houseUWA International Students Magazine

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If you’re interested in advertising in Lighthouse or have any questions regarding this publication, please contact membership@guild.uwa.edu.au

Disclaimer The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent

the views of the editor, ISS or the UWA Student Guild.

Copyright 2012 © UWA STUDENT GUILD.

Editor Benjamin See

Cover Art Ben Johnston

Design & Layout Wayne Chandra

Advertising Alex Pond

Editorial Assistance Alex Pond, Tersia Elliot & Lachlan Keely

Editor’s Welcome

Director’s Welcome

2012 ISS Committee

Multicultural Week

Don’t Buy A Cheap Car

College Life

Roadtrippin’

Survival Guide

Study Abroad

Long Distance Relationships

Tokyo Sunrise

An International Student In Arts?

Don’t Buy A Cheap Car

Roadtrippin’

Study Abroad

ContEntS04

06

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07

08

08

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exclusively to international students so it is always good to have such support from the international student community.

If you are interested in contributing an article for the next edition, we will be asking for submissions and articles for the second edition very soon. So please check your ISS emails further details!

Finally, I do hope that you all enjoy this magazine as much as I enjoyed producing it. Lastly, I would like to wish you all the best in your coming exams!

Benjamin See 2012 Lighthouse Editor

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the first edition of the Lighthouse Magazine for 2012. I sincerely hope that all the stress of assignments and exams haven’t gotten to you. But do not fret for the holidays are coming up!

In this issue we have a lot of interesting articles ranging from a second hand car buying experience to the long distance relationship. Perth may be the most isolated capital city in the world there is certainly no shortage of things to do here. I hope that you will find these articles insightful into life as an International student in Perth whether it’s your first or final year at UWA.

I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute to this edition. The Lighthouse is a magazine catering

the EditorWelcome

Lighthouse Editor //Benjamin See

LIGHTHOUSE //Editor’s Welcome

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exciting events and activities for the year in addition to our annual Multicultural Week. We hope to see you at our events soon!

If you have any problems or just want to chat, do drop by our office in Room 2.62 on the Guild Building or call us at (08) 6488 2289. If we missed you, you can drop us an email anytime at iss-committee@guild.uwa.edu.au!

I wish you all the best in your exams!

Daniel Chai 2012 ISS Director

Hi everyone,

My name is Daniel and I am the 2012 International Student Service Director. As the end of the semester is approaching, I hope that you are all dug down in preparation for the final push towards your examinations.

For all our new students, The International Student Service (ISS) represents all the international students of UWA. We are a Guild organisation tasked with looking after all international students. Our job is basically to help international students with any issues they may face during their university life. The ISS Committee is made up of current students too so whatever problems you are facing, you are not alone.

The 2012 ISS Committee has been busy planning some really

ISS DIRECTOR //Daniel Chai

LIGHTHOUSE //Director’s Welcome

the DirectorWelcome

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LIGHTHOUSE //2012 ISS Committee

MCWby Raymond Ow

ISS DIRECTOR //Daniel Chai

El Presidente

SOCIaL DIRECTOR //Marcus Koh

Social Cucumber

SECRETaRy //Michelle Wong

The Shadow Queen

WELfaRE & EDUCaTIOn DIRECTOR //Ky Jinn Kan

The ‘Fixer’

TREaSURER //Soon Aun Khoo

The Resident Loan Shark

MCW DIRECTOR //Raymond Ow

MCW Slavedriver

2012 ISS Committee

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our events and besides amazing prizes, participants leave with a deeper knowledge of other cultures.

Spring Feast, which is held on the Thursday night of MCW, is our signature event. This is the second largest annual event on the Guild calendar after the O-Week Festival. Every year, we have around 50 stalls set up in the Guild Village selling delicious cuisine from all around the world! In addition to good food, you would also be able to enjoy great entertainment and performances on the night.

