Souletter

SOULETTER
SPECIAL!
Figuring CityU
April 2015
Columnfor
Creativity
Ultimate Tips
University
&Intern
Issued by ENSOUL
First Cover: tête-à-tête
Head to Head Dialogue
DO’s &
DON’Ts
AAEPCSURVIVALTIPS:
GettingYourselfaway
fromtrouble
Creative&
Professional

CONTENT
FiguringCityU
ENS
Introduction
Greetings
from
EnsoulCover Story: tête-à-têtes
Chat with Professors
Interview with E.L.S.T
Survival Tips for AAEPC
Uni and Intern Tips
Column for Creativity
03
04
10
08
07
06
12
We would like to thank the Division
of Languages and Communication
(LAC) of the Community College
of City University and the English
Language Centre (ELC) of City University
to sponsor our newsletter.
Editor-in-chief
Mehmood Kishwar
Tonia Siu
Souletter is one of the channels for you
to use your creative mind and skills to
communicate with other readers.There
are manyinteresting and exciting read-
ings waiting to be read. Explore and
figure out what CityU has packed for
you!First of all I would really like to grab
this chance to thank you and welcome
you to “Souletter”, the first of a series
of newsletter from the 24th English
Society (ENS) Executive Committee and
the Newsletter Sub-Committee.
This is the first time an ENS newslet-
ter has been created by a group of
students who are interested in writing
articles or designing for publica-
tions. Souletter is one of the most an-
ticipated projects throughout the year
as it connects the unique and inspiring
works of the members. The contents are
designed to benefit the English Major
students and built to create a stronger
society together.
Ensoul’s executive committee, is so glad
to have two teams of sub-committee to
provide creative ideas and help with
the publication of this newsletter. In just
two months, they were able to interview
many people, from international stu-
dents to local students and professors.
They wrote articles that will provide
benefits and entertainment to the read-
ers and are designed in a simple and
interactive way. Even though the sub-
committee members were really busy
with their school works, they still of-
fered help and contributed as much
as they could. Their effort and passion
are much appreciated. Here are our
talented team of writers and designers!
Sub-Committee
Writing Team
Brian Li (BA) - Head
Sneha Thapa (BA)
Angela Shui (BA)
Jeramy Lee (BA)
Angie Leung (BA)
James Lam (BA)
Joyce Ng (BA)
Sheryle Lai (AA)
Jianne Soriano(AA)
Natalie Ho (AA)
Design Team
Erica Tang (BA) - Head
Jesa Mae (AA)
Joseph Tai (AA)
Jenny Chan (AA)
Ariel Chan (AA)
Catherine Laganzon (AA)
Souletter
Thanks to Our Sponsor
v v

vv
v COVER STORY
5
Writen by Sneha Thapa &
Angela Shui
Designed by Ariel Chan
“If I could change anything about Hong
Kong, nothing really, just the education.”
M
aybe it’s what I feel, but studying here is very unhealthy - eating, sitting, listening
to lectures then repeat. People say HK’s quite beautiful, if you go hiking you can
see its epic views! If you go to the Peak, it’s very expensive, but if you go hiking,
you’re going to be fit and you’re going to be enjoying different views of HK
from different corners.
My friend once said, “It seems like you’re modeling at the top of the
mountain”, but I’m just taking photos for memories. I usually go hiking with a few close friends
and, you know, to meet friends for two or four hours is so difficult, but if we go hiking, we can
have more lively conversations rather than we meet outside in the canteen or something.
I’ve never done hiking in my home country as it’s not very secure. Though I grew up in the
mountain areas, it wasn’t safe and there were no hiking trails despite there being many
mountains.
O
verall, it’s been good staying in Hong Kong. The place
is diverse. You meet a lot of people from other countries.
Hong Kong is like the gateway of Asia. It’s a part of China,
but you don’t feel too immersed into the Chinese culture be-
cause of the western influence. I’m tolerant of all cul-
tures, but if you can’t understand the language,
it’s a problem, isn’t it? Some people, for example the taxi drivers,
know just a bit so I’ll have to go like "shing si dai hok suk se (Student
Residence of CityU)". I know Mandarin but I don’t know Cantonese. I
learnt Mandarin back in India for about three months. It’s not really
helpful because everyone speaks Cantonese here.
