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News Bites NTU NTU NOW RANKED WITHIN WORLD’S TOP 50 UNIVERSITIES NTU jumped 11 places in QS World University ranking system to clinch the 47th spot this year. This jump is attributed to the rise in academic and employer reputation as well as faculty diversity. The QS rankings, which evaluated over 700 institutions, assessed factors including academic and employer reputations, citations, international faculty and student mix. NT U A N D U N IV E R S IT Y O F WARWICK TO JOIN FORCES IN NEUROSCIENCE NTU has linked up with the University of Warwick for a joint neuroscience program. The new Warwick-NTU Neuroscience Research@Singapore Programme will take place in A*STAR laboratories. The programme aims to investigate connections between the brain’s nerve cells, brain plasticity, and how the brain creates spatial maps to memorise locations. This may enhance treatments for neural degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. MORE TOP STUDENTS ENROLL IN NTU THIS YEAR NTU accepted 43 per cent more top students this year, a record for the university. In all, 284 students were chosen from thousands of applicants to receive the Nanyang Scholarship
or to enter the Renaissance Engineering Programme, the C.N. Yang Scholars’ Programme, or the University Scholars Programme. COOLING TECHNOLOGY TO CUT ELECTRICITY BILLS BY A THIRD NTU and Toshiba have developed a cooling technology that will enable data centres to be more energy efficient, cutting energy bills by one-third. The cooling system uses the air outside the data centre for cooling purposes whenever feasible, such as when the air outside is cooler than the temperature inside the data centre. NTU TO INITIATE VISUAL ARTS CENTRE AT GILLMAN BARRACKS NTU has initiated a new Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in arts enclave Gillman Barracks. Located near Alexandra Road, the CCA aims to bolster the local visual arts scene by supporting international artist residencies, research, and exhibition programmes. CCA will also work closely with the School of Art, Design and Media.
SINGAPORE GEN Y VALUES MEANINGFUL WORK MOST: SURVEY Generation Y employees, who are born between 1981 and 2000, value meaningful work most, according to global recruitment firm Kelly Services. Among respondents in Singapore, 71 per cent placed
personal growth and fulfilment as more important than compensation and benefits when choosing jobs. Based on these findings, the recruitment agency suggested that employers take a more well-rounded approach with a clear development path for their Gen Y staff. FIVE NEW BUS SERVICES TO START IN 4TH QUARTER OF 2012 Five new bus services will be introduced this year, and two will start as early as October 21, announced the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Part of the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), the new bus services will be implemented in a partnership between LTA, SBS Transit and SMRT Buses. In addition, more than 50 existing bus services will have new BSEP buses added to them.
Champion’s League on September 18th, just hours before the matches kicked off. It is understood that this was due to Singtel’s frantic efforts to iron out the contract’s fine print with the organiser’s rights agents. This incurred the ire of football fans, who called for more transparency in screening negotiations. COMMEND OR DENOUNCE LOOS THROUGH NEW ONLINE CHANNEL Members of the public can now give toilet operators a thumbs up or thumb’s down through a new initiative by the Restroom Association Singapore (RAS). The LOO (Let’s Observe Ourselves) Connect Channel aims to help Singapore achieve a world-recognised standard of restroom cleanliness and is available on the RAS website.
WORLD
SINGAPOREANS URGED TO “MAKE GOOD ENGLISH STICK” This year’s Speak Good English Movement will call on Singaporeans to “Make Good English Stick”, to show that the skill of using the language effectively will stick with continuous practice. In line with the theme, sticky notes, previously used in 2010, will make a comeback this year to remind Singaporeans to speak well. The movement will be launched on September 27.
FRENCH MAGAZINE’S CARTOONS OUTRAGE MUSLIMS Muslim leaders criticised a French magazine’s publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad and urged France’s government to take firm action. The cartoons, featured in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, had several caricatures of The Prophet, some of which were of him naked.
SINGTEL SECURES RIGHTS TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN LASTMINUTE SCRAMBLE
RECORD TWO MILLION IPHONE 5 ORDERS IN A DAY
Local telco SingTel secured the rights to screen this season’s
Apple received more than two million orders for its new iPhone
5 in 24 hours, and many deliveries would now be pushed back into October because of the strong demand. The pre-orders shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S, said Apple. FIRST US CIT Y DECL ARE S BISEXUAL PRIDE DAY Berkeley, California has become the first United States (US) city to officially proclaim a day recognising bisexuals. The City Council unanimously declared September 23 as Bisexual Pride and Bi-Visibility Day. WORLD POWERS TO DISCUSS IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME AT UN MEETINGS Six world powers — United States, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain — will be meeting with Iran to figure out how to break an impasse in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. These countries fear Iran is developing a bomb but Tehran says its programme serves peaceful purposes only. CHINA CLAMPS DOWN ON ANTIJAPAN PROTESTS China moved quickly to snuff out more anti-Japan protests after days of angry demonstrations over a territorial dispute forced Japanese businesses to shut their doors. Relations between Asia’s two biggest economies have faltered badly, with major protests in cities across China over a group of East China Sea islands, known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu.
Campus Seen If you have any exciting events to publicise, please contact us at chronicle@ntu.edu.sg
FIT AS HIS FIDDLE: Russian violinist Alexander Souptel performing a solo at the Nanyang Auditorium during the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s campus concert on September 17th. On the right is conductor Joshua Kangming Tan. PHOTO | YEO KAI WEN
News
Brush up language skills – Page 5
Invest in leisure time: DPM Tharman $1'5(: 72+ DESPI T E l iv i ng i n a mor e competitive and stressful society, students should not just “throw up their hands and surrender,” said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the N T U Ministerial Forum. Emphasising the importance of leisure time, he said that students should “have time and space to do other things, to interact, to be on the playing field three times a week, to go through defeat and victor y together, and even to daydream. “ I s p e n t a l o t of t i m e daydreaming when I was young, and I happen to think it was a rather good investment,” he said. This year’s forum, held on September 5 at the Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre, revolved around the theme of ‘Singapore: The Challenges Ahead’. Mor e t ha n 75 0 s t ude nt s and faculty attended the forum, where Mr Tharman addressed a range of issues from the sluggish growth rates that have plagued the Western economies, to developing socially progressive policies that work towards building a fair and just society. Elaborating on the education system, Mr Tharman warned that should Singaporeans choose a system with less differentiation, students who have the ability to go faster would be hindered.
“You don’t need, by age 18, to have accomplished so much in your knowledge and abilities, because you can catch up later,” he said. Mr Tharman also responded to a question about whether if the planned increase in the percentage of university places — from 27% to 40% by 2020 — would greatly dilute the value of a university degree. He said that the increase in the number of university places will be carried out mainly in skill-based and applied programmes in order to ensure their relevance. T he increase in universit y places w i l l come f rom t he Singapore Institute of Technology and SIM University. “We’ve got to make sure that this addition in degree places is principally an addition ins more applied learning fields, additions of the people who come out from university and have specific skills that the market values,” he said. Mr Tharman’s response drew parallels with the National Day Ra lly Speech given by Pr ime M in ister Lee Hsien Loong on August 26th. In his speech, PM Lee had out l i ned pla n s to i ncrea se university places to meet increasing competition among Singaporeans and foreigners. Se ver a l st udent s st i l l fe lt apprehensive about the additional university places. S e cond-yea r ac cou nt a nc y undergraduate Long Hian Peng
GO AHEAD AND RELAX: DPM Tharman recommends that students strike a balance between study and leisure.
said: “In Singapore, it is very easy to switch from one sector to another regardless of the specialisation of the degree.” T he 22-yea r-old cited as an example engineering degree holders who vent ure into the corporate world. He voiced fears that an increase in university places would render
ineffect ive t he gover nment’s measures to focus such places on more niche, applied learning fields. “Already, wages are depressed by the influx of foreign talent,” he said. “With more local graduates in the future, wages will be further depressed. This can ultimately be linked back to the oversupply of university graduates.”
PHOTO | STEFFI KOH
Priscilla Nui, 23, from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, asked if the government would be able to provide enough jobs to meet growing numbers of degree holders. “Singapore has to...ensure a proportional increase in the level of competitiveness... if it were to raise the proportion of educated workers."
NTU's national panellist speaks
Work-life balance 101
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WO R K- L I F E b a l a n c e f o r students was a key topic raised during the Ministerial Forum, with students asking how they could divide their time between schoolwork and leisure. Lim Yufan, 25, posed a question to Mr Tharman on whether the government would do anything to help students achieve work-life balance. The Minister's response was that study pressures could be reduced by introducing e xa m i nat ion s w it h lowe r curriculum requirements. Lim, a final-year student f r o m t h e We e K i m We e School of Communication and Information said he had to stop being a Boys’ Brigade officer two years ago, as it was affecting his schoolwork. “I hardly have any cocurricular activities — school alone is quite hectic,” he said. For Syed Munir Alhamid, a PhD student in the School
STANLEY Chia hopes to account f or y ou t h s i n t h e n at ion a l conversation. The final-year accountancy student is one of the 26 members on the Our Singapore Committee. He was nominated by the Student Affairs Office. The committee is tasked with leading and involving citizens in a dialogue about Singapore’s future. “I t h i n k t hat yout h s i n Singapore are really detached. Some feel like they don’t belong to the country. I want to include them in the national conversation,” said Chia. “The design of the conversations is such that if enough voices are heard about certain issues, we, the committee, will prioritise our attention on those. So if you believe that particular areas should be looked into, I do encourage you to raise them,” he added. He feels that although students are mainly concerned with their studies, they should also take an
ACCOUNTABLE: Stanley hopes to speak on behalf of youths in the national conversation. PHOTO | YEO KAI WEN
interest in national priorities. To help engage his peers in national policies, Chia intends to use social media to address their opinions and involve the public to create awareness of what has already been done”. In addition, he is tr ying to
gather written contributions from students, and submit them to the Our Singapore Conversation team, so that even the less vocal ones will get a chance to be heard. "I want to get views from youths of all ages, and of different backgrounds."
6$5$+ *,$0
of Biological Sciences, work-life balance is itself subjective. “Some people enjoy working, and we should not fault them for that. But we should be concerned if they have no life outside work, or expect to live without doing their fair share,” said the 28-year-old. Munir also felt Mr Tharman’s response was “very true and honest” in his recognition of inevitable trade-offs in achieving better work-life balance. “We cannot say we want our youth to play and learn out-of-classroom lessons, while still trying to squeeze additional topics into the syllabus," he added. Other students agreed with Mr Tharman's suggestions, but felt such attitudes would not be easy to follow. Tan Pang Soon, 23, said Singaporeans are “just too used to be fast-moving.” T he Yea r 3 Me c ha n ica l Engineering student said he achieves work-life balance by planning ahead — to allocate time for both family and work.
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7-Eleven: prices and processes $1'5(: 72+ 6(2: %(,<, THE 7-Eleven at Hall of Residence 2 found itself at the centre of a series of outcries among students after a technical glitch caused products to be priced incorrectly. But the university authorities have been swift to say that while the change between supermarkets could have been handled more smoothly, it has been done with the interests of the university in mind. NTU President Bertil Andersson and Provost Freddy Boey, in a circular on September 21, pointed out that “contrary to what some sceptics may think, the public tender is not a tool for price increase but rather a process to get the best services for the NTU community". Earlier, thinking that prices had risen after the change in operators, students took their indignation online. A s of Septembe r 20, t he Facebook event page ‘Boycott 7-11 at Hall 2’ had 1,427 attendees. One of the event’s organisers, Lim Jialiang, set September 28 as the date when a letter of demand is planned to be sent. It remains unclear, however, if the letter will still be sent since 7-Eleven decreased its prices on September 6, the day after the event page was started. T he Facebook page ‘Br ing BACK Nanyang Supermarket’ has garnered 1,012 ‘likes' since its launch on September 4.
But the outcry seems to have died down after 7-Eleven lowered the prices of their goods. A packet of Nissin cup noodles now costs $1.50, down from the original price of $2.20. Other products, such as a packet of Meiji fresh milk, went down from $1.40 to $1.10. Lim lauded the “collective action” of NTU students on the Facebook event page. These are in line with 7-Eleven's ‘institutional prices’, which are the prices charged in higher education institutions and are lower than those in other locations. However, this has led to students questioning why the North Spine branch of 7-Eleven is still charging higher prices, now that lower ‘institutional prices’ are being charged at its Hall 2 branch. A spokesperson for the Office of Development and Facilities Management (ODFM) said t he North Spine branch is under an old contract and need not charge ‘institutional prices’. Ot her st udents a lso wondered how the space has gone to 7-Eleven, and ODFM stated that the company won the bid in an open tender process done through the Singapore government’s eprocurement portal. Three supermarkets had bid for the space, but ODFM declined to identify the unsuccessful bidders. The base bidding price for renting the space in Hall 2 was $16,000 per month, and 7-Eleven's
NEW STORE IN TOWN: 7-Eleven says it will charge lower prices in its Hall 2 branch as compared to its outlets elsewhere. PHOTO | EDWARD TEO
bid was less than $1,000 above that, according to Professor Kwok Kian Woon, Associate Provost in charge of Student Life. The rental is a few thousand dollars more than what Nanyang Supermarket paid in 2009, and Prof Kwok said that the increase happened as “rental rates are re-
viewed periodically". He added that the university accepts that the transition between supermarkets could have been smoother, and empathised wth student concerns. “Consultations have been held on the use of spaces that affect the NTU community," he said.
The 7-Eleven supermarket at Hall 2 will fully open in mid-October, initially for 24 hours a day for a trial period. It will offer both wet and dry items including fresh produce, fish and meat, and also the same categories of products as offered by the previous operator.
Roof collapse at Chinese Heritage Centre fixed
COVERED IN SCAFFOLDING: A concrete board collapsed from the middle portion of CHC's top floor.
-$60,1( 7$< A metre-long concrete fascia boa rd fel l f rom t he C h i nese Heritage Centre (CHC) recently, smashing to the floor and scattering debris as far as the road. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The fascia board — a block attached below the CHC roof to
reinforce it — fell on August 26, scattering debris as far as 15 metres away from the CHC. “I was shocked when I saw concrete at the entrance of the CHC in the afternoon,” Dr Lim Boon Hock, the manager of the CHC said. Pang Zie Liang, a student assistant at the CHC, was on duty that day. He heard the crash but
PHOTO | SABRINA TIONG
did not realise what had happened until Dr Lim informed him. “I was in the office on the second floor when I heard the crash. I went to investigate the third floors and the on-going exhibitions but found nothing,” Pang said. “I assumed that the sound came from the strong wind causing the banging of the fourth floor windows, as
this happens quite often.” No one was hurt by the falling debris, as it occurred on a Sunday afternoon. “I remembered that there were four visitors who had left just before the incident happened. It’s a relief to know that they are safe,” Pang said. The board had collapsed due to wear and tear caused by the weather, said Dr Lim. He said that unlike traditional fascia boards which are made of wood, the CHC boards were made of concrete and were much heavier. Their weight speeded up the cracking of the fascia board, and led to the eventual collapse. He a le r te d t he Of f ic e of D e v e lopme nt a nd Fac i l it ie s Management (ODFM) on August 27, the day of the collapse. It took a week to find subcontractors to fix the boards. However, he added that the r e pa i r proce s s wa s ve r y eff icient, w it h t he scaf fold ing up on September 1 and repair work completed for all the fascia boards two weeks later. “ODFM conducted a check on the repair work and was satisfied with it,” said Dr Lim. The scaffolding was removed on September 16. This was not the first time repair work has been performed on the CHC. In 2004, an inspection found that mechanical and
electrical work, as well as repairs to the roof and tiles, were needed on the second, third and fourth levels. A major refurbishment of the CHC was completed in April 2005. According to Dr Lim, changes to the design of the fascia boards have been made to prevent such accidents from happening again. “The new boards are now half their original thickness so that the weight of the board will not aggravate wear and tear in the future,” Dr Lim said. The CHC, which was covered in scaffolding from end-August to mid-September, seemed to have given visitors the false impression that it was closed. It had a record 8000 visitors in early August, but saw only about 500 visitors in early September. Not many knew that the CHC was actually open throughout the period — instead of entering from the usual front entrance, visitors had to enter from the safer back entrance. “There were buses filled with students coming to the centre for a National Education excursion. However because of the scaffolding, teachers thought it was closed and left,” said Dr Lim. "We only found out when they called to enquire when we would be open so that they could come again,” he added.
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Carpooling to NTU Lending a
helping pen New writing centre will look at the style, structure and arguments in students' writings 6(2: %(,<,
HOP ON: More students are turning to carpool services to reduce their traveling time to NTU.
$0$1'$ 3+221 .$5(1 1* CARPOOLS mean an extra hour of sleep on school mornings. Just ask Ken Tan. On most days, Tan, 22, wakes up at 5.30am in order to get to school by 8.30am by public transport. But after chancing upon a driver offering carpool services online, Tan gets to wake up an hour later. “With carpooling, the good thing is you are guaranteed a seat,” said Tan, a second-year student at the Nanyang Business School. “You can rest and talk to your fellow students in the car.” Tan is one of several NTU students who have turned to carpooling to get to school. The growing number of carpooling websites helps NTU commuters to find a driver or a passenger. Carpooling involves drivers carrying passengers headed to the same destination, usually for a fee. Drivers typically advertise their services online, and passengers whose timing matches that of the drivers contact the driver. One site, Sharetransport.sg, was launched in March and has more than 8,000 users, 500 of them from NTU. “550,000 cars are available in Singapore, most of them with one driver and four empty seats,” said the co-founder of Sharetransport. sg, Mr Soh Chong Kian, 31. “It’s capacity waiting to be used.” Drivers who sign up at Sharetransport.sg are notified through their home page and e-mails when there is a match, so they do not need to monitor the site. Passengers pay a flat fee of $4.60 per trip, based on calculations by Mr Soh. Mr Brian Hsu, the founder and director of a similar site, Carpool King, said online carpooling platforms enable users to have a more personalised experience. For instance, last year, it intro-
duced a platform that caters specifically to NTU. “A URL, for example ‘NTU.carpoolking.com’, will be dedicated to NTU commuters,” said Mr Hsu. Some carpool drivers were inspired by carpooling websites to promote their services to reduce transport costs. For instance, Chia Li Qian, 25, drives from Bedok to NTU. After visiting websites like SingCarpool and Carpool King, the secondyear accountancy major realised he could reduce his cost of driving, which adds up to $16 a day including ERP and parking. "People think all drivers here are rich,” said Chia.
“550,000 cars are available in Singapore, most of them with one driver and four empty seats. It's capacity waiting to be used.” Mr Soh Chong Kian Co-founder of Sharetransport.sg
“Driving a car is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for people living in the east," added Chia. Students say carpooling is attractive as it offers passengers the convenience of getting from home to school with the comfort of a car but at a much lower cost. Khoo Say Yien, 22, finds the $4 he pays for a carpool ride from his home in Tampines to NTU reasonable. “Public transport costs around $2, so the cost incurred is worth the comfort and time saved,” added the second-year student from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | ASHLEY TAY
Drivers benefit as they can share their transport costs with passengers, said second-year student Wong Zi Hao, who offers carpool rides from Tampines to NTU. “I get to save on petrol costs,” said Wong, 23, who is from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. “Instead of paying $12 to $13 for petrol, I split the cost with three passengers, so each person pays $3 to $4 to go to school.” However, some students brought up concerns such as inconvenience and difficulty of coordinating timings between drivers and passengers. “I think the restriction of carpooling is the availability of time, as the driver himself may have to go to work,” said Andre Too, 20, a firstyear student from the School of Materials Science and Engineering. “For instance, what happens if you are delayed and cannot leave the house early? The hours are not as flexible," added Too. Some students were also wary of sharing a car with strangers. Khoo said he was initially concerned about safety since he did not know the driver. Chia agreed, adding that passengers have to watch out for their own safety. “Not everybody is like what the passenger assumes,” said Chia. He advised carpooling passengers to verify the driver’s identity. “The first thing is to check their matriculation cards, to make sure the driver is a real student here.” Students also expressed concerns about drivers' punctuality. Tan, who stopped carpooling after his driver was late twice, felt that being on time was important. “I would give carpooling another try, but I would try to find out if the driver has good time management and if he can wake up on time,” said Tan. “Reliability of drivers is very important in carpooling.”
