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Engineer by training, film buff by profession... PAGE 08
THE NANYANG
SEP T EMBER 15 , 20 0 8 | V OL 15 NO 3 | IS SN NO 0 218 -7310 | W W W. N T U. EDU. S G / C HRONIC L E
冠军歌曲 一小时内完成 第14届《飞乐时空》落下帷幕，音 乐老师王闯夺冠。
南苑
21 页
Mozzie Mozzie
NTU turns up the heat in the fight against the deadly Aedes mosquito
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Rubber with a cause Check out two special cafes which not only serve great food, but big on heart as well
Human Jam
Heavy human traffic amongst other gripes, mars international spirit of bonding in Nike Race
LIFESTYLE
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Rock star welcome for Dr Kalam NTU rolls out the red carpet for former president of India, who was here to receive an honorary degree from the University LEE YEN NEE T H E R E wa s m ay he m at t he Na n y a n g A u d i tor i u m for a few minutes when a throng of students jostled with each other for an autograph from the former president of India. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was in NTU on August 26th to receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) from the university in recognition of his services to the Indian community, adva ncement of science a nd technology, as well as in improving Singapore-India relations. Mor e t h a n 1, 0 0 0 p e ople attended the ceremony, most of
them students from India. After Dr Kalam left the auditorium, students crowded around him, eager for an autograph or picture with the man who oversaw India’s missile technology development. Security guards quickly took control, allowing Dr Kalam, who was India’s president from 2002 until last year, to sign a few notepads and shake hands before he was ushered out of the lobby of the auditorium. Some of the students cleared their schedules just to catch a glimpse of Dr Kalam. >> CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
AUTOGRAPH FRENZY: Students jostle for a chance to get up close with the former president of India. PHOTO | IRWIN TAN
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New life, new vision, new Union The 18th Executive Committee gets into business with its first annual general meeting
M'SIA ARRESTS BLOGGER AND investigated three newspapers in a crackdown against dissent and racial hatred. OIL PRICES NEARLY FELL BELOW the US$100 mark on Thursday, continuing its sharp decline as investors shrugged aside worries about Hurrican Ike. DEATH TOLL RISES FROM MUD flow that deluged a village in central China on Monday. More than 1000 rescuers were dispatched to look for survivors.
PASSING ON THE BATON: Outgoing Union president Choudhury Anshuman Das (left) shakes the hand of his successor, Ng Hwei Yun (right) to mark the change of leadership of the Union. PHOTO | NARERKRIT SINRACHTANANT
that it was a “ver y diff icult” decision to run for the top position, she is confident that her passion to improve students’ lives will yield
“Our vision for the school is to build a vibrant, healthy and passionate community.” Ng Hwei Yun, 21 Students' Union President 18th Executive Committee
>> Continued FROM PREVIOUS page
India's former president gets honorary degree Raman Srivivasan, 27, a graduate st udent i n Env i ron menta l Engi neer i ng, sa id he took a half-day off work to attend this ceremony. “Dr Kalam is a role model for all Indians and the way he motivates people gives peace to people,” said Srivivasan Jayesh Kannan, 18, a second year Civil Engineering student, added: “Dr Kalam is probably the most admired and widely respected Indian of current times.” He added that Dr Kalam’s humble background serves as an inspiration for many to work hard to achieve their dreams. Dr Kalam received the honorary do c tor ate f r om Si n gap or e’s President S R Nathan, who is also the university’s chancellor. T h is year, N T U confer red four honorary doctorates besides the one given to Dr Kalam (see sidebar).
TEMASEK HOLDINGS LOSES ITS appeal against an Indonesian Supreme Court ruling that said it had violated the country's antimonopoly laws. PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMMUTERS can expect to save more the more they transfer, thanks to an increase in the transfer rebate.
Poon Chian Hui T H E N T U S t u d e n t s’ U n i o n underwent a change of guard on September 9th. Its Annual General Meeting and Investiture was a combination of old and new, as past contributions were recogn ised a nd newlyelected members pledged their com m it ment for t he com i ng year. T he event star ted w it h t he outgoing 17t h Execut ive Committee presenting their report card for the past year at the Lee Kong Chien lecture theatre. A mong t he h ig h l ig hted achievements was the introduction of the 179A bus route, which offered students a quicker way to campus from Boon Lay Interchange. The investiture that followed i nt roduce d t he Un ion’s ne w president, Ng Hwei Yun, 21. With her new executive committee, she acce pte d ce r t i f icate s of appointment from NTU Secretary Anthony Teo, who was the guestof-honour. In her acceptance speech, Ng spoke of the goals she and the new committee will be working towards. “Our vision for the school is to build a vibrant, healthy and passionate community,” she said. “We will like to see a campus full of life and vivacious students participating in all the different CCAs and attending classes, eager to learn and explore.” While the new president said
news flash
These individuals are selected by the Honorary Degrees Committee, chaired by NTU Provost Bertil Andersson, and then approved by the university’s board of trustees. Nominees have to be outstanding in their field of profession or have significantly contributed to their society, country and international
“Dr Kalam is a probably the most admired and widely respected Indian of current times.” Jayesh Kannan, 18 Second-year Civil Engineering student
results. Ng, who was previously the Union’s orientation secretar y, said her personal goal is to “make students in NTU a bit happier”. It was a bittersweet moment for those who stepped down from the 17th executive committee as they looked back on a year of fond memories. Former president Choudhury Anshuman Das said he found the Union’s first-ever Appreciation Night most memorable. “Everyone in (the Union) got together and while it was a simple gathering, it showed that there’s
relations. They must also have made important contributions to the university. Dr Kalam said receiving the doctorate was “a unique honour” as NTU is internationally reputed. To date, t he engineer-bytraining has received over 30 such doctorates from different universities worldwide. D r K a l a m b e l i e v e d t h at science and technology could help transform India into a developed nation, and one of his most notable contributions in technology was his involvement in India’s first satellite launch last year. He is popularly known as “Missile Man” for his efforts. He prev iously oversaw an NTU collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) in the field of nano-technology, after a visit to NT U in 2006. He wa s i mpr e s s e d w it h t he university’s work in nano-, bioand information-technologies. For Jaye sh , who s a id he had always wanted to meet the man dubbed “India’s People’s President”, the experience was an unforgettable one. He said: “It was wonderful to see Dr Kalam in person for the first time.”
no differentiation between us, that we are all working together as equals,” he said. G u e s t- of-honou r M r Te o expressed satisfaction with the perfor mance of the outgoing executive committee. “ T he y have, a s leader s, communicated with the student body in a comprehensive way,” he said, adding that he would like to see the new committee engage students in creating a rich campus culture. He said: “It’s important to have a lively, robust campus, not just a nine-to-five campus.”
other honorary degree recipients Besides Dr Kalam, three others will be conferred honorary degrees in separate ceremonies:
THIRTY PERCENT OF MANGA readers in Singapore are female, a local comics publisher has found. This is thanks to popular Taiwanese dramas, such as Meteor Garden, which are based on Japanese comics. SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ IS POISED to return as Thai PM on Thursday just two days after he was removed from his post for hosting cooking shows. KANYE WEST WAS ARRESTED at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday, after fighting with a photographer. The singer's bodyguard was arrested as well. US PRESIDENT BUSH SECRETLY approved military raids inside Pakistan against alleged terrorist targets, a former intelligence official revealed on Thursday. THOUSANDS IN TEXAS FLED AS Hurrican Ike roared into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. It is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane.
Professor Jose Luis Encarnacau A Computer Science professor at the Technische Universitat Darmstadt, Germany. His books on computer graphics and software have been published in seven languages.
OBAMA AND MCCAIN PROMISE to play nice in honour of the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. They suspended their political advertising for the day.
Professor Chua Nam Hai From Rockefeller University, the Singapore-born molecular plant biologist has made a number of inroads in making crops more resistant to harsh conditions.
A BIG CHANGE IN AFGHANISTAN strategy is needed and thousands more US troops and greater military involvement is needed to win the war, said a US top military officer on Thursday.
Professor Yang Chen Ning (RIGHT) He was credited for several wellknown theories of physics. One of these, the YangMills theory, won him a Nobel Prize in Physics.
KIM JONG IL MAY BE ILL AFTER he failed to show up at North Korea's 60th-anniversary parade on Tuesday. If the North Korean leader dies, it will create a sudden power vacuum in the regime. TWO RUSSIAN BOMBER PLANES land in Venezuela for training flights on Wednesday, amid tension with the US.
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Here is a warm Willkommen to Bosch Idayu Suparto A GERMAN technology company has opened its first Asia Pacific research centre in NTU, and is already working with students to study how to harness solar energy more efficiently. T he Bos c h Re s ea r c h a nd Technology Centre—Asia Pacific was officially opened on September 3rd at NTU’s Research Techno Plaza. Bosch is a major supplier of automobile parts worldwide and produces brands such as Blaupunkt, a popular audio equipment for cars. One of its research interests is in improving the technology in which sunlight is harnessed to produce energy, also known as photovoltaics. NTU Provost Bertil Andersson said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to be involved in developing the energy of tomorrow and, at the same time, have the opportunity to work with a leading company like Bosch.” The university research team consists of 25 undergraduates and five PhD students who are led by Associate Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar. When the company’s headquarters in Bishan are ready next year, there will be 30 Bosch researchers working under its roof. Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar said t he solar cells t hey are
Cold Spray research centre launched
SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON SOLAR ENERGY: The new Bosch Research and Technology Centre—Asia Pacific will partner with in developing solar energy technology as one of its research interests. PHOTO | EUNICE CHAN
s t u d y i n g—m a d e of or g a n i c materials—are more efficient in absorbing light than inorganic silicon solar cells. This makes harnessing solar energy cheaper because fewer solar cells are needed to get the same amount of energy. Organic solar cells, which are compounds made of carbon-
New TV show on campus Chua Sijia May A NEW television programme is coming to a screen near you. N T U’s telev ision channel, Spectrum TV, has undergone a revamp to appeal to more people on campus. It is introducing Kaleidoscope, a new lifestyle programme with two 15-minute segments that discuss art and fashion issues— named Artscope and Fashionscope, respectively. Spectrum TV will also continue to produce Nanyang Spectrum, a 15-minute news programme centred on issues that are more up-to-date, reporting news that happens within the week. “We will focus on breaking news stories like the F1 extravaganza,” said head of news for Spectrum TV, Philip Lim, 23, adding that i nter est i ng l i ne-ups i nc lude interviews with Miss Singapore World 2008 Faraliza Tan and reports on former Indian president, Abdul Kalam. Both programmes will be aired on plasma screens around the campus and streamed from the Spectrum TV website. Ma x Lim, 20, a f irst-year C hem i st r y a nd Biologica l Chemistry student, hopes to see some food features in the new
based molecules, are also thin and lightweight, so they can be used in mobile equipment such as foldable mobile phone chargers, said Dr Gerhard Felten, Bosch’s Executive Vice President of Applied Research and Production Technology. B e s i d e s t h e p r o s p e c t of developing a cheaper mode of alternative energy, the students
A winning shot for intern Cheryl Ong news editor
GREATER VARIETY: Spectrum TV now introduces a richer range of programmes. PHOTO | LIN JUNJIE
lifestyle programme. “You wouldn’t really know what food or dish exists in other canteens unless you hear of it by word of mouth,” he said. Bot h t he st udents a nd professors in the Spectrum TV team strongly believe in the quality of programmes that can be offered and have high hopes for the future of the channel. Professor Tr isha Lin, who supervises the crew, hopes the programmes will one day move onto mobile television platforms. Another student in charge of Nanyang Spectrum, Lee Lay Ming, 21, said: “We hope that NTU students will take a look at our programmes and hopefully (Spectrum TV) can grow from two programmes to five, even ten.”
involved are looking forward to the advantages of working with a well-known technology company One of them includes graduate student Lek Jun Yan, 24, who said: “It gives us a chance to be exposed to a multi-national company. The industry experience will be precious for us even after graduation.”
NTU and Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd (ST Kinetics) have set up Southeast Asia’s first research and development centre dedicated to the study of Cold Spray, which is an emerging form of technology used for coating metals. The group serves international markets in the defence, aerospace, electronics and marine sectors. The Cold Spray Research Centre (CSRC) is the result of a three-year research collaboration between the group’s joint venture company, the Advanced Technology Research Centre, and NTU. The centre was officially opened on September 5th by NTU Provost Bertil Andersson. Conventional coating processes require prior heating of the sprayed materials. Cold spray processes could be useful as they can be carried out at ambient room temperatures, without the undesirable chemical changes caused by conventional techniques. Operations began last year and both parties have been carrying out research aimed at developing new technologies which can be used in various industries, such as aerospace, biomedical, chemical, oil & gas and automotive.
IT STARTED out as a routine assignment. On May 16th, as an intern with The Straits Times, Kevin Lim, 26, was sent to take photographs of mobile drives in Toa Payoh aimed at detecting diabetes. He decided to visit the place half an hour earlier to survey it and Lim, now a finalyear communication studies student, came across a horrific accident. The photograph he took earned him the Straits Times News Picture of the Month (May) award, a recognition all the more significant because he is the first intern to win such a prize. “I was in the taxi on the way to my assignment when I saw a crowd of people at the roadside,” recounted Lim. A truck had swerved onto the sidewalk where a woman and her children were on. The mother shoved her son to safety but was struck by the vehicle. The young boy suffered from a fractured hip, while her teenage daughter escaped unscathed.
It was a delicate balance between doing his job well and tr ying not to intrude on the victims’ moment of grieving, said Lim, who made sure the ambulance was on its way before he took his pictures. “Photojournalists must be mindful of their presence and the way they approach the scene,” he said.
Mike Sargent, editor of The Straits Times photo desk, said the winning photograph had “all the elements of a good news picture”. It told the story, was wellcomposed and was the best-taken image in the month. Lim was encouraged when he found out about his win. “It was all about telling the story to the readers,” he said.
THE WINNING PICTURE: Lim came across the accident on his way to another assignment. PHOTO | THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS, LTD. PERMISSION REQUIRED FOR REPRODUCTION
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Balloons lift teachers Lee Yen Nee PROFESSORS from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) received a pleasant surprise on Teachers’ Day when they found balloons and cards at their office doors. T h e i n i t i at i v e w a s a n idea by MAE students from the Leadership Development Programme. Titled “Project Gratitude,” it served as a way for the school’s students to thank their professors. The programme’s president, Susan Mulia Lai, 22, said: “This is something that we can do to give back to the school.” “Project Gratitude” saw a 2.5 metre-tall card put up in front of the school at the North Spine for students to leave “thank you” messages for their favourite professors. Notes posted included those that were sincere, as well as some that were cheeky, such as “Thank you for investing your time and effort on us” and “Keep your hair like Einstein”. The giant card went on display for public viewing from September
Mocktail display enters S'pore records Jayesh Kannan
THANK YOU: Students pin up their letters on the giant card. PHOTO | CHERYL WEE
1st for one week. The students also tied a balloon and a card to every professor’s door as a surprise. Associate Professor Jacob Gan Gah-Kok applauded this effort by the students and believes that this tradition should be continued. H i s col leag ue, A ssociate Professor Stephen Lee Siang Guan, said: “It’s a very nice gesture by the students, and any professor would appreciate this.” The leadership development programme is an initiative by
the school aimed at developing leader sh ip qua lit ies, interpersonal and problem solving skills among MAE students. The students involved in the project were happy to be able to express their gratitude to the professors. Mut h ia h S / O Pon ma n i , 22, a second-year Aerospace Engineering student, said: “The smile on the professors’ faces after seeing the balloon and card can really make your heart melt.”
AN NTU investment club entered the Singapore Book of Records for creating the “Largest Mocktail Drink Cups Display” as part of a stock challenge competition on September 6th. At the OCBC Securities Online Stock Challenge’s opening ceremony, more than 1000 plastic cups were filled with red- and green-coloured “Bearly Bull Dream”, a mocktail concocted exclusively for the event. The display was 3.5m long and 2m wide. Certain cups were filled with a special variation of the mocktail of a contrasting colour to form the stock lines of the chart. The drink was prepared with fruit juice by the organising committee. The mocktail display depicted bullish and bearish markets. A bull market is when financial markets grow steadily, while a bear market is when the opposite happens. “The idea of a drink cups display came up suddenly in one of our
discussions,” said the committee’s vice-chairperson, Ong Xue Ying, 20. “It also fit in well with our entire theme of ‘Bulls and Bears’.” The president of Singapore Book of Records, Mr Ong Eng Huat, said: “This record is the first of its kind. It was a very surprising idea when they approached us initially. It is good to note that NTU students are among the leading record holders in Singapore.” The challenge, launched by the NTU Investment Interactive Club at the Nanyang Auditorium,was a three-week-long virtual stock trading competition aimed at encouraging financial literacy among Singapore’s youth. O ve r 2,70 0 se conda r y to tertiary-level students registered for the event this year. Said a secondary four student at Raffles Institution, Haran Kumar, 16: “This competition has got me interested into the markets. Even though I do not understand much, I have begun reading the business section of the newspaper.”
Inaugural graduate scholarship awarded to 27 researchers May Chen G R A DU A T E s t u d e n t s w i l l conduct research under a new scholarship that is awarded for the first time ever to 27 talented research graduates. The Nanyang President’s Graduate Scholarship (NPGS) was awarded to recipients on August 20th. T he scholar sh ip aims to encourage talented graduates to take on a research career through a doctoral degree programme at the university. Dr Su Guaning, President of N T U s a id at t he awa r d ceremony held at the School of Biological Sciences: “The Nanyang President’s Graduate Scholarship launched this year is aimed at preparing the best post-graduate students for global research leadership through doctoral studies at NTU.” T h is is in line w it h t he university’s efforts in stepping up top-tier research to woo world-class talent, he added. The scholarship will support up to four years of PhD studies, including mont h ly stipend, tuition fees and other allowances that will amount to more than $200,000. Mr Bernard Huang, assistant manager at the Graduate Studies Office , said that the applicants are required to have a first class honours degree or equivalent at
OF BEARS AND BULLS: More than 1000 cups of mocktail were used to make this stock display featuring a bull market. PHOTO | COURTESY
Pub crawls with a Singapore flavour Priyabrata Priyadarshi
WORLD-CLASS TALENT: 27 research graduates were awarded the first-ever Nanyang President's Graduate Scholarship on August 20th. PHOTO | MAY CHEN
Bachelor’s level and should also demonstrate excellent research abilities. A ma ximum of 30 N PGS awards will be given out each academic year. Awardees, such as 28-yearold Roy Chew, who will conduct h i s r e sea r c h on low powe r mixed signal circuits under the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, are starting to feel the pressure. Chew said: “With a scholarship, you have to complete the research within a timeframe. That, in a way, increases the difficulties.”
Angeline Ong, 23, a NGPS scholar researching under the School of Biological Sciences, said that passion and interest are key to achieving good performance. She said: “Doing research is all about the excitement of discovering something new every day.” Ong will research on the function of the protein Rasd1 in determining sleep-wake cycles. “This project was proposed by my supervisor and I chose to do it in the light of being able to shower a ray of hope to people with sleeping problems,” she said.
