Disclaimer:
This is a personal blog and should be taken as such. So don't sue me if what I write pisses you off. Or if I write lies. Or if I give maladvice. Or if you fail to read through my sarcasm. Et cetera.
I like stalkers.
Is it in bad taste to quote one's self?
"The greatest of debaters are not only the most eloquent -- they are the most bruised, the most resilient, the strongest of heart." -- Andrew Loh
Quotes "How many times have you chickened out?" - Qu Hsueh Ming
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
"Affirmative action is something the good don't need and the bad don't deserve" - A wise man
"The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation's greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us." - John F. Kennedy
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were." - John F. Kennedy
"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually." - James A. Baldwin
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is but a broken winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." - Sir Winston Churchill
"Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?" - Alfred Lord Tennyson
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." - John Calvin Coolidge
"We will either find a way or make one." - Hannibal
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"For evil to triumph, it is only necessary for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
"War begins in the minds of men, and it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must first be constructed." - UNESCO Constitution
"The proper study of mankind is man." - Alexander Pope
"My kind of loyalty was loyalty to one's country, not to its institutions or its officeholders. The country is the real thing, the substantial thing, the eternal thing; it is the thing to watch over, and care for, and be loyal to; institutions are extraneous, they are its mere clothing, and clothing can wear out, become ragged, cease to be comfortable, cease to protect the body from winter, disease, and death." - Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens): A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
"Patriotism is to support your country all the time and your government when it deserves it" - Mark Twain
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
"Democracy is a system ensuring that the people are governed no better than they deserve." - George Bernard Shaw
"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." -- Noam Chomsky
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
"When the people fear the government, you have tyranny. When the government fears the people, you have freedom." - Thomas Paine
"I sense a learning: that much dumber people than you end up in charge. Look at the way things are. I'm no fucken genius or anything, but these spazzos are in charge of my every twitch. What I'm starting to think is maybe only the dumb are safe in this world, the ones who roam with the herd, without thinking about every little thing. But see me? I have to think about every little fucken thing." - Vernon God Little, Act II
"So why did you go to America for university, ah?"
That is often the first and most staggering question US-based Malaysian students face back home. So why would anyone in their right minds not study in Malaysia or Singapore (a bargain!), or go to, God forbid, an unknown liberal arts college in the middle of America when they could just as easily get into Oxbridge or other famous Australian universities?
The most important reason, I strongly believe, is because American education fits us (Malaysian students in America), like a key to its lock (or as we learn in Biology, like an enzyme to its polypeptide). Because American tertiary education offers us students something other countries do not. It is flexible, allowing indecisive students the chance to change their majors. It is tolerant of divergent, anomalous, and even ambiguous schools of thought, which maintains a scholarly atmosphere of debate and discussion. It places less weight on academics, compared to other systems, placing instead relatively greater importance on extracurricular activities and personal qualities like leadership, community service, and passion.
Conversely, and an even simpler reason, is that students choose America because other forms of education don't fit us. Many of us could not flourish intellectually had we chosen to study in Malaysia given a combination of factors, some of which include our mentally-stifling academic milieu, the Universities and Universities Colleges Act (which forbids student participation in BN-sanctioned politics,) and the comparatively lower standard of education in our universities.
While the universities in the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia do present an attractive destination for many Malaysians, these systems force students to choose their majors prior to enrollment in their applications. In this case, the incentive for many a student choosing to study in the United States is to avoid prematurely choosing one major, spending three or four years of time, effort and money, and then regretting the choice in the end. The United States suddenly becomes the only alternative: where students don't have to choose a major to apply, and where students can switch their majors if they happen to change their mind.
There are many different reasons for choosing an American education, but this belies the fact that many students go there not only because American education fits them best, but also because it misfits them least.
N.B.
In America, there is no effective difference between the terms "college", "university", and "institution," all refer to degree-granting institutions.
Undergraduate education refers to the education leading to a Bachelor's degree.
Graduate education refers to education culminating in a Master's or Doctorate.
Fit #1: Intellectual experience
What has come to define an American education is the liberal arts philosophy. Liberal arts is a short form of "liberal arts and sciences" and is a philosophy of education which believes in developing students who are well-rounded in all aspects of human knowledge: the natural sciences (e.g. Astronomy, Chemistry;) the social sciences (e.g. Economics, Political Science;) the humanities (e.g. Religion, Languages;) and the arts (e.g. Drama, Literature.)
This ideal is practiced in American colleges that mandate distribution requirements for their students. For example, a Physics major might be forced to take some courses in History or in a foreign language. A Music major might be forced to take Mathematics classes. Specific requirements differ from college to college, but the general liberal arts philosophy is the same. Students generally begin their studies with a broad syllabus, with classes in most academic sectors, and then ultimately specialize in a major (or two.) Even in major intensive courses like Engineering, students typically take anywhere from 30-75 percent of their classes within their major, and the rest in other fields.
