YRC 31

Building the Next Generation of Thinkers & Writers

Young Reader Club ISSUE 31 / SGD 8.00 ISSN: 2010 - 1376

Catch our Young Authors in action as they report on the ground for the

Young Author Awards

Stories you don’t

want to miss out on!

Featured Author of the Month

Hor Wern Thing shares her experiences as a JC student.

Walking Through Rain is back! Read about autism through the eyes of Seth Lim.

Social Issues: Human Rights and Children Hear what our Young Authors have to say!

Scan here to know 3about YRC!

Young Reader Club / Issue more 31

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YRC Online provides blogs and reviews by young authors about issues and topics that concern the youth of today, while giving opportunities to maximise the YRC experience through e-books, worksheets for students and teachers, and e-magazines!

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SGD 7.50 ISSN: 2010- 1376

Breaking Boundaries: Cambodia

2 teachers and 1 village with a dream

YRC Investigates:

Singapore’s Lost History

Discovering memories & more

Health Matters

Celebrating World Milk Day 2011

Fierce Facts

Cool things about pizza

3 Fascinating Tales You Can’t Resist

Jennifer Yip, Maybank 2007 YAA Awardee Our Featured Author of the Month

Building the Next Generation of Thinkers & Writers3 VOL. 8 2011

THE YRC TEAM Managing Editor / Publisher Catherine Khoo Editor Joanna Chin

From the Publisher’s Desk

Circulation Manager

Nannette Marajas-Cruz Designer

Lim Soo Yong Contributors

Bryan Joel Lim, Yogesh Tulsi, Nurul Iiman, Lee Tat Wei, Wong Ziling, Natalya Thangamany Illustrators

Adeline Lim For advertising and sales enquiries

6336 8985 Education Subscription Agent

Emit Asia 6372 0330 Distributor ilovereading.sg Pte Ltd

9199 3758 Email: info@youngreaderclub.sg Website: www.youngreaderclub.sg All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Call 6336-8985 for back issues.

Printed in Singapore

by Stamford Press Pte Ltd Cover and additional photos by

Joanna Chin

is published by Experiences & Experiments Books Pte Ltd 261 Waterloo Street #03-08 Waterloo Centre Singapore 180261

Hello! We have just been through a very inspiring and exciting period!

Having just wrapped up the Young Author Awards, it was indeed heartwarming to see our Young Authors – pioneers and newbies – all come together to celebrate a love for writing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all young authors for their dedication towards the written word and would like to encourage you to keep pressing on and most importantly, keep writing!

In this issue of the Young Reader Club, we focus on the topic of Education. At its core, education has served as a form of empowerment for us. With education, we could amass a fortune of knowledge which allows us to express our ideas and our deepest thoughts. With education, we are given the freedom to pursue our dream jobs and aspirations. Being in Singapore, we probably would have taken the value of education for granted, given the fact that the right to study comes easily for most of us.

However, in some countries, the right to proper education is a privilege as children struggle on a daily basis to meet basic needs such as food and shelter. Thus in this issue, we would like to draw the attention of our young readers to the various social issues around the world. We invite you to embark on a two-part journey with us where our pioneer young Authors explore and critique pressing issues pertaining to violations of human rights, children, environment, animals and women.

Also featured in this issue is a special news story for the Young Author Awards. Our young reporters, Wong Ziling and Lee Tat Wei take on roles as young reporters and set out to uncover the behind the scenes of the event. If you are also an aspiring journalist, don’t miss out on this article!

After a short hiatus, Walking Through Rain series is back. We sat down with Seth Lim and his family to talk about autism. We would like to thank the family for their honesty and for sharing their vulnerability with us.

Last but not least, origins have always been a strong belief for me.

The notions of ‘having roots’ and ‘knowing your roots’ hold strong meanings for me. In Heritage Journeys: No place like Serangoon Gardens, I retrace the roots of Serangoon Gardens digging up past memories and untold stories of the place I call home. In this issue, we feature an excerpt from the book with personal thoughts by myself and my editor. I encourage you to read these stories and who knows, you may be encouraged to embark on your very heritage journey as well!

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Table of Contents

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Table of Contents 4 Private notes from a Junior College Student

Featured author of the month, Hor Wern Thing talks about her personal

experiences as a student undergoing the rigorous education system in Singapore.

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Detective Addison: The Smuggler’s Murder by Caleb Loh

The story is set in the 1900s when America is booming. Addison Hughes is a postgraduate at Columbia University and his latest detective novel is a hit on the New York Times best-seller list. However, it seems that something exciting awaits him, an adventure that may change his path in life.

