When Associate Professor Milagros Rivera hopped on a plane to Singapore in 2002 to visit a former colleague who was teaching at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), she knew nothing about the country — except that the weather would be warm.

It was love at first sight, not least because of the ethnic diversity she encountered. This was something Milagros, who is of Hispanic descent, really missed at her previous post at a university in America’s Midwest.

“On my first MRT ride, there were Chinese and Malays chatting together next to me, and a group of Indian women wearing beautiful saris got on the train at one of the stops. There were also a few Caucasians who looked like they were living in Singapore. At that very moment, I thought, ‘I would love to live here!’” she recalls.

Milagros got her wish when an opening for a one-year stint as a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) became available during her extended visit.

Nine years later, the Puerto Rico native is now heading the Department of Communications & New Media of the university’s Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

She is one of the hundreds of expatriates who have turned Singapore’s academia into a veritable United Nations, drawn by the Republic’s world-class universities, strong funding support, research opportunities and general lifestyle.

Her colleagues come from 15 countries, and “their commitment resonates with my own values,” Milagros says.

“I don’t think I would have stayed as long [as I have] if I didn’t have the colleagues and students I have. When I taught my first semester at NUS, the students were so eager to learn that I’ve never looked back since.”

But the working pace took some getting used to for Milagros, who has worked at two public research universities in the United States.

S’pore Universities Jump The Ranks
Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore have improved on their positions in a recent global ranking of universities.

NTU jumped 16 places to take 58th position while NUS moved up three spots to be ranked 28th in the world, according to the 2011 World University Rankings released in September. The third university, Singapore Management University, was not included in the survey because it is a specialised university.

“The workload is heavy and the hours are very long”, says the 50-yearold.

“My weekdays are seldom shorter than 16 hours and I work seven days a week. I have never worked this hard in my life, but there is great value when you work in a place where everyone shares a vision.”

Like her, Associate Professor Adekunle Adeyeye from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering of NUS’s Faculty of Engineering was drawn to Singapore by the living environment.

“It is a safe place to live and raise a family,” says the Nigerian who has three children aged 10 and eight years, and 15 months.

Adekunle worked in Singapore for nine months in 1997 before he left for the University of Cambridge.

He returned with his family in 2000 to take up a faculty position at NUS. He was also drawn by the opportunity to be involved in the building of the Information Storage Materials Laboratory and to conduct research.

“I like the fact that I am part of the transformation that is taking place in the education landscape in Singapore and especially at NUS, which has gone from a teaching to research-intensive university in the last 10 years,” says the 43-year-old.

United nations
At NUS, the number of non-Singaporean academic staff has gone up by 15 per cent over the last three years.

There are now 76 nationalities, including Singaporeans, represented among the teaching and research staff.

This has much to do with the university’s focus on academic excellence and potential, and its lack of constraints on nationality, explains Professor Lai Choy Heng, Vice Provost (Academic Personnel) for NUS.

And he is confident that this number will continue to grow.

An expanding student population means more teachers are needed, and schools such as NUS are launching major research initiatives to draw thought leaders and creative academics from around the globe.

Foreign faculty numbers at the other local universities, including Singapore Management University (SMU) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), are also on the rise.

At SMU, non-Singaporeans now make up close to 58 per cent of its faculty and come from 28 different countries, says a spokesperson for the university.

At NTU, the number of foreigners went up by 44 per cent between 2007 and 2011, with over 70 countries represented, says Dr Koh Hock Tee, the university’s Director for Human Resources Faculty Affairs.

There are not many other countries where young academics get the opportunities they get here
Assistant Professor Adam Switzer, Principal Investigator at NTU’s Earth Observatory of Singapore

Apart from work opportunities, it seems many foreign academics choose to live in Singapore because of an ability to pursue interests outside work hours.

A typical day for Adekunle is filled with lectures, meetings with research students and attending to various administrative duties. But there is time for family during weekends when he is also involved in church activities, and when he makes it a point to catch English Premier League football matches on television.

Milagros makes time for reading and meditation, and even teaches a meditation class at her faculty.

For husband-and-wife pair Qiang Cheng and Xia Chen, both 38, from SMU’s School of Accountancy, weekends are when they take their sons, aged five and nine, out and about to explore Singapore. Originally from China, they have also worked in the United States and Canada.

