Lighthouse 2021 Sem 1 - Resilience by UWA Student Guild

JANUARY

2021

ISSUE

NO.

VOLUME

NO.

LIGHTHOUSE

U W A

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

S T U D E N T S '

D E P A R T M E N T

LIGHTHOUSE LIGHTHOUSE LIGHTHOUSE

THE

UNIVERSITY

CAMPUS PEOPLE THEIR

REMAIN LAND,

LANGUAGE, WITHIN

WESTERN

SITUATED

THE

AND

SPIRITUAL

STUDENTS'

NOT

AND

THE

CULTURAL PRACTICE

KNOWLEDGE.

BUT

AND

OPINIONS

DEPARTMENT,

ACKNOWLEDGES

LAND,

AND

CONTINUE

BELIEFS,

ARE

AUSTRALIA

NOONGAR

THE

THAT

ITS

NOONGAR

CUSTODIANS THEIR

VIEWS

UWA

VALUES,

EXPRESSED

INTERNATIONAL

INDIVIDUAL

WRITERS

AND

ARTISTS.

MANJOT LIDWINA XANDER NATASSHA

NAOMI

KAUR

AUDREY

EDITOR

SUB

EDITOR

SINCLAIR

LAYOUT

DESIGNER

SHANMUGAM

LAYOUT

DESIGNER

CONTRIBUTORS

DANIELLE DAVID MIRA

FLAMIANO WONG

AL-JUNIED

KAH //

JUNE

JENNY VIKNASH ROSIE KEERTHANA

MURUGAN

RIDHIMA

WEI

NGUYEN VM

PHAM //

RAHMAN

VINAY

KIEREN //

YUH

NOH

NATASSHA

TAN

SHIN

JUNJIE

BIN

//AL-WALEED

LEW

//RASHMI

SHIORI

GOH

BRYAN ABDUL

ABDUL

MARRY

NAOMI

JAMKAR

LIM

MEENA RAHIM

SHANMUGAM

LAMKI

AYEESHA

RAMLI

LANDAGE //

BUI

MUKHERJEE

BARAKAT

RASHDINA

SALMI

//NGUYEN

ANUSHKA //

NURCAHYA

SOPHIE

ZOE

JONGE

CONTENTS LIGHTHOUSE

04 05 06 08 09 12 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 29 31 33 35 36 37 38 39

2021

SEMESTER

EDITOR'S NOTE PRESIDENT'S NOTE IPP’S NOTE & 2020 EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS ISD GALA NIGHT: MOULIN ROUGE AWARD WINNERS MEET YOUR ISD 2021 COMMITTEE LIFE AT COLLEGE ROW HOMESICKNESS ME NO ENGLISH NOTE TO SELF THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH & SELF-CARE A STRAIGHTFORWARD APPROACH TOWARDS SELF-CARE ACTIVITY CORNER I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM FOOD TO TRY & PLACES TO VISIT IN PERTH & WA I S D S O C I A L S GU I D E : T H I N G S T O D O W I T H Y O U R F R I E N D S I N P E R T H ISD SOCIALS GUIDE: THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR FRIENDS ON A BUDGET TV SPREE SALTED EGG FRIED CHICKEN ISD WELFARE GUIDE: DIY SKIN CARE ISD WELFARE GUIDE: LET’S GET MOVING ART IN ISOLATION

or2021

#Lighthouseedit

resilience /rɪˈzɪlɪəns/ noun 1. the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. 2. the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity. The term “resilience” can be found everywhere and it may mean a little different for each of us. Resilience has been used to describe the potential of people or objects to bounce back from negative experiences or disturbances. But resilience is not something that we are born with, I believe that we build it as we experience both the beautiful and bad things in life. That is why we respond to adversity differently, we all go through different situations in our lives. The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has brought so much challenges and changes to our "normal" lives. Adjusting to the “new normal” has caused unexpected stress and difficulties for many of us. That is why this issue’s theme is: “Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity”. These hard times are inevitable and resilience is a crucial trait a person can have during these times. In order to overcome hardships we must learn how to stay focused and motivated, while trying our best not to dwell on things. The first issue of the year is all about having a fresh start and positive outlook for the upcoming year. I believe that we are blessed to have beautiful and big-hearted people within our community at UWA coming from different backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, and life situations. And what is inspiring during these incredibly hard times is seeing how resilient we are as a community— everyone coming together to stay positive and hopeful for the future. This is a great time for humanity, creativity, connection— and yes, even humour. Well 2020 has been a roller coaster ride, a year with so much happening globally and I would just like to commend everyone for surviving such a tough year. I am glad all of us are up and running to do our best. To my fellow international students, rest assured that you are in good hands as your ISD 2021 committee has great plans for you this year to make you feel like you are at home away from home. For our offshore students fret not, ISD will try it’s best to foster your belongingness to UWA. Lastly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of our contributors and the Lighthouse team for making this issue possible. I hope that everyone will have great year ahead and I wish you success in all your future endeavors. See you around, Manjot Kaur

#ISDPRESIDENT2021 Hello everyone! My name is Abdul Rahman, and I am honoured to be your International Students' Department (ISD) President for 2021. I am currently a Year 2 student studying Anatomy and Human Biology, and Physiology. I have been an international student in Perth for about 3 years so you can say that being away from home for long is nothing new to me. I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all our international students commencing their studies at UWA this year, be it onshore or offshore. WELCOME TO UWA! I would not say I have mastered the art of being the perfect international student, but I can tell you would be doing yourself a great favour by putting yourself out there and getting involved in anything that interests you. Our vibrant student life here at UWA really gives you the opportunity to meet new people, and put yourselves in shoes you may never have pictured yourself to be in. And at the end of the day, it is these memories that you will look back at, years down the road from your graduation. I am extremely excited to be your ISD president this year as I have many things planned for you guys when it comes down to both academic assistance and your well-being. My team and I are planning many events and coming up with informative tips to ease your transition into UWA or even improve your current standing in UWA. The past year has been one of the roughest years for all international students across the world. Many of us are still fighting through obstacles in our own personal ways. For some of us, it might be getting used to online learning, while for others it may be having to be with our loved ones only through zoom calls. But through sheer resilience and support from our wonderful staff in UWA, we are managing to pull through. As such, I would like to reassure all incoming and existing students both onshore and offshore that the school will be there for you at every moment. Both staff and student representatives are always willing to assist you with open arms. Do not hesitate to contact us. My team and I are always here to help. Stay hopeful and stay forever strong. All of us at UWA are excited to meet all the new and existing offshore international students! Do say hi if you find me playing Candy Crush at Reid, I do not bite. If you are too shy, do drop me a message on Facebook, Instagram or e-mail me at isd@guild.uwa.edu.au.

Immediate Past President's Note Hi everyone! I’m Viknash VM, your 22nd Immediate Past President of the International Students’ Department (ISD). I am so glad to have been bestowed the opportunity to serve you as your Student Representative in 2020 and serve in 2021 as your IPP. 2020 was a year that no one will forget, and we will all be talking about 2020 to our children and many others as an old day that we concurred I am sure. I will take this opportunity now to be that old person talking about my ‘long ago, mysterious 2020’ or as some would say ‘in my time...’ ISD in 2020 saw the most challenges to the international student space for a very long time. We had planned a whole year of activities in the early part of the year, but everything was not possible anymore and we faced a year of uncertainty. I am very proud of the team because no one stopped in their tracks. Each and every one of them adapted and we changed plans and made something out of nothing. I would like to share some figures which show how massive of a year 2020 was for us.

1267 Instagram followers, making us the most followed Guild Department in UWA, up by 70% in just one semester. 43 events across the year. Most of our events were sold out and the entire team worked so hard on them.

