Myriad 01: Hiraeth (Sept 2021)

ISSUE 01 | HIRAETH
SEPTEMBER 2021

ISSUE 01 | HIRAETH

Main Committee Naveen Kaur Eunice Chin
Chairperson Vice-Chairperson

Darienne Sim Carey Tan
Honorary General Secretary Financial Controller

Jasmine Cheong Hemalatha D/O Ravinthran
Creative Director Events Director

Kishore Kalaichalvan Sereenjit Kaur D/O Surjit Singh
Events Director Events Director

Ace Chu Adelena Oh
Publications Director Publications Director

Michelle Wan Ng Jing Zhi
Publications Director Publications Director

Sub-Committee Aliyah Sarah Zafrullah Khan Andy Winter
Writer Writer

Tilve Tarini Sachin Wong Si Jia
Writer Writer

Mabel Ang Mei En
Designer

Front & Back Covers Photography by Ng Jing Zhi
Masthead Design by Mabel Ang Mei En

ISSUE 01 | HIRAETH

Contributing Writers Alan C. Jia En Leong
Lynn Seo Sandi Ng
Siobhan Tang Victoria Chanel Lee
Wan Shafika

Contributing Designer Han Pei Lin, Kimberly

Faculty Advisor Dr Cheryl Julia Lee

Editorial Enquiries Myriad is published annually. For enquiries, please
email us at [email protected].

© 2021 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means
without the permission of the publishers The views expressed
in Myriad are those of the respective contributors, and are not
necessarily shared by the publication or committee members.

FOREWORD

It’s been a difficult year.

Many of us have been displaced or derailed, adrift in uncertainty and unease.
Every one of us has undergone this ordeal in our own way; separated from loved
ones, confined to the same space where home is the last place we want to be,
craving for the unfamiliar until that desire evolves into something familiar. And

yet, these adversities have become the thread that pulls us together.

This issue’s theme, hiraeth, is a Welsh word with no direct English translation. It
is the feeling of nostalgia and longing for the unattainable. A profound yearning
for a home that never was; a deep-seated desire to return to a place, person or
point of time that is impossible to recreate. And yet, this poignant almost-grief

is not altogether unwelcomed.

In the same way, the diverse range of our experiences cannot be defined by a single
story. Through the voices of our writers and contributors, we’ve put together
a myriad of stories – each provides a unique perspective, but also adds itself
into a melting pot of narratives – in hopes of helping you pin down your own
definition of hiraeth. May this kaleidoscope of experiences lend itself to a larger
picture which we are all part of, to remind us that even in our lonely longing for

something that might never have been or never may be, we are not alone.

– Ace, Adelena, Michelle & Jing Zhi

CONTENTS

creative lifestyle

6 One Coherent Orange 23 Hitting the Streets

by Jia En Leong by Wong Si Jia

7 The Singaporean Marriage Proposal 25 From Essays to Airwaves

by Victoria Chanel Lee by Tarini Tilve

8 tokyo 27 Where Passion Meets Reality

by Ng Jing Zhi by Aliyah Khan

9 空心菜 (kong xin cai) 29 University Playlist

by Andy Winter by Andy Winter

10 reverie revelry 30 On Course to Encores

by Adelena Oh by Tarini Tilve

11 Sestina on 14 October, 11 pm 32 Get Rec’d

by Lynn Seo by English Main Committee

12 Island of Singlehood & Island of Marriage 34 Events

by Wan Shafika

15 Sadness-be-Gone-O-Meter 2000

by Siobhan Tang

17 Where I Lived, and What I Lived For

by Alan C.

19 Wander / Wonder

by Sandi Ng

When the weight of the orange fell into my hands, one
its freshness lifted me into smells of light ocean breezes, coherent
tangy juices,
the gentle laps of ocean waves shushing at my feet. orange

I swim across debris of memories by JIA EN LEONG
of orange orange orange
and sink into a language She used to say
past all the Chinese New Year awkwardness, “Sabah popo zhu de hen hao chi,”
past all the clumsy traditions which my family tries to keep.
Which means,
Two oranges,
held in both hands. Your grandma in Sabah cooked really tasty food.
To be passed on.
She died when I was 2.
But I could never feel the fullness of their weight together.
One hand always feels too light. And all that’s left are memories of gleaming orange peels
bobbing on the surface of
Only an empty shell of orange peel dying ocean waves,
and soft fibrous strands remain. a private sea shared between my mother and I.
All dried up.
My mother’s family lineage. Unanswered questions,
Untold war stories,
I could never find the slices that make up Unknown half-uncles,
one coherent orange. Unmet cousins,
Unheard kitchen sounds,
My mother came sailing to Singapore when she was thirteen, Unseen faces,
Alone, with her brother, for an education. Unvoiced songs,
My grandma I never knew, the Hakka-ness in her Unlearned tongues.
I have longed to taste,
the fantastic cooking that always brings a I want to know the luscious tree this orange came from.
silent smile to my mother’s
distant eyes. Despite all the oranges in my life,
this is the only orange
that I will always be longing for.
A ghostly orange slice forever resting on the tip of my tongue,
a slice I’ll never be able to taste.

The Singaporean Marriage Proposal

by VICTORIA CHANEL LEE

Dedicated to yi sap man (二十文)

i was looking at teachable poems, The Singaporean Marriage Proposal.
the other day i saw a packet of tissue on a knee
chope! i can’t believe chope,
my favourite poem “to reserve”
has come to life in the form of getting a HDB at Ang Mo Kio.
my sister’s life perfectly normal,
what are the odds? Is this uniquely Singaporean marriage proposal
really the plot of a generation

*Chope: referring to Joshua Ip’s poem of the same name in Sonnets from the Singlish

Image by bady abbas via Unsplash

t東oky京o

by NG JING ZHI

4:32pm, my plane touching down beneath unending blue skies
just as the last of the ginko leaves graze the ground.
on the other side of the world,
you push crisp white covers back as watery sunlight
streams into your consciousness.

they always preached the same old thing:
love will find you when you least expect it.
i was certain you were no more than
another face in an ocean of pixels
until i lowered myself into the steaming tub
to your warm cashmere voice
crooning lullabies of
春
夏
秋
冬
through my phone
cutting straight through the foggy bathroom
and carving out a little cavity for yourself
in the waiting room of my mind.

