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08 07.03.11 ISSN NO. 0218-7310
PRICES MOVING UP VENDORS MOVING ON NEWS | 03
PRIVILEGED ACCESS
SWIFT LOVING LIFESTYLE | 14
He gets paid to hang out with luxury sports cars. Find out what he does.
过山车 对比 反向 蹦极 南苑 | 31
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News Bites NTU NBS don shares ancient nuggets of wisdom
v irt u al C areer Fair LAunched to match employers to students
PROF WEE Chow Hou, Head of Marketing and International Business and Chairman of Nanyang Executive Programmes at the Nanyang Business School spent an hour revealing some nuggets of Sun Zi’s wisdom to businesses at BMW’s showroom on March 1st. The talk was organised by The Business Times and Performance Motors.
THIS YEAR, students from NTU can hunt for a job and attend job interviews, without leaving the comfort of their home or hostel room. The NTU Career Fair 2011 will go one step further this year with the lauch of the first Virtual Career Fair or the NTU iFair.
research agreements on energy efficiency inked with austrians NTU signed two agreements on February 22nd with Austrian researchers to explore how the sun’s energy can be tapped to improve the energy efficiency of homes and other buildings. A researcher said these research projects will sow the seeds of a sunrise industry—tapping on the sun as a form of alternative energy for Singapore.
Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa visits campus
students learn how to live “the good life”
PRESIDENT of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, visited the National Institute of Education (NIE) on February 24th as part of his threeday working visit to Singapore. The objective of the visit to NIE was to learn more about Singapore’s education system, with a focus on higher education and NIE’s role in teacher training.
A SEMINAR organised by the NTU Economics Society on March 3rd had speakers such as Minister of State Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon and Chairman to the East Asian Institute Professor Wang Gungwu address students on how to live well in the new economy.
SINGAPORE SINGAPORE government CALLS FOR LESS RELIANCE ON FOREIGN WORKERS
EXCESSIVE WORK LEADS TO LATE MARRIAGE
THE FIRST GERONTOLOGY PROGRAMME LAUCHED IN SINGAPORE
‘MINOR’ LEAKS FOUND ON SINGAPORE A380 ENGINES
More hdb flats available for lower income buyers
COMPANIES need to promote productivity and reduce dependence on foreign workers, said the finance minister. Mr T har man Shanmugaratnam said on March 3rd that the increase in labour supply is estimated to be slow, as Singapore has almost reached full employment. He suggested that businesses reorganize their operation so as to cope with increasing labour costs.
EXCESSI V E work is hindering young people from entering into marriage, said Straughan Paulin Tay, Nominated Member of Parliament and Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore. Her research shows that three reasons contribute to young Singaporean women’s late marriage: limited social network, limited time, and other life goals.
THE COUNTRY’S first postgraduate Programme of Gerontology has been launched. The programme, promoted by SIM University and supported by several organizations such as the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, is expected to improve nursing care for the ageing population of Singapore.
SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) said on March 3rd that it had discovered five cases of oil leaks on the RollsRoyce Trent 900 engines powering its Airbus A380 planes. However, a spokesman later assured that it would not pose any safety issues on flights.
MEASURES announced on March 3rd include Special Housing Grant of up to $20,000 to help lower income households buy new flats. The income ceiling for those buying three-room standard flats has been raised from $3000 to $5000.
HUNDREDS DIED IN NZ QUAKE
CHINA OVERWHELMS JAPAN AS THE SECOND-LARGEST ECONOMY
MORE THAN 1000 dead IN LIBYA’S REVOLT
jOURNALIST DETAINED IN BEIJING FOR “BREACHING REPORTING RESTRICTION”
APPLE LAUnCHEs IPAD2
THE OFFICIAL death toll climbs to 161, after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand’s second biggest city Christchurch on February 22nd. More than 200 are still missing. Relief officials said on Wednesday that no more survivors are likely to be found and the dominant task now is recovery instead of rescue.
CHINA has overtaken Japan as the world’s second-biggest economy. Japan earlier released its economic figure showing that its economy was worth US$5.474 trillion (SGD$6.948 trillion) at the end of 2010. China’s economy has hit US$5.8 trillion (SGD$7.357 trillion) for the same period, with a 10.3 per cent growth compared to last year.
THOUSANDS of protestors rallied in Libya’s second biggest city Benghazi on the night of February 22nd, to demand the release of an arrested human rights activist. It has been estimated that more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in clashes with security forces and government supporters.
SEVERAL foreign journalists were roughed up and detained in Beijing after gathering at a busy shopping district on February 28th to cover anonymous online calls for anti-government protests there. The Chinese Government then said journalists were detained for breaching reporting restriction, but refused to specify which procedure had been broken.
STEV E Jobs unveiled the second generation of its iPad tablet computer in an event on March 2nd in San Francisco. He said the major improvements for the new version will be a faster processor, improved graphics, and front and rear cameras.
WORLD
Upcoming Events
correction
9 to 11 March
14 March
22 to 24 March
ASTROWEEK 2011
foxtrot fever!
The NTU Astronomical Society will be holding an exhibition and talks on astronomy. Time: 9am to 5pm Venue: Area in front of LT 1A Find out what your DSLR camera can do to capture the night sky.
NTU Dance Sport Academy is organizing a one-day only Recess Week Special ballroom dance work shop—t he Slow Foxtrot. Prices are at $6 per person and $10 per couple. Email dsa@ntu.edu.sg to sign up now. Time: 2pm-4pm (Registration begins at 1.30pm) Venue: Hall 3 Function Hall
SOCIAL AWARENESS WEEK Un i-Y ’s Socia l Enter pr i se Club will be holding a Social Awa reness Week . Va r iou s welfare organizations and social enterprise companies will be setting up booths in NTU to promote their services and to educate students. Profits will be donated to targeted beneficiaries.
“New Year Together” (Vol. 17 No 5, Page 16-17)
If you have any exciting events to publicise, please don’t hesitate to contact us at chronicle@ntu. edu.sg
I n o u r p h o t o e s s ay, two student groups were incorrectly named. We had named them: NTU Chinese Dance Society and PRC Student Union. These two groups are known of ficially as the Chinese Dance Club under NTU Cultural Activities Club, and NTUSU International Undergraduate Committee PRC Group respectively. We apologise for the error.
News
Balancing act: the lives of graduate students – Page 8
Food price hike hurts NTU canteen vendors
Despite the increase in global food costs, NTU is not letting its canteen vendors raise their prices Mark Tay Food prices around Singapore and the world have gone up, but it is not the case for NTU’s canteens. These vendors all face the same problem: increasing raw food prices eroding their profit margins. Global food prices have been rising for the past seven consecutive months. However, unlike other vendors, those in NTU have found that they cannot mark up prices to safeguard their profits. Standing in their way is the Office of Facilities Planning and Management (OFPM). The office has rejected all applications for fee hikes. One of those rejected is Ng Poh Gek, the owner of the Western food stall located in Canteen 14. She applied to increase her food prices last December, but was rejected. She then held on till March 1st, when she increased her prices by 20 to 40 cents, because “food prices have been continuously increasing.” For example, prices of meat like chicken rose from $3.70 in March last year to $4.70 per kilogram two months ago. Other ingredients like cooking oil have also increased from $16 per container in 2008 to $33 now, she said. “I was left with no choice but to go ahead with the price increase
(despite the rejection),” she said. But she had to revert her prices to “normal levels” after OFPM subsequently found out. Another vendor, the owner of the barbeque stall in Canteen 2, also had his application to raise prices rejected. Instead, Mr Tan Kay Hock cut food portions, but this has not gone unnoticed by the students. "There used to be more fries, and the piece of chicken has become smaller. I would rather that they increase the price and keep the size of the portions unchanged," said Timothy Boey, 23, a second-year student from the School of Art, Design and Media. It is exactly what Mdm Ng fears. “If I were to give two pieces of pork instead of three pieces, it will not be enough for the students (to eat),” she said, which was why she preferred to raise the prices.
“Generally, prices have started to stabilise. We should see a turnaround after the budget plans kick in." Derrick Ng Manager Office of Facilities Planning and Management
First-year student at the Nanyang Business School Jake Ng, 24, offered a solution. “A school subsidy by lowering (the stall own-
ADDITIONAL COST: The price hike in raw ingredients reduces vendors' profit margin PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
UnCERTAINTY: Madam Ng Poh Gek is not sure she can continue operating her stall if the school does not let her charge more PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
er’s) rent to balance the increase in food prices can help both stall owners and students,” he said. But OFPM’s manager Mr Derrick Ng said that no such subsidies will be dished out. NTU’s stall rental rates are “already low”, although he declined to reveal how much they are. Stall owners also cannot increase food prices at their own discretion. Attempts to do so will be curbed, like in Mdm Ng’s case, although errant vendors will not be penalised as his office plans to advise them instead. He said he rejected the stalls’ applications to raise food prices because the government already announced measures to combat rising food prices in its recent budget, such as forming the Retail Price Watch Group (see sidebar). “Generally, prices have started to stabilise. We should see a turnaround after the budget plans kick in. I believe help is on the way,” he said. He also believed if the canteen vendors raised prices, they would lose out to the school’s fast food restaurants, which have not raised prices. “They risk losing their business to the fast food outlets like McDonalds and Subway,” he said. Meals offered at Canteen A’s fast food outlets are at least 10 percent cheaper than outlets around Singapore. For instance, a McNuggets
meal in NTU costs $4.75 while the same meal out of campus costs $6.90. However, vendors like Mdm Ng find it difficult hold on to their current food prices for long. “If food prices continue to increase, and we are not allowed to take measures, my business is not going to be able to sustain itself much longer,” she said.
“If food prices continue to increase and we are not allowed to take measures, my business is not going to be able to sustain itself much longer." Ng Poh Gek Stall vendor Canteen 14
Students interviewed felt that to prevent the closure of stalls, price hikes should be given the green light. In fact, about 1200 students, mostly from NTU, have “liked” a Facebook page petitioning for Mdm Ng to be given permission
to increase her food prices. Titled “Save the canteen 14 Western food stall”, the page was created on March 2nd by Sarah Tham, 23, a resident of Hall of Residence 15 who frequents Canteen 14. “The prices at her stall have been stagnant for too long. It’s been the same since I was in Year One,” said the fourth-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. “The portions (at the stall) are really generous so the increase in prices is really reasonable,” Tham added. Budget Information The Retail Price Watch Group (RPWG) was formed under the Singapore Budget 2011 to keep immoderate prices in check. Major supermarket chains like NTUC and Giant have agreed to hold certain food prices steady for the next six months to help the average Singaporean. While no direct measures have been announced to help food hawkers, the government has stated that it ‘will stay alert to any attempts by businesses to profiteer or collude to raise prices excessively’.
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Students, professors applaud budget goodies
Food wastage continues in NTU
Assessable In- Annual value of residence (as at December 2010) come for year of Up to $7,000 $7,000 to $13,000 More than $13,000 assessment 2010 Up to $30,000
$700
$600
$300
$30,000 to $100,000
Cheryl Chan
More than $100,000
$100
NSFs/NS Men
+ $100
Source: Ministry of Finance Up to $7000 = HDB flats with 3 rooms or fewer $7001 to $13,000 = HDB flats more than 3 rooms/ lower value private homes More than $13,000 = High-value private homes Cash grants and tax rebates will be put to good use Kenneth Foo Students and professors are generally delighted with the unexpected windfall resulting from the lavish payout from the latest government budget, which they say will be spent mainly on defraying personal expenses, paying for school fees and coping with rising living costs. Widely anticipated to be a generous budget due to the upcoming general elections, Budget 2011 lived up to expectations last month when a wide array of benefits for all Singaporeans was announced. Budget incentives include cash grants, tax rebates and enhanced bursary awards for needy students. But the handsomest of the budget handouts has to be the Growth Dividends, which will be be awarded to every Singaporean aged 21 and above this year. Depending on one’s income and the value of one’s home, Singaporean adults can expect to get between $100 to $800. Operationally-ready national servicemen (NSmen) and full-time national servicemen (NSFs) will receive an extra $100. Many interviewed are pleased with the payout and have already made plans on how they will be spending the bounty come May. “I will use it to pay for my school or hall accommodation
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT: Food leftover in Canteen B
fees. Then, maybe treat my friends to a good meal,” said Ong Zhen Iang, 23, a second-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He will collect $700 as he is an NSman and lives in a 4-room HDB flat which has an estimated annual value of $8,000. Second-year Nanyang Business School undergraduate Jonathan Tan, 22, plans to enroll for career grooming courses that will prepare him for his future career. “It’s a great opportunity for me to use the $700 to take courses that provide training on interview skills and personal branding that will give me an edge over other job-seekers,” said Tan, an NSman who also lives in a 4-room HDB flat.
“It’s a nice gesture as I can now focus more on my studies instead of having to put in so many hours at my parttime job." Elena Quek Undergraduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Some, like Assistant Professor Shirley Ho from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, will simply place the
money in the bank. “I will save and use it to offset the rising cost of living here that is a result of GST hikes and increasing inflation,” said Professor Ho who will also be getting a 20 per cent income tax rebate this year thanks to the new Budget plan. Besides the one-off cash grant, undergraduates whose household incomes are within the bottom two-thirds of the country will also benefit from an 80% increase in bursary award amounts. According to the Ministry of Finance, this will be an increase from the current $1,600 a year to $2,900 a year, covering up to 40 per cent of school fees. Elena Quek, 22, a third-year undergraduate from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences cheers the move, as she will be receiving a $1500 bursary grant. “It’s a nice gesture as I can now focus more on my studies instead of having to put in so many hours at my part-time job, ” said Quek, who works three times a week as a telephone surveyor earning $7 an hour. But not everyone is happy with the way the budget goodies are allocated. First-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering student Cinny Chin, 20, is disappointed that only those aged 21 and above this year will be eligible for the cash handouts. She said: “I’m unhappy that I won’t be getting it just because I’m a year short of the age requirement. I guess I will have to wait for the next general elections for another generous offering like this.”
While food prices are rising, food wastage is still commonly observed in NTU. Plates of unfinished food are often left behind on tables or at tray returning points in the canteens, according to Ah Yu, a cleaner who has worked for more than a year at one of the tray cleaning points at Canteen B. “At my cleaning point, we collect up to seven to eight of the typical garbage bags full of food wastages during lunch time alone and around 10 bags in total every day,” she said. Colin Quek, 23, a second-year student from the Nanyang Business School, acknowledged that he often has food left over. “The food [on campus] isn’t great, hence I always don’t [enjoy it enough] to finish the whole portion,” he said. While students continue to waste food, stall vendors, who have felt the pinch of rising food prices, are trying to minimise the waste.
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
Leong Kok Wai, 30, a stall assistant at the chicken rice stall in Canteen 2, said he ensures food is not wasted at the stall. “Normally we have little leftover, but if we do, we will deliver them to other outlets to sell. We usually estimate the amount of rice to cook to prevent wastage,” he said. Similarly, Hartini, the owner of the nasi padang stall at Canteen B said: “If there are leftovers at the end of the day, we either bring them home for ourselves or give them to our neighbours.” “It’ll be good if the stalls could charge slightly cheaper for those who ask for smaller portions,” said Joey Lee, 22, a fourth-year student from the School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences, who usually has food left over on her plate because of the large portions. “If they don’t lower prices, people will simply take the usual portions even if they don’t eat that much as they’re not motivated to get smaller portions, resulting in a lot of wastage,” she added.
Presidential smile: The Honduran president visits a Collaborative Classroom in NIE. PHOTO | Goh Chay TEng
Two presidents in one week Or in three days to be exact. NTU hosted the Federal President of the Republic of Austria, Dr Heinz Fischer, on February 22nd and the Honduran President Mr Porfirio Lobo Sosa on February 24th. His Excellency Dr Heinz Fischer witnessed NTU signing two agreements with Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (AIT) and SOLID ASIA to improve the efficiency of cooling systems such as air-conditioning and to tap solar thermal energy in tropical environments. His Excellency Mr Porfirio Lobo Sosa visited the National Institute of Education (NIE) to learn more about Singapore’s education system, with a focus on higher education and NIE’s role in teacher training.
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SAC's first phase now complete Two brand new rooms are ready for use Judith Ho NTU clubs can book the two meeting rooms at the new Student Activities Centre (SAC) when they open on March 7th. The two rooms will be equipped with tables and chairs for meeting purposes and resemble the meeting rooms in the previous SAC, said Logistics Executive for the Students’ Union Kelvin Oscar Wangsa, 20. The SAC, previously located at the School of Biological Sciences, is now at old Canteen A. “The new SAC is part of a plan to improve facilities and to build a more fun and vibrant environment for students,” said Wangsa. It is scheduled to be fully operational in June, when its students' lounge, recreational U-ROC area and study areas open. A third meeting room which can be converted into a dance studio will also be ready then. However, several clubs were inconvenienced by the upgrading process. Some meeting rooms in the old SAC were closed three weeks ago and there were restrictions on booking the remaining meeting rooms. Clubs that were affected included the NTU Sports Club, Fastforward, Christian Fellowship and the NTU Rotaract Club. The SAC Meeting Rooms 1 and 2 were initially expected to open on February 21st. According to Wangsa, however, importing of equipment from overseas was delayed by the Chinese New Year break, thus postponing its opening.
Men at work: SAC meeeting rooms are opening after a slight delay. PHOTO | WAN zhong hao
For the NTU Sports Club, it was a particularly trying time as they were in the midst of planning three events—Sports Expose, Surf N Sweat and Bike Rally 2011. “It was difficult accessing the meeting rooms due to the construction at the old SAC and meetings were hindered by the noise from the construction,” said Sports Club Logistics Officer Chen Shao, 21. NTU’s board game society, Fastforward, moved their gaming sessions to old Canteen A. According to Fastforward’s vice-president Tan Haiwang, 22, the change in location resulted in the society losing some students who would usually join the gaming sessions when dining at the old SAC.
But for Christian Fellowship and the NTU Rotaract Club, this delay posed only a minor hassle, said Honorary General Secretary for the NTU Rotaract Club Ter Mei Mei, 22. The two clubs had booked meeting rooms in the new SAC for their joint event—Janitor’s High Tea, on February 25th, but the bookings were rejected due to the delay. “But we sort of expected this delay and had other alternative venues in mind, like the tutorial rooms in the South Spine,” said Ter. When the new SAC becomes fully operational in June, students can expect air-conditioned rooms, game consoles and board games, and an area for movie screenings, said Wangsa.
Hall toilets get a makeover Goh Ee Ling Students of Halls of Residences 4, 5, 6 and 7 can expect fully upgraded toilets come July 2013. The new toilets will feature designs similar to that of the ones in the halls that were upgraded recently. Students will be able to use them once the renovations are completed. Key changes include the use of fluorescent lights, additional shower and toilet cubicles and bidets. Users will be greeted with a more spacious interior, a full-length mirror, solidsurface vanity tops and towel bar hangers. All renovation work for Halls 4-7 will be divided into four phases. Phase 1 of the upgrading works will commence in December 2011 and take place concurrently for the halls. The work will be carried out on a blockby-block basis. Each is scheduled to be completed within the semester vacation, but may spill over to the first few weeks of the following academic semester However, students can expect minimal disruption as these will be limited to polishing and finishing works done
by contractors. No noisy hacking or major disturbances will take place once the academic term begins, said Miss Angela Shang, Deputy Director of Student Accommodation from the Student Affairs Office. Wear and tear is the primary reason for the overhaul of the washroom units, said Miss Shang. “Although localised repairs are carried out routinely, we feel that now would be a good time to start on the renovation work,” she added. Assistant Honourary General Secretary of Hall of Residence 4’s Junior Common Room Committee Avalynn Chiang, 21, gave the new design a thumbs-up. She felt that the new design is a tremendous improvement from the current one where “toilet facilities are rather old and dim-lit”. “The brighter lighting and increased showering space will make it much easier for us to move around. It seems safer too,” added Chiang. According to Miss Shang, the renovation costs for each hall are estimated at $1 million, and up to $1.6 million for the halls with more washrooms.
KEEPING CLEAN: Hall residents can expect upgraded, brighter toilets. PHOTO | WAN zhong hao
New modules reach for excellence Aravinda Karunaratne
Students can look forward to a slew of new modules released in line with the NTU 2015 strategic plan’s Five Peaks of Excellence— Sustainable Earth, New Media, Future Healthcare, New Silk Road and Innovation Asia. The plan aims to guide NTU’s development based on the areas represented by the peaks. More courses with interdisciplinary content are on their way, said Senior Assistant Director of the Office of Academic Services Hariaty Mohamed Senin. One new elective released this semester is HU101: Introduction to Environmental and Urban Studies. It is part of a new minor in Environmental and Urban Studies offered under the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The minor was inspired by the peak of Sustainable Earth, and the
multidisciplinary emphasis of the Five Peaks, said programme coordinator Associate Professor Tan Khye Chong. He added that the minor will take on an interdisciplinary approach, enabling students to understand threats and challenges posed by increased urbanisation of the environment. Some major issues covered include energy, pollution, social equity and economic development. After completing the prerequisite HU101 for the minor, students are required to take one module each from the four different subject groups of sociology, economics, Chinese/English/Linguistics and multilingual studies, and civil and environmental engineering. Third-year student from the school of Materials Science and Engineering Cai Li, 23, is currently taking HU101 as he is passionate about environmental sustainability.
