Niceties Issue 1

NICETIES ES w w w. d o n i c e t h i n g s . o r g

ISSUE ONE

IN OUR FIRST ISSUE Our columnists on why being nice is not enough Our counsellor tells us the secret to living YMCA – Not just a song What the heck is social entrepreneurism?

STEVEN CHIA Primetime morning host and social volunteer

GET CONNECTED

PLUS! Say HELLO to a young volunteer!

I’m often the earliest to arrive at meetings, so it’s not unusual for me to grab a cuppa at a Starbucks or Gloria Jeans and one of those free magazines to read as I wait for my friends.

GET CONNECTED I’m sure you know which free magazines I’m referring to. They’re heavy on pictures and ads, and content-lite. Lots of clubbing photos, fashion spreads make up the publication that few will spend more than 5 seconds per page. Not that I have anything against these rags, but I often wish that there’s something more substantial. Something that triggers thought, but at the same time not so erudite that it becomes too burdensome for a casual read.

NICETIES tries to fill the gap. We’re a free publication with a clear focus: to encourage the youth to serve their community.

Amy Walker from Seattle would concur. After all, she’s doing all she can to connect people from various nationalities through a film, aptly named Connected.

How do we do that? To be honest, we’re not sure ourselves. But we’re doing our homework. We’ve connected with friends to find role models within our demographic to share their stories. Hopefully you’ll find them as inspiring as we do.

Human connection is also the fuel which drives Simin, our third profile. In fact, her entire campaign can be distilled into a word we say too many times without any true meaning- hello. Read her story to find out what I mean.

The theme for our inaugural issue is GET CONNECTED. To make an informed decision, we must first be in the know. That’s what this issue is about: an introduction to what may seem like the alien domain of community involvement. Our profiles today get that. Steven Chia, whom I’m sure you recognise as Prime Time Morning’s host, is our cover story this quarter. He tells me that you’re always only part of something because someone has brought you there.

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We are also proud of our editorial quality. All thirty-two pages of Niceties are written by four people. Each article is carefully thought through and researched by its writer. Our two columnists are people unafraid to voice their thoughts. Whether it’s about joining a cause on FACEBOOK or achieving greatness, I’m sure you’ll agree that they each bring something unique to the table. We have partnered with Care Corner Singapore for our IN SESSION section, where a full-time counsellor dispenses advice anyone can use. We hope you find it useful. So with that I present to you Niceties, your connection to the world of community involvement. We trust you’ll like it as much as we do. NICETIES

Features

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PEOPLE EU SIMIN: She may only be 21, but this bona fide life coach is determined to make the world a better place.

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STEVEN CHIA: One part news anchor; one part philanthropist, full time father. AMY WALKER: The Seattle actress is giving you and I the opportunity to be a movie director. TREND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURISM. Don’t know what that means? No worries, we’ll tell you.

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VOXPOP NICETIES finds out that despite CIP, we are not more involved.

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O R G A N I S AT I O N YMCA. Find out more about the organisation which inspired the song.

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CONTENTS Columns .

Events

29 17 In Session

TSE HAO GUANG So what if you’re nice? That’s not enough. DARYL GOH Niceness vs Greatness

Inside Back Cover

WE ARE DONICETHINGS.ORG Our parent organisation is always watching our back.

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HINDSIGHT A look back at completed social projects UPCOMING Ready, set? PARTY!

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I D O N ’ T H AV E A L I F E ! Jean Chen, our counsellor, explores what it means to life

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HINDSIGHT text TSE HAO GUANG Niceties revisits some social projects donicethings.org has been involved since our birth.

JANUARY: GOODIE BAG PACKING

Chinese New Year is a season of festivities: bakwas, sweets, and mandarin oranges are must haves! However, not everybody can afford a feast worthy of the season. So on 9 and 10 Jan 2009, DNT played a part in fulfilling that dream. Volunteers sourced by DNT helped to pack goodie bags in Henderson Community Centre for the underprivileged.

FEBRUARY: CNY AT SRI NARAYANA

The Sri Narayanan Mission Home for the Aged Sick held its annual CNY celebrations on 7 Feb 2009 with a carnival for its residents. DNT was on site to help, contributing over 30 volunteers to man game stalls, guide residents and decorate the area. The event was a success and everyone, both resident and volunteer, enjoyed himself immensely.

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DNT helped sourced for volunteers in aid of Project Daybreak’s Mercy Relief Newspaper and Clothes Collection Drive on 2 May 2009.

MAY: PROJECT DAYBREAK MERCY RELIEF The Day Breakers and over 200 volunteers turned up, and over 2 sessions filled up 10 truckloads of recyclables.

APRIL: HELLO CAMPAIGN

More than 500 volunteers turned up on 11 Apr 2009 and took to the streets with the Hello Campaign. Greeting random passers-by all along Orchard Road with warm smiles and cheerful hellos, volunteers tried to encourage the man on the street to open up and spread some cheer. While reserved at first, the unwitting public eventually warmed to the joie de vivre of the campaigners.

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A FACEBOOK SOCIAL GRAPH tracks connections between you and your friends. More lines may mean that you are nicer than someone who has fewer, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t help others.

BEING NICE ISN’T ENOUGH text TSE HAO GUANG

The world marches to the beat of progress, and this is usually a good thing. Advances in transport and technology have made selflessness almost effortless. Now, any philanthropist can wire funds to social advancement groups halfway across the world in an instant. Students looking for ways to contribute can log in to internet portals that host community involvement projects. While this may look super on paper, the ease at which we can do good looks set to breed a new generation of people who care, but it is not enough to make a real difference. As green issues become more and more fashionable, being perceived as socially responsible is similarly in vogue. Sadly, many who jump on the bandwagon are only superficially committed to their good causes. Simply being nice isn’t enough these days. C o m m u n i t y S e r v i c e Va c a t i o n s Take Overseas Community Involvement Projects (OCIPs). Lots of schools encourage their students to take part in them, and usually subsidize volunteers. The combination of an exotic holiday during school hours, cheap airfare, and friends for company is something even travel agencies cannot compete with. Wait, wasn’t helping others supposed to be the whole idea?

