School holiday? WHAT HOLIDAY?

Many students, mostly in graduating batches, have classes during mid-year break
By Jane Ng & Yen Feng

THE four-week mid-year school holiday has begun but many students and teachers will not get a proper break until one or two weeks later.

A check with 25 primary and secondary schools showed that almost all have some form of classes, mostly for graduating batches of students - Primary 6s and Secondary 4s and 5s.

Only two schools - Raffles Girls Primary (RGPS) and Hwa Chong Institution - said they are not holding classes at all.

Many parents, whose children have to return to school for such 'compulsory' lessons, say they do not see the point in them, especially when the children are not sitting for major exams at the end of the year.

A parent, whose son is in Primary 5 at Tao Nan School in Marine Parade, was upset to learn that the three-day lessons held in the last week of the holidays, were 'compulsory, with a medical certificate required if the child was absent'.

'My son is only in Primary 5. Why have lessons during the long holidays when they already have compulsory supplementary classes twice a week during term time?

'What's three days of lessons in a kid's life? I feel sorry when he asks me why he can't play,' she said.

Principal Tony Tan said the classes were to make up for lessons missed by the cohort during a three-day adventure camp last month.

Another parent, whose daughter is in Primary 4 in a neighbourhood school, said she decided not to let her go for the classes as the family had made plans to travel.

'Three days will not get her more A* in the PSLE, not when she's only in Primary 4,' said Madam Judy Chong, 39, a customer services executive, who wrote to the school to excuse her daughter from classes.

Over at Zhonghua Secondary, its Secondary 4 and 5 students have compulsory lessons from 8am to 3.15pm every day for the first two weeks of the holidays.

Principal Dolly Ong said parents were advised early in the year not to take their children on a vacation.

'Unless there's a family emergency, we want students to come back for the classes. They need the time to prepare for the examinations,' she added.

School heads say there are students who need these extra classes and who will benefit from them.

Zhonghua Primary's principal Bucktha Seelan said his teachers have planned lessons in the first three days of the school holidays for pupils who need it.

'It's in small groups and not compulsory, though we encourage them to come. It's the only time we can do something to help weaker pupils catch up with their classmates,' he said.

In Tampines Secondary, Secondary 4 and 5 students have classes every day for the first week. Principal Neo Tick Watt said he had 'mixed feelings' about having classes during the holidays.

'You want the students to enjoy, but you also want them to study. Our students need focus and motivation, and the momentum to keep studying,' he said.

That is how some parents feel as well, especially those with children facing critical examinations.

Mrs Susan Kiew, 49, a housewife who has two children in Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary, said the lessons would benefit her elder daughter who is sitting for the O levels at the end of the year.

'If she has problems she can ask her teacher - it's extra help for her, and is better than staying at home,' she said.

But students having to attend classes would mean teachers giving up their holidays too.

Schools say they are careful to set aside time for teachers to rest.

For instance, while NorthLight School has no formal classes during the holidays, some students asked for enrichment lessons like baking.

So the school found an external vendor to conduct classes, with supervision done by administrative staff so that teachers can go for their break.

Principal Chua Yen Ching said she tries to make sure the teachers get three weeks of uninterrupted rest during the holidays.

'It's important that after one semester, they reflect, recharge so they come back renewed,' she said.

As RGPS principal Tan Siok Cheng, who stopped holiday classes five years ago, put it: 'The girls get so tired, and some don't show up because of vacation plans...so we target them throughout the school year, rather than ask them to come back during the holidays.'

Trash and burn S'pore's waste problem

'Incineration does not really make the waste disappear, it transforms the problem into a formidable pollution problem,' said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Director Von Hernandez. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

SINGAPORE - CREEPING out of their condo after dark carrying illicit bags of garbage was not part of the life Ms Sarah Moser and her husband envisioned for themselves before moving to tropical Singapore.

But with recycling in its infancy on the island, such nocturnal escapades have become normal for the two academics.

Each week they dodge watchful security guards, barking dogs and suspicious neighbours to carry rubbish they cannot recycle at home to recycling bins far down the road.

'We end up storing tons of stuff,' Ms Sarah Moser said. 'Paper and cardboard, plastics like milk, juice, takeaway containers.'

'Then we have to do a huge big binge trip, and we're so embarrassed because the guards are watching us.'

