Lighthouse 2019 Sem2 by UWA Student Guild

LIGHTHOUSE LIGHTHOUSE SEM 2 2019

Who Am

구지 나누

我是谁

n ic r bi We

ですかは誰私

so hi

Πο

είμ

αι

Кто

ят

ак

ι ός

the identity issue

E R O M T E G

E E R G E D A N THA

welcome to uwa The UWA Student Guild is run BY students FOR students, and is here to make sure you have the best possible experience at uni.

GET INVOLVED We have loads of ways for you to meet new people and boost your résumé. Join one of our 180+ clubs, volunteer, sit on a committee or take part in a fundraiser!

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Get support We offer confidential, independent advice and advocacy on any academic, financial or welfare issues.

hello@guild.uwa.edu.au

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CONTENTS SEMESTER 2 - 2019

6 8 12 14 18 21 22 26 30

Multicultural Week Here’s what you can look forward to at the 20th Anniversary Spring Feast 2019 this October.

Smile! You’re On Camera! Photos from some of our past events last semester.

Food From Home Written by you.

Tell Me More About Yourself No introduction necessary.

Let’s Get Physical

Painting Perth Red The Red Devils were in town.

Who We Are In Miyazaki’s World, Women Kick Ass The Post-Grad Identity Crisis 3

What is the problem with identity? In this issue, we discuss the plurality of identity and how we find meaning and purpose. It seems that it keeps changing the more we try to define it. So who cares! If you see yourself in this issue, give us a shout on Instagram and tag us.We love to hear what you think. We hope you enjoy this issue as it is the last this year. As with all things, it must end and so is my time as a student. I guess my LinkedIn status is now â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fresh Graduateâ&#x20AC;?. Till we meet again, Farah

The Committee President Khairunnisa (Nisa) Shahrin Vice-President Kung Yan (KY) Toong General Secretary Cassandra Choo

Social OCMs Amritha Rajesh Tharani Sivakumaran Public Relations Director Lincoln Liu Marketing Officer Hailey Pham Public Relation OCMs Priscilia Effendi Ridhima Vinayachandran Nicolas Eustasie Joey Nguyen Marisa Duong

Welfare Director Yaali Kumar Welfare Officer Marcus Lim Welfare OCMs Viknash VM Suresh Karuppannan Bess Chew Education Director Milvert Ling Education Officer Isaac Ng Education OCMs Peng Rao Lu Kelvin Ramdhun Mohamed Anvar Shaqil Jiayi Yu Ivan L. Lawag

Lighthouse Editor Farah Firzanah Lighthouse Assistant Editor Fathul Hanif Sponsorship Officer Amlan Majumder Sponsorship OCMs Clara Yu Dominique Tan Steven Yip

Social Director Anson Chung Social Officer Destin Lim Social OCMs Natali Naranjo

Liaison Officer Sej Koghar Liaison OCM Iylia Shukor

Contributors Cover by Lydia Sah Amirul Asyraf Marisa Duong Habiba Farrag David Wong Kah Wei Ivan L. Lawag Nishita Sheth 4

home

/həʊm/

noun 1. the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. “the floods forced many people to flee their homes” synonyms: place of residence, accommodation, property, a roof over one’s head What does home mean to you? When I think of home, I think of mom’s home cooked food and dad’s loud cheers whilst he watches football late at night. It is the sound of my brother’s chattering over Discord as he plays games online with his friends. However, home is also the vast blue Perth skies; the beautiful sunsets over the West Australian coast; and University Hall’s dining hall. Being an international student makes you literally a walking melting pot of different cultures. And although I still cling onto things that remind me of Singapore (Eg. Speaking Singlish whenever, wherever), as time goes by, I picked up certain Perth traits like saying thank you to the bus driver while alighting. I once did the same in Singapore and all I got was an awkward smile and stares from other

commuters. That was the first time I actually felt foreign in my own home country. I guess the beauty of it all is that our experiences, no matter where we acquired them, makes us us. And as Sarah Dessen wrote in What Happened to Goodbye, “Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go” I hope your this semester will be better than the last. Make the most of your time in Perth and make as many good memories as you can along the way.

