SWIFT LOVING - Nanyang Technological University

THE NANYANG
VOL.
17
CHRONICLE
NO.
08
07.03.11
ISSN NO. 0218-7310
PRICES MOVING UP
VENDORS MOVING ON
NEWS | 03
PRIVILEGED
ACCESS
SWIFT
LOVING
He gets paid to hang out
with luxury sports cars.
Find out what he does.
LIFESTYLE | 14
过 山 车
对 比
反 向
蹦 极
南 苑 | 31

02 NEWS
News Bites
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
08
NTU
NBS don shARES ANCIENT nuggETS
of WISdom
PROF WEE Chow Hou, Head of
Marketing and International Business
and Chairman of Nanyang
Executive Programmes at the Nanyang
Business School spent an
hour revealing some nuggets of
Sun Zi’s wisdom to businesses at
BMW’s showroom on March 1st.
The talk was organised by The
Business Times and Performance
Motors.
v I R T u a l C A R E E R f A I R
LAunched to match emPLOy-
ERS to STudENTS
THIS YEAR, students from NTU
can hunt for a job and attend job
interviews, without leaving the
comfort of their home or hostel
room. The NTU Career Fair 2011
will go one step further this year
with the lauch of the first Virtual
Career Fair or the NTU iFair.
research agREEmENTS on energy
effICIENCy INKEd WITh
auSTRIANS
NTU signed two agreements on
February 22nd with Austrian researchers
to explore how the sun’s
energy can be tapped to improve
the energy efficiency of homes and
other buildings. A researcher said
these research projects will sow the
seeds of a sunrise industry—tapping
on the sun as a form of alternative
energy for Singapore.
HonduRAN PRESIdent Porfirio
LOBO Sosa vISITS CAmpus
PRESIDENT of Honduras, Porfirio
Lobo Sosa, visited the National
Institute of Education (NIE) on
February 24th as part of his threeday
working visit to Singapore.
The objective of the visit to NIE was
to learn more about Singapore’s
education system, with a focus on
higher education and NIE’s role in
teacher training.
studENTS LEARN how to live
“the good LIfe”
A SEMINAR organised by the
NTU Economics Society on March
3rd had speakers such as Minister
of State Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon
and Chairman to the East Asian
Institute Professor Wang Gungwu
address students on how to live
well in the new economy.
SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE govERNmENT
CALLS FOR LESS RELIANCE ON
FOREIGN WORKERS
COMPANIES need to promote productivity
and reduce dependence
on foreign workers, said the finance
minister. Mr Tharman
Shanmugaratnam said on March
3rd that the increase in labour
supply is estimated to be slow, as
Singapore has almost reached full
employment. He suggested that
businesses reorganize their operation
so as to cope with increasing
labour costs.
EXCESSIVE WORK LEADS TO
LATE MARRIAGE
EXCESSIVE work is hindering
young people from entering into
marriage, said Straughan Paulin
Tay, Nominated Member of Parliament
and Associate Professor in the
Department of Sociology at the National
University of Singapore. Her
research shows that three reasons
contribute to young Singaporean
women’s late marriage: limited
social network, limited time, and
other life goals.
THE FIRST GERONTOLOGY
PROGRAMME LAUCHED IN
SINGAPORE
THE COUNTRY’S first postgraduate
Programme of Gerontology has
been launched. The programme,
promoted by SIM University and
supported by several organizations
such as the Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports,
is expected to improve nursing
care for the ageing population of
Singapore.
‘MINOR’ LEAKS FOUND ON
SINGAPORE A380 ENGINES
SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) said on
March 3rd that it had discovered
five cases of oil leaks on the Rolls-
Royce Trent 900 engines powering
its Airbus A380 planes. However,
a spokesman later assured that it
would not pose any safety issues
on flights.
mORE hdb fLATS avAILABLE
for LOWER INCOme buyERS
MEASURES announced on March
3rd include Special Housing Grant
of up to $20,000 to help lower income
households buy new flats.
The income ceiling for those buying
three-room standard flats has
been raised from $3000 to $5000.
WORLD
HUNDREDS DIED IN NZ QUAKE
THE OFFICIAL death toll climbs to
161, after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake
hit New Zealand’s second
biggest city Christchurch on February
22nd. More than 200 are
still missing. Relief officials said
on Wednesday that no more survivors
are likely to be found and
the dominant task now is recovery
instead of rescue.
CHINA OVERWHELMS JAPAN
AS THE SECOND-LARGEST
ECONOMY
CHINA has overtaken Japan as the
world’s second-biggest economy.
Japan earlier released its economic
figure showing that its economy
was worth US$5.474 trillion
(SGD$6.948 trillion) at the end
of 2010. China’s economy has hit
US$5.8 trillion (SGD$7.357 trillion)
for the same period, with a 10.3 per
cent growth compared to last year.
MORE THAN 1000 dead IN
LIBYA’S REVOLT
THOUSANDS of protestors rallied
in Libya’s second biggest city
Benghazi on the night of February
22nd, to demand the release of an
arrested human rights activist. It
has been estimated that more than
1,000 civilians have been killed in
clashes with security forces and
government supporters.
jOURNALIST DETAINED IN
BEIJING FOR “BREACHING
REPORTING RESTRICTION”
SEVERAL foreign journalists were
roughed up and detained in Beijing
after gathering at a busy shopping
district on February 28th to
cover anonymous online calls for
anti-government protests there.
The Chinese Government then
said journalists were detained for
breaching reporting restriction,
but refused to specify which procedure
had been broken.
APPLE LAUnCHEs IPAD2
STEVE Jobs unveiled the second
generation of its iPad tablet
computer in an event on March
2nd in San Francisco. He said the
major improvements for the new
version will be a faster processor,
improved graphics, and front and
rear cameras.
Upcoming Events
correction
9 to 11 March
ASTROWEEK 2011
The NTU Astronomical Society
will be holding an exhibition
and talks on astronomy.
Time: 9am to 5pm
Venue: Area in front of LT 1A
Find out what your DSLR camera
can do to capture the night
sky.
14 March 22 to 24 March
foxtrot fever!
NTU Dance Sport Academy
is organizing a one-day only
Recess Week Special ballroom
dance workshop—the Slow
Foxtrot. Prices are at $6 per
person and $10 per couple.
Email dsa@ntu.edu.sg to sign
up now.
Time: 2pm-4pm (Registration
begins at 1.30pm)
Venue: Hall 3 Function Hall
SOCIAL
AWARENESS WEEK
Uni-Y’s Social Enter prise
Club will be holding a Social
Awareness Week. Various
welfare organizations and
social enterprise companies
will be setting up booths in
NTU to promote their services
and to educate students. Profits
will be donated to targeted
beneficiaries.
If you have any
exciting events
to publicise,
please don’t
hesitate to
contact us at
chronicle@ntu.
edu.sg
“New yEAR Together”
(vOL. 17 No 5, Page 16-17)
In our photo essay,
two student groups were
incorrectly named.
We had named them: NTU
Chinese Dance Society and
PRC Student Union.
These two groups are
known officially as the
Chinese Dance Club under
NTU Cultural Activities Club,
and NTUSU International
Undergraduate Committee
PRC Group respectively.
We apologise for the
error.

News Balancing
act: the lives of graduate students – Page 8
Food price hike hurts
NTU canteen vendors
Despite the increase in
global food costs, NTU
is not letting its canteen
vendors raise their prices
Mark Tay
Food prices around Singapore
and the world have gone up, but it
is not the case for NTU’s canteens.
These vendors all face the same
problem: increasing raw food
prices eroding their profit margins.
Global food prices have been
rising for the past seven consecutive
months.
However, unlike other vendors,
those in NTU have found that they
cannot mark up prices to safeguard
their profits.
Standing in their way is the
Office of Facilities Planning and
Management (OFPM). The office
has rejected all applications for
fee hikes.
One of those rejected is Ng Poh
Gek, the owner of the Western
food stall located in Canteen 14.
She applied to increase her food
prices last December, but was rejected.
She then held on till March
1st, when she increased her prices
by 20 to 40 cents, because “food
prices have been continuously increasing.”
For example, prices of meat like
chicken rose from $3.70 in March
last year to $4.70 per kilogram
two months ago. Other ingredients
like cooking oil have also increased
from $16 per container in
2008 to $33 now, she said.
“I was left with no choice but to
go ahead with the price increase
(despite the rejection),” she said.
But she had to revert her prices
to “normal levels” after OFPM
subsequently found out.
Another vendor, the owner of
the barbeque stall in Canteen 2,
also had his application to raise
prices rejected.
Instead, Mr Tan Kay Hock cut
food portions, but this has not
gone unnoticed by the students.
"There used to be more fries,
and the piece of chicken has become
smaller. I would rather
that they increase the price and
keep the size of the portions unchanged,"
said Timothy Boey, 23,
a second-year student from the
School of Art, Design and Media.
It is exactly what Mdm Ng fears.
“If I were to give two pieces of
pork instead of three pieces, it will
not be enough for the students (to
eat),” she said, which was why she
preferred to raise the prices.
“Generally, prices
have started to
stabilise. We
should see a turnaround
after the
budget plans kick
in."
Derrick Ng
Manager
Office of Facilities Planning and
Management
ADDITIONAL COST: The price hike in raw ingredients reduces vendors' profit margin
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
UnCERTAINTY: Madam Ng Poh Gek is not sure she can continue operating her stall if the school does not let her charge more
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
First-year student at the Nanyang
Business School Jake Ng, 24,
offered a solution. “A school subsidy
by lowering (the stall owner’s)
rent to balance the increase
in food prices can help both stall
owners and students,” he said.
But OFPM’s manager Mr Derrick
Ng said that no such subsidies
will be dished out. NTU’s stall
rental rates are “already low”, although
he declined to reveal how
much they are.
Stall owners also cannot increase
food prices at their own
discretion. Attempts to do so will
be curbed, like in Mdm Ng’s case,
although errant vendors will not
be penalised as his office plans to
advise them instead.
He said he rejected the stalls’
applications to raise food prices
because the government already
announced measures to combat
rising food prices in its recent
budget, such as forming the Retail
Price Watch Group (see sidebar).
“Generally, prices have started
to stabilise. We should see a turnaround
after the budget plans kick
in. I believe help is on the way,”
he said.
He also believed if the canteen
vendors raised prices, they would
lose out to the school’s fast food
restaurants, which have not raised
prices.
“They risk losing their business
to the fast food outlets like Mc-
Donalds and Subway,” he said.
Meals offered at Canteen A’s fast
food outlets are at least 10 percent
cheaper than outlets around Singapore.
For instance, a McNuggets
meal in NTU costs $4.75 while the
same meal out of campus costs
$6.90.
However, vendors like Mdm Ng
find it difficult hold on to their current
food prices for long. “If food
prices continue to increase, and we
are not allowed to take measures,
my business is not going to be able
to sustain itself much longer,” she
said.
“If food prices
continue to
increase and we
are not allowed to
take measures,
my business is not
going to be able to
sustain itself much
longer."
Ng Poh Gek
Stall vendor
Canteen 14
Students interviewed felt that
to prevent the closure of stalls,
price hikes should be given the
green light.
In fact, about 1200 students,
mostly from NTU, have “liked”
a Facebook page petitioning for
Mdm Ng to be given permission
to increase her food prices.
Titled “Save the canteen 14
Western food stall”, the page was
created on March 2nd by Sarah
Tham, 23, a resident of Hall of
Residence 15 who frequents Canteen
14.
“The prices at her stall have
been stagnant for too long. It’s
been the same since I was in Year
One,” said the fourth-year student
from the School of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering.
“The portions (at the stall) are
really generous so the increase in
prices is really reasonable,” Tham
added.
Budget Information
The Retail Price Watch
Group (RPWG) was formed
under the Singapore Budget
2011 to keep immoderate
prices in check. Major
supermarket chains
like NTUC and Giant have
agreed to hold certain food
prices steady for the next
six months to help the average
Singaporean. While
no direct measures have
been announced to help
food hawkers, the government
has stated that it ‘will
stay alert to any attempts
by businesses to profiteer
or collude to raise prices
excessively’.

04 NEWS
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
08
Students, professors
applaud budget goodies
Food wastage
continues in NTU
Assessable Income
Annual value of residence (as at December 2010)
for year of
assessment 2010 Up to $7,000 $7,000 to $13,000 More than $13,000
Up to $30,000
$30,000 to $100,000
Cash grants and tax
rebates will be put to good
use
Kenneth Foo
Students and professors are
generally delighted with the unexpected
windfall resulting from the
lavish payout from the latest government
budget, which they say
will be spent mainly on defraying
personal expenses, paying for
school fees and coping with rising
living costs.
Widely anticipated to be a
generous budget due to the upcoming
general elections, Budget
2011 lived up to expectations last
month when a wide array of benefits
for all Singaporeans was announced.
Budget incentives include cash
grants, tax rebates and enhanced
bursary awards for needy students.
But the handsomest of the
budget handouts has to be the
Growth Dividends, which will be
be awarded to every Singaporean
aged 21 and above this year.
Depending on one’s income
and the value of one’s home, Singaporean
adults can expect to get
between $100 to $800. Operationally-ready
national servicemen
(NSmen) and full-time national
servicemen (NSFs) will receive an
extra $100.
Many interviewed are pleased
with the payout and have already
made plans on how they will be
spending the bounty come May.
“I will use it to pay for my
school or hall accommodation
$700 $600
$300
More than $100,000 $100
NSFs/NS Men
+ $100
Source: Ministry of Finance
Up to $7000 = HDB flats with 3 rooms or fewer
$7001 to $13,000 = HDB flats more than 3 rooms/ lower value private homes
More than $13,000 = High-value private homes
fees. Then, maybe treat my friends
to a good meal,” said Ong Zhen
Iang, 23, a second-year student
from the School of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering.
He will collect $700 as he is an
NSman and lives in a 4-room HDB
flat which has an estimated annual
value of $8,000.
Second-year Nanyang Business
School undergraduate Jonathan
Tan, 22, plans to enroll for
career grooming courses that will
prepare him for his future career.
“It’s a great opportunity for
me to use the $700 to take courses
that provide training on interview
skills and personal branding that
will give me an edge over other
job-seekers,” said Tan, an NSman
who also lives in a 4-room HDB
flat.
“It’s a nice gesture
as I can now focus
more on my studies
instead of having
to put in so many
hours at my parttime
job."
Elena Quek
Undergraduate
School of Humanities and Social
Sciences
Some, like Assistant Professor
Shirley Ho from the Wee Kim Wee
School of Communication and Information,
will simply place the
money in the bank.
“I will save and use it to offset
the rising cost of living here that is
a result of GST hikes and increasing
inflation,” said Professor Ho
who will also be getting a 20 per
cent income tax rebate this year
thanks to the new Budget plan.
Besides the one-off cash grant,
undergraduates whose household
incomes are within the bottom
two-thirds of the country will also
benefit from an 80% increase in
bursary award amounts.
According to the Ministry of
Finance, this will be an increase
from the current $1,600 a year to
$2,900 a year, covering up to 40
per cent of school fees.
Elena Quek, 22, a third-year
undergraduate from the School of
Humanities and Social Sciences
cheers the move, as she will be receiving
a $1500 bursary grant.
“It’s a nice gesture as I can now
focus more on my studies instead
of having to put in so many hours
at my part-time job, ” said Quek,
who works three times a week as a
telephone surveyor earning $7 an
hour.
But not everyone is happy with
the way the budget goodies are allocated.
First-year Electrical and Electronic
Engineering student Cinny
Chin, 20, is disappointed that only
those aged 21 and above this year
will be eligible for the cash handouts.
She said: “I’m unhappy that
I won’t be getting it just because
I’m a year short of the age requirement.
I guess I will have to wait for
the next general elections for another
generous offering like this.”
WASTE NOT, Want NOT: Food leftover in Canteen B
Cheryl Chan
While food prices are rising,
food wastage is still commonly
observed in ntu.
Plates of unfinished food are
often left behind on tables or
at tray returning points in the
canteens, according to Ah Yu, a
cleaner who has worked for more
than a year at one of the tray
cleaning points at Canteen B.
“At my cleaning point, we
collect up to seven to eight of the
typical garbage bags full of food
wastages during lunch time alone
and around 10 bags in total every
day,” she said.
Colin Quek, 23, a second-year
student from the Nanyang Business
School, acknowledged that
he often has food left over.
“The food [on campus] isn’t
great, hence I always don’t [enjoy
it enough] to finish the whole
portion,” he said.
While students continue to
waste food, stall vendors, who
have felt the pinch of rising food
prices, are trying to minimise the
waste.
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
Leong Kok Wai, 30, a stall
assistant at the chicken rice stall
in Canteen 2, said he ensures
food is not wasted at the stall.
“Normally we have little leftover,
but if we do, we will deliver
them to other outlets to sell.
We usually estimate the amount
of rice to cook to prevent wastage,”
he said.
Similarly, Hartini, the owner
of the nasi padang stall at Canteen
B said: “If there are leftovers
at the end of the day, we either
bring them home for ourselves
or give them to our neighbours.”
“It’ll be good if the stalls
could charge slightly cheaper
for those who ask for smaller
portions,” said Joey Lee, 22, a
fourth-year student from the
School of Physical & Mathematical
Sciences, who usually has
food left over on her plate because
of the large portions.
“If they don’t lower prices,
people will simply take the usual
portions even if they don’t eat
that much as they’re not motivated
to get smaller portions, resulting
in a lot of wastage,” she
added.
Presidential smile: The Honduran president visits a Collaborative Classroom in
nie.
PHOTO | Goh Chay TEng
Two presidents in one week
Or in three days to be exact. ntu hosted the Federal President of
the Republic of Austria, Dr Heinz Fischer, on February 22nd and
the Honduran President Mr Porfirio Lobo Sosa on February 24th.
His Excellency Dr Heinz Fischer witnessed ntu signing two
agreements with Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (AIT) and
SOLID ASIA to improve the efficiency of cooling systems such
as air-conditioning and to tap solar thermal energy in tropical
environments.
His Excellency Mr Porfirio Lobo Sosa visited the National Institute
of Education (NIE) to learn more about Singapore’s education
system, with a focus on higher education and NIE’s role in teacher
training.

VOL.
NO.
17
08
Judith Ho
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
SAC's first phase
now complete
Two brand new rooms are
ready for use
NTU clubs can book the two
meeting rooms at the new Student
Activities Centre (SAC) when they
open on March 7th.
The two rooms will be
equipped with tables and chairs
for meeting purposes and resemble
the meeting rooms in the
previous SAC, said Logistics Executive
for the Students’ Union
Kelvin Oscar Wangsa, 20.
The SAC, previously located at
the School of Biological Sciences,
is now at old Canteen A.
“The new SAC is part of a plan
to improve facilities and to build
a more fun and vibrant environment
for students,” said Wangsa.
It is scheduled to be fully operational
in June, when its students'
lounge, recreational U-ROC
area and study areas open. A third
meeting room which can be converted
into a dance studio will
also be ready then.
However, several clubs were
inconvenienced by the upgrading
process. Some meeting rooms
in the old SAC were closed three
weeks ago and there were restrictions
on booking the remaining
meeting rooms. Clubs that were
affected included the NTU Sports
Club, Fastforward, Christian Fellowship
and the NTU Rotaract
Club.
The SAC Meeting Rooms 1 and
2 were initially expected to open
on February 21st.
According to Wangsa, however,
importing of equipment from
overseas was delayed by the Chinese
New Year break, thus postponing
its opening.
Men AT WOrk: SAC meeeting rooms are opening after a slight delay.
PHOTO | WAN zHONG HAO
For the NTU Sports Club, it
was a particularly trying time as
they were in the midst of planning
three events—Sports Expose, Surf
N Sweat and Bike Rally 2011.
“It was difficult accessing
the meeting rooms due to the
construction at the old SAC and
meetings were hindered by the
noise from the construction,” said
Sports Club Logistics Officer Chen
Shao, 21.
NTU’s board game society,
Fastforward, moved their gaming
sessions to old Canteen A.
According to Fastforward’s
vice-president Tan Haiwang, 22,
the change in location resulted in
the society losing some students
who would usually join the gaming
sessions when dining at the
old SAC.
But for Christian Fellowship
and the NTU Rotaract Club, this
delay posed only a minor hassle,
said Honorary General Secretary
for the NTU Rotaract Club Ter Mei
Mei, 22.
The two clubs had booked
meeting rooms in the new SAC for
their joint event—Janitor’s High
Tea, on February 25th, but the
bookings were rejected due to the
delay.
“But we sort of expected this delay
and had other alternative venues
in mind, like the tutorial rooms in
the South Spine,” said Ter.
When the new SAC becomes
fully operational in June, students
can expect air-conditioned rooms,
game consoles and board games,
and an area for movie screenings,
said Wangsa.
NEWS 05
Hall toilets get a
makeover
Goh Ee Ling
Students of Halls of Residences 4,
5, 6 and 7 can expect fully upgraded
toilets come July 2013.
The new toilets will feature designs
similar to that of the ones in
the halls that were upgraded recently.
Students will be able to use them once
the renovations are completed.
Key changes include the use of
fluorescent lights, additional shower
and toilet cubicles and bidets. Users
will be greeted with a more spacious
interior, a full-length mirror, solidsurface
vanity tops and towel bar
hangers.
All renovation work for Halls 4-7
will be divided into four phases. Phase
1 of the upgrading works will commence
in December 2011 and take
place concurrently for the halls. The
work will be carried out on a blockby-block
basis.
Each is scheduled to be completed
within the semester vacation, but
may spill over to the first few weeks
of the following academic semester
However, students can expect minimal
disruption as these will be limited
to polishing and finishing works done
by contractors.
No noisy hacking or major disturbances
will take place once the academic
term begins, said Miss Angela
Shang, Deputy Director of Student
Accommodation from the Student
Affairs Office.
Wear and tear is the primary reason
for the overhaul of the washroom
units, said Miss Shang.
“Although localised repairs are
carried out routinely, we feel that now
would be a good time to start on the
renovation work,” she added.
Assistant Honourary General
Secretary of Hall of Residence 4’s
Junior Common Room Committee
Avalynn Chiang, 21, gave the new
design a thumbs-up.
She felt that the new design is a
tremendous improvement from the
current one where “toilet facilities are
rather old and dim-lit”.
“The brighter lighting and increased
showering space will make it
much easier for us to move around. It
seems safer too,” added Chiang.
According to Miss Shang, the
renovation costs for each hall are estimated
at $1 million, and up to $1.6
million for the halls with more washrooms.
KEEPING CLEAN: Hall residents can expect upgraded, brighter toilets.
PHOTO | WAN zHONG HAO
New modules reach for excellence
Aravinda Karunaratne
Students can look forward to a
slew of new modules released in
line with the NTU 2015 strategic
plan’s Five Peaks of Excellence—
Sustainable Earth, New Media,
Future Healthcare, New Silk Road
and Innovation Asia.
The plan aims to guide NTU’s
development based on the areas
represented by the peaks.
More courses with interdisciplinary
content are on their way,
said Senior Assistant Director of
the Office of Academic Services
Hariaty Mohamed Senin.
One new elective released this
semester is HU101: Introduction to
Environmental and Urban Studies.
It is part of a new minor in
Environmental and Urban Studies
offered under the School of Humanities
and Social Sciences.
The minor was inspired by the
peak of Sustainable Earth, and the
multidisciplinary emphasis of the
Five Peaks, said programme coordinator
Associate Professor Tan
Khye Chong.
He added that the minor will
take on an interdisciplinary approach,
enabling students to understand
threats and challenges
posed by increased urbanisation
of the environment. Some major
issues covered include energy,
pollution, social equity and economic
development.
After completing the prerequisite
HU101 for the minor, students
are required to take one module
each from the four different subject
groups of sociology, economics,
Chinese/English/Linguistics
and multilingual studies, and civil
and environmental engineering.
Third-year student from the
school of Materials Science and Engineering
Cai Li, 23, is currently taking
HU101 as he is passionate about
environmental sustainability.
Said Cai: “I like the fact
that this module looks at the
relationship between the environment
and the society with
a multi-faceted perspective. It
keeps in mind that many environmental
problems do not need
a technological solution, but a
shift in paradigms and mindsets.”
Cai added that more opportunities
should be made available to
students because enrollment for
the course is limited to 35 people.
“More line-ups such as competitions,
seminars, talks as well
as awareness campaigns can be
carried out to bring about a deeper
engagement of students,” he said.
Next semester, electives
CH0810: Biofuels and MS8205:
Materials for Energy Conversion
will debut for the minor programme
in Energy, which only
started last semester.
The minor in Energy from the
College of Engineering is also
driven by the peak of excellence
of Sustainable Earth, said Associate
Professor Gooi Hoay Beng,
from the School of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering, who is
teaching some modules for the
programme.
Said Dr Gooi: “Energy is
a deep concern of the modern
world. Even President Obama has
highlighted its importance. We
want to raise students’ awareness
on this timely issue.”

