Xiao Hua Issue 4

No. 4 June 2011 Chinese International School

BREAKING THE BUBBLE VENTURING BEYOND CIS

2011年6月

Gap Year

The Real World

University

實習年

現實世界

大學

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X.H. 校話 MASTHEAD 報頭 | 8 FROM THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP | 10 EDITOR’S LETTER | 11 EDITORIAL BOARD 編輯委員會 | 12 CONTRIBUTORS | 14 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 交流 | 15 CONTACT US 聯絡我們 | 16

HAPPENINGS 簡報 RUGBY SEVENS 2011 | 18 ALUMNI CORNER 校友專訪 | 20

SCHOOLYARD 校園 VIRTUOSITY & CHINA EXPERIENCE WEEK | 22 TEACHING MATTERS 老師專訪 | 24

VOICES 心聲 HISTORY IN THE MAKING | 26

“WE SPENT a week with the Kuna tribe in Panama, learning about ancient rituals and tribal conflict.”

AROUND THE WORLD Pia D’Auriol’s ‘14 incredible voyage around the world on the Magic Cat | 64

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Interview with Mr. David Walker

論宗教素養 | 28 PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A RENAISSANCE MAN | 30 Interview with Mr. Po Chung

訪問吳林編劇 | 33 MEMORIES OF CAMBODIA | 34 RUSHING TO JUDGEMENT | 36 ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION | 38 PSYCHEDELIA | 40

JUNE 2011

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CIS VS. BOARDING SCHOOL | 42 熱情好客的台灣人 | 48 電車男 | 49

WHAT’S COOL 流行文化 ADVICE | 51 SOPHOMORE SLUMP | 52 HOT BITES | 54 BOOKS | 56

FEATURES 專題文章 TIGER VS. PHOENIX | 58 The Tiger Mom phenomenon at CIS

AROUND THE WORLD| 64 Pia D’Auriol’s epic five months at sea

THE GAP YEAR | 68 CIS grads recount their experiences

BREAKING THE BUBBLE| 76 MARCHING TO THEIR OWN BEAT | 80 The dream careers of four amazing alumni

EDITORIALS 觀點

“227 STUDENTS say they would welcome a Tiger Mom-like parent.”

THE POWER OF NOT VOTING | 88 DEAR PRESIDENT SARKOZY... | 90 WHERE ARE ALL THE COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS? | 92

TIGER VS. PHOENIX Xiao Hua investigates the Tiger Mom phenomenon at CIS | 58

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SPORTS 體育 易安在IMG足球學院的體驗 | 94 PLAYERS TO WATCH | 98 FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE TERM| 100 MALE ATHLETE OF THE TERM | 101 勝利背後的啟發 | 103

ARTS 藝術 WHEN BALZAC MET MAO | 104

CREATIONS 創作 ANNAPURNA| 106 取捨萬殊 | 108 AUTUMN | 110 CREDITS | 111

“I REMEMBER his folded body lying on the bed, still and drowned, saliva dripping from his mouth.”

MEMORIES OF CAMBODIA Brian Liu ‘12 reflects on his four year experience in Cambodia | 34 6 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

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2011年6月

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Xiao Hua

®

Faculty Advisor 指導教師

GEORGINA MARTIGNAGO

Editor-in-Chief 主編 JONATHAN LU 盧冠中 Managing Editor & Artistic Director ANGELA PAN News Editor LUCAS SIN Features Editor ASIA CHIAO Business & Communications Director ALINA LUK Chinese Copy Editor LISA CHAN

Sports Editor CAITLIN LU

News Editor 新聞編輯 LUCAS SIN 冼諾揚 Associate Editor: News 新聞編審 LORRAINE LEUNG Associate Editor: What’s Cool 文化編審 DIANA DAI

Associate Editor: Editorial 社論編審 ISAAC LEE

Associate Editor: Arts 藝術編審 KOLLEEN KU

Associate Editor: Creative 創作編審 JENNIFER HO

Reporters 記者 JUSTIN CHAN, JUSTINE CHEN, CECILY CHENG, JOEL CHI, DONNA CHIM, HENRY CHONG, PEI JING CHUNG, MEDHA GOYAL, KAMEKA HERBST, HENRY HSIAO, KENNY JEONG, MIR JETHA, NICHOLAS LAI, BRANDON LAM, EATON LAM, CHERYL LAU, CHRISTY LEE, FRANCESCA LI, TOMMY LI, BRIAN LIU, JIN YUAN LIU, VERA LUMMIS, CHLOE MOK, NICOLIA NG, CHRISTINA NOH, JOHNSON PAK, DANIELLA SABNANI, NICHOLAS SONG, CHRISTINA WU, LOUISE WIHLBORN, MIKA WYSOCKI, RONALD WU, SABRINA YAM, YING NGAI YU

Features Editor 專題文章編輯 ASIA CHIAO 喬山 Contributors 特約記者 ANGELINA BISHMAN, MAYAN BRAUDE, RENEE CHANG, DIANA DAI, MEGAN FOO, VIRGINIA HSU, ISAAC LEE, YI-LING LIU, FRANCIS NEWMAN, KATHERINE PEMBERTON, AMY TAI, VALERIE TANG, SINCLAIR TARGET, CHIEN HE WONG, ADRIEN YEUNG

Artistic Director 副主編及設計總監 ANGELA PAN 潘碧霞 Layout & Design Editor 設計編輯 BENJAMIN CHASNOV Deputy Artistic Directors 設計副總監 KAITLIN CHAN, EUGIN LEE Heads of Photography 攝影主任 NATHANIEL CHAN, CHRISTOPHER FONG Director of Photography 攝影指導 ANASTASIA SALNIKOW

Artists & Photographers 設計師 JESSICA CHAN, ROBIN CHAN, CATHERINE CHENG, JACQUELINE CHENG, DONNA CHIM, KAMMY CHIU, ISABELLA CHON, JESSICA EU, SOPHIA GINSBURG, CHRISTINE GJOERUP, DANA HSU, MICHELE KO, CORDELIA LAM, JANE LEE, RACHEL LEE, BERNETTA LI, KRISTINA LI, SOPHIE LEE, JUSTIE MAK, DAPHNE NG, REBECCA NGAI, ERIKA PHEBY, QING WOON, HYO JU SOHN, ANDREA TSUI, NICOLE WANG

Computer Designers 平面設計師 JACQUI CHEN, JOEL CHI, FRANCESCA LAI, LOUISE LUI, JADE NG, PHILIP WONG, STEPHANIE WONG, CHARMAINE YAU, SARAH YEUNG

Business & Communications Director 財務及傳訊總監 ALINA LUK 陸安琳 Advertising Manager 廣告經理 BEATRICE YEUNG

Production & Administration Manager 行政主任 NICHOLAS LAI

Advertising Associates 廣告助理 ANGELA CHAN, ELLA CHAN, JANICE CHEUNG, STEPHANIE CHEUNG, ALISON CHING, CHRISTINE HO, VIKKI HUI, FLORENCE IP, ANDREA KAN, BONNIE LEE, KENNETH LEE, SOPHIA LU, HOINING LIU, JOANA LO, DEZIREE RAPI, CHRISTOPHER WAN, CERINA YAN XIAO HUA IS A REGISTERED STUDENT ORGANIZATION OF THE CHINESE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. THE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY BY STUDENTS OF THE CHINESE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, 1 HAU YUEN PATH, BRAEMAR HILL, NORTH POINT, HONG KONG. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Xiao Hua magazine. The magazine is published termly. There is no subscription rate to Xiao Hua - the publication is provided free of charge to all members of the Chinese International School community. For enquiries, please contact the Xiao Hua Communications Department at cis.xiaohua@gmail.com. For information on advertising and promotion, please contact Alina Luk at al.look@gmail.com, or call at (852) 6478 0234, facsimile (852) 2838 9596.

Xiao Hua is not responsible for loss, damage or any other injury to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork (including but not limited to: drawings, photographs, or transparencies), or any other unsolicited materials. Those submitting manuscripts, photographs, artwork, or other materials for consideration should not send originals, unless specifically requested to do so by Xiao Hua in writing. Manuscripts, photographs, and other materials submitted must be accompanied by a self addressed overnight delivery return envelope, postage prepaid.

The paper used for this publication is a recyclable and renewable product. It has been produced using wood sourced from sustainably managed forests and elemental or total chlorine-free bleached pulp. The producing mills have third party certified management systems in place. This magazine can be recycled either through your curbside collection, or at a local recycling point. Log on to www.recyclenow.com and enter your postcode to find your nearest sites.

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FROM THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP

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s Jonathan Lu and his staff were putting the final touches on this edition of Xiao Hua, Jonathan approached me and asked if I would be willing to write an introductory letter for this edition. Of course I responded in the affirmative and I am pleased to have this chance to share my views on some of the key issues that are featured in this volume and discuss how they impact (or perhaps how they should impact) CIS students today.

You will notice that many of the articles discuss the impact of experiential learning opportunities on current students and CIS alumni in recent years. Whether these opportunities occur by taking a gap year after graduating from CIS or by immersing oneself into a language or personal development programme, it is clear that these experiences have had a positive and profound impact on those concerned.

CIS places a high value on experiential learning and this is evidenced by the now expanded China Experience Programme, Project Week trips, overnight and daily field trips particularly in Humanities and Science, community service activities, increased participation in MUN, and an expanded co-curricular programme to name but a few.

Our firm belief is that by providing students with these opportunities, they will be pushed out of their comfort zones, be physically and mentally challenged, and more importantly understand the concept of service and have a sense of what that truly means in our ever changing world.

Another new experiential learning opportunity on the horizon for our students is the CIS

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PHOTO: NATHANIEL CHAN

China Centre (CCC). The development of the CCC will provide students with an authentic language and cultural learning opportunity in which they will spend an entire academic year in the mainland, partnered with a local school and with local students. The opportunities are endless, yet are bound in some respects by how determined our CIS students are (or not) to escape from the ‘bubble’ or the norms.

I hope that you are able to find inspiration, hope and courage from reading the articles contained within this edition of Xiao Hua and I challenge you all to break out of the ‘bubble’ in order to discover and find your true passion in life and be able to impact others in positive ways.

Justin Alexander Head of Secondary

JUNE 2011

EDITOR’S LETTER

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lot can happen in six months.

Our original theme for this issue was “Beyond the Box: Learning Outside the Classroom.” In our last issue, we found so many CIS students doing amazing things outside of school that we decided to canvas more broadly. We did, and found an astonishing number of not just students, but alumni and friends of PHOTO: CHRIS WONG the school doing fascinating things beyond our walls. So we decided that we would showcase a few of them in this issue.

It takes almost five months to plan, edit and print each issue of Xiao Hua, so we started work on this volume in January.

At that time, shopkeepers in Christchurch were going about their daily routines in their peaceful garden city, as were the fishermen and farmers in Sendai. In Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan and Syria, everyday life continued without any hint of the cataclysmic changes about to unfold. No one in Libya could imagine the possibility of full-scale rebellion against the Qaddafi regime.

After 20 minutes, we walked out of the gym and went back to our daily lives.

Classes, labs, tests, sports, reflections and the grind of too much homework. I confess that the tumultuous events in Japan and North Africa were far from my mind.

I had little time to think about the death, destruction, hunger, fear and anguish afflicting the people in Japan. Cairo, Tripoli, Benghazi, Bahrain, Damascus – these seem far away places. They are physically and culturally distant perhaps, but when you watch BBC or CNN, you see that most of the protesters facing down government forces are not much older than we in secondary. They are much closer to us in age than the victims in Japan.

I cannot begin to imagine joining thousands of students and marching down to Statue Square to throw beer bottles and rocks at riot police, even if political conditions here were to become untenable. I can’t imagine braving aftershocks and falling debris to climb into crushed buildings to try and save strangers. And I could not possibly imagine what it is like to be inside the reactor core of the Fukushima plant, workThe people of Japan live under the constant threat of earth- ing around the clock with little food, water or sleep, trying quakes and tsunamis. But no amount of preparation could desperately to route sea water into a spent fuel rod chamber. have protected the residents of northeastern Honshu from All the while knowing this was my assured death sentence. the 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11 that unleashed unimaginable devastation on that region. The nightmare sce- This sense of bystander apathy has been bothering me for nario of nuclear catastrophe makes this a palpable danger to months. Yet I haven’t done anything about it. The only feeble thing I could do was to put aside the original theme for us in Hong Kong and our neighbors across the Pacific. this issue and instead reconstrue it as “Breaking the Bubble.”

Today, political upheaval is rife in North Africa and the Mid- We are very fortunate to live in a city which is at low risk of dle East. Libya has joined Afghanistan and Iraq as a theater natural disasters; a city which is politically stable, clean, safe of war for NATO and Allied forces. Regime change is in and economically prosperous. It’s easy to take all these things the air across the region, but no one can predict if this will for granted. Let’s face reality: we live in a bubble. At some herald more democracy, freedom, economic opportunity or point, this bubble may burst. Will we be prepared to cope? whether these countries will descend into a different kind Will we be prepared to lead? Will our responses define us of despotism, or worse, political anarchy. These events and as a generation? I don’t know. But the events of the past six their ultimate outcomes do not just affect the local peoples. months indicate that life is not business as usual. If we want to be recognized as great students from a great school, then They affect everyone, including the CIS community. we need to do more. What “more” means is up to all of us The IB teaches us to be concerned global citizens, and urges to determine. But we must venture beyond the bubble and us to deepen our understanding of other communities and give it a try. cultures. But what should our response be to the natural disasters in Japan and the youth-led uprisings in the Arab world?

A secondary school assembly was convened on March 16.

Students and faculty were prompted to reflect on the plight Jonathan Lu of the tsunami victims. A minute of silence was observed. Editor-in-Chief

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EDITORIAL BOARD 編輯委員會

Editorial Board Profiles

Photos by Anastasia Salnikow

Angela Pan 潘碧霞 Managing Editor and Artistic Director

These pages could not have been put together without the amazing team of designers, illustrators and photographers in our Art Department. Together we have come so far since the last issue (not to mention Issue 1 - the Art Dept. alone has grown from 30 to over 60 staff members) and I am confident that Xiao Hua will just keep getting better! A special shoutout to Kaitlin Chan, Eugin Lee, Nathaniel Chan and Christopher Fong: You guys are awesome! For the past two years, I have been priviledged to work with an incredible Editorial Board. It’s been a long journey full of last minute phone calls and thousands of emails, but I could not have asked for a better team of people to make our dream of Xiao Hua a reality. I wish Asia, Lucas and Lisa all the best for the future: we’ll miss you!

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By the time this issue of Xiao Hua has been published, I will be on a beach in Thailand and will have forgotten how to solve differential equations, evaluate a buffer stock scheme or explain nucleophilic substitution. I’m sure though that even while bathing in summer sun, I won’t have forgotten the things Xiao Hua taught me about community, for the magazine’s core philosophy of creating a “truly CIS” student publication through vertical and horizontal integration of the school has demonstrated to me the value of being part of such a dynamic and vibrant organization. In short, Xiao Hua has inspired me to love CIS, my second home, even more than before. Thank you all who have been part of this wonderful experience and good luck to the next generation of leadership.

LUCAS SIN 贤诺扬 NEWS EDITOR

caitlin lu 卢亮臻 sports EDITOR

As an avid athlete, I am delighted that CIS students across all year levels have had the opportunity to share their passion for sports through Xiao Hua. My tenure as Sports Editor has gone by swiftly and preparations for Xiao Hua’s fifth issue have commenced. Nonetheless, the making of this issue has been an exciting challenge. With dozens of writers, reporters, photographers and profiled athletes to manage, I’ve been both a source of enthusiastic feedback and incessant nagging. Through this process however, I have come to appreciate the enthusiastic athletic spirit of CIS students, and the source of admiration they are for many of us.

JUNE 2011

EDITORIAL BOARD 編輯委員會

ALINA LUK 陆安琳 BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Time flies. As I look forward to the summer, I realize how far Xiao Hua has come. It seems like only yesterday when I was asked to be the Business and Communications Director and I panicked at the thought of how I was to set up a business department in order to raise funds for the magazine.

I’m proud to say that the business department has grown up. We routinely sign numerous contracts on a monthly basis. My experience taught me that age is no constraint to business success. I am always overjoyed when I see the glowing faces of Year 7s who approach me telling me that they’ve “sealed the deal.” For the future, I can see limitless opportunities for Xiao Hua. Perhaps an interactive multimedia Xiao Hua magazine will come sooner than I can imagine.

2011年6月

我很喜歡的一位作家曾經寫過， “記憶像是倒在掌心的水，不論你 攤開還是緊握，終究還是會從指縫 中，一滴一滴，流淌乾淨。” 也許很多我們以為一輩子都不會忘 記的事情，就在我們念念不忘的日 子裡，被我們遺忘了。但正因如 此，我們才更應該借用文字的魔力 將生命中的溫暖刻入文字的空間， 任憑年華來去自由，永垂不朽。也 許不是每一個人都是出眾的記錄 者，但只有文字不會乾枯於時光的 流逝；只有將童年和回憶存入永恆 的寶箱，我們才可以踏實地，轟轟 烈烈地奔向未來！

LISA CHAN 陈雅芳 CHINESE EDITOR

ASIA chiao 乔山 FEATURES EDITOR

It’s difficult to articulate my feelings when I know that these are going to be the last words that I ever pen under the title of Features Editor. These two years have been – for lack of a better description – utterly insane, filled with last-minute emergency phone calls and leisurely afterschool meetings on the 9th floor punctuated with a mixture of laughter and diligent productivity. I still remember the original goal that drove us to create Xiao Hua – the desire to provide the entire school with a channel for student creativity and self-expression, setting the foundation for what we hoped would eventually become a permanent part of the CIS identity. Seeing how far the magazine has come in a mere two years, I am confident that that dream will soon be realized. I wish the new editorial team all the best, and look forward to continuing to receive my copy of Xiao Hua throughout college! 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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CONTRIBUTORS

Contributors Photos: Angela Pan

Nathaniel Chan Director of photography

kaitlin chan deputy art director

yi-ling liu Deputy features editor

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Nicole Wang Layout designer

Christopher fong Senior photographer

Eugin Lee Deputy Art Director

JUNE 2011

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 交流

LETTERS

COMMENTS ON OUR DECEMBER ISSUE FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY

I am writing to commend your hard work. This magazine has tightened the CIS community net by bringing attention to different groups and individuals.

Between the outstanding student articles, the superb photography and the feature articles on individual student accomplishments in different areas, you are really bringing us a sense of school pride and spirit. Xiao Hua, especially the last issue, has opened my eyes to how privileged I am to be a part of this diverse student body. I am inspired by all of you. Great work!

MAYAN BRAUDE (11TY)

LETTERS: At the heart of what Angelina Bishman states in her well thought out article is the notion of risk. The vast majority of the parent body in our community took risks to achieve their successes. But they took those risks in an environment that is greatly different from today. Our parents need to allow our students to take risks, and enjoy the fruits of failure. You never learn anything when you “succeed.” Redefining the notion of success is also needed. I urge all students to have a conversation with their parents and grandparents if possible about the risks they took to get to where they are now. You’ll probably find a lot of failure along the way that made them who they are today.

MR. KALSI The recent edition of Xiao Hua was of such high production value that it exceeded my expectations in almost every aspect. Gone were the awkward page designs and pixelated images; this edition of 2011年6月

Xiao Hua had a unified theme which was appropriate as a school magazine. More importantly, articles were extremely interesting and diverse in content. The range of topics was astounding, ranging from discussion of academic pressure to music reviews. The quality of the write-ups was also great, and it was encouraging to see the large number of these written in Chinese as well.

Overall, this is one of the best editions I’ve read to date, and being only the third issue, it surely has great potential to continue to excel!

PARK HAY (11HK) I thought that the Xiao Hua issue was very informative, acting as a bridge between each student and the entire CIS community. It opened many portals into the stories and achievements of others, while continuously motivating students to constantly achieve a better fulfillment of themselves.

CHRIS LI (11ZZ)

I have to say, each new edition of Xiao Hua never fails to impress me. When the first edition came out, I could not believe that this was entirely student-led, studentdesigned, student-written. The newest edition really showed me what a mindboggling variety of talents, hobbies and student initiatives we have at CIS. The excellent, high quality photos were a definite plus as well – I had no idea we had such a thriving photography community at CIS. FELICIA WONG (Y. 7 PARENT) Great chinese articles! I always feared that school magazines might fall into the trap of not representing the ‘Chinese’ part of our “Chinese International School.”

The fact that the articles are bilingual, brings Xiao Hua to a whole new level of sophistication. I would definitely like to see more Chinese creative writing, book reviews and movie reviews in the future.

NICHOLAS LAI (12TJ)

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: comments.cisxiaohua@gmail.com. The magazine reserves the right to edit submissions. All submissions become the property of Xiao Hua.

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CONTACT US 聯絡我們

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER FONG, KAITLIN CHAN

Let’s Hear From You! Comments (students, teachers, parents, alums): Tell us what you think of Xiao Hua or any of our articles. We’d love your feedback. Please send comments to: comments.cisxiaohua@gmail.com Contribute: Please submit articles, artwork, short stories, photos or anything that fits our content profiles to cis.xiaohua@gmail. com Subject: ‘Attention: Administrator.’ Make sure you put your name and class.

Join Us: If you want to join our staff, please contact us at cis.xiaohua@gmail.com

Advertising Xiao Hua is a unique high school publication in Hong Kong, being bilingual in Chinese and English. Featuring four color graphics, it is also the only regular publication covering all aspects of CIS community life. Published twice a year, the magazine provides detailed coverage of school news, sports and arts. Features on student accomplishments, community news and cultural interests round out the editorial package.

With a readership of over 3,000 including students, parents, teachers and alumni, Xiao Hua is distributed to a finely targeted audience. Xiao Hua is not just another school publication. It embodies Hong Kong’s unique blend of Chinese and Western culture, as well as the best Chinese and English student work the school has to offer. It offers advertisers access to an affluent community with a wide range of interests.

For more information on advertising and pricing, please contact: Business & Communications Department Room 1904, Chinese International School, 1 Hau Yuen Path, Braemar Hill, North Point, Hong Kong.

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HAPPENINGS 簡報

RUGBY SEVENS 2011 Photos: Clarence Leung

LORRAINE LEUNG & CHRISTY LEE very year, after two grueling terms of school, there is one monumental event that shines as the epitome of fun: the Hong Kong Sevens.

Touted as “Asia’s biggest sporting event,” the Sevens (part of the IRB Sevens World Series) has roots extending back to 1975 and is deeply ingrained in the lives of locals and expatriates alike.

For three days, exhilarating sport, flowing alcohol and a carnival atmosphere fill the 40, 000 strong Hong Kong Stadium. The 1970s marked Hong Kong’s fascination with things foreign, and the Hong Kong Sevens has since mirrored the city’s remarkable growth as a cosmopolitan hub.

The Sevens celebrates Hong Kong as an immensely international city that works hard and plays hard. During the threeday-long Sevens, Hong Kongers and Westerners flock to the stadium, elaborately dressed up, completely in the spirit of having fun – and honoring the sport of rugby.

Without a doubt, the climax of the tournament is Sunday, when spectators breathlessly cheer on their favorite teams as they battle for the Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield (in that order). Old favorites include the All Blacks, Australia, Samoa and Fiji, and of course our own born-and-bred Hong Kong team. Regular TV programs come to a standstill, and nothing but rugby reigns on the screens of Hong Kongers for three days. Even

E

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non-rugby fans will be touched with patriotism and root for the Hong Kong team, who are instrumental in drawing locals to this international tournament and having them actually enjoy it. Even those who dismiss rugby as a brutish Western sport cannot help but cheer for them. They are the undisputed darlings of the Hong Kong Sevens, and always an audience favorite. Regardless of your ethnicity, if you are a Hong Konger, you will be a die-hard Hong Kong team fan. The magic of the Rugby Sevens lies in this – it brings together people of different nationalities and bonds them over a love of sports.

Being one of the most vibrant and electrifying local sports events of the year, it is not a surprise that the Rugby Sevens To u r n a m e n t also attracts the participation of the CIS community. Every year, CIS students from different

All Blacks’ Ma’a Nonu Photo: gettyimages

JUNE 2011

HAPPENINGS 簡報 Main Draw Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

New Zealand

33

Portugal

5

Fiji

24

South Africa

19

Australia

12

Samoa

15

Russia

7

England

New Zealand

19

Fiji

14 29

England

17

14

England

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CIS students at the Rugby Sevens

2011年6月

New Zealand

Samoa

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year groups join family and friends to heartily cheer on their favorite teams from the spectators’ stands, often generating friendly competitiveness and a heated fervor for the sport. It has almost become a tradition for CIS students – even for those who are not on our rugby teams – to anticipate this event, filling the hallways with eager whispering and enthusiastic predictions. Cameron Howell (11HK) reasons that the source of this excitement can be traced to the event’s relatability.

“What’s unique about the Rugby Sevens is that it incorporates local Chinese culture with western culture and turns rugby into a large-scale celebration of sport and entertainment, something fun for everybody to watch.”

Final

Another reason for CIS’s participation? Perhaps it’s the growing success of CIS’s rugby teams, which have taken their own tournaments by storm, most noticeably the girls’ A-grade win at the HKSSF championships earlier this year.

Jackie Shin (11ZZ) expresses how CIS’s growing stature in rugby has changed her attitude towards the Sevens. “As a player, I enjoy the Rugby Sevens because I get to watch the best athletes perform in my favorite sport and at the same time, relish the amazing atmosphere with all my friends.”