Sincerely,

Khairunnisa (Nisa) Shahrin President - International Student Department Univeristy of Western Australia 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley WA 6009

MCW are celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, and we would love to have you there to celebrate with us, so join us on the 17th of October for a night full of lights, food and fun! Multiculturalism is an important part of UWA campus life, with numerous backgrounds and exciting cultures seen all around campus. MCW’s Spring Feast is a food festival held during Multicultural Week, and is filled with love, unity and celebration of our diverse cultures that we are all so proud of! Bringing together food trucks, vendors and all your favourite university clubs, you can go around Oak Lawn and have a taste of the world! We promise you a night filled with all your most desired cuisines, to 6

Text Habiba Farrag

20th Anniversary Spring Feast 2019

remind you of your many South-East Asian holidays, your summer trips to Europe, and of course, a taste of the Middle-East. Whether it be something you’ve always wanted to try or something you’d never even heard of, it’ll all be there. You can even have a seat at Oak Lawn and just enjoy a free lineup of live cultural performances, singing and dance from all around the world! It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience to have on campus! We look forward to seeing you there!

Editor’s Note: #thisisnotanad

I am a foreigner. I was 15 when I first came to Australia. It was easy making friends. Everyone here was friendly and laid-back. My high school classmates and I would sit together during recess and chat. As welcoming as they were, English is not my first language and jokes were always the hardest to get. I knew I had to improve my English and adapt to the local culture. I made a constant effort to improve myself. I participated in camping and road

Lesson Plan

trips. I could join in on deep and meaningful conversations. I starting to

Text Marisa Duong

feel a sense of belonging when my friend, Rachel, made a cake for me as a surprise for my birthday.

I am no longer a teen. I am a responsible adult. Entering university as an undergraduate was a whole different ball game. It was a melting pot of people from all parts of the world, all doing different things. I started having friends from Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. I had friends from work, from the karate club, from business school (because we all know that place is on another island). My social circle expanded and I learned that everyone could be defined by a set of multiple identities - gender, race, age, religion, hobbies, field of studyâ&#x20AC;Ś And that makes making friends exciting. There are times where I subconsciously make assumptions about someone but the more I spend time with them, the more I learn about them. I learned and re-learned so many times not to judge any book by its cover. Who a person is can also change and we are not only one thing and that one thing forever.

I choose to be a postgraduate student. By now, I learned that I can create my own set of identities. I can choose who I want to be, take on different roles, put on the appropriate hat in different situations and try to live my best self whatever the situation might be. So, I chose to further my studies and pursue a postgraduate course while my friends strike out in many different directions to tackle life. I recently attended Rachelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engagement party and many of my cousins of similar age have chosen to be parents. In an alternate universe, I could choose to live a completely different life and that would be just fine.

Smile! Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on Camera! ISD International Football League

ISD & Toastmasters Public Speaking Masterclass

Take a look at the past events we held last semester. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sharing some of these moments from a couple of our events. We have a lot in store for you in this semester so look out for our newsletters and Facebook events. See you soon!

ISD Destress Event: Spill the Tea

ISD Rottnest Island Trip 2019

Rottnest Island Last semester, tickets for our Rottnest Island trip sold out within minutes. While we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, Rottnest Island is a popular tourist destination and it is easy to overlook the history of the island. We would like to share the brochure we produced in collaboration with Western Australian Students Aboriginal Corporation (WASAC) that highlights the hardship that the Indigenous Australians went through, including a message from Brianne Yarran, Chairperson of WASAC.

