EDITORIAL
masafrance 1819
La legende Summer Edi�on | 2018
Ci�es interviews Students Artwork
2018 2019
Courses info
Travelogue
Masaf events
EDITORIAL
masafrance 1819
Com
mit
Designs
tee
Fabriziofranco Morris
Texts Darshan Athinarayanarao Dhivenya Rajarathinam Faiqah Farah Zulkifli Victoria Yap Muhammad Luqman Hakim bin Zakariya Lydia Kuah Xin Hui Tiphaine Di Maria
Contributors Muhd Syahmi bin Mohamad Yunus, Danish Afiq, Loki Brendan, Shaal Ni, Louis Peuf Chan, Wong Teck Wan, Ainol Fhatah, Tung Jin Yu, Hidayatul Fitriah
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Editor’s letter By Fabriziofranco Morris Our first seasonal magazine was the autumn edi�on. It was a great pleasure working on that one. Now, we present to you the second seasonal magazine bringing what MASAF has been up to this summer and what we have in store for you during the cold seasons. Summer might have just come to an end, but memories of the warm voyages during this holidays will always be right here with you in our latest seasonal magazine. Nevertheless, we would like to express our gra�tude to those who have supported us and contributed to this magazine. Wishing you a great read ahead, enjoy !
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Table of contents Summer with Masaf July 14th Orienta�on Weekend July 21st Malaysian Students’ Global Alliance (MSGA) August 4th France Educa�on Exposure Day (FEdX)
Course interviews
Prépa Intégrée, INSA Lyon Wong Teck Wan Master Nanotech, INP Phelma Louis Peuf Chan Informa�que Réseau, INSA Toulouse Ainol Fhatah Computer Science, IUT La Rochelle, Danial Fitri
p. 6 p. 8 p. 10
p. 13 p. 15 p. 17 p. 19
Bon Voyages ! Travelogues London, Berlin, Munich, Interlakem & Geneva - Farid Nordin p. 21 Gorges du Verdon, France - Merlyn Jane p. 22 Andalusia, Spain - Tung Jin Yu p. 23
Submissions Clichés about France by Tiphaine Short story by Shaal Ni Poem by Loki Brendan Poem by Danish Afiq Artwork by Muhd Syahmi Communica�on Tips by Tia
p. 25 p. 31 p. 32 p. 33 p. 34 p. 36
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Summer with masaf
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Orientation Weekend Tours By Dhivenya Rajarathinam & Muhammad Luqman
MASAF Representa�ves and the FP-19 students at the Guingue�e
Sat, July 14th Tours, France
IT «MASAF» BEEN A GOOD TIME !
As the summer break approached, a fresh batch of Malaysians
stepped foot into the land of bague�es, equipped with nothing more than a month of prepara�on, MASAF set out to organise the annual Orienta�on Week Tours (OWT) on the 14th of July 2018 to warmly welcome the FP-19 batch. The programme started off with a casual sharing session between the MASAF representa�ves and the new students in the mee�ng room at the Parc de Grandmont residence where the students reside. The objec�ve of this session was to introduce MASAF and to share �ps on adap�ng to the lifestyle and educa�on of the French. When asked about what he thinks of MASAF as a student body associa�on, Shonn Ko (FP-19) replied, “It is amazing to see how Malaysians are s�ll connected despite studying all over Europe through the various ac�vi�es which allow them to stay in contact with their old friends while making new ones.”
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The day carried on at the Guingue�e, where everyone had lunch by the river. During the picnic, more stories and experiences were brought to the table. “France is amazing but it’s difference from Malaysia is definitely vast”. The French are polite, the food and the weather are equally good, except I would prefer more food that would make me hot and sweaty rather than days,” replied Tan Li Xiang (FP-19) when asked about how she found France thus far. The picnic gave the new Malaysians an intriguing insight as to how life would be in France hence establishing a warm welcome to the start of a new chapter in their lives. Once again, bienvenue! Through MASAF, there will always be avenues, to meet each other again.