UNDERGRADUATES now have an alternate, free avenue for getting writing advice with the opening of the Communication Cube. The Communication Cube is a centre available only to NTU undergraduates to get writing help from student coaches. These trained coaches are either post-graduate or undergraduate students studying either English or Linguistic and Multi-lingual Studies (LMS). “Sometimes, there is just so little a tutor can do under time constraints, so we want to offer extra avenues for students to seek help and become independent writers,” said Ms Pang Su Woon, a lecturer at the Language and Communication Centre (LCC) and committee member of the Communication Cube. Students can consult the writing coaches after making an appointment online. Every student is entitled to two sessions at Communication Cube per semester, where they can get consultation individually or in a group. The sessions are each half an hour long. Students can get advice on all types of writing, and have to prepare two hard copies of their written work for discussion, or a finished product that they need comments on. The coaches are trained not to go into the mode of editing or spoonfeeding students. “They do not proofread or vet through students’ work,” said Mr Lim Boon Tien, a lecturer at the LCC and coordinator of the Communication Cube. “The 30-minute slot gives the coaches only enough time to address higher level concerns,” he added. These higher level concerns in-
clude style, structure, and argumentation, rather than content. The Communication Cube is the brainchild of Professor Alan Chan, the Dean of the Humanities and Social Science (HSS) School, and functions similarly to National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University's writing centres. Jonna Miao, 22, found this programme beneficial. "When I write a long sentence, I always have problems structuring it or end up reapeating my ideas," said the second-year student from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
“Sometimes, there is just so little a tutor can do under time constraints, so we want to offer extra avenues for students.” Ms Pang Su Woon Lecturer Language and Communication Centre
The student coach gave her advice on writing clear sentences and using simple words, she added. Derek Chen Siang Teck, a second-year student from the school of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, however, felt the sessions conducted could be longer. "We only went through one paragraph of my essay, and I needed more explanations. "Sometimes I couldn't understand what the coach meant, and it was difficult to get ideas across," the 22-year-old added. The Communication Cube is temporarily located at level 6 of the HSS building, until its permanent premises at the Learning Hub is ready in 2014.
WRITER'S BLOCK: Students are entitled to two free sessions per semester. PHOTO | T.Z.CHAM
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LT 1 fire affects students' lectures %5,$1 /(21$/
AFTER a fire broke out in Lecture Theatre 1 (LT1) on September 7, students whose classes there were moved to the Nanyang Auditorium's exhibition hall are saying it is not a good place for lectures. Fourteen lectures, each with an average of 350 students, have been moved to other LTs and seminar rooms, including the exhibition hall, which most students know as an examination venue. Accor d i ng to Of f ice of Academic Services (OAS), lectures are shifted to the exhibition hall only if no other lecture theatres are available. But students said that they often cannot see or hear the lecturer. Sebastian Fleischmann, an exchange student studying in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), said the temporary lecture venue is not as conducive as LT1. “When you sit at the righthand corner of the exhibition hall, the quality of the sound is just not good,” said the 24-year-old German student. Liew Zhi Hao, a final-year
student from MAE, attributed the hall’s lack of good-quality acoustics to the shape of the venue. “Unlike lecture theatres that are designed to be bigger at the back, this one is square,” the 24-year-old said. Some also find it difficult to communicate and make eye contact with the lecturer as the hall’s pillars block their views. “The screen was in front of the lecture theatre, from the projector, but it was awkward not to look at the lecturer,” said Jeffrey Toh, 24, a final-year student from MAE. However, some students liked the change in venue. Ching Fen, a second-year student from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineer ing, said the desks provided, which are typically used in examinations, are bigger than the ones in LT 1. LT1 will open again in midOctober. Singapore Civil Defence Force, NTU Health and Safety Office, and Office of Development and Facilities Management (ODFM) declined to reveal details on the fire, such as the time it took place and the damage it caused.
REPAIR IN PROGRESS: LT 1 is undergoing renovation after it was engulfed by a fire on September 7.
Nonetheless, according to Mr Ong Lai Seng, the assistant director of ODFM, the damage was “nothing much”. The fire is believed to have broken out around 2 am. It is the second recent fire in a local university since a fire broke
out in the National University of Singapore on August 10. A team of firemen from Jurong Fire Station responded to the NTU fire, bringing at least five fire trucks and three Red Rhino vehicles to the scene. “The fire was a small one,” said one fireman, who
PHOTO | BRIAN LEONAL
declined to be named. The fire was put out by 2.30am. The NTU Campus Security Division confirmed that the fire originated from LT1, but did not provide any further details. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A chorus of solo voices serenades NTU -2<&( /,0 EVEN through an online video, Abhik Das’s smooth baritone rang out clearly to the judges, who crowned him the winner of this year’s Project Virtual Choir (VC). As part of the annual eFest held on 11th and 12th September, the staff of Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) launched NTU’s first virtual choir, bringing solo voices from around campus into an online choir. This competition was designed to show that learning is not just limited to a lecture theatre or tutorial room, but can be done in the comfort of one’s home with the help of technology. “With a virtual choir there are almost no boundaries to the production of music from different people at different places,” said technical and creative director Eric Wei, 48, who oversaw the technical aspects of putting the video submissions together. Mr Wei added that NTU’s competition was inspired by Grammy award winning composer Eric Whitacre, known for his Virtual Choir projects around the world. Six participants recorded a video of their singing, following instructions from tutorial videos of choir conductors on the song “What a Wonderful World”, made famous by Louis Armstrong. Staff from CELT pieced together the video entries to form the finished piece by the virtual choir.
A WONDERFUL WORLD: The virtual choir's singers lend their pipes to a combined online video.
NTU students Zhang Xin, Deborah Guo, Wang Wenfeng, Pham Minh Hang, Lim Wen Zhen and eventual winner Abhik Das were game enough for the event, which had the latest iPad as the top prize. The singers were then judged based on voice quality, pitch and showmanship. The campus’ first virtual choir
was met with mixed responses. While many students agreed that it was an innovative concept, others felt that it could only reach out to a small audience. NTU’s Choir President Eugene Ng, 23, described two challenges the virtual choir faced. “Firstly, the student population is too small to capture an adequate talent base,” said the
PHOTO |KENJI KWOK
third-year undergraduate from the Nanyang Business School. “Furthermore, for someone with no choir background, learning to sing the parts confidently can be quite challenging.” Chan Long Teng, 23, the founder of Hall 11’s acappella group, VocalNC, agreed. “First you’d have to reach out to people who can learn music on
their own, then get past the fact that people may not be comfortable with uploading videos of themselves singing,” said the third-year communication studies major. “Even though there’s a video of a conductor directing you, there may still be pitching and rhythmic inaccuracies,” he added. “After all, this is not a conductor who has rehearsed with you regularly.” Others agreed, such as Pratiwi Ng, 23, a f ina l-yea r st udent from the school of Civ il and Environmental Engineering, who said she would not join the virtual choir because she felt her singing was not fantastic. In addition to singing ability, some students felt that technical skills in video recording mattered. “I feel that the sound quality would definitely be compromised if people are recording in different places, with different devices,” said Reshvin Kaur, 22, a secondyear student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Despite its limitations, others felt the virtual choir was an eyeopener for them. “I never knew this genre of choir existed,” said participant Wang Wenfeng, 24. “But after taking part, I felt proud...knowing I produced my own music.” The second-year PhD student from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering added: “The prize was attractive, but ultimately I joined because of my interest in it.”
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LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE: For Eileen Neo (both left and right), she hits the heartland streets on weekends, and the books on weekdays.
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t 1.53 metres, Eileen Neo had narrowly missed the height requirement of 1.56 metres for police ofďŹ cers. But despite this, she went ahead last January and applied for the job. How she managed to get around the height barrier was a stroke of luck. After undergoing her health and psychometric tests, a man from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) called her up one day to say that he saw her passion for policing. And that is not all. He then helped her to pass the selection process regardless of her lack in height. Weeks later, Eileen received an email saying that she could proceed with the interviews. To this day, his identity remains a mystery as Eileen did not manage to catch his name or his rank. On ďŹ rst impression, it was not hard to imagine that this second-year student at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information is also a policewoman. Although small in stature, she exudes a no-nonsense demeanor, collected composure and a zen-like poise. Eileen felt compelled to join the SPF after the slashing incidents of 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a string of gang-related assaults on Singaporean
youths that took place at Pasir Ris, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started thinking: What would I do if this happened to my loved ones?â&#x20AC;? she said.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like night duties for the fact that when everyone's sleeping, you're the one who's working and patrolling the streets." Eileen, who is posted to the Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police Centre, signed up under the Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) programme, a component of the SPF where volunteers are required to undergo nine months of training. Eileen then began to realise why being small was an drawback. Handling the M85 Taurus revolver, for instance, was a challenge as she had problems gripping it. Every time she ďŹ red, the sound
was â&#x20AC;&#x153;horriďŹ cally loudâ&#x20AC;?, and the recoil was painful. She had to ďŹ re for up to 240 rounds a week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had to go to the exam with an injured hand. I felt that it was going to shatter,â&#x20AC;? she said. But out of 15 people in her training batch, Eileen emerged as one of three marksmen â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a stunning feat especially for someone of her size. A marksman needs to score at least 85 out of 100 marks, based on the accuracy of 50 shots in total. Eileen's weekends are now devoted to neighbourhood patrols, dealing with noise pollution complaints and neutralizing family disputes before they turn violent, just to name a few. In her ďŹ rst major case, she arrested two bicycle thieves at a void deck thanks to a residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tip-off. She fondly recalls the experience of running after them as â&#x20AC;&#x153;quite shiokâ&#x20AC;?. In another memorable but humourous case, she was notiďŹ ed of loud screaming coming from a house in Choa Chu Kang. Upon arriving at the scene, they found a tall and attractive Brazillian woman who was bewildered to ďŹ nd three policemen at her door. It turned out that her daughters were simply ďŹ ghting over toys. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thought she was kidding, but she looked so embarrassed as she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ex-
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | YEO KAI WEN
pect anyone to complain about her kids,â&#x20AC;? Eileen said. The woman then began sobbing and with that, Eileen and her colleagues excused themselves. While Eileen intends to continue volunteering for as long as she can, she does not intend to pursue policing as a career. Her interest lies with investments, and she wishes to start her own gym. She also advises other girls who are considering the police force to ďŹ rst try out as a volunteer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would encourage females to join the police force, as the SPF needs female ofďŹ cers to deal with female detainees,â&#x20AC;? she said. Policemen are not allowed to touch female detainees. In fact, this rule led to her ďŹ rst experience with using handcuffs when she arrested a foreigner who breached her social pass by soliciting for sex. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is why I love my job. I get to see a side of Singapore that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually see,â&#x20AC;? she said. Eileen also relishes in the role of being a watchful guardian. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I also like night duties for the fact that when everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleeping, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the one whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working and patrolling the streets for the people,â&#x20AC;? she added.
08 LIFESTYLE foodsnoop
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cup a day. This may be the mantra for an average coffee drinker, but Shen Yueli is not one of them. At ďŹ ve in the evening on a casual Sunday, the second-year Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) business undergraduate, 20, was enthusiastically downing her ďŹ fth cup of espresso. She was one of the 200 participants involved in Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst coffee crawl â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an event organised to raise awareness on gourmet coffee held on September 16 and 17. For $25, participants were guaranteed a caffeine high as they savoured coffee from ďŹ ve participating specialty cafĂŠs of their choice. Participating cafĂŠs include Forty Hands, The Broers CafĂŠ, Liberty Coffee, Bettr Barista, Smitten Coffee & Tea Bar and the newly opened Jimmy Monkeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CafĂŠ.
Just a few years ago, Singapore was saturated with traditional coffee houses and commercialised coffee chains. So much so that their run-of-the-mill treatment towards customers brought forth a growing dissatisďŹ ed group of young coffee drinkers who had developed more sophisticated taste proďŹ les. As if responding to the increase in demand, independent boutique coffee houses are sprouting all over the island â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from the quaint shophouses of Duxton Hill to the obscure void decks of the Everton Park heartland. Ms Jeanette Lee, a partner at Bettr Barista Coffee Academy, the social enterprise that organized the crawl, pointed out that more people are becoming aware of gourmet coffee.
One of the factors that led to the growing appetite for specialty coffee is the increase in locals and foreigners returning from overseas study or work. Jimmy Monkey CafĂŠ & Bar is one such example, started by a Melbournian, Mr Michael Ryan, who has been living in Singapore for the past 10 years. Ms Lee also said that Singaporeans who travel are often inspired to replicate vibrant coffee scenes locally. Moreover, with lifestyle magazines and food blogs fanning the brewing interest in coffee, the Third Wave Coffee Movement â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a term to describe the worldwide growing interest in gourmet coffee â&#x20AC;&#x201D; seems to be gaining popularity in Singapore. Despite the steeper prices of speciality coffee (ranging
CUPS OF DUSKY JOY: The latte (left) and cappuccino (right) at The Plain emulate those you may ďŹ nd in Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffee scene. PHOTOS | LIM MU YAO
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CHRONICLE 03 from $3.50 to $8 depending on the quality of the beans), independent coffee stores are building up a strong fan base. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You pay more for the personal touch,â&#x20AC;? said National University of Singapore (NUS) business school student Josephine Lawrence, 20. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speciality coffee is different from mass-produced chain coffee. The baristas do it out of passion, not for commercial reasons,â&#x20AC;? said the self-professed coffee enthusiast. Ms Diyanah Sharif, 17, a barista from Bettr Barista said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coffee chains serve up fast coffee, but gourmet coffee is about the art, the ďŹ&#x201A;avor and the taste.â&#x20AC;? According to Ms Pauline Tan, the owner of Liberty Coffee, a good brew hinges upon ďŹ ve factors: a solid, traditional espresso machine, a correctly calibrated grinder,
For the globetrotter THE PLAIN &UDLJ 5RDG 7HO 2SHQLQJ +RXUV DP SP GDLO\
Entering The Plain is like stepping i nto a not he r world . Not too surprising, as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Melbournestyle cafĂŠ and Australia is known for its laid-back coffee culture. From its friendly staff to the stacks of international magazines
well-maintained prep equipment, properly-roasted quality coffee, and last but not least, the baristaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skills. However, there are some who feel that gourmet coffee is a passing fad that will eventually die down. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is just like another bubble tea craze. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see what the hype is about,â&#x20AC;? said Low Yihua, a second-year NTU psychology student, 20. Some others feel that the coffee scene is catered to a niche group of coffee drinkers. Labeled as â&#x20AC;&#x153;coffee snobsâ&#x20AC;? by the netizens, gourmet coffee lovers are seen as an elitist and self-indulgent bunch. However, Ms Tan felt that good coffee is lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great equaliser and one of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple pleasures that brings people together.
laying about for perusal, The Plain invites you to stay and relax, separated from the hustle and bustle of the city. Rela xing does not demand the copious amounts of caffeine staying up late over readings and tutorials do, so the coffee here is predictably milkier, as is the case with Australian coffee in general. Both the latte ($3.80) and the cappuccino ($3.80) were creamy. For those who like their lattes light, milky, and gentle on the tummy, The Plainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latte is perfect for you. They use a light coffee blend f rom Genovese Cof fee, which is blended using traditional Italian techniques but tempered such that the coffee doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose
its ďŹ&#x201A;avour even with the milkiness Australians prefer. The cappuccino was smooth, with the foam impeccably wellsettled and smoothly consistent. Toasties ($5 for single portion, $9 for double) seem like a simple c hoic e , but it come s h ig h l y recommended from its all-day breakfast menu. The smoky saltiness of the ham ďŹ rst caught our tastebuds, per fect ly complement ing t he tomatoes. It is not too juicy nor is it full of seeds, so that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sog up the crusty yet chewy bread. The Plain calls out to all brunchlover s, prom isi ng a va luable opportunity to unwind and chill over that precious cup of java.
For the time-strapped FORTY HANDS <RQJ 6LDN 6WUHHW 7HO 2SHQLQJ +RXUV 7XH WR 7KX 6XQ DP SP )UL 6DW DP SP &ORVHG RQ 0RQGD\V
LIKE A HEADQUARTER: Not limited by their small quarters, Forty Hands also offers its coffee at Open Door Policy and Tiong Bahru Bakery.
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NAMED after the previous tenant (a sewing shop) and the bright orange colour that peppered the surrounding buildings and bus stops, The Orange Thimble brings together coffee and art â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with a local touch. Its cosy atmosphere welcomes you to stay, relax and mull over ideas. Their A rabica coffee beans from Brazil and Africa are locally roasted, simply because it is fresher
and tastes better. They might have something there: the espresso shot in the f lat white ($5) was more potent than the one at Forty Hands or The Plain, with a rich body and strong earthy overtones. Its milky smoothness also makes the ďŹ&#x201A;at white a good complement for the decadent array of desserts and pastries offered. If you are one for sweetness but prefer it in a cup, the scent of the caramel macchiato ($5.50 for regular) alone is enough to perk you up. Smelling like a packaged candy empire, the coffee is buried deeply in the saccharine sweetness of the caramel. The caramel macchiato is per fect as an af ter-d inner indulgence for those with a sweet tooth. Their emphasis on art is not limited to the interesting pieces on the wall either. The latte art here is the best yet, making it hard to start drinking the coffee, for pity of destroying the lovely design.
HOUSED in a low-rise building, amid the whitewashed vicinity of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst housing estate, Forty Hands is a local take on the artisanal cafĂŠ concept.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;This exposure has made them more adventurous and also, more demanding as they become familiar with international standards,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With all aspects of the F&B under scrutiny, it is no wonder the cult of the coffee geek has come about, not just in Singapore but around the world.â&#x20AC;? This coffee crawl is just one of the events lined up for #BettrWeek, others include a latte art competition and a coffee machine workshop by Astoria, an Italian espresso equipment company. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope to make #BettrWeek an annual event and would love for more like-minded partners to join us in our efforts to promote better thinking, feeling, doing, living and being,â&#x20AC;? said Ms Pamela Chng, the founder of the academy.
KOPI AND TOAST: Toasties ($5) and latte ($3.80) are a different take from usual kaya toast and Kopi-O breakfast combination.
Tau Sar Piah takes on a rebrand in this small space; minimalistic posters to promote it place the passĂŠ Singaporean delicacy back into fashion. ModiďŹ ed propaganda posters of revolutionist China also thematise the decor of the space. Its choice of decor is interesting considering that the cafĂŠ is owned by an Australian owner. Forty Handsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; house blend is composed of four Single Origin Specialty coffees with beans from Costa Rica, Columbia, Guatemala and Papua New Guinea, which are individually roasted then blend together. The iced mocha ($8) was a pleasant relief from the hot weather.
Evenly mixed, the coffee was melded down by sweet overtones of the rich milk chocolate. The taste is rather rich, and not one to pair with meatier offerings on the menu such as the Mediterranean Lamb Sandwich ($11). A long black ($4.50) might serve better as accompaniment to a meal. With a tart acidity and strong earthy and nutty aroma, the light body of this coffee is a good perk me up for a quick lunch. There are deďŹ nitely merits to the acclaim that Forty Hands has garnered, but its packed area make it more suited for quick meals, keeping with the hectic lifestyle in Singapore.
A JUSTIFIED PAIR: The ďŹ&#x201A;at white sits well with the Banana and Cognac Pie ($7.50), sending a sweet twang to the tastebuds.