Kaya, kaya wandju whadujk noongar boodja Ngulla ngaralk boodja Noonie djepring noonie koort djerping wanganinnie noona koort Hello and welcome to Whadjuk noongar country my mother land I am happy and my heart is happy to be speaking to you. I would like to acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of this country throughout Australia, and their strength, resilience and connection to land and community, most especially to the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation upon what land I live,work and study. I extended this Acknowledgment to Country to all of you reading this. An Acknowledgment of Country is an opportunity to acknowledge, and pay respect, to the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of the land - the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Stark

Dear International Students, My name is Brianne Yarran and I am the 2019 Western Australian Student Aboriginal Corporation (WASAC) Chairperson. I am a very proud Whadjuk, Balladong and Waagyl Kaip yorga (woman) from the south west of Western Australia. WASAC is the main Indigenous student body on campus and we have been organising social and cultural awareness activities for students to get involved in on and off campus since 1988. Currently representing over 230 Indigenous students, WASAC’s main focus is meeting students’ needs, promoting cultural awareness on campus, and providing a good social atmosphere in and around Shenton House, with social functions such as sundowners, quiz nights and barbecues.

Marjorie Bay

Narrow Neck

Eagle Bay

Strickland B

Fisk Hook

West End

It is very important for you to learn about the real Bay history of Wadjemup as it will show you how past policies and actions have had an intergenerational trauma on Indigenous people all across Australia. This history is currently not taught in schools and is currently taught through the School of Indigenous Studies’ major, Indigenous knowledge, heritage and history. If after visiting Wadjemup and you would like to learn more about Wadjemup or Australian Indigenous culture, I would advise you to enrol in the many units that are offered by the Indigenous knowledge, heritage and history major. Such units of recommendation include: INDG1150, INDG1160, INDG2300, INDG3300. When at Wadjemup reflect on the hardship that has been endured for Indigenous Australian to still exist and acknowledge that we are the oldest continuing culture in the world. I hope you enjoy your stay whilst on my country (Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar) and I have asked my ancestors and elders to keep you safe and give you mooditji (positive) vibes. 10

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Little Armstong Bay

Parakeet Bay

Geordie Bay

Burial Ground People used to be able to set up camp here. What campers didn’t know was that they were sleeping on the unmarked graves of at least 373 Aboriginal men. It’s the largest deaths in custody site in Australia and the largest known burial ground of Aboriginal people. Efforts have been made to recognise and conserve the site.

Longreach Bay

Catherine Bay

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Bay

Mary Cove

Nancy Cove

Thomson Bay

k Bay

Bathurst Lighthouse

The Settlement

Oliver Hill Lookout

Kingstown Barracks

Porpoise Bay

Salmon Bay

Ilustration Farah Firzanah & Amirul Asyraf

The Wadjemup Lighthouse is Western Australia’s first lighthouse that is made of stone. The original limestone lighthouse was completed in 1849 by Aboriginal convicts. It cost less than five hundred pounds to construct. The Bathurst Lighthouse was then built in 1900 due to an unfortunate shipwreck that was caused by miscommunications and misinterpretations of the signals by the Wadjemup Lighthouse.

3 Parker Point

The Quod now known as Karma Rottnest Lodge

Holding Cell & Prisoner’s Walk After a treacherous boat ride from Fremantle, prisoners would be chained by the neck and ankle and are left in the windowless Holding Cell situated in Thomson Bay. The Prisoner’s Walk is the footpath that led the Aboriginal prisoners from the Holding Cell and their prison lodgings at the Quod.

The Quod, the main prison lodging site on Rottnest Island, was able to house up to two hundred Aboriginal prisoners. Despite each cell being very small in size (about 2.5m x 1.6m), they were usually occupied by up to seven prisoners. Each cell were windowless and had no furniture. At night and in winter, prisoners were left with no means of heating and only thin layers of blankets were provided to keep them warm.

Food From Home Dear Diary,

I do not get homesick easily but sometimes I do miss home. And usually I miss the food. I miss waking up on a Sunday morning to my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jemput-jemput pisang. It is a traditional Malay fritter snack made from flour and banana that is fluffy and pillowy and chewy and... Anyway, we asked you to send in your favourite food from home and hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you sent in.

