Vol 14 October 2016
The Alumni Magazine of UWC South East Asia
JAXA Astronaut
Akihiko Hoshide
returns to UWCSEA
Graduation 2016
Updates and Profiles
(c)JAXA/NASA
Alumni services
Every student who leaves UWCSEA,
regardless of how long they were
enrolled, automatically becomes a
member of our alumni community.
Some of the services we offer include:
One°North
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A reunion of the 40, 30, 20 and 10 year
anniversary classes is held each August
in Singapore. Additional class reunions
and alumni gatherings are held in various
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by both UWCSEA and our alumni. Watch
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details, and let us advertise your events!
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containing news and information to
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Check this section of the site for career
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Hub is a web platform and mobile
app that brings together the UWC
community around the world.
Old Interscols
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2 OneºNorth October 2016
Message from the Head .......................................... 4
Note from the Alumni Office
and physical changes at Dover ............................... 5
My post National-Service experience
Nitin Natrajan, Ethan Barnes
and Vinay Mitta, ’13 travel to
South America ...................................... 6
An interview with Dr Kling Chong ’79
One of only three full-time Paediatric
Neuroradiologists in the UK .............. 8
Graduation 2016
500 students across both campuses graduated
in May with an impressive average IB score! ..... 10
Adapting Permaculture in Ubud
Roku Fukui ’07 introduces a
venture by Nathan Pflaum ’07 and
Inochi Fukui ’10 ....................................12
These Circuses that Sweep Through the
Landscape
Tejaswini Apte-Rahm ’91 describes
her creative writing journey ..............14
Cover story
JAXA Astronaut
Akihiko Hoshide ’87
returns to UWCSEA
and speaks to almost
3,000 students .............15
Year in review
A sample of the huge variety of events and
activities that take place at the College ..............16
The path to happiness
in a forest monastery
Pramoad Phornprapha ’85 ............... 18
From Engineering
Physics to Visual Artist
Elaine Kuok ’95 ...................................20
Recent alumni events
Worldwide alumni get-togethers
and Reunion 2016! ..............................22
From UWCSEA to
Entrepreneur in two years!
John Nnamchi ’14 creates an
interactive and intuitive degree-
planning tool at McGill University .......................24
Alumni giving
Thanks for the support! .........................................26
The human cost of fossil fuels
Savannah Carr-Wilson ’08 embarks
on a book about the human impact
of fossil fuel extraction .....................28
In Memory of Kay Louise Everett ’91
A tribute to an amazing human
rights lawyer and humanitarian ......30
Upcoming reunions
Don’t miss out! .........................................................31
One°North is published by UWC South East Asia anually for alumni, staff and friends of UWCSEA. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited without written
consent. Send your address change to alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg and/or update your profile on the UWCSEA alumni website or through the alumni app. We
welcome your feedback; please send comments to alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg.
Please send your articles and/or suggestions for articles, for the next issue, to alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg.
Contents
Cover photo: The ‘selfie’ taken by JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide ’87
outside the International Space Station.
Photo credit: (c)JAXA/NASA
Editor
Brenda Whately
Design
Nandita Gupta
MCI (P) 156/07/2016
October 2016 OneºNorth 3
A few weeks ago I was sat in Harvard
University’s Graduate School of
Education as part of a UWCSEA team.
We were explaining to Harvard’s world
renowned Professor of Cognition and
Education, Howard Gardner, what we
had been up to in terms of our work
on assessing just what impact a UWC
education has on students and the
world into which we send them. The
meeting was another step of a journey
we are on to move from anecdotal to
research based evidence so that when
we are asked “What’s the big deal
about UWC?”, we can do more than
tell stories.
But sometimes stories are best. They
make real what research shows merely
to be true. And so I wish I’d had this
magazine when I was with Professor
Gardner. Yes, in terms of our extensive
alumni diaspora it represents only a few
people, but I suspect it has measured
the pulse of that larger demographic
very well. Rich, varied and riveting,
we have here tales of art, forest
monasteries, asylum seekers and much
more. The accounts are shot through
with passion, deep thinking, empathy
and success. UWC alumni don’t have all
the answers, but you’re asking essential
questions.
I am enjoying and learning from my
meetings with you. I’m not a UWC
graduate, so these encounters mean a
great deal to me as I try to understand
your UWC experiences and extrapolate
how those experiences have affected
your own ethical dispositions in later
years. If truth be told, though, most
alumni prefer sharing the hairy rule
breaking episodes that all of us look
back on with greater clarity than any
lessons or lectures. Current students
listened in wide eyed disbelief as some
alumni at our recent reunion shared
tales of derring-do that would most
likely now lead to dire retribution.
