Current Media Issue 14 - Heroes by Current Media

RMIT HANOI CAMPUS ISSUE 14 | JULY 2016 THE HEROES EDITION

CurrentMedia

Current Media

Current Media is a free, student-run publication for the RMIT Hanoi community

EDITORIAL

DESIGN

TRAN BAO CHAU

NGUYEN HA THUY LINH

NGUYEN NGOC ANH

DO HAI NAM

President/Writer s3575399@rmit.edu.vn

Editor-in-Chief s3578273@rmit.edu.vn

Art Director s3575391@rmit.edu.vn

Designer s3503260@rmit.edu.vn

NGO HUONG NHI

LE HUYEN TRANG

NHU HUONG TRA

NGUYEN HANH HUONG

Writer/Editor s3578332@rmit.edu.vn

Writer s3577598@rmit.edu.vn

Designer s3575424@rmit.edu.vn

Designer s3533002@rmit.edu.vn

NGUYEN VIET ANH

LE MINH HANG

TRAN THU NGUYET

TRAN LE PHUONG THAO

Writer s3455395@rmit.edu.vn

Writer s3575416@rmit.edu.vn

Designer s3515392@rmit.edu.vn

Designer s3515496@rmit.edu.vn

TRAN THU HUONG

NGUYEN VU MAI ANH

NGUYEN HOANG NAM

NGUYEN DIEU LINH

Writer s3608113@rmit.edu.vn

Writer s3535683@rmit.edu.vn

Designer s3548184@rmit.edu.vn

Designer s3501321@rmit.edu.vn

DANG NGOC MY

LE THUC HIEN

NGUYEN QUANG VINH

TRAN MY LINH

Writer s3575393@rmit.edu.vn

Writer s3413036@rmit.edu.vn

Photographer s3562818@rmit.edu.vn

Photographer s3501323@rmit.edu.vn

TRAN DIEU LINH

LE KHANH HOANG ANH

Writer s3577643@rmit.edu.vn

Photographer s3578322@rmit.edu.vn

Email: currentmedia.rmithn@gmail.com Facebook: fb.com/CurrentMediaRMIT Website: currentmediarmit.com (*) Please note that the views expressed in these pages are the personal views of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of RMIT management.

Contents J

Editor’s Letter

Perspective BE YOUR OWN HERO

Campus Report

Perspective JUSTICE?

Student Bullentin ART IS IN TOWN!

Perspective DO YOU KNOW HOW TO BE A VILLAIN?

Cover Story HEROES: WHO ARE THEY ANYWAY?

Insider’s Story MAN OF ALL

Perspective WHY SACRIFICE?

The City HANOI: 6 BEST DESTINATIONS FOR SUMMER SHOOTS

The Talk RMIT’S JANITORS — OUR DISCREET HEROES

Entertainment THE DARK KNIGHT (2008): THE SYMBOL OF HOPE

Photography THE HERO WITHIN

Fun Facts REAL HEROES OF THE UNIVERSE

Editor’s Letter T H E H E R O E S I S S U E

Long Đong (2016) Nguyen The Vu Bao Oil on canvas and wool 6.3’ x 4.1’ x 3’

In the era of superhero movies, we understand better than ever what heroes are like. They are fast (Flash), they are strong (Superman), they are smart (Spider-man), they never want to be in the wrong (Captain America). But above all, they all share the same devotion, drive, and determination for justice — they strive to do what is right under even the most difficult circumstances. Sounds familiar, does it not? It sounds familiar because superheroes are essentially who we are. They are fictional embodiments of our best traits — our intelligence, bravery, perseverance,… all greatly magnified in the hands of writers, comic artists, and filmmakers. Superheroes are ordinary beings given the extra bit of power we wish we had to solve problems we know we cannot, at least not easily. We see flashes of these characters in the real world when someone puts their life on the line to save others, or when someone does the world a service so great we cannot use any other title to address them, but hero. Our writer team came together on a breezy March morning with the burning desire to create a magazine that would be a strong showcase of human connections and, because of our fondness for grandeur, utterly epic. That was how “Heroes” was born — the epitome of our passion for writing about ordinary actions made extraordinary. Issue 14 will take you on a hero’s journey of both fantasy and reality where you will learn about love, sacrifice, justice, corruption, but most important of all, the amount of courage it takes to make a hero. Everyone has their own hero. Who’s yours?

Nguyen Ha Thuy Linh, Editor-in-Chief

6 July 2016

WE BE JUST ONE

CAMPUS REPORT

CAMPUS REPORT writer Thu Li | designer Pug

Current Media’s Hidden Treasure Current Media started the semester with hot enthusiasm and a brand new magazine with tiny little treasures hidden between its pages. Spoilers: they were tattoo stickers! Current Media stuck one sticker at a random place in each magazine, so that one would have to keep an eye out for it while reading to actually find it. The mini treasure hunt was incredibly well-received by readers, so much that even 10 weeks after the magazine’s release, some still asked whether the next issue would include the tiny tattoos. Let’s wait and see, shall we?

International Day On April 14th, RMIT Hanoi came together to celebrate diversity with a special showcase. Each club chose a country to represent on all fronts, from costumes to traditional dishes to beverages. Ten different clubs shone with choreographed dances and dreamy songs in English, Korean, Thai, Japanese, and many other languages. Not only did Vietnamese students perform, international students were rocking the stage, too! As for Current Media, we represented Spain. It was a pleasure to give others an opportunity to taste Spain’s great dishes — torrijas, tortilla espanola and churros. When it came to stage performance, Current Media’s flamenco girls were on fire, and the loud applause from the audience proved that.

8 July 2016

45 Days Fitness Challenge Forty-five days of grueling workout, 25 strong bodies, 5 challenge winners, and one mantra: “Transform your body.” The Challenge has sparked a fierce commitment in the participants to nurture their figure and health, evident by the way everyone kept reminding each other to go to the gym everyday. Even when the Challenge came to an end, many continued exercising regularly. The best thing is, 45 Days Fitness Challenge wasn’t purely a competition, it was also a chance for hardworking individuals to come together to achieve a common goal. It was a community, a family. Congratulations to RMIT Sports & Recreations for creating an unforgettable and incredibly practical programme that not only allowed RMIT students to become healthier, body and mind, but also to bond as friends. (Photo courtesy of Sport and Recreation)

People’s Choice Award Tran My Linh Best Spirit Award Le Quang Huy & Ngo Phuong Vy Best Body Transformation Phan Minh Chi & Nguyen Thi Thuy

Career Week “The future depends on what you do today,” Mahatma Gandhi once said. In April, RMIT Hanoi gave its students the opportunity to explore their future for a whole week with numerous workshops, talkshows, and a Career Expo to wrap up nicely. Imagine Vingroup, Intercontinental, Unilever, and many other prolific brands in the same room! RMIT Hanoi students didn’t waste a beat to get to know all of them, and the representatives were all willing to help. Hong Tra, who came to the Career Expo both as a volunteer and an attendee, said, “To those who didn’t attend the Career Expo, you missed out big time!” (Photo courtesy of Career Week HN 2016)

July 2016 9

STUDENT BULLENTIN

ART is

IN TOWN! writer LMH | designer KIẾN

RMIT University has just introduced the Contemporary Vietnamese Art Collection to students and staff in Hanoi. This action was taken in order to encourage discussions about the messages and values of these works, but also to support their artists.