As with previous years, the 2011 Rugby Sevens tournament didn’t disappoint. Friday’s opening ceremony ushered in thunderous applause from the sur-

rounding stands, especially for the muchloved Hong Kong team. Although the local team did not manage to record any wins, they put up a fair fight against all of their much more experienced opponents, scoring multiple tries and keeping an especially steady defense line during their match against Wales. Change was in the air this year, as Mexico joined the fifth leg of the IRB series for the first time and more women’s games were played for the audience than in the last three years. It was New Zealand who triumphed over all the formidable teams en route to the final of the three day tournament, beating England in a thunderous 29-17 victory. Before the traditional fireworks display of the closing ceremony, the New Zealand team danced the Haka, a rhythmic and vigorous Maori dance performed to celebrate their success. It was an exhilirating way to boost the tournament’s cultural diversity, as well as a perfect ending for the day. A spokesperson from Cathay Pacific, the co-sponsor of the tournament, joked to the media, “Coming from New Zealand, this was one of the greatest Rugby Sevens tournaments I’ve been a part of, and maybe it’s because we managed to record an all-time low number of streakers this year! Good job, Hong Kong!” It’s been another fantastic three day experience this year, and hopefully both the CIS and Hong Kong communities will embrace rugby even more in the future. See you all next year! 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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HAPPENINGS 簡報

Alumni Corner Yi Lei Tan ‘10 tells us about life at Cambridge University.

Q

What do you like most about Cambridge?

I like Cambridge for its unique atmosphere and friendly people. During classes, Cambridge feels like a large intellectual melting pot where we learn new material in lectures, consolidate knowledge in supervisions (occasionally ‘spiced’ with comments about new research topics or approaches by supervisors) and apply them in practical sessions.

Outside of classes, Cambridge is like a window to the real world where people interact and cooperate together to make things happen.

As a city, Cambridge is a tapestry of ancient and modern architecture weaved into a nice relaxing outdoor environment with the beautiful River Cam, grass fields, gardens and fresh air.

Q

Q

Tell us about your college.

Fitzwilliam College is one of the more modern colleges at Cambridge. It is within 15 minutes of cycling of most faculties and departments. The college was founded in 1869 as a non-collegiate institution providing education to undergraduates who were unable to afford membership to a college, and was known as Fitzwilliam Hall. It was renamed Fitzwilliam House in 1922. In the second half of the 20th century, as there were an increasing number of grants allowing less wealthy students to belong to a college, the need for a non-collegiate institution started to decline and Fitzwilliam House began aiming for collegiate status.

The current campus of Fitzwilliam College has beautiful gardens surrounded by student accommodation. The gardens have an interest-

20 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

everything as a recap. Having supervisions is different from studying at CIS because we get more attention due to the small supervision group size. Also, since supervisors may range from older post-graduate students to research experts in the subject area, supervisors can offer us interesting views of the subjects we are studying, from cutting-edge research topics to studying techniques.

Did CIS/IB prepare you well?

What could have been done better?

Academically, CIS has prepared me well for university. In general, the IB’s large workload has given me better management skills, which is useful in university since the natural sciences course at Cambridge is also very intense with an almost equally big workload plus a higher teaching speed.

One thing I did not quite anticipate before entering university was the differences between different high school curriculums throughout the world. IB Chemistry, for example, is more physical chemistry oriented compared to A-level curriculums such as EdExcel, which has a larger focus on organic chemistry.

Hence, some lecturers may choose to teach A-level curriculum topics faster and focus on aspects less covered in A-levels.

In terms of non-academic aspects, the ability to appreciate other cultures and the bilingual skills I gained from studying at CIS have helped me to make friends with local UK students and other international students.

Photo courtesy of Yi Lei Tan

“Supervision” is basically a small-group teaching system arranged by colleges where 2 to 6 students (depending on the arrangement by the supervisor) meet with the supervisor of your subject or module once a week. Supervisions are normally for clarifying questions about lectures from the past week and going over supervision work, which may be essays or short answer quesTell us tions for Natural Sciences about the students. Teaching styles supermay vary between supervivision sors – some may choose to system. focus on certain parts of How is it the lecture series in a lot of different from studying detail whereas others may at CIS? choose to quickly go over

ing mixture of different species of plants from all over the world, including Ginkgo biloba, a primeval species 270 million years old. It also has a new library & IT center (recently finished in 2009) which is open 24 hours a day.

Notable alumni include Lee Kuan Yew, Andrew Li and Sir Louis BlomCooper.

Q

JUNE 2011

SCHOOLYARD

校园

AROUND CIS, ONE EVENT AT A TIME 校園活動

2011年6月

GRADUATION

漢基2011年畢業典禮

CIS celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2011 on May 27. Dr. Victor Fung was invited to give the commencement address.

漢基在五月二十七號慶 祝了2011年畢業班的畢 業典禮。其中以馮國經博 士發表畢業演講。

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JING

TING POON

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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21

SCHOOLYARD 校園

Photos by Eugin Lee, Kaitlin Chan, Anastasia Salnikow and Angela Pan

Virtuosity 2011

22 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

JUNE 2011

Photos by Jessica Eu, Anastasia Salnikow, Sophia Ginsburg, Isabella Chon and Jacob Wong

SCHOOLYARD 校園

西安 天津 阳朔 China Experience Week

2011年6月

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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SCHOOLYARD 校園

Mr. Sky Ip 葉老師 當警隊高級督察和漢基教師有何不同呢？ 它們兩完全不同！輔助警察隊的職位包括驗屍體，為香港警察提 供支援，保持紀律等的服務，因此當高級督察時我必須提高警 覺，工作雖然刺激但也可以過份緊張。可是漢基的環境非常溫 和，學生，老師和家長們都形成了一個樂觀，舒暢，以及支持對 方的團體。每次我來到漢基時，都會立即感到一種安詳的快樂！

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATHANIEL 24 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

CHAN JUNE 2011

SCHOOLYARD 校園

TEACHING matters

Mr. Ip on duty as an auxiliary police officer. He joined the police force in 1990, and was eventually promoted to Senior Inspector, supervising the training program of new recruits (Photos courtesy of Mr. Ip).

老師專訪 相信大家都認識在漢基度過多年的體育老師－葉老師； 通過一次的採訪，他跟大家分享了他曾當警察的經驗。

周卓穎 當我開始在漢基國際學校工作的時候，我同時 也加入了“香港輔助警察隊”。那時“香港輔助警 察隊”還稱為“皇家香港輔助警察隊”， 因為香 港當時還是英國的殖民地; 1997年後才改為“香港 輔助警察隊”。我任職漢基國際學校的第二年，才 加入了“皇家香港輔助警察隊”, 記得當時是1990 年。因為當輔助警察之外，一定要有另一份額外工 作。於是，除了為社會服務，我也申請了學校的工 作。 我當時太聰明了！ （笑）我略過三個等級， 一跳就跳到“高級督察”那一級。那時候，我當了 警務人員的司令，也是助理訓練主任。無論訓練在 哪裡舉行，我就要到哪裡指揮警員們的活動。他們 需要甚麼材料，要收聽甚麼報告、演講，都是由我 來負責。訓練完成後，我會回到警站再訓練初級的 警務人員，或者把警務的規則更新一下。每當香港 有甚麼大型的活動或節目，我就會帶著我的警務部 2011年6月

隊去管理人群。譬如說，如果舉行七人制賽欖球， 或者是花節，我們都會到這些人山人海的地方管理 人群。相反，平日我們都會幫助其他警務人員管理 犯罪的排序；我會輔助下級的警員，保證他們做好 他們的工作。 這份工作很精彩，但我卻比較喜歡我在漢基國 際學校的工作。我非常開心可以在這裡工作，因為 這裡的學生全都真的太優秀了！我不會在香港別的 學校工作，因為漢基國際學校是最棒的！時間過得 真快，今年已是我在漢基工作的第二十二年了。今 年我重遇了一些我很久以前教過的學生，他們都畢 業結婚了，還帶他們的兒女到漢基念書！我最喜歡 漢基的團結性。雖然我們的學生都來自不同的家 境，但是大家都會互相支持，不會像其他學校的學 生那樣分黨分派 － 這樣善良的環境才是學習的好 地方！在這裡工作的確是我的榮幸；我真的很喜愛 我在漢基的工作！ 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

History in the Making Photo: Erika Pheby

Mr. David Walker has been a veritable institution at CIS. He is legendary amongst generations of CIS students for his academic rigor, penetrating classroom discussions and brilliant, handwritten study notes. After 17 years, Mr. and Mrs. Walker will be leaving CIS and Hong Kong to retire to their homes in England and France.

Xiao Hua interviewed Mr. Walker about his time at CIS and his future plans.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?

I actually decided to become a teacher by process of elimination. I had earlier considered a career in architecture or engineering design, but became more interested in History due to an influential teacher. I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer, a civil servant or work in the financial sector, nor did I want to stay at university and pursue a further degree. I needed to earn a living, but wanted mobility to work in different places around the country. Back then, you could do so relatively freely, teaching for a couple of years here and there. I didn’t take to teaching immediately – it was something that grew on me. By my third year, I found myself really enjoying teaching, and so I pursued it and gradually worked my way up.

Please tell us about some of your most memorable moments at CIS. I’ve very much enjoyed teaching here, particularly my classes with senior students. I’ve been fortunate to have had some really strong groups of History students over the years. The best moments are when we have a class small enough to operate regularly on a seminar basis. It’s great to be able to throw out a question and have the students take it up and fuel the discussion without my interjection. When students do their reading for the enjoyment of the subject, it’s very rewarding. Additionally, there is the payoff in terms of their results.

As Deputy Head of Secondary (Academic), I’ve enjoyed designing the MYP courses and putting them into practice. It has been great to see students grow in a curriculum that isn’t as circumscribed as the IGCSE. Introducing electives and working with my colleagues – both the school leadership and the Heads of Department – has been very rewarding. Moreover, working in Secondary admissions has resulted in some intriguing discussions about who to admit, as well as some interesting interactions with my colleagues.

26 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

JUNE 2011

VOICES 心聲 Why did you decide to study History? If you were a high school student again, would you choose to study something different?

Through the early years of secondary school, I thought I wanted to go into Science and Mathematics. In Year 9, at the age of 14, I had a History and English teacher who I really liked. He influenced me in a different direction, and from that point on I decided to pursue a combination of History, English Literature and French.

My senior school was very similar to the one featured in the Alan Bennett play and 2006 film The History Boys. There were about 21 students in my class, all studying A Level History and English. Most were also taking French. We were a very tight-knit group and most of us had our sights set on going to Oxford. It was a two-and-a-half year throughtrain, and I never reconsidered what I was studying. I think History, English and French really suited me. They were subjects I enjoyed and could pursue independently.

I spent quite a bit of time in libraries, and naturally took to an independent line of study. It was good preparation for Oxford, and I don’t think I would do things differently.

Which books have had the greatest impact on you and why?

I think the books which have most impacted on me are ones I read during my school days. I really enjoyed Dostoyevsky, which ignited my interest in Russian history. I haven’t really been able to keep up my reading in Russian history while at CIS, since much of what I have been teaching has been focused on Chinese and East Asian history. However, I do try to pick up a Dostoyevsky novel now and then. It’s great to re-read them – I obviously see a lot more now in his books than I did as a student. Amongst professional historians, I’m a great fan of Ian Kershaw and particularly his work on Nazi Germany. I have two autographed books from him. I met Kershaw’s son when I was visiting the school he was attending in Berlin, where his father was doing research.

Though we never met in person, I did have several phone conversations with him about his son’s education. So that was how we got to know each other, and when his book Hitler was published, he sent over a signed copy.

“It’s very important to maintain a balance in your life.

I’ve found that the Confucian belief that the harder one works, the better one does is not always the healthiest way to do well. It is important to leave time for reflection and relaxation. Students should have time to think, read and develop ideas.”

Do you have any words of wisdom for younger CIS students?

This may be surprising coming from me, but I think it’s very important to maintain a balance in your life. When I was Head of Humanities, we’d often end meetings reminding each other that there is life outside of CIS, as with so much going on at this school it can all get very absorbing. Most CIS students are naturally conscientious and work very hard, but I’ve found that the Confucian belief that the harder one works, the better one does is not always the healthiest way to do well. I understand that with the demands of the MYP and DP, plus the many extracurriculars that students are involved in, it is possible to lose perspective.

But it is important to leave time for reflection and relaxation. Students should have time to think, read and develop independent ideas.

I also think that there is an overemphasis on grades. Students should aim for quality of thought, irrespective of whether that will get them the ‘7,’ though the two are obviously linked. It’s too easy to get obsessed with levels and grades. If you do your work well and aim for high standards, the rest will follow.

Please tell us about your plans after CIS. I don’t have any grandiose plans after leaving CIS. I’m retiring mainly to spend more time with my family, and certainly not out of any disenchantment with CIS. Mrs. Walker and I have three children and five young grandchildren, and we would like to be with them more often. We aim to spend a good deal of time in France, where we have a place which the whole family enjoys. We also intend to do some teaching in a less advantaged society, maybe in India. I’d like to do some writing, though what I’ll write about has yet to be decided. It might be historical, but one never knows. We’d definitely like to continue travelling the world, and we very much hope to be able to maintain our links with CIS friends, students and alumni. As far as work is concerned, I’m open to offers, but I’ll probably not work full time.

2011年6月

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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27

VOICES 心聲

論宗教素養

戴明慧 可能因為我是基督徒的關係, 自從我來了漢基以後,發現無論是 在老師還是學生之中都存在很多 無神論者。尤其今年TOK講解邏 輯一課時,有不少不合邏輯的句子 都是涉及宗教的---“聖經的內容 是從神而來的,聖經說神存在, 因 此神是存在的。”當然我也認為 這種句子不合邏輯,只是TOK課特 意將宗教描繪成缺乏思考的人才 會相信的令我深感憤怒。因此我 決定進行一個有關漢基學生的宗 教信仰的調查。 令我驚訝的是,漢基的學生之 中有百分之四十是基督徒。然而, 亦有超過百分之二十的人是無神 論者---漢基最主要的兩個信仰是 兩個極端。正如我所料,僅次的 是“科學”和“自己”。這一點 28 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

Photos: Nathaniel Chan, Eugin Lee, Christopher Fong

也不奇怪;通常成績好,有自信的 人不少都會相信“科學”和“自 己”,在這調查中,有超過百分之 六十的人都是經自己思考而決定 相信自己的信仰的。亦有超過40% 的人是受家庭環境而影響自己的 信仰。漢基的家長中有超過一半 是基督徒;漢基大部份的學生是基 督徒正好證明了這一點。奇怪的 是,家庭環境對漢基學生的影響不 一定是正面的,也有反面的---不 少無神論者的父母是基督徒,他們 是因為父母壓迫又或是經自己思 考而決定放棄基督教的。 除此之外,無神論者亦有很 多不同的理由拒絕接受宗教。 當中有不少人是“功利主義 者”(utilitarians)---宗教糾紛在世 界各地引起很多問題,無神論可以

平息糾紛。有人不喜歡宗教的約 束;有人說他們不需要宗教;亦有 不少人是因為在教會有不愉快的 經歷而放棄信仰的。最有趣是一 個人的回答:“不要強迫別人相信 愚蠢的基督教,聖經不過是古代一 些貧窮的農民寫的。”首先, 以 色列人是遊牧民族,不是以耕種為 生;再者,根據聖經記載,聖經是由 先知和其他門徒寫的,即使他們不 是先知也絕不是農民, 然而,讓我 驚訝的是,很少人認為是漢基的氣 氛使他們成為無神論者. 一如所料,大部份的無神論者, 相信“科學”和“自己”的人都 認為自己很聰明。美國一項研究 指通常是成績差,自我形象低落的 人才會在宗教上尋找心理上的支 持。然而,在漢基,這情況並不存 JUNE 2011

VOICES 心聲 Why are you an atheist?

“I cannot accept the claim that there is this big power governing our actions when I cannot see him with my eyes.”

“The notion of believing in a figure greater than us that doesn’t do anything to help is ridiculous.”

“Darwin, science, IQ.” “I am uncomfortable with the idea that there is a man in the sky who has absolute power over me and will judge me when I die. Who gave him that right?” ~ Responses from a survey of CIS secondary students

在---不論是無神論者還是基督 徒, 大部份人都覺得自己很聰明. 在我看來, 這是好事---這說明了 漢基的學生不是因為逃避現實而 在基督教尋找籍慰的. 然而,即使漢基的學生是經過 深思熟慮才接受信仰的,並不是 很多人對不同的信仰有適當的認 識。有近50%的受訪者並不知道可 蘭經禁止信徒喝酒;只有30%的人 答對這條問題。亦有近50%的受訪 者不知道基督教有三個宗派。有 不少的人回覆說基督教不只有三 個宗派。當然,除了東正教,天主 教和新教三大宗派外,還有摩門, 蒙恩派等教派。然而一般基督教 教會稱這些為異端而不是宗派。 更有受訪者說伊斯蘭教徒只會放 炸彈---雖然近年來伊斯蘭教的自 殺式炸彈襲撃令這句說話有幾分 2011年6月

真理,可是這樣以一句說話概括整 個伊斯蘭信仰是錯誤的---可蘭經 其實提倡和平,而我也認識很多善 良的伊斯蘭教徒。大部份的基督 徒知道以色列有十二個支派,但也 有很多人三,九或七。可能這是 因為這三個數字都經常在聖經出 現---三位一體的聖靈,神在七天 內造萬物等讓大家混淆了. 調查中還有一條問題:“一個 水分子內有多少個氫原子?”有人 批評這條問題有眨低一眾“科學 信徒”的意味。請別誤會,我絕無 此意。我只是想藉此問題帶出一 個盾矛的現象---幾乎所有人答 對這條問題, 卻有不少受訪者同 意“看得見的事才可信” (seeing is believing)。這些人雖看不見氫 原子,卻一口咬定一個水份子內有 兩個氫原子。其實一般人回答這

條問題時,要不就是出於對教科書 或是對科學的迷信,要不就是從思 考化學理論而得出結論。這證明 了人依靠的是邏輯或信心,因為看 得見的未必是真相;真相也未必就 一定看得見。因此,一些以“看不 見神”而拒絕接受宗教的無神論 者, 也許應重新思考自己的立場. 總括而然,漢基的兩大宗教是 基督教和無神論,不論是基督徒或 是無神論者大都是經過思考才接 受自己的信仰的。然而,調查亦反 映出大部份漢基的學生對不同的 宗教認識不足,部份人在信仰上亦 存在矛盾。我認為漢基的學生 ( 當然, 也包括我在內)應對不同的 宗教有更深入的認識---如果你根 本不認識一個宗教,你怎能否認或 認同它的存在? 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A RENAISSANCE MAN

30 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

Some brilliant examples of Po Chung’s distinctive two sided painting technique (courtesy of Mr. Po Chung) JUNE 2011

VOICES 心聲

Interview with Mr. Po Chung

BORN: 1943 BIRTHPLACE: Macao ALMA MATER: St. Stephen’s College, California State University at Humboldt CAREER: Co-founded DHL International Ltd in 1972; served on the Board of Governors of CIS; Chinese calligrapher and painter; has three daughters, all of whom are CIS graduates.

E

Photo: Jonathan Lu

ntrepreneur, civic leader, mentor, calligrapher and painter extraordinaire, former CIS Governor and DHL International co-founder Mr Po Chung is arguably Hong Kong’s foremost Renaissance Man. Mr Chung has served as chairman or board member of many of Hong Kong’s leading corporations and nonprofit institutions. He is co-author of the best-selling business book, “The First 10 Yards: The 5 Dynamics of Entrepreneurship.” Xiao Hua editor Jonathan Lu recently interviewed Mr Chung to get a glimpse of his fascinating life and thinking.

Q

WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN SCHOOL THAT HAS BEEN VALUABLE IN LIFE?

I grew up in a relatively poor family of fishermen. I came to Hong Kong when I was 11 and worked full time for my family for two years. I went into grade four in primary school with little previous education, and remember failing seven of the eight subjects I took. My self-esteem suffered, of course, but I didn’t let that get me down. I had very kind and supportive teachers who tutored me for two years. Through hard work and after repeating Form One, I was accepted at St. Stephen’s College. The boarding school environment instilled great discipline in me, as there was nothing to do but study every night. St. Stephen’s not only taught me academics, but provided me with a general holistic education where I learned that people skills are as important as your IQ. St. Stephen’s also had a strict code of values that taught me the right way to act and behave. This was embodied in the school’s prefect system, which served to pass the values and traditions of the school from one generation of students to the next. As Woody Allen once said, “eighty percent of success is showing up.” I learned early on that you should always show up ready and prepared, and that was a great lesson for me.

Q

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN LIFE THAT YOU NEVER LEARNED IN SCHOOL?

I’ve primarily learned that, whether you like it or not, you are the entrepreneur of your own life. You don’t have to be starting a company to be an entrepreneur. Life is an entrepreneurial journey – by forging your own path and making your own decisions, you are building your own life.

I’ve also learned that contrary to the notion of a “born leader,” leadership is a quality that can be developed and trained. This is 2011年6月

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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especially true in the service sector. Take DHL for example. Each courier is in effect a leader. He is the only guy on the ground and must make his own decisions constantly.

An interesting thing I’ve picked up over the years is that old friends are not necessarily the best people to rely on. They just happen to be the ones who come early in your life. I think life is like a marathon. Everyone starts off in a big group, but as the race progresses, people start to scatter until everyone is by themselves crossing the finish line.

Q

HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO PURSUE SUCH A WIDE ARRAY OF INTERESTS WITH SO MUCH SUCCESS?

St. Stephen’s really opened up the Renaissance man in me. I played hockey for Hong Kong, fenced and painted. As Steve Jobs said, we should “stay hungry, stay foolish.” That’s how I want to live my life.

Q

IF YOU WERE 18 AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN TODAY’S WORLD?

I would learn how to be the best coach and teacher of leadership I possibly could.

Q

WHY DO YOU LOVE TO PAINT? TELL US ABOUT YOUR STYLE AND APPROACH.

I actually started painting because I had broken my leg. Stuck at home with little to do, I decided to pick up a brush and practice my calligraphy. This soon developed into an interest in painting. A special technique I’ve developed is to paint on both sides of the paper. It allows different colors to show through with varying degrees of intensity and it also creates great textures.

Q

ALL THREE OF YOUR DAUGHTERS WERE PRESIDENTS OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL AT CIS. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

Well, to be honest, they were all leaders by nature. But I tried to instill in them the importance of independence and responsibility at a young age. Mrs. Chung and I were happy to let them make their own decisions, even when it came to applying to college.

Yana graduated from Pomona, and Anca and Yange both graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. I gave them some pointers on presentation and public speaking, but otherwise, they deserve all due credit.

32 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

JUNE 2011

Photo: Angela Pan

四月初，著名電影《猶太女孩在上海》 在漢基放映，深受同學們的歡迎。我們校話報導員有 幸與該片的編劇吳林作了一個訪問。 劉尚傑 請問您是怎樣創造故事的內容的？ 這個故事是一個真實的事件。上一 個世紀，大約三四十年代的時候，第 二次世界大戰發生了，上海收留了幾 萬猶太難民。因為當時上海在日軍的 佔領之下，中國人民處於水深火熱之 中。可是自從來了幾萬猶太難民，上 海人民不但沒有排斥，而且還熱情地 接待他們，跟他們共度難關，建立了 深厚的友誼。這麼一個感人的故事建 立了一個很好的背景。我開始寫一個 故事，然後再變成一本動漫書，之後 又拍成電影。目的就想宣傳和諧的背 景。我想今天中國富有了，大國在崛 起，我們更需要一種友好，公正和民 主的行為，繼續流傳下去，給今天的 人們帶來歡樂，帶來正義。這就是我 創作這個作品的初衷。 今天這個故事大概發行了六千本 英文書，兩萬本中文書，馬上會有兩 萬本希伯來語將會出版。我的第一本 作品已經編成書和電影。而我的《 猶太女孩在上海》的第二篇《項鍊密 碼》即將在下個月出版（哇！）。故 事描寫中國人和猶太人的友好關係， 也會描述項鍊中的一段密碼。這段密 碼其實是猶太家族的所有財產，所以 希望故事成功，而大家都會喜歡這個 故事。我這次到漢基學校感到非常高 興，大家都熱情地招待我，同學們都 讓我非常感動，這本書出版後我會第 一時間把它寄到學校（謝謝啊！） 您把猶太和中國的文化融合在一起是 有什麼特別目的嗎? 因為當時幾萬名猶太難民生活十分 困苦，而中華人民是很友善的。我們 國家今天富有起來了，強大起來了， 2011年6月

白忠信

但是我們的善良和正義並沒有變，別 人遇到困難時，我們真心幫助的精神 沒有變。我想把這種思想和精神繼續 傳下去。我覺得我的作品就像一道清 泉，能夠滲到周圍的國家，令他們更 加了解我們中國人，也令我們知道自 己的價值，這是我當時的一個想法。 古今中外，不同的文化都有差異 之處，生活習慣也有不同。但是我認 為各種民族都有共同的特點，所以在 創作這作品時，追求不同文化。比如 電影中的猶太女孩瑞那在想她媽媽， 捱著餓找她的家人；而電影內的中國 小男孩也是為了要治好媽媽的病辛苦 地工作——這就是他們的共通點。這 些相同之處，令不同的民族更加的強 大。雖然猶太和中國的文化，語言和 宗教都不同，但是他們對未來的嚮往 和追求形成了一種共同的力量，所以 創造時他們也沒有太大的差異了。我 第二個作品的主題歌就叫做《手拉 手，手拉手，一起往前走》（笑）， 就能夠貫穿我兩部電影的主題。我在 這間學校看到這麼多學生來自各個國 家，我心裡十分高興。每個同學的臉 上都有一片陽光，一種幸福感，所以 我今天來到感到十分感動。

請問你小時後有沒有一些難忘的經 驗？ （笑）哎呀！我小時侯可以說是比 較突出吧！在五十年代，當我五六歲 時，我是在北京唯一一間國際幼兒園 上學（哇！）。我們一起玩，一起唱 歌，一起吃飯，很容易就忘記我們來 自不同的民族和國家，後來要分手的 時候，感覺都是依依不捨。今天我到 漢基學校，看到有些五歲，七歲的小

孩子在一起玩耍，引發我當時的感 覺。在《猶太女孩在上海》這本書 內，有一句話：“善良和公平是醫理 靈魂的曙光”，想告訴今天的孩子們 我們要有公平，和平，善良，國家 才能變得強大。 您在寫作和電影的行業內工作了多少 年了? 在做電影的行業之前，我本已在 澳門讀了我的博士學位，主要是學工 廠管理，以前當過高級地產從業員和 商業管理員，在過程中接觸很多不同 的人和文化，對我創作文化作品有很 大的幫助。然後，我開始寫小說和詩 歌，已經有五六年的時間，但拍電影 只有兩年時間。拍電影的過程中，我 的職位是原創，是一個編劇。一部電 影做得好是全賴一個很好的團隊，所 以這部電影的成功是大家的。從新聞 報道會，到放映，到進入國際市場， 只有三個月的時間，就拿了兩個大 獎，連世界著名的導演巴蘭卡（ K. Balachander ）都讚賞我的電影在國 外影響很大。

最後, 有沒有任何忠告想和我們漢基 學生分享的? 探望過這間學校之後，我發現學校 無論是管理，品味，學生的狀態都給 了我很大的振奮。我覺得學生們將來 一定會為國家，社會做出一些很積極 得貢獻。同學們看完電影后都站了起 來，令我感到他們的敏感度和信息捕 捉能力很強。同學們最後的問題也令 我有很多的反思。我很願意繼續與老 師同學們聯繫，與學校繼續交流。 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

MEMORIES OF CAMBODIA

BRIAN LIU

F

ive minutes later he was back again. His drunken gaze met mine, and he apologized. “I’m sorry man, if I knew you were coming, I wouldn’t have gotten drunk.” Five minutes later, he was vomiting, his arm over my shoulder as I carried him into a fast food store. I remember his folded body lying on the bed, still and drowned, saliva dripping from his mouth. His stench was horrible. This is what I left behind in Cambodia. But from it, I became stronger.