A total of

Here are some highlights from 2020 ! Welfare Department Perth - wide welfare packs The restrictions did come in the way of our usual welfare pack giveaway, but we worked around it, to personally bring our little

During the COVID-19 quarantine period, ISD was quick to come up with initiatives to ensure students’ holistic welfare, from the

act of welfare to the doorsteps of international students across Perth.

safe space of their homes. Our Facebook live-streamed Yoga classes were very well received and enjoyed by many.

Dodgeball & sundowner As we all attempted to return to the normalcy of life postlockdown, our Dodgeball x Sundowner was one of the first inperson events of the year. The friendly dodgeball tournament followed by a relaxing sundowner at Matilda Bay was a fantastic opportunity for the familiar to catch up, and the unfamiliar to build friendships.

IsD Yoga

Relay For Life This year, ISD decided to take a step (or a couple of laps) further in giving back to the community and took part in Relay for Life. As the only participating Guild Department, we raised close to $600 for the Cancer Council.

Education Department Employability Web series

Migration seminar

Adapting with the times, we produced an Employability Web Series, consisting of informative and incredibly cute videos with tips and tricks to make yourself more employable and better

With the travel restrictions looming over us, VISAs and migration were topics of concern among many international students. As such, we organized 2 migration seminars focusing on these matters to provide students with a platform to raise

prepared to enter the workforce.

concerns, ask questions and have personalized consultations with our migration partners.

social Department Rottnest Island Trip This year, ISD took more participants than we ever have in previous years on the highly anticipated Rottnest Island trip. We partnered with the UniMentor program to bring the rich and beautiful island to our international student body.

Hangout & picnic with IsD sports Day We held ISD’s first ever Sports Day, which included various sports like soccer, frisbee and badminton. While engaging in some physical

activity

get

their

blood

pumping, many friendships were forged between students of diverse walks of life, on the common grounds of sports.

Over the winter break which many international students spent in Perth for the first time due to the travel restrictions, ISD organised several picnics and hangout sessions, providing students with a platform to catchup with friends, and network.

International student Council ( IsC ) Quiz night Throughout the lockdown period, ISD organized various online Quiz Nights to keep students engaged online. The noteworthy Glitz and Glamour Quiz Night, in collaboration with 21 cultural clubs, faculty societies and colleges brought close to 275 people together, making it our biggest quiz night yet.

IsD gala night : Moulin Rouge And finally, we concluded this year with our first ever Gala Night: Moulin Rouge. It was an exquisite and enjoyable night of celebration, where we also presented the first ISD Awards to the best International Students of the Year, Best International Representative, Best College, Best Cultural Club and Best Faculty Society.

Having worked with Rahman in the 2020 committee, it is heartening to see his growth and passion to serve. I have utmost confidence that he and the new team will take ISD to greater heights in the coming year, and wish them the best in their endeavors. - Viknash VM -

isd gala night award winners Best ISC Club

Fil-Aus

Best ISC College Row This club always has many events that have been noted to be extremely entertaining and inviting to those beyond their membership. They have actively participated in all of the events ISD has done in 2020 and have a very active membership pool as well. The club had run events during the COVID-19 period and in fact came in first place for the best club competition in our ISD Quiz Night. They are none other than Fil-Aus!

Best ISC Faculty Society

Health Students Society

In 2020, this Faculty Society had really helped international students in guiding through the pandemic. They have been strongly involved with InterFac Sports, entering a team consisting of committee and noncommittee members. To promote diversity and interactions between international and domestic students, the committee reaches out to international students and invite them to participate as well. They also introduced a partnership with Halad to Health, Australia’s only non-profit GAMSAT organisation that have benefitted international students greatly. This award goes to Health Students Society!

Best International STudent

Tharani Sivakumaran

A very vital member to the success of ISD and the 43 events we have pulled of in 2020. This individual has been able to balance both being a HD and D student while putting so much time into the work done at ISD. Being the person who managed the finances through the events ISD did this year was no easy feat and yet this individual managed to hold us to account. Many said that she is an inspiration to them and for these reasons is why the judges are awarding this year’s Best international Student award to a Second Individual who is none other than Tharani Sivakumaran!

University Hall RESCLUB

This college has always been a very active college with the international community. In 2020, they helped international students with rent reduction, events and paid special attention to those affected by COVID-19. The residential organisation of this college collaborated with HiRez and provided students with a multicultural video of students from all around the world. This and many more, is why this award goes to University Hall’ RESCLUB!

Best International Representative

Douglas Mok

The award recipient is an individual who helps students who are stuck offshore by being the bridge of communication between them and the faculty. He wrote in for international students who believe that they are not being marked fairly for assignments and communicated their dissatisfaction with the way content was being taught online. He also communicated with the faculty for medical sciences student clinical practice students about securing their place in the following year without a taking a gap year, as well as helping them clear their clinical placement requirements. This together with being the President of the UWA Toastmasters Club and Associate Director of HiRez Australia, is why the most deserving candidate for the award is Douglas Mok!

Best International STudent

Ahmad Hafizzudin

This individual has been known to be vital to the success of what ISD has done in 2020. He has been a loyal and dedicated servant of the department and someone who was instrumental to helping the events that the department run smoothly. This individual is not one who works on the show front but often does what he does best in the background away from the spotlight. It is easy to disregard the work this individual does because he does it with such ease and makes it seem effortless often making jokes along the way. He also served his term on guild council in 2020 as the Deputy Chair. Many people take the term, “break a leg” figuratively but Hafiz literally broke his leg for our event! The winner is none other than Ahmad Hafizzudin our beloved Vicepresident!

Hey Hey Hey! My name is Shiori and I'm a third year student studying a double major in Communications & Media Studies and Fine Arts. I'm part of ISD 2021 because I've always had a passion to serve others and do good things. What I really want to achieve this year is to make International students proud of ourselves for being away from home in this new chapter in life, and yet comfortable with the community here. My life motto that I say to myself countless times a day is "One thing at a time". Seriously, it really calms your nerves down when you set your mind to one thing at a time!

Hi, my name is Anushka Mukherjee and I’m currently studying Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Data Science. As always, ISD’s first priority is to make sure International Students have a home away from home. However, given the new pandemic norms, I hope to keep our offshore students connected to life on campus and can be part of a family even if they may physically not be with us. My life motto that I have always believe in is quoted from Steve Jobs, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Hi, my name is Rosie. I am in my third year of Economics and Communication & Media Studies. Being involved in ISD has helped me a lot in gaining more experience as well as improving myself as a person. What I want to achieve in ISD in the future is that I want to learn more about different cultural backgrounds and also build more meaningful friendships. My life motto is “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

Hellu!! My name is Lidwina Audrey, better known as Wina. I am currently in my second year doing Bachelor of Arts, double major in Communication & Media Studies and Marketing. Given the opportunity as the Media Project Officer for ISD, I aim to increase engagement of international students in uni both through physical and online events. I am also taking the role as the Lighthouse Magazine sub-editor this year, and I will be working hard to provide a platform for international students to show off their cultural diversity in UWA. The life motto that I keep on reminding myself everyday is quoted from a soundtrack of my most favourite Korean drama, Reply 1988. “Just let the past be in the past. It’s meaningful that way. Just sing to the ones who left. Say you loved them with no regrets”.

Hey! My name is Yuh Shin and I am currently doing my Bachelor of Science majoring in Data Science and Finance. As a part of ISD 2021, I hope all the events that ISD is holding for the international students reaches as many students as possible, as these events are either fun and informative and all students should be aware of the events and has the option to join if they wish! My life motto is “Bubble tea first, Talk later!”

Hey! I'm Barakat Al Lamki, better known as "BK" and I'm the liaison officer for the 2021 ISD committee. I'm doing a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Geology and Natural Resource Management. During my time as Liaison Officer I hope to increase the engagement of international students with other clubs and facsocs. I'll achieve this through working closely with members of the ISC to improve and facilitate collaborations. I'm excited to meet and work with everyone!