Of course, these events aren’t able to plan themselves out of thin air (although at times I really wish that they would). The planning stage for MCW lasts the whole year. There are four different committees that contribute equally to make this whole week as amazing as it is. These are the marketing, media, events and logistics committees, each with their own tasks and responsibilities.

I was in the 2011 Events committee and I can tell you that I had a great time planning all the events for MCW. I not only learnt a lot about the logistics of organizing a large scale event but also forged lasting bonds with people of different cultural backgrounds. And there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your hard work come into fruition during MCW.

So if you are interested and passionate in joining any of the committees, do drop me in an email of interest to mcw2012@raymondow.com and we will get back to you as soon as the 2012 committee recruitment starts!

Do you know how many different cultures there are in the world? If you don’t know, don’t fret. Most people don’t. Anthropologists have been debating for a long time about the exact number of cultures, but it’s as uncountable as the stars in the sky. You may have already noticed UWA is quite a diverse university and as you walk around, you can see people from different cultural backgrounds, some even speaking their native language.

If you didn’t know, ISS has a division called the Multicultural Week (aka MCW). We are a committee that plans events for MCW which is held in second semester! Imagine! A whole week of fun, games and food! And the plus point, you get to learn a lot about different cultures. As the head of this committee, it is my job to oversee the whole process of planning and running of MCW.

This is the 14th consecutive year that MCW is being run at UWA. Over the years, some of the events we have hosted include the Quiz Night, Fashion Show, Amazing Race and Food Tasting. Throughout the years that MCW has been running, we’ve had a great turnout to

MCWby Raymond Ow

MCW DIRECTOR //Raymond Ow

LIGHTHOUSE //MCW

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My financial situation wasn’t at its best so I gave myself a budget of $2000 to get a car that could get me from point A to point B and spent nights trawling Gumtree for a decent, cheap car. Little did I know that “cheap” and “decent” just don’t go together.

I bought him from a Malaysian, Rachel, who was relocating to Sydney with her fiancé so she no longer had a need for her car. She brought me on a test run and George performed marvelously, even exceeding the expectations of my cynical aunt and uncle.

I’m not saying he was perfect though. The paint was cracked at some parts, rubber was falling out at some windows, and he smelt as though an old man had lived in the backseat for a couple of years. I even found an unopened box of gastric pills from Eu Yang Sang in the backseat.

“All fixable!” I said. I bought air freshener, dusted out the mats and sent him for a carwash. What else did I expect from a $1,500 car? George was no Maserati, he wouldn’t even qualify for Top Gear’s reasonably priced car. But he was dirt-cheap and had a certain X-factor about him that made me love him.

I drove him perfectly for the next few weeks and I ignored what everyone had to say about my “terrifying”, “cheap”, “lousy” and “pathetic” car. Soon enough friends caved and said he wasn’t that bad.

“He is my car, and I shall name him George”, I said as I looked at my ’89 Toyota Corolla sitting in the driveway of my new home in Canning Vale.

I was proud of George; He was my very own car, paid in full with the hard-earned money I made back in Singapore. His arrival was also significant because it meant I was a step closer to the “real university experience”. You know, the stereotypical poor student, having to work a few crap jobs, having a crap car and listening to crap lecturers then mugging late at night with a well-meaning relationship with Indo-Mee.

I wasn’t in such a dire situation. I lived with my aunt, in a house full of students with delicious Asian food at my disposal every day. I didn’t need the well-meant relationship with Indo-Mee, but I did need a car to travel the 30-minute trip to university.

A WoRD to tHE WISE: Don’t Buy Cheap Cars

by Amanda Lee

LIGHTHOUSE //Don’t Buy Cheap Cars

not the actual ‘George’

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George was fine for another few weeks, but then his windshield wipers began to fail me. In winter, in the midst of rain and wind, I was blind. I couldn’t even see my headlights because water was horribly smeared all over my windshield.

