(FRONT COVER) CTC Student Magazine SUMMER 2012
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CONTENTS PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD ························································ 3 GO APE! ········································································ 4 WORLD BOOK DAY ······························································ 5 INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN KON··················································· 6 NATURE’S PREDATOR···························································· 7 I TOOK AN ARROW TO THE KNEE ··············································· 8 A LABOUR OF LOVE: TEACHING ·············································· 10 CAMBRIDGE INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE ····································· 11, 17 THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD ············································ 12 CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES ························································ 14 A VISIT TO THE LONDON EYE ················································· 16 TALK WITH THAIS ····························································· 18 FOOTBALL FUNDRAISING ······················································ 21 MUSIC, INC: MAKING NOISE WITH A DIFFERENCE····························· 22 INFORMAL CONCERT ·························································· 24 HOBBIES AND TALENTS; TRADITIONAL DANCING FROM AROUND THE WORLD 25 LEAVERS’ PHOTOS ···························································· 26
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PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD
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t is hard to believe that we are moving towards the end of another academic year at CTC. It only seems like yesterday (and certainly not last summer!) that I wrote an article for the College Magazine in which I paid tribute to CTC’s founder Principal, Roger Osborne, and to his dream of creating this great place of learning of ours. If anything, the past year has again demonstrated just how committed and determined we are at CTC are to the continued pursuit of academic excellence. I was reminded of this in March when I attended the annual awards ceremony at the House of Lords for students who sat A level and GCSE examinations at colleges belonging to CIFE (the Council for Independent Education) in 2011. Around 20 independent schools and colleges belong to CIFE so if I tell you that a quarter of the academic prizes awarded that day went to CTC students you will appreciate how proud and privileged I felt to be present. Such awards serve as a reminder not only of the dedication and efforts of our students and staff, but also of just how much can be achieved through the pursuit of one’s academic goals and ambitions. With this in mind, I wish all CTC students a very successful examination period and look forward to celebrating your achievements with you later this summer. As for this latest edition of the College Magazine, I would like to congratulate everybody involved in it and to thank them for emphasising that for all our focus on studying and sitting examinations we also enjoy being part of a close-knit, friendly and international community. I have been fortunate this year to visit, on behalf of the College, countries as diverse as China, Latvia, Cambodia, Estonia and Vietnam and in each of them I was made aware of the high regard in which CTC is held by parents, students and alumni and, specifically, of how great that sense of community and integration is valued. It is a very special feature of daily life at the College and one which we must always work hard to maintain.
Well done to the Magazine team and best wishes to all for the summer! Mario Di Clemente Principal
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GO APE!
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By Quynh Chi Le (Kate)
hey say that the best way to overcome Torres walking around and taking photos, terrible your fear is to face it. Strangely enough it screams far away - that was my very first is true… impression of the place. I was not particularly scared until we had to have a go. The decision to join the activity was more than spontaneous. I did not even bother to find out I promise that I have never experienced anything what it really was, that activity with such a fancy like that before. I cannot estimate the actual name. I was simply attracted by a colourful poster height at which we had to overcome the stuck on the B52 door and encouraged by an obstacles, but people down there seemed to be enthusiastic invitation from Mr. Torres. That’s it. no bigger than ants. My heart was beating so fast Only God knew what kind of adventure was that sometimes I thought I could not control my actually waiting for us. movements. I must admit that I have a sort of height phobia, but the most terrible thing is that There were 12 of us which is quite impressive for there was no way to go back: you must either a 10 a.m. Saturday morning event. Luckily, the keep going or - keep going. We had to pass over destination was quite far away, so we managed to the long suspension bridges made from wooden sleep an extra 2 hours with the quiet music of the boards situated at a certain distance from each morning radio. The college van stopped at a other. And the golden rule was, “ Always stay remote location and everything started from then attached” if you don’t want to fall down and end on. your life’s journey in such a pathetic way. Thick ropes, safety belts, a pretty instructor The most frightening moment, I remember, was explaining how to work with equipment, Mr. when we had to jump and slide towards a huge 4
net. That was a split second when I started to think of my family, my friends and that’s when 18 years of my life just flashed in front of my eyes so quickly - as if everything which had happened to me before became no longer important, apart from the dearest people whom I love. It was freakingly scary yet breathtaking, unbelievably dizzy, yet unforgettable. I cannot find better words to describe my feelings. I felt proud. Proud that I could surprise myself, face the fear and win! In summary, every article conveys a message to readers and this one is not an exception. The moral is: opportunity knocks only once, so when you are young grab every single available opportunity to try and discover something new. Listen to Mr. Torres. He knows what he’s doing!
