Celebration of Culture 2012 @ ACS Oldham Hall

Celebration of Culture (CoC) 2012 was held on Sunday, 8 July 2012. This being a major annual hall programme, a lot of hype and excitement filled the air in the days leading up to the event. We were honoured by the presence of our Guest-of-Honour, Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who delivered a fitting speech about cultural diversity in this increasingly globalised world. He said: "Even when the world gets more globalised, it will still not be homogenous. There will always be cultural diversity, not cultural homogeneity." Professor Koh added that there must be an open-mindedness to accept other cultures as well as respect for diversity, and that in order to survive in this world, we need to have not only Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ), but also Cultural Quotient (CQ). Indeed, it was a privilege to hear such wise words from a former Ambassador to the United Nations.

 

 

The ACS OH family is a diverse community where people of all backgrounds and nationalites learn to live and appreciate each other's culture. ACS OH makes it a point to organise fun events for boarders to get togehter in fellowship and Celebration of Culture 2012 was one such event that provided us with the opportunity to experience the cultural uniqueness and richness each country represented. I was very excited to see my fellow boarders dressing up in glittering traditional costumes, setting up country booths with beautiful decoration and preparing delicious traditional dishes for everyone to taste. I helped set-up the China booth with my fellow Chinese boarders and we used all available recsources to present the best of Chinese culture. By working together with fellow boarders, I realised that we benefited not only by learning about other cultures, but also becoming proud ambassadors of our own culture. It was indeed a wonderful and unforgettable experience! CoC aso showed me the importance of teamwork and how the AHMs, staff members and boarders together all worked tirelessly to put up an enjoyable performance for our esteemed guest's enjoyment. I was touched by everyone's sacrifice and the efforts they put in, and this has motivated me to take my responsibilites ever more seriously.

 

On the day of CoC, boarders were filled with high spirits. Everyone put on his best outfit and enthusiastically participated in all the activities and perfomances. To my surprise, I won the Celebration of Culture 2012 "Best Dressed Queen" award. Frankly though, I thought there were many other more deserving contestants who were better dressed than me! I had learnt so much from my friends in the course of this event and we had a great time getting to know aobut cultural costumes and other countries' customs. I believe that everyone in ACS OH benefited from sharing the experiences and the memories will remain indelible.

 

By Zhen Ruo Ming, CHIJ (TP), Sec 3 & SC 8 Councillor

Basic First Aid Training Course for Staff

 

"1...and 2...and 3...and 4...and 5...and...1... and 2...and 3...and 4...and 10..." was heard resounding from the Singapore First Aid Training Centre on 10 August 2012, a Friday morning. It was the day after the National Day, a public holiday for most working Singaporeans. Nevertheless, a group of Oldham Hall Assistant House Masters and Mistresses (AHMs) spent this day attending the Basic First Aid Course which is essential in equipping them with the basic first aid knowledge.

 

The training was conducted by Mr. Antonio with the Help of his colleague Mr. Jax from the Singapore First Aid Training Centre. From the beginning of the course, Mr. Antonio's enthusiasm and sense of humour helped the participants to stay focused and enthusastic throughout the day. The morning dealt with basic first aid as well as fundamental anatomy; this was followed by a demonstration session on bandanging the wirst, arm, and head. During the question and answer session, our AHMs also sought answers on how to deal with burns and blisters.

When they broke up for lunch, the AHMs headed down to Chinatown hawker centre to savour the most famous claypot rice in Singapore. It was a great time for fellowship. The course resumed with more practical sessions, including how to help a choked person and there was also a very interesting CPR session. Even though it seemed easy when the trainer demonstrated the different steps of CPR, these included looking out for danger, checking for breathing, calling for help, pumping the heart, pinching the nose and blowing into the mouth, for a novice it was easy to miss a step or two. After a few practices on the human dummy, course members felt they could handle a CPR.

Towards the end of the day, participants were tested on their theory and practical knowledge. By God's grace, all passed the course with a perfect csocre of 10 and they are now certified as 'First aider".

Congratulations to the following AHMs on being certified First Aiders: Mr. Tan Boon Leng, Ms. Goh Chwee Suan, Ms. Ling Shan Shan, Ms. Wennie Winawaty Oscar , and Ms. Geradline Foo. Boarders and residents in ACS Oldham Hall will feel reassured that there are First Aiders they can depend on in case of any emergencies.

By Geraldine Foo, Assistant House Mistress (AHM)

A boarder's perspective towards OH Sunday

Oldham Hall (OH) Sunday was a time of quiet reflection for me as I took stock of just how much ACS Oldham Hall has changed me since my arrival at the beginning of this year.

 

Living in ACS OH has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and allowed me many opportunities to employ my talents for the greater glory of God. During OH Sunday this year, I performed as a member of the ACS OH Choir "Voices of Oldham", which sang at the 3 services in the sanctuary. It felt great to be singing with my felow choir members up front facing a large congregation. Watching the OH Sunday video clip screened to BRMC members brought back happy memories of the past year. Recalling the current year's programmes such as the Orientation Games and Celebration fo Culture 2012 reminds me that I am previleged to be living in a vibrant community in which everyone in the hall plays an important role.

 

I was personally touched by the testimonies given by two fellow boarders, Felicia and Minh Anh, who came to know God through the Christian Fellowship in the Hall. Although I come from a Christian background, I realised that in the past, I used to take Church services for granted. The girls' testimonies opened my eyes and showed me how I could personally rebuild and renew my relationship with God.

 

 

By Chevalie Brawijaya Rachmat, CJC year 1

Thanksgiving Dinner 2012

This year's Thanksgiving Dinner held on 22 September 2012, was unusual in that we were faced with some regrettable news. Our Chariman, Mr. Koh Kok Hong, announced to all guests, boarders and staff at the start of the event that one of our boarders had passed away suddenly. This caught everyone by surprise and the joyous mood understandably turned sombre. Although all present were clearly saddened by the unfortunate news, it was felt that since many people had put in much effort, moreover the guests were already arriving, so the show should go on.

 

 

The theme for this year's Thanksgiving Dinner which was "In Everything, Give Thanks", taught us a lesson that we should trust God and thank Him for all things (not merely the good ones) that happen - even though some things may not seem to be our liking when they take place

 

Our Guest-of-Hounour was Mr. Khoo Boon Hui, Senior Deputy Secretary (Development), Ministry of Home Affairs, an alumnus of ACS, and also the current President of INTERPOL. Mr. Khoo decided to put aside his prepared speech to share his experiences he gathered as he travelled round the world as Head of INTERPOL. One thing that we learnt from his many interesting stories is that we can be thankful that Singapore is a safe palce to live in, which is somehting that should not be taken for granted.

 

The evening's performances in songs and dances, were entertaining and everyone enjoyed the evening's programme. They were also thankful for their bountiful blessings over the year. Thanksgiving Dinner was also an opportunity to recognize our boarders and staff for their service and contributions during the year. Gavin Prasetyo Raharjo and Nguyen Hoai Di were chosen for the male and female "Boarder of the Year" of 2012 respectively and Ms. Jenny Chionh was selected as the "Staff of the Year" of 2012, and Ms. Friska and Mr. Kam Leong Heng received the female and male AHM of the Year award. A special "Most Inspiring Male and Female boarder Award 2012" went to Danny Christian Liauw and Chen Jing Yi.

 

Being one of the Masters of Ceremony during the event, I had a great evening. I felt that everyone including the perfomrers, boarders as well as the guests, had a thoroughly enjoyable time during this year's Thanksgiving Dinner event.

 

By Aditya Sidharta, CJC year 1