YRC 34

Building the Next Generation of Thinkers & Writers

Young Reader Club ISSUE 34 / SGD 8.00 ISSN: 2010 - 1376

Sophie Tan makes her own journey in the world of writing Learning Journey: We join a team of ten as they jet off to Bandung, Indonesia for leisure and learning Kick off our Featured Stories with danger in a temple in

The Scythe of Kronos

by Michael Ho

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Young Reader Club / Issuemore 34

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Vol 8. 2011 /

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 4 e-magazines!

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 Natalya Thangamany

From the Publisher’s Desk

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Nannette Marajas-Cruz Designer

Lim Soo Yong Illustrators

Vickie Yong 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 Additional photos by

Natalya Thangamany

Dear readers, Hope your 2016 has been a good one so far. Let’s kick off this year with a YRC issue packed with action, fantasy and a renewed zest for learning!

In this issue, we catch up with our Featured Author Sophie Tan, whose writing journey over the years has been sprinkled with inspiration from various places. She tells us what drives her to write and how writing has helped her as a person since her primary school days.

We are also packing this issue with exciting two-parters!

Check out our Featured Stories for their Part Ones; explore dangerous temples and meet figures of Greek mythology in Michael Ho’s The Scythe of Kronos, follow a genetically modified teen in her quest in Sophie’s Artificial Fire, and jump between the dream world and the real world in Sijbren Kramer’s The Sleepwalker.

Not only are we jumping through worlds, we are also jumping through countries, all in the name of learning. Keep your eyes peeled for our special feature Learning Journey: Bandung, where a team of ten trotted down to Bandung, Indonesia to discover its sights, culture, and people. What they find in Bandung was an eye-opener for them, and we hope it can also be an eye-opener for you.

Have fun reading!

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

Young Reader Club / Issue 34

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2

4 Sophie Tan

Witty, strong-willed and constantly inspired, 15-year-old Sophie Tan’s writing

muse is strengthened by what she sees and feels. From a rocky primary school life to her current ventures in secondary school, writing has always been her refuge. See what makes her and her writing tick, and hear how her experience as a writer has shaped her into who she is today.

10 The Scythe of Kronos (Part 1) by Michael Ho

Brought together for a strange mission by an anonymous employer, four

hunters with very contrasting personalities found themselves on something much bigger than they had signed up for. In this part, they discover surprising secrets about themselves and then sent on a dangerous search-and-retrieve for a mystical weapon.

20 Artificial Fire (Part 1) by Sophie Tan

From our Featured Author this issue comes the first part of a thrilling sci-fi

adventure. A teenage mutant, named only by a code number, takes on a mission from an unknown source to redeem herself from a huge failure. What she encounters, however, may be a lot more than she can handle.

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The Sleepwalker (Part 1) by Sijbren Kramer

Dreaming brings us to different places…in this case, literally. In the first part of this fantastical take on dreams from an international young author, we walk the paths of Karn and Nick, both one and the same. The young boy and his dragon form have to save both their worlds from a powerful foe while reluctantly getting help from unlikely allies.

40 Breaking Boundaries: Learning Journey to Bandung

In November 2015, a team of ten traveled to Bandung, Indonesia for a recce for the next Learning Journey. What they experienced there is a mixture of leisure and learning, as they try new food, went to scenic spots and took time to reflect on what they can teach others. Journey with them as they experience Bandung’s culture; perhaps it could make you take a journey to Bandung as well.

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Top 10 Things To Do In Bandung

Take a look here after our Breaking Boundaries feature; now that you have read about our team’s experience, why should you visit Bandung? Our Top 10 this issue can hopefully convince you to jet down to Bandung — from good food to tourist spots to a variety of shopping places, there is something for everyone in Bandung!