After the rain, water spots covered my screen and I couldn’t even get the windshield wipers to work properly. To top it all off, there was no water coming out from the washer. After a particularly dangerous day in the rain, I was at a friend’s house when he took a look at my car. He whipped out a fresh pair of windshield wipers and offered to change them for me. FOR FREE! I was overjoyed and they worked perfectly.

Over the next few months, things went downhill for George. He rattled, I couldn’t go above 100km/h and I had yet to buy insurance or send him for servicing. In a week, terrified that my car might explode while I was on the freeway, I decided to go ahead and spend the money. I bought the basic membership for the RAC, and bought a secondhand washer for my car. Now soapy water cleaned my windshield at the push of a button.

Then I stumbled upon a Scoopon that provided full servicing as well as an exterior and interior cleaning for my car for only $39! I bought it without hesitation. I

gloated over how much money I had saved. I had just dropped a friend at the airport and was telling my friend in the passenger seat how wonderful it was that I had barely spent any money on my cheap yet decent car. “Good boy George!” I patted him on the dashboard. Then my friend yelled in alarm. “Is that smoke coming from your car?!”. I panicked, stopped at an empty lot and lifted the bonnet. George had overheated. Smoke was rising and there was a burning smell. My radiator had cracked, and it was going to cost my $260 on top of the $30 for the coolant.

As I sat reflecting after that incident, I realized that my cheap, decent car wasn’t so cheap or decent after all.

The only reason why George had made it this far into the year was due to good friends, lots of money and a lousy lady driver who went at speeds below 100km/h.

When you purchase your student car, don’t scrimp! Spend your money on a decent car that has relatively easy to find parts and you’ll never be in trouble. Also, invest in an RAC membership - You will need it if you’re stranded in the middle of the freeway in Perth.

Then I got into an accident.

I had lived up to the tag of the stereotypical of Asian female driver. I was a woman driver who had an accident in the school parking lot with – the most shameful part of all – a PARKED car. I was ashamed but in my defence, a seagull was gambolling around a grassy patch and it caught my attention.

The navy blue Toyota that I hit was fine, except for her tow-bar that was a little scratched. George on the other hand, had one of his tyres punctured and bits of metal flaked off from the side of him.

He was a mess.

One friend who had veritable knowledge about the inner workings of cars poked at my spare tyre he had sprung from the back of my car and said flatly, “It’s flat”. My friends who had come to help me in my time of need carried my flat, spare tyre to the Caltex on the corner of Broadway and pumped it full of air.

When they brought it back, we discovered that not only was it flat but air was leaking from it as well. Long story short, I had to spend $138 to replace two tyres, the one that I had punctured and the spare because it had spent 22 years in the back of my car and was leaking air. As it was, the $138 was already a big discount from a friend who was a mechanic.

LIGHTHOUSE //Don’t Buy Cheap Cars

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LIGHTHOUSE //Ads

College Lifeby Jun Xiang

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11ISSUE 1 - 2012

LIGHTHOUSE //College Life

College Lifeby Jun Xiang

know what LAN night is, it’s a night where people bring their laptop and razor mouse down, armed with earphones for a night of hardcore gaming.

The college is also close to uni, which encourages students to attend lectures and tutorials. Students can organise project meetings at the college and it can sometimes be a more conducive environment when uni is crowded and noisy. Students can also afford to stay later at uni to study as college is nearby. Living at certain colleges like Currie Hall grants gym membership to students at the UWA recreational centre whereas Trinity College has a private gym for accommodating students. This promotes a healthier lifestyle for fitness-crazed students and encourages students to work out because of the accessibility.

Living at a college has its bad points too, especially on Wednesday nights (also known as student nights) when many people will go clubbing (at the Captain Stirling, aka Cap S). There is usually a loud commotion along the corridors

during pre-drinking and this can cause disturbance to some students. I find this annoying as it sometimes interrupts the times when I am skyping with my parents/friends or when I am finishing a project due the next day. The resident advisor in charge takes care of the din but it can take a while from the initial phone call and the RA coming. Also, I often feel obliged to eat at the college as I have food included in my contract and it feels like a waste eating outside. The food can get mundane sometimes with the same menu.

