ET – Entertainment in Toilets today

Writer: Loraine Ong
Editor: Benjamin Lim

Do you need an entertainment break from studying too much and too hard lately? Or are you bored of the old, rustic look of KEVII and want something more? You can now enjoy that at a toilet near you! In the guys’ D2 toilet, you can choose to enter the world of “Harry Potter”, or “Star Whores”, just by reading the make-believes. Some stories even bring the interested reader into an entirely different time period; like one of “Jackula”…

The writer personally witnessed this different ‘world’ at the seventh Jackula hour (10pm) on 6^th November, 2009. It took her breath away, partly because of the intrigue at what some D1 and D2 guys had penned down on a stolen poster from a library, and partly due to the stench of urine from the cubicle.

Isn’t it very creative of the guys to kill 2 birds with one stone when they go to the toilet? They can both relieve themselves and add some entertainment to their lives. If you doubt the hilarity of this storyboard, the writer can personally vouch that she had a really good laugh after reading it. The plain poster that reminds the “Gentlemen” of D block (there is only one toilet for the men in this block) to aim properly into the toilet bowl was very capably converted into an anthology of stories!

For those of you interested to find out more, do be advised that the board is very explicit and may offend the more conservative people out there.

Another noteworthy lavatory display device, henceforth called LDD, came from the C2 female toilet. The person who made this handwritten, hand-drawn notice must have had a personal vendetta against foreign bodily fluids. Look at the number of angry faces she drew!

The West Wing also has interesting LDDs..

Have a look at the above, taken from the F2 guys’ toilet. Though I imagine the more literarily inclined readers would have quite a lot to comment about the literary ability of the humble toilet bowl, one must applaud the absolute civility of our longsuffering friend, considering the treatment he receives.

This LDD seems to suggest that guys in GH are shorter than they think, though it is not clear which length this is referring to =p. However, the writer is quite certain this has to do with physical stature =).

Remember, the next time you feel bored and need some entertainment, feel free to take a leak at these toilets. You will be as entertained as your bladder will be relieved.

Gripes of the KE resident

Writers: Garrick Liw & Lee Lin Hui
Editor: Benjamin Lim

Most of you were excited when your application for KE7 Hall was successful, knowing that you could expect months of fun and excitement accompanied by, unfortunately, mental and physical torture from CCAs and studying late into the night (or should I say early into the morning?). What was the first thing you felt when you set foot into KE7? Happiness? Sadness? We are willing to bet most of you experienced a shock looking up at KE7 from the PGP Bus Terminal, with PGP behind you.

Yes! It’s the flight of steps you have to conquer even before you become inaugurated as a member of the KE7 family. For the vertical marathon enthusiast among you, here is a compilation on the number of steps one has to surmount (or descend) on some of the more common journeys made in hall:

1)     PGP to Dining Hall – 121 steps

2)     E Block Level 1 to E Block level 8 – 139 steps

3)     Shepherd’s Path – 87 steps

4)     Block A to Block D – 108 steps

5)     Block H to Block E – 105 steps

6)     Multi purpose Court to Squash Court- 160 steps

What does this mean for you and me? Well, a normal walk from Dining Hall after your breakfast to the Faculty of Science via the Shepherd’s Path would take 186 steps. Compare this to a 10-storey HDB flat that has 144 steps. Is it any wonder then that we feel exhausted after each day in school? Consider the steps a poor D blocker has to ascend if he forgets to bring something for his training at the multi purpose court and imagine how much of a workout the conscientious E8 blocker has to go through everyday just to have a meal or get to school!

~~Stairway to Heaven~~

Aaah More stairs!?

But maybe the number of stairs had something to do with the age of our hall. We are pretty sure not all seniors here know how old the KE7 building is: we are acutally turning 21 this year! None of us would have expected that our second home would be as old as we are. Among students here, KE7 is well known for its old exterior, especially when compared to the modern, condominium-like façade of PGP. Since KE7 is reaching 21, we should take this opportunity to vote for an entire facelift!

Wonder what it was like during puberty...

