inverse

no te ed's

Food/Travel
Editors Note
? Nicolette

Batam

inverse
CHIEF EDITOR GERALDINE CHENG gera0014@ntu.edu.sg SUB-EDITOR LEAH JOLENE TAN

hen youre a lucky beneficiary from the governments budget handouts, plans for a short vacation will naturally be within your reach. Go on to any budget airline website and do not be surprised to find out that a trip to Phuket, inclusive of return fare and airport taxes, can go as low as $160. If the low price is not enough to convince

you to travel further than Boon Lay, read on. And when youre done reading, go book your tickets because you deserve a good soak in the pleasure pool. Winifred

ooking for a quick getaway during recess week that would not leave a burning hole in your pocket? Well, Batams the perfect place for a short and cheap holiday! Here you can find great hotels, fresh seafood, thrilling water sports and rejuvenating spa houses, all at an extremely affordable price. Just a 45-minute ferry ride from Singapore, Batam is one of 3000 islands that make up the Riau Archipelago. Once almost uninhabited, except for a few scattered fishing communities, Batam is now developing into a major industrial hub with a rapidly growing population of 100,000. Recently, it has stepped up its efforts to promote tourism with the development of the mega resort park Ocarina. How to get there? Cheapest Ferry Operator: Penguin Harbourfront Ferry Terminal: +6562714866 Cost: S$25/30 one-way/return Frequency: Hourly ferries to Batam Centre and Sekupang, fewer ferries to Waterfront City. Where to stay?

activities such as canoeing, jet skiing and snorkeling. Where to eat?

Phuket
? Nafeesa

LAYOUT DIRECTOR SHELLA WIDIAS HANDOKO sese_han@yahoo.com

his semester has been rather uneventful for me. With a few closer friends and The Significant Other gone on exchange, Im starting to feel that too much alone time can be just as bad as not having any at all. Its not easy to strike a balance, but then is anything in life ever easy, really. If I have to sit on one side of the scale though, Id say friends>alone time, especially seeing how dreadfully long and boring this semester is turning out. Therere only so many times I can take eating lunch alone while trying not to stare piteously at the empty chairs around me. Ok I exaggerate. But seriously, the past 2 months or so have been quite a bore. Yes, I know everybody in Uni is here to get a good degree and therefore lessons and grades are of the utmost importance, but it is what you do in school, or with your schoolmates outside of class time that characterise what you will come to call school days in years to come. I mean, 10 years down the road when you gather around a little table at a cosy caf on a cool weekend evening with your Uni kakis to talk about the old days, you guys are not going to talk about the valuable lessons you took away from the 8th lecture of ZZ101 during the 2nd semester of your 2nd year. Instead you will probably remember the impromptu movie dates after classes, the little squabbles about where to eat, the funny intellectual conversations bordering on semi-ridiculousness and so on. You will be surprised, in fact, at how good your brain is at retaining such seemingly useless information. I say seemingly because dont our brains often work in ~mysterious ways~ which we can only comprehend when the event or thing has come to pass? For now I can only guess that its probably because lessons and academia dont make you a person as much as your friends and interactions with the people around you do, and the brain knows that. But thats really just my opinion. If you feel otherwise, dont hesitate to email me at lonegal_90@ hotmail.com and maybe we can be friends until my real friends come back from exchange.

FEATURES EDITOR FABIAN TAN MUSIC EDITOR RACHEL LIM FASHION EDITOR CIRIE MOVIES EDITOR SEAN LAI FOOD/TRAVEL EDITOR WINIFRED SETO

LAYOUT PIERRE TIRTADJAJA KRISNADI WICAKSONO JULIANTO JOHANES ADELINE KOSIM MARCELLUS JODIHARDJA

Golden Prawn 933 Seafood Restaurant Located at Bengkong Laut, Golden Prawn is Batams largest seafood restaurant and is capable of hosting up to 4000 guests. They serve a variety of local seafood dishes with the scenic view of northeastern coast of Batam Island. Customers get to pick and even catch their own seafood before instructing the waiters how they want the chef to cook their dish! There are hundreds of top dishes with variety choices and great food, among which are: Steamed Black Garoupa Fish, Black Pepper Crab and Fried Flower Crab with Chilli. The seafood served here is amazingly fresh and definitely value-formoney! Where to shop?

WRITERS YANNI MELISSA THAM SOPHIA BEGUM ONG SHER LI MARGUERITA KWEK RONNIE TRACY MARIE LEE NAFEESA NICOLETTE-CLAIRE JACQUELINE TAN CINDY YEO BRENDA TAN YOUYING JIAYI SHRUTI BODDU LIM YAN SIN MIRA SHAZLIYANA MELVYN LEE NILAH JUMAT

huket embodies the lush dream of azure blue skies, swinging palm trees and soft white sand between your toes. Last June, I headed to this Utopian island with my boyfriend and it left me reeling from travel lust. Here, I will encapsulate the very best of Phuket in a brief three-day guide for the upcoming March break. Check in at a scenic resort along one of Phukets many beaches, namely Patong, Karon, and Kata. Patong Beach is a tourist magnet, with plenty of restaurants and pubs along the coastline, while the others are quieter, offering seclusion. Lounge around with a book while being henna-tattooed. Take a dip in the clear blue waters and race with the crashing waves. To get your blood pumping, a slew of activities like jet skiing and windsurfing are available. As dusk beckons, hail a tuk-tuk or rent a motorcycle and catch a Muay Thai boxing match at the Soi Tan Stadium. End the night at one of Phukets cosmopolitan restaurants, like Spice House, that serves a combination of Russian, Japanese and Thai food. Jumpstart the following day by embarking on one of Phukets extensive day tours to its many islands. Hop on a speedboat or ferry, and be whisked

COVER ART CHRISTIYANI KABUL

away to the stunning Phi Phi Island for a day of snorkelling with its magnificent cliffs, limestone formations and pristine beaches. Sea cave kayaking tours on Krabi Island are an absolute must for nature lovers. Explore breathtaking lagoons, mangroves and interact freely with wildlife. In Phang Nga Province, white water rafting followed by elephant-trekking in the safaris promise to exhilarate even the most world-weary traveller. Wind down with a sumptuous seafood dinner at one of Phukets many roadside eateries. Walk down Bangla Road, and witness scantily clad girls dancing atop bar counters, to the glee of male tourists. Indeed, this scene brims with sleaze, but it is a mustsee of Phuket by night. The very next day, make sure to check in at a professional spa for a massage or facial before jetting home on an evening f light. Whether you are a traveller seeking respite from Singapores concrete jungle or one who is doggedly pursuing an addictive adrenaline rush, Phuket offers something for everyone. It has certainly given me many beautiful memories. Amongst them has to be sunbathing by an infinity pool overlooking the majestic Andaman Sea, with soft jazz music playing in the distance. This scene wrapped my entire trip up beautifully.