Said Cai: “I like the fact that this module looks at the relationship between the environment and the society with a multi-faceted perspective. It keeps in mind that many environmental problems do not need
a technological solution, but a shift in paradigms and mindsets.” Cai added that more opportunities should be made available to students because enrollment for the course is limited to 35 people.
“More line-ups such as competitions, seminars, talks as well as awareness campaigns can be carried out to bring about a deeper engagement of students,” he said. Next semester, electives CH0810: Biofuels and MS8205: Materials for Energy Conversion will debut for the minor programme in Energy, which only started last semester. The minor in Energy from the College of Engineering is also driven by the peak of excellence of Sustainable Earth, said Associate Professor Gooi Hoay Beng, from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who is teaching some modules for the programme. Said Dr Gooi: “Energy is a deep concern of the modern world. Even President Obama has highlighted its importance. We want to raise students’ awareness on this timely issue.”
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WHILE most students are still asleep, cleaner Madam Suah is reporting for work. As students leave classes for homes or halls, she departs campus too—for her second job at Jurong Point. Madam Suah, 66, works two jobs despite her age. She, along with 18 other janitors, two supervisors and a manager, were the attendees of NTU’s first Janitor’s Appreciation High Tea held on February 25th at a seminar room in the South Spine. “For one and a half years, I work from 7am to 5pm in NTU before going to work as a janitor in Jurong Point from 6pm to 11pm. It is tiring but I need the money,” she said. Most of the janitors work solely in NTU. The high tea consisted of a welcome speech and a video created by the committee, documenting the tedious job of a janitor. Students and janitors bonded over a meal and the event ended with a presentation of appreciation notes written by students to the janitors. Jointly organised by NTU’s Christian Fellowship and Rotaract Club, the event seeks to urge NTU students to take the initiative to be more appreciative towards janitors in the school, said
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event chairperson Lydia Chan, 19, a first-year student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Many people do not know that the janitors have to wash the toilets up to 13 times a day and also expect them to clean the litter left in seminar rooms and lecture theatres,” she said. Senior supervisor of facilities maintenance in North Spine Muhammed Idros works as a soccer coach and volunteers at the prison on his days off. “It is tiring to work from 8am to 5pm daily but I have no intention to stop—especially when the oldest cleaner here is 82 years old,” said Mr Idros when asked if he was retiring anytime soon. Said See Jing Jing, 22, a fourth-year chemistry student who attended the event: “The event was heartwarming because it recognises ‘unsung heroes’ in the school who are often overlooked by many.” Although not many students have heard about the event, event organiser Josephine Tan, 20, a second-year student from the Nanyang Business School, said she hopes to rope in more student groups to share the budget and manpower so the event can be carried out on a larger scale next year.
ADM works shine at Singapore Short Film Awards Films on rats and isolation take nominations by storm Priscilla Kham What began as a fun holiday project filming ‘Mickey’, a film that juxtaposes scientific experiments on lab rats with the mechanical complexity of human relationships, has earned 26-year-old Wesley Aroozoo, a fourth-year Art, Design and Media (ADM) student, a nomination in the Best Experimental category at the 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards (SSFA). For the first time, ADM students are dominating the Best Animation and Best Experimental categories at the SSFA, the only local platform which recognises excellence in short films. Four out of five nominees in the Best Animation category, and all five nominees in the Best Experimental category are either current or past students from ADM. Organised by The Substation, Singapore’s first independent contemporary arts centre, and Objectifs, a visual arts centre that promotes filmmaking, the SSFA kicked off with a run of public screenings of all the SSFA nominees on February 28th, and will culminate in an awards ceremony to be held on March 6th.
The process of producing the films was not always smooth-sailing. Aroozoo recalled some of the difficuties faced while filming. “It was basically a one-man show, I was producer, scriptwriter, director, and had to organise a whole team of about 20 people, including crew, actors, as well as the props.” Aside from technical burdens, there was also emotional conflict involved. “As my film is quite depressing and anti-love, I had to stay in a sombre mood during post-production in order to effectively edit the film. However, this was hard to do as I met someone during that time and was actually really happy,” he said. Nominated in the Best Animation category, twin brothers Henry and
Harry Zhuang, 26, both fourth year students from ADM, faced a different kind of difficulty while producing their animation film. Their film ‘Contained’ is about a man on an isolated island with his beloved flower. “We found difficulty in trying to convey the emotion of obsession. I think with animation, it takes a lot of time and courage to move the process forward as you’re never sure if the outcome is what you wanted to express.” said Harry. However, despite the difficulties encountered, all remain optimistic about the process of filmmaking. “I think my best advice for budding filmmakers would be to really keep trying,” said Henry. “Hard work pays off,” he added.
ANTI-LOVE: The short film Mickey examines romantic relationships. PHOTO | Courtesy of wesley aroozoo
More alumni give back creatively Stronger sense of belonging is motivating alumni to give back Sharifah Fadhilah Alshahab ONE gives all the money he makes as a lecturer to an endowment fund for needy students. Another solemnises marriages among graduates. Increasingly, NTU alumni are finding creative ways to give back to the university. Sarjit Singh returns all the money NTU pays for his work teaching Risk Management, Control and Ethics as an Adjunct Professor at the Nanyang Business School (NBS). He recently used his salary given by the university as well as his own money to set up an endowment fund of $50, 000 for needy students and outstanding final-year students. As the President of the NBS Alumni Association, he also contributes his time to organise events like their convocation balls for the past five years. Director of the Alumni Affairs Office, Soon Min Yam attributes the increase in alumni
involvement to his office’s method of engaging them through newsletters, e-mailers and a quarterly magazine. “The alumni receives information about the university every month and at least two activities are held for them each month,” he said. Mr Soon—himself an alumnus since 1975—is also giving back to NTU creatively.
“I feel a strong connection with NTU and have been following the university’s progression.” Roderick Chia Alumni Class of 1998
He agreed to head the Alumni Affairs Office about seven years ago as he felt an obligation towards his alma mater.
Since then, Mr Soon has extended his job scope beyond attracting alumni participation, to include solemnising at the weddings of alumni and their spouses-to-be, whom they may have met while studying at the university. The licensed minister sees multiple benefits in volunteering to do solemnisations. Mr Soon explains that instead of accepting tokens of appreciation from the couple, he offers the couple a donation form from the NTU Development Office to encourage them to donate the money to needy students. These donations, combined with the Government’s Dollarfor-Dollar matching scheme, ensure that more money is available for needy students. At the same time, he hope alumni will feel closer to the university through such solemnization ceremonies, thus building a close-knit community. Some alumni regard themselves as more than a part of the NTU community. They see themselves as stakeholders of the university. One of them is Roderick
I DO: Soon Min Yam feels that officiating at weddings of NTU alumni will deepen their bond to the university. PHOTO | WALLACE WOON
Chia, who volunteers as an alumni representative on the interview panel for the Discretionary Admission of post-secondary school students. As a stakeholder, Mr Chia, who graduated in 1998, finds that it is important for alumni to play an active role in guiding NTU towards a global standing its members can be proud of. His involvement as a volun-
teer has earned him the Nanyang Alumni Service Award, an award set up by NTU in 1996 to recognise alumni who have rendered outstanding service to the University, in 2005. “I feel a strong connection with NTU and have been following the university’s progression. So far, it has been good so I am more eager to get involved,” he said.
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NEWS 07
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
Making parties their business Entreprenurship students see hot business ventures in cool parties Goh Ee Ling THE booze was flowing, and strobe lights flashing, as over 700 university students partied the night away. In the VIP lounge, lecturers and students clinked their glasses to the sweet sound of cash rolling in. House Party, held on February 19th in Mimolette, a colonial bungalow converted into a restaurant and bar just off Bukit Timah, was no ordinary college party. It was the culmination of a business idea of six students minoring in entrepreneurship. The team set up a company, Singapore Uni, for EN105, which has students launch a small business project. Preparations for their launch event, House Party, began four months ago.
“We noticed that most tertiary students don’t really mix around with people from other universities, and they usually participate in events organised by their respective schools,” said team member Vinai Gopalakrishnan, 25, a third-year student from the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. “As such, our idea was to allow everyone, from NTU, NUS, SMU, SIM and even other tertiary, private school students to come together and have fun,” he added. A large portion of the profit came from ticket sales, said team member Desmond Choo, 26, a third-year student at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The $18 ticket included one complimentary drink. Details of the party location were deliberately unveiled only a few days before, adding mystery to the event, which fuelled publicity. “For publicity, we also used our personal networks to promote
NTU journalism graduates impress newspapers Rebecca Lim Not only is the winner of the Singapore Press Holding (SPH) Young Journalist of the Year Award 2010 from Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) , for the first time, all three nominees are alumni of the school. The award was given to Jamie Lee, 25, who has worked as a journalist for the Business Times for two and a half years. Given out during SPH’s annual award ceremony, the award honours the best of SPH’s English and Malay Newspaper Divisions. One of the three nominees, photojournalist Neo Xiao Bin, 27, described herself as a “late bloomer”. Although Ms Neo worked for a total of four years with MyPaper and the Straits Times, she did not consider journalism till her third year in WKWSCI. She was taking courses mainly in Public Relations but her trip in 2006 to Nepal under GO-FAR (Go Overseas for Advanced Reporting) changed her
mind. The trip is an annual overseas news reporting programme under WKWSCI. “The first-hand experience of news reporting really helped to broaden my horizons,” she said. Ms Neo decided that what she did on the trip was what she wanted to do for her career. Coincidentally, all three candidates were alumni of the GO-FAR programme. Nominee and eventual winner, Ms Lee, sees herself as a finance reporter living out her childhood ambition. WKWSCI gave her the edge, she said, preparing her for what reporting entails through external internships and stints with the Nanyang Chronicle. In addition, Ms Lee bagged the Financial Journalist of the Year 2010 in October 2010. The final nominee David Lee, 25, once aspired to be a professional footballer but he abandoned the plan, deeming it a child’s fantasy. He has been a sports reporter for TNP for two years now and described the job as “the next best thing".
No CUB: (from left to right) Young Journalist nominees David Lee, Neo Xeo Bin and Jamie Lee. PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
she added. A highlight was being able to easily meet students from other universities, rather than sticking to her own friends. When asked what plans lie ahead for Singapore Uni, team member Daniel Senjaya Wong, 23, a third-year student from the School of Biological Sciences said: “We will build on our current networks to organise more youth-related events. There’s definitely more to come.”
out and about
Making money: Sale of tickets to the party helped turn a profit. PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
the event by word-of-mouth. Also, few third-party personnel were employed to cut costs,” added Choo. Party-goers were generally surprised by the party’s professionalism.
Said School of Humanities and Social Science freshman, Grace Ong, 19: “The atmosphere was electrifying and the energy level was just kept up throughout the night.” “It wasn’t like any other club,”
Another group of students from the EN105 module held a pyjama party themed bash on the same night at Blue Jazz. Party-goers wore bathrobes and nightgowns, and entertainment included live bands and pole-dancing. According to team member Heather Chin, 21, the project is meant as a launching platform into the organisation of theme parties for corporations.
Websites dish out advice on campus life Danson Cheong
NTU students looking for help on issues ranging from module selection to calculation of GPA can now look no further than two new websites. The first is HippoCampus.sg, which connects undergraduates from NTU, NUS and SMU. Registered users contribute to the website with advice on which modules to take, textbooks to buy and professors to study under. It was launched by NTU third-year business and computing students James Gwee and Benjamin Teo on February 7th. According to Gwee and Teo, HippoCampus functions like an campus version of Facebook, as they were inspired by how undergraduates share their personal experiences on the social networking platform. “Students will be able to contribute ideas and comments much like how Facebook functions,” said Gwee, 23. A calculator at the website also lets visitors calculate their GPA and honours scores. Medically, the term “hippocampus” refers to the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory. The founders therefore hope that HippoCampus will be a long-term solution among students. “We want HippoCampus to be part of university life for the longhaul. Social media has intruded into our personal lives, but it’s not as pervasive in education,” said Gwee. “We can make use of it to enrich our learning experience. An individual can tap into the collective intellect of the campus community,” he added. First-year biological science student Newman Loh, 20, is one of Hip-
TECH UPSTARTS: Hippocampus founders James Gwee (left) and Benjamin Teo in their Innovation Centre office. PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
poCampus’ newest users. He stumbled upon the website after he saw a friend “like” it on Facebook. Loh said: “I wanted to see what other people thought about the modules I chose, and also see if I could get textbooks.” “There are very few users at the moment, but if more people started using it, it could really take off,” he added. For information about courses, students can also turn to another website, NTUElectives.com. The website went online on January 20th, the night before the semester’s “Add/ Drop” period, during which NTU students compete for limited places in modules. Reviews of NTU modules are contributed by visitors to the website, which is managed by a team of five NTU undergraduates as a project for
their minor in entrepreneurship. Said webmaster Sifat Rahman, a second-year student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering: “Our goal was to create a community for NTU undergrads. We felt that many of our peers always sought advice on what modules to take—it'd be great if they could hear from students throughout the campus.” “We want it to function like Wikipedia. When people feel part of a community, they will come forward to contribute,” added the 20-year old. Although new, the two websites have seen a healthy amount of traffic since their launches. NTUElectives.com received over 51,000 page views and 6,000 unique visitors over the course of the two-week “Add/Drop” period, according to Rahman. HippoCampus.sg has around 200 registered users to date.
08 NEWS
THE NANYANG
VOL. NO.
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CHRONICLE 07
Graduate studies not a bed of roses Zackary Ong They teach in the day, and are taught at night. These graduate students juggle between being teaching assistants and pursuing their Masters or doctoral degrees. About 10,000 of them currently populate NTU, doing either coursework or research. Zackary Ong talks to two graduate students to find out more about their lives.
The family guy
Nguyen Kien Truc Giang came to Singapore from Vietnam eight years ago to pursue an undergraduate degree. Now into his fourth year of doctoral studies at the School of Biological Sciences, he spends most of his time working on his thesis and guiding students as a teaching assistant. He also juggles his work with maintaining a social life in Singapore and keeping in touch with his family. “[Graduate studies] has affected my social life a lot, with a 12-hour working schedule per day, you have to minimise your time playing around and focus on your project if you really want to get something out of it,” the 25-year-old Vietnamese PhD student said. He has four years to finish his project and is working seven days a week. He also spend about 30 to 40 hours per semester guiding students during their Final Year Projects and URECA (Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus) projects. With such a busy working schedule, Nguyen has little time to visit his family in Vietnam. He has only 18 days of leave per
working lunch: Nguyen Kien Truc Giang takes in a home-cooked meal with fellow graduate students.
year, of which he takes seven to 14 days to visit his family. “When I go home, I'll also visit my friends in Vietnam. Compared to them, I think I'm the most successful!” Nguyen said with a laugh. Nguyen also supports his family when he can. With his $2500 monthly stipend and about $1000 earned from teaching per semester, Nguyen sends money to his family when there is a need. Currently living with three housemates in a two-bedroom unit in a student hostel right outside NTU, Nguyen’s social life
is limited to occasional movie or food outings with his Vietnamese friends. “I do have local friends but I’m still more comfortable with my Vietnamese friends. I guess it’s because we share the same culture,” he said. Approaching the end of his Graduate programme, Nguyen has recently submitted his thesis, which involves the identification of active compounds in hundreds of plants that are anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory or anti-infection. “Graduate life is fun when you are discovering something
PHOTO | WAN zhong hAo
new,” Nguyen said. Despite his busy schedule, he has enjoyed his experience thoroughly. But he has a word of advice to those planning to embark on this academic journey—“you have to stay extremely focused to succeed!”
The enthusiast
Tee Yock Sian, 26, loves learning new things. That is the reason she quit her job as a political analyst at the Ministry of Defence two years ago to become a Masters student at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.
“I’m not a nerd who only knows how to study. I just simply love learning. When the opportunity arose and I could get funding, I took the chance,” she said. Tee is an avid fan of anime and manga, and her thesis deals with how the activity of cosplaying affects relationships between fans and media characters. “This thesis marries both my academic and personal interests!” said Tee. “I love cosplaying but never had the courage to do it. Studying all these people, I just admire their courage to put on those outfits and be out there,” she said. To Tee, the life of a graduate student is all about managing time and money. With a $1500 monthly stipend, she feels “a lot poorer” compared to when she was working. However, she has more free time now compared to when she was working. “There are good and bad points. Now I have more freedom in managing my time but I have to be very self-motivated as there is no fixed hours to force me to work,” Tee said. Like Nguyen, Tee also has to work as a teaching assistant. She takes tutorial classes for lower level undergraduate modules in WKWSCI. “It’s very fun to interact with students but the admin work is tedious. I don’t like marking, collating attendance and results at all,” said Tee with a laugh. However, in the end she said she has no regret giving up her job to pursue her Masters Degree. “I’m enjoying myself here,” Tee concluded.
Additional reporting by Trinh Hoang Ly
Soaring to victory at unmanned aircraft contest Kenneth Foo Gadgets created by NTU undergraduates are not too far off from those created by Q for James Bond. These won top spot in a recent international unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design contest in Taiwan. An NTU contingent was in Taiwan for the 2011 Annual Unmanned Aircraft Competition, held by National Cheng Kung University, between February 26th to 28th. Team X-5 trumped six other teams to take first spot in the Navigation Flight Design Level category. Their winning prototype X-5, is an automatic model capable of flying over large distances without a remote control and taking precise aerial photographs of various targets. There has been rising interest in developing a new generation of UAVs, due to their potential in military and anti-terrorist operations, said Assistant Professor Yongki Go
from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He, along with Assistant Professor Son Hungsun, led the teams under its Product Development Challenge program. According to Dr Son, 37, victory was unexpected as the undergraduates from NTU had to compete against graduate students who had taken part in past runs of the competition. To complete the mission, the UAV had to fly and take photographs of targets in the form of rubber alphabets and letters, located three to four kilometeres away. All this had to be done without the use of a remote control, so the team had to pre-program its flight path and use a Global Positioning System to ensure that it took off and returned to base safely. What made their win even more impressive was that the teams could not even carry out complete trial flight sequences for their UAV due to space constraints in Singapore.
Full flight tests need to be carried out over a distance of several kilometers but they could only initiate short distance trials at a flying field in Tuas. Unforeseen weather conditions in Taiwan forced Team X-5 to make drastic changes to the UAV’s onboard systems just hours before the competition. “We had to modify the camera triggering mechanisms and flight stabilising system due to the unexpectedly strong winds in Taiwan. It was very stressful,” said Joshua Chao, 23, third-year aerospace engineering student and leader of Team X-5. But they managed to recalibrate their machine in time, with much success. Their UAV X-5 emerged top for completing the course in the least amount of time and for taking the most accurate photographs of the targets. Another group of three NTU students, Team Toruk-Makto, came third in the Fundamental Design level category.
PHOTO | COURTESY OF VALTS BLUKIS
"Ice-sledging" in NTU Five NTU students sat on blocks of ice and “glided” down the roof of the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM). The students from ADM, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering were being recorded for the My Epic School Story competition. These students also danced a techno routine at two different locations of ADM, and raced each other on chairs down a slope in ADM.
Lifestyle
Soak up Myanmar’s old world charm – Page 19
out of the box: extraordinary students
TIPS ON CAR PHOTOGRAPHY
FREEZING SPEED
At 23, Adrian Wong is one of Singapore’s most highly sought after car photographer. Wang Wanxuan finds out more about his journey. NO SWEAT: Enduring the hot sun, Adrian works hard to get the best angles of a Ferrari 458 Italia.
Y
ou may have seen Adrian Wong’s car photographs in leading car magazines and websites such as Ninetro, Torque, Top Gear and sgCarMart.com. In fact, the firstyear student from School Of Art Design And Media even commanded a four-figure sum on a recent photography assignment. But it was not always smooth-sailing for the car aficionado. When he decided to become a car photographer upon graduating from polytechnic, he had nothing. No experience, name for himself or sophisticated photography equipment.
He did not even know if his career path would work in Singapore, because car photography then was a relatively new field with few players in it. To gain experience and carve out a name for himself, he sought his friends’ permission to photograph their cars, if it was a Corolla or Suzuki. “My friends were curious but were willing and honoured to lend their cars for my experimental shots,” he said. To buy his photography equipment, he took up as many photography gigs as he could. “Whenever I saved enough money, I would start to invest in more expensive photography
DREAM BIG: Adrian feels a new thrill everytime he gets to shoot a Lamborghini COURTESY OF ADRIAN WONG
equipment,” he said. Fast forward three-and-ahalf years later and things have changed. The time he spent on experimental photography, getting to know customers through referrals and participating actively in car photography forums has paid off.
He also gets to drive his friends’ and clients’ exclusive cars, earn a three-figure sum per job done and admire pretty cars all day.
