The Nanyang Chronicle Vol 20 Issue 04

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE

VOL. NO.

20

04 14.10.13 ISSN NO. 0218-7310

THREE’S

NO CROWD Third hall occupant proves a viable solution to NTU’s housing crunch

NEWS | 3

Changes to S/U declaration period

Satisfaction optional NEWS | 5

Rhythm of the Rain NTU Fan Meet

听见下雨 的声音 南苑 | 20

02 NEWS

THE NANYANG

Our editors’ pick of interesting news stories from around the world.

Netizens fired up

Twice’s a charm

A PHOTO of a group of children and parents burning assessment books and worksheets after the Primary School Leaving Examination has riled netizens. Debates on the degradation of knowledge and whether the books could have gone to needy students have been discussed on forums. A parent from the group has since clarified that textbooks were not burnt, only assessment papers and schoolwork — which were the main causes of their children’s stress.

JUSTIN Timberlake has done it again. The pop singer’s second instalment of The 20/20 Experience debuted at first place on the Billboard 200 album chart, just like the first instalment.

As of 6 Oct, Billboard recorded a total of 4.8 million albums sold.

Timberlake’s first half of the twopiece project, released in March, had the year’s largest album sales when it sold 968,000 copies in the first week. He is the only act to top the charts twice this year.

GORDON Ramsay flaunted his newly trim body on 10 Oct on his personal Twitter account, just days before he attempted to complete the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, consisting of a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike race and a 42.2km marathon run.

The renowned chef, who recently said he’s become a “tri-freak”, also announced that he will be getting a tattoo right after he finishes. It will be “a little tattoo of the letters ‘IM’on the corner of my ankle,” he said.

20

CHRONICLE 04

The Briefing Room:

Ramsay ready to attempt Ironman Triathlon

VOL. NO.

Malala Yousafzai wows Daily Show host and audience

A day’s pay is enough for cabbies: NTU study

MALALA Yousafzai, a 16-year-old Pakistani who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban, won the 2013 EU Sakharov human rights prize on Thursday for campaigning for education for girls in Pakistan.

Following the news, she stood firm despite receiving death threats from the Taliban.

She wowed television host Jon Stewart on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on 8 Oct by saying that if she was ever attacked by a Taliban member, she would not retaliate but instead tell the attacker: “Education is important, and I even want education for your kid, this is what I want to say to you, now do what you want.”

MOST cabbies will not drive longer hours or pick up more passengers even if there were an increase in surcharges. This is according to a new study done by Associate Professor Anthony Chin, NTU’s transport economist. The study polled 40 taxi drivers and found that cabbies are more likely to end their shift after just earning their target for the day.

The week-long study tracked daily takings from a total of about 4,150 trips in February. Prof Chin suggested that giving cabbies a fixed salary and performance bonus might increase their time on the road. He said: “It is about getting more drivers to work a single vehicle harder, not making the driver work harder.”

PHOTOS: INTERNET

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10% off the Hotbox Food Orders

Video: #hthtNTU Episode 3 – Theft in Halls

The recent spate of theft cases in Hall of Residence 4 has raised concerns among residents about the security measures put in place to deter thieves on campus. We go to Canteen 2 to hear what students have to say.

Video: Rhythm of the Rain Photo Slideshow

The Nanyang Chronicle and NTU Cultural Activities Club hosted a fan meet with Rhythm of the Rain director Vincent Fang and male lead Alan Ko of at SPMS on 8 Oct. Check out our photo slideshow if you missed the highlights of the event.

Opinions: The Tuition Dilemma

Is tuition doing more harm than good? Opinions writer Jasmine Tay draws on her own experience to discuss whether students have become so reliant on tuition that they lose the true meaning of education.

Find us at www.nanyangchronicle.ntu.edu.sg

The Nanyang Chronicle partners The Hotbox to offer this discount to all readers. Simply flash your mobile phone and show that you’ve ‘liked’ both the Nanyang Chronicle and The Hotbox on Facebook when paying to enjoy this 10 per cent off all food items.

Terms and conditions apply.

Spooky Treats for Halloween

Get a $5 discount off regular priced tickets ($25) for WESTs the HAUNT, a spooky 5km run in western Singapore.

See page 9 for more details. The first 50 readers who sign up will also receive a complimentary Zouk pass.

PHOTOS: INTERNET

“Unicorn” Spotted in NTU

A unicorn was found playing the ukelele at the Koufu @ the South Spine. Beneath the horse’s head was a HSS student, whose performance was part of a publicity stunt for an advertising camp. To find out more about her campaign, visit www.facebook.com/unicornontherun.

Taxi Stranded on Stair at Block S4

A Comfort taxi was stranded after heading down a staircase at South Spine on 24 Sep. It took seven students and the driver about 10 minutes to push the car back onto the road. No one was injured in the incident.

SPOT SOMETHING INTERESTING? Send us a photo at www.facebook.com/ChronNTU and it could be featured.

News

Conversations with Ex-Caltech President — Page 24-25

Sharing is caring Living with one extra person in a hall room, under the temporary sharing scheme, has brought many hall residents closer.

Besides helping each other out, the trio also has to learn to live with less walking space in the room. The main inconvenience for them is the non-foldable mattress Koh uses.

Jasmine said: “Yvonne is okay with us stepping on her mattress, and even though we try not to, sometimes there is no choice.”

Staying together has helped the three girls forge a tight-knit friendship where they share their problems with each other through heart-to-heart talks.

“They’re like my sisters; it’s just the feeling they give me.

They’re comfortable to be around, and they’re people I can share my thoughts with,” Koh said.

Cindy added: “We’re basically like a happy family.”

Ng Jian Yang Sheena Tan

T

wo's company and three’s just right.

Housing shor tage at N T U has turned many students to the temporary-sharing scheme, under which the Office of Housing & Auxiliary Services allows for one additional occupant per room.

With as many as three to a room, students under the scheme get to live on campus, save on rental, help a friend out, and even form lasting relationships through living together in cramped quarters.

About 380 students have taken up residence as temporary sharers so far this year, said Mr Jimmy Lee, Chief Housing & Auxiliary Services Officer. “Almost all applications are approved as long as the authorised hall residents give their consent,” he added.

Temporary sharers pay $40 a month, excluding miscellaneous charges such as administrative fees. Some sharers split the rent with the main occupants, helping to lower costs for everyone.

Sharing, in particular, helps students who may have to otherwise pay for expensive off-campus housing.

K hoshimov Bekhzod, 20, a third-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS), said he took in a friend from Kazakhstan as a temporary sharer for this reason.

“It feels good knowing that I can benefit someone — even if only in small ways. Maybe someone else will help me next time too,” the Uzbekistani said.

For Klaryssa Augustine, 20, hav ing an ex t ra per son in a double room has led to space constraints: everything from her desk space to closet space has been halved.

De spite t h i s , t he se condyear student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences said that the inconvenience pales in comparison to “having to see my friend (a temporary sharer) travel to school from her home in Punggol every day.”

Sharing a small space with someone unrelated has helped students learn to adapt and make the best out of one another’s quirks.

Coping with homesickness

TRIPLE SHARING JOY: Twin brothers Shawn (left) and Wayne (right) enjoy the company of Justin (centre), their temporary sharer and friend.

PHOTO: LIM MU YAO

Getting to know you Justin Ee knew he would be the odd one out.

After all, his roommates do everything together — they take the same classes, eat the same meals, and they have similar bath times and toilet breaks. They even look alike.

Not surprising, since they are identical twins.

But he is happy with his living arrangement, simply because there are perks to the twins being so close to each other.

Unlike most temporary sharers who have no furniture, Justin gets his own table and wardrobe. The 22-year-old also has space to fit his bed in the room.

This is because the twins prefer to study together at one table, join their beds, and share one wardrobe.

Wayne and Shawn Ng, 22, both second-year students from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, did not mind having another roommate one bit at all.

“The space was going to waste anyway,” said Wayne. “We were using it to store our textbooks and model figurines.”

For Ee, the practicalit y of staying on campus, which made it convenient for him to travel to his

many early morning classes, was not the only reason for wanting a space in hall. His friendship with the twins was the key factor.

The trio, who first met during the Hall of Residence 15 freshmen orientation camp last year, are thick as thieves. Shawn described his brother and himself as “fun, crazy, and spontaneous” people.

And Justin was a natural fit.

“If I couldn’t stay with them, I would probably not have stayed in hall,” said Ee, a second-year SPMS student.

And living together has also become more enjoyable with Justin around. “He is also hardworking,” Wayne said, “which motivates the two of us to improve.”

Shawn added: “He is like our mother, and he plays the caring, nagging role.”

I n r e s pon se , Ee qu ippe d : “They are ter r if ied of lizards and insects. They once used a baseball bat to chase a moth out of the room.”

Like a happy family Forming family-like bonds is not unique.

After a long day at school, roommates Jasmine Chan, 21, Cindy Chan, 20, and Yvonne Koh, 21, make the effort to greet each

other with a cheerful “welcome home” when they return to their hall room.

“We're basically like a happy family.”

Cindy Chan, 20 First-year student School of Art, Design and Media

Both Cindy and Koh share a mut ua l f r iend i n Ja sm i ne.

They met her in polytechnic and secondary school respectively. Koh, the temporary sharer, applied to the scheme with the intention of rooming with her close friend.

Jasmine said her roommates are just like family to her. They share everything from food to detergent.

They even take the initiative to help each other with household chores such as laundry.

I n t h i s f a m i l y, C i nd y i s described as the “baby sister" and Jasmine and Koh take special care to look out for her.

Koh said: “Cindy’s the only one who hangs her clothes out overnight, and there were times when it rained and we had to help take in her clothes while she was sleeping.”

Suc h c lo s e -k n it f r ie nd sh ip s bonds are necessar y, because homesickness can strike out of the blue.

For Pham Nguyen Thanh Tam, 21, her most recent brush with familial longing came just before the start of the new semester.

After returning to NTU from Vietnam, she became listless and unhappy. The final-year Nanyang Business School student even stopped eating for the first few days back here.

Her sudden change in behaviour alarmed temporary sharer Yong Kah Ping, 27.

Yong moved into the room in August this year. At that time, she had not gotten her own room, and living off-campus was too expensive. The room was shared by another foreign student from China.

Yong , who i s M a lay sia n , e mpat h i s e d w it h Pha m’s homesickness because she had grappled with the same issue before. She was at an initial loss on how best to comfort her roommate.

“I could see her suffering, but I couldn’t really do anything to help,” she said.

The two are classmates, and attend church together.

Yong noticed that Pham loved sweet stuff, and so she bought sugary treats to lift her spirits.

She also spent time talking to and encouraging Pham.

“I would tell her that things would get better soon, and assure her that I was there for her,” she said.

It only took about four days before Pham was back to her usual bubbly self, Yong said.

Yong has since moved out into her own room in a neighbouring block. But a part of her misses the days she spent living with Pham.

“It is too quiet here now.”

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THE NANYANG

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THE NANYANG

04 CHRONICLE

S/U changes not enough Students are not content despite the extension of the S/U declaration period to two days after the last day of examinations.

Mark Soh

E

VEN with the extended declaration period for the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option, many students still feel it doesn't serve the purpose of helping them improve their Grade Point Average (GPA).

Previously, students had to make the declaration two weeks before the examination period.

But from this semester, students will have instead two working days after the last day of the university examination period to declare their S/U option, announced the NTU Students’ Union (NTUSU) on 23 Sep. The scheme was revamped following a proposal from NTUSU to the university, according to Professor Kam Chan Hin, Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education).

The NTUSU proposed to extend the declaration period so that students can better decide whether or not to utilise the S/U option after gauging their performance at the examinations.

For this reason, students feel the move isn't enough.

They think the system at National University of Singapore — where students have three days after they received their examina-

GAME CHANGER: The S/U option has been viewed by many students as critical in determining their grades. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: LIM MU YAO

tion results to utilise the S/U option — is more reasonable.

Mr Dang Chun Kin, 26, a recent graduate from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), said: “If NTU wants to give its students a competitive edge over graduates from other universities, we should have the same system as them."

In response, Prof Kam said: “Allowing a change of S/U option after the results are known is tantamount to allowing students to

manipulate their GPA. That was never the intention of the NTU S/U system.”

Instead, the university's intent was to encourage, and hopefully motivate students to be more adventurous and explore courses outside their specialisation, Prof Kam said.

However, some students do not feel that the S/U option motivates them to venture beyond their discipline.

Tommy Quek, 24, a third-year

student from the School of Computer Engineering said: “Even though the university's intention with the S/U option is to encourage students to take modules outside their own major, I would not venture too far out of my comfort zone, and stick to taking a module that I have some background in instead."

Wong Zhibin, 21, a first-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering added: “If we can't see our re-

sults, it will still be a gamble when deciding whether or not to utilise the S/U option.

“The new scheme will not be useful for students until we get to see our results," he said.

