Rock star welcome for Dr Kalam - Nanyang Technological University

C HRONICLESEPTEMBER 15, 2008 | VOL 15 NO 3 | ISSN NO 0218-7310 | WWW.NTU.EDU.SG/CHRONICLE冠 军 歌 曲一 小 时 内 完 成第 14 届 《 飞 乐 时 空 》 落 下 帷 幕 , 音乐 老 师 王 闯 夺 冠 。 页 NTU turns up the heat in thefight against the deadly AedesmosquitoCheck out two special cafes whichnot only serve great food, but bigon heart as wellHeavy human traffic amongst other gripes, marsinternational spirit of bonding in Nike RaceRock starwelcome forDr KalamLEE YEN NEETHERE was mayhem at theNa nya ng Aud itor iu m for afew minutes when a throng ofstudents jostled with each otherfor an autograph from the formerpresident of India.Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was inNTU on August 26th to receivean Honorary Degree of Doctor ofEngineering (Honoris Causa) fromthe university in recognition of hisservices to the Indian community,advancement of science andtechnology, as well as in improvingSingapore-India relations.More t ha n 1,0 0 0 peopleattended the ceremony, most ofthem students from India. AfterDr Kalam left the auditorium,students crowded around him,eager for an autograph or picturewith the man who oversaw India’smissile technology development.Security guards quickly tookcontrol, allowing Dr Kalam, whowas India’s president from 2002until last year, to sign a fewnotepads and shake hands beforehe was ushered out of the lobby ofthe auditorium.Some of the students clearedtheir schedules just to catch aglimpse of Dr Kalam.AUTOGRAPH FRENZY: Students jostle for a chance to get up close with the former president of India. PHOTO | IRWIN TAN

02newsNew life, new vision, new UnionThe 18th ExecutiveCommittee gets intobusiness with its firstannual general meetingPo o n Ch i a n Hu iT H E N T U St ude nt s’ Un ionunderwent a change of guard onSeptember 9th.Its Annual General Meeting andInvestiture was a combination ofold and new, as past contributionswere recognised and newlyelectedmembers pledged theircommitment for the comingyear.The event started withthe outgoing 17th ExecutiveCommittee presenting their reportcard for the past year at the LeeKong Chien lecture theatre.Among the highlightedachievements was the introductionof the 179A bus route, which offeredstudents a quicker way to campusfrom Boon Lay Interchange.The investiture that followedintroduced the Union’s newpresident, Ng Hwei Yun, 21. Withher new executive committee,she accepted certificates ofappointment from NTU SecretaryAnthony Teo, who was the guestof-honour.In her acceptance speech, Ngspoke of the goals she and thenew committee will be workingtowards.“Our vision for the school isto build a vibrant, healthy andpassionate community,” she said.“We will like to see a campus fullof life and vivacious studentsparticipating in all the differentCCAs and attending classes, eagerto learn and explore.”While the new president said>> Continued FROM PREVIOUS pageIndia's former presidentgets honorary degreeRaman Srivivasan, 27, a graduatestudent in EnvironmentalEngineering, said he took ahalf-day off work to attend thisceremony.“Dr Kalam is a role modelfor all Indians and the way hemotivates people gives peace topeople,” said SrivivasanJayesh Kannan, 18, a secondyear Civil Engineering student,added: “Dr Kalam is probably themost admired and widely respectedIndian of current times.” He addedthat Dr Kalam’s humble backgroundserves as an inspiration for manyto work hard to achieve theirdreams.Dr Kalam received the honorarydoctorate from Singapore’sPresident S R Nathan, who is alsothe university’s chancellor.This year, NTU conferredfour honorary doctorates besidesthe one given to Dr Kalam (seesidebar).PASSING ON THE BATON: Outgoing Union president Choudhury Anshuman Das (left) shakes the hand of his successor, Ng Hwei Yun(right) to mark the change of leadership of the Union. PHOTO | NARERKRIT SINRACHTANANTthat it was a “very difficult”decision to run for the top position,she is confident that her passion toimprove students’ lives will yield“Our vision for theschool is to builda vibrant, healthyand passionatecommunity.”Ng Hwei Yun, 21Students' Union President18th Executive CommitteeThese individuals are selected bythe Honorary Degrees Committee,chaired by NTU Provost BertilAndersson, and then approved bythe university’s board of trustees.Nominees have to be outstandingin their field of profession or havesignificantly contributed to theirsociety, country and international“Dr Kalam is aprobably themost admired andwidely respectedIndian of currenttimes.”Jayesh Kannan, 18Second-year Civil Engineeringstudentresults.Ng, who was previously theUnion’s orientation secretary,said her personal goal is to “makestudents in NTU a bit happier”.It was a bittersweet momentfor those who stepped down fromthe 17th executive committee asthey looked back on a year of fondmemories.Former president ChoudhuryAnshuman Das said he found theUnion’s first-ever AppreciationNight most memorable.“Everyone in (the Union) gottogether and while it was a simplegathering, it showed that there’srelations. They must also havemade important contributions tothe university.Dr Kalam said receiving thedoctorate was “a unique honour” asNTU is internationally reputed.To date, the engineer-bytraininghas received over 30such doctorates from differentuniversities worldwide.Dr K a la m be l ie ved t hatscience and technology could helptransform India into a developednation, and one of his most notablecontributions in technology washis involvement in India’s firstsatellite launch last year. He ispopularly known as “Missile Man”for his efforts.He previously oversaw anNTU collaboration with the IndianInstitute of Science (Bangalore)in the field of nano-technology,after a visit to NTU in 2006.He was impressed with theuniversity’s work in nano-, bioandinformation-technologies.For Jayesh, who said hehad always wanted to meet theman dubbed “India’s People’sPresident”, the experience wasan unforgettable one. He said: “Itwas wonderful to see Dr Kalam inperson for the first time.”no differentiation between us,that we are all working togetheras equals,” he said.Guest-of-honou r M r Teoexpressed satisfaction with theperformance of the outgoingexecutive committee.“ T he y have, a s leade r s ,communicated with the studentbody in a comprehensive way,”he said, adding that he would liketo see the new committee engagestudents in creating a rich campusculture.He said: “It’s important to havea lively, robust campus, not just anine-to-five campus.”other honorarydegree recipientsBesides Dr Kalam, three otherswill be conferred honorary degreesin separate ceremonies:Professor Jose LuisEncarnacauA Computer Science professorat the Technische UniversitatDarmstadt, Germany. His books oncomputer graphics and softwarehave been published in sevenlanguages.Professor Chua Nam HaiFrom Rockefeller University, theSingapore-born molecular plantbiologist has made a number ofinroads in making crops moreresistant to harsh conditions.ProfessorYang ChenNing (RIGHT)He was creditedfor several wellknowntheoriesof physics. One ofthese, the Yang-Mills theory, wonhim a Nobel Prizein Physics.September 15, 2008The nanyang chroniclenewsflashTEMASEK HOLDINGS LOSES ITSappeal against an IndonesianSupreme Court ruling that said ithad violated the country's antimonopolylaws.PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMMUTERScan expect to save more the morethey transfer, thanks to an increasein the transfer rebate.M'SIA ARRESTS BLOGGER ANDinvestigated three newspapers ina crackdown against dissent andracial hatred.OIL PRICES NEARLY FELL BELOWthe US$100 mark on Thursday,continuing its sharp decline asinvestors shrugged aside worriesabout Hurrican Ike.DEATH TOLL RISES FROM MUDflow that deluged a village in centralChina on Monday. More than 1000rescuers were dispatched to lookfor survivors.THIRTY PERCENT OF MANGAreaders in Singapore are female, alocal comics publisher has found.This is thanks to popular Taiwanesedramas, such as Meteor Garden,which are based on Japanesecomics.SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ IS POISEDto return as Thai PM on Thursdayjust two days after he was removedfrom his post for hosting cookingshows.KANYE WEST WAS ARRESTEDat Los Angeles InternationalAirport on Thursday, after fightingwith a photographer. The singer'sbodyguard was arrested as well.US PRESIDENT BUSH SECRETLYapproved military raids insidePakistan against alleged terroristtargets, a former intelligence officialrevealed on Thursday.THOUSANDS IN TEXAS FLED ASHurrican Ike roared into the Gulf ofMexico on Thursday. It is expectedto strengthen to a Category 3hurricane.OBAMA AND MCCAIN PROMISEto play nice in honour of theanniversary of the September 11terrorist attacks. They suspendedtheir political advertising for theday.A BIG CHANGE IN AFGHANISTANstrategy is needed and thousandsmore US troops and greater militaryinvolvement is needed to win thewar, said a US top military officeron Thursday.KIM JONG IL MAY BE ILL AFTERhe failed to show up at NorthKorea's 60th-anniversary parade onTuesday. If the North Korean leaderdies, it will create a sudden powervacuum in the regime.TWO RUSSIAN BOMBER PLANESland in Venezuela for training flightson Wednesday, amid tension withthe US.

September 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle news 03Here is a warm Willkommen to BoschId ay u Su pa r toA GERMAN technology companyhas opened its first Asia Pacificresearch centre in NTU, and isalready working with students tostudy how to harness solar energymore efficiently.T he Bosch Research andTechnology Centre—Asia Pacificwas officially opened on September3rd at NTU’s Research TechnoPlaza.Bosch is a major supplier ofautomobile parts worldwide andproduces brands such as Blaupunkt,a popular audio equipment for cars.One of its research interests isin improving the technology inwhich sunlight is harnessed toproduce energy, also known asphotovoltaics.NTU Provost Bertil Anderssonsaid: “It’s a fantastic opportunityfor students to be involved indeveloping the energy of tomorrowand, at the same time, have theopportunity to work with a leadingcompany like Bosch.”The university research teamconsists of 25 undergraduates andfive PhD students who are ledby Associate Professor SubodhMhaisalkar. When the company’sheadquarters in Bishan are readynext year, there will be 30 Boschresearchers working under itsroof.Professor Subodh Mhaisalkarsaid the solar cells they areSHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON SOLAR ENERGY: The new Bosch Research and Technology Centre—Asia Pacific will partner with indeveloping solar energy technology as one of its research interests. PHOTO | EUNICE CHANstudying—made of organicmaterials—are more efficient inabsorbing light than inorganicsilicon solar cells. This makesharnessing solar energy cheaperbecause fewer solar cells areneeded to get the same amountof energy.Organic solar cells, whichare compounds made of carbonbasedmolecules, are also thin andlightweight, so they can be used inmobile equipment such as foldablemobile phone chargers, said DrGerhard Felten, Bosch’s ExecutiveVice President of Applied Researchand Production Technology.Besides the prospect ofdeveloping a cheaper mode ofalternative energy, the studentsinvolved are looking forward tothe advantages of working with awell-known technology companyOne of them includes graduatestudent Lek Jun Yan, 24, whosaid: “It gives us a chance tobe exposed to a multi-nationalcompany. The industry experiencewill be precious for us even aftergraduation.”Cold Sprayresearch centrelaunchedNTU and Singapore TechnologiesKinetics Ltd (ST Kinetics) have setup Southeast Asia’s first researchand development centre dedicatedto the study of Cold Spray, whichis an emerging form of technologyused for coating metals.The group serves internationalmarkets in the defence, aerospace,electronics and marine sectors.The Cold Spray ResearchCentre (CSRC) is the result of athree-year research collaborationbetween the group’s jointventure company, the AdvancedTechnology Research Centre, andNTU.The centre was officiallyopened on September 5th by NTUProvost Bertil Andersson.Conventional coatingprocesses require prior heatingof the sprayed materials. Coldspray processes could be usefulas they can be carried out atambient room temperatures,without the undesirable chemicalchanges caused by conventionaltechniques.Operations began last year andboth parties have been carryingout research aimed at developingnew technologies which can beused in various industries, such asaerospace, biomedical, chemical,oil & gas and automotive.New TV show on campusA winning shot for internCh u a Sijia MayA NEW television programme iscoming to a screen near you.NTU’s television channel,Spectrum TV, has undergone arevamp to appeal to more peopleon campus.It is introducing Kaleidoscope,a new lifestyle programme withtwo 15-minute segments thatdiscuss art and fashion issues—named Artscope and Fashionscope,respectively.Spectrum TV will also continueto produce Nanyang Spectrum,a 15-minute news programmecentred on issues that are moreup-to-date, reporting news thathappens within the week.“We will focus on breaking newsstories like the F1 extravaganza,”said head of news for SpectrumTV, Philip Lim, 23, adding thatinteresting line-ups includeinterviews with Miss SingaporeWorld 2008 Faraliza Tan andreports on former Indian president,Abdul Kalam.Both programmes will be airedon plasma screens around thecampus and streamed from theSpectrum TV website.Max Lim, 20, a first-yearChemistry and BiologicalChemistry student, hopes to seesome food features in the newGREATER VARIETY: Spectrum TV nowintroduces a richer range of programmes.PHOTO | LIN JUNJIElifestyle programme.“You wouldn’t really knowwhat food or dish exists in othercanteens unless you hear of it byword of mouth,” he said.Both the students andprofessors in the Spectrum TV teamstrongly believe in the quality ofprogrammes that can be offeredand have high hopes for the futureof the channel.Professor Trisha Lin, whosupervises the crew, hopes theprogrammes will one day moveonto mobile television platforms.Another student in chargeof Nanyang Spectrum, Lee LayMing, 21, said: “We hope thatNTU students will take a look atour programmes and hopefully(Spectrum TV) can grow from twoprogrammes to five, even ten.”Ch e r y l On gn e w s e d i t o rIT STARTED out as a routineassignment.On May 16th, as an internwith The Straits Times, KevinLim, 26, was sent to takephotographs of mobile drives inToa Payoh aimed at detectingdiabetes.He decided to visit theplace half an hour earlier tosurvey it and Lim, now a finalyearcommunication studiesstudent, came across a horrificaccident.The photograph he tookearned him the Straits TimesNews Picture of the Month(May) award, a recognition allthe more significant because heis the first intern to win sucha prize.“I was in the taxi on theway to my assignment whenI saw a crowd of people at theroadside,” recounted Lim.A truck had swerved ontothe sidewalk where a womanand her children were on. Themother shoved her son to safetybut was struck by the vehicle.The young boy suffered from afractured hip, while her teenagedaughter escaped unscathed.It was a delicate balancebetween doing his job well andtrying not to intrude on thevictims’ moment of grieving,said Lim, who made sure theambulance was on its way beforehe took his pictures.“Photojournalists must bemindful of their presence and theway they approach the scene,”he said.Mike Sargent, editor of TheStraits Times photo desk, said thewinning photograph had “all theelements of a good news picture”.It told the story, was wellcomposedand was the best-takenimage in the month.Lim was encouraged when hefound out about his win.“It was all about telling thestory to the readers,” he said.THE WINNING PICTURE: Lim came across the accident on his way to another assignment.PHOTO | THE STRAITS TIMES © SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS, LTD. PERMISSIONREQUIRED FOR REPRODUCTION

04newsSeptember 15, 2008The nanyang chronicleBalloons lift teachersLee Yen NeeMocktail displayenters S'pore recordsPROFESSORS from the Schoolof Mechanical and AerospaceEngineering (MAE) received apleasant surprise on Teachers’Day when they found balloonsand cards at their office doors.T he i n it iat ive wa s a nidea by MAE students fromthe Leadership DevelopmentProgramme. Titled “ProjectGratitude,” it served as a way forthe school’s students to thanktheir professors.The programme’s president,Susan Mulia Lai, 22, said: “Thisis something that we can do togive back to the school.”“Project Gratitude” saw a 2.5metre-tall card put up in front ofthe school at the North Spine forstudents to leave “thank you”messages for their favouriteprofessors.Notes posted included thosethat were sincere, as well assome that were cheeky, such as“Thank you for investing yourtime and effort on us” and “Keepyour hair like Einstein”. Thegiant card went on display forpublic viewing from SeptemberTHANK YOU: Students pin up their letters on the giant card. PHOTO | CHERYL WEE1st for one week.The students also tied a balloonand a card to every professor’sdoor as a surprise.Associate Professor Jacob GanGah-Kok applauded this effort bythe students and believes that thistradition should be continued.His colleague, AssociateProfessor Stephen Lee Siang Guan,said: “It’s a very nice gesture bythe students, and any professorwould appreciate this.”The leadership developmentprogramme is an initiative bythe school aimed at developingleadership qualities, interpersonaland problem solvingskills among MAE students.The students involved in theproject were happy to be able toexpress their gratitude to theprofessors.Mut hiah S/O Ponmani,22, a second-year AerospaceEngineering student, said: “Thesmile on the professors’ facesafter seeing the balloon andcard can really make your heartmelt.”Jayesh Ka n n a nAN NTU investment club enteredthe Singapore Book of Records forcreating the “Largest Mocktail DrinkCups Display” as part of a stockchallenge competition on September6th.At the OCBC Securities OnlineStock Challenge’s opening ceremony,more than 1000 plastic cups werefilled with red- and green-coloured“Bearly Bull Dream”, a mocktailconcocted exclusively for the event.The display was 3.5m long and2m wide. Certain cups were filledwith a special variation of themocktail of a contrasting colour toform the stock lines of the chart. Thedrink was prepared with fruit juiceby the organising committee.The mocktail display depictedbullish and bearish markets. A bullmarket is when financial marketsgrow steadily, while a bear market iswhen the opposite happens.“The idea of a drink cups displaycame up suddenly in one of ourdiscussions,” said the committee’svice-chairperson, Ong Xue Ying,20. “It also fit in well with our entiretheme of ‘Bulls and Bears’.”The president of SingaporeBook of Records, Mr Ong Eng Huat,said: “This record is the first of itskind. It was a very surprising ideawhen they approached us initially.It is good to note that NTU studentsare among the leading recordholders in Singapore.”The challenge, launched by theNTU Investment Interactive Clubat the Nanyang Auditorium,wasa three-week-long virtual stocktrading competition aimed atencouraging financial literacyamong Singapore’s youth.Over 2,700 secondary totertiary-level students registeredfor the event this year.Said a secondary four student atRaffles Institution, Haran Kumar,16: “This competition has got meinterested into the markets. Eventhough I do not understand much,I have begun reading the businesssection of the newspaper.”Inaugural graduate scholarshipawarded to 27 researchersMay Ch e nGR A DUAT E st udent s w i l lconduct research under a newscholarship that is awarded forthe first time ever to 27 talentedresearch graduates.The Nanyang President’sGraduate Scholarship (NPGS)was awarded to recipients onAugust 20th.The scholarship aims toencourage talented graduates totake on a research career througha doctoral degree programme atthe university.Dr Su Guaning, Presidentof NTU said at the awardceremony held at the Schoolof Biological Sciences: “TheNanyang President’s GraduateScholarship launched this yearis aimed at preparing the bestpost-graduate students for globalresearch leadership throughdoctoral studies at NTU.”This is in line with theuniversity’s efforts in steppingup top-tier research to wooworld-class talent, he added.The scholarship will supportup to four years of PhD studies,including monthly stipend,tuition fees and other allowancesthat will amount to more than$200,000.Mr Bernard Huang, assistantmanager at the Graduate StudiesOffice , said that the applicantsare required to have a first classhonours degree or equivalent atWORLD-CLASS TALENT: 27 research graduates were awarded the first-everNanyang President's Graduate Scholarship on August 20th. PHOTO | MAY CHENBachelor’s level and should alsodemonstrate excellent researchabilities.A maximum of 30 NPGSawards will be given out eachacademic year.Awardees, such as 28-yearoldRoy Chew, who will conducthis research on low powermixed signal circuits under theSchool of Electrical & ElectronicEngineering, are starting to feelthe pressure.Chew said: “With a scholarship,you have to complete the researchwithin a timeframe. That, in away, increases the difficulties.”Angeline Ong, 23, a NGPSscholar researching under theSchool of Biological Sciences, saidthat passion and interest are keyto achieving good performance.She said: “Doing researchis all about the excitement ofdiscovering something new everyday.”Ong will research on thefunction of the protein Rasd1 indetermining sleep-wake cycles.“This project was proposed bymy supervisor and I chose to do itin the light of being able to showera ray of hope to people withsleeping problems,” she said.OF BEARS AND BULLS: More than 1000 cups of mocktail were used to make this stockdisplay featuring a bull market. PHOTO | COURTESYPub crawls with aSingapore flavourPriyabrata Pr i ya d a r s h iMORE than 500 university studentstrawled the East-West MRT line onSeptember 10th, buying drinks andinteracting with other students theywould otherwise have never met.The group of mostly exchangestudents from the three majoruniversities in Singapore—NTU, theNational University of Singapore andSingapore management University—were taking part in the MRT PubCrawl 2008.The biannual event was organisedby Desmond Choo, 24, a thirdyearMechanical and AerospaceEngineering student. He was inspiredby the European version of pubcrawls, also called bar-hopping.Getting people to travel by MRTthan on foot was his way of givingthe crawl a local flavour.The event saw an improvedturnout compared to one held inFebruary, which had only 335participants. Choo said publicitywas made mostly through Facebook,and more signed up because of thesuccess from earlier events.The pub crawl involved studentsboarding the train at Boon Lay MRTStation along the East-West Line.They stopped at select stations andvisited the nearest liquor store tograb a drink. Their last destinationwas Thumper, a club in OrchardRoad.Students hailed from countriesaround the world such as Sweden,Portugal, Norway, and Spain.Norwegian student, MetteUgstad, 23, said she had neverexperienced an MRT pub crawlbefore in her home country, wheremost pubs visited are close by.Swiss student Reto Wernli, 24,said he wished he could stay on forone more semester so he can attendthe next pub crawl.He said: “I met so many peopletonight, some from countries I hadnever heard of.”>>TURN TO PAGE 13 for aphoto essay on the mrtpub crawl 2008