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At the click of a mouse, we can show the online world how against global warming we are ... ... couch activism simply cheapens the efforts of those who are truly on fire for a better world.

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There’s even a Facebook application called ‘Causes’. At the click of a mouse, we can show the online world how against global warming we are, and how much we want to fight poverty and hunger. For those who recycle and drive electric cars, or perhaps lobby for progressive taxes, it’s a great way to spread the word. For those who don’t even turn off the water while brushing their teeth, well, their couch activism simply cheapens the efforts of those who are truly on fire for a better world.

Another hidden pitfall of OCIP is the ephemerality of it all. Most volunteers go off for two weeks, build a toilet in Cambodia, and come back with lots of pictures. And that’s it. The grateful Cambodians will never see their friends from Singapore ever again, and next year a new set of faces, DSLR cameras in tow, will come and build another toilet.

I should be more positive. The hordes of members on DNT’s Facebook Group can’t all be just for show. I’m sure many want to contribute, but don’t know how. If you are one of these people, just email [email protected] and I will put you to work. Prove me wrong!

Yes, yes, OCIP does do good. The Cambodians definitely need their toilets. I have no doubt that they enjoy the company of the Singaporean visitors and vice versa. But they need more. They need people genuinely concerned for their long term well-being, who are willing to be more than nice. The same goes with any form of community service really. How much is done because it is convenient and fun? Because it fills up a required quota?

The fact is that we are not realising the full potential of our tools. Despite falling airfares and the proliferation of social networks, we remain half-assed about actually doing something to change the lives of those that need help.

Click For A Cause If there is something I dislike even more than recreational CIP, it is the recent phenomenon of joining community service groups on Facebook. I’m talking about you! The thousand over people who accepted a request to join the DoNiceThings Facebook group. I’m sure many support DNT passively. But what DNT and other such groups need is active support. Without it, all the good intentions and internet lobbying are for nothing. I wonder how many people joined the group mindlessly. It can’t hurt, right? And besides, it’s for a good cause...

The Bottom Line

It can’t be that we lack the resources or are too young. Look at William Kamkwamba from Malawi. When he was 14, he used junk and scrap material to build a windmill to provide electricity for his family. And he learned how through reading books at his local library. He has since gone on to build windmills all across his country. His book, The Boy who Harnessed the Wind, comes out at the end of September. Nope, we lack for nothing except the drive and the guts. Ultimately, instead of changing society, we are too concerned with trying to fit into it. Instead of looking to do real good, we satisfy our consciences by merely fulfilling CIP quotas. It’s not easy to break out of the comfortable boundaries of being nice. I gotta admit though, as a writer I’m probably not doing enough either. Time to stop typing and start doing! NICETIES

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SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURISM A new direction in social involvement...

The term was coined in the 1950s but today, social entrepreneurism seems to be the way to go when it comes to social work and charity.

Microsoft legend Bill Gates and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar have been lauded as social entrepreneurs when they channelled millions of their companies’ profits into bettering the lives of the underprivileged. Steve Jobs, who brought us the iPod, has been condemned for giving a grand total of 0% of his wealth to charity. It’s also the main reason why Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank which provides small loans to budding entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for bank loans, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. In Singapore, Citibank and the YMCA are hoping to inject some social entrepreneurism into the blood-streams of social work and volunteerism here with Youth for Causes. With all the rage over social entrepreneurism, NICETIES gives you the low down on what the term means. What is Social Entrepreneurism? According to Wikipedia, social entrepreneurs are people who recognise social problems and use entrepreneurial principles to organise, create, and manage a venture to make social change. So positive impact, not profit, is key. That said, not all of them are non-profits. Many prefer the term ‘more-than-profit’, and blend profit-making and social change when they operate. How did Social Entrepreneurism come about? Although the phrase is only about half-a-century old, historians have pointed to figures from the past as social entrepreneurs. Take Florence Nightingale for example; she revolutionised the entire medical industry with her modern nursing practices when she started the world’s first nursing school. How can I be part of this phenomenon? It’s not that difficult. If you’re the boss, you can start small: ensure that all the waste paper go to the recycling plant, not down the rubbish chute for instance. Or give a percentage of your profit to a charity of your choice. Starbucks often donates a penny or two per cup sold to poor kids in Africa. If you’re a young and want in on the action, that’s not a problem too. Consider being part of the Citibank-YMCA joint project, Youth for Causes. They give seed money to viable projects and provide mentoring to sharpen your skills as both entrepreneur and do-gooder. NICETIES 8 | NICETIES | donicethings.org

text JASON LI

YMCA

text TSE HAO GUANG

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London at the height of the Industrial Revolution in 1844. George Williams, a draper’s clerk, was horrified at the poor living conditions that he and his contemporaries had to endure. Together with other young drapers, he formed the YMCA to help other young men preserve their moral integrity.

