remember the good old paper balls? Spending fifty cents at the bookshop could provide you with hours of entertainment! Blow into the opening and watch it puff up like magic. When it comes to playing with paper balls, the choice is all yours!

Instructions

Step 1: Fold a square piece of paper diagonally, in both directions. The creases should make an "X" in the paper. Fold the paper in half Do this by bringing the bottom portion of the paper to meet the top portion of the paper.

Step 2: Bring the upper right corner in as shown Then, repeat this on the other side. Press down firmly on the folds.

Fold the flaps to the top. Then, flip the whole thing over and repeat the same steps on the other side to make a diamond shape.

Step 3: Fold the right and left corners into the center of the diamond. Repeat this on the other side.

Step 4: Tuck the loose flaps into the folds you just made. Do this by folding a small triangle on each of the flaps and then tucking them into the folds. Repeat this for all four flaps.

Step 5: Turn the folded paper to the end that does not have any flaps. Locate the hole in the center of this side. Blow into the hole The ball should inflate - just remember to keep those flaps tucked in.

Class of 2018

Written by: Samantha Sim Shi Hui (5C11)

i. do you remember the azure blue sky someone’s wallet, forgotten in the middle of a lonely road honesty is the best policy thank you for doing the right thing

as pleased as punch once bitten twice shy as as as as like beauty is in the eye of the beholder (i never liked pretending to be someone i wasn’t) top in class you did great you worked hard (did i?) congratulations on your graduation

ii it used to be just $120 只要菜谢谢 auntie auntie run down otherwise you won’t get to reach the counter before the bell rings wonton mee 不要⾁加菜 (gave the wontons away, as i am wont to do)

milo ⼤不要冰多少 uncle it used to be eighty cents now it’s $110 (at least it tastes good) queue queue q kill cute the way i obsessively tracked my money

iii. raise your hand when crossing the road look left right left again don’t let your guard down (i did, though) let yourself be seen too bad i did that and shouted raised my voice got empty assurances that it would go away once i hit the ripe old age of thirteen

iv. sorry, i don’t remember you (there’s just too many people, you know?) hey what’s your name it started with A, right do you know where 陈⽼师 went? (i never really knew you) give you a smile a wave (was this how we spoke back then?) walk away, turn away

maybe in another decade we will cross paths again (who are you, really?)

v. maybe i’m dreaming but once upon a time i fit right in front of a counter that now barely reaches my knees and these stairs are now too small to contain both of us without feeling like we’ll spill out this place was home once but now i’m just a stranger in casual clothes borrowing time with my blue EZlink card (no more orange) i hope i never wake up.

Childhood

CAT'S CRADLE

When morning assemblies or fire drills at the parade square got too boring, Cat’s Cradle was a game we played to kill time. If you need a refresher, Cat’s Cradle is the game where you make different string patterns and figures by passing the string from one to another. There are specific loops you have to make to achieve the different patterns, which are named Diamond, Manger, Two Crowns, and more! All you need is a long string which made this traditional childhood game in Singapore easy to play at any time!

Games

CHAPTEH

Want to train your dexterity, balance and aim? Chapteh is the perfect choice! The chapteh is a rubber disc topped with brightly-coloured feathers. While there are many variations of playing with a chapteh, the main objective is to keep it in the air for as long as possible.

Players would often use the heel of their foot to kick the chapteh in the air. Challenge your friends to see who can keep it in the air the longest or secure the most kicks. You can also take things up a notch by standing in a circle and kicking the chapteh to each other.

Whoever fumbles first loses!

Paper Fortune Teller

Instructions

STEP 1: Crease a square piece of paper diagonally from each corner. Fold the top right corner to touch the bottom left corner. Crease the fold with your finger and then unfold it so your sheet is flat again. Then take the top left corner and fold it over to the bottom right corner.

STEP 2: Fold the paper in half from each side. Bring the top edge of the paper to the bottom edge and crease the fold.

Unfold the paper so it’s flat again and rotate it by 90 degrees. Fold the new top edge of the paper to the bottom to crease it and then flatten it out again. Your paper will have four lines intersecting in the middle.

STEP 3: Bring the corners to the center of the paper. Start with one of the bottom corners and fold it to the middle of the paper where the creases intersect.

Press down on the fold with a fingernail so it stays in place. Turn your paper 90 degrees and fold the other bottom corner toward the center. Keep rotating and folding your paper until you’ve made a smaller square containing four triangles.

