BouZi #11 Issue 17th Oct 2012

17th October 2012 | 11th Issue

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EDITORS Trevor Lam

Leila Denniston

REGULAR COLUMNS Hong Kong Column Film and Music ARTS SECTION 12:00 4th October Memes Dark Warriors Part 1 "

FEATURES -Impressions -Questions to new teachers -50/20 UWC LPC Anniversary -Party in the USA -Linguistic Determinism 101 -Chinese Martial Art -10 tips to improve the Feng Shui of your room -The LPC students guide to bargaining -Recipes -How to confuse teachers with traffic cones -IB Results

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernanda Lai

17th October 2012 | 11TH Issue |

From"the"Editors"

After a long, restful summer of publishing inactivity, we cordially bring to you the first issue of BouZi in the 2012-2013 school year! Now for those of you who don’t known, BouZi means newspaper in Cantonese, and that is pretty much what we are. Every month, we will publish an issue produced by the community for the community. If someone has an idea, they shoot us an email, we ask them to write it or put it together (depending on the nature of the piece that they want published), and within the month, that exact piece is included in our very next issue!

So we urge anyone who has bright, interesting or funny ideas that they would like to share with the beloved people of our campus (teachers included), to give us a shout, and get their work published in the school newspaper!

As for now, please enjoy this issue that the members of the BouZi Quan Cai, along with a few others, have worked hard on during the busy past couple of weeks to put together! Looking forward to a creative year both in print and out, Your editors, Trevor and Leila


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!

All#About#Bubble#Tea##

by!Anson!Cheung!!

They! say! that! the! “Starbucks”! of! Li! Po!Chun!United!World!College!is!bubble!tea.!Hop!onto! a! train! and! you! can! get! a! cup! within! 5!minutes!at!Ma!On!Shan.!

But!where!did!bubble!tea!come!from?!Did!you! know! that! there! was! a! lawsuit!surrounding!two!Taiwanese!teahouses’!claims!to! be! the! inventor! of! bubble! tea?! Oh! by! the!way,! if! you! drink! a! cup! of! bubble! tea! every!day,!you’ll!be!2!kilograms!heavier!at!the!end!of!the!month.!Just!saying.!

Here! are! three! interesting! facts! about!bubble!tea:!!

!1. Okay,!so!who!invented!it?!! Bubble! tea! was! originally! invented! in!Taiwan,! around! the! 1970s.! It! is! not! known!which!Taiwanese!shop!was!the!creator!of! the!beverage,! but! two! famous! Taiwanese!teahouses! have! slapped! lawsuits! on! each!other!over!such!claims.!Tu!TsongThe,!owner!of!Hanlin!teahouse!allegedly!received!inspiration!while!walking! in! the!market! in!Tainan.!Seeing!small!tapioca!pearls!being!sold!at!a!vendor,!he!poured! some! into! his! iced! tea! and! thus!created!the!infamous!bubble!tea.!!! Alternatively,! Lin! Hsiu! Hui,! production!manager! of! Chun! Shui! Tang! teahouse,! claims!to! have! accidentally! created! the! drink! at! a!staff!meeting.! Accordingly,! she! had! a! tapioca!pearl! pudding! with! her,! and! for! fun,! she!poured! the! tapioca! pearls! into! her! drink.!Unsurprisingly,! she! quite! enjoyed! her! drink!and! within! two! months,! “pearl! tea”! had!outsold!all!other!iced!teas.!! Things! heated! up! in! 2006! when! Chun!Shui!Tang!published!a!pamphlet!where!Tu!was!

implicitly! accused! of! copying! the! bubble! tea!drink!from!their! teahouse.!After!several!press!conferences! where! fighting! words! were!exchanged,!the!two!rival!teahouses!eventually!faced!each!other!in!court.!! Thank! goodness! for! consumers!everywhere,! the! judge! decided! that! bubble!tea! did! not! exclusively! belong! to! any! of! the!teahouses,! as! it! was! a! drink! that! could! have!been!easily!created!by!anyone.!! !! The!two!teahouses!remain!rivals!to!this!day.!!!2. Why!do!some!people!call!it!“Boba”!tea?!!

There! are! many! names! for! bubble! tea,!ranging! from! the! stately! “pearl! tea”! to! the!bemusing!“Boba!tea”.!!! So!where! did! the!moniker! “Boba! tea”!come!from?!!

In! 1988,! a! Tainan! vendor! named!Grasshopper!decided!to!have!a!little!fun!when!renaming! his! pearl! tea,! referencing! thenTsex!symbol,!Hong!Kong!actress!Amy!Yip.!As!a!joke,!the! owner! renamed! his! pearl! tea! to! “boba”!tea,! which! in! Chinese! could! be! crudely!interpreted!as!“big!breasts”!tea.!!

What! he! didn’t! anticipate! was! how!popular!the!name!would!become.!

In! the! 1980s,! many! Taiwanese! citizens!immigrated! to! America.! The! “boba! tea”!immigrated! with! them.! Soon,! vendors! with!names! such! as! “BOBA! World”! or! “BOBA!Teahouse”! and! “BOBA! Planet”! sprung! up!around! California! and! the! beverage! is! still!often!referred!to!as!“boba”!or!“bubble”!tea.!!

Although! the! name! now! refers! to! a!variant! with! biggerTsized! tapioca! pearls,! try!not! to! laugh!when!you!hear! someone! saying,!“Give! me! latte,! and! add! in! some! ‘boba’!please.”!!

!3. Why!you’ll!never!see!me!drinking!bubble!

tea.!Bubble! tea! is! a! pretty! popular! drink,!especially!in!summer!when!it’s!

HONG"KONG"COLUMN"


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sweltering! hot.! Everyone! wants! something!cool!and!refreshing!in!their!mouth.!!! So!when! the!Department! of! Health! in!Taiwan! did! a! survey! on! the! healthiness! of!summer! drinks! favoured! by! teenagers! in!Taiwan! in!2012,! teenagers!were!shocked! that!bubble!tea!was!the!most!fattening!drink.!!! In! fact,! since! each! drink! is! about! 550!calories,! it! would! roughly! be! the! same! as!consuming! a! lunch! box! of! sour! chicken! and!rice.! Even! if! you! only! drank! one! a! day,! you’d!be! 2.1! kilograms! heavier! at! the! end! of! the!month.!!! Unfortunately,! teenagers! usually!consume! more! than! one! bubble! tea! a! day.!Hopefully,! the! results!of! this! survey!will!ward!off!all!dieters!from!the!bubble!tea.!

!!Everybody’s!Talkin’!‘Bout…!A!Film!that,!for!one!reason!or!another,!seems!to!be!a!hot!topic!on!campus.!By Morgan Jones "Moonrise!Kingdom!I’ll" be" honest," my" expectation" of" this" filmE"based"on"the"other"snore" inducing,"wankey,"artsier" than" thou" films" by" director" Wes"AndersonE"were"low."Extremely"low."However,"I"was"pleasantly"surprised"by"this"noEmasterpieceEbutEprettyEdamnEgoodEanyway"film.""The" story" of" 12" year" olds" Sam" (Gared"Gilman),"an"awkward"khaki""scout","and"Susy"(Kara" Hayward)," a" bibliophile" with"somewhat" violent" tendencies," as" they" run"away" together" on" the" small" island" of" New"