This shows that many students see the S/U option as a critical game changer that may have serious implications on their GPA, even though Prof Kam has said that the S/U option was not implemented for that reason.

That was the case for Ms Elizabeth Soh, 26, a recent graduate from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

She missed out on second upper class honours by a GPA of less than 0.1 because she exercised one wrong S/U option.

“I was advised to exercise my S/U option halfway through the semester by the tutor of a singing elective, only to find out after from the same tutor that I had gotten a B plus for the course,” she said.

“Things would have been different for me if I had the choice to S/U an elective after an exam back then,” she added.

On the other hand, the change was well-received by some students who were relieved that at the very least, they could sit for the examinations first, before deciding whether to utilise the S/U option.

Donovan Goh, 21, a first-year student from EEE, who has heard of “horror" stories like Elizabeth's case from his seniors, said: “At least under the new scheme, I am more assured that the same thing will not happen to me."

Canteen Two unveils new look Elissa Teo RESIDENTS around Hall of Residence 2 are getting more diverse food options with the reopening of Canteen 2, but this also means paying more for their meals.

Three new stalls selling Korean dishes, Ramen and Chinese steam buns were added to the line up after the canteen reopened on 1 Oct. Dirty floor tiles were replaced with new ones and the canteen walls received a new paint job.

Round ceramic dining tables also replaced the former rectangular ones.

Lim Jia Ming, 23, a third-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering student said: “It is definitely cleaner and the canteen is less humid than before, perhaps because new air-conditioners were installed.”

With the newer and cleaner facilities, rent has also increased for stall holders, resulting in a rise in the food prices.

Mr Chen Jian Fu, 26, an assis-

tant at the Ayam Penyet stall said rental costs increased by “some 70 per cent”.

He said: “We had to raise the price of the steamed chicken set by $0.40 (from $3.40 to $3.80) so that the business can survive.”

Despite the higher price for the ayam penyet set, Muslim students welcomed the reopening of the stall.

Siti Munirah Maria, 20, a second-year student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) said: "Before Canteen 2 was reopened, I had to eat at Canteen 1 all the time as the other canteens were too far."

“At least now there is another option for Halal food," she added.

Meanwhile, Western food prices now are about $0.50 higher, while beverages cost $0.20 more on average.

Patrons the Nanyang Chronicle spoke to did not take too well to these increases.

Vivience Loh, 22, a third-year student from HSS, said: “I frequent Canteen 2 a lot, so paying higher

prices for food every other day will mean a significant increase in my expenses.”

Some students missed the food of former vendors selling yong tau foo, chicken rice and soya beancurd.

Rachel Tan, 22, a second-year student from HSS, said: “The yong tau foo sold by the previous auntie was the only thing I liked from Canteen 2.

“But now that it is gone, I will not visit the canteen anymore.”

Despite the price hikes, some will still patronise Canteen 2 because of the convenience it offers.

Timothy Wong, 21, who stays in Hall 2, said he was willing to fork out more money than “take the hike up” to Canteen A for food.

“I take the higher prices as paying for the convenience," he said.

Check out what others have to say about the reopening of Canteen 2 on video at www.youtube.com/ChronNTU

FACELIFT: Canteen 2 opened its doors after a two-month renovation.

PHOTOS: LIM MU YAO

Lifestyle foodsnoop

EVER GOLD

From customised cuppas to crispy char siew sous, Everton Park’s eclectic vibe is slowly charming the hearts and stomachs of Singaporeans. Chandel Lim uncovers the neighbourhood's treats.

I

T may be one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates, but sleepy Everton Park is getting a reawakening of sorts — thanks to a slew of dining joints sprouting up in the estate.

Residents in and around Everton Park have warmed up to the changes, with many also welcoming the increased human traffic.

Isabelle Chong, 22, a final-year student from the School of Computer Engineering who resides near Everton Park said: “The F&B scene in this area has definitely gotten livelier recently.”

The estate is nestled in southern Singapore and is a five-minute walk from Outram Park MRT station.

“Now when my friends want to meet up, they prefer to meet in my area,” Chong added.

Loh Si Jia, 22, an Everton Park resident and student at National University of Singapore, welcomes the increase in human traffic as it “signals good news for her dad who owns an optical shop in the estate”.

She attributes it to the “novelty of having cafes at void decks”.

Everton Park presents a delicate balance between tradition and modernity, housing not only westernised cafes but also eateries serving simple home-cooked food.

The estate's layout may pose a stumbling block for the geographically-challenged, but that is also where its charm lies — in surprises that abound at every corner.

WHERE TO FIND THEM BATTERWORKS Blk 4 Everton Park, #01-42 S080004 Tel: 6438 2208

Opening hours: Mon & Wed-Fri: 9am7pm Sat: 9am-6pm Sun: 11am-6pm

JUST WANT COFFEE Blk 1 Everton Park, #01-27 S081001 Tel: 6225 8115

Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 8.30pm6:30pm Fri & Sat: 9am-9pm

WALNUT TREE Blk 2 Everton Park, #01-55 S081002 Tel: 62220502 or 81802462

Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 11am-6pm Sat: 11am-5pm

PHOTOS: COLLIN WANG, MATTHIAS HO & CHANDEL LIM

Just Want Coffee Batterworks THE first thing that greets you when you enter Batterworks is a distinct buttery aroma wafting through the air.

The cafe is the brainchild of motherdaughter pair Ms Doris Chia, 53, and Ms Jacquelyn Chen, 23. While Ms Chia helms the kitchen as Head Chef, Ms Chen is in charge of the cupcakes.

Wanting to experiment with a small shop front, they scouted several neighbourhoods before settling in Everton Park due to its lower rent as compared to that of shopping malls.

Coincidentally, Batterworks is right beside Nylon Coffee Roasters cafe, offering patrons the convenience of enjoying their pastries while sipping coffee in the courtyard.

Batterworks serves both Western and Chinese pastries, and savoury mains. The star of the cafe is the baked barbecued pork puff pastry ($0.95 each, $5.50 for six), known more commonly in Cantonese as char siew sou.

Shaped l i ke a m i n i stea med bu n , Bat ter work s’ char siew sou pastr y is conveniently bite-sized. The skin is buttery and flaky, without being overly crumbly.

Unlike some over-baked char siew sous with charred skins and dry fillings, Batterworks’ creation is golden-yellow and the barbecued pork filling is moist and savoury, with hints of sweetness from the barbecue marinade.

The menu has recently expanded beyond just snacks to include mains such as stout chicken pie, lamb stew, as well as wraps.

CUSTOMISATION is king at Just Want Coffee — customers can choose the type of beans, coffee art, and even the method of brewing at this cafe.

Yes, this is a cafe for diehard coffee aficionados.

“We want to bring specialty coffee to the masses and encourage consumers to explore different methods of coffee brewing,” said cafe manager Shaun Chua, 25, who has been with the cafe since it opened last December.

Customers can first select beans from countries like Brazil, Colombia, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia’s Liberica coffee plants, which are freshly ground in-house. Then, you can choose your preferred brewing method, which affects the strength of the brew.

For instance, the V60 paper filter drip and cloth filter drip methods involve pouring hot water over roasted and ground coffee beans contained in a filter.

The former produces coffee with a lighter body, while the latter gives a medium body.

For those who dislike the strong acidity of coffee, the cafe also serves flavoured lattes that are sweeter, which are made from the recommended blend-of-the-day.

With over 30 combinations of coffee available, ranging from f lavoured lattes to handmade brews and ice-drip coffees, coffeeholics are spoilt for choice.

Moreover, the friendly baristas also make the experience rewarding by sharing a tip or two to patrons who want to know more about their coffee.

The cafe also serves sweets and savouries, including mille crepe, tiramisu and sandwiches — a perfect pairing with your cuppa.

Walnut Tree FIVE years ago, a South Korean restaurant owner, who wishes to be known only as “Mdm Hong”, left her hometown of Busan in South Korea to take care of her two daughters studying here.

Taking action to her yearning for food from home, she set up Walnut Tree to fix the food cravings of fellow Koreans and pique the curiosity of adventurous Singaporeans.

She is a veteran of Korean cuisine, specialising in yeong yang chal ddeok — a Korean handmade rice cake snack.

These steamed sweet rice cakes come in four different colours — purple, yellow, green and white. Each is wrapped in plastic and displayed near the entrance of this humble eatery.

The base is made of black glutinous rice blended with a choice of either fresh pumpkin, sweet potato or asteraceae (a herb) and shaped into a cylindrical roll. Then, chestnuts, dried pumpkin and red beans are added to it.

These rice cakes are a hit with the healthconscious as they do not contain preservatives.

The texture is both chewy and crunchy, with a hint of sweetness.

Mr Kim, a Korean customer who was at the eatery to pick up a pre-ordered set of yeong yang chal ddeok, said: “I always order food from this place for home gatherings or when celebrating festive occasions.”

Walnut Tree primarily caters to takeaway orders, with limited seats for dine-in customers.

The menu offers standard South Korean fare: appetisers such as gimbap (seaweed rice roll) and tteokboki (spicy rice cakes), and mains such as kimchi fried rice and bulgogi deopbab (stir-fried beef with rice).

VOL. NO.

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LIFESTYLE 07

THE NANYANG

04 CHRONICLE

feature

Got makan, will travel

Just under an hour’s drive from NTU lies a food haven across the border. Nur Atiqah Suhaimi tracks three noteworthy places in neighbouring Johor Bahru that boast sumptuous snack treats.

Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre Taman Sri Tebrau 3 Jalan Keris 80500 Johor Bahru Johor, Malaysia

Opening hours:

Tue-Sun: 7am-10pm (opening hours vary across stalls) WITH its dingy and run-down exterior, it’s easy to give Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre a miss as it’s a far cry from the air-conditioned food courts of Singapore.

But the old hawker centre, which has over 40 years of history, houses some of the best stalls in Johor Bahru, and is run by owners who have been there since the place opened.

One such gem is Ngee Heng’s, which is found right at the entrance

of the hawker centre and known for its chwee kueh (steamed rice cakes).

The stall is named after its owner, Mr Sam Ngee Heng.

His bestselling chwee kueh, priced at RM3 (S$1.20), has a silky soft and springy texture.

Unlike the generic machinemade versions, his is handmade from scratch.

Besides chwee kueh, Ngee Heng’s sells chee cheong fun (rice noodle rolls) too.

Mr Aleve Lee, a Singaporean customer in his 50s, said: “I come here twice a week to buy breakfast for my family. Each chwee kueh is topped with a generous amount of peanut oil and chye poh (fried preserved radish)."

Mr Ngee Heng’s salty chwee kueh is a departure from the regular Singaporean version.

“My customers say the ones in Singapore have more sugar added,” he said.

To end your meal, wash it down with a cup of soybean milk or tea.

FRESH FROM THE STEAMER: Besides the all-time favourite chwee kueh, Mr Ngee Heng also offers other snacks such as yam cake and carrot cake.

PHOTOs: NUR ATIQAH SUHAIMI

Pisang Mawar Jalan Sungai Chat 80100 Johor Bahru Johor, Malaysia

Opening hours:

Mon-Sat: 11am-7pm

golden goodness: The flavours of the pisang goreng are best brought out when dipped in a spicy and savoury sauce called sambal kicap.

Larkin Bus Terminal & Wet Market Jalan Geruda 80350 Johor Bahru Johor, Malaysia

Opening hours:

Tue-Sun: 8am-4pm (opening hours vary across stalls) MAKE one final stop at stall MS21 on the third floor of the Larkin Bus Terminal & Wet Market for some piping hot apam balik (literally “turnover pancake").

Owner Fadir Mohd Yusof, 65, insists on making his apam balik (RM3) only upon orders so as to ensure their crispiness.

“You should eat it straightaway or it won’t taste nice,” he said.

True to his word, the shell of the apam balik, known more commonly by its Chinese dialect name min jiang kueh in Singapore, is firm and crunchy.

He does not scrimp on the red bean filling, which oozes out with every bite. The filling is sweet but not too overwhelming, and exudes a lovely fragrance.

Besides the bestselling red bean flavour, he also sells chocolate, peanut and sweet corn flavours.

“Each batch of filling takes four hours to cook and doesn’t contain any preservatives,” he said.

For more snacks, head down to stall KS10 on the first storey, which sells homemade kueh baulu (sponge cake, RM16 or 17 for 100 pieces, depending on the flavour.)

Unlike pisang goreng sold at other places, these have been welldrained and do not leave an oily aftertaste.

Each pisang goreng is evenly coated in a crispy batter that easily breaks open to reveal the soft and sweet banana.

frying batch after batch of bananas.

Thus, the pisang goreng are usually served piping hot.

“I come here once a week for the pisang goreng because they’re crispier and sweeter than the ones sold in Singapore,” said technician Khairul Anwar, 26.

With such popularity, it is no surprise that stall owner Misah Ali, 52, often receives large orders for her pisang goreng — up to 175 pieces an order, the highest so far.