MORE than 500 university students trawled the East-West MRT line on September 10th, buying drinks and interacting with other students they would otherwise have never met. The group of mostly exchange st udents f rom t he t h ree major universities in Singapore—NTU, the National University of Singapore and Singapore management University— were taking part in the MRT Pub Crawl 2008. The biannual event was organised by Desmond Choo, 24, a thirdyear Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student. He was inspired by the European version of pub crawls, also called bar-hopping. Getting people to travel by MRT than on foot was his way of giving the crawl a local flavour. T he event saw an improved turnout compared to one held in Febr ua r y, wh ich had on ly 335 participants. Choo said publicity was made mostly through Facebook,
and more signed up because of the success from earlier events. The pub crawl involved students boarding the train at Boon Lay MRT Station along the East-West Line. They stopped at select stations and visited the nearest liquor store to grab a drink. Their last destination was Thumper, a club in Orchard Road. Students hailed from countries around the world such as Sweden, Portugal, Norway, and Spain. Nor wegian st udent, Met te Ugstad, 23, said she had never experienced an MRT pub crawl before in her home country, where most pubs visited are close by. Swiss student Reto Wernli, 24, said he wished he could stay on for one more semester so he can attend the next pub crawl. He said: “I met so many people tonight, some from countries I had never heard of.” >>TURN TO PAGE 13 for a photo essay on the mrt pub crawl 2008
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Hall mosquito breeding sparks NEA alert Farah Elias RECENT checks by health officers have prompted t he Nat iona l Environment Agency (NEA) to disseminate a news aler t via email on mosquito breeding in the university for the first time. T he ema i l was ci rc u lated among all hall residents, reminding students to keep their hall vicinity free of stagnant water. Ac cor d i ng to N E A : “ T he message aims to alert students of possible mosquito breeding in the school compound and hostels.” The agency also aims to educate them on dengue prevention steps and infor m them of the f ine imposed should any mosquito breeding be detected. The agency conducts checks periodically or when feedback from members of the public is received. Hall residents may be fined $200 if they are responsible for creating favourable mosquito breeding grounds. Hall officer Loh Kwai Fun said the email sent out was more of a precautionary message than a stern warning. She believes that with the new academic year, it is especially “benef icia l to f resh men who are staying in halls for the first time.” “Drains generally tend to be neglected. The cleaners are given instructions to ensure that there
“At night, the hall 12 bus stop has been the worst mosquito spot I have known in my four years living in hostel,” said 24-year-old civil engineering student Venkat Balakrishnan.
“At night, the hall 12 bus stop is the worst mosquito spot I have known in my four years living in hostel.” Venkat Balakrishnan, 24 Civil Engineering student
MOVING IN FOR THE KILL: Students would like fogging to be done twice a week. PHOTO | FILE
is no stagnant water in the apron drains so as to prevent mosquito breeding,” said Ms Loh, adding that weekly fogging is carried out in all the halls. Another preventive measure is ensuring that the pest control cont ractor car r ies out work s
according to the schedule approved by NTU, said Mr Tan Teck Hoon, a higher technical officer of the Office of Facilities Planning & Management. Despite efforts by the school management, some places around campus still attract mosquitoes.
What have you seen? What have you heard? What do you do? What do you know? Whatever it is, if it’s new, we’d like to hear about it. Send us your tip-offs, your tips, or just stuff you think is interesting and you’d like the rest of the university to know about. It could make it into the next issue of the Chronicle. Call 6790 6446 or e-mail us at chronicle@ntu.edu.sg
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He added that as a bet ter prevent ive measu re, fogging could be done twice weekly. S e c ond-y e a r me c h a n ic a l engineering student Muhammad Tauf iq Hawazi, 23, said t hat hall residents should help each other by looking out for potential mosquito breeding spots around their area. They should also be more responsible when disposing of unwanted items. “J C RC s c o u l d a l s o h o l d discussions or put up posters around halls on ways to discourage mosquito breeding,” he added.
HOW TO KEEP MOSQUITOES AT BAY: • Do not leave any receptacles or utensils on the corridor ledge as it may collect water when it rains. • Change water in vases in alternate days. • Remove water from flower pot plates on alternate days. • Turn over all water storage containers and keep them dry. • If vacating your hostel room, cover and seal unused toilet bowls and all gully traps in the toilet. • Inform the facilities and management staff should you come across any potential mosquito breeding sites.
Crisis: what to do Teo Wan Gek news editor STUDENTS may find themselves at a loss when a friend or hall mate behaves abnor mally on campus, but the best solution is to not handle it on their own, said Campus Security. Two weeks ago, Hall 1 residents fou nd t hem se lves i n suc h a situation. One of their hall mates had caused a ruckus in hall that continued throughout the day, disturbing residents. He threw broomsticks and mops from the third storey and sent threatening text messages to some. A bottle of thinner was left outside the door of one of the residents, which seemed to threaten fire. As the situation escalated, the residents started to worry, but they did not know what to do. The residents decided to notify the Hall 1 off ice, which sent down an officer to assess the situation. But the troubled resident was nowhere to be found, so the residents were told to submit a formal complaint via email so that the matter could be reflected to higher authorities. Campus Security were called
down later in the evening. Hall 1 JCRC President Justin Lim, 22, said: “He was taken away by them in a non-violent manner. The Campus Security conducted themselves in due.” A Hall 1 resident who declined to be named said: “We wanted to find the person who did this, to talk to him and understand the problem.” However, Campus Security advises students not to engage or confront anyone who is behaving abnormally, but to call them at 67904777 immediately. T he A ssistant Di rector of Campus Security, Mr Leo Ong, said: “Ultimately, the objective is to ensure that the person does not present a safety threat to himself or others before being referred to the relevant agency for professional assistance.” Such situations could have been averted if students knew what were the signs of problems to look out for. Case Coordinator Frank Chan of the Student Counselling Centre said a student who is having a psychological problem or issue shou ld show s y mptoms such as withdrawing from his usual activities and people or becoming irritable or aggressive.
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Animate faster and more cheaply Syafiqah Omar THE next animated film you watch may just be a product of NTU. A team from the School of Computer Engineering has developed an innovative drawing and animation system called Cacani (Computer Assisted Cell Animation). Led by Professor Seah Hock Soon, the team includes six other professors, ten research engineers and artists, as well as seven doctorate students. Caca n i produce s t wodimensional animations with three-dimensional technology commonly found in video games, helpi ng a n i mator s produce drawings more easily. Said Professor Seah: “The system enables easy and stylish line drawing … without relying on animators to draw ever y frame by hand in traditional 2-D animation production.” A typical 30-minute cartoon episode—mostly hand-drawn with some software support— could cost more than US$150,000 and take animators half a year to complete. With Cacani, Professor Seah estimates that production cost could be cut by up to 40 per cent.
His team had managed to secure $2.56m in funding from the Interactive Digital Media Programme Office last year, as part of Singapore’s efforts to develop the digital animation industry here. This year, another $18m will be used to fund a new batch of research teams. Professor Sea h’s team is currently collaborating with Anime International Company (AIC) from Japan to produce a 40minute long feature film called ‘Justeen’. Production is slated to start in November this year and is expected to be completed in
June 2009 where it will then be aired in Japan. A IC is an established company that has produced shows easily recognisable to fans of Japanese animation, also known as anime, such as “El Hazard”, “Ah! My Goddess” and “Sol Bianca”. Professor Seah is himself an avid fan whose favourite anime is the Oscar-winning film, “Spirited Away”. It is also one of the films he aspires to. “I hope that Cacani would be able to help produce awardwinning films based on their own unique storytelling and aesthetic styles,” he said.
FASTER AND CHEAPER: The clips of Justeen (above) is the product of an NTU research to make animation faster and cheaper. PHOTO | COURTESY
Schools, OAS on early registration Gwendolyn Ng IT looks unfair: school committee members are allowed to register subjects ahead of ever yone else. But it is for a good reason: these committee members can take the courses that fit their timetables, to allow them to devote enough time to both schoolwork and extra-curricular activities. Bot h Na nya ng Bu si ness School (NBS) and the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) extend this privilege to some of its school club members. This is in place to let the club members put their school duties first, said both the schools and the Off ice of Academic Services. E E E A s si s ta nt C ha i r of Students Goh Wang Ling said: " Ma ny of t he E E E st udent activities require the EEE Club committee member to be free for certain block of times, for better execution of duties.” A ssista nt Di rector Md m Hariaty Mohamed Senin, from the Office of Academic Services, shared similar sentiments.
“Arrangements made for the main committee members who are heavily involved in school events is part of the support provided by the schools,” she said. I n a n ea rl ier i ssue, T he Nanyang Chronicle reported that popular Psychology courses were snapped up by main committee member s a nd double major students before registration was opened to the main cohort. However, the schools said there are measures in place to ensure a fairer system. For registration of the engineering school’s subjects, no more than five members of a committee may register for the same class. Also, members would not be able to take courses ahead of their
“The majority of the cohort is not disadvantaged during the registration exercise.” Ms Loh Mei Ying NBS Spokesperson
current year of study. On the other hand, NBS releases vacancies for each course in proportion to the number of students who are registering on each day. This is aimed at ensuring all students get the chance to register for the courses they need. Furthermore, both schools said the early registration practice applied to a small pe r ce ntage of t he i r tota l cohort. Up to 8 0 me mb e r s of the EEE club are entitled to this privilege for any single registration exercise, which the school feels, works out only to a relatively small proportion of 4,000-strong in the cohort. N BS Undergraduate Programmes Office spokesperson Loh Mei Ying e s t i m ate d t h at t he ea r l y registration practice applied to “less than 1 per cent of their total cohort”. "These student numbers are not significant,” she said. “Therefore, the majority of the cohort is not disadvantaged in any way during the registration exercise.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KONG YEN LIN
A fairer chance for all at hall admission Nabila Hanim STUDENTS in the Non-Constituent Clubs (NCCs) will now have to work harder to gain a place in hall. In an email sent on August 7th, the Student Affairs Office (SAO) announced that the revised Hall Allocation Scheme (HAS) will include a tiering system that ranks NCCs into four categories. The NCCs—clubs and societies formed on an interest basis—are ranked according to their membership size, budget, nature and frequency of their activities. The ranking is based on feedback by the HAS Implementation Committee, which is made up of various student bodies. Only four NCCs, the Chinese Society, Earthlink, Outdoor Activities Club and the Red Cross, have made it into the top tier this year, earning their management committee members the maximum nine points for campus participation. The bulk of other NCCs were placed in tier three, with a small proportion in tiers two and four. The Chronicle reported in January (“NCCs distorts H AS, says ODAC President”) that clubs placed in the lower tiers would either be newcomers or underperforming ones. T he tier ing system has been implemented to counter “what should have been a pyramidal distribution of points for campus life involvement”, said SAO in the announcement, with fewer people obtaining the maximum points. Before the latest revision, all management committee members of NCCs earn nine points, putting them on the same level as those from the Students’ Union, Junior Common Room Committees (JCRC) and Constituent Clubs (CC). These clubs are formed along regulatory requirements; they are crucial in handling student welfare across the university. They are not included in the tiering- system and are still awarded nine points under the new system. Some students, however, feel that the tiering-system seems to give less importance to NCCs. “While NCCs work very hard to pursue their interests, this does not mean that they are any less important
than non-NCCs,” said Lye Kit Ying, a management committee member of Epiphany, the English and Drama society. A s a third-tier NCC, management committee members get only five points; its president and vice-president earn seven points each. T h i s put s most of t he Epiphany management committee members on the same level as a sub-committee members of the Students’ Union, JCRCs and CCs. The SAO said rankings will be reviewed once every two years. Some students, however, want these reviews to be conducted more frequently.
"This may be the only way to ensure students obtain the points they deserve." Delta Purna Widyangga Ex-Vice President NTU Muslim Society
Former president of Riders’ Club, Aadil Dafir, 23, a third-tier club, said: “Allowances should be made on a yearly basis to allow lower-tiered clubs to progress as an incentive to perform better,” said the third-year Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student. Outgoing vice-president of NTU Muslim Society, Delta Purna Widyangga, said: “It’s hard to say but this may be the only way to ensure that students obtain the points they deserve.” Among other changes in the HAS is the revision of points awarded to students who were willing to share a room with a foreigner from three to one point now. Said a SAO spokesperson: “Many (students) felt it was unfair that students not active in campus life involvement were able to obtain the points awarded for this option to be admitted into the hall while students who contributed their efforts in the campus life activities were displaced.”
A PLACE IN HALL: The new tiering-system offers a fairer distribution. PHOTO | FILE
Lifestyle
Golden hues for psychedelic times Page 16 - 17
Confessions of a queen Beauty queens are not always made perfect. Besides the glamour and fame, Faraliza Tan shares her struggle with insecurity and how she has overcomed it to reign supreme. pageant belied the competitive nature and tension that gripped many contestants as they awaited backstage. Some of the other contestants had notes prepared for the question and answer segment, but not Fara. Furthermore, this beauty queen skipped all forms of beauty treatments such as facials, before the competition—something that most contestants would do. Farah is currently doing her studies in Electronic and Broadcast Media but intends to establish a career in programme acquisition. Though such a job is more “behind-the-scenes”, she does not rule out the option of hosting television programmes.
“I really miss fried food, but the organisers have reminded me that I can’t put on weight during my one year reign.” Faraliza Tan, 22 Miss Singapore-World 2008
“If I get spotted, why not? I would take any opportunity that comes my way,” she says with a shrug. She maintains her svelte 53kg frame through a healthy diet of fruit and vegetables. She also takes care to eat everything in moderation. “I really miss fr ied food, but the organisers have reminded me that I can’t put on weight during my one year reign.” Fara lamented. While some pageant queens are multiple title-holders, she does not plan to join any other pageants. “After winning a title, you should just stick to it. Imagine if you don’t win the next pageant, it just spoils your win,” said Fara. Faraliza says that since the pageant, she has got more attention from the opposite sex as well. She admits that she just started a relationship with someone special. While she did not mention who he was, she dropped hints of her dream beau. “He has to be funny, pleasantlooking, tall, honest and treats me well,” she says with a laugh. In the coming year, Fara plans to do more charity work as Miss Singapore-World and will probably work closely with Action for Aids. “I hope that by the time I step down, I would have left an unforgettable impression on people,” she says.
PHOTO | CHEN WEI LI
Most beauty queens have a few titles under their belt, but the new Miss Singapore-World Faraliza Tan joined the pageant on a whim and, with no experience at all, won. Fara beat 21 other contestants to represent Singapore in the Miss World competition, which will be held on December 12th in South Africa. She acknowledges that her mixed parentage of Ch inese and Ma lay descent, may have given her a leg up in the competition. “ T h e M i s s Si n g a p o r e -Wo r l d orga n i ser s fe lt t hat i n ter m s of appearance my facial features and fair skin made me look more Pan-Asian, which is well-liked by the industry,” she says. This led other girls to speculate that the results were fixed and that she was always going to win. A newcomer to the pageant scene, Fara was unsure of what to expect and had to brave the process on her own. “It was hard to make any real friends because I found their conversations too superficial. It was always about clothes, clubbing and boys,” she says. “At times I went for events alone.” On top of that, Fara received some comments from the public on online forums that she was not pretty enough. S he add s : “ I ’m not t he lea st bit affected by t he ne gat i v e r e m a r k s because there were positive comments as well. After reading my online interviews they established t hat I was a woman of substance, someone articulate and not just a pretty face.” Howe v e r, t he b e aut y queen was not always this confident. “I’ve never entered a pageant nor modelled, but I saw an advertisement for Miss Singapore-World in The New Paper one day and decided to challenge myself, as I’ve always been a little insecure about my appearance,” she says. Her insecurity stemmed from being “chubby and nerdy-looking” in primary school. Instead, in the past she concentrated on school work. The 1.75 metre tall communication studies student appreciates the support that the school has given her. “If the school did not agree to set separate examination questions for me, I would still have to go for the event as I’m bound by the contract and that would mean graduating a semester later,” said Fara who has been on the dean’s list thrice. The glitz and glamour of the beauty
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lifestyle
se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
T h e na n ya ng c h ron ic l e
know your prof
asian Movie mania Professor Tan Bee Thiam, from the School of Art, Design and Media has the enjoyable task of archiving all Asian films. He talks to Stacey Chia about this growing industry
Come down to these places if you are interested to find out more. September 18th 2008, 1-2pm at L ee Foundation L ecture Theatre. Featured G ue s t s : N ic hol a s ( sinem a . sg ) a nd P r o f e ss o r C a i (I m m e r s i v e M o b i l e Theatre).
Why did you set up the film archive? I founded it with the aim of preserving the rich film heritage of Singapore and Asian Cinema. I want to encourage scholarly research on film, and to promote a wider critical appreciation of this art form.
September 29th, 6.30-7.30pm at School A rt. D esign and M edia . F eatured Guests: Titus (Ingenio) and Joanne Chua (motionelements.com). of
This was not your chosen profession. What did you major in at school? I got my degree in Electrical and Computer Engineer ing at the National University of Singapore. A lt hough it seems unrelated to what I’m doing right now, I feel that we have to look at education on a broad sense, when you pursue knowledge, you will definitely cross disciplines. I’m someone who is very curious about many things. You will never know what job you are going to do, therefore you should only study what you are curious about and make sure that in the process you learn something about yourself as well.
If you were only allowed to choose one film as your favourite, which would it be and why? I would not be able to choose any film as my favourite, because there are just too many. However, there will always be one film that you feel strongly about at a certain point in your life. At this moment in my life, it would be Tropical Malady. What I like about it is that magical sense of a jungle and us humans going back to nature to explore what is most primitive to us. That was something that affected me a lot when I watched the film.
Ideas@work Want to showcase your creativity? Here is an opportunity. Explore ideas and stand a chance to win amazing prizes. Ideas@Work is organised by Creative Community Singapore. WKWSCI and SADM will be hosting them for a one hour seminar together with creative entrepreneurs who made their ideas a reality.
Besides teaching part-time at NTU, do you work elsewhere? My full-time job is heading the Asian Film Archive. Most of the work I do includes managing the films we have. The job of acquiring films is actually well managed by my staff, so my job is to oversee and ensure that what we do is in line with our vision and mission.
What was the lure of Asian Films that drew you to the industry? As a result of living in this r e g ion , I fou nd a c e r t a i n affiliation to films that are made in this region. What led me to the preservation of Asian films was the realisation that many of the films I liked were not well preserved or well promoted. I felt a sense of impulse to use knowledge that I’ve acquired t o help preserve such films, hence the Asian Film Archive.
upcoming events
Singapore Biennale 2008: Wonder After its successful inaugural run in 2006, Singapore Biennale 2008 promises to ignite the senses. Indoor and outdoor exhibitions at various well-known landmarks in Singapore are being held. Allow your own perspectives to take a back seat as you enter a realm of wonder. Date: 11 Sept to 16 Nov 2008 Ticket Price: $10 (present your student pass and get 50% off) Visit
www . singaporebiennale . org for
more a full list of venues and tour timings .
Festival Light-ups Chinatown Date: 31 Aug to 30 Sept 2008
MOVIES GALORE: Professor Tan takes his love for the Asian movie industry and makes it his profession. PHOTO | PAN JIN
Do you think there is enough support for locally produced films? I get asked this question a lot. It depends on what kind of support. There is a lot of monetary support, but I think what is most lacking is audience support. I’ve heard many comments from Singaporeans that they think local films are not as well made as Hollywood films. A lthough we have institutions like Substation, Sinema, The National Museum and The Singapore Film Society amongst others doing work to reach out to more people, it’s always a challenge to reach out beyond the regulars. You were a judge at a film festival recently. Tell us more about it.
I was doing jury work last month at Locarno International Film Festival, one of the top seven film festivals in the world. The jury I was on was called the Netpac prize (Network for Asian Cinema), that gives recognition to an Asian film that was featured in the festival. We decided to awa rd the prize to the film Daytime Drinking by Noh Young-Seok, a first-time director, for being able to produce the film within his constraints, to tell in such a light-hearted way, an absurdly f unny stor y about juvenile disorientation. What do you count as your greatest achievement in life so far? It’s a tough question because I don’t go out setting milestones in my life. If the Asian Film Archive can exist beyond me, that would
be my greatest achievement. My team and I wanted to set up an organisation that is built to last and will continue to exist 200 years from now. The thing about such an organisation is that it can never be good enough and that we should never be complacent, it’s always a work-in-progress. What is your pet peeve about the Asian Film Industry? Many people associate Asian Cinema as films that are either slow, horror flicks or martial art films. It’s more diverse than that. I hope that with time and interest, more people will explore this fascinating field of study. This is one of the reasons why I decided to spend some time teaching and to get people to start venturing into this area.
