10 Things to do During Your Vacation

By Kelly Liew, Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery)

1. Learn a new language
Try challenging Mezzofanti (an 18th century Italian linguist who spoke 39 languages) and start learning a new language today! Challenging as it may seem, learning a new language can be very fulfilling. Through the knowledge of new languages we open doors to other communities and cultures, so don't be afraid, pick up a new language now!

2. Pick up a new book
Books? *Yawns…*
Yes I hear you. Reading is not an activity that many would like to do during vacations. But throw away your prejudices! Reading can be really fun; it is through reading that we learn skills, understand others’ experiences and travel to places we not be able to visit. Ever felt 'stuck' when you are writing your assignments? Reading can also help you explore different writing styles used by different authors.  Try picking up a new writing style after you have read your next book and you will find ideas flowing
better, I promise.

3. Visit Hogwarts
In June, NYP student writer Wahidah wrote about the Harry Potter exhibition at the Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum. Read it but couldn't find time to visit? Okay, bad news. You missed it. Oh no... I was just kidding! The exhibition goes on until the end of September. So for those who have not been there, I urge you to go take a look, and be sure to take home those interesting all-flavours jellybeans!

4. Go down to Marina Bay to feel the F1 heat
The Formula 1 night race is back at Marina Bay again for the 5th year. Tickets go between $58 and $168. If you haven't been to the exciting yet deafening race before, it is time to grab those tickets.

(Photo taken from http://www.singaporegp.sg/gallery/wallpapers.php)

5. Volunteer your time
This year, for the President's Challenge Volunteer Drive, all Non-Profit Organisations will open their doors to let potential volunteers see what they do. On 1st September, you can walk in and see for yourself how different Non-Profit Organisations help the less privileged. You can help animals, the elderly, children or people with special needs. Volunteer now and be someone's hero. Visit http://www.sgcares.org to find out how you can be a volunteer this vacation.

6. Try scrapbooking
I tried scrapbooking recently. It is surprisingly satisfying when pieces of cloth, paper, photos and ribbons come together to form the best present ever. It can cost quite a bit when purchasing the little things for art work, but believe me, it's going to be worth it.

7. Take a short trip out of the country
Who doesn't like a holiday? Make use of the vacation to reward yourself with a refreshing trip overseas. Be it shopping in Bangkok, or food hunting in Hong Kong, I am sure there will be fun anywhere you go. (Reminder: Be sure to check what vaccinations are needed before your departure)

8. Catch up with old friends
For the year ones, I am sure you are missing your secondary friends like crazy. Can't wait to share about your exciting life in NYP? Arrange your meet ups now!

9. Celebrate the Merlion’s 40th birthday
The iconic Merlion celebrates its 40th birthday this September. Go down to the Merlion art installation at Ngee Ann city and discover what inspired the creation of the Merlion from its sculptor Mr Lim Nang Seng. Help to complete the Merlion sculpture by penning your birthday wishes for the Merlion on its scales. That’s not all! The Merlion will also transform into its glittering form during the lightshow at the Merlion Park from the 12th to the 16th of September.

10. Celebrate Mid-autumn festival
The Chinese celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Cake Festival or Lantern Festival) on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. This year, it will fall on the 30th September. Join in the fun by lantern painting or shopping at the street bazaar in Chinatown from 15 September to 14 October. If you are like me and being in crowds is not your thing, try finding a nice open space and enjoy the company of family and friends under the full moon with some moon cakes, tea and pomelos.

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Kelly is a first year student, pursing an Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery), who loves reading and cooking. She also likes to spend time with her friends, engaging in relaxing activities. Her friends describe her as unpredictable, spontaneous and inquisitive.

Fiestari 2012: Winning them All

By Rafidah Sapa'at, Year 2, Diploma in Dental Hygiene & Therapy

They say you can’t win them all, but these NYP dancers certainly did.

Dancers from NYP's Malay Cultural Group participated in Fiestari 2012 on 14th July 2012 and emerged the overall champion. Their win was further sweetened when the dancers also clinched the Best Choreography award and the Best Performance award.

All in One Night – Best Performance, Best Choreography and Champions

Already at its 10th year, Fiestari 2012 is a Malay dance competition organised by Cheng San Community Club’s Malay Activity Executive Committee. Participating schools include NIE, NTU, polytechnics, ITE and secondary schools.
For Hartikah Mokrah, a third-year Business Management student and the Head of Malay Cultural Group, sweeping all the major awards was something the dancers did not expect, given that they had only 5 days to prepare for the performance.