The stall, which is 15 minutes from the Johor Checkpoint by car, also sells other food items such as tauhu sumbat (fried tofu stuffed with cucumbers and bean sprouts).

Mrs Misah hopes to set up a stall in Singapore in the future.

But until then, avoid the peak hours at Pisang Mawar between 4pm to 7pm.

DESPITE its location on a bustling, dusty road, this pisang goreng (banana fritters) stall counts famous personalities like football legend Fandi Ahmad and the Sultan of Johor as regular customers.

And it's not difficult to see why.

Each pisang goreng (five for RM2) is evenly coated in a crispy batter that easily breaks open to reveal the soft and sweet banana.

In fact, these banana fritters are sold out so quickly that employees are on their feet most of the day,

Owner Mahanoum Abdul Rahman, who is in her 40s, sells seven flavours of kueh baulu.

Customers like Singaporean Faridah Said, 37, who bought six tubs of kueh baulu, are hence spoilt for choice. “I’m buying a lot back because I can get only the original and pandan flavours in Singapore,” she said.

Mrs Mahanoum’s most popular flavour is durian. Each bite-sized cake packs a punch with the distinct yet intense flavours.

Light and airy, the kueh baulu tastes guilt-free — one can easily down 10 at once, regardless of the flavour.

She also sells other traditional Malaysian desserts such as kek lapis Sarawak (lapis layer cake, RM78) and kek kukus (steamed cake, RM10).

TAG TEAM: Owner Mr Mohd Yusof (left) and his son Mr Fadir (right) make their apam balik or "turnover pancakes" only when the customers order them to ensure their crispiness.

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halloween special Singapore zombie walk Date: 26 Oct Time: 7.30pm (Undead Festival: Back for Seconds Party) 9pm (Zombie Walk) Venue: The Cathay 2 Handy Road S229233 Attire: Zombie attire Cost: Free. But in return, participants are encouraged to donate food items to Food Bank Singapore.

Register at http://www.geekcrusade. com/singapore-zombie-walkregister/ LIKE a scene right out of popular TV series The Walking Dead, more than a hundred zombies rampaged the streets of Clarke Quay for the first time in Singapore last October, as part of Halloween festivities.

The zombie march was part of the Singapore edition of the Zombie Walk, which originated in Sacramento, California, in 2001.

It s concept i s si mple — participants have to dress up and behave like zombies throughout

the entire walking route.

Last year's 800-metre zombie walk started at Riverside Point, with the zombie horde winding their way through Clarke Quay before ending back at the same mall.

Marketing analyst Gillian Ang, 28, was inspired to bring the zombie walk to Singapore after witnessing a similar march at the San Diego Comic-Con, an annual science fiction and fantasy convent ion for com ic book s, mov ies, and other collectible merchandise.

Together with her boyfriend, Mr Nicholas Yong, 33, a freelance writer, Ms Ang organised the zombie walk as the Geek Crusades’ flagship event.

The Geek Crusades, founded by Mr Yong, is an online news site that shares the latest updates on movie and television adaptations of science fiction and fantasy novels and comics within the Asia-Pacific fan community.

Public response to last year’s zombie walk was positive, Mr Yong said. Passers-by were surprised and amused to see hordes of repulsive zombies in elaborate make-up trawling the streets — some even stopped to pose with them for pictures.

The theme of this year's walk is “Zombie Mall” and it will be held

HERE COMES THE BRIDE: Dress up as a zombie like this corpse bride, and spend a night scaring others.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GEEK CRUSADES

within The Cathay. Its inspiration is the 2004 horror film, Dawn of the Dead, which depicts a group of human survivors living in a shopping mall sur rounded by zombies.

The organisers of Zombie Walk

are also working with the Food Bank this year to collect food donations.

While this event is free-ofcharge and open to all, participants are strongly encouraged to donate at lea st t wo ca n ned or non-

perishable food items as a form of admission fee.

“We have always wanted to do something for the charity. Besides, the tagline for Food Bank is ‘Let the feeding begin’, which is very apt for our event,” said Mr Yong.

S'PORE scarefest Whether it's dressing up as zombies to scare people on the streets, or playing dodgeball while dressed as Batman, Singaporeans are getting more creative with celebrating Halloween. Chen Shusi finds out more.

HALLOWEEN DODGEBALL

WEST SIDE SCARE

Date: 25 Oct Time: 7-11pm Venue: Kovan Sports Centre 60 Hougang Street 21 S538738 Cost: $15 for those who dress up $17 for those who don't dress up $100 for a team of 6-8 pax dressed up Register at http://www.eventnook.com/ event/22experience-dodgeball by 24 Oct IM AGIN E Batman, Spiderman and Superman, running around drenched in perspiration, and battling it out — in a game of dodgeball.

This is exactly what happens during the Halloween Dodgeball Tournament. Clad in a variety of superhero and ghost costumes, participants wield imaginary super powers and duel one another in dodgeball matches.

wests the haunt Date: 2 Nov Time: 7pm till late Cost: $25 for normal registration; $20 for PASSION card holders; $20 per person for group sign-ups Register at http://weststhehaunt.8packs.com/

TERROR TEAM: Players gamely dressed up to compete in a game of Halloween Dodgeball last year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAS

Started in 2010, the tournament is a recreational competition where participants form teams of six to eight and play against other teams.

T he tou r na ment i s joi nt ly or ga n i s e d by t he Dodgeba l l Association of Singapore (DAS) and 22 Experience — an organisation t hat sha res u n ique act iv it ies happening in Singapore on its website and Facebook page on the 22nd of every month.

“Our event is just another way to celebrate Halloween aside from the usual pub crawl. It is a chance for us to introduce the sport to more

people in a fun and interesting way,” said Mr Emmanuel Tan, 35, the president of DAS. “The main draw of dodgeball is that anyone can play it, regardless of one’s size and height. Even if a person cannot catch or throw, he can always dodge as that is a natural instinct,” he added.

Organisers say the event has come a long way since the first tournament, to which participants turned up costumeless.

Since then, Mr Tan noted that “Si ngaporea n s a re gr adua l ly w a r m i n g u p to t he ide a of

YOU can now keep fit while celebrating Halloween — thanks to WESTs the HAUNT, a 5km Halloween-themed fun run happening for the first time on 2 Nov. Organised by the Boon Lay Community Centre Youth Executive Committee, the run will start at Chinese Garden and end at Boon Lay Community Centre. Surprises await the participants at ‘spook spots’ strategically placed throughout the run.

At the end point, a horror movie will be screened as an apt conclusion to the festivities.

Get $5 off when you enter the code '20#WTH' and register with your NTU e-mail — first 50 readers to do so will each win a Zouk entry pass

celebrating Halloween differently".

With a “Heroes versus Villains” theme last year, approximately 100 participants turned up in elaborate costumes and frightful makeup, turning the dodgeball cour t into a battleground for pirates, zombies and superheroes, including characters like Super

Mario and Superman.

Said Mr Neoh Yi Hui, 27, the vice-president of DAS: “Aside from minor issues like getting make-up in the eye, or an obscured vision from the costume masks, the fun of playing dodgeball in Halloween get-ups is in getting dirty and letting loose.”

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travelogue

RAISE YOUR MUGS

GOOD TIMES BREWING: Oktoberfest is the season for Germans to dress to the nines while engaging in merrymaking and attempting to down as much beer as possible.

The last week of September marks the start of beer guzzling and boisterous revelry for those in Germany. Ang Hui Xuan visits Paulaner Festzelt to fill herself with steins of beer, while witnessing the madness during the largest beer festival in the world.

C

aressing his chest, the well-endowed blonde flashed a sultry smile as she wrapped her hands around his arm, with an intense gaze not unlike that of a hungry predator.

“Come on, she wouldn’t know. It’s just one night of fun,” she urged.

With the apron of her dirndl (Bavarian traditional dress) tied with a bow knot at the left of her waist, she was clearly single, at least during Oktoberfest.

Moreover, the suffocatingly tight bodice that enhanced her bust, and her heartshaped lebkuchen (gingerbread cookie) necklace — typically given by an admirer — extended her invitation to a steamy night ahead.

The German man’s uncertainty was written on his forehead. Just when I thought he was sold, he blurted in a drunken stupor: “Nah she’s a good woman. I can’t let her down.”

I heaved a sigh of relief at this unexpected show of self-control in the middle of a seemingly unrestrained party at Munich’s Oktoberfest.

Famous for its pork knuckles and beer, Oktoberfest is an annual two-week affair of merrymaking and of course, beer chugging.

At 9pm, the night was still young, but Paulaner Festzelt — hailed as the best beer tent in Munich by some locals we met — was already fully packed.

Clad in dirndls and lederhosen (the male

Bavarian traditional costume) the partygoers grooved to loud folk tunes while standing on tables and benches, with mugs of beer in their hands.

There was a sense of unpretentious camaraderie, as friends and strangersturned-friends enthusiastically clinked their mugs, shouting “Prost!” (‘cheers’ in German) and egging one another to chug their drinks.

When I finally laid my eyes on the legendary Paulaner beer after a 10-minute wait, my first reaction was to gasp — the mug was as big as a human head.

But it should come as no surprise, for the Bavarian culture believes in hearty portions of food; one serving of Schweinehaxe (traditional roasted pork knuckles) can feed about three starving men.

We had a close shave when a drunken, obese man leapt off an empty bench and landed with a heavy thud, missing us by mere inches.

Although beer usually tastes offensive to me, Paulaner was love at first sip. Priced at €8.80 (S$15), the citrus-sweet beer had a slightly spicy aftertaste, which added zest to the smoothness. If not for the whopping 500 calories per mug, I would have gone for a second or third.

The six exclusive Oktoberfest breweries — Hacker Pschorr, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Spaten, Lowenbrau, and Augustiner — pride themselves in producing beers of intense malt flavours.

Brewed only within the city of Munich from traditional German barley malts, the authentic Oktoberfestbier is stored in

ice-filled caves or cellars for three to four months to achieve its mellow, earthy aroma.

The alcohol worked itself into our bodies just in time for an Oktoberfest dance that we learnt on the internet before attending the festival.

When the popular song Fliegerlied was played, the beer house immediately erupted into a flurry of happy cheers as everyone — young and old — readied themselves to dance.

When the song went “flieg, flieg, flieg”, we extended our arms to a planelike motion, and when it went “schwimm, schwimm, schwimm”, we made frantic freestyle strokes.

But such high-spiritedness would unsurprisingly lead to an outbreak of disruptive antics.

Incidents that require police interference

BOTTOMS UP: These beer mugs are only available during Oktoberfest and are equivalent to the size of a human head.

PHOTOs: ANG HUI XUAN

and medical aid are common at Oktoberfest, frequently committed by rash tourists eager for a boisterous experience.

We had a close shave when a drunken, obese man leapt off an empty bench and landed with a heavy thud, missing us by mere inches. Overly passionate European men also showered us with unwanted attention as we inevitably stood out, being the minority race amid the sea of Caucasians.

We picked up lost wallets, witnessed thefts, and had our fair share of ‘Merlion moments', all in one night.

While we didn’t do anything that caused us to come close to being thrown into jail, we did snitch a prized memento of an authentic Paulaner Festzelt mug, which is a tourist tradition at Oktoberfest.

Despite a hefty fine of €50 for those caught stealing mugs, it fed our craving for some mischief, and the mug was doubtlessly an ego-boosting loot.

The night of revelry ended as we weaved tipsily through the uninhibited crowd on the streets of Wiesn back to our accommodation located a few blocks away.

Determined to be adventurous during our week-long stint in Munich, we squeezed into caravans instead of a proper hostel, with neither blankets or a functioning heater despite the cold autumn weather.

Although we regretted our decision then as it resulted in freezing nights, I was proud to have stayed faithful to our resolution to attend Oktoberfest.

My first Oktoberfest experience had come to an end. As I left Munich the next day for London, I knew I would miss the wild shenanigans that only Oktoberfest can boast of — the boisterous dancing, malty beers, and lively company.

And of course, I still wonder if the busty blonde eventually landed herself a yielding prey.

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DAYS ARE GONE HAIM Pop/Rock

T

hree years ago, Danielle Haim decided she had to go home.

After a year of touring with Jenny Lewis of The Postal Service and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, the alternative rock musician felt out of touch with her craft because she wasn’t making music with her sisters, Este and Alana.

W hen she returned to San Fernando Valley, California, the three sisters reunited and HAIM was formed.

But that wasn’t where their story started — in the 90s, the trio were in a classic rock cover band with their parents, at a time when 90s R&B dominated the radio.

Perhaps in homage to that, HAIM fuses 90s R&B with classic rock in their debut album Days Are Gone, which explains the heavy percussion beats and synthetic bass enveloping their punctuating vocals — similar to Michael Jackson’s Beat It. The result is an album ďŹ lled with dance-inducing tracks, and this is evident immediately with Falling. “I give a little into the moment like I’m standing at the edge,â€? sings Danielle, cajoling listeners to let loose and relinquish their spirit to

WE ARE FAMILY: (From left) Sisters Este Haim, Danielle Haim and Alana Haim have been playing in a band with their parents since they were young. Days Are Gone fuses 90s R&B with classic rock, which translates into tracks perfect for dancing.

