By Chloe Wong (19S07C) and Ina Song (19S07C)
Photographs courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes and Google Images

Are you bored? Holidays got you feeling cooped up? No worries, we’ve got you covered. We watched two movies of different genres that you could catch this June, and reviewed them as well! Here is our take on MIB: International and UglyDolls, now showing in cinemas.

MIB: International

As someone who has never watched a single film of the Men in Black (MIB) trilogy, I will confess that I watched MIB: International solely because of its casting choices. Upon doing research, however, it seems MIB: International is a separate story from the MIB trilogy, although it does include a few cameo characters and easter eggs which reference the original trilogy.

MIB: International features the dynamic duo Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson (who coincidentally also star in Thor: Ragnarok as another iconic pair), portraying two secret agents, Agent H and Agent M respectively, from the MIB organisation.

Thompson’s character, Molly Wright, has an encounter with MIB and an alien as a child, and spends her life trying to join the organisation. Molly is depicted to be a resourceful, determined and capable character as she successfully hacks into the NASA system and tails a group of MIB agents back to their headquarters. She convinces the head of the MIB New York branch to recruit her as an agent, and is nicknamed Agent M.

Meanwhile, Hemsworth’s character, Agent H, seems to be the exact opposite of Molly’s clever, driven self. Agent H is portrayed as a cocky, lazy, unintelligent agent, which makes the audience wonder: how did he get into the organisation with such undesirable traits? That question is answered as the movie progresses—throughout the movie, we are repeatedly told that Agent H has “changed”. It seems that ever since Agent H and his senior, High T, defeated the greatest threat to the earth in 2016, Agent H has become arrogant and apathetic, seemingly very unlike his previous self.

Together, Agent M and Agent H form a bizarre pair of secret agents who are tasked with finding a mole who has apparently infiltrated the MIB organisation, threatening the safety of the institution. Aliens, action and a whole lot of banter is involved. We also get to see character development from Agent H, a very flawed main character who eventually develops into a self-sacrificing, humble person. And for anyone who likes to #supportlocal, Youtuber Jian Hao Tan also makes a small cameo in the movie.

Overall, MIB: International is a fun, family-friendly movie, enjoyable for people of all ages, even if the story is slightly forgettable. While the movie does have a predictable storyline, with your typical action movie tropes and plot conveniences, it is also filled with gags and quips that mostly successfully keeps its audience entertained. Moreover, the friction between the two main characters with opposing personalities is interesting to watch. Our two main leads flourish in their individual roles, and do a superb job channeling the distinct personalities and emotions of their respective characters. Needless to say, the chemistry between Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth shines from beginning to end, as their characters eventually work through their differences and even become an intimidating force against the true antagonist of the movie. Guessing the identity of the antagonist, or the mole in MIB, also added to the fun and sense of suspense of the movie. Bonus points if you guess the plot twist!

UglyDolls

If you’re looking to channel your inner child, UglyDolls is the movie you might want to catch this June holidays. Despite its seemingly overused message on how imperfection is perfectly beautiful, this movie musical puts a different spin on the cliché through an interesting storyline coming from a doll’s perspective.

UglyDolls boasts many prominent characters—possibly a few too many, but they nonetheless manage to showcase a myriad of distinct personalities. The animation follows Moxy, a pink ‘ugly’ doll who is filled with determination and curiosity, and who dreams of finding the love of a child in what she calls the Big World. Her enthusiasm shines through as she spends every day marking her calendar with “Today’s the Day!”, and can be seen spreading her radiance through the town, Uglyville, with a whole day’s worth of singing.

Together with Uglydog, Babo, Lucky Bat, and a highly skeptical and reluctant Wage, the five of them head out on a journey to fulfil Moxy’s dream, only to stumble upon the Institute of Perfection where the main antagonist, Lou, resides. In their time spent there, classic cases of vocal bullying coming from the ‘perfect’ dolls are a common sight, directed not only at the ‘ugly’ dolls, but even amongst themselves. Every little detail of imperfection is called out—even the use of spectacles, for it indicates imperfect doll eyesight.

Though the movie starts off fraught with clichés, it grows more unpredictable in its second half. Uglyville turns dull upon the revelation of a character’s backstory, the Institute of Perfection sends the dolls for the test to get to the Big World, and Moxy’s dream finally comes true. These scenes are action-packed, with the dolls having to get past tough obstacles of a giant vacuum cleaner, mechanical dog and robotic baby during the heart-racing test, and also slightly emotional, when Moxy meets and shares her first ever moment with a child.

What stands out the most in this movie is the soundtrack. Featuring vocals by famous artists like Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, Nick Jonas and many more, the soundtrack is well suited to each bit of the story. If you’re too lazy to take a trip to the cinema, the soundtrack will be a worthy and promising alternative. Moreover, pop hits like “Girl in the Mirror” by Bebe Rexha and “Don’t Change” by Why Don’t We come along with it, enough to give a little boost to your confidence any day.

Admittedly, some scenes were rather unexciting and could have been done away with, but for the UglyDoll brand which stemmed from a plush toy line, the movie was notably more than just an advertisement for the plush dolls. Instead, it pushed forth the message of ‘self love’—that it is in our differences that we shine, and that it’s what’s inside of us that truly matters. Overall, UglyDolls is a musical comedy that was made for the young, but is ultimately fit for all those young at heart.

Conclusion

Whether you enjoy watching animations or action films, the cinema has something for you. Regardless of your preference in movies, both MIB: International and UglyDolls are light and entertaining movies worthy of your 1.5–2 hours spent in the cinema. Do take note that UglyDolls may not be in cinemas for long due to its earlier release date on 6 June, so do catch it fast if you wish to!

By Ng Ziqin (20S03H)

Whether it was your lecture notes, sleep, youthful idealism, or that water bottle you left behind in LT1 after a Math lecture and then never saw again, you have probably experienced loss in one of its many forms.

But how does the loss of a plastic hydration container measure up against the grief of losing “friends… family… a part of ourselves”, as Captain America so aptly puts it?

Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame below.

IT’S TOO LATE, BUDDY

After opening with a heartbreaking pre-opening-credits scene showing us what Hawkeye was up to on the day of the Snap (hint: he was with his family; it didn’t end well), the first act of Endgame picks up almost immediately where Infinity War left off—Tony Stark and Nebula are still stuck in space, the surviving Avengers are still reeling in shock from the loss of “half of all living creatures”, and Carol Danvers has joined the team.

The action moves swiftly from there: Tony and Nebula’s floundering starship is rescued, the team discovers Thanos’ location via the Infinity Stones’ heat signature, and seek him out to undo the Snap. Despite the solemnity of the mission, Avengers: Endgame finds the time for unexpected moments of levity.

“Who hasn’t been to space?”

*Cap, Black Widow and War Machine raise their hands*

“You better not throw up on my ship.”

Rocket Raccoon

But their mood whiplashes back to the sombre when they discover that Thanos has destroyed the Infinity Stones, rendering the Snap irreversible. Enraged, hot-headed Thor decapitates Thanos.

“What did you do?” Rocket asks, shocked.

“I went for the head.” (This is a reference to a scene in Infinity War, where Thor had the chance to deal the killing blow to Thanos but went for the chest instead, allowing Thanos to survive.)

The angry Asgardian’s retreating back is the last thing we see before Endgame takes us forward to five years after the Snap. While everything before has been a tying up of Infinity War’s loose ends, this is where the real Endgame begins.

WE HAVE TO TAKE A STAND

In contrast to the fast-paced, action-packed first 20 minutes (yes, all of that happened in 20 minutes) of the film, the next 45 minutes are packed with feels, not fight scenes. And Endgame does not pull its emotional punches.

Indeed, loss is a central theme in Avengers: Endgame as we visit the remaining Avengers, and the world, still struggling with the devastating losses dealt to them in the aftermath of the Snap, with varying degrees of success. A difficult question is asked: How do we react to loss?

It is a given that most of the Avengers (including the disintegrated Fallen) have had a thorny relationship with loss. We have seen Bruce Banner struggle with the loss of his self-control and mental faculties whenever he turns into the Hulk. We have seen Wanda Maximoff cope with the loss of her brother Quicksilver in Age of Ultron and lover Vision in Infinity War.

Steve Rogers, in particular, is no stranger to loss or its less passive variant, sacrifice. He lost 70 years of his life and a relationship with Peggy Carter when he “went under the ice”, and more recently, after finding out that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by HYDRA agents, he lost his idealism and unshakeable faith in the American government, choosing to go rogue in Civil War than be bound to the Sokovia Accords.

In Endgame, we see Steve put that intimate knowledge of grief and loss to good use, leading a support group for those who have lost their loved ones to the Snap. Integrating the Hulk’s brawn with Banner’s brains, Bruce Banner, too, seems to have adjusted well to life post-Snap, giving us in the process what is possibly the most comedic version of the Hulk to grace the silver screen.

Some of the Avengers appear to have moved on quickly in five years, and possibly even come out even better from the tragedy.

Five years after the Snap, Natasha Romanoff now leads the remaining Avengers—Okoye, Rocket, Nebula, War Machine and Captain Marvel, finding purpose in heading the Avengers call centre in the other members’ absence.

“I used to have nothing. And then I got this. This job. This family. And I was better because of it. And even though they’re gone… I’m still trying to be better.”

Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow

Not bad, especially when you compare that to the character arcs of some of the other characters. Thor has spiralled into alcoholism, depression, and denial, blaming himself for the destruction of Asgard and the deaths of half his people. Meanwhile, fellow founding Avenger, Clint Barton, has lost his strong moral compass and became a vigilante following the grief of losing his family.

But perhaps the person who has come out the best from the Snap is none other than everyone’s favourite billionaire-playboy-genius-philanthropist.

Previously a man deeply tormented by PTSD, a compulsive addiction to gadgets, and alcoholism, Tony finally manages to achieve peace for the first time in Endgame. Giving up the identity of Iron Man, he settles into the quiet rhythm of family life with his wife Pepper and daughter Morgan–something he’s never been able to achieve before. Interesting, given that Steve and Tony, as foils, have always been on opposing character arcs. Still, Tony has his regrets about not doing right by Peter Parker, which is what finally prompts him to come out of hiding and join the other Avengers on their mission to travel back in time to retrieve the Infinity stones.

This is where the question shifts. From the moment that Ant-Man busts himself out of the storage facility he’s been holed up in for five years and shows up at the Avengers base with a scheme for undoing the Snap involving the quantum realm and time travel that just might work, the question has shifted fundamentally. From the passive to the active, from “How do we react to loss?” to “What would we give up for a shot at getting it back?”

The answer to this, as the Avengers find out, is a lot.

“This is the fight of our lives. We are going to win. Whatever it takes.”

Steve Rogers, Captain America

I KNOW IT IS, BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO DO IF IT DOESN’T

Action-wise, the movie’s third act is reminiscent of heist movies like Ocean’s Eleven and Inception. The Avengers split themselves up into smaller teams to recover the six Infinity Stones: Clint and Natasha head to Vormir for the Soul Stone, Nebula and War Machine travel to Morag to steal the Power Stone, Rocket and Thor return to Asgard to retrieve the Reality Stone.This leaves Bruce, Tony, Steve and Scott to go to the same place for the Time, Space and Mind stones because, as Natasha points out in an earlier scene, “If you pick the right year, there are three stones in New York.”

As one would probably expect from any time travel movie, it’s at this point that watching Endgame begins to feel like opening a time capsule or indulging in a bag of iced gem biscuits from Chill@RI. The audience is taken on a stroll down memory lane as the Avengers revisit key moments from Avengers history like the Battle of New York (The Avengers (2012)), characters like Loki, Peter Quill and the Ancient One who have since left us, and even younger versions of the Avengers themselves. Nostalgia is the mood that dominates here.

“Most of us are going somewhere that we know, that doesn’t mean we should know what to expect,” Steve warns the team just before they disperse.

And indeed, even though they are visiting their own pasts, the path to collecting the stones is fraught with new and unforeseen challenges caused by the appearance of the new Avengers in the timeline.

After an ill-timed outburst from 2012!Hulk allows Loki to make off with the Tesseract (Space Stone), Steve and Tony are faced with a dilemma: return to their original reality without the Space Stone, or use the Pym particles allocated for the return trip to go further back in time. Essentially: Accept certain failure, or gamble on being able to both recover the Space Stone and obtain more Pym particles in 1970 to return to the future?

Meanwhile on Vormir, Clint and Natasha meet Red Skull, the guardian of the Soul Stone, and it feels like déjà vu for the audience as they struggle to make the same tough choice that Thanos made in Infinity War. “A soul for a soul” means that one of them won’t be returning home, and the two Avengers, whose friendship goes a long way back, literally fight each other to make the sacrifice. When the dust settles, it’s Romanoff’s lifeless body which greets us from the foot of the cliffs, the unexpected outcome eliciting gasps (perhaps even a tear or two) from the audience.

The third-act twists aren’t all doom and gloom, however. We get several heartwarming moments that never happened in the original timeline, including a tearful exchange of “I love you”s between Thor and his mother, Frigga, on the day of her death. Thor also gets Mjolnir back, coming to the relieved realisation that “I’m still worthy”, which kicks off his redemption arc.

Steve and Tony’s side trip to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters in 1970 also yields an unexpected parental bonding moment when Tony meets with his estranged father, Howard Stark, with Tony comically introducing himself as Howard Potts. The two converse about fatherhood, even sharing a hug towards the end.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Nebula has been compromised. Her cybernetic links connect with those of her past self, allowing 2014!Thanos to learn about his future self’s success and fate at the hands of the Avengers, and the Avengers’ plan to undo his work. 2014!Nebula is sent back to the future instead of the original, setting the stage for the Avengers’ final confrontation with Thanos (albeit a different version from the one they previously encountered) in the fourth act.

AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE

Sobered by the loss of Natasha Romanoff, the team immediately gets to work creating and fitting the Infinity stones into a new Gauntlet. Then there comes the question of who will be the one to wear the highly-radioactive Gauntlet that is “channeling enough energy to light up a continent” and make the snap. Bruce gamely volunteers, reasoning that the radiation is mostly gamma.

Hulk starts screaming in pain almost immediately after putting on the glove, as the radiation courses through his arm, charring it beyond recognition and furthering the question of just how much the Avengers will lose in their bid to reverse Thanos’ act (hint: still not enough). But with great difficulty, he manages to make the snap before blacking out.

“Did it work?”

Clint’s phone lights up. It’s a call from his wife, Laura. Hopeful music plays in the background. Against all odds, the Avengers have succeeded.

But the Avengers’ happiness is short-lived. Thanos’ starship crashes into the Avengers’ Headquarters moments later, its travel to the present day enabled by the fake 2014!Nebula. The Mad Titan has come for the new Gauntlet and the stones, and he has upped the stakes. Realising that humanity will forever be preoccupied not with what it still has but with what it has lost, Thanos intends to “shred this universe down to its last atom” and create a new universe which “knows not what it has lost, but only what it has been given.”

This exchange prompts the final battle—which is really two battles interrupted by a moment of hopelessness where all seems lost before reinforcements finally arrive—with memorable scenes such as Cap wielding Mjölnir, Thor calling down lightning, and of course, the iconic Portals scene which gave us the greatest gathering of Avengers members since the last San Diego Comic-Con International.

Fans are also treated to a heartwarming reunion between Tony and his protégé, Peter Parker, who was the reason Tony decided to come out of hiding at all.

Other incredible moments from the film that deserve their own article:

• The get-the-Infinity-Gauntlet-away-from-Thanos team relay race;
• Captain Marvel’s timely re-emergence and single-handed destruction of Thanos’ ship;
• The “Don’t worry, she’s got help” scene where all the female superheroes of the MCU rallied together around Captain Marvel, putting the ‘sis’ in ‘assist’.

However, it would be disingenuous to conclude this recap without mentioning the final “I am Iron Man” showdown between Thanos and Tony Stark, the line a callback to the end of the 2008 film where Tony publicly admits to being Iron Man. With a resolute snap, Tony turns Thanos and his troops to dust, but not without terrible cost to himself: he dies from radiation poisoning in the process.

It’s interesting to note that Tony was the one with the most to lose (daughter, wife, normalcy) by going along with the events of Endgame and by sacrificing himself on the altar of morality, he won the day for the Avengers, for Earth and for the Universe. Definitive proof that despite all evidence to the contrary, Tony Stark did, in fact, have a heart.

A GRATEFUL UNIVERSE

While it’s clear that Thanos’ reasoning was a tad extreme, there might be a grain of truth in his assessment of human nature.

The Avengers have lost much, and spend most of the film trying to recover what they have lost. In a way, so have the viewers and fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether you were a fan from the first Iron Man (2008), before the MCU was even a thing, or a latecomer to the fandom who never really understood the hype until Age of Ultron (2015) came out, whether it’s been for eleven years or five, you laughed, cried and lived along with these characters as they explored what it meant to be a person and a hero.

So when you watched the opening sequence for Endgame, the 22nd MCU film and the conclusion of the decade-long Infinity Saga, it was probably with a sense of finality, of farewell, of saying goodbye to a compelling story and characters who have accompanied you through adolescence. Some may have found it harder to let go than others. I personally know of someone who has watched the film three times in cinemas, with three separate groups of friends.

But while we reflect on the closing of this chapter of our lives, perhaps we should turn our attention away from what we are saying goodbye to, and pay tribute instead to what we have gained in return. And what we have gained is memories.

Endgame (and the 21 MCU films before that) gave us scenes, jokes and moments which have united people across cultures, embedded themselves in our collective consciousness as a generation and established themselves firmly as pop-cultural landmarks.

Thanos was right about one other thing—loss is inevitable. But it is often the case that when we lose something, we gain something else in the process, whether it’s an alternative which we might have overlooked before, the discovery of a new truth about ourselves, or sometimes, just a fresh perspective and a greater appreciation of the thing we have lost.

In-universe, Avengers: Endgame shows us that loss is seldom a one-way street through the example of Steve Rogers. At the end of the film, Steve is sent back in time to return all the borrowed Infinity Stones to the exact moments they were taken from their alternate realities. However, he never makes the return trip back to the present and instead, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson find an aged Steve seated on a bench a short distance away, who explains that after putting back the stones he decided to “maybe try some of that life that Tony was telling me to get.”

Sam gives Steve a knowing look. “You want to tell me about her?”

Steve gets a faraway look in his eye. “No. No, I don’t I think I will.”

But the audience isn’t left scratching their heads in suspense for long. The movie cuts to a memory of a house, the jazzy opening notes of It’s Been a Long, Long Time playing in the background. Inside the house, a young Steve shares a long-overdue dance with the only woman he’s ever loved, right before the credits roll.

While it feels like Steve Rogers has lost his youth (and that we have lost Steve Rogers, since he won’t be returning as Captain America anymore in future films), it’s possible to see this in a more positive light—that Steve, a man who’s always felt out of place and time, has finally managed to steal back some of the time that he felt he lost, gaining a life in the process.

So let’s not be sad that it’s over, but glad that it happened. In other words, it really isn’t about how much we’ve lost, but about how much we have left—a decade’s worth of memories and 3,000 minutes of movie run-time.

By Claire Tan (20S07A) and Val Yeo (20S03O)
Photos courtesy of Jiang Jin Liang (19S06N) from Raffles Photographic Society

CLDCS’ (Chinese Language Drama and Cultural Society) 2019 production, titled 擦肩同行 (cā jiān tóng xíng), left many scratching their heads. What does it mean to “rub shoulders” with another and yet still walk the same path as them? The English title, “Voyage”, left further questions in its wake—how were the two titles related?

These questions would soon be answered in a dazzling display of the best CLDCS had to offer, delivered through drama, music and art. On the 24th of May at the Performing Arts Centre (PAC), two plays, ten songs and multiple calligraphy pieces were immaculately presented to make for an unforgettable showcase.

The Calligraphy

Calligraphy pieces had been put up outside the PAC for audience viewing before the show. While waiting for the doors to open, early birds filtered around the area, admiring the neatly written Chinese characters. The works featured a wide array of themes, including classical works such as “Untitled” by Li Shangyin, a Tang Dynasty poet, and more modern poems by 20th-century poets, like “偶然 (Coincidentally)” by Xu Zhimo.

Works such as “旅程 (Voyage)” by Wang Guozhen would take on new meaning once the entire showcase was over—a poem about living with passion would become a soothing balm to the bittersweet end of the first play. Others encapsulated feelings of love and longing, a perfect complement to the events that would soon  transpire in the two plays to come.

The Plays

The night officially kicked off with 擦肩 (cā jiān), or Rubbing Shoulders, a light-hearted romantic comedy about the love lives of three classmates. It follows Chenyu, played by Jowell Ling (19S07B), who is caught in a love triangle of sorts—his platonic affections for Xiaoxuan, played by Tay Wan Lin (20S03A), have been misunderstood, causing the person he truly likes, Fangyu (Lin Yutong, 20S03N), to distance herself from him.

The play drew many laughs from the audience with its multiple comedic moments, from poking fun at a character’s plight to its timely punchlines. Early in the play, Xiaoxuan attempts to use their horoscopes to justify her compatibility with Chenyu, but he innocently replies with “We can be (platonic) friends eternally!” instead. At such a blatant rejection of feelings, the audience couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

This humorous, innocent portrayal of love may have reminded one of a typical K-drama, foreshadowing an “all’s well that ends well” ending. And yet, the play interlaced this tale of young love with grounded reality. Life rarely offers second chances, and for Chenyu and Fangyu—due to the machinations of Xiaoxuan and a dose of bad luck—their window of opportunity closed. For them, there was no going back.

“人生别离不能常相见，经常像西方的参星和东方的商星一样此出彼没。” (“Seeing each other again upon parting is difficult, just like how the shen star from the west and the shang star from the east will never appear together.”)

擦肩 (cā jiān) (Rubbing Shoulders)

The final scene was particularly poignant: the two ill-fated lovers stood on opposite ends of the stage, and as Chenyu took a step forward, Fangyu did as well, the two walking in circles around each other. Even though their relationship might have sunk, their lives would still continue. They would walk the same path of life, but they would never face each other; they would see each other again, but it would not be in the way they both wanted.

