You’d be mistaken to think that May Nakabayashi, or May’N, is just another in a constant proliferation of new singers. In fact, you’re looking at Japan’s latest pop diva.
People
It began life as a small shop on 21 Upper East Coast Road with a full repertoire of just 5 different types of bread and hardly enough stock to fill the shelves with. Today, it is a 15-strong chain of cafés specialising in organic breads and pastries that are freshly hand made every day. (Read more)
Trick or treat!
Halloween is here once more and what’s makes for a bashing Halloween party has got to be all that yummy candy (apart from laughing at your friend’s zombie outfit of course)!
While you stuff yourself silly with all those sugary treats, has it crossed your mind that what you just pop into your mouth might not be as innocent as it seems? After all with the recent melamine scandal, you can’t be too cautious right?
Apart from the ongoing melamine issue, let’s not forget how the salmonella contamination of pastries late last year where several hundred customers suffered food poisoning after eating tainted cakes. This led to bakery chain having to cease operations to review production standards and its parent company receiving a $5,000 fine.
You had your daily morning fix of corn flakes today? Well, that could have very well been made from Genetically Modified (GM) corn. GM crops are different from regular crops in that they have been biologically enhanced by scientists to possess greater resistance against pest and diseases while producing higher yield. It is still unknown what effects the long-term consumption of food made from GM crops can cause to the body.
So many ingredients and processes go into making our food these days that sometimes even reading the labels might not tell the full story.
With the recent spew of food scares and ongoing concern about GM food, are youths at all concern about what they put into their mouths? Urbanwire went out to the streets and sought the opinion of some youths.
This was what they had to say:
Do you share the same thoughts as those featured in the video? Whatever your opinions, we would like to hear from you so do drop us a comment below.
Next week, America will be going to the polls and a new President will be elected. So will it be Obama or McCain who will lead the charge for the next four years? And what would be the reactions of Singaporean youths to the results? Check back next week to find out!
What Say You? is a three-part series produced by Elliyani Mohamad and Hoong Wei Long. It will attempt to showcase what this generation of Singaporean youths really cares about and has to say on various topics like foreign politics, the arts and global issues.
Should I pop that Made In China candy into my mouth?
Is anything safe to eat anymore?Obama or McCain?
Do we know who’s the “better choice”? Do we care?Are local bands inferior to their Western counterparts?
Are we willing to support our homegrown musicians with our wallets?
An overseas call to India and an entire script that was written between 9pm and 4am isn’t exactly what most would term a magical start to making a movie. (Read more)
Fearless – That was how a Wayne Wang enthusiast described the 59-year-old during a recent public lecture presented on Oct 11.
Certainly, there seems to be no mistake about that, given this man’s seemingly reckless but equally admirable spirit to go guns blazing into the big and small of the movie world, as he huffs and puffs his way through a colourful portfolio of low-budget independent films and Hollywood studio hits.
(Read more)
Relationships often harbour raging emotional turbulences that fling lovers into the depths of depression and the soaring heights of ecstasy—dramatic episodes that distract people from what’s truly happening.
Albert Tiong explores these situations in his Checkmate, a dance piece commissioned by da:ns Festival 2008. The choreographer tells us more about his work that promises to “push the limits of agility”.
He is your quintessential tough guy. The shorn head and expansively tattooed limbs hint at a man who is disciplined, tenacious, and possessed of an unwavering dedication to what he does – (Read more)
Here’s new way to deal with your inner Hulk. MOHSEN OLIVER MICHAEL puts on his gloves and finds out the truth
PHOTOS BY: Alexis Lee & Airell Ang
Anger.
We all have our own ways to deal with it. Some meditate, some take deep breaths and count slowly to 10, while a few others will resort to squeezing stress balls. But will you follow the path of some and join the Society of Martial Arts Research and Science (SMARS) – a club similar to the one found in the 1999 Hollywood movie Fight Club? (Read more)
The average gambler is not a middle-aged person with a PSLE cert. He is younger, bets bigger, and loses more. SHIRINDERJIT KAUR reports.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewee
The first thing that Aloysius does when he gets out of bed is to head straight to his computer and log on to his favourite on-line betting site. The 23-year-old can easily spend up to 90 minutes analysing the stakes on the international sports scene.
“I’ll sit in front of the computer without even brushing my teeth. And I’ll start to go through all the games being played for the day, right from ice hockey to basketball and my favourite, football,” he says. But the betting hasn’t started.