“To emerge as champions wasn’t something we saw coming. The journey hasn’t been an easy one for all of us, given the short period of time we had to prepare. Every second was crucial,” she said.

But despite the time crunch and the hectic schedule of the dancers, their perseverance and commitment to put up a fantastic performance had been absolutely admirable.

“We stayed in school the night before the competition and practised till the wee hours. We all had the same goal of wanting to put up a good show and not wanting to disappoint our choreographer and ourselves,” said Hartikah.

Our NYP Dancers Pulling an All-Nighter to Perfect their Moves

And put up a good show they did. Mr Zairin Abdul Latiff, the group’s choreographer from People’s Association, could not have been more proud of his dancers. He, too, did not expect the win.

“I told them to  just give our best and not expect to win. I was so overwhelmed with happiness when we won,” he said.

There was no denying that competition with the other schools was stiff, something Mr Zairin agreed with. “The other schools were really good and the standard is getting higher. The judges are all pioneers in the Malay Arts scene. To have them crown us champions is simply unbelievable because I am sure their standards are very high”.

For Hartikah and her fellow dancers, the experience will be one they will never forget. “The experience has been priceless and we would not trade it up for anything else. It is tiring, yes but it has been worthwhile,” she said.

Reflecting on the Fiestari experience, Mr Zairin’s advised, “Whatever we do, we have to do it sincerely. Every difficulty we go through is simply a test to us. When there’s a will, there’s a way”.

And here is a video of the dancers creating magic on the stage, one that earned them all the accolades!
Congratulations once again to the NYP Malay Dance Group!

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Rafidah is a Year 2 Dental Hygiene & Therapy student who enjoys reading, art and craft, and especially sewing. Since she was much younger, she has sewed clothes, pouches, felt animals, and tote bags for her friends and herself. Nothing gives her more satisfaction than making something from scratch. She also loves movies and the unpredictability of LOMO photography. She loves taking dreamy, vintage photos with her Diana F+ camera. During her free time, Rafidah likes discovering new places (especially ice cream joints) to eat, and try out new different new things like yoga and kick boxing.

180 Days in Deutschland (Germany)

By Kishen Van Anker, Year 3, Diploma in Business Management

“Seize every opportunity given” is a quote I strongly believe in.

In March this year, I was given the opportunity to be part of the Overseas Student Exchange Programme (OSEP). I took a three-month Junior Program in International Business at Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Campus Bad Mergentheim (DHBW).

Being an international student in a foreign country was something that I have always wanted to experience. Also learning about the cultures and lifestyles of people in a completely different environment has always been intriguing to me.

To me, Germany is a modern yet historically rich country, famous for its sausages and beer.

Once I have arrived in Germany, I had a culture shock. There were so many signboards in German and everyone was conversing mainly in German. Even the most subtle differences stood out. For example, Germany has different coloured bins for different types of garbage to encourage recycling. It took me some time to adjust.

In this exchange programme, I was given the opportunity to live and study together with classmates from countries such as United States and South Korea. Also, I was taught by professors from other parts of Germany and United States.

The delivery and assessment of modules in DHBW were interesting. Many of the modules require extensive reading; short presentations that lead to active discussions and case-study problems, and these contribute largely to our final grades.

It was during discussions that I was able to appreciate various viewpoints given by my international peers, and also gain a better understanding of their culture and values. During my free time, I also took the opportunity to talk to my peers and learn more about their cultures and lifestyles.

The Junior Program in International Business was conducted entirely in English as our class was a pool of international students. Nevertheless, we took a basic German course to help us integrate better into the German way of life and it turned out to be very useful for conversing with the Germans.

The International Office staff at DHBW also brought us out on various trips that were very insightful and enriching. These excursions helped us to settle in and feel at home.

Paris and the Effiel Tower

Switzerland

Me in Venice

Of the many cities and towns that I have visited, Berlin was the city that most intrigued me. They had a Jewish Memorial and Exhibition centre which showed how many innocent lives were lost. I felt a sense of loss and compassion.

Berlin

Besides excursions, another highlight of my stay was soccer!  I managed to witness the Munich 2012 Finals between Bayern and Chelsea. The entire city of Munich was roaring and cheering for their respective soccer teams. It was an exhilarating moment for me.