Overall, this play managed to toe a fine balance between both comedy and tragedy, conveying the pain of parting and meeting again while still maintaining a distinct element of humour. Light-hearted moments were sprinkled throughout the earlier part of the performance, which subverted expectations and made the ending all that more stirring.

The second play, 同行 (tóng xíng), or Voyaging Together, follows an orphaned girl, Wenqi, played by Tang Mohan (19S06N), who faces multiple hardships in life. Despite having studied hard and made great improvements, teachers still berate her for her poor studies and attendance, and her only kin left—her sister—lashes out at her for a disappointing grade. Between trying to handle her studies and cope with the expectations of those who care for her, Wenqi slowly falls into depression, as she is left to face her demons alone.

The play tugs at our heartstrings as we watch Wenqi battle her internal struggles— alone on stage, surrounded by darkness and her self-deprecating thoughts. When she seeks out the help of a therapist, we watch her slowly crumble as she dissolves into tears, admitting that she had been crying often in recent days.

At this point in the play, a contemporary dancer, Wan Lin, features on-stage alongside the main character. The dancer seemed to personify the emotions of the main character in these heavily emotional scenes, dancing to portray raw emotions while the memories of the main character played in the background. The news report of her parents’ fatal car crash. Her classmates’ accusations of her being a ‘freak’.

And then, the voices of her friends, telling her: “Wenqi, 加油!” (You can do it!)

Thankfully, not all hope has been lost. As we watch Wenqi spiral deeper into depression, we also watch as the side characters—her sister, her psychiatrist, and the boy who likes her—try to help her get better in different ways. And eventually, she does. Wenqi makes up with her sister, and they exchange awkward “I love you”s. The boy who likes her also helps to celebrate her birthday, singing a song for her with heart-shaped balloons and party poppers, much to the delight of the audience. Perhaps this play is about how one person may not be able to journey down the road of life alone, because without the support of her family, friends and psychiatrist, Wenqi may not have gotten her happy ending.

The play is a success. And when the lights finally dim, the crowd cheers.

The Music

The CLDCS members, many previously unfamiliar with music, presented the audience with ten songs written entirely from scratch, each one bearing testament to the amount of effort that went into them.

A standout song was a duet by Wan Lin and Hui Xian (20S03R), whose song, “归来” (guī lái), featured touching, heart-rending lyrics such as “I will always keep my love for you / waiting for your return”. With crystal-clear harmonisation and smooth vocals, the duo had the audience humming and singing along to the chorus.

Another noteworthy performance was that of Wang Qiulin’s (19S03C) “薇甜” (wēi tián). He came on stage looking like a character out of a 90’s Taiwanese movie—baggy jeans, half-zipped jacket, and silver necklace to match. In between verses, he introduced the members of the live band behind him, making the atmosphere feel much more intimate.

All in all, the songs did not fail to impress the audience, having been painstaking crafted with love and care. The musical showcase ended with great applause, the audience having had the pleasure of experiencing so many heartfelt creations.

Conclusion

A voyage is a journey into the unknown, and though you might brush shoulders with someone, you may not go down the same road as them. With a beautiful fusion of calligraphy, music, and theatre, CLDCS had brought us yet again an introspective night.

All this would not have been possible, however, without great discipline and teamwork, with the members toiling for long hours to perfect every detail. In fact, their props reportedly went missing 10 days before the performance, and leading up to the showcase, the members of CLDCS often had to stay back in school till dark to redo the props. Even on the day of the showcase itself, there were members still trying to perfect the props. All this time and energy put into the showcase, however, was definitely worth it—as Joelle Kang (20S07A) recounted, “Through preparing for the concert, I have forged bonds with many in my CCA and that it feels very satisfying that the concert was a success.” CCA chairperson Jowell also commented that “[preparing for the showcase] was tiring, but everyone worked together well and did something [they] thought was impossible”.

And what a success it had been indeed. The marvellous, acting, singing and brushwork had come together to give the audience something greater to take away: a thought-provoking showcase on life as a voyage, and what it means to voyage on.

By Emily Ni (20S03C) and Kelly Leong (20S07C)
Photos courtesy of Jenson Huang (20S06T) of Raffles Photographic Society

The atmosphere crackles with an electrifying energy as spectators stream into Jurong East Sports Hall. On the court are long-time rivals Raffles Institution (RI) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), gearing up for the final game of the season. Much is riding on the shoulders of these athletes—the RI netball team had lost their four-year winning streak to ACJC in 2017. They are now huddled in a circle before the match, clearly determined to make their comeback. Friends, seniors and family alike have gathered in the stands to ardently cheer them on.

After a short introduction of the players from both teams, the referee blows the whistle for the first quarter, and the spectator stand comes alive with school cheers. On court, the RI players move with practised agility, intercepting passes and preventing goals from being scored by the opposing team. With players darting about within their zones and leaping gracefully to catch the ball, it is no wonder that by the five minute mark, goals have been scored by both teams. At one point, in a show of great speed and practised manoeuvres, Yu Jiawei (20S03F), the Goal Shooter of RI, narrowly avoids two defenders and scores a point. As players continue the quarter, there is a brief scuffle for the ball after an unsuccessful pass, with RI gaining possession to the triumphant shouts of their supporters.

The quarter ends with a scoreline of 15-10 in favour of ACJC and the court is vacated for a break. Quiet murmurs ripple through the spectator stands while players can be seen huddling in a circle as the coach gives out important words of advice for the remainder of the game.

The supporters of both teams return with fervour as the second quarter takes off, the RI supporters chanting “Let’s go Raffles, Let’s go!”. In the midst of the strikingly fast-paced match, there are plenty of fouls, where the piercing sound of the whistle blown by the referee causes a pause in the game and a quick readjustment of the players on the court. This quarter is also fraught with many heart-stopping instances of changing possession, with the RI netball team determined to catch up and even the score. As the game continues, the spectators remain transfixed as an RI players sends the ball sailing through the air in an arch, heading for the edge of the court. Hushed gasps are heard and everyone sits a little straighter in their seats, for a ball that goes out means a change in possession. Fortunately, Alexandra Mei Tan (19S06C), RI’s Centre for the quarter, snatches the ball before it touches the ground, effectively saving RI’s shot at the goal.

Unfortunately, not everything goes smoothly, and not every attempt at a goal succeeds. RI misses a goal twice, ultimately losing the ball to ACJC. Nevertheless, the quarter ends with RI narrowing the score gap by a point, making the scoreline 25-21 in ACJC’s favour.

The third quarter is by far the most intense one. Captain Keziah Vickraman (19S05A) tells us later that many players on the team—herself included—were “playing through injuries”, and that it really comes down to “mind over matter”, where the will to win overcomes the pain of one’s injuries and allows the athletes to focus on the match at hand. This is definitely demonstrated in this quarter—there is no lack of crashing, stumbling and falling from both schools, but all players get up almost immediately. Keziah herself trips and lands on her injured knee, but gets up to play on for the rest of the match.

The players give their very best, narrowing the score gap to a mere three points no more than five minutes into the quarter. Things are beginning to look up. When ACJC tries to pass the ball to their shooter in one round, Emma Isabel Morgan (20A01C), RI’s Goal Keeper for the match, jumps up to successfully intercept the ball and passes it swiftly to her teammates. Throughout the match, she makes other valiant attempts to block her opponent and constantly put pressure on the ACJC shooter. “I foresaw myself defending the tall shooter,” Emma tells us, “and I had to make full use of my game sense and speed to intercept the earlier balls.”

In one nerve-wracking instance, Rebecca Leong (19S06C), the Goal Attacker, takes a shot and the ball teeters at the edge of the goal. As everyone holds their breath, the ball eventually falls in, leading to loud cheering from the spectators.

However, things take a sour turn for the RI team as ACJC fights back, with long passes to their Goal Shooter who scores with almost every shot. Tensions are also running high among the audience. Heated protests against the umpire’s ruling of the game arise when the umpire calls out an RI player for a foul, effectively changing the possession of the ball and allowing ACJC to score. Emma also reveals that the ACJC team had read into the RI team’s strategy by this time, deciding to pass directly to their shooter rather than make short passes. Unfortunately, the gap between the scores grows ever wider and the scoreline remains in ACJC’s favour at 38-29.

The audience is unusually subdued during the break before the final quarter, knowing that it is vital that the players can concentrate. However, once the quarter starts, the spectators give their all in cheering the team on. A number of players have been rotated out, a decision made by the coach to help the flow of the play. RI scores the first goal—eliciting thunderous applause—while  Emma saves a ball from right under the basket in another attempt to score, narrowly avoiding the widening of the score gap.

By this time in the game, most players have been playing for more than 45 minutes and are visibly heaving. And yet, as they approach the final moments of the match, they are relentless, not giving in despite the odds not being in their favour. Instead, they perform breathtaking saves and throws in order to hopefully turn the tides. The spectators, too, are relentless in their support, cheering on the athletes with shouts of “All the way, All the way!”.

As the finals come to an end with three sharp whistles, the ACJC supporters let out cheers as ACJC takes the win with a scoreline of 53-38. While the ACJC team celebrates, the RI players, visibly crestfallen, huddle on the court, no doubt consoling each other with pats on the back. As the event comes to a close, the team stands in a line with their arms on each others’ backs, and takes a bow in the direction of the RI spectators. This elicits loud cheers to affirm their efforts, and congratulate them on a match well-fought.  

It was a hard-fought match indeed. Ms Shafarina, one of the teachers-in-charge of Netball, expresses praise for the team. “It was truly inspiring to see the Rafflesian spirit,” she said. “The girls’ never-say-die attitude and grit definitely saw them through to the end.” In a show of support, she addresses the parents of the team: “Your daughters are already champions”.

Loh Jia Yi (20S06Q) remarks that she is “very proud that [her team] managed to pull through”, and that they “did a good job”. Indeed, the season was not a smooth-sailing journey for the team, but their determination and grit saw them through. Watching them play with such fluidity and grace, it’s hard to tell that some of them, if not most, have struggled with some degree of performance anxiety; even Emma, who fearlessly defended the tall shooter, was not immune to this. “I was filled with a lot of self-doubt throughout the season—in fact, all the way up until the semi-finals match,” she admits. “However, my coach and teammates gave me a wake-up call. They gave me the push I needed, and I will forever be grateful.”

“I’m proud of my team for not giving up until the final whistle was blown.

Emma Morgan (20A01C)

Above all, it was the unity and spirit of the team—even through batches—that allowed them to press on even when the going got rough. Keziah, while visibly disappointed with the results, tells us that she was “glad to [have been] part of the process, because [the process] [would] stay with [them] for years to come.”

Raffles Press would like to congratulate the A Division Netball team for their outstanding achievements this sporting season and wish them all the best for their future matches!

Players

Goal Shooter: Yu Jiawei (20S03F)
Goal Attack: Rebecca Leong (19S06C)
Wing Attack: Grace Poong (19S06L), Nicole Hia (20S06C)
Centre: Alexandra Tan (19S06C), Grace Poong (19S06L)
Wing Defence: Ashlyn Poon (20S06Q)
Goal Defence: Keziah Vickraman (19S05A)Goal Keeper: Emma Isabel Morgan (20A01C)

By Tay Jing Xuan (20S03C) and Ng Jing Ting (20A13A)
Special thanks to Raffles Science Institute and Mrs Christina Khoo 

It’s the same dreary routine every morning—half-asleep, you walk through Marymount Gate, and follow the sluggish crowd of students trailing downtown to the parade square. And before you know it—golly gee! You’ve walked right past the Biodiversity Pond (or, in the fabled case of an unfortunate student, right into it). If you’d opened your eyes a little wider amid your sleepy haze, you might have noted the understated beauty of its ecosystem. But perhaps you don’t, and instead you glance at the pond and snicker at the half-faded sign that heralds the “testicle-eating” pacu, note the scraps of soaked bread floating on its surface, and proceed to forget about the whole scene altogether.

Few actually stop to wonder—exactly what goes on in and around the pond, besides catfish glancing the surface from time to time and mosquitoes flitting about the boardwalk? Raffles Press is here to fill you in on those questions, with the help of a few dedicated individuals, including the pond’s very own caretaker, Mr Lim Bah Hock. 

What’s in a Pond?

The Raffles Biodiversity Pond was built in 2009 under the Turnkey Project, its design having taken two years to be conceptualised and finalised. Several external partners were consulted on the selection of fish and plants to be displayed, including Wildlife Reserves Singapore. When one thinks about a pond, vivid images of koi and other such ornamental fish come to mind; however, in this case, the intention of the pond was, according to the Raffles Science Institute website, “to showcase flora and fauna from Southeast Asia”, allowing students to learn about ecology and biodiversity outside their curriculum. Hence, the pond serves a didactical purpose in addition to its aesthetic one. And it has served it well—in 2010, the Biodiversity Pond received a silver award from the Landscape Industry Association of Singapore (LIAS) in recognition of its outstanding design. 

Upon approaching the pond, one would immediately spot a bench. It has offered its companionship to numerous students over the years, and during school hours it’s nearly never devoid of occupants. In fact, the sheer volume of students that interact with this sturdy block of wood on a daily basis begs the following question—why, then, has the pond’s information guide, situated right next to the bench, remained perennially untouched, the thick layer of dust enveloping the pages of the tome bearing testament to the fact that its pages have been left virtually unturned for the better half of the decade? The plastic casing of the laminated pages, which promise to inform the reader about the various types of Southeast Asian freshwater fish, have yellowed over time as well, giving rise to its rather unappealing appearance. And, indeed, paralleling the collective neglect of the information guide, the queer looks shot towards us throughout the afternoon were reflective of how rare of an occurrence it was that the pond would be paid such an inordinate amount of attention by any member of the student body. 

For those who do spare the pond more than a passing glance, however, the first things they might notice about the pond while dropping by at any given time are the slick, black noses of large fish surfacing to take in air. At first glance, one might think they belong to humongous catfish. A closer inspection would reveal them to be those of their shark catfish cousins, the iridescent sharks, Pangasius hypophthalmus. Gentle giants, the iridescent sharks’ diet consists of plant matter and other smaller fish, which does not harm any of the ponds’ residents as the sharks receive daily feed. They might be rather big, but, truth be told, they are dwarfed in both size and aggression by larger fish in the pond, like the gourami or the pacu.

Many collectors pride themselves on getting their hands on the Asian arowana, believing it to bring good fortune to their owners. We should, too, for in our very own pond resides the Asian arowana, Scleropages formosus. Although a popular aquarium fish in Asia, it is an endangered species due to its overfishing and the massive demand for it in the Asian market, compounded by the fact that the arowana only breeds once a year. There have been valiant efforts to conserve the Asian arowana, such as labelling it as a protected species under the Washington Convention, an international agreement that safeguards the survival of animal and plant species from trade activities and their impacts. Even Singapore has joined the fight against its extinction—it has started arowana farms to reduce the overfishing load on arowana in the wild.

The waters of the pond may hold some truly remarkable fish, but what about the plants that line its perimeters? Clusters of the dwarf papyrus, the Cyperus papyrus, among other plant species, have eagerly made their homes in our very own Biodiversity Pond. The dwarf papyrus does not originate from Southeast Asia, but hails instead from Africa. Egyptians used the plant to manufacture not just the popular papyrus paper, but also handy items such as boats, sandals, baskets, and more. With its versatile utility, it can be considered the wood of the past. Now, it is largely used as decoration, not just in African households, but also in gardens and ponds all around the world, brightening the dullest landscapes with its lush, green clusters.

Regular avian visitors, such as the striated heron, Butorides striata are frequently spotted around the pond as well. The striated heron adheres to a carnivorous diet, snapping up fish from the pond when it finds an opportunity to strike and contenting itself with insects that live among the plants. Its irregular visits often prompt a large gathering of students intent on capturing its image on their mobile phones. (Tip: if you’re inclined to do so as well, 6.30pm is prime time to be there.) 

And these are just the tip of the iceberg where the pond’s flora and fauna are concerned. For the full list of fish, as well as details about the background of the pond, you can visit this page.

The Pond’s Trusty Caretaker

Mr Lim has worked here for almost nine years. He hasn’t always been the pond’s caretaker, though—he had been in charge of tending to the flora and occasional fauna (both friendly and hostile: think wasps and bats) before he was reassigned to the pond. As the sole caretaker of the pond now, he tells us in Mandarin that although he wasn’t trained with aquatic life care, he still feels a connection towards the fishes.

He may appear to speak nonchalantly, claiming that he sees taking care of the fish as merely “feeding them”, but it is evident that, deep in his heart, he truly cares about the pond. He shows us picture after picture of dead fish on his phone, recollecting the times when fiercer fish would engage in vicious fights over the fry he would buy for them. “Even fish and humans have a bond,” he says dolefully, pausing at a picture of one of the white koi which had passed away and which then had to be scooped out of the water. “When they die after we’ve taken care of them for so long, I feel sad too, you know?” 

Walking past the biodiversity pond in the morning, one would be apt to spot a few curious objects floating on the surface of the main display pond. Those rectangular-shaped oddities turn out to be whole pieces of bread that Mr Lim periodically flings into the pond throughout the day as food for the fishes. In the same way allowing carbohydrates to saturate one’s diet spells a medical disaster for the human body, fish were likely to develop health issues were they to do so as well. Hence, Mr Lim went ahead and bought fresh vegetables with his own hard-earned money, intent on keeping his beloved fish alive and healthy for a rather more extended period of time. “Of course, I could get leftover vegetables from the canteen,” Mr Lim says off-handedly, “but I couldn’t bear to let the fish eat rotten food. If people don’t want them, neither would the fish.”

A kingfisher (perhaps three, we aren’t very sure) has been spotted from time to time, diving for the fish in the pond and gulping them down every day. When asked about whether he was concerned about dwindling numbers of fish, Mr Lim simply laughs. “There are so many fish! It can’t eat all of them, even if it wanted to. All of the fish breed quickly.”

He points at the three terrapins swimming leisurely through the water. “There didn’t use to be so many fish when this pond was built,” he adds. “But after getting tired of taking care of [them], students like to dump their pets here, like the terrapins there.” This has led to the sharp increase in the number of fish in the pond—there is no corner of the pond that is underpopulated, nor will anyone ever get bored staring at the diversity in the waters. 

The Tilapia Problem

While the pond might be bustling with life and activity, some of the fish that were once in the pond have now ceased to be. In addition, due to some indiscretion over the years, a few tilapias were released into the pond, where they quickly multiplied and now reside in hundreds. And the numbers are still climbing.

Because of their hardiness and the difficulty in controlling the rate at which they breed, tilapias proliferate throughout the entire pond. As a result of their large numbers, the tilapias now pose a hazard to the rest of the pond due to the large amounts of nitrogenous waste they release, putting much pressure on the filtering systems of the pond. On top of that, they compete with the native fish for resources, further endangering the fishes’ lives and putting them at risk for disease. Unable to withstand the pollution and limited food and space, some species have even entirely disappeared from the pond for good.

Raffles Press would thus like to remind everyone to think twice before releasing exotic species into the school pond. While it might be enticing to introduce new aquatic life to spice up the pond, or to abandon some pets you might not wish to take care of any longer, doing so introduces invasive species and would disrupt the ecosystem in the pond, which can lead to disastrous results.

In Conclusion

Though limited interest in marine biology may discourage many of us from hanging around the pond and making loving eye contact with the fish for hours on end, it wouldn’t hurt to start taking more of an active interest in the first functioning ecosystem you see every school day. After all, amidst the craziness of school life, temporary stress relief can always be achieved by going to the pond, to be blissfully alone with only your thoughts, the fish and the occasional fowl to keep you company. 

By Gabrielle Ng (20A01E) and Shervon Lee (19S06A) 
Photographs courtesy of Jensen Huang (20S06T) and Koh Jia Hao (20S06M) of Raffles Photographic Society

The usual hustle and bustle of Bugis Street would have given no hint of a special event to the unsuspecting shopper. The only giveaway was the peppy chatter of fashionably dressed students streaming into the obscure but grand Joyden Hall, nestled right above Bugis+. As students hurried to find a seat in the visibly popular venue, ushers decked in impressive ensembles and flawless makeup greeted them with a photobook documenting the year-long fruition of Raffles Runway’s efforts—‘RISE’.

Applause and supportive cheers greeted the first J1 model as she confidently strutted down the walkway, unfazed by the prospect of being the audience’s first impression of the show. The showcase of George Bai (20S06S), Amanda Chuah (20A01A), and Celeste Tan’s (20S06F) ‘Still We Rise’ successfully kickstarted the show with an eye-catching pink drape, a blazer paired with a pencil skirt, and a minimalist upside-down top; their collection drew inspiration from past influential movements like Second Wave Feminism. 

Speaking with regards to her work—a pink drape over a white and black set—Amanda revealed that the outfit had in fact been completed only 5 minutes before the photoshoot. A first-time designer, she spoke of the importance of improvisation that she gleaned from the experience: she managed to craft an originally loose piece of cloth into a chic open back. 

Next up, Hu Junhui (20S06D), Angeline Rebecca Gomes (20S06E), and Sarah Lok (20A03A) impressed with their depiction of ‘Retrograde’. Comprising tan cargo pants, a deconstructed shirt, and patterned flare bottoms alongside many other playful elements, their creations may have seemed adventurous but eventually proved a clever amalgamation of vintage and modern elements. 

‘Seasons’, by Sun Yi (20S03O), Yang Shiying (20S03Q), and Nicole Sam (20S03L), was a stark yet much welcomed contrast. Their first model gleamed under the spotlight with a soft, shimmery gold dress adorned with delicate floral embellishments, and a matching flower crown delicately perched atop her head; sheer pink and ivory hues from the outfits of their next two models perfectly completed their theme.  

