The Nanyang Chronicle - Vol 15 No 10 - Nanyang Technological ...

Ct he nanyangRailway rendezvous PAGES 28-29HRONICLEMARCH 30 , 2009 | VO l 15 NO 10 | I ssN NO 0218-7310 | WWW . NTu.edu.sg/CHRONICleDirty dancing inclean water at NIEOUT OF AIR IN WATER: Of human effort, struggle and exhaustion. PHOTO | IRWIN TANRoboticGuardianF eelsYP>>ourulsePage19Springtime>>BloomsPage 4ElizabEth lawA MAN and a woman dancing together isno mean feat — but try it while submergedin a tank full of water.Onlookers might mistake the stunt fora magic show as Professor John Matthewsand his fellow artist executed ballroomdance moves in a large tank of water in theNanyang Playhouse.The performance, In the Large Glassof Water, was part of an exhibition calledVisual Praxis, held in conjunction with theofficial opening of the National Institute ofEducation’s The Art Gallery.For the show, the two performers willdance in the water for approximately aminute, after which they will rise to thetop of the tank to catch their breath andreturn to the middle of the tank for anotherdance.To make the show more fascinating,stage lights were used to enhance the visualimpact. Lights came on as the dances beganand fade while the performers rose to catchtheir breath.Explaining his choice of using stagelighting to enhance the emphasis on thehuman form, Prof Matthews, the Head ofVisual Arts at NIE, said: “The human figurehas traditionally been a figure of expressionin European art and has regained popularityin recent years. We are trying to reflect thatsentiment through our performance.”This is a reincarnation of Prof Matthews’earlier performance on 2003, where theglass tank was situated outside the old artgallery on the Plaza Level then.RockferryDuffycomestotown>>Page15The performance is inspired by the 1953movie Houdini, where the magician escapesfrom chains while submerged in water ina glass tank.Due to the air-conditioning in theNanyang Playhouse, the water was muchcolder than expected. As such, both ProfMatthews and his fellow performer, JoyceOng, 23, could not execute certain movesthey had rehearsed, and had to shorten theirperformance to prevent hypothermia.Despite the premature end, ProfMatthews was excited that he was finallyable to perform. The initial scheduledperformance had to be cancelled due toleaks in the glass tank. There will beanother scheduled performance on April1st.The five cubic-metre glass tank wasbuilt by Singaporean Hamzah Meer withlaminated Japanese glass and steel. Itcontains two cubic metres of water.Though the tank makes the artists’movements look restricted, Ong revealedthat it is an optical illusion caused by theglass.Commenting on her performance, thefourth-year NIE Bachelor of Arts (Education)student said: “Being underwater, it makesyou appreciate the movements you usuallytake for granted while on dry land.Visual Praxis also features art piecesby other artists and art educators, such asprint specialist Cecily Cheo and installationartist Jason Lim, who performed at The ArtGallery’s official opening.>> More reports on Visual Praxis, Page 2>> Review, Page 16你 与方 言脱 节 了 吗 ?>>31 页

02newsLess energy, more efficiencyNTU is the only Asianuniversity to presentinvention at World BestTechnologies ShowcaseMa x i e Aw Ye o n gAs energy efficiency becomesan increasingly pressing issue,Professor Ooi Kim Tiow and histeam have developed a compressorthat could very well be the world’smost efficient.The team from NTU’s Schoolof Mechanical and AerospaceEngineering has developed acompressor that could reduceenergy loss by 80 percent ascompared to its counterparts thatare currently in the market.While typical compressorshave a stationary housing, thenewly-developed compressor has arotating housing that moves withthe mechanism, thus reducingfriction and energy loss.This will decrease the energyrequired to run energy-guzzlingcooling systems, which are essentialfor appliances such as refrigeratorsand air-conditioners.This revolutionary invention isselected to take part in the WorldBest Technologies (WBT) Showcase,an annual forum exhibitingundiscovered technologies. Heldat Arlington, Texas from March24th to 25th, it will display closeto 100 products this year.N T U i s t he on l y A sia nuniversity selected to present itsinvention among the world’s best,such as the University of Illinoisand the University of Waterloo.Professor Ooi’s invention facesstiff competition from the world’sleading universities, Researchand Development laboratories andresearch institutions.“We are very proud to have ourtechnology included as one of theworld’s best,” said Professor Ooi.He also mentioned that throughthis showcase, he hopes to meetparties interested to commercialisethe product.A RAY OF GREEN HOPE: The new compressor will reduce energy loss by 80 percent.PHOTO | COURTESYIndeed, the showcase aimsto do just that. Mr. Paul Huleatt,CEO of WBT Showcase, explainedthat besides providing coachingto the teams to enhance theirpresentations, the showcasealso serves as a platform forcompanies to gather contacts formore marketing opportunities fortheir products.Huleatt also said that aroundone-third of the past presentershave eventually received fundingfor their projects.march 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclenewsflashA 77-year-old man diedof heart failure after his genitalbecame stuck in a soft drink bottlewith which he engaged in a sexualactivity.Prime Minister Lee hsienLoong has announced severalchanges to the Cabinet andother appointments, includingthe country's first full-fledgedwoman minister.Singapore has seen itsworst monthly drop in touristarrival numbers in six years.689,000 tourists visited Singaporelast month, a 15.2 percent fallyear-on-year.Singapore's manufacturingoutput contracted by 22.4 per centon year in February, an improvementon the record decline of 29.8 percent the previous month.Housing and DevelopmentBoard launched its latest Build-To-Order project, called The Nautilus@Punggol.How great thou artElizabeth LawBudding artists will now have aplace to showcase their works withthe official opening of The ArtGallery at NIE on March 19th.The Art Gallery is next to NIE’stheatre which is also called TheBlack Box. Both will be a hub ofcultural activities, especially forthe young athletes during the 2010Youth Olympics. Artistic exhibitsby artists and art educators will beshowcased here, said Professor LeeSing Kong, Director of NIE, at theofficial opening.The launch was accompaniedby Visual Praxis, an exhibitionfeaturing works by artists and arteducators at NIE. The exhibition,which is open from March 5th toApril 9th, is the first staff show inthe new art gallery.In conjunction, a performingarts piece, In the Large Glass ofWater, was also on show. ProfessorJohn Matthews of NIE and hisfellow performer danced in a largetank of water in The NanyangPlayhouse.The opening was graced byMr Masagos Zulkifli Bin MasagosMohamad, Senior ParliamentarySecretary, Ministry of Educationand Ministry of Home Affairs.“Appreciating art is all aboutseeing and not just looking,” saidMr Masagos Zulkifli.NIE’s art gallery started as afoyer in the Raffles Building at theold Bukit Timah campus.It was developed into an artgallery when NIE moved to itscurrent location. But in 2006,it was converted to a Students’Hub. This new art gallery is areincarnation of the old one.In line with the values ofeducation, the art gallery is ableto tap into a network of art centresand community centres to providearts education for schools and thepublic.A first-year student teacherMichelle Tan, 19, said: “It isvery exciting that we have suchspecialised facilities here in NIE.Furthermore, it is great that weare able to be part of the YouthOlympics in more ways thanone.”LAUNCH OF THE ART GALLERY: Showcasing artistic works by budding artists.PHOTO | IRWIN TANMelodies of lovePERFORMING WITH A CAUSE: Red Cross Humanitarian Network held its first charityconcert. PHOTO | COURTESYWa n g SiminTHE Red Cross HumanitarianNetwork (RCHN)—NTU Chapterorganised its first charity concertwith the aim of raising funds fortheir beneficiary's new residentialhome.The beneficiary – Red CrossHome for the Disabled (RCHD) is theonly residential home in Singaporeto provide both long term and shortterm respite care to the severelydisabled. It plans to raise $20,000for the purchase of new therapyequipment and supplies needed inthis new home.The theme of the concert was“Illuminate: Reveal those who areUnseen” and it was held on March21st at Nanyang Auditorium.According to the Vice-presidentof the project Yoanna ArlinaKurnianingsih, 20, the title wasappropriate as it resonates withRCHN’s objectives of wanting toraise funds for the disabled’s newresidential home, and to increasepublic awareness of the disabled.“Only a few people know aboutthe RCHD. We can say that theyare “unseen” people, to most publicespecially those inactive in thisaspect of humanitarian work,”Yoanna said.The Guest-of-Honour wasSenior Associate Provost Er MengHwa.T he char it y concer t sawvoluntary groups such as ChineseDrum, Wushu, Choir, PianoEnsemble, Jazz and Blues and thepopular local percussion band ‘TheStrikeforce’ performing, as well asProject Superstar winner KelvinChen Wei Lian.A student Duta Prawirafrom the School of Chemicaland Biomedical Engineering wasinvited by his friend.“I liked ‘The Strikeforce’because it was most engaging,and Kelvin Chen Wei Lian’s songs,because he was very inspiring,"he said."Since he is a blind manhimself, nevertheless he stillattempts to save and help peoplein need.”Come april, the NationalLibrary Board will not allow anyonewith unpaid fines and fees to borrowbooks or items until the chargeshave been paid.The Singapore National EyeCentre said the number of glaucomapatients in Singapore has gone upby four times.Camping permits are nowrequired on weekends as well, witha quota imposed on the numberbeing given out.Operator of Singapore'ssecond integrated resort, ResortsWorld at Sentosa, stated that itis on track to open four of its sixhotels by the first quarter of 2010,adding some 1,350 rooms in theRepublic.SIA Engineering said it hassigned a long-term contract toprovide maintenance and fleetmanagement services to Gulf Air,which boasts the largest networkin the Middle East.Beijing has reacted angrilyto a Pentagon report on China'smilitary power, which claimed itwas altering the military balancein Asia.the former chairwoman ofnow-defunct Sanlu Group lost herappeal against a life sentence forselling hundreds of tonnes of milklaced with a toxic chemical.Pop star Madonna is saidto be travelling to Malawi in a bidto adopt a second child.R&B star Akon haslaunched a song, "Blood IntoGold", to commemorate thevictims of the slave trade, pastand present.

march 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclenews03Exuberant response at Open HouseStudents and parentsgathered to discovermore about L.I.F.E @NTUMa n j i t Ka u rTHE NTU Open House held onMarch 14th at the NanyangAuditorium was marked withvibrancy and energy.The theme of this year’s openhouse is L.I.F.E@NTU, whichstands for “learning is fun andexciting”.Free shuttle buses ferriedprospective students and theirparents from Boon Lay andJurong East stations right tothe doorstep of the NanyangAuditorium.Stationed at various locations,student ambassadors and facultymembers served as guides toprovide assistance to the visitors,entertaining their queries andbringing them around thecampus.Associate Professor YakoobSiyal from the School of Electronicand Electrical Engineering (EEE)had been talking non-stop forENQUIRING STUDENTS: Ambassadors engaging students who want to know more.PHOTO | NAREKRIT SINRACHTANANTfour hours since 9am.“The turnout is better than lastyear and better than the recenteducation fair held at Suntec City,”he said.Students and parents generallyhad good feedback about the OpenHouse.Viki Chua, 18, a Ngee AnnPolytechnic student who wasaccompanied by her parents hopesto pursue her studies at Wee KimWee School of Communication andInformation or Nanyang BusinessSchool (NBS).According to her, the professorsand students at NTU are ‘veryforthcoming and helpful’.“The requirement for polystudents entering NUS is quiteunclear.“However, at NTU, theexplanations provided by thestudents and professors are detailedand they seem more sure of studentsentering from poly. They are ableto guide poly students better,” shesaid.Her mother, Mrs Teo Cheok Lin,48, felt people like Professor Chanfrom NBS were extremely helpful.“He enlightened us on thecourse and gave us a detailedexplanation, helping us understandthe requirements better,” she said.Shermin, a second-year studentin National Junior College, plans toread Accountacy in NBS.She felt that the open house was“more vibrant than expected”.However, some feltimprovements could be in place tobenefit the overall success of theOpen House.A c c or d i n g t o A s s i s t a n tProfessor Michael Patterson fromthe Psychology Division at Schoolof Humanities and Social Sciences,although the “turnout is great”, the“space was a bit small”.Most visitors interviewedsaid that their perception of theuniversity did not change despitethe two recent NTU deaths. Oneof them, Chen Yifan, is lookingforward to studying at the schoolof Electronic and ElectricalEngineering (EEE).The second-year TampinesJunior College student felt that “it’snot the school, but the students”when it comes to determining aschool’s reputation.When asked if he wouldconsider NUS engineering facultyinstead, he said: “Compared withNUS, NTU’s Engineering is muchstronger.”When Associate ProfessorSiyal was asked about the recentdeaths linked to the school ofEEE, he said: “The deaths are nota cause of issue and it has nothingto do with the reputation of theschool.”He believes that tragedyh a p p e n s e v e r y w h e r e a ndmaintains that the school of EEEin NTU is still “top of the world”.Apart from Discover@NTUevents, the Open House alsoincluded school tours, guidedvisits and talks on the variousdegree programs.Part time lecturer Mahani BteAhmad was glad she made theeffort to visit the open house atthe last minute.She said: “I’ve been applyingfor a teaching position with NIEbut without success.“Finally, I got some personalinsight into the requirements forteaching.”60 minutes to save the worldLei Ji a h u iNTU has pledged to put thecampus in darkness for onehour from 830pm onwards onSaturday, March 28th.This is in line with EarthHour, an initiative organizedby the World Wildlife Fund forNature (WWF) to spread themessage about the importance ofenergy conservation.The third year in its running,this year’s Earth Hour has beenreferred to as the world’s firstglobal election, between Earthand global warming.By taking part in this year’sEarth Hour, NTU has clearlytaken her stand and cast her voteto mother Earth.“The main purpose of ourparticipation in Earth hour is toraise awareness about climatechange,” said Lee Hui Min,president of Earthlink NTU.Lights at the study benches atboth the North and South Spineare supposed to be promptlyturned off at 830pm. Façadelights, as well as non-essentiallights are also supposed to beswitched off.Some halls have expressedtheir support by promising toturn off their corridor lights.These hall administrationshave encouraged students stayingover that night to switch off theirrespective room lights.However when surveyed,not all students were receptiveGOING DARK: NTU joins in the battle for climate change. PHOTO | YUSUF HAMIDto the idea of spending an hour indarkness.“The exams are drawing near. Thekey point of this campaign is to saveelectricity and to be environmentallyfriendly. We can achieve that inother ways, not necessarily just byturning off the lights,” said Hon JingTi, a second-year student from theSchool of Physical and MathematicalSciences.“E le c t r ic it y i s e s sent ia l ,especially at night, and is neededfor many activities we do,” addedthird-year student from the Schoolof Biological Science, Leow WanQing.However, some see it as ameaningful campaign and anattempt at making a statement inenergy conservation.“This is a very meaningfulinitiative as it serves as a starkreminder that the degradationof the Earth is an increasinglyurgent problem that we need toaddress,” said Sheryl Teo, a firstyearstudent from Wee Kim WeeSchool of Communication andInformation.Earthlink’s vice president,Jeevaneswaran Ramoo said thisis an opportunity to “promoteresponsible consumerism” toeveryone in NTU.Ultimately, energy conservationshould not be limited to just onehour.“We hope that savingelectricity can be inculcated in theeveryday lifestyles of students,” heconcluded.

04newsMarch 30, 2009The nanyang chronicleBHG comes to NTUCounselling concernsCh i a Hu i MayThe BHG fashion bazaar heldfrom March 23rd to 25th wasa hit as students flocked to theNanyang Auditorium in search ofbargains.Response was good as crowdsthronged the auditorium, browsingthrough items ranging from foodand footwear to cosmetics andclothes.The bazaar, organised by theNTU Students' Union, was an effortto contribute to a good cause. BHGdonates 7% of the overall proceedsto NTU bursaries and emergencygrants.The new brands that werebrought in this year included DrMartens, Everyday Minerals andeven lingerie lines like Sloggi.“The brands are more priceyand upmarket this year. Last yearthe brands were more common andaffordable,” said Katherine Teo, 20,the chairperson of the event.The organiser decided to bringin more undergarment brands thisyear. It proved to be a right move,as lingerie seemed to be popularwith women.“The variety of undergarmentsis quite good and the prices areCOLOURFUL INTIMATES: Lady shoppers are spoilt for choice. PHOTO | ZOE LIMcomparable to those outside,”said a student from the NanyangBusiness School who declined tobe named.However, a remark echoed bythe shoppers concerns the numberof cashiers at the bazaar.Koh Shihui Michelle, 23, said:“The cashiers could be betterpositioned, and there should bemore cashiers as well.”According to Teo, the number oftelephone points in the auditoriumlimited the number of cashiers theycould set up. Telephone points areneeded for NETS transactions,which is the most preferred modeof payment. Overall, the shopperswere satisfied with the event andsaid they will return should it beheld again.“The range is quite good andprices are reasonable. I wouldn’tmind coming back next timeto look around,” said Yogi Teo,25, a student from the Schoolof Electrical and ElectronicEngineering.Josephine K Ch o wAlmost a month has passedsince the two deaths occurred oncampus.While students and authoritiesare still trying to make sense ofwhat happened to David Widjajaand Zhou Zheng, there have beenquestions as to how such tragediescan be prevented in the future.Students who require help or areseeking advice can do so with theStudent Counselling Centre (SCC),which has several programmes andsystems in place.Mr Chan Boon Pin, a casecoordinator at SCC, said that itspastoral care system helps bothlocal and international studentswith social and cultural issues,among others.He added that the system isaccessible through various oncampuschannels besides the SCC,such as officials from the medicalcentre and halls.Citing the David Widjajaincident, Mr Chan said that twoimmediate measures took place asa response.They included two separatecouselling sessions; one forIndonesian students and anotherfor members from the Schoolof Electrical and ElectronicEngineering (EEE) who knewDavid Widjaja.Mr Chan said that since theincident, the SCC received five orsix more new cases from studentsseeking help.However, he also said that thepastoral care system was not theonly avenue that students can seekhelp from.A Student Buddies systemhas been put in place, where newinternational students who enrol inNTU are placed under the guidanceof their senior counterparts.International students alsofound the Host programmepopular, where they can immersethemselves in local culture.“I nte r nat iona l st udent s ,including exchange students, joinlocal families in activities andfestive celebrations and experiencefor themselves a local and uniquecultural occasion,” said Mr Chan.When asked if the SCC willreview the pastoral care system,Mr Chan said that while there areno problems with the current one,areas for improvement are beinglooked into, such as focusing onhelping students with emotionalneeds.Cookin' up a book Cherry Blossoms in NTU?Elizabeth LawThe Deli Aprecio Club (DAC) willlaunch a campus cookbook thisAugust, in line with the freshmenorientation for the next academicyear.Wr it ten by cur rent DACpresident Jeremy Cheok, 24, andfinal-year School of Mechanicaland Aerospace Engineeringstudent Wilfred Lim, CampusCookin’ promotes healthy cookingon campus.Most of the recipes were testedover a span of three months. Thedishes were then photographedover three days in the Decemberholidays last year.Despite their lack of expertise,the club managed to pull offthe feat. DAC business managerWong Yun Tian credited this toteamwork.“We had a really great teamthat was very co-operative andhelped out in any way they could,”said the 19-year-old student fromthe Wee Kim Wee School ofCommunication and Information.However, the process wasnot without challenges. Whatoriginally began as a collaborationbetween Hall 12 residents and theDAC became the club’s specialproject due to red tape issues.“We also had a very hard timefiguring out the recipes from thepictures as my co-author Wilfredleft halfway to concentrate on hisfinal year project,” said Cheok.The second-year student fromthe School of Materials Scienceand Engineering said: “We had toconstantly rewrite the recipes tomake sure they were consistent.”“I think it is onlypossible becauseof team work.”Wong Yun Tian, 19Business ManagerDeli Aprecio ClubThe 60-page cookbook, whichpromotes healthy cooking andeating on campus, makes use ofingredients that can be easilybought from stores near NTU,such as Sheng Shiong and NTUCFairprice.However, it shies away fromlocal cuisine.Explaining the rationale, Cheoksaid: “We felt that you can findlocal food at any canteen aroundNTU. But Western food like this,we want to show that it can bevery simple to cook yet still tastevery good.”Campus Cookin' retails at $5each and can be bought fromthe DAC. For more information,visit the Campus Cookin'Facebook group or email todeliaprecio@ntu.edu.sg.PHOTO | IRWIN TANIT IS a rare sight as pink and white flowers bloomed on trees around campus earlier this month.According to plant physiologist John Yong, an assistant professor from the National Institute ofEducation, the unusually dry spell stimulated these rosy trumpet trees (tabebuia rosea) to blossom.Estimated to be between 10 to 15 years old, these trees were introduced from the tropical Americas aspart of the Garden City campaign for wayside trees. They provide important habitats for birds, mistletoesand other aerial plants like birdnest ferns.– Ku e k Ji n h u a