PHOTOS: INTERNET

dance, to become “a slave to the sound�.

Having performed together since young, their musical synergy has resulted in palpable outcomes in Days Are Gone.

For one, the most prominent characteristic of the album is its heavy reliance on vocals to drive the rhythm. Like 80s pop-rock, the vocal element forms the backbone of every track.

There is also a reďŹ ned maturity in HAIM’s eclectic sound. While

seemingly percussion-heavy at ďŹ rst, the album can be described as a mix of soft rock and contemporary electro-pop — making it ideal to dance to.

Think Fleetwood Mac with an 80s Madonna (in a deeper register) helming the vocals, crossed with an electronica set-up as lively but far less elaborate than Passion Pit. With electronica presently dominating the alternative airwaves, HAIM has paved a way for themselves in navigating the

labyrinthine genre.

They impeccably arrange tracks of dynamic synth beats with unconventional uses of conventional instruments, like in Honey & I. The song channels alternative bands Phoenix and Vampire Weekend with its percussive interjections (“ah, ah, yeah/ my, my, my honey and I�) and an unexpectedly harmonious use of electric and acoustic guitars.

On ďŹ rst listen, the album may seem deceptively current, with its

BAD BLOOD Bastille Alternative

BASTILLE DAY: (From left) Kyle Simmons, Chris “Woody� Wood, Daniel Smith and Will Farquarson formed Bastille when frontman Smith realised he didn’t enjoy the limelight.

BASTILLE Day, also known as the French National Day, falls on the same day as Bastille frontman Dan Smith’s birthday on 14 Jul. But the four-man band isn’t all about Smith.

Smith, who has stated his discomfort with the attention after the success of their hit single Pompeii, started a band only because he was uncomfortable performing solo.

Fortunately, his shyness — a rather unusual trait for a frontman of a band — is hardly apparent in the band’s debut album Bad Blood.

Though Bad Blood is largely synth-driven and doesn’t feature guitars, Bastille has been compared to its alternative peers, particularly as the next Mumford & Sons sans banjos.

In t he apoca ly pse-t hemed Pompeii, Smith growls the line menacingly: “Grey clouds roll over

tracks are littered with electronica inuences.

But HAIM stays true to their rock roots with The Wire and Don’t Save Me, letting the organic quality of a traditional rock band set shine through.

The Wire melds funk rock sounds from electric guitars with synthetic drum claps that are typically found in R&B dance hits — an unlikely combination of sounds that actually works.

Si m i la rly, u nder neat h t he heav y, atmospher ic sy nthetic chords of Don’t Save Me, an 80s classic rock smoothness rolls in to buffer the rhythm.

As mature as the band’s sound is, though, the lyrics often pine for lost loves and failed romances.

The at-times cheesy songwriting reduces HAIM into a trio of teenage girls whining about their bad luck in love, like in Let Me Go: “You know I’m nothing without your love, no�.

The band’s identit y is best showcased in closing track Running If You Call My Name.

Smooth vocals supplement an amalgamation of electronic synth beats, classic rock guitar and harmonised background vocals, clearly displaying their instrumental prowess.

T he song epitom ises what HAIM essentially does: contrasting different inuences and turning them into magic. For listeners who love dancing in any space and at any time, this album is for you.

-RUSSELL CHAN the hills/ Bringing darkness from above�.

As the songwriter of the band, Smith avoids pouring his private feelings into song.

Instead, the 25-year-old prefers to approach songs as stories, “existing in their own world�.

Indeed, it seems like Bastille does best in dramatic, atmospheric songs like in Pompeii and Icarus.

Icarus, which begins with ominous humming, is based on the Greek mythology about the consequence of over-ambition.

The band’s inspiration from cultural references even extends to David Lynch’s ďŹ lms, with Laura Palmer.

However, the synth-driven band misses the mark at some points of the album.

T his is the case for Laura Palmer, which lyrics aren’t as exciting for a song about Lynch’s psychological thriller: “This is your heart/ Can you feel it? Can you feel it?/ Pumps through your veins�.

The conservative lyrics might protect Smith’s privacy, but this is a missed opportunity for Bastille to take on a personality, especially on their debut album.

-CHARMAINE NG

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SHE may have been likened to Mariah Carey, but Ariana Grande is far from being a mere mirror image of the ďŹ ve-time Grammy winner.

Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut album, Yours Truly, is ďŹ lled with breathy vocal runs and whistle tones like Careyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and the song arrangements are a throwback to a time when the likes of Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men and Destinyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Child ruled the airwaves â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the music style Carey is famed for.

But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where their similarities end.

W h i le Ca r e y i s mu sica l ly rooted in soul, Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yours Truly incorporates hip-hop beats and pop progressions typical of 90s R&B. The 20-year-old may not possess the acclaimed divaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocal strength and conviction, but her four-octave mezzo-soprano pipes still impress.

There are obvious inďŹ&#x201A;uences from Carey in Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s singing style, and she cleverly plays these to her strengths.

In Baby I, Grande ďŹ&#x201A;aunts her technique in whistle tones, a signa-

A YOUNG CAREY?: Ariana Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocal talent has led to comparisons to the diva songstress Mariah Carey. Grande has stated that the comparisons are a great compliment as Carey is one of her biggest inďŹ&#x201A;uences.

PHOTOS: INTERNET

ture of Careyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s singing; in Tattooed Heart, her vocal runs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; similar to that of Careyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are accompanied by doo-wop harmonies as she croons: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanna say weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going steady/ Like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1954â&#x20AC;?.

As an ex-Broadway performer,

Grande knows how to deliver emotionally, and never once does she replicate lines for the sake of doing so.

Instead, she tackles each line differently to convey nuances of emotion as the song progresses.

She does this best in Almost Is Never Enough where she duets with her boyfriend Nathan Sykes from pop group The Wanted.

In fact, her sentimental interpretation outshines that of Sykes, whose nasal tone is jarring on

the ears as compared to Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soothing voice.

Though her voice is best-suited for sombre ballads, Grande proves she can have fun too in Piano and The Way, both energetic songs that feature bouncy piano rhythms, claps and hip-hop percussions.

Grande may succeed in bringing backing the nostalgic R&B genre, but the retro beats may alienate younger listeners used to modern pop sound a la Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where Popular Song and Better Left Unsaid come in.

While the rest of Yours Truly showcase Grandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mature timbre and voice control through oldschool R&B ballads, those two songs are awkward closers to the otherwise consistent album with their modern pop arrangements.

Nevertheless, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a relief that Grande has moved away from the bubblegum pop sounds of her debut single Put Your Hearts Up, to 90s and 00s R&B for the bulk of her album.

The single failed to do justice to her talent, and thankfully, wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t included in the album after she told her label she hated the song.

Indeed, Grande has big shoes to ďŹ ll after being compared to a singer as proliďŹ c as Mariah Carey, but Yours Truly is a striking debut from a teen star who isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just faking it to make it.

-CHARMAINE NG

PURE HEROINE Lorde Electropop

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD Ella YelichOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, better known by her stage name Lorde, has rufďŹ&#x201A;ed many feathers recently despite being new to the music scene.

She publicly dissed Selena Gomezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single Come And Get It for the way it portrays women.

Then, she received ďŹ&#x201A;ak for sounding â&#x20AC;&#x153;too racistâ&#x20AC;? in her debut single Royals.

The New Zealander, however, is unabashed and deďŹ nitely unapologetic about all these.

This nonchalance translates into her music well, as Pure Heroine defies pop conventions with its minimalist electro arrangements, focusing instead on her voice (or â&#x20AC;&#x153;vocal-scapeâ&#x20AC;?, as she calls it).

This is most evident in Royals, which incorporates mainly finger snaps and synth bass sounds against multiple tracks of her voice in chorus.

Lorde sings on the track about opulence and how she will â&#x20AC;&#x153;never be royalâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a theme also present in her second single, Tennis Court.

Lorde, who wrote all the lyrics on Pure Heroine, makes an open promise that â&#x20AC;&#x153;theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never own meâ&#x20AC;? in Tennis Court, referring to the material beneďŹ ts sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gained since her entry to the charts and how she will not let them control her.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all part of her charm â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not many artists are as relatable as a 16-year-old singing about how av-

YOUNG AND BOLD: Lorde angered fans of Selena Gomez after expressing disdain for the way the teenage popstarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single Come And Get It portrays women. The New Zealander has called herself a feminist and is not afraid to be honest about what she thinks.

erage she is. For example, in Royals, she confesses: â&#x20AC;&#x153;And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not proud of my address/ In a torn-up town, no postcode envyâ&#x20AC;?.

At some moments, Lordeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lowpitched singing, which is most prevalent in Glory And Gore, is reminiscent of the melodramatic Lana Del Reyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

The songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reference to royalty and blood paints a dark, cut-throat picture of the cost of fame: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Glory and gore go hand in hand/ Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making headlinesâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a revealing level of maturity for a songwriter whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still in school.

Nearing the end of Pure Heroine though, Lordeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obsession with dis-

cussing her fame in song becomes excessively self-indulgent. On Still Sane, she clings onto the topic of her newfound fame and laments: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still like hotels/ But I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll changeâ&#x20AC;?.

Nevertheless, Lordeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acute observations of the world around her and fearless honesty in voicing

her opinions publicly provide an unusual peek into the mind of an emerging artist whose maturity is well beyond her age.

It is deďŹ nitely a welcome perspective of an industry mostly made up of perfectly packaged humans worshipped like royalty.

-CHARMAINE NG

16-17 SHOWCASE

PAWER RANGERS

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SE A of luminous yellow e yes watc hed her e ver y move as she approached them cautiously. They knew she had t he food t he y c r ave d for desperately, but ba rked at t he large, silhouetted figure ambling through the thick vegetation.

The human took a small step, closing in on the growling pack of appr e he n si ve dog s . A s t he smell of food f illed the air, the volley of barks slowly died down.

Help was here.

The hungr y dogs now eagerly gobbled the feed, as the human slowly stepped aside.

Tr ic k les of s weat seeped i nto t he op e n wou nd s at he r gr a zed a n k les, a testa ment to the diff icult y in rounding up the pack of dogs, especially in the darkness of the evening.

Such encounters are all in a dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work for Yap Dai Lin, 21.

She volu nte e r s we e k ly at t he Oa s i s S e c ond C h a nc e A n i m a l Shelter.

It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy for the f inalyear student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and I nfor mat ion ( W K WSCI) to convince her parents that she had to enter a forested area in Pasir Ris to round up a pack of stray dogs that evening.

But Yap believed in what she d id and pushed on because to the mongrels, she was their best chance for sur vival â&#x20AC;&#x201D; many of them will be culled by the AgriFood & Veterinar y Authorit y of Singapore to control the rapidly

increasing stray dog population in the area.

She still faces much objection from her parents when it comes to such expeditions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My pa rent s t h i n k it is a we e ke nd lo s t . A lot of yout h volunteer s a re act ua l ly facing t hat ( pa r e nta l d i scon se nt) . I n fact, my parents actually prefer me to just go out with friends,â&#x20AC;? she said.

But that has not stopped her f rom ta k i ng ca r e of t he st r ay canines. To her, the raucous dogs are equally deser ving of the love that she would have given to any other pet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The strays in Singapore are ver y n ice a nd do not at tac k people if unprovoked. In the rare event that they do attack, it is only to protect themselves,â&#x20AC;? she said.

A nd Yap is not alone in her dedication to helping animals.

Roy Pek, 22, a second-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineer ing, volunteers frequently with Hope Dog Rescue, an animal fostering initiative.

According to Pek, many dogs suffer from bad skin conditions a nd wea k joi nt s a f ter bei ng abandoned. This is because many of them lack the abilit y to fend for themselves in the wild. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is devastat ing to see helpless animals str uggling to su r v ive, but we w i l l ca r r y on f ighting, if they want to fight,â&#x20AC;? he said.

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(Clockwise From Top Right) CANINE BUDDIES: Yap Dai Ling, 21, spends her weekends at the Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter with her canine friends. She manages the volunteer group at the shelter and takes care of the welfare of the animals — by bathing them, washing their cages, and bringing them out for walks.

KITTY CARETAKER: Rescued cats Carrot and Wookie are cared for by Joey Ang, 22, a final-year student from the Sport Science and Management programme. Carrot (orange cat) has an amputated limb due to an infection, while the one-eyed Wookie is still recovering from surgery after being found abandoned in a drain in July.

RABBIT RESCUER: Assistant Professor Liew Kai Khiun, 40, from WKWSCI prides himself on giving the best to his rabbits through companionship and interaction.

