by Student Blogger Dorothy Tan

We are all familiar with the hit television series “The Little Nyonya”, frustrated at the erratic weather, frightened about the Red Shirt demonstrations in Bangkok and worried about the low fertility rates in Singapore. But come 22 May, be challenged to go beyond feelings and tackle current issues ranging from modern television to climate from a multi-disciplinary perspective. You are definitely in for a treat at this year’s FASS Open House, as the leading lecturers of various departments share invaluable insights and experiences from their area of expertise. Come and discover how the social sciences are relevant in tackling current issues from different perspectives, and explore the endless prospects that await you from the Departments of Sociology, Geography, Southeast Asian Studies and Theatre Studies, just to name a few. 

 Baby Not-so Boomers

Representing the Department of Sociology is A/P Paulin Straughan, who is also FASS’s vice-dean of Undergraduate Studies appointed Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP). You may find her a familiar face, as she appeared on a recent episode of “Singapore Talking”, shedding light on the topic: “Has the role of Mothers changed overtime?” It is no wonder that at FASS Open House, she will be discussing on the low fertility in Asia and the implications it has on Singapore, entitled “Stork and Cupid: Out to Lunch”. A/P Straughan is very excited to share her great interest in the modern family and deep insights as she revealed:

 “As you would have noted, there has been a lot of debate raised on the number of foreigners in Singapore. As a result of our chronic low TFR (total fertility rate), we have not been able to grow our population without augmentation from immigration. But that has, as we have seen, resulted in other social problems. For a small nation-state with no resources other than manpower, low fertility and late marriage have serious implications on social stability and economic sustainability. So my talk addresses a very serious social issue facing Singapore. And the topic is of interest to youths as you are the next generation of thought leaders and parents-to-be.”

 Be sure to catch A/P Paulin Straughan, as she tackles the ever-pressing problem of low fertility from a sociological perspective on the 22^nd May, Lecture Theatre 11 (LT11) at 1pm!

 Smokin’ Hot

Prof David Higgit will be representing the Geography department, delivering a talk entitled “Climate Change: How will Singapore Survive?” Together with Prof T C Chang, Prof Higgit will be addressing the threat of climate change and its implications for environments and societies around the world. Specifically, it focuses on the effects of climate change on Singapore; Singapore’s contributions to the problem; as well as how the country is coping with and combating this global threat. Prof Higgit stresses that climate change is a serious issue that cannot and should not be ignored:

 “It is a hugely important topic that has generated sustained media attention and quite a lot of controversy recently. It seems that many people in Singapore feel that climate change is something that will happen to other people elsewhere. I want to take the opportunity to explore what geographers are contributing to the climate change debate both in terms of environmental science and social science research. This will help to identify some issues that should be of concern to Singapore in the near future.”

 Come and be inspired by the difference that you can make in the environment, but more importantly, discover for yourself the research strengths and teaching capabilities of the Department of Geography at NUS! Prof Higgit will be delivering his talk on 22^nd May, Lecture Theatre 13 (LT13) at 11am!

 Not Just a Pretty Face

Ever wondered what would happen if Juxiang from “The Little Nyonya” encountered Emily from “Emily of Emerald Hill”? Dr Paul Rae, from the Department of Theatre Studies, is the author of Theatre & Human Rights (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), and the co-artistic director of spell#7 performance. He will be exploring what wily stage veteran Emily and upstart media darling the Little Nyonya have to say to each other about theatre and television, Peranakan fever, gender politics, and the ‘mandarinisation’ of the past. Dr Rae is looking very forward to deliver his talk entitled “Showdown! Little Nyonya vs Emily of Emerald Hill” because:

 “It is about something many students will be familiar with, while at the same time giving me an opportunity to reflect on a number of broad themes and ideas that we address in Theatre Studies, such as the politics of representation, the role of performance in the shaping of identity, and the unique qualities of different media, be they theatre or television. I think the topic is timely, because there has been so much interest in Peranakan culture recently – or, at least, a rather nostalgic and idealised version of it – and this seems to me to say something about the larger cultural dynamics of Singapore.”

Clearly, theatre studies is not simply just reading off a script, knowing when to enter and exit the stage; this field of study tackles the deeper meanings, issues and implications behind every word and direction the author or playwright pens. You surely do not want to miss this interesting talk by Dr Rae on 22^nd May, Lecture Theatre 13 (LT13) at 12pm!

