December 2012 • Issue 4www.sji.edu.sg

LUMENT H E S T J O S E P H ’ S I N S T I T U T I O N M A G A Z I N E

Once a Josephian...

... always a Josephian

LUMEN | THE ST JOSEPH’S INSTITUTION MAGAZINE

The LUMEN TeamAdvisorsMalcolm Wong & Rachel Tan

EditorsDaisy Chia & Lim Boon Siang

Design & ProductionJerry Tan (Paschal East Design)

We welcome your input/feedback. Write to usat contact@sji.edu.sg subject: LUMENLumen is a publication of St Joseph’s Institution, Singapore. © 2012SJI. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopy, recording or any information storage or retrievalsystem, without the permission of the copyright owner.

Errata: In the July issue of LUMEN Russell Yiptopped his cohort academically in SecondaryOne and not Hubert Yeo as reported.

Lumen is Latin for light or lamp. Italso means clearness andunderstanding.

We hope this magazine will throwlight on the people, programmes,and philosophy of SJI.

Whether you are a student, ateacher, a parent, an old boy, or justsomeone who supports the school,may what we have to say help youunderstand the school and what itstands for and perhaps shed a littlemore light onto your path on thejourney that is life.

Contributors

Contents

1 | LIM BOON SIANG (Pages 6-7)Boon Siang, an English teacher, is passionate about nurturing the young and building their

resilience. She reports on the inaugural ArtScience Prize that was launched on our very ownpremises as well as provides us with an exclusive interview with Mr ArtScience himself, Professor David Edwards.

1 | From the Editors2 - 5 | SJI Behind the Lens6 - 7 | ArtScience

8 - 11 | Boys! Welcome Home to our 160th Dinner12 - 13 | The Simple Life: Friar John Paul

14 -15 | In Conversation With Edwin Tong16 -17 | Living the Josephian Spirit: Danny Yong

18 -19 | Shaping Culture: Nicholas Fang

20 | Athlete with Zeal: Raymond Scott Lee

21 | First Year Josephians22 | My Role as a Female Lasallian Educator: Anne Loh

23 | Journey to Cambodia24 | Visits that Stirred My Heart

2 | CHAN GUET HAR (Page 8-11)As the Programmes Manager, Guet Har is also involved in corporate communications.Despite being relatively new to the school, she managed to convey the story of the 160thAnniversary Dinner with her choice of photos and quotations by alumni.

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4 | MARC ONG, DYLAN RAJ SINGH AND NOAH LIM (Page 14-15, 18-19)Marc, Dylan and Raj from class 204 are all passionate about sports, albeitdifferent ones. They jumped at the opportunity to apply their language abilityby interviewing two alumni involved in Singapore politics: Mr Nicholas Fangand Mr Edwin Tong.

6 | DAISY CHIA (Page 20)Daisy Chia has been with SJI for 19 years. With every class she teaches, she hopes the

boys are inspired to love and enjoy the English language. She highlights athleteRaymond who is driven not just in running but other areas of his life.

5 | RACHEL TAN (Pages 12-13)A journalist by profession and parishioner at St Mary of the Angels, Rachel thought herLasallian links were distinctly limited to old friends who introduced her to Man United andBritish Pop but has since realised, post-interview with her parish priest, Fr John-Paul Tan, thatthe influences stretch much further and deeper.

7 | P MARAKATHAM (Page 21)

Interacting with the youngest members of school, the Secondary One students from class 112Mara catches a glimpse of their Josephian experience.

3 | TIMOTHY WONG, LEE YI (Page 16-17)With a combination of passion and a goal for excellence, both Timothy and

Lee Li embraced the opportunity to interview Mr Danny Yong a leader in thefield of investment. 3

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8 | ANNE LOH (Page 22)Anne joined the school as Vice Principal just 2 years ago but makes it a point to remember

every staff member’s birthday with a gift and a greeting. Her article is apersonal reflection after attending a symposium on Lasallian Women.

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8 | JOSEPHINE WEE (Page 24)

A dog lover and a caring teacher, Josephine goes through some soul searching after her visitsto members of the Handicapped Welfare Association and pens her thoughts down.8

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On the cover: A group of old friends,alumni who gathered with over 2 200other Josephians to celebrate 160 years ofLasallian education in SJI.

1MESSAGE | LUMEN

From the

We continue to commemorate SJI’s

160th Anniversary with this last issue

for 2012. For the cover, we chose to

use a photo of old friends, our alumni, taken

during the 160th dinner celebration themed:

'Boys! Welcome Home to our 160th Dinner.'

SJI is not about mere buildings and

programmes but about the boy who is ‘once a

Josephian always a Josephian’ - that is the very

heart of Lasallian education in SJI. Thus it

doesn’t matter if the Josephian is all but 63, 90 or

16 years of age; what is important is each

Josephian continues to live up to the ethos of the

school and be man of integrity and also for

others.

Hence in this issue you will catch glimpses

of the 160th Dinner where both the young and

old gathered to pay tribute to their alma mater

and renew ties. Josephians past and present are

also featured: Mr Danny Yong, highly regarded

as a ‘leading macro thinker and star trader’

reveals what it is to be a man driven by passion

and having the propensity to return to society,

both Member of Parliament Mr Edwin Tong and

Nominated Member of Parliament Mr Nicholas

Fang share with us the concerns that hold a

special place in their hearts and the changes they

hope to see. From the religious perspective,

Friar John-Paul Tan tells us what it means to

devote his life to God from a young age while

athlete extraordinaire, Raymond Scott Lee

provides us with an insight into the life of a

sportsman.

We have also captured the experiences of

Secondary Ones namely that of Class 112 as

they journey together during this academic year

and included reflections from staff Anne Loh

and Josephine Wee, and student Kennard

Chin on various issues.

We hope you would have noticed a greater

involvement of students in this issue especially in

writing the articles. That is the direction LUMEN

hopes to proceed where gradually LUMEN will be

a predominantly student-run project with minimal

supervision from the staff.

Ora et Labora!

Editors

2 LUMEN | EVENTS

SJI behind The Lens

ExuberanceCharging ahead to reach the finish line atthe SJI Cross Country on 8 August 2012.

Photo by Tan E-Liang (421)

Jubilation

TenacityThe will to fight it till the end during theOrtega Cup - the annual SJI-RI soccertournament challenge on 13 July 2012.

Photo by Joachim Ong (421)

NPCC cadets tossing their peak caps in the airmarking the end of the 160th AnniversaryParade on 7 July 2012.

Photo by Yee Shao Jie (426)

captured by SJI students and staff

3EVENTS | LUMEN

For more news on what’s happening at SJI and

our alumni, log on towww.sji.edu.sg (News)

FriendshipStrong ties that bond even during the Secondary 1 Canoeing Contact Time on 18 October 2012.

Photo by Mr Michael Poh

ExperientialNoel Png (306) attempting to till the land for planting rice ona Secondary 3 International Education journey to Los BanosPhilippines in late May 2012.

Photo by Mr Kelvin Tan

4 LUMEN | EVENTS

NostalgiaTurning back the hands of time to when

teachers were students during the Teachers’Day Celebration on 30 August 2012.