One of Wong’s proudest moments was when his friend asked him to take photographs of his private collection last July. He owned a Ferrari Enzo, a Ferrari Daytona and a BMW Nazca C2, just to name a few. Most of the cars have never been on the roads here as these left-handed cars cannot be driven in Singapore. He shot all 10 cars in a day, earning a decent four figure sum. Today, he gets by with balancing school and freelance
PHOTOS | GOH CHAY TENG
photography by applying his car photography skills in some of his modules like Photography and Film, which he is currently taking. “Studies are still my main priority, and it helps that classes don’t start early and examinable modules are rare in my major. So my schedule is more flexible. Because overnight shoots are common, it also fits right into my nocturnal schedule,” Wong said. He also gets to drive his friends’ and clients’ exclusive cars, earn a three-figure sum per job done and be upclose with expensive cars all day. His clients now include high income earners. “Just like wedding shoots, where brides and grooms want to capture their best moments together, clients also often wish to keep snapshot memories of owning their ultimate vehicle,” Adrian said. “When I first started out, the Singapore market was very small and niche with very little players to compete with. A unique eye was what the market was scouting for, and I guess that’s where I fit the bill,” he said in retrospect. But if one thing has not changed, it is his dream car. “Aston Martin Vanquish is and will always be my first love.”
Wong stresses on the importance of visualisation in taking lush, audacious quality in his photos. “I think it is incredibly useful to play a ‘mind movie’ of how the car will look like to get the best results. And to quote Einstein’s words, ‘Imagination is more important than reality’. So I’m never afraid to experiment. It also pays to be adventurous. At times, Wong has to conduct overnight shoots to reduce or eliminate reflective lighting and surrounding distractions or to skirt around Singapore’s strict photography laws which prohibit photography in many places including some retail space. “Sometimes, security guards or the police may have an issue with ‘wee hour photography’. They often chase people away with suspicions of illegal loitering. It is also a pity that ideal locations for shoots like expressways and certain governmentowned areas do not allow photography.” Compared to wedding, fashion and events photography, photographing cars presents unique challenges. “Cars are also bulky massive objects. Shooting locations have to be accessible for such large objects that cannot duck or cover.” “We also need to constantly think out of the box to shoot cars in unconventional locations such as underpass, dilapidated areas, or even bus stop bays to capture their beauty with fresh angles,” Wong added. Reading car magazines and keeping abreast of latest developments is a must for anyone wanting to be a car photographer. “For example, Ferraris and Lamborghinis are long-lasting arch rivals. So it’s a good idea to contrast both together in a shoot to pique readers’ interest. Also, cars are static objects. So it can’t possibly strike varying poses like humans. You have to crack your brains a little to illustrate contrast, mood and dynamism,” he said. If you wish to see more of Wong’s photography, go to www.vanq.net
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LIFESTYLE 15
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
The east cider trail Well-known eateries and historical landmarks aside, Chen Shanghao hunts down the best places for cider in Joo Chiat.
THE National Heritage Board recently named Joo Chiat Singapore’s first Heritage Town, you might think that its Peranakan and Eurasian architecture and historical landmarks are what it is famous for. But all that culture and tradition was not what I was looking for. I trawled the streets of Joo Chiat with something else in mind – something that is not part of Joo Chiat’s rich heritage – cider. As cider is not as popular here as in the United Kingdom or Australia, I used to think it was a type of beer. But while beer is made with barley or wheat, ciders are the result of fermenting apple or pear juice. Pear cider is also known as perry. Generally, cider tastes like sparkling apple juice with a kick of your typical Sauvignon Blanc. Lighter than beer and without its bitterness, cider is wonderfully refreshing. It cuts through the grime and fatigue of the day and instantly perks you up. The fizz, too, will rejuvenate you on a humid afternoon. With flavours ranging from strawberry to lime to toffee, there is an infinite possibility of what you can pair cider with. Cider, like wine and champagne, is a fruit based drink. Therefore, if a dish goes well with Chardonnay, it will most likely sit well with a fruity cider. “I like it because it is more refreshing. I prefer the fruity taste over beer,” said Edwin Cheng, a patron of Cider Pit in Joo Chiat. “My favourite is Brothers Apple Toffee cider. The taste of apple and toffee mashed together really makes you feel like you’re drinking candy.” However, do not let its sweet flavour fool you. Cider’s alcohol content is higher than beer but lower than wine – about 6.5 to 8.5 per cent. After two pints, I could already feel the alcohol kicking in. Below are three places in the Joo Chiat area, all within walking distance of each other, that are ideal for unwinding with a pint of cider in hand.
The garden slug 55 Lorong L Telok Kurau, #01-59/61 Bright Centre Tel: 6346 0504
The Garden Slug’s cider selection is rather limited – they sell only Brothers’ Pear, Strawberry and Apple Toffee cider. Those with a sweet tooth should opt for the Apple Toffee Cider. Brewed in England, Brothers cider is described as ‘palate cleansing’. After just a couple of gulps, it cleared away the taste of the salmon appetizer I had minutes before. The creamy grilled dory fish and beef sandwich I had went well with the bottle of cider. As the sandwich was savoury, the sharp zesty flavour of my apple toffee cider soothed out its saltiness. What I loved most was their dessert menu, which changes every weekend. I had stewed white pears sautéed in white wine and cinnamon and topped with vanilla ice cream, which was the ultimate companion to my apple toffee cider. The flavour of apple and pear naturally blended well, and the slight tartness of the drink sat well with the sweet vanilla ice cream topping. A pint of cider costs $12 here, and the price of a main course ranges from $15 to $20.
The cider pit 382 Joo Chiat Road
Smokey's bbq and grill 73 Joo Chiat Place Tel: 6345 6914
Smokey’s is an open-air barbeque themed restaurant, and its cider selection consists of Brothers, Bulmers and Hobgoblin ciders, all brewed in England. Cider goes well with barbequed food, as it cuts through the oily aftertaste of grilled food. Besides quenching your thirst,
the Bulmers cider is a great antidote to the spiciness of the chilli and replaces it with a pleasant, light aftertaste of apples. Sitting in the midst of the smoke and grime, there is no reason for you to put the cider on the back burner. It cools, chills and dispels all that smoke, heat and humidity coming from the grill. The crowd mainly consists of expatriates, which could explain the high price of the food. A plate of Buffalo wings costs about $23, and a full rack of spare ribs sets you back $42. However, their cider is fairly affordable at about $12 a pint.
The Cider Pit has an impressive selection of 15 ciders and 45 beers. Pipsqueak, Stowford Press and Westons cider are just some of its better known brands. Hidden away from the main road, Cider Pit might be tricky to find. Look out for a signboard that reads “Ocean Kingdom Live Seafood” – the Pit is right beside it. The al-fresco pub does not serve any food, so it is best to fill your stomach before trying to conquer their long list of ciders. Their special brew is their draught cider – Westons Vintage Organic, which has a dry, yet strong fruity flavour. Canned cider like Strongbow or Scrumpy Jack, usually tastes rather plasticky and stale, but Cider Pit’s draught cider is fresh and tasty. The difference in taste is comparable to freshly pressed apple juice at hawker centres versus apple juice sold in cartons at supermarkets. The Cider Pit plays British indie rock music. Fans of this genre will find this a good alternative to The Substation or Home Club. It will certainly take some time for one to conquer the many ciders which this quiet, open-air pub has to offer. The good thing is that they’re all reasonably priced at about $10 a pint so you do not have to worry for your pocket. PHOTOS | Tan Wai Kiat & COURTESY OF CHEN SHANG HAO
16 LIFESTYLE
THE NANYANG
VOL. NO.
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CHRONICLE 08
VOL. NO.
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LIFESTYLE 17
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
NEIGHBOURLY RETREATS
Shoestring Adventures
Tired and weary from the semester’s workload? Three NTU students tell Vivienne Chang about lesser-known places in Malaysia for short trips.
Destination #1: Kuala Kubu Bharu
Destination #2: Desaru
THIS is a hidden gem for the outdoorsy types. On a trip there last semester with NTU’s Outdoors Activity Club (ODAC), Pang Jin Hao was swept away by its breathtaking scenery. The secondyear Mechanical Engineering student explains why the ODAC’s Kuala Kubu Bharu trip, in its second year running, is always snapped up.
FOR about the same price of booking a chalet in Singapore, Desaru offers more activities and less crowded facilities. With wholesome places to explore and good food to indulge in, Mavis Ang, a third-year student, reckons it is a great way to have fun with the family.
Having travelled to the furthest corners of the earth, NBS lecturer Mr Tan Wee Cheng shares with Ong Yong Roy some travel tips and tales.
MUST-DO
The Teluk Ramunia Ostrich Farm houses more than a hundred of the world’s largest birds, and a handful of them roam free, pecking at the hats and shirts of unsuspecting tourists. Buy a bowl of dried corn and see if you’re game enough to feed them with your bare hands. These comical birds are not aggressive, and are surprisingly photogenic. Take an educational tour of the Desaru Fruit Farm and see how some tropical fruits are grown and protected for harvesting. See the plants of fruits which are often already cut and chilled, like passion fruit, jackfruit, dragon fruit and custard apple. Another eye-opening activity would be the Fireflies cruise. In near total darkness, the sight of many glowing dots on the trees and mangroves is pretty romantic.
A REMINDER OF HISTORY: Remnants of Somalia’s civil war are visible on the former battlefield in Northern Somalia.
WHERE TO STAY
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort occupies a huge area in front of the beach. It feels more like a chalet though, with many families holding telematches by the restaurant and children splashing about in the resort’s play pool, which doubles up as a mini water park for all ages.
WHAT TO EAT
The fresh ostrich egg omelette served at the ostrich farm is light and fluffy, and goes very well with their home-made chilli. Ostrich satay is also served there. “After patting and feeding those birds, I couldn’t bring myself to eat them. But my Dad said they were tasty,” the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information student said. Desaru Fruit Farm’s lunch and dinner buffets are both as satiating. Besides having 40 types of fruits, the meal also has staple Chinese, Malay and Western dishes.
(ABOVE) ALL ABOARD: Beginner rafters were thrilled by the river’s dips and sharp turns . (BELOW) RIVER CROSSING: The cool waters were a perfect remedy for sore feet.
MUST-DO
Getting to Chilling Waterfalls, named after its cool temperatures, requires hiking and river crossing so you need to take a guide at all times. But it’s worth it for a refreshing dip, especially after a long hike in the tropics. You can also go white water rafting at a nearby river. On a scale of 1 (mild) to 5 (extreme), the gushing waters here are a 3 – a thrilling experience suitable for any novice.
WHERE TO STAY
Camping is the one thing you cannot miss. Some might be uncomfortable with sleeping outdoors, since there are monkeys that could steal your food. However they are easily frightened off PHOTO | COURTESY OF PANG JIN HAO by groups of people. If you book a tour with a local agency, a ranger is also assigned to the enclosed campsite in case of an emergency. There is only one campsite, and the cost is included in most packages that you book. For those who prefer sleeping indoors, there is a clean, affordable hotel in the town itself, which you will need to book in advance. “A trip like this will really bonded people together. Simply cooking outdoors, eating and chatting among friends, there is a lot of interaction. That was what I truly enjoy.” said the Year 2 student.
A SHEER RISE: The dramatic Stong Waterfall, which rises around 300 metres. PHOTOS | COURTESY OF TAN JUNJIE
HOW TO GET THERE
Destination #3: Gunung Stong
PREPARATION
SITUATED in north Malaysia, near the Thai border, Kunung Stong is a popular getaway destination for tourists and locals. Its Thai-influenced food and outdoor activities have kept Year 1 Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering student Tan Junjie going back regularly.
Desaru is a 30-minute ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Book a tour with Desaru Fruit Farm Tour & Travel. A 2-day tour with accommodation and many extravagant meals provided costs around $200.
MUST-DO
The waterfall slide is the best feature of Gunung Stong. An hour’s trek from the main campsite, the slide is two-storey high and ends in a waterfall pool. The guides recommend beginners slide down in a sitting position to prevent abrasion. But they will not hesitate to challenge the daring ones to slide down in a surfing position, balancing on your feet. There is also a cave complex nearby with majestic stalagmites and stalactites. It is a lot cleaner than Kuala Lumpur’s Batu Caves, with their pungent smell of bat droppings, as the caves here are water-based and house limestone structures rather than bats.
RECOMMENDED FOR
A weekend together with your parents. Desaru is also a good place to wind down with the extended family as the tour caters to individuals of all ages. POSE READY: It is easy to get a good shot of these comical birds.
WHAT TO EAT
The local Kelantanese cuisine is an interesting fusion, which stems from influence by Thai and Indian styles. Tom yum soup is easily found all around the village of Stong. You can choose between thick or clear broth. The brother carries a fiery aftertaste, due to the mixture of spices used from the two cuisines and is a definite must-try. There is also a collection of food stalls along Dabong train station, but it is the outdoor cooking that one will really enjoy at Stong.
A buffet place near the water rafting area serves richly flavoured nasi lemak and the local guide recommended Chow Zhou Hawker, which cooks local specialities which may sound familiar but have a slightly local twist.
Take the 12-hour train from Johor Bahru station to Dabong station. A night train is ideal as you can sleep through the long journey on the train’s comfy beds, and arrive fresh in the morning.
HOW TO GET THERE
PREPARATION
HOW TO GET THERE
Take a bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru, followed by a train to Kuala Kubu Bharu Station which costs RM20 ($8). The journey takes about half a day.
Do book a tour with local tour agency and ensure that the package includes access to the camp site, a trekking guide, cave tours and guides for the waterfall slides. For trekking on those slippery waterfall rocks, get a pair of “Kampong Adidas” from the local stores. These rubber shoes are highly durable, dry fast, have a very good grip and cost RM$6 (S$2.60) a pair. “My own pair saved my life when I nearly slipped on a rock while trekking,” he said.
PREPARATION
Book a package tour with the local river raft vendor, which includes a trekking guide. Apart from clothes and first-aid supplies, food and fuel is also necessary for outdoor cooking and you need not limit yourselves to instant food.
RECOMMENDED FOR
The outdoor adventure junkie, and those travelling in big groups as it is perfect for camping and other bonding activities.
TROPICAL FRUIT PARADISE: Desaru Fruit Farm offers a multitude of fruits for their lunch and dinner buffets. PHOTOS | SUSAN CHOW
SAFETY FIRST: As it is common for civilians to carry firarms in yemen, Mr. Tan got himself an AK 47 to blend in.
WHERE TO STAY
The campsite included in the package was a winner. “What I enjoyed most was the majestic sunrise we can observe from our campsite, you can get nothing close to that in Singapore,” Junjie said.
WHAT TO EAT
ACCUSED of being an illegal immigrant in Bulgaria, Nanyang Business School lecturer Mr Tan Wee Cheng had the nerve to bargain with the immigration officers on the bribe amount. “It was my first solo trip. When I was crossing the Bulgarian border, the immigration was corrupted and claimed that I faked the stamps of the passport. I was very shaken then but I realised you can actually bargain when someone is asking for bribes,” he said. Having travelled to 196 countries and holding the record of “Most Countries Travelled by a Single Person” by the Singapore Book of Records, that encounter is just one of the many tales he has to share. Mr Tan thrives on the thrill of unpredictable situations that travelling offers. To date, he has scuffled with gangsters in Cyprus, been detained in Russia and survived riots in Burkina Faso. His traveling journey all began with a two-month graduation trip to Europe with his NTU schoolmates. “I fell in love with travelling then. Subsequently, all my annual leaves and academic breaks have been for used up for travelling,” Mr Tan said. He is always careful with his budget when travelling. “My cheapest hotel in India was $4. Of course it was a terrible hotel. But if you are willing to sacrifice on luxury, travelling can be cheap,” he said. Mr Tan’s love of travelling and telling stories has led him to immortalise his adventures in print. He has written three travel novels titled “The Greenland Seal Hunter”, “Hot Spots and Dodgy Places” and “Exotic Places and Dodgy Places”. The travel guru is also a founder of www.sgtravelcafe. com, a travel social networking site that connects fellow travel enthusiasts of all ages.
RECOMMENDED FOR
Beginners who want to experience basic trekking and camping. The terrain is relatively manageable for first-timers, and is perfect for groups of five to 15.
tips for budget Travellers 1. Look out for budget airline promotions. These promotions usually occur for a limited time on Fridays and public holidays. 2. South East Asia is good for budget trips. While it might be perceived as a common destination, there are hidden spots in the Eastern part of Malaysia and unspoiled tribes in Java. 3. Find out new areas of travel possibilities by joining travel social networking sites like www.sgtravelcafe.com, which holds monthly gatherings where foreigners give presentations on their country and fellow travelers can share travel tips. 4. Planning is essential in budgeting. Read up in advance on the places of interest, and find out what the cheaper modes of transport are. Emergencies should also be addressed in budget-planning.
5. On budget trips to less developed countries, it is sometimes uncertain the problems you will meet due to corruption and ambiguous immigration and travel laws. It is important to have some cash with you at all times for any potential bribes. 6. A photocopy of your passport is another item you should always have on hand. 7. Being “touristy” does not always mean that the area is expensive. These places often offer similar services in the same area, like budget hostels and private villas. Conversely, travelling is sometimes more expensive in less developed countries without a proper tourism infrastructure. Additional customisation in terms of transport and accommodation has to be made, but it will cost you more.
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WALKS IN THE CITY According to a report by CNN in 2007, Singapore has the world’s fastest walkers. Have we forgotten the pleasures of taking a nice, leisurely stroll in this urban rush? Malvin Chua visits three attractive walkways—Dhoby Ghaut Green, Marina Bay Waterfront and the Sentosa Boardwalk—places of respite in the heart of the city to take a loved one for a chat or a drink.
RELAX: The timber boardwalk, with its lush palm trees and shrubs, gives the Sentosa Boardwalk a resort-like atmosphere.
Sentosa Boardwalk THE Sentosa Boardwalk opened in January for visitors to get to Sentosa Island from the VivoCity waterfront promenade on foot. Despite traffic on the vehicular bridge running parallel to it, the walkway is tranquil. Soft jazz playing in the background, the many palm trees and shrubs, and the timber boardwalk create a resort-like atmosphere. If you are too lazy to walk, a series of travelators will take you to the entrance of Sentosa Island.
Walking, however, offers a better view and allows you to stop to admire the scenery. Small boats occasionally pass by and cable cars traverse the skyline. Up ahead, the Merlion peeks out from behind the colourful buildings on Sentosa Island. Enjoy the sunset at The Wine Company over a glass or two, or people-watch at Ooh! Crepes, a small and quaint café on the boardwalk, with crepes and coffee. You can also indulge your sweet tooth with Queens’ cakes and pastries or Italian Gelato at Gelateria Venezia.
JUXTAPOSITION: The landscape surrounding Dhoby Ghaut Green is an eclectic mix of old and new—with the blue glass facade of the Atrium@Orchard contrasting with the faded red bricks of MacDonald House.
Dhoby Ghaut Green DHOBY Ghaut Green was launched in October last year as a place for arts events and bazaars. It is the most accessible of the three locations as three MRT lines converge at Dhoby Ghaut. Dhoby Ghaut Green is smack in the middle of four stretches of roads. The surrounding landscape, however, makes up for all the noise with a picturesque view of the eclectic mix of old and new architecture— the blue glass façade of the Atrium@Orchard contrasting with the faded red bricks of MacDonald House, the beige exterior of the MDIS building and the School of the
Marina Bay Waterfront
Arts, with lush greenery spilling down its sides. The landmark of Dhoby Ghaut Green is the sculptural amphitheatre, which resembles a rattan basket in shape and texture, sitting in the centre of the space. In the evening, it lights up like a glittering lantern and is a great subject for photographs. The park has an on-site restaurant, Sakura International Buffet, for hungry visitors. You can also visit more restaurants and shop at Plaza Singapura, The Cathay Cineplex and Park Mall nearby.
“Must-dos” on your walk about town Free ConcertS
Catch free concerts at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (at the Marina Bay Waterfront), where local acts often perform. See http://www.esplanade. com/whats_on/index.jsp for the year’s schedule of events.
Romantic Picnic CENTRESTAGE: The outdoor amphitheatre outside the Esplanade is a popular meeting place where friends gather to chat and enjoy the scenery.
PICTURE-PERFECT: Stepping into the Marina Bay Waterfront is like entering the scene of a postcard—stand at the Esplanade for a panoramic view of the cityscape. PHOTOS | TERENCE LEE
THE Marina Bay Waterfront has been evolving with the development of the Marina Bay Sands resort. Three iconic structures have been added to the picture, namely the Helix Bridge, the Marina Bay Sands Singapore, and the newly-opened ArtScience Museum. Stepping into the Waterfront is like entering a scene on a postcard—stand at the
Esplanade for a panoramic view of the cityscape spanning from the Fullerton Hotel to the Singapore Flyer. Alternatively, stop at the “balconies”, or viewing galleries jutting out along the Helix Bridge, which links the Esplanade to the Marina Bay Sands. Seating is plentiful along the steps and railings of the Waterfront.
The place is generally quiet in the day, but is filled with throngs of friends and lovers come evening. The outdoor amphitheatre outside the Esplanade also transforms from a meeting place to a live music venue at night. Small shops along the walkway sell tidbits and cold drinks you can take along on your walk. The Marina Bay Sands resort has many expensive restaurants, but fret not, The Shoppes also has a food court in the basement. You can also have affordable hawker fare at the Makansutra Glutton’s Bay which is nearer to the Esplanade.
Pack a picnic before heading to Dhoby Ghaut Green in the evening. The lit-up façade of the outdoor amphitheatre creates a glittering backdrop for a romantic evening. You can lay out a mat on the grass by the theatre or in the theatre itself, or do away with the picnic blanket and sit along the theatre's steps.