Penzance"circa"1965,"sending"the"adults"and"the" community" into"overdrive," is" one" that’s"in" places" sweet," funny," melancholic" and"exciting." Like" all" of" indieEdarling" Wes"Anderson’s" films," it’s" beautiful" to" look" at,"every" aspect" perfect," designed" and" colour"coordinated" to" the" nth" degree." " The"supporting" castE" namely," the" pesky" adults,"including" Bill" Murray" and" Frances"McDormand" as" Susy’s" lawyer" parents," Ed"Norton" as" the" ineffectual" ," well" meaning"scout"master"of"troop"55,"Bruce"Willis"as"the"island’s"sad,"aging"cop,"and"Tilda"Swinton"as"Social"Services"(that’s"really"her"name)","are"all" appealing," interesting," and," in" their" own"surreal," exaggerated" way," believable."However," the" show" is" stolen" by" the" two"young" leads," Gilman" and" Hayward," both"spectacularly"awkward"yet"very"compelling,"both"managing"to"be"believable"loners"as"the"plot" spirals" into" the" unbelievable." Their"simple" and" outlandish" story" of" escape,"romance," and" lightning," manages" to" be"genuinely"feelEgood,"in"a"slightly"twee"way."This" is" a" film" that’s" funny,"beautiful" to" look"at,"has"moments"of"humour,"excitement,"and"even"of"pathos."It"isn’t"going"to"change"your"life," but" it’ll" have" no" problem" keeping" you"very"entertained"for"94"minutes,"and"really,"what"more"could"you"ask?"""The!Good,!The!Bad,!And!St!Trinian’s;!A!Brief!History!of!Boarding!School!Movies""by Morgan Jones “Unman!Wittering!and!Zigo”!!A" film" so" obscure" I’d" put" moneyE" though"admittedly"not"more"than"10"cent,"but"that’s"my"issue,"not"yoursEon"you"not"having"heard"of"it,"(Though"you"can"dig"it"up"online"with"a"little" poking" around)," this" weird" minor"classic" tells" the" story" of" new" teacher" Mr"Ebony,"who" comes" to" a" boarding" school" on"the"moors"to"teach"English."Upon"arrival,"he"finds" himself" in" front" of" the" creepy," talking"in"unison"boys"of"form"lower"5B,"who"insist"that" they" killed" their" last" English" teacher"

FILM AND

MUSIC


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when" he" tried" to" keep" them" in" late," and"aren’t"afraid"to"do"the"same"again.""The" story" is" weird," tight" wound" and"convincing." The" pupils" are" excellent," each"managing"to"be"creepy"and"intimidating"yet"still" believably"unsure"of" themselves."David"Hemmings"as"Mr"Ebony,"a"man"doubting"his"teaching"ability,"his"authority"and"his"sanity,"is" also" excellent." A" small" but" gripping"psychological" thriller" of" the" kind" you’ll"never" have" seen" before," “Unman"Wittering"and" Zigo”" is" a" take" on" the" student" teacher"relationship" that’s" about" as" far" removed"from" the" zillions" of" bullshitey" inspiring"teacher"in"the"hood"films"we"usually"get."It’s"taut," it’s" interesting," it’s" not" quite" like"anything""else,"so"you"should"really"watch"it,"and" maybe" keep" it" in" mind" as" you" sit"through"your"next"morning"block"of"English"Lit.""

The!2nd!Law:!Muse!As!reviewed!by!Samantha!Borje!"English" rock" band" Muse" has" been"conquering"the"arena"band"scene"for"over"10"years," with" frequent" headliner" spots" on"Reading" and" Leeds" Festival," and" sold" out"concerts" at" Madison" Square" Garden" and"Wembley" Stadium," on" their" track" record."With" their" multiple" appearances" on" the"Twilight" Saga" Official" Soundtracks," though,"fans"have"been"afraid"that"Muse"would"turn"into" a" completely" different" band" and," ‘turn"mainstream.’" Their" sixth" and" latest" album,"The" 2nd" Law," has" somewhat" proven" the"former" to" be" true;" the" album" is" Muse’s"venture" into" virtually" every" place" fans"would"never"expect"them"to"go.""The" band" eases" us" into" their" musical"metamorphosis" with" “Supremacy,”" a" track"filled" with" Muse’s" trademarks:" raw" and"distorted" bass" and" guitar," vocals" with" an"incredible"range"that"frontman"Matt"Bellamy"seems" to" take" for" granted," and" a" touch" of"extravagance"with"strings"and"trumpets."""

They"then"proceed"to"play"“Madness”,"easily"their"most" ‘mainstream’" song" yet," complete"with" a" nearEmechanic" drum" beat," dubEstep"bass,"and"poppy"vocal"ad"libs."If"it"wasn’t"for"Bellamy’s" distinct" voice," the" track," along"with" funk" track" “Panic" Station,”" techno"tracks" “Animals”" and" “Follow"Me”," and" fullEon" dubEstep" track" “The" 2nd" Law:"Unsustainable”" would" be" hardly"recognisable"as"Muse" songs."The"occasional"occurrence"of" the"distorted" guitar" and"bass"actually"made" it" seem" as" though" they"were"trying" to" inject" themselves" into" a" lot" of"unchartered"territory.""""Which"brings"us"to"the"first"songs"ever"to"be"written" and" sung" by" bassist" Chris"Wolstenholme." Wolstenholme’s" calm,"delicate" voice" completely" changes" the"dynamic"of"the"album."This"dynamic"carries"on" from" light" and" easy" “Save"Me”" to" heavy"and" hardcore" track" “Liquid" State”" which,"while"having"the"strong"instrumentals"in"the"background,"doesn’t"quite"seem"to"have"the"earnest" that" a" typical" Muse" song" has" E"although" this" album" has" made" the" term"“typical"Muse"song”"quite"obscure.""On"the"whole,"the"tracks"on"The"2nd"Law"are"all"fairly"solid"and"pretty"impressive"E"even"if"“Survival”," the" theme" for" this" years’"Olympics,"is"a"bit"too"impressive."Muse"have"clearly" gone" out" of" their" and" their" fans’"comfort" zone," and" for" the"better."Now," if" in"three"years"time"they"release"something"that"combines" the" conviction"of" this" album"with"the"distinct"direction"of"previous"album"The"Resistance,"it"would"be"legendary.


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Impressions: ""

Thoughts:!! The!first!year! The!second!year!ORWeek?! Orientative. Got to meet people. In a good way.

Generally very fun. There were always things to be doing. Really nice to have second years leading activities instead of teachers like in a normal school. Magical mystery tour was definitely my favourite: trying to figure out the city and spending a full day with people instead of mere fleeting conversations. Plus we got to 'meet' Hong Kong. Now the MTR is like the regular, whereas before it was like: "what are these station things?!"

Strange. Like coming around to complete a cercle, but with such a drastic difference. New people to meet and entertain, so many names to learn. Remembering how I felt last year was what encouraged me to get involved and make the first years time as exciting as I had found it last year though. But there was the presence of a massive gap that just could not be put aside.

Classes?! A lot more intense than back home. Hard to get used to. Lots of work to do out of class. Still trying to get used to that! Teachers seem like they want to help. Not normal teacher-student formalities. Studies are generally interesting - a nice range too. Takes time to get used to though.

Not quite as novel as it all seemed last year. Dreary almost, at times. Or perhaps that is just my lacking of sleep and concentration. That is a new issue too. The interest needs to be rekindled often.

Being!away!from!home?!

The only times I really miss home are when I am in some sort of crisis. But I got used to it quite fast. I don't keep in touch that much, I just have no time to. I want to make the most of the time to hang out with people I would not get the chance to be with if I were not here.

Never really thought about this much until this term. It's still not a question of "missing" home, except those little comforts like Mum's cooking when the canteen is not quite up to scratch. It's just that sometimes it gets tough, and being back home would be so much easier. But then again, nothing worthwhile is ever that easy...

Social!scene?!!

It's lovely. I really like people. It's really different. The fact that you have never talked to a person won't stop you talking to that person. Everyone is very inclusive.

Different. And new. And still quite novel. Second year fortnight and 0-week made me realise how much I love my co-years. And how big the gap our second years left behind is. And how many new bright faces there are to get to know.

Hong!Kong?!

It's very nice. I don't go out too much, because the majority of the people are here. When I got here I was like: "Oh my god, there are a lot of Chinese people!" Now it's just obvious.

Never loved it more. And this year, I am even more determined to discover new corners of the city, on both the rural and urban sides.

Comments?!! It feels like so much has changed in one month. People know you. It just feels like you have already sort of started finding your place. Even though it's only been a month.

Back to my EE...

"

ORWeek?!!

Classes?!

Being!away!from!home?!

Social!Scene?!!

Hong!Kong?!!

Comments?!!

