the ridge

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NUS Sports Awards

Music Review:
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
Motorhead

MICA (P) 218/01/2008

 02 editorial

“I don’t know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports.”
- Richard M. Nixon

While it seems the GOP does not have any words of wisdom to spout for now, mainly
concentrating of Bill Ayers, Terrorists and “Real” America, the quote for this issue
comes from a famous Republican of years gone.

As we look at the NUS Sports Awards [40-43] for the November Issue of the ridge, we
can understand why the quote is relevant. We cast special light on the lives of student
athletes, how they excel and how they juggle sports and studies.

It is important that while we celebrate intellectual achievements and pursuits all

year round, it is as important to give due consideration to the athletic feats of NUS’
sportsmen and sportswomen.

News brings to light interesting facts about your tuition fees and whose pockets your
money ends up lining [08-09]. Read the article to better understand the utilization of
“miscellaneous” fees that you see printed on your bills every semester.

And as semester winds down and exams loom, the ridge hopes you make it through
to the other side to be able to enjoy your winter vacations.

For your benefit, both the Central Library and McDonald’s will be helping muggers by
changing operational timings to 24 hours a day.

If you feel like dropping us a line, the email remains as always

ridgechiefeditor@nus.edu.sg.

Hurrairah bin Sohail

Chief Editor

Chief Editor News Creative Director

Hurrairah bin Sohail Jason Hau & Lynette Lim Claryce Lum

Executive Editor (Online) Outspoken Head of Design

Hannah Yan Kokila Annamalai Samyuktha

Webmaster Lifestyle Head of Photography

Ho Yi Jian Arzish Baaquie Adi Yoga

Secretary Transmedia Copyeditor

Sowmya Gopi Hurrairah bin Sohail Suhas Bhat

Treasurer Wired Head of Marketing

design Samyuktha

Dennis Phua Gurmesh Singh Tan Huiling

Sports Printed by xpoprint

Suhas Bhat
 contents 03

News
Over S$500,000 In Their Coffers 8
To Chop or Not To Chop 10
Life After The Hike 12
The Entrepreneurial Hub Of Diversity 14
5 Steps to a Stunning Shine 16

Outspoken
Holidays for a Somebody 18
The State of Political Opposition in Singapore 20
Us and Them 22
Is there a C, M, I or O Category in our Love Lives? 24

Transmedia
Dig Out Your Soul 26
The Rich, The Poor and the Conniving 27

Lifestyle
Zsofi Tapas Bar 34

Wired
SmartQ 36
Techbuzz 38

Sports
NUS Sports Awards 40
Interview 42

Regulars
Feature 4
Two Cent Saloon 6
Photo Story 7
Border Book Review 30
photo sxc.hu
 04 feature

In-Fusion @ NUS
text Vani Goyal | vani_goyal@hotmail.com | Modhurima Deyali Khan | modhurima.khan@nus.edu.sg

Home to a population of over 30,000 students

and more than 7,000 staff from over 80 different
nations, NUS certainly boasts of a diverse culture

photo Ravin Wimalagunawardhana

and vibrant community. But how much do we
actually know about the lifestyles and traditions
of our local and international counterparts we
mingle with everyday?

In-Fusion 2009, an international fiesta organized

jointly by the Office of Student Affairs and the
NUSSU International Relations Committee,
promises to provide the ideal platform for cross-
cultural interaction, promoting cultural awareness,
and appreciating the multitude of nationalities
that congregate at NUS. Spread over three days,
the event will showcase the unique and diverse renewal of old ties to give us a new perspective
elements of the variety of cultures that thrive at on the world, whereby we don’t put aside our
NUS. differences, but stand unified as ‘ONE-US’
despite those differences.
It will aim to encourage the exchange of ideas
and opinions, transcending all barriers of To get a better perspective of what In-Fusion
language, ethnicity, and faith, to enable us to 2009 is likely to have in store, let us take a
evolve into a truly global community. The theme sneak peek at In-Fusion 2008. For those who
of In-Fusion 2009 is to inculcate and ingrain in had experienced the fun, you can be assured
the students the concept of ‘ONE-US’, which that it certainly won’t be the “same-old-thing”
signifies the essence of unity in diversity. It again, and you will be in for yet another
encourages the forging of new friendships, and unforgettable experience. And for those who
are still to witness the joie-de-vivre (joy of life) of
the NUS community, we hope that we can give
you a convincing view of the fiesta through this
narrative.

The international fest usually has two distinct

elements - the International Fair and the
photo Aldo Dennis Joson

International Students’ Night. For In-Fusion

2009, the International Fair (Bazaar) will be held
from 4th-5th February at the Central Forum and
design fabian kong

The International Students’ Night on the 6th of

February at the University Cultural Centre Hall.
 feature 05

At In-Fusion 2008, the International Fair,

held at the Central Forum came to life with
enthusiastic participants and guests from all
over campus, and beyond. The early birds got to
watch the Opening Ceremony which showcased
a flag parade of the nations represented at the
university, and splendid performances by some
of our local and international students. Booths
bedecked with displays, souvenirs, and delicacies
from different countries showcased their ethnic
diversity and provided opportunities for the
students to try on exquisite costumes from those
countries. One could conduct photo shoots at a
photo-corner, or try out an assortment of culinary
delights from various parts of the globe at the
‘Taste-the-World’ booth. In-Fusion 2009 promises
to be even more exciting and intriguing than
before, so make sure you come down to savor
the flavors of a diverse global society!
photo Aldo Dennis Joson

The highlight of In-Fusion 2008 was the

International Students’ Night, which
commemorated the event with an extraordinary
display of the multi-cultural facet of NUS, in the
form of spectacular presentations by each of
the participating countries. It was a celebration
where the beauty of different cultures was
appreciated through a magnificent fusion of stage
performances, which left the audience filling the

“
night air with resounding cheers and applauses.
In-Fusion 2009’s International Students’ Night,
which has the theme ‘Couleurs de la Vie’, or
‘Colours of Life’, shall indeed be a must-watch
for all performing arts enthusiasts and everyone
else as one seldom gets the opportunity to watch
It will aim to encourage
artistic performances from so many countries on
the exchange of ideas and opin-
one single platform. ions, transcending all barriers of
language, ethnicity, and faith, to
So do make a date to get In-Fused with us next enable us to evolve into a truly

”
February and celebrate the gamut of cultures global community.
encompassed by the institution!
 06 news

Two Cent Saloon

Lets go back to the start.
text Lynette Lim | lynette_lim@nus.edu.sg

When I was young, I used to change my mind so often as to what I wanted to be when I grew up, that I think
by the time I entered my teens, I had almost all possible occupations covered at least once in my life.

Today, about ten years later, I find myself in the exact same position.

I want to be a doctor as I watch Dr. Gregory House M.D. solve medical mysteries in 40 minute episodes;
then the next, I find myself imagining how it would be like to pace the courtroom in the likeness of Alan
Shore or Denny Krane.

The list goes on.

This November, the fourth-years at the National University of Singapore are preparing to enjoy themselves
as much as they can in their last school holiday.

Only a quarter of us are moving toward another step in life, yet we are all equally close to adulthood, no
matter which year we are in.

Yet how many of us know where we will be ending up at the end of our four or three year journeys here?
How many of us who are not forced to leave and to enter society know what we want?

Singaporean youth live in a comfortable state of buoyancy for about 12 years, knowing exactly where they
would be going next, from primary to secondary school, then to junior colleges or polytechnics.

Then the bomb is dropped on them – moving to university, every step they take will lead to greater
consequences than they can imagine, and every step will find them moving closer in a certain direction, or
moving closer to having no direction at all.

Is our structured education system too cleverly systematic and taken for granted?

In an article by Grace Ng in The Straits Times on Aug 11, it was said that Generation-Y workers “agonise
over self-fulfilment, job mobility, quarter-life crises and other concepts that their parents never heard of”.

Yet can this general lack of direction or passion of our youth really be blamed on our education system?

After all, no institution or system could take a dream away if you are truly passionate and dedicated to it.

There are such people in Singapore today – with such certain and clear passions and directions in life,
chasing after those dreams without qualms or fear.

I envy such people.

We, as undergraduates, should be starting to think of these issues of life that will determine our lives.

Perhaps it is too late to do anything now, but it is always better late than never.
design Hurrairah bin Sohail
 news 07

Organised Milo Madness

text & photo Jason Hau | jasonhau@nus.edu.sg

The presence of the bright green Milo truck outside the Central Forum inevitably draws a big
crowd of people to it, like burnt investors to a Tan Kin Lian organized ‘protest’ at Singapore’s
Speakers’ Corner.

The truck, with its delicious (and free) drink, has also become a bright spot in an otherwise
dreary undergraduate’s day; a gathering point for socializing and meeting friends that one may
otherwise not see for days.

The Milo truck – driving NUS students together and onwards.