The YMCA Board of Directors Today, the YMCA has established itself in over 120 countries and has a total of 45 million members. The Singapore chapter of the Association was inaugurated in 1902. During World War II, the YMCA building at Stamford Road was famously taken over by the Kempeitai and used as its Singapore headquarters. The National Heritage Board has since declared the building a World War II Heritage Site. The torture and bloodshed of the past have since given way to community building and enrichment. In fact, after the war another branch of the YMCA was formed to cater to Chinese speaking youths who could not identify with the ‘English’ organisation. Today, the Metropolitan YMCA continues to reach out to the Chinese speaking population. The YMCA is a pretty all-encompassing organisation with a multitude of initiatives geared specifically to different parts of the community. The YMCA-Tan Chin Tuan Community Service Programmes help to enrich the lives of the physically and mentally challenged, while the YMCA Financial Assistance cum Capability for Employment Scheme provides financial aid, employment training and work attachments at YMCA for those in need. Youths are not left out, either. Uni-Y is YMCA’s effort to engage university-level youths and facilitate their development. Currently, it has a presence in SMU and NUS, but plans are afoot to set up a branch in NTU and extend its scope to the Junior College level with Hi-Y (High School YMCA).

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ROSE THE

HAS

THORNS When you meet her for the first time, Eu Simin strikes you as little more than a pretty girl. Her petite frame (she’s 1.6 m at her maximum with 4-inch stilts) and easy smile (two dimples flank it) belie her energetic passion, which only indicator are her incandescent eyes that accompany a firm handshake.

text JASON LI

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She had just finished psyching up her 500 troops for the Hello Campaign when I first met her. The event saw these volunteers lined up along the Orchard stretch saying “Hello” to Saturday shoppers. It is part of a bigger strategy to encourage Singaporeans to be friendlier and increase pledges for the Singapore Kindness Movement. Simin reminded me of a worker bee as she flitted --in her yellow SKM tee and her black hair loosely bundled into a chignon-- from point to point to manage her volunteers. Most of them tower over her. If she’s fazed, it certainly doesn’t show. She exudes a confidence that’s somewhat incongruous with her build. I managed a short chat with her but she’s obviously too busy for anything more so we arranged a separate interview for this profile. -The tête-à-tête takes place on a lazy Thursday afternoon at an ice-cream parlour footsteps from where the Hello Campaign was held. I am punctual, but she’s early; I apologise for making her wait. She’s smiling in a diaphanous black dress, hair in a bun, more neatly arranged now. Even though I’m the interviewer, Simin shoots the first questions in rapid-fire motion. “What’s this for? Can you tell me what your publication is about? When will it be out? How long will it take?” she asks, barely giving me enough time to answer between each query. Sensing she’s one to cut to the chase, I plonked my notebook down on the table to begin.

Innovative Community Service Although she’s 21, Simin has three community campaigns under her belt. Prior to spearheading the Hello Campaign, she was integral in the Pick Me Up and Health In Your Hand campaigns. The 2008 Pick Me Up Campaign saw youths write an anthology of their personal triumphs within 24 hours. The final product was featured in the news media and reached an international readership. Part of the proceeds went to Make-A-Wish Foundations, which fulfils dreams of terminally ill children. The Health In Your Hands Campaign is another innovative drive earlier this year to educate Singaporeans on the benefits of hand reflexology. Volunteers went around teaching the public simple massages to relieve various minor ailments. But the Hello Campaign is particularly special to Simin, so much so that she calls it her “baby”. She birthed the idea after a brainstorming session with her team and personally sought out funds and official endorsement of her plan. While she was prepared to give as much as it took to ensure the campaign’s success, she admits to not being totally prepared. She is piqued at the barrage of prank calls she’s been receiving since the event; she had listed her personal contact on the scores of publicity flyers. “There have been a lot of random calls and messages,” she complains. “The most annoying are the times when CONT>> donicethings.org | NICETIES | 11

the callers don’t even say anything.” She is considering getting a private number. “My first thought was that the Hello Campaign must work. If that means giving my number, so be it. But it doesn’t help that my number is so damn easy to remember.”

The Hello Team LEFT: Simin with her volunteers. She’s the girl in the green dress. BELOW: Hello Campaign covered by local media.

Not all people were as convinced as Simin was about her strategy. On Hello’s Facebook Event’s page, Dan Dan wrote: “I think the middle-age group and the elderly are very sceptical about talking to strangers. Almost thinking that every stranger must have a BAD motive for talking to them. :/” Yang Ying expressed his scepticism more directly: “What difference can you make just by saying hello?” Simin minces no words for such cynics. “Crudely, I would say that the Hello Campaign is for people like that,” she retorts. This sort of irritation is one that I’ve seen often: in people who do not suffer fools. You get a sense that she’s certain of her convictions and sometimes fails to comprehend why not everyone shares them. “There are subsequent steps you need to take after saying hello,” she sighs, weary of this oft-asked question. “Hello is about about encouraging people to take the first step, to initiate conversation. But you need to follow through with that, because [a] relationship is not a one-off thing.”

Life Changes Today’s Eu Simin tells me she wasn’t always so determined, certain and in charge. She describes her former self as “an aimless pathetic woman”. That’s just three years ago. “I was idealistic, yes, but I didn’t know how to get where I wanted to,” she recalls. “But now, it’s about making what I want happen. And it’s never about trying anymore; it’s about making it happen no matter what.” A “coaching program” marked the turning point in her life. She registered for an Executive Coach International (ECI) programme called The Courage to Change, which she testifies for with an almost religious fervour. She’s not looked back and has “been working on [her] evolutionary journey since.” “I can say that a lot of areas in my life changed,” she attests. “Social life has changed; relational life has changed; resource [management] has changed. The three main areas of my life have changed.” She indulges in the moment as she shares how her personal relationship with her mother has improved. Even though they’d always been close, Simin says that there was an invisible barrier between them they could not cross. “Middle-child syndrome,” jokes the second of three sisters, before turning serious. “It might be culture,” she wonders aloud. “Asian families don’t really share personal sensitive stuff with parents. I would put on a brave front when something happened.” She added that what resulted was a lack of understanding between mother and daughter. Coaching, she says, has helped overcome the gap between the two. By improving her communication skills, Simin realised that she can now click with her mother at a “friend-friend” level. At a recent trip to the mall, they talked and joked (“I was joking that since my mom knew me so well, she should match-make me so I don’t have to be a nun.”) freely about Simin’s relationship issues; something that hadn’t happened before.