This small act of rebellion illustrates the problem faced, on a much larger scale, by tiny Singapore: there's nowhere to put the trash.

'It is very costly to get rid of our waste,' said Mr Ong Chong Peng, general manger of the island's only remaining landfill, which cost $610 million to create on Pulau Semakau eight kilometres south of the mainland.

The landfill 'island,' a 350-hectare feat of engineering reclaimed from the sea, opened the day after the last of five mainland landfills closed in 1999.

Every day it takes shipments of over 2,000 tonnes of ash - the charred remnants of 93 per cent of Singapore's rubbish, burnt at its four incinerators.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) predicts a new multimillion dollar incinerator will be needed every five to seven years, and a new landfill like Pulau Semakau every 25 to 30 years.

With nowhere to site another landfill, recycling, though not yet rolled out to the masses in condominiums or state Housing Development Board (HDB) skyscrapers, is no longer just nice to have, but a necessity, said Mr Ong.

'Singaporeans have to practice the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to extend the lifespan of Semakau as long as possible,' he said, 'and also reduce the need to build new incineration plants.'

Dirty mess
Untroubled by the festering mounds of pungent tropical garbage that frequently pile up in its less-developed neighbours, clean, green and super-efficient Singapore's unique rubbish headache stems from its small size and high population density.

Incinerators have met with public resistance in neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia, and have been banned in the Philippines because of perceived health risks.

But the plants are sacred cows in Singapore, which opened its first in 1979, little commented on or questioned.

'Singaporeans understand and accept that because land is scarce, incineration is one of the most cost effective ways of waste disposal, as it can reduce the volume of waste by up to 90 per cent,' the NEA said in a statement.

Other proponents stress that the four waste-to-energy plants scattered in the south, centre and north, recover enough heat from the combustion process to generate power equal to lighting up the city three times over.

'Some people think that incineration is just merely a destruction method, but it's not true,' said Mr Poh Soon Hoong, General Manager of the $900 million Tuas South Incineration Plant, Singapore's largest, which burns up to 3,000 tonnes of trash a day.

'We actually generate power. The plants produce two to three percent of the total power generated in Singapore.'

For critics, however, Singapore's set-up is a dirty mess.

'Waste incineration sounds like a pretty good idea if you don't really look into it too deeply,' said Mr Neil Tangri, of the international Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (GAIA).

'It's power, it gets rid of this problem we have... but it creates dioxins where none existed before. Dioxin is known to increase rates of cancer growth... An incinerator is a major contributor to a whole range of major health problems,' he said.

For Greenpeace Southeast Asia Director Von Hernandez, the plants fly in the face of the green goal of resource conservation.

'Incineration does not really make the waste disappear, it transforms the problem into a formidable pollution problem,' said Hernandez, who led the world's first successful campaign to ban the technology in his native Philippines.

'If you look at this model, from harvesting resources to selling them, disposing of them, it's a linear model. In fact we should be looking at circular models to bring back some of this stuff to nature, and conserve materials.'

'In a small country like Singapore, inevitably, their landfill space will run out and they will have to find other ways of dealing with the problem,' he said.

Recycling to the rescue?
With Semakau landfill expected to be full by 2040, even those who have worked for decades in Singapore's incineration industry agree the old burn-and-bury approach is unsustainable.

'We cannot keep building incinerator plants,' said Mr Poh. 'It's not really the solution.'

Like the NEA, he says Singaporeans must change their mindset.

'We need to get people aware of the environmental impact of their actions.' Convincing people to buy less in a country whose 'national pastime' is shopping is a hard win, he said.

Instead, a wave of softly-softly initiatives are being deployed to enthuse, inspire, or slyly enforce compliance.

Recreational Sentosa Island pushes edu-tainment, with a troupe of trained macaque monkeys who perform daily recycling displays.

At supermarkets, shoppers are now asked to bring their own bags to reduce the likelihood of the thousands of plastic bags handed out each day ending up in incinerators.

Another stealthy project, which began in March, targets the cornerstone institution of Singapore life - the hawker centre.

Darting between tables to snatch up dirty plates at Chinatown's Smith Street food court, the army of plate clearers are at another new frontline in the battle - food waste recycling.

Leftovers scraped into black sacks on the end of the cleaners' trolleys are trucked to a start-up food waste recycling plant that hopes to save 800 tonnes of organic scraps a day from being sent to the incinerators.