Sight seeing
People-watch or enjoy the scenery at the window seats at Ooh! Crepes (at the Sentosa Boardwalk), which is the only eatery along the stretch with seats facing the waterfront. Its cosy cafe atmosphere also makes it conducive for conversation.
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travelogue
Sincerely, Myanmar It is isolated, undeveloped and poor, but that's exactly why you should visit Myanmar, says Wallace Woon.
THE GOLDEN ROCK: The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda boulder sparkles in the sunlight as numerous Buddhist faithful apply layers of gold leaf.
M
yanmar is one of the world’s poorest nations, but the air is full of gold. Flecks of gold leaf floated on the breeze around me and sparkled in the sunlight at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. More commonly known as the Golden Rock, this seven-metre high boulder balances on the edge of a cliff, dramatic against the backdrop of the Mon mountain range, and the Buddhist faithful apply layers of gold leaf until it glows in the sun. Nothing is put on for the tourists; it is the real thing, which is rare enough in Asia and can set you wondering what is the value of development and tourism when much will be lost. Travelling in Myanmar presents this dilemma. Visiting the country means that the locals are able to learn more about the world, but it also means that a burgeoning tourism industry will corrupt the purity that makes Myanmar such a joy to visit. This Catch-22 situation was fuel for debate between other travellers and me as we sat down after a day of touring. The consensus was that, with responsible and sustainable tourism practices, the benefits of visiting Myanmar outweighed the possible drawbacks. That said, my tour of the country was a valuable experience and I am grateful for the chance to have visited it before the influx of tourists changes it irreversibly. As I walked its streets, I felt a real sense of being transported back to a time when Asian culture had not given way to Western modernisation and people were not preoccupied with achieving financial success.
In the former capital of Yangon the buildings are reminders that the country was colonised by the same nation that gave the world afternoon tea and the Premier League. Myanmar has more than its fair share of British government buildings, like Singapore. The stark difference is, unlike City Hall and the Fullerton Hotel, these buildings need a good scrub. Myanmar bears some similarities to Singapore. The population constitutes a
alike remain ignorant about the government’s ill doings as well as international affairs. That was exactly why I chose to visit the country. With all of its mishaps in human rights and economic development, Myanmar has kept its local flavour very much unspoiled. Claude Baronet, a French travel photographer I met, proclaimed his idea that the “Land of Smiles” title should also be given to Myanmar. Because, smile
THE "LAND OF SMILES": Get ready to be greated by friendly faces.
multi-ethnic stew. Deep colonial influences, both in habit and in policy, live on more than half a century after the British pulled out. But from this similar starting point, the recent history of Myanmar has played out almost in opposite of Singapore’s. The country, at one time the ricebowl of Asia, slid downwards to become labelled Least Developed Country by the United Nations. Restricted areas and heavy media censorship ensure that visitors and locals
PHOTOS | WALLACE WOON
the people do. Everywhere I went I was greeted with betel-stained teeth. European hospitality is married with Asian family values in Myanmar. It is all too easy to be invited to someone’s home for a meal after a short conversation. Very often I would have a local snack pushed towards me by a smiling stranger, until I began to question if these generous people were really as poor as we were told. But appearances can be deceptive. I marvelled at the Myanmese children,
PHOTOS | WALLACE WOON
who seemed to lead a carefree life. Most are content to be running around their neighbourhood with careless abandon, with a posse of friends in tow. More than once I came across kids playing an impromptu game of football and joined them for an afternoon kick-about session. Idyllic as it may sound, being a kid in Myanmar is not all fun and games. Although the country boasts a relatively high literacy rate at the primary level, it plummets at the secondary and tertiary due to the high cost of school fees. Left to wander around home or in town, many kids take up menial service industry jobs to ease the burden on their parents aging. A highway stop near the capital Nay Pyi Taw was staffed by kids looking as young as seven or eight. The sight of the eatery looking like a playground can be disturbing, and a reminder that there are deeply rooted problems in Myanmar still. The country rides a rollercoaster in and out of the spotlight. The world stops and gasps, then quickly catches its breath and continues on its way. That gives us another reason to visit. As residents of an advanced nation, who are privileged to pursue a university education and enjoy first-world comforts, we are ambassadors in our own right. Interaction with the locals is a two-way exchange. Our knowledge of the world can help reverse the effects that governmentimposed isolation has on the people—as well as giving a chance to see a beautiful country before the progress that comes with tourism changes it forever.
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dapper: your essential style guide
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08 CHRONICLE Black Crop Jacket, $289, Shirt, $89.90, The Corner Shop. Grey Pants, $115, Depression. Leather Shoes, $159, J Shoes.
Satin Blouse, $59, Pants, $69, Alice’s. Stilettos, $99.90, Charles & Keith. Sunglasses, $39.90, The Corner Shop.
Dress, $125, Depression. Boots, $75.90, Charles & Keith.
T H E M I N I M A L I S T.
On Luiza: Black Dress, $125, Depression. Mesh Jumpsuit worn under, $69, Alice’s. Cut-out Boots, $75.90, Charles & Keith. On Jonas: White Bow Shirt, $109, Black Crop Jacket, $289, Kilted Bermudas, $79.90, The Corner Shop. Patented Leather Shoes, $159, J Shoes.
STOCKISTS Depression, Millenia Walk Parco, #P2-21, Alice’s, Millenia Walk Parco, #P2- 22 Charles & Keith, 435 Orchard Rd #B1-18/19 Wisma Atria The Corner Shop, 4 Scotts Road #03-16 Far East Plaza J Shoes, #03-03 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.
Photographer - GLADYS NG / Stylists - HONG YU RAN - GLADYS NG / Assistant Stylist - FOONG WAI HARNG / Models - JONAS LINDBERG - LUIZA LINHARES / Make-up & Hair - KLEIN CHO
T-shirt, $35, Black Pants, $109, Vintage Hat, $49.90, The Corner Shop. High-Cut Black Shoes, $189, J Shoes.
Black Dress, $95, Depression. Leather Booties, $69.90, Charles & Keith.
Bow Shirt, $109, The Corner Shop. Shorts with Tights, $110, Depression. Harness Vest, $49, Alice’s. High-Cut Black Shoes, $189, J Shoes.
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photo: spotlight RIGHT: An exchange student hangs from a ceiling beam above the VIP dance floor. He falls with the beam but walks away unscathed.
BELOW: Merry-making is the order of the night. A local undergraduate grooves along to the party beats.
In the darkness of the night, the party animals come a-prowling. And they become wilder the further they are away from home. And so we find, at La Maison & Blujaz Cafe, exchange students party harder while Singaporeans play it safe.
WHAT HAPPENS
HERE
ABOVE: Hall of Residence 8’s Jam Band plays to a quiet crowd at Blujaz Cafe. “We’ll love it if you sing along,” says singer and pianist Lyndsey Long.
LEFT: Two friends looking embarrassed as their other friends tease them. “Kiss, kiss, kiss,” they chant in Hokkien.
LEFT: A party-goer falls asleep in a quiet corner as the party winds down at the Ravehaus presents Pyjama Party.
ABOVE: The bartender at La Maison holds a $50 bill in his mouth as his hands try to keep up with brisk business.
RIGHT: As the clock strikes midnight, 50 couples are invited to the VIP dance floor where slower songs are played. This exchange couple shares an intimate moment on the crowded dance floor.
HERE STAYS
ABOVE: Revelers dance to the tunes DJ JUICE spins. The Singapore Uni House Party saw more exchange students than locals among their guests. PHOTOS AND WORDS | GOH CHAY TENG & WAN ZHONG HAO
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reviews
Hey, Soul Sister Jazz artist Esperanza Spalding shocked the world when she won the Grammy for Best Newcomer. Shahilia Bhagat sings her praises.
ESPERANZA Spalding, a little known country jazz bassist and singer, made waves recently when she snatched the Best New Artist Grammy award from hot favourite Justin Bieber. At just 26, Spalding is the first jazz singer to win the award, beating Bieber, Eng l i sh fol k roc k ba nd Mumford and Sons, hiphop artist Drake and the soul band Florence and the Machine. Spalding, whose f irst na me Esper a n za mea n s ‘hope’ i n Spa n i sh , wa s brought up in what she calls ‘the other side of the tracks’, in a neighbourhood in Portland, Oregon. Growing up in a singleparent home where money was hard to come by, she learnt the hard way that nothing comes easy. At the tender age of five, Spalding taught herself to play the violin well enough to secure a place in The Chamber Music Society of Oregon. Her inspiration? Watching classical cellist Yo Yo Ma perform on television. She then stayed with the orchestra for 10 years. At just 15, Spalding was made concertmaster (the leader of the first violin section in the orchestra). Spa ld i ng, who wa s home-schooled, later entered Portland State University at 16 to pursue a Bachelor of Music.
At 20, Spalding then joined the faculty of Berklee College of Music in Boston, ma k i ng her t he you ngest faculty member in the school’s 40 year history. Despite her accolades, Spalding remains grounded. She attributes her success to her mother who is also her role model and biggest fan. She does not consider herself to be a musical prodigy and regards her albums as collaborative works rather than solo efforts.
“I like performing in laid-back places where people get involved and hoot and holler.” Esperanza Spalding Interview with Nu-Soul Magazine
Spalding’s style of music, recorded in English, Portuguese and Spanish, may not resemble the conventional music played on the airwaves. But despite her supposed lack of mainstream appeal, the dark horse winner with the distinctive afro possesses astonishing musical talents. She can play the violin, bass guitar, piano, oboe and clarinet—but picks the upright bass as her instrument of choice.
“From the time Esperanza Spalding appeared in the scene in 2005, the dynamic singer, bassist, composer and arranger has been heralded as jazz’s next big thing,” the Associate Press wrote in a lead-up to the Grammys. “Her impressive musicianship has won her White House recital dates, praise from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, and critical acclaim.” Hav ing been on tour with the likes of singing legend Ella Fitzgerald and saxaphonist Joe Lovano in the past, Spalding is about to embark on a solo tour across both North and South America, Europe and Africa. Her next endeavour is a record currently titled ‘Radio Music Society’ set for release late this year. Spalding hopes that the album will open listeners up to jazz music by exhibiting jazz musicians in a manner appropriate for mainstream radio. Despite her unexpected Grammy win, the young lass remains classy. When asked about the backlash from Justin Bieber’s fans, she had a gem of a reply. “You never know, some of those Bieber fans might, in a few years, discover they like jazz, they like the bass, and they like my singing,” she told ABC News. “And if they don’t, God bless them and I’m going to keep doing it anyway.”
JUNJO (2006)
Though presented as a solo effort, “Junjo” meshes the talents of Spalding with the artistry of Cuban musicians—pianist Aruán Ortiz and drummer Francisco Mela— to produce an album that ranges from modern American jazz to contemporary Brazilian music and traditional Argentine folk music. Spalding uses a delicate, wordless pattern that is cohesive enough to allow one vowel to flow into the next. Her bass solo on “Mompouana” is brilliant and demonstrates her great devotion to the instrument she loves.
ESPERANZA (2008)
The album mostly encompasses self-penned songs that are simultaneously pleasant, compelling and powerful. Standout tracks include the inspirational “Espera,” and her own interpretation of the classic “Cuerpo y Alma”. The brassy up-beat tune of “She Got to You” is a definite crowdpleaser that even non-jazz lovers would love. The smooth jazz-samba hybrid creation, “I Adore You” is infectiously catchy with its deep, booming drumbeat at the beginning of the song.
CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY (2010)
The record is Spalding’s biggest and most ambitious effort yet. The album is filled with undulating vocals accompanied by Spalding’s jazz trio (pianist Leo Genovese and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington) and a string trio (violinist Entcho Todorov, violist Lois Martin, cellist David Eggar) that provides the backbone for every song. The album encompasses Latin rhythms that shift through blues, gospel, Brazilian, and Afro-Cuban and does so always in good taste. A highlight of the album, the upbeat “Winter Sun” allows Spalding to showcase her impressive bass-playing skills as well as her robust voice to produce a cheery song.
PHOTOS | INTERNET
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Music AMANDA PALMER GOES DOWN UNDER Amanda Palmer (Dark Cabaret)
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During her recent Australian tour to promote the album, Amanda Palmer raised over A$3000 in a single show to help the people of Christchurch.
REBELLIOUS, controversial, and sinisterly humorous. This mismatch of adjectives describe Amanda Palmer and her latest album, Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under perfectly. W hile still relatively unknown in the realm of mainstream music, Palmer (self-proclaimed and referred to by her loyal fans as Amanda F***ing Palmer for her devilmay-care attitude) is wellknown in the Australian and New Zealand theatre circuits. Goes Down Under is her first recorded live album, and plays like a comedy musical to the ears of new listeners. Hilarious lyrics and catchy tunes make up the essence of tracks such as Vegemite, where she laments the traditional Australian spread, and Map of Tasmania, a song with a funky, eclectic Jamaican vibe. In the latter song, Palmer takes the unusual step of comparing women’s pubic hair to the little island south of Australia. Let it fly in the open wind/If it get too bushy
you can trim are some of the track’s tamer lyrics. Palmer does, however, t a ke t h i ng s to a mor e serious level with songs such as Australia and On An Unknown Beach, each with her signature haunting piano accompaniments. In My Mind, a song reflecting on her life and future, is accompanied by the sounds of a ukulele, her trademark instrument. A lthough Goes Down Under is not your typical easy-listening album, Palmer never crosses the line into the truly shocking. You need an open mind and a sense of humour to enjoy her music, intentionally recorded to entertain and appeal to the quirky side in all of us. Nonetheless, her solid vocals and witty songwriting would serve her well if she ever intends to break into the mainstream market. For now, take a walk on the wild side with Amanda Palmer’s unique effort.
"One of the reasons why I love it here so much is that Australians aren’t obsessed with perfection.” Amanda Palmer on her inspiration for Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under Interview with X-Press Magazine
-Priscilla Kham
books PREMIER LEECH Neil Humphreys (Fiction) $23.95 at Kinokuniya Published by Marshall Cavendish Editions
YOUNG men earn fortunes for kicking a ball about while the rest of the world struggles through an economic downturn. For fans of the English Premier League who watch their heroes on televised matches every week, Premier Leech gives them a shocking look at the seedier side of the global sport. In the book, prominent newspaper columnist and writer Neil Humphreys returns with a shocking exposé
about Scott (no last name revealed), a football captain, and his journey into the torrid underbelly of the sporting world. Scott, a humble Essex boy hailing from Dagenham, East London, is riding high as a top-tier league player. But intoxicated by a deadly concoction of fame, success, and a lack of self-discipline, he commits adultery with his best friend’s wife. As Scott attempts to suppress the tabloid’s efforts to uncover the affair, he is beset by yet more troubles. To compound matters, rumours are gathering that his club (which is never named directly) may be subject to a secret takeover bid by a wealthy Saudi businessman. Scott then worries that the Saudi’s interest in his attractive pop-singer wife may be more than just coincidence. We live in a definitive new era of football where the gap between the footballer and his fans is increasingly widened by fancy displays of sports cars, celebrity wives and sprawling mansions. Humphreys questions if the ‘Holy Trinity’ of the fans, players and the manager all being of equal importance, as
espoused by Liverpool legend Bill Shankly, still holds true today. As you might expect, the novel answers this with a firm ‘no’. Although the novel is told from Scott’s point of view, Humphreys echoes the disillusionment of real fans by emphasising the detachment Scott has with the real world. An early scene sets the tone for the kind of cynical humour that fills the pages. Scott’s friend asks if the girl he had sex with the night before had taken a video of their tryst. Scott declares that unlike Lampard, he’s sick of having his face beamed around the world every weekend. He smugly adds that he knows how to protect himself from being filmed at any other time, especially during sex. EPL fans will no doubt recall with some amusement the sex scandal that implicated Chelsea player Frank Lampard some time ago. With enough suspense and drama to entertain even non-football fans, Premier Leech makes readers question whether football really is still the ‘Beautiful Game’.
-Goh Ee-Ling
100 MISTAKES THAT CHANGED HISTORY Bill Fawcett (Non-Fiction) $23.95 at Kinokuniya Published by Berkley Press
EVERYONE likes to hear stories about others’ mistakes. 100 Mistakes That Changed History provides you with just that—a list of 100 mistakes that changed the course of human history. While it is only human to err, some mistakes come with consequences too huge for anyone to bear—even for some of the world’s greatest leaders. In his latest book, Bill Fawcett takes readers through a history of mistakes—from the one that created the
Western Civilisation in 499 BCE to the one which led to the collapse of the global stock market in 2008. Fawcett must have put in tremendous effort presenting the 100 monumental moments as bite-sized stories, and making them a joy to read. One story with an important life lesson is how the Americans took over Texas from Mexico like guests that had overstayed their welcome—since 1821 to be exact. The stories may make sense to those with a good k nowledge of h istor ica l events, but confusing to those without. By cutting to the chase, these stories leave out most of the background information. For example, Fawcett mentions Richard Nixon’s mistake of breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. It cost him his 20-point popularity lead in the polls, along with the presidency. However, Fawcett assumes that readers are already familiar with the context of the 1972 American Presidential election, and does not delve into the de-
tails of Nixon’s obsessive behaviour. Probably the deadliest mistake made in history was the decision by European peasants to kill off the cat population during the ‘Black Death’ period of the mid1300s. The peasants eventually caused the plague to spread even further, as the population of rats, the real carriers, increased rapidly once their natural predators were gone. Their fatal error caused 100 million deaths, and the social and political institutions of Europe took a century and a half to recover. While Fawcett did a commendable job in identifying these defining moments, it is a pity that he did not provide additional insight or an analysis of the events. If his purpose for the book is simply to provide an overview of key mistakes in history, the book serves admirably. Otherwise, it leaves you searching for more background information on the mistakes you’ve just read about.
-Cheryl Chan
BOOKS FROM KINOKUNIYA PHOTOS | INTERNET
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FILMS TRUE GRIT
AMERICAN WESTERN Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfield 110min
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A YOUNG girl’s quest for justice and family honour begins when 14-year-old Mattie Ross’s (Hailee Steinfield) father was wrongfully slain by hitman Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). The young girl swears vengeance, setting into motion the events of True Grit. True Grit is the modern adaptation of a John Wayne classic, and it is fascinating to see how this legendary Western tale still measures up to today’s standards. The story begins with Mattie’s narration of her father’s murder. With no other option, Mattie hires the alcoholic, merciless U.S. Marshal named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to capture her father’s murderer. Reputed to be the meanest and cruelest Marshal around, Cogburn is also known among his peers as the “man with true grit”.
However, he does show a softer side when he rescues Mattie from a snake bite, and carries her on his back for miles to seek medical aid. As Mattie and Cogburn trek across the great outdoors on their horses in true Western style, they are accompanied by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). LaBouef is, coincidentally, also in pursuit of Chaney for the murder of a Texas politician. Mattie is reluctant to have him along on their journey as she refuses to have Chaney trialed for any crime other than her father’s murder. The tension between the three builds as they clash over how best to deal with the man they are hunting down. Despite the slow pace of the film, what is most impressive is the development of the characters. Like Cogburn, Mattie too begins to show flashes of “true grit” herself.
HARD JUSTICE: Hailee Steinfield, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin all star in this classic Western tale of murder and vengeance.
Especially noteworthy is her courage—she never allows anyone or any circumstance to stand in the way of capturing her father’s murderer. Despite going up against two men much older and far tougher than she is, Mattie proves she is not so easily dissuaded. “As I walk through the valley of death,
NEVER LET ME GO
ing over Cogburn’s grave. She remembers the old Marshal and ponders how time catches up with everyone. Mattie is also shown to have paid her price for the revenge she sought. This closely parallels her haunting, powerful line at the start of the film, “You must pay for everything in this world
one way or another. There is nothing free, except the grace of God”. Directed by the Coen brothers, True Grit is a worthy adaptation of Charles Portis’ 1968 novel. It definitely delivers and is indeed deserving of all its 10 Academy Award nominations.
-Theodora Theresa D’cruz
127 HOURS
DYSTOPIAN DRAMA
ADVENTURE James Franco 94min
CAREY MULLIGAN, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ANDREW GARFIELD
103min
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,,,,, IF The Island was an action-packed thriller about clones being bred for organ donations, Never Let Me Go is its quieter, more introspective British cousin. This tale of attachment and loss was adapted from a 2005 novel by Japanese author Kazuo Ishiguro. The movie depicts the lives of three clones, born and raised specifically to ensure an available source of human organs for the people they were cloned from. The clones have thoughts and feelings like any other human. Three of them, Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) are entangled in a love triangle that begins in their childhood and lasts until they are adults. The movie begins in Hailsham, a special boarding school where the clones live a life of idyllic ease. Not everything is perfect, however, as the clones discover that they are destined to die when the originals require their vital organs. Tommy is distraught after learning this, and becomes withdrawn and depressed. Kathy grows fond of him, but Tommy eventually enters into a relationship with Ruth instead. Never Let Me Go does not concern itself with the moral issues of cloning. It focuses on the relationships between the main characters and their emotional dilemmas. This is a good decision as the film’s strength lies in the performance of its three stars. Although Tommy and Ruth’s relationship takes up most of the movie, it is Carey Mulligan’s portrayal of Kathy that stands out. Her nuanced performance as a woman in love with a man who only regards her as a friend is remarkable in its subtlety. The final third of the film includes a plot twist that changes what the viewers would
I shall fear no evil,” Mattie says repeatedly. It is only through the occasional flash of uncertainty and tears in her eyes that the audience is reminded that Mattie, despite her cold and hard exterior, is a teenage girl. The film fast forwards 25 years later, with Mattie look-
DOPPELGANGER: Tommy (Andrew Garfield) has a complicated relationship with Kathy (Carey Mulligan).
have initially thought about the clones and their place in the world. It is worked seamlessly into the plot and as a result doesn’t come off as trite or forced. Despite the movie’s strengths, it is difficult to determine exactly which genre this film falls under. It has elements of a sci-fi, romance or even a period piece. It feels as though director Mark Romanek included a little of everything to appeal to a wider audience. Nevertheless, Never Let Me Go is a work of subtle beauty—a melancholic meditation on the finality of life and the choices we make as our time shortens.
