Download - CTC Summer Magazine
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(FRONT COVER) CTC Student MagazineCTC Student MagazineCTC Student Magazine SSSUMMERUMMERUMMER 201220122012
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CONTENTS
PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD ························································ 3
GO APE! ········································································ 4
WORLD BOOK DAY ······························································ 5
INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN KON ··················································· 6
NATURE’S PREDATOR···························································· 7
I TOOK AN ARROW TO THE KNEE ··············································· 8
A LABOUR OF LOVE: TEACHING ·············································· 10
CAMBRIDGE INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE ····································· 11, 17
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD ············································ 12
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES ························································ 14
A VISIT TO THE LONDON EYE ················································· 16
TALK WITH THAIS ····························································· 18
FOOTBALL FUNDRAISING ······················································ 21
MUSIC, INC: MAKING NOISE WITH A DIFFERENCE ····························· 22
INFORMAL CONCERT ·························································· 24
HOBBIES AND TALENTS; TRADITIONAL DANCING FROM AROUND THE WORLD 25
LEAVERS’ PHOTOS ···························································· 26
3
I t is hard to believe that we are moving towards the end of
another academic year at CTC. It only seems like yesterday
(and certainly not last summer!) that I wrote an article for
the College Magazine in which I paid tribute to CTC’s founder
Principal, Roger Osborne, and to his dream of creating this great
place of learning of ours. If anything, the past year has again
demonstrated just how committed and determined we are at
CTC are to the continued pursuit of academic excellence. I was
reminded of this in March when I attended the annual awards
ceremony at the House of Lords for students who sat A level and
GCSE examinations at colleges belonging to CIFE (the Council for
Independent Education) in 2011. Around 20 independent schools
and colleges belong to CIFE so if I tell you that a quarter of the
academic prizes awarded that day went to CTC students you will
appreciate how proud and privileged I felt to be present. Such awards serve as a reminder not only
of the dedication and efforts of our students and staff, but also of just how much can be achieved
through the pursuit of one’s academic goals and ambitions. With this in mind, I wish all CTC
students a very successful examination period and look forward to celebrating your achievements
with you later this summer. As for this latest edition of the College Magazine, I would like to
congratulate everybody involved in it and to thank them for emphasising that for all our focus on
studying and sitting examinations we also enjoy being part of a close-knit, friendly and
international community. I have been fortunate this year to visit, on behalf of the College,
countries as diverse as China, Latvia, Cambodia, Estonia and Vietnam and in each of them I was
made aware of the high regard in which CTC is held by parents, students and alumni and,
specifically, of how great that sense of community and integration is valued. It is a very special
feature of daily life at the College and one which we must always work hard to maintain.
Well done to the Magazine team and best wishes to all for the summer!
Mario Di Clemente
Principal
PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD
4
T hey say that the best way to overcome
your fear is to face it. Strangely enough it
is true…
The decision to join the activity was more than
spontaneous. I did not even bother to find out
what it really was, that activity with such a fancy
name. I was simply attracted by a colourful poster
stuck on the B52 door and encouraged by an
enthusiastic invitation from Mr. Torres. That’s it.
Only God knew what kind of adventure was
actually waiting for us.
There were 12 of us which is quite impressive for
a 10 a.m. Saturday morning event. Luckily, the
destination was quite far away, so we managed to
sleep an extra 2 hours with the quiet music of the
morning radio. The college van stopped at a
remote location and everything started from then
on.
Thick ropes, safety belts, a pretty instructor
explaining how to work with equipment, Mr.
Torres walking around and taking photos, terrible
screams far away - that was my very first
impression of the place. I was not particularly
scared until we had to have a go.
I promise that I have never experienced anything
like that before. I cannot estimate the actual
height at which we had to overcome the
obstacles, but people down there seemed to be
no bigger than ants. My heart was beating so fast
that sometimes I thought I could not control my
movements. I must admit that I have a sort of
height phobia, but the most terrible thing is that
there was no way to go back: you must either
keep going or - keep going. We had to pass over
the long suspension bridges made from wooden
boards situated at a certain distance from each
other. And the golden rule was, “ Always stay
attached” if you don’t want to fall down and end
your life’s journey in such a pathetic way.
The most frightening moment, I remember, was
when we had to jump and slide towards a huge
By Quynh Chi Le (Kate)
GO APE!
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net. That was a split second when I started to
think of my family, my friends and that’s when 18
years of my life just flashed in front of my eyes so
quickly - as if everything which had happened to
me before became no longer important, apart
from the dearest people whom I love. It was
freakingly scary yet breathtaking, unbelievably
dizzy, yet unforgettable. I cannot find better
words to describe my feelings. I felt proud. Proud
that I could surprise myself, face the fear and
win!
In summary, every article conveys a message to
readers and this one is not an exception. The
moral is: opportunity knocks only once, so when
you are young grab every single available
opportunity to try and discover something new.
Listen to Mr. Torres. He knows what he’s doing!
World Book Day
World Book Day originated in Catalonia. People would
give gifts of books and roses to each other. This
tradition began 80 years ago. The day is now
observed in approximately 30 countries across the
world, although interestingly not on the same day in
every country.