K ampong Glam Date: 24 Aug to 28 Sept 2008 Little India Date: 20 Sept to 2nd Nov 2008
Singapore Grand Prix Session Cheer on your favourite drivers as Singapore welcomes Asia’s first F1 street-race and F1’s first night race. With a total of 61 laps to be completed, you can purchase cheaper walkabout tickets to get in on the action. Date: 28 Sept 2008 Ticket Price: Walkabout tickets from $58 for a Friday race date.
start
To have your event listed, e-mail chronicle@ntu.edu.sg. Include event date, location, contact and any pictures.
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se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
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09
dapper: your essential style guide
utumn A sOPHIStiCATION
Blowing the winds of change, Fall brings with it a different set of sartorial possibilities. Gerald Tan enjoys the grandeur of the season
ice queen As the frilly vibrancy of Spring makes way for the subdued austerity of Fall, dress up in the season’s sombre tones of black, grey and white. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Grey cotton scarf, $35, from Skyroom; vintage handbag in cream with silver clasp, $89, from Dulcetfig; white buckle belt, $49.90, from Victoria JoMo; black pumps, $59.90, from Bianca; white tee with striped bib, $49.90, from Soon Lee; black ornamental bracelet, $38 and metallic bangle, $32, both from Dulcetfig.
cool debonair The Fall Man is calm and measured with an air of understated charisma. Mixing comfort and style effortlessly, he lets his individuality shine through even in Fall’s monochromic palette. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Brown postman leather bag, $169.90, black & white patent shoes, $129 and black leather belt with square buckle, $59.90, all from Victoria JoMo; iPhone, price on application, available at SingTel outlets; grey & white striped shirt, $55 and knit layered scarf, $38, both from Skyroom; black bow tie, stylist’s own.
STOCKISTS Victoria JoMo, 9 Haji Lane; Dulcetfig, 41 Haji Lane; Bianca, 44 Haji Lane Level 2; Soon Lee, 56 Haji Lane Level 2 and Skyroom, 84 Haji Lane
PHOTOGRAPHY Chen Wei Li STYLING Gerald Tan STYLING ASSISTANT Rachael Boon
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se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
T h e na n ya ng c h ron ic l e
city of Lights
Multi-racial Singapore is in a celebratory mood with three upcoming festivals. Liyana Low and Jamuna Sundaraj find out what to look for
A nightly fiesta The Geylang Serai bazaar has added a few cultural twists to its stalls this year. In a sea of sequined kebaya tops and wooden capals (traditional footwear worn by Malay men together with the baju kurung), a stall selling vivid paintings of African safaris, elaborately designed tribal pendants made of camel bone and painstakingly hand-painted wooden giraffe statues with their elegant necks stood out. The stall owner, Mr Hezron Nyabola Nyagela, a Kenyan who is in his 40s, imports these goods from his homeland. He came to Singapore in 2005 and saw a business opportunity when he heard of the yearly Hari Raya bazaar. This is the second time he is doing this. Another face that stood out was Mr K.C. Chung, a Chinese businessman in his mid-40s. He has been selling traditional Malay costumes, like the baju kurung, for over 30 years, and he said this helped him familiarise himself with the community and better understand their traditions and culture. He converses fluently in Malay,
so much so that he can hold his own well against some very hardbargaining customers. Shopper s who con sider themselves good bargainers might f ind even more deals over at Kampong Glam—better known for play i ng second f idd le to Geylang Serai during the Hari Raya festivities—as shops in the area offer good discounts of up to 50%. wShop around various stalls and compare prices. Some shopkeepers will give discounts if you can bargain well. During this fasting period, shops tend to stay open longer to cater to the late night crowd, who break fast at the nearby Sultan Mosque, where the aroma of thick mutton porridge, usually distributed to the needy by the mosque, and smell of freshly made Ayam Panggang (barbecued chicken in sweet soy sauce) from the bazaar next to it, permeate the air St r e e t de c or at ion s got a makeover as well to attract more people. The organisers decided to hype up Hari Raya celebrations at Kampong Glam this year. For example, the lighting decorations spelt out “Selamat Hari Raya”
in both local and international languages. You can spot the lighted German and Spanish versions of “Selamat Hari Raya” at the corner of Kandahar Street when you turn left from brightly-lit Bussorah
Street, which was decorated with the Chinese and Tamil versions. The contrast of languages adds a metropolitan touch to an otherwise very traditional place. With such a diverse mix of
cultures present at Geylang Serai and Kampong Glam, don’t be surprised to find Turkish men hawking not the usual Turkish kebabs or ice cream, but tropical fruit at one of the bazaar stalls.
Glow of the lamps
Bright Lights Delight FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: Drive onto streets bursting with colour at Little India. PHOTO | INTERNET
While Tekka Mall and Tekka Market are being renovated, Serangoon Road will still enjoy its usual annual transformation into a colourful wonderland this September as it ushers in Deepavali, the ‘Festival of Lights’. T her e w i l l be e labor ate decorations along the streets, together with bustling bazaars and eye-catching entertainment. Like previous years, the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA), together with the Hindu Endowment Board, are the organisers of the two main bazaars this year. The first, the Deepavali Expo, is at one end of Serangoon road towards Mustafa Centre, while the other, the Deepavali Village, is at the Race Course Open Field, a five-minute walk from Little India MRT station. Both bazaars will sell the latest Indian fashion, Indian snacks, home decorations, Indian VCDs and Deepavali greeting
FASHION COLLECTION: Traditional Malay costumes and shoes at discount prices. PHOTO | HANNAH LEONG
cards. “We are bringing back what we did in previous years before because of the good responses we had. But there will be something d if ferent ever y yea r,” sa id Mr Rajkumar, Chairman for LISHA. This year’s highlights include t he Her itage Cor ner at t he Deepavali Village where a South Indian sculptor will showcase his works, creating art pieces in front of visitors. There are also lessons on bangle making and henna painting, giving visitors a taste of the Indian culture. In addition, the Deepavali Light-Up Ceremony will give Serangoon Road a burst of colour as the arches of decorative lights come alive on September 20th. But the best time to bask in the excitement is on Deepavali Eve where the Deepavali Countdown Party at the Race Course Open Field will have a f ireworks display and performances by local Indian artistes.
Chinatown gets all dressed up with colourful lanterns as the Chinese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Iridescent lanterns hang at along the streets, ranging from the traditional paper ones to the battery-operated ones. Prepare to be awed by 2,000 lanterns made of aluminium cans, egg cartons and even toilet rolls at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. All original and handmade, they are entries from students competing in the Lantern Art Competition. Visitors can vote for their favourite designs. Also central to this festival are the mooncakes. Along Sago and Smith streets, the usual varieties such as lotus paste and durian flavoured ones are sold. However, one particular variety stands out: the Golden Walnut and Raisin mooncake at Bee Cheng Hiang is a die-die-must-try. The filling is thick but not too sweet, and the walnut taste lingers. We could not find any new or exotic varieties at Chinatown – for that, you have to go to the Goodwood Park Hotel for their new mango mooncakes. L a nte r n s a nd moonca ke s are not the only attractions at Chinatown this Mid-Autumn, t hough. Shopping is anot her highlight, too. Most streets are lined with
STREET LIGHTS: Crowds stroll along under the canopy of lanterns in Chinatown PHOTO | NARERKRIT SINRACHTANANT
stalls that not only sell Chinese handicrafts and trinkets but also clothes and other accessories at a much lower price than at popular shopping centres in town. Do tr y the delicacies at one of the street-side food stalls. Along Smith Street, rows of stalls sell traditional Chinese pastries and candies, as well as otakotak, German sausages and even traditional Indonesian desserts.
The best time to visit is in the evenings when the lights come on, bringing the whole district to life. Be warned though, It gets crowded then. For t hose who need he lp negotiating the busy streets or are interested in the history of the area, the Chinatown Heritage Centre offers free guided walking tour to explain the cultures and traditions of this ethnic enclave.
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se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
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review
BOOKS
The Orientalist and The Ghost Susan Barker
$28.90, available at Borders Published by Doubleday
WITH a narrative that constantly changes, it is almost easy to get lost in the events and characters in The Orientalist and The Ghost. The novel begins in present-day London, where Christopher Milnard is constantly haunted in his public housing flat by the ghosts of his past. These phantoms are a stark reminder of his past in Malaya. We are then brought back to Malaya during the time of the Emergency, when the war against Communism was being waged in newly-built resettlement villages. Christopher, who is infatuated with Chinese culture and learnt three different Chinese dialects, is sent to the Village of Everlasting Peace as an assistant resettlement officer. There, he discovers the abject poverty of the villagers and despite the bad reputation of the British, manages to form a close relationship with them. While volunteering for the Red Cross, he encounters the enigmatic Evangeline Lim, whom he begins an illicit affair with. The narrative then shifts to his grandson Adam, who tries to uncover the mystery behind his mother Frances’ final days and Christopher’s frequent violent tirades which happen for no reason. The past and present unfold in flashbacks from Sally Hargreaves, Frances’ best friend in school, as well as further revelations from Christopher and Adam, who looks back into his troubled childhood. Bit by bit, you are given more details, but never the full picture. Startling revelations force readers to draw uncomfortable conclusions. The Orientalist and The Ghost is definitely not a feel good novel and the end simply brings more questions to mind, which keeps you pondering long after you have turned the last page. While the novel may seem a tad dry and is in danger of losing the interest of readers at certain points, press on and be led into the treasure trove that is Susan Barker’s complex mind. By Elizabeth Law
Escape from Amsterdam
“You’re the MUSIC only angel in We Started Nothing my life, ¯¯¯¯¯ The day news came my best friend died, My knees went weak and you saw The Script me cry, ¯¯¯¯¯ Say I’m still the soldier in your eyes.”
The Ting Tings (Indie Pop/Dance Punk)
The name “The Ting Tings” was inspired by the Chinese dialect equivalent, which means “an old bandstand”.
The first thing you will notice about this new indie-pop duo from the UK is probably their quirky band name, aptly chosen since their music is as offbeat and fun as their name implies. However, The Ting Tings are proving themselves to be more than just another new band to enter the scene with their debut album, We Started Nothing. The album is an eclectic mix of catchy tunes and electrofuelled rhymes. Their first few singles, That’s Not My Name, Great DJ and Fruit Machine have already become staples on many playlists all over the world. Other notable tracks include Be The One, which was featured on popular TV show One Tree Hill. The Ting Tings have already picked up the top spot for That’s Not My Name on the UK Singles Chart. Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for this up and coming duo. By Audrey Tsen
The Script (Soft Rock/Pop Rock)
This Irish three-piece band is set to take 2008 by storm with their intoxicating, melody-driven music. Their debut single We Cry is set to be a big hit.
WHO would have thought that two R&B producers and a one-time session musician could come together to bring the indie house down? The Script is a three-man group hailing from Dublin, Ireland, that is being touted as “a whole new brand of Celtic soul”. For the more religious, the track Rusty Halo may appeal to you. It refers to their Catholic upbringing and their fear of never making it to Heaven because they have sinned too much. In this track, they find themselves searching for that saving grace to get themselves out of Hell. And what album would be complete without a timeless love song? The Script does not disappoint with I’m Yours—as they attempt to win over the heart of one’s love with music and most importantly, sincere lyrics. By Shereen Naaz
“I’m Yours” by The Script
Barrie Sherwood $25.70, available at Borders Published by Granta Books
ESCAPE from Amsterdam tells the story of Aozora, a student whose studies are interrupted by gangsters whom he owes a huge debt to. Hope seems to arrive for Aozora in the form of his late aunt’s inheritance. But he discovers a stipulation to it—both he and his sister, Mai, have to be jointly present for the will to take effect. However, Mai has not been in contact with Aozora for a year, making it difficult for him to track her down. Aozora’s search leads him to south of Japan, through the red-light district and the underworld, to a strange theme park known as Amsterdam. He soon learns that he needs to pry his sister from the Yakuza who run the Dutch-themed pleasure park. But Mai does not want to desert her status as a lavish princess who entertains the exclusive clientele. Aozora is difficult to relate to, because of his cynicism as a middle-class disaffected youth who dreams of the bribes he will pocket, upon working with the Ministry of Construction. His ability to laugh at himself, however, is much appreciated. It is seen in an instance when he gives a humourous play-by-play of his elevator escapade while trying to fend off a gang of thugs. Sherwood paints a seemingly mythical side of Japan that we may have heard of but never actually experienced—the post-modern, tourist-driven, westernised Japan yearning for its traditional roots. While the teenage student Aozora seems to have concerns universal to every teenager, such as financial difficulties, lost love, and the apathy of culture and tradition, the fact that the bulk of the plot is set in Amsterdam, a venue where Japanese history is forsaken, suggests the demise of a culture the main character has little care for. By Nur Aini Malik
11
Charles Syariff
Here I Stand
Usher (R&B/Soul/Hip Hop)
¯¯¯¯¯ Usher, an American R&B and pop singersongwriter, has sold approximately 30 million albums worldwide and won five Grammy Awards.
PHOTO | INTERNET
THERE comes a time for most musicians to face a quantum leap in the music they produce. For Usher, it happened last year after his son was born, to whom he paid tribute to in his latest musical offering. However, this change in musicality might not go down well with some. His lead single, Love in this Club, has an easy sing-along chorus, making it a crowd and club pleaser, while most of the other songs fall short of expectation. There is an obvious difference between the first part of the album, which contain naughty songs with lyrics such as “I’ll bag you like some groceries” and “I’m always on the top, tonight I’m on the bottom”, and the latter part which touch on more raw emotions and love. While songs like Moving Mountains and His Mistakes are the epitome of Usher at his best, the album is too slow in pace and borders on boring. Indeed, when the hip gyration becomes baby-coddling, the music just is not what I can stand. By Kelvin Pang
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FILMS
The Black Swindler (Kurosagi) Suspense /Drama (PG)
Tomohisa Yamashita, Maki Horitaka 128min
NNNNN
There are three types of swindlers in the world: shirosagi, the white crane, who defrauds people of their money, and akasagi, the red crane, who deceives others by manipulating their feelings. And then there’s the black crane, kurosagi, the ultimate swindler who swindles from these con artists. The black crane is Takashi Kurosaki, played by popular actor Tomohisa Yamashita. After being duped, Kurosaki’s father committs suicide with the family. The only survivor is Kurosaki, who swears to avenge his family by getting rid of all the swindlers in the world. Kurosaki meets a little girl who
is in need of a heart transplant, but her mother cannot afford the operation as all her money has been swindled. When Kurosaki’s latest target Ishigaki, a corporate fraudster, turns out to be the one who cheated her, he vows to swindle the money back. Based on the best-selling manga and TV series, the movie’s main focus is on the relationship between Kurosaki and his informant, Toshio Katsuragi (Tsutomu Yamazaki), which draws a parallel to the relationship of Shakespeare’s Caesar and Brutus. T he f ilm lacks motivation and direction, making it seem like mere entertainment rather
Animation (PG/Some Action Violence)
Animation (G)
With a pair of binoculars as eyes that look perpetually sorrowful, and the soul of an angel, it is hard not to like WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter EarthClass) at first sight, especially when he recites his name in an adorable voice. Being the last robot trash compactor on Earth left behind by humans who went to live in outer space on luxury spaceship Axiom, WALL-E’s life for the past hundreds of years has been monotonous as he gathers trash, recharges using solar power, feeds his pet cockroach and collects seemingly useless junk in his home, day after day. Things change when he gets hold of a living plant, which is the key in order for humans to come back to Earth to live. WALL-E hands it to Eve, a sleek, futuristic white robot with blue eyes who has come to Earth in search for living things. As he falls in love with Eve and chases her across the galaxy and eventually to
By Salfarizah Saleh
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Wall-E Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver 103 minutes
than suspense. There was no build-up to the climax, making one wonder which scenes are actually the climatic parts in this badly-written story. The theme of justice that was the driving force of the manga and TV series is lost in the film, especially when law student Tsurara Yoshikawa (Maki Horikita) and police officer Masaru Kashima (Sho Aikawa) turn into mere onlookers, instead of justice enforcers, throughout the movie. Towards the end, the conflict between Kurosaki and Katsuragi remains unsolved, leaving behind an unsatisfied audience. Throughout the two hours of the movie, Kurosaki’s relationship with the other cast remains the same as it was at the beginning of the movie. So watch this only if you’re a fan of Yamashita (which I’m sure a lot of girls are) or if you enjoy a crime movie. Other than that, save your money for something else.
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Axiom, the two robots set off on a mission to fulfill their ‘directive’. For a movie without much dialogue in the first half, the creators at Pixar Animation Studios ( who brought you The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille) certainly impress by portraying WALL-E’s character vividly with human quirks and setting new standards with stunning v isuals in the outer space scenes. Some may notice a few real life similarities in the animation. For instance, when WALL-E recharges fully, the booting up sound effect is the same as when one boots up any Macintosh computer. Eve also looks like it came out of an Apple design room. With not-so-subtle themes relat ing to env ironmenta l issues, it makes for a great educational movie for all ages, with a predictable ending to the story. By Koh Jing Jing
Matt Lanter, Ian Abercrombie, Greg Ellis 99 minutes
EV ERY Star Wars screening warrants applause at the start, simply for the universal appeal mae s t ro G e or ge Luca s ha s created. But as t he sevent h bigscreen release—after the original Episodes I to VI— begins without the classic opening crawl and instead, with a narration of the current messy situation in the galaxy, it turns into a different Star Wars experience. The film is set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, a three-year span amidst the Clone Wars. If you do not know your Anakin Skywalker from your Luke Sk y walker, this period saw the last major conflict of the Galactic Republic, between the Republic army and the Separatist droid forces. In the midst of t ur moil, Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta is kidnapped, and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter)
is sent to investigate. A padawan apprentice is attached to him, a brash youngling named Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein). To complete the roster of key female characters in this movie, their nemesis is the rogue Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress, an underling of Sith lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). The first animated feature of the franchise, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is also the first non-Lucasdirected film since Return of the Jedi, with greenhorn Dave Filoni taking over. The plot is promising but the stor y crawls chronologically. Nevertheless, Star Wars addicts who desire the enduring intergalactic fare should be glad with the battle scenes and lightsaber-wielding on display throughout almost all 99 minutes. Ironically, it is in the animation where the film spirals out of control. The $8.5 million production pales
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in comparison to Episodes I to III, where each cost over $100 million to make and the CGI looks cheap when compared to other animated movies. The scener y and timeless Star Wars technology are a plus, and resemble live action, but the straight-faced rigidity of the characters is hard to bear. It does not help that animation directors Jesse Yeh and Kevin Jong are relatively new, with the latter’s only credit being the flop Eight Legged Freaks. This movie comes across as a more light-hearted version of the usual Star Wars. Banter and humour are aplenty, most significantly between the droids and during the staged surrender of Obi-Wan Kenobi. And because it’s more “cute” than anything else, Clone Wars cannot be given the Star Wars stamp of authority.
By Tan Thiam Peng
lifestyle
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through the looking glass
I went for the MRT Pub Crawl and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.. by
Clad in their loud orange tees, the MRT Pub Crawl participants were a rowdy, lively bunch as they travelled from Boon Lay to the heart of the clubbing scene in Orchard.
Foo Chee Chang Tan Zi Jie
A majority of them were international students, but each group formed an easy camaderie with each other, using the time spent on the train to play truthor-dare and other ice-breaker games. The event proved that the best way for one to make friends and relax is over a drink or two.
