ONEVOICE
Volume 6, Edition 3: June
Scintillating Summer
Join us on a journey around the world!
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
CONTENTS
5
9
SUMMER!
5-6 Editor’s Pick: 5 Cheap Things to do in Singapore
6-7 Things to do over the Summer break when you’re bored!
7-8 Summer Music Collections & Stardust Memories
Lifestyle
9 Editor’s Pick: John Wick Movie Review
10-11 Museum Review: “Imaginarium”
11-12 Play Review: The Tempest
13 Sticking to the Aesthetic
14 My Stanford Experience
15-16 Aunt Agony
16-17 An Original Story: Two Roads Globe Trotters
18-19 Ms. Berge: “Living in Madrid”
20-21 Mr. Dickinson: “Climbing Everest”
21-23 Mr. Saranam: “Travelling to Egypt”
19
28
32 Sports
33 Editor’s Pick: Sports & Our Well-Being
34-35 Cricket World Cup: India!
35 Beach Soccer
Current Affairs
24-25 Editor’s Pick: Foreign Talent & Expats
25-26 Religious Clash on Rubber Boat
27 Why is Chewing Gum Banned?
28 One Day Without Shoes
29-30 Grade 10 Service Week
30-31 Thought Corner: Act of Heroism - are parents doing enough?
31-32 Student Submission: Are Videos Games as bad as we perceive?
Follow us on Instagram @onevoice.sjii for constant updates!
2
Editor-in-Chief
Simren Sekhon
Heads of Lifestyle
Tessa Rodrigues, Natalie Wong & Theo Chen
Heads of Current Affairs
Dinithi Samaskeran & Pushpin Singh
Head of Photography
Jo-Ann Li
Heads of Sports
Daniella Nicole & Sergio Moreno
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ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
ONEVOICE
EDITORIAL TEAM
From the editor
The distant thought is now a reality - summer is here! & Yes, even in Singapore the season changes can be
felt with the increasingly sweltering heat that surely, warms our hearts too. With the onset of summer, this
issue of OneVoice truly embodies the hopes and dreams the holidays hold for all of us, members of the SJI
International community. Thanks to the efforts of all members of the OneVoice community, this issue is 36
pages long, with new sections like the intriguing “Thought Corner”. As always, we’ve continually strived to
ensure that we maintain our high standard; undoubtedly, this shines through with the plethora of issues
explored in this issue of OneVoice - be it in the sphere of travel, movies, service or even the arts!
As with all the issues of OneVoice, the creative energy of our community is continually effervescent. This
undoubtedly applies for our wider school community - it truly is uplifting to see that we have two
submissions from students outside the OneVoice community in this issue that I trust you will enjoy, with
their thought provoking & intriguing nature!
The true feature of this issue, is however our special edition of “Globe Trotters”. I suspect many of us will
travel the globe in varying endeavors during the holidays and some of us will also stay in the tropics of
Singapore; no matter what group you fall into, we thought it’d only be fair that we all get a taste of
international adventures & so, the OneVoice team sat down with some members of staff to discuss their
experiences around the world from their travels ranging far and wide. The adventurous and dauntless
attitude of our teachers is quite honestly, awe inspiring - who would have ever imagined brave spirits to
tackle Mount Everest exist in our school? (and, this applies to more than one teacher!) Or even completely
delve into cultures priorly unbeknown to them? Regardless of any element of danger, this issue of OneVoice
takes you around the world and across continents as we venture (vicariously, no doubt) to Spain, Egypt &
Nepal. My sincere hope is that this issue allows everyone to take a glimpse into the wonders of travel, and
perhaps even inspire some of your future endeavors! Travel is an indubitable fascination and passion of
mine - the experiences of our teachers have further ignited my spark to travel, explore the world, with
perseverance, an open mind, unafraid to take risks.
I would also like to say a huge THANK YOU for your outstanding support - we are honoured to announce
that we continue to garner more subscribers, reaching numbers above 200! This issue will see the
continuation of our popular “Aunt Agony” section where we address the concerns of members of the school
community and we would like to continue to invite you to continue to ask us anything of concern at ask.fm/
onevoicesjii. In addition, we are continuing to accept submissions for future issues and look for all students
to submit anything they would like to share with the rest of the school community. All queries, submissions
and feedback can be sent to [email protected] Please feel free to let us know what you think of
OneVoice - perhaps there’s something you’d like to see more of ? We won’t know unless you share & we
want to hear your voice!
Please do remember that this summer holiday is in fact a HOLIDAY - undoubtedly, there’s work that needs
to be done… however, you also need to take time our for yourself and give yourself breathing space. & yes
IB students, as an IB student myself, I’d like to think that we too can take some time out for ourselves. Don’t
burn out and take some time to treasures aspects around us that previously, you may not have had the
chance to. I sincerely hope you will enjoy reading the creative efforts of your school community with this
issue of OneVoice. Who knows, you might just be reading this by a beach across the Pacific!
An element of nostalgia overcomes me as I round off this editorial note for this is the last issue I’ll be putting
together; after the summer break, my junior compatriots from the Editorial Team will take over. In saying
so, I would like to once again, thank each and every one of your for all the support you’ve provided me
during my term. It has been an honour and privilege to serve in this role & truly I am ever so excited to see
OneVoice skyrocket to even greater heights!
Signing off,
Simren Sekhon
4
Editor’s Pick: Top 5 Low Cost Things to do in Singapore
Theo Chen
Singapore was recently listed as the most expensive city in the world, this shouldn’t come as too much of a shock as recently prices have begun to rise to sky high levels. As most have no steady income, teenagers believe any sort of fun might look like an unachievable goal, but with the following list of cheap (or even free) fun things to do, your summer will be @illed with adventures to remember! dip down and cool down. The aerial walkway provides breathtaking views of the sky as the sun rises and sets. Tip! Be sure to bring water along with you! The Southern Ridges Start at: Hort Park (33 Hyderabad Rd Singapore 119578), before crossing the Alexandra Bridge. Opening: 24 hours, LED lights from 7am-­‐7pm, daily. Places to Check Out: Thieves Market Southern Ridges Trail (sp.) Botanical Gardens Public Swimming Pools/Water Parks Gilman Barracks Near the start of the Southern Ridges Trail, lies the home of 17 independent art galleries, three restaurants and the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA). They are all housed in beautiful conserved colonial barracks, dating back to WW2. The project, which was conceived in 2010, is an amazing project where many events are held, such as the Art Stage or the Singapore Biennale, as well as smaller more intimate festivals -­‐ the details of which can be found on the website. Visit for an incredible variety of work, and all for free! First up, The Thieves Market. Situated all the way down Sungei Road, the market is a must see. Now, don’t be afraid or be deterred by it’s name! The Thieves Market is a treasure trove of various objects which originally started out as a place where thieves used to congregate to sell stolen goods. Though, you can be assured that the market operates as a giant thrift shop now. Perfect for the vintage hunter, or camera lovers, this street situated near Little India MRT is chock full of old stuff, and some of it in very good condition, and all at dirt cheap prices. Hurry as the market is being threatened to closure by the construction of a new train station next to it. Gilman Barracks 9 Lock Road Closed on Monday’s and Public Holidays. Check website for individual gallery opening hours. The Botanical Gardens is possibly the hidden jewel of Singapore; a spectacular expanse of greenery in the middle of a bustling city is a gift, and in Singapore no less! The ground spreads over 183 acres of land, and the garden is the only one of its kind in the world to be open from 5am to 1 2 a m d a i ly w i t h f re e a d m i s s i o n ! Highlights of the garden include the lush forest, and the three lakes. Surrounding the Eco Lake, are fabulous Ju Ming Tai Chi sculptures that are currently on display. The gardens are perfect for a quiet evening stroll, or a lovely afternoon picnic. The true beauty of the gardens are the orchids found in the National Orchid Garden, which is the only paid attraction in the Gardens but for students, it costs a mere $1! The Thieves Market Opening: 11am-­‐7pm Sungei Road The Southern Ridges Trail is a massive walking path that encompasses Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, Hort Park, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Reserve. It is over a 10km walk. The walk is perfect for nature lovers, photographers or if you just want somewhere to walk and talk with your friends. The best times of day to attempt the walk would be in the early morning, from 7am onwards (you can try to catch the sunrise if you’d like) or conversely in the late afternoon when the sun begins to 5
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
The Botanical Gardens 1 Cluny Road Opening: 5am to 12pm, everyday. longest water slide! For the simple price of $1, and a short ride on the MRT, you’ll be having a ton of fun! Singapore has a wide array of surprisingly good public water parks @illed with the very same slides and lazy rivers that popular attractions like Adventure Cove and Wild Wild Wet are known for -­‐ sans the insane prices. Ta ke for exa mp l e, Ju rong E a s t Swimming Complex, which boasts a tower of three water slides, of different speeds and lengths! Alongside, a very fun lazy river, and a gigantic wave pool, Jurong East promises a fun day at the pool. Or, Jurong West Swimming Complex, which boasts Singapore’s Jurong East Swimming Complex 21 Jurong East Street 31 O p e n i n g : M o n d a y 2 : 3 0 – 9 : 3 0 p m , Tuesday–Sunday 8am–9:30pm Admission $0.80–1.50 per entry Jurong West Swimming Complex 20 Jurong West Street 93 Opening: Monday, Wednesday–Sunday 8am–9:30pm Admission $0.80–1.50 Things to do over the Summer break when
you’re bored!