Maru Bhajias Nishita Sheth, Kenya Maru Bhajias are an extremely popular snack in Kenya (sort of borrowed from India). They are made by slicing potatoes into thin, circular slices, dipping them into a seasoned gram flour batter containing ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice, green chilies and fenugreek leaves, and then deep-frying them. Served hot with a Kenyan tomato salsa that is worth boasting about, or other homemade sauces such as mint coriander dip or even just ketchup. It is so crispy, filling and extremely appetizing. They taste incredible with the salsa sauce which can be made very spicy. It is definitely one of my

favorite evening snacks. These crispy bhajias can be found all over Kenya at restaurants, cafes and is an extremely common street food. They can also be made at home as the recipe is pretty simple. These have been my go-to snacks since childhood. I remember stopping by at the street vendors almost everyday after school to have these bhajias on my way home. Maru Bhajias can trace their origin from the influence of the Indian population in Kenya. Even though bhajias are a delicious Indian snack, this modified Kenyan version is next level amazing with its unique salsa sauce and is most commonly found only in Kenya. This food ties well with my Indian origin and still has its distinct Kenyan feels.

Chilli Crab

David Wong Kah Wei, Singapore I still remember the first time I tried the Chilli Crab. I could not handle spice at all at the time and I remember it was so troublesome trying to deshell the crab just to enjoy the meat but I found myself going for seconds. I simply could not stop.

it has been promoted as part of Singapore’s National Dish. Ask any Singaporean for recommendations for food and this dish will be one of the many they would name.

The Chill Crab uses a tomato and chilli sauce that is sweet and savoury and slightly thick. Despite the name, it is not actually that spicy. Typically, mud crabs are used in this dish and

Adobo Ivan L. Lawag, The Philippines When I was younger, my grandmother would never fail to cook Adobo whenever we visit her house. My siblings, cousins and I would always compete to find the liver as it is the most savoury among all chicken parts. Adobo is a national pride for Filipinos and this always reminds me of home, my family and my friends because we have this special dish when we get together. I consider this as a soul food that satisfies not only my palate but also my sense of belonging.

The manner of preparation and ingredients used vary from region to region within the Philippines, but generally, Adobo can be prepared from any meat, seafood or vegetables (or combination) marinated with vinegar, garlic, salt, peppercorns and bay leaf for a few hours and then simmered until cooked and the liquid almost evaporated. The result is an infusion of a peppery, tangy and savoury taste which goes best when eaten with white rice. The term Adobo came from the Spanish word “adobar”, which means “marinade” or “pickling sauce.” During my free time, I try I cook Adobo and share it with my friends here in Perth so that they can enjoy it too.

I always loathed ‘bio’ and ‘about me’

sections on anything. What do I say? Do I have to think of something witty? How can I possibly tell you who I am in 140 characters? Kids have it easy. They do not know much about themselves and probably not thinking too much about it either. “Hi, my name is Bonnie and I like unicorns.” Then, it is straight to the real issue at hand: the many toys waiting to be played with. It is pretty simple.

Text Farah Firzanah

Tell Me More About Yourself

It is the first day of class in the semester. I look around the classroom and see some familiar faces. A girl with beautiful curly hair sat right in the front corner of the class smiles at me. I smile back. “You know her?” my friend asks. The tutor comes in and drops his bag on the desk. “While I set up the slides, go around the room and introduce yourselves. And maybe tell the class something interesting about you.” His eyes never shift from the screen.

My name means Joy in Arabic. I find that hard to believe because I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem very joyful. But I would like to think that I know how to find it. It is in the rustling leaves in the rain, the moment the sun breaks into the horizon. And when you and your family is singing along to a song on the radio on your way to finding supper, even though you and your sister fought over dinner. It is in the loud peals of laughter of your best friends and in the eyes of your pets. Am I simply self-indulgent and narcissistic? I have learned that people just simply do not have time for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;about meâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Most people just need a name and an indication youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re someone special. We are defined by our accomplishments and it seems it will always stay that way

Generic Person, 24 5km away

- Career - Multiple flags of places you have been - Quote from someone more important than you - â&#x20AC;&#x153;DTFâ&#x20AC;? /

đ&#x;?&#x2020; / đ&#x;?&#x2018; / Type of car you drive

I look around the class. No one cares anyway. No one really knows who they are. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Farah. Majoring in Communications.â&#x20AC;? Conversation over.