Note well that the liberal arts philosophy is a system of holistic and comprehensive education in the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. It is not a liberal arts degree (like in some Australian universities,) and it is not only for artsy-fartsy people who draw, sculpt and paint. It is aimed at developing resourceful, exposed and dynamic students who have the skills and knowledge to cope with the rapid change in different fields today.
This system has come to differentiate American education from the rest of the world: students in other universities in Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand only take classes in their major. The American perspective on that is that these students might be missing out on education outside their specialization; that they are being confined intellectually.
Of utmost importance is that this philosophy is practiced in virtually all American universities: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, the rest of the Ivy League, Stanford, Duke, and MIT all provide a liberal arts education. If you find this hard to believe, you can go to their websites and find out.
Another unique aspect of American education is its liberal arts colleges. While a liberal arts education is the philosophy itself, a liberal arts college is generally a small, private college that uses a liberal arts curriculum. What contrasts them from larger universities like Harvard is that most of these liberal arts colleges have none or very few graduate programs.
While professors in larger universities such as Harvard might choose to teach only higher-level and graduate courses and might assign their introductory and lower-level classes to Teaching Assistants (who are usually graduate school students,) professors in liberal arts colleges generally pay more time and attention to undergraduate students. So for many students, the quality of education in liberal arts colleges (being able to ask questions and getting individual attention in class, having a small discussion course as opposed to a huge lecture, chatting with professors after class and visiting their houses) is much higher than in large research universities.
Students in the top liberal arts colleges receive an education similar in breadth and depth to the Ivy Leagues. In fact, a higher percentage of students who graduated from liberal arts colleges attend PhD programs than students from large research universities. Notable liberal arts colleges include, but are not limited to: Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Wellesley and Middlebury. Google to find more. While liberal arts colleges aren't all that popular in Malaysia, they are very famous for both the quality of their education and the competitiveness of their graduates in the United States. Some students have turned down Harvard for liberal arts colleges, and you would do well to check them out. Just because you haven't heard of a college doesn't mean that it's not good.
The most important fit for an American education is the intellectual experience. If you aren't sure what you want to major in, or think that you might change your mind half way, then America might be for you. Even if you know what you want to graduate in but want to take other courses as well, a liberal arts education caters for that need, while other systems do not. Perhaps the only students who should not consider an American education are those who absolutely know in what major they want to graduate, and who do not want to dabble with any courses outside their majors.
Fit #2: Student Preferences
America's college system is as diverse as its people. There are many different types of universities, and here is a quick summary of their differences.
While a liberal arts education is distinctive of American higher education, there are also American trade track schools whose students only take courses in their major.
Size can be a concern. If you like small, personalised, discussion based classes, small liberal arts colleges like Macalester and Wesleyan might be your best bet. If you like universities with huge student bodies and lots of people to meet (and date), you might want to consider large universities like the University of Pennsylvania or the University of California, Berkeley.
Another factor to think about is the setting and the region of the university. Would you prefer a rural college far in the woods with spectacular scenery, like Cornell and Dartmouth; or a suburban setting, like Brown; or a university smack right in the city, like New York's Columbia University, or the University of Chicago? Do you want to go to school in the Northeast, where most prestigious universities are, or enjoy the lower cost of living in the Midwest, or live up the surf in California and the West Coast?
Most colleges offer great social scenes, with lots of dynamic and interesting students to talk to and live with. This is true, especially of the international population, who bring with them norm-challenging perspectives and diverse experiences. Most colleges also have a plethora of extracurricular activities to choose from, from sports to debate and music to art.
With plenty of options and variables with which to play around and hundreds of colleges to choose from, it would be hard to not find a university that suits your tastes. There is not much difference in this section between American colleges and other Anglophone countries, save for its liberal arts philosophy and the fact that small undergraduate colleges are very rare outside America.
Fit #3: Finances
Education in America is very, very expensive. Tuition and costs of living combined can reach a sum of USD 45,000 per year in many universities. If your parents can afford that, then good for you. If not, there is still a way to overcome this.
The first and most important requirement: You have to be very, very good. Colleges want students who shine in academics, extracurriculars, and personal qualities.
If you are very, very good, universities might pay for you to come in the form of scholarships, financial aid, grants, and/or loans. This is where the difference between public universities and private colleges come in. Public universities often offer education at a subsidized rate for local (American) students, so the University of Iowa or Kentucky State University may not be able to offer you a substantial scholarship, let alone any financial help at any rate. The American government does not fund tertiary education for international students. Private colleges, on the other hand, have their own endowments to draw from and so may offer more generous financial aid to international students, some of which might even cover annual board and lodging.
The down side is, even if you are very, very good, applying for financial aid might count against you in your college application sometimes there just isn't enough money to go around. It is harder for a college to accept you if you need aid. The "need-blind" Super Six who do not count your financial need against you when you apply are Harvard, Yale,Princeton, MIT, Williams and Middlebury; however, the competition for admissions to these universities is extremely intense. You will be competing against the global crθme de la crθme, a process which is as subjective and uncertain as it is cutthroat.
Another good strategy is to check out the lesser known, but still relatively rich liberal arts universities like Carleton, Pomona, and Bates, who might have less competition for international places.