Window IV (2013) by Duong Thuy Lieu Window ceremones on canvas <222x244cm> Level 2 — In front of 1.2.018 Mac Lab “Through the use of bright colors, the artist wants to convey a message: the bars restricting the freedom of women in domestic life are only present in their own perspectives. I think this message speaks to everyone. Think differently and you will be able to break the bars that limit you.”

10 July 2016

Lightening in U Minh Forest (2011) by Hoang Duong Cam Acrylic on canvas <150x120cm> Level 1 — Next to 1.1.007 AV Theatre “Through the intricately tangled strings and shapes, the artist presents to us U Minh Forest — a dark, mysterious place in Vietnam’s southernmost region, with its interlacing vestige of history. Meanwhile, there is an image of a smiling human holding his knee, sitting in the middle of these strings and shapes. It shows a human’s mind in a chaotic, uncleared or confused state — a common state of mind to many of us.”

Nujood Ali (2013) Maibam Prity Devi (2013) Malala Yousafzai (2013) by Lien Truong Set of three. Acrylic on wood panel <45.5x35.5cm each> Level 1 — 1.1.006 Global Mobility Room Malala Yousafzai — a Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban for going to school; Nujood Ali — a Yemeni girl forced into violent marriage at the age of 9 broke away from tribal tradition and successfully obtained a divorce; Maibam Prity Devi — an Indian girl who saved people from a grenade thrown into her parents’ shop. “The bodies are stretched so that the heads can be above water in order to survive. Those children are their own heroes.”

The Spirit and the Matter (2015) by Nguyen Hong Ngoc (Nau) Video 3D scan visualization. Level 9 — 1.9.008 Reception

“This work of art was created with the ‘DepthKit for Kinect’ technology. The main character is called ‘ba dong’. She is doing ‘hau dong’ — a spiritual dance of Mother Goddess of the Forest. Presenting a traditional dance using a new media technology, the artist wants to tell the story of past and present, the link between tradition and future of Thai Nguyen, her hometown.”

Chuong Duong Bridge (2013) by Le Quy Tong Oil on canvas <100x200cm> Level 1 “Something’s missing. No human beings. People are represented by moving machines. Things are moving fast in dashes of blue and grey. Modernization and industrialization.”

1120 Steps K.N. (2012) by Nguyen Huy An Paper <45x80x27cm> Level 2 — In front of 1.2.001 Student Academic success / Student Access Lab “Believe it or not, this is the Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower — the tallest building in Vietnam. The author walked the building’s fire escape staircase and counted each step with a piece of paper and gathered them all together to produce this. A giant structure, after being shrunk like Ant Man, is lying right inside our campus.”

THERE ARE 35 MORE ARTWORKS WAITING FOR YOU! July 2016 11

COVER STORY

who are they anyway? writer Nhii designer Mel The definition of a hero differs from person to person. From soldiers, firefighters, world leaders, fictional characters with supernatural powers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; those are the first answers that come to mind â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to fathers, mothers, and sports coaches. We throw that word around a lot, and by doing so have come to call almost anyone a hero. The guy who sets up a free food stand for the homeless, the guy who hits the farthest homerun in a national league, the guy who returns your lost wallet â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are all heroes. But are they? Does heroism demand extraordinary circumstances, or can it just be in our everyday lives? And just what is the definition of a hero anyway?

ordinary

In many cases, it is their consummations of good deeds that leave us in awe. It is their noble qualities and courage which, given similar situations, we find is beyond our capacities. Since the beginning of time, many of our heroes were warriors who overpowered those that would try to harm or take away the things we loved. A strong defender of a society or culture gets a hero status. Take Abraham Lincoln for instance, the world adored his rise from a very humble beginning with no formal education during his upbringing. His reign as the president was exemplary for his humility and concern for the underprivileged. Speaking of the underprivileged, another hero named Rosa Parks grew up at a time where an insulting division was put between black and white people in every aspect of daily life. Her life was not devoid of pleasant

memories, but it was owed to her that a revolution in the civil rights movement was sparked in the States. And there is Nick Vujicic who was born without limbs, yet he showed great courage and became an inspiration to people all over the world. So that was to say, it was not only because of their heroic acts that win us over with admiration. It was also because of a connection between these iconic people and us regular citizens. Many times, they had to overcome a devastating tragedy or survive a horrendous calamity. Things that would have held an average person captive by its destruction, only seem to have strengthened their determination and courage. We gaze upon these people in absolute astonishment and respect them for their powerful will to overcome adversity and thrive in life. They possessed such courage and honour that they grabbed the attention of a grateful society. And we are compelled to connect with them.

peculiar

common

12 July 2016

But does heroism always involve physical strength, extraordinary intelligence, or exceptional bravery? Or are there other qualities that define being a hero? Dale Beatty suffered a life-altering injury, where he lost both of his legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq while serving in the army. His reward was a wheel-chair accessible home from the local community. He then co-

founded the Purple Heart Homes with his military buddy John Gallina with support from their disabled military payments, a non-profit organization which helps provide housing solutions for disabled veterans.

wonder

Robin Emmons grew up watching her schizophrenic older brother as he lived his days on the street eating out of garbage cans. Upon discovering that access to healthy food is a luxury in Charlotte, North Carolina, she left her job at a corporation to grow and sell fresh organic produce for underserved local communities at about half the price sold in stores. Danielle Gletow started a website called One Simple Wish, where foster children’s wishes are posted online for people who are willing to make payments for those wishes to come true. A pencil, a jacket, a bicycle, even music lessons or a trip to the theatre are turning into reality for those who are in foster care.

Can we be heroes?

On a crisp Monday in 2001, a subway passenger was killed after he was pushed onto the tracks of an onrushing train in New York by a mentally ill drifter. It is appalling how no one on the crowded platform made an attempt to help the unfortunate passenger before it was too late. This is, sadly, not the first case of bystanders failing to act. While people tell others that they would do the right thing upon hearing the story, it was also what we all want to think of ourselves. But let’s be honest, we don’t really know how we would act until the moment is upon us. That is why the word courage is always highlighted in a hero’s definition. It takes courage to do heroic things. We could be heroes when we realize we all have a shared responsibility to make a difference in a small part of the world. And at the same time we are making a difference, we will also be making heroes. That is how six years after the accident in 2001, a construction worker became a New York hero for rescuing another man who had also fallen onto the subway track.