“Singapore offers a wealth of learning opportunities for the kids, such as different kinds of [enrichment] classes and programmes. The children were born and grew up in North America. Since they are still young, we hope the experience of living in Singapore will help them understand Asian culture better and have broader horizons,” says Xia Chen, an Associate Professor of Accounting.

That aside, “Singapore is attractive because I believe that it is a future education hub, particularly in the field of accounting,” says Qiang Cheng, who is Associate Dean (Research) and Professor of Accounting. “The working environment here is excellent.”

He is not alone in his sentiments. Assistant Professor Adam Switzer, a Principal Investigator at NTU’s Earth Observatory of Singapore and who previously taught at the University of Hong Kong, finds the academic and research environment here pleasantly collegial.

“At NTU, I get more of a sense that people really want to help one another succeed,” explains the Australian-born earth scientist, 37, who researches coastal hazards.

The real draw for him, though, is the support academics get from both the government and industry.

“Singapore offers one of the best research cultures in the world… My research requires a lot of manpower and a truly multidisciplinary team, and Singapore offers opportunities in terms of both funding and manpower,” he says.

“There are not many other countries in the world where young academics get the opportunities they get here.”

A Race To Forge Friendships
On 19 March, more than 100 students, both international and local, competed in the inaugural intervarsity edition of the Singapore Challenge.

The competition, modeled after the reality competition The Amazing Race, had students in teams comprising foreigners and locals race around Singapore, working together to solve puzzles while learning about Singapore’s many facets.

This annual event was organised by the Singapore International Foundation, together with NTU, NUS and SMU and the Singapore Institute of Management to forge friendships between Singaporeans and international student communities here.

The foreign students hailed from 18 countries including Belgium, Canada and Vietnam. According to figures from the Singapore Tourism Board, there were more than 90,000 foreign studying in Singapore each year from 2008 to 2010.

I love cricket because it is considered the gentlemen’s sport; there’s no behaving like a hoodlum on the pitch, and you don’t play to hurt or maim anyone.

Peter Khor

According to sports news website sportingintelligence.com, cricket competition powerhouse the Indian Premier League (IPL), is one of the most lucrative televised sports series in the world today. With a season lasting only six weeks, players typically earn an annual average salary of £2.5 million (about $5 million). This is second only to the National Basketball Association in the United States, where a player can pick up US$4.8 million (about $5.3 million) annually.

One of the largest tournaments in the world, the Cricket World Cup is the third most-watched sporting event after the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics. Televised in more than 200 countries, the 2011 tournament had one billion people glued to their seats for the semi-finals in March between host country India and Pakistan. But despite becoming a global phenomenon, the game doesn’t seem to have maintained a huge following here in recent years— or has it?

“That might have been the case in 2003, when there were only 14 teams in the local league,” says Prakash Vijaykumar from the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA). “But now, we have 105 teams. With 15 players per team, there are at least 1,500 people here playing the sport!”

The Indian citizen attributes this to the foreign talent who flocked to Singapore during the economic boom between 2004 and 2007. “Many were from countries with a strong cricket culture like England and Australia as well as India and Pakistan,” explains Prakash, 37, who is SCA’s chief executive officer. “That’s why around 60 per cent of the league players here are expatriates.”

GLORY DAYS

He admits that such statistics have contributed to stereotyped thinking that cricket is a game only enjoyed by foreigners. But cricket in Singapore has a longer and richer history than one might think. Local retiree Peter Khor, for instance, remembers a time when interest in the game was fuelled purely by Singaporeans.

“When I played for my school, Raffles Institution, from 1958 to 1960, all the school teams had Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian players who were Singaporean,” the 67-year-old recalls. “I love cricket because it is considered the gentlemen’s sport; there’s no behaving like a hoodlum on the pitch, and you don’t play to hurt or maim anyone.”

Peter adds that because a match can go on for three to five days, the physical and mental demands are high, making the game an unique challenge.

The British introduced cricket to Singapore during their rule which began in 1819. “Like polo, it was originally played by the elite such as top administrators and civil servants,” says Mohanavelu Neethiananthan, SCA’s vice-president. “But because it began being played in all the schools here – even neighbourhood ones – cricket eventually reached out to all races and social groups.”