Local company IUT Global feeds the scraps into a bacteria-filled digester which turns them into biogas energy and compost.

The plant's capacity will make it Southeast Asia's biggest bio-methanisation and renewable energy plant when fully operational, said Assistant Manager Leon Khew.

In the meantime, normalising the idea of recycling through legislation would help, he said.

'Right now in Singapore recycling is not legislated. In Europe, everyone separates organics, everyone recycles, it's legislated.' -- REUTERS

Fuchun Pri pupils learn to make healthy meals

Pupils at Fuchun Primary School are taught how to prepare a healthy meal for themselves.

ALL pupils at Fuchun Primary School are taught how to prepare a healthy meal for themselves, through lessons given by parent volunteers under the school's Homeskills Programme.

Primary 1 pupils start with making sandwiches, while pupils from Primary 4 to 6 try their hand at cooking chicken rice, fried rice and chicken curry.

The dishes are made using healthier recipes provided by the parent volunteers.

For example, to make chicken rice, the skin of the chicken is removed, and no oil is added to the rice - one of the ways that parents can help their children lead a healthy lifestyle from a young age.

This topic will be discussed at a seminar organised by the Singapore Heart Foundation and the National Institute of Education.

The seminar, which is part of events lined up to mark National Family Week, will be held this Saturday at Raffles Junior College.

Up to 600 parents and teachers as well as 200 children are expected to attend.

Chemistry prodigy, 8, is youngest student at polytechnic

AINAN Cawley, eight, is now the youngest student to study at a polytechnic.

The Singapore chemistry prodigy, featured in the media last year, is studying four modules at Singapore Polytechnic, including perfumery and fragrance chemistry.

Ainan is still in primary school, but his parents plan to home-school him soon. He attends classes at the polytechnic two to three times a week.

He created a perfume for his mother for Mother's Day.

His father, writer Valentine Cawley, 39, said he had explained Ainan's needs to the poly. It proposed the modules as a start as they were 'safer'.

He said: 'Our intention is to equip him with the skills needed for a scientist... He will be doing all the laboratory-based chemistry courses.'

Life of a Bus Driver

Odd hours, long shifts, but he still has the drive



MAKE ROOM, BUS IS PACKED: On one of his trips, Mr Teo has to get off the driver's seat to ask passengers to move to the rear to make room for others.

Why are so few Singaporeans signing up to be bus drivers? The answer may lie in the long, irregular hours and low pay. SBS Transit senior bus captain Teo Cher Soon, 43, earns $1,700 a month after eight years. Reporter Yeo Ghim Lay tails him through a typical nine-hour day

5am: He has breakfast at a coffee shop near his Serangoon North home. He checks his schedule and learns that he will drive services 94 and 94A today. He has to be at the Eunos interchange to start the first of the day's nine trips by 6.32am.

He and a few other drivers are picked up by a bus for SBS employees and driven to the Braddell Road depot.

5.45am: Mr Teo reports to the office, scans his employee pass and picks up a timesheet, which contains the start and end times for the day's trips. He also picks up a checklist he will use as he inspects the bus he is to drive.

After checking for dents and the fuel and water levels, he is satisfied it is road-worthy. He boards the bus and 'logs on' with his pass. He prints out a sample ticket. The ticket machine is working fine.

6.07am: He drives the service 94 bus to Eunos interchange, the starting point. This service runs to the Republic of Singapore Air Force airbase in Paya Lebar and loops back to the interchange.

6.35am: At the Eunos interchange, more than 10 commuters are waiting. The bus fills up en route. (On his second run an hour later, more than 20 commuters are waiting.)

By the third stop, the bus is packed. Mr Teo has to get off his seat a few times to ask commuters to move to the rear to make room for others. He gives the next few stops a miss.

8.17am: He drops off his last load of passengers at the airbase and drives back to the interchange. After he checks to see that commuters did not leave anything behind, he goes to the interchange office, where he clocks in. Then, a five-minute toilet break.

8.22am: He is back on the bus to drive service 94A (the route is half that of service 94's). It plies between Eunos interchange and the airbase, and makes no stops on the return leg.

9.02am: He gets back to the interchange, slowed down by congestion en route. He takes a two-minute break.