At YRC Magazine, we ensure that stories are kept at their most original form, yet there are times that content is abridged to suit the magazine’s readership. Stories featured in YRC Magazine are abridged as necessary, to fit page constraints. The YRC is a literary magazine that conforms to the reading palate of 10 – 16 year olds. Once a story is featured in the magazine, it is at the discretion of the editor to copyedit articles to a certain extent, to suit the target audience.

The views and opinions of the contributors do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of YRC magazine and its staff.

Young Reader Club / Issue 34

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Featured Author

4

Magic & Fantasy

The Scythe of Kronos

By Michael Ho

I l l u s t r a t i o n s b y V i c k i e Yo n g 10

our black-clad hunters made their way soundlessly through the thick undergrowth of the forest, spreading themselves out to cover more ground.

Three had over-stuffed duffel bags slung on their backs while the fourth was holding a mini laptop, which was showing the location of a temple that supposedly contained a longlost artefact. Two weeks ago, someone had gathered the four of them and offered them a million dollars to retrieve it. Now, that mission was almost over.

The laptop beeped, signalling that the temple was close. One of the hunters, Joe, signalled to the others to stop. He frowned.

He saw no temple in sight but then again, they were in a forest.

“So, who wants to forge ahead and get a good look of the temple first?” Joe asked his fellow hunters, looking at one of them.

“Percy?”

Peter was tall and athletic, built like a basketball player, but strangely quiet. He just shook his head. Joe sighed. They had been in the forest for over a week and he knew less about them than the person who had given them their job. What made it more ironic was that he did not even know the person who had given them this job. He glanced at his watch, realising that it was almost nightfall.

The canopy blocked out the sun’s rays so it was hard to tell whether it was dawn or dusk.

“Alright, we’ll just camp here tonight and go into the temple tomorrow,” he said.

“It’s already night?” Dale, another hunter, asked.

Joe nodded. Dale sighed and collapsed on the forest floor, gesturing to another hunter, Harrison, who was carrying the duffel bag to open it up and pass over the sleeping bags.

Soon, all the hunters were sleeping except for Joe. From the start of this whole million-dollar

job, the other hunters had always turned to him for answers as if he was their leader. He accepted this without saying anything but now he was starting to regret that decision. He laid down on his sleeping bag, stared at the stars and gradually, darkness washed over him.

The Temple Tries To Kill Us Compared to the impressive temples Joe had seen in movies when he was a kid, the temple that stood before him was definitely not impressive. The temple looked like it was swallowed up by the forest. Small plants sprouted from the cracks on the temple wall. The colour of the walls, which was once bright and cheerful, was now dull and depressing.

“Nice place for a vacation,” Dale said.

“Yep, sure is,” Harrison sighed.

“C’mon guys, stop complaining and help me find a way in,” Joe smiled.

Dale laughed. “Look over there! The door would be the most obvious way in,” he said.

Joe turned. “What door?” He asked.

Dale’s cheerful smile vanished. “You mean you can’t see it? Joe? Harrison?” He said.

“Sorry, can’t say that I do,” Harrison said, shaking his head.

“I can,” Percy said, appearing behind Joe. “So… how are we gonna get into the temple through a door that Harrison and I can’t see?” Joe asked.

“I’ll show you,” Percy said. He walked to the wall and placed his palm on it. Instantly, light flared up and enveloped the entire section of the wall. Joe and Harrison stepped back apprehensively while Dale stared at the wall in wonder.

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Feature Story

F

The Scythe of Kronos

Aliens &Angels

Ar tificial Fire

By Sophie Tan

I l l u s t r a t i o n s b y V i c k i e Yo n g

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blinked tiredly before shaking my head and staring at the paper in front of me.

Another one of these…

I blinked tiredly before shaking my head and staring at the paper in front of me.

Another one of these…

I sighed and rubbed my temple with one hand, the other slowly crushing the paper before throwing it across the room. I really want­ed to turn the table to a crisp before going to bed, but those were important, too important to be lost to a silly little tantrum.