Maida Reihanny Mahidi
Summer break is nearing and everyone is excited for it. This is a time where a lot of us go for vacation out of the country and enjoy ourselves but some of us are just not that privileged, so in this article, I am going to list a few things that anyone of any age and gender can have fun doing! I am personally only going to back to my hometown for two weeks and then I will be staying here in Singapore for the rest of the break so I will de@initely be doing some of these things. 1) Hanging out with friends. I’m pretty sure you are not going to be the only one that is not going out of the country so why not take this opportunity to hang out and catch up with your friends. There are so many things you can do from ice-­‐
skating to just hanging out at the pool. You can also take this opportunity to contact some of your old friends that you may have grown apart from and spend some time with them. Or even just invite some of your schoolmates that you would like to get to know better. 2) Clean up your room. Let’s be real n o t eve r yo n e ’ s ro o m i s t h e cleanest, so take this time to clean your room or just go through the things that you do not need anymore like clothes or books and you can always donate them. This way you are keeping yourself occupied, doing something useful and giving back to the community. 3) Find a talent! Try some new things like a sport or something more towards the arts. Use this time to really @ind your interests and hobbies. There are so many things that you can be talented in: 6
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
languages, dance, art, singing, acting, soccer, football and the list goes on and on. Another thing is that you may be a very talented person and have more than one talent so even though you already have a hobby that you are very passionate about and is really good at, it would not hurt to try something else. 4) Visit places. There are many places to go here like the zoo, the beach, or even just a local park. Get some friends to go with you or just go with your family. Singapore may be small but there are multiple tourist attractions that maybe you do not even know about and everyone loves having an adventure. I hope that everyone has an enjoyable summer break and makes the best out of it. It only comes once a year so really try to enjoy it and make the most of your time! 7) Have a family game night. We rarely spend time with our family especially on school and work nights so the summer break is a great time for you to bond with your family and family game night is most de@initely a great way to do so. Some games that me and my family love to play are monopoly and card games. Summer Music Collections & Stardust Memories
Megan Wee
Here’s a run-­‐down of the basic essentials all of us need during the long awaited summer bresk! I’ve selected the following songs invoke the serenity that overcome me like tidal waves: they remind me of the better days in the sand: listen to them all year round for those feel-­‐good golden summer vibes. Summer mix tape 1 1. Jungle // Drake 2. Dive // Caribou 3. Seaside // the Kooks 4. Lost // Frank Ocean 5. Holland, 1945 // Neutral Milk Hotel 6. Repair // Last Dinosaurs 7. A Walk // Tycho 8. Open Season // High Highs 9. Islands // The XX 10. Florida Kilos // Lana Del Rey 11. Beach Baby // Bon Iver 12. Always Like This // Bombay Bicycle Club 13. Big Jet Plane // Angus & Julia Stone 7
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
In the summer, I also ^ind pleasure in immersing myself in the luxury and bliss found nowhere else but in vacation: the blessing of having nothing at all to do. At times, I ^ind myself at my personal peace when I can simultaneously appreciate a setting sun and watch a Wes Anderson ^ilm. These ^ilms instill nostalgia for a place I’ve never been and an ache to travel somewhere new for your next vacation: you might ^ind yourself in Vienna (Before Sunrise), Athens (Two Faces of January), or Tokyo (Lost in Translation) come next winter or summer. Our favorite summer memories “ A last day on family vacation in Thailand: looking out the villa’s glass window and seeing nothing but foliage for miles and miles, waves crashing and the Kooks at its loudest, knowing that I’d return to this place again. “ “I’d wake up after a full night of sleeping, but early enough to watch the sunrise from the roof. I’d cook myself a healthy breakfast and have it in the garden. I’d meet a friend for lunch at a café. In the late afternoon, I’d attend an art exhibition and in the evening, a theatre show, after which I’d have a late dinner at a hawker centre before going home to watch Friends.” Light summer @licks 1. Before Sunrise (1995) 2. The Endless Summer (1966) 3. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) 4. The Parent Trap (1998) 5. Lost In Translation (2003) 6. (500) Days of Summer (2005) 7. The Two Faces of January (2014) “I’d love to spend the majority of my summer days watching online movies and TV shows, and drawing and listening to music.” “Enjoying myself in Europe with my family, eating the local delicacies and appreciating olden castles with a summer sun in the sky.” Summer Trip Check List In my suitcase 1. Coconut Sunscreen 2. Frends Headphones 3. Lined notebook & pens, for journaling 4. Swimsuit 5. 4 novels (only 3 of which I will read, most probably) 6. Currency 7. Camera, essential for capturing those de@ining moments of what summer really means 8
Student Submission
Editor’s Pick: John Wick Movie Review
The 2014 @ilm is about the ex-­‐hitman, John Wick, being pulled back into the business when gangsters kill his late wife and steal his car. The plot, though thin, is very well directed when it’s held center stage. Directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch were former stunt coordinators and – as should be expected – expand upon their skillset through the stunningly choreographed action scenes, which no doubt managed to effortlessly enhance the impressive directorial debut that is John Wick for these two directors. put Reeve’s best on show for the audience and cut the unnecessary @luff, keeping it at a good pace. Of the support, a few performances stand out, like that of Michael Nyqvist, who proved out a believable, menacing mob boss performance whilst also maintaining a desperate father @igure role throughout. Another notable performance can be seen by William Dafoe, as expected from a two-­‐time nominee for best supporting actor at the Academy Awards. Produced at a slim $20 million, it raked in nearly $80 million in its worldwide run of 91 days. Making it liable for a sequel, which has already been con@irmed by both actor and directors. A 7.2 on IMDb and certi@ied fresh at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's a sure critical success no matter how you look at it. It also seems to have been a hit on every front, scoring an audience rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and hopefully this trend will follow through into the sequel. It would be shame to see it fail as it does boast the potential to become a cult classic: It's dark, brooding, thoroughly entertaining and doesn’t miss a beat when it tries comedy on for a size. The plot serves up these action scenes at a steady pace. & It carries with it an air of @lair and self-­‐assurance that few other @ilms can match. Set in New York, but not as we know it, the @ilm dips into the genre of noir while remaining steadily rooted in action. This New York is populated by suit-­‐
wearing hitmen who can share a drink in safety in a hotel called “The Continental”. Other than this, the rest of New York is only glimpsed during various @ire@ights. The movie, hailed as Keanu Reeves comeback, facilitates this title well. Effectively reestablishing him as a viable lead. Not only did he pull off the demanding @ights, he also brought an unexpected depth to the conceptually thin character. With a strong supporting cast, Stahelski and Leitch push Reeves to the top of his game, whether he’s crying over an iPhone, drifting in a beautiful muscle car or gracefully emptying a room full of goons. The movie hits a sweet spot between character driven moments and action, one that is rarely found in any of Reeve’s recent movies. With more acting than The Matrix yet also managing to successfully keep up with the action, the directing duo effectively Personally, I feel that the @ilm is a must-­‐
watch for anyone who has a taste for thrillers, action movies, hitmen or guns. Stunning shots don’t hurt, and it really carries with it a punch that I can scarcely remember feeling when watching any other revenge-­‐based action @lick. 9
ONEVOICENEWSPAPER June
Toby Egold
Museum Review: SAM “Imaginarium”
Michelle Hui
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE March
In celebration of Singapore’s 50th birthday, the Singapore Arts Museum launched Imaginarium: A Voyage of Big Ideas, an exhibition created for “everyone and anyone with a head for ideas and a heart for adventure!” As an art student, I felt that despite the exhibition’s whimsical nature, it would appeal to anyone, regardless of how young or old they are. From the start, I could see how the SAM had made special effort to include different age groups. There is a photo booth machine, aptly titled the “Original Sel@ie Machine”, where for a price of $2, visitors can have their photos taken and printed out immediately. As expected, there was a large group of teenagers lingering around that area, but there was 10
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
the occasional family member. I thought
this was a fantastic and smart way of
creating teenage appeal, especially in an
environment where maths and science
are more stressed upon, teenagers can
have an incentive to appreciate art
culture in Singapore.
was inspired by the wonders of
children’s experiences. While it was
initially quite difficult to understand the
intention behind each art piece, I
thought it was very interesting in the
way the art was constructed. There was
an installation that involved the visitors
placing different sizes and colours of
shapes into a large fish, which I thought
was quite entertaining, especially for
kids. The artist also made life-sized
insects, hidden in little huts around the
room, made out of scraps of metal.
While I’m not a fan of insects, I was in
full appreciation of how much time and
effort the artist must have put in to affix
the metals to form a sculpture of an
insect. Going through the art syllabus
myself, I am fully aware of the arduous
process an artist has to go through to
make a piece of art. The effort put into
this particular installation made me
more motivated to go back to my
unfinished work and complete them.