-Marlene Tan
THE thought of watching a movie about a man stuck in a narrow gorge for more than a hundred hours hardly seems compelling. But as Ryan Reynolds proved in Buried, a movie which is about a man trying to escape being buried alive, the desperation of being caught in an impossible situation can be fascinating. James Franco (Spider-Man, Pineapple Express) turns in a splendid performance as mountain climber Aron Ralston facing a similar in 127 Hours. The movie distinguishes itself from the rest by virtue of being based on a true story. 127 Hours depicts Ralston’s ordeal after a boulder crashes onto his arm and traps him in an isolated Utah canyon. With limited resources and time running out, Ralston must decide how far he is willing to go to survive. The success of a film that uses one actor for almost its entire running time depends a lot on him, and Franco delivers in spades. He skillfully assumes both ends on the scale of human emotion as he goes from comedy to tragedy. Director Danny Boyle, the man behind Slumdog Millionaire, does not shy away from shocking. There are times when you feel Boyle is tormenting the audience with several scenes almost unbearable to watch. For example, Ralston breaks his arm, and desperately drinks from a water bag filled with his own urine. But these moments are what make the film intense and visceral. In another graphic scene, Boyle cleverly enhances its intensity by introducing a deeply emotional sequence before it.
NO WAY OUT: Caught between a rock and a hard place, how far will Aron Ralston (James Franco) go to survive?
Ralston begins to hallucinate and imagines saying goodbye to his loved ones and an imaginary future son. Despite the gore and horror reminiscent of a Saw movie, the best parts of the film are those where Ralston sits and looks at the heavens for hope. The stillness of the scene starkly contrasts the despair of Ralston’s situation. Unfortunately the film is not without problems. Boyle indulges in too many flashback scenes that are not developed fully, and lack emotional depth. Although disturbing at times, 127 Hours is ultimately about an intense battle between nature and Ralston’s will to live.
-Brenda Xie
PHOTOS | INTERNET
VOL. NO.
17
LIFESTYLE 27
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE reviews
Draw Me Closer
Pangdemonium! Productions wrapped up its final showing of Closer at the DBS Arts Centre yesterday. Celine Chen shares her thoughts. OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE: Larry (Adrian Pang), Anna (Tan Kheng Hua), Dan (Keagan Kang) and Alice (Cynthia Lee-MacQuarrie) discover that love does not always liberate—sometimes it imprisons. Closer is the second play to be staged by Pangdemonium! Productions.
FOUR strangers hailing from wildly different backgrounds discover they have something in common—the search for love and the pitfalls of temptation. Closer is the second stage production for Singapore’s newest theatre company Pangdemonium! Productions, directed by the husband-and-wife duo of Adrian and Tracie Pang. Originally written by Patrick Marber in 1997 for the West End in London, it was later adapted to a Holly wood film starring Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Natalie Portman. Following the duo’s successful inaugural production The Full Monty, Closer explores the line between
love and lust. The production does away with slapstick humour and presents instead the morbid side of love and personal relationships. The stor y depicts the lives of Alice (Cynthia LeeMacQuarrie), Dan (Keagan Kang), Anna (Tan Kheng Hua) and Larr y (Adrian Pang) intertwined in a web of emotions and deceit. The script is explicit with a noholds barred approach to sex talk. The tale of Closer begins with the four characters meeting one another through a series of coincidences. As the characters interact, temptation eventually gets the better of them. T he produc t ion wa s not all smooth sailing. Tan
Kheng Hua was forced to replace Emma Yong a few days before opening night due to medical reasons. Fortunately Tan, a stage veteran, was able to perform the role of Anna effortlessly. Perhaps the small arts scene in Singapore was helpful in this instance, as most of the actors already knew each other. The result was a good portrayal of Anna, a professional photographer who attempts to control of her love life, but to no avail.
“Opening night was a bit like falling in love—thrilling, terrifying and unforgettably romantic!.” Adrian Pang, commenting on the play’s opening night to local blogger Red Dot Diva.
The role of Larry was played by another veteran, Adrian Pang. Larr y is a dermatologist grounded in reality and a man assured of his choices. Pang’s portrayal of a confident man who suffers a
shattering blow to his spirit and pride was delivered convincingly in the emotional scenes that followed. Alice, a free-spirited girl who works part time as a stripper, harbours secrets of a disturbing past. She was portrayed by Cynthia Lee-MacQuarrie, who delivered a believable performance of a young woman whose choices in love and life eventually takes a turn for the worse. However as t he play was set in London, LeeMacQuarrie made the unfortunate choice of affecting a British accent that sometimes came across as unnatural. The Australian actor Keagan Kang took on the role of Dan, an aspiring writer who is fickle-minded about love. He is easily tempted and immature in handling serious relationships. Kang, unfortunately, did not seem to be in character at some points although he got better as the play progressed. In essence, all four characters are deeply f lawed, desiring to be redeemed. Each of them encounters certain moments which enables them to appear more vulnerable, allowing the audience to relate to the drama
as it unfolds. The stage was used in an interesting manner. In one instance, two scenes from separate worlds were played out side by side on stage. An unconventional use of stage space, but it fulfiled its aim of showing the contrast between the characters.
dark humour and genuine moments of sadness. Compared to its lighthea r ted debut T he Full Monty, Closer is a script that proved more of a challenge. It is harder to please the audience this time around as the production is a melodrama, rather than a musical.
SULTRY SUB: Tan Kheng Hua replaces Emma Yong as Anna.
Closer serves as a mirror for modern relationships. It deals with mature themes that would not be complete without a lot of sex talk, vulgarities and tension. It illustrates how at times lies can protect and truths destroy, and how putting on a mask to conceal our real selves could instead lead to a tragic end. The script achieves a good balance of delightfully
The cast of Closer pulled it off well, largely due to the good casting. Judging by the quality of their sophomore effort the future of Pangdemonium! Productions looks promising with Adrian and Tracie Pang at the helm. For a four person cast in a play running for just 90 minutes, praise is in order for this thoughtful production. PHOTOS | INTERNET
the winning looks from the second round! Get spotted being your stylish self on campus and stand to win attractive prizes. 2 $100 ZARA vouchers for 2 winners, and 2 $50 ZARA vouchers for 2 lucky voters. So start voting now at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nail-That-Unique-Style-NTUStyle
MARcus
Year 2 / School of mechanical and aerospace EngineerinG
shi yun
Year 2 / school of humanities and social sciences
I AM WEARING... New Era Cap from The Corner Shop. Supreme tee from overseas, (I do not remember the prices). Chino pants from Uniqlo at $49.90 and Redwing yellow Mustang boots at $438. Fred Perry bag at $119.90.
I AM WEARING... Top from vintage store at Chatuchak, at $30. Denim shorts from Cotton On, $30. Sandals from Tang & Co at $80 and the bag is borrowed from my sister.
my personal style... I am a sneakerhead! Other than that, I like the old-school vintage look and I love to match it with more modern pieces.
my personal style... I don’t really have a fixed style. I just wear whatever I feel like when I want to express myself, especially clothes that I am comfortable in.
MY STYLE ICON IS... Takuya Kimura, Hiroshi Fujiwara and Johnny Depp.
MY STYLE ICON IS... Vanessa Hudgens and the Olsen twins.
NTU CAMPUS STYLE IS... All about the berms-and-tee style! I'D NOT BE CAUGHT DEAD WEARING... Singlet and basketball shorts.
NTU CAMPUS STYLE IS... Comfort over style. I'D NOT BE CAUGHT DEAD WEARING... Tights as pants or FBTs to class, and clothes with lace all over.
林俊杰勤练六块肌 以满足歌迷 —— 刊32页
新闻
为了筹钱 学生组织忽略隐私问题 在阅读报道后，南 大会计系的陈嘉卉（19 岁）说：“哇，这还蛮 可怕的。其实不是我们 不知道参与问卷调查的 危险，而是当时做的时 候，没有那么多顾虑。” “资料隐私”缺乏保障
许多学生填完问卷，并不知道这些资料往往会落入推销公司的手中。
林坪
●报道
同
辈压力加上金钱的 诱惑，使许多学生 不知不觉泄漏个人资料。 为了筹钱，许多学生 组织都分发问卷给身边 的朋友填上。当他们填 写问卷后，并对这些资 料的处理一无所知。
就读于商学院的一 年级生黄凯琳（19岁） 说：“我在做问卷的时 候，并没有想那么多， 只想赶快完成。问卷上 所需要的资料，我照填 就是了。” 海峡时报在一月刊登 的报道中指出，有许多 毕业生会接到陌生的电 话，向他们推销产品或
摄影|许原端
是告知就业机会。 他们认为，这些公司 是通过他们在大学时期 填写的问卷获得他们的 资料。 学生们为了学校或宿 舍的活动发问卷筹钱。 这样的筹款活动在本地 大学都极为普遍，而问 卷上的问题甚至包括联 络方式及家庭收入。
虽然这种行为不违 法，但更多人开始关 注“资料隐私”的课 题，尤其是这些公司如 何获取并售出这些个人 资料。 有读者收到一则兜 售个人资料的传真后， 便在报章上的言论版 说：“我最近收到一则 传真，上面有至少一 百万个电话号码，并附 上这些号码的主人的资 料，如性别、年龄和教 育程度等等。” 学生事务处的发言 人在受访时说：“校方 非常注重学生的个人隐 私。校方会不断提醒学 生组织的会员们小心处 理个人的资料，同时也 得征取他们的同意后，
才可交由他人。目前为 止，校方并未接到有关 这方面的投诉。”
“哇 ， 这 还 蛮 可怕的。其实 不是我们不知 道参与问卷调 查的危险，而 是当时做的时 候，没有那么 多顾虑。” 陈嘉卉 会计系一年级生
就读黄金辉传播与 信息学院的郑凯盈（19 岁）说：“这样的筹款 方式有点强制性。如果 让我选的话，我当然不 会做。但我了解这些问 卷可能是最快速也最容 易筹钱的方法。” 她参与学生宿舍的剧 团组织，每个星期都得 分发10张问卷给身边的 朋友。她无奈地说：“ 长久下来，大家也都做
用歌词打开创意之门 陈婧●报道
耳
熟能详的快餐店和 电台等家喻户晓的 商业歌曲，就是必胜的广 告旋律。 第四届中文流行歌词 与创作课程结业礼上，去 年新加坡文化奖得主梁 文福商业歌曲为例，说 明：“有创意的歌词就能 唤起人们的记忆”。 这个由南大孔子学院 与新加坡词曲版权协会 （COMPASS）合办的座 谈会反应热烈，吸引了许 多年轻人出席。 梁文福与曾为周华健 和阿杜等知名歌手谱写
歌曲的创作人李志清以讲 座对谈的方式，让公众了 解歌词在歌曲中的重要作 用，也希望更多有志者能 投身中文流行歌词创作。 嘈杂语言环境碍于创作 对于新马中文作词人 呈现青黄不接的现象， 来自马来西亚的李志清指 出，新马两地的嘈杂语言 环境对于培养填词的创意 来说，可能是一种阻碍。 他举例说：“许多新 马年轻人会用‘今天我 feel sad’中英混杂的语言 抒发感情，使他们很难使 用纯粹的中文来表达自己
的原意。” 课程结业礼当天，就 有三名优秀学员的作品得 到发表，其中一名包括南 大中文系毕业生刘美云 （24岁）。 现任中学华文教师的 刘美云表示，即使是中文 程度很好的人，也未必能 成为合格的写词人：“一 首好的歌词不光要语句优 美，还要注重押韵，要求 是很高的……因此，我还 会在这条道路上继续探索 和学习。” “词源”提供联络平台 为了提供更多运用纯
本地知名音乐人梁文福提醒年轻人，歌词创作是一 摄影|温忠浩 门极具商业价值的创意产业。 华语切磋的机会，16名歌 词创作班的学员组成了“ 新词”部落格创作小组， 并设立了名为“词源”的 内部网站，方便历届毕业 学员保持联系。 为了不让本地写词 的创意失传，词源”网
站命名的梁文福更坦 言：“新加坡作为创 意的土壤还不够肥 沃，所以我们还在不 断施肥；除了现有的 课程，也要为新人们 提供更多发表作品的 环境和管道。”
腻了，其实自己也过意 不去。” 更何况，学生们的社 交圈子也有限，所以做 问卷的学生都属同一组 人。郑凯盈说：“大多 数的人就算再不愿意， 也会在同辈压力下完成 问卷。” 在碰到朋友们的隐忧 时，郑凯盈在答复时常 说：“我不会向他们作 出任何承诺，只会重复 负责人对我说过的话， 再让我的朋友决定信息 是否保密。” 隐私仍是敏感话题 第十学生宿舍的业务 经理柯毅涵（23岁）就 指出，隐私问题永远是 宿舍活动的敏感话题。 为了宿舍着想，他尽 量选择不会透露太多个 人资料的筹钱机会。 他说：“如果学生们 的个人资料被揭露了， 对问卷公司和对我们也 不是一件好事。” 身为业务经理，柯毅 涵确保他所得到的联系 来源是可靠的，也希望 能够过滤不实际或有可 疑的筹钱机会。 为了争取参与者，问 卷公司表示，向学生们 要这些资料，是为了与 他们保持联系。 林晓恬（22岁）就为 了宿舍的筹款活动，接 受大东方人寿保险公司 的邀请，将带领35名在 籍学生参加公司的就业 讲座。换来的，是500元 的奖励金。 这名第五学生宿舍组 织的业务经理说：“我 对这样的筹款活动持有 正面的看法。这是因为 我不觉得问卷的来源会 可疑。” 她还补充：“这是个 双赢的局面，我们其实 从中获得更多的好处。 这种筹钱的方式，也可 以介绍给身边需要为组 织筹钱的朋友。”
VOL. NO.
17
29
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE Impresario 半决赛 2011
人气指数 为参赛者晋级的关键 律宾的她拥有丰富的参赛经验。在参赛 者中，评判认为她是夺冠热门，但她觉 得参加比赛只是为了兴趣。爱玲最终的 理想，是要站上百老汇舞台。 另外，“双人物”的两名团员朱明 恺和陈永权是在之前的歌唱比赛中结识 的。两名型男在半决赛里默契十足地演 唱了陶 的《找自己》。团员陈永权正 在服兵役，朱明恺则忙于课业。尽管两 人一起排练的时间有限，他们仍排除万 难进入总决赛。两人表示会多加练习， 继续“挑战自己”。
“我们只是在做自己爱做 的事，无论输赢，只要自 己满意就行了。” Frostyz Impresario半决赛的晋级团体
总决赛入围者名单公布时，舞蹈团体X-Tension成功晋级，团员们喜极而泣，激动 得抱在一起。 摄影|许原端
黄雪琪●报道
现
场观众首次有权参与评选的工 作，验证参赛者高涨的人气指数 和非一般的才艺。 在Impresario 2011半决赛里，现场 观众的投票占了评分标准的30％。因 此，参赛者不只要获得评审们的青睐， 也必须要有人气才能晋级到总决赛。 由南洋理工大学文艺活动学会举办 的全国才艺比赛今年已迈入了第19个年 头。今年一共有四个组别：个人演唱、 双人或组合演唱、舞蹈和原创歌曲。每
个组别分别只有五名参赛者能进入围总 决赛。 其中被评判韩睿君冠上“动力火 车”的兄弟组DZ在演唱《无情的情 书》时，却出了点小状况——音乐停止 两秒。但是，他们不慌不忙地在音乐恢 复时继续接唱，获得了评审们的赞赏。 个人演唱组的爱玲（Eirene Enriquez）则以惊人的歌声在演唱珍妮佛 哈德森（Jennifer Hudson）的 “And I am telling you I’m not going” 时让 台下的韩睿君猛拍手。这位歌唱老师 说：“看她的演唱就像看表演一样。” 害羞的爱玲年仅16岁，可是来自菲
舞蹈组热力四射，炒热现场的气 氛。穿着火辣的X-Tension虽然只排练 了一个星期，却自认团队默契佳而晋级 总决赛。问到她们对夺冠的信心指数， 她们异口同声地说：“100% ！” 来自国大的Frostyz则觉得每一组的 夺冠机会平等。其中一名团员说：“我 们只是在做自己爱做的事，无论输赢， 只要自己满意就行了。” 不过，舞蹈组的评审Jootz和Rizal很 开心今年的水准比往年好很多。Jootz 觉得可能是因为近年舞蹈在新加坡越来 越受重视。 个人演唱和组合演唱组别的两位评 审韩睿君和吴仁惠一致认为今年参赛者 的水准都很高。也是本地乐团黑森林的 主唱吴仁惠说：“我很喜欢这届的参赛 者，因为他们多数都有融入自己的想法 在表演中。”
Impresario 2011 总决赛 日期：2011年4月3日， 星期天 时间：傍晚六点半（六点开始入场） 地点：南大大礼堂 票价：$12 Impresario 2011 总决赛的入围者 个人演唱：Mohammad Sufie B Rashid、李佩雯、 Kevin Kristian,、Eirene Enriquez、王悉微 双人/组合：Christy&Sheryl、 DZ、Cruyo、Ash & Su、双人物 舞蹈：X-Tension, I.K.R, RRO, Frostyz, NBM 原创歌曲：陈美卿和蔡吟秋 (十二 月之风雪)、何文亮(友谊)、 陈 永权 (我的错)、 庄慧艳(慢慢走) 、 陈雪莹 (未了结)
经验丰富的爱玲年仅16岁，歌声却具爆 发力，获得评审的一致好评。
财政预算案论坛会 2011
周博士：A－的预算案 张健俊●报道 中文编辑
针
对最近出炉的财政预算案2011， 参与论谈会的演讲嘉宾一致给予 好评，让更多中等入息与低收入的国人 受益。 有15年预算案分析经验的周孙铭博 士，在论坛上说：“我给这次的预算案 A－，可是如果能够更好的照顾低收入 者，那会更理想。” 这位南大经济学教授的周博士在针对 预算案的措施时，谈到教育的费用。一 个低收入者从幼儿园，小学和中学，到 理工学院，这10年的教育费用，政府承 担了97％。在这次的财政预算下，政府 把这个比例提高到99％，所以低收入者 的儿女可以通过教育来提高收入，改善 生活。 周博士认为，这次预算案的主题是通 过改善收入平等来使全体新加坡人共享 一个包容性的增长。
这个论坛会是南大校友事务处第六次 主办，主讲嘉宾包括人文与社会科学学 院代院长柯仲佑教授、周孙铭博士和校 友王绥钊先生。
财政预算案2011 关键数字 ● 15亿元增长分红 250万国人受惠 ● 5月前分发 每人100-900元 ● 从托儿所到理工学院 家长的负担 从3％降至1％ ● 个人少缴税 所得税回扣20％ 顶 限2000元 综合预算案的措施，王先生说：“措 施主要目的在于提高生产力。” 身为奕丰金融公司新加坡办事处的总 经理，他向现场观众勾勒出未来的经济
由校友事务处主办的论谈会反应热烈，出席人数约250。周孙铭博士 （左起）、 柯 仲佑教授和校友王绥钊先生对出席者的问题一一解答。 摄影|温忠浩 走向，不看好黄金在未来的价值。 出席论坛会的南大学生在受访时都纷 纷表示获益不浅。其中，经济学一年级 生连慧婷（19岁）说：“我觉得这个论 坛会里的分析对我就读的科系相关，让 我更了解预算案的细节。”
在论坛会结束之前，周孙铭博士在 权衡预算案的措施时，风趣地说：“no money, no honey, no energy, no babies. （没有金钱，就没有“蜜糖”，也就没 有精力，所以我国的生育率还在处于低 潮期。）”
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08 CHRONICLE
生活
过山车和反向蹦极 挑战自我极限 三月的假期即将来临，岛上有 什么刺激好玩的娱乐场所？这 一期的《南苑》生活，就从记 者卓诗婷和林佳颖的网上对 话，比较三种截然不同的冒险 经验！
喂喂喂，你的魂回来了没？ 还没，还在九霄云外呢。
不会吧！不就只是反向蹦 极和过山车罢了。 哇, 这两天可是我生平最惊险的时刻！位于克拉码头的 Gmax、G5 Extreme Swing和新加坡环球影城的“太空堡垒” （Battlestar Galactica）可不是盖的好不好！ 我还想回去再多玩几次呢! 我建议想要尝试极限新事物的朋友们 试试。若是你,你会选择再回去玩哪个？
若一定要做个比较的话，我认为环球影城的太空堡垒略胜一筹 啦。太空堡垒能期待接下来的航程，但反向蹦极却无法预料。初 级者的我还是比较适合过山车吧。 我还真的和你恰恰相反耶！若硬要我选一个再乘搭，我一定选Gmax 和G5。我就喜欢这种瞬间失去自我，刺激万分的舒畅感！
坐上GSwing即有赛车时速般的刺激， 又能欣赏优美的风景，超乎票价所值。
看来我们的志趣很不同。当在Gmax和Gswing坐着等待工作人员 倒数时,真觉得时间过得特别慢! 脑海里一直浮现各种忧虑。工作 人员在我们毫不防备的时刻把我们抛了上去, 还真是意想不到啊!