Holiday Inn Batam The Holiday Inn Resort Batam is the only all-suite luxury accommodation in Batam. The ultimate height of pleasure comes in the form of their awardwinning Tea Tree Spa. Affordable 2D1N packages inclusive of ferry tickets are available at AsiaTravel.com and prices range from SGD $149/$88 per pax (Single/Twin,Triple) Where to visit? MEGA TOUR OCARINA Opened in December 2008, Mega Tour Ocarina is definitely one of the must-visit places in Batam. This family-friendly place for fun and entertainment boosts a large ferris wheel as well as other exciting carnival attractions. There is also a Water Park and 3D Movie Theaters. The only beach in the city centre, visitors can sunbathe, play beach volleyball, futsal, and participate in other water sport

Nagoya Hill is the biggest mall in Batam and hosts the Matahari departmental store. You can catch a movie at the Studio 21 Cineplex here for just Rp 25.000 (SGD $3.60). For those who miss A&W in Singapore, there is an outlet here at Nagoya Hill so you can get your fill of onion rings, curly fries and their signature Root Beer Float! Center Point is possibly the most popular with Singaporeans in Batam. Some hotels like Holiday Inn even provide shuttle services to this mall! Featuring hair and beauty salons, a spa, grocery and department stores and world-class shopping, it is definitely worth checking out, especially if you prefer a more intimate shopping environment.

EDS NOTE PHOTO DENG XIN

BACK ART LOO HUI PING

Love, Geraldine

FAN MAIL? HATE MAIL? BLACK.HOLE.PRESS@GMAIL.COM

eatures F
When Love Met Friendship
? Shruti ? Haylea

Features
Of Martians and Venusians

L F
Editors Note
I have rationalized love, and those are not reasons enough for me not to love. I doubt one can ever find congruity between, or seamlessly reconcile, the mind and the heart. When conflicted, take alignment from the advise and experiences of others. Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all, wise words from Lord Tennyson that I have adopted as a creed and which has subsequently shaped me. It is true, however, that there are risks and drawback to loving - the person who makes you happiest can also inflict upon you your greatest sorrow. But a relationship is like a fire; it can warm you or burn you, and its easy to start but to keep it burning requires constant care and so much more effort. So what? Do you not take an exam because youre afraid of failure? It is in trying that you will know whether you will succeed, and if you fail, let the tears fall but pick yourself up and try again. So go out there and love. One must learn to love, and go through a good deal of suffering to get to it, and the journey is always towards the other soul. Sometimes love may feel more like the fire-walking and Kavadi rituals of Thaipusam, but it is worth it (to me at least). It will not always be a bed of roses, for flowers wilt and die, but as long as you try, every day can be Valentines Day. I wish you all the best, from my heart of hearts, that some day you will love and be loved by a special someone who can give you emotional diabetes. Bonne chance, mes chris. With Love, F

Love: is it worth it?

? Yan Sin

rom the moment we embarked on this treacherous journey to address Love and Relationships, I knew that we werent going to arrive at answers that will suit all our readers palette. After all, centuries of thinkers have attempted to prescribe what love is, only to end up accused of being one-sided, overtly rational, contradictory, or simply too idealistic. Milan Kundera said once, that nothing requires a greater effort of thought than arguments to justify the rule of non-thought. Case in point. Love with its complexity and amorphous nature, defies logic. To explain and capture it in the written word is both an arduous and impossible task. But we have attempted, and hereby present our two cents worth on the one thing that has preoccupied the hearts and minds of the 106 billion humans who ever lived. In no way are we claiming to be the moral authority on love what we say stems from our individual subjectivity on and experience with love. And as youll discover, our writers have conflicting and differing views, from the cynical to the romantic, the practical to the sentimental. So take your pick, and from there define love by your own terms and in your own way. Being a romantic myself, Ive been accused of being too intense, too emotional, too passionate, building my perceptions on idealisms that eventually work towards my downfall. Why love, someone once asked me, when you know youre putting yourself in a vulnerable position of getting hurt, risking heartbreak, disillusionment, and the insufferable torture of emotional Armageddon.

too much emotions and expectations in a relationship, hoping that it will be your one true love, is simply too high and, as your friendly (emotional) financial consultant will advise, is an imprudent move. To lay it out on the table, to love is to risk disillusionment: to lose faith in love, leading to the disintegration of romantic ideals where there is no such thing as The One, then the loss of faith in humanity, followed by a state of depression, and consequently (and probably) suicide. See? Not worth the risk, no? Furthermore, love is but an emotion. As neurologists discovered, feelings stem from certain stimuli and activity in our brains, much like how we find fire to be hot and ice to be cold. Can love now rationalized with this new discovery in mind? We can stop it from bringing us all the possible hurt and heartbreak. At the same time, we can stop giving ourselves the illusion of happiness when we smile thinking about shared moments with our significant other, or stop deluding ourselves into thinking that love is enough to give comfort and joy to otherwise dull and mundane days, or stop thinking love will lead us to our Happily ever after. We created the notion of love in our minds, and we can deconstruct its value and importance to avoid being hurt. After all that rationalization, love doesnt seem all that worthwhile anymore, no?

ets start with Harry and Sally. I think they proved their point- boys and girls cant be friends without love or sex coming in the way. Hollywood has set a trend by continuously emphasising on this- My Best Friends Wedding, Made of Honour, Juno, and No Strings Attached are all films in which best friends realize their feelings for each other- sometimes, a little too late and sometimes just in time, but in either case it ultimately happens. Of course, Hollywood exaggerates. Which brings us to the big question: is it possible for feelings to NOT come in the way of a friendship? Have you ever met best friends of opposite genders who have never, ever had this element of doubt as to whether theres more to the friendship? Perhaps you have, or perhaps you havent. Personally, I am not particularly for the whole best-friends-becoming-lovers trend (an opinion reached after many years and many experiences). However, Im very sceptical of it not happening its very possible. Because the truth is, most times it does happen. Men and women can be friends, yes. But men and women cannot be best friends, not for long, and not in the literal sense. By best friends I mean the person whom you spend lots of time with, the person whom you have the best conversations with, the person whom you have most fun with, and the person whom you get the best advice from. Of course, this

doesnt apply if the usual exceptions exist- these two people are in romantic relationships with different people, they are ACTUALLY incompatible (in which I doubt theyd be best friends in the first place), one of them isnt straight, etc. Lets skip the basics. My point is: when you know and get along so well with someone, it will be naturally to fall for them? And if you dont, there is at least going to be that element of doubt. There must be something really holding you back, right? Its hard for me to be diplomatic when it comes to an argument like this. I can easily talk about how friendships shouldnt be ruined because of romantic feelings or how nothing is worth jeopardising this best friendship that has probably lasted for years, but I choose not to. These are points that I whole-heartedly agree to. But if youre caught in a situation like this, you should never hold back what you feel. You can only give it all youve got, hope for the best, and pray that friendships dont get ruined and hearts dont get broken in the process. Joseph Campbell said Love is friendship set to music. Sometimes, you find the music- the right song, the right tune, the right words. Sometimes, you dont. In this case, you have a completely different but equally exciting love story altogether. Either way, love is in the air.