Lunch hour: This comes after his fifth trip of the day. He has 25 minutes to eat - and not much choice by way of food at the interchange canteen. He gulps down mixed vegetables with rice and has a cup of coffee. Another toilet break and it's back on the bus.

2.40pm: He calls it a day at Eunos interchange after four more trips. It has been more than eight hours since he started work. He clocks out at the interchange office, and walks to the bus stop at Eunos MRT station to wait for the bus that will take him home.

En route, he looks at his timetable for the next day's shift, which is longer. He will drive service 63, a three-hour route.

Home!: He lies down for a one-hour nap - 'but only for an hour. If not, I won't be able to fall asleep tonight'.

His single day off a week is usually spent with his wife and daughter, who is in Secondary1.

Over the years, he has met his share of unreasonable commuters - those who take it out on him because they think they have waited too long, even when his bus is on time.

Once, he had a commuter who was so drunk that he vomited and passed out on board. Mr Teo had to call the police, who arrived with an ambulance to check on the man. Mr Teo got home later than usual that night.

Among the 10 drivers who started work the same year he did, about half have left, with most having quit or retired.

Some days, he works 13hours, depending on the shift he is assigned. Overtime pay kicks in after eight hours.

Despite the hours, Mr Teo says he does not mind the job, as he does not bring his work home. Also, the job has given him a stable income and Central Provident Fund savings, which pay for his flat.

'I plan to continue driving as long as I am able to,' he says.

Be careful! 8-year-old boy robbed of handphone!

This piece of news was reported on 7 May 2008.

An eight-year-old boy was robbed of his $200 handphone last Sunday at 10pm.

He was returning from a trip to the provision store at Block 230 Tampines St 23, when a man accosted him and demanded to see his handphone.

The man then grabbed his handphone and ran off.

The suspect is described to be of fair complexion, 1.7m in height, and having a mole under the right side of his lip. He was wearing a cream shirt and long black pants.

Anyone with information can contact the Police at 1800-255-0000.

Woman robbed at knife point at Block 544

This robbery was reported in the newspaper.

A WOMAN was robbed at knife point at Block 544, Hougang Avenue 8 on Monday.

The woman was seated at the void deck when she was approached by a man at 1.45am. He pointed a knife at her and demanded that she hand over her belongings.

A struggle ensued when he tried to snatch her bag and she sustained a small knife cut on her right thumb.The robber then fled with the bag, in the direction of Hougang Avenue 8.

The suspect is described as 1.6 to 1.7m tall, thin and in his 20s. He wore spectacles, had on a snow cap and was dressed in a black t-shirt and black pants.

Temperature's Rising

By Diana Othman

IF THE weather has been sweltering lately, it is because May is on record as the second hottest month of the year here.

The fortnightly weather forecast by the National Environmental Agency (NEA) indicates that up till the middle of this month, higher-than-average day-time temperatures can be expected.

There will be little relief from rain, and winds will be too light to cool things down.

To top it off, a slight haze is also expected on some days between now and May 15.

In the first five days of this month, the mercury hit 34.1 deg C at its highest.

The average daily temperature for those five days was 29 deg C, slightly higher than the average daily temperature of 28.3 deg C in May in past years.

Expect temperatures to climb still higher - perhaps to 38 deg C - heading into June, traditionally the hottest month here.

(April and August are the third and fourth hottest months)

What has happened?

Have you read the news yesterday? This student is probably in Secondary 3, based on his age. But still, it is not appropriate to "assault" his teacher in that manner. I think the students here are getting more rebellious and bold.


Student hit teacher who stopped him from leaving classroom

A 15-YEAR-OLD student assaulted a teacher who tried to stop him from leaving the classroom without permission.

The juvenile, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty to punching, pushing and holding onto the neck of the 34-year-old teacher at a school in the eastern part of Singapore on Feb 1.

The Juvenile Court heard that at about 11am that day, the juvenile assaulted the teacher who tried to stop him from leaving.

The student used his shoulder to hit the victim's chest, and punched him a few times on the chest.

When the teacher tried to break free, the boy held onto the victim's neck and pushed him to the wall, causing him to fall.

The teacher lodged a police report after seeking treatment in hospital.

The court called for a probation report on May 27. Bail of $8,000 was offered.

I am invited to the Istana!

