MICA(P) 126/09/2011 Welcome to the SMU Alumni Community! The SMU Alumni Association (SMUAA) strives to represent the interest of all SMU Alumni. We are your gateway to staying connected to SMU and a growing global professional network. Lets hove some fun! SMUAA frequently hosts social events for not only our alumni but also for the graduating students.

BREATHE A welcome bash for graduating students Alumni Halloween PartyAlumni Movie Night lts time to beserious. We are not just about play and no work. SMUAA regularly organizes professional and personal development courses for our members to enhance their skill sets! Professional & Personal Development Initiatives Business Mandarin Class | Graduate Business School Workshop | Consulting Skills Seminars | Wine Appreciation Workshop | Beginner Salsa Classes | Beginner Golf Classes, etc.Other Initiatives Fireside Conversations with SMU Board of Trustees | Alumni Mentorship Programme, etc. So you've heard about us, now help us promote your interests and join us as a member today! As a SMUAA member, you will also enjoy exclusive member privileges, including the use of the University Lounge access to the library, and many more. Above all, you can look forward to building life-long relationships, networking and staying connected with SMU! Become a SMUAA member and be a part of us today! For more information about SMUAA and our membership, please visit our website at www.smuaa.org.sg or email us at smuaa@smu.edu.sg. a bit contentsFALL/WINTER 2011 ISSUEon the cover16The ApprenticeFour SMU students share their internship experiences and im-part some tips.verve@SMU07Meet Our People SMUWe pick four outstanding SMU students to share their stories and insights with us.11 LamebookSee what your fellow students posted!14Pritam SinghWe ask SMUs very own member of parliamentquestions about life, school and politics.trends, tips & advice26To New BeginningsBandana Kaur reects on how to make a fresh start and make the new school term more meaningful.27 30 Unordinary Things to Do Before You GraduateWe show you how to have uncompli-cated fun while on campus!30 Travel GuideJanica shares with us her experiences of her exchange programme to Europe.32 Dr. LoveDr. Love tells you 10 things you should do right to get the boy/girl of your dreams.food, glorious food39Shin Minori40Sweet Sweet ToothGet a sweet start to this new semester!fashion & lifestyle42 Fashion with FunctionA sneak peak at whats hot for the upcoming Timberland Winter Collection.45 Alterna HaircareDelicious Japanese cruisine at Shin Minori reviewed.Celebrity hairstylist Micheal Shaun Cerby shares his tips on sustainable hairstyling.46Merchants Appreciation NightAn exclusive look at UniVan-tages tribute to our partner merchants.10 11 01 0234 EyeLookGoodTips and advice on contact lenses.COVER LOOKShirt: G2000Skirt: Marcelliehttp://marcellie.com/ Shoes:Chocolate Schubar Bracelet: Club Couturehttp://clubcouture.cc/smu Ring: Apricot Accessorieswww.apricotaccessories.comDress: Club Couture http://clubcouture.cc/smuNecklace: Apricot Accessories www.apricotaccessories.comShoes: Chocolate Schubar{ CONTRIBUTORS }Photography Priscilla HoHair Glitz HairWorksMakeup Shue Jie YiCover girls Charmaine Wee(left)Christine Tan(right)Art Direction &StylingMaryam Yusoffood, glorious foodDelicious Japanese cruisine at Shin Minori reviewed.CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSPublications DirectorSenthil SukumarChiefDesignerPriscilla HoManaging Editor Bandana Kaur Writers Muhammad Hafz Firdaus Bin MailBoh Shu FengJoanne HoeSim Wei Xuan DesignersKara AmantoyPhotographer Priscilla HoExecutive Committee UniVantage DirectorShue Zhen YaoUniVantage Vice-DirectorYap Xing YaoSales DirectorLiang Yun KaiSales Vice-DirectorDesiree Lim Marketing DirectorMaryam YusofSponsorship DirectorChan Jing WeiCorporate Relations DirectorJane Pang Programmes DirectorDebbie FooOperations Director Jeremy Teo UV Sales & AdvertisingEugenia Goh, Jamie Tan, Tan Wen Shi, Pamela Lee, Jasmine Kwok, Ngo Qiao Wen, Michelle Lo, Jasram Singh, Jagsham SinghMarketing Lim Wei Ji, Joshua Goh, Kevin Ho, Tan Li Ying, Lynnette Lee, Nicholas Tan, Doreen Chia, Lim YuhuiAcknowledgements SMUSA Business Secretary/Bizcom Director Athena Chew SMUSA Communi-cations Secretary Bryan Lim Publication Committee PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Editors WordA Fresh StartThe magazine youre holding in your hand is our 5th issue. Those of you who have picked up past issues of UNIVANTAGE will realize that this time we have made some changes. Most noticeable is our new logo, which has shed its rounded look. Weve also tried to include more newsworthy content on top of our regular editorials, and to celebrate these little changes, the theme for this issue is 'A Fresh Start'. This theme is also ftting for us because this is the frst issue of UNIVANTAGE with a brand new creative and editorial team.We also feature other fresh starts in this issue, like those of our students who did an internship over the summer. For them, moving from campus to an offce and working instead of mugging was also a new experience. Theres also our very own alumni and recently appointed Member of Parliament Pritam Singh, who used to be a law student here but is now starting afresh in political offce. Of course, its not only seniors who are getting fresh starts. For the freshmen that have just started school, your undergraduate journey at SMU also represents a brand new experience, and we here at UNIVANTAGE would like to welcome you to the SMU community. Most of you would already have heard horror stories about school from your seniors, and while we wont sugar coat it for you, we do have some tips inside on how to make your time here a little more meaningful. So we hope that youll share in our new beginning, and that you enjoy reading this issue as much as weve enjoyed putting it together. PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Senthil SukumarPublications DirectorIt has been enriched with valuable friendships made and lessons of life. ere are challenges every now and then but if we can keep on going, all challenges can be overcome. Latin dance, designing, and everything other than mugging.Its all about listing down each of the things you need to nish on a piece of paper and drawing a small box next to it so you can check it o as you complete it. I always allocate certain time slots in my day just to sit back and not think about the work I have to do. It refreshes my mind and keeps me going! Oh, and dont procrastinate! Aer all, you only have 24 hours a day!Waking up and opening my SMU inbox to nd a new list of emails to reply to. Aer going for class, I will attend meetings with OSL and my ICON exco to plan for interna-tional students welfare. Not to mention going for class and project meetings and heading back to Prinsep hostel to chill with my fellow residents in the lounge.Attending meetings, replying to emails, at-tending meetings, chilling, revising.At the end of the day, university life is not only about mugging. Its all about exploring who you really are and getting to know more people with dierent backgrounds. Its about keeping an open mind in order to receive new knowledge. Since were in such a diverse community, take the chance to know our friends from dierent nationalities. Most importantly, aer your 4 years in SMU, make sure that everything youve done has been worth it. Every issue, UV scouts for outstanding students among our midst who demonstrate the true SMU spirit to share their stories and insights.Year 3, School of Social SciencesVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE7How has your life at SMU been so far?kuan liangWUWhat are your interests and passion?How do you manage your academic life, CCAs, personal commitments, etc?How would your typical day in SMU be like?What do you do most of the time on campus?What is your philosophy? Year 2, Lee Kong Chian School of BusinessVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 8shivanandHow has your life at SMU been so far?RAII wanted to study business for very dierent reasons from what most of peers would have wanted to study this course for. Since young, Ive been puzzled by the way the world has been organized by this entity we call the Corporation. It is a dictating force, which determines what initiatives see the light of day; what doesnt; why we consume the things we do for the cost we do; why we value people pushing out emails in a suit in air-con-ditioned oce while others starve.I came to here to understand everything about the corporate world. e learning curve has been steep and painful. Which is just awesome. What are your interests and passion?Painting, Heavy metal music (listening and playing), Business, Understanding the way the world works, mak-ing a change.How do you manage your academic life, CCAs, personal com-mitments, etc?I dont have the perfect way, I just try, and fail and improve. Life is an organic process. I dont think Ive ever heard of anyone in SMU say they got things right in terms of scheduling so far. ings like that come only with practice. I am realizing the importance of planning and time management (I thought it was pretty clich How would your typical day in SMU be like?Take the train for ten minutes and message a NUS friend during his 2 hour sojourn to school. Focus in class, or at least try to. Grab a Kaya bun set at pick and bite and stone for ten minutes. Finish up work and go for a swim or to the gym and head o for a Platos Cave event in the eve-nings. It works out nicely because it is usually in the town area. What do you do most of the time on campus?Staring at a screen. I think that is the sad reality of us in SMU. We can be in a group meeting but all of us will be staring at a screen. At times it is actually counter-productive (I am becom-ing a walking dictionary for business terminolgy now). What is your philosophy? Struggle, grow and smile. at rst really) but if you plan something and have the will to get it done in the time frame, you will see your productivity improve (another clich that actually works).antoniRIADY LEWAHow has your life at SMU been so far?Its been a great 2 years since I rst came to SMU and Singapore. De-spite the hectic lifestyle, I think my SMU life is incredibly dynamic. Being in a small school in Singapore lets me meet, work and play with many people from various backgrounds. Ive also learnt much from many hardworking people here. Im very impressed with some of my friends who managed to study while still managing/running their own businesses or working part-time or pur-suing their lifelong passion.I also like to attend random seminars or events, just to ll my curiosity and meet new people. Its quite fun because sometimes what you get is quite unexpected and refreshing.What are your interests and passion?Music, especially classical guitar. I always admire musicians and artists who chose tofollow their passion, and not what other people think they should do. I also enjoy reading and playing around with new and interesting IT technologies.How do you manage your academic life, CCAs, per-sonal commitments, etc?Prioritize. Sometimes I admit that I feel like Im a part-time student in SMU, but I believe handling multiple commitments and CCAs pre-pares (or