Perhaps as a consequence of its significant age (and the lack of design expertise at the time it was built), KE7 is also well known for being a death trap when it rains cats and dogs (which is all too often here in Singapore). Almost every pavement in KE7 will be flooded when it rains. Notice we used the word “flooded”, and not “wet”. But this is no mere exaggeration, just have a look at the evidence we collected below after a recent downpour! With water deep enough for ducks to swim in, even the PGP bus terminal could have formed a manmade pond.

Make sure you buy slippers with soles!

This could lead to a tragic ending…

Quack! Quack!

Going down water-logged steps may not be a concern when you’re taking your time, but making a dash for a bus down 121 slip-inducing tiles can prove to be life-threatening! If you have similar experiences, you are not alone; feel free to join the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=88574485194. =D

Mid Autumn Festival A la Dim Sum

Writer: Adrian Chia
Photos by:  Kelvin Anggara

To talk about dim sum during Mid-Autumn Festival is like to talk about scoring goals in tennis. While in tennis you score aces instead of goals, you hardly hear people mentioning ‘dim sum’ in the same breath as ‘Mid-Autumn Festival’. Instead, mooncake, lanterns and the big round moon should be the main features of the festival. But this year, the Mid-Autumn Festival was truly about dim sum. Wait a second, did I just put the two terms in the same sentence? No mistake there, because this year’s celebration was really in essence, a Dim-Sum event.

At about 7pm, a group of people claiming to be the leaders of the Dim Sum clan assembled at the E4 kitchenette. After a short discussion, they started getting themselves busy with baking powder, flour, eggs, chicken wings, char siew sauce and the oven. It took a while before it became apparent they were not making xiao long baos, chee cheong funs or siew mais. They were actually preparing supper for their dearest Dim Sum clan members!

As dark clouds thickened overhead and the clock struck nine, the Dim Sums began to converge in the Communal Hall. To prevent the Dim Sums from turning cold, some energizers were played to break the ice. Scenes of them sticking stinky feet at one another, greeting each other in a silly sissy manner and rubbing their noses on particular red shirts were observed. Perhaps a secret art for preparing the delicacies?

Sticking their feet together

Silly and sissy greetings

How to greet another person in Christmas Island

Supper was served after that. On the menu were chicken wings and barley drink. Conspicuously absent were traditional items like mooncakes and Chinese tea. For those interested, check out this website which briefly tells the stories of Mid-Autumn Festival and why mooncakes are significantly special on this occasion!

Barley and chicken wings

The next phase of operation involved a route march from KEVII Hall to the SRC Field, with everyone carrying a standard gear of a paper lantern. To add to the tactical difficulty, the full moon was too shy to be seen as it was shrouded in thick, dark clouds. Along the way, there was much chatter and singing, and pit stops were made to replenish ammunition – in the form of candles, as well as to get into formation to be exposed to the flashlights of the camera from time to time. At the field, much to the disappointment of the group, the moon still failed to show up, but solace was sought in the form of chats, songs and cookies. One particular cookie was noteworthy for its its mutated size and shape, for it looked more like an oversized pizza! On the return trip, more lanterns were reduced to ashes after lighting up in fireballs.

Equipped with the lanterns

Marching towards SRC

Pit stop

All smiles =D

Upon reaching back in hall, there was one last surprise in store – a belated birthday celebration for Cui Shan. Amusingly, all the matches were used up during the road march that none were left to light the birthday candles! Nonetheless the frozen cheese cake more than made up for the minor blip!

And then the Dim Sums went to bed.

Wishing everyone a belated 中秋节快乐! (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!) =D

Getting to the root of the hairy issue

Writers: Lim Fang Min & Benjamin Lim
Editor: Benjamin Lim

With the weapon of the mass media, countless unarmed conflicts have been fought over the maintenance of this prominent portion of the human anatomy  Few of the many belligerents of this bloodless war have enjoyed strings of victories, winning many followers through clever strategising, while others have fought on their own unique terms to secure small but fiercely loyal supporters. Yes, if you haven’t got it by now, it is the war of the Shampoo brands! Indeed, what are the 3 brands that have KE guys enraptured in the act of scratching their scalp?