Hey! I am Keerthana Murugan and I am currently studying Integrated Medical Sciences Program. As a part of the ISD 2021 committee, my goal is to provide a platform for all international students to raise their queries and concerns, specifically related to the education aspect. In addition to that, I also want to ensure an increase in interactive events catered to increase one’s employability: skills workshop, networking events, career fairs etc. The life motto that I have always believed in is “Enjoy and appreciate the little things in life”.

Hellooooo. My name is Goh Junjie, and everyone calls me JJ. Being in UWA for 5 years and currently finishing my Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology, I am pleased to be your Education Officer for 2021. Keerthana and I aim to better bridge international students to the current resources available, and introduce more networking activities and opportunities. I love doing music and try (keyword: try) to remain active during my free time. Like Naruto said, "Dattebayo! (Believe It!)" .

Hiya! I’m Rashdina and I’m in my second year studying a double major in Psychology. If there’s something I want to help international students with, it's taking that first step! In 2021 I aim to encourage students to connect with others, help them experience Australian culture, and try out new things. My life motto at the moment? “Life is what you make of it.” Although going outside of my comfort zone terrifies me, sometimes we just need to take chances and do something out of the ordinary. After all, you'll only regret the chances that you didn't take!

Hi I'm Bryan Noh, you can call me either Bryan or Dongwoo. I'm from South Korea and I'm on my second year majoring in Engineering and taking second major in Data Science. I finished 3 years of my high school in Sydney and moved to Perth on February 2020. I joined ISD 2021 as Social Officer to enhance quality social interaction and experience between domestic and international students at UWA. I usually go for cycling when I'm free, but not on a windy day. My life motto is “Don't live in the past”.

Hi! I'm Meena. I'm from a beautiful island in South Asia - Sri Lanka. I am a third year Anatomy and Human Biology student. I live at unihall. This is my second year with ISD and I'm blessed to be the Welfare Director 2021. Along with Zoe (Welfare Officer) and the rest of the team, it is my goal to improve the wellbeing of international students, continue mental and physical health events and increase awareness on sexual health. I've met the most beautiful people on ISD. We want to create the best university environment for your short time here at UWA. My life motto is “You can always fix issues with desserts”. With a big big love , Meena x

Hello! My name is Zoe. I am currently studying Economics and Finance in UWA. I am a part of the welfare department and will be working as the Welfare Officer. Alongside ISD 2021, I want to create an inclusive platform for all international students to feel that they have a home away from home. My life motto is “The best days are yet to come!”.

t a t a g n g i n v i i L Liv e g e e g l l e l o l C o C w o w o R R Let us take a look into the lives of international students living on college amidst the pandemic

Quarantine at Cats: Our Little Bubble

I have never appreciated the college-life as much as I have this quarantine, not that I never appreciate living at college; but I have always wondered what life is like living outside college. Besides Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I am very thankful for St. Catherine’s College, my “home away from home” for this past 2-years. Since the start of COVID-19 outbreak, and as the world is going crazy, Cats transitioned us to ‘quarantine-living’ really smoothly. The staffs and RAs have worked so hard to make life easier for us, and I couldn’t imagine how it would be like if I was living elsewhere, alone. The saddest thing to see from lockdown / quarantine – life are events being cancelled. However, instead of just shutting down and cancelling everything, Cats has made it all possible by creating a socially distant formal hall, socially distant study spaces, online tutorials, and all registered events with limited spots – all this was of course, following government regulations. Since the dining hall was still opened during quarantine, this made it all better, since we do not have to worry of buying groceries when everyone else is panic buying. We don’t have to wait for grocery shops to open up, stay in line, and wondering what to eat every day, since we have it all provided for us. Cats even provided $1 toilet paper roll, which I find very convenient. Working at the dining hall source: St. Catherine’s College Facebook Page

was a different level of experience. Having to count how many people entered the dining hall, sanitizing tables, packing cutleries and reminding people to sanitize their hands made me realize how crazy everything is changing due to COVID-19. This however, made me realize how well Cats transitioned into a COVID-safe environment overnight. St. Catherine’s have done an excellent job at keeping our physical and mental health going. With everything going online and not being able to go anywhere, it often times depletes our emotional / mental well-being, and thus Cats has provided mental health resources such as the Deputy of College or Resident Advisors that are available to talk to, posting in Facebook groups of other mental health resources like Lifeline. St. Cats also have increased the numbers of safety-precautious events, such as sports (dodgeball, volleyball, frisbee, yoga, boxing), online art-classes, or wholesome events like the Secret Friends Week.

source: St. Catherine’s College Facebook Page

Online art-class and Secret Friends Week would be my favorite, since I love all things craftsy. Thanks to Cats, I was able to get to know more people through these events without having to go out and risk myself through the exposure of COVID-19. See, our safe little bubble.

source: St. Catherine’s College Facebook Page

Speaking of "home away from home", this year was full of people asking, "Aren't you homesick?" or "don't you miss home?" that kind of stuff, but St. Catherine's really do make it feel like home. Besides being able to decorate my own room to make it feel cozy, Cats have done a great job bringing up their well-knownfor inclusivity and diversity values by providing different sorts of food in the dining hall. I never minded being away from home, since I have people around me here that makes it feel like home, but nothing beats that feeling when you have a bite of food that reminds you of home, just like that scene where Anton Ego tastes Ratatouille in the movie Ratatouille (2007). Yes, on Roast-Nights I wish there were rice instead of potatoes, but there are countless times I take a good bite of green curry chicken and it just reminded me of how my grandma would use to make it, or comfort foods like chicken tenders or chiccy nuggies. They have vegetables too and all those salad bar bar, but not a big highlight as my favorite comfort meal, rice and mhmm... chiccy nuggies.

source: St. Catherine’s College Facebook Page

source: Pinterest

When it comes to inclusivity and diversity, St. Cats hosts events for residents that makes it feel like a family such as Mid-Autumn Festival with good selection of mooncakes, language table for people who are interested to learn different languages, and supports any interests their residents have, ranging from dance clubs to late-night philosophy talks or crocheting, making a big room for us to grow, with zero stress and zero pressure. It made me think ofLeif, one of my favorite characters in Animal Crossings: New Horizons that owns a garden shop. It’s a big reminder of “grow at your own pace” stuff, which is very important especially in this uni-life. Why I decided to put “quarantine at cats: our little bubble” as the title then, is because not only that St. Catherine’s has made us a protective-little bubble to be safe from COVID-19, Cats also has provided us so much room for us to grow, at our own pace – within our little bubble. It’s been about 8 months since quarantine, and I am so proud of how we all have made it through. Not just my Cats family, but everyone in general. 2020 was quite a year, and I believe everyone has grew and learned so much from it, and I think we all deserve a big patin-the-back. We made it, and that’s more than enough. Signing off, A proud St. Catherine’s College resident.

source: Buzzfeed

Our Safe Haven, Our Second Home: Trinity Goh Junjie // Singapore

I left Singapore for Perth in 2016. Excited yet a little worried about not knowing what to expect, I started out my university journey at Trinity. Both my brother and my sister were also residents at Trinity. To be honest, they were the main reasons why I chose Trinity to be my college of choice back then. However, the diverse and inclusive community quickly made me feel at home and I have not looked back ever since. It is now my fifth year here. I have forged friendships with people from all over the world, and I can say that my university life would never be so enriching and enjoyable if not for the people I have met here. Last year, many of the international residents (including my friends) were either unable to enter WA or chose to head back to their home country to spend time with their families. I remember heading down to the admin office to speak to the staff to discuss my options: to stay or head back to Singapore. I chose to stay, and I am happy that I did. During lockdown, Trinity provided us with a range of activities, while making sure that everyone felt safe. Necessities were also sold at a low price or provided for free. We had exercise circuits a few times a week in the East Quad and had access to the gym. Residents who enjoyed arts and music were catered to by events like Movie Nights, DIY glass painting and open-mic sessions. The Trinity staff also regularly checked in with the residents to ensure our physical, emotional and mental well-being. The strong support network at college allowed my friends and I to cope with the changes in our daily routines and feel safe in the uncertain times. Uni is where we foster and develop our own passions and interests. We also learn to manage ourselves as young adults and juggle our social life and academics. Staying at college gave me opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone and yet, provided me with personal space for self-discovery and recollection. It has certainly made my uni experience much more fulfilling and fruitful. 2020 was a challenge to everyone, and even more so for international students away from home. However, it taught us to cherish what we have and gave us time for ourselves. For me, I am proud to say that Trinity was one of the many things that I feel blessed to have and be part of. Looking back, the fondest memories of my uni life all revolve around this place I call my second home.