Photo by Zachary Ong (Class of 2010)

Friendship

Long lasting bonds that have been forged throughfour years of being in SJI evidenced on the facesof the graduating Secondary 4s during theirFarewell Assembly on 27 September 2012.

Photo by Bryan Lim (425)

5EVENTS | LUMEN

SolidarityA mass of hair collected after heads wereshorn to support children suffering fromcancer at the Hair for Hope 2012 on 10 July.

Photo by Christopher Low (333)

AestheticsA time to showcase our students’

musical and artistic talents for all toenjoy from 15 – 19 October 2012.

Sean Chen Jiale (106) displays hismusical repertoire.

Photo by Mrs Arlene Chan

6 LUMEN | EVENTS

The inaugural Singapore ArtScience Prize organised by SJI sawflowering ideas crystallise into innovations that hopefully wouldtransform the world and improve how we live. This, in essence,captures the volatile energy and the infinite possibilities IDEA 2012,held on 2 June in SJI, in celebration of the possibilities of ideas.

The

The Singapore ArtScience Prize, graced by

Mr Phillip Yeo, Chairman of SPRING

Singapore, saw the convergence of

Professor David A. Edwards, founder of Le

Laboratoire and Art Science Lab and other

accomplished professionals including Professor

Stave Dixon, President of LaSalle College of the

Arts, Dr Shawn Hoon, Research Engineer at

A*STAR and Associate Professor Wolfgang

Mueller-Wittig, Director, Fraunhofer IDM at NTU.

The sharing by these experts in their field was a

mind-opener, wowing the 400-strength audience

in the Performing Arts Centre with new

perspectives, concepts and proximity to the

frontiers of modern science.

IDEA 2012 also featured student teams with

young and confident innovators presenting their

ideas to a panel of judges, who were impressed

with the high quality of the students’ products.

For emerging at the top of their league at the

inaugural Singapore ArtScience Prize with their

exceptional headphone idea, the SJI team

comprising Hubert Yeo (303), Jonah Tan (303),

Edwin Lim (312), Jeremy Soh (311) and

Christopher Low (303) was rewarded with a

week-long trip to Paris. Participants unanimously

agreed that the learning derived from their

involvement in the inaugural Singapore Art

Science Prize was beyond imagination.

Singapore ArtScience

PrizeBy Lim Boon Siang

7EVENTS | LUMEN

An exclusive interview withProfessor David A. Edwards,Founder of Le Laboratoire, Paris,France, Founder of Art Science Laband Professor of the Practice ofBiomedical Engineering, HarvardUniversity.

Q.Art and Science are considered as twoseparate entities by many who see theircoexistence as paradoxical. How do youmarry the two to achieve a quantum leapin learning?

We have come to understand art and science

as certain kinds of outcomes of creative process.

To simplify, art is the painting on a wall, and

science is Einstein’s theory of relativity. Frequently

however we speak of art and science as processes,

implied when we speak of practising art and

practising science. Conventionally these creative

processes are imagined to be as distinctive as the

outcomes we point to. The artist apparently follows

a kind of “esthetic method”, by which we mean a

process that is guided by intuition induction,

comfortable by uncertainty, driving with ambiguity,

etc. Science is presumably guided by scientific

methods, which is deductive analytical, capable of

simplifying a complex world to resolvable

hypotheses, etc. What has fascinated me as a

creator and eventually as an educator is that artists

and scientists in their highest performing

capacities do not follow these rigid guidelines at

all, and in fact follow a process that, in its most

critical moments, is essentially the same.

This process is both, inductive and deductive,

analytical and imaginative, comfortable with

uncertainty and capable to frame problems and

pursue hypotheses. This process, which of course

is the essence of creativity, has increasingly been

pushed out of our educational cultural and

industrial institutions as we have specialized

knowledge and human activity along these sharp

art and science lines (and many other lines by the

way.)

I have introduced this word artscience to

shine a light on the universality of the creative

process so that we may discover how to reintegrate

into our institutions.

Q. How does ArtScience prepare studentsof today for the world tomorrow? Whatessential 21st century skills does thisprogramme cultivate in our learners?

Classical Education tends to teach students

how to fill blank pages with answers to establish

questions that relate to a world we understand.

However in the 21st century reality of human

civilization we frequently we understand much less

than we would like. Tomorrow is perhaps more

mysterious than it has ever been. This can be

frightening, or it can actually be quite exhilarating.

We need to be helping students confront the blank

page that society as a whole confronts in virtually

every domain of human activity today. As they

learn to fill that page with original questions and

personal answers that address the contemporary

reality (the needs, the opportunities) they learn,

necessarily to listen to those around them with

critical information, to empathize with those in

need, to collaborate with those who are essential to

defining the questions and obtaining the answers

these are precisely the kinds of skills our

companies and museums and schools and

governments are anxiously seeking in their leaders

of tomorrow. As students come to see the change

that is effective by their “artscience” process, i.e.

the ability to imaginatively fill that blank page with

relevant questions and deductively pursue

answers, they gain confidence in their ability to

create tomorrow and the fear of the unknown

becomes the greatest motivation.

Q. What metaphor or object would youuse to encapsulate the beauty ofArtScience? Why?

Wind. What is very intriguing about the wind

is that it has no meaning without movement. Wind

is a source of power, of change, and of life itself.

Wind is universal crosses all boundaries of

cultural and language, and, quite incredibly,

continues to defy the best of minds and of

machines .The wind without human intuition is

hard to foresee and without human science

impossible to predict.

Q. What continues to fuel your passion forArtScience?

I really cannot conceive of my life outside of

the creative process. My relationship to the world,

to my family and friends are all embraced to this

idea, which is of course the idea of artscience

itself.

Q. What do you hope to achieve throughyour lecture on ArtScience?

To inspire.

Facing page (top): Professor Edwards enthralling hisaudience

Facing page (bottom): Participants from Anderson Secondary

This page (top): Professor Edwards engaged in a discussion

This page (bottom): Edwin, Jonah, Hubert, Jeremy andChristopher bagging the ArtScience Prize

8 LUMEN | EVENTS

Boys!Welcome Home

At the beginning when all was still quiet…

By Chan Guet Har

EVENTS | LUMEN 9

I remember the row of market stallsalong the fields, near the roadside, wherewe used to enjoy a plate of mee rebus –it was very delicious… In the schoolcanteen, the mee goreng costs just 10cents, and we really enjoyed it.

Richard Chee, Class of 1956

to our 160th Anniversary Dinner

Reminiscing…The Bras Basah Campus

then the crowd came...

I was a member of the school band thatplayed at the Padang when Singaporemerged with Malaysia in 1961. Iremember that we formed up at 5am andmarched down from our campus at BrasBasah Road to the Padang.

Gerard Ee, Class of 1965

I remember playing soccer on the fieldacross the Bras Basah campus, as well aseating rojak at the nearby WaterlooStreet, which has now become SMU.

Michael Gaspar, Class of 1981

10 LUMEN | EVENTS

to ourBoys!Welcome Home

160th Anniversary Dinner

and friends and teachers met…

Reminiscing…Teachers

Mr Coleman Baptist - ‘Like manyother teachers, he was dedicatedto his students; he taught uslessons on life.’