18 Waiting for Arthur by Julianna Blas

The ongoing war has torn two best friends apart. Arthur has been drafted to serve in the war and his life takes a dive into uncertainty. Anne is determined to wait for her best friend and the love of her life, no matter how long it takes. Will true love win the war?

29 Walking Through Rain

In this instalment of Walking Through Rain, we look at autism through the eyes of an endearing young man. Meet 13-year-old Seth Lim who has mild autism. Read how Seth and his family overcame the odds, arriving at a point of acceptance and love.

33 Amazing Journeys

Managing Director and Founder, Catherine Khoo talks about a project that gives back to the community, evoking greater awareness of our surroundings and the people around us.

35 Heritage Journeys: No Place Like Serangoon Gardens

Explore Serangoon Gardens through the eyes of YRC editor, Joanna as she discovers a whole new world away from the sparkling veneers of the city life. Read more about an old bookstore at Serangoon Gardens and how residents of Serangoon Gardens find their escape within the pages.

39 Special Report: A recollection of the Young Author Awards

Young Authors Wong Ziling and Lee Tat Wei assume roles as reporters.

Applying their journalistic flair, they deliver a special report on the recent Young Author Awards.

43 Social Issues Advertisements

Using advertisements, Young Authors explore and critique social issues such as Human Rights and Children. This issue features Bryan Lim, Yogesh Tulsi and Nurul Iiman.

Young Reader Club / Issue 31

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Featured Author

Private notes from a Junior College student

“W

here is all the knowledge we lost with information?”

T.S. Eliot asked, addressing an important question that coined the woes of modern-day education. With the advent of technology and technological devices, information proliferates at an alarming speed. However, is information a form of knowledge too?

The primary purpose of education is to impart knowledge but are our young really learning? We sit down with former young author, Hor Wern Thing, 17, at the stylishly and newly built Singapore University of Design and Technology with her parents as she shares about her experiences with education in Singapore.

Transitioning from Secondary to Junior College

Currently a first-year student at AngloChinese Junior College (ACJC), Wern Thing admits that it has been a huge transition from Secondary school to Junior College. “The school is definitely larger and there is more focus on independent studying,” she shared. It took some time for Wern Thing to adjust and settle into her new environment as the tutorial-lecture system meant that she needed to assume more responsibility for her studying. Furthermore, the former Crescent Girls School student shared that moving from an all-girls school 4

to a co-ed school meant that classes become ‘more interesting’. “The boys are louder and the school is noisier,” she explained.

Shooting and discipline

Wern Thing is a member of the air rifle team at ACJC. Training has been both a test of mental and physical endurance.

Before the ‘real work’ can begin, Wern Thing has to undergo a 20-minute mental training where she calms her mind by firing empty pallets at the target. Each week, she goes through a day of physical training to strengthen her stamina. Wern Thing admits that this repetitive process can be tiring at times but they are the elements that build her character.

This discipline is pertinent toward Wern Thing’s academic studies as well. The rigorous schedule of college life demands the practice of discipline and stamina. For Wern Thing, practicing the air rifle has interweaved into her academic studies and contributed to her endeavours in pursuing knowledge.

The Education System and Morality

Being a student in Singapore is stressful.

Wern Thing shared that there is a constant need to keep up with competition as everyone strives to obtain the highest grade possible. The highly stringent system filters and streamlines the calibre of students, pushing and ensuring that they are at their best.

Magic & Fantasy The novel “The Missing Sphinx” was featured in the New York Times

Detective Addison and the Smuggler’s Murder

By Caleb Loh Illustrations by Adeline Lim 8

T

Detective Addison and the Smuggler’s Murder he 1900s was a century full of new discoveries, intellectually, scientifically, and, of course, criminally. To stop the rise, there were more police and detectives. Among those great detectives was Addison Hughes, who passed away at 98 in 1994.

Chapter 1

After an exhausting day at the university, Addison slouched in his armchair, looking out of the window at the courtyard. As he felt finally relaxed, the doorbell rang.

Whenever he heard that rather disturbing sound he would think of his angry professors storming in demanding his latest assignment.

“Who can it be at this time?” wondered Addison as he walked towards the door.

As he creaked open the door, he saw a newspaper being held by two very familiar, bony hands.

The hands folded the papers, revealing the face of Pete Lee, Addison’s best friend from the university.

“Hallo, you well-known thing,” said Pete.