这就叫快感！Gmax和G5Extreme Swing，给我的是那种一瞬间的 刺激。在绳索弹上去的那一刻，我简直是感受到无与伦比快感， 仿佛整个人飞起来似的！
才怪！我可是吓得半条命。 其中一段航程中还出现了人工雾, 突 然模糊了我的视线. 我还以为自己快撞到了地面, 还好那只是自己 的幻觉! 好险啊!
还有，Human的极速前进和Cylon一连串360度迅速的转弯简直 是刺激无比。在短短90秒内经历五公尺深处急速往下冲 ，真是 让我连换口气呼吸的时间都没有！ 还有, 在Gmax和Gswing除了能欣赏到克拉码头的美景, 也能让 我看到新加坡河与一座座高楼大厦。 对我来说绝对值！你告诉我，在哪里能让我感受到赛车时速般的 刺激同时欣赏优美的风景呢？这真不能用金钱衡量的。不过不知 是谁被照相机拍到整脸惊慌失措！
克拉码头Gmax＋G5 ExtremeSwing 惊险刺激程度： 共50元； 各45元 环球影城 : 太空堡垒（Battlestar Galactica） 惊险刺激程度：
糟了, 如果上载到注册Facebook，我的形象不是完全没了!? 你几时有形象啊! 卓诗婷（左一）和林佳颖率先 尝试太空堡垒，航程的刺激指数破表。 摄影|林佐伊
喂!
72 元 (入门票)
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VOL. NO.
17
CHRONICLE 08 言论
编辑室
网络－政党必争之地
张健俊 中文编辑
选
区划分报告出炉 后，大选的脚步逐 渐逼近。这届的大选与往 届不同的是，政党可采用 网上工具在虚拟世界和居 民建立联系，争取选票。 这个网络现象是年轻 一代的共同经历，因此必 定会对我国政治发展产生 影响。 对此，李显龙总理曾 说过：“政府将在来届大 选，积极使用新媒体！” 根据最新的选民人数 资料 ，每三个选民中， 就有一个年龄介于20至39 岁之间，其中10多万人是 首次行使投票权。 新一代选民 较不为所动 值得关注的是，专家 认为这两群人士一般上较
感情用事。新加坡管理大 学法律系助理教授陈庆文 表示，他们也较不容易被 执政党的长期良好纪录所 打动。
“ 这类表达即兴 的社交媒体其实 是一把双刃剑， 使用不当就会自 食其果。” 另外，下届大选投票 日前一天被定为“冷静 日”，各党不允许进行任 何竞选工作。 陈庆文也指出现在网 络发达，即使政党不能 在“冷静日”竞选或在各 别网站发布消息，其他网 站对选举的讨论也不会就
酒廊和戏院进南 大 喜忧参半 付筱淳
此停止。 社交媒体是把双刃刀 可是，这类表达即兴 的社交媒体其实是一把双 刃剑，使用不当就会自 食其果。上个月，大约 400人收到由保健促进局 所发出的‘另类’推特 (Twitter)讯息。讯息里显 示：“F你啦，你和我同 级，可以不要这样和我说 话吗?” 当局调查显示，这是 一名职员摆乌龙，在没有 退出保健促进局的账户， 就上传自己的私人讯息。 这相信是第一起在政府部 门网上出现的粗话事件。 近年来，政府部门越 来越普遍使用网上工具。 在去年九月的调查显示，
本地的每10名议员中，就 有六名设有Facebook社交 网站。 另一方面，八大反对 党也不甘示弱，积极利用 社交网站，提供政党走访 选区的消息，发表言论以 及提高其知名度。 截稿前，笔者浏览反 对党的Facebook，竟然发 现由秘书长徐顺全率领的 新加坡民主党已经有超过 3000个“赞”（likes）。 李显龙总理也曾举例 说，美国总统奥巴马的竞 选团队透过互联网拉票和 发放竞选信息，几乎把选 举带上虚拟世界。 可见，各个政党正摩 拳擦掌，势必想通过网上 的平台来掳获人心，而成 败的关键可能就取决于各 自的政纲和宣传手法。
南
大在上个月公 布了最新的校 园发展蓝图，致力打 造校园中的小城市。 发展计划的第一阶 段将在2018年竣工， 到时酒廊和戏院也会 和大家见面。 然而，笔者认为， 酒廊和戏院虽能促进 学生交流，但与本地 教育机构的形象似乎 有些不搭。 打破传统 促进交流 对于多数学生来 说，在学校里开设酒 廊和戏院算是个很酷 的想法。和朋友在课 余时间去酒廊轻松一
使南大成为“绿色”城市 梁洁欣
在
最新出炉的“亚洲绿色城 市指数”中，新加坡是22 个亚洲城市当中最“绿”的城 市。但是，都市人对“绿化”环 境的意识却有待加深。 据报道，新加坡能脱颖而出 的两个决定性原因，是政府积极 推动诸多相关政策，以及提出关 于水资源、垃圾与能源效率等方 面的管理方案。不过，人们是否 懂得响应措施，并积极地为保护 环境做出贡献，也是关键问题。 迈向成为“环保战士”的目标 针对保护环境，笔者认为多 数都是被动的参与者。但是，若 有措施和足够的适应时间，人们 也能主动地为“绿化”环境尽一 份力。 例如，南大在设置分类垃圾 桶时，人们最初还不习惯，常误 把垃圾或可循环物丢进垃圾桶。 现今，人们已能正确使用分类
插图｜吴威俊
垃圾桶。另外，校内的许多食 堂都规定食客将餐具拿到集收 站。这个举动其实已是具环境 意识的表现。 但是，目前在南大校园里， 关于保护环境的措施还不够。 如在打包食物时，只有少数 的人会自带可循环的容器。在 人人都求方便的情况下，多数 的摊主都免费提供发泡塑料饭 盒（styrofoam box），间接助 养恶习。 学校能推广“自带可循环容 器”的运动，以减少使用难以 降解（non-biodegradable） 的 发泡塑料饭盒。 此外，摊主应改用较环保的 饭盒。如在国大校园内，已有 宿舍的食堂停止使用发泡塑料 饭盒，而改用能降解的纸盒。 环保志在参与而非强制 若要使人们成为积极的参与 者，就必须加强他们对环境的 意识。这或许仍靠官方强制的 措施，使人们改变目前不环保 的坏习惯。 同时，人们也应被灌输相关 的知识，以使他们更主动地参 与环保。 其实，人们之所以是被动的 参与者，主要是因为拯救地球 的个人使命不够强烈，导致人 们无法在潜意识中产生保护环 境的意愿。 因此，只要人们经过一段适 应期，相信被动者也能渐渐晋升 至积极的参与者。
插图｜吴威俊
张亦弛
到
底应该先成家后立业，还是先立业后成 家，相信是很多刚刚走出校园步入社会的 年轻人心中的疑虑。 去年的新加坡人口普查结果显示，同10年前 相比，尽管处于35至44岁单身女性有下降的趋 势，但是介于25至29岁间的单身女性的比例却上 升约20％。 国大得社会学家Paulin Straughan指出：“这 些女性其实并不是抗拒婚姻，只是单纯地延迟了 这一计划，这一现象在受过高等教育的女性中更 为普遍。” 笔者认为有几个因素使得越来越多的高学历 人群选择先成家后立业，晚婚晚育。 许多年轻人向往美好的生活，而且希望自食 其力经营家庭。在物价上涨的同时，理应打好坚 定的经济基础，所以都没有时间和精力把结婚生 育纳入计划中。 然而，先成家后立业也存在好处。首先，受 传统观念影响，早些成家，不让父母为自己操 心，也是一种孝顺的表现。另外，迟婚和人口老 龄化加速有直接的关系，也会对经济造成不利的 影响。 其实，两者是相辅相成的。一方面，有了家 人的支持，可以更安心地投入工作；另一方面， 靠自己的奋斗去开创事业，可以为家庭创造美好 的将来。
立 业 与 成 家 两 者 相 辅 相 成
下，缓解各方面的压力， 何尝不是一种享受。 南大也处于离市中心 相对偏远的文礼，若在校 内有了酒廊和戏院，学生 们就不用花多余时间去校 外寻找娱乐节目。 在学校修建娱乐设施 不仅能丰富本校学生的业 余生活，促进学生之间的 交流，而且能吸引到更多 本区域内的，甚至欧美国 家的留学生或交换学生来 本校学习。 这样一来，不同国籍 的学生会对彼此的文化习 俗有更深一层的了解。 设施管理还有待商讨 酒廊和戏院为学生业 余生活带来许多自由和方 便，与此同时，它们也为 校方的管理方案带来很大 的考验。 很多安全隐患可能随 之而来，几个例子就包括 醉酒闹事，打架斗殴等 等。校方必须要采取一定 的预防的措施，避免此类 乐极生悲的事件在校园里 发生。 适当的管理娱乐设 施，才不会影响到学生的 正常生活和学习。 首先，对学生的教育 是必不可缺的。学生们应 学会怎样合理分配自己的 时间，有松有弛才不会失 去平衡。 其次，对于经营业者 的管制也是至关重要的。 比如，业者卖酒精的条 规，和学生们购买酒精的 准则。 顶尖大学须硬体与人才 笔者觉得，校园内有 娱乐设施固然不错，但并 没必要。如果学校的目的 是为了吸引更多应届毕业 生，那么还需考虑这些设 施对他们的吸引力。 安博迪教授说，要打 造一所伟大的大学，就是 通过它的硬体设施以及大 学的人才。 但是，本校作为本区 域内的高等学府，其实并 不需要用这些新潮的设施 来吸引学者。 即使没有硬体设施， 互动依然会在校园的各个 角落进行。而且，比起娱 乐设施，学者们会比较注 重教育质量。
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VOL. NO.
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CHRONICLE 08 娱乐
本地天王演唱会宣传活动
林俊杰勇敢面对内心脆弱 林坪
●报道
曾
经历歌唱生涯的低潮 后，林俊杰表示他已找 回重新振作的力量，希望大家 看到他成熟的蜕变。 在2008年他因压力大，导致 胃食道逆流而伤到喉咙，影响 北京演唱会的表现。 这次是林俊杰第三次在本地 举行巡回演唱会，也亲自参与 了制作过程，想表达自己的内 心和音乐世界。 他说：“这次的演唱会将让 新加坡歌迷感受到不一样的表 演，有一种不同的温暖。” 林俊杰还表示，在自家舞台 表演的自在感，是其他地方所 没有的。在新加坡这一站，他 也会增设一项前所未有的表演
环节，将首次在舞台上半空吊 钢丝。 被问到演唱会的造型是 否会与海报一样时，他逗趣 地说：“那已是去年的事情 了。”但是，他最近正在勤 练，相信会让歌迷看到海报上 的六块肌。 他想通过演唱会主题曲“I Am”让大家体悟到：“我脆 弱，所以我坚强。”
“一个人脆弱时， 才能体验坚强的差 别；当你坚强地回 来了，你要怎么去 让身边的人感受转 变，看你长大。” 林俊杰 本地歌手
林俊杰觉得，每一种台上和台下 的合作要靠这种有点神秘、又有 点小小距离的空间，才能够碰撞 出新的火花。 摄影|颜家骏
每一次的演唱会，林俊杰 总会想起从刚出道到现在的成 长。他想起带领他入行、在演 艺道路上不断鼓励他和看着他 成长的恩师许环良。 在“JJ Party 5”专辑庆功宴 上，没有前四届的绚丽表演， 却以他的角度聊音乐与人生。 对于自己心态上的转变与成 长，将于月底庆祝30岁生日的 林俊杰有感而发地说：“一个 人脆弱时，才能体验坚强的差 别；当你坚强地回来了，你要 怎么去让身边的人感受转变， 看你长大。” 谈到之前的内地演唱会时， 他坦言，一开始其实会担心体 力会负荷不了。虽然这是他第
以前的林俊杰在台上总是蹦蹦跳跳，现在他已能更诚恳面对自己， 把内心感触透过表演分享给大家。 照片|Unusual Productions 提供 一次尝试三个月内举行八场演 出，但是他非常享受整个辛苦 的过程。 演唱会的幕后团队开会时意 见分歧，但林俊杰认为这是好 事，因为大家有自己的想法， 表示大家都在用心。 卖力于慈善 给小朋友希望 除了忙着筹备演唱会之外， 林俊杰在这几年也不遗余力地 做慈善。他相信，艺人有着巨 大的影响力，能呼吁大家一起 帮助他人。 于是，今年他将与之前 合作过的化妆护肤品零售商 Kiehl’s，在下个月再度合作,把 筹得款项捐给新加坡智障人士 福利促进金（MINDS）。他 在庆功宴上也特地请来了几位 MINDS的朋友带来太鼓表演。 主持人巫许玛利发现林俊杰 热衷于帮助小朋友，他解释，
小时候的他缺乏自信，但找到 音乐和梦想之后，却有强大的 力量。 他说：“在人生找到一个目 标跟一个重心是一件太重要的 事情。今天能够有梦想能够有 成就，一定要从小培养。”所 以，他想帮助这些小朋友，给 他们一些希望，让他们找到人 生中的重心。 2009年四川大地震发生后， 他探望了患有下半身粉碎性骨 折而瘫痪的女生，王敏。当时 他以一首《期待爱》，鼓励王 敏勇敢地面对生命。 当林俊杰在宣传《100天》 专辑时，她到现场，并用自己 的力量从楼梯走下来，对他 说：“去年，你来医院为我加 油，今年，现在我来这里为你 加油。” 对林俊杰而言，看到不幸的 小孩脸上展现灿烂的笑容，会 让他更想要伸出援手。
新剧本演读会 训练新生代编剧 雷慧媛 蔡韵●报道
本
地戏剧团体一直都 在闹剧本荒，为培 养华语剧场编剧人才，戏 剧盒举办演读会，让剧场 爱好者向知名编剧学习。 演员以演读的方式， 在连续两天的“新剧本演 读会”呈现八个不同的原 创剧本。 编剧导师是四位经验 丰富的本地编剧：南大中 文系副教授柯思仁、张子 健、黄浩威和李世炬。 柯思仁说：“在指导 时，我都会把作者比较特
第一天演读会的导演杨君 伟想让观众看到剧本从文 字的转变，和编剧的意图 和技巧。 摄影|温忠浩
殊的人生故事挖出来，并 为剧本提出建议。” 然而本地著名戏剧人 张子健则对编剧新人提出 不同的建议：“接受意见 固然重要，但别一味去迎 合观众口味。懂得坚持内 心想法，才能创作出别具 魅力的剧目。” 第一天演读会的导 演，是本地的知名媒体人 杨君伟。 这名义安理工学院中 文系讲师说：“演读会让 观众看到的纯粹是编剧想 要传达的意图及技巧。” 他当天导了四部剧 本，表示最喜欢的剧本是
《玉镯》，讲述一家三 代因祖母的一对玉镯而 引发了不满。 首次于乌敏岛举办 六天的全封闭式剧本催 生营，更请来台湾的名 编剧纪蔚然作为导师。 其中一名营员张英 豪就把处于人生分岔路 写进剧本，演绎出了一 场个体对抗体制的精彩 对话。 戏剧盒将会听从观 众的意见，并选出二到 三部剧本加以修改，在 今年底的“新剧季”中 把剧本搬上舞台，公开 演出。
JJ林俊杰I AM世界 巡回演唱会 日期：3月5日 地点：新加坡室内 体育馆 票价：$78－128
影评 电影播映室 电影：“My Ex: Haunted Lover” 导演：Piyapan Choopetch 主要演员：Ratchawin Wongviriya，Marion Affolter 照片|邵氏机构提供 , , , , ,
又
一泰国经典恐怖片，“My Ex: Haunted Lover”继上一部“My Ex”的热烈反应推 出，导演依旧选择以三角恋爱关系为故事中心。 女主角Cee因不甘被另一女主角Ying横刀夺 爱，而使用残暴手段处理感情，导致Ying堕楼身 亡，从此怪事连接发生。 电影赞助商Karn、Cee和姐姐在拍戏时，三人 陷入三角恋，让嫉妒心强的Cee重蹈覆辙。其中 最可怕是Ying坠楼跌入泳池的恐怖画面必能满足 恐怖片爱好者的欲望。 （文／卓诗婷）
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THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE 蔡健雅媒体见面会
创作才女将在家乡首唱大展舞艺 张扬●报道
狮
城创作才女蔡健雅将准备在首次 于家乡举办的演唱会突破尺度大 秀舞技。 创作歌手的包袱，让蔡健雅甚少尝试 舞蹈，这次她期待能够以此让歌迷眼前 一亮。 在2005年人生的低谷期，她去往印度 并接触了瑜伽。旅行令她对人生有了全 新的体悟。这也是她把自己的演唱会命 名为“Tanya and the Cities”的原因。 “不同的城市给了我不同的灵感。这 次的演唱会就是以城市划分章节，搭配 相应的歌曲。”而其中的一个章节就以 家乡新加坡命名。 出道14年，两度问鼎台湾金曲奖最佳 女演唱人，亮眼的成绩单下，蔡健雅却 一直没有机会在新加坡开个人演唱会。 她说自己个性低调，不爱绚丽的舞台， 更愿意享受一个温馨的小角落。 今年她却觉得人生到了一个新的阶 段，于是决定以演唱会的方式回馈本地 歌迷。 至于她演唱会的嘉宾和服装，她表示 保密，并希望歌迷能够亲身前来演唱会 揭开谜底。 恋爱对象要能够“融化”自己 在问到她挑选壮男舞伴时，她害羞地 表示选择舞伴的条件并不会和选择结婚 对象相同。
台
北独立音乐团体轻松玩直夸本地 歌迷对他们的歌词了如指掌。 他们在华艺音乐节的压轴表演上 说：“别跟台湾朋友讲哦，你们真的很 会唱！” 成立至今已有12年的轻松玩当初纯粹 是一群喜欢音乐又爱玩的好朋友。 其中好玩歌曲之一《心情点播》就是 一首激励生活的歌曲。主唱Summer鼓 励观众：“如果有梦，就做下去吧！”
专辑：
“Stranger under my skin” 歌手： 陈奕迅 推荐歌曲：《苦瓜》 《关于爱情》 , , , , , 年在狮城成功开唱的 陈奕迅，近期推出了 全新广东 EP“Stranger under my skin”。作为上张 EP“Taste the Atmosphere” 的延伸，这张EP着重审视生 活与人生的价值。 新作品收录了五首粤语歌 和一首英语歌，以及Bonus CD中的三首华语作品。其中主打歌 《苦瓜》更是一曲道出了他成长背后的心灵故事，发人深省。 与主打歌一样，整张专辑曲风偏黑暗沉重。第一首 歌“Stranger Under My Skin”中古典与流行的交织荡气回肠。 而“My Private Christmas Song”Eason 又大玩爵士情调，引发 对爱情况味的百感交集。 作为亮点之一，Bonus CD中收录了Eason与天后王菲首度合 唱的歌曲《关于爱情》。王与后的对歌余音绕梁，让人听罢直 呼过瘾。 （文/张扬）
去
在台湾闯荡多年的蔡健雅原本担心本地观众会对她有些 陌生，因此希望歌迷能多来支持。 摄影|王辰宇 过年的时候被妈妈“逼婚”，也让她感受到了恋爱 的压力。谈到择偶标准，蔡健雅说：“哪怕自己列出 了无数的条件，默契和感觉才最为重要。” 她说自己还未遇到合适的结婚对象，并把这归咎为 自己独立坚强的性格。她解释：“灯泡坏了自己也可 以修理，我很难被融化。”
蔡健雅Tanya & Cities新加坡演唱会 日期：4月9日 地点：新加坡室内体育馆 票价：$88 - 158
轻松玩乐团的主唱Summer坦白，他们一路走来很幸运，轻轻松松的，但坚持自己 的梦想。 照片|滨海艺术中心提供
卢苏沛●报道
乐评 音乐Jukebox
Summer 在抒情歌曲《亲手交给他》 分享了自己对爱情的看法。她说：“只 要能爱、有爱的能力就够了。这样，社 会才会有多一点点真正的爱。” 演唱《海角七号》的片尾曲《风光明 媚》时。尝试改歌词，唱出：“最好吃 的海南鸡饭，新加坡风光明媚，因为有 你们陪。” 鼓手阿昆为了表示自己不只会打鼓， 吹起了小喇叭，获得观众掌声连连。 分享了他们12年傻傻追梦的故事， 轻松玩对音乐和生活的热忱非常让人感 动，也给观众留下了深刻印象。
专辑： 《孤独的和弦》 歌手： 萧煌奇 推荐歌曲：《末班车》 《旅途愉快》 , , , , , 煌奇在他的第四张国 语专辑中以敏锐的心 思诠释歌曲，充满对爱情的 真挚情感和透露出他对它的 向往。 主打歌《末班车》描述一 段恋情随着最后一趟的末班车走到尽头。这最后一刻的离别显 得更悲伤。 其他歌曲也表现了他对爱情的不同情感。比如，在《嗨早 安，用早餐》，萧煌奇以轻快朗诵般的唱法，唱出为亲爱的人 准备丰盛早餐的幸福，充满愉悦感。这首歌也营造了一幅清新 的早晨图景。 《旅途愉快》却表达对无法成眷属的心上人的祝福。这首歌 中的复杂感情，以淡淡伤感的曲调呈现，从中又能感受到看见 心爱的人愉快时的一丝丝幸福。 唯一的缺憾就是，专辑中没有高技巧的唱腔，也没有表现他 一贯的嘶吼式歌声。 （文/梁洁欣）
萧
轻 松 玩 勇 敢 追 求 梦 想
专辑： 《独一无二》 歌手： 罗志祥 推荐歌曲：《舞所遁形》 《口头缠》 , , , , , 洲舞王罗志祥继去年 推出台湾销售冠军《 罗生门》后，今年再接再厉 发行第八张个人专辑《独一 无二》。 专辑破天荒将抒情慢歌《 拼什么》作为首波主打，力 求证明歌唱实力的罗志祥以 清唱开场。 不过，在抒情歌曲《强出 头》和《怕安静》诠释情感 照片|网络下载 的功力仍有待加强。 在擅长的舞曲领域里，罗志祥依旧表现杰出。《舞所遁形》 的画龙点睛之处是他一贯俏皮的唱腔。 《口头缠》十分阳光，充满活力。这首歌的旋律与歌词都琅 琅上口，势必成为新一波的必点K歌。 总之，在这张专辑里能听到罗志祥在唱功上的进步，是小猪 努力后的不错成果。 （文/王裕权）
亚
Opinions frankly, my dear
EDITORIAL
Pork chop and Facebook There are few things closer to Singaporeans’ hearts than food. So naturally, when NTU students are faced with the prospect of losing one of their favourite food stalls, they turn to Facebook to garner suppor t and tr y to ‘Save the Canteen 14 Western Stall’. The campaign has been gaining momentum steadily. More than 1,000 people have ‘liked’ the cause, and a lot of them have shared the message via social networking platforms. For many, the campaign is simply about whether they can still get that plate of mixed grill tomorrow. But the speed at which the campaign gains support and the passion with which people speak for it underline the special role of food – and the people who work to provide it – in our community. Food brings us together because it is a shared necessity, but also because it moves our senses regard-
less of our differences. In fact, tasting the food of other cultures often serves as a way to understand them better. So as we build a more interactive community at NTU, let us see food not just as physical nourishment. Let us remember the people who toil to feed us not just as vendors. Just as ar tists and musicians over the generations have enriched our culture, so have the aunties and uncles who cook our char kway teow and nasi briyani, albeit in a much less glamorous way. And we will continue to need their passion, energy, and creativity to liven up our community. After all, Holland Village would not have been the hub of activities that it is without food. Now, why don’t you share with us what you would love to eat at NTU? E-mail us.