September 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle news 05Hall mosquito breeding sparks NEA alertFa r a h El i a sRECENT checks by health officershave prompted the NationalEnvironment Agency (NEA) todisseminate a news alert viaemail on mosquito breeding in theuniversity for the first time.The email was circulatedamong all hall residents, remindingstudents to keep their hall vicinityfree of stagnant water.According to NEA: “Themessage aims to alert students ofpossible mosquito breeding in theschool compound and hostels.”The agency also aims to educatethem on dengue prevention stepsand inform them of the fineimposed should any mosquitobreeding be detected.The agency conducts checksperiodically or when feedbackfrom members of the public isreceived.Hall residents may be fined$200 if they are responsible forcreating favourable mosquitobreeding grounds.Hall officer Loh Kwai Fun saidthe email sent out was more ofa precautionary message than astern warning.She believes that with the newacademic year, it is especially“beneficial to freshmen whoare staying in halls for the firsttime.”“Drains generally tend to beneglected. The cleaners are giveninstructions to ensure that thereMOVING IN FOR THE KILL: Students would like fogging to be done twice a week.PHOTO | FILEis no stagnant water in the aprondrains so as to prevent mosquitobreeding,” said Ms Loh, addingthat weekly fogging is carried outin all the halls.Another preventive measureis ensuring that the pest controlcontractor carries out worksaccording to the schedule approvedby NTU, said Mr Tan Teck Hoon,a higher technical officer of theOffice of Facilities Planning &Management.Despite efforts by the schoolmanagement, some places aroundcampus still attract mosquitoes.“At night, the hall 12 bus stophas been the worst mosquito spotI have known in my four yearsliving in hostel,” said 24-year-oldcivil engineering student VenkatBalakrishnan.“At night, the hall12 bus stop is theworst mosquitospot I have knownin my four yearsliving in hostel.”Venkat Balakrishnan, 24Civil Engineering studentHe added that as a betterpreventive measure, foggingcould be done twice weekly.Second-year mechanicalengineering student MuhammadTaufiq Hawazi, 23, said thathall residents should help eachother by looking out for potentialmosquito breeding spots aroundtheir area. They should also bemore responsible when disposingof unwanted items.“JCRCs could also holddiscussions or put up postersaround halls on ways to discouragemosquito breeding,” he added.HOW TO KEEPMOSQUITOES ATBAY:• Do not leave anyreceptacles or utensilson the corridor ledgeas it may collect waterwhen it rains.• Change water in vasesin alternate days.• Remove water fromflower pot plates onalternate days.• Turn over all waterstorage containers andkeep them dry.• If vacating your hostelroom, cover and sealunused toilet bowlsand all gully traps inthe toilet.• Inform the facilitiesand managementstaff should you comeacross any potentialmosquito breedingsites.What have you seen?What have you heard?What do you do?What do you know?Whatever it is, if it’s new, we’d like to hear about it.Send us your tip-offs, your tips, or just stuff you thinkis interesting and you’d like the rest ofthe university to know about.It could make it into the next issue of the Chronicle.Call 6790 6446 or e-mail us at chronicle@ntu.edu.sgSpread the word. Call the ChronicleCt h e n a n y a n gHRONICLECrisis: what to doTeo Wa n Gekn e w s e d i t o rSTUDENTS may find themselvesat a loss when a friend or hallmate behaves abnormally oncampus, but the best solution isto not handle it on their own, saidCampus Security.Two weeks ago, Hall 1 residentsfound themselves in such asituation.One of their hall mates hadcaused a ruckus in hall thatcontinued throughout the day,disturbing residents. He threwbroomsticks and mops from thethird storey and sent threateningtext messages to some. A bottle ofthinner was left outside the door ofone of the residents, which seemedto threaten fire.As the situation escalated, theresidents started to worry, but theydid not know what to do.The residents decided to notifythe Hall 1 office, which sentdown an officer to assess thesituation. But the troubled residentwas nowhere to be found, so theresidents were told to submit aformal complaint via email so thatthe matter could be reflected tohigher authorities.Campus Security were calleddown later in the evening.Hall 1 JCRC President JustinLim, 22, said: “He was taken awayby them in a non-violent manner.The Campus Security conductedthemselves in due.”A Hall 1 resident who declinedto be named said: “We wanted tofind the person who did this, totalk to him and understand theproblem.”However, Campus Securityadvises students not to engage orconfront anyone who is behavingabnormally, but to call them at67904777 immediately.The Assistant Director ofCampus Security, Mr Leo Ong,said: “Ultimately, the objective isto ensure that the person does notpresent a safety threat to himself orothers before being referred to therelevant agency for professionalassistance.”Such situations could havebeen averted if students knewwhat were the signs of problemsto look out for.Case Coordinator Frank Chanof the Student Counselling Centresaid a student who is having apsychological problem or issueshould show symptoms suchas withdrawing from his usualactivities and people or becomingirritable or aggressive.

06newsSeptember 15, 2008The nanyang chronicleAnimate faster andmore cheaplySya f i q a h Om a rTHE next animated film youwatch may just be a product ofNTU.A team from the Schoolof Computer Engineering hasdeveloped an innovative drawingand animation system calledCacani (Computer Assisted CellAnimation).Led by Professor Seah HockSoon, the team includes sixother professors, ten researchengineers and artists, as well asseven doctorate students.Cacani produces twodimensionalanimations withthree-dimensional technologycommonly found in video games,helping animators producedrawings more easily.Said Professor Seah: “Thesystem enables easy and stylishline drawing … without relyingon animators to draw everyframe by hand in traditional 2-Danimation production.”A typical 30-minute cartoonepisode—mostly hand-drawnwith some software support—could cost more than US$150,000and take animators half a yearto complete.With Cacani, Professor Seahestimates that production costcould be cut by up to 40 percent.Schools, OAS on early registrationGw e n d o l y n NgIT looks unfair: school committeemembers are allowed to registersubjects ahead of everyoneelse.But it is for a good reason:these committee members cantake the courses that fit theirtimetables, to allow them todevote enough time to bothschoolwork and extra-curricularactivities.Both Nanyang BusinessSchool (NBS) and the Schoolof Electrical and ElectronicEngineering (EEE) extend thisprivilege to some of its schoolclub members.This is in place to let theclub members put their schoolduties first, said both the schoolsand the Office of AcademicServices.EEE A ssistant Chair ofStudents Goh Wang Ling said:"Many of the EEE studentactivities require the EEE Clubcommittee member to be free forcertain block of times, for betterexecution of duties.”Assistant Director MdmHariaty Mohamed Senin, fromthe Office of Academic Services,shared similar sentiments.His team had managed tosecure $2.56m in funding fromthe Interactive Digital MediaProgramme Office last year, aspart of Singapore’s efforts todevelop the digital animationindustry here. This year, another$18m will be used to fund a newbatch of research teams.Professor Seah’s team iscurrently collaborating withAnime International Company(AIC) from Japan to produce a 40-minute long feature film called‘Justeen’. Production is slated tostart in November this year andis expected to be completed in“Arrangements made for themain committee members whoare heavily involved in schoolevents is part of the supportprovided by the schools,” shesaid.In an earlier issue, TheNanyang Chronicle reported thatpopular Psychology courses weresnapped up by main committeemembers and double majorstudents before registration wasopened to the main cohort.However, the schools saidthere are measures in placeto ensure a fairer system. Forregistration of the engineeringschool’s subjects, no more thanfive members of a committeemay register for the same class.Also, members would not beable to take courses ahead of theirJune 2009 where it will thenbe aired in Japan.AIC is an establishedcompany that has producedshows easily recognisable tofans of Japanese animation,also known as anime, such as“El Hazard”, “Ah! My Goddess”and “Sol Bianca”.Professor Seah is himselfan avid fan whose favouriteanime is the Oscar-winningfilm, “Spirited Away”. It is alsoone of the films he aspires to.“I hope that Cacani wouldbe able to help produce awardwinningfilms based on theirown unique storytelling andaesthetic styles,” he said.FASTER AND CHEAPER: The clips of Justeen (above) is the product of an NTUresearch to make animation faster and cheaper. PHOTO | COURTESY“The majority ofthe cohort is notdisadvantagedduring theregistrationexercise.”Ms Loh Mei YingNBS Spokespersoncurrent year of study.On the other hand, NBSreleases vacancies for eachcourse in proportion to thenumber of students who areregistering on each day. This isaimed at ensuring all studentsget the chance to register forthe courses they need.Furthermore, both schoolssaid the early registrationpractice applied to a smallpercentage of their totalcohort.Up to 80 members ofthe EEE club are entitled tothis privilege for any singleregistration exercise, which theschool feels, works out only toa relatively small proportion of4,000-strong in the cohort.NBS UndergraduateP r o g r a m m e s O f f i c espokesperson Loh Mei Yingestimated that the earlyregistration practice appliedto “less than 1 per cent of theirtotal cohort”."These student numbersare not significant,” she said.“Therefore, the majority of thecohort is not disadvantaged inany way during the registrationexercise.”ADDITIONAL REPORTINGBY KONG YEN LINA fairer chance forall at hall admissionNa b i l a Ha n i mSTUDENTS in the Non-ConstituentClubs (NCCs) will now have to workharder to gain a place in hall.In an email sent on August 7th,the Student Affairs Office (SAO)announced that the revised HallAllocation Scheme (HAS) will includea tiering system that ranks NCCs intofour categories.The NCCs—clubs and societiesformed on an interest basis—areranked according to their membershipsize, budget, nature and frequency oftheir activities.The ranking is based on feedback bythe HAS Implementation Committee,which is made up of various studentbodies.Only four NCCs, the ChineseSociety, Earthlink, Outdoor ActivitiesClub and the Red Cross, have madeit into the top tier this year, earningtheir management committee membersthe maximum nine points for campusparticipation.The bulk of other NCCs were placedin tier three, with a small proportionin tiers two and four.The Chronicle reported in January(“NCCs distorts HAS, says ODACPresident”) that clubs placed in thelower tiers would either be newcomersor underperforming ones.The tiering system has beenimplemented to counter “what shouldhave been a pyramidal distribution ofpoints for campus life involvement”,said SAO in the announcement, withfewer people obtaining the maximumpoints.Before the latest revision, allmanagement committee membersof NCCs earn nine points, puttingthem on the same level as thosefrom the Students’ Union, JuniorCommon Room Committees (JCRC) andConstituent Clubs (CC).These clubs are formed alongregulatory requirements; they arecrucial in handling student welfareacross the university.They are not included in thetiering- system and are still awardednine points under the new system.Some students, however, feel thatthe tiering-system seems to give lessimportance to NCCs.“While NCCs work very hard topursue their interests, this does notmean that they are any less importantthan non-NCCs,” said Lye KitYing, a management committeemember of Epiphany, the Englishand Drama society.A s a t h i r d - t i e r N C C ,management committee membersget only five points; its presidentand vice-president earn sevenpoints each.This puts most of theEpiphany management committeemembers on the same level as asub-committee members of theStudents’ Union, JCRCs and CCs.The SAO said rankings will bereviewed once every two years.Some students, however, wantthese reviews to be conductedmore frequently."This may be theonly way to ensurestudents obtainthe points theydeserve."Delta Purna WidyanggaEx-Vice PresidentNTU Muslim SocietyFormer president of Riders’Club, Aadil Dafir, 23, a third-tierclub, said: “Allowances should bemade on a yearly basis to allowlower-tiered clubs to progress asan incentive to perform better,”said the third-year Mechanical andAerospace Engineering student.Outgoing vice-president ofNTU Muslim Society, Delta PurnaWidyangga, said: “It’s hard to saybut this may be the only way toensure that students obtain thepoints they deserve.”Among other changes in theHAS is the revision of pointsawarded to students who werewilling to share a room with aforeigner from three to one pointnow.Said a SAO spokesperson:“Many (students) felt it was unfairthat students not active in campuslife involvement were able toobtain the points awarded for thisoption to be admitted into the hallwhile students who contributedtheir efforts in the campus lifeactivities were displaced.”A PLACE IN HALL: The new tiering-system offers a fairer distribution. PHOTO | FILE

LifestyleGolden hues for psychedelic timesPage 16 - 17Confessions of a queenBeauty queens are not always made perfect. Besides the glamour and fame, Faraliza Tanshares her struggle with insecurity and how she has overcomed it to reign supreme.Most beauty queens have a few titlesunder their belt, but the new MissSingapore-World Faraliza Tan joinedthe pageant on a whim and, with noexperience at all, won.Fara beat 21 other contestants torepresent Singapore in the Miss Worldcompetition, which will be held onDecember 12th in South Africa.She acknowledges that her mixedparentage of Chinese and Malaydescent, may have given her a leg upin the competition.“The Miss Singapore-Worldorganisers felt that in terms ofappearance my facial features and fairskin made me look more Pan-Asian,which is well-liked by the industry,” shesays. This led other girls to speculatethat the results were fixed and that shewas always going to win.A newcomer to the pageant scene,Fara was unsure of what to expect andhad to brave the process on her own.“It was hard to make any real friendsbecause I found their conversations toosuperficial. It was always about clothes,clubbing and boys,” she says. “At timesI went for events alone.”On top of that, Fara received somecomments from the public on onlineforums that she was not prettyenough.She adds: “I’mnot the least bita f fecte d by t henegat ive remark sbecause there werepositive comments aswell. After reading myonline interviews theyestablished that I wasa woman of substance,someone articulate and notjust a pretty face.”However, the beautyqueen was not always thisconfident.“I’ve never entered a pageant normodelled, but I saw an advertisementfor Miss Singapore-World in The NewPaper one day and decided to challengemyself, as I’ve always been a little insecureabout my appearance,” she says.Her insecurity stemmed from being“chubby and nerdy-looking” in primaryschool.Instead, in the past she concentratedon school work.The 1.75 metre tall communicationstudies student appreciates the supportthat the school has given her.“If the school did not agree to setseparate examination questions for me,I would still have to go for the event asI’m bound by the contract and that wouldmean graduating a semester later,” saidFara who has been on the dean’s listthrice.The glitz and glamour of the beautypageant belied the competitive nature andtension that gripped many contestants asthey awaited backstage.Some of the other contestants hadnotes prepared for the question and answersegment, but not Fara.Furthermore, this beauty queen skippedall forms of beauty treatments such asfacials, before the competition—somethingthat most contestants would do.Farah is currently doing her studiesin Electronic and Broadcast Media butintends to establish a career in programmeacquisition. Though such a job is more“behind-the-scenes”, she does not ruleout the option of hosting televisionprogrammes.“I really miss friedfood, but theorganisers havereminded me that Ican’t put on weightduring my one yearreign.”Faraliza Tan, 22Miss Singapore-World 2008“If I get spotted, why not? I wouldtake any opportunity that comes myway,” she says with a shrug.She maintains her svelte 53kg framethrough a healthy diet of fruit andvegetables. She also takes care to eateverything in moderation.“I really miss fried food, but theorganisers have reminded me that I can’tput on weight during my one year reign.”Fara lamented.While some pageant queens are multipletitle-holders, she does not plan to join anyother pageants.“After winning a title, you should juststick to it. Imagine if you don’t win thenext pageant, it just spoils your win,”said Fara.Faraliza says that since the pageant,she has got more attention from theopposite sex as well. She admits thatshe just started a relationship withsomeone special.While she did not mention who hewas, she dropped hints of her dreambeau.“He has to be funny, pleasantlooking,tall, honest and treats mewell,” she says with a laugh.In the coming year, Fara plansto do more charity work as MissSingapore-World and will probablywork closely with Action for Aids.“I hope that by the time I step down,I would have left an unforgettableimpression on people,” she says.PHOTO | CHEN WEI LI

08lifestyleseptember 15, 2008The nanyang chronicleknow your profasian Movie maniaProfessor Tan Bee Thiam, from the School of Art, Design and Media has the enjoyable taskof archiving all Asian films. He talks to Stacey Chia about this growing industryBesides teaching part-time atNTU, do you work elsewhere?My full-time job is heading theAsian Film Archive. Most of thework I do includes managingthe films we have. The job ofacquiring films is actually wellmanaged by my staff, so my jobis to oversee and ensure thatwhat we do is in line with ourvision and mission.Why did you set up the filmarchive?I founded it with the aim ofpreserving the rich film heritageof Singapore and Asian Cinema.I want to encourage scholarlyresearch on film, and to promotea wider critical appreciation ofthis art form.This was not your chosenprofession. What did you majorin at school?I got my degree in Electricaland Computer Engineeringat the National University ofSingapore.Although it seemsunrelated to what I’m doing rightnow, I feel that we have to look ateducation on a broad sense, whenyou pursue knowledge, you willdefinitely cross disciplines.I’m someone who is verycurious about many things. Youwill never know what job you aregoing to do, therefore you shouldonly study what you are curiousabout and make sure that in theprocess you learn somethingabout yourself as well.upcomingeventsIdeas@workWant to showcase your creativity? Hereis an opportunity. Explore ideas andstand a chance to win amazing prizes.Ideas@Work is organised by CreativeCommunity Singapore. WKWSCI andSADM will be hosting them for a onehour seminar together with creativeentrepreneurs who made their ideas areality.Come down to these places if you areinterested to find out more.Sep t ember 18th 2008, 1-2pm at LeeFo u n d a t i o n Le c t u r e Th e a t r e. Fe a t u r e dGu e s t s: Ni c h o l a s (s i n e m a .sg) a n dP r o f e s s o r Ca i (Im m e r s i v e Mo b i l eTh e at r e).Sep tember 29th, 6.30-7.30pm at Sc h o o lo f Ar t. De s i g n a n d Me d i a. Fe a t u r e dGuest s: Ti t u s (In g e n i o) a n d Jo a n n e Ch u a(m o t i o n el e m e n t s.c o m).Singapore Biennale 2008:WonderAfter its successful inaugural run in2006, Singapore Biennale 2008 promisesto ignite the senses.Indoor and outdoor exhibitions at variouswell-known landmarks in Singapore arebeing held.Allow your own perspectives to takea back seat as you enter a realm ofwonder.Dat e: 11 Sep t to 16 No v 2008Tic k e t Pr ic e: $10 (p r e s e n t y o u r s t u d e n tpa s s a n d g e t 50% o f f)Vi s i t w w w .s i n g a p o r e b i e n n a l e.or g f o rm o r e a f u l l l i s t o f v e n u e s a n d t o u rtimings.What was the lure of AsianFilms that drew you to theindustry?As a result of living in thisregion, I found a cer tainaffiliation to films that are madein this region. What led me tothe preservation of Asian filmswas the realisation that many ofthe films I liked were not wellpreserved or well promoted.I felt a sense of impulse touse knowledge that I’ve acquiredt o help preserve such films,hence the Asian Film Archive.If you were only allowedto choose one film as yourfavourite, which would it beand why?I would not be able to choose anyfilm as my favourite, becausethere are just too many. However,there will always be one filmthat you feel strongly about at acertain point in your life.At this moment in my life,it would be Tropical Malady.What I like about it is thatmagical sense of a jungle and ushumans going back to nature toexplore what is most primitiveto us. That was something thataffected me a lot when I watchedthe film.MOVIES GALORE: Professor Tan takes his love for the Asian movie industry and makes it his profession. PHOTO | PAN JINDo you think there is enoughsupport for locally producedfilms?I get asked this question alot. It depends on what kindof support. There is a lot ofmonetary support, but I thinkwhat is most lacking is audiencesupport.I’ve heard many commentsfrom Singaporeans that theythink local films are not as wellmade as Hollywood films.Although we haveinstitutions like Substation,Sinema, The National Museumand The Singapore Film Societyamongst others doing work toreach out to more people, it’salways a challenge to reach outbeyond the regulars.You were a judge at a filmfestival recently. Tell us moreabout it.I was doing jury work last monthat Locarno International FilmFestival, one of the top sevenfilm festivals in the world.The jury I was on wascalled the Netpac prize (Networkfor Asian Cinema), that givesrecognition to an Asian film thatwas featured in the festival.We decided to awardthe prize to the film DaytimeDrinking by Noh Young-Seok,a first-time director, for beingable to produce the film withinhis constraints, to tell in such alight-hearted way, an absurdlyfunny story about juveniledisorientation.What do you count as yourgreatest achievement in lifeso far?It’s a tough question because Idon’t go out setting milestones inmy life. If the Asian Film Archivecan exist beyond me, that wouldbe my greatest achievement. Myteam and I wanted to set up anorganisation that is built to lastand will continue to exist 200years from now.The thing about such anorganisation is that it can neverbe good enough and that weshould never be complacent, it’salways a work-in-progress.What is your pet peeve aboutthe Asian Film Industry?Many people associate AsianCinema as films that are eitherslow, horror flicks or martialart films. It’s more diverse thanthat.I hope that with timeand interest, more people willexplore this fascinating field ofstudy. This is one of the reasonswhy I decided to spend sometime teaching and to get peopleto start venturing into thisarea.Festival Light-upsCh i n a t o w nDat e: 31 Au g to 30 Sep t 2008Ka m p o n g Gl a mDat e: 24 Au g to 28 Sep t 2008Lit tle In d i aDat e: 20 Sep t to 2n d No v 2008Singapore Grand Prix SessionCheer on your favourite drivers asSingapore welcomes Asia’s first F1street-race and F1’s first night race.With a total of 61 laps to be completed,you can purchase cheaper walkabouttickets to get in on the action.Dat e: 28 Sep t 2008Ti c k e t Pr i c e: Wa l k a b o u t t i c k e t s s ta r tf r o m $58 f o r a Fr i d ay r a c e d at e.To have your event listed, e-mailchronicle@ntu.edu.sg. Includeevent date, location, contact andany pictures.