Back at the ranch we are this year
opening Ideas Hubs on East and
Dover, sipping coffee in a seriously
cool Heritage Centre on Dover (East’s
equivalent will be up and running
before the year is out) and basking for
the moment at least in another set of
tremendous IB results. (Conveniently—
for me at least—the two campuses
managed to secure virtually identical
averages, and thus a line of furious
parents is kept at bay for another year).
I’m constantly told we are the biggest
international school in the world (I’m
sceptical as there always seems to be
something bigger in China if you look
hard enough) but the great thing is it
just doesn’t feel like that. The UWC
spirit seems to make the campuses,
indeed the wider world, not small
exactly, but connectable. It’s no village
school, but neither is UWCSEA a
leviathan: our intimacy is not borne of
small numbers but rather a prevailing
bias for ethical action in the furtherance
of the mission.
Thank you for staying in touch. We
appreciate it. Do check out those
funky campus cafes when next you
are in Singapore. I recommend the
mushroom quiche.
Chris Edwards
Head of College
Message from the Head
4 OneºNorth October 2016
Welcome to the
October 2016
issue of the alumni
magazine.
Another academic
year has begun for the
nearly 3,000 students
at Dover and approximately 2,550 at East
Campus, Graduation saw another 500
students across both campuses become
the newest members of the alumni
community, and notably, the five-year
building plan at Dover is now complete!
No more major construction, at least for
the foreseeable future. The alumni office
moved into the new High School Block in
November—we are now much easier to
find. We also have a two-story Heritage
Centre on Dover where we can buy you
a coffee and by January will have one on
East as well.
We’ve met quite a few alumni on
campus in the first week of classes,
settling their own children into the
school. We must do an article on
second-generation alumni and alumni
who are married or partnered with other
alumni. Prepare for a survey!
The UWC Hub, an online networking
platform for alumni of all UWCs, was
launched on UWC Day, 21 September
2016. We hope you have, or will sign
up and take advantage of the news,
events, networking and mentoring
opportunities therein.
We are looking forward to seeing many
of you at upcoming alumni events this
academic year. All the best.
Warm regards,
Brenda Whately
Director of Alumni Relations
Note from the Alumni Office
The new High School Block opened in
November 2015 on the footprint of the
original Languages Block, Small Hall and
Library. It houses the Library, Exams Hall,
Black Box Theatre, Art Gallery, Conference
Centre, University Advising and High
School offices, English, Drama, Admissions
and the Foundation and Alumni Relations
offices. Please do drop by and have a look
next time you are in Singapore.
The Dover Heritage Centre is an informal
meeting place located at a focal meeting
point between the Main Hall, the Tent
Plaza and the High School Block. It
features some old photos of the campus,
some posters of former students and the
original stone tables that used to sit along
the side of the Main Hall. It’s open late
and on weekends, making it a great place
for our community to stop in for a coffee
and snack!
The Tent Plaza received a nice new Tent this
past summer that’s larger and higher than
the previous one and the Plaza floor now
has a flattened surface, making the space
much more usable.
Some physical changes at Dover …
October 2016 OneºNorth 5
My post-National Service experience
By Nitin Natrajan ’13
The time-period between finishing school or National
Service (NS) and starting university can be one of the biggest
unknowns you will ever face. In my situation, I ended up with a
gap of eight months between the completion of my National
Service and the start of university. I had received an enlistment
date of December 2013 and although I then spent two years
proudly working for the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the delay
in enrollment and the two years of NS resulted in my university
entrance being delayed by a solid three years. When my time
in the SPF was coming to an end I was faced with a dilemma—
what am I going to do between December 2015 and the start
of university in August 2016? The university I been admitted to
didn’t have a spring intake for freshman students. I had eight
months of absolute nothingness and I had to make the most
of it. I decided to go crazy and chart out an adventure which
ended up changing my life for the better.
This voyage came in the form of a six-week South American
Adventure. I travelled with two fellow alums from UWCSEA
Class of 2013 who had also just completed their National
Service. These two characters were Ethan Barnes and Vinay
Mitta. Ethan came up with the idea for this trip and when he
pitched it to Vinay and I, we jumped aboard. We ended up
planning a backpacking adventure that would take us through
Bolivia, through the Andes into Peru and along the Pacific
Ocean to Ecuador. From there we would fly to Rio in Brazil and
then home. The trip allowed the three of us to really broaden
our horizon as it was a part of the world that none of us had
ever been to. This was also the best time for us to do it, as once
we are all at university, who knows when we will be able to do
such a trip again.
With a limited knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese under
our belts, we set forth into the unknown with a jam-packed
schedule ahead of us.