sometimes even forces) you to become more organized and responsible. How would your typical day in SMU be like?Meetings, classes, sometimes chilling at the basement studio to play the guitar.How do you spend most of your time on campus?Projects (I think most IS students will know what I mean)..What is your philosophy? Love what you do. I believe that you cant excel at what you dont love, and that you can only do your best at something youre passionate about.Year 3, School of Information SystemsVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE9How has your life at SMU been so far?It has been intense and fast-paced, but it has also been very fullling and enriching. I have been immers-ing myself in the vibrant student life culture here in SMU since day one, and have not looked back since. It has been very rewarding, making friends and meeting people outside the connes of the Seminar Rooms and the context of academic work. From representing SMU in local and overseas competitions with the Rugby team, to travelling overseas with the Students Association Council and hosting dignitaries like the President of Republic of Singapore, His Excellency S.R. Nathan, these are but just some of the opportuni-ties made possible by being actively involved in student life activities. e experience gained is nothing short of valuable. In addition, I appreciate the fact that were so much more closely knit as compared to our counterparts over in the west and north. Everyone just seems to know each other, regardless of the School we might be from! Its almost hard to walk down the Concourse and not bump into a friend along the way. Being small does have its advantages.What are your interests and passion?Rugby, working out in the gym, aqua-scaping, cooking, wine tasting.How do you manage your academic life, CCAs, personal commitments, etc?Its really about proper time management, prioritizing the important matters and know-ing what you have to complete or achieve in a certain time frame.How would your typical day in SMU be like?Spent either in the SMUSA ExCo room at the CCA Oces next to Colours cafe, scurrying around the Concourse going for lessons, or meeting the dierent Oces and students to sort out issues and concerns, for the better-ment of the lives of our student here in SMU.How do you spend most of your time on campus?Listening to feedback given to the SMUSA ExCo by students and working on them with the relevant organisations within SMU.What is your philosophy? Seize the opportunities available, make the most out of them and make sure not to look back with regrets.ryanTANYear 3, Lee Kong Chian School of BusinessVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 10Verve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE11facebookTop News . Most Recent300+Search HomeProhle Account 2011 events at SMU: The names may be ctitious but the posts are real!News FeedShare:Status Photos Links VideosWhat's on your mind?JohnDeniseMinnieLast day of internship! Deleted browsing historyf rubbish bin- Check. Shredded all evidence-Check. Koped ofhce suppliesfstationery-Check. Plans to celebrate whats remaining of the holidays-Check. Slipping out early to avoid heartfelt goodbyes or worse the lack of them-Check. Bye Bye Big Blue!2 months just hew by so quickly. How surreal man. And ! actually survived ofhce life! =DAnyone knows how to hll in the !nternship Report part under Participation and Grade Skills? ! can't type any text in the box. and it's due tomorrow!16 people like this.+ people like this.+ hours ago Like . CommentThursday at 11:++am . Like . Comment6 hours ago . Like . CommentDenise That's how the pros do it.John hope u've made new friends in the process too!John All the best! Hope you had fun in Hogwarts" :)Minnie no no it's a different thing. it's our school website.Jack erm congrats? haha... Back to campus for you. Enjoy sch life while it lasts! =)Darren is that PDF?Darren :PMinnie oh don't just like. Please help me answer. ! know !S is different but still... i need help6 hours ago. Like + hours ago . Like 51 minutes ago . Like Thursday at 12:35pm . Like + hours ago . Like Thursday at 12:35pm . Like Thursday at 12:58pm . Like Thursday at 11:50am . Like Darren likes this.Maggie You need to email ocs. Same thing happened for my CSP report. !had to send them a document signed by my supervisor. Once they receive the document, they entered the number of hours and enabled access to the report online.Thursday at 1:36pm . Like Verve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 12Minnie oh i see. okay! Thanks a lot! i guess i have to email her again. i did. she didn't reply.Thursday at 1:39pm . Like Minnie Thanks!Thursday at 1:39pm . Like Sherone it's been 3 months?! that's fast!Mike zouk?1+ Narch at +.+5pm . Like 1+ Narch at +.+5pm . Like Wei Ning likes this.Adrian3 months of internship... and today is the last day... time to PARTY (:3 hours ago . Like . CommentLeena where? ''Rachel wanna power up tonight? hahazYesterday at 12:36pm . Like Yesterday at 12:3+pm . Like Leenaexcited about after work activity... whoohoo... :DYesterday at 11:51am . Like . CommentEugene and Nichael likes this.Leena haha no leh. you gals enjoy the night! :)Sarah haha slow... she said power alr!Yesterday at 12:50pm . Like Yesterday at 12:+5pm . Like George Kuah! realised !'ve not played L+D2 much this summer. This is bad.Adrian Don't L+D lah, come plat TF2Ricky yeah dating more important hahahaThursday at 5pm.. Like Thursday at +pm . Like 3 people likes this.Thursday at 3:33pm . Like . CommentGeorge Kuah Ricky: lol! what dating pls. !'m only dating internship la. no time to play =(Adrian: haha no time to play anything also.Thursday at 5:15pm . Like Hui Xin! look forward to my internship everyday. Nuacks with love.10 people like this.About an hour ago . Like . CommentDylanLast day of internship!8 people like this.Yesterday at 11:30am . Like . CommentVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE13June you will get to see us tmr! ''Ricky come back lor.. !CT! muah hahaha!Yesterday at 10:35pm . Like Yesterday at 10:30pm . Like Wei XuanHomesick... Almost a month away from home...Yesterday at 8:29pm . Like . CommentJohnny hey Tom, Thanks!!! Yeah. Although it was fun and everything. 2 weeks of pure holidays await!!!Tom ! can still remember the day when my internship end. No matter how much ! enjoyed myself. All the best to you! Yesterday at 8:33am . Like Yesterday at 8:15am . Like JohnnyLast day of internship!!! Woot!!!Yesterday at 7:51pm . Like . CommentClarice )))):Fabian same same hahaYesterday at 5:1+pm . Like Yesterday at 2:53am . Like Clarice spammed by you in the afternoon!!! haha.21 hours ago . Like Johnny Sad. Sorry. iPhone cranky. And ! was busy all day. Ah. What a nice end to my internship21 hours ago . Like Fabian he's a liar. he was damn free.20 hours ago . Like Clarice Lol! ! don't know if it is the network or the iPhone. ! kept receiving `Wah wah". Haha! =)19 hours ago . Like Johnny EH you all damn evillll.17 hours ago . Like1 person.May Ling Get a damn loud alarm clock or buy one from ebay the ones that have wheels and run all about once it rings, conhrm wake up becos you got to chase it to shut if off hahahaLin Zen ! FEEL YOU NY DEAR FR!END ! HAvE TROUBLE WAK!NG UP EvERY S!NGLE FREAK!NG DAY :'(Yesterday at 12:36pm . Like Yesterday at 12:3+pm . Like Tim! have to stop dozing off on the sofa every single night ! reach home, or missing my station on the NRT cause ! over-slept. !nternship is taking it's toll, this is bad.Yesterday at 10:+7am . Like . Comment2 people like this.Lin Zen ok! they are quite nice like making me do like investor stuff cos i told them i can't do hnance for nuts... quite nice and slack too haha boss is never in the ofhce!Tim Yeah, and to think this is just the hrst week! ): and how's the job scope for you LZ?Yesterday at 12:50pm . Like Yesterday at 12:+5pm . Like Verve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 14A 1999 Straits Steamship Prize winner, a 2003 Chevening Scholar and a Juris Doctor candidate at SMU, Member ofParliamentPritamSinghhasanimpressivelistofaccomplishments.However,thesemayverywellpalein comparisontohisachievementinSingaporeslatestGeneralElectionsasamemberoftheWorkersParty(WP). Apart from claiming enough votes for his team in the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to be voted into Parliament, many Singaporeans praised the fuent and natural delivery of his speeches in WP rallies leading up to election day. We ask SMUs very own postgraduate law student 10 questions about everything from school to politics.1. What motivated you to enter politics?Thedesiretoplaymypartinchanging the status quo for the better.2.Who is the one person you admire most and take inspiration from? Thatsatoughone!Ihavealways admiredthecourageofordinary individualstostepupandspeakout againstinjusticeandtyranny.Inthe contextoftheColdWar,LechWalesa and Vaclav Havel readily come to mind. Closertohome,theonepersonwho Ireallyadmireandtakeinspiration fromisarelativelyunknownmanin todays day and age. He was the second PrimeMinisterofIndiaLalBahadur Shastri,amanofimpeccableintegrity, amongst other traits. Quite early on, Lal BahadurShastridroppedhissurname ofSrivastava,asitindicatedhiscaste andhewasagainstthearchaiccaste system. He was jailed for a total of 9 nine years overthecourseoftheIndianstruggle forIndependenceagainstBritishrule. Ononeoccasion,whilehewasin prison, his daughter fell seriously ill. He wasconditionallyreleasedfor15days duringthisperiod,withthestipulation thathedesistfromtakingpartinthe freedommovement.However,his daughterdiedbeforehecouldreturn home, and after performing the funeral rites,hevoluntarilyreturnedtoprison even before the expiration of his 15-day conditional release. In1956,asMinisterofRailwayshe offeredhisresignationtohisPrime Minister,JawaharlalNehruaftera railwayaccidentthatledtothedeath ofmorethan100people.However, hisresignationwasrejected.Afew monthslater,asecondaccidenttook placeandthistime,heofferedhis resignationagain,acceptingmoral responsibilityfortheaccident.Nehru acceptedhisresignationbutinformed parliamentthatthiswasonlybecause Shastris resignation set an example for leadership and constitutional propriety, notbecauseShastriwasinanyway personallyresponsible.WhenShastri diedunexpectedlyonanoverseastrip lessthantwoyearsafterhebecame Prime Minister in 1964, a part of India probably died with him such was the stature of the man. While I am skeptical about the long term viability of one-party dominant political systems,Ialsohavegreatadmiration forDengXiaopengandthereformshe set China on after 1979. His pragmatic and visionary leadership lifted an entire generationofChineseoutofpoverty and set the stage for what is happening in China today. MEET YOURMP3.Describe your typical day.eotio!Butthroughlyfultllingand rewarding.Iwouldnotswapitfor anything. 4.Whatdoyoudoinyourfree time?Asfreetimehastakenona newmeaninginmylife,Ido spendwhateverlittletimeIhave remaining to continually nuture the relationshipsIhavewithpeople that are close to me, my family and friends. 