FEATURES"


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"""

Questions to new teachers: " Nick!! Jon!Why did you decide to come to LPC?!

I was very keen to work at a UWC again and was already in HK so it was a perfect fit!"

This was driven in part by fond memories of Adriatic and Pearson, in part loyalty to the UWC movement, and in part a desire to spend some time with the family (but not too much time). Plus, having grown up in Shatin, there's something satisfying about the "journeyed afar and return to the roots" narrative.

What are you passionate about?!

The outdoors - it gives people perspective on everything else."

Is this supposed to be specifically LPCUWC related? If yes, then pushing the students to do things that they didn't know they have in them. If not, then the "open information" movements --- open source content, open access publications, building wikipedia... actions along these lines."

What do you see as your main goal or challenge in the coming year? !

To understand my job! I am lucky that my family have settled in to life on campus well, so I can focus on getting some jobs achieved."

I'd like to catch up with Ming on his "epic website" (student's words) of IB material."

What's one interesting thing about you students should know - but probably don't already?!

I once had hair." I buy clothing in duplicate/triplicate to save thinking about what to wear. "

Any hidden talents?!

If I told you they wouldn't be hidden"

I own and operate an instantaneous chocolate-making machine. Cocoa beans, sugar, chemicals --[ fire ]--> chocolate. (Sadly, it only works in winter.)"

If you were running out of your flat as it was burning down, what one thing would you grab?!

My wife and kids!" The practical answers are passport, ID, computer, or the flute. The impractical (but more revealing) answer is the 15 year old red wool blanket from Padua, which kept me warm through Europe, Canada, and Latin America."

Beverage of choice?!

Ringwood Fortyniner….don't ask!"

Lassi? Smoothie?"

"


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50/20!!UWC!LPC!Anniversary:!!21st!September!2012!By"Leila"Denniston."Photos"by"Lara"Schech"""""""""Half" a" century" of" UWC." 20"years"of"LPC."When"a"part"of"this"movement"and"college"those"are"not"figures"to"oversee,"so" celebrated" they" were." The" first" College"Meeting" of" the" term" kindled" a" reflective"perspective"with"a"discussion"on"our""sense"of" idealism"." The" opportunity" to" reflect"together" on" this" particular" UWC" value" and"how" it" currently" stands" in" the" movement"and" world" today" was" an" eyeEopener." The"variety" of" opinions" and" views" expressed"really" set" off" the" celebrations" in" a" diverse,"thoughtful"way."""The" next" day," LPC's" almighty" Global" Issues"Forum" concentrated" on" Brain" Drain" in"relation" to" the" UWC" movement." The"discussion" raised" many" poignant," relevant"issues:" As" representatives" of" our" home"nations,"should"we"feel"obliged"to"return"and"'serve'"them"following"the"UWC"experience?"Can"we"be"effective"ambassadors"away"from"the" borders" of" our" home" countries?" The"debate" boiled" down" to" a" reflection" on" the"position" of" the" movement" in" the" world"today,"which" proved" tricky"with" the" aim" of"

developing" "global" citizens"" hanging"disputably" in" the"humid"Hong"Kong"air." "As"ever," the"discussion"went"at"a" fast"pace"and"in" all" directions," except" a" conclusive" one."However,"it"did"further"our"reflection"on"the"movement" which" was" fittingly" followed" up"by"the"projection"of"the"UWC"London"Forum."We" observed" the" first" discussion" on"Sustainability"and"Supply"by"a"panel"almost"exclusively" made" up" of" UWC" graduates,"having" all" gone" on" to" fill" important" and/or"interesting" positions." The" faulty" Internet"connection"then"forced"us"all"to"bed."""Friday"morning,"the"alarm"sounded"with"the"promise" of" a" jamEpacked" UWC" Day." The"morning" was" alive" with" inspiring" talks" by"alumni" and" visitors" followed" by" engaging"workshops."African"drumming,"Kung"Fu"and"film" making" techniques" were" amongst" the"skills" shared." We" then" head" off" to" various"locations"for"our""Afternoon"of"Action"."The"idea"was" to"mobilise" the"entire"community:"students," teachers," and" nonEteaching" staff,"for"an"afternoon"of" service."With"restrictive"regulations" on" such" projects" in"Hong"Kong,"


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we" found" ourselves" split" into" three" groups."One" lead" a" public" barbecue" site" clean" up,"finishing" up" with" a" short" hike." Another"combined" the" clean" up" of" a" different"barbecue" site" with" that" of" a" neighboring"beach." The" last" head" down" to" our" local"Starfish"bay,"to"clear"away"some"of"the"waste"washed"up"on"the"beach"there.""""""""""""""""""Despite"a"varied"response"to"the"afternoon,"I"think" the"activities"got"us" to" think" critically"about" the" importance" and" goals" of" service"within" the"UWC"movement."At" times," it" can"seem" that" the"balance"between" the" "image""given"by"supposedly"selfless"actions"and"the"actual" benefit" to" the" target" audience" is"somewhat" blurred," and" could" do" with"thinking" through." I" hope" this" is" something"the" community" took" away" from" the"afternoon."""""Back" on" campus," we" finished" off" with" the"Celebration"of" International"Peace"Day."The"first" and" second" year" theatre" students"moved" us" with" a" terrific" adaptation" of" the"1914" Christmas" Truce." Finally," handprints"and"messages" in"tens"of"different" languages"marked"the"Peace"Wall"along"one"side"of"the"Courtyard,"as"we"all"enjoyed"a"barbecue.""""

Saturday" was" another" big" event" for" the"college:" a" Virtual" Model" United" Nations"conference." After" the" success" of" the" first"vMUN" the" previous" term," it" seemed" like" an"ideal,"meaningful"way" to" connect" the"UWCs"at" a" time" of" celebration." Over" 50" students"from" the" 12" colleges" participated" in" the"event" despite" time" differences." A"congratulations" to" the" LPC"MUN" team"who"pulled" together" a" terrific" conference" in" a"very" short" amount"of" time"and"under" great"stress."""Finally,"Sunday"closed"the"celebration"with"a"Gala" fundraiser" dinner," attended" by" alumni"from" various" colleges," board" members,"sponsors," teachers," parents," friends" and"families" of" the" UWC" movement." Student"ambassadors" and" performers" had" the"chance" to" share" their" personal" experience"with" the"people"who"are"making" it"possible"for" the"movement" to" continue." The" dinner,"along" with" a" silent" auction" and" pledgeEdonations" raised" funds" to" go" towards"overseas" scholarship" programs," allowing"UWC" to" uphold" its" diversity." Key" sponsors"were" thanked" and" teachers" and" staff" who"have"been"with" the"college" for" the"20"years"of"its"existence"were"rewarded."All"in"all,"the"evening"was"a"great"success."""Being" one" of" over" 40" 000" to" pass" through"UWC's" doors" in" the" past" 50" years" is" a"privilege," and" celebration" in" itself." The"anniversary" gave" us" the" opportunity" to"reflect,"spend"time"together"as"a"community"and" honor" the" movement" we" all" have" the"chance"to"be"a"part"of.""