On this trip, we visited some truly beautiful places and we
learnt that no matter how many photos you take, they will
never do justice to the beauty that is out there. The trip took us
through all kinds of terrain. We had to be prepared for climates
ranging from desert fun to a desolate nightmare in the form
of a glacier. With 20 kilos worth of clothes (and in my case, an
extra seven kilos of camera equipment) we were ready.
In Bolivia, we got to experience the charm that the people of
the Andes had to offer. We did a wide array of activities ranging
from the salt flats at Salar De Uyuni to riding a bicycle down
the most dangerous road in the world—the ‘Death Road.’
Afterwards, we explored the world’s highest navigable lake,
Lake Titicaca, at the Bolivia-Peru border. In Peru, we got to
experience a wide range of natural landmarks and Incan ruins.
First, we celebrated Christmas in the town of Cusco where we
not only took part in the local celebrations but we invented our
own wintertime drink. The recipe is a closely guarded secret,
but message one of us to find out what’s in this delightful
concoction! After Christmas, we started what I named ‘Andean
hell week’. This was due to what some might call our insane
scheduling. We trekked for four days to Machu Picchu on the
famous Inca trail. Not content with that effort, we decided to
The beautiful prelude to the most dangerous road in the world, in Bolivia.
6 OneºNorth October 2016
take an overnight bus in order to climb a 5,800-metre volcano.
After that, we headed to a beautiful oasis in the desert and
then trundled up north on a 30-hour bus ride that would take
us into Ecuador. In Ecuador, we experienced the adventure
town of Banos, Cayambe (or as we called it, ‘Death Mountain’)
and Quito, one of the world’s first UNESCO Heritage cities.
Why did we call Cayambe, ‘Death Mountain’? All three of
us fell violently sick there and it took us a full three days
just to be able to walk again. Sadly, we explored only a bare
minimum of the city of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
This was mostly due to time constraints, weather, and budget
issues, and we owe it to ourselves to visit these wonderful
places again.
Through the various pitfalls along the way that included a
GoPro being stolen, we learnt some valuable lessons on this
trip. We realised that there will always be places in the world
that can stun you and that Ecuador was the biggest surprise of
all, as we fell in love with all aspects of it. The main lesson from
this trip however, is that you have to work as a team, especially
when the times are hard. You have to swallow your pride during
moments when you disagree and do what is right in order to
ensure you have the most amazing trip ever.
At the end of those six crazy weeks, everything worked out fine
and we came back with a lifetime of stories and a huge desire
to travel more. This past year I have been trying to make the
most of my time. My new mantra is, “Go crazy and say yes to
opportunities that will change your life for the better.”
Our view on New Years Day after summiting 5,800 metres to the
top of a volcano in Peru.
Salt flat shenanigans at Uyuni, Bolivia.
Cycling fun in Bolivia.
October 2016 OneºNorth 7
by Brenda Whately
Some time last year, on a flight to the
UK, fellow alumnus Robert Milton ’78
happened to find himself sitting next to
a man he thought he recognised. The
man was Kling Chong—they had been
boarders together in Senior House at
UWCSEA from 1976 to 1978! Robert
mentioned Kling Chong to us as an
example of someone who has lived
the UWC values throughout his life
and career.
Dr Chong kindly agreed to an interview:
Where are you from, originally?
I was born in a small town in Malaysia
and completed my primary schooling
there before joining UWCSEA as
a boarder.
How long did you board at UWCSEA?
I was a boarder from 1972 through 1979;
first in Lim House and then Sharp House
and Senior House.
Why did your parents wish to send
you to UWCSEA?
For my older brother Wui Kheong,
my sister Su San and myself, it was
the opportunity to complete our
education in an English medium school
whilst retaining most of the cultural
aspects of living in South East Asia.
I don’t think any of us realised at that
time how much greater an impact
our experiences there would have on
our lives.
W.K. ‘Kling’ Chong ’79
Dr Kling Chong is currently one
of only three full-time Paediatric
Neuroradiologists in the UK.
Paediatric neuroradiology is the
investigation of neurological diseases
of the brain and spine in children,
using diagnostic imaging.
Dr Chong attended the University
of Sheffield UK where he received
a degree in Medicine in 1985 as
well as a degree in Medical Physics.
Specialising in Radiology and then
Neuroradiology, he completed his
MD thesis, a higher research degree
that is the medical equivalent of a
PhD, in 1993 on the application of
Quantitative Neuro-MR techniques.
Since then he has worked at the Great
Ormond Street Hospital for Children
in London and has given lectures at
numerous National and International
courses and conferences. With a
number of research papers to his
name, Dr Chong currently conducts
research in the application of
magnetic resonance techniques to the
investigation of brain development,
as well as research into paediatric
stroke, epilepsy and central nervous
system tumours.