I received great news today! I was invited to the Istana for a reception by the President himself. Wow! Isn't that great? It's my first time going to the Istana. I hope it was not a prank call by somebody. He told me that he would send me the invitation. I think I needed to fill up some forms before I could go. Well, it's for security purpose. Not everyone can go to Istana, you know. :P

Problem with the tagboards

There is a problem with the tagboards. I could not tag messages on the tagboards. I do not know what is wrong and I cannot fix it. Maybe it's my computer's problem. :)

Hailstone Shower in Singapore!

I was in Serangoon Central during the time the hailstones were reported. It rained heavily but no "stones"! I guess I was lucky!!! :P Central Singapore hit by hailstone shower

Icy pellets get residents in Toa Payoh, Bishan and Braddell excited

By Diana Othman & Sumathi V. Selvaretnam

ICE SHOWER: Stomper Patrick sent in this photo of small pieces of hail falling in his garden in Braddell. -- PHOTO: STOMP/PATRICK PARTS of Singapore were pelted with hailstones during yesterday afternoon's heavy downpour. The weatherman confirmed that these pellets of ice were reported in central Singapore between 3.15pm and 3.45pm. Roughly three-quarters the size of a five-cent coin, they caused a stir among those living or working in Bishan and Toa Payoh. Hailstones, formed in thunderstorm clouds, usually melt before they hit the ground, but strong downward gusts of wind sometimes send them to the ground before they melt. A managing director, who wanted to be known only as Mr Goh, was in his office in a flatted factory in Braddell Road when the hail started falling. He said he thought at first it was just raining heavily. 'But the sound of the rain was different - it sounded more like solid things were falling,' he said. Going out to the corridor in front of his office, he and his staff saw tiny bead-like objects bouncing about on the ground as the rain poured down. They became excited when they realised the beads were solid pieces of ice which melted as soon as they picked them up. Mr Goh, who said it was the first time he had seen this weather phenomenon, added that at first, there was 'quite a lot of ice' but, as the minutes went by, they petered out and only rain fell. He reckoned the hailstones fell for about 10 minutes. Another witness, IT consultant Stuyvesant Lim, 35, was observing a quiet game of chess at a Residents' Committee Centre in Bishan East when he heard a commotion outside. He said: 'I thought it was kids throwing ice from the block. Then we realised it was falling from the sky.' He realised another thing - that had the hailstones been bigger, the windscreens of cars could have been damaged. Mrs Evelyn Chan, 53, who runs a machine tools business with her husband but was home yesterday, said the strangely 'hazy' atmosphere made her step out of her kitchen into the backyard of her house in Carmichael Road, off Braddell Road. She said: 'When I looked at the ground, I saw crystals. I thought it was snow. But when I picked up a piece, I realised it was ice.' The last time hail fell here was in July last year.

Happy Birthday to ALL! (Jan - Mar Babies)

I killed one last night!

This is a picture of the American cockroach which was killed by me last night. It was spotted at the "border" between the living room and the kitchen. Instantly, I was tasked to terminate its life. I grabbed some old newspaper, rolled it into a "stick", approached the poor little soul and hit it straight on its head! I gave it a second hit just in case. Death was instant. There was no struggle.

HK faces anger, worries over flu handling

A student receives temperature check at a primary school in Hong Kong on Thursday, March 13 2008. -- PHOTO: AP

HONG KONG - HONG Kong health authorities tried on Thursday to calm public fears over a flu outbreak which has left four children dead and led the city to close all primary schools and kindergartens.

It was the first time schools in this Chinese city have been closed for a health scare since the 2003 Sars epidemic, and the order came late on Wednesday just hours after a flu-like illness was reported in nearly two-dozen schools.

'It was quite a difficult decision but we realise the number of infections is increasing,' Health Secretary York Chow told a news conference on Thursday morning, when the closures took effect.

'It's not something based entirely on public health data at the moment. But I think the public would appreciate that what we are doing might be a little drastic - but it's reassuring to the community,' he said.

All primary schools, kindergartens and nurseries in Hong Kong were shut down. But the announcement came too late for many parents, who turned up at closed schools on Thursday morning with their children in tow.

Cho Yiu Catholic Primary School
At the Cho Yiu Catholic Primary School, nine students arrived early on Thursday. School staff took their temperature and gave them masks. The students read picture books instead of attending class.