march 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclenews05New look for loungeLinette He n gA trial launch was held forstudents to experience the newlyrevamped Student Activities Centre(SAC) lounge in March.The revamp includes a foosballtable, a billiards table and threeXBox stations.“There has been an increase inthe number of people coming hereto play after the new XBox setshave been added, especially in theevenings from 4.30pm to 8.30pm,”said Students’ Union WelfareService member, Agung SugiartoTan, 18, a second-year studentfrom the School of Chemical andBiomedical Engineering.Meralo Antonio, a second-yearstudent from the School of Physicaland Mathematical Sciences (SPMS)welcomes the additions in thelounge. He said: “I think it is goodto have Xbox stations in the loungebecause we can have some fun hereafter lessons.”“It also helps us students torelax,” he added.According to the presidentof the Students’ Union, Ng HweiYun, the trial launch is used togauge students’ responses for idealopening hours and to find outwhich games would be popularamong them. This is done inpreparation for the official launch,which will be held next semester.While Ronny William, a secondyearstudent from SPMS wassatisfied with the new additions,he said he would like to see moreadditions to the lounge in future.“I enjoy myself playing theXbox games, but I think it will bebetter if there are more varieties ofgames,” he said.“The kind of games theyoffer now are quite difficult fora beginner to pick up. It is betterif they have easier games to caterto students who are here just torelax.”Nonetheless, Tan believed thatthe response after the revampgenerally has been positive.He also said that they areplanning to add board games atthe official launch.Night of glamourIN THE SPOTLIGHT: Contestants take the stage with charisma and in style.PHOTO | YUSUF HAMIDGo h Qi a n YiThe Pageant ’09 organised by theNTU Students’ Union was held atthe Nanyang Auditorium Foyeron March 19th. About 600 peopleturned up in party wear for thetwo-and-a-half-hour event.Shankar Gunalan, 26, a fourthyearstudent from the Schoolof Electrical and ElectronicEngineering was crowned MrNTU, while Ravinder Kaur, 21, athird-year student from the Schoolof Biological Sciences won the titleof Ms NTU. They each won a ticketto Perth and a total of $1450 incash and prizes.Shankar said: “It was an overallgood experience and definitelybrought me good friendshipstoo.”Ravinder Kaur enjoyed herselfthroughout the course of thepageant. “The Pageant hasdefinitely given me an excellentstepping stone to make me realisemy strengths and weaknesses,”she said.Red bull gives you wingsHo n g Sh u h e n gStudents set up ad agencyDespite the recession,ADdiction offersfree advertising andmarketingPe a r l LeeDriven by a strong interest inadvertising and public relations,10 undergraduates have taken theinitiative to set up an advertisingsociety in NTU.ADdiction, NTU’s advertisingsociety, is the first advertisingagency in Singapore to be whollymanaged by students.Although founded only lastsemester, the society currently hasin their clientele base companiessuch as Coca-Cola and NatureTrekker, a non-governmentalorganisation (NGO).Anisha Baghudana, 21, founderand president of ADdiction, said:“I thought it would be great ifthere was a platform available foryouths to come together and createadvertisements, and it struck methat I could actually create thisplatform.”The fourth-year Wee Kim WeeSchool of Communication andInformation (WKWSCI) studentthen consulted Professor Ang PengHwa and Assistant Professor YeohKok Cheow for advice. She alsoAIMING HIGH: Paper plane enthusiasts pit their aerodynamic skills against eachother. PHOTO | YUSUF HAMIDUsing just a simple piece of paper,three students have won an allexpenses-paidtrip to Austria onMay 1st and 2nd, after emergingtops in the Red Bull Paper WingsNational Finals.The paper plane competition washeld for the first time in Singaporeon March 12th in Hall of Residence3. The event gathered 45 finalistsfrom Singapore ManagementUniversity, National University ofSingapore and NTU.Participants competed in threedifferent categories—the longestairtime, the longest distance andaerobatics.The competition provided paperplane enthusiasts with a platformto showcase their skills.“I’m a paper plane aficionado,and it’s my first time seeing a stagelike this to display our skills,”said Vikram Bahl, 20, a studentfrom the School of Electrical andElectronic Engineering.The event showcased variousdesigns of paper planes, such asthe addition of flaps and tails ontothe simple pieces of paper, as wellas different cuttings made on theplanes.Yet despite the presence ofvarious designs, all three studentswho won the respective categoriessaid that a lot of it had to do withluck.“I think it was luck—you sawhow my paper plane flew outof the boundaries and back,”said Desmond Sim, 23, a secondyearstudent from the Schoolof Mechanical and AerospaceEngineering, who won the longestairtime category. His paper planeflew beyond the rope boundariesat one point and was thought tobe disqualified, but it managed tomake a swerve back in time.“I’m a paper planeaficionado, andit’s my first timeseeing a stage likethis .”Vikram Bahl, 20School of Electrical andElectronic Engineeringsought the opinions of her friends,who showed positive interest in theidea of a student-run advertisingsociety.ADdiction prides itself onbeing an interest-based club andoffering free services.Cathryn Neo, 21, the mediadirector of ADdiction said: “Thisis why we want to reach out toNGOs, who usually face problemsof budget constraint, yet are mostin need of publicity.According to Neo, it is a winwinsituation. Not only will theNGOs benefit from having theimproved publicity, it will also helpADdiction to build up its portfolioand credentials.Baghudana said: “Advertisingis a creative industry where ageand experience doesn’t matter.What counts are the ideas.”“Sometimes eventhe clients are notsure of what theywant themselves.”Mr Roger YongCopywriterIris NationDespite loud music and RedBull girls giving out free cans ofthe drink, the event only attracteda handful of spectators.“I expected the response to begreater. Maybe the publicity wasn’tenough.”“The hall is also hard to findfor people not staying in Hall 3,”said a spectator Ng Yu Ming, 19, afirst-year student from the Schoolof Physical and MathematicalSciences.Yet according to Ms Ann Tay,the consumer collecting executiveof Red Bull Singapore Pte Ltd, theevent has been quite a success.“We’re not really looking atspectator turnout rate. Turnouthas been pretty good in terms ofparticipation,” the 23-year-oldsaid.The current recession mighteven help to increase the club’sclientele base, said Stephanie Tan,19, a first-year student from theNanyang Business School.“I n suc h t r y i ng t i mes,companies will want to find waysto cut costs. Offering free-ofchargeadvertising and marketingservices will actually benefitcompanies a lot.”H o w e v e r, s ome r e m a i nskeptical about the club’s longterm success.Mr Roger Yong, a copywriterwith eight years of experience atadvertising agency Iris Nation,said: “Sometimes even the clientsare not sure of what they wantthemselves.”He also said the agency needsto be a consultant to the brand,which he is not sure if students areready for it.“And when you are a studentrunad agency offering probonoservices, there’s always thepossibility that clients might nottreat you as seriously, and won’texpect that much from you,”hesaid.ADdiction will host Coca-Cola’s ‘Open Coke, Open Happiness’campaign in NTU next month.Although the club currentlyconsists of mainly W KWSCIstudents, membership is open toall NTU students.

LifestyleExam fever hits study spots around the island - Page 12SOLE SUCCESS: His days at NTU made Mr Shenzi Chua, 39, realise that Singaporeans enjoy dressing down. PHOTOS | EUNICE CHANHEART AND SOLEthey truly are”.The simplicity that the brand advocatesstems from the man himself.Despite his current success he does notbelieve in flaunting his wealth.Instead, he holds true to his guidingprinciple, which is to live as minimally aspossible.This probably explains why you won’tfind him driving around town.“The only form of driving you’ll see medoing is driving people crazy,” he jokes.Seeing how down-to-earth this fashionmogul is, it is no wonder that his youngemployees, many of whom are tertiarystudents, look to him as a role model.Still, this does not change the way MrChua views himself.In fact, he makes it a point not to thinkabout shouldering the responsibility.“I try to live life as best I can, and if itinfluences others in the right way, then that’sgood,” he says.Despite his public persona, Mr Chuainsists that he is a private person who dislikessocial events such as launch parties.“When you attend such parties, yourealise that people are very pretentious.They do and say things that they’re notsincere about, and that’s not something Iknow how to do.”What he does like, though, is havingsome quiet time to himself.Early nights are much hoped for, asit allows him to clear his mind beforebeginning the next day anew.This habit is one that has stayed withhim since his equally hectic undergraduatedays.Nonetheless, the phenomenon of dressingdown in NTU, which has managed to sustainitself over the years, still amazes Mr Chua.“Tell NTU students that it’s time to stopwearing their hall tees, faculty tees anduniversity tees to school,” he said.“It’s not fashionable.”The head honcho at local fashionchain NewUrbanMale is anengineering graduate from theclass of 1994.Shahida Bte Hassim talks to ShenziChua about the brand he hascreated, including his line of flipflops,and what he really thinks ofNTU students’ dress senseDRESSED in faded blue jeans, a simplet-shirt and cap, he certainly does not looklike a person who has revolutionised casualwear for Singaporean men.Meet Mr Shenzi Chua, 39 — director,designer, and the brain behind leadinghome-grown retail chain NewUrbanMale.More commonly known as NUM, theseretail stores — 15 local branches in all — caterto the rising needs of men in areas of fashionand lifestyle.Though it first targeted men only, NUMhas won the hearts (and soles) of men andwomen alike since its creation in 2003,raking in $8 million last year.“Our initial intention was to cater tomen. However, we soon realised that womentoo loved shopping at our stores,” said MrChua.Despite graduating from NTU with adegree in Mechanical Engineering in 1994,he chose a career in fashion and retailafter finishing his internship with a localengineering company, realising it was nothis cup of tea.Instead, he worked in web technologyupon graduation, recognising that living andshopping online would be popular.What started out as an online men’slifestyle magazine quickly turned into asuccessful business recipe for Mr Chua.From his website NewUrbanMale.com, hebuilt a loyal base of about 10,000 readers.The strong numbers made the expansionoffline a lot smoother.Step into any NUM branch today andthe first thing you’ll probably notice is its“mandatory wall of flip-flops”.A palette of colours against a clean,white wall, these flip-flops have becomesynonymous with the brand.The attractive NUM staff may also catchyour eye.Mr Chua revealed that when picking itsstaff, NUM looks out for many things suchas personality and sincerity in serving, notjust looks.“Everybody likes to be served by goodlookingpeople. But good looks alone,without any character, will only turn peopleoff.”Mr Chua’s days in NTU played a part inhis understanding of Singaporean tastes infashion.“NTU students have always been viewedas being slightly less trendy and ‘hip’, ascompared to other campuses.Even when I was in school, I noticed howstudents loved wearing their hall and facultyt-shirts to classes,” he said.Despite his disapproval, it was this sameobservation that made Mr Chua realise theSingaporean preference for casual wear.Bearing this in mind, he aspired to promotea style that was casual yet trendy andsophisticated at the same time.This remains the approach NUM takeswhen designing its own clothes anddeciding which international brands tobring in. Most of NUM’s products—fromits famed Havaianas to its notoriousparty tanks and vintage tees—are eitherselectively imported or designed with thepurpose of allowing wearers to be “whoTO BE WHO YOU TRULY ARE: NUM products aim tobe casual, yet trendy.

THE NANYANG CHRONICLEVivoCity 1 Harbourfront Walk#02-134Opens Mondays to Fridays, 10amto 10pm;Saturdays and Sundays till 11pmTHE PRICE: $6 for a 250ml cup,$7 for 450ml, and $8 for 650ml.Takeaways only.WHAT: With its eye-catchinglime-green shop front, the chainpromises juices that are freshlysqueezed, with no added sugar.A unique offering is the PocketRocket Juice ($6.50 for 350ml),a “super juice” packed withOmega-3, fibre and a vita boosterof multi-vitamins.Other juices include theaddition of boosters, that “littlebit of magic powder” which havevitamins or minerals embeddedwithin them.THE CROWD: Mostly Caucasians,who are familiar with the chainback in their home countries,according to store manager BomNg.Many students also frequentthe outlet.THE JUICE: The selling pointof the Pocket Rocket Juice isits addition of Omega-3 fats.Packaged in a chirpy lime-greenstyrofoam cup bearing the brightstore name, the juice is thick likea milkshake.A swig reveals a hint ofpineapple and the full body ofbanana, with the sour tang oforange bits.It was a rather confusing blendof flavours, probably because thedrink is chock full of ingredients.Some of the fruits added to theblend, like the pomegranate, couldbarely be tasted.With an attractive red hue,the first sip of the Immunity Juicebrings out the strongly sweet tasteof watermelon juice, followed bythe sweetness of strawberries andoranges.The flavours come together ina riot. But the combination doeslittle for the tastebuds because ofthe clash of various tastes whichleaves one quite confused.The bestbit of this juice requires a bit ofpatience.The pulpy bits left at the bottomin a foamy residue are full of biteand lessen the overwhelmingsweetness.THE SERVICE: Friendly andcheerful, but not too wellinformed.The counter staff had to turnfrequently to the manager foradvice on the different kinds ofjuices available, and where theirsupply of fruit comes from, amongother questions.WHAT YOU PAY IS WHAT YOUGET: A suitable healthy treat forthe diet-conscious, but the lackof a seating area at the Vivocityoutlet made the price seem a tadtoo high for just that one cup ofjuice.Grab a cup and savour it at therooftop Skypark instead.The Hilton Singapore581 Orchard Road #02-00Opens Mondays to Saturdays,11am to 6pmTHE PRICE: $9 per glass, but worksout to be about $10.50 after tax.Takeaway juices come in run–ofthe-millplastic cups.WHAT: Tucked in a quiet corner ofthe shopping gallery at The Hilton,its décor is minimalist, with plushwhite padded seats and polishedwooden tables. Their power juicesare most popular, especially theInstant Energizer, a blend of carrot,bee pollen, apple and parsley.Promising instant vitality, thepick-me-up juices include theApple Tart, a blend of green appleand lemon juice.THE CROWD: Comprises mostlyregulars on familiar terms withthe staff. Customers, mostlyhealth-conscious, visit this placefor a pick-me-up after shoppingat the gallery, says marketingcommunications coordinator Sue-Mei Teo, 23.THE JUICE: The Instant Energizeris served chilled in a clear glass,showing its rich orange colour. Thetaste of carrot hits the tastebudsinstantly, agreeably sweetenedwith bee pollen and apple. Thethick layer of foam that covers thejuice is where the pulpy bits areconcentrated and is supposedlythe most nourishing part. “Thosewho really know how to drink juicewill leave the foamy part till thelast. That is why some customersdon’t like us to clear their glassesright away, because they want tofinish up the foamy part at theGLASS OF GOODNESS: Juices come freshly-squeezed, with no added sugar.bottom,” explains waitress LeahSutiman, 53.The Apple Tart comes in agarish green colour. On first sip,it is almost overwhelmingly sour,but gets quite refreshing as theslight sweetness of the apple juiceslowly comes through, leaving atingling sensation on the tongue.THE SERVICE: Decked out inplush maroon silk blouses andblack pants, the staff were warm,enthusiastically personable andprofessional.WHAT YOU PAY IS WHAT YOUGET: True, the price may be steep.And the Instant Energizer did notinstantly energize as decreed.As a pick-me-up, the Apple Tartworks purely due to the immensesourness which can perk anyoneup immediately. Other than that,the promised vitality did not lastlonger than the course of the drink.But really, the price was more forthe pleasure of luxuriating in acalming ambience, attended to bywarm service staff.NUTRIENT BOOST: Juices come freshly-squeezed, with no added sugar.PHOTOS | ELIZABETH LAW, HONG SHUHENG & YUSUF HAMIDBroadway Foodcourt, on campus.THE PRICE: The Avocado Juice at$1.80, and the Three Fruits Juice at$2.50. Packaged in a clear plasticcups.THE CROWD: Intermittent crowdson a school day, during the lunchhour.THE JUICE: The Avocado Juice is asteal at $1.80, and was recommendedby Mdm Han Yuni, 43, who makesthe juices. Supposedly “good for theskin, especially for young girls”, theice-blended juice came with a dashof salt for taste. The mark of a goodavocado juice is a nice butteryaftertaste, but this version was toowatered-down, and delivered onlya tad of the full-bodied flavour ofavocado.A more popular option is theThree Fruits Juice, a blend ofwatermelon, papaya and honeydew,though customers ask for pineappleinstead of honeydew, as it adds azesty tang to the drink. The slighttaste of watermelon complementedthe flavour of papaya, which lenta pleasantly sweet flavour tothe rather diluted drink. But thetang of pineapple left much tobe desired, with its sour bitingaftertaste.THE SERVICE: Brisk and efficient.Pretty much do-it-yourself – youget your juice after a short wait,and pay at a separate counter.WHAT YOU PAY IS WHAT YOUGET: For the very affordableprices, it is a viable and healthierdrink option to go with a meal,though the juices could be lesswatered-down. Top up $0.50 toget a “no-ice” option, for a lessdiluted blend.

MARCH 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclelifestyle 11Childhood charmsTired of the daily grind of school work and the burdens of busy activities,Carmela Reyes, Ellyne Phneah and Erica Ng return to the simple things in lifecaptivating greeneryI HAD no idea what to expect at theJacob Ballas Children’s Garden, butI was eager to explore. Coveringtwo hectares in a corner of thebotanic gardens, the youthfulintegrity of this children’s gardenis well protected.You need to be accompanied bysomeone under 12. I had none, soI had to wait for a guide. Feelingsheepish and impossibly old atthe age of 20, I couldn’t help butlet my curiosity get the better ofme as I imagined what might bewaiting for me on the other sideof the gate. I was not disappointed.Wandering through the plentifultrees with my guide, I felt like asmall child under the watchful eyeof my mother and I tried to stay onmy best behaviour.I stopped at every sign, readingand learning about the trees andplants. It was a unique educationalexperience with nature as I hadto stop and look at the coloursof the plants used to make dyes,deeply inhale the fragrant herbs,and touch the textures of leavesand flower petals. The colourfuland clear explanations on thesigns within the garden madelearning fun. I was able to playwith different musical instrumentsmade from plants and fruits.down the slippery slopesIT WAS always a special treat to beable to make a trip to the 20-acreenclosed waterpark in Canada’sWonderland. The adrenaline rushof waterslides is not somethingthat diminishes with age.Facing Chinese Garden MRTstation, a water wonderland awaitedat the Jurong East SwimmingComplex, its colourful windingslides an appealing escape fromthe sticky Singapore heat.Aside from the three multicoloredsnake-like waterslides, refreshingwaterfalls dotted the premises,with a multi-coloured playgroundNAKED TREE: A man-made tree structure outside the garden.PHOTOS | FOO CHEE CHANGUpon spotting a gong fashionedfrom a tree trunk, I gave it a fewgood whacks and couldn’t helpbut giggle at the sounds thatresulted.As I played with the differentinstruments, and took the time tostop and smell the roses, it wasimpossible not to feel youthful. Ifelt like I was in a magical place,surrounded by the multitudeof fresh greenery, as if I wereone of Peter Pan’s lost boys inNever Land. Scrambling up thetree house ladder and trekkingthrough the small caves nestledLAZY RIVER: A man made stream with a current strong enough to pull you along.that had water spraying everywhich way, and a lazy river thatsparkled invitingly.Determined to start the daywith a splash, I climbed up the fourflights of stairs to conquer the firstslide - a narrow winding yellowtube that didn’t seem large enoughfor me to wedge myself in.I stopped in my tracks andlooked uncertainly at the slide. Itseemed awfully narrow, even formy 1.64m frame, and the rushingwater looked strong enough tosweep me away. But wasn’t thatthe point?behind waterfalls, I found myselfreally immersed in the experience,forgetting that I was a guest inthe garden, and an overaged oneat that.POTTING GARDEN: Fanciful swirlsdecorate the entrance.Squelching my misgivings,I took a deep breath and swungmyself into the dark tube to provethat I could still slide with the bestof the bunch – most of whom werehalf my age, if not younger.As I rocketed through thedarkness with water splashingeverywhere, a huge smile spreadacross my face.I let go of any worries I hadand enjoyed the invigoratingexperience. As I neared the end ofthe slide, my eyes lit up at the clearblue water and before I knew it, Iwas submerged with a satisfyingsplash.When I resurfaced a fewmoments later soaking wet, hairdisheveled, with water up mynose, I still had the huge smile onmy face.Eyeing the tubes and thetwo biggest slides, I was excitedto tackle more water escapadesand forget my homework, myresponsibilities and my worries.It was refreshing to embrace myinner child and let go, even if justfor a day.BIG WAVES: This pool generates wavessporadically. PHOTOS | BRANDON LEEflying highGONE WITH THE WIND: Keeping hold of the kite was a challenge. PHOTO | COURTESYALONG Champions Way, an avenuetucked in the south of Woodlands,there are vast plains interspersedwith little hills.I spent a good part of mychildhood playing police-andthiefand blowing soap bubblesthere.But I’d never flown a kite tillnow.As I dragged the strugglingkite behind me for a good tenminutes, it finally rose to embracethe wind.I released more string as thekite rose fearlessly and I pulleda trot through the treesSITTING atop a full grown sturdyhorse was a far cry from thepony riding of my childhood.All thoughts of horsebackaccidents, Christopher Reeve andback paralysis faded when I metBuzz—a beautiful, cream coloured,brown patched horse, bred in NewZealand.The jungle trial that Buzz and Itravelled on was muddy and I wasglad to have Buzz do the walkingfor me. Even though I was beingled around, I had to communicatethe string taut in fear of losingmy kite.The string was on the vergeof breaking as I struggled to keepit afloat.Should I let the kite go?It took me a while before I waswilling to free the kite and thenwatch it disappear from sight.Perhaps the kite was toobeautiful to be compelled to deviatefrom its trajectory the way thewind had planned it.Maybe, it deserved to continueflying. I was thankful to leave onthat note.DWARFED BY A HORSE: Down the muddy jungle trail. PHOTO | YUSUF HAMIDwhen to stop and move off.Horses are actually able tointerpret our tone of voice andbody language.If I did not sound firm enough,he would not take me seriously.He was talking to me in his ownway too.Buzz’s little actions such asbending his head down to scratchhis feet and the way he tossed hishead helped me understand how hewas feeling and made him all themore endearing to me.