An interview with Dr Kling Chong ’79
Paediatric Neuroradiologist and photographer
Can you describe that impact?
These were really the formative years of
my life in terms of exploring the world,
relationships and experiences away from
home. I’m still in contact with several
fellow boarders as life-long friends and
remember very many more with fondness
as family. My fellow boarders were in
essence my family for those years.
The teachers were all fantastic.
Mr Wilkinson, a truly inspirational
Physics teacher and Mr Kerr, Chemistry
and Photography, both significantly
shaped me for my career in Medicine
and then Radiology. Mr Engmann was a
larger than life father figure throughout
those years. So very many others
tried to round me off with a broader
education. I remember them well for the
various lessons in life which I still carry
with me; Mr Butler for Maths, Che’gu
Parwati for Malay, Miss Archer for
English, Mr Burgess for Sports.
The multinational, multicultural
understanding that came from the
privilege of sharing learning and other
experiences with scholars from many
continents, formed the world view
that I have had ever since. We should
all thrive in the richness of diversity. In
many ways, these values have guided my
personal and professional relationships,
my continued travels and also paved the
way for making London my home. It was
the reason why I chose to do my medical
elective in Zambia, Africa.
8 OneºNorth October 2016
What was that like?
It was in the early ’80s and a very good
learning experience to see how to provide
good medical care with limited resources.
I witnessed many young people coming
in to hospital and dying from unexpected
illness. Years later, back in the UK,
I realised that I had witnessed the first
cases of African AIDS.
Soon after starting basic training in
Radiology, I undertook a higher research
degree (the equivalent of a PhD) in MRI.
I applied the MRI technique to investigate
and understand AIDS and its effect on
the brain in the UK population. I continue
to apply what I learned then in my daily
practice and teaching, so you could say
that much of what I do was inspired by
what I saw in Zambia. I also collaborate
with research teams in Kenya and
Vietnam and to analyse scans for them.
I understand that you are an avid
photographer?
Two of the UWCSEA friends that I have
stayed in contact with over the years,
Shahrin Merican and Zain Willoughby,
share with me a common love for
photography, which really developed
whilst at UWCSEA. Zain shared my
passion for Physics and IT. Shahrin,
like me, continued into medical school
and then subspecialised in Radiology.
Perhaps it has something to do with
visual memory, but it is amazing to note
what a large proportion of Radiologists
have photography as a hobby!
Dr Chong has taken up underwater photography
in recent years, which he says gives him the
opportunity to blend his passions for travel,
diving, photography and love of nature.
Playful hawksbill turtle who came to check us out as strange invaders to her home, taken at Papua
New Guinea.
Tiny blennie peeking out from its home in the reef, with huge eyes and long eyelashes, taken at the
Similan Islands, Thailand
The local villagers at Papua New Guinea were also curious about us and a bunch of children came
out to investigate in their dugout canoe, peering at us through the crystal clear waters.
October 2016 OneºNorth 9
UWCSEA alumna Georgia Gray ’11, guest speaker at
the Dover graduation ceremony. A graduate of Oxford
University and a competitive swimmer, Georgia is currently
pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health. Her message to
the Class of 2016 was, “Don’t live someone else’s life. Find
your dream and promise yourself that you’ll never let it go.”
Raphael Bijaoui ’16, Dover graduation speaker
10 OneºNorth October 2016
GRADUATION 2016
Outstanding IB Diploma results of Class of 2016
For further details, please see the UWCSEA website, www.uwcsea.edu.sg
Average points
30.1
Worldwide
36.4
UWCSEA
Students500
Peter Dalglish, guest speaker at the East Campus
graduation ceremony. A graduate of Stanford University
and Dalhousie Law School with three honourary
doctorates, Peter is the founder of Street Kids
International and a leading authority on working children,
street children, and war-affected children.
Blake Bullwinkel ’16, East graduation speaker
October 2016 OneºNorth 11
Pass rate
99%
UWCSEA
80.8%
Worldwide
(2015)
Percentage receiving 40+ points
out of 45
28.4%
UWCSEA
5.1%
Worldwide
(2015)
By Roku Fukui ’07
Nathan Pflaum ’07
Inochi Fukui ’10
When we think of entrepreneurs, we
typically think of tech-savvy individuals
working in large metropolitan cities.
Nathan Pflaum and Inochi Fukui,
however, are a new breed of innovators;
they’ve established a permaculture farm
in rural Bali.
Located in west Ubud, Nathan launched
this venture almost two years ago. After
a stint in the corporate world, he soon
realised he needed to be his own boss
and create something more meaningful.
