unit-e: october 2010

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UNIT-EOctober Edition (Issue No.4)Amelia ZhangErnest LiHelen LeungEugene LingKatherine TsenUNIT-E: Katherine Tsen & Eugene LingAcademics: Nicole ZhuFashion: Amy WanStudent’s Opinion: Katherine Tsen & Eugene LingThe Arts: Dan ZhangChillax: Tessa BrownePictorial: Jonathan ChangChloe ChiaJohn WongMatilda LeeSteve ShengChrystal LiDraxonic Design StudioDan ZhangHenry LuHelen LeungMichelle LiuKevin MaoJunting YeungAlyssa ThanHeather BudimuliaElizabeth WuMiranda MelcherDaniel PlafkerKeith KwekDarren TangDorcus ChiuJunting Yeung

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UNIT-E magazine is a non-profit, non-commercial publication circulated for use by its staff, sponsors, affiliated schools and other related parties only.

Complimentary Copy, not for sale

Tel 136 8108 2142 136 4106 1338Email [email protected] www.unit-echina.co.cc

OCTOBER2010 [UNIT-E] | 3

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTSUNIT-ELetter from Editors-In-Chief P.5In this Issue... P.5UNIT-E Trivia P.5Updates P.6About UNIT-E P.6UNIT-E’s Vision & Philosophy P.6UNIT-E Recruitment P.7Pictures of UNIT-E Meeting P.850 Word Story Competition P.10

ACADEMICSWhich Kind of High School Archetype are You? P.12Can I Get a Signoff for these Hours? P.13I Prefer IB Over IGCSE P.15Words of Wisdom P.15“Educational” Night Out? It’s Possible. P.18Featuring: Warwick Business School P.21

FASHIONHalloween. A Candid Costume Commentary P.25 Insight Into the Trends of Fall/Winter 2010 P.28Fashion Icon in the Spotlight: Twiggy P.30

STUDENT’S OPINIONWikipedia: Good or Bad? P.32The Illusion of Student Press P.34Movie Review: Love Under the Hawthorn Tree P.36

THE ARTSEditor’s Music Picks: Progressive Metal P.41Hip Hop is Dead P.42Tutorial: Concept Photography P.44Art Spotlight P.48

CHILLAXRecipe of the Month: Halloween Cupcakes P.51 History of Halloween P.52Black Ops vs Reach P.54Little Bangkok: A Retreat Amongst the Crowd P.56

PICTORIALChina Cup Volleyball Tournament P.59Moonlight Madness P.61

UNIT-E

UNIT-E Recruitment P.7

Pictures of UNIT-E Meeting P.8

50 Word Short Story Competition P.10

Letter from Editors-In-Chief P.5


UNIT-E

A Letter From the

EDITORS-IN-CHIEFTrick or Treat?

We are pleased to treat you to another edition of UNIT-E! There are no tricks in this issue (no hidden unicorns… or was that reverse psychology?) except for, perhaps, tips and tricks you pick up from the articles in this issue.

Although the October edition of UNIT-E does not come with complementary multicolored candy corn, this edition does provide YOU the reader with many sweet opportunities.

The Arts column has a new sub-section dedicated to featuring student art (which includes written works too!). The submissions, whose creators will remain anonymous until the submission has passed the selection process, will be judged and voted on by the UNIT-E staff. The selected art work will then be published in the magazine. Most selected works will be featured in the Arts column but outstanding artwork may be featured as the magazine cover or column cover pages! So start working with your Play-Doh, crayons, cameras and pencils and submit your creative works to UNIT-E! (For more details, check our website at www.unit-echina.co.cc).

Need more motivation to get involved? How does an iPod Nano sound? You heard right, we are offering an iPod Nano to the winner of the short short story writing contest (details on P.10). Send all submissions to [email protected].

The October issue’s theme is yet another combination. In this issue, we’ve added some autumn flavors and Halloween colors to the articles. You may also realize that the columns have been reorganized for easier reading and that this issue is much thicker than our last one.

This issue of the magazine is better than ever and we certainly could not have done it without the talented UNIT-E staff. If you want to join the ever-growing UNIT-E team, feel free to contact us!

Thanks a bunch,Katherine Tsen and Eugene LingEditors-In-Chief

P.S.- Thanks for finding Chloe’s unicorns! Your URBANITE tickets will be sent to you shortly :) [If you still haven’t found them here are the answers: there are two black unicorns on the back cover, one located in the upper right hand corner and one on the note after “unicorns….”. The last unicorn is located on the WEMUN EXPO photo on the front cover next to the UN logo.]

UNIT-E Trivia Why is this magazine

called “UNIT-E”?UNIT-E stands for UNITE

to EMPOWER. UNIT-E is a magazine that strives to empower the youth of the international community to voice their opinions and to unite the different international schools across Beijing. At the same time, the service project we support—a library for local under-privileged children in a village in Shunyi called Bai Xin Zhuang--- also empowers youth in China. “UNIT-E” is also homophonous with “unity”- the very essence of this magazine.

In this issue…• UNIT-E: Want to learn more about UNIT-E? See page 6 for more information.• Academics: Learn how to have “An Educational Night Out” on page 18.• Fashion: Brr… it’s starting to get cold! Time to go shopping for winter clothes! Check out P.28 for Fall/Winter trends.• Student Opinion: Flip to page 32 to read an opinion on Wikipedia. (We promise we didn’t use Wikipedia to do background research for this article!)• Arts: Who says you have to be a professional to use a (somewhat) professional camera? Learn how to use yours on P.44.• Chillax: BOO! Where did Halloween come from? Find out on page 52.• Pictorial: September was the moth of mooncakes and moon-gazing. Go to P.61 to see pictures of Dulwich’s moonlight madness.

