Singapore American Newspaper November 2018 by American Association of Singapore

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

November 2018

Community newspaper since 1958

www.aasingapore.com

MCI (P) 197/03/2017

American Association.................... 1-6 Member Discounts............................ 3 CRCE & Business......................... 7-10 Living in Singapore......................... 11 Community News...................... 12-13 Travel....................................... 14-15 Giving Back............................... 16-18 Health & Wellness.......................... 20 Arts & Culture........................... 21-23 Food & Dining................................ 24 President's Message....................... 26 What’s Happening......................... 27

Photo by Raffiq Razza

The 2018 Ambassador’s Cup Golf Tournament By Katie Baines

30 years of Deepavali in Singapore. p11

The gift of sight to Myanmar's monks. p14

Paws for thought: a day at the SPCA. p18

very year the Ambassador’s Cup Golf Tournament is an enormous amount of fun and 2018’s event with AAS certainly didn’t disappoint. Golfers were absolutely delighted to be back in Malaysia and, with Palm Resort Golf & Country Club’s manicured greens and stunning tropical landscape, it wasn’t difficult to figure out why. The energy at the clubhouse was palpable as tournament guests arrived on the Saturday morning, shouting out to friends, jeering in friendly rivalry, all the while getting the lowdown on team handicaps before collecting their goodie bags. Highly touching, though, was the greeting Malcolm Chen of Ageless Bicyclists, the official tournament charity, extended to our golfers on arrival. His story was an inspiration to us all and the generosity of those who contributed to his cause, unprecedented. In total, the tournament generated just over $3,500 for the charity, enough to purchase a Buddy Bike for a differently abled person; a staggering achievement and a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all our participants. After a plentiful lunch and the excitement of a lucky draw with incredible prizes, golfers were chomping at the bit to tee off. As the horn sounded, the buggies scattered across the course only to

be brought back in as the heavens opened. But even the weather couldn’t dampen spirits as the beer flowed and the laughter and chatter continued under cover. And then they were off again! There were near misses and epic shots, helped or hindered by a constant stream of more beer, tequila shots supplied by East West, all soaked up with snacks along the way to keep energy levels going. In a tightly fought contest, it was Team Forsyth consisting of Suthar Barthasarathy, Mark Forsyth, Tommy Lim and Sam Rebera who prevailed after a three-way putt-off at the poolside during dinner, earning them Saudia airline tickets among their winnings. They were closely followed by the Singapore American School team of Kris Ganske, Keith Hynes, Lance Murgatroyd and Joon Myong, with team Expat Dental’s Chris Camerieri, Brian Schwender and Matt Thompson coming in third. But then, whether it was taking home one of the dozens of fantastic prizes from a further lucky draw or the raffle, or simply enjoying a day well-spent with friends old and new, everyone was a winner. We are greatly indebted to our sponsors, particularly our title sponsor, Master Real Estate, who were a

Centennial Partners

Lest we forget: thanks of the highest order. p21

American Association of Singapore – Since 1917

tremendous support and an absolute joy on and off the course. A huge shout out to company CEO, Kerr Sun, who cleaned up at the previous night’s impromptu poker game, only to give all of his takings to Ageless Bicyclists the following morning. We also couldn’t have done it without the continued support of Singapore American School or our co-host, The American Club, and the many companies who supplied the wonderful prizes for the raffle and lucky draws. Thank you to our superb golf pro, Chris Neylan, who proved a force to be reckoned with on the course, as well as a fierce champion of the tournament charity. Enormous thanks, too, to tournament Chair, Chris Milliken, the golf committee and the AAS team, all of whom worked behind the scenes to make the occasion the success it was. Another great day of golf, fun and camaraderie has come and gone, but the memories will, undoubtedly, remain. See you next year!

2 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Singapore American · November 2018

W hat ' s Thursday

November

Wednesday

November

Thursday

November

Thursday

November

coming up

Trump and the US Midterm Elections with Steve Okun

Join Steve Okun as he discusses the potential political and economic impacts of what could be one of the most consequential midterm elections in US history. Hosted in conjunction with The American Club. 6:30 – 9pm The American Club, 3rd floor, (S)229573 $25 AAS and TAC Members

Coffee Connexions

Join us for morning coffee at Crossroads Cafe where you’ll have the opportunity to make new connexions and catch up with old ones too. 10 – 11:30am Crossroads Cafe Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel (outside), (S)238865 Free to join, but registration required. Attendees are required to purchase from the menu. Attendees will receive a 20% discount on food and beverage purchases. AAS members-only event. Guests are welcome to attend one Coffee Connexions event as a non-member.

Metworks Lunch

Networking group for men. Come swap ideas with working professionals, stay-at-home men and others who share your hobbies or interests. 12 – 1:30pm Brewerkz, Riverside Point, (S)058282 Free to join, but registration required. Attendees are required to purchase from the menu. AAS members-only event. Guests are welcome to attend one Metworks event as a non-member.

Quiz Night

Thursday

Tapas en Español

Tuesday

Thanksgiving Happy Hour

November

Monday

December

Have a conversation in your mother tongue or practice your Spanish conversational skills while enjoying tapas! 7 – 9pm Tapas Club, Orchard Central, (S)238896 Free to join, but registration required. Attendees are required to purchase from the menu. AAS members-only event. Guests are welcome to attend one Tapas en Español event as a non-member.

Please join us for a casual get-together in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Meet up with your AAS friends over drinks and nibbles and bring a canned food item to be donated to Willing Hearts soup kitchen. 6:30 – 8pm AAS Office, Thong Teck Building, (S)228218 Free and exclusive to AAS members. ADULTS ONLY. Registration required.

Toys for Tots

It’s the highlight of the AAS holiday season! Come and share with your family the joy of giving to others. Celebrate the spirit of the season with festive crafts, carols and refreshments. Meet our US Marines and enjoy a visit from Santa himself! Please bring an unwrapped new toy for the Marines to distribute to less fortunate children around Singapore. Hosted by the American Association and The American Club with the US Marine Corps. 5 – 7pm The American Club, The Galbraith Ballroom, (S)229573 For pricing and registration, visit www.aasingapore.com

Tons of useless factoids in your head? Mind like a steel trap for random details? Rally your team (or we'll put you in one) and test your talents at AAS's Quiz Night. Prizes (and bragging rights) awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams! This is your night to knock the champions off their throne! Includes a beer or glass of wine per person and a snack per table. 7 – 9pm Brewerkz, Riverside Point, (S)058282 $25 AAS Members or $120 AAS Member Team of 6 $35 Non-Members or $180 Non-Member Team of 6 We’re adding new events and activities all the time, so please keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information. Register for events at: www.aasingapore.com

3 Singapore American · November 2018

W hat

we ' ve been up to The guys had a great time socializing at their Metworks lunch at Brewerkz, Riverside Point. Don’t worry if you missed out, they’ll be back for lunch at the same venue this month. Go to our website to register. Another roaringly successful Newbie Night! We had a full house at the AAS office where our new members got to hear about all that the Association has to offer, as well as make some new friends.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

AAS MEMBER DISCOUNTS AAS members enjoy discounts at a range of local businesses. Present your AAS membership card at time of purchase. www.aasingapore.com/member-discounts

Allied Pickfords Singapore is offering AAS Members a special insurance premium of 3%, inclusive of complimentary cover for mould & mildew, pairs & sets, and mechanical derangement. To qualify, you must book an international move with Allied Pickfords Singapore, and provide your AAS membership details. Call +65 6862 4700 to arrange a free quote today. www.alliedpickfords.com

Members and friends got together at The American Club for the bi-annual Living in Singapore talk, co-hosted with Singapore American School PTA, where they got an insight into life in the Lion City. This month’s talk covered ‘Singapore history and culture’, ‘settling in’ and ‘health and wellness’.

Indulge in modern American gourmet burgers and premium craft beer. Enjoy 15% off when you dine at Brewerkz through December 31, 2018. Limit to one redemption per bill/table. Not valid on public holidays and eve of public holidays. Valid for a la carte menu. The management reserve the right to amend the terms & conditions without prior notice.

Taste authentic Mexican Food and blue agave tequila and receive 15% off when you dine at Café Iguana through December 31, 2018. Not valid on public holidays and eve of public holidays. Valid for a la carte menu. The management reserve the right to amend the terms & conditions without prior notice.

AAS members spent a morning volunteering at Willing Hearts soup kitchen, spending time preparing veggies, packing containers of food and generally having fun while giving back to the community. Our Spanish speakers caught up over delicious tapas and sangria at Tapas Club. A great evening of conversation, exchanging travel tales and experience of life in Singapore.

AAS team member, Arcia Perrenoud, hosted this month’s Coffee Connexions where a mix of regulars and newcomers enjoyed a morning of coffee and conversation at Privé, Orchard. Check our calendar for the November meet-up! AAS General Manager, Sarah Alden, Events Manager, Sarah Walston and Business Development Manager, Shu Khanduja spent the morning at the Singapore Children's Society where they saw the wonderful work that the Society does in providing abused and neglected children with a safe environment to live. The AAS team was awarded a painting to commemorate the donation of funds raised by the Association at the 2018 George Washington Ball. These funds went towards purchasing the children at Sunbeam Place kitchen items, utensils and shelves to the value of $10,000. Thank you to Rachel Tan, Denise Foo and the Singapore Children’s Society Senior Director of Fundraising, Mr. Chia Boon Khiang, for your hospitality and to the attendees of the 2018 George Washington Ball for supporting our chosen charity.

Exclusive for AAS members! Enjoy 20% off annual and single trip travel insurance and $100 discount per couple when you book a holiday package* with FCM Executive Leisure (formerly Flight Centre). *Package comprises of at least flight and accommodation. Contact your dedicated travel team at 6692 9656 or email executiveleisure@sg.fcm.travel for more info.