...and a hangover
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Undergraduate Investment Forum
ISSUE 11 | NTU INVESTMENT INTERACTIVE CLUB | WWW.NTU-IIC.ORG
Investing-ly Yours NTU Investment Interactive Club — exclusively for you to learn, to have fun and to enjoy life! By Bernice Zhang WHAT a blast it has been since the start of the new academic year! To kickstart after the inaugural handover from the acclaimed 9th Executive Committee, the NTU Investment Interactive Club (NTU-IIC) successfully attracted approximately 1,000 membership signups during our Recruitment Drive. Reaching out to more than just students from the Business school, we had a huge proportion of new members from the various Arts and Engineering faculties and even budding young teachers from the National Institute of Education! This certainly put NTU-IIC in a good stead for an exciting year ahead.
Learning Investing the Fun Way
swiftly grabbed their chances to work their way out of the “rat race”. The winning teams walked away as proud owners of new SONY VAIO Laptops and Walkmans. Spurred on by the success of National Cashflow Competition 2008, NTU-IIC launched the iCube OCBC Securities Stock Challenge 2008 with aplomb on 6 September. To hail the commencement of one of the largest online stock challenges organized by students, for students, approximately 1,000 participants and invited guests combined their efforts to create Singapore’s largest Stock Chart out of 1,008 cups. Filled with a specially concocted mocktail, Bearly Bull Dream, this artistic installation entered the Singapore Book of Records as the “Largest Mocktail Drink Cups Display”.
The Cashflow 101 boardgame, designed by Mr Robert Kiyosaki (author of bestseller Rich Dad, Poor Dad), was a great hit with the students as frequent squeals of excitement rang through Millenia Walk.
In line with NTU-IIC’s vision of moving “Towards a Knowledgeable Investing Student Population”, Mr Hui Yew Ping, Managing Director, OCBC Securities Pte Ltd spoke on why it is important for our youths to learn about our economy, “We believe financial aptitude is a crucial part of education, therefore, we see the value in supporting such initiatives.” He added, “Such games allow our youths to learn the importance of long-term and prudent investing, and I believe such lessons will help them get an early start on the road to wealth creation and financial independence.”
Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the real world, players in the game had to recognize potential investments and
Using the sophisticated iOCBC virtual online trading platform, aspiring young investors were able to trade with their
The week of the Recruitment Drive also saw us through The National Cashflow Competition 2008. Over 500 student participants from approximately 30 secondary schools, junior colleges and tertiary institutions pit head-on against each other in the Finals on 17 August.
Special Privileges for IIC Card holders. For more information, log on to www.ntu-iic.org now!
BATTLE OF THE BEST: The National Cashflow Competition 2008 at Millenia Walk
starting capital of SGD 100,000 based on real-time stock prices obtained direct from the Singapore Exchange. Over the course of 3 weeks, 2,700 witty young investors competed for the top honour and SGD9,000 worth of cash prizes.
Investing-ly Yours NTU-IIC is not all about organising financial events and seminars. Mr Jeremy Teo, Senior Vice-President of NTU-IIC and Chairman of the IIC Card Committee affirmed, “I have always believed that the cornerstone of a successful organisation is its committed member base. Only by bringing the best to them, will we be able to impart that sense of attachment to the club, which will live on even upon their graduation.” NTU-IIC has made history as the first student club to issue exclusive membership cards, personalized for each and every member. Complimentary for all NTU-IIC members, this card allows bearer to automatically gain membership
WIN! QUICK QUIZ 11
We are giving away 10 sets of Subway Vouchers! Answer the questions below and e-mail to: uif.quiz@ntu-iic.org Deadline: 26 September 2008. 1) How much starting virtual capital were the participants of the OCBC Securities Stock Challenge 2008 given? 2) Name 2 retail outlets where you are entitled to special privileges as a NTUIIC Card bearer.
into Securities Investors Association (Singapore), an association whose objective is to educate, inform and protect Singapore retail investors. Said Mr David Gerald, President and CEO of SIAS, “SIAS is working closely with NTUIIC because we believe that these members are the people who will be developing the capital markets of Singapore. An educated investment and intelligent investment community would help develop the capital markets fast, make the market mature, give the families a better living, and therefore society will do better.” There has been much hype in the student population upon the introduction of the IIC Card. Ms Joyce Yee, a second year Banking and Finance student piped, “NTU-IIC has provided me with a platform to learn more about the basics of investment. It is even more enticing to be a member this year, with the upcoming IIC Card and its many perks!” The IIC card provides members with the privilege of enrolling for SIAS investment seminars at discounted rates, allowing them to continually engage in investment education. It will also entitle all NTU-IIC members to enjoy exclusive discounts at leading retail outlets, including Chocz and New Urban Male. With the strong support of our partners, including OCBC Securities Pte Ltd and SIAS, coupled with the many exciting upcoming events such as the Next Fund Manager, this upcoming year promises to be investing-ly sensational! Should you have any enquiries, please email to enquiries@ntu-iic.org.
Undergraduate Investment Forum Brought to you by:
Please set the subject of mail as “Quick Quiz 11” and leave a mobile number. NTU IIC reserves the right to change the prize of the quiz without prior notice.
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lifestyle
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EAT FOR CHARITY Social conscience is hardly ever on the minds of diners. But with these philantrophy cafes overseas, they can contribute back and have a good meal too. Natasha Ann Zachariah and Aw Hui Min dine out for a good cause
CABBAGES AND CONDOMS 8 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Bangkok 10110 Thailand
CONDOMS, condoms everywhere— this restaurant is definitely not one for the prudes. The aptly-named Cabbages and Condoms restaurant, tucked away in a nondescript soi [Thai for sidestreet], is an attraction in itself. There are literally thousands of condoms, in every flavour and size, used to decorate lamps and table tops, hung from the ceiling and even featured in the menu. A walk up the entrance lane to the restaurant seems innocent enough, with no hint of what is to come. But as the hostess leads you further in to the two-story dining area, you are greeted by Captain Condom—a mannequin,
decked out in what else, but condom s a nd cont r acept ive pills! But this themed restaurant isn’t about the frivolity of sex—quite the contrary. The restaurant does have a serious agenda, which is to raise awareness on AIDS and population control. It also supports a host of rural
The naughty touch of leaving condoms, instead of mints, will definitely come in handy! development programs. For example, diners can get a foot massage by blind masseuses at a reasonable price. A nd if patrons want a memory of this one-of-a-kind restaurant, they can purchase condom-related items and traditional Thai handicraft works like woven silk and wooden figurines. T he establishment star ted with Mechai Viravaidya, one of
Thailand’s biggest philanthropists and former health minister of the country. He champions the cause for birth control and aims to make contraceptives as widely available and the preferred choice, just as much as cabbages are. Pairing the two odd elements together seems to have worked well. The restaurant has garnered much attention and constantly r e c e i ve s r ave r e v ie w s f r om patrons. Besides the cheeky ambience, the food speaks for itself—the restaurant is consistently rated as one of Bangkok’s best restaurants to dine at. I f t he ha ng i ng condom s and sex toys make you blush, concentrate on the food instead. Their spicy soups, prepared the aut hentic T hai way, and t he whole array of delectable food like pan-grilled chicken, spicy papaya salad and banana fritters is guaranteed to arouse your senses. Dinner is reasonably priced, usually costing between S$15 to $30 per head. And, if, at the end of it all, your Cabbages and Condoms experience has got you feeling a little frisky, remember to take the check before you leave. The naughty touch of leaving condoms, instead of mints, will definitely come in handy!
BAGUETTE ET CHOCOLAT
11 Pho Cha Ca, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Tel: 923 1500
CHOCOLATEY DELIGHT: These chocolate pastries make for a lovely afternoon tea. PHOTOS | COURTESY
A COOKING training school that provides hospitality opportunities for the under privileged Vietnamese youths, Baguette et Chocolat is usually patronized by Caucasian travellers but may be a little less known to Singaporean backpackers. Even though the pastries and cakes sold are “practice food”, they are good enough to win rave reviews by travel bloggers and even The New York Times. As its enticing name suggests, the café does indeed sells baguettes and chocolates. The palm-sized freshly baked chocolate tarts (around SGD1.50), are their best seller. They are usually snapped up in a few hours after being chilled on the display shelves. However, other chocolate pastries, such as the Millefeuille Chocolat and Delice definitely do not disappoint. Rich, moist and decadent, each chocolate pastry
LATEX FASHIONS: Wearing clothes made entirely of condoms, the mannequins at Cabbages and Condoms promote safe sex. PHOTO | COURTESY
has its unique flavour. With prices much lower than the pastries sold at our local Starbucks, these cakes will not only please the traveller’s palate but his or her pocket as well. Tastefully served on large, square ceramic plates, the baguettes, packed full with fresh vegetables and fillings, and are guaranteed to satisfy any backpacker’s hunger pangs. Go barefooted and relax on low modern wicker sofas on the parquet-floored lounge area at the second-storey. Chill out with a thirst quenching glass of Peach Daiquiri that costs no more than SGD10. Couple that with a slice of Apple Crumble topped with ice cream, also less than SGD10, and tea time in Hanoi could never be sweeter. Bauguette et Chocolat is one of the five cafes and restaurants run by Hoa Sua School, a NGO, and a school, that provides vocational training for needy youths. To date, more than 17,000 students have graduated from the school. As working in the resturant is similar to taking the final exam before working in restaurants and
hotels around Vietnam, service and food quality are assured. Do a good deed while having a satisfying meal the next time you visit Hanoi as money collected goes towards helping disadvantaged youths. So eat to your heart’s content and leave with your tummy full and your conscience contented.
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Stay Singap
Forget overseas. Stay here. Amanda Tan and pack their overnight bags and check-in
CULTURAL SCENE
HEALTHY LIVING Naumi Hotel 41, Seah Street Tel: 6403 6000 CHECK-IN
From personalised welcome notes in the room to helping guests run a bath, Naumi puts its touch on everything. For instance, small cards with “Naumi says...” are placed around t he room ( a nd hote l ) , u r g i ng guests to spare a thought for the environment or to help themselves to drinks. H idden i n a la ne nea r t he National Library, this posh hotel is easily overlooked. It is often mistaken for an executive lounge or cafe as its reception area is small. But step inside and it is not long before you feel pampered. Naumi prides itself as supporting a healthy lifestyle, and has various exercise facilities for doing weights, cardio
and yoga. In addition, Sunday mornings are dedicated to yoga classes by the poolside. The morning breakfast spread even includes vitamin pills. “We want to show people that we are serious about healthy eating,” said Ms Adeline Quek, Marketing Manager of the hotel. The highlight was the kingsized bed. The plush quilt and 300 thread count sheets allowed me to sink into sleep, literally. However, the pillows were a tad too light for me so I had to stack up two pillows to avoid an aching neck. Pe r h ap apt for a bu si ne s s traveller used to such luxuries, I found it a bit too posh to be comfortable. State-of-art was the keyword, from the shower system to the coffee maker, which made me feel slightly awkward. I did not know where I should start being impressed.
That said, you can count on comfort and top-notch ser vice. Adjustable lighting, velvety floorrugs and a rotatable television set show how much thought has gone into the rooms
NOT TO BE MISSED
Pay e x t r a for a r oom w it h a bathtub. Dim the lights and relax in the warm water. If you’re worried about wasting water, the rain bath attached to every bathroom. would be a better choice instead The infinity pool on the top floor of the hotel gives swimmers a view the Marina Bay skyline. With the cool weather and tall, cosmopolitan buildings around me, I really felt like I had the world at my feet.
PRICES
There are six different rooms with room rates starting from $370 There are festive packages on offer to help you celebrate in luxury and style.
Link Hotel 50 Tiong Bahru Road Tel: 6622 8585
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RUSTIC RELAXATION Rider s Lodge 108, Turf Road Tel: 6465 4828 CHECK-IN
DAY breaks, the sound of birds chirping and dogs yapping fill the air, as the mating calls of the bullfrogs die down. The horses and ponies are saddled, awaiting the steady stream of children, who stare in wide-eyed wonder at the gentle animals. I sat on the porch and took it all in, among luscious greenery
and a healthy dose of fresh air. Com mon enough i n t he countr yside, but in Singapore? Spend a night at the Rider’s Lodge and you too, would be forgiven for forgetting that you are still here. T his colonial-st yle lodge is steeped in the horse racing history of Singapore. It has 40 rooms, de sig ned w it h rodeo-i n spi r ed pictures and artefacts, and opened in March 2008. Small, yet cosy describes the way the different sized rooms are designed. It is hardly extravagant – there are no monogrammed soap
bars, huge bathtub to lounge in nor designer chocolates left on the bed – but it oozed comfort and a homely feel. The bed made for a good night’s sleep and I was rested when I left the Lodge. Travellers often judge a place by the state of bathrooms, especially in smaller hotels. At the Rider’s Lodge, they are simple yet provide towels and soap. The relaxed feel does not stop there. Surrounding the lodge are activities for the guests. Horsecity, which manages the area, has pony feeding sessions at different times
ying pore
As there is no designated dining a rea – t he Lodge on ly ser ves breakfast - walk on down to Picotin, a bistro-bar that serves up authentic European food. Sit outside on the patio and enjoy the cool breeze while biting into a piping hot pizza, cooked in a wood-burning oven. Most people converge at the centre of Picotin, at its horse-shoe shaped bar, where happy hour starts at 12 noon, so it is easy to lose track of time as you sit sipping ice-cold beers and watching people go by. The chill- out aura at the Rider’s Lodge and the surrounding businesses draw people who want get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its remoteness is an attraction in itself, so be careful, you might never want to leave. Deluxe rooms start at $225 while it costs $350 for a night in their suites. All guests receive complimentary breakfast. It is easier to make bookings through the Internet.
GROOVY SEVENTIES Hotel Re! 175A Chin Swee Road Tel: 6821 8222 CHECK-IN
NESTLED among residential blocks in Tiong Bahru, you might expect the relatively new Link Hotel to stand out against the backdrop of the old estate. But its facade is minimal and modest, which allows it to blend in. The excellent service that greeted me upon my arrival redeemed my reservations. The rooms are unique with each carefully designed to fit with a Chinese, Malay, Indian or Modern theme. The Chinese themed room where I spent the night had lantern-like lampshades and traditional paintings of teapots on the wall. Although the room did evoke a quaint Chinese feel, I felt that it was insufficient According to Duty Manager Mr Irwan Tommy, plans are underway to improve t he design of t he rooms. After all, Link Hotel is a year old. Nevertheless, the simplicity made me feel comfortable and right at home.
NOT TO BE MISSED
PRICES
d Natasha Ann Zachariah at boutique hotels.
CHECK-IN
of the day. The Lodge gives out free vouchers for horseriding in a quiet paddock nearby Saddle-soreness can be swiftly dealt with at Sylvia’s Secrets nearby, with ser vices from massages to manicures and pedicures. Its earthy decor blends in w it h t he laz y feel of the area and encouages holiday indulgence. Keeping with the atmosphere, Om Shiva Yoga centre has lessons at $20 each for those who want to mediate or even learn something new.
Waking up in the morning to the sight of old shophouses outside my window transported me back in time. It was the perfect moment to lie in bed, relishing the calm and stillness of the day.
NOT TO BE MISSED
T he Chinese-themed room has lantern-like lamps which cast a soothing, soft red glow. If you prefer a bright room, the Indian-themed room with its rich gold decor and feeling of luxury. The hotel’s buffet breakfast is worth getting up early for, but breakfast hours are only until 10am, which may be too early for some. If you choose to sleep in though, head down to Tiong Bahru Market. It is a short walk away from the hotel and is a well-known haven for local delicacies
PRICES
Superior room prices start at $280++, deluxe rooms at $380++. Suites will cost you $600++ a night
THE 1970s was the era of groovy moves and psychedelic colours that were shocking yet bold. But many found the era gaudy and uncool, and soon the bellbottoms and tiedyed clothes were stashed away, forgotten. Come the 21st century, it seems that a revival of the 70s is undeway, not only on the fashion scene but in interior designing as well. Hotel Re! brings the 70s back in style. Formerly Pearl’s Hill Primary School, it was converted into a 12-storey boutique hotel for the business crowd. Since it opened in March, it has seen a steady stream of walk-in tour ists and online bookings. Every part of Hotel Re! defies the rule book of hotel room decor. The colours are strident and vivid — a contrast to the usual calm, earthy hues of most hotels. Here, expect all your senses to be overwhelmed by clashing colours, geometric patterns and unusual materials like plastics and vinyl. Step into the lobby and marvel at the neon pink, red, orange and
gold hues lavishly used to deck out wall panels and the reception desk. Relive classic 70s sci fi programmes like Space 1999 as you head up to your room in a silver lined elevator. Each floor has a different colour theme of pink, red, yellow, green, purple and orange to compliment cultural icons of the era. Silhouettes of stars like John Travolta, Bruce Lee and Elvis Presley outline room walls with their famed poses. T he lobb y a nd r o om s a r e decorated with 70s furniture like egg-shaped swivel chairs. There are shag carpets and vinyl material lining the walls. It is defi nitely a throwback to that boisterous era. There’s no sweating it out at Hotel Re! — rejuventate and get a massage instead. For $25 for 40 minutes, a masseuse will knead out hard knots. Massages can also be done in the comfort of your room.
NOT TO BE MISSED
If you have t he extra cash to splurge, opt for one of the three different coloured suites. Choose from the trappings of gold, silver and bronze featuring different icons like James Bond, Charlie’s Angels and The Saint. The centrepiece of the rooms is the waterbed, a fad of the 70s that
lost its popularity over the years. It makes a shagedelic comeback in Hotel Re! so jump right in and experience floating on water, as you sleep soundly away. Bathrooms in Suites have Jacuzzis which overlook the city, providing a panoramic view of the landscape a s you soa k up t he roma nt ic atmosphere with a loved one.
PRICES
Rooms are priced starting at $180++ for superior rooms on the weekdays. On the weekend, specials star t at $168++ and includes javanese maassages and continental breakfast for two.
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tech review
That Shiny New Br
wser
Built from the ground up, Google s spanking new addition to the browser landscape put together some of the best features of its competitors on a single platform. Our tech editor Lim Yan Liang takes a peek at the beta release I N A completely unex pected move, search giant Google Inc. released an in-progress version of its Chrome browser last week to much fanfare, after accidentally leaking a 38-page comic book on its features and workings. T he open-source browser, compiled from at least 26 different code libraries, was designed with speed, stability and security in mind, according to a Google spokesperson. THE MICROSOFT KILLER While it would undoubtedly be foolish to call Google an underdog in whatever new market it chooses to enter, the fact is that in the realm of the browsers, it is. Over 73% of the world’s internet users use a version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE), and Microsoft has been taking notice of another upstart in the browser market, Mozilla Corporation’s Firefox, another open-source effort funded (in part) by Google. The Redmond giant has already taken steps to innovate IE8, the next version of the ubiquitous browser. With such an entrenched user base on IE, analysts speculate that Chrome might be cannibalizing on Firefox market share instead. Even then, that would be an uphill task for Google, since Firefox brings along a large community of developers and a whole buffet of extension and add-on options. But Goog le’s Sen ior Vice President for IT research, David Mitchell, is unperturbed: “It’s in our interest to make the internet better, and without competition, we have stagnation.” And the folks at Redmond should indeed be worried. With Chrome, users would probably be able to integrate Google’s office suite and streaming site YouTube more seamlessly than with competing browsers. Not to mention the slew of other applications that have began their exodus off the desktop and to the online realm. The disdain for Microsoft is not even concealed: Google’s aims for Chrome include turning the browser into “a great foundation for sophisticated web applications that compete with desktop programs”, according to a post on the official Google blog. If Google gets its right, users will spend more time on their browsers than any where else on the computer, making the operating system – Microsoft’s pr imar y source of revenue – largely irrelevant. So what happens when you pit the largest web company in the world against the largest software company in the world? A hell of a fight for sure.