Martin Marini, Class of 1976

Mrs Beryl Ang – ‘She was the bestLiterature teacher I ever had. Shehas a style of teaching that is uniqueand thus cannot be found at anyother secondary school. She eveninspired me to continue readingLiterature in Junior College.

Roshan Singh Sambhi, Class of 2010

Mrs Josephine Lee –‘She was my RMEteacher, as well asChemistry teacher; shecared for her studentsvery much like manyother teachers.’

Chin Yong Chang, Class of2010

11EVENTS | LUMEN

to have a roaring good timeWhat SJI MeansWhen I think of SJI, I think of friends more thananything else. You know, when you get together inyour 30s and act like 12-year-old children again, thatfeeling is amazing.

Mark Foo, Class of 1999

A place where I study and grow, and make friendswho are true for the rest of my life.

Richard Seow, Class of 1976

The school encourages people to be thebest that they can be; that’s why there is awide variety of graduates, from performingartistes to politicians and chairmen ofcorporations. We are encouraged todevelop God’s gifts to the fullest.

Gerard Ee, Class of 1965

A good schoolwhere I became aChristian and mygodfather isBrother DominicYip.

Michael Goh HungKeng, Class of 1964

but thankfully and uneventfully ‘under the radar’.While Fr JP wasn’t born a Catholic, he was

primed for the faith by his dad who signed him upfor St Michael’s and later SJI. As a former alumnushimself, the elder Mr Tan saw much that he admiredin the values and culture of the school. And heobviously wanted his son to imbibe much of it.

And so he did, and continued to do so afterleaving SJI. On the invitation of his band members,the young John-Paul joined the church of the HolySpirit. He was active in the choir, youth groups, andmissions and was immersed in parish work underthe mentorship of parish priest, Fr Louis FossionCICM. At 17, he was baptised at the church and hisparents and younger sister followed suit shortlyafter.

“My parents had raised me to be independentand I recall the deep conversations over coffee afterdinner or while on our weekly fishing jaunts. Wewere encouraged to think, question and form anopinion, so when it was time for the baptism, itwent smoothly. And when I decided to join thefriars, though perhaps not fully understanding mychoice, they nevertheless supported me.”

Fr JP credits Fr Fossion for giving him aglimpse of how the priesthood could be a viablevocation for a young man. The intrepid Belgianmissionary had been ordained at just 24 and sent toremote Mongolia to serve until he was ejected fromChina by the communists. Larger than life, he wasequally pastoral as a leader to his flock, as well ashands-on as a handyman, clambering up the roof ofthe church to fix leaks.

In being conscripted to help the priest, John-Paul discovered first hand what it took to be calledto serve. Fr Fossion, the friar noted, essentiallygave his life to a project that was ‘totally beyondhim and his imagination’ and was continuallystirred to serve with joy for the next 70 years of hislife.

“Once as we were helping him clear rubbishafter a parish feast day dinner, we saw how he gothis hands totally covered in garbage along with us.He commented later that these hands were not onlyconsecrated for celebrating Mass but also neededfor the dirty work. And this gave me a fair idea ofwhat he thought and believed about being a priestand a missionary.”

Like most guys on the verge of completing hisnational service, there were the usual distractionsfor the young John-Paul. He had a girlfriend andwas headed for Toronto for a liberal arts degreewhen his call came. Everything that had seemed to

12

SimpleLife

The year 1977 must have been somewhatof a good vintage for St Joseph’sInstitution, at least where the harvest of

religious was concerned. The graduating classproduced four priests from the Military band

alone and the wind section, contributedclarinettist, Friar John-Paul Tan.

He was ordained as Singapore’sfirst Franciscan priest in 1990 at age

29 and now serves as parish priest ofSt Mary of the Angels and with the

archdiocese as a canon lawyer.It was a very productive batch,

the 51-year-old Friar acknowledgeswith a smile - one that produced

contemporaries like Fr Leslie Raj (Jesuit), FrAnselm Phang (Carmelite), Fr Joachim Chang

(Diocesan) and Fr Terence Pereira (Diocesan). Certainly it could have been something in the

water that year, but Fr JP as he is better known,attributes the crop to the strong sense of

Catholic culture that wasimbued in the

students from theget go. That andperhaps the senseof brotherhood inthe band,cultivated by the

interminable drillson the parade square

and the bonding overschool activities likethe Lenten Vigil.Otherwise, schooldays were spent as heconfesses, pleasantly,

You are never too young to sign your lifeaway to God, meaning and purpose. Franciscan Friar John-Paul Tan makes a casefor asking life’s toughest questions at age 16.

By Rachel Tan

LUMEN | JOSEPHIANS

The

have been coming together neatly suddenly had tobe revisited.

At that time, in 1982, Malaysia had decided tostop issuing visas for foreign students at thePenang seminary. That led to the set up of the localseminaries across Asia, including the one inSingapore, to train the clergy. It proved to be aturning point as the young JP was invited in as thefirst batch for a local formation programme for theFranciscans in 1983.

“I was then confronted with the realpossibility of joining the friars. While I had beeninvited to consider other religious congregations,the Franciscans were really my only interest. It wasthem or nothing. What drew me was the simplicityof St Francis’ teachings - there was no highfalutinideas, no false grandeurs. What was attractive wasthe saint’s vision and how he lived the gospel withsuch simplicity.

At the time, there wasn’t the idea of being apriest either. I was not raised in a Catholic familywhere it was be a priest or be deemed a failure. Iwasn’t obsessed with succeeding in this aspect. Iowed no one my life and if it didn’t work out, I couldwalk away.”

He discerned, prayed, was prompted andthrew his lot with the Franciscans. “I figured therewould be little loss to take a year off, explore andfind out first. If the fit wasn’t there, I’d know withinthe first year or even six months and I could stillmake it to Canada. In any case, the areas of study atthe seminary fascinated me and there was nothingto lose.”

Fortunately, his fit with the friars worked out.There was then an international bunch residing inSingapore, made up of Australians, Germans andAmericans among others. And they treated thenovices as equals. “As a postulant we had our placebut we could also speak our mind. It wasdemocratic, egalitarian and respectful.”

But charting this course was a challenge. Forthe friar-to-be, it meant a complete break with thefriends, family and the life he had led before. In the

unthinkingly, obliviously. At 16, you’ve completed20 per cent of your life cycle. That doesn’t leave thatmuch more time does it? Take charge and make adifference. Don’t just drift into the rest of your lifealong the path of least resistance.”

At a recent talk on vocations at SJI, he posed asimple question to the young men. “Given that wehave only one life, what is it that we do which willbring us purpose and meaning?

“At 16, it is not too big a question to ask. Wehave to take ownership of ourselves and have apassion for the life we lead. That’s fundamental toour existence. At 16, 17, we need to face up to thatsearch and discover that bit of a romantic challengeto fire us up.

“And we should not worry about makingmistakes. We should be encouraged to explore thequestions. And learn the lessons when we fail.

“My job was not to sell them the religiouslife. That is something they have to figure out for

first year, he had half a Sunday off each month, inthe second year none. Formation was tough andthere were 18-hour days spent in studies, prayer,meditation, community chores and manual labour.