4 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Tournament Champions: Team Forsyth Suthar Barthasarathy, Mark Forsyth, Tommy Lim, Sam Rebera 2nd Place: Singapore American School 2 Kris Ganske, Keith Hynes, Lance Murgatroyd, Joon Myong 3rd Place: Expat Dental 1 Chris Camerieri, Brian Schwender, Matt Thompson Longest Drive Male: Robbie McCulloch Longest Drive Female: Dawna Allen Nearest to the Pin: Joon Myong Nearest to the Line: Kris Ganske

2018 AMBASSADORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT

BROUGHT TO YOU BY MASTER REAL ESTATE PTE LTD Photos courtesy of Katie Baines and Raffiq Rezza

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Singapore American · November • May 2016 2018

Title Sponsor

Tournament Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Golf Committee: Chair: Chris Milliken, Khai Baharin, Stephane Fabregoul, Chris Holloway, Brian Schwender, Aaron Simmons, Randy Simon, Matt Thompson Golf Pro: Chris Neylan, Certified Professional Coach, GOLFTEC Singapore

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS On behalf of the AAS Executive Committee, a warm welcome to all of our new members to the Association. We are here to help make your time in Singapore as enjoyable and interesting as we can while keeping you connected to all things American. When I arrived here in 2006, the American Association played an important role in helping me settle in. It even helped me find my first job through CRCE! Whether you're brand new to the Little Red Dot or a seasoned veteran like myself, we really do have something for everyone. As you leaf through the Gift of Giving issue of the Singapore American newspaper, you’ll see that one of the cornerstones of our organization is in getting involved and giving back. Whether our members are rolling up their sleeves and volunteering at the Willing Hearts soup kitchen, taking part in the Walk for Rice initiative with the US Embassy or collecting toys for distribution among less fortunate children at our Toys for Tots event, a sense of community spirit is very much at our hearts. We look forward to seeing you at any one of these wonderful events! Jenn Wood Director-at-Large

Sweta Agarwalla

Kris Elford

Amit Kumar

Wendy Ng

Susanna Vargas

Jody Andress

Mariet Elshof

Aurimas Lapinska

Martha Nogueira

Michael Vega

Frederic Barnaud

Danny Fung

Rachel Lei

Archy Patel

Maria Vergara

John Bijin Jabaraj

Mattew Gammon

Keyi Li

Erika Power

Sugandha Virmani

Dennis Breckenridge

Divya George

Chandra Longfield

Hamid Refai

Sandeep Virmani

Cesar Cabrera

Kelly Griesbach

Maureen Mai

Charla Serbent

MaryAnn Whelan

Lynn Carmichael

David Hoffman

Farooq Mann

Ritu Shah

Adam Zecha

Kristen Carroll

Sieva Jackson

Sujay Mashru

Karin Smith

Hui Zhan

Daniel Casey

Aileen Jung

Jo McKenna

Milan Stapley

Arena Zhang

MeiWah Chan

Soo Jung Park

Joy Meyer

Suzanne Thoman

Amy Zhang

Copper Crow

Radhika Kilachand

Casey Moorman

Shirley Tjia

Jiewei Zhang

Robert Dec

HyunJin Kim

Jason Muncy

Kevin Tomassini

YuXuan Zou

Xavier Dorin-Blanchard

Srinivas Koneru

Melissa Murray Bailey

Sam Tsui

Anindo Dutta

Laura Krajewski

Renuka Nanda Prinson

Regina Tuladher

MEMBER CORNER Who doesn’t like to check out their hometown paper for the latest happenings, to see who attended what party, to dream about and plan for their next vacation and to be in-the-know about community events around town? The Singapore American is your hometown paper on the Little Red Dot!

“Dawna and I moved to Singapore in June with our two daughters, aged four and six months. We had never visited Singapore and didn’t know anyone before arriving. With busy careers, we felt it was important to get involved in an organization early on to develop relationships outside the workplace. We’ve been able to meet a great group of people in a short amount of time and look forward to long lasting friendships through our continued involvement in AAS.” Travis Allen AAS member since August 2018

“Tina and I were asked to volunteer at the recent 4th of July Celebration by some friends who were members and, quite, honestly halfway through the event we both looked at each other and said we need to be members! The camaraderie, the fun and the pleasure of doing good work for the expat and greater Singapore community sold us on AAS and we joined that night. We both are looking forward to participating and supporting the Association” Bill Cornwell AAS member since July 2018

Where in the world is the Singapore American? Heading out of town? Get a pic of your friends and family displaying a copy of the Singapore American newspaper and send it our way. Include a little info about where in the world you were and then look for your photo in the paper!

CAREER RESOURCE CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

www.aasingapore.com

SPOTLIGHT ON JOBS Admin Assistant We are a growing F&B group and need some reliable support from an Admin Assistant. Key to the job is organization, good communications and computer skills, ideally with some Photoshop knowledge. Primary tasks will be invoicing clients, HR administration, filing and correspondence with clients. (job #3750)

TalentTrust: Giving Back Big Time

ncreasingly, employees are looking for more than just a pay check and pension fund; they’re asking potential employers what their company does in the way of philanthropy. No longer just a means of positive PR, organizations are wanting to give back by way of cash donations and employee expertise. This is where Singapore registered charity, TalentTrust, can step in, connecting individuals and corporations with worthy causes. TalentTrust’s CEO, Tess Mackean, explains how she got involved.

What inspired you and how did you get involved with TalentTrust? When I was in my 20s my career began in brand marketing. Although I learned a lot, I was working long hours and feeling incredibly stressed. One day, it hit me that for all my hard work, a woman in Canada might buy a new lipstick. This wasn’t enough for me, so I made the move to work for a charity whose focus was education. Sitting in my first town hall meeting, I was so inspired and motivated learning about the impact TalentTrust’s work was having on vulnerable young kids and, while I was still able to use those same private sector skills, I was enriching my own life just as much as the people we were helping.

How does TalentTrust work? TalentTrust runs year-long mentoring projects that connect senior business volunteers who want to give back to local charities that need strategic advice. Nearly all charities are run by passionate and talented individuals, but they may have gaps when it comes to skills that are more common in the private sector, such as strategic planning, managing a profit/loss statement and marketing. The goal of the project is to help the charity to become more effective, more sustainable and better at measuring their impact. After our volunteers have told us where their skills lie, we match them with a nonprofit specifically looking for help in that area. Our project managers then kick in and handle the set-up. They schedule all of the meetings, set the agendas and attend the meetings to facilitate the discussion while capturing the minutes and actions. They even follow up with the charity to ensure they’re supported

until the next meeting. This means that an individual can show up, give their best advice and then sit back until the next meeting, knowing that their time was well used.

Retail Executive We are looking to expand our toy company and would like to hire a dynamic, energetic and confident retail executive to assist us in our daily retail operations. Candidates must have a good command of English, be comfortable with computers and Microsoft Office applications and enjoy customers service. (job #3751)

Tell me about the role of a TalentTrust mentor. Our mentors are the beating heart of our projects and soon become trusted advisors to our charity partners. Over the course of a year, they meet once a month, guided by their project manager. As a team they question, coach and transfer skills into the charity, helping them to achieve their long-term goals. One of the most rewarding projects was with a small but brilliant charity that helps young children from low-income families gain access to high-quality and innovative education. We were privy to some horror stories about their hardship and, in some cases, abuse, but the resilience and positivity we saw in the kids whenever we met them was truly inspiring. We knew it was all thanks to the incredible staff that worked tirelessly to help them and we were overjoyed when we learned the charity would be expanding to help 30% more children. I don’t think a single mentor came away from that project with their lives unchanged.

What are the necessary credentials for someone to become a TalentTrust mentor? We ask that a candidate has at least eight to ten years’ business experience. They need to be committed to creating sustainable change within a local non-profit and not afraid to roll their sleeves up. We don’t charge our charity partners for our time so we also ask that our mentors help co-fund the projects. The needs of our charities vary greatly and we currently have over 80 mentors on our books. They range from the Managing Directors of Spotify and KPMG, to film producers and architects. The common thread is that they all take great pride in giving back. Good mentors have vast amounts of knowledge and experience to share, but the truly exceptional ones understand that the most important thing is to listen, learn and ask great questions. To find out more about the TalentTrust mentoring scheme, visit www.talenttrustsingapore.org

CRCE WORKSHOPS Writers’ Workshop – Time to Write! Speaker: Liz Coward Monday, November 5 9:30am – 12:30pm Interviewing and Networking Skills Series – Part 2 Speaker: Suzanna Borst Wednesday, November 7 10am – 12pm Interviewing and Networking Skills Series – Part 3 Speaker: Suzanna Borst Wednesday, November 14 10am – 12pm Writers’ Workshop – Time to Write! Speaker: Liz Coward Wednesday, November 21 9:30am – 12:30pm “At the Table” – A Networking & Career Group for Women Hosted by Stephanie Nash, Kimberly Raynor-Smith & Jenn Wood Thursday, November 29 6:30 – 8pm

Photo courtesy of Todd Beltz Photography

NEED HELP WITH APPROACHING THE JOB MARKET? DOES YOUR RESUME NEED A FACELIFT? AAS OFFERS PERSONALIZED CAREER COUNSELING SERVICES. CONTACT US FOR A PRIVATE APPOINTMENT WITH A PROFESSIONAL CAREER ADVISOR: CRCE@AASINGAPORE.COM

Part-Time Instructor We are looking for people who are passionate about working with children to conduct a wide range of classes such as cooking, science, robotics, arts and craft and many more on a part-time basis. Candidates must be able to commit at least one fixed weekday afternoon, between 3pm and 5pm. (job #3752) Accounting Executive Our predictive analytics company has a newly created opportunity for an Accounting Executive to join our small but dynamic team in our Singapore office, based in One North. This position can be offered on a full or part-time basis, with flexibility in hours depending on the successful candidate. (job #3753) Membership Engagement Manager Our prestigious club is currently looking for suitably qualified applicants for the position of Membership Engagement Manager. The successful candidate will be generating a vibrant online community for members, creating real life events to meet the membership at different points and working with the ad agency to create online content for attracting potential members. (job #3755) Early Years Teaching Partner Our international school is seeking an Early Years Teaching Partner for the Academic year 2018/19. Interested candidates must have a college degree with teaching emphasis or completion of an accredited teacher preparation program specific to the position. Candidates must have a minimum of two full contract teaching years’ experience at K12 grade. (job #3757) Primary Years Music and Art Technician Our international school is seeking a dynamic, experienced and flexible Primary Years Music and Art Technician who will support the teachers in facilitating the best teaching and learning for our students by preparing, organizing educational materials in the classroom. (job #3759) Language Teacher Our language center is recruiting for teachers to teach French, German or Spanish to variety of students, including children, adults and corporates. Duties will include planning and class preparation, participating in various school projects and attending events and meetings. Full-time and part-time positions are available. (job #3760)

8 CRCE & BUSINESS

Singapore American · November 2018

Steps to Building Your Own Business By Dee Allan

elieve it or not, it’s a great time to start a business and especially in Singapore, which has been ranked second in the world for being the most ‘pro-business country’ after New Zealand. With overnight sensations being created on YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and Udemy, there are no limits on who can launch a successful endeavor. These ‘new-age’ jobs don’t even necessarily require you to have a degree, or gazillions in the bank to bring your ideas to market.

But what you do need is unshakeable desire, a robust plan and story to drive your project to the top of the leaderboards. As a serial entrepreneur myself, I have made plenty of wise and poor decisions through my entrepreneurial journey. I’ve hustled repeatedly, building projects from the ground up and have now fine-tuned my launch strategy to 12 basic steps. Here’s my step-by-step guide to help turn the vapor of your dreams into a successful business.

1. Get Some Clarity Ask yourself: why? Why do you want to start your business? ‘Why?’ must be the question you ask yourself over and over again, day in and day out. This simple three-letter word is your guided aide to making good decisions.

• What are your key skills?

You need to be clear on your ‘why’. Are you seeking extra money? Do you want more freedom? Are you looking to give back? Do you want notoriety in your industry? Are you uninspired by your current role?

• How much money do you need to kick start your idea?

Then move onto other soul-searching questions, which will help you carve your niche according to your passion and calling:

• What ignites your passion? • What lifestyle do you seek? • Are you an expert in any specific area?

• How much money is available to you before sales are established? • Are you ready for a non-linear rise to success? Long hours and grit included?

2. Define Your Business Idea

4. Pre-test Your Idea

why you want to start a business in the first place.

You may already know what business you wish to launch; if so skip to step number three, if not, you can ponder the below questions to help you refine an idea:

Offer access to your product or service for free or a nominal fee with the purpose of getting feedback and refining your offering. By allowing people to interact with your project, you will have access to another ‘voice’ and ‘fresh eyes’. This is the fastest way to iron out the kinks, experiment, adjust and pivot prior to launching officially.

A business plan with 15-25 pages should suffice, unless you have a complex business or are pitching to investors. However, anything over 40 pages may indicate that you need to be more concise.

• What ‘pain-point’ are you looking to solve? • Are there any apps or technology advancements coming soon which will change the business environment? Can you foresee a trend? • Are your skills transferable to a new industry? You may see an opportunity within a differing industry where you can apply a fresh approach.