Flip the paper over and fold each corner to the center again.

Paper Fortune Teller

STEP 4: Put numbers in ascending order on the triangles

Start with the No. 1 in the smaller top left triangle on the fortune teller. Write the numbers in ascending order clockwise around the triangles until you get to eight.

Then pick four colors to write on the front side of the fortune teller.

STEP 5: Write the fortunes underneath the flaps. Open up the triangles labeled 1 and 2, and write a short fortune underneath each number. Write small so it fits in the space. Repeat the process under the flap for each number so you have eight different fortunes in all. Close the flaps once you’ve written all the fortunes.

--Examples of fun fortunes you can write!--

“Something amazing is coming your way tomorrow.”

“You will live a very long and happy life.”

“Have a good day today!”

A conversation wi A conversation wit

Written by Ang Lexi Lacey (5C47), Jerald Yeo (5C31) and Valencia Toh Xin Yi (5C47)

Tonight,at8.30pm,Ireliveourfavouritememoryfor thelasttime.

It is a Thursday night You once mentioned that every day has a feeling associated with it, and thereforeacolourassignedtoit.Icanonlyrecallthat Wednesdays were the colour green (your favourite). It was originally assigned blue, but that led to your all-too-exaggerated reaction asking where I would have assigned green, since every other day already had a colour assigned to them. I then told you Wednesdays could be green instead because no other day felt more green than Wednesdays, laughing at a colossal persistence on your part (I forgot how adamant you could be about simple thingslikethis)

toconsumethemseparately.Anabsurdthought.I addedacakeIknewwastoolargeforustofinish, andsomeicing

Itwas852pm,andthefluorescentlightsflickeredover our heads. I guess it was kind of scary, like in a Bgrade horror film, the few moments before a jumpscare,intensifyingmusic,orsomethinglikethat.

Itstartsoffwithatriptothesupermarketlocated alongthebeach.Itwasyourbirthday.(Mine too,butwedon’tcelebrateanymore)Ihad agreedtopayforwhateveryoupickedout Youpickedcerealandmilk,abagofchips, andpopsicles.Youtoldmecerealcould makeapartofanymeal,aslongasit wasconsumedaftermilk Youmeant

As soon as we had gathered all that we wanted to purchase, we quickly went off to pay The airconditioningwasatadbittoolowforyoutohandleany longer. I saw that you were practically shivering. You didn’t admit it though, when I pointed it out. (You were stubborn like that, as all fourteen-year-olds are) Stuffing the items into bags, we made our way to the beach.

The wind gently brushed against our faces and a sprinkling of stars embellished the night sky, our only source of companionship this moonless night We could vaguely see ships in the distance, similar to movingcities,driftingslowlyby.Anindistinctglowlined the horizon, the fading parameters of this memory, far beyond our reach. We sat and ate and watched the flickering of stars marking the passing of every moment You pestered, and I sang, reluctantly, the

My Younger Self My Younger Self

birthday song to you, first in English and another in Chinese You sang the last time to yourself in Malay I never really felt the point of birthday songs They used to mean the world to me, but I had slowly grown out of it.

We talked for a while longer and you asked what I wanted to do after university (I swore you already knew and just enjoyed making fun of me for it) I told you“probablysomethingintheHumanities”

“Youshould;youhavethemeansforit.”

“Itisn'taslucrativethough.”

YoureiteratedthatyouknewIhadthemeansforit.

09:28

ofstarsthathungoverourheads

We both laughed. (Perhaps we were laughing at differentthings)Thestarswere arranged in a sort of disarray,depictingacertaindegreeofdisorientation Wesatinthecomfortofsilence,eachkeepingthe othercompany.

Wheredothememoriesgowhentheyleave?Do theysimplyslipaway,unannounced?

You know, I think it was also only tonight that I realisedyouwereflickeringtoo;thatsomethings(like our future) are scarier than horror film ghosts, more surreal than some fever dream where waves lapped intheskyandoceanswerefilledwithclouds.

Fixation upon feigned familiarity for these few momentsbeforethehorizonchanges.

It was only at 10.34 pm that I noticed you had left. I am not sure if you turned back the last time And I wasn’tsurewhen,exactly,youhadlefteither

These remnants slowly disintegrate -- a magician’s final disappearing act, one I could never understand or decipher. Some tenacious longing clings to my skin like an awfully reluctant stain, unrelenting, no matterhowlongthescrubbingonemaydo

And tonight, a piece of my past fades away as this memory concludes. I look upon this memory longingly,andbeginthisnewjourneyinmylife.