As a natural leader and manager (he was
the captain of the UWCSEA rugby team)
he began to think seriously about how
he could make material contributions
true to his values. He started by renting
a quarter acre plot of land in Bali, which
sat on an unused rice paddy. Inochi, who
has always gravitated towards ecological
ventures, responded to Nathan’s job
advertisement soliciting farming and
agricultural experience. A year later, the
small farm has goats, Balinese ducks,
local chickens, Balinese heritage black
pigs (a less common breed since being
replaced by a faster growing Australian
pig), as well as an aquaculture system
with fish. They compost, save seeds
and cultivate a variety of fruits and
vegetables ranging from papayas to
ginger and chilies. The underlying
principle of the farm is permaculture;
Adapting Permaculture in Ubud
Top to bottom: Inochi Fukui ’10; Nathan Pflaum ’07; Good Earth Farm, Bali.
the development of agricultural
ecosystems intended to be sustainable
and self-sufficient.
Nathan and Inochi started everything
from scratch. Putting together effective
business processes was as important to
them as the timing of the harvesting of
ripe bananas. The farm, named Good
Earth Farm Bali, also hosts volunteers
and runs education initiatives to
empower others about permaculture
and sustainable ways of living. The
website maintains informative resources
and effective social media. The local
community is consciously involved and
incorporated whenever possible, which
admittedly, is often disconnected from
expats in Bali.
The tropical Indonesian island of Bali,
home to specific cultural practices
found nowhere else, proves to be
an interesting location to apply
permaculture practices. Nathan hopes
the techniques they use are easily
transferred to a larger scale, as well
as to their neighbours, without the
need for extensive training. He aims to
“bring back the diverse variety of crops
that used to be grown in the fields and
backyards of the local Balinese.” In the
same way that Nathan learns from the
locals, he hopes that his volunteers
share this same experience and are
able to “take back some of what they
have learned on the farm and apply it
back home.”
12 OneºNorth October 2016
Nathan talks thoughtfully about the
corporatisation of the global food
industry and jokes about how he
should have paid more attention in
his GCSE science classes at UWCSEA
when learning about the relationship
of planting in specific soil acidities.
No longer students, the two are often
barefoot and shirtless, though they
dismiss any labels of being hippies.
Hippies, they say, don’t sweat as much
as they do.
The two men acknowledge the fact
that UWCSEA provided them with a
world-class education and their current
paths in life are atypical. However,
they maintain the critical thinking
learnt at UWCSEA and remind me that
along with peace, working towards
“a sustainable future” is a pillar of
UWC’s mission. Their interpretation of
sustainability is very much literal.
Inochi says the farm differs from most
permaculture initiatives because they
are intentional in making farming
scalable and easily accessible. He
believes “organic” food has become a
modern fad and is mindful of avoiding
the trendy and fashionable side of
current farming. Decisions are based
on ethical and egalitarian forms of
consumption. He wants to incorporate
more teaching into the farm and hopes
to empower the local community to
take on more permaculture practices.
They distribute some of their harvest to
Roku Fukui ’07 received a B.A.
in International Development
from Vassar College and a M.A.
in International Economics and
International Relations from Johns
Hopkins University School of
Advanced International Studies
(SAIS). He now works for the World
Bank in Washington D.C.
the neighbouring rice farmers and aspire
to see more biodiversity in Bali’s crops.
Nathan and Inochi also innovate. They
experiment with environmentally
conscious designs and are constantly
attempting to better their farming
processes. Their latest undertakings
include a natural water filtration system,
a seed bank and a farming cooperative
within Bali. This year they also started
milking their goats and experimenting
with teas. Inochi wanted geese, but
in their community, only priests are
allowed to own geese.
Both Nathan and Inochi are learning
Indonesian. Nathan took Malay at IB,
which is helpful, if he could remember it.
He is conscious of his surroundings and
says the best part of his job, other than
working in nature, is “immersing myself
in Balinese culture and tapping into the
wealth of knowledge of the community
and the endless experience of the
older generation.”
While many UWC alumni go into
successful careers in finance and
consulting, Nathan and Inochi are breaking
ground (literally and metaphorically) with
their permaculture venture in Ubud. They
are continuously improving their practices,
how they live, and how they relate to their
community and world.
For more information about the Good
Earth Farm Bali, visit the website at:
http://www.goodearthfarmbali.com/
October 2016 OneºNorth 13
By Tejaswini Apte-Rahm ’91
My favourite question in the world is “What If …?” It’s the big, magical question
fiction writers must ask themselves, and it leads to a thousand different stories. These
Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscape is my first collection of short stories, to
be published in December 2016 by Aleph Book Company, India. Many of the stories
are a bit dark and twisty, about different forms of violence, passion, and love. My
characters are tussling with some kind of dilemma or facing a moment of truth, and
often they make choices with the dark part of their minds.