How it works
After noting down the important games being played in the day, Aloysius will have a phone conference with his betting buddies. Everyone provides his feedback on his specialised area.
He says, “I’ve always been passionate about football. So it’s never difficult for me to guess which team will win or which player might score for a particular match. ”
Aloysius can place just a dollar stake on 10 games and get a return of $1,000, that is, if the team wins. “I tend to get carried away once I win,” he says.
“I might start betting on more matches with a larger sum of money and sometimes I even bet on matches that I barely know about,” he says.
How it begins
According to reports in The Straits Times in May, an average gambler starts gambling even before the age of 18. And Aloysius is a model example. Since a child, he has been accompanying his father to Singapore Pools and when he was 18, he started playing 4-D “I don’t remember my father explaining to me that what I was doing was wrong. He actually helped me to place my first bet,” he recalls.
Indeed, sociologists note that betting is actually taking on the form of a recreational habit. According to sociologist Paulin Straughan, who was interviewed by The Straits Times, buying 4-D and Toto is routine here. “It is increasingly seen as normal behaviour and people don’t see any harm in such activities. So they’re less likely to tell their loved ones not to engage in such activities,” she says.
By the time he turned 21, he turned to online betting, which he calls a “cheap” thrills.
Why bet online?
Many more people are betting online, thanks to numerous online betting websites. In addition are the online communities where newbies learn the “skills’” that go into placing the right stakes.
According to AsiaOne Business website ), online gamblers have the tendency to bet in larger sums thinking that they’ll use the extra money that they’ve won to place another bet.
So, imagine Holland matching up against Wales: For Holland to win, the standard amount to start bidding is $1.33. If a gambler bets $100 on Holland, he wins $133 and makes a profit of $33. And if Holland loses, he loses $100. The $33 can be used for another bet.
Many are tempted to play bigger sums. If the gambler uses a credit card, the damage tends to be worse. “And there is a risk that one has to get loans to pay up,” says Aloysius.
Right now, according to Professor David Chan of the National Council on Problem Gambling , though there is no increase in gambling addiction over the past three years, he told The Straits Times, the council intends to reach out to more schools with trained counselors to tell students about the dangers of youth gambling.
Even Aloysius is feeling the heat.
He says, “I feel a little guilty after seeing how addicted my young cousin has became to online betting. It is eating into his savings. I am trying to correct his idea that betting is investing. But I just hope I can do it before he uses all his savings.”
Treat yourself to a well-deserved holiday, planned entirely by yourself. Joyce See shows the way.
More Singaporean youths are travelling independently and loving it.
Timothy Ong, 19, an Information Technology graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, planned his fi rst trip to Bangkok when he was 17.
Timothy says, “It helps to travel with people who have travelled on their own before.”
Similarly, Singapore Polytechnic graduate Felicia Chow, 21, first made an independent trip with her
friends to Bangkok when she was 16.
Four girls in a foreign land certainly don’t paint a very safe picture. “Tourist-friendly places generally are quite safe. But when my group split up, I always make sure I’ve got at least one other person with me,” says Felicia.
Managing your dollars and cents
For those who are planning your first trip, here are some details on how much you have to set aside.
Timothy opts for online bookings for both hotels and flight tickets. He estimates spending $320 on a two-way plane ticket and accommodation for his week-long Bangkok trip.
Felicia spent $560 on a two-way plane ticket and accommodation for a five-day trip to Hong Kong. She was shocked at what her backpacker’s inn had to offer. “What you pay is what you get,” she says.
More detailed planning is needed.
Low Lai Chow, 26, editor of Youth.SG, recently backpacked across Europe herself. “Research” and “blending in” are the two musts on a trip. “Try to get in touch with locals, of friends or virtual travel communities before you leave home. Check if they can bring you around or advise you,” she suggests.
Lai Chow continues, “As long as you do your research, avoid war zones, have common sense and etiquette for the local customs and culture of wherever you’re going, you should fare pretty well. It might not be as glam as touring Europe but it’s intriguing nonetheless.”
Brian Lim, who visited Beijing in April on a study trip, discovers that China’s capital has been transformed from a backward place to a sprawling metropolis with the advent of the Beijing Olympics 2008.
