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.

WorldSkills Singapore 2012: Always with the Patient in Mind

By Ho Khin Wai, Year 2, Diploma in Banking & Financial Services

Meet Gladys Aw and Audrey Foo, two of our NYP competitors in this year’s WorldSkills Singapore 2012, where they represented NYP in the competition area of ‘Caring’. They worked as a team against other teams from the various educational institutions. 

These second year Diploma in Nursing students from the School of Health Sciences (SHS) have come a long way to be part of WorldSkills Singapore 2012. For both Gladys and Audrey, enjoying the whole experience is just as important as winning awards.

I caught up with the girls during Day 2 of the competition at ITE College West.  When asked how they thought they had fared in the item they had just completed, they humbly replied, “We did our best.” It was an intense round, as Gladys and Audrey were tasked to deliver a thirty-minute training programme on Diabetes to a patient and her caregiver while constantly being assessed by a panel of judges.
 
Their meticulousness, positive attitude and passion for caring pulled them through the round successfully. Tears of joy were seen rolling down their faces as they emerged from the competition arena, and then proceeded to hug their coaches, families and friends who came to support them.

Said Audrey, “What was challenging was the communication between us and the patients. We have to be prepared for their responses and try to administer the best care that we could give them. There were those little surprises as well, that had us on our feet…but we managed to complete this round!”

For both the girls, they have learned that “what is done is done”. Regardless of how they fared in past performances, they would not to dwell on these issues and move on. Most importantly, they have learnt to be more patient-centered, and to always have the patient in mind as top priority.

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This year, NYP is proud to have four of our students from the Diploma in Nursing to be taking part in WorldSkills Singapore 2012! Besides Gladys and Audrey, the other two competitors are Yeo Min and Eri Fara Tsuboi. All the best, NYP gals!

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	Khin Wai is an NYP Year 2 Banking and Financial Services student from School of Business Management (SBM). He started writing for NYP Portal in 2011 out of interest and was soon "addicted" to it. He has also written book reviews for Straits Times YA Classified. Besides writing, he loves singing and has performed for various events in NYP under NYP Soundcard.

WorldSkills Singapore 2012: The Battle of the Best

By Ho Khin Wai, Year 2, Diploma in Banking & Financial Services

Yesterday marked the start of WorldSkills 2012, where the strongest players from all polytechnics and ITE come together on one playing field to compete! In this grueling skill play, competitors find out that to succeed, they need to have not just technical competence, but also self-discipline, confidence and perseverance.  As one of NYP’s official bloggers for the event, I am honoured to bring you the key highlights of the event during competition days, as well as updates on NYP’s performance in the competition.

The competition was tough and intense. Upon reaching the competition grounds at 10am, I could feel how intense it was already. The competition arena reminded me of an examination hall with students furiously writing on their examination scripts. Every competitor seemed extremely focused and alert in the tasks they had to perform. In such an electrifying atmosphere, it is no wonder the competitors dare not lose their concentration. This is truly the battle of the best! 

In deep concentration…competitors from Electronics.

Facial, anyone? The Beauty Therapy competition area.

NYP competitor Jason Soh participating in IT Network Systems Administration.

Visual Merchandising competitors at work.

 NYP has 44 competitors taking part in WorldSkills Singapore. They will be competing in these skill areas:

Aircraft Maintenance
Chow Wei Li
Chua Zhi Hao

Caring (team event)
Gladys Aw Sin Yun & Audrey Foo Bao Yun
Yeo Min & Eri Farah TsuBoi

CNC Milling
Kannan S/O Ponnambalam

CNC Turning
Eunice Chia Siew Peng
Norman Soh Chi Keong

Electronics
Alton Low Jun Xiang
Tan Yong Chin

Graphic Design Technology
Muhammad Zaqeer Bin Mohd Radzi
Joey Ng Kai Woon

Information Network Cabling
Kong Kah Yooi
Lee Yik Loong
Muhammad Shaffie Bin Ariffin

IT Network Systems Administration
Cyrus Guo Xuhui
Elgin Lee Wei Sheng
Jason Soh
Kwek Ming Hong

IT Software Solutions for Business
Chia Wei Kang
Goh Jing Loon
Joshua Tan Jun Ming
Gwendoline Tan Wan Xin
David Jonathan Ten Chee Onn
Bernard Yip Mun Kit

Mechanical Engineering Design – CAD
Francis Goh Kim Swee
Muhammad Izzul Raimi B F
Siti Nabilah Binte Mohamed

Mechatronics (team event)
Chan Jun Wen & Leow Ying Jie
Dominic Tan Yuan Zhi & Chen Jia Yi
Jasper Tay Yi Xiang & Norman Chwee

Mobile Robotics (team event)
Jashen Low Kai Wen Jashen & Leroy Tang Yow Leong
Mohammad Ariff Mustaqim Bin Mohammad Yusofe & Ma Wai Cheung

Visual Merchandising
Zoe Lim Kai Ee
Nadiah Binte Mohamad

Web Design
Glenn Chee Jun Yuan
Chen Junsheng
Adrienna Quek Yan Ling

Keep a lookout for our blog, as we bring you more highlights.  I know things are going to get even more heated and exciting!

