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By Daphne Tang (16S03M) and Samuel Loh (16A01A)
Really, what better way is there to spend the mid-term break’s first weekend other than covering 67.74 kilometres (although it certainly felt longer than that) of Singapore’s most exciting biking trails with friends? Raffles Institution’s Outdoor Activities Club (ODAC) offered many treats at their annual overnight cycling event Gear Up – including paths along homely farmsteads in Lorong Halus (almost anomalous to the kind of urban ubiquity we’re used to seeing everyday), stunning city sights along Marina Bay – no less awe-inspiring than they usually are – and Park Connectors around the heartlands. Gear Up began at East Coast Park and traced Singapore’s eastern perimeter, then cut a path through Ang Mo Kio-Bishan, Marina Bay, to return back to the starting point. The journey was expected to take an estimated 7 to 8 hours with four brief rest stops, and ahead of us lay several daunting challenges, like seemingly endless inclines, staircases, and a sleepless night. Participants were split into groups of 10, each led by several ODAC members who, having cycled the route up to 4 times prior in preparation, were more than acquainted with its challenges and well-qualified to guide the motley pack. “The practice runs mainly helped us build stamina for the long distance trip. It’s a really great opportunity to bond as an ODAC batch and get to know each other better as well,” Ryan Chua (16A01A) laughs, “It’s also meant to get us properly familiarized with the route so we don’t lead y’all into a ditch!” Sure enough, our ODAC guides exuded just the kind of confidence and leadership we needed to keep the pedals going. They were serious when it came to safety and ensured each group member was coping well, but that didn’t stop them from being great sports as well — laughing and joking along with the rest of us.
The night began at East Coast Park, where close to a hundred rented bicycles had been lined up neatly in rows outside the bike rental station, safety lights twinkling in what seemed almost to be an early Christmas. By the time we arrived to find our groups, Rafflesians were already milling about performing bike checks and taking photographs together as they awaited their turns to set off. ODAC members distributed energy bars and glowsticks, the latter of which quickly adorned wrists, bike handles, or backpacks, adding to the medley of bright colors in the blackness of night. Between the starting line and the first rest stop lay 20 kilometres of road to cover. Encouraged by a gentle sea breeze, participants cycled through East Coast Park on a straight path out, then moved along the seemingly ever-lasting Changi Coast Road as the deafening whir of planes roared overhead. Close to 2 hours had passed when the groups first arrived at Changi Village for a short stay to cool off their sore limbs. Shortly after, we were off once more, this time up the north-eastern road towards Punggol Waterway, cycling through scenic boulevards surrounding by domineering housing estates only recently completed, and thus still unoccupied. The tranquility offered a serene and enjoyable calm, but also a strange sense of solitude. Nevertheless, we sought comfort and security in the companionship of our fellow groupmates and soon found ourselves on deserted roads past Lorong Halus’ farms. The lack of high-rise buildings and relatively little lighting allowed us to view the moon and stars in their fullest, unreserved grandeur — a privilege rarely found in Singapore’s densely urban environments. As we began to tire out, every bit of encouragement from our peers became even more important to give us just that little boost we needed to finish the trip. Entering the heartlands, the groups weaved past familiar neighbourhoods and reached another rest stop nestled within Bishan Park, greeted by ODAC members handing out drinks and bananas before the journey’s final leg. Another 2-3 hours later, we were breezing down the expansive Formula One racetrack towards the Singapore Flyer. Finally, each groups lined up for pretty pictures by the cityscape before making their way slowly back to East Coast Park. “The night was really cold,” Syazwani Nonis (16S03B) said, “But it also felt warm on the inside because of the comfort and freedom we had at Gear Up and I’m really glad the group I was with enjoyed it so much too!”
Although Gear Up 2015 gave participants just as much physical and mental exhaustion as it did good sights, if not more, you can be doubly sure Raffles ODAC easily fulfilled its promise to deliver 68 kilometres’ worth of amazing memories riding the stars and racing the night together.
By Tasharani Palani (16S03P), and Trudy Chak (16S03D)
Photos by Raffles Interact, and Bryan Goh (16A13A)
“Good luck, and don’t get lost!”