If you are very, very good, you will, somehow, someway, find a college that will pay for your education.
Conclusion
Going to college in America is a personal choice with personal incentives. Some of the most compelling reasons are because American education is comparatively more flexible and more personal than other countries. Some students like the weather, some like the parties, some like the wonderful spread of extracurricular activities. Others go because they loved the intellectual fit, and fell in love with the liberal arts philosophy. And of course, some come for the scholarships. Ultimately, it is a combination of factors and personal decisions, none of which will be exactly the same for each individual.
So why did I go to university in America? Because my major is Undecided (yes, that's acceptable in applications.) Because I didn't want to be confined to any particular field of study. Because Swarthmore paid for me to come. Because Swarthmore has the prettiest and greenest grass amongst all American colleges. (Seriously, we're a national arboretum.) Because I'm taking courses in Arabic, Economics, Political Science, and History. Because I'm in the Chorus, a Jewish a cappella group, and the Badminton team. Because Swarthmore is small enough (1400 students!), and its debating club rich enough, to send me, as a freshman, to the World Universities Debating Championships 2007 in Vancouver, Canada.
The only reason I'm putting up these pictures is because I like them. July 2005
I won the HELP Law Olympiad for SMK Taman SEA with Karyn, Suk Han, Vino and Vino. Fun stuff.
I was elated, then very quickly became disappointed and took righteous umbrage (by my standards, of course =) ) against the 1950s attitudes of the rigid, undeserving administration: here, here, here, here, and here. Also in class lah, of course.
March - May 2006
I taught Pengetahuan Moral and Sivik (I always said siviks) to the Form 1 and 2 kids in SMK Damansara Jaya.
So I turned down the ASEAN Scholarship to Raffles JC and the subsequent A levels pre-university qualification for all of these. :)
Worth it lah, right? :)
2005 AFS YES Program - Wisconsin, USA HELP Law Olympiad Volunteer work - Bridges EIP SAT II self study US college applications
2006 British Council Young Global Citizens Project - Philippines ESUM Public Speaking Competition Moral and Civics teacher - SMKDJ Debate co-coach - SMKDJ IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for Young Malaysians MPH Search for Young Malaysian Writers
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Btw, the summer project for Malaysia is definitely going to go on.
Actually, Restless Native
and I are in complete agreement with each other on the point that we
are both deeply concerned about, in his words, the utter and complete
lack of transparency and associated accountability of the BN government
machinery. No arguments there at all. We are on the same side.
My contribution to this forum is the assertion that some of the
comparisons with Singapore, Singapore Airlines and Lee Kuan Yew are
inaccurate and unhelpful. All of us admire Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew
for what they have done. I actually live in Singapore and contribute to
their economy although I grew up in Kuala Lumpur. But in discussing the
painful reality of what Malaysia and our government have become, we
need a stronger grasp of the facts accurately so that we can construct
what is best for our country.
For example, I wished that
Restless Native took my point at face value (as a regular traveler who
clocks almost 100,000 miles every year and have letters from them
admitting to terrible failures in service levels even to a first-class
passenger) that Singapore Airlines is not as good as they would like
you to believe. Since Restless Native insists on being more objective
than that, he may wish to note that Singapore Airlines has been sliding
in the rankings in the past two years.
In the most objective of rankings, the Skytrax awards, which is an audit company
and not a magazine that can be skewered by advertising spend by the
airlines, Singapore slid further from fifth to seventh place last
October. Restless Native may even wish to visit the Skytrax website to
read what customers say. As for magazine-based awards, Singapore
Airlines tends to do well in the US-based magazines awards (and even
then lost its long-standing status in Conde Nast) while Cathay and even Malaysia Airlines have been generally doing well in European ones.
This is just one of a number of erroneous perceptions that stand in
the way of the main argument. Singapore and Malaysia have been changing
in incremental steps over the years that some of the perceptions that
we hold from our historical links with Singapore are dangerously not
valid anymore.
I am also against errors on the other side of the argument. Letters to malaysiakini
suggesting that Lee Kuan Yew and his wife had an entire Boeing 747 to
themselves when she was ill was obviously wrong, and so was the
perception that Singapore Airlines crew is pro-white man and
anti-Asian.
Using Restless Natives own narration of his
friends experience in trying to get a charter airline business off the
ground in Malaysia, he is again wrong if he is suggesting that things
would be better for him in a Malaysia that is run Singapore-style.
I
am acquainted with some of the people who originally thought about the
idea of a budget airline here in Singapore sometime in 1999, way before
AirAsia. Although they were well-connected, the Singapore government
essentially said a flat no to them because it simply does not tolerate
any local competition with its state-owned businesses.
I know
that Restless Native and other readers to your newspaper may not
subscribe to my idea of patronage, but honestly, a system of patronage
operates in every single country in the world. Some of the wealthiest
and the most stable countries in the world, including Japan,
Switzerland and the eastern corridors of the United States, have some
of the most opaque, conservative and insidiously corrupt systems of
patronage that we would not want for an emerging country like Malaysia.