IwasrightwhenIsaidthatwewouldn'thave beenabletofinish the cake You made attemptsatmemorisingtheconfigurations

So, this is whathappens whenI see you again

LiuShengyu(6C47), NienWeiShengWelden(6C47)

Nothing has changed Somehow, the billowing snow still comes year after year without fail; the bells still sound as I walk through the bakery door Stark as a red poppy in white snow, he is the first thing I notice Behind the counter, working the coffee machine with deft hands.

I walk up to the counter, trying to still my hands How long has it been? Ten, twelve years? He is taller than me now His hair is longer than I have ever seen it Behind his golden curls, I still see the eyes and smile I used to know like the back of my hand.

“A hot chocolate please ” I say to the boy who wears the name tag reading ‘Benji’

He looks up from the glass he was cleaning, and suddenly I find myself avoiding his gaze. His eyes widen in the distorted reflection, then he smiles. And I'm brought back

"Alex?" Benji looked up at me, uncertain The apple wobbles on his head I squinted and grinned at him

"Don't worry! Just stay still" I aimed my nerf gun and squeezed the trigger The plastic pellet flew out and hit him on the nose He cried, stumbling backward and onto his butt, the apple rolling away from him

"ALEX!" he hollered accusingly, while sniffling on the ground I rushed to him, laughing A welt started to rise on the tip of his nose. I pointed and cried, "Rudolph!"

All the way back. akery

o me even after all these

I take a seat by the window The steam from the cocoa floats upward as frost creeps down Someone shifts into the seat opposite me and I look up It’s Benji

"You're Alex, right? From North Pole Primary School?"

"Yeah You remember?"

"Of course, how can I forget?" Benji swirls his own cup of cocoa and runs a hand through his hair The chill has tinted his cheeks pink

We talk until it started snowing, then stopped Only when I stare down at what remains in my cup do I remember what this reminds me of. Those days we used to spend together, just like this Then, we stopped

When will I ask him why?

"You never responded to my letters " ither of us would broach this, but there it is I shut my Letters? I – I never got any letters "

Liar I sent them, Benji Fervently And I waited, but that's all I ended up doing I'm done waiting on him

Ignoring his stuttering, I stand, leaving my cup and grabbing my pack before stepping out onto the streets

I walk down the cobblestones as garland and lights greet me from above. People are in Santa hats, reindeer antlers headbands, talking excitedly with smoke escaping their mouths Green pine trees covered with snow lights and ornament b f

My parents made the decision to move out to the city when I was nine They always told me it was for the good of my education and their business, but I never really believed them I remembered being distraught that I was forcefully ‘evicted’ from my fairytale and I had to leave my friends, and Benji I made a promise to myself that I would always find my way back here, back to Benji I just never got around to doing it until this Christmas

I vividly remember after opening my presents on Christmas day, I would sit on my bedroom floor and write a letter to Benji, telling him about all the toys I got

He never responded to any of them And when the snow crackles with footsteps almost don't expect him to speak at all After all, in my memories, he is voiceless A for a while, he speaks.

“I thought you forgot about me, Alex I don’t know where your letters went, but trust me, ” his voice breaks, “I would’ve written back in a heartbeat My mom My mom must’ve thrown them away without showing them to me ”

I smirk Benji was, and still is, the quiet, sweet child of a respectable family And I am the troublemaker next door. They made their disapproval of me quite plain, even kicking me out of their house one Christmas Benji had snuck out that night to join me, and it is here we swapped presents and stories

From his coat he pulls out a red wrapped box and hands it over to me I nudge him gently. “Thanks, Rudolph Merry Christmas I guess we found our way back after all.

IInterview nterview with Mr CK with Mr CK

Written by: Rae Lim Ze Qin (5C47), Sun Yutong (6C35)

As students, we are provided multiple sources to aid us in exploring our future career options, such as MySkillsFuture portal. However, considering the turbulent career landscape and economy in today’s context, there is little predictability. In this segment, we will be gaining insight from Mr CK, a Literature teacher of 13 years, and examining his journey in the workforce. Before teaching, Mr CK was in the field of public relations and marketing communications.

Q: Did you get into this profession right after your university education?

“No, when I graduated, it was the financial crisis and shortly after, the SARS outbreak took place. So looking for a stable job at that time wasn’t easy at all. For about one year, I did part-time writing and contract copywriting.”