6 | [UNIT-E] OCTOBER2010

UNIT-E

UpdatesThere will be UNIT-E Book Drives

in a number of international schools including Dulwich College Beijing, Yew Chung International School Beijing and Beijing World Youth Academy. The books donated will be given to the UNIT-E service project—a library located in a village called Baixinzhuang on the outskirts of Beijing which empowers the migrant children in that village to break out of the poverty cycle through education. If you are willing to donate books suitable for children in grades three to six please put them in the BookBoxes at your school. If your school is not participating in a UNIT-E Book Drive and you still want to give your books to the library please contact us via email or telephone.

The UNIT-E staff held its largest monthly distribution and reflection meeting to date on September 4th. Over 25 students were present at the meeting and almost all the schools affiliated with UNIT-E were represented. Pictures of this event are on this page and in the pictorial.

A visit to the Baixinzhuang village library was held on October 9th. The UNIT-E staff helped clean up the library and brought books and various supplies to the village library. Equipment needed by the library was bought with the magazine’s profit from advertisements in this issue. Staff members also taught the migrant children simple English lessons and had a great time interacting with them. More visits to the library will be arranged in the near future. If you are interested in participating, please email us!

We have a new Pictorial Column editor! Congratulations to Jonathan Chang from Dulwich College Beijing! If you have any pictures of school events you want to share, email them to [email protected] and Jonathan will include them in his selection pool.

Katherine Tsen, Editor-in-Chief

About UNIT-EUNIT-E was founded in the spring

of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

UNIT-E's Vision and Philosophy

UNIT-E is dedicated to its service as a medium for the empowerment of international school students through writing and expression. The publication strives to support students in becoming proactive world citizens and developing strong involvement in addressing social issues in Beijing.

Beijing international school students' individual efforts to address a vast array of social issues have resulted in numerous small accomplishments that are successes in their own right, but have little impact on the large-scale issues which these projects address. UNIT-E believes in the synergy embedded in a dedicated core of proactive youths, whose united effort harbors an impact far beyond the small-scale. UNIT-E believes in the harnessing of this life-changing power - the ability for youth to create substantial improvement in any community through cohesive and comprehensive efforts - and so envisions UNIT-E as a framework for any and all Beijing students to engage with local Beijing and make a positive impact on the status quo.


UNIT-E


UNIT-E

Pictures of theUNIT-E

MEETING


UNIT-E

Sponsored by

Submit a 50 word short story and win an Apple iPod Nano!

Participate in the short story competition by submitting a story of 50 words (or less) on one of the following topics:

Witch, Ghost, NightThe winner of the competition receives an Apple iPod Nano!Send the short story to [email protected] with your name, school and phone number. The winner will be announced in the next issue of UNIT-E. Deadline for submission: October 22nd, 2010


UNIT-E

Academics

High School Archetypes P.12

“Educational” Night Out? It’s Possible. P.18

I Prefer IB Over IGCSE P.15

Can I get a Signoff for these Hours? P.13

Warwick Business School P.21


Academics

Memorizing words to increase one’s vocabulary is often thought of as an arduous task that only the over-achievers and Ivy-league-level-prodigies will succeed in. Few people realize that having a large vocabulary is beneficial to everyone for almost anything: from 2400-ing the SAT’s to sounding sophisticated by decorating essays with flowery language to earn A+’s. If you start with a few words a week or even a few words a month, pretty soon, you would sound (or be) just as smart as the most verbose student in your class. Whether you’re the underdog who is desperately trying to cram for the SAT’s and appear smarter to earn higher grades, or one of those insanely smart (sounding) people trying to boost your vocabulary even more, we hope to enrich you with words (or words which make you sound to be) of wisdom. To make sure you don’t get discombobulated when you’re memorizing your SAT words, we’ve put out some words that could get confused….


Academics

WORDS OF WISDOM

PreferB OverGCSEI

As international school students, we start our academic careers on a myriad of different tracks. By tracks, I mean the programs and courses we are put into. At my school, YCIS Beijing, we study for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in years 10 and 11 (or grades 9 and 10 for you American system folks), and then go on to do the International Baccalaureate (IB) in years 12 and 13 (grades 11 and 12).

I have “graduated” from my IGCSE’s, and am now proud to say that I am a full-fledged IB student. Nevertheless, my IGCSE courses have and will continue to have a great impact on me.

The IGCSE is a two year course for thirteen to sixteen year olds designed by the University of Cambridge. In my opinion, the system of studying for the IGCSE was a mundane one, simply because the IGCSE courses are largely based on technical knowledge. Essentially, my fellow students and I spent two years memorizing facts, figures, dates and what have you, with limited knowledge as to what the information we were ingraining into our brains was actually about. We also spent most of the last year of the IGCSE doing past test papers. These past papers had many of the same questions that were just redecorated and rephrased to sound different. To a certain extent, that made the examinations easy to study for, especially for the subjects I was strong in. However, the rigidness of the IGCSE and the formulaic answers allowed for very little student opinion.