The Y5’s time to shine came to a grand end with ‘Flow’ by Dylan Clark (20A01C), Lu Xiling (20S02A), and Tan Yanning (20A03A). The collection comprised outfits that sported rainbow trimmings against an elegantly simple white dress, asymmetrical placements of black and white fabric, and a shirt with white shoelace threaded at the top in a shoelace pattern. The collection was, truly, a sight for the eyes. 

For the second segment of the show, each Y6 took on the daunting task of designing three to four outfits by themselves: this made us, as audience members, all the more excited to see how each designer would flourish in this creative space.

Loud cheers and hoots greeted the first model as she strutted out in a full-cream ensemble, with a large gold belt accentuating her waist; the sheer gown shifted behind her as she made her walk. Perhaps the most eye-catching prop of the night—large angel wings—made its appearance: the golden feathers at the back of the wings enhanced the ethereal quality of the prop, leaving many gaping at the size of it. Looking like they had come straight from heaven onto the runway, the models made a final walk with their designer, Ivan Low (19S06O). Excitement buzzed through the air as the audience waited on the edge of their seats for the next designer. 

Grandeur graced the stage in the form of heavy capes, crowns, and even bat wings for Wang Yuchen’s (19S06M) collection. With the colour scheme almost strictly keeping to black, red, and gold, the runway was momentarily transformed into a high-end party in the past. The models made their way through the audience and up on stage, maintaining a haughty expression that would probably put aristocrats to shame. The gold on the bedazzled cape shone in the spotlight, enrapturing everyone in the audience as the kings and queens did a final walk.

The fluttery flow of the sheer fabric, simplicity of polka-dot patterns, and creative props came together to form a light-hearted ensemble by Hazel Lye (19A01C). The minimal use of colours highlighted the light texture and gave an ethereal quality to the outfits; even the transparent coat on the last outfit blended seamlessly into the mood. Towards the end, two models even walked the runway again to swap props, putting a flower and a hat on each other, cueing hoots and laughter from the audience. 

Periwinkle, the gentlest mix of blue and violet, paired with greys and whites to give a rather adorably sleepy vibe that encapsulated Stella Chio’s (19A13B) collection. Much like a cat cuddling up on a blanket on a quiet morning, the outfits were soft, flowy and rather comfortable; even  the jewels donning the first outfit seemed to glow softly rather than shine bright, as they lay against the whites and blues. Truly, when the models stood together, it was a sight to behold. The outfits exuded ease, and provided for a rather comforting contrast from the heavier styles of the other designers. 

Vibrant floral details and sheer, pastel silhouettes were the highlight of Kylia Toh’s (19S03L) ‘blush’. Her model wore a three-tiered pink dress lined with petals as she grasped a skeletal umbrella in her hands, each length of the frame ingeniously studded by clusters of vivid colour. A light purple trail behind another dress and the contrast of plain black and colour on the model’s shirt added to the elegance of Kylia’s ensemble.

If one took a look at the colour wheel, one would realise that the colours there were insufficient, especially so for the clothes that Linda Zheng (19S06B) had presented. From the very bright and unique coral colour, to the duller and rather odd shades of beige, Linda’s unique mastery and usage of various colours was breathtaking. Particularly, the combination of yellow and red was endearingly reminiscent of an iconic childhood idol—Winnie the Pooh. 

As the music changed to Victorious by Panic! at the Disco, the audience waited with bated breath as the words “Delinquent Years” flashed across the screen. Sure enough, the outfits were characteristic of what many of us might understand as “the emo phase”: within the same colour of black, Valerie Ng (19S06B) made use of a wide variety of textures (with a surprising amount of leather) to diversify the pieces of clothing. Stepping onto the stage, Valerie’s own black ensemble blended in seamlessly with the models’ as they took a final bow. 

Perhaps the collection most overtly related to the central theme of time, Cassandra Tan’s (19S03E) Shape of Time featured outfits with numerous nude and earthy colours. Whoever said that only colours made things interesting was definitely proven wrong that night: the shades of brown and beige tastefully colouring ordinary pieces. The classiness was subtle, be it through an off-shoulder shift or a tiny leather outerwear layered on a simple top, effectively giving a duality to the outfits. 

Characterised by the bold simplicity of black words on solid blocks of colours, this collection showcased how fabric can be moulded into something different and unique. In every piece, time was featured as a central element, usually in the form of the word itself in large black letters on a white piece of fabric. The highlight of Wu Xinyue’s (19A01D) collection of Time Universal Coordinated was definitely the statement pieces of every outfit. 

The roaring start of an engine served as a prelude to the last of the J2s’ individual showcases: the polar opposites of Yin and Yang were beautifully encapsulated within Velda Phua’s (19A01C) cleverly crafted outfits. Her collection comprised items such as a cheekily-slit skirt, zippers on the sides of shirts, and a thoughtful bow detail. Velda’s own sheer floral ensemble perfectly complemented her models’ outfits as they held hands down the runway.

Following their individual showcases—where their different styles really stood out—the Runway Batch of 2019 came together to examine the rise and falls of fashion through time in the collection KOI. Despite their differences in opinion or style, this item showed what Runway was to the designers: at the end of the day, they were all students who loved fashion. KOI took the audience through the different time periods—Medieval, Renaissance, Formal Wear, and Streetwear—and even predicted a future trend of a stylish transparent outerwear over a simple black ensemble (whether this is accurate remains to be seen). 

Beyond the glamorous stage lights and red carpets, the designers and their models had put in much sweat and toil. Amanda recalled the frantic passing of makeup boxes, the countless minuscule pricks on her fingers obtained while sewing, and an abundance of safety pins behind the scenes.  She shared with us that fashion “is not simply a frivolous pursuit”: while many may think that it is a standardly vain, or even wasteful pastime, her experience showed her that fashion was “a medium through which people express themselves and make a statement”. 

When prompted about what RISE was to the batch, Chairperson Linda said, “It celebrates our individuality in reconciliation with one another, and, hopefully, will inspire you to rise to even greater heights.” Sure enough, the message of RISE was clear to see: it was a showcase synthesising the creativity and passion of many designers that stood testament to the effort of the batch. Every single outfit was the result of relentless hard work: to be able to see all of it come together was the honour of every single member of the audience that night. 

By Emily Ni (20S03C), Kelly Leong (20S07C), and Ng Ziqin (20S03H)

Friday, 31 May 2019. The school was teeming with the restless energy of staff and students who were counting down the minutes to (relatively more) freedom. This very date marked two lasts. For the staff and students, it was the last day of school (until Term 3 started in a month’s time); for the RI Yong Tau Foo aunties, it was their last day of operations.

Like most RI students, the writers of this article were devastated when we found out that the Yong Tau Foo stall was closing. One rapid cycle through the five stages of grief later, we made the journey down to the Yong Tau Foo stall on its final day of operations to speak to staff, students, and of course, the Yong Tau Foo aunties.

“你们吃了吗?” (Have you had lunch?)

This cheery question was posed to us in Mandarin by one of the four aunties running the Yong Tau Foo stall. Even on the last day of their operations, the aunties’ commitment to a singular mission was clear: feed the students. 

Almost guiltily, one of our reporters, Emily, admitted she had not. But Auntie was quick to remedy the situation, despite having closed shop. 

“I’ll cook for you! I have one tomato left, half a cabbage and some noodles. Hold on ah.”

She sprang into action, busying herself as she prepared what would be the last meal to emerge from this kitchen. 

This stall has had a long history in RI. Started in 1982 by our interviewee’s eldest sister, it has witnessed the coming and going of almost 35 batches of RI students, all the while remaining true to its humble roots as a family business. With such a long tradition of filling the hearts and minds of the masses, the stall holds a special place in the hearts of students: it has gained many ardent supporters, teachers and students alike, who have eaten here for years.

Indeed, staff and students alike turned out in droves to support the Yong Tau Foo stall on its very last day. Even at the odd hour of 10.05 a.m., a snaking queue had already formed in front of the stall, where students waited in line for their orders to be prepared. 

The yong tau foo stall’s menu on their last day of operations: Laksa and Prawn Mee.

One of the students in the queue was Kenneth Poh (20S03O), a long-time supporter of the stall. Since Year 3, he had made the trip over from the Y1-4 campus at least once a week for his Yong Tau Foo fix.  

“I found out about the closure from my Biology teacher last week, and since then, I’ve been eating this every day. I’m quite sad, because right now I have to wait an extra 30 minutes in the queue, and I won’t get to eat this again anymore after today.” 

Ms June Tan from the PE Department was less fortunate. “I only found out that the stall was closing from the Friday morning announcement and tried to eat there one last time. But when I got there at about 12pm, they had already closed for the day.”

As it turned out, we arrived on scene at 1.30 p.m., just in time to witness a mini surprise celebration which several councillors had planned for the aunties. The aunties were presented with Griffles plushies and a board of well wishes penned by students as the councillors swarmed the stall, sweetly serenading the aunties with a kazoo rendition of the Institution Anthem. A rendition we never knew we needed—until now. 

But the aunties were a tough audience to impress. “We want to hear you sing it too!” 

Gamely, the councillors complied (much to the aunties’ glee).

All in all, it was about 1.45 p.m. before we were finally able to sit down with one of the aunties for our interview, with the final bowl of yong tau foo steaming by our side. Even then, this was interrupted by teachers who came to speak to her, pass her tokens of appreciation, and pose with her for photos. 

During the course of the interview, the auntie revealed the answers to the million dollar question on everyone’s mind: Why was the stall closing? One of the primary reasons that the stall had ceased operations was because two of the aunties had been looking to retire, and with no successors to be found, working without a full team of four would be tiring. “Hiring others is hard, [because] they don’t know what to do,” lamented the auntie.

The fact that the aunties are getting older also played a part in their decision. While they typically rotated in shifts, this arrangement offered scant comfort against occupational hazards like backaches from standing up for too long, or steam from the hot soup which can damage the eyes. However, it was their dedication to the job and their love for the students that kept them in business, despite the numerous challenges. One of the aunties even continued working despite having had a stroke a few years back. 

I enjoy cooking for students. It makes me happy when they tell me they enjoy my food, and that’s all the satisfaction I need.

The Yong Tau Foo auntie

While staff and students officially begin their day at 7.40 a.m. at the parade square, the canteen stall owners go through a very different routine. Like clockwork, the aunties arrive at 6.30 a.m. to start preparing chilli, sweet sauce, and soups for the day. This is followed by a visit to the nearby wet market at 7.30 a.m. to purchase fresh ingredients, which are washed and prepared after returning. Only after all these steps have been completed can the aunties put their food out for students to select and begin their sales.

“So you see, that’s why we don’t sell very early in the morning. Because we’re still cooking. We prepare [the ingredients] fresh every day,” she elaborated. When asked why they take such great pains for ingredients alone, the auntie fixed us with a stare and responded steadfastly: “The food that I give people must be of good quality.” 

From fresh, handpicked yong tau foo to daily brewed soup, it is evident that plenty of heart and effort went into each dish. When we spoke to a student, Cherilyn Chia (19S06S), she recalled that the aunties were always meticulous and thoughtful—one of them had even asked if she wanted her vegetables to be cut into smaller pieces because of her braces. The thoughtfulness of the auntie was definitely a moving gesture for Cherilyn, and one which she remembers even more than a year later.

But even without this heartwarming anecdote, something else the auntie mentioned suggested to us that she thinks of us as not just customers, but family: like a concerned grandmother, she’s been keeping track of our eating habits!

Auntie remarked that the eating habits of RI students have shifted dramatically compared to when she had first started working here 40 years ago. Her eyes glazed over as she reminisced when the aunties could count on steady streams of hungry students patronising after school. But business started to steadily decline in the 1980s, possibly due to the accessibility of alternatives to canteen food at nearby malls like J8 and NEX. Students themselves have also developed strange food preferences and eat at odd timings.

“You all must remember to eat more regularly!” she quips.

Nearing the end of our chat, Emily finally tucked into the meal specially prepared for her, and a look of great satisfaction rose on the auntie’s face. This was not, however, without some tinge of sadness—the auntie stared at the food wistfully, the rising steam evoking a heavy sense of nostalgia. This bowl of yong tau foo had been the auntie’s final labour of love, something that had been a defining characteristic for a good number of years in her life. Watching it disappear, then, was nothing short of bittersweet.

“It’s a pity. My heart is still here,” she finally said, a phrase that encapsulated the melancholic mood lingering in the air. When we told her that students had been lamenting the closure of the stall, and that their food had been greatly enjoyed by many, she gave us a bright smile. 

That’s all I needed to hear.

The Yong Tau Foo auntie

We may never fully understand the extent of their love and consideration for us, but we can understand that it must be hard to let go of the many bonds and memories formed over the years; it was a definitely a bittersweet ending to the term. Nevertheless, the closure of their stall also signifies a new beginning for the stall owners—as a retiree, the auntie hopes to interact more with nature and volunteer to fill the time she now has to herself.

“Please say hi if you see me outside school next time!” the auntie said cheekily when we asked if she had any parting words for the readers of Raffles Press.

Thank you, Aunties, for all your time and effort! We wish you a happy retirement, and hope that you will find as much joy as you have brought to the RI canteen in the last 37 years.

By Emily Ni (20S03C) and Huang Beihua (20A03A)
Photos by Kevin Lee (20S06T) and Geng Heqin (20S06S) of Raffles Photographic Society, and the writers

Raffles Ultimate seems plagued by cruel weather—just last year, they were knee deep in mud, and now, Mother Nature has so kindly bestowed upon them much lauded rays of sun. Still, there is nothing to be done: they fought in the rain, and will now fight in the sun. Do not cringe, just yet, at this reference to the school cheer: their final match will live up to every bit of the unwavering, resolved spirit behind the mantra.

It has been a nerve-wracking weekend for the competitors: both the J1 and J2 teams faced tough opponents in the previous day of competitions. Never mind that the match is not to start for another half an hour: be it warm-ups, some last practice, or final instructions, there are always more efforts that can be made, and Team Raffles will not spare any. After all, an intense two-day affair of non-stop head-to-head is to culminate in this final match, which will determine if the team is able to defend their championship title from 2018.

The match’s location in the far-flung NTU does not deter supporters as they line the perimeter of the playing field to cheer their CCA mates and friends on. The players themselves, meanwhile, bounce in anticipation, throwing around frisbees to relieve some of their nerves as they gear up for their final match of the day.

Frisbee is primarily a self-refereed game, with the players acting as umpires. In a unique practice in sports termed “the spirit of the game”, the game’s integrity is reliant on the players’ own. Whenever the possession of the frisbee is contested, the game will give way to players’ passionate—but always civil—arguments, until a consensus is reached. 

The finals begin at 4.30 p.m., with Raffles Institution (RI) facing River Valley High School (RV). RI starts off strong, impressively scoring the first goal of the game—and then the second—barely ten minutes into the hour-long duel. Cheers break out as both teams try their best to prevent the other from scoring. One impressive instance sees RI intercept the frisbee in midair barely a hair’s length away from RV’s scoring zone—the crowd bellows, echoing the player’s celebratory cry.

RV tries their hardest, but RI’s rousing performance stands its ground. A whistle blows at thirty minutes to signify half-time, by which time RI has pulled ahead with the score at 5-1. As if on cue, the spectators rush canteens and bottles of water to the team amid torrents of encouragement. The team’s camaraderie shines through with pats and hugs, as the players ready themselves for the second half of what, judging by the score, seems like a certain victory. 

Except it is far from one—no sooner has the starting whistle faded than RV scores its second goal of the day.

And then its third. And then its fourth. And then its fifth. 

As RI’s once-impermeable lead crumbles, we find ourselves fist-clenched as the two teams begin to fight neck-to-neck. We are hardly the only ones caught in the nerve-wrecking tension that permeates the arena: a watchful suspense now descends on the field in a way not seen in the first half, punctuated only by coaches’ frantic gestures and boisterous cheering—that once was the reserve for successful goals—every time an interception is made. 

And then, RV scores their sixth goal. 

We pay little attention to how the RV side of the field appears, overwhelmed in the dead silence here in the Rafflesian half. With barely ten minutes left on the clock, we message our editors, forlorn, asking for advice on sensitivity if Raffles loses. 

It is strange how, at this moment, those most impervious to nervousness are the ones whom we would expect to be the most afraid: the athletes themselves. Speaking to us after the event, team captain Leo Qi En (19S06S) revealed that even as “[they] fumbled” and as “RV managed to take the lead near the end”, “[they] kept their composure and managed to push through.” Disappointment can wait, shock can wait, but victory cannot.

With the countdown ticking toward zero, both teams fight hard as the stakes grow ever higher. RV sends the frisbee dashing towards the scoring zone and RI responds with a desperate leap right in front of the scoring line—the player’s fingers barely graze the frisbee, but it is enough to send the crucial goal out of RV hands. Without hesitation, the frisbee glides back towards RI, but a sliding save by our players is just one second too late after the precious plate has touched the ground. 

There is a brief time-out as the coaches of both teams enter the field for some encouragement and tips to the players, springing back to battle as soon as a team huddle is done. 

Athletes from both teams dive—one intercepting and another scoring—but the frisbee drifts past all four hands. Picking up the frisbee, RI’s series of passes immediately pierces the length of the field with practised precision. RV makes repeated dashes towards the player in possession, but RI evades them in the nick of time—

RI scores! 

The Rafflesian supporters erupt in a sea of “GO RAFFLES!”, rejoiced and rejuvenated by a renewed hope for victory. With both teams tied once again as the remaining time dashes past zero, we enter a game of sudden death: whoever scores the next goal wins the championship. 

The game continues with ever-increasing vigour, with both RI and RV making increasingly bold moves trying to outdo the other for that crucial, final goal. Under the backdrop of near-constant cheers, breathtaking manoeuvres like dives and leaps are commonplace on the field, and so are hard falls trying to stop the frisbee in its path. It is clear that the players are fighting tooth and nail. In the midst of the action, we cannot help but notice the bandages on the hand of player #2, or the knee guard on player #20, but they, as do the rest of the team, fight on doggedly. 

We watch with bated breath as RI dives into the scoring zone, the player’s knees grazing the grass as his hands miss the frisbee by centimetres. We watch with a palpitating heart as RV makes a scoring attempt, only to be intercepted far into the field. We watch in fervent anticipation as the frisbee soars across the field, precariously past RV’s outstretched arms—

And we cheer with wild celebration as player #12 leaps into the air, landing with the frisbee—and the championship title—safe in Rafflesian hands once more. 

Supporters roar their joyous approval, rushing onto the field to congratulate our champions. With a final scoreline of 7-6 in our favour, the entire team embrace in ecstasy. After a brief celebratory cheer, the two teams line up and high five each other in a show of admirable sportsmanship. A few tears of happiness are seen, a testament to the overwhelming emotions felt by the team. Finally, in a show of gratitude, they link arms and walk  as a whole to the supporters, before taking a deep bow and saying a heartfelt “Thank You”.

Considering the rocky match whose result remained in suspense till the very end, this year’s Inter-JC match has no doubt been a veritable emotional rollercoaster for the team. They fought to the end with their determination and do not disappoint—it is truly the spirit of the team that allowed them to press on and win a hard-earned victory.

This is definitely an emotional match for the J2s, as it will be their last match before their graduation. Indeed, the inevitability of the team going separate ways only brings on longing for the time gone by; as Qi En puts it, “It’s bittersweet, knowing that I won’t be able to play on the same field as [my] teammates again”. 

However, the unity and teamwork will never be forgotten. “I’ve found people I can call family,” she says with a bright smile. The added dose of satisfaction from defending their title was not lost on the players—Qi En jokingly says, “Thank goodness!” But there is more to the victory than simply remaining defending champions: the real reward was working their way up through every stage and fighting as a team together. 

By Rachael Koh (20S07C) and Ruchira Ramaswamy (20S03A)

This year marks the fifth Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) being held in RI. Five days of sparking conversations on mental wellbeing, learning the importance of looking beyond the label, and appreciating that mental health is of essence. But we have to accept the reality—no amount of “talking about it” will ever suffice. The conversation about mental health will never be over, simply because it is not like a chest you can open up once, stow away, then dust off the cobwebs and bring out again annually. Mental health cannot be a one-off address: we have to accept that it is as integral to our lives as physical wellbeing, embrace it, not shy away from it in daily conversations, and make a conscious effort to be open-minded. With MHAW, the Peer Helpers hope not just to initiate, but also sustain conversations on mental health. 

Trained by the school’s counsellors, the Peer Helpers are equipped with basic counselling skills and are available at My Rest Space (MRS) on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays should you want a listening ear or a safe space to relax after a long day. Sink your hands into kinetic sand in Touch Town, or pop some bubble wrap if you would like! The best part? MRS is a much better place to sleep in than the library**: although they are both quiet places, the Sleep Clinic located in MRS means that no one can wake you up and ask you to leave in the middle of that sweet nap. 

**Disclaimer: it is actually against the rules to sleep in the library. So, come sleep at MRS instead!

From one cool thing to another… introducing the MHAW theme: im’perfect! It reflects the two states of mind that you can adopt: have eyes only for your flaws thereby putting yourself down (imperfect), or acknowledging your shortcomings —inside and out—and realising those are what make you, you! Little chips, cracks and fissures make us endearingly human. And just like how we need to come to terms with our bodies being the way they are, we need to come to terms with our minds and thoughts being the way they are. Everyone has their ups and downs: sad, frustrated or dejected thoughts are never embarrassing or weak. 

That is why the Peer Helpers have planned a series of exciting activities for MHAW, hoping to help you kickstart your journey to accepting yourself—flaws, quirks, and all. From 30 July to 2 August, keep an eye out for interactive booths at the canteen walkway, informative posters on mental health issues, as well as insightful sessions by guest speakers. 

Guest speakers – Human Library!

Ms Susan Ong
Details: 30 July (Tuesday), 2.30pm – 5.30 pm, Blue Room

As someone who used to suffer from depression, Ms Ong is a passionate advocate for mental health. Now part of a peer-learning initiative where she extends a helping hand to those with mental health conditions, she is keen to share her experience with all of us. 