Q: Do you miss your previous career paths and the unpredictability of it?

“After 6 years working in that field, part of me realised that the hectic lifestyle caused by my job would take a toll on my health and personal well-being. I also realised that I didn't have as much energy to deal with the unknown daily, as compared to my younger colleagues. At that time, I also lost the motivation to seek career progression.”

Reflecting upon Mr CK’s career journey, I think it is safe to say that it is difficult to predict how our careers would span out in the future. His mention of the SARS outbreak and its effects on the workforce landscape also mirrors the pandemic we are facing now. Mr CK’s recognition of his strengths and evolving priorities in life is an admirable quality in which we too should develop in the future, so as to ensure our flexibility to adapt in today’s volatile job market.

快来“Bingo”一下！

作者：

⾼雅宣 (6C47)

蔡可睿 (6C12)

我羡慕别人随心所欲的童年，想做什么就大胆去做。可是， 我只 能忍着。因为我怕 直到6年前发生了那件事，我终于大胆地迈出了那 步......

放学铃声响起，我和几个好朋友连忙收拾书包，准备步行回家。我 们路过了每天放学必经的运动器材专卖店，这时我的朋友突然有了 个 大胆的想法：“我们4个人 起在年终假期时来 场露营吧！”

听到这个提议，我举双手赞成，兴奋地点了点头。我 直很渴望有

个和朋友们出游的机会，尤其是去露营。我从小就没有独自出去玩 过，这次露营能让我学习如何独立。

然而，下 秒我却犹豫了：“露营很危险的，要是发生了什么不好 的事，父母肯定会骂我的。我不能让父母操心！”

但紧接着，我心中萌生出一个从未出现过的声音，一个反抗的声 音。它说：“

你从小就是 个对爸妈言听计从的好孩子，为什么不闯 次，给自己 个成长的机会？”

“他们不会同意我去的！”我立刻反驳了自己。

不出所料，爸妈 口拒绝了。他们说的那些理由，我都已经听腻 了。尽管如此，我依然耐心地和他们分析露营的好处，但他们固执己 见。母亲眉头紧促，露出 脸的不悦；父亲脸色铁青，眼神里的怒火仿 佛随时都能把我烧成灰烬。眼前的画面简直令人瑟瑟发抖。眼看要和父 母吵起来了，我只好失落地走回房间。

日子照常过。很快，年终考试便来临了。在忙碌的日子里，我渐渐 忘了露营这件事。我以为这件事，就这样翻篇了。

转眼便到了我们露营当天的早上，我正懒洋洋地躺在床上刷手机， 忽然看到我的好朋友发的最新动态。那是 张他们正在露营的照片，虽 然看起来辛苦，但他们都是笑脸盈盈的。我心里瞬间感觉酸酸的，也想 体验这幸福。对比起我的优柔寡断，我更喜欢为了自己的梦想全力以赴 的样子。我的童年为什么不能和别人 样精彩呢？勇敢闯荡和取悦别 人，我为什么选择后者呢？我过去的童年 直被拘囿着，我不想再这

样了！

此刻，我强烈地渴望 次不顾 切的 冒险。没有如往常

样，再三思考。我立

刻从床上蹦下来，打开房门四处巡视，发 现爸妈去上班了！也许，这是让我童年有 个转折的大好机会。我火速地收拾露营

然而，下 秒我却犹豫 了：“露营很危险的， 要是发生了什么不好的 事，父母肯定会骂我 的。我不能让父母操 心！”

需要的东西，飞奔出门，只留下 张给父母报备行踪的纸条，仿佛是留给童年的自己 个 交代。就这样，我迎来了人生中第 次“叛逆”。

很快，我便到达了露营场所，朋友们看见了我面露惊色，旋即转为喜悦，欢迎我的到 来。为了确保父母不扑灭我的热情，我毫不犹豫地把手机关掉，全身心投入了这场露营。

这两天我度过了有史以来最快乐的时光：搭帐篷，生火，烧烤......生平第 次，我能为自

己做 次主，学习如何不依赖父母，照顾自己的生活起居。眨眼间，到了要回家时，我终 究无法逃过面对家长的时刻。我依依不舍地跟朋友们告别，踏上了回家的路途。

站在家门口，我深深吸了 口气，做好了面对家里已 经准备“喷火”的爸妈。打开家门小心翼翼地踏进房内， 环顾四周，我的眼神正好和母亲对上了。下 秒，便听到 了她的尖叫声：“许巍！你好大的胆子！”我战战兢兢地 走进客厅，映入眼帘的是父母横眉怒目的样子。随着他们 责骂的声音愈来愈响，我的怒火“噌” 下也到了极点， 大喊道：“你们就知道骂我，为啥不能听听我的意 见！”随之，我冲出了家门，毫不理会身后呼唤我的爸 妈。