I am inspired by observing people and by reading widely and whimsically. Everything
from literary fiction to a film magazine exposes you to wildly varying ways of seeing,
living and writing. I think it’s important to read beyond your own genre of writing—for
example, if you’re writing short stories or a novel, you should also read screenplays
and poetry.
I’ve found that inspiration is not enough for writing fiction. It needs to be harnessed
to writing techniques and experience which can only be gained over time—and lots
of writing. This often involves throwing away what you’ve laboured over, and starting
again. This is essential for experimenting with creative decisions like, for example,
whether to write in the first person or third person, or finding the most convincing
narrative voice or story arc.
It also helped that throughout my career I’ve been writing in one form or another,
whether as a journalist or environmental researcher and writer, and that I had already
written two non-fiction books.
One of the best decisions I made was to join the Bangkok Women Writers Group
which met every fortnight. Each writer brought along three pages of writing to share.
Discussions were always respectful of each others’ writing, but the comments were
honest, and my stories benefited hugely from being read by fresh eyes. It was also
empowering to hear my writing being analysed by other serious writers, and showed
me that my stories could soon be sent out to publishers.
There is no doubt in my mind that a large part of my creative writing journey started
in UWCSEA. In the classes of Mrs Farmer, Miss Moorhouse, then Mr Farmer and
Mr Millichamp—all memorable teachers of English language and literature—I learned
to think from different perspectives and write in diverse styles. There are classes
that I still remember, even after more than two decades: creating and writing my
own fashion magazine; recreating the style of a famous short story to write my own
nail-biting ending; doing a Freudian reading of Wuthering Heights and a post-colonial
reading of Robinson Crusoe; writing our own original sonnets. I could go on with my
list of the endlessly creative ways in which we approached the English language. Much
of my confidence in getting on with the job of writing fiction surely has its roots in the
mental acrobatics performed so long ago in the English classes at UWCSEA. So deep
down, I knew when I started writing my stories, that I was already in good hands! I’m
now writing a novel, and loving the process of working in a new genre.
These Circuses that Sweep
Through the Landscape
Tejaswini tells us about her creative
writing journey and her first book
of fiction.
When her collection of short
stories, These Circuses that Sweep
Through the Landscape is launched
at the end of 2016 this description
will appear on the book’s cover:
A murderer stands behind his victim
with a hammer, ready to strike—
the culmination of a mind-game
played out over decades. A woman
is trapped in a mall for a year,
unable to find the exit. A servant
girl experiences a cruel loss of
innocence when she eats something
never meant for her. Two couples
are about to play a candlelight
game to find a missing silver bottle-
opener, but what are they really
after? A schoolgirl in Mumbai feels
the ground slipping beneath her
feet, except when she watches Star
Trek. This remarkable collection of
stories is about lives that are never
ordinary—because the people living
them are never quite what they seem.
Funny, dark, richly layered and
emotionally complex, Tejaswini
Apte-Rahm’s debut collection of
fiction excavates human frailties
with a selection of sharp and
blunt instruments.
For more information about
Tejaswini and her writing, visit
www.tejaswiniapterahm.com
14 OneºNorth October 2016
JAXA astronaut, Akihiko Hoshide ’87,
came back to UWCSEA in May 2016.
Over a very full day, he spoke to almost
3,000 students from K1 to Grade 12 on
Dover Campus answering questions about
his career and experiences in space. The
youngest students enjoyed an informal
session with Aki, as he answered their
questions “Can you eat in your space
suit?” and “Where do you land?” He met
separately with a group of Higher Physics
students who had somewhat different
questions. Aki also spoke the following day
at East Campus to a packed auditorium of
students and parents.
Aki has made two trips to the
International Space Station (ISS),
completing three space walks during his
second mission. On his second mission
he took a UWCSEA bandanna which he
hung in the Japanese Kibo Lab at the ISS
and which now hangs in the Alumni Office
at UWCSEA. During a video-link through
NASA between the ISS and Dover Campus
in 2012, Aki gave the students and staff a
tour of the ISS and discussed how his time
at UWCSEA had influenced him and his
career, noting that from space, “I see the
world; I don’t see borders.”
JAXA Astronaut
Akihiko Hoshide ’87 returns to UWCSEA
Cover photo: Aki’s ‘selfie’ taken outside the ISS in 2012. Above and below, Aki speaking to students at UWCSEA in May 2016.
October 2016 OneºNorth 15
By Nicole Yaw ’14
An afternoon with the
Orchestra
This interactive performance
introduced the instrument families
in the orchestra and guided the
audience to listen for the intended
representations and meaning in
the music. The performance was
followed by an animated question
and answer session.