World Book Day World Book Day originated in Catalonia. People would give gifts of books and roses to each other. This tradition began 80 years ago. The day is now observed in approximately 30 countries across the world, although interestingly not on the same day in every country. To celebrate this event a book bring and buy sale was held in the library on March 1st. Students and staff kindly donated books which were then sold to eager customers. The book sale along with a quiz made a grand total of ÂŁ92.10p. These proceeds were sent to Book Aid International. The organisation uses the money to distribute books in developing countries. This is done to help promote literacy by creating reading and learning opportunities for disadvantaged children, in order to help them realise their potential and eradicate poverty.
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INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN KON By Sara Akhavan When were you at CTC? I came to CTC in the cold, wintry month of December 1975 to do my ‘A’ Level course which I successfully completed in June 1976. I left Croydon to pursue my tertiary education at the University of Essex in September 1976. Where and what is your occupation now? I am a Managing Director of a Logistics Company in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. How did it feel being one of the earlier batches of Malaysian students in CTC? I was the second batch of Malaysian students to study in CTC. There were less than 10 Malaysian students studying at CTC during my time. As we were far away from home, we became a closelyknit group. Later, we began to make new friends with the English students and many other students from Luxembourg, Japan, Nigeria, Thailand, Hong Kong, Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia. This gave us a very good exposure as CTC is like a mini ‘United Nations’ with students coming from all over the world.
Connect train to be very clean and comfortable compared to British Rail in the 1970’s. The skyline in Croydon has definitely been transformed for the better. As Croydon is just south of London, I learnt that many foreign companies are locating their offices there too.
How was Croydon in the 1970’s and what are What was the first thing you thought to yourself, when you arrived in Croydon? the biggest changes you think it has made? I remember Croydon was a very beautiful town with many green parks, wonderful shops at the Whitgift Centre and restaurants in the mid 1970’s. Today, the population is probably much more cosmopolitan with many more departmental stores, shops, a wide choice of restaurants, office towers and luxury apartments. I also noticed CTC has grown by leaps and bounds with new premises being added to the original building, a wellstocked library, up-to-date computer facilities, cyber café, increased student numbers and a very international student body.
Culture shock came to my mind as everything looked so different from home. The weather was very cold which was a complete contrast to our warm, tropical climate of a perpetual summer. The food was bland but I told myself that I had to adapt my taste buds and learn to appreciate British food, otherwise, I would go hungry. How did you cope with the difficulties you faced?
As I joined CTC in December, I was not used to the cold weather. I went to shop for a long duffle coat at the Millet Store along the High Street in In September 2011, I was travelling from London preparation for the cold winter. I never knew the to Brighton by train which had a brief stopover at Millet Store is a chainstore with fixed prices; I East Croydon Station - I found the First Capital 6
asked the Shop Assistant for a discount on the duffle coat. On sensing that I was a new comer to Britain, he was so kind as to reduce his price without hesitation. Fearing that I would get ‘frostbite’, he then recommended that I should consider buying a pair of leather gloves. I wholeheartedly concurred with him and more discount followed of course. I acclimatised to the cold weather very quickly and soon I enjoyed the crisp, cold air when I walked to school every morning.
What did you enjoy most throughout your stay? I enjoyed the highly diverse student population drawn from so many countries which gave CTC a very cosmopolitan environment. The friendships I had developed in CTC, with the local host family and the wider community are remarkable and unique experiences. The people I met from different geographical and cultural backgrounds helped me to be more sensitive, adaptable and accommodating than ever before. Eventually, I even developed a great liking for British food such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, full English Breakfast, Brussel sprouts, Cornish pasties, and the British pub culture.
I was very fortunate to stay with a wonderful British family (The Dabins) in Thornton Heath who exposed me to British food and the way of life. They were so eager to learn from me to cook fluffy rice and chicken curry which worked out to be mutually beneficial. I had so many English tea breaks with the host family that I lost count of What do you miss most about CTC? them. Another advantage of living with a British family is that I was forced to communicate in English and this consequently helped me to improve my English. The British are very warm and helpful people but one would have to initiate the first move.
I miss the friendly and dedicated lecturers/tutors who are really passionate about their areas of expertise. They made learning very easy and interesting. The CTC staff are always very supportive, approachable and ever willing to assist the students to attain academic success.
Slay us Feast off our dead beauty Drag our carcases to your butcher’s shop My innards line your table-top
Nature’s Predator We are not your prey, Yet you feed off us Without us you could not live, Yet you bleed us dry
And we beg you please to stop As you chop, chop, chop Severing bottom from the top As we drop, drop, drop
It was once our planet, Now you claim it’s all yours We grew tall to protect you Now we fall to serve you
Emily Walker My poem was inspired by the fact that the Brazilian government is planning to build the world’s third largest hydroelectric project in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The Belo Monte Dam would divert the flow of the Xingu River and devastate a huge area of the rainforest, displacing over 20,000 indigenous peoples and threatening the survival of many of the world’s rarest animals. I urge you to sign the petition to stop construction of The Belo Monte Dam (http://www.avaaz.org/ en/amazon_under_threat/)
We gave you oxygen, peace, serenity and beauty You want gold, oil and space for monstrosity Far away, where it can’t hurt you Us – we barely matter Do human eyes see not our beauty? Are we futile to human brain? Is human heart so cold and selfishTo bring us all this pain?