It was my first time stepping into China and I expected Beijing to be a place of rich cultural and historical significance as it served as China’s capital since the Ming and Qing dynasties. The April chill greeted us, four lecturers and 40 students from the Ngee Ann Polytechnic School of Film & Media Studies, as we embarked on a study trip to produce a coffee-table book, a Chinese Opera website and several documentaries.
But as the plane touched down on the tarmac, I was struck by the new Terminal 3 of the Beijing Capital International Airport. It is a structure of astounding proportions, a sleek creation of glass, steel and aluminium, with skylights riding along the spine; all details that are vaguely reminiscent of a Chinese dragon.
The grandeur of Terminal 3 mirrors that of the famous Forbidden City, as its design and decoration features many traditional Chinese elements. Even the giant copper vats we saw in the Forbidden City used to store water for fire fighting made an appearance in the terminal.
Sir Norman Foster, a renowned British architect, specially designed it to handle the expected traffic for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games in August. It is China’s gargantuan gateway to the rest of the world, and it marks the start of a new era for China.
That was our entrance into Beijing as we stepped through customs (where we’re now pointed to the “Foreigners” queue, not “Aliens”). On the way to the hotel, we had our first look at Beijing. If we were expecting rickety rickshaws and dull buildings, we were sorely disappointed.
The capital is dotted with signs of a mega plan to give the city a new look. Old buildings are taken apart to make way for newer ones. In Wangfujing, a popular place for shoppers where we spent a few hundred (some even a few thousand) yuan, construction sites are promising signs of even more merchandise.
Their transport systems have also been upgraded. Since 2004, another Ring Road (their sixth so far) was added, together with a batch of major expressways to facilitate traffic movement during the Olympics. Three more subway lines are set to open by August, making it a total number of eight subway lines.
And while the Great Wall of China is a famous attraction (we visited the Badaling section, within the municipality of Beijing) winding 4.8km over rolling mountains, the subways were an equally impressive construction as 142km of tracks snake beneath the city.
Much to my amusement, I found that even people who have lived in Beijing for over two years have to consult maps. Their transport system is simply too big to navigate from memory! Our routes had to be planned before we stepped out of the hotel or we ran the risk of being lost (which is not a funny thing when you’re in Beijing).
There are other changes tourists will surely appreciate – the toilets are generally cleaner, smoking has been banned in most public places and the signs in English are less “humourous” (“No Speaking Handphones on the Great Wall” made many of us chuckle).
Perhaps the most enthralling thing about Beijing is the blend of old and new. Whether you’re looking for the cultural or the contemporary, there’s something to appreciate. Even with the economic burst and rapid expansion Beijing retains much of its old charm, and it’s evident in almost every facet of the city. Hou Hai, primarily a nightlife district, is an attraction for many local youths. There are so many pubs and bars to choose from that we were spoilt for choice. But within the same district, traditional hutong are open for public tours.
And the many cinemas that bring in blockbuster hits are a sharp contrast to the more traditional places of entertainment – Beijing has a number of theatres dedicated to Chinese Opera, and a few of us had a taste of the various opera types (together with acrobats and magic) in Lao She Cha Guan, a famous teahouse where performances are held.
I came home with a new impression of Beijing as a place of intrigue. The Olympics has spurred China to put its best foot forward, and come the grand opening of the Games in August, the world will see its remarkable metamorphosis into a cosmopolitan metropolis.
In recent times, the numbers of young drivers getting involved in serious road accidents are on the rise. AARON CHONG and HE RUI MING delve into the psyche of a youth speedster
*names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewee
Speedy* who has been driving his family car since he was 18 years old, received his first car as a present for his 22nd birthday from his parents last year.
Since then, he has been zooming down local highways at average speeds of 160 km/h. The avid motor-racing fan has also tried his hand at “racing with anyone” whom he thinks is going fast.
Although Speedy claims that he is a good driver and knows the dangers of speeding, he says, “I only speed when the situation allows it – when the roads are clear, and most importantly, when no traffic police is patrolling.”
Hui Ting, 19, one of Speedy’s passengers, recounts her “hair-raising experience”, in his car. A motorcycle nearly toppled over from behind when Speedy drove too quickly in the same direction.
She complains that drivers like him “don’t warn others of his intentions and irresponsibly place other motorists in danger”.
Speedy is one of an increasing number of young speedsters on the roads of Singapore. Fortunately for the 23-year-old, he hasn’t been involved in any accidents so far. He claims, “I get a sense of adrenaline rush and love the feeling of going fast.”