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Malaysian Students’
Global Alliance (MSGA) By Farah & Lydia
2018
Sunway University, MSGA Summit, held on the 21st of July in Sunway Selangor,Malaysia University, is an annual programme held by the Malaysian Students’ Global Alliance to gather young Malaysians for July 21st 2018 exchange of experiences, ideas and opportuni�es. The theme for this year is “Crossing Borders”. The MSGA was formed as a global coali�on of Malaysian student organisa�ons worldwide. Its mandate is to act as the global leader and representa�ve body of Malaysian students, both serving and leading Malaysian students worldwide. Among those present on the day were members from MASAF, NAMSA, PPMK, MSAJ and etc. Represen�ng MASAF, we had our president Jamie Kuk Mijim, our vice president Muhammad Ammar Ridzuan followed by several other commi�ee members. Page 8
Throughout the session, several topics were proposed by par�cipa�ng councils, including Struggle & Survival, Think Globally Fit Locally, Youth & Humanity, Future of the Malaysian Educa�on System, Voicing Out the Unheard and the Orang Asli Future Sustainable Educa�on and several others. These topics were discussed through parallel sessions, in the morning and in the a�ernoon. Each par�cipant got to par�cipate in two sessions of their choice. MASAF’s team had chosen the topic of “Class Mobility”. It aims to discuss the topic of social mobility and to develop a policy recommenda�on on how to tackle the issue of class stagna�on. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doris Padmini Selvaratnam from the Universi� Kebangsaan Malaysia, (Na�onal University of Malaysia) UKM was invited to be the speaker of the session. She gave an informa�ve talk on class mobility, ending with an important advice, “We don’t define a class status to differen�ate or discriminate yet to educate and celebrate”. Then, par�cipants are divided into two groups for a case study concerning the importance of educa�on in improving upward mobility. MSGA Summit ends with a panel session of the topic “Crossing Borders: Youth & The Future of Work” between several speakers with backgrounds ranging from World Bank, Fave, PwC and the Penang Ins�tute. An inspiring speech was given by YB Michell Ng in the closing ceremony. “This was the first �me MASAF takes part in organising one of the parallel session so for me, it’s a good exposure for us to know how to organise a joint event like this and to meet with students from other students associa�on.” praised our president, Jamie Kuk when we asked for her feedback on the event held. She agreed that it was a good idea and also added “I love the topics discussed during the summit. The only improvement I think that could have been made, I am not sure if it is already done or not yet, is to take further (collec�ve) ac�ons/solu�ons on the issues discussed during the summit.” Page 9
Franc Education Exposure Day By Darshan
August 4th 2018
FEdX
While one might scoff at the need for one ENTIRE day
to be ‘exposed’ to the ever-perplexing French educa�on system, striding confidently oneself towards the extremi�es of this labyrinthine path of choices and écoles and travaux pra�ques, we have to admit to wan�ng to know more when we were hobbits wai�ng to flee out of The Shire and into The Hexagon. All references aside, the sheer prac�cality of this event, and its efficiency in achieving its objec�ves are proof of its necessity. France Educa�on Exposure Day, referred to more loosely with its cooler-sounding abbrevia�on, FEdX, is a yearly event held by MASAF between the months of July and August (here, the 4th of August), those which are considered to be the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of students brimming with a mixture of mo�va�on, curiosity and even apprehension. The well-chosen target group include fellow students Page 10
who are currently undergoing a prepara�on program in UniKL MFI and would soon pursue their studies in France. Using objec�ves set in stone as a solid founda�on, the Academics Bureau rolled their sleeves to then structure and shape the event to its full capacity. Beginning with speeches and a forum in the morning, made twice interes�ng and a quadruple more informa�ve with the mustering of representa�ves from French agencies such as MFUC and the full support of all of MASAF’s own bureaux, the principal target of cramming a maximum amount of informa�on and resources to the juniors comple�ng their prepara�on programs in MFI was achieved, as foreseen. While ‘cramming’ is as harsh a word as any, informa�on is key and here we have enough to waltz through any door. A par�cipant, when ques�oned about the type of exposure gained, answered firmly,
“The recently held FEdX has informed us regarding working experiences, `something which we did not even think about before. I’ll give it a 70% exposure rate.” To fulfil the second part of France’s famed moto, (it rhymes with Regal Tea, if you need something to jog your memory), and to cover all of the France prep programs in MFI, the forum conducted was assisted by panellists from different backgrounds from the scholarly realms of France. To then ease the inevitable feeling of aforemen�oned apprehension and a sudden falter in mo�vated footsteps, the a�ernoon session was a makeshi� campsite chat, except with no bonfires and experience sharing instead of horror stories. This li�le human touch of perspec�ve goes a long way in answering personal ques�ons and kindling a spark in the petro l dampened heap of youthful ambi�on. One has to admit; hearing the human side of the equa�on in the form of a sharing session where essen�al survival �ps and life experiences are tossed around nonchalantly along with funny stories and hushed chortles woven in can be really inspiring. With this seemingly carefree ac�vity, MASAF struck the second objec�ve of sharing �ps and experiences of living in France bullseye. To quote a par�cipant, “I think what really helped us are the lifestyle and course �ps as our lecturers here cannot explain it to us.” Page 11
As the sharing session extended into nigh�all, dinner was served in the main hall of MFI; a steaming plate of grilled chicken and fried rice/noodles. Drinks flowed as freely as informa�on that night as students learnt more than one thing about their futures in France. For one, as an idea of what MASAF stands for began to set in, students obtained a tonne of informa�on from fellow seniors about the lifestyle and studies in France. Delving into the more technical aspect of things, the seniors and alumni were able to shed light on courses and domains as some of the students began to contemplate on their paths, as well as allowing the juniors to start building their extensive network of contacts. To summarize with the words u�ered by Akmal Sharil, the director of the Academics bureau:
“On behalf of MASAF, I would say that FEdX 2018 met its objec�ves in providing very useful informa�on and resources to the students and mo�va�ng students to be more serious and a�en�ve in their studies to make sure their dreams to be in France soon come true.” And thus, the students gri�ed their teeth in grim determina�on to blaze through their respec�ve programs and step foot dans le monde français.