春 (haru) : spring | 夏 (natsu) : summer | 秋 (aki) : fall | 冬 (fuyu) : winter

8

kong
xin
cai

by ANDY WINTER

I ate all my greens. I was a good kid. I chewed my heart into a leaf. The wind
took it. The sky, blank & meditating, bore witness to everything. How the spoon
carves into soup, like a key trying to find its lock. Funny that the Chinese spinach
has no known origin despite its name. This weed that took over continents and

colonies. This hollowness sprouting along the river, waiting to be steeped in
oyster sauce. In Southeast Asia, we say kangkong. In the school bus, I recognise
the sizzling of Hokkien and Malay slurs. Their sodium stench stains my tofu skin,
even after hours of scrubbing. In bed, I bend over to a boy who refuses to finish
his vegetables. He plucks tender shoots out of his plate, forms a trash pile on the
tablecloth. He is a spice I have learnt to swallow; his grease simmering inside. I
smell nothing about my childhood in him: the hawkers’ wok-song, the cleaners’
cart-rattle, the sweat-stained meals. Both of us were good kids, I’m sure. And yet,
we came from different recipes: he was preserved in garden salad and I, stir-fried

with garlic. We weren’t lovers, we were just weeds in the city. Blades of dried
grass emerging from asphalt. A variegation of rootlessness.

Note: The title, 空心菜 (kong xin cai), is the Mandarin term for water spinach/kangkong

re ver ie
r ry
by ADELENA OH

the scent of brine and blurry eyes
hair so long it trips and twists

seaweed strands and circle games
hated it all, i hated you then

/ i. moon cycles \
iv. another begins iii. forget each other ii. surfaces change
/
\

hey boy, what’s your name?
dream-kissed eyes, stars come to mine

shared covers and unshared cream
we sang of the only one who suffered for me

i. eras shift
/\

iv. as new ones begin ii. bearings change

\/
iii. forget the moments

wait, what? we had a thing?
who screamed for you to remember me?

he’s for you, we know it’s true
but all i see is mist that looms

v el

Sestina on 14 October, 11 pm

by LYNN SEO

Beyond the sealed windows rolls on some season.
Peter Cooley

Outside this isolation ward I am neither caring nor patient
but here I am babysitting my seven-year-old sister,
too young, too brittle, too innocent to understand
lymphoblastic lymphoma. Her throne a wheelchair,
and mine a couch covered in dolls and teatime toys.
It is clear she has won the battle, but it’s only for today.

For her, Ma learned how to be a lawyer today
and a trickster tomorrow. But she’s no ordinary patient
and I’m not Ma. It is impossible to fool my sister;
her goal is to keep me busy. Please try to understand,
Ma pleads, so I begrudgingly take the wheelchair,
exhale hard, and wheel her to the playroom for more toys.

This act repeats hourly. Now her toys
are scattered on the hospital cot, overbed table and today
still isn’t over. I look at the wall, it’s six o’clock. Be patient
and kind, patient and kind. Can I be a sister
who truly cares and not just pretends to understand?
Another hour and she is in the cot, away from her wheelchair.

She curls like a caterpillar and stares at her wheelchair.
Her small hands clutch onto a blonde Barbie. I put the other toys
in their containers. “Your hair looks beautiful today”,
she compliments Barbie. The long, luscious hair isn’t cancer patient
friendly. I wanted to console my balding sister
but I was defeated by the thought that nothing will help her understand.

How can she understand?
Here, comforting words sound like curses. Even the wheelchair
is quiet, sitting idly across the container filled with toys.
My phone vibrates. Something a little mishap at work today.
I’m on my way now. How’s the devil patient?
I lift my head only to find a motionless sister.

At 8 o’clock, I check “exhausting my sister”
off my to-do list. Only those who have been here will understand
the pain involved putting her to bed. I owe it to the wheelchair
she has abandoned, the hours at the tea party and the lego toys
we picked on her third visit to the playroom today.
The day is ending and I’m amazed that I could be so patient.

I watch my sister fast asleep holding her toys.
It isn’t as hard on her as it is for me today;
this marks the start of my journey in becoming more patient.

Image by Annie Spratt via Unsplash

island of singlehood
& island of marriage

By WAN SHAFIKA

While unmarried, she lived with her family in a four-room apartment. She had a square bedroom of
her own which was painted greyish-blue. Its walls were covered with some of her writings and pictures
of the places she had travelled to. All the children in her family were grown-up, with different careers,
interests and circle of friends. Her workplace was nearby and she often went around the neighbourhood
in her free time. Sometimes for a walk, or a quick run. After work, she took different routes home.
There were not many guests at the house who came for her. She kept her outside relations separate
from home life and mostly, she kept whatever that happened at home, away from the outside world.

Images by Eniola Bakare, Jocelyn Morales & Angélica Echeverry via Unsplash

Now, she lives with her husband in a cosy, tastefully decorated apartment.
She shares a bed with him. He remarks that most of the things in the
bedroom are hers but even so, he does not mind. On the walls in the
room, are some reminders of the places she used to travel to. A colourful
poster about art. Some shelves filled with her favourite books. The
couple live together without children and it is a decent life. The balcony
overlooks a manicured garden where on weekend evenings, the staccato
of skate scooter wheels rattle the wooden pathways and the children do
not make their way home until their mother yells at them. There were
guests at their home sometimes but mostly, they are alone. They cook
and clean, they disagree, like any other married couple. They do not keep
their married life separate from the outside world yet, people only know
so much.

