Professional Documents
Culture Documents
STUDENT ANTHOLOGY
STUDENT ANTHOLOGY
MAY 2015
LOVE
UNBALANCED
EQUALLY
ZACK HEW
BEING A LIGHTHOUSE
NADIA CHRISTIE HIDAJAT
Stand tall
Brave and strong
No matter how many waves you suffer
Stand alone
In the middle of the seas
Let water and salty breeze become your
friend
LOST
NICHOLAS
KONG &
MIA CAO
Oh my troubles
Why are you here to stay?
Under the gloomy rainy sky
Am I supposed to stay here?
Watching these lonely trees
The branches break and fall,
and die.
The grass is looming all around me
From all directions that I see.
An opening of joy.
I DONT KNOW
GRACE LI
LA LUNA
JIACHENG GAO (ANDY) & SIYU MA (ALLISON)
A TREE
MONICA PAN
I was small and lonely
In the rage of a storm, trembling
Struggling to survive
Teased by shrubs
I didnt admire the way you thrived
You little bushes
I believe all the suffering will make me strong
Now I stand, at the edge of the rock
Never scared
You stare at me jealously
World embraced me since I live bravely, fearlessly.
HOPE
JEVON PRASETIO & JACQUELINE XIN LO
Small little tree,
What are you doing up there?
So far from us
Set yourself at the dangerous end
The cold wind blows your fragile hands
The sun shines over your bare body
How do you do it?
Overcoming all the natural disasters yourself
Standing firmly at the edge
Giving us a sense of warmth.
TONIGHT
VIVIEN YU
LEAVING HOME
STEFI ANGELINA
There is a goodbye in every hello
A farewell in every meeting
And an end in every beginning
My work here is done today
So many things to consider
So many things are being sacrificed
Even though its a tough decision to make
I have to leave for now
Im sure to be back next time
To fix what Ive done wrong
To build stepping stones into a castle
Youre always in my heart
Now and forever
GOH YI ZHEN
10
RACHEL HENG
MOCATY HUANG
ERIC TAN
On the far end, a fallen tree
That could further represent the season where
Leaves turn from green as grass to red as grapes
The foliage creates shapes
For a mosaic of great colour
But only when looked at in a big, complete picture
A scenery full of cloud and character
12
TO MELBOURNE WEATHER
WING KUANG
Yesterday you were a Gatsby,
Flaunting your riches by baking.
Your luxury cloak covered the city,
Dyeing the ground golden.
And you played like a king, domineering,
Watching the poor fading and tanning.
Today you acted like a Heathcliff,
Romp and stay savage and peevish.
Your roar was howling in the air,
Battering the grey concrete.
You laughed and scolded, withering,
Pounding people out of their dreams.
It seems tomorrow you will be a Myrtle,
Moaning or chuckling, snarling or sobbing.
No one can predict what you are thinking.
But I have been bored with you, my Missy,
Please just be a columbine, rather than harlequin.
13
A STRONG FLOWER
ZHAO YIPING (KRYSTAL) & CHAN RONG XIANG (DARREN)
There is a special and elegant flower
Compared to the tall tree
How small she is
Although she can hardly see the sun
She is still cheerful
She is still fragrant
To solve all problems she meets
Look at her smile
How charming she is
She is not the prettiest
Not the tallest
But
Her attitude must be learnt by all of us
14
15
I am an old tree
Loneliness is around me
TREE
THE STONE
CHALLENGE
DANNI ZHENG
& SANDARA LU
It comes to sight
17
HER LIFE
PHILIP NGAN &
DAISY DENG
She flows,
In the sun and in the rain,
Across the field and over the mountain,
Bravely,
Endlessly,
The journey is hazardous.
Her fate is unpredictable.
19
PEACEFUL TRIANGLE
SU LYNN KEW
20
IN TASMANIA
ZHANG ZIYU (CHRISTINA)
HOBART, 14TH APRIL 2015
This was my first time travelling with friends, and now it was the fifth day in Tasmania. I thought: I have
fallen in love with this magical place. Every bit of it brings very different experiences and moods.