The Imaginarium exhibition itself is
four stories big, and houses exhibitions
that you can spend hours wandering
through. While I finished it in a day, I
wouldn’t mind going through it again at
least twice because there was a lot to
explore. On the second level, there was
an interactive exhibit entitled The
Greenroom II: Interstellar Overdrive,
where visitors can sit on the bicycle and
use it to power up an exhibit. One of the
bicycles I cycled on powered up a
beautiful view a the constellation, which
was quite innovative. While I’m often
used to traditional forms of art, this
exhibit was the opposite of that. I
appreciated how the fluidity of art forms
could include more in-depth interactions
between the art and the viewer, rather
than just “looking” at it.
Even though Imaginarium is
thematically focused on children’s
imaginations, I feel that anyone,
regardless of age, would appreciate the
art exhibit. The walls itself, Band of
Doodlers, are beautifully illustrated and
is a great background for an Instagram
photo. The interactive exhibits would
also remove the notion that art is just
paintings on the wall. The Imaginarium
ends on 19 July 2015, and I highly
encourage everyone to come and visit
the exhibition during the summer before
it ends.
Another exhibition was the Dream
House, which I thought had one of the
prettiest installations. It was a literal
imagining of a pastel candy house,
reminiscent of the fairytale Hansel &
Gretel. Being surrounded by life-size
candy figures such as candy canes
brought back my own childhood
nostalgia. The installation’s purpose was
to portray a child’s wish, which I
thought it did so successfully. There was
also a garden where visitors could take
the candy wrappers from a bowl and
hang it on the trees. This was one of my
favourites from the exhibition, purely
because it revisited my childhood
fantasy of being able to touch candy that
was larger than life.
The last exhibition I visited was Kiko’s
Secrets, which was an installation that
11
Play Review: Shakespeare in the Park - The
Tempest
Felix Syn
watching could gain an idea of the plot in the play. On Thursday, 30th April, a few Grade 7 and 8s went to Fort Canning Park to watch one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, The Tempest. The plot of the play was slightly lost on me due to my inability to process Shakespeare’s words at such a quick pace, however, I believe that the actors did justice to Shakespeare’s dialogue, and hearing was thankfully not an issue! The plot was complicated, with a plethora of characters and motivations. Unfortunately, on that day it was raining, and therefore the play had to be delayed by half and hour and we were starting to get bored. Luckily, we got the chance to admire the fantastic set which loomed over the hillside in Fort C a n n i n g , p r o v i d i n g a p e r f e c t atmosphere! Unfortunately, my experience of the play was marred due to the fact that on the night I attended there were many students @lipping loudly through books and taking notes with many excited whispers and talking. I wish they could have been more silent and sit back to enjoy the play. However, the experience was quaint and lovely. There was a clear moon that night, which with the help of cleverly executed stage lighting, illuminated the actor's faces with an eerie white light. The undoubtable bene@it of an outdoor setting for a stage show was the experience of being so close with nature, with the light breeze rustling through the glowing green trees, and the feeling of grass between your toes! There was a huge stage with platforms which were very uneven, with a large backdrop used to help transport the audience and the actors to the world of Shakespeare. I thought the backdrop resembled a map, and was in awe of the entire presence of the stage, and how big everything was. Crammed along the inside, huddled under a sea of umbrellas and raincoats sat, or stood, the many students, teachers and the general public. During the wait, I saw many people get up and leave, which I thought was a bad mistake as the production that followed was very good! Later around 7.45 in the evening, the sun began to set, it turned out the rain has been a blessing in disguise, and the sunlight perfectly lit up the stage and the actors as they began to step onto the stage, it also set a magni@icent backdrop for the play. Personally, as someone who @inds it dif@icult to understand Shakespeare’s words and meanings. I couldn’t understand what the actors were verbally saying and I spent the @irst few minutes trying to decipher what on earth they were talking about. Shortly into the play, I realised that there was no need for that as just by Later that night, I read the children’s version of the book and I was surprised (and pleased) to learn that the actual storyline was really complex, with often @ive events simultaneously being described and enacted! No wonder I could not keep up and was so confused! The experience of watching and a b s o r b i n g ( w h a t I c o u l d ) o f a Shakespeare play was indescribable and an evening that I will always remember. I would very much like to go watch another one of these plays. 12
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
Sticking to the Aesthetic
Tessa Rodrigues
aesthetic idea. How does one even decide their aesthetic to begin with? [es-­‐thet-­‐ik or, esp. British, ees-­‐] Although, some aesthetics are quite pleasing to the eye, be it the pale grunge blogs all over Tumblr or various photography accounts on Instagram, a few 'aesthetics' are quite strange. A picture of glitter and dirt @loating in a bathtub full of water? A picture of a black and white cow next to a bunch of @lowers? A @iltered photo of an oil-­‐stained street sidewalk? How or why these images are considered 'aesthetic', I will never understand. noun. the philosophical theory or set of principles governing the idea of beauty at a given time and place: I ’ m a ve r y l a z y p e r s o n . I te n d t o procrastinate a lot but, now? All that has changed. You see, the modern age has brought something to the door that has really challenged my lifestyle. No, not the IB program. No, not peer pressure. I'm talking about the aesthetic. This confusing trend is quickly becoming an integral part of social media though -­‐ especially on Instagram. There are people who even set up a second Instagram account just to post the photos that ‘don’t @it' their 'aesthetic’. To me, one of the top candidates for the "laziest person on earth" title, this seems like an unnecessary amount of work, but I suppose it depends on the individual. Although sticking to an aesthetic does help make one's social media feed look quite pretty, isn't the point of having an Instagram to post whichever pictures you please, whenever you please? What originally started off as a joke has suddenly surrounded me, whether it’s through fashion or carefully planned Instagram feeds, the aesthetic has more than certainly taken over, and it seems to be here to stay (at least for a while more). Which brings about the question: what is one's aesthetic? I know when I ask myself that, I tend to say funny things in response like ‘food’ or ‘One Direction', but I really have no 13
My Stanford Experience
Hoong Jun Ray
University. For a 13-year-old like
me, that may seem like a rather
abstract term. Some say it is the best
time of your life; where you meet
lifelong friends, enjoy the prime of
your youth; whereas some say it’s
gruelling, tough and downright
stressful. I’d always wanted so
badly to just sneak a peek at the
realities of university life, especially
what my sister would be
experiencing
this
September.
Fortunately for me, my “dreams”
came true. My sister Hoong Juan
Ru, or Ruru as most of you would
know her, was accepted into
Stanford University last December
for Early Admission Action. She
was in a bubble of euphoria for the
next few months leading up to the
Admits’ Weekend, basically an
“orientation” camp of sorts during
the last weekend of April. What
does this have to do with me, you
may ask? Well, family members
were cordially invited.
About 12 hours after our plane
landed
in
San
Francisco
International Airport, we were jetlagged and sluggishly trudged over
to the Stanford campus, before we
dragged ourselves onto the bus that
actually had wifi! The Californian
weather that day was perfect, a
cerulean blue sky with not a single
puffy cloud in sight, paired with the
mild chilly breeze that tickled the
strands of my hair. The moment we
stepped foot into the Stanford
campus, I fell in love. There were
palm trees everywhere. The
buildings and pavement were all
built with a light-beige, sandstonelooking material, giving a very
relaxing, almost resort-like image to
the campus. They had canteens and
cafes everywhere, and at almost
every dorm they had cooking
lessons for the students by famous
and reputable chefs. They even
hired a Michelin Star Chef as their
head cook and grew their own
vegetables! Stanford was also super
environmentally-friendly,
posters
about how to save the environment
and save water (especially with the
drought in California) could be seen
all around campus.
Throughout the week, we snatched
every opportunity we had to explore
the magnificent campus. Stanford
itself was like a cut-off little island
from Palo Alto, where students
could just fully immerse themselves
in their passions, studies, enriching
themselves with every single
resource provided for. More than
enough resources in fact, factoring
in the killer pistachio-strawberrymozzarella pizza! The range of
courses, the flexibility was just
heart-achingly amazing. Stanford is
one of the few, in fact might be the
only one, that allows the students to
combine two different courses to
major in. For example, a student
could study both Computer Sciences
and Comparative Literature at the
same time! However, what I found
was the most interesting was a
program called “SLE”, Structured
Liberal Education. It is basically a
residence-based program where
selected students share a dorm and
participate in an integrated program
consisting of humanities classics,
arts, philosophy and literature.
In my personal opinion, I found
Stanford magical. Anyone in their
right mind would, actually. It is a
place of innovation, of thinking
long-term. They have such dreams
for the future like flying cars that
would lessen traffic jam and no
pollution
as
President
John
Hennessy raved about. Dreams that
would be considered ludicrous to
14
to some, but in Stanford, an entrepreneur
idea that could be brainstormed and
tinkered with until it became reality.
Stanford is a place of bright minds,
vibrant personalities, industrious and
enterprising aspirations, where only the
sky is the limit. Simply analysing the
way they were flexible in combining
courses showed how forward their
thinking is, how they constantly adjust
their curriculum to better suit their
students up for the future after
University. I was so, extremely fortunate
to have been given the chance to be able
to just scrape the surface of Stanford’s
wonders in those three days. Thank you
to my loving and supportive parents, and
to my sister, who I would be very
envious of coming September.