At 22, it seems today a tender age to bemaking a decision as monumental as signing yourlife away to the church and to hefty vows likeobedience, chastity and poverty. But apparently, itwasn’t so unusual then.

“In the 1980s, the few of us who were calledwere all around that age. Life was different thenbecause our childhood wasn’t extended by schoolas it is these days. The young today are moresheltered and independent decision-making isdelayed till later, along with the maturity to makethese life-changing decisions.”

This is why Fr John-Paul is a big advocate oftackling the ‘big’ questions earlier.

“There is no reason to drift into life

themselves as one possible option. So what is itthat they want to do with their lives? All this startsfrom discovering purpose and meaning. And this iswhat I always pose to the youth.”

What he does want to share though is theviability of a religious life – to have the youthconsider that the vocation is not only about workingin a parish setting but doing His work in differentdimensions.

“Giving up your life to God’s work can bringyou to different places to encounter life in so manyforms. Compared with some of my schoolmates, itis curious how in surrendering everything that I’veended up been so enriched – through meetingpeople, learning, travelling and in so many waysthat surprised me. It was not something I set out todo. But it certainly made me more aware of thefragility of human planning and I feel a deep senseof blessing for having been able to journey the wayI have.”

Over the last 29 years, he’s been privileged tosee other models of churches and parishes andlearnt how friars and religious serve outside theparish setting with their work in the UN andGeneva. He has witnessed how the laity has helpedthe church grow in so many ways. And thiscertainly contributes to his role today as parishpriest, in helping to build a church that iscontemporary and in fulfilment of the vision set outin Vatican II 50 years ago.

“But I’m not soft peddling anything. Thereligious life is a tough life as can be with life in anyform. Though when you have the passion for it, youwill do your best to continue with it.

For me, once you are clear about giving yourlife to God, you don’t count the years, what to achievenor how to graduate. That does not matter anymore.

And once you’ve decided well, there is a senseof peace. Just like in going into the choppy sea inthe midst of the biggest storm, when you dive deep,it is really the calm you feel.”

So it is from this sense of peace that he seeksto share. “All I want to show is that when God callsand you answer him, that as a life, a religiousvocation is viable, enriching and meaningful. It canbe a life beyond the imagination.”

This page (top): Offering the first Holy Communion to thechildren

This page (left): Baptising an infant

13JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN

What drew me was thesimplicity of St Francis’teachings - there wasno highfalutin ideas,no false grandeurs.

14 LUMEN | JOSEPHIANS

A partner in Allen andGledhill LLP and an‘excellent litigator’ as wellas a Member of ParliamentMr Edwin Tong (Class of1987) obliges us with thisinterview and unhesitatinglychose to have it conducted inSt Joseph’s Institution.

NL: What are your unforgettable memories ofyour time in SJI?ET: Actually all my memories in SJI are all goodbecause we were hardly in class. Not sure if I shouldbe telling you all this. (laughs)

The best part of being in SJI is the friends I’vemade over the years. Many of my classmates, I stillsee them today. In fact two of my buddies from Sec3 and 4 are now my children’s god parents. That’show close we’ve been over the years. That’s onething I’ve treasured most of having been in SJI.

NL: How has the Josephian educationbenefitted you?ET: A Josephian education is all round. When I hearpeople talk about holistic education and the movetowards that, I frankly believe that’s what I receivedin SJI. We learnt a lot more outside the classroomthan we did in class. It’s about life’s experience,about interacting – how we relate to each other andwork with each other. The different situations wewere put in were very helpful.

NL: What did you do beyond the classroom?ET: You wouldn’t believe this but I was a librarian.(Laughter broke out among us, except Mr Tongas it was uncanny that in an earlier interview withMr Nicholas Fang he had also revealed he was aschool librarian. Refer to page 19)

I was a big football fan but the standard offootball was too high. I wasn’t in the school team soI would just be one of the reserves. We used to havea field across the road in Bras Basah. That’s why wewere never in school. From there it was easy toescape to MPH or somewhere else.

NL: What are your views of SJI offering the IBprogramme and breaking the tradition of itbeing an all boys’ school?ET: Well when I first heard that, I told my wife,because I have three girls, now’s my chance to have

my kids in SJI. (smiles widely)But I think it’s progressive. In today’seducation system, it’s fairly diverse.This represents the fact that we embracediversity.

NL: How has SJI prepared you forpolitics?ET: Politics is about people and peopleinteraction. That’s what the four years in SJIwere to me. There’ll be people you hang outwith, people you’ll dislike; then one day afterdisliking them for a while; they’ll be your best pals. Idon’t think politics is so different from that.

DRS: As an MP what issues do you holdclose to your heart and how do you bringthis to light?ET: There’re two issues. One is education. Despitewhat I’ve said about my own education, I wasfortunate as I was educated at a time when therewere fewer pressures. Societal demands were less.So we had the opportunity to go beyond just books.Today is tough for the children to experience lifebeyond books. I know we’ve looked at developingthe curriculum to make it holistic but it is achallenge. I want to see how we can revamp thecurriculum and the system so that no one is leftbehind. You know you might be good at differentthings; in arts or in the sciences but excellence isnot about that alone. So that’s one.

The other thing that I’m concerned, at least inthe constituency that I represent is the seniorcitizens. I don’t know if you’ve seen that aspect ofsociety but we have a lot of elderly people livingalone in small rented flats. They don’t have visitorsor their children see them very infrequently. Weneed as a society to look after them. They wereonce contributing so it’s sad they’re left alone. Itbothers me many of them do pass away alone. Weshould never let them happen but instead be active

In ConveMr Edwwith

By Noah Lim, Marc Ong andDylan Raj Singh

15JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN

in embracing them in our society.When I hear about how people get upset about

having a senior citizens centre or home in theirestate, I think that’s very selfish.

DRS: What are some of the challenges youface as an MP?ET: The political climate has changed since the lastelections and the demands have been more vocaland certainly more urgent. For a majority of thesedemands, it’s for a good reason. It’s only when weget feedback from ground sentiment and reaction topolicies that we can improve so in that respect, it’sfine. But people have jumped on the bandwagon andmade demands that are unreasonable such asobjecting to senior citizens homes in HDB precincts.Even in my MPS (Meet People Session), peoplehave scolded my volunteers because they can’t helpthem with their parking fine or traffic summons. Ifyou have a good enough reason we can activelyhelp you otherwise it's wrong to expect us to help towaive the fine when clearly you are in the wrong.That’s been challenging; to reach out to people whoare unreasonable.

The level of tolerance has come down insociety. We move so quickly now which is aconsequence of the pace of life in Singapore. Wedon’t have time to say hello to the aunty who clearedour dishes or uncle who’s selling the paper.

DRS: What do you enjoy most about being alawyer?ET: It’s the challenge of each new case. In litigation,one day I can act for a doctor and another day, anaccountant, a businessman or someone in theconstruction industry. It’s the diversity that I like.Invariably when you go to court someone has to winor lose; I like the challenge in that.