On the first day, we went to Port Arthur, which is a world famous convict site. Looking at the buildings
and houses, I couldnt believe it was a jail - it looks peaceful and beautiful now. My tour guide, though,
told me that Port Arthur is the darkest place in Australia. Only one person ever ran away successfully
from this place to Hobart. But history, in fact, is always accompanied by darkness and blood. We cannot
forget it - its a reality which cannot be changed. But history can also bring intellectual wealth for us; we
can learn so much from history in different countries.
On the second day, Tasmania changes style and brings me another angle to view. Cradle Mountain is a
unique wilderness. The craggy mountain, the trail and the lake with withered trees... I felt I could touch
the sun and the wind. Meanwhile, you also cant clearly see the destination and therefore you have to
walk continually by yourself. When I climbed Cradle Mountain, I was afraid in a way that was quite new
to me. When they cannot see the end point, many people are most likely to choose to give up. Only the
few people who arrive at the destination can witness the amazing scenery. For them, the destination
could be another starting point - to get something you never had, you have to do something you never
did. Dont stop, and keep going.
The last day: Tasmania stood in front of us with a certain rustic charm. We went to Launceston and tasted
plenty of delicious seafood, cheese and red wine. The local seafood was full of colour and fresh
fragrance, and the flavour was unique and delicious. We sat in the street looking at the old buildings and
restaurants and paintings, listening to classical music. It was quieter than many modern cities. No one
could break that peace. In my opinion, every city has its own distinctive attitude. Different cities attitudes
will affect people in different ways - even change their minds about things.
After my exciting Tasmanian journey, I came to think that the purpose of travelling is not what you are
seeing - actually, it is consideration of this world using your heart. Tasmania gives me many different
perspectives to look at and think upon.
Different cities have different lifestyles and culture, but we are all in the same world: what an exciting
thought!
21
LIFE
HAZEL NGUYEN & EVLYN SEPTIANY YONG
Red tree among the green
Swiftly move along with the wind
Looking at the green
Whose colour hasnt changed
Whose days are still young.
For the aging red tree
The days are old
With countless memories
Standing calmly with leaves falling
Wondering what a life it has lived
WARRIOR
WANG ZIFAN & LIN LONG
A little tree
Standing on the cliff
For a long, long time
Suffering the wind and snow
No matter what severe conditions
He thrives without assistance
Standing lonely and strong
Like a warrior
22
MOTHER OF LIFE
SHERRY WANG
Red, bright and benevolent
I am the sun, the mother of life
Rising, pacing and descending
time and time over,
I understand my daily task, my holy responsibility:
To warm, to light, to cheer,
and to expect the miraculous growth,
hopefully, passionately, yet patiently.
Although I cannot always be there,
although I have to face the cold, dark faces,
the ignorance, and the reluctance to appreciate
my precious love and care,
I always know:
I must do it.
After all, who can live well without
a concerned eye contact, a gentle touch,
or a sweet kiss
from their dedicated mother?
23
PHILIP NGAN
24
WHO AM I?
SUN YICHEN (IAN) & WU SHUI LING (LINDA)
Stretching gently as I rise for another day,
Oh! What a living piece of art I see.
Elegant ladies dressed in delicate silk,
Im soaked in the sweetness of your blissful perfumes.
What am I? Compared to you fair ladies?
I tempt no butterflies,
nor praises from birds.
Odourless, ugly, born with billions of threatening thorns...
The sun smiled gracefully at me and said,
Sigh no more, dear, sigh no more,
look into yourself and tell me: what do you see?
A heart not willing to wilt,
A heart not willing to die,
A heart that gets thirsty only when it comes to thrive.
CACTUS
WINONA SHEN & IRIS LYU
Growing up among the flowers
Different to everyone.
Nobody understands
Why he stands here.
Full of hard stings,
Protecting himself.
The cactus is taller, stronger,
but no flowers embellish him.
No butterflies, no bees fly around him
Loneliness makes him grow stronger.
25
PHILIP NGAN
27
FALL
NICOLE TAN SHI YING, WEI WEI LIM
& HANNAH ZHU
There is a lonely autumn tree,
Cradling the twilight, where the lone winds blow,
Fallen leaves basking in the lake,
There is nothing that can make them stop,
Colour, colour, everywhere,
The falling fruits that no one will gather.
Autumn is beautiful
Because the sun shows fewer rays
And fills all fruit with ripeness to the core.
The green leaves are turning to yellow, red and brown,
Down, down
Yellow and brown,
The leaves are falling
Over the town.
