Editor’s Note Dear Readers: A month ago, the Communications Department launched the debut of The Tribe, a newsletter by AIESEC in SIM. It received phenomenal feedback from all of our readers. We were deeply encouraged by the praises sung and motivated by the feedback that were given to us. The goal of The Tribe is to allow AIESECers within and outside of the LC to know the on-goings of AIESEC and to increase interaction between fellow LC members, especially on a common topic like “Aunt Agony”. The team understands the needs of the consumers. Hence, this month, The Tribe is given a new facelift in view of the Christmas season and revamped the content slightly. Read on! We hope all our readers will enjoy this Christmas Edition and AIESEC in SIM wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! by Derek T. Chief Editor The Tribe P.S. I will like to specially thank my team and my mentor Rusydi “Rush” for this issue.
The AIESEC in SIM Chant – “Super Duper” S! We‟re super-duper! I! Infectious spirit! M! We move the crowd! AIESEC! That‟s who we are! Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy ~ AIESEC!
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Contents THE TRIBE EDITORIAL TEAM Chief Editor
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THIS ISSUE? MESSAGES
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Message from the Local Chapter President (LCP) – Tribe
Derek Tan Contributors
Rusydi “Rush”
DEPARTMENTAL COLUMNS
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5 | OGX: Ready, Jet-set, Go! – AIESECerholic & Against the Odds 8 | ICX: Interrogation Room: Our Korean Intern
ENTERTAINMENT & DEALS
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11 | The Big Deals – X-mas Gifts Under $15! 13 | Chill Pill – Music, Book & Movie Reviews for X-mas Harlene Grewal
AUNT AGONY
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Have a burning issue? You can always count on Aunt Agony to resolve it for you. Angeline Wang
Aubree Ang
15 | Anonymous – Fun & High! 16 | Lionking – Issues with Leadership
TRIBAL COUNCIL
17 17 | A poll on – Who is Luckless?
Alvin Sim
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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19 | Event Highlights – GEM Mining & ASYD 2012 20 | Other Events
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LCP’s Message
tribe/trīb/ - A social division in society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious or blood ties. TRIBE, clan, race, people, family. Words loaded with powerful meaning. These words are but vessels for the amalgam of concepts related to kinship, love, sacrifice, support, discipline, friendship, fraternity and so on. The mere attempt to explain them would be an injustice. It is something that has to be experienced by immersion. Now, immersion is a tricky thing. It is an act of naked trust to fully involve one’s self in anything. For in immersion there is a very real risk in changing the very nature of who you are. Whether that is a good thing or not is a matter of dispute. But what is undisputed is that the interactions and reactions that take place when fully absorbed induce stress, fatigue and confusion. 3 Perhaps it was the naive
idealism of a young man but in spite of the reality of immersion, I took a deep breath and dived in headfirst in the September of 2010. It has been a tumultuous ride ever since. Truly, I have experienced the stress, fatigue and confusion brought on by immersion. However, I have learnt and experienced much. I now know that there can be a clan outside the domain of blood relations. That there can be people whom you have never met or even heard of thousands of miles away who are willing to accept you for who you are simply because you are affiliated. AIESEC in SIM started out as a tribe. And our fervent wish is that it will continue to grow as a tribe. However, that is only possible if every member who gets inducted is willing to take that leap of
faith and fully immerse in the experience and not hold back. I hope you do take that leap. For this tribe that I am in, wants to be; “The tribe of trailblazers dedicated to the empowerment of SIM students to become leaders of world change.“ And we will get there. So I invite you now to join me on this journey. Stop holding back and dive in. Hold my hand and walk with me, for the best is yet to be. by Md Suhaile Local Chapter President (LCP) AIESEC in SIM
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Global Exchange: Ready, Jet-set, Go!
Each exchange experience is a unique one and every Exchange Participant (EP) comes home with a different story to tell. You might have heard some of these tales during the monthly Local Chapter Meetings (LCMs), but with AIESEC „s network spanning across 110 countries and territories, it is sure hard to catch em‟ all. Well, sit back! The Tribe is setting you off for a ride with this column!