In The Driver’s Seat Coming a long way, Simin is now ECI’s youngest life coach. She introduces me to Sabrina, whom she mentors. Sabrina, a designer, has a nice smile and hides behind her bangs. Even though Sabrina is three years older, Simin talks about her with mom-like pride: “She used to be so shy, but now she can say hello to anyone and strike a conversation.” Sabrina blushes slightly, pleased with the compliment. CONT>> donicethings.org | NICETIES | 13

It’s Simin who steers the interview’s direction, deftly changing the topic when the questions become too personal and calculating what anecdotes are safe to tell (“must protect my family’s privacy.”) She’s also quick to correct my misperceptions, emphasising to me that coaching and motivational programs are different, and throws in jargon like “neurolinguistic programmes” and “grayline marketing”. She’s politically correct most of the time, although the aforementioned mixed tone of irritation and resignation sometimes seeps through, especially when she weighs in on policy. “It’s not about dangling a carrot in front of the students. So what if there’s CIP hours? It doesn’t make people feel connected to the things they do,” she says about the government incorporation of community service into the education system. “But since they asked me to give CIP hours, I give.” She opines about the way a certain non-profit organisation is run: “I’m not criticising [the charity] but they collect money and make one child happy. What’s the point? But what if we can take the money and impact the world? That’s what I’m after: Impact.” She’s big plans for her brainchild. “We’re exploring the [possibility] of a non-profit organisation,” she reveals. “And a talk-show. The Hello Talk-show. It hopes to eradicate prejudices, whether it’s racial or because a disability exists. Those are definitely some of our milestones.” As she dreams, her fiery eyes melt to uncover a soft, starry quality. Doesn’t matter that she’s not sure how exactly she’ll get there yet; she’ll do her research and seek out the right people. For Simin, what matters is knowing her goal. CONT>>

Her volunteers may be taller than her, but an unfazed Simin takes the lead in the Hello Campaign.

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TOUGH COOKIE: Simin takes on the guys on their terms in a drinking game

A Rose, Thorns and All I recall her mother’s worry about Simin being left on the shelf. It’s understandable: such steel in a lady might drive away potential suitors. But Sabrina laughs away the concern: “She has two sides; her business side may scare guys away. But her personal side is nice.” Simin is sure of the one thing she cannot stand in men - the lack of self-improvement. “If he doesn’t want to work on his life then he can say bye-bye. I don’t think I’ll even talk to him,” she states, deadpan and serious. Ouch. Roses are one of Simin’s favourite flowers. And it’s not a stretch to see the similarity between the two. Both have definite beauty. And while the rose has its thorns, Simin has gumption. NICETIES

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Hitler wielded great influence in his time, but he wasn’t very nice. Look at where that got him.

Originally, this was going to be a column about nothing. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the readers) I was persuaded that nothing just wasn’t good enough. At the very least, I should write about nice things. “How about nice nothings, sweet nothings?” I asked. Turns out this isn’t a publication on puppy love and infatuation but I won’t settle for plain ole’ nice; I’m striving for greatness.

DO GREAT THINGS text DARYL GOH

After all, if I’m going to expound on the virtues of doing nice things, I might as well make a great effort at it. This column will thus be your launch pad to achieve greatness with every nice thing you do. A tall order? Well, it really is easier than it sounds.

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One morning I was tempted to smack a slow-moving elderly couple at the MRT station and berate them for their ill courtesy in moving so slowly... Their combined girth was the span of three average people.

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You may be wondering what is the relation between doing nice things and being great. Are people who do nice things necessarily great and do great people get where they are from their good deeds? Not always. Hitler was a great politician, but he wasn’t nice. Accordingly, you may encounter nice people everyday but it would be a bit of a stretch to consider all of them great. Great people strive with purpose to be the best at what they do; and being exceptionally good at doing nice things is not just easy but extremely fulfilling as well. Start with small deeds, like holding doors open for people, giving way on the sidewalk, or giving up your seat to the pregnant lady on public transport. A little graciousness goes a long way, more than ever in a society like ours where courtesy and friendliness have no place during rush hour. A tip to inoculate yourself against the dreariness of mingling with the rush hour crowd: learn to take a step back (or two), slow your pace and your blood pressure might follow suit. Granted, the above might not always be easy. One morning, I was tempted to smack a slow-moving elderly couple at the MRT station and berate them for their ill courtesy in moving so slowly. I almost felt mean enough to point out that their combined girth was the span of three average people.

If I did any or all of the above I’d find myself on the front page of STOMP, so thankfully I did the right thing and ignored them. Only later did I consider I was being rather selfish to feel that way. In any case, I was rushing to be on time for a job I don’t really like. What’s the point? Better to take a break and save myself the stress. Inaction – as shown above – is one thing, but taking proactive steps towards niceness is a little harder. Singaporeans harbour great inertia when asked to give back to society. Often they will complain that society has left them with little time: the struggle of the daily humdrum saps most of their energy already. However, what most of us fail to grasp, or refuse to see, is that there are many who are living worse lives than the working professionals you see shuffling down Shenton Way. Think of the elderly who subsist on collecting cardboard, or those who have given up on making a living altogether to suffer the indignity of being housed in old-folks’ homes. If our golden generation doesn’t strike a chord with you, then think about disadvantaged children, the ones with mental or physical impairments that rob them of some of the basic skills that we take for granted. If you were in their shoes, surely some concern and nice goodwill would go a long way towards making you feel like a part of society, instead of being second-class citizens unable to contribute at the customary breakneck pace. Again, you might ask how does doing all this make me great? The answer is simple. Once people recognise that in our society, they exist not as individuals but as a collective, they can realise that anything which positively affects the welfare of people can by extension be good for all. Doing nice things breeds qualities like compassion and empathy, concepts not readily found in textbooks, but essential to living a fulfilling life. Work upwards from the small things, and I promise, you will be on your way to achieving much greater rewards in future. NICETIES donicethings.org | NICETIES | 17

STEVEN CHIA text JASON LI photos JOEL LAU

You probably have breakfast or commute to work with him on the SBS bus every morning. He’s on TV more often than Fann Wong and Zoe Tay. He’s in the office by 430 am, before the first public transport service.