With a Frisbee Team in Germany

I have learnt much about Germany in terms of language, culture, and lifestyle. Through this exchange programme, I am truly delighted to have forged many wonderful and happy moments with friends around the world.

To understand an entirely new culture is to be part of it and I am glad to have done so in Germany. All in all, I certainly feel that this programme was enriching and will always remember my days in Deutschland (Germany)! :)

Kishen Van Anker is a Year 3 student from Business Management. Active in sports, he takes up rock-climbing and rowing during the weekend! The adrenaline rush, progressive performance and self development are things that encourages him to do his best at all times. Obsessed with psychological thrilling movies, he can be found watching three to four of such movies at one time!

NYP impresses competitors at Taiwan FIRA 2012

By Cheang Hoi Yee, Year 2, Diploma in Digital & Precision Engineering

They raced their robots at an open-air car park, under the sweltering afternoon heat.  It was certainly a memorable experience for three members from School of Engineering (SEG) from NYP - Cheng Zhi Bo, Albert Tan and Zhao Mei Jun. They recently went to Kaohsiung,Taiwan, on in July, to compete in the Taiwan FIRA 2012, Humanoid Robot World Cup Soccer Tournament (HuroCup).

The NYP SEG team did well. Besides winning the overall third place, the team also secured Gold medals for Sprint and Marathon categories.

The FIRA (Federation of International Robot-soccer Association) HuroCup is an annual international robotics competition. This year, Taiwan FIRA was held to select the best team within Taiwan. NYP was invited as a guest participant and had the privilege of competing with top universities in Taiwan.

Here’s a run-down on what the robots need to do in different categories. In the Sprint category, the robots must “run” a three metre distance and return back to the start line in a straight path, as quickly as possible. The Marathon category is similar to a human marathon run. It aims to test the robustness and reliability of humanoid robots. No replacement of batteries is allowed in this gruelling 84m run. Thus, it is not uncommon that robots get damaged due to the strain of the long distance run.

This year, Taiwan held the Marathon category in an open-air car park in the afternoon. The temperature in Taiwan reached a high of 33-36 degrees Celsius that afternoon. NYP’s robot “ROCKY” was the only robot that can complete the gruelling 84m race under the scorching hot sun. It also clocked a respectable timing of 23 minutes. Both the organisers and the participants from the Taiwanese universities complimented ROCKY for its robustness and “toughness”.

At this competition, NYP took the opportunity to test their new robot design, smart capability, and robustness. 

We spoke to Zhi Bo, and according to him, one challenge he faces with ‘ROCKY’ is the setting up logic programming for different events and producing the prototype. During the competition, speed and responsiveness is essential when it comes to operation and maintenance. The team took months to produce this working prototype (including 2 weeks of programming). Through the competition, Zhi Bo is able to observe and learn from feedback from other competitors.

The proudest moment for Zhi Bo was when his team received a round of applause and congratulations from all the other competitors in the Taiwan FIRA 2012 when ROCKY appeared as the only robot that survived the arduous 84m race. As ROCKY has been designed and modified over years by different teams of lecturers and students, Zhi Bo believes that team work is an essential key to success.

This year, in August, NYP will be sending a team to confront the elites in robotics from all around the world at FIRA RoboWorld Cup in Bristol, UK.

The team worked very hard to prepare for this international event. We sincerely wish them all the best in the competition!

Going Ninja over Sports Fiesta 2012

By Amira Komari, Year 2, Diploma in Mass Media Management

So how did NYP welcome the month of August? Why, we celebrated it with a bang of course! The atrium and corridors were abuzz with students eagerly participating and supporting their friends in the first-ever NYP Sports Fiesta. It is an event organised by our very own NYP Sports Club. The club is led by 8 committee members from various sports-related CCAs.

The fiesta took place from 10 am till 4pm on 1 August. The highlight was definitely the Running Ninja! It was an obstacle course conceptualised after the Ninja Warrior series and spanned across the entire central fountain area. Participants had to go through the 10 different obstacles as fast as they can. All participants received free sleeveless t-shirts.

At the same time, a SuperHuman Challenge was happening at the Atrium. A total of 6 different stations were set up for students to challenge themselves. It ranged from challenges such as cup stacking to skipping to double jumps.  They looked fun to do. Students who managed to complete 5 out of the 6 stations received free water bottles. 

Happening at the atrium as well was the Keep Fit Classes! A stage was prepared for students from the club to lead the Zumba (dance with Latin American-inspired music) classes that took place during lunchtime.