AcademicsIndignant vs. IndigentYou may be indignant if your teacher falsely accused you of plagiarism* but you would not be indigent until your mom found out and decided to not give you pocket money.

Indignant(adj.) full of indignation (anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean)

Indigent(adj.) suffering from indigence : impoverished*Bonus!

Plagiarism(n.) the act of taking another’s ideas or words as one’s own use without crediting the source

Castigate vs. CastrateIf you pull a prank on your teacher, your principal may castigate you but he wouldn’t castrate you (ew!).

Castigate(vt.) to subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism

Castrate(vt.) to render impotent or deprive of vitality especially by psychological means

Dilate vs. DilatoryWhen you’re getting your eyes checked and your pupils dilate, they become larger not slower.

Dilate(v.) to become wideDilatory (adj.) characterized by procrastination

Prodigy vs. ProdigalAs a vocabulary prodigy, you should not be prodigal with your talent! Send in words you would like to see in this section to [email protected]!

Prodigy(n.) a highly talented child or youthProdigal(adj.) to a wasteful manner or to a

wasteful degree

Katherine Tsen,International School of Beijing

Source: The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

I am now one month into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP, more commonly known as IB) and I have not stopped to take a breath yet. The IB is, like the IGCSE, also a two year course. Its purposes are to prepare high school students for university and to train students so that they are all rounded. As stated on the IB website (www.ibo.org), the IB Program aims to “develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” Aside from academic rigor, subjects such as Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay and CAS (a requirement for students to participate in Creativity, Action and Service activities) give students an all rounded education. When asked about his opinion on the IB Program, IB diploma candidate Darren Wong thinks of the IB as “a second step up on the ladder of education. It not only requires the memorization of facts and figure, but also challenges students to think critically and relate what they’ve learned to real life situations.” Indeed, even though the IB system is an extremely rigorous one, it churns out some of the brightest young minds in the world.

The IB program is well suited for students who benefit from a student oriented course. In the IB Program, students take charge of their homework and classes which often involve discussions requiring students to articulate their thoughts clearly and thoroughly become a very important classroom activity. IB students are required to pick three Higher Level (HL) subjects and three Standard Level (SL) subjects. The selection of HL subjects allows students to concentrate on


Academics

their strongest subjects while maintaining a substantial understanding of other subjects through their SL courses.

Every student has a different learning style and not all courses are designed to meet the specific needs of each and every student. The IB however, takes into account many of the different learning styles there are (including: auditory, visual, verbal and kinaesthetic learning). For example, the interactive roundtable discussions that are a typical teaching method in IB courses have helped many verbal and auditory learners

like me to absorb the information being taught.

Ultimately, the IGCSE and IB courses have provided me with a wide range of disciplines and skill sets to adopt. Whichever course you embark on to start your academic career, find one that suits you so that you can score those A’s and 7’s!

Alyssa Than,

Yew Chung International School


Academics

Many of us have pondered the relevance of our school courses because honestly, how often will we use calculus, read sonnets, or need to know the difference between meiosis and mitosis in our daily lives? To maximize your learning experience and make you appreciate those long drowsy math classes (okay, maybe not), why not dedicate one night to putting these skills to the test?

Start your educational night by breaking out your survival Chinese and telling the cabbie where to go. If you’re feeling particularly empowered by the language, and if your cabbie is chatty, try having a conversation with him about miscellaneous facts and the weather. Alternative topics can also be scrounged from years of in class essays, oral presentations, and dramatic Chinese soap operas on CCTV. Most importantly, have fun with your half hour language partner!

Meet your friends at your favorite

restaurant but don’t kick back just yet: ordering dinners for large groups of people is deceivingly hard and can confuse the waitress to no end. If you’ve reached your Chinese quota for the day you can just point at the menu and say 一份这个 (‘yi fen zhe ge’) and pray that you can recognize it when it appears on your table. Don’t think that this is a study break— you can find that can learn from anything anywhere if you look hard enough in anywhere to find that anything.

Fill your dinnertime conversation with Shakespearean references and engage in a passionate discussion on the hyperboles in act two, scene one of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If literature isn’t your thing, mentally put on your formal Model United Nations attire and articulately debate the solutions to global issues like the top three reasons to protect biodiversity. Don’t forget to take notes (on paper napkins if you forgot your handy dandy notebook) and use proper MUN language whenever possible!

“Educational” Night Out?

Its Possible.


Academics

As a self-proclaimed mathematically challenged individual, I can honestly say that I hate the math involved with splitting the bill. Shared appetizers and people who don’t have small change, can prove to be quite a demanding task, but like all tough things, it has to be done. Jump into the piles of ¥100 notes with a cell-phone calculator and the extreme dexterity needed to accomplish this task and it’ll be over in no time! (Note: I’m just saying this so that if we ever go out together, you’ll take over.)

After you’re almost filled to the brim with food and learning, take a nice stroll to a large open area and choose between two rewarding options: your first choice is to people-watch and study the behavior of complex creatures called human beings. This interesting pastime is an invaluable opportunity to ponder great philosophical questions and to further understand human nature. Often, this kind of activity result in TOK (Theory of Knowledge) moments or inspire great Extended Essay topics.

If you don’t like people, watch the stars. They don’t talk back and they are light-years away. When you can actually see them, they will take your breath away. If not, start belting out “Airplanes” by B.O.B. and Hayley Williams to expand your vocal range by declaring that you “could really use a wish right now”. At the end of a long (educational) night, call your driver to ask him to pick you up. You get extra credit if you manage to direct a cab back home.