To celebrate this event a book bring and buy sale was
held in the library on March 1st.
Students and staff kindly donated books which were
then sold to eager customers.
The book sale along with a quiz made a grand total
of £92.10p. These proceeds were sent to Book Aid
International. The organisation uses the money to
distribute books in developing countries. This is
done to help promote literacy by creating reading
and learning opportunities for disadvantaged
children, in order to help them realise their potential
and eradicate poverty.
6
By Sara Akhavan
INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN KON
When were you at CTC?
I came to CTC in the cold, wintry month of
December 1975 to do my ‘A’ Level course which I
successfully completed in June 1976. I left
Croydon to pursue my tertiary education at the
University of Essex in September 1976.
Where and what is your occupation now?
I am a Managing Director of a Logistics Company
in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
How did it feel being one of the earlier batches
of Malaysian students in CTC?
I was the second batch of Malaysian students to
study in CTC. There were less than 10 Malaysian
students studying at CTC during my time. As we
were far away from home, we became a closely-
knit group. Later, we began to make new friends
with the English students and many other students
from Luxembourg, Japan, Nigeria, Thailand, Hong
Kong, Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia. This gave us a
very good exposure as CTC is like a mini ‘United
Nations’ with students coming from all over the
world.
How was Croydon in the 1970’s and what are
the biggest changes you think it has made?
I remember Croydon was a very beautiful town
with many green parks, wonderful shops at the
Whitgift Centre and restaurants in the mid 1970’s.
Today, the population is probably much more
cosmopolitan with many more departmental
stores, shops, a wide choice of restaurants, office
towers and luxury apartments. I also noticed CTC
has grown by leaps and bounds with new premises
being added to the original building, a well-
stocked library, up-to-date computer facilities,
cyber café, increased student numbers and a very
international student body.
In September 2011, I was travelling from London
to Brighton by train which had a brief stopover at
East Croydon Station - I found the First Capital
Connect train to be very clean and comfortable
compared to British Rail in the 1970’s. The skyline
in Croydon has definitely been transformed for
the better. As Croydon is just south of London, I
learnt that many foreign companies are locating
their offices there too.
What was the first thing you thought to
yourself, when you arrived in Croydon?
Culture shock came to my mind as everything
looked so different from home. The weather was
very cold which was a complete contrast to our
warm, tropical climate of a perpetual summer.
The food was bland but I told myself that I had to
adapt my taste buds and learn to appreciate
British food, otherwise, I would go hungry.
How did you cope with the difficulties you
faced?
As I joined CTC in December, I was not used to
the cold weather. I went to shop for a long duffle
coat at the Millet Store along the High Street in
preparation for the cold winter. I never knew the
Millet Store is a chainstore with fixed prices; I
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asked the Shop Assistant for a discount on the
duffle coat. On sensing that I was a new comer to
Britain, he was so kind as to reduce his price
without hesitation. Fearing that I would get
‘frostbite’, he then recommended that I should
consider buying a pair of leather gloves. I whole-
heartedly concurred with him and more discount
followed of course. I acclimatised to the cold
weather very quickly and soon I enjoyed the crisp,
cold air when I walked to school every morning.
I was very fortunate to stay with a wonderful
British family (The Dabins) in Thornton Heath who
exposed me to British food and the way of life.
They were so eager to learn from me to cook
fluffy rice and chicken curry which worked out to
be mutually beneficial. I had so many English tea
breaks with the host family that I lost count of
them.
Another advantage of living with a British family is
that I was forced to communicate in English and
this consequently helped me to improve my
English. The British are very warm and helpful
people but one would have to initiate the first
move.
What did you enjoy most throughout your stay?
I enjoyed the highly diverse student population
drawn from so many countries which gave CTC a
very cosmopolitan environment.
The friendships I had developed in CTC, with the
local host family and the wider community are
remarkable and unique experiences.
The people I met from different geographical and
cultural backgrounds helped me to be more
sensitive, adaptable and accommodating than
ever before. Eventually, I even developed a
great liking for British food such as roast beef and
Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, full English
Breakfast, Brussel sprouts, Cornish pasties, and
the British pub culture.
What do you miss most about CTC?
I miss the friendly and dedicated lecturers/tutors
who are really passionate about their areas of
expertise. They made learning very easy and
interesting. The CTC staff are always very
supportive, approachable and ever willing to
assist the students to attain academic success.
Nature’s Predator
We are not your prey,
Yet you feed off us
Without us you could not live,
Yet you bleed us dry
It was once our planet,
Now you claim it’s all yours
We grew tall to protect you
Now we fall to serve you
We gave you oxygen, peace, serenity and beauty
You want gold, oil and space for monstrosity
Far away, where it can’t hurt you
Us – we barely matter
Do human eyes see not our beauty?
Are we futile to human brain?
Is human heart so cold and selfish-
To bring us all this pain?