A MORE VERSATILE HOME: Chrome tricks out the homepage to include frequently visited sites, recently closed tabs, bookmarks and a search bar. PHOTO | INTERNET
SLEEK AND SOLID Chrome brings many things to the table, not least of all a reexamination of what the venerable browser can do. T he br owse r ’s l i s t of compelling features begins with its multiprocess architecture. By having every tab and every window run its own process, a slowdown, misrender or crash in one process would not affect the rest of the pages being browsed. This approach also increases security by sandboxing, which is the isolation of each site and page in a limited environment, preventing malware from easily crossing over to the desktop. A major grouse with the advent of tabbed browsing was that comparing two web pages side-byside has become a chore. Chrome tackles this problem by allowing users to pull a tab out and into
its own window and to replace it back as easily. The options of starting the browser in different tab configurations and allowing for tabs to be grouped together also makes tabbed browsing more user-friendly than previously thought possible. Chrome’s high peformance Javascript engine, dubbed V8, has also bested both IE and Firefox in most speed tests conducted till date, making it the speediest browser in the market today. In a nod towards Opera, Chrome has also reinterpreted what a homepage is. The default dynamic homepage displays the nine most-visited sites, with snapshots to boot, together with the most commonly used search engine and bookmarks. Prefer a traditional homepage? The setting can be changed easily.
NOT FULLY POLISHED...YET As with all new releases, a nd e ven w it h t he m ig ht y Google, Chrome still has room for improvement. Last Monday’s discover y of a critical vulnerability in the browser, which could have allowed a malicious third-party to take control of the affected PC, shows that even after two years of internal development bugs do crop up sometimes. To the company’s credit, a patch was released shortly that eliminated the problem. Another area that Chrome is severely lacking at the moment is a sizeable communit y of developers to build an ecosystem of add-ons and plug-ins for the f ledging browser, for which both its biggest competitors IE (and Firefox especially) have in spades. Without such support,
Google, no matter its technological and financial muscle, will be hard pressed to entice users away from their current browsers that, with near-endless options for customization, have made the websurfing experience richer. AND THE BATTLE RAGES ON Whatever the case may be, there is little doubt that the browser wars have been blown wide open with the release of Chrome. It is not so much a question of whether Google’s new toy will succeed, but the extent to which it will redefine how we look at and use the internet. If the search giant manages to spur further innovation in the browser arena, consumers are sure to benefit. The dark horse might just become the shiny new thoroughbred in town.
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tech review
Doing iT in Style With the iPhone s local launch last month, Chief Editor Lin Junjie managed to rush out and get his hands on the most coveted phone of the year. Here are his impressions
PHOTO | INTERNET
FOR a smartphone, the iPhone is probably quite dumb by today's standards. It doesn't allow you to copy-andpaste text, forward text messages, search through emails, record video, share files via Bluetooth, send multimedia messages (MMS), edit Office documents, and the list goes on. It has no hardware keyboard, no removable battery, no way to expand the memory, no support for Flash files and only a two megapixel camera. Some of t hese def iciencies are startling and enough reason to keep some users away from an iPhone completely. But why would thousands of others queue at SingTel's ComCentre on the midnight of August 22nd nevertheless, waiting some three hours to get their hands on the iPhone?
IT'S ALL ABOUT STYLE There is no lack of reviews on the iPhone everywhere. Most of them, however, tend to focus on what the iPhone can or cannot do. But just like the iPods, the iPhone really is about doing things with style. Style is after all the reason why iPods are the bestselling portable music players around despite costing more and doing less than its competitors. In the case of the iPhone, style is defi ned largely by an intuitive and consistent interface: intuitive because you navigate it with thumbs and fi ngers on virtual buttons sized comfortably for use; consistent because the same swiping, pinching and tapping fi nger gestures work t h roug hout t he ent i re i Phone operating system and its third-party applications. Style is not about looks and feel; it is really about how things work. Examining the oft-dubbed "iPhone killers" for instance—the
Samsung Omnia and the H TC Touch Diamond—reveals that there is no shortage of eye candies. Although both phones have attempted to emulate the iPhone by allowing users to scroll through their custom interfaces with the swipe of a finger, such behaviour is not consistent throughout the entire phone. The problem arises when users are thrown out of these custom interfaces, which are no more than application launchers, into native Windows Mobile applications. At which point, finger swiping no longer works and buttons return to their standard miniature sizes that are more suited for the pin-point precision of a stylus than for use with fingertips or thumbs. In contrast, because the iPhone was designed from the start to be used entirely with fingers and thumbs, every aspect of the its interface works well and naturally without the need for additional input devices (the Diamond includes a stylus and the Omnia an optical mouse).
IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU DO Web surfing is probably the greatest strength of the iPhone. Several of its features make surfing on it feasible and enjoyable: First, the bright, large and high-resolution screen displays text clearly and crisply; second, the swiping and pinching finger gestures allow for quick and natural navigation of webpages; and third, the built-in mobile Safari browser displays webpages quickly and accurately. T he caveat s a r e t h at t he iPhone's browser cannot handle Flash (which locks you out of most web videos, as with the Omnia and the Diamond) and Java (used mainly for internet banking and
some payment services). But for just about everything else the iPhone surfs the web as well as a computer. You can access most of the university's web services, such as StudentLink, Edventure and WebMail. Outside campus, having the internet available at your fingertips everywhere can save you the agony of wasting money on a bad product or a lousy movie. A case in point: a day after I bought the iPhone, I went shopping for a protective case. Unsure which case out of a dozen different brands was better, I took out my iPhone, launched Safari, checked out the best-rated case on ilounge.com, picked it up and went home a happy customer.
FIX FOR THE EMAIL ADDICTS I am a self-confessed email addict. Most of the time though it is not because I enjoy obsessing over them, but because how quickly I am able to respond to some emails can mean whether a last-minute story is covered in the Chronicle, or whether the editorial team gets to go home for dinner or supper on Friday of production week. Setting up Gmail to work through IMAP on the iPhone is a breeze. It is a shame though that the university's web mail server does not support IMAP when NUS, SMU and other major universities do. No discussion of the iPhone emailing capabilities is complete w it hout ta lk ing about t he its touchscreen-only keyboard. Cochief executive Mike Lazaridis of Research in Motion, the company that makes the BlackBerry, was quoted April this year in The New York Times, saying: "I couldn’t type on it and I still can’t type on it, and a lot of my friends can’t type on it. It’s hard to type on a piece of glass."
Like Lazaridis, I thought I would have hated the iPhone's keyboard. But I ended up liking it. Sure I make mistakes on it all the time, but the auto-correction technology works so well that I can type close to 40 words per minute on it using both thumbs now. Ironically, for the amount of aversion the BlackBerr y-maker has towards the iPhone's keyboard, I found the lack of a real plastic keyboard a blessing in disguise. Because there’s no real buttons to press, typing requires minimal effort and results in no sore thumbs after typing a long email.
FOR THE HOPELESSLY LOST Finding your way around the built-in Google maps application with the scrolling, pinching and double tapping gest ures beats flipping the street directory any day. And when you do make a wrong turn somewhere and find yourself lost, the built-in GPS of the iPhone 3G can locate you on the map most of the time in a matter of seconds, from which you can have the iPhone plan a route to your destination. Surprisingly Google maps can locate precisely whatever address you throw at it, as long as a block number and street name is included. Sea rch ing for compan ies and restaurants is more of a hit-andmiss affair though since Google maps does not have a comprehensive database of businesses in Singapore yet. THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION The iPhone, 3G or not, is far from perfect. Features-wise, the new iPhone continues to suffer from some serious omission of features, some of them so basic in handphones today that the question is inevitably raised of why a state-of-the-art phone can
be so primitive in some areas. Performance-wise, the new iPhone 2.0 software no longer runs as smoothly and stably as its older counterpart. Some parts of the phone now feel sluggish, particularly when searching through contacts. Some applications crash ever y now and then, and the phone itself hangs or restarts randomly once in a while (mine hung once and restarted twice in the three weeks of extensive use). The iPhone 2.1 update released last Friday promises to fi x all these, but until more testing is done, it remains to be seen if all the problems will be fully addressed. For a smartphone that does a lot more, I have highlighted only three functions that the iPhone does exceptionally well in. These alone, along with the phone features of course, would have justified the price of the iPhone for me. But for others, it could have been the iPod within—which I also use and like but did not write about in this article—having YouTube on the go, or the many third-party applications that are available to install right on the iPhone. The iPhone is great for people who are literally addicted to the internet, want to get work done on the go and appreciate good style. For me, the two-and-a-half hours of travelling time daily can now be spent working on drafts for the Chronicle or just surfi ng the web—that and listening to music. Even queueing for food in canteen B becomes bearable. But if you're one of those who are even considering not taking up a data plan with your iPhone, you are better off spending your money elsewhere—the iPhone is about having the internet with you everywhere.
Eason唱到忘我，脱外套脱鞋子 —— 刊24页
新闻
华文教研中心将于明年成立 鞠欣航●报道
政
府宣布教育部将与国立 教育学院合作，于2009 年中旬成立华文教研中心。此 教研中心致力于培训本地华文 教师，以提升新加坡华文的整 体水平，同时也希望吸引外国 人到新加坡学习中文。 李显龙总理是在《联合早 报》85周年报庆晚宴上讲话 时，做出以上的宣布。 政府设立这所中心就是要为 华文教师提供培训机会，从而 协助教师们完成这项任重道远 的工作。建立华文教研中心对 新加坡来说具有重大的意义。 据调查显示，本地家中主要用 英语交流的华族学生由1988年 的20％增加到2008年的55％。 数据说明华文在过去的10年内 使用率明显下降。 因此，教师们更需要运用创 新的教学方法来培养学生学习 华语的兴趣。随着中国经济的 鹏飞，学习华语也变得越加重
要。再则，新加坡地处中西枢 纽，她的双语环境更为建立华 文教研中心提供了得天独厚的 条件。 此教研中心预计在短期一年 内培训25％在职华文教师，并 在5年内完成对新加坡在职的所 有教师的培训。教研中心的长 期目标是希望成为一个为区域 及国际的华文教师提供专业咨 询和培训服务的中心，并专门 于培训学前教育的华文教师及 以华文为第二语文或外语教学 的海外教师。 华文教研中心将由新加坡 教育部和国立教育学院合作设 立。中心建立首三年将坐落于 锦茂小学的现址。 华文教研中心虽附属于国立 教育学院，但拥有自主权。新 加坡报业控股华文报兼报章服 务集团执行副总裁胡以晨已受 委担任董事局主席；正副院长 则由国立教育学院的助理教授 陈之权博士和陈志锐博士分别 担任。教育部高级政务部长傅 海燕将出任董事局顾问。
新加坡报业控股华文报兼报章服务集团执行副总裁胡以晨（右二）已受委担任于2009年成立的新加 坡华文研教中心董事局主席。 照片|国立教育学院提供
中文学会口琴团 《星空●心弦●琴》演奏会
穿越时光 回到童年 黄顺杰●报道
为
了让大家缅怀童年， 南大中文学会口琴团 在演奏会上，把电玩“Super Mario”的游戏配乐改编成组
曲，配合“Super Mario”一路 过关斩将的游戏画面，逗乐现 场观众。 南大中文学会口琴团8月30 日当晚，在艺术、设计与媒体 学院（School of Art, Design and Media）的大礼堂举办了
《 星 空 ●心 弦 ●琴 》 口 琴 演 奏 会，带领听众穿越时空，在悠 悠的口琴声中寻找随着时间流 逝的感动。 当晚，本地视障协会会员 也首次获邀出席观赏演奏会， 与百多位观众一同进入时光隧
口琴团选了“记意中的记忆”作为主题，让听众在旋律中回忆年少的纯真岁月。 摄影|Ahmad Iskandar
道。 负责策划这次演出的筹长吴 佳翰受访时表示，视障人士往 往因为自己的缺陷而对观赏音 乐会感到却步。 就读环境工程系三年级的他 说：“希望通过这场演出，能 让他们有机会接触音乐、认识 音乐。” 口琴团今年选择了“记意中 的记忆”作为贯穿全场音乐的 主题。 吴佳翰说：“这次的选曲 以时间线为主。观众能从这些 熟悉的旋律中回忆年少时的纯 真，找回当时的感动。” 团长林伟建更亲自挑战了 已故歌星邓丽君的经典金曲 《Goodbye My Love》。 虽然旋律的些许部分出现小 走调的状况，但用心的诠释仍 博得观众的喝彩。 口琴团也献上脍炙人口的知 名电影及电玩主题曲，如《荒 野七人》及《Eyes On Me》。 然而在演奏由成龙主演的电 影《神话》主题曲《美丽的神 话》时，钢琴手似乎仍对歌曲