Although I joke, tease and exaggerate, you critical thinkers out there should have realized that the message of this article is that learning is a journey, not a destination. There’s always more to learn and experience if we just open ourselves up to it. So go out, explore, frolic in the grass, and make friends with local Chinese cab drivers!

Heather Budimulia,International School of Beijing


Academics

Twiggy P.30

Halloween P.25

Fall/Winter 2010 Trends P.28

Fashion


Fashion


Fashion

Natural brown shades were ubiquitous last season on popular Swedish fashion blogs. The returning trend of the awkwardly attractive wooden clogs; the classy natural brown color palate has once again gone mainstream. With colors ranging from light mustard to rich deep mocha, this stream of vogue is easy to incorporate into anyone’s wardrobe. Vibrant colors are often used to offset an outfit with a few natural colors; but this season Hermes

has showcased an impeccable combination of garments consisting purely of natural browns. The caramel toggle coats and English bowler hats combined with the smooth fabric of silhouette jackets create feminine Sherlock Holmes’s or Doctor Watsons. Other designers such as Philip Lim who feature collections on the more “preppy” side showcased soothing khakis and grey colors with hints of gold, blue and purple.

Natural browns Hermes, 3.1 Phillp Lim, Ralph Lauren

Insight into the Trends of

FALL/WINTER2010


Fashion

As soon as Balmain shook the world yet again with its military jackets, other designers incorporated the style. One particular highlight of fall/winter 2010 in military fashion is definitely Marc by Marc Jacobs’ Russian inspired fur hats. The hats are relaxed and slouchey-shaped, but can produce a virile look when styled with straight hair, or feminine one when worn with soft, wavy hair. They go well with green army-esque jackets—preferably ones with collars or double breasted pockets that creates a knightly stature.

Although it has been nearly eight months, it is still difficult to accept the fact that designer Alexander McQueen has left us. McQueen’s designs for this season fulfill his legacy; the heavy metal inspired collection is a masterpiece of pattern, color and structure. His last collection is one of his best collections. The ideas behind his designs have inspired the collections of Dolce & Gabbana, Ann Demeulemeester and Moschino.

Elizabeth Wu,Beijing World Youth Academy

Military Balmain, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Burberry Prorsum

Heavy Metal Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Ann Demeulemeester


Fashion

STUDENT’SOPINION

FashioN Icon in the Spotlight: TWIGGY

Lesley Hornby, more commonly known as Twiggy, is one of the most influential and successful supermodels of all time. Her edgy look and unique sense of style set her apart and catapulted her into superstardom.

Twiggy was born in 1949 in London, England. From a young age, she had a naturally stick-thin frame that made her stand out. She could wear any piece of clothing that was put on her back. She is best known for her short haircut, dark eyelashes and her thin, almost waifish, body. One of Twiggy’s friends urged her to change her name from Lesley to her childhood nickname (Twiggy), giving her a unique name that would be recognized worldwide.

With a style and body made for fashion, it didn’t take long for Twiggy to make appearances in the leading fashion magazines of her time. She modeled for numerous international companies and magazines. Her most famous picture was featured in the Daily Express under the title ‘The Face of 66’. To expand her repertoire, Twiggy decided to delve into music and acting. After working in various movies in the early 1970s, Twiggy won two Golden Globe Awards and, soon after that, went on to perform in West End shows.

Even though Twiggy’s modeling career is just about over, she is still involved in various projects and jobs. She recently made an appearance on the TV show America’s Next Top Model as a judge. In 2005, Twiggy also did a slew of advertisements for Marks & Spencer alongside Myleene Klass, Erin O'Connor, Lily Cole and other supermodels.

Twiggy has had a lasting influence on fashion, which in many people’s opinions, is the most rare and impressive quality of a supermodel in the fashion industry. One thing’s for sure: Twiggy will never go out of style.

Tessa Browne,Dulwich College Beijing

Who? Lesley Hornby AKA TwiggyWhat? SupermodelWhen? Her career started in the 1960s and went uphill from there. She was born in 1949 and by the time she was 14, she was landing modeling jobsWhere? Twiggy was born in England. She left England for New York to pursue her career.Why? Her look was a novelty and her talent was undeniable.

DISCLAIMER: Statements and opinions expressed in the Student Opinion Column are solely those of the author or authors and may or may not be shared by the staff of UNIT-E. At the end of each article, the author’s name and school are provided. UNIT-E publishes the articles in this column with no intention to offend of upset in any way.

STUDENT’SOPINION

Another Take on Student Press P.34

Movie Review P.36

Wikipedia: Good or Bad? P.32


Student’s Opinion

Wikipedia:

GOOD OR BAD?Wikipedia can be a great resource. When

you need quick information, wikipedia is definitely the place to go. But at many schools, teachers prohibit students from using wikipedia their only source. Why?

AdvantagesIn many respects, Wikipedia is the perfect

source of information for students. It’s fast, well laid out, and you can be sure to find information on just about any topic. Also, all the information

is referenced, and therefore authentic. Right?

Furthermore, the fact that everyone can edit Wikipedia is actually an advantage in some cases, because it means that you can contribute your owns ideas, for example, adding details to your school page.