Slay us
Feast off our dead beauty
Drag our carcases to your butcher’s shop
My innards line your table-top
And we beg you please to stop
As you chop, chop, chop
Severing bottom from the top
As we drop, drop, drop
Emily Walker
My poem was inspired by the fact that the
Brazilian government is planning to build the
world’s third largest hydroelectric project in the
heart of the Amazon rainforest. The Belo Monte
Dam would divert the flow of the Xingu River and
devastate a huge area of the rainforest,
displacing over 20,000 indigenous peoples and
threatening the survival of many of the world’s
rarest animals.
I urge you to sign the petition to stop construction
of The Belo Monte Dam (http://www.avaaz.org/
en/amazon_under_threat/)
8
T he phrase ‘I took an arrow in the knee’
became very popular on the internet
particularly around the end of the year
2011 when it was used intensively on web sites
like YouTube and Facebook. The phrase is a good
example of what is called ‘internet meme’ or just
‘meme’.
What is an Internet meme?
According to Wikipedia, an internet meme is used
to describe a concept or idea that spreads via the
Internet which might be in the forms of hyperlink,
video, picture, website, or just a word or phrase.
Internet memes usually come from social
interaction or situations people find themselves in
(a socially awkward moment). Many are also from
video games such as the ‘arrow in the knee’ as
mentioned at first.
The main purpose of internet memes is fun. When
people see a meme, they simply find it amusing in
some way and then share it with their friends.
With the internet, millions of people can perceive
a meme almost instantly.
Memes from games
In this article, we will focus on a few memes
whose origins are video games.
The first and notable one is the ‘arrow in the
knee’. The full phrase is ‘I used to be an
adventurer like you; then I took an arrow in the
knee’ frequently spoken by city guards in the
game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The meme is used
to provide a silly excuse; for example,’ I used to
wake up early in the morning and then I took an
arrow to the knee’ said a tardy student.
In another game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2, Private J Ramirez, who is one of the playable
characters, has been given orders consistently (a
total of 56 scripted times, usually by Sgt. Foley –
Callofduty.wiki.com) to take amazing, impossible
actions against the enemy, and is always
successful. This created a new meme called
‘RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING!’ used when asking
someone to complete super-difficult tasks.
Similar to the Ramirez phrase, ‘Do a barrel roll!’
from Star Fox 64 is uttered by the protagonist’s
pilot companion on an annoyingly regular basis in
order to avoid instant death. The amusing
application is that whatever difficulty you
By Yodsapon Chirawut (Ton)
I TOOK AN ARROW IN THE KNEE
Meme ‘RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING!’ Source: knowyourmeme.com/memes/ramirez-do-everything
A city guard in the game ‘Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ Source: knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-took-an-arrow-in-the-knee
9
encounter in life’ take the advice, ‘Do a barrel
roll!’ with no explanation and go through it.
AYB stands for ‘All Your Base’ which is a
shortened version of ‘All your bases belong to
us’. This phrase first appeared on the game
Zero Wing. Such a phrase is a good example of
poor translation from Japanese to English as the
proper phrase should be ‘All your bases have
been taken over by us’. It is particularly used by
strategic gamers to announce complete victory
over opponents.
Even a well-known legendary video game, Super
Mario Bros, is the origin of an internet meme.
After a player has controlled Mario struggling
through strange mushrooms and beating what is
seemed to be a final boss, he is simply told by a
little guy, Toad, ‘Thank you Mario, but our
princess is in another castle’ and so he has to
tackle those painstaking tasks again at a harder
level. An anti-climatic situation is therefore
described using the phrase.
Two sides of the same coin
Of course all internet memes are hilarious and a
bit odd for one who finds them for the first
time. The memes from recent games,
particularly Skyrim (An arrow in the knee) not
only became popular among internet users, but
does stir up opposition. Fans of the video games
on which the memes are based are getting
frustrated, seeing non-fans who have no idea
what the games are, but use the memes. Also
many people think that the phrases are overused
and become clichés, losing their inherent comic
value, after they have seen hundreds of
comments on YouTube or Facebook saying
something ended with ‘I took an arrow in the
knee’.
Even internet memes which have the main
purpose to make people happy can have an
adverse effect after being intensively used. Too
much of a good thing, then taking an arrow in
the knee, can be a bad thing!
A variant of the meme ‘Do a barrel roll!’ Source: weknowmemes.com/2011/11/do-a-barrel-roll-meme
Introduction sequence of Zero Wing - origin of the meme ‘All your base are belong to us.’ Source: www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/gallery-e6frfrt9-1225952207992?page=3
A meme that expresses a view on the joke ‘Arrow in the knee’ Source: memegenerator.net
10
T EACHING. A field few others dare to
step into. A task no one wants to take
on. Fear and resentment abound. These
general sentiments make the teaching
profession sound like the latest horror flick at
the local cinemas...but in reality, without
teaching, where would YOU be now? Yes YOU,
you spoilt, pampered brat who feels that
everything else is beneath you, including those
who "attempt" to get you to learn something.
You resist. You rebel. But hey, in the end, you
still learn something. No matter how much you
try to deny it, secretly you know that without
teaching, where would you be today? In fact,
where would you be in 10 years from now?
This is the harsh reality of the teaching
profession at times. In a time when the
computer is deemed more important than the
book, the so-called “combat” against education
has reached new heights. Where studying was
once seen as being the key to success,
nowadays it is but a byword for being old-
fashioned and outdated. This is a time, when, in
order to be "cool", studying is a big no-no.