The two Singapore-based budget airlines today, Jetstar and
Tiger Airways, were invented only in response to Air Asia, and both are
owned directly and indirectly by Temasek Holdings, the state-owned
investment company. That is how tightly held things are here.
More
recently, I met a Singaporean mortician who told me he couldnt secure
a licence to operate a new funeral parlour because the government here
is planning to enter the same business through NTUC, the
state-sponsored labour union in a year or so. Singapore does not
operate by being original and entrepreneurial. Yes, they have a great
government, but if Restless Natives pilot friends lived in Singapore, they will be accusing the government of being arrogant and high-handed, which they can be.
We
have such a different reality in Malaysia. Anything is boleh where we
have seen many more large entrepreneurial initiatives, including that
of AirAsia, YTL, Maxis and others who have built very good businesses
yes despite the existence of another list of cronies who failed.
The
recent biography of Lim Goh Tong, and how he got permission to build
Genting Highland outlines for Restless Natives friends the process by
which a successful entrepreneur works the patronage system.
We
have to come to terms with the fact that for all our faults, we remain
one of the freest can-do countries in the world and we should not
lose that. In fact, right now, the discussion in education circles in
Singapore is how to create a private school system that can match the
kind that has evolved in Malaysia. Because of the utter failure of our
public education system, we have inadvertently created a very robust
and all-encompassing private education system.
If I can influence the discussion in malaysiakini away
from lets be like Singapore (be careful what you wish for!), I will
also be the first to admit that we do have serious problems. For every
AirAsia, YTL, Maxis and other great Malaysian-born businesses, our
country is strewn with many other failed projects worth billions of
ringgit that make our cities look ugly and our workforce exploited and
going nowhere.
If only our leaders subscribed to integrity as
a core tenant of our nationhood, we have the ingredients to be a very
successful country. Being at the heart of the problem, it is so
difficult to think about how we can extricate ourselves from this
malice.
But weak government is not necessarily a bad thing, as
long as the other arms of the economy are in tact. We saw this in
inner-cities in the US after the 1980s where many of them were very
corrupt and in financial and moral ruin. Somehow a new generation
reacting to the sins of their fathers, was determined to rise out of
it, and we have the energy that we find in cities like Chicago,
Manhattan and Atlanta.
But even as I hope that the process
will work its course, the real danger is that a corrupt government in
todays world is not just ineffective, but a conduit for terrorism and
other manipulative forces that can insidiously tear our country apart.
At this very moment, we are in very grave danger indeed.
Lee
Kuan Yew was a man for his time. I dont see him inspiring todays
young generation with his temper and patronising style. We have to
develop our own mental picture of what our own leader should look like.
Our previous leader did not prepare us for the future and so we are all
left guessing.
The number of exclamation marks is indicative of my excitement.
:)
What REALLY sets this site apart from all the other college application help sites is that while the rest help students in their application, Zinch.com CHANGES the whole application process itself, making it more wholesome, interactive, fulfilling.
AND it gives the colleges a chance at RECRUITING!!! And an avenue for the non Ivy Leagues to really show themselves for who they are!!!
T'was Spring Break, so I went to Princeton with fellow international Swatties Aly and Yimei to visit our mutual friends.
This is my second time there: first time pics here.
Princeton Chapel- 3rd largest college chapel, after Valparaiso University, Indiana, and King's College, Cambridge.
According to legend, the Yalie architect wanted to spite Princeton for building a bigger chapel than Yale, and so included a bulldog (Yale's mascot-symbol) in its orginal design. For some incredible reason, his plans were thwarted and the bulldog now guards proud the sewage pipe.
Thank you for inviting us to the launch of the fifth IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for Young Malaysians.
It is unfortunate that we are not able to make today's ceremony: both
of us are currently studying in America. Joyce Tagal (winner, 2003) is
a sophomore at Yale University, while Andrew Loh (winner, 2006) is a freshman at Swarthmore College.
We have no doubt that being winners of this national essay writing
competition were huge factors in our admissions into our prestigious
schools, and would like to thank all of you once again for this.
We
still vividly remember our visits to the emerald isle of Ireland. Joyce
remembers her chance encounter with Pierce Brosnan at Dublin's best
hotel; Andrew, his visit to Eire's own mini-Versailles, luscious
Powerscourt Gardens. We reminisce about stately, romanesque Dublin
Castle, the blue-green River Liffey, and the splendidly ornate Book of
Kells. Until today, Ireland still remains one of our favourite world
destinations, even though we have both been to many other countries.
But
what is closer to heart than the mere "touristy" activities are the
lessons that we have learnt. In Ireland, both of us met people who have
made careers out of writing: despite the risks, despite the odds. Our
interactions have not only broadened our horizons, but have also
deepened our realisation that there is more to life than just boring
old jobs. That it is important to live with passion and
self-actualisation, and by this principle we have mapped out our
college paths.
We may not be
award-winning authors in the future, but winning this competition has
given us courage. Courage, not only to write, and write well at that,
but also courage to be ourselves. Courage to write, not because we have to, but because we want to. Because we have stories to tell, lessons to share and points to make.