september 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle lifestyle 09dapper: your essential style guideA utumnsOPHIStiCATIONBlowing the winds of change, Fall brings with it a differentset of sartorial possibilities. Gerald Tan enjoys the grandeurof the seasonice queenAs the frilly vibrancy of Spring makes way for thesubdued austerity of Fall, dress up in the season’ssombre tones of black, grey and white.CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Grey cotton scarf, $35, fromSkyroom; vintage handbag in cream with silver clasp, $89, fromDulcetfig; white buckle belt, $49.90, from Victoria JoMo; blackpumps, $59.90, from Bianca; white tee with striped bib, $49.90,from Soon Lee; black ornamental bracelet, $38 and metallicbangle, $32, both from Dulcetfig.cool debonairThe Fall Man is calm and measured with an air of understated charisma.Mixing comfort and style effortlessly, he lets his individuality shinethrough even in Fall’s monochromic palette.CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Brown postman leather bag,$169.90, black & white patent shoes, $129 and black leatherbelt with square buckle, $59.90, all from Victoria JoMo; iPhone,price on application, available at SingTel outlets; grey & whitestriped shirt, $55 and knit layered scarf, $38, both fromSkyroom; black bow tie, stylist’s own.STOCKISTSVictoria JoMo, 9 Haji Lane; Dulcetfig, 41 HajiLane; Bianca, 44 Haji Lane Level 2; Soon Lee,56 Haji Lane Level 2 and Skyroom, 84 Haji LanePHOTOGRAPHY Chen Wei LiSTYLING Gerald TanSTYLING ASSISTANT Rachael Boon

10lifestyleseptember 15, 2008The nanyang chroniclecity of LightsMulti-racial Singapore is in a celebratory mood with threeupcoming festivals. Liyana Low and Jamuna Sundaraj findout what to look forA nightly fiestaThe Geylang Serai bazaar hasadded a few cultural twists to itsstalls this year.In a sea of sequined kebaya topsand wooden capals (traditionalfootwear worn by Malay mentogether with the baju kurung),a stall selling vivid paintingsof African safaris, elaboratelydesigned tribal pendants madeof camel bone and painstakinglyhand-painted wooden giraffestatues with their elegant necksstood out.The stall owner, Mr HezronNyabola Nyagela, a Kenyan whois in his 40s, imports these goodsfrom his homeland. He came toSingapore in 2005 and saw abusiness opportunity when heheard of the yearly Hari Rayabazaar. This is the second time heis doing this.Another face that stood outwas Mr K.C. Chung, a Chinesebusinessman in his mid-40s. Hehas been selling traditional Malaycostumes, like the baju kurung,for over 30 years, and he said thishelped him familiarise himselfwith the community and betterunderstand their traditions andculture.He converses fluently in Malay,so much so that he can hold hisown well against some very hardbargainingcustomers.S hopper s w ho c on s ide rthemselves good bargainers mightfind even more deals over atKampong Glam—better knownfor playing second fiddle toGeylang Serai during the HariRaya festivities—as shops in thearea offer good discounts of upto 50%. wShop around variousstalls and compare prices. Someshopkeepers will give discounts ifyou can bargain well.During this fasting period,shops tend to stay open longerto cater to the late night crowd,who break fast at the nearbySultan Mosque, where the aromaof thick mutton porridge, usuallydistributed to the needy by themosque, and smell of freshlymade Ayam Panggang (barbecuedchicken in sweet soy sauce) fromthe bazaar next to it, permeatethe airSt reet decorat ions got amakeover as well to attract morepeople. The organisers decided tohype up Hari Raya celebrationsat Kampong Glam this year. Forexample, the lighting decorationsspelt out “Selamat Hari Raya”FASHION COLLECTION: Traditional Malay costumes and shoes at discount prices. PHOTO | HANNAH LEONGin both local and internationallanguages. You can spot the lightedGerman and Spanish versions of“Selamat Hari Raya” at the cornerof Kandahar Street when you turnleft from brightly-lit BussorahStreet, which was decorated withthe Chinese and Tamil versions.The contrast of languagesadds a metropolitan touch to anotherwise very traditional place.With such a diverse mix ofcultures present at Geylang Seraiand Kampong Glam, don’t besurprised to find Turkish menhawking not the usual Turkishkebabs or ice cream, but tropicalfruit at one of the bazaar stalls.BrightLightsDelightFESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: Drive ontostreets bursting with colour atLittle India.PHOTO | INTERNETWhile Tekka Mall and TekkaMarket are being renovated,Serangoon Road will still enjoyits usual annual transformationinto a colourful wonderlandthis September as it ushersin Deepavali, the ‘Festival ofLights’.There will be elaboratedecorations along the streets,together with bustling bazaars andeye-catching entertainment.Like previous years, the LittleIndia Shopkeepers and HeritageAssociation (LISHA), togetherwith the Hindu EndowmentBoard, are the organisers of thetwo main bazaars this year.The first, the Deepavali Expo,is at one end of Serangoon roadtowards Mustafa Centre, whilethe other, the Deepavali Village,is at the Race Course Open Field,a five-minute walk from LittleIndia MRT station.Both bazaars will sell thelatest Indian fashion, Indiansnacks, home decorations, IndianVCDs and Deepavali greetingcards.“We are bringing back whatwe did in previous years beforebecause of the good responses wehad. But there will be somethingdifferent every year,” saidMr Rajkumar, Chairman forLISHA.This year’s highlights includethe Heritage Corner at theDeepavali Village where a SouthIndian sculptor will showcasehis works, creating art pieces infront of visitors. There are alsolessons on bangle making andhenna painting, giving visitors ataste of the Indian culture.In addition, the DeepavaliLight-Up Ceremony will giveSerangoon Road a burst of colouras the arches of decorative lightscome alive on September 20th.But the best time to bask in theexcitement is on Deepavali Evewhere the Deepavali CountdownParty at the Race Course OpenField will have a fireworksdisplay and performances bylocal Indian artistes.Glow ofthe lampsChinatown gets all dressed upwith colourful lanterns as theChinese celebrate the Mid-AutumnFestival. Iridescent lanterns hangat along the streets, ranging fromthe traditional paper ones to thebattery-operated ones.Prepare to be awed by 2,000lanterns made of aluminium cans,egg cartons and even toilet rollsat the Buddha Tooth Relic Templeand Museum. All original andhandmade, they are entries fromstudents competing in the LanternArt Competition. Visitors can votefor their favourite designs.Also central to this festival arethe mooncakes. Along Sago andSmith streets, the usual varietiessuch as lotus paste and durianflavoured ones are sold. However,one particular variety stands out:the Golden Walnut and Raisinmooncake at Bee Cheng Hiang isa die-die-must-try. The filling isthick but not too sweet, and thewalnut taste lingers.We could not find any newor exotic varieties at Chinatown– for that, you have to go to theGoodwood Park Hotel for their newmango mooncakes.Lanter ns and mooncakesare not the only attractions atChinatown this Mid-Autumn,though. Shopping is anotherhighlight, too.Most streets are lined withSTREET LIGHTS: Crowds stroll along under the canopy of lanterns in ChinatownPHOTO | NARERKRIT SINRACHTANANTstalls that not only sell Chinesehandicrafts and trinkets but alsoclothes and other accessories at amuch lower price than at popularshopping centres in town.Do try the delicacies atone of the street-side food stalls.Along Smith Street, rows of stallssell traditional Chinese pastriesand candies, as well as otakotak,German sausages and eventraditional Indonesian desserts.The best time to visit is in theevenings when the lights comeon, bringing the whole districtto life. Be warned though, It getscrowded then.For those who need helpnegotiating the busy streets orare interested in the history ofthe area, the Chinatown HeritageCentre offers free guided walkingtour to explain the cultures andtraditions of this ethnic enclave.

september 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle lifestyle 11reviewBOOKSThe Orientalist and The GhostSu s a n Ba rk er$28.90, available at BordersPublished by DoubledayWITH a narrative that constantlychanges, it is almost easy to get lostin the events and characters in TheOrientalist and The Ghost. The novelbegins in present-day London, whereChristopher Milnard is constantlyhaunted in his public housing flat bythe ghosts of his past. These phantomsare a stark reminder of his past in Malaya.We are then brought back to Malaya during the timeof the Emergency, when the war against Communismwas being waged in newly-built resettlement villages.Christopher, who is infatuated with Chinese culture andlearnt three different Chinese dialects, is sent to the Villageof Everlasting Peace as an assistant resettlement officer.There, he discovers the abject poverty of the villagersand despite the bad reputation of the British, manages toform a close relationship with them. While volunteering forthe Red Cross, he encounters the enigmatic Evangeline Lim,whom he begins an illicit affair with.The narrative then shifts to his grandson Adam, whotries to uncover the mystery behind his mother Frances’final days and Christopher’s frequent violent tirades whichhappen for no reason. The past and present unfold inflashbacks from Sally Hargreaves, Frances’ best friend inschool, as well as further revelations from Christopher andAdam, who looks back into his troubled childhood.Bit by bit, you are given more details, but never thefull picture. Startling revelations force readers to drawuncomfortable conclusions. The Orientalist and The Ghostis definitely not a feel good novel and the end simply bringsmore questions to mind, which keeps you pondering longafter you have turned the last page.While the novel may seem a tad dry and is in danger oflosing the interest of readers at certain points, press on andbe led into the treasure trove that is Susan Barker’s complexmind. By Elizabeth LawEscape from AmsterdamBa rrie Sh e r w o o d$25.70, available at BordersPublished by Granta BooksESCAPE from Amsterdam tells the storyof Aozora, a student whose studies areinterrupted by gangsters whom he owesa huge debt to.Hope seems to arrive for Aozora inthe form of his late aunt’s inheritance.But he discovers a stipulation to it—bothhe and his sister, Mai, have to be jointlypresent for the will to take effect.However, Mai has not been in contact with Aozora for ayear, making it difficult for him to track her down. Aozora’ssearch leads him to south of Japan, through the red-lightdistrict and the underworld, to a strange theme park knownas Amsterdam.He soon learns that he needs to pry his sister from theYakuza who run the Dutch-themed pleasure park. But Maidoes not want to desert her status as a lavish princess whoentertains the exclusive clientele.Aozora is difficult to relate to, because of his cynicismas a middle-class disaffected youth who dreams of thebribes he will pocket, upon working with the Ministry ofConstruction. His ability to laugh at himself, however, ismuch appreciated. It is seen in an instance when he givesa humourous play-by-play of his elevator escapade whiletrying to fend off a gang of thugs.Sherwood paints a seemingly mythical side of Japan thatwe may have heard of but never actually experienced—thepost-modern, tourist-driven, westernised Japan yearningfor its traditional roots. While the teenage student Aozoraseems to have concerns universal to every teenager, suchas financial difficulties, lost love, and the apathy of cultureand tradition, the fact that the bulk of the plot is set inAmsterdam, a venue where Japanese history is forsaken,suggests the demise of a culture the main character haslittle care for. By Nu r Ai n i Ma l ik“You’re theonly angel inmy life,The day newscame my bestfriend died,My kneeswent weakand you sawme cry,Say I’m stillthe soldier inyour eyes.”“I’m Yours” by The ScriptPHOTO | INTERNETMUSICWe Started NothingTh e Ti n g Ti n gs (In d i e Po p/Da n c e Pu n k)¯¯¯¯¯The ScriptTh e Scrip t (So f t Ro c k/Po p Ro c k)¯¯¯¯¯This Irish three-piece band is set to take2008 by storm with their intoxicating,melody-driven music. Their debut singleWe Cry is set to be a big hit.WHO would have thought that two R&B producers and aone-time session musician could come together to bring theindie house down?The Script is a three-man group hailing from Dublin,Ireland, that is being touted as “a whole new brand of Celticsoul”.For the more religious, the track Rusty Halo may appealto you. It refers to their Catholic upbringing and their fearof never making it to Heaven because they have sinned toomuch. In this track, they find themselves searching for thatsaving grace to get themselves out of Hell.And what album would be complete without a timelesslove song? The Script does not disappoint with I’m Yours—asthey attempt to win over the heart of one’s love with musicand most importantly, sincere lyrics. By Shereen Na a zCh a rl e s Sya r if fHere I StandUs h e r (R&B/So u l/Hip Ho p)The name “The Ting Tings” was inspiredby the Chinese dialect equivalent, whichmeans “an old bandstand”.The first thing you will notice about this new indie-pop duofrom the UK is probably their quirky band name, aptly chosensince their music is as offbeat and fun as their name implies.However, The Ting Tings are proving themselves to bemore than just another new band to enter the scene withtheir debut album, We Started Nothing.The album is an eclectic mix of catchy tunes and electrofuelledrhymes. Their first few singles, That’s Not My Name,Great DJ and Fruit Machine have already become stapleson many playlists all over the world.Other notable tracks include Be The One, which wasfeatured on popular TV show One Tree Hill. The Ting Tingshave already picked up the top spot for That’s Not My Nameon the UK Singles Chart. Keep your eyes (and ears) peeledfor this up and coming duo. By Au d r e y Tsen¯¯¯¯¯Usher, an American R&B and pop singersongwriter,has sold approximately 30million albums worldwide and won fiveGrammy Awards.THERE comes a time for most musicians to face a quantumleap in the music they produce. For Usher, it happened lastyear after his son was born, to whom he paid tribute to in hislatest musical offering. However, this change in musicalitymight not go down well with some.His lead single, Love in this Club, has an easy sing-alongchorus, making it a crowd and club pleaser, while most ofthe other songs fall short of expectation.There is an obvious difference between the first part ofthe album, which contain naughty songs with lyrics suchas “I’ll bag you like some groceries” and “I’m always on thetop, tonight I’m on the bottom”, and the latter part whichtouch on more raw emotions and love.While songs like Moving Mountains and His Mistakesare the epitome of Usher at his best, the album is too slow inpace and borders on boring. Indeed, when the hip gyrationbecomes baby-coddling, the music just is not what I canstand. By Kelvin Pa n g

12lifestyleseptember 15, 2008The nanyang chronicleFILMSThe Black Swindler (Kurosagi)Suspense/Dr a m a (PG)Tomohisa Yamashita, Maki Horitaka128minThere are three types of swindlersin the world: shirosagi, the whitecrane, who defrauds people oftheir money, and akasagi, thered crane, who deceives othersby manipulating their feelings.And then there’s the black crane,kurosagi, the ultimate swindlerwho swindles from these conartists.The black crane is TakashiKurosaki, played by popular actorTomohisa Yamashita. After beingduped, Kurosaki’s father committssuicide with the family. The onlysurvivor is Kurosaki, who swearsto avenge his family by getting ridof all the swindlers in the world.Kurosaki meets a little girl whoNNNNNis in need of a heart transplant,but her mother cannot afford theoperation as all her money hasbeen swindled. When Kurosaki’slatest target Ishigaki, a corporatefraudster, turns out to be theone who cheated her, he vows toswindle the money back.Based on the best-selling mangaand TV series, the movie’s mainfocus is on the relationship betweenKurosaki and his informant, ToshioKatsuragi (Tsutomu Yamazaki),which draws a parallel to therelationship of Shakespeare’sCaesar and Brutus.The film lacks motivationand direction, making it seemlike mere entertainment ratherthan suspense. There was nobuild-up to the climax, makingone wonder which scenes areactually the climatic parts in thisbadly-written story. The theme ofjustice that was the driving forceof the manga and TV series islost in the film, especially whenlaw student Tsurara Yoshikawa(Maki Horikita) and police officerMasaru Kashima (Sho Aikawa)turn into mere onlookers, insteadof justice enforcers, throughoutthe movie.Towards the end, the conflictbetween Kurosaki and Katsuragiremains unsolved, leaving behind anunsatisfied audience. Throughoutthe two hours of the movie,Kurosaki’s relationship with theother cast remains the same asit was at the beginning of themovie. So watch this only ifyou’re a fan of Yamashita (whichI’m sure a lot of girls are) or ifyou enjoy a crime movie. Otherthan that, save your money forsomething else.By Sa l f a r i za h Sa l e hWall-EAn i ma t i o n (G)Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver103 minutesNNNNNStar Wars: The Clone WarsAn i ma t i o n (PG/So m e Ac t i o n Vi o l e n c e)Matt Lanter, Ian Abercrombie, Greg Ellis99 minutesNNNNNWith a pair of binoculars as eyesthat look perpetually sorrowful,and the soul of an angel, it ishard not to like WALL-E (WasteAllocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) at first sight, especiallywhen he recites his name in anadorable voice.Being the last robot trashcompactor on Earth left behindby humans who went to live inouter space on luxury spaceshipAxiom, WALL-E’s life for thepast hundreds of years has beenmonotonous as he gathers trash,recharges using solar power, feedshis pet cockroach and collectsseemingly useless junk in hishome, day after day.Things change when he getshold of a living plant, which is thekey in order for humans to comeback to Earth to live. WALL-Ehands it to Eve, a sleek, futuristicwhite robot with blue eyes whohas come to Earth in search forliving things. As he falls in lovewith Eve and chases her acrossthe galaxy and eventually toAxiom, the two robots set offon a mission to fulfill their‘directive’.For a movie without muchdialogue in the first half, thecreators at Pixar AnimationStudios ( who brought you TheIncredibles, Cars, Ratatouille)certainly impress by portrayingWALL-E’s character vividlywith human quirks and settingnew standards with stunningvisuals in the outer spacescenes.Some may notice a fewreal life similarities in theanimation. For instance, whenWALL-E recharges fully, thebooting up sound effect is thesame as when one boots upany Macintosh computer. Evealso looks like it came out ofan Apple design room.With not-so-subtle themesrelating to environmentalissues, it makes for a greateducational movie for all ages,with a predictable ending to thestory. By Ko h Ji ng Ji ngEVERY Star Wars screeningwarrants applause at the start,simply for the universal appealmaestro George Lucas hascreated.But as the seventh bigscreenrelease—after the originalEpisodes I to VI— begins withoutthe classic opening crawl andinstead, with a narration of thecurrent messy situation in thegalaxy, it turns into a differentStar Wars experience.The film is set between Attackof the Clones and Revenge of theSith, a three-year span amidstthe Clone Wars. If you do notknow your Anakin Skywalkerfrom your Luke Skywalker,this period saw the last majorconflict of the Galactic Republic,between the Republic army andthe Separatist droid forces.In the midst of turmoil,Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta iskidnapped, and Jedi KnightAnakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter)is sent to investigate. A padawanapprentice is attached to him, abrash youngling named AhsokaTano (Ashley Eckstein).To complete the roster of keyfemale characters in this movie,their nemesis is the rogue DarkJedi Asajj Ventress, an underling ofSith lord Count Dooku (ChristopherLee).The first animated feature ofthe franchise, Star Wars: The CloneWars is also the first non-Lucasdirectedfilm since Return of theJedi, with greenhorn Dave Filonitaking over.The plot is promising but thestor y crawls chronologically.Nevertheless, Star Wars addicts whodesire the enduring intergalacticfare should be glad with the battlescenes and lightsaber-wielding ondisplay throughout almost all 99minutes.Ironically, it is in the animationwhere the film spirals out of control.The $8.5 million production palesin comparison to Episodes I toIII, where each cost over $100million to make and the CGI lookscheap when compared to otheranimated movies.The scenery and timelessStar Wars technology are a plus,and resemble live action, butthe straight-faced rigidity of thecharacters is hard to bear. It doesnot help that animation directorsJesse Yeh and Kevin Jong arerelatively new, with the latter’sonly credit being the flop EightLegged Freaks.This movie comes across asa more light-hearted versionof the usual Star Wars. Banterand humour are aplenty, mostsignificantly between the droidsand during the staged surrenderof Obi-Wan Kenobi.And because it’s more “cute”than anything else, Clone Warscannot be given the Star Warsstamp of authority.By Ta n Th ia m Pe n g

september 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle lifestyle 13through the looking glassI went for the MRT PubCrawl and all I got wasthis lousy T-shirt..Clad in their loud orange tees, the MRT Pub Crawlparticipants were a rowdy, lively bunch as theytravelled from Boon Lay to the heart of the clubbingscene in Orchard.by Fo o Ch e e Ch a n gTa n Zi JieA majority of them were international students,but each group formed an easy camaderie with eachother, using the time spent on the train to play truthor-dareand other ice-breaker games.The event proved that the best way for one tomake friends and relax is over a drink or two....and a hangover