“Pete, what do you want?” asked Addison impatiently. “Give me a break.”

“I saw your name in today’s New York Times. It seems your novel The Missing

Sphinx is a smashing hit, selling over 25’000 copies in 3 days. You’re now the new Mark Twain… Sherlock Holmes is now overshadowed by the better detective created by Addison Hughes, the new Arthur Conan Doyle!”

Addison asked him, “What do you mean?”

“Read this,” said Pete, handing over the papers to Addison.

Addison took the papers from Pete and read the entire article.

“That’s wonderful! Thanks, Pete,” said Addison.

“There is nothing I won’t do for a friend like you. And by the way, you have been absent for two and a half classes this week and three lectures out of the six you were supposed to go to. You were also asked to come on Monday at half past seven but instead you came at a quarter to nine.

On Thursday you came at a quarter to nine when your first lecture was at half past seven. And seriously, do you think that will do? But that shows a good love for writing and you still get that whole allowance in the end.”

The two bid good bye. Addison went back to his armchair, slouching just like he was before Pete came. Just then, the door bell rang again.

“Who is it now?” groaned Addison.

“Don’t tell me it’s another man coming to break the same news?”

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Feature Story

Before becoming the century’s greatest detective, he was a postgraduate in Columbia University in New York, working on his own short stories and novels about detectives and mysteries.

To tell you about his great career, I shall present you his first case, as his biographer, the case of the smuggler’s murder.

Interestingly enough his career began when he had written a major mystery work he’d published a few days earlier.

Heartwarmers

When he boarded the train along with hundreds of other soldiers, my soul prayed for every boy, many of whom would not be coming back.

Waiting for Arthur

By Juliana Blas Illustrations by Adeline Lim

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O

Waiting for Arthur

n the day before my best friend was drafted, Arthur took me to this pleasant café overlooking the Thames, the one we’d wanted to go to before the war. The sky was a cloudless blue dome over the plethora of London’s gray city spires and buildings.

I remembered that it was a crisp sunny morning because there was a salty breeze that bit my cheeks and ruffled his unruly flaxen locks.

“This is your last day before the war, I should be paying for it.” I protested, yanking the bill away from him.

“This is my last day with you Anne, let me do what I want.” Arthur yanked it back to his side, almost knocking over the salt.

“C’mon, we’ll get that cheesecake and a fresh pot of tea before we get out.”

Rolling my eyes, I tried not to focus on his pressed army uniform and more on the plain white teacup I was holding, light glinting in its rim. “When are you coming back?” I asked him.

“I’m touched by your concern. I’ll see you as soon as the war ends.”

“When will it end?”

“Nobody knows yet.”

“I don’t want you to go Arthur.”

“I know.” He grasped my hand gently.

“Please don’t kill yourself over the housework, alright? Those stubborn pot stains don’t equate the apocalypse.”

My fingers hold onto his. Despite being sent to war, he was still worried about me losing sleep over the dirt in his kitchen.

“I have to make sure you return to a good

home.” I said seriously. “I’ll eviscerate every speck of dirt till then.”

Arthur’s laughter was clear, rich and warm, drowning the white noise breakfast chatter and the clinking of glassware.

Suddenly it was just he and I in that little cafe seated near the window, with our cold bowls and linen tablecloths and the morning sun captured in the ice water in our glasses. It was a precious memory for me to hold for the next six years.

Farewell

The next morning, Arthur and I walked to the train station, where he’d be sent to war.

“So,” Arthur fidgeted with his pack, as I straightened his collar and hat. “I’ll see you soon.”

I didn’t want to think about Arthur leaving, so I shoved him his paper lunch bag. “God be with you, Artie. Just come back, don’t be a martyr.” I told him, ignoring my smarting eyes. I felt my wrist being tugged and Arthur was embracing me tightly.

“Stop worrying so much. You’ll wrinkle early.”

I swatted his shoulder, and was comforted by his smile against my hair.

What else does one say before a great divide? What else could I say to him before I perhaps never see him again?

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Feature Story

Memory to Hold

Walking Through Rain

Autism ~ Seth Lim

By Natalya Thangamany When we first launched Walking Through Rain, we looked at autism through the eyes of an endearing young man whose sister has a similar condition.

We also checked out some statistics on autism in Singapore and how steps are being taken to help individuals diagnosed with autism remain included in our ever evolving society. For this installment, we meet 13-year-old Seth Lim, who has mild autism. He is currently in his second year at Pathlight, a school that coaches children and youth with autism and helps them develop skills for the future ahead.

