You are on page 1of 10

REGULARCOLUMNS

Undiscovered Hong Kong Whats on in Hong Kong The Advisory Food for thought

FEATURES
Interview with Chair of UWC Reflections on a meta-GIF Supper self destruction Reflectionson anti-trafficking work

EDITORS
Colin Diersing Tomi Kiviluoma

CREATIVEDIRECTOR
Quentin Yiu John Wang

ARTSSECTION
Overheard Memes

1|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| FIFTH Issue |


you to consider your broader goals. Can you actually see a happy and satisfying future at the end of a career geared solely towards personal gain. If you can, fine. Make a lot of money, and give tons of it away to people trying to change the world. If you cant, however, and we desperately hope that you cant, spend some time thinking about what you want from a career. Even if you think law or medicine are legitimately what you want to do with your life, we encourage you to think carefully about how you think you can best make an impact on the world. You have been given an extraordinary gift in your two years at LPC a belief in the incredible power of individuals to affect change, but a thorough understanding of the grave problems that face our world. The world needs competent doctors and lawyers, but when it comes down to the bare essence of the profession, it doesnt need to be someone extraordinary. The difference to the world if you become a doctor or a lawyer will be minimal, because one individual in these roles is roughly the same. What the world even more is people who run countries and shape policies. These are roles that matter, and which are shaped immeasurably by the people who fill them. Fundamentally, we think UWC graduates have extraordinary potential to make big changes. We understand the value and importance of the small sorts of change doctors, lawyers, and other mid-level professionals can effect. If you choose to peruse these careers, we hope you do so with success and a social conscience that makes exactly these sorts of important small changes. However, we hope that at least some of you will make the big changes that we all know are needed in the world. So as Shelley said, go run countries.

From the Editors: Dont be a Doctor or a Lawyer


By Tomi and Colin There was much worth endorsing that came out of the Meta-GIF held this Thursday: a voluntary gathering of a huge portion of the community, a free exchange of ideas, thought provoking comments about the nature of certainty of knowledge, and a thoroughly entertaining (apparently uniquely Canadian) good old fashioned rant. What the Editors of Bou Zi would like to bring to your attention, however, is a comment that took up but a few minutes of Thursdays session. Dont be a doctor or a lawyer. As second and first years alike ponder their futures and how they envision their place in the world, the editors of Bou Zi think that this is something worth thinking about. We do understand the appeal of the two professions. They generally provide financial security and are recognized by society at large as markers of success. Certainly in medicine theres a feeling of contributing to what is admittedly a noble cause healing the sick. And we certainly would not deny that there is a long and noble tradition of lawyers contributing to social progress. However, Shelleys point that far too many people choose these positions based solely on the prestige and financial benefits they provide. If this is your motivation, we urge

From the Editors

2|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |


part of his tour with the express purpose of bringing mediocre Alt Rock to China; 20:30, $200 in advance. Also on the 19th if you prefer something a little harder, at Backstage (52-54 Wellington Street, Central) a collection of 5 Metal bands will be... playing isnt quite the right word thrashing maybe? No word yet on price or time. Finally, on the 12th at Xperience in Wan Chai three poorly named bands will be playing from 21:00 onwards. One of them is actually called Ovary Overdrive and I cant find any more information beyond that so dont expect greatness, however it is free so, you cant really go too far wrong. Music is great and all but what you cultured people really want is art; of both the performance and visual kinds. Well youre in luck, I think. You see the problem with this part is that I have no idea whether the kind of stuff I like will be of any interest to anyone else. Im not a IB Visual Arts student so naturally I dont have a very refined taste I just like pretty stuff. But Ill give it a shot. Saamlung a new gallery on the 26th floor of 68 Connaught Road, Central is kicking off with an exhibition from Joo Vasco Paiva entitled Palimpseptic. Itll run from 18 November to 5 December. And if you fancy an overdose of Kawai (the Japanese cuteness culture) then look no further than the Tondo Works exhibition from Takashi Murakami at Fabrik in Art One (Convention Plaza, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai) open till December 4th. Despite all this interesting stuff, besides some overpriced Cantonese musicals there doesnt seem to be a whole lot in the theatre department this fortnight; so youll just have to sit tight till next time.