wwUndergraduate Investment ForumISSUE 11 | NTU INVESTMENT INTERACTIVE CLUB | WWW.NTU-IIC.ORGInvesting-ly YoursNTU Investment Interactive Club —exclusively for you to learn, to have fun andto enjoy life!By Bernice ZhangWHAT a blast it has been since the startof the new academic year!To kickstart after the inauguralhandover from the acclaimed 9thExecutive Committee, the NTUInvestment Interactive Club (NTU-IIC)successfully attracted approximately1,000 membership signups during ourRecruitment Drive.Reaching out to more than just studentsfrom the Business school, we had a hugeproportion of new members from thevarious Arts and Engineering facultiesand even budding young teachers fromthe National Institute of Education! Thiscertainly put NTU-IIC in a good stead foran exciting year ahead.Learning Investing the Fun WayThe week of the Recruitment Drive alsosaw us through The National CashflowCompetition 2008. Over 500 studentparticipants from approximately 30secondary schools, junior colleges andtertiary institutions pit head-on againsteach other in the Finals on 17 August.The Cashflow 101 boardgame, designed byMr Robert Kiyosaki (author of bestsellerRich Dad, Poor Dad), was a great hitwith the students as frequent squeals ofexcitement rang through Millenia Walk.Bearing an uncanny resemblance tothe real world, players in the game hadto recognize potential investments andSpecial Privileges for IIC Card holders. For moreinformation, log on to www.ntu-iic.org now!swiftly grabbed their chances to worktheir way out of the “rat race”. Thewinning teams walked away as proudowners of new SONY VAIO Laptops andWalkmans.Spurred on by the success of NationalCashflow Competition 2008, NTU-IIClaunched the iCube OCBC SecuritiesStock Challenge 2008 with aplomb on 6September. To hail the commencement ofone of the largest online stock challengesorganized by students, for students,approximately 1,000 participants andinvited guests combined their efforts tocreate Singapore’s largest Stock Chartout of 1,008 cups. Filled with a speciallyconcocted mocktail, Bearly Bull Dream,this artistic installation entered theSingapore Book of Records as the “LargestMocktail Drink Cups Display”.In line with NTU-IIC’s vision of moving“Towards a Knowledgeable InvestingStudent Population”, Mr Hui Yew Ping,Managing Director, OCBC SecuritiesPte Ltd spoke on why it is important forour youths to learn about our economy,“We believe financial aptitude is a crucialpart of education, therefore, we see thevalue in supporting such initiatives.” Headded, “Such games allow our youths tolearn the importance of long-term andprudent investing, and I believe suchlessons will help them get an early start onthe road to wealth creation and financialindependence.”Using the sophisticated iOCBC virtualonline trading platform, aspiring younginvestors were able to trade with theirWIN! QUICK QUIZ 11We are giving away 10 sets ofSubway Vouchers!Answer the questions below and e-mailto: uif.quiz@ntu-iic.orgDeadline: 26 September 2008.BATTLE OF THE BEST: The National Cashflow Competition 2008 at Millenia Walkstarting capital of SGD 100,000 basedon real-time stock prices obtained directfrom the Singapore Exchange. Over thecourse of 3 weeks, 2,700 witty younginvestors competed for the top honourand SGD9,000 worth of cash prizes.Investing-ly YoursNTU-IIC is not all about organisingfinancial events and seminars. Mr JeremyTeo, Senior Vice-President of NTU-IICand Chairman of the IIC Card Committeeaffirmed, “I have always believed that thecornerstone of a successful organisationis its committed member base. Only bybringing the best to them, will we be ableto impart that sense of attachment to theclub, which will live on even upon theirgraduation.”NTU-IIC has made history as thefirst student club to issue exclusivemembership cards, personalized for eachand every member. Complimentary forall NTU-IIC members, this card allowsbearer to automatically gain membershipinto Securities Investors Association(Singapore), an association whose objectiveis to educate, inform and protect Singaporeretail investors.Said Mr David Gerald, President and CEOof SIAS, “SIAS is working closely with NTU-IIC because we believe that these membersare the people who will be developing thecapital markets of Singapore. An educatedinvestment and intelligent investmentcommunity would help develop the capitalmarkets fast, make the market mature, givethe families a better living, and thereforesociety will do better.”There has been much hype in the studentpopulation upon the introduction of the IICCard. Ms Joyce Yee, a second year Bankingand Finance student piped, “NTU-IIC hasprovided me with a platform to learn moreabout the basics of investment. It is evenmore enticing to be a member this year,with the upcoming IIC Card and its manyperks!”The IIC card provides members with theprivilege of enrolling for SIAS investmentseminars at discounted rates, allowingthem to continually engage in investmenteducation. It will also entitle all NTU-IICmembers to enjoy exclusive discounts atleading retail outlets, including Chocz andNew Urban Male.With the strong support of our partners,including OCBC Securities Pte Ltd and SIAS,coupled with the many exciting upcomingevents such as the Next Fund Manager, thisupcoming year promises to be investing-lysensational!1) How much starting virtual capitalwere the participants of the OCBCSecurities Stock Challenge 2008 given?2) Name 2 retail outlets where you areentitled to special privileges as a NTU-IIC Card bearer.Please set the subject of mail as “Quick Quiz 11”and leave a mobile number.NTU IIC reserves the right to change the prize of the quizwithout prior notice.Should you have any enquiries, please emailto enquiries@ntu-iic.org.Un d e r g r a d uat e In v e s t m e n t Fo r u mBrought to you by:www.ntu-iic.orgwww.subcraze.comwww.iocbc.com

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE 8 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Bangkok10110 ThailandCONDOMS, condoms everywhere—this restaurant is definitely not onefor the prudes.The aptly-named Cabbages andCondoms restaurant, tucked awayin a nondescript soi [Thai for sidestreet],is an attraction in itself.There are literally thousands ofcondoms, in every flavour and size,used to decorate lamps and tabletops, hung from the ceiling andeven featured in the menu.A walk up the entrance laneto the restaurant seems innocentenough, with no hint of what isto come. But as the hostess leadsyou further in to the two-storydining area, you are greeted byCaptain Condom—a mannequin,decked out inwhat else, butcondoms andcontraceptivepills!But this themedrestaurant isn’t aboutthe frivolity of sex—quitethe contrary.The restaurant does havea serious agenda, which is toraise awareness on AIDSand population control.It also supports a host of ruraldevelopment programs.For example, diners can get afoot massage by blind masseusesat a reasonable price. And ifpatrons want a memory of thisone-of-a-kind restaurant, they canpurchase condom-related itemsand traditional Thai handicraftworks like woven silk and woodenfigurines.The establishment startedwith Mechai Viravaidya, one ofThailand’s biggest philanthropistsand former health minister of thecountry. He champions the causefor birth control and aims to makecontraceptives as widely availableand the preferred choice, just asmuch as cabbages are.Pairing the two odd elementstogether seems to have workedwell. The restaurant has garneredmuch attention and constantlyreceives rave reviews frompatrons.Besides the cheeky ambience,the food speaks for itself—therestaurant is consistently rated asone of Bangkok’s best restaurantsto dine at.If the hanging condomsand sex toys make you blush,concentrate on the food instead.Their spicy soups, prepared theauthentic Thai way, and thewhole array of delectable foodlike pan-grilled chicken, spicypapaya salad and banana frittersis guaranteed to arouse yoursenses. Dinner is reasonablypriced, usually costing betweenS$15 to $30 per head.And, if, at the end of it all, yourCabbages and Condoms experiencehas got you feeling a little frisky,remember to take the check beforeyou leave.The naughty touch of leavingcondoms, instead of mints, willdefinitely come in handy!LATEX FASHIONS: Wearing clothes made entirely of condoms, the mannequins atCabbages and Condoms promote safe sex. PHOTO | COURTESYCHOCOLATEY DELIGHT: These chocolate pastries make for a lovely afternoon tea.PHOTOS | COURTESY11 Pho Cha Ca,Hoan Kiem District, HanoiTel: 923 1500A COOKING training school thatprovides hospitality opportunitiesfor the under privilegedVietnamese youths, Baguette etChocolat is usually patronizedby Caucasian travellers butmay be a little less known toSingaporean backpackers.Even though the pastries andcakes sold are “practice food”,they are good enough to winrave reviews by travel bloggersand even The New York Times.As its enticing namesuggests, the café does indeedsells baguettes and chocolates.The palm-sized freshly bakedchocolate tarts (aroundSGD1.50), are their best seller.They are usually snapped up in afew hours after being chilled onthe display shelves.However, other chocolatepastries, such as the MillefeuilleChocolat and Delice definitely donot disappoint. Rich, moist anddecadent, each chocolate pastryhas its unique flavour. With pricesmuch lower than the pastries soldat our local Starbucks, these cakeswill not only please the traveller’spalate but his or her pocket aswell.Tastefully served on large,square ceramic plates, thebaguettes, packed full with freshvegetables and fillings, andare guaranteed to satisfy anybackpacker’s hunger pangs.Go barefooted and relax onlow modern wicker sofas on theparquet-floored lounge area atthe second-storey. Chill out witha thirst quenching glass of PeachDaiquiri that costs no more thanSGD10. Couple that with a sliceof Apple Crumble topped with icecream, also less than SGD10, andtea time in Hanoi could never besweeter.Bauguette et Chocolat is one ofthe five cafes and restaurants runby Hoa Sua School, a NGO, anda school, that provides vocationaltraining for needy youths. Todate, more than 17,000 studentshave graduated from the school.As working in the resturant issimilar to taking the final exambefore working in restaurants andhotels around Vietnam, serviceand food quality are assured.Do a good deed while havinga satisfying meal the nexttime you visit Hanoi as moneycollected goes towards helpingdisadvantaged youths. So eat toyour heart’s content and leavewith your tummy full and yourconscience contented.

StaySingapHEALTHY LIVINGFrom personalised welcome notesin the room to helping guests runa bath, Naumi puts its touch oneverything.For instance, small cards with“Naumi says...” are placed aroundthe room (and hotel), urgingguests to spare a thought for theenvironment or to help themselvesto drinks.Hidden in a lane near theNational Library, this posh hotelis easily overlooked. It is oftenmistaken for an executive lounge orcafe as its reception area is small.But step inside and it is not longbefore you feel pampered. Naumiprides itself as supporting a healthylifestyle, and has various exercisefacilities for doing weights, cardioand yoga.In addition, Sunday morningsare dedicated to yoga classes bythe poolside.The morning breakfast spreadeven includes vitamin pills.“We want to show people that weare serious about healthy eating,”said Ms Adeline Quek, MarketingManager of the hotel.The highlight was the kingsizedbed.The plush quilt and 300 threadcount sheets allowed me to sink intosleep, literally. However, the pillowswere a tad too light for me so I hadto stack up two pillows to avoid anaching neck.Perhap apt for a businesstraveller used to such luxuries,I found it a bit too posh to becomfortable. State-of-art was thekeyword, from the shower systemto the coffee maker, which mademe feel slightly awkward. I did notknow where I should start beingimpressed.That said, you can count oncomfort and top-notch service.Adjustable lighting, velvety floorrugsand a rotatable television setshow how much thought has goneinto the roomsPay extra for a room with abathtub. Dim the lights and relaxin the warm water. If you’re worriedabout wasting water, the rain bathattached to every bathroom. wouldbe a better choice insteadThe infinity pool on the top floorof the hotel gives swimmers a viewthe Marina Bay skyline.With the cool weather and tall,cosmopolitan buildings around me,I really felt like I had the world atmy feet.There are six different rooms withroom rates starting from $370 Thereare festive packages on offer to helpyou celebrate in luxury and style.CULTURAL SCENE

THE NANYANG CHRONICLEingoreRUSTIC RELAXATIONDAY breaks, the sound of birdschirping and dogs yapping fillthe air, as the mating calls of thebullfrogs die down. The horses andponies are saddled, awaiting thesteady stream of children, who starein wide-eyed wonder at the gentleanimals. I sat on the porch and tookit all in, among luscious greeneryand a healthy dose of fresh air.C o m m o n e n o u g h i n t h ecountryside, but in Singapore?Spend a night at the Rider’s Lodgeand you too, would be forgiven forforgetting that you are still here.This colonial-style lodge issteeped in the horse racing historyof Singapore. It has 40 rooms,designed with rodeo-inspiredpictures and artefacts, and openedin March 2008.Small, yet cosy describes theway the different sized rooms aredesigned. It is hardly extravagant– there are no monogrammed soapbars, huge bathtub to lounge in nordesigner chocolates left on the bed– but it oozed comfort and a homelyfeel. The bed made for a good night’ssleep and I was rested when I leftthe Lodge.Travellers often judge a place bythe state of bathrooms, especially insmaller hotels. At the Rider’s Lodge,they are simple yet provide towelsand soap.The relaxed feel does not stopthere. Surrounding the lodge areactivities for the guests. Horsecity,which manages the area, has ponyfeeding sessions at different timesof the day. The Lodge gives out freevouchers for horseriding in a quietpaddock nearbySaddle-soreness can be swiftlydealt with at Sylvia’s Secrets nearby,with services from massages tomanicures and pedicures. Its earthydecor blends in with the lazyfeel of the area and encouagesholiday indulgence. Keeping withthe atmosphere, Om Shiva Yogacentre has lessons at $20 each forthose who want to mediate or evenlearn something new.As there is no designated diningarea – the Lodge only servesbreakfast - walk on down to Picotin,a bistro-bar that serves up authenticEuropean food. Sit outside on thepatio and enjoy the cool breezewhile biting into a piping hot pizza,cooked in a wood-burning oven.Most people converge at thecentre of Picotin, at its horse-shoeshaped bar, where happy hour startsat 12 noon, so it is easy to lose track oftime as you sit sipping ice-cold beersand watching people go by.The chill- out aura at the Rider’sLodge and the surrounding businessesdraw people who want get away fromthe hustle and bustle of the city. Itsremoteness is an attraction in itself,so be careful, you might never wantto leave.Deluxe rooms start at $225 while itcosts $350 for a night in their suites.All guests receive complimentarybreakfast. It is easier to makebookings through the Internet.NESTLED among residential blocksin Tiong Bahru, you might expectthe relatively new Link Hotel tostand out against the backdropof the old estate. But its facade isminimal and modest, which allowsit to blend in.The excellent service that greetedme upon my arrival redeemed myreservations.The rooms are unique with eachcarefully designed to fit with aChinese, Malay, Indian or Moderntheme.The Chinese themed room whereI spent the night had lantern-likelampshades and traditional paintingsof teapots on the wall. Although theroom did evoke a quaint Chinese feel,I felt that it was insufficientAccording to Duty Manager MrIrwan Tommy, plans are underwayto improve the design of therooms. After all, Link Hotel is ayear old.Nevertheless, the simplicitymade me feel comfortable andright at home.Waking up in the morning tothe sight of old shophouses outsidemy window transported me back intime. It was the perfect moment tolie in bed, relishing the calm andstillness of the day.The Chinese-themed room haslantern-like lamps which cast asoothing, soft red glow.If you prefer a bright room, theIndian-themed room with its richgold decor and feeling of luxury.The hotel’s buffet breakfastis worth getting up early for, butbreakfast hours are only until 10am,which may be too early for some. Ifyou choose to sleep in though, headdown to Tiong Bahru Market.It is a short walk away from thehotel and is a well-known haven forlocal delicaciesSuperior room prices start at $280++,deluxe rooms at $380++. Suites willcost you $600++ a nightGROOVY SEVENTIESTHE 1970s was the era of groovymoves and psychedelic colours thatwere shocking yet bold. But manyfound the era gaudy and uncool,and soon the bellbottoms and tiedyedclothes were stashed away,forgotten.Come the 21st century, it seemsthat a revival of the 70s is undeway,not only on the fashion scene but ininterior designing as well. Hotel Re!brings the 70s back in style.Formerly Pearl’s Hill PrimarySchool, it was converted into a12-storey boutique hotel for thebusiness crowd. Since it opened inMarch, it has seen a steady streamof walk-in tourists and onlinebookings.Every part of Hotel Re! defies therule book of hotel room decor. Thecolours are strident and vivid — acontrast to the usual calm, earthyhues of most hotels. Here, expectall your senses to be overwhelmedby clashing colours, geometricpatterns and unusual materials likeplastics and vinyl.Step into the lobby and marvelat the neon pink, red, orange andgold hues lavishly used to deck outwall panels and the reception desk.Relive classic 70s sci fi programmeslike Space 1999 as you head upto your room in a silver linedelevator.Each floor has a different colourtheme of pink, red, yellow, green,purple and orange to complimentcultural icons of the era. Silhouettesof stars like John Travolta, BruceLee and Elvis Presley outline roomwalls with their famed poses.T he lobby a nd room s a redecorated with 70s furniture likeegg-shaped swivel chairs. Thereare shag carpets and vinyl materiallining the walls. It is definitely athrowback to that boisterous era.There’s no sweating it out atHotel Re! — rejuventate and get amassage instead. For $25 for 40minutes, a masseuse will knead outhard knots. Massages can also bedone in the comfort of your room.If you have the extra cash tosplurge, opt for one of the threedifferent coloured suites. Choosefrom the trappings of gold, silverand bronze featuring different iconslike James Bond, Charlie’s Angelsand The Saint.The centrepiece of the rooms isthe waterbed, a fad of the 70s thatlost its popularity over the years.It makes a shagedelic comebackin Hotel Re! so jump right in andexperience floating on water, as yousleep soundly away.Bathrooms in Suites have Jacuzziswhich overlook the city, providinga panoramic view of the landscapeas you soak up the romanticatmosphere with a loved one.Rooms are priced starting at $180++for superior rooms on the weekdays.On the weekend, specials startat $168++ and includes javanesemaassages and continental breakfastfor two.

THE NANYANG CHRONICLEIN A completely unexpectedmove, search giant Google Inc.released an in-progress version ofits Chrome browser last week tomuch fanfare, after accidentallyleaking a 38-page comic book onits features and workings.The open-source browser,compiled from at least 26 differentcode libraries, was designed withspeed, stability and security inmind, according to a Googlespokesperson.While it would undoubtedly befoolish to call Google an underdogin whatever new market it choosesto enter, the fact is that in the realmof the browsers, it is. Over 73% ofthe world’s internet users use aversion of Microsoft’s InternetExplorer (IE), and Microsoft hasbeen taking notice of anotherupstart in the browser market,Mozilla Corporation’s Firefox,another open-source effort funded(in part) by Google. The Redmondgiant has already taken steps toinnovate IE8, the next version ofthe ubiquitous browser.With such an entrenched userbase on IE, analysts speculate thatChrome might be cannibalizingon Firefox market share instead.Even then, that would be an uphilltask for Google, since Firefoxbrings along a large community ofdevelopers and a whole buffet ofextension and add-on options.But Google’s Senior VicePresident for IT research, DavidMitchell, is unperturbed: “It’s inour interest to make the internetbetter, and without competition,we have stagnation.”And the folks at Redmondshould indeed be worried. WithChrome, users would probablybe able to integrate Google’soffice suite and streaming siteYouTube more seamlessly thanwith competing browsers. Notto mention the slew of otherapplications that have began theirexodus off the desktop and to theonline realm.The disdain for Microsoft isnot even concealed: Google’s aimsfor Chrome include turning thebrowser into “a great foundation forsophisticated web applications thatcompete with desktop programs”,according to a post on the officialGoogle blog.If Google gets its right, userswill spend more time on theirbrowsers than anywhere elseon the computer, making theoperating system – Microsoft’sprimary source of revenue –largely irrelevant.So what happens when you pitthe largest web company in theworld against the largest softwarecompany in the world? A hell of afight for sure.A MORE VERSATILE HOME: Chrome tricks out the homepage to include frequently visited sites, recently closed tabs, bookmarks and a search bar. PHOTO | INTERNETChrome brings many thingsto the table, not least of all a reexaminationof what the venerablebrowser can do.The browser’s list ofcompelling features begins withits multiprocess architecture.By having every tab and everywindow run its own process, aslowdown, misrender or crash inone process would not affect therest of the pages being browsed.This approach also increasessecurity by sandboxing, whichis the isolation of each site andpage in a limited environment,preventing malware from easilycrossing over to the desktop.A major grouse with the adventof tabbed browsing was thatcomparing two web pages side-bysidehas become a chore. Chrometackles this problem by allowingusers to pull a tab out and intoits own window and to replaceit back as easily. The options ofstarting the browser in differenttab configurations and allowingfor tabs to be grouped togetheralso makes tabbed browsing moreuser-friendly than previouslythought possible.Chrome’s high peformanceJavascript engine, dubbed V8, hasalso bested both IE and Firefoxin most speed tests conductedtill date, making it the speediestbrowser in the market today.In a nod towards Opera,Chrome has also reinterpretedwhat a homepage is. The defaultdynamic homepage displays thenine most-visited sites, withsnapshots to boot, together withthe most commonly used searchengine and bookmarks. Prefera traditional homepage? Thesetting can be changed easily.As with all new releases,and even with the mightyGoogle, Chrome still has roomfor improvement.Last Monday’s discoveryof a critical vulnerability inthe browser, which could haveallowed a malicious third-partyto take control of the affected PC,shows that even after two yearsof internal development bugsdo crop up sometimes. To thecompany’s credit, a patch wasreleased shortly that eliminatedthe problem.Another area that Chrome isseverely lacking at the momentis a sizeable community ofdevelopers to build an ecosystemof add-ons and plug-ins for thef ledging browser, for whichboth its biggest competitors IE(and Firefox especially) have inspades. Without such support,Google, no matter its technologicaland financial muscle, will behard pressed to entice users awayfrom their current browsers that,with near-endless options forcustomization, have made the websurfingexperience richer.Whatever the case may be,there is little doubt that the browserwars have been blown wide openwith the release of Chrome. It isnot so much a question of whetherGoogle’s new toy will succeed, butthe extent to which it will redefinehow we look at and use the internet.If the search giant manages to spurfurther innovation in the browserarena, consumers are sure tob e n e fi t .The dark horse might justbecome the shiny new thoroughbredin town.