The premise was simple: most residents leave their shampoos in the toilet. What better way to find the answer than to have a look in these soapy places? So, on a fateful Wednesday morning, 1 reporter driven by his curiousity on this fascinating subject took up the arduous task of visiting all the male toilets in KE to investigate. Following countless stares and stairs, we are proud to bring you the results you have all been waiting for; the 3 most popular brands of shampoo are *cue drumroll* Clear, Dove and Head & Shoulders!

Our shampoo critic!

To get an idea of why these brands were so popular, we had avid shampoo user Terence from block C to give his verdict on each of these shampoos. A fan of Clairol’s Herbal Essences because of its great refreshing scent, Terence would be a tough critic to please.

The reigning champion! or not...

Clear, undisputedly the most popular shampoo in KE did not really appeal to Terence, who said it smelt like Dynamo (the washing detergent). The writer (who uses Clear himself) postulates that perhaps, most guys like to smell homogenous with their clothes.

As soft as it claims to be?

Dove, the runners-up had never been tried by Terence before, in fact, he was rather surprised that it made the top 3 spot since it was a pretty late entry into the Shampoo battle. Still, it seemed to have garnered quite a following among male KEVIIANs, suggesting that the alluring claims it makes for its shampoo (undoubtedly modeled on those that have made its shower foam so successful) seems to have some measure of truth, allowing them to capture the hearts and heads of many here.

2nd runners up...for a good reason

Terence reserved his harshest criticism for Head & Shoulders, which came in a close third to Dove. Contrary to its long touted claim of reduced dandruff, Terence found that his dandruff actually increased when he last used it. According to him, the entire scalp comes off in a classic “Christmas coming early” effect. The relative popularity could then be explained by a strong desire among KEVIIANs to re-create a cool snowy climate here in warm Singapore.

The dark horse (or man)...literally

Now, you may wonder whether our shampoo critic even has anything positive to say about brands other than the one he uses. Curiously enough, Terence gave his stamp of approval for the relatively uncommon Jackie Chan-endorsed Ba Wang when he had the opportunity to try it for himself.

From doubt...To delight!

The reporters felt that it would be terribly inadequate to represent the interview conducted with him simply in words, so they have instead included the actual interview footage for your viewing pleasure below.

For some obscure reason, substantial similarities were noticed between this interview and the one below it featuring Jackie Chan. Barring the very fundamental difference of language, we believe that the similarity of opinion can only mean that Ba Wang has a universal appeal that transcends language and cultural boundaries leading users to profess similar testimonies of the superiority of the product.

Interview of Graduating Senior(s) – Sharon Lynn Chu

Interview done by: Jason Lun Leung
Editor: Janice Fan
———-

 Name:  Sharon Lynn Chu Yew Yee
Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Major: Communications and New Media

Interests: Dance (especially Chinese dance), Martial arts (especially Wushu), anime, game development, casual games, documentaries, outdoor activities

Aspirations: To excel in dance and Wushu, To find a job which I am passionate about, To lead a happy and exciting life with people that I love

CCAs joined: DansDemonz, KEVII Wushu, Publications Committee, Float

One interesting fact about you:  I am a tiger who looks like a cat.

 What does KE VII mean to you? At least for these last four years, a safe haven where I can return to.

 What is your best memory of hall? There are a lot of things that happened in hall and that I will always remember: Float dances, Wushu camps and trainings, dance practices in the dance room, going for supper at NUH, sleeping at 5am or not sleeping at all…

 What thing do you like most about hall? 
Free and fast internet connection, which allows you to…for example, mousehunt all day long . The main lounge where you can hold meeting at any time of the day or night, since everyone stays very close together. Common Hall, even though it’s sometimes real dirty, but it’s the place where I can indulge in the CCAs that I like most

 What thing do you hate most about hall?  Eating the same fish everyday for four years? Haha…ok it’s not that bad.  Having the sun turn my room into a sauna in the afternoon… Risking my life every time I cross the open corridor near GH block when it rains.  But on the whole, I don’t have much to complain about hall.