5.How do you manage your academic life, your role as a Member of Parliament and your personal commitments? Well, this is not very easy to do, unless you work out a realistic time management plan and leave enough time for exercise too. I try my best to squeeze in a simple exercise routine whenever I can even though this is proving to be more challenging than I expect. Separately, a good diet is also critical. I am trying to control my intake of culinary vices i.e. mutton mysore (slurp!). Keeping an eye out for these little things can really help you achieve a more balanced perspective in whatever endeavour you seek to fultll. l think l also want to try tai chi or yoga at some point! Allsaid,aclearmindiscentral tomanagingmutiplerolesand responsibilities.Asenseof realismhelpstoooneshould justfocusonthemountain heorsheisseekingtoclimb, andworrylessaboutthose competingalongside.Youcan onlydoyourbest.Justmake sure you are actually doing your best!6.What was the last book you read? Beyond the Blue Gate by Teo Soh Lung.7.During the recent general elections, many people praised your eloquence and during public rallies. Did your time at SMU help in any way with your public speaking?Thismaysoundpatronisingbut inallhonesty,Ithinkithelped meinmorewaysthanIcan imagine. I am not a natural public speaker.Iactuallyfearspeaking in public! What SMU gave me was practice, quite a lot of it, via class presentations. Unbeknowst to me, I think each presentation gave me a little more oontdenoe and after a while, you just get better and better (andsometimesyouregress,but thatslife,youhavetolearnfrom mistakestoo).Iamstillaworkin progressinthisregard.Istillget theoccasionalbuttertiesinmy stomach,butIamallforlifelong learningandhopetocontinue learninghowtobecomeabetter public speaker. 8.What is your personal philosophy? You have one stab at life. Live a full life, an honest life so that on your deathbed, you can tell yourself that you did the best you could, in the circumstances that were presented to you. 9.Goingforward,whatareyour plans for the next ve years?Well,asfaraspoliticalplansare concerned,thepriority issingularlyfocussedon ensuringthattheWorkers PartyteamrunstheTown Councilwellandserveour residentsastheyexpect usto.Professionally,Isee myself cutting my teeth as a lawyerandlookforwardto establishing a foundation in the legal profession. What SMU gave me was practice, quite a lot of it, via class presentations. Unbeknowst to me, I think each presentation gave me a little more condence and after a while, you just get better and better (and sometimes you regress, but thats life, you have to learn from mistakes too). I am still a work in progress in this regard. FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE15Verve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 16Shoes by Chocolate Schubare ApprenticePHBTBBRAPHY BY PRISIILLA HBART DIRECTION BY MARYAM YUSOFVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE17Shoes by Chocolate Schubart is a known fact that a signicant milestone of your SMU journey is the compulsory intern-ship. From the very rst brieng in this school, you are bombarded with requirements and infor-mation that perhaps leave you more confused than enlightened. So many rms to apply to, so many opportunities; it can be quite overwhelming! But really, what does it mean to intern? What is it really like? Well, in this edition of the magazine, we bring you an exclusive coverage of students with rst-hand experience of life as an intern, and what you can expect. But more importantly, we want to show you that doing an internship can be inter-esting as well, as long as you make an eort to seek a unique opportunity!Below we interview four students from the dierent schools who have had interesting internship experi-ences.IName: Christine Tan Jia YingSchool : SOSS (Year 3)Company: ACP Magazine, Sales & MarketingUV: As an intern, what was your job scope at ACP Magazines?C: I helped execute events, track editorials etc. What was interesting was that I attended the CLEO runway search as a helper and I participated in photo shoots. And the freebies (eg. megazip rides in Sentosa) were also amazing! UV: Did you encounter any diculties? C: I started my internship at a bad time because they were un-dergoing renovations, so for the rst week all I did was pack-ing and nothing else. I even thought of quitting but I didnt want to be a quitter. In the end, I hung in there and it was way better aer the renovationsUV: Do you think life in SMU has prepared you for this internship?C: Yes by teaching me initia-tive! Sometimes your employer will be too busy to tend to you or coach you so its up to you to take the initiative to remind your employer of your pres-ence. It is also important to be aware of your work environ-ment and adapt accordingly.UV: In your experience, what are employers looking for; grades or passion?C: Passion! Passion motivates you to learn. Grades probably get you your interview but when you have gotten the internship, passion as a motivation is an important factor.UV: I am interested in interning in an in-dustry that I am passionate about, but not directly related to my major(s). Would you encourage such a decision?C: DEFINITELY! Your major does not determine your career. Be open to choices!Verve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 18Verve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE19UV: What was your job scope like?C: I assisted in areas involving intellectual property, digital goods, payments law and violations under Singapores Internet Code of Practice. I was tasked with assignments ranging from reviewing policies to building up characters on World of Warcra and Second Life as part of my research!UV: How did you get this particular internship? C: OnTRAC followed by an email interview. Only short questions were asked; why PayPal, what do I hope to achieve, tell me about yourself etc.UV: Why did you choose an internship at Paypal?C: I have previously completed internships at a law rm and the public sector so I wanted something dierent. I was looking for an MNC experience and when this opportunity came up, I couldnt say no.UV: Do you think life in SMU has prepared you for this internship?C: Yes. For a start, my department was super im-pressed with my PowerPoint slides when they werent even fancy to begin with (by SMU standards). SMU also taught me to learn independently but work well within a team at the same time.I was denitely ready to juggle multiple deadlines as well.UV: From your experience, what do employers value more; grades or passion? C: Grades will get you in through the door, but on the job, passion shines through. UV: eres nothing worse than doing something thats not you, and it shows. What advice would you oer to freshmen or students who are going to take up their rst internship?C: Go with an open mind, be nice to your colleagues, Name: Charmaine Wee Swee LingSchool : Faculty of Law (Year 3)Company: Paypal, Legal DivisionGrades will get you in through the door, but on the job, passion shines throughdont be afraid to ask questions even if theyre really stupid ones and most importantly, be willing to learn from others.Shoes by Chocolate SchubarName: Hashim AlkaSchool : LKCSB (Year 3)Company: OCBC (Group Transaction Banking)UV: What was your job scope like? H: I did quite a lot of competitor and protabil-ity analysis of the dierent products the bank had to oer for their corporate customers. Most of my work was project-based so on a certain week I could be really free or extremely busy. UV: Do you encounter any diculties work-ing at OCBC?H: Denitely! I would say one of the most challenging yet interesting tasks I did was to prepare an accurate competitor analysis. Some-times, some of the informa-tion you want isnt exactly available online. I wont disclose how exactly I got the necessary info, but lets just say that youve got to put your creative juices to work! ere was also an instance when I was tasked to conduct a training session for some of the banks sales sta. I was praying and hoping they wouldnt nd out that I was an intern because it would seem quite weird for an intern to train the permanent sta!UV: Do you think life in SMU has prepared you for this internship?H: CAT helped for sure. A LOT. It was rather amus-ing to see some of the banks older sta amazed by some of the magic tricks I performed on Excel. Surprisingly, I also had to give several presentations during my internship, so SMUs emphasis on pre-sentations did help in that aspect.What advice would you oer to freshmen or students who are going to take up their rst internship?H: Dont be too picky about where youre going for your internship; as long as it ts the major, its good enough! Aer all, its probably the rst proper internship youre doing so dont expect to get some high-paying job. Im a Fi-nance major so naturally a bank suited me best. Once youre done with that then try to aim for one thats more advantageous and relevant to where you want to work in the future. If all else fails, at least you would have completed the required 10 weeks!DONT BE TOO PICKY ABOUT WHERE YOURE GOING FOR YOUR INTERNSHIPVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE21Verve @ SMUName: Goh Wei JieSchool : SIS (Year 3)Company: Barclays Capital, Structuring & Pricing ToolsUV: What was your job scope at Barclays Capital?WJ: I dealt with traders enquires on pricing sheets and new curves within the options pricing sheetsUV: Do you think life in SMU has prepared you for this internship? WJ: Denitely. Other than dealing with the inter-view questions and the working environment, SMU also prepared me technically when it comes to un-derstanding yield curves, nancial products, VBA programming etc.UV: How did you source for this internship? WJ: I simply went online and applied! We had to go through a couple of reasoning tests, phone interviews and face- to-face interviews that dealt with situations and technical knowledge. From your experi-ence, what do em-ployers value more; grades or passion? WJ: I would say a good mix of both. One thing about working in a bank is that the learning curve is steep so grasping basic concepts quick is essen-tial. Passion will drive you to probe and be re-ally curious about every-thing and anything. UV: What was your pay like?WJ: Lets just say it was around the $4000 mark! .UV: Is there any advice you want to oer freshmen regarding internships?WJ: Figure out what you really want, or at least try hard, and go all in for it. Figure out what you really want, or at least try hard, and go all out for itVerve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE23Verve @ SMU FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 24What I Wore to WorkClothes by G2000Shoes by Chocolate Schubar Dress by G2000Shoes by Chocolate Schubar. FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE25Shirt, pants, tie by G2000Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 26Bandana Kaur reects on how to make a fresh start for the new school term more meaningful.To New BeginningsSummer is often seen as a time to embrace the self, to nd meaning and to leave behind the burdens of school. But more importantly, summer for many of us is an adventure: a time where we can hang our hair loose and travel, make a quick buck, help the less fortunate or laze around at home. Its an escapade that we meticulously plan for months on end, look forward to day by day and when it actually comes, relish in its entirety. Then, in a blink of an eye it all ends.Now here we are back in school and wondering, where did the time go?In this issue, you will probably notice (or not depending on how subtle we are) a recurrent theme of living your SMU life to the fullest. And the full undergraduate experience here at SMU is wrought from how meaningfully we spend our time both on and o campus. So instead of lamenting the end of the summer holidays, strive to approach this and every subsequent SMU year dierently by visualizing the next few months as a dierent sort of adventure that, if you choose to let it, will be just as rewarding as the one that just ended. Heres some advice to get you started.