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond;

cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.”
Mark Twain
 08 news

Over $500,000 in
their coffers..
All full-time students at the National University We bet you had no idea.
of Singapore (NUS) pay a subscription fee to the
text Eileen Poh | poh.eileen@nus.edu.sg
students’ union as part of their university fees for
each academic year.
“Although it is just $24 per year, considering
This fee is not reflected in the student bill.
that there are so many students, this will
amount to a relatively big sum of money,”
Instead, it is categorised as one of the four items
added Lim.
under “Student Activity and Services Fees” that is
displayed in the bill.
The consolidated fee is indeed not small.
Other charges included under that category are a
An enrollment of 24,086 full-time
one-time membership fee to the union, bus shuttle
undergraduates this semester, statistics
fees and sports facilities charges.
taken from website of the Registrar’s Office,
will amount to approximately $578,064 for
This detailed breakdown is available only in
the NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU).
a document titled “Undergraduate Students:
Mandatory Miscellaneous Fees Per Annum”,
According to the 29th NUSSU Annual
buried within the Registrar’s Office’s website.
General Meeting Report 2007/2008, the
union’s expenses consist generally of
The document quotes the subscription fee to the
manpower, rental, printing and publicity
union to be $24 per year.
expenses.
Students approached by the ridge expressed
surprise at the charges.
Outgoing Honorary Financial Secretary
Amy Leo also stated in the report that the
“I did not even know that I have been paying that
consolidated Union budget is subject to
fee,” said Lim Xiao Yen, a second-year science
student.
photo https://share.nus.edu.sg/registrar/info/ug/UGMMF.pdf

Registration $15 $15

Student Activity and Services
Membership to the Student’s $10
Union (NUSSU)
NUSSU Annual Subsciption $24
Sports $24 $12
design Carol Lim

Transport (Internal Shuttles) $30

 news 09

approval from the Office of Student Affairs and can at least showing that they care about how
Office of Financial Services. their members feel,” he added.

Third-year economics student, Elaine Tan, sees
the underlying issue here one of “transparency”.
“We have a right to know how our money is
being used,” she said.
“They should provide a breakdown of these
miscellaneous charges in the online bill,” said
third-year Arts student Alex Yeo.
“Or at least, they should provide a link in the
bill to the document at the Registrar’s Office’s
website which explains the charges.”
“A lot of students feel very detached from
NUSSU, so by being more transparent, NUSSU
Despite the call for greater transparency,
students nevertheless acknowledge the
union’s efforts in the recent semesters.
“I think they did a great job improving Bus 151
and the S/U policy,” said Yeo.
NUSSU had earlier worked with NUS Office
of Estate and Development and SBS Transit
Ltd to increase the frequency and number of
air-conditioned buses for Bus 151.
On a separate account, the union had also
convinced university administration to extend
the choice of exercising the Satisfactory/
Unsatisfactory Option after release of results
to senior students.

Message from NUSSU

We would like to highlight that the 10 faculty clubs, 4 non-faculty clubs and NUSSU Executive Committee form the
National University of Singapore Students’ Union (NUSSU). Hence, we would also to clarify that the subscription fee that
is made to students’ union is being shared among NUSSU constituent clubs and NUSSU Exco. The subscription fee is
used to improve the interest and welfare of our NUS undergraduates and introduce campus vibrancy through adding more
well-rounded activities for our students’ personal development. It is also worthy to note that each NUSSU member works
on a limited budget, but thankfully with enthusiastic marketing wing of each NUSSU member, we can bring interesting
and beneficial events to add colours to NUS students’ life. Should any NUS undergraduate be really interested in finding
out how subscription fee is being utilized, NUSSU Exco has always welcome (in fact, strongly encourage) all NUS
undergraduates to attend the annual general meeting, where the honorary financial secretary will present the audited
financial statements. NUSSU Exco has maintains reasonable standard of transparency, where all its accounts and
financial statements are audited by professional auditor. The subscription fees utilized by NUSSU Exco are majorly used
to pay the rental and utilities of the office premises, printing of students’ publications and organizing of students’ events.
photo sxc.hu
 10 news

To ‘chop’ or not
to ‘chop’
text Chrissy Phoong | yoke.xi@nus.edu.sg
photo Chrissy Phoong, NUSSU SAVE

A PARADOXICAL SCRUTINY of the ‘NUS Fights
Climate Change’ banner opposite The Deck
overshadowed by chopped tree fragments in the
background was featured in the September issue of
the ridge.
It sparked sardonic responses and confusion
amongst the minority group of environmentally
conscious students in the National University of
Singapore (NUS).
Goh Kuan Hoong, a second-year Communications
and New Media student said, “It was a Saturday
when I realized that the large tree disappeared. I
assume it had fell down, not chopped.”
Another response was an anonymously written
‘Fight Climate Change, Cut More Trees’ note pasted
on the pillar of the entrance to the Deck, near the
featured banner and chopped tree.
Environmental Policy, NUS had pledged to “protect,
preserve and enhance the natural environment of
the campus” along with 7 other goals.
Not the first to question the contradictory nature of
this issue, first-year FASS undergraduate Xiu Xiang
remarked, “Whatever NUS does, there should be a
reason behind it”.
When consulted, a representative from Office of
Estate and Development (OED) explained, “After
discussing with NParks, it was decided that the
30-metre tree was to be removed for public safety
reasons.”
“The tree was precariously located at the edge of the
slope near to the highly frequented Arts Canteen.

“There was no information justifying the tree-cutting

in The Deck,” said second-year bioengineering
major, Swati Jain.

“It is no wonder we got the wrong impression about

the implementation of the NUS environment policy.”

For those who are unaware, in the NUS

“The real issue that is

now under the spotlight
is the absence of
any dissemination of
information by the relevant
parties, which invoked
unnecessary confusion
amongst environmentally-
design Carol Lim

aware students”
 news 11

Anyway, the tree species has been blacklisted as

‘undesirable’ by NParks as a public hazard”, he
added.

Associate Professor Hugh Tan from the Department

of Biological Sciences, who specializes in botany,
agreed with OED’s decision to remove the tree.

“The tree which was chopped was the notorious

albizia, Falcataria moluccana which fell and killed a
woman in Bukit Batok last year.”

“The problem with the albizia is that it is a very large

tree that can grow very fast. Therefore, it has very
weak roots, making it very susceptible to natural tree
fall”.

After learning the reason behind the cutting, Ong

Jiewei, the Chairperson of NUSSU SAVE said, “As
a SAVE member, I am definitely upset that the tree
was cut, especially since the campaign was only
recently launched”.
“However, this is NUS, a human community and
where there are humans, safety is usually the most
important aspect of consideration”, he further adds.
Third-year Economics major, Citra Anggreny
Darmawan concurred, “Safety would definitely come
first if compared with conservation.”
In his first State of the University Address on Oct
10, 2008, President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan
said that the key to transforming NUS would be
for its people to strive to be self-surpassing and
professional.
Benjamin Teo Yu Han, second-year Engineering
Science student commented, “Since this was
causing misunderstandings, explanations should
have been given. They should have been more
professional in dealing with this situation.”

Nevertheless, the issue here is no longer about the
removal of a tree labeled a safety hazard by NParks.
The real issue that is now under the spotlight is the
absence of any dissemination of information by
the relevant parties, which invoked unnecessary
confusion amongst environmentally-aware students.
“Maybe the parties involved assume that this was a
trivial matter and that students wouldn’t bother about
it,” commented Tong Yiu Yan, Chairperson of the
Environmental Science and Engineering Club.
Heather Chi, a second-year Geography major
added, “I feel OED should have sent a circular prior
to and during the cutting, informing all students
about their decision.”
“I’m sure they did not anticipate the angry response
because they didn’t take into consideration both the
strong stance that SAVE takes to deforestation, as
well as students’ feeling of ownership to the school
and its flora.”
“I hope it doesn’t happen again.”
 12 news
ife after the
hi
text Chin Mei Kuan | mk.chin@nus.edu.sg
It has been more than half a semester since the
much-debated accommodation fee hike.
the ridge checks in on a few international and local
undergraduates who are living on campus to find out
how they have coped with the increase in fees.
For second-year bioengineering major, Phoong Yoke
Xi, it is life as usual.
While she was initially surprised by the
announcement of a fee hike, Phoong, who has lived
in King Edward VII Hall for the past year, said that
she has not made many changes to her lifestyle.
4
“As international students, we have no choice. And
fee hike or not, NUS residences are still the best
choices of accommodation possible,” she said.
However, things are different for Iu Wai Yee, also an
international student who has been living on campus
for the past three years.
The third-year sociology major has been giving
tuition daily since the start of the semester to reduce
the financial burden on her family.
Her busy schedule has taken a toll on her academic
work load. “My sleeping hours have been largely
t
affected too,” she admitted.
A Temasek Hall resident into her second semester
of living on campus, who has declined to be named,
also admitted to changing her lifestyle as a result of
the fee hike.
“I try to be more frugal and I took up a tuition job to
ease the burden on my parents,” she said.
Describing her initial stunned reaction to the fee hike
announcement, the second-year undergraduate felt
that “assistance (offered to residents by the school
design felicia ong
for campus accommodation) is still limited to those
whose family earn very little.”
$$$
t
ke
She felt that students from families in the middle
class income group should not be neglected in the
assistance scheme.
Noting that even though these families “do not earn
that little”, she said that such households are likely
to feel the squeeze from the hostel fee increase too.
Iu agreed that more assistance from the NUS
2
administration can be offered.
“I have heard from many of my friends that they
could not get a room on campus and that rental
charges of HDB flats have been extremely high for
the past year,” she said.
“They are having financial difficulties but even if they
apply for financial aid, there is a little chance of them
getting it. They are very upset that the school did not
offer to help,” she added.
Second-year nursing student, Alicia Ng, who has
been living on campus for three semesters, said that
she did not receive any information on assistance
being offered to the affected students.
She recalled receiving a mass email from the Office
of Student Affairs to inform all residents on the fee
increase.
“And in that email or subsequent emails, I do not
remember any form of subsidy introduced to help
residents tide over the fee hike,” she added.
For her, there has not been much change in her
lifestyle since her parents are paying for hostel fees.
However, she noted that some of her friends who
were staying in halls last semester chose not to do
so this time round because “it became even more
expensive to stay in hall after the hike”.
“They felt that it will be cheaper and more money-
wise to spend on transport than the convenience of
staying in hall.”
 news 13
Summary of Rates (With Effect From 4 August 2008)