In her previous life at her family home, she saw her family every day. Her
brother was usually outside in the living room. Her mother went out to
the market often or to meet some friends. Sometimes, she had afternoon
naps in her room. She was mostly free to do what she pleased, and felt
that she was not really accountable for anyone but herself.

Now she feels like she is almost the queen of her own home, after all, the
word ‘rabia-tul-bait’ in Arabic describes a wifely figure, something along
the lines of the ruler of a home. She does the cooking and cleaning often,
as much as she works on the computer. She takes care to see that her
husband is well-fed and that his clothes are clean. She does not see her
family as much these days although geographically, they are not far away.
In her own way, she keeps house, with most of the daily routines, like
doing the laundry and washing the bathrooms, still reminiscent of how
her mother and father usually run her family’s home. Their dishwashing
style and homemade snack recipes, these, she knows by heart.

13

Her life before marriage is free in the sense that it was a life lived
on her own time. She came and left with no questions asked.
It was not a bad life at all. Filled with solitary museum visits,
having the luxury of time to look and ponder at the works of
great artists, chatting with friends about their lives, both future
and past and, sleeping alone. Comfortably on a bed, created for
no more than one, and with no headboard. She went out of the
country often enough, reasoning to herself that she was free to
do what she pleased, and doing what she pleased was exactly
what she did. Of course, there were still those, in this day and
age, who did not agree with this unfettered way of life.

Her life in marriage, on the other hand, takes into account the
welfare and feelings of her husband. Initially, they did not agree
to be married so soon yet later, they both agreed that it was one
of the best decisions they had ever made. They choose right from
the get go, a private life over the typical communal living with
extended family, mother-in-law, father-in-law, siblings-in-law,
and that itself is a statement made. As much as this is seen as
an outlier in a place where many young couples live with their
family until their matrimonial homes get built, the couple do
not really have a choice. Theirs is a case of a new, preferred way
of doing things. The physical act of defying and segregating
the values and traditions of their families with their own. It is
purely a decision to migrate, carve their own paths and destiny,
a choice not borne from the feeling of displacement, but more
of having outgrown certain phases in life and looking to new
pastures instead. Theirs is a life preferring privacy, mindful
decisions. A life a little different from how they had grown up.
It is up to them how they want to chart the next course of life.

In her old life, there were always friends to meet, to laugh over
things both trivial and political. A cat she cuddled every day. Her
days were also lived on social media. Still is. Sure, there had been
talk of marriage sometimes. Pictures of matrimony on social
media news feeds. When her age was pushing 25, her parents
had secretly set her up with a very distant cousin, thinking that
she did not know. She knew, of course she did, but the poor
fella, who was brought to her house, was beyond clueless and
she shrugged the encounter soon after. She married someone
of her own choice.

Her new life nonetheless, is a picture of domestic bliss. Husband
and wife learn from each other, though sometimes the lessons
are through heated debates. Laughter too. It is a life on the
inside, looking out. Like children part of a secret club nobody
else can be a part of. They talk about the colour of wallpapers
and the future. She no longer watches long drama series alone.
She misses that old, fat cat though, who is still living in the
old house.

And when the time comes, they will travel together, hand-in-
hand to distant places often talked about, taste the food of
the people, take snapshots in front of historical monuments
and think fondly, like people do of long-lost pals, about their
separate lives. A cherished memory. A phase of life traded for
another, a step forward.

sadness
-be-
gone
-o-
meter
2000

by SIOBHAN TANG

15

0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0Remembertoremindyourselfnottoforget. ries attached to physical temporal structures in the landscape
0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0IthinkthatwasthefirstthingthatcametomindasIpeered like a net. This releases individuals from their attachments
to these structures by storing them away. Most important-
into the glass windows of the bookstore – now vacant – and ly, the sheer amount of latent energy that can be extracted
frowned. Envelopes of different sizes and flyers advertising from these memories will finally be put to good use – it will
realtors to call were inserted through the gap in the door, and power cars, schools and hydroponic gardens. As for us, the
perhaps in a few years’ time someone would scoop them all silly humans who continue to recklessly appoint significance
up, dust them off, and display them in a museum. Remember to such structures, we are freed by the burden to remember
every aching detail. To look at a lamp post and think about a
0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1tocreateuniqueserialnumbersforeachartefact.Remember first kiss, or to walk into the decrepit lift lobby of a cheap ho-
to label them with a brief description of the bookstore in its tel and think of a spontaneous holiday trip from years ago. A
former glory. lamp post is just a lamp post and a lift lobby is just a lift lobby.

Remember to remind others not to forget. Immediately after inventing the Sadness-be-Gone-o-Meter
2000 I took the prototype out on a rampage along the streets
0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1Inmanywaysthisclosurewasinevitable.I’vealreadylostempty neighbouring the bookstore. Like a deranged gunman I was
grass fields, park benches, restaurants, and whole buildings. A aiming at everything within reach, capturing scores of raw hu-
new MRT line cuts through the field and a flashy condomini- man memories. The next round of budget cuts will come, the
um – great for the family – swallows the brutalist building next economic crisis and global pandemic will devour anoth-
that resembles a staircase. The Thai restaurant with the tacky er place, another era. I could go on forever like a vigilante for
the sentimental and nostalgic, battling a noble fight against
1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1decorandpoorlyphotoshoppedimagesoftouristattractions remembering: the silent killer.
is now a pawn shop – I still pass by occasionally, hoping to
see the carved wooden statue of a beautiful lady holding her But even with the device in hand, ‘remember to remind your-
two hands together, respectfully greeting customers. And self not to forget’ looped like a broken mantra in my head.
now (just as I always do when a loss is felt), I willed every
I want to be a silly and foolish human being with nothing to
0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1inchofmybodyintotheactofconsciousremembering.Here show but memories. Memories crumpled and folded in the
is where the framed propaganda posters from Mao’s China palm of my hand; memories left in my trouser pocket and
went, here is where the books on organisation were tossed thrown into the washing machine; memories attached to the
to form precarious stacks, and here is where the potted plant fridge with a magnet.
went. Sometimes remembering can be a masochistic ritual, a
despicable cause of pleasure and pain. I want to remember with reckless abandon.