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"What%were%the%celebrations%like%in%

another%UWC?%

Party!in!the!USA!By Shobhit Kumar (UWC-USA) As the clock struck 50 this year for the UWC movement as a whole, that same clock’s other hand moved to 30 to commemorate UWC-USA’s 30th anniversary. As a result, we celebrated 30/50 week at the UWC-USA campus. To make the week of September 16th to September 22nd a memorable one, a CAS was created solely dedicated to 30/50 planning. On top of the CAS, many planning periods, assemblies, and rehearsals were held in preparation for the week. 30/50 week began on Sunday with celebrations and excitement. Wednesday, however, marked the formal beginning as the entire school got together in the auditorium and watched the live stream from Atlantic College. We were inspired by Queen Noor’s speech, we received a brief and encompassing history of the UWC movement, and we were able to spend the time with other UWC-USA students who shared our common ideals. After the school day Wednesday, our CASs were cancelled and every student was tasked with completing a “Day of Service” in the New Mexico community. These projects ranged from cooking at a soup kitchen and serving to the hungry to mapping out a cemetery. Two days later, on Friday, a Day of Discussion was held with the Board of Trustees to discuss our school’s future. Afterwards, four UWC-USA alumni who were attending the 30/50 festivities shared their experiences on a panel in front of the entire school and later answered questions from students. According to them, the experience they had years ago is very

similar in a positive way to the experience we have as students today. Further, they reminisced back to their amazing years and expressed their desires for the next half-century. “We will build an army in the next 50 years,” “everyone should know what UWC is and what we stand for,” and “we will be the Harvard of tomorrow,” were some of the comments made. The festivities formally began on Saturday, when tents were set up on lower campus, a stage was assembled on the soccer field, and notable guests were invited. One of the most prominent of these notable guests was Shelby Davis, who funds 100 percent of the UWC scholarships for United States students and later helps fund college scholarships for UWC students who continue their education in the United States. He personally met with all the United States students and later gave a speech to everyone present. Also, the day was filled with performances from students and groups along with workshops and booths which ranged from origami and face-painting to a global events discussion and relay races. This week prompted thoughts and discussion about the past 50 years of the UWC movement, which were enhanced by the alumni, community members, and guests present. The collaborative atmosphere prevalent this week was a unique and interesting one. Although 30 and 50 may be meagre numbers for some, for us, they mean a whole lot more.


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In#a#TOK#mood?#

#Linguistic

Determinism 101 By Gaston Bruna for Thinker Magazine

Wittgenstein, the great linguist, once said, “The limits… of my language… are the limits of my universe.” We live in a cage. We live in a world where we can only express our feelings and intentions using predetermined words.

George Orwell explored this concept in his novel, 1984, where a totalitarian government forces society to adopt a language called Newspeak, a radically revised version of the English language from which many meanings available to us today were removed. The purpose of Newspeak was to provide a medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits accepted by the government, and making all other modes of thought impossible. The word ‘free’ still existed in Newspeak, but it could only be used in statements like “This dog is free from lice” or “This field is free from weeds”. It could not be used in the old sense of ‘politically

free’ or ‘intellectually free’, since political and intellectual freedom no longer existed even as concepts, they were therefore of necessity nameless. Of course, this is only fiction, but the concept of language limiting our thought is a subject I find of interest.

You see, Shakespeare was one of those men who refused to be trapped in this cage. He created words that to us, today, may seem impossible to live without. Eyeball. Luggage. Successful. Amazement. When he got stuck trying to think up a word, the man just made his own. Words are not enough to embrace the full human experience. For every word there is a meaning, but for every meaning, sometimes, there is no word. We will look at some examples of this, and how it concerns us. Language can, and is limiting the way we think.

Let’s take a look at the following example. A Brazilian hunter-gatherer tribe, whose language, Piraha, contains only words for the numbers ONE and TWO, and nothing else. Anything over two is classified under “many”. There are no words for “three, four, five” and so on. Just “one”, “two”, “many”. These people were put together for an experiment, and were shown four blocks of wood. They were told to


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remember them. They were then shown, minutes afterwards, five blocks of wood. The results were astonishing. They could not tell the difference between four and five blocks of wood. For them, it was just “many”. Their reality is only as broad as their language. How could we know if our language is not limited in some way or other? How can we be sure of it?

We label things, we label people, and we associate certain words to certain things and certain people. Take for example, a rainbow. Speakers of different languages may see different numbers of colors in a rainbow. Since rainbows are actually a continuum of color, there are no actual stripes or bands, and yet people see only as many bands as their language allows them to. If you ask me: what colors do you see in the rainbow? I would answer: red, green and blue. But if you ask a painter, he’d probably give you a completely different answer; Indigo, Cyan, Cerise, or Turquoise.

Zen, a school of Buddhism, sticks to the idea that attaching words to the concept of Zen would mean defeating its own purpose. Zen is an example of a thought or experience that is linguistically inexplicable. But how many of our experiences are linguistically inexplicable to us right now? How many feelings have we not attributed words to? How come we sometimes have thoughts and feelings for which we don’t have the words?

Our thoughts are not determined by our language, but they may be constricted by our language. The variety of words we use do not affect what we think, but it does affect how broad we think. Language should be a means of facilitating expression, not defining it. Most importantly, language is not static. Language is not written in stone. Language is evolving every day. Language is a cage, but a cage that is changing

shape and growing more and more as time passes. As we speak, in some faraway lands, some kids made up a new word for something. The words ‘OMG’ and ‘LOL’ have been added to the dictionary. And to those kids, I say, rock on. You are the Shakespeares of our generation.

Truth of Chinese Martial Arts:

Spirit of ‘Xia’ (俠之精神)

by Matthew Li

Deep down in the veins of Chinese, flows a spirit,

a desire, an ideal, which is known as 俠 (Xia).

The spirit of Xia is the intrinsic value of Chinese martial art. Xia is also a noun which describes the people who possesses this honorable spirit.

So here comes the question. What is Xia?

The most commonly adopted interpretation of Xia is the kind of people who:

Help the ones in need

Fight for Justice

Value Promises

Willing to sacrifice

We can see the influence of Xia throughout Chinese history. Even in the poems of Li Bai, we can see the admiration towards ‘Xia’:

“縱死俠骨香，不慚世上英。”

The translation of the above sentence would be: “Even when the Xia was dead, his bones would still be fragrant as he didn’t fail his name as a Xia”

On the other hand, there lies another kind of Xia, which is even greater than the previous one. When the nation was threatened and her people


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suffering, these Xia would rise and stood against the invaders. They fight for the sake of their country and people, and they don’t mind to shed their blood or to sacrifice their life. They are truly the great heroes! We often refer them as 大俠!(Dai Xia)!

Back in Southern Song dynasty, there was a man who devoted his life to serve the nation and to reclaim the land of his country from the invaders ‘Jin”.

He defeated the ‘Jin’ army in such a manner that the ‘Jin’ believed that it would be easier to shake a mountain compared to shaking Yue’s army.

Yes, remember the name, the Dai Xia of Southern Song: 岳飛!(Yeu Fei)!

The most important point about 大俠 (Dai Xia) is that we don’t need to be a martial artist to become a 大俠(Dai Xia) as all we need is a heart and the willingness to sacrifice. Genuinely, ANYONE can be 大俠!(Dai Xia)!

Photo: This is a painting of Yue’s mother carving ‘盡忠報國’ on Yue’s back, which literally means “Serve the nation with utmost loyalty”

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10!tips!to!improve!the!Feng!Shui!of!your!room!By!Parker!Place!"Does"your"room"not"feel"like"home?"Are"you"able"to"study"in"your"crammed"little"corner?"Whether" you" live" in" a"mansion" or" a" 4" by" 3"meter"quadrant"of"a"room,"the"philosophy"of"Feng"Shui"says"you"can"improve"your"mood"and" life"by"arranging"your"room"to"create"a"warm" and" open" living" space." " Feng" Shui" is"based" off" the" idea" of" creating" an"environment" that" promotes" good" chi," or"energy,"and"this"can"be"accomplished"with"a"relaxing" arrangement" of" furniture" and"organization." This" article" will" detail" quick"fixes" you" can" make" to" transform" your"cluttered,"sovietEblock"corner"of"a"room"into"a"homey"and"bountiful"lair"of"good"vibes"and"grace.""

1. Utilize! the! natural! light" flowing"into" the" room." Avoid" blocking" the"windows" with" any" piece" of"furniture" and" have" the" curtains"open" during" the" day." Fluorescent"lights" are" overly" bright" and"harsher" than" sources" of" natural"light."

2. Don’t!have!your!bed!facing!away!from! the! door." From" where" you"sit"or"lay"you"should"always"have"a"view" of" who’s" entering" or" exiting.""Placing" your" bed" against" a" wall"provides" support." And" anyways"you" don’t" want" your" hot" pink"laptop"cover"stolen."

3. Get! rid! of! clutter." Your" room" is"too" small" to" be" filled" with"unnecessary"items."By"simply"filing"away" papers," throwing" away"things" you" don’t" need," or" tossing"your"laundry"into"a"bin,"you’ll"have"less" to" focus" on" and" more" inner"calm."