自尊心很强的我，不允 许我在外人面前如此丢 脸，更不能大吼大叫。 刚平静下来的心仿佛又 被扒开了伤口，委屈、 不甘纷纷涌上心头。

气呼呼的我走到了楼下的游乐场，坐在秋千上面荡了起来，想要把不愉快都荡走。 才刚平静下来，我便听到了熟悉的 声：“许巍！”我从秋千上跳了下来，看到了爸妈 既担忧又愤怒的脸。爸爸的咆哮声如同穿过了大喇叭，放大了许多倍：“居然学会了离 家出走！知不知道我和你妈有多担心？能不能不要这么幼稚，这么长不大？”

周围陆陆续续围了许多看热闹的路人。自尊心很强的我，不允许我在外人面前如此 丢脸，更不能大吼大叫。刚平静下来的心仿佛又被扒开了伤口，委屈、不甘纷纷涌上心 头。

“为你们着想？那你们又何曾为我着想？你们口口声声说不让我冒险是为了我好，那 你们都不给我机会去闯荡、去成长，哪来的资格说我幼稚、长不大？你们 直催促我长

大，但谁来让我长大？你们要放手我才能尝试，才能成长！我们需要成长的空间！你们 为什么不懂？！”我喉咙嘶哑。我本该是展开翅膀翱翔的鸟儿，而不是关在笼子里的宠 物。

我第 次......第 次对着爸爸妈妈吐露了心声。

语毕，我已是泪流满面。听到了我的话，周围好多人都点头表示认同。爸爸妈妈沉 默了。他们看向我的眼神仿佛沉重了许多。良久，妈妈叹了一口气，呢喃了一句：“回 家吧。”

从那以后，我们再没提那天发生的事，仿佛不曾存在过，但如今，父母不再过多约 束我，而是给了我自由......选择的自由。

“你说，要是⾼中的时...... "

"到了，进去吧。 ” 我话还没说完就 被他打断了。

我没等他，直接快步越过了他，推 ⻔进⼊了包厢。

“哟哟哟，模范夫妻来咯！” 刚打开 ⻔，到了的同学都望了过来，随之⽽来 的就是那 阵阵打趣声。

“谁和他是模范夫妻了，嫌弃他还

小时候，我在小区里以顽劣著称，胡作非为，天不怕地不 怕，一直在作死的边缘疯狂试探。直到那童年的阴影降临在我 的身上......

20.12.15

年春节我回到老家祭祖之后，百无聊赖的我决定在院子外面浅浅地 一下，于是我便准备了鞭炮烟花，和我弟弟一起将里面的火药一点点倒 来。最后，我们收集了满满 整罐的火药，准备去个空旷的地方 起点

然而，此时我手中的香却燃到了尽头，被烫到手的我赶忙将香头扔了出去。好巧 不巧，那 节小小的香头不偏不倚地命中了那

脸懵逼的我依然没 意识到事情的严重性，不慌不忙地准备去踩灭香头。但霎那间，一整罐火药爆燃了起 来，火舌瞬间窜到我面前，然而我还是不以为然， 边嘲笑我弟弟飞奔而逃， 边准 备拿水浇灭火苗。但风助火势，那天凛冽的北风很快就将火焰吹到旁边堆积如山的秸 秆之上，而干燥的秸秆是再好不过的引火物了。

炽热的火焰很快就包围了我。那是我平生 第 次感到死亡的恐惧。在大火的包围下，即 使我已经感受到火焰烧焦了我的眉毛，对火焰 本能的恐惧使我没能迈开自己的双腿，只能看 着大火的包围圈越收越紧，无助的等待命运的 审判。就在此时，我那早已逃出火场的弟弟及