0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0——————————————— My trigger-happy finger halted but it was too late. Filled with
three roads’ worth of memories the device began trembling
As a researcher under BLOS inc. I was tasked with one sim- insidiously. Screws shook loose, springs launched off into the
ple task – to eradicate sadness. The mission statement of air culminating in an immense explosion, sending chunks of
Sadness-be-Gone-o-Mater 2000 flying everywhere. A thick
1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1BLOSinc.: cloud of iridescent memories hung in the air, but began dis-
As a research facility created under unprecedented circumstances, persing in an oddly specific and organised manner. Each air-
we are dedicated to the Betterment of the Lives of Others through borne particle knew its place and quickly arranged itself to
Scientific intervention. form a gossamer outline of every single thing that used to ex-
ist in the physical landscape. A new city skyline rose between
1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1AstringofdeviceswascreatedbeforetheSadness-be-Gone- and beyond the current buildings, twisting, bending, curving
o-Meter 2000 eventually came to be. There was the Mood and straightening with a reassuring confidence; as if it claim-
to Song Cross-Pollinator 6000 (a device that translates in- ing back a spot in the sky that was rightfully theirs.
describable feelings into soundscapes) and the Atmospheric
Sensor-Radar Detecting Sadness Particles (a monitor that de- A sea of heads began to tilt up to the sky, with curious fingers
tects and adjusts the level of sadness particles in a 5km radius).following the contours of the new-old shimmering city sky-
line. The old shopping mall appeared, and then the old fish-
0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0Shapedlikeagunwithaslendermetallicbodyandaglowing ing port, and then the bus stop for a route that was no longer
tip, the Sadness-be-Gone-o-Meter 2000 was conceived in a in service, and then
flurry of rage and nostalgia. Standing before the empty book- and then
store for the first time I could not remember how the paint- and then
ing on the back wall looked like. I flinched and ached but my etc.

1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1memorymadeitcubist.Fragmentedflowersandashattered Now all it took to remember was the simple act of tilting my
vase do not account for the real thing. None of my memories head towards the iridescent, flickering skyline soaring above
could account for the real thing. the real.

But with the Sadness-be-Gone-o-Meter 2000, we will never
ever feel the itch to remember again. Remembering is a source

0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0ofsadness,andIamobligedtoeradicateit.Eachblastofthe
1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1device’sinfraredrayscapturesandcollectsallofthememo-

Where I Lived,

&

What I Lived For

by ALAN C.
Image by GRACE HO via Unsplash

After Henry David Thoreau

Choa Chu Kang Ave 5, Blk 452, #33-15. 680452.

We keep a money plant on a rack in the corridor. Money to school. I want to work. Anything but this unbearable
plants are weird things – they’re actually more of an mass of time to kill, this eternity that I can’t seem to
ivy. They need something to wind around, to hold on scratch the surface of. Days blend into each other;
to; ours has this fake, earthy stem for it to coil around, they’re all the same kind of quiet.
so it actually looks like a little tree.
I wonder how the plant’s coping with all this. It must
My mom used to water it every morning before she left be terribly uncomfortable in this dark cage. I imagine
for work, but since the pandemic got bad we collectively it slowly extending its vines out the window, thirsty
decided (she decided) to put it in my room. So it’s my for sunlight and freedom. It coils its tendrils around
responsibility now. I get up when I’m tired of being the water pipe, plotting its great escape. From outside,
in bed and water the plant on my desk. I feel a little neighbours might wonder why our pipes have turned
bad for it, so I keep my curtains parted just a crack – green. Would it go up, towards the sun? I see a roof
hopefully just enough sunlight to keep it alive. Sorry covered in vines, a twisting mass with nowhere to
buddy, it’s you or me. go. No, it would go down, towards the soil, reaching
towards—
Today, even the tiny sliver of light that creeps through
is too harsh a reminder of the day. I shut the curtain Of course, before it hits the ground, all this will blow
and try unsuccessfully to ignore the birdsong. over, and we’ll be free, and I won’t have to feel like this;
we’ll reel it back in, stuff it back in its pot, put it back
All this isolation hasn’t been good for me. I tried to in the corridor where it can get a little light, and keep
pick up a productive hobby, but that gave way in the pretending it’s a tree.
first week. I’ve watched the first episode of a hundred
Netflix shows. I want to meet my friends, I want to go Alan C.

18

WANDER / WONDER

by SANDI NG

Hello Lewes, you and your bumpy roads that were a pain to drag luggage across. But you would
become home. The damp air and cold wind seeped into my skin, dissipating the moment I stepped
into the corridors of Caburn where the smell of slightly metallic pasta seemed to linger. It’d only
been a few days, but there was a feeling of going home whenever I took the train back to Lewes from
school or Brighton or wherever I ventured out to. The rolling fields in all its different shades would come
into sight, spread below a vast flat sky that often took on a translucent paleness.

19

Britain in winter can be a dreary place, but there’s a certain joy in catching the brief glimpses of sunlight
on a cold day. The wintry beams made life seem just a little more cheerful.