Aunt Agony
…a place where we address the pressing questions & concerns of the SJII
community - feel free to ask us anything @ ask.fm/onevoicesjii
Dear Advice Aunties,
of the articles in this issue addresses
cheap places to check out over this break
and another, features cute DIY projects
you could get in on as well!) Singapore
may be small, but there are endless
choices for entertainment here.
I’m 17 and my sister has her iGCSEs this
year, so it looks like I’ll be stuck in SG for
the summer… Again. All my friends will
be going to exotic places and having fun
while I’m stuck here. What should I do?
Do you have any tips?
Don’t stick yourself in a rut of despair
because you aren’t hopping on a flight
when school gets out! Go to the beach,
try a new cafe, meet a new person.
Another idea, if you want to make a little
extra cash, is to get a part time job. You
have to be 16 years of age in Singapore to
apply for a job, so you might as well take
this as an opportunity to experience the
working life. It doesn’t have to be a full
time, back breaking labour sort of thing
either. You could just work two to three
times a week at a small cafe or simply
scoop some ice cream! This sort of thing
widens your experience spectrum and
Summertime Sadness
Dear Summertime Sadness,
Do not fret my dear! Summer holidays do
not always mean boat rides in the
Caribbean or cliff diving in New Zealand.
Usually, you'll find that creating new
memories, whether with new friends or
old are what you'll really enjoy and there
are so many possibilities to what you can
do in the next month or so! (In fact, one
15
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
and also looks really good on your college applications. Finally, my number one tip for you is to not stay at home everyday. Even if it’s a day you want to spend all by yourself, make an effort to try exploring the city. You’ll be surprised by what you @ind, I guarantee it. After all, as appealing as watching 'Friends' while being wrapped up in a blanket burrito may sound, you’ll feel a lot more accomplished after a quick day excursion. Hope you have a great summer holiday! Auntie T An Original Story: Two Roads
Kimberly Yeo
A thin ray of light @iltered in from my curtains and danced across my face. Squirming slightly, I pulled the blanket over my head and desperately tried to grasp a few more minutes of precious sleep. Oh I don’t have time for this! I grabbed my bag and sprinted out the door, not bothering to grab a granola bar from the kitchen. If I was any later, I might as well sign my own resignation. Oh no, oh no! Mr. Parson is going to kill me! I ran out of my house and headed straight towards my car. B r r r m m m m m m m m m m m m . BRRRMMMMMMMM. You have got to be kidding me, I thought to myself. Well, I suppose I wasn’t going to be getting anymore sleep. Rolling off the bed I looked at my clock, puzzled. Wasn’t it supposed to be darker outside? My alarm had been set for 7 PM today and if the sound of the Landon’s rumbling truck hadn’t woken me up, I would still be fast asleep. Stumbling slightly, I fell right on my car, my bag dropping on the ground, and my papers spilling everywhere. 9:05 burned my eyes as I stared at the digits, and I slowly felt panic building up inside of me. Of course, of course I had slept in! Swearing to myself, I sprinted to my closet and began pulling on random pieces of clothing. Once I had gotten dressed in possibly the worst out@it I could have put together, I swiveled my head between the door to the bathroom and the door out of the bedroom. “Tony, dear, are you alright?” Mrs. Fields from next door padded onto my driveway in her matted pink slippers, holding a plate of bagels. “Would you like a bagel before work?” My stomach growled loudly, but I ignored it. I would just have to deal with no breakfast today. “No, thank you, Mrs. Fields,” I gasped out, scrambling for my papers. In my 16
In my haste, my phone dropped clattered onto the ground as well. Picking it up, I saw that the screen had cracked down the middle. Oh, great. Growling slightly I stood up, and got into the car. loudly. Well, I wouldn’t be able to make it to the end of the day if I didn’t have breakfast. I took the plate out of her hands and took a bagel. I was about to hand it back to her when I saw that she had helped me pick up the papers. “Thank you so much!” I exhaled in relief and handed her back the plate. I got into my car and shouted, “Have a good day, Mrs. Fields!” as I shut the car door. “Have a good day!” I shouted out the window as I prepared to back out of the drive way. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Mrs. Fields trip and drop her plate of bagels. The porcelain plate cracked into hundreds of pieces and bagels rolled out onto my lawn and the road. Mrs. Fields started fretting and started haphazardly picking up the pieces of plate. Preparing to back out of the driveway, I glanced at the rear view mirror and saw Mrs. Fields trip and drop her plate of bagels. The porcelain plate cracked into hundreds of pieces and bagels rolled out onto my lawn and the road. Mrs. Fields started fretting and started haphazardly picking up the pieces of plate. Oh man, I should get out and help, I sighed. No, no! But I’m already late for work! I shouted at myself. Oh well, I could just pretend I didn’t see and I rocketed out of the drive way. As I sped down the street, I spotted a car coming out of its driveway on my left. Oh no you don’t. If I stepped on the gas, I could make the corner on the right and not hit the car. Oh man, I should get out and help, I sighed. No, no! But I’m already late for work! I shouted at myself. Oh come on, of course I had to go help. Stepping out of my car I rushed towards her and began helping her clean up the mess. After I picked up the last large piece, I heard a loud honk in the distance. Looking to my left, I saw a large truck down the street swerving out of the way from a car backing out of the driveway. Pushing my foot down forcefully, I watched the car carefully. Six meters, three meters, two meters…. Yes! I made it. Then I heard a large sound and whipped my head to see a garbage truck heading straight toward me. “Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Fields thanked me as I brought over the trash can for the broken pieces. “It’s no problem, Mrs. Fields!” I got back into my car and was about to turn on the engine when my phone beeped loudly. Digging it out of my bag, I saw a message from Henry, my colleague, @lash across the screen: Crap! I’m on the wrong-­‐ Everything went black. Oh no, oh no! Mr. Parson is going to kill me! I ran out of my house and headed straight towards my car. My alarm had been set for 7 PM today and if the sound of the Landon’s rumbling truck hadn’t woken me up, I would still be fast asleep. Stumbling slightly, I fell right on my car, my bag dropping on the ground, and my papers spilling everywhere. Hey, since it’s Labor Day, do you want to meet up for coffee at two? Slapping my hand on my forehead, I groaned. “Tony, dear, are you alright?” Mrs. Fields from next door padded onto my driveway in her matted pink slippers, holding a plate of bagels. “Would you like a bagel before work?” I was about to say no, when my stomach growled 17
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
This issue’s special: Globe Trotters
In hope of celebrating the onset of Summer 2015, we’ve sat down with some of our more
adventurous members of stuff to understand a little bit more about their voyages around the
world.
