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.

PM Lee on Exercise Highcrest and hacker 'The Messiah'

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Exercise Highcrest, a counter-terrorism drill that simulated a multi-pronged terrorist attack at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

In addition to talking about the drill, he also commented on hacker 'The Messiah', saying that the authorities would 'track him down' and 'bring him to justice'.

Pic of the Day #3

Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, at Indonesia's Foreign Ministry. Indonesia has expressed its unhappiness after a 'tapping facility' was discovered at the Australian embassy in Jakarta.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/china/indonesia-china-pressure-australia-over-surveillance-claims

Pic of the Day #2

Police outside the scene of a fatal shooting in east Detroit, Michigan. Seven people were injured and two killed. 

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/06/21337753-nine-shot-two-fatally-in-east-detroit?lite

Pic of the Day #1

Security forces cordon off parts of Yingze Street, Taiyuan, in northern China after explosions in front of the Communist Central Party's (CCP's) offices leave one dead and eight injured.

Source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/communist-party-headquarters-bombing-slideshow/communist-party-headquarters-bombing-photo-1383714460914.html

Article #1: Voices of the Youth

VOICES OF THE YOUTH

Reporter: Theron Ho

Debates on National Service for women have been ongoing for quite some time. Some are in favor, others against, a few are neutral – but all have an opinion on the subject. We have heard the voices of citizens, but what about the voices of the youth?

One might expect the boys to call for equality, or girls to say that they are ill suited for a military role. While this might be true, it is simply a small piece in a bigger picture. 

“It depends,” says Joelyn Alexandra, a 25-year-old editor, when asked if women should be conscripted. “Everyone is serving NS in some form or another – National Service isn’t just about the army.”

“If females are to serve NS, it should be different from the males,” said Clin Lai, a 21-year old preschool teacher. Ms Lai also commented on how the two genders are graded differently in terms of NAFTA, adding that ‘NS should be different as well’.

On the other hand, Melvin Toh, a 23-year-old NSman and graduate from Temasek Polytechnic, disagrees. “All genders should be equal (in NS) – even if they play different roles. Everyone should experience it,” he said, mentioning how it should be ‘shorter’ but ‘compulsory for all’.

Voluntary service, meanwhile, has the backing of 17-year old student Kingsley Kuan Jun Hao. “Singapore cannot win a numbers game,” he said. “A technical voluntary force would be better.”

Another student, 19-year-old Zaw hin Htoo, felt NS should be compulsory – but not military service. “Not everyone may be comfortable with holding a weapon,” he said. “A woman who chooses to fight would be better than a reluctant male fighter.”