The paper, which was now being picked at by a rat, was a WANT­ED DEAD OR ALIVE picture of the man named Relar Dreal, the man who ruined my perfect reputation and my chances of getting out of my little cell. It was a year ago, and thanks to my little… mistake, Dreal got away before I could apprehend him.

Not that I could even go after him if I wanted. His whereabouts were unknown and my superiors had banned me from going after high-classed villains after my failure. I let a small flame that I made in the centre of my palm grow and stared at the little servant in my hands.

You see, I am a Genetic Mutation of sorts, and so, they put me into this little cell where I was only allowed to leave for missions. Ge­netic Mutations were people who were infused with a special kind of power orb that gets placed directly into their DNA. However, only those who were compatible can become mutations. Those who don’t got sent home.

The only thing I remembered when I first woke up was the scien­tists asking me if I was going to help them. So I did. I became an agent because I wanted to get stronger and help the people who took me in, even if it meant death.

They said I came from a family who

didn’t want me, and so they took me in. I don’t particularly believe them, but they said I had am­nesia, so I had no choice but to go by their words.

A quick scurry sound was heard and a gentle thud announced her entrance.

Turning around, I couldn’t help but let go of my cold demeanour and smiled warmly at my friend who was, as usual, dressed in a skin tight outfit they gave her and a flirtatious smile that would always grace her movie star face.

“Claw,” I greeted her politely, grabbing the cup of tea on my table and sipping it calmly. Claw smirked as she gloved her fingers.

“Hey Miss Calm Pants.” She propped herself on the table.

“Get off my table, Claw.”

“Hmmph,” she pouted as she jumped from the table to my bed.

Claw had become a mutation like me and the bounty she earned was always sent to her mother, who had long since paid off her debt and was suppos­edly living a better life.

She and I became friends, and she had been sneaking into my room almost every night since then.

“So what’s goin’ on, Miss No-name?”

I couldn’t help but wince. Claw noticed and withdrew a little.

“Target setting,” I joked, sipping my tea slowly. “Half a mind to target you for calling me No-name.”

“Sorry, I…ah…” Claw muttered.

I silently nodded and placed my cup of tea down before facing Claw.

“Just call me ‘Unknown’,” I gave her a tight-lipped smile. My com­rades who had Young Reader Club / Issue 34

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Feature Story

I

Artificial Fire

Magic & Fantasy

The

Sleepwalker

By Sijbren Kramer

I l l u s t r a t i o n s b y V i c k i e Yo n g

30

he air was heavy with the smell of death. The last remains of great pain and lost broken dreams. He knew that he was the cause of all this, and strangely it made him happy.

13 but he skipped the 7th grade.

An abrupt cough echoed through the He let out a deep chuckle that rumbled night.

It seemed much louder in the from deep in his belly and escaped a cage overwhelming silence. Probably his dad. of saber-like teeth. The sound jostled Then, another noise broke the silence, the out the damp cave mouth and warned soft pad of footsteps creeping up the stairs, the world of his presence. The dim light every step trusted with the utmost care. accented his dull scaly hide and danced Abruptly, the oak door turned to an oozing about on the points of his massive horns. tar that bubbled and hissed as it fell away, Keen spikes lined his back and run down his tail, cramped against the ceiling of the matting the floor like a black carpet.

A hunched silhouette stood in the empty gloomy cavern. A tongue of flame leaped doorframe, and as it stepped forward, the from his scabbed lips; she was late. uneven light falling upon it, he realized Suddenly, from a dim patch of shadow it was the witch from his dream. She was the witch emerged, “I am not late, the time sickeningly draped in layer upon layer of I arrive is the time to be here.” dirt-strewn spider silk. She was bent over For once in his life, Karn the dragon her six arms brushing the ground, her skin was truly afraid. How did I not smell her, like black sagging leather; but she had no how did she know my thoughts? Then a eyes, only two foreboding empty sockets. presence probed his mind, “You are an She scuttled towards him, her presence a open book.” physical weight set on his mind. Her right The Witch took a step forward “It is arm was raised like a priest prepared to time,” she said. “Time to awaken.” bless him. Darkness closed in on him and The Awakening as if from a distance, he heard words so familiar. “Time to awaken.”