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I TOOK AN ARROW IN THE KNEE By Yodsapon Chirawut (Ton)
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he phrase ‘I took an arrow in the knee’ became very popular on the internet particularly around the end of the year 2011 when it was used intensively on web sites like YouTube and Facebook. The phrase is a good example of what is called ‘internet meme’ or just ‘meme’. What is an Internet meme?
The first and notable one is the ‘arrow in the knee’. The full phrase is ‘I used to be an adventurer like you; then I took an arrow in the knee’ frequently spoken by city guards in the game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The meme is used to provide a silly excuse; for example,’ I used to wake up early in the morning and then I took an arrow to the knee’ said a tardy student.
According to Wikipedia, an internet meme is used to describe a concept or idea that spreads via the Internet which might be in the forms of hyperlink, video, picture, website, or just a word or phrase. Internet memes usually come from social interaction or situations people find themselves in (a socially awkward moment). Many are also from video games such as the ‘arrow in the knee’ as mentioned at first.
In another game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Private J Ramirez, who is one of the playable characters, has been given orders consistently (a total of 56 scripted times, usually by Sgt. Foley – Callofduty.wiki.com) to take amazing, impossible actions against the enemy, and is always successful. This created a new meme called ‘RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING!’ used when asking someone to complete super-difficult tasks.
The main purpose of internet memes is fun. When people see a meme, they simply find it amusing in some way and then share it with their friends. With the internet, millions of people can perceive a meme almost instantly.
Similar to the Ramirez phrase, ‘Do a barrel roll!’ from Star Fox 64 is uttered by the protagonist’s pilot companion on an annoyingly regular basis in order to avoid instant death. The amusing application is that whatever difficulty you
Memes from games In this article, we will focus on a few memes whose origins are video games.
Meme ‘RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING!’ Source: knowyourmeme.com/memes/ramirez-doeverything
A city guard in the game ‘Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ Source: knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-took-an-arrow-in -the-knee
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encounter in life’ take the advice, ‘Do a barrel roll!’ with no explanation and go through it. AYB stands for ‘All Your Base’ which is a shortened version of ‘All your bases belong to us’. This phrase first appeared on the game Zero Wing. Such a phrase is a good example of poor translation from Japanese to English as the proper phrase should be ‘All your bases have been taken over by us’. It is particularly used by strategic gamers to announce complete victory over opponents.
A variant of the meme ‘Do a barrel roll!’ Source: weknowmemes.com/2011/11/do-a-barrel-rollmeme
Even a well-known legendary video game, Super Mario Bros, is the origin of an internet meme. After a player has controlled Mario struggling through strange mushrooms and beating what is seemed to be a final boss, he is simply told by a little guy, Toad, ‘Thank you Mario, but our princess is in another castle’ and so he has to tackle those painstaking tasks again at a harder level. An anti-climatic situation is therefore described using the phrase. Two sides of the same coin
Introduction sequence of Zero Wing - origin of the meme ‘All your base are belong to us.’ Source: www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/gallerye6frfrt9-1225952207992?page=3
Of course all internet memes are hilarious and a bit odd for one who finds them for the first time. The memes from recent games, particularly Skyrim (An arrow in the knee) not only became popular among internet users, but does stir up opposition. Fans of the video games on which the memes are based are getting frustrated, seeing non-fans who have no idea what the games are, but use the memes. Also many people think that the phrases are overused and become clichés, losing their inherent comic value, after they have seen hundreds of comments on YouTube or Facebook saying something ended with ‘I took an arrow in the knee’. Even internet memes which have the main purpose to make people happy can have an adverse effect after being intensively used. Too much of a good thing, then taking an arrow in the knee, can be a bad thing!
A meme that expresses a view on the joke ‘Arrow in the knee’ Source: memegenerator.net
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A LABOUR OF LOVE: TEACHING
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By Bryan Thor
EACHING. A field few others dare to step into. A task no one wants to take on. Fear and resentment abound. These general sentiments make the teaching profession sound like the latest horror flick at the local cinemas...but in reality, without teaching, where would YOU be now? Yes YOU, you spoilt, pampered brat who feels that everything else is beneath you, including those who "attempt" to get you to learn something. You resist. You rebel. But hey, in the end, you still learn something. No matter how much you try to deny it, secretly you know that without teaching, where would you be today? In fact, where would you be in 10 years from now? This is the harsh reality of the teaching profession at times. In a time when the computer is deemed more important than the book, the so-called “combat” against education has reached new heights. Where studying was once seen as being the key to success, nowadays it is but a byword for being oldfashioned and outdated. This is a time, when, in order to be "cool", studying is a big no-no. Troubled times indeed, I’d dare say. The thing is, WE HAVE NO ONE BUT OURSELVES TO BLAME. In fact, teaching today is a world full of pitfalls and challenges hidden from the average student, parent and anyone else who has ever seen fit to complain about this noble profession.