Our Safe Haven, Our Second Home: Trinity Sophie De Jonge // Netherlands

When corona arose, the “going-abroad-experience” was definitely different than expected but I truly believe that Trinity Residential College on college row was the best place for me to be. I’m from the Netherlands, studied and played hockey in America and did a semester abroad to Australia to finish my degree at UWA. It all started normal, I was loving college O-week, my new hockey team and my first few weeks at the beautiful UWA campus. And then, “it” happened, all residents had to make a choice: Stay at TRC or go home. This was a weird decision with the unknown future because of this crazy virus. Luckily, we have Liz who is our in-house counselor who many of us talked to. And also, many many many credits to our head of college at the time, Mike. Mike had a conversation with every single international student and made me and many others feel very home and safe between the gates of TRC. Almost everywhere in the world it was worse than in Perth, and thanks to our head of college to keep us calm and explain that to us. I wasn’t particularly scared to miss home more or have a hard time with online classes because there are enough different study areas in our college, and I have many good friends here to be bored with. I was mostly wondering how I was going to change my workouts. I normally have lots of hockey training and go for long distance runs. At TRC there is a gym, a tennis court, basketball courts, badminton area, volleyball nets, table tennis tables and lots of grass areas. Our college gave us lots of opportunity for creativity and was super supportive with finding new events to organize inside our college following the rules. I started setting up little circuit workouts outside on our East Quad with some music and my friends joined in very soon after. We had some rules around campus but since it was a circuit style workout, if we all sanitized before, a lot more people were able to join in. I ended up having signup lists which were full after 5 min after I put them on. The organization of these workouts was seen by our admin and they offered me an internship after my degree was done. Thanks to Covid. Now, 6 months after I was supposed to leave, I’m still here loving life.

Welcome to My Humble Abode: Unihall Natassha Naomi Shanmugam // Malaysia

Traveling to an entirely new country to pursue your studies is one of the bravest things you can ever do in my opinion. An unknown environment, a unique culture, an unfamiliar slang – they were all present in UniHall, but there was also an abundance of familiarity that existed in its ambient environment as it houses students from all around the world! I remember how I was extremely anxious to leave my room on the first day of my arrival, but upon meeting my Residential Advisor, I quickly realized the friendly and welcoming atmosphere that surrounded me. I deduced that I had to get involved in the community if I wanted to make UniHall feel like home to me. Surely enough, with the numerous opportunities presented by Hall, this was a fairly easy task to accomplish. UniHall is constantly saturated with events put together by numerous committees that it possesses. Our Residential Club regularly pumps out engaging activities, along with our Arts, Music, International, Environment, Health and Well-being, and Outdoor Committees. Besides these, our Professional Development Community holds various unique Leadership and Internship Programs available for residents who are looking to develop their employability. Moreover, we have an Academic Advancement Team responsible for organizing workshops, talks, and debates that aids you in progressing through your academic journey. Therefore, there is always a little something for everyone present here at Hall. Enchanted Garden Gala Night 2020 @ Optus Stadium

End of Semester (E.O.S) Hall-O-Ween Party

With that being said, 2020 wasn’t all that perfect as mid2020 approached, the pandemic truly restricted me to enjoy and explore the beauty of Perth. However, UniHall wasn’t a ghost town once lockdown was imposed, the committees of Hall continued to put in the effort to involve and occupy residents with activities virtually – something as small as distributing self-care items to organizing online zoom events. Along with that and the constant reassurance and care provided to us by our RAs and ResLife members we managed to make it through the lockdown strong. So, let me end this with the idea that UniHall is one big family. It has its arms always wide-open welcoming everyone, worldwide and providing you with endless opportunities that will leave you with life-long friends from all around the globe, invaluable skills, and a memorable home in Perth! Be sure to always make an effort to take a courageous step forward because that will most certainly change your life for the better. All the best to you and see you soon!

Homesickness June Lo // Hong Kong My experience with homesickness is quite interesting because it is like a roller coaster. I came to Perth in late October 2018. I thought I wouldn’t be homesick because for all those years I didn’t really have a sense of belongingness in Hong Kong, and I always wanted to live in another country. I didn’t really experience homesickness during my first 8 months in Perth because I had really nice people around me, which made me forget about home. That’s why I thought I would never get homesick. Well, I guess I was wrong. Around June 2019, that’s when it hit me. This was when the protest in Hong Kong started. I still remember when I was watching this from live streams during class, and I couldn’t concentrate. I felt helpless and powerless cause I couldn’t really do anything and just wanted to go back home. I felt thankful that I went back to Hong Kong a week or two since it has started. From that day, I had more sense of belongingness and cultural identity to my home country. Jumping forward to December 2019, I didn’t really experience being homesick because I knew that I could go back home really soon for the break. Matters aside, I met more people during the semester, as well as my friends and college life kept me quite busy that’s why everything seemed to be fine. Fast forward to 2020, this is definitely a whole new experience and gave me waves of feelings and thoughts. I honestly didn’t know what to expect for 2020. COVID-19 was already pretty serious in Hong Kong, but there are no cases in WA right at the beginning of the year, so I didn’t really think there would be any travel restrictions. Well, I was wrong again. While WA began their lockdown, and all countries are calling back their international students to head back to their home countries. I was determined that I would stay in Perth because I have never thought the lockdown will last this long and I thought that staying in Hong Kong will demotivate me. Do I regret staying in Perth? Yes and No. Yes, because I really miss the food in Hong Kong even though there are a couple of decent Hong Kong restaurants around, but still feels different. The other thing is that I really miss friends and family in Hong Kong. Although I still keep in touch with them by video calling them, it always feels like something is missing. On the other hand, I didn’t regret staying here because there are fewer cases here in Perth as compared to Hong Kong. I would be wearing a mask every day up until today if I went back home. Another thing is that I got more involved at university by attending more events and taking up more roles which definitely broadened my horizons. I wouldn’t have these experiences if I went back home. Being stuck in Australia and not being able to go back home for more than a year made me realise how much I miss Hong Kong. I would appreciate every second I spend if I ever have the chance to go back. I have also learned to treasure the time I spent with people and make every second count because we’ll never know what’s going to happen in the future.