DRS: Any unforgettable experience that tookplace during a hearing?ET: There was one case quite early in my career. Itwas a mother and she had suffered some adverseincident during childbirth and as a result the baby

A Josephianeducation is allround. When I hearpeople talk aboutholistic education andthe move towards that, Ifrankly believe that’swhat I received in SJI.

was born with cerebral palsy. When I acted for thedoctor, I had to prove it had nothing to do withnegligence. I had to expose the flaws of the mother’scase but it was not pleasant to do. We were makingsome headway being able to show that the childbirthwas not a problem; it was unfortunate but notnegligent. But when I turned to my team of lawyerswho were assisting me, the ladies were crying. Theywere very upset that despite us doing our job well,they saw a human angle in the entire exchange thatperhaps I as a lawyer never saw as I was focused onbeing the lawyer, getting the admissions from thewitness. I was struck by that occasion as here weretwo persons who were helping my case, knowingwhat I had to do, yet were upset that I had done it sowell.

After a while, I’ve learnt to separate my jobfrom my personal life. You can’t have all your fightsbrought back home and into your own personal life.

MO: Would you say that you as a lawyer andas a person are totally different?ET: I wouldn’t say that. It’s sort of part of thepersonality already. I’ve learnt to appreciate there aredifferent ways of looking at things. What you mayset out to achieve as a lawyer may not accord withhow it’s perceived from the human angle.

MO: What would be one word to describeyou?ET: That’s a hard one. Perhaps carefree. Some peopleare worriers, some people are go-getters; I’m inbetween. I don’t worry that much as there’s no point.In terms of a go-getter, it’s important to have anobjective but you should not be married to that ideaand be closed to everything else.

NL: Any words of wisdom for SJI boys?ET: You should try everything because today whenyou grow up you’ll be in a more globalised worldbecause everything is connected and you needexperiences beyond just your studies. I knownowadays it’s very tough as the curriculum isalready very heavy but I believe you should take theopportunity to pursue interests. Go outside ofschool, outside of your academic life. It’ll give you amuch better standing when you have to enter thework force.

Before we ended the interview, Mr Tongturned the tables on us and ‘interviewed’ usabout our dreams. His unassuming waysand disarming smile certainly made us feelat ease throughout the session.

rsation in Tong

16 LUMEN | JOSEPHIANS

Atall and imposing figure of a gentleman

appeared from the office of Dymon

Capital Asia (Singapore) Pte into the lift

landing area. His countenance bespeaks of

kindness and warmth and the tone accompanying

the few introductory words suggests a complete

lack of airs. This real life presentation of Mr

Danny Yong took us by surprise considering that

the subject of our interview is a highly-

accomplished businessman, the co-founder of

Dymon Asia Capital (Singapore) Pte, Asia’s best

performing hedge fund in 2011 and also the

Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of the company.

Then again, as an old boy of St Joseph’s

Institution (SJI), Mr Danny Yong (Class of 1988)

is truly living the Josephian spirit, embodying the

brotherhood that binds Josephians now and then.

Having ensured that we were comfortably

seated in the meeting room with a drink of our

choice, Mr Yong took the lead and asked for the

first interview question. What is the secret behind

the success of someone who has proven himself

as one of Asia’s rising hedge fund titans, of one

who is renowned for his business acumen and

his ability to weigh and evaluate the risks of high-

stakes trading?

Passion was the simple one-word answer. It

is the driving force behind Mr Yong’s choice of

Driven by passion, rising hedge fundtitan and philanthropist Mr Danny Yongis also a man for others.

the

By Timothy Wong and Lee Yi

Living Josephian Spirit

“ “The Lord hasblessed meabundantly.It is only right thatI should pay backand share thoseblessings...

17JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN

pursuit – be it the subject of Chemistry which he

confessed to enjoy tremendously in his school

days or his work as a CIO. Being passionate

about one’s occupation gives one the zest to

continue even in the face of intense pressure and

stress. As one of the top hedge fund investors in

Asia, it has become almost habitual for Mr Yong

to sleep in spurts and armed with his trustworthy

Blackberry, he is constantly on the lookout,

scouring the foreign exchange

market for not-to-be-missed

opportunities. He is on late night

conference calls frequently and

watches the markets through

the night. Imagine if passion

is removed from the

equation!

A true blue Josephian

at heart, it is not surprising

that Mr Yong’s other

passion lies in

philanthropy. To him,

philanthropy and the

competitive business world

are not mutually exclusive

dimensions. He stresses that

being competitive is about

playing a healthy match,

having sportsmanship and then returning what

you can to society. “The Lord has blessed me

abundantly. It is only right that I should pay back

and share those blessings,” said Mr Yong who

lost his father at the tender age of ten. Coming

from a humble background, Mr Yong not only

grew up strong and resilient in the face of

adversity but also learnt to empathise and help

those who need it. Indeed, Mr Yong lives up to

the Josephian calling to be a man for others.

Even closer to Mr Yong’s heart is his family.

Despite his hectic schedule, Mr Yong lives by the

adage of “family before everything else”, thus

ensuring that he spends quality time with his

young children Family is everything to him. It

was partly for them that he decided to relinquish

the management and administrative roles to those

he felt were better suited to develop and grow the

business. Similarly, his decision to return to

Singapore five years ago following many years

abroad was to give his children a stable home

environment and the benefit of close family ties.

He shared that he has strong confidence in the

education system in Singapore and the safe

environment the country provides for his children

to grow.

Mr Yong’s fond and lasting memories as a

student in SJI are made up of the strong bonds

shared between friends and happy moments of

camaraderie. Students came from a wide variety

of backgrounds and circumstances, but the

school was a level playing field - leadership and

excellence was what made you stand out, not

where you came from or who you knew. “My time

in SJI was the best,” Mr Yong says with

conviction.

With the launch of SJI Integrated

Programme (IP) and the International

Baccalaureate (IB) next year, Mr Yong is confident

that the school will continue to nurture the young

people who pass through its gates, teaching them

values of faith, community and service, and

moulding them into ‘Men of Integrity, Men for

Others’.

“ “A true blueJosephian at heart,it is not surprising thatMr Yong’s otherpassion lies inphilanthropy.

This page (top left): Mr Danny Yong with his family

This page (top right): Emphasising his point during theinterview

‘Busy’ was his instinctive response. But‘grateful’ was the one word he settled

for to describe himself. Mr Nicholas Fanghas indeed been blessed with many

opportunities in life: studying in SJI - hisfather’s alma mater, playing sports,

furthering his studies abroad and livingin stable Singapore are but a few that

were mentioned.

Passionate about sports and issues close to his heart,NMP Nicholas Fang aspires to make a change.

Shaping Cultures18 LUMEN | JOSEPHIANS

By Noah Lim, Dylan Raj Singh and Marc Ong

Facing page: Responding to a question posed

This page (top): Noah, Marc and Dylan after the interviewat SIIA

This page (bottom): Nicholas Fang in the SJI PrefectorialBoard (circled)

Not one to pass over any opportunity that

comes his way, it is no wonder Mr Fang

ends up wearing many hats. We all knew he

is prominent in the fencing arena as a former

national fencer and President of Fencing Singapore

but during our interview with him, we discovered he

was a national triathlete first before being a fencer.

Other positions held include being President of

Modern Pentathlon Association, Vice President of

Skiing and Snowboarding Federation and Director

of Singapore Institute of International Affairs. He

also recently started a sports consultancy and still

finds time to freelance as a journalist.