Room Sem 1 Sem 2

Meal Plans per
Rates (18 weeks) (17 weeks)
Residences Capacity S D Type semester
per room room
(17 weeks)
week rates rates

Eusoff Hall S $75 $1,350 $1,275 Breakfast, Dinner

485 345 70
(EH) D $50 $900 $850 6 days : $381.99*

Kent Ridge $1,275 Breakfast, Dinner

507 507 0 S $75 $1,350
Hall (KR) $850 6 days : $381.99*

King Edward S $75 $1,350 $1,275 Breakfast, Dinner

470 350 60
VII (KE) D $50 $900 $850 6 days : $381.99*

S $75 $1,350 Breakfast, Tea,

Raffles Hall $1,275
469 213 128 D $50 $900 Dinner
(RH) $850
SD $90 $1,620 6 days : $472.94*

Sheares Hall Breakfast, Dinner

514 514 0 S $75 $1,350 $1,275
(SH) 6 days : $381.99*

Temasek S $75 $1,350 $1,275 Breakfast, Dinner

485 345 70
Hall (TH) D $50 $900 $850 6 days : $381.99*

Ridge View
S $75 $1,350 $1,275
Residences 737 593 72 Self-catering
D $50 $900 $850
(RV)
Kuok
Foundation 203 203 0 S $75 $1,350 $1,275 Self-catering
House (KFH)
Prince
George’s A $140 $2,520 $2,380
Park 2854 2854 0 B $80 $1,440 $1,360 Self-catering
Residences C $75 $1,350 $1,275
(PGPR)

Additional information from Residential Services FAQ: http://www.nus.edu.sg/osa/housing/faq/ug.html

LEGEND
A - Aircon, Attached Bathroom
B - With Washbasin
C - Standard
S, SD - Single Occupancy
Other Applicable Charges include:
• $26.75* Electrical Charges,
• $5.35* Registration
photo www.groz.deviantart.com

D - Double Occupancy

Financial assistance for students who are unable to meet the hostel fees
Students who require financial aid for their living and/or accommodation expenses and meet the award cri-
teria may be offered, by the University’s Financial Aid Unit, a financial aid package comprising (1) the NUS
Study Loan which provides a living allowance of S$3,600 a year; (2) a bursary of up to $2000 a year; (3) a
subsistence loan and/or work-study assistance. For more details kindly contact Student Aid Unit at financial-
aid@nus.edu.sg (email) or 6516 2870.
 14 news

The Entrepreneurial Hub of

Diversity
text & photo Jane Antony | janeantony@nus.edu.sg

Entrepreneurship is more than just the assumption

of risk and responsibility in designing and
implementing business strategy.

At the National University of Singapore (NUS),

entrepreneurial activities play a vital role in the
student community.

The dynamism and drive contained by the student

population has resulted in the diversification of
entrepreneurial organizations within the NUS
community.

Societies like the Business Incubation of Global

Organisations and NUS Entrepreneurship Society
each have their own arrays of activities that define
the entrepreneurial spirit on campus.

Joining the league of these societies is the Talent

Ideas Enterprise (TiE).

TiE is an entrepreneurial organisation meant to bring

together those interested
in the creation of economic
value to share ideas and to
foster the entrepreneurship
spirit.

Originally established in 1992 in the Silicon Valley

region, it has spread to cover 49 chapters in 11
countries.
TiE was established in NUS in September 2008
through the formation of the TiE Youth Team.
The speakers, Mr. R. Narayanmohan and Mr. Rohit
Ambekar, are successful professionals and nurture
a common vision on fostering entrepreneurship
globally.

The TiE Youth Team organized their first student- Mr. Narayanamohan is the head of Natarajan &
level introductory talk that was held on Oct 23 at Swaminathan, an accounting firm, and is also a
Lecture Theatre 18. pioneer in social entrepreneurship.

The talk started off with a brief introduction on Mr. Ambekar is the Managing Director of J. Robert
TiE and its history, and it was rounded off with a Scott, an executive search firm. He has over a
design felicia ong

question and answer session with the speakers. decade of experience in leading cross-border
executive searches.

He spoke of innovation in designing products that do
not damage the environment and elaborated on the
profitability of using energy from used bio-resources.
Yet entrepreneurship is far from removed from the
life of a student.
“Entrepreneurship plays an integral role in the
everyday life of a student. One has to look at a
situation from multiple angles and analyze the
impact of a resolution,” said Mr. Ambekar.
“Entrepreneurship instills a different horizon of
perspective in the mind of a student.”
Mr. Narayanmohan added, “After all, to exist, one
changes; and to change, one matures; and to
mature, one innovates.”
“As people we grow and we go on creating oneself
endlessly.”
Exchange students from New Zealand, Ipshita, a
biotechnology major and Raphael, an undergraduate
at FASS, felt that that while their majors have little
to do with entrepreneurship, it plays a major role in
every field of work.
news 15
Pranay Puranik, a first-year Engineering
undergraduate, hopes to do a minor in Business as he
believes enterprise is a key factor to success.
“A minor in Business will not only teach me the
technical know-how for a management situation, but it
will also help me develop good people skills,” he said.
The fascination with entrepreneurship is felt by
students even outside the Faculty of Business
Administration.
“Having strong roots in business and management
gives students an edge in terms of employability,” said
Mr. Kuldip Singh, Assistant Executive Director of TiE.
This entrepreneurial spirit is recognised by NUS, and
programmes like the NUS Overseas College Program
(NOC) are provided for students who wish to develop
in that area.
Natrajan Srinivasan, a first-year Electrical Engineering
undergraduate, believes that building professional
relations with people is vital.
“Making the most of university life would definitely
involve a NOC program at the Silicon Valley,” he said.
16 motorhead

5 Steps to a Stunning
Shine

photo Chevrolet Singapore

In this new segment, the ridge brings to you everything and
anything car-related. This month, we will show you five basic
steps to achieve a beautiful showroom shine on your own
without any specialised equipment. Believe it!
text & photo Jason Hau | jasonhau@nus.edu.sg

1 Wash Dirt is often the biggest cause of swirl and

scratch marks. Use a wash mitt or sponge with
a good, non-acidic car shampoo and gently wash the dirt off the car body
after an initial rinse to wash away bigger particles. Don’t forget to clean
photo www.gowanuslongue.com

your rims with a separate sponge. Brake dust will accumulate over time
and turn your rims black.

After the wash, use a soft micro-fiber or waffle-weave cloth to dry your
vehicle thoroughly. If the water droplets are allowed to dry naturally, they
will leave sediments that will be etched into your car paint, commonly
known as water stains.

2 Clay This innocuous piece of clay is one of the

biggest open secrets in the detailing world.
Everyday that your car is exposed to the elements, dirt, tar and other
assorted junk will become ‘stuck’ on the surface of your car’s paintwork. If
photo www.carcareadvice.co.uk

you run your hand along the painted surface and it feels sandy, you
probably need to clay your car.

Use a spray bottle with a bit of car shampoo mixed in to lubricate the
surface, gently slide the claybar in any one direction. It is just like using
an eraser. Remember to mould the clay to a clean section after each panel
and keep it wet to avoid scratching your car. After claying, your car’s paint
surface should feel very smooth.
 motorhead 17

3 Polish By now, your car should be

as smooth as a baby’s skin,
Now use a fine polish/cleaner to remove any particles
embedded within the paintwork itself. Many people think
that polishing and waxing are the same, but in fact, they
are different steps in the detailing world.

Dampen your wax applicator and apply the polish to the

car panel by panel. You are not required to use too much
strength here. After you have polished the entire car, use
a clean and dry microfiber cloth to buff away the polish.
You will notice that the car is beginning to shine. This is
because most of the sediments that have dulled the
shine have been removed.

4 Wax Many reputable brands

have a decent wax to
use for protecting the layer of clear coat on your car’s
surface. I would suggest a Brazilian carnauba wax to
achieve the high-gloss, wet look. Both liquid and paste
forms of wax will work just as well.

Use a new applicator, dampened with the water/

shampoo mix, and apply the wax like how you did with
the polish. After you are done, allow the wax to haze
(turn cloudy white, see picture, left) before you buff it off.
Feel free to experiment on how long to let the wax haze,
as different waxes will produce different results.

5 Seal The final step is to seal all

the wax in with a sealant so
that it will last. Again, simply follow the same steps you
have taken for polishing and waxing. In today’s market,
there are products that combine waxing and sealing
together, so it is possible to skip this step.

You should have spent around two to three hours slaving

over your car, and your arms should feel like they are
dropping off. However, sitting right in front of you is a
bright, shining, wet-look glossy vehicle that looks like it
just came out from the showroom and suddenly all the
fatigue will go away.

The wax should last for around two to three months in our local weather conditions before it has to be
topped up. Wash your car at least once a week to protect the paint work and enjoy the stares of envious
car owners as you drive along the roads.

Many thanks to Chevrolet for their help in this article. Watch out for the review of the Chevy Aveo5 in our
next issue!
design felicia ong

Have any comments? Visit our online portal at www.ridgeonline.wordpress.com today.