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prepa integree Wong Teck Wan
INSA Lyon
I have recently finished 2 years of Prépa Intégrée in INSA de Lyon and am expecting to specialize in the field of Computer Science. In my engineering school, studies in various fields are proposed, with a total of 9 main fields of studies, each with their respective specializations in the final year. In a prépa, the main subjects are usually mathematics, physics, chemistry and programming. In INSA Lyon, foreign languages are a must as well. Students from foreign countries are obliged to take French and English classes unless they are able to show sufficient mastery in both the languages, in which case they’ll be able to choose different languages at its place. No subject is particularly harder than the other but the main subjects such as mathematics and physics usually have larger workload. I chose this course in the first place as I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to study. At first, I was interested in the field of mechanics and robotics in general. I enjoy understanding how things work and during my first year in Blois, I’ve spent my free time building a drone, which is still currently a work in progress. The 2 years in INSA made me change my mind and hence the choice to specialize in Computer Science. The campus itself is quite big. With research labs, buildings for each faculty, sports infrastructures and student residences, the whole campus spans a width deemed enough by the French government to build 3 tram stops in it. Page 13
Literally speaking, one can choose to never leave the campus and be able to survive. INSA provides its students a wide range of infrastructure which is more than sufficient for a conducive studying environment. Basketball courts, swimming pool, tennis court, archery range, computer labs, a student bar, and even a place to shop for food and sta�onary. Washing machines require a special type of currency obtainable by singing the Teletubbies theme song from lines 2 to 6 and paying 2 euros for each. As for my daily schedule: Wake up, brush teeth, bath and dress, eat breakfast, avoid being sleepy, eat lunch, avoid being sleepy, eat dinner, homework and revisions and then I pass out on bed. Usually not much �me for other stuffs but maybe I’m just not smart enough. The course is a li�le challenging for me but that might just be me. An advice would be to not be afraid to try (We’re also in shortage of Malaysians so if someone would do the honors and come sooner or later that’d be great).
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Master in nanotech Louis Kit How Chan Bac +4 & +5 | Grenoble INP Phelma Dura�on : 4 semesters [ 2 years ] Q : What are the main subjects taught in this course ? A : Nanotechnology is a very wide field and the Master Nanotech program is more focused on Informa�on and Communica�on Technology (ICT). There is a huge emphasis on the physics in semiconductor, design of transistor, solid state physics, hardware system modeling, etc. Q : Any of them you think harder than the other subjects ? why ? A : Quantum physics is definitely more difficult than other subject because it requires a strong founda�on in mathema�cs and also it is quite abstract so it requires a lot of effort in understanding the subject. Q : Why nanotechnology ? Nanotechnology is always thought to be the driver of the future. It is a wide and versa�le domain that allows a lot of exposure to different domains. Some of the possible domains for nanotechnology engineer include op�cs, biomedical, microelectronics, hardware designing, etc. Also, the Master Nanotech program proposed by Phelma INP is actually a collabora�on between 3 different universi�es: Phelma INP, Politecnico di Torino and Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. The opportunity to be in an interna�onal learning environment is an interes�ng experience. You get see different cultures and work with other students who have a completely different work method. Page 15
Q : How big is the university ? A : Phelma INP part of the INP Grenoble network. Phelma itself is a middle size university in France. There are about 400 new students coming into the university every year. Q : What ameni�es are available for the students ? A : The university is separated into 2 sites. 1 is in Europole Grenoble, which is an innova�ve research zone in Grenoble, and the other 1 is in Campus St Mar�n d'Heres, which is a university region with other learning ins�tu�ons like IUTs, universi�es, engineering schools, etc. In the Europole site, there is a student lounge with some entertainment facili�es while in the Campus site, there are a lot of sport facili�es that are shared with other ins�tu�ons. Q : Did you get to use any cool machine ? which one ? what does it do ? A : Master Nanotech students get to work on a full fabrica�on process of transistors in a clean room in Europole Grenoble. The fabrica�on process starts with a piece of silicon wafer and have to go through technical processes like deposi�on, lithography, etching, etc. Q : How was your daily schedule ? A : The semester in Turin is quite focused on theories so the schedule is mostly only packed with lectures with total class hour of around 30 hours per week. The semester in Grenoble consists of many prac�cal works in lab. Along with lectures, class hours are pre�y long with an average of 40 hours per week. The semester in Lausanne emphasis a lot on projects so that took up a lot of a�er-class hours. Q : Do recommend this university & course ? why ? A : I do recommend this university and the course if and only if you are genuinely interested in this domain. The subjects are difficult in this course, so without interest it can be difficult to finish the program in �me. However, the experience is great and the universi�es are also well known worldwide so it could be a good stepping stone to your career a�er gradua�on. page 16
Informatique et reseaux Ainol Fhatah INSA Toulouse Dura�on : 3 years a�er DUT
Specialisa�on : There are several op�ons for our final year for instance Big Data, Cyber Security and Internet of Things. These op�ons are par�cularly for the IR branch. There are some other op�ons which are more open to anyone such as risk Engineering, Energy and etc. Personally, next year I will be doing risk engineering. Q : What are the main subjects taught in this course ? A : - Informa�on system - Micro controller - Fundamental IT - Internet and Security - Compe�ng and real �me system Q : Any of them you think harder than the other subject ? why ? A : Fundemental IT was quite challenging for me as it was the core of our program. We spent more �me on the project and we have to have that programmer way of thinking. Q : Why did you choose this course ? A : I decided to do the IR branch because I am more comfortable with programming than networking.