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4. Open! up! your! room" by" creating"an" unobstructed" space" between"your"bed,"closet,"and"desk.""Mirrors"or" pictures/paintings" of" nature" or"landscapes" can" create" the" illusion"of"lightness"and"more"open"space."

5. Have! a! small! plant! or! some!candles." Placing" a" small" vase" of"bamboo"in"water"can"integrate"two"elements" of" Feng" Shui" into" your"room;" nature" and" water." Candles"or" air" fresheners"please" our" sense"of" smell" on" top" of" being" visually"appealing."

6. Have! at! least! one! picture! of!family,! friends,! or! a! pleasing!place!you’ve!been."An"old"picture"of" a" time" you" remember" evokes"positive" memories" and" warm"feelings"inside"the"viewer."

7. Keep! a! carpet" where" you" most"frequently" stand." Warm" feet" are"important"to"well"being"and"health"in"Asian"culture.""

8. Choose! colors! that! match! your!demeanor." Cool" colors" such" as"blue"or"purple" are" soothing" to" the"eye" because" they" represent"relaxation" and" healing." Warm"colors" such" as" red" are" associated"with"high"energy"and"excitement.""

9. Avoid! placing! distractions! by!your! bed." Having" your" computer"or" a" TV" next" to" your" bed" is"distracting" to" sleep" and" detracts"from"what"a"bedroom"should"really"be;"a"quiet"refuge"from"the"outside."

10. Have!your!roommates!follow!the!same! principles! of! Feng! Shui." If"applied" by" all" four" roommates,"your" room" will" feel" lighter,"happier," and" more" open." The"biggest" killer" of" chi" to" avoid" is"having" curtains" closed" during" the"day." This" prevents" the" sharing" of"natural" light" and" turns" the"bedroom"into"a"labyrinth."

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Following" these" basic" principles" of" Feng"Shui"will"promote"the"flow"of"chi"in"yourself"and"your"guests."A"soothing"room"can"assist"you"in"many"ways"such"as"letting"yourself"go"from" work" or" charming" your" romantic"interests."""""

"My!room!has!a!small!bamboo!plant!to!add!life!and!complimentary!cool!colors!to!create!a!chill!atmosphere."""""

"First!year!Ayodele!Bandele!put!a!picture!of!skyscrapers!to!open!up!the!room.!His!furniture!faces!towards!the!door!to!invite!guests.!""""


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The!LPC!Student’s!Guide!to!Bargaining!!by"Nicole"Kempis"""When" people" think" of" Hong" Kong" they"usually" think" of" Central" and" the" skyline." I"can’t"even"count"the"number"of"times"in"the"last"few"weeks"someone"has"come"up"to"me"and"said"that"Hong"Kong"is"nothing"like"they"imagined" it" to" be." With" all" the" glamorous"brand"names"lining"the"halls"of"IFC"mall"and"Pacific" Place," it’s" easy" to" forget" about" the"street" markets" hidden" behind" masses" of"high" rises" and" throngs"of"people." " So" if" you"are" planning" a" trip" down" tourist" lane" (aka,"Tung" Choi" Street," Temple" Street," Stanley)"I’ve"put"together"a"small"guide"on"how"best"to"bargain.""

1. WHENEVER! POSSIBLE! TAKE! A!LOCAL!WITH!YOU."By"local"I"mean"someone"who’s"Cantonese"extends"further" than" understanding" basic"insults." This" is" the" golden" rule," in"the" hierarchy" of" bargaining,"tourists" will" always" get" the" worst"deal"and" locals"will"always"get" the"best.""

2. Don’t! feel! shy! about!bargaining."Vendors" completely" overprice"their" goods" because" they" expect"you"to"bargain"with"them," it’s"part"of"the"experience"and"the"culture."

3. Get! an! idea! of! the!market! price"for"the"good"you"want."There"are"a"lot"of"people"selling"the"same"thing"in" street"markets," so" go" from" stall"to"stall"to"get"an"idea"of"the"starting"price."

4. Decide!how!much!the!product!is!worth! to! you.! This" is" important"because"if"you"really"can’t"reach"an"agreement," you" know" when" you"should"walk"away."

5. Cut!the!price!by!making!an!offer!that!is!about!40%!of!the!starting!offer." Act" like" it’s" criminal" for" the"vendor" to" charge" you" any" more"than"that."It"also"doesn’t"hurt"to"act"disinterested;" if" you"act" like" really"want" something" the" vendor" will"know"that"it"is"worth"more"to"you."

6. Keep! offering! a! low! price." Don’t"give"up"straight"away"if"the"vendor"isn’t" dropping" their" price"immediately."Give"it"a"few"minutes"to"see"how"easy"they"are"to"bargain"with.""

7. Say! something! like! ‘that! guy!over! there! is! offering! the! same!good! for…’" Remember" that" there"are"a"lot"of"people"selling"the"same"thing"and"everyone"wants"to"make"a"profit."

8. Use!your!best!Cantonese.!This" is"funny" particularly" if" you" aren’t" a"local." It" will" make" you" seem" like"you"are"at"least"making"an"effort.""

9. Show! them! your! Hong! Kong! ID!card." This" is" literally" a" document"designed"to"prove"that"you"are"not"a" tourist" so" use" it" to" your"advantage."

10. If! you! can’t! get! the! price! you!want,! walk! away.! Slowly." This"gives" the" vendor" the" chance" to"chase" you" if" they" really" want" to"offer" a" lower" price." " If" they" don’t"come" after" you," it’s" because" the"price" you" offered" was" too" low," in"this" case" find" a" different" stall" and"try"again.""

11. Once!you!leave!a!particular!stall,!DO! NOT! GO! BACK." Going" back"indicates" to" the" seller" that" you"really"want" to" buy" their" good" and"you" will" lose" all" your" bargaining"power."

"Some"other"important"things"to"remember"are"that"the"best"bargains"are"often"towards"the"end"of"the"day"when"vendors"are"closing"


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up."They"know"it’s"unlikely"that"they"are"going"to"sell"anything"else"and"are"often"more"willing"to"cut"prices."Buying"more"than"one"good"or"in"a"group"from"a"single"vendor"will"encourage"them"to"cut"prices"because"you"are"spending"more.""Another"thing"to"bear"in"mind"is"what"currency"you"are"bargaining"in."This"is"more"relevant"if"you"are"on"a"shopping"trip"to"Shenzhen,"but"vendors"may"try"to"confuse"you"by"switching"between"HKD"and"RMB,"so"make"it"clear"from"the"start."""Cantonese!Phrases:!“Peng"di"la”"–"cheaper"“Tai"guai"la”"–"too"expensive"“Gei"chin"ah”E"how"much"is"this?"“Jui"pang"gei"dor"ah”E"what"is"your"best"price?""""

RECIPES"

by"Anamika"Jain""Tired#of#canteen#food?#Accidentally#slept#through#a#meal?#Here#is#a#ridiculously#easy#and#cheap#recipe#to#whip#up#with#just#a#visit#to#Welcome#and#some#time#in#your#block#day#room!#!BreadRomelette!recipe!"Ingredients:"2"eggs"4"bread"slices"Some"water"1"tomato"Small"amount"of"oil"or"butter"2"cloves"of"garlic*"1"small"onion*"Salt"&"Pepper*""*Optional""""

1. Cut the bread slices into small pieces, put it in a bowl.

2. Add some water and mash up the bread into a thick paste.

3. Add all the ingredients except eggs & mix them well. Leave it for 5 min.

4. Then add eggs to this & mix it thoroughly.

Heat a frying pan & add butter or oil, add the mixture from the bowl & cook it in low heat until golden brown on both sides. 5. Tuck in ! Got a sweet tooth? No amount of dessert filling you up? Try this! Chocolate pasta A small packet of pasta A tin of drinking chocolate Some water or milk A small tin of condensed milk A bar of chocolate Some nuts* *Optional

1. Boil the pasta until it’s nice and soft 2. While"the"pasta’s"boiling,"put"some"of"

the"drinking"chocolate"(how"much"ever"you"want,"really,"depending"on"how"hungry"you"are,"how"much"pasta"you’ve"got"boiling"and"how"sweet"you"want"it!)"in"a"bowl"and"add"water"or"milk"till"it"becomes"a"smooth"paste."Be"careful"not"to"get"it"too"watery!"