The usher at the door chirped before we plunged into almost-swallowing darkness. I could barely make out the faint outlines of bulky banners surrounding the entranceway. Well, how bad could it be?
Once the door had shut, we were plunged into swallowing darkness. Even more, we were sent into complete disorientation. The mild buzz and hullabaloo within the hall mirrored that of turmoil, all in a dither. Faint yet shrill rings of traffic light beeping, high-pitched jingles and clanging of tambourines and bells all clamoured for attention. Is this confusing mess what the blind deal with everyday? How do they garner the patience and strength to handle such stress and disorientation over and over again?
With the lives of a human train of eight participants as my responsibility, I walked and groped around in the pitch-blackness, trepidation and mild excitement overlapped each other at the back of my mind. What if I fell? Would everyone come tumbling behind me and end up in a massive heap of impossible-to-disentangle flailing limbs? How could I make sure everyone- a jolting pain smothered my face– I had hit a wall.
Confusion erupted behind me, a chain reaction resulting from my vocal yelp and jerky halt. From then on, prioritizing the safety and well-being for my diners became my sole mission for the night. Get them to the table. Actually get each of them on the seats. Get them talking. Get them food, drinks, ice cream, second-helpings, tissue, anything and everything. Get them to the washroom. Get them back safely. Satisfy all the needs, and prioritize their well-being above all else.
It’s interesting to look behind the scenes of Dine In The Dark such as the above described ushering experience and wonder how the entire event was pulled off in pitch-black darkness. “How on earth did they manage to make the hall completely dark?”, “How do they even find their way around?” and other murmurings along those lines were common questions overheard from the diners throughout the event. For all they knew, maybe each one of us Interactors wielded Deluminators. In particular, the self-assembled obstacle course segment, In Their Shoes, raised a lot of buzz amongst diners.
The obstacle course was designed with the idea of experiencing walking in the shoes of the visually handicapped on a daily basis in mind, incorporating activities such as crossing a road and using tactile paving for guidance. In the words of the Organizing Team, they “wanted to simulate how bewildering it is to navigate in a crowd of noise and people without sight.” It clearly served its purpose well though. During the event dry-runs, us Interactors realised that even with practice and familiarity, it doesn’t get any easier. What more for first-time diners? A J1 diner mentioned that she found it difficult “because I really couldn’t navigate my way through” and “felt vulnerable and helpless”, and finally came to the conclusion that “sometimes as normal people, we can’t really empathize with the blind so I felt that really was an eye-opener for me”.
To add on to that sentiment, most are unaware that the term ‘visually impaired’ doesn’t necessarily mean being completely blind. Most of the visually handicapped suffer from eye conditions that still allow them to see, albeit partially. As a result, they require costly visual aids and do face a fair amount of stigma in society for not being ‘truly’ blind. The hugely insightful sharings by Mr Leow and Ms Christina, who are both representatives from SAVH, gave both Interactors and diners a deeper perspective of how a visually impaired person’s daily life is like and any challenges they may face. The Q&A session in particular received quite a few laughs especially when we heard about Ms Christina’s encounter with a stranger off the streets of New York. However, I was most struck by Mr Leow’s empowering sharing that while he may have lost his sight, he didn’t lose his vision. It gave me renewed respect for the visually impaired and reminded me that they too have their own hopes and dreams in spite of the huge challenge they face.
Following that, the presentation of audio-described movies Up, and The Avengers, was a unique highlight of the event which added another dimension to the experience for diners. It allowed them to further better understand the lives of the blind via experiencing first-hand how audio description is capable of making visual media such as theatre, cinema, and television, more accessible for the blind and partially sighted people. For the curious, audio description is a form of narration that involves a narrator describing happenings on screen during natural pauses in the audio, or otherwise, for those who may have difficulty seeing what goes on on screen.