不熟，没能跟上乐队的节奏。 《星空 ● 心弦 ● 琴》已迈入 第九届。自1986年成立至今， 口琴团已从当初规模颇小的口 琴组，发展成各声部齐全的乐 团。
配合游戏画面，口琴团以4人小 组的形式演奏“Super Mario” 组曲，让观众开怀大笑。
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T H E NA N YA NG C H RON IC L E
第14届《飞乐时空》词曲创作大决赛
冠军歌曲在一小时内完成 藤思珂●报道
异
乡游子王闯在一个小时 内一气呵成写出的歌曲 《爱过就好》击败另外9首入 围原创歌曲，摘下第14届《飞 乐时空》词曲创作大决赛总冠 军。 《飞》8月24日晚上于南洋 大礼堂举行。南大中文学会 筹备了一年，经过初选及半决 赛，筛选出了10首原创参赛歌
曲及3首原创歌词进入大决赛。 当晚邀来5位专业创作人坐镇， 为13首歌曲评分。 24岁的王闯是一名音乐老 师。 他透露此次一共向大赛投 了7、8首歌曲，最后作品 《变 迁》和《爱过就好》进入大决 赛。 最终，王闯创作，演唱的 《爱过就好》一举捧得最佳演 绎、最佳歌曲、最受欢迎歌曲 三项大奖。
他表示：“这些作品都是来 新加坡以后创作的，记录的基 本上是朋友的经历，情侣之间 的分分合合。” 其中一名参赛者黄思恩所创 作的《我们 ● 后》囊括最佳作 曲、最佳作词两个奖项。 最佳编曲由年仅19岁的林锶 敏凭借《Reila》获得，而填词 组的冠军则是创作《天使泪》 的刘晓婷。 同样参加过《飞》的评审张 乐声表示：“我也是从这个舞
台上走出来的，多多练习，一 定会有所进步。” 特别嘉宾伍家辉也受邀献 唱，先后演绎了《空缺》、 《听听》，接着又自弹自唱抱 起《虽然我愿意》和《一人一 半》，将晚会气氛带向高潮。 本届《飞》比赛走出校园， 吸引更多年轻创作人的加入， 给予他们沟通交流的平台。
时事动脉 我国马术女选手陈雁仪 在本届北京残疾人奥运 会中，为新加坡取得历 史性的突破。夺得一枚 铜牌，成为新加坡有史 以来第一个夺得残奥会 奖牌的选手。 一项由www.Myecitizen. com的调查显示，23.9％ 的新加坡男性因缺乏自 信心。而无法找到理想 伴侣。 南大科研人员王顺荣 （31岁）和准新娘韩红 珍（28岁，业务经理） 日前在南大的南洋礼堂 里举行结婚宣誓仪式， 由注册官兼南大校友事 务处主任孙敏炎先生主 礼，并在90名来宾的见 证下共结连理。
第14届《飞乐时空》词曲创作大决赛，参赛者都卯足全力，把最好的作品呈现给观众。右图为总冠军王闯。 摄影|陈怡文
电台1003 《踢馆大擂台》
走进校园 寻找广播新声代 萧佳慧●报道
曾
当过校内广播员，在录 音棚担任助理，也拥有 主持经验的机械与宇航工程学 院硕士一年级生潘琦抱着对媒 体工作的热忱，响应电台1003 的踢馆挑战！ 他说：“我渴望表现自己， 乐于和人接触，也乐于去接受 和传播新鲜的资讯。相信这些 特质能让我成为一名称职的 DJ。”
电台1003DJ林灵芝和阿Ken 日前潜入南大校园，在Canteen A为2008年度的《踢馆大擂 台》DJ卡位赛进行造势，希望 能在南大发现有潜力的广播新 声音。 他们在活动上指出，多名 本地电台DJ都是本校校友。从 去年的比赛脱颖而出的“校园 帮”，其中3人是南大生，现在 是电台1003的兼职DJ。 林灵芝认为，身为一名DJ 最大的满足在于对听众的影响 力以及得到听众的信任。
她说：“当听众难过或快乐 时，他们会与我们分享。当他 们需要人陪伴的时候，他们知 道我们都会在。” 生物工程系二年级生陈诗佳 也有同感。没有任何广播经验 的她说：“我认为广播员的工 作充满挑战，必须懂得随机应 变。我想要自我挑战，从中学 习。 在造势活动上报名参加 9月7日在勘宝坊举行的公开试 音赛的共有8名南大生。
成功通过第一场公开试音赛 的参赛者则晋级至9月13日在纳 福坊的第二场的公开试音赛。 优胜者将有机会像“校园帮” 一样，主持自己的节目。 去年的《踢馆大擂台》总冠 军，19岁的淡马锡理工学院传 媒系三年级生赖彦志分享了他 的参赛心得。 他说：“我非常享受参赛过 程，因为我必须不断创新。虽 然这是场比赛，最重要的是保 持自己最真实的一面，千万不 要做作。” 当问起当DJ的条件，阿Ken 笑说：“要厚脸皮！” 求学时期就以媒体作为终极 目标的他解释说，DJ难免必须 面对听众批评与谩骂，一定要 有勇气并坚信自己的选择。
我国乒乓女将冯天薇在 女子世界杯赛事中夺得 季军，也是冯天薇在世 界杯上取得的最好成 绩。 世界银行和国际金融公 司编制的2009年全球营 商环境报告，新加坡连 续第3年营商环境排名全 球之冠，纽西兰第二， 美国第三，香港维持第 四名。 泰国宪法法院上周宣布 总理沙马因今年2月6日 出任总理后，继续为电 视台主持烹饪节目，而 违反宪法。 英国一项最新研究结果 显示，儿童在五岁前使 用双语，比使用单一语 言的儿童更容易出现口 吃。 香港第四届立法会选举 产生60名议员。新立法 会将从今年10月1日起的 4年任期内行使香港基本 法赋予的职权。
电台1003DJ林灵芝与阿Ken潜入南大校园，寻找新声音，参加 2008年度《踢馆大擂台》DJ卡位赛。 摄影|关洁薇
《今日美国报》与盖洛 普上周发布最新民调显 示，共和党总统候选人 麦凯恩以4％的支持率领 先民主党总统侯选人奥 巴马。这是今年一月以 来麦凯恩最大幅度领先 于奥巴马。麦凯恩的支 持率是50%，而奥巴马支 持率是46%。
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言论 编辑室 独具慧眼
咖啡厅
外国人还是外国人？ 内涵＝美丽 宋慧纯 中文副编辑
新
加坡本为一个蕞尔岛 国，人民是国家最重要 的资产。但是随着社会时代的 变迁和与进步，近20年来涌入 狮城的新移民及外国人才已经 多不胜数。他们是否真的已经 对我国产生归属感，被土生土 长的本地人接纳，都成了国人 热烈讨论，甚至成为李显龙总 理国庆群众大会的话题。 最近一次乘搭地铁时就听到 了一段很引人深思的对话。我 国游泳女将陶李在当天游泳赛 事中获得了第5名，还刷新了亚 洲纪录。但正当众多国民为此 喝彩欢呼时，有两名青年酸溜 溜地说，破纪录又怎样，又不 是新加坡人。 这段对话不禁让我联想， 政府重资引进的外国人才的 确不是本地土生土长的新加坡 人。但是在国际舞台上努力的 他们，仍背负着众多新加坡人 的期待和梦想。但在荣耀的背 后，这个身份及国民意识认同 的问题，顿时成了一小部份新 加坡人的心头刺。 不可否认，这些外国人的确 充斥着本地的各个行业。但这 些新移民及外国人才在协助我 国促进经济、文化各方面进步 的同时，却被一些本地人视为 抢夺工作饭碗的“敌人”。 尽管这批新移民在本地生活
久了之后渐渐对我国产生了一 定的归属感，国籍也随即改变 成为新加坡公民和永久居民， 但仍旧有一群本地人不认同这 群新移民对本地的贡献。只因 为，他们曾经拥有别的国籍， 所以就不是真正的新加坡人。 但当我们在这两者矛盾的身 份之间划分的同时，我们不可 否认这场本地人与新移民之间 的拉距战，确实无意中促成了 一个良性竞争的舞台。从客观 的角度来看，竞争中取得进步 对本地绝对是有利多于弊的。 新加坡是一个竞争激烈的大 都市。我们的特色就在于我们 的多元文化。这个社会本就适 者生存，与其埋怨饭碗被新移 民或外来人才抢掉，倒不如认 真思考如何求进步与这些外来 人才来场公平竞争比较实际。 毕竟，有实力的人终究会赢 得掌声。我国的乒乓女团已经 顺利地为我国迎来48年后的第 一枚奥运奖牌。 乒乓女团的队员都来自中 国，但这是否表示我们的掌声 就因此减弱呢？与其否定她们 的身份，倒不如为她们的努力 来点鼓励的掌声。 毕竟，她们的战袍上印的是 我国国旗。如此的努力和付出 若再不被认可，也只能说新加 坡社会在寻求进步的同时，人 民的思想倘若对外来新移民仍 存有疙瘩，将会是未来本地迈 向国际环球大都会的一大绊脚 石。
插图｜王怡方
鞠欣航
一
直以来，人们对美女的定义都是大 眼睛，瓜子脸，皮肤白皙，身材匀 称。这种大家心目中典型的“视觉美女” 其实在校园里很多见。凡是会打扮自己， 会化妆的女孩，都有机会成为视觉美女。 但是你对其他类型的美女又知道多少呢？ 甜美型的女生性格开朗，爱说爱笑， 有她们在身边，你总是会有种温馨的感 觉。当你感觉失落需要安慰时，甜美型的 女孩会是你最好的依赖。 健康型的则毋庸置疑，热爱运动，她 们锻炼后大汗淋漓时也就是她们最吸引人 的时候。健康的女孩更能让你感到生命的 可贵，健康的无价。她们的健康韧性，是 对不愿运动的人的最大鼓舞！ 智慧型的女孩最喜欢做的事也许就是 读书了。她们不仅学习成绩出众，而且喜 爱博览群书。她们热衷于思考，做事总是 三思而后行。在你对如何作出重大决定犹 豫不决时，智慧型女孩就是你的“诸葛 亮”。能帮你分析每个结论的利弊。 高雅型女孩挺胸抬头的走路姿态，细
嚼慢咽的吃饭方式，是高雅型女孩的标志性动作。 他们喜怒哀乐不溢于言表，她们的言行举止透漏着 她们血脉里高雅的气质。和她们在一起，你会不知 不觉的改变你自己，使自己跻身于另一个形象的世 界。 对所有女孩来说，外在的美丽是可以用化妆、 穿着等很多方法打造的。但随着女孩年龄的增长， 外在美总是会悄悄流逝。所以作为女孩，真正要懂 得的不仅是如何打扮自己，更要懂得如何修养高尚 的情操。富有深刻内涵的女孩，才能经历得起岁月 的洗礼。
插图｜王怡方
国人应更积极自备购物袋 黄敏玮
最
近逛超市，碰上了每 周三一次的“自备购 物袋日”。不料还没来得及 捐出一角钱索取塑胶袋，收 银员就已轻声提醒我下次自 备购物袋，接着又免费提供 塑胶袋。当时的我，看着其 他和我一样“逍遥法外”的 顾客，心想：收银员是不是 为了避免与顾客冲突，才选 择最省时的好心提醒？有多 少人领取免费塑胶袋后，日 后会记得自备购物袋？ 在台北的各大超市和便 利店，天天都是“自备购物 袋日”。我去年在那里就见 识到台北人如何巧妙地将所 购买的物品放入背包或自备 的购物袋。意外的是，几乎 无人向收银员领取塑胶袋。 这和本地的情况形成了非常 强烈的对比。 其中的奥妙，应该在于 台北根深蒂固的环保文化。 那里的同学告诉我，他们从 小就接受环保教育。在家 中，他们得将垃圾分为“资 源垃圾”、“厨余”以及“ 一般垃圾”三大类；在学 校，各个角落都设有资源 回收桶，让同学们把可回
收资源分为“塑料瓶”、“铝 箔包”、“铁铝罐”和“废纸 类”；在快餐店，大家同样的 在用餐后将垃圾分类，再投入 垃圾箱。环保是台北市民生活 的一部分，购物时尽量不领取 塑胶袋仿佛成为一种习惯。 近年来，全球刮起绿色 风潮，看来环保对于新加坡而
插图｜Christiyani Kabul
言，绝对是势在必行。除了学 校现有的环保教育，政府可 考虑向效仿台北或者其他积极 推广环保的国家，推广环保运 动，并在全岛各处放置更多资 源回收桶，为公众提供便利。 建立了一定的环保文化后，国 人才会更积极对待“自备购物 袋日”这类的环保活动。
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娱乐
旅游
的 回 自 归 然 原 美 始 丽 文／陈文华
位
于丹、登、彭三洲交 界的国家公园Taman Negara在马来西亚素有“绿色 心脏”的美称, 是世界上最古 老的热带雨林之一。这个共 4.343平方公里的国家公园是已 历经130万年，其动物与植物至 今仍未曾遭人破坏，保持原始 状态。 我一直都很向往如此雄伟的 森林。首次到Taman Negara， 心里是充满着期盼与兴奋的。 我想，没什么比如此广阔的森 林更能令我感到舒畅与自在 的。除了尽情地享受大自然的
原始森林体验大自然，别有一 番滋味。
集邮箱 美妙，我也挑战了自己的体 力。 攀登特里希山（Bukit Terisek）和耳朵洞（Gua Telinga）是这个旅程中最惊 险、最艰难的部分。特里希山 海拔344 米，也许对体格健壮 的人来说不算高，但是我可 是好不容易才爬到了山顶。虽 然快要了我的命，但如此宜人 的风景，依旧让我感觉心旷神 怡。 从山顶眺望广阔无边的原 始森林，朦胧的薄雾笼像是棉 被，盖着软绵绵绿色的床。这 不只让人有股想要自由翱翔的 冲动，也松弛了紧绷的神经。 耳朵洞是另一个让我没齿 难忘的探险。这是个由千年化 石所形成的非一般山洞。八十 米长的山洞之所以称为“耳朵 洞”是因为当中只有一条爬行 道，就像是耳朵边风，一边 进，另一边出。 而且由于只有一条爬行道， 当我进去了之后就不能反悔 了，因为后面有一整排的人等 着我前进。爬行道崎岖不平， 满地的蝙蝠屎又使增加了爬行 的困难。 整个墙都倒吊着无数的小蝙 蝠，虽然伸手可及，但为了避 免自己失足，根本没闲去触摸 蝙蝠。花了大概半个小时至四 十五分钟的时间才完成这爬行 道，时时刻刻都是心惊胆战。 爬出山洞的那一刻，头上虽 然满是蝙蝠屎尿，但满足感极 大。 有别于前两天的活动的惊险 与挑战性，我第三天选择在幽 静的河流中乘船，悠哉地穿行 宁静的森林。半小时得船程带 我到达靠近瀑布的地方。我迫 不及待地找了个游泳的水池， 跳了下去。水是无比清澈、凉 凉的，舒服极了。浸泡在其 中，细听鸟儿的歌唱与观赏树 叶在风中的摇曳，感觉仿佛人 间天堂。 那些想要逃离城市喧嚣的人 们，或许可以到原始森林里寻 找安慰。
韩国歌手里安希望 与本地音乐人合作
孙燕姿日前到香港为 adidas全新2008秋冬女 装运动服系列拍摄平面 广告，穿上最新拳击及 跳舞两款运动服饰，散 发活力美。拍摄跳舞系 列广告时，她重覆地凌 空跳跃又下腰，秀出舞 蹈的优美；拍摄拳击系 列广告时，她则酷酷的 模样直击沙包，还有连 串挥拳和踢腿的动作， 都难不倒她。 第二届凯渥梦幻之星举 行总决赛，林志玲与凯 渥老板洪伟明开场走 星光大道，她穿马甲 爆乳装展露34C傲人本 钱，加上佩戴981万元 台币（约40万新币）的 Piaget耀眼钻饰，成为 全场惊艳焦点。 安在焕被发现自杀身 亡，妻子郑善姬公开 了丈夫自杀的原因， 是因为欠了4亿韩元 （S$5.2m）的高利贷。 天天上门讨债的债主对 安在焕造成了巨大压 力，导致他自杀。
韩国歌手里安坦言，自己的华语程度还是很烂，但他还是想与 本地音乐人合作，从这里出发，追逐梦想。 摄影|黄伟曼
黄伟曼●报道
韩
国歌手里安选择从本 地出发，不仅想打入 新加坡华语音乐市场，更希 望下一张专辑能在新加坡录 制，和新加坡著名的音乐人 合作。 从新加坡出发 提到选择新加坡为出发 点的原因时，他以流利的英 语说：“大家都说新加坡市 场很小，但我却觉得新加 坡拥有多元文化，和韩国 很不一样，这一点就很吸引 人。新加坡可说是亚洲的中 心。” 希望与本地音乐人合作
国家公园内的风景美不胜收。 照片|陈文华提供
娱乐动脉
里安也说自己的第2张专 辑《US我们的未来》因为 时间上的限制，只收录了3 首韩语歌曲，而他已在筹备 他的第3张专辑，可能找新 加坡音乐人跨刀合作，希望 能擦出不同的火花。
他表示想和新加坡著名音乐 人李迪文合作。 专辑取名为《US我们的未 来》，问及他对未来的憧憬， 他回答说：“其实，我不仅想 当个很好的歌手，我也想学习 制作音乐，所以才会想和好的 音乐人合作，同时学习怎样当 个好的制作人。” 从里安的言谈中，的确看得 出他对音乐的热忱，很想把歌 唱好，让更多人认识他，也想 在音乐方面有更大的成就，学 习更多的技巧来充实自己的演 唱功力。 努力学华语 从他努力学华语中，便可看 出他求上进的精神。对此，他 谦虚地说：“我的华语还是很 烂。” 他无奈地表示自己还在增进 自己的华语能力，而录制歌曲 里华语歌词的部分时，总是会 花比较长的时间。 那如果要用华语鼓励歌迷， 他会对他们说什么？ 他傻笑，然后简单地说：“ 我会叫他们‘加油’！”
阮经天（小天）爆红， 郑元畅（小综）地位备 受威胁，两人兄弟情生 变！外界频指他一哥地 位被抢走，也传两人友 情生变，甚至不一起 上课了，小综看得坦 然：“我不是一哥啦， 别人才是，外面世界 这么大，没什么好争 的。” 何润东历时半年求爱攻 势终获成功，赢得佳人 芳心，似乎上个月确认 了恋情。据了解，何润 东从今年年初就开始 向大S发起了猛烈的攻 势，而之前在上海出席 GUCCI活动的时候何润 东更是大方承认自己经 常与大S通电话。 王力宏花50万台币（约 2万5000新元）打造20 公斤琵琶，让自手臂练 出二头肌。这把为演唱 会定制的琵琶重达20公 斤，光是弹奏，摆姿势 拍照，就让自己的手臂 练出二头肌，王力宏笑 说这真是最好的健身方 法。
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陈奕迅赤脚为歌迷献唱 宋佳佳●报道
香
港实力派唱将Eason 陈奕迅日前来新宣传 新碟《不想放手》时，一身 庞克风的他一到发布会现 场，立刻脱鞋在台上为歌迷 赤脚献唱。 情到浓时更脱下红色外 套。这一举动引起台下女歌 迷的争先效仿，一边脱一边 大喊：“Eason，你脱我也 脱！” 不拘小节的陈奕迅在台 上又唱又跳，不仅为歌迷带 来6首专辑里的新歌，还在 发布会结束后唱了大家耳熟 能详的广东歌《明年今日》 以答谢歌迷的支持。 面对歌迷的热情，身为
人父的陈奕迅显得有些害羞， 不断地提醒歌迷把注意力集中 在自己的演唱上。 最近频频被称为“雨神” 的他，这回就差一点因为台风 Nuri无法来新宣传。 陈奕迅原先以为到新加坡 就会阳光普照，结果还是下雨 了。 这回带来了专辑《不想放 手》，反映了他对工作、对音 乐的背后的决心，陈奕迅表示 作这张专辑纯属为了好玩，因 为自己在录音室里非常开心， 所以想把这份喜悦与大家分 享。 这回，《不想放手》国语 专辑中也出现了一首英文歌 “Aren’t You Glad” 。这首歌 曲也是陈奕迅个人的最爱。 他说：“这首英文歌是著名
制作人Jimmy Lee 写的，内容 非常有寓意，而且之前出过英 语专辑，这次想再让歌迷听听 我唱不同语言的歌。” 对于英文发音，陈奕迅更面 带腼腆地表示自己英文虽然不 是很好，但很开心朋友们都说 自己在唱英文歌时并没有广东 腔。 人红事多，常常跑宣传的陈 奕迅感慨没时间陪家人是自己 最大的遗憾。 他说：“我跑巡回，又拍电 影，每天忙得不要说没时间陪 家人，就连一个人思考读书的 时间都没有。所以现在会放慢 脚步，一心唱歌。” 谈到对未来的展望，陈奕 迅认为自己应该会唱歌唱到 50、60岁，还表示近期内想去 尝试bungee jumping。
娱乐休闲厅 董姿彦专访
我们通过舞台剧《天冷 就回来》及“Forbidden City - Portraits of an Empress”认识了董姿 彦。这名对爵士音乐情有 独钟的本地音乐人即将在 9月19日发个人EP。本报 与董姿彦做了独家专访， 谈谈她的音乐心得。
陈奕迅自然不做作的个性大家有目共睹，唱到忘我时，还脱鞋，赤 脚演出。 摄影|黄伟曼
赢取董姿彦 最新EP
本报将送出两张董姿彦亲笔签名EP“Lullaby Nomad”。 问：董姿彦的个人EP尝试了哪一类曲风？ 请把正确答案、个人资料和联络号码电邮至： nanyuan@ntu.edu.sg 得奖者将获得通知。 截至日期：9月22日
董姿彦：我嫁给了爵士乐 摄影｜符敦凱
宋佳佳●报道
歌
坛新人董姿彦省吃 俭用4年多，终以2 万元重金打造出首张个人 EP“Lullaby Nomad”。回 想筹备时的辛苦，姿彦表示 能顺利发行自己最爱的爵士 音乐，再苦也是甜的。 她还开玩笑说别人花几 万块筹备婚礼，自己却花同 样的钱“嫁给”爵士乐。 目前属于独立歌手的姿 彦认为在制作过程中最大的 困难就是要一个人处理繁 琐的细节。她说：“因为 没有唱片公司，自己要从 拍照到录音一手包，加上
没有经验，常常只能trial and error。” 问道自己与爵士乐的缘分， 董姿彦以“相逢很晚”形容。 她表示自己小时候就喜欢唱 歌，不过听的唱的都是些爸 爸喜欢的民族歌曲，真正接触 到爵士是在国立大学念书的时 候。当时姿彦加入了校内的爵 士乐团，从而爱上这种略带慵 懒的曲风。 收藏在EP中的所有歌曲都 是姿彦亲自填词。对于创作灵 感，姿彦笑称自己是夜猫子， 凌晨3、4点钟才是创作的灵感 巅峰。 她说：“我的歌词都是深夜 里想出来的，不过很少有突发 奇想一股脑写完的时候。大多
都是想到一点点就赶快存在电 脑里，隔天继续。所以我的电 脑里到现在还有好多填到一半 的歌词。” 在EP中，姿彦最喜欢 Lullaby Nomad一曲。这首歌讲 述的是一个妈妈努力寻找歌曲 唱给孩子听的故事。 姿彦觉得这首歌很有画面 感，加上自己是在圣诞节写 的，听起来就很温馨。 对于未来事业的展望，26岁 的姿彦表示要唱到爵士在新加 坡甚至全世界普及为止。 她满腹决心地说：“爵士 太美了，只是不是很多人认识 它。我一定要把它唱到每个人 都知道。对于我热爱的音乐我 想能做多久就做多久。”
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Freshmusic庆祝成立两周年 黄慧芬●报道
从
一个默默无名、仅是发 表音乐评价的网络平 台，发展到如今总点击率破10 万、连台湾人气歌手林宥嘉也 知道的乐评网站，Freshmusic 两岁了！ 本地音乐网站Freshmusic由 三名对音乐怀抱热忱的年轻人 于2006年9月设立，他们以蔬菜 名称“老黄瓜”、“小番茄” 和“哪根葱”自居，每隔几天 为网民送上新鲜的主流及非主 流中英专辑乐评。 日前，三名站主陈玉能（ 老黄瓜，24岁）、沈昀颖（小 番茄，23岁）和钟坤华（哪根 葱，23岁），连同刚在今年5 月加入的林为栋（九层塔，23
岁）现身网站的生日派对，与 支持者做近距离的音乐交流。 在站主眼里，不管是有唱片 公司撑腰，或是独立歌手发表 的音乐，只要是好音乐，都值 得推荐。陈玉能表示，设立网 站的初始目的是要将平时极少 获得宣传的独立音乐介绍给音 乐爱好者，同时提高他们对各 种音乐的鉴赏能力。 除 了 推 广 独 立 音 乐，Freshmusic也给予主流专 辑评价、制作广播，以及每周 上载根据台湾专辑销售榜整理 出的Freshmusic流行榜。为了 让音乐发烧友拥有新加坡买不 到的非主流专辑，他们也开设 网络唱片店，直接向国外唱片 行订货，再空运至本地。 短短两年时间，Freshmusic 的总点击率就突破10万人次，
甚至吸引了台湾读者。玉能认 为网站在台湾传开，一小部分 是因为林宥嘉。他表示林宥嘉 在网上有一个论坛，粉丝都会 上载一些他的新闻。可能粉丝 把他们的专辑乐评和podcast， 也放了上去。 今年中林宥嘉来新宣传， 玉能在机缘巧合之下，发现林 宥嘉知道他的网站，还误以为 Freshmusic是一家电台。玉能 说：“就连歌手都把我们当成 媒体，我们发现，we can do more。”因此，Freshmusic计 划把读者群扩大至马国、中国 和台湾，也在寻找日韩歌曲乐 评人，提供全面的音乐体验。 （右上图）Freshmusic四名站主 及歌手邱意淋。 摄影|陈盈伽 （右下图）Freshmusic网站。
乐评 音乐Jukebox
专辑：《三十...飞》 歌手： 萧贺硕 推荐：《当一星期的幽灵》 《三十而飞》
凭
首张专辑《硕一硕的流浪 地图》荣获今年台湾金曲 奖最佳新人奖的萧贺硕，今年7 月再度推出名为《三十...飞》的 EP，当中收录的四首创作概括了 她30年生命中不同阶段的想法。 专辑的开头歌曲《小熊舞曲》 是萧贺硕10岁时生平的第一首创 作。这首旋律俏皮可爱的钢琴曲 容易唤起儿时的童趣，轻快的节 奏也让人心神愉悦。 最喜欢《只当一星期的幽灵》 这首歌的词曲。简单的钢琴伴 奏、搞怪的歌词加上干净利落的 歌声突显了她21岁时的无里头。 将《三十而飞》安排为EP的 最后一首歌别具意义。这首歌不 但记录了萧贺硕步入30岁的感 想，同时也包含了她对于过去梦 想的温习与整理。 有别于市场上哗众取宠的流行 歌曲，萧贺硕的歌曲呈现了成熟 内敛的感染力，让人能轻易从歌 声中领略她坦然真挚的心思。专 辑的整体概念虽完整，可惜只收 录了4首创作。 若专辑能收录更多歌曲，相信 能更了解发自她内心的声音与文 字。(文/陈丽汶)
专辑：《不，完美》 歌手： 李玖哲 推荐：《不完美》 《死结》
相
隔一年，第18届金曲奖 的最佳国语男歌手再次 出击，带来个人的第四张专辑 《不，完美》。 同名主打《不，完美》以简 单的旋律，深情地唱腔唱出丝 丝哀伤。值得一提的是这首歌由 李玖哲自己作曲。旋律的起伏令 人在感伤中，依然听出一种华 丽——人对完美爱情的期待。 这次专辑中也找来了许多著 名的作曲人，如阿沁、方大同、 吴克群等写出他们各自擅长的曲 风，配合李式唱腔呈现别于以往 的音乐风格。 呼吁大家多爱护地球的《不 只是场梦》便流露出浓浓的方大 同味道，相当动听。非主打《死 结》也相当耀眼。歌词配合李玖 哲的唱法表达了失恋的无奈。 虽然是李玖哲习惯的R&B路 线，但却不经意令人听出耳油， 可说是一场意外的惊喜。听腻了 最近较为普遍具“爆发力”嗓 音，不妨听听李玖哲的《不，完 美》。（文/徐健源）
专辑：《灰色●续曲》 歌手： 康晋荣 推荐：《李四的歌》 《又见兵变》
专辑：《为你而活》 歌手： 神木与瞳 推荐：《理由》 《法仔鼓》
在
神
综艺节目中走搞笑路线的 康康（康晋荣），在音乐 上坚持的却是“灰色路线”。继 先前的《灰色调》，康康带来了 他的全新大碟《灰色●续曲》。 《李四的歌》可说是这张以 灰色为基调的专辑中最催人泪下 的一首歌。以父亲与婴孩玩乐的 笑声为前奏，让听众联想到一幅 温馨家庭画面，旋律散发出淡淡 的忧伤。起初听起来平静，但瞬 间爆发，近乎嘶吼的演唱，将听 众的悲伤情绪推至极点。歌曲的 演绎具多层次感，将康康想要表 达的灰色情感发挥得淋漓尽致。 《又见兵变》是专辑中唯一 的一首台语歌，也是康康少有以 轻松搞笑风格为主的歌曲。听这 首歌，我们似乎又找回那个在综 艺节目上幽默搞怪的康康。略带 沙哑的声音配合康式黑色幽默， 康康的音乐总能触人心弦，让听 众听出最原始的那份感动。(文/ 马依苇)
木与瞳——乍听之下，还 以为是某个日本视觉系乐 团的团名。 号称“亚洲乐坛首个男女双 主唱的摇滚团体”，星光二班冠 军赖铭伟，以及人气王黄美珍， 成功为星光二班打响了第一炮。 原本还担心整张专辑都是重 口味摇滚，听完才意外发现专辑 也不乏对唱K歌。同名主打《为 你而活》中，两副极具穿透力的 嗓音互相较劲，真是大快人心。 我偏好专辑中的抒情作品， 尤其是赖铭伟独唱的《理由》。 总觉得他诠释慢歌时，有种抚慰 人心的温柔魅力。相比之下，黄 美珍独唱的《爱炼》感动度和稳 定度却始终不及赖铭伟。 专辑中赖铭伟回归“八家 将”风格的《法仔鼓》。歌曲的 前奏令人不禁竖起耳朵，直到尾 奏我还感觉意犹未尽。沉溺在音 乐中的我，竟然想起了“台湾摇 滚教父”伍佰！(文/刘智澎)
Opinion
“Education could become more of pursuit of passion rather than pointless mugging.” Page 29
Cinema Politica
EDITORIAL
A stage where they can be heard SOME two weeks have passed since the new rules allowing public outdoor demonstrations at the Speakers’ Corner in Hong Lim Park kicked in. The sense of anticipation is only outweighed by the disappointment that thus far the only protest that was reported in the media lasted ten minutes. Ment ion “protest” a nd images of angry mobs with raised fists waving placards, burning effigies and shouting sloga n s come to m i nd. Demonstrations frequently d i s r u p t t h e r o u t i n e s of stakeholders involved, like the Thai people currently occupying their government’s offices to stop it from functioning. Such extreme actions are used to draw public attention to situations that protestors deem unacceptable. They do not want to engage in a soliloquy; they want the mass media to take notice and relevant parties to sit up and feel the heat. For t unately, in orderly Singapore, demonstrators do not need to resort to extreme measures, let alone violence, to get their message across. Thus, the debut protest at the Speakers’ Corner was a peaceful affair, more like a performance than a demonstration. The 10-minute protest by the nonprofit group, Hearer of Cries, highlighted the ill-treatment of maids and called for a change in the laws regarding domestic workers and rest days.
