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(FRONT COVER) CTC Student MagazineCTC Student MagazineCTC Student Magazine SSSUMMERUMMERUMMER 201220122012

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CONTENTS

PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD ························································ 3

GO APE! ········································································ 4

WORLD BOOK DAY ······························································ 5

INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN KON ··················································· 6

NATURE’S PREDATOR···························································· 7

I TOOK AN ARROW TO THE KNEE ··············································· 8

A LABOUR OF LOVE: TEACHING ·············································· 10

CAMBRIDGE INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE ····································· 11, 17

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD ············································ 12

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES ························································ 14

A VISIT TO THE LONDON EYE ················································· 16

TALK WITH THAIS ····························································· 18

FOOTBALL FUNDRAISING ······················································ 21

MUSIC, INC: MAKING NOISE WITH A DIFFERENCE ····························· 22

INFORMAL CONCERT ·························································· 24

HOBBIES AND TALENTS; TRADITIONAL DANCING FROM AROUND THE WORLD 25

LEAVERS’ PHOTOS ···························································· 26

3

I t is hard to believe that we are moving towards the end of

another academic year at CTC. It only seems like yesterday

(and certainly not last summer!) that I wrote an article for

the College Magazine in which I paid tribute to CTC’s founder

Principal, Roger Osborne, and to his dream of creating this great

place of learning of ours. If anything, the past year has again

demonstrated just how committed and determined we are at

CTC are to the continued pursuit of academic excellence. I was

reminded of this in March when I attended the annual awards

ceremony at the House of Lords for students who sat A level and

GCSE examinations at colleges belonging to CIFE (the Council for

Independent Education) in 2011. Around 20 independent schools

and colleges belong to CIFE so if I tell you that a quarter of the

academic prizes awarded that day went to CTC students you will

appreciate how proud and privileged I felt to be present. Such awards serve as a reminder not only

of the dedication and efforts of our students and staff, but also of just how much can be achieved

through the pursuit of one’s academic goals and ambitions. With this in mind, I wish all CTC

students a very successful examination period and look forward to celebrating your achievements

with you later this summer. As for this latest edition of the College Magazine, I would like to

congratulate everybody involved in it and to thank them for emphasising that for all our focus on

studying and sitting examinations we also enjoy being part of a close-knit, friendly and

international community. I have been fortunate this year to visit, on behalf of the College,

countries as diverse as China, Latvia, Cambodia, Estonia and Vietnam and in each of them I was

made aware of the high regard in which CTC is held by parents, students and alumni and,

specifically, of how great that sense of community and integration is valued. It is a very special

feature of daily life at the College and one which we must always work hard to maintain.

Well done to the Magazine team and best wishes to all for the summer!

Mario Di Clemente

Principal

PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD

4

T hey say that the best way to overcome

your fear is to face it. Strangely enough it

is true…

The decision to join the activity was more than

spontaneous. I did not even bother to find out

what it really was, that activity with such a fancy

name. I was simply attracted by a colourful poster

stuck on the B52 door and encouraged by an

enthusiastic invitation from Mr. Torres. That’s it.

Only God knew what kind of adventure was

actually waiting for us.

There were 12 of us which is quite impressive for

a 10 a.m. Saturday morning event. Luckily, the

destination was quite far away, so we managed to

sleep an extra 2 hours with the quiet music of the

morning radio. The college van stopped at a

remote location and everything started from then

on.

Thick ropes, safety belts, a pretty instructor

explaining how to work with equipment, Mr.

Torres walking around and taking photos, terrible

screams far away - that was my very first

impression of the place. I was not particularly

scared until we had to have a go.

I promise that I have never experienced anything

like that before. I cannot estimate the actual

height at which we had to overcome the

obstacles, but people down there seemed to be

no bigger than ants. My heart was beating so fast

that sometimes I thought I could not control my

movements. I must admit that I have a sort of

height phobia, but the most terrible thing is that

there was no way to go back: you must either

keep going or - keep going. We had to pass over

the long suspension bridges made from wooden

boards situated at a certain distance from each

other. And the golden rule was, “ Always stay

attached” if you don’t want to fall down and end

your life’s journey in such a pathetic way.

The most frightening moment, I remember, was

when we had to jump and slide towards a huge

By Quynh Chi Le (Kate)

GO APE!

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net. That was a split second when I started to

think of my family, my friends and that’s when 18

years of my life just flashed in front of my eyes so

quickly - as if everything which had happened to

me before became no longer important, apart

from the dearest people whom I love. It was

freakingly scary yet breathtaking, unbelievably

dizzy, yet unforgettable. I cannot find better

words to describe my feelings. I felt proud. Proud

that I could surprise myself, face the fear and

win!

In summary, every article conveys a message to

readers and this one is not an exception. The

moral is: opportunity knocks only once, so when

you are young grab every single available

opportunity to try and discover something new.

Listen to Mr. Torres. He knows what he’s doing!

World Book Day

World Book Day originated in Catalonia. People would

give gifts of books and roses to each other. This

tradition began 80 years ago. The day is now

observed in approximately 30 countries across the

world, although interestingly not on the same day in

every country.