What brought the local cricket community together were the annual matches that pitted Singapore against Malaysia, another former British colony. “I used to watch them religiously from the late 1950s to the late 1960s,” says Peter. “Singapore and Malaysia would take turns hosting the event. Every other year, it’d be held at the Padang, and the grounds would be filled with spectators. It was a festive atmosphere, with stalls selling food and drinks. People would even stand on the steps of the Old Supreme Court Building to get a better look.”

LOSING STEAM

Taking a swing at indoor cricket at Sports Planet

Interest in the game waned with the exit of British administrators in the late 1960s, though Mohanavelu attributes the major reason for its decline to a decision made by the Ministry of Education (MOE). “In the 1970s, their Co-Curricular Activities Branch [then known as the Extra-Curricular Activities Branch] wanted to push other popular sports such as football,” claims the 59-year-old. “Because of this, they stopped recognising cricket as a school sport. However, certain schools with a strong cricket tradition chose not to disband their teams.”

Though the SCA continued to organise cricket tournaments for the schools that still had teams, it wasn’t till the mid-1990s that the game made a relative comeback. “The SCA, with the help of [former United World College Cricket Club President] John Goodban, managed to convince the MOE officials of the importance of the sport, and had them recognise it as a Co-Curricular Activity again,” says Mohanavelu, a Singaporean. “We arranged for our coaches to give talks at the schools, explaining and demonstrating the game to the teachers and students.”

STARTING YOUNG

A young player from the Singapore Recreation Club's Cricket Academy

Secondary schools aren’t the only avenues for budding cricketers to get their proper introduction to the game. At the Singapore Recreation Club (SRC), a cricket academy was set up in 2009 for children aged eight to 14 years old. “Cricket isn’t an old man’s game as it’s very physically demanding,” says Paul Joseph, SRC’s Cricket Convener. “The cricket ball is bowled at an average speed of 130 kilometres per hour, and hundreds of runs are made on average, so it helps to have youth on your side.

“That’s why we’re always looking for fresh blood, and believe that the best time to get people interested in the game is when they’re young.”

Open to members of the public, SRC’s academy is not unique in running such programmes. “Other clubs with cricket teams such as the Singapore Cricket Club, Ceylon Sports Club and the Singapore Indian Association hire independent coaches to teach children,” explains Paul, 45. “We all want to find the best players and groom them to represent us in the local league.”

Currently, 14 secondary schools play cricket although there were about 30 five years ago.

“The reasons for the dwindling numbers are always the same,”says Mohanavelu. “Students and parents feel the game is too long-drawn, especially in the scorching heat.”

AN ALTERNATIVE

Tackling these issues is Shehzad Haque, 36, the director of Seasoned Pro’s Indoor Cricket League. Launched in October 2009, Seasoned Pro’s games are held at sheltered, open-air pitches such as Sports Planet and The Cage. Protected from the elements, the game is pitched as the “cool cousin of outdoor cricket”, says Shehzad, a Singaporean.

“What we’ve done is made the game more accessible,” he says. “A match now lasts around only an hour, you can play come rain or shine, and we use a softer ball, so injuries are less of a concern.”

More than just a business, this new venture also aims to capitalise on the recent resurgence of the sport among adults to get kids interested in it as well. “We’re working with the SCA on bringing both the Chinese Men’s and Women’s national teams to Singapore in the near future,” says Shehzad.

“Ultimately, what the local cricket community really wants is a stronger cricket culture among Singaporeans.”

SINGAPORE CRICKET ASSOCIATION
31 Stadium Crescent www.singaporecricket.org

SINGAPORE CRICKET CLUB
A Connaught Drive www.scc.org.sg

SINGAPORE RECREATION CLUB
B Connaught Drive www.src.org.sg

SINGAPORE INDIAN ASSOCIATION
69 Balestier Road www.sg-ia.org

CEYLON SPORTS CLUB
101 Balestier Road www.cscsingapore.org.sg

INDOOR CRICKET LEAGUE
The Cage (weekday games) 38 Jalan Benaan Kapal

Sports Planet (weekend games) 1020 East Coast Parkway
www.seasonedprosg.com/indoor-cricket

Got a taste for something exotic? Forget the passport, and head for a heartland cooking class instead! BY ELAINE NG

Red Square, Russia

While travelling, enjoying authentic local cuisine is often an indispensable part of sampling a country’s culture.