Interestingly, Mr Fang was not part of the

Fencing Club while he was a student in SJI from

1989 to 1991 as it was full then. In fact he was in

Air Rifle, Swimming and served as a librarian. As he

candidly puts it, he was ‘good in swimming and

wrapping books’.

His passion in sports comes across even in

yet another role he plays. As a Nominated Member

of Parliament (NMP), he pushes the sports agenda

strongly believing ‘sports contribute to a person’s

personal development’ - something ingrained in

him during his SJI days. For him sports offer real-

life entertainment and drama that also inspire -

better than what television dramas can achieve. His

dream is to see Singapore have a sporting culture

that is vibrant. He envisions a day when families do

not throng shopping malls but spend it at a rugby

match or swimming championships, and when the

children indicate interest in pursuing sports, they

will have their parents’ full blessings instead of

discouragement. By improving the standing of

sports here in meritocratic Singapore, he hopes that

we can move away from constantly viewing results

as key in measuring the amount of success attained

by sportsmen.

19JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN

One way in which he intends to highlight

issues particularly sports, journalism, regional

politics and economic environment that are close

to his heart, is to use a thematic approach that he

employed in his maiden speech in Parliament:

communication, competition and passion. To

improve on communication, Mr Fang believes that

the government should take a more proactive

approach in explaining its actions, the full range of

implications and the sacrifices made to the citizens

in order to prevent misunderstandings. With

regards to competition, he is convinced that

everyone has a role to play. He feels Singaporeans

should lose the xenophobic attitude that many

have towards foreign talent. Other nations are

looking at us to see how we react to foreigners,

thus our competitiveness will be affected if they

note we are unwelcoming to foreigners at all levels.

He surmises that in life, one is always in a race, be

it against oneself or others, so we must not be

obsessed with internal issues or we will lose our

competitive edge. There is also a need to remedy

the lack of ‘connectedness’ among Singaporeans

towards our country. He observed people are too

‘fast to point fingers’ but ‘slow to think of a solution

that they can be a part of’. They also ‘seem to have

forgotten who they are and what they have

achieved comes from the environment they have

been in.’ He feels that more effort should be put in

to ensure people will be ‘anchored’ to Singapore;

that is to have a strong sense of patriotism towards

Singapore.

Mr Fang lives out the ethos of SJI. He

underscored, ‘Being of service to something bigger

and broader than yourself’ had often resonated

with him from his days in SJI. Clearly, it still does

today; as he keeps reiterating throughout the

interview: “Remember where you come from and

whatever chance you get, you have to give

something back to that system or that society.”

Thank you, Mr Fang for walking the talk. We

appreciate your setting aside time in your already

busy schedule to provide three Secondary Two

Josephians this opportunity to interview you.

“ “in life, one isalways in a race, beit against oneself orothers, so we mustnot be obsessedwith internalissues or we will loseour competitive edge.

Lean and muscular. One might think Raymond

Scott Lee (Class of 2012) is a natural athlete

groomed from a young age. After all he has

many feathers in his cap. One was the record

breaking feat he achieved during the 53rd National

Schools’ Track and Field Championships where he

fought with every ounce of energy to clinch the

gold medal just a hundredth of a second ahead of

his rival from Victoria School in the ‘B’ Division

400m Hurdles. Another was with his relay mates,

together they blazed the trail during the 20th

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Relay

Championships 2012 in both the 100m and 200m

relays by emerging champions not just in those

events but in the entire championship. But did you

know he was a basketball player in primary

school? Or that he did not even aspire to be in

athletics when he entered SJI? His only track

experience before becoming a teenager was just to

participate in Sports Day.

So what made him join Track and

Field as a Co-Curricular Activity?

Glamour. All the fame and glory that

come with winning enticed him,

making him excited about becoming an

athlete. Little did he know what he was

in for. Now, however, after four years of

training he is well aware it is grueling; he says,

“The challenges I face daily as an athlete are the

fatigue and lack of time to pursue other things

apart from running. Trainings are intense so I don't

really have much energy for anything strenuous

after that or much time to pursue any other hobby,

or go out with friends. The biggest challenge

would be to stay motivated and keep all eyes on

my goals so that I don't lose sight of my aims.”

Not losing sight of his aims is very much part

of Raymond’s psyche. He demonstrated it during

the SPH Relay Championships 2012. With one

point behind ACS (I) and the high possibility of

another rival RI trying to rob SJI of her chances,

Raymond as Captain of the team knew everything

hinged on the last event – the 200m relay. He

needed to inspire his team members and show

them that it is possible to achieve what they aim for

as long as they are willing to try. With fire in his

eyes, he told them, “Of course we will not let them

do it, we will win for SJI’. And win they did

breaking the seven-year drought for SJI by

becoming the ‘B’ Division champions. This clear

sightedness is not evident only in Track and Field

but in other areas of his life too. When helping out

in his class 434 Casual Friday Polo Shirt Project

he was able to devise a plan for the efficient

distribution of the polo shirts when others couldn’t.

This made his classmate Wong Zhenglong to

remark, “Raymond’s the logistics guy and he’s very

good at it!” Even with regards to his food choice

during one of the rare class outing he could attend,

Raymond left after lunch forgoing the bubble tea

treat that his teacher was giving. His reason: “I

rarely take sweet drinks.” He is keen to maintain

the healthier lifestyle he has adopted as a result of

athletics.

Being an athlete has certainly benefitted

Raymond in more ways than one. He possesses a

true fighting spirit and adheres to his mantra: ‘No

race is ever over until one crosses the finish line.’

With such zeal, he is bound to give his best in all

aspects of his life.

This page (left): Raymond (tag 321) giving his all in an SPHrelay (Photo used with permission from SAA)

This page (top): The victorious ‘B’ Division team withRaymond at the 20th SPH Relays Championships

‘Sweat is the oiling ofa dream.’ Wise wordsfrom sprinter andhurdler RaymondScott Lee who hasseen them become areality for him andhopes to debunk anymyths for those whoaspire to be athletes.

By Daisy ChiaZealAthlete20 LUMEN | JOSEPHIANS

with

This is an excellent example of how the problem ofpoor academic results can be overcome with positivepeer influence and self-help peer groups. The journeywas, of course, less arduous because they were therefor each other with no one being left behind.

As for Jordan who is wheelchair-bound due to amedical condition, he had his own struggles. Hisgreatest perhaps was ‘learning to trust people and have

faith in them’. Being used to teachers helping himmove around in his primary school, he wasapprehensive of his peers carrying his wheelchair upand down staircases without any mishap. But overtime, he began to trust his peers and is immenselythankful for the ready help and support he gets fromthem. His mother, who was initially worried about hisadjustment in SJI, feared he would be a burden to hispeers and considered buying a motorized wheelchair.Now she gladly shares Jordan is ‘coping well and ishappy’ in SJI and is heartened by the sense of careand spirit of inclusiveness in the school community.

On the other hand, Form Tutor, Mr Soo feels that‘Jordan’s presence throughout the year has benefitedhis peers more than it has Jordan.’ No duty roasterwas drawn up to help Jordan instead whenever Jordanneeds help, he makes his needs known and his peersrespond to them. Helping each other has become akinto second nature for these boys.