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Q : How big is the university A :I don’t really know how big it is exactly but it can cater 3000 students. Q : What ameni�es are available for the students A : There is a mu� purpose outdoor field : rugby/football/hockey etc Mul� purpose indoor field for badminton/basketball/volleyball/handball etc. Cafeteria, laundry and Internet Q : Did you get to use any cool machine ? which one ? what does it do ? A : My course doesn’t require any “cool” machine. But we did use some COOL robots for our projects. Q : How was your daily schedule? A : It depends. But generally it’s from 8H-18H and on Thursday a�ernoon there are no classes so that students can join extracurricular ac�vi�es. Q : Do recommend this university & course ? why ? A : YES! I highly recommend this university because it is one of the most well known universi�es in France. Besides, the student life is superb with lot of student ac�vi�es. Q : Comments ? regrets? A : I don’t regret my choice. I love INSA Toulouse. <3
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Computer science Danial Fitri IUT de La Rochelle 2 years (Bac +2) Specialisa�on : a) First year : All basic knowledge about computers(programming, networking, database, website, etc) b) Second year : 2 choices possible, 1) Web development 2)Smart Connected Environments(s�ll can be specialized in the future for example Ar�ficial Intelligence/Robo�cs/Business Intelligence/Cybersecurity/etc) Q : What are the main subjects taught in this course ? A : Programming, Mathema�cs Q : Any of them you think harder than the other subject ? why ? A : Programming because most Malaysian students have never programmed in their schools before and they will start to think that other students are far ahead of them, but I would say it is more of a psychological game-play. Q : Why this course ? A : Opportunity and prospect. Computer science students stand a pre�y good chance of being professionally employed. Every industry uses computers so naturally computer science students can work in any. Q : How big is the university ? A : Medium-sized
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Q : What ameni�es are available for the students ? A : The most popular one is student’s kiosk where you can get drinks and snacks at low price (even cheaper than vending machines). Q : Did you get to use any cool machine ? which one ? what does it do ? A : The computer science department has dozens of new IMAC. Q : How was your daily schedule ? A : Packed. Most of the �me classes will start at 8am - 6pm except Thursday where there is no class a�er 12pm Q : Do recommend this university & course ? why ? A : The university was founded in 1993, and is the newest university in France. So, the buildings and equipments are new and in good condi�on. Computer science is one of the most popular course in France and it’s majors are in high demand! Q : Comments ? regrets? A : I would say this is a suitable university for students who have never coded before as most of their students have low coding skills at the beginning compare to other universi�es.
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London-Berlin-Munich-Interlakem-Geneva Farid Nordin Budget : ~ 600€ Transports: flight, train & bus Dura�on : 10 days Lodging type : Airbnb and hostel
n e k
Lon
Inter la
What's not to miss are the Harder Kulm, Interlaken for the great view, Krezbe-beurg, Berlin for the amazing streets arts and last but not least, of course, Camden Town, London for the awesome flea market. Neverless, foodlovers, do check Mustafa's Gemuse Kebab, Munich. The long queue is worth it ! They have the best I’ve ever tasted kebab and Currywurst in Germany.
n o d
How about the city's transports’ prices ? London: Oyster Card, depends on journey. Berlin: Day �cket AB, 7€ Munich: Day �cket center Munich, 6,70€ Interlaken: Usually walks. My �ps or advice especially for the trip to Switzerland is to cook. Switzerland is a li�le bit expensive. So do buy from supermarkets or cook if possible. The rest just enjoy yourself ! In my opinion, 10 days are too short. 2 or 3 more days would be perfect. My trip was especially convenient since the locals speak English and German, also German in Interlaken and of course French in Geneva. Page 21
Gorges de Verdon
A team trip to Gorges du Verdon by Merlyn Jane and friends ! Price : Well 30€ for the kayak (split between 2 ppl), 20€ for the transport (we rented a van) and about 5€-10€ per personne for food that we packed ourselves. We spent one whole Saturday only but it was an exci�ng weekend ! If you ever plan to do a trip to Gorges du Verdon, what not to miss is the kayaking and you can also choose the paddle boat but it’s subject to availability. I loved the lake obviously, the whole place was a real beauty plus a dip in the water was major highlight ! As I recall there wasn’t any available places to eat near the lake itself (but I think if you drove a lil bit more maybe there’s a high probability that there is. Hence we packed our food & beers and they all tasted like good vibes & fun �mes :p
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My �ps/advice to those interested going to gorge du verdon especially by driving your own car, drive super carefully! The roads leading up to the place are quite tricky with all the curves and steep hills etc. Also, pack enough food!! And stock up on lotsa sunscreen if you’re going in the summer! But s�ll check the weather forecast in case it rains. If you can’t swim don’t worry they provide a life jacket for everyone! It also helps a lot if you go with friends who can swim :p It rained near the end of our trip and I regret that because we could’ve done more kayaking and exploring! But we s�ll swam in the lake while it rained and that was a great enough experience to conclude the short trip. Next �me if we’re going there again we’ll be sure to really check the weather beforehand!
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Trip of 8 days in Andalusia,Spain (Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga) Travel in group is always better than alone I would say! I think you might not want to drink sangria and eat tapas alone in a bar. I spent around 300â&#x201A;Ź for a 10 days trip including the flight from toulouse and all the transport , I spent mostly on food. I flew from Toulouse to Seville, then we just traveled around the region by train and bus. We spent 8days in total, 3 days in seville, 1 day in CĂłrdoba, 2 days in granada, and 2 days in malaga. I wish that we could had stay longer in Granada, the old islamic capital. As for the logement, we stayed mostly in the hostel. I would like to recommend "For You Hostel" we stayed in Seville which is new and very cozy, and most importantly CHEAP! So what's not to miss ? Do not miss the Alhambra in Granada. Remember to book the entrance ticket of the Alhambra beforehand, they only sell limited number of entrance tickets into the palace. And we didn't manage to get a ticket to enter the ticket even we tried to book it 2 days in advance. Also do not miss the Alcazar in seville (don't forget to book the ticket online to skip the line!) and Alhambra in granada. Personally, as a phot-ography lover, I found the charm of the cities lies in the narrow allies and beautiful street. Do not hesitate to wander in the city or joining a walking tours to know more about the city. My favorite dish was The TAPAS! The tapas is a genius idea for us the "gourmet", we get to taste so many dishes with a little price.