Nick jolted up, and threw back his An instant later, visions began to shoot covers; it was still dark. He looked around by, only visible for a second. He heard at the muted forms of his wardrobe and desk; the only light from the moon filtered the witch’s voice, a sound like sharpening knives. “There are two worlds like each through the curtains. The dream had felt so real, the witch so vivid, and most of all other, yet not alike. When we sleep, we the fear so tangible, gnawing away at him. inhabit our body in the other world. We Maybe he was just nervous, tomorrow was never really sleep.” Visions of giants, dragons, and burning villages snapped the end-of-year exam, the only obstacle between him and summer break. He would by, then she spoke again, “But, when we be moving on to high school; he was only awaken, we remember nothing. All the

A Tangled Dream

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Feature Story

T

The Sleepwalker

Breaking Boundaries

Le a r n ing Jour ney to Ba ndung

SEE THE SIGHTS During the Bandung excursion — proudly sponsored by Janus Education Services, VITO Singapore [Visit Indonesia Tourism Office], Air France, and STA Travel — the team spent those five days exploring many different places.

Locations visited included two schools (one local and government-run, the other private and international), a volcanic lake, a tea plantation, a children’s village, an art museum, an angklung site, and the largest dam in Indonesia.

One of these places visited was the Saung Angklung Udjo, an angklung workshop and centre. There, Journeyers 40

learned more about the making and use of angklungs, and even participated in an angklung performance. “Angklung, as a musical instrument, would be less familiar as an instrument as compared to the piano and guitar. Not many parents in Singapore would send their child to angklung classes, hence the lukewarm response among many to this instrument initially,” Mr. Marc Teng, the organizer from STA Travel and a Journeyer, observed.

“However, the angklung lessons that were to follow will make many people, especially Freddie Mercury, flip with ecstasy after hearing the angklung rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. The

for more details about what you can find in Bandung!

Top Ten Things to do in B andung Now that you have taken a look at our Learning Journey in Bandung, are you eager to find out more about one of Indonesia’s many districts? We narrow down our Top 10 Things to Do in Bandung, and spill more details about why you should visit this intriguing place.

The learn

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ing cycle

1

PREMIUM AIRLINE SERVICE Every trip, especially an overseas one, starts with a plane. Every plane comes from an airline.

One of the factors responsible for an enjoyable overseas trip is the airline service, so select an airline that would definitely give you what you are looking for in comfortable travel.

One of the sponsors for the Bandung trip was Air France, a high-end airline. During the flight to and back from Bandung, expect to be fed with delicious food and wellrested in comfortable seats.

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FO O D F ood is a universal language, and always the topper of most travel lists. After all, a well-fed mind starts with a well-fed stomach.

During their five-day trip in Bandung, our Journeyers ate at a variety of restaurants.

Delicacies they have eaten, which you can check out in Bandung, include beef rice at Stone Restaurant, western food from Atmosphere, and of course, authentic Indonesian cuisine from restaurants such as Sindang Reret Ciwidey Restaurant, Handayani Prima, and Griya Dahar Ibu Kadi.

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SC HOO L S Two schools were visited during the Bandung excursion — Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 (SMA N1) Jakarta, which is local and government-run, and Gandhi Memorial International School (GMIS), which is private and international.

Each school had their own methods of imparting knowledge, from the use of technology to the structure of their facilities to how classroom lessons are taught.

We have our own share of local and international institutions, so why not check out the similarities and differences between our schools and Bandung’s schools? It is a chance to check out how various curriculums are handled overseas.

Plus, it is also an opportunity to make new friends and discover different cultures.

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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 34

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