There’s a reason tech companies go into beta stage before unrolling their full project. Take a leaf from their book.

5. Get Your Legal Ducks in a Row

• Can you improve an existing concept or product? Can you add enhanced features, create more value for the customer, make it cheaper and/or bring it to market faster?

Even if Singapore is a fantastic place to launch your idea, you still need to get all the official admin in order. Here’s a basic checklist to cross off, but there may be extra permits, licenses or approvals you need depending on your sector:

• Scour forums and comment sections on articles to see what people are critical about. Can you offer a solution to an identifiable problem?

• Business structure (Pte Ltd, LLP, Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, etc)

• Research online courses. If courses are selling really well, clearly there is a demand for whatever it is teaching. Exhaust online research for ideas.

• Business registration

• Network with other entrepreneurs, they usually provide a wealth of information and advice.

• Bank account

• Company name • Permits and licenses • Trademarks and/or copyrights • Office space (if required)

3. Research the Market

• Domain names and social media addresses

Who is already providing the same or a similar service or product to your idea? If you can’t find any competitors, why not?

6. Write a Robust Business Plan

Research your potential competitors, suppliers, partners and other collaborators in your niche. Start conversations in forums and groups to get insights and advice. Don’t skip this step. It would be heartbreaking to plough full steam ahead with your concept only to find out way down the line that it’s already been brought to market.

Your business plan is a living and breathing document which should grow with your business as it progresses from idea to the finished offering. You should be making constant updates and amendments to it. If done correctly, it acts as a blueprint for your journey. If it feels like a chore to write up your plan, you need to revisit step number one on this checklist and ask yourself

You can download many free business plan templates via online search engines.

7. Money Money Money There are plenty of different ways to come up with resources to kick-start your idea. Here are a few ways to pump the gas into it: Close your windows and doors, you are on lock-down. No more take-outs or fancy dinners, you are self-funding and therefore putting your social life on hold. The good part? You retain ownership and control. Beg, steal, borrow from friends and family (OK, maybe not steal), but you can practice your pitch with people close to you and see who believes in your concept. This could provide useful feedback too. Search for grants. Visit the websites of SME Portal, Business Grants, Enterprise Singapore and SAAA Singapore to see if you can access any funding for your idea. It can be drawn out process, but you will retain equity in your business. Consider a crowd-funding campaign on the Kickstarter, Indiegogo or GoFundMe websites. These sites have been gaining in popularity and are responsible for bringing amazing projects to life. Perhaps your idea would be a good fit? Apply for an incubator or accelerator program. These are usually well suited to tech-related projects, but other industries are also considered. Here, your project is nurtured by an experienced company who can provide guidance, advice, contacts and, sometimes, free

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Singapore American · November 2018

Patriot Partners

Eagle Partners resources such, as office space. There is a list of these providers at the Fintech website. Search for Angel Investors. Not for profit associations, such as CRIB, can help to connect you with investors and to network with other entrepreneurs. Look for equity partners or venture capital (VC) investors. VCs have strict criteria, so you may need to build up some traction before approaching them. Negotiate pre-orders from any key clients in your niche. You have stronger bargaining power if there is a particular client who wants your product or service. They may even be prepared to negotiate in return for a stake in your company. You can get creative and look at franchising, early-license and white-label contracts. Trade equity in your business in return for a particular service. For example, you offer copywriting or computer IT support to a company in return for free or heavily discounted office space. Becoming thrifty is the name of the game here. Seek credit via a micro-loan or traditional bank loan. Check the interest and repayment criteria to make sure it’s feasible, though.

8. Time to Get Creating After all the pre-work, it’s time to create. This can be an exciting phase of development, but requires patience. Recruit your mastermind team consisting of suppliers, vendors, merchants and manufacturers around you to create your project. It’s really not viable to do everything yourself, unless your ambition is to be a hobbyist or one-man band with limited output, in which case this checklist may be over-kill for you. Freelancers can be hired for reasonable rates via websites such as People Per Hour, Upwork and 99 Designs.

9. Home from Home Consider your image, brand, foot traffic, demographics, rent and rates, infrastructure and accessibility when securing office-space. Co-working office space has exploded all over Singapore in the last few years, so this could be an option as you start out. Equally, you can research other start-ups and see if you can rent a desk or share an office with them.

10. Recruit Your Hit Squad Delegation is key when it comes to scaling your business. You need to build up your hit squad, be it employing freelancers, admin, sales or marketing support. Job listing site Indeed currently allows employers to post jobs free of charge. You can also sign up for a paid LinkedIn account under the one-month free premium account trial on offer which gives access to extended profile information and a certain number of ‘In-mails’ to other members you want to headhunt.

11. Making Your First Few Sales Every company is born to sell. Developing sales strategies is a game of trial and error; however, there’s a whole host of information available on the web, which can point to appropriate sales channels and sales funnels. You can even spy on your competitor’s social media strategy via Ahrefs, SEMrush and Hootsuite. Put your Sherlock Holmes hat on and decipher your competitor’s social media mentions at the Social Mention website.

Pantone 424c: C 57.4 M 47.29 Y 47.86 K 14.12

The entire sales-cycle is an entire topic of its own. However, all sales methods will involve identifying your target market, creating ‘fans’ and growing your customer base into revenue-earning streams. You will test and adjust different elements of your marketing mix using online and offline methods.

Community Partner

It’s vital to stay plugged into Google analytics and other sales and analytical automation tools available to you.

Stars & Stripes

PANTONE 424C

12. From Seed to Tree To scale your business effectively, you will need your marketing message to be continuously switched on. You can grow in multiple directions, through merger and acquisition, franchising, entering new markets, extending product ranges, segmenting your audience for a different offering and opening overseas offices. Regardless of your approach, you will need to have a well-oiled marketing machine and already be proficient with your social media strategy, which holds true for most industries. You will have developed an email list and will be investing in your existing customers and clients, continuously adding value and leveraging your historical track record. You will experience growing pains at some stage, where you perhaps turn work away, or don’t have enough manpower to deal with customer service. These are good problems to have, but ones which need a robust remedy to resolve, adjust, scale and grow.

In Summary One thing is for certain, opting to become an industrious entrepreneur means you are initially going to work more hours and days than in a regular 9-5 job. You will slog, you will curse, you will sweat blood and tears. You may even feel like giving up, which is when your initial desire for your project (see step number one) comes to the rescue. Your business is like your child and it’s your initial desire and passion for your project which stops you from abandoning ship when things become tough. So, if you have done the necessary mindset work in the first place and have clarity crystalized, you will be able to pursue and endure the journey towards your life’s calling. Dee Allan is the founder and director of 3C Synergy recruitment consultancy. She is a qualified copywriter and career coach. You can follow her blogs on www.bossbabelady.com

CHECK OUT these useful links for more information 99 Designs www.99designs.com

Indiegogo www.indiegogo.com

Business Grants Portal www.businessgrants.gov.sg

Kickstarter www.kickstarter.com

Enterprise Singapore www.enterprisesg.gov.sg

People Per Hour www.peopleperhour.com

Fintech www.fintechnews.sg/ list-startup-acceleratorsincubators-Singapore

SAAA Singapore www.saaa.org.sg

GoFundMe www.gofundme.com Hootsuite www.hootsuite.com Indeed www.indeed.com.sg

SEMrush www.semrush.com SME Portal www.smeportal.sg Social Mention www.socialmention.com Upwork www.upwork.com

10 CRCE & BUSINESS

Singapore American · November 2018

“At the Table” – A Networking & Career Group for Women Hosted by women, for women

here are more women in the Singapore workforce than ever before. From corporate executives to work-from-home entrepreneurs, there’s a lot of us out there with our noses to the grind-stone. Whether full or part-time, looking for work, starting up a business or considering a complete career change, we could all use the support of other women who ‘get’ us. In the exciting, yet sometimes daunting, expat world, career women are often faced with feeling isolated. Many memoirs, books and online blogs talk about working in a foreign county, but nothing beats making a connection through the good old-fashioned art of conversation. The excitement of making a new connection, of feeling understood, of being part of “something” can fill the void and leave you feeling more at ease in your home-away-from-home. Enjoy a seat “At the Table” for an ongoing series of regular events to exchange views and ideas in an open and welcome environment. Each get-together will feature three speakers. Our CRCE Ambassador, Kimberly Raynor-Smith, will moderate and she’ll be joined by two fellow career women. Kimberly is a Program Manager and Career Coach with Bain & Company in Singapore. She and her husband, two kids and two dogs, just relocated here after 3.5 years in Beijing and Washington, DC before that. Kimberly is excited to meet and learn from her peers and facilitate an environment where women are empowering women.

For the launch “At the Table”, guests will include American Association of Singapore’s President, Stephanie Nash, who’ll share her insights from working in Singapore. Stephanie is an accomplished human resources leader with more than two decades’ experience living and working in Asia, Australia and South America, in addition to her home country of the United States. Currently living in Singapore, Stephanie is using her HR, commercial and international experience to improve organizational and functional capability at Redmart, Singapore's leading online supermarket. Alongside Kimberly and Stephanie, Jenn Wood will also share her personal experience’s from working in Singapore. Jenn is Regional Marketing Director for BCD Travel, the world’s third largest corporate travel company, where she oversees marketing and communications for 18 markets. She’s worked for 12 years in Singapore, including serving as General Manager of the American Association of Singapore (2008 – 2011). She’s also an American Association of Singapore Director-at-Large where she chairs the Communications committee. Come meet women from all walks of life and hear about their experiences and career directions…and mis-directions! Oh, and wine. Did we mention there’d be wine? Please join us for the launch of the American Associations of Singapore’s “At the Table” series on Thursday, November 29 from 6:30-8pm at the AAS office.

Join the AAS Executive Committee! AAS is looking for candidates to serve on our Executive Committee! The Executive Committee’s role is to oversee the leadership and management of the Association according to the strategic direction set by the Board of Directors. The ExCo consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and five Directors-at-Large and each person holds office for two years. Elections will be in March of 2019. If you are interested in getting involved and giving back to your Association by serving as an ExCo member, please contact the board at: generalmanager@aasingapore.com

11 LIVING IN SINGAPORE

Singapore American · November 2018

Singapore Celebrates its 30th Deepavali By Hannah Wilson

eepavali or Diwali, as it is pronounced by the South or North Indians respectively, celebrates its 30 th year in Singapore on November 6. The ancient origins of this festival, also known as the Festival of Lights, are recounted through varying legends. According to one version, Deepavali celebrates the return of Lord Rama and his family from exile by the hands of his devious stepmother who ousted him so that her own son could become the ruler. Another version tells the story of Lord Krishna who defeated the demon king Narakasura.

royalty and abundance and the latter victory, love and wisdom, with many shop stalls selling miniature versions as trinkets. For those looking to buy Indian ethnic wear, jewelry, decorations and traditional snacks, such as rice flour pancakes, green mung bean and lentil cakes, Campbell Lane and Hastings Road host the festival bazaar, which is held until the big day on November 6. There is also a special Diwali Fair close to Serangoon Road, along Dunlop Street, with vendors selling earthen lamps, lights, firecrackers, murukku – a deep-fried sweet cookie – and festival souvenirs.

Irrespective of the diversities, the main idea of the festival is the victory of light over darkness and good over evil and is a time of great rejoicing on the Hindu calendar, hence the magnitude of joy, dazzling lights and fireworks.