 18 outspoken

Holidays for a Som

To have an all-rounded university experience,
you can’t take vacations.

text Dan Bee Shin | u0706929@nus.edu.sg

Unfortunately, I need not have worried. Too soon I

Being a person who has always actively participated
learned that my idea of commitment rarely mirrored
in co-curricular activities throughout school, enjoying
the expectations of the organizations I so eagerly
discovering my potential in various aspects of sports
met with. It was not that I did not want to give them
and the arts, and relishing in new and exciting
my time – in fact, I was so confident of my time
experiences involved with participating in different
management and organisational skills that I felt
activities, I looked forward to university because it
offended when they were questioned in relation
meant all this and much more. Imagine my ambition-
to the demanding academic workload so typical
driven joy when I walked down the maze of student
of NUS – it was just that there was no way I was
societies and clubs at the matriculation fair, happily
going to sacrifice my vacations for these activities.
giving out contact details to every clipboard that
Regardless of whether I return home (being an
materialised in front of me. There were sports I had
international student), travel elsewhere, or even stay
only ever heard about, plays for which I was already
in Singapore, I want to spend my holidays the way
mouthing passionate soliloquies. With my plastic
I feel they are meant to be spent: on holiday, away
bagfuls of brochures and leaflets, I walked out as a
from the routines of university and life on campus.
freshly matriculated student of NUS, returning to my
Unfortunately, it was apparent that I was expected to
room to obediently wait for my inbox to fill. The NUS
remain on campus if I were to play as active a role
email inbox is a magical little thing. It incessantly
as I wished in co-curricular activities.
fills up with news of recruiting events and rehearsals
and tryouts, most of which I never remember signing
My first views of the NUS campus were from inside
up for. Instead of marking them as spam, however, I
a taxi, as I and my airport-fresh suitcases were
harvested information and planted the favourites into
dropped off at my residential hall. I remember being
my calendar, hoping they would not clash with my
surprised at the amount of activity on campus even
academic schedule.
though the term was not due to begin for more than
another two weeks. There were people everywhere
– they were training for inter-varsity sports
tournaments and preparing for conferences amongst
the many other activities which if you want to be a
part of, you cannot take off on the allocated holiday
“I just want to be someone, the university gives you.
experimenting in that
clichéd search for an inner
identity – without having to
give up my vacations.”
design Claryce Lum
 outspoken 19

mebody
Yes, it is perfectly practical for students to do during
their vacations what they cannot do during term time
because of various constraints and higher priorities.
Of course everyone is free to decide what to do
during his or her holidays. Holidays are there to be
enjoyed, to be spent in recreation and celebration,
and no one can decide what these constitute for
someone else. However, I cannot help but feel that
there could be a system whereby students are not
deprived of major university events simply because
they take place during university vacations. How can
an athlete perform as part of a team when he has
missed out on three months of training sessions?
How can an actress step up to the stage if she
cannot make it to the rehearsals, despite the fact
that she was a favourite at the audition?

Admittedly, this is an issue that affects international

students more than it does locals, as they are
typically more likely to leave the country over
holidays. Nonetheless, all students have the right
to a true vacation, time off from university life.
All students also have the right to as complete a
university experience as they wish. Neither of these
rights should have to be compromised for the other.
photo www.sxc.hu
Hopefully, a day will come in the near future when
my email trashcan no longer resembles my first
semester’s inbox; when I can stop reminding
myself to start my interviews, auditions and tryouts
with the warning that I will not be around during
vacations. As just another student among the
almost thirty thousand students at NUS, I’m no
longer looking to be one of ‘those people’ from high
school, who were the stars of every show, the pride
of every tournament. I just want to be someone,
experimenting in that clichéd search for an inner
identity – without having to give up my vacations.
 20 outspoken
The state of political
opposition in Singapore
Do you care?
text Helen Victoria Scida | helenvs@nus.edu.sg
If you had been in school on September 11th, you
might have met Dr Chee Soon Juan and other
members of the Singapore Democratic Party
distributing SDP flyers. You might even have
spoken to him – those that did asked him, among
other things, about the state of political apathy
rampant among most Singaporeans, students
in particular. As reported on the Singapore
Democrats website, Dr Chee had this to say:
“From years of authoritarian rule where students
have been cowed into silence, we have bred a
very unhealthy university culture.” From a quick
Google of blog entries about the SDP’s visit to
NUS, it is evident that quite a stir was created.
One anonymous student wrote that the “whole
day long, people in tutorials and lectures were
talking about it”.
What is it about the SDP members’ visit that got
everyone talking? Was it the way the campus
security quickly stepped in to stop the distribution
of flyers? Or was it, later on, the fact that NTU’s
campus newspaper had been censored to
prevent the report of the SDP’s visit to their
university? Was it just the break in mundane
campus life, giving people something to talk
about?
The sad thing is that most of us would
have forgotten all about it by the next day.
Singaporeans are remarkably politically
apathetic, and for a country that has had the
same political party ruling it since independence
in 1965, it is no surprise. My own mother, who
is 51, has only had to vote twice in her life: once
for her constituency and once for the general
elections. This is not borne out of neglect or
indifference – those are the only two times she
was required to vote due to walkovers in every
design fabian kong
“
The only way to ensure
that the ruling party is
kept on its toes is to have
a healthy, active and
competent opposition.
”
other election. Perhaps that is why we are all
agog with the drama unfolding over the American
presidential elections: not only do Americans get
to choose, really choose, their leadership, their
elections are held in such a way that is so vastly
different from our own. Nothing is sacred; insults
are flung, gauntlets are thrown down, but nobody
gets sued for defamation!
With the recent passing of JB Jeyaratam and
the less-than-warm official responses from
government officials – focusing more on the
differences between the PAP and JBJ’s (as he
was affectionately known) party, The Workers’
Party, and the times JBJ has been sued or
been to jail for political reasons – yet another
facet of Singapore’s political opposition came to
light. Are we not giving our political opposition
due recognition and consideration? JBJ was
widely respected both in Singapore and abroad
– prompting tributary reports in such regional
and global publications such as The Wall Street
Journal Asia and The Economist upon his
passing. In an online Straits Times piece, it was
reported that about 1300 people had attended
JBJ’s wake, and that “from the messages in
the condolence book, it would seem that many
 outspoken 21

opposition parties need to learn how to play the

game better. But for opposition parties to be
effective at all they need to be able to cut close
to the heart of important issues by being able
to say what they need to say. The only way to
photo horexakias.deviantart.com

ensure that the ruling party is kept on its toes is to

Singaporeans agreed that Mr Jeyaretnam had
indeed fought the good fight”. Even one of his
political opponents had praise for him. Mr Teo
Chong Tee, a PAP MP for Changi for 20 years,
said he “respected the late JBJ as a political
opponent who possessed very strong will-power
to fight for what he believed in” and that “Mr
Jeyaretnam’s perseverance was a quality that
aspiring young politicians here should emulate”.
have a healthy, active and competent opposition.
What is in our best interests is a government
that can weather criticism by letting its actions
speak for itself; being corruption-free and as
truly democratic as possible. For that to happen
we, as the future leaders of Singapore, need to
shake off our apathy and recognise that we have
a part to play in shaping our world through the
development of a strong civil society - whether
with the PAP or against it, and in whatever way
we can.

That is one thing that the most high-profile

members of opposition parties do have
– perseverance. Both JBJ and Chee Soon Juan
have been sued and declared bankrupt multiple
times over the decades, and neither is a stranger

photo angelslildevil.deviantart.com
to prison. As The Economist reported, “in all,
Mr Jeyaretnam calculated that over the years
he paid out more than S$1.6m in damages
and costs, sometimes for remarks that in many
democracies would not lead to libel actions but
be regarded as part of the cut-and-thrust of
parliamentary politics”. For all of this, and no
matter how one might disagree with their views
or tactics, it is admirable the way they have
stuck to their guns, never giving up. And indeed,
maybe that is the reason why most people shy
away from opposition parties – they certainly
do not mince their words. Singaporeans are not
quite used to raw, accusatory and impassioned
speeches against the political party which many
hold to be the reason why Singapore is what it is
today. Perhaps incendiary language is necessary,
to jolt us out of our stupor; and then again, maybe
 22 outspoken
Us Them and
Maybe it’s not as easy as John Lennon suggested
illustration www.theispot.com
They are everywhere now. This is the typical lament
of many Singaporeans regarding the current influx of
foreign “talents”. The higher the number of foreigners,
the louder the indignation against them. Amongst
the different groups of foreigners that Singaporeans
harbour disdain for, the target group that is currently
popular is that of the Chinese nationals. Common
reasons given by the pedestrian on the street would
be their habits – they spit, they talk loudly, they are
unrefined etc. Though most of us would like to claim
that we are open-minded and accepting of different
sorts of people, we might find, if we dig deep into our
design Toan
innermost prejudices, that xenophobia rears its ugly
head. Most of us have at least passed snickering
text Selina | pinkmorbidity@yahoo.com.sg
comments about these “imports” (the derogatory
term Singaporeans use on foreigners), if not felt
threatened by their presence.
As cynical as it may sound, everyone has prejudices
and it is common for it to be geared towards people
who are different, be it nationality or ethnicity. In a
utopian world, everyone would be free of prejudices
and look beyond skin colour, or in this case, passport
colour. But not just yet.
We scoff at these foreigners and by doing so
distance ourselves from them, thus creating a kind
of social hierarchy that makes us feel superior to