Mr Amos Tan
Details: 30 July (Tuesday), 2.30pm – 5.30 pm, Blue Room

As an RI alumnus, there is no doubt that Mr Tan has a good idea of the stresses and challenges us students face. By hearing him share his battle with depression, we can hopefully learn to see the fighting spirit residing in all of us. 

Huang Huan Yan
Details: 1 August (Thursday), 2.30pm – 5.30 pm, Blue Room

Ms Huang, a member of the senior Peer Helper batch, is back once again to speak about her experience with eating disorders. Get pumped not only for an insightful sharing, but also copies of her book, Brave Girl Not Eating. 

Mr Donovan Cheah
Details: 1 August (Thursday), 2.30pm – 5.30 pm, Stamford Training Room 

As an individual with Aspergers, Mr Cheah is here to open our minds to this rarely-discussed condition as well as his personal experiences. 

 Ms Baizal Rahaman
Details: 1 August (Thursday), 2.30pm – 5.30 pm, Stamford Training Room

Part of the advocacy team at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Ms Baizal is eager to share how we, as students, can do a part to help – be it through reducing stigma, practicing acceptance, or volunteering. 

Access the link tinyurl.com/mhawsharings to sign up for what these one-of-a-kind, enriching Human Library sessions. 

Projects by Peer Helpers

Fret not if you are unable to attend any of the above sharing sessions! Take a stroll along the canteen walkway to visit the booths set up by the Peer Helpers. 

Mental health is a complex concept, and we will never reach an all-knowing stage where we have knowledge of all types of mental health issues. Therefore, the projects, tackling topics such as stress and Gaming Disorder, aim to impart a better understanding about a range of mental health issues. 

Besides engaging, informative posters around school, look out for thought-provoking and aesthetic handouts from each project group, as well as fun, interactive activities (psst, there’ll also be goodie bags). 

Be-you-tiful

Focusing on Anorexia Nervosa, they will place a mirror for participants to write positive messages about their bodies for their friends or for themselves. Be sure to go down to enjoy a cup of grapes along with a bookmark on self care tips!

Beyond the Compulsion 

“They’re so OCD!” is a common phrase thrown around when someone appears to be a perfectionist. In doing so, we fail to realise how we devalue this mental health condition. Keep an eye out for posters by this group to learn what having OCD really feels like.  

Can you End-game

This project focuses on a lesser-known, nonetheless intriguing topic: Gaming Disorder. Head down to the canteen to play games on the iPad and test yourself: can you end the game? 

Dsyxelia

Wait…did the letters just rearrange themselves on the page? Well, this is just a taste of the daily struggles individuals with dyslexia undergo. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects one’s ability to learn and understand language. Taking our ability to skim through Economics lecture notes the night before CTs for granted, many of us are unaware of the challenges that come with being dyslexic. Look out for intriguing materials by this project to delve deeper into this topic!

Embrace

We often underestimate the importance of good, strong self-esteem. This confidence is what puts a spring in our step and a sparkle in our eyes. What better way to boost your self-esteem than to remember all the wonderful things you have in your life? Pen down what you are grateful for at the gratitude board in the canteen. 

KnowSchizo!!

Ever wanted to try VR right here in Raffles? KnowSchizo is bringing a unique VR experience to the canteen booths so you can experience what having Schizophrenia is like. Through this, they wish to reduce stigma against those with Schizophrenia and create a more inclusive society.

Project Post-itive

Project Post-itive hopes to encourage positive thinking in students. Positive thinking reduces stress and greatly increases your lifespan! So come down to the canteen to blot out the board of negative thoughts by adding a post it with something positive!

STRESS-LESS

Stress is a word we hear very often, and an emotion we have definitely experienced more than we want to. The next time you feel overwhelmed and tense, what exactly can you do to ground yourself? Be sure to read the posters to find out, and head down to the canteen booth to take part in relaxing activities—including a pool full of soft toys!

To everyBODY

Bringing light to the issue of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, this booth strives not only to raise awareness about this prevalent issue, but also to impart body positivity in all students—mental condition or no. Look in the mirror and see yourself surrounded by affirmative post-its, and feel free to add on your own messages (positive only, please)!

And that’s the jam-packed MHAW! With this range of events, the Peer Helpers hope to open your heart, eyes, and minds to the gravity of mental health, and spur you on to not only start conversations about mental wellbeing, but to sustain them. 

By Tay Jing Xuan (20S03C) and Emily Ni (20S03C)

Do you still remember that one April Fools’ article, “Cat Cafe To Open in Raffles Institution”? Students were excited at the prospect of a cat cafe opening in school, with Teddy as its resident. It certainly disappointed quite a number of students when it turned out to be a deliberate prank. But we certainly wouldn’t leave our readers with such a sad conclusion to the saga. While the school will not be able to set up a cat cafe here, one can still visit some of the cafes on this little island. To make up for the dismay some readers might have felt, we (Emily and Jing Xuan) have decided to speed up the decision-making process for everyone and embarked on a journey to two cat cafés in Singapore (ignoring the threat of impending CTs and our thin wallets—after all, one can’t spell ‘cat cafe’ without ‘C’ and ‘T’, right?)

The Food
What is a cafe without beverages and snacks? With hungry bellies, we picked out drinks and desserts from each cafe’s menus to try out.

Meomi Cat Cafe:

The first item was the chamomile tea (or chamomeow, as the owner called it). Upon opening the lid, one’s nerves would be immediately soothed by the calming fragrance of the tea. It is often said that a piping 70 degrees Celsius is the best temperature to steep chamomile, but even as we sipped the beverage, none of it scalded us. Such care to ensure customers enjoyed their drinks at optimum temperatures was evident.

This comforting temperature and aroma was balanced out by the hint of bitterness every good tea would have, a true delight for any tea drinker out there. Although neither of us drink tea frequently, we both agreed that it was a good choice for anyone seeking relaxation and repose in the cafe.

Next up was the hot chocolate. It was served in a cat-themed mug, much to our amusement, along with a cute paw-studded lid to prevent any fur from getting in and any heat from getting out.

The beverage was foamy and light brown, reminiscent of a soft, warm pillow. Although named hot chocolate, the taste leaned more towards creamy marshmallows than anything. Perhaps avid fans of chocolate and cocoa might want to choose something else on the menu, but this drink was a warm and tantalising choice aside from the taste. 

Now, what about the food? Oreo cheesecake is a popular item on the menu, according to the kind owners of the cafe. Intrigued, we chose to try that out.

The first cut through the cake was solid—one might think it means the cheese was too hard, but it melted wonderfully in the mouth and left no dry aftertaste. Sweet and rich as the cookie crumble filling was, it balanced out the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate crust. While eating it along with other creamy drinks might make the dessert a bit cloying, there is no harm in indulging oneself with a sweet treat by itself now and then, and this Oreo cheesecake will hit the spot. Just remember to order a less rich drink along with it if you do decide to sip something. 

Neko no Niwa:

There was a wide selection of desserts and drinks available, but we boiled their decisions down to another hot chocolate (as a point of comparison) and an apple crumble. Here, none of the food was served on cat-themed dishes or utensils, instead being placed in a plastic box and a glass.

First: the hot chocolate. As the lid was removed, a puff of steam wafted from the surface, a good indication of its warmth. While the hot chocolate at Meomi Cat Cafe was topped with a layer of creamy foam, this one had none. However, this also meant the beverage was thinner and milkier, and a good portion of chocolate was clearly blended in the drink. This hot chocolate slipped down our throats smooth as silk—being much less thick and marshmallow-like—and roused the appetite of the writers.

What makes a good apple crumble? Crunchy apples, pastry that falls apart in your mouth, and nothing too sugary, right? This was exactly what the apple crumble at Neko no Niwa was like—refreshing. The apple slices were fresh and crisp, tangy enough to even out the sweetness of the filling. A crumbly delight for everyone to savour, the crust provided a good base to bring the whole pastry together. The apple crumble, light and simple as a whole, was certainly a good choice for anyone looking for something easy on their palates.

The Cats
What’s a cat café without the cats? Possibility the most important factor of our ranking, these adorable furballs are the stars of our adventure. 

Meowmi Cat Café:

Upon entering the café, we were greeted by a boisterous British Shorthair named George. He was arguably the most active of the cats—curiously sniffing and bouncing around our legs. We would learn later that he was the newest and youngest of the cats, which could explain his enthusiasm. There were cats napping peacefully in baskets scattered around the floor, content to let patrons stroke their heads soothingly as they dozed. 

Once there was a sizeable crowd in the cafe, the owner brought out treat bowls to let everyone have a go at feeding the cats. He regaled us with entertaining anecdotes of the resident cats, like how their WiFi password is derived from a chubby cat mistaken for pregnancy, and an incident where an unfortunate patron got puked on from the skies. There were a few awkward, cheesy moments (“Catvengers, Assemble!”), but the owner’s dedication was evident. 

The visitors were given some treats and allowed to let them eat from their hands. There’s nothing quite like the sensation of a soft feline tongue gently licking your palm and long whiskers tickling your fingers. Visitors were passed a few kinds of treats and were even briefed on which ones certain cats liked. Fluffy residents who were once huddled in their cat beds were lured out by the prospect of food, which added to the fun and enjoyment of every visitor in the cafe. As visitors fed the felines, the owner told them stories about each cat, such as Luna (a slim cat with beautiful shiny black fur) bravely following the owners back from the nearby Haji Lane to the cafe to “work”.

Sadly, there were a few cats who chose not to leave their perch high above us, which meant that we did not get to interact with them. No matter how much visitors might like to play with them,every person should respect the cats’ alone time and temperaments and not attempt to push them past their comfort zones and limits. In this case, everyone admired the sleepy faces of cats lounging above and took pictures, but never once swatted them with the toys provided. This was a true testament to the effectiveness of the rules enforced at Meomi Cat Cafe, so both cats and customers could spend time together safely and happily.

Neko no Niwa:

The first thing one would notice upon stepping into the cafe area would be the sheer number of cats lounging on the floor, on scratching posts, and even on the shelves. There are ten cats living in this establishment, according to a list of cats distributed to us. Most of these cats were rescued from shelters and dark alleyways along places like Ubi or Geylang. Some of them darted across the floor and snaked between visitors’ legs, while others slept soundly in beds or sprawled on a mat as a couple more played hide-and-seek in a cardboard box. 

When we approached a large maine coon/ragdoll napping on the floor, a staff member rushed over to us and advised us not to touch him. Although startled by the interjection, we agreed and opted to admire his long fur instead. We later learnt that at least two staff members would always be standing at a corner of the cafe, watching visitors interact with the cats, and interrupting whenever they felt visitors were not playing with the cats correctly. One even taught us how to optimise playing with a beautiful white cat whose attention span was rather limited.

A little tip for those thinking of visiting Neko no Niwa: the cats love action. Rest your toy on a cat’s side for longer than three seconds and they’ll be fascinated no more. So to maximise your playtime with them, keep your toy moving. Hide it behind a cardboard box, rustle it against the floor to rouse their attention, keep them engaged and curious. If you follow this tip, there’s an almost guaranteed chance they’ll stick next to you to play instead of dozing in their cardboard boxes.

Additional Stuff
Food and cats aren’t the only things that make up a cat cafe. What about the overall atmosphere, the lighting and seats? One couldn’t just forget that, could they?

Meomi Cat Cafe:

When one walks into the local Starbucks or a hipster cafe along Tiong Bahru, one, as a human being, would definitely expect elevated seats and coffee tables. In Meomi, however, the seats were on the ground, where cushions in the shape of the residents’ likeness were scattered. A curious feline would pop by occasionally, darting through the small tables and lounging beside visitors as they enjoyed their food. This gave visitors and cats free access to each other, and everyone was allowed access to each other’s environments.

The little cafe was swathed in light, no corner unlit and unfriendly. And why is that? The answer lies in the glass ceiling, allowing natural light to stream in with no inhibition whatsoever. Visitors and felines alike can bask in the sunlight on clear days and watch the raindrops fall above them in the comfort of the air-conditioned cafe on rainy days. A trivial thing, one might think, but to our writers, it made all the difference to the ambience.

Neko no Niwa:

We were told right from the very start that the cats were feisty, sprightly critters who loved action. We even witnessed it first-hand, when a cat darted in front of them while they were walking to their seats. That is why the elevated seats were suitable for both visitors and cats—humans could separate themselves from the world of felines to enjoy their food if they’ve had enough, and cats could jump up and down to relieve their restlessness anytime they needed.

There wasn’t any shortage of natural light in Neko no Niwa either. Being situated in Boat Quay, there was a great view of the Singapore River many visitors took pictures in front of. A few sleepy cats dozed cosily in the beds that were laid out on the table next to the window, so visitors could enjoy some downtime along with their feline friends too.

Personal Judgement

Emily: If your primary focus was the food, I’d definitely recommend Neko no Niwa. However, the most important part of a cat cafe is, well, the cats. And for that reason, I would have to rank Meowmi higher than Neko no Niwa (and their food isn’t anything to sneeze at either!). I really enjoyed the interactions and feeding of the cats, as well as the owner’s cheesy but well-intentioned jokes. I felt more connected to the cats through the sharing of little anecdotes, and overall the atmosphere was really relaxing and enjoyable. 

Neko no Niwa’s cats were still superb, but there was not much information given about the cats other than their origins and names. In addition, the influx of patrons meant that the cafe was rather bustling the whole day—not ideal for a chill afternoon. 

Jing Xuan: Neko no Niwa, while having an admittedly better quality of food with less cloying and more refreshing items, was rather strict with their cats, with staff often interrupting play and interaction with the cats. While it was done with good intentions—for customers to better understand how to play with the cats as well as for the cats’ safety and comfort—it could get slightly excessive at times.

Meomi, on the other hand, allowed cats to interact closely with customers (see: seats on ground, funny anecdotes and interesting stories about how they take care of/retire the cats, giving treats to cats), only intervening when customers get overly rowdy or rough. For example, there were multiple warnings given to a young boy to keep his hands to himself as he kept swatting at George, the young British Shorthair, who eventually lashed out at the boy when the cat ran out of patience.

Ultimately, the novelty of a cat cafe lies with the cats themselves: you can find good food in other places in Singapore, but you can’t find the same experience with the cats. Thus, if you wish to have a fun time with a good atmosphere, Meomi Cat Cafe is the place to go.

Conclusion
Both of us unanimously agree that we prefer Meowmi Cat Cafe! Of course, Neko no Niwa has its strengths, but if you’re looking for a calm afternoon with lots of furry friends, Meowmi is the place for you.

Chess: A Battle of Wits
By Val Yeo (20S03O)

By the time 2.30pm rolls about, there are three rows and three columns of tables set up neatly, a board of chess on each table simply waiting there awaiting the competitors. Not too far off, two boards of Chinese chess are set up. A few tables are occupied, members of the Chess Society and competitors alike playing some friendly matches before the official match commences. Once the attendance is taken, a quick briefing is done and after resolving the confused mutterings of a few competitors regarding the use of the timer, the game starts. 

The room falls silent as players switch from their friendly demeanours to their competitive selves, staring intently at the chess board as they watch their opponents make their moves. Chess pieces slowly get removed from the board as the players make capture after capture, slowly being piling up next to the board. The players’ brows furrow as cogs turn in their heads, contemplating their next move. Some nod in appraisal of their opponent’s move and a few nails are bitten as their King is slowly being cornered. Within seven minutes, the first game of Chinese chess is up, and within 12, only three teams are left on the battlefield. 

After all three rounds of chess are played and the scores are tabulated, it falls down to a clear winner. The overall personal champion is Yu Zheng Wen from MT.

Rankings:

1st: HH

2nd: MT

Tied for 3rd: BW, BB

4th: MR

Badminton: What’s That Racket About?
By Gabrielle Ng (20A01E) and Ng Jing Ting (20A13A)
Photo courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

Undeterred by the sweltering heat outside, players of the five different houses filed into the MPH and onto the badminton courts as a member of the school’s badminton team hollered to announce the start of the badminton TRG. Amidst the sea of colour, student referees darted around, shuffling pairs around the courts and directing others to their places. Newly formed pairs exchanged awkward greetings but soon warmed up to each other. 

As the games proceeded, some let out shrieks of exhilaration, prancing nimbly to lightly hit the fastest of shuttlecocks; others gave sheepish laughs of embarrassment as they flailed and failed to receive their partners’ smashes. The scent of competition in the air only intensified as afternoon bled into evening, with pairs of players being eliminated steadily as others advanced further into the semifinals and finals. Eventually, the competition was whittled down to the strongest teams, who played with an almost frightening intensity as they careened around the courts.  Triumphant victors thrust their rackets into the air, while those at the other side of the court courteously offered a handshake and an occasional high five in a show of their fresh camaraderie. 

BW took home first place that day, but everyone went home flushed with the satisfaction of having had the time of their week, assured that they were winners unto themselves. 

Rankings

1st: BW

2nd: MR

3rd: MT

4th: BB

5th: HH

Table Tennis: The Ball’s in Your Court
By Gabrielle Ng (20A01E) and Ng Jing Ting (20A13A)
Photo courtesy of Hadley-Hullett’s Instagram page

Combining the hush of an examination venue with the occasional interjection of ping, pong, ping, pong as the orange balls slid off the tables and bounced around the players’ legs, the MPH reverberated with the sound of players across all five houses warming up for the table tennis TRG. As paddles slashed through the air and balls ejected themselves off the tables (pushed together to make larger playing fields), friendships blossomed between players as they geared up to face the challenge of the day to give their house a name. 

Players wielded their paddles like lethal weapons, casting graceful, swift movements that wowed both opponents and the audience with the flawless trajectory of the ball. More leisurely players hastily flung the ball onto the opposite courts and scrambled to receive the opponents’ serves with occasional screams, evoking much laughter in the otherwise tense competition venue. Players displayed amazing, show-stopping, excellent sportsmanship through the exchange of handshakes after every match. Nevertheless, the true competitiveness of the inter-house face-off shone through, with players tightening their grip on their paddles and even sporting a few beads of sweat in the air-conditioned venue towards the last minutes of the game.  

Eventually, table tennis TRG came to a conclusion as HH triumphed over the rest of the houses and took home first place. Congratulations!

Rankings:

1st: HH

2nd: MT

3rd: BB

4th: MR

5th: BW

Tennis: … And the Winner Takes All
By Ng Ziqin (20S03H) and Sophia He (20S03H)

Thwock. Beat. Thwock. Beat. Thwock. There was something almost musical about the steady rhythm of the low-density tennis balls bouncing off the hardcourt. Spectators watched in awe as the orange-and-yellow balls sailed through the air in beautiful arcs. Overhead, over nets, and on one occasion at 6.38 pm, over the high fences surrounding the tennis court, and onto the road below. 

The midday sun beat down mercilessly on the participants’ backs. It may have dampened their shirts with perspiration, but it could not touch their enthusiasm. House Directorate members cheered on from the sidelines, offering support to their players in the form of spirited shouts, free oreos, and the elixir of the gods—Milo.

The first few bouts were conducted round-robin style. Participants from each house were paired up and pitted against a pair from another house in a series of ten-minute doubles matches. 

There were squeals. There were swings which completely missed the mark. There was a player who twirled the racket around in his hand like pro whenever he adjusted his grip on it, throughout the game, a player who T-posed and wiggled his bum while waiting for his opponents to ready themselves, and another who would squat down and cringe whenever a serve fell short. The moves were not fancy, but the entertainment value was high.

One pair each from BB, BW, HH and MT proceeded to the semi-finals. The sun was beginning to set. Ten minutes later, it was BB and BW who proceeded to the finals. 

The game ended with a winner shot by BB player Roshan Doshi (20S07A), sealing BB’s victory with a scoreline of 9 to 3.

Rankings:

1st: BB

2nd: BW

3rd: MT

4th: HH

5th: MR

RECAS: Nothing Trivial About This Quiz
By Ng Ziqin (20S03H)
Photograph courtesy of Joel Leong (20S03O) from Raffles Photographic Society

“A little strategy: if you don’t know it, just whack. Cos if you don’t know it, you don’t know it. Don’t think too much about it.”

Huddled together in a corner of A33, the HH team is discussing their game strategy. From the serious looks on their faces, you could be forgiven for thinking that they were talking about anything other than a Kahoot quiz. 

Unlike most other TRGs, this one took place in air-conditioned comfort, yet the mood was anything but chill. Some early arrivals were spotted playing a game of Chinese chess before the quiz started—mental warm-up, or intimidation tactics? Interestingly, the absence of a physical component to this event did not deter participants from showing up in their house T-shirts and shorts. 

Beginning officially at 3.12 pm and centred on the theme of Technology, the RECAS quiz comprised 16 multiple-choice questions. A total of four houses were represented: BB, BW, MR, and HH. 

With house pride and house points on the line, nothing was trivial about this quiz. While the mood started out relatively light-hearted, the competition grew increasingly tense and the players’ investment in the game grew stronger as the questions got tougher and tougher. Answers were shouted frantically across the room, though it soon became impossible to tell which ones were right.

“Saverin. Saverin. I’m pretty sure it’s Saverin,” a BB player was heard telling his teammates seconds before the correct answer was revealed (unfortunately not Saverin).

At the end of an intense eight minutes, it was the HH team, having answered 9 out of 16 questions correctly, who emerged victorious with a whopping 9,869 points. But non-HHians need not despair; the last we heard, the exchange rate for Kahoot points to TRG points was not one-to-one.

Rankings:

1st: HH

2nd: BW

3rd: BB

4th: MR

5th: MT

Fencing: Never on the Fence
By Huang Beihua (20A03A)
Photo courtesy of Bayley-Waddle’s Instagram Page

“En garde!”

Participants took their positions. All was still, the air quiet but heavy with anticipation.

“Fence!”