He spends his free time on animal rescue initiatives — such as rounding up animals from poor living conditions. He once saved 10 rabbits in a day with a group of fellow volunteers.

PUPPY LOVE: Roy Pek, 22, transports stray dogs around to help them find new homes, at his own expense. Pek also takes pictures of the strays and uploads them on social media to help the dogs get adopted sooner.

Find out more about animal volunteer work from these animal welfare groups: Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter: http://oasis2ndchance.blogspot.com/ HOPE Dog Rescue: http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.com/ SPCA Singapore: http://www.spca.org.sg/ ACRES Singapore: http://www.acres.org.sg/

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20

CHRONICLE 04

Bad Romance “ ‘Cause you’re a criminal as long as you’re mine ”

Dress up in these gorgeous vintage Victorian dresses and get ready to steal some hearts this fall.

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台湾乐团IO专访 —— 刊22页

新闻 《听见下雨的声音》电影讲座

剧组光临南大分享拍片心得 （左一起）方文山、韩雨洁、魏如昀以及柯有伦首次到南大宣传电影《听见下雨的声音》。

陈祎婷●报道

从

作词人荣升为导演的方 文山、演员柯有伦、韩 雨洁以及魏如昀来新宣传电影 《听见下雨的声音》，现身南 洋理工大学与近两百名学生畅 谈新片的拍摄过程和心情。除 了透露更多有关电影的详情之 外，他们与观众互动，让同学 们亲睹艺人幽默风趣的一面。

学生对电影制作的好奇 学生得知偶像艺人要光临校 园，为了要占到好位子有人特 意提早一个小时前来排队。当 剧组出场时，观众也以热烈的 掌声回应。

现场也开放观众提问，而 方文山被问到拍摄电影所遇到 的难处时，他分享了韩雨洁和 周觅戏中雨天出车祸的场景。 由于拍摄期间天气极冷，当时 韩雨洁眼皮不停跳动、全身发 抖，表情完全无法控制。 在无法重拍的情况下，方导 只能依靠后制把她眼皮跳动的 部分一格接一格地剪接。电影 里出现仅仅两秒的画面却辛苦 地拍摄了两个多小时。 对于导演也非常热心地分享 拍摄技巧和构思，来自电机与 电子工程学院的大四生刘委印 象深刻。他说：“为了拍好一 两分钟的车祸戏，女演员在冬 天淋了两个小时的雨，最后都 是大家帮忙抬上车的。我觉得

他们在荧幕上面光鲜亮丽的背 后有很多不为人知的辛酸。” 方导也表示电影剧情不单 单拘泥于爱情以及乐团，片中 他也特别设置文化节比赛的情 节，邀请明星艺人客串演出， 包括BY2、李东学、怀秋等。 当主持人提问演员们最想 观众注意哪段情节时，在场的 同学纷纷抢答说激情戏，让这 场戏中的男主角柯有伦大吃一 惊，随即笑说赞同。 他坦言与徐若瑄的这场激情 戏已超越自己的极限，荧幕激 情的第一次就这样给了方导， 还透露自己差一点就全裸，顿 时激起学生充满期待的呼声， 后续他就不便多说，希望观众 能够自行到电影院观看。

自娱娱人笑翻全场 现场也有学生问了非常犀利 的问题：“戏外你最想约哪位 异性演员吃饭？” 魏如昀笑言 一定不会约同样是音乐人的柯 有伦，她会选择资深搞笑艺人 康康。韩雨洁则巧妙回答前辈 白云，逗得观众哈哈大笑。 她补充说：“我担心演得不 好会惹来观众不满，白云哥安 慰我说把网友当成往生的朋友 就没事了，让我心情大好，和 他一起吃饭一定大有收获。” 而柯有伦竟没有选择现场两 位美女演员，说想约年仅16岁 的童星徐娇，语未毕就引来一 阵哗然，主持人亏他重口味。 他表示身为大哥哥的他，照顾 妹妹请吃顿饭是应该的，贴心

摄影:林慕尧

的有伦获得了观众热烈欢呼。

学生极力捧场 魏如昀的粉丝自带了牌子， 为的就是吸引偶像注意。来自 材料科学与工程学院的大一生 周欣然也在讲座进行时现场画 出方文山的素描。当她亲手将 画献给方导时，其诚意与画工 让方导与其他演员赞叹不已。 徐若瑄因为当天有摄影活动 所以无法出席，而这也让许多 冲着看徐若瑄的粉丝们大失所 望，因此还有人现场自娱，借 位与海报当中的徐若瑄接吻。 来自计算机工程学院的大二 生赵子霄说：“徐若瑄没来， 我好失望。无缘跟真人拍照， 只好跟海报里的她合照了。”

VOL. NO.

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THE NANYANG

04 CHRONICLE

生活

疯狂巴士

追追

追

公共交通工具都有自己的粉丝团，知名的包括了爱车族、还有爱好飞机的一群人。然而你知道新加坡原来有一 群喜欢迷恋巴士的“巴士迷”吗？记者林俐仪近距离和他们了解是什么动力让他们这么喜欢这大型交通工具。

对

地参观。明年一月，他们将迎来20 多名 的香港巴士迷。旅游行程就包括了本地 以及马来西亚的巴士造厂。

他们来说，这不是一趟普通的路 程，而是回忆的长廊。巴士窗外 的风景只是过眼云烟，而摄影机里所捕 捉的巴士倩影才让三十三岁的林培坤和 二十六岁的苏满棠过目不忘。他们从小 就是个巴士迷，多年来除了照片，也收 集了很多与巴士相关的物品，例如巴士 模型，车资卡、路线指南等等，留下青 春与热血的印记。

未知的终点：现实的曲折

第一站：最初的梦想 从事项目经理的林培坤，现在已经是 三个孩子的爸爸。当谈到小时候的梦想 时，他坦诚：“以前小时候有想过要做 巴士司机，可是过后现实（状况）不允 许。” 虽然不能成为巴士司机，但他为 了拉近与梦想的距离，在大学时期考获 迷你巴士执照。 他说：“巴士是陪我长大的交通工 具。所以感情会比较深厚。”

第二站：爱情的见证 林培坤说，新加坡大约有一百多个巴 士迷。对于这个较小的群体，普遍大众 常常抱以异样的眼光来看待，而林培坤 的老婆曾经也是如此。 处于恋爱阶段时，林培坤会根据巴 士路程的时间来判断女友乘坐的巴士的 号码。相反的，只要知道巴士号码，也 能计算出巴士抵达的时间。他直言：“ 我老婆起初认识我的时候觉得我是一个 怪人。还会问'为什么你会知道这些东 西？’，但她最后也习惯了。”结婚 时，他们更租了一辆公共巴士把贵宾载

林培坤（中）除了和其他巴士迷一同追巴士拍照，也收集了巴士模型，车资卡等相 关物品。

摄影: 林建良 到喜宴会场，并在巴士前拍摄结婚照。

第三站：团结的力量 苏满棠认为和一群人追巴士是很不 同的感觉。例如，当其中一人刚巧发 现路上有特别的巴士，就会立刻通过 WhatsApp报告这辆巴士的行踪，他们也 会注意那些为了宣传特别活动所设计的 巴士，如空军展览以及青年奥运会。

在巴士迷的团体中，每个人还被分 配不同职务。林培坤是负责拍巴士的照 片，苏满棠则是研究巴士路线、行程表 以及巴士公司对资源的分配。除此之 外，也有人专门收集路线指南，甚至研 究巴士的零件。 新加坡巴士迷也不断的与海外的巴士 迷进行交流。从2002年开始，新加坡巴 士迷也积极地安排外国的巴士迷来到本

对林培坤来说，喜欢巴士不仅仅是一 个兴趣。他还有另一个梦想：把这个兴 趣发扬光大。 在2007年，他们就与其他巴士迷一起 撰写了唯一一本关于本地巴士的书籍。 他说：“其实我们有想过要怎么样保留 巴士文化，例如把废弃巴士改造成俱乐 部会所，但因新加坡土地管理制度的限 制，以及经费与保养的种种问题使这个 梦至今无法实现。” 除了实现梦想困难，巴士迷近日来 也受到舆论的攻击。原来为了捕捉到最 好的角度、阳光以及背景，巴士迷有时 侯必须紧追巴士。但根据报道，一些较 年轻的巴士迷为了与巴士合照，不顾安 全，冲到马路上。因此一些民众会把追 巴士视为一个不良的兴趣。对此，林培 坤表示：“那些人的举动基本上破坏我 们的名声，让有些人觉得我们都是一群 鲁莽的人。”

后记 回顾这趟巴士之旅，我发现我更了解 的不是巴士，而是人。巴士迷的狂热实 在远远超乎我的想象。在他们的言行举 止之间，我仿佛看见两个重回童年时光 的小男孩。他们年少梦想并没有被现实 所摧毁，反而升华至另一个境界，带给 他们无穷的快乐以及美好的回忆。

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THE NANYANG

VOL. NO.

20

CHRONICLE 04 娱乐

台湾乐团IO独家专访

到头来，和IO一起疯

音乐构想源于生活 IO的音乐构思全部出自于他 们的生活体验，团员也坦承从 音乐中绝对能够窥探他们各自 的内心世界。 新专辑的构想就来自于他 们回到亚洲后的经历，发现生 活和工作中有许多的规矩和束 缚。价值观的差异让他们开始 怀疑和思考人生，“是我们疯 了，还是世界疯了？”而最 终，他们选择坚持那个不顾一 切、热情的自己，鼓励大家乐 观地去面对每一天的生活，解 决每一个问题。

希望来新加坡校园演唱

台湾摇滚乐团IO分享疯狂经历，感受到本地歌迷的贴心，希望有机会来新加坡校园开唱。

王晓亚●报道

曾

两次入围台湾金曲奖最 佳乐团的IO带着他们第 二张专辑《到头来疯的难道是 我？》首次与狮城歌迷会面。 主唱Angus、吉他手Hans和 鼓手Cody是加拿大华裔青年，

也是童年玩伴，在2002年因音 乐放弃稳定的高薪工作，勇闯 台湾乐坛，与台湾贝斯手Sho成 立大家现在所认识的IO乐团。

最疯狂的经历 谈起自己曾做过最疯狂的事 情，四人不约而同认为加入IO 并踏入演艺圈就是再疯狂不过

的事了。 到台湾发展，最初是Cody 的提议，他认为疯狂就要趁年 轻，勇敢闯荡梦想，而不是作 怀揣摇滚梦的上班族。为了实 现这个梦想，Cody拼命减肥和 学华语，从最初八十几公斤， 瘦到回台湾时仅六十几公斤； 几乎不会讲华语的他，现在也

摄影: 王永胜 可以流利地用华语交谈。 团员们还互相爆料私密情 感经历。Cody就被揭露曾在高 中追求女生时做出疯狂举动。 当时他为了吸引心仪女生的注 意，曾在楼梯口背对着她脱裤 子。他说；“结果我果然引起 了那个女生的注意，不过后来 她更不理我了。”

谈到对新加坡的印象，Sho 以“各方面都很卓越”来形 容。Cody更是觉得新加坡是个 既有秩序又环保的城市。 歌迷的贴心也让IO有再来 本地办活动的动力。相较于售 票演唱会，他们更希望走进校 园。Angus说：“我们的表演 形式非常注重现场气氛，并不 喜欢在台上站得像个雕塑。跟 学生互动的感觉就是我们要 的。”比起单纯的表演，IO更 希望可以听到歌迷用掌声和欢 呼来表达对他们音乐的共鸣。 整个访谈过程中，IO的活泼 乐观和热情让人印象深刻。但 当问起对未来的期望时，Angus 突然严肃表示希望可以关心更 多的社会议题。”虽然没有提 及他们特别关注的社会议题， 但他的目标就是希望让IO的音 乐发挥更多影响力，鼓励大众 参加可以帮助别人的行动，为 这个世界做一点贡献。 此次的新专辑不再单纯摇 滚，也加入了抒情、俏皮等多 元素曲风，更强调了他们一直 热爱的电子音。IO希望可以因 此接触更广泛的听众群，从而 将他们的音乐理念传播出去。

《听见下雨的声音》 电影独家专访 陈祎婷●报道

电

影《听见下雨的声音》 （以下简称《听》）导 演方文山与主要演员柯有伦、 韩雨洁以及魏如昀接受了《南 苑》的独家专访。 电影结合中国传统文化与摇滚 乐，你在拍摄时是否有难度？ 方：我觉得没有难度，反而很 有新鲜感。我们把传统文化的 元素跟电影做结合，变成一场 比赛。比赛里有书法、传统乐 器等元素，加上摇滚乐，通常 不会有人做这样的连结。 私下的你跟阿伦性格相似吗？ 柯：我们的共通点就是都一样 喜欢音乐。不同的就是阿伦感

情比较丰富，我私底下比较内 敛。在戏里阿伦的告白大方而 且搞笑，我本身不像他那么开 放，不习惯那种表达方式。

的声音，就这样体验听不见的 感觉。因为她听不见，所以情 感不能用言语表达，我只能靠 着眼神去表达她内心的一切。

听说你的初恋发生在新加坡， 这段感情对你有何影响？ 柯：没错，所以新加坡是我的 第二个家，它给我一个很健康 的成长过程。现在我做很多事 情，比如在工作上，我就会带 入很多这里的特色。在这里碰 到的朋友，看到的东西，对我 的思想都有改变。吸收了新加 坡人比较开放的思想跟热情， 会让我跟其他人的想法不同。

你如何培养感情戏的情绪？ 韩：现实生活里我没有剧中那 种青涩的初恋，所以我就带着 高中暗恋学长时那种羞涩和充 满等待的心态去揣摩角色的感 情。当然还必须加入想象力与 联想力去饰演感情戏。

你所饰演的小婕有听觉障碍， 你如何揣摩这个角色？ 韩：我有跟听障协会的人做接 触。利用耳机和耳塞隔绝外面

你是带着什么样的故事和情绪 演唱主题曲？ 魏：这首歌是在电影杀青后录 制，而且歌词跟电影情节很有 关联，所以演唱时回想拍戏过 程以及电影的情节，就足以让 我完全投入。而且方导演词写 得好，周杰伦的曲又动人，光

《听》主创人员与本报记者分享拍片心得。 听曲子就很有感觉，很感动， 自然地培养了我的情绪。 可以分享你的初恋经验吗？ 魏：那个男生本来是要追我姐 姐的，结果没追到。某天他

摄影: 林慕尧

打电话来听见我的声音，觉得 我应该长得蛮可爱的，就追求 我了。不过那时我们才15、16 岁，不算正式的交往。 《听》已在本地上映。

Opinions EDITORIAL

frankly, my dear

THE QUESTION OF EDUCATION WHILE NTU’s meteoric rise in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education (THE) rankings is cause for celebration, the universit y should also relook the way she conducts education.