With a creative twist, the programme continued on with wittily-named games such as ‘Blind-Fold’, where all diners were unknowingly tasked with folding origami hearts and paper planes, ‘Private Eye’, where during dinner, diners were encouraged to take a stab and pen down their guesses about the enigmatic mystery dishes. In addition to that, the lottery ‘Spot On!’ had diners scrambling for their tickets in an attempt to decipher what their numbers were. The lucky numbers were printed in Braille lettering onto diners’ official tickets, an innovative addition to the concept behind the event as a whole, which aspired to provided diners with more insights into the lives of the blind.
Throughout the night, there was a general feel-good buzz in the atmosphere and a distinct energy pulsing in the hall. Perhaps it was the good music that brought it about, thanks to the astounding musical talent performing, with the likes of Ampersand, Triumviratus, and our very own Interact Band taking to the stage with upbeat crowd pleasers. Ampersand ignited the good vibes for the night with a soul-searching rendition of Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men. Across the afternoon and evening, Take One took us back to the instrumental basics for both lunch and dinner, performing their creative takes on various songs such as Somewhere Beyond The Sea by Frank Sinatra and Oppa Gangnam Style by PSY, as well many others between lunch and dinner.
From the Faith Music Centre, we had the pleasure of hosting Cactus Rose and the Visually Impaired Band (VIB), both of which gave outstanding performances. Notably, one of the performers in the VIB hit the ripe old age of seventy-three this year, yet he still continues to perform with gusto and delight.
Possibly the brightest part of the event was right before it ended, diners were told about the hidden light sticks under their chairs and pulled them out just as the Interact Band burst into a rousing performance of See You Again. Amidst good music and a glowing sea of lights, Raffles Interact had its first Dine In The Dark photo!
However, due credit must be given to our esteemed seniors who ensured that the event went along smoothly without a hitch. We asked Vint Seng (15S03H), one of the OT members, about his experience and speaking on behalf of the OT, he shared that, “For this year, we wanted to go back to DITD’s roots; it was always meant to illuminate a world of darkness so we can see the light that is the courage of the visually handicapped.” Judy Hong Ruilan (15S03R) noted that “When we were conceptualising the experience for 2015, we wanted it to be more than just the food or the performances; We wanted to showcase the strength and the talents of the visually handicapped. We hope that DITD provided some “Food for Thought”, and motivated diners to act in whatever capacity they can- be it by donating, volunteering, or offering help to any of the visually handicapped who cross their paths.”
The unanimous echoed sentiment of an eye-opening, enlightening and extremely meaningful experience was evident we asked diners about their experiences. If any indication of the event’s success, people have mentioned that it really lent greater awareness as to how the visually impaired feel and how they now have added respect for their independence and even greater appreciation for sight.
To quote Tan Kai Wei Felix (15S03U), he mentioned that he “definitely got a better idea of what it is like being completely blind and the difficulties that they face.” Jia Wei (16S03O), another J1 diner noted that “there are many things that we take for granted but should actually be thankful for”. Along the same lines, a few J1 Interactors reaffirmed the hope for diners to be able to “now empathize a bit more with the visually impaired”. Apart from all the fun and games, they wished for diners to “realize just how hard it is to be visually handicapped, so that they may cherish their vision more.”
Personally, as an Interactor, the entire experience raised an extensive number of questions and provided a thought-provoking range of insights into the difficulties faced by the blind. It has compelled me to reflect and build upon my at best- skimpy understanding of the very real challenges faced by them.
In retrospect, Dine In The Dark 2015 will be remembered for its good food, great music, and most importantly, the very best of dining experiences- where dining is more than just a meal. Raffles Interact would like to thank all who came down to show their support and hopes that everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously! We will (not) see you next year!
In addition, Raffles Interact would like to thank these talented student performers for coming down to perform!
Ampersand: Wu Bing Anthony (15S06L). Ian Ho Jin Yi (15S06H), Thia Zhang Wei (15S03G), Lorraine Fong Rei (15A01C) and Jonathan Pong (15S03G)
Take One: Ding Yu Chen (15S06E), Casey Chan Fay Ching (15S06H), Ian Ho Jin Yi (15S06H), Wu Bing Anthony (15S06L) and Chua Zhe Xuan (15S06J)
Interact Band: Pong Jia Jing, Jonathan (15S03G), Saik Chin Wen, Sharon (15S03O), Daniel George (15S06D), Megan John (15S03F), Gabrielle Ong Hui Min (15S06A)
Triumviratus: Ethan Ong 4P, Muhammad Syazwan Bin Ramli 4C, Yeo Jun Wei 4C, Ganesh Gunasekeran 4D
By Monica Lee (16S06J)
Photos by Carla Mosqueda (16A03A) of the Raffles Photographic Society
“For our team, every match and victory was a hard-earned victory.”