WHO welcomes precautionary measures
HONG KONG - PETER Cordingley, a WHO spokesman for Western Pacific, on Thursday welcomed the Hong Kong government's measures.

'This is not a matter to inform the WHO. It's a seasonal influenza; it's nasty, that's all it is, It's not SARS-related or bird-flu related. It happens every year,' he said. 'The government isn't overreacting. We are talking about the city which was paralysed with the infectious disease by SARS.'
... more
'I'm worried that I'll get infected. Many classmates have been infected with the flu. I'm afraid,' said 9-year-old Winnie Ting, who was already wearing a mask before arriving at school.

Principal Chan Kwok Ming said on average 20 students took sick leave every day in recent days.

The schools had been expected to start their Easter Holiday in a little over a week, though the date varies with each school. Mr Chow said bringing the holiday forward would help reduce cross infection among school children and calm public fears.

The outbreak has conjured memories of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or Sars, a pneumonia-like virus which killed almost 300 people in Hong Kong five years ago and set off international health concerns.

A seven-year-old boy who died Tuesday after suffering respiratory problems tested positive for a flu strain known as Influenza A or H1N1 - a virus which was also found in a 21-month-old who died last month.

Two other children have died after suffering flu-like symptoms, and a three-year-old currently in hospital has also tested positive for Influenza A.

On Wednesday, health authorities reported outbreaks of a flu-like illness in 23 schools involving 184 people.

I bought blades in bulk

I bought blades in bulk


Runny (above) made sure her cuts were as close as possible "to save space". -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
View more photos
Runny's parents first found out that she was cutting herself when they stumbled on her trying to wash the bloodstains from her clothes.

She was 15 then. Runny (not her real name) would cut herself three to five times a week while hiding in public washrooms, or in the bathroom at home.

For the past nine years, Runny, now 24 and married, has been cutting herself intermittently. She is candid about her condition.

'When I cut, I try to cut as close as possible, like kueh lapis, to save space.'

'I also buy penknife blades in bulk', she added.

Although the frequency of her cutting has decreased since her last hospitalisation in October last year, her left arm is still a battlefield, roped with scars that are a testament to her fight against depression with psychotic features, borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder.

'It started off as a response to stress and after cutting myself I felt more mellow,' said Runny.

'However, it later became so ingrained that it was almost like a default response.'

One factor that may have contributed to Runny's cutting was her non-assertiveness when bullied in school.

'It was subtle. I would be purposely excluded from activities and it got worse after I started cutting myself. Some people would look and me and say 'she's freaky', or 'here she comes again'.'

Her negative experience in school was compounded by the lack of support from her family.

'Although we live together physically, we're separated emotionally. My family preferred to leave things to the health-care professionals, and they would say things like 'hang on, your next appointment at IMH is on Friday',' said Runny.

She first visited a psychiatrist at age 15, when her secondary school referred her to the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) Child Guidance Clinic.

At 16, she began taking five types of medication for her condition: anti-psychotic drugs, anti-depressants, tranquillisers, sleeping pills and mood stabilisers.

At 17, she was warded against her will in IMH, following a regular check-up.

She has also undergone six cycles of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which she said helped her.

For ECT, a patient is anaesthetised and electrodes (electric conductors) placed at each temple. Electricity is then passed through the head to induce a seizure for therapeutic effect.

Today, she is still on medication and sees two different therapists once a week: one for psychotherapy and one for medication.

However, life has not been without its bright spots.

'Someone once researched mental health with me and used the information to show me that there is hope and that this can be treated,' said Runny. That 'someone' is now her husband, Kevin, 33. They have been married for seven months.

Dr Daniel Fung, chief of the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at IMH, said that with people who self-mutilate, the intention is more important than the action. 'They may not be trying to commit suicide, it may just be a maladaptive way of dealing with emotional pain,' he said.

He also cautioned against teenagers experimenting with such methods of release.

'Cutting may start off as an experiment, but turn into an addiction.'

Other growing pains

Coping with taunts...

When Joshua Lim, 23, was younger, his friends and relatives would make fun of him for being too skinny.

'I had nicknames like 'Scrawny Josh', and 'Teck Ko (Hokkien for bamboo pole) Lim',' said the student.

When he was in Secondary 1, Joshua was 165cm tall and weighed 45kg.

His skinny frame stuck with him all through Secondary School.