REGULAR

superb

And think about the janitor who picks up empty lunch containers, the office cleaner who collects paper clips thrown on the floor or scrapes up the gum pasted under your desk. Think about the maid who comes to your house everyday to do your laundry, and wipe the house clean. Imagine your life without them. They are not just cleaners. They are everyday folks like you and me. It is the mother who works around the clock to feed her children. It is the father who faces a home invader and places his life before all. It is the brothers and sisters, the volunteers and the associates. All these people are hardly ever recognized, for they do not share the hall of fame that world-famous heroes occupy. There were never any titles nor medals of honor for their acts. Still, each and every one of these people garners from within themselves the unimaginable fortitude to place others’ well-being above their own, making them the real unsung heroes in our lives.

NORMAL

So who are heroes anyway? We have seen many heroes emerge over the past centuries, and these people show us that there are indeed choices we can make to live a respectable life. I would conclude that the truer definition of a hero is one who understands that when the moment is upon them, they have a responsibility not just to themselves, but also to others. The bravest people are not necessarily those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about. Because within the lack of fame lies the key to selflessness, and perhaps true heroism.

We could be heroes when we realize we all have a to make a in a small part of the world

shared responsibility difference

July 2016 13

PERSPECTIVE

WHY SACRIFICE?

words by Mey design by Ngoet

14 July 2016

After mating with the queen bee, the drone always dies. Some say it’s “sacrifice” — when an individual gives up their own lives for the sake of others, and in this case, the mating results in the drone’s death, but a new generation has just been born. However, let’s make it clear, dying for the hive is the sole duty that was assigned to the drone ever since he was born. He doesn’t choose to mate with the queen bee, he's unconsciously driven by biological imperative. In other words, he doesn’t even have a chance to decide how his life would be. Meanwhile, what makes sacrifices heartfelt lies within willingness. In certain situations, one consciously chooses to lay down their lives for others or for something that is greater than themselves. That person is called a hero. Thereby, sacrifices could be considered to be the root that forms heroism. So why do people choose to sacrifice? What motivates them to accept a harder life just to make it easier for those they might not even know? There are people saying that sacrifice is an indispensable part of life, it’s something to crave for. Above all, it's one of the most obvious manifestations of love — it’s done for others when you know they don’t have enough strength and need your help. Let me tell you about a video I came across quite a long time ago. It’s about a bridge tender at a railroad drawbridge and his beloved son. The man’s job was to lower the bridge across a river so that the train can pass through. And his son, he’d follow his dad to work because he simply loved watching the trains and their passengers so much. One day, the automatic control unit broke down while there was an oncoming train, but no one noticed that something went wrong except for the son who was playing nearby. Immediately, he tried to use the manual lever under the bridge to lower it but didn't succeed. When the father realized what was happening, it was already too late. His son was stuck under the bridge while the train kept coming closer and closer. Within seconds, he found himself in the most tragic dilemma: he had to pull the lever so that all the passengers can pass unharmed, but if he did that, there would be no time left for him to save his son. He had to choose to either go for the lever or let his son get crushed by the bridge.

HE CHOSE TO PULL THE LEVER. He didn't know the people on the train. He didn't know whether they were kind, or selfish, whether they were humble, or arrogant, yet he chose to save them. The ending seemed like a tragedy for the father, but there was a smile on his face. In the last minutes of the video, he saw a drug-addicted woman he saved on that train move on and live a happy life with her little son. With this ending, are you convinced that when you sacrifice a precious thing of your own, you do not really lose it, but pass it to someone else? Does this make sacrifices much more meaningful to you? There are viewers who find the story touching, but there are also those who think that the video is disturbing and too fictional. Some say that the story reminds them of how

some extraordinary figures — not human — would act. It was Shakyamuni Buddha who left his palace to live a harsh life for his people; it was Jesus Christ who carried humanity’s sins on his shoulders on the cross. Some say that the story was told one-sidedly and that “a half truth is a whole lie”. To society, he's a true hero, sacrificing his own son to save a hundred lives. What about him? Can his smile at the end of the story last long? Can witnessing those strangers’ happy lives alone ease the pain of losing his beloved son? It is a matter of fact that people always have two parts of life — personal life and social life. For personal life, each individual has themselves to take care of, their own rights to strive for what will benefit them and to dream of all that they can be. However, for society, sometimes people choose humanity over themselves. They're willing to sacrifice anything today for tomorrow’s generations without demanding gratitude. Maybe they choose to do it for their beliefs, high ideas, or they just simply have the desire to do good. Since humans and all other species are existing and developing under the form of communities, society can be seen as a whole family and so there grows an unexplainable love and connection among human beings, between strangers and strangers. Even though the video above was made purely for educational purpose and is a bit unrealistic, it's there along with the sacrifices of Shakyamuni Buddha and Jesus Christ as role models to look up to and to remind us: Doing good for others somehow also means doing good for family members, with whom we share a huge home from the very first days of humankind. If the idea of unexplainable love and connection still doesn’t convince you, let’s come all the way back to the male bee, the drone. The drone isn't aware of its inevitable death, so it’s understandable that instead of fleeing from the queen bee, he carries out his duty and dies. Meanwhile, in principle, humans are believed to be the only species that can acknowledge the finality and ineluctability of the death. Therefore, we probably have a deeper fear of death than any other species. This explains a lot why we always try to make our lives — even if it’s fleeting — as meaningful as we can. Plus, humans also have that ‘survival instinct’ which is always prioritized just like any other animal species. So here comes a soldier, he’s aware of death and knows that he might die on the battlefield. How does he overcome his fear and priority for survival that always urge him to run away and remind him of the danger he might face with? Logically speaking, if the matter belongs to human nature, which we have no control over, how can he still stay committed to protecting the greater good and then sacrifice his own life? There’s hardly an accurate explanation to why some people choose to sacrifice, to overcome their selfishness and put the sake of others above themselves’. But is it really necessary to explain, especially if the act is lead by a purely kind heart that’s rooted in the love for humanity? As Carl Sagan once said “For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.”

July 2016 15

THE TALK

R M IT ’ S JA N ITO R S RMIT’s janitors – they aren’t people who do charity work. Still, they manage to handle all the labor work in a tiny pack of time for us luckier kids’ convenience. Having slightly rushed but comfy talks with them on a Sunday morning opened up a chance for us to think about their working life, and to learn a lesson on how to appreciate their contribution to our university experience. We tried our best to reach them, but they were all busy with tons of cleaning and polishing tasks. Each conversation we managed lasted no longer than 5 minutes, yet we gathered truly touching answers. After that morning, we decided to share with you their thoughtprovoking words. *Please note that the images are for illustration purposes only.