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE30 Yishun St 81, Singapore 768455Opening Hours: 10am–9.30pm daily, closed on public holidaysENVIRONMENT: T h estudy room seats 20 people.“There are more users thantables, especially duringthe weekends and the timeleading up to exams,” says MrMohamed at the CommunityCentre (CC).NOISE: With only three peopleon a Saturday afternoon, thestudy room was silent.Changi Airport Passenger Terminal 1Airport BoulevardDeparture Hall West, Unit #021-70Singapore 819642Opening Hours: 24 hours dailyENVIRONMENT: This place is a havenfor all-nighters. Full-length glass wallsprovide abundant sunlight in the daywhile antique-looking green lamps withgilded stands provide light at each tablewhen it gets darker.NOISE: The ambient music is soothing andsometimes sleep-inducing.FOOD: Food is not allowedbut there is a café on thefirst floor. Coffeeshops are atwo-minute walk away.PHOTOS | HANNAH LEONG, TAN JIA YI & FOO CHEE CHANGTHE STUDYING EXPERIENCE: Be prepared to share the room with elderly folk, whoalso read there.STUDY TIPS: The CC is a five-minute walk from Khatib MRT station. Although you haveto be a member to study here, this study room offers one of the lowest membership ratesat $12 per annum, which converts to $1 monthly, compared to other CCs which charge asmuch as $100. No reservation of seats is allowed.THE STUDYING EXPERIENCE:Tables here resemble oak-panelleddesks of old libraries. This scholarlyfeel puts people in the moodof studying. But the red plusharmchairs are so comfortable thatcoffee does little to ward off sleep.The tiny tables next to them areonly knee-high and not suitablefor studying.Though there is WiFi coverage,power points are scarce.McDonald's Place11 King Albert Park, #01-01/02/05, Singapore 598292Opening Hours: 7am–11pm, Sunday–Thursday;24 hours, Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidaysFOOD: The usual McDonald's fare.ENVIRONMENT:The second floorof this outleti s dom i n ate db y s t u d e n t s ,regardless of theday of the week.One d i ner,Ms Mahani, saidthat she wasshocked to seethe large numberof students here.NOISE:Headphonesto drown outdistractionsare stronglyrecommended.THE STUDYING EXPERIENCE: A St Andrew's JuniorCollege student Elizabeth and her friend were bothstudying for their ‘A’ Level exams. She says she canconcentrate in spite of the noise. Other students fromnearby Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Instituteof Management were also spotted.STUDY TIPS: When the outlet is crowded, priority isgiven to customers who are there to dine in.“Students will be politely asked to give up theirspace for other customers,” said a McDonald's staffmember.1 Maritime Square, Level 2Singapore 099253Opening Hours: 10am–9pm dailyENVIRONMENT: There aredining benches where studentscan choose to study at.NOISE: Other than the occasionalbawling toddler and snatches ofconversation, it is generallyquiet with light human traffic.FOOD: A range of hawker fare,but the quality of food leavesmuch to be desired. The cheecheong fun at $2 was tastelessand the laksa at $3.50 wasrather pricey. Go to the nearbyHarbourFront Centre instead.THE STUDYING EXPERIENCE:This unusual studying placeoffers minimal distractions, butthere are no power points.STUDY TIPS: If you study witha laptop, ensure its battery hasbeen fully charged.FOOD: Pacific Coffee's pastriesand cakes look tempting, but at$4 to $5, their prices are a turnoff. Their coffee is at market rates.Cheaper options are available at other dining locations, such as Burger King,or the airport staff canteen at the other end of the terminal.STUDY TIPS: This place is popular with travellers who have time to burn beforetheir flight. They leave their luggage and stay there for long hours, so it maybe difficult to find a seat.National Library Board100 Victoria Street, Level 5Singapore 188064Opening Hours: 10am–9pm daily,closed on public holidaysENVIRONMENT: There arehigh chairs facing a garden,and study tables and sofaseats for group discussions.The two-seater desks liningthe full length windows offera breathtaking view of the Bugis area and provide good relief for the eyes.NOISE: When fully packed, the sound of chatter is unavoidable. It is quieter onweekdays. The noise from the vending machines can also be distracting.FOOD: There are vending machines within the lounge. Alternatively, food canbe bought from the Hans café on the first floor or the nearby Bugis Junction.THE STUDYING EXPERIENCE: NTU student Derren Fong says he likes thevast number of library books he can refer to, but his main gripes are the lackof seats and power points.STUDY TIPS: Access to the study lounge is free. When crowded, reservationof seats is not allowed. If you are studying with a friend, take turns to lookafter your belongings.

MARCH 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclelifestyle 13travelogueTHE IDEA of a trip to Japan filledme with excitement. Taking in thepulsating rhythm of Tokyo wouldbe thrilling.Until I found out that I wasbound for Tohoku, in the north ofJapan. I had never heard of thatplace; much less know what toexpect.Tohoku, as described in theofficial travel website, promisesthe best natural scenery in all ofJapan.It is also famous for its richhistory, with ancient samuraicastles and temples built duringJapan’s Edo period.So armed with thick coats,scarves and gloves for protectiona g a i n s t t h e h a r s h w i nte rtemperatures, we were off to theland of the rising sun.It turned out that my bulkyovercoat came into good usein Aomori, an area in theNorthwestern tip of the Tohokuregion.As a city renowned for itscold weather and heavy snowfall,temperatures can drop to as low as-5 degree Celsius.One of the tourist attractionsin Aomori is Mount Hakkoda,a volcanic mountain range thatsoars 1300m above sea level.Via a cable-car ropeway, weascended to the summit to geta bird’s eye view of the winterscenery.Stepping out of the ropewaycabin, I felt like I had beent r a n s por te d i nto a w i nte rwonderland.Snow so white and pristine thatit hurt the eye when we looked atit, blanketed the entire mountaintop.Set against a clear blue sky, itwas a sight to behold.But the breathtaking landscapehid a gruesome history.In 1902, a group of 210 soldierswere caught in a blizzard whiletrying to cross the mountain.Trapped under layers of fastaccumulating snow, only twomen in the regiment managed tosurvive.For us, it was worth bravingthe bitter cold, watching my father,PRISTINE WINTER BEAUTY: The Tohoku region in the thick of winter, where temperatures could dip to a low of -5 degrees Celsius.the roadless travelledA volcanic mountain, creepy inns and the customary Japanese convenience store.Woo Sian Boon travels up north in the land of the rising sunbrother and uncle become childrenagain as they launched into asnowball fight. Careful to stay outof their aim, I laughed till my sidesached while they packed powderysnow together and tossed them atone another.By night, we had arrived atKinugawa, a small town famedfor its hot springs. We would bestaying at a hotel with hot springfacilities that night.Stepping into the lobby, I wastips for travelling in the tohoku region1 Shed your inhibitions and your clothing and take a hot spring bathin the Japanese Onsen. Many hotels offer indoor and outdoor facilitieswhere one can bathe and take in the surrounding natural scenery at thesame time.2 Be sure to get a tour guide who is effectively bilingual and isknowledgeable about the Tohoku region.With the area being less commercialised, most tourist attractions onlyprovide signboards written in Japanese.Having someone well versed in Japanese who would be able toelucidate on rich historical facts about the different places in Tohokuwould be a plus point.3 Natural scenery in Japan is breathtaking all year round because ofthe four seasons they experience.Cherry blossom season begins in April and ends in early May duringspringtime.In late October to November, one will be able to experience the fallseason where trees will be draped in spectacular orange-red leaves.struck by how old-fashioned thearchitecture was.Shelves neatly arranged withJapanese figures of Samuraisand Geishas were part of thedecoration.We squeezed into an ancientlooking lift so small that it couldonly fit two people.The rooms consisted of threesmaller rooms separated bytraditional sliding shoji (paper)doors and with tatami matscovering wooden floor boards.The area where we would besleeping had no furniture excepttwo tatami mattresses on thefloor. A solitary weak orange lightrendered visible the room’s highceilings and paper walls but leftmost of the room in shadow.I felt a shiver of trepidationas I recalled the translation ofKinugawa which our tour guidehad expounded on during the busjourney to the place. It literallymeant “Angry Demon River”.I hoped that the multitudes ofpeople that had passed throughthe area had managed to scare anyangry demons away.A suggestion to walk to anearby convenience store wasthus warmly welcomed. Theconvenience stores in Japan aremarvels in themselves, and therewas always at least one withinwalking distance from our hotel nomatter how rural the area was.With the nearest shoppingmall at least a 45-minute driveaway, the stores not only providean avenue for a quick midnightsnack run, they make sure thatan emergency need for householditems can be met easily too.Thus, their aisles are usuallystocked with items that range fromcold soba noodles, the usual snacksand sweets to porn magazines.Other than that, books, mangaand DVDs of the latest moviesand sundry items like shampoo,wa sh i ng powde r a nd e vencosmetics are also in stock.The Japanese are fond ofreinventing existing products. KitKat chocolate bars, for example,come in all sorts of flavours.In the seven days we were inJapan, we managed to find Kit Katsin blueberry cheesecake, mandarinorange, green tea and cappuccinoflavours, all in different storesscattered around the region.That night, lying snug under amountain of blankets, I had triedto fall asleep but was painfullyconscious of the creaks and groansthe wooden floorboards weremaking.It did not help that water wassteadily dripping away outside thewindow.My hyperactive imaginationstarted going wild, and visions ofa Sadako crawling up the outsidewall soon had my heart turningcold with fear.It was a harrowing night asI lay frozen in the darkness andunearthly stillness, with my eyestightly shut, but still wide awake.I came down to breakfast thenext morning, bleary-eyed, andwalked past the reception counter,where a row of staff dressed inimpeccable dark suits and neatlypressed ties bowed in welcome.That was one of the thingswhich really impressed me.The Japanese are polite to afault, and even though there is alanguage barrier, their smiles andthe genuine desire to help makeyour stay a memorable one showedthat they cared.Getting away from the fast paceof school life, and just savouringthe sights, while learning aboutanother country’s culture andpractices made me realise thatlife does not only revolve aroundschool, work or friends andfamily.There are many things out inthe rest of the world that is worthtaking time to understand and toappreciate.Got an interestingtravel experience toshare?E-mail us atchronklifestyle@gmail.comBREATHTAKING VIEW: Mount Hakkoda, a beautiful volcanic mountain range that hidesa gruesome history. PHOTOS | COURTESY

14lifestylemarch 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclereviewBOOKSThe Household Guide to DyingDebr a Adel a ide$21.90, available at BordersPublished by Harper CollinsDIAGNOSED with terminalcancer, Delia, the bestsellingwriter of a series of householdguides, is dying. She decidesto tackle the subject of herown demise by writing “ahousehold guide to dying”as her last guidebook, whichcovers topics from choosing acoffin, writing a will and evenattending an autopsy.She desperately tries to gether house in order by drawingup a list for her daughter’sfuture wedding, stocking up the freezer with homemadesausages and even offering her husband suggestionsfor a new wife.At the same time, Delia also has to come to termswith her past before dying. She travels back to herhometown in search of the people she desperatelyhopes to meet before her demise.In the book, she narrates her feelings and thoughtswith alternation of the past and present events, whichis confusing. I often had to re-read the previous chapterto make sure I was not lost amidst her narration. Theperplexing narrative made it difficult to read the endof the book.However, I slowly realized that it was precisely theauthor’s use of descriptive details that made the bookunique. The book worked out nicely at the end with theabundant detailsIt is hard not to take the book too personallyand start considering one’s own funeral. But thenagain, funerals are for the living, not the dead.-Bernice NeoThe FloodJ. M. G. Le Cle zio$29.90, available at BordersPublished by Penguin ClassicsFRANÇOIS Besson is theunfortunate protagonist whohears the long monologue viatape-recording of a girl findingthe courage to commit suicide.Besson wanders around townin a daze, finding himselfdrawn into an existential crisisas he suddenly comes to therevelation that the lives of thetownsfolk have become devoidof meaning.The Flood traces twelvedays in Besson’s life as hetries to find meaning in hisexistence but is thwarted at every turn. Besson’s finalrevelation on day twelve causes him to turn violentagainst himself in abject surrender, setting the stage fora shocking yet intense conclusion in days 13 to 15.While Le Clézio’s descriptive prowess is unmatched,his metaphors and allusions hamper the flow of thestory as the descriptions tend to sideline the story andconfuse the reader. The prose is exceedingly intenseand unconventional, but at times Le Clezio’s brilliancebecomes an inconsiderate ramble.The Flood is reminiscent of existentialist workssuch as Tom Stoppard’s masterpiece Rosencrantz andGuildenstern Are Dead. Unfortunately, it is also a delugeof metaphorical overkill, which inevitably smothers thestoryline. -Ja m e s Ho“I wannabe rich, Iwant lotsof money.I don't careabout smart,I don't careabout funny.I want lots ofclothes.""The Fear" by Lily AllenPHOTO | COURTESYMUSICIt's Not Me It's YouLily Allen (Alternative Mu s ic)¯¯¯¯¯This album earned a nomination for BestAlternative Music Album at the 50thGrammy Awards.IT HAS been almost three years since the release of Lily Allen'sdebut album Alright, Still. However, the hiatus paid off and sheis back with an even better pop album, It's Not Me, It's You.Full of beat and dark lyrics, the album was written byAllen and produced by Greg Kurstin, one half of the musicalduo The Bird and the Bee. Allen touches on a wide plethora ofsubjects ranging from God to bad sex and relationships, butalso tells of weight issues, drugs, her parents and the fears ofbeing a celebrity.Who’d Have Know, one of my personal favourite songs, isa first person exposé describing the serendipity of love andthe uncertainties at the beginning of a new relationship thatone can relate to.Allen's razor-sharp wit and clever lyrics are certainly themain draw of the album. My personal favourites were leadtrack The Fear and F*** You, originally titled GWB. No prizesfor guessing who it refers to. -Bernice NeoNo Line on the HorizonAll U2 (Ro c k)¯¯¯¯¯This album is dedicated to Rob Partridge,who signed the band's first record deal in1979 and died of cancer in late 2008.IF you are a hardcore U2 fan, the band once again live up totheir musical legacy in their latest release entitled No LineOn The Horizon.The album is full of the expected: Bono’s echoing, anthemicvocals and The Edge’s melodic and rhythmic strumming.However for the non-U2 fanatics, their new record can onlybe described as mediocre at best.Although the band has been together for more than 30 yearsand established their signature sound, it is crucial that theychallenge themselves and evolve with the times. It is evidentthat U2’s sound had not undergone any serious transformation,which does not translate as well to the current generation.With not a single outstanding track, No Line On TheHorizon will leave its listeners craving something much morerefreshing. -Renee VillasenorTurn to page 16 to find out how to get a freecopy of U2's No Line On The Horizon!To Lose My LifeWh i t e Lies (In d i e Ro c k)¯¯¯¯¯Previously known as The Fear of Flying,they changed their name because "WhiteLies are common but quite dark".THE quintessential tough moral question: are white liespermissible?While White Lies' debut album does not offer to answer thequestion, To Lose My Life certainly leaves you with as muchto think about.A quirky obsession with death underlies the album,something peculiar for a band made up of three 20-year-olds.However, this band definitely does not err on the side of cautionin ensuring that who they are is congruent to the songs theydo. The band sounds distinctively English and fans of SnowPatrol or Joy Division may find their style familiar.The first single of the album, Unfinished Business, is ashowcase of the band's excellence in musical dynamism.Starting off with just the vocals, the song rapidly culminatesinto an intense musical spectacle that will get you to yourfeet. Title track, To Lose My Life is a standout, setting an ironicand questioning stance that the rest of the album takes after.-Po h Wee Ko o n

march 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclelifestyle 15FILMSConfessions of A ShopaholicRo m a n c e /Co m e d y (PG)Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack106minNNNNNREBECCA ‘Becky’ Bloomwood (Isla Fisher)discovered the magic of shopping as a younggirl and it was a moment that changed herlife forever. Her personal mantra—“a manwill never treat you as well as a store”—eventually drives her to Manhattan, thefashion capital of the USA.The allure of high-end fashion boutiquesproves too dazzling to ignore and afterswiping her “magic cards” at every turnpossible, the compulsive shopper soon findsherself “legally broke”.She then lands herself a job as a financialjournalist, where she ironically dishesout financial advice to others under thepseudonym, ‘The girl with the green scarf’.Throw in an element of romance in the formof her handsome British editor (Hugh Dancy)and one gets the recipe for a chick flick.Despite its initial shallow visage, the filmgoes on to reveal moments of raw, genuinehuman emotions. When Becky suffersrepercussions after her double lifestyle isexposed, the audience cannot help but feelsympathetic towards her, as though herhysterical shopaholic inclinations exist asa separate Hyde to her Jekyll.A refreshing addition to the film, Fishersuccessfully draws attention away from ablatant exhibition of consumerist values.Decked in the likes of Gucci and Prada,the actress livens the atmosphere with herspunky and comic personality. Her dynamic,yet somewhat volatile relationship with bestfriendSuze (Krysten Ritter), also adds colourto the film, making scenes involving the twoa much-anticipated affair.A light-hearted comedy, the scenesof romance, friendship and fashion arenoticeably clichéd and repetitive. The plotitself is recycled and very much reminiscentof other chick flicks, such as BridgetJones’ Diary and The Devil Wears Prada.-Sh a h i d a HassimPHOTO | COURTESYRace To Witch MountainAc t i o n/Adv enture (PG)Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Carla Gugino100minNNNNNInterview | Duffy Press ConferencePHOTO | COURTESYA REMAKE of the 1975 film - an adaptationfrom the book with the same name, Raceto Witch Mountain adds to the stable offormulaic family entertainment moviesproduced by Walt Disney Productions.The story opens with Jack Bruno(Dwayne Johnson), an ex-convict whogives up his NASCAR dreams to be a LasVegas taxi driver. He gets implicated inthe adventures of two teenage siblings(AnnaSophia Robb and A lexanderLudwig), who are in fact aliens fromouter space trying to save the Earth fromtotal annilation.With the threats of governmentpersonnel seeking to capture the childrenand an alien droid assassin hot ontheir heels, Bruno seeks the help ofastrophysicist Dr Alex Friedman (CarlaGugino). They then embark on a missionto protect and lead the children back totheir spaceship in Witch Mountain.PHOTO | COURTESYAlthough Johnson does a decent jobof being an endearing and comical fatherfigure in the movie, the plot is simplytoo frivolous for the older audiences.The movie tends to be repetitive whichquickly bores the viewer.While the varied special effects andmandatory feel-good exchanges betweenthe characters appeal to children, a moremature audience would reel from thesecheesy scenes.Many may feel perplexed bysignificant loopholes in the story likewhy the aliens require the assistance ofthe two older humans. This is especiallyso when they seem perfectly capableof completing their mission with theirsupernatural powers.In light of how children seem to enjoythis movie, it is recommended as a familyouting or for those looking for a mindlessescape. -Vanessa To oDUFFY may only be 24 this year, but forsomeone who has reached stardom asquickly as she did, she is certainly down toearth. In Singapore for the first time for herRockferry concert, the Welsh singer sharedhow she had a tendency to feel apologeticat her concerts because of her limitedrepertoire.Despite having been compared to singerslike Dusty Springfield and washed up singerAmy Winehouse, Duffy revealed that sheis really quite herself and does not likeconforming. The singer then recounted herexperience of her only singing lesson everand how she subsequently gave up becauseof the things she had to do. “It was toopretentious. Doing all those exercises andmaking funny shapes with your face andmouth, it just wasn’t me.”It is for the very same reason of standingout that led her to call herself Duffy ratherthan Aimee. “Even on a school excursionand if someone was misbehaving, therewould be twenty other Aimees so how wasI going to be singled out for causing themost trouble?”While some consider her a sort of fashionicon, she credits her mother instead, callingher a fashion pioneer and a blue-eyed siren.One could almost sense a tinge of sadness inher voice as she said: “It’s a shame really, thatshe would never see all the beautiful placesI’m seeing now because trying to get her ona plane for 11 hours is a nightmare.”When asked about how she deals withemotional songs such as Warwick Avenue,Duffy stated that it is merely part and parcelof singing. “Whatever you do, you have todo it wholeheartedly. If I start crying onstage, it’s not nice but I just have to take iton the chin.”One of the perils of being famous, shesays, is to be at the mercy of others becausethere’s this role that others expect you toplay.Yet for this feisty singer, there is onething that she will not do just yet: singa duet. She claims that she does not haveenough courage to do so and has had toturn down quite a few offers, including aperformance with Roger Daltry, lead singerof The Who. “’No’ is a difficult word to say,but it doesn’t necessarily make you a badperson.” -Elizabeth Law

THE NANYANG CHRONICLELim Kay Siu (KS): Well I startedtheatre because of my ex-girlfriend,who got me into presenting foreducational videos. So one day I hadto make a video on doing auditionsat TheatreWorks. I thought itlooked very interesting so I signedup. Xu Xiao Zhong (then-artisticdirector of TheatreWorks) felt thatI had a lot of potential and castme even though I had absolutelyno prior experience. I messed upbig time but I thoroughly enjoyedmyself.Neo Swee Lin (SL): I got involvedin drama very early, from when Iwas in school and I performed inplays and all. So even though Iread law at the National Universityof Singapore, I met Ivan Heng andgot exposed to theatre which reallygot me hooked.In What A Glass of WaterJO H N MA T T H E W S F O R VI S UA L PR A XISThe Nanyang Chronicle was treated to a special preview of the artistic performance at the Nanyang Playhouse onMarch 26th.NIE Head of Visual Arts,Professor John Matthews andfellow performer Joyce Ongshowcased the human form byballroom dancing and doingdifferent actions in a 200cm by158cm by 158cm glass tank.While the dancing wouldconjure images of synchronisedswimming, the performers do morethan that and even try to simulaterunning underwater. Audiencesare in for a surprise as ProfessorMatthews wears more than just abusiness suit in the performance.The human form hastraditionally been seen as an outletof expression in European artwhile water is seen as somethingthat cleanses and takes thingsaway. A combination of the twocreates a surreal experience notonly for the audience but alsothe performers. Coupled with thesound of water that simulateswaves, In A Glass of Water createsa phantasmagorical experienceboth which enriches and provokes.-ELIZABETH LAWKS: A lot of the new actors arevery exciting and they bring anew quality to the productionbecause they have a different takeon things. So we learn from theseactors too. KS: Selena (Tan) has been tryingto get me to do just that. Butreally, most of the songs that Iwrite are very personal and abouthow much I love Swee Lin andall. So sometimes it gets a bit toopersonal and I get quite shy aboutmy music. SL: A CD by Kay Siu. The GreatestHits of Lim Kay Siu. Probably aBeatles compilation, because theyhave all sorts of genres, from Rock,to Easy Listening. Plus I know allof their songs and I have all theirCDs. They are one of those bandsof whom you can say you've gotevery single CD because they won'tmake any more. And some Bach.Classical music, a must.KS: I was going to say the same,Bach's Cello Suites.SL: Okay since you said CelloPHOTO | IRWIN TANSuites I'll bring Violin Suites andwe'll complement each other.KS: Then I'll bring some PinkFloyd and some blues. Whichwill drive Swee Lin crazy. Okaymaybe Jimi Hendrix. That isn'tso noisy, unlike Johnny Winterand the lot. SL: A long long book so I wouldn'tget bored easily. I suppose it'sThe Complete Works of WilliamShakespeare, because I have thisthing about the Bard from all mytheatre training.KS: It's also the Katong Conventthing, lah.KS: We went to the Indigo Girls,which was beautiful. They made uscry. They were very very good. SL: I don't know. Someone toldme a while back that I'm quite aPHOTO | ELIZABETH LAWcharacter and really, I've alwayshad to be a real character, evenwhen I was in my teens. Kay Siuand I met because I was playinghis mother in a production calledDragon's Teeth's Gate in 1986.SL: I long for a yellow Mini CooperS. Oh, and Kay Siu can't drive.KS: Yes. Swee Lin used to go,"Learn to drive, bitch." Now she'seven given up on that.SL: Oh, one more thing: I'm a hugegamer. I play all sorts of games butmy favourite game is Multi-UserDungeon (MUD). I've played it formore than 10 years and I've evenmet up with my online friends.