you may have been guilty of doing so once upon a time in your life. It is through these varying and sometimes strange circumstances that teachers find themselves working, trying valiantly to impart some knowledge into our minds. A "noble profession" you say? Everyone can teach! The word "teach" is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "to impart knowledge or instruct in how to do something, especially in a school as a part of a recognized program". Then again, would you willingly spend 8 hours in the same place, everyday teaching your dog how to "go" outside instead of indoors? WOULD you even have the perseverance to do so? Research shows that 98 % of adults will only persevere on average a maximum of 40 minutes on a given task. If they do not achieve it by then, then they give up. Easy. Simple. No fuss and no mess. Just like that.
Then, in that case, who are teachers then, if not that meagre 2 % bringing up the rear? Teachers stay in school for 6 hours minimum working to impart some semblance of knowledge into our underdeveloped minds, in addition to having to deal with your fickle problems day after day. Got a problem? No worries. A teacher can help you with that. Need help with that essay? A teacher is practically "at A product of the Malaysian state education your service" if you ask. It is these qualities that system, I have been brought up in a generation make teachers extraordinary people in their where the well to do outnumber the poverty- own right. stricken. In my neighbourhood, people attend Who would spend their days trying to teach school not because they have an overwhelming others and not getting anything from it? At the desire to be educated, but because education is end of the day, most teachers get tired from compulsory. Indeed, many back home wonder their hard work (except their pay-check at the why they even have to go through this entire end of the month... but that's another story). In education rigmarole, when obviously they fact, their only "gain" from teaching is the already have many useful talents that can be satisfaction of seeing their students do well. put to work right away. Perhaps even some of 10
You did well? That's great. Give yourself a pat on the back. This simple conversation would mean the world to them as it proves that their perseverance has paid off. They have transformed a person's life. Teaching is not one of those things that you just take on because you feel like doing so. It wouldn't work. Trust me. Where is your drive? Your passion? Your enthusiasm? These elements don't just drop out of the sky and hit you on the head, you know. They are inborn within those who have practically been "born to teach". They knew from young that teaching was what they wanted to do and a teacher is who they wanted to be. Therefore, I believe a true salute is in order for those who have made it their life's work to teach others. Those who have made it their noble cause to help the young and who felt their life was better spent helping others. In juggling work, personal problems these people are the ones that we should salute. Not just salute, but reward with a standing ovation, even! To me, teaching is indeed, the true labour of love.
My Cambridge Interview Experience One of the reasons I chose to go to Trinity instead of, say, Kings or Emmanuel College, was the IELTS. Trinity was the only college that said they would probably still accept me with my 6.0 in IELTS Writing (which I really did not feel like resitting).
they would ask me a question or two about that at the interview. None of that actually happened. The interviewers asked me to show them how I solved the two questions I finished, which I did. Then, together, we managed to finish one of the questions that I started and to do two questions that I did not attempt. At one point, I suddenly realised that I had no idea what they wanted me to do and could not grasp it until they explicitly told me what steps to take. Then I accidentally claimed that four cubed is sixteen (which it, by the way, is not). This made me feel that the interviewers had started to think inviting me to the interview was, actually, a really bad idea. We finished by chatting briefly about the topics of their research and the bandwidth limits at Trinity. Then we shook hands and I left. Just as usually happens with these things, the interview felt as if it had been ten minutes long, while, in fact, I had spent half an hour there.