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ention tea drinking and the image of middle-aged taitais resting after t heir shopping crusade over scones come to mind. Nowadays though, tea is seen as a welcome respite to soothe tired minds and rekindle your overtaxed senses.
NITPICK AT YOUR TEA: (TOP) If you are up for an educational experience on tea appreciation, Tea Chapter is the place to go for a crash course. (LEFT) The "Soothing Throat Tea" ($4.80) and some steamed dumplings ($7) is a light combination to calm your senses after a long day of work. (RIGHT) From the Midsummer's Night Tea to the French Earl Grey, a delve into the spread of originality offered at TWG is never just a generic English Breakfast experience. PHOTOS | LIM MU YAO
For lovers of all things old-world and colonial TWG (The Wellness Group) likes to TWG TEA SALON do tea with a touch of class, and & BOUTIQUE with their waist-coated waiters ,21 2UFKDUG 2UFKDUG 7XUQ 7HO 2SHQLQJ +RXUV DP SP GDLO\
and ďŹ ne china, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised if you start raising your pinky while drinking from that dainty teacup of yours. Strange, considering they are a local company, but their eclectic fascination with all things colonial shows in the rich mahogany panels and their golden teapots in their salons.
For lovers of all things healthy & organic FOR a different approach to tea, the REAL FOOD tranquil surroundings of Real Food .LOOLQH\ 5RDG 7HO 2SHQLQJ +RXUV DP SP GDLO\
will certainly calm your senses and rehabilitate troubled minds. Real Food takes a serious view towards well-being, with teas such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sonnentor Calm Your Nerves Teaâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Listen To Your Heart Teaâ&#x20AC;?. T he â&#x20AC;&#x153;Soot hing T hroat Teaâ&#x20AC;? ($4.80) and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Troubled Times
For lovers of all things oriental and traditional STEPPING into Tea Chapter is TEA CHAPTER an experience in itself. Picture 1HLO 5RDG 7HO 2SHQLQJ +RXUV 6XQ WR 7KX DP SP )UL WR 6DW DP WR SP
old men in tangzhuangs, playing c h i ne se c he s s a nd d r i n k i ng chinese tea over elaborate Chinese rosewood furniture, and you get an approximation of the experience offered here. With at least 50 teas to suit every taste, they have heavy offerings
Offering over 200 exotic teas with unique names such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pomme Prestigeâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eternal Summerâ&#x20AC;?, TWG Teas can please the most discerning tea connoisseur. If you like sweet teas, the vanilla and chocolate accents in the Midsummerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Night Tea ($11) will be right up your alley. The intricate smokiness of this black tea is also a good complement to heavier and more savoury dishes. The French
Earl Grey ($11) is particularly recommended for the fragrant citrus and French blueďŹ&#x201A;ower aromas that lighten up the heavy smokiness characteristic of Earl Grey teas. These teas have all been blended in-house in the central testing facility at MacRitchie to ensure it passes the strictest taste tests by tea connoisseurs. To trap the heat in, the teapot is placed in a golden casing to ensure that your tea is warm for
as long as possible. They sure mean business when they do tea here. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to try the wonderfully savoury raisin scones ($19 with the 1837 Teatime Set), with its buttery goodness being a perfect match to the light fruitiness of the tea jelly and the good, thick and rich clotted cream. When paired with tea, every bite just feels like a classy experience. It canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any more old-world English than this.
Teaâ&#x20AC;? ($4.80), both were mildly effective even though they did taste pleasantly ďŹ&#x201A;oral and minty. T he â&#x20AC;&#x153; Troubled Ti me s Teaâ&#x20AC;? attempts to soothe mild aches and pains with ingredients you have never heard of going into your tea â&#x20AC;&#x201D; yarrow, sage, juniper berries and stinging nettle to name some. Then there is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Soothing
T h roat Teaâ&#x20AC;?, w it h it s l i nden ďŹ&#x201A;owers, rosehip, ribwort plantain, elderďŹ&#x201A;owers and mallow, warmly lubricating parched throats with a zesty herbal zing. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be cured of your worldly ailments drinking these before you can ďŹ nish chanting that last sutra. With these light offer ings, what better accompaniment than
their Steamed Dumplings ($7). The sweet crunch of the water chestnuts went well with the nutty medley of ďŹ&#x201A;avours of radish, mushrooms and carrots. All enhanced with the fragrant sesame oil and Japanese soy sauce, it is a delight which will leave you with a radiant, healthy glow on your face.
like the smoky aged Puâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;er ($45 for 40g) to the lighter ďŹ&#x201A;oral range like Jasmine Pearl ($24 for 50g). The Imperial Golden Cassia ($20 per package) is light and soothing to the throat, giving of f a wonder f u lly ref resh ing scent of fresh morning dew. The aftertaste was delicate and acted as the perfect accompaniment to
the highly addictive side dish of sugar peanuts. Besides tea, they offer a wide variety of tea snacks, such as the robustly ďŹ&#x201A;avoured and surprisingly sweet Tea Egg ($1). Its relatively moist egg yolk is a pleasant departure from the ďŹ&#x201A;aky, dry ones that you might get at a night market stall. Besides this, you can
also try the Lychee Tea Jelly ($1.50), a delicate infusion of smoky tea with the smooth, light sweetness of the lychee inside. With the serene ambience and the light Chinese instrumentals playing in the background, having tea here is a rejuvenating experience, perfect for those that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind getting in touch with their cultural side.
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A tale of six Alices Celeste Tan, 20, second-year major in Visual Communications celesteazuretan.wix.com/ celesteazuretan
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efore she entered university, Celeste Tan had always bottled up her passion for the arts. In fact, she was a science student back in junior college and kept her artistic instincts at bay. Upon graduation, freedom granted her the choice to pursue an art degree and she has never looked back since. Now, she has experimented with seven art mediums including charcoal, water colour and the fountain pen. Her favourite type of paint is the one most commonly used in surrealist works â&#x20AC;&#x201D; acrylic.
It is not surprising then that her biggest inďŹ&#x201A;uences are the works of Rene Magritte and Mark Ryden, artists who were inspired by the expressionist and surrealist movements. Expressionism is a modernist movement from 20th century Germany, when artists wanted to defy physical reality and live out their emotional experience. Surrealism, meanwhile, is a cultural movement originating from Paris in the early 1920s, featuring unexpected juxtapositions to create an element of surprise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like a daydream on a canvas,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Surrealism always brings me to another world, another dimension where all things are possible.â&#x20AC;? Celesteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acrylic painting, Alices in Wonderland, was a project for Foundation Drawing, a core module during her ďŹ rst year. What was the message behind Alices in Wonderland? C: I wanted to portray a certain doll-like innocence in all the Alices that was seemingly pleasant on the surface, yet slightly haunting the more one looks at it. The ďŹ ve girls in the painting are all Alice but they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t totally the same. I wanted to show that despite how we are one person, there are always different sides and shades to our being. What inspired this painting? C: I was inspired by a piece of work by Mark Ryden, called The Allegory of the Four Elements. I wanted to create a work that included an element of doll-likeness and surrealism. What do you think of the current art scene in Singapore and where do you think it is headed to in the future? C: I know many people think there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much future here for local artists but being in ADM has exposed me to a lot of things and possibilities. For example, I know of a few teachers who actually have their own studios. The art scene in Singapore is deďŹ nitely growing. With more schools coming up and the government pumping more money in, it is showing much potential.
ALICES IN WONDERLAND: Centred around the Mad Hatterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tea party from the classic children's book by Lewis Carroll, the six Alices represent different characters from the book. From left to right: normal Alice, Mad Hatter Alice, White Rabbit Alice, Tweedledee and Tweedledum Alice and Queen of PHOTO | COURTESY OF CELESTE TAN Hearts Alice.
What else do you hope to see in the art scene as it develops? C: Right now Singaporeans are still not very open-minded when it comes to art. In general, our country still remains conservative. Take the sticker lady case for example, when Samantha Lo was arrested for â&#x20AC;&#x153;vandalismâ&#x20AC;? after sticking stickers around the country. Art requires perspective. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just look at it from one angle and criticize it. I hope Singapore can become more open-minded about the different expressions of art. Do you think it's possible for artists in Singapore to support themselves through their art? C: Right now, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think so, not unless you are famous. My previous teacher is now a full-time artist but for the longest time, teaching was her main source of income.
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tar ing blank ly at your computer screen, hav ing hallucinations of letters starting to line themselves up in a row. Nodding off while standing in the packed MRT, still holding on to readings to be crammed in before a test. Storing up so much information in your subconscious that you ďŹ nd it hard to differentiate concept A from B for the mid-terms. Disguised in so many ways, the culprit for our dreadful state is stress. Nutritionist Ms Sannie Cheng shares some of her stress-busting strategies, formulated with Singaporean undergraduates and their bad habits in mind. Stress can escalate into a spate of health problems. Using some of Ms Cheng's insights, here are some tips to help curb stress in school.
GULPING DOWN LOADS OF CAFFEINE TO STAY AWAKE? Over-consumption of coffee can increase stress levels, so start by moderating your caffeine intake. Starbucksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; one-for-one promotions are tempting, but consider switching to orange juice. It is proven to reduce production of stress hormones and return blood pressure to a normal level. It is also loaded with Vitamin C, which boosts your immune system. Alternatively, a cup of warm milk might do the trick to ease anxiety and mood swings.
Be a stress ninja Poor eating habits may be the reason for your impatience, anger spurts and frustration. Con sider replaci ng you r red meat consumption with ďŹ sh, such as salmon, which is rich in stress-ďŹ ghting Vitamins B6 and B12 as well as Omega-3s. B12 helps ward off depression spells and anxiety, and boosts your mood, energy, concentration and memory.
Recently, you started a lomography and vintage card business. Why the decision? C: I actually started this two weeks ago. I started off making similar cards for church and evangelical purposes. However, my friend encouraged me to make more â&#x20AC;&#x153;secularâ&#x20AC;? ones so I could sell them. I particularly chose the vintage effect since it is on trend now especially with the rise of Instagram. Any big plans for this business? C: Eventually, I plan to make simple handsewn notebooks. But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see, it is still too early to tell.
-CHRISTABEL REENA DAVID Food that is high in saturated fats impair your concentration and memory, so butter and ice-cream should be avoided. Whenever you are engulfed in school work, also make it a habit to take deep breaths for two to three minutes.
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Art was a supplement until recently when she became well known enough in the art scene to give up teaching and focus solely on her art.
STRUGGLING WITH LOW ATTENTION SPANS? Scents can boost your focus. Eat some citrus fruits (lemon, orange, or lime) to allow its natural aroma to diffuse throughout your study space. If that is not enough, sip a cup of peppermint tea. Green tea also has powerful antioxidants that prevent your brain from slowing down.
Dehydration can trigger headaches. A rule of thumb: do not drink water only when you feel thirsty. Hydrate yourself every two to three hours. Do not gulp down a large amount of water within a short period of time, as your body will not be able to absorb it. Occasionally, stretch your neck and rotate your shoulders for about ďŹ ve to ten times. You can also perform some simple yoga poses to ward off your pain. Pose 1: Kneel down and bend forward as much as possible, resting your forehead onto a bolster/ thick blanket. Breathe normally, with a slight focus on exhaling. Then rest with eyes closed for at least ďŹ ve minutes. Pose 2: Sit straight on the ďŹ&#x201A;oor and extend your legs beneath a desk/coffee table. Rest your forehead on a folded blanket, hands resting on the desk above your head palms down, elbows bent to the side. Start and ďŹ nish with a seated forward bend to help the neck and shoulder muscles relax. Lastly, do not neglect your skin. Eat more tomatoes to get a natural rosy glow on your face. For a ďŹ rmer skin texture, eat kiwis.
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travelogue
Snow, saunas and Singapore curry 'DVKLQJ LQWR WKH VQRZ QHDUO\ QDNHG WU\LQJ UHLQGHHU PHDW DQG FRRNLQJ FXUU\ IRU WKH 6ZHGHV ZHUH MXVW VRPH RI WKH KLJKOLJKWV RI D VNL UHVRUW WULS WKDW RIIHUHG PRUH WKDQ VNL OHVVRQV DQG VRUH PXVFOHV DV 7DPL /DL GLVFRYHUV
W
e were on the top of a mountain in central Sweden right in the middle of winter, trudging through the thick blanket of snow on skis. Looking around at my friends, I found that only their eyes were exposed, while the rest of their bodies were covered in thick skiwear. Around us was snow as far as our eyes could see, the temperature was about negative 25 degrees Celsius, and the water we had brought in our bottles had long since turned into ice. The only thought that kept running through my head was: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing this right now.â&#x20AC;? As I navigated through the snow on my skis, unsteady against the freezing winds, Singapore and its tropical climate felt like a lifetime ago. It was February, barely two weeks since we left our sunny island for Sweden. We were on a ski hike as part of a Swedish sports module we took on exchange at JĂśnkĂśping University last semester.
My three friends and I were the only foreigners in a class of Swedish students, and as a result, we were thrown into a crash course on skiing and Swedish culture. We spent one week at the Vemdalen ski resort learning the basics of downhill skiing. For a complete beginner like myself, it was a steep learning curve trying to balance on skis while getting used to extremely cumbersome ski boots. But af ter a few sessions, I f inally managed to try the beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slope. All the pain from many tumbles in the snow was forgotten when I felt the thrill of skiing downhill against the harsh winter winds. It was soon evident to us that most Swedes learn how to ski barely after they learn to walk. Swedish children of age, no more than six or seven years, fearlessly zoomed past me on their skis, while I spent most of my energy trying not to fall faceďŹ rst into the snow. M idd le -aged Swede s a l so ke ep themselves ďŹ t by going on cross-country ski hikes through Swedenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many forests.
UNDISTURBED NATURE: A view of the cabins we stayed in, with the breathtaking mountain slopes in the background.
FROST AND SNOWSCAPE: Brave smiles as we faced the daunting task of a cross-country ski hike PHOTOS | TAMI LAI in negative 25 degrees Celsius weather.
We felt a strange mixture of amusement and embarrassment as we watched skiers more than thrice our age overtaking us effortlessly. Sweden is inhabited by nine million people, but is 600 times larger t han Singapore. Stepping out of our spacious wooden cabin at the ski resort, we were greeted by a breathtaking view of the steep snow-capped mountains, where we could make out little multi-coloured dots going down slopes at impossible speeds. The Swedes are naturally reser ved people who do not open up to strangers easily. But despite their initial reticence, we later realised that they were eager to know more about our culture and share theirs with us. Our Swedish friends introduced us to the common practice of relaxing in a sauna after a day spent skiing. And then, just for the sheer thrill of it, running out from the sauna and jumping straight into the snow clad only in swimwear. We tried it on our second night, when more than 10 of us ran out of a tiny sauna meant for ďŹ ve. Our Swedish friends were braver and even managed to roll around in the snow, but we did not have the Scandinavian tolerance for the cold and lasted all of ďŹ ve seconds before running back screaming into the cabin. We also bonded over a dinner of reindeer meat, a Swedish delicacy that tasted like a more delicious version of beef. In return, we told them all about the char kway teow, bak kut teh and bubble tea that
We felt a strange mixture of amusement and embarrassment as we watched skiers more than thrice our age overtaking us effortlessly. we were already starting to miss, amusing them with the loving detail in which we described our favourite local fare. O u r e nd le s s conve r sat ion s about Singaporean food made our Swedish friends eager for a taste, so we cooked a dinner of fried rice and curry noodles for them. They loved the fried rice, but had to down lots of cold water with the curry noodles â&#x20AC;&#x201D; even though the curry we used was labelled â&#x20AC;&#x153;mildâ&#x20AC;?. We ended t he wee k w it h br u i ses and sore knees, and a real taste of the Scandinavian winter. But beyond the amazing feeling of skiing down the slopes, or hiking through what seemed like a frozen wasteland, it was the cultural exchange and friendships forged with our ďŹ rst Swedish friends that truly made the trip worthwhile.
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03 CHRONICLE spotlight
Daze Dreaming
GOING AGAINST CONVENTIONS: Beatrice Chiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accomplishments since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama proves that pursuing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion and dreams is worthwhile.
%HDWULFH &KLD LV D Ă&#x20AC;JXUH V\QRQ\PRXV ZLWK ORFDO WKHDWUH &KHU\O /HH VSHDNV WR WKH $UP\ 'D]H GLUHFWRU DERXW UHWXUQLQJ WR WKH \HDU ROG SOD\ DJDLQ SXUVXLQJ WKHDWUH VWXGLHV LQ XQLYHUVLW\ DQG KHU YLHZV RQ WKH VWDWH RI ORFDO WKHDWUH THIS yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s re-staging of local play Army Daze reminds audiences that despite being dwarfed by the rest of the world, Singapore still retains her unique culture in the arts scene. The play revolves around ďŹ ve 18-year-old boys, all of whom are unwilling to embark on a new phase of their life â&#x20AC;&#x201D; National Service. From family issues to insecurities about their relationships, the boys grow to lean on each other in times of good and bad. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Army Dazeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst staging, and director Beatrice Chia regards it a classic which keeps audiences coming back for more. Ch ia is a graduate of t he Guildhall School of Music & Drama (UK), and received the National Arts Award in 2006.
She embarked on the road less travelled when she decided to pursue her university education in theatre studies. In a society like Singapore where the need for education is based on practicality, having the courage to go against conventions and follow oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion is a rare sight. Chia shares with us her thoughts on Army Daze and also offers advice to students about pursuing what they love.
How does it feel like to direct Army Daze again after six years, and why exactly should audiences watch it? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always likened it to visiting an old friend. This is one of the pieces which Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call a classic because even after 25 years, it brings joy to audiences. Some people know the jokes but they come back because they want to hear them again. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been extremely fun and I would say that I had more fun directing it this year than six years ago. It helped that we had a brand new cast and the age of the actors was closer to the age of the characters, around 18 years old â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the national conscription age.
In the previous version, a lot of the actors were much more mature, pretending to be 18. This time however, the actors were around 23-27 years old and this brought about a fresher spin to the characters.
Why did you decide to major in theatre studies? Did you foresee yourself getting to where you are today in this industry? Theatre was always my ďŹ rst love. In secondary school, my extracurricular activity was the Literary Drama and Debate Society and I performed for all the school plays and Singapore Youth Festivals. By the time I was 14, I knew I was very much in love with theatre. I wanted to be an actor and it indeed became my ďŹ rst career. In 2001, I took up my ďŹ rst directing role for Shopping and F**king. By that time, I was slowly becoming frustrated with the kind of roles that were offered. It was also difďŹ cult working with many young directors who did not know how to interact with the cast. Hence, I set a personal goal to become a director whom actors could work with easily. And I hope I achieved that.
While Singapore is home to a good number of local talents, most parents and students still see university education as a platform for a high-salary career. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your take? My own opinion is that a university education is still an education. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about training your mind to be able to work in a methodical pattern and for your mind to be able to grasp more complex and sophisticated concepts and issues. I think that everyone in Singapore deserves a full education, meaning they should have the opportunity to take it to the tertiary level. There are people who are uncertain what they want to be at 16, even at 21, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ ne because an education should be just an education and for you to learn. I am however opposed to the concept of University education equating to earning big bucks.
PHOTO | CHERYL LEE
I feel that Singapore is a place that tries its best to enhance our talents. The only thing that stops artistes from enhancing themselves is their own inhibition. Society doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop them. Rather, dissatisfaction and fear are things that stop people from doing more. You can create in Singapore as much as you can in Berlin, London or Australia. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a faulty idea if you think you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t create as much in Singapore. Personally, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited about where we are at. I feel that there are ample opportunities.
What advice would you share with universit y students about pursuing their dreams?
What is your view on the current state of the local theatre and where do you see it heading?