JOURNEYSa special feature on graduation projects

THE NANYANG CHRONICLESchool of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringRobotic guardianNAMED after the Egyptian goddessof life and health, Isis is a robotdesigned by final-year School ofElectrical and Electronic Engineeringstudent Lu Hoachuan. It aims to be areasonably priced “sensor-networkbasedmobile home care system” forthe elderly.Isis functions primarily as a 24-hourmonitor which keeps track of thepatient’s vital signs such as bloodpressure, glucose levels and heartrate.Biosensors attached to the patient willtransmit these data to the internalcomputer of Isis, which in turn sendsthe information via the Internet todoctors for their records.Equipped with a rotatable camera,Isis is also able to communicatevisuals to doctors and coordinatevirtual visits with family membersaway from home.It is also able to call for an ambulancein case of an emergency.Commenting on the complexity ofthe machine, the 23-year-old said:“The technology is already there,but it’s a matter of integrating itto make it more applicable in dailylife.”Despite the many benefits Isis willbring, Lu does not think it will totallyreplace the traditional role of caregivers.“No, Isis is more of a monitoringsystem,” said Lu. “With the rapidlyageing population, this robot willbe able to help ease the minds ofpeople who worry about senior familymembers.”Completed in just over two months,the development of Isis was atough process for Lu, as it requiredknowledge and skills from other areasoutside of his specialty in electricaland systems engineering.Working with friends in differentschools of programming andengineering, Lu developed andpractised project managementskills while collaborating.“I had to learn new things that maynot be ordinarily useful in everydaylife in order to make Isis a success,”he said.Isis was selected by the School ofElectronic and Electrical Engineeringas a showcase for the EngineeringAccredition Board, an indication ofhow successful this innovation is.His next goal for Isis is thedevelopment of face recognitionfunctions and capabilities to betterserve consumers.Given the rapid rate of innovationand improvements in technology,Lu believes it is important to remainpractical.“Research alone is too far from ourlives, we need to harness technologyto serve our lives,” he said.CARMELA REYESPHOTO | FOO CHEE CHANGProtecting the pangolinsSchool of Biological SciencesNOT many girls would be willing towork with faeces, but for School ofBiological Sciences student MazrinaBinte Abdul Malik, analysing thevolume and condition of fecal outputwas part and parcel of her project.The final-year student has beenresearching on Sunda pangolins,specialised feeders of ants andtermites.To monitor the food intake of thesecreatures, she not only has to examinetheir fecal output, she also collectsants and termites for nutritionalanalysis, using only a portablevacuum cleaner to collect theseminute insects around the zoo for herresearch. Her woes were worsened bythe recent rainy season.Mazrina took an interest to theendangered species after seeing howthey are being hunted for their scalesand meat.According to her research, thepopulation of Sunda pangolins havedecreased dramatically for the past10 years and they face a danger ofextinction if conservation work isnot strengthened.Furthermore, given the specialiseddiet of these pangolins, it is difficultfor zoos to provide them witha sufficient amount or ants andtermites to eat.Hence, Mazrina's project is aimed atimproving the pangolins’ artificialdiet and the captive managementprogramme of these creatures. Sheis working with the Wildlife ReservesSingapore (WRS) to contribute to theconservation of the pangolins.Mazrina hopes to create more publicawareness on the importance ofconserving pangolins since little isknown about this creature. In thewild, they are seldom seen in groupsas they are very shy creatures.With Mazrina's work, the WRS will bebetter able to help ensure the survivalof these creatures.CARINA KOHPHOTO | COURTESY

THE NANYANG CHRONICLELanguage from the soulSchool of Art, Design and MediaPHOTO | COURTESYTO FEEL the soul — that isthe aim of the work createdby School of Art, Design andMedia student Sarah Salim.Sarah’s work had her diveinto her culture, religion andheritage in more ways thanshe could possibly imagine.Her project involves getting intouch with her zahir and batin.In Islam, the terms zahir andbatin refer to the body and thesoul respectively.Sarah spent countless hoursrevealing her zahir and batinthrough the creation of a visuallanguage using Arabic scriptsto celebrate “the extraordinaryhistory of Arabic scripts aswell as an exploration of theIslamic or Arabic viewpoint ofthe world.”She created a pattern chockfull of symbols and religiousmeanings to manifest herpersonal identity in today’sworld. Using Arabic typography,designs and patterns, Sarah hascreated a work to allow viewersto feel her batin.“By identifying my audiencebeyond the Islamic world, I ammaking a reputation amongstmy other Muslim youths thatwe are aware of the worldoutside ours,” she said.Through her project’s use ofArabic scripts in a contemporaryenvironment, Sarah said shecan have her own voice andbe heard as a young Muslimwoman in today’s world.“No matter how modernisedthe world can be, a Muslim willalways be a Muslim.”With the help of her mentor andsupervisor, Assistant ProfessorAstrid Al Mkhlaafy, she wasgiven valuable feedback andall-important inspiration tocreate a large pattern based onArabic scripts and designs.However, the project is not onlyabout showcasing a piece ofwork to other people.“I learned much more aboutmy own heritage and religion,”said Sarah. “I see my FYP asan extension to a journey I willtake on after I graduate.”JOHN GAMBOASchool of Civil and Environmental EngineeringMembrane paves the way forwardA GROUP of students fromthe School of Civil andEnvironmental Engineering(CEE) is exploring the use ofmembranes and membraneprocesses in producing cleanenergy and water, togetherwith several internationalcollaborators.Their aim is to develop suitablemembranes and membraneprocesses that make watertreatment and energyproduction more efficient, inline with Singapore’s effortsto become a hydro-hub.So far, these projects havereceived support fromin s t i t u t i o n s s u c h a st h e Environment and WaterIndustry DevelopmentCouncil (EWI) and the SingaporeMembrane Technology Centre(SMTC).Assistant Professor TangChuyang from CEE, one ofthe project supervisors, saidthat membrane processeshave become increasinglypopular worldwide andare replacing conventionalmethods of water treatment.Singapore, in particular,is “one of the leaders indeveloping technologies inthe membrane field”, withvarious projects carried outby institutions like NTU.One of the membrane-relatedprojects in the university wasundertaken by Gu Yangshuo,21, and Xiao Dezhong, 22,both third-year CEE students,together with Deng Anqi, 22,who was a final-year CEEstudent then.The original idea for thisresearch came from a studyfunded by EWI and led byProfessor Anthony Fane fromthe University of New SouthWales.In essence, the threestudents seek to investigatethe practicality of forwardosmosis, which sees waterflowing through a semipermeablemembrane froma low-concentration to ahigh-concentration solution,in water and wastewatertreatment.According to them, the resultsobtained indicate that usingthis process for wastewatertreatment may be a goodidea due to its lower energyrequirement.Still, Xiao and Gu believe thatthere is still much room forimprovement and furtherstudies.“We need a better forwardosmosis membrane so thata smaller membrane areais required to treat a givenamount of water,” said Gu.Asst Prof Tang shares thisview, adding that currentlyavailable membranes tendto have high set-up coststoo. “With the new FOmembranes we are trying tomake, the capital cost can belikely reduced significantly.”He said researchers may alsomodify forward osmosisto generate electricity inan eco-friendly and costeffectiveway.“With a suitablemembrane, the cost ofelectricity generation canbe very competitive againstother clean energy sourcessuch as solar power and windenergy,” he added.In the spirit of innovation,Xiao, meanwhile, is excitedabout embarking on furtherresearch into the applicationsof forward osmosis.“I hope to continue this studyfor my final-year project.”VO VAN HUNGPHOTOS | LIANG HUI YANFOR the past 12 years, NTUhas been existing not onlyin Boon Lay but on theWorld Wide Web too.The Virtual NTU campushas been growing in sizeand complexity each year,with new virtual facilitiesbeing “built into” it.Created in 1997, this VirtualCampus is a c u m u l a t i v eproject by numerouspast year computerengineering st udent s .T he late st additionsinclude sports activities,such as tennis games andbungee jumping.Final-year students areassigned projects for theVirtual Campus every yearand only the best projectswill be incorporated intothe Campus by ProfessorAlexei Sourin, the originalcreator of the NTU VirtualCampus.This year, one of theseprojects was undertakenby Helga Yeo, a fourthyearstudent at the Schoolof Computer Engineering(SCE). Her task was todesign the tennis courtgame for the VirtualCampus.Although the final productlooks simple, it usuallytakes a year for a singlesoftware application to beconstructed.This is because creators haveto be familiar with VirtualReality Modeling LanguageSchool of Computer EngineeringTennis on the WWW(VRML), a computerscripting languague similarto JavaScript that is used tocreate 3D environments.In order to create the virtualtennis game, Yeo had tocreate an algorithm fromscratch.She also had to researchextensively to gathertheories of bouncing ballsonline. Then, the physicstheory of motion projectileformulas was used to modelthe vertical motion ofthe tennis balls when it isdropped or thrown straightup or down. The formulaswere then incorporated intoher script.Yeo counts herself lucky tohave been able to get herfirst choice of FYPs outof the list of ten choicessubmitted.She chose this projectbecause she is a big fan ofThe SIMS, a game basedon virtual environments.“You must choose a topicthat you have a personalinterest in so that yourpassion for it will sustainyou when the work getstiring,” she said.Yeo hopes to extend herpassion into her career. Shehas already sent her résuméto computer and video gamepublishers, hoping to enterthe gaming indust r yafter graduation.TIFFANY THAMPHOTO | ELIZABETH LAW

School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringSense the heatCALLED to behave likeanimals running in the wild,students took turns to roamthe Sports and RecreationCent re field to simulate themovement of deer and horsescaught in a forest fire.This was all for a FYP by LeThu Nga, 22, a student fromSchool of Biological SciencesEnzymesthe School of Electrical andElectronic Engineering.Le has been working on sensordevices which track animalmovements to locate forestf ires. W hile using animalst o t r a c k e n v i r o n m e n t a lconditions is not a new idea,the novelty is in Le’s use ofPHOTO | TAN ZI JIElow cost sensors and wirelesstechnology.Wireless temperaturedetectingdevices will beattached onto forest animals,while some are fixed into aselected hotspot. When themobile devices detect anytemperature abnormalities,the trackers on the deviceswill be triggered.This allows authorities toactively monitor the situation,by tracking any irregular animalmoving patterns.Le’s project also includes thedevelopment of a new techniqueof locating a problematic regionmore economically than existingmethods.Le did not plan to design anew technique when she fi rstembarked on the project.“Initially I (just) wantedto implement an algorithmfrom the literature review,but I found that it did notsuit my purpose of detectingforest fires. Therefore wecame up with a simpleralgorithm, which is moreefficient and needs fewersensors.”An algorithm is a logical sequenceto find a solution.Her new method locates a generalregion, where the forest fire maybe, instead of a specific point ofinterest. Localising activity istriggered only by events suchas higher temperature andrapid animal movements, hencespeeding up the process andsaving power.While most projects focus oneither research or applications,Le’s combines both. Her projectsupervisor, Assistant ProfessorPeter Chong said both thetechnical knowledge about theresearch as well as the practicalskills are necessary to implementit. “For sure, it is not an easytask,” he added.However, Asst Prof Chong isoptimistic about the project: “Iam hoping that she can furtherdevelop the proposed idea toovercome (existing) limitations.Finally, we are planning to patentit if there is any opportunity.”Laughing bashfully, Le revealed:“It’s something I can be proudof, which I never would havethought.”TAN ZI JIE‘SistersIF YOU think that nightlife inSingapore is limited to late nightsuppers at 24-hour prata places,night cycling along East CoastPark and club-hopping at ClarkeQuay, think again.Four students from the Wee KimWee School of Communicationand Information—Rachel JudithAng, Ho Sie Sie, ChristopherOng and Quah Chin Chin,prowled the streets for theirFYP at night to uncover adifferent side of Singapore.One activity they observedwas the commonly-knowntransvestites plying their tradesat Orchard Towers, ChangiPoint, Geylang and DeskerRoad.23-year-old Ang said:“It wasactually quite dangerous aswe had to take photographsdiscreetly. Most of theseladyboys are quite ‘territorial’and will be offended if outsidersenter their ‘turf.’”It was also not an easy task to getthe ladyboys to speak to them.Fortunately, the team learnt toadopt an acute approach withthe appropriate use of lingos,such as addressing the ladyboysas “sisters”.Through conversations withthem, the team realised some ofthese ladyboys engage in nightactivities not to make a living.“ALL of us have the potential tomake a positive impact for thegood of society. Why not justtry?”That was what final-year studentNg Chee Sheng from the Schoolof Biological Sciences (SBS) saidwhen asked about his choice ofFinal Year Project (FYP) topic.Titled “Screening for MicrobialE n z y m e s f o r B i o e t h a n o lProduction and BiorefineryApplication by ProteomicsApproach”, this project aims toidentify the appropriate enzymesto improve the efficiency inobtaining bioethanol fromagricultural and forestry wasteproducts.Bioethanol is a very promisingrenewable energy source, but itscurrent method of production,which makes use of food grainsor sugarcane, depletes our foodsource. Ng’s new method seeks toremove this conflict of interest.The current methods ofb i o e t h a n o l p r o d u c t i o nare highly expensive andinefficient. To improve existingmethods, lignocellulose is takenfrom agricultural and forestrywaste products like sugarcanepulp, wood chip or even sawdust.It is then degraded into sugarand converted into bioethanol.The major bottleneck faced inthe industry is the conversionof lignocellulose into sugar.By understanding the detailedprocess in the breaking down oflignocellulose, the appropriateenzyme can be identified. Thisnew improved efficiency canthen potentially make the largescaleproduction of bioethanol aviable industrial process.“I had about 200 project topics tochoose from and I knew instantlythat this was the one for me.”Ng said.“Should my paper be published,the implications for the industrycan be immense. Everyonewould be using this method andthis can mean renewable energysources would really be widelyused all around the world.”However, the large-scalestudy of proteins via theProteomics Approach is aconvoluted process and itwas not all smooth sailingfor him. The analysis ofproteins took a much longertime than expected and hewas forced to give up his nextobjective of cloning theseenzymes.Thankfully, SBS studentsare given the entire secondsemester of their final year todevote to their projects.GOH QIAN YIPHOTO | FOO CHEE CHANG“Most of them, especially thoseRevolvingFOR Low Hock Yam, it isall about taking calculatedrisks. Although the Schoolof Mechanical and AerospaceEngineering (MAE) studentadmits that there is a chanceof failure, his “die-die-haveto-work”attitude spurs himon.His FYP revolves aroundan improved design ofthe Revolving Vane (RV)compressor, and is based onthe original RV compressordesigned by his professor andsupervisor who is currently aPhD student.The original RV compressorcontains journal bear ings

THE NANYANG CHRONICLEWee Kim Wee School of Communication and InformationSchool of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering’ shed light on nightlifeTireless Tyresfrom Thailand, are actually verywell-educated and well-to-do.They do it more as a hobby or aholiday activity rather than as ajob,” Ang explained.They also spotted a trend ofthemed house parties. Accordingto 24-year-old Ho, there arethemes such as Royalty orHollywood, and the success of aparty is rated according to howclosely the party-goers followits theme.Some parties may have seeminglyinnocent themes, but they cangive way to lust and wild actsof playfulness several drinkslater.One of the organisers admittedto a “summer” theme party ina room at the New Majestichotel, where the girls wereskimpily-clad in bikinis andposed seductively for pictures.There were also outrageous“fun” forfeits, from lickingsomeone’s armpits for 15seconds to sucking someone’stoes.Besides forfeits, some houseparty organisers also hire maleor female strippers to tease,dance and interact physicallywith the audience.Of course, not all of the after-School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineeringdark activities they observedwere sleazy ones. While somefished for rich men, there wereothers who fished for prawns.Ong, 24, said: “There are prawnfarms that operate 24 hoursbecause it is actually moreenjoyable to go prawning atnight.”Quah, 23, said of their overallproject experience. “Whileit was challenging to haveto carry out our research atnight, our FYP was very fun aswe felt a continuous sense ofexcitement.”LUI WEN QINGPHOTO | COURTESYOTHER than being convertedinto the soft flooring forplaygrounds, waste tyres oftenhave little use.Disposing these nonbiodegradabletyres has beenan age-old problem for manysocieties, and environmentallyacceptablesolutions to dealwith them have been limited.Attempts to solve the problemof waste tyres usually resultin other problems, such asserious health and fire hazards,as well as the formation ofpotential breeding groundsfor mosquitoes and otherdiseases.Building on the research ofa prior FYP, an NTU team ofpost-graduate students, led byAssociate Professor Wang Kean,is exploring the possible use ofsuch waste tyres.This $150,000 joint researchcollaboration with the NationalEnvironmental Agency (NEA)is hoping to come up withsolutions by converting wastetyres into high quality carbonsuitable for water treatment andother potential applications.T he research foc uses onpreparing high-quality tyrederivedactivated carbons (TAC)from waste tyres, and usingthem to remove toxics fromwaste water.This will transform the tyresfrom a pollutant intoan absorbent whichreduces pollution.Through a process known aspyrolysis, which is a chemicaldecomposition by extremeheat, a shredded waste tyre isconverted to TAC.These TAC contain a largefraction of pores, providingexcellent absorption capacityfor waste water treatment. It isalso said to be comparable toother commercial absorbents.Another potential applicationdeveloped by the team isthe creation of TAC filtersfor implementation in theabsorption ‘hoods’ above stovesin homes and kitchens.According to Assoc Prof Wang,this could have health benefitsas Asian women have beenshown statistically to be atgreater risk of lung cancer dueto the increased amounts ofcancer-causing carcinogenictoxic chemicals generated bytraditional stove-top cooking.While great success has beenachieved in the laboratoryso far, Assoc Prof Wang saidpractical application of thisproduct is still some way off.“For one, that would dependon the funding granted andscale of support from NEA,” hequipped, as he demonstratedthe use of the cooking filterdeveloped with a proud smile.KENNETHCHEWVanet h at r e q u i r e l u b r i c at i onfrom an oil sump in orderfor it to rotate. Due to thepresence of the oil sump,it faces the same limitationas normal compressors usedtoday, which also functionon journal bearings. Becausecompressors are unable to beorientation-free, that meansa horizontal compressor canonly be placed in a horizontalapplication.This would not be a problemwhen used in a refrigerator;compressors are the “blackthings” you see at the back ofyour household fridge. However,if these compressors are to beplaced in military suits ascoolants, it would mean thatsoldiers have to be standingstraight at all times.To overcome this, Low hasreplaced the journal bearingswith ball bearings. As ballbearings do not requirelubrication to rotate, thereis no need for an oil sump.This would mean that thecompressor can now be placedinto any orientation.In addition, the removal ofthe oil sump helps to reducethe compressor’s size, thoughmechanical efficiency andfrictional losses are deducedto be similar to the RVcompressor.The idea for this project stemmedfrom a conversation Low washaving with his professor andsuper visor some time ago,when he was doing researchon conventional compressorsas part of the URECA programhe was under.They realized that the peoplemaking compressors had initiallythought of using ball bearingsbut scrapped the whole ideaafter a while. This sparked theircuriosity as little explanationwas provided concerning apossible roadblock they mighthave faced.W ho k nows? W ith L ow’sinnovation, we might be walkingaround with “miniature aircons”in our jackets someday.CHRYSTAL YEONG

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE MélangeA mixture of passion and gracePhotos: Zoe Lim & Yusuf HamidStory: Hong ShuhengVibrant colours andgraceful moves werein full display at theNTU Joint Dance Concert (JDC)2009, held on March 15th at theNational Library Drama Centre.Upholding the concert’stheme “Mélange: Celebration ofLife”, the seven dance clubs underthe Cultural Activities Club (CAC)presented their hard work in a2-hour long concert that kept theaudience captivated.Fluidity met with power inthe dance moves on passionateshowcase that night. Expressingtheir love for dance purelythrough the use of their bodies,the different genres provided anapt reflection of life.The seven dance clubsinclude Breakdancing, ChineseDance, Contemporary Dance,DanceSport Academy, ModernJazz, Kinetics and Salsa En Sync.The main highlight of theconcert was a fusion dance itemput up by dancers representedby all the dance clubs. This yearmarked the first time that analumni member from Modern Jazzchoreographed the item instead ofa professional choreographer, as asign of CAC giving NTU dancersmore chances to contribute to thelocal arts scene.Another special appearanceduring this year’s concert wasby D’Passion Wheelchair DanceGroup which showcased thebeauty of dance even whileimmobile. The dancers twirledaround in their wheelchairs,moving in tandem with theirelegant standing partners in adisplay of fluid moves.About 250 people wereinvolved in the preparationfor JDC, which started sinceSeptember last year. This hasbeen the third year the concerthas been held. All 615 ticketswere sold out this year.This year, in conjunctionwith the Nanyang Arts Festivalclosing ceremony, an art displayin the foyer area depictinga dancer’s hard work frompreparation to performance wasalso presented to the public.