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And place worth mentionning - Bodega Dos de Mayo - La Barceloneta, Malaga - Cafe Bar El Remo (try the gambas pil-pils and the prawns!) A hidden germs, recommended by the receptionist in our hostel, dont be scared away by the appearance of the restaurant) As for the public transport, the single ticket of the public transport range from 1,3â&#x201A;Ź to 1,5â&#x201A;Ź. The cities are quite walkable, so we didn't took any day pass or city pass. One advice, if you are looking for a cheap, historical and gourmet trip, this is THE place for you. In term of communication, they speak spanish of course! Most of them don't speak fluent English, I recommend strongly to learn some useful phrases beforehand! Like "la cuenta" (bill), "gracia", " de nada"...
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7 stereotypes about French people, explained by a French By Tiphaine Like each country, France gets all a bunch of stereotypes, and foreigners that never came to check with their own eyes can’t help thinking about them. Worse, for many, their origins remain unknown. That’s why, as a snail eater, I will try to explain where 7 of the most notorious stereotypes come from and if what you’ve been told is just nonsense.
1- French people are dirty.
This popular belief was born in the 17th century in the court of the “Sun King”, Louis XIV. At that �me, sanitary condi�ons were deplorable, so people used perfume to cover the bad smell. If the stereotype s�ll remains nowadays, it's likely because perfume is s�ll popular in France. You have probably already smelled someone's perfume that le� behind a trace in its path, or you may have walked into a perfumery that gave you a headache. But it also s�ll remains due to the condi�on of the public toilets and subways (I would recommend you watch the YouTube video "Bref. J'ai pris le métro."), as well as the sale of new deodorants which are supposed to last "72h" - its use is even called the "French shower". However, France is not the only country to see its streets, toilets or subways soiled by ill-mannered people. Moreover, the no�on of hygiene is specific to each person. For example, taking a shower every second day is enough for some people, while other must take a shower every day to feel comfortable. Thus it depends on the person. Some simply want to wear perfume because they like the smell, and because several types of perfume exist (musky, fruity…), it can also shed some light on their personality.
2- French people always do "la bise".
It's well-known that in France, we greet each other by doing "la bise". In theory, it's 1 to 4 kisses depending on the region, and we have to turn our right cheek in the north and our le� in the south. But the way remains the same: we press our cheek against the one from the other person, but not kiss with our mouth. In prac�ce, the majority is 2 kisses, and I always turn my right cheek. But if you turn it the wrong way and someone tells you "Here, we do it like this," it's no big deal! We love when foreigners try to absorb our culture. And yet there are aliens like myself, misunderstood by some French people, who don’t like to do la bise for some reason. And yes it exists too! Therefore, if you don't want to do it, you don't have to! You can very well say a simple "Salut !" or "Bonjour !" to be polite, or extend the hand first (and be confident - it's be�er). On the other hand, what made me laugh a lot was when I met a Malaysian man for the first �me. Page 26
He greeted me with a shy handshake, which is considered strange between a woman and man if it's not in a "professional" se�ng, such as with our bank adviser, our doctor etc. Thus, the handshake is mostly used by men, but some men also greet each other by doing la bise! In case you have not done so yet, I encourage you to watch the video "La bise" by Paul Tyler.
3- French people take ages to eat. So yeah, it just so happens that it takes us an en�re a�ernoon to have lunch... when we are at our grandparents' place! In general, our grandparents love to make us eat, in contrast to our parents who tell us to take a fruit or a yogurt when we are starving in between meals. This belief also exists because in conven�onal French restaurants, everything is not served at the same �me. Indeed, the meal consists of anywhere from 1 to 5 courses: supposed to whet the appe�te; the aperi�f that includes the drinks (o�en alcoholic) and a snack such as peanuts, the starter, the main dish, the dessert, and finally the coffee that s�mulates diges�on. But we don't eat at our grandparents’ place or at restaurant every day, some�mes a cup of noodles does the job.
4- French people like to be well-dressed, especially with a striped shirt and a beret while holding a bague�e under their arm. If you have ever walked around the streets here, you know like me that not every French person has an innate sense of fashion. We only inherited that image because of our high-fashion brands such as Chanel, Dior, Luis Vui�on... Besides, it was Coco Chanel who first, in the 1910s, took inspira�on from the seamen's underwear and started the trend of the striped shirt. But it is true that we care a li�le about our ou�it; I’ve never seen seen someone walk around in pyjamas. Nonetheless, we don't all have a striped shirt in our closet or the beret worn by the Breton onion street sellers in England from 1830 to 1939. Everyone doesn't go to the bakery every morning either like bread companies gave the impression abroad in the 60s.
5- French people are roman�c and their capital is the city of love. Men are perceived as gentlemanly and a�en�ve, and women as elegant and passionate. Unfortunately customs have changed and we don’t always see seduc�on much anymore… Simply, this image came from and remained because of our ar�s�c heritage. Indeed, it’s difficult to realize it with all those French poets, painters, musicians, writers and scenarists who constantly show the woman’s beauty and speak of love and sexuality without taboos! Page 27
Thus, French people are not necessarily more roman�c than the rest of the world, but they are more expressive. So some people go as far as doing a “French kiss” in public. However, we can’t contest the fact that the French kiss is a languid kiss and that many people find our language and accent seduc�ve. When it comes to Paris, the architecture and the vibes it emits surely play a role. On the other hand, Paris is o�en named the most touris�c city in the world, and it’s the tourists, by walking around hand-in-hand or ge�ng married there, who help this image remain.