At the inaugural World Academic Summit held in NTU earlier this month, President Emeritus of the California Institute of Technology JeanLou Chameau spoke of the importance of putting research into “useless” things.

However, the idea of “useless knowledge” is paradoxical, particularly in the context of a university.

A u n iver sit y ac t s as a guardian of knowledge. But, even as N T U’s cur r iculum e v ol v e s t o w a r d s a m or e broad-based learning, it has limited the pursuit of “useless knowledge” for students from certain faculties.

This is contrary to what was stated in the Blue Ribbon Commission, which mandated 30 - 45 per cent of curriculum to be devoted to subjects outside of a student’s core discipline.

For example, courses such Introduction to Performance and Theatre Sk ills offered by the National Institute of Education are not available as an unrestricted elective to Engineering and Science students.

Similarly, Introduction to Computing Systems is not available to students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

B y e xc l u d i n g c e r t a i n students from these i nt roduc tor y cou r ses , it runs counter to the vision, outlined in the Commission, of st udent s bei ng able to “d e s i g n a c u r r i c u l u m according to their interests and strengths”.

The recent revamp of the Satisfactor y/Unsatisfactor y (S/U) grading option was an example of this.

Undergraduates claim that despite the extension in time to convert a graded module to an ungraded one, it does not free them to explore other areas with less worry.

The S/U option is thus seen as a tool to aid their grade point average (GPA).

Fundamentally, it belies a widespread belief that a high GPA is the most imporatnt i nd icator of a u n ive r sit y educat ion — ‘useless’ knowledge that is irrelevant to this goal is deemed secondary.

And if this is the backbone which our rise in rankings are based on, it might be time to return to the roots of education — one that is simply driven by our curiosity, and perhaps, the pursuit of ‘useless’ knowledge.

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE chief editor Wong Pei Ting

opinionS editor Andrew Toh

Managing editor Wan Zhong Hao

Chinese editors Hong Yuan Liu Ting Ting

sub-editors Alfred Chua Eunice Toh Fiona Lam Han Hui Jing Lim Yufan Steffi Koh Tiffany Goh DIGITAL EDITOR Benjamin Lim COMMUNITY EDITOR Matthew Ng News editors Cynthia Choo Isaac Tan

sports editors David Lam Nazri Eddy Razali photo editors Lim Mu Yao Yeo Kai Wen VIDEO PRODUCERS Miranda Yeo Sim Yu Ling INFOGRAPHIC EDITOR Jonathan Chan

The sanctuary of sisterhood

Nicole Tan

Lifestyle Editor

I

’ve lost count of the number of times a friend has told me to sit properly and “close my coffee shop”.

And I can’t be sure of the number of occasions I’ve heard friends go, “Can you be more like a girl?” when I’m laughing a little too loudly.

Before you form an impression of me as an uncouth and boorish female, I assure you that I’m not.

Ironically, I attribute these mannerisms to my 10 years of primary and secondary education in all-girls schools.

But don’t get me wrong — I’m not trying to say that all-girls schools taught us to be lesst han-demure and un ladyli ke women. Instead, what they did provide was a school environment free from judgment and self-consciousness.

Perhaps it came from little things like changing clothes in class instead of the toilets. We could make any part of the classroom furniture double as a makeshift changing room, and it didn’t even matter that there were male teachers around school.

Or it could be the fact that we were so open about our uniquely female experience, also known as ‘that-time-of-the-month’. If you needed a sanitary pad, all you had to do was holler, and someone would casually toss you one from across the classroom.

Because there were no boys, it meant there was no constant pressure to practise undue modesty.

Each “Eh, you sit like a guy leh” was always met with a “I’m wearing shorts underneath what!” — as if that justified our unfeminine ways of sitting.

You could walk around confidently rocking that bad haircut, and not be bothered about that angry, monster zit on your face.

Because there were no boys, it meant there was no constant pressure to practise undue modesty.

We’d just laugh it all off, because there was no tendency to be self-conscious in front of the opposite sex.

It’s basically like being at home, where no one judges you for how you look, the way you carry yourself, or the things you do.

And during those ugly and awkward teenage days, a culture like that was much needed.

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Signed opinion columns, letters and editorial cartoons represent the opinion of the writer or artist and are not necessarily those of The Chronicle.

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A column by Chronicle Editors on issues close to their hearts

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GRAPHIC: OcTAVIANI Isabella

Who you are when no one is watching can reveal the person you truly are. Looking back, it was during moments like these where I discovered a little bit more about myself.

So in the growing up years, which were all about self-discovery and maturing, it helped that I spent those 10 years in an all-girls school environment.

There, every day made me feel like I was at home, with schoolmates who felt like family — friends who showed me the same kind of love and acceptance that my own family members would.

I never stopped to appreciate these things until I moved on to junior college and universit y, when I had to get used to seeing boys around campus.

Coupled with the subconscious knowledge that we girls had to mature into ladies with time, I started feeling the need to carry myself well at all times.

Indeed, as we get older, the pressure to keep up with appearances and exhibit the appropriate behaviour kicks in.

And as we shed our school uniforms, we also say goodbye to the days where we didn’t have to put any thought into our outfits every day.

The reality is that we cannot keep the mindset that we can continue to act unladylike, and think that society is always going to be as warm and accepting as the social environment we grew so used to in an all-girls school.

In a world where first impressions count, and employers factor in t he appearances of their potential employees before deciding to hire them, we have to learn to adapt, be more aware, and match up to the real world’s expectations of us.

As life catches up with me, I’m just glad I have those fond m e m o r i e s of s i m p l e r t i m e s and happier days to look back upon.

They say old habits die hard, and perhaps they really do. Years down the road, when I’m tottering to the office in my killer high heels and stiff work clothes, I’ll still feel better wearing a pair of shorts underneath my skirt.

24-25 OPINIONS conversations with...

Following the inaugural World Academic Summit held in NTU two weeks ago, Opinions Editor Andrew Toh sits down with President Emeritus of California Institute of Technology Jean-Lou Chameau, just after the university’s third consecutive year at the top of the Times Higher Education university rankings, and hears his views on universities and the state of education today.

P

rofessor Jean-Lou Chameau is no st ranger when it comes to r unning world-class institutions.

In his extensive career as a n acade m ic , t he 63-yea rold has ser ved as provost of t h e G e or g i a I n s t i t u t e of Technolog y and later as president of the California Institute of Technolog y (Caltech) .

A s pr e s i d e n t of C a lt e c h , Prof Chameau cultivated a culture of excellence in research and learning in the institution that is the env y of universities around the world.

Unde r h i s watc h , Ca lte c h rose t h roug h t he r a n k s i n t he Times H igher Education (T H E ) Wor ld U n i v e r s i t y R a n k i n g s a nd h a s b e e n at t he top of t he c ha r t s for t he pa s t t h r e e yea r s .

After seven years at Caltech’s helm, Prof Chameau lef t in m id-2013 to head t he relatively new K ing Abdullah Un ive r sit y of Sc ie nce a nd Technolog y (K AUST) in Saudi A rabia as its second president.

also have to be able to apply the skills they learnt to meet local and international needs.

T hat, he sa id, is where faculties and students need to “t h i n k g loba l ly, a nd de l ive r both globally and locally”.

Prof Chameau also said universities need to take an active step i n c u lt ivat i ng c u r iosit y in areas deemed “useless” or impractical.

Of ten, the most signif icant r e sea r c h come s f r om pe ople who a r e d r iven not by t he utilit y of their work, but the w i l l i n g ne s s to s at i sf y t he i r curiosit y, he said.

He cited a 1939 ar ticle by A mer ica n educator Abr a ha m Flexner, titled The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge.

I n it , F le x ne r poi nte d to t he e xa mple of Ja me s C le r k Maxwell, whose groundbreaking research into electromagne t i sm , i n it ia l l y con side r e d abstract and impractical, was later applauded for being the s e c ond g r e at u n i f ic at ion of physics.

As president of Caltech, Prof Chameau cultivated a culture of excellence in research and learning in the institution that is the envy of universities around the world.

He was in N T U last week for the inaugural World Academic Summit, which brings together world leader s f rom univer sit ies, gover n ment a nd i ndu st r y to e x plor e t he r ole t hat world- c la s s u n ive r sit ie s ca n play in f uelling the knowledge economy.

The summit saw a range of topics being discussed — from the role that governments can play in suppor ting research, to how universities can respond in today’s global marketplace for higher education.

Po i n t i n g t o t h e u n p r e c e de nte d g r ow t h i n i nte r n at iona l col laborat ion bet ween researchers over the last few years, Prof Chameau spoke of the need for the “internationalisation” of universities, and greater par tnerships bet ween u n i ve r sit ie s ac r os s nat iona l borders.

“We’re in a world now where facult y and st udents — especially graduate students — are highly mobile and highly connected, and universities need to adjust to that,” he said. “ T h a t ’s a n i n t e r n a t i on a l DNA which I think is ver y attractive nowadays.”

At the same time, students

Si m i l a r to h ow M a x w e l l w a s d r i v e n b y h i s ow n c ur io s it y, P r of C h a me au s a id , universities today also shou ld not h i nde r r e sea r c he r s f rom pursuing t heir own interests.

He still look s back fond ly on his time in Caltech, spea ki ng of t he c u lt u r e of e xce llence in t he universit y, where “ t h e r e i s s om e t h i n g i n t h e a i r t here t hat i s d if f ic u lt to explain”.

Universities need to think globally, and deliver both locally and globally.

He in it ia l ly plan ned to complete his career at Caltech a nd r e t i r e i n Pa s ade na , but whe n t he oppor t u n it y ca me to head the research-intensive K AUST, t he f irst of its k ind in the Middle East, it was an offer he cou ld not ref use.

“It is always hard to leave.

It was hard to leave Georgia

Tech, and it was hard to leave Caltech.” “ B u t w h e n y ou h a v e t h e chance for a great under ta king in your life, I t hin k it is an oppor t unit y wor th tak ing,” he said.

What made you move from Caltech, one of the most established universities in the world, to the relatively new KAUST? In my life, I’ve been ver y fort u nate. I’ve spent my ent i r e career in the US. I lef t France when I was 22 and went to the US as a young man.

A nd then I spent 36 years in the US — as a graduate student, as a facult y member, as a researcher and as a position of leadership in academia. During my time, I was ver y for tunate t hat Ca ltech beca me nu mber one in the world.

I enjoyed that and I was able to contribute. Typically I would have kept doing that for a few more years and retire happy.

Howe ve r t he oppor t u n it y of K AUST came up, and to me, it was an oppor tunit y to create somet hing f rom t he star t, to mould something into a great universit y.

It is not of ten that you are asked to be par t of something t his impor tant in life. A nd I f ind that the vision and goals of t h e u n i v e r s i t y a r e t r u l y outstanding.

What are the challenges of running a new university?

T he c ha l lenge i n some ways is the same as any other universit y. W hen I am asked what ma kes Ca ltech great , t hey think the answer is simple. It is actually ver y complicated.