To sum up, despite the ocasional short comings living at a college is like having a large family and is a unique experience during uni life.

My college consists of many locals, exchange and international students from all over the world. College life promotes interaction between students by hosting a lot of events where students residing can participate and socialise. This also encourages cultural exchange through food, parties and conversations. Many of the events are alcoholic and this brings out the interesting side of people; interesting because some quiet people become very expressive and some become the depressed - it’s amusing to watch. However, for those non-alcoholic event go-ers, college also organises events like poker night, board games night and LAN night. For those who don’t

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LIGHTHOUSE //Roadtrippin’

Roadtrippin’by Pauline Chung

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LIGHTHOUSE //Roadtrippin’

Roadtrippin’by Pauline Chung

forms is visible to the naked eye. We would not have known of these places if not for the local knowledge of our Aussie friend Nathan.

When we were not busy hanging out at the beach or visiting places, our time was spent at our beautiful temporary home, where some of us (the potential Masterchefs) were busy preparing the most scrumptious of meals. Each meal, from breakfast to dinner had been planned out weeks ahead of the trip. Throughout the holiday, our stomachs were highly satisfied and we looked forward to each meal, ranging from steamboats to BBQs. While the chefs cooked up a storm, the rest of us would be chilling in the living room playing the Wii console that we brought along or singing along to the guitar. The best thing about the place was that whenever we were bored, the beach was a mere five minutes walk from us and no road trip is complete without many cartons of beer and the funny antics of your friends.

We spent the last day of our trip visiting the different beaches around Lancelin and Wanneroo as we headed back to Perth. The beauty of God’s creation was a spectacular sight as each beach was unique, not to mention the crystal clear water. At the end of the four days, we were all happily tanned and, without a doubt, I had had the most amazing of roadtrips.

For us international students, road trips are a normalcy as semester break approaches. The last summer break was no exception, as sixteen of us headed up north for a two and a half hour drive to a small place called Jurien Bay. It was a trip unlike any other this time around as there was no itinerary planned and all of us were content with just relaxing and enjoying each other’s company after a semester of facing the books. With the company and empty beaches surrounding the town, we were able to do the things any student would enjoy: swimming in the sea, playing in the sand, fishing and just basking in the sun.

We also drove around the area and did some sightseeing. We visited the thousands of rock formations at the Pinnacles where we let our imaginations run wild, with some of the rocks resembling a dancing couple and another a certain male organ. As Asians, such visits are never short of many picture-taking stops. One of the places we visited to admire its natural surroundings was Lake Thetis, which is known for the microbial activity of some of the Earth’s most ancient life

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LIGHTHOUSE //International Students Survival Guide

International Students Survival Guide

by Chuah Hun Hao

University is full of challenges: getting good grades, handling unrealistic expectations from lecturers, balancing social life with study, surviving the dating game and living with crazy housemates.

If you have all that figured out, good on you! Otherwise, here are 3 tips to help you survive university.

tip 1 // You’re In Charge

It is a fantastic sense of freedom when it’s up to you to manage your days, but it comes with responsibility. Lecturers and tutors won’t be breathing down your neck to make sure you attend classes.

It is your own responsibility to keep up with the material. Remember this, you are no longer able to cram your work into the night before it’s due. So set priorities, set aside time for work and study and avoid procrastination. At university, it’s all up to you.

tip 2 // Balance Study with Life

There’s so much more to campus life than just mere study. This is an excellent opportunity to develop yourself into a well-rounded person, to try out new things, to discover likes and dislikes and explore new interests.

Join clubs, volunteer for events and embrace the social side by meeting others. All these help to build up your network, providing you with limitless advantages for the future. It also helps to occupy yourself with meaningful events to feel more at home and cope with any homesickness. However, do get into the habit of limiting your nights out, and balance both your study and social needs.

tip 3 // Always Stay Positive

Chances are you may have been amongst the top of your class in high school. However, it is very competitive at university especially when there are many high achievers in your cohort. Stay positive if you feel you are not up to their standard and always try to remember your own qualities and capabilities that have gotten you to university in the first place.