AIESECaholic: International Exchange Addict BOARDING on my first flight in 2007 to India has made me to be a traveling addict. Since my first international experience, ‘embracing and living diversity’ has become one of my core values in life and it had developed deeper and deeper in my heart. I participated at international conferences in India, Malaysia, Oman and Sweden, with youth from over 100 countries.
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I spent 2 months as a development intern in an NGO in Malaysia and 6 weeks as a development coach in AIESEC Iceland. Integrating myself intensively in Malaysia and Iceland have developed my intercultural competence and enabled me to experience what it means by ‘living like a local’. As a person being highly transformed through the intensive global experience,
Global Exchange: Ready, Jet-set, Go! I took up the leadership role in AIESEC in Hong Kong, determined to let more members experience the power of exchange. From leading a small team as an organizing committee president to leading an organization of 600 members at Member Committee, it has truly challenged my understanding towards leadership and management. I believe
leading a team in achieving goals at the same time developing the team members into leaders is the essence and the beauty of leadership in AIESEC. I am on my way to learn more about leadership, management and the world! Learning is an ongoing process. Life is too short to experience all, so let’s treasure our time! - Debby Shing is a member from AIESEC Hong Kong. After joining the organization in 2006, she has travelled to over 5 countries in four years. She tells her story on how she fell in love with travelling and why her international experience has empowered her to be who she is right now.
“AIESEC opened my eyes to dream a bigger dream. To be a global citizen who would live like a local in all parts of world.”
Against the Odds My name is Reytia and this is my 16th day here in Berdyansk, Ukraine. To begin this story, maybe I should tell you about what I am doing here and why. I am taking the World Without Borders project here, a project about culture, where you can learn more about your culture and also other people’s. But actually, what I’ve learned here is a lot more than the explanation that I wrote. Why am I here? Because I am in a desperate need of facing a challenge; I want improve myself to be a better person. That’s the simplest explanation I can tell. This trip sounds fun but it’s not as easy as it seems. At first, maybe around 3 weeks before my departure to Ukraine, I felt so insecure. I was just afraid if my trip here is not going to be worth it. And even worse, there are some people that give some prejudices, that people who are joining AIESEC Global Internship Program are only in for travelling with cheap accommodation and doing nothing. Sounds like ‘Studi Banding’ which our
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Global Exchange: Ready, Jet-set, Go! legislative members did recently. And my challenge is to prove that my trip here is more than that. I just think that if there’s something bad with my project, I’ll just try to find something else to do, like looking for other one or whatever that keeps me busy. And I make myself sure, that having fun is not my main target. I am improving myself here and having fun is just an excess. The trip here to Ukraine was very challenging for me, as this is my first time going abroad by myself. I was also a little bit afraid because I wear a veil, which is not common in Europe and I might be judged as a terrorist. But fortunately, God bless me with a lot of
nice people I met in my long trip to Ukraine. A nice doctor in Frankfurt airport, two nice Ukrainian men who helped me to find a bus to the train station, Nata and Svitlana from AIESEC Kyiv who helped me to find a train to go to Berdyansk and took
me for a short excursion in Kyiv and also nice women in the train who helped me with everything. I was so lucky to meet them all, so that I could arrive safely here, in Berdyansk.
The Global Community Development Programme (GCDP) is a 6 – 12 week community development internship that focuses on delivering an impact to the host environment, by working with NGOs, schools or charities on the frontline. It also immerses participants to the local culture, by connecting them to the local reality of the communities. For more info, contact the OGX department at: OGX.sim@gmail.com
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Catching up with the Interns: Interrogation Room
One of the highlights in AIESEC is the opportunity to experience an overseas internship through the Global Internship Programme (GIP). Each issue, The Tribe gets down with our interns in Singapore, to see what it‟s like to be working in a foreign land. Interrogation Room is now in session! WE’VE been hearing so much about ‘Kimchi Girl’- an intern whom we were about to receive from the land of SNSD and emotional drama serials. It’s no surprise how excited we were to finally have her when she landed to Singaporean shores last July 2011. A Communications major from Hanyang University in South Korea, Kim Jieun is currently an intern at APLINK Pte. Ltd.