them. We declare ourselves first
class citizens, our needs and
wants preceding those of foreign
workers. It is quite primal for us
to want to “mark” our territories.
As much as John Lennon would
like us to believe that “there’re no
countries”, and thus no boundary
markers that get us defensive,
or offensive in the case of more
violent measures, what would
the world be like if there were no
idea of “home”? I imagine there
would be barely any sense of
security, pride or nostalgia. There
is nothing wrong with identifying
with something to make us feel
rooted. It is unfortunate, however,
that there is a downside to this,
which includes getting huffy when
we see more foreigners than
locals at every corner, or that there
is a disproportionate number of
foreigners representing us at the
Olympics.
A world where everyone was equal
in everyone’s eyes would not be
so much fun. Can you imagine not
being able to make “A Singaporean,
Malaysian and American are
illustration www.theispot.com
on a sinking ship…” jokes? TV
shows like Family Guy would
have to be banned, and stand-up
comedians like Chris Rock and
Russell Peters would have to find
something else to do for a living.
Having worked as a temp sales
girl previously, I realized that it is a
norm for salespeople to make fun
of certain shoppers based on their
nationality. But in our defense, we
were bored, we needed something
to bond over and prejudices were
seldom acted out. And in turn, our
service standards got made fun
of, so…
Of course, prejudice in its more
serious aspects is dangerous to
society’s well-being, but distinct
identities are important in forging
a sense of oneness amongst a
group of people. It is a sad fact
that a large part of this identity and
the security that comes along with
it stem from picking on members
of other groups.
Getting back to our “import”
problem, it is not like Singaporeans
are not mocked at by these
Can you imagine not being able to
make “A Singaporean, Malaysian and
American are on a sinking ship…” jokes?
outspoken 23
foreigners too. Our “kiasuism” and
Singlish have been the bottom of
many jokes. As long as everyone
knows where to stop and do
not overstep the line between
harmless fun and serious bias, we
should be just fine. It is about time
we learnt to suck it up and face
the fact that national boundaries
are getting blurred and people
will take our jobs, eat our food,
and laugh at us the same way we
laugh at them.
In the meantime, we can all hope
to make John Lennon’s “Imagine”
a goal, but understand that it may
never happen. While I could have
sworn Ronald Reagan stole my
musings on how everyone would
put aside their differences when
aliens attacked Earth, I am not too
keen on any alien invasion that
bears resemblance to that in War
of the Worlds.
 24 outspoken

Is there a C, M , I or O category in our love lives?

My mom says yes.

text Heshani Jayawikrama | heshani_17@yahoo.com.au

Stemming from a society where there is a constant

tug-of-war between conservatism and modernity, our
lives are inevitably entangled with things beyond our
control. As young adults, being in a relationship with
someone from a different ethnicity is one of many
idiosyncrasies that we face.

Inter-ethnic or otherwise, relationships are what you

make of them. Every relationship comes with its own
baggage of compromises and issues. Differences
Another interesting phenomenon observed was the
arising from one’s cultural upbringing, personality
composition of inter-ethnic relationships on a day-to-
trends, and parental influence constitute as heavy
day basis. Majority of Chinese boys tend not to have
challenges, all of which are associated with belonging
relationships with Indian girls. However, the trend
to different ethnicities. We continue to debate with our
is reversed when it comes to Indian boys showing
parents on how ‘times have changed’, we repeatedly
interest in Chinese girls. According to the inter-ethnic
tell ourselves that being in a multi-cultural society,
marriages statistics under the Women’s charter
we should be open to change and diversity; and yet,
2007, out of a total number of 1413 Chinese grooms
many of us think twice about being in an inter-ethnic
only 32 were married to brides of Indian origin in
relationship and dealing with the drama that follows.
contrast to 133 out of 277 Indian grooms married to
Chinese brides. After much probing and persistence
Conducting several casual interviews with students
on my part – to explain the Sociology behind this
who are or have been involved in inter-ethnic
intriguing statistic – the majority of the Chinese male
relationships brought certain interesting points to
interviewees admitted to being influenced by the way
light. Most emphasized on the importance of being
they were brought up and their mothers’ mindsets.
of the same religion rather than being of the same
Also, there is the obvious explanation that there is
ethnicity, stating that they can better adapt to cultural
a much smaller pool of Indian girls than there are
differences rather than religious differences. It was
Chinese ones.
also evident that parents’ approval had a significant
impact upon the success of an inter-ethnic relationship;
That said, ethnicity is a small barrier for two people
some had to end their relationships solely based on
in love. In fact, it is fascinating to experience
parental pressure.
different cultural practices, cuisine, music, tastes and
preferences. A majority of the interviewees shared
this opinion stating that as long as both parties are
open minded and are comfortable with compromising
on their differences, half the battle is won.
design lee wanyu
 outspoken 25

Most emphasized on the importance of being of the

same religion rather than being of the same ethnicity,
stating that they can better adapt to cultural differences
rather than religious differences.

Nevertheless, if two people decide to commit to

each other and look beyond their ethnic differences,
However, it is important to take a step back and analyze
there are societal challenges to face. While external
where you as an individual stand in a relationship
factors play a large role in our lives it is important
that carries this heavy load of expectations from your
to exercise our agency as individuals and negotiate
partner. If he or she wants to change everything which
our needs with others’ needs. Pushing boundaries
defines who you are, including your cultural tastes and
and experimenting with an open mind are virtues in
religious beliefs, it is worth considering what exactly
this century. But in the end, it comes down to what
he or she is in love with you for. If you are unable to
is important to the individual; his or her worldview is
stomach ethnic differences and respect your partner’s
often the deciding factor. As in any relationship, it is
beliefs it is better to step back and move on. Also,
important to realize that two halves do not make up
what is undeniable is the role our parents continue to
a whole in an inter-ethnic relationship. Both partners
play in our lives. It may seem effortless at first to walk
have to be wholesome, as this will build a stronger
away from your parents to pursue what you want;
relationship, able to withstand the complications in a
and yet, sooner or later, it starts to interfere with our
partnership of this nature.
happiness if they are not satisfied with our choices.
This probably has to do with the fact that we are quite
a family-oriented society and emphasize on filial piety
and respect for elders’ opinions in the family.
 26 transmedia
Dig Out Your Soul
The Stalwarts of Brit-Pop are back with a psychedelic trippy offering!
text Hurrairah bin Sohail | hurrairah@gmail.com

About the Artist:

Oasis can arguably be called the most important British Having settled down to a more or less stable line-up,
band since The Beatles, and the bickering Gallagher Oasis seem to be well on their way to becoming as
brothers have for years entertained the masses with big as they once were.
their music and their antics.

There is however no doubt that in the post grunge 90s

Oasis owned the airwaves and the pop charts. With
anthems like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In
Anger”, which are still popular Oasis have already photo http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6306/oasisdvdcovermp5.jpg
etched a name for themselves in rock history.

With their simple lyrics delivered in Liam Gallagher’s

snarky voice underpinned with minimalist guitar, bass
and drum rock ‘n roll and a Mancunian swagger,
Oasis reached the pinnacle of success.

But after the classic triumvirate of the albums

Definitely Maybe (1994), (What’s The Story) Morning
Glory? (1995) and Be Here Now (1997), Oasis, by
the enormously high standards they themselves set,
faded away.

With constant changing of personnel and turbulent

times in the recording studio, Oasis failed to recapture
design lee wanyu

their initial success. 2005’s Don’t Believe The Truth

however marked a return to form in some ways.

photo http://cache.idolator.com/assets/resources/2008/08/oasis3G(1).jpg
Transmedia Rating:
Perhaps every time Oasis releases an album, we
should stop expecting another Definitely Maybe or
Morning Glory? I think it is time to come to grips with
the fact that the Gallagher brothers will never again
match up to their earlier works.
With the burden of expectation to deliver out of
the way, Dig Out Your Soul (2008) (much like its
predecessor Don’t Believe The Truth (2005)) is a
solid listen, and the album will probably be panned by
critics but do well on the charts, as always.
Song writing duties have once again been shared
after the democratic process installed after their
previous album. Noel Gallagher contributes six songs
on the album, Liam Gallagher three and one a piece
from Andy Bell and Gem Archer (both the latter at the
cost of quality, I believe).
And the music is some of the best since their heydays.
The songs Noel Gallagher has crafted are in the
same vein as his anthems, perhaps because he has
this time around noticeably stopped trying to do so.
However, he still hasn’t stopped reaching for a
non-sequitur every time he needs to explain an
emotion bigger than himself “Love is a time machine,
Up on the silver screen” – ‘The Shock Of Lightning’,
or writing some of the most inane lyrics “I got my
heebeejeebies in a bag” – ‘Bag It Up’.
.. it’s time to come to grips with the fact
that the Gallagher brothers will never again
match up to their earlier works.
transmedia 27
photo http://britmusicscene.com/
Amazingly, the albums finest moment is the slow
piano based balled ‘I’m Outta Time’ penned by Liam
Gallagher. Obviously a John Lennon tribute, the song
took nine years to germinate and is every bit as good
as any of Noel’s earlier hits (yes, even ‘Wonderwall’).
The song deservedly is the centre piece of the entire
album.
Perhaps the greatest contribution on the album has
come from producer Dave Sardy and Zak Starkey
(Ringo Starr’s son) on drums. Sardy’s layering
of music, scuffing the tones and creating dense
mellotron/organ soundscapes makes Oasis’ sound
progress to an almost poppy version of the Queens
of the Stone Age’s sound.
The album sounds more like the experimental and
trippy Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants (2000),
Oasis’ lowest selling album to date.
Zak Starkey’s off kilter drumming on ‘The Turning’
and other tracks really drives the songs along and
provides the basis for the groove and the progression
that is felt on this record.
But as always, Oasis borrow heavily from The Beatles
lifting entire riffs and inverting them, using the sitar
and generally making sure we do not forget that they
worship the Fab Four.
All in all, if this was an album composed
entirely by the Gallagher brothers minus token
contributions from the other members it might
have stood a better chance at matching their
first two cuts.
 28 transmedia

The Rich,, the Poor and the Conniving

Sky-rocketing prices, plummeting stocks, and other miscellaneous
jargon only a non-Economics student is capable of utterance,
welcome to the world of trading and stockbroking.
text Tay Huizhen | benediction.jay@gmail.com

Money is exciting. For those of you who have not
already realised, well now you know! With the
collapse of Lehman Brothers, a technical recession
on our hands, as well as some nasty front-page shots
of traders pulling their hair, the ridge adds fuel to
the fire by strapping you into the hair-raising roller-
coaster ride of the financial/economic drama.
photo the-tao-of-dave.com/boiler_room.jpg
Sky-rocketing prices, plummeting stocks, and other
miscellaneous juvenile jargon only a non-Economics
student is capable of utterance, welcome to the world
of trading and stockbroking.
A classic which inspired the genre, Wall Street (1987)
is what one might call a hall-of-famer. As the sly
Gordan Gekko (surname pun thoroughly intended by

scriptwriters), Michael Douglas insidiously declares

to a hypnotised seminar audience, on how ‘Greed is
good. Greed works.’