[ ] Setting a goal of achieving a 4.0 GPA, while important, is irrelevant if its an empty desire. Who doesnt want a 4.0 GPA anyway? Instead, evaluate for yourself if that is what is most important to you. An adventure is only an adventure if you are doing something you want to do. Otherwise its just going to be work. So this term, change your goal to one that compliments your personality. For those of you who value grades above all else, by all means go ahead and assume the mantle of the archetypical SMU mugger, and ignore those who call you out for it. Remember that everyone wishes they had a near-perfect GPA, even if they say go out of their way to say they dont care. However, if you feel that it is just as or even more important to excel in non-academic pursuits, than pick up that book that youve always wanted to read, commit to a CCA you are passionate about, or even search for a trait about yourself that you want to change for the better and work towards that change. Both the academic-only and less-academic paths branch out early on, but each is no less valid than the other. The important thing is to know what you want, because if you dont, you may nd yourself trying to meet the expectations of others instead of your own. Tip #2: DONT FORGET WHO YOURE LEARNING FROM[ ][ ]Senior students know that there two standout kinds of people you will meet in SMU; students that benet at the expense of others eort (otherwise known as leeches) and those that simply excel without having to try too hard. And then there are the rest of us, who have to work hard and sometimes struggle to get a decent grade. These students may sometimes make you feel that school is unfair or tougher for you than it is for oth-ers. But again, this is mostly a frame of mind that comes with your own expectations about school, and this is why Tip #1 is so important.No matter the kind of students you encounter (yes, even if they are leeches), it pays to keep a level head. My mother once said that the best way to retaliate against those that you dont like is to shock them with kindness. Prove to yourself and the world that you dont have to compromise on your manners to excel, even if others dont go out of their way to do the same. Be genuine when you work in a group, be kind when people ask for help, and let karma work its magic to make your life better. Be the bigger person in any situation and when the pettiness and mind games are cast o, you may nd that your university life is the meaningful adventure that its meant to be.Many of us subconsciously distance ourselves from our professors even when we are in class. We always seem to be waiting for someone to break the invisible wall between the professor and the students. It doesnt even occur to most of us to take the rst step and introduce ourselves to our professors unless they actively take an interest in us. We are content with keeping a distance from professors, yet when the time calls for it, we do not hesitate to send a simple email to those same professors asking them to write glowing testimonials about our personality and academic performance for scholarship applications or exchange programmes. Doesnt that seem self-serving? Instead, make yourself stand out this year. And no, we dont mean suck up. Rather, take a few seconds in between entering a seminar room and getting a seat to greet your professor, and if you can strike one or two meaningful conversation after class, thats a bonus. You may nd those conversations the most interesting and engaging ones youll have here, and thats all it takes to leave a small but lasting imprint on the people who take an active interest in educating you for life after SMU.Remember friends, plan the path you want to take with your head, commit to that path with your heart, and when you reect on it at the end, your soul will thank you for the time well spent.School (and life in general) is more than just doing things for the sake of doing them.Its never too late to take charge of your undergraduate experience and make it the adventure of a lifetime. Its only going to last for a few more years anyway.Tip #1: KNOW WHAT YOU WANTTip #3: KILL THEM WITH KINDNESSTrends, Tips & Advice Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 27 Pitch a tent at big steps and gaze at the stars Picnic at SMU GreenScream on a school rooop6Spend the night in school

4321Karaoke in a seminar roomin a little sunlight gives you the vitamin D your body needs. So grab a sandwich andcooldrink,sitdownonthegrass and have a slow meal with your friends. ItshothereinSingaporeon mostdays,butsomedaysare absolutelybeautifulwithblue skies and the (barely noticeable) coolbreeze,sowhynotgetout andenjoythesunshine?e lushgreenerymakesawelcome changefromthedullpixelson your computer screen, and taking Itsthenightbeforeyour big presentation and youve spentthelastfewhours sloggingawayatyourre-port and rehearsing for your presentation.Itsdulland boringandthesightofyour groupmatesmakesyouwant tothrowapunchatsomething (hopefullynotatthem).Well, whynottakeabreather?Your computer is likely to be plugged inandconnectedtotheinter-net.Soblastsomemusicora karaokevideofromYouTube andsing!Bellowoutyourfrus-trationandbondwithyour groupmatesatthesametime! So we all know the usual things expected of an SMU student; the minimum CIP hours you need to com-plete, the one mandatory internship you have to do, and maybe one or two CCAs. But is doing what is expected of you all you wish to graduate with? What memories are you going to take with you when you leave SMU? What stories of your wild youth are you going to tell your children and grandchildren? Life is so much more than just living, and we say its time to be spontaneous! In this edition and the next, we suggest some outrageous (but safe) things to do before you graduate from SMU. Twinklingstars,a deepblueskyand yourspecialgirl. is is a crazy thing to do, but if youre brave enough to go through with it, it is ohsotherapeutic.Whenyoufeelfrus-trated,angry,orannoyed,gouptothe roofofabuilding(likethe5thoorof thelibrary)andscream.Trustus,cra-zier things have happened on that roof. 5Enjoy Timbre music without being at TimbreDidyouknowthatifyousitat strategicspotsintheAccoun-tancy building you can hear live musicfromtimbreloudand clear?Andthebestpart?Its free!(oughyouwontget to enjoy their yummylicious pizza).Andwemeancompletewitha pillowandyourfavouriteblan-ket. Seniors, dont roll your eyes. isisoneespeciallyforthe freshman.Expectmorethana fewovernightstaysinschool onaccountofthecrazywork-loadthatscomingyourway, andsinceyouprobablywill havenochoice,youmightas wellbecomfortableandenjoy yourself!Asthenightgoeson, youwillprobablyseea(wild-er?)sideofyourgroupmates thatyouwouldneverhaveseen duringregularschoolhours!30 Unordinary Thingsto do before you graduateroomGuys, need we say more?groupmatesat the same time! Bandana Kaur reects on how to make a fresh start for the new school term more meaningful.To New Beginnings Setting a goal of achieving a 4.0 GPA, while important, is irrelevant if its an empty desire. Who doesnt want a 4.0 GPA anyway? Instead, evaluate for yourself if that is what is most important to you. An adventure is only an adventure if you are doing something you want to do. Otherwise its just going to be work. So this term, change your goal to one that compliments your personality. For those of you who value grades above all else, by all means go ahead and assume the mantle of the archetypical SMU mugger, and ignore those who call you out for it. Remember that everyone wishes they had a near-perfect GPA, even if they say go out of their way to say they dont care. However, if you feel that it is just as or even more important to excel in non-academic pursuits, than pick up that book that youve always wanted to read, commit to a CCA you are passionate about, or even search for a trait about yourself that you want to change for the better and work towards that change. Both the academic-only and less-academic paths branch out early on, but each is no less valid than the other. The important thing is to know what you want, because if you dont, you may nd yourself trying to meet the expectations of others instead of your own. Remember friends, plan the path you want to take with your head, commit to that path with your heart, and when you reect on it at the end, your soul will thank you for the time well spent.School (and life in general) is more than just doing things for the sake of doing them.Its never too late to take charge of your undergraduate experience and make it the adventure of a lifetime. Its only going to last for a few more years anyway.Tip #1: KNOW WHAT YOU WANTTip #3: KILL THEM WITH KINDNESSTrends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 289Run a race or jog through the concourse781110Finish reading a book that isnt a textbookDeclare Suit DaySuits on men look super sexy, and if you watch How I Met Your Moth-er,youknowhowwellthesuit worksforBarneywhenhewants to pick up chicks. A well-tted suit justoozescondenceanddebo-naircharm,butwithFinishing Touch now out of the curriculum, mostguyswontgetachanceto wear a suit. But think about it, are you only going to wear a suit when your professor says you must? at doesntinspiremuchcondence. WearasuitwhenYOUwantto, and youre guaranteed to stand out. And the girls will appreciate it too.Plank on a GSR TableIfyoudontalreadyknow,plankingis thisnewcrazethathaspeoplebasi-callylieatfacedownonasurface, havetheirpicturetakenandthenuploadedonline.Apparently,itspretty