Regular Columns - Undiscovered HK, Whats On

Mary Hui

Undiscovered HK: The Eight Immortals and Tai Mei Tuk

This isnt exactly hidden or undiscovered, especially for the block three-ites among us. Ever notice that jagged mountain range just across the harbour from campus, with its eight little bumps spread out evenly across the horizon? The block three roof provides a wonderful view overlooking the whole range, and you can also just about make it out from behind all the shrubbery on your way to the canteen. Thats the Eight Immortals (or Pat Sin Leng), and right below that, Tai Mei Tuk - a wonderful village for roadside dining, biking and barbecues . If youre ever looking for a leisurely but active day trip, Tai Mei Tuks your place to go. Just jump onto a bike and start peddling your way along the Tolo Harbour towards Tai Mei Tuk, a flat 25-kilometer ride away. Alternatively, you can also hop onto the MTR to Tai Mo Market Station, then jump onto a minibus which will whisk you away to Tai Mei Tuk in no time. Now, how to spend time your there? You could continue to peddle your way through the area, then up and along a 2-kilometer dam (which, by the way, holds 230 million m3 of water). Many families also fly their kites on the helipad next to the dam, and youll often find many a kite-flyer showcasing their kite-flying prowess with large kites of all shapes and sizes, vigorously rolling their kite-string up and down their thighs. If kite flying doesnt quite take your fancy, you could rent a row boat and paddle on the water instead. (I, however, dont have much to say on this subject, having once been carried away by the current and left helplessly stranded miles from shore in one of our previous block activities). So if youre not very comfortable with rowing, you could also think about hiking up the Eight Immortals, all along the mountain range, then down to Tai Po Market for some sumptuous sweet bean curd, steamed buns, char-siu, and just about every other delicacy you can name! Mmm...

The Advisory
Apoorva Dear Athena, How do I prioritize? Hello lovers, Prioritizing, Ill let you know now, is something that demands the very unique of skills one possesses. It calls for swiftness of the mind and it orders the ability to make a decision with very little or no regret. But it is a process and, yes it can be learnt. Priority is when you choose to assign this one event or person or action the most attention at the present moment. Comparatively of course. Opportunity Cost would be the most apt way to describe this circumstance; when you choose one awesome thing over another epic thing. Basically youre doing it right if the cost of losing this next best thing is minute. In the case of prioritizing, you should have very little regret about giving

Whats on in Hong Kong | Matthew Webb


Music did I hear you say? Yes! In attempt to make-up for the absolute lack of anything interesting last fortnight we have a veritable feast of audible profiteroles. Firstly, Klaxons, yes like the real ones, will be gracing HK with a DJ set at FLY on November 18th 23:00, youd better RSVP for that one. Then the day after (19th November) we have Frenchman Alcest stopping off for one night in Hidden Agenda as

3|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |


else but the glorious sandwich bar in between. The beauty of sandwiches is that they are always good. And if they arent, then thats our own fault because we are the ones who choose! We have the opportunity of compiling our own sandwiches; what type of bread, what fillings and what sauces we choose to finish them off with. And of course, lets not forget the variety of intricate machines that we use to cook, fry, heat up, compress, flatten, pulverize, liquidize and distort our sandwiches. Recently, a couple of second years have discovered how to make the perfect sandwich. And since the day I have acquired that interesting little piece of knowledge, I have been making my sandwiches in that exact way ever since. Now most people love these sandwiches, but I have met a few people who have frowned upon the awesomeness of the sandwich, and retreated back to their little corner of bread and butter. But for those of you who are interested in learning how to make it, here it is. The most important part of this sandwich is the pesto. It adds a faint yet wonderful mixture of saltiness and acidity that pretty much makes the sandwich. What I usually do is that I put all my fillings on one piece of the long brown flatbread and I cover them with two pieces of cheese. Then I take my sandwich to the salad bar and trickle a layer of the pesto dressing on top. After that, I simply add some salt and pepper, pop it in the mini-oven and wait. About 10 minutes later, the pesto sauce will have diffused into the cheese, which will have melted all over the stuffing, gluing them together, and forming the goddess of all sandwiches. The thing I love most about the sandwich counter is the fact that it is always there as a fallback for everyone, in case neither the Western nor the Asian food in the canteen on the day is to their liking. Yet the problem is usually the fact that they dont have sandwiches for dinner. And its understandable that they wouldnt have that because usually sandwiches are eaten for lunch rather than dinner. But the problem is people no longer have a fallback during dinner, and if the food is not to their liking, they usually resort to ordering McDonalds and other forms of unhealthy fast foods. So I believe that the best way to decrease the amount of fast food consumption in LPC would be to have a sandwich bar during dinnertimes as well. Firstly, its healthier. And secondly, sandwiches are marvelous.