If you feel that you are struggling, you’ll find plenty of support from the tutors and academic staff. They are always ready to help. Finally, focus on the long term goal of gaining knowledge. Every single minor assignment and tests are just small steps towards achieving that goal.

LIGHTHOUSE //Ads

Celebrate Remember Fight Back!

Celebrate Remember Fight Back!

Relay@UWA is a UWA Student Guild supported event, in which teams of 10-15 people walk or run, relay-style, around the Oak Lawn for 24 hours!

Having raised over $100,000 in 2011, we hope to raise even more in 2012 – and we want you to help us make it happen!

Relay@UWA is a special event for a special cause – money raised for the Cancer Council goes towards cancer research and education, and support for patients and their families.

Relay@UWA is a great weekend of fun, with round-the-clock bands and DJ’s, celebration and remembrance ceremonies, sports, friends and family. It’s a special way to celebrate cancer survivors, remember those lost, and fight back against a disease that takes so many from our community.

Get involved!Find out how to get involved by sending an e-mail to the 2012 co-ordinators at relay@guild.uwa.edu.au!

Like our page on Facebook!‘Relay@UWA’

To register a team go to www.relayforlife.org.au, click on the REGISTER buttom and follow the prompts to the Relay@UWA page!

Register

Relay for Life

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LIGHTHOUSE //Study Abroad

Study Abroadby Tan Chingyee

When I was on exchange, I had the time of my life. I met the most amazing people, had many epic nights one after another, backpacked around Europe and still achieved the required 24 credit points. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I would definitely recommend it. If you like travelling and immersing yourself in new cultures, then there is no excuse for you to not head down to the Study Abroad office in Hackett Hall today!

Study Abroad

It is not all weekends in London and epic parties at night, studying is actually involved. I went on exchange to Leicester University in the UK and did four Law units all of which were assessed by end of semester essays, meaning it is all easy breezy till the week before the due date.

The lectures and material were pretty standard, nothing you wouldn’t expect in an Australian university. Except tutorials consists of eight or less people, sitting on couches in our tutor’s personal office, discussing everything from the materials we prepared to current affairs in the UK.

It was intimate and intimidating, but personally I found it was a

great way to actually develop an interest in the subject we were studying.

new Country, new Friends

The most daunting part of moving to a new place is meeting new people. The people you surround yourself with will either make or break your semester. It was pure luck that I met a great group of friends at orientation and we were pretty much inseparable for the three and a half months we had classes as well as the month and a half we spent backpacking Europe.

Being in a foreign country in a foreign situation tends to bring people together and the best advice I can give anyone is to attend Orientation, keep an open mind and go with the flow.

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LIGHTHOUSE //Study Abroad

Culture Shock

The UK is not too different from Australia so any shock I experienced was minimal. However for those of you thinking about studying in a country that is not so similar, I wouldn’t let the potential for culture shock put you off. While the term “culture shock” does have certain negative connotations, I find it is not necessarily a bad thing. Rather, it is a potential life changing experience.

Language may be a barrier at times, but from extensive travelling I can assure you that a smile is universal and the most useful tool to pack when heading into a country that does not speak your language. Of course the locals will appreciate your effort to learn a few key phrases - a Bonjour or Ahoy with a friendly smile will get you places.

Living the Bon, Bon Vie

My semester abroad was the breath of fresh air I needed. It was my fourth year in UWA, and with two more years to go I was already exhausted from the dull routine of life in Perth. I needed a shake up and what a shake up it was. I spent my five week Easter break partying in Portugal and Spain, visiting fairy tale towns in France, travelling through the Alps, feasting like a queen in Italy, going on beer challenges in Germany (and failing miserably), celebrating anarchy in Belgium

and Holland before heading back to the south of France for a week of relaxation by the beach.