“It seems like youíre modeling at
the top of the mountain.”
tête-à-tête
Student:SanBura
From:Myanmar
Student:AdityaSharma
From:India
A DIALOGUE WITH
EXCHANGE STUDNETS
“Just go out and talk to
people.”
N
ot even one year, it’s just one semester that I’ve come here. I visit-
ed some places in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island and usually go
to the Hong Kong Art Center to see some movies. I find it amaz-
ing how HK’s trying to promote art. As I’ve experienced, I can
see that the government devotes a lot of money and resources
to promote art. They want to encourage the young generation,
so they provide a lot of discounts and tickets to the students. Ironically, while I really
appreciate the Hong Kong government’s policies, I don’t think the people or the
students are interested in anything related to art or culture; lots of the local young
people don’t participate in lectures or exhibitions.
I think many of the Hong Kong people are very creative, because it’s an interna-
tional city, a lot of them can get exposed to different kinds of art and different
kinds of people.
“I just want to see some islands. That would be
very nice.”
B
efore coming here, I didn’t check about Hong Kong, so
I didn’t know what to expect from it, but I didn’t expect
this of course. I thought it would be more Asian. I came
here because I wanted something different from the
western countries but it’s pretty much the same.
I’m here for a semester so I’ll leave at the end of May.
I’m planning to rent a boat from the harbor with a group of people,
so we could go wherever we want. I just want to see some islands
where there’s just nature… just nature.
Student:Hong
From:MainlandChina
student:Gioacchino
From:Italy

INTERVIEW
WITH
E.L.S.T.
Q: Did you know German before-
hand?
A: Just very little bit. Most of the Germans
know and speak English. But still, knowing
Germancouldmakeone’slifealoteasier.
Q: Did you encounter any difficulties
during the exchange? How did you
solve it?
A: Yes. The first was the bureau-
cracy. It’s super problematic and an-
noying and there’s no short cut but
to deal with it. The second was step-
ping out of my comfort zone to meet
people. I was more timid and shy, but
don’t be afraid to express yourself
and let others know more about you.
Q: What did you learn from the ex-
change?
A: I’ve realized there’s nothing to fear to
be completely yourself in front of others.
You might not be perfect but nobody is.
If you don’t perceive it as a shortcoming
nobody will judge you or look down upon
you. So I’ve learned to be true to my-
self and be direct like how Germans do.
Q: Any advice for students interested
in going on an exchange?
A: Be prepared to face cultural chal-
lenges. The directness of Germans and
most of the other Europeans might sound
offensive to Asians at first, but after get-
ting along with them, they can be genu-
ine lifelong friends. Don’t care too much
about university rankings. Germany
might not be a popular choice among
university students but Berlin is truly a
great city to be given its abundance
of cultures and history and proximity to
other great cities.
v
Exchange
Michelle Mok is a year 3 student under the creative
stream. Passionate in language and a wanderlust at
heart, she traveled alone to Korea last summer for a
one-month programme and went to the Humboldt
University of Berlin in Germany for an exchange
programme.
Knowing more about the creatives and professionals:
Into the shoes of students from the Bachelor of Arts in English Studies.
Being a student in the Bachelor of Arts in English Studies (BAELST) is not just about burying ones
head in books. We have found 3 students to tell us more about the final-year projects, exchange
experience and extracurricular activities involvement.
Activities
Matthew Leung is a final year student under the cre-
ative stream.With a unique mindset, he treaded on
a different path from the crowd. Being an executive
committee member of the Students’Union, an editor
of the Editorial Board and the founder of the Baseball
& Softball Society.
v
v UNIVERSITY LIFE
7
vPROFESSOR INTERVIEW
6
Q: Why did you defer your study for
1 year?
A: To finish my Japanese minor with
more time and to focus on extracur-
ricular activities. It was too demanding
study-wise as I have taken 21 credits in
one semester already and still needed
to do 2 semesters with 18 credits each.
Q: Isn’t 18 the maximum number of
credits you can take for each semes-
ter?