Regular Columns - The Advisory, Food For Thought


something more attention over another. Now this cost could be that you dont Skype your parents for another week or it could be that smoldering glare you get from being late to Trevors morning block. But basically what prioritizing requires you to do is to choose. Choice, yes children, is a grand responsibility. Just be weary of that. Choice must be taken account for and if youre willing to do that, which you should be when prioritizing, there should be no problem at all. You could choose to put meeting your family for dinner a peg higher than going to that community service. Well, as long as you are able to bite your lips, cross your fingers and toes and either apologize or get on your knees and beg to be excused from the service rather than re-scheduling on your solid people yet another time, go for it. Honestly, were still human; there will be some mutual understanding somewhere. Really kids, its easy once you grasp the concept by the tail and shake it till you get some enlightenment. All I can say is, youll learn. Youll learn to choose and sort and make decisions whether it gets you in a pit of despair for a certain short amount of time or gets you to that level where efficiency is as easy as chewing on some luscious Toffee Bonoffi. Experiment with it. Figure out what little activity makes you happier to prioritize, because hell, we all need some simple sweet happiness once in a while right? Its a matter of process, evaluation and reconstruction. Yea thats right, tis that simple. And as a certain legend of a Canadian said GO BE INCONSISTENT. Advice worth taking kids. Love and such, Athena.

Food For Thought (formerly known as Grub Column) #4


By Trevor Lam
Lets be honest. There are times when the food in the canteen is not as good as it normally is. There are times when the sauce is bland, the vegetables possess a weird color, and the meat is, well, occasionally unidentifiable. And even though these days are rare, they do happen. And where do we turn to after walking back and forth between the Western and Asian food counters four or five times? Well, where

4|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |


viduals, but that theyve come together in a remarkable way as far as the movement is concerned. In his time he says the International Board has been reduced from 55 to 16 members, and he has seen a greater closeness between the schools heads who now meet twice a year. As he sees, these international operations create greater unity on issues like staff and student behaviour, but also noted how attempts are being made to create unity financially. All of the schools need financial support, he said. Some of them are not funded as stably as others. Were taking steps to strengthen our financial position with international fundraising...Take Bill Gates world for example. They wouldnt want to fund you. Youre too small. But they might want to fund the movement. This style of funding, he says, would help create more scholarships, build infrastructure and all the rest. The UWC movement is growing, and the management of this growth factors into most of what we heard about Mr. Sewells role as Chair. We asked him about the induction of new schools to the movement. Well, you cant just have a school, he understated. Every new school has to go through a considerable process. There are about 4 jumps they have to go through. These steps include initial notification by which a country or group of alumni notify the international board that they wish to make a UWC and present an outline plan. If the process continues, the board makes a taskforce on the specific project. The new school must meet various objectives, and more, the protection of other colleges is considered to ensure scholarships are maintained and whatnot. The first hurdle, he called a huge financial commitment to ensure the objectives mentioned above. The