If you, too, would like to catch all the excitement and buzz, why not make a trip down to ITE College West this afternoon, and catch a glimpse of these young and talented competitors in action!

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	Khin Wai is an NYP Year 2 Banking and Financial Services student from School of Business Management (SBM). He started writing for NYP Portal in 2011 out of interest and was soon "addicted" to it. He has also written book reviews for Straits Times YA Classified. Besides writing, he loves singing and has performed for various events in NYP under NYP Soundcard.

Coming Full Circle: Kelly's Long Journey to NYP

By Kelly Liew, Year 1, Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery)

Have you ever been asked to give up what you want because of 'what's best for you'? Have you ever felt so strongly about something that you always come back to it, regardless of everything pulling you away from it? When that happens I call it  passion, and that's how I feel about nursing. I have always been passionately attracted to it.

Since I was a child, I always knew that service was my thing. I always smiled at strangers and when I started a part-time job as a departmental store brand promoter during my teens, I knew I loved to serve.

My big dream was to work in an internationally-recognised hotel. But that changed during the year of my 'O' Levels. During an unplanned trip to the hospital, I got a glimpse of nurses in action. I saw nurses carrying out their duties with the same level of service as the guest service officers in hotels. it was at that moment that I realised I wanted to serve with a purpose.

As a child, I wasn't a genius, but I was able to perform well in comparison to my peers. So with nursing in mind, I did my 'O' Levels.

When the results came back, I was determined to come to NYP to start my Diploma in Nursing. However, my parents had some reservations. Out of respect to them, I decided to pursue my 'A' levels instead.

After my 'A' Levels, I was prepared to go into NYP again to study nursing. But my parents wanted me to enrol in a university. Coincidentally, in 2006 NUS started its first cohort of nursing students. I finally felt like I would be able to fulfill my wish of becoming a nurse without having to disobey my parents.

Here I am (first from left) with my pals from NUS.

Studying in the university was fun. But being a nursing student was even more fun. Like the nursing students in NYP, we also had to complete clinical placements in the hospitals. We empathised, smiled and sometimes even cried with our patients. But in general, we were just a bunch of crazy girls passionate about serving our patients.


I graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) with Merit. It was a good year, I spoke proudly at the commencement ceremony as Valedictorian and shortly after, I joined the National University Hospital as a registered nurse.

Speaking at my graduation.

Many would agree that nursing is a difficult career. We face the sick everyday but we have to stay strong because we are our patients' pillar of hope. We need to be skilled enough to help patients while always wearing a smile - no matter how tough the job gets. Everyday can be a struggle. With patients' needs being paramount, we sometimes forget that we too, need to go to the toilet, have our lunch or simply take a break.

A small note, but it means so much.

Don't be mistaken, I don't think it is bad bad to be a nurse. It has many wonderful moments. With all the countless 'thank-you' and hugs I have received , I  have nothing to complain about. Silly as it may sound, but I always find it hard to hold back my tears of joy when I receive words of thanks from my patients. To some, I am just doing my job, to others, I make a world of difference to their lives.

"You think nurses light up patients' lives? No, I would say they light up ours."

I have my fun moments too. I get to take amazing pictures with my patients. You think nurses light up patients' lives? No, I would say they light up ours.

Once I got a chance to act like a pregnant lady to experience how it felt like. I remember my colleagues laughing non-stop at how I looked.

Just as I became comfortable in my new career as a nurse, the idea of coming to NYP popped up again. Maybe it is fate that brought me back to NYP. After all these years, I thought there was no chance for me to come here, but when the hospital offered  me a chance to do my Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery) in NYP. I readily accepted the offer.

I am now proud to be a 'freshman'. Coming back to a school environment after working for 2.5 years can be challenging but I am certain I will be well taken care here. I've wanted to come here since I was 16 and  9 years later, I still want to be here.

This is my poly, my choice.

After 9 years, here I am, finally in my NYP Nursing uniform :)

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.

A celebration for the nurses and the nation

By Banu Priya, Year 2, Diploma in Nursing

Don't you like our recyclable costumes?