Kickboxing classes, which were conducted by an external certified instructor, followed after that. Yet again, participants did not leave empty handed and they received free face towels.

Hatadi Faiz, the dedicated vice president for NYP Sports Club, saw to the smooth running of the entire event.

“We met with an obstacle – the rain! It started pouring in the middle of the day.  About 200 participants registered for the Running Ninja. The event was slated to wrap up within 2 hours time but due to the rain, we still had many participants eager to have a go. Thankfully, the rain stopped and we managed to continue fielding participants,” he said.

Into his third year, the Diploma in Sports and Wellness Management student admitted that it was no easy feat trying to piece together the Sports Fiesta. He and his team of 8 members faced challenges during the planning process.

“The committee was busy juggling projects and attachment programmes and could not attend team meetings at the same time. But we managed to pull through in the end with the help of our Student Affairs officers!” said Faiz.

NYP Sports Fiesta 2012 was a success! The participants admittedly had a good time and some even expressed interest to join the event again should it be organised in the future.

All prizes were sponsored by Puma, NS.sg, H20 and Youth.sg.  Kudos to the students who took time off their tight schedule to organise this event as well as the sponsors who were ever so generous with their prizes and freebies!

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Amira Komari is a Year 2 student from Mass Media Management. An avid reader, she enjoys her own space and can spend hours in a coffee house with a good book. She thrives upon solitude and nature. She is also obsessed about ice cream and anything colorful, you can almost always find her at a nearby bookstore with her dip dyed Chuck Taylor shoes.

Singapore – Built Brick by Brick

By Shawn Fang, Year 2, Diploma in Mass Media Management

Built by over 500 people in just 10 days, this huge LEGO  replica of the Marina Bay Floating Platform can sit 25,000 personalised LEGO  minifigure.

Just like pieces in a construction  toy set, we started building the foundations for Singapore sincethe 9th of August 1965. From this solitary block we’ve added more blocks over the last 47th years of independence and here we are today.

An NYP student, who is a part of this project, sits down and takes a break from setting up the extensive plastic brick sculpture.

With this metaphor in mind, it’s fitting that as part of this year’s National Day Parade Celebrations, a 12x9 metres LEGO® reconstruction of the Marina Bay Floating Platform has been created (with the help of our own NYP students, of course!). This replica of the behemoth floating stadium is filled up with 25,000 customised LEGO® mini figures from donors from all over Singapore.

Birthday wishes for Singapore are also placed on the LEGO structure.

For a minimum sum of $5 donation to The Straits Times Pocket Money Fund, donors received a pair of  LEGO® figurines- one for them to keep, and another for them to place upon the extensive LEGO® structure. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover that the LEGO® masterpiece was on display at NYP’s Atrium since late July.


And what better way for NYP to celebrate National Day, then to have the splendor of the full Lego display, and also a series of wonderful performances from NYP’s various CCA groups. On 1 August, NYP students and staff were treated to a patriotic visual spectacle with performing arts at one side of the atrium, and a display of visual art at the other.

As part of the festivities, NYP students from various CCA groups displayed their love for the nation by performing on stage.

Being a person who is more drawn to visual arts, I went towards the massive LEGO® display first. Conversing with one of the NYP students who helped built this ‘miniature’ version of The Float @ Marina Bay, I found out that this LEGO® masterwork had actually travelled all over our little green and sunny island- spanning from Tampines to SCAPE. NYP is actually its final pit stop before this behemoth gets displayed at NLB.

As my eyes feasted on the colourful art piece I wondered how this structure had to be dismantled each time it moves to a different place. To reiterate, this marvel of a LEGO® creation is MASSIVE. Although the structure isn’t taken down to its smallest of bits during travel, the work required to dismantle it is still substantial.

To this day, no one knows what shocked the LEGO in the centre.

Jokes aside, be careful when you visit this extensive LEGO structure. You don't want the whole floating stadium to collapse, do you?

This made me think about how Singapore grew from a swampy slum to a highly urbanised city. Our country, too, had been dismantled and built up over and over again. You have all heard the stories in your primary and secondary schools -Sang Nila Utama, British colonisation , World War II; Singapore’s form and structure never ceases to change.

This constant building and re-building of our country had made Singapore the success it is today. Just like the LEGO® structure which accomplished its goal of raising money for children in low income families through the ST Pocket Money Fund, Singapore has grew from its humble beginnings into a nation.