Features

Interview with the UWC Chair

By BoBBy AdAmson And RAy JAng


This October 23, we had the great opportunity of interviewing the Chair of the International Board of UWC, Major-General Tim Toyne Sewell. We took this chance to ask him a bit about himself and his views on and knowledge of the movement. We first asked him about how he was brought into the movement and how he relates his previous experience to his current work. He recollected his first encounter with UWC which was his witnessing of Pearson College while working for Sandherst Academy, back in his military days. He supposed his identity as a feminist for recruiting women was perhaps part of a thread that tied to the UWC ethos, but regarded his time later as director of Goodenough College in London as a most distinguished UWC-like experience. Exactly like a UWC but at a post-graduate level, he said, referring to this colleges mixture of unique international students. As it happened, UWC had its headquarters there under him before, in his words, he threw them out...I didnt know Id become chair at that stage. He accredits his work at this college and his experience abroad for qualifying him to become Chair, which occurred 5 years ago with one more year to serve. His successor has been chosen, but not named publicly: a distinguished British educator living in Canada, he said. The name will soon be announced on the UWC network. We asked Mr. Sewell about his time on the UWC board and what hes seen change about the movement. He said firstly he notes a bringing-together of the colleges. He believes the schools still operate as indi-

5|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |


of the UWC. We should, where we can, with the same part I mentioned. While speaking about UWCs growth he made clear that the first challenge is to make sure every school is financially stable. The second challenge is to extend UWC further than it is now, which implies growth, but to do it in a way that doesnt lose the UWCness... we want to target three main areas which are South America, Africa and Asia. Each one presents a different challenge. But undoubtedly there are opportunities for UWCs in all those continents. If we dont take those opportunities, well be left behind. On the note of expanding to new regions, we asked his opinion on UWC taking Kim Han Sol, grandson of President Kim Jong Il of North Korea. I think it is absolutely right that we have him, he said. It may not have been the comfiest way of taking someone from a new country, but we mustnt be afraid of breaking into a country any way we can. We have to break in, and if at first you have to take the rulers son to get that impact, so be it. Certainly we have to be pragmatic enough to do that... I think we have to be brave enough to do it, despite the flack we might get from some areas. He went on: Weve just taken 5 from Abu Dhabi. The first five. It was five out of a selection of about eight. A very small selection. Nevertheless, the fact that theyre already with us means we have 20 candidates next year. That must be good in that we break down some of the barriers weve got there.... What were trying to achieve is a peaceful, sustainable world. If this is going to help in that process, so be it. We asked hypothetically what it would ever take for UWC to disassociate with a school: something to be considered when discussing unity in expansion. There are criteria for the

Features
second, as he says, has to do with the educational model, and the third has to do with the ethos of UWC. This lead us to a discussion of what that UWCness, as he very much likes to call it, is exactly. We asked him, by his definition, what sets us apart. He responded, This is an interesting one. Its an indefinable...an indefinable something. Its obviously the mixture of nationalities and cultures... the fact that youre chosen by your home country. Thats the unique bit. Theres no other school that selects students through a national committee. That is the one thing that really does set us apart from anyone else. You are coming as an ambassador of your country representing your country, your religion, your culture to the rest... and having to defend those things against the other students. Now I dont think any other school does that in that way. He recognizes that UWCs vary greatly and its difficulty to describe the model, other than the uniqueness of the national committee system. Agreeing with the notion that UWC is not a franchise, he says its something you can just smell... If you go to Singapore its not the same, but the ethos is imbued from when youre 4 years old and onwards. The implications of this mentality for the growth of the movement, as Mr. Sewell sees, is that there is not necessarily a strict direction that must be followed to maintain the UWCness. The approach he supports is schoolby-school. We are, after all, a movement that can still give that kind of attention. He said what we need is that balance between mass and quality. And were terribly conscious of that. No one wants to lose the uniqueness of UWC, but there are more and more people yearning to take part in your education and to take part in this model and to have the ethos