I think that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about being honest with what you want to do â&#x20AC;&#x201D; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deny your natural instincts. Think that if you always start with what you truly love, then every day of your life will be a joy. But if you start with something that makes practical sense more than it appeals to you as an interest, then every day of your life will be based on fulďŹ lling that.
Singapore is so lucky. Artistes in general tend to be vocal and critical of our own systems, but in general
The best piece of advice I would offer is that one should not think that society owes anything to anyone.
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reviews
MUSIC NORTH Matchbox Twenty (Pop Rock)
TEN years â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that is how long Matchbox Twenty has taken to release their new studio album North. The pop rock band has been a juggernaut in the American music scene since their formation in 1995 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; having sold more than 20 million album copies and earned ďŹ ve Grammy Award nominations. T his time, however, Matchbox Twenty have steered away from the formula that has garnered them so much success. For a start, lead singer Rob Thomas, lead guitarist Kyle Cook and rhythm guitarist Paul Doucette all had a hand in writing the songs. This is a departure from Matchbox Twent yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earlier albums where Thomas was the sole writer for most of the songs they recorded. More interestingly, Cook becomes the lead singer for the second time in the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 17-year history, lending his voice on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Thomas provides the lead vocals in the remaining 11 tracks, and once again gives an outstanding performance. The three-time Grammy winner delivers in ever y
song he sings and succeeds in bringing out the emotions required of each â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he is cheeky in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s So Meanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, sincere in the ballad â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Willâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and forceful in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;English Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The increased input that Thomasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; band mates had in the making of North may have led to the startling contrast to their previous albums. The result is a diverse collection of tracks that dabbles in the pop, funk, country and rock genres; a great difference from their last studio album More Than You Think You Are which was a highly polished culmination of their guitar-friendly poprock sound. More often than not, the band gets it right even when experimenting with different styles. Lead single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s So Meanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has pounding drums and the guitars provide a catchy groove which makes it a fast-paced anthem. Likewise, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;English Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a dark rock ballad that gradually builds in tension, as a soothing piano intro leads to a frantic climax of guitars and trumpets. But there are occasions in North where the band fails to match up to their own high standards set by their previous albums. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Put Your Hands Upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, where Thomas hollers his lines over a disco beat and synthesizers, sounds more like an attempt to prove that the band can mix it with the likes of Maroon 5 in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music landscape. Another disappointing track is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Like Sugarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which has
LONG-AWAITED SUCCESS: Matchbox Twentyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest album took ten years to make and scored the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst No. 1 on the Billboard 200. PHOTO | INTERNET
corny lyrics like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cause I just want to make you go away/ But you taste like sugar, yeah you taste like sugar.â&#x20AC;? The instrumentation is also uninspiring. Repetitive dr umming and a boring beat makes â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Like Sugarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plod along and fails to evoke any emotion, resulting in a mediocre track which North could have done without.
Fortunately, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Like Sugarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a blip in a generally well-written album. Lyrical gems like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Overjoyedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Our Songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shine as they showcase the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wellknown strength in writing descriptive and metaphorical songs that strike listeners. To top it off, closing track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sleeping At The W heelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; excels with its deep and
poignant lyrics. One hears Thomasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desperation as he calls out, â&#x20AC;&#x153;So come on, come on itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all we got, our hands are full, our lives are not/The loose afďŹ liation with the real, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sleeping at the wheel.â&#x20AC;? With North, Matchbox Twent y have delivered a worthy addition to the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discography. T hey have layered their songwriting
COEXIST
strengthens the poignancy of the tracks. The familiar theme of lost love is pervasive in the trioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lyrics, which are reflected by the titles of some of their songs like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chainedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Swept Awayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Missingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of it is still personal, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a bit more inspired by things that have happened to other people and putting myself in their shoes,â&#x20AC;? Croft said in an interview with NME. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all love songs and some of them are sadder than others.â&#x20AC;? Coexist is essentially an extension of the dark, dreamy, late night loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pop on xx. Croftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead guitar remains unhurried while Simâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bass lays down groove after groove. Jamie Smith, the third member of the band, provides the beats that drive the album, including the occasional cymbal crash and sounds of breaking ice. The ďŹ rst track, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Angelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, is The xxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s formula worked to perfection. Croftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s echoing guitar and hushed vocals create the ghostly, low key atmosphere. Peaceful and at ease, the track is perfect for late nights. However, unlike xx, all is not low key and minimalist
The xx (Indie Pop)
WINNING FORMULA: (From left) Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith and Romy Croft thrill once again.
PHOTO | INTERNET
FOL LOW I NG up on t he success of their 2009 debut album xx, indie pop band The xx are back to enthrall listeners with more of their minimalist, haunting sounds. Their sophomore album Coexist is more polished than their ďŹ rst outing, a worthy successor to their Mercury Award-winning debut. Coexist feels so much like xx that it could be mistaken as bonus material from the previous album, but it is always refreshing to listen to a music style that challenges the conventions of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pop songs. Once again, the chemistry between the two lead vocalists Romy Croft and Oliver Sim is evident as they take turns singing about lost love. This culminates in a ďŹ ne duet on the track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chainedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We used to be closer than this, is it something you missed?â&#x20AC;? The chemistry that they had on their debut album continues in Coexist and
strengths with a willingness to experiment, and the result keeps them relevant in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music scene. The bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new style is not ďŹ&#x201A;awless, but the missteps are small. Overall, North is a well-crafted fourth studio album that should please fans who have held high hopes for this long-awaited release.
-ER QI JIAN
on the new album. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Reunionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sunsetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Swept Awayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are faster paced with fewer pauses. Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more upbeat tempos offer a more expansive sound, with the inďŹ&#x201A;uence of house music quite apparent in his beats. Smith is the driving force behind the band, expanding their haunting sound while staying true to their roots. Remixing songs by popular a r t i s t s l i ke A de le a nd Radiohead has allowed him to carve out a name for himself in the music scene. This has given him more conďŹ dence to experiment with different sounds on the new album. Closing track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Our Songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sounds like classic The xx but is a stark lyrical contrast to the rest of the album. Croft and Sim sing in unison about reconciliation and true love. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to mend your heart and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no one else that knows me like you do.â&#x20AC;? Ma k i ng music i n its simplest and purest form is what has made The xx so attractive. Coexist sees the band build on these f undamentals whilst expanding their musical repertoire, and is deďŹ nitely a worthy listen.
-HUGO BART
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03 CHRONICLE reviews EPICLOUD Devin Townsend Project (Progressive/Experimental Rock)
Epicloud is Devin Townsendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 15th solo album.
DEVIN Townsendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest album Epicloud could mark the beginning of the epic rock sub-genre. Grand group choruses, gallant guitar riffs, and a heavenly lyrical theme are some of the new elements one can expect to hear on this prototypical album. Townsend has had an illustrious career spanning 19 years. The talented Canadian started out as a lead vocalist in Grammy award-winning guitarist Steve Vaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s band, and has released 15 solo albums to date. Suffering from bipolar disorder, his mania is reďŹ&#x201A;ected by his diverse playing style, which runs the gamut from extreme metal to ambient music. As the ďŹ fth entry in the Devin Townsend Project series, which features a different theme and group of musicians on each album, Epicloud is a thoroughly enjoyable audio snapshot of the singerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood swing at the point of its conception. It mentally teleports listeners to a campy paradise, and leaves them teetering between wide-eyed bewilderment and inane joy. The multi-instrumentalist claims that each of his solo albums reďŹ&#x201A;ects different aspects of his personality, and his existentialistic persona prevails on Epicloud. Track titles such as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Liberationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Graceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hint at his search for his spiritual identity.
Townsend wastes no time in pulling listeners into his peculiar world. Second track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;True Northâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; starts off with a shamelessly cheesy and needy plea of â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love you / I need youâ&#x20AC;?, which gets repeated throughout the ďŹ rst half of the song in iconic, whimsical Townsend fashion. The effective combination of string and horn sections and a gospel choir as background accompaniment gives the music an epic and vitalising quality. Listeners are further stunned by the songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stark contrast, as it gradually shifts in mood, with dark section after the climax before concluding with a set of serene, harmonic verses. Ever y track on Epicloud is catchy and most of them exude grandiosity, yet Townsend still manages to express his rage as well. For instance, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a noticeably angrier song than the previous tracks as Townsend begins his vocals with an anguished scream. This is done to the celestial accompaniment of the backing gospel choir and keyboards, and as well as the syncopated beat of furious double-bass drumming. He then switches to an angelic operatic voice that is sure to move any human heart. Another angry moment on the album would be the tenth track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;More!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. It is an
energetic hard rock number that assaults the ears with an intricate and multi-layered wall of sound. This is a song that would appeal most to fans of aggressive and driving music, as it contains guitar shredding typical of the heavy metal genre accompanied by spiritraising keyboards, background gospel choir vocals and orchestral instruments. Epicloud does not simply sound largerthan-life all the time. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Where We Belongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Divineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lessonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; represents the quieter moments on the album, and interspersing them among the other tracks is a hint at Townsendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s erratic personality. The album ends on a melancholic yet uplifting note with its last two tracks, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hold Onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Angelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The former is an ambient and dreamy rock number, and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Angelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; follows in similar fashion, but ďŹ nishes with the calm harmonic singing similar to the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening track. This symmetric closure to the album just makes it all the more memorable than it already had been. Epicloud is the most over-the-top record Townsend has recorded to date, and is cheekily done to epic perfection. Get your hands on this album, and get your head up in cosmic clouds.
SAVAGES
sus the charming New Age guy. Their roles do not add much to the story and seem like mere tools to progress it. Fortunately, the supporting cast adds some much needed life to the movie. Hayek switches from a ruthless druglord to a worried nagging mother in an instant, adding comic relief to the ďŹ lm. Del Toro plays the cruel and sadistic Lado with relish, while John Travolta takes on his role as corrupt DEA agent with all the sleaze and charm one would expect of the actor. While the audience may get lost in the convoluted plot, at least the cinematography is a treat for the eyes. The locations, from the stretches of white sand beaches to opulent mansions encapsulate the beauty of the coast and the proďŹ ts that come from the drug industry. The shots range from scenes with intense colours that portray the idyllic Laguna Beach life to gritty ďŹ&#x201A;ashbacks that highlight the trauma of physical torture. The use of these vastly different techniques juxtaposes two sides of the drug business â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the drug-addled high the user enjoys and the dangerous life of the supplier. As the title suggests, Savages attempts to show the ruthless and vicious nature of the drug business. However, by cramming in excessive violence, dull love stories and numerous sub-plots, Stone has made the ďŹ lm a disorganized mess. The movie could have been a clear commentary on US drug administrations, but all it achieves is a hyper-violent look into the decadent lives of the rich, and the strange relationships they partake in to ďŹ ll up the void in their lives.
Crime Thriller Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively
131 min
FEMME FATALE: Milla Jovovich returns to thrill with more gunďŹ ghts and zombie slaying.
FILMS RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION Science Fiction/Action Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory
95 min
RESIDENT Evil: Retribution is the ďŹ fth ďŹ lm in the most successful video game movie franchise, and picks up from where the previous ďŹ lm Afterlife left off. With dazzling gory action sequences accompanied by an inconsequential plot, it is no surprise that Retribution offers more of the same formula that has deďŹ ned the series, albeit prettier. This time, protagonist Alice (Milla Jovovich) has to escape from an underwater facility owned by evil corporation Umbrella, which comprises copies of large cities used for training purposes. Playing the villain is Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former friend Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), who has been brainwashed by Umbrellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supercomputer Red Queen to exterminate the remaining human survivors. Retributionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plot is easily forgettable, but
PHOTOS | INTERNET
director Paul W. S. Anderson makes up for it by giving audiences a visual treat. Alice battles zombies in the recreated cities of New York, Tokyo and Moscow, and the ďŹ ght sequences feature a heavy use of slow motion and varied camera angles to give a stylish and slick look. The movie also pays an immense amount of fan service to gamers familiar with the Resident Evil video game series. A couple of iconic characters make their appearance on the big screen, but the non-existent character development and one-dimensional acting will not appeal to non-gamers. Fans will also recognize several monsters from the games making their Hollywood debut. As a result, Retribution feels almost like a stage in a Resident Evil video game, taking audiences on Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey from point A to B. Her location is also periodically shown on a map through the eyes of the Red Queen to further enhance the video game look, but it is quite distracting and unneccessary. Resident Evil: Retribution is sure to excite fans of the series, but it does little to distinguish itself from its four predecessors. To most people, it is a zombie that just refuses to die, coming back to haunt theatres with dismal plot and acting again and again.
-DEYONG TAN
15
OLIVER Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Savages is a bloody and messy take on the Californian drug trade. Despite the beautiful cinematography, the convoluted plot, excessive violence, and dull acting by the main actors make it a difďŹ cult movie to enjoy. Savages tells the tale of two best friends, Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson), who start a marijuana business in Laguna Beach, California. The duo is also involved in a love triangle with Ophelia (Blake Lively), a rich but lonely girl who narrates the story of their strange relationship. Ben and Chonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful enterprise starts to attract the attention of a Mexican drug cartel, led by the petite Elena (Salma Hayek) with her mustachioed enforcer Lado (Benecio del Toro), who want to take advantage of their expertise by forming a partnership. When Ben and Chon refuse, Lado kidnaps Ophelia and threatens to harm her, blackmailing the pair into submission. Stone attempts to beef up the story and characters, but twists and turns like a bank robbery and the inclusion of a rival drug lord only make the ďŹ lm more confusing. This causes the audience to quickly lose interest in the characters and their plight. Savages revels in its own violence, taking pride in excessive blood splatters and extended torture sequences. It seems Stone just wanted to depict death in various ways, but this had the unfortunate effect of numbing the audience, diminishing their impact. The three main actors deliver uninspiring performances that do not match up to their good looks. Lively is especially wooden, wearing the same blank expression on her face regardless of whether she was being tortured by the drug lords or spending time with her two lovers. Kitsch and Johnson play complementary stock characters: the cold man of action ver-
-ALOYSIUS BOH
-DEYONG TAN
(From left) Kitsch, Lively and Johnson disappoint.
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reviews
FILMS HOPE SPRINGS ROMANTIC COMEDY Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carrell 100min
WHEN a couple starts giving each other cable television subscriptions and water heaters as wedding anniversary gifts, it is a sign that their marriage needs a new spark. Hope Springs is all about that â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a romantic comedy about a suburban American couple in their 60s trying to revive their 31 year-old marriage and rekindle their sex life. Meryl Streep plays Kay Soames, a hopeless romantic who is determined to revamp her marriage. But her plans are met with strong resistance by from her spouse Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones), who is cynical, egoistic and opposed to change. Older couples in the audience may ďŹ nd their emotionless routines familiar as Kay and Arnold lead separate lives in the same house. Choosing to undergo therapy, the couple tries all means to revive their sexual intimacy. From romantic candle-lit dinners to spontaneous but inappropriate acts in public, the ďŹ lm is punctuated with these embarrassing but painfully honest moments. Hope Springs paints a genuine and unglamorous picture of marriage and love, a viewpoint which is sorely lacking in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
BOOKS ZOO TME (FICTION) Howard Jacobson $32.05 at Kinokuniya Published by Bloomsbury Publishing
OF ALL people to have an affair with, writer Guy Ableman falls for his mother-in-law. 43 years old and on the cusp of a midlife crisis, Ableman is confused by his feelings for both his wife Vanessa and her mother Poppy. Worse still, he faces writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s block and is unable to ďŹ nd the inspiration to top his successful debut novel. Struck by various hardships in his life â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from his publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suicide to his own marital problems â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ableman has a changed view on the meaning of life. Initially determined to write about his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apparent cheating and his forbidden love for his mother-in-law, Ablemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus changes when he realises that the two women have been quietly supporting him, leading him to write a book titled The Good Woman. Written by the 2010 Man Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson, Zoo Time does not follow a strict chronology and alternates between events in the middle of the plot. It serves to juxtapose the highs and lows of
OLD IS GOLD: Hope Springs delivers with an excellent mature plot and treats its audiences as such. PHOTO | INTERNET
Hollywood movies. Their struggle to revive their sex life is unpretentious and at times awkward, especially when their attempts backďŹ re, leaving the audience uncomfortable yet empathetic to the situation. Written by Vanessa Taylor, who previously worked on the television series Game of Thrones, Hope Springs is heavily laden with poignant conversations that sometimes border on whining. Even though Taylor
manages to deal with the multi-faceted issue of marriage with nuance and grace, the contemplative words exchanged may not resonate with the younger crowd. The ďŹ lm starts off on a draggy note and develops slowly, with repetitive scenes. But the gradual nature of the story allows the sensitive theme of marriage to be explored with delicate caution. The speed of the ďŹ lm also reinforces the message that there is no
Ablemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, times where he had good relationships with his publishers and the present where things are changing and he does not agree with them. With provocative relationships and thoughts, Zoo Time encourages readers to reďŹ&#x201A;ect on their own lives, loves and losses. The plot is not complicated, and the narrative is kept animated with naughty jokes, cynicism and sarcasm ďŹ&#x201A;owing from its characters. While the protagonistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comments sound detached, the poignancy of it compels readers to read on. For example, while Ableman does not press his wife for answers about her suspected inďŹ delity, he is constantly tormented by it. Jacobson parallels human motivations and emotions to animalistic instincts. Zoo Time essentially is an allegory of the chaos in Ablemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world and his inability to break out of it. Another underlying theme of the book examined is the impending death of the printed book in our society. Ableman laments that no one is reading ďŹ ction anymore in the age of science and popular culture, and one of his publishers even wants to turn books into short pieces that can be read within minutes on apps. The protagonistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fears are a reďŹ&#x201A;ection of the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own. Jacobson seems to be a bit self-indulgent on this point; he explicitly and repetitively raises this issue throughout the story, which can distract readers from the narrative. The story does not conclude with the typical happy ending. Nevertheless, it gives the reader great consolation that Ableman has ďŹ nally written a book that has earned him both readers and recognition. An entertaining and emotional read, Zoo Time challenges our basic ideas of family, love and relationships. Leave your prohibitions behind and step into the wild, outrageous world of Ableman.
MEMOIRS OF A DJ: LIFE IN PROGRESS (NON-FICTION)
-AMANDA SEE
Vernetta Lopez $19.90 at Kinokuniya Published by Marshall Cavendish International (Asia)
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES are tricky â&#x20AC;&#x201D; they can either be an insightful read or a piece of self-indulgent writing. Class 95FM radio DJ Vernetta Lopez brings a light-hearted yet honest take on her life in Memoirs of a DJ, retaining her trademark quirky sense of humour. The autobiography tracks the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth from her â&#x20AC;&#x153;ugly daysâ&#x20AC;? to her career and marriage. But instead of narrating in a straightforward manner, Lopez constantly digresses to bring readers into the world of her imagination. She uses diagrams and tables generously to illustrate her thoughts and ďŹ&#x201A;ashes of inspiration, like a sketch of an eccentric bouncing conveyor belt at the supermarket cashier. In another chapter, she recommends a radio DJ job over an acting career because a DJ can fart on the job and go to work while
shortcut in achieving a fulďŹ lling marriage. Even with consultation, Kay and Arnold had to take baby steps towards intimacy. Lacking any of the distinctive stylistic elements that won director David Frankel huge praise in his ďŹ lm The Devil Wears Prada, Hope Springs may disappoint viewers expecting a similar look. The absence of rich and stimulating visuals, however, is essential to grounding the movie in reality and keeping it relatable to the older audience. The biggest draw of the movie is the chemistry between the Streep and Jones. It is heartwarming to see how their initial apathy eventually evolves to a passion for each other. They also show that genuine love can develop even if the sex is not ideal, giving the audience a more accurate representation of real world relationships. This is a step away from the steamy and sensationalized sex scenes that dominate todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screens. Assisting the couple is their therapist Dr. Bernie Feld played by Steve Carrell. The actorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance is quite a let-down and lacks the distinctive traits of his previous comedic roles. With little screen time, he dishes out cliched self-help book advice, rendering his character distant and at times bland. Just like an old coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marriage, excitement is not the priority for Hope Springs. With its modest and thoughtful point of view, the ďŹ lm is the wiser grown-up in a sea of melodramatic romantic comedies aimed at a younger audience, and may be hard to relate to. But life is not all that sweet and charming, and Hope Springs takes audiences on an insightful journey and gives them a glimpse of what marriage is really about.