Four and a half years ago, my family and I moved to Cambodia. We moved because of my parents’ occupation. They have been involved with a charity for twenty years, and they were asked to go and manage a free adult hospital for the poor. This country is located in Southeast Asia, but people often mistake it to be in Africa. My family gave up the modern conveniences of city life -- fast internet, paved highways and orderliness. But in going there, I learned three lessons that affect who I am today.

My first lesson was at a charity outing. I was just starting to get acquainted with life in Cambodia. It was vastly different from Hong Kong; the roads were unpaved, traffic was horrendously out of control, and I had a house curfew at eight. We went to a slum at the outskirts of the city. I don’t know about 34 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

you, but because of my upbringing, it’s really easy for me to associate “power” with charity work. I always approached it with the mentality that the poor were dependent on me. And so with this attitude, I strode into the slum, carrying rations of rice and canisters of water on my shoulders. I did this with a bit of excess pride, eager to receive the grateful gazes of those who inhabited the slums.

When I turned a corner, however, I was awe struck at the scene before me. The brown dirt streets were uneven, laced with green swamp streams, born of sewer and defecation. Wooden huts had trash strewn over them. Naked children greeted me, not with eyes of desperation, but with joy. The smell of feces crept into my nose and immersed itself in my shirt. I remember countless flimsy straw houses built next to each other, as if the community was struggling to stand on its feet. Outside the slum walls was a green plateau made of discarded water bottles and plastic wrappers. I continued walking to our meeting site when I accidentally stepped into someone’s house.

A woman greeted me JUNE 2011

VOICES 心聲

Brian is baptised with his Cambodian friends

Phnom Penh street children Photo: Kaitlin Chan and repeatedly asked me if I had seen her sister. This was humbling for me. Here I was carrying rations of rice and water, and this woman was asking if I brought her sister along as well. I felt useless, and I was useless. I could only stare at her standing on her carpet of broken toys and plastic bottles. It was her tone, her somewhat detached but also desperate voice, that brought me to a halt. I went home that day knowing that Cambodia was going to change me more than I could change it.

That realization taught me to be humble.

Phnom Penh was a makeshift city. It was unorganized and unsafe. Cars and motorcycles would drive the wrong way down the road. Unlike Hong Kong, Phnom Penh had no semblance of order. It was not unusual for students to smoke after school just outside the campus. The most painful experience that I went through in Cambodia was seeing my friends do drugs and alcohol. I remember walking on the school campus one day and hearing the word “pot.” And that was that. My friends, one by one, began to smoke. After school, they would head over to a gas station just a couple of blocks away and break out the beer and bongs. My upbringing helped me make the unpopular decision to avoid it. But it left me feeling isolated. I could no longer engage in the daily exchange of feelings 2011年6月

with my friends. All the channels that I used to share my deepest joys and sorrows with my friends became gradually blocked by cannabis. Call me melodramatic, but it was suffocating for me. It wasn’t lonely at the start though; some of my friends despised these habits. A friend of mine once went to a sleepover, and when other friends started smoking he climbed out of a window and walked home. But slowly, most of my friends began to take up this habit, including this friend. It was a metamorphosis. I was in pain, because these were my closest friends. We bared our souls to each other, and I saw their hearts slowly turn into something that I did not know anymore. Smoking and drinking was all they ever did with each other. It could have been self-centered of me, but I wished that they stopped because they knew I didn’t like it. So, towards the end of my three years in Cambodia, I became more and more excluded from my friends.

I got through this storm of my life because during that time I began to study the Bible. It sounds like a cliché, but God gave me the fulfillment and intimacy that I was looking for. I learned that as their hearts got harder, mine did as well. I decided to invest in the heart of God, and not the heart of men. In all this pain, I learned to be vulnerable, that instead of escaping life’s challenges with drugs and

drink, I should stare straight into the mirror and reconcile myself with my own failures. True strength is honesty. Even today, being honest with myself about what happened to my friends still upsets me.

The great escape is with a person’s heart; drowning in substance abuse is missing the point.

When I was upset or when I needed to set my landlocked soul free, I would go biking. At first my parents were skeptical. They were concerned for my safety (especially with the traffic), but gradually they put faith in my abilities and let me go. I would usually ride every Saturday, and it became a routine. It was vital.

When I was on my bike I was king of the road. I could escape into the wind passing over my face; feel the oxygen lift me up from my miseries. I would inject myself into the rush of traffic, which brought me a sense of communal belonging. I was both a nobody and a somebody. My destination was always the waterfront. The Tonle Bassac River eased its way through Phnom Penh and joined the Mekong River. I would ride to the waterfront, dismount my bike, sit on the bank and watch the brown water flow slowly down the stream. This was the last lesson that Cambodia taught me before I left. I learned that life will always have its difficulties, but like the river, it will still flow on. 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

Rushing to Judgement ANGELINA BISHMAN The twentieth century gave birth to polyphonic novelists, cradled democracy movements and nurtured the notion of equality.

The family, the smallest but most important unit in society, also underwent drastic changes. Today, the role of the child is no longer “to be seen but not heard.” Children can actively partake in family discussions, negotiate their curfew and monthly allowance, date whomever they want to date, and even roll their eyes when their parents say something absurd.

Interestingly, shifting family dynamics have influenced classroom dynamics. Traditional family constructs are analogous to the classroom; parents wield power over their children, as do teachers over their students. Once the winds blew the seeds of change, a teacher somewhere finally decided to walk out of his classroom after his students failed to present their own opinions and speak up in class. Mutual understanding has trickled down into the chasm between teachers and students and, solidified by respect, created a walkway between the two sides.

Though it is still important that teachers maintain discipline, order and ultimate authority in the classroom, a teacher’s greatest crime today is alienating his or her students.

Recently student A had a free period after lunch and decided to pass on school lunch to go home early, enjoy a home cooked meal and get an early start on homework. Regrettably, she forgot her student ID that day and that meant that she would have to, by school rules, go to the secondary office and solicit a permission slip before she left. She entered the secondary school office at the rosy hour and was disheartened at the sight of a long line of fifteen waiting students. She decided to try her luck at the guard’s office

at the school entrance.

Previously, the guard had let her leave school after she provided him with her name and homeroom. This time, the guard declined and told her that she needed the permission slip.

Student A, stomach rumbling and slightly exasperated, thought impulsively. She decided to walk towards the field, go through the car park and exit school the “improper” way. The guard spotted her and quickly notified teacher X. Teacher X stood outside of the exit, awaiting her arrival. Once student A arrived, teacher X proceeded to condemn her and called her “deceitful,” “cunning” and “dishonest.” The following day, teacher X passed student A on the staircase and glared at her.

A year earlier, student N and her friend were taking photographs of sleeping CIS students. They were creating a research report about CIS students’ unhealthy sleeping habits and wanted to prove through their report that sleep deprivation often leads to faulty concentration and students would even find themselves falling asleep during class. One day, student N took a photograph of one of her close friends who had started to fall asleep during class. Unfortunately, student N had inadvertently disrespected her teacher in the process by not paying attention to the teacher during those several seconds of photo taking. After class, she was referred to teacher Y for punishment.

When student N walked into teacher Y’s office, she had already acknowledged

Photos: Joanna Fu 36 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

“Though it is still important that teachers maintain discipline, order and ultimate authority in the classroom, a teacher’s greatest crime today is alienating his or her students.” exactly where she was at fault and was ready to accept her punishment for disrespecting her teacher. Student N was taken by surprise - teacher Y did not accuse her of disrespect, but rather of ‘invasion of privacy’ and ‘intrusion of solitude,’ and hammered student N about the seriousness of her crime and how she had violated her friend’s right to privacy.

Nine months later, student B and her friends felt they were suffering immensely under the bag rule. Student B decided to send out a survey to the entire student body to see if other students could identify with her plight. With over 700 people responding in the affirmative, student B decided to write a petition to repeal the bag rule and publicized her findings to the school, as she had promised to do in the survey. A week later, teacher Z pulled student B out of class. Teacher Z told her over and over that he was “disappointed” in her and that he “didn’t need a petition to tell me that the rule is unpopu2011年6月

lar.” Teacher Z concluded that this kind of thing “shouldn’t happen again” and that “this sort of rebellion is ridiculous.”

I don’t know what it’s like to be a teacher. I can’t imagine how teachers can take charge of a bunch of volatile, hormone-ravaged, emotionally-charged teenagers for eight hours a day and still maintain their sanity. Academically, my teachers have taught me almost everything I know and for that reason, they deserve all the kudos in the world. However, in all three examples above, students A, N and B were alienated by their teachers, people they normally look up to as their mentors, leaders and heroes.

I shall not make any brusque, sweeping generalizations and probe into what the definition of a teacher is, or whether this definition should include ethical adjudicating. However, from what I have understood, some CIS teachers have passed judgment before showing understanding. There is no need to mis-

construe what I am trying to say; I’m not asserting that teachers don’t have the right to discipline their students, or that all teachers should be permissive and that “bad” student behavior should be condoned. My point is that as students, we aren’t bulletproof and there is no need for teachers to over-blow a situation just to prove a point. Yes, we can be a tad rebellious, but come on, teachers were once teenagers. Why do some still focus their energies on finding fault without first attempting to understand the context of a particular incident? Sometimes as I lay in bed at night, the self-righteous moralizing of teachers rings in my ears and I feel like a sinking ship on blue sheets, guilty for thinking or doing something unconventional earlier that morning. It seems as if some teachers feel obliged to exert their power by giving their students an unfair trial. I would only hope that…brb, teacher’s coming. 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

ADOLESCENT

DEPRESSION In the 1980s and 1990s, depression in children was almost unknown.

There was the occasional exception – Pearl Jam’s teenage tragedy song “Jeremy,” inspired by the true story of a 15-year-old boy whose depression resulted in his dramatic, unexpected suicide during an English lesson, hit the rock charts back in 1992 and is referenced in countless television programmes and films. However, as the 90s came to a close, the rate of depression amongst adolescents increased rapidly.

W

hile flipping through the January 24 issue of TIME magazine, I stumbled upon an article detailing the 2011 Tucson shooting. Focusing mainly on the serial killer, Jared Loughner, this article mentioned several times that the homicidal maniac was a “nice, friendly boy” throughout his early childhood years.

It was only when he underwent adolescence that all began to go awry. Those tumultuous teenage years resulted in a massive personality change in Loughner – he became withdrawn and excessively agitated, and subsequently succumbed to alcohol and drugs.

In this globalized, tech-savvy era, adolescents all over the world are fed a constant diet of images asserting how they should look, sound, and be like.

Shows such as America’s Next Top Model imbue young girls with a far more acute awareness of their body image and physical imperfections This pressure to conform to one’s friends and peers may be unbearably intense. The result can often be teenagers feeling unworthy and alienated from their social circles, and many subsequently descend into the bottomless pits of depression.

Naturally, there are other causes of adolescent depression beyond social rejection and ostracism. Family turmoil (whether it is losing a family member, experiencing childhood abuse or witnessing a violent argument), academic failure (not attaining your desired mark in particular) or being diagnosed with a terminal illness

38 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

MEGAN

FOO

REPORTS

America’s Next Top Model

“Adolescent depression may be difficult to spot because moodiness, occasional pessimism, and defiance are traits of every teenager all around the world.”

JUNE 2011

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34%

of teens a dm having exp it to erienced depression

may also cause depression.

Depression is detrimental to the essence of a teenager’s persona and may cause extreme levels of melancholy, despair and hatred towards life. Some symptoms of depression include deterioration in academic performance, defiance, appetite loss, listlessness, lethargy, irritability, an increase in migraines, selfdemeaning acts, frequent crying, withdrawal from social activities, a desperate attempt to change one’s personality and appearance, running away, and most se-

DEATH NOTE

5% of teens are suffering fro m major depression at an y one time.

8.3% Edited by Jonathan Lu

2011年6月

for suffer from depression e. tim a at r yea e on at least

verely, violence and suicide.

According to www.suicide.org, every hundred minutes a teenager somewhere in the world commits suicide. This – along with the appalling fact that 20% of teenagers experience depression before entering adulthood – indicates that much of today’s youth are exposed to emotional anguish in their daily lives, be it from family turmoil, academic failure or social ostracism. It also shows us that the basic needs of adolescents are not automatically met.

This is unhealthy long-term, as depression is very often hereditary. In addition, the prevalence of depression in adolescents may impact the global future, due to the probability that adolescents will carry this sadness with them as they mature and enter their work lives. Unfortunately, this will lead to workers having low self-esteem, an unhealthy self-image, and sporadic moods – attributes that are harmful in workplaces and offices.

Thankfully, depression is not common in Hong Kong or at CIS. Despite this, much is being done at CIS to alleviate adolescent depression. Counsellors and teachers are willing to address a student’s pastoral needs, and when asked, give students advice on how to cope with depression. The CHOICES workshops, which take place every Day 4, are meant to enhance a student’s learning and “encourage awareness, tolerance and respect for the wide range of personal and cultural views that exist in our diverse community.” Topics such as peer pressure, bullying, self-image, peer groups, stress management and self-care that are related to depression are taught during these CHOICES workshops.

Adolescent depression, like social networking and technology, is becoming more and more common. It may be difficult to spot because moodiness, occasional pessimism, and defiance are traits of every teenager all around the world.

However, depression is not just occasional melancholy, and can affect both a person’s work ethic and his or her relationships with others. Therefore, when things go wrong, do not let the anger or sadness overwhelm and throttle you; just smile, and hope for better days.

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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PSYCHEDELIA

Designs by Robin Chan

Ovid, Coleridge, Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allen Poe and Steve Jobs all used mind-altering drugs. CHIEN HE WONG examines the positive impact psychedelic drugs can have on health and personal creativity.

A

fter all the CHOICES sessions during which we were droned at about what (or what not) to do, it’s probably natural to feel apprehensive about the very thought of drugs.

However, if you are even slightly inclined to hear what I have to say, then put aside the Say No! reflex that has been drilled into you, and just consider the possibility that drugs may not be the vile, life-wrecking, terrible substances they are made out to be by the fearful, close-minded world we live in today. What I hope to write here is an objective appraisal of psychedelia; a 40 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

purely academic endeavor, and definitely not an advocating of moderate, cautious drug use for the sake of leisure, artistic pursuit or intellectual curiosity.

The roots of the word psychedelia come from the Greek words meaning the mind manifested. When someone trips out-- slang for the psychedelic experience -- he or she enters an altered state of mind. Depending on the dosage and the chemical in question, a trip can range from distorted time and space to the obliteration of the ego, a process known as ego death. Things with such properties are called psychedelic drugs, and the more popular substances belonging in this cate-

gory are marijuana, psilocybin (shrooms), and LSD. The former two are entirely natural, as they come from the ground with zero human interference, unlike LSD and other man-made compounds. When either type is consumed, they are capable of warping the mind’s workings; a single alien substance introduced to-- for want of a better phrase-- a sober neurochemistry can radically change perception and cognition. However, it is easy to dismiss the psychedelic experience as something trivial and vapid, something that is fit only for ‘those hippies’ or ‘those parasitical druggies.’ Again, I urge you to be a little less parochial, and think about what if JUNE 2011

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p s y ch e d e l i a wasn’t just the pastime of some drugged out loser in a corner with no future. Ever heard of Steve Jobs? Well, he dabbled with LSD and didn’t dismiss it as life-ruining or as just another party drug. In fact, he called psychedelia “one of the two or three most important things [he had] done in [his] life,” and asserted that those who did not share his experiences could not fully understand his worldview and thought patterns. He didn’t turn out so bad with his little Apple company, now did he?

Not only are psychedelic drugs not damning evil poisons, they play crucial roles in many religions worldwide. For instance, in the Rastafari movement, ‘the herb’ is hailed as a cleansing sacrament that helps in healing the mind. It is said that the high promotes feelings of goodwill and love towards humankind as a whole, and is capable of ‘healing a nation’ by bringing people closer to Jah. Rastafarianism, along with many other philosophies and religions, praises marijuana as a panacea that will purify the mind and soul.

Already, that deeply entrenched defense 2011年6月

mechanism is kicking in, and you might find yourself labeling Rastas as people who have got it totally wrong, and are just babbling nonsense because ganja is screwing with their brains. Well, it is not no stranger a concept than being submerged in water, only to be pulled back out and declared fit for divine salvation. People who were administered psychedelic drugs and then monitored under controlled

Big Brother says! But if anyone takes a quick stroll amongst the ranks of great artists throughout history, it becomes fairly obvious that not only does the use of psychedelic drugs not inhibit creativity, imagination, general artistic aptitude and success, but that there may be a correlation between the giants of art and psychedelia. In literature, the more prominent figures who were frequent users

environments report similar sentiments to what the Rastas preach. Studies by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine show that a third of the participants consider their shrooms-induced psychedelic experience as the “single most spiritually significant event of their lives.” The remaining two-thirds ranked it among the five most meaningful and spiritual things that have happened to them in their lifetimes.

Unless all 36 test subjects had led incredibly dull and listless lives up until the time they tripped out, then the results of the experiments would suggest that the psychedelic experience is not some phenomenon that is far-off and distant from ‘real life.’ Maybe (and I suggest this very tentatively because it just seems so implausible) KELLY hasn’t got it all figured out. Maybe there’s something to be learned from psychedelia.

There will invariably be those who continue to parrot the close-minded, hollow junk they’ve been taught because they’re just too cowardly to leave the comfort of prescribed beliefs. Studying and learning from drugs?! Guys, drugs are bad. Don’t question, just believe in what

(not those who dabbled with drugs once or twice, otherwise the list would go on and on) include Lewis Carroll, author of “Alice in Wonderland;” Edgar Allen Poe; Aldous Huxley, author of “Brave New World” and mescaline-inspired “Doors of Perception;” and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is part of the Year 8 English syllabus. As for musicians, we have Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, The Beatles and MGMT. Humankind’s use of mind-altering substances has deep roots: the Roman poet Ovid (creator of “Metamorphoses” and often compared with Virgil) once said, “there is no poetry amongst water drinkers.”

Perhaps the day may come when we, as a community, can calmly discuss and freely explore psychedelia like rational, freethinking people without the judgment or persecution of others. Whenever it does come, be ready to recall your Enrichment lesson where you practiced saying “No” assertively-- don’t pause to think about the alternative, because then your sketchy, doomed-to-misery ‘friend’ will have gotten to you. 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

cis

. s . v

Boarding Sch o o l

By Vera Lummis

L

ast October after Project Week, I visited and interviewed at five boarding schools in the US. I went into the experience not quite knowing what to expect, but after the short trip was over, I was happy that I had had a taste of completely different educational institutions. I found that beyond 42 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

the concrete differences between boarding schools and CIS--the multitude of facilities and the spaciousness of the campuses--the intangibles of life at boarding school are what matter the most. They are what prospective students need to focus on when applying.

Before visiting, I researched each school’s curriculum, co-curricular

activities, facilities, sports, international programs and residential life. It is very important to find out as much as you can about the schools before visiting them, because you have to make the most of your tour and interview by asking questions and delving deeper into what kind of distinctive experiences the school offers.

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VOICES 心聲

Xiao Hua's Vera Lummis visited five US boarding schools over christmas and spoke with several alumni and students.

Here is what she found out.

Photos by Nathaniel Chan and Christopher Fong

Lawrenceville School I first visited the Lawrenceville School near Princeton, New Jersey. Lawrenceville was one of the bigger schools I visited. When I arrived, I was struck by the beauty of the campus, during a quintessential autumn day. The vast 700 acre campus houses 2011年6月

dorms, classroom buildings and various sports fields. The feeling at Lawrenceville was overwhelming. It was my first time visiting a school with a campus of that size — previously, I had only seen other secondary schools in Hong Kong. I disliked, however, how the freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were divided across the school. The freshmen housing was separate from the sophomore hous-

ing, as were the junior and senior dorms, and freshmen and sophomores even ate all their meals in a different place than the juniors and seniors. As I was coming from the small, close-knit community of CIS, I found the distinctions between grades unappealing. However, I did appreciate the openness and ‘all American’ school spirit that existed at Lawrenceville. 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲 Choate Rosemary Hall My visit to Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, was similar to the one I had at Lawrenceville.

Choate’s enrolment is similar to Lawrenceville’s, but I felt the student body was more integrated outside of academic life. I also appreciated the wellrounded focus of Choate life. Students told me that Choate has a very strong arts and athletics program along with excellent academics. Choate also has one of the most impressive campuses.

Each of the academic buildings is built on a grand scale, with the Paul Mellon Arts Center and Carl C. Icahn Center for Science designed by I.M. Pei, and sprawling sports fields spread out across campus. However, as I read the Choate student publications (I chanced upon an article in The News: “Students scolded for cell phone use”) and talked to a few students around campus, I felt that the general attitude of the student body was not as motivated and competitive as the other schools I visited.

Phillips Exeter Academy Visiting Exeter in New Hampshire was an overwhelming and memorable experience. It is the biggest school I visited, with 1,050 students and an expansive campus with 130 buildings, the largest independent school library in the world, and dozens of athletics facilities. I was amazed at the sheer size of the campus, and I found it very refreshing to see students travelling from class to class on their bicycles. It seemed to me that the quality of education and facilities at Exeter is unparalleled. Students told me that they have freedom in their learning, and take initiative for much of their own studies.

Homework is often not mandatory, but students are compelled to do it anyway because of the highly competitive environment and the pursuit of good grades. My favorite memory was visiting the science building, where a full size skeletal structure of a humpback whale is suspended in the rear atrium.

I learned that a group of Exeter science students had found the whale on a beach, and had its skeletal remains transported back to school, cleaned 44 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

and re-assembled as one of their science projects. It was truly inspirational.

Exeter was the most impressive school I visited, but I didn’t feel a connection to it because I didn’t feel it had a closely-knit student body. In that kind of a pressure cooker environment, with so many students on campus, the school didn’t feel as warm as some of the smaller schools, like Hotchkiss.

Photos courtesy of Vera Lummis

The Paul Mellon Arts Center at Choate

The Hotchkiss School and St. Paul's School My visits to the Hotchkiss School and St. Paul’s School showed me the other end of the spectrum, because their student bodies are half the size of those of Lawrenceville and Choate. St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, has a dreamy, Hogwarts-like campus.

I fell in love with the serene sense of longstanding tradition at the school.

Visiting the St. Paul’s Chapel was the highlight of the tour. Although I am non-religious, I was in awe of the architecture of the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul, an 1888 English Gothic structure. The Aeolian Skinner pipe organ, the largest in the state, along with the intricate carvings, carillon tower bells and stained glass windows reminded me of my first time visiting the Notre Dame in Paris, only on a smaller scale. All the students of St. Paul’s, which is a 100% boarding school, meet in the chapel four times a week. The meetings are a time for guest speakers and school wide announcements. The thought of meeting in such a sacred and beautiful setting with the rest of your school community was remarkable to me. I was also told that religious texts from different religions are read during the assemblies—not just sections from the Bible. I loved everything about St. Paul’s, except for its conservative, traditional atmosphere that I was not accustomed to at all.