Ms. Nicola Berge just suddenly be completely dependent on other people! “Living in Madrid” I take it that eventually you did learn Spanish, and after that what did you do while you were living there? Yes *laughs*, I was a teacher in a British school there, and the commute every morning was horrible! As I said before about messing up my housing, I had chosen a place because I thought it was quite easy to get to my school from there. But actually it wasn’t, because there wasn’t any direct transport from my place to the school! And since I was living with someone who was also working at the school, we found we had to go into Madrid and then back out again! So for a whole year it was 2 hours to school, and an hour and a half back! When did you live in Madrid? I moved to Madrid straight after my @irst teaching job, about 2010, and I lived there for three years. Why would you move to Madrid of all places? I think I just wanted the experience of working abroad, I needed the challenge. I thought it was something quite exciting, which would just enrich my life. When you went, you had gone to University in England, and when you left University to go to Madrid, what dif^iculties did you ^ind in living there? Yeah! Completely, because when I @irst went I didn’t know Spanish, and so it was literally like I was a baby again, I couldn’t do anything! It really hits you when simple things that you’re so used to, for example when my family came to visit, they asked me why couldn’t I just order a taxi when I told them about my 2 hour long commute back and forth to my job. Because I used to live just outside of Madrid, and this was because I had messed up my housing back then, and hadn’t gotten a very good place! I had to tell them that I couldn’t ring up and book a taxi, as I couldn’t speak Spanish! So it was just little things like that, I couldn’t book a taxi, I couldn’t sort out my transport card on my own, I couldn’t sort things out at the bank! We once had a leak in our @lat, and I couldn’t tell the woman downstairs about it because I couldn’t speak Spanish! It was really horrible at @irst, because I was always dependant on somebody else, which is a really frightening experience for an adult, to 18
What kind of apartment were you living in? It was a really lovely apartment, which was the reason why we chose it! In general, when British people move a b r o a d a n d a r e c o n f r o n t e d b y swimming pools and tennis courts, we’re really mind blowing, because we don’t have those things in England. So that’s why I really wanted the place, I was enamoured with the fact that I would have my own pool, and a tennis court! But of course, it does get cold in Madrid and suddenly the pools shut, so it wasn’t so good anymore! The place was really nice, I was living in a quiet area, just outside of Madrid, that I couldn’t pronounce at the time! It was very Spanish, and they had @iestas on the weekends where lots of the local community got together and there was music playing, typical Tapas bars. Once I moved into Madrid, it was so much better! The new place was just above a bar, and next to a man made river, and their was even a school bus to bring us ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
there was even a school bus to bring us to the school. So often after work, my housemates and I would hang out there, and we were good friends with the owners of the bar, who were a lovely family. It was also a great place to ride your bicycles, and I lived really close to a big biking trail that goes all the way around Madrid, and I used to do that a lot. I also used to live really close to this wonderful palace. The best part was the cost of the apartment -­‐ it was really cheap! I was paying a third of what I would of been paying for a @lat on the outskirts of London, whereas I was living right next to the Palace! something different and a challenge. I ironically then became so comfortable and so happy in Madrid, then I thought that I wouldn’t of wanted to be in a situation where I would be stuck there for the rest of my life, unable to leave! There’s a massive big world to explore, and I really wanted a new job, and a new challenge! So I decided to do volunteer work, and have a new challenge! Favorite Spanish dish? Calamaris! (fried squid rings). When I @irst saw them, I didn’t think I was going to like it! But it was really nice, and fresh as well! You don’t really get that in England. Was there one experience in Madrid that really cemented your feeling of living abroad, something that really made you think what a different and new place Madrid was? Well, I was out at another @iesta that was kind of close to my place, and it was typical Spanish culture so everyone was outside, and they have a siesta, which means they stay up really late, that means 2am in the morning and all the kids are still out and everyone’s running around, and theirs amazing food and drinks, amazing bands playing, and it’s just a massive big party during the summer! It’s such amazing fun, and it de@initely wouldn’t of happened in England! Another experience, is really simple, it was the @irst time I went into a bank b y my s e l f , a n d I m a n a g e d t o communicate and do everything in Spanish, and it just gave me such an immense feeling of achievement! To realise that I could get by in Spain by myself was a really huge sense of achievement, a feeling of having independence again! What advice would you pass on to the students at SJII, from your own experiences? I would say to always try something new, and even though it may be tough at the beginning, to stick it out till the end, as it’ll always get better. I’d say to get the chance to live aboard, it really opens up your eyes, expands your horizons, and learning another language is so much fun! I’d say to also laugh at yourself when you make your own mistakes! Why did you choose to leave Madrid? I wouldn’t have, I really loved Madrid, I would of stayed there for the rest of my life, but I think that the thought of that really scared me. Because I’d left one place, and I hadn’t really wanted to leave England either, because it was my home but I knew that I needed 19
n o t i m e t o t a c k l e t h e c h a l l e n g e . H i k i n g t h e Eve re s t b a s e camp was the n e x t b e s t alternative. The people in his group were all aged between 20-­‐60, with an initial start up number of 7. However, due to w e a t h e r restrictions, Mr Dickinson had to @ly out @irst in order to make it back to school on time. This in turn caused him to get his own private hike with his own personal guide. Armed with a porter, a man by the name of Dorjay, and a personal guide Pasang, they battled the low temperatures and completed the hike. Mr. Mark Dickinson Climbing Everest (Base Camp) Spring break, a time usually reserved for relaxing and catching up on schoolwork, but not for Mr Mark Dickinson, who decided to trek the Himalayas. Yes, the Himalayas. For those of you who do not know who Mr Dickinson is, he is a teacher of learning support and has just moved here from America. He graduated from the university of Notre Dame and has been a special education teacher for 12 years. Exploring the world is a passion of his, having travelled to 37 countries already, including living in Guatemala. Mr Dickinson did not climb Mt. Everest itself, just to clarify, he did the Everest base camp trek, which is one of the most popular routes in the Himalayas, so the ultimate destination was the base camp. The trek itself took 9 days to complete, 3 to 7 hours a day, with the danger of hikers facing serious altitude problems caused by the change in elevation. Now, how exactly does one train for a hike like this? Well, for starters, one has to be physically active and in a decent shape. Mr Dickinson’s training regime included morning runs on the treadmill for about 35 minutes, walking to and from work, which was a feat considering he lived 25 minutes away, and my personal favourite, running up and down 30 @lights of steps to get from the lobby to his apartment. This was not because it was fun, but solely on the fact that Singapore is at sea level, so running up and down stairs is the next best thing we have to get an idea of what the altitude on the mountain will be. Not to mention this would greatly improve stamina. Moreover, temperature was yet another battle to be fought. Approaching the base camp, the temperature would drop to a low of -­‐17 degrees and a high of -­‐3 degrees. If trekking seems hard, try trekking in the cold with a low oxygen supply, that is truly a challenge. Completing a trek like this de@initely brings about lesson learnt. Dubbed as the “robot hiker”, Mr Dickinson’s game plan involved him hiking at his own slow pace, going slowly. Because he is reminded that, and I quote, “Age is just a state of mind”. People these days are in such a hurry, racing through life, not stopping to enjoy the simple things. This was evident in the people Mr Dickinson hiked with. They were all much younger than him, much @itter, but they made the mistake of rushing through the hike. They think that rushing to cram everything into a day will allow them to accomplish so much more in life. But it was through this hike that they discovered that was not the case. If you rush, you open yourselves up to problems with the altitude. Although the worry of arriving at the @inishing line later than everyone else is present at the back of your mind, even if you're going at the pace of a 90 year old man moving in slow motion, it prevents you from feeling tired and losing your breath. Without A challenge is exactly what Mr Dickinson wanted. Ever since a child, Mr Dickinson has dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest, however with his busy schedule as a teacher, there was 20
setting a good pace, the younger hikers became out of breath easily, imposing a l a r g e r d a n g e r o n t h e m s e l v e s o f hyperventilating. They in turn were dubbed the “marathon trekkers”. They would end up going faster and overtaking you, but after 15 minutes of hiking, they’d be stopping to take a break while he trekked forward. I guess the saying “Slow and steady wins the race” is true. It was through these people that Mr Dickinson realised if we race ahead in life, we are truly not putting ourselves further than everybody else. For all the readers, Mr Dickinson would like to share with you the value of perseverance. In order to complete a hike like this, perseverance is key. Trekking is a very monotonous activity, and this almost felt like a job, trekking for X hours for Y distances. It was only with the encouragement from his guide, Pasang, that he completed this trek. When we hear the word encouragement, one would imagine “good luck!” or “Come on you can do this”, but on this hike, Mr Dickinson heard none of that. All he was asked was “Do you want to keep moving forward?”, never a “Are you tired?”. Some would say this is a form of reverse psychology, but I guess it just shows how the guide wanted to encourage Mr Dickinson. He played on our emotions, focusing on the fundamental value of perseverance, indirectly asking “ How bad do you want to succeed”. This challenging statement is meant to push on, and it did. Keep moving forward in life, never give up. Because if people aged 20 to 60 can complete this hike, daughter which would have limited the places I chose see. So, when my mother in law made the long journey from Mexico to visit us, I secured a “pass” for a short trip overseas. Add to the equation that that the school was paying the airfare, and I had to take precious opportunity. I made up a short list of candidates – Jerusalem, Oman, Cairo, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, Istanbul etc. In the end, as I had only time for one trip, I chose Cairo. I have read about the stature and history of Cairo in the Islamic world, and everyone knows about the Pyramids. T h e s e n s e o f a dve n t u re a t g o i n g somewhere a little less travelled @inalised my choice. Mr. David Saranam Traveling to Egypt In our school community, we are constantly surrounded by those who have explored nations and immersed themselves in different cultures. When OneVoice initiated the Globetrotter’s series, Mr. Saranam, one of our beloved Physics teachers, was one of the ^irst to respond. Recently, he travelled to Egypt and was eager to share his experiences with us. So I emailed him a couple of questions regarding the trip and here’s what he had to say: What was your inspiration to travel to Egypt? I have lived in SE Asia for almost 10 years and have seen many interesting places. I haven’t lived in the Middle East but I know there are a lot of fascinating places there. Hence, when given the opportunity, I jumped at the chance to visit and see for myself. The experience of travel is different f ro m j u s t re a d i n g o r wa t c h i n g a documentary, and travelling alone* is even more special, as you don’t get the ‘comfort zone’ of being in a familiar group, which can insulate you from your surroundings; you may end up spending your time commenting on what you are seeing and not experiencing it. I have a young When did you go? I went in CNY this year. There were not many tourists, which actually was part of the reason I went. I checked the UK government’s Foreign Of@ice for reliable information about safety, and that reassured me that it was okay to go. I wouldn’t go somewhere that was genuinely dangerous as I have a family who depend on me, and it would be a bit stupid to risk getting killed just for the thrill of going somewhere dangerous. I was excited to see what Cairo was like 21