After all, what more satisfying way is there of experiencing a country than through the aromas and flavours of its food?

One can now have these authentic cultural experiences without having to leave home. The myriad international culinary workshops organised by the People’s Association (PA) enable local food lovers to taste the world from Singapore.

From sampling exotic Persian cuisine to  exploring
fusion foods like you tiao (fried dough fritters) with chocolate, over 450 international culinary classes were held under PA’s “Global Cultures” and “Singapore Culinary Journey” series in 2010.Organised since 2008, such courses span a wide range of themes and cuisines and offer attendees a chance to—as the PA website states—“discover beautiful Asian traditions, go on a Mediterranean culinary journey or even embark on an exotic Egyptian and Turkish odyssey.”

Also offered last year were “sweet surprises” from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain and Switzerland, in the form of dessert-making classes.

Upcoming courses this year will see participants learning to prepare Khmer dishes like Banana Blossom Salad and Fish Amok,and to concoct beverages including Spain’s signature sangria and coffee. Courses are conducted by native trainers and renowned chefs. Last year, they included acclaimed Italian specialty chef Michele Pavanello, and Daniel Koh, a judge for MediaCorp’s cooking shows including Easy Cooking and Home on a Plate. Bernie Utchenik, the founder of the Botak Jones restaurant and café chain was also on hand to whip up American dishes like Cajun Chicken Pasta and Sliced Beef and Cheese Steak Sandwiches.

The number of participants vary with each class, most of which are held at community centres, are hands-on,and cost $15 to $50 each. “Participants who come to these international culinary workshops are able to glean cultural knowledge from native guest trainers as they [the trainers] share their local traditions and interesting customs while imparting recipes,” says Toh Lay Hoon, PA’s Lifeskills and Lifestyle Division Director.

“The open sharing and the sampling of food allows people to break the ice in a very natural way.”

The classes are largely attended by Singaporeans, although certain workshops draw a few expatriates.

“These classes are a brilliant idea, as we [chefs] can reach out to different community groups,” says Chef Daniel Koh. His classes last year included one on “East-meets-West Cuisine,” where he demonstrated dishes that included wok-charred salmon with sautéed leek and garlic.

Executive Chef Mohammad Hosseini of restaurant Shiraz Authentic Persian “Cuisine also believes that food is one of the best ways to bridge cultures.

In Singapore, sometimes, people bear some misunderstanding of what Iran is like. During a class, I talk about my country and my culture. In return, everyone shares their countries and cultures,” says Chef Mohammad, who conducted the “Authentic Persian Cuisine” classes last year.

Through the common currency of food, PA hopes appreciation and understanding among people from different ethnicities, nationalities and walks of life.Singaporean Callista Yeo, who attended “Blini! Russian Pancakes, Tea and Friends” last August, says PA’s efforts have borne fruit. “During the lesson, everyone bonded quickly through exchanging what they knew about Russia. It’s also the culture that I appreciate learning about.”

Besides learning how to make blinis (Russian pancakes), the festivals and traditions shared during the class revealed the rich culture and customs of the country to Callista, a 34-year-old homemaker, who is now planning to visit Russia.

Some workshops take place at restaurants, where participants get to mingle over a meal. “If you come for Persian cuisine at Shiraz, you see the unique Persianstyle interior decoration, enjoy Persian music and watch Persian belly dance. The appreciation of other cultures is always the first step to crossing barriers,” says Chef Mohammad, the restaurant’s executive chef.

Kristina West, 39, signed up for one of the chef’s classes last October. “I was already familiar with Shiraz as one of the most authentic Middle Eastern restaurants in Singapore. The fact that I could learn directly from their chef was a bonus,” says the Australian expatriate.

This year’s courses can be viewed here.