I chose not to stay at Trinity College overnight, so I arrived to Cambridge somewhere around 13:30 two hours before my scheduled interview time. I took that time to perform some reconnaissance and actually find Trinity (while getting lost a bit and finding what seemed to be every tourist attraction in Cambridge except for the actual college in the process). Finally, I arrived where I needed to be, registered and was led into a room where I sat a short (one hour) test paper with about ten maths and computer science questions in it - quite difficult ones at that - I only managed to finish 2 questions and attempted another two. I was then told to put my script into an envelope I received the College's decision a month after and take it with me to the actual interview. that, on January 5th and, apparently, they will be I had read many strange things about Oxbridge quite happy to see me again in October. Let's interviews beforehand and was prepared to hope I don't get lost this time! answer tons of questions like "Why do you want to Artjoms Iskovs study here?" or "What are your weaknesses?" or even, "If you could choose to become a Pokemon, which one would you be?". I also carefully read through my personal statement because I was sure 11
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD By Lingqun Jiang (Sarah) Before the Expedition The Duke of Edinburgh expedition of 2012 took place on 20th and 27th April, the weekends following Easter. On the days before the expedition there were mixed feelings of excitement and horror resulting from the bad weather and the disturbing stories the previous group had told us. We prepared our equipment as well as possible, but the one thing we hoped for was good weather for those weekends! The Expedition
tent wall. It was tough getting out of our warm sleeping bags to be immediately exposed to the cold. We set off up the hill in three small groups after breakfast. There was tension in the group right from the outset as we couldn’t agree on a suitable pace and some of the group wanted more breaks while others wanted to continue. However, as the trek went on, we all gradually wanted more rests. Unfortunately, we realized we were lost and it started raining at the same time. We soon called our tutors and got useful instructions from them. It turned out we had taken a wrong turn but with our group instinct and superb map reading skills, we found our way again. I’ve never been so relieved in my life than when I saw the open field that led to the campsite. We were the last group to arrive as we dragged off our now heavy rucksacks onto the grass and let out a great sigh of relief. By the way, the barbecue that night was fantastic!
We set off from the school on Friday afternoon and arrived at Blackland Farm in approximate 3 hours. We started to pitch our tents and had to finish before the rain. This was not difficult work because we assisted each other. It rained throughout the night; I felt that the temperature outside must be below zero. The sleeping bags and mats were not warm enough and most of us This expedition only lasted 3 days and 2 nights remained awake during the night. and it was the last trek for some of us. Although it The real trek was on Saturday. We got up early in was tiring, to be honest, it was great fun and an the morning with a layer of condensation on the unforgettable experience.
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The Aftermath An endless list of the advantages of the Duke of Edinburgh Award could be compiled and it really is true that participation helps to broaden your horizons. We are lucky to have such good leaders, Mr Torres and Mr Nicklin: thank you so much for your patience and help. The expedition will remain with me as an experience that was not only a highlight of the award, but also of my schooling and life too. If you plan to start the Award, all I can say is, ‘GO FOR IT!’
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A VISIT TO THE LONDON EYE By Hu Zhi Xiong (Lenard) Cambridge Tutors College had a visit to the magnificent London Eye on the 28th January 2012. Apparently, this trip was an applauding success as most of the students described it as an incredible and remarkable trip. In fact, lots of the students expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the college for organizing an event that enables students to strengthen the bond between each other as well as an opportunity to have a bird’s eye view of the entire City of London.
were able to experience the awe-inspiring river in an organized way. One of the students had expressed his opinion that the River Thames enabled him to understand the significance of the river to the city as it acts as a natural centre point to the City of London. Throughout the trips, lots of students had learnt the importance of knowing how to enjoy the beauty of nature amid striving for success in their life. A number of them were glad that the college had arranged such a wonderful trip for them because this trip had not only assisted them to comprehend the importance of the River Thames to the people of London but it also enabled them to enjoy lots of breath-taking scenery along the riverbank.
This trip was led by Mr Cook and there were approximately 15 students who took part. Indeed, there were a few comments from students about this particular trip. Yu Yang and Kimberly from the AS level both said that this trip had enabled them to view the beautiful vistas of the city. They were both satisfied with the arrangement of Finally students had indeed enjoyed the fine and the trip. memorable moments in the London Eye trip. I am After the fascinating London Eye, students had sure that they will treasure these moments deep visited the River Thames. These students were in their heart. divided into a few groups so that most of them 16
London and the Houses of Parliament as seen from the London Eye
My Cambridge Interview Experience Principal, and she is an archaeologist! In my opinion, they want to test your critical thinking I am Julie Nguyen, recently admitted to Homerton skills, more than your knowledge. But it would be College, Cambridge to read Economics. I will go useful to read the news and be aware of what’s straight to the point about my interview going on in your field, (I was asked about the experience. By the way, if you intend to apply to Eurozone crisis and government bonds). Also know Oxbridge, these two universities have many your personal statement well. colleges, so you have to choose a college in the system as well or you can simply choose “Open Lastly, relax! Some of my friends did not seem to application” in your UCAS application. have a pleasant interview experience but I was lucky to have enjoyed my time. I met and chatted I chose Homerton College, frankly, on a random with other interviewees, with the canteen caterer basis. But I think I made the right choice. The and with other people I ran into, which was a college not only offered me accommodation the valuable experience. During the interview, you night before the interview, but they also had a will be nervous (anyone would), but try to think very helpful team to show you around and help clearly and focus on the question. Be sure to you along the way. Some colleges, as far as I prepare some questions for the end of the know, do not have the same facilities. So if you interview as they may ask if you have any. Show can, it would be advisable to arrive a day early your interest and enthusiasm for your subject and and try experiencing college life. the college. Coming to the interview, contrary to popular beliefs, you do not have to be an expert in your field. One of my interviewers was the college 17
Good luck! Julie Nguyen
TALK WITH THAIS By Yodsapon Chirawut (Ton) peninsula in Southeast Asia and famous for a number of tourist destinations, including Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai. Can you please introduce yourself first? My name is Khemmathin Lueangwattanapong. You can call me Martin. I am an A2 student at Cambridge Tutors College. First of all, could you describe Thai culture in general? Well‌ 95% of the Thai population is Buddhist. Traditional Thais are close to a Buddhist temple which is seen as the centre of a community. Most I am pleased to interview Khemmathin festivals feature Buddhism, along with Lueangwattanapong, an A2 Thai student at entertainment which is the main characteristic of Cambridge Tutors College, about his home Thai people. country, Thailand, at the centre of the Indochina
The throwing of water
Songkran at a Thai temple
Temple of the Dawn near Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
Temple of the Emerald Buddha, 18
The notable example is the water festival or Songkran on 13rd to 15th April which marks the Thai New Year. People visit a temple to gain merit in the morning and later throw water to each other. It is believed that water will wash away bad luck. In the past, the rich liked to have a temple constructed in their names to express their faith in the religion and show their prosperity. This resulted in several temples clustered in the same areas in Bangkok and the old capital, Ayutthaya.