6|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |


last opportunity to hear one of Shelleys great presentation, but as a first year, it has really opened my eyes to what we will start next week: TOK lessons! Second years have been terrifying us about them, with all their preparations for presentations and whats not. But after listening to someone speak so passionately about why we should think, and how, it has helped clarify what Theory of Knowledge actually is, if thats at all possible. Sitting there, and looking around at the other students, I realized that for the first time ever, there was no sea of open laptops running up the red seats of the Assembly hall, everyones attention was 100% captivated by Shelleys boisterous, energetic manner of speaking. LPC sat motionless, eyes wide, ears open, brains whirring, while Shelley really did get us thinking. About how we think. And why we think. And what we think. And oh so many things related to the subject, or not. Using World Hunger as an example, she illustrated how not to do a TOK presentation, and then how it should be done irreproachably. So following her (wrong) example, I Googled Theory of Knowledge, just out of curiosity. First page that comes up is Wikipedia, surprise surprise!!! It tells me that it is an IB course that in essence, is similar to Epistemology courses offered in University. Well thanks Wikipedia, that sure helped. A few sites down on the Google list, the official IB website offers a more in-depth explanation of the core subject: encouraging students to reflect critically, to consider the role and nature of knowledge, to be aware as a thinker, to recognize the need to act responsibly, and to develop personal ideological biases. Shelley definitely shared several of her personal opinions with us tonight, however shocking she knew some of them would seem to us. A

Features
creation of a new school. Weve never had to disassociate with a school. What values must we insist for any school, and if they dont have those values, do we have to say they cant be a UWC? he mused. Our first responsibility is to the students. He said the organization would make sure students can finish their experience at another college before ever considering this. He said, We would be very reluctant to disassociate with a UWC without going through every possible way of remedying the situation. He mentioned also that the organization has taken measures before that have succeeded in preventing schools from straying too far from the parameters of the movements aims. The pressure to maintain unity has so far succeeded. To end it, we asked him if he was to join UWC as someone our age today, which school he would rank first as his preference. He chuckled at the idea exclaiming, Unfair! Unfair! He expressed an appreciation for each college and apologized for giving the terrible answer of all thirteen. He avoided the question joking further, I would not have been clever enough to go to a UWC in the first place. However he left us saying At the end of the day, its all about the students. He thinks whichever school were at, its the same kind of student that exists at each that makes the experience.

Reflections on a Meta-GIF

By Leila Denniston

This evening, many of us LPC students attended Shelleys meta-GIF in the Assembly Hall, and what a GIF it was. A TOK lecture, on TOK pretty much. For the second years, I can only imagine that this must have been a

7|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |


is all it takes to keep you driven before piles of assignments, but how healthy is it to eat like this every night? Do you ever take note of your bodys responses to a daily refill of junk food? This article is NOT going to bore you with a list of facts and figures about the harm of supper. It is about an experiment. And the subject of investigation: myself. Every night, for 5 days in a row, I eat supper at precisely 10 p.m., about 4 hours after dinner enjoyed in the canteen. Each night I will choose a different junk meal. After 30 minutes, I grab my pen and write down how my body feels, as well as describing some physical symptoms that arise. Monday: Nissin Cup Noodle (Chicken Flavor) The only thing I crave for right now is water drinking up all the soup was a mistake. I feel sleepy, possibly due to the high toxicity of MSG in the flavoring powder. Having said that, what a delicious proportion! Really, one cup makes you desire more (possibly suggesting a certain degree of addictiveness?) Tuesday: McDonald (Grilled Chicken Burger Set Extra large, Shake Shake Fries, Large Fanta) SHOOT! A gum cut would probably last for ages. A slight stomach pain is present, though nothing intense. The grease of the burger and fries seems to coat my belly. The feeling of heaviness sets in. The crab-flavored Shake Shake Fries was orgasmic love it. Just that my mouth went so dry afterwards. My throat is getting a bit sore. Wednesday: Korean Spicy Noodle Sooooo hot! My nose is still running. Somewhat a tongue left numb is stung by the spices. A glance in the mirror showed how some pimples started growing here and there obviously this has something to do with the spicy noodles. Thursday: Pizzabox (four meaty slices of chicken pizza, with cheese crust) Fat, fat, and fat. Cheese, cheese, and cheese. These words keep ringing at the back of my mind, as guilt sets in. When I stripped off in the shower cubicle just now, I literally screamed out at my double-layered tummy. Layers and layers of fat. I have gained substantial weight. Since when I should have known better when I decided to do this experiment on myself. One day to go, and I feel like rejecting junk food for the rest of my life Friday: Nissin Cup Noodle (Seafood Curry flavor) It is strange that the soup this time doesnt feel as flavorful as it did on Monday. My pellets have already been distorted by days of stuffing in MSG. Another issue is: hard