January passed quickly and happily, and so did February.

Then it was mid-March, and the dreaded email calling
me back to Singapore arrived.

The virus had been worming its way across the
continent. Cases had been rising, an underlying panic
had set in town, and shelves were emptying out at a
worrying pace. An ache grew in my chest as I lamented
over the abrupt and inevitable end to my time in Lewes.
I fell into an uneasy sleep as the minute hand inched

towards four in the morning.

21

When Boris Johnson announced that pubs and restaurants were to
close, we were at Pelicano. Most of us hadn’t grasped the gravity of the
situation just yet – our judgement clouded by youthful naivety – and
we headed out to a pub right after that for a last drink, a last night out.
The day before I left, I got a refund for my card at Lewes station. The
kindly old ticket man told me to enjoy the sunlight, to go out in the
sun while you can, we all need some sun to be sane, to survive. Another
stranger struck up a conversation as we gazed at the timings of trains
departing. We parted with a friendly elbow-bump goodbye, a prelude
of the safe distancing measures that were to follow. As the world
catapulted into a new and frightening state, I pondered about how a
little human touch was something we often took for granted.

22

Image by WONG SI JIA

Image provided by DEBORAH WONG

Image provided by DEBORAH WONG

Hitting the Streets

WONG SI JIA sits down with Channel NewsAsia’s Deborah Wong
to revisit her undergraduate days and discuss her experiences in

bringing change as a news reporter.

Life is a journey that can take off and unravel in the necessity. The outbreak of COVID-19 in the last year also
‌ most unpredictable of ways – while the age-old adage brought disruption to the usual chain of communication
‌of “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” does hold and work structure, further complicating matters.
some truth, not everyone’s path pans out as expected. For
Deborah Wong, the process of becoming a news reporter at For Deborah, the hard work is well-worth the reward. The
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) turned out differently from what job has brought her in-person to the likes of important
she had envisioned, with a rejected application to Ngee Ann political figures including Malaysia’s former Prime Minister
Polytechnic’s Mass Communication, her desired course at Mahathir Mohamad.
that time, prompting her to enroll in junior college instead.
But that was hardly the end of the road. She had another back- One of her most memorable stints dates back to the
up plan in the works: to score well enough for the ‘A’ levels Indonesian elections in 2019, which she covered from the
and aim for NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communications embassy in Singapore. The scene was as such: an ambulance
and Information. parked at the voting site, carrying a man hooked up to various
life-support machines within. That man, despite being on
Unfortunately, that fell through as well, and Deborah opted his deathbed, got express permission from the doctor to get
to do a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Yet, this third time out of the hospital and cast his vote. Weak but determined,
proved to be the charm, with her describing the chance he sealed his vote by raising his hand, revealing the electoral
occurrence as “a blessing in disguise” that equipped her ink on his fingertip.
with the necessary skills and knowledge for the broadcast
media industry. Between the prevalence of voter absenteeism and
helplessness at the transition of power in the country,
“[The programme] hones your critical thinking skills and the man’s actions upheld the significance of democracy,
you actually analyse what people are saying a lot deeper which is an extremely important part of the Constitution.
while reading between the lines,” she explains. “Studying
content like film theory, culture theory and gender theory Describing how the media was moved to tears over the
also sets the context of current events that we see today. “heartwarming sight,” the reporter highlights her gratitude
It was a blessing in disguise, but at the same time, I never for the opportunity to witness such accounts: “I always
really lost sight of what I wanted to do.” treat every assignment as a privilege, because you’re in that
position due to your job and have the opportunity to translate
The journalism field has always been the anchor of the really complex things into something digestible. I don’t think
alumnus’ career pursuits, which began with internship stints that’s something that we should take for granted.”
that spanned different mediums. Courtesy of a scholarship
with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), she then moved to Being a reporter is, thus, more than just a job for Deborah.
AsiaOne for two years before heading over to CNA. To her, it is also a platform to bring change to the real world
and a means to better understand the human state of affairs.
Fast forward to the present and Deborah is still going strong “You have to be curious; I mean, if you’re not curious, you’re
with a considerable amount of experience under her belt. going to take things at the status quo. How are you going to
The main driving factor, she shares, is the belief that the make any real change if you just keep quiet and let the world
social impact brought on by certain stories can bring hope pass you by?” she muses. “Curiosity plays a part, and I think
and change for disadvantaged communities. humility as well, to ask what you don’t know. You just have
to have that humility to learn from many people, I think it’s
As such, she never sees her assignments as “just another a huge part of what being a reporter is.”
task,” preferring instead to take them as a fresh learning
opportunity. “You never really know how much impact you And she has not looked back since.
can generate when you push out the stories. I think the most
important thing is to always remember that, when you push Four Facts for the Floor
out a story, you need to always answer the question of why
it matters to people. To me, if I can inspire the answer in 1. If given a chance to be an author of her
somebody, then that’s the motivating factor,” expresses the ‌ choice, Ms Wong would want to be either
broadcast journalist. ‌ Bram Stoker or Edgar Allan Poe.

Finding a sense of purpose is important in pushing through 2. Ms Wong’s final-year project was on
the rigorous demands of the job, which not only requires ‌ Gothic Literature.
individuals to be on call 24/7, but also requires them to be
adaptable and quick on their feet, especially for live reports. 3. Ms Wong trailed the Singapore Democratic
While each journalist is assigned to specific beats, the nature ‌ Party (SDP) for her coverage of the Singapore
of the profession is such that anyone can be called up to ‌ Elections in 2020.
report on an unfamiliar subject matter, so the ability to
communicate all sorts of information under pressure is a 4. Her favourite module in NTU was Film
‌ Theory, taught by former professor Brian
‌Bergen-Aurand.