Al-Waleed Al Salmi // Oman

It was the 21st of October 2018, the day that changed Al Waleed from a normal guy in his isolated village among Al Hajar mountains in Sultanate of Oman to be an international student in Australia. After I got high marks during high school, the Omani Government offered me a scholarship to study Geology at UWA. However, it was a hard feeling for me and my family, especially my mum because I was always with her. I was also afraid of the fact that I will travel alone to Australia, it will be my first time at the airport. The biggest question is how I will speak English, because we don’t speak English in our daily life and English subjects at school are really basic with poor content. That was my situation before I came to Perth, just a lot of questions. Then I struggled to book accommodation before I arrived. I booked a homestay with an old Asian lady, which I realise when I came here that the lady speaks broken English and that won’t help me improve my English. My feelings in those days were very terrible, the homesickness was killing me, no more family, no more friends. On my first day going to school here, at the bus port in CBD I got fined. I was changing buses and was supposed to use the stairs to go to another stop, but I thought it was easier to cut the road. An officer saw me and gave me a fine, and what I said to him is, “New student, me no English”, so he took the fine with him. In my English course, I met some Omani students, which made me feel better. I decided to move in with one of my Omani friends near our school area, because taking 2 buses from Karawara to Claremont was too difficult. Then I started learning how to cook because going to restaurants will finish our money quickly, as well as learning a lot of things and skills for self-reliance. My English at that time started getting better. Each day I spent in Australia is a lesson for me, and day after day I started making social networks, I made a lot of new friends! However, by the end of 2019, I got an email from Taylor’s college that my grade is below 66%, and I won’t be able to study geology at UWA if I don’t increase it to 66% in my last two terms. The main reason for that was my English. During my exams, I don’t understand some questions because I encounter new words in the questions. So, I got a call from my sponsor “Consulate of Sultanate of Oman in Melbourne”, they said if I keep my grade like this, they will withdraw my scholarship. I was so scared, and I didn’t tell anyone about that matter. I promised to myself that I will study harder to get out of this problem, and I did. I am always thankful to my teachers at Taylor’s college because they really helped me during that time. This article won’t end if I keep talking about what challenges I encountered during my time here in Perth. Now I am happy with my life in Perth, doing a double major in Geology and Geochemistry, working at my part-time job, doing my work as a vice president for the Omani Student Society at WA, holding social media platforms of “Geology Society at UWA”, and having fun with my friends who came from different parts of the world. Always we can with passion and faith.

o t e t o S t l e Se o t e lf o N f N Danielle Flamiano // Philippines

In the country where I came from - the Philippines, mental illness is the third most common disability. An estimated 6 million Filipinos live with depression and / or anxiety, making the Philippines the third country with the highest rate of mental health problems in the Western Pacific Region, and a certain percentage of those arises from the struggles that international students face. Coming from a typical Asian family – my mother sacrificed a lot of opportunities just so she can send me abroad to study. There was a continuous amount of immense pressure that I felt during my first days here in Australia – I was forced to embrace the mindset that since my mother pays a lot for my education, I am not allowed to make any mistakes. As a result, cultural shocks, performance rate issues, friendships and other stressors had a devastating effect on my overall mental health and lead to a severe psychological crisis. This justifies one of the reasons as to why we have the tendency to initially either isolate ourselves or be with a group of the same language. Admittedly, I was a victim of this stigma, and after realising that I am not alone in facing these struggles, these are five of my mental health care tips:

Keep a journal. Keeping a journal beside me always allows me to establish my three W’s: ‘why,’ ‘who,’ and ‘where.’ WHY am I doing this, WHO am I doing this for, and WHERE do I see myself in the long run. It allows me to establish my goals accordingly and reminds me of my daily tasks for the day.

Engage yourself in stress-relieving activities. University is the perfect representation of overwhelming stress, and as its students, we get to experience that to the fullest. Therefore, it is crucial to relieve unwanted stress when the workload gets overwhelming. Personally, I go to the gym, do some yoga, or spend some quality time for myself by grabbing a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop nearby.

Join in club committees and expand your network from there.

As an international student, my first day at university was intimidating. It was hard for me to initiate conversations as I feared how they would respond. By joining club committees, I was able to find a crowd that I was comfortable to engage with – not only that, through the various events, I was able to meet different kinds of people coming from all sorts of cultural backgrounds.

Set a specific time for contacting your loved ones. Often, I get homesick, and this led to my mental health being unstable on most occasions. I initially did not know how to deal with this since frequent communication would make things worse. But by setting specific times in a week of catching up with loved ones helped me understand that just by having those conversations, I am reminding myself who I am doing this for and why I am working hard.

Remember to reward yourself.

We tend to forget the importance of having to reward ourselves from time to time - this leads to us forcing ourselves to study, and sometimes, we end up getting the results we least expected. By rewarding yourself, you have something to look forward to while you study for that exam. It makes you feel a sense of fulfillment afterward.

Australian research has found that international students focus on physical health and health care when asked about their well-being rather than discussing emotional or mental symptoms associated with mental health issues. In this context, it is essential to note that Australia is home to many thousands of international students of all ages when mental illness is likely to arise. International students from many different countries represent a special group of young people. Above all, the common standards of their home countries and the ones they face here in Australia are always a serious complication for their adjustment in academic and social life.

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The Importance of Mental Health and Self Care for International Students Mira Al-Junied // Singapore It has been a wretched and overwhelming year for us, as international students since the struck of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the international border closure along with the uncertainty of circumstances and challenges has impacted our academic life and financial stability as a result. Some people have no idea on the extremities we are dealing with. We left our countries to pursue our degrees as a way of upgrading ourselves, to work on our ambitions and goals for a better life. Little did we know that this pandemic was going to last for a considerably long period of time which has left us feeling distressed and helpless from time to time. Though some of the international students have managed to fly back home before the border closure, there are still many of us who choose to continue living through each day in Australia, away from our home country and loved ones. The unpreparedness and doubtful thinking on how long the pandemic and separation from home will last can be dismaying. Our families will have to bear with the separation as well. Indeed, being separated by our family (technically our main source of emotional support) and having this homesick feeling is unbearable all together. It can also be to the extent whereby we only have ourselves to turn to at times. So, what can you do to maintain good mental health and wellbeing while being away from home?

Mental healthcare starts with YOU! Top 5 tips for self-care in maintaining your mental health: Never neglect a goodnight’s sleep! A regular and adequate sleep, around 7 to 9 hours is imperative for good mental health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that poor sleep exacerbates depression which would leave one feeling disoriented as a result. Have a healthy and balanced diet along with exercise, at least 3 times a week. It can be a sport, a gym class, jogging or even taking long walks with a friend. Try to incorporate mindfulness or breathing exercises once in a while as this promotes self-awareness of your own emotions while relaxing the body and mind to reduce your stress points. Avoid social isolation. Put yourself out there, go for events and meet new people. Understand it can get intimidating sometimes but after a while, you start to enjoy getting to know new people. You might come across and connect with like-minded ones. You may even get to unravel tips from them on how they build up on their resilience and emotional intelligence (EQ) in their lives. This will help boost your assertiveness and drive to push through this trying times. Grow out of your comfort zone. Explore new hobbies, activities, places or even food. Basically, things you have never done before! You will be surprised how spontaneity can lift your moods to an extent, giving you that thrill of excitement in life. Never be embarrassed or afraid to reach out for help, be it a mental healthcare professional or someone whom you feel comfortable with to confide in. Feel free to come by Student Central for International Student Support with one of the friendly team members there or the Student Guild for a free counselling session! It is important to be self-aware and take initiative in managing our own thoughts and emotions.

What can the rest of us do? Different people have their own versions of going through a tough phase. Some might have it easier or only for a short period of time while some others might not. The least we could do is to be kind, respectful and empathise with one another. Being in a place where there is such positivity could foster meaningful friendships and greatly lift the spirits of international students in UWA especially during these trying times. Resilience is what we need to build up on to get through even the toughest days that may lie ahead. As the saying goes, “Tough times never last but tough people do”. Once this pandemic is over, it will be our reminiscence that we have lived through it. May 2021 bring about positivity and kinship among us as we patiently wait for the international borders to open so that we can reunite with our families and friends back home once again.

Stay safe. Stay blessed everyone.

A Straightforward Approach Towards Self Care

Kieren Lew // Malaysia

So here are my 5...

A scheme through the first article of “self-care” on google told me there are 25 ways to take better care of yourself.

with descending levels of importance just in case you need to tap real fast on Instagram stories to show your friends that you care enough to look through what they’ve done in the past 24 hours and just bail on this article.

Nobody has time for that!