alf the population has read Johns Grays Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. Half the population that can read, and is of a suitable age group to be interested, that is. Okay, that really is a made up statistic based upon the number of knowing looks of response when that book is referenced in casual conversation. So what is it about this book that has divided people into opposite camps?; some yelling foul and accusing Gray of sexism while others smile in amazement at Grays points which resonate with them? Well, if youre going to make very general, simplified arguments about the differences between the sexes, youre bound to have overreactions from people who prefer extensive research backed with academic jargon. But I do think this book has its merits. Its simplicity works like an acupuncture needle, darting straight to the heart of the most common problems faced by heterosexual couples. In his famous analogy, men are like rubber bands and women are like waves, I found myself nodding profusely at Grays observation of the differing emotional cycles of men and women. The biggest redeeming quality of the book is how it encourages both sexes to acknowledge and work with their differences, promoting harmony and mutual understanding instead of contributing to the already-extensive

battle rhetoric of feuding genders that is increasingly prevalent in this age. While my academic training makes me instinctively suspicious of simplistic stereotypes, I grudgingly identified with Grays Venusian archetype. However, it will do one good to take Grays advice with a pinch of salt. While Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus is an effective primer in promoting better rapport between the sexes, some of its guiding principles can easily be twisted to justify dysfunctional relationships. On relationship advice website Baggage Reclaim, Natalie Lue makes a valid, disturbing point that What John Gray is also describing are men who are habitually emotionally unavailable, habitually users, habitually coming back to roost when they need an ego stroke, a shag, or a shoulder to lean on, and who manage down the relationship and the womans expectations so that they can get their needs met without meeting the needs of the woman. As a general conclusion to all things, it really is all about balance. Gray never claimed to be writing a Relationship Bible, and it certainly wont be wise to treat a pop psychology book as one. Still, Id like to believe that it helps to approach all matters with a positive attitude, and all relationships with minor couple problems will find Grays solutions promising. Go read it if you havent.

Why do we bother with love if it never lasts?

et us face it. Love is irrational. Love compels us to do irrational things, things that we will find absolutely absurd when we are not in the heat of love. When you are in love, you find yourself sacrificing your friendships for your significant other, you think about him/her all day, you are concerned over his/her every action and every word, and you feel a tinge of jealousy whenever he/she is with someone else even if you know they are just friends. Given modern attitudes to life (and love), practicality and rationality are all that matters, so why bother with feelings when you are uncertain of the results you can reap, if there are any results at all? The risks of investing

Rationality VS Sentimentality
? Brenda

? Cindy

Fixing A Broken Heart

friend holding out the tissues and nodding at the wails that nobody else can decipher. This friend (or friends, if youre lucky) is of paramount importance, because he or she is then in charge of company for the immediate days following the breakup. One word of advice, though: do not take friends for granted, and keep the whining to a minimal. There are only so many parties one can poop on before being voted off at the next tribal council. Every chick flick recommends curling up on the couch in sweats and stuffing your face with a gallon of ice-cream. Some, however, choose to go against convention and declare a sabbatical from food. While it is scientifically proven that the amino acids in ice-cream do stimulate certain chemicals in the body that result in pleasure, the latter appears more advisable as, with the future in mind, one might want to refrain from succumbing to obesity in order to keep oneself in the market. Of course, there are the vindictive ones who plot revenge against the ex, or his/her new partner, friends, parents, siblings, and dog. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the ones who exile themselves and decide never to see the light of day again. With things involving a relationship, it is always about both parties, never one. It is unhealthy, and not to mention narrow-minded, to pin all the blame on the donkey, or to pin it on oneself. The first step to moving on is always acceptance, and one needs to get a retrospective understanding of the mistakes made, and accept them as an expensive lesson. One of the biggest but most common breakup mistakes is the rebound. There is a natural tendency to want to fill the gaping void in ones chest after a breakup, but jumping into a relationship youre not absolutely certain about is a formula for disaster. A house built on sand is bound to collapse, and neither house nor sand will meet good ends. That said, breaking up is hard to do, and getting back on ones feet is always an uphill task, but it is all part and parcel of growing up. After each bad experience, one might hesitate to expose their heart for another mauling. However, wearing ones heart on the sleeve never goes out of fashion, so go the way of Lara Fabian and love again, stronger than before. Keeping in mind not to make the same mistakes, of course.

While happy couples reify love as a chemical in the air, we check into the Heartbreak Hotel to see how our peers nurse their Achy Breaky Hearts.

ane Austen explains it perfectly when she defines love as the ability to make irrational decisions. Irrational decisions offer 50-50 odds of success, and since falling out of love seems as easy as falling in it, nursing a broken heart, be it our own or a friends, has become commonplace. Methods of administering treatment are varied. In most cases, there are tears. Some cry for a day and get over it the next; some behave like they are trying to recreate the Congo River. Accompanying the crying is usually a good

Can Logic coexist with Love?

efore we get consumed by allencompassing definitions of Love, let us look at it in line with the most flowery and hearty event of the year Valentines Day romantic Love, as with the Special One, the Other Half (for some, more subject to change than others), but you get the idea. ;) Love and Logic. Are they mutually exclusive? 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche asserts, There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some

reason in madness. Do you agree with this? I sure do. Many a times, taking from personal experiences or hearing from friends, the illogical albeit sweet things one does in the name of love, the irrational pangs of jealousy, and the perhaps unavoidable squabbles arising from the most trivial of matters. That is, the power of Love it defies logic, both positively and negatively. While the smallest of things can make you extremely happy - caught in your own world for the longest time with an orange-wedge smile plastered on your face the downside from the objective third-party standpoint, is that what is viewed as the most inconsequential is in fact capable of sparking off World War III as well. Love, I feel, belongs in a separate realm. An alternate reality, an unfathomable existence that by far, evades human sense and understanding. Logic is a social construct, defined by what society deems to be right and anything that falls beyond this categorisation will be condemned. From this point forth, I will have to and can at best say, that the relationship between the two is that Logic serves as a platform for Love, at its most basic level. Take

for example, the mental asylum, a place devoid of any sliver of logic or sanity; Love does not come into the picture at all. No one questions it, and there is the general belief that they dont love, they cant love, for logic eludes them. On a lighter note, what will you do when thrown into a situation where these warring concepts are thrown in your face (as in classic serial drama scenarios)? For instance, will you enter a relationship, knowing full well that your partner has a terminal illness? The romantic sentimentalist can argue that nothing changes; in this transient world everything ultimately ends, and that true love will persist even if it has an expiry date, or no forever. The rationalist will refute: what about the pain and suffering, the tears, the sleepless nights? Wont the people who care about you will be affected by your plight as well? Why do it if you know that itll only end in tears and pain. Which camp are you in? For the past few days, I mulled over this countless times. After going circles and with varied and conflicting answers, I decided

to just head straight to pen on paper. It isnt easy to find an answer, and I have to admit it took me much longer than I expected finding one. Then it struck me; the very reason why I suffered at the hands of this (topic on) Love, is because I chose to look at it logically. I attempted to dissect and explain it - my very downfall. I dont assume I know. Ive done some illogical acts in the name of love. I still look back sometimes and wonder what I was thinking, then I stop and remember that I wasnt. -Anonymous Love is something we all hear and know of. But its complexity is such that we feel it but fail to comprehend or explain it. To all out there, cornered to doubt your sanity in the context of Love, no, youre not crazy. Youre in love. The highest level of Love, perhaps, goes hand in hand with Logic. But I cant tell you how. Ive no idea either. Go figure.

Fashion Editors Note

? Cirie ? Cirie

Spotlight
? Yanni

Trends
? Sophie B.