We dare to write for a purpose.
It
is this, we believe, that is the most important contribution of the
IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for Young Malaysians: it has given the
youth of Malaysia courage. Courage to express themselves; freely,
unhindered, bravely. For there has always been an Malaysian underground
writing scene, due to the rigid and conformist syllabus in school. The
dearth of mediums for which to express ourselves has manifested itself
in the burgeoning of blogs on the Internet; our thirst for writing
evident in the sheer number of participants in competitions such as
these! We are glad that there exists this award that recognises
Malaysian talent and individualism and are infinitely grateful to all
who have made this possible.
We also wish to highlight inkyhands.net, an online literary magazine for Malaysian youth by Malaysian youth. Headed by Elizabeth Wong,
herself an IMPAC Dublin finalist, this student driven project, like our
very own competition, aims to challenge the youth to take up their
quills, promote creativity of expression and improve the literary scene
in Malaysia. See how quickly this competition has begun to yield
results?!
To all participants, we
wish you the best of luck. Remember that writing is not only a process
of self-expression, but also a process of self-discovery. We have no
doubts that the 2007 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for Young Malaysians
will be nothing less than a smashing success. This is a great learning
opportunity: Have courage, take heart! Write for a reason, write
because you want to, write for a purpose, and you will not labour in
vain.
Ooo my articlefrom last year's IMPAC Dublin Ireland trip came out. But very shortlah. Plus only one picture! Out of the gorgeous pictures that I took there. Haiya.
I've also included, at the end of this blog post, my long article, old photos from Dublin plus some new photos to incentivize looking at the same photos twice in eight months. Also a joint statement that didn't get published in the papers.
A free trip to Ireland and a chance to meet the winner of the world's biggest literary award was not a bad reward for writing an essay.
By ANDREW LOH ZHU AN
WINNING the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for Young Malaysians last year came as an absolute surprise to me I was already more than satisfied to be shortlisted.
I had never really thought of myself as a writer before but I have now become more confident about exploring a new, exciting field of study. Nevertheless, I was thrilled when I won as it meant my mom and I were going to the emerald green isle of Eire!
We arrived on June 11. The first thing I liked about Ireland was its cool, rejuvenating, I-can-hardly-break-a-sweat-even-if-I-run weather.
We were taken to the posh Morrison Hotel, where we resided for our entire trip. This centrally-located four-star hotel overlooks the River Liffey, which runs through the heart of Dublin City, or Atha Cliath in Irish.
Andrew (right) with John, Britta and award winner Toibin.
Dublin delights
Atha Cliath is a pleasant-sized city: not too big, not too small. Home to about 1.2 million residents, it is the capital of Ireland. A lot of its buildings still retain their original facades, and the city is a fusion of romantic cobblestone streets and Georgian and Edwardian architecture.
I believe that there is a cap on a Dublin building's height at four or five storeys there aren't any skyscrapers in Dublin! This policy preserves the city's cultural and historical atmosphere ancient structures with their flying buttresses, soaring steeples and Romanesque columns seem more prominent this way.
Tourism and immigration have given Dublin a very metropolitan, multicultural feel. Mom and I tried to guess what ethnicity the people we met on the streets were (Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, Polish!), with varying degrees of success.
Dublin is also an extremely walkable city. Everyone walked everywhere! There are traffic lights and pedestrian crossings at almost every junction, and even the waiting periods at these intersections are soothingly short.
The perfect weather definitely made it easy I couldn't resist going out for a stroll in such conditions. (It never once rained when we were there Mom claimed that we brought the sun over from Malaysia!) Truly, the best way to explore Dublin is on foot.
I got to meet the other Young Writers from the United States John Raithel and mom from Rhode Island, and Britta Bell and dad from Connecticut. John had won for his story Perimeters and Britta, for her poem Keeping My Father.
We trotted to Trinity College Dublin for a walking tour and an exhibition of the famous Book of Kells.
The Book of Kells is an ornate, colourfully illustrated medieval manuscript produced by Celtic monks. Intricate artwork and stunningly complex decorations interweave with lavish calligraphy to create an awe-inspiring, breathtaking, almost sacred sight, even to the casual observer.
We then went over to the IMPAC office to have an enjoyable, light, getting-to-know-you session with the illustrious judging panel for the International Literary Award. (They wouldn't tell us who won!)
Literary giants
Did you know that no less than four Irishmen have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, namely William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney?
Not forgetting literary giants Oscar Wilde and James Joyce, Ireland has contributed disproportionately to Western literature.
Because of Ireland's literary heritage, the world's richest book prize the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is held there.
It was there, in Dublin City Hall, where we were among the select few to learn, firsthand, that Colm Toibin had won the award and the ?100,000 for his tour-de-force, The Master. He was the first Irishman to win the award since its inception.
Later, Mom and I went on a walking tour of the city, where we visited, among other Dublin landmarks, the all-imposing Dublin Castle, historic Temple Bar, refreshing St Stephen's Green, and a few ornate, antique churches.
We also attended the celebration dinner for Toibin, where we ate to our hearts content and received complimentary autographed copies of the winning book!