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Set small, achievable goals

If you’ve already decided 2021 will be your year because Dave was buying drinks - questioned if people really do be waking up at 6am to run, buy kitchen gadgets (that garlic press thing isn’t as good as it seems btw) and blamed 2020 for it - chances are you’re aiming way too high. DONT AIM TO QUIT DRINKING reduce it! DONT AIM TO RUN IN THE MORNING aim to walk!

I have nothing for the kitchen gadgets part. By setting extreme goals, you are setting yourself up for failure. Small goals should be dynamic and consistent. If you don’t feel a sense of achievement, goal’s too small, aim for the minimum, if necessary increase in difficulty so you won’t look down on yourself and feel good about it at the same time.

3 You are special not special

I got this from Mark Manson. I read his book quite a while ago so do forgive me for messing this up. “You’re perfect the way that you are”, “You’re enough” and so on, although well intended, will give one a sense of entitlement as Mark put it. When believed, it denies probably the most important thing one could have

I myself look at cats on Instagram like 3 hours per day.... I have however, learned to accept what we see on social media, especially celebrities, fitness models, influencers etc, and that what we see is by design. 3 things. It is literally their job to look good, they have a whole team of people to take a perfect video or picture (you know how you spend an hour finding a picture to post online? Imagine that but a team doing it) and last but not least, they are at the top of their respective food chains.

Stay humble...

that way you don’t get walloped by how unbelievably ignorant you are. Instead, take small hits and learn to improve yourself, one small step at a time.

You see those nameless CGI dudes in Thanos’ army? Chances are, that’s us.

Learn how stupid you are

Have you ever read a textbook and be like

how is this the world that I live in? What the f-.

This world is unbelievably complex. With so many things that we take for granted. Like imagine, a group of people brainstorming, and a person just says “damn, we’re out of ideas. I wish I could just ask someone for some answers”. “Hold u-“. Boom. Google. This point is so self-explanatory, I don’t even know why I wrote so much for this.

ch, get a tutor, Go learn something, read, wat to get started. d You have everything you nee

GROWTH With constant self-comparison with people better than us on social media, and words that contradict our false sense of worth, what can one feel but confused? However, there is still hope. You may not be special, but you can be.

this is tricky!

zzz...

Chances are you’ve met some people who only need 5 hours of sleep to function. Good for them. For the rest, the importance of sleep is often overlooked. You’d remember better, become more creative and get to dream. There are a few theories, but the underlying theme is that we often dream more during periods of stress and anxiety, leading to the theory of the function of dreams are to regulate moods.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCES When is the last time you played Spot the Difference? Probably a very long time ago when you were a child, right? Here is your opportunity for another go at this classic game. Pictured below are two images of a quarantine hoarder’s storage closet. There are 12 differences between the two of them. Can you spot them all?

CROSSWORD 1. ISD has a total of _____ departments.

2 1

2. What is ISD's instagram handle?

3. ISD publishes _____ every semester. 4. UWA Student Guild ISD exists to look after the welfare of all _____ students studying in UWA. 5. ISD provides a community of comfort and a place to call _____. 4

A Hungarian Artist, Gergely Dudás has been known to stump the internet with his vivid seek-andfind illustrations. People are struggling to find the bunny hidden in a sea of cats in this viral brain teaser. Can you spot it?? Here's a hint! The bunny is white.

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II Scream, Scream, You You Scream Scream We We All All Scream Scream For For Ice Ice Cream! Cream! June Lo // Hong Kong

Got a sweet tooth and have been craving for something cold and sweet? Don’t worry, I have your back! Some people may think gelato and ice cream is the same thing, but it’s actually not. Gelato is one of the well-beloved Italian desserts. Gelato is generally smoother and creamier than your typical ice cream. While both gelato and ice cream have the same ingredients such as milk, sugar and cream. The main difference is that gelato contains more milk but less cream and sometimes people would exclude the egg yolks for the gelato. This might not sound interesting, but you can tell the difference when you get to taste them. The most obvious difference when you walk in into a gelato and an ice cream store is the look of the tubs. The way a gelato store does it can be really extra sometimes. Even though gelato sounds cooler, there are definitely some ice cream shops around Perth that will blow your mind! Enough talking, let me recommend some gelato and ice cream stores around Perth.

Did Did You You Know? Know? Gelato has a lower butterfat ratio than ice cream Authentic gelato stores don’t scoop their gelato out, they “dig it”. This is because they serve it with a spade.

Address: Laneway at 460 Beaufort St,

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Highgate WA 6003 Instagram: @kuld_creamery Description: Their flavours are seasonal

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Flavours on the picture: Gingerbread in homemade cone

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Address: 148 The Esplanade, Scarborough WA 6019 Instagram: @dumbogelato Description: No artificial colouring or

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flavour Flavours on the picture: Blue Rainbow

Address: 88 Marine Parade, Cottesloe WA to B la a e G

6011 Instagram: @gelatobarcottesloe Description: It’d be so nice to grab a cup

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of gelato here and just chill at the beach with friends Flavours on the picture: Acai Bowl

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Address: 62 Market St, Fremantle WA tissim la e

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6160 Instagram: @gelatissimogelato Description: Gelatissimo is a pretty wellestablished brand in Australia, this is definitely an Aussie approved brand Flavours on the picture: Candy Wonderland

Address: 6/73 Mandurah Terrace, Mandurah WA 6210 Instagram: @simmosicecreamery Description: Their main shop is located at Dunsborough, but they have another one in Mandurah. It is a nice stop to add while you’re exploring around Mandurah. Flavours on the picture: Orange Choc Chip

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Address: 16B/789 Albany Highway East Victoria Park WA 6101 Instagram: @pietrogelateria Description: This is a nice place to go if you want to have dessert after eating at Vic park. They have seasonal flavours too. Flavours on the picture: Coffee & Caramel, Lavender and Earl Grey

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Address: 180 William St, Northbridge WA 6003 Instagram: @chichogelato Description: I really like their interior design with especially their neon lights Flavours on the picture: Malted Milk Cornflake Cookie, Black Sesame & Yuzu, Raspberry Crème Fraiche

lato

Address: 741 Newcastle St, Leederville WA usto G

60075 Geoffrey Bolton Ave, Perth WA 6000845 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park WA 6101

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Photographs By June Lo

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Instagram: @gustogelatoau Description: They have a "unique flavour of the week" updated on their socials. Some interesting combinations are surprisingly really nice.

food to try &

places to visit in perth & western australia

David Wong Kah Wei // Singapore

EVERYONE!

For those who do not know me, my name is David Wong Kah Wei. I'm a fourth-year student, in my final year of University, studying Master of Commerce, Specialising in Accounting and Marketing. The thing I look forward to the most in UWA in 2021 is to enjoy my final year at the University of Western Australia by going to new places to eat and enjoy the sceneries, especially with the company that I have on these trips before I return back to my home country, Singapore.

let's conquer food first! n! Malaysia

For those who are looking for good Malaysian Food in Perth and trying hard to find a good . and reasonable priced place to eat: I would recommend 'Sedap Place' in Victoria Park as they are one of the good choices for Malaysian Food in Western Australia. For those who think it is expensive to eat there, I believe it is not relative to PappaRich in Northbridge. Sedap Place is reasonable in terms of value and portion. Moreover, if you are an SSS/MCS member in UWA, you can get a 10% discount off your total bill when you show them the sticker on your student card. look

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DIMSUM! Secondly, if you are craving for good Chinese Dim Sum like my friends and I always do during the past 3 ~ 4yrs of studying, I would recommend 'Six Fortune Dim Sum' in Northbridge. It serves good quality dim sum and dishes and they are very reasonably priced as the total bill would cost you around $200 for a group of 11 pax. If you are lucky enough, the waiter/waitress might call you:

i Shua

Ge/

Leng

Zai

which translates to "handsome boy" in Cantonese. You might be able to try to get a further discount on your meal there if this happens ;)! APPROX.