Skin Deep

If you only read the books that everyone else

is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking. - Haruki Murakami in Norwegian Wood.

assume Murakami meant that as a metaphor. The problem with too many people is their willingness to remain stuck in the herd mentality. The longer you remain in such a conveyor belt of a world where everything and everyone is the same, the harder it is to break free. Individuality is not about being the weirdest,

most far out person on earth. Its about finding yourself and your true identity. Search for that soul in you; we all have it. Once you have found it, only then will it show on the surface through your skin, your clothes and your mannerisms. For once my dear readers, find it in you to dare to be a little different. Its alright to go off the beaten track. After all, the roads less travelled are always more satisfying because you crafted it yourself. And style; is a intricately defined craftwork which youll only master after you find your own identity. Im still in search of my soul and self, are you?

his months Spotlight brings you three up-and-coming stores which veer off the mainstream by establishing their own fashion and style standards.

EnTangled AffHairz

Where: 28 Haji Lane Opening Hours: Daily 11am - 10pm Contact: +65 9028 7439 / +65 8163 4256 / www. singaporedreadlocks.blogspot.com

? Sophie B.

For Him
every day to no end would also result in people suspecting the state of your laundry, so dont over wear your blazer and dont under-dress on the days you dont. Costume Nationals line-up sticks to its theme of Organic Futurism, with blended materials that are tailored and sleek looking. Paired up with a roundneck, solid-coloured tee and a pair of well-tailored slim-cut pants, models look youthful and carefree. Looks like those of Costume National are perfect to emulate in a school environment. Your t-shirt should also not be too low and reveal too much cleavage. Go for a neckline that ends right below your collarbone to show enough and not show too much. Matching t-shirts and blazers are a bonus too! Match it up with a f lesh-coloured or brown bag, and a nicely-cut blazer. The colours for this season are light and airy in whites, nudes, beige, salmon pink and if you are bolder, navy blue and dark grey. If you still cannot stand having your legs covered in this heat, go for tailored shorts, but not those that are too short. Shorts should look tailored (denim shorts are out of the question to be paired with a blazer!) and should reside comfortably above the knees and not be too tight. Too tight, and your blazer, coupled with your loose fitting tee, would result in you looking out of proportion to your leg size and stif le your Mancount. On another note, the Mens Inaugural Fashion Week 2011 is heading to our shores from 30 March to 3 April. It will be the first in Asia and the third in the world after Paris and Milan. Wouldnt you be honoured to be there?! I say, take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go check it out. 30% of tickets will be made open to public at SGD$40. Its preview at Ion blew audiences away with labels like Boss Black by Hugo Boss, Canali, Etro, Emmanuel and Versace. In total, there would be 15 labels both international and local ones. Shanghai Tang and Raoul will also both be showcasing the international debut of their Autumn/ Winter 2011 collection first in Singapore! This salon is so new, that by press time, the salon (which opened on 1st March 2011) would probably be only a few days old. Yet, dont be fooled into thinking that they are greenhorns in the industry. Their stylists learnt the trade and wielded their tools in San Francisco first. Also, Entangled AffHairz used to be known as the BUMAYE Salon, and had branches in Cinelesuire and Bugis. While they offer standard salon services such as haircuts, styles and chemical treatments, what really sets them apart is their speciality in fashioning dreadlocks, cornrows and braidings, as well as colouring. The people behind Entangled AffHairz believe in stepping out of the box, and vow to provide a place for fellow mavericks who dare to be different. And what better way to be different than through a unique, one-of-akind hairstyle? Furthermore, this is definitely a place to go to, not just for the services one requires, but also to experience and bask in the hospitality and lifestyle. Where else could one get a haircut with a bottle of beer in hand and good music in the background? This is one hairy revolution everyone should be part of.

Previously situated at Dunlop St in October last year, Alley made the shift to the rustic chic alleys (pun intended) of Haji Lane this March. The collective brainchild of friends with influences from fashion, music and the arts, Alley was set up for that very lifestyle. Alley caters mainly to men, with apparels, accesories and footwear from both international and local brands such as Tapout, Radii, Nuab, Eazy Eazy, SSTBMX and Reverie. Yet, if you think its a mans world here, boy, are you wrong. Ladies would appreciate the limited edition accessories from Oakley and Gshock, just to name a few. Plans to bring in more female-centric apparels and sneakers are also in the works. This is a place of lifestyle, and certainly not simply the generic store one finds in mega malls. When asked to describe Alley in one word, its Sales Manager, Hafiz, simply said Its Fresh. True to form, Alley is a place wherein one would fall in love with something new.

The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief. And by dangerous I dont mean thought-provoking. I mean: might get people killed. Sarah Vowell, The Wordy Shipmates.

he undergrads at NTU seem to believe that they can get away with any sartorial choice. Id like here to kill that mentality. You think itd be easy to write about beautiful things, but honestly, babes, whod care about how gorgeous something is. We all bitch and go on and on about the ugly. Have you seen the bags NTU undergrads lug around? Fashion gods in Milan, Paris and New York are weeping as I write. To change the situation, lets start with something that is so basic, yet almost always done wrong - bags. I personally prefer a big bag: dump your stuff in it and sashay out through the door. Yet, bigger is not always better. So lets now talk about size, colour, and cut. The fashion world is all about size. It is possible my dears, for a bag to be disproportionate to your outfit. Do as Alexander Wang does, he sends miniature versions of bags from his collection down the runway so as not to distract the audiences attention from his clothes. We obviously cannot carry such small bags, especially with the load we lug around. However its not, contrary to popular belief, impossible to carry your books in a less-than-dowdy bag. I dont deny that copies of current It bags dont hit our shopping haunts till much later, but were not THAT pressed for choice. I mean if you pay 10 bucks for a bag, dont expect it to last long, especially with the laptop, texts and notes. From the ubiquitous canvas tote with myri-

ou know I didnt mean to be a sexist with all the past issues of this column gearing towards the female side or the feminine. In my haste to produce articles that are up-to-date and accurate, I overlooked the existence of the other gender (oh how could I! What blasphemy). With the K-Pop drones filling our airwaves with repeated unintelligible choruses and their birthday-gift cosmetic surgeries, men are definitely feeling the pressure to look flawless and perfect. For us ladies, it is definitely easier; we are licensed to slap on foundation and use colours to highlight facial features. For guys, unfortunately, our society is still conservative and very Asian, and thus the line between drag and flawless is a very difficult one to toe. Some guys are against make-up as if it was Satans spawn (Just because its a womans thing. Its always the women who are evil, I dont get it!), but there are some who have been experimenting with it in NTU, yes NTU! I have seen them with my own eyes. Sadly, they have not been doing it right. And of course, this is what Im here for! Their eyeliners either lined on the wrong eyelid, or in the wrong colour and their foundation is a tad lighter than their natural skin tone. Although I am all for guys going all out and making themselves look good, I still think there are many steps up the ladder to accepting make-up on men. ads of designs on them, to designer satchels, one would be hard-pressed to not find at least a bag they like. Fall/Winter 2011 witnesses the use of bold colour paired with neutrals. This trend could be incorporated into your bag ala Kate Spade or you could do it like Sass & Bide, by keeping the colours on yourself and leaving your bag neutral. If you are afraid of such bold statements, you could begin with something smaller like say, your wallet. Fred Perry has black wallets with candy-coloured insides that I am eyeing. Youre young only once, so enjoy (and take full advantage of) it while it lasts. Adam Lambert pushed a lot of buttons in being seen in public with a smokey-eye do. However, he does it because he is open to the criticism that comes with it, so if youre ready for that, go for it I say! But if you are still protective of your manly image, then for now, while our society slowly wakes up to the idea of androgyny and the blurring of gender-lines, stick to foundation (the right shade! Remember the 3 steps to buying make-up: Ask, Test, Match) and defined eyebrows (see John Gallianos Fall 2011 Runway Models).