29
CANDICE CHEN
THE STORY OF MARIO
Summer: an incandescent season. At this time of year, a lot of young people will graduate from
university, which is one of the most exciting things in life. Blazing sun confirmed the rhythm of
youth.
It is a totally new and fresh beginning, Mario thought. I was born to a poor family, but
in order to earn money for my education my parents often take more work than is good for them.
The day of returning the favour to them has finally arrived! For young people, though, even
stars in the sky seem to twinkle just in hope for them.
However, as the old saying goes, only the good die young. Ten years pass: Mario is
Bad economy; bad luck; high unemployment rate... Why do all these awful things happen
to me? wonders Mario. By now, he was the father of two children. The whole family lived
frugally and would have to think hard about a thousand daily decisions.
I have tried my best to study at university, but why is it so hard to find a satisfying job
nowadays? I am well prepared for interviews and I am kind to every interviewer, as much as I
can be, so why do they always think I am not suitable for the position? IT is my major - one of the
most popular fields of study!
Every day, these problems and questions flashed across his mind countless times. As time
went by, Mario lost self confidence, little by little, and began to doubt his ability. This feeling of
doubt became stronger day by day.
Eventually, too much pressure made Mario go mad. He began to have mental health
problems. One day, Mario made a crazy decision: rob a bank! Maybe this was the fastest - and
only - way to make his family better off. All Marios misfortunes had deprived him of his sense of
purpose, and for this reason he had put down all of his work, ignoring customers waiting for him
to deliver pizzas. He focused on the crime ahead, which he was planning to carry out with the
help of the pizza delivery car.
After the robbery, Mario just kept driving. The police were coming, and he told himself he
could get away. Then Mario got out of the car and ran through the city and across rivers. He
climbed a mountain. Finally, in the late afternoon, he arrived at a forest.
OMG! Mario cried out. There was a little boy, crying, with a bomb strapped to him. It is
Without hesitation, Mario changed into a different mode. He was a totally new and
extraordinarily great person. As a father, he could not bear to see any child treated like that. I
must save that baby even though I might be arrested by the police. He is a life! He made up his
mind.
Wait - what? Mario had to suppress his cry when he saw the suspects. I know these
Oh, man, said one of the suspects, why hasnt Marios pizza that we ordered arrived
yet? Im starving!
Mario thought: did I hear that right? These are some of the customers I gave up before
Busy negotiating with the boys parents, they didnt pay much attention to Mario. Very
quickly, Mario picked up the baby boy and put him in the car before slipping away. Not
surprisingly, the kidnappers chased after them - but they heard an alarm and decided they had to
save themselves. They gave up chasing.
Mario drove whilst trying to disengage the bomb. Eventually, they safely and successfully
Itll be okay, said Mario, Ill help you to return home. Mario used one hand to steer the
Thank you for helping me today... You know, you are just like my father. The boy looked
at Mario. My father also holds my hand and protects me. I shouldnt run off every again; I hope
my father forgives me... the boy muttered to himself. After hearing these words, Mario felt as if
the world was standing still and the air was frozen. These words touched his heart.
Mario was lost in his thoughts. Yes, he thought, I am the father of two children, but I
didnt set good examples for them or protect them well. What I did today also hurt my parents - I
disappointed them. I am neither a good father nor a good son.
Mario delivered himself to the police and made amends for his wrongs. The court felt that,
as he had admitted his fault and made vigorous attempts to eliminate the resulting ill effects, he
could have a lighter, mitigated punishment.
32
HOTPOT
ANNLI TEE
This picture portrays the delicious chaos of having a Chinese hotpot (locally called steamboat)
dinner with family and friends. Once dunking your choice of food into the steaming broth, most
end up losing it in the depths of the pot. Everyone ends up fighting over ownership of the cooked
fish ball or tofu!
Picture taken in Selangor, Malaysia.
33
COLOURS
ELICIA CHEAH
Blue,
The colour of freedom,
But nobody knows
It is also the colour of twilight,
Where wolves roam free,
Their hungry eyes searching.
Red,
The colour of love,
And everyone knows
It is also the colour of blood,
Which stains a deep red crimson,
A permanent mark to be remembered.