On the 22nd of May, the Raffles Soccer (Girls) A Division team played their 3rd/4th placing match against Jurong Junior College at the Serangoon Stadium. In spite of the grey skies and humid weather, the team was pumped up and ready for the game. As the clock ticked down to 3 pm, the stands slowly filled with Rafflesian supporters cheering for the girls, and the commentators gave rundowns on JJC’s and RI’s teams. The two teams lined up along the stadium’s tunnel and together with the four referees, took the field to the announcement, “Without further ado, please welcome the teams of Jurong Junior College and Raffles Institution!”. As per usual, the teams engaged in the pre-match handshake in a show of sportsmanship. With a rousing cheer, the RI team broke from their last huddle and fanned out across the field, taking their positions. The stands quietened down, tense. The whistle marked the start of the match, and the fight for third place began.
Right from the kick-off, the team dominated the field, largely containing the game within JJC’s half of the pitch. RI’s attackers were strong and had many chances at the goal, but were unable to capitalise on their runs and passes – the opposing team was clustered in the penalty area, making manoeuvring – and scoring – difficult. Defensively speaking, the team was tight as well. On the occasions that the JJC attackers managed to kick the ball past the halfway line on the field, the team’s midfielders and defenders were almost always able to intercept the ball and send it flying straight back into JJC’s half.
The team displayed impressive footwork in their attempts to evade the JJC defenders. Side-stepping and feinting allowed the players to maintain possession of the ball and put pressure on the opposing team. They were handsomely rewarded for their efforts – RI drew first blood in the match 15 minutes into the first half through Beatrice Yip (#17, 15S03M), who scored the opener with a neat shot driving the ball into the back of the net. Simone Sim (#3, 15S03H) then scored the second goal of the match within a mere two minutes of the first, extending RI’s lead to 2-0.
JJC put up a valiant fight as well: for a few tense minutes, JJC’s players managed to press deep into our team’s half of the field and sought to score a goal, but good defending on RI’s part by Captain Victoria Goh (#10, 15S03S) sent the ball out of our half and back into JJC’s territory. The next few minutes saw the ball in a constant back-and-forth between JJC’s and RI’s territory. It ended with JJC claiming their first goal of the match, kicking in a well-positioned shot past the RI goalkeeper. The team quickly regained their momentum and went back on the offensive, showing skillful control over the ball and deft footwork. The team made multiple good runs, but were unfortunately unable to get past JJC’s defence; the game went into the halftime break with RI leading at 2-1.
Just a minute into the second half, Simone Sim (#3, 15S03H) scored her second goal with an assist from K Keerthana (#7, 15S06D). RI continued to dominate play, riding the momentum to a fourth goal by K Keerthana (#7, 15S06D). In response, JJC rallied, putting in a well-placed high ball that gained them their second goal of the match and forced RI to go on the defensive. The team soon regained their advantage – solid defence and sharp attack prevented JJC from penetrating too deeply into RI’s half, and gave the RI attackers chances to further widen the scoreline.
25 minutes into the second half, the team managed to once again pull ahead of JJC, with Beatrice Yip (#17, 15S03M) propelling the ball past the JJC goalkeeper’s outstretched arms into the back of the net with a low shot. This brought the scoreline to 5-2 to Raffles. Tensions ran high as the game went into the last 10 minutes. Clashes and tumbles were not uncommon – at one point, a JJC player appeared to push one of our team’s players, prompting shouts of ‘Foul!’ from the stands. The team managed to contain JJC by constantly intercepting their passes, keeping gameplay in their half of the pitch. As the match progressed, JJC’s players appeared to willingly concede throw-ins, kicking the ball out of play whenever RI’s attackers got too close for comfort – most likely in a bid to halt the progression of the RI attackers.