We all know the Steven Chia of Prime Time Morning, but behind this news anchor is a simple family guy who cares deeply for his community.

It’s hard defining Steven Chia. He’s got a job, loves his family and does community work on the side. He goes to church weekly. Nothing outlandish. In fact he’s almost too normal for a public personality; the taboo adjective comes to mind: BORING. Unlike our local celebrity newscasters – think Cheryl Fox, Glenda Chong, or Timothy Go – Steven doesn’t seem to attract ogling, hormone-raging, fans. He’s also scandal-free; no drug involvement, no politics, no bitter rivalry with his colleagues and no criminal charges pending against him. CONT>> 18 | NICETIES | donicethings.org

It seems he’s got his head screwed on tight. Maybe it’s the community work he’s involved in. Currently he’s working on a few projects with the YMCA, among them Youth for Causes (YFC) and FACES. YFC seeks out young entrepreneurs who want to positively impact society and funds them. Proceeds go to charity. FACES, which stands for Financial Assistance cum Capability for Employment Scheme, provides monetary relief to needy families undergoing temporary difficulty.

We All Start Somewhere Steven tells me that he was not always so active when it comes to volunteering, and that his first foray into community involvement was through a friend in Simon Fraser University where he read Communication Studies. “It always takes someone to bring you in,” he says. “ I used to work with the international student office, and I had this idea to have a global carnival to get all the different groups to set up stores to create awareness.” Although strictly speaking, the carnival was not charity and did not help the poor, it awakened Steven’s sense of initiative. “This is one event where there was no official school agenda,” Steve remembers. “But I came up with the idea and I roped in a bunch of friends and we got the whole thing going. So in that respect it’s like a volunteer project.” It was also through a friend who led Steven to the YMCA in 2004, or the Y, as the organisation is affectionately called by its members. One of the directors is a family friend, and he invited Steven to join one of the committees. Then, as Steve puts it, “one thing led to another.”

Current Projects A long way from organising a varsity carnival, Steven is currently heavily involved in FACES, which is a year old. Albert Ching, the YMCA’s General Secretary, talks about Steven’s role in FACES: “He was instrumental in developing and implementing yet another direct-service programme for people in need.” “Our main premise is you come in, you need help. We will help you in the quickest way possible,” Steven explains. “ Our only criterion is that you see a counsellor or social worker within our organisation.” The counsellor’s role is to ascertain the level of need each client requires, because, as Steven stresses, “this is not forever; this is to help you get back on your feet.” So each case is reviewed half-yearly. He reveals that kinds of clients who walk through the Y’s open doors. “There are families where the father has left and the kids are at home alone with the grandmother who is taking care of them because the mother is not taking care of them either.” CONT>> donicethings.org | NICETIES | 19

Steven Chia, with co-host Suzanne June, on Channel NewsAsia’s Prime Time Morning.

Steven is also on the selection panel for YFC and helps choose which projects should be awarded grants. He is an advocate for social entrepreneurism, believing that “it’s always better to be able to have your own resources than to get it from other people.” He talks about the aptness of YFC coming under the YMCA umbrella. The YMCA, which runs hotel and education services among other things, is relatively untangled in the strings that come tied to government money. “We [YMCA] don’t get funding from the government. So we are not bound by government restrictions. We have our own funding, which we are able to use for what is best for the projects that we’re working on.” Besides the financial freedom, Steven adds that the most important case for social entrepreneurism is sustainability. “We are not relying on anyone’s goodwill to survive; too many projects have died because there’s simply no money.” He is impressed by some of the proposals fielded by the youth, saying that often the simplest ideas are the most effective. He points to a group which sold nicely packaged apples for $2 each and raked in a tidy $20, 000 in revenue in a single day.

The Family Guy On the blog he keeps on the Channel NewsAsia website, Steven describes his “other full time job” as being Dad to his “little girl Lucy”. In fact, his role as philanthropist comes after that at number three. Family is the secret to Steven’s masterful avoidance of media scrutiny. “I have one kid and family life is good. I think it keeps you grounded,” he shares. There are also numerous pictures of the family on the blog, which header displays a range of family photos: him and the missus, Lucy, even the extended family. When asked if family’s most important in his life, he reaffirmed that, emphasising: “Not just my immediate family, but my parents, my siblings and all.” Steven brightens noticeably when three-year-old Lucy is mentioned. He confesses that “she’s one of the reasons why I keep the job I have. Being on PTM, it gives me a lot of time to hang out with her in the afternoons.”

His Ideal Singapore Steven has never seriously considered this question before, but he says that he hopes the Singapore Lucy is growing up in becomes more mature, and Singaporeans take greater ownership of their country. “There’s a lack of awareness and a certain sense of maturity,” he says, taking time to appreciate the irony of having such an effective government. CONT>> donicethings.org | NICETIES | 21

The Chia family on Lucy’s third birthday

“Here we’ve grown up in a society where we no longer think for ourselves because the government is doing it for us. So I don’t worry about traffic; I don’t worry about the trees. I don’t worry about anything because I know that those guys will take care of it. At the same time he likes that the youth now are more into helping others. “In school you get to do it, even though CIP is sort of a farce, it still puts you out there.”