Very Important Form First Name Farah Firzanah

Gender Female

Address

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Other Note: Some information has been redacted for privacy.

Date of Birth 05/09/1995

Zodiac Sign Virgo, also Pig

Sexuality

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: I watched and memorised Moulin Rouge as a kid and have messed up expectations of love and life and art. Bye.

If I had a chance, I would say:

THE NEW MASCULINITY? Understanding the delicate man in Korean popular culture. Text & Illustration: Amirul Asyraf

the last few decades, South Korea has relished in the success of its media manufacturing system which has achieve peaked worldwide phenomenon. With the flourishing economies of neighbouring countries like China and Japan, the influence of ‘Hallyu’, or the Korean Wave, has inevitably caused significant shifts in the cultural consumption and intraAsian interactions across the region, and, consequently, impacted how gender ideologies are being portrayed and perceived in Asian media. The liberalisation of the South Korean mass media market has seen the emergence of delicate representations of men, or ‘soft masculinity’: a term that illustrates the amalgamation of multiple Asian masculine identities that integrate effeminacy as well as the metrosexual image.

Most of us are all too familiar with images of the opposing ‘hard’ masculinity that tend to dominate much of our social and cultural landscapes. The prevalent yet troubling standards of manliness established in the West are often closely affiliated with sociopolitical structures of patriarchy that condone male dominance over women. It’s hard to miss the parallels between these Westernised configurations of gender hierarchy and the gender relations in South Korea itself, where Confucian patriarchal ideology characterised men as the sole providers for their families, while women were relegated to domestic territories and had their productive capabilities disregarded entirely. Over time, these sexist, historical discourses become the very patriarchal framework that emerging forms of new masculinity complicate.

Vast cultural and demographic changes then ushered in an era of revamped masculinity. This was contributed by the rise of female empowerment through the appearance of the feminist movement in the 1980s, which paved way for the ‘new man’ who possessed a certain kind of sensitivity and sympathy for the opposite gender. Due to the continuous disassociation of masculinity from the supreme, authoritarian ideologies of masculinity became less sustainable and a different vision of the modern man began to materialise in the form of the ‘metrosexual’.

good looks and sharp presentation, these actors were particularly well-received among female demographics because they display both masculine and feminine characteristics in their demeanour. Today, successful K-pop groups like BTS further personify masculine ideals—innocent, wellmannered and respective of women—to quickly alter global perceptions of South Korean men. This phenomenon coincides with the rise of increased social power and changing consumption practices among women, who have traditionally been powerless and now seek a new identity Bearing a higher degree of emotional in the face of modernity where their literacy in contrast to the emotionally- roles in society are no longer questioned. stifled nature of the patriarchal masculinity, the metrosexual man can be exemplified For a country that possesses a conservative by a cerebral, urbanised male who is history of promoting characteristically willing to invest a substantial amount of patriarchal values and organising society time and money to refine his image and in gender-unequal ways, it is encouraging physical appearance across the domains to see how female-driven constructions of grooming and fashion—traits that are of masculinity in South Korea continue typically linked to women. Thereupon, the to destabilise hegemonic positions to liberation of South Korea on the heels of give it more nuance and fluidity. As the the new millennium saw an integration of country strives to globalise further, popular these masculine and feminine attributes culture coming specifically of South manifested in a hybridised soft masculinity Korean continue to subvert traditional known as ‘kkonminam’, or flower boy, definitions of normative masculinity which assumes a distinctively effeminate through the rejection of backward notions trait that originated from ‘bishōnen’, or like patriarchal power and dominance, beautiful boy, characters in Japanese manga while embracing soft and gentle attributes and anime. This image, which can be that define a new type of hybridised man. prescribed as counter-hegemonic, served as the basis for South Korea’s consumerism models as well as its export offerings to meet the scope of global consumption and reinforce their global popularity. With the aid of national branding, the delicate flower boy masculinity immediately took off in the South Korean entertainment industry with the breakthrough of Korean actors the likes of Rain and Bae Yong-Joon who displaced enduring images of the ‘tough’ and ‘macho’ with that of ‘sensitive’ and ‘gentle’. Apart from their fusion of