Not so lucky warehouse supervisor, Regan Lee Da Wen, was charged three years ago with causing the death of Angelia He Xueli due to reckless driving. Regan was driving a Mazda MX-5 convertible that flipped over along Upper Paya Lebar Road and slammed into a van.
Not all young drivers are able to cheat death.
A May 4 article in The Straits Times this year reveals that Singapore has one of the worst road-fatality records among developed countries. In 2005, there were 2.3 deaths for every 10,000 vehicles as compared with 0.8 in Japan, 1.2 in Australia And 1.8 in the United States. In 2006, Singapore’s road-fatality rose to 2.4 deaths for every 10,000 vehicles.
In one AsiaOne Motoring article , statistics from the Traffic Police showed that 250 of the 1,283 drivers injured in accidents in 2006 - or nearly one in five - were below the age of 30. Regarding fatal cccidents, nearly one in three was under 30 years.
Says Mr Joshua Tan, 29, counsellor and family life executive at Care Community Services , “There might be a growth spurt of hormones in their bodies that cause them to push their limits. Young adults are also in the stage of their lives where they want to find their identity and their place in the world.”
Mr Tan advises, “Young adults should not assume that they can do anything.” He says that they need is to “learn to take a step back, [and] weigh the pros and the cons.”. More importantly, young adults should “think of how their actions will affect others“.
Ultimately, promoting better road safety through campaigns, having tighter traffic controls and stiffer punishments will only achieve so much. The onus is still on the individual to be accountable to himself and the well being of those around him.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
The statistics tell a grim story – for the last five years, over 40 percent of road fatalities were motorcyclists. In 2007 alone, 103 out of 214 road-users killed were motorcyclists and their pillion riders.
As the traffic police set up the Motorcycle Task Force (MTF) in a bid to continue their quest to make the roads safer for Singapore’s most vulnerable motorists, many gung-ho youths are still hopping onto motorcycles.
The Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC) notes that the majority of motorcycle learners are youths. On average, 159 students turn up at the doors of SSDC to sign up each month. SSDC claims that the number has been decreasing slightly, but it is still too early to tell.
The dangers of riding a motorcycle are obvious - a rider is totally unprotected in the event of an accident. As a result, they are easily injured when compared to their car-driving brethren. When it comes to head-on collisions, they are almost guaranteed a gruesome demise.
This is made worse when taking a motorcycle’s small size into account. Many accidents happen because many larger vehicles fail to notice the motorcycles due to their blind spots.
Concerned parents are quickly seeing the vehicle as a fast track to death.
Maxine Tan, 19, ceased her motorcycle lessons this year after her father decided that the life of a rider was too hazardous for his daughter.
“I was disappointed but I stopped so that he could stop worrying about me,” she laments.
Parents aren’t the only ones thinking twice about letting youths get on the two-wheeled, supposed machines of death.
“No seat belt, no windscreen…one hit and it’s over,” says Patrick Tan, a 20-year-old National Serviceman (NS man) who has been driving a car for a year. Safety is the reason behind his choice of transport.
However, not everyone shares his sentiments. Keith Tan, a 21-year-old NS man currently getting a bike licence, says, ”For someone like me who isn’t working full time yet, a motorcycle is more affordable.”
A brand-new Nissan March would cost around S$57,000, probably way out of league for any regular student. Yet, for a relatively low sum of S$5,000, one is granted access to a wide catalogue of motorcycles. A second-hand can cost as low as $1,600.
Convenience is also a major factor. Scott Ng, 25, who has been riding a bike for seven years, will tell you that whether or not traffic jams exist, a bike can cut through them like a knife through butter.
In addition, a motorcycle provides you with an experience that is hard to replicate. With the wind in your hair and the sound of the engine roaring, you will find it hard to have a dull moment on a bike.
Though riding a motorcycle does have its perks, it is undeniable that riders are exposed to countless dangers. This is especially true for the young and inexperienced. More than half of motorcycle accidents often involve riders with less than five months’ experience.
What makes this worse is the tendency of young riders to fall under an illusion of invulnerability. This, coupled with the fragile bodies of motorcycles, makes the possibility of death among these budding motorists all too real on Singapore’s roads.
Still, this fails to dishearten some motorcyclists. Since the start of this year, 731 new motorcycles have hit the road.
Perhaps Keith speaks for them when he says, “Anyone can die anywhere. As long as I take the necessary precautions and do my part in being a responsible road-user, I have nothing to fear.”