Steven on Steven Albert Ching describes Steven’s working style as “easy going”, “informal, non-conventional”, pretty much similar to what I observed for myself: Steve’s in jeans and pink-striped long-sleeved shirt, unbuttoned at the top. During our interview he describes himself in pretty much the same vein: “I’m kind of an out going guy, I’m very laid-back.” He does let known something he says he’s not told many. “I don’t like long meetings,” he discloses. “I don’t think there ever needs to be a meeting that goes beyond more than two hours. By then it’s too long and no one’s listening.” In fact he says long meetings are one reason why he left his previous job: “My boss at my previous job used to have really long meetings, very ineffective.” That was a subtle hint to signal the end of our half-hour interview. I suddenly realise Steven Chia is not boring after all. The difficulty that comes with trying to understand this newscaster, father and volunteer lies in his multiple layers and the subtleties that comprise him. NICETIES

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Do Young People

Really Want To Volunteer? Our poll shows that most young people are not actively volunteering

text DARYL GOH

For most people, the only exposure they have when it comes to volunteering will be a token activity done to fulfil their Community Involvement Programme (CIP) requirements during their school days. Newspaper collections and flag days come to mind. Press a little further and you might find a few people who had helped out at elderly homes or youth shelters. But apart from school sanctioned (and often mandated) CIP, would young Singaporeans spare the goodwill to volunteereven when they are not asked to? A straw poll was conducted, and the answers are surprising. Well, to me at least. The sample group ranged from students to young adults up to the age of 25. Among the schoolgoing lot, enthusiasm for volunteerism is low. Reasons given include the feeling that existing CIP activities are adequate to satisfy their individual ‘quota’ for volunteering. This group tends to see volunteering as a part of the school curriculum that had to be fulfilled. The notion of volunteering as a conscious personal decision does not rank high among them. Joseph Yang, 19, a full-time National Serviceman, felt that NSFs generally have little incentive to volunteer, especially since they already have so little free time to contribute. There are also some more inclined to volunteer, but don’t due to the lack of guidance, say, in the form of a school co-ordinator. They do not know who to approach if they are interested to volunteer, and as a result do not. For the university undergraduates polled, volunteerism is also generally low on their list of priorities. The heavy workload and increasing demands placed on them are blamed for the lack of time. They have no time for personal activities, let alone volunteer work. Among those who do volunteer, they normally do it in a religious context i.e. church activities. In general, when the idea of volunteering is posited to non-schooling youths, most respond favourably. They said that they do not mind sacrificing some measure of personal time for a good cause. However, the lack of suitable causes to support is often cited as a stumbling block. Without a sufficiently attractive reason to volunteer, most people are reluctant to commit. Altruism is often not strong enough a reason to entice most people, thus volunteer welfare organisations have to bring more to the table. They need not necessarily reward volunteer work as that would go against its very essence. But it would do no harm if they publicise and market their programmes as being a good fit to the target volunteer group. By doing so they would be better positioned to leverage on the vast pool of untapped resources that exists among the youth. NICETIES donicethings.org | NICETIES | 23

A SOUL ON FIRE text JASON LI

She’s conntected with 4 million viewers from almost every tongue now; AMY WALKER is uniting them all in a creative way no one has ever done before.

One dollar. That’s all it takes for you to produce a movie, thanks to Amy Walker, an all-in-one performing arts machine. She acts, sings (her original songs too), dances and writes. And, if you contribute a dollar, she’ll be directing your movie too. You might have seen the clip that sparked the phenomenon which eventually became SoulFire. More than four million people from all the world over have: a simple, two-and-a-half minute video on Youtube where she’s framed in a close-up. “Hello,” she says. “My name is Amy Walker. I’m 25 years old and I was born in London, England.” That explains the crisp, plummy accent. Which really is nothing spectacular until she re-opens her mouth and repeats her line almost verbatim, but sounding totally different. She’s still speaking in an English accent, but one clearly distinct from the previous. That’s just the beginning; she does it again for nineteen times, a different accent each cycle, spanning almost the entire Anglo-speaking civilisation. When she’s done, you are left to wonder where in the world she comes from. Russia, California, or Australia? Maybe Ireland. (She’s actually from Seattle, Washington.)

The video caught fire when someone posted it on humour website Break.com. Within three days, Amy’s unique talent has drawn hundreds of thousands like moths to a flame. Even the States’ biggest morning news show, TODAY, was intrigued. Amy was invited to the programme where she treated Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera, as well as to the rest of America, to a sampling of her repertoire. Slightly more than a year on, Amy is working on a bigger, more ambitious project: an indie movie, funded entirely by like-minded friends on the internet. The film, Connected, explores diversity within a family and tension that results. She talks to Niceties through a medium apt for the internet sensation -Skype- and gives us insight into what sets her on fire. Acting, her first love; accents, many of which she lapses into even in this interview; movies, her current pet project; and her family because they all play vital roles in her exploration of human relations.

N I C E T I E S : H e y A m y, t h a n k s f o r s p e a k ing with us. When did your fascination with accents start? AMY: Well, I didn’t know then that I divided it into accents, but I guess I started when I learnt to to read and sing as a child, when I listened to stories. You know, how children memorise not just the words, but their pronounciation? I guess for me I learnt them very specifically.