row a POOL PARTY!!!Okay, so we know your idea of a pool party is a big crowd and fun games,which is probably not allowed on campus.ButtheAdminBuildinghasagorgeouspool ontherooop,sowhynotmakeuseofit?Be uniqueandhaveagroupmeetingbythepool! Get some exercise and brainstorm for an as-signmentatthesametime.Ecient?Youbet.Unlike NUS and NTU, our campus lacks a race track and other safe stretches of road to run. For those of us who love to run, our only x is the treadmills in the gym. But treadmills are not for everyone, so why not have a jog through the concourse instead? Its air-condi-tioned, safe, and running from So-cial Sciences all the way to LKCSB and back guarantees you a good run of at least a few kilometers. seriousstu.Whynottakeashotatit?PlankonaGSR tableoranyotherSAFEsurface,uploaditonfacebook andseehowmanylikesyoucanget!Tip:Make surethesurfaceareaofthetableyoureplank-ingonisbiggerthanyourbody,orelseyoure justgoingtofallatonyourface.And whowantsavideoofthatonfacebook?When was the last time you read abook?Formostofus,school work gets in the way of our per-sonalreading,andweneverget aroundtonishingthatbook westartedreadingbeforeterm began.Bringbackthejoyof readingbypickingupabook youstoppedreadinghalfway orthatnovelyoualwaystold yourself youd read, and commit tonishingit.Accomplishing thisduringaregulartermisno mean feat, but you will be proud ofyourselffordoingjustthat.Trends, Tips & Advice Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 2912Queue for freebies14Study at Ice Cold Beer15Class participate more than 10 times in one lessonSo there you go! Fieen unordinary things to do before you graduate. Keep this list and spread it out over the rest of the time you have le in SMU, and when you graduate, youll look back and be assured that you truly have done it all. As you may have noticed, this is only Part 1 of the list of 30 Unordinary ings To Do Before You Graduate From SMU. Look out for more unordinary things to do in Part 2 in the next edition of UniVantage! If you have any sugges-tions on what should be on our next list, send us an email at uvpublications@sa.smu.edu.sg.Especiallyneartheexamperiod, whenallthestudentgroupsgocrazy overfreegiveaways.Someofusre-gretmissingthefreegiveawaysthey hadlastyear,sodontmakethesame mistake.Plus,thereisnothingquite assatisfyingasdrinkingthatfreeKoi infrontofafriendwhowastoolate!13Gather all your mates and sing along to the librarys closing songTime to build your self condence and not care about what peo-plethinkofyou?Whatbetterwaytodoitthenatabar?Itmay bealittlecrude,butthinkofhowfunitwouldbetellingothers aboutyournewmuggingspot.Withalltheovercrowdingofthe library these days, studying at the nearest bar makes good sense. Clearyour20%classparticipationrequire-mentinonelesson,andsitbackanden-joyyourquiettimefortherestoftheterm.Youmayirkyourclassmates,butwhocares? We all know the tune anyway and maybe once the library sta hear our terrible renditions, they might nally change that damn song.Playing Semisonics Closing Time when wehaveyettocompletestudyingfortomorrowsnal examisjustmakingfunofushardworkingstudents! Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 30On life in WarsawLifeinWarsawisrelativelylesslaidbackcompared tothesunnyislandofSingapore!Withcooler lerperaluresard|essrur|d|ly,|lWasdelr|le|ya goodchoicetomakePolandmydestinationforan overseas exchange. I chose Poland not only because ofitscoolerclimate,butalsobecauseIwantedto travel to both Western and Eastern Europe and since Polandiscentrallylocated,itmakesiteasierand ideal to travel around.While Poland might not be a very popular choice for manySMUstudents,thebiggestdrawformeisthe rich history that Poland hasasapreviously Communistcountry.It wasreallyinteresting toseehowmuch Polandhasevolved overtheyearsandto learn about its history. Anotheradvantageof goingtoPolandisthatithasarelativelylowercost oflivingascomparedtootherpartsofEurope.Itis delr|le|y a good opl|or lor oudgel corsc|ous sluderls like me!Butthereisaslightdisclaimer.Dontbesurprisedif yougetweirdstaresfromthePolishpeople. Thisis because they have very few Asians living and working there. So dont take it too offensively or seriously, they couldjustbecurious!Otherthanthatitisalmost similar to other countries in Central Europe.BeingastudentinKozminski UniversityBeing SMU trained, it was relatively easy to adapt to theiracademicsystem.Lessonsarealsoconducted in seminar/tutorial style but their class sizes are even smaller than that of SMU! An important thing to note during class participation in Poland is to speak slowly. Sometimes, Singaporeans speak way too quickly and the locals cannot catch what we are saying. Thelocalswerereallyverynicetous.Theyhelped us Wrer We Were lrsl adapl|rg lo lre |oca| Way ol ||le and also showed us around the university campus. Alongtheway,wemetthisreallyinterestingPolish friendwholovesSingaporeans.Priortomy exchange,healreadytooktheinitiativetocontact all the Singaporeans voluntarily and went all the way toprovideassistancewheneverweneededhelp! Infact,hehasbefriendedmorethan5batchesof SingaporeexchangestudentsinPoland.Withall the Singlish taught to him over the years by grateful 3|rgaporears, l lr|r| re |s delr|le|y |r lre process ol becoming a Singaporean himself. Likemostexchangestudents,Iusuallytravelledto neighbouring countries during the weekends. For the weekends that I spent in Poland, I would have been atthepark,hangingoutwithfriendsorrushingto complete assignments. A must try in Poland is the hot chocolate at E. Wedel! Its the best hot chocolate that IhaveevertastedandtheotherPolandexchange students can testify to that! The parks in Warsaw are also beautiful and they even have free Chopin piano concerts in the park every Sunday during the summer. As a rus|c |over, lr|s |s delr|le|y lre oesl l|re lo cr||| and hang out with friends by having a picnic! Places to visit!Zakopane:Polandswinterwonderland!Withthe beautiful snow-covered Tatra mountains, it is a great placeforpeopleintendingtoskiandexplorethe beautiful mountain landscape. Skiing is also relatively cheaper here as compared to other parts of Europe. Krakow: Krakow is one of the most beautiful old cities in Poland, and also one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. The Krakow old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp nearby and you can almost experience how it must have been like during the period of Nazi occupation. TRAVEL GUIDEEXCHANGE PROGRAMMEThe overseas exchange programme is something many of us look forward to during our time in SMU.Most of us have heard of people going to familiar places suchas London, Amsterdam and Korea (just to name a few!)but how about the less well-known Eastern Europeancountries? Still dont know which university youd like togo for exchange? In this edition of TRAVEL GUIDE, wetake a look at the life of an exchange student in WARSAW, POLAND!I will miss the freedom and the free time I had during exchange. Life in Singapore is simply too hectic! PolandWarsaw: Warsaw is Polands capital and it was almost entirely destroyed during WWII. Most of the buildings have been reconstructed and you can see the integra-tion of modern design with old architecture. Unique Polish Food!The Polish are famous for their pierogi, otherwise known as Polish dumplings. These dumplings can be boiled, fried or oven baked. In my opinion, the oven baked ones are the best! There are also a wide var|ely ol l|||rgs rarg|rg lror lru|ls lo real. Trey are also well known for their Potato pancakes and wide variety of zupy (soups).Traditional Polish food can be found at milk bars and they are rather affordable with prices ranging from S$2 to S$10 depending on what you order. However, most of these milk bars do not have an english menu or english speaking owners. So you will have to either bring a Polish friend along, ask a random stranger, use sign language or learn the Polish names of basic food items yourself.On planning to travel to Eu-ropeIn terms of budgeting for your exchange, Microsoft Excel is going to be your best friend! Do always keep track of your expenses, especially if you are on a rather tight budget. My iPhone came in handy when recording expenses as there are several applications such as Travel Pocket and Money Tracker that al-lowed me keep track of my expenses easily.Travelling around EuropeEurope is a great place to visit. It has so much to offer in terms of culture, nature, music much more. If you ever have the opportunity, do try stepping out of your comfort zone and mingle more with the locals and/or do some solo travelling. Travelling alone can be an eye-opener but remember to stay vigilant, as not every part of Europe is safe. In terms of travel planning, do plan early to prevent high travel costs. Budget airlines, hostels and hotels get more expensive if you book at the very last min-ute. Also, do always check for student privileges, as it will allow you to save more money!During my 6 months in Europe, I visited Amster-dam, Belgium, Slovakia, Austria, Finland, Lithuania, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Scotland, London, Italy and France. I think thats about it! It was an interesting experience to backpack around Europe and, as a budget traveler, I usually stay in hostels or bunk in with friends around Europe.For nature lovers, I think Switzerland is a really nice place to visit. If you do go there, visiting Interlaken is a must. In that city, you will get to wake up to the beauti-ful sight of the Swiss Alps every morning!For beach lovers, you can consider going to exotic locations such as Barcelona, Portugal, Greece or Nice, where they are known for their sandy beaches, perfect sceneries and clear coastlines! To experience more cosmopolitan lifestyle, we have none other than London! Its one of my favourite cit-ies, and you get to see both the charm of the old and reW |rlerlW|red logelrer. Furlrerrore, lre lrarc|a| capital of United Kingdom against the rustic charm of the Big Ben is truly a sight to behold. And for more daring students, if you are looking for a far more adventurous journey, you can consider parts in Eastern European countries that are less travelled! What you miss most about SingaporeMy family and Singapore food! We never fail to complain about how much we miss Carrot Cake, Char Kuay Teow, Seafood, Satay Bee Hoon, Chicken Rice and so many other local dishes during the course of our exchange.Worriedthattheseasonofloveisover?Fretnot.Summerromance mayhavepassedbutitdoesntmeanthatyoullnevergetthegirl orguyofyourdreams.Evenifthenewschooltermisgoingtosuckyou dryofallyourprecioustime,dontlosehope.Thefollowingadvicemay well save you from being loveless, luckless and dejected. BY DR. LOVEDR. LOVES COLUMN1Take things slowlyConsciouslyorsub-consciously, guystendtomaketherstmovewithout anticipatingtheconsequencesoftheir actions. You see, for us guys making the rst movealwaysseemsthemostappropriate andnevertooearly.Theoutcomecanbe oftwoextremes:thegirleitherthinksthat youarebraveandattractive,orweirdand desperate. Not to mention things could get uncomfortable.Takethingsoneatatime, slowly, to win her heart. Girls,youhavetounderstandthat sometimes guys are just too straightforward andhonest. Timeisdenitelyonyourside, withpotentialboyfriendschasingafteryou (andnomatterwhatyousayweknowyou enjoyit).Takeyourtimetochooseand decide,dontbepressuredintomakingan impulsivedecision.Butdonttaketoolong, becausetheguymayjustloseinterestin you.2 Go on group datesImsuremanyofyouwouldagreewith me on this. Group dating is always the best method to get to know more people, expand yoursocialcircle andwhoknows, thegirl/guythat youarelooking formightbe inthatcircleof friends!Youjust needtokeep anopenmind andnotrestrict yourselftojust asingleclique. Hanging out with newpeoplegivesyoutheopportunityto work your winning personality on them. 3 Get involved in school activitiesDenitely,thisisoneofthewaysin whichyoucanactuallybeinvolvedwith thegirl/guythatyouareinterestedin. Closetostalking,butitsnot!Thinkofitas an opportunity for you to get to know more about the girl/guy and see if their personality suits you. This will actually reduce the chance of you wasting your time chasing a potential partner, when he/she clearly doesnt like you atall.Sogetinvolvedandhopethatthings work out for you.4Every thought countsYoumightthinkthatitsgoingtobea wasteofatimedoingthelittlethingsfor that someone you