A: I need to apply for it, and the Eng-
lish Department has to approve. Once
signed I can never apply for a reduc-
tion in study load for tuition reduction.
Q: Why did you participate in so
many extracurricular activities?
A: I wanted to write news and felt that
the students’ voice was not well pre-
sented, so I joined the editorial. I also
wanted to revive the CityU Broadcasting
Channel so I joined the Students’ Union
Executive Committee. Then the English
Society was also falling, so me and my
friends took it upon ourselves to revive
it. I really like softball and baseball so I
founded the Baseball & Softball Society.
Q: Is it easy to balance extracurricular
activities and study?
A: Probably not for many. I cannot be
sure. I think I can, but not many others
seem to be doing fine. My belief is that, if
your grades fall because of other duties,
then they will still fall without the duties.
Q: What is the best time to apply for
graduate jobs?
A: I don’t think there is a suitable time to
apply for graduate jobs, but you cer-
tainly have to keep yourself updated. I
regularly go to a section called “Job-
Plus” on AIMS. There are a variety of
jobs that you could apply for and this
service is free. It’s not limited to just
CityU jobs, but also jobs available
outside, both full-time and part-time.
Q: Where did you get information
about career fairs?
A: I regularly check the CAP (CityU An-
nouncement Portal), because it has up-
dates every day and it notifies you about
many career opportunities going on in
the campus, for example, career fairs.
Q: Do you have any job interview/
hunting tips?
A: Don’t be afraid to fail. Keep a posi-
tive attitude. If you like that job and you
want to do it, just apply. You can send
out over 50 applications. For interviews,
don’t be nervous and don’t fake your an-
swers. The interviewer would notice your
nervousness from your body language.
Q: What’s your plan after
graduation?
A: I might enter the public relations in-
dustry, but there are others I could try:
Human Resources, Merchandising, Mar-
keting, Copywriting and Media. One of
the good things about the department is
the compulsory internship. You actually
have a chance to work in a company
and have something to write on your CV,
unlike other summer or part-time jobs.
Future
Rico Au is a final year student under the corporate
stream. He did his internship at a public relations
firm named Executive Council, and is doing his final
year projec for 513 Paint Shop, which involves helping
them find clients for collaborations.
Writen by Jianne Soriano & Natalie Ho
Designed by Jesa Mae
Writen by Jeramy Lee & Joyce Ng
Designed by Catherine Laganzon
Dr. Jeffrey Mather
Assistant Professor
CityU
Dr. Pauline Burton
Senior Lecturer
CCCU
everyday
professor
Eyetoeye:
As we sat down facing her, she held out
a lipstick, “Even professors need to look
good for an interview,” she said. Dr. Pau-
line Burton, a senior lecturer in the Divi-
sion of Languages and Communication at
the Community College of City University
(CCCU), has had many years of teaching.
This interview is about her life including
her teaching experience and her family.
Q. What do you like about teaching
in Hong Kong?
A. I think I would say that not all but most
Hong Kong students are really serious
about their education, wanting to work
hard and to work better. It means that
they are open to being taught because
they want to do well. They are willing to
learn new stuff and doing the best that
they can and that makes me happy with
them.
Q. Your daughter, Susie Wilkins
is a singer from the UK, what is
your favorite song that she has re-
leased?
A: It’s called “No Answer”. She wrote it
after a time when my husband had just
passed away. She went with her partner
to the Grand Canyon in the US and when
she sat there, she realized how small she
was in comparison to the vastness of na-
ture. So the title of her song, “No Answer”
sounds a bit sad but it isn’t really. She
came to the conclusion that you don’t re-
ally need to have answers, you just have
to accept things as they are and enjoy
the beauty that’s around you in your life.
Q: Any advice to young people
who are undecided about their fu-
ture?
And those associate degree students
who want to further their studies?
A: You have to embrace indecision and
not be afraid of it. And not to think that
the choices you make at 18, 19 or 20
totally shape the rest of your life. I know
sometimes it can but it’s the beginning
of a fairly long journey. For picking de-
gree programmes, you need to choose
something where you know you can get a
good GPA, not because it’s easy but be-
cause you’re interested in it. Doing what
you love is actually quite good advice in
practical terms because you will get bet-
ter grades. If you’re looking ahead and
you have some idea what you want to do
in your life then don’t be afraid of tack-
ling something hard. My other piece of
advice is when I say, “Hope for the best,
plan for the worst,” is that it’s always a
good idea to have a plan B.
