Shout Out
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by Kevin Chng
This is an exclusive double interview with ex-OAC head, Austen Chan (right) and distinguished participant, Wang Zhenyang (left). Having 8 years of night cycling experience between them, we send our renowned editor-cum-reporter, Kevin Chng to find out their opinions on the biggest mass event since Orientation 07/08, Night Cycling 2007.
Kevin Chng (KC): As this is the 4th night cycling trip for both of you distinguished seniors, you must have realized that this year’s route is somewhat different from previous years. How did you feel about the change of cycling route?
Austen Chan (AC): It was dangerously challenging. However, OAC did a great job handling the large crowd amongst imminent danger, such as heavy traffic and non-flat surfaces.
Wang Zhenyang (ZY): It is more interesting, and I’m glad they took the trouble to come up with a new route to keep it more interesting for the seniors.
KC: Was the longer route more tiring for you 2 athletes?
AC: Well, long enough to allow me to know who are the friends who will stand by me in tough times.
ZY: OAC has spend a lot of years trying to find the optimum route distance, and this one is definitely too long but I give them credit for changing it, as it makes it interesting for me.
KC: It seems like most people preferred the older shorter routes. As a result of this new route, the food stops were also different. How did you feel about the new eating points?
AC: The food was ok, although it would have been great if we had some picnic at MacRitchie Reservoir instead. The people at Bukit Timah stared while the Newton hawkers kept bugging us to buy food. I miss Lau Pa Sat!
ZY: Well, Newton is kinda like a tourist trap, a good stop for those who are rich. Poor people should eat less there. Basically, one cheap stop, one mid priced stop, 1 expensive stop, that would be the generic formula. On a side note, I saw some year 4 resident drinking beer. Remember, if you drink, don’t drive/ride.
KC: Here’s a special question for you, Austen. What did you make of the night cycling t-shirt this year? (Austen/Zhiqin’s OAC team was the first to propose that night cyclists should have a t-shirt to commemorate the event)
AC: This year’s t-shirt design is better than the first one ever done, which was coincidentally designed by yours truly!
KC: Special question for you too, Zhenyang. Did you like the McMuffins and fruit juice sponsored by the Resident Fellows at the end of the event?
ZY: I think that with the Government raising their salary, they better “spit” some out for us, given that they have already cut down our gym air-conditioning timing! (Laughs hysterically with Austen.) Yup, but it’s definitely a good thing, who can say no to free food?
KC: Any last words for readers?
ZY: I would encourage groups next year to have a group ID/ theme or something. It makes things more fun.”Last Year, Last Chance!”
AC: Great job, OAC!
by Aprilyn Chan
As the price of poultry continues to soar, Temaskians (or rather, a specific group of them) are seeking an alternative to satisfy their meaty cravings. It is apparent that this group of friends are turning against each other and choosing to attack on one another’s birthday. The first to be victimized was none other than sports committee head, Joanna.
It started as a lie about going to Fong Seng for supper, while the rest of the group ambushed along the route. Once the “prey” emerged along A1, the mob sprang out and tied her to both ends of the pull up bar. Taking out their “weapons” which were leftover sauces from a previous BBQ, they started marinating her alive. In the midst of it all, an eyewitness recaps that a particular scrawny handicapped mystery man, was having much pleasure marinating her underarms as he has always had a fetish for that. Hmm…
Anyway, screams of distress surrounded the entire quadrangle with no one lending a helping hand, for fear of becoming the next victim. Even the power of love wasn’t strong enough to stop the attack as boyfriend Derrick Liao recounts the incident: “Being the photographer for the whole incident, I occasionally asked if she was alright.” Adding on, he says that they had the original intention of leaving her wrapped in aluminum foil for another half an hour to enhance the flavor. However, that plan backfired when a certain “blur” member with intent on tightening the strings mistakenly loosened them instead. Like an animal let out of the cage, Joanna (cat woman) went berserk and retaliated, chasing everyone down and giving them a taste of their own marination. Meow !!!
Lesson learnt: Boyfriends do not protect their girlfriends in times of fun. They join in the fun instead.
By Poh Ying Hong
Throughout this entire semester, there has been constant buzz revolving the area of complaints regarding hall facilities, or so I’ve heard. This semester in particular, with an average of 50 complains per block, the number of complaints has reached an all time high! (Refer to figure 1)
Following would be an in-depth analysis of some of the major complaints.
Case 1:
The most obvious of all, TH squash court 2 (the one outside comm hall). Repair works have been stagnant for more than 6 months, and now, no one knows what is going to happen to it. Freshies who just came in this year don’t even know what it looked like before! According to squash lover Kok Soon, the court had been infested with termites earlier on. I don’t know whether they are still there, but im sure hall office will have to hire some people to get rid of them and finish repairing the court. Meanwhile, IHG trainings will have to be conducted in one single court!