When I first met Seth some months prior to conducting this interview, he had some difficulty in communicating – a trait common in people with autism. He stuttered and stumbled frequently over his words and did not always speak in full sentences. However, once one gets past that, they will see that Seth is an expressive, hardworking and hopeful individual seeking to make his mark here.

Influenced by his favourite television shows, Seth uses both digital and traditional mediums to make art, which he would then publish online. He aspires to

be a freelance artist. “I enjoy drawing,” he told me. “Sometimes I draw Pokemon, sometimes I draw knights. I also have an on-and-off interest in playing the piano.”

Seth currently lives with his parents, his two younger sisters, his domestic helper and his five-year-old poodle named Teddy. “He’s called Teddy because of his creamcoloured fur,” he told me during the interview, as Teddy frolicked with my hand. Doggy distractions aside, I sat down with Seth to hear his story about living with autism.

Younger Years When asked about his initial reactions towards discovering his diagnosis, Seth remained passive. “I had no reaction. I was probably a toddler then,” he said. “I can’t remember the age I was diagnosed…I probably did not care about that fact.”

However, his nonchalance on the matter did not mean he had an easy time growing up. Like most people with autism, Seth had his fair share of struggles while growing up, especially with people who are unable Young Reader Club / Issue 31

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The travelogue that the Journeyers will remember for a long time to come

Your Very Own Travelogue!

Be The Author of A Story That Bears Your Name Join Catherine Khoo as she takes you and your family on a journey that will change your life!

Be the author of a story that bears your name. Be the hero in someone’s life. These were the one-liners I toyed with when I did my recce trip to Phnom Penh for my Amazing Journeys Cambodia: An Odyssey Into The Human Soul. I created this programme called Writing From The Heart for my young authors’ families, where the giving and sharing builds bonds between parent and child. It opened up the minds of the families I worked with in 2012.

And yes, the travelogue that was the result of the journaling at the end of each day reinforced these family bonds.....in fact, Vella, who together with her husband, Raymond, brought their daughters, Mabel, 15, and Kerdelle, 13, to the trip, believed it ignited the compassionate spark in both of them.

Both her girls became more confident and learnt that giving benefits both giver and recipient. According to Vella, “Kerdelle bought a pair of new sneakers for the trip.

Then she bought a pair of sandals in Phnom Penh which were more comfortable to move about in. On the last day, she visited a woman who had no shoes. Without hesitation, she ran back to the homestay, retrieved her shoes from her luggage, ran back all the way and handed it to the

woman. I expected her to give the woman her sandals. But she said that the sneakers will last longer. My daughter learnt an

important lesson in her life that morning.”

I wanted to recreate these memories for more families. This time round, Marc Teng, Head of Education of STA Travel, our travel partner, suggested we work with a village orphanage and an outreach centre in Phnom Penh. And if you know Catherine Khoo, you know I am always ready for the next adventure!

Stepping out of the car in the ecolodge after about an hour’s drive from the airport, I was immediately greeted by the warm smiles of the women working in the commune kitchen. And a waif of a girl

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Finding Home in

Serangoon Gardens

By Joanna Chin

Understanding Serangoon Gardens was a beautiful accident. The place had merely held a gastronomic memory of humongous sugarcane drinks, grilled stingray, carrot cake and barbecued chicken wings for me.

My complacent self never questioned why Singapore’s best hawker place, Chomp Chomp opens in the late afternoons or how authentic Singaporean food has become embedded into the soul of this close-knitted community.

However, after stumbling upon Catherine Khoo’s Heritage Journeys: No Place Like Serangoon Gardens, I find myself reeling with excitement. For a start, what piqued my curiosity is the fact that Chomp Chomp has a sister! The Serangoon Garden Market and Food Centre which opens in the day serves up traditional hawker fare such as Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice to Tan Soon Mui Beancurd’s soy desserts.

Thus, the adventurous anthropologist in me packed my bags and set out on my own

heritage journey to find out if there’s truly, no place like Serangoon Gardens.

First Love

Books are my first love. It was no surprise that my travelling feet would gravitate towards a little bookshop-cum-library along the corner of Maju Avenue. Fondly remembered as ‘NIB’, this is a secondhand bookstore where bookworms like me would visit to get our daily dose of secret escapades into different worlds.

The NIB was the place to go to during the 50s and 60s as readers would lounge along deep lanes lined with shelves of books while devouring hidden fantasies that dwell within the pages. I stood at the same spot where the bookstore once resided and imagined the hustle and bustle of lives in Serangoon Gardens back then. It would be at a time when

Singapore herself was searching for her own identity as the smell of books grounded the hearts of a young nation.