As we were about to part ways, I asked them whatwas the defining moment of the first year experiencein SJI, they collectively quipped they are proud to bea Josephian, an identity that will stay with them for alifetime.

It was the last day of school, the mood in Secondary112 seemed euphoric as the class broke out for thelong break. Just moments before, the class was

celebrating their academic progress at the year-endexaminations. It was an apt closure for a year wellended. This was probably a contrast to how theystarted off on the first day of school.

I caught the boys before they went to celebratethe end of a school academic year to find out how theiryear has been for them. Their sentiments were loudand earnest, and definitely spontaneous as all of themunanimously cried out that the Secondary OneOrientation Programme was one of the most powerfulexperiences as it made them feel as if they are a partof something larger than themselves, a fraternity tobelong to. It was a defining moment for them to beinitiated into the school community, knowing what itstands for and embracing its school values of Faith,Service and Community. It was the first step towardsbecoming a ‘Josephian’.

It was clear to me that their relationships definesome of their positive school experiences. The Classof 112 students coming from many parts of the worldsuch as Finland, Austria, Philippines India and Korea,bring with them diverse interests, abilities andcultures. Despite this diversity, their Form Tutor, MrYeo Jin Wei observed ‘the class rises to everyoccasion, as they are strongly bonded.’ Inter-classsporting events, setting up a stall in the SJI Carnivaland a class chalet outing were cited as highlights that

This page (left): Interviewees from Class 112 from left toright: Front row: Jovian Low, Jordan Augustin and MarkLim. Second row: Julian Foo, Tony Pakkanen, AntrikskVerma, Hoo Jinh Wann and John Arizo

This page (top): ‘Ready for water bombs, anyone?’ duringtheir class chalet stay

Secondary Ones Jovian Low, Jordan Augustin,Mark Lim, Julian Foo, Tony Pakkanen, AntrikskVerma, Hoo Jinh Wann and John Arizo fromthe Class of 112 share about their experiencesafter spending their first year in SJI.

By P Marakatham

First Year Josephians

21JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN

brought the class together. Undoubtedly such sharedexperiences, positive peer relationships and a strongclass spirit have allowed the students of 112 tobecome well-adjusted and high functioning in school.Tony sums it all up, ‘there were many fantastic timesfor us to be together!’

On hindsight, Jinh Wann, an active sportsman,related how the school culture has changed in hisattitude. In his primary school, he had difficultymanaging his anger when playing competitive sports.The constant focus on values education such as fairplay and playing for honour by SJI has helped himexercise self-restraint and embrace goodsportsmanship.

Antriksk was philosophical as he felt that RMSE(Religious, Moral and Personal Education)programme has ‘changed his world view’ and now hetakes religion and prayer more seriously.

For non-Catholics, Jovian and Jinh Wann,prayer has been ‘a unique experience’, adding that theystill felt ‘very much part of the family’ and could relateto the shared values of the school.

Weren’t there struggles then? One of them foundjuggling both academic and Co-Curricular Activitiesa challenge. As their mid-year results took a beating,the class was not ready to give up yet. Mentored bytheir class tutors, the class committee leaders becamestudent-teachers for their peers, co-creating notes andcarrying out mini-lessons for the entire class afterschool in Term Three. Evidently, this small learningcommunity humbly started by Class 112, made asignificant difference as the boys did well for the finalexaminations, coming in tops for Chinese Languagein the entire level and performing commendably inEnglish Language and Mathematics. What is poignantis that a positive transformation has taken place in thisclass with students taking charge of their education,living up to the school mission; learning how to learn.

Lasallian Women’s Symposium? ‘But I’m nota feminist’ was my initial response whenasked if I would like to attend the

symposium. Preparing to attend this inauguralsymposium for Lasallian female educators led meto ask a number of questions that I hoped wouldbe answered.

On 29 April, the other Singaporean participantfrom St Patrick’s School, Mrs Margaret Choo and Iheaded for the Lasallian Women’s Symposium. Thesymposium was organised as the Lasalle brothersrecognised that as their numbers were dwindling, agreater involvement of the laity is needed to instilLasallian values of Faith, Community and Serviceto the student population and one way was throughthe female educators who form the majority of thestaff in most Lasalle schools. According to BroDavid Hawke, General Councillor for PARC Region,“Across the globe 70% of the world’s poor arewomen, women earn less than 10% of the world’swages … but women do more than two thirds ofthe world’s work.” Circular 461 reminds us thatwomen engaged in the Lasallian EducationalMission are now over 50% of the total involved.Increasingly more women need to be engaged tospread the Lasallian mission. Now, I know why thissymposium is so important for us.

A total of 5 Brothers and 44 women from 13different countries went to Pattaya from 29 April to2 May 2012 in the spirit oftogetherness and association.Being in the company of like-minded people, Lasallianwomen, was wonderful. Withdelegates from the PacificAsia Regional Conference(PARC) regions, USA andSouth Africa present and their

flags proudly positioned at the front of the hall, thescene for a mini United Nations Conference wasset. We started sharing and bouncing off ideas onthe role of Lasallian Women. Strangely though, theterm Lasallian Women has never been heard orused prior to this. What is the rationale for thissymposium that focusses on just the women?

Brother Alvaro Rodriguez Echeverria, theSuperior of the Institute, in his opening addressinvited the delegates to respond to the call to beLasallian Brothers and Sisters to one another andthat the future of the Lasallian mission is theresponsibility of the lay people. A simple messageand yet a poignant call that I can identify with.

During the symposium, Trish Caroll, theLasallian Education Service Director, shared on thewomen who have influenced our Founder’s life.These are the women with unspoken texts but theyplayed a significant role in supporting St JohnBaptist de La Salle. What about us, the currentLasallian women? What role do we play inpropagating the Lasallian ethos and values?

During the cross-cultural sharing anddiscussions on the emerging issues that womenfaced today, delegates from Pakistan, Papua NewGuinea and Indonesia shared on the inequality ineducation opportunity for females and theoppression that females faced in their respectivecountries. In Pakistan due to the remote location of

the school, a girl who has tomake her way to school onfoot is in danger of being

molested or even raped. This is a commonexperience for my Pakistani counterparts. For me tohear such first-hand accounts of the abuse andoppression that girls and women faced in yester-years that are still prevalent in the 21st century wasan eye opener.

So what cause do I fight for? While my fellowdelegates planned for immediate measures to be inplace so that women are well-represented andwomen issues taken care of. I wondered about myrole in Singapore.

If I can sow the seeds of the Lasallian ethosand values in our boys, these boys will flourish as aLasallian in their adult life. I hope to start first withthe student leaders in SJI to be gender sensitive inthe way they articulate opinions and when relating toothers. These same boys (and girls with the IBstarting next year) will be our future leaders orpolicy makers. Thus with the Lasallian valuesstrongly instilled in them, decisions and policiesmade by them will not be skewed. If they are biased,let them be so towards ‘the last, the lost and theleast’. Of course I can’t do this alone but I need otherLasallian teachers from SJI to come on board too.