06 NEWS
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
08
Janitors get
thanks
Winifred Seto
WHILE most students are still
asleep, cleaner Madam Suah is
reporting for work. As students
leave classes for homes or halls,
she departs campus too—for her
second job at Jurong Point.
Madam Suah, 66, works two
jobs despite her age. She, along
with 18 other janitors, two supervisors
and a manager, were
the attendees of NTU’s first Janitor’s
Appreciation High Tea held
on February 25th at a seminar
room in the South Spine.
“For one and a half years, I
work from 7am to 5pm in NTU
before going to work as a janitor
in Jurong Point from 6pm to
11pm. It is tiring but I need the
money,” she said. Most of the
janitors work solely in NTU.
The high tea consisted of
a welcome speech and a video
created by the committee, documenting
the tedious job of a janitor.
Students and janitors bonded
over a meal and the event ended
with a presentation of appreciation
notes written by students to
the janitors.
Jointly organised by NTU’s
Christian Fellowship and Rotaract
Club, the event seeks to urge
NTU students to take the initiative
to be more appreciative towards
janitors in the school, said
event chairperson Lydia Chan,
19, a first-year student from the
School of Humanities and Social
Sciences.
“Many people do not know
that the janitors have to wash
the toilets up to 13 times a day
and also expect them to clean
the litter left in seminar rooms
and lecture theatres,” she said.
Senior supervisor of facilities
maintenance in North Spine
Muhammed Idros works as a soccer
coach and volunteers at the
prison on his days off.
“It is tiring to work from 8am
to 5pm daily but I have no intention
to stop—especially when the
oldest cleaner here is 82 years
old,” said Mr Idros when asked
if he was retiring anytime soon.
Said See Jing Jing, 22, a
fourth-year chemistry student
who attended the event: “The
event was heartwarming because
it recognises ‘unsung heroes’ in
the school who are often overlooked
by many.”
Although not many students
have heard about the event,
event organiser Josephine Tan,
20, a second-year student from
the Nanyang Business School,
said she hopes to rope in more
student groups to share the budget
and manpower so the event
can be carried out on a larger
scale next year.
ADM works shine at Singapore
Short Film Awards
Films on rats and
isolation take
nominations by storm
Priscilla Kham
WHAT began as a fun holiday
project filming ‘Mickey’, a film
that juxtaposes scientific experiments
on lab rats with the mechanical
complexity of human relationships,
has earned 26-year-old
Wesley Aroozoo, a fourth-year Art,
Design and Media (ADM) student,
a nomination in the Best Experimental
category at the 2nd Singapore
Short Film Awards (SSFA).
For the first time, ADM students
are dominating the Best
Animation and Best Experimental
categories at the SSFA, the only
local platform which recognises
excellence in short films. Four
out of five nominees in the Best
Animation category, and all five
nominees in the Best Experimental
category are either current or past
students from ADM.
Organised by The Substation,
Singapore’s first independent
contemporary arts centre, and
Objectifs, a visual arts centre that
promotes filmmaking, the SSFA
kicked off with a run of public
screenings of all the SSFA nominees
on February 28th, and will
culminate in an awards ceremony
to be held on March 6th.
The process of producing the films
was not always smooth-sailing.
Aroozoo recalled some of the difficuties
faced while filming. “It was
basically a one-man show, I was producer,
scriptwriter, director, and had
to organise a whole team of about 20
people, including crew, actors, as well
as the props.”
Aside from technical burdens,
there was also emotional conflict involved.
“As my film is quite depressing
and anti-love, I had to stay in a sombre
mood during post-production in order
to effectively edit the film. However,
this was hard to do as I met someone
during that time and was actually really
happy,” he said.
Nominated in the Best Animation
category, twin brothers Henry and
Harry Zhuang, 26, both fourth year
students from ADM, faced a different
kind of difficulty while producing their
animation film.
Their film ‘Contained’ is about a
man on an isolated island with his beloved
flower.
“We found difficulty in trying to
convey the emotion of obsession. I
think with animation, it takes a lot of
time and courage to move the process
forward as you’re never sure if the outcome
is what you wanted to express.”
said Harry.
However, despite the difficulties
encountered, all remain optimistic
about the process of filmmaking.
“I think my best advice for budding
filmmakers would be to really
keep trying,” said Henry.
“Hard work pays off,” he added.
ANTI-LOVE: The short film Mickey examines romantic relationships.
PHOTO | CourTESY of WESLEY aroozoo
More alumni give back creatively
Stronger sense of
belonging is motivating
alumni to give back
Sharifah Fadhilah Alshahab
ONE gives all the money he
makes as a lecturer to an endowment
fund for needy students.
Another solemnises marriages
among graduates. Increasingly,
NTU alumni are finding creative
ways to give back to the university.
Sarjit Singh returns all the
money NTU pays for his work
teaching Risk Management,
Control and Ethics as an Adjunct
Professor at the Nanyang
Business School (NBS).
He recently used his salary
given by the university as well
as his own money to set up an
endowment fund of $50, 000 for
needy students and outstanding
final-year students.
As the President of the NBS
Alumni Association, he also
contributes his time to organise
events like their convocation
balls for the past five years.
Director of the Alumni Affairs
Office, Soon Min Yam attributes
the increase in alumni
involvement to his office’s
method of engaging them
through newsletters, e-mailers
and a quarterly magazine.
“The alumni receives information
about the university every
month and at least two activities
are held for them each
month,” he said.
Mr Soon—himself an alumnus
since 1975—is also giving
back to NTU creatively.
“I feel a strong
connection with
NTU and have
been following
the university’s
progression.”
Roderick Chia
Alumni
Class of 1998
He agreed to head the Alumni
Affairs Office about seven
years ago as he felt an obligation
towards his alma mater.
Since then, Mr Soon has
extended his job scope beyond
attracting alumni participation,
to include solemnising at the
weddings of alumni and their
spouses-to-be, whom they may
have met while studying at the
university.
The licensed minister sees
multiple benefits in volunteering
to do solemnisations.
Mr Soon explains that instead
of accepting tokens of
appreciation from the couple,
he offers the couple a donation
form from the NTU Development
Office to encourage them
to donate the money to needy
students.
These donations, combined
with the Government’s Dollarfor-Dollar
matching scheme,
ensure that more money is
available for needy students.
At the same time, he hope
alumni will feel closer to the
university through such solemnization
ceremonies, thus building
a close-knit community.
Some alumni regard themselves
as more than a part of
the NTU community. They see
themselves as stakeholders of
the university.
One of them is Roderick
I DO: Soon Min Yam feels that officiating at weddings of NTU alumni will deepen their bond to
the university.
PHOTO | WALLACE WOON
Chia, who volunteers as an
alumni representative on the
interview panel for the Discretionary
Admission of post-secondary
school students.
As a stakeholder, Mr Chia,
who graduated in 1998, finds
that it is important for alumni
to play an active role in guiding
NTU towards a global standing
its members can be proud of.
His involvement as a volunteer
has earned him the Nanyang
Alumni Service Award, an
award set up by NTU in 1996 to
recognise alumni who have rendered
outstanding service to the
University, in 2005.
“I feel a strong connection
with NTU and have been following
the university’s progression.
So far, it has been good so I am
more eager to get involved,” he
said.

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
NEWS 07
Making parties their business
Entreprenurship students
see hot business
ventures in cool parties
Goh Ee Ling
THE booze was flowing, and
strobe lights flashing, as over 700
university students partied the
night away.
In the VIP lounge, lecturers
and students clinked their glasses
to the sweet sound of cash rolling
in.
House Party, held on February
19th in Mimolette, a colonial bungalow
converted into a restaurant
and bar just off Bukit Timah, was
no ordinary college party. It was
the culmination of a business idea
of six students minoring in entrepreneurship.
The team set up a company,
Singapore Uni, for EN105, which
has students launch a small business
project. Preparations for their
launch event, House Party, began
four months ago.
“We noticed that most tertiary
students don’t really mix around
with people from other universities,
and they usually participate
in events organised by their
respective schools,” said team
member Vinai Gopalakrishnan,
25, a third-year student from the
School of Electronic and Electrical
Engineering.
“As such, our idea was to allow
everyone, from NTU, NUS,
SMU, SIM and even other tertiary,
private school students to come
together and have fun,” he added.
A large portion of the profit
came from ticket sales, said team
member Desmond Choo, 26, a
third-year student at the School
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
The $18 ticket included one
complimentary drink.
Details of the party location
were deliberately unveiled only a
few days before, adding mystery
to the event, which fuelled publicity.
“For publicity, we also used
our personal networks to promote
Making MONEy: Sale of tickets to the party helped turn a profit.
the event by word-of-mouth.
Also, few third-party personnel
were employed to cut costs,” added
Choo.
Party-goers were generally
surprised by the party’s professionalism.
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
Said School of Humanities and
Social Science freshman, Grace
Ong, 19: “The atmosphere was
electrifying and the energy level
was just kept up throughout the
night.”
“It wasn’t like any other club,”
she added. A highlight was being
able to easily meet students from
other universities, rather than
sticking to her own friends.
When asked what plans lie
ahead for Singapore Uni, team
member Daniel Senjaya Wong,
23, a third-year student from the
School of Biological Sciences
said: “We will build on our current
networks to organise more
youth-related events. There’s definitely
more to come.”
out and about
Another group of students
from the EN105 module held a
pyjama party themed bash on
the same night at Blue Jazz.
Party-goers wore bathrobes
and nightgowns, and entertainment
included live bands
and pole-dancing. According
to team member Heather
Chin, 21, the project is meant
as a launching platform into
the organisation of theme
parties for corporations.
NTU journalism graduates
impress newspapers
Rebecca Lim
Not only is the winner of the Singapore
Press Holding (SPH) Young Journalist
of the Year Award 2010 from Wee Kim
Wee School of Communication and Information
(WKWSCI) , for the first time,
all three nominees are alumni of the
school.
The award was given to Jamie Lee,
25, who has worked as a journalist for
the Business Times for two and a half
years.
Given out during SPH’s annual
award ceremony, the award honours
the best of SPH’s English and Malay
Newspaper Divisions.
One of the three nominees, photojournalist
Neo Xiao Bin, 27, described
herself as a “late bloomer”.
Although Ms Neo worked for a total
of four years with MyPaper and the
Straits Times, she did not consider journalism
till her third year in WKWSCI.
She was taking courses mainly in
Public Relations but her trip in 2006
to Nepal under GO-FAR (Go Overseas
for Advanced Reporting) changed her
mind. The trip is an annual overseas
news reporting programme under WK-
WSCI.
“The first-hand experience of news
reporting really helped to broaden my
horizons,” she said. Ms Neo decided
that what she did on the trip was what
she wanted to do for her career.
Coincidentally, all three candidates
were alumni of the GO-FAR programme.
Nominee and eventual winner, Ms
Lee, sees herself as a finance reporter
living out her childhood ambition.
WKWSCI gave her the edge, she said,
preparing her for what reporting entails
through external internships and stints
with the Nanyang Chronicle.
In addition, Ms Lee bagged the Financial
Journalist of the Year 2010 in
October 2010.
The final nominee David Lee,
25, once aspired to be a professional
footballer but he abandoned the plan,
deeming it a child’s fantasy. He has
been a sports reporter for TNP for two
years now and described the job as “the
next best thing".
No CUB: (from left to right) Young Journalist nominees David Lee, Neo Xeo Bin and Jamie Lee.
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
Websites dish out advice
on campus life
Danson Cheong
NTU students looking for help on issues
ranging from module selection
to calculation of GPA can now look
no further than two new websites.
The first is HippoCampus.sg,
which connects undergraduates from
NTU, NUS and SMU. Registered users
contribute to the website with advice
on which modules to take, textbooks
to buy and professors to study under.
It was launched by NTU third-year
business and computing students
James Gwee and Benjamin Teo on
February 7th.
According to Gwee and Teo, HippoCampus
functions like an campus
version of Facebook, as they were inspired
by how undergraduates share
their personal experiences on the social
networking platform.
“Students will be able to contribute
ideas and comments much like
how Facebook functions,” said Gwee,
23.
A calculator at the website also
lets visitors calculate their GPA and
honours scores.
Medically, the term “hippocampus”
refers to the part of the brain responsible
for long-term memory. The
founders therefore hope that Hippo-
Campus will be a long-term solution
among students.
“We want HippoCampus to be
part of university life for the longhaul.
Social media has intruded into
our personal lives, but it’s not as pervasive
in education,” said Gwee.
“We can make use of it to enrich
our learning experience. An individual
can tap into the collective intellect
of the campus community,” he added.
First-year biological science student
Newman Loh, 20, is one of Hip-
TECH UPSTARTS: Hippocampus founders James Gwee (left) and Benjamin Teo in their
Innovation Centre office.
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
poCampus’ newest users.
He stumbled upon the website
after he saw a friend “like” it on Facebook.
Loh said: “I wanted to see what
other people thought about the modules
I chose, and also see if I could get
textbooks.”
“There are very few users at the
moment, but if more people started
using it, it could really take off,” he
added.
For information about courses,
students can also turn to another
website, NTUElectives.com. The website
went online on January 20th,
the night before the semester’s “Add/
Drop” period, during which NTU students
compete for limited places in
modules.
Reviews of NTU modules are
contributed by visitors to the website,
which is managed by a team of five
NTU undergraduates as a project for
their minor in entrepreneurship.
Said webmaster Sifat Rahman, a
second-year student at the School of
Electrical and Electronic Engineering:
“Our goal was to create a community
for NTU undergrads. We felt that many
of our peers always sought advice on
what modules to take—it'd be great if
they could hear from students throughout
the campus.”
“We want it to function like Wikipedia.
When people feel part of a community,
they will come forward to contribute,”
added the 20-year old.
Although new, the two websites
have seen a healthy amount of traffic
since their launches.
NTUElectives.com received over
51,000 page views and 6,000 unique
visitors over the course of the two-week
“Add/Drop” period, according to Rahman.
HippoCampus.sg has around 200
registered users to date.

08 NEWS
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
07
Graduate studies not a bed of roses
Zackary Ong
They teach in the day, and are
taught at night. These graduate
students juggle between being
teaching assistants and pursuing
their Masters or doctoral degrees.
About 10,000 of them currently
populate NTU, doing either
coursework or research.
Zackary Ong talks to two
graduate students to find out
more about their lives.
The family guy
Nguyen Kien Truc Giang
came to Singapore from Vietnam
eight years ago to pursue an
undergraduate degree. Now into
his fourth year of doctoral studies
at the School of Biological
Sciences, he spends most of his
time working on his thesis and
guiding students as a teaching
assistant.
He also juggles his work with
maintaining a social life in Singapore
and keeping in touch
with his family.
“[Graduate studies] has affected
my social life a lot, with
a 12-hour working schedule per
day, you have to minimise your
time playing around and focus
on your project if you really
want to get something out of it,”
the 25-year-old Vietnamese PhD
student said.
He has four years to finish
his project and is working seven
days a week. He also spend
about 30 to 40 hours per semester
guiding students during their
Final Year Projects and URECA
(Undergraduate Research Experience
on Campus) projects.
With such a busy working
schedule, Nguyen has little time
to visit his family in Vietnam.
He has only 18 days of leave per
working lunch: Nguyen Kien Truc Giang takes in a home-cooked meal with fellow graduate students.
year, of which he takes seven to
14 days to visit his family.
“When I go home, I'll also
visit my friends in Vietnam.
Compared to them, I think I'm
the most successful!” Nguyen
said with a laugh.
Nguyen also supports his
family when he can. With his
$2500 monthly stipend and
about $1000 earned from teaching
per semester, Nguyen sends
money to his family when there
is a need.
Currently living with three
housemates in a two-bedroom
unit in a student hostel right
outside NTU, Nguyen’s social life
is limited to occasional movie or
food outings with his Vietnamese
friends.
“I do have local friends but
I’m still more comfortable with
my Vietnamese friends. I guess
it’s because we share the same
culture,” he said.
Approaching the end of his
Graduate programme, Nguyen
has recently submitted his thesis,
which involves the identification
of active compounds in hundreds
of plants that are anti-cancerous,
anti-inflammatory or anti-infection.
“Graduate life is fun when
you are discovering something
PHOTO | WAN zhong hAo
new,” Nguyen said. Despite his
busy schedule, he has enjoyed
his experience thoroughly.
But he has a word of advice
to those planning to embark on
this academic journey—“you
have to stay extremely focused
to succeed!”
The enthusiast
Tee Yock Sian, 26, loves
learning new things. That is the
reason she quit her job as a political
analyst at the Ministry of
Defence two years ago to become
a Masters student at the Wee Kim
Wee School of Communication
and Information.
“I’m not a nerd who only
knows how to study. I just simply
love learning. When the opportunity
arose and I could get funding,
I took the chance,” she said.
Tee is an avid fan of anime
and manga, and her thesis deals
with how the activity of cosplaying
affects relationships between
fans and media characters.
“This thesis marries both my
academic and personal interests!”
said Tee.
“I love cosplaying but never
had the courage to do it. Studying
all these people, I just admire
their courage to put on those outfits
and be out there,” she said.
To Tee, the life of a graduate
student is all about managing
time and money. With a $1500
monthly stipend, she feels “a lot
poorer” compared to when she
was working. However, she has
more free time now compared to
when she was working.
“There are good and bad
points. Now I have more freedom
in managing my time but I have
to be very self-motivated as there
is no fixed hours to force me to
work,” Tee said.
Like Nguyen, Tee also has to
work as a teaching assistant. She
takes tutorial classes for lower
level undergraduate modules in
WKWSCI.
“It’s very fun to interact with
students but the admin work is
tedious. I don’t like marking, collating
attendance and results at
all,” said Tee with a laugh.
However, in the end she said
she has no regret giving up her
job to pursue her Masters Degree.
“I’m enjoying myself here,”
Tee concluded.
Additional reporting by
Trinh Hoang Ly
Soaring to victory at unmanned aircraft contest
Kenneth Foo
Gadgets created by NTU undergraduates
are not too far off from
those created by Q for James Bond.
These won top spot in a recent international
unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV) design contest in Taiwan.
An NTU contingent was in
Taiwan for the 2011 Annual Unmanned
Aircraft Competition, held
by National Cheng Kung University,
between February 26th to 28th.
Team X-5 trumped six other teams
to take first spot in the Navigation
Flight Design Level category.
Their winning prototype X-5, is
an automatic model capable of flying
over large distances without a
remote control and taking precise
aerial photographs of various targets.
There has been rising interest
in developing a new generation of
UAVs, due to their potential in military
and anti-terrorist operations,
said Assistant Professor Yongki Go
from the School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering.
He, along with Assistant Professor
Son Hungsun, led the teams
under its Product Development
Challenge program.
According to Dr Son, 37, victory
was unexpected as the undergraduates
from NTU had to
compete against graduate students
who had taken part in past runs of
the competition.
To complete the mission, the
UAV had to fly and take photographs
of targets in the form of
rubber alphabets and letters, located
three to four kilometeres away.
All this had to be done without
the use of a remote control, so the
team had to pre-program its flight
path and use a Global Positioning
System to ensure that it took off
and returned to base safely.
What made their win even
more impressive was that the
teams could not even carry out
complete trial flight sequences for
their UAV due to space constraints
in Singapore.
Full flight tests need to be carried
out over a distance of several
kilometers but they could only initiate
short distance trials at a flying
field in Tuas.
Unforeseen weather conditions
in Taiwan forced Team X-5 to
make drastic changes to the UAV’s
onboard systems just hours before
the competition.
“We had to modify the camera
triggering mechanisms and flight
stabilising system due to the unexpectedly
strong winds in Taiwan.
It was very stressful,” said Joshua
Chao, 23, third-year aerospace
engineering student and leader of
Team X-5.
But they managed to recalibrate
their machine in time, with
much success. Their UAV X-5
emerged top for completing the
course in the least amount of time
and for taking the most accurate
photographs of the targets.
Another group of three NTU
students, Team Toruk-Makto, came
third in the Fundamental Design
level category.
PHOTO | COURTESY OF VALTS BLUKIS
"Ice-sledging" in NTU
Five NTU students sat on blocks of ice and “glided” down the
roof of the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM). The students
from ADM, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and
the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering were being
recorded for the My Epic School Story competition. These
students also danced a techno routine at two different locations
of ADM, and raced each other on chairs down a slope in ADM.

Lifestyle
Soak up Myanmar’s old world charm – Page 19
out of the box: extraordinary students
TIPS ON CAR PHOTOGRAPHY
NO SWEAT: Enduring the hot sun, Adrian works hard to get the best angles of a Ferrari 458 Italia.
You may have seen
Adrian Wong’s car
photographs in leading
car magazines
and websites such
as Ninetro, Torque, Top Gear and
sgCarMart.com. In fact, the firstyear
student from School Of Art
Design And Media even commanded
a four-figure sum on a
recent photography assignment.
But it was not always
smooth-sailing for the car aficionado.
When he decided to become
a car photographer upon graduating
from polytechnic, he had
nothing. No experience, name
for himself or sophisticated photography
equipment.
FREEZING
SPEED
At 23, Adrian Wong is one of Singapore’s most highly sought after
car photographer. Wang Wanxuan finds out more about his journey.
He did not even know if his
career path would work in Singapore,
because car photography
then was a relatively new field
with few players in it.
To gain experience and
carve out a name for himself, he
sought his friends’ permission to
photograph their cars, if it was a
Corolla or Suzuki.
“My friends were curious
but were willing and honoured
to lend their cars for my experimental
shots,” he said.
To buy his photography
equipment, he took up as many
photography gigs as he could.
“Whenever I saved enough
money, I would start to invest
in more expensive photography
DREAM BIG: Adrian feels a new thrill everytime he gets to shoot a Lamborghini
COURTESY OF ADRIAN WONG
equipment,” he said.
Fast forward three-and-ahalf
years later and things have
changed. The time he spent on
experimental photography, getting
to know customers through
referrals and participating actively
in car photography forums
has paid off.
He also gets to
drive his friends’
and clients’ exclusive
cars, earn a
three-figure sum per
job done and admire
pretty cars all day.
One of Wong’s proudest moments
was when his friend asked
him to take photographs of his
private collection last July. He
owned a Ferrari Enzo, a Ferrari
Daytona and a BMW Nazca
C2, just to name a few. Most of
the cars have never been on the
roads here as these left-handed
cars cannot be driven in Singapore.
He shot all 10 cars in a
day, earning a decent four figure
sum.
Today, he gets by with balancing
school and freelance
PHOTOS | GOH CHAY TENG
photography by applying his car
photography skills in some of his
modules like Photography and
Film, which he is currently taking.
“Studies are still my main
priority, and it helps that classes
don’t start early and examinable
modules are rare in my major. So
my schedule is more flexible. Because
overnight shoots are common,
it also fits right into my
nocturnal schedule,” Wong said.
He also gets to drive his
friends’ and clients’ exclusive
cars, earn a three-figure sum per
job done and be upclose with expensive
cars all day.
His clients now include high
income earners. “Just like wedding
shoots, where brides and
grooms want to capture their
best moments together, clients
also often wish to keep snapshot
memories of owning their ultimate
vehicle,” Adrian said.
“When I first started out, the
Singapore market was very small
and niche with very little players
to compete with. A unique eye
was what the market was scouting
for, and I guess that’s where I
fit the bill,” he said in retrospect.
But if one thing has not
changed, it is his dream car. “Aston
Martin Vanquish is and will
always be my first love.”
Wong stresses on the importance
of visualisation in taking lush,
audacious quality in his photos.
“I think it is incredibly useful to
play a ‘mind movie’ of how the
car will look like to get the best
results. And to quote Einstein’s
words, ‘Imagination is more important
than reality’. So I’m never
afraid to experiment.
It also pays to be adventurous.
At times, Wong has to conduct
overnight shoots to reduce
or eliminate reflective lighting
and surrounding distractions or
to skirt around Singapore’s strict
photography laws which prohibit
photography in many places
including some retail space.
“Sometimes, security guards
or the police may have an issue
with ‘wee hour photography’.
They often chase people away
with suspicions of illegal loitering.
It is also a pity that ideal
locations for shoots like expressways
and certain governmentowned
areas do not allow photography.”
Compared to wedding, fashion
and events photography,
photographing cars presents
unique challenges. “Cars are also
bulky massive objects. Shooting
locations have to be accessible
for such large objects that cannot
duck or cover.”
“We also need to constantly
think out of the box to shoot
cars in unconventional locations
such as underpass, dilapidated
areas, or even bus stop bays to
capture their beauty with fresh
angles,” Wong added.
Reading car magazines and
keeping abreast of latest developments
is a must for anyone
wanting to be a car photographer.
“For example, Ferraris and
Lamborghinis are long-lasting
arch rivals. So it’s a good idea to
contrast both together in a shoot
to pique readers’ interest. Also,
cars are static objects. So it can’t
possibly strike varying poses like
humans. You have to crack your
brains a little to illustrate contrast,
mood and dynamism,” he
said.
If you wish to see more of
Wong’s photography, go to
www.vanq.net