Get your eyebrows/facial hair neatly threaded or tweezed. Beauty Parlours like Rupinis offer excellent services for men. If foundation is out of the question for you to your quest to looking perfect, try going natural: use the right facial products to get that flawless complexion, thus eliminating any need for make-up at all. Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise; Repeat. There are several products by LOreal, Nivea and Shiseido that cater to mens skin. As for the eyeliner, lay off the gel and liquid types, they tend to exaggerate and over feminise your eyes. Stick to light brown pencil (not black!) that look like theyre barely there. Draw a faint and thin line either at the bottom lid or both, never just the top lid alone. Lining the top lid alone will only serve to make your eyes look doll-like and feminine. Keep lips moisturised always (everyone loves snog-worthy soft lips).

Modparade

Where: 68 Haji Lane S(189261) Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 12-8pm , Friday & Saturday: 12-9pm Contact: +65 9272 9521 , www.modparade.com

ilans menswear Fashion Week 2011 was nothing less than a breath of fresh air from the stif ling dark, heavy fabrics of 2010. One thing for sure though, outerwear is timeless. In this tropical part of Asia where the sun doth shine and it shineth hard, it is difficult to be a whore to trends that involve outfits which suffocate us and give us heatstroke. However, after looking at the outfits featured at Milans Fashion Week, I can breathe a sigh of relief. These outfits are wearable and yes, wearable in school! Made out of fabrics like cotton, nylon and a combination of fabrics alongside cashmere, these coats serve to keep the wearer cool, yet looking good. The spotlight fell on Costume National when models walked out in shades of nude, navy blue and browns. These colours absorb less heat than the conventional black blazer. The line between looking like a boring adult and funky student is a hard one to walk, considering how dressing up for school requires a certain amount of moderation. Dressing up too much would result in you looking like a walking Christmas tree. Wearing a blazer

Alley

Where: 53A Haji Lane Opening Hours: Closed on Mondays. Tuesday to Sunday - 1230pm - 9pm. Friday - 230pm onwards Contact: +65 6294 7353 , www.thisisalley. tumblr.com / www.facebook.com/thisisalley

Having started as an online independent fashion label in 2007, Modparade went from the cyber world to a collection in Loft at Haji Lane. Now it has its own standalone flagship store on 68 Haji Lane in 2009. Founded by a mother-daughter team with a passion for fashion and style, Modparade offers a wide range of edgy chic apparels and accessories from its three labels - Modparade Online, Modparade Boutique (Femme & Homme) and Furneese. Their apparels are a good mix of clean lines and clear silhouettes - reminiscent of the best from the 70s and 80s, but with a modern twist. Modparade epitomises femininity and quirkiness in their styles, but without the frivolity of frills, poofs and the whole shebang thats usually associated with girly fashion styles. With regular launches of new collections, Modparade stays true to its promise of up-to-date trends and style.

? Melissa

Treasure Troves
process is not only fast and simple but upon completion, a whole new world of beauty tips, tricks and updates will be open to you. A unique feature of the website would be that it actually allows members to swap products, an extremely useful and convenient function for those who might have purchased the wrong products for their skin types as you can actually give the product to someone else who is more suitable for it. With the recent increase in the assignm ent pile, one would tend to neglect ones skincare routine. However, with the help from these websites, one should be more than able find a suitable skincare routine that fits ones current lifestyle. After all, even if you are tired out from the late nights spent on the never-ending pile essays to write, you should not let the stress be written all over your face.

ull skin, tired eyes and more eye bags than you can handle. Is that what you see in the mirror everyday? If so, it is time to shake up your skin routine! Online website DAILYGLOW is more than ready to impart its abundant knowledge of skincare and beauty tips, with pages dedicated to people of different skin types and skin problems. For those looking for a lighter approach towards skincare, a large variety of quizzes are also available to make the journey towards increasing awareness of your skin much more fun and lively. The more popular sections also teach you how to achieve the flawless and glowing looks of your favourite celebrities. The only shortcoming - it does not provide product

reviews and merely summarizes the best products available in the market. On the other hand, MAKEUP ALLEY is another online beauty site that is well-known for their comprehensive product reviews, which they update on a regular basis. Need a

review for a new beauty product that was just released on the shelves? You can definitely count on this website to be your most reliable review buddy. All you have to do to gain full access of the numerous benefits of the website is to register. The

music

Editors Note
ignore most of it and just browse through the first one). When girls were younger, they had a Boyfriend Checklist - yes guys, the kind where Funny, Cute and Loves Me More than His Xbox are hastily scrawled onto glittery pink paper. Come on guys, you had lists too. You had to enlist. Okay... that was a really bad joke. But really, lists take on a whole different meaning here at the music section. We believe that equality doesnt exist in the world of music. No matter what they say out there, there will always be that one song, like a sweet lover, that does it better than another will. But boy, are we going to reach home base this time around. Take our list of songs about love and play it unabashedly loud. Form haikus with lyrics in the shower on a hot summers day. Or just take a timeout, a chill pill, and our last list of songs, and go somewhere by yourself. Make lists or read our lists, and we hope things fall in place for everyone.

music Top 10 Songs to Sing While Showering

? Hilda Sopbar

ists, and even the act of making a list, have a funny way of assuring one that everything is, or will, eventually fall into place. Before going for a holiday, you would want to make a packing list. While studying for that midterm paper, you would want to make a list of the chapters to study (or perhaps, happily

Ten Songs To Schmooze To (Or Cry To) During This Season Of Love
? Melvyn

ou scream at the universe upon awakening, from under the covers, anticipating the exhaustion that is to come around 7pm (depending on what time your lecturer decides to release you). When that time finally comes, you marvel at how youve always managed to overcome the same weekly phenomena of tiredness, hunger and irrational mood swings, which accumulate with only a single one-hour break. Youre amazed by your ability to devise brilliant shortcut routes to actually show up on time for tutorials and lectures from the North Spine to HSS, from HSS to NIE, from NIE to the South spine. You probably smell like a walking classroom full of secondary school kids after PE, so when youre back in hall, you only have one goal: GET IN THE SHOWER, NOW, is all you think about. Get naked. You squirm out of your clothes as fast as your body allows you to. Ready. Set- WHOOSH. There are possibly an infinite number of songs you can sing at any time of the day, but there are only so many songs that sound great in the shower. It really is the awesome feeling of having a nice hot shower at the end of a thoroughly hectic day, that makes these songs wonderful to sing in showers. By the power of highly unauthentic haiku poems, I bring to you a list of songs I always (some songs even exclusively) sing in the bathroom. 10. Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins Always sang it like: AH WENT TO THA DAYNGER ZAWN. Just found out today: HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE. Will sing louder now. 9. Zombie by The Cranberries Song about zombies/war? Or a song about Zombie war? Does not matter, nae.