TT: You've been in Singapore for almost 6 months now. How’s life here been so far with Singapore and SIM AIESECers? J: My life in Singapore has been so great. I can't believe that it's been almost 5 months since I started my new life here. I still remember my first day in Singapore; 5 AIESECers received me at Changi Airport. I knew
someone from AIESEC in SIM would fetch me, but little did I expect that many people to come welcome me. The first day overseas is always tiring, especially carrying all your luggage around until you find an accommodation. But my first day was like visiting a close friend who had prepared everything for me. SIM AIESECers helped with everything from the airport to reaching at Silu's place to wrap up my first day.
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Catching up with the Interns: Interrogation Room to Korea, 3. the melting pot of cultures and 4.more autonomy given to employees in Singapore as compared to Korea where hierarchy of employees is evident. Similarities- 1.Highly competitive working environment, 2. National service and 3. Education orientated people.
At first, I thought they were unusually kind to a foreign student like me, but even now when I'm too comfortable living in Singapore, they’re still willing to assist with compassion. TT: Why did you choose Singapore for internship? J: Singapore is seen as a vibrant city with a multiethnic blend of people. As I’ve come from a homogeneous country, the vision of living in a metropolitan city with a diverse ethnic background is definitely exciting to me. Another reason is that based on my research, Singapore was the obvious choice for an internship to experience a range of business areas. The diversity of companies 9 and regional offices set up
by MNCs truly is impressive. That made Singapore the right choice. TT: What were your expectations before coming and have they been met? J: My expectations are broken into 3 parts1. Experience a business setting in English, 2. meet people of various demographics and 3. experience the melting pot of cultures that is Singapore. TT: How does Singapore compare to South Korea in terms of life and work? J: Differences- 1.cost of living, Singapore is relatively more expensive as compared to Korea, 2. Singapore’s arts scene is not as vibrant as compared
TT: You've stayed in China for almost a year. How do you cope with the culture difference from Korea and how vastly different is the culture in China and Singapore? J: China, like Korea is largely homogeneous while Singapore is ethnically diverse. By immersing in the local culture it will be easier to adapt, as compared to just observing and not mixing with the locals. It might be hard and different initially but as time passes it gets easier to accept and live with the local traditions and cultures. TT: On a side note, hehehe, what do you think of Singaporean guys in comparison to Korean ones? J: Singapore guys are more caring and take care of their female counterparts. For
Catching up with the Interns: Interrogation Room example, when we go drinking, the guys will always ensure that we do not drink too much and reach home safely, but this rarely happens in Korea. This is something Frances had to do a few times when Silu got drunk :p
for drinks. It was the first time I saw how developed and beautiful the Singapore skyline is. It also ignited a closer bond with these AIESECers.
J: To SIM AIESECers, thank you for what you have done for me thus far and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. To that special someone, I can't wait to spend the holidays with you; it will truly be a memorable and exciting time for us ;)
TT: I'm sure you've been around Singapore a lot, so could you share a weird experience you had here? J: Why chicken rice shops still keep the chicken heads on display when there is no meat left? Also, the different races know each others language, even if its just a fraction of it. TT: Share with us the most memorable experience you had in Singapore. J: When I went to 1Altitude with Silu, Muhammad and couple of local and foreign AIESECers
TT: Lastly, Since it's Xmas and coming New Year, leave a message for AIESEC in SIM or anyone in particular. :)
TT: Do you mind sharing us your life’s plans / goals? J: Not sharing with you. ;p Its a secret. TT: Ookaay.. So, important question, will you come back to Singapore? What for? J: Yes I will. I’ve been offered a job in here. So, I plan to develop my English further as well as to gain work experience in a metropolitan city.
The Incoming Exchange (ICX) department holds gatherings for international interns, where AIESECers can join in to interact and eventually create a global network of friends. For more info, contact the VP ICX, Audi at: audi.hamid@aiesec.net
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The Big Deals
FIFTEEN AND BELOW It‟s a season to be jolly, la la la la la la la la la… And it need not be a season of wallet wrenching! Whether you‟ve been naughty or nice, here‟s our gift to you: great deals!