Just as we reached the venue, he entered
holding a cup of Pacific Coffee; he didn’t
look tired but rather cheerful. He is Dr. Jef-
frey Mather from Canada, an assistant pro-
fessor in the Department of English of City
University of Hong Kong. He has also worked
in Taiwan, Mainland China and the UK.
Q: What made you pursue the career
that you’re doing now?
A: Well, my family is a family of teachers,
and I remember when I was young, I thought
I don’t want to be a teacher, but it was my
fate I guess. I was always attracted to teach-
ing in higher education and I didn’t really
see that when I was young, but as I got ex-
perience working, like I mentioned I was in
Taiwan for a while, I realized that I should
do a PhD, and just go all the way, so it was
slowly, over time, and that was the path
that became clear.
Q. Do you have any tips or advice
for young people who want to pur-
sue writing?
A. I think the internships that we offered
for the English Department can give stu-
dents some good opportunities, I’ve seen
that happened. But students don’t need to
get an internship through us, they can find
them in HK, so students should try. They
should have confidence. They should real-
ize that editors will help them, they are not
alone and they should look around for op-
portunities in HK. For places like this, they
should look around magazines and online
then they should jump right in. When it
comes to professional writing, if it’s more
like fiction writing or creative writing, I
think students should definitely have the
same kind of thing. They should just get
their stuff out there and be confident with
it.
Q. Is there any place that you rec-
ommend young people to travel to
and why?
A. I really love Turkey because it was af-
fordable. I have been travelling to West-
ern Europe and it was expensive although
it’s beautiful. But if it’s expensive, you
don’t feel happy because you’re constant-
ly spending in restaurants. So, if you have
unlimited budget, then Western Europe.
But honestly, I think for many people they
should also explore China. It’s a really
big country and there’s so much there. I
love the province of Yunnan. I’ve been to
there five times and I keep going back
because it’s such a diverse city and it’s
a wild and beautiful place. I think that’s
one of my favorite places in the world.

v SURVIVAL TIPS
9
Writen by Jeramy Lee &
Joyce Ng
Designed by Catherine Laganzon
Associate of Arts in English for Professional Communication
Got in to the AAEPC programme? Not sure what to expect from year 1? The answers are here:
from the year 1 survivors themselves!
Students from the Associate of Arts in English for Professional Communication (AAEPC) have joined
forces to give us valuable insights ranging from how to handle assignments, group projects and
exams to finding that ideal group mate for group work (and being a good group member
yourself) on your first year in the programme.
College life-hacks presented by the brave survivors of year 1 EPC
u
Do’s Dont’s
Jodie: “Take the trouble to email teachers and make appoint-
ments to talk about things you need to clarify and understand
before the big days, e.g. exams, presentations, assignments.
Lectures, Tutorials
& Classes
Edwin: “Get prepared, be familiar with the notes, and try
to keep yourself conscious during classes.”
Hannan: “Do pay attention; a lot of the times the lectures
have information that could help you during the exams. Do
take down notes because it will help you.
Jodie: “Don’t be late for lectures or tutorials. Save some
faces and teachers remember who makes the effort to be
on time; they appreciate that.”
Hannan: “Don’t get on your phones during lectures, it’s
a sign of disrespect and most slides have the answers to
exams. Don’t be late, otherwise you will miss out a lot.”
Junie-lene: “Don’t come in empty-handed! If you forgot
to print your notes or bring your laptop, take notes with a
piece of paper - it’s effective in absorbing information!”
Febenino: “Don’t get into a group with just your friends
during group-based projects.”
2.
Study Hacks
& Tricks
Jodie: “When it comes to group projects, look for integ-
rity and responsibility in a teammate. Make sure your group
mates know they have an equal part to play. Before pre-
sentations, practice in front of group mates over and over
again”
Hannan: “Have breaks in between, a lot of them. It helps
me stay focused and get more work done by looking for-
ward to my next break… try studying in AC3 (7th floor)
past the canteen. There’s a huge section full of desks, chairs
and peace!”