I’m actually writing this article from London, five months after I completed my study abroad programme, this time on the way to Warsaw, Poland for an internship with AIESEC. It was a life changing experience for me, and had I let the usual excuses prevent me from heading out to Leicester, I would not be the person I am today.

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LIGHTHOUSE //Long Distance Relationships

Long Distance Relationships

by Samantha Sin

Like many of my friends, I used to scorn long distance relationships. Watching a few shows and empathising with the main character’s despondence was as far as I would go. It never occurred to me that I would end up being the main character of a lousy chick flick instead.

It happened barely a month into my first relationship. I received a letter of acceptance from UWA in June and my heart sank.

It was understood that I couldn’t give up the opportunity to study, but my heart was torn, I wanted to stay. How could I leave when I wasn’t even in the first month of my relationship? School began in July and I had less than three weeks to settle my visas and medical checkups, much less spend time with him. My heart was barely committed to going overseas.

What I can say was that during that period of time when I was confused and lost I had friends and family who supported me. Yes, most cautioned against long distance relationships but neither of us were willing to let

go and turning away from the reality of it all, we refused to let a little thing such as distance come between us.

We humoured the words of warnings, placated our parents and smiled at our friends. But we knew we weren’t going to let go of each other. So what if the odds of a long distance relationship working out were one in ten? Or even one in a hundred? We were going to be the exception.

A rushed month of packing and getting everything sent and done went by. There was barely time for my friends and family to register that I was leaving my home to live alone for months, there was no time to say goodbye to anyone, or to spend with him. Barely into our honeymoon period, our new relationship took on a sorrowful tone. In some ways, we tried to treasure the time I had left in Singapore as much as possible, but even those times had to be balanced out with time for my friends and family. After a whirlwind month, like a 20 episode Korean drama, I bid him farewell the day after his birthday and left for the city of Perth.

I was still in shock from the sudden up and leaving of my friends and family. Unlike my other international friends, I only had about three weeks to come to terms with my departure from Singapore. But I needed to adapt to my situation. New city, new mind right? I landed with the idea of making the best out of everything.

Settling in was alright: I found myself in a small room sharing with two other girls from China who were cousins. Both were working, and besides the language barrier, we got along fine. We wouldn’t have been the best of friends, but we did get along. It was lonely though and I missed him.

It was tough, so difficult to go without him. There was a huge lack of communication and though we tried Facebook messaging, twitter, snail mail, calling, skyping and texting, there’s nothing like being close to the one you love, physically.

Settling in, you find your time occupied by school work, new

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LIGHTHOUSE //Long Distance Relationships

friends and just getting to know your surroundings. Then you settle in and you start to realise how much you miss home. Important celebrations in the year like friends’ birthdays, you see the pictures on Facebook and your heart just breaks. I spent nights, days, alone and depressed and wishing to be back home. I half-heartedly joked that my anthem was “All By Myself”. Days were spent refreshing my message page, going to my letter box just to check for mail and enduring that small pinch of disappointment when I found only fliers at the bottom of the mailbox.

I spent most of my time in Perth pinning away for home when really I should have been taking in the fresh air of Matilda Bay, the sights and sounds of Fremantle and the freedom I had. I was letting my once-in-a-lifetime experience slip out of my hands. I realised that though I missed my boyfriend, my friends and family, I had so much to live for here.

I learnt that when you’re overseas, you’re living a separate life from the one you had at

home. There was no way I could combine both. I learnt that I had to live my life afresh and to stop worrying and thinking about the people I left back home. I knew that when I returned, they’d still be there for me. Like I said earlier, I wasn’t going to let a little thing like distance separate my boyfriend and I. It goes the same way for my family. I had to learn to enjoy my life in Australia and make something of it.

I made friends, enjoyed a rocking session of laser tag, enjoyed the simple beauty of a sunset and I didn’t let thoughts of how much I wished he was here effect that simple beauty. Over time you learn to let it go, because you know back home he’s there, waiting for you.