To celebrate this event a book bring and buy sale was

held in the library on March 1st.

Students and staff kindly donated books which were

then sold to eager customers.

The book sale along with a quiz made a grand total

of £92.10p. These proceeds were sent to Book Aid

International. The organisation uses the money to

distribute books in developing countries. This is

done to help promote literacy by creating reading

and learning opportunities for disadvantaged

children, in order to help them realise their potential

and eradicate poverty.

6

By Sara Akhavan

INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN KON

When were you at CTC?

I came to CTC in the cold, wintry month of

December 1975 to do my ‘A’ Level course which I

successfully completed in June 1976. I left

Croydon to pursue my tertiary education at the

University of Essex in September 1976.

Where and what is your occupation now?

I am a Managing Director of a Logistics Company

in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

How did it feel being one of the earlier batches

of Malaysian students in CTC?

I was the second batch of Malaysian students to

study in CTC. There were less than 10 Malaysian

students studying at CTC during my time. As we

were far away from home, we became a closely-

knit group. Later, we began to make new friends

with the English students and many other students

from Luxembourg, Japan, Nigeria, Thailand, Hong

Kong, Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia. This gave us a

very good exposure as CTC is like a mini ‘United

Nations’ with students coming from all over the

world.

How was Croydon in the 1970’s and what are

the biggest changes you think it has made?

I remember Croydon was a very beautiful town

with many green parks, wonderful shops at the

Whitgift Centre and restaurants in the mid 1970’s.

Today, the population is probably much more

cosmopolitan with many more departmental

stores, shops, a wide choice of restaurants, office

towers and luxury apartments. I also noticed CTC

has grown by leaps and bounds with new premises

being added to the original building, a well-

stocked library, up-to-date computer facilities,

cyber café, increased student numbers and a very

international student body.

In September 2011, I was travelling from London

to Brighton by train which had a brief stopover at

East Croydon Station - I found the First Capital

Connect train to be very clean and comfortable

compared to British Rail in the 1970’s. The skyline

in Croydon has definitely been transformed for

the better. As Croydon is just south of London, I

learnt that many foreign companies are locating

their offices there too.

What was the first thing you thought to

yourself, when you arrived in Croydon?

Culture shock came to my mind as everything

looked so different from home. The weather was

very cold which was a complete contrast to our

warm, tropical climate of a perpetual summer.

The food was bland but I told myself that I had to

adapt my taste buds and learn to appreciate

British food, otherwise, I would go hungry.

How did you cope with the difficulties you

faced?

As I joined CTC in December, I was not used to

the cold weather. I went to shop for a long duffle

coat at the Millet Store along the High Street in

preparation for the cold winter. I never knew the

Millet Store is a chainstore with fixed prices; I

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asked the Shop Assistant for a discount on the

duffle coat. On sensing that I was a new comer to

Britain, he was so kind as to reduce his price

without hesitation. Fearing that I would get

‘frostbite’, he then recommended that I should

consider buying a pair of leather gloves. I whole-

heartedly concurred with him and more discount

followed of course. I acclimatised to the cold

weather very quickly and soon I enjoyed the crisp,

cold air when I walked to school every morning.

I was very fortunate to stay with a wonderful

British family (The Dabins) in Thornton Heath who

exposed me to British food and the way of life.

They were so eager to learn from me to cook

fluffy rice and chicken curry which worked out to

be mutually beneficial. I had so many English tea

breaks with the host family that I lost count of

them.

Another advantage of living with a British family is

that I was forced to communicate in English and

this consequently helped me to improve my

English. The British are very warm and helpful

people but one would have to initiate the first

move.

What did you enjoy most throughout your stay?

I enjoyed the highly diverse student population

drawn from so many countries which gave CTC a

very cosmopolitan environment.

The friendships I had developed in CTC, with the

local host family and the wider community are

remarkable and unique experiences.

The people I met from different geographical and

cultural backgrounds helped me to be more

sensitive, adaptable and accommodating than

ever before. Eventually, I even developed a

great liking for British food such as roast beef and

Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, full English

Breakfast, Brussel sprouts, Cornish pasties, and

the British pub culture.

What do you miss most about CTC?

I miss the friendly and dedicated lecturers/tutors

who are really passionate about their areas of

expertise. They made learning very easy and

interesting. The CTC staff are always very

supportive, approachable and ever willing to

assist the students to attain academic success.

Nature’s Predator

We are not your prey,

Yet you feed off us

Without us you could not live,

Yet you bleed us dry

It was once our planet,

Now you claim it’s all yours

We grew tall to protect you

Now we fall to serve you

We gave you oxygen, peace, serenity and beauty

You want gold, oil and space for monstrosity

Far away, where it can’t hurt you

Us – we barely matter

Do human eyes see not our beauty?

Are we futile to human brain?

Is human heart so cold and selfish-

To bring us all this pain?

Slay us

Feast off our dead beauty

Drag our carcases to your butcher’s shop

My innards line your table-top

And we beg you please to stop

As you chop, chop, chop

Severing bottom from the top

As we drop, drop, drop

Emily Walker

My poem was inspired by the fact that the

Brazilian government is planning to build the

world’s third largest hydroelectric project in the

heart of the Amazon rainforest. The Belo Monte

Dam would divert the flow of the Xingu River and

devastate a huge area of the rainforest,

displacing over 20,000 indigenous peoples and

threatening the survival of many of the world’s

rarest animals.