6- French people are lazy.
How could I defend us while the SNCF's union has disrupted the train traffic for 3 months? In order to keep their privileges, yes, but the �me has come for the railway workers to be in the same boat as everyone else. Those privileges cost the State a lot of money, and they even go as far as to benefit their families: the railway workers' grandparents can have diapers for free thanks to their high social insurance contribu�ons... All right, we o�en go on strike, some�mes for a good cause, some�mes not... But we are proud of having this right because we fought for it. Concerning the hours of work per week, France is limited to a maximum of 35 hours. Some companies can let their employees work more but only if they agree. Consequently, just 14% of French people work more than 40 hours. However, France is behind Germany with its 26 hours per week and Norway. What is funny is that these 3 countries are some of the most produc�ve countries in the world. Here, we might work less, but we do it well.
7- French people are chronic complainers.
You may had no�ced, French people like to be heard and report what's wrong. Recently, a Facebook study has been made and would prove that the French are truly moaners because we are second a�er Koreans to have chosen the "Angry" reac�on the most. Nevertheless, Quintly, a company expert in social media analysis, analyzed more than 44 millions of posts the first four months of 2018, a period in which a lot of bad news happened. For example, South Korea recorded the most deadly fire in 10 years. That's why we must not always believe what we read or hear. But, between you and me, yes we are moaners, but I swear that complaining with other people can be fun! To sum up, I would say that it’s very hard to tell if a stereotype is true or false, because the 67 millions French inhabitants can’t all be alike. So don’t just take what I say at face value either; check it out for yourselves! Page 28
7 clichés sur les Français, expliqués par une Française by Tiphaine Comme chaque pays, la France a droit à son lot de clichés, et les étrangers qui ne sont jamais venus vérifier de leurs propres yeux ne peuvent s’empêcher de penser à eux. Pire, pour beaucoup, leurs origines restent inconnues. C’est pour cela qu’en tant que mangeuse d’escargots, je vais tenter de vous expliquer d’où viennent les 7 clichés les plus connus et si ce qu’on vous a dit, c’est des salades.
1- Les Français sont sales.
Ce�e idée reçue est née vers le 17ème siècle à la cour du roi Soleil, Louis XIV. À ce�e époque les condi�ons d'hygiène étaient déplorables, les gens u�lisaient alors le parfum pour cacher les mauvaises odeurs. Si le cliché persiste encore aujourd'hui, c'est parce que le parfum est toujours aussi populaire en France. Vous devez sûrement déjà avoir sen� le parfum de quelqu'un qui a laissé une trace sur son passage ou êtes entrés dans une parfumerie, ce qui vous a peut-être donné un mal de tête. Mais il persiste aussi en raison de l'état des toile�es publiques et des métros (je vous recommande la vidéo YouTube « Bref. J'ai pris le métro » ), ainsi que la vente de nouveaux déodorants supposés durer « 72h » dont l'u�lisa�on est même appelée « douche à la française » . Cependant, la France n'est pas le seul pays à voir ses rues, ses toile�es ou ses métros salis par des gens mal éduqués. De plus, la no�on de propreté est propre à chacun (pe�t jeu de mots). Par exemple, se laver un jour sur deux suffit pour certains, tandis que d'autres doivent se laver tous les jours pour se sen�r bien. Cela dépend donc des personnes. Certains veulent simplement porter du parfum car ils aiment l’odeur, et parce qu’il existe différents types de parfums (musqué, fruité…), cela peut aussi donner un indice sur leur personnalité.
2- Les Français font toujours la bise.
C'est connu qu’en France, on se salue en se faisant la bise. En théorie, c'est 1 voire 4 bises selon la région, et il faut tendre la joue droite dans le nord et celle de gauche dans le sud. Mais la façon reste la même : il faut coller sa joue contre celle de l'autre, et ne pas faire de bisous avec sa bouche. En pra�que, la majorité est à 2 bises et j'ai toujours tendu ma joue droite. Mais si vous vous trompez et qu'on vous dit « Ici c'est comme ça. » , ce n'est pas grave ! On aime quand les étrangers essayent de s'imprégner de notre culture. Seulement voilà, il existe des aliens comme moi, incompris par certains Français, qui n’aiment pas faire la bise pour x raisons. Et oui ça existe aussi ! Du coup, si vous ne voulez pas la faire, vous n'y êtes pas du tout obligés ! Vous pouvez très bien lancer un simple « Salut ! » ou « Bonjour ! » pour être poli, ou encore tendre la main en premier (et être confiant, c'est mieux). Par contre ce qui m'a fait beaucoup rire, page 29
c'est quand j'ai rencontré un malaisien pour la première fois; celui-ci m'a salué en me serrant �midement la main, ce qui est étrange entre une femme et un homme si ce n'est pas dans un cadre « professionnel » , comme avec son banquier, son médecin etc. La poignée de main reste donc plus réservée aux hommes, mais certains se font aussi la bise entre eux ! Au cas où ça n'aurait pas déjà été fait, je vous invite à regarder la vidéo « L a bise » de Paul Tyler.