2012 Calendar (Precious Thots) Work-loaded Google Calendars can ruin the X-mas mood, so show some love with one showered with teddies, hearts, pink and blue! Too kiddy? The 90’s babies surely won’t think so! Price: $9.90
Pencil Box (ARTBOX) After NLDC 2011, your fellow AIESECers’ student life might just be colored that free bright orange PwC pencil cases. Make that one AIESECer feel special; with teddies, hearts, pink and blues and teddies and hearts… Price: $8.90
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The Big Deals Mini Fan (More than words)
Nail Polish (Forever 21)
There are no airconditioning in MRT breakdowns, so Mini Fans are great. Coz’ now, there’s no need for window breaking with fire extinguishers. Where did that extinguisher come from anyways?!
Wanna have AIESEC at you fingertips? Paint them nails with AIESEC colors! #003399 for AIESEC blue and #FF9933 for AIESEC orange. Price: $5.00
Price: $3.50
Monopoly Deal (Toys r Us)
Cushion (IKEA) Feel like it’s X-mas every night you tuck in.
Always running out of things to say when chatting up a girl, play Monopoly Deal the next time it happens!
Price: $9.90
Price: $9.90
Historic Edo Handkerchief (Muji)
Adidas Jump Rope (Liang Seng Sports)
Going for APXLDC 2012 in Tokyo? Impress them with old Japanese history in your hands!
Last ‘take it off’ campaign at NLDC 2011 was pure nightmare. Create a social impact by exercising. Now!
Price: $11.90
Price: $15.00
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Chill Pill Album Review
Artist : Michael Buble Album : Christmas Released : Oct 2011 The season of joy, giving and sharing is here! So is Michael Bublé with his eponymous album release, “Christmas”. This is definitely one of the more stylishly made Jazz albums with accessible tunes for masses. You would be able to hear a well thought out recording which stands out from typical slapdash Christmas albums. It’s safe to say that fans and non-fans of Bublé alike will be impressed of an album that aptly encapsulates the atmosphere of Christmas. Merry Christmas to all out there!
Must Read! Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences–and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined. A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition 13
Chill Pill Film : Wicker Park Released : 2004
Film Review
Wicker Park is an American psychological drama/romantic mystery remake of a French film starring Josh Hartnett, Rose Byrne & my personal favourite, Diane Kruger. It is difficult to review because giving away a slightest detail would spoil the movie for those who have not seen it. In a nut-shell, the movie is a mind-boggling and gut-wrenching. Yet, it seduces you with it’s brilliantly ingenious plot that leads you to believe something for five minutes and comes back to hurl questions at your little theories. I remember watching this the first time round and was utterly captivated despite being in the dark all the way through. Although the film setting does not revolve around Christmas, its message however, is consistent – If you truly love someone, be willful, be headstrong and never give up on them. Shower the ones who matter to you with appreciation; especially at this time of year. "Believe me, this film will leave an indelible imprint on you, or at least in the way you would want to cherish those who are important in your life" ps The soundtrack is to die for. Happy Christmas everyone!
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Aunt Agony
AUNT AGONY In need of some sound advice? Help is just an email away, feel free to contact Aunt Agony with your problem and you will be able to see her response in the next issue. All identities are kept anonymous. Ask Aunt Agony at www.sim.aiesec.org.sg!
Dear Aunt Agony, Do you have any tips on how to cheer people up or make the atmosphere of the gathering become fun and high (not so high just moderately high is enough :D)?
Signed, Anonymous
Hi! Well, I can think of 3 ways to make the atmosphere light & fun! Firstly, the most common, icebreakers!! Having icebreaker games is the best way to lighten the atmosphere and get everyone energized. Make sure that it’s a game that requires people to run around & get on their feet! If you add in an incentive, like a prize for the winning team of the icebreaker, everyone will be putting in their best & soon you’ll have a crazy, high crowd! Secondly, to keep the energy up, you can introduce dances every now and then! AIESECs favourite. Force people to take part. Choose a fast beat song! And lastly, give them all a can of redbull. You’ll see them flyyyyyyyyyy! ;) Also, get the people with more energy to spread out in the crowd so that they can interact and pass their energy to the less energetic people around them!! Hope this helps!