I urge you to sign the petition to stop construction

of The Belo Monte Dam (http://www.avaaz.org/

en/amazon_under_threat/)

8

T he phrase ‘I took an arrow in the knee’

became very popular on the internet

particularly around the end of the year

2011 when it was used intensively on web sites

like YouTube and Facebook. The phrase is a good

example of what is called ‘internet meme’ or just

‘meme’.

What is an Internet meme?

According to Wikipedia, an internet meme is used

to describe a concept or idea that spreads via the

Internet which might be in the forms of hyperlink,

video, picture, website, or just a word or phrase.

Internet memes usually come from social

interaction or situations people find themselves in

(a socially awkward moment). Many are also from

video games such as the ‘arrow in the knee’ as

mentioned at first.

The main purpose of internet memes is fun. When

people see a meme, they simply find it amusing in

some way and then share it with their friends.

With the internet, millions of people can perceive

a meme almost instantly.

Memes from games

In this article, we will focus on a few memes

whose origins are video games.

The first and notable one is the ‘arrow in the

knee’. The full phrase is ‘I used to be an

adventurer like you; then I took an arrow in the

knee’ frequently spoken by city guards in the

game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The meme is used

to provide a silly excuse; for example,’ I used to

wake up early in the morning and then I took an

arrow to the knee’ said a tardy student.

In another game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

2, Private J Ramirez, who is one of the playable

characters, has been given orders consistently (a

total of 56 scripted times, usually by Sgt. Foley –

Callofduty.wiki.com) to take amazing, impossible

actions against the enemy, and is always

successful. This created a new meme called

‘RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING!’ used when asking

someone to complete super-difficult tasks.

Similar to the Ramirez phrase, ‘Do a barrel roll!’

from Star Fox 64 is uttered by the protagonist’s

pilot companion on an annoyingly regular basis in

order to avoid instant death. The amusing

application is that whatever difficulty you

By Yodsapon Chirawut (Ton)

I TOOK AN ARROW IN THE KNEE

Meme ‘RAMIREZ! DO EVERYTHING!’ Source: knowyourmeme.com/memes/ramirez-do-everything

A city guard in the game ‘Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ Source: knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-took-an-arrow-in-the-knee

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encounter in life’ take the advice, ‘Do a barrel

roll!’ with no explanation and go through it.

AYB stands for ‘All Your Base’ which is a

shortened version of ‘All your bases belong to

us’. This phrase first appeared on the game

Zero Wing. Such a phrase is a good example of

poor translation from Japanese to English as the

proper phrase should be ‘All your bases have

been taken over by us’. It is particularly used by

strategic gamers to announce complete victory

over opponents.

Even a well-known legendary video game, Super

Mario Bros, is the origin of an internet meme.

After a player has controlled Mario struggling

through strange mushrooms and beating what is

seemed to be a final boss, he is simply told by a

little guy, Toad, ‘Thank you Mario, but our

princess is in another castle’ and so he has to

tackle those painstaking tasks again at a harder

level. An anti-climatic situation is therefore

described using the phrase.

Two sides of the same coin

Of course all internet memes are hilarious and a

bit odd for one who finds them for the first

time. The memes from recent games,

particularly Skyrim (An arrow in the knee) not

only became popular among internet users, but

does stir up opposition. Fans of the video games

on which the memes are based are getting

frustrated, seeing non-fans who have no idea

what the games are, but use the memes. Also

many people think that the phrases are overused

and become clichés, losing their inherent comic

value, after they have seen hundreds of

comments on YouTube or Facebook saying

something ended with ‘I took an arrow in the

knee’.

Even internet memes which have the main

purpose to make people happy can have an

adverse effect after being intensively used. Too

much of a good thing, then taking an arrow in

the knee, can be a bad thing!

A variant of the meme ‘Do a barrel roll!’ Source: weknowmemes.com/2011/11/do-a-barrel-roll-meme

Introduction sequence of Zero Wing - origin of the meme ‘All your base are belong to us.’ Source: www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/gallery-e6frfrt9-1225952207992?page=3

A meme that expresses a view on the joke ‘Arrow in the knee’ Source: memegenerator.net

10

T EACHING. A field few others dare to

step into. A task no one wants to take

on. Fear and resentment abound. These

general sentiments make the teaching

profession sound like the latest horror flick at

the local cinemas...but in reality, without

teaching, where would YOU be now? Yes YOU,

you spoilt, pampered brat who feels that

everything else is beneath you, including those

who "attempt" to get you to learn something.

You resist. You rebel. But hey, in the end, you

still learn something. No matter how much you

try to deny it, secretly you know that without

teaching, where would you be today? In fact,

where would you be in 10 years from now?

This is the harsh reality of the teaching

profession at times. In a time when the

computer is deemed more important than the

book, the so-called “combat” against education

has reached new heights. Where studying was

once seen as being the key to success,

nowadays it is but a byword for being old-

fashioned and outdated. This is a time, when, in

order to be "cool", studying is a big no-no.