The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, was my favorite school out of all the ones I visited. It seemed to have a homier environment in comparison to the other schools because of the way the campus is designed. All the academic departments are located in the central Main Building, which is the academic and social

The Carl C. Icahn Center for Science at Choate

The Choate Girls’ Varsity Track Team

The Academy Building at Exeter

The whale skeleton in the Exeter science building

JUNE 2011

VOICES 心聲

The Chapel of St. Peter at St. Paul’s School

The interior of the chapel

The Main Building at The Hotchkiss School

Inside the Griswold Science Building at Hotchkiss

Students in their dorm room at Hotchkiss 2011年6月

center of the campus. The Main Building is where students attend classes, study, eat, do library research, go to theater rehearsals, and attend chapel.

Only the science, film and photography classrooms are located in the Griswold Science Building, which is a short walk away. Coming from CIS, the physical closeness of the community was very appealing to me, and I immediately felt at home there. I also appreciated the commitment to diversity that the school has. Mr. Malcolm McKenzie, the head of school, who himself has a very diverse background, (he was born and educated in South Africa and has headed schools on three continents) said at the Hotchkiss reception that global citizenship is one of Hotchkiss’s main aspirations.

Seeing these top quality

is treated equally importantly in these boarding schools. This differs from the situation at CIS because CIS has only just started to seriously promote our sports program and school spirit. In the top boarding schools, all aspects of school life are well established because of their long and rich histories. CIS is a relatively young school and is still growing in many respects.

The most important thing that I realized from my visits is that a boarding school environment is structured and quite isolated, whereas the CIS/Hong Kong environment is vibrant and full of opportunities that are up to the student to take advantage of. Boarding schools provide a structured life that can be very beneficial to certain students. But in CIS and Hong Kong, there is more room for students

“Seeing these elite boarding schools gave me a lot of insight into the great things about CIS, and the aspects in which CIS could improve.” boarding schools gave me a lot of insight into the great things about CIS, as well as the aspects in which CIS can definitely improve. The boarding schools are all characterized by a predominantly American culture, whereas CIS has a unique east meets west identity. I think that CIS students have a great advantage in their futures because of their multiculturalism—Chinese language skills, exposure to diversity, and a connection to an amazing city like Hong Kong. Acceptance of different cultures can be introduced and learned in US boarding schools, but for CIS students, it is infused in our everyday lives and is experienced in profound ways. For example, Project Week and Activities Week are mandatory for CIS students; boarding schools offer international programs on an optional basis to their students.

My visits also gave me the impression that every element of an educational institution—the basic structure of curriculum and faculty, campus, academics, social life, sports—

to show initiative and leadership in finding what they want to do. Boarding schools provide a lively learning environment with driven students who are smart and talented, but limits students to the opportunities they or their surrounding environment provides; CIS has a more varied student body and less of a high achievement culture, but does an excellent job of connecting students with the opportunities Hong Kong has to offer.

In the end, it is up to the individual student to find the right school for him or her, and to decide whether an education near home is more appealing than one abroad. The experiences are very different, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Above all, one must always keep in mind that the unique and intangible factors of a school—school spirit, tradition, motivation of the student body, friendliness and diversity—are the most important things to consider.

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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6 VOICES 心聲

AN “AT A GLANCE” COMPARISON

BETWEEN CIS & U.S. BOARDING SCHOOLS Chinese Phillips International School Exeter Academy

1

BASIC FACTS & FIGURES

2

460 students (in years 10-13) 1:9 teacher- student ratio Average class size: 20

1050 students 1:5 teacher-student ratio Average class size: 12

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Over 170 activities offered (including sports, arts and student clubs).

Over 100 student organizations, 20 interscholastic sports, 60 interscholastic teams.

3

MASCOT & SCHOOL COLORS

Students are split into five houses, school mascot is the Phoenix.

Colors are blue and red.

Mascot is the lion rampant. Colors are red and white.

4

BEST ASPECTS

Mandatory Project Week and Activities Week, integration with Chinese culture, independen study through the Personal Project and Extended Essay.

Second largest secondary school library in the world, with over 162,000 volumes, students from a diverse range of socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds.

5

UNIQUE FEATURES

Dual language program, Hong Kong location, IB/ MYP diploma program.

Harkness teaching method (where students sit around a table in class and discuss), school motto is “Non Sibi” (meaning not for oneself) indicating a focus on service and duty.

46 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

JUNE 2011

VOICES 心聲

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS CIS Exeter

St. Paul’s Lawrenceville Choate Hotchkiss

Students are internationally minded and culturally tolerant. Strong sense of community.

Diverse student body. Extremely high quality and intense institution. Students say you can “do anything you want, no matter what it is.” Many students are “study machines.”

Traditional. Very religious. Idyllic, closely-knit community.

Diverse community. Students feel at home because of the strong house system. Very strong school spirit.

Innovative spirit. Very strong in the Arts. Students are very sociable and fun to be around.

Students tend to find their own niche in the school community. Very close-knit but also competitive.

St. Paul’s School

The Lawrenceville school

Choate Rosemary Hall

The Hotchkiss School

537 students 1:5 teacher-student ratio Average class size: 11

815 students 1:8 teacher-student ratio Average class size: 12

850 students 1:6 teacher-student ratio Average class size: 12

595 students 1:4 teacher-student ratio Average class size: 12

Over 50 student organizations, 17 interscholastic sports, 8 club sports.

Over 95 student clubs and organizations, 21 interscholastic sports.

Over 80 student clubs and organizations. 32 interscholastic sports and 81 interscholastic athletic teams.

Over 65 student clubs and organizations. 19 interscholastic sports.

Students live in 18 residential houses, 3 intramural club sports teams and 2 ‘boat clubs.’

Mascot is the pelican.

Colors are red and white.

Students are split into houses according to what grade they are in.

Colors are red and black.

Mascot is the Big Red.

Students are split into dorm houses. Colors are blue and gold. Mascot is the wild boar.

Students are split into twelve dorms. Colors are blue and white. Mascot is the bearcat.

2000 acres of woodlands, ponds and fields with 112 campus buildings, and its extensive efforts to make the school green.

The Lawrentian House system, which has existed for over two centuries and the Harkness teaching method.

Beautiful campus. Facilities are top class, offers a broad range of unique programs and a diverse range of religious services.

Aspires to instill a lifelong love of learning in its students, and its curriculum and academics are extremely rigorous.

100% Boarding.

The housing system, which is similar to British boarding schools, develops a sense of community within grade levels.

An ‘unparalleled’ Arts program, high quality sports program, and overall pursuit of excellence in academics.

Member of the Round Square Schools Association

2011年6月

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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VOICES 心聲

熱情好客的台灣人 林政緯 珍珠奶茶、夜市、台北一零一、 藝人：周杰倫、羅志祥… 台灣是一 個人文風貌十足可觀的海島。台灣的 人情風味使遊客到了台灣感到像回到 家裡一樣。無論是市場裡賣菜的阿 婆、駕計程車的司機、百貨公司裡的 收銀員都會熱情的歡迎你。如果你在 街上問路，台灣人不但會把各種詳細 的路線一再覆述，還會不厭其煩的把 各種交通工具全部都告訴你。這就是 獨一無二的台灣人。 去過台灣的人都應該對夜市很熟 悉，看上去車水馬龍,人山人海,十分 熱鬧。獨步全球的台灣小吃真的會令 人垂涎三尺：蚵仔煎、炒米粉、大腸 蚵仔麵線、甜不辣、台南但仔麵、滷 肉飯等都是台灣有名的小吃。夜市裡 48 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

的氣氛比遊樂場還要熱鬧，無數個小 販吆喝的叫賣著他們的小吃。他們洪 亮的叫賣聲令夜市分外熱鬧。小販們 會熱情地請你試吃，你不買，他們也 不會給你臉色看。可是最終，小販們 的好客熱情一定會令你不好意思不光 顧！ 你有搭過台灣的黃色計程車嗎？ 每當生上計程車後，乘客不用擔心會 無聊，因為台灣的計程車司機都會熱 情地與你聊天。無論你的話題有多麼 沉悶、或者你想談政治、想多了解觀 光景點、或者有關物價上漲的話題等 等，計程車司機都很樂意地與你交 談。還有，他們在你上車的時候會禮 貌地歡迎你上車，在你下車時也會謝 謝你搭乘他的車。這種情況在別的國

家是罕見的，只有台灣的計程車司機 才會這麼有人情味！ 百貨公司在世界上到處都有，一般 的售貨員對客人的態度比較冷漠。來 到台灣卻不同。每一個售貨員都會親 切地接待你。譬如，如果你想買一部 洗衣機，台灣的售貨員會慢慢地解釋 洗衣機的好處與規格，並且與其他品 牌做比較，為你尋找一部最適合你的 洗衣機。 在香港，人們生活的節奏較快， 常常忽略互相幫助和社交的禮儀。相 反，台灣人生活的節拍比較悠閒，做 事雖然沒有香港人那麼有效率，可是 台灣人樂於助人的熱情和態度卻是值 得全世界學習的。

JUNE 2011

VOICES 心聲

電車男 林耀庭 電車、奶茶、黃大仙廟、山頂纜 車… 這些都是香港地道特色。別說 觀光地點，香港人的性格也與別不 同。在香港多年，相信大家多少都會 聽過『藍領』，『白領』 等名稱， 更『潮』的朋友亦應聽聞『港男』『 港女』 的名稱。近日您可曾聽過社 會流傳這個新的名詞——『港童』？ 其實『港童』的名稱並不是只在香 港出現，而是近期經常被討論，所以 備受關注。講了那麼久，『港童』的 意思究竟是什麼呢？『港童』，是泛 指一群嬌生慣養，缺乏自理能力的90 後孩子。更簡單地說，他們就是不懂 得怎麼照顧自己。他們一些常見的習 慣包括日常生活中的基本行，為如刷 牙梳洗都一竅不通，嚴重的連擤鼻涕 後擦去都依賴傭人，更甚者六歲才學 會便後清潔。事緣父母過於庇護，溺​​ 愛，令孩童習慣了嬌寵橫蠻的生活。 如有不合意，就來個『大鬧天宮』， 引起旁觀者注意，鬧得父母實在忍不 住讓步。這麼一來，孩子就知道父母 的死穴在哪兒，並會接二連三地用同 一手法達到目的。這種惡性會跟從孩 子，一直到被稱為『先生』時，還要 一時三刻問父母借錢，確實叫人嘆 息。 『港童』的近因可說是因父母過分 2011年6月

保護，但父母為何要這樣？事情的遠 因可從幾方面討論。首先，今時不同 往日，找工作的競爭很大，就算有大 學學位也不是受聘的直通票。在這樣 的情況下，父母就更加催逼兒女勤奮 讀書，參加成千上萬個課外活動，忽 略教導正確待人處事的要素，任由他 們的性格在沒輔導下成長，讓他們變 成『港童』也沒所謂因為父母認 為學業畢竟是最重要。這思想逐漸傳 染給孩子，令其連喝水都不離座位， 讓傭人端給他，繼續溫習。這並沒錯 啊！讀書是最重要的…真的如此嗎？ 母親不但追問要往年的試卷，而且四 尋八訪地找各種練習，為的可不就是 那親愛的乖孩兒，縱使他日考得哈 佛，史丹佛，父母無憂無慮，但那二 十歲的年青人卻連方便麵都不會煮。 父母為了成績而犧牲培養兒女自立自 理的能力，值得嗎？ 要解決『港童』的形成的確不容 易，但是第一步就是要改變家長這種 過度保護的行為，面對孩子哭哭啼啼 時心腸要狠，不可讓他任性妄為。這 樣，兒女就懂得不可再走嬌寵的路。 第二，社會應進一步了解現存的問 題，令政府增加關注，教父母們怎樣 培養兒女的自理能力。可是最重要的 就是這些孩童能自覺，自發性地改過

自新。所謂“千里之行，始於足下” ，雖然這不是一朝一夕能做到，但是 只要改變觀念和教育的方法，孩童一 定會有改善的！ 我們十分幸運在漢基學習，在吸 收新知識時，也能訓練我們的獨立能 力。最佳的例子就是每年一次的Project Week，到異地探訪，認識當地的 文化，習俗。同時，到外地的兩週期 間，要在沒家長傭人的幫助下自我照 顧，雖然衣食住行都由學校安排，這 種經歷是為日後大學生做凖備，才不 會變成上述提到的『港童』，連綁鞋 帶也不會。 雖然『港童』養成嬌寵的性格，但 我們不應排擠這些孩童。他們只是在 人生路上走歪了點，還可以改過自 新，撇除陋習。大家作為社會的一分 子，應多幫助，少歧視。最重要就是 容忍和有耐性，一步一步助其解困。 例如，有空可帶他出外與人接觸多參 與活動，時時刻刻提醒他們正確的禮 儀。『近朱者赤，近墨者黑』，他們 會在良好的環境下成長。也許，在那 粗鄙的外殼裡是一粒閃爍的珍珠，只 因成長過程中給淹沒了，但在適當的 培養下，也能發出閃爍的光芒。

漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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WHAT’S COOL 流行文化

流行文化

WHAT’S COOL THE HOTTEST TOPICS AND ITEMS!

50 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

JUNE 2011

WHAT’S COOL 流行文化

ADVICE ?

Dear Dr. Lingers,

At Xiao Hua, we care about the student body and anyone is welcome to submit an email regarding anything in their lives. Write to us - we offer personal advice, answering any and all questions. We’d love to hear from you.

Just Ask Dr. Lingers at cis.

I’ve been dealing with a lot of stress from last minute assignments and tests and sometimes I xiaohua@gmail.com just feel so pressured and overwhelmed to do well in school. We’ve had a few CHOICES units on time management and stress, but it’s always the same stuff that never works for me.

How can I keep myself together?

Stressed Out Dear Stressed Out, Your predicament is very typical. We are connoisseurs of Red Bull and late night rendez-vous with our laptops. One often spots students cramming either French verbs or algebraic equations in the cafeteria, with only a few precious bites of chocolate chip cookies to ease their pains. As CIS students, stress, unfortunately, is an inevitable part of our high school lives.

Of course, I could give you the obvious advice: don’t procrastinate, have good time management, give yourself time to relax, remember you are not valued by the grades you receive, etc etc. The list is endless.

I know - I’ve sat through the same CHOICES sessions. From your message, however, I’ve gathered that this generic, spoon-fed advice hasn’t been helpful to you and so I’ll provide you a list of de-stressing tips to suit your unconventional tastes. They have proved to be successful for me, and hopefully, they will do the same for you.

1. Go for a run. Though you may instantly dismiss this idea, consider it first. When you hit a writer’s block while working on that history essay, go and stretch your legs in the great outdoors/pavements of Hong Kong. I’m not suggesting a frantic sprint, just a light jog should be sufficient to get those endorphins pumping through your system. Finish the run off with a hot bath and several bath bombs (Lush does some amazing vanilla-scented ones that bubble manically in the water) and you’ll be as happy as a clam.

2. www.selfcontrol.com. O, SelfControl.com! I write odes to Selfcontrol.com, minstrels sing jovial songs of praise for Selfcontrol.com, in fact, I wouldn’t mind if an extravagant shrine were built on the 7th floor corridor in honor of Selfcontrol.com. The website is self-explanatory. Go check it out and start using it yesterday.

3. Handwrite Everything. I challenge you not to use any form of technology the entire day. Instead of taking notes on your laptop, handwrite them; instead of writing your essays on Word, use pen and paper; instead of sending Facebook messages to your secret lover, draft clandestine love letters on rolls of parchment. Because our computers have been so strongly associated with our work and our stress, going about without them can be strangely soothing.

4. Look at the bigger picture. In science class the other day, Mr. Wellington explained to us that the Sun will eventually expand into a red giant and push the Earth farther out into space. Your inability to complete your homework in time is therefore, completely futile and trivial in comparison – thanks to the drag caused by the low-density gas, in 7.6 billion years, you will be captured and vaporized by the Sun and the lab report due next Tuesday won’t matter the slightest.

5. If all this does not work, I have one last piece of advice - go on meme base. Being a novice in the world of trolls and memes, I only discovered memebase a few weeks ago. Scrolling through the pages of memes has been incredibly entertaining. I find Bear Grylls and the philosoraptor particularly therapeutic.

Lots of Love, Dr. Lingers 2011年6月

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Sophomore Slump Or Comeback of the Year?

WRITER KAITLIN CHAN ARTWORK HYOJU SOHN & KAITLIN CHAN f you are reading this, chances are you have heard the song “Kids” or “Electric Feel” by the band MGMT. MGMT’s first album Oracular Spectacular (2007), featured a colorful, electrifying fusion of genres and went platinum in three different countries. When they released their second album, Congratulations, in April 2010, it set critics and fans abuzz with over 2,600 ratings on iTunes alone.

The band themselves have described it as being “progressive,” and it is indeed vastly more psychedelic and experimental than Oracular Spectacular. Reviews of the album range from scathingly hateful to completely positive.

Most people would consider the debut album to be the “make or break” release of a band’s career. It should portray the band as they’d like to be stylistically represented and secure a firm fan base so a tour and second album are within reach.

However, I feel that a follow-up album to a universally acclaimed debut is even more difficult to achieve. Critics and fans now expect the album to match or even exceed its predecessor’s greatness. The second album after an impressive debut can come in three principle forms:

I

★★★★★ 1. Suprisingly Amazing

“Wow, it sounds even better!” These are taken home and relished track-by-track.

★★★ 2. Mediocre/ Satisfactory

“It was as good/ not quite as good.” These diligently remain on one’s Recently Played for a substantial amount of time, before something better comes along.

★ 3. Cringe-worthy

“What were they thinking..?” These albums will be deposited in the bin (virtual and/real) as will all the promotional merchandise that may have been purchased in the 1st album frenzy such as shirts, pins or stickers.

Type 1 sophomore albums are hard to come by. Be that as it may, someday one comes across a band that puts all other music to shame. For me, this band was The Strokes. Many critics would say the The Strokes will forever live in the shadow of their groundbreaking debut Is This It. Members of the bands Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines have cited it as a principle influence, and it is has been named the Number One. album of the decade by New Musical Express. Is This It was a triumphant release which unabashedly revived the art of garage rock.

Both catchy and musically complex, Is This It had mass appeal from the angst-ridden cynic to anyone listening to mainstream radio. Three years later, Room On Fire was released. The album was a disappointment to many critics, but I personally view it as quite superb. The songs on Room On Fire are more confident and interesting, with both of the Strokes’ guitarists demonstrating the power of a clever riff. (continued on the next page) 52 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

JUNE 2011

WHAT’S COOL 流行文化 Room On Fire’s lyrics pertain to Is This It’s classically honest and bare style, but they are even wittier: “You trained me not to love, after you showed me what it was.” Room On Fire as a whole is more consistent, with each song casually introducing the next. Although Is This It was indeed stellar, Room On Fire is a reason to love music.

Then there is what comes between terrific and terrible: the “good” Type 2 follow-up. Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut is nothing short of immensely enjoyable. It is a 35 minute collection of finely crafted indie with pop sensibility and clever lyrics. The album was upbeat and well-paced, complete with echoed choruses, keyboard melodies and quirky pop culture references (Peter Gabriel, anyone?) Listening to Vampire Weekend is comparable to eating a popsicle of your favorite flavor on the hottest day of the year.

Vampire Weekend is like a piece from Picasso’s sweet and lively Rose Period, while their 2009 follow-up Contra could be compared to his abstract synthetic cubist works. There are elements of everything from some of their classic sounds to utter weirdness (track 4, ‘California English’, begins with a mix of syllables that sound like dialogue from The Sims.) Contra is eccentric and mature, as Vampire Weekend embraced their uniqueness with multicultural influences and a taste for musical risk. Although I personally feel that it wasn’t quite as impressive as their debut, it was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the Grammy © Awards, so they must have done something right.

The last type of album mentioned, Type 3, is the one found most commonly in the music industry. This is simply because the sophomore album is invariably compared to the first, and the insurmountable pressure often overwhelms the band. Unfortunately, the band Albert Hammond Jr fell victim to the “sophomore slump.” Their first album, Yours to Keep, was not quite a 5-star album. That being said, it was a solid release which showed promise. The album was versatile and fairly engaging, with certain standout tracks such as ‘Hard to Live in the City’ and ‘Cartoon Music…’ providing a strong backbone to the album. Yours to Keep, a combination of sweet melodies and rampant guitar solos, was charming and in some ways commendable.

Como Te Llama, their second album, wasn’t.

On Como Te Llama, Albert Hammond Jr. churned out songs that sounded vaguely like the ones in Yours to Keep, except they were clouded with uncertainty and unoriginality.

Although there are a few signs of life , the album seems to stagger around aimlessly. Alas, not everybody is capable of breaking ground the second time around.

My personal advice is to be as open-minded as possible. Many artists release second albums with the hopes of further expressing their musical style and experimenting more heavily. Give them a chance, because instead of “playing it safe,” they often attempt to connect with you in a different way. Even if you never grow to like that second album, you will always have that first album that resonated deeply with you.

Here are some songs I highly recommend from the albums reviewed. Enjoy!

playlist ‘Walcott’

‘Hard to Explain’

‘101’

‘12:51’ ‘In My Room’ ‘Run’

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Hot Bites

Photos: Daniella Sabnani

Introducing

EskiMO’s

Frozen Yogurt Mika Wysocki & Daniella Sabnani

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WHAT’S COOL 流行文化

L

ooking for a new hangout after school? Or a place to cool the blistering heat in the summer? Then try the newly opened EskiMO’s, located just five minutes from school. This yogurt joint opened a few months ago and is a hit to with youngsters as it provides a fresh and delicious alternative to ice cream.

The owner of EskiMO’s, Monish, fell in love with yogurt after having tried some in the US. He felt that the yogurt parlors in Hong Kong did not do yogurt justice so he decided to open a store himself. At the age of 17, Monish turned his inspiration into reality and EskiMO’s (named after himself) has quickly become one of the most popular yogurt shops in Hong Kong.

Monish likes to test out flavors with his parents in EskiMO’s yogurt laboratory. What a life! Being a student himself, Monish decided to make EskiMO’s as student friendly as possible. He offers special discounts and deliveries for yogurt sales at schools (so think about EskiMO’s the next time you want to have an event), and can also host yogurtlicious parties at EskiMO’s.

People are looking for healthier alternatives when it comes to deserts and traditional ice cream is being replaced by frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt, as the name implies, uses yogurt instead of cream. The yogurt contains a certain bacteria called “probiotics” which boosts immune functions, lowers blood pressure and cholesterols, and may even assist in preventing certain cancers.

Yogurt is also rich in minerals and nutrients, and as an extra benefit it contains enzymes which help with digestion. Therefore people who are lactose intolerant can enjoy a scoop or two.

So what makes EskiMO’s fro-yo more special than any other frozen yogurt store in Hong Kong? The difference is the freshness of the yogurt, and the deliciously rare toppings that come with it. The frozen yogurt at EskiMO’s is made fresh every single day with milk and yogurt imported by air from Italy. But the big secret is, not only is EskiMO’s fro-yo fresh and delicious, it’s also low fat. In addition, EskiMO’s has a variety of signature toppings, which include unique jellies such as freshly made honey mochi, rose mochi (the only rose mochi you will find in Hong Kong), ube mochi and two flavors of juice burst balls, also known as “glace.” Not only is the yogurt super smooth, so is the ambience of the shop. With the latest hits in the background, and the delicious flavours in your mouth, you’ll be sure to have a blast!

In terms of flavors, well, you will never get bored. The most popular are “EskiMO’s Premium Tart,” “Lover’s Dream of Strawberries & Cream,” “Low Fat Italian Chocolate” and “Crushed Cookies & Cream.” But the more adventurous may want to try “Guava EXTREME” or “Double Black Sesame.”

Not only do new flavors come out every week, but the store also has different flavors for different holidays. For example, during Chinese New Year, EskiMO’s came up with the flavor “Double Black Sesame” and gave out specially made EskiMO’s red packets. So be sure to stop by and don’t forget to ask for the student discount!

2011年6月

A raspberry sorbet and original flavor combination topped with M&M’s (Photos: Angela Pan)

Above: The EskiMo store in North Point. Below: Raspberry sorbet with cereal topping.

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BOOKS today a teenager, tomorrow a hero

James Marsden (left) answers questions at the London Book Festival.

(Photo courtesy of Claron Niu)

W

hat would you do if you came home one day to nothing but a pile of shattered bricks topped with an unrecognizable flag, swaying in its condescending glory? You would stand and gape at its presence, then with a sudden pang of realization you would slowly fathom the unthinkable; your country has been invaded.

If you were visually imagining that in your head, then imagine this – a group of senior-year teenagers is camping out in the Australian bush, only to realize that their country has been invaded 56 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

CHLOE MOK

when they find dead dogs in the barn and ransacked houses eerily silent. Awardwinning 1994 novel Tomorrow, When the War Began, written by John Marsden, centers on this plot. Translated into five different languages with over three million copies sold in Australia alone, this action-packed novel has impacted the way teenagers perceive the world.