At the command, the fencers launched into action. For some pairs, that would mean a rapid sequence of attacks, the épée’s thin blades clashing and crooking in a cacophony of clangs. For others, a more cautious battle was in order: both combatants, unpredictable behind the heavy masks, feinted and waited with weapons slithering in their hands, preparing to strike as a leopard falls upon its prey at the right opportunity. Whatever the style, whatever the spectacle, the goal was the same: the burst of exhilaration as you clip the opponent with your sword, one that you have to experience to truly know. 

We have Raffles Fencing to thank that the thrill was preserved as far as it possibly could be—even for amateurs (ahem, secondary school fencers). That meant real epees where one would (as some participants did) expect foam swords, and full protective gear that were the reserve of professionals. Of course, to truly invite participants into the wondrous world of fencing, an hour-long training session was conducted to teach at least some of the basic movements.

And the result was nothing short of a success—every round of cheering, every victory cry, and even every high-five all testify to the joy and excitement that suffused the hall. What showcased their enjoyment the best, however, was how almost all players agreed to prolong the game as it concluded, evidently unwilling to let go of the captivating sport. 

Rankings:

1st: MT

2nd: BB

3rd: HH

4th: BW

5th: MR

By Raffles Press

Raffles has assembled. Team Raffles Games (TRG) season has officially begun, featuring face-offs between each house as they vie for the title of House Champion 2019. In this article, Raffles Press brings you the highlights of TRG Week 1 (Part 2), from 1st–2nd August 2019.

One Earth: Save My World, One Puzzle at a Time
By Kelly Leong (20S07C)
Photo courtesy of Bayley-Waddle’s Instagram Page

Set in 2140, the world is a mess of plastic pollution and melted ice. It’s up to the teams from the various houses to find a time machine, turn back time, and convince people to take better care of their environment.

Aligning closely to their CCA’s theme, One Earth presented an escape room, featuring a collection of activities to complete in a mere 20 minutes: riddle-solving, finding puzzle pieces to decode a message in morse code, sorting out various types of plastic and guessing a song played in reverse. In teams of four, participants entered the room, which was pitch black aside from the torch provided, and only upon completing the first stage would the room then be lighted. From then on, participants could partake in any of the remaining three activities in a bid to escape the room. 

Some participants would move on to scour the room for puzzles pieces, hidden in odd nooks and crannies, while others moved onto the task of sorting out recyclables from the non-recyclables. The room soon turned into one full of confused questions (more so than at tutorials!) and the occasional triumphant shout when a puzzle piece was found. Team effort was quintessential as time ticked on—after all, the faster you escaped, the more points you scored for your house, with the maximum being 200 points for escaping within half the allotted time. It took wit and quick thinking, putting together everyone’s “big brains” to find the time machine, and even then, not all groups managed to complete the tasks.

In the end, it was BW that emerged victorious, HH in second place, and BB in third.

Rankings:
1st: BW
2nd: HH
3rd: BB
4th: MR
5th: MT

Shooting: Giving Your Best Shot
By Clara Shen (20A01A)
Photo courtesy of Students’ Council

The welcoming environment of the shooting range warmly greeted the participants, who were excited to try their hand at a new, unfamiliar sport. The games were divided into a few rounds, the first being a practice round. The participants were given time to practice under the instruction and guidance of the CCA members, after which they would attempt to shoot as accurately as possible at the balloon that was attached to a card.

The second round took on a different twist. It went by the name of a “Fun Card Round”, which cleverly incorporated the house colours in an interactive scoring system. Competitors had to try to aim for the bullseye of the card, which would award them ten points. This was followed by hitting one’s own house colour for five points, another house colour for two points and the black outer ring for one point. 

After collating the results from the previous rounds, the CCA members announced the five best shooters from each house. These participants were selected to represent their houses in the final round of the games, which adopted the style of an elimination round, with five parts in total. Players had to each shoot five shots in the span of 300 seconds in the first round, and two shots each for the subsequent four rounds.

In the first round of the finals, MT led the pack with 33 points, while MR followed closely behind with 30 points. Unfortunately, BB was the first to be eliminated, followed by HH. Very quickly, the competition narrowed down to the top three houses, and tensions ran high as MR started to catch up with MT in the fourth round. The other participants started clapping noisily during the turns of competing players as a form of distraction, which seemed to work. Ultimately, MT emerged as the winner of the final round. Following hotly behind MT’s wheels were MR and BW.

Subsequently, the overall rankings were announced. MT and MR came in first and second respectively. HH came in third, five points behind MR, and was followed by BW and BB. Regardless of the results, the participants had all undoubtedly given their best shots and were able to try out a new sport from this opportunity. 

Rankings:
1st: MT
2nd: MR
3rd: HH
4th: BW
5th: BB

Water Polo: A Splashin’ Good Time
By Rachel Leong (20A01A), Mah Xiao Yu (20A01B), and Megan Soh (20A01B)

The temperature was high and the sun was bright, but hopes were higher and smiles were brighter on the afternoon of the water polo TRG. Though the heat was sweltering, the players gathered around the Year 1–4 swimming pool enthusiastically, prepared to give their all and swim for victory. Loud pop music blasted through the area, hyping up both the spectators and players for what was sure to be an exciting game. 

The games were modified for the benefit of the players, who were mostly inexperienced. Each game lasted four minutes instead of the usual eight, and the courts were much smaller than the 25- or 30- metre pools used for official games. From the beginning, the players’ throws and catches were performed with amazing accuracy and it hardly took them long to get used to playing in the water. Amidst speedy swimming, missed balls bouncing off goalposts, and impassioned cheers from both the players and spectators—including the water polo CCA members acting as referees, coaches and cheerleaders—the first games ended. Soon, the players settled into a steady rhythm. Even as the sun beat down on them mercilessly and the fiery competition intensified, their stamina and determination remained invincible.

Everyone emerged from the afternoon of sweat, splashes and sunshine with smiles on their faces; it had clearly been a great way to cool off from the stress of school life. And while victory ultimately went to MR, with MT coming in second and BB in third, all the participants did swimmingly, and it was clear to see that they had a splashing good time!

Rankings:
1st: MR
2nd: MT
3rd: BB
4th: BW
5th: HH

CLDCS: Rekindling the Spirit of Learning Mandarin
By Claire Tan (20S07A)

CLDCS had their TRG held in two air-conditioned classrooms, a welcome respite from the scorching weather outside. In fact, the participants, all housed in one room for the first game, seemed more pumped up than usual. Animated chatter filled the room as they gathered in their houses, and some even went up to CLDCS members and jokingly asked for hints. Unfortunately, these attempts failed, and the participants were left without any clues for the first game: charades.

With topics such as 歌名 (famous songs), 成语 (idioms), 动作 (actions), 品牌 (brands), and 名人 (famous people), teams of three from each house battled it out to correctly guess as many words as they could. The BB team dabbed furiously when their sputtering attempts to guess idioms were successful, eliciting several sighs, while the MT team brought back nostalgic memories when they hummed songs such as 那些年 and 小幸运. 

The second game, held in the next room, took on the form of a scavenger hunt—participants had to find as many Chinese characters as they could, and form Chinese idioms with them. However, one peek next door and you would realise things were not as simple as they seem. The pieces of paper were stuck in unimaginable places: underneath chairs, on the fans, outside the windows, on top of the whiteboard, or even behind the class decorations. In desperation, team members hurdled over tables, frantically jumping to reach the ceiling, or even fought over the same piece of paper. When it was time to assemble the words and form idioms, alliances started to form, and the word “Swap?” was repeated so many times that the room sounded like it was full of parrots. 

In the end, despite multiple attempts to bargain for points, the scores were tallied fairly. MT made a huge comeback and placed first, followed by BB, BW, MR and HH. No matter the standings, everyone had a great time reconnecting with the Chinese language, and we all left appreciating it a little bit more than we had before. 

Rankings:
1st: MT
2nd: BB
3rd: BW
4th: MR
5th: HH

Soccer: Getting a Kick Out of it
By Ruchira Ramaswamy (20S03A) and V Shivani (20S06R)
Photo courtesy of Students’ Council

The boundless energy and excitement of the Soccer TRG participants was undeniable as the matches commenced. It was evident that they were putting their heart and soul into the game from the number of times the soccer ball bounded out of the field, perilously close to striking the spectators on the stands (yikes).

The boys were initially set back by the poor turnout, especially MR, whose three-man team was forced to combine forces with HH. However, the players were unfazed as they powered through, playing consecutive matches in the hot sun. After the qualifiers, the top two houses—BW and MT—were set to battle it out for the first and second places while the other two teams, BB and MR/HH, would play for third and fourth place.

The excitement mounted in the last five minutes of the finalsas BW and MT fought tooth and nail for the winning title. For every cunning block, steal and goal-scoring attempt made by the TRG players, RI’s soccer team cheered them on with a smattering of applause or a whooping cheer of “nice one, man!”. BW demonstrated incredible teamwork and lightning-fast reflexes as their goalkeeper thwarted every attempt MT made at scoring. Still, the players of MT fought back hard to prove their worth by showing up and showing out.

MT emerged victorious, followed by BW, BB, HH, and MR (points were awarded to each house, proportional to the number of participants in the MR/HH team). MT was ecstatic, throwing their hands up in the air and exchanging congratulatory fist bumps and pats on the back. The other houses took their loss in good spirit, choosing to relish the cool, refreshing ice popsicles brought in by the House Directorates and pose for team photographs instead. 

A special mention goes out to the participants of the girls’ soccer TRG—though their game was cancelled due to insufficient sign-ups, they remained undeterred. Rallying at the new stadium with high spirits, they commenced a separate, unofficial game. Excited screams echoed from their corner of the stadium as they engaged in a friendly fight. As Micaella Ilagan (20S06R) put it, “None of us are even winning, but we’re still going to play!” If this doesn’t perfectly encapsulate the light-hearted spirit and meaning of TRG, what else will? 

Rankings:
1st: MT
2nd: BW
3rd: BB
4th: HH
5th: MR

Handball (by Softball): A Ball of a Time
By Sophia He (20S03H)

Ending off the first week of TRG on a high note was handball, held at the cages on a scorching Friday afternoon.  This was not your usual tame afternoon PE module; the upbeat pop music emanating from strategically placed speakers, the rattle of the cages as players collided with it in an impressive demonstration of Newton’s first law of motion, and the sheer volume of noise generated by frustrated onlookers attracted more than one passing student to slow their footsteps in curiosity.

The game may have been organised by softball, but the participants were playing hardball from the start. Boys faced off in the green cage whilst the girls made their bid for champions in the blue cage, and both sides pulled no punches in achieving their goal. In one game, both BB’s players and their supporters made their distress well-heard when they narrowly missed a tie-breaker goal in the last 5 seconds, ending the game with a 5-5 draw with BW. In another particularly comedic moment, an MR goalkeeper snatched the ball from midair moments before it made contact with the goal, only to stare at the ball incredulously before dropping it into the goal—presumably in shock over his miracle save! After a good many well-fought games, BB emerged champions of the game, with MR trailing close behind and BW coming in third.

Rankings:
1st: BB
2nd: MR
3rd: BW
Tied for 4th: MT, HH

Players: Don’t Play Play Ah!
By Emily Ni (20S03C)

As any self-respecting actor knows, pronunciation and enunciation are key to good acting—and Players put that in action. They kicked off the TRG with a string of tricky tongue twisters, and students struggled to contain their giggles while simultaneously repeating the tongue twisters as many times as they could.

Up next was the tried and true icebreaker Bang. Shrieks of laughter abounded as unsuspecting victims were “shot” at, resulting in very confused “huh?”s and frantic yelling from their neighbours. At the end of the final round, all the students that remained were from HH. 

“Don’t need play, HH sure win liao lah!” someone called out. Be that as it may, the game continued until the sole HHian was left standing.

Last but not least, it was time for the grand finalé. Don’t be fooled by the categorisation of Players as a Performing arts CCA—they went all out for this year’s TRG, creating an exhilarating game complete with Nerf guns, paper ball throwing, and the relentless sun. But unlike the run-of-the-mill shooting games, this TRG required students to act as a given character. And only when the stony-faced Players guarding the paper cups were satisfied with the acting would the chance to shoot a paper cup be given. This proved to be very entertaining for both bystanders and students alike, as melodramatic declarations of love (Romeo and Juliet), throaty British accents (Gandalf), and shouts of “EXPELLIARMUS!” (Harry Potter) echoed around the parade square.

Despite the scorching sun, everyone definitely had a whale of a time scuttling around the parade square, sniping paper cups. After two well-fought rounds, MR emerged overall champion, with HH not far behind. 

Rankings:
1st: MR
2nd: HH
3rd: BB
4th: MT
5th: BW

By Kelly Leong (20S07C) and Ng Jing Ting (20A13A)

A little off the coast of Singapore, away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland, lies Pulau Ubin. Quaint, inexpensive, and perennially sun-kissed, it is the ideal destination for a weekend getaway. On Saturday, 13 July, fifteen members of the Ecological Literacy Programme (Ecolit) and two rather unfit members of Press geared up for a cycling tour round the island that promised new discoveries ahead.

Having set off from Changi Point Ferry Terminal at a time when many would still be emerging from sleep, Ecolit arrives on the shores of Pulau Ubin in two separate bumboats. Already, the main village of Pulau Ubin is teeming with activity: the tangy tunes of the Chinese pop music that blasts through the windows of a used-goods store intermingles with the distant puttering of the bumboats at the dock. As we head towards the bike rental to rent our mountain bikes for the day, we pass by other cyclists, families, and tour groups, all of whom are smothered in layers of sunscreen.

We set about picking our bikes from the neatly-arranged rows, with confident riders choosing to ride alone, while those who preferred the company of a friend hopped on tandem bikes. Chaos ensues almost immediately, as pairs of tandem bikers try desperately to find their groove, intent on keeping their balance. All in all, it takes 15 minutes and a few practice loops before everyone is confident enough to set off.

DESTINATION 1: UPON THE BUTTERFLY HILL

Situated close to the jetty and main village, the Butterfly Hill is home to numerous species of butterflies and to the 50-odd species of plants that have been painstakingly cultivated to attract them. The teacher-in-charge, Mr Tan Si Jie, is quick to point out the various uncommon species on the hill. While his charges flit around the landscape, eagerly snapping photos of the delicate, winged creatures that brush past (cries of “Above you!” and “Turn around!” get increasingly shrill), he deftly identifies the insects with the air of a sharpshooter taking down his kills. “The Black Veined Tiger,” he says, pointing, “and the Common Bluebottle.”

Before long, we leave the picturesque view behind and make our way back down the hill. Mr Tan stops to explain the curious mounds that pop up in alarming numbers on either side of the pavement. “Anthills,” he explains simply, gesturing at the gritty mounds, before motioning for Ecolit to take a closer look at a particular plant. The first impression the spindly ant-hill plant offers is unimpressive, but a closer look at its sagging leaves offer a more flesh-crawling discovery⁠—weaver ants of the reddest and angriest variety crowd the green surfaces by the thousands, having made their home on them. Keen to put Mr Tan’s assertion of the ants being highly territorial to the test, members of Ecolit make intimidating gestures at the colony, with one boy going as far as to hover his finger a few centimetres away. Taking great offense, the ants immediately respond by clustering around the area closest to the offending finger. Having exhausted their ingenuity at finding new ways to distress the ants, Ecolit set off once again, this time for some light refreshments.

DESTINATION 2: AH MA’S DRINK STALL

Yes, the name of the drinks stall is, quite simply, ‘Ah Ma’s Drink Stall’. Founded in 1995, the stall is run by Madam Ong Ang Kui, known to the locals and regulars as ‘Ah Ma’. Even at her ripe old age, she and her daughter, Auntie Ivy, hack away at tough-shelled coconuts to provide refreshments for the guests that drop by. Auntie Ivy, who has seen prior batches of Ecolit students, was excited when we arrived. Welcoming and enthusiastic, she greets us and offers us two tables, about half the seating space in her small, cosy shop.

“Take! Feel free to take photos!” She enthusiastically replies when questioned if we could photograph her at work. It’s a rustic pit stop right next to a quarry, only recently renovated to prevent flooding when rains were heavy. Auntie Ivy tells us that the quarry used to be a prawn farm run by Ah Ma and her husband, until it was forced to close and the drinks stall was set-up.

The sun beats down unforgivingly as more of us begin to pull out our wallets to purchase coconuts and cold drinks. As we approach Auntie Ivy and Ah Ma to talk, the pit stop soon evolves into an impromptu history lesson. There’s a faraway look in Auntie Ivy’s eyes when she tells us more about Pulau Ubin’s history, with Ah Ma chipping in at certain times in a mix of Hokkien and Mandarin.

“There used to be schools. Malay, Chinese, even a nursery for young children.” She says, gesturing to the open spaces around. She tells us more about the naming of the island (did you know Ubin means ‘rock’ in Malay?), what it used to look like and how it has evolved to become the rustic hamlet that it is today.

Auntie Ivy sighs as she thinks back on her childhood. “Ubin used to have many granite mines, but the government stopped [them] to prevent the collapse of the island.” The granite mined from Ubin was actually used in the construction of the first few flats in Singapore! Unfortunately, the collapse of the mining industry on Pulau Ubin caused the miners to lose their jobs, and the native population of Ubin began an exodus to the mainland. Auntie Ivy herself only comes back to the island on the weekends to help man the stall.

DESTINATION 3: GLANCE AT AH MA’S HOUSE

The stall name, however, can be rather misleading, for Ah Ma’s Drink Stall sells not only bottled drinks and organic Ubin coconuts, but rambutans and durians too (yes, wild durians!). How does Ah Ma get all these fruits?

Well, it’s all in her backyard!

Ecolit is given permission to drop by Ah Ma’s property, which is nestled near the drinks stall. Hiking up the dirt road littered with angular rocks and hidden potholes, we realise that Ah Ma is an islander through and through: having to cycle or hike up the rocky road is no easy feat! The breeze rustles the trees above us, as we arrive at a single-storeyed, blue-roofed house surrounded by fruit-bearing trees. Rambutans, durians and even some spices—like curry leaves—could be found in and around Ah Ma’s abode.

It’s a very modest living space, with only the bare necessities, a testament to the simple and minimalist lifestyle the islanders lead. Mr Tan is quick to elaborate more, telling us what Ah Ma and her family went through when the government had taken back the land, and some legal troubles Ah Ma had faced. Interestingly enough, we learn that Pulau Ubin residents actually have a member of parliament, and is subsumed under the East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC)—after all, they are still Singaporeans.

We have travelled back in time to a period that involves little to no modern amenities like the Internet. Ah Ma’s house even features a wood stove, something Ah Ma uses for simple cooking. There is a chicken coop nearby, the clucking of poultry and low murmuring of students a background soundscape as we survey the area.

The yard is littered with fruits, and with explicit permission, we pick a few rambutans to sample. The cloying sweetness of the fruit saw blissed-out smiles on numerous faces as Ecolit members hovered below the rambutan trees, grabbing at the tantalous scarlet spheres that dangled from their branches. A stray durian finds its way into someone’s arms (“How are you going to bring that onto the MRT?”). As we leave the house for the drinks stall again, we see Auntie Ivy ride up the hill on her motorcycle to collect a fresh batch of wild durians and rambutans for the stall.

Business is booming for Ah Ma.

DESTINATION 4: GERMAN GIRL SHRINE

A hush falls over the chattering Ecolit members as we approach the shrine on our bikes, having cycled quite the ways. The tall trees overhead cast a shade that only lends it an even more forbidding aura. The Taoist shrine sits on a small plot of land that barely covers the size of a container classroom, but everything about it—from its marbled exterior walls and tiled roof— exudes a timeless and almost intimidating elegance.

Mr Tan explains that the shrine was built to house the remains of a German girl who had lived on the island with her family during the First World War. She had run away when the British soldiers came to interr her parents; in the dead of the night, her escape attempt had been thwarted when she lost her footing and fell over a cliff to her death. The quarry workers who had discovered her remains years later had given her a proper burial and interred her ashes within the shrine.

Her story began to make rounds when it was rumoured that many who came to ask for lottery numbers came away with windfalls. Shrine visitors today will pray to an urn and a Barbie doll, which represents the deity. Unfortunately, it is suspected that thieves had made off with the original porcelain urn containing her ashes a few decades ago, so it is not known what is contained within the urn devotees pray to. Till today, however, her shrine remains crowded with offerings of varicoloured nail polish, doll dresses and even pairs of childrens’ shoes.

The evidence of the villagers’ care for the shrine was present in abundance. The slow-burning coil of incense that sits on the table before the shrine is testament to the fact that someone on the island still cared enough to personally visit the shrine every day to tidy it up. In fact, Mr Tan explains, the shrine used to be a simple affair of cracked wooden walls and a zinc roof. Its renovation works had been solely financed by the generosity of a certain member of the public.

The mood turns sombre as Mr Tan relays the sad fate that the island and its ageing population seem destined for. “The residents are old. Even Ah Ma is already eighty years old,” he says, conjuring up images of the feisty drinks store lady for whom mortality seemed an absurd destiny, “if we do not become custodians of Pulau Ubin’s stories, the stories of its inhabitants and how they came to be die with them.” With this sobering thought hanging over us, Ecolit leaves the shrine and its secrets behind, and departs for the next destination.

DESTINATION 5: AH KOK’S HOUSE

We arrive at Ah Kok’s House, anticipating lunchtime. Ah Kok, born and raised as a Ubin local, is the man who owns the largest plot of land in Ubin. Greeting us at the house are three dogs and Ah Kok’s brothers, who maintain the house. Unfortunately, Ah Kok himself had relocated to a nursing home on the mainland due to the ailments brought about by his advanced years, and was hence unable to meet us as he had the previous batches of Ecolit students.

We walk down a flight of stairs to a small, sea-facing construction in Ah Kok’s backyard. On first sight, it looks dark, primitive and dingy. Though the coat of paint is still vibrant, the seats are layered with dust, and the wooden flooring with its planks creak slightly as we tread inside. The breeze that brushes past is cool, despite the noontime sun, as we perch ourselves and our lunches along the railing. In the patch of large shrubbery below, we see a dirt path leading to several boats. The water laps at the banks of the channel, creating a nice, soothing lunch time atmosphere. It’s almost like a scene out of Little House on the Prairie.