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If I was listening to a story read, and if it was (turns on ransatlantic accent) “Once upon a time”, I wouldn’t go (reverts to her native Seattle accent), “Once upon a time”. CONT>>

N: What was your first accent? A: When I was in fifth grade, I became a major Beatles fan. Of course, they were in Liverpool, but I learnt a lot of their songs and guitar solos and everything. And I would memorise them in their accents. That might have been sort of the beginning. It was probably the first accent I would go off and talk to myself in. I haven’t done that since Middle School. I was in fifth grade, when I was twelve.

N: Is that your favourite accent? A: It’s hard to pick a favourite. I really love (with an Aussie twang) Australian because it’s so chewy and it’s just so fun! And there’s all these bizarre words, all the jargon like “goon”. It’s like chewing this big wad of language. And they are such fun people.

N: Accents are of course what made you famous, through your youtube video. What was your response when you realised that it had become a hit? A: I’ve only been hosting videos for only a little over year, so I was just brand new to the Youtube scene when that (the 21 Accents video) went viral. I had no idea how many people were online, so I was simply shocked. Someone put in on Break.com (a humour website) and in 24 hours it had 400, 000 views! But the most fascinating thing was that people in non-English speaking countries like watching it. That I wasn’t anticipating; it was really surprising.

N: All these accents, are you sum of them all, or are you none? A: (Contemplatively) Well, how do I say this? I’m all of those, and I’m none of those. All of us are different with friends than when we are with our grandparents. And we’re different with our boyfriends or girlfriends than when we are interviewing someone. It doesn’t mean that one’s the real you or not the real you. They are just different aspects of you. We’re just like a kaleidoscope and you can’t ever be all of those things that you are at one time.

N: So it’s about the situation: and just because you interact differently with different people, it doesn’t mean that one interaction is fake. They’re both equally real. A: Exactly. Even when I was a tiny child, the goal for me was having a clear channel of connection with a person. I was always aware as a kid when I was treated as one. I wanted to be treated like an equal. CONT>>

donicethings.org | NICETIES | 25

People can think you’re like that because you’re Asian, or because you’re young or whatever. But I just want to get past all of that to the core level where we’re just people. If you speak in the exact same accent as someone else, they won’t see you as different. People don’t think they have an accent usually you know. They think, oh everyone has an accent but we don’t have one.

N: SoulFire films and your movie, Connected, are also about human connection. How did y o u m a k e t h e j u m p f r o m Yo u t u b e ? A: It didn’t seem like a jump to me. At the time I was living in Philadelphia and I didn’t really know anyone there, so I was communicating solely through email, Skype and cellphone. It’s not like being in person with someone you know? You can’t really feel their energy and tell how well we’re communicating and it’s harder to connect. But in some ways, communication was happening at the same time between me and people around the world with my Youtube video. Someone would email me and say, “I was inspired by your video and I’m in Russia.” That completely blew my mind. It is such a small world that we can connect to people who we’ve never met and probably never will meet. I just wanted to explore all of that. I’m not against or for any of that. And then I had that kind of theme and the story just started to come out about the family. And then when that happened, the theme just kind of fell to the back.

N: Who came up with the idea of the entire world chipping in a buck to fund the movie? A: Hmm... it was sort of a collective idea. My mom was telling a woman about the 21 Accents thing and the film I am working on. And the woman said: “You know, if just one out of three people gave one dollar, you’d have enough money for the film.” I thought, you know, if we did that, if we had all these people and say for a dollar, “you can have your name in the credit of the film”, then all we need is a million people. That sounds a lot, but it’s not when something really catches on. And the thing we love is that it gives power to the people, because normally the film industry is quite esoteric you know?

N: And there’s the commercial aspect too. A: Definitely. Sometimes, not all, but sometimes the integrity of the artistry of the film can be at risk. And the one thing I knew when I wrote this film is that I did not want to sell it off and have it made into cookie cutter plots like “Monsters vs Aliens” or something you know? CONT>>

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But really, we really want to empower other people too. For them to say, “all it takes is a little bit. If we just give a little bit, even if it’s just a dollar. But if lots of us do it, then we can make amazing things.”

N: Empowering people through the web. A: Right exactly. Before we had the idea for the one dollar thing, we wanted to make a website. A community called SoulFireProject.com where anyone could make a page or a mini-site about their project, their soul fire project. Something they’re burning to do, whatever it is. Go study journalism in Toronto, or start a school in Africa, or raise funds for a bone marrow transplant for someone in the community. Anything.

N: Connected is about familial relationships. What was it like growing up in your family? A: I was the middle girl of two brothers who I love. And there’s lots of music going on all the time. My brothers were sporty, but I was artistic enough for all of us. We had our good fights too, but that’s part of it you know? It’s hard, family is hard no matter what. Even if you love them, it’s hard because you’re stuck with them, you know? But there’s something so important about that. And I’m just always so fascinated by family dynamics.

N: What inspires you? A: My parents are very inspiring; they’re pretty amazing people. They have a lot of integrity. My mom is a music therapist. She’s been doing her soul’s work almost all of her life through music and therapy. And my Dad works for the Salvation Army and he was a minister before that. So both of them are very service-oriented, community minded and earth minded and they are very true to themselves. But I’m also inspired by everything. Inspired by the bird outside my window, and great art and you.

N: Ever considered Hollywood? A: I really follow my heart. If I wake up tomorrow and know in my heart that I had to go to LA I totally would. But as I’m demonstrating now, it doesn’t matter where you are. What matters is that I’m doing the work of my heart and soul. That’s the exact thing I’m doing through my film.

N : F i n a l l y, y o u o f t e n e n d “good vibes to you” in videos. What do you mean?

with your

A: Haha, it’s just me sending pure loving energy. Some people pray, but for me it’s just taking it beyond a level of words to just a pure and energetic form. It’s just a way I like to think about it! NICETIES

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I DON’T HAVE A LIFE

IS THIS THE ECHO OF YOUR

EXISTENCE?