Ruins of Chaiwatthanaram temple, Ayutthaya
How are people’s lives nowadays? Today Thai people are less associated with temples. Modernity has changed the face of Thailand and many traditions have adapted to new lifestyles. The most apparent is Bangkok, one of the most hectic cities in the world and also the economic centre of Thailand. There are many shopping areas such as Siam Square, MBK centre, Ratchaprasong district and Sukhumvit Road linked by Sky Bridge which attract a wide range of customers from young school and college students to office workers and foreign
Pratunam Market which is famously popular for its fashion factory outlets, Bangkok
Bangkok skyline
Display of respect of the younger towards the older is a Thai cornerstone value.
Interior of Central World, Bangkok
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tourists. Although there have been changes in Thai society, many interesting cultures still exist. There is the custom of bun khun, which stresses the indebtedness towards parents, as well as towards guardians, teachers and carers. This reflects the level of the wai or Thai salutation. Similarly to other Asian nations, rice is a staple food of Thai cuisine which is eaten along with other shared dishes in each meal. Thai cuisine is well known for the spiciness which is lowered when it is cooked for foreign visitors who are not familiar with Thai food. Popular Thai dishes include Tom Yum Soup and Thai papaya salad. This is the end of our session, ‘Talk with Thais’, in this magazine. Thank you for letting me interview you, Martin. I wish you luck for your education in the UK.
Ronald McDonald greets with a wai in Thailand.
Thailand is a fascinating country with a number of interesting cultural and tourist attractions which cannot be included in only a few pages. So, on the next holiday, I recommend everyone visit Thailand and learn the unique characteristics at first-hand.
Tom Yum Soup
Shared meal Thai style
Papaya salad
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FOOTBALL FUNDRAISING
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By Yili Chen & Nan Yang
s we all know, there are a lot of activities we must attend to do the DofE Award, including expeditions and raising money by selling doughnuts for charity. But this time we had a new activity which is football fundraising. On 24th of March, many students went to Monks Hill Sports Centre to play football. All of the boys and girls were divided into eight groups and they had their own pitches to play on. After the competition lasting the whole morning, the winners had emerged. All of us had a great time that morning because we felt so happy to think we had helped children by carrying out this activity. And we were glad to have an interview with Mr Torres who was the leader of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme for that morning. In the past, he has often organized activities like parties or selling doughnuts to raise money for charity. The football game was also a good chance for students to help society and develop relationships between themselves and have a better understanding of each other, even if they are from different countries with different cultures.
It is an opportunity to practice their team work. So everyone there who attended the game and also Mr Torres enjoyed themselves. The players tried their best to compete with others until the last whistle although some of them did not win a game. Some further ideas for raising money for charity next time could be a basketball or badminton game to make the fundraising even more interesting. All of the members of DofE are looking forward to it and hope everyone in our college can take part and have fun with us. Finally, we had a good time with Mr Torres and after interviewing him, we all had a deeper appreciation of this football fundraising activity. Anyway, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone from Cambridge Tutors College for donating a fantastic ÂŁ235.97 to Save the Children which is for helping youngsters all over the world who are homeless and suffer from hunger. This represents our love for them by working hard the whole morning, even if we did not raise a huge amount!
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MUSIC INC.: MAKING NOISE WITH A DIFFERENCE
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By Edgars “Eddy” Kronbergs
once wondered: “What does it mean to be a part of a company? How hard can it be to come up with a product and to make money by selling it?” That was in the days before I joined the “Young Enterprise” scheme in September 2011. Since then all my expectations of being in a business and knowledge about business have been altered and improved but it did not come easy!