It is here that Ecolit puts the ‘eco’ in their name by bringing out lunch boxes and reusable plastic cutlery. For this group of students, environmental sustainability seems to rank high on the totem pole, even where food is concerned. In fact, someone who has forgotten to bring his own cutlery receives a fair amount of good-natured teasing. Mr Tan then explains over food that this facility is often rented out to student groups for activities like camps, and has been around for a long time.

“I [have] actually camped here before [when I was a student]. We slung hammocks between the pillars, and it was quite hot.” He said, gesturing to the second flood of the building which we do not explore. He gives an off-handed comment about the vicious mosquitoes in the area that would stop by during the night for a feast.

The quiet, idyllic atmosphere, occasionally broken by laughter and the clanging of utensils, is broken by a shout. Two of the dogs have come to join us for lunch! The dogs stalk between our bags and legs, sniffing intensely with their tongues lolling out. A member of Ecolit decides to have some fun, which leads to a circus act of dogs jumping for the scraps of chicken bones that dangle from his hands. As the chorus of adoring exclamations peters out gradually, the dogs curl up on the floor for an afternoon nap, resolutely ignoring the few students who stand around and whip out their phones to capture this sweet scene.

After the last of the lunch-boxes had been tucked away securely in our bags, we set off on our longest journey of the day—for the Chek Jawa Wetlands. Those riding at the back saw two mixed-breed canines chasing after our departing contingent, their features settling into a heart-wrenching expression of resignation as our bicycles carried us further and further away.

DESTINATION 6: THE CHEK JAWA WETLANDS

What visit to Pulau Ubin would be complete without a stop at the Chek Jawa Wetlands? An ecological paradise, Chek Jawa is home to a host of flora and fauna, with a boardwalk extending into the sea and the mangroves. In fact, it is a zone where 6 different natural habitats converge and meet. The landscape evolves with the changing of the tides, leaving much of what we were able to see to providence and luck.

However, our trip there draws to a temporary halt when two members of our entourage lag behind, and do not show up for a long while. Mr Tan orders us to stay put and while he hops on his bike to retrace our journey and locate the missing members. Speculation as to their whereabouts dominate the idle chit-chat that breaks out as we drag our bikes to the side of the road. Amidst this uneasy atmosphere, the idiosyncrasies of Ecolit members begin to manifest themselves. A member of Ecolit quietly brings out a harmonica (“Where did you get that from?”) and amuses himself with his own tuneless melodies, while two non-bikers are cajoled onto bikes (“Cycling is an essential life skill!”) to wobble around unsteadily.

Eventually Mr Tan returns with the missing girls in tow. The pair emerges on a new tandem bike, the old one having been bested by the rough gravel roads.

“Our tires were punctured,” One of the pair laughs, and onwards we went. The road narrows as tarmac gives way to gravel, the popping and crunching of rock ever present. The humid tropical air makes our sweat stick to our skin, but the luxuriant trees shade us from the harsh lighting and gives us refuge from the heat. The narrow road only being able to fit two-way traffic at a tight squeeze, encounters with bikers coming from the opposite direction were punctuated with panicked shrieks. With the steep incline of the hills and the endless congestion, we end up doing more walking than cycling, trudging along with our bikes.

By the time we arrive and park our bikes, the tide had risen slightly from its daily low. Nonetheless, we file onto the boardwalk, and into the sun’s merciless rays. The coastal view is breathtaking—the water is clear, with the occasional patch of orange sand. Mr Tan tells us that the patches are actually silt drifting along the water’s surface. We see needle fishes (they remind us of pens) and eventually stop to admire the crabs which have emerged above their homes and onto the wet sand. The crabs are fierce fighters, despite being no bigger than half the size of our palms, and they are extremely territorial. Some crabs even have claws the size of their body!

Other interesting finds include the Nipah Palm, whose large fruits we commonly find and devour in our ice kachangs—the ‘atapchi’— and the shell of a horseshoe crab. We even find a banded krait further in to the mangrove, a rare, highly venomous sea snake that we are eager to snap a photo of.

After about ten minutes of walking, we reach a watch tower that gives us a bird’s eye view of Pulau Ubin. The slim structure extends seven stories up, causing it to sway lightly with every strong gust of wind. The expanse of tall greenery around us makes us feel light (though this gives a few vertigo). In the distance, we hear the chattering of monkeys and the squawking of birds, and see Changi Village just beyond the green. High above the ground, Ecolit gathers for a quick photo opportunity.

COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME HOME

The day ends with a quick stop at the colonial house, a small Victorian building that was occupied during the time before the Japanese occupation. A barn near the house, which a tree has grown atop of, now houses a special species of vampire bats. Mr Tan expresses mock outrage at the incorrect image of ravenous blood-sucking, human-killing vampire bats often presented in the media, and tells us that, in reality, they only require a small amount of blood to survive, and in fact do not feed on humans at all.

We cycle back, energised by our finds at the Chek Jawa Wetlands. A bunch of ups and downs and a two-person bicycle crash later, the main village from this morning comes into view. We return our bikes, and stampede towards the drinks stall to get refreshments. Our legs scream for mercy—it’s been a long day and we have traversed a sizeable chunk of the island. As we head back to the jetty to take the bumboat back to mainland Singapore, the sun is already hanging low on the horizon, the golden hour bathing us in light.

The difference in environment between Pulau Ubin and mainland Singapore becomes evident as we step back into Changi Point Ferry Terminal. Comparing the chic, polished exteriors of the numerous food establishments that line the pavements outside to the wooden, zinc-roofed houses on the island, it’s clear that Singapore has progressed rapidly. Yet Pulau Ubin, the living proof of our not-so distant past, has great relevance to our history. The local population is gradually disappearing, in more ways than by migration to the mainland, and with them the first-hand experiences of the cultures of Ubin. Who’s to say what will become of the island and its rich heritage?

So, before its history and culture become obscured by the ravages of time, why not pick Pulau Ubin as the destination for your next weekend getaway?

But before that, remember to bring your best sunscreen. The sun shines a little brighter there.

By Raffles Press

And the Team Raffles Games continue! In this article, Raffles Press brings you the highlights of TRG Week 2 (Part 1), featuring the games played on 5th August.

Floorball: The Art of The Stick
By Jerome Tay (20S06Q)
Photograph courtesy of Students’ Council

At the blow of the whistle, both teams (literally) collided into each other in a struggle to possess the ball. No one spared any expense in their attempts to decimate their opponent. It was intense, and not a single spectator could peel their eyes from the clash that took place within the playing area. And it wasn’t even the finals yet. In fact, the suspense and exhilaration of every match was present right from the start in both the sports and non-sports sides.

Every so often, a player would brandish their stick, preparing to take the shot that would penetrate the enemy’s defence and settle into their goalpost. Of course, what happened more often was that the ball would fly over the dividers and set its sight on the innocent spectators. Truly, the Floorball TRG was as immersive as it could get.

The final match between BW and MT over at the sports side resulted in a draw, and both teams settled their scores in a penalty shootout. Neck-to-neck, respective players from both houses took their shot at a free hit into the goalpost from the half-line. In the end, BW managed to overcome their rivals in red and emerged victorious. The moment would be etched into TRG history for a long time, as equally-impassioned shouts of triumph and disbelief fill the ISH, marking the end of another event.

Rankings
1st: BW
Tied 2nd: MT and HH
Tied 3rd: BB and MR

Squash: Squashing the Competition
By Rachel Leong (20A01A), Mah Xiao Yu (20A01B), and Megan Soh (20A01B)

Buried underground in the Y1–4 campus, away from the heat of the scorching sun, the squash courts were slowly filled with eager participants, squash CCA members and councillors. As we descended into the underground courts, the participants were being briefed on the rules of the game and the modifications that had been made. Each house had sent three players and each game was worth 7 points. The final score of each house would be the sum of the scores of all three players and naturally—the house with the highest total score would win.

As the games began, the enthused screams of encouragement, joy and exasperation echoing throughout the tightly packed space became louder and louder. It was clear to see that everyone was heavily engaged in the matches, especially the players themselves. Shoes squeaking against the wooden floors as they lurched from side to side, the players’ reflexes were impressive and they managed to hit the small, fast-flying balls with powerful strikes. They wielded their rackets with vigour, sending squash balls ricocheting off the walls and flying in all directions at astounding speeds. Every so often the ball (or even racket) would bang violently against the glass doors, causing everyone (or maybe just us, the writers of this article) to jump in their seats.

In spite of the intensity of the games, the players retained their smiles and composure, displaying sportsmanship and camaraderie through it all. Meanwhile, on the other side of the glass walls, the spectators weren’t passive onlookers at all. They were as much involved in the game as the players themselves – they cheered when their friends got a point, groaned when the rival house scored, and laughed fondly at their friends’ blunders. So even though this was an individual sport, everyone felt like they were part of a team. And though, ultimately, the victory went to HH, everyone won in one way or another.

Rankings:
1st: HH
2nd: BB
3rd: MT
4th: MR
5th: BW

Ultimate Frisbee: Flying By The Seat Of Their Pants
By Gabrielle Ng (20A01E) and Ng Jing Ting (20A13A)
Photograph courtesy of Hadley-Hullett’s Instagram page 

Things were heating up at the Second Field, and not only because of the searing heat. As the clock ticked slowly towards 4.20pm, eager players from various houses, councillors, and members from Raffles Ultimate (RU) started to gather in conglomerates along the perimeter of the walkway lining the field. After attendance had been taken by the councillors, members of RU shepherded the players onto the field for a quick practice session in throwing the frisbee. Soon, white plastic discs were flying through the air as the players familiarised themselves with playing techniques.

After the basics of the game had been explained to the players by RU members, players from different houses were directed onto the field to commence with the games. The rules of the game were simple—for each game, each house was represented by a five-member team, and the tournament proceeded in a round-robin style, whereby each team played in turn against every other team. The playing area was quickly filled with shrieks as the games intensified, driving up the competitive spirit that crowded every inch of the field, including the shaded walkway where the audience screamed in delight or groaned in disappointment accordingly with every pass cleared or botched. With every rotation, players shuffled out of the playing area, sporting fresh streaks of mud on their limbs. Regardless of whether they had just won or lost spectacularly, they retained cheerful expressions, satisfied that they had fought valiantly.

 The games ended, and the victor was clear as day (though, ironically, it had progressed to twilight by the time of the TRG’s conclusion). And victory favoured BB that day as the green-clad players took first place. What absolute champs!

Rankings:
1st: BB
2nd: HH
3rd: MT
4th: BW
5th: MR

By Mah Xiao Yu (20A01B), Ng Ziqin (20S03H), and Jermaine Wong (20S03R)
Photographs courtesy of Geng Heqin (20S06S) by Raffles Photographic Society

In this day and age, the number of things that can be bought with $5 is rapidly declining (notable exceptions to this rule: a packet of ice gem biscuits, lecture notes, and the RI foolscap). You might not be able to buy happiness with $5, but you can certainly buy an admission ticket to Film Showcase, and—as our experience at this year’s edition would suggest—that’s pretty much the same thing.

From as early as 6.50p.m., audience members could be spotted milling around near the entrance of the Performing Arts Centre (PAC), where booths displayed props, call sheets, and behind-the-scenes photos.

Having arrived early, we took the opportunity to speak to some of the Film Society members who were at the booths.

Said Alicia Seet (19S03L), director of As Easy As ABC: “The inspiration [for our film] is from the kinds of things me and my cousins used to get up to when we were kids.”

“Our film is about happiness,” added ABC’s director of photography, Joellene Yap (19S07A).

“I’m very excited because it’s been a while in the works and we’ve been working very hard on it,” said Ellery Tan (20S06L), speaking on behalf of his batch as the incoming Film Society Chairperson. “Because everyone is making a film. The Y6s are making the thesis films, which they have spent six months on, and for the Y5s, it’s our big screen debut in front of the whole school, so it’s really a big deal for everyone. I’m very proud of how it turned out.”

“I hope that you’ll feel they are genuine, that they show some part of the filmmakers,” expressed Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A), director of Firsts and the outgoing Chairperson of Film Society. “Even if they are not of professional perfection, they have a lot of heart.”

Our expectations were certainly raised.

Doors opened at 7p.m. sharp. As we waited for the event to start, the warm yellow lighting and pensive background music created an atmosphere of cosy intimacy. Emcees Kim Yeoeun (20S07B) and Higan Kang (20S06Q) were a veritable delight, succinctly summarising the essence of each film with their tongue-in-cheek humour and easing the transition between one film and the next for the audience.

The first thesis film screened was Mimpi Trail, a dreamy story (fitting, considering “mimpi” means “dream” in Malay) of friendship and forgiveness that transcends time. Right from the start, the wistful music, warm colours, and vintage cinematography combine to produce a strong sense of nostalgia that pervades the entire film. Time plays an important role too, as the film shifts continuously between the past and the present before finally confronting each other, when a younger Jonathan from the past visits the present to urge his older self to forgive his friend, Meng, before it is too late. Finally, when the older Jonathan relents, the two Jonathans return to the drain at the beginning, mirroring the actions of the younger Jonathan and Meng from the start of the film, signalling that the friendship is on the road to recovery. Despite the confusing timeline, the film was visually stunning, with several lovely wide shots of the HDB estate which seemed to come straight out of a well-produced documentary.

The night’s second thesis film, Tangyuan, was yet another film where the past and present blended together seamlessly. Initially, the film appeared to centre on the tense relationship between a girl and her forgetful older sister. However, a surprise twist revealed only in the final moments of the film seemed to change the meaning of all the events which had taken place before, leaving the audience reeling in shock (evident from the many heated discussions about the film’s ending which we overheard during the intermission). 

Here are some of the fan theories we overheard:

1. The “older sister” was actually the mother all along (widely accepted as canon), because the mother had dementia or another memory-related illness which caused her mental regression;
2. The mother had already passed away, and the younger sister was reminiscing about how they used to eat tangyuan together.

However, when asked to elaborate on the ending, Tangyuan’s director, Puan Xin (19S03L), replied: “I don’t really wish to elaborate on the plot because I think that the film is up to everyone’s own interpretation, so I just hope you enjoyed it.” Regardless of the ending’s ambiguity, the film was achingly heartwarming. “I wouldn’t mind watching 50 reruns of Tangyuan,” one audience member was overheard saying during the intermission, giving voice to what we believe were the thoughts of many others. 

As Easy As ABC, the third thesis film, was a lighthearted romp about three adorable young siblings (the self-proclaimed Agents A, B, and C) faced with a problem of epic proportions: Mummy is not reading them bedtime stories, and Daddy is not checking their homework anymore. Hijinks ensue as the agents embark on “Mission Happify”, a mission to cheer their family members up, with questionable attempts to prepare Milo with tap water and an entire tin of Milo powder for Mummy, and give Daddy a new (toy) car. Shot almost exclusively from the siblings’ perspectives, the audience was immersed in this light-hearted and whimsical adventure, laughing especially hard at the children’s carefree banter. The deliberate color-coding of the agents in bright primary colors, natural lighting, and espionage-appropriate music enhanced the playful atmosphere. 

It was only when the siblings delivered a bouquet of hand-picked flowers to Ah Ma, who was looking mournfully at an unremarkable cardboard box in a dimly-lit room, that the mood suddenly turned sombre. The audience quieted down, sensing the sudden change in mood. Gently, Ah Ma lifted the lid of the box to reveal Ah Gong’s belongings, and the audience was finally able to piece the whole story together: Ah Gong had just passed away, and what had initially appeared to be a spontaneous decision to cheer their family up was really the siblings’ earnest attempt to alleviate their family’s grief following his passing. This unexpected twist lent the piece an emotional gravitas which made the film even more meaningful.

Despite the playful vibe of the film, filming was not always fun and games—it was hard to direct children. Joellene commented during the question-and-answer segment: “We changed the way we wanted to shoot the film because it was so hard to get them to say their lines. Instead of wide shots, we had a lot of individual shots and foleyed some of the audio. Before each scene, we would drill the lines with them. Before the Ah Gong scene, we spent half an hour going over the lines, just going over and over with them because that was the longest scene and it was quite hard.”

The final thesis film, Firsts, was set on Valentine’s Day, the most ironic day to struggle with feeling unloved. As her mother has gone on a romantic vacation with her boyfriend, 13-year-old Si En has no choice but to crash at her estranged father’s place for a night. Over an uneasy dinner together, the two confront the awkward realities of love, life, and re-marriage. They speak in different languages: Si En in English and her father, Mandarin. They bump into touchy subjects, like what Si En calls her mother’s boyfriend (“Uncle Richard,” she says, not “dad”) and an English name (“Rachel”) she never told her father about. And while he appeared to ask her which name she preferred, the subtext was clear: Who do you prefer, me, or your mother? The staccato rhythm of water dripping in the background was also a masterful artistic choice, adding to the tension of the dinner and inviting the audience to share in the protagonists’ on-screen awkwardness.

The frustration and awkwardness culminates in a confrontation in the middle of the night. A misunderstanding leads to the revelation that Si En has just had her first period, an important milestone for any young girl made even tougher by her absent mother and clueless father. All tension abates as the duo embarks on a valiant quest to shop for pads at the nearby Fairprice, a scene that was equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. The film ends with Si En asking her father if she could catch a movie with him and his new girlfriend, signalling that the father-daughter relationship is on the road to recovery after their shared ‘ordeal’.

But of course, no article about the film showcase would be complete without making mention of the interlude films. While the Y6 thesis films took centre stage, the Y5 batch’s short creative works, interspersed between the longer, heavier thesis films, left the audience in fits of giggles, while also serving as meaningful transitions to bridge the gaps between thesis films. 

The Jock And Nerd navigated the interactions between these two seemingly disparate groups of RI students with its portrayal of the titular ‘jock’ and ‘nerd’, who swap bodies after bumping into each other. The two struggle together, first to reverse the “curse” and then later, to carry on with their regular lives in spite of the body swap. However, their struggle is in vain. It is only when they resign themselves to their fates, and admit that they at least got a friendship out of it, that they look down and realise that they had finally swapped back. While they try to preserve their unlikely friendship and integrate the other into their old life, they soon realise that their efforts are futile. The film’s ambiguous ending of “let’s not force this” certainly gave the audience something to chew on with regard to nerd-jock bilateral relations.

Speaking of chewing, The Fish And Chips was another unconventional interlude film leaving the audience with many questions. Featuring only a single actress from start to finish (unless one considers the fillet and fries from Long John Silver’s to be her co-stars), the audience watched with mounting bewilderment as the faceless actress poured her soft drink into a wine glass and nibbled delicately at her fish and chips in what appeared to be simply an ASMR video. This food-themed, somewhat voyeuristic short served as a nice segue into the similarly food-related thesis film, Tangyuan, which was screened right after it.

While the first two interlude films aimed to confound with their profundity, The East and West seemed to take the opposite approach in wooing the audience. The age-old debate between East and West took corporeal form in this film with the humorous and relatable portrayal of two RI students, ‘Eastie’ and ‘Westie’, who have the misfortune of trying to decide where to meet up for their group project. Their face-to-face conversation is interspersed with entertaining asides as the assertive Eastie and meeker Westie each tell the camera what they really think about the other side of Singapore in a no-holds-barred, reality-TV-style series of interviews which had the audience roaring with laughter. The debate was ultimately settled with a compromise which undoubtedly rang familiar to many PW groups—who cares if its #eastsidebestside or #westsidebestside when the only hashtag you need is #ribestside?

The last interlude film, The One and Only, managed to stay relatable while seeking to answer a tough question—“How would you feel about a version of yourself who could do everything better than you could?” Both the hapless beta-male protagonist and his cooler, sunglass-wearing alter ego were played by the same actor and appeared on-screen at the same time with the help of some post-production editing magic. The Tyler Durden to his Unnamed Narrator, the protagonist’s alter ego was cooler, better, and smarter than him, giving voice to the feelings of insecurity that members of the audience could undoubtedly relate to. At one point, the alter ego even took a bite out of an apple, further cementing his air of arrogance and superiority. But at the end of the film, the protagonist finally managed to beat his alter ego at something (albeit slightly insignificant). “My work here is done,” proclaimed the alter ego, as he entered a toilet cubicle and disappeared with a flush. What did it all mean? Guess we’ll never find out.

The showcase ended off with two video compilations of behind-the-scenes footage, one for the thesis films and a separate one for the interlude films. The former combined a side-splitting blooper reel with a soul-stirring montage of the Y6s’ journey in photos and videos, from pitching to production and post-production. Finally, the entire Y6 batch took their place on stage to talk about their films, their batch, and their journey, fielding questions from members of the audience in a question-and-answer segment. 

“What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt from this journey?” asked one audience member. Onstage, the microphone travelled from hand to hand as the 12-member batch took turns to respond, the different voices mingling to create meaning in the form of a single sentence.

“The biggest thing I’ve learnt from this journey is that it’s about teamwork.”

“Passion.”

“Composure.”

“Flexibility.”

“Understanding.”

“Collaboration.”

“Friendship.”

“Never, ever giving up.”

“Specialisation.”

“Teamwork.”

“Love.”

“And hard graft.”

The farewell segment of the showcase ended with a speech by outgoing Film Society chairperson, Alyssa, an onstage handover between Alyssa and Ellery, and the presentation of tokens of appreciation from the Y6 batch to their teachers-in-charge, Ms Joanna Ng and Ms Audrey Tan.

However, as the lights turned on, it became clear that the night was still far from over, as the audience members swarmed around their friends in the Film Society to take group photographs, present them with flowers, and congratulate them on their hard work.

Several audience members we spoke to were highly impressed by the quality of the films and the effort that the Film Society members had undertaken to make the night a success, from having to colour-correct all the films just a few days before the showcase to suit the PAC’s projector, to the members’ persistent pre-showcase advertising efforts. 