Troubled times indeed, I’d dare say. The thing
is, WE HAVE NO ONE BUT OURSELVES TO
BLAME. In fact, teaching today is a world full of
pitfalls and challenges hidden from the average
student, parent and anyone else who has ever
seen fit to complain about this noble profession.
A product of the Malaysian state education
system, I have been brought up in a generation
where the well to do outnumber the poverty-
stricken. In my neighbourhood, people attend
school not because they have an overwhelming
desire to be educated, but because education is
compulsory. Indeed, many back home wonder
why they even have to go through this entire
education rigmarole, when obviously they
already have many useful talents that can be
put to work right away. Perhaps even some of
you may have been guilty of doing so once upon
a time in your life.
It is through these varying and sometimes
strange circumstances that teachers find
themselves working, trying valiantly to impart
some knowledge into our minds. A "noble
profession" you say? Everyone can teach! The
word "teach" is defined in the Oxford English
Dictionary as "to impart knowledge or instruct
in how to do something, especially in a school
as a part of a recognized program". Then again,
would you willingly spend 8 hours in the same
place, everyday teaching your dog how to "go"
outside instead of indoors? WOULD you even
have the perseverance to do so? Research shows
that 98 % of adults will only persevere on
average a maximum of 40 minutes on a given
task. If they do not achieve it by then, then
they give up. Easy. Simple. No fuss and no
mess. Just like that.
Then, in that case, who are teachers then, if
not that meagre 2 % bringing up the rear?
Teachers stay in school for 6 hours minimum
working to impart some semblance of
knowledge into our underdeveloped minds, in
addition to having to deal with your fickle
problems day after day. Got a problem? No
worries. A teacher can help you with that. Need
help with that essay? A teacher is practically "at
your service" if you ask. It is these qualities that
make teachers extraordinary people in their
own right.
Who would spend their days trying to teach
others and not getting anything from it? At the
end of the day, most teachers get tired from
their hard work (except their pay-check at the
end of the month... but that's another story). In
fact, their only "gain" from teaching is the
satisfaction of seeing their students do well.
By Bryan Thor
A LABOUR OF LOVE: TEACHING
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You did well? That's great. Give yourself a pat on the back. This simple conversation would mean
the world to them as it proves that their perseverance has paid off. They have transformed a
person's life.
Teaching is not one of those things that you just take on because you feel like doing so. It
wouldn't work. Trust me. Where is your drive? Your passion? Your enthusiasm? These elements
don't just drop out of the sky and hit you on the head, you know. They are inborn within those
who have practically been "born to teach". They knew from young that teaching was what they
wanted to do and a teacher is who they wanted to be.
Therefore, I believe a true salute is in order for those who have made it their life's work to teach
others. Those who have made it their noble cause to help the young and who felt their life was
better spent helping others. In juggling work, personal problems these people are the ones that
we should salute. Not just salute, but reward with a standing ovation, even!
To me, teaching is indeed, the true labour of love.
My Cambridge Interview Experience
One of the reasons I chose to go to Trinity instead
of, say, Kings or Emmanuel College, was the
IELTS. Trinity was the only college that said they
would probably still accept me with my 6.0 in
IELTS Writing (which I really did not feel like re-
sitting).
I chose not to stay at Trinity College overnight, so
I arrived to Cambridge somewhere around 13:30 -
two hours before my scheduled interview time. I
took that time to perform some reconnaissance
and actually find Trinity (while getting lost a bit
and finding what seemed to be every tourist
attraction in Cambridge except for the actual
college in the process). Finally, I arrived where I
needed to be, registered and was led into a room
where I sat a short (one hour) test paper with
about ten maths and computer science questions
in it - quite difficult ones at that - I only managed
to finish 2 questions and attempted another two. I
was then told to put my script into an envelope
and take it with me to the actual interview.
I had read many strange things about Oxbridge
interviews beforehand and was prepared to
answer tons of questions like "Why do you want to
study here?" or "What are your weaknesses?" or
even, "If you could choose to become a Pokemon,
which one would you be?". I also carefully read
through my personal statement because I was sure
they would ask me a question or two about that at
the interview.
None of that actually happened. The interviewers
asked me to show them how I solved the two
questions I finished, which I did. Then, together,
we managed to finish one of the questions that I
started and to do two questions that I did not
attempt. At one point, I suddenly realised that I
had no idea what they wanted me to do and could
not grasp it until they explicitly told me what
steps to take. Then I accidentally claimed that
four cubed is sixteen (which it, by the way, is
not). This made me feel that the interviewers had
started to think inviting me to the interview was,
actually, a really bad idea. We finished by
chatting briefly about the topics of their research
and the bandwidth limits at Trinity. Then we
shook hands and I left. Just as usually happens
with these things, the interview felt as if it had
been ten minutes long, while, in fact, I had spent
half an hour there.
I received the College's decision a month after
that, on January 5th and, apparently, they will be
quite happy to see me again in October. Let's
hope I don't get lost this time!