Fitness has always been a big concern among youths. When people see the word “fitness”, they immediately think of an indoor gym setting be it running on treadmills or lifting heavy weights to build muscle. However, there are also various ways of keeping fit outside a gym environment. From outdoor sport climbers to indoor gym junkies, here are some of what a few UWA students have to say about their daily fitness routines.

At my best, I’ll go for yoga twice a week and spin class twice week as well. Once in a while I might go for a ‘HIIT’ class. But when I’m running short on time I’ll hit the gym instead!

Ang Jin Li, 21 Singapore

I started out with yoga because I really wanted to keep my flexibility since I stopped dancing. I became more serious once I realised the other benefits of yoga, such as improving on strength and learning meditation. I wanted to incorporate some cardio into my routine, so I looked into spin class and learned that I really enjoy it as well. The whole fitness thing started to become a lifestyle for me and now I can’t imagine going through my week without working out. The thing about exercise is you can’t give up on the first try! Taking the first step is always the hardest, but once you start making it a habit it becomes easier. Getting a workout buddy helps a lot too because you can encourage each other when it’s so easy to be lazy again.

Text & Images Fathul Hanif

Let’s Get Physical

Rami Haidar, 22 Lebanon I keep myself fit through being consistent and disciplined with my workouts week to week; I workout 4-5 days a week of which includes lifting and some cardio. Tracking my progress also helps me know where my weak points are in the current state so that I can work on them. I personally got into working out just to improve myself and also become more disciplinedl. Over the years this developed into a hobby, some might say passion, due to the results made, the increased mental clarity, and the new friendships formed in the gym. I would advise for people to take things slow and accept that fast results are not sustainable; taking it slow and enjoying the journey of becoming fit is much more important than being fit. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to reach a goal but much harder to maintain it. I would also advise to track progress through a journal along with other tools. They have an app for that.

Kevin Browder, 20 United States of America I frequently rock climb, hike and run. I try to climb four days a week and fit the others in whenever I can. I started climbing because a knee injury kept me from skiing last season and I needed something to do. I became obsessed and found a new passion. If you find it challenging to get started, try to find something that you enjoy and keep you fit at the same time. It transforms keeping fit from a required task to an enjoyable experience.

Hamed Basiri, 27 Iran Since I was a kid, I was involved in different type of sports. I was crazy about all of them so I was engaged in many and always try to do some new ones as well. Such sports include surfing, handball, volleyball, badminton and soccer. Mainly, however, I keep fit through body building. I try to go to the gym five days a week and whenever I’m not there, I’ll head out to play social volleyball with friends or even swim on the weekends. I can say that I’m addicted to sports in general. At the moment, I’m a gym addict. I know because whenever I’m not doing any exercise, I would feel a little sick or tired or won’t get any good sleep later that night. So, in a way, working out at the gym is a sort of body requirement for me. It might sound funny but it’s true!

Follow your passion with whatever that interests or suits you. All sports are good as long as you feel pumped or refreshed afterwards. In the beginning stages when I first started gymming, the exercises were really hard for me but I learned that it got easier the more I went for it. So, it’s really important to not give up even when it proves to be difficult because you’ll only get better at it. There are lots of easy exercises that any beginner can start with. Some exercises include push-ups, sit ups, planks, pull-ups and running. These are some of the few exercises that you could do at home at any time if you are not free to head down to the gym. If you do have difficulties in doing some exercises such as pull-ups, you could actually use the weight assisted machines at the gym to help you build up your strength. If you are thinking of going to the gym, one common mistake people do is to go straight for the heavy weights but that is definitely a bad idea. You should take it slow by using the lighter weights and work your way up from there according to your own pace, ensuring that you have the proper form first.