Have you ever thought about quitting this job for a less stressful one? I have no choice. It feeds me, why do I have to leave. Do you have children? I do, a son. He’s just around your age. But he quit school already.

Working in a place that frequently runs into foreigners with other languages, how do you feel about it? I find them kind of bizarre. Usually I just hide from them. (laughs) Have you learned any new English word? ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘Ok’, and just smile. I smile to any student or lecturer around.

16 July 2016

OD U I R SH CE RR EO E E T S

(A young janitor vacuuming the library) May I ask you a few questions? Sorry, I’m busy. My shift isn’t over for another 2 hours. Please, just for a minute or two. I’m afraid I must refuse. It’s not okay to take a break when work’s not done, you know.

Do you have any memorable moments with our students? Once, my colleagues and I were waiting to clean the AV room after an event. The organizing students were eating pizza inside. Suddenly, one of them brought two huge slices of pizza and invited us to join. We said no but she insisted. The toppings were seafood, it was delicious. RMIT students may live a comfortable life but they’re really loveable. Sometimes when I’m working they’ll say hi.

There are moments in life where you almost forget the existence of those individuals you take for granted. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around,” a person once stated. Pay attention to tiny things in our lives, and we’ll see that there are always silent heroes whose work make the world a better place, no matter how simple the action might be.

writer. LOISE designer. NTVB&ANHS

July 2016 17

CAN HEROES FOR DAY.

David Bowie

PHOTOGRAPHY

T H E H E R O W I T H I N

“People say Captain America is a conservative old man who’s living in the wrong time, but to me, he’s a man who conquered the world instead of the other way round.”

20 July 2016

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22 July 2016

“Deadpool has something every man crave for: absolute freedom. I want to be like him – able to do everything in behalf of myself and myself only.”

July 2016 23

concept NGUYEN HOANG NAM models DAO MINH QUANG TRAN VIET HUNG photographers NGUYEN QUANG VINH TRAN MY LINH mua LE HUYEN TRANG painters NGUYEN VINH GIA HUY NHU HUONG TRA retoucher NGUYEN HA THUY LINH special thanks to UP STUDIO

24 July 2016

PERSPECTIVE

BE YOUR OWN HERO writer Huong Tran designer Do Nam

oseph Campbell was an American mythologist and writer of mid-1990s. Through years of research, he was the first to define a common structure for heroic stories from around the world and called it “The Hero’s Journey”. It follows three acts: Departure, Initiation and Return, within which lie 17 distinct sub-stages. This structure has been a foundation for many Hollywood movies such as The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games and even Star Wars. In this article, we are going to explore how much this pattern of events actually resonates with human experience.

Have you ever wondered why stories about heroes are adored by everyone even when they portray surreal and impossible events? They are the psychologically true models of the human race to answer some universal questions about our existence, life purpose, past, future, death and perception of good and bad. Moreover, the characters are designed from our personalities, dreams and fantasies. Therefore, human experience really influenced Campbell’s construction of ‘The Hero’s Journey”. But is it true that each one of us is a hero of our own life’s story?

“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” - William Shakespeare

July 2016 25

DEPARTURE In this act, a soon-to-become hero is forced to leave his mundane life to go on an adventure. He refuses at first due to his own insecurity and fears. Then appears a mentor who gives him guidance and aid to kick start the journey. Finally, the hero musters all his courage to venture into the alien land. Remember when we were little kids with booger hanging from our noses. One day, we were dropped

26 July 2016

off at the kindergarten and expected to play, sleep and eat with unfamiliar faces. The hero in us was introduced to an unfamiliar realm whose rules and limits were not known. It is a big deal for kids who were just learning how to separate from their ordinary lives. As for me, I cried a whole lot the first few days. One afternoon, when other kids were sleeping soundly in rows, I pretended to be asleep. My ears were straining to hear the faintest sound of someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coughing. Had mum come to

pick me up? But, it was not herâ&#x20AC;Ś I started to whimper under the blanket, for my tiny ray of hope had been extinguished. Days went by and I learned to adapt. When it comes to mentoring, parents have traveled a lot further down the road of life. They not only teach us invaluable lessons but also motivate us in difficult times. I did not come from a noble family, but I am fortunate to have wonderful parents. They work tirelessly for me to have the best possible

education. I was able to study abroad and have gotten many work experiences. All they ever want is for me to be confident, keep my head high and my chin up among friends. Now that I have grown to be a cheerful and independent person, it hits me hard that my parents are growing old. These mentors have given me all the resources they have: their youth, wisdom, unconditional love and admiring effort. I shall set out for my own adventure to gain triumph in return!

between study and social life, and we have to think about the potential career paths. Our heroes get up every day facing a challenge in the life arena. It is very tempting to just stand outside this arena, waiting to become more bulletproof or perfect, especially when the task is difficult. But timing and attitude are far more important than ability. The task is not going to complete itself if it lies around day after day. Through this road of trials, we are actually nurturing our self-confidence and willingness to fail and learn from failures.

INITIATION This is the final separation from everything that is known to the hero. The hero is determined to undergo a complete change by entering the belly of the whale. Inside it, a series of tests, ordeals and temptations awaits the hero before the ultimate goal can be achieved. Inevitably, the road ahead is paved with adversities. As students, we have deadlines breathing down our necks. We struggle to stay balanced

Along the journey, we have to resist a lot of temptations to focus on the ultimate goal. This reminds me of Odysseus — the protagonist in Homer’s Odyssey, an ancient Greek epic poem. Odysseus is trying to get home through the strait of water where sailors are often lured onto the rocks by creatures called sirens. They have beautiful voices and sing divine melodies that reach miles and miles across the ocean. Around them are heaps of corpses rotting away and torn pieces of skin shriveling on their bones. Without giving up, Odysseus instructs his crew to tie him tightly to the mast and for all of them to plug their ears. No matter how much he screams toward the deadly sirens and orders the sailors to untie him, the sailors must keep on track… Can our inner heroes ignore the ‘siren song’ and sail our way to success?