So, whether it’s to take in the visual spectacle, the heady aroma of traditional feasting fare or the flamboyant colors of the bazaars, grab yourself a mug of milky teh tarik and immerse yourself in the experience.

Over the course of the festival, Hindu homes are decorated both inside and out with flowers and rangoli, the patterned decorations of colored powder or rice strewn across the floors and oil pots placed in doorways and windows, in honor of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Ganesh, the god of auspicious beginnings. Many Hindu homes are full of family and friends in the lead up to the festival, with everyone wearing new clothes.

English teacher Hannah, when not in the classroom, is a nighthawk who loves to explore what Singapore has to offer after dark. Between school semesters she is an avid traveler and enjoys hopping over to neighboring countries in Asia.

Out in the streets, the Serangoon Road area is adorned with garlands and illuminated by around two million brightly colored light bulbs which will stay alight until November 25. Special prayer sessions are held in the equally dazzlingly lit temples, most notably at Singapore’s oldest, the Sri Mariamman Temple, which dates back to 1827. Across Little India, enormous statues of elephants and peacocks line the streets, the former symbolizing

Photos by Katie Baines

12 COMMUNITY NEWS

Singapore American · November 2018

Meet Jerrod Hansen Political Section, US Embassy

s a parent, I’ve come up with a few rules for life that I encourage my daughter Miku to follow: Rule one: Stay safe! Rule two: Make it fun! Rule three: Be good (but if you can’t be good, don’t get caught!)

The first rule is the most important: take care of yourself! Look both ways when you cross the street, don’t run with scissors and always travel with a partner. But rule number one can lead to a conservative perspective, so rule number two is get out there and have fun! But it is more than just having fun; it is a reminder we can make the world a better place for ourselves and those we share it with, even during the difficult times. We can’t always control what happens in life, but we can control how we deal with it. Rule number three includes the important moral imperative of the ‘Golden Rule’ while acknowledging that sometimes rules need to be broken. There are, however, consequences for that, so it’s important to be self-aware enough to determine what’s worth getting in trouble for (but hopefully still avoiding the trouble!). My daughter is the most important person in my life and I am incredibly proud of her. I know I’m biased, but she really is amazing – she is the most responsible and reliable 13-year-old anyone can imagine and she makes it easy for me to be a single parent. I always say that I won the kid lottery because she’s always been so easy to raise. Part of it is my approach to parenting and part of it is just that she’s a good kid! I’ve succeeded in building genuine trust and communication between us, which really helped us when my wife died a couple years ago from a sudden brain aneurysm. Miku and I were always tight but after we lost her mom, we developed this incredible bond. We trust and help each other and we’ve been able to protect our sense of humor and love of life in the process. Having our happy little dog Guinness with us helps, too!

Before I joined the Foreign Service, I finished my PhD in Anthropology at Kyoto University and then worked as an Associate Professor at a college in Osaka. I’d met my wife in Japan years earlier and Miku was born and raised there through to age 10. Since then, I have served in Nigeria and South Korea. I wanted to come to Singapore for many reasons and am grateful for the incredible educational options we have here. We are very lucky to live in Singapore and will continue to rely on rule number two as we enjoy our time here.

Camping in Pulau Ubin

Indoors, Outdoors and Beyond!

By Drew Zook

By Fran Martindale

n September 15, 18 Boy Scouts and six adults of BSA Troop 07 left the Changi Point Ferry Terminal heading to Pulau Ubin for a one-night, two-day campout. At this campout the Scouts set up the tents and then worked on many things like the Trail to First Class, which is rank advancement, and their Totin Chip, a requirement that enables Scouts to carry knives. We went on a five-mile hike that took us out to the boardwalk where we got to see the mangroves and planes landing at Changi airport. These hikes helped us Scouts talk to each other and learn about wildlife on Pulau Ubin. Also, we stopped at a local drinks stand and played volleyball together on their court, which was a fun way for us to take a break from our hike.

tents, ate breakfast and did a ‘police line’, which is making sure that we left the campground better than we found it. After the clean-up, we did more fire building activities to ensure all younger Scouts got a chance to make a fire. As we left the campsite and hiked back to the docks of Pulau Ubin, we met some of the Australian Scouts. We also saw some people from the Singapore National Service working there. The boat ride with friends back to Changi Point Ferry Terminal was fun.

After the hike, we got back to the campsite and did fire-building activities using flint and steel, as well as lighters and other materials. This helped younger Scouts work on their Tenderfoot rank advancements. With the campfire lit, the Scoutmasters made shepherd’s pie in a Dutch oven. We all filled our stomachs with food ranging from mac and cheese, hotdogs and baked beans to camp-made spaghetti Bolognese. All Scouts gathered around the campfire for joke-telling, skit and storytelling by patrols. Later we roasted marshmallows over the fire reflecting on the success of the campout and some of the failures.

Drew is 13 years old and was born in Raleigh North Carolina. He has lived in the US and Singapore. Drew started scouting in Boy Scout troop 226 in US. After moving to Singapore in August of 2017, he transferred to Singapore Boy Scout Troop 07. His favorite part of Scouting is camping.

The next morning, we packed up our

Photo courtesy of Zukowski and Andy Zook

Overall this campout seemed to be a great success. A lot of the younger Scouts were able to do the Totin Chip, as well as work on the fire-building activities. All the meals were well-planned and well-made. I can't wait for next year’s Pulau Ubin campout!

ub Scouts Pack 3017 recently started its year with a kick-off pizza party and Indoor Sports Day in which the whole pack participated. From Tiger Den Scouts in grade one to Webelos II Scouts in grade five, everyone got to play games, such as 'capture the flag' and 'wiffleball', while the Webelos Scouts got a taste of what it’s like to organize and lead an activity for young people. This kind of leadership experience in a fun environment is what Scouting is all about. With over 100 Scouts now, Pack 3017 is the largest in the Far East Council region. Based at Singapore American School, but open to kids from all schools, children of all nationalities from across Singapore join to undertake a variety of activities ranging from hiking and outdoor orienteering, to learning first aid and woodworking. As part of the Boy Scouts of America, our pack continues many of the traditions of Scouts, such as camping and holding the Pinewood Derby – a race to see which Scout has made the fastest car of the year. Scouting is a unique chance for kids to explore Singapore’s forests and parks, as well as its civic district, and learn more about its history as well as their own. As Scouts work towards earning different badges, they might learn about astronomy, science and about the world around them.

and share their experience and resources. Having a child in Scouts gives families a place to come together and spend time doing activities that are interesting and memorable without the pressure that comes with school or competitive sports. “Scouts has been a great way for my son and I to do some things together that I did as a kid, like camping in a tent and learning how to build a campfire,” said parent, John Sharp. “He’s also had a chance to do some things we didn’t expect, like go fishing and visit places in Singapore that we’d never been to before.” The Scouts year has just started, but if you’re interested in having your child join, please contact Cub Scouts Pack 3017 at sgpack3017@gmail.com. Photo by Michiko San

All of this is possible because of the involvement of parent volunteers who are each willing to help out with a few activities

SCOUTING IN SINGAPORE Boy Scouts Troop 07: www.bsatroop07.org Boy Scouts Troop 10: www.facebook.com/BSATroopX Cub Scouts Pack 3010: www.sgpack3010.org Cub Scouts Pack 3017: SGPack3017@gmail.com Girl Scouts: www.singaporeusagirlscouts.org

Singapore American · November 2018

Lighting Paths, Building Lives Stairway Foundation, Philippines By Hritika Singh, 10th grade

omeone once said, “The most valuable asset in life is not a head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, with an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help.”

This quote came to life with Singapore American School’s (SAS) Interim Semester experience at the Stairway Foundation, originally founded by Lars Jørgensen and Monica D. Ray. SAS Interim Semester was a result of students being increasingly isolated from ‘real life’ in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Starting in 1973, the first Interim Semester included 35 course options with trips to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Today, Interim Semester offers high school students 60 week-long courses in 20 different countries, deepening their understanding of the world and inspiring them to challenge themselves through service learning, global studies and eco-adventures. Stairway, a humble sanctuary, focuses on improving the lives of boys who have suffered abuse on the streets of the Philippines. By providing these neglected boys with a home, education, therapy sessions and, most importantly, a family-like atmosphere, Stairway enriches their lives by giving them skills to try to make a life for themselves after their heart wrenching pasts. The therapy provided helps them overcome their dark experiences by enhancing their hidden positive attitudes, such as selflessness, benevolence and faith in those who aid them. From their divergent personalities, we were able to absorb many vital lessons. This experience opened us up to ideas, such as cherishing our lifestyles and bringing more awareness to the prevalence and inhumanity of the abuse of children and their rights. Stairway aims to create a family-like bond between the boys which is extremely successful; despite the fact that they are not related by blood, they manage to love and protect each other like a family. This trip offered us an opportunity to create a valuable impact on the boys, furthering their therapy at the Foundation. A shout out to Lars Jørgensen and Monica D. Ray for making an immense impact on the lives of many street children and bringing awareness to an important issue. Your concern for the wellbeing of society has inspired many who have crossed your paths, including us, to aim to make a bigger change in our world. Photos courtesy of Singapore American School

14 TRAVEL

Singapore American · November 2018

unteer: l o V a f o y r ia D The s for g in n e e r c S n io is V ks Myanmar Mon

idson By Jennifer Dav

yanmar. Rich in culture and, understandably, becoming an emerging tourist destination. Its name inspires visions of beautiful lakes, scenic mountains and numerous pagodas and temples. Nestled within a peaceful 500-acre area of land approximately 200 miles south of this beautiful country’s capital, Yangon, is the Pa Auk Forest Monastery, intended for practice of Samatha and Vipassana- meditation. The monastery is home to more than 1,000 monks and nuns, along with yogis traveling to seek a retreat and a taste of the monastic lifestyle, relying wholly on donations and voluntary support.

Day One

Day Two

Travel from Singapore to Yangon to Mawlamyine

Eye Checks for Male Mo

We all assembled at Changi airport and, after dividing up and rearranging our luggage to properly allow room for our various ophthalmic and medical equipment, vision charts and eye drops, along with the many, many eye glasses, we boarded our flight. Three hours of smooth flying later, we arrived in Yangon. SIM cards purchased and currency exchanged, we met our travel agent and jumped on our bus for the eight-hour journey to the monastery.

For five days and four nights I, along with 30 like-minded eye care professionals, members from the Singapore Lions Millennium club and other local volunteers, joined together for what would be the second annual eye screening at the monastery, administering check-ups for the monks, yogis and villagers.

We soon arrived at an underprivileged village school. In Singapore many of us collected money and items to donate to the children and young volunteer teachers. At the school we formed an assembly line to provide the students with new backpacks to fill with their new donated goodies. The local monk at the school thanked us and we were on our way; however, not long after, we were welcomed by the family of the principal monk who offered us homecooked mohinga. Mohinga is considered Myanmar’s national dish with a preparation time up to seven hours. This traditional breakfast is a lemongrass and fish soup and can be served over rice noodles.

The 5:30am wake-up call c our lovely hotel hosts were r and western breakfast buffet. bus and made our way to the screenings for the male mon greeted by volunteers and a loc at the first station who gathered blood pressure readings to ad station the monks took a bas followed by near vision. The o information to provide refract to determine a specific eyegla

With full bellies, we continued our journey and arrived at the Pa Auk Forest Monastery where we set up our stations for tomorrow’s long day of vision screenings. A quick check-in at NgweMoe Hotel and we were off to bed for some muchneeded sleep.