The Young Writers and their parents were escorted to the IMPAC office to meet the newly-crowned Toibin. It was very nice to get to know him personally; Colm was very humble and down-to-earth.
We chatted with him about what it meant to be a writer, and about his experiences as one. His advice: take note of anything that motivates, touches, enrages, discourages, inspires, frightens you. Anything at all for it is your personal experience you draw on when you write.
Next, Judge Eugene Sullivan, the chair of the judging panel and former chief judge of the US Court of Appeals, took us on a tour of the Irish Supreme Court the Four Courts.
There we witnessed a civil hearing, saw some dangerous criminals in handcuffs, talked to an Irish judge, and took in some legal trivia from our affable guide.
Did you know that toilets in courtrooms have a form of ultraviolet lighting to make it next to impossible for people to locate their veins, thus deterring them from committing suicide in the heat of legal action? Now you do!
Football World Cup
On a free day, Mom and I went on a bus tour to the south of Dublin, where we saw dramatic changes in scenery from the flat, sandy beaches to the east and the alternating green hills and rocky mountains to the west.
We went to Powerscourt Gardens, which is this gigantic, hauntingly beautiful, aristocratic estate to the southwest of Dublin. Its main mansion is said to be based on Versailles, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Here we could see endless miles of evergreen forest stretching into the misty horizon. There were also the vast seas of emerald plains for which Eire is so famous for, and that very site was where the movie Braveheart was filmed!
The entire delegation also went to a couple of readings held for the Dublin Writer's Festival, where we listened to several accomplished, internationally acclaimed novelists and poets present an eclectic selection of their work.
That afternoon was also quite an experience, catching the World Cup live from a hotel room in Europe!
The nights I had were reserved for hanging out with John and Britta chatting and joking, alternating between school, life, politics, other deep stuff, and nothing much in particular. I had my first pint of Guinness. It wasn't bad, but comparatively, it's staggeringly thicker than other beers. Surprisingly, even in Guinness' birthplace, beer was quite expensive: ?4 for a pint (500 ml)!
We finally left for London after six days.
I wish to thank IMPAC for making the trip possible and its staff in Dublin: Linda and Tana for taking care of us so well, and Chris and Gorpin for taking us out so often to make sure that we'd get at least one good meal a day!
My trip to Ireland was immensely fulfilling. I definitely see myself going back again. Now, if only they'd change the age limit this year?
A free trip to Ireland for two, a seven day stint at one of the most happening cities in Europe, and a chance to meet the winner of the world's most lucrative literary award not too bad a reward for listening to my mother and staying up late to write an essay on the extended competition deadline itself!
Winning the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for Young Malaysians 2006 came as an absolute surprise to me. I was already more than satisfied to be short listed. Before, I never really thought of myself as a writer; but now, I found confidence to explore a new, exciting field of study. Nevertheless, I was nothing less than thrilled when I won: my mom and I were going to the emerald green isle of Eire!
Dublin Seascape
Day 1
We arrived on Sunday, 11 June. The first thing I liked about Ireland was its weather; its cool, rejuvenating, I-can-hardly-break-a-sweat-even-if-I-run weather. Oh, how I relished the wonderful, perfect breeze bringing life back into my tired, jet-lagged frame. I instantly knew that I was going to like the place.
We were taken to the posh Morrison Hotel, where we were to reside for our entire trip. This centrally-located four-star hotel overlooks the River Liffey, which runs through the heart of Dublin City, or Atha Cliath in Irish.
River Liffey (a bit the dirty one. can see green mold, hehe)
Atha Cliath is a pleasant-sized city; not too big, not too small. Home to about 1.2 million residents, it is the capital of Ireland. A lot of its buildings still retain their original facades, and the city is a fusion of romantic cobblestone streets and Georgian and Edwardian architecture. I believe that there is a cap on a Dublin building's height at four or five storeys there aren't any skyscrapers in Dublin! This policy preserves the city's cultural and historical atmosphere ancient structures with their flying buttresses, soaring steeples and Romanesque columns seem more prominent this way.
Cobblestoned streets
(Look reeeally carefully and you'll see that the streets are strewn with cigarette butts. Dublin is as dirty as Malaysia, but it doesn't feel that way, because of the perfect weather and breeeeeeze.)
Georgian architecture (think red red red brick)
Tourism and immigration have given Dublin a very metropolitan, multicultural feel. Mom and I tried to guess of what ethnicity people we met on the streets were (Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, Polish!), with varying degrees of success.
One thing about Dublin: it is an extremely walkable city. Everyone walked everywhere! There were traffic lights and pedestrian crossings at almost every junction, and even the waiting periods at these intersections were soothingly short. The perfect weather definitely made it easy I couldn't resist going out for a stroll in such conditions. (It never once rained when we were there Mom claimed that we brought the sun over from Malaysia!) Truly, the best way to explore Dublin is on foot.
Four/five storey cap for buildings.