RETURN When you have pushed yourself right to the limit, you have also conquered your own fears and selfdoubts. This triumphant return represents a symbolic rebirth, a spiritual growth of our hero. He has become the master of his inner world as well as the external world. I still remember vividly my first arrival in London 3 years ago. London is an effortlessly beautiful city where it all happened to this small-town girl. When I was looking for a volunteer position at an animal shelter, I stumbled upon an organisation called PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. At that moment, a warm feeling washed over me as though my curiosity and morality were lit up. Then, I did a lot of research, from documentaries to blogs, listened to nutritionists and scientists to understand more about the issue. I started realizing how much freedom I have compared to the animals inside cages. I have the freedom to live, to choose and to defend myself. It is nearly impossible to spot a live pig, chicken or a cow here. They remain in dark, windowless, poorly ventilated barns to be brutally abused and exploited for profit. Being regarded as mere commodities, life is like an endless horror movie for these innocent and sentient beings, who have no voice to reason that they suffer in the

same way as we do. But you can tell when a being wants to live so badly it fights with all its might, jumps from the moving truck on its way to the slaughterhouse. Crashlanding. Brave little pig picks itself up and stumbles over to the verge. And this is not a rare incident! It troubles me to wonder what if… I had been born other than what I am. And that had connected all the dots. My lifestyle was remarkably transformed. I became a vegan who does not eat or use animal products. This lifestyle requires far fewer resources from fresh water, lands to energy. I have never had more control over my life, knowing what I consume every day can help contribute to a more sustainable and humane world. I went back to Vietnam with this burning passion to inspire more and more people to empathize and identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless. As a famous British sailor Ellen MacArthur once said, real bravery comes when you take on something you do not choose and cannot in any way prepare for. I challenge you to get up every day braver and much more confident than the person you were yesterday. Every hero has his own story. What is yours?

THE END July 2016 27

PERSPECTIVE

j ju us st t ii c ce e

? ?

“There is no black and white, just shades of gray.” — Kate Moss.

ustice is a concept that people work hard to figure out. For some people, it is just a word, and yet this particular word has also been an undying passion for many others. But is justice a brilliant idea or just an impractical concept? People want to know exact black and white — they want to create a standard of justice, and force people to hold up to it.

writer. TĂNG designer. ANHS

It dates back to the time when two lovebirds — Adam and Eve — were literally a part of each other, but tricked into eating an apple by a serpent. And yet many people do not know that the apple belonged to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After consuming the fruit, Adam and Eve knew what was right and what was wrong, but they were banished from the Garden of Eden for what they had

done. I came up with two things upon hearing this tale. First, ignorance is bliss. Second, knowing too much is a sin. But to choose between blindly following others in the dark and fully understanding what is going on in life, who wouldn’t choose the latter? Now, back to God. To be specific, back to Divine Law. “Divine Law makes a simple business of ethics: If God says it is wrong, it is wrong, wholly and absolutely [...]”. In other words, Divine Law was made by what God’s wills are. But just like any other theories, there are always room for problems and questions. How do we know what God thinks? We have the Bible, but is the Bible really from the One-Above-All? After all, it is just a document, one that has been changed for political reasons, and is still being edited now. It is a work by humans recording what God wants, and in this case God sure changes his mind pretty often.

though curiosity was what got Adam and Eve banished from the Garden, it is also a big motivation for humanity.

Thought. His career path was covered in blood and bones, but somehow it worked.

Aside from religion, which is a very sensitive subject, we still have many things to talk about. Humans have survived on this planet for quite some time now, and we have new ideas everyday. One pretty common idea surrounding justice is “karma”. Coming from Buddhism and

“Justice” is just a condition where the benefits between two or more parties are balanced, and depending on your preference, you will choose which side to support. After all, the good guys always win because the winners get to write history. No one can deny that the belief in justice makes people want to be better, but please remember: Your “justice” may not be others’ “justice”.

First, ignorance is bliss.

Second, knowing too much is a sin.

Divine Law does not only apply to Christianity, but also to other cultures. For instance, in the legends of Ancient Greek, Divine Law is not just a document or a book. There is Themis, the goddess of Divine Order. She is the first bride of Zeus, and the mother of three daughters — Dike, goddess of Justice, Enomia, goddess of Good Order and Eirene, goddess of Peace. We can see how Ancient Greek followed the concept of Justice and Divine Law — “Divine Law” literally gave birth to “Justice”. Also, if you abide by Divine Law and the Gods, you are doing good deeds and will achieve peace. How ironic is it that when wars broke out in the legends of Ancient Greek, it was because of the Gods and Goddesses? A prominent example would be the infamous Trojan War, behind which the whole reason was a beauty contest between Aphrodite, Athena and Hera. The real discussion here is whether following a God or a Divine Law without questioning is the best. We need balance in life, even if it means our existence is being judged. Even

Hinduism, this theory basically means what goes around comes around, and people will reap what they sow. Let’s not talk “destiny” and “fate”; we will just talk about what will happen right away. If you break the law, you will be fined. If you hurt someone, they will retaliate. That does seem pretty reasonable, does it not? On the other hand, Utilitarians — people who believe that the best moral actions are the ones that best benefit a majority — only care about the results. According to Lenin, “the end justifies the means.” No matter what we do, if the results come out as expected, we do not need to worry about the process. This very idea seems particularly popular in politics. Qin Shi Huang, the very first king of China, made many questionable decisions in his life, like burning books and burying scholars. This caused the loss of many philosophical treatises of the Hundred Schools of

Maybe the reason why Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Eden was not because they knew what was good and what was bad, but because they knew there was no such thing. end.

but because they knew there was no such thing. no such thing.

July 2016 29

PERSPECTIVE

do you know how to be a

VIllAIN? Writer: Viet Anh Designer: Mel We all know the same old story: villain fights hero, villain loses. But then is it really as simple as that all the time? Picture this: Inside each of us are two wolves â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the dark one is evil, the bright one is good. The evil one represents anger, envy, sorrow, regret, guilt, inferiority, false pride, ego; the good one represents hope, kindness, empathy, truth, compassion, and faith. When these two fight, the winner will be the one we feed the most.

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Nobody is born evil, but nobody is born with the strength to fight off evil either. We have been assigned with different backgrounds, experiences, knowledge, mental capacities and personalities. Let’s face it, you probably do not want to get close to those whom you think are not right in the mind. Do not worry, you are not the only one. That is how the society we live in can push these souls into the path of grief, sorrow, evil and darkness. We talk about good deeds but most people ignore the action of doing good. We call some people heroes because they do what we do not, and we call others villains because we do not do what they do. And yet we saw in Léon: The Professional (1994) how killing did not make a hitman give up his humanity. The 12 year-old Mathilda lost her entire family in mere minutes. In that frightening period of life, any fractured mind could become corrupted with despair, hatred and agony. Yet, the incident led her to Leon — the one we thought a living and breathing killing machine — who saw through the tragedies and took the enraged girl under his wing. He taught her the values of life as much as she taught him about humanity. For the not-so-good deeds they did, they should have been viewed as villains, but those actions paled in comparison to what the “real” villains did to Mathilda’s family. In Léon and Mathilda’s world, they were each other’s heroes. Let’s change our perspective so that the tentacled robots in The Matrix Series are actually good guys. From the beginning, humans created robots and started an unwanted war with them. The robots were too advanced and won the war, and like in all wars that have been fought throughout history, the winner kept the loser imprisoned. But the robots were merciful enough to lock mankind inside a chamber to raise them, keep them alive and happy in artificial reality instead of killing them. Neo, who was born from inside the system and chose to go against it, became a flaw, a virus. Even if he found a way to free mankind, was his action truly representative of the human race, who were fine with their lives, in a way? Or was it representative of a minority who chose not to be in the system? Humans are born selfish because we are always concerned about our future,