Double, double, Toil and Trouble

Last but not least, representing the Southeast Asian Studies Department are Dr Irving Johnson and Dr Pattana Kitiarsa, who will be presenting on an intriguing topic about the role of supernaturalism in Southeast Asian politics. Even the employment of blood in the recent spate of political riots in Bangkok has a supernatural significance. Entitled “Blood, Magic and Politics in Southeast Asia”, Dr Johnson and Dr Kitiarsa will focus on Thailand and Thai societies both historically and presently, for instance, one good example would be the mass ‘cursing’ of General Suchinda Krapayoon in Bangkok’s main public square some years back. In addition, and historically, the building of ancient capitals was sometimes popularly associated with human sacrifice so as to create ‘city spirits’. In some instances, supernaturalism can be seen as a way to contest the powerful state as well. Through such strong examples, both speakers wish to show:

“Beliefs in supernaturalism are very much a part of everyday life and cannot be divorced from politics (which is also a cultural practice) in Southeast Asia. Politics basically is about how people understand power and control in their societies. For instance, one can think of the ritual ‘cursing’ of political figures by magical practitioners or uses of astrology and divination in the choosing of auspicious days/sites for political activity.”

You definitely do not want to miss this thought provoking and intriguing talk by Dr Johnson and Dr Kitiarsa, and discover what exciting prospects the Department of Southeast Asian Studies has to offer. Be sure to join them on 22^nd May, Auditorium at AS7-01-02 at 1pm!

By Priscilla Ann Vincent, South Asian Studies, Year 2

Uncertainty – is the word which summarises the start of my NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) internship.

On 4 June 2009, Mr Rajesh Bhat, the director of The Rural Edge (the social entrepreneurship project where I did my internship), called me from the state of Karnataka, India. He asked if I was ready for hard work and the challenge of living in rural India. He gave me only an hour to accept the internship offer. Not knowing much about the project or what rural meant, I pleaded for him to give me a day or two to decide.

The Rural Edge project, in collaboration with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), Samuha and Foundation for Life, aims to bring Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) into rural India. Firstly, villagers with little or no education are trained in basic English, Mathematics, Computing, Logical and BPO work, specific skills like invoice processing and new application processing. The second part of this rural development project is to equip these villagers with BPO jobs in the village. The project is based in a village called Kanakagiri, in a rural part of Karnataka, about 10 hours away by road from the city of Bangalore.

I was still unsure. The project website I was told to refer to did not answer all my questions. How rural is rural? Is there electricity? Was the water safe to drink? Was there any internet access? Where will I be staying? What would my job entail? Most importantly will I survive? But being presented with a fulfilling and one of a kind work experience, I decided to accept the offer. After all, I am young and should be able to face the challenges.

The first two weeks were especially hard. I had to get used to the hot and dry weather, distasteful water, spicy food, a concrete bed, little or sometimes no electricity at all and daily cold baths. I worked from 7am to 9pm daily. Furthermore, the working environment was chaotic. Meetings went on and on without an agenda. Consensus to the best approach to issues could not be achieved. There were no minutes taken at meetings thus resulting in misunderstandings between colleagues on what was to be done and by whom. I had to do something about it. Coming from organised Singapore, I could not allow the project be so inefficient. In such a chaotic environment, there was no way the project was going to reach its target of transforming the lives of 6 million villagers in 12 years. I approached Mr Rajesh Bhat to suggest ways to improve the current situation and was immediately appointed as the chief strategist of the project – an honorable but demanding position.

As the chief strategist, I had to implement a system of daily agendas and minutes of the meetings. I had to advise my colleagues and evaluate their plans before their proposed plans go to the director. As my director was critical, I learned that my plan was not always right and the best work comes out of much debate and discussion.

Together with Shihan (the other intern from NUS), I played a vital role in designing the curriculum for the villagers. The curriculum had to be tailored specifically to the criteria of the hiring BPO companies. We saw our curriculum being used to train the villagers. It was inspiring to see the villagers use the materials created. It was fulfilling to see them enjoy and learn quickly. 

The NGO (Samuha) that we were staying at and working in was surrounded by sunflowers and wheat fields. The air was fresh without a tint of pollution and cows and goats graze the dry land. Bullock carts and cow dung were a common sight. People live in small village huts and survive off the land – a humble living experience. I had to wash my clothes on a concrete slab, eat only vegetarian meals for two and a half months, walk three kilometers to the nearby village town to buy provisions and bathe and work in the dark as the electricity supply often went out at night. There was no television or shopping mall. I spent most of my free time enjoying the beauty of the countryside and building strong relationships with the locals. Language was a barrier initially as I had no knowledge of Kannada (the language of Karnataka). However after a month of being taught Kannada by my colleagues, it was easy to strike a conversation with anyone. People in rural India are very welcoming and friendly. I felt safe and secure.