Our dispensing stations were and handed out the specifi Essilor Vision Foundation don allowed us to dispense on th specific lens. The last station p an option to order a more cust sponsored by Essilor Vision sent to a local doctor for thos ups, or surgeries, all of which worth of donations. After a s the morning flow we continu retiring to bed.

Day Five

Travel from Yangon to S

The morning of day five wa group. Now as close friends, w of service and the rich culture to Yangon airport to catch ou

15 TRAVEL

Singapore American · November 2018

Day Three

Day Four

onks

Eye Checks for Female Nuns, Yogis and Villagers

Breakfast Dana and Touring Yangon

came earlier than expected, but ready to provide us with a local . As a group, we shuttled on the e monastery to begin our vision nks. In an orderly line, they were cal Myanmar general practitioner ed general health information and dd to their exam sheets. At the next se line acuity for distance vision, optometrists amongst us used this tions using their loose trial lenses ass prescription for each monk.

We woke up early, ready for another successful day of eye screenings. Greeted by lines of smiling patients, we slipped off our sandals and walked barefoot to our stations. Based on appearance, the nuns were easily distinguished from the usual shorter-term yogis. The nuns, like the monks, have shaved heads and wear a long robe of one color, whereas the yogis may wear a slightly different style robe and, typically, their hair remains. The local villagers in their everyday apparel continued to spoil us by graciously serving tea and fruit throughout the day, in spite of the generous lunch – we did not go hungry!

Another early rise, our morning began at 4am for us to serve breakfast Dana to the monks. During their stay at the monastery, they only eat two meals a day; breakfast and lunch. With volunteers in their aprons and hair nets and monks in a single line with their alms bowls, early morning breakfast was served to them – both meal times are spiritual and formal processes. Following breakfast was a robe offering ceremony to the principal monk, whereby a donation of cloth was made, and finally we said our goodbyes. Our group loaded up in the bus for our drive back to Yangon where we had the choice of a visiting a sapel, a traditional Burmese spa, or shopping at the Bogyoke market where thanaka could be purchased. Thanaka is the yellow paste seen on many of the individuals of Myanmar. It is a traditional face cream made from ground bark applied to the face to give UV protection, moisturize and prevent acne.

e kept busy while they assembled ied near and distance glasses. nated Ready2Clip glasses which he spot by quickly popping in a provided eye drops, referrals and tomized eyeglass, which was also Foundation. Any referrals were se needing extensive care, follow h were funded by the S$10,000 seafood lunch and discussion of ue working until dinner, before

Singapore

as our last breakfast as a large we took our wonderful memories e of Myanmar and made our way ur flight back to Singapore.

After seeing 900 patients over the two days, we concluded our mission. Fifty patients will be receiving highly customized lenses and 100 will be seeking additional care including follow ups, ocular disease evaluations and surgeries, none of which would happen without our wonderful volunteers and sponsors. Tired and, believe it or not, hungry we discussed and pondered over our experience at the monastery over our final dinner.

Our next stop was the beautiful Shwedagon Pagoda. This 2,500 year old stupa stands close to 110 meters tall and is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is 72 carats. Before heading to the Summit Parkview Hotel, we made one last stop for dinner and a cultural show at the Karaweik Palace. This golden floating palace sits on a barge of the beautiful Kandawgyi Lake.

Monk Schedule 3:30am Wake Up 4:00-5:30am Morning Chanting and Group Sitting 5:30am Breakfast 7:30-9:0am Group Sitting Meditation 10:00-10:15am Lunch 1:00-2:30pm Group Sitting Meditation 3:30-5:00pm Group Sitting Meditation 7:30-9:00pm Evening Chanting and Group Meditation Walking meditations are encouraged in between sitting meditations. No food is to be eaten after midday. If you are sick, you are allowed the five tonics: butter, ghee, oil, honey and sugar, as well as appropriate medicines.

16 GIVING BACK

Singapore American · November 2018

Lessons in Giving By Richard Hartung

s Giving Worth It? published in 2014, tells the stories of more than two dozen people in Singapore who give their time, talent and treasure to non-profits, foundations and a variety of other organizations. And their stories offer a multitude of lessons about giving. “As you go through this life,” says Sunlove Abode founder, Wee Lin, you wonder, ‘why am [sic] I born here, what is the purpose of life.” After all his exploring, he found a path which he started on in the 1980s and still follows today. “Don’t continue to go for worldly material things. If you always go on reading books and every day you do the same thing, you get bored. What matters is the here and the now. The best service you can do for others is set a good example.” The point, he says, is “to touch people’s hearts, be effective and do something different.” It’s important, too, to give at the right level. Career coach, AC Ho, says one of his key lessons from volunteering is the four phases of contribution. The first phase is when you are a novice and you learn. The second is when you are a professional and have expertise to give. In the third, you contribute through coaching, mentoring or managing events. And phase four is when people contribute strategically. “We need to ask ourselves, ‘what is my best level of contribution?’” Deutsche Bank managing director Oliver Bettin has found that his meaning and right level is in leading projects such as founding OH! Open House and running Deutsche Bank’s annual Donate One Day fundraising campaign. “I’m very fortunate in where I am in life,” he says. “If those who are more fortunate don’t give back, we will have problems. I just don’t understand people who don’t give back. You have an obligation. It takes up time, but it doesn’t take up all my time. A lot of it is around being efficient, allocating time and prioritizing stuff.” Interestingly, he also considered working for a non-profit full-time. He has found, though, that his strength is in leveraging a large organization for the greater good, that he would not have as much access to people and infrastructure to help people if he were outside the bank.

Giving can also have a positive impact on one’s career. Thirty-something engineer, Angela Ong, says she has found tremendous fulfilment in her volunteering with the elderly. “When the elderly say ‘thank you’ and ‘see you next month’, they really appreciate what you did for them. That is the most satisfying thing.” Now, she says, “volunteering is my passion.” Through her volunteering, Angela has made good friends and gained self-confidence as well. And when she became a volunteer leader, it was her first time to lead people. “If you take the lead, you learn more” – and she got promoted shortly after she started leading, too. NUS professor, Tan Lai Yong, feels his biggest impact is with students. He lives on the NUS campus and constantly looks for opportunities for undergraduates to volunteer in the community beyond NUS. He’s very satisfied to see them getting involved in community engagement that can change their outlook and even their lives. “I don’t think I change them. They change themselves. We plant the seeds.” Lawyer, Nicholas Aw, says that both his volunteering with the Disabled People’s Association and his pro bono legal work give him great satisfaction. “Making money is just part and parcel of life,” Nicholas says. “You can never make enough money. If you make enough to be happy, you’re fine. When I do this work, I feel I make a difference in someone’s life, whether they say ‘thank you’ or not. I’m not trying to score Brownie points. I want to make a difference in someone’s life, make sure they have a second chance. It feels good to be able to do that.” Richard Hartung, the Managing Director of Transcarta, is a freelance writer for Today, gtnews, Challenge, OOSSKAnews, The Asian Banker and other media as well as the author of Changing Lanes, Changing Lives. He is also a consultant in retail banking, focusing on payments strategy and efficiency, with more than 20 years of experience in Asia.

Singapore American · November 2018

Just One Person Can Make a Difference By Faith Chanda

erhaps you’ve found yourself settled in Singapore and, finally, with a little time on your hands. Or you’ve realized all the glitz and glamour in the capital of Crazy Rich Asians country has got your perspective a little skewed. Or maybe you just feel the call to “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of ways you can give back on The Little Red Dot.

Expatgiving aims to match up expats who have time on their hands and a giving spirit with non-profits that need skilled volunteers and, in some instances, may have paid employment opportunities. Organizations in countries such as Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines and Cambodia participate, as well as those in Singapore, in case you are looking to do some good while traveling around South East Asia. Giving.sg has a searchable database

of over 500 registered charitable organizations. Filters include issues addressed by the organization, such as poverty, domestic abuse or animal rights, your skills areas and even location within Singapore to help you pinpoint the right cause for you. The web page also helps with fundraising ideas if you’d prefer to go a more independent role. Expatland Giving has an interesting premise: “If Expatland were a ‘single’ country, it would have a population of more than 230 million people and would be the fifth largest country in the world.” As such, the folks at Expatland reckon the expat community should ensure that we ‘give back’ some time and effort to contribute toward making the world a better place. The Expatland Giving Back Fund asks expats interested in volunteering to commit 1% of their time over a 12-month time limit. If you need a little inspiration before you get started, visit Our Better World,

Find out more: Charity Portal www.charities.gov.sg Expatgiving www.expatgiving.org Expatland Giving www.expatlandgiving.org Giving.sg www.giving.sg Habitat for Humanity www.habitat.org.sg Our Better World www.ourbetterworld.org Red Cross www.redcross.sg Singapore International Foundation www.sif.org.sg World Wildlife Fund www.wwf.sg

the storytelling arm of Singapore International Foundation, whose aim is to foster a peaceful and cooperative global community through projects centering around arts & culture, business & livelihood, education, environment and healthcare. If you’d rather volunteer with others, consider linking up with a group of folks with the same desire to make a difference. Just about every national association in Singapore has a volunteering or charity arm, including the American Association and American Women’s Association. Many companies plan community projects for their employees and their families. Or you could search out one of the many global NGOs with branches right here in Singapore, such as the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, or the World Wildlife Fund. As with just about any topic you can think of these days, there are Facebook groups in abundance. One such group is Expats Making a Difference in Singapore, founded by Yen Siow, who says the group was “created to connect like-minded expats who wanted to make friends through volunteering in Singapore. We serve, support and/or give in kind to vulnerable women and children with the hope that, as expats, we could draw our family circles a little wider to make room for the marginalized, developing compassion and sharing our things with those who have very little.” Before you commit to volunteering with or donating to any charitable group, please ensure they are properly registered by researching Charity Portal. Faith relocated to Singapore in January 2015 with her husband and two young children. She is a freelance writer and marketing consultant as the sole proprietor of F. Chanda Communications & Events. Faith enjoys exploring food, culture, nature and design through her travel adventures.

18 GIVING BACK

Singapore American · November 2018

For the Animals in Singapore In conversation with Dr. Jaipal Gill Singh, Executive Director, SPCA

ince its advent in the late 1800s in Singapore, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has been coming to the aide of sick, injured or badly treated animals. Its early cases were of cruelty to hack ponies, ill-treated oxen or birds shot by blowguns, for which the penalty would be minimal, if anything at all, and animals were visited rather than given shelter. It wasn’t until after World War II that the first boarding house for unwanted or stray animals was established.

Since then, the charity has expanded enormously, not only providing shelter and 24-hour animal rescue, but engaging with the community by means of volunteering programs, animal adoption and education in schools, as well as advocacy for wildlife and animals in entertainment or fashion industries. Executive Director of SPCA, Dr. Jaipal Gill Singh, gives an overview of what happens at the Sungei Tengah Road center and how to get involved.

How does the day start at SPCA? Our shelter team of staff and volunteers start off with cleaning the kennels and cages, exercising the animals and then feeding. Our rescue team and inspectorate are on standby to attend to emergencies that come through our 24-hour telephone hotline, or through other channels such as emails or social media.

Which types of animals come to you? The SPCA takes in over 100 animals every month, the majority being cats and dogs. These animals are a mix of abandoned and surrendered pets, street dogs and cats that are sick or injured, lost or abused. It is not always possible to tell if an animal found on the street is abandoned. Every single day, we also receive surrender requests from pet owners. We believe that pet ownership is a lifetime responsibility and that potential pet owners should carefully consider the commitment involved before bringing home a companion animal.