and ultimately, our survival. We stand together as one but fight for our own interests. That is why individuals like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ho Chi Minh, and many others are hailed heroes, for they did not stand up for their benefits but for the greater good. Looking back on how they lived and fight their battles, none did it for themselves. Taking the discussion further into the realm of fantasy, let’s journey deep into the world of The Lord of the Rings. Sauron might not have been bad had he known how to bring prosperity and managed his community. We all know that chaos is bad, but at least, his army consisted of diverse species — from downtrodden, enslaved, to off-press-mass of Middle Earth. In our modern day, we call people like Sauron revolutionists. In 1945, the United States believed that dropping 2 nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was for the right cause. But we do not need to hurt others to prove we are the good guys. Conflict is good, but conflict that results in “bad blood” is not. War and conflict always breed villains. We must also look at villains’ motivations to understand their actions. To a certain extent, the stepmother in Cinderella was bad, but also very common in society. She was selfish, but she was also a mother who wanted nothing but the best for her two daughters. She did the wrong things for the right reasons. Syndrome from The Incredibles (2004) who built his empire with his money, intelligence, endless efforts and the intention of granting humanity superpowers so they could protect themselves. It would not have been bad if his action and intention had not stemmed from jealousy. Each one of us, we have the power to make a difference, a little at a time. The heroes that we idolize are symbols of all the good things we yearn to be. Being a hero is just as hard as being a villain, but it would be so much easier for us to be friends. We must open up more and welcome people to our lives, all the while casting away any trivial conflicts. The greatest superpowers lie within us, for we will always stand together, for better or worse.

July 2016 31

INSIDER’S STORY

“He healed healed his his wound wound AND AND “He sewed his his scar scar TO TO BE BE MY MY DAD.” DAD.” sewed

MAN OF ALL writer. ronnie & designer. ANHS

32 July 2016

have been wondering if anyone would consider being a hero a lifelong career? If it were, what would it be like? Would the heroes be working 24/7? Would they have vacations here and there? Would they be capable of maintaining their passion for an entirely payless job? Once I came across #worldstoughestjob, a very eyecatching hashtag that aroused my curiosity. I clicked on it, expecting to find some kind of extraordinary work that requires great endurance or superb skills and so on. What came up was indeed unexpected, and I bet most viewers would share the same feeling. That toughest job was actually held by millions of people around the globe. They were mums.

think/It’s you there, it’s how you teach them to be.” I feel his love best when he teaches me, when he instructs me to treat people. To my daddy, love is trust, love is hope, and love is expectations. My daddy doesn’t have many loved ones in his life. If you are like me, who has both parents by your side, it maybe easy for you to understand when I say my daddy makes up half of my world. If you get that, you can also empathize with my dad, a half of whose world is forever a blank space that can never be filled.

It’s said that family is where life begins and love never ends. I feel that this is true. My parents have always been by my side for as long as I can remember. They’re the first and foremost factor making up my family, my home. Without their presence in my life, I’d be nothing. My family made me who I am today.

Whenever I’m defeated by the world, I always come to my dad. He’s always the one whom I first think of. He may never sugarcoat things to comfort me; but instead, he reminds me of mercy, patience, and courage. In my memory, there’s no such word as “giving up” in my dad’s dictionary. He’s always my rock. I may idolize a successful peer, a superstar, or the CEO of Vinamilk, but my dad’s forever my number one idol. He is forever the strongest, most righteous man in my life.

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself,” said Joseph Campbell. Isn’t that also true about parents? Our parents, they were all once kids; they used to be those free and careless little guys and girls we see everyday before they were our mums and dads. But when the time comes, when they realize they’re responsible for not just themselves but also their babies, they changed, they adapted.

My dad teaches me that the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. “When you don’t like someone, you don’t have to treat them badly. Being cruel to your enemy would hurt you more than it would do them; because then, you become no better than those people. So, what you need to do is show them that no matter how many games they might play, they can never have even the slightest impact on your life.”

You think I’m talking about sacrifice? Yeah. Probably!

Sometimes there are certain things in life that, from my perspectives, to which my dad’s response isn’t always the best. Still, my mum explained this about her marriage: “I chose your dad not because he always makes the right choices; I love your dad because no matter what choices he makes, he has my trust in him.”

My grandfather passed away when my daddy was only 10 months old. So practically, he never got used to the word “father”, or “dad”. I’m his first-born child, and for the first few months, my dad never called himself “bố” (Vietnamese for “father”). Instead, he would refer himself as “bọ” (Vietnamese for “bug”), and hardly delivered a sentence with proper subject. I think my daddy needed time to get used to the fact that he now had a daughter whose life and future relied entirely on him. With all the unpleasant memories from his fatherless childhood, he needed time to get used to the word “dad”, which may have been something hurtful every time it was mentioned. He healed his wound and sewed his scar to be my dad. It was the love for me that helped him overcome all of his sadness and fear. My daddy’s never given me a hug and I don’t remember when the last time he expressed his love to me was. But one time my mum wrote a poem saying this “You — my man — you have your own mean of romance/You find it hard to show yourself even to our family/But I can see your love in our children/In what they do and how they

I’m now 19 years old, and my world doesn’t revolve around many things but home, school, and a few more places. The number of people around me still remain small, but one day someone special, a man of my own, would enter my life. When that day comes, my world might be bigger and the part which daddy owns may shrink. Then, daddy, there’s something you need to know and I need to tell you: Daddy, you’re my first love! I’m so grateful to have you as my dad! Thank you for being there for me through thick and thin! To me you are irreplaceable and I love you, this big! Daddy, you are forever my hero!

end.

July 2016 33

THE CITY

HANOI: 6 BEST DESTINATIONS FOR SUMMER SHOOTS Summer’s here with the red sun, the screeching sound of cicadas, and of course the scorching heat. Some people may have already planned a vacation, but for RMITers who have summer semesters, going for a long trip seems difficult. But don’t be disappointed, we aren’t at our wits’ ends. We can still enjoy ourselves in Hanoi! These 5 destinations will offer you gorgeous views that you can’t help but take out your phone or camera and start taking photos. I’m pretty sure this list will suit you all, whether you prefer beautiful nature or nostalgic monuments.