Slowly but surely, I see my role as a femaleLasallian educator unfolding right before my eyes. Iwent to the symposium as a skeptic but left thesymposium enlightened and inspired to play mypart. It is a long journey ahead but I am TABA(together and by association) with the rest of thedelegates in our mission as Lasallian Women of the21st century.

Vice principal Anne Loh was unsure of whatto expect at the Lasallian Women’sSymposium but returned home with amission as a female Lasallian educator.

My RoleFemale Lasallian Educator

By Anne Loh

as a

22 LUMEN | REFLECTIONS

This page (top): Anne (centre)flanked by Indonesian delegatesand Margaret (extreme right)

This page (bottom): Anne andMargaret with Brother AlvaroRodriguez Echeverria, theSuperior of the Institute

conversation started flowing and we were greetedwith a genuine interest in our country. Similarly, wealso took the opportunity to find out more aboutCambodia from the residents. This firsthandknowledge beats reading any travel guides andhistory textbooks.

Our purpose at Arrupe Welcome Centre was toteach English to its residents who had the honestdesire to learn and they wanted all the help wecould give in the two short nights we had withthem. Despite the challenges we faced, the rewardfor our effort was a sense of satisfaction to be ableto conduct the lessons so well, and that they wereactually benefiting from them. We learned muchtoo. Our understanding of basic Khmer traditionsdeepened and we could articulate a couple ofKhmer phrases.

Other than teaching basic English, we alsoperformed some community work. Rice harvestingwas a first for us. Mind you this was not a “try-for-

fun” kind of experience. We spent a day harvestingrice using only sickles and our bare hands. It wassheer menial labour - a once-in-a-lifetimeexperience for city dwellers like us. Furthermore,we also helped to plant trees for the centre and afew of us even helped to repair the thatch roofs ofsome houses. It was rewarding to think that wewere actually contributing to the people there andnot just there for some Community InvolvementProgramme hours.

Our trip would most definitely not be completewithout seeing the sights and sounds ofBattambang and Siem Reap. ‘Beautiful’ is one wordto sum up the aged stone structures of temples andcaves. The sights were but the richly layered historyof a nation while the structures proved thatCambodia is not just a country, but a story, builtupon years and years of the past and culture.

Travelling to Cambodia was a humblingexperience. It was a trip that had much to give us,much to teach us. The shared journey with thegroup, the locals and the country was an experienceworth learning from; it was a magnificentexperience worth remembering.

InternationalEducation journeybecame a part ofevery SecondaryThree student’s lifein 2012 when theprogrammeextended to all fourhundred students inthe level. KennardChin travelled toCambodia returningfrom it enriched inmore ways than one.

Cambodia Journey

By Kennard Chin

to

23REFLECTIONS | LUMEN

Historically, Cambodia has been a country ofviolence and turmoil but that does not hidethe rich beauty of the culture, its people and

breathtaking architecture. Thus this trip was achance for me to discover the hidden treasures andheritage of this ancient civilisation.

Our trip to Cambodia centred on the aspect ofservice learning and helping the residents of ArrupeWelcome Centre in Battambang, a centre for younglandmine and polio victims.

My first impressions: bedding and toiletfacilities were basic, very much different from whatwe are used to in Singapore. Our meals were alsosimple affairs, and even more so for the meals thatthe residents had daily. The stark contrast in livingstandards is a reflection of our two countries’economies. Having the opportunity to stay with theresidents made me realise Singapore youths arevery fortunate and comparatively well-off.

What were most enriching about the trip aredefinitely the shared experiences with the residents.The wide cultural divide and awkwardconversations disappeared when the residentsopened up to us. This gap was also bridged withthe cultural performances put up by both theCambodians and us. Language barriers aside, wetried our best to impart a portion of Singapore tothem, and they did likewise. This was the start of anunderstanding between us. I believe the catalyst tothis was the shared meals. There was no othermoment when we spent time so close together,doing the same things. As we had more meals,This page (top): Lending a hand in harvesting rice

This page (bottom): Taking a breather

Kah Choo and I decided to volunteer. Thiswas in response to the appeal for staff inSJI to help deliver food items that have

been collected by the students over the Lentseason to members of the Handicapped WelfareAssociation (HWA).

Annually, each level would collect non-perishable food as part of our Religious MoralSocial and Education Programme. While theSecondary Ones distribute it to theunderprivileged elderly of Pek Kio, the SecondaryTwos contribute to HWA, and the SecondaryThrees and Fours to AIDS victims under CatholicAids Response Effort and HumanitarianOrganisation for Migration Economicsrespectively. As typical Mathematics teachers wewere very target-oriented, planning to completeour visits within two hours and by 6.30pm on3 May due to our other commitments.

Having no time to reflect, we embarked onour visits with no expectations. While trying tolocate the apartment of one of the recipientsliving in a 2-bedroom block, we were not

prepared for what we were about to see - twowheelchairs in the common corridor. That washowever the indication that we had found thecorrect apartment.

A cheerful voice greeted us when weknocked on the door and there in the middle ofthe living room was a hospital bed. On it a man inhis mid-thirties lay. In our conversation with him,it was evident he was very appreciative of ourvisit. He candidly told us that he was bedriddendue to a simple operation that went awry. Due to aform he signed prior to the operation, he wouldnot be receiving any form of compensation fromthe hospital. Before the incident, he was driving alorry to support his family of six. His wife lookedexhausted having just bathed her spouse, andtaken one of her children to see a doctor. Myheart sank after knowing more about the familysituation.

Similarly our visit to the second home sawus spotting a wheelchair outside the apartment.This time it was an elderly and genial gentlemanwhom we had the opportunity to befriend.

When we visited the third home, itresembled that of the first – the hospital bed inthe living room and a young man in his twentieswas lying on it. Unfortunately we did not havemuch to say to each other. There was the usualawkwardness between strangers, perhaps he wasnot at ease in the company of two women.

These visits emphasised the stark differencebetween us and the handicapped. While most of

us are blessed with luxuries such as a car, mobilephone and other material comforts, for thedisabled it is the wheelchair that is a necessity forthem. It saddened me to see people in the prime oftheir lives confined to their beds. Once again, I amreminded not to take my health, life, family andfriends for granted. They are far more importantthan all the material things I can afford.

It also got me thinking: would the scenariofor the first family be different if they were rich andwell-established? What would happen to theman's school-going children, of whom the eldestis only in secondary school?

I certainly hope there is an organisation thatwill come to his family’s aid. Though I cannot fullyempathise with his pain and suffering, I admire hischeerfulness and courage in accepting hissituation. Kah Choo agrees, “It is amazing towitness such human spirit amidst adversity.”

Months have passed since our visits. Liferesumes. It is so easy to allow our hecticschedules make us slow to show humancompassion to the point of being apathetic.Getting caught up with the daily grind and nothaving a moment to pause and reflect is a sad wayto live life. However it should not be an excuse forus. We can still make an effort and find time tocare for others amidst our busyness. The decisionis ours to make.

The spirit of giving and learning to care forthe less fortunate during Lent was not justencouraged among students but also thestaff of SJI.

VisitsStirred My Heart

By Josephine Wee

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24 LUMEN | REFLECTIONS

This page (top): Being warmly appreciated by a resident atPek Kio

This page (bottom): Sorting out the food parcels