What have been the most notable success stories recently at SPCA? One of our favorite cases is that of Rover, a dog which was with us for six years. He came to us as a puppy in May 2012 and in April 2018 he was finally adopted by a lovely couple who gave him the love and forever home he deserved.

of our kind fosterers, Pearl, took him in and nursed him back to health. He will be available for adoption at our shelter soon! We are thankful that there are always people who are willing to open their hearts and homes to our animals, whether it is for fostering or adoption. These are the people who motivate us to keep going, as well as help save the lives of more animals in the process.

Describe some activities that go on at SPCA. Every day, we have volunteers coming in to help with our daily operation – cleaning the kennels, feeding and taking care of the animals. There is a group of volunteers who will come every morning to help walk the dogs under our dogwalking program. Additionally, we conduct educational talks and visits for both students and corporate groups on a weekly basis. We will also have one or two volunteer orientation sessions every month for those who are interested in joining our volunteer family. The SPCA also runs a community animal clinic where needy animals can get access to veterinary services.

How can people get involved with SPCA? Besides adopting our animals and making donations to us, there are many other ways people can get involved with SPCA. We are always happy to have more volunteers join us in helping out around the shelter. It provides a good learning experience for those who intend to get a pet, but are unsure of how to take care of one. We are also calling out for more potential fosterers to join us. Many times, we have very young animals which come to us requiring roundthe-clock care, such as feeding. This is when we need a fosterer who will be able to readily take these animals in so they can grow healthily, until they are ready for adoption in about one to two months’ time. As we are not a government agency and do not receive any government funding we rely on our supporters to continue our important role as animal protectors and, hence, are always grateful when people are willing to spend their money, time and effort to help us. To find out more about donating, volunteering or fostering at SPCA, visit their website at www.spca.org.sg

Photos courtesy of SPCA

Another recent story is of a kitten which was found in a glue trap. After we administered medical treatment on him, one

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20 HEALTH & WELLNESS

Singapore American · November 2018

Improving your Well-Being By Alan Cromlish

he topic of ‘Health and Wellness’ is becoming increasingly important with individuals emphasizing an improved work-life balance and living a healthier life. Health and wellness are associated with physical fitness and proper nutrition with the aim of improving your happiness and health. While products and services potentially provide benefits, a great place to start is to define what determines a well-rounded life.

as provide opportunities to socialize with others who share the same interests. Find enjoyment and seek it.

The work of Dr. Martin Seligman, commonly known as the founder of ‘Positive Psychology’, has been at the forefront of research regarding happiness, fulfillment and health. He and other researchers believe that this is attainable through increasing well-being and reducing stress. To achieve this, Dr. Seligman developed the PERMA theory that focuses on five areas and, if reflected upon and addressed, stimulates sustained and authentic happiness.

Meaning and purpose give us a reason to get up and seize the day and are drivers for happiness and fulfillment. Research suggests we should look for internal motivation stemming from attitudes and beliefs. Find the source of the purpose of your day-to-day events.

• Positive emotion • Engagement • Relationships • Meaning • Accomplishment Improving each of these areas is subjective. What fosters and cultivates an area for one person may not for another. However, as you read more, you will find that these are all connected in different ways. Positive emotions are experiencing happiness, joy, interest, optimism and love. Focus on the positive emotions in major areas of your life and consider the positive things where you work, live and play. Engagement is where we choose to spend our time and what we spend our time on. Engaging in activities is important for us as individuals to learn and grow, as well

Relationships and social interaction are two of life’s most important necessities. Creating strong relationships with friends, family and loved ones is necessary for our own well-being and development. These relationships provide love, care and intimacy that are strong foundations to support harmony in emotional welfare.

Accomplishments are the sense of completion. Setting goals and achieving them is a great feeling and provides us a sense of satisfaction. Consider setting realistic, objective goals which are clear, reachable and measurable. Setting these goals and seeking out to accomplish them provides us opportunities to push ourselves to develop and grow. We all have different interpretations of what is a good life and each area of PERMA will have a different meaning to each of us. To one individual, one area may be more important than another, but the consistent factor in those living a good life is that all five areas are present and promoted in a positive manner. Examining and understanding what a good life means to you and ensuring that PERMA is actively involved in that life can provide sustainable fulfillment, happiness and well-being. Alan Cromlish is a doctoral student at the University of Southern California where he works with a Finnish university on student health and wellness. He previously worked in South Korea as a professor of education and was the program director within the Global Educational Institute. He relocated to Singapore with his wife and continues his doctoral work.

21 ARTS & CULTURE

Singapore American · November 2018

Remembering November 11 Reflections on Veterans Day By Marc Servos

his year, November 11 marks exactly 100 years after World War I ended on the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”. Germany announced its surrender to the allies after realizing its hopeless military situation and facing internal revolts. Kaiser Wilhelm had abdicated and fled to the Netherlands two days earlier. This became known as Armistice Day, the previous name of what we now call Veterans Day. Not to be confused with Memorial Day, which occurs during the last Monday in May and remembers those who died in our conflicts, Veterans Day honors those who have served in the US Armed Forces, whether in wartime or only in times of peace. On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued a message to the American people on the first anniversary of the War’s ending. On that day in 1921, President Warren G. Harding presided over the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For two days prior, the Unknown Soldier had lain in state in the US Capitol Rotunda where an estimated 90,000 visitors walked past. However, annual observances honoring those who had died in the Great War, as World War I is still called, came only when a 1926 Congressional resolution was at last approved in 1938. In 1945, as the Second World War was ending, Navy veteran Raymond Weeks from Alabama envisioned the idea to have Armistice Day honor all veterans, not only those who died in World War I. He petitioned it and personally delivered it to General of the Army, Dwight Eisenhower, who approved it. As President in 1954, Eisenhower signed the bill presented by US Representative, Edward Rees, to officially make it a national holiday honoring all veterans as Weeks had intended, renaming it Veterans Day. Weeks led Veterans Day celebrations annually, beginning on November 11, 1947, in his home state before it became official, until his death in 1985. Known as the ‘Father of Veterans Day’, Weeks was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1982. As a federal holiday, November 11 is a day of observance. Non-essential federal offices are closed in addition to some businesses in the private sector and schools. Veterans Day parades are held, the largest of which is in New York City whereby approximately 25,000 servicemen and

women march along Fifth Avenue in full military colors, before which a wreath is laid at the Eternal Light Flagstaff in Madison Square Park, as it has since 1919. A symbol that has been shared by a number of countries, including the US, to observe November 11 as a day to honor its veterans, is the Remembrance Poppy. This ar tificial flower representing the Papaver rhoeas was inspired by the 1915 poem In Flanders Fields by Canadian Army doctor LieutenantColonel John McCrae, who later died of pneumonia in 1918. The Poppy was promoted by American professor, Moina Michael of Georgia, and was originally adopted by the American Legion Auxiliary in 1921. Used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the Poppy is worn or displayed from All Souls’ Day on November 2 until around the observances of both Armistice Day and Remembrance Day on November 11. An additional observance, Remembrance Sunday, occurs on the second Sunday of that month and honors Commonwealth veterans of both World Wars and subsequent conflicts. There are other observances for those who have served in the US Armed Forces. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and officially began in 1868. Armed Forces Day, celebrated on the third Saturday of May, has been observed since 1950 to honor those currently in the military. Each branch celebrates its own birthday, including the Marine Corps Birthday on November 10 in conjunction with Veterans Day consisting of a 96-hour liberty period. In recent years, President Obama proclaimed Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29, 2012. President Trump followed on this to officially sign the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 which officially recognizes National Vietnam War Veterans Day to be held annually on March 29. The US Navy League Singapore Council invites you to join us in observing a moment of silence at 11am on November 11 in honor of US veterans. Veterans Day is not only a time to remember the sacrifices and contributions of US service men and women in war. Perhaps, more importantly, it is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves of the value of peace and the very great service veterans give to protect it.

Marc is a veteran of the US Army. He was stationed in Germany during the middle 1980s while enlisted, working with the Belgian Army and later served as a Signal Corps commissioned officer in the Indiana Army National Guard. Photo courtesy of Marc Servos

22 ARTS & CULTURE

Singapore American · November 2018

Wu Guanzhong

Expressions of Pen and Palette at the National Gallery Singapore (31 Aug 2018 – 30 Sept 2019) By Dr. Vidya Schalk

“There is only one chance in a lifetime to make a choice. I insist on exploring along the direction that I have identified.” Qitu (The Deviant Way), by Wu Guanzhong.

poignant work is showcased in the exhibition that defines a brilliant artist and the steadfast principles which he stood by even in the face of harsh punishment. The work is called Field Chrysanthemums. It is small, approximately 12x10”, and has bright yellow chrysanthemum flowers that look like jewels in a bed of green leaves.

China. Every single one of his peers chose to stay in Paris, but Wu felt an obligation to return home in order to aid in the rebuilding of his nascent country.

If you look closely you will notice that this is painted with oil paints on a board, a little blackboard purchased for writing Chairman Mao’s quotes, but instead used for paintings which he kept hidden inside a manure basket. The same manure basket was used as an easel which earned the artist the nickname “the manure or dung basket artist”. ‘Socialist Realism’ was, at the time, the only acceptable style and artists were entrusted with the duty to represent beautiful imaginings of a utopia and a rendering of a reality to come with the revolution. Art had to follow political guidance and not stray outside the accepted ideological framework. Any artist who resisted or refused found themselves quickly and forcibly relegated to a labor camp for ‘re-education’. Wu Guanzhong was one such artist. Born in 1919, near Yixing, Jiangsu Province ,Wu Guanzhong enrolled to study electrical engineering at Zhejiang University. He became besotted with art after visiting his artist friend Zhu Dequn and, much against his father’s wishes, transferred into Hangzhou Academy of Art to study oil painting in 1936. During his time at the Hangzhou Academy, Wu benefitted from the radical decision to merge guohua (Chinese painting) and xihua (Western painting) which provide grounding in both traditions forming the foundation for his artistic development. In 1937, when the Sino-Japanese War broke out, Li Fengmian, the President of the school, led the students and teachers of the National Arts Academy of Hangzhou to leave Hangzhou by boat and flee to Longhushan in Jiangxi where they found an old Daoist temple and decided to set up school there. But, without tables or chairs or dormitories or a kitchen, how would this be possible? To add to their troubles, a group of students looking to paint scenery was attacked by bandits. So once again they had to pack up and relocate their school to Guixi, this time seeking refuge

Field Chrysanthemums (I), 1972, Oil on Board Photo courtesy of National Gallery Singapore

in a Catholic mission. Guixi was threatened so the 70 or so staff and students were not able to stay there for long and moved to Changsha. Changsha was destroyed in the great fire set as part of a disastrous scorched earth policy. Thus, they journeyed further westward and, in spring, the entire school relocated to Yuanling in the Hunan Province where they were joined by some staff and students from the Beijing Academy and formed the new National Academy of Art. Under these extraordinary circumstances Wu Guanzhong began his undergraduate studies and studied oil painting under Chang Shuhong and Guan Liang and also learned Chinese painting. The school had to relocate once again to Guiyang and eventually further west near Kunming where they were safe from bombs, but with thousands of refugees. Even under these desperate conditions, classes were held in an old temple and they even managed to hold exhibitions. The art students resolutely kept moving as the Japanese advanced and classes continued even under these uncertain conditions. It was during this period that constraints in procuring oil paints and supplies led Wu Guanzhong to turn to the Chinese Painting Department and learn the Chinese art techniques from the renowned Pan Tianshou. Wu finally graduated from the National Arts Academy of Hangzhou after six long years in 1942. It was also during this time that he adopted the pen name ‘Wu Tucha’ which he shortened to ‘Tu’ and became his signature in many of his paintings as a means to encourage himself to virtue. Tu, a bitter tea with a sweet aftertaste, was a true reflection of the bittersweet life he had experienced in the course of his creative career.