24

From Essays
to Airwaves

TILVE TARINI SACHIN sits down with
987FM’s newest radio jock, Ann Nicole Ng,
for a candid conversation on serendipitous
opportunities and authenticity.

Image by NG JING ZHI “Do you sound like that off-air too?”

That is just one of the many interesting questions that
25-year-old Ann Nicole Ng receives as a full-time DJ at
987FM. This bubbly and cheerful spirit is not only the
youngest in her department but is also a final year English
student with a second major in Communications. Apart
from this, she is a founding member of the Her Campus
chapter in Nanyang Technological University as well as a
part of the School of Humanities (SoH) student-run club.

Ann Nicole’s journey with 987FM began in 2017, after she
joined the 987 Radio Star competition. Although it was
her first attempt at being a radio jock, it was certainly not
her first time speaking in front of an audience.

“I have always hosted school events since secondary
school because I was on the school council. My teachers
approached me and asked if I wanted to try hosting... Then
it snowballed, and I became the go-to person for hosting
or emceeing.”

Ann Nicole reckons that her stints in secondary school and
junior college helped her gain experience and made her
much more comfortable speaking to an audience. After
some time, she transitioned to hosting on a freelance basis

25

“ I was worried that if I was too authentic,
too real, people would not like me. Then I
realised that people respond to authenticity,
to that vulnerability that they see because
they might be feeling the same way.

outside of school. However, Ann Nicole’s big break into radio Despite her hectic schedule, Ann Nicole still chose to take
came while she was waiting for university to commence. on a second degree in Communication Studies to challenge
herself and further hone her craft.
“I saw an ad on TV one day for the 987 Radio Star competition
which, at that time, was an annual talent show where they “At any point in time, we have to look at the things on our
get new blood to join the station. I didn’t know if it was for plate and decide where to put our energy. Unfortunately,
me, but something just told me to sign up for it, so I did,” sometimes that means sacrificing your personal time or
she shares. maybe sleep,” says Ann Nicole.

Ann Nicole sent in her audition tape after spending a mere Yet her dedication to her studies and job has definitely paid
hour on it and three weeks later, she was a shortlisted off. In her final year in university, she was offered a full-time
contestant on the talent show. Looking back, she also job with 987FM, which surprised her. The offer, Ann Nicole
remarked on the serendipitous timing of the advertisement, mused, came at a very interesting time with her final year
mentioning how she rarely watched TV. project and graduation on the horizon.

Although you could never tell from her easygoing and While she was hesitant at first, Ann Nicole decided to take
confident demeanor now, the young DJ admitted that her the opportunity.
time in the competition forced her to face a lot of self-doubt.
The other contestants, according to her, were older and had “I think a full-time job in radio was always in the books for
prior experience in radio through Mass Communication me. It just came a lot earlier than I thought it would!” she
classes in either polytechnic or university. said, laughing.

“I had a lot of insecurities going into the competition, feeling Although her plate is currently full, Ann Nicole is excited
like I am so behind all these other people who were more to have more time on her hands for her career after she
prepared or knowledgeable compared to me... I needed graduates. It means getting to immerse herself in all the
to get over the fear in my own heart. After all, if you don’t opportunities that come with the job, one of them being
believe in yourself, how will you get someone else to believe the “school-invasions” her radio station takes part in.
in you?” confides Ann Nicole.
“We would have these school-invasions led by the radio
However, she managed to regain her footing, soaring to the department where we would visit them for their school
top by winning the competition which also landed her a assemblies and talk to them about their career choices or
part-time job with 987FM. Describing her style as sassy and issues like bullying. I am really looking forward to being
self-deprecating, Ann Nicole reveals that authenticity is her there in person.”
biggest strength, even if it means being extra vulnerable. She
confesses that there were times she went on air and made With the ongoing pandemic, she laments that the “school-
remarks, like her thoughts on an ex, that she would regret invasions” have moved online. However, she is not deterred
later in private. and believes that things will soon look up.

“I was worried that if I was too authentic, too real, people As for advice to hopeful content creators and DJs, Ann Nicole
would not like me. Then I realised that people respond to is a firm believer that what goes around, comes around,
authenticity, to that vulnerability that they see because they reiterating that the most important thing to remember is
might be feeling the same way,” she shares. to remain authentic to oneself.

26

where
passion

meets

ALIYAH KHAN speaks to English alumni Amanda Ng about how her love for
drama and gift for working with children spurred her to pursue a career that

enables her to have the best of both worlds.