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE PHOTO | INTERNETFOR a smartphone, the iPhone isprobably quite dumb by today'sstandards.It doesn't allow you to copy-andpastetext, forward text messages,search through emails, recordvideo, share files via Bluetooth, sendmultimedia messages (MMS), editOffice documents, and the list goeson. It has no hardware keyboard,no removable battery, no way toexpand the memory, no support forFlash files and only a two megapixelcamera.Some of these deficienciesare startling and enough reasonto keep some users away froman iPhone completely. But whywould thousands of others queue atSingTel's ComCentre on the midnightof August 22nd nevertheless, waitingsome three hours to get their handson the iPhone?There is no lack of reviews on theiPhone everywhere. Most of them,however, tend to focus on what theiPhone can or cannot do. But just likethe iPods, the iPhone really is aboutdoing things with style. Style is afterall the reason why iPods are the bestsellingportable music players arounddespite costing more and doing lessthan its competitors.In the case of the iPhone, styleis defined largely by an intuitiveand consistent interface: intuitivebecause you navigate it with thumbsand fingers on virtual buttons sizedcomfortably for use; consistentbecause the same swiping, pinchingand tapping finger gestures workthroughout the entire iPhoneoperating system and its third-partyapplications.Style is not about looks andfeel; it is really about how thingswork. Examining the oft-dubbed"iPhone killers" for instance—theSamsung Omnia and the HTCTouch Diamond—reveals that thereis no shortage of eye candies.Although both phones haveattempted to emulate the iPhoneby allowing users to scroll throughtheir custom interfaces with theswipe of a finger, such behaviouris not consistent throughout theentire phone.The problem arises when usersare thrown out of these custominterfaces, which are no more thanapplication launchers, into nativeWindows Mobile applications. Atwhich point, finger swiping nolonger works and buttons return totheir standard miniature sizes thatare more suited for the pin-pointprecision of a stylus than for usewith fingertips or thumbs.In contrast, because the iPhonewas designed from the start to beused entirely with fingers andthumbs, every aspect of the itsinterface works well and naturallywithout the need for additionalinput devices (the Diamond includesa stylus and the Omnia an opticalmouse).Web surfing is probably thegreatest strength of the iPhone.Several of its features make surfingon it feasible and enjoyable: First,the bright, large and high-resolutionscreen displays text clearly andcrisply; second, the swiping andpinching finger gestures allow forquick and natural navigation ofwebpages; and third, the built-inmobile Safari browser displayswebpages quickly and accurately.The caveats are that theiPhone's browser cannot handleFlash (which locks you out of mostweb videos, as with the Omniaand the Diamond) and Java (usedmainly for internet banking andsome payment services).But for just about everythingelse the iPhone surfs the web as wellas a computer. You can access mostof the university's web services,such as StudentLink, Edventureand WebMail. Outside campus,having the internet available at yourfingertips everywhere can save youthe agony of wasting money on abad product or a lousy movie.A case in point: a day after Ibought the iPhone, I went shoppingfor a protective case. Unsure whichcase out of a dozen different brandswas better, I took out my iPhone,launched Safari, checked out thebest-rated case on ilounge.com,picked it up and went home a happycustomer.I am a self-confessed emailaddict. Most of the time though it isnot because I enjoy obsessing overthem, but because how quickly I amable to respond to some emails canmean whether a last-minute story iscovered in the Chronicle, or whetherthe editorial team gets to go homefor dinner or supper on Friday ofproduction week.Setting up Gmail to work throughIMAP on the iPhone is a breeze. It isa shame though that the university'sweb mail server does not supportIMAP when NUS, SMU and othermajor universities do.No discussion of the iPhoneemailing capabilities is completewithout talking about the itstouchscreen-only keyboard. Cochiefexecutive Mike Lazaridis ofResearch in Motion, the companythat makes the BlackBerry, wasquoted April this year in The NewYork Times, saying: "I couldn’t typeon it and I still can’t type on it, and alot of my friends can’t type on it. It’shard to type on a piece of glass."Like Lazaridis, I thought I wouldhave hated the iPhone's keyboard.But I ended up liking it. Sure I makemistakes on it all the time, but theauto-correction technology worksso well that I can type close to 40words per minute on it using boththumbs now.Ironically, for the amount ofaversion the BlackBerry-makerhas towards the iPhone's keyboard,I found the lack of a real plastickeyboard a blessing in disguise.Because there’s no real buttons topress, typing requires minimaleffort and results in no sore thumbsafter typing a long email.Finding your way around thebuilt-in Google maps applicationwith the scrolling, pinching anddouble tapping gestures beatsflipping the street directory anyday. And when you do make a wrongturn somewhere and find yourselflost, the built-in GPS of the iPhone3G can locate you on the map most ofthe time in a matter of seconds, fromwhich you can have the iPhone plana route to your destination.Surprisingly Google maps canlocate precisely whatever addressyou throw at it, as long as a blocknumber and street name is included.Searching for companies andrestaurants is more of a hit-andmissaffair though since Googlemaps does not have a comprehensivedatabase of businesses in Singaporeyet.The iPhone, 3G or not, is farfrom perfect. Features-wise, the newiPhone continues to suffer from someserious omission of features, some ofthem so basic in handphones todaythat the question is inevitably raisedof why a state-of-the-art phone canbe so primitive in some areas.Performance-wise, the newiPhone 2.0 software no longer runsas smoothly and stably as its oldercounterpart. Some parts of the phonenow feel sluggish, particularlywhen searching through contacts.Some applications crash everynow and then, and the phone itselfhangs or restarts randomly oncein a while (mine hung once andrestarted twice in the three weeksof extensive use).The iPhone 2.1 update releasedlast Friday promises to fix all these,but until more testing is done,it remains to be seen if all theproblems will be fully addressed.For a smartphone that does alot more, I have highlighted onlythree functions that the iPhone doesexceptionally well in. These alone,along with the phone features ofcourse, would have justified theprice of the iPhone for me.But for others, it could havebeen the iPod within—which I alsouse and like but did not write aboutin this article—having YouTube onthe go, or the many third-partyapplications that are available toinstall right on the iPhone.The iPhone is great for peoplewho are literally addicted to theinternet, want to get work done onthe go and appreciate good style.For me, the two-and-a-half hoursof travelling time daily can nowbe spent working on drafts forthe Chronicle or just surfing theweb—that and listening to music.Even queueing for food in canteenB becomes bearable.But if you're one of those whoare even considering not takingup a data plan with your iPhone,you are better off spending yourmoney elsewhere—the iPhone isabout having the internet with youeverywhere.

Eason 唱 到 忘 我 , 脱 外 套 脱 鞋 子—— 刊 24 页新 闻华 文 教 研 中 心 将 于 明 年 成 立鞠 欣 航 ● 报 道府 宣 布 教 育 部 将 与 国 立政 教 育 学 院 合 作 , 于 2009年 中 旬 成 立 华 文 教 研 中 心 。 此教 研 中 心 致 力 于 培 训 本 地 华 文教 师 , 以 提 升 新 加 坡 华 文 的 整体 水 平 , 同 时 也 希 望 吸 引 外 国人 到 新 加 坡 学 习 中 文 。李 显 龙 总 理 是 在 《 联 合 早报 》85 周 年 报 庆 晚 宴 上 讲 话时 , 做 出 以 上 的 宣 布 。政 府 设 立 这 所 中 心 就 是 要 为华 文 教 师 提 供 培 训 机 会 , 从 而协 助 教 师 们 完 成 这 项 任 重 道 远的 工 作 。 建 立 华 文 教 研 中 心 对新 加 坡 来 说 具 有 重 大 的 意 义 。据 调 查 显 示 , 本 地 家 中 主 要 用英 语 交 流 的 华 族 学 生 由 1988 年的 20% 增 加 到 2008 年 的 55%。数 据 说 明 华 文 在 过 去 的 10 年 内使 用 率 明 显 下 降 。因 此 , 教 师 们 更 需 要 运 用 创新 的 教 学 方 法 来 培 养 学 生 学 习华 语 的 兴 趣 。 随 着 中 国 经 济 的鹏 飞 , 学 习 华 语 也 变 得 越 加 重要 。 再 则 , 新 加 坡 地 处 中 西 枢纽 , 她 的 双 语 环 境 更 为 建 立 华文 教 研 中 心 提 供 了 得 天 独 厚 的条 件 。此 教 研 中 心 预 计 在 短 期 一 年内 培 训 25% 在 职 华 文 教 师 , 并在 5 年 内 完 成 对 新 加 坡 在 职 的 所有 教 师 的 培 训 。 教 研 中 心 的 长期 目 标 是 希 望 成 为 一 个 为 区 域及 国 际 的 华 文 教 师 提 供 专 业 咨询 和 培 训 服 务 的 中 心 , 并 专 门于 培 训 学 前 教 育 的 华 文 教 师 及以 华 文 为 第 二 语 文 或 外 语 教 学的 海 外 教 师 。华 文 教 研 中 心 将 由 新 加 坡教 育 部 和 国 立 教 育 学 院 合 作 设立 。 中 心 建 立 首 三 年 将 坐 落 于锦 茂 小 学 的 现 址 。华 文 教 研 中 心 虽 附 属 于 国 立教 育 学 院 , 但 拥 有 自 主 权 。 新加 坡 报 业 控 股 华 文 报 兼 报 章 服务 集 团 执 行 副 总 裁 胡 以 晨 已 受委 担 任 董 事 局 主 席 ; 正 副 院 长则 由 国 立 教 育 学 院 的 助 理 教 授陈 之 权 博 士 和 陈 志 锐 博 士 分 别担 任 。 教 育 部 高 级 政 务 部 长 傅海 燕 将 出 任 董 事 局 顾 问 。新 加 坡 报 业 控 股 华 文 报 兼 报 章 服 务 集 团 执 行 副 总 裁 胡 以 晨 ( 右 二 ) 已 受 委 担 任 于 2009 年 成 立 的 新 加坡 华 文 研 教 中 心 董 事 局 主 席 。 照 片 | 国 立 教 育 学 院 提 供中 文 学 会 口 琴 团 《 星 空 ● 心 弦 ● 琴 》 演 奏 会道 。负 责 策 划 这 次 演 出 的 筹 长 吴佳 翰 受 访 时 表 示 , 视 障 人 士 往往 因 为 自 己 的 缺 陷 而 对 观 赏 音穿 越 时 光 回 到 童 年黄 顺 杰 ● 报 道了 让 大 家 缅 怀 童 年 ,为 南 大 中 文 学 会 口 琴 团在 演 奏 会 上 , 把 电 玩 “SuperMario” 的 游 戏 配 乐 改 编 成 组曲 , 配 合 “Super Mario” 一 路过 关 斩 将 的 游 戏 画 面 , 逗 乐 现场 观 众 。南 大 中 文 学 会 口 琴 团 8 月 30日 当 晚 , 在 艺 术 、 设 计 与 媒 体学 院 (School of Art, Designand Media) 的 大 礼 堂 举 办 了《 星 空 ● 心 弦 ● 琴 》 口 琴 演 奏会 , 带 领 听 众 穿 越 时 空 , 在 悠悠 的 口 琴 声 中 寻 找 随 着 时 间 流逝 的 感 动 。当 晚 , 本 地 视 障 协 会 会 员也 首 次 获 邀 出 席 观 赏 演 奏 会 ,与 百 多 位 观 众 一 同 进 入 时 光 隧口 琴 团 选 了 “ 记 意 中 的 记 忆 ” 作 为 主 题 , 让 听 众 在 旋 律 中 回 忆 年 少 的 纯 真 岁 月 。 摄 影 |Ahmad Iskandar乐 会 感 到 却 步 。就 读 环 境 工 程 系 三 年 级 的 他说 :“ 希 望 通 过 这 场 演 出 , 能让 他 们 有 机 会 接 触 音 乐 、 认 识音 乐 。”口 琴 团 今 年 选 择 了 “ 记 意 中的 记 忆 ” 作 为 贯 穿 全 场 音 乐 的主 题 。吴 佳 翰 说 :“ 这 次 的 选 曲以 时 间 线 为 主 。 观 众 能 从 这 些熟 悉 的 旋 律 中 回 忆 年 少 时 的 纯真 , 找 回 当 时 的 感 动 。”团 长 林 伟 建 更 亲 自 挑 战 了已 故 歌 星 邓 丽 君 的 经 典 金 曲《Goodbye My Love》。虽 然 旋 律 的 些 许 部 分 出 现 小走 调 的 状 况 , 但 用 心 的 诠 释 仍博 得 观 众 的 喝 彩 。口 琴 团 也 献 上 脍 炙 人 口 的 知名 电 影 及 电 玩 主 题 曲 , 如 《 荒野 七 人 》 及 《Eyes On Me》。然 而 在 演 奏 由 成 龙 主 演 的 电影 《 神 话 》 主 题 曲 《 美 丽 的 神话 》 时 , 钢 琴 手 似 乎 仍 对 歌 曲不 熟 , 没 能 跟 上 乐 队 的 节 奏 。《 星 空 ● 心 弦 ● 琴 》 已 迈 入第 九 届 。 自 1986 年 成 立 至 今 ,口 琴 团 已 从 当 初 规 模 颇 小 的 口琴 组 , 发 展 成 各 声 部 齐 全 的 乐团 。配 合 游 戏 画 面 , 口 琴 团 以 4 人 小组 的 形 式 演 奏 “Super Mario”组 曲 , 让 观 众 开 怀 大 笑 。

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE第 14 届 《 飞 乐 时 空 》 词 曲 创 作 大 决 赛藤 思 珂 ● 报 道冠 军 歌 曲 在 一 小 时 内 完 成乡 游 子 王 闯 在 一 个 小 时异 内 一 气 呵 成 写 出 的 歌 曲《 爱 过 就 好 》 击 败 另 外 9 首 入围 原 创 歌 曲 , 摘 下 第 14 届 《 飞乐 时 空 》 词 曲 创 作 大 决 赛 总 冠军 。《 飞 》8 月 24 日 晚 上 于 南 洋大 礼 堂 举 行 。 南 大 中 文 学 会筹 备 了 一 年 , 经 过 初 选 及 半 决赛 , 筛 选 出 了 10 首 原 创 参 赛 歌曲 及 3 首 原 创 歌 词 进 入 大 决 赛 。当 晚 邀 来 5 位 专 业 创 作 人 坐 镇 ,为 13 首 歌 曲 评 分 。24 岁 的 王 闯 是 一 名 音 乐 老师 。他 透 露 此 次 一 共 向 大 赛 投了 7、8 首 歌 曲 , 最 后 作 品 《 变迁 》 和 《 爱 过 就 好 》 进 入 大 决赛 。最 终 , 王 闯 创 作 , 演 唱 的《 爱 过 就 好 》 一 举 捧 得 最 佳 演绎 、 最 佳 歌 曲 、 最 受 欢 迎 歌 曲三 项 大 奖 。他 表 示 :“ 这 些 作 品 都 是 来新 加 坡 以 后 创 作 的 , 记 录 的 基本 上 是 朋 友 的 经 历 , 情 侣 之 间的 分 分 合 合 。”其 中 一 名 参 赛 者 黄 思 恩 所 创作 的 《 我 们 ● 后 》 囊 括 最 佳 作曲 、 最 佳 作 词 两 个 奖 项 。最 佳 编 曲 由 年 仅 19 岁 的 林 锶敏 凭 借 《Reila》 获 得 , 而 填 词组 的 冠 军 则 是 创 作 《 天 使 泪 》的 刘 晓 婷 。同 样 参 加 过 《 飞 》 的 评 审 张乐 声 表 示 :“ 我 也 是 从 这 个 舞台 上 走 出 来 的 , 多 多 练 习 , 一定 会 有 所 进 步 。”特 别 嘉 宾 伍 家 辉 也 受 邀 献唱 , 先 后 演 绎 了 《 空 缺 》、《 听 听 》, 接 着 又 自 弹 自 唱 抱起 《 虽 然 我 愿 意 》 和 《 一 人 一半 》, 将 晚 会 气 氛 带 向 高 潮 。本 届 《 飞 》 比 赛 走 出 校 园 ,吸 引 更 多 年 轻 创 作 人 的 加 入 ,给 予 他 们 沟 通 交 流 的 平 台 。时 事 动 脉我 国 马 术 女 选 手 陈 雁 仪在 本 届 北 京 残 疾 人 奥 运会 中 , 为 新 加 坡 取 得 历史 性 的 突 破 。 夺 得 一 枚铜 牌 , 成 为 新 加 坡 有 史以 来 第 一 个 夺 得 残 奥 会奖 牌 的 选 手 。一 项 由 www.Myecitizen.com 的 调 查 显 示 ,23.9%的 新 加 坡 男 性 因 缺 乏 自信 心 。 而 无 法 找 到 理 想伴 侣 。南 大 科 研 人 员 王 顺 荣(31 岁 ) 和 准 新 娘 韩 红珍 (28 岁 , 业 务 经 理 )日 前 在 南 大 的 南 洋 礼 堂里 举 行 结 婚 宣 誓 仪 式 ,由 注 册 官 兼 南 大 校 友 事务 处 主 任 孙 敏 炎 先 生 主礼 , 并 在 90 名 来 宾 的 见证 下 共 结 连 理 。第 14 届 《 飞 乐 时 空 》 词 曲 创 作 大 决 赛 , 参 赛 者 都 卯 足 全 力 , 把 最 好 的 作 品 呈 现 给 观 众 。 右 图 为 总 冠 军 王 闯 。 摄 影 | 陈 怡 文电 台 1003 《 踢 馆 大 擂 台 》走 进 校 园 寻 找 广 播 新 声 代萧 佳 慧 ● 报 道当 过 校 内 广 播 员 , 在 录曾 音 棚 担 任 助 理 , 也 拥 有主 持 经 验 的 机 械 与 宇 航 工 程 学院 硕 士 一 年 级 生 潘 琦 抱 着 对 媒体 工 作 的 热 忱 , 响 应 电 台 1003的 踢 馆 挑 战 !他 说 :“ 我 渴 望 表 现 自 己 ,乐 于 和 人 接 触 , 也 乐 于 去 接 受和 传 播 新 鲜 的 资 讯 。 相 信 这 些特 质 能 让 我 成 为 一 名 称 职 的DJ。”电 台 1003DJ 林 灵 芝 和 阿 Ken日 前 潜 入 南 大 校 园 , 在 CanteenA 为 2008 年 度 的 《 踢 馆 大 擂台 》DJ 卡 位 赛 进 行 造 势 , 希 望能 在 南 大 发 现 有 潜 力 的 广 播 新声 音 。他 们 在 活 动 上 指 出 , 多 名本 地 电 台 DJ 都 是 本 校 校 友 。 从去 年 的 比 赛 脱 颖 而 出 的 “ 校 园帮 ”, 其 中 3 人 是 南 大 生 , 现 在是 电 台 1003 的 兼 职 DJ。林 灵 芝 认 为 , 身 为 一 名 DJ最 大 的 满 足 在 于 对 听 众 的 影 响力 以 及 得 到 听 众 的 信 任 。她 说 :“ 当 听 众 难 过 或 快 乐时 , 他 们 会 与 我 们 分 享 。 当 他们 需 要 人 陪 伴 的 时 候 , 他 们 知道 我 们 都 会 在 。”生 物 工 程 系 二 年 级 生 陈 诗 佳也 有 同 感 。 没 有 任 何 广 播 经 验的 她 说 :“ 我 认 为 广 播 员 的 工作 充 满 挑 战 , 必 须 懂 得 随 机 应变 。 我 想 要 自 我 挑 战 , 从 中 学习 。在 造 势 活 动 上 报 名 参 加9 月 7 日 在 勘 宝 坊 举 行 的 公 开 试音 赛 的 共 有 8 名 南 大 生 。成 功 通 过 第 一 场 公 开 试 音 赛的 参 赛 者 则 晋 级 至 9 月 13 日 在 纳福 坊 的 第 二 场 的 公 开 试 音 赛 。优 胜 者 将 有 机 会 像 “ 校 园 帮 ”一 样 , 主 持 自 己 的 节 目 。去 年 的 《 踢 馆 大 擂 台 》 总 冠军 ,19 岁 的 淡 马 锡 理 工 学 院 传媒 系 三 年 级 生 赖 彦 志 分 享 了 他的 参 赛 心 得 。他 说 :“ 我 非 常 享 受 参 赛 过程 , 因 为 我 必 须 不 断 创 新 。 虽然 这 是 场 比 赛 , 最 重 要 的 是 保持 自 己 最 真 实 的 一 面 , 千 万 不要 做 作 。”当 问 起 当 DJ 的 条 件 , 阿 Ken笑 说 :“ 要 厚 脸 皮 !”求 学 时 期 就 以 媒 体 作 为 终 极目 标 的 他 解 释 说 ,DJ 难 免 必 须面 对 听 众 批 评 与 谩 骂 , 一 定 要有 勇 气 并 坚 信 自 己 的 选 择 。我 国 乒 乓 女 将 冯 天 薇 在女 子 世 界 杯 赛 事 中 夺 得季 军 , 也 是 冯 天 薇 在 世界 杯 上 取 得 的 最 好 成绩 。世 界 银 行 和 国 际 金 融 公司 编 制 的 2009 年 全 球 营商 环 境 报 告 , 新 加 坡 连续 第 3 年 营 商 环 境 排 名 全球 之 冠 , 纽 西 兰 第 二 ,美 国 第 三 , 香 港 维 持 第四 名 。泰 国 宪 法 法 院 上 周 宣 布总 理 沙 马 因 今 年 2 月 6 日出 任 总 理 后 , 继 续 为 电视 台 主 持 烹 饪 节 目 , 而违 反 宪 法 。英 国 一 项 最 新 研 究 结 果显 示 , 儿 童 在 五 岁 前 使用 双 语 , 比 使 用 单 一 语言 的 儿 童 更 容 易 出 现 口吃 。香 港 第 四 届 立 法 会 选 举产 生 60 名 议 员 。 新 立 法会 将 从 今 年 10 月 1 日 起 的4 年 任 期 内 行 使 香 港 基 本法 赋 予 的 职 权 。电 台 1003DJ 林 灵 芝 与 阿 Ken 潜 入 南 大 校 园 , 寻 找 新 声 音 , 参 加2 0 0 8 年 度 《 踢 馆 大 擂 台 》DJ 卡 位 赛 。 摄 影 | 关 洁 薇《 今 日 美 国 报 》 与 盖 洛普 上 周 发 布 最 新 民 调 显示 , 共 和 党 总 统 候 选 人麦 凯 恩 以 4% 的 支 持 率 领先 民 主 党 总 统 侯 选 人 奥巴 马 。 这 是 今 年 一 月 以来 麦 凯 恩 最 大 幅 度 领 先于 奥 巴 马 。 麦 凯 恩 的 支持 率 是 50%, 而 奥 巴 马 支持 率 是 46%。