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE chief editor Agung Santoso Ongko MANAGING EDITOR Tan Ru Ping Celine ART DIRECTOR Vishaka Mantri sub-editors Audrey Lim En-Rui Hong Yu Qing Amelia Low Wei Xiang Sia Ling Xin Tricia Anna Lim Peiyu News editors Cassandra Yeap Trinh Hoang Ly Lifestyle editors Mavis Ang I-Wen Tan Su Yi Kay Reviews editor Sulaiman Daud dapper editors Hong Yu Ran Gladys Ng Chinese editors Grace Chew Hui Min Teo Jion Chun
opinionS editors Ang Xue Ting Eunice Jayashri d/o Lokarajan sports editors Annabelle Liang Lai Junjie layout editors Nicholas Keith Tam Vanessa Dora Godfrey photo editors Goh Chay Teng Wan Zhong Hao graphics editor Goh Wei Choon Online EditorS Tran Anh Cuong Pham Tuong Minh business managerS Lim Pei Yi Vivian Ng Wei Ying production support Ng Heng Ghee Teacher advisors Andrew Duffy Debbie Goh 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
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A column by the Chronicle Editors on issues close to their heart
Cultivate interactivity now
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
Kay Tan lifestyle editor
H
aving read about NTU’s new masterplan, I find m y s e l f wond e r i n g how much t he new buildings and facilities will foster “interaction between brains” as mentioned by President Designate Bertil Andersson. In 15 years, we will have on campus “meeting places where the humanities girl can meet the engineering boy, where the professor can meet students”, said Professor Andersson. The masterplan will also allow PhD students who take on interdisciplinary research from this year to “stay on the same floor… work together and when the project is over, go back to their school again,” he said. He hopes that these researchers will be encouraged to interact and launch research collaborations across various disciplines. But will they really interact and collaborate? Given my experience, I feel that mere proximity does not always yield interactivity. Having lived in a Housing Development Board flat for most of my life, I have noticed parallels between NTU’s vision for the campus with the HDB’s racial quota under its Ethnic Integration Policy. Under this policy, each of the
four main races has a quota of homes allocated to them in a block. This ensures a balanced ethnic mix in public housing estates and prevents the formation of racial enclaves by promoting interracial interaction. Often, it is the residents belonging to the older generation who have lived in “kampongs”, who will make the effort to interact with fellow residents. This is simply because they are used to the “kampong spirit”—the culture of neighbours being a community of friends. My grandparents, for example, confidently claim that they know every household in their block, and many others in the neighbourhood. However, the “kampong” culture present amongst the residents of the older generation is lost among the younger generation. Though my neighbours and I live mere metres apart, only a handful of us truly interact beyond exchanging polite greetings. With the EIP not being completely successful in its aims, housing the PhD researchers in the same block might face similar results. This vision for the new campus may not be enough to encourage interaction, and subsequent collaborations. The university’s collaborative culture must be cultivated, not by building physical structures, but
by formally encouraging interdisciplinary thinking. This should start at the undergraduate level and the school could introduce incentives for collaboration. Awarding grants as well as fast-tracking approval processes for interdisciplinary projects could encourage researchers to take up ideas without hesitation, as resources will be provided and administrative hassles eliminated. The remade campus will definitely enhance the interactivity with specially designed meeting places and accommodation that provide proximity. Ac t i ng C h ief Bu i ld i ng & Infrastructure Officer (Plans) for NTU, Mr Chan Keng Luck, explained in a Straits Times Forum letter, that cross-campus dialogues “can be facilitated through creating a formal as well as social environment that allows such interactions to happen naturally”. While the facilities do play a part in fostering interaction between students, it is imperative that we cultivate a culture of interactivity now, instead of waiting until the campus is remade. Aided by the catalytic environment, interactivity and cooperation will then happen naturally in the future. It is what we make of the places, not what they are built for, that can make a true difference.
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OPINIONS 35
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
a matter of perspective
Evolutionary e-relationships
Natasha Alvar
E
mail, Facebooking, IMing, and tweeting. These terms did not exist in our parents’ vocabulary in the past. However, today, some parents are able to bridge the gap in their knowledge of technology and keep up with the times. But for others, their inability to adapt to these forms of technology increases the communication gap between parent and child. I, however, have a wholly different story to tell.
Terence Lee
I
knew something was wrong with my relationship when my girlfriend preferred holding her iPhone lovingly to my stubbled chin. When we first started going out, we chatted for three hours daily on MSN Messenger. We also met almost everyday to study or shop. Nowadays, we’ve become too lazy to even talk on a dedicated chat software, preferring Gmail’s chat function as I can type an email to my lecturer and talk to my girlfriend at the same time. We used to give cute little cards filled with cut-out hearts to each other as an expression of our love. Now, we send animated ecards to one another because we’re lazy. We now share our Google Calendars and sync them on our smartphones to keep tabs on one another. Gone are the days of calling my girlfriend to plan the time and place for our next date. Instead, we also share a Google Doc where we have created a list of places and restaurants we’d
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
Technology has helped improve my relationship with my dad. From the moment I was born, I was Daddy’s little girl. He would bring me to the football pitch during his soccer trainings and cheer me on as I kicked the ball around. He was convinced that I would take after him and become a great athlete. But I fell in love with books instead. A stern and gruff Navy man, he found it hard to express his affection to not just me, but my siblings as well. It was easier for him to bond with us when we were
younger but became more difficult as we grew older. My dad did not know how to respond to me or find the right words to say. He also never understood why I cried. About a year ago, my dad got a new phone, the HTC Touch. He was immensely excited about it as being in the Navy meant he was required to have a phone without a camera, and one that was cool and savvy was hard to come by. The QWERTY keypad on the phone made it extremely userfriendly. My dad was so excited that he was finding reasons to
like to visit. Most of them are culled from hungrygowhere.com—a site to find out about the latest food joints. What happens when we want to go somewhere but find ourselves lost? Google Maps takes care of that. We key in our destination and it takes us there. No more approaching strangers who might point us in the wrong direction.
planned programme. We’d surrendered all elements of surprise and given up on the notion of exploring the urban jungle like a modern Tarzan and Jane. I realised that I wasn’t able to charm my girlfriend as everything we did only required minimal effort. Which was why I suggested that we date on World of Warcraft. However, that did not sit well with her. Faced with this crisis, I decided on a plan to win her back—one concocted in Germany by Klaus Teuber. Teuber is the inventor of Settlers of Catan, a popular board game that has sold 15 million copies worldwide. I recently bought the game for my girlfriend. Yes, an actual board game, and not a pixelated app. Klaus mentioned that he created Settlers of Catan to amuse his wife. Since I was becoming a boring boyfriend, I thought this gimmick would give me the boost I needed. The plan worked like a charm. We played Settlers with my family when she came over to my place. What would have been a sleepy Sunday afternoon turned
But spontaneity was lost. We became a twoperson tour group where every date was a planned programme. Honestly, I was happy with this state of affairs for a while because maintaining a relationship had become effortless. But the spontaneity was lost. We became a two-person tour group where every date was a
SMS. However, he never had any reason to text me. That all changed one day. It was one of those sullen days. I did not have a good day at school and was feeling melancholic. To add to my misery, my mum insisted that I try on a frilly floral dress that she had bought when I got home. One look at it and I knew it would show too much as it was way too big. But since my mom had made the request, I decided to humour her and try it on. When my dad saw me in the dress, he joked that I looked like a ‘man-whore’. That remark struck a nerve, and I lost control of the tears that I had been holding back all day. I yelled at him, calling him an insensitive and horrible person who only knew how to hurt my self—esteem. After my outburst, I refused to talk to him for the rest of the day, despite seeing him struggle to conjure up the right words to say to make the situation better. But he did not know how to say it. So for the very first time, he sent me an SMS. “Hey Baby Girl, I’m sori for what I said. I just meant that the dress is not suitable for you. I’m sori that I hurt you :( Love, Dads.” He did care after all! While I did not forgive him straightaway, it did break the wall of silence that I had built up between us. SMS-ing allowed him to convey thoughts and feelings that he was not able to vocalise due to the
gruff man persona he was used to adopting. He now SMSes me to ask how my day went, to check if I “makan already” and tell me “U r looking tired. need to rest more okay?” He would also send me little reminders like “Ok so pls tidy up com table ya.” And I would reply with, “I did! Major room cleaning yesterday :) Tml gonna tackle my cupboard :)” Sometimes there were also random messages like, “Are u guys watching tv or sleeping?” My favourite part of all these little back-and-forth messages between us would be his usual ending.“Awesome quack quack. Love U.” (Quack Quack being his nickname for me because he claims I walk like a duck) SMS-ing gave us a way of showing affection and encouragement to each other. It also helped us communicate and express what we might not have been able to in a face-to-face interaction. Some might read this and scoff, “It’s just SMS-ing.” My response to this is a quotation from The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Jay Fowler. “Never underestimate the power of a well-written letter,” she wrote. It is the same with an SMS. It is a constant reminder of someone’s wish to connect with you and show how important you are to them. This is how SMSes helped me and my dad. It showed me that I would always be my Daddy’s little girl.
GRAPHIC | VU VIET ANH
into a time of genuine bonding. In fact, my plan has worked so well that we’ve started to spend more quality time together playing all sorts of board games. Lesson learnt? One way to re-
juvenate a relationship automated by technology is to step out of it altogether. Only then can we stop looking at the screen and start looking at one another.
36 OPINIONS
THE NANYANG
VOL. NO.
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CHRONICLE 07
Ethics in banking: an oxymoron Ong Yong Roy
S
hady banks are in the news again. This time, it is Goldman Sachs. This is not the first time that the investment bank’s ethics is under question. The Wall Street Journal reported in late 2006 that traders in Goldman Sachs convinced bank executives that the subprime market was heading for trouble. The bank reacted by selling off these investments and bet that the financial markets would crash. According to BBC News, exdirector of Goldman Sachs was charged with insider trading. It was reported that he managed to get more than US$18 million for Galleon funds, a hedge fund group. Despite being fully aware that these investments had a high probability of losing money, Goldman Sachs failed to advise clients on the best course of action. This was clearly unethical as the bank made a profit of four billion dollars from its clients’ monetary losses. Such unethical practices certainly exist in Singapore as well. Ethics is becoming a key theme in the local financial industry. The term “ethics” is derived from the Greek word “ethos” which refers to a system of ideal moral character. Applying this definition to the banking sector, banks should have a sustainable business model that stresses on morality while simultaneously pursuing profits. The economy will benefit if
banks lend funds to quality corporations instead of speculating in high risk business transactions (e.g. lending to a poor credit history customer solely because of higher profit margins). This will result in positive externalities like higher job growth. Banks can play a crucial role in safeguarding depositors’ money through sound lending activities. Current banking practices tend to be very profit-oriented and have a short-term outlook. For instance, consumer bankers push investment products to consumers in order to meet sales targets even though the products may not be suitable for the clients. Michael Beer, professor at
GRAPHIC | SWARNALI MITRA
Harvard Business School and author of High Commitment, High Performance, explains in his book: “Banks handing out massive bonuses based on short-term performance can only be taken as a sign that greed remains a driving force. “More bluntly, short-term thinking doesn’t reconcile with good ethics,” he added. Dr Siriwan Chutikamoltham, Senior Teaching Fellow at Nanyang Business School said, “There are so many financial temptations and promises of getting rich. “Sales performances are also judged. This can result in unethical behavior among bankers. “That is why our business
school absolutely emphasises on ethics.” Third-year banking and finance student, Kent Choo, 24, agrees. “Looking at the regularity which frauds and lawsuits involving financial institutions occur, it shows that there are no ethics in this industry.” Ethics is also rarely on the minds of finance students entering an industry that stresses on profit, earnings and intellectual capacity. It is certainly the case that students fear they will be unable to join top banks upon graduation and so, do not bother concerning themselves with ethics. For instance, the criteria for being selected for an interview at top banks such as JP Morgan, UBS and Goldman Sachs include both an excellent Grade Point Average (GPA) in academics and an outstanding Co-Curricular Involvement. Such banks only select a handful of students to join their prestigious training programs, which include overseas training and mentorship by senior business leaders. Third-year banking and finance student, Dale Lai, 24, said, “Money is an important consideration. “But another key attraction is the prestige and ability of being able to influence financial markets even as a young professional.” Lim Song Yee, 24, a third year banking and finance student, explained: “The pros of joining banking includes the excellent ca-
reer prospects and exit options.” Ethical practices are certainly a key issue in this industry. However, it does not mean that only the bankers are at fault. The society of today should be held responsible as well for today’s banking industry’s profitdriven strategies. Investors very often judge firms based on short term performance such as stock price and profit margins. Such short-term profit–seeking attitudes from investors promote the incentive for firms to be unethical. As Dr Siriwan explains, “Soci-
“There are many financial temptations that can result in unethical behavior among bankers.” Dr Siriwan Chutikamoltham Nanyang Business School
ety has to set the right tone, setting forth the rewards for ethical behavior and harsh punishments for unethical firms. “As consumers, we should buy from firms that do business ethically. “As investors, we should invest in stocks of firms that do business ethically, not only in stocks that give the most gain in the short term.”
louder than words Goh Wei Choon graphics editor
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In Unknown Territory
canteen talk
The revamped edveNTUre boasts new functions such as blogs, Wiki and connectivity to Facebook. But is new necessarily better? We ask students their views on this.
I think the new edveNTUre is fine. I have not experienced any problems with it like some of my classmates have.
”
Jeff Lee, MAE, Yr 2, 20
“
I cannot access the website using Google Chrome. It is very hard to get to the home page of my list of courses. Rebecca Lim, WKWSCI, Yr 2, 21
Xu Yuan Duan
T
he new edveNTUre seems to be an exciting place where students can learn and invest time to acquire and apply skills of the 21st century. But is this happening in reality? Five weeks into the new semester, I have yet to see these features being used in my courses. They are instructor-initiated and require approval before they can be utilised. Associate Professor Huang Guangbin from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering said, “Re-learning how to perform basic functions on the new layout has to be done before learning new features.” “Other professors have even approached me, asking for help in performing basic functions with the new edveNTUre. The new system seems complicated,” he adds. The chief complaint is the user “un-friendliness” of the new system. Functions that could be performed easily in the past have to be re-learned before the new functions can be considered. Associate Professor Stephen Teo from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information agrees: “Who has the time to watch these learning videos? I would rather be doing research or writing with that time.” Dr Ashley Tan, Head of the NIE Centre for E-Learning offered another explanation: “Humans beings naturally fear change. Resistance could stem from the fear and uncertainty that one feels when faced with something new.”
Lecturers could simply be experiencing problems of adapting quickly to new systems. Many of them are “digital immigrants”—an individual who was born before the existence of digital technology and adopted it later in life. This results in one having to face a steeper learning curve when tasked with learning new technology. The internet has truly become part of our everyday lives. Marc Prensky, acclaimed writer and speaker in the areas of education and learning, refers to the younger generation as “digital natives”. He defines them as a genera-
Functions that could be performed easily in the past have to be relearned before the new functions can be considered. tion born into a world where digital technology is ubiquitous. They thus have the advantage of learning new digital skills quickly. EdveNTUre, which is a webbased Learning Management Systems (LMS), taps into this and creates an opportunity for technologically savvy users to learn about the convenience the internet provides. Dr Tan Seng Chee, the Head of the Learning Sciences and Tech-
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
nologies, explains: “An LMS allows one to engage in self-paced learning or learning through social interactions with others.” The new features, such as the Wiki tool, are convenient and add a new dimension to learning for students. “By constraining a group of learners to work on a wiki document, it forces the learners to reach a consensus on how their ideas should be represented. “This process creates opportunities for the learners to discuss, negotiate or debate about their ideas,” Dr Tan added. Mr Andrew Lim, an IT executive with NTU’s IT Steering Executive on Electronic Education said: “A small number of the teaching staff was taken aback when the new edveNTUre update was released. “But these complaints were from a small number of the teaching staff who did not attend the training courses for the new system,” he said. He added that provisions have been made to facilitate a painless migration. “Video tutorials and a frequently asked questions page have been set up to make the transition easier for teaching staff,” Mr Lim said. But Associate Professor Huang questioned the need for such forms of learning. He said: “If a site is truly intuitive, re-training should not be needed.” However, I am hopeful it will just be a matter of time before familiarisation of the new system is attained. Only then, will the full potential of the new edveNTUre and its new e-learning features be unlocked.
I think the new features are very helpful. I often use them to do my research for my subjects.
”
Ibrahim Aneel Ali, CEE, Yr 4, 23
“
It is more functional now. Though the graphics look nicer, there isn’t any difference between the old and new. Rebecca Lim, WKWSCI, Yr 2, 21
There’s no difference with the new edveNTUre as my professors have not tried to use the new functions in class.
”
Emil Fazira, SCBE, Yr 2, 20
TEXT | JAYASHRI LOKARAJAN ; PHOTOS | WAN ZHONG HAO & GOH CHAY TENG
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bpl talk
Fallen giants feeling the blues? Tsang Wing Han WITH two-thirds of the Premier League matches over, Chelsea are lagging in the chase for the Barclays Premier League title. The club is currently standing at fifth place, 12 points behind league leaders Manchester United. In fact, for the first time in nine years, they are in danger of missing the Champions League. Who would have seen it coming? In the early part of the season, Chelsea were in unstoppable form, if you include the six-goal hammering against West Bromwich Albion and Wigan Athletic. So, you can imagine the bewilderment of fans when the club subsequently went through an arid November and December period, winning only once in eight matches. The downfall was unexpected. While Chelsea may be excused for dropping points to Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as they were tough matches, losing to Sunderland at home by a three-goal margin was unthinkable and unacceptable to any loyal Blues fan. While the loss in form corresponded with the injury of key midfielder Frank Lampard, one would expect a team like Chelsea to have competent substitutes in their squad.
FORMER GLORY: The Blues are a shadow of their old selves.