Troubled times indeed, I’d dare say. The thing

is, WE HAVE NO ONE BUT OURSELVES TO

BLAME. In fact, teaching today is a world full of

pitfalls and challenges hidden from the average

student, parent and anyone else who has ever

seen fit to complain about this noble profession.

A product of the Malaysian state education

system, I have been brought up in a generation

where the well to do outnumber the poverty-

stricken. In my neighbourhood, people attend

school not because they have an overwhelming

desire to be educated, but because education is

compulsory. Indeed, many back home wonder

why they even have to go through this entire

education rigmarole, when obviously they

already have many useful talents that can be

put to work right away. Perhaps even some of

you may have been guilty of doing so once upon

a time in your life.

It is through these varying and sometimes

strange circumstances that teachers find

themselves working, trying valiantly to impart

some knowledge into our minds. A "noble

profession" you say? Everyone can teach! The

word "teach" is defined in the Oxford English

Dictionary as "to impart knowledge or instruct

in how to do something, especially in a school

as a part of a recognized program". Then again,

would you willingly spend 8 hours in the same

place, everyday teaching your dog how to "go"

outside instead of indoors? WOULD you even

have the perseverance to do so? Research shows

that 98 % of adults will only persevere on

average a maximum of 40 minutes on a given

task. If they do not achieve it by then, then

they give up. Easy. Simple. No fuss and no

mess. Just like that.

Then, in that case, who are teachers then, if

not that meagre 2 % bringing up the rear?

Teachers stay in school for 6 hours minimum

working to impart some semblance of

knowledge into our underdeveloped minds, in

addition to having to deal with your fickle

problems day after day. Got a problem? No

worries. A teacher can help you with that. Need

help with that essay? A teacher is practically "at

your service" if you ask. It is these qualities that

make teachers extraordinary people in their

own right.

Who would spend their days trying to teach

others and not getting anything from it? At the

end of the day, most teachers get tired from

their hard work (except their pay-check at the

end of the month... but that's another story). In

fact, their only "gain" from teaching is the

satisfaction of seeing their students do well.

By Bryan Thor

A LABOUR OF LOVE: TEACHING

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You did well? That's great. Give yourself a pat on the back. This simple conversation would mean

the world to them as it proves that their perseverance has paid off. They have transformed a

person's life.

Teaching is not one of those things that you just take on because you feel like doing so. It

wouldn't work. Trust me. Where is your drive? Your passion? Your enthusiasm? These elements

don't just drop out of the sky and hit you on the head, you know. They are inborn within those

who have practically been "born to teach". They knew from young that teaching was what they

wanted to do and a teacher is who they wanted to be.

Therefore, I believe a true salute is in order for those who have made it their life's work to teach

others. Those who have made it their noble cause to help the young and who felt their life was

better spent helping others. In juggling work, personal problems these people are the ones that

we should salute. Not just salute, but reward with a standing ovation, even!

To me, teaching is indeed, the true labour of love.

My Cambridge Interview Experience

One of the reasons I chose to go to Trinity instead

of, say, Kings or Emmanuel College, was the

IELTS. Trinity was the only college that said they

would probably still accept me with my 6.0 in

IELTS Writing (which I really did not feel like re-

sitting).

I chose not to stay at Trinity College overnight, so

I arrived to Cambridge somewhere around 13:30 -

two hours before my scheduled interview time. I

took that time to perform some reconnaissance

and actually find Trinity (while getting lost a bit

and finding what seemed to be every tourist

attraction in Cambridge except for the actual

college in the process). Finally, I arrived where I

needed to be, registered and was led into a room

where I sat a short (one hour) test paper with

about ten maths and computer science questions

in it - quite difficult ones at that - I only managed

to finish 2 questions and attempted another two. I

was then told to put my script into an envelope

and take it with me to the actual interview.

I had read many strange things about Oxbridge

interviews beforehand and was prepared to

answer tons of questions like "Why do you want to

study here?" or "What are your weaknesses?" or

even, "If you could choose to become a Pokemon,

which one would you be?". I also carefully read

through my personal statement because I was sure

they would ask me a question or two about that at

the interview.

None of that actually happened. The interviewers

asked me to show them how I solved the two

questions I finished, which I did. Then, together,

we managed to finish one of the questions that I

started and to do two questions that I did not

attempt. At one point, I suddenly realised that I

had no idea what they wanted me to do and could

not grasp it until they explicitly told me what

steps to take. Then I accidentally claimed that

four cubed is sixteen (which it, by the way, is

not). This made me feel that the interviewers had

started to think inviting me to the interview was,

actually, a really bad idea. We finished by

chatting briefly about the topics of their research

and the bandwidth limits at Trinity. Then we

shook hands and I left. Just as usually happens

with these things, the interview felt as if it had

been ten minutes long, while, in fact, I had spent

half an hour there.

I received the College's decision a month after

that, on January 5th and, apparently, they will be

quite happy to see me again in October. Let's

hope I don't get lost this time!