Features
discussion was then led. After Shelley emphasizing on the fundamental fact of agreeing we should not kill anyone ever, we moved on to various subjects: Greeces current economical state, and its situation in Europe, animals: food or creatures with feelings?, inconsistency (If you say youre logically consistent, then youre a liar!), the definition of happiness, why we should all become politicians instead of doctors and lawyers, and the battle of the realistic and the absurd. As the session was brought to a close, Shelley finished off with encouraging us to follow [our] passions, and it wont matter. I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed this Thursday evening, and will go to bed more reflective than they got up this morning. So thank you Shelley, we will do our best to always keep growing, change the world through politics (or if failing, just be great doctors and lawyers) and make our carrot cake the most delicious it can possibly be. (Ironically, as I type this, a second year has just walked past in the corridor, complaining, I quote: Urhhhh I have to do my TOK presentation, Im gonna die! )

Supper Self Destruction


By Chow Man Kin, Teddy
Supper. In LPC, you never lack choices for a late-night gluttony. Cup noodle offers a great variety of flavors at an economical price. McDonald s you probably recognize the face of our beloved deliveryman by now. Pizza box may exceed your budget by a narrow margin, but the buy one get one free gimmick makes the deal all the more attractive. Indeed, a hearty junk food supper

8|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |


opportunities. Some of the interviewed girls have confidently declared their aspirations to become lawyers and social workers in the future. As a past time, some of the teenagers at the refuge continue their circus trainings. Although others have avoided the circus as much as possible, the few circus performers that remain are taught by professional circus trainers. Most of them are aged sixteen and above, and have been training this past year for a fundraising show in Dubai, which will hopefully attract potential sponsors. Shailaja also wishes that the circus performers would be given the chance to perform in Hong Kong before this years race. I also travelled to Hetauda, an area in Nepal with the highest rates of trafficking. After a five hour bus ride alone, I arrived at a remote area where the EBMF provides another smaller refuge for less than twenty trafficked victims. Most of the victims and staff members here are girls. My stay at Hetauda was the most shocking part of my experience in Nepal, due in part to the number of personal stories these girls were willing to share with me. One girl, who was raped by her own grandfather and later sold to an Indian circus, was unable to recall her own age in the interviews. She is one of the unlucky few who suffers seriously psychologically. Fortunately, the EBMF staff members, many who were once victims, have provided care and rehabilitation for those who need help and guidance. In another hour long interview, I spoke to a girl whose recollections left streaks of tears across her cheeks. She initially recalled the false promises of eventual stardom in the circus if she performed well. When she finally realized that this was only a scam to lure her into the circus, it was already too late. She spent eight long years in the circus and was rescued by the EBMFs rescue team. Since the day of her rescue, she has been determined to work hard in order to become a news anchor. It is her dream to pursue journalism and the spread of truth, and provide for those who like her, have fallen victim to child trafficking. Consequently, the Nepali government is a reflection of one of many social conundrums that are deeply rooted in the Nepali society. On the outskirts of Hetauda, I visited a few slum areas that were heavily targeted by traffickers. According to Shailaja, the agents usually target the villages characterized by primitive conditions. Most have minimal contact with the outside world. For example, the villagers unaccustomed mannerisms have forced them to hide in fear when foreigners and Nepali people approach their villages. Thus, the traffickers take advantage of these circumstances by approaching uneducated parents who are unable to provide sufficiently for their children. They are often willing to sell their children just to gain a small profit for a few meager meals or some household supplies. In Nepal, parents are usually off to work by five a.m. to cut wood in the jungles or labour for a living. Their struggles never meet their ends and it is difficult to even provide food on the table. The situation worsens when

Features
poo. This shows a lack of nutrition in the junk food supper I consume. To wrap things up, I have this one and only thing to say: my body is giving me a big NO. Towards the end of the five days, I am troubled by a sore throat and headache. This suggests the potential development of a fever. The best way to avoid these problems will be to refrain from eating junk food supper altogether. But of course, I know its not as easy as it seems. What should you do when supper is simply a desperate need? Go natural, by all means fruit! For instance, banana is a healthy, but nutritious snack that would keep you energized for the rest of the night. What I went through, certainly feels like a huge sacrifice. But at least, as this article hopefully pointed out, it wasnt all for nothing.