Tomorrow, When the War Began tells the adventure of a group of teenagers trapped in a war. The story is told through country girl Ellie Linton’s eyes, and the novel serves as her record. The story begins when Ellie and her best friend Corrie impulsively suggest a camping trip in the remote edges of the Australian Bush, otherwise known as “Hell”. Along with five other friends Kevin, Homer, Fi, Lee and

Robyn, the seven teenagers take off. Little would they know, their happy-go-lucky trip to Hell would descend into something catastrophic, something beyond their darkest nightmares. Woken up by low-flying military jets at night, Ellie had sensed that something was wrong from the very start. Yet she stubbornly disregarded her instincts, until they were impossible to ignore. Gradually, her hunches became facts, as Ellie and her friends soon discovered that their country was in grave danger. So begins a heart-stopping adventure, a struggle for survival, a fight for freedom as Ellie and her friends experience a world that strikes terror and fear into anyone who dares challenge its presence.

At age 60, author John Marsden has led quite a life. Born and raised in JUNE 2011

WHAT’S COOL 流行文化

Scenes from the 2010 film adaptation of Marsden’s book. (Photo: IMDb.com)

“You share their pain, their fears and their occasional joy. Like a wake-up call, the novel emphasizes how horrific and barbaric war can be.”

Victoria, Australia on 27 September 1950, he had wanted to become an author at the tender age of nine. However, writing was not the only path he wanted to take. He had a strong passion for teaching, and as a result began a teaching course at age 28. His undying love for writing was evident through his first published book in 1987, titled So Much to Tell You. It became an immediate success, and each book of his that followed became best-seller hits. As the principal and founder of Candlebark, an Australian co-educational P-8 school, it’s no surprise that John Marsden is the mastermind behind Tomorrow, When the War Began.

Like every masterpiece, the novel went through a tedious planning process. Although Marsden had the story 2011年6月

plot planted in his brain for a long time, “[he] hadn’t thought about it much and [he] didn’t know quite how to go about it.” After careful consideration, he realized that “the only way to do it would be to write about one small group of people, not to attempt to tell the story of the whole war.” Marsden cleverly points out, “I think that is the same for any big topic. You tell the big stories by telling a mini-story.” For the budding raconteur, take notice of what the expert has to say. If less really is more, then this simple piece of advice may prove invaluable.

Tomorrow, When the War Began has undoubtedly impacted its readers in a profound way. It presents a whole new insight into life during war. The characters in the plot are surprisingly relatable,

and their presence seems almost tangible. Suddenly, the seven protagonists become family. You share their pain, their fears and their occasional joy. Like a wake-up call, the novel emphasizes just how horrific and barbaric war can be.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is the first of seven novels in the Tomorrow series. It is also the first novel in the series to have been adapted into a film, which was released in early September 2010.

If you are planning to read this novel, then remember to finish all your homework before you begin, because this is a book you will not want to put down. A definite page-turner, it is a tale of heartstopping suspense and gut-wrenching fear. 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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TIGER VS. Why Chinese (International School) Mothers are Superior KATHERINE PEMBERTON

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PHOENIX

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NATHANIEL 2011年6月

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FEATURES XIAO HUA TIGER MOM SURVEY

469 Student Responses

38% 13% 377

say achieving high grades is their top priority

say their mothers are Tiger Moms

say they have no choice in the instrument they play

you

know

you’ve got a tiger mom when...

1 ) Your tennis coach starts giving you SAT practice tests 2 ) The periodic table is taped to your bathroom mirror 3 ) You get a new middle name: Stanford

HEARD THE

ROAR?

STRAIGHT 7’s?

GO SKIP A YEAR YOU WANT PLAYTIME?

4 ) Your Christmas present is a violin case -stuffed with Barron’s SAT prep books

GO PLAY THE VIOLIN

5 ) Even the Korean kids feel sorry for you.

Original design by memegenerator.net 60 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

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FEATURES

Photos: Wall Street Journal

W

We’re smiling because we love pain.

e all know about the “little white donkey” incident. A ferocious mother makes her seven year old daughter play a song for eight hours straight until she plays the piano piece to perfection.

She doesn’t let her daughter get up from the piano stool. She doesn’t even let her have a sip of water, or go to the bathroom for that matter.

This was only one of the many alarming antics from Amy Chua, the notorious “Tiger Mother,” as described in the controversial article “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” that featured in The Wall Street Journal. Other equally eyebrow-raising incidents include Chua’s rejection of her daughter’s Mother’s Day card, which she considered seriously sub-par: “I don’t want this. I deserve better than this. So I reject this.”

Chua’s book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” has become a magnet for harsh criticism of so-called ‘Asian’ parenting. After reading the article, some people truly believed Asian parenting to be extreme and inhumane. A typical comment reads, ‘Chua’s bullying of her kids is really disgusting, to be honest.’ Others, however, showed some sympathy.

TIME magazine even anointed Chua as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. The real question is are Chua’s methods more effective than the “just try your best” mantra that parents often instill in their children? I now raise another question.

Do we CIS students, who have been brought up in a

2011年6月

We may look hot, but we never date.

Hard to smile when you have such big fangs.

Do we believe that the Tiger Mother’s antics are absurd? Or is Chua’s style of parenting closer to home than we’d care to admit?

THE TIGER MOTHER’S TEN COMMANDMENTS

I. No playdates II. No sleepovers III. no acting in school plays IV. No complaining about not being in a school play V. no watching tv

VI. No grade less than an a VII. No choosing yo ur own activities VIII. must be no. 1 in every subject IX must play the piano and violin X. no playing other instruments

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Photos: Eugin Lee, Nathaniel Chan, Christopher Fong & Paolina Koo.

A majority of students said they would actually welcome a Tiger Mother parent who dictates which activities to do, which IB courses to take...so much for us independent IB learners. predominantly Asian community, believe that the Tiger Mother article is patently absurd? Or is Chua’s style of parenting closer to home than we’d care to admit?

Within the diverse CIS community, is there in fact a thriving Tiger Cub and Tiger Mother population? A few weeks ago, Xiao Hua sent out a student survey to find out.

CIS is a school with a diversity of ethnic backgrounds, nationalities and beliefs. The survey results demonstrate a similar diversity of preferred parenting styles. Amy Chua forced both her kids to play the piano and the violin, and practice endlessly.

In contrast, CIS parents on the whole appear rather more lenient with the instrument of choice for their children. That said, there are still some 377 secondary students who claim they did not have any say in choosing their instrument.

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38% of students prioritized achieving high grades ahead of free time, as opposed to the 29% who prioritized selfchoice, while the remaining 33% remained neutral on this matter. Interestingly, 277 students, a majority of respondents, stated they would actually welcome a Tiger Mother-like parent who would dictate to them which activities to do, which IB courses to take etc., and take a bigger role in decision making. So much for us independent IB learners.

Amy Chua closely associates the concept of ‘tiger mother parenting’ with ‘Asian parenting.’ However, only 13% of CIS students considered their parents were similar to the feared Tiger Mom.

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FEATURES

We interviewed two over-achievers about the relationship of their success at school to their parents’ parenting style.

Year 7 Over-achiever: My successes in life have been achieved through both tiger parenting and self-motivation. My parents made sure I got a successful start in school, got good grades and didn’t have too many play dates. After that, most of it came from self-motivation and wanting to do well in school.

prove and achieve greater success.

M

any parents, teachers and students may have watched the documentary by Vicki Abeles, ‘Race to Nowhere,’ that was recently screened at CIS. The documentary showed how schools and parents are putting tremendous pressure on students and teachers, and the resulting negative effects on emotional well-being. It profiled the so-called ‘and’ parents, who continuously ask, ‘What have you achieved…And? And? And?’ These parents are never

I find parents nowadays a bit too soft, afraid of hurting their child’s feelings. Children need to be pushed beyond their comfort zone and driven to excel in order for them to improve and achieve greater success.

Year 10 Over-achiever: I believe tiger parenting can help a child achieve a lot more than they would normally. But it can come at a high mental and emotional cost. If the goal is to make the child achieve more, than I suppose it is effective, but the child might end up psychologically hurt. I think a balanced approach can achieve the most success.

One thing I believe Amy Chua is right about is to assume the child is strong. I find parents nowadays a bit too soft, afraid of hurting their child’s feelings. Children need to be pushed beyond their comfort zone and driven to excel in order for them to im2011年6月

satisfied with their child’s achievements. It also introduced the ‘good kid’ parents, where the parents view the kid’s grades as the determinant of whether the child is ‘good’ or not. These stereotypical ‘Asian-parenting’ styles create such pressure that many students revert to cheating, cramming, learning to the test, and become burned out. ‘Race to Nowhere’ blames the parents, such as Tiger Mothers, and schools for producing unbalanced children who are not prepared for life beyond school. Children are not bamboo; push them too hard and they will snap.

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LD OR W

T D N H U E O R A

The story of how this girl (Pia D’Auriol) sailed around the world in five amazing months!

ARTICLE DIANA DAI PORTRAITS ANASTASIA SALNIKOW OTHER PHOTOS PIA D’AURIOL LAYOUT & GRAPHICS KAITLIN CHAN 64 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

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T

here’s something magical about the sun-dried shores of the Caribbean. Now imagine yourself in a luxury yacht, gliding through crystal blue waters, soaking in the sun. By day, you embark on excursions clad in a loose shirt and flip flops, immersing yourself in local cultures that seem utterly at ease and so unlike the frenetic atmosphere of Hong Kong. By night, you recline in a chair on the deck of your boat, eyes dropping with the setting sun as you let the rocking of the boat lull you to sleep.

For five months, Year 10 student Pia D’Auriol and her family lived the life just described. Xiao Hua talked to Pia about her incredible journey. Read on as she takes us from Costa Rica to quaint Venezuelan villages, from the fiery night festivals in Cartegna to the luscious pink sand beaches of St.Bart’s.

Magic Cat. A panache name for the eighty-foot yacht, complete with six main cabins and a makeshift trampoline at the front. Bruno, the captain, a typically selfassured Frenchman and his wife, Susan, a talented Swedish cook, are the main crew members aboard Magic Cat. So besides its slightly flamboyant name, what drove the D’Auriol family to choose this as their home-on-the-sea for five months? Actually, the family had travelled on it five years prior on another trip to the Caribbean. Mr. D’Auriol liked its verve and speed, yet Pia herself had to admit that though she liked the boat, she frequently got seasick.

The journey began when the D’Auriols flew from Hong Kong to Tenerife on the Canary Islands to board the Magic Cat and prepare to sail across the Caribbean. The family sailed for 15 days, traveling miles of endless ocean.

Basking in the sun, the D’Auriols took this time to enjoy the slow yet tranquil start of their journey and the delectable dishes of their cook. Their first sight of land was the fashionably high-end hotspot of St. Barts, a popular getaway for the likes of Beyoncé, Giorgio Armani and Daniel Craig. Pia noted however that the gorgeous island was “not culturally interesting,” and was not much different from Phuket. Despite this, the French island attracts 200,000 visitors a year, who indulge in sand, sun and celebrity sightings.

“Magic Cat”

Enjoying the greenery

2011年6月

After spending ten days in St Barts (a little longer than planned due to a broken engine), the D’Auriols headed for Venezuela. Steaming hot from the merciless sun, Venezuela is home to hundreds of native villages and boat houses. Unable to pry themselves away from Susan’s cooking, the family spent most of their time on the boat, enjoying seafood while dodging the heat whenever they could. One of the more exciting things she did was visit an orphanage in one of the villages, where they met several 5 to 10 year old Spanish-speaking orphans, and a group of gap year students. The D’Auriols also went ‘island hopping’ around the borders of Venezuela, visiting more indigenous villages.

With a history dating back more than 3,000 years, Cartagena, Columbia would prove to be culturally rich city. Disregarding the intimidating guards that patrol the city with guns, the city is filled with picturesque churches and several lovely antiquated buildings. The squarish architecture of Columbia seemed to compliment the dry, listless atmosphere of Cartagena.

In thankful contrast, the island hosts night festivals – every night! Tanned, lithe Columbian women accom漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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The mysterious ancient city of Machu Picchu.

“Was it the untraceable originals of these unsettling statues, or perhaps the hundreds of roaming horses that made Easter island a place on Earth that seemed utterly alien, a complete lock in time...?” panied by bronzed men gather in the streets to chant around bonfires and put on lively dances. The Cartagena nightlife stirs the opaque heat and adds a charming touch of festivity to the tourist-packed island.

In Las Palmas, Panama, the D’Auriols were able to spend a week with the Kuna tribe, learning about ancient rituals and tribal conflict. In fact, the tribe owned their own spot of territory in the form of a small island, which Pia describes as “messy and unsurprisingly different from the way we live.”

Despite their somewhat daunting fate as the last surviving members of their kind, the tribe maintains a remarkable warmth and happiness, treating the family with great hospitality during their week-long stay. Before they left, Pia and her family stopped in the city for a while, and as Pia describes it, “were surprised to see 66 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

similarities to Hong Kong, it was quite built up and modern.”

What better a place to study a diverse array of wildlife and marine life than the teeming Galapagos Islands off the coast of Costa Rica? Full to the brim with sharks, Galapagos, seals, penguins (yes, penguins!), blue-footed booby birds, giant iguanas and albatrosses Pia realized why Darwin “stumbled” upon the idea of evolution by natural selection here.

After making short stops in Ecuador and Cusco Island, the family arrived in Machu Picchu. As a famous icon of the lost Incan world, Machu Picchu is a site of mysterious walls, stoic and unmoved by time. Mr. and Mrs. D’Auriol were struck by a bad case of altitude sickness, but Pia was able to fully experience what she describes as a “pretty bizarre place.” Although the phrase “Lost City of the Incas” seems to arouse a feeling JUNE 2011

FEATURES of eeriness, Pia claims that it was not at all frightening, but rather extremely exhausting physically. At the same time, Pia wondered what the giant Incans would have thought if they had looked down from the sky and saw thousands of eager tourists, complete with cameras and fanny-packs, clambering across their beloved stone city.

The next stop, Easter Island, is a quaint location and was also Pia’s favorite destination in the whole trip. Unlike St. Barts, Easter Island was a Caribbean island with no flashy beaches. Easter Island was stripped of its trees some years ago because of a government law. With a population consisting of more horses than humans, Easter Island is famous for its 887 mo’ai statues, a series of monolithic human figures carved from rock

by the Rapanui people. Was it the untraceable artifacts of these unsettling statues, or the hundreds of roaming horses, that made Easter Island a place that seemed utterly alien, a complete lock in time, frozen in the year 1200 when warriors roamed its fields?

After spending three weeks holed up in Tahiti because of a hurricane, the family returned to Hong Kong, fulfilled, and full of stories to tell of their journey. Pia sums up the experience, “I think Hong Kong is a kind of bubble and I didn’t really appreciate what I had. When I saw how little other people lived on, it opened my eyes and I saw how simple and happy living could be.

I came back genuinely appreciating so much the things that I have.”

Easter Island!

“It opened my eyes and I saw how simple living could be.”

Sunset on Magic Cat 2011年6月

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The

Gap Year Lauren Clark, a columnist for the New York Times, writes that her gap year “was the biggest challenge I’d ever had — emotionally, intellectually and physically, but it was also the most rewarding.” She taught English and math to impoverished Ghanaian children, and spearheaded the construction and furnishing of a middle-school library.

It was an extraordinary experience.

MEGAN FOO 68 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDER 2011年6月

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Photo: Kaitlin Chan

owever, Clark notes that “my family friends were afraid that I would never go to college or get a good job if I chose a gap year.” Many parents and high school students believe that by taking a gap year, a student will lose momentum in their life’s journey, and therefore only a minority seriously consider this option.

Nevertheless, more and more students are opting to take a year off before college, be it to study for the SATs, travel the world, do volunteer work, or study abroad. This is because many college-bound seniors are burned out, mentally drained and craving refreshment. The gap year is a potentially fantastic opportunity for students to pursue their passions, design rich experiences and acquire new skills; elements which could prove invaluable for them when showcasing their individuality and uniqueness during the graduate job interview process.

Xiao Hua’s Megan Foo interviewed four CIS alumni to learn about their gap year experiences.

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RENYI ANG ‘03 Age 25 Nationality Singaporean Gap Year 2003-2005, 2007-2008 Alma Mater Harvard University Current Occupation Investment banker at J.P Morgan, Hong Kong Photo courtesy of Renyi Ang

FAVOURITE CIS MEMORIES

Renyi’s favorite memories include performing in school plays (Bonsai Cacti and Alice), training for the school’s tennis team, and hanging out with friends and faculty. He warmly recalls several teachers, including Ms. Astbury, Mr. Walker, Mr. Harris, Mr. Tsang and Mr. Varro, who he describes as “always a joy to talk to and learn from.” Renyi was especially excited by Project Week each year.

GAP YEAR EXPERIENCE

Following graduation from CIS, Renyi served two years in the Singaporean army before entering Harvard to study environmental engineering. After his sophomore year, he returned to Singapore to complete the five remaining months of his military service requirement. So he had a two and a half year gap “year.” Renyi speaks with ambivalence about his military experience. “My military service undoubtedly helped shape who I am today,” he recalls, “but it was also a significant burden on my time.”

COLLEGE LIFE

“Adapting to campus life felt both refreshing and strange,” he says. “I was two years older than most of my peers and I felt a slight sense of estrangement at the beginning. However, I went on to make a lot of wonderful lifelong friends.” At Harvard, Renyi participated in many business-focused activities like Harvard Investment Magazine. He also played intramural tennis and dodgeball, and worked as a research assistant at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

REFLECTION ON GAP YEAR

Renyi has mixed feelings about his gap year, largely because it was mandatory. Military service is an onerous duty that all Singaporean-born men have to fulfil when they turn 18. Renyi is grateful for the lessons he learned through his gap year experience. However, he wonders what his life would have been like if he had attended college straight after graduating from CIS. He believes that a gap year can be “extremely helpful as it helps instill a sense of accomplishment and maturity that you may otherwise miss out on.”

However, he cautions college-bound seniors who want to take a gap year to “make absolutely sure it is something you really want to do, because there are obvious opportunity costs if you end up wasting your time.”

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NICHOLAS WONG ‘07 Age 22 Nationality Chinese Gap Year 2007-2008 Alma Mater Sciences Po Paris Current Occupation Third-year undergraduate

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Wong

FAVOURITE CIS MEMORIES

“My fondest memories were in secondary.” Nicholas recounts as “bitter and sweet” intense studying before exams, participating in sports, and playing games in the common room. He particularly enjoyed football and basketball, his favorite sport. “I’d often loiter on campus until six in the evening just to shoot around.” That must have paid off. Nicholas won several local championships while playing for CIS’s basketball team. He has special memories of Mr. Svinhufvud (“my great homeroom teacher”), Dr. Zhang (“a friend and mentor”), Mr. Craig (“an inspiration”), and Dr. Amthor, with whom he shared many “intense history moments.”

GAP YEAR EXPERIENCE

Through Ms. Harris (the Primary IT Coordinator), Nicholas was offered a teaching post at a school in Colombia. The school, named Instituto Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, was located in a poverty-stricken neighbourhood. His main tasks were to initiate a Chinese language program for seventh-grade students and teach English to sixth- and tenth-graders. This experience allowed him to “appreciate a lot more about what your previous teachers have done for you.” Nicholas describes his plunge into the world of teaching as “a sort of a shock, as I was suddenly standing on the other hand of the classroom and I realized what it means to be responsible for learning, discipline and stoking curiosity.”

COLLEGE LIFE

Following his gap year, Nicholas enrolled in Sciences Po Paris, a selective yet diverse French college specializing in humanities and social sciences. “I took various courses in social sciences, like economics, European history and comparative politics,” Nicholas says. “I also had some pretty cool regionally-focused courses, like Sociology of the Arab States.” Nicholas pursued language courses both on and off campus, studying English, French and Arabic. He was actively involved with college activities. “I co-headed the Sports Association, coached the basketball team, played keeper for the football team, did a small music concert with some friends, was a cameraman on a film shoot, co-launched and wrote articles for the campus newsletter, volunteered in the local food bank on weekends, and embarked on a research trip in the Gulf and Lebanon.”

REFLECTION ON GAP YEAR

Nicholas speaks enthusiastically about his gap year. “The experience was rewarding and fruitful,” he says. “I learned a lot about self-discipline and the real world.” He feels that his gap year has enriched his university experience. “I learned to do things independently, and make conscious decisions about how I used my time. By throwing students outside of the protected walls of school, they will learn about themselves a lot more, discover their genuine interests, and hopefully embark on a journey to pursue those interests.” Nicholas offers the following advice: “I would certainly recommend a gap year to CIS students. The question is: do you want to become what Hong Kong society wants you to become? Do you want what your parents want you to become? Or, do you want to be what you want to become?”

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HEATHER HUNT ‘00 Age 28 Nationality US/ Hong Kong Gap Year 2000-2001 Alma Mater Yale University Current Occupation MBA student at the MIT Sloan School of Management

FEATURES

Photo courtesy of Heather Hunt

FAVOURITE CIS MEMORIES

Heather’s favorite subject was Theatre Arts and she vividly remembers working on a one-person play with Ms. Stearns. She also recalls discussing pre-modernist poetry with Mr. Mulcahy, and venturing on a week-long glacier hiking trip in Kazakhstan with Mr. Brian.

GAP YEAR EXPERIENCE

After leaving CIS, Heather studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London, a school specializing in higher-level culinary arts and hospitality.

She apprenticed at an award-winning restaurant at night, while earning a Superior Certificate in Cuisine. Heather has mixed feelings about her experience at Le Cordon Bleu. She recounts, “culinary school was an incredibly challenging experience. At 17, I had to struggle to keep up with classmates who were twice my age. But despite the grueling and competitive nature of working in kitchens, I really enjoyed my gap year. ” Culinary school was no holiday. “There were times when I would get home past midnight and have to wake up four hours later to be in the kitchen by 6am.” She recalls one harrowing ordeal. “We had to cook this terribly antiquated dish for one of our final practical exams. The main ingredient was a whole-roasted Poulet de Bresse, a highly prized, expensive breed of chicken with unusual blue skin. Halfway through the exam, the oven I was sharing with a classmate began to billow with smoke. Without telling me, my classmate had set the oven to broil in order to caramelize her potato gratin, but forgot to turn the temperature back down. My chicken was totally burnt. I went straight to the chef and explained what had happened, but was told that without Poulet de Bresse on my plate there was no chance of passing. With only an hour left, I put my knives down and jumped into the first cab I saw to Allen’s Butcher Shop. I paid through the nose for one chicken breast and hurried back to school. I managed to sauté the single breast just in time to present my dish. The chef gave me an “A” and congratulated me in front of my classmates for being able to think on my feet and for not giving up. That was definitely a proud moment for me.”

COLLEGE LIFE

After completing her Superior Certificate in Cuisine, Heather entered Yale, where she majored in East Asian Studies, and took supplementary courses in architecture. She was a member of Yale’s NCAA Women’s Division 1 Cycling Team. “There were times when my course load and extracurricular activities were overwhelming. My gap year experience of working in a challenging environment with people from very different backgrounds definitely helped me cope with the pressures of university life.”

REFLECTION ON GAP YEAR

Heather is a big believer in taking time out to pursue personal, non-academic interests, as first-tier educational institutions and job interviewers are placing increasing importance on diversity when selecting candidates. “A gap year can be a self-reflective and transformative experience that can set a candidate apart,” she notes. “Taking a year off to attend culinary school not only gave me real world exposure, but also allowed me to develop important communications and time management skills that have been important in my academic and professional life.” She adds, “As a chef, you learn to pay attention to detail without forgetting the broader picture.

This is something I draw on every day as an MBA candidate.”

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CRYSTAL GOH ‘04

Photo courtesy of Crystal Goh

Age 24 Nationality Malaysian Gap Year 2004-2005 Alma Mater University of Bristol Current Occupation PhD researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience

FAVOURITE CIS MEMORIES

“Those were the days,” Crystal reminisces about her years at CIS. “CIS gave me a thorough education and some of my closest friends.” She remembers her friends and a plethora of memories they share, and her favorite classes at school, classes taught well by “dedicated, passionate teachers.” These include Geography, taught by Mr. Brian (who she describes as a “truly inspirational character”), Visual Arts, taught by Mr. Izzard, and English Literature, taught by Mr. Mulcahy and Ms. Yeo. Like other fervent CIS alumni, Crystal is nostalgic about her numerous field trips over the years. “The trip to Sabah, Borneo was an adventure of a lifetime” she recalls along with her trip to South Africa during Project Week. Crystal was also heavily involved in an array of extra-curricular activities. She was on the Interschool Athletics Team, developed an educational training program for a non-governmental organization, and performed in the Youth Arts Festival.

GAP YEAR EXPERIENCE

Straight after CIS, Crystal embarked on her journey, spending the first six months of her gap year in China and the remaining months in Hong Kong. Prior to graduation, Crystal spent three summers travelling with CLF (China Literary Foundation) representatives across China, where she learned to deploy grants through charitable funds to build homes and schools. During her gap year, Crystal carried out administrative and educational duties in a middle school in Guizhou province, English, held morning and evening tutorials, briefed local English teachers about lesson plans and English art, and organized other educational activities. “I felt weird,” Crystal admits about her experience. “We’re talking about a culture that recycles human waste for fertilizer. I lived in a teacher’s dormitory which had no hot water and limited electricity.” However, as the weeks wore on, Crystal became more accustomed to the way of life in Guizhou. “I got really close to the kids and started to hear more English being spoken outside of the classroom.

The teachers were tremendously cooperative and truly invested in the welfare of their students. I was in tears when I left.”