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Love, Agony Aunt
Aunt Agony Dear Aunt Agony, I've always been in leadership positions as far as my school life went. Perhaps I'm a natural, coz' people have always depended on me for direction, whether I took the initiative to lead or not. While I take pleasure in doing this most of the time, it's frustrating to realize that people tend to get over dependent on my capabilities and not practice their own sense of leadership. I appreciate the honor to be regarded as a leader, but my true intention lies in helping people to lead their own lives. What's your opinion? Signed, Lionking Hi Lionking! When I read the phrase ‘but my true intention lies in helping people to lead their own lives.’, I knew you are an excellent leader. Most people depend on their leader when they feel unconfident. This happens when they haven’t done a certain task before and suddenly are asked to do it. People like doing things they’ve done before & things that they’re good at. “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something YOU WANT done because HE WANTS to do it.” You could maybe start building their confidence by first, doing tasks WITH them. Let’s say there are 2 tasks: X & Y. Show them how both are done. Then, gauge how well they are able to do the tasks. If they’re better at task X, give them another task, similar to X, & ask them to handle it on their own. They’ll do it well and their confidence will build up. Don’t give them something that they’re not good at. This will just bring them down & they’ll develop a fear in doing things without help. Next, clarity. Being clear in your instructions is very important. While you shouldn’t spoon feed them everything, give them a clear & informative description of what you want done & suggest ways they can do it. Instead of just saying ‘do THIS’, add on some advice on how they should do it. Then, get them to repeat your instructions back to you to see if they understand what you require. Lastly, trust. Trust your members to make the right decision instead of needing them to check everything with you before being able to go ahead with a certain task. Don’t be frustrated. Some people take longer than others to find the leader in them. Good luck! Love, Agony Aunt
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The Tribal Council
am路bi路tion [am-bish-uhn] noun An earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment:
Who is Luckless (from The Tribe: Issue 1)? We looked high and low across AIESEC in SIM in a bid to unveil the identity of Mr Luckless. Alas, we found him not. But among the many AIESECers here in SIM, there are 5 who closely fit the profile of a 22 year old male like Luckless. We heed the wise advice of the Tribal Council.
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Watch for the next Tribal Council on www.sim.aiesec.org.sg!
The Tribal Council
am路bi路tion [am-bish-uhn] noun An earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment:
Watch for the next Tribal Council on www.sim.aiesec.org.sg!
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Calendar of Events
GEM MINING: AIESEC IN SIM RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN - 3rd – 21st Jan 2011 (booths on 10th – 18th Jan 2011) It’s about time to expand the AIESEC in SIM tribe! Come join in the hunt for the GEM in SIM students at www.facebook.com/aiesec.sim.
AIESEC IN SIM YOUTH DIALOGUE 2012 (ASYD) - 4th Feb 2012
Achieve success through empowerment with a day’s session of networking and interaction with corporates from various industries. Empowerment starts now at www.facebook.com/empower2012.
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Calendar of Events OTHER EVENTS DATE / DAY
EVENT
FOR?
January 2012 10th (Tue)
Meet-the-People Session (for MC candidates)
SIM AIESECers
30th (Mon)
LC Meeting cum Rewards & Recognition
SIM AIESECers
February 2012 11th (Sat) 27th (Mon)
Induction
SIM AIESECers
“The Simulator”
SIM AIESECer
March 2012 *TBC
Jumpstart National Conference
SIM AIESECers
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Come visit us! Website: www.sim.aiesec.org.sg Facebook: AIESEC in SIM
E-mail: SIM.aiesec.org.sg
AIESEC is the world’s largest youth-driven organization, present in over 2,100 universities worldwide across 110 countries and territories. It is the international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential.