Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Dim Sum and Durian

The durian (play /ˈdjʊriən/)[2] is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family[1][3] (although some taxonomists place Durio in a distinct family, Durionaceae[1]). Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Dominion students experiencing the culture of Singapore


Yama Ghani bravely addressed over 3,000 students at Hwa Chong Institute early Tuesday morning.  Yama communicated that he is very happy to be in Singapore and has been enjoying the culture, most notably, “the food.”  Yama and Ciara Thomas, Jennifer Morris, Nick Sysak, and Thaddeus Thomas have spent time hanging out with their Singaporean counterparts on the beautiful campus of Hwa Chong in order  to catch a glimpse of the Singaporean educational system. They have also visited Chinatown, where Chinese immigrants experienced harsh living conditions while building the infrastructure of the country . Soon after, students took a trip to a Hindu temple in Little India and learned the story of the Indian god, Ganesh.   Right outside of the temple, they ate at one of the famous hawker stations that Anthony Bourdain had visited during his last trip to this Asian food paradise.  The students wrapped up the tour visiting a famous Singaporean mosque and sipping delicious “pulled tea” at a cafe on Arab street. 

Monday, April 25, 2011

So... tell me about your upcoming election

Teaching the lesson on women in politics to the Hwa Chong students also provided an incredible opportunity for Ms. Relator and I to learn more about the upcoming elections in Singapore.

As a one-party parliamentary government, Singapore's electoral system is incredibly different than the U.S. two party system, and unapologetically so.  The Prime Minister recently explained in great detail why a one-party system is most suitable for Singapore.

Most Americans don't realize that in a parliamentary system there are often not fixed election dates (like we have in the US with our first Tuesday after the first Monday in November).  I was confused our first few days in Singapore because I kept hearing on Channel News Asia (the largely government run television station) that the PAP (People's Action Party-- the main political party) had announced its new candidates-- yet no one could tell me when the election would be.


A few days later an election day was announced, May 7th.  By the American concept of elections, this seemed like very little time to conduct a campaign.  However, like everything in Singapore, this short turn around to the election date is purposeful and pragmatic, as it greatly reduces the cost of campaigning and the campaign fatigue that voters sometime experience in America (not that getting tired of the campaign would be issue in Singapore, since voting is compulsory).

One of the most interesting anecdotal things Mrs. Relator and I came across in examining the role of women in politics and probing the Singaporean students for their opinions on the upcoming election was the controversial candidacy of Tin Pei Ling, the youngest woman candidate ever from the PAP.  A quick google search revealed a number of youtube parody videos mimicking Ms. Tin, very reminiscent of Sarah Palin's candidacy for Vice President in the states.  Students were divided on why exactly Tin Pei Ling's candidacy was under such criticism-- was it her age?  her gender?  her immaturity?  her intellectual shortcomings?  They were nearly unanimous in the view that she was not a good candidate.

It will be interesting to see how the election in Singapore unfolds after we depart.  Undoubtedly, the PAP will maintain power, but how many seats will the Opposition Parties obtain, and how will this shape the future of Singapore?

Women in Politics, SG & US



This morning Mrs. Rodgers and I had an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Singapore political system from Hwa Chong students in Ms. Huo's English Studies Class. The students compared the political culture of the United States and Singapore concerning the influence of women on public policy and the portrayal of women in the media. One difference the Hwa Chong students observed was the fact that American media focuses more on women's physical appearance and Singapore media focuses more on the merit of the individual. After pointing out many similarities and differences between the two systems, students became political consultants. In groups they created "Pokemon candidate cards" to show the characteristics valued in female candidates in Singapore and the United States. Mrs. Rodgers and I are very grateful to the English Studies class for their excellent participation in today's lesson. It was a wonderful experience to spend two class periods with these thoughtful and gracious students. They were very open to learning about the U.S. political system and sharing with us valuable insight into the Singaporean political system.


  • To read more about the opinions of these Singaporean and American students, take a look at the discussion between Dominion and Hwa Chong Students concerning women in politics at this blog set up by Mrs. Rodgers, http://www.dominionandhwachong.blogspot.com/

Sunday, April 24, 2011

A Day in the Life of a Hwa Chong Student (by Jennifer Coupland)

(written by Jennifer Coupland)

A Day in the Life of a Hwa Chong Student

As we arrived to Hwa Chong, that resembled more a college campus than a high school, we were overwhelmed by everything it had to offer. Not only that, but the dynamics of how the school is run is very different from what our American customs are in a school setting.

Guys, there's no more gross cafeteria food where the hot dogs bounce when you drop them. They have two or three different restaurants, on the campus, for you to choose from. Not only that, but they have everything from local dishes to western cuisine. Sounds like a dream, right?

But, ladies and gents, there's something that we have taken for granted over the years of going to a public high school: our leniency in our rules. For instance, ladies, if you were to have your hair touching your shoulders at school they would ask you to either get a hair cut as soon as possible or tie it up in a pony tail. Also, you are NOT allowed to wear make up. You cannot wear open-toed shoes, only sneakers of some sort. There are absolutely no playing cards allowed at school, they will confiscate them and so on.

Their schedules change every day, much like that of a college student. They all wake up every day around 5:00am and head off to school where some stay until 9pm. From there, they must find time to fit in finishing their mass amounts of homework and doing extra-curricular activities.

Another thing to keep in mind is that in their graduating class alone, there are about 1000 plus students. Even our beloved SCA President, Daryl Wilkinson, could not go around and know every person there. We realized how difficult it must be to hold school sponsored events outside of school; until we saw the Artemis Faculty Outing.

I feel like this deserves a blog entry for itself. Guys and gals, this was held in a club. Not only this but they had the freedom to talk about PMS on stage, quote one of Katy Perry's famous, but inappropriate, songs, and play songs such as "I'm On a Boat" uncensored. Now before we all get the wrong idea, because this was a school sponsored event, there was no drinking, no inappropriate dancing, none of that. But it is pretty interesting that for such a conservative society, they would hold such events in a club, and play music uncensored.

As everything slowly comes to a close I will forever be fascinated by school dynamics at Hwa Chong Junior College (aka high school).

Zai Jian!

Jennifer

MVI_2046.AVI

Greetings from Singapore.  We made this video for the DHS morning announcements.