The second half of Crystal’s gap year consisted of two jobs – working as a Line Art Director at Hong Kong Disneyland and serving as a Hospice Nurse at the Bradbury Hospital in Sha Tin. Of the former job, Crystal recounts, “It was a long and complicated process and a surreal experience.” Crystal describes the latter job as demanding and stressful “because death was an everyday occurrence.”

However, Crystal came away from it with “so much respect for the nurses who tended to every physical and psychological need of their patients – it was awe inspiring.”

COLLEGE LIFE

Crystal attended the University of Bristol, where she majored in visual cognition and neurobiology in addition to getting an undergrad degree in experimental psychology. At Bristol, she spent most of her spare time either socializing or volunteering as a social worker in a mental health unit. Crystal felt her gap year was beneficial to her personal growth during her years at college. “After my gap year, I was much more confident in managing large groups of people with different abilities. I also became considerably more patient, and learned that there is always a solution no matter how far away it seems.”

REFLECTION ON GAP YEAR

Careful planning – Crystal insists – is vital for a gap year to be effective. “A gap year should be carefully planned ahead of time and with discreet goals to work towards. It should not be confused with ‘chilling out’,” she stresses. As she did not plan the second half of her gap year very well, she “suffered from unemployment and general boredom for a month”. With hindsight, however, she also learned many lessons from her gap year. “It taught me never to take any job for granted, as a gap year enables you to do something useful that you cannot easily do once you are in a full time job.”

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Photo: Angela Pan

Breaking the

Bubble

CIS students unquestionably live inside a bubble. Every day of each week we follow the

same schedule. We get up in the morning, go to school, attend classes, work. We talk with friends, have after school activities and then we go home. We work there too. We talk with friends electronically. We go to bed. The next morning, guess what? We do the same. On weekends, we do all of these extraordinarily varied activities, with the exception of the ‘go to school’ and ‘come home’ bits. Don’t get me wrong; we learn a lot, do interesting things, and generally speaking enjoy ourselves, but there are certain things that we do not do that perhaps we should.

FRANCIS NEWMAN & ISAAC LEE 76 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

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FEATURES

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ooking at the news, I see that Nigeria is in the middle of a presidential election, there has been another terrorist attack in Afghanistan, and there is a new experiment using neutrons to test gravity and string theory. We know there is a civil war in Libya, that China is getting ever richer, and that the Queen’s grandson, Prince William, has gotten married. But do we actually do anything about these things? We had an assembly to pay tribute to the tsunami victims in Japan - fifteen minutes in the last twelve weeks, a drop of water in a desert. We had two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day in November, and I cannot remember any other time that we have done anything outside the bubble. According to my calculations, this means that for every second over the last year that we spent in school reflecting on current affairs and world events, we spent around 13,918 seconds doing something else.

This is of course a bit of an exaggeration. As a school, we do significant community and service work, which encourages us to think about others and not just ourselves. But it’s not just bake sales, collection drives and donations that we need. We should try and concentrate on things that affect us or that we care about.

To achieve the highest grades possible does not necessarily mean that you will fly through life; you must be a likeable person as well, and one of the ways to be one is to care for others.

2011年6月

“For every second over the last year that we spent reflecting on current affairs and world events in school, we spent around 13,918 seconds doing something else.”

So let’s start to care about what is going on in the world around us. Care about your work, by all means. But care about the people around you. If a friend (or, for that matter, a non-friend) is in need of help, then help him. The exception to this is if they are asking you to do their work for them, which we know is a very bad idea. If a teacher is having a hard time, then give him a break. Hard as it may be to believe, teachers actually have lives outside of school. This is the first step to caring about the world.

The second step is to read the news and say ‘I wish I could do something about that.’ For example, I wish that Colonel Gaddafi would step down or get thrown out quickly before too many more innocent Libyans die. I wish that tornadoes would stop wreaking havoc in populated areas. I wish that someone would find pi to a centillion significant figures. I wish that overfishing were stopped. I wish that fewer people were in poverty. I wish that we all could live until we are 200.

But don’t stop there. That’s not the end of the story, by a long stretch. You have to put in your own personal effort to solve the problem - by doing something about it. If you wish that Colonel Gaddafi would step down more quickly, then become a politician. If you wish that tornadoes stopped wreaking havoc, then become a meteorological scientist. If you want to find the first centillion digits

of pi, then become a mathematician (although having said that, hopefully you’ll find something more useful to do with your life and university degree than that - become a maths teacher, for example).

Care about overfishing? Become a marine biologist. Live until you’re 200? Become a human biologist (or just eat very healthily and take plenty of exercise). You may find that when you wish for something, it may come to you eventually if you try hard to find it. If you throw a crust to ducks in a pond, sometimes you may find that you get a whole slice of bread back. Then you have made the world a better place for others. If such poetic language does not appeal to you, then at the very least you will be able to enjoy this world as a better place when you retire.

It all starts here at school. Habits you create here are habits that you may find difficult to break later on. At the same time, habits you do not create now you may never be able to establish. So it is important to think about the world now, and not procrastinate and leave it until ‘sometime after university’ or ‘after I finish my homework.’ Just do it, and do it now.

So we must break out of this CIS bubble that we are in. We must look at the bigger picture, the cloud of bubbles not just our own. All you need is a little needle or a pin. Go pop the bubble and make a difference with your own life. 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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Clockwise from top right: Jun Kyu Lee ‘12 and a Spastics hostel resident show off the masks they made for Halloween; CIS students at the 2011 Jakarta GIN conference; a debate tournament held at CIS in December; Nicole Wong ‘12 during her Project Week trip to Cambodia. (Photos: Angela Pan, Nicole Wong, Resa Ng)

r. Faunce often brings up the “Bubble Question” in his weekly messages and in news about the CIS China Centre (CCC).

This question is a common thread that describes the nature of CIS students from their reception years to their adolescence in the IB Diploma Program. The “Bubble Question” raises two different issues: a general awareness of the world around us; and experience and engagement with the non-CIS world. Assessed by these two criteria, most CIS students are indeed living inside a bubble. Granted, it would be wrong to generalize that our awareness and exposure to the outside world are uniform. On the other hand, certain conclusions can be made by examining the opportunities that CIS offers.

CIS provides many opportunities to increase awareness of the outside world. Model United Nations, the Global Issues Network and the Debate Club are prime examples of activities where significant numbers of students engage with current issues. Furthermore, there is no shortage of awareness-raising campaigns from advocacy organizations such as the Human Rights Group and the Green Group. Consequently, even those who do

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not participate in current affairs or charity-related activities will, at a minimum, become aware of the most pressing issues affecting our world. Our access to the Internet and fluency in English enables us to consume the same TV shows, music and news as are consumed by a billion other netizens. By secondary school, we have the ability to read publications like TIME and The Economist. The fact that we are self-aware and are questioning whether we are in a bubble is already a big step. Therefore, CIS’s “bubble” is in reality a transparent bubble that students can easily peer out of. There is little more the school can do to promote general awareness other than encouraging students to read newspapers or join charitable organizations.

Real exposure to the outside world is the sticking point to many students and parents. Again, there are already existing opportunities to venture outside the bubble. The school-organized annual project weeks and the vast array of student-led community and service activities give students a chance to step outside their comfort zones. There is nothing more distant from a teenager’s sphere of comfort than helping out the mentally handicapped in Spastics or building hous-

es in war-ravaged Timor-Leste. But the issue here is that these outside-bubble experiences may be seen as token, and that they are simply requirements of the IB and a necessity for university applications.

We will forever be “us,” privileged individuals who will become the next generation of leaders in the 21st century. Those we aid in Community and Service will forever be “them,” the have-nots whose experiences and circumstances will always be alien to our own. Even in university, the place many consider to be a person’s first venturing out of the bubble, students there will likely have similar socioeconomic backgrounds and terms of reference. When we move outside the bubble, the bubble moves back in with us.

One solution is integration. By being a more diverse community, we can become exposed to different cultures and different experiences. Rather than venturing out of the bubble, we can expand the bubble to include those who are very different. Think about a single-sex school becoming a co-educational school. The original students remain in their environment, but their community dynamic changes overnight through exposure to the opposite sex. The CCC promises to be a great leap forward by allowing stuJUNE 2011

FEATURES

Clockwise from top right: the CIS delegation at the 2011 Jakarta GIN Conference; students in Mongolia during Project Week; Joel Chi ‘12 prepares for a debate tournament against German Swiss International School; Jacqueline Cheng ‘12 works with a Spastics hostel resident. (Photos: Eunice Leung, Laura Wong)

dents to venture outside their Westernized, English-based bubble here in Hong Kong for one entire year. Not only will there hopefully be vast improvement in Chinese abilities, but also cultural immersion within the local partner-school community.

Even then, however, it is possible that students will bring their own culture from Hong Kong and transplant it in their new home in China. CIS students in the CCC may end up cloistered in an

mersion with our natural tendency to seek comfort in our own skins will be one of the CCC project’s greatest challenges.

Another solution is to expand our existing financial aid program and increase the availability of scholarships.

This cause has been championed by the Human Rights Group in a recent petition calling for more scholarship assistance to those intellectually gifted but financially incapable of meeting our school fees. These gifted students will bring their

As stated, realizing that we are in a bubble is already a big step. Most international schools in Hong Kong face a similar situation. The CCC is a pioneering program that will undoubtedly change the playing field among international and private schools not only in Hong Kong, but also around the globe. Paradoxically, it is local schools with more diverse socioeconomic communities that have fewer resources to expand their international outreach. Either we sacrifice socioeconomic diversity

enclave within their host Chinese school.

We ourselves are a Westernized, Englishdominant sub-community living in Cantonese Hong Kong. Surely a similar situation may occur in the CCC. But a benign version of Mao Zedong’s xiafang (“Down to the Countryside”), throwing our students directly into a local culture and its conditions, may create a distaste for venturing too much outside the bubble. Balancing the worthwhile goal of cultural im-

talents and perspectives to the community, in effect killing two birds with one stone. Bringing in students of different socioeconomic backgrounds will hopefully raise self-awareness of our privileged lives. In fact, having new CIS scholars can compensate if the CCC does end up with students isolating themselves from their local community.

We must put things in perspective when raising the “Bubble Question.”

for a top-class bilingual immersion program, or vice versa. It is difficult to have it both ways. Hence, being in a bubble is not something to hold against the school.

In the final analysis, complaining that the “grass is greener on the other side” is not the way forward when the situation is little better elsewhere. We must grasp existing opportunities to increase our exposure to and awareness of the world, and support bold initiatives to genuinely diversify our community and shared experiences.

“Even in university, the place many consider to be a person’s first venturing out of the bubble, students there will likely have similar socioeconomic backgrounds and terms of reference. When we move outside the bubble, the bubble moves back in with us.”

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hat do you want to be when you grow up?

Air hostess! Policeman! Princess! Doctor!

Design: KAITLIN CHAN

ADRIEN YEUNG interviews four remarkable alumni who are mixing passion with profession

Photograph: NATHANIEL CHAN

Marching to Their Own Beat For most of us, our childhood answers are now buried away in the attic of our minds. As we get closer to graduation, we come to realize that a wider world exists outside of the CIS bubble. Along with this realization comes pressure. Pressure to get into a “good” university and after that, finding a job.

Who wouldn’t want to have their products featured on Gizmodo, or see their drawings in the latest Pixar movie? Finding a job that you love seems like one of the hardest things in the world to do. What happens if you’re not good enough? What happens if things are too hard and you become a hobo? What if my parents don’t think it’s a good idea?

Xiao Hua found a group of CIS alumni who have managed to secure themselves some of the best jobs in the world. Ranging from a barrister to a New York Broadway actress, these graduates show us the way to living out one’s professional dreams.

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JUNE 2011

FEATURES Name Abraham Chan Profession Barrister in Hong Kong

Passion Law

Abraham Chan ‘96 Temple Chambers is one of Hong Kong’s leading barristers’ chambers. How does it feel to have such an impressive career?

The reality is that it’s still early in my career and there remains much for me to learn and improve on. To the extent that things have gone well so far, a major reason would be my membership of Temple Chambers. All Hong Kong barristers are self-employed, but they typically organise themselves into “chambers.” This is partly to share certain operational costs like rent, but it’s just as much driven by camraderie and a shared sense of professional values. I’ve found it beneficial to be surrounded by barristers with very high standards of professional excellence and integrity, and I feel blessed to be able to practice at the Bar. I’d say though that it seems much harder for new barristers to find their feet than when I started a few years back.

When did you realise you wished to become a barrister? Has law always been a passion for you?

I first became curious about the law, particularly its sociological and philosophical dimensions, while at CIS. However, it wasn’t until the end of my university days that I had any great interest in becoming a lawyer. I realised that I wanted to become a barrister (lawyer that specialises in litigation and courtroom advocacy) after taking part in a few “moots” (mock court hearings) and feeling the law come alive in that process. For me, it’s far more engaging grappling with legal issues in a contentious setting like a courtroom, where the stakes are generally very high, than in a classroom or over the dinner table.

Did you have a positive experience at CIS? I spent 10 years at CIS and enjoyed almost every moment (though I never cared for the early morning starts!). I had the advantage of thoughtful teachers from diverse cultural backgrounds. Many of my closest friends at CIS (including Geoffrey Chen, who is also interviewed here) remain my closest friends now. During my time at CIS, the school was significantly smaller than it is now.

Programmes like the IB were in their infancy. Perhaps because of this, we were encouraged to be fairly independent and to take the initiative in our intellectual and social development. This left me with a lasting sense of independence and self-confidence, which has proved useful professionally.

Was your journey from CIS to Oxford, and then onto your current profession difficult? Any major obstacles?

The journey (which also included some years in London) was challenging at times. It involved a fair bit of hard work and sustained discipline. Law isn’t a subject that permits you to coast along on pure intellect and general knowledge. While it’s plainly easier to say after the event, it’s often of benefit to face challenges and adversity early in one’s career. In case this is all sounds terribly serious and high-minded, I should mention that I’ve also had a lot of fun along the way!

Do you have any advice for students at CIS who wish to pursue law as a career?

Be intensely interested in the world around you. At its best, the legal system is hugely useful in organising human affairs and resolving conflicts justly. However, the law itself is mainly an evaluative and normative framework. Its live content comes from the full spectrum of human experience. So the greater your sensitivity to how the world works at various levels – the commercial, the industrial, the political, the social – the better a lawyer you’re likely to be.

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FEATURES Name David Hsieh Profession Professor of Physics

Passion Physics

David Hsieh ‘99 Your academic achievements at Stanford, MIT and Princeton are very impressive. Do you feel proud about what you have done so far?

I’m certainly proud of the research that I have done at these institutions as well as the mentorship that I have provided students.

What are your plans for the future?

I will become a professor in physics starting next year, where I will be leading my own research group to study quantum materials. The basic goal is to find new materials that can be used for future technologies that will be more energy efficient, have more powerful information processing and transmission ability, and hopefully functionalities that we cannot even imagine today.

When did you realise that you had such a passion for science?

I decided to commit myself to science sometime around the end of my freshman year of college. I had enrolled at Stanford undecided about whether I wanted to pursue history or physics, but eventually leaned towards physics because I was amazed by how much of the world it could explain and how much of the unknown it could potentially predict. I also had some very good professors and peers who were always encouraging.

Did you excel in science at CIS? What impact did your experience here have in determining your future career path?

I was pretty good at science during my time at CIS but certainly not the best in my class. I am by no means a natural at it and I remember taking more time than some of my peers to understand concepts. Yet my experience at CIS definitely had a positive impact in leading me into physics. If you think about it, everything we come into contact with on a daily basis relates to physics and often owes its existence to physics. This is an impression that CIS science classes left on me and has kept me interested ever since.

Do you have any advice for students at CIS? Well, a lot has changed at CIS since I graduated so I can’t assume to know the student culture at CIS today. Therefore my advice has to be pretty general. I recommend navigating through high school, college, grad school and your ultimate careers with a very open mind and a large dose of fearlessness and curiosity. Many of the great innovations in the world today are the result of young people dreaming big and taking risks. As you get older there will be fewer opportunities to explore interests and make mistakes, so don’t miss this window of time.

Biographical Summary David Hsieh completed his Ph.D. at Princeton University with Professor Zahid Hasan. His work focused on spin-and angleresolved photoemission spectroscopies of topologically ordered phases of matter and novel superconductors, as well as on neutron scattering studies of highly frustrated magnets. He earned his B.S. in physics and mathematics from Stanford University in 2003, where he worked on cold atom experiments with Professor Steven Chu’s group.

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FEATURES Name Eric Tan Profession Entertainment marketing

Passion Music

Eric Tan ‘97 What exactly is Entertainment Marketing? What type of work did you do at Universal Music and Warner Music?

Entertainment Marketing involves selling entertainment content and I was fortunate to experience the transition from the physical product (e.g. CD) to a digital format (e.g. MP3). When I was at Warner Music UK in 2000, my job was to sell CDs into retail stores like HMV, Virgin Megastores, etc. By the time I joined Universal Music South East Asia in 2006, I was involved in the marketing of digital formats such as MP3, Ringtones, Full Track Downloads, etc.

It must be great being able to make a living and pursue your interests at once.

Absolutely. I always wanted to be a rock star, but my Dad alerted me to the dangers of being an artist and advised me to take a more generalist route, e.g. business. I think I got the best of both worlds!

What impact did CIS have on your later life? For example, did you take CT or Music at Higher Level, or were you in the school orchestra?

My CIS education gave me a lot of confidence at many levels. The funny thing is that when I was at CIS, I didn’t really do well in the arts and music classes. I was a brat and didn’t like theory, and I used to think that street smarts out-ruled book smarts. But I’m a slow learner, and it is only in the past few years that I’ve appreciated the importance of history and theory. Yes that’s it, I was too impatient and always wanted to do something before finding out the “how” and “why.”

What advice would you give students at CIS who wish to have a career that is both rewarding and engaging?

Know what you’re good at and keep at it. Most importantly, be yourself. If what you do worries your parents, then you will have to be sensitive to that and manage their expectations, but do it delicately because they are your ally.

Though the achievements of some of these outstanding alumni may seem ridiculously unfeasible (an environmentally friendly company that promotes the use of electric cars- seriously?), it is best to try and remain unfazed. A good career involves developing your passions and your strengths. But that perfect job isn’t normally something that you just fall into immediately after you attend university. It takes time, a lot of thinking and more than a few job changes.

High school may seem like it’s ending too quickly, but there is still time. Time to talk to more experienced people, time to try new things and time to identify what you like and what you are good at. It sounds clicheish, but keep your options open; finding a great career isn’t impossible.

™

™

™

These are some of the companies that Eric has worked with: Virgin Records, HMV and Warner Music Group.

2011年6月

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FEATURES t h e

s p i r i t

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h i g h

s o c i e t y

green heroes | claire nouvian | bali’s green school | moses tsang

Class Action Bali’s Green School Leads the Way

Geoffrey Chen ‘96

DEEP Water Claire Nouvian’s Alien World plus:

Moses Tsang, Sonjia norman, The Maldives, Eco-fashion & more

reen issue 3rdAnnual

june 2009

june 2009 HK$45

laying down roots for a better city, cousins geoffrey chen & leo hwang join this year’s list of green heroes

What inspired you to create ERGO and begin Hong Kong’s transition from fuel-based to electric transportation?

Hong Kong’s air quality is appalling. Poor air quality is a leading cause of health problems and driving talent and companies away from our great city. This is no longer just an environmental issue, it is also a competitiveness issue. I was motivated first and foremost to do something for my home city and for my community.

More importantly, though, I believe that we are reaching limits.

The way in which we consume energy (and particularly fossil fuels) is clearly unsustainable. Oil depletion and climate change are issues that our generation will have to tackle. You don’t have to work for Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth to make a difference. Start locally and do something today!

ERGO is a clean technology company whose mission is to promote and commercialise electric transportation in Hong Kong.

I believe in the electric revolution and have been lobbying Government on the early adoption of electric vehicles.

“The friends you aquire at CIS will no doubt become your most valuable resource, guiding you through both good and bad times.”

84 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

Name Geoffrey Chen Profession Hedge fund manager; founded ERGO (a clean technology company that promotes electric cars) Passions Finance and environmental awareness What were your interests at CIS? How did your experience shape your career?

Too many interests to mention. I played rugby (in those days we were too small to have our own team, so we joined forces with FIS), acted in the school play (Ms. Stearns cast me as the first and last Chinese Othello), debated, and ran a successful election campaign for the Student Council. Someone even made me House Captain for the Green House, for reasons I still cannot fathom.

Studying Economics with Martin Clarke during the IB is probably the clearest and most direct link to my chosen profession as an investor and entrepreneur. I also studied Economics at Oxford and the LSE. What you choose to do over a number of years, including university and then in the work place, is what ends up shaping your career, but certainly CIS was the genesis for many things.

I think the skills I acquired at CIS have been more useful - not so much being able to add and subtract, but being able to interact in Chinese (a must if you wish to work in Asia), being able to conduct good independent research (through the Extended Essay and various science projects), being able to articulate your thoughts and express them succinctly (people who get ahead at work are those who can market themselves and their ideas), and being able to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures. The friends you acquire at CIS will no doubt become your most valuable resource, guiding you through both good and bad times. This has been my experience.

JUNE 2011

FEATURES Did your entry in a CIS science competition (a solar-powered wind farm) have any connection with ERGO and what you are doing now?

Sure. Alex Tancock (a pioneer in the Asia wind farm space) and I built a solar powered contraption for our Year 10 science competition and lost out to a couple of monkeys (Abraham Chan and Zachary Williams) who built a smelly compost heap. The humiliation is what motivated the two of us to be in our respective businesses. I suppose Mr. Winderam is really to blame for all of this.

How do you find ERGO meaningful, and are you happy with dedicating your life to helping the greater good?

This is clearly undeserved flattery. You could never correctly describe a hedge fund manager as someone who is dedicated to the greater good!

I think I’m in a minority who believes that we are on the cusp of some major energy supply problems, which have the potential to change all of our lives. Peak Oil (the theory that there will be a peak in the global production of oil leading to potential oil supply shocks, please see www.peakoilhongkong.com ) is a real “tail risk” and quite possibly around the proverbial corner yet it is still so poorly understood by academics, policy makers, and ordinary people. I’m concerned that we are not addressing a potential problem and looking for viable solutions while we still have the luxury to do so. The global transportation infrastructure is a logical place to start, given its dependence on oil, and electric vehicles seem to be one of the best solutions out there today. This is by no means the only place to start; there are many other areas to consider from green buildings to wind farms.

I think it’s meaningful to take an informed view on something and then to act on it. This one just happens to be popular right now...

Geoffrey (left) inspects a zero-emission car.

Do you enjoy working in finance and the work associated with Harbour Capital Management?

I think a good rule to follow is to do what you enjoy (chances are you will be good at it), and preferably focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses (chances are you will get a better return on time and effort invested). Unfortunately I could not get paid for many of the activities that I enjoy and am good at, so finance was not a bad second choice!

Joking aside, I have always been interested in economics (I studied economics at CIS and at Oxford), business and markets. But it took me a while to find my calling. I started my career in management consulting at McKinsey in Hong Kong, providing advice on strategy and corporate finance matters to Fortune 500 companies. Then I took a general management position at L’Oreal in Paris, starting off on the cosmetic counter but eventually running a business for them in Asia. I kind of fell into the investment management world by chance. I found I had a knack for doing solid independent research, forming my own view, and then taking calculated bets, which are characteristics a good investment analyst. And I enjoy working with bright The Taxiof Driver people in a fast-paced environment. electric recharge grid operator

Geoffrey in Hong Kong Tatler’s 3rd Annual

“Green Issue.”

2011年6月

h o n g ko n g tat l e r

j u n e 2 0 0 7

just think, if geoffrey chen’s high-school science project, a solar-powered wind farm, had succeeded in taking first place in the school competition, he might never have had the drive to do what he’s doing today. But life has its way of working out, and Chen now stands at the forefront of a movement to curtail oil depletion by introducing electric transportation to Hong Kong. “We are a small city, geographically speaking, but we use a lot of energy,” he laments. “We’re reaching our limit. I believe we are having a crisis.” The most direct way to do this is by hitting the biggest consumers: drivers. By his count, if he can play a part in converting Hong Kong’s fleet of 18,000 taxis into green machines, he’ll have done more than his share. What the company he co-founded, Ergo (an acronym of Electric Recharge Grid Operator),

wishes to do is build a network of charging stations that will help ease the transition from gas to electric, because today’s greatest obstacle to the change is as simple as a question of convenience.

After all, people are creatures of habit – and practicality. What else is visionary is Chen’s approach: a dual-pronged strategy that combines this commercial venture with more traditional lobbying.

If John Tsang’s budget-speech focus on promoting electric vehicles came as a surprise to anyone, it wasn’t Chen, though he is as giddy over the threeparagraph mention as if it were a personal dedication. “People may say [this type of approach] is opportunistic, but it must be profitable for people to listen,” he says. “There is a solution, and it is coming soon.”

Photography by Sean Davies

I wish I had known that I would enjoy this kind of work earlier.

I encourage CIS graduates to be curious, open minded and unafraid to explore what professions are out there. Don’t be shy to ask people about what they do and what it involves. It will likely help inform your career decisions later on.

hong kong tatler

june 2007

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FEATURES

Jennifer Lim ‘96 Name Jennifer Lim

Profession Broadway Actress, New York

Passion Theater

As a working actor based in New York, how does it feel to be able to combine your passion with your career?

Thankful, grateful, and incredibly blessed. When you’re doing something you love, it never feels like work, does it? And when you’re surrounded by and working with people/colleagues/friends who feel the same way... it’s pretty amazing. I’m always surprised to find I have more to give - whether it be time, resources or patience - whenever I think I’m all tapped out. You can only find those reserves when you’re passionate about what you’re doing.