-JEMIMAH SEOW
nursing a hangover without the listener knowing. It is these unusual and unexpected quotes that keep the book fresh. Lopezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple written language makes Memoirs of a DJ an easy and accessible read, but it sometimes makes her advice sound unconvincing. The artiste has a tendency to overuse Singlish and dramatic interjections like â&#x20AC;&#x153;AARGHâ&#x20AC;? which undermines the realities of working life. Here she sounds more like her on-air persona than a writer, and her writing style is more suited for lighthearted advice. Lopezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life is not all fun and laughter though. The book takes an emotional dip when she reveals details about her failed marriage to ex-husband Mark Richmond, including his inďŹ delity. These instances tug on readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heartstrings and reveal a more sensitive side to the author that is very different from her cheerful on-air persona. It also humanises her and reminds readers that celebrities also have difďŹ culty dealing with their emotional problems. It is endearing to read how the author deals with her post-divorce life. She writes about her trips and adventures to exotic places like Rawa Island and Mt. Kilimanjaro, persuading the readers to focus on the beauty of travel. Instead of going into the details about her experiences, she shares her excitement and encourages readers to be in the pursuit of travel regardless of their problems. Lopez is quick to acknowledge the love from her parents, friends and husband Wayne Gladwin, without which she would not be where she is today. By attaching fun anecdotes about her friends, the artiste gives readers fascinating insight into the lengths her friends are willing to go for her in times of need. Memoirs of a DJ is a great example of how autobiographies can humanize and bring celebrities closer to the public. Lopezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, is still in progress but for all she has lived thus far, she is a brave woman determined to overcome the obstacles that life presents her.
-TAAHIRA AYOOB
BOOKS FROM BOOKS KINOKUNIYA
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dapper: your essential style guide
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18 FASHION dapper: your essential style guide
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SHOW 21
IN THE DARKroom
W
ith the click of the shutter, time is preserved. Forever. But where is the challenge in that? Digital photography is too convenient. Some still appreciate the traditional ways. Rolling the film into its spool with just 36 frames to capture a moment, mixing chemicals and transferring the image onto paper, each step is a labour of love to create a final image. Photo editors Edward Teo and Raphael Lim follow students from NTU’s Photo-Videographic Society (PVS) into the dark room for a glimpse of the intricacies behind this dying art. Above: Ong Tuck Wei, 34, an alumnus of PVS, unrolls his film after rinsing it to remove remaining chemicals. If left unwashed, the chemicals can damage the image, leading to discolouration. A former vice president of the club during his days in NTU, Ong photographs in film because “it has a different feel, texture, mood and tone to it”, compared to digital photography. Left: Adrian Wong, a third-year Art, Design and Media student, shoots with the Hasselblad 503CW, a black and white film camera, during PVS’ first film photography workshop of the academic year. Far left: Film is developed in a series of chemical baths, which are closely monitored and maintained at a specific temperature and treatment time. Jolynn Ong, 21, a freshman from the School of Art, Design and Media, ensures that her developer fluid is at 20 degrees celsius.
Above: To avoid over-exposing the emulsion on the photo paper and ruining the photograph, red light is used as the emulsion is not as sensitive to red as it is to regular light. Images slowly start to form as the photo paper reacts to the developer fluid.
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ྔ ହսӏቝฒ߽
ڳቀয়ഐչપƥս࿗࡞႒࣌૨ލቛ
ࣉ֬ହսӏቝฒ߽ܒ༒ႋਛ ଇদሸ۹࿗֬ڰ࿗ഺ ണႜdۡᡌ
྿Ⴌ೭ĶИ֨
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ሌ࿗ڰᆴ࡞֬࣌૨ލቛƗԩਛ ܛഽݚ࿗ഺ֬ුᇐƗ൏၀ ເ࿗ഺाئ۾ن࿗༤ࠖტè!ᄌ ಷԢ ༣ହဣয়܄ս࿗ӏएϾ֬ûହսӏ
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༤֤སက਼ࣵპèᄤЮ׀Ɨ҉֬ս࿗ ၀Ⴜ҉֬ࢤ࿗൛Ɨ֓ᄤྔࡍ௨֬ ࣩঊ༶࣐ྡྷƗၢढ़ၢ۾١໑׀ਛࢺ ሸ࠴ሌ֬܅ग़༩èö
ৼ൝ഽНങૌ྆ቛиೞ
Ю׀ᇖ྆ቛڋఞ҉ಭ ޱ ৠིĶИ֨
Ⴕ
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ങè֬ඪߕඒ၉ϵ ֬Ӹ؎Ɨ֓٫ӏӻ०ç ᆎᇅçنሸୄྖƗౖؾк٫ ӏ׀ਇèö၀སЮИѝ൜ Ю֬׀Ҝೞಭඛཔࢧັ۾ սս׀ۡਛƗᆊ٫ӏᆻ ֫ܤ৪֬è Юࣄиೞٺເྔࡍ௨ೞ౼ ࠪછদ།ೞ౼èો۸ೞ౼Ⴢ ۹ٺເԡᇖቍࠪۡᇖቍ۸࠰ Ѡèᆻ֫ྒ໕֬ƗЮ׀࿗ഺ ֬ᇖ྆ቛඪढ़නර҉ݿ ߽೫è ࠍࢉ֬࿗ԩਛढ़ၢࠍ֫ۡ չ ჴ֬ཊࣈࢉࠪࢉНƗఊ ᇖྔࡍ௨ೞ౼ԡᇖࠪۡᇖ֬ܺ
ल֫ᇽ۾ढ़ၢࠍ֫1XIL ۹၉ ขèྔࡍ௨ೞ౼֬ܺल֫ᇽٺ Ѡເƥᇖ࿗ቍ֬ອሳၣƓହ߆ ᇖ࿗ƔƗԡᄄቍ֬ರোƓ֕ છ༓ԡ࠰࿗ᄄƔƦછদ།ೞ ౼֬ܺलٺѠເƥԡᇖቍ֬ອ ༞ਥƓࠤ௨ᇖ߆؆৲ᇖ࿗Ɣ Ɨၢࠪۡᇖቍ֬ৠࡌᇔƓउᶈ ᇖ߆ᇖ࿗Ɣè ྔࡍ௨༼ಁቛࡌৼ൝ഽ༼ ഺᅂනݝõး࿗ށບმƗш ༼࿗ށଢმèö྿ѷ൝නƥõ एϾૌиೞԩਛϣৼ൝ഽ༼ ഺؚმࢤჩ࡛֬ԂԵӼ༶ ಇƗ၀ᄤӗ֤Ю׀ᇖ྆ቛഏ Ϲဍሩ၉ځਏ֬࢟೫è
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ହսᇖ။ᆗ
ࡕ۳ഏ ן ۹ࢿಭ൝٘႒҉၉
ৠࡈၕĶИ֨
ሩྔࡍ௨ᆦڰᇶࡽདྷᇌսਏႫ್֬ྔၔ૽Ɨؚ໊দः ၃֬ᇜᇜၗ૮ڣཊᄤᇠྔئၔ૽֬ାݡৡèาѠ ؚࣉদƗྔࡍ௨ᆦ࣌ڰၔ૽ᆦҭƗЮ׀࿗ഺ҉૮ྖ ໊দ֬نᅡఴࣦè ເՕƗû৺ލᄱИüƗହսཱུႽൠ༇თହսᇖݚ࿗ഺ ߽৺ލएϾਛၔ૽ᆦҭთᆶ၃نᅡࢊቝƗ൲ເྔၔ૽ߋࢺ ႳƗѰࢺպཔܸèఊᇖ֬Ўচਛྔၔ૽֬ः၃ఴࣦç ࡍྔ಼್ތ௨ധ߽ၢࠪތເः၃൲ռᄶቒࡋྠཧè ႑ਤ܋යܼয়Ծ൚ಭ၄߷৻୶൝܉ਛ၉ཻྔၔ૽࿗ ഺшҜॐ֬ः၃ሮਟދތද৭್࣐ি৶൮Ӎ֬ၰࡵè ؚս࿗ഺԾ၃֬Ɨ၄୶൝න"õॣ઼ཉቒᇽး֬๏ ࡸè2][\ LW Q\Ɨ٩ಇቚè҉း٩ఠƗ߽Ⴜӵ֬܆၉ๆè ๛ਛൌ֓ࢹߕݛߴಇԾ၃Ɨ၉߽ტ֥ঙ֓҉ ढ़ၢ٩ఠèಪӬޚᇞးƗ୍ݛཡൺሸ࠴֬܄ቛƗےफഏ ҉ཥ܄ቛèöቒޱƗ၄୶൝ၢ၉च õaW]Z VM\_WZS Q[ aW]Z VM\ _WZ\Pö ୍֬ಭતः୍֬Ҕࣈ֬ ڽचࠍ֫ਛӍᅮഹè û୶Ⴝü ᄝᇄ൏ഐᄶྟൄອ ༼ഺᇽး֥õၐሩ Ƙ ۻओ܄ቛ֬ྦᇐԳၐöèƗࣈ಼၃ࠪഌ၃֬Գሩшሓ ᇞƗၢГ൶ເႱ༼è ᄤࢊቝഏƗ၉ཻ࿗ഺنѝਛؚმင֬४छƗಱເႎმ۸ ᅷοèؚ࿗༤ࠎਛࢺྔࡍ௨ߋƗმင֬۶ސ၉ᇜᅷ οèؚՕ ৺ލᄱИະᇽѐࡠûྔ߿üᇽѐᇢᅿӶѷ൝න"õ ࡂಝᄤྔࡍ௨ഺࠊƗः႒ئۅਛࢺྔࡍ௨۹൛მငႀເᆊ ֬ߋè୍҉ྺးۆєሸ࠴Ɨ֓ދ״ݛਛࢺ֬ߌः಼ ލᆊ۸ധ߽è;QVOTQ[PႼ֬ࡕᆻ֓҉းಥєӵ୍֬ᇽ֤მ ငƗᄤྺး֬൏ް၉းනᆎಙ֬ႎმèö սئඛ֬࿗ഺಱເᆊࢊቝ٫ӏႼၰၳèफ֫ࣀႵ ᆊЖ߽ࠖ֬ݓਛࢺ֥྿ئদሸ҉֬ࡌݚಭၔ૽֥ྔࡍ௨֬ჷ ႀࣣދ৬è࿗ഺѝ൜ࠍ֫ՕႼၴ߽֬ࠖთ࠲໑ᆰଇಭ൝ ੇƗ٫ӏ֫֬è
۔ ઼ ཉ
ၔ ૽ ᆦ ҭ თ ᆶ ၃ ن ᅡ ࢊ ቝ
಼ ್ ധ ߽
ହսᇖჺႺ߽ ହս࿗ഺދӏॡࢃࡆ࿊ཡႼ ֬ᆃ९Ɨᄤ࿗ഺ༤ఀ࡞ैѯƗ၀Ⴜ၉֬Ⴑ߹è ҉ݝᆃ९ۼჷদཔиƗᄼႼࢍֵè ണႜdອೖნ
ާឣ ࢂපĶИ֨
ହ
սᇖ။ᆗሸ!ᄌ ಷఖƗ൳ٵњሠ࣐ ྡྷਛഏןƗЮཱུ࿗ഺ ࢃЫ൳ಃᆗٵƗཱུບಭ ൝֬ᆗٵႯ၀Ⴜۡè ହս࿗ഺދӏॡࢃ ࡆ࿊ཡႼ ֬ᆃ९Ɨᄤ ࿗ഺ༤ఀ࡞ैѯƗ၀Ⴜ ၉֬Ⴑ߹è҉ݝᆃ९ۼ ჷদཔиƗᄼႼࢍֵè ؚՕƗࡁᆇቃ٧ਛ۹ ࢿಭ൝ਛࢺਛؚ ഏྔ֬ן൳ٵњሠ҉ ֬ैٌè ହսᇖ။ƥ൏ࠖӵඊƗן ᆣ൳ٵհᄤئ١ॐਏ ହսᇖ။ᆗሸӵ৲ ᇇࣉƗఖҋࢯؔѰેႼ൳ ಃᆗٵ༗ຳܛ༒ႋ ߘ֬ئ۾ᆇఴদःᆗè ࣉၟࣣᄕྡྷئ ਛƗᆊ۸൳ٵњሠྺးЫ ןᆣèႵսҍٺఴদହ սᇖ။ᆗ֬ಭ൝ᇁఴদ ैᆗƗᆗ֬൳ၴ၉ᆷᄤ ങƗവᇇႼ෬Ɨၢ ࣣݝਛ൮ӍןҷƗғ༶ ਛቒྔ֬൳ٵњሠè ହսഺ༅။࿗ ᇖ။ ࿗ᇽರઌ൞ࢴࢤ൸၀ ƥõ൳֬ٵഏᅯƗѰ
ેႼႜའैᆗ֬ಭඛè ၀ޚႳၢ၉ᆷႼܸ ሆƗ֓ݝܻ֬ҺƗ ો۸ྙఀႼ ಭ ఴদƗౖؾႀເ൳ၴႼᅀ ࡍƗಥಭྒޚ֥ے໕èö ཊᄤᆥᆻ࿗ഺ༤Ⴑ ߹ఀ࡞Ɠᇇ ᄌ ಷƔƗ ၀༒ႋਛࢧ֬ئಭ൝࿑ᄻ ᄤႱ߹൏࡞ఴদैᆗè ؚՕƗઌ൞ࢴࢤ൸ѝ ൜Ɨैᆗಭඛࢧ҉ئढ़ၢ නຢႀເႼႱ߹֬ჷ ႀƗ၀ႀເ༤ఀ࡞။ ൄ၀ࢧئè Ⴜئޚѯಭиࢧ༦ߒ ैᆗ൏Ⴜ༤ഺƗႀເ ݝთ࿗ഺ֬ੇƗߘᆇ၀ ؚሸ࠴֬መঊࡍ۾ਛࢺƗ ࠍ֫ྗ֬݃۾༖è ᄤཱུ࿗ഺƥ١ѓঀࢵƗؚ ᅯࡕႼཻସ ቛເହսᇖ။ᆗ֬ ၉սॡჾƗହսཱུୄ࿗ഺ ಶಝи܋ᇠಭ൝ཡൺۡ۾ ֬ᆃ९Ɨ֓ןᆣ֬ޱᆃ ९၀սսࢍֵè ؚՕƗদሸሷఞ ܄Ӹ֬࠰ل࿗ഺᅭᛦჾ ۨෛࡁᆇƗᄤᅯࡕᆴ ఴःा൚দହսᇖ။ैѯ ਛƗõࡂಝा൚ैਛƗ ເਛ࡛ԂਖӸƗᅯࡕ၀҉ ๛ᆿᇔਖèöޚସ
׀ѝ൜Ɨࣗਏᄤ༤ഺఀ ࡞ैѯƗᆊဩढ़ၢങा èؚౖؾህཱུ࿗ഺদ නƗହսᇖ။၀ࢧເѓ ৭Ɨಥढ़ၢᄤॢ൏ ࡞ఴদᇔਖè
ᇖບ࿗ഺܒཡᇖ
܋ᇠಭ൝ƥࡕ۳єƗࠎ ࠎئങႜའ֬࿑ᄻ ؚउህᄤཱུບ֬܋ ᇠಭ൝দනƗैᆗ֬ࡕ۳ єؚ֬ႜའߕи ࢧս֬è ହսᇖ။ᆗᆴၢ ܛ༒ႋսਏཱུບ֬ಭ൝ ఴদƗԩਛ࣡ᅧ֬။ඓƗ ࡕ۳֬Ⴑ߹၀၉۸ᇽး ֬ႀුè ࣉƗࡕ۳֬ഏןಥ ᄤ࿑ᄻହսᇖ။൏ئ ਛ၉ځॐਏè ࡁᆇ٧ਛ࠲໑ᆥᄤ ହսᇖ။ְްैᆗཱུ֬ບ ಭ൝èۨෛࡁᆇƗ ఴହսᇖ။֬൳ߕٵࢧ ލয়֬Ɨౖؾᇖ။ྺးӐ ఀैᆗƗؚ൏ӏদःᆗ ֬ಭ൝၀ႼႱ߹Ɨၢ ၎߽ࣿ࿑ᄻହսᇖ။è ᇁƗ၀ႳƗ҉ᆰ ໊দߕ߽҉߽ഏᅯƗݛ ۼఊᇖ။ᆗؕ֬൳ٵҼ ၺ҉սƗህ֬ࢧᄀ֬܋ᇠ ಱເેႼшးา׀ఴদƗ ႀເ၀ેႼࢲിฅئè
۳ບ༒ႋಭ֬ၣඓฉƗԵ൴܄ၣඓฉບଃै ࡵሩӐӐ֬ಭè ണႜdသु
ਦ࣏ᑹĶИ֨
ׂ
ࣄହսᇖჺႺ߽ᄤᄐହჺಥ ບݚ࿗ഺཡൺݝᇖ֬฿မèၣ ඓฉ໑ދ౷భฉ໑ӵເ֙ລ֬սಪè Ⴕᇖ࿗߽एϾ֬Ⴚჺ߽༒ႋਛ ҉ങᄤཱུ࿗ഺ֥Ӎࢲࡋ؎ܒèӍ௲ન ਛஹᅲƗѰႯ੍֮ሔ൬Ɨᇖ֬ٹຽႴ ເ୰ޯè ۳ບ༒ႋಭ֬ၣඓฉƗԵ൴܄ ၣඓฉບଃैࡵӐӐ֬ಭè൴܄ ၣඓฉႼ۸རƥᇖࢹݚçᇖݚᇃ ދ൴܄ᆃᇃèڼᄺᇖݚᇃ֬၉ྒ ߋ࿗თഺ༅ߋ࿗༩֬սل࿗ഺƗڼᄺ ࢤ࿗ഺތϣᇃӵ߄ໜè ൏Ɨ౷భ֬ฉ໑၀༒ႋਛ҉ങບ ݚ࿗ഺƗଷྖؙƗເ֬ःု
భèؚ၉ཻ࿗ഺ দනƗᆊ၀၉۸҉ ढ़ಓങჂށພ֬ؿႺ ༫è ᅦᄤບؙ֬ ࠲໑֪ݚ࿗ഺƗ٫ ӏྒჺႺ߽è නƥõᆊ֬ჺႺ ۸ಥಱൔদሸ҉ ߋ֬Ⴝ֬ށ ߽ࠖèౖؾᇖࢲؚ দන၉۸ྔ ֬ߋ฿မèö ᄤ੍֮ᇌቛฉƗҜ ࡍᆇ׀ࠥ࠙ޚҊᇉ ሩሸ࠴੍֮֬Ɨϣሸ
࠴ቒ༦ߒ֬စ೫ᄤഏèদ ሸૌ֬ݚ࿗ഺ:IJQMI BQI ϣሸ࠴ ੍֮֬ӵቒ༦ߒ֬ߢ೫èླྀሩ නƥõबϣ੍֮ܲᄤࡌఴèö ບƗõ ҶၰöฉႱ׀൜ٚܥ Ҷ֬ၣඓƗႯ҉֬Ҷ၄ԢН НށҶಥܻᇠӎèҶ၄ߕ܉Ԣ൹Ɨ ಥ༦ߒҶ֬ಭનᄢ݉ؾè ֙ಝƗᇖࢲ֬ჺႺ߽ቒ҉ढ़ࠍ ಓ֬ѓᄌѭèᄤฉ໑Ɨ৻ᄌ ѭࠪ֘ߢᄌѭ֙Ӎ֬าઢè ჺႺ߽൏၀ሠШਛఊ࣡Ҙ֬ ࠊƗಥսࡌ฿မᇖࢲ֬༤ීèၢ ႺৈჺເᇽƗો၉۸ฉሷಥҜთ ᆇᄤພৈ֬൏၀ཡൺ֥Ⴜಆ֬࿗༤ ݝӸè֓Ɨদሸᇖ֬ݚᇢਦ২ಱເ ᆊ၉ࣄ֬ჺႺ߽൏࡞าѠᄱƗેႼᇖ ࢲ֬ٹຽƗႀؾѝ൜ഔຸ֬ຳè
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03 CHRONICLE
ငઉ ѐࠧ൰
ߦ൰٧ ૉ฿ ࡈၕ ᇖѐࠧ
ႎ
ҳǧӮႛႝ
ߦݚ൰ຶ৾ອሷދ ुาອເਛࡇ ၏২ೳϩل൞୶ອ֯ࠕ ᇔ ֥ؾ٧ᅂႎݚᆹ ૽ࡍྔ֬׀௨è ᆊ໑ߦ൰ಭ༅֬ᑃ ಥ྿ݚئಭྜྷ҉ڀၟƗ ૉ฿۾ማሽИ֨֬ ྡྷӸè֓ೖฅݝሩᇞ И֨ᆊяྔڝƗढ़ ߽ಥ૽ᇠິࡁອሷދອ ಷఴদױହϯ٧֬ᆎ ᆥ֬è ئޚಭ၀าѠܸሆຶ ৾ອሷुދาອ֬ඹഺ ࠊƗ৯໊দ֬ჩؿ ࡀߊְè۹սૉ฿ະકԵ ૉ၀པࡆИ֨ਛुาອ ֬൏ഐԳሩè ҉ݝƗкᆇಱເݛ ܛϣຶ৾ອሷुދาອ দྔࡍ௨ϯ٧֬ᇞሩ ᇞಥ૽ᇠࡍ۾ਛࢺྔࡍ ௨თႎܸࡄݚ֬ݚ༩ࠎ྿ ߽ށ۾è
ຶ৾ອሷुދาອ ֥֬দಥၔउྔࡍ௨֬ ႎݚಭྒ֥ے໕Ɨಥ ಶႼ߽ࠖთ֬ࡌݚГ Ԃሩ৺༩è ՕບƗႎߦݚ൰֬ϯ ٧၀ढ़ၢಥݚಭےൺ֥ ױؚହ׀౼ܸ֬ྖၢ ࠪӻၰè ອሷދອ֬π౭ܪ ൠ၀ಥ൞ࢿ۹֬׀ಭے ƗႵᆊߌܪൠϵ֬Ӎ ࣦւۺսࡌ༗ຳთܸሆè кᆇಙफ֫ൌٺႼ ྤܛીࣔखঢ়׀฿မ ߦ൰֬ϯ٧è ؚ྿ئಭদනƗᆊࢃ ߽၉ᇜาѠ֬ߴၲèᄤ ྔࡍ௨૽ϫྦྷ֬ဋৡƗ ຶ৾ອሷुދาອःཧ ᆟਛ༗ຳށދᄕèೖܛ ދࡵѰౖੇƗ ߽ສϵྤè ࣔಭ૽֬ ཥƗ܋ᇠဦଧ֬ށЃဩè ᆥႀՕƗкᆇࡍ۾फ֫ ႒ࣀۅႵՕ߽ࠖಥ܋ᇠ ݝ۹རИ֨ਛࢺ֨ߦ൰֥ দ֬ၰၳè
ྔõӈಓདٌöٵᆇࠍၴ ާឣ
ྔ
õӈಓདٌöƓ 4MU WV 4I_ƔЮᄌഺཹޱƗ ݆ٵᆇढ़ᄤ۸ᄌୄГ ಓདഌѰး౷ࡕࠎᆇࠑ ংè кᆇಱເƗᆊརٌ֬ േƗၗಥٵᆇ֬ಊၴ֥֫ ۡ۾ГᅷèՕརٌЎচ֬ӈ ٚຽ݃ޚƗവᇇЎݪະഏ ขܚઠ֬༅çل൴ӈދӡ ְèᆊཻӈЮᄤٵ൏ः հᄤᇐਏ҉ލ۳֬ႌߘƗᄤᆊ ٌ༶Ɨٵᆇܛь૮ئ ໂྰٌލয়ҧቛ֬҉ѓè ս࿗ഺሷӈ֬ۡٵ ಭಜƗкᆇ၀ఊᇖ၉჻è ࣉƗሷӈၟӵເսࡌ֬ ഭ༅Ɨئٙྰࣣ֬৬҉֓ ւদਛᇴ҉ئѓƗ၀ढ़ᄶӵ ᇞးሮਟ֬ੇְèՕར ٌ֬ԢขƗಥሷӈ֬ ٵᆇܛ൏نཊѰეၢ ߗƗь૮҉шး֬ગٗè ບƗᆊརྔٌ֬ढ़ၢ ಥ܉႒ഌçਲ਼൹ഌࡍ۾ۡ ࣥโƗᄤᇐਏഏ۳ϣܸè ҉ݝƗкᆇ၀ಱເƗؚ၉ཻ ཱིྟఙ၃֬၃ᆇƗᆊརٌढ़