 What would you change if you could change one thing about hall? Install a system where you pay only when you take meals in halls (so I can skip more breakfasts ) and buy a nice mattress for KEVII Wushu practices.

 How has KE VII changed since your first year?
Well apart from infrastructural things like upgrading of toilets, hall hasn’t changed that much.  Good ‘ol KE doesn’t change much along the years, right? J Well, the people do change and the CCAs go through cycles of ups and downs but generally, the spirit is still the same.

 What will you miss most about hall?
Dance and Wushu in hall are definitely two things that I’ll miss the most.  During my four years, I’ve been so involved in them that they have become an integral part of my life.  Suddenly not able to dance and train with friends because I have to work everyday will be most saddening to me.  There are a lot of things that I would have like to achieve in hall, and that I wasn’t able to because of many barriers.  But now I just hope that others after me will materialize what I have failed to achieve.

 Any advice/ words of wisdom you want to share with your juniors?
Four years is not a long time.  Each year in hall brings fresh challenges and new happy moments.  Enjoy everything that hall life has to offer to you; don’t fake it.  Do things in hall because you love doing them, and not because you have to do them.  Once your four years are over, you must be able to look back and say “I wouldn’t have done anything that I did in hall differently”.  And along the way, remember to make true friends for life because this might be one of your last opportunities to do so.

 Any last words? I sincerely hope that one day KE Wushu will be THE pride of KEVII Hall and DansDemonz will have its own dance production.  May KEVII soar to greater heights!

And to all current KEVIIans, remember that you will never ever stay in hall again after your studies.  So learn how to balance your life so that you can stop mugging so hard and enjoy hall life more.

Interview of Graduating Senior(s) – Joanna Chan

Interview done by: Jason Lun Leong
Editor: Janice Fan

As we start to ease into a brand new semester and embark on a new chapter of our lives in KEVII, it is always beneficial to have the seniors share some advice based on their experience in Hall so far. Especially seniors who have lived in Hall throughout their entire stay in NUS! In that light, KE Press has conducted interviews with a few of the seniors who just graduated, and we will be putting these interviews up from time to time this holidays

For today, we have with us Joanna Chan, a senior who was part of KEVII for FIVE years! So it will certainly be interesting and useful to read about what she has to say about our hall yes?  Well then, read on!

Before we get to the good stuff, here’s a short introduction/profile of Joanna (she wrote this herself!):

Name: Joanna Chan Shi-En

Faculty: Medicine

Interests: God, Star Wars, reading, drawing.

Aspirations: To be a safe doctor. To help society. To write and illustrate children’s books one day.
To win the Booker Prize. (Ha. fat hope)

CCAs joined: Hall Play (set decor, SLW), Pubs Comm (now known as KE Press), Road Relay, ELnD

———-

And now we have the good stuff coming up!

What does KE VII mean to you?

Hall is one of the few communities I’ve been in where I felt that I ‘fitted in’ and could be accepted for who I am, perhaps because we’re from all kinds of backgrounds so we accept each other’s differences as we work together in hall.

What is your best memory of hall?

The friendships that were made! I remember especially the late night nonsense chats with Dawn (my roommate). Also, dinner chats with friends and medicine juniors, and baking hundreds of cookies together with my VCF friends.

Even the time just before and during final exams when fellow M5s Zhongyang and Claris would drop by and we’d listen to each other’s worries and accounts of the exam and reassure each other

What thing do you like most about hall?

The view from E601 with beautiful sunsets, and the feeling of living independently and having space while at the same time being in the midst of a support network of good friends.

And keeping in touch with those friends after graduation.

What thing do you hate most about hall?

How meetings never start on time. There could be a more efficient work ethic.

What would you change if you could change one thing about hall?

I would make sure all the toilet flushes worked properly and stopped wasting water.

[Ed: To incoming freshies reading this, please do not be dismayed! Our toilets work perfectly fine. They just occasionally, uh, need to be... improved! So yes, there is no cause for alarm :P ]

How has KE VII changed since your first year?

Physically, the appearance of hall has changed after all the fire escapes were built and greatly increased the number of steps in the hall! I like the changes, though, as they make getting around the hall more convenient.