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The east cider trail
Well-known eateries and historical landmarks aside, Chen Shanghao hunts down the best places for cider in Joo Chiat.
THE National Heritage Board recently named Joo Chiat
Singapore’s first Heritage Town, you might think that its
Peranakan and Eurasian architecture and historical landmarks
are what it is famous for.
But all that culture and tradition was not what I was
looking for. I trawled the streets of Joo Chiat with something
else in mind – something that is not part of Joo Chiat’s rich
heritage – cider.
As cider is not as popular here as in the United Kingdom or
Australia, I used to think it was a type of beer. But while beer is
made with barley or wheat, ciders are the result of fermenting
apple or pear juice. Pear cider is also known as perry.
Generally, cider tastes like sparkling apple juice with a
kick of your typical Sauvignon Blanc. Lighter than beer and
without its bitterness, cider is wonderfully refreshing. It cuts
through the grime and fatigue of the day and instantly perks
you up. The fizz, too, will rejuvenate you on a humid afternoon.
With flavours ranging from strawberry to lime to toffee,
there is an infinite possibility of what you can pair cider
with. Cider, like wine and champagne, is a fruit based drink.
Therefore, if a dish goes well with Chardonnay, it will most
likely sit well with a fruity cider.
“I like it because it is more refreshing. I prefer the fruity
taste over beer,” said Edwin Cheng, a patron of Cider Pit in Joo
Chiat. “My favourite is Brothers Apple Toffee cider. The taste
of apple and toffee mashed together really makes you feel like
you’re drinking candy.”
However, do not let its sweet flavour fool you. Cider’s
alcohol content is higher than beer but lower than wine – about
6.5 to 8.5 per cent. After two pints, I could already feel the
alcohol kicking in.
Below are three places in the Joo Chiat area, all within
walking distance of each other, that are ideal for unwinding
with a pint of cider in hand.
The garden SLug
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau,
#01-59/61 Bright Centre
Tel: 6346 0504
The Garden Slug’s cider selection is rather limited – they
sell only Brothers’ Pear, Strawberry and Apple Toffee cider.
Those with a sweet tooth should opt for the Apple Toffee
Cider.
Brewed in England, Brothers cider is described as ‘palate
cleansing’. After just a couple of gulps, it cleared away the
taste of the salmon appetizer I had minutes before.
The creamy grilled dory fish and beef sandwich I had
went well with the bottle of cider. As the sandwich was
savoury, the sharp zesty flavour of my apple toffee cider
soothed out its saltiness.
What I loved most was their dessert menu, which
changes every weekend. I had stewed white pears sautéed
in white wine and cinnamon and topped with vanilla ice
cream, which was the ultimate companion to my apple
toffee cider. The flavour of apple and pear naturally blended
well, and the slight tartness of the drink sat well with the
sweet vanilla ice cream topping.
A pint of cider costs $12 here, and the price of a main
course ranges from $15 to $20.
The cider pit
382 Joo Chiat Road
Smokey's bbq and grILL
73 Joo Chiat Place
Tel: 6345 6914
Smokey’s is an open-air barbeque themed restaurant, and its
cider selection consists of Brothers, Bulmers and Hobgoblin
ciders, all brewed in England.
Cider goes well with barbequed food, as it cuts through the
oily aftertaste of grilled food. Besides quenching your thirst,
the Bulmers cider is a great antidote to the spiciness of the
chilli and replaces it with a pleasant, light aftertaste of apples.
Sitting in the midst of the smoke and grime, there is no
reason for you to put the cider on the back burner. It cools,
chills and dispels all that smoke, heat and humidity coming
from the grill.
The crowd mainly consists of expatriates, which could
explain the high price of the food. A plate of Buffalo wings
costs about $23, and a full rack of spare ribs sets you back $42.
However, their cider is fairly affordable at about $12 a pint.
The Cider Pit has an impressive selection of 15 ciders and
45 beers. Pipsqueak, Stowford Press and Westons cider are
just some of its better known brands.
Hidden away from the main road, Cider Pit might
be tricky to find. Look out for a signboard that reads
“Ocean Kingdom Live Seafood” – the Pit is right
beside it.
The al-fresco pub does not serve any food,
so it is best to fill your stomach before trying to
conquer their long list of ciders.
Their special brew is their draught cider –
Westons Vintage Organic, which has a dry,
yet strong fruity flavour. Canned cider like
Strongbow or Scrumpy Jack, usually tastes
rather plasticky and stale, but Cider Pit’s
draught cider is fresh and tasty. The
difference in taste is comparable to
freshly pressed apple juice at hawker
centres versus apple juice sold in
cartons at supermarkets.
The Cider Pit plays British indie
rock music. Fans of this genre will
find this a good alternative to The
Substation or Home Club.
It will certainly take some
time for one to conquer the many
ciders which this quiet, open-air
pub has to offer. The good thing
is that they’re all reasonably
priced at about $10 a pint so
you do not have to worry for
your pocket.
PHOTOS | Tan Wai Kiat & COURTESY OF CHEN SHANG HAO

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NEIGHBOURLY RETREATS
Tired and weary from the semester’s workload Three NTU students tell Vivienne Chang about
lesser-known places in Malaysia for short trips.
Destination #1:
Kuala Kubu Bharu
THIS is a hidden gem for the outdoorsy types. On a trip there last semester with NTU’s Outdoors
Activity Club (ODAC), Pang Jin Hao was swept away by its breathtaking scenery. The secondyear
Mechanical Engineering student explains why the ODAC’s Kuala Kubu Bharu trip, in its
second year running, is always snapped up.
(ABOVE) ALL ABOARD: Beginner rafters were thrilled by the river’s dips and sharp turns .
(BELOW) RIVER CROSSING: The cool waters were a perfect remedy for sore feet.
MUST-DO
Getting to Chilling Waterfalls, named after
its cool temperatures, requires hiking and river
crossing so you need to take a guide at all times.
But it’s worth it for a refreshing dip, especially after
a long hike in the tropics.
You can also go white water rafting at a nearby
river. On a scale of 1 (mild) to 5 (extreme), the
gushing waters here are a 3 – a thrilling experience
suitable for any novice.
WHERE TO STAY
Camping is the one thing you cannot miss.
Some might be uncomfortable with sleeping
outdoors, since there are monkeys that could steal
your food. However they are easily frightened off
PHOTO | COURTESY OF PANG JIN HAO by groups of people. If you book a tour with a local
agency, a ranger is also assigned to the enclosed campsite in case of an emergency.
There is only one campsite, and the cost is included in most packages that you book. For
those who prefer sleeping indoors, there is a clean, affordable hotel in the town itself, which
you will need to book in advance.
“A trip like this will really bonded people together. Simply cooking outdoors, eating and
chatting among friends, there is a lot of interaction. That was what I truly enjoy.” said the
Year 2 student.
WHAT TO EAT
A buffet place near the water rafting area serves richly flavoured nasi lemak and the local
guide recommended Chow Zhou Hawker, which cooks local specialities which may sound
familiar but have a slightly local twist.
HOW TO GET THERE
Take a bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru, followed by a train to Kuala Kubu Bharu Station
which costs RM20 ($8). The journey takes about half a day.
PREPARATION
Book a package tour with the local river raft vendor, which includes a trekking guide.
Apart from clothes and first-aid supplies, food and fuel is also necessary for outdoor cooking
and you need not limit yourselves to instant food.
RECOMMENDED FOR
The outdoor adventure junkie, and those travelling in big groups as it is perfect for camping
and other bonding activities.
Destination #2:
Desaru
FOR about the same price of booking a chalet in Singapore, Desaru offers more activities
and less crowded facilities. With wholesome places to explore and good food to indulge
in, Mavis Ang, a third-year student, reckons it is a great way to have fun with the family.
MUST-DO
The Teluk Ramunia Ostrich Farm houses more than a hundred of the world’s largest birds,
and a handful of them roam free, pecking at the hats and shirts of unsuspecting tourists.
Buy a bowl of dried corn and see if you’re game enough to feed them with your bare hands.
These comical birds are not aggressive, and are surprisingly photogenic.
Take an educational tour of the Desaru Fruit Farm and see how some tropical fruits are
grown and protected for harvesting. See the plants of fruits which are often already cut and
chilled, like passion fruit, jackfruit, dragon fruit and custard apple.
Another eye-opening activity would be the Fireflies cruise. In near total darkness, the
sight of many glowing dots on the trees and mangroves is pretty romantic.
WHERE TO STAY
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort occupies a huge area in front of the beach. It feels more like
a chalet though, with many families holding telematches by the restaurant and children
splashing about in the resort’s play pool, which doubles up as a mini water park for all ages.
WHAT TO EAT
The fresh ostrich egg omelette served at the ostrich farm is light and fluffy, and goes
very well with their home-made chilli. Ostrich satay is also served there. “After patting and
feeding those birds, I couldn’t bring myself to eat them. But my Dad said they were tasty,”
the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information student said.
Desaru Fruit Farm’s lunch and dinner buffets are both as satiating. Besides having 40
types of fruits, the meal also has staple
Chinese, Malay and Western dishes.
HOW TO GET THERE
Desaru is a 30-minute ferry from
Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
PREPARATION
Book a tour with Desaru Fruit
Farm Tour & Travel. A 2-day tour with
accommodation and many extravagant
meals provided costs around $200.
RECOMMENDED FOR
A weekend together with your
parents. Desaru is also a good place to
wind down with the extended family as
the tour caters to individuals of all ages.
POSE READY: It is easy to get a good shot of these comical birds.
TROPICAL FRUIT PARADISE: Desaru Fruit Farm offers a multitude of fruits for their lunch and dinner buffets.
PHOTOS | SUSAN CHOW
A SHEER RISE: The dramatic Stong Waterfall, which rises around 300 metres.
Destination #3:
Gunung Stong
PHOTOS | COURTESY OF TAN JUNJIE
SITUATED in north Malaysia, near the Thai border, Kunung Stong is a popular getaway
destination for tourists and locals. Its Thai-influenced food and outdoor activities have kept
Year 1 Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering student Tan Junjie going back regularly.
MUST-DO
The waterfall slide is the best feature of Gunung Stong. An hour’s trek from the main
campsite, the slide is two-storey high and ends in a waterfall pool.
The guides recommend beginners slide down in a sitting position to prevent abrasion.
But they will not hesitate to challenge the daring ones to slide down in a surfing position,
balancing on your feet.
There is also a cave complex nearby with majestic stalagmites and stalactites. It is a lot
cleaner than Kuala Lumpur’s Batu Caves, with their pungent smell of bat droppings, as the
caves here are water-based and house limestone structures rather than bats.
WHERE TO STAY
The campsite included in the package was a winner. “What I enjoyed most was the majestic
sunrise we can observe from our campsite, you can get nothing close to that in Singapore,”
Junjie said.
WHAT TO EAT
The local Kelantanese cuisine is an interesting fusion, which stems from influence by
Thai and Indian styles.
Tom yum soup is easily found all around the village of Stong. You can choose between
thick or clear broth. The brother carries a fiery aftertaste, due to the mixture of spices used
from the two cuisines and is a definite must-try.
There is also a collection of food stalls along Dabong train station, but it is the outdoor
cooking that one will really enjoy at Stong.
HOW TO GET THERE
Take the 12-hour train from Johor Bahru station to Dabong station. A night train is ideal as
you can sleep through the long journey on the train’s comfy beds, and arrive fresh in the morning.
PREPARATION
Do book a tour with local tour agency and ensure that the package includes access to the
camp site, a trekking guide, cave tours and guides for the waterfall slides.
For trekking on those slippery waterfall rocks, get a pair of “Kampong Adidas” from the
local stores. These rubber shoes are highly durable, dry fast, have a very good grip and cost
RM$6 (S$2.60) a pair. “My own pair saved my life when I nearly slipped on a rock while
trekking,” he said.
RECOMMENDED FOR
Beginners who want to experience basic trekking and camping. The terrain is relatively
manageable for first-timers, and is perfect for groups of five to 15.
Shoestring
Adventures
Having travelled to the furthest corners of the earth, NBS
lecturer Mr Tan Wee Cheng shares with Ong Yong Roy some
travel tips and tales.
A REMINDER OF HISTORY: Remnants of Somalia’s civil war are visible on the
former battlefield in Northern Somalia.
ACCUSED of being an illegal immigrant in Bulgaria, Nanyang Business
School lecturer Mr Tan Wee Cheng had the nerve to bargain with the
immigration officers on the bribe amount.
“It was my first solo trip. When I was crossing the Bulgarian border,
the immigration was corrupted and claimed that I faked the stamps of the
passport. I was very shaken then but I realised you can actually bargain
when someone is asking for bribes,” he said.
Having travelled to 196 countries and holding the record of “Most
Countries Travelled by a Single Person” by the Singapore Book of Records,
that encounter is just one of the many tales he has to share.
Mr Tan thrives on the thrill of unpredictable situations that travelling
offers. To date, he has scuffled with gangsters in Cyprus, been detained in
Russia and survived riots in Burkina Faso.
His traveling journey all began with a two-month graduation trip
to Europe with his NTU schoolmates. “I fell in love with travelling then.
Subsequently, all my annual leaves and academic breaks have been for used
up for travelling,” Mr Tan said.
He is always careful with his budget when travelling. “My cheapest hotel
in India was $4. Of course it was a terrible hotel. But if you are willing to
sacrifice on luxury, travelling can be cheap,” he said.
Mr Tan’s love of travelling and telling stories has
led him to immortalise his adventures in print. He
has written three travel novels titled “The
Greenland Seal Hunter”, “Hot Spots
and Dodgy Places” and “Exotic Places
and Dodgy Places”. The travel guru is
also a founder of www.sgtravelcafe.
com, a travel social networking site
that connects fellow travel enthusiasts
of all ages.
SAFETY FIRST: As it is common for civilians to
carry firarms in yemen, Mr. Tan got himself an AK
47 to blend in.
tips for bUDGET TravELLERS
1. Look out for budget airline promotions.
These promotions usually occur for
a limited time on Fridays and public
holidays.
2. South East Asia is good for budget trips.
While it might be perceived as a common
destination, there are hidden spots in the
Eastern part of Malaysia and unspoiled
tribes in Java.
3. Find out new areas of travel possibilities
by joining travel social networking sites
like www.sgtravelcafe.com, which holds
monthly gatherings where foreigners give
presentations on their country and fellow
travelers can share travel tips.
4. Planning is essential in budgeting. Read
up in advance on the places of interest,
and find out what the cheaper modes of
transport are. Emergencies should also be
addressed in budget-planning.
5. On budget trips to less developed
countries, it is sometimes uncertain the
problems you will meet due to corruption
and ambiguous immigration and travel
laws. It is important to have some cash
with you at all times for any potential
bribes.
6. A photocopy of your passport is another
item you should always have on hand.
7. Being “touristy” does not always mean
that the area is expensive. These places
often offer similar services in the same
area, like budget hostels and private villas.
Conversely, travelling is sometimes more
expensive in less developed countries
without a proper tourism infrastructure.
Additional customisation in terms of
transport and accommodation has to be
made, but it will cost you more.

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WALKS IN THE CITY
According to a report by CNN in 2007, Singapore has the world’s fastest walkers. Have we forgotten the pleasures of taking
a nice, leisurely stroll in this urban rush Malvin Chua visits three attractive walkways—Dhoby Ghaut Green, Marina Bay
Waterfront and the Sentosa Boardwalk—places of respite in the heart of the city to take a loved one for a chat or a drink.
RELAX: The timber boardwalk, with its lush palm trees and shrubs, gives the Sentosa Boardwalk a resort-like
atmosphere.
Sentosa Boardwalk
THE Sentosa Boardwalk opened in January
for visitors to get to Sentosa Island
from the VivoCity waterfront promenade
on foot.
Despite traffic on the vehicular bridge
running parallel to it, the walkway is tranquil.
Soft jazz playing in the background,
the many palm trees and shrubs, and the
timber boardwalk create a resort-like atmosphere.
If you are too lazy to walk, a series of
travelators will take you to the entrance of
Sentosa Island.
Marina Bay Waterfront
THE Marina Bay Waterfront has been
evolving with the development of the Marina
Bay Sands resort. Three iconic structures
have been added to the picture, namely the
Helix Bridge, the Marina Bay Sands Singapore,
and the newly-opened ArtScience
Museum.
Stepping into the Waterfront is like entering
a scene on a postcard—stand at the
Walking, however, offers a better view
and allows you to stop to admire the scenery.
Small boats occasionally pass by and
cable cars traverse the skyline. Up ahead,
the Merlion peeks out from behind the colourful
buildings on Sentosa Island.
Enjoy the sunset at The Wine Company
over a glass or two, or people-watch at
Ooh! Crepes, a small and quaint café on
the boardwalk, with crepes and coffee.
You can also indulge your sweet tooth
with Queens’ cakes and pastries or Italian
Gelato at Gelateria Venezia.
PICTURE-PERFECT: Stepping into the Marina Bay Waterfront is like entering the scene of a postcard—stand
at the Esplanade for a panoramic view of the cityscape.
PHOTOS | TERENCE LEE
Esplanade for a panoramic view of the cityscape
spanning from the Fullerton Hotel to
the Singapore Flyer.
Alternatively, stop at the “balconies”, or
viewing galleries jutting out along the Helix
Bridge, which links the Esplanade to the
Marina Bay Sands.
Seating is plentiful along the steps and
railings of the Waterfront.
JUXTAPOSITION: The landscape surrounding Dhoby Ghaut Green is an eclectic mix of old and new—with the
blue glass facade of the Atrium@Orchard contrasting with the faded red bricks of MacDonald House.
Dhoby Ghaut Green
DHOBY Ghaut Green was launched in October
last year as a place for arts events
and bazaars. It is the most accessible of the
three locations as three MRT lines converge
at Dhoby Ghaut.
Dhoby Ghaut Green is smack in the
middle of four stretches of roads. The surrounding
landscape, however, makes up for
all the noise with a picturesque view of the
eclectic mix of old and new architecture—
the blue glass façade of the Atrium@Orchard
contrasting with the faded red bricks
of MacDonald House, the beige exterior of
the MDIS building and the School of the
CENTRESTAGE: The outdoor amphitheatre outside the
Esplanade is a popular meeting place where friends
gather to chat and enjoy the scenery.
The place is generally quiet in the day,
but is filled with throngs of friends and lovers
come evening.
The outdoor amphitheatre outside the
Esplanade also transforms from a meeting
place to a live music venue at night.
Small shops along the walkway sell tidbits
and cold drinks you can take along on
your walk.
The Marina Bay Sands resort has many
expensive restaurants, but fret not, The
Shoppes also has a food court in the basement.
You can also have affordable hawker
fare at the Makansutra Glutton’s Bay which
is nearer to the Esplanade.
Arts, with lush greenery spilling down its
sides.
The landmark of Dhoby Ghaut Green is
the sculptural amphitheatre, which resembles
a rattan basket in shape and texture,
sitting in the centre of the space. In the
evening, it lights up like a glittering lantern
and is a great subject for photographs.
The park has an on-site restaurant,
Sakura International Buffet, for hungry
visitors.
You can also visit more restaurants
and shop at Plaza Singapura, The Cathay
Cineplex and Park Mall nearby.
“Must-dos” on your
walk about town
Free ConcertS
Catch free concerts at the Esplanade
Outdoor Theatre (at the Marina Bay
Waterfront), where local acts often
perform. See http://www.esplanade.
com/whats_on/index.jsp for the
year’s schedule of events.
Romantic Picnic
Pack a picnic before heading to Dhoby
Ghaut Green in the evening. The
lit-up façade of the outdoor amphitheatre
creates a glittering backdrop
for a romantic evening. You can lay
out a mat on the grass by the theatre
or in the theatre itself, or do away
with the picnic blanket and sit along
the theatre's steps.
Sight seeing
People-watch or enjoy the scenery
at the window seats at Ooh! Crepes
(at the Sentosa Boardwalk), which is
the only eatery along the stretch with
seats facing the waterfront. Its cosy
cafe atmosphere also makes it conducive
for conversation.

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travelogue
LIFESTYLE 19
Sincerely,
Myanmar
It is isolated, undeveloped and poor, but that's exactly why you
should visit Myanmar, says Wallace Woon.
THE GOLDEN ROCK: The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda boulder sparkles in the sunlight as numerous Buddhist faithful apply layers of gold leaf.
PHOTOS | WALLACE WOON
Myanmar is one of the world’s
poorest nations, but the air
is full of gold. Flecks of gold
leaf floated on the breeze
around me and sparkled
in the sunlight at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda.
More commonly known as the Golden
Rock, this seven-metre high boulder
balances on the edge of a cliff, dramatic
against the backdrop of the Mon mountain
range, and the Buddhist faithful apply
layers of gold leaf until it glows in the sun.
Nothing is put on for the tourists; it
is the real thing, which is rare enough in
Asia and can set you wondering what is
the value of development and tourism
when much will be lost.
Travelling in Myanmar presents this
dilemma. Visiting the country means that
the locals are able to learn more about the
world, but it also means that a burgeoning
tourism industry will corrupt the purity that
makes Myanmar such a joy to visit.
This Catch-22 situation was fuel for
debate between other travellers and me
as we sat down after a day of touring.
The consensus was that, with responsible
and sustainable tourism practices, the
benefits of visiting Myanmar outweighed
the possible drawbacks.
That said, my tour of the country was
a valuable experience and I am grateful
for the chance to have visited it before the
influx of tourists changes it irreversibly.
As I walked its streets, I felt a real
sense of being transported back to a time
when Asian culture had not given way to
Western modernisation and people were not
preoccupied with achieving financial success.
In the former capital of Yangon the
buildings are reminders that the country
was colonised by the same nation that gave
the world afternoon tea and the Premier
League. Myanmar has more than its fair
share of British government buildings, like
Singapore. The stark difference is, unlike
City Hall and the Fullerton Hotel, these
buildings need a good scrub.
Myanmar bears some similarities to
Singapore. The population constitutes a
THE "LAND OF SMILES": Get ready to be greated by friendly faces.
multi-ethnic stew. Deep colonial influences,
both in habit and in policy, live on more than
half a century after the British pulled out.
But from this similar starting point,
the recent history of Myanmar has played
out almost in opposite of Singapore’s.
The country, at one time the ricebowl
of Asia, slid downwards to become
labelled Least Developed Country by the
United Nations.
Restricted areas and heavy media
censorship ensure that visitors and locals
alike remain ignorant about the government’s
ill doings as well as international affairs.
That was exactly why I chose to visit
the country.
With all of its mishaps in human rights
and economic development, Myanmar has
kept its local flavour very much unspoiled.
Claude Baronet, a French travel
photographer I met, proclaimed his idea
that the “Land of Smiles” title should
also be given to Myanmar. Because, smile
PHOTOS | WALLACE WOON
the people do. Everywhere I went I was
greeted with betel-stained teeth.
European hospitality is married with
Asian family values in Myanmar. It is all
too easy to be invited to someone’s home
for a meal after a short conversation.
Very often I would have a local snack
pushed towards me by a smiling stranger,
until I began to question if these generous
people were really as poor as we were told.
But appearances can be deceptive.
I marvelled at the Myanmese children,
who seemed to lead a carefree life.
Most are content to be running
around their neighbourhood with careless
abandon, with a posse of friends in tow.
More than once I came across kids playing
an impromptu game of football and joined
them for an afternoon kick-about session.
Idyllic as it may sound, being a kid
in Myanmar is not all fun and games.
Although the country boasts a relatively
high literacy rate at the primary level, it
plummets at the secondary and tertiary
due to the high cost of school fees.
Left to wander around home or in
town, many kids take up menial service
industry jobs to ease the burden on their
parents aging.
A highway stop near the capital Nay
Pyi Taw was staffed by kids looking as
young as seven or eight. The sight of the
eatery looking like a playground can be
disturbing, and a reminder that there are
deeply rooted problems in Myanmar still.
The country rides a rollercoaster in
and out of the spotlight. The world stops
and gasps, then quickly catches its breath
and continues on its way.
That gives us another reason to visit.
As residents of an advanced nation, who
are privileged to pursue a university
education and enjoy first-world comforts,
we are ambassadors in our own right.
Interaction with the locals is a two-way
exchange. Our knowledge of the world can
help reverse the effects that governmentimposed
isolation has on the people—as well
as giving a chance to see a beautiful country
before the progress that comes with tourism
changes it forever.

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dapper: your essential style guide
Black Crop Jacket, $289, Shirt, $89.90, The Corner
Shop. Grey Pants, $115, Depression. Leather Shoes,
$159, J Shoes.
Satin Blouse, $59, Pants, $69, Alice’s. Stilettos, $99.90,
Charles & Keith. Sunglasses, $39.90, The Corner Shop.
Dress, $125, Depression. Boots, $75.90, Charles & Keith.
T H E M I N I M A L I S T.
Photographer - GLADYS NG / Stylists - HONG YU RAN - GLADYS NG / Assistant Stylist - FOONG WAI HARNG / Models - JONAS LINDBERG - LUIZA LINHARES / Make-up & Hair - KLEIN CHO
On Luiza: Black Dress, $125, Depression. Mesh Jumpsuit worn under, $69, Alice’s. Cut-out Boots, $75.90, Charles & Keith.
On Jonas: White Bow Shirt, $109, Black Crop Jacket, $289, Kilted Bermudas, $79.90, The Corner Shop. Patented Leather Shoes, $159, J Shoes.
STOCKISTS
Depression, Millenia Walk Parco, #P2-21,
Alice’s, Millenia Walk Parco, #P2- 22
Charles & Keith, 435 Orchard Rd #B1-18/19 Wisma Atria
The Corner Shop, 4 Scotts Road #03-16 Far East Plaza
J Shoes, #03-03 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.
T-shirt, $35, Black Pants, $109, Vintage Hat, $49.90,
The Corner Shop. High-Cut Black Shoes, $189, J Shoes.
Black Dress, $95, Depression. Leather Booties, $69.90,
Charles & Keith.
Bow Shirt, $109, The Corner Shop. Shorts with Tights,
$110, Depression. Harness Vest, $49, Alice’s. High-Cut
Black Shoes, $189, J Shoes.