28showdapper: your essential style guide“So many adventures couldn’t happen today,So many songs that we forgot to play,So many dreams swinging out of the blueWe let them come true”TheRunaway,foundClockwise from top:(On him) Grey/cream long-sleeved shirt, $49.90; Black pants, $79.90, both from Victoria JoMo; Brown fedora hat, $49,from Blackmarket(On her) Grey pleat sleeve wrap dress, $459, from Blackmarket; Galle navy blue heels, $89.90, from Victoria JoMo(On her) Fantastic Antik sleeveless racer button front blouse, $109; Hansel pointed yoke crop pants, $249, both fromBlackmarket; Galle navy blue heels, $89.90, from Victoria JoMo; Yellow vintage suitcase, stylist’s own(On him) Hooked Clothing black collared shirt, $99; Viktor dark blue jeans, $210; Brown fedora hat, $49, all from Blackmarket;Metallic grey shoes, $229.90, from Victoria JoMo

MARCH 30, 2009The nanyang chronicle“It’s so hard to get oldwithout a cause,I don’t want to perishlike a fading horse,Youth is likediamonds in the sunand diamonds areforever”| Styling |Carina KohAudrey Tsen| Photography |Foo Chee Chang(www.chang-photography.com)| Photography Assistant |Prayudi Utomo(www.prayudiutomo.com)| Models |Shane Edward TamChristine Yeo| Lyrics |“Forever Young” byYouth Group| Stockists |Victoria JoMo9 Haji LaneBlackmarket19 Jalan Pisang

万 勿 错 过 的 演 唱 会 报 你 知 !—— 刊 35 页新 闻青 奥 热 延 烧 不 到 南 大 ?当 新 加 坡 成 功 申 办 青 奥 会 时 , 全 国 上 下 热 烈 欢 腾 。 然 而 , 这 股 青 奥 热 是 否 能 在 南 大 持 续 延 烧 ?摄 影 | 陈 奕 龙林 茂 清 ● 报 道届 青 年 奥 运 会 ( 青 奥首 会 ) 将 于 明 年 八 月 在 新加 坡 举 行 。 届 时 ,5000 名 选 手将 入 住 南 大 选 手 村 , 与 本 地 学生 做 进 一 步 交 流 。但 是 , 南 大 学 生 对 青 奥 会 的了 解 仍 相 当 模 糊 。本 报 针 对 青 奥 会 进 行 的抽 样 调 查 显 示 , 虽 然 所 有 受访 者 都 知 道 青 奥 选 手 村 将设 在 南 大 , 但 能 够 具 体 指 出 青奥 会 将 于 2010 年 8 月 份 举 行 的 仅10%。至 于 如 何 参 与 青 奥 会 义 工 工作 , 南 大 生 更 是 倍 感 疑 惑 。义 工 招 募 进 程 缓 慢是 谁 还 没 准 备 好 ?青 奥 会 组 委 会 的 数 据 显 示 ,整 个 赛 事 需 要 约 2 万 名 义 工 , 目前 仅 达 到 目 标 的 半 数 。青 奥 会 发 言 人 透 露 , 大 多 数义 工 将 来 自 学 校 和 民 间 组 织 。根 据 青 奥 会 官 方 网 站 的 信息 , 学 生 的 义 工 事 务 将 由 各 个学 校 的 学 生 事 务 处 负 责 。但 当 数 学 与 经 济 系 一 年 级 的王 婧 怡 (20 岁 ) 前 往 南 大 学 生事 务 处 报 名 时 , 却 被 告 知 义 工招 募 工 作 还 未 开 始 。学 生 事 务 处 透 露 , 学 校 正 与青 奥 会 组 委 会 以 及 国 际 奥 委 会紧 密 商 讨 义 工 招 募 活 动 , 但 并没 有 具 体 提 出 何 时 会 在 校 园 展开 招 募 活 动 。参 与 网 上 调 查 的 学 生 中 ,多 达 54% 的 人 打 算 加 入 青 奥 会义 工 队 伍 , 但 仅 有 3% 的 人 已 经报 名 。 调 查 显 示 , 对 于 报 名 方式 与 义 工 工 作 范 围 的 不 确 定 是大 多 数 学 生 仍 未 报 名 的 一 些 原因 。对 于 国 际 学 生 来 说 , 青 奥 会期 间 的 住 宿 问 题 也 是 他 们 参 与青 奥 会 义 工 工 作 的 阻 碍 。机 械 工 程 系 二 年 级 生 邱 始扬 (21 岁 ) 透 露 ,“ 如 果 要 参与 义 工 工 作 , 我 们 就 必 须 留 在校 园 。 如 果 没 有 地 方 住 , 我 们只 好 回 国 , 然 后 就 什 么 也 做 不了 。”尽 管 如 此 , 学 生 事 务 处 对 于学 生 参 与 青 奥 会 的 热 情 仍 持 乐观 态 度 。 青 奥 会 组 委 会 表 示 ,义 工 管 理 部 门 已 经 开 始 在 本 地高 等 学 府 举 办 活 动 , 鼓 励 更 多学 生 响 应 号 召 , 参 加 志 愿 服务 。学 生 不 满 被 当 “ 局 外 人 ”据 网 上 调 查 结 果 显 示 , 过 半的 受 访 者 认 为 校 园 住 宿 问 题 是青 奥 会 最 主 要 的 负 面 影 响 。青 奥 会 顾 问 张 思 乐 一 直 强调 “ 软 价 值 ”, 但 这 显 然 尚 未体 现 , 因 为 南 大 生 似 乎 还 感 觉不 到 青 奥 会 的 存 在 。电 子 电 器 工 程 系 一 年 级 生 叶闯 (20 岁 ) 透 露 , 他 也 只 是 收到 了 选 手 村 宿 舍 装 修 通 知 信 件才 接 触 到 青 奥 会 的 。南 洋 商 学 院 一 年 级 生 郭 昱 秀(20 岁 ) 说 :“ 学 校 好 像 一 直把 学 生 当 成 局 外 人 ! 在 处 理 宿舍 问 题 的 时 候 , 只 是 告 诉 我 们会 有 哪 些 影 响 , 然 后 让 我 们 乖乖 听 话 。”她 也 说 :“ 学 校 似 乎 更 注 重装 修 宿 舍 这 种 基 础 设 施 建 设 ,并 没 有 站 在 学 生 的 角 度 , 提 高学 生 的 参 与 感 , 让 我 们 觉 得 青奥 会 是 一 件 很 光 荣 的 事 情 。”就 读 物 理 与 应 用 物 理 系 二年 级 的 王 天 一 (21 岁 ) 说 :“( 学 校 ) 可 以 多 举 办 一 些 关于 青 奥 会 的 展 览 , 让 学 生 们 更了 解 什 么 是 青 奥 会 , 届 时 都 会做 些 什 么 , 以 及 有 哪 些 事 情 是他 们 可 以 做 的 。”南 大 生 盼 179A 在 先 驱 站 停 留黄 顺 杰 ● 报 道中 文 副 编 辑忙 时 段 地 铁 上 “ 一 位 难繁 求 ”, 多 数 受 访 的 南大 生 都 希 望 新 捷 运 短 程 巴 士路 线 179A 能 在 先 驱 (Pioneer)地 铁 站 停 留 , 以 便 增 加 在 地 铁内 找 到 座 位 的 机 会 。自 先 驱 地 铁 站 于 2 月 28 日 投入 运 作 后 , 许 多 南 大 生 搭 乘 179号 巴 士 离 开 学 校 时 , 都 选 择 在此 站 旁 的 车 站 下 车 , 以 避 开 繁忙 时 段 文 礼 (Boon Lay) 地 铁站 涌 现 的 人 潮 。但 是 , 穿 梭 于 文 礼 转 换 站 与南 大 的 179A 虽 途 经 先 驱 站 , 却不 在 此 站 停 留 , 为 南 大 生 造 成些 许 不 便 。对 此 , 记 者 向 50 名 南 大 生进 行 民 意 调 查 后 发 现 ,44 名 学生 认 为 新 捷 运 应 该 将 先 驱 站 纳入 179A 的 巴 士 路 线 ,1 名 觉 得没 这 个 必 要 , 其 余 则 表 示 无 所谓 。黄 金 辉 传 播 与 信 息 学 院 二 年级 生 周 汶 静 (21 岁 ) 受 访 时 表示 ,179A 应 该 在 先 驱 站 停 留 ,为 南 大 生 提 供 多 一 个 “ 下 车 ”的 选 择 。住 在 东 部 菜 市 ( C h a iChee) 的 她 向 记 者 透 露 , 从 南大 返 家 约 50 分 钟 的 车 程 颇 长 ,所 以 为 了 能 在 傍 晚 繁 忙 时 段 在地 铁 上 “ 找 一 个 ( 座 ) 位 ”,汶 静 都 会 乘 搭 179 号 到 先 驱 站 转搭 地 铁 。她 说 :“ 多 数 住 很 远 的 人都 会 想 要 在 Pioneer( 先 驱 站 )下 车 , 因 为 大 家 都 想 要 有 位坐 。”不 过 她 建 议 , 为 方 便 学 生 更容 易 在 地 铁 上 找 到 位 子 ,179A应 该 只 在 回 程 时 于 先 驱 站 停留 , 从 文 礼 驶 向 南 大 的 方 向 则无 须 作 出 调 整 。另 外 , 记 者 在 校 园 内 的 车 站观 察 到 , 许 多 南 大 生 都 会 选 择乘 搭 179 号 ,“ 舍 弃 ” 直 达 文 礼的 179A。南 洋 商 学 院 一 年 级 生 陈 俊 豪(21 岁 ) 对 此 也 有 同 感 。“ 多 数 住 很 远 的人 都 会 想 要 在Pioneer 下 车 , 因为 大 家 都 想 要 有 位坐 。”周 汶 静黄 金 辉 传 播 与 信 息 学 院 二 年 级他 受 访 时 说 :“ 当 学 生 们 看到 是 179A 进 站 时 , 他 们 都 会 选择 不 上 车 , 而 179 号 通 常 又 是 挤满 了 人 。”可 见 , 学 生 们 或 许 愿 意 为 了地 铁 上 的 座 位 而 承 受 巴 士 上 暂时 的 拥 挤 。为 何 179A 不 在 先 驱 站 停 留 ?南 大 学 生 会 (Students’Union) 的 学 生 服 务 执 行 官 李博 (21 岁 ) 向 记 者 说 明 , 学 生会 曾 在 2 月 初 与 新 捷 运 的 代 表 会晤 。文 转 下 页 >>179A 不 在 先 驱 站 停 留 , 对 部 分 南 大 生 造 成 些 许 不 便 。摄 影 |Yusuf Hamid

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE言 论编 辑 室校 园 大 声 讲再 造 音 乐才 能 造 就 巨 星萧 佳 慧中 文 总 编 辑加 坡 自 2005 年 掀 起 选新 秀 风 潮 后 , 相 继 举 办《 绝 对 SuperStar》 和 《 校 园SuperStar》 等 选 秀 比 赛 , 但 近期 比 赛 的 选 手 却 似 乎 无 法 获 得众 人 肯 定 。 新 加 坡 的 音 乐 人 才是 否 已 消 耗 罄 尽 ? 还 是 他 们 都选 择 了 错 误 的 方 向 ?回 顾 本 地 歌 唱 选 秀 比 赛 ,陈 伟 联 、 潘 嘉 丽 、 石 欣 卉 、 何维 健 的 唱 功 都 毋 庸 置 疑 , 但 他们 似 乎 都 缺 少 了 什 么 。反 观 台 湾 选 秀 节 目 《 超 级 星光 大 道 》, 从 第 一 届 冠 军 林 宥嘉 到 之 后 的 赖 铭 伟 、 徐 佳 莹 和方 宥 心 , 个 个 都 拥 有 唱 功 以 外的 音 乐 再 造 能 力 。所 谓 的 音 乐 再 造 能 力 就 是 将不 为 人 所 重 视 的 音 乐 元 素 加 入自 己 的 演 出 , 从 而 创 造 出 独 属自 己 的 音 乐 风 格 。 这 或 许 就 是本 地 参 赛 者 所 欠 缺 的 。星 光 先 驱 林 宥 嘉 夺 冠 后 虽 是往 主 流 市 场 发 展 , 却 从 未 舍 弃他 衷 爱 的 另 类 音 乐 , 而 他 也 在《 迷 宫 巡 回 演 唱 会 》 中 淋 漓 尽致 地 体 现 出 他 对 音 乐 的 坚 持 。他 不 被 主 打 所 束 缚 , 选 唱多 首 较 冷 门 的 歌 曲 , 但 他 反 驳说 :“ 这 些 歌 不 是 冷 门 歌 , 只是 没 有 打 的 好 歌 。” 这 些 歌 曲或 许 并 不 符 合 大 众 口 味 , 但 却相 当 动 听 。林 宥 嘉 就 是 通 过 比 赛 以 及 个人 演 唱 会 , 将 少 为 人 知 的 好 歌介 绍 给 听 惯 口 水 歌 的 观 众 们 。他 为 非 主 流 音 乐 注 入 了 新 生命 。刚 出 炉 的 星 光 四 班 总 冠 军 方宥 心 也 拥 有 同 样 的 再 造 能 力 。她 小 时 候 曾 以 本 名 “ 方 婉 真 ”发 行 台 语 唱 片 , 日 前 参 加 《 超级 星 光 大 道 》, 一 度 被 批 “ 台味 ” 过 重 。但 经 过 评 审 黄 韵 玲 的 指 点 ,她 将 擅 长 的 演 歌 技 巧 与 现 代 流行 歌 曲 融 合 在 一 起 , 重 新 演 绎蔡 依 林 的 《 舞 娘 》、 蔡 淳 佳的 《 陪 我 看 日 出 》、 戴 佩 妮 的《 这 就 是 我 》 和 林 宥 嘉 的《 那 首 歌 》, 也 让 台 语 曲 风 以及 演 歌 技 巧 再 次 受 到 瞩 目 。再 回 到 本 地 的 选 手 , 他 们 的个 人 风 格 仅 限 于 歌 声 与 舞 台 魅力 , 却 缺 乏 音 乐 性 更 强 的 独 特性 。本 地 歌 唱 选 秀 比 赛 的 参 赛 者一 向 中 归 中 矩 , 选 歌 一 般 上 也符 合 主 流 风 格 , 似 乎 跟 着 市 场随 波 逐 流 , 也 因 此 难 在 华 语 乐坛 掀 起 惊 涛 骇 浪 , 引 起 广 大 回响 。要 在 当 今 乐 坛 生 存 , 好 声音 是 必 备 的 , 多 才 多 艺 更 是 加分 , 但 不 可 取 代 的 音 乐 再 造 能力 或 许 才 是 致 胜 关 键 。重 现 歌 曲 不 难 , 将 歌 曲 重 新包 装 并 赋 予 独 属 你 自 己 的 风 格才 能 与 众 不 同 , 在 观 众 心 中 留下 永 久 的 烙 印 。好 歌 手 不 仅 是 把 歌 唱 好 ,也 是 要 唱 出 好 歌 , 提 高 本 地观 众 的 音 乐 素 养 。 前 者 可 引 起观 众 当 下 的 热 烈 喝 彩 , 后 者 才能 让 歌 曲 在 观 众 心 中 余 音 绕梁 。照 片 | 网 络 下 载郭 进 华理 李 显 龙 日 前 在 剑 桥总 大 学 建 校 800 周 年 的一 场 校 友 酒 会 中 指 出 , 从 美国 一 些 顶 尖 大 学 的 经 验 来看 , 通 过 一 个 强 大 的 校 友 网络 , 校 方 能 筹 集 资 金 、 面 试有 潜 力 的 学 生 , 并 深 入 社 群与 人 们 交 流 。由 此 可 见 , 本 地 学 府 若能 意 识 到 建 立 一 个 强 大 校 友网 络 的 重 要 性 , 并 有 效 推 动与 校 友 维 系 良 好 关 系 , 校 方与 在 籍 学 生 将 受 益 无 穷 。再 过 不 久 , 本 届 毕 业 生就 将 从 南 大 毕 业 , 往 各 自 的领 域 发 展 , 并 正 式 成 为 南 大校 友 。 但 在 他 们 还 未 毕 业 之寻 找 完 美 备 考 方 程 式洪 慧 敏从 心 建 立 校 友 关 系插 图 | 李 丽 怡学 生 在 考 场 上 身 经 百大 战 , 但 也 未 必 能 对“ 考 试 ” 一 词 完 全 免 疫 , 把它 当 作 吃 饭 逛 街 般 轻 松 写 意的 小 事 。 这 倒 不 是 学 生 素 质不 好 , 而 是 他 们 还 没 找 到 最适 合 自 己 的 备 考 方 程 式 。这 个 “ 备 考 方 程 式 ” 听似 必 须 特 别 订 做 的 家 具 , 除了 它 以 外 就 再 也 没 有 更 适 合的 。 偏 偏 这 完 美 备 考 方 程 式就 像 影 子 一 样 抓 不 住 , 就 连辨 认 它 也 有 困 难 。其 实 , 我 们 都 知 道 模 范的 备 考 方 法 就 是 定 期 复 习 、放 松 心 情 、 保 持 良 好 生 活 习惯 等 。 但 事 情 往 往 不 能 尽 随人 愿 。大 学 生 在 课 业 、 副 业 、前 , 校 方 已 通 过 各 种 方 式 , 积极 加 强 与 他 们 的 联 系 , 并 吁 请他 们 在 i-gave 计 划 下 捐 款 给 南大 。与 此 同 时 , 校 方 也 没 有 忘 记已 毕 业 的 校 友 。 除 了 定 期 通 过刊 物 更 新 校 园 资 讯 以 及 举 办 各种 校 友 活 动 , 校 方 也 鼓 励 他 们出 钱 出 力 回 馈 母 校 。相 较 于 其 他 本 地 学 府 , 拥有 超 过 50 年 历 史 的 南 大 在 这方 面 的 付 出 , 可 谓 不 遗 余 力 。除 了 设 立 专 门 负 责 联 系 校 友 的校 友 事 务 处 (Alumni AffairsOffice), 南 大 更 在 两 年 前 于 纬壹 (one-north) 建 立 校 友 俱 乐部 , 提 供 校 友 们 多 一 个 休 闲 娱乐 的 场 所 。心 系 母 校 的 校 友 不 仅能 通 过 捐 款 来 回 馈 母 校 ,也 可 通 过 校 友 事 务 处 以 实际 行 动 支 持 校 园 里 由 学 生举 办 的 活 动 。 他 们 也 能 成为 校 友 班 级 代 表 , 让 同 届同 学 与 南 大 保 持 联 系 。 一些 校 友 则 以 主 办 讲 座 的 方式 , 同 在 籍 学 生 分 享 经验 , 让 他 们 从 中 受 惠 。尽 管 南 大 校 方 在 硬 体设 施 方 面 下 足 了 功 夫 , 南大 在 “ 心 件 ” 这 方 面 还 需多 费 些 心 思 。比 方 说 , 在 积 极 筹 款课 外 活 动 和 社 交 生 活 里 穿 梭 ,有 时 难 免 顾 此 失 彼 。每 天 早 睡 早 起 , 复 习 充 裕 的备 考 方 法 固 然 好 , 却 总 让 人 觉得 心 有 余 而 力 不 足 。 因 此 , 寻找 一 个 符 合 自 己 习 性 、 属 于 自己 的 “ 模 范 备 考 方 程 式 ” 是 必要 的 。世 界 上 证 实 有 效 的 温 书 法则 很 多 , 适 合 自 己 的 却 不 容易 找 。 古 代 发 明 悬 梁 刺 股 的 孙敬 和 苏 秦 后 来 成 为 显 著 的 政 治家 , 但 如 果 在 现 今 社 会 使 用 这方 法 , 恐 怕 会 被 人 怀 疑 患 有 自虐 倾 向 。美 国 著 名 哈 佛 大 学 就 有 学 生在 考 试 前 夕 裸 奔 (streaking)以 舒 缓 考 试 压 力 。 在 新 加 坡 ,此 举 是 否 能 有 效 舒 缓 压 力 却 是个 未 知 数 , 但 参 与 者 肯 定 会 被学 校 , 甚 至 警 方 , 叫 去 问 话 。南 大 校 园 中 也 有 不 少 有 趣 的的 同 时 , 校 方 也 应 了 解 并 非 所有 校 友 都 愿 捐 款 , 因 此 在 募 款时 应 灵 活 处 理 , 而 不 是 通 过 电话 疲 劳 轰 炸 , 近 乎 强 迫 学 生 捐款 。为 学 校 筹 集 资 金 固然 重 要 , 但 若 因 此失 去 了 未 来 校 友 衷心 的 支 持 , 值 得吗 ?有 校 友 指 出 , 一 些 学 生 虽 表示 会 在 毕 业 典 礼 上 捐 款 , 却 不断 接 到 募 款 电 话 , 直 到 他 们 捐款 为 止 。 有 些 同 学 对 募 款 电 话产 生 厌 恶 , 因 此 索 性 不 捐 了 。为 学 校 筹 集 资 金 固 然 重 要 ,但 若 因 此 失 去 了 未 来 校 友 衷 心的 支 持 , 值 得 吗 ?日 前 媒 体 报 道 , 新 加 坡 管 理大 学 一 名 毕 业 生 为 了 鼓 励 拥 有创 业 精 神 的 学 弟 学 妹 们 , 捐 出1 万 7500 元 给 母 校 , 作 为 奖 学 金和 创 业 书 籍 奖 的 基 金 。 这 种 自发 性 的 捐 款 , 比 起 为 了 搪 塞 电话 而 作 出 的 捐 款 , 更 有 意 义 。曾 在 校 园 看 到 校 友 季 刊 《 心系 南 洋 》, 希 望 我 在 毕 业 时 ,南 大 的 “ 心 件 ” 已 加 强 , 而 我们 也 不 再 只 是 收 到 刊 物 或 接 到募 款 电 话 , 而 是 能 够 真 正 的“ 心 系 ” 南 洋 。例 子 。 有 人 选 择 半 夜 在 安 静 的校 园 里 跑 步 , 让 精 神 更 好 、 脑袋 活 跃 , 然 后 继 续 通 宵 温 书 。但 体 力 稍 差 的 学 生 在 回 到 宿 舍后 应 该 会 累 得 只 想 睡 觉 , 不 想读 书 了 吧 。喝 提 神 饮 料 如 咖 啡 、 可 乐 等看 起 来 是 个 权 宜 之 计 , 花 费 不高 却 能 保 持 清 醒 。但 是 , 有 些 人 会 对 咖 啡 敏感 , 有 些 人 则 担 心 可 乐 喝 了 会发 胖 , 所 以 这 样 的 提 神 备 考 方式 并 不 完 美 。每 人 的 习 性 不 一 , 虽 然 寻 找属 于 自 己 的 完 美 备 考 方 式 不 容易 , 终 究 还 是 得 自 己 去 找 。孙 子 兵 法 有 言 , 知 己 知 彼 ,百 战 不 殆 。 只 有 了 解 自 己 的习 性 、 了 解 “ 敌 人 ”, 也 就 是备 考 科 目 的 需 求 , 才 能 定 下 适宜 的 应 对 良 策 , 在 考 场 上 百 战百 胜 。