$18.20/

PAX!!

now let's conquer places! NEAR

Next, I would like to recommend some places for the new students coming to Perth in the future. Firstly, if you are new here and want to see some of the native creatures in Western Australia, you might want to take a boat ride and go down to Rottnest Island. It is the island home to the native creature called quokkas. This would be an ideal day tour to take during your summer/study break! If you are adventurous and want to see more animals, you can take a drive or train down to the Caversham Wildlife Park. You can see koalas, wombats and could even have the opportunity to feed the kangaroos there.

DOWN

H NORT

SOUTH

If you are getting sick and tired of traveling to these places two or three times during your studies in WA I would recommend a drive down south during the holidays in June/the semester break in April to enjoy the locally produced wines over there. Some of the places you can enjoy there would be Sandalford Wine, Voyager Estate, and Vasse Felix. You can also take a drive down to enjoy the locally brewed coffee at Yahava. Also the locally produced chocolates and Wineries at the Margaret River Company.

Before heading back to Perth, you must make an iconic stop at the Busselton Jetty. You can take a Lastly, if you are interested to go further away and also want to walk along the 1.8Km Jetty to and fro which would see new places instead of going to the same old places over and take about 40 minutes. Be sure to also take a trip over again, I would recommend going up north to Exmouth for down to see the Lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin. about 8-10 days. I would suggest the Pinnacles and Lancelin for some awesome sandboarding experience. Going up, you could For those wondering how many times I have been also stop by at the town of Geraldton. Further up, you will reach down south to Margaret River for the past 4 years of the Pink Lake where you will probably witness a lake pink in my university life, I would say I have been there about 8 times. To me, this is an incredibly insane number of color for the first time in your life. times! The North also holds the Kalbarri National Park where you could see wonders like the Three Gorges, Nature Windows, and Z bend. I advise you to have good walking shoes when touring this area as it is very uneven and steep. You would also want to visit the Shell Beach and Hamelin Pool when you are in Kalbarri. Or maybe make a stop to see and stay over in Monkey Mia for a day to see and feed the dolphins there. Additionally, you would also have a chance to stay on a farm during the trip, have a campfire with your friends, and roast marshmallows away. You can proceed on to Coral Bay and Ningaloo reef where you can take a 2-hour class to learn how to dive in the reef to see the corals, turtles, and if you are fortunate enough you might encounter a big white shark in the ocean while snorkeling. You can also snorkel again with the corals and see the marine life animals in Cape Range and Turquoise Range. In conclusion, if anyone is interested to go up to Exmouth for your road trip during the school holidays, I would advise you guys to join a tour or catch a direct flight from Perth instead of driving. As this would take 13-hours of driving non-stop from Perth to Exmouth. Thank

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Semester

Things Things to to Do Do with with Your Your Friends Friends in in Perth/WA Perth/WA Rashdina Ayeesha Ramli & Bryan Noh

New to Perth and have no idea what to do or where to go with your friends? Here are some of our recommendations!

Go on a Road Trip (Rent a car or camper and travel around WA!)

Busselton Admire the beautiful beach, take a ride on their long Busselton Jetty and check out their underwater observatory Kalbarri Places to visit Kalbarri National Park Natural Bridge Red Bluff Lookout Albany Five hours away from Perth, is Albany! There you can visit a former whaling station, explore their beaches and natural attractions, and learn more about Australian history at the National Anzac Centre Places to visit: The National Anzac Centre The Gap and Natural Bridge Albany Wind Farm Dunsborough Dunsborough has beautiful beaches to explore. You can also check out and support local artists in WA and go visit galleries and pottery store Some places to visit: Dunsborough Beach Christian Fletcher Gallery Happs Pottery

Adventure World

Open 7 months a year and located in Bibra Lake is Perth’s theme park, Adventure World! Among its attractions are water rides that will definitely get you soaked so make sure to bring a change of clothes when planning your visit

#Kalba

rri202

Explore Explore Explore

Busselton underwater observatory 31

Go on a Day Trip

Still want to travel but not stay overnight? Here are some places you can go to for a day trip! Rottnest Island Catch a ferry from Fremantle. There you can find beautiful beaches, and the famous quokkas all over the island! Lancelin Dunes Go sand boarding Swan Valley Visit the Margaret River Chocolate Factory or go wine tasting

Look! It's a quokka :O

Explore Fremantle Check out the markets, have a look at the old buildings, take a ride on the ferris wheel, tour around the Fremantle prison or Maritime Museum Visit an Orchard Look out online for what kinds of produce are in season and go fruit picking at an orchard! Some of the most beautiful ones you don’t wanna miss out when in season are persimmon, plum, and cherry blossoms!

Snow...Sandman?

Visit AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia)

Visit Perth’s underwater aquarium in Hillarys! General admission tickets are reasonably priced and if you’re an avid marine life lover- they also offer tickets for whale watching! (Seasonal)

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ntl #Freema

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Things Things to to Do Do with with Your Your Friends Friends on on a a Budget Budget Rashdina Ayeesha Ramli & Bryan Noh

Wanna hang out with friends but trying to save money? Here are some things you can have fun doing that you don’t need to spend much on!

1. Perth Markets Fremantle Markets The Fremantle Markets runs every week from Friday to Sunday, there’s fresh produce, good food, and many interesting trinkets for you to discover! Canningvale Markets Runs every Sunday from 7am to 1pm Over 300 selling stalls - selling new and second hand items Lots of fresh produce at low prices Limited free parking

Freo!

2. Visit Museums WA Museum Boola Bardip Entry is free but booking your visit online is recommended as Covid-19 restrictions limit the venues’ capacity AGWA (Art Gallery of WA) Located just in Northbridge Entry is free!

Museum

date?

Art Art Art 33

3. Go on a Picnic Some of Perth's Popular Picnic Spots Kings Park South Perth Foreshore - take a ferry from the city Hyde Park Cottesloe Scarborough

Food Food Food

e? t a D c i n c Pi 4. Go to the beach (+ Stay out and watch the sunset, or stay up for the sunrise at one of Perth’s beautiful beaches)

Some of Perth's Popular Beaches Cottesloe City Beach Scarborough Rottnest Island Salmon Bay Little Armstrong Bay

#Rottnest

2020

Swim Swim Swim

Danielle Flamiano // Philippines 3. Go on a Picnic

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stopS cinciP ralupoP s'htreP fo emoS COVID-19 is the epitome of terrible timing. It has isolation and self-quarantine. We can only go with a limited number of kraP sgniK places to relieve this unified stress; we have little choice but to stay home and need a distraction. And we may try to ytic eht morf yrref a ekat - erohseroF htreP htuoS convince ourselves that we are spending this time to postpone projects, swatch cleaning, learning a new skill, or talking to kraP edyH our fellow family members. Still, the reality is that we are showing the next ridiculous number of films. So here are my top tv eolsettoC series/movie suggestions to help you get through these uncertain times: hguorobracS

The Good Doctor There is nothing wrong with making a show about an autistic character that emphasizes his skills and talents, but, as with any lead on any drama, he should also have what every person has: some flaws. While The Good Doctor does not shy away from presenting Shaun’s difficulties with communication and social norms, it tends to spin those qualities into a positive. This series inspired me all throughout as it tackles current social issues and prejudices that we commonly experience at our age. If you are seeking for some inspiration, this is a must-watch!

The Hospital Playlist For the k-drama lovers out there, this one is for you – or even if you are not, I reckon you give this a try. If you think of giving a pass to this show as it is a medical drama, I highly recommend you think again. This drama is the first hospital drama that I fell in love with. In an intelligent doctor's life, the main characters are in the middle of the action and fighting to save lives, but the show feels balanced, friendly, and incredibly humane.

The Farewell (2019)

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It is here that the main character, Billi Wang, explores the cultural differences between East and West and between generations without judging or declaring, which is the best approach. It is as if she wants to see all sides of the complicated argument with a good heart and an open mind. Her approach is so intimate and direct that it makes you feel immersed in this city, this family, this life. You might even find yourself changing your mind throughout the movie and how to handle that dilemma on your own.