22 SHOW
photo: spotlight
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
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08
RIGHT: An
exchange
student
hangs from a
ceiling beam
above the VIP
dance floor.
He falls with
the beam but
walks away
unscathed.
BELOW: Merry-making is the order of the night. A local undergraduate grooves along
to the party beats.
In the darkness of the night,
the party animals come
a-prowling.
And they become wilder
the further they are away
from home.
And so we find,
at La Maison &
Blujaz Cafe,
exchange students party
harder while Singaporeans
play it safe.
WHAT HAPPENS
HERE
STAYS HEREand pianist
ABOVE: Hall of Residence 8’s Jam Band
plays to a quiet crowd at Blujaz Cafe.
“We’ll love it if you sing along,” says singer
Lyndsey Long.
LEFT: Two
friends looking
embarrassed
as their other
friends tease
them. “Kiss,
kiss, kiss,”
they chant in
Hokkien.
ABOVE: The bartender at La Maison
holds a $50 bill in his mouth as his
hands try to keep up with brisk business.
LEFT: A
party-goer
falls asleep in
a quiet corner
as the party
winds down at
the Ravehaus
presents Pyjama
Party.
RIGHT: As the
clock strikes
midnight, 50
couples are
invited to the
VIP dance
floor where
slower songs
are played.
This exchange
couple shares
an intimate
moment on the
crowded dance
floor.
ABOVE: Revelers dance to the tunes DJ JUICE spins. The Singapore Uni House Party saw more exchange students than locals among their guests.
PHOTOS AND WORDS | GOH CHAY TENG & WAN ZHONG HAO

24 LIFESTYLE
reviews
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
08
Hey, Soul Sister
Jazz artist Esperanza Spalding shocked the world when she won the
Grammy for Best Newcomer.
Shahilia Bhagat sings her praises.
ESPERANZA Spalding, a little
known country jazz bassist
and singer, made waves
recently when she snatched
the Best New Artist Grammy
award from hot favourite
Justin Bieber.
At just 26, Spalding is
the first jazz singer to win
the award, beating Bieber,
English folk rock band
Mumford and Sons, hiphop
artist Drake and the
soul band Florence and the
Machine.
Spalding, whose first
name Esperanza means
‘hope’ in Spanish, was
brought up in what she
calls ‘the other side of the
tracks’, in a neighbourhood
in Portland, Oregon.
Growing up in a singleparent
home where money
was hard to come by, she
learnt the hard way that
nothing comes easy.
At the tender age of five,
Spalding taught herself to
play the violin well enough
to secure a place in The
Chamber Music Society of
Oregon. Her inspiration
Watching classical cellist Yo
Yo Ma perform on television.
She then stayed with the
orchestra for 10 years. At
just 15, Spalding was made
concertmaster (the leader of
the first violin section in the
orchestra).
Spa ld i ng, who wa s
home-schooled, later entered
Portland State University at
16 to pursue a Bachelor of
Music.
At 20, Spalding then
joined the faculty of Berklee
College of Music in Boston,
making her the youngest
faculty member in the
school’s 40 year history.
Despite her accolades,
Spalding remains grounded.
She attributes her success to
her mother who is also her
role model and biggest fan.
She does not consider herself
to be a musical prodigy and
regards her albums as collaborative
works rather than
solo efforts.
“I like
performing in
laid-back places
where people
get involved and
hoot and holler.”
Esperanza Spalding
Interview with Nu-Soul
Magazine
Spalding’s style of music,
recorded in English,
Portuguese and Spanish,
may not resemble the conventional
music played on
the airwaves.
But despite her supposed
lack of mainstream appeal,
the dark horse winner with
the distinctive afro possesses
astonishing musical talents.
She can play the violin,
bass guitar, piano, oboe and
clarinet—but picks the upright
bass as her instrument
of choice.
“From the time Esperanza
Spalding appeared in the
scene in 2005, the dynamic
singer, bassist, composer and
arranger has been heralded
as jazz’s next big thing,” the
Associate Press wrote in a
lead-up to the Grammys.
“Her impressive musicianship
has won her White
House recital dates, praise
from the likes of Stevie
Wonder and Herbie Hancock,
JUNJO (2006)
Though presented as a solo effort, “Junjo” meshes
the talents of Spalding with the artistry of Cuban musicians—pianist
Aruán Ortiz and drummer Francisco Mela—
to produce an album that ranges from modern American
jazz to contemporary Brazilian music and traditional
Argentine folk music.
Spalding uses a delicate, wordless pattern that is
cohesive enough to allow one vowel to flow into the next.
Her bass solo on “Mompouana” is brilliant and demonstrates
her great devotion to the instrument she loves.
and critical acclaim.”
Having been on tour
with the likes of singing ESPERANZA (2008)
legend Ella Fitzgerald and
The album mostly encompasses self-penned songs
saxaphonist Joe Lovano in that are simultaneously pleasant, compelling and powerful.
the past, Spalding is about
to embark on a solo tour
Standout tracks include the inspirational “Espera,”
across both North and South and her own interpretation of the classic “Cuerpo y Alma”.
America, Europe and Africa.
The brassy up-beat tune of “She Got to You” is a
Her next endeavour is definite crowdpleaser that even non-jazz lovers would love.
a record currently titled
The smooth jazz-samba hybrid creation, “I Adore You”
‘Radio Music Society’ set for is infectiously catchy with its deep, booming drumbeat at
release late this year.
the beginning of the song.
Spalding hopes that the
album will open listeners up
to jazz music by exhibiting
jazz musicians in a manner
appropriate for mainstream
radio. Despite her unexpected
Grammy win, the young
lass remains classy. When
asked about the backlash
from Justin Bieber’s fans, she
had a gem of a reply.
“You never know, some
of those Bieber fans might,
in a few years, discover they
like jazz, they like the bass,
and they like my singing,”
CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY (2010)
The record is Spalding’s biggest and most ambitious
effort yet. The album is filled with undulating vocals accompanied
by Spalding’s jazz trio (pianist Leo Genovese and
drummer Terri Lyne Carrington) and a string trio (violinist
Entcho Todorov, violist Lois Martin, cellist David Eggar)
that provides the backbone for every song.
The album encompasses Latin rhythms that shift
through blues, gospel, Brazilian, and Afro-Cuban and
does so always in good taste. A highlight of the album,
the upbeat “Winter Sun” allows Spalding to showcase her
impressive bass-playing skills as well as her robust voice
to produce a cheery song.
she told ABC News. “And if
they don’t, God bless them
and I’m going to keep doing
it anyway.” PHOTOS | INTERNET

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
reviews
Music
AMANDA PALMER GOES DOWN UNDER
Amanda Palmer (Dark Cabaret)
, , , , ,
During her recent Australian tour to promote the album,
Amanda Palmer raised over A$3000 in a single show to
help the people of Christchurch.
REBELLIOUS, controversial,
and sinisterly humorous.
This mismatch of adjectives
describe Amanda Palmer and
her latest album, Amanda
Palmer Goes Down Under
perfectly.
While still relatively
unknown in the realm of
mainstream music, Palmer
(self-proclaimed and referred
to by her loyal fans as Amanda
F***ing Palmer for her devilmay-care
attitude) is wellknown
in the Australian and
New Zealand theatre circuits.
Goes Down Under is her
first recorded live album,
and plays like a comedy
musical to the ears of new
listeners. Hilarious lyrics
and catchy tunes make up
the essence of tracks such as
Vegemite, where she laments
the traditional Australian
spread, and Map of Tasmania,
a song with a funky, eclectic
Jamaican vibe.
In the latter song, Palmer
takes the unusual step of
comparing women’s pubic
hair to the little island south
of Australia. Let it fly in the
open wind/If it get too bushy
you can trim are some of the
track’s tamer lyrics.
Palmer does, however,
ta ke t h ings to a more
serious level with songs
such as Australia and On
An Unknown Beach, each
with her signature haunting
piano accompaniments. In
My Mind, a song reflecting
on her life and future, is
accompanied by the sounds
of a ukulele, her trademark
instrument.
Although Goes Down
Under is not your typical
easy-listening album, Palmer
never crosses the line into the
truly shocking.
You need an open mind
and a sense of humour to
enjoy her music, intentionally
recorded to entertain and
appeal to the quirky side in
all of us.
Nonetheless, her solid
vocals and witty songwriting
would serve her well if she
ever intends to break into
the mainstream market. For
now, take a walk on the wild
side with Amanda Palmer’s
unique effort.
-Priscilla Kham
"One of the reasons
why I love it here
so much is that
Australians aren’t
obsessed with
perfection.”
Amanda Palmer on her inspiration for
Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under
Interview with X-Press Magazine
LIFESTYLE 25
books
PREMIER LEECH
Neil Humphreys (Fiction)
$23.95 at Kinokuniya
Published by Marshall
Cavendish Editions
YOUNG men earn fortunes
for kicking a ball about while
the rest of the world struggles
through an economic downturn.
For fans of the English
Premier League who watch
their heroes on televised
matches every week, Premier
Leech gives them a shocking
look at the seedier side of the
global sport.
In the book, prominent
newspaper columnist and
writer Neil Humphreys returns
with a shocking exposé
about Scott (no last name
revealed), a football captain,
and his journey into the torrid
underbelly of the sporting
world.
Scott, a humble Essex
boy hailing from Dagenham,
East London, is riding high
as a top-tier league player.
But intoxicated by a deadly
concoction of fame, success,
and a lack of self-discipline,
he commits adultery with his
best friend’s wife.
As Scott attempts to suppress
the tabloid’s efforts to
uncover the affair, he is beset
by yet more troubles.
To compound matters, rumours
are gathering that his
club (which is never named
directly) may be subject to
a secret takeover bid by a
wealthy Saudi businessman.
Scott then worries that the
Saudi’s interest in his attractive
pop-singer wife may be
more than just coincidence.
We live in a definitive
new era of football where the
gap between the footballer
and his fans is increasingly
widened by fancy displays of
sports cars, celebrity wives
and sprawling mansions.
Humphreys questions if
the ‘Holy Trinity’ of the fans,
players and the manager all
being of equal importance, as
espoused by Liverpool legend
Bill Shankly, still holds true
today.
As you might expect, the
novel answers this with a
firm ‘no’.
Although the novel is told
from Scott’s point of view,
Humphreys echoes the disillusionment
of real fans by
emphasising the detachment
Scott has with the real world.
An early scene sets the
tone for the kind of cynical
humour that fills the pages.
Scott’s friend asks if the girl
he had sex with the night
before had taken a video of
their tryst.
Scott declares that unlike
Lampard, he’s sick of having
his face beamed around the
world every weekend.
He smugly adds that he
knows how to protect himself
from being filmed at any other
time, especially during sex.
EPL fans will no doubt
recall with some amusement
the sex scandal that implicated
Chelsea player Frank
Lampard some time ago.
With enough suspense
and drama to entertain even
non-football fans, Premier
Leech makes readers question
whether football really is still
the ‘Beautiful Game’.
-Goh Ee-Ling
100 MISTAKES THAT
CHANGED HISTORY
Bill Fawcett (Non-Fiction)
$23.95 at Kinokuniya
Published by Berkley Press
EVERYONE likes to hear stories
about others’ mistakes.
100 Mistakes That Changed
History provides you with just
that—a list of 100 mistakes
that changed the course of
human history.
While it is only human to
err, some mistakes come with
consequences too huge for
anyone to bear—even for some
of the world’s greatest leaders.
In his latest book, Bill
Fawcett takes readers through
a history of mistakes—from
the one that created the
Western Civilisation in 499
BCE to the one which led to
the collapse of the global
stock market in 2008.
Fawcett must have put in
tremendous effort presenting
the 100 monumental moments
as bite-sized stories,
and making them a joy to
read.
One story with an important
life lesson is how the
Americans took over Texas
from Mexico like guests that
had overstayed their welcome—since
1821 to be exact.
The stories may make
sense to those with a good
knowledge of historical
events, but confusing to those
without.
By cutting to the chase,
these stories leave out most of
the background information.
For example, Fawcett
mentions Richard Nixon’s
mistake of breaking into
the Democratic National
Committee headquarters at
the Watergate complex.
It cost him his 20-point
popularity lead in the polls,
along with the presidency.
However, Fawcett assumes
that readers are already
familiar with the context
of the 1972 American
Presidential election, and
does not delve into the de-
tails of Nixon’s obsessive
behaviour.
Probably the deadliest
mistake made in history was
the decision by European
peasants to kill off the cat
population during the ‘Black
Death’ period of the mid-
1300s.
The peasants eventually
caused the plague to spread
even further, as the population
of rats, the real carriers,
increased rapidly once their
natural predators were gone.
Their fatal error caused
100 million deaths, and the
social and political institutions
of Europe took a century
and a half to recover.
While Fawcett did a commendable
job in identifying
these defining moments, it
is a pity that he did not provide
additional insight or an
analysis of the events.
If his purpose for the
book is simply to provide an
overview of key mistakes
in history, the book serves
admirably.
Otherwise, it leaves you
searching for more background
information on the
mistakes you’ve just read
about.
-Cheryl Chan
BOOKS FROM KINOKUNIYA
PHOTOS | INTERNET

26
reviews
FILMS
TRUE GRIT
AMERICAN WESTERN
Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon,
Hailee Steinfield
110min
, , , , ,
A YOUNG girl’s quest for
justice and family honour begins
when 14-year-old Mattie
Ross’s (Hailee Steinfield) father
was wrongfully slain by
hitman Tom Chaney (Josh
Brolin). The young girl swears
vengeance, setting into motion
the events of True Grit.
True Grit is the modern
adaptation of a John Wayne
classic, and it is fascinating
to see how this legendary
Western tale still measures up
to today’s standards. The story
begins with Mattie’s narration
of her father’s murder.
With no other option,
Mattie hires the alcoholic,
merciless U.S. Marshal
named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff
Bridges) to capture her father’s
murderer. Reputed to
be the meanest and cruelest
Marshal around, Cogburn is
also known among his peers
as the “man with true grit”.
LIFESTYLE
However, he does show a
softer side when he rescues
Mattie from a snake bite,
and carries her on his back
for miles to seek medical aid.
As Mattie and Cogburn
trek across the great outdoors
on their horses in
true Western style, they are
accompanied by a Texas
Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt
Damon). LaBouef is, coincidentally,
also in pursuit of
Chaney for the murder of a
Texas politician.
Mattie is reluctant to have
him along on their journey as
she refuses to have Chaney
trialed for any crime other
than her father’s murder.
The tension between the three
builds as they clash over how
best to deal with the man they
are hunting down.
Despite the slow pace of
the film, what is most impressive
is the development of
the characters. Like Cogburn,
Mattie too begins to show
flashes of “true grit” herself.
HARD JUSTICE: Hailee Steinfield, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin all star in this classic Western tale of murder and vengeance.
Especially noteworthy is
her courage—she never allows
anyone or any circumstance
to stand in the way of capturing
her father’s murderer.
Despite going up against
two men much older and
far tougher than she is,
Mattie proves she is not so
easily dissuaded. “As I walk
through the valley of death,
I shall fear no evil,” Mattie
says repeatedly.
It is only through the occasional
flash of uncertainty
and tears in her eyes that the
audience is reminded that
Mattie, despite her cold and
hard exterior, is a teenage
girl.
The film fast forwards 25
years later, with Mattie looking
over Cogburn’s grave. She
remembers the old Marshal
and ponders how time catches
up with everyone.
Mattie is also shown to
have paid her price for the
revenge she sought. This
closely parallels her haunting,
powerful line at the start
of the film, “You must pay
for everything in this world
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
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17
08
one way or another. There is
nothing free, except the grace
of God”.
Directed by the Coen
brothers, True Grit is a worthy
adaptation of Charles Portis’
1968 novel. It definitely delivers
and is indeed deserving
of all its 10 Academy Award
nominations.
-Theodora Theresa D’cruz
NEVER LET ME GO
DYSTOPIAN DRAMA
CAREY MULLIGAN, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY,
ANDREW GARFIELD
103min
, , , , ,
IF The Island was an action-packed thriller
about clones being bred for organ donations,
Never Let Me Go is its quieter, more introspective
British cousin. This tale of attachment
and loss was adapted from a 2005 novel by
Japanese author Kazuo Ishiguro.
The movie depicts the lives of three
clones, born and raised specifically to ensure
an available source of human organs for the
people they were cloned from. The clones have
thoughts and feelings like any other human.
Three of them, Kathy (Carey Mulligan),
Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew
Garfield) are entangled in a love triangle that
begins in their childhood and lasts until they
are adults.
The movie begins in Hailsham, a special
boarding school where the clones live a life
of idyllic ease. Not everything is perfect,
however, as the clones discover that they are
destined to die when the originals require their
vital organs.
Tommy is distraught after learning this,
and becomes withdrawn and depressed. Kathy
grows fond of him, but Tommy eventually
enters into a relationship with Ruth instead.
Never Let Me Go does not concern itself
with the moral issues of cloning. It focuses on
the relationships between the main characters
and their emotional dilemmas. This is a good
decision as the film’s strength lies in the performance
of its three stars.
Although Tommy and Ruth’s relationship
takes up most of the movie, it is Carey
Mulligan’s portrayal of Kathy that stands out.
Her nuanced performance as a woman in
love with a man who only regards her as a
friend is remarkable in its subtlety.
The final third of the film includes a plot
twist that changes what the viewers would
DOPPELGANGER: Tommy (Andrew Garfield) has
a complicated relationship with Kathy (Carey
Mulligan).
have initially thought about the clones and
their place in the world. It is worked seamlessly
into the plot and as a result doesn’t
come off as trite or forced.
Despite the movie’s strengths, it is difficult
to determine exactly which genre this
film falls under. It has elements of a sci-fi,
romance or even a period piece. It feels as
though director Mark Romanek included
a little of everything to appeal to a wider
audience.
Nevertheless, Never Let Me Go is a work
of subtle beauty—a melancholic meditation
on the finality of life and the choices we
make as our time shortens.
-Marlene Tan
127 HOURS
ADVENTURE
James Franco
94min
, , , , ,
THE thought of watching a movie about a
man stuck in a narrow gorge for more than
a hundred hours hardly seems compelling.
But as Ryan Reynolds proved in Buried,
a movie which is about a man trying to
escape being buried alive, the desperation
of being caught in an impossible situation
can be fascinating.
James Franco (Spider-Man, Pineapple
Express) turns in a splendid performance
as mountain climber Aron Ralston facing a
similar in 127 Hours.
The movie distinguishes itself from the
rest by virtue of being based on a true story.
127 Hours depicts Ralston’s ordeal after a
boulder crashes onto his arm and traps him
in an isolated Utah canyon.
With limited resources and time running
out, Ralston must decide how far he is willing
to go to survive.
The success of a film that uses one actor
for almost its entire running time depends a
lot on him, and Franco delivers in spades.
He skillfully assumes both ends on the scale
of human emotion as he goes from comedy
to tragedy.
Director Danny Boyle, the man behind
Slumdog Millionaire, does not shy away
from shocking.
There are times when you feel Boyle is
tormenting the audience with several scenes
almost unbearable to watch.
For example, Ralston breaks his arm,
and desperately drinks from a water bag
filled with his own urine. But these moments
are what make the film intense and visceral.
In another graphic scene, Boyle cleverly
enhances its intensity by introducing a
deeply emotional sequence before it.
NO WAY OUT: Caught between a rock and a hard
place, how far will Aron Ralston (James Franco) go to
survive
Ralston begins to hallucinate and imagines
saying goodbye to his loved ones and an
imaginary future son.
Despite the gore and horror reminiscent
of a Saw movie, the best parts of the film are
those where Ralston sits and looks at the heavens
for hope. The stillness of the scene starkly
contrasts the despair of Ralston’s situation.
Unfortunately the film is not without problems.
Boyle indulges in too many flashback
scenes that are not developed fully, and lack
emotional depth.
Although disturbing at times, 127 Hours
is ultimately about an intense battle between
nature and Ralston’s will to live.
-Brenda Xie
PHOTOS | INTERNET

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
reviews
Draw Me Closer
LIFESTYLE 27
FOUR strangers hailing from
wildly different backgrounds
discover they have something
in common—the search
for love and the pitfalls of
temptation.
C l o s e r i s t h e s e c -
ond stage production for
Singapore’s newest theatre
company Pangdemonium!
Productions, directed by
the husband-and-wife duo
of Adrian and Tracie Pang.
Originally written by
Patrick Marber in 1997 for
the West End in London,
it was later adapted to a
Hollywood film starring
Julia Roberts, Jude Law and
Natalie Portman.
Following the duo’s successful
inaugural production
The Full Monty, Closer
explores the line between
Pangdemonium! Productions wrapped up its final showing of Closer at the DBS Arts Centre yesterday.
Celine Chen shares her thoughts.
OH WHAT A
TANGLED WEB
WE WEAVE:
Larry (Adrian
Pang), Anna (Tan
Kheng Hua), Dan
(Keagan Kang)
and Alice (Cynthia
Lee-MacQuarrie)
discover that love
does not always
liberate—sometimes
it imprisons. Closer
is the second play
to be staged by
Pangdemonium!
Productions.
love and lust. The production
does away with slapstick
humour and presents instead
the morbid side of love and
personal relationships.
The story depicts the
lives of Alice (Cynthia Lee-
MacQuarrie), Dan (Keagan
Kang), Anna (Tan Kheng
Hua) and Larr y (Adrian
Pang) intertwined in a web
of emotions and deceit. The
script is explicit with a noholds
barred approach to
sex talk.
The tale of Closer begins
with the four characters
meeting one another through
a series of coincidences.
As the characters interact,
temptation eventually gets
the better of them.
T he production was
not all smooth sailing. Tan
Kheng Hua was forced to replace
Emma Yong a few days
before opening night due to
medical reasons. Fortunately
Tan, a stage veteran, was able
to perform the role of Anna
effortlessly.
Perhaps the small arts
scene in Singapore was helpful
in this instance, as most
of the actors already knew
each other.
The result was a good
portrayal of Anna, a professional
photographer who attempts
to control of her love
life, but to no avail.
“Opening
night was a bit
like falling in
love—thrilling,
terrifying and
unforgettably
romantic!.”
Adrian Pang, commenting on
the play’s opening night to
local blogger Red Dot Diva.
The role of Larry was
played by another veteran,
Adrian Pang. Larry is a
dermatologist grounded in
reality and a man assured of
his choices.
Pang’s portrayal of a
confident man who suffers a
shattering blow to his spirit
and pride was delivered convincingly
in the emotional
scenes that followed.
Alice, a free-spirited girl
who works part time as a
stripper, harbours secrets of
a disturbing past.
She was portrayed by
Cynthia Lee-MacQuarrie,
who delivered a believable
performance of a young
woman whose choices in love
and life eventually takes a
turn for the worse.
However as the play
was set in London, Lee-
MacQuarrie made the unfortunate
choice of affecting a
British accent that sometimes
came across as unnatural.
The Australian actor
Keagan Kang took on the role
of Dan, an aspiring writer
who is fickle-minded about
love. He is easily tempted
and immature in handling
serious relationships.
Kang, unfortunately, did
not seem to be in character at
some points although he got
better as the play progressed.
In essence, all four characters
are deeply flawed,
desiring to be redeemed.
Each of them encounters
certain moments which enables
them to appear more
vulnerable, allowing the audience
to relate to the drama
as it unfolds.
The stage was used in an
interesting manner. In one
instance, two scenes from
separate worlds were played
out side by side on stage. An
unconventional use of stage
space, but it fulfiled its aim
of showing the contrast between
the characters.
SULTRY SUB: Tan Kheng Hua replaces Emma Yong as Anna.
Closer serves as a mirror
for modern relationships. It
deals with mature themes
that would not be complete
without a lot of sex talk,
vulgarities and tension.
It illustrates how at times
lies can protect and truths
destroy, and how putting on
a mask to conceal our real
selves could instead lead to
a tragic end.
The script achieves a
good balance of delightfully
dark humour and genuine
moments of sadness.
Compared to its lighthear
ted debut The Full
Monty, Closer is a script that
proved more of a challenge.
It is harder to please the audience
this time around as the
production is a melodrama,
rather than a musical.
The cast of Closer pulled
it off well, largely due to the
good casting. Judging by
the quality of their sophomore
effort the future of
Pangdemonium! Productions
looks promising with Adrian
and Tracie Pang at the helm.
For a four person cast in
a play running for just 90
minutes, praise is in order for
this thoughtful production.
PHOTOS | INTERNET
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Year 2 / School of mechanical and aerospace EngineerinG shi yun Year 2 / school of humanities and social sciences
I AM WEARING...
New Era Cap from The Corner Shop. Supreme
tee from overseas, (I do not remember the
prices). Chino pants from Uniqlo at $49.90 and
Redwing yellow Mustang boots at $438. Fred
Perry bag at $119.90.
my pERSoNAL STYLE...
I am a sneakerhead! Other than that, I like the
old-school vintage look and I love to match it
with more modern pieces.
MY STYLE ICON IS...
Takuya Kimura, Hiroshi Fujiwara and Johnny
Depp.
NTU CAMPUS STYLE IS...
All about the berms-and-tee style!
I'D NOT BE CAUGHT DEAD WEARING...
Singlet and basketball shorts.
I AM WEARING...
Top from vintage store at Chatuchak, at $30.
Denim shorts from Cotton On, $30. Sandals
from Tang & Co at $80 and the bag is borrowed
from my sister.
my pERSoNAL STYLE...
I don’t really have a fixed style. I just wear
whatever I feel like when I want to express
myself, especially clothes that I am comfortable
in.
MY STYLE ICON IS...
Vanessa Hudgens and the Olsen twins.
NTU CAMPUS STYLE IS...
Comfort over style.
I'D NOT BE CAUGHT DEAD WEARING...
Tights as pants or FBTs to class, and clothes
with lace all over.