Painting Perth Red

Text & Boat House Image Fathul Hanif

Manchester United – the world’s biggest sporting brand, greeted Perth during the winter break for a ten-day tour and training camp in mid July. Perth gave the soccer team a fitting welcome by literally painting the town red, complete with a red version of the Blue Boat House & red lights illuminating Elizabeth Quay.

The team battled against Perth Glory on 13 July 2019 at Optus Stadium. The exhibition match ended with a shoe-in win from United with a 2 – 0 score performed by Marcus Rashford and James Garner in the second half. Fans of the Red Devils also got to watch their favourites play against their rival, Leeds United on 17 July 2019. We got to ask two soccer fans about the soccer giants and here’s what they had to say:

Suchi Kalia Why are you a fan of Man Utd? I grew up watching football since I was a kid and the 99 treble victory for Manchester United was one of the biggest things that got me interested in the team and it’s history and what they stood for. The atmosphere, the passion, aggression and what it meant to be a Red Devil was what drew me to Manchester United at the age of 5. Favourite Players? Hands down Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney. Favourite thing about them? My favourite thing about them is that the current and future generation of the club respect the history and culture of the club and uphold its morals and values.

Benjamin Wong Having watched the match live, what was it like? I was excited to watch a top team from the Premier League play. I’ve heard from people that the stadium was first class too. I was sat the Perth Glory end and got to experience the Perth Glory fans cheering on their team with so much enthusiasm. Who’s your favourite player? Though I’m not a Manchester United fan, I was still excited to see the team and the player that I was most excited to see take the pitch was Marcus Rashford. What was your favourite thing about the event? The atmosphere was one of a kind. The stadium proved to be an excellent venue as well.

Every time we say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;international studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, who are we really talking about? We are talking about you, her, him, them. This is who we are.

Images Joey Nguyen

WHO WE ARE

Blake Cwach

Ridhima Vinay

Anvar Shaqil

Ha Thi Hong

Hanada Karin

Pritam Patil

Anthony Loone

Nisargi Prajapati

Mark Cheng 23

Le Ly

Natalie Slaatsveen Nazareno

Shiori Tan

Ryan Tan

Niall Brennan

Tuan Kien Nguyen

Matthias Kranz

Matthew Hung Nguyen

Natali Naranjo

Cheryl Loh

Sakshi Sharma

Jit Ern Neo

Jocelyn Yu

Harjit Sandhu

Lucy Harris

IN MIYAZAKI’S WORLD, WOMEN KICK ASS Text & Illustration: Amirul Asyraf

Helmed by acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli is one of Japan’s highlysuccessful production companies that is most notable for its slew of animation films that centre on strong female protagonists. While entertainment conglomerates in the west are particularly known for rolling out conventional male-dominated tropes that many have grown accustomed to, Miyazaki defies gender norms by particularly addressing the rigidity of female roles—an issue which persists to be the very problem of many mass media texts today. Although exploitative portrayals of one-sided femininity dominate the anime landscape in Japan itself, Miyazaki’s films hardly affirm patriarchal gender codes. In fact, one of his earliest works, Princess Mononoke, manages to supersede static gender stereotypes by staying away from recurring motifs of the damsel-indistress, and instead showcases independent female characters with combative attributes. 26

In Princess Mononoke, the main protagonist is a boy caught in the conflict between two factions of medieval Japan: the wild and human civilisation. This struggle is distilled into a rivalry between the two central female characters, San and Lady Eboshi. San, a girl who has been raised by wolves since infancy, fiercely vows to protect the sacred forests that she grew up in from falling into the hands of Lady Eboshi, the influential governor of an industrial settlement that is expanding at the expense of its surrounding natural resources. Both of these characters actively subvert typical representations of womanhood with savagery that is justifiable by their own resentments, and do not exist merely to facilitate the protagonist’s journey of seeking a cure to free himself from a curse.