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE言 论编 辑 室独 具 慧 眼咖 啡 厅外 国 人 还 是 外 国 人 ?宋 慧 纯中 文 副 编 辑加 坡 本 为 一 个 蕞 尔 岛新 国 , 人 民 是 国 家 最 重 要的 资 产 。 但 是 随 着 社 会 时 代 的变 迁 和 与 进 步 , 近 20 年 来 涌 入狮 城 的 新 移 民 及 外 国 人 才 已 经多 不 胜 数 。 他 们 是 否 真 的 已 经对 我 国 产 生 归 属 感 , 被 土 生 土长 的 本 地 人 接 纳 , 都 成 了 国 人热 烈 讨 论 , 甚 至 成 为 李 显 龙 总理 国 庆 群 众 大 会 的 话 题 。最 近 一 次 乘 搭 地 铁 时 就 听 到了 一 段 很 引 人 深 思 的 对 话 。 我国 游 泳 女 将 陶 李 在 当 天 游 泳 赛事 中 获 得 了 第 5 名 , 还 刷 新 了 亚洲 纪 录 。 但 正 当 众 多 国 民 为 此喝 彩 欢 呼 时 , 有 两 名 青 年 酸 溜溜 地 说 , 破 纪 录 又 怎 样 , 又 不是 新 加 坡 人 。这 段 对 话 不 禁 让 我 联 想 ,政 府 重 资 引 进 的 外 国 人 才 的确 不 是 本 地 土 生 土 长 的 新 加 坡人 。 但 是 在 国 际 舞 台 上 努 力 的他 们 , 仍 背 负 着 众 多 新 加 坡 人的 期 待 和 梦 想 。 但 在 荣 耀 的 背后 , 这 个 身 份 及 国 民 意 识 认 同的 问 题 , 顿 时 成 了 一 小 部 份 新加 坡 人 的 心 头 刺 。不 可 否 认 , 这 些 外 国 人 的 确充 斥 着 本 地 的 各 个 行 业 。 但 这些 新 移 民 及 外 国 人 才 在 协 助 我国 促 进 经 济 、 文 化 各 方 面 进 步的 同 时 , 却 被 一 些 本 地 人 视 为抢 夺 工 作 饭 碗 的 “ 敌 人 ”。尽 管 这 批 新 移 民 在 本 地 生 活久 了 之 后 渐 渐 对 我 国 产 生 了 一定 的 归 属 感 , 国 籍 也 随 即 改 变成 为 新 加 坡 公 民 和 永 久 居 民 ,但 仍 旧 有 一 群 本 地 人 不 认 同 这群 新 移 民 对 本 地 的 贡 献 。 只 因为 , 他 们 曾 经 拥 有 别 的 国 籍 ,所 以 就 不 是 真 正 的 新 加 坡 人 。但 当 我 们 在 这 两 者 矛 盾 的 身份 之 间 划 分 的 同 时 , 我 们 不 可否 认 这 场 本 地 人 与 新 移 民 之 间的 拉 距 战 , 确 实 无 意 中 促 成 了一 个 良 性 竞 争 的 舞 台 。 从 客 观的 角 度 来 看 , 竞 争 中 取 得 进 步对 本 地 绝 对 是 有 利 多 于 弊 的 。新 加 坡 是 一 个 竞 争 激 烈 的 大都 市 。 我 们 的 特 色 就 在 于 我 们的 多 元 文 化 。 这 个 社 会 本 就 适者 生 存 , 与 其 埋 怨 饭 碗 被 新 移民 或 外 来 人 才 抢 掉 , 倒 不 如 认真 思 考 如 何 求 进 步 与 这 些 外 来人 才 来 场 公 平 竞 争 比 较 实 际 。毕 竟 , 有 实 力 的 人 终 究 会 赢得 掌 声 。 我 国 的 乒 乓 女 团 已 经顺 利 地 为 我 国 迎 来 48 年 后 的 第一 枚 奥 运 奖 牌 。乒 乓 女 团 的 队 员 都 来 自 中国 , 但 这 是 否 表 示 我 们 的 掌 声就 因 此 减 弱 呢 ? 与 其 否 定 她 们的 身 份 , 倒 不 如 为 她 们 的 努 力来 点 鼓 励 的 掌 声 。毕 竟 , 她 们 的 战 袍 上 印 的 是我 国 国 旗 。 如 此 的 努 力 和 付 出若 再 不 被 认 可 , 也 只 能 说 新 加坡 社 会 在 寻 求 进 步 的 同 时 , 人民 的 思 想 倘 若 对 外 来 新 移 民 仍存 有 疙 瘩 , 将 会 是 未 来 本 地 迈向 国 际 环 球 大 都 会 的 一 大 绊 脚石 。插 图 | 王 怡 方内 涵 = 美 丽鞠 欣 航直 以 来 , 人 们 对 美 女 的 定 义 都 是 大一 眼 睛 , 瓜 子 脸 , 皮 肤 白 皙 , 身 材 匀称 。 这 种 大 家 心 目 中 典 型 的 “ 视 觉 美 女 ”其 实 在 校 园 里 很 多 见 。 凡 是 会 打 扮 自 己 ,会 化 妆 的 女 孩 , 都 有 机 会 成 为 视 觉 美 女 。但 是 你 对 其 他 类 型 的 美 女 又 知 道 多 少 呢 ?甜 美 型 的 女 生 性 格 开 朗 , 爱 说 爱 笑 ,有 她 们 在 身 边 , 你 总 是 会 有 种 温 馨 的 感觉 。 当 你 感 觉 失 落 需 要 安 慰 时 , 甜 美 型 的女 孩 会 是 你 最 好 的 依 赖 。健 康 型 的 则 毋 庸 置 疑 , 热 爱 运 动 , 她们 锻 炼 后 大 汗 淋 漓 时 也 就 是 她 们 最 吸 引 人的 时 候 。 健 康 的 女 孩 更 能 让 你 感 到 生 命 的可 贵 , 健 康 的 无 价 。 她 们 的 健 康 韧 性 , 是对 不 愿 运 动 的 人 的 最 大 鼓 舞 !智 慧 型 的 女 孩 最 喜 欢 做 的 事 也 许 就 是读 书 了 。 她 们 不 仅 学 习 成 绩 出 众 , 而 且 喜爱 博 览 群 书 。 她 们 热 衷 于 思 考 , 做 事 总 是三 思 而 后 行 。 在 你 对 如 何 作 出 重 大 决 定 犹豫 不 决 时 , 智 慧 型 女 孩 就 是 你 的 “ 诸 葛亮 ”。 能 帮 你 分 析 每 个 结 论 的 利 弊 。高 雅 型 女 孩 挺 胸 抬 头 的 走 路 姿 态 , 细国 人 应 更 积 极 自 备 购 物 袋黄 敏 玮近 逛 超 市 , 碰 上 了 每最 周 三 一 次 的 “ 自 备 购物 袋 日 ”。 不 料 还 没 来 得 及捐 出 一 角 钱 索 取 塑 胶 袋 , 收银 员 就 已 轻 声 提 醒 我 下 次 自备 购 物 袋 , 接 着 又 免 费 提 供塑 胶 袋 。 当 时 的 我 , 看 着 其他 和 我 一 样 “ 逍 遥 法 外 ” 的顾 客 , 心 想 : 收 银 员 是 不 是为 了 避 免 与 顾 客 冲 突 , 才 选择 最 省 时 的 好 心 提 醒 ? 有 多少 人 领 取 免 费 塑 胶 袋 后 , 日后 会 记 得 自 备 购 物 袋 ?在 台 北 的 各 大 超 市 和 便利 店 , 天 天 都 是 “ 自 备 购 物袋 日 ”。 我 去 年 在 那 里 就 见识 到 台 北 人 如 何 巧 妙 地 将 所购 买 的 物 品 放 入 背 包 或 自 备的 购 物 袋 。 意 外 的 是 , 几 乎无 人 向 收 银 员 领 取 塑 胶 袋 。这 和 本 地 的 情 况 形 成 了 非 常强 烈 的 对 比 。其 中 的 奥 妙 , 应 该 在 于台 北 根 深 蒂 固 的 环 保 文 化 。那 里 的 同 学 告 诉 我 , 他 们 从小 就 接 受 环 保 教 育 。 在 家中 , 他 们 得 将 垃 圾 分 为 “ 资源 垃 圾 ”、“ 厨 余 ” 以 及 “一 般 垃 圾 ” 三 大 类 ; 在 学校 , 各 个 角 落 都 设 有 资 源回 收 桶 , 让 同 学 们 把 可 回嚼 慢 咽 的 吃 饭 方 式 , 是 高 雅 型 女 孩 的 标 志 性 动 作 。他 们 喜 怒 哀 乐 不 溢 于 言 表 , 她 们 的 言 行 举 止 透 漏 着她 们 血 脉 里 高 雅 的 气 质 。 和 她 们 在 一 起 , 你 会 不 知不 觉 的 改 变 你 自 己 , 使 自 己 跻 身 于 另 一 个 形 象 的 世界 。对 所 有 女 孩 来 说 , 外 在 的 美 丽 是 可 以 用 化 妆 、穿 着 等 很 多 方 法 打 造 的 。 但 随 着 女 孩 年 龄 的 增 长 ,外 在 美 总 是 会 悄 悄 流 逝 。 所 以 作 为 女 孩 , 真 正 要 懂得 的 不 仅 是 如 何 打 扮 自 己 , 更 要 懂 得 如 何 修 养 高 尚的 情 操 。 富 有 深 刻 内 涵 的 女 孩 , 才 能 经 历 得 起 岁 月的 洗 礼 。收 资 源 分 为 “ 塑 料 瓶 ”、“ 铝箔 包 ”、“ 铁 铝 罐 ” 和 “ 废 纸类 ”; 在 快 餐 店 , 大 家 同 样 的在 用 餐 后 将 垃 圾 分 类 , 再 投 入垃 圾 箱 。 环 保 是 台 北 市 民 生 活的 一 部 分 , 购 物 时 尽 量 不 领 取塑 胶 袋 仿 佛 成 为 一 种 习 惯 。近 年 来 , 全 球 刮 起 绿 色风 潮 , 看 来 环 保 对 于 新 加 坡 而插 图 |Christiyani Kabul插 图 | 王 怡 方言 , 绝 对 是 势 在 必 行 。 除 了 学校 现 有 的 环 保 教 育 , 政 府 可考 虑 向 效 仿 台 北 或 者 其 他 积 极推 广 环 保 的 国 家 , 推 广 环 保 运动 , 并 在 全 岛 各 处 放 置 更 多 资源 回 收 桶 , 为 公 众 提 供 便 利 。建 立 了 一 定 的 环 保 文 化 后 , 国人 才 会 更 积 极 对 待 “ 自 备 购 物袋 日 ” 这 类 的 环 保 活 动 。

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE旅 游回归原始文 / 陈 文 华的自然美丽于 丹 、 登 、 彭 三 洲 交位 界 的 国 家 公 园 T a m a nNegara 在 马 来 西 亚 素 有 “ 绿 色心 脏 ” 的 美 称 , 是 世 界 上 最 古老 的 热 带 雨 林 之 一 。 这 个 共4.343 平 方 公 里 的 国 家 公 园 是 已历 经 130 万 年 , 其 动 物 与 植 物 至今 仍 未 曾 遭 人 破 坏 , 保 持 原 始状 态 。我 一 直 都 很 向 往 如 此 雄 伟 的森 林 。 首 次 到 Taman Negara,心 里 是 充 满 着 期 盼 与 兴 奋 的 。我 想 , 没 什 么 比 如 此 广 阔 的 森林 更 能 令 我 感 到 舒 畅 与 自 在的 。 除 了 尽 情 地 享 受 大 自 然 的原 始 森 林 体 验 大 自 然 , 别 有 一番 滋 味 。国 家 公 园 内 的 风 景 美 不 胜 收 。 照 片 | 陈 文 华 提 供集 邮 箱美 妙 , 我 也 挑 战 了 自 己 的 体力 。攀 登 特 里 希 山 ( B u k i tT e r i s e k ) 和 耳 朵 洞 ( G u aTelinga) 是 这 个 旅 程 中 最 惊险 、 最 艰 难 的 部 分 。 特 里 希 山海 拔 344 米 , 也 许 对 体 格 健 壮的 人 来 说 不 算 高 , 但 是 我 可是 好 不 容 易 才 爬 到 了 山 顶 。 虽然 快 要 了 我 的 命 , 但 如 此 宜 人的 风 景 , 依 旧 让 我 感 觉 心 旷 神怡 。从 山 顶 眺 望 广 阔 无 边 的 原始 森 林 , 朦 胧 的 薄 雾 笼 像 是 棉被 , 盖 着 软 绵 绵 绿 色 的 床 。 这不 只 让 人 有 股 想 要 自 由 翱 翔 的冲 动 , 也 松 弛 了 紧 绷 的 神 经 。耳 朵 洞 是 另 一 个 让 我 没 齿难 忘 的 探 险 。 这 是 个 由 千 年 化石 所 形 成 的 非 一 般 山 洞 。 八 十米 长 的 山 洞 之 所 以 称 为 “ 耳 朵洞 ” 是 因 为 当 中 只 有 一 条 爬 行道 , 就 像 是 耳 朵 边 风 , 一 边进 , 另 一 边 出 。而 且 由 于 只 有 一 条 爬 行 道 ,当 我 进 去 了 之 后 就 不 能 反 悔了 , 因 为 后 面 有 一 整 排 的 人 等着 我 前 进 。 爬 行 道 崎 岖 不 平 ,满 地 的 蝙 蝠 屎 又 使 增 加 了 爬 行的 困 难 。整 个 墙 都 倒 吊 着 无 数 的 小 蝙蝠 , 虽 然 伸 手 可 及 , 但 为 了 避免 自 己 失 足 , 根 本 没 闲 去 触 摸蝙 蝠 。 花 了 大 概 半 个 小 时 至 四十 五 分 钟 的 时 间 才 完 成 这 爬 行道 , 时 时 刻 刻 都 是 心 惊 胆 战 。爬 出 山 洞 的 那 一 刻 , 头 上 虽然 满 是 蝙 蝠 屎 尿 , 但 满 足 感 极大 。有 别 于 前 两 天 的 活 动 的 惊 险与 挑 战 性 , 我 第 三 天 选 择 在 幽静 的 河 流 中 乘 船 , 悠 哉 地 穿 行宁 静 的 森 林 。 半 小 时 得 船 程 带我 到 达 靠 近 瀑 布 的 地 方 。 我 迫不 及 待 地 找 了 个 游 泳 的 水 池 ,跳 了 下 去 。 水 是 无 比 清 澈 、 凉凉 的 , 舒 服 极 了 。 浸 泡 在 其中 , 细 听 鸟 儿 的 歌 唱 与 观 赏 树叶 在 风 中 的 摇 曳 , 感 觉 仿 佛 人间 天 堂 。那 些 想 要 逃 离 城 市 喧 嚣 的 人们 , 或 许 可 以 到 原 始 森 林 里 寻找 安 慰 。娱 乐韩 国 歌 手 里 安 希 望与 本 地 音 乐 人 合 作韩 国 歌 手 里 安 坦 言 , 自 己 的 华 语 程 度 还 是 很 烂 , 但 他 还 是 想 与本 地 音 乐 人 合 作 , 从 这 里 出 发 , 追 逐 梦 想 。 摄 影 | 黄 伟 曼黄 伟 曼 ● 报 道国 歌 手 里 安 选 择 从 本韩 地 出 发 , 不 仅 想 打 入新 加 坡 华 语 音 乐 市 场 , 更 希望 下 一 张 专 辑 能 在 新 加 坡 录制 , 和 新 加 坡 著 名 的 音 乐 人合 作 。从 新 加 坡 出 发提 到 选 择 新 加 坡 为 出 发点 的 原 因 时 , 他 以 流 利 的 英语 说 :“ 大 家 都 说 新 加 坡 市场 很 小 , 但 我 却 觉 得 新 加坡 拥 有 多 元 文 化 , 和 韩 国很 不 一 样 , 这 一 点 就 很 吸 引人 。 新 加 坡 可 说 是 亚 洲 的 中心 。”希 望 与 本 地 音 乐 人 合 作里 安 也 说 自 己 的 第 2 张 专辑 《US 我 们 的 未 来 》 因 为时 间 上 的 限 制 , 只 收 录 了 3首 韩 语 歌 曲 , 而 他 已 在 筹 备他 的 第 3 张 专 辑 , 可 能 找 新加 坡 音 乐 人 跨 刀 合 作 , 希 望能 擦 出 不 同 的 火 花 。他 表 示 想 和 新 加 坡 著 名 音 乐人 李 迪 文 合 作 。专 辑 取 名 为 《US 我 们 的 未来 》, 问 及 他 对 未 来 的 憧 憬 ,他 回 答 说 :“ 其 实 , 我 不 仅 想当 个 很 好 的 歌 手 , 我 也 想 学 习制 作 音 乐 , 所 以 才 会 想 和 好 的音 乐 人 合 作 , 同 时 学 习 怎 样 当个 好 的 制 作 人 。”从 里 安 的 言 谈 中 , 的 确 看 得出 他 对 音 乐 的 热 忱 , 很 想 把 歌唱 好 , 让 更 多 人 认 识 他 , 也 想在 音 乐 方 面 有 更 大 的 成 就 , 学习 更 多 的 技 巧 来 充 实 自 己 的 演唱 功 力 。努 力 学 华 语从 他 努 力 学 华 语 中 , 便 可 看出 他 求 上 进 的 精 神 。 对 此 , 他谦 虚 地 说 :“ 我 的 华 语 还 是 很烂 。”他 无 奈 地 表 示 自 己 还 在 增 进自 己 的 华 语 能 力 , 而 录 制 歌 曲里 华 语 歌 词 的 部 分 时 , 总 是 会花 比 较 长 的 时 间 。那 如 果 要 用 华 语 鼓 励 歌 迷 ,他 会 对 他 们 说 什 么 ?他 傻 笑 , 然 后 简 单 地 说 :“我 会 叫 他 们 ‘ 加 油 ’!”娱 乐 动 脉孙 燕 姿 日 前 到 香 港 为adidas 全 新 2008 秋 冬 女装 运 动 服 系 列 拍 摄 平 面广 告 , 穿 上 最 新 拳 击 及跳 舞 两 款 运 动 服 饰 , 散发 活 力 美 。 拍 摄 跳 舞 系列 广 告 时 , 她 重 覆 地 凌空 跳 跃 又 下 腰 , 秀 出 舞蹈 的 优 美 ; 拍 摄 拳 击 系列 广 告 时 , 她 则 酷 酷 的模 样 直 击 沙 包 , 还 有 连串 挥 拳 和 踢 腿 的 动 作 ,都 难 不 倒 她 。第 二 届 凯 渥 梦 幻 之 星 举行 总 决 赛 , 林 志 玲 与 凯渥 老 板 洪 伟 明 开 场 走星 光 大 道 , 她 穿 马 甲爆 乳 装 展 露 34C 傲 人 本钱 , 加 上 佩 戴 981 万 元台 币 ( 约 40 万 新 币 ) 的Piaget 耀 眼 钻 饰 , 成 为全 场 惊 艳 焦 点 。安 在 焕 被 发 现 自 杀 身亡 , 妻 子 郑 善 姬 公 开了 丈 夫 自 杀 的 原 因 ,是 因 为 欠 了 4 亿 韩 元(S$5.2m) 的 高 利 贷 。天 天 上 门 讨 债 的 债 主 对安 在 焕 造 成 了 巨 大 压力 , 导 致 他 自 杀 。阮 经 天 ( 小 天 ) 爆 红 ,郑 元 畅 ( 小 综 ) 地 位 备受 威 胁 , 两 人 兄 弟 情 生变 ! 外 界 频 指 他 一 哥 地位 被 抢 走 , 也 传 两 人 友情 生 变 , 甚 至 不 一 起上 课 了 , 小 综 看 得 坦然 :“ 我 不 是 一 哥 啦 ,别 人 才 是 , 外 面 世 界这 么 大 , 没 什 么 好 争的 。”何 润 东 历 时 半 年 求 爱 攻势 终 获 成 功 , 赢 得 佳 人芳 心 , 似 乎 上 个 月 确 认了 恋 情 。 据 了 解 , 何 润东 从 今 年 年 初 就 开 始向 大 S 发 起 了 猛 烈 的 攻势 , 而 之 前 在 上 海 出 席GUCCI 活 动 的 时 候 何 润东 更 是 大 方 承 认 自 己 经常 与 大 S 通 电 话 。王 力 宏 花 50 万 台 币 ( 约2 万 5000 新 元 ) 打 造 20公 斤 琵 琶 , 让 自 手 臂 练出 二 头 肌 。 这 把 为 演 唱会 定 制 的 琵 琶 重 达 20 公斤 , 光 是 弹 奏 , 摆 姿 势拍 照 , 就 让 自 己 的 手 臂练 出 二 头 肌 , 王 力 宏 笑说 这 真 是 最 好 的 健 身 方法 。