Also, Wikipedia seems to have a page on just about anything. From leis to the origins of tin, to a synopsis of the latest ‘Glee’ episode, Wikipedia has it all. It has become the best place to quickly find facts and information. This is also because


Student’s OpinionWikipedia is very accessible, and better known than any other similar database.

DisadvantagesOn the other hand, there are many reasons

why authority figures feel that Wikipedia may not be a suitable research site. Talking to teachers, I discovered that they’re not just worried about the validity of the pages.

The most obvious disadvantage of Wikipedia is that although there are references, we don’t have time to check them all, and so we will never know if the ‘facts’ we are learning are indeed genuine.

However, it turns out a bigger problem is the source of the ‘facts’. Even if, for example, a detail about WAB on it’s Wikipedia page was actually written by a WAB student, that doesn’t automatically make it correct and, more importantly, unbiased. Bias is a huge problem for websites that can be edited by anyone. A few weeks ago, there was an article in the New York Times about an Israeli group who had devoted themselves to changing every single Wikipedia article related, however obliquely, to Israel, to reflect a pro-Israeli stance. While the facts may still be correct, the way in which they are stated would imply further, and often incorrect, meaning.

Also, the fact that anyone can change Wikipedia, although it can be an advantage, when thinking about bias and validity, cannot help but be seen as a grave fault. Anyone who thinks they know something, or maybe knows they don’t, can change the website, affecting many readers and viewers negatively.

Overall, I don’t believe that Wikipedia should be banned; it’s too useful for that. But you really shouldn’t just use Wikipedia, because the flaws there will show up on you, which is something no one really wants. Yes, Wikipedia can give you a lot of information very quickly, but make sure that you always take that information with at least some measure of salt.

Miranda Melcher,Dulwich College Beijing


Student’s Opinion

At first glance, the student press seems alive and well in Beijing’s international school community. There are publications with student-produced content servicing nearly every such major institution in town and these organizations typically work closely with the school to gather and present information to the student body. However, the working proximity between student writers and the school staff that have the last say in published content means that articles potentially end up with more of the “appropriate” and less of the original message.

The path that the ideas of young journalists take in many of these publications before they can finally reach the printed page is long and full of obstacles. As it happens, many do not survive the journey. The words and opinions of these young writers must undergo rigorous revision to meet not only high standards of eloquence

Another Take on

STUDENT PRESSbut also to some extent high standards of uncontroversiality that school papers maintain.

Of course, all papers must be edited. The entire purpose of an organized publication is to bring to the reader a pruned and selective sample of news and commentary. The key in this case is whether the primary interest of editors (student or staff) is to provide the best possible content to their purported readers (the student body), or to ensure that the papers do not risk offending parents, teachers, and other members of the school community.

That is not to say that every single controversial topic should be published or deserves to be published. What is does mean, however, is that at times, for fear of getting close to controversy, many acceptable and debatable topics are avoided or rejected, not necessarily in the name of accuracy or editorial quality.


Student’s OpinionThe main concerns of a censor of any student publication, be it a student editor or a teacher editor, should therefore be to ensure that concerns of propriety do not talk priority over accurate reporting and free expression.

The efforts of the young journalists who labor to express their thoughts and ideas embody the spirit that is needed for true journalism to blossom. Like all press, school-sponsored press edits, reorganizes and refocuses its content but the motivations and prioritiesbehind those actions should be addressed. Student papers should ensure that its priority remains bringing student ideas to student readers.

Daniel PlafkerInternational School of Beijing


Student’s Opinion

Just two weeks ago on the 10th of September my family and I had the privilege of attending the world premier screening of the movie 《山楂树之恋》 also known in English as “Love under the hawthorn tree” , directed by arguably one of China’s best director: Zhang Yi Mou. Touted as one of the purest love stories ever told, the movie takes place amidst the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural revolution of the 1950s-1960s and tells the simple love story between the son of a general and a village girl despite family objections to their relationship. In many respects, this movie can be compared to the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. A “simple love story in chaotic times”

Prior to the night of screening my father burst into my room to tell me that he had been offered several VIP tickets to the first ever screening of Zhang Yi Mou’s new movie “Love under the Hawthorn tree” To my shame I stared blankly up at him and asked “Who is Zhang Yi Mou?” It was only later that night after furious Wikipedia searches that I found out what a symbolic icon this man was to the Chinese community. His repertoire of previous movies included 1991’s “Raise the Red Lantern” 1994’s “To Live” staring Gong Li, and 2004’s “House of flying daggers”. It was through acting in his movies that some of today’s movie icons such as Gong Li and Zhang Zi Yi despite being relatively unknown, found fame and fortune. This man had the Midas touch and it was well known that any up-and-rising star he chose to cast in his movies were likely to make it big in the future.

It thus served as excitement to see how his new movie would fair as the leading male and female characters (Dou Xiao and Zhou Dong Yu respectively) are played by two relatively unknown actors. The male lead is in his early 20s and looked a good fit for the role he was to play. All eyes however were on the girl Zhou Dong Yu who prior to the movie had no acting experience and was only 19 during the time of filming. According to Zhang Yi Mou the search for someone suitable to play his “Juliet” spanned many months and took the scouting crew across 16 different regions in China. The girl that he was

Love Under the Hawthorn Tree


Student’s Opinion


Student’s Opinion

looking for not only had to look pretty, but also had to have that rare and unblemished spark of pure innocence on her face. After interviewing over 10,000 girls and getting exasperated as the deadline for casting selection drew near Zhang Yi Mou who was on the point of giving up found Zhou Dong Yu his hidden gem among the rocks. Labeled by some critiques to have eyes “as clean as a mountain fountain” she would, in his new film portray the face of innocent love.