When asked why he had decided to come for Film Showcase, Manish Warrier (20S03H) attributed his attendance to his classmate’s aggressive advertising: “The crazy girl [Sophia] forced me to come.” 

His sentiment was echoed by classmate Tay Yu Han (20S03H): “I came because of Sophia,but it was really, really good. I loved ABC. I actually cried. And I liked the fact that Tangyuan was a film I had to [work to] interpret but I also liked the funny elements of the last two interlude films. I was very impressed by the films.”

“I think it’s always fun to see creative output from your peers, especially if you know them,” said Aaron Tan (19A01B), who attended the showcase despite facing a looming H3 deadline. “The fun thing about indie filmmaking is that you aren’t constrained creatively by what the audience wants or what the box office wants and you have almost free reign to express yourself. The real constraint is in terms of resources, and often, that’s how some of the most interesting creative judgements happen. Of course, Film Soc themselves were particularly constrained by time as well as cash. The sheer amount of hard work and sacrifice they’ve made to fulfil their visions is admirable and inspiring, and I think it was only right to respect that by attending the screening to enjoy their works.”

For a night that only cost $5, the showcase gave us the priceless experience of laughing, crying and enjoying the films that mean so much to their creators. Safe to say, everyone left the PAC feeling touched, whether it be by the emotional films or the little bits of their experience the Y6 Film batch shared with us.

Crew

Mimpi Trail
Director: Charlotte Yeong (19A13B)
DP: Kaitlyn Lee (19S03G)
Producer: Zhang Yihan (19S05A)

Tangyuan
Director: Puan Xin (19S03L)
DP: Liang Hantao (19S06F)
Producer: Nur Aqilah Nuha (19S07A)

As Easy As ABC
Director: Alicia Seet (19S03L)
DP: Joellene Yap (19S07A)
Producer: Oscar Bian Ce (19S06F)

Firsts
Director: Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A)
DP: Arron Tan (19S03C)
Producer: Esther Lam (19S07B)

The Jock And Nerd
Hera Lim (20A01C)
Jayabaskaran Jayanth (20S03E)
Loh Jia Jen (20A01B)
Yap Cai Ni (20S03M)

The Fish And Chips
Chloe Nicole Guai (20A01D)
Freddie Ong (20S06S)
Kim Yeoeun (20S07B)
Milton Lee (20S06A)

The East And West
Asiela Binte Hassan (20S06A)
Higan Kang (20S06Q)
Kate Lu (20S03E)
Sophia He (20S03H)
Teo Shu’En (20A01A)

The One And Only
Ellery Tan (20S06L)
Denise Siah (20S03R)
Muhammad Ashraf Bin Nor Hisham (20A01D)
Xiong Ran (20S03C)
Wong Shao-Yi (20A01B)

By Raffles Press

After two weeks of intense competition, the games have finally come to a close. Raffles Press brings you the highlights of TRG Week 2 (Part 2), featuring the games played on 6th and 7th August.

Piano Ensemble: Noteworthy 

By Benjamin Liew (20A03A)

Soothing music, beautiful communal singing, and a healthy dose of school spirit were the features that defined piano ensemble’s TRG. That, and an unhealthy amount of angry-bird-plushie-smacking.

            At 4.44pm, the activities commence. First up is a game that tests the participants’ pitch accuracy (and quadriceps, in fact). With each member assigned a note, a piece is played on the piano, and the participants must squat upon hearing this note. While initially confusing, teams eventually warm up to this game, and most houses easily clear this first round.

            The real excitement starts with the introduction of the second game: Guess the song. Players gather tensely around a piano stool while a single red angry bird plushie sits nervously upon it. The piano ensemble member begins playing, a beautiful melody wafting through the air. Players sit cross-legged, staring intently at the floorboards as they try their best to decipher the notes—

‘WHAM’. 

The bird is slammed mercilessly into the hard wooden stool. With no shortage of confidence, a HH player declares, “Perfect by Ed Sheeran”. With a nod and a smile from the piano ensemble team, cheers and applause ring out from the players. With the allure of earning even more points if the correct lyrics are sung, the HH player is encouraged to attempt to sing along. He does so with gusto, and soon the room is filled with a dozen voices all melding together beautifully as the players temporarily lose themselves in the music.

With other hits like ‘A Million Dreams’ and ‘The Institution Anthem’ inciting much more excitement (and violence; the poor bird) it is suffice to say that the TRG was a huge hit, regardless of who won or lost.  

Rankings: 

1st: BW

2nd: BB

3rd: MT 

4th: HH

5th: MR

Volleyball: You Just Got Served

By Rachel Leong (20A01A), Megan Soh (20A01B), and Mah Xiao Yu (20A01B)

One might expect the Volleyball TRG matches to be friendly ones amongst amateurs who didn’t know much about volleyball. Imagine our shock when we entered the volleyball courts only to find them akin to a battlefield. Warm-ups were intense from the get-go and it was clear to see that players were going all out for victory—they weren’t about to show any mercy to their opponents. An electrifying set of games was sure to come.

The game had been modified such that each side could have a maximum of five hits, as opposed to three in regular volleyball games. This provided more leeway for team members to be more involved as everyone could actively go after the ball everywhere it went. And the players were indeed involved. After the starting players assembled on two separate courts and the long-anticipated whistles blew, the players launched into a blur of relentless spikes, steady receives, and incredible saves. 

True to the spirit of volleyball, the players used all parts of their bodies. Arms and legs extended out to save the ball from falling onto their side of the court, resulting in many entertaining and amazing saves. Many a time, some players even kicked the ball to save it, resulting in a resounding wave of cheers from the spectators. Services were also equally unbelievable, with serves that frequently went out of bounds due to the sheer force and power. Spectators and players alike were kept on their toes and everyone watched with bated breath. The audience was taken on an emotional rollercoaster: spikes that were believed to surely win a point for one team and celebrated with early cheers ended up being deflected by the other in a split second, turning cries of happiness into screams of frustration. And yet, no matter whose side the point went to, players straightened up, dusted themselves off, and came back for more.

The spirit of dedication was a constant throughout the event: even during the respective teams’ breaks, they practiced among themselves, seizing whatever pockets of downtime they had to brush up on their skills and strengthen their teamwork. It was heartening to see how seriously each house took the games and how much they desired to emerge victorious. What was even more heartening was the virtue of sportsmanship displayed by all houses; win or lose, they concluded the matches with good-natured high-fives and fist bumps all around in appreciation of everyone’s individual efforts.

The setting of the sun and the darkness that slowly enveloped the sky did nothing to douse the fiery enthusiasm of everyone present at volleyball TRG; despite the fact that it was getting late and there was still school the next day, no one harboured any desire to wrap up and leave quickly. Perhaps the fact that it was one of the last few TRGs loomed close by, and even though everyone was clearly enervated by the intense rigour of the games, we knew they’d choose to do it all over again in a heartbeat if they could.

Alchemy / RSBS: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream

By Rachael Koh (20S07C)

There’s a buzz of excitement in the air in LT4 as friendly taunts are being thrown around. In the corner of the LT, some are gathered around a biophysics textbook, hoping to get in some last minute mugging before the quiz starts. 

“Okay, we’re starting!” The air seems almost still, the teams quiet as they wait for the battle of the brains to begin. It doesn’t. The first game is revealed to be… ice-cream making? ‘What does that have to do with science?’ you might be wondering.

Turns out, there’s a lot of science behind ice-cream making. With some simple ingredients, you too can make your own ice cream at home!

The teams from each house line up at the front of the LT, collecting their equipment and “chemicals”. They mix their “chemicals”, before collecting some ice and salt. Now, it’s time to shake! 

BB seems to have employed the strategy of throwing the bag filled with their ice cream to each other, while MR and HH go for the classic, taking turns to shake. Meanwhile, in MT and BW, one member shakes the bag for the entire 15 minutes.

As they hand their ice cream over to the judges, the teachers-in-charge of Alchemy and RSBS, it’s time for the moment of truth. BB seems to have done the best, gaining the title “closest to tasting like ice-cream”.

We now move on to the long awaited quiz segment. There are a total of 4 rounds, where teams warm up by guessing concepts based on pictures, followed by guessing phrases based on words, then Jeopardy, and lastly the speed round.

By the end of round 2, HH is far in the lead with 150 points, while MR is last with -35 points. However, there is still a chance to change their fate in Jeopardy. The teams aim for more points, taking the risk to answer brain boggling questions that may give them 50 points. 

After Jeopardy, HH remains in the lead with 255 points, while BB is close behind with around 230 points. With the place of champion riding on the speed quiz, the last round begins. 

Shouts of “Press! Press! PRESS!!” echo in the LT from BB as they absolutely dominate the speed round, clinching first place for their house. 

Rankings:

1st: BB

2nd: HH

3rd: BW

4th: MR 

5th: MT

Basketball: Shooting for Victory

By Coco Liu (20S06L)

Though it was the last TRG to be played, enthusiasm levels ran high for the Basketball TRG. Half an hour before it was due to start, there were already many participants at the courts, making their preparations. By the time the TRG started properly, at 4.30pm, the courts were crammed with both participants and their supporters. 

First, a briefing on the rules of the game. It was simple: two teams of four—three playing, one as a reserve who could be substituted in during the game—played against each other in a half-court. Points were scored by shooting into the (lone) hoop. 

5.00pm, and the games began. Within a minute an accident had occurred: in one of the boys’ half-courts, an MT and BW player collide, sending them both to the ground. Yet though the BW player’s spectacles were sent flying, his first action was not to check on them—as most myopia sufferers are to do—but to extend a hand to his opponent, as if to check that he was alright. Fortunately, they were unharmed and continued the game as if nothing had happened.

Over at the girls’ courts, the games were no less intense. At one point a BW player shot, and—while the ball hung in the air and our hearts hung in our throats—the whistle signalling the end of the game sounded. Amidst the cheers in the background, the ball bounced on the rim of the rim of the hoop and out onto the ground.

The games lasted over two hours in total. At the end, sweat-soaked, and exhausted, two teams emerged as the champions: MR for the boys, and HH for the girls; HH also took home the title of overall champions. Nevertheless, good job to all the houses for their excellent playing and hard work!

Rankings:

1st: HH

2nd: MR

3rd: BB

4th: BW

5th: MT

By Ng Ziqin (20S03H)

Did you know that RI is one of the few local schools in Singapore to have a professional librarian? Or that the ‘mirror’ on the wall to the right of the library counter is not actually a mirror, but a window into the head librarian’s office?

Have you ever paused to wonder how a book made its way from a Kinokuniya or the dusty stockroom of a publisher to come to be on the shelves of the school library, and then, finally, in your hands?

“You think: ‘A book is just a book’, right? But actually, there’s a lot of work that goes on behind getting a book ready,” says head librarian Mrs Joanna Chow, who oversees both the Shaw Foundation Library (SFL) as well as the Hullett Memorial Library (HML) over at Y1-4: 

Unlike other school libraries, which might only be able to put in a book order once every term or every half a year, the SFL processes orders on a daily basis. This means that the book requests don’t sit with the librarian for months, and students and teachers get the items they need as quickly as possible. 

Whenever a teacher puts in a request for an item, the librarians first have to check that the item is not already available in the library. After this basic step has been conducted, a dizzying list of questions then follows: Where’s the cheapest place to get it from? Is it out of print? Is there local stock? Overseas stock? How urgent is the request? Are there sufficient funds for the purchase?

Occasionally, there will be requests which call for a little more ingenuity and resourcefulness on the part of the head librarian.

“For example, currently I have a request to buy this book about Zapin, which is a folk dance of the Malay world. But the book is actually already out of print.”

Mrs Chow isn’t going to let something as small as a title being out of print get in the way of her acquisitions. She checks Carousell for a second-hand copy. No luck.

Finally, she manages to locate a copy of the book. But it’s in Malaysia. In order to avoid paying for exorbitant postage costs, Mrs Chow will call upon her extensive personal connections to get someone who lives in Malaysia who comes to Singapore regularly to help her bring it out. 

So things like that, we will try to go all out to help the teacher get the book because it’s part of the curriculum. I like to make sure I have exhausted all avenues before I tell the teacher, ‘I can’t do it.’

Mrs Joanna Chow, Head Librarian

After an order has been placed, still more steps follow. The library staff need to check the item against the order, invoice it on the system, accession it, barcode it, process it (which involves wrapping, stamping, and placing a magnetic strip to sound the alarm against ‘library-lifters’), and then catalogue it to make it available in the system so that it can be searched.

But these are just the basics. Mrs Chow’s exacting standards and attention to detail shine through in the other non-standard processes which every library book goes through before hitting the shelves. 

For instance, every book has an extra page at the front, attached by the librarians using double-sided tape, because Mrs Chow doesn’t like having the due date slip pasted onto the book itself.  “Every book is wrapped very, very nicely. I’m very, very particular about all this. And every book needs to be stamped.” 

She lifts the book she’s currently reading—The Revenge of Analog—from her desk, turning it around from side to side to show me. The stamped words, which read “Shaw Foundation Library Raffles Institution”, are perfectly aligned, stamped perpendicular to the pages on all three sides. 

Considering the amount of effort that goes into sourcing, purchasing, and preparing each book, Mrs Chow is understandably upset whenever students do not take care of the books they borrow. Her pet peeve is when students get the books wet, and then try to weasel negotiate their way out of paying the fine because they’ve “only stained three pages” of the whole book. In truth, determining the value of a book is never as straightforward as offering to pay pro rata. 

“It’s very hard [to determine]. How to pay me [for] three pages? You stain it, you pay for the entire book. It’s as easy as that. Because I can’t tell you that three pages is worth ten dollars.”

And often, it isn’t just about those three pages either, because if a book isn’t dried properly, it can grow mould which can spread to other pages, or even other books in the library. 

And people prefer to read newer-looking books. “Our experience has shown that [even] if it’s an old book, but we buy a new copy of that old book, people will want to read it.” 

The upshot? Keeping books looking good-as-new is very important.

We don’t want the money. We want the book!

Mrs Joanna Chow, Head Librarian

As the old proverb goes, prevention is better than cure. So if you would like to stay on the head librarian’s good side, please keep your library items clean and dry. “I mean, I’m happy to give you a ziplock bag. I’m happy to give you a recycling bag, or whatever. But if you don’t take care of it… then I think it’s just too bad lor.”

“Actually, it’s not that we want to be strict. We just hope that students understand—we have a lot of students to deal with. And it’s always easier when you’re strict with the rules in the beginning, then relax when necessary. Rather than relax and then tighten the rules [later]. We realised that when we tighten the rules right from the beginning, there are fewer issues for us to deal with.”

While the library’s draconian circulation policies might have drawn flak from some students, Mrs Chow sticks to her guns about the importance of students taking responsibility for the items they check out.

“It’s not our aim to frighten the students. What we want the students to do is to be responsible for the things, because there’s a cost to everything and the students don’t actually realise they’re very lucky to have a good school library, especially our Singapore collection. But that’s because we spend time building the collection. So we want to make sure that the students are responsible, that when you borrow something, it’s not like it doesn’t cost anything. It costs something, you know. That you take care of my items.”

Apart from her Singapore collection, there is another collection which is a personal point of pride for Mrs Chow: the exam papers compilations in a corner of the Quiet Study Area. For copyright reasons, the librarians are not able to put up the electronic versions of the other schools’ papers online. 

“Some people say, ‘It’s so old fashioned’, but it’s actually a lot of work for us. Sometimes when we receive the soft copy [from the other schools], there’s no cover page and we need to create a cover page. If you go and take one exam book, you will understand. We stamp every page number so that you know what page number Hwa Chong is, rather than have to flip every single page.”

While compiling exam papers is relatively easier for “regular” subjects like Econs, ensuring that RI has the complete collection of papers for more esoteric subjects can be challenging.

“For example, Art. How do you know what school has it, and what school doesn’t? So we have to go and find out. Whatever we have, we make sure that it’s there. Because once we send it for binding, it’s in a bound copy, and we can’t add anymore. That’s why it’s priceless! If you lose that book, I can’t put a price tag to it. It’s so much effort. And that’s the reason why we don’t allow students to take it out.”

But while students will gladly pick up a book of exam papers to browse through, getting students to read beyond the curriculum takes a bit more creativity. To encourage RI students to read more, Mrs Chow shares with me that the library has resorted to some rather unconventional measures, such as putting up magazine articles from The Economist or TIMES on the board outside the toilet, next to the library.

“Because when people are waiting for their friends at the toilet, they actually stand there and read! So it’s actually quite useful to have that. [Just one of] a lot of different aspects that we try [to] encourage people to read.”

But what about something slightly longer than a magazine article?

“Usually, when the students come up to JC, they don’t really have a lot of time to read, right?” Mrs Chow laments. “And even when they do, it’s usually just the academic books. So a lot of our fiction books are actually mainly bought for Y1–4. Our main fiction is there. Our acad one is here. Because in Y1–4, you’re expected to read mah.”

To instill a love for reading in the Y1–4 boys, Mrs Chow is not above purchasing books which other adults might frown upon as childish or silly, so long as they’re popular with the boys.

“Harry Potter—I already bought, like, ten sets. It’s all broken and torn. So we will buy replacements. We will also buy different versions of it,” she says, citing the Harry Potter graphic novels, DVD, and a beautiful edition with full-colour illustrations. 

“Even if it’s a silly thing,” she says, referencing the hit series Diary of a Wimpy Kid by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. “It’s a ‘cartoon book’, you know? But did you know everybody likes to read it? And I will buy it because people like to read it. What is that $20 to me if I can encourage people to read?”

But it’s not just the students that Mrs Chow serves; she is also highly aware of the reading habits and preferences of the teachers. And she may know more about them than they think.

For instance, she knows that Mr Magendiran likes to read biographies, Mr Patrick Wong likes books about animals (especially birds), and Mr Eddie Koh likes… a highly specific sub-genre which Mrs Chow refers to as “Pulau Ubin kind of books”.

“He likes those ‘kampung’ kind of things,” she says with a laugh. “So when I have the stuff, new biographies, or maybe an article, I will notify them.”

The reason she is able to do this is because these teachers have come up to her to talk to her about their pet subjects.

If you come and tell me what you want, I will look out for you. But if you don’t tell me, I don’t know!

Mrs Joanna Chow, Head Librarian

It’s hard to imagine someone like Mrs Chow, with her resourcefulness, eye for detail, and a passion for getting the right books to the right people, being anything other than a librarian. So I am surprised when Mrs Chow tells me that she didn’t start out as one.

As a former RJC student who studied music, Mrs Chow didn’t expect to become a librarian. Her first degree was in Music, and she went on to complete her postgraduate studies in education. “But then, I didn’t like teaching general music because at that time, part of the syllabus was to teach the recorder.” 

It was then that she realised that she “prefers quietness”, decided to do something “arts-related, but not classroom teaching”, and went on to do her Masters in Library Studies. 

Before becoming head librarian at RI, Mrs Chow worked in retrospective cataloguing at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she was dealing with 19th-century books. There were huge temperature-controlled archives, she had to wear gloves to flip the pages of the books, and the librarians had to ensure people didn’t bring pencils into the Reading Room to prevent them from staining the priceless books.

While her job in RI is very different, there is much that Mrs Chow enjoys about being Head Librarian here. Prior to joining the school, she never expected there to be so much to do. When she worked in the university library, she was only in charge of one aspect of library work. Here, she has to do it all. 

“I mean, I love the job because it gives me so much variety and so many challenges. It has given me the opportunity to stretch myself beyond just a single aspect. In St. Andrews, I only did cataloguing. But here, I need to do acquisitions, I need to do cataloguing, I need to do collection management. I need to do subscriptions, I need to liaise with vendors, I need to discipline students. I need to manage staff. I need to do budget. So yeah, there’s never a dull day. And I do not know what’s next. I mean, I didn’t know you were coming in today!”

Mrs Chow hopes that RI students will realise just how well supported they are, and make full use of the library’s facilities and resources more often. 

We really have a lot of good stuff in the library.

Mrs Joanna Chow, Head Librarian

And if there’s anything you need, don’t be afraid to approach her for help. 

“If you have the courage to ask, you will get something back. You ask, we will check for you, but if you don’t ask, we don’t know.”

“My door is always open.”

By Claire Tan (20S07A) and Huang Beihua (20A03A)

You can’t see the stars in Singapore—or so you thought! If you ever thought this way, be prepared to be proven wrong by what went down at AstroNite 2019—Astronomy Club’s showcase of the fascinating science that opened a window to all its richness, even for the clueless layman (much like us). 

The Multi-Purpose Hall opened its doors the moment the clock struck seven, and attendees wasted no time pouring into the arms of its jovial, carefree atmosphere. The voice of Elton John’s Rocket Man opened the suitably astronomy-themed playlist, the backdrop for excited chatter and punctuated by the occasional bout of laughter. Booths, enticingly adorned with streamers or banners, took up most of the attention, each one a unique window into the world of astronomy. Not to mention the free prizes given out, comprising chocolates and sweets (appropriately Mars-branded) that provided additional motivation—as if any more was needed—for sleep-deprived students to participate in the games prepared for them.

A more careful look around the hall revealed a novel sight: unlike most other school events, AstroNite has been involving Astronomy lovers from all over Singapore to help with organising or participating in the event. Five astronomy clubs set up their own booths within the hall, while an even more diverse crowd, spanning all kinds of educational institutions, gathered to soak up the atmosphere of the night. Pride evident in her smile, teacher-in-charge Ms Lim Ai Lin commented that she was “very happy to help show that, regardless of what institution you go to, you can enjoy the subject [of Astronomy].” The benefits of collaboration hardly stopped with inclusivity, however, as Wu Xiao of the Hwa Chong Astronomy Club testified: “[the cooperation] helped to improve the fraternity among different schools, allowing [them] to get familiar with and learn from one another.”