Joshua said that he was the butt of numerous jokes. 'It was mostly harmless teasing, about my frame... even the bigger girls could beat me at arm wrestling,' he said.

Although the teasing may not have been malicious, it left its mark on him.

'When you hit puberty, you get very concerned about the way you look,' he said. It took two years in National Service for Joshua to learn to be happy with the way he looked.

Aside from the fact that he put on some weight during his NS stint, he also found out that big did not mean better.

'I learnt that the biggest guys weren't always the ones who could run the furthest or the fastest or carry the most weight.'

While Joshua still wants to put on more weight, he is no longer as bothered as before about being small.

Dr Daniel Fung, chief of the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health, said that it is common for teenagers who do not fit in to feel awkward.

'Anyone who looks different will get teased. The most imporant thing is for the teenager to still feel comfortable with himself and to feel loved and cared for.'

Dr Fung also said that the impact of teasing or low self-esteem can be blunted by having a good support network.

... and crushes

Michelle (not her real name), 19, fell in love with her Literature teacher in her first year of junior college. And she still harbours romantic feelings towards him even though she has finished school.

She can pinpoint the exact incident that made her realise she was attracted to him.

'At first I just thought that he was a really cool teacher because of his unconventional views,' she said.

'I'm quite a low profile student and normally teachers don't notice me. But once he singled out my work and praised it in class and I was really touched. It was then that I realised that his opinion meant a lot to me.'

While this is the first time that Michelle has ever had a crush on a teacher, she does not think that it is too unusual or alarming.

'I don't think that this is normal, but then again there are many different types of love,' she said.

She thinks that her teacher is an ideal life partner.

'I need security and affection and someone who appreciates me for who I am. I feel that he's this person.'

While she was still in junior college, each day was an emotional roller-coaster.

'I would look out for him on a daily basis. When I caught a glimpse of him I'd smile to myself. Sometimes I felt like crying when he treated me nicely.'

She was so infatuated with her teacher that she could not leave school without making her feelings known to him.

' I approached him in person and talked to him. I bought him a gift that cost almost $50 and I wrote him a message describing my feelings for him,' she said.

'But after that I felt a bit sad, because I knew that the situation was hopeless and that it wouldn't go anywhere.'

For now, the flame that she carries in her heart for her teacher has yet to die out. Dr Clarice Hong, consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Raffles Hospital, said that while the feeling may be intense, 'it's probably just an infatuation'. 'I would say the 19-year-old is still maturing. She sees in her teacher admirable qualities or achievements which younger men have not accomplished yet.'

Dr Daniel Fung, chief of the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health, said that infatuations are extremely common, but that taken one step further, they could become an obsession.

Pain relief

Pain relief


-- POSED PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
The words 'angst', 'cutting' and 'emo' are part of today's mainstream teenage lexicon. And that should be a warning.

'It's not just a Singaporean thing,' says Dr Brian Yeo, consultant psychiatrist at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

'All over the world, this phenomenon is getting more airplay. It is highlighted in the media, in American Idol, Singapore Idol.'

Youth face a host of pressures ranging from intense academic competition to relationship commitments.

Often, they feel suffocated by demands that they are unable to fulfil, whether self-imposed or not.

The result is often a feeling of anxiety, frustration, disillusionment and insecurity - a phenomenon commonly known as angst.

Even if teenagers are able to outrun external sources of stress, angst may still catch up with them.

Growing pains can also be manifested as angst, hitting teenagers hard as they struggle to find their footing in a fast-paced world.

The unavoidable acne, first crushes, a sudden obsession with looks - all these serve only to exacerbate an already pressing problem.

Angst may also be the result of a teen subculture.

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of 'emokids' - teens who stereotypically wear black, embrace the melancholic side of life and have mantras like 'I hate the world, no one understands me'.

'They are more in touch with their feelings and they are more emotional. Some of them even engage in self-harm,' says Dr Yeo.

Attention-seeking behaviour can also be a cause of angst, as can long-term mental health issues such as paranoia or depression.

The point is that there are countless sources of angst and teenagers are relentlessly buffeted by them. It is little wonder that they are constantly seeking avenues to release their pent up feelings.

While some teenagers may choose to play sports or write music, others may turn to more detrimental means to unwind.

Cutting oneself is one of these methods.