CultuRama
The most valuable aspect of CultuRama
is the learning that students gain
through their efforts to build a unifying
community event. Almost a third of
the High School at East Campus was
involved in one way or another, with
teachers, administrative and facilities
staff supporting, and parents providing
food to be shared. It has become
a tradition that brings us together
while learning to appreciate each
other’s differences.
Senior sports round up
The 2015/2016 academic year marked
the 20th Anniversary of the South East
Asia Student Activities Conference
(SEASAC) and a year of significant
athletic achievement for both the
Dover Phoenix and East Dragons teams.
UWCSEA is a founding member of
SEASAC, and each year senior teams
from both campuses compete in
regional SEASAC sport championship
tournaments, SEASAC Model United
Nations and Arts Festivals. Overall, it
was the most successful year in SEASAC
to date for the East Dragons and in
recent times for the Dover Phoenix.
reThinking Literacy Conference
The inaugural ‘reThinking Literacy
Conference,’ held in April at Dover
Campus in partnership with 21st
Century Learning International, was an
opportunity to engage with what that
evolution might or should look like. It
was a stimulating, enriching experience
for all who attended.
Asian Arts and Culture Week
Focus 2016: Cambodia
In February, East Campus’ Asian Arts and
Culture Week celebrated Cambodia’s
rich history of traditional art forms.
It aimed to deepen understanding
of the culture by providing multiple
perspectives on the arts of Cambodia.
Respect, empathy and connections
were fostered through participation in
activities such as workshops for students
with visiting artists.
Davis scholarships open doors
to better opportunities
In October 2015, American
philanthropists Shelby and Gale Davis
paid a visit to UWCSEA, on their
way to the official opening of UWC
Changshu China. Shelby Davis took
the opportunity to meet our Grade
12 scholars on both campuses, to talk
about his Davis UWC Scholars Program
and why he believes so strongly in the
mission and vision of UWC.
RSIC 2015: A significant step
towards a sustainable future
During a week in October 2015, the
College hosted nearly 1,000 student
and adult delegates from 128 schools
worldwide, for the Round Square
International Conference, with a theme
of ‘Act Today, Change Tomorrow’.
Over five days, delegates discussed
the complexity and challenge of
sustainability in small group sessions
led by UWCSEA students. Keynote
speakers included UWCSEA alumni
Tim Jarvis ’84, Patrick Rouxel ’84 and
Nidhi Kapur ’01.
A sample of life on our campuses during the 2015/2016 academic year.
Year in review
16 OneºNorth October 2016
Artists-in-residence teach the
art of sustainability
Middle School students on East
Campus had the opportunity to explore
issues of sustainability through creative
expression. Thanks to support from the
UWCSEA Annual Fund, two artists-
in-residence spent a week in the Art
Department sharing their passion and
flair for sustainable art forms.
SOS (students of singapore)
campaign against haze
Gauri Shukla, Grade 9 from Dover, says
“I was inspired to look at the deeper
causes of the haze, and my research
made me realise that essentially, we
as consumers are responsible for the
haze, as our demand for products
containing palm oil continues to grow.
I have launched the SOS campaign to
educate people about the causes of
the haze, and help them find ways to
reduce their usage of products from
unsustainable sources.”
A great day out at the Dover
Campus Community Fair
The Community Fair, held on 30
January at Dover Campus, involved
parents, staff, students and alumni and
raised just over $69,000 which will be
split between the Initiative for Peace
and Global Concerns groups.
UN Night
Yes, all of the work is choreographed
by the students; yes, the food is
magnificent; yes, the rehearsals are
often carried out in the funniest of
places; and yes, the final performances
are an extraordinary explosion of
student talent and enthusiasm. This
annual event at Dover Campus is as
fantastic as ever.
Service lunch menu: hospitality,
respect and sustainability
The East Campus service groups
hosted their annual Chinese New
Year luncheon in February. Students
welcomed 150 guests from local
service partners representing some
of the community relationships that
form the backbone of our Local Service
programme, involving student groups
from all grade levels in authentic
service interaction.
Dover Campus
High School Art Exhibition
The theme for the 44th Annual Art
Exhibition was ‘Transformation,’
representing not only the transition of
the annual show from the Main Hall to
the Art Gallery in the new Dover High
School Block, but also the prescribed
theme for the Grade 10 art and
photography mock exam. Many Grade
11 students worked with the theme and
wore their artwork on their heads as
they served canapés to the hundreds of
attendees at the opening night.