3. Take"the"pasta"out"into"a"bowl"and"add"the"condensed"milk."

4. Wait"for"about"5E10"minutes"and"add"the"drinking"chocolate."Mix"well."

5. Add"small"chunks"of"a"chocolate"bar"and"some"nuts,"if"you"want"to."

"# Tuck"in!"! ""


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HOW%TO%CONFUSE%TEACHERS%WITH%TRAFFIC%CONES%"By"Vincent"Wang,"illustrated"by"LD""Preamble:#Do#you#like#practical#jokes?#Do#you#like#traffic#cones?#Do#you#like#authority?##If# your# answers# were# yes,# yes,# and# no,# read#this.#"10." Hide" underneath" cone" (crouch" if"necessary)." Make" whistling" noises." When"teacher’s"back"is"turned,"reposition"yourself"and"the"cone"closer"to"him/her,"and"repeat."9." Block" off" entrance" to" staffroom." Using"cones,"redirect"teachers"into"pool."8." Teacher" is" drinking" out" of" cup." Teacher"leaves"cup"unguarded."Pour"contents"of"cup"into"traffic"cone."Take"away"cup"and"replace"with"traffic"cone."7.""Shred"traffic"cone."Sprinkle"some"ground"traffic" cone" onto" teacher’s" food" daily." Wait"until" some" form" of" bodily" failure" occurs."Redirect" the" ambulance" into" the"pool" using"traffic"cones."6."Enter"a"ToK"lecture"wearing"traffic"cones."2" on" arms," 2" on" hands," and" 1" or" 3" on"genitalia" depending" on" gender." Convince"lecturer"that"your"knower’s"perspective"is"as"a"person"sexually"attracted"to"traffic"cones."5." Have" everyone" bring" traffic" cones" to" a"canteen" party." Turn" the" lights" on" and" play"Barry"White"while"everyone"uses"the"traffic"cones" to" mime" acts" of" sexual" depravity."Make" sure" the" supervising" teacher" is"watching."Invite"teacher"to"participate."

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4."Kidnap"teacher."Place"teacher"in" ‘Truman"show’" reality" where" everyone"wears" traffic"cones" on" their" head." Wait" 30" years." Put"teacher"back"into"society."3." Go" to" china" plastic" chairEmakingEandEtrafficEconeEmaking" factory." Pay" $." Make"around"200"of" the" following"objects:"Object"no."1"is"exactly"like"a"chair,"Object"no."100"is"halfway" between" chair" and" traffic" cone,"Object" no." 200" is" exactly" like" a" traffic" cone."Every"day" replace" teacher’s" chair"with"next"object." Change" is" so" small," teacher" will" not"notice."At"the"end"of"academic"year,"teacher"is"sitting"on"traffic"cone."Still"doesn’t"notice."""""""""""""""2." Put" traffic" cones" in" your" beds." Wait"stealthily"for"dorm"check"on"a"stormy"night."Teachers" come" in" and" see" traffic" cones" in"your" beds." Before" teachers" turn" around,"place" a" traffic" cone" (without" being" seen)" at"the" entrance" to" the" room." Teachers" turn"around" and" see" traffic" cone" that" was" not"there"before."Teachers"are"afraid."Break"into"teacher’s" homes" and" put" traffic" cones" in"their"beds"that"night."Teachers"go"home"and"see" traffic" cone." Teachers" commit"involuntary" urination." Put" traffic" cone" in"teacher’s" kitchen" where" they" keep" the"towels."Teachers"want" to"get" towel" to"clean"up" mess." Teachers" see" traffic" cone." Tape"traffic"cone"to"ceiling"so"teachers"see"traffic"cone"just"before"losing"consciousness"out"of"fear." Pay" doctors" to" wear" traffic" cones" on"their"heads."Teacher"wakes"up"in"hospital"to"


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see" talking" traffic" cones." Teacher" screams."Free"morning"blocks"forever."1."Get"45"in"IB."Go"to"medical"school."Become"neurosurgeon" with" dual" major" in"cybernetics." Create" method" to" augment"human" brains" with" AI" technology." Win"Nobel" Prize" in" Medicine" and" Peace." Write"autobiography" and" win" Nobel" Prize" in"literature"too."If"you"do"this"within"20"years,"assuming" constant" prize" money" (≈10" mil"HKD)"and"global"inflation"(≈5%),"the"money"from"the"3"Prizes"will"be"the"equivalent"of"1"today." Trade" money" for" either" occult"knowledge" to" summon" the" devil," or" invest"money"in"time"travel."If"devil,"sell"soul"to"go"back"in"time"to"present"day."If"time"machine,"win"Nobel"Prize" in"physics" too" for"personal"profit."Bring"a"cybernetic"brain"back"in"time.""Convince"teacher"you"are"a"plumber."Knock"teacher"unconscious"with"a"traffic"cone"once"you" have" gained" his/her" trust." Perform"surgery" to" augment" his/her" brain" with" the"cybernetic" contraption." Program" the"cybernetic" contraption" to" show" a" traffic"cone"whenever"teacher"sees"or"thinks"of"‘the"self’."""""""

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Teacher"will"wake"up"to"see"a"traffic"cone"in"the" mirror." In" all" of" teacher’s" memories,"s/he" is" replaced" by" a" traffic" cone." Teacher"will" be" existentially" challenged" and" will"want" to" cope" by" eating" comfort" food,"painting,"enjoying"a"movie,"taking"a"moonlit"walk" on" a" beach" with" a" loved" one" and"looking" back" at" the" trail" of" entwining"footsteps" and" contemplating" the" transience"of"life"and"falling"to"their"knees"and"making"desperate"and"passionate"love"in"the"sand"to"the" sound" of" breaking" waves" and" gasping"breath" and" finishing" and" lying" down" and"staring" at" a" starry" sky" and" cursing" the"universe"for"being"so"beautiful…"but"cannot,"because"teacher"is"a"traffic"cone."""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

LPC's IB results compared the rest of the world:


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ARTS SECTION"

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12:00!4th!October"!What!use!is!my!voice!compared!to!yours?!Lost!to!the!clamour!of!the!ocean.!What!use!are!my!thoughts!compared!to!What!yours,!might!have!been?!What!use!is!it!all?!Drowned!out!by!life!itself.!!180!minutes!I!spent!in!silence,!Took!in!breath.!!That!was!all!we!could!give,!For!your!memory.!!I!pray!then,!that!you!forgive,!How!arbitrary!it!was,!That!at!that!moment,!On!this!day,!You!took!three!minutes!of!my!life,!In!contemplation!As!life!took!the!rest!of!yours.!

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ARTS"SECTION"


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"!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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!!!!!A!novel!in!parts!!

DARK!WARRIORS:!PART!1""by"Nicole"Fung""

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DARK WARRIORS: BURNED When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose. Then the Lord said: "My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years." At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown. Genesis 6:1-4 Prologue I had imagined this encounter in a million different ways, but never had I imagined that the odds would be stacked against us. Now the moment for me to choose had presented itself. You or all of them, the gruff, hard voice had said. A slight breeze ruffled my hair as I stared at the owner of the voice and the depths of his coal black eyes. I heard my friends’ screams pierce the night air behind me as they battled for their lives against the dark creatures’ army. Listening to their cries, and knowing all possibilities of surviving this were minimal—I made my choice. I knew I would be facing something worse than death; that I would be giving up in many people’s eyes… but if this was the way to finally end all of this—the slaughter of innocent creatures, the betrayals, the fear—then it didn’t matter. I took a step forward. The atmosphere was so charged with tension that it seemed to be a mix of taut wires ready to connect and explode. I could feel the weight my movement caused like a palpable force as I gazed at the bloodied faces that surrounded me. “Take me,” I said, staring at the bottomless depths of the demon’s eyes.