New Year's isn't the only day for us to reflect on our lives, or on the things that happen around us. Any day is perfect for a little quiet reflection (National Days included).

Nonetheless, there is still one more leg to go in the LEGO® replica’s journey (which is to the NLB). Similarly, Singapore may still have a little more ‘travelling’ to do. Maybe, just maybe, we should all try to find that missing piece of ‘kampong spirit’ that we lost along the way. That special piece of ‘kampong spirit’ building block from the construction toy set we once had.

Food for thought indeed for National Day, right? Have an awesome National Day, everyone!

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Shawn Fang is a Year 2 student from Mass Media Management who aspires to be a photojournalist. Although he is starting to focus more on self-portraits, Shawn still dabbles in many different genres of photography- spanning from cloudscapes to abstract photography. Aiming to capture beauty in his shots (not just the beauty of a concept, but the beauty of life), Shawn hopes his photography could inspire people to appreciate the little things around us that make living beautiful. "Take a snapshot, and put it in your pocket" he would say!

Faith, Hope & Joshua Sim

By Dzulhilmi Bin Dzulkifli, Year 1, Diploma in Business Informatics

Interviewing Joshua Sim Renhe, second runner-up of the recently concluded Microsoft Imagine Cup, was a great way for me to learn and grow from his experiences.

I have a habit of comparing myself to others. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a competitive environment both at school and at home. In my secondary school, I constantly strove to be the best I could. At home, being the eldest I was constantly compared to my siblings and cousins. It shook my self-confidence.

But when I sat down with Joshua, it changed my mindset. His life story is an inspiration to me. Most importantly, he rekindled that little flame called faith and gave me hope, something I lost long ago.
Joshua served his National Service (NS) before he completed his Higher NITEC. He then decided to serve NS first because he didn’t perform well for his 'O'-levels. At that time, he thought that education wasn't important. He almost gave up on himself.


However, this all changed while he served his NS. After some reflection, he realized that he didn't like the direction he was going in life. He vowed to better himself and he started off by completing his education. After he completed his NS, he enrolled in ITE College West's Higher NITEC in Network Security and attained a perfect score of 4.0.

With his excellent results and a new found passion for information technology, he wanted to enter Nanyang Polytechnic's (NYP) School of Information Technology. He was accepted into NYP’s Diploma in Information Security and hasn't looked back since.

When he enrolled into NYP, he continued to strive for excellence - something that was quickly noticed by his lecturers. During his first year, his lecturer asked him to join the Cisco NetRiders IT Skills Challenge 2011. His team made NYP proud by clinching first place. With his undeniable skill, drive and talent, he was approached once again in Year 2 to enter the Microsoft Imagine Cup.

When asked about his next step after the competition, he answered that he is going to continue work hard and enter even more competitions in order to improve himself. He hopes to become a researcher in the future. Currently, he is a nominee of A*Star Science Award (Polytechnic), a scholarship which gears recipients towards a professoriate.

To end off, I would really like to thank Joshua. You showed me that with sheer determination, faith and a dash of hope, one can achieve anything. From now on, I would view 'impossible' as ‘I aM POSSIBLE’! Now I realized that to be the best, you need to work hard and continuously push yourself towards excellence.

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Hello everybody! *Waves frantically~.* My name is Dzulhilmi B. Dzulkifli. Known by my friends as ‘Zool’ or ‘Zoomiee’. I am a Year 1 student taking Business Informatics from the School of Information Technology (SIT). Even though I have been blogging for half my life now, never have I ever felt that blogging is a burden. I find blogging as a way to express myself and let others have a little taste of my experiences.  I have taken up NYP Ultimate Frisbee as a CCA and auditioned for NYP Foreign Bodies Hip Hop Dance Group.

Team Everest (Singapore) Nepal Expediton 2012

Remember Team Everest (Singapore)? They recently returned from their expedition of Nepal. Check out the amazing video they made!

Team Everest (Singapore) is led by NYP alumnus Mohamad Sufian Bin Sulaiman. NYP alumni Ismail Bin Latiff and Muhd Hilwan Bin Mohd Idrus are also part of the team.

The team plans to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2015 as a birthday gift to Singapore on her 50th birthday. They hope that this gesture will also inspire others to pursue their passions and follow their dreams.