Sounds like when you return home all your troubles would fade away once you’re in his arms right? Truth is, the trouble doesn’t end there. When you’re back, you realise you have to find time for both your family and friends and you can’t spend day and night with him. Some friends will never understand

how difficult it is to be in a long distance relationship and chances are they’ll feel slighted when you choose your boyfriend over them. It’s a great balancing act you have to learn.

But truth be told, it’s not all sorrow and hard work. Coming home, back in his arms, you feel safe, like nothing could tear you two apart because you managed to overcome such a huge hurdle together. You even fight less because you cherish the little time you have with each other. Take comfort in the knowledge that though you are miles away, somewhere, there’s someone who loves you and is thinking about you as much as you think about him. Don’t let little seeds of doubt creep into your mind, you know he misses you as much as you miss him.

I’m not saying LDRs are easy. They’re hard, but if you endure and persevere, you will probably end up with a more beautiful and lasting relationship in the end.

20 ISSUE 1 - 2012

LIGHTHOUSE //Tokyo Sunrise

As the Liaison Officer for International Student Services (ISS), I organised an event that would bring together both the domestic and international students to raise money for victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Tokyo Sunrise was the name decided upon and we hoped that the money raised would give hope to the Japanese people to rise above their plight.

To ensure that Tokyo Sunrise stood out from the other university clubbing events, we spent long hours brainstorming

and discussing what we could do to make our event special. Everything was discussed with the Japanese theme in mind, from the poster to the tickets and even the border of photo booth prints. From these long brainstorming sessions emerged ideas that could help make our event unique and exciting.

We scouted a few potential locations and ultimately settled on Gold Bar in Subiaco. The manager, Natalie and her team were more than happy to support our charity event, even going so far as to create a signature cocktail for the event. Not to mention that they made free shisha available to all guests throughout the event. To minimize costs, we employed the services of DJ Vibez and DJ Fellis who were friends of a friend. The DJs did a stellar job with the music and guests danced right til the end of the night.

Even though it was a charity event, I still wanted to make it memorable for our guests. So I engaged the services of a professional face painter using neon paint that reacted under black light. As you can imagine, those that got themselves painted had a field day and the club was filled with many vibrant colours. I also hired a photo booth at the entrance where guests could get their photos taken for free.

With everything in place, the weeks preceding the event were dedicated to an extensive marketing and promotion campaign. Because of this, all the tickets for the event were sold out and another batch of tickets had to be printed. Tokyo Sunrise was getting support from everyone and it was encouraging to see the number of people that showed up to party for a good cause.

tokyo Sunriseby Sheen Shan

21 ISSUE 1 - 2012

LIGHTHOUSE //Tokyo Sunrise

The charity that we donated to was Project HOPE. This is an organisation where many healthcare professionals have volunteered their time to help with medical treatment as well as with the post-traumatic stress relief counseling for the victims. From the chatter on Facebook and Twitter post event, Tokyo Sunrise received a lot of positive feedback from everyone who attended. After our costs, we still collected over $3,000 for Project hope. If you have any enquiries regarding the charity or would like to donate, please

visit www.projecthope.org for more information.

I learnt a lot from spearheading Tokyo Sunrise, but the most valuable thing that I learnt was the importance of communication and teamwork while planning an event. I am grateful to all those that helped make the event a roaring success, especially the manager of Gold Bar, Natalie and her staff, Kyla Morgan the face painter, the photo booth attendants Emma and Tony, the cosplayers Howard Yung and Alwyn Kyi, the UWA Student Guild for their generous funding, Henry Dudek for managing the finances, all the ISS affiliates and not to mention everyone at ISS who worked tirelessly to make Tokyo Sunrise an unforgettable event. But most of all, I am thankful for all the support from everybody that came because without them, Tokyo Sunrise couldn’t have been as successful as it was. Please join the ISS if you are interested as you will definitely learn a lot and have fun doing so, not to mention the opportunity to meet new people and experience new things. I look forward to the next ISS event in the coming year and hope to see you there!