Green,
The colour of nature,
But nobody knows
It is also the colour of the black cats eyes,
The creature so many of them associate with
evil,
Black,
Elegance, sophistication,
And darkness, and shadows,
Where your darkest fantasies come to life
Can you see them?
White,
Like this piece of paper,
Pure, and new,
But do you know
That it is also the space
Where a persons memories have been
wiped clean?
Colours,
Do you see them?
For I fear that if you do,
You might never wake up from this
nightmare.
Colours,
prey.
Yellow,
And hope.
Just pick.
Be wise.
34
GOH YI ZHEN
35
REFLECTION
CAYLIE CHU, CHERYL TENG & DYLAN DENG
Reflection,
one of the fundamental human traits.
But no matter how much light there may be,
there will always be darkness in reflection.
Even though everyone can reflect, only a few
with wisdom
can have the best view of themselves.
36
SURVIVAL
JEANETTE HAN & JASMINE ZHI MING CHOONG
37
38
FEAST
ANNLI TEE
The famous saying that one mans trash is
anothers treasure is the perfect caption for
this amusing scene. Tantalised by the exquisite
smells of a hotpot dinner, my neighbours cat
decided to drop by for leftovers - to find
absolutely scrumptious treasure!
Pictures taken in Selangor, Malaysia.
39
DENNIS WIRYA
We, electronic beings, need energy
And so we have done, siphoning energy from batteries.
Without teachers, we may not run,
and know what our functions are.
Theyre our electricity, powering us,
letting us know how operable we are,
and thats how we come to know what good we can do
for society.
40
ANTONIA YIP
I take my leave
As white stargazer lilies accompany my sleep.
41
43
ADA YANG
44
PENCIL
WEIJIA WANG (SAM), CHENGXI ZHANG (BROOK), YI
LIANG (OLIVIA) & SHENGJIE WU (JENNY)
When I was staying on the shelf of a store, I took pity on my friends who were bought and
taken away. I felt that my life would soon come to an end whenever I saw those who became
very short and lay beside the bin; thus I always hid myself away in order not to be bought by
anybody.
Unfortunately, one day a man came to the store, walked straight towards me, and picked
What are you going to do with me? I asked, but he kept silent as if he hadnt heard.
He placed me on his table. I stayed there for several days, and when I thought that he
wouldnt use me he suddenly rushed into his study and sharpened me.
Stop hurting me! I shouted, but I was ignored. He took out a piece of paper and
started writing with me crazily, as if he had got some inspiration. It felt really painful as my
lead rubbed the paper rapidly. I screamed, but he just kept writing row by row, rapidly,
crazily.
He took his eraser and rubbed out some words, and then picked me up again and wrote
Still, he gave no answer. He just kept modifying his words again and again. The man,
with sweat on his forehead, kept concentrating on his project as if the world made no sense to
him. I began to be silent.
45
I didnt know how long the time was that passed; eventually, he stopped writing and
Look at what a good job you have done, he said. It was a long piece of poetry, with
splendid words. After several days, his poem attracted the attention of the most popular editor,
and hundreds of millions of copies were published. As soon as it appeared on the market, the
poem received a lot of praise for its deep reflection of daily life.
Now that I have reached the end of my life, I am too short even for him to hold me.
However, every time I am reminded of the awesome poem written by my owner, pride and
satisfaction fill my mind. Thats a totally different life to my pencil friends.
46
ART CREDITS
Cover: Hardcover book gutter and pages by Horia Varlan (creativecommons.org)
Page 1: Pulchritudinous Proliferation by Annli Tee
Page 2: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 3: original art by Evangeline Yan
Page 4: original art by Chet Zi Han (Regant)
Page 5: photograph by Antonia Yip
Page 6: photograph by Gao Jiachen (Andy)
Page 7: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 8: photograph by Guo Zichao (Robert)
Page 9: original art by Linda Wu
Page 11: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 12: photograph The End by Guo Zichao (Robert)
Page 13: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 14: photograph by Guo Zichao (Robert)
Page 16: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 17: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 18: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 19: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 22: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 25: photograph Summer by Guo Zichao (Robert)
Page 29: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 30: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 36: photograph by Gao Jiacheng (Andy)
Page 37: photograph by Philip Ngan
Page 40: photograph by Wing Kuang
Page 41: photograph by Philip Ngan
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