Enterprise Company who, luckily, are now a Ltd. company selling pens with perfume bottles built into them. That really lifted everyone’s spirits. Everyone thought, “I also want to be like those guys – found a company and sell my products for profit.” During that meeting everyone in the Conference Centre was arranged in their groups (later known as “companies”). My first impression of my group was good – intelligent individuals from different schools (including Star (Hanyang It all started on a sunny September evening when Ge) and Cindy (Khouw ) from CTC) with the I and some other students from CTC went to a inspiration to go ahead and to do whatever it meeting in Croydon Conference Centre. There might take to win. were hundreds of students there, but I could not recognise anyone. Everyone was from other Then we had our first meeting in Nestlé schools from different parts of Croydon – like headquarters and decided on our company name. Trinity, Coloma, Whitgift – and we, compared to It was a choice between two – Cliché and Colours them, were like a drop in the ocean. Inc. (my idea). We chose Colours Inc. based on mine and another, Trinity student’s, idea. We felt The meeting itself began with lessons learned that “the name represents our diversity in ideas, from company members from last year’s Young 22
Myself, Stephanie Nkeiru (from Coloma School), Havish Patel (our Managing Director from Trinity School) and Croydon Mayor Councillor Graham Bass.
backgrounds and roles in the company, like colours in a rainbow”. Also, in our second meeting, we were assigned our roles: Hanyang got the role of Sales Deputy , Cindy – deputy of Administration and I got the role of Human Resources Manager. At the beginning I was a bit disappointed because I thought that the role was like the one portrayed in the U.S. version of “The Office” – a nerdy guy who is bullied and laughed at by his boss, but as the process picked up, I enjoyed my role more and more. Now we had the toughest test - to come up with a product to sell. We went through many ideas – Snapback hats, “toothbrush & mouthwash” (2in1), speaker pillows, a phone application with a healthy dish cookery book – but none of them went through. This was due to many reasons. Mainly people’s enthusiasm declined because we did not have a product to sell and the scheme was not going the way they had expected. Therefore there were a lot of absences that I had to address and I had to motivate people to keep up and to keep pushing because the end result would be very pleasing. Secondly we were let down by our
ideas – they were either too expensive, too complicated to develop and manufacture or there were a lot of arguments against each product which people put forward. But then, out of the blue, our Managing Director, Havish Patel from Trinity School had a eureka moment. He said, “Guys, if we are musical and we know a lot about popular trends in music and listening to music, why don’t we sell speakers? Not any ordinary speakers, but the kind of speakers you cannot find on the High Street.” Everyone supported this idea and we chose four kinds of speakers to sell – Mini Ball speakers (small pocket speakers), Boombox speakers (very loud and easy to use speakers), Rubik’s cube speaker (a quirky design speaker) and Water Dancing speaker (yes, you guessed it – water flowing inside of them). We decided on the price and went out to sell them , under the name of “Music Inc.” But, as usual, our expectations were way too high – the speakers were sold very slowly. Mainly because we did not have venues to sell the speakers in because, thanks to absences and
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indecisiveness, we missed our big selling events – Christmas and Chinese New Year. But it was not bad news all the way. Although we were disorganised in the meetings, we really stood out in Trade Fairs. We are the only Young Enterprise company this year that has won every single trade fair award – distinction at New Addington Fair, 3rd place at Whitgift Centre Fair and 2nd place at Centrale Trade Fair. In the Centrale Trade Fair we really stood out by being the only Young Enterprise company that offered a range of products whereas other companies were focusing on only one product. It was a fantastic day for me as well because out of 10 speakers we sold that day 7 were sold by me. The peak of the day was when we presented ourselves to Croydon Mayor, Graham Bass. That was the first time in my life that I have spoken to a real mayor! The first “Company Liquidation Presentation” of our company was on 24th April. From that we went on to Croydon Finals which were on 10th May. It went so well and we impressed the judges so much that we got 2nd place award and we were chosen along with the winning team to take part in South London finals. And, who knows, maybe we will go even further. The company progresses through competitions so I had to edit this column over and over again. That's probably one of the disadvantages of being one of the best. Also I have been nominated for the “Young Achiever” award. It is awarded to the most outstanding members of Young Enterprise and I am one of them. I am feeling quite honoured because this is my first serious nomination for an award. Overall this was a very bumpy ride, but it was a ride that was worth every single penny and every single second dedicated to it. It definitely is a fantastic lesson to anyone who is thinking of working in a business environment in the future because it shows everything – how business is founded, how it is managed, how it finds its target area, how it sells its products and how finances are run. A wonderful once in a lifetime experience for me that I will always remember both for the adventures I had in it and the friends I made there. I would recommend that everyone take a part in it and do not worry if you do not perform successfully. All businesses make mistakes and they learn from mistakes not text-book theory mistakes, but real life mistakes! 24