On 27 July 2011, the School of Health Sciences (SHS) celebrated Nurses Day and National Day in advance.  This event, organized by the SHS Academic Club and staff, was held at Block K garden from 3-6 pm. The area was beautifully decorated with red and white balloons which are the symbolic colors of our nation. There was also a banner at the back of the stage and Singapore flags hung at various areas.

 So why is there a need to celebrate Nurses Day and honour our nurses? I went around and asked some students who attended the event.

Celebrating Nurses Day and National Day with lots of good food and more

“Well Nurses Day is a day to appreciate the nurses and their noble profession. We honour them because as they are the ones who literally help save lives of patients with their consistent care,” said Akmalina Zuhrah, a Year 2 student from nursing group 1001.

Muhammad Farhat Bamadhaj, a Year 3 nursing student, added that it is a day to honour nurses who made a difference in the past.

“We should celebrate Nurses Day to honour all those renowned nurses such as Florence Nightingale, who was a pioneer of modern nursing.  We could also acknowledge nursing as a profession, because nurses contribute greatly to society.”

Honouring our top students

The event also recognised top students in Diplomas in Nursing, Radiography, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. The students received these awards from Ms Wong Luan Wah and Ms Lau Cheng Mun, Directors of Nursing and Allied Health respectively.

a rollicking good time

 Of course, what is an event without performances, right? We had Year 1 Nursing students, Dain Azrinda Binte Kasrin, Hafizah Binte Hassan, Then Hui Yee and Myat Mon Aung, performing two dances. One was an Indian dance and a modern dance, which was a crowd favourite. We also had a singing performance by Year 3 Nursing student, Khairul Azree, accompanied by the blissful music of his guitar.

Up next were performances by lecturers.  Mr Jim Lim from Social Sciences (Social Work) sang a popular National Day song and even had the audience sing along the chorus.  This was followed by lecturer Mr Ibrahim Shaik Mohamed who he sang a Hindi song accompanied with a band member from the percussion group.  His performance also got the audience clapping.

Black is the new Black!

 Another highlight of the event was the fashion parade. The challenge was to use recycled materials to create a design that can be used as nurses’ uniforms in the future. A wide variety of designs were showcased with names like ‘Cleopatra’ and so on.

All the futuristic costumes made with recycled materials

Pairs of students were asked to parade on stage with catchy music in accompaniment. I believe the models enjoyed showcasing their creations and so did the audience. The winners were awarded with gift vouchers.

In conclusion, the various highlights of these events managed to attract a large crowd. It was a successful event with lots of scrumptious food. Hats off to the SHS Academic Club and SHS staff for pulling off this awesome event!

Journeying with Ms Ng

Ms Dorothy Ng specialises in mental health nursing. She has worked with adolescents and disturbed teenagers and is familiar with the psyche of teenagers. She is a warm and open-hearted lecturer with so much intuition that she can even sense students’ fears and anxiety. 

It is no wonder this caring and affable School of Health Sciences (SHS) lecturer is well loved by her students.

Ms Ng makes her tutorials fun, telling her students to “rock the whole place,” and sit on the floor, and celebrates birthdays and socialises with her students, allowing them to confide in her.

Little do we know she is actually an avid believer of Blooms Taxonomy, a classification of learning domains, and she believes avidly in stimulating the affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains.

Some of Ms Ng’s teaching methods include making her students experience situations instead learning theory. “I make them teach me things, to build up their self-esteem,” she said. “So they feel like I acknowledge their efforts and strength.”

When students are inattentive during her lecturers, she uses reverse psychology and says “No one seems to be listening to me”.  This works as an effective catalyst and her students look up and tell her they are listening immediately. To motivate students who are late for lessons, she gets the class to clap their hands and cheer them whenever they arrive punctually.

Her students care for her as they do for their family, and ask after her well-being when she falls sick.

There was one particular incident in which Ms Ng recounted, where she was involved in a mishap, and was rushed to the hospital.  

Her previous students were working nurses in that very hospital and accompanied her through her ordeal, reassuring her with the words: “Don’t worry teacher, we will take care of you.”

“I was embarrassed when I knew they had to assist me,” she said. “They used to be playful in school but they were so different when nursing me. My students really took care of me as if I was their loved one, very professional and I was so proud of them. They never let NYP down.”

It is incidents like this that make Ms Ng feel proud and motivated to teach. She describes her students as “awesome” and “uniquely different.” We are sure her students, and future students to come, will feel no less different about her.

Ms Dorothy Ng teaches Year 2 nursing students Nursing Skills & Mental Health Nursing.