Artjoms Iskovs

12

Before the Expedition

The Duke of Edinburgh expedition of 2012 took

place on 20th and 27th April, the weekends

following Easter. On the days before the

expedition there were mixed feelings of

excitement and horror resulting from the bad

weather and the disturbing stories the previous

group had told us. We prepared our equipment as

well as possible, but the one thing we hoped for

was good weather for those weekends!

The Expedition

We set off from the school on Friday afternoon

and arrived at Blackland Farm in approximate 3

hours. We started to pitch our tents and had to

finish before the rain. This was not difficult work

because we assisted each other. It rained

throughout the night; I felt that the temperature

outside must be below zero. The sleeping bags

and mats were not warm enough and most of us

remained awake during the night.

The real trek was on Saturday. We got up early in

the morning with a layer of condensation on the

tent wall. It was tough getting out of our warm

sleeping bags to be immediately exposed to the

cold. We set off up the hill in three small groups

after breakfast. There was tension in the group

right from the outset as we couldn’t agree on a

suitable pace and some of the group wanted more

breaks while others wanted to continue. However,

as the trek went on, we all gradually wanted

more rests. Unfortunately, we realized we were

lost and it started raining at the same time. We

soon called our tutors and got useful instructions

from them. It turned out we had taken a wrong

turn but with our group instinct and superb map

reading skills, we found our way again. I’ve never

been so relieved in my life than when I saw the

open field that led to the campsite. We were the

last group to arrive as we dragged off our now

heavy rucksacks onto the grass and let out a great

sigh of relief. By the way, the barbecue that night

was fantastic!

This expedition only lasted 3 days and 2 nights

and it was the last trek for some of us. Although it

was tiring, to be honest, it was great fun and an

unforgettable experience.

By Lingqun Jiang

(Sarah)

THE DUKE

OF

EDINBURGH

AWARD

13

The Aftermath

An endless list of the advantages of the Duke of Edinburgh Award could be compiled and it really is

true that participation helps to broaden your horizons. We are lucky to have such good leaders, Mr

Torres and Mr Nicklin: thank you so much for your patience and help. The expedition will remain with

me as an experience that was not only a highlight of the award, but also of my schooling and life too.

If you plan to start the Award, all I can say is, ‘GO FOR IT!’

14

15

16

Cambridge Tutors College had a visit to the

magnificent London Eye on the 28th January

2012. Apparently, this trip was an applauding

success as most of the students described it as an

incredible and remarkable trip. In fact, lots of

the students expressed their heartfelt gratitude

to the college for organizing an event that

enables students to strengthen the bond between

each other as well as an opportunity to have a

bird’s eye view of the entire City of London.

This trip was led by Mr Cook and there were

approximately 15 students who took part. Indeed,

there were a few comments from students about

this particular trip. Yu Yang and Kimberly from

the AS level both said that this trip had enabled

them to view the beautiful vistas of the city.

They were both satisfied with the arrangement of

the trip.

After the fascinating London Eye, students had

visited the River Thames. These students were

divided into a few groups so that most of them

were able to experience the awe-inspiring river in

an organized way. One of the students had

expressed his opinion that the River Thames

enabled him to understand the significance of the

river to the city as it acts as a natural centre

point to the City of London.

Throughout the trips, lots of students had learnt

the importance of knowing how to enjoy the

beauty of nature amid striving for success in their

life. A number of them were glad that the

college had arranged such a wonderful trip for

them because this trip had not only assisted them

to comprehend the importance of the River

Thames to the people of London but it also

enabled them to enjoy lots of breath-taking

scenery along the riverbank.

Finally students had indeed enjoyed the fine and

memorable moments in the London Eye trip. I am

sure that they will treasure these moments deep

in their heart.

By Hu Zhi Xiong (Lenard)

A VISIT TO THE LONDON EYE

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My Cambridge Interview Experience

I am Julie Nguyen, recently admitted to Homerton

College, Cambridge to read Economics. I will go

straight to the point about my interview

experience. By the way, if you intend to apply to

Oxbridge, these two universities have many

colleges, so you have to choose a college in the

system as well or you can simply choose “Open

application” in your UCAS application.

I chose Homerton College, frankly, on a random

basis. But I think I made the right choice. The

college not only offered me accommodation the

night before the interview, but they also had a

very helpful team to show you around and help

you along the way. Some colleges, as far as I

know, do not have the same facilities. So if you

can, it would be advisable to arrive a day early

and try experiencing college life.

Coming to the interview, contrary to popular

beliefs, you do not have to be an expert in your

field. One of my interviewers was the college

Principal, and she is an archaeologist! In my

opinion, they want to test your critical thinking

skills, more than your knowledge. But it would be

useful to read the news and be aware of what’s

going on in your field, (I was asked about the

Eurozone crisis and government bonds). Also know

your personal statement well.

Lastly, relax! Some of my friends did not seem to

have a pleasant interview experience but I was

lucky to have enjoyed my time. I met and chatted

with other interviewees, with the canteen caterer

and with other people I ran into, which was a

valuable experience. During the interview, you

will be nervous (anyone would), but try to think

clearly and focus on the question. Be sure to

prepare some questions for the end of the

interview as they may ask if you have any. Show

your interest and enthusiasm for your subject and

the college.