Artjoms Iskovs
12
Before the Expedition
The Duke of Edinburgh expedition of 2012 took
place on 20th and 27th April, the weekends
following Easter. On the days before the
expedition there were mixed feelings of
excitement and horror resulting from the bad
weather and the disturbing stories the previous
group had told us. We prepared our equipment as
well as possible, but the one thing we hoped for
was good weather for those weekends!
The Expedition
We set off from the school on Friday afternoon
and arrived at Blackland Farm in approximate 3
hours. We started to pitch our tents and had to
finish before the rain. This was not difficult work
because we assisted each other. It rained
throughout the night; I felt that the temperature
outside must be below zero. The sleeping bags
and mats were not warm enough and most of us
remained awake during the night.
The real trek was on Saturday. We got up early in
the morning with a layer of condensation on the
tent wall. It was tough getting out of our warm
sleeping bags to be immediately exposed to the
cold. We set off up the hill in three small groups
after breakfast. There was tension in the group
right from the outset as we couldn’t agree on a
suitable pace and some of the group wanted more
breaks while others wanted to continue. However,
as the trek went on, we all gradually wanted
more rests. Unfortunately, we realized we were
lost and it started raining at the same time. We
soon called our tutors and got useful instructions
from them. It turned out we had taken a wrong
turn but with our group instinct and superb map
reading skills, we found our way again. I’ve never
been so relieved in my life than when I saw the
open field that led to the campsite. We were the
last group to arrive as we dragged off our now
heavy rucksacks onto the grass and let out a great
sigh of relief. By the way, the barbecue that night
was fantastic!
This expedition only lasted 3 days and 2 nights
and it was the last trek for some of us. Although it
was tiring, to be honest, it was great fun and an
unforgettable experience.
By Lingqun Jiang
(Sarah)
THE DUKE
OF
EDINBURGH
AWARD
13
The Aftermath
An endless list of the advantages of the Duke of Edinburgh Award could be compiled and it really is
true that participation helps to broaden your horizons. We are lucky to have such good leaders, Mr
Torres and Mr Nicklin: thank you so much for your patience and help. The expedition will remain with
me as an experience that was not only a highlight of the award, but also of my schooling and life too.
If you plan to start the Award, all I can say is, ‘GO FOR IT!’
14
15
16
Cambridge Tutors College had a visit to the
magnificent London Eye on the 28th January
2012. Apparently, this trip was an applauding
success as most of the students described it as an
incredible and remarkable trip. In fact, lots of
the students expressed their heartfelt gratitude
to the college for organizing an event that
enables students to strengthen the bond between
each other as well as an opportunity to have a
bird’s eye view of the entire City of London.
This trip was led by Mr Cook and there were
approximately 15 students who took part. Indeed,
there were a few comments from students about
this particular trip. Yu Yang and Kimberly from
the AS level both said that this trip had enabled
them to view the beautiful vistas of the city.
They were both satisfied with the arrangement of
the trip.
After the fascinating London Eye, students had
visited the River Thames. These students were
divided into a few groups so that most of them
were able to experience the awe-inspiring river in
an organized way. One of the students had
expressed his opinion that the River Thames
enabled him to understand the significance of the
river to the city as it acts as a natural centre
point to the City of London.
Throughout the trips, lots of students had learnt
the importance of knowing how to enjoy the
beauty of nature amid striving for success in their
life. A number of them were glad that the
college had arranged such a wonderful trip for
them because this trip had not only assisted them
to comprehend the importance of the River
Thames to the people of London but it also
enabled them to enjoy lots of breath-taking
scenery along the riverbank.
Finally students had indeed enjoyed the fine and
memorable moments in the London Eye trip. I am
sure that they will treasure these moments deep
in their heart.
By Hu Zhi Xiong (Lenard)
A VISIT TO THE LONDON EYE
17
My Cambridge Interview Experience
I am Julie Nguyen, recently admitted to Homerton
College, Cambridge to read Economics. I will go
straight to the point about my interview
experience. By the way, if you intend to apply to
Oxbridge, these two universities have many
colleges, so you have to choose a college in the
system as well or you can simply choose “Open
application” in your UCAS application.
I chose Homerton College, frankly, on a random
basis. But I think I made the right choice. The
college not only offered me accommodation the
night before the interview, but they also had a
very helpful team to show you around and help
you along the way. Some colleges, as far as I
know, do not have the same facilities. So if you
can, it would be advisable to arrive a day early
and try experiencing college life.
Coming to the interview, contrary to popular
beliefs, you do not have to be an expert in your
field. One of my interviewers was the college
Principal, and she is an archaeologist! In my
opinion, they want to test your critical thinking
skills, more than your knowledge. But it would be
useful to read the news and be aware of what’s
going on in your field, (I was asked about the
Eurozone crisis and government bonds). Also know
your personal statement well.
Lastly, relax! Some of my friends did not seem to
have a pleasant interview experience but I was
lucky to have enjoyed my time. I met and chatted
with other interviewees, with the canteen caterer
and with other people I ran into, which was a
valuable experience. During the interview, you
will be nervous (anyone would), but try to think
clearly and focus on the question. Be sure to
prepare some questions for the end of the
interview as they may ask if you have any. Show
your interest and enthusiasm for your subject and
the college.