Under showerhead, Wash off all bacteria. ZOMBEH-EH-EH-EH. 8. Incinerate by Sonic Youth Water falls on head But sing of big painful fire. Sing fun guitar riff. Doodoodoo doodoo Da dum da dum dad um dum Doodoodoo doodoo 7. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen Sing guitar solo, with hands out for air guitar AWESOME SONG ALERT Oh mama mia I sing this song everyday With my friends, forevs. 6. I See Red by Uh Huh Her Band recorded song IN BATHROOM, OF ALL PLACES. So, it is apt then. Dreamy guitar sound. Gorgeous femme vocals with a Spacey synth feeling. 5. Lisztomania by Phoenix We all have bad days. But sometimes messy things are Good, once in a while. 4. Beetles by Warpaint Extraordinary. These girls are now how I feel when I find myself lost. Song feels so submerged. Melt the knot inside of it Oh purgatory. 3. Mushrooms and Roses by Janelle Mone Psychedelia Tripping out on acid wow Or marijuana. 2. Born This Way by Lady Gaga Born this way, baby. Mother monster tells me things. I so wanna hear.

Like: Dont be a drag. JUST BE A QUEEN woohoo yeah I was born this way. 1. Barbie Girl by Aqua Brilliant song, really. I also deepen my voice When I sing Kens parts.

h yes, Valentines day. While we are all caught up in either Sultry Heady Lovin or Forever Alone Rage and I daresay both for some it is undeniable that 14/2 affects all of us in some deep-seated, socially awkward, and sometimes even painful sort of way. Why oh why, dear Cupid, do you allow me to walk the streets all alone, when in every direction I turn I see couples practically clinging onto each other like koala bears on a flower bouquet stalk, sucking faces every ten feet they walk, pretending that their relationship is perfectly fine for just that one Special Day? All that pretence sure makes for really envious sidelong stares. But then of course, it gets awkward and public harassment accusations become a reality. So what better to fixate your burning hatred for all that is Passionate and Joyous and Senseless, than ten songs to download (il)legally* from certain websites around the inter-webs to listen to? Let music make love to your soul, let your selfworth and inner adoration dominate you this Valentines. Who are we kidding? What we need are songs about the tragedy and sexuality of human passion, songs that chronicle the violent tidings of heartbreaks, and songs that are of everlasting longing, for that Love that never was. Here are ten songs Id suggest to listen to while crying yourself to sleep at night. *But really, we here at InVerse do not condone illegal music sharing in any way. #10. Stone No Anesthesia Stone is a relatively unknown thrash metal band hailing from the holy grail of heavy metal, Finland. This song tells the tale of a young boy accosted by a white bodybuilding man, who expresses some fascination with drilling the boy without anesthesia. Face it, all of us have perverted longings of some sort, and this song is a complete riot. #9. Madina Lake Pandora Madina Lake is a pop rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Pandora encapsulates the

essence of hedonistic, nameless onenight-stands, which inevitably destroy relationships truly dear to the heart. Everybody makes mistakes, and doubtlessly, some of these stupid mistakes lead to a tragic 14/2. #8. Bloc Party Your Visits Are Getting Shorter From The Cure to The Smiths, British indierock has always treated the subject of tragic love with all the bleak desperation of a London shower. Bloc Party is no exception. It is accusatory, and almost envious, the way the lyrics spit at the control women have over the men who are infatuated with them. This song also acknowledges the fact that women get as easily bored with relationships as men do. The moral of the story: self-love is always better than a handjob. #7. Pantera This Love Ah yes, Pantera another metal band legendary in the 90s. Pantera is the nihilist mans meat, with lyrics perennially obsessed with sex, drugs, and self-destruction. This Love is claustrophobic, devious, and in a way, very real. If #8 was about women breaking mens hearts, This Love is about keeping a person around just for the pleasure of it, and playing that card deeper and deeper into that persons head, to a point where Id take my life and leave that love with you. Sex is nothing but a game to some, but unfortunately not for others. #6. Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith (The Cure) Not In Love Crystal Castles brings the venerable Smith into this collaboration of heady trance beats and forlorn lyrics. Friendships and relationships are transient by nature; people come and go. Such is the trait of humanity, that even the tightest of bonds will one day fizzle into a cacophony of fights and cold silences. Fascination ends, indeed. #5. The Hold Steady Chill Out Tent This song is an enigma. It is in equal parts both heartwarming and heartbreaking. A chill out

tent is, essentially, a place at music festivals and the like, where people beyond intoxication are brought to chill out. This song speaks of a girl who meets a complete stranger in a chill out tent: He was kinda cute, we kicked it in the chill out tent, and I never saw him again. The vocalist, Craig Finn, has a very unique quality to his vocals, rolling his lyrics in rapid succession with increasing pace and desperation perfectly befitting of this subject matter. Everybody has had a chance-encountermoment with a complete stranger, which has either struck a lasting chord, or changed his or her life forever. What better to be in that situation, when completely wasted of your face! #4. The Hollies - Carrie Anne Carrie Anne the title of a thousand baby boomer childhood romances during the golden age of the 60s. The titular Anne is about a girl in a childhood romance, who eventually grows out of it and begins to change her game. This leaves the singer lamenting about a better time past, and how she loses her charm as she grows up and matures. While the relatively upbeat melody drives the song, it is easy to notice the disappointment, or perhaps even bitterness in the lyrics, which can be felt in such an experience. #3. Prince Purple Rain Purple Rain is defined as a feeling of restlessness or wanderlust, that evokes a desire to escape emotional responsibility by a metaphorical means of traveling, whether physically or spiritually. Self-destruction and promiscuity, at the expense of others, are fundamentally what Prince sings about here. He only wanted to be some sort of friend, not a weekend lover. Of course, there are different interpretations of these lyrics, but I believe he means this. This song is perfect to be put on repeat, while making sweet unnamed Love in a hot tub, complete with champagne and perfumes. #2. Morrissey Let Me Kiss You This man needs no introduction. Highly em-

ulated and inspirational in the indie music scene even before you were born, Morrissey writes bleak songs of tragedy like no other. This song sets a perfect example. Let Me Kiss You portrays a person who harbours unreciprocated infatuation towards someone else, and is reduced to simply desiring to kiss the object of his affections. Some of us certainly have had crushes on people whom are deemed to not (be) in our league, and can therefore identify with these lyrics. There is a certain poignancy in his lyrics wistfully wanting just one kiss to know how such a kiss feels like. Yet, these lyrics border on the creepy, as it tells the subject of his desire to close (her) eyes and think of someone (she) physically admire(s), so that he could kiss her. No matter, being so far down the music list here, such an insight into human nature shouldnt really be surprising anymore. #1. Nightmare Of You I Want To Be Buried In Your Backyard And at number 1, I will introduce Nightmare Of You. Emerging from the burgeoning indie music scene in NYC, I Want To Be Buried In Your Backyard perfectly captures the darkness and humanity of Love, which is at once sweet, depressing and menacing at the same time. While missing somebody so much that you want to be buried in that persons backyard may sound wistful and desperate, it sounds at the same time incredibly charming. It reflects the multifaceted nature of the human soul that makes all of us need somebody in some way. Yet, it also makes us tear away from the very people we love, for fear of being hurt and being reduced to a tragically wistful state. These ten songs explore different sides of humanity in its raw state, and the machinations of culture impacting our lives. It will only be through experiencing these things that one truly understands the idea of Love.