In the dying moments of the game, JJC’s players fought hard to make a comeback, but were ultimately unable to narrow the gap in the scoreline. 3 minutes of extra time were called; despite finding themselves trailing 5-2, JJC commendably pushed on, striving to equalise the score – but they could find no chink in the armour of our team’s unyielding defense. The match concluded with the girls securing a decisive victory.
In the words of Captain Victoria Goh (#10, 15S03S), “The team worked really, really hard for this whole season. We are glad that the months of training have really paid off.” Indeed, the RI Soccer Girls team played wonderfully, ending the game on a well-deserved win of 5-2, and emerging victorious to claim 3rd place in the 2015 A Division Girls’ Football Championships. Even more impressive is the fact that soccer is not traditionally regarded as a girls’ game and so girls are typically not given a chance to learn it – with no DSA admissions, most of the team started out as newcomers to the game just last year. That they managed to pick up the game in the short span of a year stands as testament to the long, grueling hours of training they put in: at least 3 sessions a week, with trainings increasing in frequency in the lead up to their season. As the captain said, “I would really like to thank my team for training so hard and putting in their all, and just simply running for every single ball and never giving up.” She credited the team’s coaches and teacher-in-charge for their “commendable dedication”, adding that their victories “would not have been possible without our coaches, especially Mr. Leong, Mr. Man, and Mr. Iqbal, and also our teacher, Mrs. Cheng.” It was evident that afternoon that the team played not just for school pride, or for glory, or for the win; they played for the love of this beautiful, beautiful game. Raffles Press would like to congratulate the team for their victory and wish them the best of luck in their future competitions!
Scoring by half
RI vs JJC:
1st half: 2-1
2nd half: 3-1 (5-2)
Scorers:
Simone Sim (#3, 15S03H) – 2 goals
Beatrice Yip Kai Wen (#17) – 2 goals
K Keerthana (#7, 15S06D) – 1 goal
RI Roster:
Abinaya Mahatma (#1, 15S06H)
Vanessa Chen Hui En (#2, 15S03O)
Simone Sim (#3, 15S03H)
Low Fay E Reis (#4, 15S07B)
Syahirah Humaira Bte Amrun (#5, 15S07A)
Filzah Hanis Binte Osman (#6, 15S03T)
K Keerthana (#7, 15S06D)
Varenya d/o Uthay Kumaran (#8, 15S03L)
Goh Ming Wei (#9, 16S06F)
Victoria Goh Sze Hui (#10, 15S03S)
Chong Yan Wen (#11, 15S03F)
Sisyena Anusha Gunaravi (#12, 15S03S)
Ong Pei Jie Janelle (#13, 15S06B)
Guo Shibei (#14, 15S06L)
Liu Chen Yu Jessica (#15, 15S06N)
Leong Kylie (#16, 15S06C)
Beatrice Yip Kai Wen (#17, 15S03M)
Valerie Lee Sze Jie (#20, 15S06E)
Victoria Tan Yee Ling (#21, 15A01D)
Zahirah Rosle (#23, 16A01C)
By Alex Tan (16S03B) and Qiu Kexin (16A13A)
Photos by Way Ng (15S03A) and Cheng Zimin (16S03B) of Raffles Photographic Society
As the lights dimmed, the performers of Raffles Chamber Ensemble, decked out in their chic tuxedos and dresses, made a dazzling entrance for their annual concert, Intime. Meanwhile, the eager audience prepared themselves for a night with much to enjoy in the way of sophistication.
The first emcees, Farah Wu (16A03A) and Bryan Tay (16S03B), made a quick introduction to the concert theme, through playful dialogue:
“Are we going to start in time?”
“Don’t you mean on time?”
“Intime, it’s French! It means … ‘intimate’.”
The concert promptly commenced with II Andante Cantabile, by renowned Russian composer Tchaikovsky – a solemn piece characterised by underlying melancholic tunes. As dismal as that sounds, on the contrary the bittersweet wistfulness brought out by the orchestra’s passionate playing had made for an engaging listening experience.