The PeRUNakan

By Kelly Liew, Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery)

My secondary school friend, Kian Hong (left), and I looking for clues during the race

I received my secondary school education in Tanjong Katong Secondary School, which is in Katong area and as such, Katong became the hangout for me and my peers. I remember walking down Haig road (where the school is) to Tanjong Katong Shopping Centre for a cheap meal before we went home. When we had a little more money, we would walk down East Coast Road to the famous Katong laksa shop, where we bought ourselves bowls of flavourful laksa only to be eaten with spoons and no chopsticks. Such beautiful memories! Till now, Katong remains my top choice when I am asked to decide on a place for food.

Don’t be mistaken, there is more to Katong than food, food and more food. And I discovered this last Saturday when I participated in PeRUNakan  - an “Amazing Race” style game. This event was organised by The Peranakan Association Singapore, supported by the National Heritage Board, and partnered with students from NYP’s School of Information Technology (SIT) Student Club.  Our students spent three months planning for this event. I took up the challenge and joined 19 other teams in the race as we set out to discover a different side of the Katong/ Joo Chiat area. I was confident as I had my secondary school friend, Kian Hong, as my partner for the day. Reminiscing fondly, I thought to myself, "We grew up here right?"
The race started at I12 Katong (formerly Katong mall). Each of the team was given a sheet of paper which contained 4 different pictures of different checkpoints in the Katong/ Joo Chiat area. Below the pictures, we had to answer questions that were given to us at each checkpoint. Initially, I was confident, but I lost all hope the moment I saw those pictures! Both of us had no idea where to start looking. I was a little reserved about stopping strangers to ask for guidance. Kian Hong, on the other hand, went all out to ask almost everyone he saw if they knew where those places in the pictures were.

Our first source of help came from a nice nyonya (female Peranakan) from Rumah Bebe. She led us to the Kim Choo Kueh Chang shop at Joo Chiat place. When we spotted the distinct green shop house, we were immediately greeted by the smell of savoury rice dumplings. The checkpoint station master handed us a clue to the answer to the first question. Being very kiasu, I tried to ask for hints from the station masters but they appeared as clueless. I later found out from Jin An, the leader of SIT club, that the core planning team deliberately kept the information from the station masters to prevent ‘a leak of information’. How smart! [Editor’s note: Naughty, naughty Kelly! :P]

Clue 1: ‘What is the Unit number of this place?’

 The next place that we went to was a shop house on Joo Chiat road. There, we were given our second clue. The third picture had us thinking for a long time. Many residents we approached told us that there were many possible areas to look for the uniquely Katong terrace houses. Such single storey terrace houses were built slightly risen from the ground to prevent flood waters from entering the house during high tides. After a thorough Google search on my phone, we were led to Joo Chiat Terrace, where we found the house. The house is the cosy home of Mr Alvin Yapp, a lover of Peranakan culture. He collects items that were used by the Peranakans and opens his home to visitors to share his love for the Peranakan culture, history and lifestyle. It was pity that we missed the chance to enter the house.

Mr Alvin Yapp’s Peranakan home - The Intan

By the time we left the house, we were exhausted. Slowly, the two of us strolled to the nearby drinks stall to get a drink, not forgetting to ask for suggestions to the last checkpoint. We were in luck when we stopped by a shop that sold Popiah skin made the traditional way. A boy from that shop identified it as a shop near the Boon Tong Kee chicken rice shop. We immediately hopped on a taxi and rushed over. Very quickly, we found The Peranakan Association Singapore which was the last check point. By that time, most teams had already caught up with us and started looking for the answers to the last picture.

It was only at around 4.30 pm when all the teams returned to I12 Katong and submitted the answers. I could see everyone as looking tired and as exhausted as I was. I felt old!

At 6 pm, the winners of the race were presented with the new iPads, Canon cameras and iPod touch. No, I didn't win any of those. I did, however, take away many valuable lessons from the event. It allowed me to discover a side of Katong and Joo Chiat I never knew of. I also learnt the lifestyles of the Peranakan, and their culture fascinates me. One day, I hope to be as patient as the Nyonyas, and complete my very own Kasot Manek (Peranakan beaded shoe).

The participants in the PeRUNakan

A pair of Kasot Manek can take up to 3 months to complete.

 In the month of August, all National Heritage Board museums will open their doors for free for Singaporeans and PRs. I encourage everyone to visit them and join me in the quest to embrace our heritage. See you!

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Kelly is a first year student, pursing an Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery), who loves reading and cooking. She also likes to spend time with her friends, engaging in relaxing activities. Her friends describe her as unpredictable, spontaneous and inquisitive.