Chapter 1 “I can’t believe you got permission at work so that we could have dinner together,” I told my mom, Lorraine, as the host sat us on a spot near the windows of my favorite restaurant, Napoli. Napoli’s interior was full of wooden tables with clear, polished glass surfaces on top and chairs strewn around in neat squares across the dark floor tiles. Outside, the sound of horns blaring was loud, signs of the usual Panamanian traffic. My mom smiled and signaled a waitress over. “The boss let me out early because I kept reminding her all day. You know that if it was up to her, she’ll have me working more hours than is allowed, but since it’s your sixteenth birthday….” My mom’s gray skirt suit attire blended perfectly with the rest of the customers. In her mid-forties, her light brown, short hair gave a professional, elegant look to her freckled, heart-shaped face where the faintest of wrinkles and laugh lines were seen. In comparison, my black shorts and yellow t-shirt were a little trashy for the restaurant but it had been a surprise dinner and I had been expecting to go out for ice cream as the top thing. “I’m glad,” I said, smiling as the waitress appeared. “What would you have?” The young, dark-haired woman with rich mocha-colored skin asked kindly, pen in hand.


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“Meat ravioli for me,” I said, beaming. “A lasagna Bolognese, thank you,” My mom said, handing her menu over. The waitress nodded her head, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up again. “Would you like something to drink?” “Two Coca-Colas,” My mom answered smoothly, glancing at me for assurance. I nodded my head. “That would be all?” the waitress asked. “Yes, thanks,” I answered. “It’s been such a long time since we last came here, isn’t it?” My mom commented, glancing at the dark low ceiling and the business people who were eating and chatting animatedly around us. “It is. It’s been almost six months… It hasn’t changed a bit,” I commented, taking a napkin and tearing it into shreds. “Thank you,” I said, looking up to meet her brown eyes. I knew that eating in Napoli—in any restaurant, in fact—was a luxury at the moment. The little money my mom managed to make as a government employee was destined solely to pay for water, gas, electricity, tuition and internet. That, along with the scholarship the government gave to me, was barely enough to cover our necessities. My mom grinned, making her face appear younger—the stress caused by bills disappearing for a moment. “You’re welcome, baby,” I thought how opposite we were. If my mom was the embodiment of pleasant, warm looks, I was the embodiment of uptight, serious people. My dark, curly hair framed my oval-shaped face, and I had a thin, angular nose, my upper lip was slightly bigger than the bottom one (something I never failed to notice when glancing at the mirror), with the final touch of hazel eyes framed by thin lashes. “Why is Rachael so serious?” People used to ask my mom all the time. She would smile and reply, “It’s because of her dad.” My dad died when I was just a two-month-old baby—too little to remember anything about his face. From what mom has told me, however, I know he was very handsome and just as intimidating with a permanent frown on his face. “What are you thinking of?” My mom asked, noticing I had dozed off. I smiled at her, “Nothing,” “Oh, well, how is Pat doing?” she asked, changing the subject. “He’s fine. You know? He hasn’t called me yet, but then again, Pat’s summer schedule is party schedule,” I said, sipping a bit of my Coca-Cola. “I still don’t understand how you are such great friends with him,” My mom commented. I rolled my eyes. It was true; Pat’s friendship with me had been a mystery to everyone in school, including myself, but since we had such common, excellent taste in music, I didn’t question it much. “Music, I told you, mom—it breaks the strongest of barriers,” My mom laughed. A moment later, the waitress appeared with our orders and placed them on the table. I took a piece of ravioli and placed it on my mouth, savoring each delicious, warm bite. Halfway through finishing my plate, my mom cleared her throat to get my attention. She wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin and placed her hands in the table’s glass surface. “I have some news for you,” she told me, her sweet expression being replaced by a more stoic one. “We’re moving,” “We’re what?” I managed to stutter. My mom fixed her eyes in the table before taking a deep breath and saying, “I’m really sorry that I couldn’t afford the things you wished for. The trip, the party…. I wanted you to have a


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special birthday. Today is a big day. Bigger than you ever could possibly imagine,” her eyes focused on my face as she whispered anxiously; “We’ve got to move for your safety.” “My safety?” I asked, disbelief and confusion on my voice, “I don’t understand.” The pleasant feeling that had filled me as I entered the restaurant’s interior had vanished completely at my mother’s words. There was so much anxiousness and urging in her last statement, that it made me afraid. What did she mean by my safety? “I hope you won’t ever have to understand why I’m doing this,” my mom said, her voice filled with intense determination. Why had she brought me here? Was it to load me with all this awful news? I couldn’t comprehend what she was telling me. Could she really decide to move, just like that? I shook my head. “Mom, you can’t do this to me! This—,” I searched my head, trying to find a word to explain everything I thought this was until I settled for, “This has got to be a joke.” She shook her head sadly, “I wish it was, Rachael, but it isn’t.” I watched numbly as my mom asked for the bill. The waitress appeared a minute later, carrying a receipt inside a little folder. She asked kindly if she could take away my half-eaten plate, and I found I had just enough strength to nod my head ‘yes’. After that, my whole body went into automatic mode as I exited the restaurant, climbed into the passenger seat, suffered the long ride and arrived to my house. The sound of the front door slamming shut behind me startled me enough to wake me from my stupor. “Rachael, I know I shouldn’t have dropped the news so unexpectedly, but I couldn’t think of any smooth way to tell you about this,” My mom’s voice was loud and clear, but pleading. “Whatever.” The word escaped my lips without meaning to—my teenage instincts taking care of the situation. I was angry and bitter, I realized. How could she expect me to handle this? Yay! OMG! We’re moving! I’m so happy?! That sure wasn’t coming from my mouth anytime soon. And she wanted to apologize? Hmm, no thanks. I didn’t need an apology—I needed to hear a “You almost fell for it, didn’t you? Don’t worry it was just a prank,” but that wasn’t coming out from her mouth. Lorraine still had her coat on, keys in hand and was looking at me with a mixture of astonishment and sadness. It made me sick. “Rachael,” she said, reaching for my hand but I slapped it away. She sighed and took her hand back. “We have to move by tomorrow. I have to go talk with some people to get everything in order. Stay home and pack the basics—the real estate agent will have some people pick up whatever we leave behind and deliver it to us,” “Tomorrow?” That was what broke me. I stalked off to my bedroom, making sure to slam the door to make my thoughts about the move clear. There, I lay with my pillow to my chest on my blue comforter listening to my mother’s footsteps get loud enough as to be outside my door and then pause. Finally, her steps got quieter until I heard the front door being opened and closed. Just when I heard the car speeding off, my cell phone started to ring with ‘Strip me’ by Natasha Bedingfield. I pulled it out from my shorts and pressed it to my ear. “Hello?” “Hey Rachael, it’s me. Happy birthday!” Pat, my best friend, said. “Thanks. So, what are you up to?” “Today I swear I’m not doing anything!” he said in a sing-song voice trying to mimic Bruno Mar’s song and failing miserably, “Have any plans for tonight?” he asked excitedly. “No. So what are you really up to?” Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the plans I had made with my mom had been spoiled by the fact that tomorrow I was moving. It would make it too real—and I couldn’t deal with it right now.