People-wise, almost everyone whom I knew in year 1 and 2 are no longer around. It’s a new generation. (Like in Star Wars Legacy of the Force.)

Also, I’m so proud of how far Publications Comm has come in its new incarnation as KE Press under Kok Pun!

What will you miss most about hall?

Expecting to see the faces of friends every time I step out of my room or go for dinner.
I think seeing familiar faces every day even if it’s just a smile and ‘Hi’ really makes a big difference to one’s day!

Any advice/ words of wisdom you want to share with your juniors?

Hall years, and in fact one’s university years, are a great opportunity to try out things one has never done before and to learn to work/live with others and also learn to lead. Max out your opportunities to develop yourself as a person! Join stuff that you like, not because you feel that “there’s no one else to do it”. And join activities wisely, don’t spread yourself out too thinly for the sake of points, but choose well so that you can concentrate on a few and achieve excellence in them – it’ll be more fulfilling and enriching that way.And (whether in or outside hall) don’t be in a rush to get attached just because you see many couples forming almost immediately after orientation. Some will become healthy relationships but I’ve also seen many couples who formed in year 1 and 2 break up by year 3 and 4 or after graduation. Don’t settle for Mr/Miss “Why Not?”. Wait for Mr Right or Miss Right! In some ways the single life allows you to do a lot more when you’re in university so you’re not losing out by waiting for the best, all in God’s plan and timing. (Yes, I talk like a grandmother. But listen to your grandma.)

[Ed: Yes, this is good advice from a grandma So if anything, make sure you read the bolded parts at least!]
Any other interesting fact about your hall life you want to share with us?

A point of interest is that KEVII is the place where my own parents met when they were students, actually. And now my brother is staying here too. I used to go to his hall room and borrow notes from him and eat his biscuits and practise examining him as a patient. So for me hall is ‘family’ in more than one sense of the word!

KE7’s dotA club!

Writer: Akhilesh
Editor: Chia Hui Min

For the unaware, Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a custom scenario for Warcraft III, based on the “Aeon of Strife” map for StarCraft. The objective of the scenario is to destroy the opponents’ “Ancient”. The two teams’ ancients are heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map.

Eddie from Block A describes this game otherwise however. Using 5 words, he describes the game that he has been playing for the past 5 years: “Owning! Imba! KS-er! Leaver! Stunner!”

It is amazing how guys get addicted to a particular game and I am speaking with experience, although Eddie claims that DotA is not an addiction for him. Ah well, we all know that DotA is not an ‘addiction’. (I hope you can catch the sarcasm!) The strategy and tactics involved in the game make it more than just a mindless computer game and that is what he likes most about the game.

Eddie’s fondest memory of the game was when he went to play the game at Coronation Plaza between two ‘A’ Level Examinations, which supports his claim for the game being a stress buster. Nowadays, he does not have time to play other games. (Hmmm…I wonder why?) Spiritbreaker and Lightning Revenant are his favourite characters, as they can run very fast. According to him his weakness lies in his inability to decide when to retreat whereas his strength is his peaceful mannerisms with his teammates. He is very modest in stating that he is quite lousy at the game and is not as hardcore a gamer as other people.

“Battle Fury sucks” is all he wanted to tell his counterparts. (I guess a true gamer does not disclose much information). My final question to him was, “Do you use cheats?”

Eddie answered, “HELL NO! THAT SPOILS THE BEAUTIFUL GAME!”

And with this, we now hope that you have a better idea of what DotA is about. As many of us know by now, there is a DotA club in hall, led by none other than our KEWOC 08/09 head, Chong Kah Hsiung! Here are some interviews conducted by Xiao Shuang, with the chairperson and a member of this club. Read on to see what they have to say!

DotA with Kah Hsiung and Wu Hong
by: Ling Xiao Shuang
Editor: Chia Hui Min

Why do you want to play DotA?

KH: Initially I was forced to, but then later I became the one who forced others and slowly this committee grew to more than 20 people. Some of my members said it is a way to escape from being hooked by your girlfriends.

Playing with humans instead of the computer is more fun. Another reason is more and more people want to escape from similar tragedy.