时地带领着家长们来解救我了，随着一盆又一

盆的水被泼在火上，那螫人的大火很快就偃旗 息鼓了。

虽然我最后也算是毫发无伤地逃离了大火，但那恐怖的火圈却深深地烙印在我的 心底，那次大火也成了我对“玩火者必自焚”这句话有了深深的理解。

大罐火药。此时

香 椿 树

所谓人间烟火气，最抚凡人 心。儿时姥爷家的大院，满足了我 对人间烟火气的一切想象。那里有 冒着烟的烟囱，有高高的香椿树， 有蝉鸣，有姥爷，有家。

若用 种吃食来形容我的童 年，那便是姥爷做的锅贴了。小时 候，香椿馅的锅贴是我的“必点 菜”，是我下了舞蹈课累到灵魂出 窍的慰籍。那段时间可以说是人生 中最美好的时刻，要是能在那 刻 定格，该有多好。

后来，我开学了。初中生活总 是那么让人向往，向往到忘记常常 去那个大院转一转。姥爷知道我 忙，得空就给我做好吃的，小心装 到保鲜盒里，给了妈妈，妈妈再转 交给我。

作者： 朱恩仪 (6C22)

听妈妈说，姥爷以前的单位给 他们盖了小区楼，现在整个院子都 要搬迁了。姥爷以前是教授， 身 中山装站在讲台上，那威风，那气 度，可不是吹的！忙活了大半辈 子，也是时候享清福了。

可姥爷却开始舍不得这个院子 了。

他说，在这里住了 辈子，已 经习惯哩！只有我知道，他是挂念 那棵香椿树。当他听到我们决定把 香椿树移栽到小区楼下的花园里 时，姥爷的脸上写满了高兴。

后来，学校放了寒假。妈妈 说，寒假过了，再过两个月，姥爷 就能搬进去了。我期待着，期待 着，寒假就结束了。

下一次见姥爷，是在医院。 姥爷病了。

我坐在医院的长椅上写着作 业，看着姥爷从检查室被推进去又 推出来。我放了作业去病房里看 他。姥爷瘦了。他见我来，刮了 下我的鼻头，“南南来啦，姥爷没 事，等姥爷出院给你做锅贴吃！别 着急。记得多给我的树浇浇水 啊！”姥爷开玩笑似的说。我应下 了。

几天之后，姥爷出院了。“姥 爷，我想吃你做的锅贴啦。姥爷可 不许食言，回家就要给我做！”姥 爷并没有回答我。我仔细端详着姥 爷的脸，倒容光焕发了许多。人们 总说返老还童，还真是 点没错。

姥爷在那里，安静得像个刚出生睡 着了的婴儿......

刚过完年，烟囱里的烟也回来 了，而香椿树也渐渐吐出了绿 芽......

Closing

Did you remember anything interesting while Did you remember anything interesting while reading our magazine? reading our magazine?

Perhaps you ’ ve already forgotten that folding and playing with the paper fortune teller was probably the most interesting game we had in our childhood. Or maybe the tactile memory of folding a paper ball is coming back to your fingers. We hope that this trip down memory lane through the personal and fictional stories in this issue has been an enjoyable, fulfilling experience for you.

We hope that through remembering who we were, we can better understand who we are, and in doing so, look forward to who we can be And remember: anything is possible when you look through the lens of time.

0ur Team 0ur Team

Editors-in-chief

Ong Sze Ching Shannon

Zhu Rong

WRITERS (Y6)

Hu Hanqi

Alicia Chee

Guo Tengze

Sun Siting

Kow Ya Xuan

Kerrine Chua

Zhu Rong

Andria Lee

Lew Li Xuan

Oh Huien Kaitlyn

Siobhan Rose Lee

Nien Wei Sheng Welden

Liu Shengyu

Wang Yuhan

Rae Lim Ze Qin

Sun Yutong

Tan Weiyang

WRITERS (Y5)

Wong Li Fei

David Stephen Yeo Tzer

Hee

Valencia Toh Xin Yi

Ng Jie Ling

Ang Lexi Lacey

art editor

Lew Li Xuan

designers (y6)

Andria Lee

Chee Shi Yao Alicia

Rae Lim Ze Qin

Ong Sze Ching Shannon

Siobhan Rose Lee

Teo Min Huei

Hu Hanqi

External Writers

Zhu Enyi

Yu Luyen Shijie

Samantha Sim Shi Hui advisors

Mdm Hong Lan

Mr Mark Ho

Mr Tan Chwee Bock

designers (y5)

Cora Soong Yee Hyun

Elie Tan Zhi Le

Ng Jie Ling

Lai Xin Yu

Yap Ning Shuen Megan

Valencia Toh Xin Yi

Lee Yu Chen Xavier

Tiffany Ho Ting Chien

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DHS Publications (Senior High)