Although the new rules for Speakers’ Corner have sparked much discussion about the place of protest in Singapore, the greater need is for more spaces where people can speak freely. If the government is serious about letting alternative views be heard, let them be voiced where t he genera l public, and more importantly, where decision makers can hear them. Speeches at the current location, Hong Lim Park, can only depend on the press to carry their message to a large audience. Reporters cannot be expected to stake out Speakers’ Corner, waiting for the people bearing loudhailers to appear. Another Speakers’ Corner should be established at the UOB Plaza. It is, as the prime minister said about Hong Lim Park, “accessible, near the MRT”. More importantly, it is a busy downtown area with lots of human traffic. It has even been used as a venue for large election rallies, so it could surely serve as a Speakers’ Corner. The more extreme acts of protests may not be appropriate in the urbanised plaza, but citizens can make a far greater i mpac t w it h r at iona l a nd measured rhetoric reaching the lunch-time crowd of Raffles Place than the burning of eff igies in Hong Lim Park where only bored retirees hang out.
CH R O N ICL E THE NANYANG
chief editor Lin Junjie Managing editor Lin Xinyi sub-editors Amelia Chia Philip Lim Valerie Toh Ser Yi Zeinab Yusuf News editors Cheryl Ong Teo Wan Gek Lifestyle editors Amanda Tan Natasha Ann Zachariah Reviews editor Rachael Boon tech editor Lim Yan Liang Chinese editors Han Weiding Song Huichun opinion editors Huynh Kim Phong Vo Van Hung
sports editors Fabian Ng Tan Jinhe layout editors Gerald Tan Imran Jalal Sharon Hiu photo editors Chen Wei Li Kuan Jie Wei Tan Zi Jie graphics editor Janell Hoong WEB editor Alan Tan Yu Shyang business managers Lee Yi Ling Eileen Teo Xin Wen Jean Toh Zong Rong production support Ng Heng Ghee Teacher advisors Andrew Duffy Javed Nazir Xu Xiaoge
A students’ newspaper published by the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) Nanyang Technological University 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718 Tel: 6790 6446 Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board of The Chronicle and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of Nanyang Technological University, its employees, the students or the Council of the University. Signed opinion columns, letters and editorial cartoons represent the opinion of the writer or artist and are not necessarily those of The Chronicle. Printed by KHL Printing Co. Pte Ltd, 57 Loyang Drive, Singapore 508968
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU News Hotline: 6790 6446 Letters: chronicle@ntu.edu.sg Opinions: chronicle.opinions@ ntu.edu.sg Please include your full name, contact number, faculty and year of study.
GRAPHICS | CHRISTIYANI KABUL
Philip Lim sub-editor
A
ll the world is a stage, and all the politicians merely players. T his line, adapted from a line by William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It seems to ring true in the current theatre of global politics. Millions of dollars have been used to fund the blockbusters of the political arena, with plots worthy of Hollywood, as well as actors whose names are spoken in the same breath as celebrities and notorious criminals. At this moment, ever yone is probably riveted to the StarSpangled Wars, where Barack Skywalker, Princess Hillary and Bill Solo are trying to overthrow the Imperials led by Darth McCain and Emperor Bush. This war, however, is not being played out with lasers, lightsabres and midi-chlorians. It is, instead, being fought with barbs and fleers. The news media have headlines that scream of the latest broadside f lung at the opposition, with policy critique coming later in the article or news clip. Every money-raking hit also has to come up with the spectacle; no example can illustrate this better than the nomination address by Mr Obama on August 29th. The Democratic Par t y was fine-tuning the stage right up to the last minute for maximum impact. The address was, in the words of normally-restrained former White House counsellor David Gergen, “less a speech than a sy mphony,” and even
the date coincided with the 45th anniversar y of Martin Luther King’s landmark speech—“I have a Dream”. Closer to home, Gangs of Ba ng kok i s now show i ng i n cinemas. As with the tagline of the original movie, it seems that Thailand is going to be born in the streets, with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, his government and supporters battling against the largely middle to upper-class “gang” protesting in the streets, baying for his political blood. For more sordid fare, we can watch Anwar, the knight with the dark past, returning to his hometown of Permatang Pauh to exercise his brand of justice over the people who have forced his exile. Now, all he needs is a sore throat. Even here at home, we caught a teaser of what appears to be a spin-off of Mean Girls, with Jalan Besar GRC MP Dr Lily Neo’s very public parliamentary spat with Minister of State for MCYS, Ms Yu-Foo Yee Shoon. The troubling trend derived from all this, is that the public seems to be lapping up these shows, instead of focusing on the cr ux of the larger issues discussed. How many of us know the details of Mr Obama’s or Mr McCain’s proposed policies? How many of us know what the changes A nwar wants to implement if he takes control of the Malaysian government actually entail? And how many of us know the context of Dr Neo’s argument with Ms Yee Shoon? The media and the politicians
are not helping either, as they too realize that people would much rather read or watch scandals high on the cinematic quotient, than pore over minutiae of policy amendments. Therefore, they chur n out regular hits, much like Hollywood in summer. The blockbuster tactics seem to be raking in huge profits for the politicians too. After the Obama show, his popularity ratings soared eight points above Mr McCain after being tied for weeks. The same goes for Mr McCain as well, whose ratings are now four points above Obama’s after the Republican convention. Anwar seems to have won the hearts of Malaysians, if his “landslide” victory in Permatang Pauh is any indicator. Even Dr Lily Neo had her day, appearing on the cover page of The New Paper, and having a whole article devoted to her spat in The Straits Times. Thus, the media and politicians feed the people what they want, and the people clamour for more, not knowing or caring about the context of the conflicts, and the media and politicians reciprocate in kind as their popularity soars, creating a vicious circle. This trend, if not curtailed, might result in “showman politics,” where people vote for the most photogenic person to represent their interests and govern the country, without taking a look at his credentials first. Needless to say, that definitely does not bode well. Perhaps, this world deserves a better class of politician and media after all.
opinion
se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
T h e na n ya ng c h ron ic l e
letters from readers
Subway substandard? AS A regular patron of the Subway outlet in NTU, I wish to raise some issues regarding the quality of its products, compared to its other outlets. From what I know, food stores on campus get subsidised rental charges, which are reflected in the menu prices. I also understand the local student culture, and have never asked the management why this particular Subway outlet does not offer extra meats. However the amount of meats per Subway sandwich dished out by the NTU outlet is a gross insult to my expectations of what a Subway sandwich represents—a hearty and healthful meal. The final product presents a thick loaf of bread stuffed with vegetables, and the meats are barely visible. If I wanted a salad I would pay the same amount for a salad bowl elsewhere. I am usually fine with having
all my cookies in one paper bag. However, I once wanted to share a cookie with another friend and was irritated with the way the management handled my request for an additional paper pocket. No vegetables were allowed on m y br ea k f a s t s a nd w ic h , whose picture on the menu is misleading. The last time I heard, m i srepresentat ion i s a lega l infringement. I can forgive you for changing how the eggs are made, but I really doubt you should omit the vegetables that actually appeared in the photographed sandwich, or even use vegetables as the backdrop. That said, the staff have been ver y f r iendly and perfor med we l l u nde r t he bu s y lu nc h c rowd pr e s su r e. It wa s a l so hea r t wa r m ing to see a staf f showing a handicapped trainee how to prepare the sandwich of another customer. My grudge
herein lies solely in the outlet management, which I believe is beyond the control of these staff, and which the store managers failed to explain satisfactorily. While many problems I have come across at this outlet are minute, they make me wonder whether I should rethink my weekly eating habits. That NTU is located in the far west corner of Si ngapore does not mea n each student is less of a Subway c u s tome r or d i f f e r e nt f r om the other humans which your company caters to. I trust this is not the intention of Subway Singapore, and that the outlet management will take appropriate actions promptly.
Yin Shanqing Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Graduate Student
27
canteen talk
With the new canteen A and a revamped canteen B, NTU students now have a wider variety to choose from. We find out what the students think of the changes.
“
Canteen A is too crowded, yet the food and price are still acceptable. There should be more stalls selling finger food in canteen B. Gan Shu Han, CBC, Year 1, 19
Maybe the University administration can enhance the variety by opening in canteen B fastfood outlets such as KFC.
”
Chong Xian Sheng, EEE, Year 2, 22
“
I want to see more Korean stalls in NTU canteens and there should be more finger food outlets as well. Chan Wai Ching, CBC, Year 1, 19
SUBWAY NTU OUTLET: Opened at the end of the last semester, this is part of NTU’s effort to cater to its students’ diverse needs. PHOTO | TAN ZI JIE
Subway says “not so” THANK you for patronizing Subway. We appreciate your time in giving us your invaluable feedback and allowing us to rectify the points brought up by you. We assure you that regardless of the menu price in Subway-NTU, our products and formula served are the same as those at other Subway outlets in Singapore. You may like to note that the menu in NTU also has extra meat at a cost of $2.50 and $4.00 for sixinches and a foot-long sandwich respectively. Our standard prices for
cookies in NTU are $1 for a onepiece packet and $2.75 for threepiece packet. We serve a twopiece packet for regular meals and three-piece packet for large meals. Cost is definitely a factor as such requests are not rare. Most importantly, we in Subway are trying to encourage our customers to go green and as such we are quite rigid in giving the extra bags. Nevertheless, we always give extra napkins to students who would like to share the cookies with their friends. All Subway breakfast are served without veggies except
for the picture shown on the menu board, which is the Western Egg served with tomatoes, green peppers and onions only. We agreed that it is quite misleading and have since provided feedback to our Subway Headquarters. Thank you once again and we assure you that our team of Sandwich artists at Subway-NTU will continue to strive to serve you and all customers in the campus with appetising Subway sandwiches.
Jean Teo Operation Manager
The queue is much faster in canteen A than canteen B. There should be more Indian food stalls in hall canteens.
”
Deviga Jayakumar, PAP, Year 1, 20
“
There should be more seats in canteen B as it is very crowded here, especially during peak hours.
Yasith Savinda Wickramasekara, EEE, Year 2, 20 TEXT | HUYNH KIM PHONG; PHOTOS | LIANG HUIYAN
28
opinion
se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
T h e na n ya ng c h ron ic l e
Make a life, not a living Shahida Bte Hassim
D
on’t work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone. I magi ne goi ng t h r ou g h l i f e d oi n g exactly this. Now, before we frown upon t he s e s e e m i n g l y m i sg u ide d opinions, we need to comprehend the message behind what was being said. Spoken by litigation lawyer Adrian Tan during his speech at the recent convocation ceremony for the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, these words are best not taken lightly. Despite its seemingly controversial surface, what Tan was tr ying to advocate was a different outlook towards living life. Speaking to the graduating class of 2008, Tan, better known as the author of the 1987 cult fiction, The Teenage Textbook, called for the audience to start thinking seriously about their aspirations and goals in life, while simultaneously living it free of expectations. Believing that expectations impede true progress and success, Tan urged his audience to “Erase all life expectancies (and) just live”. However, the one question that remains to be seen is this: Are we capable of doing that? Although what Tan advocates is a noble cause, the fact is, changing views and perceptions is not an easy task. In a society where success is often measured by the number of As on your result slip, the institutions you attend, and the amount of money your job pays you, it has become a norm for Singaporeans to associate success with tangible results. Therefore, not “working” but finding a job that enables one to “play” is not even an option, especially if it does not put food on the table. Additionally, with the rising cost of living, entertaining such a thought would instead be deemed a rather foolish thing to do. How many times have we heard the oft-quoted illustration of the typical parents who prefer their child to pursue more ‘viable’ courses of study at university, the science and business courses, wh ic h a r e s uppose d ly mor e capable of providing better career opportunities. Seldom (if ever) do they push their children towards the arts, humanities or social sciences. During his convocation address, Tan also encouraged the audience not to settle for a life of mediocrity, but instead to aspire to “be hated”. Why? Simply because “every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many”. It is not about being hated without cause, but rather, for
Greatness comes at a price, and it remains to be seen whether Singaporeans are willing to pay this price
GRAPHICS | JANELL HOONG
standing up for one’s convictions and beliefs. At this point, I again question the likelihood of such a scenario occur r ing by citing a recent example. In a report released by the Ministry of Education in June, it was mentioned that the public generally felt that “society was not politically mature to accommodate the views expressed by students a nd fac u lt y” of t he nat ion’s proposed first liberal arts college. Additionally, many were also worried that “graduates would not be able to find ‘financially sustainable’ jobs”. Now how can we expect future generations to freely express their opinions and fiercely guard their convictions if all we do as a nation is to thwart the cultivation of a breeding ground for intellectual discourse? How then can we also aspire to “be hated”, to not stand in the shadows of our great ancestors but instead to become just like them or better, if all we do is to constantly place great importance on the
acquisition of wealth? Greatness comes at a price, but it still remains to be seen whether Singaporeans are willing to pay this price.