after the 2011 revolution, and the instability that followed. I used to live in Mexico City, so I am not put off by chaotic mega cities! It was actually very cool to stand in Tahir square, there was still a tension in the air, and it felt like a place where something signi@icant happened. traditional Islamic antipathy towards pagan civilisations. What was interesting about the country and culture? They say Cairo is the city of minarets, and the ‘old city’ was a totally new experience for me. In one of those happy twists of fate, after having being led astray by a ‘guide’, who wanted nothing more than to direct me to his local mosque and accept an offer of a few dollars, I found myself wandering through the oldest part of the city, a market area full of life, people and colour; as far as one can imagine from the vacuous malls of Singapore, that shout but say nothing. I don’t like to point a camera in people faces, so I put my camera away and just walked and walked, soaking up the experience. I didn’t see any famous places, but I enjoyed it as much as anything else I saw in Egypt. Which areas of the country did you visit, what did you see and what was your favourite site/temple? I decided only to see Cairo. I could have made a @lying visit to Luxor but it would have been rushing. Better to appreciate one place in all its aspects. Choosing to limit what you do is a dif@icult choice, but trying to do too much isn’t always a better option. Sometimes, less really is more. Getting around as a lone tourist was not easy, so I did a day tour to the pyramids. It was too structured, but it did let me see more places I wanted to see than if I did it myself. The pyramids at Giza were genuinely impressive, and sitting in the desert just soaking up their majesty and mystery was worth the trip. There were very few people there which was a mixed blessing, as every tout and seller accosted me. I decided to have a few conversations and buy some worthless tourist junk as part of the experience; a few dollars to me might have been more signi@icant to someone else anyway. It’s almost impossible to visit these places and not be a tourist to some extent, so I let it happen. The age of wandering into abandoned temples has passed, however romantic the idea sounds. I did some reading before I went to have some context on what I saw. I spent a whole morning in the Egyptian Museum. Fighting off offers to be guided, I was free to examine the heiroglyphs on ancient objects and contemplate the people who made them, what their life was like, and what they were trying to communicate by making such captivating monuments. I wonder how much of what we make n o w w i l l b e w o r t h y o f s u c h contemplation and awe 4000 years from now. The iPad? I think not. Was there anything new that you learnt while in Egypt? At the end of the day, I saw the sight that impressed me the most. Standing alone on the edge of the desert, and indeed the way the fertile green of the settlements abruptly gives way to the harsh beauty of the desert is a striking thing about Egypt, I could see groups of pyramids as far as the eye could see on both directions. I s e n s e d t h a t E g y p t h a s a t e n s e relationship with their ancestors; pride in their achievements coexisting with the When you really travel, you always learn something new about yourself. I carried a small book, famous in the Islamic world, but not as well known outside it**, which became my companion for my time in Cairo. Written in the 11th century, I found that I could identify as much with the author as I could with any modern day commentator. He talks a lot about reason and faith, and reconciling them. I wondered before I went how I 22
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
would react to the strongly held Muslim faith of Egypt and whether it would call to me (my family on my father’s side are Muslim). 5 times a day the whole city echoed to calls to prayer, and it was indeed impressive to stand on the hotel balcony and listen. I was surprised how some people would leave what they were doing and congregate to pray, even in the unlikely setting of a metro station. I didn’t have any big awakening but it did resonate with me. apparently signi@icant differences we are much more similar than you could ever have thought, then grab a street map, start walking, get lost and enjoy the experience for what it is. How often are we told that we must know what are goals are, that we must have a plan to achieve them, that we must know where we are going ? Isn’t it fun to @ind out how much life lies outside this modern advice? A student asked me if I travelled alone.
My response was that I was always with
many people, I was never alone. Which
could be very deep, or just deeply
sarcastic. I’ll let you decide!
What is one piece of advice you would give to any students thinking about visiting Egypt? Prepare well. Do your homework. If you want to get some nice sel@ies then book a tour; they will insulate you from the inconveniences, because Egypt is much less materially developed than Singapore. But if you want to really experience a very different way of life, or merely to realise that despite our 23
George Garrity
w o r k , f o r e x a m p l e Bangladesh, since going into the construction industry is seen as u n d e s i r a b l e b y Singaporeans. Singapore is a melting pot for different cultures. There is no distinct majority ethnicity, with people from all over the world coming to contribute to Singapore’s society and economy. These foreigners often @ill in important roles that Singaporeans are do not, as the job is undesirable or there are simply not enough Singaporeans to @ill the demand. We can separate these foreigners into two communities, foreign talent and expats. But what de@ines these two communities? How are they looked upon by Singaporeans, and how do they contribute to Singapore’s society? However, foreign talent don’t only @ill low-­‐
skilled, low paying jobs, they also @ill jobs of higher degrees of skill. These people are also k n o w n a s e x p a t s . Approximately 10% of all professional or skilled jobs are held b y f o r e i g n e r s . H o w e v e r, t h e s e foreigners have been scorned by Singaporeans who accuse them of taking their jobs in a highly competitive market, so much so that the UK’s Daily Telegraph reported on how foreigners were supposedly ‘taking their jobs’. In the article, an engineer fresh from university, 22 year old Tiffany Wu, said “A quarter of Singapore’s population is made up of foreign workers. This can make a country wonderful and diverse, but the expats here take all our jobs. There aren’t enough high level jobs for us all”. We’ll start with foreign talent. Foreign talent are people from countries outside of Singapore speci@ically there to @ill a niche market role when there are little to no locals working in the industry either because Singaporeans do not want to @ill the role or the job is of low skill. One common example is the construction workers we see (often referred to as foreign workers, as they are in a low skilled job). These people are often from places with developing economies and little opportunity for An expat can also be someone living in Singapore on either a temporary or permanent basis, here due to being sent by their company to work abroad in a different branch, or who simply choose to live here rather than their home country. Expats seem to be far more accepted by the local population, as some see them as less likely to take j o b s t h a t a r e s u p p o s e d l y f o r Singaporeans. Often expats are mostly family of people working in Singapore or people who have come here on their own accord. 24
ONEVOICENEWSPAPER June
Editor’s Pick: Foreign Talent & Expats
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
Whatever the case is, Singapore does rely on these foreigners to @ill essential jobs in the workforce, so they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, these people add to cultural wonder here in Singapore, with celebrations like St Patrick’s Day. No matter who you are, everyone in Singapore is certainly appreciated in a way by all. The local population seem to feel resentment towards the foreign community for taking jobs meant for t hen , even in a c ou n t ry where unemployment is below 3%. But why do some employers prefer a foreign worker over a Singaporean? As an expat myself, my opinion on why this happens is that while Singaporeans are well-­‐
educated and are often bilingual (usually in mandarin and english), employers may feel that foreigners are slightly more amiable than the locals here, and will question their position less. Also, some employers believe that people from outside Singapore have a more international experience when it comes to the workplace, due to different experiences or a different education system. To employers, this make them more useful as they may have a better idea on how to interact with customers from different parts of the world. Religious Clash on Rubber Boat
Alyssa Khoo
The common crossings of migrants travelling from Africa to Italy took a deadly twist when it was reported that 15 Muslims had pushed 12 Christians overboard. Out of the many deaths that occur when Africans attempt to escape war and poverty, this was the @irst time the deaths were caused by religious issues. great” before trying to push the Christians overboard. 12 Christians were pushed overboard and drowned, the surviving Christians avoided drowning by forming a human chain. An Italian navy vessel intercepted the boat, which transferred the r e m a i n i n g p a s s e n g e r s t o a Panamian-­‐@lagged ship. The ship docked in Palermo the following day where 15 suspect Muslims were arrested The original group of 105 people left Libya on 14th April, Tuesday in a rubber boat. Along the way, the rubber boat started to sink so a Nigerian Christian prayed to God for his life. One of the Muslims ordered him to stop, saying that they only pray to Allah. The Christians refusal to pray to Allah only angered the Muslims further. It was reported that the Muslims became angry screaming, “Allah is Pope Francis said this prayer on Good Friday for the prosecuted Christians. “In our day, too, men and women are imprisoned, condemned and even slaughtered for the simple reason that they are believers or 25
“ I n yo u r l ove , we s e e o u r persecuted siblings, beheaded and cruci@ied because of their faith in you amid our complying silence” More and more people are dying, not just Christians, because of religious beliefs or for standing up for what they think is right. It is important to build equality and justice between people of all races, languages and religions, just as Singapore did, to ensure that a nation will not collapse and people do not die for the small reason of believing. pay no heed to either” said Aristotle. We need to be more aware of the people surrounding us and treat them as you would want to be treated. It could start with small things such as in school you could involve more people rather than stick to your own clique. Or not to leave people out because of their beliefs, race or skin colour. These small things are ways of treating people equally. Williaam Faulkner said “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth”. “The weaker are always anxious for justice and equality. The strong 26
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
or engaged in promoting justice and peace,” the prayer said. ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
Why is the sale of chewing gum banned?