Ⴜཻݝ ৩èп࣯Օ ఙ၃ਲ਼൹ഌ֬ ࣐ࠑӵЮѰ҉ ۡƗӈ֬ᇐ ਏ၀հᄤ ႌߘƗೖܫॡ ၟൗႯӈࢧ ࣹƓ ۸ᄌၢ ഏƔƗᄣԢ ӈ҉ލ۳ྺ းߗƗ၃ᆇ ढ़߽ൺཻ֥ ྿෬è ؚؾ၉ཻ ҳǧӮႛႝ ໊দཟးԾ၃ ֬ಭদනƗᆊ རٌ֬േढ़ಥᄤ࿑ ཟး൹ઢܚދઠل൴ഌ֬ ᄻ൹ઢ֬༅൏းႼٵ ئ۾ᆇلݝ൴ࣣഌ࣐ྡྷ ၥƗಥ྿ئᇖࣁࠖܙ՝ᇖଛ ֬ॐਏè ႵՕརٌۗۗേƗк ಃ৭ၴè ҉ݝƗቀ֬দනƗкᆇၢ၉ ᆇ၀հᄤ၉ཻႳèఊ၉Ɨٌ ݆ೖٵᆇࠎഌࡌҗಃ ۸ٵᆇ֬࢟؎দैƗᆊརᆦ ٌྡྷƗढ़شཱིݝෳ ҭߕཔ֙ຢആ֬èഌࡌ߽ ӑƓ;UITT +TIQU[ <ZQJ]VITƔ ڢ֬ށ۾܉༇Ɨ֬ۡ۾ᇐਏƗ ౷ᆭᇿè֓თՕ൏Ɨ၀߽ ٵؾᆇᄤܚઠ༅൏۾ܛ Ⴜ྿ٵئᆇས၉ٌཻር ٩ྖ֬࿑ᄻƗങܫޱᆴႳè ࠖܙƓൄƔ౷ሀƗಥ ೖට١ᄤྔõӈಓདٌö ֬േ༶൹ܚދઠئ۾ᇐਏ Ⴜ৭ढ़è ఊلƗՕརٌ҉൨ލ ٵލ۳չњ֬༅ƗлՕ֬ಊၴ ᆇٵؚᆇ֬ၥƗᆊಥ྿ ئ൳֥Г߀è
кᆇᄤະકഏ၀ै֥ ਛ၉ᄼႋಭሆ֬ᅽƗ ᅽണອሷދອ ୶ߦᆚཊӍ֬ঊè ະ૽ࢃ൱ནট֥ࣔڿ ֬ႺৈӍƗӜڑᇢಷ༶ ֬ႺৈӍࡂႼӐᆇռฅ ࠥƗ၀Ⴜཱི࿗ഺᄤؿ
ݛܛϣຶ ৾ອሷुދา ອদྔϯ٧ ֬ᇞሩᇞ ಥ૽ᇠࡍ۾ਛ ࢺྔࡍ௨ႎ ܸࡄݚ֬ݚ༩ ࠎ྿߽ށ۾è ឳ༫Ɨະ૽ಱເᆊဩൌ ٺቚቛè ಝၷ჻Ӻ౩ਛຶ৾ ອሷुދาອൠ༼ၟࣣ ᆰ֨ӍࣦୌԢদ֬Ɨ֓
ϩဎឤ
ቒ
ࣔഏະ֬ಭ҉ نཊƗû৺ލᄱ Иüະᅦၟा൚ྡྷ൳ٵ ᇌèᄱИະഏ֬၉ཻྔ ᅪ၁ƗᇁႼ߃ׯғढ़ၢ ᄎ؇è ఊࣔদƗ҉ᇁႼ û৺ލᄱИüቚԢሎєƗ ःৼఊະഏሮਟҤॶ җႯਛ൳ٵᇌ֬ڢ༇è ओкᆇਛࢺƗᆊဩ֬ ۆ۱ᇽးႀເሩሷ ૉ฿ދၔᇛؑ֬ن ᅡƗИ၃ދሮਟࣣ֬ ႖۳ऌ၀ᄤᇶࡽۆєè ሮ ਟྔދະᅦ൳ދٵИᇃ ा֬ྔنၔӈӵເИ ၃ྡྷս౻֬࿑ᄻè ؚ֓ᆊ൳ٵᇌƗкᆇ ᇐၗ֬Ɨᆊཻະᅦֿ֥ ႼેႼލয়֬য়Ⴕদྡྷ ᆊརࡀߊƪߕᇁཟ৭Ⴏ ཊᄤധ߽ႡႼ֬౻Ɨ ӷࠖϣሸ࠴֬ະᅦõഽ ࠰öƗۆӵ൳ٵᇌƗսõ াö၉кƪ кᆇफ֫ा൚ະഏྔ ൳֬ࢫ࡞߽ٵАاਛཻ ેϾٌׯᄎั֬ಭᄎ؇ ࠎෳಃሮਟ߽֬ࠖèႴఊ ߽ႜའཻߕᄤ౷࿗֬࿗ ഺèढ़߽ႀເᆊڸ
кᆇಖफ֫܋ᇠთఊ ӜླྀՕൠƗ֡҉ಱᆎཟ ཟѰౖᆌ༛ᆊཻಭڸԢ ֬ఞ৶èႀເເ֬ ٫ःཟಥຶ৾ອሷၢࠪ ुาອै֥ቒૌ২֬ྔ ࡍ௨è ᆊ၉ຶ৾ອሷࠪु าອ֥֬٧Օ֫Ɨ кᆇफ֫႒ۅӯՕ߽ࠖࢤ ჩಭ૽ྔࡍ௨ދႎݚܒ Ⴜ֬৬ൕƗಥྔ၉ք ಭࣀᆊ֫֬ߦ൰ϯ٧۾ ࡍಱൔࠪߴܫᆹ૽׀ ֬৬ൕè თՕ൏Ɨᆊ၀ಥ ܋ᇠଃϩႎݓݚদ٧ྔ ࡍ௨֬ᆎᆥ֬Ɨ҉߽ႀ ເᇢяཱི֬ߌٺؾೢሆ ၰ৶è ႀՕƗкᆇ࡛ྗߦ൰ ֥֬দ҉ᇁढ़ၢಥྔࡍ௨ ಭࣔखঢ়ࢫԯЮদေ҉ढ़ ࠪ֬ݓಭ༅è ೖഃࡍ৭ႯƗࠎ྿ߕ ಥ܋ᇠಱൔᄱఀ֬ྔࡍ ௨ߋƗ՝ᇖࡍྔؚ௨ӈ ഺ۾മॠ֬ਛࢺѰႼ۾ս ֬݉ඒےè
ٵᇌƗؾٌᄤະഏ ᅺ֥ॢ၃ഏྺး֬ ሮਟè ᇖ༩࿗ഺ٘႟Ɨ ྺး֫ᆰսཱིྔ দഽሸ࠴֬߆ ඪދᆰൔèેႼਛ ᆊར૮ٵขƗၗ ֬དྷᇌਛᄎ؇֬ ٚຽƗങᄎ؇߽ࠖ ދಇᄎ؇༤ܿè ئඛ࿗ഺѝ൜ႀເ ҉ોๆᄎ؇Ɨ ၢ҉߽ເਛᄎ؇ ࠲ᄼྔƗา֬׀ಇ ܚઠ၉ځИᇃè ѝ൜߽ሎསܻ ै൱ྔèႼཻവ ᇇ҉߽ᄣࡆ࿊ᄎ؇è ࿗ഺ၀න҉߽ ႀເ࠲֬ቛ၃߄ؾ లׯᄎ၉ᆣ֬ະഏ ሮਟèႀເƗᄤ ैদᆊဩޚঽٵలè ၢેႼਛᆊཻ૮ ٵະᅦƗ࡞ࢫདྷᇌਛ ࿗ഺ༒ಃᆰൔދ࿗ ༤߽֬ࠖè ቀᆴƗкᆇಱເ ݛսࡌ֬֬း ӵ܆ӗ࿗༤ދᄎ؇ ༤ܿƗી႒ۅቚ֬ ছս૮֬ٵᄎ؇ ขƗ҉ؾເਛ৭ၴ ा൚൳ٵè
ྔ ൳ ٵ ᇌ ሮ ਟ ൺ དྷ ᇌ
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CHRONICLE 03 ഺࠊᆴࢲಷঅཟ౾
ᇖ૽ී ս҉ ᇖࢲ൏ƗԩਛԀᄌѭçᄌै߄֮ᆴບƗߕӯࠖਛࢺ۹߆׀ಭ۹कา೫֬Ե༤ීƗ ःಥࡁᆇອೖნւሩսࡌಇႺলขຝç༷ၢࠪݚݩƗ฿မ၉༶۹׀าѠ֬ᇖࡋࢲϛƌ
ᇖ
ࢲܥӲᇟƗᆾ֬ः್֬ ׂل۸ᄌèᆊ۸ჾሸᇖܥݚք֬ ԵࢲಷƗ߆ಭߋৡཔ֙ᇞ൱֬ ࢲƓྔçؑƔᆴ၉Ɨႜའ৶љҊᆣ ۸ױ׀౼è ࣉๆƗ੍֮çᄌԀᄌѭ֬༤ීƗ ၢࠪឰضЬᄌçᄌ૮ְְۗࡌԵ߃ི ֬Եනᄱၟދᆊ۸ࢲಷٌٺঢ়ਛƗ֓ ԩՕᆴບƗ൞ࢿ۹߆֬׀ಭሇᇖ֬ ١൛ఊսႼ҉è ขຝ॒ೄࢲ
ᄌދԀᄌѭְְ֬ࣨฆࠊƗ॒ೄཔ ؚদනःႼಆ֫ئਛèࠎ྿ขຝಭᆎ֬ ฅ༦ߒ॒ೄਛƗቒࣔᆊ࠲֙׀ᆦڰा ൚֤ࢲนƗӗࡹॉႉƗܤ৪ ૽ᇠᇖࢲၢऑқ֬ྠ൛দքเ॒ೄè
ࢲؽےݚݩ
༷õѷѭö ः؇ହսࠖሷ܄Ӹ֬ۡయƓ ෦Ɣদሸ༷ࢀڥƗߴཟఖોᇁး ၉֥ᇖࢲƗᆣ۸༷൮֬սࢮཱིལ ߽Եদ၉ᆛ၉ᆛ֬ᷚሷഹèᆊႀເ֙ ྡྷੇ׀ᇾ၉۸ࢨቚõѷѭö֬૽ීԵ Ⴚ༫Ɨ ֬ພٌ֍ޚƗःࢃ۸ᷚሷ ࣐װ၉۸սຣৡƗᇆԢ֬ඛཔؚ႒ሩ ܥքᇖݚग़ए֬۹۸ଇƗःཥõመ ჴöçõЃဋöދõท߄öְְè֍ দනƗᇁးװԢᄇ֬ުئƗःढ़ၢႚ ֫ᄇৣئ༅èો၉ᇇങးພഏఅ Ӎõѷѭö֬ۡయླྀငƥõᆊ၉۸၉ ພછഏःഏᮖ֬Ⴚ༫èö པԵᆊ۸༤ීჾሸᆩӵ֙܆ւѨ দ֥༷Ɨເਛࠞ৪൝ఞƗѓنଃਛ ᆊ۸Ⴚ༫ၢࢺ൝Ѩ֬ᇖཛԚèõѷ ѭöੇԵᇇࣉƗԩਛӵເ༷ቒकา೫ ֬૽࡞༤ීᆴບƗئޚഌࡌ߽۾ၢõѷ ѭö֬١൛ቛເԵࠎ܉ᆃ९দ༒ ႋܫॡè ҉࣎ՕƗ༷֬õѷѭöߋവᇇ
ണႜdອೖნ
দሸขຝçఴः؇ହսഌက֬၄ ଃƓ ෦ƔƗ֙Ыؚࠪᇖࢲ ׂ֬၉ႍཧ൏Ɨጌ҉Ⴘჯѓߴպƥõ ॒ೄƌö ჷদᄤขຝƗԵᇖࢲ֬ᇽ࢟Ɨ ᄌѭދ֑Ɨढ़ᄀᄀ҉॒ࠪೄদ֫ൺߒ ႙Ɨᇁᆊརएࡌৈ֬ࠊ҉ཥఊ ༤ී၉ဩႼሩඛఫ֬৬ൕƗᆎᆥڋ ข҉ݝᆊلൌ࡞֬ൠèЎচ ၄ଃᄤୄ֬྿ئขຝಭƗఊ၀ᅂႼ ሩཔၗƗֿ֥ᇖ॒ೄ֬༤ී՝ ތ൏ؾদ֬ୂƪ ఊᇖ၉۸නٌƗขຝᇖࢲ॒ೄ֬ ༤ීჾሸ ! քƗ֙൏֬ࢌႹӓഌ ၢý၉ࡌ॒ೄສࡌབྷþְְ֬݃ۨՔƗ ᄤ૽࡞༺ఖ၉ᆛ॒ೄ֬ڋఞƗവᇇ۾ӵ ເਛ૽ᄕè൏၀ႼಭಱເƗиఖ
ߕᄤ Ыਠ್࠰ࡌݚ٫༅ᇐ ߋၓӈƗ֙׀ᆦڰ၀ᆥ࠙ࠥ୴৶ࢃ ᆊར֙֬׀Եߋ݃Ԣಇè
ണႜdᅼѩ
ᅽǧະક༶ᄢ
ᇖࢲѰ҉ᇁ၉۸߆ಭࢲಷƗ ఴः؇ହսඛ࿗༩֬ݚݩ ߗഺੈᆒይƓ ෦Ɣනƥõୱ৬ϝ ᄌൌ֬õ༚ö֬ݚݩԵࢲ ಷᆴ၉Ɨ֓ދᇖࢲ҉၉ဩƗõ ༚ö֬ႎເõࢲؽےݚݩöƓ3W ZMV <PIVS[OQ^QVOƔƗಭ૽ሇ൳ ӵ࠺ދᨀቊ༼֬ࢲಷèöࣉؾๆݩ ݚಭ၉ဩߕ߽࿑ᄻᄤõ༚öᆊ ๆߴཛทƗ၀߽སށႽ߁པ ৣè ੈᆒይࢺ൫Ɨõ༚öᄤݚݩ ၉ৼๆٌ֬ࡓఀƗ྿׀֙ئ ࡌ߽ᄤࡓఀׂ֬၉ๆç၀ःõ ༚ö֬ఴ༚ሠШ۶ๆҶৣྺး ֬༅èؾᄤϝᄌൌ֬õ༚ö ᆥಷƗ߽༼ၢࣉྔ൳ӵ֬ܨ ༅ᇌӵ֬Ե༅ቛເõҶৣö দ࠺ϯቊ༼Ɨၕ൛ޱݝሷ෫၀ྺ းদ֥༼ಭ֬ټఴ೨ଣԩҫၢུ ྖƗᇇׂๆئޚಭᄼ߽ӯᇾࡓ ఀᄤࡌྯ༖è ᄤᇠ֬ئҶৣ༅ᆴᇖƗළۤቒ ཥᄌѭè֓҉ᆴƗළۤၢ ૣቚӵ֬ொƗЎሩᆫગçުދ ১ሷְୄཎƗᄣଢ଼ӵϽᄌྠመ٩࣐ ௲ഏළ၄֬ᆜ੍ৡè ੈᆒይනƗ࡞૽ݚݩཔԵᇾƗ୶ ݠሷݛළۤቚ֫֬ߌƗࢃদ ѓ߽ࡘ֥၉߃ށಭࡌè
',<
ѩொᄌѭ ڕԀထਛԵ֬ᄌѭ'Ⴢࠎ ᆇॴࣔಷৼৼᧂഽ֬ᄌѭ ࡕ۳'҉୍ܼԤၣ ߑށᆊ۸ᇖ ࢲःࡁۼᆇҚྒႝ၉ఖদ ൴ሸᇌᄌѭϛ
Ғ
ਟ"ѩொᄌѭხϺ ٿఖිႹ Ɠ;PWZ\MVQVOƔ ৻ ۡٿè ఊᇖƗხϺٿढ़ᄤЮৼ׀෴õ8PWWV 0]I\öۤѭਲ਼൹ഌᇖ ֫ܚఊҒਟढ़ ᄤ۹սӘ൮֫ܚè ٵႯƥ Ɠ҉ЎচᄌѭकƔ ൏࡞ƥ ཱི൏ ၎ओЎሔᇃഏ֬ᆾ൜Ɨ ༼ࢃ य़֬ఖිႹƓ;PWZ\MVQVO თ य़֬ხϺލࠈٿᄤ၉ఖ æᄣફફ ್֡ඪѰ࢙Ϻӵè ຢӵޱƗϣٿ٩ᄤ၉ஜ ٺ ᇙè൏࡞֥ਛƗࢃմӵ๏ྠƗ ӵॽመƗᇞਏᄆ य़Ⴞè ᆴޱƗࢃॽመᓵӵჼྠƗࢃ ᄆ य़֬৻٩ᄤჼྠഏƗѰЎ ఖদèϣЎ֬ށᄌѭഏۡٿƗ٩್ ྖၕ֬ᄌѭѰಃԢƗѓսۨ܆ӵè ݛཟးᇌቛԢҘ೫֬ᄌѭƗढ़ၢ ॐੵᄤׂل۸ҋᇮƗࡍ್ਛ၉ֶढ़ Ⴏ֬೫ුƓ+WTW]Z 8I[\MƔèՕບƗ٩ ್ᄌѭᆴఴƗшࡍ್ۡٿƗၢь ૮ᬱᄤᄌѭᇖƗ֤ᇈ҉ಿၥ౩ ༨֬ગٗè ಝᇌቛ١ٌಿၥƗ֓ሸ൴ ߕტ֥ਛ၉ཻગٗè৯Ɨᄌѭ֬ ႀເඪ҉ٺቇƗၢԢཊ྿҉ئ यᄒ֬ਡڐƗႀՕѓᄤᓵ൏Ɨ߄ ٵਛ҉ങ৶ఞთ൏࡞ϣଏè
ണႜǧҚྒႝ
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03 CHRONICLE
ვৈ ڽݙӳྔࡍ௨ûീဗü൞ࢿߴဍӖ߽
ອսྵഭҒ ಪМӍ
ᆊ၉ྔࡍ௨ûീဗüဍӖ߽Ɨڽݙӳཱྀւਛ ಭ֬սབྷᇌቛؙࠪఊєྠࣈۘขদ֥ྔࡍ௨Ɨ۪ۺૠւদਛ၉Ӎ൱फދ๗फ֬࠰ീဗè ണႜdອೖნ
ᅼѩĶИ֨ ᇖѐࠧ
ݙ
ڽӳᄤဍӖ߽֙ລཋഏ ਛ၉ৼԸࣘࣈ౾Ɨᅡ ཊਛൌቇ֬ອڋٚè ๆອ۾ᄤဍӖûࣉ၇Ⴜ ߑü൏ƗྦےƗןொ๎׀ ᄤӍ۪ૠƗන֨õྔࡍ௨ ᄤฅಪਛöè ቒޱෳྦࢃБ֬ഏၐຉ ਛƗᅡ൜ఊށഭྠƗਾ۪ૠ ࢨ҉ၟè ڽݙӳ֬ûീဗü൞ࢿ ߴဍӖ߽!ᄌ ރລᄤྔࡍ ௨൰ୄ฿ჩܽाӖè
ᆊƗڽݙӳཱྀւ ಭ֬ བྷᇌቛؙࠪఊєྠࣈۘ ขদ֥ྔࡍ௨Ɨ۪ۺૠւদਛ ၉Ӎ൱फދ๗फ֬࠰ീဗè ֙ລ൰ୄ฿ჩܽቝྻ༣Ɨ ႗݂Іࢨދഹ҉ؕƗಥಭᄣ ࡵᆪਛๆອऔྙ֬ᷧ৶è ၉ाӍ൏ၢ၉ഭႆੴᅥၐ ࡍۉਃഁઽဍӖݚმϸûၢ۪ ߽üռा࿄ଥè ֥ᇖؔሎࢫӖû၉є౧ӳü ൏ԩಇઽሷƗԢ၉ا္ ဋᆴࣈӴنƗӍܻᇠ؟൏ ຓഹවఖƗ္֬Ӵنਾಭဋ ఴ၉è ൵౾۪൵ࢹඖޱƗڽݙӳ၀ ҉ິᄣྍے֠ুൄދಜ
֬ս৶ᆭԂèᄤဍӖ߽ᇖ۾ ࡍ್თ֠ুൄ֬ᒿؔƗ ഏ࿔২֬ ,ྙࡄขƗਾཊ Ӎᄣิٴè ဍӖ߽ᇖƗڽݙӳ၀ྍے۹ ׀ఴদᆭԂ۪֬ૠƗߕา׀ ւদൌࡸདྷਏϸ<࿆èᄤӖû ٺཡπü൏Ɨڽݙӳ๓ྖ׀я Ӗя۪ۺٺૠè ൏Ɨ၀༗ຳսࡌᆭ Ԃࢫ༶ಇ֬ྔႜûݬᅥü èڽݙӳනƥõᄤႜৡဍ ဍ۸ ئ෦֬࢟೫Ɨఊः иሸ࠴֬ࡄսਛ ئ ෦èöࢫሩླྀ֨ƥõᆾྖ ฆতèö ቒޱƗڽݙӳߕѝչਛሸ
࠴ؚႜ֬ಪπƗ༗ຳ ܛݝႜᄣࠊ၉Ɨےൺ҉ ၉ဩ֬ಭഺè ᆣӍဍӖ߽ڽݙӳӖቇ ൵ ۪èєྠ֬ขݛಝင٫ ྻƗैෂ߈֬ขϷƗჷদࠖ ܸᇞᇞè൏ۡ൏ֵჂाލ౧ ྃƗєߋສఫè ဍӖ߽֙ລƗڽݙӳᄣ๎ ᅥขࠥདྷƗߕᄤેႼτյ േ֬๏ࡸ༶๒дԼѰਸ३Ӗ۪ ๒è ൏ߕ҉ິদਛ۸ޱ३ّƗ ਾᄤӍܻᇠ࣠ဎ҉ၟèᆊརา ࠶၀ЫτᄤਛЮဍӖ߽ቒ ֬ޱᇧ౾Ɨӵࢃ׀܆ဍӖ ߽སਛቒۡӝè
რढ़؆ࡌሌ٧ދହսཱུჺဍӖ߽
ཟး၉ӍõႼᄺರ֬ے౭ö ཨФᐈ ৠࡈၕĶИ֨
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ಷఴƗრढ़ᄤହսएϾਛႂৈ߽Ѱࢫൺ ਛЮИሌ٧è ണႜdᅚ֨ᆦ
õ౭ޱ۪ےöᆴӲ֬ս੫۪൴რ ढ़দ֥ྔࡍ௨Եׂᅭሌࠧ ûਅൠཱིüƗѰࢫൺਛЮИ֬ሌ٧Ɨ ၢóრ൛Ӗిôࢊඔਛሸ࠴֬ܪൠè ᆊᅭྔሌࠧးѝչ֬՝ਅ֥൫ ಝ֬ݝӸèႀՕƗრढ़֬ے౭ഺࠊ၀ ӵਛᇠะઉ֬ߌè ᄤᆴఴ֬ହսཱུ֬ჺႂৈ߽ഏƗõ ਅൠཱིƗ֍ഭൠսö֬Ɨཟး၉ ӍõႼᄺರ֬ے౭öƗ༗ຳދ၉Ͻ
པ߁ྗರƗѰႼ۹ሸ֬ඹಭ३࡞è ܸྔሌࠧƗრढ़નၰ׀ѝ൜ৡ ൳੪ਛئޚ࿂නሸ࠴ࣣ৬֬౾èఊᇖ Ўচᄤࠖ٭ഏԾቛ֬ûৼၐಛüèᆊ ၀ᄤሌࠧᇖቒ༦ߒ۪֬౾ႀເᆊ൵ ۪ࠂਛఴ֬ྖࣩè၀၉ᆷ ၢদႼᄤԾቛƗѰౖཟދಪ࿚Ⴜཟٌ ֬ಭލቛè õफ֫၉ഺ֙ᇖ၉ᆷᄤᆪଃఊ ߽ቚ֬၉ཻൠ౭èମஊᆴఴϨϨಱ ເ҉߽๒Ɨഭя֬၉ཻಭಱເ ᆱ฿҉ཿןƗߕ߽୴৶ಇቚèö რढ़ःሩᆊ࡛ܩԂቒ֥֫ޱਛ
ں֬ಱढ़è ಷఴƗრढ़ᄤହဣয়܄ս࿗एϾਛ ၉Ӎႂৈ߽Ɨၢಭ֬ႂၥᆟڢਛ Ӎèԩਛഏቒྔ֬ᇽռ۪Ɨߕთ ٿර߁҉ങƗቃ್ಭಜۼսࡌ ռᅸèѝ൜ൌٺཟս࿗൏݂èો ֥ߴڎ࿗ཱུƗѓ߽ཟఖ֙൏თႽቍৈ ؙ֬ሸ࠴è ሸӲᄤԢ֨֬ᇖӵӐਛ྿ئƗ ՝ᆴఴᇁ߽၉્ࢫൺτ֬ށൠ༅֥ཊ ᄤᇽ׀܉ၰࡵދӎ൲τሸ࠴֬܄ ቛèრढ़၀ཟۺ֬ޱሸ࠴၉च ֍֬õቚঀৈ֬ሸ࠴öè
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Opinions frankly, my dear
EDITORIAL
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Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s royal frenzy Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Cather ine, the Duchess of Cambr idge landed on Singapore on September 11 for a three-day visit, representing Queen Elizabeth II on a Diamond Jubilee tour of Asia. The Prince was following in the footsteps of his grandmother, who visited Singapore in 1972. T he royal couple visited the Botanic Gardens, Queenstown housing estate and attended a state dinner in their honour at the Istana with President Tony Tan. A lthough the visit was quite the success, with fashion publications giving high marks for the Duchessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dresses and reporters around the world praising their poise and dignity, there were some concerns raised over the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; organised by the Queenstown town council for the visit. T he Du ke and Duchess were treated to a picture-perfect scene of idyllic Singapore life, with senior citizens performing tai-chi and children cavorting in the playgrounds. Given that the royals are a living symbol of the colonialism our forefathers fought against, some wondered if the country was fawning too
much over their visit. One reason could be the immense popularity of Prince Williamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s late mother, Diana. Her untimely death only added to her larger-than-life image. The Queen herself is wellliked, and even participated in the opening video for the recent London Olympic Games. Today, members of t he modern Royal Family are seen less as the ďŹ gureheads of the nation, but more like highproďŹ le celebrities. Having grown accustomed to seeing the intimate details of families such as the Osbournes and the Kardashians all over the media, the Windsors hardly seem all that different. Even the royal scandals l i ke P r i nce H a r r y â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nude photos incident are not that shocking, when compared to the misdemeanours of other reality stars which include pornography and drug use. Therefore I think the people who were worried about a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;colonialist mentalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; were slightly off the mark when it came to explaining the popularity of the royals on their Singapore visit. For many people, it was just another chance to see a couple of famous faces.
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Hey, oblivious commuter
GRAPHIC | JOEL LING GRAPHIC | JEROME NG
EDWARD TEO PHOTO EDITOR
I