Have there been any major difficulties since you left CIS? When I graduated with my M.F.A. in Acting from the Yale School of Drama, I knew I only had a year before my OPT expired to find a way to stay and work in the United States. It was a really nerve-wracking time (as any international student can tell you) especially for a freelancer in the arts. After successfully applying for and receiving a three year Artist Work Visa through the help of my agents who agreed to sponsor me, I found out that the Actors Equity Association - the union for theater actors in the US - wouldn’t accept a work visa as a valid form of work authorization. Only an Artist Green Card would do and at that time, I didn’t have the required credentials to apply for one. While working to get my Green Card, I took every opportunity to work on shows that travelled and toured abroad to build up my international resume for my application. Out of necessity (again, because I couldn’t work on or off-Broadway) I also became very involved in the downtown NY theater scene, which is where a lot of very interesting and experimental theater takes place. In the end, things worked out for the best. I got to travel and perform around the world, collaborate with lots of theater artists and NY-based theater companies I might never have interacted with otherwise, and I was finally able to apply for a Green Card in 2009, which I received early last year.

Were you an enthusiastic drama student at CIS? How did your experiences at CIS influence you and your career choice?

Wow, yes I was. I can’t remember a single year since entering Primary One at CIS when I wasn’t involved in a school show/play. I auditioned for every production Clare Stearns mounted in Secondary School and took both Drama for my IGCSE’s and Theater Arts for my IB. I was very active with the School Dance Team back then as well, run by Mary Griffiths (who was also head of Secondary Maths at the time), and participated in numerous dance competitions in addition to tours to Seoul and Taipei.The exceptional teachers I had for sure had a huge influence, as did all the opportunities afforded us at CIS. The resources, the shows - not only the ones done at CIS, but the shows we saw outside during school trips - were all instrumental in igniting my passion for performing and the stage.

Do you have any advice for aspiring actors or actresses at CIS? A working actor’s life is tough. It may sound glamourous... but the reality is something altogether quite different. There is an unbelievable amount of hard work and hustling involved - it is a business after all - and more oftentimes than not, heartbreak and disappointment. You have to really want it, and you have to be fearless in your pursuit of it. Unless you’re one of those very lucky people who hit the jackpot and get your break very early on, it’s pretty much an uphill battle all the way.

So I always like to remember something a very wise and brilliant teacher from Yale used to say to me whenever I felt discouraged: champions adjust. It’s as simple as that. Well, that and maintaining a sense of humor through it all would be my advice.

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JUNE 2011

FEATURES

2011年6月

漢基國際學校 | Photo XIAO courtesy HUA 校話 of

| 87 Lim Jennifer

EDITORIAL 觀點

The Power of Not Voting ISAAC LEE

ood citizens must vote, or so we are told. Voting is a basic form of political participation and has been heavily ingrained in political philosophy since the Enlightenment.

Even authoritarian countries pay lip service to democracy by having sham elections: Mubarak-era Egypt, North Korea and Myanmar all have ‘elections’ in an attempt to legitimize despotic rule. As many as 32 countries make voting compulsory by law, including Westernized democracies such as Australia and Singapore. These countries see it as essential that winning candidates are legitimized by large electoral turnout.

But voting is not a duty. Voting should be totally voluntary. Not voting means withdrawing consent from the political system. In many cases, withdrawing con-

G

88 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

sent is a better choice than participation.

The French Enlightenment philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau theorized on the concept of the “social contract.” In many countries, the method of renewing this contract is through the democratic process. Victorious candidates can claim a mandate to rule on the behalf of citizens. But surely is it not possible that all candidates presented on a ballot are unsatisfactory or incompetent? Voting for a bad candidate is at best an endorsement of incompetence and at worst evil. To resolve this dilemma, the “lesser of two evils” concept is often brought up. This principle states that the less evil candidate is the one that should be voted for, even if that candidate is still terrible. But if you vote for a candidate solely on this principle, the candidate can claim your mandate and permission to execute reprehensible decisions. Do you really want to support

evil? Sure, that evil might be less odious than the alternatives, but it is evil nonetheless. Pick-pocketing is ‘less bad’ than armed robbery, but that does not make it any more excusable. On the other hand, not voting means that candidates can never claim your support or mandate. If you do not vote, you are not responsible for whatever evils are unleashed by a bad, winning candidate. The exception to this is when voting is compulsory, where there is no choice to participate or not. But even in compulsory voting, there may be a “none of the above” option. “None of the above” can be used to substitute for non-participation, to show dissatisfaction with all choices presented.

“You have no right to complain if you don’t vote” is a common rebuke towards the non-voter. Nothing can be further from the truth. On the contrary, you have every right to complain about JUNE 2011

EDITORIAL 觀點

corruption or harm that comes from a winning candidate. Non-voters have every right to complain when, for example, the government decides to bulldoze your house. After all, those who abstain are minding their own business. They seek no harm or trouble with other people. But it is the voters who elect and put dangerous people into power who are fully responsible for interfering with other people’s lives. As the late comedian George Carlin once asked: Where do you think bad candidates and politicians come from? They come from society, from the people at large; lawyers, businessmen, doctors and others. But these candidates are put into power by voters. What comes out of the system is a product of what is put into the system. The democratic process reflects what society can produce. Whether the product is bad or good ultimately rests on the responsibility of the participants in 2011年6月

the process. If all candidates support corruption, abuse and squander, it is beyond the decency of anyone to participate in the process.

Don’t think that abstaining from the vote is reserved for rare circumstances. It is often the case that candidates on the ballot are unsatisfactory. The views of candidates usually adhere to the prevailing orthodoxy of the day, with only minor differences trumpeted. Democracy favors gradual change, rather than shifts. Those truly different are shunned as ‘fringe’ candidates and generally have little chance of winning. Butler Shaffer, a law professor from the Southwestern Law School, poses an interesting analogy: “Voting is like being a prisoner in a penitentiary. Every four years the prisoners get to vote for the warden. One candidate for the job promises larger cells for the inmates; the other promises improved food in the caf-

eteria and, perhaps, longer exercise time.

Whichever candidate gets the most votes will be the next warden. It is understood, however, that the inmates will remain in prison; getting to secede from the system is not an option for them.”

Shaffer’s analogy is true for the most part, but neglects one aspect: whilst people cannot be totally free of the system and its effects, they can at least choose to abstain from it. If a sufficient percentage of people abstain from the system, the system loses credibility and may be ripe for true revolt. Recently, we have seen how rulers in Tunisia and Egypt were toppled when enough people eschewed the broken politics that engulfed them. When politics is broken, it is perfectly permissible to abstain from voting. It can never be a duty to vote for incompetence or corruption, even in a case of the “lesser of two evils.” 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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EDITORIAL 觀點

D

ear President Sarkozy,

A woman stands at Champs Elysees, her face shielded, or shrouded as you might prefer to say, by the black polyester of her burka. She faces a dilemma – whether to remove the headdress and betray the traditions she has followed since birth or to hand over the 30 Euro fine to the approaching police officer.

The ban that has been enforced cannot be justified, both in pragmatism and in principle. Your government labels the burka as a “mask of identity,” a “woman’s” coffin. It is understandable that something as exclusionary as a face veil would be alienating. However, forcing a female to remove her veil is just as subjugating as forcing her to cover up. There is an alarming similarity in how two different cultures address women’s dress – through outright coercion. The ban can only be justified if sufficient evidence is produced that suggests no women wear burkas by personal choice; there need to be solid statistics to back up these claims – otherwise, there has been a direct infringement of their right to religious manifestation.

90 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

Photos edited by Jade Ng

Practically, the ban is unnecessary.

As you stated, one of the principal goals of the ban is to assimilate Muslim immigrants into the culture of the home country. Yet, as seen in the protestations from the Muslim community, this desired integration has only alienated the 6 million Muslims living in France. Furthermore, burka-wearing women are far from the single biggest hindrance to integration in France. There are other numerous more effective reforms that should be implemented and emphasized instead– citizenship laws, education, treatment of religious institutions and anti-discrimination measures to name a few.

Regardless of whether the ban is justified or not, there exists a broader problem – conflict between Islam and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The fact that a woman must choose between human rights and the Qu’ran lying by her bedside table leads us to question why human rights is in constant discord with Islamic beliefs. Furthermore, if human rights can only exist in a secular framework, a framework that Islamic nations are unable to adapt to, does this mean El-

eanor Roosevelt meticulously crafted the heartfelt, hopeful UDHR in vain? Will the Western and Islamic worlds be perpetually in conflict? Or is there something that the outside world can do to alleviate the friction?

Today, while Europe’s “integration challenge” is often cited as a core component of discussions on terrorism and the roots of radicalization, it serves a more significant purpose - a world in which Islam and Human Rights can coexist without constant strife.

There are, of course, uncontrollable political factors that interfere with the modern development of Islam. It is not the religion, but practices prevalent in Islamic nations - oppression, intimidation and ferocious censorship, carried out “in the name” of Islam– that binds the people. It is the selective dictates of those who wish women cloistered, using the excuse of “cultural relativism” to defend their abuses of basic Human Rights.

There seems to be gradual progress being made though - liberal branches of Islam are forming; intellectuals are beginning to develop more conceptual interpretations JUNE 2011

EDITORIAL 觀點

of the religion; Human Rights lawyers such as Shinri Ebadi are growing in influence.

Though reinterpretation and change must come from within Islamic nations themselves, the rest of the world, especially Europe, a continent that hosts influxes of Muslim immigrants each year, particularly France, a country that prides itself in racial and religious harmony, must facilitate instead of hinder the process. The French National Assembly’s decision to ban the burka is only one of several similar measures being taken across Europe. The Belgian parliament passed a bill banning the burka days after.

In Britain, the Conservative party recently called for a burka ban. There is a disturbing discourse developing across Europe, one that upholds the burka as a symbol of Islamic radicalism – a spreading Islamophobia.

Instead of reinforcing Islamophobic sentiments in Europe, the government should implement integration reforms: building relations with regional and local initiatives; engaging with women, youth and student groups; tackling extremism; 2011年6月

addressing socio economic disadvantages and discrimination; and education reform.

Education is key to promoting better integration and decreasing the sense of disaffection among young Muslims that makes some susceptible to Islamist extremism. Yet while Germany and Spain offer classes on Islam in an effort to meet the needs of Muslims who wish to preserve and nourish their culture and religion, France forbids religious activity in public schools. France should be promoting tolerance while allowing immigrants and ethnic groups to maintain their cultural identities.

We must furthermore remove the stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam formed by media prejudice and ignorance. Islam should not be labeled as an “extremist” or “terrorist” religion.

The public needs to be better educated on Islamic concepts such as “jihad” so they are not ill-used and misinterpreted. Islam has often been the scapegoat for terrorism – we must understand that there are other complex factors that must be held responsible, not the religion per se.

The woman will tug on the hem of

her burka, store it in a cupboard where it will stay neatly tucked away until your government learns to be more tolerant and waives the law. But even then, will she want to put it back on? Perhaps she will detest the veil and spurn it. But she is only one woman. The millions of other Muslims in the world will not relinquish their traditions so easily. It will be a long time before Muslim women worldwide can wear a burka, keep it in the closet, throw it away, or do whatever they want to do and still be a fervent believer of Islam. While ultimately, reinterpretation and secularization can only come peacefully within Islam itself, through tolerance and peaceful integration from the international community, we can look towards a world where Islam and Human Rights can coexist without constant strife. It’s a grueling process, but not impossible.

Sincerely, Yi-Ling Liu

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EDITORIAL 觀點

WHERE ARE ALL THE

COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS? JUSTIN CHAN

T

he computer and the smartphone have already become near-necessities in the lives of the modern-day worker and student. These devices, along with many others such as the tablet, the ebook reader, the gaming console, are all evidence of the great strides modern computing has made. In such an age where technology is all around us, a paradoxical and worrying pattern is starting to take form...

Surprisingly, despite the ubiquity of computers (which has fulfilled Bill Gates’ dream of a computer on every desktop and in every home), the number of high schools offering rigorous computer science programs has remained stagnant and few. In our own school, the number of students taking computer science for the IBDP has never exceeded double-digits in the past 5 years. This alarming trend was recently brought to your correspondent’s attention when the interest in computer science by the graduating class of 2013 92 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

An IB computer science student works on his program.

Photo: Eugin Lee was so low that for the first time in several years the CS course had to be cancelled.

CIS currently offers Computer Technology (CT) for the five MYP years, and offers Computer Science (CS) for the final two IB years. A general distinction between the two courses is that the former instructs students in handling different “high-level” software suites (Multimedia, Office etc.) and independently creating a product (be it a website, currency converter or video), while the latter requires students to focus on cultivating a deeper understanding of the more “low-level” aspects of computers such as the various buses and registers on a motherboard, the innovative use of binary when communicating across these devices, and programming constructs to manipulate these bits and solve larger, real-life problems from a more abstracted point of view.

One of the reasons why CS may be unpopular is the misconception that CT and CS are very similar. This is not the

case as mentioned above. CT revolves more around the documentation process of one’s project (only one-sixth of one’s final grade is attributed to the final product). This paperwork can result in large design folders at the end of the year which, understandably, neither students nor teachers enjoy creating and marking. A student mentioned that more time should be spent “appreciating or learning CT or CS” instead of creating things that are “really not very spectacular.” The appreciation of the art of computing and programming is exactly what the CS course expects to teach, as is evidenced by a much heavier weight on a student’s ability to program and undertake tests, which assesses his or her understanding of the content of the course much more objectively. In short, CT is more about the application of computer programs while CS is more about the fundamental science of computing.

Only fourteen states in the US have JUNE 2011

EDITORIAL 觀點 GRADUATING YEAR

NUMBER OF CIS COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS

2013

0

2012

2

2011

7

2010

3

2009

5

2008

4

2007

4 Figures courtesy of Mr. Mark Hayes

Employees attend a meeting at Apple’s Cupertino Campus 2011年6月

adopted proper standards for high school computer science programs. A recent report has indicated that over the last five years the number of AP CS courses has steadily decreased due to a lack of popularity in the subject. A likely reason for this slump is due to the fact that a large majority of schools adopt a MYP CT-like course which simply focuses on the usage of computer applications instead of the underlying fundamentals of computers.

The poor course structure is surprising due to the high demand of computingrelated professions in the job market. In the Wall Street Journal’s “Best and Worst Jobs of 2010”, the software engineer, computer systems analyst, web developer and computer programmer were all ranked quite highly within the top 35 jobs and all of these professions offer good starting and top level salaries. Applicants for these jobs would benefit from a background in a high school computer science course.

A possible reason for this dissonance is a lack of qualified computer science teachers. Most CS graduates work in industry or in universities, where personal and academic goals are more easily achieved; very few work in high schools.

As a result, many high-school computer science teachers are less qualified and can be poor educators. This gives a poor impression to high-school students who are often discouraged to take the course in their final two years or in university. One CS teacher commented on a blog, claiming to have been selected for the job while having only a Masters in marketing and absolutely no knowledge about CS, simply due to a lack of candidates. Thankfully CIS is gifted with a wonderful computer science department with fully qualified teachers, as well as an excellent CS course that does not suffer from the woes of CT. So at the end of all of this you might wonder why one should consider taking a CS course (if your school offers a good one). The answer is simple. The same way that the classic subjects like English, Science and Math can help one to understand the world better and obtain highly valued skill sets, Computer Science instills a methodical work style, inculcates patience and perseverance and helps one make better sense of an increasingly digitized world.

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SPORTS 體育 Liam key AGE: 17 POSITION: Right-back PREFERRED FOOT: Right HEIGHT: 6 ft. 2 inches WEIGHT: 77 kg EXPERIENCE: Currently plays for Kitchee FC and the Hong Kong U-18 National Soccer Team, spent a year at IMG Soccer Academy in Florida TRAINING REGIMEN: Plays a 90 minute game every Monday and trains for two hours with the Hong Kong team every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIKA 94 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

PHEBY JUNE 2011

SPORTS 體育

球員簡介 易安在IMG足球學院的體驗 孫瑞亨 Q

孫: 你能夠講述一下你這幾年的足球生涯嗎?

易: 我目前代表傑志足球隊和香港U-18代表隊。在去年夏季，我代表了傑志U-18足球隊參加香港暑假精 英聯賽。我現在是傑志U-17足球隊的成員,代表傑志分別在香港恆基精英青年聯賽和香港Nike超級盃作 賽。我也是傑志職業預備隊的代表球員,還經常和傑志的職業甲組球隊訓練。此外,我還是香港U-18代表 隊的球員,和香港隊進行每週三次的訓練。

Q

孫: 你現在的比賽與訓練如何?

易: 我目前每逢週一都會代表傑志U-18在香港恆基精英青年聯賽中作賽,每逢週三也會代表傑志的職業預 備隊在香港預備組聯賽中作戰。在這兩項聯賽中,每場球賽都長達90分鐘,大量消耗球員氣力,因而極度考 驗球員的體力和鬥志。此外,我還會經常地在週五晚上代表傑志U-18進行香港Nike超級盃的球賽。 至於我的訓練時間表,我和香港隊進行每週三次的訓練,每逢星期二和星期六操練兩小時, 練一個半小時。

Q

每逢星期四操

孫: 你為什麼報讀IMG足球學院?

易: 我報讀IMG足球學院的原因是希望能夠利用這機會來提高我的足球能力。我在暑假時參加了IMG的四 星期暑期訓練課程,終於還獲得獎學金在IMG成為全職球員。我覺得這是一個良好的機會來發展才華,因而 決定報讀IMG足球學院。

Q

孫: 你在IMG足球學院的足球體驗如何?

易: 我在IMG足球學院的足球體驗非常精彩。我週一至週五都會六點半起床到飯堂吃早餐, 然後八點鐘上 學。我在中午便會離開學校,回到IMG足球學院吃午飯。下午時段,我就會從兩點到五點進行足球訓練。訓 練結束後我便會到飯堂吃晚飯,然後回到我的房間梳洗,再利用七點到八點半的自習時段完成我的功課。 我做完功課後便會與我的舍友們休息,然後在十點鐘左右睡覺。 我在IMG足球學院的時候也代表了學院球隊參與許多足球比賽,而我的隊友們都具有很強的意志力與決 心。我很快便適應了當地的競爭性, 還覺得這有助提升我的毅力和獨立能力。 IMG足球學院具有頂級的訓練設施,而IMG的足球場地草質一流,是我在我的足球生涯中使用過的最佳場 地。該校園也非常美麗,擁有一個游泳池,一個巨大的健身室,還有一個康樂活動室,令在IMG的生活更加 精彩有趣。

Q

孫: 你在IMG足球學院的學習體驗如何?

易: 我非常享受在IMG的學習體驗。我沒有在IMG學院裡的中學唸書,選擇了鄰近IMG學院的一間更好的學 校。學校提供了優良的學習環境和獨特的教育體驗,幾乎像一間位置於佛羅里達州郊區的小型漢基學校。 我覺得每天的功課和足球訓練實際上提高了我的學習和專心能力,令我可以在課堂上精神充沛,更加集 中。

Q

孫: 你在IMG足球學院時有難忘的時刻嗎?

易: 我在IMG足球學院的時候經歷了不少難忘的時刻。我在IMG時最美好的回憶就是在一場非常重要的 佛羅里達州盃賽中梅開二度,射進兩個關鍵入球。我也很享受能夠和頂尖教練進行高水平訓練。最後,我 2011年6月

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另一個難忘時刻就是能夠觀看職業隊伍和運動員(例如莎拉波娃，紐約紅牛隊和美國男子國家足球隊)在 IMG的訓練場地上練習。

Q

孫: 在IMG足球學院的時間有助你發展進步嗎?

易: 我認為在IMG的時間明顯地提升了我的足球技術和能力。IMG提供了頂級的訓練課程,令我在足球的 各方面上得到巨大的進步,而這可從我目前在香港的比賽水平反映出來。

Q

孫: 你為什麼決定離開IMG返回漢基?

易: 最終，我決定返回香港的原因和我的家人有重大關係。我在IMG的時候非常想念他們，因此希望可 以回到香港和他們度過剩如的高中日子,然後才往大學去。

Q

孫:在聖士提反與在漢基的學習體驗有什麼分別?

易: 從我的經驗,就讀於在佛羅里達州的聖士提反聖公會學校與在漢基唸書有頗大的分別。其中一個主要 分別就是由於聖士提反比起漢基較小,所以學校給我的印象更加像一個社區。在聖士提反裡大家都和睦相 處, 非常熱情友善。 另一個分別就是聖士提反對運動的支持。每當任何一隊運動隊代表學校參加比賽,至少一百多個有孩子在 學校唸書的家庭會前往觀看他們比賽,表示支持。這與我在漢基的體育經驗略有不同,但是今年漢基的體 育理事會正希望能作出幾項改變,我相信一定能有效地增加漢基體育的支持。 在教育方面,聖士提反提供了一個優良的學習課程,與漢基很相似,因此聖士提反和漢基的學習體驗非常接 近。 96 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

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PL AYERS TO WATCH

OUTSTANDING STUDENT ATHLETES Ronald Wu: Basketball

Rachel Lee: Swimming

Lea Breistroff: Equestrianism

Photos courtesy of Lea Breistroff, Angela Pan and Nadia Cuvelier

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January - June 2011 If you would like to nominate a fellow teammate or athlete for recognition as a Xiao Hua “Athlete to Watch”, please email us at cis.xiaohua@gmail.com.

Jonathan Cheung: Football

Nadia Cuvelier: Netball

2011年6月

Rebecca Ngai: Archery

Isaac Lee: Fencing

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Isabella Steains ‘16 Photos courtesy of Isabella Steains and Angela Pan

Female Athlete of the Term What have been your My three greatest achievements would have to be winning the HKISSF cross-country race; greatest achievements in coming 8th in the HKSSF race; and coming second in the 1500m final of the local and cross-country? international schools athletics final. The HKISSF cross-country race was a race with all the international schools in HK. The HKSSF race was a race with 150 girls from local and international schools, and the 1500m final was a race with about 40 girls.

Why do you run? I run as a hobby. I find it relaxing and fun. I also run to clear my head from the stress of schoolwork. It calms me after a busy day at school. I ran in a big “fun run” last summer and it made me realize how much I love running. I also love representing CIS and competing in races against kids from lots of different schools.

What’s a typical training A good session would probably be going out and running 5km. I try my best to include hills session? and stairs. I like to vary my training distances depending on the kind of race coming up. On Wednesdays, I also train with a couple of other keen runners.

What are the most important Stamina is obviously a very important part of long distance running especially for finishing qualities of a great runner? strongly. You also need cardio-vascular strength and robust leg muscles for hills and turns in cross country.

How has the CIS cross- We have a great team and it’s done very well this year. Everyone worked hard and improved country team done this a lot. We supported each other at races and gelled nicely as a squad. year?

What are your short-term My short-term goal is to win the HKSSF cross-country race next year. I’m training hard! and long-term goals in crosscountry? My long-term goal is to get into the Hong Kong Junior Cross-Country Team. I’d love to represent Hong Kong and participate in running races across the region.

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Henry Hsiao ‘11 Photos courtesy of Henry Hsiao

Male Athlete of the Term

Why did you start playing Not too sure. I guess I started because I was given a ball when I was young and was told to put basketball? it through this hoop and I thought it was fun. I used to be a more well-rounded athlete. I loved tennis and wasn’t bad at it (at least I like to think so). But I guess I chose basketball because it’s something that I invested my pride and passion in. I started joining teams and felt the competition in me grow, something I can’t say for many, if any, other things in my life. I’m not too sure how or why I started, but the catharsis I experience when playing basketball is certainly why I kept going.

Who are your favorite I’ve so many. Recently I’ve been watching a lot of Derrick Rose. If fast don’t lie, he’s telling players? the truth. Steve Nash is an inspiration for me and a reminder of a thing called basketball IQ. I also love Ray Allen, best jump shot in history, and Kevin Garnett mainly for his intensity and unmitigated passion for the game. But if you know me, I’m a big Kobe fan. Why? Because he’s Kobe. ‘Nuff said.

What skills are important to Depends on your position, but in general it would be dribbling and passing. I wish someone become successful in the told me that at an earlier age. I was so focused in perfecting my jump shot and reverse layups, sport? but now as I play in better leagues with better players, the successful teams are those that don’t turn the ball over and who find ways to get an open, easy shot. You best do those things by having great ball handling ability and passing. In terms of athletic ability, prioritize building up your legs more than your upper body. Build those legs and you’ll jump higher, be faster/more agile, and be a monster on defense. Offense comes more naturally. Trust me, I wish I was told this earlier.

Describe your experience I came to CIS in Year 9 and was fortunate to be on the basketball team in my first year. I didn’t with the CIS basketball know anybody and nobody knew me. I was also in an older age group than most of my year, so team. I was playing with B-graders while my classmates were in C-grade. I was mainly a bench player for that season. Towards the end, I was sixth man and by the next season I sometimes started.

At the outset of my A-Grade years, my hard work paid off and I became a starting forward and am grateful for all the games I played in. But the most formative basketball experiences would have to be in the MYP years, when I had time and no common room and played in the courtyard. We were super competitive as we played King of the court, 4 on 4 on 4, all of us screaming and running and pushing and sweating like rain. It was disgusting and beautiful. Being in the courtyard, it sometimes felt as if the whole school was watching. Girls in our year used to sit outside the 3rd floor classrooms during lunch and pretend that they weren’t watching us. But they were....