Lauren Goh
The gum ban was @irst introduced in 1992 and to this day, is the @irst unique aspect about life in Singapore that all foreign journalists write about. This ban remains one of the best-­‐known aspects of life in Singapore, along with other laws against litter, graf@iti, jaywalking and spitting. spitting out the chewed gum and leaving it as litter. If you open your eyes and look around at Singapore’s pavements, you would realize that this gum ban has actually made Singapore a much cleaner place compared to many other countries where their pavements are covered in used gum. Many of you may now be wondering why I have chosen to write this article. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who has recently passed at the age of 91, is known for turning Singapore from a small port to a global trading hub. I was particularly interested in the law that has made Singapore almost notorious around the world. Without this ban, Singapore de@initely would not be as clean as it is now. W h e n S i n g a p o r e b e c a m e independent in 1965, it was a tiny (and still is!) country with few resources. So Mr Lee Kuan Yew hatched a survival plan for Singapore, this plan was hinged on making the city state a “@irst-­‐world oasis in a third-­‐world region”. Soon, Singapore was far ahead of other developed countries in terms of its cleanliness, clipped lawns, and ef@icient transport systems. By the time chewing gum was banned in Singapore, Mr Lee had completed 31 years as prime minister, and had become “senior minister”, a big power behind the scenes. Before the ban was enforced, there had been many instances in which vandals stuck chewing gum on door sensors of MRT trains, which then p r e v e n t e d t h e M R T d o o r s f r o m functioning properly and causing disruptions in train services. I’m thankful to Mr. Lee for making a conscious step in the right decision for the ban of sale of chewing gum, though many people might paint it as a overtly controlled decision, I think that it makes perfect sense -­‐ and it de@initely helps to not get my foot stuck on gum while walking! Thus in a decree that clearly illustrated the pragmatic, people-­‐@irst decision m a k i n g e t h o s o f t h e S i n g a p o r e government, the sale of chewing gum was banned in Singapore. Although we are not allowed to buy or sell chewing gum in Singapore, we are allowed to bring small amounts into the country for one’s own use. However since 2004, pharmacists and dentists have also been allowed to sell “therapeutic” gum, to customers with a medical prescription and you would still face a steep @ine for 27
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
One Day Without Shoes
Nina Syn
On Tuesday, the 5th of May, SJI International’s One Day Without Shoes took place for the third year in a row. This year’s Day Without Shoes was organized by the Interact Club, who has raised funds to be donated to the Anadhapura Primary School in Sri Lanka, for children who have no shoes to walk to school. This student-­‐led initiative gained the participation of over a number of participants from within the school community and was, once again, a massive success! shoes and often suffer from injuries and diseases that can be sustained from simply having no footwear. This prohibits them from going to school or work, and affects their ability to sustain or improve the standard of their lives. It is highly encouraged for students to participate in future events, like ‘One Day Without Shoes’ as for us, it might just be devoting one day or a few hours of our time, while for the others around the world less privileged than us, it means everyday. This project was originally initiated by TOMS to raise awareness for children’s health and education. In the society that we live in, a lot of us take shoes for granted, and often do not see the true value and worth behind each and every pair of shoes we wear. Shoes protect our feet from the hot and the cold, the wet and the sticky, the sharp and the infection-­‐ridden, and so on and so forth. We do not realise how much they help keep us moving in our daily lives. Without shoes, the probability of us getting our feet injured would be incredibly high; our feet, after all, do take us everywhere we need to go, and without them, where would we be? With shoes, we are protected from cuts and bruises from the many objects lying around on the ground. If we were to injure our feet, how would we go to school, go to work, or even do the simplest things in life? Another way students could help is by going for this year's Sri Lanka trip, which is organised by the Interact Club and will take place during the mid-­‐year holidays. On this trip, students will actually go to the Anuradhapura Primary School to help directly. Do approach any of the SJII Interactors if you have any queries and would like to help in this exciting opportunity! We must appreciate the mere idea and concept of the shoe, for it has protected us from some of many harmful and dangerous things that exist in our world. This is why this project was initiated. People all over the world do not have 28
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
Grade 10 Service Week
Michael Lee
John Baptist de La Salle once said, ‘Let us start the change we want to see. The change that begins in me’. If you are a Josephian, then you probably support this idea and are working towards achieving it. From Grade 7 to Grade 11, the number of SJI-­‐
international students involved in service activities making a change inside and outside of school has been overwhelming. astounded by the fact that they were beyond the borders of what we normally stereotype orphans to be like. They were highly knowledgeable in some areas and were as active as we are in our school in Singapore. There were also talented artists in their cohort and they were very good with technology even if they did not have any computers or mobile phones at the orphanage. That is the main thing I learned from this service: Never stereotype people (the less fortunate especially) – they can be very different from how we see them. In fact, they can even be better than us in some areas – such as social skills or compassion perhaps. During the Easter break this year, when most were likely to be at home playing games, watching a movie or hanging out with friends, the grade 10s were working hard to make a d i f f e r e n c e i n c o m m u n i t i e s i n Singapore. They embarked on many different service opportunities in Singapore, such as going to service organizations such as Willing Hearts and Oscas, and even cleaning up the trashes at Pasir Ris in groups of 4 to 6 people. However, there were also exceptions who went abroad to places such as Vietnam, India and Thailand where they did service either in groups or by themselves. Many of them did service at elderly homes, o r p h a n a g e s , a n i m a l c a r e organisations, and other places in need of help. We did service for 4 – 6 days and I managed to cover many different areas during my lessons and play time at the orphanage. I taught them games that they hadn’t played before such as Hangman, Scrabble, Chinese Checkers, Bingo and many more. These games helped them improve their team skills and build their vocabulary. The cohort also seemed to like these new games that they had learned so I left behind my board games for them to play with during their free time. We even had quizzes and competitions where I gave prizes to the winners, and a drawing competition where I realized that there were many young, talented children at the orphanage who could grow to be great artists if only they have the right people to help push them. The week wa s very b usy a nd challenging, but the Grade 10s learnt a lot from their experiences. They developed many new skills and talents and their clients (whom they served) taught them a lot about the world as well. I did my service in India where I played and taught a group of orphans. We played a lot of exciting games, but it was especially due to the exuberant nature of my group of orphans, that I had so much fun! I was quite St. Joseph's Institution International
I focused on developing their knowledge in English, Maths and Geography knowledge with word building games and quizzes helped. I even taught them about the different 29
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
parts of the world such as the continents and where major cities are located using a world map. I taught them a lot about Singapore too, which they didn’t even know existed at @irst. I also taught them some basic words in Chinese and Malay and many of them said that it was the most interesting part of their week. However, even though my aim was to develop their skills, I realized that I had developed my own social skills beyond what I could have ever imagined. The service week, in fact, did not only change myself, but the whole cohort of Grade 10. We have all realized a lot about the world and its people, as well as ourselves, that we have started to live positively with massive changes to our lifestyles. Thought Corner
Act of Heroism - but are parents doing enough?
Rishika Nair
On 23rd April, at approximately 1pm near Jurong East Avenue 1, a toddler was spotted dangling from the parapet o f a o n e r o o m @ l a t . A l m o s t immediately after spotting the toddler, 2 migrant workers dashed on the scene to save her. Their heroic act displayed by their act of climbing the exterior of the @lat to reach the parapet. Initially it was a struggle for them to reach the parapet, but eventually they managed to save the child. A passer by caught this courageous act in progress and took a video of the situation. After the @ire@ighter arrived at the seen a few minutes later, the girl had already b e e n r e l e a s e d . M r . Shanmuganathan one of the two hero’s who heaved himself up to the second @loor to save the child, and Mr. Muthukumar the second hero climbed up shortly after to ensure the toddler was safe were both awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by the Singapore Civil Defence Force. A passerby, who saw the situation unfold, took a video of the event. This valuable yet eye opening video not only gave these 2 foreign workers the respect and appreciation they deserved, but also touched on the subject that is starting to evolve into a common and serious problem here in Singapore: Child Safety. 30
Are parents taking enough precaution and care of their child in today’s hectic Singapore? The answer to that question is becoming less and less clear especially after this incident. The workers act deserves to be applauded but the one question that everyone is asking is: why was the toddler there in the @irst place? According to Mr. Muthukumar, the toddler was playing with an ipad, which fell over the parapet, she subsequently tried to ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
reach over, causing her to fall and get stuck in the parapet railing. When someone tried to knock on the door of the toddlers home to look for her parents, nobody answered. The toddler’s parents were evidently not home. After this incident it has been brought to the attention of many Singaporeans that parents are more liberal in leaving their toddlers alone at home and sometimes alone in a car, despite the fact that most parents already know their child are still toddlers and are incapable of properly looking after themselves. Firstly, never leave a toddler unattended. You could possibly call over relatives or friends who live nearby to help take care of your child while you are out, or maybe even call a babysitter that you can rely on and trust to take care of your toddler. If getting a helper is affordable, that too is a possible solution to ensure your child’s safety. Also, when you are out, avoid leaving your baby in the car, personally, I have seen that happen many times over the last few months, and I think this is very dangerous. Firstly, because the car is very hot, on a normal day, he temperature in a car can increase by 30 – 40 degrees Fahrenheit even with the windows down, and the baby will heat up, making him/her vulnerable to heat stroke. This situation is a perfect example of the carelessness of parents in this day and age. It is no doubt that working and taking care of a child may be challenging, however risking a toddler to injury and in a serious case even death, cannot happen. As in this case, not just the toddler’s life was at risk, but the workers’ who went to save her risked their lives too. Now that the issue at hand has been brought to attention, here are some solutions to avoid leaving a child or toddler alone at home:
Toddlers have not developed the instinct and ability to take care of themselves because they are so young, so parents in today’s world need to make a conscious effort to take care of heir child and ensure that toddlers are never left at home or in cars alone. Student Submission
Are Video Games as harmful as one might think?