With more elderly folk dominating ‘the clean scene’, SHEEREEN TEO believes that it’s time to start reminding one another to “clean up” after ourselves.
Let’s face it: We’ve all been on the receiving end of the tirade of dissatisfaction heaped upon us from our elders especially when it comes to cleaning up.
The phrase “You young people these days ah!” would probably sound familiar to most of us. And they probably would have every right to make such a comment. Why? Because our current generation have turned into brats who need to be reminded about the basics of helping to keep the environment clean and to clean up after themselves.
For instance, 17-year-old Marianne Chee, a first year student studying in Singapore Institute of Management University (UNISIM) , has this to say: “They (cleaners) are paid to do it, so why not just let them do it?”
Young Singaporean live in a society where there will always be cleaning “aunties” and “uncles” picking up after us and for certain households. Many also have a domestic helper who does every single house chore you can possibly think of. A sense of complacency and the “I-Can’t-Be-Bothered” attitude that is increasingly prevalent among our youths. A former discipline mistress of Hwa Chong Junior College , Ms Kok Wan Yee, 48, says, “Every generation of teenagers will be spoilt. They’re just spoilt in different ways. For this generation, their “It’s-all-about-me” attitude is what’s a major problem.”
A quick check with all the local polytechnics reveals that four out of the six schools employ janitors and cleaners, a large majority who are above the age of 55 years old. The practice of returning one’s cutlery and playing a part in keeping the school clean has more or less been abandoned because of the steady supply of cleaners who keep our school’s surroundings clean.
A representative of one of the cleaning companies employed by a vast majority of tertiary institutions that requested for both her identity and the company’s to be withheld, explains that most people view cleaner jobs as “lowly” professions for the old or uneducated. A school janitor, 56, who only wished to be identified as Mr Tan, says, in Mandarin, that while he had no bad experiences so far, he admits that he found youths “lazy” and “inconsiderate” at times. He adds, “Cleaning up (school areas) in the morning is the most tiring. You will see all the rubbish littered everywhere.”
It is a harsh and upsetting fact that these sefless “unsung heroes” are paid peanuts for the amount of work that they do. According to statistics from The Straits Times ,part-time cleaners only earn $500 a month while full-time cleaners earn $1000 a month. Another cleaner who only wanted to be known as Mdm Kalarani, 67, says, “I take this job because I don’t have any other skills and I only have primary six education.”
According to Mdm Kalarani, she has “cleaned everything from vomit to used sanitary pads to bloodstains to rotting leftover food”. Sadly, she has never seen an increase in her pay. In fact, she adds that with the recent inflation, she has had to scrimp and save even more.
Nur Liyana Ya’acob, 19, a final year student from Singapore Polytechnic confesses that she feels “sinful and guilty” when she sees elderly cleaners, “especially those who can barely walk straight” struggling to perform their cleaning duties. However, she believes that some of them choose to take up such jobs out of their own free will. Some youths, like Esther Teo, 20, a first year National University of Singapore student, echoes Nur Liyana’s sentiments and readily admits that today’s youths “have it much easier than our elders”.
Much depends on the role models young people here, it seems.
What do parents have to say about this issue? Mrs Gladys Chong, 53, private tutor and mother of two teenage daughters, believes that her girls “learnt it the hard way” after she and her husband have discontinued the employment of domestic helpers five years ago. “In the beginning, I had to constantly keep nagging and reminding them. Now, I don’t even have to tell them twice because they are much more responsible and sensible when it comes to cleaning up.”
Mdm Hapifah Bte Arshad, 54, a cashier at a local convenience store, believes that parents should set good examples so that their children will learn the right things. “Manners matter. If your children see you saying ‘thank you’ after a cleaner has cleaned your table, they will naturally follow. It’s important to remember that children mimic parents’ behaviour”.
Mrs Pamela Tay, 58, a nurse, hopes that youths will be more appreciative and thankful towards our cleaners. “Singapore owes its ‘Clean and Green City’ title to them.
Latest in this category
The Test Is In The Pudding
Ervin Liu, November 14, 2008What’s In Your Sweets?
Wei Long Hoong, October 31, 2008What Say You?
Wei Long Hoong, October 29, 2008Film Magic
Ervin Liu, October 20, 2008On a whirlwind with Wayne Wang
Kenneth Cheong, October 14, 2008
Advertisement