Informal Concert What is an informal Concert? In CTC an Informal Concert is an event that gives all students the opportunity to perform in front of the audience and show their passion about music and performance. It took place in the college’s examination hall on the 14th of February, 2012 during lunch break. Actually, this is our second concert and the first one was on the 23rd of November, 2011. On this occasion, there were 5 performances. The first was given by Bryan who is an 18month student and a member of the college’s magazine committee. He sang a song “Sway” which originally was sung by Michael Buble. Being part of the audience, I could tell that he was really nervous, but by the end, he had given an impressive performance. Next was a performance by 4 students. They were Nay Chi, Vikas, Kevin and Re Gin. They showed all the students their passion for dancing. There were many steps that they put together, but basically it was hip-hop dancing. The third performance of the concert was given by Sara. She sang a song called “Lying Eyes” by the Eagles. Besides singing, she also played the guitar. Later, there was a duet by Eve and Sophie. They also sang a song called “What are Words?”. Last, but not least, was the aria that was performed by Long. He sang a Italian song called “Time to Say Goodbye”. He is very talented, evident from his stunning performance. At the end of the song, he delivered a long and very difficult chorus. This is why people like to save the best for last. Being as one of the audience it was a great experience for me to see and understand what people are passionate about. Every moment in the concert was enjoyable and unforgettable. What will happen next year? I hope it will be great and amaze everyone! Korlong Lee (Long)
HOBBIES AND TALENTS TRADITIONAL DANCING FROM AROUND THE WORLD
By Radhika & Deborah Garba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat region of India. Many traditional garbas are performed around a centrally lit lamp or picture/statues of different avatars of the Goddess Shakti. The circular and spiral figures of Garba have similarities to other spiritual dances, such as those of Sufi culture. Traditionally it’s performed during the nine-day Hindu festival called Navaratri. Both men and woman usually wear colourful outfits.
Flamenco is a genre of music, song and dance from Andalusia in southern Spain, noted for its energetic, staccato style. It grew from Andalusian music, song and dance styles, influenced by the song and dance of the local Romani people. Flamenco dancing is characterized by colourful costumes, intense and erotic movements, stamping of the feet (zapateado), and clapping of the hands (palmada) its execution is brilliant, noisy, and passionate. It exists in three forms: Cante, the song, Baile, the dance, and Guitarra, guitar playing.
Dance in Korea is divided into 4 types: Folk dance, new traditional dance, court dance and ritual dance. The new traditional dance consists of: Buchaechum- fan dance created by Kim Baek-bong and first presented in public in 1954 Hwagwanmu- floral coronet dance Jangguchum- dance with janggu, hourglass-shaped drum Samgomu Ogomu- a drum dance In Thailand dance is also put into three categories: Khon, Lakhon and Fawn Thai. However, Khon is the most stylised form of Thai dance. It is performed by dancers who mime the action while the story is being told/sung by a chorus in the background. Dancers wear elaborate costumes and masks to portray different characters.
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CTC produces many talented students with extraordinary skills in Art, Music, Dance, Sports etc. Whatever the talent is you are sure to find one or more persons with it. Our informal concert which is organised by the student committee surely brings out the WOW in the quiet personalities amongst us. This year’s Valentine Concert created not only a love-filled atmosphere but one in which many found their confidence. Our very own Sara Akhavan who had always felt shy about performing to an audience of more than three people,sang her heart out and played the guitar too and there is no doubt that she strummed the hearts of many of our students. We also had a dance group with Vikas, Kevin, Nay Chi and Re Gin. For sports we have many talented badminton, tabletennis and basketball players amongst us; perhaps in a few years to come some of our students may end up being the new Selena Williams or the new Michael Jordan but either way I am very sure, the talents of our students will not die!
Goodbye and Good Luck to all our Leavers
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THE CTC EDITORIAL TEAM WISHES YOU ALL A GREAT SUMMER! STUDENTS YILI CHEN (W ICKY) ARTJOMS ISKOVS ZHI XIONG HU (LENARD) BRYAN THOR PHUONG ANH TRAN (CRIS) NATASSIA CHIN YI YANG (DAVID) YODSAPON CHIRAWUT ( TON) KORLONG LEE (LONG) NAN YANG (LYNETTE) LINGQUN JIANG (SARAH) HANYANG GE (STAR)
STAFF DR DREW MRS DAS GUPTA MRS CARROLL MRS GOLLOP
CONTRIBUTORS MR DI CLEMENTE (PRINCIPAL) RAI AUNG ZAW QUYNH CHI LE (KATE) SARA SEYED AKHAVAN A
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
EMILY WALKER JIA QI TANG (CASSIE) RADHIKA PATEL DEBORAH ABARA JULIE NGUYEN EDGARS KRONBERGS
ARTJOMS
FOR THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THIS MAGAZINE.
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