3- Les Français prennent des plombes pour manger.
Alors oui ça nous arrive de prendre une après-midi en�ère pour déjeuner... quand on est chez nos grands-parents ! En général, nos grands-parents adorent nous faire manger, contrairement à nos parents qui nous disent de prendre un fruit ou un yaourt quand on crie famine entre les repas. On peut aussi avoir ce�e idée car dans les restaurants français classiques, tout n'est pas servi en même temps. En effet, le repas se déroule en 1 à 5 étapes : supposé ouvrir l'appé�t; l'apéri�f regroupe les boissons (souvent alcoolisées) et les amuse-gueules comme les cacahuètes, ensuite vient l'entrée, puis le plat principal, le dessert et enfin le café qui favorise la diges�on. Mais on ne mange pas chez papi-mamie ou au restaurant tous les jours, parfois un bol de nouilles fait l'affaire.
4- Les Français aiment bien s'habiller. Surtout en marinière, coiffé d'un béret et avec une bague�e sous le bras. Si vous vous êtes déjà promenés dans les rues ici, vous savez comme moi que les Français n'ont pas tous un sens inné de la mode. On doit uniquement ce�e image à nos marques de haute couture telles que Chanel, Dior, Luis Vui�on... D'ailleurs ce sera Coco Chanel la première qui, dans les années 1910, s'inspira des sous-vêtements des matelots et lança la mode de la marinière. De même, nous faisons un minimum a�en�on à notre tenue, jamais je n’ai vu quelqu’un se balader en pyjama. Malgré cela, on n'a pas tous de marinière dans son placard, ni le béret que portaient les vendeurs ambulants d'oignons Bretons en Angleterre de 1830 à 1939. Tout le monde ne va pas non plus à la boulangerie tous les ma�ns, comme les entreprises de pain laissaient penser à l'étranger dans les années 60.
5- Les Français sont roman�ques et leur capitale est la ville de l’amour.
Ici les hommes seraient galants et a�en�onnés, et les femmes élégantes et passionnées. Malheureusement les moeurs ont changé et la séduc�on n’est plus toujours au rendez-vous... Seulement ce�e image vient et persiste à cause de notre patrimoine ar�s�que. En effet, il est difficile de s’en apercevoir avec tous ces poètes, peintres, musiciens, écrivains et scénaristes français qui encensent encore et toujours la beauté de la femme, parlent d’amour et de sexualité sans tabou ! Les Français ne sont donc pas plus roman�ques que le reste du monde, mais ils page 30
sont plus expressifs. Ainsi certains ne se gênent pas pour se faire un “French kiss” en public. Néanmoins, on ne peut pas contester le fait que le French kiss soit un baiser langoureux et que nombreux sont ceux qui trouvent notre langue et notre accent charmeurs. Pour ce qui est de Paris, l’architecture et l’atmosphère qu’elle dégage jouent certainement un rôle. En revanche, Paris a souvent été élue ville la plus touris�que au monde, et ce sont bien les touristes, en se promenant main dans la main ou en se mariant là-bas, qui aident ce�e image à rester dans les esprits.
6- Les Français sont fainéants.
Comment pourrais-je nous défendre alors que le syndicat de la SNCF a perturbé le trafic des trains pendant 3 mois ? Pour garder leurs privilèges certes, mais il est grand temps que les cheminots soient logés à la même enseigne. Ces avantages coûtent cher à l’ É tat, et vont même jusqu'à profiter à leurs familles : les grands-parents d'un cheminot peuvent avoir des couches payées par la sécurité sociale... Alors d'accord, on fait beaucoup la grève, parfois pour la bonne cause, parfois non... Mais on est fiers d'avoir ce droit car on s'est ba�u pour l'avoir. En termes d'heures de travail par semaine, la France est soumise à 35 heures max. Certaines entreprises peuvent laisser leurs employés travailler plus mais seulement s'ils sont d'accord. Seuls 14% des Français travaillent donc plus de 40 heures. Toutefois, la France est derrière l'Allemagne avec ses 26 heures moyennes par semaine et la Norvège. Ce qui est marrant, c'est que ces 3 pays font par�e des pays les plus produc�fs. Ici on travaillerait moins, mais on le ferait bien.
7- Les Français sont râleurs.