林 俊 杰 勤 练 六 块 肌 以 满 足 歌 迷
—— 刊 32 页
新 闻
为 了 筹 钱 学 生 组 织 忽 略 隐 私 问 题
许 多 学 生 填 完 问 卷 , 并 不 知 道 这 些 资 料 往 往 会 落 入 推 销 公 司 的 手 中 。
林 坪
● 报 道
辈 压 力 加 上 金 钱 的
同 诱 惑 , 使 许 多 学 生
不 知 不 觉 泄 漏 个 人 资 料 。
为 了 筹 钱 , 许 多 学 生
组 织 都 分 发 问 卷 给 身 边
的 朋 友 填 上 。 当 他 们 填
写 问 卷 后 , 并 对 这 些 资
料 的 处 理 一 无 所 知 。
用 歌 词 打 开 创 意 之 门
陈 婧 ● 报 道
熟 能 详 的 快 餐 店 和
耳 电 台 等 家 喻 户 晓 的
商 业 歌 曲 , 就 是 必 胜 的 广
告 旋 律 。
第 四 届 中 文 流 行 歌 词
与 创 作 课 程 结 业 礼 上 , 去
年 新 加 坡 文 化 奖 得 主 梁
文 福 商 业 歌 曲 为 例 , 说
明 :“ 有 创 意 的 歌 词 就 能
唤 起 人 们 的 记 忆 ”。
这 个 由 南 大 孔 子 学 院
与 新 加 坡 词 曲 版 权 协 会
(COMPASS) 合 办 的 座
谈 会 反 应 热 烈 , 吸 引 了 许
多 年 轻 人 出 席 。
梁 文 福 与 曾 为 周 华 健
和 阿 杜 等 知 名 歌 手 谱 写
就 读 于 商 学 院 的 一
年 级 生 黄 凯 琳 (19 岁 )
说 : “ 我 在 做 问 卷 的 时
候 , 并 没 有 想 那 么 多 ,
只 想 赶 快 完 成 。 问 卷 上
所 需 要 的 资 料 , 我 照 填
就 是 了 。”
海 峡 时 报 在 一 月 刊 登
的 报 道 中 指 出 , 有 许 多
毕 业 生 会 接 到 陌 生 的 电
话 , 向 他 们 推 销 产 品 或
歌 曲 的 创 作 人 李 志 清 以 讲
座 对 谈 的 方 式 , 让 公 众 了
解 歌 词 在 歌 曲 中 的 重 要 作
用 , 也 希 望 更 多 有 志 者 能
投 身 中 文 流 行 歌 词 创 作 。
嘈 杂 语 言 环 境 碍 于 创 作
对 于 新 马 中 文 作 词 人
呈 现 青 黄 不 接 的 现 象 ,
来 自 马 来 西 亚 的 李 志 清 指
出 , 新 马 两 地 的 嘈 杂 语 言
环 境 对 于 培 养 填 词 的 创 意
来 说 , 可 能 是 一 种 阻 碍 。
他 举 例 说 :“ 许 多 新
马 年 轻 人 会 用 ‘ 今 天 我
feel sad’ 中 英 混 杂 的 语 言
抒 发 感 情 , 使 他 们 很 难 使
用 纯 粹 的 中 文 来 表 达 自 己
摄 影 | 许 原 端
是 告 知 就 业 机 会 。
他 们 认 为 , 这 些 公 司
是 通 过 他 们 在 大 学 时 期
填 写 的 问 卷 获 得 他 们 的
资 料 。
学 生 们 为 了 学 校 或 宿
舍 的 活 动 发 问 卷 筹 钱 。
这 样 的 筹 款 活 动 在 本 地
大 学 都 极 为 普 遍 , 而 问
卷 上 的 问 题 甚 至 包 括 联
络 方 式 及 家 庭 收 入 。
的 原 意 。”
课 程 结 业 礼 当 天 , 就
有 三 名 优 秀 学 员 的 作 品 得
到 发 表 , 其 中 一 名 包 括 南
大 中 文 系 毕 业 生 刘 美 云
(24 岁 )。
现 任 中 学 华 文 教 师 的
刘 美 云 表 示 , 即 使 是 中 文
程 度 很 好 的 人 , 也 未 必 能
成 为 合 格 的 写 词 人 :“ 一
首 好 的 歌 词 不 光 要 语 句 优
美 , 还 要 注 重 押 韵 , 要 求
是 很 高 的 …… 因 此 , 我 还
会 在 这 条 道 路 上 继 续 探 索
和 学 习 。”
“ 词 源 ” 提 供 联 络 平 台
为 了 提 供 更 多 运 用 纯
在 阅 读 报 道 后 , 南
大 会 计 系 的 陈 嘉 卉 (19
岁 ) 说 : “ 哇 , 这 还 蛮
可 怕 的 。 其 实 不 是 我 们
不 知 道 参 与 问 卷 调 查 的
危 险 , 而 是 当 时 做 的 时
候 , 没 有 那 么 多 顾 虑 。”
“ 资 料 隐 私 ” 缺 乏 保 障
虽 然 这 种 行 为 不 违
法 , 但 更 多 人 开 始 关
注 “ 资 料 隐 私 ” 的 课
题 , 尤 其 是 这 些 公 司 如
何 获 取 并 售 出 这 些 个 人
资 料 。
有 读 者 收 到 一 则 兜
售 个 人 资 料 的 传 真 后 ,
便 在 报 章 上 的 言 论 版
说 : “ 我 最 近 收 到 一 则
传 真 , 上 面 有 至 少 一
百 万 个 电 话 号 码 , 并 附
上 这 些 号 码 的 主 人 的 资
料 , 如 性 别 、 年 龄 和 教
育 程 度 等 等 。”
学 生 事 务 处 的 发 言
人 在 受 访 时 说 : “ 校 方
非 常 注 重 学 生 的 个 人 隐
私 。 校 方 会 不 断 提 醒 学
生 组 织 的 会 员 们 小 心 处
理 个 人 的 资 料 , 同 时 也
得 征 取 他 们 的 同 意 后 ,
本 地 知 名 音 乐 人 梁 文 福 提 醒 年 轻 人 , 歌 词 创 作 是 一
门 极 具 商 业 价 值 的 创 意 产 业 。 摄 影 | 温 忠 浩
华 语 切 磋 的 机 会 ,16 名 歌
词 创 作 班 的 学 员 组 成 了 “
新 词 ” 部 落 格 创 作 小 组 ,
并 设 立 了 名 为 “ 词 源 ” 的
内 部 网 站 , 方 便 历 届 毕 业
学 员 保 持 联 系 。
为 了 不 让 本 地 写 词
的 创 意 失 传 , 词 源 ” 网
才 可 交 由 他 人 。 目 前 为
止 , 校 方 并 未 接 到 有 关
这 方 面 的 投 诉 。”
“ 哇 , 这 还 蛮
可 怕 的 。 其 实
不 是 我 们 不 知
道 参 与 问 卷 调
查 的 危 险 , 而
是 当 时 做 的 时
候 , 没 有 那 么
多 顾 虑 。”
陈 嘉 卉
会 计 系 一 年 级 生
就 读 黄 金 辉 传 播 与
信 息 学 院 的 郑 凯 盈 (19
岁 ) 说 : “ 这 样 的 筹 款
方 式 有 点 强 制 性 。 如 果
让 我 选 的 话 , 我 当 然 不
会 做 。 但 我 了 解 这 些 问
卷 可 能 是 最 快 速 也 最 容
易 筹 钱 的 方 法 。”
她 参 与 学 生 宿 舍 的 剧
团 组 织 , 每 个 星 期 都 得
分 发 10 张 问 卷 给 身 边 的
朋 友 。 她 无 奈 地 说 : “
长 久 下 来 , 大 家 也 都 做
站 命 名 的 梁 文 福 更 坦
言 :“ 新 加 坡 作 为 创
意 的 土 壤 还 不 够 肥
沃 , 所 以 我 们 还 在 不
断 施 肥 ; 除 了 现 有 的
课 程 , 也 要 为 新 人 们
提 供 更 多 发 表 作 品 的
环 境 和 管 道 。”
腻 了 , 其 实 自 己 也 过 意
不 去 。”
更 何 况 , 学 生 们 的 社
交 圈 子 也 有 限 , 所 以 做
问 卷 的 学 生 都 属 同 一 组
人 。 郑 凯 盈 说 : “ 大 多
数 的 人 就 算 再 不 愿 意 ,
也 会 在 同 辈 压 力 下 完 成
问 卷 。”
在 碰 到 朋 友 们 的 隐 忧
时 , 郑 凯 盈 在 答 复 时 常
说 : “ 我 不 会 向 他 们 作
出 任 何 承 诺 , 只 会 重 复
负 责 人 对 我 说 过 的 话 ,
再 让 我 的 朋 友 决 定 信 息
是 否 保 密 。”
隐 私 仍 是 敏 感 话 题
第 十 学 生 宿 舍 的 业 务
经 理 柯 毅 涵 (23 岁 ) 就
指 出 , 隐 私 问 题 永 远 是
宿 舍 活 动 的 敏 感 话 题 。
为 了 宿 舍 着 想 , 他 尽
量 选 择 不 会 透 露 太 多 个
人 资 料 的 筹 钱 机 会 。
他 说 :“ 如 果 学 生 们
的 个 人 资 料 被 揭 露 了 ,
对 问 卷 公 司 和 对 我 们 也
不 是 一 件 好 事 。”
身 为 业 务 经 理 , 柯 毅
涵 确 保 他 所 得 到 的 联 系
来 源 是 可 靠 的 , 也 希 望
能 够 过 滤 不 实 际 或 有 可
疑 的 筹 钱 机 会 。
为 了 争 取 参 与 者 , 问
卷 公 司 表 示 , 向 学 生 们
要 这 些 资 料 , 是 为 了 与
他 们 保 持 联 系 。
林 晓 恬 (22 岁 ) 就 为
了 宿 舍 的 筹 款 活 动 , 接
受 大 东 方 人 寿 保 险 公 司
的 邀 请 , 将 带 领 35 名 在
籍 学 生 参 加 公 司 的 就 业
讲 座 。 换 来 的 , 是 500 元
的 奖 励 金 。
这 名 第 五 学 生 宿 舍 组
织 的 业 务 经 理 说 : “ 我
对 这 样 的 筹 款 活 动 持 有
正 面 的 看 法 。 这 是 因 为
我 不 觉 得 问 卷 的 来 源 会
可 疑 。”
她 还 补 充 :“ 这 是 个
双 赢 的 局 面 , 我 们 其 实
从 中 获 得 更 多 的 好 处 。
这 种 筹 钱 的 方 式 , 也 可
以 介 绍 给 身 边 需 要 为 组
织 筹 钱 的 朋 友 。”

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
29
Impresario 半 决 赛 2011
人 气 指 数 为 参 赛 者 晋 级 的 关 键
律 宾 的 她 拥 有 丰 富 的 参 赛 经 验 。 在 参 赛
者 中 , 评 判 认 为 她 是 夺 冠 热 门 , 但 她 觉
得 参 加 比 赛 只 是 为 了 兴 趣 。 爱 玲 最 终 的
理 想 , 是 要 站 上 百 老 汇 舞 台 。
另 外 ,“ 双 人 物 ” 的 两 名 团 员 朱 明
恺 和 陈 永 权 是 在 之 前 的 歌 唱 比 赛 中 结 识
的 。 两 名 型 男 在 半 决 赛 里 默 契 十 足 地 演
唱 了 陶 的 《 找 自 己 》。 团 员 陈 永 权 正
在 服 兵 役 , 朱 明 恺 则 忙 于 课 业 。 尽 管 两
人 一 起 排 练 的 时 间 有 限 , 他 们 仍 排 除 万
难 进 入 总 决 赛 。 两 人 表 示 会 多 加 练 习 ,
继 续 “ 挑 战 自 己 ”。
“ 我 们 只 是 在 做 自 己 爱 做
的 事 , 无 论 输 赢 , 只 要 自
己 满 意 就 行 了 。”
Frostyz
Impresario 半 决 赛 的 晋 级 团 体
Impresario 2011 总 决 赛
日 期 :2011 年 4 月 3 日 , 星 期 天
时 间 : 傍 晚 六 点 半 ( 六 点 开 始 入 场 )
地 点 : 南 大 大 礼 堂
票 价 :$12
Impresario 2011 总 决 赛 的 入 围 者
个 人 演 唱 :Mohammad Sufie B
Rashid、 李 佩 雯 、 Kevin Kristian,、Eirene
Enriquez、 王 悉 微
双 人 / 组 合 :Christy&Sheryl、
DZ、Cruyo、Ash & Su、 双 人 物
舞 蹈 :X-Tension, I.K.R, RRO,
Frostyz, NBM
原 创 歌 曲 : 陈 美 卿 和 蔡 吟 秋 ( 十 二
月 之 风 雪 )、 何 文 亮 ( 友 谊 )、 陈
永 权 ( 我 的 错 )、 庄 慧 艳 ( 慢 慢 走 )
、 陈 雪 莹 ( 未 了 结 )
总 决 赛 入 围 者 名 单 公 布 时 , 舞 蹈 团 体 X-Tension 成 功 晋 级 , 团 员 们 喜 极 而 泣 , 激 动
得 抱 在 一 起 。
摄 影 | 许 原 端
黄 雪 琪 ● 报 道
场 观 众 首 次 有 权 参 与 评 选 的 工
现 作 , 验 证 参 赛 者 高 涨 的 人 气 指 数
和 非 一 般 的 才 艺 。
在 Impresario 2011 半 决 赛 里 , 现 场
观 众 的 投 票 占 了 评 分 标 准 的 30%。 因
此 , 参 赛 者 不 只 要 获 得 评 审 们 的 青 睐 ,
也 必 须 要 有 人 气 才 能 晋 级 到 总 决 赛 。
由 南 洋 理 工 大 学 文 艺 活 动 学 会 举 办
的 全 国 才 艺 比 赛 今 年 已 迈 入 了 第 19 个 年
头 。 今 年 一 共 有 四 个 组 别 : 个 人 演 唱 、
双 人 或 组 合 演 唱 、 舞 蹈 和 原 创 歌 曲 。 每
个 组 别 分 别 只 有 五 名 参 赛 者 能 进 入 围 总
决 赛 。
其 中 被 评 判 韩 睿 君 冠 上 “ 动 力 火
车 ” 的 兄 弟 组 D Z 在 演 唱 《 无 情 的 情
书 》 时 , 却 出 了 点 小 状 况 —— 音 乐 停 止
两 秒 。 但 是 , 他 们 不 慌 不 忙 地 在 音 乐 恢
复 时 继 续 接 唱 , 获 得 了 评 审 们 的 赞 赏 。
个 人 演 唱 组 的 爱 玲 (Eirene Enriquez)
则 以 惊 人 的 歌 声 在 演 唱 珍 妮 佛
哈 德 森 (Jennifer Hudson) 的 “And
I am telling you I’m not going” 时 让
台 下 的 韩 睿 君 猛 拍 手 。 这 位 歌 唱 老 师
说 :“ 看 她 的 演 唱 就 像 看 表 演 一 样 。”
害 羞 的 爱 玲 年 仅 16 岁 , 可 是 来 自 菲
舞 蹈 组 热 力 四 射 , 炒 热 现 场 的 气
氛 。 穿 着 火 辣 的 X-Tension 虽 然 只 排 练
了 一 个 星 期 , 却 自 认 团 队 默 契 佳 而 晋 级
总 决 赛 。 问 到 她 们 对 夺 冠 的 信 心 指 数 ,
她 们 异 口 同 声 地 说 :“100% !”
来 自 国 大 的 Frostyz 则 觉 得 每 一 组 的
夺 冠 机 会 平 等 。 其 中 一 名 团 员 说 :“ 我
们 只 是 在 做 自 己 爱 做 的 事 , 无 论 输 赢 ,
只 要 自 己 满 意 就 行 了 。”
不 过 , 舞 蹈 组 的 评 审 Jootz 和 Rizal 很
开 心 今 年 的 水 准 比 往 年 好 很 多 。Jootz
觉 得 可 能 是 因 为 近 年 舞 蹈 在 新 加 坡 越 来
越 受 重 视 。
个 人 演 唱 和 组 合 演 唱 组 别 的 两 位 评
审 韩 睿 君 和 吴 仁 惠 一 致 认 为 今 年 参 赛 者
的 水 准 都 很 高 。 也 是 本 地 乐 团 黑 森 林 的
主 唱 吴 仁 惠 说 :“ 我 很 喜 欢 这 届 的 参 赛
者 , 因 为 他 们 多 数 都 有 融 入 自 己 的 想 法
在 表 演 中 。”
经 验 丰 富 的 爱 玲 年 仅 16 岁 , 歌 声 却 具 爆
发 力 , 获 得 评 审 的 一 致 好 评 。
财 政 预 算 案 论 坛 会 2011
周 博 士 :A- 的 预 算 案
张 健 俊 ● 报 道
中 文 编 辑
对 最 近 出 炉 的 财 政 预 算 案 2011,
针 参 与 论 谈 会 的 演 讲 嘉 宾 一 致 给 予
好 评 , 让 更 多 中 等 入 息 与 低 收 入 的 国 人
受 益 。
有 15 年 预 算 案 分 析 经 验 的 周 孙 铭 博
士 , 在 论 坛 上 说 :“ 我 给 这 次 的 预 算 案
A-, 可 是 如 果 能 够 更 好 的 照 顾 低 收 入
者 , 那 会 更 理 想 。”
这 位 南 大 经 济 学 教 授 的 周 博 士 在 针 对
预 算 案 的 措 施 时 , 谈 到 教 育 的 费 用 。 一
个 低 收 入 者 从 幼 儿 园 , 小 学 和 中 学 , 到
理 工 学 院 , 这 10 年 的 教 育 费 用 , 政 府 承
担 了 97%。 在 这 次 的 财 政 预 算 下 , 政 府
把 这 个 比 例 提 高 到 99%, 所 以 低 收 入 者
的 儿 女 可 以 通 过 教 育 来 提 高 收 入 , 改 善
生 活 。
周 博 士 认 为 , 这 次 预 算 案 的 主 题 是 通
过 改 善 收 入 平 等 来 使 全 体 新 加 坡 人 共 享
一 个 包 容 性 的 增 长 。
这 个 论 坛 会 是 南 大 校 友 事 务 处 第 六 次
主 办 , 主 讲 嘉 宾 包 括 人 文 与 社 会 科 学 学
院 代 院 长 柯 仲 佑 教 授 、 周 孙 铭 博 士 和 校
友 王 绥 钊 先 生 。
财 政 预 算 案 2011
关 键 数 字
● 15 亿 元 增 长 分 红 250 万 国 人 受 惠
● 5 月 前 分 发 每 人 100-900 元
● 从 托 儿 所 到 理 工 学 院 家 长 的 负 担
从 3% 降 至 1%
● 个 人 少 缴 税 所 得 税 回 扣 20% 顶
限 2000 元
综 合 预 算 案 的 措 施 , 王 先 生 说 :“ 措
施 主 要 目 的 在 于 提 高 生 产 力 。”
身 为 奕 丰 金 融 公 司 新 加 坡 办 事 处 的 总
经 理 , 他 向 现 场 观 众 勾 勒 出 未 来 的 经 济
由 校 友 事 务 处 主 办 的 论 谈 会 反 应 热 烈 , 出 席 人 数 约 250。 周 孙 铭 博 士 ( 左 起 )、 柯
仲 佑 教 授 和 校 友 王 绥 钊 先 生 对 出 席 者 的 问 题 一 一 解 答 。
摄 影 | 温 忠 浩
走 向 , 不 看 好 黄 金 在 未 来 的 价 值 。
出 席 论 坛 会 的 南 大 学 生 在 受 访 时 都 纷
纷 表 示 获 益 不 浅 。 其 中 , 经 济 学 一 年 级
生 连 慧 婷 (19 岁 ) 说 :“ 我 觉 得 这 个 论
坛 会 里 的 分 析 对 我 就 读 的 科 系 相 关 , 让
我 更 了 解 预 算 案 的 细 节 。”
在 论 坛 会 结 束 之 前 , 周 孙 铭 博 士 在
权 衡 预 算 案 的 措 施 时 , 风 趣 地 说 :“no
money, no honey, no energy, no babies.
( 没 有 金 钱 , 就 没 有 “ 蜜 糖 ”, 也 就 没
有 精 力 , 所 以 我 国 的 生 育 率 还 在 处 于 低
潮 期 。)”

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
生 活
过 山 车 和 反 向 蹦 极 挑 战 自 我 极 限
31
三 月 的 假 期 即 将 来 临 , 岛 上 有
什 么 刺 激 好 玩 的 娱 乐 场 所 这
一 期 的 《 南 苑 》 生 活 , 就 从 记
者 卓 诗 婷 和 林 佳 颖 的 网 上 对
话 , 比 较 三 种 截 然 不 同 的 冒 险
经 验 !
喂 喂 喂 , 你 的 魂 回 来 了 没
还 没 , 还 在 九 霄 云 外 呢 。
不 会 吧 ! 不 就 只 是 反 向 蹦
极 和 过 山 车 罢 了 。
哇 , 这 两 天 可 是 我 生 平 最 惊 险 的 时 刻 ! 位 于 克 拉 码 头 的
Gmax、G5 Extreme Swing 和 新 加 坡 环 球 影 城 的 “ 太 空 堡 垒 ”
(Battlestar Galactica) 可 不 是 盖 的 好 不 好 !
我 还 想 回 去 再 多 玩 几 次 呢 ! 我 建 议 想 要 尝 试 极 限 新 事 物 的 朋 友 们
试 试 。 若 是 你 , 你 会 选 择 再 回 去 玩 哪 个
若 一 定 要 做 个 比 较 的 话 , 我 认 为 环 球 影 城 的 太 空 堡 垒 略 胜 一 筹
啦 。 太 空 堡 垒 能 期 待 接 下 来 的 航 程 , 但 反 向 蹦 极 却 无 法 预 料 。 初
级 者 的 我 还 是 比 较 适 合 过 山 车 吧 。
我 还 真 的 和 你 恰 恰 相 反 耶 ! 若 硬 要 我 选 一 个 再 乘 搭 , 我 一 定 选 Gmax
和 G5。 我 就 喜 欢 这 种 瞬 间 失 去 自 我 , 刺 激 万 分 的 舒 畅 感 !
坐 上 GSwing 即 有 赛 车 时 速 般 的 刺 激 ,
又 能 欣 赏 优 美 的 风 景 , 超 乎 票 价 所 值 。
看 来 我 们 的 志 趣 很 不 同 。 当 在 Gmax 和 Gswing 坐 着 等 待 工 作 人 员
倒 数 时 , 真 觉 得 时 间 过 得 特 别 慢 ! 脑 海 里 一 直 浮 现 各 种 忧 虑 。 工 作
人 员 在 我 们 毫 不 防 备 的 时 刻 把 我 们 抛 了 上 去 , 还 真 是 意 想 不 到 啊 !
这 就 叫 快 感 !Gmax 和 G5Extreme Swing, 给 我 的 是 那 种 一 瞬 间 的
刺 激 。 在 绳 索 弹 上 去 的 那 一 刻 , 我 简 直 是 感 受 到 无 与 伦 比 快 感 ,
仿 佛 整 个 人 飞 起 来 似 的 !
才 怪 ! 我 可 是 吓 得 半 条 命 。 其 中 一 段 航 程 中 还 出 现 了 人 工 雾 , 突
然 模 糊 了 我 的 视 线 . 我 还 以 为 自 己 快 撞 到 了 地 面 , 还 好 那 只 是 自 己
的 幻 觉 ! 好 险 啊 !
还 有 ,Human 的 极 速 前 进 和 Cylon 一 连 串 360 度 迅 速 的 转 弯 简 直
是 刺 激 无 比 。 在 短 短 90 秒 内 经 历 五 公 尺 深 处 急 速 往 下 冲 , 真 是
让 我 连 换 口 气 呼 吸 的 时 间 都 没 有 !
还 有 , 在 Gmax 和 Gswing 除 了 能 欣 赏 到 克 拉 码 头 的 美 景 , 也 能 让
我 看 到 新 加 坡 河 与 一 座 座 高 楼 大 厦 。
对 我 来 说 绝 对 值 ! 你 告 诉 我 , 在 哪 里 能 让 我 感 受 到 赛 车 时 速 般 的
刺 激 同 时 欣 赏 优 美 的 风 景 呢 这 真 不 能 用 金 钱 衡 量 的 。 不 过 不 知
是 谁 被 照 相 机 拍 到 整 脸 惊 慌 失 措 !
克 拉 码 头 Gmax+G5
ExtremeSwing
惊 险 刺 激 程 度 :
共 50 元 ; 各 45 元
环 球 影 城 :
太 空 堡 垒 (Battlestar
Galactica)
惊 险 刺 激 程 度 :
卓 诗 婷 ( 左 一 ) 和 林 佳 颖 率 先
尝 试 太 空 堡 垒 , 航 程 的 刺 激 指 数 破 表 。
摄 影 | 林 佐 伊
糟 了 , 如 果 上 载 到 注 册 Facebook, 我 的 形 象 不 是 完 全 没 了 !
你 几 时 有 形 象 啊 !
喂 !
72 元 ( 入 门 票 )