In order to be successf u l, you need to identif y, recr uit, m e ntor a nd s u p p or t g i f t e d , smar t facult y and students. It was a challenge at Caltech, and it will be a challenge at K AUST. At K AUST, t here is anot her c h a l le n ge , w h i c h i s t h a t i t i s ne w. A nd ove r t i me , you have to develop a cu lt ure of e xce l le nce , you have to de ve lop what w i l l be come t he K AUST cu lt ure. T he cu lt ures at Ca ltech a nd Georgia Tech were established over a hundred years.

So one thing that I believe is impor tant and in my goal as president for the next few years is to star t developing with the facu lt y, wit h t he communit y and staff, a K AUST culture of excellence.

It is different in that at the beg i n n i ng, you have to pay more attention to it.

What has KAUST done so far to build that culture?

I think an important characteristic is that we provide them with great facilities and also great support to do their work.

We tell them: you have to aim high. If you have those high goals and are trying to address important issues, we are willing

Going glob staying loc to provide you with the resources.

That’s what I think the facult y and t he scientists want.

They want to have great labs; they want to have the suppor t to car r y out their research.

A nother aspect that K AUST covered was to build an international DNA. We encouraged the facult y from day one to have par tners f r om d i f f e r e nt p a r t s of t h e world. Singapore did that too

in its own way by asking universities to come and create a progra m me here such as t he Yale-N US liberal ar ts college.

T he way K AUS T i s doi ng it is different. It is more of a group of fac u lt y ident if y i ng par tners in Stanford, Oxford, or Munich, and telling them: you develop the joint research activ it y and we w i ll prov ide the suppor t.

So this is to really encour-

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canteen talk or three years, and not 10 or 15 years.

Becau se I t h i n k af ter a while, you become par t of the system and you start believing that your culture is the best a nd t he on ly one. I be l ie ve there is a need for new blood and leadership renewal.

However, it is a f unction of the situation, and it is a f unction of the person too.

I have a ver y good friend, H e n r y Ya n g , C h a nc e l lor of University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been chancellor for around 18 years and is still extremely successful and doing great things for Santa Barbara.

So t here are extremes on bot h sides. T here are people who are presidents for 18 years, and there are those who are only presidents for a few weeks.

A s p r e si d e n t o f a n e s t a b lished university, is it more imp or ta nt to maintain the status quo than to introduce new developments?

On one ha nd , a place l i ke Caltech or Har vard, they are always going to be among the best because they have the culture and are attracting good people. So in a sense, there is a little bit of maintaining the status quo.

However, if you look at the way things were changing in the past, you cannot remain at the top if you don’t always find ways to be at the leading edge of science and technolog y.

Ca lte c h i s what it i s be cause it is ver y disciplined in always saying: we need to be in emerging areas.

If we f ind that, say, in an a r e a of r e s e a r c h , t he r e a r e doze n s , may be hu nd r e d s of universities doing similar research programmes, you star t to think maybe it must be ver y impor tant.

bal, cal

A university should know what its mission is and make sure it accomplishes that mission.

Photo: LIM MU YAO

age a deep connection between facult y and students from different places.

Was seven years enough for you as Caltech president to achieve what you wanted?

I think it is highly dependent on the situation and the person. I do believe if I had stayed on at Ca ltech , I wou ld have on ly stayed for anot her t wo

However, if there are so many good people doing it, we say, let’s slowly diversify from this and go into a new area where there’s little interest and we develop something important.

So tr ying to be always ahead of t he pac k i s what ma kes a great programme, so you can never stay in the status quo for too long. I could name cer tain universities in other places that had a higher reputation 20 or 30 years ago as compared to now.

How do universities adapt to the changing global climate?

Universities need to think globally, and deliver both locally and globally.

T he ne e d to be g loba l i s b e c au s e y ou n g p e o ple n ow a r e ve r y mobi le a nd h ig h ly con ne c te d . At t he sa me t i me you ne e d to de l i ve r loca l l y b e c au s e ov e r t i me you c a n ma ke t he cou nt r y mor e prospe r ou s , i mpr ove it s hea lt hca r e , a nd cont r i bute to t he e cos y s te m .

You cannot remain at the top if you don’t always find ways to be at the leading edge of science and technology.

I had an interesting experience a number of years ago at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. It was in the 90s and the strength of Georgia, and Atlanta especially, was booming. Many people were moving to the state and there was lots of industr y development going on.

I n G e o r g i a Te c h , b e i n g global was impor tant because the state allowed us to attract many inter nat iona l st udents to be educated as engi neer s at Georgia Tech. A nd the idea was to tr y to retain as many of them as possible, because there was a need in the economy for that workforce.

So i n a sen se, you t h i n k globally yet you still deliver loca l l y be cau s e you me e t a local need.

And the balance is not easy because universities and faculties tend to do what is most i nterest i ng to t hem. T hat i s great, but at the same time, the overall has to be good for the local situation.

Do you think tuition is necessary to do well in school?

I think self-study is more important because you can understand concepts much better that way.

Nicholas Kwan, 25, IEM, Yr 4

Even though I took tuition, I had friends who didn’t take it and still did as well as me.

Katherine Tan, 20, WKWSCI, Yr 2

If I didn’t have tuition, I wouldn’t be in this school right now.

Grace Ong, 22, HSS, Yr 4

University rankings have become a contentious issue. Do you think universities should place emphasis on rankings?

No, but they have no choice. A universit y should know what its mission is and make sure it accomplishes that mission.

Howe v e r, t he y h av e to pa y attention to the rankings because they are public: young people like to pay attention to them; families pay at tention to them; ever ybody pays attention to them.

I n Ca l i for n ia , you have ver y good schools like Caltech, Sta n for d a nd Be rke le y. It is great to have one Caltech, but it is made possible because there are also many other schools with different missions.

I a m wor r ied t hat we a re foc u si ng too much on a few elite u n iver sit ies a nd forgett i ng t hat t here a re t hou sa nd s of u n ive r sit ie s a nd col lege s w it h d if ferent tec h nolog y progra m mes, wh ich a re cr it ica l to t he wel l-bei ng of t he cou nt r y. So you have to ta ke t hose r a n k i ngs w it h a gr a i n of sa lt.

Everyone’s going for tuition. So you’ll be at a disadvantage if you don’t go.

Lee Kang Hui, 24, NBS, Yr 3

Maybe they’re just kiasu. They think they need extra classes to do well in school.

Tommy Quek, 24, SCE, Yr 3

PHOTOS: ERVIN THAM

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THE NANYANG

The Pope’s ambiguity

has not reacted much to Pope Francis’ remarks, nor has it announced any shif t in its stance towards homosexualit y.

I n 20 08, Fat her Ja mes Yeo, a Diocesan pr iest in St. A nne’s Church, spoke on behalf of Singapore’s A rchbishop Nicholas Ch ia, regarding t he Vatican’s urge for countr ies to decr iminalise homosexuals.

Jessica Sng

T

H E new message from the C at hol ic C hu r c h , u nde r t h e le a d e r s h i p of Po p e Fr a nc i s , h a s s ig na l le d wh at ma ny have sa id i s a r ad ica l change of approach from which solid refor ms might follow.

But is it truly different from t he Cat hol ic C hu r c h’s t r ad it iona l doc t r i ne on se x ua lit y issues?

Pope Francis stated that “we cannot insist only on issues related to abor tion, gay marriage and t he use of contraceptive met hods”. He conceded however, that he has not publicly discussed a great dea l about these issues.

R at he r, Pope Fr a nc i s’ r e marks simply take on a gentler tone t ha n h i s pr e de ce s sor ’s , Benedict X V I, who denounced the legitimacy of gay marriage in more forcef ul terms.

In a letter to Catholic bishops worldwide, Benedict X V I said that while having homose x ua l i nc l i nat ion s wa sn’t a sin, homosexual activit y was.

T his let ter echoes t he Vat ic a n’s C at e c h i s m , w h ic h

describes homosexualit y as a disorder.

Even so, t he Catech ism ma i nta i n s t hat homose x ua l s should be treated with “respect, compassion and sensitivity”, as having a homosexual orientation in itself is not a sin.

T his traditional sentiment does not differ much from what Pope Francis has been saying.

W hen asked directly if he approved of homosexuality, the Pope did not give a definite answer, and instead replied with another question: “W hen God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person? ” Fur ther, he states that it is not up to him to judge goodwilled homosexuals.

Such comments do not repr e s e nt a m a r k of de f i n it i v e change in the Church’s beliefs, but i n stead , a me r e sh i f t i n tone. But the media’s angle and emphasis on Pope Francis’ comments may give the impression that the Church will go through a signif icant change in views

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GRAPHIC: Octaviani isabella

of homosexuality, when in fact, not much has changed.

One New York Times ar ticle went so far as to describe Pope Fr a nc i s’ r e ma rk s a s se nding “shockwaves through the Roman Catholic church”.

B u t s hou ld Pop e F r a nc i s t hen retract his words about homosexualit y?

I do not think so. His call for t r eat i ng people w it h r e s p e c t , r e g a r d le s s of s e x u a l or ientation, is admirable and still relevant. His more compassionate tone marks a good step towards a more inclusive Church that welcomes different individuals of faith.

Fur ther, Pope Francis’ cautious comments about homosexualit y may be the f ur thest he could go at present.

G i v e n t he h i s tor y of t he Church in campaigning against s a me - s e x m a r r i a ge s a r ou nd the world, it will create a great backlash if he were to suddenly a n nou nc e ac t i v e s upp or t of homosexualit y.

T hat he has spoken about the issue with a less condemning tone is as far as he can go, w it hout d i rect ly cha l lenging yea r s of de eply e mbedded beliefs.

In the local context, Si ngapor e’s Cat hol ic C hu r c h

That he has spoken about the issue with a less condemning tone is as far as he can go, without directly challenging years of deeply embedded beliefs.

He stated t hat wh i le “homose x ua l ac t s a r e mor a l ly wrong”, ever y individual must be treated with “respect, love and care”, and condemns the criminalisation of homosexuals.

C le a r l y, e v e n w i t h i n Singapore, the stance on homosexual acts and homosexuals themselves has not changed.

For those hoping for greater inclusion from the church, they m ig ht on ly be i n for d i sap pointment.

louder than words: Humanween Celeste Tan Art Editor

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OPINIONS 25

Sports

Getting a grip — Page 31

NTU second in SUniG

Close Enough: In Men’s Rugby, NTU (middle) beat SMU 17-0 on their way to a rematch of last year’s final against NUS. Despite their valiant efforts, NTU eventually lost 24-19 to the reigning champion.

David Lam

Sports Editor

O

ne might be surprised when looking at the medal tally for this year’s Singapore University Games (SUniG).

N T U secured the most gold medals, but still lost the c ha mpion sh ip to Nat iona l University of Singapore (NUS).

This resulted from each sport only having one championship point to be won — by the university with the best team result.

For e xa mple, N T U ca me i n f i r s t a nd t h i r d for Me n’s Individual Aquathlon; but ended up in second place overall because N US’s top f ive athletes had a faster combined t im ing t han NTU’s own top five.

Thus, the championship point for Aquathlon went to NUS.

A time for firsts

Nevertheless, NTU scored some

firsts this SUniG, clinching the first ever championship in the Men’s Floorball category.

T he championship did not come as a surprise to the team a s t h e y w e r e b a c k- t o - b a c k cha mpions for t he I nst it uteVarsity-Polytechnic (IVP) Games for the past two years.

The team made two gripping comebac k s i n t he cou r s e of winning the championship.

In a physical game against SMU, the team came back from bei ng dow n by a goa l t w ice during the game, before Renji Lee, 26, set up Hazmi Hasan, 25, for the match-winning goal. NTU won 3-2.

D ow n b y t wo onc e mor e against NUS at the end of the second period, NT U rallied to score three goals in three minutes at the start of the final period to win all their matches, clinching a decisive win.

Despite trailing in the two games, captain Lionel Boey, 24,

and his team knew the deficits were only a result of errors and the inabilit y to capitalise on opportunities on the floor.

“I told my team during the break that I firmly believed we were the better team. We just had to be clinical in putting the shots in,” said the third-year student from National Institute of Education.

Defending what’s ours

NTU defended its top position in events it has traditionally been strong in, such as Football, Basketball, and Bowling.

T he Me n’s Foot ba l l te a m clinched the championship for the fourth year running.

In their f inal round robin match, they came back from being two-nil down at halftime to score three goals against Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) to secure the win.

“Once we scored the first goal, the ner ves we had in the first

half eased up, and we began to put pressure on our opponent by pushing the ball,” said Mohamed Syaqir Sulaiman, 27, a defender who h a s pl a y e d i n a l l fou r consecutive champion teams.

“The competition for places in this year’s SUniG squad was more intense than before, resulting in a strong squad going into the competition.”

L i k e w i s e , t h e Wom e n’s Footba l l tea m won a l l t he i r matches, earning their seventh consecutive championship.