reality

As‌‌ a Class of 2020 Graduate, 26-year-old Amanda “That’s when I got exposed to how I could help children
‌ Ng ‌was bound to endure inevitable challenges‌ develop and found my alignment with the company that
‌after c‌ompleting her four-year English degree I’m at now,” she said.
programme at the School of Humanities, NTU. Although
graduating into a COVID-19 job market ensured a rocky As an Early Childhood Trainer, Amanda works flexible
start in the job search for many fresh graduates, luck was hours and usually starts her day “quite late”. She manages
on Amanda’s side. For her, a job offer was a “blessing” that various ad hoc projects such as preparing the curriculum
fell into her lap almost effortlessly. for the children and producing informative articles
for parents.
“I got a job offer before I took on my FYP (Final Year
Project). I wasn’t actively searching for a job, but my current “The goal is to show that we are research-based and we
boss reached out to me on LinkedIn before I went for my do understand children’s development. Most of what I
overseas exchange,” she said. write is about how drama benefits children. I also help to
debunk misconceptions about what we understand about
When she returned from her overseas semester in drama,” she notes.
London, Amanda was offered a job at Helen O’Grady
Drama Academy, an enrichment programme that uses Of course, much of her writing process is made
drama to facilitate the development of life skills for significantly easier because of the rigour and breadth of
children. She accepted the offer as an Early Childhood NTU’s English programme.
Trainer and worked part time, committing to a three
day work week as she was still in her final semester “I’m more critical of the things that I read in other articles
in university. and the research I’m doing in my own content writing and
curriculum… In English, we’re forced us to write within
Despite being offered a full-time traineeship position, the certain limit and that really helps you write concisely and
pandemic almost took away her “dream job” when the with purpose,” she said.
offer was momentarily retracted.
When asked what the biggest challenge in her career has
“The company has a lot of franchisees in China and we been so far, Amanda cites “people management” as the
suffered a bit. I was worried I wouldn’t get the job anymore,” main difficulty.
Amanda recalls.
“Making sure that you have a good working relationship
Fortunately for her, she still secured a position and with colleagues is one… another is learning to be human
managed to fulfil her passion of working with children. In and seeing another as human,” she confesses.
fact, Amanda had already set her sight on this career path
as a first-year student. Because she always strives for “perfection and punctuality”,
Amanda often overlooks the capacity for others to do
“I had a clear goal because I have a diploma in Child the same. She admits that she is still learning to practice
Psychology and Early Education, and experience with compassion in the workplace, “to step into someone else’s
children. I was quite sure that after university I would shoes” and accept that “sometimes, deadlines just have to
go back to doing something with children … I just didn’t be moved”.
know what it was,” she explained.
Her number one advice to current English students?
However, Amanda’s affinity with drama only sparked
during time her time in NTU, where she explored various “Update your LinkedIn page! Even if it’s a small stint [and]
drama modules in NIE and English, such as: Creative even if you’re not super good at it.
Classroom: Introducing Drama Thru Imagination & Play,
Introduction to Theatre & Performance, Theatre Games: “Use the time we have in university to experiment with
Engagement Through Play and Reading Drama. what you really are interested in. I was always trying out
different things and figuring out what I really wanted to
Amanda was also encouraged by NIE Professor Rethinavel do,” she said.
Shanmugam, who introduced drama as not only an art
form but also a developmental tool for learning. Image courtesy of Amanda Ng.

28

university
playlist

Beyond the academic theses, research and ‘big brain energy’, ANDY WINTER discovers
English professors Dr Michelle Wang and Dr Cheryl Julia Lee’s choice of TV shows,
movies and music to unwind to.

Q: How would you describe your personal experience of media Dr Lee: I don’t think I can entirely filter out the critical voice.
consumption? It’s not screaming into my ear the whole time. I love films where
Dr Wang: I would pick TV over films when trying to unwind. I people talk a lot, so I was obsessed with Woody Allen for his
also prefer longer story trajectories and could binge-watch entire soothing voice and the ideas brought up in his films. Until I
seasons or in some cases, an entire series! I don’t typically keep started to hear about his personal life, and from the women who
up with the latest releases and there isn’t any time during the starred with him. We are told to separate the art from the artist,
semester for binge-watching, so typically I’ll rewatch something but I find that I cannot. Although I don’t take this stance for every
and have that going in the background as I work on chores, etc. case. It’s definitely exhausting, and I can’t do it all the time. It’s
Dr Lee: I’m more inclined to watch reruns because I don’t need okay to take a break. Pick your battles. Stop giving attention to
to pay attention. I feel the need to be productive which I find things that don’t warrant it. There’s a lot of negativity out there
problematic, because that space can’t be marked out for leisure. as it is. Knowing the importance of dialogue and conversation is
Since it’s difficult to relax, I’m trying to fix that by taking full days crucial too. To be able to talk about something without the aim
off, sometimes rewatching shows such as Archer and Brooklyn to convert people.
Nine-Nine. I think it’s important to learn how to take proper off-
days and not feel guilty about it. I basically force myself to spend Q: Do certain songs inspire your research/writing and are there
one day not doing any work. I like horror. And really stupid playlists you tend to favour?
comedies. Shows that you don’t need to think about. For horror Dr Wang: No, for the most part, I can’t listen to music when
and comedy, you respond. It’s not an intellectual process (it can working. I need it to be absolutely quiet when thinking, writing,
come after, of course) but it’s pure simulation right then and or preparing to teach. I have a (very short) Christmas playlist
there. It keeps my mind distracted; I do it for distraction. for November to January and I use the ones on YouTube as well
for carols that go on for hours. I don’t typically listen to music
Q: Are there any shows you’re currently invested in? on the go, though I sometimes put the news on and whatever
Dr Lee: A show that I have recently binged is The Haunting of music comes with that, that works. I like television serials that
Bly Manor (2020). I just love Victoria Pedretti’s face. There is have good music as well.
something odd yet intriguing about her. I also can’t wait for the Dr Lee: My playlists are curated based on a mood. Some of the
next season of You (2018). After I finish a series, I want to remain in songs I like include Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness”,
its world and would go on Reddit to participate in conversations Matt Berninger’s “One More Second” (love the music video), Ezra
about them. Furman’s “Can I Sleep in Your Brain” and film or TV soundtracks.
I love listening to old Mandarin songs like Jay Chou’s “Qing Hua
Q: How do you reconcile the academic/critical voice and your Ci”. The language is just so poetic, so beautiful. I also listen to
desire to unwind when consuming media? Does it influence Singaporean artists such as Linying and Lewloh.
or affect your enjoyment of media in any way?
Dr Wang: What we read and learn does invariably come to bear Q: If you could curate a playlist of shows or music for Myriad,
on what we see and do, including our consumption of media. what would you recommend?
Netflix has made it easy to revisit some of the sitcoms I watched Dr Wang: The one I will recommend to anyone and everyone
in my teens or twenties, but now with a heightened sense of is The Blue Planet – though it’s probably not as widely available
awareness and understanding. Television offers a tidy pulse on as Our Planet, which is also excellent, and available on both
the times, I suppose, so it’s interesting to see how things have YouTube and Netflix.
changed or stayed the same. Dr Lee: Vitamin String Quartet – thank u, next.