Following that, the ensemble progressed with several other classical pieces from the Romantic period, notably four movements from Carl Reinecke’s massive Serenade for Strings in G Minor, Op. 242. One might criticize the inaccessibility and esoteric nature of these songs to the average JC student, but these sufficiently encompassed a spectrum of moods, from introspective to intense, displaying the musicians’ versatility as well as mastery. Among other pieces, Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A Major was enjoyable for its sprightliness; the high-pitched violin soaring above the other string instruments, echoing and engaging in pleasant harmony with the piano.
The best moments of the night, surely, came after the intermission, which marked a transformation in atmosphere. Garbed casually in bright, striking colours that contrasted with the earlier minimalist attire, the orchestra first embarked on Hansel and Gretel, a musical arranged by their very own musician Yee Yang En (16S06B).
A narratorial voiceover and backgrounds on the projector supported the storyline based on the well-known fairytale of the same name (the musical was a sequel, picking up from after Hansel and Gretel found their way out of the witch’s house). Hansel and Gretel, charmingly portrayed by Wong Jia Yi (16S03A) and Yee Yang En, skipped out in tartan outfits, while cellist Heidi Ngo (15S06K), was convincingly decked out as a witch.
A medley narrated the brother-and-sister pair’s growth into wiser adolescents, which consisted of recognisable songs from pop culture and musicals. These included the likes of All I Ask Of You (from The Phantom of the Opera), For Good (from Wicked), Bruno Mars’s Marry You and Maroon 5’s Maps. Though relying on a clichéd trope of romance, it was nonetheless refreshingly light-hearted, a welcome counterpoint to the hitherto sombre mood of the concert.
To the audience’s surprise, the musicians had more tricks up their sleeves afterwards; the full orchestra reemerged in formal wear to conclude the evening with Vivaldi’s Spring. One last surprise was unfurled there and then: Wu Chin Ying (15S03R) “paused” the whole orchestra with a point of a remote control as she walked in from the side – and then revealed that the ensemble was entirely under the influence of her remote control. The audience was thereafter taken through a supremely entertaining and surreal showcase of the remote control’s various functions (Play, Pause, Mute, and Volume Control, among others).
Chin Ying fit into her part as Remote Controller remarkably, delivering her lines with the right amount of panache and hilarious verve. “Just enjoy that clarity of sound!” she exhorted as she clicked on Play. “Now you know why we can’t live life backwards – it sounds terrible,” she said while pressing on Rewind. “Come guys, wallow in self pity!” she urged as the orchestra broke into the main theme of Schindler’s List. This delightful mélange of theatre and chamber music was ended with their very sporting conductor, Ms Marietta Ku, wobbling off stage in a mechanical fashion.
Initially, some of the humour and fun in the production had seemed incongruous with the general tone of the concert. A behind-the-scenes video of bloopers and amusing captions like “very intense swordfighting” (rendered lovingly in Comic Sans) cracked the audience up – but as the concert progressed one realised that the comedy had been part of the plan all along. In fact, the Ensemble had successfully produced a refined yet relatable performance because of it, by marrying contemporary tunes with stereotypically ‘high-brow’ chamber music. Safe to say, it was a school production at heart, and a great one at that.
Bryan Tay, the newly-elected Chairperson, said about the preparation: “It was a really tough journey because we had to frequently meet up on non-CCA days for extra practice. I’m really really thankful for Ms Judy Tay and Ms Marietta Ku’s dedication – coming on these extra days and coaching us till 8 or 9.”
Beyond the final production seen by the public, Farah Wu, incoming Vice-Chairperson, also shared that Intime had been meaningful for the Ensemble: “Intime had brought everyone together as one family – especially through the fun and laughter we shared when we played as one remote-controlled orchestra! The late night rehearsals are memories we’ll cherish forever.” No wonder then, seeing the effort they had put in, that the orchestra had thoroughly impressed us with their fresh performance and shown us another side to classical music! Raffles Press would like to thank Raffles Chamber Ensemble for holding this delightful and well-executed concert.
Concert Setlist