Day 2
I met the other Young Writers John Raithel and mom from Rhode Island, and Britta Bell and dad from Connecticut. John had won for a story he wrote entitled Perimeters, and Britta, a poem called Keeping My Father. We trotted over to Trinity College Dublin for a walking tour and an exhibition of the famous Book of Kells.
Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin
The Book of Kells is an ornate, colourfully illustrated medieval manuscript produced by Celtic monks. Intricate artwork and stunningly complex decorations interweave with lavish calligraphy to create an awe-inspiring, breathtaking, almost sacred sight, even to the casual observer. Striking hues of green, red, purple, gold, pink and blue belie their true age. In the days when paints were painfully expensive and hard to obtain, surely the monks didn't spare any expense in its creation: pigments were acquired from all over Europe; the extraordinarily costly semi-precious blue lapis lazuli was imported from Afghanistan!
We then went over to the IMPAC Office to have an enjoyable, light, getting-to-know-you session with the illustrious Judging Panel for the International Literary Award. (They wouldn't tell us who won!)
Day 3
Did you know that no less than four Irishmen have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, namely William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney? Not forgetting giants Oscar Wilde and James Joyce, Ireland has contributed remarkably, disproportionately to world literature. And for this Irish literary heritage, the world's richest book prize the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is held there.
Poet, Dramatist, Wit: Oscar Wilde lived here
Dublin Coat of Arms. But check out the irony: Flaming castles and obendientia in Dublin.
John, Britta, Me
It was there, in Dublin City Hall, where we were among the selected few to learn, first-hand, that Colm Toibin had won the award and the 100,000 Euros for his tour-de-force, The Master. He is the first Irishman to win the award since its conception.
John, Britta, Colm Toibin, Me
Colm, Me
Actually I won lah.
Later, Mom and I went on a walking tour of the city, where we visited, among other Dublin landmarks, the all-imposing Dublin Castle, historic Temple Bar, refreshing St. Stephen's Green, and a few ornate, antique churches. We would also attend the celebration dinner for Colm Toibin, where we would eat our hearts out and receive complimentary autographed copies of the winning book!
Mom and I, Christchurch Cathedral Dublin
I like the pic mah.
Dublin Castle
Day 4
The Young Writers and their parents were escorted to the IMPAC Office to meet the newly crowned Colm Toibin. It was very nice to get to know him personally; Colm was very humble, very down-to-earth. We congratulated and chatted with him about what it meant to be a writer, and about his experiences as one. His advice: take note of anything that motivates, touches, enrages, discourages, inspires, frightens you. Anything at all for it is from your personal experience that you draw from when you write.
Rubbish!!! Mala = Bag in Irish.
The Four Courts
Next, Judge Eugene Sullivan, the chair of the Judging Panel and former Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals, took us on a tour of the Irish Supreme Court the Four Courts. There we witnessed a civil hearing, saw some dangerous criminals in handcuffs, talked to an Irish judge, and took in some legal trivia from our affable guide. Did you know that toilets in courtrooms have a form of ultraviolet lighting to make it next to impossible for people to locate their veins, thus deterring them from committing suicide in the heat of legal action? Now you do!
Day 5
Today was a free day. Mom and I went on a bus tour to the south of Dublin, where we saw dramatic changes in scenery from the flat, sandy beaches to the East and the alternating green hills and rocky mountains to the West.
We went to Powerscourt Gardens, which is this gigantic, hauntingly beautiful, aristocratic estate to the southwest of Dublin. Its main mansion is said to be based on Versailles, albeit on a much smaller scale. Here we could see endless miles of evergreen forest stretching into the misty horizon. There were also the vast seas of emerald plains for which Eire is so famous for, and that very site was where the movie Braveheart was filmed! C'est magnifique!
The entire delegation went to a couple of readings held for the Dublin Writer's Festival where we listened to several accomplished, internationally-acclaimed novelists and poets present an eclectic selection of their work.
The harp: a symbol of Ireland
That afternoon was also quite an experience, catching the World Cup live from a hotel room in Europe!
The nights I had were reserved for hanging out with John and Britta chatting and joking, alternating between school, life, politics, other deep stuff, and nothing much in particular. I had my first pint of Guinness. It wasn't bad, but comparatively, it's staggeringly thicker than other beers. Surprisingly, even in Guinness' birthplace, beer was quite expensive: 4 Euro for a pint (500 ml)!
Statue of Guinness founder in St Stephen's Green!!!
We left the next day for London.
I wish to thank IMPAC for making this trip so enjoyable for me and my mom. Thank you so much for your flexibility and generosity. Also, another huge thank you to the IMPAC staff in Dublin: Linda and Tana for taking care of us so well, and Chris and Gorpin for taking us out so often to make sure that we'd get at least one good meal a day!
All in all, my trip to Ireland was immensely fulfilling. I definitely see myself going back again. Now, if only they'd change the age limit next year
I LIKE HOW STACYWRITES. There. Pergi baca dia punye - short and sweet.