Songs To Get Uplifted To

? Mira

he new semester brings many things, including new sources of stress. Here we recommend tracks to help ease you into the second round of the academic year, whether youre looking for something to chill out to, or whether youre looking for a renewed belief. Islands The xx The critically acclaimed debut album from the dreamy pop outfit is not short of gems. Islands later release as the third single from this album should not detract from its quality. Pareddown and deliciously sexy, this offering might just help you unwind after a long day. Golden Cage The Whitest Boy Alive Pared down instrumentation with a strong,

funky bass line, this track from The Whitest Boy Alives first album should give you an idea of their work. A little intimate and a little determined, Erlend yes (not a spelling error on our part) vocals are unmistakable. Mr. November The National With lyrics like Im the new blue blood/Im the great white hope and an escalation of music and determined vocals, this offering from The Nationals Alligator album combines both clever lyricism and an upbeat chorus. If you believe in the sentiments that Matt Berningers vocals offer, you might just remember how much potential this semester (and the following semesters) will bring.

Wolf Like Me TV On the Radio With its high energy levels, TV On the Radios Wolf Like Me makes for a perfect road trip tune. While not entirely relevant to the campus Im-in-it-to-win-it theme, Wolf Like Me is almost poetic in its delivery, with its beautifully-penned lyrics. Undercover Martyn Two Door Cinema Club The third single off their first full-length studio album under the French collective label Kitsun is undeniably catchy. Undercover Martyn is a high-energy electropop treat to start the long school week (you wont even tell that they dont have a full-time drummer on board).

Cmon, Cmon The Von Bodies It should be telling that The Von Bodies highest-charting single is featured on several console games. 2:13 minutes of constant, unbridled energy from the post-punk-revival rock outfit works to get you on your way. What Are You Afraid Of West Indian Girl Question your motivation. Question your fears. Instil in yourself a new belief. Thats really all this Los Angeles-based rock band seeks to ask you of yourself. A little psychedelic, What Are You Afraid Of is strangely uplifting. Tonight will change your life/Jump on a plane/and land a thousand miles away/Just to see what we came to be/What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of?

film

film

The Governator Returns

? Sher Li

? Ronnie

Restrepo
Besides these, there are also scenes depicting the soldiers boring, everyday life in the camp as they sing, cook and wrestle each other. A gloomy sense of doom pervades these scenes, as both the soldiers and audience know that the escape is only temporary. Tension and chaos are not limited to the battle scenes. The soldiers are seen interacting, bargaining and even arguing with the locals through a translator. They are also forced to confront the friends and family members of the innocent villagers they inadvertently killed during gunfire. The audience would empathise with the guilt and dilemma the soldiers face, and at the same time sympathise with the innocent villagers. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the film is that it does not present a firm stand on war. Rather, Junger and Hetherington seem more interested in portraying the harsh, psychological reality soldiers experience when they go to war. However, if one looks deeper into the film, one sees that the film never explains or questions the point of the war. One gets the impression that soldiers out there risking their lives are merely seen as pawns in the larger political context. Retrespo has won numerous awards since its worldwide release last year and has been nominated in the Best Documentary/Feature section in the Oscars this year. Though it has not reached local cinemas, it is easily available online.

A Chinese New Year Tradition: Cable Movies

? Marguerita

amed after an outpost, which was named after a medic killed in action, Retrespo is not your everyday war film. Rather than focusing on the blood, gore and violence like most war films, Retrespo is a deeply personal film. It focuses on the lives of a platoon of American soldiers as they spend 15 months in one of the most dangerous places on Earth (as the film mentions), the Korengal Valley of Northeast Afghanistan. Directors Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington follow the platoon as they venture into the valley and build an outpost to hold their ground. The confusion during the fighting is realistically reflected in the shaky camera actions. At the same time, interview scenes are inserted into the film as the soldiers look back on their experiences at the valley, and express that their greatest wish was to return home to their loved ones. Schwarzeneggers hard work then paid off, leading him to win the junior Mr. Europe context in 1965. He was later voted the bestbuilt man in Europe. In 1966, Schwarzenegger competed for the title of Mr. Universe, but came in second. In 1967, Schwarzenegger became the youngest Mr. Universe at the age of 20, and went on to win the competition another three times. A Man of Many Titles: Including Junior Mr. Europe, Mr. Universe, and The Austrian Oak Schwarzenegger had dreamt of moving to the United States since he was 10, and in 1968, realised that dream. However, this marked the start of a whole new challenge for Schwarzenegger, who at the time spoke little English, and had a heavy accent. Regardless of the language barrier, and among other things, Schwarzenegger had continued to train, and won the Mr. Olympia title a total of eight times. Schwarzenegger starred in his first movie in 1970, playing Hercules in Hercules in New York, and managed to boost his profile by starring in the 1977 bodybuilding docudrama Pumping Iron. It would not be until 1982, when he starred as the title character in the movie Conan the Barbarian, that Schwarzenegger would begin to gain the fame he had for so long sought. And the rest, as they say, is history. In 1984, Schwarzenegger starred as the eponymous Terminator in James Camerons The Terminator, which thus cemented his fate as a Hollywood superstar. In the years since, Schwarzenegger has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and music videos, alongside winning numerous awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987not bad for a kid out of Thal. In 2003, Schwarzenegger temporarily retired from showbiz to run for Governor of California. Alike his transition from bodybuilding to acting, Schwarzenegger was successful in this enterprise, beating out his competitors with about 1.3 million votes, and managed to retain his post in the 2006 elections. And now, Schwarzenegger returns to the world of show-biz. Since the February 11 announcement of his return, fans and nonfans alike have been speculating on the movies he intends to do. As aforementioned, Schwarzenegger has expressed particular interest in the planned World War II action drama With Wings as Eagles. This is a screenplay by Randall Wallace, and is based on Ostermanns War by James J. Cullen. This is perhaps an indication that Schwarzenegger is attempting to expand his repertoire with somewhat more serious roles, although most expect and rather hope that he stays doing what he does best: spouting one-liners and being an all-round badass action hero.

and receiving ang bows, but to sit on the couch and get hypnotised with B-grade movies? And why do this? As much as we hate to admit it, meeting relatives is, at times, an awkward part of our holiday celebration. While we do love our family members dearly, we probably havent seen them in a year, and are therefore not that close to them. The result would be uncomfortable pauses in conversations, while parents attempt to squeeze the younger generation together in one flat. Parents generally converse leisurely with the elders for three to four hours, while members of younger generation glance at each other, wondering how to make time fly. Who does not feel a sense of relief when someone in the room suggests, want to watch TV? While we may not always appreciate the value of poorly-scripted movies such as Dragonballz and You Dont Mess With the Zohan in a Golden Village or Cathay theatre, where we have to pay for tickets and popcorn, we find a whole new sense of respite when such movies air on channels like Cinemax or HBO during visitations. Yet, we have to ask ourselves if this reveals a degeneration in the quality of traditional family gatherings during Chinese New Year. Is television once again providing us with an easy excuse not to socialise with members of our family not just with our parents this time but with cousins, aunts and uncles? For a Chinese-Malay undergraduate, Anisah, television is often a life-saver during Chinese New Year due to the language barrier present between her and her extended family members. We dont have a lot of common ground, common interests, to talk about so we just watch television to drown out the awkwardness, she asserts. Maybe we should not look at these movies as adverse Chinese New Year trends. After all, with the lack of regular interaction, we cannot expect family bonds to be that closely knit. These movies could be the very glue that keeps the extended family together. As a family, we sit down on couches and chairs in our best garbs. The parents and elders converse at the dining table, while the children occupy the space around the television. They spend their time boasting about the child who did the best in their exams, or which university they have been accepted into. Meanwhile, the younger generation settles before the television, stuffing themselves with the Chinese snacks laid out on the coffee table. Our eyes stay fixed on the screen. Perhaps we might find ourselves laughing in unison to some silly scene. Perhaps we might exchange appreciative glances. In that sense, we find ourselves part of the family.