To read more UWCSEA news, see eDunia
at www.uwcsea.edu.sg/edunia
October 2016 OneºNorth 17
By Brenda Whately
Pramoad Phornprapha ’85
While chatting with Pramoad at an
alumni get-together in Bangkok recently,
I learned that there were two major
experiences in his life that had a great
impact on him. One was the seven years
he lived at UWCSEA as a boarder from
the age of 11 to 18 and the other was the
three months during which he had lived
as a monk in a forest monastery at the
age of 37. I was intrigued and I asked if I
could call him the following week, to hear
why he had entered the monastery and
in what way the experience had impacted
his life since then. He kindly agreed.
Here is his story:
“With the threat of communism in the
region during the ’70s, and a desire
for me to have a good international
education, my Singaporean mother
and Thai father made the decision to
send me to school in Singapore. They
chose UWCSEA and I moved into the
boarding house in 1978 at the age of 11,
graduating seven years later.
In the ’70s and ’80s, UWCSEA was
not a typical school. I was exposed to
students of many nationalities and their
cultural differences made a profound
impact on me. In those vital years
between 11 and 18, UWCSEA taught
me to be independent and to have
empathy for others. It provided me with
opportunities and flexibility and yet, a
regimen and discipline that didn’t allow
me to go too far astray.
At the same time, having grown up in a
Chinese family I had been taught that to
seek excellence in life, one must strive to
do well at everything—do well at school,
go to the best university, attend the best
graduate school, get the best job, marry
well and, with wealth and fame, live
happily ever after. I soon found out that
life doesn’t work that way.
After leaving UWCSEA, I attended
Northwestern University where I
completed a degree in Electrical
Engineering and worked for Proctor and
Gamble in their sales and marketing
division for two years. I returned to
Northwestern to complete a MBA at
the Kellogg School of Management and
worked at Goldman Sachs during my
summer breaks. I followed this up with a
MPA (Master’s in Public Administration)
from the Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University, got
a great job at BCG (Boston Consulting
Group) and married.
Nine years later, at the end of 2003
during my partnership tenure at BCG,
I entered an early mid-life crisis. I began
to question what it is that really drives
happiness.
I spoke to my wife and with her
support, I left BCG and entered a forest
monastery in Northeastern Thailand.
For three months I lived alone in a
forest hut with no electricity and no
communication with anyone outside.
My days began at 2.30am for morning
meditation and chanting before a
5.30am alms round in the nearest
village, 2.5 kilometres away to which
we walked barefoot to ask for food.
Breakfast was the one and only meal of
the day.
THE PATH TO HAPPINESS
18 OneºNorth October 2016
There was no teaching at the
monastery—we were left alone to
meditate in whatever way worked best
for us; walking, sitting, doing chores. The
idea was to become more mindful of
physical and emotional movements—for
instance, while moving your hand, be
mindful that you are moving your hand.
When you do it often enough, you are
mindful of your emotions as they arise.
The insights and learning I had obtained
during the three-month experience
were primarily from doing chores while
being mindful. One great learning
was from sweeping leaves from a
grass lawn. Being a perfectionist and a
goal-setter, my goal was to sweep the
lawn completely clean of dry leaves.
I was 80% through when a breeze
came and blew the leaves back all
over the lawn. I was instantly annoyed
and then the most amazing thing
happened—I was also instantly mindful
that I was having an “ill-thought” and
suddenly realised that I had led my life
the “wrong way”. My happiness was
so dependent on achieving the goals I
had set but in reality, there are multiple
factors that influence the outcome
of the goal—factors that are beyond
my control. As such, I will forever be
unhappy if my happiness is dependent
on achieving the goals I had set, as I
cannot possibly control everything.
The incident completely changed my
mindset. I still set goals but worry less
about the outcome. I simply live in the
present, do my best and simply “let
go” of the outcome. There is a quote
by Lao-Tzu that I love, reflecting this
learning experience:
If you are depressed, you are living in
the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in
the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in
the present.
Another insightful moment came while
we, as forest monks, were performing
a live cremation ritual for a recently
deceased woman from a nearby
village. Seeing a body being burned is
not a pretty sight. As such, I used the
opportunity to meditate on death by
contemplating what it would mean
to me if the body being cremated was
someone I loved. I had always taken
for granted that people around me
(including myself) will die old, but it is
simply not true. Anyone could die at any
time. I realised that it is important to
make every second count so that there
are no regrets and no emotional debts
left to be cleared.
Those three months changed my life
fundamentally and what I learned
has stuck with me ever since. The
biggest impact has been mindfulness
and learning to “let-go”. When things
happen that would upset me, I find it
easier to let it go, free my mind and find
inner peace. I am now driven by what
truly gives me happiness—the quality of
my relationships with my loved ones.”
I thank Pramoad for sharing his inspiring
life journey.
IN A FOREST MONASTERY
October 2016 OneºNorth 19
20 OneºNorth October 2016