One example of this collaboration came from the Cogitare Club of Raffles Girls’ School. At their booth, participants had to throw darts to answer three questions, and getting all three correct would warrant them a prize. The tantalising taste of snacks was hardly within easy reach, however, with questions such as “What are the implications of finding alien life?” demanding every bit (and often more) of what we knew. (Correct answers demanded mentioning ‘The Great Filter’, a concept theorising barriers preventing the development of advanced intelligent life, and certainly not any hurried mentions of “a communist society”.) The less-than-stellar replies were nothing to worry about, however: the station masters remained hospitable as ever, all but too enthusiastic to impart their knowledge to their audience. 

Another booth of note was the one by the School of Science and Technology’s Astronomy Club. The alien contraptions proudly displayed across three tables drew more than a few wide-eyed stares, but friendly experts on the matter were all but too willing to assist. With their patient explanations, we learned that they were radio antennae, made to pick up signals from space that carry significant meaning in the study of astronomy. The complex mechanisms of the instrument were made even more impressive when we found out that they were made from scratch by students: the antennas were precisely positioned metal rulers, while the more sophisticated transmitters and attenuators attached were all commercial parts ingeniously made to work together with streams of wires. It was the perfect model to showcase how complex machines actually work and, as we listened, asked questions, and nodded in pretense of understanding, we could feel the gradual enlightenment of our physics-averse brains.

Perhaps the best contrast to this science-heavy showcase was RI’s own ‘DIY Galaxy in a Bottle’ Booth. On the tables were bags filled with crushed water babies in a motley of colours, eagerly awaiting their layering into tiny glass bottles. Each bottle was a capsule of magic waiting to happen: every ray of light saw “galaxies” coruscate into life, almost swirling before our eyes. For a different type of souvenir, the “Written in the Stars” station stood readily waiting: Participants wove through perforated paper and traced their favourite constellations with strings. The result was elegant in its simplicity, perhaps lacking the bottles’ opulence but evocative in their abstract, subdued way. Of course, those still yearning for intellectual stimulation were not forgotten: a smorgasbord of quiz stations lined the perimeter of the hall, sating the eager challenger’s hunger about any topic from the history of astronomy to features of the night sky.

While the hall was suffused in an ebullient joy, the parade square was a much different sight. Even before night fell, our Astronomers were already hard at work, dotting the parade square with telescopes and preparing them for the stargazing session to come. Far from a simple point-and-look routine, priming telescopes for use was arduous work saturated in technicality: from regulating the alignment of lenses and mirrors, to meticulously adjusting minuscule screws, the task demanded the utmost of care and caution. 

What was instrumental in this dazzling show of expertise were, as several Astronomers concurred, a healthy dose of hard work and a precious sense of community. Signing up to be an astronomer meant forsaking the languor of an early bedtime every Tuesday for weekly lectures on theory and stargazing practice. Yet, this is far from being laborious or daunting: the less experienced or knowledgeable among members would always be assured the most patient of assistance for whatever difficulties they face, and spotting the star you wanted to with your friends in the club was as bountiful a reward as any. Indeed, alone with no one but one another under the beauty of the cosmos, it is difficult not to feel a sense of camaraderie with the rest of your club in an experience that few others share. This might be why the Year 1-4 members, despite the unfortunate dissolution of their own club, continue to join the Year 5-6s for events—the spirit was just impossible to let go of. 

With all the preparations complete, our Astronomers were all too ready to welcome the night’s stargazers come 8 p.m. Armed with knowledge from the many booths, and a specially prepared briefing explaining the constellations to look out for, people headed straight to the parade square, eager to admire the night sky in all its obsidian splendour. 

Granted, Singapore isn’t the best place to stargaze thanks to the phenomenon of light pollution. Even without a telescope, however, Jupiter was easily spotted that night, a bright spark in a sea of black. Training telescopes with almost mechanical precision on the diminutive dot, the Astronomers on duty eagerly pointed out its features—its moons, the famed Great Red Spot (but not the black monolith)—to throngs of mesmerised observers. Others, dissatisfied with merely another planet around the sun, took up the challenge of locating deep-sky objects. A series of infinitesimal adjustments to the telescope, pointed at an ostensibly empty patch of darkness, materialised a jewel box of scintillating stars, shimmering in the silent, enchanting charm of, quite literally, another world. 

The brick-laden ground found itself the refuge of many, the residual heat welcome amidst the chilly evening breeze. Many sat down to relax only for a while before getting up again, treasuring every moment to use the professional equipment on site. Others picked up pairs of binoculars made freely available for use, pointing excitedly to friends and gripping their shirts whenever an asterism was found. Yet more simply lay down and made the ground their idyll, chatting with friends under the veil of the night, content at what they had shared and seen. Regardless of what, in the words of Annabelle and Darren from St. Joseph’s Institution, “it was an interesting new experience; everyone enjoyed themselves”.

A game of Kahoot rallied all back in the hall with 30 questions touching on every aspect of Astronomy, and, then, it was time to disembark from our celestial journey. As we made our way to the exit, the brightly-lit Hall remained as welcoming as ever, perhaps reluctant to see guests leave its doors much as they themselves did. Stepping out into the darkness, we looked up once more: though AstroNite had come to a close, the stars that we had come to know and love remained souvenirs, dotting the sky with reminders of the night’s adventures.

By Val Yeo (20S03O) and Jerome Tay (20S06Q)
Photographs courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

Bleary-eyed students made their way to the parade square early in the morning of August the 8th, some still groggy from a whole night of intense mugging. Over the loudspeakers, National Day songs were playing, a distinct reminder of how the day was meant to celebrate Singapore’s growth as a nation. 

To mark the start of the celebration, the principal, Mr Frederick Yeo, read the National Day address by the Minister for Education, Mr Ong Ye Kung. In his address, one of the things Mr Ong urged us to do was to remember the significance of our flag—what the different colours and symbols mean to our nation. 

THE CARNIVAL 

After the address, CT reps made their way to the SAC for free food. Like citizens queueing up for goodie bags on National Day, our beloved CT reps awaited their class’ portion of a free Old Chang Kee platter, consisting of the iconic curry puffs and several other fried delights, and coupons for ice cream and popcorn. Whilst they were doing so, patriotic students excitedly grabbed the temporary tattoos given to each class, where they had a choice between a tattoo of a Singapore flag and one that said “I Singapore”. 

Famished, the Year 5s made their way to the canteen to enjoy the National Day carnival. Vendors giving out popcorn and ice cream in exchange for coupons stood at the ready, prepared to take on the hordes of students. The latter, filled with excitement and anticipation for the activities that lay before them, made light-hearted conversation with each other while standing in the long queues leading to the stalls.  Councillors walked around with trays of finger food, offering the peckish students queueing with something to abate their hunger pangs. Standing amongst the lively hustle and bustle of a sea of red, the National Day blackboard designed and chalk-drawn by the Visual Art Club was a show-stopper. 

In the midst of admiring the masterpiece, one might hear music coming from the Amphitheater. Guest-starring Raffles’ very own math teacher and singer Ms Qian Kun, the Symphonic Band expertly performed a crowd favourite National Day songs—‘Home’ and ‘Where I Belong’. The crowd grew wild, shouting the chorus with gusto and bringing the patriotic spirit to life. 

In the PAC, Chinese Orchestra performed 3 songs—‘Sunny Island’, ‘听见下雨的声音’ (Rhythm of the Rain), and ‘Home’. The atmosphere was warm and homely (pun unintended), everyone swaying together and screaming out fanchats to the songs. 

In the meantime, the Year 6s made their way to class for a Civics lesson. Together with their civics tutors, they enjoyed the music video of this year’s NDP song ‘Our Singapore’, breaking down each scene to identify prominent figures. Amongst the many appearances were Tracy Huang, Kit Chan (alumnus!), JJ Lin, and fan-favourite ‘Wheelsmith’. The Year 6s got familiar with the various pioneers of Singaporean music, as well as recent, ground-breaking groups and individuals that seek to break free from the conventional.

By around 9am, the two cohorts swapped activities as the Year 5s made a beeline for their classes whilst the Year 6s swarmed into the canteen.

THE COMMUNITY SINGING 

“We’re not going to begin until you guys stand up!” 

In the MPH, Raffles Rock started off strongly from the moment they stepped on stage, dominating and hyping up the atmosphere immediately. The throngs of students moved forward, closer to the stage as the band began their performance, performing the past year NDP songs. When songs with a lively tempo like ‘Where I Belong’ was played, the students would jump along with the beat of the song. With slower songs like ‘In a Heartbeat’, students would sway along, arms encircling their friends as they sang as a cohort, voices combining to become one—just like our nation, coming together to form one Singapore. 

Over at the ISH, the atmosphere was charged with emotion—a combination of excitement and sentimentality of the Year 6s’ last time doing community singing as a batch. As Jazz made their way onto the stage in front, the crowd broke into thunderous applause, setting the mood for the occasion. Wasting no time, Jazz performed ‘We Will Get There’, followed by ‘In A Heartbeat’, where the Y6s stood and sang, shoulder-to-shoulder. The next song, ‘Where I Belong’ got the hall shaking as the batch jumped to its uplifting beat. Wrapping up the day with the classic [‘Home’ by Dick Lee, Jazz was met with a chorus of “ENCORE!” and “One more song!”, to which they relented and performed ‘Where I Belong’ again.

Truly, the Y6s demonstrated that just as the song ‘Where I Belong’ aptly puts it, the community that they’ve found in RI is truly their “family”.

Although the celebration ended as quickly as it began, there was an underlying agreement and sense of pride instilled in us for our nation. Perhaps it was the songs, perhaps it was the stickers on our faces, or perhaps it was the people that made us feel that Singapore is our homeland— and we are proud of it.

By V Shivani (20S06R), Val Yeo (20S03O), and Ng Jing Ting (20A13A)

Bet You Didn’t Know was a column featured for Raffles Press’ Teachers’ Day 2019 Print Edition.

NAME: MR HARAPAN ONG
DEPARTMENT: SCIENCE (PHYSICS) 

Mr Ong dedicates his life outside of being a Physics teacher to magic.

What is the most rewarding part about being a magician/teacher?

I think, firstly, there are intersections between the two career paths. Of course, when you look at it from the outside, it looks completely different. The difference I would say is that when it comes to being a teacher, for the most part, every teacher has similar experiences: good classes, bad classes, good students, bad students. For magicians, there’s many different ways you can go about doing it. When I was younger, I wanted to go into performing magic, but as I grew older I realised that performing magic as a profession is actually really tiring. I’ve got many friends who started out magic with me and it was fun, and when they made it their jobs, you can tell they got really tired of their job, because having to do something like “Hey everyone! Blah blah blah…” [makes some magic show gestures] every single day is very draining. So the way I get joy from magic nowadays is more from doing the background work. For example, nowadays I do more of inventing stuff for people. I like inventing new tricks and writing books to publish and sell, and that’s how I get joy from it. I lecture to other magicians (which is where the intersection comes in as well) and consult them to help them with their shows. If you like analogies, you could say I’m more of the dance choreographer and no longer the dancer.

As for being a teacher, I’m very passionate about physics and science communication. There are many teachers out there that are passionate about physics at the level where they really know everything. I don’t think I know everything about physics, but I would say that I’m incredibly passionate about telling kids about physics and trying to enthuse them. To see a student who maybe wasn’t very interested getting a good grade or getting interested is the most rewarding part of being a teacher.

How do you find the “work-hobby” balance between being a magician and being a teacher?

Surprisingly okay, actually. I’ve had experience teaching in the secondary school side, Y1–4, and teaching at the Y5–6 side, and the workload is about the same, but at the same time I feel like I’m having an easier time teaching here. The students are generally more motivated, they know that in two years’ time is the ‘A’ levels, so they work harder and there’s less hand-holding. I’ve had time on my hands to go to the gym a little bit, and when I go home, I just make sure I work on my magic. I get all my work done in school and then I just go home and relax. The balance has been pretty good actually.

How do you handle messing up a magic trick in front of an audience?

Aw man, I have so many bad stories of messing up. I once did this trick which involved smashing styrofoam cups, to figure out which one had a nail under it. The trick went wrong and resulted in an injury. It was super embarrassing. When you mess up something, honestly just end with it and move on. There are some ways where you could just salvage it and pretend it’s just part of the trick, but when it’s something like the person going “Oh! My hand is bleeding”, then there’s no salvaging [it]. That’s why nowadays I just do card tricks—if you fail at a card trick, you can just do it again.  

The funny thing is, I read this quote somewhere from a magician [who] said that when we watch a show on stage, whether it’s a musical or a rock concert or a magic show, what we want to see really is human connection. We want to connect with the person on stage, and sometimes the most human form of connection is when we see someone mess up, when we see how they react to messing up. Very often when you see someone mess up on stage—like if the person sings a wrong note or plays the wrong key on the piano—and they stop for a while, and they just compose themselves and they play again, people clap because they feel like they’re seeing a real person on stage. They’re encouraging and they want you to succeed. I think a good magician always has the spectators on his side. The spectators will always want the magician to succeed, so when they mess up the spectators will go “No, no, no! It’s ok, do it again.” They clap and the show goes on.

Who is your role model as a magician?

There are many names that most people don’t know because they’re either very old magicians or they’re not in the limelight. Magicians in the limelight—it’s probably David Copperfield. That’s how I got started, watching his shows on TV. But for those who are interested—and if you are reading this article right now, you can go and Google these names. I like Joshua Jay a lot; he’s a friend of mine and you can find his views on YouTube. There are some older magicians like Alex Elmsley, and there’s John Bannon from Chicago. There are a few other magicians I can think of off the top of my head: Stewart James is one, from Canada, brilliant inventor in the background, completely unknown to the outside world [though] he’s invented over a thousand tricks in his lifetime.

What do you think of the way magicians are portrayed in the media?

I think magic is getting very popular. If you watch shows like America’s Got Talent (AGT), it used to be that only singers would win because they’re marketable. In the first few seasons, magicians would just be boo-ed off the stage. Simon Cowell would be like “Oh, this is horrible”. But the moment they realised that magicians and magic acts get viral views on YouTube, they realised that actually there are a lot of people who want to watch magic, and it goes really viral compared to just singing videos.

Nowadays, [there are] a lot of magicians winning these competitions. There’s Shin Lim and Eric Chien, who are friends of mine, Mat Franco (the winner of AGT’s ninth season), and they’ve won because people realise magicians are marketable, so I think magic is becoming cooler and cooler. Magic was like this weird, mysterious thing, but now it’s very hip if you watch Now You See Me. It’s always good to have magic at the forefront of pop culture, whether it’s portrayed positively or negatively, because people will be aware of magic, and they’re more likely to hire magicians for their events.

How do you feel about your huge following on Instagram?

For those who are reading this article, go follow me on Instagram @harapanong. It’s currently at 19.2k followers. Shameless plug aside, I feel pretty proud about it. I started posting the magic that I like and it just grew really quickly from there—it was insane. I don’t buy followers or bots to like my posts. It has opened many doors for me; I can find magicians to hang out with in every country because they know me from Instagram.

NAME: MR TEO HUI KOON
DEPARTMENT: MATHEMATICS

What speed would you need to swim at to cover 1.5km in under half an hour? For Mr Teo, this isn’t just a Maths problem to solve in class.

What inspired you to attend the Ironman triathlons?

I completed an Olympic distance triathlon in 2008 comprising a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike course and a 10km run. I then decided to up the ante, challenge myself further, and take part in Ironman in 2009.

How many Ironman triathlons/marathons have you attended thus far?

I’ve completed seven Ironman triathlons thus far (every year in 2009 through 2014, and in 2016) and done four marathons (in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2015). I’ve also completed two ultramarathons in 2011 and 2013: the ultramarathons were 12-hour races to complete as many 10.5km loops in MacRitchie Reservoir as possible in time span of 12 hours. In 2011, I completed seven loops and in 2013, eight.

Do you have a special work out schedule you follow when you prepare for the marathons/triathlons?

Training for the ironman triathlon is progressive, and preparation usually takes about six months. I followed a routine on a daily basis, usually 2x swims, 2x cycling and 3x run. At the peak, I would swim 4km or cycle 180-200km or run 32km. During the school holidays, I would train twice a day, and sometimes even do a short distance triathlon. There are ways to vary the training so as to break the monotony of just a swim, bike or run. Just to clarify, training workouts are on a daily basis, so in a week I do 2x swim, 2x cycling and 3x running.

What’s your best timing for a marathon/triathlon?

My personal best marathon timing was 3h 48min. My personal best Ironman triathlon timing was 11h 36min.

Do you have an accomplishment in this area you are proud of? 

I had to balance work, family, and sports. With the amount of time needed for each, I had to be focused and disciplined, and couldn’t afford [to waste time]. I suppose I am proud that I managed all three back then and, of course, I had good family support in seeing me through those years.

Do you partake in these marathons/triathlons alone or with your family or maybe some friends who share the same interest?

I started off training on my own but, over the years, I got to know more people and train closely with a group of friends regularly. My family travels with me overseas during my races, and we spend the time after the race holidaying.

Other than the physical health aspect, personally, what benefits do you think running marathons/triathlons have?

Ironman triathlon training builds focus and strengthens the mind. Ever so often, sleep tempts you to go back to bed or the tired legs lure your mind to give up a training session. You learn to teach yourself to grind through every session, despite the fatigued legs and arms, and know that every session clocked is a session stronger than the previous. And, as mentioned, [you definitely become] a better time manager.

NAME: MS MELISSA TAN
DEPARTMENT: ARTS (LITERATURE) 

Her subject may be words, but Ms Tan also has a way with her hands.

We understand you have many hobbies outside of school. Do tell us more!

My current addiction is leather tooling. But I also weave, embroider and dye fabrics. I also make jewellery. That’s all I can remember at the moment, but there’s more.

How did you get into dressmaking? Do any pieces hold a special meaning?

My grandmothers are both seamstresses, so I grew up making stuff with their scraps. I really enjoyed sewing, so I kept going. My entire wardrobe is handmade. There is usually a story behind each piece; I buy fabric when I travel, and people give me fabric as presents. I have also been bequeathed fabric by a number of people. 

So you dreamt of becoming a dressmaker…?

I wanted to be a palaeontologist (that is, a scientist who studies fossils—yes, as in dinosaur bones). I played with toy dinosaurs as a kid because I could use them to stomp on my brother’s toy trucks. Dinosaurs are fascinating! 

Well, I became a historian, so I reckon I’m not too far off from my childhood ambition. 

You were a student in RI back in the day. What was the craziest thing you did in school?

I don’t think we were particularly crazy… Oh, I know! We were in the old campus in Mount Sinai and it was right next to Ghim Moh Market, so we used to sneak out during breaks to get ice kachang. Once our Maths tutor (Ms Chen Yee Chien) had to go look for us at Ghim Moh and we had our Maths tutorial there. 

Is there anything you’d like to say to your 17-year-old self?

DO YOUR MATHS HOMEWORK. 

You were also a student at Warwick University. How was the overseas experience?

I did a course called “History and Culture” that allowed me to take half my modules in History and half from anywhere else in the Arts faculty. I liked the flexibility and learnt a lot from the experience. I did History of Art and Literature mainly. I also tried some Philosophy courses but I was rubbish at that because I couldn’t concentrate hard enough. One of the modules I enjoyed the most was a course called the European Novel. The texts included Middlemarch, Anna Karenina (I love Tolstoy!), Germinal, and the like. The length of these books can be really intimidating but they’re so amazing once you get into them, and the course gave me the opportunity to do so.

Going overseas… I guess the biggest challenge was learning to fend for myself. In Singapore, you have a safety net of friends and family to give you psychological assurance and logistical/practical support. Leaving that and being on my own was scary, but it really helped me to grow as a person. And there certainly was some kind of culture shock. Dealing with people who have been steeped in a completely different culture their whole lives and who have very different ideas about the world makes you revisit some of the things that you take for granted. It was a good experience overall! People in the UK are very inclusive, and I had a lot of fun. 

Which sector did you work in before teaching? What made you return to teaching?

Just before coming to RI, I did policy work at MOE. So I was your typical civil service minion. I quite enjoyed that; it gave me an insight into how the government operates. Doing things outside my comfort zone like audit or international relations was very eye-opening too. I eventually returned to teaching because one of my friends told me about a vacancy to teach Lit here and I thought that I would enjoy it—and I do!

If financial security were of no importance, which unconventional career path would you have undertaken?

I’m very boring—would have done research. Research builds knowledge, which is important for society. I like playing with ideas. And I really enjoy the thrill of the chase—when you get into the archive and follow your sources, they tell you things that you don’t expect, and it’s really quite exciting. Historical research is also, in a way, quite personal, because the sources really speak to you from across time and space. I was genuinely moved by some of the stuff I was working with. Like Ralph Josselin’s diary (about everyday farming and family life in a rural 17th century community in Essex, England)—I actually teared up at that. 

What do you have to say to people who believe that studying Literature (and the Arts in general) is a waste of time?

Literature is about life, in all its messy particularities. It keeps you grounded. It insists that nothing can be reduced to absolutes—so you must learn to be comfortable with ambiguity and appreciate the full range of human experience. It’s also an invaluable refuge—something you can return to throughout your life as a source of comfort and inspiration.  

And I don’t think it’s fair to say that any subject is a waste of time. We need a variety of approaches to understand our world and each discipline offers a unique angle. It’s natural for people to focus on what they’re most interested in, but it’s best to keep an open mind because the other disciplines have a lot to teach us as well.

Is there anything unusual that you carry in your bag?

A Swiss Army knife. You have no idea how useful it’s been.

What are some of your pet peeves?

I hate it when people get takeaway meals and don’t bring their own containers, or when they throw away those takeaway boxes instead of washing and recycling them. It’s so wasteful!

What are some things at the top of your bucket list right now?

I don’t maintain a bucket list. I believe that if there’s something you want to do, you should just go and do it. If you’re really keen, you’ll make the time and put aside the resources. That being said, there are things I’d like to do but which I haven’t done because they’re not achievable. I’d like to own a farm but it would collapse for sure!

Any parting words?

JC is a very special time. Enjoy it!