4. Go to the beach (+ Stay out and watch the sunset, or stay up for the sunrise at one of Perth’s beautiful beaches)

sehcaeB ralupoP s'htreP fo emoS eolsettoC hcaeB ytiC hguorobracS dnalsI tsenttoR Unlike the standard superhero squad, Old Guard looks like a set of features and more like real All yapeople. B nomla S the characters seem to have known each other for centuries, suggesting all its intricacies (bitterness, yasacrifice, B gnortsand mrAloyalty). elttiL If you are the type who is into action with a little bit of mystery and drama on the side, I recommend you check this out!

The Old Guard (2020)

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Before Sunrise (1995) There is no hidden agenda in this film - no cheating, melodrama, fake violence, or imaginary choreography in the sensual scenes. As far as the city of Vienna is concerned. No one bothers them. The city of Vienna presents itself not as a travel diary but as a series of competitions. In here, the protagonist meets amateur comedians, fortune tellers, street poets, friendly waiters and talks about how they spend their nights in a church, and their occasional drinks in the park. They find ways to exchange personal information by arranging imaginary phone calls with imaginary best friends. They talk about love and the good arguments against it. If you are the type who is into wholesome and deep conversations, this one is for you!

# 2tsenttoR 0 2 0 As an international student myself, I am well-aware of the setbacks that the past year has caused us. Some of us cannot go back to university because we are still stuck in home countries, while some of us are stuck here in Perth and ended up spending the holidays away from our loved ones. I hope that my recommendations can help ease all of you as we hope for a better turnout this 2021.

start game >>

your mission: to cook salted Gamemaster: Kieren Lew // Malaysia

seek for:

time to prepare for mission:

30 minutes

> 8 skin on deboned chicken thighs > 8 salted eggs > a thumb size knob of ginger > soy sauce

time to complete mission:

> cooking wine

30 minutes

> garlic > curry leaves > salt > potato starch

objectives: salted egg sauce 1. Separate the salted egg yolks from the whites. 2. Steam the egg yolks for about 10 minutes. 3. Put 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or any oil) in a pot and stir the steamed egg yolks with medium heat .4. Try to break the egg yolks to remove any small clumps. 5. Expect to see foam from the sauce and continue cooking until the volume about double/triple in size ( about 5 minutes). 6. Set aside to combine with fried chicken. (the sauce will reduce in volume when it’s cooled)

how to complete mission? > Add 2 tablespoons of butter into a pan > Add minced garlic, chopped bird’s eye chillies, curry leaves and the salted egg sauce into a pot. > Wait for the sauce to double/triple in volume. > Add the fried chicken into the sauce and mix.

mission accomplished >>

fried egg ^chicken

your goal: feed 5 humans

chicken? ❌ fried chicken ✅

1. Cut the chicken thigh into bite size pieces (into pieces of 6) and set into a bowl. 2. Mince the ginger/cut it into bigger slices for easy removal later on. 3. Put equal amounts of soy sauce and cooking wine, 4 tablespoons or to taste. 4. Add salt to taste. 5. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set for 30 minutes. 6. Coat the chicken with a thin layer of potato starch, dusting off any excess. 7. Place the chicken into 180 C° vegetable oil. If shallow frying, turn the chicken after about 2 minutes, or until the coating turns light brown. 8. Remove the chicken pieces from the oil and place aside for 1 minute. 9. Turn on the heat to 200 C° and place the chicken pieces back into the oil. 10. Fry for another 30 seconds, or until the coating turns to a darker shade of brown.

hints from the game master 1. 7 bowls will be needed for the whole process. 2. Mince garlic, ginger and bird’s eye chilli. Remove curry leaves from stem. Other than the ginger, set aside the rest into a bowl. (1 bowl = minced ingredients) 3. Prepare the chicken first to marinade. (1 bowl = marinating chicken) 4. Prepare the salted egg sauce second. While waiting for the egg yolks to steam, store the salted egg whites away for future use (pretty good for porridge). WASH YOUR DISHES. (1 bowl = egg yolks; 1 bowl egg whites) 5. While making the salted egg sauce, pour oil into another pot/pan to heat it up. (1 bowl = completed salted egg sauce) 6. Prepare potato starch in a separate plate/bowl (only use what is necessary, you can’t put the potato starch back into the packet) (1 bowl = potato starch) 7. 1 bowl for fried chicken and finished product.

moisturiser

hydrating face mask Ingredients eggs

avocado

Directions

Some of us suffer from dried-out skin no matter what time of year it is. With only 2 ingredients required, this mask is as easy as it is effective.

In a bowl, mix 1 egg, 1 mashed banana, and ½ avocado.

Ingredients

Directions

cocoa powder

Mix until smooth.

In a bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Apply to face for 15 minutes, then rinse.

banana Supplies fork

Benefits

bowl

knife

The egg has been proven to tighten and tone skin, but only for a temporary effect. Bananas are natural exfoliators, and they are gentle on your skin. Avocados are widely known to hydrate the skin, but it also helps with exfoliating.

Supplies

spoon

bowl

ISD Welfare Guide: DIY Skin Care Meena Landage & Zoe Ng

Apply directly to face for 15 minutes, rinse, and feel that beautiful skin.

coconut oil

Benefits Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer. The cocoa powder works as an exfoliator. Fight against that dry skin any time with these two simple ingredients.

choose your weapon

tone! tone! tone! Want your skin to feel more toned? Although it’s only temporary, this one ingredient will make your skin feel tighter and toned.

Ingredient

egg whites

Supplies fork

bowl

Directions

Benefits

In a bowl, gently mix the egg whites to desired consistency.

Egg whites have a temporary toning and tightening effect because of the drying properties in eggs. Be sure to follow up with a light moisturizer.

Apply directly to face for 15 minutes. Rinse.

EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE

EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE

ISD WELFARE GUIDE: LET'S GET MOVING! Meena Landage & Zoe Ng

EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Here are some workout apps for getting in shape:

1. Map My Fitness by Under Armour 2. Minute Workout 3. Nike Training Club 4. Down Do

It doesn’t have to be a hardcore HIIT workout if your body is not feeling it. Sometimes you just need a walk along the river/ park and catch the sunset with your best friend/alone to make you feel better if you have had a bad day. It can be as simple as learning a new dance move from TikTok. Some awesome YouTube trainers for you to follow for a routine:

1. Chloe Ting 2. Sydney Cummings 3. Emy Wong 4. Bully Juice 5. Yoga with Adriene

Art in Isolation Art in Isolation Art in Isolation Let us take a look at some artworks created by International Students to keep themselves busy during the pandemic

" U N T I T L E D " JN // VIETNAM

" F I R S T L OV E " RASHMI JAMKAR // INDIA

" U N T I T L E D " JN // VIETNAM

" T H E

S ON G S T R E S S " NB // VIETNAM

" N A T U R E ' S D I M E N S I ON S " NATASSHA NAOMI // MALAYSIA

" U N T I T L E D " JN // VIETNAM

Everything you can imagine is real Everything you can imagine is real Everything you can imagine is real -Pablo Picasso

I dream my painting and I paint my dream I dream my painting and I paint my dream I dream my painting and I paint my dream -Vincent Willem Van Gogh

" U N T I T L E D " JN // VIETNAM

" U N T I T L E D " MANJOT KAUR // PHILIPPINES

" S A T U R A T E D T H OU G H T S " NATASSHA NAOMI // MALAYSIA

" T R E E OF L I F E " RASHMI JAMKAR // INDIA

" B OH E M I A " RASHMI JAMKAR // INDIA

We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents -Bob Ross

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need help urgently? 08 6488 2292 assist@guild.uwa.edu.au Student Assist can help with and give advice on…

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