Having watched the movie and not wanting to spoil the plot for anyone planning on watching it too, all I can say is that I would recommend this movie to those who enjoy a slow paced and emotion-filled drama. The story is simple but at the same time profound and there are not too many hectic plot twists that frequently throw

audiences off course. Instead, the movie takes those who care to watch it on an emotional rollercoaster, from the initial shyness that both the main leads display when first meeting one another, to the desperation of needing to see each other despite family objection and finally the ending which is bittersweet.

As the movie ended I remember being shaken up and at the same time quiet. Around me I could hear several ladies crying, while some were sobbing into tissue. My sister, who started joking, said to me “Dude, I think Inception is way better than this!” She was comparing an adrenaline packed Hollywood blockbuster action film to a simple Chinese love story which to me is unheard of. Sure, around me some of the men had dozed off halfway during the


Student’s Opinionmovie; however I would argue that “Love under the Hawthorn tree” is a movie which is only fully rewarding if one spends the time to get involved into its rich tale.

To add a cherry on top of everything so far, and to my great excitement when the movie ended, Zhang Yi Mou himself accompanied by the actors and actresses in the movie appeared on an erected stage where the screen used to be to thunderous cheering. Part of me feels foolish now for admitting this but right after watching a movie which left me saddened and humbled , and then seeing the actors/actresses on stage made me almost feel like rushing towards them and giving them all a big hug, telling them everything will be alright. Thank god I restrained myself.

Soon after, a quick impromptu Q and A session occurred on the stage where members of the audience could ask questions and one of actors/actresses or Zhang Yi Mou himself would reply. My favourite questions were probably 1) “Why did you [Zhang Yi Mou] choose to direct this

love story?” and 2) “Is pure love ever as important in this day and age in which we live in now and do we still need it?” To the second question (although I can’t remember who replied now) the answer to me was summarised perfectly. The reply was (translated from Chinese) “The question is not whether we need pure love or not, because no matter what I believe that it shall always be present in society.” To the first question Zhang Yi Mou looked at the audience and very sincerely admitted that he chose to direct this movie because he was inspired by the book. (Written by Ai Mi) Particularly with a line that has now been adapted as one of the tag lines of the movie. One which I shall leave you with today. It symbolises the commitment, love, patience and longing which are underlying themes that run deep within the roots of the movie itself.

Keith KwekYew Chung International School

Tutorial: Concept Photography P.44

Art Spotlight P.48

Hip Hop is Dead P.42

The Arts

Editor’s Music Picks P.41


The Arts


The Arts

Of all the things to photograph in this world, I find that setting up and shooting a conceptual shot, based totally on a random idea is the most satisfying. The art of nature photography sometimes comes down to dumb luck – being in the right place at the right side of the world at precisely the right time. However, when it comes down to shooting a conceptual shot, it’s all down to how good your idea is and how well you execute your shot, giving you far more control.

In this tutorial I will show you an example of a conceptual photo shoot. I have chosen to take a shot of a berry surrounded by bubbles. Now, this picture seems hard to replicate but in reality, it takes close to no cost and can be done within the hour (I did this shoot during lunch break!)

First, you’ll need to set up your camera on a tripod or a table/chair. Make sure its level with another table/chair so that you can put your fish tank directly in front of the lens.

TUTORIALConcept Photography

What you’ll need:• Fish Tank (20-30RMB)• Big bottle of Sprite (6RMB)• Black Paper (bother the art students)• Aluminum foil (the kitchen)• Berries (preferably strawberries ~10kuai)• A sunny day (or a bright table lamp)


The Arts

Second, pour the sprite into the fish tank until it is at least ¾ full (make sure the fish tank is clean!). Place it level with the camera.

Third, use tape to attach the black paper to the back of the tank, creating a background for the shot. Also, place the aluminum foil underneath the fish tank so that it will reflect light up, eradicating the shadows, also making the shot brighter (brighter = faster shutter = clearer photo!)


The Arts

Bubbles and Berries by Darren Tang


The ArtsFourth, place a ruler (or something opaque

– I used the cover of my TI-84) in the middle of the fish tank so that you can let your camera focus on that spot (both manual and auto focus will work fine). Once you get this focus, switch the lens to manual focus to set it. [Connect a remote to your casmera now if you have one]

Fifth, switch your camera to AV mode (Canon)/ A mode (Nikon). This is when you can set the aperture (the number after the F) of your camera. For this shot, you want to set the aperture as low as possible. Click the ISO button on your camera and set that to 800. This setup will allow you to have a fast enough shutter speed. Also, set your shooting mode to continuous. This will allow it to shoot shots in sequence. [Advanced users, use manual mode]

Lastly, drop your berry in the spot you focused on earlier and keep holding the shutter down! Repeat until you’re satisfied with yourself!

Want to see more shots like these? dare-

For more information, please contact the GuluWalk team at: Miss Angela at [email protected] or [email protected]

to-soar.deviantart.com

Any questions or problems? Drop me an email: [email protected]

Darren TangDulwich College Beijing

More Conceopt Photography:

Art SpotlightTalent in the International School

CommunityThe art community among Beijing’s

international schools is overflowing with talent, but there are times when school-wide recognition isn’t enough! The monthly UNIT-E Art Spotlight will be featuring 2-3 works of outstanding student art every issue, both online and in print. Submissions for the next issue are open; head on over to our website at http://www.unit-echina.co.cc for more details on submission requirements and procedure.