Good luck!
Julie Nguyen
London and the Houses of Parliament as seen from the London Eye
18
By Yodsapon Chirawut (Ton)
TALK WITH THAIS
I am pleased to interview Khemmathin
Lueangwattanapong, an A2 Thai student at
Cambridge Tutors College, about his home
country, Thailand, at the centre of the Indochina
peninsula in Southeast Asia and famous for a
number of tourist destinations, including
Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.
Can you please introduce yourself first?
My name is Khemmathin Lueangwattanapong.
You can call me Martin. I am an A2 student at
Cambridge Tutors College.
First of all, could you describe Thai culture in
general?
Well… 95% of the Thai population is Buddhist.
Traditional Thais are close to a Buddhist temple
which is seen as the centre of a community. Most
festivals feature Buddhism, along with
entertainment which is the main characteristic of
Thai people.
Songkran at a Thai temple The throwing of water
Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Temple of the Dawn near Chao Phraya
River, Bangkok
19
The notable example is the water festival or
Songkran on 13rd to 15th April which marks the
Thai New Year. People visit a temple to gain
merit in the morning and later throw water to
each other. It is believed that water will wash
away bad luck.
In the past, the rich liked to have a temple
constructed in their names to express their faith
in the religion and show their prosperity. This
resulted in several temples clustered in the same
areas in Bangkok and the old capital, Ayutthaya.
How are people’s lives nowadays?
Today Thai people are less associated with
temples. Modernity has changed the face of
Thailand and many traditions have adapted to
new lifestyles. The most apparent is Bangkok,
one of the most hectic cities in the world and
also the economic centre of Thailand. There are
many shopping areas such as Siam Square, MBK
centre, Ratchaprasong district and Sukhumvit
Road linked by Sky Bridge which attract a wide
range of customers from young school and
college students to office workers and foreign
Ruins of Chaiwatthanaram temple,
Ayutthaya
Interior of Central World, Bangkok
Pratunam Market which is famously popular for its fashion factory outlets, Bangkok
Bangkok skyline
Display of respect of the younger towards the older is a Thai cornerstone value.
20
tourists.
Although there have been changes in Thai
society, many interesting cultures still exist.
There is the custom of bun khun, which stresses
the indebtedness towards parents, as well as
towards guardians, teachers and carers. This
reflects the level of the wai or Thai salutation.
Similarly to other Asian nations, rice is a staple
food of Thai cuisine which is eaten along with
other shared dishes in each meal. Thai cuisine is
well known for the spiciness which is lowered
when it is cooked for foreign visitors who are not
familiar with Thai food. Popular Thai dishes
include Tom Yum Soup and Thai papaya salad.
This is the end of our session, ‘Talk with
Thais’, in this magazine. Thank you for letting
me interview you, Martin. I wish you luck for
your education in the UK.
Thailand is a fascinating country with a number
of interesting cultural and tourist attractions
which cannot be included in only a few pages.
So, on the next holiday, I recommend everyone
visit Thailand and learn the unique
characteristics at first-hand.
Ronald McDonald greets with a wai in Thailand.
Tom Yum Soup
Shared meal Thai style
Papaya salad
21
By Yili Chen & Nan Yang
FOOTBALL FUNDRAISING
A s we all know, there are a lot of activities
we must attend to do the DofE Award,
including expeditions and raising money
by selling doughnuts for charity. But this time we
had a new activity which is football fundraising.
On 24th of March, many students went to Monks
Hill Sports Centre to play football. All of the boys
and girls were divided into eight groups and they
had their own pitches to play on. After the
competition lasting the whole morning, the
winners had emerged. All of us had a great time
that morning because we felt so happy to think
we had helped children by carrying out this
activity.
And we were glad to have an interview with Mr
Torres who was the leader of the Duke of
Edinburgh scheme for that morning. In the past,
he has often organized activities like parties or
selling doughnuts to raise money for charity. The
football game was also a good chance for students
to help society and develop relationships
between themselves and have a better
understanding of each other, even if they are
from different countries with different cultures.
It is an opportunity to practice their team work.
So everyone there who attended the game and
also Mr Torres enjoyed themselves. The players
tried their best to compete with others until the
last whistle although some of them did not win a
game. Some further ideas for raising money for
charity next time could be a basketball or
badminton game to make the fundraising even
more interesting. All of the members of DofE are
looking forward to it and hope everyone in our
college can take part and have fun with us.
Finally, we had a good time with Mr Torres and
after interviewing him, we all had a deeper
appreciation of this football fundraising activity.
Anyway, we would like to take this opportunity to
thank everyone from Cambridge Tutors College
for donating a fantastic £235.97 to Save the
Children which is for helping youngsters all over
the world who are homeless and suffer from
hunger. This represents our love for them by
working hard the whole morning, even if we did
not raise a huge amount!
22
I once wondered: “What does it mean to be a
part of a company? How hard can it be to
come up with a product and to make money
by selling it?” That was in the days before I joined
the “Young Enterprise” scheme in September
2011. Since then all my expectations of being in a
business and knowledge about business have
been altered and improved but it did not come
easy!