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE娱 乐娱 乐 动 脉王 菲 复 出 代 言 , 以 400万 新 元 天 价 创 下 华 人 明星 代 言 费 最 高 纪 录 。 王菲 产 后 复 出 传 闻 不 断 ,日 前 遭 圈 内 人 爆 料 , 将接 拍 洗 发 水 广 告 , 消 息也 被 厂 商 确 认 。香 港 娱 乐 圈 日 前 爆 发“ 声 讨 ” 周 星 驰 的 口 水仗 , 莫 文 蔚 日 前 受 邀 担任 第 三 十 三 届 香 港 国 际电 影 节 形 象 大 使 , 不 讳言 力 挺 前 绯 闻 男 友 , 大赞 他 是 个 “ 非 常 有 才 华的 人 , 香 港 很 杰 出 的 电影 人 ”。第 四 届 《 超 级 星 光 大道 》 落 下 帷 幕 , 方 宥 心以 微 分 之 差 击 败 张 心杰 , 夺 下 总 冠 军 , 却 遭网 友 猛 烈 抨 击 。 林 鸿鸣 、 康 祯 庭 和 梁 一 贞 分别 夺 下 第 三 、 第 四 和 第五 名 。仔 仔 周 渝 民 日 前 上 《 康熙 来 了 》 时 , 遭 小 S 徐熙 娣 逼 供 , 承 认 心 里 还有 前 女 友 大 S 徐 熙 媛 。仔 仔 被 小 S 的 不 停 追 问搞 得 啼 笑 皆 非 , 手 足 无措 , 娱 乐 效 果 十 足 。仔 仔 也 坦 言 , 事 业 若 无发 展 , 就 不 会 再 谈 恋爱 。台 湾 摇 滚 女 歌 手 林 晓 培将 于 下 个 月 在 香 港 开唱 , 还 把 头 发 染 得 火红 , 希 望 能 “ 红 运 ” 当头 。 林 晓 培 近 年 恶 运 缠身 , 继 2007 年 酒 驾 伤 人案 后 , 又 在 去 年 爆 出 经纪 合 约 纠 纷 。 演 唱 会 主办 单 位 主 动 邀 约 更 令 她倍 感 激 动 。新 传 媒 艺 人 陈 泓 宇 和 谢韵 仪 5 月 份 踏 上 红 毯 ,金 曲 歌 王 曹 格 也 受 邀 出席 。 原 来 陈 泓 宇 与 曹 格有 着 十 多 年 的 交 情 , 当年 与 曹 格 一 同 唱 卡 拉OK 更 是 专 抢 曹 格 的 麦克 风 。首 届 《Singapore Idol》亚 军 沈 祥 龙 将 于 本 月 25日 在 圣 占 姆 士 发 电 厂 举办 首 场 个 唱 会 , 力 邀 出道 自 同 届 比 赛 的 TaufikBatisah 出 席 , 看 看 自己 这 几 年 来 在 音 乐 上 的成 长 。大 嘴 巴 《 王 元 口 力 口 》 校 园 演 唱 会歌 迷 为 怀 秋 争 风 吃 醋陈 凯 玲 ● 报 道湾 人 气 组 合 大 嘴 巴 南 大台 开 唱 , 女 歌 迷 为 帅 气 男主 唱 怀 秋 争 风 吃 醋 , 怀 秋 更 遭主 持 人 陷 害 , 险 些 牺 牲 色 相 。大 嘴 巴 日 前 来 到 南 大 参 与由 南 大 文 化 活 动 协 会 主 办 的《 王 元 口 力 口 》 校 园 演 唱 会 ,热 歌 劲 舞 以 及 与 歌 迷 的 精 彩 互动 让 现 场 宛 若 校 园 派 对 。幸 运 的 歌 迷 受 邀 上 台 与 大嘴 巴 玩 游 戏 , 挑 战 在 最 短 的时 间 内 准 确 无 误 地 念 出 绕 口令 。团 员 们 在 挑 选 游 戏 伙 伴 时 ,一 对 好 友 为 了 与 怀 秋 同 队 , 险些 反 目 。主 持 人 周 崇 庆 为 了 安 慰 落 选的 歌 迷 , 企 图 要 求 怀 秋 让 女 歌迷 摸 他 的 腹 肌 , 却 引 来 其 他 歌迷 尖 叫 连 连 。陈 颖 涵 ● 报 道迅 的 《 狂 人 日 记 》 反 映鲁 出 封 建 “ 仁 义 道 德 ” 的吃 人 本 质 , 揭 露 了 家 族 制 度与 礼 教 的 弊 害 。 当 时 的 社 会 的确 受 到 极 大 的 限 制 , 使 人 民 感到 压 迫 无 助 。如 今 在 这 个 文 明 社 会 的 世界 里 , 我 们 的 思 想 是 否 真 的 正确 ? 我 们 的 想 法 又 是 否 应 该 一致 ?一 个 为 了 政 治 理 想 而 选 择 放弃 家 庭 的 女 人 ; 一 个 把 死 产 婴儿 放 置 在 储 物 柜 的 母 亲 , 她 们的 背 景 截 然 不 同 , 遭 遇 却 十 分相 似 —— 被 众 人 鄙 视 , 当 成 疯子 。苏 佳 亮 导 演 将 这 两 个 耐 人寻 味 的 故 事 通 过 由 他 一 手 包 办编 剧 、 监 制 、 执 导 的 《 狂 女 日记 》 搬 上 舞 台 。面 对 困 境 应 接 受 或 突 破苏 导 演 受 访 时 说 , 人 们 正被 主 流 文 化 侵 蚀 着 、 消 化 着 ,因 此 他 希 望 透 过 戏 剧 表 达 出 人在 现 实 中 的 矛 盾 , 所 作 出 的 决定 是 否 必 须 经 过 主 流 社 会 的 赞同 才 算 正 确 。他 认 为 , 人 们 无 论 拥 有 什 么背 景 都 会 被 大 环 境 施 压 。剧 中 政 治 家 的 教 育 程 度 比较 高 , 却 接 受 国 家 法 律 的 制裁 ; 母 亲 教 育 程 度 较 低 , 面 对的 则 是 自 己 孩 子 生 命 的 抉 择 。但 是 , 她 们 都 一 样 被 情 感 所 牵扯 , 不 能 回 归 到 主 流 思 想 。虽 然 怀 秋 人 气 看 似 最 高 , 爱纱 却 是 团 中 三 个 国 王 眼 中 最 重要 的 皇 后 。没 有 爱 纱 就 没 有 大 嘴 巴大 嘴 巴 在 演 唱 会 间 中 轮 流 分享 对 其 他 团 员 们 的 看 法 。团 中 年 纪 最 小 的 怀 秋 更 声称 :“ 没 有 爱 纱 , 就 没 有 大 嘴巴 。”男 生 们 一 致 认 同 爱 纱 是 名尽 责 、 专 业 的 艺 人 。 据 团 员们 透 露 , 爱 纱 为 了 练 好 主 打《 国 王 皇 后 》 的 MV 舞 蹈 弄 伤了 膝 盖 , 却 毫 无 怨 言 地 坚 持 到底 。在 演 艺 经 历 最 资 深 的 女 主 角爱 纱 眼 中 , 其 他 三 位 团 员 就 像小 男 生 ,MC 仕 凌 是 可 爱 的 阳光 型 男 ,DJ 宗 华 活 泼 好 动 , 俊俏 的 怀 秋 则 是 个 美 男 子 。爱 纱 还 爆 料 , 爱 漂 亮 的 怀 秋苏 导 演 说 :“ 困 境 一 定 会有 。 只 要 有 文 明 就 会 有 法 律 ,只 要 有 法 律 就 会 有 制 度 , 就 会出 现 困 境 。 但 我 们 在 面 对 困 境时 , 到 底 应 该 接 受 , 还 是 做 出一 些 突 破 ?”创 作 灵 感 出 自 真 实 故 事苏 导 演 透 露 , 他 的 创 作 灵 感出 自 两 个 真 实 故 事 。其 中 , 有 关 政 治 囚 犯 的 故事 就 是 取 材 自 提 倡 民 主 的 缅 甸政 治 家 翁 山 淑 枝 的 软 禁 事 件 。翁 山 淑 枝 面 对 着 各 种 困难 与 众 人 的 眼 光 , 却 仍 怀 着 满腔 热 血 , 甚 至 愿 意 牺 牲 自 己的 一 生 , 为 的 就 是 实 现 政 治 理想 。“ 只 要 有 文 明 就 会有 法 律 , 只 要 有 法律 就 会 有 制 度 , 就会 出 现 困 境 。 但 我们 在 面 对 困 境 时 ,到 底 应 该 接 受 还 是做 出 一 些 突 破 ?”苏 佳 亮《 狂 女 日 记 》 导 演另 一 则 故 事 的 灵 感 则 来 自2006 年 的 一 起 刑 事 案 件 。一 名 母 亲 将 自 己 产 下 的 死婴 藏 在 工 作 场 所 的 储 藏 柜 里 ,东 窗 事 发 后 引 来 社 会 严 厉 的 谴责 。常 会 和 她 一 起 做 长 达 3 个 小 时 的指 甲 护 理 , 让 怀 秋 现 场 露 出 腼腆 的 笑 容 。混 搭 音 乐 风 大 胆 玩 音 乐大 嘴 巴 独 特 的 三 男 一 女 搭配 , 加 上 团 员 们 截 然 不 同 的 音乐 背 景 , 形 成 了 台 湾 乐 坛 少 见的 新 鲜 组 合 。队 长 DJ 宗 华 擅 长 刷 盘 , 演狂 女 面 对 困 境 应 接 受 或 突 破上 百 双 “ 手 ” 的 压 迫《 狂 女 日 记 》 将 以 两 个 独 角戏 的 方 式 呈 现 。 两 部 不 相 干 的剧 穿 插 在 一 起 , 却 为 此 剧 提 供新 颖 的 架 构 。此 外 , 剧 中 也 运 用 几 百 双 硬出 时 常 会 在 幕 后 进 行 混 音 工作 , 为 平 凡 的 舞 曲 增 添 别 具 一格 的 转 调 。MC 仕 凌 则 会 在 创 作 歌 词 时注 入 嘻 哈 、 口 技 、 饶 舌 等 西 方音 乐 的 元 素 , 为 歌 曲 的 新 鲜 感大 大 加 分 。欲 知 更 多 相 关 报 道 ,请 上 pulse.sg 娱 乐 栏目 。( 左 起 )DJ 宗 华 、MC 仕 凌 、 爱 纱 和 怀 秋 带 来 热 歌 劲 舞 , 将 演 唱会 变 成 校 园 派 对 。 摄 影 | 陈 渊 莊纸 皮 剪 成 的 “ 手 ” 带 出 压 迫 、求 救 的 意 境 , 也 增 添 舞 台 上 的视 觉 效 果 。《 狂 女 日 记 》 将 于 5 月 7 日 至9 日 晚 上 8 时 在 滨 海 艺 术 中 心 上演 。 学 生 可 享 有 $23 的 优 惠 票价 。《 狂 女 日 记 》 将 两 个 由 真 实 故 事 启 发 的 “ 狂 女 ” 独 角 戏 穿 插呈 现 。 照 片 | 滨 海 艺 术 中 心 提 供