Vous l'aurez peut-être remarqué, les Français aiment se faire entendre et dénoncer ce qu'il ne va pas. Récemment, une étude Facebook a été réalisée et prouverait que les Français le sont car nous sommes les deuxièmes après les Coréens à avoir mis le plus de men�ons « en colère » . Néanmoins, Quintly qui est une société spécialisée dans l'analyse de réseaux sociaux, a analysé plus de 44 millions de posts les 4 premiers mois de ce�e année, pendant lesquels beaucoup de faits d'actualités néga�fs se sont produits. Par exemple, la Corée du Sud a connu l'incendie le plus meurtrier du pays depuis 10 ans. Voilà pourquoi il ne faut pas toujours croire ce qu'on lit ou entend. Après, entre vous et moi, oui on est des râleurs, mais je vous jure que râler à plusieurs ça peut être drôle ! Pour finir, je dirais qu’il est très dur de dire si un cliché est vrai ou faux, car les 67 millions d’habitants Français ne peuvent pas être tous pareils. Alors ne prenez pas non plus pour argent comptant ce que je dis et allez vérifier par vous-mêmes ! page 31
The Tree by Shaal Ni Since kid, I have some kind of obsession towards trees and spent my time
staring at trees. When I was in form 2, I sat near the doorway. My classroom was at the 2nd floor. It was an ideal spot to day dream while looking at a huge tree inside the graveyard. My school is actually surrounded by lots of tress and graveyards. It’s like we are at the middle of the graveyard. I even saw people burying deceased one in grave once. It shows that it’s an active grave yard. So, one day, I was looking at the tree during History class. You see, history is boring if the teacher teaches us but it’s interesting when we read the book by ourselves and day dream about it. Never in my life, had I paid attention to the teacher during the history lesson. Back to the tree, I was so into the tree and wondering what tree is that? Why only one branch of the tree is moving when there’s no wind? “ Shaalni! tengok apa itu? Biji timah kat atas pokok itu ke?” I turned to my side and saw my history lesson teacher staring at me and she was annoyed that I don’t focus in class. I told her,” Tiada apa, cikgu”. The class continued as usual. My school finished at 2p.m but I usually walk back home at 5p.m after my library evening duty. By the way, I need to walk past a narrow road beside the graveyard to my home. At that hour, I don’t even see a cat crossing the road. It’s death quiet and eerie. I just couldn’t stop looking at another tree in the middle of the graveyard at the side of the road. Again the same thing, only one branch is moving and I saw no birds or small animals on it. Suddenly, I heard “it’s a good day isn’t it?” I looked at the person in front. A British guy around 40 years old and he spoke to me with thick a British accent while smiling. Oh, he was wearing sunglasses. I answered,’’ yes’’. He continued, ’’ Is that your school uniform?’’ I replied,’’ yes’’ He asked,’’ can I take a picture of you in this school uniform?” I answered,’’ No.. thank you” and walked quickly to my house. It’s definitely creepy. I mean why on earth someone wanted to take picture of the ugly uniform? page 31
The next day, history lesson began at 11a.m. I was about to stare at the tree. Suddenly, I heard a girl screaming out loud multiple times. My entire class was in shock. Who the heck playing and shouting at this hour? The school prefects in my class went downstairs immediately. The beauty of all -girls school is that rumours or gossips spread at the speed of lightning. So there, I heard, a girl from lower floor classroom was possessed by spirit and got hysteria. I was like again? That was my 4th time hearing or witnessing this incident. That evening, we had sport house practice; we needed to go our big field su-rrounded by trees. I was under a tree and I was about to look up. The girls around me began screaming and running. I did the same out of panic. There was a green wood snake fell down the tree and began moving around the field. Since that incident, I remind myself to be super careful under the trees. The end. : P This summer, maybe due to the heat, it brings me back some old memories in Malaysia.
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Sunshine by Loki Brendan Once upon a time I was glooming by darkness Darkness of sorrow and depression And then you came into my life Like no other women I met before Because I felt only lust for pretty women I met But you,I felt light in you You radiates the light of rejuvenation Like the Sun gives energy to the plants But there is difference between you and the Sun Your light is so warm yet so cold So warm,my heart feel relaxing And it heals my heart's wound And yet so cold, it does not burn me As the mighty Sun does Your light radiates beam like the Patronus It was said that Patronus is the form of animal With whom they share the deepest affinity But if the Patronus can be in human form My patronus form would be you Only YOU
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Ciel by Danish Afiq Sous le ciel de la nuit, Je vois la lune qui brille, Je pense Ă vous mes amis, Sans lesquelles je n'aurais rien dans ma vie
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Artworks
by Muhammad Syahmi bin Mohamad Yunus
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by Muhammad Syahmi bin Mohamad Yunus
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Let’s get back to basics: 3 simple rules of communication skills “Nothing is going to work out if you have no communication skills. So, step it up people!” – Tia 1. Listening I think most of you would agree with me that in order to have a good communication skill you need to be a good listener at first. Before you can open up your mouth and talk, you need to listen first. And the idea is quite simple, just listen, and don’t say anything. But believe it or not, it’s not as simple as it seems because not everyone can be a good listener. Those who are bad at listening are also those who are bad in communicating. So how do you do it? You can initiate it with your circle of friends and start listening to their stories and problems attentively. No one ever likes communicating with someone who only cares about giving their opinion. So be kind and supportive towards them and pay close attention to what they are saying. This is the part where you ask clarifying question to ensure understanding from both sides and it clearly shows that you are listening to them. From there on you will eventually learn to value different views and opinions to be able to respond to it appropriately. This work in both of your professional and personal life. 2. Be open-minded The next simple rule is to be open minded. Be open minded to listen to what the other person is saying and to understand their point of view. I’m sure everyone is already familiar with this word, but what really sadden me is that sometimes, open minded person can get misunderstood despite doing nothing wrong. Being open minded here means that you are willing to engage into a dialogue with other people despite your different views. You are capable to create a conversation with someone you disagree with and be flexible enough to continue into different topics. It’s also when you have the courage to speak your heart out and eventually help to improve your self-esteem. Nothing is wrong by being open-minded because you are being honest with yourself and this creates and honest and positive conversations. page 37
3. Respect
The third and the final simple rule is to always learn to respect each other. Learn to respect when communicating with other people by using their respective names and making simple gesture like eye contact or hand shake. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always believed that you must give respect to receive respect in such a way that it will make the person feel appreciated. For example, when you are actively listening to when they speak. They will value your action as you treat them with respect and dignity. Thus, both of you will have a peaceful conversation with respect to each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view.
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Fin
from
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