Part of the attraction of mixed martial arts for Joshua Hong, who is in the Singapore Navy, is that it is a “personal challenge”

There’s an exciting martial arts movie or reality show just waiting to be made in Singapore. Its working title would be MMA (for Mixed Martial Arts). The main story line is the mushrooming of fight clubs here, with white collar professionals — local and expatriate — signing up. The trainers are a growing community of Thai and Brazilian expats, with some local Singaporeans among them.

(more…)

Some might think it difficult to uproot themselves and follow their spouses to a foreign land. But for these four, adjusting to life in Singapore has been a breeze.

Predictably, Singapore is safe, convenient and comfortable. It is also friendly and exciting, say the woman, who represent part of a sizeable – and growing – community of foreign couples here.

Alpana, Lila, Marie-Caroline and Ying chose to be homemakers when they relocated here. However, Singapore offers opportunities not only to pursue their own interests, but also to give back to the society, they say.
(more…)

American sociologist and photographer Lewis Hine, famous for his documentation of child labour and pictures of workers constructing the Empire State Building in the 1930s, once said that if he could tell the story in words, he wouldn’t have to lug around a camera.

In this day and age, however, lugging around a camera has become the norm for most Singaporeans. And with cameras becoming more portable, they’re less an inconvenience than a daily accessory.

While more serious proponents of photography still prefer the rugged Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR), handier cameras – from the shiny, pretty compact digital cameras for the casual consumer, semi-professional SLR made for the ‘pro-sumer’, or even the humble handphone with its tiny in-built lens – are the way to go for the masses.

DAWN OF THE DIGITAL

The arrival of the digital era marked a new surge in interest in Singapore about 10 years ago.

Professional photographer Willy Foo, who runs Livestudios, one of Singapore’s largest event photography companies, has seen higher demand for photography lessons in recent years. His monthly beginners classes are always at capacity.

Most of the students signing up are professionals and executives in various industries in their 20s and 30s. Six out of 10 are women and almost everyone comes wanting to know how to use their new digital SLRs.

In fact the sales of SLR cameras have boomed. Canon Singapore, for example, announced in May that its EOS line of SLRs hit its 40-million-unit production milestone – marking a whopping 10-million more cameras produced in just over two years.

The trend is similar at the Objectifs Centre for Photography and Filmmaking, Singapore’s most established photography centre. Since it was founded in 2003, Objectifs has seen a gradual increase in the demand for basic photography classes from two to seven classes each quarter. The number of students per class is capped at 12. Usually, six out of 10 of these students will go on to take more advanced classes like documentary photography and alternative lighting.

Emmeline Yong, founder and partner of Objectifs, thinks that this goes in tandem with the ease of shooting. “If you shoot more, you will want to show more and fine tune your skills,” she said. “That’s when taking a workshop where you can get structured learning and constructive criticism might help.”

BUILDING COMMUNITIES

Other than photographic hardware, the prevalance of digital photography and avenues of display have also boosted the take-up of photography. Picasa, Flickr, Photobucket and PBase make the tip of the iceberg… and then there is Facebook.

Not only is the grand dame of social networking a top choice among many hobbyists who love posting photo albums and having their work commented on by their friends, subscribing to a Facebook group instantly opens a door to a network of like-minded people who are eager to exchange resources and organise street meet-ups.

Marketing director Ramesh Ramakrishnan Iyer, 47, enjoys using Facebook to learn about photography because it is simple and straightforward. “I comment regularly on techniques and gear and encourage those who are testing their skill,” he says.

Like him, wildlife photography enthusiast Daniel Wee, 45, is one of those who make it a point to join the group’s monthly gatherings. He even took it a step further and formed a subgroup with friends he met through Facebook, so they can keep each other in the loop about various photo opportunities and overseas trips. “With them I am never alone on shoots during the weekend,” he says.

The Singapore Photographers Facebook group,founded by Willy from Livestudios, has about 8,000 members and was set up as “a platform for anyone keen in photography to learn, share, discuss, meet and shoot.” The group makes an effort to hook up professional photographers and newbies through regular outings and sharing sessions. To keep the buzz and online chatter, monthly themed photography challenges and weekly “Photographer of the Week” titles are awarded based on photo posts. For those looking to turn professional, there is even a job directory for beginners wanting to enter the industry. In addition,  there’s also Club Snap, the largest online photo group that has more than 110,00 members from Singapore and has grown to include members from the region.

