Chinese New Year 2014 – Loud Preparations, Silent Celebrations?

Chinese New Year is a time normally associated with loud celebrations in the heartlands – lion dance performances, firecrackers, and the singing of traditional Chinese New Year songs.

This year, however, the preparations appear to have taken center stage, rather than the celebrations themselves.

With businesses closing early on Chinese New Year’s Eve, supermarkets were packed with last-minute shoppers seeking to pick up New Year goodies, or essentials for reunion meals. Queues at cashiers were long as people of all races sought to stock their homes up for the holiday weekend. 

It was not just supermarkets that saw brisk business – the crowds also spilled over to small roadside shops, with them taking advantage to clear out all their stocks. Cries of ‘five dollars, five dollars, buy fast’ were commonplace as shopkeepers attempted to draw the crowds to look at their wares.

Shops were only open for as long as their wares lasted. By late afternoon, the majority of shops had been closed. With even shopping malls, hawker centers and food courts closed, some passer-bys looking for a quick meal remarked that they were in ‘a ghost town’.

The deserted streets continued on into Chinese New Year as well. Except for families attempting to hail taxis and the occasional passing lion dance troupe, the streets remained silent and devoid of people. While people were no doubt visiting relatives, there were no outward signs of celebration, save for the red banners and lanterns decorating the streets. 

They say that silence speaks the loudest – is Chinese New Year becoming nothing more than another public holiday?

Passion and Information At Temasek Polytechnic’s Seminar

Temasek Polytechnic (TP)’s annual Beyond O Level Seminar was held at the Temasek Convention Centre on January 11. It would be the 19^th edition of the seminar, organized by Temasek Polytechnic and The New Paper.

Targeted at secondary school leavers and their parents, the seminar attracted quite a crowd, with the Convention Centre being comfortably filled. The highlight of the seminar was the moderated sharing session, where a panel of five TP alumni shared their TP experiences with the crowd.

Despite their different occupations and backgrounds, they all agreed on one thing: the importance of passion.

Among the panel members was creative director Mr Pann Lim. The 40-year-old spoke of his passion for design, something that he found only after changing courses several times. “I’ve always put passion before prospects, as prospects will form themselves,” he said. “The logic is simple. If you go into something that you’re not good at but there’s good prospects, how (can) you (earn a living)?”

The seminar was not just a sharing session of experiences – TP Registrar Ms Sharon Soh spoke about the various administration procedures for the incoming students. In addition, she spoke about the programs TP had to offer its students, reaching out to the parents and students and assuring them that TP would be the best choice.

It was an experience described as ‘amazing’, ‘productive’ and ‘highly informative’; the seminar certainly did not disappoint. Already, plans are under way for next year’s seminar, said to be ‘beyond’ what has already been achieved.

Temasek Polytechnic Staff Association – Looking After Teachers

Teachers look after the students – but who looks after the teachers?

If you’ve ever wondered what the answer to that question was, here it is – the TPSA.

The Temasek Polytechnic Staff Association, or TPSA for short, was formed in April 1991. Over 75% of TP’s full-time staff are members of TPSA, as of April 2010. Notable members include Mr Ben Lim, Director of TP’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mr Danny Lee, Deputy Director of TP’s Student and Alumni Affairs Department, and Mr Boo Kheng Hua, the Prinicpal and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Polytechnic, who also serves as the Patron of the Association.

TPSA aims to ‘proactively engage all members through cultural, sports, recreational and social activities’. It organizes affordable events for its member on a regular basis, the latest being a full-day Chinese New Year shopping trip to Johor Bahru. For slightly under $30, members shopped at a Malaysian confectionary and two malls, and enjoyed dinner at a Chinese restaurant. 

Besides casual staff outings, TPSA also hosts formal events such as a dinner and dance. By organizing such events, TPSA hopes to develop staff members in areas inside and outside their job scopes. Just like a student council for teachers, TPSA also seeks to develop bonds amongst its members, and look after their interests and welfare.

Interested to know more? Check out the TPSA’s website here. 

Event: Team Robo Video Games Pokemon Tournament

Do you want to be a Pokemon Master? Or just simply looking for people who might share your interests in Pokemon battling? 

Image credits: Smogon, 'The Smog Issue 17'

Heads up - drop by the Singapore Management University's (SMU) School of Economics for the Pokemon XY Rotation Battles Tournament, organized by local competitive Pokemon community Team Robo Video Games. Don't be intimidated by the thought of going up against 'pros' - this is a more relaxed tournament, so do come down and have some fun!

Learn more about the event here. 

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Take the test here.

Competitive Pokémon Battling in Singapore

Matthew Hui, 23, a NTU communication sciences student waiting for the results of his job interview.  Marketing executive Ng Soon Aik, 26 years old. Eugene Tan, a 21-year-old ITE graduate, enlisting in the army on December 12.

What do all of them have in common? Their passion for video gaming.

(Above: Participants listening to instructions shortly before the bi-weekly tournament begins.)

It’s not just any video game they’re passionate about. These teenagers and adults are not hardcore players of games like Starcraft, Street Fighter or Dota2. Rather, their passion lies with the ‘Pokémon’ video game series.

(Above: A player carefully plans her Pokémon's next move.)

This supposed ‘kid’s game’ is more than just a hobby to them – they break down the game’s mechanics, analyze and formulate strategies and constantly hone their skills against one another, as well as players from all over the world. Their community, Team Robo Video Games, runs bi-weekly meetups and tournaments, currently held at the Singapore Management University’s School of Economics canteen. They are still scouting for a more permanent location, however.

(Above: Players battling it out during the Swiss rounds of the tournament.)

A small group of these players even flew to Vancouver, Canada at their own expense, participating in the Pokémon World Championships held earlier this year. In order to stand up to the top-notch players there, they underwent four months of intensive training beforehand, almost as if they were athletes taking part at the Olympics.  

Locally, however, they are hardly recognizable – you could pass them by on the street and not notice. The competitive Pokémon scene in Singapore is growing bit by bit, especially since the release of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y in October.

To find out more about this scene and this intriguing community, I joined them after one of their tournaments for dinner at a nearby fast food restaurant.

Here’s what I found.

Week 4 Assignment: Kids Walk For Rice

The premise of Walk For Rice, an ongoing event held at Temasek Polytechnic (TP), is simple. For every two hundred meters walked by a participant, two bowls of rice will be donated to needy families in Singapore's south-eastern district.

Walk For Rice is open to all - and has attracted some interesting participants. About thirty preschoolers from PLAY@TP - a kindergarden located on campus - took part in the walk today, collecting ice-cream sticks to be traded for bowls of rice.

With big smiles and bigger hearts, these kids prove that age is no barrier when it comes to helping the needy.

I managed to speak with Assistant Kindergarden Teacher Ms Lindy, who told me a bit more about the children's participation in this event. Watch the informal interview here.

And for those who want to help out, there's still time. Walk For Rice ends on 15 November at 6pm.