Good luck!

Julie Nguyen

London and the Houses of Parliament as seen from the London Eye

18

By Yodsapon Chirawut (Ton)

TALK WITH THAIS

I am pleased to interview Khemmathin

Lueangwattanapong, an A2 Thai student at

Cambridge Tutors College, about his home

country, Thailand, at the centre of the Indochina

peninsula in Southeast Asia and famous for a

number of tourist destinations, including

Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

Can you please introduce yourself first?

My name is Khemmathin Lueangwattanapong.

You can call me Martin. I am an A2 student at

Cambridge Tutors College.

First of all, could you describe Thai culture in

general?

Well… 95% of the Thai population is Buddhist.

Traditional Thais are close to a Buddhist temple

which is seen as the centre of a community. Most

festivals feature Buddhism, along with

entertainment which is the main characteristic of

Thai people.

Songkran at a Thai temple The throwing of water

Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Temple of the Dawn near Chao Phraya

River, Bangkok

19

The notable example is the water festival or

Songkran on 13rd to 15th April which marks the

Thai New Year. People visit a temple to gain

merit in the morning and later throw water to

each other. It is believed that water will wash

away bad luck.

In the past, the rich liked to have a temple

constructed in their names to express their faith

in the religion and show their prosperity. This

resulted in several temples clustered in the same

areas in Bangkok and the old capital, Ayutthaya.

How are people’s lives nowadays?

Today Thai people are less associated with

temples. Modernity has changed the face of

Thailand and many traditions have adapted to

new lifestyles. The most apparent is Bangkok,

one of the most hectic cities in the world and

also the economic centre of Thailand. There are

many shopping areas such as Siam Square, MBK

centre, Ratchaprasong district and Sukhumvit

Road linked by Sky Bridge which attract a wide

range of customers from young school and

college students to office workers and foreign

Ruins of Chaiwatthanaram temple,

Ayutthaya

Interior of Central World, Bangkok

Pratunam Market which is famously popular for its fashion factory outlets, Bangkok

Bangkok skyline

Display of respect of the younger towards the older is a Thai cornerstone value.

20

tourists.

Although there have been changes in Thai

society, many interesting cultures still exist.

There is the custom of bun khun, which stresses

the indebtedness towards parents, as well as

towards guardians, teachers and carers. This

reflects the level of the wai or Thai salutation.

Similarly to other Asian nations, rice is a staple

food of Thai cuisine which is eaten along with

other shared dishes in each meal. Thai cuisine is

well known for the spiciness which is lowered

when it is cooked for foreign visitors who are not

familiar with Thai food. Popular Thai dishes

include Tom Yum Soup and Thai papaya salad.

This is the end of our session, ‘Talk with

Thais’, in this magazine. Thank you for letting

me interview you, Martin. I wish you luck for

your education in the UK.

Thailand is a fascinating country with a number

of interesting cultural and tourist attractions

which cannot be included in only a few pages.

So, on the next holiday, I recommend everyone

visit Thailand and learn the unique

characteristics at first-hand.

Ronald McDonald greets with a wai in Thailand.

Tom Yum Soup

Shared meal Thai style

Papaya salad

21

By Yili Chen & Nan Yang

FOOTBALL FUNDRAISING

A s we all know, there are a lot of activities

we must attend to do the DofE Award,

including expeditions and raising money

by selling doughnuts for charity. But this time we

had a new activity which is football fundraising.

On 24th of March, many students went to Monks

Hill Sports Centre to play football. All of the boys

and girls were divided into eight groups and they

had their own pitches to play on. After the

competition lasting the whole morning, the

winners had emerged. All of us had a great time

that morning because we felt so happy to think

we had helped children by carrying out this

activity.

And we were glad to have an interview with Mr

Torres who was the leader of the Duke of

Edinburgh scheme for that morning. In the past,

he has often organized activities like parties or

selling doughnuts to raise money for charity. The

football game was also a good chance for students

to help society and develop relationships

between themselves and have a better

understanding of each other, even if they are

from different countries with different cultures.

It is an opportunity to practice their team work.

So everyone there who attended the game and

also Mr Torres enjoyed themselves. The players

tried their best to compete with others until the

last whistle although some of them did not win a

game. Some further ideas for raising money for

charity next time could be a basketball or

badminton game to make the fundraising even

more interesting. All of the members of DofE are

looking forward to it and hope everyone in our

college can take part and have fun with us.

Finally, we had a good time with Mr Torres and

after interviewing him, we all had a deeper

appreciation of this football fundraising activity.

Anyway, we would like to take this opportunity to

thank everyone from Cambridge Tutors College

for donating a fantastic £235.97 to Save the

Children which is for helping youngsters all over

the world who are homeless and suffer from

hunger. This represents our love for them by

working hard the whole morning, even if we did

not raise a huge amount!

22

I once wondered: “What does it mean to be a

part of a company? How hard can it be to

come up with a product and to make money

by selling it?” That was in the days before I joined

the “Young Enterprise” scheme in September

2011. Since then all my expectations of being in a

business and knowledge about business have

been altered and improved but it did not come

easy!