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE照 片 | 李 伟 菘 音 乐 学 校 提 供详 情 :4 月 18 日 晚 上 8 时新 加 坡 室 内 体 育 馆票 价 :$168 $148 $128 $98 $78伟 菘 思 菘好 友 音 乐 派 对 2009王 天 后 效 应 似 乎 是 演 唱天 会 的 不 败 方 程 式 , 更 何况 是 天 王 天 后 大 集 合 。 知 名 本地 音 乐 人 李 伟 菘 、 李 菘 广 邀众 多 好 友 孙 燕 姿 、 蔡 依 林 、 罗志 祥 、 萧 敬 腾 、 陈 晓 东 和 邓 妙华 前 来 站 台 , 必 定 吸 引 大 批 粉丝 前 去 捧 场 。这 场 演 出 仿 佛 是 好 友 聚 集 在一 起 唱 歌 , 轻 松 惬 意 , 却 似 乎缺 乏 新 意 。 受 邀 前 来 站 台 站 台的 好 友 名 单 早 已 公 布 , 除 非 加入 特 别 的 元 素 , 否 则 应 该 很 难为 观 众 呈 献 一 场 惊 喜 连 连 、 别出 心 裁 的 演 出 。期 待 指 数 :4/5演 唱 会巡 礼考 试 在 即 , 想 放 松 紧 绷的 情 绪 ? 考 试 过 后 , 又不 只 如 何 消 磨 时 光 ? 让记 者 罗 靖 婷 为 你 介 绍 接下 来 两 个 月 在 本 地 举 行的 演 唱 会 。 经 济 不 景 ,若 有 闲 钱 , 万 勿 错 过 !照 片 | 滨 海 艺 术 中 心 提 供详 情 :4 月 24 日 晚 上 9 时 30 分滨 海 艺 术 中 心Recital Studio票 价 :$25Late Nite@Esplanade迷 路 兵 “Three inTransit 三 人 行 ”从 迷 路 兵 在 “ 非 常 Super自 Band” 中 夺 冠 后 , 本 地观 众 就 没 什 么 机 会 观 赏 迷 路 兵的 现 场 演 出 。 在 发 行 了 两 张 专辑 后 , 他 们 终 于 即 将 举 办 他 们的 首 场 售 票 演 唱 会 。这 回 在 滨 海 艺 术 中 心 开 唱 ,虽 然 更 像 是 小 型 音 乐 会 , 却 能让 观 众 更 近 距 离 地 感 受 他 们 的现 场 演 唱 魅 力 , 想 必 也 会 让 大家 感 受 到 他 们 的 活 力 与 舞 台 魅力 。 除 了 中 文 歌 曲 , 迷 路 兵 也将 演 唱 英 文 歌 曲 , 观 众 将 可 见识 到 迷 路 兵 不 同 以 往 的 演 出 。期 待 指 数 :4/5详 情 :5 月 30 日 晚 上 8 时新 加 坡 室 内 体 育 馆票 价 :$248 $208 $188 $148 $88照 片 | 网 络 下 载郭 富 城 “ 舞 林 正 传 ”世 界 巡 回 演 唱 会 2009变 的 造 型 与 精 湛 的 舞 蹈百 绝 对 不 会 少 , 但 已 被 列入 健 力 士 世 界 纪 录 , 全 球 最 大的 演 唱 会 旋 转 舞 台 “ 梦 幻 魔方 ” 的 450 度 旋 转 舞 台 更 是 这 场演 唱 会 最 大 的 看 头 。我 虽 然 不 是 郭 富 城 的 歌 迷 ,却 也 能 体 会 他 的 天 王 魅 力 。 被誉 为 “ 舞 台 王 者 ” 的 郭 富 城 在香 港 已 经 呈 献 了 16 场 “ 舞 林正 传 ” 演 唱 会 , 场 场 爆 满 ,反 应 空 前 热 烈 。 相 信 绚 丽 的 舞台 、 独 特 的 服 装 造 型 以 及 舞王 的 劲 歌 热 舞 会 让 观 众 值 回 票价 。期 待 指 数 :5/5照 片 |Hype Records 提 供详 情 :5 月 9 日 晚 上 8 时新 加 坡 室 内 体 育 馆票 价 : $148 $128 $98 $68草 蜢 “ 草 蜢 忘 我 演 唱 会2009”贝 对 不 起 , 不 是“ 宝 不 爱 你 , 我 也 不愿 意 , 又 让 你 伤 心 …” 你 或许 已 经 不 记 得 他 们 , 但 你 应该 不 会 忘 记 这 些 经 典 歌 曲 。试 着 想 一 想 , 出 道 至 今24 年 , 能 唱 、 能 跳 、 能 创作 , 被 称 之 为 “ 最 耐 久 ” 的香 港 组 合 草 蜢 , 我 们 怎 么 能忘 得 了 呢 ?草 蜢 在 香 港 红 馆 开 唱 ,销 售 爆 棚 , 三 度 加 场 , 可 见草 蜢 风 采 依 然 。 不 想 错 过 小时 候 听 过 的 动 感 歌 曲 , 就 赶快 买 票 出 席 。期 待 指 数 :4.5/5乐 评 音 乐 Jukebox专 辑 :《 爱 灵 灵 》歌 手 : 戴 爱 玲推 荐 :《 抢 不 走 的 梦 想 》这 个 孤 单 的 时 代 ,在 每 个 人 的 心 中 都 需要 一 句 咒 语 , 来 获 得 心 灵的 答 案 —— 这 就 是 戴 爱 玲全 新 专 辑 《 爱 灵 灵 》 的 主要 概 念 。 三 首 主 打 歌 《 空港 》、《 爱 灵 灵 》 和 《 沸腾 》 就 呈 现 出 爱 情 的 咒语 , 也 凸 显 戴 爱 玲 诠 释 情 歌 的 极 佳 演 唱 功 力 。誉 为 铁 嗓 公 主 的 戴 爱 玲 自 出 道 以 来 , 就 常 被 用 来 与天 后 张 惠 妹 比 较 。 唱 腔 具 有 爆 发 力 的 她 , 也 曾 被 公 司冠 以 “ 声 音 活 火 山 ” 的 美 誉 。她 虽 然 能 唱 , 却 始 终 无 法 爆 红 。 对 此 , 自 认 唱 功 不比 张 惠 妹 逊 色 的 戴 爱 玲 坦 言 曾 想 过 要 放 弃 。 专 辑 里 收录 的 《 抢 不 走 的 梦 想 》, 似 乎 是 她 的 心 情 写 照 , 透 露了 自 己 不 停 追 逐 的 梦 想 以 及 心 中 难 以 掩 饰 的 无 奈 。第 三 张 专 辑 《 爱 灵 灵 》 距 离 上 一 张 专 辑 《 天 使 之翼 》 相 隔 11 个 月 。 制 作 公 司 为 戴 爱 玲 精 心 打 造 全 新造 型 , 希 望 改 变 以 往 简 单 飘 逸 风 格 , 走 向 “ 性 感 路线 ”。 为 此 , 她 更 尝 试 了 出 道 以 来 最 大 尺 度 的 裸 露 ,胸 前 开 了 一 个 V 字 形 , 服 装 色 调 也 从 黑 色 转 成 色 彩 浓郁 的 古 典 华 丽 风 。虽 然 新 造 型 让 人 有 眼 前 一 亮 的 感 觉 , 歌 曲 曲 风 并 没有 多 大 的 差 别 。专 辑 里 收 录 的 10 首 新 歌 都 还 算 好 听 , 却 感 觉 一 成 不变 , 缺 少 自 我 突 破 。 看 来 戴 爱 玲 想 要 实 现 梦 想 、 取 得骄 人 的 成 绩 , 我 们 还 得 继 续 期 待 。( 文 / 罗 靖 婷 )专 辑 :《 一 号 创 作 专 辑秘 密 》歌 手 : 蓝 又 时推 荐 :《 秘 密 》《I Pray》为 台 湾 人 气 剧曾 《 白 色 巨 塔 》演 唱 片 尾 曲 《 曾 经 太 年 轻 》 的 创 作 才 女 蓝 又时 , 终 于 推 出 了 个 人 创 作 专 辑 。蓝 又 时 创 作 力 相 当 旺 盛 , 曾 为 不 少 当 红 歌手 , 包 括 范 玮 琪 、 刘 若 英 、 林 忆 莲 等 , 写 过 歌曲 。 首 张 个 人 专 辑 《 一 号 创 作 专 辑 秘 密 》 更 尽显 了 她 的 创 作 才 能 。主 打 歌 《 秘 密 》 的 词 曲 都 由 蓝 又 时 亲 自 操刀 , 而 且 意 境 清 晰 , 说 明 了 一 对 恋 人 无 法 在 一起 , 结 果 爱 情 成 了 不 能 成 立 的 秘 密 。蓝 又 时 擅 长 创 作 抒 情 中 板 歌 曲 , 所以 专 辑 收 录 的 都 是 抒 情 情 歌 。 经 过 她 带点 沧 桑 沙 哑 的 歌 声 演 绎 后 , 歌 曲 更 容 易 让 人 感动 。可 惜 的 是 , 由 于 曲 风 相 近 , 难 以 让 人 留 下 深刻 的 印 象 。 再 加 上 旋 律 略 显 平 淡 , 起 伏 不 大 ,所 以 较 难 成 为 让 人 琅 琅 上 口 的 歌 曲 。《I Pray》是 专 辑 里 罕 见 的 一 首 较 轻 快 歌 曲 。听 了 整 张 专 辑 后 , 总 觉 得 年 仅 24 岁 的 年 轻 女生 演 唱 的 却 多 数 是 悲 伤 的 情 歌 , 有 些 别 扭 , 过于 老 沉 。不 过 , 蓝 又 时 的 唱 功 的 确 具 爆 发 力 , 是 个 毋庸 置 疑 的 实 力 派 歌 手 。 相 信 经 过 更 多 磨 炼 和 经验 , 必 能 在 乐 坛 上 有 一 番 作 为 。专 辑 :《 慢 慢 等 》歌 手 : 韦 礼 安推 荐 :《 高 丽 菜 》览 过 Streetvoice 这浏 个 影 音 创 作 人 聚 集的 网 站 的 人 们 对 韦 礼 安 绝对 不 会 陌 生 ,《 快 乐 星 期天 》 的 观 众 也 应 该 会 记 得这 位 第 一 届 “ 校 园 歌 喉 战 ” 的 总 冠 军 。《 慢 慢 等 》 是 韦 礼 安 正 式 发 行 的 首 张 创 作 专 辑 。 与其 说 它 是 专 辑 , 不 如 说 它 更 像 是 一 种 宣 传 方 式 , 向 更多 听 众 介 绍 他 的 音 乐 。这 张 专 辑 收 录 了 七 首 歌 , 当 中 《 慢 慢 等 》 和 《 好 天气 》 都 有 专 辑 版 和 demo 版 本 。在 专 辑 封 面 中 , 韦 礼 安 背 着 一 把 吉 他 , 面 带 笑 容 ,一 张 清 秀 的 脸 蛋 把 我 的 目 光 吸 引 过 去 。 他 的 音 乐 有 一种 感 染 力 , 而 且 更 重 要 的 是 , 歌 曲 相 当 耐 听 。他 的 歌 曲 会 让 身 体 跟 着 节 奏 摆 动 , 暂 时 搁 下 手 中 的工 作 , 放 松 一 下 心 情 。 其 中 一 首 demo《 高 丽 菜 》, 以一 种 诙 谐 的 语 调 把 生 活 里 的 点 滴 写 成 一 首 歌 , 非 常 可爱 。从 这 里 , 我 们 可 以 看 得 出 这 位 创 作 人 的 灵 感 就 来 自天 天 发 生 的 大 小 事 , 而 他 选 择 用 音 乐 和 文 字 把 它 们 记录 下 来 。总 体 来 说 , 这 张 专 辑 只 是 把 他 之 前 的 创 作 作 品 集合 在 一 起 。 从 消 费 者 的 角 度 看 来 , 相 信 我 们 更 期 待 听到 的 是 他 完 整 的 创 作 作 品 。 如 果 可 以 把 demo 收 录 成bonus CD 回 馈 听 众 , 大 家 肯 定 会 更 乐 意 掏 腰 包 买 下 。所 谓 , 好 的 作 品 必 须 “ 慢 慢 等 ”, 我 们 也 继 续 期 待他 的 全 新 完 整 大 碟 。( 文 / 廖 婧 平 )( 文 / 黄 施 嫣 ) 平

Opinion“What exactly runs through a woman’s head?”Turn to page 39 to find outEDITORIALInto the darknessStop the stereotype,stop the violenceFor an hour last Saturday night,parts of Singapore, as wellas the world, were covered indarkness.This was the culminationof the World Wide Fund forNature’s annual internationalevent called Earth Hour, whichseeks to raise awareness towardsthe need to take action onclimate change.The issue of global warminghas been at the forefront ofpublic consciousness ever sincethe former United States VicePresident Al Gore brought itinto the spotlight with hisAcademy Award-winning2006 documentary film “AnInconvenient Truth”.With a stated goal of a billionparticipants, the organisersof Earth Hour can hardly beaccused of lacking ambition.However, critics havelambasted the initiative as beingnothing more than a publicitystunt, with the main accusationthat the event consumes moreelectricity than it is purportedto save.Even so, it is important tonote that Earth Hour remainschief editorNg Yong Kiat FabianMANAGING editorAhmad Iskandarsub-editorsLien Xiu WenCaleb Ng Wei ChuenVo Van HungChuang Bing HanHong ShuhengNews editorsCai Zhimin AlexisEdmund Lee Wei JianLifestyle editorsToh Li Min KeziaWee Ling Li CherylReviews editorLaw Shi Ming Elizabethdapper editorsKoh Fang Ting CarinaTsen Si Jia AudreyChinese editorsSeow Kia HuiNg Soon Kiatopinion editorsShahida Bte HassimShereen Naaz CharlesTHE NANYANGCHRONICLEsports editorsTiffany Tham Hui MinXue JianyueTECH editorKenneth Wee Zhi Qianglayout editorsCha Ee Ling AlexisJosephine K ChowZhang Leyuphoto editorsFoo Chee ChangTan Yi Leong IrwinLim Joe Ee Zoegraphics editorSarah Amnah ZaihanONLINE editorKuek Jinhuabusiness managersTeo Xin Wen JeanYong Sze Yean Joyceproduction supportNg Heng GheeTeacher advisorsAndrew DuffyJaved NazirXu Xiaogeat its core a symbolic gesturemeant to highlight the problemof climate change, and not asolution.By taking the effort to dimor turn off the lights for an hour,an individual or organisation isactively recognising the needfor action to be taken to helpalleviate the problem.Close to home, Deputy PrimeMinister S Jayakumar echoedthis sentiment as he said, “Anenduring global solution mustinvolve the combined effortof governments, businesses,NGOs, and individuals.”It is t he emphasis onthe individual that remainsrelevant, as the lessons learntfrom Earth Hour 2009 needto be absorbed and appliedthrough the year for lastingchanges to be made.There is no point pledgingsupport for the initiative againstglobal warming and flippingthe switch off for an hour a year,but continue being profligatethe rest of the time.All it takes is a little effort,and the hour spent in the darkmay lead to a brighter future.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.Renee VillasenorWe know who it was, we knowwhere and when it happened, weknow what occurred and how theevent unfolded, but we still do notknow why.Why was David Widjaja drivento attack his professor and then,reportedly, take his own life?We may never know thefactual details of what pushedthe fourth year Electrical andElectronic Engineering studentthat morning.However, the incident raisesthe question of what more couldhave been done to prevent it.And that in turn raisesquestions about what studentsthink counselling, and what partit plays. Is it for emergencies only,or is it more a part of their lives?In other words, is it for preventionor for cure of problems?There was no doubting thesincerity of NTU’s President, Dr SuGuaning’s e-mail to the university.“It is with a heavy heart that Iinform you of a tragic incident oncampus,” he wrote, and “We are alldeeply shocked and saddened bywhat has happened.”So, it was surprising to me as anAmerican how brief the outreachaspect of his letter was. It simplystated that: “The University’scounselling professionals havebeen mobiliszed. For help, docontact the Counselling Centrecrisis hotline at 9721-8066.”In contrast, when someone wasstabbed and killed on my homecampus in America, the authoritiesprovided details about the event,as well as tips on how to avoidbecoming engaged in a similarsituation – a reminder of themany protective and counsellingservices provided to students.There are many ways governingoff icials can handle such asensitive event, but providingas many hard facts without theweight of overwhelming emotionaleditorial, plus reassuring studentsthat many resources are availableto them, helps to provide at leasta small amount of relief to such atraumatiszing situation.The aftermath of the tragedydraws has attention both to thecounselling services in NTU andother Singapore institutions inhelping their respective studentscope with the academic andpersonal issues; and to thestudents’ own attitudes towardsthe service.GRAPHIC | YVONNE NGSome said they were unawareit even existed. That suggestsstudents would only search forit in an hour of need, rather thanit being a part of their everydaylives.N T U , l i k e m a n y o t h e ru n iver sit ies, prov ides peercounselling, counselling bymental health professionals, crisishelplines, self-help resources, andworkshops for students.So why do occurrences suchas Widjaja’s still take place andwhy might these services not behelping all students in need ofassistance?The answer lies in the veryperception of counselling servicesin today’s society.It is commonly thought thatanyone who seeks counsellingis perceived as weak and unableto handle the stresses of life ontheir own.Regardless of the quality andfrequency of counselling availableto students, such resources will failto be utilised as long as this stigmaon those who seek help remains.Rather than advertisingcounselling as a preventiveresource, it should be introducedas a resource that they should takeadvantage of in order to maintaintheir health and well-being.Counselling services shouldbe used more regularly thanthey would be if only used on a“preventive” level.While students should beself-aware enough to seek helpwhen they are feeling stressedor overwhelmed, such actionsshould not be saved for only diresituations.Instead, students shouldwelcome counselling as a commonpractice in order to maintain ahealthy mental state.Following Widjaja’s death, NTUofficials vowed to make strongerefforts in working to prevent asimilar situation from taking placein the future.They planned to do this bystriving to detect troubled studentsand providing assistance.However, by the time it isevident enough for a professoror staff member to detect that astudent is troubled, I suspect thatthe student in question will possessissues that are very difficult toaddress and handle.Instead, counselling servicesshould strive to depict themselvesin a new light, one that showsthey serve not only those inneed of assistance with issuesbut also those who want to livehealthier mental lives, and explorethemselves in order to develop asstronger and more positive humanbeings.Only then will counsellingservices be used to their fullpotential by being able to helpstudents maintain their mentalhealth and stability and, in turn,prevent another tragic incidentfrom taking place on campus.

march 30, 2009The nanyang chronicleTo think or not to thinkNa b i l a h Bte Syed Su lta nThe saying goes that all workand no play makes Jack adull boy. Get a load of this– all university studentsthink about is school, andthat makes them dull. Agree?I was on my way to school onbus service 179 when I overheardthe person next to me telling afriend about her laboratory reportdue the following day.On another occasion, twofriends spoke about an upcomingpresentation while queuing up tobuy lunch.I am not sure whether a schoolrelated response would follow ifyou met these students outsidecampus – but just touch your heartand ask yourself if you think itwould be school or non-schoolrelated.I personally feel it wouldbe the former. Gone are thedays where people spoke aboutt heir passions w it h g u sto.Whatever happened to speakingabout hobbies, family, holidays orthe many simple things in life?It almost appears that thesematters have been placed at thebottommost pit of nothingness.As ironic as it sounds, thesetopics stand in as fillers in theevent a conversation related toschool dries off.In a society that placesmeritocracy in high regard, itis inevitable that topics amonguniversity students centre onperforming well in school. Theneed to be the creamiest of thecrème de la crème (pardon thepun), takes reign both in theirminds, and you guessed it, in theirconversations.A sociology student I spoke todisagreed and said conversationtopics depended on the personyou are with – if you are morecomfortable with the personyou are conversing with, youare more likely to open up andspeak about issues other thanschool. Conversation topicsdiffer, however, when you arewith acquaintances or with,to put it crudely, “friends forconvenience”.She felt that with those friends,it would be easier to speak aboutgeneric matters like school whichboth of them are able to relate to.Fair enough. In fact, I agreewith her. Another peer I spoketo said that it is inevitable thatuniversity students, whatevertheir relationship with each other,speak about issues pertaining toschool because there is just toomuch going on. According to her,the ups and downs of schoolrelatedmatters are more thanenough to fill a bag.And try as you may, it hasbecome almost impossible toavoid having the largest piece ofthe pie centred on the musings ofacademic matters.So just for the fun of it, Idecided to ask a girlfriend out forlunch and I mentally (and secretly)made a list of all the things thatwe spoke about. Here is a list of thetop eight things we spoke about.1. Lack of sleepWorking till the wee hoursof the night to catch up onreadings, completing lab reportsand assignments. To top thatoff, snooping on other people’sfacebook accounts, chatting onMSN and surfing the net all at thesame time. Multitasking (and notsleeping) is the in thing.2. BoysNeed I say more?If you are morecomfortable withthe person youare conversingwith, you aremore likely toopen up andspeak aboutissues other thanschool3. Guilt from not helping aroundthe houseThanks to school, girlsnowadays have concessions whenit comes to doing housework. It isgreat that moms know that we arebusy in school with work and CCA,so they do not say much. But yet,we still feel guilty.4. Cute ProfessorsThe School of Humanities andSocial Sciences (HSS) had a portalset up a couple of weeks ago to voteGRAPHIC | ELIZABETH LEEfor a favourite professor withinthe faculty. Now, how many girlsdo you think voted for the cutestlooking one?5. Revlon – Beyond Natural SkinMatching Make UpThis weightless foundationthat goes on white and self-adjuststo match your exact skin toneis a must have for all occasions.Amazing isn’t it? For a smootherfinish apply the Revlon-Primerbefore the foundation.6. No time to exerciseHealth practitioners havestressed the importance of gettingexercise at least three times a weekto stay fit and healthy. But we arepressed for time, so we just ignorethe act all together.They say that walking is a formof exercise. So is a walk from NorthSpine to South Spine counted?7. ExamsExams are around the cornerand there is no way we couldget down to studying with thebacklog of assignments still leftundone. We need to be taught howto manage our time, just like howwe were taught to tie our shoelaces,chew instead of swallow our foodand pee at the appropriate places.8.Good ReadsInstead of picking up a bookthat you hear is good from yourfriends or from reading a magazinereview, it would be interesting topick something blindly from thelibrary shelf. If the book turns outto be good read, then great. If not,challenge yourself to read it till theend. If you succeed, treat yourselfto something nice, like ice cream.canteen talkopinion 39Recently, there has been an increase in thenumber of parents who have jumped onto theFacebook bandwagon. How do students feelabout this phenomenon?”My parents live in adifferent country soI think them havingFacebook is actually agood thing as it allowsus to keep in touch.Megna Mansharamani, CBE Year 2, 20“Siti Fairuz Bte Ahmad, HSS Year 1, 19“If my mother were toadd me on Facebook,I would definitelyconfront her and askwhy she is trying toinvade my privacy.Harith, MSE Year 3, 24My family members,especially my aunts,have tried to add meas a friend but so farI’ve declined, because Ineed my space.If I were to put myselfin any parents’ shoes, Iguess this would be thebest way to check up onmy children. The Net isan indespensable tool.Rahul Koshal Dobey, CEE Year 4, 25”I think it’s quite coolthat my mother is onFacebook. She usesit to network , whichis one of the primarypurposes of Facebook.Er Yanbing, HSS Year 2, 21”TEXT | SHEREEN NAAZ CHARLES; PHOTOS | FOO CHEE CHANG

THE NANYANG CHRONICLESurvival of the fittest, not the localsKE N N E T H CH E WThe thorny issue of foreigntalent on our shores hasbeen ongoing for years, andwith the global recessionraising new doubts over oureconomy, there seems to be no endin sight.The authorities haveconsistently assured Singaporeansthat they will spare no efforts tosave and retain jobs.But with such assurancecomes financial and economicalconcerns.Singapore’s population standsat 4.85 million currently, but whatmany do not know is that a good25% consists of foreigners who areworking, studying, and living onour shores.Vociferous debates havethus surfaced with regard tojust who should go, if job cuts,retrenchments and downsizing areinevitable – should the interests ofthe locals be protected at all costs,or should a more meritocraticapproach be undertaken by ourGovernment?T here ha s been muc hdiscussion on the issue, especiallyon popular local online forums suchas SgForums and Hardwarezone,as locals and foreigners alike chipin with their two cents worth, bothfor and against the notion.For one, the recent influx offoreigners in our service sectorsis a topic that has seemed to sparkoff heated responses amongst thelocal community.O n e r e s p o n d e n t o nHardwarezone noted that seeminglyeverywhere he goes, from theneighbourhood bubble tea shop toposh restaurants downtown, it hasbecome increasingly unlikely thata local staff would be serving himbehind the counter.Another lamented of thecommon scene in Hollywoodmovies where calls to customerservice hotlines are directed toIndia’s call centres being readilyapparent even in Singapore now,as increasingly foreign accentswelcome callers nowadays.As rice bowls and livelihoodscome under threat, it is hardlysurprising to see such defensivereactions from locals who arelosing their jobs, but yet see moreand more foreign faces aroundthem with each passing day.Still, some favour a moresensible and rational view insteadof a blanket criticism of all thingsforeign.“Since Singapore is basedon meritocracy, one has to havesomething in hand to survivehere, it is only too bad that mostSingaporeans do not acquire suchmerit, which is why tailor-madeforeigners are brought in at theexpense of the locals,” said anothernetizen on SgForums.I tend to agree with the latter.At the risk of coming across astaking a moral high-ground, thequestion begs – is it not myopicthat in this day and age, sometimesinstead of meritocracy, individualsare still viewed through tintedshades, with an emphasis on colourand race?P e r s o n a l l y, r e g a r d l e s sof the industry, job scope, orrequirements put in place, I amall for foreign talents, but only ifthey can contribute to the plate,and prove their worth amongst orover the locals.Singaporeans who do notmeasure up have themselves toblame.But as the harsh reality of jobcuts and recession hits us, whoshould be the first to go?Have our expatriates andforeign workers actually provedto be better than the locals, havethey merited taking the jobsSingaporeans would otherwisefi l l ?Being served by foreignerseverywhere from snack standsin the heartlands to fine-diningrestaurants downtown shouldnot inherently be an issue. But itdoes become one when frustratinglanguage barriers mar the serviceexperience.Poor language standards areamongst the utmost complaintSingaporeans have had about theforeign workers here today.But perhaps more alarming arethe concerns about the attitudesand behaviour displayed by someforeigners making a living inSingapore.T he med ia ha s repor tednotorious foreign-born athleteswho have been earmarked forcitizenship but end up causing amultitude of problems for theirsporting associations instead.From field athlete ZhangGuirong going AWOL (absentwithout leave) and beinguncontactable for months, toshuttler Riky Widianto decidingto just pack up and leave whenasked to commit to citizenshiprecently. These individuals haveindeed made a mockery of thefinancial resources and supportgiven to them.Would not such time andresources instead have been betterspent on promising locals, whowhile perhaps not possessing asmuch natural talent, truly seeSingapore as their home?Or how about top expatriateswho while having impressiveresumes, illustrious backgroundsand draw a huge pay check, failto understand the substantialcultural and societal nuances ofour diverse little island?Perhaps promoting theSingaporean manager who hasworked his way up over the past20 years, with an instinctiveunderstanding of the companyand its people, would have been abetter option instead, at a fractionof the cost.That said, locals should not takefor granted their right of stay.Attitudes, competency andefficiency should be the key factorsthat decide one’s suitability for ajob, not race or nationality.I recall an incident whenforeign waitresses at a chicken-ricerestaurant I frequent did not showany tinge of unhappiness after afriend of mine paid his $5.50 billall in coins.We explained that he wastrying to clear his local currency,as he would be flying off forstudies overseas the day after.They simply smiled, saidwistfully that studying in Australiawas but a distant dream for themand wished him bon voyage, beforegoing back to their work.Envision the contrast in attitudeif you try that with the grumpylocal auntie at the neighbourhoodGRAPHIC | ZED TANminimart, who shoots you a blackface of doom when you ask for anextra plastic bag.Perhaps there should not bea debate at all over who shouldbe the first to go, and abolishingthe divisions between what weterm ‘foreign’ and ‘local’ is whatis needed instead.Nationality and identity canhardly be altered, but what can bechanged are the mindsets, attitudesand aptitude for a particular taskor job instead. ‘Foreign’ or ‘local’,only the best should remain, andthat is all that should matter.Historical precedent has neverdecreed that the locals survive;instead evolution has proven the‘survival of the fittest’.Job security and the workplaceshould not be any different.GRAPHIC | SARAH AMNAH ZAIHAN