Living and working in rural India was exciting. There are four things that they say you will encounter in Kanakagiri – giant toad, rat, scorpion and snake. A new born rat wriggling on my concrete bed greeted me when I arrived the first day. A month later, I had a rat run across my arm while I was sleeping, an eight-inch scorpion in my room and a giant toad in the common bathroom. Thankfully, there was no encounter with a snake. We were told repeatedly never to walk around or out of the campus at night. With encounters like these, I have become less fearful and am now able to deal with uncomfortable situations easily.

What an amazing journey it was. I was to have returned to Singapore on the 15^th of August 2009 but as the project was scheduled to be inaugurated on that very day and not wanting to miss this historic moment, I postponed my return ticket to Singapore. However to my disappointment and dismay, the inauguration of the project was postponed due to the lack of funds. The agreement made by the previous bank manager to issue a loan for the project was revoked by the new bank manger. We had to come up with a contingent plan as the villagers were expecting to start formal training soon. I learned that when working in India, one has to be very flexible and ever ready to emerge from difficult situations. For a project to succeed, one has to be very determined to overcome the many barriers that one would undoubtedly face in India.

NOC’s Experience India is one of a kind. From this experience, one has clearer understanding of the Indian business environment and is able to make vital connections to break into the Indian market. It enabled me to grow mentally, physically and emotionally. It is indeed a total development that is needed for any aspiring entrepreneur of today! 

Read more about Priscilla Ann Vincent’s adventures in Straits Times.

By Chen Heng Hui, Economics, Year 3

While waiting for enrolment into NUS three years ago, I self-initiated a working trip to China and offered my services as a translator to a training company based in Shanghai. Having experienced and enjoyed the business adrenalin rush in China, I was keen to spend my 2009 summer holidays working in Shanghai.

Since December 2008, I started applying to many Singapore-based companies with operations in China. Although I managed to receive a few offers from multi-national companies, I accepted an offer from Hupomone Capital Partners, a Singapore private equity/venture capital firm based in the Greater China region because the company was willing to provide me with a mentorship.

Due to my bilingual abilities and prior understanding of Contemporary China, I settled in quickly and was treated like a full-time employee by my colleagues and bosses. During my 10-week stint, I was largely involved with deal origination and deal analysis work. Besides research and due diligence work, I had the opportunity to travel to five different Chinese cities-Wenzhou, Beijing, Hangzhou, Tianjin and Taiyuan to meet entrepreneurs of different industries and other private equity managers.

At the same time, I was spurred on by one of my bosses, Mr Siew Wing Keong, who told me that I was able to initiate and propose new ideas to the team even though I was an intern. As such, I initiated an unassisted trip to the capital-rich city of Wenzhou to explore alternative financing opportunities for a medical device deal. In Shanghai, I originated a deal with a rapidly-expanding Taiwanese café-bakery chain after being a frequent customer at one of those stores. I identified that the bakery chain as a winning proposition because it is a combination of Starbucks and Breadtalk, catering specifically to the growing middle-class population in China. Soon after, I managed to schedule a meeting with the Group CFO to further discuss investment opportunities.

This internship had surpassed my expectations as I was lucky to have nurturing bosses who were willing to mentor young Singaporeans to engage China. After working and travelling in China for the last decade, I am keen to return for work in the Greater China region upon graduation and would strongly encourage every Singaporean to engage China in every way possible.  In a CNBC interview with Maria Bartiromo in 2008, Jim Rogers said :  “If you were smart in 1807 you moved to London, if you were smart in 1907 you moved to New York City, and if you are smart in 2007 you move to Asia.” Asia’s rise will be primarily driven by China’s growth story and it will be an extremely exciting prospect for us to take part in this historic-changing process.

Read more about Heng Hui’s China trip here!

by Prise Ho Pei Fang, Sociology, Year 2 and Lee Jia En, Geography, Year 2

Annyeonghaseyo? (Hello!)

The memories of last spring are still deeply etched in our minds when we were awarded scholarships from the National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED) for an 11-day programme to Korea. There, we experienced many different aspects of the Korean culture and also forged lifelong friendships with the other participants from all around Asia.

It seems an impossible feat to pick just one favourite part of the trip as each and every part is equally precious and unforgettable. We especially enjoyed the interaction between the participants and the supervisors. Having spent every waking moment in each others’ company for 11 days, we learned a lot about each other’s quirks and truly grew close to each other.