t i s 7.30a m . You awa ke grudgingly as the realisation that you have a long school day ahead sinks in. Staring at the ceiling, you regret the four-hour sleep after staying up to watch cat and baby videos on YouTube. Fast-forward 30 minutes and you are on the journey to the west, standing up because there is no space on the MRT. Throngs of â&#x20AC;&#x153;oblivious commutersâ&#x20AC;? continue to pour in, and their sheer lack of courtesy is driving you to the edge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oblivious commutersâ&#x20AC;? (OCs) are the top reason for NTU studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; angst ever y time they travel to campus. OCs range from those who have their faces glued to their smartphones, to those who stand dead centre in front of the parting doors, ready to bash through once the train stops. T here are four classic OC scenarios. Picture a hapless photography student, carrying a hefty load of camera equipment to school. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call him Bob. Bob has just boarded the train
at Pasir Ris, dreading the journey ahead. Unbeknownst to him, an OC is already in the carriage. Bob edges his way towards the pole in the centre of the carriage, but is unable to grab on ďŹ rmly, as an OCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back is glued to it. Bob loses his footing and falls on his $4000 telephoto lens. It breaks. He is not insured. But before an internal gripe session takes place, another OC manifestation occurs. Only this time, there are more than 20 of them, like a zombie horde lurching towards him. At RafďŹ&#x201A;es Place, the situation worsens when a gang of waiting OCs start to make their way towards carriage doors prematurely. The result? Alighting commuters standing shoulder-toshoulder with Bob also start to shove their way nearer to the carriage doors for fear of not getting off at their stop. Poor Bob gets tussled in the process, this time dropping his laptop on the ground. It is not insured either. When Bob alights at Boon Lay, he is at the back of the line for bus 179. With a shattered lens and a dented laptop, Bob is not a happy man. Yet, OCs still appear. Even on the bus, Bob cannot get a ďŹ rm footing as OC number
three has jammed the ďŹ&#x201A;ow of human trafďŹ c by standing next to the rear door, creating a choke point in the front half of the bus. To make matters more infuriating, the OC looks distastefully at the front, wondering why people continue to shoulder block him while moving to the rear. W hile OC three ironically starts to hate everyone else in the bus, Bob is just about ready to implode. But he has yet to meet OC four. After lugging all his equipment to the back of the bus, Bob just wants a seat. Fortunately, there is one seat left. But, OC four is sitting by the aisle and refuses to move in. Instead, this OC simply inclines his or her body to the side, effectively providing just a sliver of a space for Bob, with all his bulky equipment and laptop backpack, to squeeze through. Now ďŹ nally alighting at his stop in NTU, Bobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day is ruined before it even starts. I suppose courtesy on public transport can only be expected when people start to care about the comfort of those around them. Common sense is not so common after all. It takes a concerted effort from everyone to not ruin anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day before it even starts.
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I’m all for privacy DARIUS ZHENG
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ust recently, I deleted a comment I made on Facebook, and was later asked by a friend who happened to see it, “Did you really have to do that?” He obviously disapproved, even though the comment I deleted did not concern any of his posts. It wasn’t the first time I have received such reactions f rom people around me when it came to deleting comments, removing tags on photos and “unfriending” acquaintances on Facebook. A friend even told me once I added someone on Facebook, he or she should not be deleted “no matter what happens”— removing tags on photos and comments on posts are actions that warrant disapproval. Of course, my friends also taught me how to rectify a mistake in a comment (by adding a new comment with two asterisks in front), tackle a situation with an unwanted photo tag (by hiding the photo from my timeline), and deal with a friend with whom I have fallen out (by restricting my Facebook privacy settings). When I asked them for the reasons for doing so, they told me, “It is just about being nice”.
A friend even told me once I added someone on Facebook, he should not be deleted “no matter what happens” —removing tags on photos and comments on posts are actions that warrant disapproval. As you may have guessed, I didn’t take that advice: I have always maintained my stand that removing “friends”, comments and photo tags on Facebook should be something that is socially permissible and personal. I feel it is a way for one to be true to oneself in both our virtual and actual worlds. After all, I am sure that if you bothered to restrict privacy settings for a friend you fell out with, you wouldn’t say hi to him around school. That aside, there has always
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been debate on whether Facebook is part of a virtual reality that this century has created, or if it has gone beyond that. To many, myself included, Facebook has become part of our daily lives, particularly in this technophile nation. Just look at the number of people surfing Facebook on public transport. Facebook has become a virtual community that impacts our reality so much that it is inextricable for some. People organise gatherings, create invitations to exhibitions, and execute their marketing campaigns — all through this social site. In fact, Facebook has become a way to update personal lives for those who have no time to ask their friends out. I have to admit, though, that I prefer to keep updates in my personal life to the people who truly matter. Remov i ng of fen sive comments, unglamorous photo tags and acquaintances allows me to do just that. Of course, I wish I could keep Facebook and my actual life separate — but our present situation
makes it hard to do so. I am sure that many of you remember the Facebook administration team changing our email addresses on Facebook to have them end with @facebook.com. T hey also tr ied to publish mobile numbers without a user’s prior consent.
In fact, Facebook has become a way to update personal lives for those who have no time to ask their friends out. Not too long ago, a sidebar was added, allowing us to monitor activities of our friends in real time. Even a friend’s comment on an event wall that you are not invited to will appear on your newsfeed. Even more recently, you can track if a message sent to your friend has been seen by him or her. With all these changes in the
social site challenging the notions of privacy, we need to be more conscious of our presence on this social media platform. I am always one for the idea that we should control the technology we have created, not the other way round. A s socia l med ia u ser s we should be able to control what we want to show on Facebook, instead of having our actions publicised without our consent. Keeping my Facebook community private also has perks beyond social realms. When I was interning in New York City two summers ago, I found out that my Facebook profile was a consideration of me being hired. It is true that an increasing number of employers are now using Facebook to check out prospective employees, to ensure that the people they are going to hire are of sound character. I’m glad I passed the test. Even though I have mentioned how it is better for Facebook to be separate from our personal lives, we cannot hide from the fact that Facebook has evolved to being more than just a social site. It not only has impact on our
social lives, but also a substantial impact on our professional lives.
We cannot hide from the fact that Facebook has evolved into being more than just a social site. It not only has impact on our social lives, but also a substantial impact on our professional lives. Curating your Facebook profile to project a positive and professional image is thus essential in the competitive world we live in today— which can be done by controlling who sees our party photos and who knows the type of friends we usually hang out with.
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Degree, Set, Go!