'When someone cuts himself, the pain will trigger the release of endorphins. These hormones will numb the pain and give the person something like a 'high'. The effect of endorphins can be similar to certain hard drugs like heroin, which makes cutting so addictive,' says Dr Daniel Fung, chief of the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health.

In this case, razors, penknives, nail clippers or anything with a sharp or pointed edge become potential sources of relief, as teenagers find a physical outlet for emotional pain through self-mutilation.

Substance abuse is another. Cough syrup, glue sniffing and even alcohol provide a key to an escapist fantasy-land, even if only for a while.

'The incidence of glue sniffing is also on the rise', says

Dr Yeo.

'Also, there are many clubs opening in Singapore and teenagers go to many parties where drinks are easily available.'

Promiscuity is also on the list. A lack of self-love, parental love or support from friends often leads to teenagers looking for affection in all the wrong places.

'In the past, it was accepted that boys and girls were respectful of their chastity, but such people are now exceptional,' says Dr Yeo.

'While we can advise and cajole them, their thinking has already changed.'

Self-isolation, unprovoked aggression and violence are also examples of such behaviour.

Unfortunately, the use of such methods of stress relief seems to have increased in recent years.

Dr Fung also warns of the contagion effect - a teenager who is exposed to it more often is more likely to begin to explore such methods.

But there's help. Over the past few decades, the number of mental health-care avenues available to youths has burgeoned.

More hotlines are being set up, and there are counsellors stationed in many schools to provide support and professional guidance.

But many youths still don't seek help, maybe because they do not see their destructive behaviour as a problem.

They accept cutting their wrists or other parts of their body as a legitimate method of stress relief.

And many parents are oblivious to their children's circumstances.

'Many children have two working parents. They may have more disposable incomes and greater access to IT, but the time spent together is very little,' says Dr Yeo.

Teenagers are at a critical juncture in their lives and they not only need parental support, but they also need parents to catch them before they slip into the habit of self-harm.

Teenagers may also turn their feelings in upon themselves because of the unavailability of appropriate professional help.

While the school counsellor is easily accessible, there is an immense amount of stigma - such as being labelled 'crazy' by classmates - attached to seeking psychological help in school say the doctors interviewed.

But private psychiatrists are not as easily available and it can cost over $100 an hour to seek private professional help, excluding the cost of medication such as antidepressants.

While it is commonplace now for teenagers to 'horrify' adults with their hobbies, fashion, music and language, these passions usually take the form of harmless whims that they outgrow.

Unfortunately for some, like those we feature, their behaviour can be self-destructive.

lting@sph.com.sg

Razors, penknives, nail clippers become a potential source of relief, as teenagers find a physical outlet for emotional pain through self-mutilation.

But many youths still don't seek help, maybe because they do not see their destructive behaviour as a problem.

Bombs from Above!

This morning, something caught my eyes while walking towards the carpark. Look at the state of the packet drink. The impact from falling from don't-know-what height had ruptured the packaging. Also, take note of how the remaining drink in the packet had spread across the ground. Interestingly, the packet remained upright after falling down. I wonder which floor the packet has fallen from.

Chingay Parade 2008 @ Padang

The first Chingay Parade started in 1973. It was initially meant to replace the Chinese New Year firecrackers which was banned in 1972. Now, the parade has evolved and become an internationally acclaimed multi-cultural festive event for all of us in Singapore. It includes performers from other Asian countries as well.

If you are keen to see the Parade, you can watch them on this Saturday, 23 February, at Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

Check out the details here: http://www.btptc.org.sg/chingay/chingay-main.htm

A Special Visitor

This morning, we had a special visitor which popped into our apartment. His name was Pigeon. Pigeon walked all over the flat as we followed him. He even went to the toilet but he "poo-ed" at the ledge just outside the toilet. I guess he was not toilet-trained yet. He looked as hungry and tired, so my mum-in-law placed him in a pail and fed him water and bread. He didn't seem to like bread though, unlike other pigeons. Strangely, he enjoyed the "foot" spa as he dipped his little feet into the water, which was meant for him to drink. I wonder if he would drink it later... :P

This is Pigeon, posing for this picture.

I think Pigeon was hurt as he could not fly high. Last night, I met him at the lift lobby. He was chased by a few kids. The kids were running after him till they reached the end of the corridor. I did not know what happened after that.