If you are wondering right now if you h a v e a l i f e , t h e n t h e a n s w e r i s – Yo u don’t! If you are constantly chasing after that coveted promotion, or if you find yourself playing computer games such as DOTA or Maple Story, or reading romance or science fiction books, or watching drama series such as Korean drama or CSI or hitting the clubs so frequently that you do not allow other activities into your life, then you do not have a life either. It might be hard to swallow the fact that we might just be wasting our lives away, but every day is really the last day that we are at our youngest. If you find yourself yearning for genuine and continued happiness, this is worth spending time on.

What then, is having a life? Having a life is having a FOCUS. Merely trying to catch up with our external reality is draining; it is weariness at best and indifference at its worst. However, having a focus pulls in our energy. It gives us the fervour to make our life count for something. It gravitates our existence to being the best person we can be and specifies our life purpose. It makes us alive!

What is my life’s focus? This is a question that is difficult to answer. Unfortunately, it does not surface immediately at will with a snap of our fingers. It is also not something that someone else can answer for us. 28 | NICETIES | donicethings.org

As Kahlil Gibran, writer of The Prophet, puts it, “The vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.” It is also not likely to be something that would just pop into our mind one day like a ‘Eureka moment’ of enlightenment when we least expect it. It will take time and it will take effort. It will be searching, persevering and then searching again. One way to start is to jot down your answers when you ask yourself, “What is my life’s focus?”

You may have more than one answer as you ponder more about it. At the beginning, the answers may be your mental mantra or what you would like to see in yourself. But if these answers make you feel tense or tired, it probably means that you have yet to find your answer. If it is an ambition or a dream, it may not be your answer either. If your life is like a car, finding your focus is not discovering the path or ideal destination; it is finding the engine that drives you. Even if the answers may contradict one another, continue jotting them down. When you find your answer, you will be so deeply convicted that your mental, emotional and spiritual beings will resonate with it. Have a fulfilling time discovering your life focus! =) NICETIES

Jean is a full-time counsellor with CARE CORNER SINGAPORE, an organisation dedicated to serve, strengthen and support families. For more information or support, call 1800-353-5800. Visit theirwebsite: www.carecorner.org.sg

UPCOMING

In this section, we highlight the most happening events in the community involvement scene that every nice person must participate - Go to www.donicethings.org for more info and to register!

text TSE HAO GUANG The tripartite of Nam Hong Welfare Service Society, Northwest CDC and Republic Poly is holding the Brooks Republic Charity Run on 28 Jun. A whopping 500 volunteers are needed to ensure that the race pack collection and the event itself run smoothly. You need not be a runner to help out so don’t wait, register with your friends now!

For Runners & Clubbers On 25 Jun, the Butter Factory is opening its doors to more than just revellers. In support of Clubbing for a Cause, all proceeds will go to the Guide Dog’s Association of Singapore. For the low cover charge of $12, you get to dance the night away and do your part for charity at the same time!

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NICETIES DONICETHINGS.ORG NICETIES

EDITOR JASON LI

[email protected]

WRITERS TSE HAO GUANG

[email protected] DARYL GOH [email protected] JEAN CHEN

ART DIRECTOR JOLYN NG

[email protected]

PHOTOS JOEL LAU

FLICKR (Creative Commons)

DONICETHINGS.ORG FOUNDERS NG CHENG WEI

[email protected] SAMUEL SEOW [email protected]

CHIEF MARKETING STRATEGIST FRANCINE TANG [email protected]

WEB DIRECTOR MATTHEW LIN PROJECT MANAGERS LIM BING LI CALVIN CHONG MUHD ASHIK DENIS TAN HANSON HENG RACHEL CHEONG SHAUN LEE LOUSIA LIN

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To join DONICETHINGS.ORG or advertise on NICETIES contact [email protected].

we are

DONICETHINGS.ORG DoNiceThings was conceptualised by the dynamic duo Ng Cheng Wei and Samuel Seow. Our co-founders are nice people at heart (as we all are) who were puzzled that throughout 2 years in Junior College brought no memorable contribution to society.

School-sanctioned Community Involvement Programme was undertaken with very little enthusiasm, if any, and most students simply did it to rack up the hours. It seemed like generations past and future face the same uninteresting programmes that do little to foster a sense of altruism and care for society.

tex t

DA RYL

G O H

Cheng Wei’s original idea for DNT was about to head to the graveyard of good ideas until he mentioned it to Sam. Through their shared interest in new media, DoNiceThings was conceived on the back of paper napkins from Starbucks. Those napkins might be lying around somewhere, even possibly recycled (plus points for that). Anyway, the idea seemed feasible enough with a little bit of hard work and dedication. What followed was a process that continues till this day, a cycle of pitching, brainstorming, more pitching, to anyone who would listen. First targets were close friends and allies who could get things done.

With the back-end settled, more feet were needed to pound the ground, marketing DoNiceThings to the people who it matters to: schools, volunteer welfare organisations and corporations. Such bodies need concrete proposals and assurance, not just Facebook and internet fame. Initial pitching was difficult as even though we had a concept, DNT had yet to take off. We needed the corporations to trust in our potential. Thankfully they did, and many came on board. So that’s where we are right now: still making our first painful baby steps. We’ve lots to learn but a lot to give too! And we’re always looking for nice people to bring us to the next stage of growth. Are you it?

Integral to DoNiceThings and its plans are our highly competent coders and designers. Finding them was hard work because we could only afford pro-bono services. Nevertheless we managed to find industrious and often overworked coders who deserve praise and pats on the back (in lieu of pay) for their tiresome efforts.