LONG BIEN BRIDGE

This historical bridge is nothing strange to Hanoians. Built during the French Colonial era and originally named after Paul Doumer, the then Governor-General of French Indochina, it was the first bridge built across the Red River. Being designed and built in French style, the bridge stands out from the other bridges, and has become popular for taking photos among youngsters nowadays. Its looks create a deep, abstract and

34 July 2016

European-like effect that works excellently with vintage and classic shoots. Even better, there’s no entrance fee as the bridge still functions as a traffic mean, but remember to avoid rush hours.

ST JOSEPH S CATHEDRAL

Located on Nha Tho street in Hoan Kiem District, the late 19th century Gothic Revival church serves as the main cathedral to millions of Catholics in Vietnam. While being religiously important, the church also attracts foreigners and photography lovers thanks to its Western European architecture. Moreover, it’s located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, therefore you'll feel like being in an old town of Europe while at the same time very nostalgic of the old Hanoi. It’s the perfect combination of Eastern and Western atmospheres. Visiting the church is completely free of charge, but remember to ask the managers if you want to take interior pictures because certain areas might not be permitted for photography.

QUARTER 03 OLDOF HANOI Another choice for vintage lovers. This small neighborhood of Hanoi was originally compiled of small traders who sold craft products. Thanks to the skills passed down from generation to generation, the Old Quarter can still maintain its traditional values and become part of Hanoi’s culture. These small streets have everything to

offer, from classic style Hanoian houses with building tiles, Chinese upturned roofs to buildings with French design. The craft products themselves are also excellent items to take pictures of. You can

article: Hien layout: Ngoet wear a traditional mask, holding toy figurines or snap a shot at the toy-specialised Hang Ma street. Again, there are no fees to enter the Quarter, but keep in mind that due to the narrow streets, traffic here can get crazy sometimes. Also because of the spider web-like arrangement of the streets, make sure to bring a map or GPS device if you are not familiar with the area to avoid getting lost.

NHAT TAN FLOWER GARDEN

Now comes the turn for nature lovers, specifically flower enthusiasts. Nhat Tan has long been famous for its cherry blossom garden as a common destination for taking photos during Tet holiday. But don’t think it has nothing else to offer for the rest of the year! Besides cherry blossoms, there are also roses, marigolds,

bachelor buttons and other bonsai items. The staff here also set up flower gates, swings and small bridges to help us take the best of photos. Isn’t it awesome to get yourself a romantic shot in a field of colorful flowers? The price here ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 VND/person depending on which area you want to enter (the garden is divided into different areas). Not too much for a breathtaking photoshoot session, right?

RAPESEED FLOWERS NEAR THANH TRI BRIDGE

May and June are the peak months for rapeseed flowers to bloom. In fact, there are more than one venue for lovers of this particular plant to take pics, but I suggest this one due to its proximity and travel convenience (the other three, located at the shores

of Duong River, Phu Dong Village and Trau Quy town are pretty far from central Hanoi). You just need to find Thanh Tri Bridge, which will lead you to the National Road No. 5 where there are several rapeseed gardens on both sides for you to choose. These lovely yellow flowers will make a fresh, vibrant and peaceful background for your summer photos. So why not come and snap some pics for your memories of the summer? The entrance price is also quite low — 20,000 to 30,000 VND/person. One more thing: remember to protect yourself from the strong sunlight with hats and sunscreen!

WEST LAKE LOTUS LAGOON

We all know the lotus is Vietnam’s national flower, but do you know that its blooming peak is during June, the hottest summer month? That makes West Lake Lotus Lagoon, located right next to the West Lake Water Park, an awesome place to take photos. What can be better than snapping some shots in a big lagoon with fresh air, greenish lotus leaves and lovely, pink and fragrant lotus? You can also bring traditional outfits or hire them at the lagoon (about 50,000 to 70,000 per item) for an additional touch to the traditional Vietnamese style shoot. Entrance fees are quite reasonable with 20,000 VND for individuals and 50,000 VND for group entrances. If you have foreign friends, bring them here and snap some nice shots together. You’ll love it!

July 2016 35

ENTERTAINMENT

DARK KNIGHT THE

The symbol of hope

writer MAI ANH | designer THAO RAKKON

2008

wo and a half hours of The Dark Knight turn us into citizens of Gotham — a corruptive, gloomy city from which we can never escape. The only thing surviving in this city is hope. We hope that a vigilante wearing a bat suit can save our lives; we hope that he’s the one that the city needs right now, but at the end of the day, we don’t even trust our own hero because the fear and the chaos he brings make us doubt his intention and capability — one man can’t fight every criminal and save the city that’s already broken. Gotham needs more than a vigilante. We can’t trust and put our hope in a city where justice’s become a joke, where no one cares for others except themselves. The worst part is, we slowly realise it’s much easier to lose hope than to keep fighting for it. After all, it only takes one bad day to turn hope into despair.

People see a movie about the great battle between Batman and the Joker, but don’t expect Christopher Nolan’s film to be conventional and predictable. The story about the good winning over the evil like other superhero movies. Here, we see cruel reality: the corruption, the crime and the law’s inability to bring us the justice we deserve. Yet, despite the unfairness, we’re still looking for a bright side, a better future, because we keep telling ourselves that there are still some people who will fight for it. And yes, the good always fight to bring hope while the bad do everything to ruin it, but don’t forget the fact that in real life, we — human beings — are imperfect, vulnerable, and as mentioned earlier, losing hope is easier than keeping it. This is what makes The Dark Night different from the rest. The movie depicts reality — a combination of white and black.

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-PE Nolan succeeded in bringing the darkness and the light into Gotham in a way that captivated the audience’s emotions: This city suffocates us, but at the same time we don’t want to give up on it. We see madness in the public video of the Joker torturing his victims just to lure Batman into revealing his identity. We see anger when the prosecutor Harvey Dent threatened to kill Jim Gordon’s family for vengeance. The most excellent scene was, perhaps, when the Joker was arrested — all according to Jim Gordon, Batman and Harvey Dent’s plan — but it turned out to be a disastrous trap that lead to the death of many innocent people. Criminal activities were rising in Gotham together with violence and tragedy. But even this doomed city deserves to have hope. When the Joker threatened to blow up two separate ferries — one carrying civilians, the other carrying prisoners — and forced the passengers to decide which group deserved to live, they refused to let one another die. This scene proved that this city can be saved because the citizens won’t give up, and their conscience will keep telling them to do the right thing. Maybe one man can’t stop the chaos, but the fragile hope that remains in the citizens can fix even just a little bit of the damage the city has suffered. Another interesting aspect of this movie is the connection between the three main characters: Batman, the Joker, and TwoFace. All of them are connected by one simple word: Hope. If Batman brings hope to Gotham, then the Joker will always try to destroy it, and Two-Face is the Joker’s successful experiment to show what happens to a man with no hope. Unlike other superhero characters, Batman doesn’t have superpowers, but his story always inspires us in many ways. He’s portrayed as a