like when things may not ultimately work out for you, but hey, theres noharmtrying.Ifyoureallywantthatgirl/guy,thenyoushouldmakeeveryeortto pleaseorgettheattentionofthatperson! Keepingthepersoninterestediswinning halfthebattle.Itsthesimplestthingsin lifethatmakesapersonappreciatethe eortthatyouputin.Ifyoudoputinthe time and eort and they dont appreciate it, thenmaybeitstimemove on.Yourebetterowith someonewhorecognizes your thoughtfulness.5 Know when to stopMostimportantly,back owhenyoutheother partykeepsavoidingyour callsandmessages.Itisan indication that they truly not interested, and a sign for you toholdbackand stopchasing.Althoughthenever-give-up attitudeisnoble,inthiscase,youshould not push it. It will only give a bad impression andplaceyouinanegativelight.Retreat and revise your plans. Think of it as a cooling o period.6 Getintothegoodbooksofhis/her closefriendsThis is one of the most basic things that you should overcome rst. Close friends are the most inuential group of people that usually shapeyourdecisions.So,gettoknowtheir friendsbetter,especiallybestfriends,since theywouldknowmostaboutthegirl/guy of your dreams and who knows, they might be willing to help you get him/her! It would denitelyputyouinabetterlightand increaseyourchancesofperfectingtheart of courtship!7 Followyourheartandnotyour headGuys,dontbeovercondentandbragto yourfriendsthatyoucangetthatthatgirl youhavebeeninterestedinbutnotable todateduringthesummer.Condenceis goodbuttoomuchofitwillturnanygirl o.Ifyousincerelylovethegirl,dowhatis necessary(rememberthoughtfulness)and not bragging about her as if she is a trophy to be won. While she may want to feel good, she doesnt want to feel used. Girls,keepitsimple.Knowwhomyoulike anddontkeeptoomanyguysinterested in you. Love is not a game. Guys appreciate itifyoutellthemdirectlythatyouarenot interested in them.Keepingtheperson interested is winning half the battle. Its the simplest thingsinlifethatmakes apersonappreciatethe eort you put in. FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 328 Be honest, be yourselfTimeandagain,weseefailed relationshipsduetocouplestellinglies. Beinghonesttoeachotherfromthestart willbuildastrongfoundationforfuture communication.Whenyouarehonest, yourpartnerwilltrustyou,andwhenyou aretrustworthy, itwillbeeasier totakethe relationshipto thenextstage. Arelationship basedonlies willhaveashaky foundation,and will eventually be doomed to fail.9 Be independentGirls like guys who are independent and areabletocarrythemselveswellinpublic. Clingy guys are a big no-no, and if you hang ontotheireverywordandstep,girlswill onlyavoidyoumore.Beingindependent sends a strong signal to the girl that he can take care of her.Similarly, an independent girl would mean a whole lot more to the guy. The guy doesnt have to worry so much about the wellbeing of the girl, because she knows how to take careofherself.Sounds familiar?Wellofcourse itissincepeoplewant tohavetheirownspace too;bothgenderswant tomaintaintheircomfort zone but at the same time exploretheboundariesof the relationship. 10 Listen, listen, listenGuys,youalwaysfailtodothis. Apartfromhonesty,girlsloveitifyoucan just listen to their problems. They dont need your expertise in problem solving. Girls are not looking for solutions when they ask you for a listening ear. They likely already have a solution, and listening to them shows them that you really care.Girls,pleaseunderstandthatguysare attunedtoxproblemswhentheysee one,socutthemsomeslack.Itsanatural responsefromthemtogivesolutionsto problems.Guysknowyoujustwantthem tolistenbuttheyfeeluselessiftheywere justtolistenandnotprovideyouwitha waytoxthethingthatistroublingyou. Itsnotthatguysdontcareordontwant tolisten,theydobutitsjustthatitswired in them. If you had a loveless summer, all is not lost. Successisalwaysmeasuredbyhowhigh youbouncebackfromyourfalls.Theres always another opportunity for you to make yourself known and impress that particular personyoulike.Keepthese10thingsin mind and trust me, youll hardly go wrong!Love QuirksDr.Love: ToughloveIsuppose.Honestlyspeaking,doyourate yourchanceshighly?FromwhatIcansee,sheprefersanopen relationshipandnotreallylookingoutaboyfriend.Ifyoulike/lovehersomuch,andshedoesntreciprocate,youarewasting yourtime.Moveon! Youcanwaitforherallyouwant,butyou wouldbemissingoutonotheropportunitiestogettoknow people. Thebestsolutionwouldbetocomecleanandgether rst reaction, which would suce. If she says no to you, then you just have to take it like a man and move on. Dont stay and linger on for too long.Dr Love: Love(fromOxfordDictionary):bothanounanda verb,tohaveadeepaectionandstrongattraction. Love(fromUrbandictionary):natureswayoftrickingpeople into reproducing. Dr. Love: Ok seriously, let me clear the air for you. Love constitutes bothphysicalandemotionalattachments.Physicalattachment iswhenyouareattractedtoapersonsappearance,dressing andoveralllookandemotionalattachmentiswhenyouare attractedtothepersonsattitudeandpersonality.Puttingboth oftheseattachmentstogether,wendthatloveiswholesome andfullling.Nonetheless,eortisrequiredtomaintainthese attachments to the attributes of your partner. Itisnormaltofeelasenseofmisdirectioninyourrelationship, especiallywhenoneorbothofyouareunsureiftheotheris onthesamewavelengthasyou.Myadvicetoyou:dontmake lovethegoaloftherelationship.Instead,usetheeventual promiseofphysicalandemotionalfulllmentthatlovebrings as a tool to build and sustain a relationship.Its been two years since my boyfriend and I got together, and we have been enjoying each others company since. However recently, we realized that love is not just a feeling but also a sacrice. We are actually in a dilemma as to the real denition of love. So can you tell me and convince me, what is the real meaning of love? Hopeful Gal Dear Dr Love,I have known this girl for about a year now, and initially I felt that we had a good connection with each other and that there was a mutual interest. But over the subsequent months, I felt that she was giving me mixed signals with regards to her feelings about me. In addition, I often felt like I was being led on, yet she denied doing so. What I would like to know is why do some girls like to lead guys on when they dont want a relationship? ConfusedBoy89 FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 338 Be honest, be yourselfTimeandagain,weseefailed relationshipsduetocouplestellinglies. Beinghonesttoeachotherfromthestart willbuildastrongfoundationforfuture communication.Whenyouarehonest, yourpartnerwilltrustyou,andwhenyou aretrustworthy, itwillbeeasier totakethe relationshipto thenextstage. Arelationship basedonlies willhaveashaky foundation,and will eventually be doomed to fail.9 Be independentGirls like guys who are independent and areabletocarrythemselveswellinpublic. Clingy guys are a big no-no, and if you hang ontotheireverywordandstep,girlswill onlyavoidyoumore.Beingindependent sends a strong signal to the girl that he can take care of her.Similarly, an independent girl would mean a whole lot more to the guy. The guy doesnt have to worry so much about the wellbeing of the girl, because she knows how to take careofherself.Sounds familiar?Wellofcourse itissincepeoplewant tohavetheirownspace too;bothgenderswant tomaintaintheircomfort zone but at the same time exploretheboundariesof the relationship. 10 Listen, listen, listenGuys,youalwaysfailtodothis. Apartfromhonesty,girlsloveitifyoucan just listen to their problems. They dont need your expertise in problem solving. Girls are not looking for solutions when they ask you for a listening ear. They likely already have a solution, and listening to them shows them that you really care.Girls,pleaseunderstandthatguysare attunedtoxproblemswhentheysee one,socutthemsomeslack.Itsanatural responsefromthemtogivesolutionsto problems.Guysknowyoujustwantthem tolistenbuttheyfeeluselessiftheywere just to listen and not provide you with a way to x the thing that is troubling you. Its not that guys dont care or dont want to listen, they do but its just that its wired in them. If you had a loveless summer, all is not lost. Successisalwaysmeasuredbyhowhigh youbouncebackfromyourfalls.Theres always another opportunity for you to make yourself known and impress that particular personyoulike.Keepthese10thingsin mind and trust me, youll hardly go wrong!Arelationshipbasedon lieswouldonlyhavea shakyfoundation,and will eventually be doomed to failLove QuirksDr.Love: ToughloveIsuppose.Honestlyspeaking,doyourate yourchanceshighly?FromwhatIcansee,sheprefersanopen relationshipandnotreallylookingoutaboyfriend.Ifyoulike/lovehersomuch,andshedoesntreciprocate,youarewasting yourtime.Moveon! Youcanwaitforherallyouwant,butyou wouldbemissingoutonotheropportunitiestogettoknow people. Thebestsolutionwouldbetocomecleanandgether rst reaction, which would suce. If she says no to you, then you just have to take it like a man and move on. Dont stay and linger on for too long.Dr Love: Love(fromOxfordDictionary):bothanounanda verb,tohaveadeepaectionandstrongattraction. Love(fromUrbandictionary):natureswayoftrickingpeople into reproducing. Dr. Love: Ok seriously, let me clear the air for you. Love constitutes bothphysicalandemotionalattachments.Physicalattachment iswhenyouareattractedtoapersonsappearance,dressing andoveralllookandemotionalattachmentiswhenyouare attractedtothepersonsattitudeandpersonality.Puttingboth oftheseattachmentstogether,wendthatloveiswholesome andfullling.Nonetheless,eortisrequiredtomaintainthese attachments to the attributes of your partner. Itisnormaltofeelasenseofmisdirectioninyourrelationship, especially when one or both of you are unsure if the other is on the same wavelength as you. My advice to you: dont make love the goal of the relationship. Instead, use the eventual promise of physicalandemotionalfulllmentthatlovebringsasatoolto build and sustain a relationship.Its been two years since my boyfriend and I got together, and we have been enjoying each others company since. However recently, we realized that love is not just a feeling but also a sacrice. We are actually in a dilemma as to the real denition of love. So can you tell me and convince me, what is the real meaning of love? Hopeful Gal Dear Dr Love,I have known this girl for about a year now, and initially I felt that we had a good connection with each other and that there was a mutual interest. But over the subsequent months, I felt that she was giving me mixed signals with regards to her feelings about me. In addition, I often felt like I was being led on, yet she denied doing so. What I would like to know is why do some girls like to lead guys on when they dont want a relationship? ConfusedBoy89 FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 33Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 34Contact lenses oIIer signifcant practical and cosmetic advantages over eyeglasses, and they are becoming more popular and cost-eIIective. We take a look at the benefts oI contact lenses and whether they are right Ior you, as well as where to get them at wallet-Iriendly prices.The most obvious advantage oI wear-ing contact lenses is the ability to see without the weight oI eyeglasses. Even iI your glasses are as light as a Ieather, its position atop your nose and behind your ears would be a niggling presence that