The movie explores the dynamics between

conscience and the acquisition of wealth. The film’s
idea of ‘trading a piece of yourself, for a piece of the
action’ completely sums up this dilemma. Almost titled
‘Greed’, like that of the Von Stroheim epic, Wall Street
takes money-mongering impulses to a new low.

The quintessence of all films about money (or rather,

the getting of it) can really be found in just these two
alone — Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and Boiler
Room (2000). While Glen Ross centres on the real
estate business, Boiler Room features a robust and
young investment company. Both films lay claim to
having ‘the excellent speech’ which is a highlight not
to be missed.

There is the infamous Al Pacino glare in Glen Ross,

as he hurls a tirade at a fellow colleague, and one of
the more memorable performances in Ben Affleck’s
acting career in Boiler Room, during the boardroom
photo magpictures.com

scene where he addresses a bunch of interns.

Many have noted the Oscar-worthy deliverances of

the two, and fans of rhetoric should not miss these
two films. The seduction and excitement of closing
the deal is made most stark in these two dramas
portraying driven, high-flying executives.
design lee wanyu
 transmedia 29

All those nail-biting scenarios just do not cut it for

some of you? Craving the real deal? Look instead
to an actual corporate scandal of gargantuan scale.
Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room (2005)
is the first definitive documentary that attempts an
account of this epic accounting scandal that made
headlines worldwide in 2001. In the same vein of
Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko, partake
in the new wave of the oxymoronic sensationalised
documentaries. With satirical re-enactments of this
head-shaking exposé, conspiracies have always
been fun.

Speaking about hard times, let us take a leaf from

the book and wallow in our fellow men’s boots when
they faced the first Great Depression, way back in
the 1930s.

photo moblog.com.sg/blog/Movies
played by Russell Crowe) has got a far trickier
situation on his hands. But, when fitted with boxing
gloves, those limbs prove to be a money-making
machine.

And just for kicks, one could always catch the local
Money No Enough 2 (2008)—the latest indigenous
endeavour by Jack Neo. Middle-class woes delivered
in laymen vernacular should hit the spot for fans of
the first film. Nonetheless, despite great hopes for
him to step out of his TV-production shell, Neo again
photo impawards.com

fails to simultaneously sustain clever and wit, taking

instead the overdone melodramatic route.

So tighten those belts and curb those spendthrift

Awfully reminiscent of Hard Times (1975) (the film,
not the Dickens classic), Cinderella Man (2005) is a
heart-tugging portrayal of a 1930s’ Rocky. Throw in
dependants and James Braddock (the protagonist,
tendencies, or simply be in awe of those who still
wield great financial freedom in their appetites for
risk-taking. The above films will teach you how to
handle the heat while we tide over myriad financial
crises.
 30 transmedia

text Leong Su Zhen| leongsz@hotmail.com

the reader ends up with villains whose motives are

Nobody Owens, or ‘Bod’ as he is known to his friends,
never clearly defined. And even though the macabre
is raised in a cemetery. This odd circumstance
trail of blood left in their wake is unmistakably hinted
comes about when, as a toddler, he wanders up to
at, one gets the sense that Bod was never ever in
the neighbouring graveyard the night his family is
real danger.
killed, and is taken under the protection of its ghostly
inhabitants. Meanwhile, danger lurks outside, where
Neil Gaiman doesn’t make it a secret that he was
the murderer still prowls at large, undeterred from his
heavily influenced by Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle
unfinished task…
Book, whose young protagonist is raised in a
tropical rainforest by animals. While The Graveyard
While Neil Gaiman needs no introduction in fantasy
Book should be read as an entire story, it is also
circles as the author of well-known works like
similarly structured like The Jungle Book as a series
American Gods, Stardust and the cult series of
of standalone vignettes that chronicle important
graphic novels, The Sandman, he is also, in more
episodes in Bod’s childhood.
recent years, a prolific writer of fiction for a younger
audience.
Mercifully, one does not need the background
reading to appreciate the novel, though one gets
These include The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two
the strong impression that in his acknowledgement,
Goldfish, Coraline and Odd and the Frost Giants,
Gaiman wishes his reader would pick up Kipling’s
which was released earlier this year. Given the
book after reading his.
mass appeal of Gaiman, it seems inevitable that
The Graveyard Book, would be available in both
One of the most entertaining books to come out
the children and adult’s version. Both versions are
in some time, Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book
lovingly illustrated respectively by Cris Riddell (the
makes an excellent addition to any family bookshelf.
illustrator of Pratchett’s Discworld series) and Dave
McKean, a frequent collaborator of Gaiman’s.

The Graveyard Book brings out the best in story-

telling. The prose is light and easy to read, peppered
with wry humour and wisdom. The characters are
endearing, and even minor characters are well-
crafted and memorable in spite of their smaller role.
Bod is a likeable boy, whose childhood complications
are not seen so much as problematical as viewed as
a fact of the world to be taken in stride.

The Graveyard Book addresses its fantastical

elements realistically. Hence, while Bod is made to be
photo paclbooks.pbwiki.com

aware that his situation is atypical, he is also raised

pragmatically, to learn how to survive in a world that
does not treat the odd minority kindly.

One slight glitch is that Gaiman seems to be holding

design Toan

back on some of the potentially gristlier details. This

is understandable, as after all, the book is targeted
at a wider audience. But, the disadvantage is that

Anna Karenina
Set in nineteenth-century imperial Russia, Anna Karenina is a novel
about family, marriage, adultery and love as it existed in high society.
photo sbutler.typepad.com
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is
unhappy in its own way.”
And on that poignant note, Leo Tolstoy begins what
is arguably the most well-known literary offering
out of Russia—Anna Karenina. Set in nineteenth-
century imperial Russia, Anna Karenina is a novel
about family, marriage, adultery and love as it
existed in high society.
Tolstoy explores these themes with several inter-
woven narratives of related characters, including, of
course, that of the eponymous character.
Married to an important government minister, Anna
Karenina is a beautiful, enigmatic and well-liked
socialite who falls tragically in love with a high-
ranking and wealthy army officer, Count Vronsky.
In choosing to leave her husband and son to pursue
a new life with her lover, Anna alienates herself
from her moralistic peers. As time wears on, she
becomes torn between her two lives, which leads
her to desperation.
transmedia 31
text Shahirah Mohamed Ansari | shahirah_@nus.edu.sg
Anna, along with the other principal characters,
serves as a foil to Konstantin Levin, an aristocrat
who deviates from the norm due to his distaste for
city life and idleness, and his contrasting enjoyment
of hard work and farming.
However, he believes that his contentment is
blighted by his unrequited love for Kitty, a young
princess whom he had known since childhood. Levin
feels that only through having a wife and family
could he achieve happiness. Styled after Tolstoy
himself, Levin turns out to be the true protagonist of
the story.
The overarching social commentary is at times
critical, while at others sympathetic; Tolstoy at
once condemns and legitimizes the hypocritical
aristocratic sphere of Russian society for their
trends and decadence, for their moralistic views
and Christian values. Surprisingly resonant even
in today’s world, many of the author’s musings on
society will strike a chord with modern readers.
At slightly over 800 pages, exam-burdened NUS
students may be put off or overwhelmed by the
sheer length of Anna Karenina. Furthermore, the
numerous characters (each with at least three
names used interchangeably!) are a potential cause
for confusion.
However, with an exhaustive list of principal
characters preceding the novel, as well as concise
notes which explain esoteric or unfamiliar ideas and
concepts, this edition of the novel is not difficult to
get through.
This latest translation by Richard Pevear and
Larissa Volokhonsky has made what was once a
novel strictly confined to the realms of academia
accessible to the mainstream public. At the same
time, Tolstoy’s unique style of writing still shines
clearly through. Indeed, with Oprah Winfrey’s
endorsement, this translation has enjoyed a revival
in interest and a spot on the bestseller’s list.
 32 lifestyle

Zsofi Tapas Bar

the ridge reviews the newly opened Zsofi Tapas Bar as part of
its food review section.