Ravindu Samarasekera
Video games have started to become an i n c r e a s i n g l y p o p u l a r f o r m o f entertainment among the youth of Singapore. In fact a study done by the National institute of Education showed that “Singaporean adolescents spend more time than Americans youths on gaming, spending amount of 20 hours per week”. Some of the popular games played are DOTA and CS:GO. Yet still the argument of whether video games are bene@icial for players is still a very controversial topic. Personally, I believe that Video games have things that are bene@icial and detrimental for the player. To begin we will talk about the detriments of video games. Firstly a study done Anderson and Bushman states that “gamers tend to be more aggressive.” this could be due to games like Grand Theft Auto (GTA), which holds a record for being the “fastest entertainment property to reach 1 billion dollars”. This game often encourages players to be violent and often rewards them for it. It has also had a huge backlash for having a mission 31
where the player tortures a man to collect information. Secondly, there was a link between obesity and time spent on a screen -­‐ in fact, studies show that over 3.6% of children in primary schools are severely obese. Playing video games all day is not a healthy lifestyle and spending 20 hours a week gaming when you can be exercising is not healthy. Lastly, some people that have a hard time distinguishing reality from @iction might become more violent and imitate what they have done in video games, which can lead to more serious behavior like school shootings or homicides. Children should still be regulated on what games they buy and shouldn’t buy games that are too violent as this is unhealthy at a young age. Also playing too much and not exercising enough is bad as it promotes obesity. However, I believe that if these games are regulated well and gamers play a healthy amount that gaming is OK and can even be bene@icial to some children, promoting good traits. However, many games do have merits and aren’t just mindless shooting games. For example a personal favorite of mine called Civ 5 promotes p l a y e r s t o c r e a t e a b u s t l i n g civilization by interacting with other real life players and using real time strategy and very complex mechanics that can take hours upon hours to master. It teaches many good skills and might help a child develop leadership skills at a young age. Another bene@it you can gain is teamwork and co-­‐operation. Many games require you to communicate with your team, as it is nearly impossible to complete missions on your own. Also, in games like DOTA if one player goes down the team’s chances of winning are hindered massively promoting a sense of teamwork and motivation to not let your team down. This also improves communication skills at a young age. Lastly, video games give adolescents a break from reality and allow them to disconnect which can reduce stress levels. It also allows them to be taken into another world where they can choose who they want to be as many games have different choices for you 32
ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
to make, this is great preparation for adulthood where they have to be risk-­‐
takers and make their own decisions ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
Editor’s Pick: The Effects of Sports on Well-Being
Matthew Cheang
Why do I do sports? You may ask. Well it is one of the main pillars of life that supports our well-­‐being and the physical and mental conditions we face. Sports doesn't just have physical bene@its, it's also a great way to socialise, have fun and improve your well-­‐
being. So what is the meaning of well-­‐being. It is a state characterised by health, happiness, and prosperity. How is sports good to us? Doing any type of sports helps to build our physical endurance, skills for the sport, hand eye coordination and much more. However, not only does sports affect your physical well-­‐being but also affects the mental psychological part of your mind. For example, when I go for track and @ield competitions, my coach always reinforces this quote “mind over matter”. Indeed our brain is much more dominant and capable of sustaining your body. Imagine you were so nervous on the day itself, even though you were really fast, you lost the race because mentally, you were not strong enough. Improved self-­‐esteem is a key psychological bene@it of regular activity. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body. For example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as "euphoric." That feeling, known 33
as a "runner's high," can be accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life. Also, when you do any kind of sports the v i r t u e s c o m e i n to p l ay fo r exa m p l e perseverance, commitment, enthusiasm, responsibility and self-­‐discipline. Of course there are many more but I am just listing a few. Playing sports enables you to create friendships you otherwise might not have formed. Sports bring teens together from d i f f e re n t s c h o o l s , b a c k g ro u n d s , a n d communities. Many times, the friendships you create on the @ield remain intact even when you are not playing sports. The fans on the sidelines are one of the most important parts of the game. The constant support of your parents helps you to feel good about yourself and strengthens your connection to them. Providing wisdom and encouragement, coaches can be very good role models. The relationship that you develop with your coach is very important to the success of the team. Positive coaching helps to bring the team together, and gives players the right tools to push themselves academically and physically. Participating in sports helps build leadership skills. Sports teams give you an opportunity to surround yourself with competitive people and role models, and learn from them both. You can demonstrate your own leadership through team captainships and individual actions to improve your team's success. Through all these points I hope that you understand the utmost importance of sports and how they affect both your mental and physical well-­‐being. Cricket World Cup - India!
Ansh Jain
The Cricket World Cup held on 2015 was the most watched cricket event in the world, which was held in Australia. Many people all around the world came to watch it. After winning seven games in a row, defending champions India fell to a superior Australia. Overall t h o u gh , i t wa s a p ra i s e wo r t hy performance by a team, which wasn't rated too highly after a lackluster run going into the tournament. The Australians have won the World Cup on every continent that exists on the cricket map except their own. The co-­‐hosts meet India in the 2nd 2015 in their pursuit of glory on home soil. Australia's four titles make them the most successful team in World Cup history so it surely wouldn’t be easy for India to beat the majestic Australia. Australia opened their World Cup campaign with an emphatic 111-­‐run win over England, with Mitchell Marsh claiming @ive wickets after Aaron Finch smashed an aggressive century to set the co-­‐hosts on course for victory. Australia hit the highest World Cup score in the tournament's history as they thrashed Afghanistan by a record 275 runs, a result which was also the greatest winning margin in World Cup history. Now all they needed to do was beat India to reach the @inals. The Indians had not beaten Australia for a very long time so they were low on con@idence while playing against Australia. Their @irst match against Pakistan was r e a l l y a m a z i n g a n d t h e y h a d overthrown Pakistan, which was quite a commendable job. Beating Pakistan was a big game in terms of emotion and hype for India, but the turning point was the South Africa win. Once they had managed that, you could sense the belief. Parts of their game that were not going well suddenly started to come right at the right time. The Indian Team then unexpectedly beat South Africa, which was a very strong team and were on @ire beating almost every team that played against it. The team went on to gain lot of con@idence by getting the top spot on the table, eventually reaching the quarter@inals against Bangladesh who was also having a laudable time in the world cup so far but everyone already knew they were no match for the strong Indian team. India did well but they had to do a lot better to beat Australia in the semi @inals. They hadn’t beaten Australia in even one match in the past three months and needed to do something about it. Although they were having an astounding time in the world cup, they needed to pull their socks up to beat the mighty Australia. On a 400-­‐pitch, India did well to restrict Australia to 328. Between 37 to 42nd overs, Australia lost three wickets and scored just 17 runs. R Ashwin’s @lick of the cigarette butt ball had got 34
batting and bowling. In the final
overs, he got 27 from nine balls and
in his second spell accounted for
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the
two men most likely to score if India
had to go past 328. India couldn’t
meet this great target and lost to
Australia and were out of the world
cup even though they had put up a
good fight.
Beach Soccer
Michael Lee
Few people have heard of this little known yet action packed sport. With elements from basketball, beach volleyball and soccer, this open air sport is an interesting and thrilling one to watch. The classic elements of basketball are present, including the 5 a side gameplay, unlimited substitutions and fast paced action. It is played in the open, on a small 37 by 28 metre court with sand as its base. Finally, its namesake soccer is the main theme of this sport, with the traditional positions (goalkeeper, out@ield players etc.), the no hands rule, and the presence of referees. The FIFA beach soccer world cup will be set in Portugal this year. While many people will not even hear about it due to its obscurity, I assure you that it can be as entertaining as any team sport. Agility and re@lexes, speed and accuracy, and most of all team co-­‐ordination is required in this 3 x 12 minute long game. Due to the weight of sand on the player’s feet, regular shots as seen in 11 a side football are almost impossible to land at the back of the net. Instead, the players have to use their feet to kick the ball slightly in the air, before doing a speedy back@lip to drive a powerful shot across the court. All of the out@ield players have to have very strong legs, but must also be light and agile enough to jump into the air. Most importantly, however, is accuracy. 35
It’s no use shooting a longshot from half court if it is not on target. I chanced upon this sport while trying to @ix my television, and I can tell how much the players practised just to get a shot on target. It truly is a sport only for the determined sportsmen. Beach soccer originated in the Leme beach of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and it grew to be an international sport. Boosted by the appearances of former professional football players Eric Cantona, Michel and Julio Salinas, and Romario, the sport eventually h e l d a p r o f e s s i o n a l b e a c h s o c c e r competition at Miami Beach, with teams from the USA, Brazil and Argentina sending teams to take part. While it does not garner such a worldwide audience such as one you would see at the football world cup, many people still sit in the hot sun to see intense ball kicking action. The players also suffer in the heat, and it is worse when the thick sand cling to your wet shirt as you play. However, none of the player I watched complained, which can only mean that they are so used to sacri@icing their comfort for a chance to play this game, which is, in my opinion, very respectable. ONEVOICEMAGAZINE June
the dangerous Glenn Maxwell.
Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma
would get Aaron Finch and Michael
Clarke with short balls too. Shortball and spin, India’s strength in the
tournament so far, had come to their
aid again. The tri-colour was waving
once more, but not for too long.
Mitchell Johnson, the No. 9 batsman
and first-change pacer, showed
Australia had greater depth, both in
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