22 ISSUE 1 - 2012

LIGHTHOUSE //An International Students in Arts?

I have noticed a slight change in people’s reactions when I tell them that I am doing a degree in the Faculty of Arts (well no, first they make a face when they think I am doing Fine Arts which warrants me having to quickly correct them that Arts is part of the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty.) After that, they continue to make a face and proceed to ask me how I think I will get a job? Did I mention I’m Asian? Most Singaporeans, Malaysians, Vietnamese, etc all end up studying degrees related to Business, Engineering or Science, so it’s really rare to find someone studying the Arts. Rare enough that in most of my tutorials, I’m the token Asian, which makes for some strange and awkward moments. With reference to one of my history tutorials about the Asian menace in Australian history and the tutor then asking “So…..Kenneth….What do you think?”

Here’s the question they should ask me, “But Kenneth, why would

you want to study Arts?” My response would be because I was terrible at anything that required numbers and strange symbols. The few people I talked to about why they were doing their degrees in everything but Arts (I’m not limiting it to just UWA, I have asked my friends from the other universities) said that their parents either forced them or they just wanted to make a fat load of cash. The first reason, our parents forcing us, only seems to exist in Asian families. I have not met a single Australian who said his parents forced him to study Medicine. So I have to hand it to us Asians, parents forcing us to study stuff we don’t actually want to is in the end really our own issue, exacerbated by fact that they are paying for our education. Obligation!

The second reason, to earn a fat load of cash is increasingly becoming the go-to reason for studying law, engineering, science, business and medicine. No longer is it about saving lives or doing good in the world, it’s all

about making a fat load of cash in the end! I don’t blame them, we have all grown accustomed to the luxuries of life and thus would want to work to maintain the standard of living we have come to love and enjoy. People would look at me and ask why not study stuff like this if you are accustomed to a certain higher standard of living, my reply would be “Well. These degrees require more brain processing which I don’t have.”

What is the point of this? The point of this is a reflection on why there are so little International Students in Arts. There is of course a chance I just haven’t met enough people yet, but when I run through the people I know in UWA, 90% of them are in non-arts degrees. I’m lucky enough to have parents who are completely fine with me studying whatever I want to study, as long as (in their own words), “Get a damn degree.” I look forward to the mad rush for jobs when I graduate, with my Arts Degree in tow (but as a safety net, I think I’ll go for a degree in Education as well!).

An International

Students in Arts? by Kenneth Woo

ENTER ONLINE AT GUILD.UWA.EDU.AU/NCBC

Australian Association of Campus Activities presen ts

UWA HEATS HELD WEEKS 2,3,4 SEMESTER 2STATE FINALS HELD IN AUGUST/SEPTEMBERNATIONAL FINAL HELD IN SEPTEMBER IN ADELAIDE

$8000 NATIONAL PRIZE

Previous winners include Jebediah, Eskimo Joe, The Vines, Grinspoon, The Vasco Era and Runner

5 full days recording at the prestigious Chapel Lane Entertainment Studios5 nights luxury accomodation “The Manse Guest House”$1,000 cash to get the band to Adelaide

ENTER ONLINE AT GUILD.UWA.EDU.AU/NCBC

Australian Association of Campus Activities presen ts

UWA HEATS HELD WEEKS 2,3,4 SEMESTER 2STATE FINALS HELD IN AUGUST/SEPTEMBERNATIONAL FINAL HELD IN SEPTEMBER IN ADELAIDE

$8000 NATIONAL PRIZE

Previous winners include Jebediah, Eskimo Joe, The Vines, Grinspoon, The Vasco Era and Runner

5 full days recording at the prestigious Chapel Lane Entertainment Studios5 nights luxury accomodation “The Manse Guest House”$1,000 cash to get the band to Adelaide

houseUWA International Students Magazine