For engineer Valerie Lee, 24, who picked up photography during her university days in America, the camera became a tool to capture her memories of the vast landscapes she saw during her travels. When she developed an interest in baking, she started dabbling in food photography to illustrate her recipes and restaurant reviews, which she publishes through a blog (http://valeebelly.blogspot.com). “I want people to admire my photos even though I have lots of room for improvement,” she says. “It feels good to receive nice comments about an image.”

Calendar Highlights

Offline, the local photography scene is picking up speed too. In 2008, the first Singapore International Photography Festival was held to great response. Organised by the 2902 Gallery, Southeast Asia’s largest photo gallery, the festival attracted a whopping 6,600 public submissions of photographic work from around the world.

The biennial festival, which runs from 15–31 October this year, will involve exhibitions at various venues across Singapore, portfolio reviews, talks, workshops and competitions to engage the masses in appreciating a wide range of photography.

There is also the Month of Photography Asia. First established in 2002, the annual event is curated along a specific theme and involves a range of exhibitions and public programmes. Last year, one of its highlights included National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry’s solo exhibition at the Asian Civilisation Museum, which opened to much fanfare alongside other shows like local photographer Deanna Ng’s documentary series on the terminally-ill in Singapore.

Photographer-driven initiatives have become popular ways of connecting like-minded people too. PLATFORM, for instance, is a new group focused on fostering social documentary visual storytelling in Singapore and bringing these stories to a larger Singaporean audience. It has a regular show-and-share session every first Tuesday of the month at Sinema Old School, Mount Sophia.

“Over the years, there have been many homegrown talents in these aspects of photography and they need a platform to recognise and showcase their work,” says freelance photographer and photojournalism instructor Tay Kay Chin, who is one of the cofounders of PLATFORM.

Objectifs hopes this growing interest in photography in Singapore will also inspire more people to appreciate photography beyond a basic level of shooting. “We want to nurture emerging photographers and offer a base for those with a passion for photography to go further with their work.” Emmeline said.

WIDE-EYED EXPLORER

Marketing director Ramesh Ramakrishnan Iyer’s introduction to photography started young as his father was a shutterbug. In 2002, he bought his first DSLR, marking his advancement from film to digital, which he says “simplifi ed the process of shooting, but made post-production more challenging.” Ramesh enjoys shooting on the themes of Buddhism, elephants and volcanoes. He recently embarked on a journey to Indonesia to begin one of his conquests – documenting the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. “In many ways I’m finding myself through photography,”he said “I’m also expressing something words cannot describe.”

THIS MUM’S GOT A LOT ON HER HANDS

Last year, homemaker Joanne Lim, 35, received an SLR camera as a birthday and anniversary present from her husband. Since then, she’s been busy photographing her infant son Joel and posting his pictures on a Facebook group for mothers in Singapore, which she actively participates in. In fact, Joanne’s photographs of her sons were so popular that she started getting requests to photograph kids’ birthday parties. “It started as a hobby but now it’s developing into a good side income,” she said. “It’s a good way to meet other mothers and their children too.”

CHECKING OUT PHOTOGRAPHY IN SINGAPORE?

GET INTO THE SCENE

• Objectifs Centre for Photography and Filmmaking objectifs.com.sg
• Singapore Photographers www.facebook.com/SingaporePhotographers
• Clubsnap www.clubsnap.com
• Farm.sg www.farm.sg/

CAMERA EQUIPMENT

• Ruby Photo www.rubyphoto.com.sg/
• Cathay Photo cathayphoto.com.sg/

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

• Singapore International Photography Festival www.sipf.com.sg/web
• Month of Photography Singapore www.mopasia.com.sg

OTHER RESOURCES

LEARN ABOUT LIGHTING AND MORE

• Strobist strobist.blogspot.com
• Chase Jarvis blog.chasejarvis.com/blog
• A photo editor www.aphotoeditor.com
• Digital Photography School digital-photography-school.com

ONLINE MAGAZINES

• 1000 Words Photography www.1000wordsmag.com
• Lens Culture www.lensculture.com
• Daylight Magazine daylightmagazine.org
• Burn Magazine www.burnmagazine.org
• MediaStorm www.mediastorm.com