After a long hiatus, Inkyhandsis finally back and running! It's a new beginning for a new year - but as always, we bring you exciting new voices, and new stories to be told. We know, we know, this issue has been a long time coming - we sincerely hope that you will enjoy it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, remember? Here are some snippets from March, 2007:
Editorial: Notes on a Resurrection by Liew Zhou Hau
I suppose that most would view Inkyhands to have died in absentia, banished into the annals of Internet history without so much as a parting whimper. The past months have been eventful, to say the least, and I won't belabor the cause of our dereliction. What is more curious is rather our reappearance after all, the death of a litmag is fairly common, dependent as it is on the fickle whims of its creators. And given that we all have lives to lead, things to do and never enough time, it seems perfectly natural for Inkyhands to have bade goodbye, unceremoniously...
Editorial: Justifying Malaysian Ways to Man(kind) by Elizabeth Wong
As I'm writing this Editorial, I'm still seething over what happened in my writing seminar a week ago. I wrote a piece focusing on the awkward romantic relationships of teenage years. It was loosely based in Malaysia, except the characters spoke in somewhat watered-down Manglish. Usually, I receive incredibly useful critiques from my fellow participants; this time however...
The Wake by Lee Jia Hui
"How did it happen again?" I was still uncertain of his exact cause of death. Sally shrugged quite indifferently. "I told you," she said with a tone that sounded as if she were being harassed to reveal a dark secret. "He killed himself. Exact method, I haven't been brave enough to ask." Her gaze shifted to the solid mahogany coffin under the tree. "Why don't you go find out?"...
What Colour is the Sky? by Hanae
There is a damp and moist atmosphere in the air. The gentle patter of the rain is quiet, and somehow, comforting. They say I'm strange. Maybe I am. Many people detest the dull grey clouds that fill the sky and constantly drench the world in a gloomy dimness. The city becomes muted in black and white tones. I like the rain. It is soothing, cleansing. I feel like it can wipe away all the sin and blood of this rotting earth....
The Billionaire by Stacy
He owns the tallest building in the city and 96 percent of the company housed in it. He owns the pipe lines under the land that supply gas to the building from his fields in Nevada and the utility lines that deliver electricity. He owns the nineteen hundred people that work beneath him and the twenty thousand others who do not. He read somewhere in Forbes that his assets exceed sixteen billion dollars, and he is not surprised. People in the moderately populated city call him the billionaire; firstly because he is one - the only one in their city, and also because he's not one of them...
Epilogue: Autophagy by Raymond Tan
My hands aren't moving at all.
I stare at the blank sheet of paper, confused. How long had they been that way? In my mind I was still typing, the clatter of the typewriter echoing in my head just at it had echoed three sessions a day in the cell I was in...
Another One of Those ... by Kaput
He grabbed a towel and slipped into the bathroom. The shower was hot. His eyes rolled back as he let the water pummel him. Dipping his head, he let it massage his scalp and plaster his brown hair to his neck and shoulders. He rubbed circles of soap into his chest, stopping momentarily to investigate the red-purple bruises that swirled down his abs. He winced as he touched one of the bruises. Rinsing off, he wrapped his towel around his waist and shoved the door open. His room was cool and he shuddered. He dried himself and threw on a clean shirt and jeans...
Watching the Sunset by Syrkyd. K
It took me a bit of legwork and some mental workouts to finally find her. She was perched on the guardrail of a flyover, staring out into space. I gingerly took a seat beside her.
"Can't you find some better place?" I hollered over the din of the passing traffic...
Cell Fish by Rachel Chan
We chastised them silently for their love of TV, their idle weather chat, their flashy clothes, their superficial lifestyles. We compared them to ourselves, so full of life, so brimming. The filled basin, now brimming. Our exchange peaking as the water rising, threatening to spill over into unwanted crevices. Eyes, mouths, ears. In darkness, lurked unseen evil...
Small Things Go by Chew Tung Shen
The first time Koyo saw the rat, it had been on fire. Crazy doomed vermin, with its tail caught on the joint where the electric cables met the tower support. It had made quite a racket before it died. Surprising for such a small animal...
Read the latest issue of Inkyhands now ( http://www.inkyhands.net)! Do get back to us - we value all kinds of feedback! And remember, we need your submissions to keep Inkyhands alive!
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian students who are experienced debaters are invited to represent the country at the World Schools Debating Championship 2007 in Seoul, South Korea, in July.
An annual event since the early 1990s, the championship will be held from July 2-12 and has proven to be a forum for students from all over the world to exchange ideas and air their views.
The speakers, aged between 14 and 18, can also act as
youth ambassadors, foster friendships and understand each other's cultures and backgrounds.
The Malaysian team will be selected through auditions, to be held on March 10 and 11 between 9am and 6pm at Level Three, Menara Star, 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The speakers will be asked to debate two topics: "This house disapproves of cloning" and "This house would cancel Third World Debt".
Those interested in participating must be 18 years and under as of July 2, 2007.
Students should register their full names, IC number, name of school, e-mail address, handphone number as well as a list of their debating experience in 100 words or fewer with The Star at e-mail msd@thestar.com.my or via fax at 03-7957 7641 by 5pm on Wednesday.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the auditions.
This event is jointly organised by the English Speaking Union of Malaysia and The Star.