Reflections from Ray on his summer


By Ray Jang The Esther Benjamins Trust has a sister branch named the Esther Benjamins Memorial Foundation (EBMF) that operates mainly in Nepal and in Northern India. The EBMF is responsible for rescuing children who are trafficked into Indian circuses, then providing a refuge for these victims, and finally educating children who desire to continue their schooling. One of EBMFs refuges is located in Godhavri, an area that is a thirty minute drive from Kathmandu. The refuge is EBMFs largest, with over 100 children, and is headed by Shailaja. Shailaja is the bravest woman I have ever met in my life. She has worked for the EBMF for over 10 years and has been in 36 rescues till dates. Shailaja expressed with grave concern in an interview that the children were suffering from the lack of a permanent home. What she meant was that the refuge often needs to be relocated, up to six times a year. With the lack of an adequate fund, the EBMF is unable to buy land that could provide this permanent accommodation. This leads to further problems such as the childrens safety being at risk during monsoon seasons (six months on average), since protective infrastructures are never built. Children have been asked to move out on a days notice by landowners without say nor choice. Most children are educated at a nearby school and most have to work twice as hard in order to catch up with the basic schooling that was never provided in the circuses. Childrens ages range from as young as six to as old as eighteen. The older children live 20 minutes away from the refuge due to the lack of space, making them travel far just for their meals and tutorials. Despite the harsh conditions, many are grateful for their new found freedom and

9|

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |

Arts section
some villagers seek comfort through alcohol abuse. For example, one villager stretched out his hands and pointed at the wounds and callous marks on his fingertips, and confessed that he would rather go to jail than be a part of village life. His logic was that he would receive two good meals in jail, versus the dire struggle him and his family face just to not starve. The struggles that these trafficked victims face are neglected far too often by the world. I live in a world where too much is a lifestyle and too little can be a choice. The perspective gained from sleeping in a bed right next to a trafficking victim, yet living a contrasting lifestyle has humbled me. To finish off, I remember at the end of an interview, a girl asked me, Why are you asking all these questions? What will you be willing to do for us? I was caught off guard by that peculiar question. By hearing the question from a girl who I was meant to help, I had realized that this movement was no selfish walk in the park. I had promised her that it was the Hong Kong 24 Hour Races dream to provide a plot of land for her and her EBT friends so that they could finally settle in a true home. In addition, I also hoped that the Running to Stop the Traffik would take the responsibility to go beyond borders to advocate anti-trafficking to other young leaders, as a global responsibility. If we could all pop a pill... Id be okay with that shoot john or Im gonna shoot you

Overheard

we have ACE meeting from 9 to 11, so Ill go out at 10. african All of a sudden they get to stop, and do this other thing with their hands - student on ecstasy in English class Im not sure who Im doing sex with this year...well have to see. - Teacher about Sex COP Day oh yes, but he was the right sort of fifty year old. he had that whole salt and pepper beard thing going on, mmmhmmm *creepy lip licking, hand rubbing - Danish second year How much do you know about sexually transmitted infections? Math teacher to class (English teacher) is making us read this book Did you actually read that? Nooo Second year Special meta GIF edition Who do you want to kill? - Shelley to Vincent And if we have to eat a dog, eat a dog. And I want to live in startrek Shelley, you told me to follow my passion Student yeah, yeah, yeah. Good for you - Shelley I dont believe that euthanasia is me killing them learn about culture? No, get serious about your life.

10 |

NOVEMBER 11TH 2011| Fifth Issue |

Art Section

Memes Celine, Rahael, Robson

You might also like