It all started on a sunny September evening when

I and some other students from CTC went to a

meeting in Croydon Conference Centre. There

were hundreds of students there, but I could not

recognise anyone. Everyone was from other

schools from different parts of Croydon – like

Trinity, Coloma, Whitgift – and we, compared to

them, were like a drop in the ocean.

The meeting itself began with lessons learned

from company members from last year’s Young

Enterprise Company who, luckily, are now a Ltd.

company selling pens with perfume bottles built

into them. That really lifted everyone’s spirits.

Everyone thought, “I also want to be like those

guys – found a company and sell my products for

profit.” During that meeting everyone in the

Conference Centre was arranged in their groups

(later known as “companies”). My first impression

of my group was good – intelligent individuals

from different schools (including Star (Hanyang

Ge) and Cindy (Khouw ) from CTC) with the

inspiration to go ahead and to do whatever it

might take to win.

Then we had our first meeting in Nestlé

headquarters and decided on our company name.

It was a choice between two – Cliché and Colours

Inc. (my idea). We chose Colours Inc. based on

mine and another, Trinity student’s, idea. We felt

that “the name represents our diversity in ideas,

By Edgars “Eddy” Kronbergs

MUSIC INC.: MAKING NOISE WITH A DIFFERENCE

23

backgrounds and roles in the company, like

colours in a rainbow”. Also, in our second

meeting, we were assigned our roles: Hanyang got

the role of Sales Deputy , Cindy – deputy of

Administration and I got the role of Human

Resources Manager. At the beginning I was a bit

disappointed because I thought that the role was

like the one portrayed in the U.S. version of “The

Office” – a nerdy guy who is bullied and laughed

at by his boss, but as the process picked up, I

enjoyed my role more and more.

Now we had the toughest test - to come up with

a product to sell. We went through many ideas –

Snapback hats, “toothbrush & mouthwash” (2in1),

speaker pillows, a phone application with a

healthy dish cookery book – but none of them

went through. This was due to many reasons.

Mainly people’s enthusiasm declined because we

did not have a product to sell and the scheme was

not going the way they had expected. Therefore

there were a lot of absences that I had to address

and I had to motivate people to keep up and to

keep pushing because the end result would be

very pleasing. Secondly we were let down by our

ideas – they were either too expensive, too

complicated to develop and manufacture or there

were a lot of arguments against each product

which people put forward.

But then, out of the blue, our Managing Director,

Havish Patel from Trinity School had a eureka

moment. He said, “Guys, if we are musical and

we know a lot about popular trends in music and

listening to music, why don’t we sell speakers?

Not any ordinary speakers, but the kind of

speakers you cannot find on the High Street.”

Everyone supported this idea and we chose four

kinds of speakers to sell – Mini Ball speakers (small

pocket speakers), Boombox speakers (very loud

and easy to use speakers), Rubik’s cube speaker

(a quirky design speaker) and Water Dancing

speaker (yes, you guessed it – water flowing inside

of them). We decided on the price and went out

to sell them , under the name of “Music Inc.”

But, as usual, our expectations were way too high

– the speakers were sold very slowly. Mainly

because we did not have venues to sell the

speakers in because, thanks to absences and

Myself, Stephanie Nkeiru (from Coloma School), Havish Patel (our Managing Director from Trinity School) and Croydon Mayor Councillor Graham Bass.

24

indecisiveness, we missed our big selling events –

Christmas and Chinese New Year. But it was not

bad news all the way. Although we were

disorganised in the meetings, we really stood out in

Trade Fairs. We are the only Young Enterprise

company this year that has won every single trade

fair award – distinction at New Addington Fair, 3rd

place at Whitgift Centre Fair and 2nd place at

Centrale Trade Fair. In the Centrale Trade Fair we

really stood out by being the only Young Enterprise

company that offered a range of products whereas

other companies were focusing on only one

product. It was a fantastic day for me as well

because out of 10 speakers we sold that day 7 were

sold by me. The peak of the day was when we

presented ourselves to Croydon Mayor, Graham

Bass. That was the first time in my life that I have

spoken to a real mayor!

The first “Company Liquidation Presentation” of

our company was on 24th April. From that we went

on to Croydon Finals which were on 10th May. It

went so well and we impressed the judges so much

that we got 2nd place award and we were chosen

along with the winning team to take part in South

London finals. And, who knows, maybe we will go

even further. The company progresses through

competitions so I had to edit this column over and

over again. That's probably one of the

disadvantages of being one of the best.

Also I have been nominated for the “Young

Achiever” award. It is awarded to the most

outstanding members of Young Enterprise and I am

one of them. I am feeling quite honoured because

this is my first serious nomination for an award.

Overall this was a very bumpy ride, but it was a

ride that was worth every single penny and every

single second dedicated to it. It definitely is a

fantastic lesson to anyone who is thinking of

working in a business environment in the future

because it shows everything – how business is

founded, how it is managed, how it finds its target

area, how it sells its products and how finances are

run. A wonderful once in a lifetime experience for

me that I will always remember both for the

adventures I had in it and the friends I made there.

I would recommend that everyone take a part in it

and do not worry if you do not perform

successfully. All businesses make mistakes and they

learn from mistakes - not text-book theory

mistakes, but real life mistakes!