The Zsofi Tapas bar is located along Dunlop Street,
right smack in the middle of the bustling Little India.
A far cry from the commercialized locations of Clarke
Quay and Orchard Road, the rustic feel of the street
itself makes an impression on you, even before one
enters the bar.
The concept of Tapas is not a new one to Singapore,
with several high-end tapas restaurants populating
more mainstream locales. Tapas is usually thought
of as referring to a wide variety of appetizers in
Spanish cuisine, and in keeping with this theme,
the bar serves small sized portions of a myriad of
dishes.
The bar itself is is decorated to mimic the décor of a
traditional tapas bar in Spain, and several budding
local artists helped paint and garnish the walls on
the upper level with their very own artwork. The vibe
that one gets from the bar is a laid-back and friendly
one, with servers being ever-ready to recommend
dishes to customers.
The selling point of Zsofi tapas bar has to be it’s
cheap drink prices, coupled with the fact that the
purchase of every drink gets you one free serving
of tapas. Costing a fraction of the prices at bars
located elsewhere, Zsofi manages to provide quality
drinks at cheap prices.

“We advise you to try the authentic

Spanish dishes and drinks, the tortilla
design Hurrairah bin Sohail

espanola (potato and cheese dish) and

the the red or white sangria (traditional
Spanish wine punch).”

68 Dunlop Street
www.tapasbar.com.sg
text Arzish Baaquie | arzish@gmail.com
Serving a myriad of alcoholic beverages, along with
mocktails, the highlight has to be the red or white
sangria (traditional Spanish wine punch), complete
with diced fruits inside.
In terms of food, the tortilla espanola (potato and
cheese dish) came out tops and seemed the most
popular amongst diners. Coming in at a close
second had to be the succulent garlic prawns,
shelled and cooked to perfection. Bar favourites
such as chilli buffalo wings are also popular, but
we’d advise you to try the authentic Spanish dishes
first.
The sheer affordability that Zsofi prides itself on is
what attracted most of the patrons we spoke to.
lifestyle 33
photo Zsofi Tapas Bar
Owned by a current university student, the prices
and laid-back atmosphere are tailor-made towards
the student population.
Zsofi prides itself on knowing and providing for the
cash-strapped students who are out to have a good
time. The unique name of the bar itself leads to a
quirky story, with the owner’s brother having met a
girl of the same name during a vacation in Spain.
They became friends but never managed to
exchange contacts and she has no idea that a bar
has been named after her. The owner felt that
this tale encapsulated what Zsofi stood for, i.e.
celebrating the spontaneity of friendships over good
food and drinks.
The fact that the bar closes late on weekdays and
even later on weekends ensures that first-time
visitors often end up becoming regulars. Emanating
a cosy and unpretentious vibe, this is one bar that
youngsters can enjoy without burning a hole in their
already fragile wallets.
 34 lifestyle
People Page
Feel you’re too old to trick-or-treat for Halloween? Well, in
that case Costume Parties are a suitable alternative for you!
Lifestyle asks you: Which is the best Halloween Costume idea
that you have come across for a Halloween Costume Party?

text Vani Goyal | vani_goyal@hotmail.com

photo sxc.hu

A “Chick-Magnet” costume, which could consist of

a huge Styrofoam magnet supported around one’s
shoulders, with little baby chickens glued to it!!

Elena Yelizarov, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

The psychotic Joker of ‘The Dark Knight’ fame, with

the green hair and the trademark clown face loaded
with make-up and an assortment of bright colours,
together with the occasional “Why so serious?”
phrase would be an eye catcher.

Deenar Farvin, School of Computing

A Creepy Mummy, wrapped up in white bandage

rolls with blotches of green paint to signify mould,
An Ugly Betty costume, with a colourful and clashing coupled with age-lines and the stiff-legged gait.
sweater vest, fake braces, a typical “B” necklace,
red trimmed glasses and hideous shoes! Agustony Sabtian, Faculty of Engineering

Vyajanthi Raja, School of Computing

A Creepy Mummy, wrapped up in white bandage
rolls with blotches of green paint to signify mould,
coupled with age-lines and the stiff-legged gait.
Agustony Sabtian, Faculty of Engineering
A handsome guy could dress up as Indiana Jones
with all his signature accessories-the khaki pants
and a tan shirt, the Flight leather jacket, the Fedora
style hat, a canvas bag, a whip, and not to mention
the brown belt to hold the whip!

Vani Goyal, School of Computing

design Hurrairah bin Sohail

A Captain Jack Sparrow Costume of the notorious Pirate of the Caribbean Sea
portrayed by Johnny Depp, complete with a red pirate headpiece and wig, boot tops
and waist sash, and an eye-patch thrown in too!
Ngo Hai Yen, Business
 36 wired

SmartQ T-5
II Review 12news

This month we take a look at SmartQ’s new offering. Is it really a

cut above the rest? Read on to find out.
text Mazyiar Saleem | mazyiar@gmail.com
photo cnetasia.com

The music menu

Design:

The design of the player, while not visually stunning,
is quite good. The d-pad on the left and three
buttons on the right make for easy and intuitive
navigation, and very comfortable game-play. There
is a set of dedicated volume controls found on
the top, while a hold switch and all the connectors
reside on the right side. Inside, the menus are laid
out vertically, and are text-based.
The device has no internal memory, but rather uses
an SD card for all its memory needs. It supports up
to 32 GB SD cards, which is quite decent. Adding
songs and videos to the device is a breeze, with no
design Suhas Bhat
My only complaint is that after some time of use,
the keys become stiff and need to be pressed quite
hard to make them work.
Music:
There are quite a few music management options.
Library management is decent and adding songs to
the device and updating the library is a breeze. On-
the-go playlists can be made, which can be saved
as regular ones later.
Audio quality is quite good, although you’ll have to

extra software involved. You just plug in the USB throw away the bundled earphones and use your
cable, copy into the device directory and the player own. There are a number of equalizer presets,
does the rest. along with the ability to set your own equalizer via

a 5-band equalizer. There are also extra
audio enhancement options one can play
with, which are quite effective and make quite
a difference if they’re tweaked right.
Video playback:
Video playback is excellent - the 3” screen
with 16 million colours giving very good
results. A higher resolution would be still be
very welcome though, as the player’s heavy
duty graphics chip can easily support it.
Format support is incredible. It plays
uncompressed AVI, RM/RMVB, FLV, 3GP,
and MPEG. This means that, unlike a lot of
other players on the market, you don’t need
any extra software to get your videos to work.
It’s as easy as dragging and dropping. The
higher end model also supports TV-out, and
outputting to the TV is easy with the quality
being quite good as well. Video playback
supports seek, different screen sizes, and
the ability to resume playing your video
from where you left off. Subtitles are also
supported via .srt files.
Games:
The shape of the device makes it look more
like a handheld than a music player which is
certainly no coincidence. The device includes
You can use upto 32GB SD cards
news 37
wired 13
The headphone-jack doubles as a TV-out port
game emulators for NES, SNES, GBA,
and SMD. Emulator ROMs can easily
be downloaded over the Internet and
then copied to the device. The volume
buttons also serve as customisable
buttons for the games. I had many hours
of entertainment replaying old Zelda
titles on the player.
E-book:
The device also contains an e-book
reader, which is quite decent, allowing
you to auto scroll, use true-type fonts,
and play your music in the background.
A major drawback, though, is that it
doesn’t support any of the major e-book
formats, and the only way to add e-
books is via plain text files.
There are also extras like voice
recording, radio, and the ability to
view pictures - all of which are pretty
standard.
All in all, this is a pretty solid and full-
featured device that is definitely worth
a look. If only it could be a little slimmer
photo devianart.com
and had more colours to choose from, it
would certainly appeal to a much greater
audience.
 38 wired

text Gurmesh Singh | gurmesh@nus.edu.sg

We take a look at what has been creating a buzz in the tech

world of late.

Apple has recently announced their updated

MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks at their
“spotlight turns to notebooks” event. A new version
of the MacBook features an aluminium body
weighing in at slightly over 2kg. It also features
a 13.3 LED backlit display with a 1280 x 800
resolution display. The most interesting new features
are the multi-touch glass track pad as well as the
photo apple.com

incorporation of a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

processor. The new MacBook Pro has the same
aluminium body weighing in at around 2.5 kg and
a 15.4inch screen. The new MacBook Pro also
features not one, but two graphics processors, the
NVIDIA Geforce 9400M and 9600M GT with Apple
allowing you to switch between the two, depending
on your graphic processing needs.

The T-Mobile G1 phone was announced with

much fanfare. The reason for this being that
the G1 is the first phone that will use Google’s
Linux based Android mobile platform. Android
is currently being backed by the Open Handset
Alliance which comprises of a 33-strong group of
device manufacturers, component manufacturers,
software companies, and mobile carriers. It is hoped
that Android can break Microsoft’s dominance in
photo krisabel.ctv.ca

the mobile platform market and hopefully offer

design Adi Yoga Sidi Prabawa

something new and innovative. While the phone

itself does not exactly look stunning, the Android
platform looks rather promising and will hopefully
offer users a better mobile experience.
 wired 39
By the time this issue hits stands, we would have
already known who the next American president
will be. If Obama wins, he will be first president

photo obamamedia.files.wordpress.com
who has been able to make clever use of the online
world for his campaign. Advertisements have been
placed in the Burnout Paradise game on the Xbox
360, which can be seen when gamers are battling
each other online. His campaign has also set up
fightthesmears.com to well, fend off smear attacks
on “that one”. Advertisements have also been on
the iTunes online store as well as the launch of
an Obama ’08 application for the iPhone and iPod
Touch. If he has indeed lost, nobody can say that he
didn’t try.

OpenOffice 3.0 has been released on Windows,

Macintosh, Linux and UNIX platforms. It now fixes
loads of compatibility issues with complex Microsoft
Office documents. Furthermore, it now has native
support for documents saved on Microsoft’s Office
2007. That’s right; those pesky .docx and .pptx files
people insist on sending to you can now be opened

photo blogs.oreilly.com
using the new OpenOffice 3.0. However, while it
will be able to open these files, it will not be able
to edit them. What it allows you to do is to save it
as the older Office file formats, like .doc which will
then enable you to edit the document. This is open
source software at its best, really.