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“Oh, well. I thought maybe there had been a last-minute dinner with mom or something. By the way: tell her I said hi.” He paused and said, “It’s kind of interesting, because I was thinking that maybe you could come over to have dinner with me?” “Well, I don’t see why not. You’ll have to pick me up, though.” I said eagerly, wanting to get out—anywhere but in the house. Never mind that I had had dinner already. “That’s okay; I’ll come over, say, in an hour?” “Right. But wait, are you sure it's just dinner? And just you and me?” Silence. “Pat! You’re throwing a party, aren’t you?” I said. I didn’t really mind though—not tonight. Tonight I wanted something different and wild and exciting—something that would make me take my mind off things for a bit. “And there you went and ruined the surprise! But don’t worry, is just a little reunion with people you like from school and one or two friends of mine,” he said calmly. “Actually, I don’t mind it at all. See you in a few.” And I hung up. ……. “Are you enjoying yourself?” Pat asked later, handing me another glass of apple cider. I took it gratefully and gulped down some of the rich liquid. We were in Pat’s dad newest club, X-scape. Before Mr. Evans decided to buy the small building the club was nicknamed X-fail due to the constant crowd of drunken forty year-old men that passed out in the installations. But after going through several renovations, the club had gone from non-existent to being the hottest thing around. You couldn’t get in without a reservation, imagine that. Still, I wasn’t having a good time. “Not really.” I answered Pat, “It’s just…I don’t understand how people can dance like that…” I said, pointing to one of the many couples in the dance floor, “it’s like they’re doing the dirty only with their clothes on,” Pat frowned. “Well, now that you put it like that…never mind.” He shook his head and sipped some of his apple cider and then lowered his mouth to my ear. “Those guys over there haven’t stopped looking at you. What made you want to live up a little for a change, anyway?” I looked over to where he was pointing. Two good-looking guys—one with red hair and the other with brown—kept their eyes fixated on me as they sipped what appeared to be red wine. One of them winked. I returned my gaze to Pat. “Not interested. Maybe I just wanted to do something different—after all, it is my sixteenth birthday, you know.” He sipped more of his apple cider before answering me. “I know. You look nice, by the way.” His eyes traveled my body making me feel a little self-conscious. I was wearing a white see-through shirt with a camisole underneath, a pair of dangerously black short shorts and high heels. My hair was up in a messy-but-cute bun and my new earrings glittered against the lights. The attire was so-not-me it was almost embarrassing that I owned those clothes at all. I punched his arm playfully. “Stop it. And you don’t look half-bad yourself.” And it was true. Pat Evans wore a red tight-fitting t-shirt that made the muscles in his forearms stand out and a pair of low-slung dark jeans that would have made any girl blush. He sent me a dazzling grin. “Thanks, not that I didn’t know that already,” I rolled my eyes. “You’re too full of yourself.” His grin widened. “Want a refill?” Pat asked, signaling to my now empty glass. “Sure.” I said. He went off among the crowd.


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After a few minutes, I felt a hand on my shoulder. “What was taking you so long?” I said and turned. “That doesn’t matter. I’m here, babe.” Grey Jenkins, a guy from school, slurred and grinned at me. He pressed his hand to my forearm. That he was drunk was a no-brainier. “Piss off,” I said, shaking his hand from my forearm and turning to the packed dance floor. I made my way through it, steeping over some girl’s toes and pressing and pushing until I arrived at the parking lot. I rubbed my temples. I was getting a killer headache. There was light buzz forming in my head and I faintly recalled my mom’s firm voice telling me to stay home. I gulped some fresh air to try to clear it. Where had Pat gone off to? The headache wasn’t getting any better and I wanted to go home—right now. I opened my purse and took out my Blackberry. The hour was what struck me first: 11:30. I unblocked the screen. Seven missed calls from mom. Okay, I really should get my ass home now. I dialed Pat’s number. “Pat, where the hell—,” I was cut off by his voicemail. Hey, I’m busy, okay? Call later and maybe I’ll pick up. I tried again. Nothing. That left me with only one option: mom. She was going to be so pissed at me. I punched her number and just when I was about to press dial, the screen went black. Just my luck, I thought sourly stuffing the BlackBerry away. I guess that left me walking. Or maybe not. There was a brightly lit store just a street up, I could ask for a phone there to call my mom. Yeah, she’ll be pissed but she would come to pick me up anyway. God, the heels were killing my feet. My head was going to explode—it seemed like the blood rushing through it carried too much pressure, went too fast. I rubbed my temples again. What’s happening? Some part of me asked. All of a sudden, the night went incredibly chilly. There was a nauseating feeling in my stomach—sort-of like vertigo—but scarier. The store wasn’t that far now. It beckoned for safety—white lights spilling from the clear windows washing all of the darkness away. I started to walk faster. Just then, my head exploded. At least, that’s what it had felt like. It hurt so much; I staggered a little as I walked. Everything was a blur of colors, of movements. A cold wind gushed past my face and the next thing I know, I was being held and dragged into an alley. Between the throbbing of my head and the little light, I could only make a dark silhouette plus someone who was holding my arms. Forget about my mom, this was some serious trouble. I focused on the man (he seemed familiar)—at first, it seemed like one, anyway—and then he…shifted. It was a creature—it couldn’t be called human—with something that appeared to be scales, and with hands that had claws—sharp-pointed and deadly. His gaze was cold and there was something wrong about it. He stared at me real hard, like trying to figure something out about my face, before quickly shifting his eyes to my capturer. He started talking. “Collon, I think she is the one everyone is looking for.” His voice was deep and dark and—as sick as it made me feel—seductive. The one who was holding me in an iron-hard grip answered. “This—this is too easy. I thought they would have her under protection. Under a ward spell.” His voice was thick with an accent—something like Russian. The creature shook his head. “Krauk, they said it would happen close to this time—and didn’t you hear at the human party? She is celebrating her sixteenth birthday. We have to take her to Samael.”


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So that’s why he had seemed so familiar. These guys were the ones at the bar—the ones who had been staring at me. I needed to escape. I didn’t like the sound of their conversation at all—that they were talking about me was obvious and I had no desire to meet this Samael. In that moment I felt something prickling in my shoulder blade, increasing little by little, until it was burning me. I screamed in pain and rage. Something almost primal took over me and my senses sharpened. I stepped Collon's feet causing him to lose his hold a little. But it was enough. I struggled free and punched it. Faster than I thought, he pushed me and I was thrown to the ground, my head banging against the hard pavement with a thunk. Touching my head I realized it was seeping blood. But I couldn’t let that stop me. I tried to stand up to run, but claws dug across my back making me fall to the ground once again. I managed to lessen the impact of the fall with my hands, rolling over to be face up in the process. The creature stands over me; imposing, terrifying, waiting to land a final strike—a strike that would surely end my life. I braced myself for the deathly blow, my eyes closing on their own. My breathing was ragged from my panic, from all the adrenaline kicking inside me. I waited and waited. The sound of growling made me open my eyes hesitantly. The creature was no longer there, shredded to pieces. Instead, a boy with a golden aura, fierceness in his stare, stood with two glistening objects lying at his feet. As I watched, he clutched one of his hands to his chest, but his features don’t show any sign of pain. The other creature, Krauk, is fast, though; and escapes into the night. Everything around me started to spin: a mix of blurs, of colors. It was like when you know you’re about to gag. It felt like I was being sucked right into a tornado, going round and round, like it was never going to stop. Pain assaulted me as my defenses wore down. My head was throbbing—pulsing—loud enough for me to hear my blood rushing past. My back was sore. The searing pain on my shoulder blade was too much—too overwhelming—to block it out anymore. I couldn’t fight my exhaustion. I was faintly aware of a pair of strong arms sweeping me off my feet, cradling me. I fell into darkness as the pain in my cuts consumed me. """

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THE 24 HOUR RACE IS BACK AND BIGGER THAN EVER "Coming" up" in" one" month" is" the" 2012" 24Ehour" race," a" student" organized"charity" event." The" race" consists" of" many" schools" across" Hong" Kong"competing"against"each"other" in"a"relay"race."All" funds"raised"go"to"Esther’s"Benjamin" Memorial" Foundation," a" nonEprofit" organization" working" with"

other"NGOs"on"trying"to"stop"human"trafficking"and"help"victims,"mainly"in"Nepal."The"event"has"been"a"success"for"the"past"two"years"raising"over"600"000"HKD"in"last"year’s"race"only,"AND"LPC"has"won"all"of"the"24"hour"races"so"far!"Let’s"keep"tradition"going."We"look"forward"to"seeing"every"member"of"LPC"participating"either"as"a"runner,"marshal,"on"the" feel"good"squad"or"cheering!""""Don’t"miss"out"on"this"fantastic"event.""Come"out"and"support"the"LPC"team!"

To#be#continued...#

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BouZi #11 Issue 17th Oct 2012