It all started on a sunny September evening when
I and some other students from CTC went to a
meeting in Croydon Conference Centre. There
were hundreds of students there, but I could not
recognise anyone. Everyone was from other
schools from different parts of Croydon – like
Trinity, Coloma, Whitgift – and we, compared to
them, were like a drop in the ocean.
The meeting itself began with lessons learned
from company members from last year’s Young
Enterprise Company who, luckily, are now a Ltd.
company selling pens with perfume bottles built
into them. That really lifted everyone’s spirits.
Everyone thought, “I also want to be like those
guys – found a company and sell my products for
profit.” During that meeting everyone in the
Conference Centre was arranged in their groups
(later known as “companies”). My first impression
of my group was good – intelligent individuals
from different schools (including Star (Hanyang
Ge) and Cindy (Khouw ) from CTC) with the
inspiration to go ahead and to do whatever it
might take to win.
Then we had our first meeting in Nestlé
headquarters and decided on our company name.
It was a choice between two – Cliché and Colours
Inc. (my idea). We chose Colours Inc. based on
mine and another, Trinity student’s, idea. We felt
that “the name represents our diversity in ideas,
By Edgars “Eddy” Kronbergs
MUSIC INC.: MAKING NOISE WITH A DIFFERENCE
23
backgrounds and roles in the company, like
colours in a rainbow”. Also, in our second
meeting, we were assigned our roles: Hanyang got
the role of Sales Deputy , Cindy – deputy of
Administration and I got the role of Human
Resources Manager. At the beginning I was a bit
disappointed because I thought that the role was
like the one portrayed in the U.S. version of “The
Office” – a nerdy guy who is bullied and laughed
at by his boss, but as the process picked up, I
enjoyed my role more and more.
Now we had the toughest test - to come up with
a product to sell. We went through many ideas –
Snapback hats, “toothbrush & mouthwash” (2in1),
speaker pillows, a phone application with a
healthy dish cookery book – but none of them
went through. This was due to many reasons.
Mainly people’s enthusiasm declined because we
did not have a product to sell and the scheme was
not going the way they had expected. Therefore
there were a lot of absences that I had to address
and I had to motivate people to keep up and to
keep pushing because the end result would be
very pleasing. Secondly we were let down by our
ideas – they were either too expensive, too
complicated to develop and manufacture or there
were a lot of arguments against each product
which people put forward.
But then, out of the blue, our Managing Director,
Havish Patel from Trinity School had a eureka
moment. He said, “Guys, if we are musical and
we know a lot about popular trends in music and
listening to music, why don’t we sell speakers?
Not any ordinary speakers, but the kind of
speakers you cannot find on the High Street.”
Everyone supported this idea and we chose four
kinds of speakers to sell – Mini Ball speakers (small
pocket speakers), Boombox speakers (very loud
and easy to use speakers), Rubik’s cube speaker
(a quirky design speaker) and Water Dancing
speaker (yes, you guessed it – water flowing inside
of them). We decided on the price and went out
to sell them , under the name of “Music Inc.”
But, as usual, our expectations were way too high
– the speakers were sold very slowly. Mainly
because we did not have venues to sell the
speakers in because, thanks to absences and
Myself, Stephanie Nkeiru (from Coloma School), Havish Patel (our Managing Director from Trinity School) and Croydon Mayor Councillor Graham Bass.
24
indecisiveness, we missed our big selling events –
Christmas and Chinese New Year. But it was not
bad news all the way. Although we were
disorganised in the meetings, we really stood out in
Trade Fairs. We are the only Young Enterprise
company this year that has won every single trade
fair award – distinction at New Addington Fair, 3rd
place at Whitgift Centre Fair and 2nd place at
Centrale Trade Fair. In the Centrale Trade Fair we
really stood out by being the only Young Enterprise
company that offered a range of products whereas
other companies were focusing on only one
product. It was a fantastic day for me as well
because out of 10 speakers we sold that day 7 were
sold by me. The peak of the day was when we
presented ourselves to Croydon Mayor, Graham
Bass. That was the first time in my life that I have
spoken to a real mayor!
The first “Company Liquidation Presentation” of
our company was on 24th April. From that we went
on to Croydon Finals which were on 10th May. It
went so well and we impressed the judges so much
that we got 2nd place award and we were chosen
along with the winning team to take part in South
London finals. And, who knows, maybe we will go
even further. The company progresses through
competitions so I had to edit this column over and
over again. That's probably one of the
disadvantages of being one of the best.
Also I have been nominated for the “Young
Achiever” award. It is awarded to the most
outstanding members of Young Enterprise and I am
one of them. I am feeling quite honoured because
this is my first serious nomination for an award.
Overall this was a very bumpy ride, but it was a
ride that was worth every single penny and every
single second dedicated to it. It definitely is a
fantastic lesson to anyone who is thinking of
working in a business environment in the future
because it shows everything – how business is
founded, how it is managed, how it finds its target
area, how it sells its products and how finances are
run. A wonderful once in a lifetime experience for
me that I will always remember both for the
adventures I had in it and the friends I made there.
I would recommend that everyone take a part in it
and do not worry if you do not perform
successfully. All businesses make mistakes and they
learn from mistakes - not text-book theory
mistakes, but real life mistakes!