The section of the exhibit titled My Land showcases his works about his motherland followed by a section titled Jiangnan. The scenery of Jiangnan region provided Wu with his favorite landscape. When oil painting experts from the Soviet Union came to visit Jiangnan it was such an alien landscape to them that they considered it to be a subject ill-suited for oil paintings. For Wu however, the water villages of Jiangnan were quintessentially Chinese and a perfect subject matter to use a western medium like ‘oil’ and bridge the gap to indigenize oil painting with Chinese aesthetics. This is superbly illustrated by capturing the black roofline and the white walls of the buildings in oil yet giving it an appearance of black ink on white paper. The black, white and grey blocks of roof tiles and walls form moving and rhythmic patterns. To evoke the colors of lakes and mountains, along with silver and gray tones, to bring out the misty veiled beauty of these water villages, Wu used diluted oil pigments. His love for Jiangnan was not only due to his ancestral roots in the neighboring Yixing, but also his great admiration for Lu Xun, a native of nearby Shaoxing. Fearless of power throughout his life, Lu Xun criticized the ill of his time and opposed feudalism, ignorance and superstition and was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. Many of his classic novels were based in the region – there is even a crater on Mercury and an asteroid named after Lu Xun. Wu Guanzhong had regarded Lu Xun as his role model since his youth and quite naturally portraying Lu Xun’s literary universe of the Shaoxing and Jiangnan region was an important inspiration for Wu. Wu’s paintings of this region are based on real-life observations. There are tall mountains in Jiangnan, flatlands and interweaving waterways. Wu also tends to use a horizontal or upwards perspective in many of the depictions of the water towns suggesting a viewpoint from a street, a bridge or a riverboat. To get inspiration and gather materials for his paintings, Wu sought scenes and areas described in Lu Xun’s novels. We are very fortunate to have several works depicting Jiangnan in this exhibition. Immediately after returning from France, Wu spent some time in Shaoxing sketching from life, but because of political tumult, he was able to return there only in 1976 at the end of the Cultural Revolution. Wu Guanzhong encountered furious resistance to his new ideas when he returned to China in 1950 and quickly became a subject of attack due to his bourgeois artistic views centered on French formalism, which was in complete contrast to ideology driven 'Socialist Realism'

In the summer of 1946, Wu Guanzhong, who had scored exceptionally well in his classes, was allowed to enroll for an examination held by the Ministry of Education to select the best students to study abroad. In the winter of the same year, he married Shu Buqin in Nanjing. His results won him a scholarship to study abroad and, in July of 1947, he entered Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, and studied there for three years. He admired the works of artists such as Gauguin, Matisse, Utrillo, Cezanne and was especially fond of van Gogh, whose passion for art he found deeply inspiring. In the summer of 1950, he chose to return home to China full of enthusiasm to share the knowledge he had acquired during his studies in Paris and became a lecturer at the Central Academy of Art in Beijing. It was a time when young Chinese like Wu were filled with optimistic anticipation of a new China that was being established and his sense of patriotism and a deep love for his motherland compelled Wu’s decision to return to

Quotes from Wu Guanzhong’s writings from the exhibition Photo by Jim Tietjen

23 ARTS & CULTURE

Singapore American · November 2018

and wash establishes continuity with historical Chinese painting even with non-traditional subject matter. Mao’s death in 1976 signalled the end of the Cultural Revolution and this allowed Wu Guanzhong to pursue his own work.

Reposing (Figure), 1990, Oil on Canvas Photo courtesy of National Gallery Singapore

style. Wu could not paint his beloved nudes and had to give up figure painting and turn towards the more innocuous landscape painting in which “ideological error was less easily detected”. He was shunned by the academic art world for his views, including by Xu Beihong, and was forced to hold peripheral teaching jobs for thirteen years. He spent much of the 1950s and early 1960s traveling the country, as well as Tibet in 1961, with other artists and students to paint the varied landscapes of China. Several of these can be seen in the section of the exhibit entitled The Journey. The Cultural Revolution, launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, led to serious persecutions and Wu feared being a target of the Red Guard. Afraid of being found in possession of books, pictures, cultural artifacts and the like during the Four Olds Cultural Revolutions movement (the campaign against old ideas, culture, customs and habits), people made bonfires and destroyed these objects so as to not be caught and punished. Wu destroyed decades worth of oil paintings in 1966 before the Red Guards could get to them, but it did not help. He was separated from his family for two years and they were all sent to a rural labor camp at a village in Hebei. It was then he started to produce small intimate oil works that evoked the rural life especially of plants and flowers he saw in the fields, hiding his works in the manure basket. He was forbidden to teach, write or paint for several years. In 1973, Wu was recalled to Beijing under the directive of Premier Zhou Enlai and began producing large paintings for hotels, restaurants and other public spaces. To prepare for a large wall at the Beijing Hotel, Wu and several artists traveled along the Yangtze River to sketch ideas and seek inspirations and Wu, over the course of his career, incorporated many of these experiences. As the Cultural Revolution eased in the early 1970s, in addition to Government commissions, invitations to exhibit also arrived. It was once again safe for Westerninfluenced oil paintings to resurface, but Wu bucked the trend and instead chose to work in the more traditional Chinese medium of ink, yet bring modern aesthetics to this ancient medium of ink painting. The use of line

Song of Autumn, 2007, Chinese in and color on paper Photo courtesy of National Gallery Singapore

Wu Guanzhong’s 'rehabilitation' was marked by an exhibition of his works in 1978 at the Central Academy. He had his first one-man show, which traveled throughout China. By 1979, Wu was at last given a free hand and he brilliantly combined traditional technique with realism in the details. As with many artists, as their way of life and outlook changed, their art evolved as well. Wu’s ink and brush works are remarkably varied in style and kept evolving throughout his life. From naturalism that is seen in his early works, his later works starting in the 1980s tend to lean towards abstract with swirling lines and brightly colored punctuation marks. His later works are more abstract in nature and his Western studies and oilpainting background shows through. The snaking black lines and clustered dots are actually trails and resting points of a brush making full contact with paper. There are festive and cheerful confetti-like splotches of pink, green and purple that would look lovely on wrapping paper. His effortless skills in visualizing and bringing out spirit and beauty just with a few lines is a feast for the eyes. Use of color is done with such great skill and delicately and deliberately draws the eye, encouraging you to follow the lines as they take you through the painting. Exhibition sections titled Beyond the Image is an excellent study of Wu Guanzhong’s transition from figurative to the abstract, with trees forming the subject matter and capturing the essence ‘between likeness and unlikeness’. In 1981, Wu Guanzhong went abroad and visited Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Mali as the leader of the Chinese artists delegation and met up with old friends in Paris on his way. In 1986, Wu exhibited in Hong Kong and the next year he visited India. In 1988, the 69 year old Wu came to Singapore to attend the opening ceremony of Wu Guanzhong’s Painting Exhibition hosted by the National Museum of Singapore and NAFA. He returned back to Singapore in 1990. He travelled to various countries and had solo exhibitions in major art galleries and museums within China and around the world. In 1992, Wu’s paintings were exhibited at the British Museum – a first for a living Chinese artist – which won him recognition as one of China’s most original artists, thus becoming a darling of Asian and Western collectors. For Wu, it was never about fame or wealth, so much so that, in June of 2010 at the age of 91 when his works were much sought after and collectors willing to pay millions, he pulled out 200 of his artworks he was dissatisfied with and burned them. And not for the first time either. He also generously made numerous substantial donations of his works to art museums in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. In 2008, he donated 113 of his artworks to the Singapore Art Museum, now part of the National Collection. Wu Guanzhong’s love for life, his country and his people was sincere, as was his passion and dedication to his art. He was highly prolific in both oil and ink painting and well known for his eloquent writings on art and creativity. Forty years after he left Paris, Wu Guanzhong, at the age of 71, lamented the destruction of all his nude works including oil paintings, drawings and sketches during the

Forgotten Flowers, 2005, Chinese ink on paper Photo courtesy of National Gallery Singapore

ten-year long ravage of the Cultural Revolution. In the twilight years of his artistic career and life, he took on nude painting again with an Eastern touch, much different from the ones he had painted in his youth. These are displayed in the section titled Nudes in Twilight. In New Rhythms of Tradition, Wu has very creatively re-interpreted famous paintings from the Tang and Song dynasties and given them a modern twist with current aesthetic viewpoints. His hope was to encourage future artists to add their own take on these classic artworks. The final section of the exhibition is aptly titled Landscape of Life, which features some lovely works that show reflections gleaned from life, innovations in the artists sunset years and expression of contemplations in visual splendor, ranging from deep black to exuberance of color. The exhibition is titled Expressions of Pen and Palette and has very thoughtfully placed a selection of around 50 of Wu’s works, both oils and ink paintings – many from significant private collections, along with quotes from Wu’s eloquent writings. It is of great help to understand what prompted him to create that specific artwork and gives us insight into his feelings, emotions and thoughts as he created these beautiful works. The words add another layer of meaning to the works and help us to appreciate them in a more intimate way. Prior to coming to Singapore Dr. Vidya Schalk worked as a Cancer Biologist Research Scientist at Oregon State University. Since coming to Singapore, she has taken the opportunity to indulge in her passion for history and travel. She is currently an active volunteer docent at the National Gallery, Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum and STPI.

24 FOOD & DINING

Singapore American · November 2018

Eating Out This Thanksgiving By Bonnie Taylor

f the thought of scouring Singapore to source a traditional feast to serve up at home brings you out in a cold sweat, although we’re half way around the world, there are plenty of establishments offering Thanksgiving themed dining. So, instead of making dinner this November 22, make a reservation.

The Fullerton Hotel Two of the Fullerton Hotel’s restaurants are laying on Thanksgiving dinners. Town Restaurant, with its panoramic views over the Singapore river, will be hosting a Thanksgiving buffet dinner, while The Lighthouse Restaurant and Rooftop Bar is offering a four-course set dinner. Both sittings are between 6:30pm and 10:30pm, but if the latter option appeals to you then be sure to make your reservation when the clock strikes either 8pm or 9pm so you can catch the light show over Marina Bay.

The Fullerton Bay Hotel Just across the road from its neighbor, The Fullerton Bay Hotel also has two Thanksgiving offerings. For lighter bites, The Landing Point bar will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving themed three-tier English-style afternoon tea with a mini-buffet and bottomless cups of coffee or tea from 3-5:30pm. For the full dining experience, intimate restaurant, La Brasserie, will be serving its four-course set Thanksgiving dinner with dessert buffet from 6:30pm until 10:30pm.