A report issued by the Georgia Tech Information

Security Center (GTISC) outlined several threats
that may make its way to users of the Internet in
2009. Malware will be distributed using better social
engineering techniques. Botnet attacks will become
more prevalent with mobile devices possibly being
targeted as well. Cyber crime could also evolve
into a more organized and profit-driven threat with
sophisticated malware programs and kits being
available for sale. It all does make for grim reading.
Surf on down to gtiscssecuritysumit.com to view the
report in full.
 40 sports
NUS Sports Awards
the ridge casts special light on the lives of student athletes.
text Suhas Bhat | suhasbhat1988@gmail.com
The annual NUS Sports Awards presentation
was a ceremony like every other. Filled with
hyperbole (“strive for sporting excellence”& “we are
one big family” being my favourites) and a self-
confident swag to the occasion, NUS celebrated
the achievements of its sporting community in
style. After congratulating its players on their
commendable achievements over the past year,
NUS should hope that they continue the trend at a
more global level in the future.
A host of sportsmen & women arrived on the
design Samyuktha
day dressed in formal attire, happy to be present
and receive their commendations. They all had
something to be proud about. Over the entirety
of last year, 300 athletes have represented our
university in various metropolitan cities such as
Paris, Macau, Taipei & Hong Kong.
NUS President being gifted by the sporting community at one of his final public appearances
We have even won 5 medals at the 2007 SEA
games for Singapore. TeamNUS has won the most
number of medals in the inter-varsity polytechnic
games over the last year & retained the Singapore
University Games trophy for the third time this year
(no other institution has won it since its inception in
2006).
The awards given were in various formats. Team
& Player awards were presented as well as Merit
awards (for best performances overall), rookie
awards (for best newcomers) & honorary awards
(for sporting commitment of a long duration).
The highlight of the day, however, was the NUS
Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year
& the President Award (Individual) which went to
three aquathlon athletes - Mok Ying Ren (Medicine,
Year 3), Dinah Chan (graduated) & Sikhander Singh
(Political Science, Year 4).
photo Danny Widodo

A majority of the awards were won by athletes in
amateur sports as opposed to those that participate in
team sports. From the team sports category, the NUS
Tennis Team won the Sports Team of the Year (Men)
while the Volleyball team won the Sports Team of the
Year (Female).
Nevertheless, local & regional achievements do not
necessarily translate into a job well done. Resource-
constrained as we are, it nevertheless remains true
that a global presence would better befit the self-
confidence that NUS Sportsmen have of their sporting
calibre.
With the Asian Youth Games coming up next year
and the World Youth Olympic Games to be held in
NTU in 2010, sportsmen of a younger age (only those
younger than 19 will participate) will rise to the fore
possibly overshadowing our university’s sporting
achievements.
Even Dr. Balakrishnan, Minister of Community
Development & Sports states that “the days of sport
as a hobby are over and now sports are an integral
part of Singaporean society”. If this is true then surely
we can expect our sportsmen to perform well in the
challenges that lay ahead.
But then, it is debatable whether by being the biggest
tertiary institution in the island entails a responsibility
for our university in ensuring a modicum of sporting
excellence. After all, we all face a trade-off between
academics & studies, a problem that both the NUS
Sportsman & Sportswoman of the Year mentioned.
Both, being aquathlon athletes, know especially well
the difficulty of carrying out the extensive training
required while also studying and preparing for
tests (Ying Ren had to request for deferment of his
Medicine examinations for the SEA games).
Mok Ying Ren, however, also brought an altruistic
message in his speech by encouraging his fellow
sportsmen to lead by example by “influenc[ing]
those around us [into] leading healthier lifestyles &
mak[ing] sports part of your lives”. Dinah Chan, on
the other hand, stated how much she missed NUS
while staying at NTU currently, a comment that quite
amused the audience.
Many personalities were present on the day. Aside
from the President, the various Hall Masters, the
NUS Sports Club President, sports secretaries of
sports 41
the various faculties, the Dean of Students & even
a member of Singapore Sports Council had made
their way to the UCC. It is pleasing to note that NUS
does take recognition of sporting achievements
seriously and such a positive reflection will surely
pay dividends in the future. Prof Shih Choon Fong
commented on this afterwards by stating that “with
the annual presentation of awards & the recognition
given has come broader participation and an
acceptance of sports as an active part of campus
life”.
NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong was taking
part in his last awards ceremony as well before
heading off to KAUST later this year. He was
gifted a photo frame & a Dragonboat pedal by the
NUS sporting community. He ended the day with
a charismatic speech extolling to all present that
“no dream is too high”. He appeared particularly
pleased, taking pride in his role as the Team Captain
of the NUS Sports establishment.
And impressive anecdotes were also mentioned
justifying the President’s words of pride. Sandra
Wong, Business Year 2, led a female Volleyball
team primarily composed of freshmen last year to
victory in the SUniGs & the Inter-Varsity-Polytechnic
games, having inherited a team after a high turnover
(the seniors had all graduated the preceding year)
had depleted its strength.
Also, the NUS Women’s Dragon Boat team, having
practiced for days at our own university swimming
pool & gymnasiums, bested competitors from
around the island by winning the Prime Minister’s
Challenge Trophy earlier this year (their male
compatriots lost to the NTU team) thus bagging the
Presidents Sports Award (Team) at the ceremony.
The competition, modelled after the Oxford-
Cambridge Rowing Race in England, is highly
prestigious and attracts over 3,000 paddlers every
year.
After all the accolades are over, though, it is time for
NUS to focus on elevating their level to reach a new
plateau. Let us hope that our sportsmen continue to
excel and with the strong spirit & camaraderie that
we possess.
A team of about 200 athletes will represent NUS
at the 2008 ASEAN university games held at Kuala
Lumpur from December 11-21 this year.
 42 sports
Interview with
NUS Sportman of the Year
text Suhas Bhat | suhasbhat1988@gmail.com
the ridge talks to Mok Ying Ren, NUS Sportsman of the Year,
about his views on NUS Sports, his training schedules and the
support that he received from his family for his sporting career.
Mok Ying Ren
Year 2/Medicine
Achievments:
design Priyadarshini Banerjee
Gold medal in Triathlon at the SEA
Games 2007,
Gold medal in IVP games for Aquathlon,
5000m & 10000m (record timing) & a
national sportsman for Singapore.
What was your reaction when you were informed
that you had been chosen as Sportsman of the
Year?
I was elated and proud that once again the Sports-
man of the Year belongs to the NUS Aquathlon
Team following the trend from Sikhandar Singh’s
win last year. It is also an honour to be able to
get this award in my freshman year in NUS. Many
people have played a part in this and I would like to
dedicate this award to all of them for their encour-
agement and support.
What message would you like to give to your fellow
sportsmen & undergraduates?
Get out there and play some sports! The SRC has
so many free facilities. Make your paying of school
fees worth it.
What improvements would you like to suggest for
Sports@NUS?
Perhaps I would like to see a better gym. I think that
the sporting culture is pretty good in NUS but it is
definitely better to bring sports participation to 100
per cent.
What do you think of the sporting infrastructure at
the university?
I think there is a lot of focus on getting the average
student to participate in sports via IFG and IHG. It is
great to see this! However, a lot of emphasis is put
also on having an comprehensive lifestyle including
culture activities, especially if reside in one of the

halls of residence. For example, as a resident as
Sheares, I had accumulated 90 CCA points last year
but all were from sports (I did not have the time nor
the energy to join any other committees on top of my
training) but this number was reduced to half due
to a cap (upper limit) for sports and I barely made it
through to stay on. I feel this hinders the type of stu-
dent who really wants to excel in one particular field.
We should also encourage specialisation in NUS
since we are already mature young adults.
How often do you train every week?
This is a complex question, not as easy as it may
seem. What warrants a training session to be called
a training session? I train 14 times a week. It sounds
scary but most sessions take only 45min-1hr and
are aerobic in nature. Some sessions last as long
as 4hrs while some are high in intensity. It varies
week to week as I have the flexibility, being my own
coach.
Mok Ying Ren with the gold medal at the SEA Games last
year clocking an impressive timing of 2 minutes 06 seconds
sports 43
Has your family been supportive of your sporting
career?
Yes! They have been really supportive, understand-
ing my time spent out of home in school and hall
studying and training. My sister also enjoys running
and currently I am trying to get my parents to run but
it has been proven to be quite challenging (laughs).
Why do you play sports?
It helps me destress from studies and also because
it is very challenging and fun. Especially in a sport
like triathlon, one hardly gets bored from training
as there are 3 disciplines to choose from (cycling,
swimming & running).
What are your future plans? Do you plan to take
sports up professionally?
I will try my best to juggle my studies and training. It
may get harder when I start clinicals in Year 3. Pro-
fessional training may be an option when I graduate.
It depends on how flexible our Singapore system is.
“I train 14 times a
week. Some sessions
last as long as 4hrs
while some are high in
intensity. It varies week
to week as I have the
flexibility, being my
own coach.”
- Mok Ying Ren
OUR PEOPLE GET AS IT Graduate Programme
MUCH AS THEY GIVE.
A LOT, IN OTHER WORDS.

About Barclays Capital

Barclays Capital is the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC which has an AA
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As a technologist at Barclays Capital, you could be involved in identifying, tracking and resolving
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02 desk