Informal Concert

What is an informal Concert? In CTC an

Informal Concert is an event that gives all

students the opportunity to perform in front of

the audience and show their passion about

music and performance. It took place in the

college’s examination hall on the 14th of

February, 2012 during lunch break. Actually,

this is our second concert and the first one

was on the 23rd of November, 2011. On this

occasion, there were 5 performances.

The first was given by Bryan who is an 18-

month student and a member of the college’s

magazine committee. He sang a song “Sway”

which originally was sung by Michael Buble.

Being part of the audience, I could tell that he

was really nervous, but by the end, he had

given an impressive performance.

Next was a performance by 4 students. They

were Nay Chi, Vikas, Kevin and Re Gin. They

showed all the students their passion for

dancing. There were many steps that they put

together, but basically it was hip-hop dancing.

The third performance of the concert was

given by Sara. She sang a song called “Lying

Eyes” by the Eagles. Besides singing, she also

played the guitar.

Later, there was a duet by Eve and Sophie.

They also sang a song called “What are

Words?”.

Last, but not least, was the aria that was

performed by Long. He sang a Italian song

called “Time to Say Goodbye”. He is very

talented, evident from his stunning

performance. At the end of the song, he

delivered a long and very difficult chorus. This

is why people like to save the best for last.

Being as one of the audience it was a great

experience for me to see and understand what

people are passionate about. Every moment in

the concert was enjoyable and unforgettable.

What will happen next year? I hope it will be

great and amaze everyone!

Korlong Lee (Long)

25

CTC produces many talented

students with extraordinary

skills in Art, Music, Dance,

Sports etc. Whatever the

talent is you are sure to find

one or more persons with it.

Our informal concert which is

organised by the student

committee surely brings out

the WOW in the quiet

personalities amongst us.

This year’s Valentine Concert

created not only a love-filled

atmosphere but one in which

many found their confidence.

Our very own Sara Akhavan

who had always felt shy about

performing to an audience of

more than three people,sang

her heart out and played the

guitar too and there is no

doubt that she strummed the

hearts of many of our

students. We also had a

dance group with Vikas,

Kevin, Nay Chi and Re Gin.

For sports we have many

talented badminton, table-

tennis and basketball players

amongst us; perhaps in a few

years to come some of our

students may end up being

the new Selena Williams or

the new Michael Jordan but

either way I am very sure, the

talents of our students will

not die!

Flamenco is a genre of music, song and dance from Andalusia in southern Spain, noted for its energetic, staccato style. It grew from Andalusian music, song and dance styles, influenced by the song and dance of the local Romani people. Flamenco dancing is characterized by colourful costumes, intense and erotic movements, stamping of the feet (zapateado), and clapping of the hands (palmada) its execution is brilliant, noisy, and passionate. It exists in three forms: Cante, the song, Baile, the dance, and Guitarra, guitar playing.

Garba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat

region of India. Many traditional garbas are performed around a

centrally lit lamp or picture/statues of different avatars of the

Goddess Shakti. The circular and spiral figures of Garba have

similarities to other spiritual dances, such as those of Sufi

culture. Traditionally it’s performed during the nine-day Hindu

festival called Navaratri. Both men and woman usually wear

colourful outfits.

Dance in Korea is divided into 4 types: Folk dance, new tra-ditional dance, court dance and ritual dance. The new tradi-tional dance consists of:

Buchaechum- fan dance created by Kim Baek-bong and first presented in public in 1954

Hwagwanmu- floral coronet dance Jangguchum- dance with janggu, hourglass-shaped drum Samgomu Ogomu- a drum dance

In Thailand dance is also put into three categories: Khon, Lakhon and Fawn Thai. However, Khon is the most stylised form of Thai dance. It is performed by dancers who mime the action while the story is being told/sung by a chorus in the background. Dancers wear elaborate costumes and masks to portray different characters.

By Radhika & Deborah

HOBBIES AND TALENTS

TRADITIONAL DANCING FROM AROUND THE WORLD

26

Goodbye and Good Luck to all our Leavers

27

28

THE CTC EDITORIAL TEAM WISHES YOU ALL A GREAT

SUMMER!

STUDENTS

YILI CHEN (WICKY) ARTJOMS ISKOVS ZHI XIONG HU (LENARD) BRYAN THOR PHUONG ANH TRAN (CRIS)

NATASSIA CHIN YI YANG (DAVID) YODSAPON CHIRAWUT ( TON) KORLONG LEE (LONG) NAN YANG

(LYNETTE) LINGQUN JIANG (SARAH) HANYANG GE (STAR)

STAFF

DR DREW MRS DAS GUPTA MRS CARROLL MRS GOLLOP

CONTRIBUTORS

MR DI CLEMENTE (PRINCIPAL) RAI AUNG ZAW EMILY WALKER JIA QI TANG (CASSIE) RADHIKA PATEL

QUYNH CHI LE (KATE) SARA SEYED AKHAVAN DEBORAH ABARA JULIE NGUYEN EDGARS KRONBERGS

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ARTJOMS FOR THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THIS MAGAZINE.