Challenging the titans

I n R u g b y, N T U p u t u p a c om m e nd a ble f i g h t a g a i n s t reigning champions NUS in front of an impassioned home crowd.

The team kept their composure going into the game despite the fact that NUS had not conceded a single point throughout the competition until the final match.

NTU lost 24-19.

Daniel Lum, 23, who plays

PHOTO: JEREMY CHAN

t he posit ion of hooker, sa id: “The scoreline was a result of everyone giving their best efforts, running till our legs gave out and encouraging each other not to take the pedal off the metal.”

The team is looking to give NUS a run for their money again in the upcoming IVP Games.

“As both the A and B team did well for SUniG, I believe we have the depth to go far. With proper training and guidance, we can do well for the upcoming IVP games,” said Lum, a secondyear Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student.

NTU athletes are preparing for the IVP games and Boey and his floorball team aren’t resting on their laurels.

“I am proud to be leading a team that under went major changes from last year but still went on to clinch the title. We are, now more than ever, focused on defending our title in the upcoming IVP games,” he said.

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Rhinos rage on Reshma Ailmchandani

S

uccess on the pitch couldn’t have come at a better time.

For NTU’s former softball team at least, as they emerged c ha mpion s i n t he Si ngapor e Baseball Sof tball Association (SBSA) carnival, which was held from 7 to 22 Sep. Their triumphant campaign came after a funding cut from Sports and Recreation Centre (SRC) last year. The team’s predicament had gone largely under the radar as the rest of the school had their eyes fixed on the Singapore University Games (SUniG), which was taking place concurrently.

The now self-funded team, consisting solely of NTU students, had renamed themselves the “Raging Rhinos”.

This was done as part of a decision to move away f rom representing the university due to previous disagreements between the team and SRC.

Team captain Louis Chua, 23, said: “SRC repeatedly told me that they see slow pitch competitions as non-competitive and recreational.”

He was also told that because of the non-involvement of the sport in competitions such as SUniG, SRC decided to cut support completely.

“SRC repeatedly told me that they see slow pitch competitions as non-competitive and recreational.”

Louis Chia, 23 Softball Captain Humanities and Social Sciences

However, Mr Yum Shoen Keng, Senior Assistant Director of the Sports Facilities Management, said that they decided to cut

NOT PITCH PERFECT: NTU’s former softball team had performed commendably despite a lack of funding from the school.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEW JIA HAUR

the cord not because softball is non-competitive, but because development of the sport is slow and that “there is no support for softball at the university level”.

He added that the cur rent constraints of the pitches and lack of funding are some of the other reasons for the lack of school support.

Mr Yum said: “If support is lacking, we will place less priority on the sport.”

But Raging Rhinos member Ellie Soh, 23, disagrees, saying that even though the scene is still small, softball as a sport is growing in popularity.

The post-graduate student from National Institute of Education added that more schools, at all levels, now offer softball as a cocurricular activity.

In fact, softball is also hugely popular at both NTU’s Inter-Hall and Inter-School Games, with close to full participation every year.

The problem faced by the Raging Rhinos is further aggravated when

they were also disallowed from using the school fields at night.

“Once we have converted our pitches to artificial turfs, damage will no longer be an issue.”

Yum Shoen Keng Senior Assistant Director Sports Facilities Management

Their trainings are now isolated to Saturday mornings in school.

According to Mr Yum, this is to prevent f ur ther damage to the school fields while also accommodating the high demand from other sports and groups.

This situation faced by the Raging Rhinos differs greatly from their counterparts in National

University of Singapore (NUS).

According to TeamNUS, the website that manages the sports teams in the university, the NUS softball team “receives support for their training and competition needs”.

According to Soh, the NUS team even travelled to Myanmar for a competition.

Softball is not alone in their predicament, however. Other sports in NTU, such as Tchoukball, are also facing a lack of funding and training facilities.

But the SRC is not shutting the door on softball completely.

According to them, the synthetic turfs that will be ready next year will be more durable.

“Once we have converted our pitches to artificial turfs, damage will no longer be an issue,” said Mr Yum. In the meantime, the Raging Rhinos plan to continue trainings on their own, while hoping that their performances will soon be recognised by the school.

30 SPORTS they said that?

THE NANYANG

sports talk

Walking with giants Sports Editor

E “We should be allowed to take 10,000 volt tasers onto the course and taser every muppet who shouts out something stupid.”

Golfer Ian Poulter (above) voicing his disapproval towards the disruptive behaviour of some spectators during the recent US PGA Tour.

“I wouldn’t trust the FA to show me a good manager if their lives depended on it.”

Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp expressing bitterness at being overlooked for the England managerial job.

“I’m an old man and you know what, even if I did put on my gloves right now, I’d probably knock him out — inside a round.”

Retired world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis’s response to the trash-talk from current Irish heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

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David Lam

PHOTOS: INTERNET

VOL. NO.

ero Mantyranta was literally b or n for c r o s s - c ou nt r y skiing.

With a genetic mutation that causes his bone marrow to produce more oxygen-carrying red blood cells than the average person, the Finn is physiologically miles ahead of his competitors in a sport requiring large amounts of oxygen to be sent throughout the body as athletes propel themselves over snowy terrains in high altitudes.

Besides Mantyranta, another specimen of uncanny athletic ability is Bahamian high jumper Donald Thomas. He cleared a world-class height on his seventh high jump attempt while casually contesting with the high jumpers in his college.

Using his extraordinarily long Achilles tendons that resemble a kangaroo’s, Thomas became a champion at the 2007 World Track and Field Championships after just eight months of training.

W h i le M a nt y a r a nt a a nd Thomas are two athletes who are gifted like no other, there are also many other athletes who have the unfair, if natural, advantage over

“normal” athletes.

They may not be as extraordinarily gifted as the two, but they are certainly bigger, stronger, and faster.

The long-running debate of nat u re ver sus nu r t u re seems awfully lopsided in view of such prodigies. After all, a person born with such unfair physiological advantages would appear to be much better placed to become a champion, than one born without.

In China, the superiority of nature over nurture was even acknowledged during the world’s biggest sporting event.

Du r i ng t he 20 04 Su m mer Olympics, The People’s Daily wrote that the Chinese are genetically inclined to excel in sports that require agility and finesse, such as table tennis, badminton and gymnastics.

“Congenital shortcomings” and “genetic differences” were blamed for the Chinese athletes’ poor showings at purely athletic events.

Earning their place

So, should the rest of us “average people” just watch in awe, and throw in the towel when a gifted athlete takes the stage?

Not quite.

Olympic gold medalist Amy

LEAPING WITH EASE: High jumper Donald Thomas is blessed with extraordinarily long Achilles tendons, allowing him to reach greater heights with lesser effort.

Van Dyken couldn’t complete two laps in the swimming pool until she was in her teens.

Being born with asthma, even climbing the stairs was a challenge for her.

But, with a str ict practice regime and regular medication, Van Dyken clawed her way to the top of her sport.

In fact, physical disadvantages sometimes propel athletes to work harder to beat their competitors ­— physically superior or not.

Prolific NBA trainer Tim Grover

has a famous “6-foot-9” rule — he found that basketball players below 6’9” worked harder than their taller counterparts and achieved more success after passing through his notoriously rigorous training regimes.

Undoubtedly, the physically supe r ior w i l l a lway s have a reserved spot in the upper echelons of their sport.

But with plenty of grit and hard work, the rest of us may also get the chance to walk among these sporting giants.

bpl talk

Caught out of position Nazri Eddy Razali

Blackburn Rovers before making his move to Manchester United two seasons ago.

DANIEL Sturridge must really be enjoying his new lease on life at Liverpool.

Fr equent ly deployed a s a winger at Chelsea, he gained a reputation for ball-hogging and selfish shooting — and missing — from acutely impossible angles when a simple cross to a betterplaced teammate would’ve sufficed.

He made it amply clear in interviews that he performs best as a striker. But at Chelsea, he would always be behind Didier Drogba, and later Fernando Torres in the pecking order.

And he might have been right all along — since his Januar y transfer to Liverpool, he has scored 19 goals in 22 starts as a striker.

While it is easier to judge the effectiveness of players on the attacking half of the pitch with statistics such as the number of assists and goals scored, defensive players would find it harder to justify their preferred position.

Phil Jones had ear ned his reputation as a centre-back at

Jack of all trades

Sports Editor

While his skill and athleticism is never questioned, the 21-year-old Englishman has yet to establish

himself as a regular centre-back.

Instead, Jones is also frequently deployed as a right-back and, even as a defensive midfielder.

At the blue-end of Manchester, fellow Englishman Micah Richards faces the same problem — over the years, he has started more games as

TOUGH DRIBBLE: While there is no dispute over the versatility of players like Phil Jones, becoming a utility player may stunt development in their preferred position.

a right-back than in his preferred position as centre-back.

Master of none

T he fact that both Jones and Richards have performed admirably in alternative positions is a testament to their versatility. But players don’t make a name for themselves by being versatile.

Football is a team sport, and while it is admirable that one is willing to help out in positions that need cover, the fact of the matter is that the talents of utility players are often underappreciated, especially when competing against players who are specialists in a given position.

Jones and Richards have had difficulty integrating themselves into the England national team and their erratic positional deployment at club level is largely responsible for this.

So does one continue to toil in assigned positions for one’s club and risk stunting the development in their preferred positions?

Or would it be better to ply their trade where their talents would be better appreciated, like Sturridge did?

VOL. NO.

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SPORTS 31

THE NANYANG

04 CHRONICLE

getting physical with...

Boulder pursuits

JUST KEEP CLIMBING: With little to go by in terms of safety, Jacqueline had to rely solely on her body as she progressed from tile to tile.

Three metres can be a long way up, as Jacqueline Lim finds out during her training session with the University Mountaineering Club.

C

limb. Reach. Stick.

T hree simple words; one daunting mission for me that night.

President of NTU’s University Mou nt a i ne e r i ng C lub ( U MC ) , Muhammad Nurni’mat, 22, had made boulder ing sound easy, but with the three-metre tall bouldering wall in the Spor ts and Recreation Centre Activity Room looming over me, I couldn’t help but feel my palms and feet perspire.

Falling from the wall and br ea k i ng a bod y pa r t wa s a legitimate concern for me and definitely the last thing I wanted to happen.

Competitive bouldering is the climbing of short routes within a

limited time without any harness.

There were only crash pads to cushion your fall. Competitions a re won by t he climber who reaches the highest hold.

Climb

My training began with Nurni’mat showing me the basic conditioning exercises that climbers usually do.

To demonstrate how climbers t r a i n t h e i r f i n ge r a nd a r m strength, the second-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences leapt and dangled from a single tile on the wall with just two fingers for a good moment.

It looked effortless to him.

Ambitious, I asked if I could try, only to be met with Nurni’mat’s look of incredulity.

As I was only a beginner, he instructed me to tr y the same e xerci se, but w it h one ha nd instead of only two fingers.

My right forearm burned as it bore the full weight of my body.

Looking at all the climbers gracefully conquering the routes, I felt a tinge of envy at how quickly

they scaled the wall.

But instead, I could only start with the beginner’s route set for me by Recreational Training Officer, Arif Bakar, 25.

“Looking at all the lean climbers gracefully conquering the routes, I felt a tinge of envy at how quickly they scaled the wall.”

PHOTO: FELIX CHEW

as tightly as I could.

But resolute as I was, fatigue set in midway up the wall.

My arms were pumped and my toes — clad in tight-fitting climbing shoes — hurt from all the pressure they had to bear.

I was supposed to ascend as quickly as possible, but as my grip began to slip, the only thought in my head was to not fall.

As Arif egged me on to climb faster, I became more determined to get to the top.

At the same time, my fear of falling diminished, as UMC member Chen Fang Xian, 22, assured me that she was spotting me in case I fell.

Stick The wall was like a huge Braille scroll that I couldn’t read, but I was determined to learn its language by the end of the night.

Reach

Wiping my palms on my shirt, I found the easiest hand holds — called jugs — and held onto them

One thing I learnt was to have faith in my body when moving from tile to tile.

Climbers take a gamble every time they reach for the next tile as they risk having their grip slip off, or missing the tile altogether.

While physical strength is a must in climbing well, courage def ines those who constantly

break time and height barriers, Nurni’mat explained.

Reaching and grabbing, and w it h ever y vei n i n my a r ms throbbing, I conquered the short route on my first attempt.

And then it was time for the last step — to descend.

T he air around me r ushed upwards as I released my grip.

As I let myself fall, I felt the satisfaction of having conquered my first climb.

Fang Xian told me that men and women climbed in distinctly different fashions.

Most men lack the flexibility of women, but make up for it with strength and power.

On the other hand, women — being more meticulous — are more adept at avoiding slip-ups and mistakes, especially when tackling the trickier, smaller tiles.

When asked what a beginner should have when starting out in the sport, Fang Xian said all that is needed is a pair of climbing shoes, a friend to spot you when you climb, and a wall.

Then: climb, reach and stick.

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