Case 2:
ot sure about other blocks, but the TVs in block A, B and C are out of order. Hearsay suggests that the TV port is spoilt, and despite informing the hall office, nothing has been done. TV addicts are greatly affected because their mind and soul are all inside “the box”. An A-blocker was spotted checking out the TV up to 8 times a day! Now we know how much it means to him. What’s more, now that mahjong is banned, talk about what can be done using the TV lounge.
Case 3:
All of you have to agree with this. There’s no point commenting on the food already, but the utensils in the comm. hall are dirty. Eww!! No statistics to support this one, but for me, I usually pick up a plate and drop it because of stains on it. And I repeat this 10 times until I find a clean one. And no, I’m definitely not exaggerating this time around. This is a tough case as I don’t know whether to tell the hall office or the caterer. Oh well, I presume it’s useless to inform the hall office anyway, they are always busy!
by Yong Bin
TH has 500 over residents consisting of more than 10 nationalities (sources unknown) living together in a communal area. Inevitably, this will lead to a “clash of cultures”, where present and potential conflicts between hostelites arise mainly due to difference in cultures and nationalities. By extension, our hall will be a much better and peaceful place to live in if residents are willing to accept differences in cultures, and remove their xenophobic lenses when viewing fellow residents.
A recent dialogue with a neighbor went something like this:
Neighbor Y: “Wa lau eh, these people from country X hor, really something leh, go inside their room never take off shoes, and then lie on their bed some more, what’s wrong with that country ah…”
Me: “Aiya, maybe that’s their culture in their home nation? Perhaps their home nation is colder than Singapore, that’s why they got this habit of wearing shoes into their room la. What’s wrong?”
“Its just damn unhygienic lo, they are always like this one, dirty and smelly, can’t stand them…”
“Haha, it’s their freedom to do whatever they want in their room la, as long as they don’t dirty the common corridor and toilets, and clean their rooms before they pass on to the next resident, correct?”
“Aiya, it’s just these people from X la, cannot stand them…”
Some famous guy once said “your liberty to swing your fist ends at my nose,” or something like that. As long as one doesn’t infringe another person’s rights and private space, he or she should be allowed the liberty to carry out whatever they want. Juxtapose to that, why should we care if X’s room is dirtier than ours? Who are we to judge them? On whose standards? On a separate note, if their room stinks up the whole neighboring precinct, then they have a responsibility to clean up their room as they have infringed on their neighbor’s “right to clean and pleasant air.”
In a similar vein, I appeal to the PA committee not to broadcast non-English songs in the communal hall. Not everyone in TH understands Chinese, in fact a significant proportion do not. Imagine having to listen to songs with unfathomable lyrics while eating the com hall food. It is basic courtesy to speak in English in Singapore when there are non-Chinese in the conversation, so shouldn’t this be applied to songs broadcasted during meal times? I have Chinese songs in my music collection, and enjoy listening to them, but I do that in my room, not in the communal hall where some others do not understand Chinese.
I urge residents of TH to be more understanding and accommodating to friends from other cultures and nationalities, and minimize “the clash of cultures”. Let us all, to quote PM Lee in his recent speech on 377A, “live and let live”, and make TH a much better place to live in.
by Roy Chen
Weekend soccer has been a regular fixture for the soccer team. This week, Insight reviews the friendly against Sheraton Companies.
GK – Zhaoyu. Chinese goalkeeper, Zhaoyu, being the only goalkeeper around, definitely deserves inclusion in TH team of the week.
CB - Leo and Hu Pan. Two similar players, both new into TH soccer, Leo and Hu Pan were solid in defense using their large frames to advantage both in the air and on the ground.
LB – Junhong, despite coming late, was effective at left-back. Continuousy running and tackling, he combined defensive play with attacking intent. Good job for a left-back that can’t kick with his left foot.
RB – Barry. So many players played right-back that it’s difficult to remember everyone. But, Barry deserves mention because despite not playing for a while, he played a good game. See you more, Barry.
RM – Xian Hong played right back, but he was even better attacking wide on right. Weaving past defenders and running into good positions, perhaps he was inspired by Arsenal’s Eboue after watching a few games in the Communal hall.
CM – Mark. Despite my absence from a few games, I heard Mark has been in good form. Ben put Andy upfront and Mark was left with all the passing responsibilities. His only fault was not letting me have a try with the free kick won.
DM – Karthik. One of the best buys this season, Karthik is effective in defensive midfield. He won several 50-50 balls and his long-range passing range was penetrative. He needs to befriend the referee a little more though.
LM – Wu Qiong. Wu Qiong recently started playing for TH and has shown improvements in his wing play down the left.
ST – Gabriel and Hans. Gabriel and Hans both deserve their slots in Team of the Week, for different reasons. Gabriel had presence in attack with his voice. His constant military-style “encouragement” to the others had everyone on their toes. Mr. Bean (Hans) ran for every ball. He was so close to scoring with both his feet and head, but was unfortunate not to get a goal.
Manager – Ben Tan. This of course goes to player-manager Ben who has been organizing trainings and friendly games for the team week in week out, rain or shine. He held his nerves to convert our penalty too.