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE陈 奕 迅 赤 脚 为 歌 迷 献 唱宋 佳 佳 ● 报 道人 父 的 陈 奕 迅 显 得 有 些 害 羞 ,不 断 地 提 醒 歌 迷 把 注 意 力 集 中港 实 力 派 唱 将 Eason香 陈 奕 迅 日 前 来 新 宣 传新 碟 《 不 想 放 手 》 时 , 一 身庞 克 风 的 他 一 到 发 布 会 现场 , 立 刻 脱 鞋 在 台 上 为 歌 迷赤 脚 献 唱 。情 到 浓 时 更 脱 下 红 色 外套 。 这 一 举 动 引 起 台 下 女 歌迷 的 争 先 效 仿 , 一 边 脱 一 边大 喊 :“Eason, 你 脱 我 也脱 !”不 拘 小 节 的 陈 奕 迅 在 台上 又 唱 又 跳 , 不 仅 为 歌 迷 带来 6 首 专 辑 里 的 新 歌 , 还 在发 布 会 结 束 后 唱 了 大 家 耳 熟能 详 的 广 东 歌 《 明 年 今 日 》以 答 谢 歌 迷 的 支 持 。面 对 歌 迷 的 热 情 , 身 为在 自 己 的 演 唱 上 。最 近 频 频 被 称 为 “ 雨 神 ”的 他 , 这 回 就 差 一 点 因 为 台 风Nuri 无 法 来 新 宣 传 。陈 奕 迅 原 先 以 为 到 新 加 坡就 会 阳 光 普 照 , 结 果 还 是 下 雨了 。这 回 带 来 了 专 辑 《 不 想 放手 》, 反 映 了 他 对 工 作 、 对 音乐 的 背 后 的 决 心 , 陈 奕 迅 表 示作 这 张 专 辑 纯 属 为 了 好 玩 , 因为 自 己 在 录 音 室 里 非 常 开 心 ,所 以 想 把 这 份 喜 悦 与 大 家 分享 。这 回 ,《 不 想 放 手 》 国 语专 辑 中 也 出 现 了 一 首 英 文 歌“Aren’t You Glad” 。 这 首 歌曲 也 是 陈 奕 迅 个 人 的 最 爱 。他 说 :“ 这 首 英 文 歌 是 著 名制 作 人 Jimmy Lee 写 的 , 内 容非 常 有 寓 意 , 而 且 之 前 出 过 英语 专 辑 , 这 次 想 再 让 歌 迷 听 听我 唱 不 同 语 言 的 歌 。”对 于 英 文 发 音 , 陈 奕 迅 更 面带 腼 腆 地 表 示 自 己 英 文 虽 然 不是 很 好 , 但 很 开 心 朋 友 们 都 说自 己 在 唱 英 文 歌 时 并 没 有 广 东腔 。人 红 事 多 , 常 常 跑 宣 传 的 陈奕 迅 感 慨 没 时 间 陪 家 人 是 自 己最 大 的 遗 憾 。他 说 :“ 我 跑 巡 回 , 又 拍 电影 , 每 天 忙 得 不 要 说 没 时 间 陪家 人 , 就 连 一 个 人 思 考 读 书 的时 间 都 没 有 。 所 以 现 在 会 放 慢脚 步 , 一 心 唱 歌 。”谈 到 对 未 来 的 展 望 , 陈 奕迅 认 为 自 己 应 该 会 唱 歌 唱 到50、60 岁 , 还 表 示 近 期 内 想 去尝 试 bungee jumping。娱 乐 休 闲 厅 董 姿 彦 专 访陈 奕 迅 自 然 不 做 作 的 个 性 大 家 有 目 共 睹 , 唱 到 忘 我 时 , 还 脱 鞋 , 赤脚 演 出 。 摄 影 | 黄 伟 曼赢 取 董 姿 彦最 新 EP我 们 通 过 舞 台 剧 《 天 冷就 回 来 》 及 “ForbiddenCity - Portraits of anEmpress” 认 识 了 董 姿彦 。 这 名 对 爵 士 音 乐 情 有独 钟 的 本 地 音 乐 人 即 将 在9 月 19 日 发 个 人 EP。 本 报与 董 姿 彦 做 了 独 家 专 访 ,谈 谈 她 的 音 乐 心 得 。本 报 将 送 出 两 张 董 姿 彦 亲 笔 签 名 EP“Lullaby Nomad”。问 : 董 姿 彦 的 个 人 EP 尝 试 了 哪 一 类 曲 风 ?请 把 正 确 答 案 、 个 人 资 料 和 联 络 号 码 电 邮 至 :nanyuan@ntu.edu.sg得 奖 者 将 获 得 通 知 。截 至 日 期 :9 月 22 日董 姿 彦 : 我 嫁 给 了 爵 士 乐宋 佳 佳 ● 报 道 没 有 经 验 , 常 常 只 能 trial anderror。”坛 新 人 董 姿 彦 省 吃歌 俭 用 4 年 多 , 终 以 2万 元 重 金 打 造 出 首 张 个 人EP“Lullaby Nomad”。 回想 筹 备 时 的 辛 苦 , 姿 彦 表 示能 顺 利 发 行 自 己 最 爱 的 爵 士音 乐 , 再 苦 也 是 甜 的 。她 还 开 玩 笑 说 别 人 花 几万 块 筹 备 婚 礼 , 自 己 却 花 同样 的 钱 “ 嫁 给 ” 爵 士 乐 。目 前 属 于 独 立 歌 手 的 姿彦 认 为 在 制 作 过 程 中 最 大 的困 难 就 是 要 一 个 人 处 理 繁琐 的 细 节 。 她 说 :“ 因 为没 有 唱 片 公 司 , 自 己 要 从拍 照 到 录 音 一 手 包 , 加 上问 道 自 己 与 爵 士 乐 的 缘 分 ,董 姿 彦 以 “ 相 逢 很 晚 ” 形 容 。她 表 示 自 己 小 时 候 就 喜 欢 唱歌 , 不 过 听 的 唱 的 都 是 些 爸爸 喜 欢 的 民 族 歌 曲 , 真 正 接 触到 爵 士 是 在 国 立 大 学 念 书 的 时候 。 当 时 姿 彦 加 入 了 校 内 的 爵士 乐 团 , 从 而 爱 上 这 种 略 带 慵懒 的 曲 风 。收 藏 在 EP 中 的 所 有 歌 曲 都是 姿 彦 亲 自 填 词 。 对 于 创 作 灵感 , 姿 彦 笑 称 自 己 是 夜 猫 子 ,凌 晨 3、4 点 钟 才 是 创 作 的 灵 感巅 峰 。她 说 :“ 我 的 歌 词 都 是 深 夜里 想 出 来 的 , 不 过 很 少 有 突 发奇 想 一 股 脑 写 完 的 时 候 。 大 多摄 影 | 符 敦 凱都 是 想 到 一 点 点 就 赶 快 存 在 电脑 里 , 隔 天 继 续 。 所 以 我 的 电脑 里 到 现 在 还 有 好 多 填 到 一 半的 歌 词 。”在 EP 中 , 姿 彦 最 喜 欢Lullaby Nomad 一 曲 。 这 首 歌 讲述 的 是 一 个 妈 妈 努 力 寻 找 歌 曲唱 给 孩 子 听 的 故 事 。姿 彦 觉 得 这 首 歌 很 有 画 面感 , 加 上 自 己 是 在 圣 诞 节 写的 , 听 起 来 就 很 温 馨 。对 于 未 来 事 业 的 展 望 ,26 岁的 姿 彦 表 示 要 唱 到 爵 士 在 新 加坡 甚 至 全 世 界 普 及 为 止 。她 满 腹 决 心 地 说 :“ 爵 士太 美 了 , 只 是 不 是 很 多 人 认 识它 。 我 一 定 要 把 它 唱 到 每 个 人都 知 道 。 对 于 我 热 爱 的 音 乐 我想 能 做 多 久 就 做 多 久 。”

Opinion“Education could become more of pursuit of passion rather than pointless mugging.”Page 29EDITORIALA stage where they can be heardSOME two weeks have passedsince the new rules allowingpublic outdoor demonstrationsat the Speakers’ Corner in HongLim Park kicked in. The sense ofanticipation is only outweighedby the disappointment thatthus far the only protest thatwas reported in the medialasted ten minutes.Mention “protest” andimages of angry mobs withraised fists waving placards,burning effigies and shoutings loga n s c ome to m i nd .Demonstrations frequentlydisrupt the routines ofstakeholders involved, like theThai people currently occupyingtheir government’s offices tostop it from functioning.Such extreme actions areused to draw public attention tosituations that protestors deemunacceptable. They do not wantto engage in a soliloquy; theywant the mass media to takenotice and relevant parties tosit up and feel the heat.Fortunately, in orderlySingapore, demonstrators donot need to resort to extrememeasures, let alone violence,to get their message across.Thus, the debut protest at theSpeakers’ Corner was a peacefulaffair, more like a performancethan a demonstration. The10-minute protest by the nonprofitgroup, Hearer of Cries,highlighted the ill-treatment ofmaids and called for a changein the laws regarding domesticworkers and rest days.chief editorLin JunjieManaging editorLin Xinyisub-editorsAmelia ChiaPhilip LimValerie Toh Ser YiZeinab YusufNews editorsCheryl OngTeo Wan GekLifestyle editorsAmanda TanNatasha Ann ZachariahReviews editorRachael Boontech editorLim Yan LiangChinese editorsHan WeidingSong Huichunopinion editorsHuynh Kim PhongVo Van HungTHE NANYANGCHRONICLEsports editorsFabian NgTan Jinhelayout editorsGerald TanImran JalalSharon Hiuphoto editorsChen Wei LiKuan Jie WeiTan Zi Jiegraphics editorJanell HoongWEB editorAlan Tan Yu Shyangbusiness managersLee Yi Ling EileenTeo Xin Wen JeanToh Zong RongproductionsupportNg Heng GheeTeacher advisorsAndrew DuffyJaved NazirXu XiaogeAlthough the new rules forSpeakers’ Corner have sparkedmuch discussion about theplace of protest in Singapore,the greater need is for morespaces where people can speakfreely. If the government isserious about letting alternativeviews be heard, let them bevoiced where the generalpublic, and more importantly,where decision makers canhear them.Speeches at the currentlocation, Hong Lim Park, canonly depend on the press tocarry their message to a largeaudience. Reporters cannot beexpected to stake out Speakers’Corner, waiting for the peoplebearing loudhailers to appear.Another Speakers’ Cornershould be established at theUOB Plaza. It is, as the primeminister said about Hong LimPark, “accessible, near theMRT”. More importantly, it isa busy downtown area withlots of human traffic. It haseven been used as a venue forlarge election rallies, so it couldsurely serve as a Speakers’Corner.The more extreme acts ofprotests may not be appropriatein the urbanised plaza, butcitizens can make a far greaterimpact with rational andmeasured rhetoric reachingthe lunch-time crowd of RafflesPlace than the burning ofeffigies in Hong Lim Parkwhere only bored retireeshang out.A students’ newspaper published by theWee Kim Wee School of Communicationand Information (WKWSCI)Nanyang Technological University31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718Tel: 6790 6446Unsigned editorials represent the majorityview of the editorial board of The Chronicleand do not necessarily reflect the policies orviews of Nanyang Technological University,its employees, the students or the Council ofthe University.Signed opinion columns, letters and editorialcartoons represent the opinion of the writeror artist and are not necessarily those of TheChronicle.Printed by KHL Printing Co. Pte Ltd,57 Loyang Drive, Singapore 508968WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUNews Hotline: 6790 6446Letters: chronicle@ntu.edu.sgOpinions: chronicle.opinions@ntu.edu.sgPlease include your full name,contact number, faculty and yearof study.Philip Lims u b - e d i t o rCinema PoliticaAll the world is a stage,and all the politiciansmerely players.This line, adaptedfrom a line by WilliamShakespeare’s play As You Like Itseems to ring true in the currenttheatre of global politics.Millions of dollars have beenused to fund the blockbusters ofthe political arena, with plotsworthy of Hollywood, as well asactors whose names are spoken inthe same breath as celebrities andnotorious criminals.At this moment, everyoneis probably riveted to the Star-Spangled Wars, where BarackSkywalker, Princess Hillary andBill Solo are trying to overthrowthe Imperials led by Darth McCainand Emperor Bush.This war, however, is not beingplayed out with lasers, lightsabresand midi-chlorians. It is, instead,being fought with barbs andfleers.The news media have headlinesthat scream of the latest broadsidef lung at the opposition, withpolicy critique coming later in thearticle or news clip.Every money-raking hit alsohas to come up with the spectacle;no example can illustrate thisbetter than the nomination addressby Mr Obama on August 29th.The Democratic Party wasfine-tuning the stage right upto the last minute for maximumimpact. The address was, in thewords of normally-restrainedformer White House counsellorDavid Gergen, “less a speechthan a symphony,” and eventhe date coincided with the 45thanniversary of Martin LutherKing’s landmark speech—“I havea Dream”.Closer to home, Gangs ofBangkok is now showing incinemas.As with the tagline of theoriginal movie, it seems thatThailand is going to be born in thestreets, with Prime Minister SamakSundaravej, his government andsupporters battling against thelargely middle to upper-class“gang” protesting in the streets,baying for his political blood.For more sordid fare, we canwatch Anwar, the knight withthe dark past, returning to hishometown of Permatang Pauh toexercise his brand of justice overthe people who have forced hisexile. Now, all he needs is a sorethroat.Even here at home, we caughta teaser of what appears to be aspin-off of Mean Girls, with JalanBesar GRC MP Dr Lily Neo’s verypublic parliamentary spat withMinister of State for MCYS, MsYu-Foo Yee Shoon.The troubling trend derivedfrom all this, is that the publicseems to be lapping up theseshows, instead of focusing onthe crux of the larger issuesdiscussed.How many of us know thedetails of Mr Obama’s or MrMcCain’s proposed policies?How many of us know whatthe changes Anwar wants toimplement if he takes controlof the Malaysian governmentactually entail?And how many of us know thecontext of Dr Neo’s argument withMs Yee Shoon?The media and the politiciansGRAPHICS | CHRISTIYANI KABULare not helping either, as they toorealize that people would muchrather read or watch scandalshigh on the cinematic quotient,than pore over minutiae of policyamendments.Therefore, they churn outregular hits, much like Hollywoodin summer.The blockbuster tactics seemto be raking in huge profits forthe politicians too.After the Obama show, hispopularity ratings soared eightpoints above Mr McCain afterbeing tied for weeks.The same goes for Mr McCainas well, whose ratings are nowfour points above Obama’s afterthe Republican convention. Anwarseems to have won the hearts ofMalaysians, if his “landslide”victory in Permatang Pauh is anyindicator.Even Dr Lily Neo had her day,appearing on the cover page ofThe New Paper, and having awhole article devoted to her spatin The Straits Times.Thus, the media and politiciansfeed the people what they want,and the people clamour for more,not knowing or caring about thecontext of the conflicts, and themedia and politicians reciprocatein kind as their popularity soars,creating a vicious circle.This trend, if not curtailed,might result in “showman politics,”where people vote for the mostphotogenic person to representtheir interests and govern thecountry, without taking a lookat his credentials first. Needlessto say, that definitely does notbode well.Perhaps, this world deservesa better class of politician andmedia after all.

september 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle opinion 27letters from readersSubway substandard?AS A regular patron of the Subwayoutlet in NTU, I wish to raise someissues regarding the quality of itsproducts, compared to its otheroutlets.From what I know, food storeson campus get subsidised rentalcharges, which are reflected inthe menu prices. I also understandthe local student culture, and havenever asked the management whythis particular Subway outlet doesnot offer extra meats.However the amount of meatsper Subway sandwich dishedout by the NTU outlet is a grossinsult to my expectations of whata Subway sandwich represents—ahearty and healthful meal. Thefinal product presents a thick loafof bread stuffed with vegetables,and the meats are barely visible.If I wanted a salad I would paythe same amount for a salad bowlelsewhere.I am usually fine with havingall my cookies in one paper bag.However, I once wanted to sharea cookie with another friend andwas irritated with the way themanagement handled my requestfor an additional paper pocket.No vegetables were allowedon my brea k fast sandwich,whose picture on the menu ismisleading. The last time I heard,misrepresentation is a legalinfringement. I can forgive you forchanging how the eggs are made,but I really doubt you shouldomit the vegetables that actuallyappeared in the photographedsandwich, or even use vegetablesas the backdrop.That said, the staff have beenvery friendly and performedwell under the busy lunchcrowd pressure. It was alsoheartwarming to see a staffshowing a handicapped traineehow to prepare the sandwich ofanother customer. My grudgeherein lies solely in the outletmanagement, which I believe isbeyond the control of these staff,and which the store managersfailed to explain satisfactorily.While many problems I havecome across at this outlet areminute, they make me wonderwhether I should rethink myweekly eating habits. That NTUis located in the far west cornerof Singapore does not meaneach student is less of a Subwaycustomer or different fromthe other humans which yourcompany caters to. I trust thisis not the intention of SubwaySingapore, and that the outletmanagement will take appropriateactions promptly.Yin ShanqingMechanical andAerospace EngineeringGraduate Studentcanteen talkWith the new canteen A and a revamped canteenB, NTU students now have a wider variety tochoose from. We find out what the studentsthink of the changes.“Canteen A is toocrowded, yet thefood and price arestill acceptable. Thereshould be more stallsselling finger food incanteen B.Gan Shu Han, CBC, Year 1, 19”Maybe the Universityadministration canenhance the varietyby opening incanteen B fastfoodoutlets such as KFC.Chong Xian Sheng, EEE, Year 2, 22“I want to seemore Korean stallsin NTU canteensand there shouldbe more fingerfood outletsas well.Chan Wai Ching, CBC, Year 1, 19SUBWAY NTU OUTLET: Opened at the end of the last semester, this is part of NTU’s effort to cater to its students’ diverse needs.PHOTO | TAN ZI JIESubway says “not so”The queue is muchfaster in canteenA than canteenB. There shouldbe more Indianfood stalls in hallcanteens.Deviga Jayakumar, PAP, Year 1, 20”THANK you for patronizingSubway. We appreciate yourtime in giving us your invaluablefeedback and allowing us torectify the points brought up byyou.We assure you that regardlessof the menu price in Subway-NTU,our products and formula servedare the same as those at otherSubway outlets in Singapore. Youmay like to note that the menuin NTU also has extra meat at acost of $2.50 and $4.00 for sixinchesand a foot-long sandwichrespectively.Our standard prices forcookies in NTU are $1 for a onepiecepacket and $2.75 for threepiecepacket. We serve a twopiecepacket for regular mealsand three-piece packet for largemeals. Cost is definitely a factoras such requests are not rare.Most importantly, we inSubway are trying to encourageour customers to go green and assuch we are quite rigid in givingthe extra bags. Nevertheless, wealways give extra napkins tostudents who would like to sharethe cookies with their friends.All Subway breakfast areserved without veggies exceptfor the picture shown on themenu board, which is the WesternEgg served with tomatoes, greenpeppers and onions only. Weagreed that it is quite misleadingand have since provided feedbackto our Subway Headquarters.Thank you once again andwe assure you that our team ofSandwich artists at Subway-NTUwill continue to strive to serveyou and all customers in thecampus with appetising Subwaysandwiches.Jean TeoOperation Manager“There should bemore seats incanteen B as it isvery crowded here,especially duringpeak hours.Yasith Savinda Wickramasekara, EEE,Year 2, 20TEXT | HUYNH KIM PHONG; PHOTOS | LIANG HUIYAN

28opinionseptember 15, 2008The nanyang chronicleMake a life, not a livingSh a h i d a Bte HassimDon’t work. Avoid tellingthe truth. Be hated. Lovesomeone.Imagine goingthrough life doingexactly this.Now, before we frown uponthese seemingly misguidedopinions, we need to comprehendthe message behind what wasbeing said.Spoken by litigation lawyerAdrian Tan during his speech atthe recent convocation ceremonyfor the Wee Kim Wee School ofCommunication and Information,these words are best not takenlightly.Despite its seeminglycontroversial surface, what Tanwas trying to advocate was adifferent outlook towards livinglife.Speaking to the graduatingclass of 2008, Tan, better knownas the author of the 1987 cultfiction, The Teenage Textbook,called for the audience to startthinking seriously about theiraspirations and goals in life, whilesimultaneously living it free ofexpectations.Believing that expectationsimpede true progress and success,Tan urged his audience to “Eraseall life expectancies (and) justlive”.However, the one question thatremains to be seen is this: Are wecapable of doing that?Although what Tan advocates isa noble cause, the fact is, changingviews and perceptions is not aneasy task. In a society wheresuccess is often measured by thenumber of As on your result slip,the institutions you attend, andthe amount of money your jobpays you, it has become a norm forSingaporeans to associate successwith tangible results.Therefore, not “working” butfinding a job that enables oneto “play” is not even an option,especially if it does not put foodon the table. Additionally, with therising cost of living, entertainingsuch a thought would instead bedeemed a rather foolish thing todo.How many times have weheard the oft-quoted illustrationof the typical parents who prefertheir child to pursue more ‘viable’courses of study at university,the science and business courses,which are supposedly morecapable of providing better careeropportunities. Seldom (if ever) dothey push their children towardsthe arts, humanities or socialsciences.During his convocation address,Tan also encouraged the audiencenot to settle for a life of mediocrity,but instead to aspire to “be hated”.Why? Simply because “every greatfigure who has contributed to thehuman race has been hated, notjust by one person, but often by agreat many”. It is not about beinghated without cause, but rather, forstanding up for one’s convictionsand beliefs.At this point, I again questionthe likelihood of such a scenariooccurring by citing a recentexample.In a report released by theMinistry of Education in June,it was mentioned that the publicgenerally felt that “society was notpolitically mature to accommodatethe views expressed by studentsand faculty” of the nation’sproposed first liberal arts college.Additionally, many were alsoworried that “graduates wouldnot be able to find ‘financiallysustainable’ jobs”.Now how can we expect futuregenerations to freely express theiropinions and fiercely guard theirconvictions if all we do as a nationis to thwart the cultivation of abreeding ground for intellectualdiscourse?How then can we also aspireto “be hated”, to not stand in theshadows of our great ancestors butinstead to become just like them orbetter, if all we do is to constantlyplace great importance on theacquisition of wealth?Greatness comes at a price, butit still remains to be seen whetherSingaporeans are willing to paythis price.It is the journeyitself that isequally, if not evenmore, rewardingthan temporaryrewardsPrior to this advice, Tan hadalso encouraged his audience to bewary of the truth, which he claimedhas “a great capacity to offend andinjure”. This is especially true forSingapore, a nation comprisingof a myriad of races and religion,where precaution is better thancure. The racial riots of ouryesteryears should be enough toremind us of the delicate natureof our interracial ties. However,this does not mean that the truthshould simply be swept under arug.In a recent article publishedby The Straits Times, reporterNur Dianah Suhaimi wrote abouthow being a Malay in Singaporewas akin to being like the “leastfavourite child in the family”. Shealso cited numerous examples ofthe prejudices she is faced withas a Malay Muslim reporter forthe paper.What Nur Dianah did was tovoice out the repressed feelings ofmarginalisation of the minoritygroup. Her doing so might havegone against Tan’s belief that“there is great virtue in beingevasive”. However by voicing hertruth, she forced society to takenotice of, as well as to confrontthe issue of racial cohesion andharmony in Singapore. Instead ofchoosing the path of avoidance,perhaps it is better to confrontthese feelings of unhappiness(albeit civilly), so as to work outa solution for the betterment ofSingapore in the long run.That said, it has dawned on methat much still needs to be doneGreatness comes at aprice, and it remainsto be seen whetherSingaporeans are willingto pay this priceGRAPHICS | JANELL HOONGto change Singaporeans’ commonperceptions, as well as attitudes,towards life. This is not to saythat the greatness, as well as thehappiness that was spoken aboutin the speech is not within reachto the common man.However, should one aspireto attain such goals, it wouldcertainly require a considerableamount of hard work and effort.What we need to realisehowever, is that ‘hard work’ heredoes not merely mean strivingfor something we desire. Rather,it entails doing it for all the rightreasons.A person may be working hardwith the sole intention of achievingthe best grades in his examinations.Yet what good will it do if he stillfails to appreciate all the knowledgethat he has painstaking garneredover the years? While results aredoubtlessly important, the factremains that they are not the onlythings that matter in life.More often than not, it is thejourney itself that is equally, if noteven more, rewarding than thesetemporary rewards.