silent guardian of Gotham, and no one understands his city more than he does. He protects the citizens’ faith and hope even though they don’t trust him and blame him for the damage inflicted on the city; and yet despite not trusting a masked man, they still need him because no one sacrifices for this city more than he does. He always believes that Gotham is worth fighting for because his faith for this city, to which not only him but his parents dedicated their lives to make a better place, can’t be broken. This was shown in the way he’d rather become the city’s enemy than let its citizens know their beloved prosecutor had became a monster. He doesn’t want Gotham to lose hope. To Batman, the Joker’s appearance is a wakeup call for him to realise that despite the cover he has from darkness and the Batsuit, he can be just as vulnerable as other human beings. But, without Batman, there would be no motivation for the Joker to destroy Gotham. He obsesses over beating Batman ever since he realized the vigilante would do everything to bring hope to this city, and only by ruining hope can he create fear. No one actually knows the Joker’s real identity, but there will be a time when we’ll have to wonder who this villain is and why he does everything to ruin the city’s hope at every opportunity. In the movie, he repeated this question twice: “You wanna know how I got these scars?” Then, he’d tell stories of how his father abused him and his wife left him because he was ugly. No one even cared whether his words were true since to them he was just a twisted psychopath. But when a man’s lived in pain and despair for such a long time, he’ll want to do the exact same thing to other people. Joker claimed he wasn’t a monster but fully human, because he knew how cruel and ruthless human beings could become without hope.

becoming Two-Face, he was a dedicated prosecutor. He fought for what was right, against the city’s criminals and gangsters. He used to be what Gotham’s citizens needed — a symbol of justice. Batman realised Harvey Dent could be the city’s new hope, so he trusted and helped him become a hero, one that didn’t have to wear a mask. But then, the Joker killed the woman Harvey loved, destroyed the left side of his face, and eventually turned him into a monster. The devoted man we once knew was dead. Now the anger, the desperate desire to retaliate controlled him. When we take a deeper look into this character, he’s more similar to us than we think. People show who they really are when they’re in despair. Harvey Dent kept telling himself to hide the anger and control his manner because in the public’s eyes he was a great prosecutor, but even the best can fall to hell and give in to the devil residing inside of him, especially after losing everything in just one night. Joker uses Harvey Dent to prove that it takes only one bad day to turn a good person into a monster.

HO Just like Two-Face, we all have two sides to our faces: one is bad, one is good. Everybody tries to become a better person, but nobody is perfect. The madness, anger and chaos we experience make it difficult for us to decide who we really want to become. Desmond Tutu, a famous South African activist, once said, “Hope is being able to see the light despite all of the darkness.” It’s true. Despite everything, there’s one powerful word that’ll always guide us to the good side, and that word is hope.

What about Harvey Dent aka TwoFace? He represents one sentence: “Evil isn’t born, it’s made.” Before

July 2016 37

FUN FACTS

by Thu Li design Ngoet

Hopefully, you’ve accumulated a vague definition of who a hero is after going through this magazine. Many equate heroism with courage and sacrifice, but actually, a hero might just be someone/something that makes everyone else’s life easier. Imagine being an ordinary citizen in Metropolis — Superman’s “turf” — working triple shifts to pay for your degree, where would you even find the time to save the world from super aliens or mad scientists?! That’s where Superman comes in, to spare everyone from the hardship of saving the world. Similarly, who, or what, has made our lives so much more convenient?

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TOILET PAPER

DISPOSABLE MENSTRUAL PADS

A friend once said toilet paper was the first thing she thought of when she heard the word hero. Isn’t it odd that of all the things in the world her hero is toilet paper? But, it was a remark that sparked tremendous curiosity. Some quick research shows that the toilet paper that we’re all so familiar with didn’t actually exist until the 20th century.

Forget diamonds, the menstrual pad is a lady’s true best friend. If you’d bothered asking you’d probably know that back in the day, people didn’t actually have self-adhesive pads (you know, the ones that stick to the panties) to use as conveniently as we do now. Despite the abundance of different types of sanitary products, some still consider menstrual pads a hassle; one can only imagine what it was like using bandages, cloths, belts or nothing at all to catch the menstrual flow.

So how did people clean themselves up? Early Rome, Japan, Vietnam and countless While disposable menstrual pads were first other ancient societies used sticks made of introduced around the time of our beloved wood or bamboo. Some used hardcore stuff toilet paper (late 19th and like stones, and corn early 20th century), they cobs, but let’s just... were really expensive and not go there. Francois SO HOW DID PEOPLE inconvenient because Rabelais, French monk, CLEAN THEMSELVES UP? people had to use panties author of a satire book EARLY ROME, JAPAN, with special designs to Gargantua & Pantagruel, VIETNAM AND keep the pad in place. went as far as COUNTLESS OTHER Thankfully, from the concluding that the best ANCIENT SOCIETIES 1960s to 1980s, way one can go about USED STICKS MADE OF self-adhesive pads came wiping their rear is by WOOD OR BAMBOO. to replace the belts; and using the neck of a SOME USED HARDCORE with price reduction, goose. Imagine that. STUFF LIKE STONES, AND disposable menstrual CORN COBS, BUT LET’S pads became hugely What about softer JUST... NOT GO THERE. popular. Since then, cleaning methods? The menstrual pads have medieval Chinese evolved drastically in all sizes and shapes: actually used paper to clean themselves up, winged pads, ultra-thin pads, maxi pads, perhaps because they invented paper night pads,... you name it. themselves. However, in the West, the practice of using paper to clean oneself up But really, some of the credit should be given was regarded ineffective. It wasn’t until 1857 to Stayfree Mini Pads for inventing the did Joseph Gayetty introduce toilet paper adhesive strip. Without self-adhesive pads, (in sheets, not rolls) in the States. Even then, perhaps we’d still be using cotton to absorb the paper had a splinter problem (Imagine the menstrual flow. Feeling uncomfortable wiping yourself with sandpaper!). In 1890, about having to wash up? Disposable Scott Paper Company made the toilet paper menstrual pads are here to save your day! rolls we all know and love. 30 years later, Northern Toilet Paper introduced splinter-free toilet paper. Since then, toilet WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK paper has remained more or less WE TAKE FOR GRANTED? unchanged, but it has also become an essential part of our life. A hero indeed.