Food Watch: Guo An provided us with steak on the side lines. I heard it was quite tasty. Yummy!
Extra Comments : Once again, Tianyou was absent with apologies. Any more apologies to come from our ex-JCRC fellow?
Disclaimer: This article is written purely for fun.
by Kevin Chng
They say birds of the same feather flock together. Lets take a look at some prominent cliques from the non-quadrangle side of TH, as we examine why exactly do they stick together like peanut butter.
D3
Bursting with girls at the helm of various committees in TH, the long wing of D3 proudly proclaims they are the ‘wing of successful and fat women’. With luminaries ranging from the ever wonderful OAC head (sorry, not you willie) to the ever bubbly JCRC VP, one would think and even expect dignity and poise to emit from within these girls. Yet, most nights of the week, the only thing emitting from D3 are loud laughs and giggles over the latest gossips.
Most Likely To Find Them: At various meetings or huddled in someone’s room eating supper, talking ‘politics’.
D4
Concentrated at D4 are some of TH’s best musical talents. Take a walk around D4 at night, if you are lucky enough you get to hear the very best crooning away unplugged. Indeed, only the utter and complete lack of alcohol prevents this level from being TH’s equivalent of the local bar.
Most Likely To Find Them: At the bench in front of the toilet talking cock and drinking non-alcoholic plain water.
E1
The old birds’ perch. Multi-talented seniors that have contributed much to TH lay roost here. Yet for the years they have spent at E1, the combined talent of these seniors still cannot fathom the reason behind the funky smell that wafts across the entire level occasionally.
Most Likely to Find Them: At the Pull-Up bar throwing rugby balls around or exchanging stories from years years years ago.
E2
TH’s premier female athletes gather at this level. Block E winning of the IBG girls’ and overall title can be attributed in large part to them. Do not dare to make the mistake of thinking they are female versions of jocks. These girls are living out the Chinese proverb, ‘Can go out living room, Can go in Kitchen’(As translated by Tan Junhong). The E2 girls love for cooking can be held akin to that of Block E RF’s penchant for BBQ and that is saying a lot.
Most Likely to Find Them: Showing their skills at the Basketball Court or showing their skills at Block E Kitchenette.
E4
The highest point in TH is coupled with some of the most calming sceneries around. Do not be surprised, however, to hear shrieks or screams disturbing the calm at night. Try not to be troubled by it either. It is probably the latest prank played on the E4 girls. The E4 girls are most easily identified by their fashionable wears.
Most Likely to Find Them: Missing from room during Wednesday nights.
by Pamela Ng
Everyone in Singapore knows what flip-flops are because it’s nearly impossible to live without them. They are the most basic of footwear (essentially a thin rubber sole with two simple straps running in a Y from the sides of the foot to the join between the big toe and next toe – their ‘openness’ making them most ideal for our warm and humid climate). Here in NUS we wear them everywhere – to lectures, for lunch, to plod around Temasek Hall… They have become almost emblematic of the average student’s love for convenience and comfort (without compromising on style)!
Today, flip-flops have a style of their own, different from other types of shoes. These dressier versions of the thong sandal are often made of leather, suede, patent leather, metallic finishes, fabric and other textiles. Based upon prevailing fashion, they are sometimes embellished with buckles, jewelry, fringes, medallions and beading.
Fun Flip-Flops facts?!!?
Dear Aunt Agony.
Recently my reputation in hall has been badly tarnished. I’ve been very ‘suay’ for quite some time. Maybe it’s because I offended some ‘dirty things’ during the hungry ghost festival.
Firstly, I kena chicken pox around a month ago. So because of that, I have to miss pageant. The only one in history who ever missed pageant because of this kind of stupid reason. I think I can win one lor. Aiyah, 4D also never so heng before. Liddat nevermind leh, recently arh, I was running late while ironing my clothes so I FORGOT to off my iron. I also dunno how come I can forget to off my iron.
But anyway, the stupid iron burned a big hole in my bed lah. Sickening. Then all the A1/ A2 people keep complaining say I want to poison them. All thanks to that, now I’m famous for all the wrong things. Now, even the RF daughter calls me chicken ironman and everyone thinks I’m a himbo now. Luckily my squeaky rabbit managed to escape hell. If not, I’ll just burn myself to death using the iron.
Sigh. I really don’t want to be known for all this kind of funny things.
Dear Aunt Agony, what should I do?
-M1 (nono, not the telephone company thingie)
Dear M1,
Firstly, I’m sorry to hear about your chicken pox incident and the burnt iron mishap. Indeed, you have been quite ‘suay’. Perhaps what you can do is to try to CLEANSE yourself of the dirty things with some holy water. It may reduce your bad luck streak. But still, why did you use the iron on the bed??? There is such a thing called ironing board. And of course, always remember to off your iron after use. Maybe you can try to make the best out of the worst scenario. What I suggest is that, you can go to Halloween party as an iron-man with a chicken head. In that way, everyone can have a good laugh and forget about your unpleasant incident. Good luck to you.
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