never really goes away. Think oI all the times you`ve uncon-sciously scrunched up your nose to adjust your glasses and you`ll get the idea. This periodic need to adjust your glasses is most apparent during physi-cal activities such as games or sports, where the weight oI it on your Iace can serve as a distraction. Coupled with other issues such as glasses Iogging up in response to tempera-There is no one contact lens that is right Ior everyone and fnding the per-Iect brand oI lenses is an exercise in trial and error. Making things worse is the Iact that there are dozens oI brands spread across hundreds oI shops in Singapore Ior contact lens wearers to choose Irom. However, there`s no real need to state the advantages oI contact lenses. The benefts oI wearing them are simply the reverse oI the disad-vantages oI eyeglasses. Peripheral vision? Check. Freedom oI movement THE TROUBLE WITH EYEGLASSESARE CONTACT LENSES FOR ME?ture changes and the lack oI periph-eral (side) vision that most eyeglass wearers have become accustomed to, glasses may even hinder athletic perIormance. Cosmetically speaking, contact lenses allow a person to see clearly without altering their appearance. This is defnitely a plus point iI you are Iashion con-scious, as your glasses need to complement your outft. For instance, casual Irames may not suit evening attire. Or the colors oI your glasses may clash with your outft. So unless you choose to wear similar outfts or wear clothes Irom limited range oI color, contact lenses can be the solution to a di-verse and vibrant wardrobe as they match anything and everything you choose to wear.during physical activity? Check. Do they match your outft? Defnitely. So spending the time to fnd the perIect pair oI contact lenses will allow you experience the joy oI perIect vision without the drawbacks oI eyeglasses. OI course, contact lenses come with their own set oI caveats. While you can handle your eyeglasses roughly without consequence, lenses require more delicate upkeep. For one, de-pending on the type oI lens, wearers must take responsibility Ior ensuring that their lenses are cleaned beIore and aIter use. Rigid or hard lenses especially require extra care, and the cost oI cleansing solutions can add up over time. However, soIt lenses are increasingly becoming popular as they are both disposable, which means no cleansing solutions are required, and they are also more comIortable than traditional hard lenses.In the past, people with special needs such as dry eyes or unusually high astigmatism were unable to wear con-tact lenses. But now, there is a contact lens Ior almost anyone. People with astigmatism, athletes, people with mild dry eye, and even people who have had cataract surgery can wear contact lenses.Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 34Trends, Tips & Advice Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 35BUYING CONTACT LENSES ONLINEWith more people enjoying the Iree-dom oI wearing contact lenses, there`s even more Ireedom when you can bypass the hodgepodge oI contact lens retailers who only carry select brands and purchase almost any brand oI contact lenses online. EyeLookGood.com is one such web-site that oIIers a sizable collection oI diIIerent contact lens brands at com-petitive prices. The brands available at this online store are nothing to scoff at, with the online store carrying all oI the top brands oI contact lenses as well as some the lesser-known brands.Even more impressive are the low prices oI the contact lenses available. The online store lists a bold guarantee on its page: 'Lowest Price Guaranteed and Reduced Furtherour team will check out our competitors daily, to make sure our prices are the low-est. AIter a quick check oI normal retail prices Ior against the prices on EyeLookGood.com, we can saIely say that is claim is accurate:II you use hard lenses the low prices here will oIIset some oI the costs Ior cleansing solutions, and goes a long way in reducing your overall expenses Irom using lenses. For users oI dispos-able lenses, the lower costs Ior the exact same brand and model mean that there`s no need to ponder over whether you should make the switch to the online store. There is even get an additional discount on top oI these prices iI you buy Iour or more boxes oI lenses at one time.The website is also aesthetically pleas-ing, and makes it very easy Ior frst timers to navigate around the online store and fnd your preIerred brand oI lens. There is a search button Ior you to simply key in a specifc brand or model oI lens Ior quick purchases. The user-Iriendly interIace also makes keying in your prescription inIorma-tion a breeze, and there is even a live chat system available where custom-ers can ask questions about the avail-able products or purchases.Being able to purchase your contact lenses online is very important as they are usually cheaper than the exact same variety available at an optom-etrist. It is also more convenient to re-order Irom an online as opposed to making a trip to a brick and mortar store, especially iI you run through boxes oI them quickly Irom daily use. So why not get your next box Brand/Model uannty per pack 8r|ck-and-Mortar LyeLookGood.com1-Day Acuvue Moist 30 $56 $401-uay Acuvue uene 30 $61.10 $46lreshkon Allurlng Lyes 2 $25 $23LyeLookGood.com roduct Se|ecnon:Acuvue BioMedicCpux roclearlreshlook Cl8A vlslonBausch & Lomb 8lonlLyFocus lreshkonCoopervlslon ColourvueoI contact lenses Irom EyeLook-Good.com? You won`t even have to leave the comIort oI your own home. .Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 35Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 36Trends, Tips & Advice Trends, Tips & Advice FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 37Food, Glorious Food FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 39LocatedonthethirdoorofUESquare alongClemenceauAvenue,ShinMinori providesarelaxedandcomfortingambi-enceamidstthebusytownbustle,with therestaurantsbamboodecorations, woodenfurnitureandthewarmlight-ing giving the whole place an earthy and natural feel. Food, glorious foodWhat is Japanese cuisine without good sashimi? The Sashimi Mori is the chefs choice and consistsof7kindsofassortedsashimi basedonthechefsownselection.The sashimi at Shin Minori is always fresh be-cause it is only prepared when you place anorder.Thismeansthatduringpeak hours,customersmayhavetobemore patientaswaitingtimesmaybelonger. Butfrommyexperience,itisdenitely worththewait.TheShake(salmon)has asmoothtextureandsweetaftertaste, which is a sign of freshness. The Mejajikis (swordsh)meatisrmandhasasweet aftertaste as well. In addition, the Maguro (tuna),whichwasdiced,marinatedand elaborately arranged on the platter, was a pleasant visual treat. Alsofromtheala-cartemenuisthe mouth-wateringHotateMeintai-Chizu (baked scallops with cod roe and cheese), whichwasoneofthebestdishesIhad here.Itfeaturesagenerousamountof scallops that are baked to perfection, cov-eredwithcheeseandslicedonions,and nallytoppedwithcodroe.Thisaddic-tive dish almost had us going for a second round! Dont say I didnt warn you.Ifyouhavetheeat-all-you-canbuet, make sure you give the Norwegian shake chizumaki(salmonwithcreamcheese) or the Ebi tempura chizu maki (deep fried tempura prawn with cream cheese) a try. Instead of the normal Salmon maki or Ebi tempuramaki,ShinMinorihasaddeda uniquezesttothemcreamcheese.It mayseemweirdinitially,buttrustme thisinterestingmakimonowillhaveyou askingformore.Thetasteofthecream cheeseisnotoverwhelming,asyoucan still taste the sweetness of the Shake Ebi. It creates a good mix of avour when put together. Otherdishesthatareworthatryfrom the buet menu are the Tsukune (chicken meatball)andtheAgedashiTofu(deep friedbeancurd).TheTsukuneisdipped in teriyaki sauce, and every bit is a savory experience.Unlikethe Tsukune,theAge-dashiTofuisservedinaboat-likebowl lledwithchickenbroth,andismild enoughtoserveasapleasantcapstone after indulging in the other avorful dish-es available.You should also denitely have a bowl of fragrantMisoShiro(beanpastesoup)to completeyourmeal.ShinMinorisMiso Shiroisrichinavourandcomplement-edwithlightlydicedtofuandseaweed shreds.Forsakedrinkers,theShirataki JozenmizunogotoshiJunmaiGinjoisa popularsakethatiseasy-to-drinkand goes well with any dish. The bottle of sake canbeservedcoldorhot,dependingon your preference. ShinMinorihasdierentseasonaldishes everymonth,whicharealsoknownas HarvestNights.Acomplimentaryserving isincludedineveryadultbuetdinner starting from $33 per person. The Harvest NightinSeptemberisservingsucculent StewedBeefwithdicedcarrots.Itmay looklikecurrywhenrstserved,butdo not let its appearance fool you. The com-binationoftenderpiecesofbeefinfused with the rich avour of stew makes it a tru-lyenjoyabledishtohave.Customerscan also check out what the dierent monthly Harvest Night dishes are from the Shin Mi-nori website. Good food, good serviceApartfromthegreatfood,thestaat ShinMinorimakesdininghereanenjoy-ableexperience.Wefoundthestavery friendlyandecient. Theyseemedtobe justaroundthecornerandalwaysready to respond to our needs. ShinMinorisbuetisagreatdeal forcelebrationsorjustforagroupof friendstocatchupwithoneanother.If youpreferhavingafewgoodJapanese dishes,theala-cartemenuhasawide varietytosatisfyyourcravingsaswell. Therestaurantisabletoaccommodate upto150peopleandalsohasasushi barfor12persons.Forcustomerswho prefermoreprivacy,thereareeven3 privateroomsandatraditionaltatami room.IfyouareafanofJapanesecui-sine,thenShinMinoriisamust-tryres-taurant.ShinMinorioersanexten-sivevarietyofdishes,complimented withawiderangeofsakeandshochu toensuredinershaveasatisfyingdin-ing experience.Lunch11.30am 2.30pmAdult: $29++Child: $19++Dinner6.00pm 10.30pmAdult: $33++Child: $21++81, Clemenceau Ave, UE Square (Clarke Quay MRT), #03-16, Singapore 239917www.shinminori.com.sgTuckedawayinMarinaSquare LinkisSweetSweetTooth,a cozyandcheerfullittledessert caf that carries a mindboggling arrayofEastern,Western,and fusiondesserts.ecafbegan operationslastOctober,and despitethecurrenttwo-person teamofAndyandJamietaking overmanagementthisMay,its menu and warm interior has not changedmuchsince.eper-fectionistsatSweetSweetTooth pridethemselvesondelivering maximumbangforyourbuck; mucheortandthoughtgoes into the ingredients, preparation, and presentation of even the sim-plestofdesserts.Infact,despite customerfavoritessuchasthe ChocolateFondant,Chocolate Brownie,CoconutMangoRoll, andGulaMelakaSago,theaf-fableChefAndydeclaresevery dish equal to the other in quality.eUniVantageteamvisit-edSweetSweetToothduring onequietSundayaernoon andengagedourtastebuds much effort and thought goes into the ingredients, prepara-tion, and presentationinagastronomicaladventurepre-sentedbyadelectabledessertspread ofChocolateBrownie($3.50),Pav-lova($6.90),BananaCupcake, BreadandButterPudding($6.90), andCoconutMangoRoll($5.00). Tastefullypresentedwithartfuldriz-zlesofhandmadechocolatesauce,our rstdessert,theChocolateBrownie wasadelighttoboththeeyesandthe palate.ebrowniescrustwascrispy anditsinteriormoist.Whilesweet andrich,thebrowniewasnotcloying evenaerseveralmouthfuls.Priced atareasonable$3.50perserving,the brownieislargeenoughtoservetwo and is an ideal dessert aer a light meal.Next up to tantalize our taste buds was thePavlova,afamousAustralian(and