WH: I play DotA to de-stress, to make friends and to know one’s true self. One will reveal his true colors in a few rounds of DotA.

 

What can you learn from DotA?

KH: This game is highly dependent on EQ. It unveils the innermost part of you without knowing. I do not learn much about the game but I learn more about the behavior of guys through the game and also their girlfriends in reality. I learnt that all guys are envious of me over my truly supportive girlfriend too. Credit has to go to her for the success of this club. No prize for guessing my girlfriend right? Try guessing the girlfriends of the other members!

 

Wu Hong, I heard that you previously stopped playing for a while. Why did that happen?

WH: That was when I first started playing DotA. I found it quite hard to strike a balance between DotA and my love life. After a few rounds of discussion, I finally found a balance between them. If anyone experiences problems in balancing your love life and DotA, please contact the president Kah Hsiung

 So it was Kah Hsiung that influenced you to play the game?

WH: Yes, he forced me to play even when I was sleeping!

  

What is the strategy that you use most frequently in the game?

KH: Some said farming is the best. Some advocate wind walk. But I believe that committing suicide overwhelms the others.

WH: Depends on which hero I am using. I like to use Earthshaker and Naga siren. I will farm then on!

 

 Have you experienced any side effects from the game?

KH: My CAP increases like the ascending KE staircases because I have better time management so that I have time to play DotA. Some of my members suffer mentally though when they realize 2 pairs of eyes are staring on the laptop screen.  

WH: No, it’s just a game. But I have learnt to manage my time because I have to find a balance between studies, love life and DotA. Also sometimes you need to learn how to be flexible and adapt yourself as each time I will play with different teammates.

 

 Do you plan to participate in DotA tournaments?

KH: We did have a plan last time. But we were busy with our studies so we abandoned it.

 

How do you grade your performance in a game?

KH: It depends on your chosen hero and also the capability of your enemy. Just like our participation rate in games depends on the mood of girlfriends.

WH: Below average. B-

 

 What is your overall view on DotA?

KH: NUS life is stressful enough. A DotA a day keeps your girlfriend away. Call 81187675 (editor’s note: Kah Hsiung’s number) to join the club!!

Interview with Zhengyu, Float Head 2008

Writer: Ho Xin Ling
Editor: Jonathan Chan

I’m sure many in hall are familiar with Zhengyu. He’s a member of A Cappella, head of the alumni committee, KE Float 08 and even performed in the recent ICN as a dancer in the modern dance item. Hence I was excited to be given the chance to interview him; someone whom I think is probably one of the Clark Kents in our hall. Well that, and also because I found out that we have the same favourite movie

Zhengyu, Float Head 2008

1) You were the head of this year’s Rag. What was the experience like?
Firstly I am more used to being called Float Head, since internally we call it Float instead of Rag. This was probably my biggest project in KE so far, and I would say that it was a very challenging and rewarding experience as well. Float is something that captures a complete set of experiences: the hard work, the satisfaction, the good times and the bad as well. I was very fortunate to have my team with me, and at the end of the many months, I am very proud of what we have produced together for our hall. These months cannot be described by me in words, so I can only invite you to come experience it for yourself, but I can assure you that it will be a very good experience.

2) How do you feel about the results of this year’s Rag?
Of course it was disappointing that we did not clinch any award, but there was indeed strong competition from other Halls, so it’s up to the judges to choose. I did however receive several good comments from friends about our float, so that was very very encouraging.

3) Do you have anything you want to say to all your comrades for Rag?
Thank you all for a wonderful journey and I hope Float 08/09 has at least given each of your something to endear for yourself. And remember: Once a Floater, Always a Floater!

4) Any advice for next year’s Rag head and the entire rag team?
Rag in NUS started as a way of showing appreciation to the donors for Flag, and in the spirit of charity, it was also meant to be a channel for students to express their creativity while staying environmentally friendly, thereby displaying charity towards the Earth. Yet NUS has also forsaken its original meaning and turned it into a means of positive advertisement for NUS to the public. For KE Float, we have to find our own meaning in floating, amidst all the competition and paperwork that will distract us along the way. It will be this that will carry you through to the end of the journey, and this that will keep Float meaningful to us all.