The Four Seasons Hotel The One Ninety restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel celebrates the holiday with a semibuffet. Choose one entrée from oven-roasted organic turkey, roasted Atlantic cod or slow-roasted Westholm wagyu striploin, then indulge yourself at their chilled seafood bar, French cheese and charcuterie stations. Reservations can be made between 5:30pm and 10:30pm

Marriott Café Marriott Café at Tang Plaza will be offering an array of cuisines at its Thanksgiving buffet. Traditional highlights include roast turkey with Chestnut Bread Stuffing, slow-roasted Australian beef prime rib and maple-glazed leg of ham, as well as seafood offerings of oysters, Boston lobsters, crayfish, snow crab legs, prawns, yellow fin tuna and Salmon Sashimi. The buffet is inclusive of free flow of sparkling wine, red and white wine, beer and mocktails.

The American Club The American Club will be taking the sting out of fussing over the turkey and agonizing over what’s for dessert by hosting a buffet dinner with two sittings at the Galbraith Room from 5-7pm and from 7:30-9pm. The 2nd Floor restaurant is also laying on a set lunch between 11:30am and 2:30pm and a set dinner from 6-10pm.

Brewerkz If casual dining is more your speed, Brewerkz, Riverside Point, is putting on a buffet dinner with two sittings, from 5-8pm then 8-11pm with free flow soda and happy hour prices on their beers. Tuck into seasonal fare, such as roasted turkey breast, oatmeal stout roasted beef, roasted lamb and roasted gammon, accompanied by cauliflower salad, as well as their butternut squash soup and cheese selection.

Pan Pacific The Pan Pacific hotel has it all covered this Thanksgiving. In addition to traditional favorites such as Old Bay roasted whole turkey, pineapple glazed gammon ham, Edge will be offering an Asian twist with its apple glazed mirin turkey chirashi as well as its healthy bar, its incredible selection of seafood and regularly featured western and panAsian dishes. If you’d rather save yourself for the weekend, then Edge will be going for round two of Thanksgiving celebrations on Sunday 25 with its brunch, offering an impressive selection of eastern and western cuisine, rounding the occasion off with pumpkin-based sweet treats. The brunch is inclusive of Champagne, red or white wine, premium gin, passion fruit cocktails and fresh juices, although guests can opt out of the alcohol. Bonnie Taylor, originally from London, moved to Singapore in 2014. She graduated with a BA in English Literature, an MA in Photography and, after ten years in the business sector, picked up her camera and started exploring. When she’s not wining and dining in exotic locations, she freelances as a photographer and writer.

26 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Singapore American · November 2018

SINGAPORE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER

A message from the President... What do you think of when you hear the word ‘Thanksgiving’? I have memories of the family coming together, preparing and enjoying a wonderful meal full of banter, laughter and cheesy potatoes and, of course, reflection of what we are were so very grateful for at the time. For many of us around Thanksgiving time, we return to the familiar. It's the familiar of gathering around a table to share a meal sometimes decadent, sometimes simple and catching up on life. But the familiar can conjure images of ‘home’, which as an expat can paradoxically evoke feelings of longing, because we are so far away from that ‘home’. And this is why our community at AAS is so important to me; the feeling of belonging and connectedness that comes with being a part of the Association, particularly at this time of year, means that my family and I have so many wonderful friends who we now consider to be part of our extended family. So, to me, Singapore is now familiar, too. Thanksgiving is also intrinsically linked with generosity and benevolence and so the central theme of November’s Singapore American newspaper is ‘Giving Back’. There is so much good work done by so many unsung heroes on our island and this month’s SAN gives us an insight to this, as well as ideas on how we can get involved. Through our events, the ethos behind the Thanksgiving holiday is very much at the heart of AAS and this was more than evident at our highly successful Ambassador’s Cup Golf Tournament last month. Our golfers dug deep into their pockets for the tournament charity, Ageless Bicyclists, and the amount raised was both touching and astounding. Be sure to check out the SAN cover story and photo spread to see what a fantastic day we had. Looking at our calendar there are plenty of opportunities to give back and get involved in November. Towards the end of the month we will be gearing up for our wonderful charity event, Toys for Tots. Members of the AAS community will be teaming up with the US Marines at The American Club for this fun and festive family event to collect toys as Christmas gifts for children less fortunate across Singapore. This event always fills up, so register early to avoid disappointment. We’ll be opening the AAS office doors to our members for a casual Thanksgiving gettogether in the spirit of the holiday. Join us for drinks and nibbles and bring a canned food item as we’ll be collecting for Willing Hearts soup kitchen, too. It’s the welcome return of our Quiz Night at the beginning of the month. This event is always a good time, so get your game face on and get your team registered to join us at Brewerkz, Riverside Point, for what promises to be fun evening of friendly competition.

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Katie Baines, communications@aasingapore.com Publishing Editor: Sarah Alden, generalmanager@aasingapore.com

DESIGN & LAYOUT Graphic Designer: Miia Koistinen, graphics@aasingapore.com

ADVERTISING Advertising Manager: Thila Chandra, san.ads@aasingapore.com

CONTRIBUTORS Dee Allan, Faith Chanda, Alan Cromlish, Jennifer Davidson, Richard Hartung, Fran Martindale, Dr. Vidya Schalk, Ranndie Seah, Marc Servos, Hritika Singh, Bonnie Taylor, Hannah Wilson, Drew Zook For AAS: Katie Baines

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS President: Stephanie Nash • Vice President: Shawn Galey Treasurer: Michael Borchert • Secretary: Joseph Foggiato Directors: Sammie Cheston, Blair Hall, Bill Poorman, Brian Schwender, Jenn Wood Immediate Past President: Glenn van Zutphen • AmCham Chair: Ann Yom Steel The American Club President: Kristen Graff • AWA President: Mel Rice SACAC Chair: Greg Rutledge • SAS Chair: Dr. Chip Kimball Non-Voting Members: US Embassy: Tor Petersen US Military: Rear Admiral Joey Tynch AAS: Sarah Alden

PUBLISHER – AMERICAN ASSOCIATION The American Association of Singapore (AAS) is a professional, not-for-profit organization established to enhance the well-being and living experience of Americans residing in Singapore and to promote relationships, both business and social, between Americans and those from different cultures and nationalities. 15 Scotts Road, #03-02 Thong Teck Building, Singapore 228218 T: (+65) 6738 0371 • admin@aasingapore.com • www.aasingapore.com The Singapore American newspaper, circulated 10 times per year, with a readership of 10,000+, has been published by the American Association of Singapore since 1958, with the purpose of enhancing the expatriate experience in Singapore.

SUBSCRIPTION A subscription to the Singapore American is complimentary with an AAS or CRCE membership. AAS annual family membership is $120. CRCE membership is $220. To join, visit www.aasingapore.com and have the Singapore American delivered to your home.

Have a great month ahead.

Reproduction in any manner, in English or any other language, is prohibited without written permission. The Singapore American welcomes all contributions of volunteer time or written material.

Stephanie

The Singapore American is printed by Procomp Printset Pte Ltd, 57 Loyang Drive, Level 3 Annex Building, Singapore 508968.

AAS Executive Committee .com

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Stephanie Nash President

Shawn Galey Vice President

Michael Borchert Treasurer

Joseph Foggiato Secretary

Sammie Cheston Director-at-Large

Blair Hall Director-at-Large

Bill Poorman Director-at-Large

Brian Schwender Director-at-Large

Jenn Wood Director-at-Large

Glenn van Zutphen Immediate Past President

27 SPORTS

Singapore American · November 2018

Ever Tournament Ready, What It Takes By Ranndie Seah

ave you ever considered the amount of work and planning that goes into maintaining a golf course? Often, at the whim of the elements, preparing a golf course so that it’s in peak condition come tournament time is a science.

Hosting a renowned golf tournament can be a terrific experience and generate plenty of excellent publicity for the golf club, but it can also badly backfire if course conditions are below par. It takes more than one person to prep a golf course to be ‘tournament ready’; it takes a team to achieve it. That’s where Mark Isley, Laguna National’s Director of Agronomy and Project Manager, comes in. It may seem an audacious and daunting task for Isley and his crew, but with the right mix of experience, teamwork, knowledge and technical expertise, coupled with an ‘ever ready’ golf course, it is not mission impossible. There are many factors to consider in preparing a golf course for tournament play, especially the putting surfaces. Isley has an interesting analogy. He says: “If you’re running a marathon, you wouldn’t just jump out of bed one morning and begin the race. Without having properly trained and conditioned your body in advance, the odds are you’d cause yourself serious harm or injury. It’s the same with golf course greens.” Course care programs generally commence at least two weeks before the opening round of a tournament, or considerably earlier for a professional event. The maintenance team looks out for any symptoms of turf diseases, insect infestation, nutrient imbalance and dry, wet or shady conditions. Heavy maintenance practices, such as hollow tine coring

and deep verti-cutting, are carried out well in advance to ensure a sufficient amount of time for the greens to heal back to a smooth and immaculate surface with consistency for ball roll conditions. Fertilizers such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese and silica, as well as preventative fungicides and plant growth regulators, are added to ensure that the grass is able to withstand and cope with the additional mowing, double cuts, rolling and shorter cuts of height. While these are just some of the many methods Isley and his team employs to ensure Laguna National’s two golf courses are ever ready to take on the challenge of holding tournaments, it’s important to note that the responsibility of course care lies also with the golfers that play on it. Members and guests are frequently reminded to fill divots on tees and fairways and repair ball marks on the putting surfaces. When these duties are not carried out, the result is additional workload and stress on the grass and the maintenance team. Isley says: “A tremendous amount of planning and preparation is needed to ensure best playing conditions at all times – not just for tournaments, but for daily play as well. It is hard work, but also satisfying when everyone and everything gels together to make golf course conditions immaculate. That’s what we are constantly striving for.” Ranndie is an industry professional and has been in hospitality for the past five years. He currently supports the marketing communications department for both Laguna National Golf and Country Club and Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore.

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AAS EVENTS

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ENTERTAINMENT

November 1 Trump and the US Midterm Elections with Steve Okun 6:30 – 9pm

November 1 – 16 Lunchtime Concerts at ACM Asian Civilisations Museum www.acm.org.sg/whats-on/

November 1 Singapore 101 1880 www.thehoneycombers.com

November 1 – December 2 The Current/s We Call Home (Arus Berlabuh Kita) Singapore Art Museum www.singaporeartmuseum.sg

November 6 – 9 Sleeping Beauty Singapore Dance Theatre www.singaporedancetheatre.com

November 3 – 4 Demystifying Watercolour National Gallery Singapore www.nationalgallery.sg

November 8 One Night Only – Kenny G Live In Singapore The Star Performing Arts Centre www.thestar.sg

November 6 – 25 Drop-In Activity: Playful Puppets National Gallery Singapore www.nationalgallery.sg

November 9 – 11 Neon Lights City Hall www.neonlights.sg

EDUCATION

November 14 – 24 Guards at the Taj Singapore Repertory Theatre www.srt.com.sg

November 7 Coffee Connexions 10 – 11:30am November 8 Metworks Lunch 12 – 1:30pm November 8 Quiz Night 7 – 9pm November 15 Tapas en Español 7 – 9pm November 20 Thanksgiving Happy Hour 6:30 – 8pm For more events: www.aasingapore.com

SPORTS November 9 ONE: Heart of the Lion Singapore Indoor Stadium www.sportshub.com.sg

November 9 Open House Singapore American School www.sas.edu.sg November 9 & 16 Open House Stamford American International School www.sais.edu.sg November 10 & 20 Open House GEMS World Academy www.gwa.edu.sg

November 15 Charlie Puth The Star Performing Arts Centre www.thestar.sg November 18 AWA Thanksgiving Picnic Kallang Riverside Park www.awasingapore.org