30
编 辑 室
张 健 俊
中 文 编 辑
言 论
区 划 分 报 告 出 炉
选 后 , 大 选 的 脚 步 逐
渐 逼 近 。 这 届 的 大 选 与 往
届 不 同 的 是 , 政 党 可 采 用
网 上 工 具 在 虚 拟 世 界 和 居
民 建 立 联 系 , 争 取 选 票 。
这 个 网 络 现 象 是 年 轻
一 代 的 共 同 经 历 , 因 此 必
定 会 对 我 国 政 治 发 展 产 生
影 响 。
对 此 , 李 显 龙 总 理 曾
说 过 :“ 政 府 将 在 来 届 大
选 , 积 极 使 用 新 媒 体 !”
根 据 最 新 的 选 民 人 数
资 料 , 每 三 个 选 民 中 ,
就 有 一 个 年 龄 介 于 20 至 39
岁 之 间 , 其 中 10 多 万 人 是
首 次 行 使 投 票 权 。
新 一 代 选 民 较 不 为 所 动
值 得 关 注 的 是 , 专 家
认 为 这 两 群 人 士 一 般 上 较
网 络 - 政 党 必 争 之 地
使 南 大 成 为 “ 绿 色 ” 城 市
梁 洁 欣
最 新 出 炉 的 “ 亚 洲 绿 色 城
在 市 指 数 ” 中 , 新 加 坡 是 22
个 亚 洲 城 市 当 中 最 “ 绿 ” 的 城
市 。 但 是 , 都 市 人 对 “ 绿 化 ” 环
境 的 意 识 却 有 待 加 深 。
据 报 道 , 新 加 坡 能 脱 颖 而 出
的 两 个 决 定 性 原 因 , 是 政 府 积 极
推 动 诸 多 相 关 政 策 , 以 及 提 出 关
于 水 资 源 、 垃 圾 与 能 源 效 率 等 方
面 的 管 理 方 案 。 不 过 , 人 们 是 否
懂 得 响 应 措 施 , 并 积 极 地 为 保 护
环 境 做 出 贡 献 , 也 是 关 键 问 题 。
迈 向 成 为 “ 环 保 战 士 ” 的 目 标
针 对 保 护 环 境 , 笔 者 认 为 多
数 都 是 被 动 的 参 与 者 。 但 是 , 若
有 措 施 和 足 够 的 适 应 时 间 , 人 们
也 能 主 动 地 为 “ 绿 化 ” 环 境 尽 一
份 力 。
例 如 , 南 大 在 设 置 分 类 垃 圾
桶 时 , 人 们 最 初 还 不 习 惯 , 常 误
把 垃 圾 或 可 循 环 物 丢 进 垃 圾 桶 。
现 今 , 人 们 已 能 正 确 使 用 分 类
插 图 | 吴 威 俊
感 情 用 事 。 新 加 坡 管 理 大
学 法 律 系 助 理 教 授 陈 庆 文
表 示 , 他 们 也 较 不 容 易 被
执 政 党 的 长 期 良 好 纪 录 所
打 动 。
“ 这 类 表 达 即 兴
的 社 交 媒 体 其 实
是 一 把 双 刃 剑 ,
使 用 不 当 就 会 自
食 其 果 。”
另 外 , 下 届 大 选 投 票
日 前 一 天 被 定 为 “ 冷 静
日 ”, 各 党 不 允 许 进 行 任
何 竞 选 工 作 。
陈 庆 文 也 指 出 现 在 网
络 发 达 , 即 使 政 党 不 能
在 “ 冷 静 日 ” 竞 选 或 在 各
别 网 站 发 布 消 息 , 其 他 网
站 对 选 举 的 讨 论 也 不 会 就
垃 圾 桶 。 另 外 , 校 内 的 许 多 食
堂 都 规 定 食 客 将 餐 具 拿 到 集 收
站 。 这 个 举 动 其 实 已 是 具 环 境
意 识 的 表 现 。
但 是 , 目 前 在 南 大 校 园 里 ,
关 于 保 护 环 境 的 措 施 还 不 够 。
如 在 打 包 食 物 时 , 只 有 少 数
的 人 会 自 带 可 循 环 的 容 器 。 在
人 人 都 求 方 便 的 情 况 下 , 多 数
的 摊 主 都 免 费 提 供 发 泡 塑 料 饭
盒 (styrofoam box), 间 接 助
养 恶 习 。
学 校 能 推 广 “ 自 带 可 循 环 容
器 ” 的 运 动 , 以 减 少 使 用 难 以
降 解 (non-biodegradable) 的
发 泡 塑 料 饭 盒 。
此 外 , 摊 主 应 改 用 较 环 保 的
饭 盒 。 如 在 国 大 校 园 内 , 已 有
宿 舍 的 食 堂 停 止 使 用 发 泡 塑 料
饭 盒 , 而 改 用 能 降 解 的 纸 盒 。
环 保 志 在 参 与 而 非 强 制
此 停 止 。
社 交 媒 体 是 把 双 刃 刀
若 要 使 人 们 成 为 积 极 的 参 与
者 , 就 必 须 加 强 他 们 对 环 境 的
意 识 。 这 或 许 仍 靠 官 方 强 制 的
措 施 , 使 人 们 改 变 目 前 不 环 保
的 坏 习 惯 。
同 时 , 人 们 也 应 被 灌 输 相 关
的 知 识 , 以 使 他 们 更 主 动 地 参
与 环 保 。
其 实 , 人 们 之 所 以 是 被 动 的
参 与 者 , 主 要 是 因 为 拯 救 地 球
的 个 人 使 命 不 够 强 烈 , 导 致 人
们 无 法 在 潜 意 识 中 产 生 保 护 环
境 的 意 愿 。
因 此 , 只 要 人 们 经 过 一 段 适
应 期 , 相 信 被 动 者 也 能 渐 渐 晋 升
至 积 极 的 参 与 者 。
可 是 , 这 类 表 达 即 兴
的 社 交 媒 体 其 实 是 一 把 双
刃 剑 , 使 用 不 当 就 会 自
食 其 果 。 上 个 月 , 大 约
400 人 收 到 由 保 健 促 进 局
所 发 出 的 ‘ 另 类 ’ 推 特
(Twitter) 讯 息 。 讯 息 里 显
示 :“F 你 啦 , 你 和 我 同
级 , 可 以 不 要 这 样 和 我 说
话 吗 ”
当 局 调 查 显 示 , 这 是
一 名 职 员 摆 乌 龙 , 在 没 有
退 出 保 健 促 进 局 的 账 户 ,
就 上 传 自 己 的 私 人 讯 息 。
这 相 信 是 第 一 起 在 政 府 部
门 网 上 出 现 的 粗 话 事 件 。
近 年 来 , 政 府 部 门 越
来 越 普 遍 使 用 网 上 工 具 。
在 去 年 九 月 的 调 查 显 示 ,
张 亦 弛
本 地 的 每 10 名 议 员 中 , 就
有 六 名 设 有 Facebook 社 交
网 站 。
另 一 方 面 , 八 大 反 对
党 也 不 甘 示 弱 , 积 极 利 用
社 交 网 站 , 提 供 政 党 走 访
选 区 的 消 息 , 发 表 言 论 以
及 提 高 其 知 名 度 。
截 稿 前 , 笔 者 浏 览 反
对 党 的 Facebook, 竟 然 发
现 由 秘 书 长 徐 顺 全 率 领 的
新 加 坡 民 主 党 已 经 有 超 过
3000 个 “ 赞 ”(likes)。
李 显 龙 总 理 也 曾 举 例
说 , 美 国 总 统 奥 巴 马 的 竞
选 团 队 透 过 互 联 网 拉 票 和
发 放 竞 选 信 息 , 几 乎 把 选
举 带 上 虚 拟 世 界 。
可 见 , 各 个 政 党 正 摩
拳 擦 掌 , 势 必 想 通 过 网 上
的 平 台 来 掳 获 人 心 , 而 成
败 的 关 键 可 能 就 取 决 于 各
自 的 政 纲 和 宣 传 手 法 。
立
业
与
成
家
两
者
相
辅
相
成
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
08
酒 廊 和 戏 院 进 南
大 喜 忧 参 半
付 筱 淳
底 应 该 先 成 家 后 立 业 , 还 是 先 立 业 后 成
到 家 , 相 信 是 很 多 刚 刚 走 出 校 园 步 入 社 会 的
年 轻 人 心 中 的 疑 虑 。
去 年 的 新 加 坡 人 口 普 查 结 果 显 示 , 同 10 年 前
相 比 , 尽 管 处 于 35 至 44 岁 单 身 女 性 有 下 降 的 趋
势 , 但 是 介 于 25 至 29 岁 间 的 单 身 女 性 的 比 例 却 上
升 约 20%。
国 大 得 社 会 学 家 Paulin Straughan 指 出 :“ 这
些 女 性 其 实 并 不 是 抗 拒 婚 姻 , 只 是 单 纯 地 延 迟 了
这 一 计 划 , 这 一 现 象 在 受 过 高 等 教 育 的 女 性 中 更
为 普 遍 。”
笔 者 认 为 有 几 个 因 素 使 得 越 来 越 多 的 高 学 历
人 群 选 择 先 成 家 后 立 业 , 晚 婚 晚 育 。
许 多 年 轻 人 向 往 美 好 的 生 活 , 而 且 希 望 自 食
其 力 经 营 家 庭 。 在 物 价 上 涨 的 同 时 , 理 应 打 好 坚
定 的 经 济 基 础 , 所 以 都 没 有 时 间 和 精 力 把 结 婚 生
育 纳 入 计 划 中 。
然 而 , 先 成 家 后 立 业 也 存 在 好 处 。 首 先 , 受
传 统 观 念 影 响 , 早 些 成 家 , 不 让 父 母 为 自 己 操
心 , 也 是 一 种 孝 顺 的 表 现 。 另 外 , 迟 婚 和 人 口 老
龄 化 加 速 有 直 接 的 关 系 , 也 会 对 经 济 造 成 不 利 的
影 响 。
其 实 , 两 者 是 相 辅 相 成 的 。 一 方 面 , 有 了 家
人 的 支 持 , 可 以 更 安 心 地 投 入 工 作 ; 另 一 方 面 ,
靠 自 己 的 奋 斗 去 开 创 事 业 , 可 以 为 家 庭 创 造 美 好
的 将 来 。
大 在 上 个 月 公
南 布 了 最 新 的 校
园 发 展 蓝 图 , 致 力 打
造 校 园 中 的 小 城 市 。
发 展 计 划 的 第 一 阶
段 将 在 2018 年 竣 工 ,
到 时 酒 廊 和 戏 院 也 会
和 大 家 见 面 。
然 而 , 笔 者 认 为 ,
酒 廊 和 戏 院 虽 能 促 进
学 生 交 流 , 但 与 本 地
教 育 机 构 的 形 象 似 乎
有 些 不 搭 。
打 破 传 统 促 进 交 流
对 于 多 数 学 生 来
说 , 在 学 校 里 开 设 酒
廊 和 戏 院 算 是 个 很 酷
的 想 法 。 和 朋 友 在 课
余 时 间 去 酒 廊 轻 松 一
插 图 | 吴 威 俊
下 , 缓 解 各 方 面 的 压 力 ,
何 尝 不 是 一 种 享 受 。
南 大 也 处 于 离 市 中 心
相 对 偏 远 的 文 礼 , 若 在 校
内 有 了 酒 廊 和 戏 院 , 学 生
们 就 不 用 花 多 余 时 间 去 校
外 寻 找 娱 乐 节 目 。
在 学 校 修 建 娱 乐 设 施
不 仅 能 丰 富 本 校 学 生 的 业
余 生 活 , 促 进 学 生 之 间 的
交 流 , 而 且 能 吸 引 到 更 多
本 区 域 内 的 , 甚 至 欧 美 国
家 的 留 学 生 或 交 换 学 生 来
本 校 学 习 。
这 样 一 来 , 不 同 国 籍
的 学 生 会 对 彼 此 的 文 化 习
俗 有 更 深 一 层 的 了 解 。
设 施 管 理 还 有 待 商 讨
酒 廊 和 戏 院 为 学 生 业
余 生 活 带 来 许 多 自 由 和 方
便 , 与 此 同 时 , 它 们 也 为
校 方 的 管 理 方 案 带 来 很 大
的 考 验 。
很 多 安 全 隐 患 可 能 随
之 而 来 , 几 个 例 子 就 包 括
醉 酒 闹 事 , 打 架 斗 殴 等
等 。 校 方 必 须 要 采 取 一 定
的 预 防 的 措 施 , 避 免 此 类
乐 极 生 悲 的 事 件 在 校 园 里
发 生 。
适 当 的 管 理 娱 乐 设
施 , 才 不 会 影 响 到 学 生 的
正 常 生 活 和 学 习 。
首 先 , 对 学 生 的 教 育
是 必 不 可 缺 的 。 学 生 们 应
学 会 怎 样 合 理 分 配 自 己 的
时 间 , 有 松 有 弛 才 不 会 失
去 平 衡 。
其 次 , 对 于 经 营 业 者
的 管 制 也 是 至 关 重 要 的 。
比 如 , 业 者 卖 酒 精 的 条
规 , 和 学 生 们 购 买 酒 精 的
准 则 。
顶 尖 大 学 须 硬 体 与 人 才
笔 者 觉 得 , 校 园 内 有
娱 乐 设 施 固 然 不 错 , 但 并
没 必 要 。 如 果 学 校 的 目 的
是 为 了 吸 引 更 多 应 届 毕 业
生 , 那 么 还 需 考 虑 这 些 设
施 对 他 们 的 吸 引 力 。
安 博 迪 教 授 说 , 要 打
造 一 所 伟 大 的 大 学 , 就 是
通 过 它 的 硬 体 设 施 以 及 大
学 的 人 才 。
但 是 , 本 校 作 为 本 区
域 内 的 高 等 学 府 , 其 实 并
不 需 要 用 这 些 新 潮 的 设 施
来 吸 引 学 者 。
即 使 没 有 硬 体 设 施 ,
互 动 依 然 会 在 校 园 的 各 个
角 落 进 行 。 而 且 , 比 起 娱
乐 设 施 , 学 者 们 会 比 较 注
重 教 育 质 量 。

32
娱 乐
本 地 天 王 演 唱 会 宣 传 活 动
林 俊 杰 勇 敢 面 对 内 心 脆 弱
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
08
林 坪
● 报 道
经 历 歌 唱 生 涯 的 低 潮
曾 后 , 林 俊 杰 表 示 他 已 找
回 重 新 振 作 的 力 量 , 希 望 大 家
看 到 他 成 熟 的 蜕 变 。
在 2008 年 他 因 压 力 大 , 导 致
胃 食 道 逆 流 而 伤 到 喉 咙 , 影 响
北 京 演 唱 会 的 表 现 。
这 次 是 林 俊 杰 第 三 次 在 本 地
举 行 巡 回 演 唱 会 , 也 亲 自 参 与
了 制 作 过 程 , 想 表 达 自 己 的 内
心 和 音 乐 世 界 。
他 说 :“ 这 次 的 演 唱 会 将 让
新 加 坡 歌 迷 感 受 到 不 一 样 的 表
演 , 有 一 种 不 同 的 温 暖 。”
林 俊 杰 还 表 示 , 在 自 家 舞 台
表 演 的 自 在 感 , 是 其 他 地 方 所
没 有 的 。 在 新 加 坡 这 一 站 , 他
也 会 增 设 一 项 前 所 未 有 的 表 演
林 俊 杰 觉 得 , 每 一 种 台 上 和 台 下
的 合 作 要 靠 这 种 有 点 神 秘 、 又 有
点 小 小 距 离 的 空 间 , 才 能 够 碰 撞
出 新 的 火 花 。 摄 影 | 颜 家 骏
环 节 , 将 首 次 在 舞 台 上 半 空 吊
钢 丝 。
被 问 到 演 唱 会 的 造 型 是
否 会 与 海 报 一 样 时 , 他 逗 趣
地 说 : “ 那 已 是 去 年 的 事 情
了 。 ” 但 是 , 他 最 近 正 在 勤
练 , 相 信 会 让 歌 迷 看 到 海 报 上
的 六 块 肌 。
他 想 通 过 演 唱 会 主 题 曲 “I
Am” 让 大 家 体 悟 到 :“ 我 脆
弱 , 所 以 我 坚 强 。”
“ 一 个 人 脆 弱 时 ,
才 能 体 验 坚 强 的 差
别 ; 当 你 坚 强 地 回
来 了 , 你 要 怎 么 去
让 身 边 的 人 感 受 转
变 , 看 你 长 大 。”
林 俊 杰
本 地 歌 手
每 一 次 的 演 唱 会 , 林 俊 杰
总 会 想 起 从 刚 出 道 到 现 在 的 成
长 。 他 想 起 带 领 他 入 行 、 在 演
艺 道 路 上 不 断 鼓 励 他 和 看 着 他
成 长 的 恩 师 许 环 良 。
在 “JJ Party 5” 专 辑 庆 功 宴
上 , 没 有 前 四 届 的 绚 丽 表 演 ,
却 以 他 的 角 度 聊 音 乐 与 人 生 。
对 于 自 己 心 态 上 的 转 变 与 成
长 , 将 于 月 底 庆 祝 30 岁 生 日 的
林 俊 杰 有 感 而 发 地 说 :“ 一 个
人 脆 弱 时 , 才 能 体 验 坚 强 的 差
别 ; 当 你 坚 强 地 回 来 了 , 你 要
怎 么 去 让 身 边 的 人 感 受 转 变 ,
看 你 长 大 。”
谈 到 之 前 的 内 地 演 唱 会 时 ,
他 坦 言 , 一 开 始 其 实 会 担 心 体
力 会 负 荷 不 了 。 虽 然 这 是 他 第
以 前 的 林 俊 杰 在 台 上 总 是 蹦 蹦 跳 跳 , 现 在 他 已 能 更 诚 恳 面 对 自 己 ,
把 内 心 感 触 透 过 表 演 分 享 给 大 家 。 照 片 |Unusual Productions 提 供
一 次 尝 试 三 个 月 内 举 行 八 场 演
出 , 但 是 他 非 常 享 受 整 个 辛 苦
的 过 程 。
演 唱 会 的 幕 后 团 队 开 会 时 意
见 分 歧 , 但 林 俊 杰 认 为 这 是 好
事 , 因 为 大 家 有 自 己 的 想 法 ,
表 示 大 家 都 在 用 心 。
卖 力 于 慈 善 给 小 朋 友 希 望
除 了 忙 着 筹 备 演 唱 会 之 外 ,
林 俊 杰 在 这 几 年 也 不 遗 余 力 地
做 慈 善 。 他 相 信 , 艺 人 有 着 巨
大 的 影 响 力 , 能 呼 吁 大 家 一 起
帮 助 他 人 。
于 是 , 今 年 他 将 与 之 前
合 作 过 的 化 妆 护 肤 品 零 售 商
Kiehl’s, 在 下 个 月 再 度 合 作 , 把
筹 得 款 项 捐 给 新 加 坡 智 障 人 士
福 利 促 进 金 (MINDS)。 他
在 庆 功 宴 上 也 特 地 请 来 了 几 位
MINDS 的 朋 友 带 来 太 鼓 表 演 。
主 持 人 巫 许 玛 利 发 现 林 俊 杰
热 衷 于 帮 助 小 朋 友 , 他 解 释 ,
小 时 候 的 他 缺 乏 自 信 , 但 找 到
音 乐 和 梦 想 之 后 , 却 有 强 大 的
力 量 。
他 说 :“ 在 人 生 找 到 一 个 目
标 跟 一 个 重 心 是 一 件 太 重 要 的
事 情 。 今 天 能 够 有 梦 想 能 够 有
成 就 , 一 定 要 从 小 培 养 。” 所
以 , 他 想 帮 助 这 些 小 朋 友 , 给
他 们 一 些 希 望 , 让 他 们 找 到 人
生 中 的 重 心 。
2009 年 四 川 大 地 震 发 生 后 ,
他 探 望 了 患 有 下 半 身 粉 碎 性 骨
折 而 瘫 痪 的 女 生 , 王 敏 。 当 时
他 以 一 首 《 期 待 爱 》, 鼓 励 王
敏 勇 敢 地 面 对 生 命 。
当 林 俊 杰 在 宣 传 《100 天 》
专 辑 时 , 她 到 现 场 , 并 用 自 己
的 力 量 从 楼 梯 走 下 来 , 对 他
说 :“ 去 年 , 你 来 医 院 为 我 加
油 , 今 年 , 现 在 我 来 这 里 为 你
加 油 。”
对 林 俊 杰 而 言 , 看 到 不 幸 的
小 孩 脸 上 展 现 灿 烂 的 笑 容 , 会
让 他 更 想 要 伸 出 援 手 。
JJ 林 俊 杰 I AM 世 界
巡 回 演 唱 会
日 期 :3 月 5 日
地 点 : 新 加 坡 室 内
体 育 馆
票 价 :$78-128
新 剧 本 演 读 会 训 练 新 生 代 编 剧
雷 慧 媛 蔡 韵 ● 报 道
地 戏 剧 团 体 一 直 都
本 在 闹 剧 本 荒 , 为 培
养 华 语 剧 场 编 剧 人 才 , 戏
剧 盒 举 办 演 读 会 , 让 剧 场
爱 好 者 向 知 名 编 剧 学 习 。
演 员 以 演 读 的 方 式 ,
在 连 续 两 天 的 “ 新 剧 本 演
读 会 ” 呈 现 八 个 不 同 的 原
创 剧 本 。
编 剧 导 师 是 四 位 经 验
丰 富 的 本 地 编 剧 : 南 大 中
文 系 副 教 授 柯 思 仁 、 张 子
健 、 黄 浩 威 和 李 世 炬 。
柯 思 仁 说 :“ 在 指 导
时 , 我 都 会 把 作 者 比 较 特
第 一 天 演 读 会 的 导 演 杨 君
伟 想 让 观 众 看 到 剧 本 从 文
字 的 转 变 , 和 编 剧 的 意 图
和 技 巧 。 摄 影 | 温 忠 浩
殊 的 人 生 故 事 挖 出 来 , 并
为 剧 本 提 出 建 议 。”
然 而 本 地 著 名 戏 剧 人
张 子 健 则 对 编 剧 新 人 提 出
不 同 的 建 议 :“ 接 受 意 见
固 然 重 要 , 但 别 一 味 去 迎
合 观 众 口 味 。 懂 得 坚 持 内
心 想 法 , 才 能 创 作 出 别 具
魅 力 的 剧 目 。”
第 一 天 演 读 会 的 导
演 , 是 本 地 的 知 名 媒 体 人
杨 君 伟 。
这 名 义 安 理 工 学 院 中
文 系 讲 师 说 :“ 演 读 会 让
观 众 看 到 的 纯 粹 是 编 剧 想
要 传 达 的 意 图 及 技 巧 。”
他 当 天 导 了 四 部 剧
本 , 表 示 最 喜 欢 的 剧 本 是
《 玉 镯 》, 讲 述 一 家 三
代 因 祖 母 的 一 对 玉 镯 而
引 发 了 不 满 。
首 次 于 乌 敏 岛 举 办
六 天 的 全 封 闭 式 剧 本 催
生 营 , 更 请 来 台 湾 的 名
编 剧 纪 蔚 然 作 为 导 师 。
其 中 一 名 营 员 张 英
豪 就 把 处 于 人 生 分 岔 路
写 进 剧 本 , 演 绎 出 了 一
场 个 体 对 抗 体 制 的 精 彩
对 话 。
戏 剧 盒 将 会 听 从 观
众 的 意 见 , 并 选 出 二 到
三 部 剧 本 加 以 修 改 , 在
今 年 底 的 “ 新 剧 季 ” 中
把 剧 本 搬 上 舞 台 , 公 开
演 出 。
影 评 电 影 播 映 室
电 影 :“My Ex:
Haunted Lover”
导 演 :Piyapan Choopetch
主 要 演 员 :Ratchawin
Wongviriya,Marion
Affolter
照 片 | 邵 氏 机 构 提 供 , , , , ,
一 泰 国 经 典 恐 怖 片 ,“My Ex: Haunted
又 Lover” 继 上 一 部 “My Ex” 的 热 烈 反 应 推
出 , 导 演 依 旧 选 择 以 三 角 恋 爱 关 系 为 故 事 中 心 。
女 主 角 Cee 因 不 甘 被 另 一 女 主 角 Ying 横 刀 夺
爱 , 而 使 用 残 暴 手 段 处 理 感 情 , 导 致 Ying 堕 楼 身
亡 , 从 此 怪 事 连 接 发 生 。
电 影 赞 助 商 Karn、Cee 和 姐 姐 在 拍 戏 时 , 三 人
陷 入 三 角 恋 , 让 嫉 妒 心 强 的 Cee 重 蹈 覆 辙 。 其 中
最 可 怕 是 Ying 坠 楼 跌 入 泳 池 的 恐 怖 画 面 必 能 满 足
恐 怖 片 爱 好 者 的 欲 望 。 ( 文 / 卓 诗 婷 )