But in truth, the squad did not have strong substitutes and instead relied on fringe players such as Daniel Sturridge and Gael Kakuta, both of whom have since been shipped out of Chelsea on loan in the winter transfer period. T he t hin squad was ter r ibly exposed by their opponents. Even Lampard’s return in early December could not bring the Blues out of their slump. The team’s Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich tried
PHOTO | INTERNET
to rectify things by pumping in cash for coach Carlo Ancelotti in January this year. The Italian head coach promptly spent £75 million to purchase Fernando Torres and David Luiz. It is too early to determine if the two signings are worth the huge amount of cash. But by the looks of it, Coach Ancelotti has to work harder to integrate these players into the squad. Judging by their recent loss to Liverpool and draw against
Fulham, it is clear that Ancelotti has yet to find the winning formula for his two new strikers. Ancelotti may need to revamp the whole system to accommodate the two star front men. Having already been knocked out in the two domestic cup competitions, Chelsea’s title hopes are left with the Premier League and the European Champions League. But all is not lost for them. A lt hough Chelsea are t wo points away from the fourth spot which guarantees Champions League football, and four BPL match wins away from league leaders Manchester United, the unpredictability of the season may soon put the Blues back in the race again. If the Blues, however, fail to keep their confidence and expected game-play, they may have to kiss the Champions League trophy good bye. After all, what chance will Chelsea stand against Barcelona and Real Madrid if they cannot secure a full three points against the likes of lower-ranked teams like Birmingham and Wolverhampton Wanderers? Currently holding a 2-0 lead against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, the return leg on March 16 might just be the key for Ancelotti and his Chelsea team to get the act going and bring some much needed motivation back.
they said that? “Winning is the best deodorant.” NBA player Jason Kidd describing his passion to win.
“I’ve been called ‘The Maple Leaf Missile’, and ‘Bombardier Milos’. Everything so far has to do with something like war, like a missile.” Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic, whose serve has hit 151 miles per hour, on the nicknames that have been used on him.
sports talk
Weight loss: the ultimate seduction Natasha Alvar THE recent death of a contestant on Singapore weight-loss contest Lose to Win struck a chord with the dormant weight-loss junkie in me. Mr Ong Joo Aun, 54, collapsed on the Health Promotion Board’s show, the Singaporean counterpart to American reality show The Biggest Loser. Sent to the hospital immediately, he was pronounced dead soon after. Looking at me now, you might not know that I once tilted the scales at a startling 60kg. The late night binging sessions during my junior college days made me well overweight for someone my height. When I found out that I could not fit into my favourite pair of jeans, I immediately embarked on a stringent diet, shedding a dozen kilograms in two months. But I was still dissatisfied. I exercised and watched my diet even more religiously. I started experiencing hair loss, fatigue and my complexion took on an unhealthy sheen. What started out as a decision to change my life became an obsession. It was then that I recognised the draw of commercialised weight
loss programmes. Reality television shows, like The Biggest Loser (both US and Asia versions) have become increasingly popular since their inception in 2004. These shows offer rewards in exchange for the extra pounds shed by their contestants. Despite safety reviews and assessments, I believe all bets are off when push comes to shove. Competitors are likely to forget the risks of rapid weight loss, such as changes in blood pressure and metabolic imbalances that can affect vital organs like the heart. Dr Sunil Kumar Joseph stressed in an interview with TODAY newspaper that “weight loss is not a competition”. He advised that one engage in rapid weight loss programmes only under proper medical supervision. I understand how these programmes provide the ultimate seduction. We want to lose weight as quickly as possible, so concerns with health and wellness get pushed aside when people get caught up in playing the numbers game. Some contestants manipulate the system by intentionally gaining weight in the first week to achieve a more significant amount of weight loss in the next.
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
“Ferrari is like Real Madrid, buying the most expensive players in the market.” F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari draws a comparision between Ferrari and the Real Madrid football team.
GRAPHIC | KANITHA ANGELA
For example, the Biggest Loser season 4 contestant Neil Tejwani intentionally threw a weigh-in by drinking two gallons of water for a 6kg “weight gain”. Weight loss programmes often sully the cause they set out to propagate. When I set out to lose weight, I wanted to lead a healthier life and spend more time with my family and people I care about. However, the compulsion with numbers on
the scale, brought on by popular culture, made me lose sight of that. I came dangerously close to ill health before I remembered that weight loss needed to be done in moderation, on our own terms and according to our individual needs. One must remember that weight loss should not be treated as a quick fix as it is our health we are tampering with. So take your time, and don’t lose heart while trying to lose weight.
“Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps.” Professional golfer Tiger Woods gives his two cents’ worth on the sport.
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CHRONICLE 08 DOUBLE TROUBLE: Couples in the Lovers’ Challenge had to paddle 350m on surfboards.
ONE FOR THE TEAM: A tchoukball player trying her hand at the novel sport.
SURFAND
SWEAT
BUNS OF STEEL: A participant of the muscleman competition tipping over a tyre.
The annual Surf N Sweat organised by the NTU Sports Club was held on February 13th at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach. Photographer Wallace Woon brings you through a day of sumo wrestling, gladiator fights, eating competitions and many other exciting events.
GREED IS GOOD: A contestant ravages his way through a plate of two bananas, a bunch of grapes, an apple and a quarter of a watermelon in the eating competition.
KNOCK OUT: In the ‘Gladiator’ event, two players use pugil sticks to knock each other off elevated platforms.
FRIENDLY FIGHTING: Participants donning fat suits in the ‘Sumo Wrestling’ event.
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A running tribute to EW Barker
Shahilia Bhagat
FOR the first time, the Barker’s Challenge Run was open to the whole of NTU this year. This is due to the new Open (NTU) category for students from all faculties in NTU. Organised by the National Institute of Education (NIE), the run on February 18th attracted 128 participants. The run is held annually in memory of the late Edmund William Barker, fondly known as “Mr Singapore Sport”. A sportsman, scholar and statesman, Mr Barker became president of the Singapore National Olympic Council in 1970—a position he held for 20 years. He was also the first Singaporean to receive the Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee for his outstanding contribution to the local sports field in 1986. Runners in teams of four, at least one of whom must be female, each ran 630m relays around the NIE triangle. Other categories are the Physical Education and Sports Science and Sports and Science Management (PESS-SSM) category and the NIE Inter-Group Endeavours in Service Learning (GESL) category. Winning the NTU (Open) Category was the team from the School of Civil and Environmental Engi-
KICKING IT OFF: Runners starting the Barker’s Challenge Run around the NIE triangle.
neering (CEE). They clocked 7 minutes and 31 seconds. Team member Eve Chow, 19, said: “It was a great race for all of us. We are all from NTU Track & Field, and trained three times a week for about one to two hours each time.” She added: “We will definitely
join next year and hopefully get a better timing.” The runner-up in the same category came from Hall 12. The team missed out on the gold by 11 seconds. Team leader and second-year student from School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
Joshua Goh, 23, said: “My team joined the race as a challenge to see if we could finish the race with a good timing and if we are prepared for future competitions such as the inter-hall race.” NIE director Professor Lee Sing Kong was delighted with the run. He said: “The event is very
exciting as it reflects the stature of the man we remember. In this gathering of like-minded people in sports, their enthusiasm and spirit is present.” Mrs Gloria Barker, wife of the late Mr Edmund Barker agreed. She said: “The atmosphere is very good, he (Mr Baker) would have been very proud of it.” Professor Lee’s biggest hope for next year is for participation to increase further. Second-year NIE student, Huang Yuchi, 27, who is in charge of the race, suggested: “There could be a longer time for signing up to ensure more participation.” This year, the registration period lasted for about two weeks across all categories. Before the run, the EW Barker scholarships were given to outstanding student-teachers from SSM for their hard work and achievement in academics and sports. Each one-off scholarship is worth $8,000 with no bond. Professor Lee felt that Mr Barker’s legacy will be passed on through the scholarship. He said: “Mr Baker was a role model and will continue to inspire young athletes to pursue their sporting interest with great enthusiasm, perseverance and determination. “The lives of good people serve as a source of inspiration to the younger generation.”
Tennis and romance a smash with couples Andrew Koh T E N N I S playe d c upid at t he Sports and Recreation Centre on February 18th. “Meet your Match on Court” was the theme for the inaugural ‘Vday Tennis’ event organised by the NTU Tennis Club. Aimed at serving up romance on the courts in line with Valentine’s Day, the event saw mixed doubles pairings play against each other. “In keeping with the Valentine’s Day atmosphere, we wanted to bring couples together through tennis. Playing doubles in tennis requires a lot of chemistry so we wanted to combine the concepts of tennis and romance,” said Andre Gunaharja Kusnadi, 22, vice-chairperson of the NTU Tennis Club. “For singles who turned up alone, we matched them with other singles who were alone too,” added the third-year student from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. Although rain initially threatened to dampen spirits at the event, everyone was unfazed. Participants and organisers chipped in to clear the puddles of water that made matches unplayable. “Even though we had a wet
start to the event, all the participants were really positive about it,” said Ethel Ngiam, 22, the chairperson of the NTU Tennis Club. Registration costs $8 per couple and half that price for members of the club. Prizes for the event, such as complimentary pairs of movie tickets and books with dating tips, were sponsored by the Social Development Network. On top of those prizes, the tennis couples were also given Polaroid pictures of themselves as mementos. “We chose prizes that would encourage the winning pair to continue to do things together hopefully as a couple after the competition,” said Ngiam, a third-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. T he w i n n i ng duo, f i n a lyear students from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dennise Tanoko Ardi, 23, and Ang Li Ann, 22, plan to watch the film ‘No Strings Attached’ using their complimentary movie tickets. They met each other in the NTU Tennis Club two years ago. “Tennis is a good game for strangers to play mixed doubles because communication between pairs improves the more you play together,” said Ardi.
COURT CHEMISTRY: ‘Vday Tennis’ saw couples pit themselves against each other in mixed doubles.
Runners-up Goh Karwei and Sharon Tan, who are close friends, have known each other since their junior college days. Tan, 22, a first-year student from the School of Mater ials Science and Engineering said: “I’ve
known Karwei for so long and he’s always such a joker on and off court. He’s always been optimistic and always encourages me.” In response Goh, 23, a second-year student from Nanyang Business School said: “I can usually
PHOTO | SABRINA TIONG
tell when she (Sharon) is nervous so I try to encourage her by giving her high fives.” “Even though we didn’t win, it was a priceless memorable experience for me. I guess chemistry can be built on the tennis court.”
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sports profile
Accelerating past limitations
Lee follows a core strengthening regimen as part of his biathlon training.
PUSH-UP WITH TRUNK ROTATION
1
2
Here he outlines how two different core exercises should be done.
Danson Cheong & Edward Teo HE IS Singapore’s second fastest biathlete. But five years ago, Henry Lee could hardly keep up with his then girlfriend in the pool. The 22-year-old said: “I would lift my head to breathe and all I would see were her legs splashing away from me. She could lap me five times during a 1,500m swim.” Lee, a student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic back then, was dating a former national swimmer, and had just picked up biathlon with the Polytechnic’s biathlon team. Lee has not swum against his girlfriend since they broke up a year ago, but the now second-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences is confident that he can now keep pace. His confidence is more than just hot air. Lee emerged out of the water neck-to-neck with national triathlete Mok Ying Ren at the Singapore Biathlon last month. He later finished 5th—behind Mok, who came in 2nd—and was the second fastest Singaporean on the course. Biathlon is an endurance sport that consists of an open water swim followed immediately by a run. “I chose to pick up biathlon to challenge myself and see if I could transit from being in a uniformed group to a competitive sport,” said Lee, who used to be from the Boys Brigade in secondary school. Five years later, Lee has officially made the jump from uniform into the skin-tight lycra suits biathletes use for competition. Lee is the fastest biathlete from NTU’s Biathlon Team and the second fastest Singaporean in the sport—according to results from this year’s Singapore Biathlon. Held on February 12th, Lee came in fifth in the open category, which consisted of a 1.5km seaswim followed by a 10km run. Compatriot Mok Ying Ren came in second, with the first, third and fourth podium spots going to New Zealanders Dylan McNiece, Ben Pulham and Australian Halligan David Quinn respectively.
Assume push up position with arms slightly wider than shoulder width.
THE PLANK
Lower yourself until your chest is almost touching the floor.
"Core strength is essential to keeping proper form in both swimming and running."
3
Lie face down on the floor resting on your forearms, with palms flat. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on your elbows.
Push off to starting position and rotate body 90 degrees to the left, with your other arm pointing straight upwards.
Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
Return to starting position and repeat on right side.
Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.
This is one rep. Do 20 reps.
S&RC multi-purpose fields reopen for use Brenda Xie
SWIFTLY DOES IT: Lee is the fastest biathlete in NTU and the second fastest Singaporean in the sport.
During the Singapore University Games (SUniG) Aquathlon meet last year, Lee came in third, just a few minutes off Mok Ying Ren from NUS, who broke the tape first. It is hard to believe Lee’s dominance in the sport was sparked because he was frequently outclassed by his ex-girlfriend. He said: “Initially I just wanted to swim faster than my girlfriend, so I started putting in really long hours
MAKING A SPLASH: Lee is a force to be reckoned with in the pool.
in the pool. I guess you could say I was motivated by a little bit of ego.” These days, Lee—whose life revolves around the sport and his studies—often clocks up to 12 hours a week training. Indeed, when The Nanyang Chronicle visited Lee in his hall room, there was an entire wall filled with his past race bibs. “Each race bib has been with me physically through a race. Looking up at all of them on my wall reminds me of all the great experiences I had. This is my way of keeping my love for the sport strong,” said Henry. He credits his teammates from the NTU squad for his success. “I am very fortunate to have such great teammates who not only give me emotional support, but professional advice as well,” said Henry. Unlike 23-year-old NUS medical student Mok Ying Ren, who has equipment sponsors and a personal trainer, Lee relies on his teammates. “I depend on what I call ‘peer mentorship’. For what I lack in professional advice, I make up for it with the pool of collective knowledge that is shared between every
PHOTOS | DANSON CHEONG
NTU Biathlon Team Manager: Mr Chia Chin Yeh Contact Number: 67905166 E-mail: cychia@ntu.edu.sg Training on Mondays and Wednesdays Sports and Recreation Centre, Swimming Pool member of my team,” explained Lee. So attached is Lee to his teammates that he describes training with them as his ‘social life’. He said: “Many people tell me that biathlon, by nature of being an individual sport, is very selfish. But I disagree. It’s really a team event.” “Varsity races like the SUniG Aquathlon and the NUS Biathlon often take the cumulative time of a team, so you are really only as fast as your slowest athlete.” According to Lee, the NTU squad is gearing up for their final race of the season, the NUS Biathlon, where they will face off with current champions, NUS.
Lee said: “This year the team has really trained hard and improved greatly. It’s going to be a close race.” Beyond biathlon, Lee hopes to take his multi-sport ambitions one step further. Lee wants to complete a HalfIronman triathlon—which consists of a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21km run—before he graduates. “That’s been a longtime dream of mine,” said Lee. If his past successes are anything to go by, Singaporean triathletes might soon have another face to look out for.
NTU’s sportsmen and women no longer have to resort to training in car parks or within their own hall compounds, after the Sports and Recreation Centre (S&RC) reopened the multi-purpose fields on the 4th week of school. Continual heavy rains in midJanuary disrupted many of the Inter-Hall (IHG) and Inter-School Games (ISG) as the fields beside the basketball and tennis courts were waterlogged and had to be closed for almost a month. Or ga n i se r s of bot h I HG Softball and Football had most of their matches interrupted as a result of the pitch closure. Koo Jeng Shun, 23, organiser of IHG softball (boys) event said: “ IHG softball was quite badly affected. It was supposed to be one of the sports that ended the earliest but it dragged on for 2 weeks.” Due to the lack of a proper training venue, some of the halls resorted to having their sessions at car parks or within their own hall compounds. T h i s comprom i sed on t he number and intensity of training sessions that they could have. “Trainings were cancelled most of the time because of the
OPEN ONCE AGAIN: The multi-purpose fields could not be used for nearly a month.
closure. Field trainings were converted to physical trainings to build up fitness and stamina,” said Tan Kum Boon, 21, Hall of Residence 12 Sports Secretary and organiser of IHG football. The S&RC came to an agree-
ment with the IHG committee to minimize the use of the fields and to find alternative venues for the IHG events. For instance the preliminary rounds for Softball (girls and boys) were held at the Anchorvale
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
field in Sengkang West. The S&RC has advised halls to minimise the use of the fields, especia l ly af ter ra i ny days,” said Hall of Residence 3 Sports Secretary Winfred Oh, 23. As the Coordinator for all 20
sports of the IHG, Oh understood t he problem: “Last year, I HG soccer matches had to be held at var ious secondar y schools and softball matches were held at the Japanese Association of Singapore (JAS).” In response to requests to reopen the pitch, the S&RC said that it was necessary to close the fields, as constant usage of the field when it is wet and muddy will affect the growth of the grass. Using the field would not only spoil its condition over time but also affect future competition use and other bookings of it. Mr Darren Chua, Assistant Manager (Sports) of the S&RC and the team manager of the IVP football team said: “Pitch closure during inclement weather is required for maintaining the quality of the pitch in the long run.” “Users have to understand that at the particular point in time when any decision is made,” he added. Mr. Chua added that there are no hard and fast rules as to when the field should be closed. He revealed that duty officers decide the closure of the football pitch on the actual day, depending on the weather and pitch conditions.
Sports
Love and tennis on the court – Page 41
New gym goes back to basics Edward Teo THERE are no treadmills, air conditioning, or towels for hire. At first glance, one may not know what to make of this gym. Called 'The Playground', it boasts a wide range of free weights such as truck tyres, sledge hammers, gymnastic rings and kettlebells, instead of the usual gym equipment. T his g y m is co-owned by first-year Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) student Jeremy Ko. The gym’s minimalist concept is seen as an asset by its owners, as it shows that the gym is for serious workouts. “It’s not clean, it’s not comfortable. It’s a place where people get results because of their efforts,” said the 22-year-old. Ko was roped in as web designer in April last year for the then-upstart company, after he met founder David Devito, 46 at a rock climbing session. He was then offered co-ownership as they were able to complement one another, said Ko. Of particular novelty is the kettlebell, a fitness equipment relatively new in the local fitness scene. Kettlebell H.I.T., a Singaporebased fitness company that promotes kettlebell lifting and highintensity training workouts is the parent company of The Playground. It was established in 2007 and is the brainchild of founder Devito. “A regular dumbbell only trains the isolated bicep muscle if you do bicep curls, for example. However, the kettlebell utilizes the whole body while lifting it, working the core and lower back muscles as well,” Ko explained. Devito added: “We have the most diverse forms of kettlebells in terms of weight and quantity in Singapore at the moment.” The transition from regular dumbbells to kettlebells has been picking up in Singapore recently. “When I was exercising with
AN UNCONVENTIONAL WORKOUT: Co-owner of The Playground Jeremy Ko (right) guides reporter Edward Teo (left) on the proper use of a kettlebell.
just dumbbells, I could only do 10 chin ups at best. After starting off with kettlebells six months ago, I can hit a maximum of 20,” said Nabil Ruysdi, 23, a student at Singapore Institute of Management and member of the SG Titans. Groups of serious athletes who engage in Kettlebell H.I.T.'s form of training create the gym’s tough and competitive atmosphere. These include rock climbers and members of the SG Titans, a local interest group of strength training enthusiasts. “The athletes create a strong energy that motivates everyone to push themselves beyond the limit,”
ROUGH AND TOUGH: There is nowhere to get comfortable and relax in this gym.
said The Playground’s founder Devito, 46. He added: “I believe that the local fitness industry is moving towards this trend of raw, full body workouts. In fact, I predict that many gyms may follow suit in the future.” The Playground’s brand of physical conditioning aims to promote full body workouts, building lean bodies that are functional for overall physical movement in everyday life. Ko said: “Our training will help athletes engage in possible day-today activities like carrying heavy loads with ease and increase overall functional strength for contact sports such as rugby and football.” About 95 per cent of equipment at The Playground are free weights that train the body as a whole muscular system. Devito said that the gym owns six power racks, as compared to a maximum of two at a regular gym. The power rack is a weighttraining equipment for free weight workouts, that consists of exercises such as deadlifts (a weighttraining exercise where one lifts a loaded barbell off the ground from a stabilized bent-over position) and weighted squats. The gym is located at Horsecity, adjacent to shopping mall Turf City. Activities that require more space such as signature tyre flip-
PHOTOS | GOH CHAY TENG
WHAT IS A KETTLEBELL? The kettlebell is a weight which looks like a cannonball with a handle. It has a centre of mass that enables swing movements not possible with traditional dumbbells. This makes training with a kettlebell more effective because more muscle groups are utilised in the swinging movement.
ping and sledgehammer workouts are conducted at the extended road behind the gym. In addition to its physically challenging workouts, the gym also offers milder workouts for middleaged men and women who may not be as physically active, and teenagers who are amateurs in the area. Devito added: “ I welcome any NTU student for one free lesson
at my gym. Just be prepared both mentally and physically to have an exhausting workout.” First-year WKWSCI student Lam Zhao Yao, 22 was at the gym’s soft opening on February 20th. He said: “I would definitely visit it again as the training methods are interesting. Activities such as tyre flipping add fun and realism into lifting as compared to metal weights.”