“Woman II”by Matilda Lee


The Arts

“Clarke Quay”by Darren Tang

“WALL·E Whloe Shot”by Chloe Chia


The Arts

Black Ops vs Reach P.54

Recipe of the Month P.51

History of Halloween P.52

Little Bangkok P.56

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HalloweenCupcakes

Pumpkin’s not just for pies. Mix up these cupcakes with canned pumpkin and lots of spice, and top them with your favorite cream cheese frosting for a sweet snack.

Recipe of the Month

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda,

baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth.

Whisk in pumpkin puree.

3 Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted

in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pumpkin-cupcakes

2 cups All-purpose flour1 tsp Baking soda1 tsp Baking powder1 tsp Coarse salt1 tsp Ground cinnamon1 tsp Round ginger1/4 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp Ground allspice1 cup Packed light-brown sugar1 cup Granulated sugar1 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled4 Eggs1 can Pumpkin puree


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HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

When you hear the word ‘Halloween’, what do you think of? Is it hyper children banging on your door? Is it the need to dress-up like a princess even though you’re a little boy? Is it wrapping a house in toilet paper?

Nowadays, most people think of Halloween as a festive holiday filled with happy children carrying candy and dressing up in elaborate costumes. However, Halloween hasn’t always been like that. Over the years, it has developed from being a day for one to fear the dead, to a day for a fun celebration.

The word ‘halloween’ was first used in the 16th century and represented a Scottish variant of the All-Hallows-Eve, which was the day before All Hallows Day. This day was set by Pope Boniface IV to honor Catholic saints, and it had the added benefit of replacing the pagan Festival of the Dead.

It is believed that Halloween is derived from the Celtic festival Samhain. The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on that day, allowing different types of spirits to pass. Families would honor and invite the their ancestors in their homes, while harmful sprits/demonic creatures were warded off. They

believed that in order to scare away and avoid these spirits, they had to disguise themselves as different harmful spirits. Bonfires were also an important part of this day. All their old fires were doused, and each home relit their hearth from their local bonfire. The bones of the livestock they had previously slaughtered were cast into its flames. Sometimes, two bonfires would be built side by side and people and their livestock would walk between them as a cleansing ritual. They also left offerings of food and drinks to masked and costumed revelers on October 31st.

There are many spin-offs of this story. Many say that the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. So tread carefully this Halloween, because if you dressed up as a sparkling vampire, the demonic creatures would not be too pleased may even possess you! Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake that was thought to have already been possessed, as a lesson to the spirits.

The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own but in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of


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HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

the other Roman traditions that took place in October. They honored the Roman goddess Pomona of fruit and trees, and her symbol is the apple, which probably explains why we bob for apples on Halloween. Irish immigrants fleeing their country’s potato famine brought these customs of Halloween to America in the 1840s.

The custom of trick-or treating is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2 (All Souls Day), Christians would walk from village to village begging for “soul cakes”, made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes they receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors.

The most potentially terror-inducing custom is the jack-o-lantern. You might think that it is fun to carve out a funny face on a pumpkin, but it comes from a scary Irish folk tale. A man named Jack, who was famous as a trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree’s trunk, trapping him up the tree. He made a deal with the devil that, if he never tempted him again, he would promise to let him down from the tree. After Jack died, he was denied from Heaven because of his evil

ways, but was also denied access to Hell as he had tricked the devil himself. Instead, the devil gave him a single candle to light his way through the frigid darkness in between Heaven, Earth and Hell. The candle was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer. It is told that Jack still haunts the darkest corners of the world, holding his turnip candle.

This Halloween, think of the demonic spirits that roam Earth while little children knock on stranger’s doors. Instead of dressing up as an angel, dress up as a devil! Why not? Scare away the horrid creatures that might be lurking outside your door and pretend that you’re one of them.

In my experience, Halloween brings back memories that are both fun and embarrassing. I had to dress up as Snow White for three years in a row when I was a kid. Surprisingly, during these three years I found that I had an uncanny gift for bobbing apples and putting on a cute face in order to get more candy. I love Halloween because of the scary stories, the bonfires and most of all the chocolate!

Dorcus Chiu,Dulwich College Beijing

When the E3 Expo (Electronic Entertainment Expo) began its annual video game conference show at the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 2nd 2009, it unveiled ten of the most promising games of the decade. Two of them included the newest additions to the Call of Duty series: Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo series: Halo Reach. These two games have been highly anticipated and ever since the first release of the first-person-shooter games, Call of Duty 1 and Halo 1, the two series have been deadly rivals. And now, Unit-E brings you a full comparison of the two games.