Do you have a favorite It would probably be the fade away jumper thanks to watching a lot of Kobe. It’s the one I shot? definitely spent the most time on but for the wrong reasons. It gave me a bad habit of leaning back on EVERY shot I took, including free throws. That’s a no-no in shooting. Learn how to 2011年6月

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Henry Hsiao (back row, far right)

shoot a proper jumper, THEN try a fade away. This took me a few months to fix and my free throws improved dramatically. But it has its advantages, such as shooting over taller people and avoiding getting blocked - it’s just a hard shot for anyone to defend, and if you can pull it off, you can be quite a dangerous offensive player. And it looks cool and makes the audience ‘ooo.’

To be a good, fundamentally sound basketball player, however, I advise not to practice it as often as I foolishly did.

What are the most important qualities of a good athlete and sports team leader?

Hard work and discipline. It goes without saying. It’s not just going to practices and playing all the games. It’s what you do at home, outside of school; doing push-ups, sit ups, and then as you grow up, lifting weights and running despite the academic pressures. Yes, MYP/IB is crushing, but when you play against other schools, they won’t feel sorry for you. The winner is always the side whose players simply had a stronger desire to win. I do prioritize studies over basketball, however, and I don’t encourage anyone to compromise their academics. It’s not just finding the right balance, it’s exhausting every single calorie, every single nerve impulse in your brain to flourish academically and in basketball - set very, very, very high standards, your potential is limitless. The same goes with being a sports leader. I’m not much of a vocal leader. I prove my points and myself when I play, and that is how I lead - by example.

Tell us about your most I’ve a few. One of them happened maybe two years ago. 30 seconds left, we were down by two memorable basketball points. A guy on the other team scored a free throw and they were up by three. Charles, our moment. point guard, advanced the ball, swung it to me and I passed it to the low post to David. My man leaned in to try to double David, but David passed it back out to me. I was outside the perimeter and sunk the shot to tie the game. The next possession, they turned the ball over, so we had last possession. Again, Charles swung it to me. Then I saw Andrew on the low block so I passed it to him. And passing it to Andrew in the paint is pretty much an automatic two points. I passed, he shot it, game over. Probably the most intense 30 seconds I’ve ever had.

What are your goals in Basketball keeps my motivation and discipline in check as well as my physical fitness, which I basketball? think is under-appreciated by most people. I try to treat my body better, not eating junk food, and when I do, compensating it by spending an extra hour exercising. Through playing basketball, I try to discover what I’m able to do as a person, both physically and mentality. An NBA player, Dwight Howard, was complaining that his coach wasn’t designing enough plays for him and voiced this concern. The coach’s response: “If you want the basketball, go get it.” He was referring to how he should get the rebounds, but it’s very true in life. If you really want something, go get it. So when I’m practicing and when it’s hurting - the sprains, dislocations, the charges, the dives, the abuse from bigger players, the random cuts from nowhere, the soreness everywhere - it never hurts more than the pain of regret. I realize this is much easier said than done. But at least I can say that I know this from experience. I think this is true for most of the important things in life as well.

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勝利背後的啟發 吳嘉偉 網球運動是我校唯一一項男 女同場競賽的運動。今年我校的 男女同學們在香港學界網球比賽 中取得不俗的成績，令人敬佩。 如同每一個校隊，網球隊員們經 過長期艱辛的訓練，終於在今年 有了突出的成果。女子隊員們在 下一個賽季將會進入香港最高組 別的比賽，而男子組卻離晉級只 一步之遙。 我們訪問了網球隊隊長，她表 示今年出色的發揮最大來源於提 高了混雙中男女之間的默契。“ 今年是我們隊員第二年合作，因 此互相認識深了，比賽經驗也更 豐富，我們多年以來最大的弱項 2011年6月

就是雙打，我們的隊員缺乏溝通 和合作的經驗。所以今年的成績 可以說是無比難忘的。” 當問到學生們是如何促進彼此 之間的默契，隊長有非常大的感 觸“上一個賽季，我們在個人項 目上有不俗的表現，可是每次雙 打都會慘敗，這表示隊員並不缺 乏個人能力。那時候我們每個隊 員都具有非常強烈的自我性格， 並不了解雙打無私的精神。在今 賽季初，我們檢討了這個問題， 隊員們對奪冠軍的渴望使他們放 下了個人主義，男女同學們加強 了溝通，我們還進行一系列團體 運動，馬上，雙打的水平就有了

The Boys and Girls Tennis Team with coach Ms. Safaya in front (Photo courtesy of Mrs. Hildebrandt)

明顯的提高。同時男女隊員們也 加深了彼此的關懷，非常值得驕 傲。現在誰有比賽，隊員們都會 去現場鼓勵” 網球隊員們今個賽季的比賽 都非常艱辛，每一場比賽都和對 手打得難分難解，直到最後才能 分出勝負。可是網球隊員們的精 神是最值得我們學習的。“我們 不僅僅在場上取得成果，我們彼 此之間成為真正的好朋友，網球 使我們團結，使我們強大。” 我們祝男女網球隊員們在將 來會取得更優越的成績。

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When Balzac Met Mao LET 58 CHORISTERS BOOM AND 39,845 WORDS CONTEND Students rehearsing the secondary school production “Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress” (Photos: Sophia Ginsburg & Jessica Eu).

A

faint rivulet of light trickles through the darkness, expands and falls like a sheet of frost upon stern brows, a platoon of bamboo sticks and an array of trim green jackets. Red Guard green. A chorus of 58 agents of communism thunders, “Towards the end of 1968, the Great Helmsman of China’s revolution, Chairman Mao, launched a campaign that would leave the country profoundly altered!”

And so begins the 7-11 drama production of ‘Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.’

With the imagery of classical theatre, a 58 member chorus has not had to imitate the physical appearance of a haystack. In fact, it has not had to exercise the limits of athleticism to successively mimic a mill, an oven, a rice field, a cliff, the Eiffel tower or the Notre Dame cathedral. And speaking quite honestly as an actress in this particular production, a director should never be so ambitious as to 104 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

LOUISE WIHLBORN expect 58 school children, still slumbering in the limbo of adolescence, to memorize all 39,845 words (yes, I counted) of their assigned ensemble lines. Unless, of course, we are in Mitchell Grace’s world.

And what a mesmerizing world that is.

Call it theatre, dance, or something perched happily in between, this stage adaptation of Da Si Jie’s novel ‘Balzac and the Little Seamstress,’ produced by Clare Stearns and co-directed by Mitchell Grace and Rachel Jackson, is a chance for those who didn’t catch the book or film to see what kind of life a fertile mind, a plethora of bamboo and some pretty obstinate teenagers can breathe into a decade-old classic. Written originally in French, it propels the audience into the maelstrom of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, a decade of abhorrent modern ideological experimentation. This is Da Si Jie’s “homage to literature.”

The story is a combustible mix of the reactionary, the obscene and the softly sentimental. As the curtain rises and the thunderous chorus score begins, the audi-

ence is introduced to teenage boys Luo and Ma, banished to the Mountain of the Phoenix of the Sky to be re-educated by poor peasants. At the center of their story is the Little Seamstress, who lives with her father, a tailor, in the next village. Curious about the newcomers, she develops a special bond with Luo, which blossoms into romance and escalates into pregnancy as they discover a cache of forbidden “reactionary” books, including Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and works by Stendhal, Dumas, Flaubert, Baudelaire, Romain Rolland, Rousseau, Tolstoy, Kipling and Bronte.

The seamstress’s particular favorite is Balzac, who awakens her imagination to a world beyond the sterility of her immediate surroundings. The plot essentially revolves around the desire, in repressive circumstances, to think and feel freely.

The production is a collaborative effort between the French, Chinese, History and Drama Departments as InterDisciplinary Theatre. Co-director Rachel Jackson explains that the performance JUNE 2011

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techniques used, and the overall aesthetics of this stage version, have been drawn from both Chinese and Western theatre traditions. Using a large ensemble of young people between the ages of 12 and 16, this production is an 80 minute, highly stylized stage version of the novel.

A unique element of this performance involved harnessing the broad linguistic skills of CIS students, involving English, French and Putonghua, to enliven the novel’s themes. The tenacity and dedication of both the directors and the cast are evident by the end of Scene Two, as all hands are not just glistening with sweat, but many are tossing off beads of it every time they contort their bodies and rigorously hammer the heavy bamboo props.

But what is the play’s uniquely distinguishing factor?

What differentiates this particular production from its predecessors is that it will be uplifted and taken to London and Paris in the middle of June. Clare Stearns, the producer, feels that performing the play in Paris is not only an opportunity 2011年6月

for students to experience a different setting, but also a fantastic chance for them to saunter down the same streets that the authors and characters in the play had grown to love so dearly. The CIS production will be performed in La Ville-Lumière in the notable La Marais district of Paris. Students will be able to observe that poor somnambulant French girl, the doctors and the French parlors from Ursule Mirouet, wander through the halls of the Victor Hugo Museum, imagine walking alongside Quasimodo hobbling down the

“Students will get to live in the exotic and unknown world that Luo, Ma and The Little Seamstress only ever got to dream about.”

cobblestone paths with Esmeralda on his back, and watch on tenterhooks as Emma lays in her bed smoking a cigarette, murmuring ‘you’ll leave me.” They will essentially get to live in the exotic and unknown world that Luo, Ma and The Little Seamstress only ever got to dream about.

Of course, things can never turn out happily in such a tale. It climaxes with the transformation and desertion of the Seamstress, gallivanting off to the city, waxing philosophical about how her beauty is a treasure beyond the small, desolate village. And with her departure, she leaves behind two heartbroken lads and an exuberant Chinese, English and French audience verging on the edge of their seats, mouths frothing with suspense to discover the fate of this exuberant explorer. But of course like every tale, the story is left unfinished, and thus ‘Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress’ ends, open for interpretation and, in the great tradition of Balzac, to the freedom of the mind.

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Annapurna YI-LING LIU

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othing is as satisfying as watching dawn break at the foothills of Annapurna. All is still and silent, except for the soft crunch of the ground under thick-soled boots, as the mountains rise out of the mist, basked in the tawny glow of the Nepalese sun, 4130 meters above ground.

Over the past year, 79,000 trekkers, mostly from South East Asia, have flocked to the Annapurna Sanctuary hoping to get a glimpse of the vast amphitheatre of Himalayan peaks. We were such a group of trekkers.

Getting there, however, was no easy feat, especially for a large group like ours.

Out of the three routes available, we chose the twelve-day Annapurna Sanctuary trek, through forests of oak, rhododendron and local Gurung villages - the perfect route for 23 rowdy high school students who craved adventure yet were unwilling to relinquish the luxury of hot showers for more than two weeks. And we chose the perfect time, October, late enough into autumn that we escaped the monsoon season, and yet far enough from winter that we would not be crushed by avalanches.

We began our journey well-fed, rested and full of anticipation, making our way from the coast-side tourist city of Pokhara to the beginning of our trek in one of Nepal’s many “hippie buses” – 106 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

complete with vinyl seats, intricate Buddhist graffiti adorning the walls, and a bus roof seating area.

Sticking our heads out the window, watching throngs of tourists threading in and out of dusty streets, breathing in the scent of hot chapatti served in market stalls, we savored our last chance to enjoy the urban bustle and the cacophony of the civilized world before embarking on our trek.

The first days of hiking, from Dhampus to Landrung, was surprisingly relaxed.

I was expecting rugged, rocky landscapes and vigorous uphill climbs. Instead, there were flat stone paths, chestnut forests, locals tending to their crops and rolling hills that resembled cake batter falling into a tin tray. Protected within the Annapurna Conservation Area, it felt like we were strolling through Shangri-la, complete with luscious greenery and wispy cirrus clouds.

The group who came on this trek last year remarked on how difficult it was, yet I was beginning to think my full pack of blister pads and dehydration salts were redundant. How wrong I was.

Entering the gateway to the Annapurna Sanctuary, the light green hues darkened and the path became jagged and dotted with suspension bridges hanging precariously over two cliffs. The oppressiveness of the heat and the harsh incline of the

slope instantly wiped off our eager grins and killed all conversation.

While I trudged on in my shiny Columbia hiking boots, the porters, ranging in age from 15 to 50, bounded up cracked stone steps with 20-pound packs strapped on their backs and flimsy plastic sandals on their feet as they have done their entire lives. As we stepped aside to let them pass (giving way to the porters is the golden rule of Annapurna courtesy), I could only muster a shame-faced nod of admiration and disbelief.

Tourist hikers look comically different, easily distinguishable by elaborate fanny packs, hiking poles, waterproof pants and ankle-high Gortex shoes. Regardless of nationality, we greeted fellow hikers with a nod and a breathless “Namaste,” proudly displaying the full extent of our Nepalese vocabulary.

Frequently, at the beginning of the trek, clumps of shrunken old ladies wandered about, approaching us with bags of handmade goods. Even the most frugal among us no doubt succumbed to their ever persistent and effective marketing expertise – “300 rupees, you buy? Very, very nice, wear this bracelet, no more bad luck.”

The other locals worked at the accommodation areas. “Hungry Eye,” “Sherpo Lodge” -these lodges, where we stocked up on glass bottles of Coke, wilted Twix JUNE 2011

CREATIONS 創作

Photos courtesy of Yi-Ling Liu

bars and Nepalese Tea, and their carefully stenciled signposts were scattered throughout the trail.

Meals were served at lodges as well, where we huddled around a rectangular table, chatting, playing cards, rewinding after a hard day’s work. The food was mostly Nepalese fare; dal, rice, curry, chapatti, accompanied by a variety of American diner type dishes: potatoes, buttered rolls and a bizarre desert that cropped up at every menu - the Snickers Roll.

Whatever the delicacy served, however, we shoveled it into our mouths with enthusiasm. We devoured anything edible.

After a few days on the Himalayas, picky eaters become few and far between.

Days typically started at 6:00 am and ended at 8:30 pm, when the sky turned pitch black. Guided by the soft glow of our headlamps, we would then shuffle to our rooms, and collapse on the beds and savor the delicious warmth of our sleeping bags. Solar-powered hot showers in tin huts were a luxury. However, if you did manage to scrape a hot shower and enjoyed more than 5 minutes of steaming bliss, you would suffer, inevitably, from the vicious glares of fellow hikers.

Each day of the trek, the altitude rose and we took a white Diamox pill with our breakfast in the mornings. We also began to get clearer views of the snow-capped, 7000m high mountain, named “Fishtail” 2011年6月

after its pointed double summit, sacred to the god Shiva and off limits to hikers – Mount Macchapachure.

It rained on our final day hiking to Macchapachure Base Camp, an incessant, frustrating drizzle that clung to our ponchos and soaked our packs. We watched our feet intently, cautious not to step on ubiquitous piles of cowpat, wondering how on earth a cow managed to climb this array of jagged stone steps that took us hours to ascend. The entire landscape hid behind the fog, all we could do was walk blindly on, knowing that the majestic fishtail loomed somewhere in the distance.

The climax of our trek, however, was walking to Annapurna Base Camp, waking up at 3:30 a.m., clad in full gear, thermals, fleeces, goose-downs, outer ski-layers, making our way single file through the darkness.

We arrived just in time for Annapurna to wake up. The fog lifted and the peaks, from Annapurna I to Hintchuli, became visible in the sunlight, like giants awakening in the mist.

For a moment, one will inevitably feel miniscule, insignificant, like newborn babies thrust before the scrutiny of our primordial ancestors. We were simply flecks on the foothills, withering ants paying homage to the Gods.

Annapurna I, a sharp peak at 8,091 meters, is the tenth highest summit in the

world. Annapurna South, a massive boulder, sat opposite. The mountains, so rugged, so white and pristine, so untouched by man seemed haughtily unconquerableas if daring us to try and take them on.

Would I come back? For us, seeing the mountains signaled the ending of our trip.

I thought about the others, Frenchman Maurice Herzog in the 1950’s and alpinist Ian Clough in the 70’s, for whom reaching the Base Camp was only the beginning.

Would I come back and try to join the list of successful mountaineers? The prospect, I must say, while I stood at the foothills gazing upwards at the peaks, was tempting.

But, alas, that is for another time. After a dozen more camera flashes and several mugs of hot chocolate, we began our trek back down the mountain. Descent was anti-climatic, almost a relief, and somewhat nostalgic. We were sunburned, hungry, covered in grime and sweat, and had blisters the size and shape of beetles in between our toes – and yet we were full of euphoria.

I was elated and feeling smugly selfaccomplished - we had trekked Annapurna, covered 94.45 km and climbed 10,173 meters. All I needed was a hot, steaming shower.

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取捨萬殊 劉錦元的作文在第十一屆世界華人學生作文大賽獲得了一等獎 張立在明報上曾寫過一篇關 於取捨的文章，他說，“做任何 事，任何選擇，都有代價。你想 減肥，就要付出節食的代價，你 想清靜，就要付出不方便的代 價，你要方便，就要付出嘈雜的 代價，你要賭錢，就有輸錢的代 價“每個人一生中一定會有很多 的取捨，所以我們應該學會用正 面的態度來面對取捨。取捨萬 殊，每個人的取捨都不同，但面 對取捨，正確的態度只有一個， 我們要學會接受取捨，不要讓取 得和失去的東西給我們帶來太大 的壓力。 古人用一個叫做“塞翁失馬” 的故事來講解命運給我們帶來的 108 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

預料之外的福和禍，更告訴我們 如何積極的面對這些福禍，這也 是一個是否懂得取捨的問題。古 人的故事有道理，人生中的很多 事情，冥冥中自有注定，一件事 情是福是禍，往往不是表象可以 判定的，凡事順其自然，遇到順 心的事不要太得意，遇到沮喪挫 折的時候也不要太灰心喪志，淡 然處之，這就是對取捨的正確態 度。 我在博客網看到有人說了這麼 一句話，深以為然：“得與失， 實則是一種心態。得之，不要大 喜。不可貪得無厭;失去，切勿大 悲。不可失去精神;得與失，不要 看得太重，一切付之笑談中。“

人生最重要的並不是取，也不是 舍，而是快樂。有些時候，取捨 並不是我們能所控制的，在這種 情況中，我們就得“不要把事情 看得太重，一切付之笑談中”。 古人曾說：“天將降大任於斯人 也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨， 空乏其身，行拂亂其所為。所以 動心忍性，曾益其所不能。人恆 過，然後能改。“命運安排了許 多的悲劇和喜劇讓人們去體驗。 如果我們每次面對舍的時候都 想，”這是為了增長我們的才 能，有舍，有錯，才能有機會改 正與進步“的話，我們心裡會平 衡很多。 如果取與舍是我們能所控制 JUNE 2011

CREATIONS 創作

的，例如選擇錢或家庭，那麼我 們就不要“貪得無厭”，要選擇 值得的舍，值得的取，要做出讓 我們將來能夠快樂的選擇。孟子 云：魚，我所欲也，熊掌，亦我 所欲也;二者不可得兼，舍魚而 取熊掌者也。生，亦我所欲也， 義，亦我所欲也;二者不可得兼， 舍生而取義者也。孟子用人們生 活中熟知的具體事物打了一個比 方：魚是我想得到的，熊掌也是 我想得到的，在兩者不能同時得 到的情況下，我寧願捨棄魚而要 熊掌;生命是我所珍愛的，義也是 我所珍愛的，在兩者不能同時得 到的情況下，我寧願捨棄生命而 要義。在這裡，孟子把生命比作 2011年6月

魚，把義比作熊掌，認為義比生 命更珍貴就像熊掌比魚更珍貴一 樣。其實，魚和熊掌可以帶表任 何東西，錢和家庭，恨和諒解等 等。孟子用這個例子給我們講解 如何面對取捨，做出選擇。 錢是現代社會的最大取捨矛 盾，也是我們最能控制的取捨。 大部分人都不知用什麼態度面對 前這個問題。有一個寓言故事給 我們講解一個道理。從前，一個 富商收藏了價值連城的古玩，一 天，他拿在手中玩賞，忽然差點 兒跌落摔碎，他驚出了一身冷 汗，然而就在此時心中忽然覺 醒，隨即將古玩摔落地上。這 時，他如同丟棄了沉重的包袱，

心境變得從容而淡泊。我們在拼 命追求某一樣東西的時候，會覺 得很振奮，很起勁。當然，我們 也隱約地感覺到，在追求一物的 同時我們會失去另外一物。播客 網上說，“我們的心靈需要空 間，但卻被塞得滿滿的，被各種 慾望所累。走過歲月，人就會變 得越來越現實，沒有了捨棄的勇 氣。”但是，一旦放棄了負擔， 不就輕快多了嗎？要面對取和舍 是需要勇氣的，我們需要舍的勇 氣，需要有接受舍的勇氣，需要 不讓取佔據我們的心靈的勇氣， 更需要一種在取捨得失中能付之 笑談的勇氣。有了這種勇氣，何 愁沒有快樂人生呢？ 漢基國際學校 | XIAO HUA 校話

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AUTUMN JENNIFER HO

L

ooking out of our humble little house, all I can see are leaves of red and yellow on different trees. If you ask me what kind of red and yellow they are, I do not really know. They are just plain colours. The chilly breeze sweeps a couple of fallen leaves onto my feet; they stay there, I do not move. The usually noisy streets have quieted down because everyone is at home, away from the dry, cold air. It is only 3 o’clock and yet, the streets already feel so lonely. I silently sweep those colorful leaves.

Autumn is here.

I still remember, how our family was poor but happy when I was younger. Yes, we were poor, but were very happy. My birthday is in autumn, in the part of autumn where maple leaves come in their most vibrant colours. My parents could never afford to buy me a birthday present; not even a birthday cake. But all that didn’t matter to me because every year, my Dad and I would venture out on a field trip, on a mission to have the greatest birthday ever. He would hold my hand and smile with his eyes, “Are you happy?”

All these years, he asked me this question; I never once hesitated to answer, “Yes, very!” because I knew, if I said that, my Dad would shine with happiness and tell me, “So am I.” In the morning of every birthday, my Dad and I would head out to a secret park that very few people knew of. This park was small and remote, but it possessed a 110 | Chinese International School | XIAO HUA 校話

Painting by Lisa Chan

kind of peacefulness and elegance that made people feel tranquil. The maple trees that resided in the park were gigantic and old, but their leaves had yet to lose vibrancy. They possessed the most beautiful red and yellow. While the morning sunlight shone on them, it was as if the leaves would sparkle. Of course, my best birthday would not be just a visit to the park; we brought tools, tools to create art.

We would take out stacks of newspapers and tubs of white glue. We lay them down in the open area in the middle of the park, surrounded by all the wonder of nature.

I would go in one direction while my Dad would head in the other to bring together the biggest and most beautiful fallen leaves from the park. I would use my shirt and arms to gather as many beautiful leaves as possible and show my Dad, smiling in pride. He would confirm my good work done with an affirming pat on my head and a “Well done!” I always enjoyed that moment; because it always left me with a great deal of satisfaction.

We would sit down in the gentle morning sunlight. I would stick the beautiful leaves on the dull newspaper to create pieces of vivid pictures, while my Dad would use the leaves he found to create many little maple people. That is what we would do every year for my birthday and I would enjoy it so much that I would not want to leave. However, at the end of the day, I would still go home happy, bringing all our creations to show my Mom. That is

how I spent my birthdays every year. Every year, I was happy; every year, I was content; every year, I was thankful for such a great Dad. Until the year I turned fifteen, I changed.

I changed. I became greedy and got in a fight with my Dad, “I want a bike for my birthday this year!”

“Kay, you know we can’t afford it.”

“Why can others have one and I can’t?” I yelled.

I stood there looking at my Dad. I could see the sadness in his eyes; he was crying in his heart. He looked away and left the room with a heavy shadow. I was left in that fearsome silence, every word I said, ringing in my ears.

Some time later, a call came. A call that made me regret my actions so much.

It was the police. They had called to inform us that my Dad was involved in a car crash while working overtime in his truck driving company. They said that my Dad was in critical condition and advised us to go to the hospital as soon as possible. I put down the phone and took off. When we got there, my Dad was already in surgery. We could do nothing but pray for my Dad. Pray for his health and pray for his safety. I sat down. If I had only not been so unreasonable, my Dad would not have had to work overtime and would not have been involved in an accident and we would still be happy. It was because my Dad loved me too much; it was because I was so selfish that my Dad was now hurt.

All I could pray for was that God would give me another chance; another chance to respect my Dad and to repay him for all the love he had given me. I just wished for another chance…

In silence, I stop sweeping and stare in a trance at the maple leaves at my feet.

“Hey! You! Stop standing around and get to work! What are you waiting for? For Santa to come?” I slowly look towards the source of that voice; it is my Dad. I immediately look away from him and resume sweeping. God did give me another chance. Autumn passed and the harsh, cold winter came. My Dad safely went through his operation and rehabilitation and physically recovered completely.

But he lost all his memories.

He does not remember anymore. He does not remember the maple leaves; he does not remember his gentleness; he does not remember his love for me anymore.

JUNE 2011

CREDITS PHOTOS

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Photographs not taken by our staff came from the following licensed sources:

Xiao Hua thanks the following advertisers for their support:

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the following people and offices for their contributions to the production of this issue:

Mr. Justin Alexander The CIS Annual Fund Ms. Catherine Han Yi Lei Tan ‘10 For general enquiries, please contact: Xiao Hua Communications Office: cis.xiaohua@gmail.com

For more information on advertising, please contact: Xiao Hua Business Office: Tel: 6478 0234 Fax: 2838 9596 Email: cis.xiaohua@gmail.com

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