september 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle opinion 29Why so serious, son?Terence LeeThe sheer joy of victory issomething every athletecraves for, and this wasmost evident in the BeijingGames.But in the obsession for sportingsupremacy, some athletes have lostthe joy of participation and in somecases, gotten involved in drugsand fights.Is something similar nowhappening in our universityeducation?Not the fights, drugs andprotests. But are we losing sightof study for its own sake, assportsmen compete more for fameand glory than for the love of theirsport?No doubt, results are important,but so should be the enjoyment ofintellectual pursuit.The university system, togetherwith the hectic pace of life inSingapore, makes it difficult forstudents to have a truly enjoyableeducational experience.There is more the universitycan do to improve the quality ofits education.Firstly, reduce the numberof AUs required for students tograduate. At Columbia University– a member of the Ivy League andconsistently ranked among the topten in the world—a student is onlyrequired to complete 124 credits tograduate with a Bachelor of Artsdegree in four years.In NTU however, studentsmust complete a staggering 146AUs to graduate with a Sociologydegree in the same amount of time.Despite the disparity, it is no secretwhich university offers a betterundergraduate programme—and itis not about how much you study.5mm apart from storyResults areimportant, butso should bethe enjoymentof intellectualpursuitThere are also other ways tolearn, many of which do not happenin the classroom. Experience is thebest teacher so probably moreemphasis should be given tobuilding up experience rather thanstessing on grades.And with the fuss about pooralumni donations among localuniversities and low marriagerates, these measures just mighthelp alleviate these problems.More free time equals moresocialising—resulting in studentsbuilding deeper bonds with theschool and with one another.Expect more young couples tovisit the grassy roof of ADM tostar-gaze pretty soon.A paradigm shift is needed—bystudents, educators, and Singaporesociety alike, especially when itcomes to how we define success.In the Beijing Olympics, Chinatopped the medal table based ongold medal count alone. But if welook at the total medal count, theUS is still tops.However, if you factor inpopulation count, Jamaica isking, with 2.2 gold medals/millioninhabitants. The US came in at33rd, and China at 47th.So instead of merely recognisingoutstanding academic achieversat the NTU Convocation, specialmention—and perhaps even awards—should be given to studentswith outstanding extra-curricularwork.Small financial incentives thatare given out annually can beconsidered as well.These activities should be inaddition to the school club thestudent may already be involvedin.To facilitate this, studentsshould be encouraged to pen down—at his discretion of course—alist of his outside commitments.This could be in the form ofreligious activities, entrepreneurialendeavours, and even privatelanguage courses.The whole idea here is thateverything the student does thatcan be deemed educational shouldbe recognised—even if there are nomarks given for it.With these measures, educationcould become more of a pursuit ofpassion rather than just pointlessmugging.And when students are allowedto do more of what they like, theywill enjoy the process a little bitGRAPHICS | SU TONGmore, and maybe even performbetter.Usain Bolt, the flamboyant,fun-loving track star who rosequickly to prominence duringthe Olympics, exemplified what itmeant to enjoy what you do—andto do it well.He broke the world record in9.69s, and the funny thing was—hewas not even trying very hard.Sometimes, having a little bit offun can get you where you wishto be.

THE NANYANG CHRONICLEWho wants to be a billionaireRIKESH PR I M A L A N IMANCHESTER City fans finallyhave something to cheer about—they are now the richest club inthe world.Many of them also believe thatthey can finally come out of theshadows of local rivals ManchesterUnited.Soon, you might even hearthe cheer of “Our billionaire isricher than your billionaire”being chanted around stadiumsas Man City faces off against otherclubs owned by similarly richindividuals.But who started this billionaireculture in the BPL?All fingers point to RomanAbramovich, who bought overChelsea in 2003 and turned theminto a force to be reckoned with.By spending over £100 million($251 million), Chelsea snapped upplayers, often outbidding any clubthat stood in their way.Players were kept happy, notby regular playing time, but bysky high salaries. Just see WayneBridge, living in the shadow offellow left back Ashley Cole.Success followed, as Chelseawon numerous Premier Leaguetitles since their takeover.The BPL soap opera took a twistManchester City Abu Dhabi royal family 1 trillionChelsea Roman Abramovich 13.04 billionLiverpool Tom Hicks/George Gillett Jr. 721million/610 millionNewcastle United Mike Ashley 1.4 billionManchester United Malcolm Glazer 1.39 billionwhen Malcolm Glazer and familytook over at Old Trafford. As it wasalready a hugely successful club,the takeover was met with fierceopposition among fans.The Glazers were looked onwith suspicion as most felt theywere attempting to make a quickbuck at the expense of the club.However, sound managementsaw the club growing from strengthto strength, with the highlightbeing the dramatic ChampionsLeague victory last season overarch rival, Chelsea.Not all billionaire investorsachieve instant success though.Liverpool was next to fall intoforeign hands. Americans TomHicks and George Gillett took overGRAPHICS | SHARON HIU; SOURCE | INTERNETthe club in 2007 in a 50-50 split.However, the “dream partnership”quickly soured.Although they paid big moneyto bring in the likes of FernandoTorres and recently, Robbie Keane,they have not won over the fans.This could be due to their verypublic spat with manager RafaBenitez and their own internalbickering.A club that is further in crisis isNewcastle United. Their billionaireowner, Mike Ashley, is estimatedto be worth £1.4 billion, more thanthe Glazers.Ashley brought with him anew management structure, witha Director of Football overseeingthe club’s transfer dealings insteadof the manager. Although thisstructure is still in place today, ithas done more harm than good.Former manager Kevin Keeganis revered on Tyneside, and hissecond return in January wasdubbed “the second coming of theMessiah.”However, this fairytale cameto an abrupt end early this monthas owner and manager did not seeeye to eye on issues relating tothe new management structureat the club.For the second time in his life,Keegan left Newcastle.This triggered a furiousresponse from fans who came outin force to protest against Ashley.Some even called for the owner tosell the club.So the success of billionaireowners is not guaranteed. Thereare other clubs in the league whocontinue to be mediocre even aftertheir own takeovers.As for Manchester City, onecan only hope that the owners arein for the long run and would notreact hastily if they do not achieveinstant success.As for us fans, we have to getused to a new ‘Big Club’ and moreCity jerseys on the streets. But fornow, bragging rights are certainlywith City fans. Their billionaire istruly the richest around.Manchester City fan NoelGallagher of Oasis gloatsover the Abu Dhabi UnitedGroup takeover of his club.US Open runner-up AndyMurray saves his bestshot for last with a joke atchampion Roger Federer’sexpense.Foreign talent: anecessary evil?TA N YI WENSO THE Singapore women’stable tennis team finally wonan Olympic medal after all theseyears, only to be criticised bysome Singaporeans for having“bought” the medal.For these Singaporeans whoremain critical about the waythe silver medal was won, Iwould think that many do notunderstand the current sportingindustry in Singapore.Some of the critics arguedthat these foreign sporting talentsare taking away the chances torepresent Singapore from thelocal-born athletes. In the case oftable tennis, this argument doesnot entirely hold.As a table tennis player myself,I have seen and competed againstmany talented young table tennisplayers who have the potential torepresent Singapore.But these players also camefrom top secondary schoolsand junior colleges, and theyeventually ended up taking theacademic route and choosing topursue competitive majors suchas law, medicine and dentistry inlocal and overseas universities.Unless the local sportingauthorities can convince thelocal-born young talents and theirparents that a sporting career inSingapore is as prestigious andmore importantly, as viable asa career in the civil service, thesporting scene here will remainan unattractive option for thosewho rather walk the beatenacademic path.It has been more than fouryears since the Singapore SportsSchool opened its doors fortraining our young athletes toprepare them for the internationalarena one day. Yet, how manyof these sports players actuallymake it to the internationallevel?For every Tao Li the SportsSchool produces, there are manymore who dropped out of pursuingthe Olympic dream and insteadchoose to further their educationin post-secondary institutions.Even if a promising talentchooses to go on to compete atthe national level, there is a lackof competitiveness within thealready-small group of sportingelites to challenge one anotherto improve.Unlike China, we do not haveone million promising talents toslowly eliminate until a ZhangYining finally emerges as a starfrom years of competition andpressure of being eliminatedevery year.And unlike the Americans,retired athletes here do not get toreap in millions of dollars fromcommercial product endorsementsand by giving motivationalspeeches (think former tennisplayer John McEnroe).Therefore, instead of debatingabout whether Singapore haswon or bought the latest Olympicmedal, perhaps it is time for allof us to take a closer look at howwe can make a sporting career inGRAPHICS | JANELL HOONGSingapore more viable in the eyesof our youth of today.Winning the Olympic silvermedal has already helped tobring more publicity to the tabletennis community in Singapore.Perhaps a Singaporean childwatching the unwavering spiritof the Singapore table tennisteam as they fought against SouthKorea and China has alreadybeen inspired to pick up a paddleand dream of being the next LiJiawei.Let’s not undo the hard workthat the Singapore sports officialsand players have done in pavingthe way for a new generation ofsporting talents.GRAPHICS | JANELL HOONGNew Man City recruitRobinho (above) was in nodoubt that his future didnot lie with Real Madrid.France manager RaymondDomenech has had enoughof the hounding press.

september 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle sports 31sports profilePool girl justwants to be anacademicWhy do you like the game?I don’t have to run under the sunand I get to play in air-conditionedplaces. But seriously, I thoughtwhy does it have to be just guysplaying?It’s not a game of physicalstrength, so I developed an “ego”for the game. I started off wantingto prove that girls can do it too, buteventually I just liked the game forwhat it is. It becomes a passion.TAKING CUE: Raslyn is as confident of her future as she is on the billard table.PHOTO | AHMAD ISKANDARNg Jia Min talks to RasiahRaslyn Agatha to find outabout her career choiceDESPITE pool being a maledominated sport, Rasiah RaslynAgatha was one of two womenwho reached the finals in theGuinness 9-ball Pool Competitionfor Amateurs in July.The 32-year-old CommunicationStudies student strongly believesthat pool is definitely not a sportthat only males can excel in, andshe has proved it.Here’s what she has to say aboutthe sport and why she has neverconsidered it as a career despitebeing good at it and having thepassion for it.How does it feel like beating eightmen consecutively to reach thefinals?Of course it felt good! I didn’texpect to beat two of the guys—I’ve had matches with them beforeand I seldom beat them.I would say I got in by a strokeof luck actually. It’s all about howyou capitalise on your opponent’smistake because in 9-ball, the ballyou want to pot is also the one youropponent wants, so the momentyou get a chance you just clear asmuch as you can.Were you disappointed when youwere eliminated in the first roundof the finals?I was more like: “Oh okay, thatwas fun.” I didn’t expect to getin in the first place. I thought theachievement was already there justby being one of the two girls.Since pool is a male dominatedsport, does it mean that girls aredisadvantaged at it?Definitely no. It’s more aboutopportunity than advantage.But pool is traditionally a sportstarted by men for men, so it sortof becomes a boys’ club. So forgirls, they usually need someoneto teach and start them off.So you had someone to startyou off?Not really. I started when I was14. I was at a country club withmy best friend and her mom andwe wandered into the snookerroom. Then this guy who wasworking there saw us girls tryingbut didn’t know how to play, sohe taught us.Basically I started onthe snooker table and just liked thesport from then.Do you have plans to make acareer out of it?No. If I made it a career I might endup not liking it. It becomes a formof stress instead of just playingto relax.Now I’m in the NTU pool squadand I can set tangible goals. I cansee where I’m heading towards ineach competition. I’m representingthe university, and I’m not stressedabout it because it’s not a career.It’s a nice balance.So what do you want as yourcareer?I want to be an academic incommunications. Hopefully I willget there some time. I mean, youhave to choose something right?And it’s just what I want to do.Pool for me has always been arecreation and I’ve never viewedit as something I want to do as acareer so I don’t want to mix it up.Then when I thought about what Ireally wanted, I realised I wantedto teach.Do you see yourself playing poolall your life?Yes. It’s not just something that I’dplay for a while and give up – that’sfor sure. But just because you don’tgive it up doesn’t mean it consumesyour life.Runners unimpressed by hyped up Nike mass raceTa n Ji n h es p o r t s e d i t o rTHE first large scale charitablemass run organised by Nike drewsome 10,000 youths and adultshere to participate, but the wellpublicisedevent did not live up toits hype for some runners.Held on August 31st, the Nike+Human Race 10K involved runnersin 26 cities, including BuenosAires, Chicago, Madrid, andSeoul. Singapore was the fourthcountry to flag off due to time zonedifferences.The event saw MediaCorpartistes such as Joanne Peh andJessica Tan joining the race,with MTV Asia VJs Utt and Tayaentertaining the crowd. Channel5 was also engaged as the officialtelevision station to providecoverage for a telecast at a laterdate.The route took the runnersround Marine Station Road, underthe Esplanade Bridge and throughBoat Quay before making a U-turnat Alkaff Bridge and sending themalong the course of the SingaporeRiver. The finishing point waslocated at City Hall after the last100m dash past the SupremeCourt.However, most participantshad gripes about the narrow route,which caused congestion.“It was good organisation onNike’s part but the roads wereslightly congested during the race,”said Yang Yanyi, 20, a student fromthe School of Communication andInformation.“I don’t know ifit was a party forus or for Nike’spublicity.”Wong Teuk Ping, 40Nike+ Human Race 10Kparticipant“The part at the Singapore Riverwas quite cramped and it didn’thelp that some inexperiencedrunners didn’t have the courtesyto move to one side while theywalked,” she added.The race saw runners ofdifferent levels taking part. Somelike third-year Mechanical andAerospace Engineering studentKwan Jie Ling had participatedin various other races such as the42-kilometre Adidas SundownMarathon.“It’s very hard to findmomentum running with so manypeople,” she said. “I had to runand slow down, then run and slowdown again.”Despite the overcrowding,Kwan felt the race was fun becauseof her friends’ company but runnerWong Sze Keed, 39, thoughtotherwise.“The roads are simply not wideenough,” said Wong, who wasjoined by her sister and brother-inlaw.“I don’t mind the charity, butwe just couldn’t run. This is not arace for serious runners.”Par t of the par ticipants’registration fee for the race wouldbe donated to three charities: theLance Armstrong Foundation forcancer patients, the World WildlifeFoundation, and ninemillion.org,a United Nations Refugee Agencycampaign to raise funds to giveless privileged children betteraccess to education, sport, andtechnology.DON’T BLOCK ME!: It was a tight squeeze for runners at the Nike+ Human Race.PHOTO | DARWIS SUNARYORunners were invited topartake in an exclusive post-raceparty at the Padang, where localand overseas musicians, suchAmerican rock band Boys LikeGirls, performed live.“The party was bad,” said Yang.“I think they were filming it for aTV show or something and therewas a lot of NGs and technicalglitches, so the hosts had to reintroducethe bands.”Runner Wong Teuk Ping, 40,felt it was boring because it tooktoo long to start.“I don’t know if it was a partyfor us or for Nike’s publicity,” hesaid.

SportsWhat does it really take to win at pool? Read more onPage 31More than just swimming,it’s saving lives tooBo e y Wei Sh a nTHE 31st Annual NationalLifesaving Championships openwatersegment was held at SilosoBeach, in conjunction with theongoing Waterfest Singapore2008.Organised by the SingaporeLifesaving Society (SLSS), thecompetition was a display of thephysical and mental enduranceof the participants.Thirteen teams, includingNTU, National University ofSingapore (N US), and fourother teams from polytechnics,participated in 10 events.NUS, the more seasoned ofthe two universities, took thetitle as overall champions.“[NUS] is very experienced...they’ve been taking part formany years,”said Yong Jia Ying,21, chairperson of the NTULifesaving Corps.However, the team from NTUdid not fare badly either.The NTU lifesavers exceededtheir expectations by clinchinggold in the men’s double boardrescue and silver in the women’steam relay events.“Compared to previous years,out team really did improve alot. We got into the finals forall events as a proof of our hardwork and the help of our seniors,”said Yong.The golden duo, Feng HouYuan, 23, and Lui Jian Hong,24, formed the confident doubleboarding team.In an event where paddlingand swimming were key factors,their combination was lethal.“We expected to win. [JianHong] swims fast and myboarding’s not that bad. Wewere banking on this event,”said Feng.As for Reika Hue, 21, and herrelay teammates, staying in thecompetition was more importantfor them.But that did not prevent themfrom claiming the second spot.“We wanted to play safe,made sure our techniques werethere and not get disqualified,”she said.Open-water lifesaving isnotorious for being difficultbecause of the unpredictablenature of sea waters.But despite the slightlyovercast sky by late afternoon,the weather held out, whichensured a smooth sailing day.Amidst the sea of excitingdisplays, one particular lifesaverstood out.As winner of the Ironwoman—arguably the toughest of thecompetition—and the women’sbeach flag events, Christine BooXian Ying, 18, won with a maturedisplay that belied her age.The pint-sized Raffles JuniorCollege student of the WaterSapiens team unfurled her browand managed a bright smile onlyat the end of the competition.“I am very happy and gotwhat I wanted at the end of theday,” she said.“Lifesavingcompetition—it’smore than swimtraining only.”Yong Jia Ying, 21ChairpersonNTU Lifesaving CorpsRegarded as one of thebest in the field by her fellowcompetitors, she was modestabout her win.“It’s a new challenge eachtime, the positions are differentfor each round [of beach flag],”said the young veteran, whostarted out in 2004.For a sport existing in thesuburbs of the mainstream,lifesaving has a strong andcoordinated contingent ofparticipants and organisers andthe lifesavers are proud of beinga part of this sport.“Lifesaving competition— it’smore than swim training only,”said Yong.Besides the Masters Categorythat caters to the adults, the SLSShopes to promote lifesaving as aCCA in more schools to raise thelevel of awareness for it.WHAT’S IN THE SAND?: Competitors getting into position for the beach flags event.PHOTO | COURTESYDouble the fund atNIE Director’s RaceFLAG OFF: Participants at the NIE Director Race in a jovial mood before the run. PHOTO | NARERKRIT SINRACHTANANTFa b i a n Ngs p o r t s e d i t o rA RECORD turnout at this year’sNIE Director’s Race helped doublethe amount raised for charity.About $ 80,000 has beenraised so far, and the figuremay rise further depending on apossible grant from the SingaporeTote Board, according to a NIEspokesperson.This was a substantial increasefrom the $48,000 raised in 2007.T he mone y r a i sed f r omthe event, which was held onAugust 22nd, will go towards theSingapore Children’s Society, thisyear’s chosen beneficiary.After the recent debacle overthe perceived legitimacy of localcharities, a NIE committee chosethe Society after a stringentselection process.A participant in the race,Assistant Professor Lee Yee Hui,said that the choice of organisationplayed an important part ingetting runners who take part insuch events to participate.“Singaporeans are gettingmore sceptical about fund-raisingevents, so it is important forthe organisers to ensure that adeserving charity is selected,”said the School of Electrical andElectronic Engineering facultymember.Assistant Professor ClaraTan, the race organiser, said theSingapore Children’s Society waschosen as it fits NIE’s vision ofhelping youths.She also said that in order todraw a larger crowd to this year’sevent, a “carnival atmosphere”was created to encourage peopleto have fun.Participants, such as NIEstudent Satiish Sathasilvan, 24,acknowledged this. “Being acompetitive runner, what struckme was how fun the event was.”This was due to the additionof several fringe events thatentertained runners, contributingto the overall festive mood.A crowd pleaser was thepresence of several “endangeredanimals”. Some NIE staff andtheir family members dressedup as endangered animalsusing recycled material, to raiseawareness about the problem.To the delight of onlookers,they later joined in the Fun Runevent.Another first for the race wasthe participation of students underthe Group Endeavours in ServiceLearning (GESL) initiative, whichall NIE students have to join.With over 400 f irst-yearstudents involved, it was a majorfactor in contributing to the highturnout.Students from variouseducational institutions acrossSingapore also attended therace, after the organisers madea concerted effort to inviteschools.Canberra Secondary SchoolPrincipal Tan Keng Joo said, “Itwas really overwhelming to seesuch a large turnout, and weenjoyed ourselves immensely.”He added candidly that hisstaff and students went there “notto win but to have fun.”In a light-hearted manner, hesaid, “We have a strong runningculture, but we joined the race toshow our support for the charity.After all, it is a long way to comejust to run.”However, one sour note was theweather, as it rained at irregularintervals. Professor Lee said“the mood was dampened, withrunners running towards shelterbetween races.”Even so, some runners foundthe rain to be a blessing in disguise.Mr Tan said, “It definitely madethe run easier, even though themuscles are colder.”