march 30, 2009The nanyang chronicle sports 41bpl talkWhat type of fan are you?While the Premiership sizzles with action on the football pitch, Tiffany Tham, Grace Leong and Xue Jianyueexplore the different categories of people present at the broadcasting of a BPL match in a typical café bar.The Cold Chugger >The beer belly distinguishes thisdrinking gentleman. He comesto the bar with his buddies tospend the night in their favouriteclub only to end up wondering,"who are those annoying dweebsdownstairs staring at punyflatscreens and going 'GOAL' feranyway?" Doesn’t care much forfootball, so just dump Guinnesson him and his friends – they willleave you alone after that.the lukewarmLapsed followers of football whohave found better things to dowith in their time. They couldprobably remember a few outdatedhousehold names. Their longlostenthusiasm is occasionallyrevived when a spectacular goalis scored.>they saidthat?“I don't likeintellectualprostitution. Ilike intellectualhonesty.”Internazionale's coach JoséMourinho retorted to hisSerie A opponents in a rowover a contested penalty inthe 3-3 draw with AS Roma“If you are savinga shot, that has tobe worth takingyour shirt andtrousers off for.”Swedish golfer HenrikStenson (below) dresses downfor one of his 69 strokesTHE HARDCORE ^the technical geek >Someone who cannot live withoutfootball. Mood rises and fallswith the performance of the teamto which he has pledged loyalallegiance. Easily distinguishableby his jersey, bunch of kakis, loudboos aimed at his rival fans andeven louder cheers for his favouriteteam. Occasionally, he might getinto brawls and (hopefully not)ugly flagburning.Fans in good times, fans in bad times tooGrace Le o n gThe last few weeks must have beenheartbreaking for ManchesterUnited fans.First, a 1-4 loss at home tobitter rivals Liverpool turned theTheatre of Dreams into the Theatreof Nightmares.The following week offered norelief as United suffered a secondconsecutive defeat to mid-tableFulham — their first back-to-backloss in the BPL since April 2005.To top it off, two of theirplayers were suspended duringthe match.Although second-placeChelsea failed to take advantageof the slip-up, Liverpool seized theopportunity to close on the gap atthe top of the table with a decisive5-0 victory over Aston Villa.The Red Devils are still aheadby a single point and have agame in hand, but the pressure ismounting.Manchester United fans too, arefacing the heat, being the target oftaunting by Liverpool fans and therest of the anti-Man U camp.No preference for any team. Moreinterested in game play, statisticsand stalking the referees. He ismost often seen scrutinising prematchanalyses in The New Paperand on the Football Channel. Heis great expert in calculating theprobability of a win or loss for anyparticular team, and is thereforethe best friend of soccer gamblingaddicts.Understandably, there is a lotof resentment against United asour generation was born into anera where they won just abouteverything.Man U fans are sometimesperceived as arrogant, fair-weatherfans, supporting the team onlybecause they keep winning.However, football is more thanjust about winners or losers.Of course, we all like to ourfavourite team take home thetrophy, but real fans stick withtheir teams, fair weather or foul.Even t houg h fa n s f r omopposing teams may taunt eachother occasionally after a majorupset, there must still be a degreeof respect for each other’s loyaltytowards their respective clubs.That is because all of us arefirst and foremost fans of ‘thebeautiful game’.March has been a rollercoasterride with upsets that blew the bpltitle race wide open. Anything canhappen in the next eight games.Only one thing is for sure:drama.Fans, brace yourselves for thefinal lap.GRAPHICS | ZED TANTHROUGH IT ALL: Football fans are one with their team. PHOTO | YUSUF HAMIDGRAPHIC | SARAH AMNAH ZAIHAN“He (Rafa Benitez)might take youoff when you'reon two just tokeep your feet onthe ground. Buthe knows my feetnever leave theground.”Liverpool's skipper StevenGerrard stays rooted despitehis giddy-headed three-waynetter"Terroristsshooting past ourvan, into our van,and not a signof a policemananywhere. Theyhad clearly leftthe scene andleft us to besitting ducks."International CricketCouncil's match referee ChrisBroad realises that nothingis spared from terrorism, noteven sport

42sportsmarch 30, 2009The nanyang chroniclesports talkStill the same coachOnline local sportsjournalism a hitADAMANT: National sprinter Amanda Choo still trains under Mr Loh Chan Pew, her long time coach. PHOTO | COURTESYLast February, Mr Loh Chan Pew, the coach who led the national 4x100m women’steam to a national record in 2007, was replaced. Singapore Athletic Association saidthat the association wants coaches with Level 3 and 4 coaching certificates, insteadof the previous minimum of Level 2 that Mr Loh has.However, some members of the women’s team, Amanda Choo and Ann Siao Mei,remain unhappy over the change and still trains under Mr Loh. Choo, a third-yearstudent from the National Institute of Education (NIE) who also represents NTU intrack, writes about why she believes Mr Loh is still the best man for the job.Am a n d a Ch o oSince the sacking of my coachMr Loh Chan Pew last February,the women’s relay team has nottrained together although the2009 SEA Games is merely ninemonths away.Yet, the relays are the onlyevents in athletics that requireteam work because of the batonpassing, which is key to shavingoff at least two seconds from theathletes’ combined timings.Nonetheless, there are manyreasons why I would not trainunder another coach, because Ibelieve there is simply nobodybetter than Mr Loh as the coach forthe women's team in Singapore.Over the years, Mr Loh hadbeen instrumental in nurturingthe team that broke a junior recordand then the national record thathad stood for over a decade.The revival of the nationalwomen relay squad is solelybecause of Mr Loh’s foresight instarting a team whose averageage was 16, seeing the potentialin them to better their timingsindividually.In addition, he made the effortto build up this team, persuadingthem to train together to qualifyfor the SEA Games, which paid offwith a national record.During the Chinese TaipeiInternational Track & FieldMeet in 2005, Mr Loh discussedand enquired from his Taiwancounterparts on the standard andparticipatory rate for that meet.He knew that there wereparticipants of good calibre thatwould give us enough competitionto achieve a good timing.A lt hough t he SingaporeAthletic Association (SAA) wasinitially reluctant to allow theteam to participate in the TaiwanOpen 2005, Mr Loh pushed for thejunior team to take part.Given his qualitiesand contributions,on what groundsis his sackingjustifiable?It paid off as we broke thenational junior record there.For a coach to patiently nurturea team over four years, Mr Lohmust surely have believed ourability to achieve the potentialhe saw.This belief culminated in 2008when SAA introduced a co-optsharing scheme that had athletespay a percentage of the cost foroverseas trips if we did not meetthe stipulated timing.During the 2008 Taiwan Meet,Mr Loh wrote a cheque of about$1,000 to pay for the whole teamshould we fail to meet the timingset for us.He believed that we wouldachieve the target set and waswilling to sacrifice his own moneyas an outward show of trust.Given his qualities andcontributions, on what grounds ishis sacking justifiable?As an athlete who has been inthe sport for more than a decade,I have not been satisfied with thereasons SAA has given for thischange.For example, the main reasonthey gave is the need for new bloodand proper qualifications, which isquestionable.The call for new blood iscontradictory as the president ofSAA himself has been at the helmfor over 20 years.Secondly, the coaches takingover the women’s relay team arenot new, having being in thecoaching panel as long as MrLoh.Furthermore, they are stillcoaching the men’s relay team.If new blood is the way togo, then why not apply the samereasoning to the men’s team, whenthe women’s team has at least beenon par with the men’s team interms of achievements?Besides, in a practical field suchas sports, one can see that paperqualifications do not necessarilyequate to results.SAA may back up its argumentswith words and figures.However, in the world ofsports, if you cannot produce anoutstanding athlete, your wordswill have no meaning no matterhow you pride yourself on paperqualifications.The girls' results bear testamentto Mr Loh's effort and capabilities,and it would only make sense forme to continue my training underhim.Erica Ta nMore Singaporeans are turningto alternative media such as RedSports as sources of local sportsnews.Since its launch on February 1st2007, readership of the self-fundedwebsite has grown exponentially,breaking through the 100,000-monthly visits mark on March8th.Leslie Tan, 39, founder ofRed Sports, says that their newswebsite is the only one of its kindin Singapore dedicated to localsports.In addition, Leslie hopes thatcoverage of local sports news canhelp to build a Singaporean sportsidentity.“I think Red Sports receives aresponse because it is focused onthe fundamental question: Whoare we?” he says.Reporting through the Internethas also contributed to Red Sportsreadership growth.“Local sports websites likeRed Sports and Sport On provideinteractive discussion forums thatengage readers,” said NTU SportsClub’s publications officer, CaineNg, 22.Apart from local sports news,Red Sports also collates a list oflinks to international sports newsunder one of its sections.“They (Red Sports) also havemore in-depth content as well asexternal links to useful sportsrelatedinformation,” the firstyearstudent from the School ofHumanities and Social Sciencessaid.When asked about why theBarclays Premier League (BPL) ismore heavily covered in nationalnewspapers, Leonard Thomas,39, Sports Editor for Today, feelsthat BPL remains by far, themost popular tournament amongreaders here.However, the increase in newsreadership on the Internet standsin contrast to a drop in circulationand viewership through traditionalmedia channels.According to the 2008 Yearbookof Statistics issued by the Ministryof Trade and Industry, Englishnewspapers have seen a decline of8.5% from 2001 to 2007.In response to the shift inmedia consumption habits, themainstream media has also beenengaging readers online on localsports issues.Today has also started a weeklyfeature every Wednesday tocover national sports and tertiarytournaments.“I think it is important thatwe write in the youngsters’ pointof view,” Thomas said. “When Iwas still in school, I would lookforward to seeing my school beingfeatured for their outstandingsports performance.”In addition, local sports haverecently received more airtime ontelevision.S t a r t i n g f r o m M a r c h ,MediaCorp will broadcasthighlights from the NationalSchool Sports Championships2009 every Wednesday from7.30pm-8.30pm on Channel 5.Some others who only have aneye for the highlights still prefer toread via traditional media.“I think that The Straits Timesalone is capable of providing mewith the latest sports highlights,”said Cheryl Tan, 21, a member ofthe NTU Dragonboat Team, a thirdyearstudent from the NanyangBusiness School.When asked about thecompetition between new sportsnews websites like Red Sports andthat of the mainstream media,the Red Sports founder is notworried.“Readers will follow and rewardgood journalism, whether onlineor mainstream,” said Tan.CLICK: Online sports journalism is getting popular. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | XUE JIANYUE

THE NANYANG CHRONICLE The three sporting faces of NTUPO H WEE KO O NA CAREER in sports may not be as difficultto realise as it was once thought to be.Initiated by the Singapore SportsCouncil (SSC), the Sport On! AmbassadorProgramme provides youths with theopportunity for hands-on training andexposure in various sports disciplines.“In addition to being a professionalathlete, there are other exciting and fulfillingcareer options such as sports journalismand sports events management,” said DrBervyn Lee, director of Sports Culture,Sports Marketing Group (SSC).A month ago, nominees of theprogramme underwent four trainingworkshops in sports photography,journalism, marketing and eventmanagement.Nominees then submitted an articlecomplete with photo coverage by March11th.The articles are evaluated by a panel ofjudges and selected by popular vote.The NTU winners, Ong Xue Fen, DebbieLee and Chia Hui May, were named SportOn! Ambassadors.Let's see what the three sportsenthusiasts have to say about their newroles as sports ambassadors.PHOTOS | ELIZABETH LAW & POH WEE KOONChia Hui MayNBS, Year 3, 22NTU Tennis IVP playerAs a Sport On! Ambassador, I got to mergetwo of my interests — sports and writing.During the workshop, it was great to beable to meet professionals in these fields,picking up useful tips on how to coverevents and transform them into writing.At the sports photography session, Ialso had the opportunity to take picturesof a paintball match.I hope to be able to post articles, mythoughts and perhaps promote new sportsto the community.I also hope that more people from NTUwill become connected with sports andfind an interest in it.Debbie LeeNBS, Year 2, 20Captain of the NTU Canoe Polo teamI am surprised I won the competition.During the worksop, I learnt moreabout sports journalism and marketing.One special experience I had wasthe chance to explore my writing abilitythrough the compulsory admission of anarticle regarding sports. In addition, I hada chance to try out photography using aDSLR camera.As a Sport On! Ambassador, perhapsI can contribute to NTU sports culture bypromoting sports through workshops. Ialso hope to know the captains of othersports teams and perhaps collaborate withthem on major sporting events.Ong Xue FenNBS, Year 2, 20Recreational runner and swimmerThe best thing that I’ve picked up from theworkshop is in sports photography, whereI learnt to take close-up pictures.During one of the photo shoots, I wastrying to get a close-up shot of the actionand I actually got hit by a paintball. Itsure left a mark on my experience!Through the Sport On! Programme,I am glad to have had the chance to beexposed to different sports that I wouldnever have gotten a chance to.Hopefully, I will be able to share mypassion for sports with people around mein NTU too.Bikers and organisers rally against the rainCA R M E L A REYESBATTLING heavy rain, student organisersof the NTU Bike Rally overcame manylogistical challenges and earned praisefrom the public.Held on Sunday, March 15th, the eventexperienced light rain in the afternoonwhich became heavier over time.However, given the unpredictableweather in the days before the event, theorganising committee had already madewet weather plans such as providing allparticipants with ponchos.Commitee Chairperson, Samuel Goh,first-year student from the School ofMaterial Science and Engineering, saidthat the rain did not dampen the spirits.“We carried out our contingency planssmoothly to ensure that all our participantswere safe,” the 21-year-old said.In addition, NTU students helped toload the bicycles onto lorries, and ensuredthat participants boarded the charteredbuses and disembarked correctly at thenext checkpoint. These contingencies werechallenging given the length of the 85kmand 128km routes.Besides providing shelter from rain,safety issues were also a concern.In a letter to The Straits Times on March21st, medical doctor Anthony Thian, one ofthe cyclists on that day, praised the qualityof medical coverage.“The numerous safety cyclists that rodealong the whole 128km route were helpfuland timely in providing first aid to theparticipants,” he wrote.Dr Thian also noted that the ambulancewas also seen circling numerous times."This provided a great psychological lift tothe riders to know that professional helpwas readily available,” he wrote.The event, organised since 2007, wasvery well received. Many participants feltthat the quality of the event was exceptionalfor one helmed by university students.Among the record number of 652participants drawn to this non-competitiveevent this year was Bao Li, 22.The final-year student from the Schoolof Chemical and Biomedical Engineering feltthat the Bike Rally was very well organisedthis time round.“I’ve been to a lot of events in the pastfew years and I think this was definitelyone of the best,” she said.This event came after the highlypublicised OCBC Cycle Singapore held afew weeks ago.“I rode in the OCBC event, but you can’treally compare it to this,” said Charles Zhou,a 28-year-old Citibank employee. “This wasalmost like a marathon, three times longerthan the OCBC route.”His co-worker and cycling partner, 22-year-old Abhinav Krishna, agreed. “Wewere excited to ride in both events since theonly thing they have in common is cycling,which is good,” he said.Although the event was noncompetitive,the Bike Rally committeeawarded all participants who completed theroute with a finisher t-shirt for conqueringthe 128km challenge.UNFAZED: Good preparation helped participants to tide over the afternoon rain. PHOTO | ELIZABETH LAW

SportsFind out where you belong in BPL fandomPage 41Goal: scoring for needy studentsSponsorships are stillpouring in despite thedownturn, with HongLeong Finance being thelatest contributorTiffany Th a ms p o r t s e d i t o rThe financial recession is herebut needy students do not have toworry yet.The Students’ Union’s latestevent, the NTU-RHB Goal for Fund,aims to increase both awareness ofstudents in need of financial aidas well as the amount of fundsavailable.The event took the form of astreet soccer challenge and thefinals were held at Ngee Ann CityCivic Plaza on March 7th.This year’s soccer challenge isdifferent from other charity eventsbecause the registration fees paidby participants do not contributesignificantly towards the Students’Fund.The Students’ Fund is a subcommitteeof the NTU Students’Union set up in 1995.It exists to provide financialassistance to needy students,through the awarding of bookgrants and bursaries.RHB Bank (Rashid HusseinBank) is the title sponsor ofthis year’s fund-raising eventbecause they have shared valuessuch as teamwork, communityinvolvement and volunteerism.The chairperson for the event,Katherine Teo, 21, a second-yearstudent of the School of Humanitiesand Social Sciences, said: “Thebulk of the money actually comesfrom monetary sponsorship fromcompanies such as RHB Bankwho have the ability to donatefinancially.”The Students’ Fund had sentout invitations not only to tertiaryschools this year but also to ITEs(Institute of Technical Education)and secondary schools.The response had beenencouraging, with 78 teams takingpart over two days.“I had focused on sportsbecause it’s in line with NTU beingthe Games Village next year forthe Youth Olympic Games,” saidKenneth Chew, 23, a third-yearSchool of Materials Science andEngineering student.The idea of tying sports withfund-raising was first proposedby Chew, who was last year’sChairman for Fund Run 2008.The Fund Run had set a newSingapore record with 1,175members taking part in a 24-hourcontinuous relay of 100m laps.Senior Parliamentary Secretaryof the Minister of CommunityDevelopment, Youth and Sports,RHB BANK V NTU STUDENTS’ UNION: The exhibition match pitched the organisers’ skills against employees of RHB Bank. NTU won.Mr Teo Ser Luck, was the guest ofhonour at Goal for Fund.An alumnus of NTU, he toldthose present at the event that hehad been a needy undergraduatehimself, as finances were tightA SEA OF RED: The organising committee in high spirits after the kick off by Mr Teo Ser Luck (in black). PHOTOS | XUE JIANYUEbecause his father had lost hisjob then.Mr Teo jokingly said, “I hadnever thought Students’ Fundactually existed you know. Youall never create awareness. I hadto struggle to do part-time workto pay my school fees.”At present, the number ofapplications greatly exceedsthe number of bursary awardsavailable.The dismal economic climatecould add further strain on NTU’sfinancial reserves for needystudents.Mr Kay works at RHB Bank’sFinance Department and hehad played in the exhibit matchbetween the student organisers andRHB bank.“RHB has a service qualitydepartment which supports socialevents and sports events suchas the Singapore Cup,” said MrRaymond Kay.“The NTU event ties in nicelywith our outreach to studentsbecause we are one of the banksthat provides interest-free loans tolocal varsity students,” he added.Shawn Lau, 21, who is waiting toenter SMU’s economics programmethis year said that he was glad todo his part for a good cause.He added: “I joined this as partof a get together with my SAJC(St. Andrew’s Junior College)classmates because I haven’t seenthem for two years.”“We heard of this event fromthe current IVP (Inter-VarsityPlayer) team and we decided tocome down to support it,” saidJasmeet Kaur, another Goal forFund participant who graduatedfrom NUS last year.“We knew it was for a goodcause,” she addedBen & Jerry’s resident band,Elusion, was also on hand toprovide music for the street soccermatches.A renowned local vocalist,Ms Melissa Fitzgerald serenadedthe crowd with covers of awardwinningsongs such as Viva la Vidaby Coldplay.Chairperson Teo hopes hercommittee will meet the target of$20,000 for needy students thisyear.“Our focus is not on the amountof money that we raise but oncreating awareness and reachingout to as many students as we can,”said Teo.In year 2008, a total of $30,000was given out as bursaries lastyear, valued at $1,000 each.In addition, a sum ofapproximately $10,000 to $12,000was given out in the form ofemergency grants.The final figures for the amountof money raised from Goal for Fundwould only be available later thisyear.