This little treasure is now occupied by a new occupant, café Happy Daze.

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Post YAA Reporter’s Report

YOUNG AUTHOR AWARDS A Recollection of the

By Wong Ziling & Lee Tat Wei

All good things must come to an end.

The 2014/2015 Young Authors’ Awards (YAA) is no exception - a befitting closure to a year of intense literary and creative competition, the awards continue to create aftershocks of excitement both here at YAC and amongst the attendees. Bringing this year’s awards ceremony to an end with an inspirational afterthought, this article will feature sneak peaks into the

amazing journey of YAA through exclusive interviews with the winners as well as an interview with an ardent supporter of the YAA, Mrs Triena Ong. Mrs Triena Ong, a passionate advocate of children’s literacy gave an inspirational

speech encouraging children to start writing from an early age - ideas which we are sure many of the attending youth scribbled down! Catching up with her over an email interview, we were able to better understand her cause and to steal a few tips for writing a book.

According to Mrs Ong, the only way to improve your writing experience is to read a lot and use inspiration that comes from imagination or personal experience.

We all know the fear of being rejected, but for Mrs Ong that is not something that should be standing in your way. We should be determined enough to keep trying despite rejections - in fact, many famous authors were rejected many times before their writing was made popular.

On the importance of writing from a young age, she shared that writing is important because it helps one to express his/her innermost feelings and thoughts.

Sometimes, expressing ourselves is easier done in writing than in speech. While Young Reader Club / Issue 31

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Social Issue Advertisements

WORLD US THE

AROUND

In this two-part issue, our Young Authors explore thought provoking social issues pertaining to themes such as Animals, Children, Environment, Human Rights and Women. Our Young Authors are each presented with advertisements pertaining to social issues around the world. They will apply critical thinking skills and effectively critique each visual.

Our Young Authors are each presented with advertisements from non-profit organisations such as Unicef, Amnesty International and Feed SA. These visuals address social issues around the world. They will apply critical thinking skills and effectively critique each visual.

Through this, we hope to create a space where open dialogue is possible and where our reader too will reflect on these issues.

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Yogesh Tulsi and Nurul Iiman are commissioned to address the theme on Children. They are each given two visuals depicting social issues surrounding children. Let’s hear what they have to say!

Between the two advertisements, I prefer the Feed SA advertisement to the Unicef advertisement. In the Feed SA advertisement, the story depicts a little boy sitting in a shopping trolley begging for food. I thought that the message was clear and the image of a child staring wideeyed at you with his hands outstretched is effective at evoking sympathetic responses from the public. On the other side of the coin, the Unicef advertisement of the fork with an extra prong to resemble a hand does little in my opinion, to draw much empathy from viewers.

Imagine pulling a carton of milk from the shelf and while proceeding to place the product into your shopping cart, you are greeted by a sad looking boy with his hands outstretched. Hesitantly, you put the milk carton into his hands and as your heart felt a twinge of guilt, you look around the shopping mart filled with rows of canned food, bread and eggs. You turn back looking at the shopping cart 44

By Nurul Iiman aged 19 and find the little wide-eyed boy staring back at you, his gaze holding firmly against yours. In addition, the trolley bears the words “See how easy feeding the hungry can be?” The image of the young boy remains etched in one’s memory, hence encouraging one to do their part and donate to the cause.

The advertisement by Unicef is used to mark World Food Day. Using the fork as a symbol of a giving hand, the fork also represents the food we eat. While the message is heartening, it lacked a connection with viewers; it was not as poignant as the poster of the little boy with his arms outstretched. It may take a while for the public to comprehend the actual message that the ad is trying to convey.

Do you love to read and write? Do you want to learn more? Sign up today for our unique workshops!

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This is an intensive introduction to composition writing. Aspiring writers will also learn the art of illustrating from a professional artist.

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Young Author Scheme Advanced (AYAS) This programme is NAC endorsed and is entitled to a 50% subsidy. Young Authors craft a story of 10,000 words or more while exploring indepth characterisation, story structure and tools to grip readers right to the last page of their story!

Sec 1 to Sec 3

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Pri 3 to Pri 5

For workshop schedules and other information, please contact Janus Education at: T: 63368985 E: books@catherinekhoo.sg 261 Waterloo Centre #03-08 Waterloo Street, Singapore 180261 Young Reader Club / Issue 31

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