Furore over a store and less JOYCE LIM
A
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CHRISTABEL REENA DAVID
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n this year’s National Day rally, PM Lee announced plans to establish more local universities and increase full-time university intake by the year 2020. Within two days of his address, the Web was abuzz with mixed reactions. SIM University (UniSIM) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) will become our fifth and sixth local universities and the yearly full-time university intake will increase by 3,000 across all local universities by 2020. The million-dollar question is: Is this for the best? Some say this move allows more students to gain access to higher education. The government has acknowledged that our highly competitive academic climate hinders many individuals from furthering their education here, despite wanting to. My cousin, who graduated from Republic Polytechnic had wished to pursue an engineering degree in a local university. It wasn’t to be as he was not in the top 20 percent of his cohort. As studying abroad was expensive, he had to make plans to look for a job after NS. More university places will especially give more opportunities for polytechnic students to carry on their studies. However, naysayers have a different take. An article on TODAY Online addressed several concerns. One was the worry that if universities churned out more graduates, “the value of a degree would diminish” as there would be a greater supply of graduates. Students would also “have to work harder to get a higher honours class, multiple internships and co-curricular activities,
to secure a good job when they graduate,” the article said. Personally, I believe some good could come out from this decision. I grew up with friends and cousins who studied in polytechnics and who worked extremely hard to get a place at a local university. Many who fall short put themselves through the emotional and financial strain of going overseas to further their education. I’m not talking about lazy or incompetent individuals here. I’m acknowledging a larger group of students who are just as hardworking as any of us undergraduates, but deemed as less “competent” in academic performance.
I grew up with friends and cousins who studied in polytechnics and who worked extremely hard to get a place at a local university. If the government does increase the yearly intake, more of these deserving individuals can gain access to higher education right here in Singapore. Besides, what is a degree for? It would be a lot less complicated if it was just as a platform to get an interview with an employer. But ultimately, the skills and knowledge acquired throughout school life are going to be what shapes you, and not just a piece of paper. Having 10 or 15 more candidates with the same degree is not going to make you any less
capable or deserving of the job. However, since pay scales are still pegged to degree qualifications, I understand there are still concerns. How then should the government respond to this? To answer this question in part, a commentator on TODAY Online felt there needed to be a change in mindset. According to him, the government has to redefine degrees so that it is more than just a qualification, but a paper certifying that an individual had completed a particular course using an advanced level of thinking. He also went on to state that the individual “would have had to pursue the relevant readings, modules and undertake projects to reinforce mastery of that subject. That is what education is all about.” A degree marks the completion of courses and it can testify to an individual’s academic or technical ability. However, it should not stretch so far as to have pay scales pegged to them as grades reflected on degrees are not measured using the same scales across all institutions. Payscales should reflect job competence and work experience. Having a greater number of full-time university programmes would mean more competition for jobs. To tackle citizens’ concerns, the government should ensure that individuals will still be offered the same if not better opportunities in terms of internships, exchange programmes and co-curricular activities. Having more competition is reasonable if students are given a fair playing field. And if the right measures are put in place, having six universities may be a step in the right direction - both upholding meritocracy and being more inclusive of our fellow Singaporeans.
lthough the new 7-Eleven store at Hall 2 has recently lowered its prices, saying that a ‘technical glitch’ had earlier caused them to be higher than expected, the move has done little to quell students’ frustrations. Ironically, their anxiety over the rising cost of living on campus comes from having so many things susidised that they have come to expect preferential rates. The subsidised rate of consumption in NTU—including food prices in canteens and the cost of the internal shuttle buses— means that students have come to expect lower costs of living on campus grounds. The old Nanyang Supermarket at Hall 2 provided NTU residents with the convenience of buying their groceries at more affordable prices, without having to travel out of campus. Although not exactly subsidised, the old supermarket paid a lower rental rate, below the market rate. Now that NTU is charging a more realistic market rate, it will cost more for the new supermarket to simply set up shop there, making it harder to offer favourable prices. Yet that is what shoppers want, naturally. Replacing a store that provided cheap products at a convenient location left many
hoping for a replacement that matched the old standards. In light of the repercussions of this episode, I propose a future alternative to avoid a repeat of history — that the school consults students on future changes, especially on matters that directly affect them. Perhaps NTU could have asked students what they wanted in terms of opening hours, price range and what they needed to buy for everyday on-campus living. To judge by what is offered at the interim 7-Eleven, students are expected to exist on a diet of Coke, coffee, Mars Bars and instant noodles. If students had been consulted, I believe that a more full-service supermarket like NTUC FairPrice would have been the new operator on campus — with a wider range of products that are more affordable and healthier. Since students are already asked for their input on issues like shuttle bus timings, why should the replacement of a supermarket be any different? Perhaps the rental for the supermarket could once again be subsidised through a modest increase in hall fees so that operators are able to survive without suffering losses. Think of it as the NTU version of Groupon — by working together, we all get a better deal. In this aspect, it would perhaps be wise to engage in a campus rendition of a “national conversation,” in order to facilitate a better work-study environment where the interests of different groups are not overlooked. Thus, this episode calls for a more consultative-approach that would benefit both the student’s interest and the image of the school administration — a channel through which both parties may decide for a change that results in a win-win situation for all.
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NTU levels up A PHAM THI HONG HANH (LUNA)
s NTU President Professor Bertil Andersson acknowledged our recent jump to 47th place on the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings in an interview with Channel News Asia, he added, “I always say we have to take these rankings with a pinch of salt.” Turns out the amount of salt we need is more than what we can swallow. The ranking comes as an ego boost. It is a stark contrast to 2010, when we went pale at headlines that read, ‘NTU falls 100 spots to 174th’. And yet within just two years, we break into the top 50? This is an incredible feat. Or is it? Times Higher Education (THE), a weekly magazine based in London that reports on issues related to higher education, was the organisation that ranked us at 174 two years ago. Up till 2010, it had partnered with QS, the company specialising in education and studying abroad, to publish QS-THE World University Rankings. In the same year the partnership fell through, THE published their own rankings. Although they differed completely from the ones that were published together with QS, these new rankings were still confused with their previous version. Therefore, to be fair, NTU did not drop 100 places in the QS rankings. In fact, we have always been rising on the QS chart since 2008, when they ranked us 77th. Yet, does this mean that we have truly become a better school over the years? Going by the QS rankings, probably. NTU has jumped five places in academic reputation to 59th and our employer review has also increased tremendously, from a score of 59.4 to 84.5, hinting at better qualified NTU graduates. NTU has also made improvements in other components of the QS ranking, such as number of citations per faculty and faculty/student ratio while maintaining a perfect score in international faculty ratio. These indicators show that we now have better quality research in a more diverse environment. That said, these improvements may not necessarily translate to higher quality in teaching, which is every student’s main concern. In a letter to my paper in May, third-year Nanyang Business School student Shaun Yap voiced his concerns over the “heavily accented” tutors who make classes very difficult to understand. Thus, maintaining a high international faculty ratio may conflict with students’ interests if lessons are incomprehensible.
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canteen talk :KDW GR \RX WKLQN RI 178 ULVLQJ XS WR WK SODFH LQ WKH 46 ZRUOG XQLYHUVLW\ UDQNLQJ"
It only affects prospective students when they choose schools, it doesn’t matter much to me.
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Tan Ming Hui, 21, NIE Yr 3
“
We should take it with a pinch of salt and look at other rankings as well. Ho Weixian Mark, 23, NBS Yr 3
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Similarly, an increasing faculty/student ratio does not necessarily mean students are getting more attention. In the same letter, Mr Yap also pointed out that one of his tutors made no effort to improve on his teaching, even after a large number of students stopped attending his classes.
These improvements may not necessarily translate to higher quality in teaching, which is every student’s main concern. Students are also “blatantly cheating in tests”, Mr Yap wrote, despite invigilation by professors being put in place Although NTU has made recent efforts to improve teaching quality by including trial lectures in the faculty recruitment process, it does not change the fact that the QS rankings do not directly measure the quality of the teaching in the university. We are still ranked much lower, at 156th place, on 2012’s THE rankings, of which 30 percent comes from measurements of teaching quality; not much of
an improvement from our previous position of 174th. That said, each of the rankings has its share of criticism. THE has been criticised for basing its teaching evaluations on reputation while QS’s heavy weightage on academic reputation means that universities with better marketing campaigns may score better. This means that no ranking system is perfect and it makes little sense to celebrate NTU’s rise in rankings. Don’t get me wrong. I am happy that our school is finally given its due recognition. I fell in love with the school when my first lecturer told us to voice our opinions without fear as “we strive to create within the four walls of the classroom a safe academic haven”. Or perhaps I fell in love with the purple bloom of the crapemyrtles around the campus. While I give a heavier weightage to academic freedom and the beauty of the campus, others staying in Pasir Ris may give less weight to the flowers and allocate more to bus fares and travel time. Hence, school ranking should be a personalised system, and not a commercial one. My mom might not think so though. The time has come for her to finally boast about her daughter being in a university that is in the world’s top 50.
There may be some constraints in a small country like Singapore that prevent us from obtaining a higher ranking.
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Shgutti Shekhar, 24, MAE, Graduate Student
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It adds to the university’s recognition but is not always accurate. Muhd Uzair, 22, MSE Yr 2
Universities in Denmark get a low ranking just because they change the system often, so ranking is not convincing.
”
Jasni Jaffar, 22, MSE Yr 2 TEXT | LI ZHUODA; PHOTOS | ANNABELLE LIANG
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sports talk
Split loyalties, divided opinions AMANDA PHOON
NO HORSING AROUND: Laurentia Tan riding to Paralympics glory. PHOTO | INTERNET
MANY Singaporeans are quick to praise Laurentia Tan and her achievements in the Paralympics. They also lament her pitiful cash reward for her bronze medal, a mere one-fifth of Feng Tianwei’s $250,000 prize money. But what most people do not know is that while Laurentia Tan holds a Singaporean passport, she has stayed in the UK almost her entire life. Leaving Singapore at the age of three, she was only invited to join Team Singapore in 2007, and subsequently represented Singapore in a number of major competitions. Netizens have criticised the government’s apparent disregard for Laurentia Tan, citing the cash reward as an obvious sign that Tan’s achievements had been undermined. Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, confirmed in a Facebook update that the Paralympics are not as well supported as the Olympics. He explained that sponsors from the private sector felt a smaller incentive was appropriate for the Paralympians. This was because their competition was deemed inferior to the Olympics. The unfair media coverage between the Olympics and the
Paralympics also emphasised the fact that the latter was definitely held in a lower regard. Yet, the irony is the athlete that has participated in the less prestigious competition has actually received more recognition by fellow Singaporeans. It is clear many people do not agree with the government’s assessment. But the cruel twist is, while Tan does indeed hold the same passport as we do, she may just be less Singaporean than most of the China-born athletes we so swiftly chastise. Having only spent a grand total of three years in Singapore, the 33-year-old has been in UK for most of her life, where she has been able to pursue her studies in special schools. So how did she become fit to be seen as a true Singaporean? Is it simply because she was born here, or is it her disabilities that stir the hearts of our countrymen, making us more accepting and sympathetic towards her? While China-born paddlers continue to dominate the table tennis scene regardless of their nationality, a new question comes into the light. So is the place of birth or the sense of belonging a more important factor to establish one’s true nationality? One can argue that Laurentia Tan can hardly be considered a local talent and athlete as well,
since she grew up and has done most of her training overseas . However, she is still offered more grace when it comes to scrutinising our national athletes. Perhaps we should not be too quick to judge whether an athlete should be considered Singaporean or not. After all, there is just no way to classify if somebody can be considered “truly Singaporean”. Singaporeans have to be more forgiving, especially netizens that often criticise quickly to prove some form of agenda. Meanwhile, the government should do their part to discourage the comparison. Regardless of the level of competition, I feel that she does deserve a higher cash reward for her efforts to compete under the Singapore flag. The level of competition is different for sure. But it is unfair to deem the Paralympics as inferior. Every participant has a point to prove about his or her disability, and is fighting to bring their country glory. Surely, they are not any less competitive and determined than the able-bodied Olympians. When the government is willing to acknowledge the Paralympians’ effort just as much as our able-bodied heroes, it may then finally be time for the netizens to be more objective in their judgement.
NTU ava-launches Bouldermania CAROL LIM HANGING out on campus takes on a whole new meaning as students and members of the public caught a glimpse of some of Singapore’s top climbers at Bouldermania. Open to the public for the first time since 2006, the event brought in more than 460 experienced climbers to NTU to pit their mettle against the wall. This included past winners at the Asian Youth Games and the SEA Games. Coupled with better competition, prizes and location resulted in a pleasantly sharp increase in walk-in participants from previous years. Many NTU climbers also competed in the competition, with some making it into the finals. Wan Hanee Binte Wan Iskandar, a second-year NIE student, came in second in the Novice Women Category and Judith Sim Ming Xin, a post-graduate student in NIE, came in second in the Opens Women Category. Pr izes t his year include a Manhattan Por tage sling bag, San Disk Flash Dr ive, X-mini Portable speakers and a-JAYS One earphone, valued up to $9000. Pang Jin Hao , a year 4 student
from the school of Mechanical and Aeropsace Engineering, commented that the event was held on a larger scale compared to the previous years. “Everything is better than last year. The prizes are cash prizes,” he added. Kelvin Tan, a third-year Civil Engineering Student with 7 years of sport-climbing experience, commented the participants this year are strong and enthusiastic about climbing. “(The competition) is a success as some of the participants say that the routes are better than last year, hence they feel more confident,” he said. Another participant, Ryan Yeo, 18, agreed. “The routes are well set, and cater to people of different sizes,” said the Malaysian representative in the World Youth Championship.
Hiccups Despite the success that went along with the event’s expansion, it was not without hiccups. Felicia Lim, one of Singapore’s top female climbers, commented that some of the routes set for the Opens Women category were inconsistent in difficulty.
Also, the last climb for the Man Finals category was also a let-down for the crowd with all of the male finalists completing the route from the get-go. Despite this, many walk-in participants were psyched from watching others climbing the towers and registered on the spot. The purpose of the bouldering carnival was to promote bouldering in NTU, especially among NTU staffs and students who have always wanted to start climbing but could not find a platform to start. Through Bouldermania, the University Mountaineering Club hopes to present the sport in the friendliest way to people. Many leisure climbers and amateurs expressed eagerness to participate again in the future, with many praising the event for being fun and accessible. Another improvement from previous years would be the change of location for the Carnival Fun Climb from outside Tan Chin Tuan Lecture Theatre last year to Canopy K near Lecture Theatre 1A. The Carnival Fun Climb which was open exclusively to staff and students of NTU was changed to a location with heavier traffic and meant that it had greater exposure than ever before.
LEAP OF FAITH: A climber in the men’s category. PHOTO | COURTESY OF PATRICK KUA
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bpl talk
Nasty XI |
Redzwan Kamarudin draws up a list of the meanest first-eleven to ever grace the BPL.
they said that?
PHOTOS | INTERNET
CRISTIANO RONALDO (FW)
MARIO BALOTELLI (FW)
Ronaldo dives. All the time. His most famous dive came during United’s draw against Middlesbrough in 2008. While replays showed no contact, he was awarded a crucial penalty.
CARLOS TEVEZ (FW) Tévez got football fans to hate him after refusing to come off the bench in a Chanpion’s League match. He excused himself saying, “I didn’t feel right to play, so I didn’t.”
Videos of Balotelli throwing darts at youth players and committing arson on his house after playing with fireworks in his bathroom have gained him a reputation for bad antics.
Tiger s the biggest thing ever in our sport. How could a 23-yearold from Northern Ireland with a few wins intimidate him? Current World number 1 golfer Rory McIlroy on facing Tiger Woods.
JOEY BARTON (MF)
LEE BOWYER (MF)
ROBBIE SAVAGE (MF)
With a bad boy reputation in the league, fans hate Joey Barton for disrepectfully pulling down his pants and mooning the crowd not once, but twice during Manchester City’s draw against Everton.
Savage was known for his aggressive tackles and diving. He held the record for receiving the most yellow cards in the Premier League with 89 yellow cards. Until Lee Bowyer overtook him.
Bowyer is the first in league history to reach 100 bookings. His fight with Newcastle United teammate Kieron Dyer in front of fans sealed his reputation as the worst of the lot.
We re pieces of meat at the end of the day and we re not treated with much respect. Former English rugby league player Bryn Hargreaves on how how he felt as a professional sportsman.
If Real Madrid had been interested in me, then I would be here [at the Bernabeu]. I had no option but to join City, ASHLEY COLE (DEF) Alleged affairs while married to singer Cheryl Tweedy earned Cole lots of hate. He was seen partying while Cheryl was hospitalised for battling malaria.
RIO FERDINAND (DEF)
JOHN TERRY (DEF)
Ferdinand was fined when he endorsed a tweet describing Ashley Cole as “choc ice” — derogatory slang describing black people acting like they are white.
An affair with a teammate’s wife cost Terry his England captaincy. Accusations of racism by another player saw him fined and critised.
JENS LEHMANN (GK) One of Lehmann antics happened during a Champions League match against Unirea Urziceni. Halfway through the match, Lehmann hopped over the advertising boards to relieve himself, while keeping a lookout on the gamein-progress.
GARY NEVILLE (DEF) Liverpool fans hate him because of his run across the pitch to celebrate a last-minute winner against Liverpool in front of their fans.
Footballer Sergio Aguero speaking on his rationale for joining Manchester City after their match against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
I m not under pressure at all. I m probably the only one who can afford a mistake or a retirement. F1 Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
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NTU’s slow SUniG start may prove costly
COSTLY DEFEAT: A loss to the NUS handball team meant that NTU failed to defend their title.
PHOTO | ALEX TAI
NICOLETTE SOH THE NTU badminton and handball teams failed to retain their championship titles as they fell to SMU and NUS respectively in the latest Singapore University Games (SUniG). A well-played match for the NTU badminton team resulted in a five-nil thumping of NUS in the fierce clash between two traditional sporting powerhouses. While the victory was unexpected, the wide margin of victory was a welcomed one for the boys as they had to face a strong NUS team. The morale-boosting victory meant that the team was optimistic about their chances against SMU the next day. But a change in the competition format, SMU’s stronger players and home ground advantage meant that NTU headed into the match as underdogs. Unfortunately, the NTU team was unable to retain their championship title after losing 3-2 in a hard fought match. NTU had won their previous matches against SIT and SIM prior to the match against SMU. “During the game with SMU, our line up was right,” Louis Tan, captain of NTU Badminton said. “However we could not convert the deciding point, which was the first men’s singles.” “It was really close. We nearly did it,” said the 24-year-old. Despite the defeat, the captain
noted that the team still had an impressive showing, and had benefited from the loss. “We have a better insight of the standards of our opponents, which is good preparation for the IVP games. We are definitely aiming for the IVP gold in January”, said Tan.
Handball The NTU women’s handball team also met with disappointment against NUS. Firm passes and hard sprints from the team were not enough to overcome NUS’ skilled players. Though they endeavored till the end, the team lost the game with a score of 15-8. NTU was the two-time defending champions but the defeat meant that they lost the crown to the NUS team. “NUS was our strongest opponent this year,” team captain Regina Ng said. “In terms of skills, there’s a large disparity between our team and the NUS team.” The girls had beaten SIM and SMU prior to the NUS match. Limited exposure to other teams was one of the factors behind the team’s failure to retain the title. “We don’t get many opportunities to play with the other schools so we don’t know what their standards are like and where they stand.” “However NUS was our strongest opponent this year as well as last year,” said Ng.
CLOSE: A har d fought match eventually e n d e d u p i n h e a r t- b r e a k f o r t h e N T U badminton team as they lost narrowly to the NUS team. The 3-2 scoreline meant that NUS reigned supreme in this year’s SUniG. PHOTO | NICOLETTE SOH
AQUATHLON: Flesh bods sweat it out in the hot sun at East Coast Park as they fight for glory. NUS’ Adriel Tan came first in the men’s category. PHOTO | STEFFI KOH
ALL DRAW: An equaliser from the NTU team (in white) meant that the football match against SIM (in red) ended 2-2. SIM had been two goals up but a lapse in concentration meant that NTU’s Mohamad Syaqir bin Sulaiman scored an equaliser when the NTU team had looked close to defeat. PHOTO | T. Z. CHUM