Informal Concert
What is an informal Concert? In CTC an
Informal Concert is an event that gives all
students the opportunity to perform in front of
the audience and show their passion about
music and performance. It took place in the
college’s examination hall on the 14th of
February, 2012 during lunch break. Actually,
this is our second concert and the first one
was on the 23rd of November, 2011. On this
occasion, there were 5 performances.
The first was given by Bryan who is an 18-
month student and a member of the college’s
magazine committee. He sang a song “Sway”
which originally was sung by Michael Buble.
Being part of the audience, I could tell that he
was really nervous, but by the end, he had
given an impressive performance.
Next was a performance by 4 students. They
were Nay Chi, Vikas, Kevin and Re Gin. They
showed all the students their passion for
dancing. There were many steps that they put
together, but basically it was hip-hop dancing.
The third performance of the concert was
given by Sara. She sang a song called “Lying
Eyes” by the Eagles. Besides singing, she also
played the guitar.
Later, there was a duet by Eve and Sophie.
They also sang a song called “What are
Words?”.
Last, but not least, was the aria that was
performed by Long. He sang a Italian song
called “Time to Say Goodbye”. He is very
talented, evident from his stunning
performance. At the end of the song, he
delivered a long and very difficult chorus. This
is why people like to save the best for last.
Being as one of the audience it was a great
experience for me to see and understand what
people are passionate about. Every moment in
the concert was enjoyable and unforgettable.
What will happen next year? I hope it will be
great and amaze everyone!
Korlong Lee (Long)
25
CTC produces many talented
students with extraordinary
skills in Art, Music, Dance,
Sports etc. Whatever the
talent is you are sure to find
one or more persons with it.
Our informal concert which is
organised by the student
committee surely brings out
the WOW in the quiet
personalities amongst us.
This year’s Valentine Concert
created not only a love-filled
atmosphere but one in which
many found their confidence.
Our very own Sara Akhavan
who had always felt shy about
performing to an audience of
more than three people,sang
her heart out and played the
guitar too and there is no
doubt that she strummed the
hearts of many of our
students. We also had a
dance group with Vikas,
Kevin, Nay Chi and Re Gin.
For sports we have many
talented badminton, table-
tennis and basketball players
amongst us; perhaps in a few
years to come some of our
students may end up being
the new Selena Williams or
the new Michael Jordan but
either way I am very sure, the
talents of our students will
not die!
Flamenco is a genre of music, song and dance from Andalusia in southern Spain, noted for its energetic, staccato style. It grew from Andalusian music, song and dance styles, influenced by the song and dance of the local Romani people. Flamenco dancing is characterized by colourful costumes, intense and erotic movements, stamping of the feet (zapateado), and clapping of the hands (palmada) its execution is brilliant, noisy, and passionate. It exists in three forms: Cante, the song, Baile, the dance, and Guitarra, guitar playing.
Garba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat
region of India. Many traditional garbas are performed around a
centrally lit lamp or picture/statues of different avatars of the
Goddess Shakti. The circular and spiral figures of Garba have
similarities to other spiritual dances, such as those of Sufi
culture. Traditionally it’s performed during the nine-day Hindu
festival called Navaratri. Both men and woman usually wear
colourful outfits.
Dance in Korea is divided into 4 types: Folk dance, new tra-ditional dance, court dance and ritual dance. The new tradi-tional dance consists of:
Buchaechum- fan dance created by Kim Baek-bong and first presented in public in 1954
Hwagwanmu- floral coronet dance Jangguchum- dance with janggu, hourglass-shaped drum Samgomu Ogomu- a drum dance
In Thailand dance is also put into three categories: Khon, Lakhon and Fawn Thai. However, Khon is the most stylised form of Thai dance. It is performed by dancers who mime the action while the story is being told/sung by a chorus in the background. Dancers wear elaborate costumes and masks to portray different characters.
By Radhika & Deborah
HOBBIES AND TALENTS
TRADITIONAL DANCING FROM AROUND THE WORLD
26
Goodbye and Good Luck to all our Leavers
27
28
THE CTC EDITORIAL TEAM WISHES YOU ALL A GREAT
SUMMER!
STUDENTS
YILI CHEN (WICKY) ARTJOMS ISKOVS ZHI XIONG HU (LENARD) BRYAN THOR PHUONG ANH TRAN (CRIS)
NATASSIA CHIN YI YANG (DAVID) YODSAPON CHIRAWUT ( TON) KORLONG LEE (LONG) NAN YANG
(LYNETTE) LINGQUN JIANG (SARAH) HANYANG GE (STAR)
STAFF
DR DREW MRS DAS GUPTA MRS CARROLL MRS GOLLOP
CONTRIBUTORS
MR DI CLEMENTE (PRINCIPAL) RAI AUNG ZAW EMILY WALKER JIA QI TANG (CASSIE) RADHIKA PATEL
QUYNH CHI LE (KATE) SARA SEYED AKHAVAN DEBORAH ABARA JULIE NGUYEN EDGARS KRONBERGS
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ARTJOMS FOR THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THIS MAGAZINE.