somesayKiwi)dessertrarely seeninSingapore.Namedaer therenownedballerinaAnna Pavlova, the dessert is a light me-ringue based dessert topped with creamandfreshtropicalfruits. LiketheChocolateBrownie,it wasvisuallyappealingandhad generousdrizzlesofhandmade passionfruitsauce.ePavlova wassweetwithoutbeingoverly saccharine. Baked to perfection, itwascrumblyintextureand melted in our mouths, leaving a delightful reminiscence of candy oss.Anotherhighlightofthe Pavlovaisthehandmadepas-sionfruitsauce,itwaslightand tangyandtastedoffreshlycut passionfruits.Also,ChefsAndy andJamiesquestforperfection meanmost,ifnotallsaucesare handmade from scratch without the help of essences or colouring. Priced at $6.90, the dessert serves twoandisgreatforsharing!e humble Banana Cupcake that we tasted next managed to stand itsgrounddespiteitsmany more exotic sounding neighbors The Pavlova was sweet without being overly sac-charineSweet Sweet ToothFood, Glorious Food FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 40Fluy and moist, the cupcake is avouredwithwholebananas, resulting in a light yet enjoyable tasteofbanana.Itslightuy texturealsomeansthecupcake can be eaten as a quick pick-me-upsnackinbetweenlessons.SweetSweetToothsold-school BreadandButterPuddingwas aluscioustreatwithdistinctly comfortingavoursofmilk andeggcustard.Bakedtoa rm,chewycrust,thepudding wasservedwarmwithgourmet rum and raisin ice cream. When eatentogether,thecontrast-ingtemperaturesandavours ledtoanexquisitecombination definitely affordable food to be shared with two buddiesthatbroughtourtastebudsto giddyheightsofeuphoria.Un-likeBreadandButterPuddings servedinotherestablishments, thepuddinghereissmooth, rm,andfull-avouredwith-outhintsofarticialessences. Andat$6.90,itisdenitelyaf-fordablecomfortfoodtobe sharedbetweentwobuddies. OurnaldessertwasSweet SweetToothssignatureCoco-nutMangoRoll.Servedwith generousdrizzlesofhandmade mangosauce,thisAsiandessert consists of fragrant Taiwanese man-goeswrappedinhandmadecoco-nutroll.Tastingoffreshmangoes, the mango sauce was tangy and re-freshingwithoutoverpoweringthe tastebuds; and like the passionfruit sauceinthePavlova,themango saucehereisalmostadishinits ownright.ecoconutrolltasted of young coconut, and was springy withoutbeingtoochewyandasa testament to the perfectionist spirit oftheentireestablishment,itdidnot containanygellingagents.Wheneat-entogether,themangoandcoconut presentedalightandrefreshingtaste, makingthisdessertextremelyappro-priate aer substantial meals. At $6.90, theportionsarereasonableandsuit-ableforsharingbetweentwopersons. Mostimportantly,wewerestruckby howgenuineChefsAndyandJamie were during our chat. Hailing from the When eaten together, the mango and coconut presented a light and refreshing tasteluxurylifestylehotspot,KuD Ta,AndyandJamiearemanag-ing Sweet Sweet Tooth part-time, oenbakinglateintothenight aer their work. What impressed usevenmorethanthequality ofthedessertswasthefactthat theyhadsomuchpassion,en-ergy,andcommitmenttotheir cra. With almost all the dishes handmade using the freshest in-gredients,nothingbreakstheir hearts more than half-eaten des-sertslebehindbyunsatised customers.Infact,Andyde-claresthathishappinessstems from his customers satisfaction, andanyotherprotsarejusta bonus.However,attherateour tastebudswerebaskinginsatis-faction,thenexttimethathap-pens, it can only be due to a cus-tomerwhoorderedtoomuch! Opening HoursSun - Thurs: 12 pm to 9pmFri - Sat: 12 pm to 11 pmMarina Square6 Raes Boulevard #B1-04Marina Square, (S) 039594Food, Glorious Food FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 41Fashion & Lifestyle FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 42FashionwithFunctionwomene Timberland Fall/Winter 2011 Collection has a remark-able range of footwear and apparel appropriate for any outdoor adventure.Whatcomestomindwhen youhearofthebrandTimber-land? Rugged outdoor gear? Big thickcoats?Oenassociated withthefamouslineofhiking boots,theTimberlandcollec-tionisactuallymorediverse, withclassicshoesandapparel thatcanbeworneveninSin-gaporeshumidclimate.For studentswhoareheadedforan overseasexchange,Timberland alsooerssturdyoutdoorgear foryouradventurouspursuits. Afewmonthsago,Timberland heldeTimberlandRough-cutOutdoors2011,afashion eventthatfeaturedthebrands latestFall/Winter11collec-tion.Wetakealookattwoof theirexcitingnewcollections:Womens CollectionGo Out and Be Youe love for heels and the art of wearing high-heeled boots is perhaps every girls secretfetish,andonethatmanyofus look forward to when travelling to a cold country.Butitisnosecretthatheeled bootsareusuallyuncomfortablefor daily use, much less for travelling in. So youcanimagineourexcitementwhen we learnt about Timberlands latest boot making technology; the suspension heel. not only is Timberlands new range of boots incredibly sexy, they are also extremely comfort-able and warme new collection of Timberland heels areallequippedwiththesuspension heel-asorubberstubatthebottom ofeachheelthatarchesupwards.is arched stub allows the wearer to hit the groundinaboot-stridemotion,giv-ingeachstepabounce,ascompared tothetraditionalhitandli rhythmthatcausesthesoleof thefoottoache.Variousprod-uctsinthisrangewillbeavail-ablefromJulyonwardsand newdesignswillbeintroduced monthly as well, so remember to check out their shelves regularly.NotonlyisTimberlandsnew rangeofbootsincrediblysexy, they are also extremely comfort-able and warm, proving that you donthavetosacricestylefor comfort when you travel.To try themyourselves,checkoutthe Fall/Winter2011Womenscol-lectionavailableinstoresnow.denitely a star buyOwning a pair of well-made shoes for your outdoor adventures is immensely important, whether you are hiking, travelling or simply walk-ing about. With a wide range of shoes suited for all weather conditions (like warm cotton-lined boots perfect for those travelling in fall/winter), Timberland is definitely a brand worth checking out. enearestTimberlandstoreisat#01-30RaesCityShoppingCentre.Visit timberland.com.sg for more store locations. Fashion & Lifestyle FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 43menEarthkeepers 2.0Lovethetextureandlookof suedebuthategettingitwet? Well,TimberlandsEarthkeep-ers2.0CupsoleMocToeOx-fordcollectionformenhas theperfectsolution.Covered withauniquebrewaterproof-ingprocessthatmakesshoes waterandstainresistant,you cannowownapairofsuede shoesthatnotonlylooks good,butiseasytomaintain! Trendy,slickandsexyonthe runway,wewereimmediately takenbythisc ol -lectionsaf-f o r d a b l e , comf ort abl e andenvi-ronmentally friendlystyle. Partofthe KeepMov-ingRange, thisshoeisperfectfor allyouroutdoorandhiking needs.Inaddition,theCup-soleMocToeOxfordalso comeswithTimberlandsanti-fatigue sole.isanti-fatiguesolehasaspe-ciallymouldedinvertedconeshape thatabsorbsshockandfunctionslike aspringtobounceawalkersmomen-tumbacktothefeetwitheverystride. Keepingintunewithitsenvironmen-tallyfriendlyform,thefootwearisde-signedfordisassemblyitcomeswith asmalltagthatdisassemblestheshoe whenpulled-sothatasmuchas50% of the shoecanbe reused or recycled. Priced at SGD$159 forthemensrangeandSGD$199for the Brattle Hiker Boot womens range, wesaythisisdenitelyastarbuy.OUR SAYFashion & Lifestyle FALL / WINTER 2011 ISSUE 45AsGlobalCreativeDirectorofAlterna ProfessionalHairCare,celebrity hairstylistMichaelShaunCorbyhas travelledmorethanhalfamillion milessincethebeginningoftheyear, spreadingthewordaboutAlternaand its products. TheLauNetworklandedthejet-setting Alterna evangelistforanengagingtea sessionwiththeSingaporemediawhere hesharedhisexpertiseabouthair,hair caretrendsandAlterna.Hereiswhatthe witty 42-year old style guru had to say. On hair trends for 2011, Corby declares the return of DRAMA. He says the rst days of the 80s are back so it is all about dramatic hair. Think colours and shapes, reminiscent ofthepopulareraofDisco,hairstyles pushingboundaries,alaLadyGaga. Ultravolume,vibrantcoloursandpiece-y highlightsarethecentrepiecesofthis movement. While excited about the trend, Corbyisquicktoaddthatthereisane linebetweendoneanddistasteful,soitis best to seek the help of a hair professional. AccordingtoCorby,thehaircareand beauty industry is going green in a big way. Internet-savvy consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability.This translatesintoeco-chicconsumerswho lookforcertied organicbotanicals andaordableluxury in hair care products. Corby,whoisclosely involvedinAlternas productdevelopment,says thattheAlterna Bamboorangewas createdspeciallyto fulltheneedsof thisnewconsumer base.Corbystatesproudlyintestament of Alterna Bamboo, that in terms of shine, textureandmanageability,theproducts tested 75% positive and Alterna sales have increased by 105% since the launch of the product range.

Theaordablypricedproductsinthe BambooSmoothline,whichfeaturepure organic bamboo extract, rare organic Kendi OilandTocopherol,promisestrength, exibilityandsustainability.Corbyfurther explains that the Alterna approach to hair care is between super luxury and a clinical solution,focusingoncombininghealthy, naturalingredientswithtechnology. Therefore, Alterna products are formulated withoutsulfates,parabens,parans, phthalatesandareevengluten-free,a featthatsomeorganichaircareindustry incumbents have failed to achieve.Withatwinkleinhiswrinkle-freeeyes, theconsummatetravelerconcludedthe mediasessionwithsomeadvice,Dont yonthesamedayyougetbotoxshots! Apparently,adropinpressureduring ights causes Botox to move. Who knew! TheAlternaBambooSmoothlineis availableinSingaporeatkimrobinson, KimagePrestigeoutletsandHairProle Studio. Prices start at $50.Sustainable HAIRCAREWITH ALTERNAThe Lau NeTwork, a professioNaL hair care disTribuTor, hosTed aN afTerNooN Tea wiTh MichaeL shauN corby, GLobaL creaTive direcTor of aLTerNa professioNaL haircare To GeT his views oN The curreNT TreNds iN The iNdusTry.The AlternaBambooSmooth LineBAMBOO Smooth Shampoo --$50 BAMBOO Smooth Conditioner --$50 BAMBOO Smooth Dry Oil Mist --$60 BAMBOO Smooth Kendi Treatment Oil -$60 MERCHANTS APPRECIATIONNIGHTSMUs rst ever Merchants Apprecia-tion Night is a UniVantage initiative to recognize and show appreciation for the clubs partner merchants over the years.By: Yap Xing Yao, UniVantage Vice-Director Over the years, the merchants who have partnered with SMU UniVantage have contributed in various ways toward our student and faculty privilege schemes, the Bizcom Student Awards and various events such as the Freshmen Bash, school bazaars, camps and even welfare packages.UniVantages rst ever Merchants Appreciation Night was held on August 12th to recognize and show appreciation for all past, current and prospective merchants. The event, held at SMUs University Lounge, allowed merchant partners to immerse themselves in a modern and comfortable lounge setting, complete with a self-serve bar, snooker and foosball tables and even a KTV room. During the event, merchants were invited to participate in network-ing games in order to interact with fellow merchants as well as our own SMU students. They also got to learn more about how UniVan-tage can help to market their products and services to the SMU community. In between these games and networking sessions, participants were also entertained in the form of a duet by Uni-vantages own acoustic duet per