It is the journey itself that is equally, if not even more, rewarding than temporary rewards Prior to this advice, Tan had also encouraged his audience to be wary of the truth, which he claimed has “a great capacity to offend and injure”. This is especially true for Singapore, a nation comprising of a myriad of races and religion, where precaution is better than cure. T he racial r iots of our yesteryears should be enough to remind us of the delicate nature of our interracial ties. However, this does not mean that the truth
should simply be swept under a rug. In a recent article published by The Straits Times, reporter Nur Dianah Suhaimi wrote about how being a Malay in Singapore was akin to being like the “least favourite child in the family”. She also cited numerous examples of the prejudices she is faced with as a Malay Muslim reporter for the paper. What Nur Dianah did was to voice out the repressed feelings of marginalisation of the minority group. Her doing so might have gone against Tan’s belief that “there is great virtue in being evasive”. However by voicing her truth, she forced society to take notice of, as well as to confront the issue of racial cohesion and harmony in Singapore. Instead of choosing the path of avoidance, perhaps it is better to confront these feelings of unhappiness (albeit civilly), so as to work out a solution for the betterment of Singapore in the long run. That said, it has dawned on me that much still needs to be done
to change Singaporeans’ common perceptions, as well as attitudes, towards life. This is not to say that the greatness, as well as the happiness that was spoken about in the speech is not within reach to the common man. However, should one aspire to attain such goals, it would certainly require a considerable amount of hard work and effort. W hat we ne ed to r ea l i se however, is that ‘hard work’ here does not merely mean striving for something we desire. Rather, it entails doing it for all the right reasons. A person may be working hard with the sole intention of achieving the best grades in his examinations. Yet what good will it do if he still fails to appreciate all the knowledge that he has painstaking garnered over the years? While results are doubtlessly important, the fact remains that they are not the only things that matter in life. More often than not, it is the journey itself that is equally, if not even more, rewarding than these temporary rewards.
opinion
se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
T h e na n ya ng c h ron ic l e
29
Why so serious, son? Terence Lee
T
he sheer joy of victory is something ever y athlete craves for, and this was most evident in the Beijing Games. But in the obsession for sporting supremacy, some athletes have lost the joy of participation and in some cases, gotten involved in drugs and fights. Is somet hing similar now happening in ou r univer sit y education? Not the f ights, dr ugs and protests. But are we losing sight of study for its own sake, as sportsmen compete more for fame and glory than for the love of their sport? No doubt, results are important, but so should be the enjoyment of intellectual pursuit. The university system, together with the hectic pace of life in Singapore, makes it difficult for students to have a truly enjoyable educational experience. There is more the university can do to improve the quality of its education. Firstly, reduce the number of AUs required for students to graduate. At Columbia University – a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranked among the top ten in the world—a student is only
required to complete 124 credits to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in four years. In N T U however, students must complete a staggering 146 AUs to graduate with a Sociology degree in the same amount of time. Despite the disparity, it is no secret which university offers a better undergraduate programme—and it is not about how much you study. 5mm apart from story
Results are important, but so should be the enjoyment of intellectual pursuit There are also other ways to learn, many of which do not happen in the classroom. Experience is the best teacher so probably more emphasis should be given to building up experience rather than stessing on grades. And with the fuss about poor alumni donations among local universities and low marriage rates, these measures just might help alleviate these problems. More free time equals more socialising—resulting in students
building deeper bonds with the school and with one another. Expect more young couples to visit the grassy roof of ADM to star-gaze pretty soon. A paradigm shift is needed—by students, educators, and Singapore society alike, especially when it comes to how we define success. In the Beijing Olympics, China topped the medal table based on gold medal count alone. But if we look at the total medal count, the US is still tops. However, if you factor in population count, Jamaica is king, with 2.2 gold medals/million inhabitants. The US came in at 33rd, and China at 47th. So instead of merely recognising outstanding academic achievers at the NTU Convocation, special mention—and perhaps even awards —should be given to students with outstanding extra-curricular work. Small financial incentives that are given out annually can be considered as well. These activities should be in addition to the school club the student may already be involved in. To facilitate this, students should be encouraged to pen down —at his discretion of course—a list of his outside commitments. This could be in the for m of religious activities, entrepreneurial
GRAPHICS | SU TONG
endeavours, and even private language courses. The whole idea here is that everything the student does that can be deemed educational should be recognised—even if there are no marks given for it. With these measures, education could become more of a pursuit of passion rather than just pointless mugging. And when students are allowed to do more of what they like, they will enjoy the process a little bit
more, and maybe even perform better. Usain Bolt, the f lamboyant, fun-loving track star who rose quickly to prominence during the Olympics, exemplified what it meant to enjoy what you do—and to do it well. He broke the world record in 9.69s, and the funny thing was—he was not even trying very hard. Sometimes, having a little bit of fun can get you where you wish to be.
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T H E NA N YA NG C H RON IC L E
bpl talk
Who wants to be a billionaire RIKESH PRIMALANI MANCHESTER City fans fi nally have something to cheer about— they are now the richest club in the world. Many of them also believe that they can finally come out of the shadows of local rivals Manchester United. Soon, you might even hear the cheer of “Our billionaire is r icher than your billionaire” being chanted around stadiums as Man City faces off against other clubs owned by similarly rich individuals. But who started this billionaire culture in the BPL? All fingers point to Roman Abramovich, who bought over Chelsea in 2003 and turned them into a force to be reckoned with. By spending over £100 million ($251 million), Chelsea snapped up players, often outbidding any club that stood in their way. Players were kept happy, not by regular playing time, but by sky high salaries. Just see Wayne Bridge, living in the shadow of fellow left back Ashley Cole. Success followed, as Chelsea won numerous Premier League titles since their takeover. The BPL soap opera took a twist
THE RICH LIST CLUB
OWNER
ESTIMATED WEALTH (IN £)
Manchester City
Abu Dhabi royal family
1 trillion
Chelsea
Roman Abramovich
13.04 billion
Liverpool
Tom Hicks/George Gillett Jr.
721million/610 million
Newcastle United
Mike Ashley
1.4 billion
Manchester United
Malcolm Glazer
1.39 billion
GRAPHICS | SHARON HIU; SOURCE | INTERNET
when Malcolm Glazer and family took over at Old Trafford. As it was already a hugely successful club, the takeover was met with fierce opposition among fans. The Glazers were looked on with suspicion as most felt they were attempting to make a quick buck at the expense of the club. However, sound management saw the club growing from strength to strength, with the highlight being the dramatic Champions League victory last season over arch rival, Chelsea. Not all billionaire investors achieve instant success though. Liverpool was next to fall into foreign hands. Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett took over
the club in 2007 in a 50-50 split. However, the “dream partnership” quickly soured. Although they paid big money to bring in the likes of Fernando Torres and recently, Robbie Keane, they have not won over the fans. This could be due to their very public spat with manager Rafa Benitez and their own internal bickering. A club that is further in crisis is Newcastle United. Their billionaire owner, Mike Ashley, is estimated to be worth £1.4 billion, more than the Glazers. Ashley brought with him a new management structure, with a Director of Football overseeing the club’s transfer dealings instead
of the manager. Although this structure is still in place today, it has done more harm than good. Former manager Kevin Keegan is revered on Tyneside, and his second return in January was dubbed “the second coming of the Messiah.” However, this fairytale came to an abrupt end early this month as owner and manager did not see eye to eye on issues relating to the new management structure at the club. For the second time in his life, Keegan left Newcastle. T h i s t r ig ge r e d a f u r iou s response from fans who came out in force to protest against Ashley. Some even called for the owner to sell the club. So the success of billionaire owners is not guaranteed. There are other clubs in the league who continue to be mediocre even after their own takeovers. As for Manchester City, one can only hope that the owners are in for the long run and would not react hastily if they do not achieve instant success. As for us fans, we have to get used to a new ‘Big Club’ and more City jerseys on the streets. But for now, bragging rights are certainly with City fans. Their billionaire is truly the richest around.
they said that? It ll be nice to know that every gallon of petrol a Manchester United fan buys is going into our transfer kitty. Manchester City fan Noel Gallagher of Oasis gloats over the Abu Dhabi United Group takeover of his club.
He told me that it was a great tournament for me and I said that I agreed with everyone that he s had a terrible year. US Open runner-up Andy Murray saves his best shot for last with a joke at champion Roger Federer’s expense.
sports talk
Foreign talent: a necessary evil? TAN YI WEN SO T H E Si ngapor e wome n’s table tennis team finally won an Olympic medal after all these years, only to be criticised by some Singaporeans for having “bought” the medal. For these Singaporeans who remain critical about the way t he si lver meda l was won, I would think that many do not understand the current sporting industry in Singapore. Some of the critics argued that these foreign sporting talents are taking away the chances to represent Singapore from the local-born athletes. In the case of table tennis, this argument does not entirely hold. As a table tennis player myself, I have seen and competed against many talented young table tennis players who have the potential to represent Singapore. But these players also came f rom top se conda r y sc hool s and junior colleges, and they eventually ended up taking the academic route and choosing to pursue competitive majors such as law, medicine and dentistry in
local and overseas universities. Un less t he loca l spor t i ng author ities can conv ince the local-born young talents and their parents that a sporting career in Singapore is as prestigious and more importantly, as viable as a career in the civil service, the sporting scene here will remain an unattractive option for those who r at her wa l k t he beaten academic path. It has been more than four years since the Singapore Sports Sc hool opened it s door s for training our young athletes to prepare them for the international arena one day. Yet, how many of these sports players actually ma ke it to t he inter nat iona l level? For every Tao Li the Sports School produces, there are many more who dropped out of pursuing the Olympic dream and instead choose to further their education in post-secondary institutions. Even if a promising talent chooses to go on to compete at the national level, there is a lack of competitiveness within the already-small group of sporting elites to challenge one another to improve.
GRAPHICS | JANELL HOONG
I do not want to stay. I would rather be a travelling salesman, sell cakes in the fair, than remain at the club GRAPHICS | JANELL HOONG
Unlike China, we do not have one million promising talents to slowly eliminate until a Zhang Yining fi nally emerges as a star from years of competition and pressure of being eliminated every year. And unlike the Americans, retired athletes here do not get to reap in millions of dollars from commercial product endorsements a nd by g iv i ng mot ivat iona l speeches (think former tennis player John McEnroe). Therefore, instead of debating about whether Singapore has won or bought the latest Olympic medal, perhaps it is time for all of us to take a closer look at how we can make a sporting career in
Singapore more viable in the eyes of our youth of today. Winning the Olympic silver meda l has a lready helped to bring more publicity to the table tennis community in Singapore. Perhaps a Singaporean child watching the unwavering spirit of the Singapore table tennis team as they fought against South Korea and China has already been inspired to pick up a paddle and dream of being the next Li Jiawei. Let’s not undo the hard work that the Singapore sports officials and players have done in paving the way for a new generation of sporting talents.
New Man City recruit Robinho (above) was in no doubt that his future did not lie with Real Madrid.
You like the smell of blood. I m happy the guillotine no longer exists, otherwise some of you would have been delighted to send me there. France manager Raymond Domenech has had enough of the hounding press.
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se p t e m b e r 15, 20 0 8
T h e na n ya ng c h ron ic l e
sports profile
Pool girl just wants to be an academic Ng Jia Min talks to Rasiah Raslyn Agatha to find out about her career choice DESPI T E pool be i ng a ma le dominated sport, Rasiah Raslyn Agatha was one of two women who reached the finals in the Guinness 9-ball Pool Competition for Amateurs in July. The 32-year-old Communication Studies student strongly believes that pool is definitely not a sport that only males can excel in, and she has proved it. Here’s what she has to say about the sport and why she has never considered it as a career despite being good at it and having the passion for it.
TAKING CUE: Raslyn is as confident of her future as she is on the billard table. PHOTO | AHMAD ISKANDAR
How does it feel like beating eight men consecutively to reach the finals? Of course it felt good! I didn’t expect to beat two of the guys— I’ve had matches with them before and I seldom beat them. I would say I got in by a stroke of luck actually. It’s all about how you capitalise on your opponent’s mistake because in 9-ball, the ball you want to pot is also the one your opponent wants, so the moment
you get a chance you just clear as much as you can. Were you disappointed when you were eliminated in the first round of the finals? I was more like: “Oh okay, that was fun.” I didn’t expect to get in in the first place. I thought the achievement was already there just by being one of the two girls. Since pool is a male dominated sport, does it mean that girls are disadvantaged at it? Definitely no. It’s more about oppor t unit y t han advantage. But pool is traditionally a sport started by men for men, so it sort of becomes a boys’ club. So for girls, they usually need someone to teach and start them off. So you had someone to start you off? Not really. I started when I was 14. I was at a country club with my best friend and her mom and we wandered into the snooker room. Then this guy who was working there saw us girls trying but didn’t know how to play, so he taught us.Basically I started on the snooker table and just liked the sport from then.
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Why do you like the game? I don’t have to run under the sun and I get to play in air-conditioned places. But seriously, I thought why does it have to be just guys playing? It’s not a game of physical strength, so I developed an “ego” for the game. I started off wanting to prove that girls can do it too, but eventually I just liked the game for what it is. It becomes a passion. Do you have plans to make a career out of it? No. If I made it a career I might end up not liking it. It becomes a form of stress instead of just playing to relax. Now I’m in the NTU pool squad and I can set tangible goals. I can see where I’m heading towards in each competition. I’m representing the university, and I’m not stressed about it because it’s not a career. It’s a nice balance. So what do you want as your career? I want to be an academic in communications. Hopefully I will get there some time. I mean, you have to choose something right? And it’s just what I want to do. Pool for me has always been a recreation and I’ve never viewed it as something I want to do as a career so I don’t want to mix it up. Then when I thought about what I really wanted, I realised I wanted to teach. Do you see yourself playing pool all your life? Yes. It’s not just something that I’d play for a while and give up – that’s for sure. But just because you don’t give it up doesn’t mean it consumes your life.
Runners unimpressed by hyped up Nike mass race Tan Jinhe sports editor THE first large scale charitable mass run organised by Nike drew some 10,000 youths and adults here to participate, but the wellpublicised event did not live up to its hype for some runners. Held on August 31st, the Nike+ Human Race 10K involved runners in 26 cities, including Buenos A i res, Ch icago, Mad r id, and Seoul. Singapore was the fourth country to flag off due to time zone differences. T he event saw MediaCor p artistes such as Joanne Peh and Jessica Tan joining the race, with MTV Asia VJs Utt and Taya entertaining the crowd. Channel 5 was also engaged as the official telev ision stat ion to prov ide coverage for a telecast at a later date. The route took the runners round Marine Station Road, under the Esplanade Bridge and through Boat Quay before making a U-turn at Alkaff Bridge and sending them along the course of the Singapore River. The finishing point was
located at City Hall after the last 100m dash past the Supreme Court. However, most participants had gripes about the narrow route, which caused congestion. “It was good organisation on Nike’s part but the roads were slightly congested during the race,” said Yang Yanyi, 20, a student from the School of Communication and Information.
“I don’t know if it was a party for us or for Nike’s publicity.” Wong Teuk Ping, 40 Nike+ Human Race 10K participant
“The part at the Singapore River was quite cramped and it didn’t help that some inexperienced runners didn’t have the courtesy to move to one side while they walked,” she added. T he r ace saw r u n ne r s of different levels taking part. Some
like third-year Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student Kwan Jie Ling had participated in various other races such as the 42-kilometre Adidas Sundown Marathon. “ I t ’s v e r y h a r d t o f i n d momentum running with so many people,” she said. “I had to run and slow down, then run and slow down again.” Despite the overcrowding, Kwan felt the race was fun because of her friends’ company but runner Wong Sze Keed, 39, t hought otherwise. “The roads are simply not wide enough,” said Wong, who was joined by her sister and brother-inlaw. “I don’t mind the charity, but we just couldn’t run. This is not a race for serious runners.” Pa r t of t he pa r t ic ipa nt s’ registration fee for the race would be donated to three charities: the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer patients, the World Wildlife Foundation, and ninemillion.org, a United Nations Refugee Agency campaign to raise funds to give less privileged children better access to education, sport, and technology.
DON’T BLOCK ME!: It was a tight squeeze for runners at the Nike+ Human Race. PHOTO | DARWIS SUNARYO
Ru n ne r s we r e i nv ite d to partake in an exclusive post-race party at the Padang, where local and overseas musicians, such American rock band Boys Like Girls, performed live. “The party was bad,” said Yang. “I think they were filming it for a TV show or something and there
was a lot of NGs and technical glitches, so the hosts had to reintroduce the bands.” Runner Wong Teuk Ping, 40, felt it was boring because it took too long to start. “I don’t know if it was a party for us or for Nike’s publicity,” he said.
Sports
What does it really take to win at pool? Read more on Page 31
More than just swimming, it’s saving lives too Boey Wei Shan T H E 31st A n nua l Nat iona l Lifesaving Championships openwater segment was held at Siloso Beach, in conjunction with the ongoing Waterfest Singapore 2008. Organised by the Singapore Lifesaving Society (SLSS), the competition was a display of the physical and mental endurance of the participants. Thirteen teams, including NTU, National University of Si ngapore ( N US ) , a nd fou r other teams from polytechnics, participated in 10 events. NUS, the more seasoned of the two universities, took the title as overall champions. “[NUS] is very experienced... they’ve been taking part for many years,”said Yong Jia Ying, 21, chair person of the N T U Lifesaving Corps. However, the team from NTU did not fare badly either. The NTU lifesavers exceeded their expectations by clinching gold in the men’s double board rescue and silver in the women’s team relay events. “Compared to previous years, out team really did improve a lot. We got into the finals for all events as a proof of our hard work and the help of our seniors,” said Yong. The golden duo, Feng Hou Yuan, 23, and Lui Jian Hong, 24, formed the confident double boarding team. In an event where paddling and swimming were key factors, their combination was lethal. “We expected to win. [Jian Hong ] s w i m s fa s t a nd my boarding’s not that bad. We were banking on this event,” said Feng. As for Reika Hue, 21, and her relay teammates, staying in the competition was more important for them. But that did not prevent them from claiming the second spot. “We wanted to play safe, made sure our techniques were there and not get disqualified,” she said. Open-water lifesaving is
notorious for being difficult because of the unpredictable nature of sea waters. But despite t he slig ht ly overcast sky by late afternoon, the weather held out, which ensured a smooth sailing day. Amidst the sea of exciting displays, one particular lifesaver stood out. As winner of the Ironwoman —arguably the toughest of the competition—and the women’s beach flag events, Christine Boo Xian Ying, 18, won with a mature display that belied her age. The pint-sized Raffles Junior College student of the Water Sapiens team unfurled her brow and managed a bright smile only at the end of the competition. “I am very happy and got what I wanted at the end of the day,” she said.
Double the fund at NIE Director’s Race
“Lifesaving competition—it’s more than swim training only.” Yong Jia Ying, 21 Chairperson NTU Lifesaving Corps
Rega rded a s one of t he best in the field by her fellow competitors, she was modest about her win. “It’s a new challenge each time, the positions are different for each round [of beach flag],” said the young veteran, who started out in 2004. For a sport existing in the suburbs of the mainstream, lifesaving has a strong and coor d i nate d cont i nge nt of participants and organisers and the lifesavers are proud of being a part of this sport. “Lifesaving competition— it’s more than swim training only,” said Yong. Besides the Masters Category that caters to the adults, the SLSS hopes to promote lifesaving as a CCA in more schools to raise the level of awareness for it.
WHAT’S IN THE SAND?: Competitors getting into position for the beach flags event. PHOTO | COURTESY
FLAG OFF: Participants at the NIE Director Race in a jovial mood before the run. PHOTO | NARERKRIT SINRACHTANANT
Fabian Ng sports editor
A RECORD turnout at this year’s NIE Director’s Race helped double the amount raised for charity. A bout $ 80,0 0 0 ha s be e n raised so far, and the f igure may rise further depending on a possible grant from the Singapore Tote Board, according to a NIE spokesperson. This was a substantial increase from the $48,000 raised in 2007. T he mone y r a i sed f rom the event, which was held on August 22nd, will go towards the Singapore Children’s Society, this year’s chosen beneficiary. After the recent debacle over the perceived legitimacy of local charities, a NIE committee chose the Societ y af ter a str ingent selection process. A par ticipant in the race, Assistant Professor Lee Yee Hui, said that the choice of organisation played an impor tant par t in getting runners who take part in such events to participate. “Singaporeans are getting more sceptical about fund-raising events, so it is impor tant for the organisers to ensure that a deserving charity is selected,”
said the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering faculty member. A ssi sta nt Professor Cla r a Tan, the race organiser, said the Singapore Children’s Society was chosen as it fits NIE’s vision of helping youths. She also said that in order to draw a larger crowd to this year’s event, a “carnival atmosphere” was created to encourage people to have fun. Par t icipants, such as N I E student Satiish Sathasilvan, 24, ack nowledged t his. “Being a competitive runner, what struck me was how fun the event was.” This was due to the addition of several fr inge events that entertained runners, contributing to the overall festive mood. A c rowd plea se r wa s t he presence of several “endangered animals”. Some NIE staff and their family members dressed u p a s e n d a n ge r e d a n i m a l s using recycled material, to raise awareness about the problem. To the delight of onlookers, they later joined in the Fun Run event. Another first for the race was the participation of students under the Group Endeavours in Service Learning (GESL) initiative, which
all NIE students have to join. Wit h ove r 4 0 0 f i r st-yea r students involved, it was a major factor in contributing to the high turnout. St udent s f rom va r ious educational institutions across Si ngapore a lso at tended t he race, after the organisers made a conce r ted ef for t to i nv ite schools. Canberra Secondary School Principal Tan Keng Joo said, “It was really overwhelming to see such a large turnout, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.” He added candidly that his staff and students went there “not to win but to have fun.” In a light-hearted manner, he said, “We have a strong running culture, but we joined the race to show our support for the charity. After all, it is a long way to come just to run.” However, one sour note was the weather, as it rained at irregular inter va ls. Professor Lee said “the mood was dampened, with runners running towards shelter between races.” Even so, some runners found the rain to be a blessing in disguise. Mr Tan said, “It definitely made the run easier, even though the muscles are colder.”