? Tracy

Adaptability
there are successful local movies that arise almost seamlessly from all of Singaporean culture, context and conversation. Here, Im thinking pretty much of anything made by Jack Neo. However, having said that, there are more movies that have fallen short of success. These leave behind a plastic front on Singaporean films (my mind immediately jumps to The Leap Years, and more recently, Phua Chu Kang The Movie movies that have left me cringing). These belong to the kind that features nothing soulfully Singaporean, apart from the actors and the locations in which they have been filmed in. The discerning audience will manage and continue to make a distinction between the two types. So how do we nullify these anglophile tendencies to make valid Singaporean film fare? Adaptation perhaps. Take an idea that your mind has thought up on the boardwalks of New York and the chaotic streets of the Cultural Revolution and adapt it to the local context. Really. Yet, it is easier said than done, for this is perhaps the most treacherous part of the creative filmmaking process. Lose too much of the original concept and you lose vision of the original inspiration. Lose too little, and your film fails to go either way it becomes too foreign for local tastes and too superficial for the foreign market. In the confusion within the tidal pool of influences and obstacles, perhaps the best thing to do would be to look within at what makes you tick. After all, in the art of filmmaking, the artists expression of the subject matter would be the most genuine.

ejoice, fans of mindless action movies, for Arnold The Governator Schwarzenegger has announced his return to film after a near decade. The former governor of California tweeted the following on February 11: Exciting news. My friends at CAA have been asking me for 7 years when they can take offers seriously. Gave them the green light today.And not only that, but in an interview with the Guardian, Schwarzenegger has said that he is currently considering different scripts, one of which might have him play a German soldier, who gets the order at the end of the war to kill a bunch of kids, but instead, chooses to save them. Before breaking out on the cracks about Schwarzeneggers acting abilities, especially in trying to pull off something as serious sounding as the aforementioned role, one cannot deny the fact that the man is one of the most iconic and successful actions stars in recent times. Additionally, Schwarzenegger is amongst the few who can claim to not only have successfully transitioned from sports to acting to politicsbut all the while also being

an equally successful businessman. And of course the man has had a humble beginning: Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947 in the small Austrian village of Thal. Schwarzenegger grew up in a strict, religious household, where money was a problem. His father Gustav was a cold and distant figure, who showed a preference towards Schwarzeneggers stepbrother Meinhard. However, Gustav had played an important role in Schwarzeneggers life, influencing young Arnold to play a variety of sports, including soccer, before eventually settling on bodybuilding at age 14. Schwarzenegger then started his competitive bodybuilding career at 17. Schwarzenegger trained in a gym in Graz, where the young teen was reported to be so dedicated to the sport, that he broke into the local gym on weekends (when it was usually closed) to train. Gustavs influence on Schwarzenegger emerged in clearer light, when in a 2004 interview with Fortune magazine, Schwarzenegger revealed his fathers abuse, and how it had driven him to be a rebel and to be somebody.

hear adaptability is the name of the game these days. This, unfortunately, is especially true if one has made the silly choice of being a filmmaker. Here is the crux of the matter: where do the bright-eyed, clueless local film students of today situate themselves within the cultural mess that is the local film industry? From the moment our brains are capable of processing and retaining information perceived on those (then) celluloid frames, we are bombarded with a myriad of foreign television and film culture. If you were bright-eyed and innocent around the same time as I was, chances are, your screen staples would have ranged from Will Smiths Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to prime-time cartoons featuring mutant turtles. Occasionally you would pop onto one of the SBCs (Singapore Broadcasting Corporation now known as Mediacorp) local channels for some local television of which ninety percent was imported from our fellow Southeast Asian neighbors. Lets not even discuss the local flavor of the films in the cinemas. That would have nothing to be said. To be fair, this was the period during which local cinema was, in delicate words, going through a bit of a dry spell, while native television was still as adolescent as we were. Consequently, with the influx of foreign television and film came an influence of foreign culture, and the settlement of a very foreign film language. The Singaporean lingo can hardly find a place to settle on the local film stage. It is, after all, exceedingly difficult to write a film in Singlish or Singaporean Chinese. Yet, I do envy the filmmakers who manage this well. Certainly,

t is not the first thing one associates with Chinese New Year, but Starhubs free movie channel previews are becoming part of our celebration, here in Singapore. For what is there to do during Chinese New Year, apart from visiting houses, greeting relatives

Food/Travel
? Jacqueline

Vietnam Getaway
an avenue for satiation by peddling fresh, succulent seafood on their boats. Here, the prices of junk boat hires are directly proportional to the size and quality of the boats the bigger and more luxurious the boat, the higher the pice. Extra services that accompany the higher-priced boat rides include the buying of seafood off f loating markets on the Bay, which can be immediately cooked and served on the boat. Also, with a little additional tipping, the boat crew would allow one to even take a leap of faith off one of the lower cliffs at the Bay. brilliant Vietnamese performance. Hanoi is certainly a city that makes holidays beautiful.

or most, Hanoi, Vietnam, is not first on the list of holiday destinations. Yet, if one ventures into this quaint town, it proves a pleasant surprise, with hints of French culture tucked between layers of Southeast Asian life. Rich architecture dating back to the period of French colonisation litters the town. Stunning cathedrals and the famed brightly-painted narrow houses are pieced alongside each other, to form a landscape reminiscent of the colonial past. Old French culture still permeates into the diets of modern Vietnamese, with baguettes being sold as part of daily fare.

rules. Beyond this vehicular awakening, however, Hanoi presents itself as a gratifying holiday destination. For hearty eaters, meals in Vietnamese restaurants satisfy thoroughly with little strain on wallets. Meals usually include the signature Vietnamese translucent rice rolls, pho noodles, as well as other vegetarian and light meat dishes. Many restuarants along the streets of Somerset Grand Hanoi Hotel boast exemplary culinary skills, service and ambience. Yet, if one feels adventurous, street-food can always be found for a fraction of already-reasonable restaurant prices.

One of the many food peddlers on the Bay

Most buildings in Hanoi are brightly coloured and narrow because the price of the property correlates with the broadness of buildings themselves.

Signature paper rice rolls are usually stuffed with turnip, cucumber, radish and parsley

The junk boats that cruise out into Ha Long Bay

In Hanoi, the people commute mostly by two-wheeled vehicles. While this preferred mode of transport sounds ordinary, the traffic culture will prove to be a shock. Vehicles, sometimes cramped with an entire family of six, weave in and out of roads with no regard for traffic

The holiday experience may perhaps be considered stagnant, if one does not take a boat ride out of Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, where limestone karsts, colourful boat-houses and beautiful mountaineous scenary lie in abundance. For the seafood-lovers, locals also provide

This quiet town charms with its heartening local f lavour and rich culture. Visit the War Remnants Museum for the history of Hanoi during the French colonisation and the Vietnam War. Have a cup of the famed thick Vietnamese coffee before strolling down the streets for shopping. Head also to the Than Long Water Puppet Theatre for a showcase of