5) You are in so many activities, how do you cope?
Erm. Academically, I cannot say that I’m really coping that well, but I do manage to get by somewhat. There are times that I stay up in the night to do my work and barely struggle through the day, which is really not a good idea. One of the things I used to do was to spend weekends in Hall to finish up my homework, before going back home. Another was to finish the whole list of past year papers from the library portal, starting around week 10.

For activities, I would say that I am glad to have chosen to spend time in the things that I am concerned about, because it is this interest that keeps me going. It also helped a lot that I have many friends who busy themselves with hall stuff as well, so we can chiong together in a sense.

6) I really like the quote on your facebook profile. ‘The greater your capacity to love, the greater your capacity to feel the pain.’ – Jennifer Aniston. Why this quote?
Well, I received that quote through my handphone actually, and found that it was quite meaningful to me. Perhaps sometimes we busy ourselves so much over someone or something that we care for, that we become delusional and lose ourselves. It’s sort of a reminder for myself about managing emotions sometimes.

7) People say you know the hall really well. If you could use a word/phrase to describe the hall or your life in the hall, what would it be?
I really cannot say I know the hall that well, except perhaps because I have had the chance to see a variety of things and learn from various gurus like Terence and Kane. In one phrase, perhaps, if you would like to take away something from this Hall experience, start by giving to the Hall and its people.

8 ) Why?
Personally I feel that my greatest take away are the things that I have done and the friends I have made along the way. Hall has been generous to give us the opportunities to do certain things for ourselves, and it is also a great place to make meet many people. I have some friends who go into a Hall only for its benefits, and at the end of their one year stay, blame their Hall for having a boring or disappointing experience, or comment how few friends they have met. Our own attitude will more or less define our individual experiences here, so come with an open heart, to give yourself and others a fair chance to gain from it all. We have pretty good facilities (some are old, yes, but are actually rather comprehensive), a good bunch of people (both students and staff) and our SCRC have been guiding us well, so do not opt out on a possibly very memorable experience! And of course, do remember to stop and admire the greenery here at KE!

"...if you would like to take away something from this Hall experience, start by giving to the Hall and its people..."

PS: Zhengyu loves instant noodles.

FOOD AHOY!: AB Block RF Supper

Article by: Akhilesh Narayan
Edited by: Jonathan Chan

Colourful Dragon We Have Here.

Imagine mouth watering pasta, slices of pizza and the most scrumptious doughnuts! Yes, that is exactly what was part of the spread offered by our Hall Master A/P Ho Yew Kee.

The AB Block RF A/P Li Xiaoping was away and so the Hall Master took over as the RF of AB Block. On 9th October after the fire drill, the AB Block residents were welcomed by Hall Master and his family. The doors were opened, the AB blockers entered and followed the Master in anticipation of the meal ahead. On the table lay the feast – a ‘Sleeping Dragon’ awaiting an onslaught by a battalion of fierce warriors. Curry, pasta and its sauce, pizza and radish cakes decorated the table. At the far corner of the table sat about four orange boxes, which contained the sweetest, juiciest and tastiest doughnuts. One bite of a doughnut would lead to a flurry of emotions inside your head and leave you panting for more.

So began the battle between the warriors and the “Dragon”…The “Dragon” clearly had no chance of survival and within half an hour it was over. The beast was killed and the warriors were happy.

The food was as delicious, the Master’s generosity and warmth evident. It was worth the wait and none of the AB blockers slept gloomily that night. The party also included a number of the JCRC Members, who joined in late but were satisfied none the less. It was a very nice gesture on the part of the Hall Master and quite a few of the international students (freshies especially) felt at home. I bet the AB blockers can’t await the next RF Supper…

Girls & Food. Yummy.

Slaying the Dragon

Err...

Eddie Tan

Wen Jun

Jianpu

Girls of the Round Table

Nuts Over Doughnuts!

Master!

Busy Slaying.

The AB Warriors

Photography by: Weiqin, Wen Jun & Eddie
Captions by: KP (I feel hungry.)