Storyline:Halo Reach: This time, Halo fans will have

to get accustomed to a new Halo setting. Halo Reach, the prequel to the Halo trilogy, will be set

on the planet Reach. Planet Reach is the center of humanity’s military might, the birthplace of the legendary Spartan warriors and home to more than 700 million civilians. At the same time, Reach is destined to the fall of the Alien Covenant. The gamer will play as a member of the elite squad of Noble Team, Noble 6. This group is a certified group of Spartan IIIs and they are sent to suicide missions designed to save the human race against the alien threat. When the Noble Team land on Planet Reach to re-establish contact with a fallen outpost, they discover that the Covenant are on Reach to destroy the human race again.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Like all Call of Duty game plays, the gamer plays as a soldier fighting on the frontline to sabotage enemy bases. This time, your squad of specialized operatives takes a stealthy approach into a Russian mountain


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Black Ops vs Reach

base during the Cold War. The journey is long and difficult, your character has to rappel down mountains every now and then, breach hostage-filled rooms and running pass enemy patrols. Supplied with a handful of stealthy weapons like the Crossbow, your only objective is to destroy the whole base successfully. Once you have completed this, an avalanche

caused by your detonation and you forces you to evacuate the cliff by base-jumping with all your teammates to safety.

Junting Yeung,Yew Chung International School of Beijing


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Game Call of Duty: Black Ops Halo ReachPlatform PS3 7 Xbox 360 Xbox 360 OnlyGenre First-Person Shoort First-Person Shooter

Release Date November 9th, 2010 September 14th, 2010Developer Treyarch BungiePublisher Activsion MicrosoftSeries Call of Duty HaloNew Features • “Customize, Create and Compete”

• Create a Class 2.0 (Design your own unique identity- character and weapon)• Dive to pron• Currency System (CP, CoD points)• Weaponry: Ballistic Throwing Knife, Tamahawk, Crossbow, SP-71 Blackbird, China Lake Grenade launcher, Dragon Breath (Incendi-ary rounds) Remote control explo-sive car • Theatre (create and edit videos)• Dedicated Serves • Spike Camera• Gatling Gun

• Armour abilities: Jetpack, Armour lock (invisibility when not moving), Sprint, Barrel role, • New kill animations (slow motion assassinations)• Loadouts (Designing your gun)• Mac Cannon• Firefight 2.0 (fight waves and waves of covenant enemies)• Space Fight (Pilot spaceships)• Forge World (Five different maps combined) - 15 minutes to fly across the whole map! You can also create and design your own maps!

Mode(s) • Campaign, Online Multiplayer (18 players max), Wager Matches (One in the Camber, Gun Game, Stick and Stones, Sharpshooter) • Combat Training • Co-Op• Theatre

• Campaign• Online Multiplayer (32 players max)• Co-op• Firefight• Spacefight• Forge world• Theatre

Characters Soldier Spartan named Noble 6Set Cold War, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba,

Ural Mountains, Soviet Union2552, Planet Reach

Price $59.99/400RMB (from Amazon) $59.99/400 RMB (from Amazon)Network Features? Yes, 18 players online max + Dedi-

cated ServersYes, 32 players online max

Video Display 720p 720p


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Ever waited in front of Element Fresh or Let’s Burger for more than 35 minutes with grumbling tummy? I have, and, trust me, its not fun getting stuck in a line with a massive crowd of people. However, why would you put yourself in that predicament when there’s a peaceful place right around the corner where you can actually have a long chat with an old friend?

A mere three minute’s walk from the Village, Little Bangkok is the perfect solution to your problem! While the restaurant’s lime green walls and orange sun blinds makes it clearly identifiable, it’s calm and cozy atmosphere also immediately eases your nerves. Although the slightly torn menus don’t look as promising and the dishes are relatively common for a standard Thai restaurant, Little Bangkok did have a few

A Retreat Amongst the CrowdLittle Bangkok


Chillaxthings that caught my eye. Unlike many other restaurants that also offer curry, you are actually able to mix and match your own type of curry to meet your own taste or needs!

Perhaps the curry you tasted in Ganges made your lips swell like they never had before, and you would prefer something milder, then you might like some creamy green curry. Or if you are desperate for some peppery dishes, you should consider red curry, a stronger and hotter-tasting version of the traditional yellow curry. All of these could be chosen with either beef, chicken, pork or veggies. When the crispy spring rolls and fish cakes came in, they filled the table with a sweet aroma. Although they proved to be quite irresistible, the price for the appetizers certainly didn’t tie in with its portions! On the other hand, we were delightfully surprised when the mountain of Phay Thai was placed onto our table. This well known fish of fried nobles provided a unique balance of sweetness and received some excellent feedback from picky eaters.

Furthermore, the free-of-charge yet delectable desserts ended our lunch on a high note. Generally, most of us were quite happy, both with the food and the environment, but the waiters needed to be more attentive to the costumers’ needs. The bills for our meal came to 195kuai – a fairly reasonable amount for a meal for 5 in the Sanlitun area.

To conclude, the selling point of Little Bangkok would undoubtedly be its peaceful atmosphere and the decent food offered. Though it was not until I saw the brand new displays of Empirio Armani that I realized the area would expect intruders very soon. So, act quick!

Nicol Lo,Dulwich College Beijing

China Cup Volleyball P.59

Moonlight Madness P.61

Pictorial


Pictorial

China Cup Volleyball Tournament


Pictorial

RESULTS FOR CHINA CUP:

Varsity Boys:1st Place: International School of Beijing2nd Place: Shanghai American School (Puxi)3rd Place: Western Academy of Beijing

Varsity Girls:1st Place: Western Academy of Beijing2nd Place: Hong Kong International School3rd Place: International School of Beijing


Pictorial

Moonlight Madness (DCB)


Pictorial

unit-e: october 2010

Documents

october2010 unite

unite staff

edition of unit

e meeting

pictures of unit

unitea letter

arts column

magazine cover