Visiting Seorak Mountain was a breathtaking experience. At the peak of the mountain, we experienced the picturesque scenery through the peaceful calm of the Korean morning to the chilly afternoon was awe-inspiring. We spent quite a while on the mountain, simply soaking in the euphoria and taking many pictures in hope to catch the splendour and bring back part of it with us. One fond memory was eating piping Tokbukki, a rice cake snack, in the chilly weather of the high altitudes.

Homestay was yet another part of the trip that left us with timeless memories. It was raining when we arrived but the cold immediately dissipated as our host family welcomed us with open arms and warm hugs. We were enveloped in the warmth of family as we sat in the living room drinking soju, eating snacks and kimchi, and chatting with one another. Despite the short three day stay, it already felt as if we were part of their family.

There are so many parts of the trip that we fondly remember, each important in piecing together the memorable spring in Korea. The stately Cheongwadae (Presidential Palace), heart-stopping beauty of the lake we cycled past on our bicycle tour in Gyeong Ju, the heat from the steel rods at POSCO, the reverberation of the drumbeats through our bodies during the Nanta show, the rows of neatly parked cars waiting to be shipped at the Hyundai shipping yard, the mouth-watering Dakgalbi we ate for dinner at Chun Cheon on our first night there, the smell of freshly cooked Hoddeok that we had at a rest stop on our way from visiting Naksansa Temple, romantic walks beneath endless rows of pine trees in Nami Island, the lectures at the hosting universities, and the sheer smiles after eating Baskin Robbins on a hot Seoul day along Cheonggyecheon – these are all things that will continue to inspire us .

The trip gave us an opportunity to get to experience and learn more about Korea firsthand and where the Korean language which we learn in school came alive through Korean culture and traditions. The cultural aspect from this trip complemented our knowledge of Korea gained through the K-wave, thus giving us a holistic and memorable experience to dynamic Korea.

Kamsahamnida. (Thank you.)

by Sean Bai, Geography, Year 4

Receiving the Merit Award for Team (Men) at the recent NUS Sports Awards 2009 has been a real honor and reward for the NUS Waterpolo team. This award is the gratification and fruit of all the hardwork and dedication that the team has put in over the past few years.

Every award is always accompanied with a legacy or story of toil and sweat, perseverance and resilience. Our journey thus far has especially been so, where every organising of the annual inter-varsity tournament or every adrenaline-charged training has been deeply etched in our minds. We believe that hard work pays off and it certainly has paid off in more ways than one.

Awards and accolades aside, our experience as a team has been unforgettable. Remembering the times when our mates from the local waterpolo community, alumni of the NUS family or even friends on exchange or overseas job postings joined us in a game of waterpolo, it has definitely been a fulfilling and memorable time of camaraderie and friendship. It is precisely the testing times of pulling through difficulties and complications where bonds were forged and our resilience polished. These experiences molded us and made us grow as a team, not only to face greater challenges but also as ambassadors of the sport and the university.

Winning tournaments would not have been sweet if not for the team spirit that brought us through as well as the unfaltering support from our families, friends and the school. However, it has also not been simply about winning that makes all our time spent worth it. Our pursuit stems out from our aspirations in realising our dreams, to excel and to inspire. Our common goal drives us on to continually challenge and exceed ourselves. It is precisely the assurance of a team being there for each other that gives us the confidence to always press on and do better.

Waterpolo is definitely one of our many interests jostling for our time and attention. It definitely has not been the easiest of tasks to juggle trainings, schoolwork as well as our other commitments. However, neither is it impossible. There has to be a lot of self-discipline to set our priorities right as well as willpower to make sacrifices. It takes a lot of self-belief and reassurance to handle multiple commitments simultaneously. The expectations of being a good student, dedicated sportsman as well as a contributing hall resident may seem too arduous for some but it is precisely these circumstances that challenge our limits. A matured and positive attitude is necessary to always keep our goal in mind as well as to withstand the incessant temptations to give up or slack off.

Time truly flies when you are making full use of it. Our varsity life is the last frontier before we step out into the ‘real’ world. It is the last opportunity for us to fully maximise our time here before we take that final step. Reading the news of our national waterpolo team clinching their 23^rd consecutive SEA Games Gold medal, I sincerely hope that our team will continue to soar to greater heights as well. At the same time, my advice would be to find your interest in these remaining vestiges of our student life. Challenge yourself to the limits, grab hold of your aspirations and realise them, make them worthwhile, meaningful and memorable.

FASS congratulates all the winners of the NUS Sports Awards and is very proud of the 108 FASS students who have participated and won.