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
33
蔡 健 雅 媒 体 见 面 会
创 作 才 女 将 在 家 乡 首 唱 大 展 舞 艺
张 扬 ● 报 道
城 创 作 才 女 蔡 健 雅 将 准 备 在 首 次
狮 于 家 乡 举 办 的 演 唱 会 突 破 尺 度 大
秀 舞 技 。
创 作 歌 手 的 包 袱 , 让 蔡 健 雅 甚 少 尝 试
舞 蹈 , 这 次 她 期 待 能 够 以 此 让 歌 迷 眼 前
一 亮 。
在 2005 年 人 生 的 低 谷 期 , 她 去 往 印 度
并 接 触 了 瑜 伽 。 旅 行 令 她 对 人 生 有 了 全
新 的 体 悟 。 这 也 是 她 把 自 己 的 演 唱 会 命
名 为 “Tanya and the Cities” 的 原 因 。
“ 不 同 的 城 市 给 了 我 不 同 的 灵 感 。 这
次 的 演 唱 会 就 是 以 城 市 划 分 章 节 , 搭 配
相 应 的 歌 曲 。” 而 其 中 的 一 个 章 节 就 以
家 乡 新 加 坡 命 名 。
出 道 14 年 , 两 度 问 鼎 台 湾 金 曲 奖 最 佳
女 演 唱 人 , 亮 眼 的 成 绩 单 下 , 蔡 健 雅 却
一 直 没 有 机 会 在 新 加 坡 开 个 人 演 唱 会 。
她 说 自 己 个 性 低 调 , 不 爱 绚 丽 的 舞 台 ,
更 愿 意 享 受 一 个 温 馨 的 小 角 落 。
今 年 她 却 觉 得 人 生 到 了 一 个 新 的 阶
段 , 于 是 决 定 以 演 唱 会 的 方 式 回 馈 本 地
歌 迷 。
至 于 她 演 唱 会 的 嘉 宾 和 服 装 , 她 表 示
保 密 , 并 希 望 歌 迷 能 够 亲 身 前 来 演 唱 会
揭 开 谜 底 。
恋 爱 对 象 要 能 够 “ 融 化 ” 自 己
在 问 到 她 挑 选 壮 男 舞 伴 时 , 她 害 羞 地
表 示 选 择 舞 伴 的 条 件 并 不 会 和 选 择 结 婚
对 象 相 同 。
在 台 湾 闯 荡 多 年 的 蔡 健 雅 原 本 担 心 本 地 观 众 会 对 她 有 些
陌 生 , 因 此 希 望 歌 迷 能 多 来 支 持 。 摄 影 | 王 辰 宇
过 年 的 时 候 被 妈 妈 “ 逼 婚 ”, 也 让 她 感 受 到 了 恋 爱
的 压 力 。 谈 到 择 偶 标 准 , 蔡 健 雅 说 :“ 哪 怕 自 己 列 出
了 无 数 的 条 件 , 默 契 和 感 觉 才 最 为 重 要 。”
她 说 自 己 还 未 遇 到 合 适 的 结 婚 对 象 , 并 把 这 归 咎 为
自 己 独 立 坚 强 的 性 格 。 她 解 释 :“ 灯 泡 坏 了 自 己 也 可
以 修 理 , 我 很 难 被 融 化 。”
蔡 健 雅 Tanya & Cities 新 加 坡 演 唱 会
日 期 :4 月 9 日
地 点 : 新 加 坡 室 内 体 育 馆
票 价 :$88 - 158
轻
松
玩
萧
乐 评 音 乐 Jukebox
专 辑 : “Stranger under
my skin”
歌 手 : 陈 奕 迅
推 荐 歌 曲 :《 苦 瓜 》
《 关 于 爱 情 》
去
, , , , ,
年 在 狮 城 成 功 开 唱 的
陈 奕 迅 , 近 期 推 出 了
全 新 广 东 EP“Stranger under
my skin”。 作 为 上 张
EP“Taste the Atmosphere”
的 延 伸 , 这 张 EP 着 重 审 视 生
活 与 人 生 的 价 值 。
新 作 品 收 录 了 五 首 粤 语 歌
和 一 首 英 语 歌 , 以 及 Bonus CD 中 的 三 首 华 语 作 品 。 其 中 主 打 歌
《 苦 瓜 》 更 是 一 曲 道 出 了 他 成 长 背 后 的 心 灵 故 事 , 发 人 深 省 。
与 主 打 歌 一 样 , 整 张 专 辑 曲 风 偏 黑 暗 沉 重 。 第 一 首
歌 “Stranger Under My Skin” 中 古 典 与 流 行 的 交 织 荡 气 回 肠 。
而 “My Private Christmas Song”Eason 又 大 玩 爵 士 情 调 , 引 发
对 爱 情 况 味 的 百 感 交 集 。
作 为 亮 点 之 一 ,Bonus CD 中 收 录 了 Eason 与 天 后 王 菲 首 度 合
唱 的 歌 曲 《 关 于 爱 情 》。 王 与 后 的 对 歌 余 音 绕 梁 , 让 人 听 罢 直
呼 过 瘾 。 ( 文 / 张 扬 )
专 辑 : 《 孤 独 的 和 弦 》
歌 手 : 萧 煌 奇
推 荐 歌 曲 :《 末 班 车 》
《 旅 途 愉 快 》
, , , , ,
煌 奇 在 他 的 第 四 张 国
语 专 辑 中 以 敏 锐 的 心
思 诠 释 歌 曲 , 充 满 对 爱 情 的
真 挚 情 感 和 透 露 出 他 对 它 的
向 往 。
主 打 歌 《 末 班 车 》 描 述 一
段 恋 情 随 着 最 后 一 趟 的 末 班 车 走 到 尽 头 。 这 最 后 一 刻 的 离 别 显
得 更 悲 伤 。
其 他 歌 曲 也 表 现 了 他 对 爱 情 的 不 同 情 感 。 比 如 , 在 《 嗨 早
安 , 用 早 餐 》, 萧 煌 奇 以 轻 快 朗 诵 般 的 唱 法 , 唱 出 为 亲 爱 的 人
准 备 丰 盛 早 餐 的 幸 福 , 充 满 愉 悦 感 。 这 首 歌 也 营 造 了 一 幅 清 新
的 早 晨 图 景 。
《 旅 途 愉 快 》 却 表 达 对 无 法 成 眷 属 的 心 上 人 的 祝 福 。 这 首 歌
中 的 复 杂 感 情 , 以 淡 淡 伤 感 的 曲 调 呈 现 , 从 中 又 能 感 受 到 看 见
心 爱 的 人 愉 快 时 的 一 丝 丝 幸 福 。
唯 一 的 缺 憾 就 是 , 专 辑 中 没 有 高 技 巧 的 唱 腔 , 也 没 有 表 现 他
一 贯 的 嘶 吼 式 歌 声 。 ( 文 / 梁 洁 欣 )
轻 松 玩 乐 团 的 主 唱 Summer 坦 白 , 他 们 一 路 走 来 很 幸 运 , 轻 轻 松 松 的 , 但 坚 持 自 己
的 梦 想 。
照 片 | 滨 海 艺 术 中 心 提 供
卢 苏 沛 ● 报 道
北 独 立 音 乐 团 体 轻 松 玩 直 夸 本 地
台 歌 迷 对 他 们 的 歌 词 了 如 指 掌 。
他 们 在 华 艺 音 乐 节 的 压 轴 表 演 上
说 :“ 别 跟 台 湾 朋 友 讲 哦 , 你 们 真 的 很
会 唱 !”
成 立 至 今 已 有 12 年 的 轻 松 玩 当 初 纯 粹
是 一 群 喜 欢 音 乐 又 爱 玩 的 好 朋 友 。
其 中 好 玩 歌 曲 之 一 《 心 情 点 播 》 就 是
一 首 激 励 生 活 的 歌 曲 。 主 唱 Summer 鼓
励 观 众 :“ 如 果 有 梦 , 就 做 下 去 吧 !”
Summer 在 抒 情 歌 曲 《 亲 手 交 给 他 》
分 享 了 自 己 对 爱 情 的 看 法 。 她 说 :“ 只
要 能 爱 、 有 爱 的 能 力 就 够 了 。 这 样 , 社
会 才 会 有 多 一 点 点 真 正 的 爱 。”
演 唱 《 海 角 七 号 》 的 片 尾 曲 《 风 光 明
媚 》 时 。 尝 试 改 歌 词 , 唱 出 :“ 最 好 吃
的 海 南 鸡 饭 , 新 加 坡 风 光 明 媚 , 因 为 有
你 们 陪 。”
鼓 手 阿 昆 为 了 表 示 自 己 不 只 会 打 鼓 ,
吹 起 了 小 喇 叭 , 获 得 观 众 掌 声 连 连 。
分 享 了 他 们 12 年 傻 傻 追 梦 的 故 事 ,
轻 松 玩 对 音 乐 和 生 活 的 热 忱 非 常 让 人 感
动 , 也 给 观 众 留 下 了 深 刻 印 象 。
勇
敢
追
求
梦
想
专 辑 : 《 独 一 无 二 》
歌 手 : 罗 志 祥
推 荐 歌 曲 :《 舞 所 遁 形 》
《 口 头 缠 》
亚
, , , , ,
洲 舞 王 罗 志 祥 继 去 年
推 出 台 湾 销 售 冠 军 《
罗 生 门 》 后 , 今 年 再 接 再 厉
发 行 第 八 张 个 人 专 辑 《 独 一
无 二 》。
专 辑 破 天 荒 将 抒 情 慢 歌 《
拼 什 么 》 作 为 首 波 主 打 , 力
求 证 明 歌 唱 实 力 的 罗 志 祥 以
清 唱 开 场 。
不 过 , 在 抒 情 歌 曲 《 强 出
头 》 和 《 怕 安 静 》 诠 释 情 感
照 片 | 网 络 下 载
的 功 力 仍 有 待 加 强 。
在 擅 长 的 舞 曲 领 域 里 , 罗 志 祥 依 旧 表 现 杰 出 。《 舞 所 遁 形 》
的 画 龙 点 睛 之 处 是 他 一 贯 俏 皮 的 唱 腔 。
《 口 头 缠 》 十 分 阳 光 , 充 满 活 力 。 这 首 歌 的 旋 律 与 歌 词 都 琅
琅 上 口 , 势 必 成 为 新 一 波 的 必 点 K 歌 。
总 之 , 在 这 张 专 辑 里 能 听 到 罗 志 祥 在 唱 功 上 的 进 步 , 是 小 猪
努 力 后 的 不 错 成 果 。 ( 文 / 王 裕 权 )

Opinions
EDITORIAL
chief editor
Agung Santoso Ongko
MANAGING editor
Tan Ru Ping Celine
ART director
Vishaka Mantri
sub-editors
Audrey Lim En-Rui
Hong Yu Qing Amelia
Low Wei Xiang
Sia Ling Xin
Tricia Anna Lim Peiyu
News editors
Cassandra Yeap
Trinh Hoang Ly
Lifestyle editors
Mavis Ang I-Wen
Tan Su Yi Kay
Reviews editor
Sulaiman Daud
dapper editors
Hong Yu Ran
Gladys Ng
Chinese editors
Grace Chew Hui Min
Teo Jion Chun
Pork chop and
Facebook
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
opinionS editors
Ang Xue Ting Eunice
Jayashri d/o Lokarajan
sports editors
Annabelle Liang
Lai Junjie
layout editors
Nicholas Keith Tam
Vanessa Dora Godfrey
photo editors
Goh Chay Teng
Wan Zhong Hao
graphics editor
Goh Wei Choon
Online EditorS
Tran Anh Cuong
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business MANAGerS
Lim Pei Yi Vivian
Ng Wei Ying
production support
Ng Heng Ghee
Teacher advisors
Andrew Duffy
Debbie Goh
Xu Xiaoge
There are few things closer
to Singaporeans’ hearts
than food.
So naturally, when NTU
students are faced with the
prospect of losing one of
their favourite food stalls,
they turn to Facebook to
garner support and try
to ‘Save the Canteen 14
Western Stall’.
The campaign has been
gaining momentum steadily.
More than 1,000 people
have ‘liked’ the cause, and
a lot of them have shared
the message via social networking
platforms.
For many, the campaign
is simply about whether
they can still get that plate
of mixed grill tomorrow.
But the speed at which
the campaign gains support
and the passion with
which people speak for it
underline the special role of
food – and the people who
work to provide it – in our
community.
Food brings us together
because it is a shared necessity,
but also because it
moves our senses regardless
of our differences.
In fact, tasting the
food of other cultures
often serves as a way to
understand them better.
So as we build a more
interactive community at
NTU, let us see food not
just as physical nourishment.
Let us remember
the people who toil to
feed us not just as vendors.
Just as artists and
musicians over the generations
have enriched
our culture, so have the
aunties and uncles who
cook our char kway teow
and nasi briyani, albeit
in a much less glamorous
way.
And we will continue
to need their passion,
energy, and creativity to
liven up our community.
After all, Holland Village
would not have been the
hub of activities that it is
without food.
Now, why don’t you
share with us what you
would love to eat at NTU
E-mail us.
A students’ newspaper published by the
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication
and Information (WKWSCI)
Nanyang Technological University
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view of the editorial board of The Chronicle
and do not necessarily reflect the policies or
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the University.
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cartoons represent the opinion of the writer
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frankly, my dear
A column by the Chronicle Editors on issues close to their heart
Cultivate interactivity now
Kay Tan
l i f e s t y l e edito r
Having read about NTU’s
new masterplan, I find
myse lf wonder i ng
how much the new
buildings and facilities
will foster “interaction between
brains” as mentioned by President
Designate Bertil Andersson.
In 15 years, we will have on
campus “meeting places where the
humanities girl can meet the engineering
boy, where the professor
can meet students”, said Professor
Andersson.
The masterplan will also allow
PhD students who take on interdisciplinary
research from this year
to “stay on the same floor… work
together and when the project
is over, go back to their school
again,” he said.
He hopes that these researchers
will be encouraged to interact
and launch research collaborations
across various disciplines.
But will they really interact
and collaborate
Given my experience, I feel
that mere proximity does not always
yield interactivity.
Having lived in a Housing
Development Board flat for most of
my life, I have noticed parallels between
NTU’s vision for the campus
with the HDB’s racial quota under
its Ethnic Integration Policy.
Under this policy, each of the
four main races has a quota of
homes allocated to them in a block.
This ensures a balanced ethnic
mix in public housing estates and
prevents the formation of racial
enclaves by promoting interracial
interaction.
Often, it is the residents belonging
to the older generation
who have lived in “kampongs”,
who will make the effort to interact
with fellow residents.
This is simply because they are
used to the “kampong spirit”—the
culture of neighbours being a community
of friends.
My grandparents, for example,
confidently claim that they know
every household in their block, and
many others in the neighbourhood.
However, the “kampong” culture
present amongst the residents
of the older generation is lost
among the younger generation.
Though my neighbours and
I live mere metres apart, only a
handful of us truly interact beyond
exchanging polite greetings.
With the EIP not being completely
successful in its aims,
housing the PhD researchers in
the same block might face similar
results.
This vision for the new campus
may not be enough to encourage
interaction, and subsequent collaborations.
The university’s collaborative
culture must be cultivated, not by
building physical structures, but
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
by formally encouraging interdisciplinary
thinking.
This should start at the undergraduate
level and the school
could introduce incentives for
collaboration.
Awarding grants as well as
fast-tracking approval processes
for interdisciplinary projects could
encourage researchers to take
up ideas without hesitation, as
resources will be provided and
administrative hassles eliminated.
The remade campus will definitely
enhance the interactivity
with specially designed meeting
places and accommodation that
provide proximity.
Acting Chief Building &
Infrastructure Officer (Plans) for
NTU, Mr Chan Keng Luck, explained
in a Straits Times Forum
letter, that cross-campus dialogues
“can be facilitated through creating
a formal as well as social
environment that allows such
interactions to happen naturally”.
While the facilities do play a
part in fostering interaction between
students, it is imperative
that we cultivate a culture of interactivity
now, instead of waiting
until the campus is remade.
Aided by the catalytic environment,
interactivity and cooperation
will then happen naturally in
the future.
It is what we make of the
places, not what they are built for,
that can make a true difference.

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
a matter of perspective
OPINIONS 35
Evolutionary e-relationships
Natasha Alvar
Email, Facebooking, IMing,
and tweeting.
These terms did not exist
in our parents’ vocabulary
in the past.
However, today, some parents
are able to bridge the gap in their
knowledge of technology and
keep up with the times.
But for others, their inability
to adapt to these forms of technology
increases the communication
gap between parent and child.
I, however, have a wholly different
story to tell.
Technology has helped improve
my relationship with my
dad.
From the moment I was born,
I was Daddy’s little girl. He would
bring me to the football pitch during
his soccer trainings and cheer
me on as I kicked the ball around.
He was convinced that I would
take after him and become a great
athlete. But I fell in love with
books instead.
A stern and gruff Navy man,
he found it hard to express his affection
to not just me, but my siblings
as well. It was easier for him
to bond with us when we were
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
younger but became more difficult
as we grew older.
My dad did not know how to
respond to me or find the right
words to say. He also never understood
why I cried.
About a year ago, my dad got
a new phone, the HTC Touch. He
was immensely excited about it as
being in the Navy meant he was
required to have a phone without
a camera, and one that was cool
and savvy was hard to come by.
The QWERTY keypad on the
phone made it extremely userfriendly.
My dad was so excited
that he was finding reasons to
SMS. However, he never had
any reason to text me. That all
changed one day.
It was one of those sullen
days. I did not have a good day
at school and was feeling melancholic.
To add to my misery, my
mum insisted that I try on a frilly
floral dress that she had bought
when I got home.
One look at it and I knew it
would show too much as it was
way too big. But since my mom
had made the request, I decided to
humour her and try it on.
When my dad saw me in the
dress, he joked that I looked like a
‘man-whore’.
That remark struck a nerve,
and I lost control of the tears that
I had been holding back all day.
I yelled at him, calling him an
insensitive and horrible person
who only knew how to hurt my
self—esteem.
After my outburst, I refused
to talk to him for the rest of the
day, despite seeing him struggle to
conjure up the right words to say
to make the situation better.
But he did not know how to
say it.
So for the very first time, he
sent me an SMS.
“Hey Baby Girl, I’m sori for
what I said. I just meant that the
dress is not suitable for you. I’m
sori that I hurt you :( Love, Dads.”
He did care after all!
While I did not forgive him
straightaway, it did break the wall
of silence that I had built up between
us.
SMS-ing allowed him to convey
thoughts and feelings that he
was not able to vocalise due to the
gruff man persona he was used to
adopting.
He now SMSes me to ask how
my day went, to check if I “makan
already” and tell me “U r looking
tired. need to rest more okay”
He would also send me little
reminders like “Ok so pls tidy up
com table ya.”
And I would reply with, “I did!
Major room cleaning yesterday :)
Tml gonna tackle my cupboard :)”
Sometimes there were also
random messages like, “Are u
guys watching tv or sleeping”
My favourite part of all these
little back-and-forth messages
between us would be his usual
ending.“Awesome quack quack.
Love U.” (Quack Quack being
his nickname for me because he
claims I walk like a duck)
SMS-ing gave us a way of
showing affection and encouragement
to each other.
It also helped us communicate
and express what we might not
have been able to in a face-to-face
interaction.
Some might read this and
scoff, “It’s just SMS-ing.”
My response to this is a quotation
from The Jane Austen Book
Club by Karen Jay Fowler.
“Never underestimate the
power of a well-written letter,”
she wrote.
It is the same with an SMS. It
is a constant reminder of someone’s
wish to connect with you
and show how important you are
to them.
This is how SMSes helped me
and my dad. It showed me that I
would always be my Daddy’s little
girl.
Terence Lee
I
knew something was wrong
with my relationship when
my girlfriend preferred holding
her iPhone lovingly to
my stubbled chin.
When we first started going
out, we chatted for three hours
daily on MSN Messenger. We also
met almost everyday to study or
shop.
Nowadays, we’ve become too
lazy to even talk on a dedicated
chat software, preferring Gmail’s
chat function as I can type an
email to my lecturer and talk to
my girlfriend at the same time.
We used to give cute little
cards filled with cut-out hearts to
each other as an expression of our
love.
Now, we send animated e-
cards to one another because we’re
lazy.
We now share our Google
Calendars and sync them on our
smartphones to keep tabs on one
another.
Gone are the days of calling
my girlfriend to plan the time and
place for our next date.
Instead, we also share a Google
Doc where we have created a
list of places and restaurants we’d
like to visit.
Most of them are culled from
hungrygowhere.com—a site to
find out about the latest food
joints.
What happens when we want
to go somewhere but find ourselves
lost Google Maps takes
care of that.
We key in our destination and
it takes us there. No more approaching
strangers who might
point us in the wrong direction.
But spontaneity
was lost. We
became a twoperson
tour group
where every date
was a planned
programme.
Honestly, I was happy with
this state of affairs for a while because
maintaining a relationship
had become effortless.
But the spontaneity was lost.
We became a two-person tour
group where every date was a
planned programme.
We’d surrendered all elements
of surprise and given up on the
notion of exploring the urban
jungle like a modern Tarzan and
Jane.
I realised that I wasn’t able to
charm my girlfriend as everything
we did only required minimal effort.
Which was why I suggested
that we date on World of Warcraft.
However, that did not sit well with
her.
Faced with this crisis, I decided
on a plan to win her back—one
concocted in Germany by Klaus
Teuber.
Teuber is the inventor of Settlers
of Catan, a popular board
game that has sold 15 million
copies worldwide.
I recently bought the game for
my girlfriend. Yes, an actual board
game, and not a pixelated app.
Klaus mentioned that he created
Settlers of Catan to amuse his
wife.
Since I was becoming a boring
boyfriend, I thought this gimmick
would give me the boost I needed.
The plan worked like a charm.
We played Settlers with my family
when she came over to my place.
What would have been a
sleepy Sunday afternoon turned
GRAPHIC | VU VIET ANH
into a time of genuine bonding.
In fact, my plan has worked so
well that we’ve started to spend
more quality time together playing
all sorts of board games.
Lesson learnt One way to rejuvenate
a relationship automated
by technology is to step out of it
altogether.
Only then can we stop looking
at the screen and start looking at
one another.

36
OPINIONS
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
07
Ethics in banking: an oxymoron
Ong Yong Roy
Shady banks are in the
news again. This time, it
is Goldman Sachs. This
is not the first time that
the investment bank’s
ethics is under question.
The Wall Street Journal reported
in late 2006 that traders in
Goldman Sachs convinced bank
executives that the subprime market
was heading for trouble.
The bank reacted by selling off
these investments and bet that the
financial markets would crash.
According to BBC News, exdirector
of Goldman Sachs was
charged with insider trading.
It was reported that he managed
to get more than US$18 million
for Galleon funds, a hedge
fund group.
Despite being fully aware that
these investments had a high
probability of losing money, Goldman
Sachs failed to advise clients
on the best course of action.
This was clearly unethical as
the bank made a profit of four billion
dollars from its clients’ monetary
losses.
Such unethical practices certainly
exist in Singapore as well.
Ethics is becoming a key theme
in the local financial industry.
The term “ethics” is derived
from the Greek word “ethos”
which refers to a system of ideal
moral character.
Applying this definition to the
banking sector, banks should have
a sustainable business model that
stresses on morality while simultaneously
pursuing profits.
The economy will benefit if
banks lend funds to quality corporations
instead of speculating
in high risk business transactions
(e.g. lending to a poor credit history
customer solely because of
higher profit margins).
This will result in positive externalities
like higher job growth.
Banks can play a crucial role
in safeguarding depositors’ money
through sound lending activities.
Current banking practices tend
to be very profit-oriented and
have a short-term outlook.
For instance, consumer bankers
push investment products to
consumers in order to meet sales
targets even though the products
may not be suitable for the clients.
Michael Beer, professor at
GRAPHIC | SWARNALI MITRA
Harvard Business School and author
of High Commitment, High
Performance, explains in his
book: “Banks handing out massive
bonuses based on short-term
performance can only be taken as
a sign that greed remains a driving
force.
“More bluntly, short-term
thinking doesn’t reconcile with
good ethics,” he added.
Dr Siriwan Chutikamoltham,
Senior Teaching Fellow at Nanyang
Business School said, “There
are so many financial temptations
and promises of getting rich.
“Sales performances are also
judged. This can result in unethical
behavior among bankers.
“That is why our business
“There are
many financial
temptations that
can result in
unethical behavior
among bankers.”
Dr Siriwan Chutikamoltham
Nanyang Business School
school absolutely emphasises on
ethics.”
Third-year banking and finance
student, Kent Choo, 24,
agrees.
“Looking at the regularity
which frauds and lawsuits involving
financial institutions occur, it
shows that there are no ethics in
this industry.”
Ethics is also rarely on the
minds of finance students entering
an industry that stresses on
profit, earnings and intellectual
capacity.
It is certainly the case that students
fear they will be unable to
join top banks upon graduation
and so, do not bother concerning
themselves with ethics.
For instance, the criteria for
being selected for an interview
at top banks such as JP Morgan,
UBS and Goldman Sachs include
both an excellent Grade Point
Average (GPA) in academics and
an outstanding Co-Curricular Involvement.
Such banks only select a
handful of students to join their
prestigious training programs,
which include overseas training
and mentorship by senior business
leaders.
Third-year banking and finance
student, Dale Lai, 24, said,
“Money is an important consideration.
“But another key attraction
is the prestige and ability of being
able to influence financial
markets even as a young professional.”
Lim Song Yee, 24, a third year
banking and finance student,
explained: “The pros of joining
banking includes the excellent career
prospects and exit options.”
Ethical practices are certainly
a key issue in this industry.
However, it does not mean
that only the bankers are at fault.
The society of today should
be held responsible as well for
today’s banking industry’s profitdriven
strategies.
Investors very often judge
firms based on short term performance
such as stock price and
profit margins.
Such short-term profit–seeking
attitudes from investors promote
the incentive for firms to be
unethical.
As Dr Siriwan explains, “Society
has to set the right tone, setting
forth the rewards for ethical
behavior and harsh punishments
for unethical firms.
“As consumers, we should buy
from firms that do business ethically.
“As investors, we should invest
in stocks of firms that do business
ethically, not only in stocks that
give the most gain in the short
term.”
louder than words
Goh Wei Choon
g r a p h i c s edito r

VOL.
NO.
17
08
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
In Unknown Territory
OPINIONS 37
canteen talk
The revamped edveNTUre boasts new functions
such as blogs, Wiki and connectivity to Facebook.
But is new necessarily better We ask students
their views on this.
I think the new
edveNTUre is
fine. I have not
experienced any
problems with it
like some of my
classmates have.
Jeff Lee, MAE, Yr 2, 20
”
“
I cannot access
the website using
Google Chrome. It
is very hard to get
to the home page of
my list of courses.
Rebecca Lim, WKWSCI, Yr 2, 21
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
Xu Yuan Duan
The new edveNTUre seems
to be an exciting place
where students can learn
and invest time to acquire
and apply skills of
the 21st century.
But is this happening in reality
Five weeks into the new semester,
I have yet to see these features
being used in my courses.
They are instructor-initiated
and require approval before they
can be utilised.
Associate Professor Huang
Guangbin from the School of Electrical
and Electronic Engineering
said, “Re-learning how to perform
basic functions on the new layout
has to be done before learning new
features.”
“Other professors have even
approached me, asking for help in
performing basic functions with
the new edveNTUre. The new system
seems complicated,” he adds.
The chief complaint is the user
“un-friendliness” of the new system.
Functions that could be performed
easily in the past have to
be re-learned before the new functions
can be considered.
Associate Professor Stephen
Teo from the Wee Kim Wee School
of Communication and Information
agrees: “Who has the time
to watch these learning videos I
would rather be doing research or
writing with that time.”
Dr Ashley Tan, Head of the
NIE Centre for E-Learning offered
another explanation: “Humans
beings naturally fear change.
Resistance could stem from
the fear and uncertainty that one
feels when faced with something
new.”
Functions that
could be performed
easily in the past
have to be relearned
before the
new functions can
be considered.
Lecturers could simply be experiencing
problems of adapting
quickly to new systems.
Many of them are “digital
immigrants”—an individual who
was born before the existence of
digital technology and adopted it
later in life.
This results in one having to
face a steeper learning curve when
tasked with learning new technology.
The internet has truly become
part of our everyday lives.
Marc Prensky, acclaimed writer
and speaker in the areas of education
and learning, refers to the
younger generation as “digital natives”.
He defines them as a generation
born into a world where digital
technology is ubiquitous.
They thus have the advantage
of learning new digital skills
quickly.
EdveNTUre, which is a webbased
Learning Management
Systems (LMS), taps into this and
creates an opportunity for technologically
savvy users to learn
about the convenience the internet
provides.
Dr Tan Seng Chee, the Head of
the Learning Sciences and Technologies,
explains: “An LMS allows
one to engage in self-paced learning
or learning through social interactions
with others.”
The new features, such as the
Wiki tool, are convenient and add
a new dimension to learning for
students.
“By constraining a group of
learners to work on a wiki document,
it forces the learners to
reach a consensus on how their
ideas should be represented.
“This process creates opportunities
for the learners to discuss,
negotiate or debate about their
ideas,” Dr Tan added.
Mr Andrew Lim, an IT executive
with NTU’s IT Steering Executive
on Electronic Education said:
“A small number of the teaching
staff was taken aback when
the new edveNTUre update was
released.
“But these complaints were
from a small number of the teaching
staff who did not attend the
training courses for the new system,”
he said.
He added that provisions have
been made to facilitate a painless
migration.
“Video tutorials and a frequently
asked questions page have been
set up to make the transition easier
for teaching staff,” Mr Lim said.
But Associate Professor Huang
questioned the need for such
forms of learning.
He said: “If a site is truly intuitive,
re-training should not be
needed.”
However, I am hopeful it will
just be a matter of time before familiarisation
of the new system is
attained.
Only then, will the full potential
of the new edveNTUre and its
new e-learning features be unlocked.
I think the new
features are very
helpful. I often
use them to do my
research for my
subjects.
Ibrahim Aneel Ali, CEE, Yr 4, 23
“
There’s no difference
with the new
edveNTUre as my
professors have not
tried to use the new
functions in class.
Emil Fazira, SCBE, Yr 2, 20
”
It is more functional
now. Though the
graphics look nicer,
there isn’t any
difference between
the old and new.
Rebecca Lim, WKWSCI, Yr 2, 21
”
TEXT | JAYASHRI LOKARAJAN ; PHOTOS | WAN ZHONG HAO & GOH CHAY TENG