29

Image by NAMROUD GORGUIS via Unsplash

On Course to Encores

Image provided by ISAIAH CHRISTOPHER LEE

by TILVE TARINI SACHIN

Few people can boast about many roles aside from acting, such as One of Isaiah’s earlier works, an origi-
knowing exactly what they want being the playwright and director. nal play titled The Old Woman and the
to do growing up, but 23-year- Ox, came to be after he submitted his
old Isaiah Christopher Lee is abso- While completing his ‘A’ Levels at Raf- script during an open call. It was lat-
lutely one of them. Thrust into the fles Institution, Isaiah studied a re- er picked up by the Second Breakfast
spotlight at the tender age of 5, it was telling of the Sanskrit epic The Ma- Company and staged at the Gateway
love at first curtain call for Isaiah af- habharata and found his interest in Theatre Blackbox. Looking back at
ter he appeared in a production of Asian work, which he is pursuing in the experience, Isaiah shares that he is
Roald Dahl’s Cinderella. From then ELAH. The decision to join ELAH was grateful he submitted the script even
on, Isaiah never strayed too far from a no-brainer for Isaiah who explains though it was incomplete.
the spotlight. Today, the English Lit- that “having a department that shares
erature and Art History (ELAH) major similar interests and offers modules “In the theatre scene, you don’t hear
holds many original productions and that cover those interests, really helps about a lot of budding writers and so
accolades under his belt. [him] to broaden [his] horizon”. self-doubt is a big challenge. Getting
published with an original script in
Although Isaiah’s current repertoire of Other than that, Isaiah mentions that Singapore is really hard.”
achievements is nothing to be mod- the course stood out to him for “the
est about, his journey started like that multidisciplinary approach to study- Isaiah confesses that his time in ELAH
of most theatre enthusiasts – in his ing the arts and humanities. Being able has undobutedly developed his rela-
school’s drama club. At Catholic High to integrate two or more approaches tionship with theatre and greatly im-
School, Isaiah founded Pentametric to works of art and literature was very pacted the way he sees his own work.
Productions, a student-led organisa- attractive to [him]”. Looking back on his earlier pieces,
tion that writes and composes its own Isaiah shares that his “set designs used
plays. With a strong emphasis on am- Indeed, the theatre practitioner is not to be really over-the-top and elabo-
plifying the voices of youths, the club only a playwright but also directs, pro- rate but now, [he has] learned to be
gave Isaiah the opportunity to take on duces, designs, and acts in his work. more simple”.

30

“ I hope to see the students I teach
stepping up and saying, ‘This is
something I want to do despite
how little support I have’ and to
support one another.

Image provided by ISAIAH CHRISTOPHER LEE

Although Isaiah spends a lot of time things we talk about are new or have tribute to the [ongoing discourse],”
on set, his involvement in Singapore’s never been discussed but the repre- says Isaiah. He adds, “Learning is the
theatre scene does not end there. He sentation of seeing someone like you only way we grow as people; I never
also serves as a drama educator and has on stage is so important. It makes you want to stop learning and engaging
taught in various secondary schools, feel represented,” Isaiah shares. with my students.”
as well as at the Nanyang Academy
of Fine Arts (NAFA). In his classes, However, being part of Singapore’s In the same vein, Isaiah’s dream for lo-
Isaiah imparts his hard-learned les- theatre scene does not come with- cal theatre is to cultivate a safe space
sons to aspiring drama practitioners, out its challenges. Apart from having for younger generations that will push
empowering them to use drama in a small community, Isaiah mentions Singapore’s theatre scene forward.
creating discourse. that the theatre scene can be harsh
with new work. Quoting playwright “I hope to see the students I teach step-
Isaiah’s belief in the influence of dra- Samuel Beckett, Isaiah emphasises ping up and saying, ‘This is something
ma is also evident in the projects he that the theatre scene needs to “allow I want to do despite how little support
undertakes. For example, he has part- people to fail, and to fail better”. I have’ and to support one another. I
nered up with the Association of Wom- think we can do better, in creating a
en for Action and Research (AWARE) He also cites self-imposed censorship safe and supportive environment for
Singapore to present a play on single as a challenge, explaining that certain younger people.”
motherhood in Singapore. topics are sensitive not just for the
public but for creators as well.
“I think the Arts offers a safe space for
discussion, as well as a place to de- “We need to ask if the discussions we
bate such discussions. It’s not like the bring up are relevant and if they con-

31

GET REC’D

Meet the English Main Committee and check out
their specially curated collection of hiraeth-themed

music, literature & entertainment! Click on the
media icons to learn more.

Naveen recommends Eunice recommends Darienne recommends
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Texts for Nothing by Samuel Beckett Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Carey recommends Jasmine recommends Hema recommends
Reply 1988 Vanilla Twilight by Owl City SUBURBIA by Troye Sivan

32

GET REC’D

Meet the English Main Committee and check out
their specially curated collection of hiraeth-themed

music, literature & entertainment! Click on the
media icons to learn more.

Kishore recommends Sereen recommends Ace recommends
Growing Pains by Alessia Cara Inheritors by Asako Serizawa The Starry Night by Starry Musical

Adelena recommends Michelle recommends Jing Zhi recommends
Genshin Impact by Mihoyo My sea by IU Love You to Bits by Alike Studio

33

EVENTS

A glimpse of the events the English Sub-Club hosted
between 2020 and 2021.

Halloween 2020

34

Back to School

Pop Quiz +
Goodie Bag Collection

Alumni Sharing

Freshmen Orientation

36

ISSUE 01 | HIRAETH
SEPTEMBER 2021