Far from the wide-eyed archetype that you would expect of a female princess, San is portrayed as a ruthless individual who rides wolves, smears her face with paint and sucks gunshot wounds; all signs that her image is not weighed down by burdensome standards of femininity set by human society. San’s physical attributes are a stark contrast to Lady Eboshi, who wears a robe and bears more feminine features like striking red lips. Nevertheless, she ironically takes on a militaristic role throughout the film and appears to be unintimidated by her male counterparts—all of whom obey her commands without question. It is clear that the embodiment of San and Lady Eboshi rarely fulfils one ideal mould or another. Rather, in comparison to traditional female stereotypes, their deviance and ambiguity do not confine them to misogynistic sensibilities. What makes the characterisation of both San and Lady Eboshi multi-dimensional are their apparent expertise when it comes to handling weaponry, something that is rarely seen among many female lead characters. During our first glimpse of Lady Eboshi, she skilfully wields a rifle in the midst of a gunfire to take aim at her opponents. San, too, projects a similar level of competence when she fearlessly manoeuvres her dagger during the sequence in which she attempts to assassinate Lady Eboshi. It is equally important to note that the fighting abilities displayed by San and Lady Eboshi do not overshadow their psychological motivations or interiority as opposed to the representations of women in other contemporary Asian cinema, which choose to hone in on the physical action rather than the narrative or character development. Instead, their capacity to engage in battle uncovers nuances and layers of depth to their psyche.

During their encounter with one another, there is a constant powerplay between Lady Eboshi’s unprecedented desire for dominance and San’s unyielding spirit which stems from her hatred for Lady Eboshi’s agenda. Yet, despite their palpable feisty vigour, Lady Eboshi and San present themselves more than just snarling aggressors through the sense of compassion that they exhibit. Lady Eboshi shows great concern for her community of lepers and outcasts, as does San for her wolf mother and the protagonist; thus drawing empathy from the viewer. With Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki successfully delves into the complexities of what it means to be a woman who is liberated from the strains and spheres of male authority. The film blurs conventional boundaries that entrap many Western cinema to pave way for two wellrounded and formidable figures who do not match up to societal conformities. Miyazaki realises that the definition of a ‘strong woman’ is not just limited to her strength or fighting abilities—both typically masculine traits—but her grit and determination to fight for what she believes in. Not once in the film are San and Lady Eboshi being prejudiced against for their gender. Rather, they are empowered for being battled-hardened warriors in a world where women can achieve anything men can.

Image Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

In Cinemas: Parasite Bong Joon Ho is known for his uncategorisable films such as ’Snowpiercer’ and ‘Okja’. In his latest wild ride, ‘Parasite’ follows a family’s tragicomedy. An inevitable collision ensues when Ki-woo, the eldest son in a family of four unemployed adults, is introduced to the wealthy Park family for a well-paid tutoring job. From a title like ‘Parasite’, everyone would expect a Sci-Fi movie with creatures crawling in and under your skin, especially with similarities to Bong’s previous work, ‘The Host’. Observed closely, it is an ironic title. As Bong puts it, it is “a tragicomedy that depicts the humour, horror and sadness that arise when you want to live a prosperous life together, but then you run up against the reality of just how difficult that can be.” 28

‘Parasite’ is the first South Korean film to win the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Following the win, it followed a massive Korean opening, smashing ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’. We think it is a must-watch and here’s why: The scariest part of the movie happens later when you are sitting in your car after watching the film and start to think. This film can happen in the real world and maybe it will or it already has. The ageold question remains: does art imitate life or does life imitate art? Bong uses all his tricks in storytelling, both in narrative and style, with heavy symbolism, that overturns a viewer’s expectation, again and again, creating a visually stunning film that leaves a tingling aftertaste.

Editor’s Note: To respect the filmmaker’s wishes, we won’t be giving away any plot details. It won the Palme d’Or. That’s enough reason for you to watch it.