VOL.
17
NO.
bpl talk
Fallen giants feeling the blues
Tsang Wing Han
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
WITH two-thirds of the Premier
League matches over, Chelsea
are lagging in the chase for the
Barclays Premier League title.
The club is currently standing at
fifth place, 12 points behind league
leaders Manchester United. In fact,
for the first time in nine years,
they are in danger of missing the
Champions League.
Who would have seen it coming
In the early part of the season,
Chelsea were in unstoppable form,
if you include the six-goal hammering
against West Bromwich
Albion and Wigan Athletic.
So, you can imagine the bewilderment
of fans when the club
subsequently went through an arid
November and December period,
winning only once in eight matches.
The downfall was unexpected.
While Chelsea may be excused
for dropping points to Liverpool,
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as
they were tough matches, losing to
Sunderland at home by a three-goal
margin was unthinkable and unacceptable
to any loyal Blues fan.
While the loss in form corresponded
with the injury of key midfielder
Frank Lampard, one would
expect a team like Chelsea to have
competent substitutes in their squad.
FORMER GLORY: The Blues are a shadow of their old selves.
But in truth, the squad did not
have strong substitutes and instead
relied on fringe players such as
Daniel Sturridge and Gael Kakuta,
both of whom have since been
shipped out of Chelsea on loan in
the winter transfer period.
The thin squad was terribly
exposed by their opponents.
Even Lampard’s return in early
December could not bring the Blues
out of their slump.
The team’s Russian billionaire
owner Roman Abramovich tried
PHOTO | INTERNET
to rectify things by pumping in
cash for coach Carlo Ancelotti in
January this year. The Italian head
coach promptly spent £75 million
to purchase Fernando Torres and
David Luiz.
It is too early to determine if the
two signings are worth the huge
amount of cash.
But by the looks of it, Coach
Ancelotti has to work harder to integrate
these players into the squad.
Judging by their recent loss
to Liverpool and draw against
Fulham, it is clear that Ancelotti
has yet to find the winning formula
for his two new strikers.
Ancelotti may need to revamp
the whole system to accommodate
the two star front men.
Having already been knocked
out in the two domestic cup competitions,
Chelsea’s title hopes are
left with the Premier League and
the European Champions League.
But all is not lost for them.
Although Chelsea are two
points away from the fourth spot
which guarantees Champions
League football, and four BPL
match wins away from league leaders
Manchester United, the unpredictability
of the season may soon
put the Blues back in the race again.
If the Blues, however, fail to
keep their confidence and expected
game-play, they may have to kiss the
Champions League trophy good bye.
After all, what chance will
Chelsea stand against Barcelona and
Real Madrid if they cannot secure a
full three points against the likes of
lower-ranked teams like Birmingham
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Currently holding a 2-0 lead
against FC Copenhagen in the
Champions League, the return leg
on March 16 might just be the key
for Ancelotti and his Chelsea team
to get the act going and bring some
much needed motivation back.
SPORTS 39
they said
that
“Winning
is the best
deodorant.”
NBA player Jason Kidd
describing his passion to win.
“I’ve been called
‘The Maple Leaf
Missile’, and
‘Bombardier
Milos’.
Everything so
far has to do
with something
like war, like a
missile.”
Canadian tennis player Milos
Raonic, whose serve has hit
151 miles per hour, on the
nicknames that have been
used on him.
Weight loss: the ultimate seduction
Natasha Alvar
sports talk
THE recent death of a contestant
on Singapore weight-loss contest
Lose to Win struck a chord with the
dormant weight-loss junkie in me.
Mr Ong Joo Aun, 54, collapsed
on the Health Promotion Board’s
show, the Singaporean counterpart
to American reality show The
Biggest Loser.
Sent to the hospital immediately,
he was pronounced dead
soon after.
Looking at me now, you might
not know that I once tilted the
scales at a startling 60kg. The late
night binging sessions during my
junior college days made me well
overweight for someone my height.
When I found out that I could
not fit into my favourite pair of
jeans, I immediately embarked on
a stringent diet, shedding a dozen
kilograms in two months.
But I was still dissatisfied. I exercised
and watched my diet even
more religiously.
I started experiencing hair loss,
fatigue and my complexion took on
an unhealthy sheen.
What started out as a decision
to change my life became an obsession.
It was then that I recognised
the draw of commercialised weight
loss programmes.
Reality television shows, like
The Biggest Loser (both US and
Asia versions) have become increasingly
popular since their inception
in 2004. These shows offer
rewards in exchange for the extra
pounds shed by their contestants.
Despite safety reviews and assessments,
I believe all bets are off
when push comes to shove.
Competitors are likely to forget
the risks of rapid weight loss, such
as changes in blood pressure and
metabolic imbalances that can
affect vital organs like the heart.
Dr Sunil Kumar Joseph stressed
in an interview with TODAY newspaper
that “weight loss is not a
competition”.
He advised that one engage in
rapid weight loss programmes only
under proper medical supervision.
I understand how these programmes
provide the ultimate
seduction. We want to lose weight
as quickly as possible, so concerns
with health and wellness
get pushed aside when people get
caught up in playing the numbers
game.
Some contestants manipulate
the system by intentionally gaining
weight in the first week to achieve a
more significant amount of weight
loss in the next.
For example, the Biggest Loser
season 4 contestant Neil Tejwani
intentionally threw a weigh-in by
drinking two gallons of water for
a 6kg “weight gain”.
Weight loss programmes often
sully the cause they set out to
propagate.
When I set out to lose weight, I
wanted to lead a healthier life and
spend more time with my family
and people I care about. However,
the compulsion with numbers on
GRAPHIC | KANITHA ANGELA
the scale, brought on by popular
culture, made me lose sight of that.
I came dangerously close to ill
health before I remembered that
weight loss needed to be done in
moderation, on our own terms and
according to our individual needs.
One must remember that weight
loss should not be treated as a
quick fix as it is our health we are
tampering with. So take your time,
and don’t lose heart while trying to
lose weight.
GRAPHIC | GOH WEI CHOON
“Ferrari is like
Real Madrid,
buying the
most expensive
players in the
market.”
F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari
draws a comparision between
Ferrari and the Real Madrid
football team.
“Hockey is a
sport for white
men. Basketball
is a sport for
black men.
Golf is a sport
for white men
dressed like
black pimps.”
Professional golfer Tiger
Woods gives his two cents’
worth on the sport.

40
SPORTS
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
17
08
ONE FOR THE
TEAM: A tchoukball
player trying her
hand at the novel
sport.
DOUBLE
TROUBLE:
Couples in
the Lovers’
Challenge had
to paddle 350m
on surfboards.
SURF
SWEAT
The annual Surf N Sweat organised by the NTU Sports Club was
held on February 13th at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach.
BUNS OF STEEL: A participant of the muscleman competition tipping over a tyre.
AND
Photographer Wallace Woon brings you through a day of sumo
wrestling, gladiator fights, eating competitions and many other
exciting events.
KNOCK OUT: In the ‘Gladiator’ event, two players use pugil sticks to knock each
other off elevated platforms.
GREED IS GOOD: A contestant
ravages his way through a plate
of two bananas, a bunch of
grapes, an apple and a quarter
of a watermelon in the eating
competition.
FRIENDLY FIGHTING: Participants donning fat suits in the ‘Sumo Wrestling’ event.

VOL.
17
NO.
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
SPORTS 41
A running tribute to EW Barker
Shahilia Bhagat
FOR the first time, the Barker’s
Challenge Run was open to the
whole of NTU this year.
This is due to the new Open
(NTU) category for students from all
faculties in NTU.
Organised by the National Institute
of Education (NIE), the run
on February 18th attracted 128
participants.
The run is held annually in
memory of the late Edmund William
Barker, fondly known as “Mr
Singapore Sport”.
A sportsman, scholar and
statesman, Mr Barker became
president of the Singapore National
Olympic Council in 1970—a
position he held for 20 years. He
was also the first Singaporean to
receive the Olympic Order from
the International Olympic Committee
for his outstanding contribution
to the local sports field in
1986.
Runners in teams of four, at
least one of whom must be female,
each ran 630m relays around the
NIE triangle.
Other categories are the Physical
Education and Sports Science and
Sports and Science Management
(PESS-SSM) category and the NIE
Inter-Group Endeavours in Service
Learning (GESL) category.
Winning the NTU (Open) Category
was the team from the School
of Civil and Environmental Engi-
KICKING IT OFF: Runners starting the Barker’s Challenge Run around the NIE triangle.
neering (CEE). They clocked 7 minutes
and 31 seconds.
Team member Eve Chow, 19,
said: “It was a great race for all
of us. We are all from NTU Track
& Field, and trained three times a
week for about one to two hours
each time.”
She added: “We will definitely
join next year and hopefully get
a better timing.”
The runner-up in the same
category came from Hall 12. The
team missed out on the gold by 11
seconds.
Team leader and second-year
student from School of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
Joshua Goh, 23, said: “My team
joined the race as a challenge to
see if we could finish the race with
a good timing and if we are prepared
for future competitions such
as the inter-hall race.”
NIE director Professor Lee Sing
Kong was delighted with the run.
He said: “The event is very
exciting as it reflects the stature
of the man we remember. In this
gathering of like-minded people in
sports, their enthusiasm and spirit
is present.”
Mrs Gloria Barker, wife of the
late Mr Edmund Barker agreed. She
said: “The atmosphere is very good,
he (Mr Baker) would have been very
proud of it.”
Professor Lee’s biggest hope for
next year is for participation to increase
further.
Second-year NIE student, Huang
Yuchi, 27, who is in charge of the
race, suggested: “There could be a
longer time for signing up to ensure
more participation.”
This year, the registration period
lasted for about two weeks across all
categories.
Before the run, the EW Barker
scholarships were given to outstanding
student-teachers from
SSM for their hard work and
achievement in academics and
sports.
Each one-off scholarship is
worth $8,000 with no bond.
Professor Lee felt that Mr Barker’s
legacy will be passed on through
the scholarship.
He said: “Mr Baker was a role
model and will continue to inspire
young athletes to pursue their
sporting interest with great enthusiasm,
perseverance and determination.
“The lives of good people serve as
a source of inspiration to the younger
generation.”
Tennis and romance a smash with couples
Andrew Koh
T EN N IS played cupid at the
Sports and Recreation Centre on
February 18th.
“Meet your Match on Court”
was the theme for the inaugural
‘Vday Tennis’ event organised by
the NTU Tennis Club.
Aimed at serving up romance on
the courts in line with Valentine’s
Day, the event saw mixed doubles
pairings play against each other.
“In keeping with the Valentine’s
Day atmosphere, we wanted to
bring couples together through
tennis. Playing doubles in tennis
requires a lot of chemistry
so we wanted to combine the
concepts of tennis and romance,”
said Andre Gunaharja Kusnadi,
22, vice-chairperson of the NTU
Tennis Club.
“For singles who turned up
alone, we matched them with other
singles who were alone too,” added
the third-year student from the
School of Chemical and Biomedical
Engineering.
Although rain initially threatened
to dampen spirits at the event,
everyone was unfazed.
Participants and organisers
chipped in to clear the puddles of
water that made matches unplayable.
“Even though we had a wet
start to the event, all the participants
were really positive about
it,” said Ethel Ngiam, 22, the
chairperson of the NTU Tennis
Club.
Registration costs $8 per couple
and half that price for members of
the club. Prizes for the event, such
as complimentary pairs of movie
tickets and books with dating
tips, were sponsored by the Social
Development Network.
On top of those prizes, the
tennis couples were also given
Polaroid pictures of themselves
as mementos.
“We chose prizes that would encourage
the winning pair to continue
to do things together hopefully
as a couple after the competition,”
said Ngiam, a third-year student
from the School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering.
T he w inning duo, f ina l-
year students from the School
of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering Dennise Tanoko Ardi,
23, and Ang Li Ann, 22, plan
to watch the film ‘No Strings
Attached’ using their complimentary
movie tickets.
They met each other in the NTU
Tennis Club two years ago.
“Tennis is a good game for
strangers to play mixed doubles
because communication between
pairs improves the more you play
together,” said Ardi.
COURT CHEMISTRY: ‘Vday Tennis’ saw couples pit themselves against each other in mixed doubles.
Runners-up Goh Karwei and
Sharon Tan, who are close friends,
have known each other since their
junior college days.
Tan, 22, a first-year student
from the School of Materials
Science and Engineering said: “I’ve
known Karwei for so long and he’s
always such a joker on and off
court. He’s always been optimistic
and always encourages me.”
In response Goh, 23, a second-year
student from Nanyang
Business School said: “I can usually
PHOTO | SABRINA TIONG
tell when she (Sharon) is nervous
so I try to encourage her by giving
her high fives.”
“Even though we didn’t win, it
was a priceless memorable experience
for me. I guess chemistry can
be built on the tennis court.”

42
SPORTS
THE NANYANG
CHRONICLE
VOL.
NO.
17
08
VOL.
17
NO.
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
SPORTS 43
Danson Cheong &
Edward Teo
sports profile
Accelerating past limitations
PUSH-UP WITH TRUNK ROTATION
1
2
Lee follows a core
strengthening regimen
as part of his biathlon
training.
Here he outlines how
two different core
exercises should be
done.
HE IS Singapore’s second fastest
biathlete. But five years ago, Henry
Lee could hardly keep up with his
then girlfriend in the pool.
The 22-year-old said: “I would
lift my head to breathe and all I
would see were her legs splashing
away from me. She could lap me
five times during a 1,500m swim.”
Lee, a student at Ngee Ann
Polytechnic back then, was dating
a former national swimmer, and
had just picked up biathlon with
the Polytechnic’s biathlon team.
Lee has not swum against his
girlfriend since they broke up a
year ago, but the now second-year
student from the School of Physical
and Mathematical Sciences is confident
that he can now keep pace.
His confidence is more than
just hot air. Lee emerged out of the
water neck-to-neck with national
triathlete Mok Ying Ren at the
Singapore Biathlon last month.
He later finished 5th—behind
Mok, who came in 2nd—and was
the second fastest Singaporean on
the course.
Biathlon is an endurance sport
that consists of an open water swim
followed immediately by a run.
“I chose to pick up biathlon to
challenge myself and see if I could
transit from being in a uniformed
group to a competitive sport,” said
Lee, who used to be from the Boys
Brigade in secondary school.
Five years later, Lee has officially
made the jump from uniform
into the skin-tight lycra suits
biathletes use for competition.
Lee is the fastest biathlete
from NTU’s Biathlon Team and the
second fastest Singaporean in the
sport—according to results from
this year’s Singapore Biathlon.
Held on February 12th, Lee
came in fifth in the open category,
which consisted of a 1.5km seaswim
followed by a 10km run.
Compatriot Mok Ying Ren came
in second, with the first, third and
fourth podium spots going to New
Zealanders Dylan McNiece, Ben
Pulham and Australian Halligan
David Quinn respectively.
MAKING A SPLASH: Lee is a force to be reckoned with in the pool.
SWIFTLY DOES IT: Lee is the fastest biathlete in NTU and the second fastest Singaporean in the sport.
During the Singapore University
Games (SUniG) Aquathlon meet
last year, Lee came in third, just
a few minutes off Mok Ying Ren
from NUS, who broke the tape first.
It is hard to believe Lee’s dominance
in the sport was sparked
because he was frequently outclassed
by his ex-girlfriend.
He said: “Initially I just wanted
to swim faster than my girlfriend, so
I started putting in really long hours
in the pool. I guess you could say I
was motivated by a little bit of ego.”
These days, Lee—whose life
revolves around the sport and his
studies—often clocks up to 12 hours
a week training.
Indeed, when The Nanyang
Chronicle visited Lee in his hall
room, there was an entire wall
filled with his past race bibs.
“Each race bib has been with
me physically through a race.
Looking up at all of them on my
wall reminds me of all the great
experiences I had. This is my way
of keeping my love for the sport
strong,” said Henry.
He credits his teammates from
the NTU squad for his success.
“I am very fortunate to have
such great teammates who not only
give me emotional support, but professional
advice as well,” said Henry.
Unlike 23-year-old NUS medical
student Mok Ying Ren, who has
equipment sponsors and a personal
trainer, Lee relies on his teammates.
“I depend on what I call ‘peer
mentorship’. For what I lack in
professional advice, I make up for
it with the pool of collective knowledge
that is shared between every
NTU Biathlon
member of my team,” explained Lee.
So attached is Lee to his teammates
that he describes training
with them as his ‘social life’.
He said: “Many people tell me
that biathlon, by nature of being an
individual sport, is very selfish. But
I disagree. It’s really a team event.”
“Varsity races like the SUniG
Aquathlon and the NUS Biathlon
often take the cumulative time of a
team, so you are really only as fast
as your slowest athlete.”
According to Lee, the NTU
squad is gearing up for their final
race of the season, the NUS
Biathlon, where they will face off
with current champions, NUS.
PHOTOS | DANSON CHEONG
Team Manager: Mr Chia Chin Yeh
Contact Number: 67905166
E-mail: cychia@ntu.edu.sg
Training on Mondays and Wednesdays
Sports and Recreation Centre, Swimming Pool
Lee said: “This year the team
has really trained hard and improved
greatly. It’s going to be a
close race.”
Beyond biathlon, Lee hopes to
take his multi-sport ambitions one
step further.
Lee wants to complete a Half-
Ironman triathlon—which consists
of a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike
ride and a 21km run—before he
graduates.
“That’s been a longtime dream
of mine,” said Lee.
If his past successes are anything
to go by, Singaporean triathletes
might soon have another face
to look out for.
Assume push up position with arms slightly wider than shoulder
width.
THE PLANK
Lie face down on the floor resting on your forearms, with palms flat.
Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on your elbows.
S&RC multi-purpose fields reopen for use
Brenda Xie
Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.
NTU’s sportsmen and women no
longer have to resort to training
in car parks or within their own
hall compounds, after the Sports
and Recreation Centre (S&RC)
reopened the multi-purpose fields
on the 4th week of school.
Continual heavy rains in mid-
January disrupted many of the
Inter-Hall (IHG) and Inter-School
Games (ISG) as the fields beside
the basketball and tennis courts
were waterlogged and had to be
closed for almost a month.
O r ga n i s e r s of bot h I HG
Softball and Football had most
of their matches interrupted as a
result of the pitch closure.
Koo Jeng Shun, 23, organiser
of IHG softball (boys) event said:
“ IHG softball was quite badly affected.
It was supposed to be one
of the sports that ended the earliest
but it dragged on for 2 weeks.”
Due to the lack of a proper
training venue, some of the halls
resorted to having their sessions
at car parks or within their own
hall compounds.
This compromised on the
number and intensity of training
sessions that they could have.
“Trainings were cancelled
most of the time because of the
OPEN ONCE AGAIN: The multi-purpose fields could not be used for nearly a month.
Lower yourself until your chest is almost touching the floor.
3
Push off to starting position and rotate body 90 degrees to the left,
with your other arm pointing straight upwards.
Return to starting position and repeat on right side.
closure. Field trainings were
converted to physical trainings
to build up fitness and stamina,”
said Tan Kum Boon, 21, Hall of
Residence 12 Sports Secretary and
organiser of IHG football.
The S&RC came to an agreement
with the IHG committee to
minimize the use of the fields and
to find alternative venues for the
IHG events.
For instance the preliminary
rounds for Softball (girls and
boys) were held at the Anchorvale
This is one rep. Do 20 reps.
PHOTO | WAN ZHONG HAO
field in Sengkang West.
The S&RC has advised halls
to minimise the use of the fields,
especially after rainy days,”
said Hall of Residence 3 Sports
Secretary Winfred Oh, 23.
As the Coordinator for all 20
"Core
strength is
essential
to keeping
proper form
in both
swimming
and
running."
sports of the IHG, Oh understood
the problem: “Last year, IHG
soccer matches had to be held
at various secondar y schools
and softball matches were held
at the Japanese Association of
Singapore (JAS).”
In response to requests to
reopen the pitch, the S&RC said
that it was necessary to close the
fields, as constant usage of the
field when it is wet and muddy
will affect the growth of the
grass.
Using the field would not only
spoil its condition over time but
also affect future competition use
and other bookings of it.
Mr Darren Chua, Assistant
Manager (Sports) of the S&RC and
the team manager of the IVP football
team said: “Pitch closure during
inclement weather is required
for maintaining the quality of the
pitch in the long run.”
“Users have to understand
that at the particular point in
time when any decision is made,”
he added.
Mr. Chua added that there are
no hard and fast rules as to when
the field should be closed.
He revealed that duty officers
decide the closure of the football
pitch on the actual day, depending
on the weather and pitch
conditions.

Sports
Love
and tennis on the court – Page 41
New gym goes back to basics
Edward Teo
THERE are no treadmills, air
conditioning, or towels for hire.
At first glance, one may not know
what to make of this gym.
Called 'The Playground', it
boasts a wide range of free weights
such as truck tyres, sledge hammers,
gymnastic rings and kettlebells,
instead of the usual gym
equipment.
This gym is co-owned by
first-year Wee Kim Wee School of
Communication and Information
(WKWSCI) student Jeremy Ko.
The gym’s minimalist concept
is seen as an asset by its owners, as
it shows that the gym is for serious
workouts.
“It’s not clean, it’s not comfortable.
It’s a place where people get
results because of their efforts,” said
the 22-year-old.
Ko was roped in as web designer
in April last year for the then-upstart
company, after he met founder
David Devito, 46 at a rock climbing
session. He was then offered
co-ownership as they were able to
complement one another, said Ko.
Of particular novelty is the
kettlebell, a fitness equipment relatively
new in the local fitness scene.
Kettlebell H.I.T., a Singaporebased
fitness company that promotes
kettlebell lifting and highintensity
training workouts is the
parent company of The Playground.
It was established in 2007 and is the
brainchild of founder Devito.
“A regular dumbbell only trains
the isolated bicep muscle if you do
bicep curls, for example. However,
the kettlebell utilizes the whole
body while lifting it, working the
core and lower back muscles as
well,” Ko explained.
Devito added: “We have the
most diverse forms of kettlebells
in terms of weight and quantity in
Singapore at the moment.”
The transition from regular
dumbbells to kettlebells has been
picking up in Singapore recently.
“When I was exercising with
AN UNCONVENTIONAL WORKOUT: Co-owner of The Playground Jeremy Ko (right) guides reporter Edward Teo (left) on the proper use of a kettlebell.
just dumbbells, I could only do
10 chin ups at best. After starting
off with kettlebells six months
ago, I can hit a maximum of 20,”
said Nabil Ruysdi, 23, a student at
Singapore Institute of Management
and member of the SG Titans.
Groups of serious athletes who
engage in Kettlebell H.I.T.'s form of
training create the gym’s tough and
competitive atmosphere. These include
rock climbers and members of
the SG Titans, a local interest group
of strength training enthusiasts.
“The athletes create a strong
energy that motivates everyone to
push themselves beyond the limit,”
ROUGH AND TOUGH: There is nowhere to get comfortable and relax in this gym.
WHAT IS A KETTLEBELL
The kettlebell is a weight which looks like a
cannonball with a handle.
It has a centre of mass that
enables swing movements
not possible with traditional
dumbbells.
This makes training
with a kettlebell more
effective because more
muscle groups are utilised
in the swinging movement.
said The Playground’s founder
Devito, 46.
He added: “I believe that the local
fitness industry is moving towards
this trend of raw, full body workouts.
In fact, I predict that many gyms
may follow suit in the future.”
The Playground’s brand of
physical conditioning aims to promote
full body workouts, building
lean bodies that are functional
for overall physical movement in
everyday life.
Ko said: “Our training will help
athletes engage in possible day-today
activities like carrying heavy
loads with ease and increase overall
functional strength for contact
sports such as rugby and football.”
About 95 per cent of equipment
at The Playground are free weights
that train the body as a whole muscular
system.
Devito said that the gym owns
six power racks, as compared to a
maximum of two at a regular gym.
The power rack is a weighttraining
equipment for free weight
workouts, that consists of exercises
such as deadlifts (a weighttraining
exercise where one lifts a
loaded barbell off the ground from
a stabilized bent-over position) and
weighted squats.
The gym is located at Horsecity,
adjacent to shopping mall Turf City.
Activities that require more
space such as signature tyre flipping
and sledgehammer workouts
are conducted at the extended
road behind the gym.
In addition to its physically
challenging workouts, the gym also
offers milder workouts for middleaged
men and women who may not
be as physically active, and teenagers
who are amateurs in the area.
Devito added: “ I welcome any
NTU student for one free lesson
PHOTOS | GOH CHAY TENG
at my gym. Just be prepared both
mentally and physically to have an
exhausting workout.”
First-year WKWSCI student
Lam Zhao Yao, 22 was at the gym’s
soft opening on February 20th.
He said: “I would definitely visit
it again as the training methods are
interesting. Activities such as tyre
flipping add fun and realism into lifting
as compared to metal weights.”