Junie-lene: “Give yourself study goals - e.g. Exam time is
in 4 weeks, and there’re 3 subjects to study for: each week,
study and divide chapters of each subject accordingly and
use the extra time to go through the more difficult chapters.
Febenino: “You’re in college, meet new people, create new
groups and mix.”
Febenino: “My advice is find a study buddy, someone who
is as serious as you academically. Go to the Flow Center, the
podiums with seats, anywhere that’s quiet, isolated and has
blank walls. Because even white walls will become interest-
ing after a while of boredom.”
Kelvin: Try studying in the campus’s computer rooms. As
for an ideal group mate? Someone who can think for them-
selves. How to be a good group mate? Be responsive! And
always go to your tutor or lecturer for anything you are
unsure about.
Time Management
Tips
Jodie: “Do not prolong work-time by procrastinating. The only person that suffers is you! Execute an assignment one
by one, and you’ll be done before you even realise.”
Edwin: “Try your best to plan out the time table for assignments and exams right at the beginning of the semester
when the tutors hand out the course guidelines.”
Febenino: Make sure you remember the due dates of all homework.
They WILL pick up the papers at 6PM ON THE DOT. 6:01PM and it’s late, trust us.
Kelvin: “Expect you would procrastinate when considering how much time you intend to invest in certain assign-
ment.”
Hannan: Have a planner, it helps keep you on track! You could even use your phone’s calendar and set dates and
times.
KELVIN FEBENINO HANNAN JODIE EDWIN JUNIE ADVICE
Febenino: For students who are working and
studying, make sure your job is very flexible
in hours. Every semester will bring in a new
schedule and your bosses might not like that.
Plan ahead and warn your employers.
Edwin: If your fiscal situation does not
require you to take any part-time job, you
should stay out of it, and enjoy the university
life.
Febenino: Final advice? Be nice to everyone.
(Stop the drama.) Remember, ALL problems do
have a solution. Also, whether you feel you are
on top of the world or beneath it, happy or sad,
“This too, shall pass”.
Kelvin: Avoid to be judgmental as much as pos-
sible. It stresses you unnecessarily and unhelpful-
ly. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. The only
person you need to be better than is yourself.
{{
1.
theultimatesurvivalguidefor
year1students(AAEPC)
3.
4.

Writen by Angie Leung &
Mehmood Kishwar
Designed by Jenny Chan
Prepare possible ques-
tions for the interview
Remember to do some research and
looks at the company’s background be-
fore the interview. For me, I had an
audio skype interview with my boss.
It was a casual chat about my past
workingexperiencesandwhatIhavelearnt.
Good time management
They are looking for an idea person who
is able to cope with tight deadlines. Peo-
ple with past editorial experiences or
those who had written articles other than
academic assignments would be an advan-
tage. In the job, I contributed articles to the
newsletter published by the ELC in CityU
and was a teaching assistant for a pro-
fessor. In the job, I wrote some wikipedia
entries as well as blog entries and helped
to prepare some teaching materials. All
these helped a lot for my application.
About the Duties...
Firstly, it is about work ethic. You have
to follow the tight schedule with limited
manpower. HK Magazine is published
weekly and all articles should be cut
off 2 days prior to publication, there-
fore you have to finish the 50 pages of
magazine within 5 days. Secondly, be
prepared to work outside HK Magazine
because it publishes lots of free magazines.
You
have to
follow the tight
schedule with lim-
ited manpower. You
have to finish the 50
pages of magazine
within 5 days.
I would make it a long-term preparation
like joining some volunteering schemes
related to PR and event management to
build up my profile. For my post, you have
to submit a portfolio demonstrating your
creativity and knowledge in design
software. We were then invited to a group-
based interview by the department. The
toughest question as I recall on the wed-
ding intern was to list 3 themes for a wed-
ding couple. In general, the department
would shortlist a few candidates and you
may be invited for skype or phone inter-
views by the hosts. Remember to tailor your
portfolio and CV to show your capability
for the post you are aiming for.
Prepare for the
application
Pay attention to every
detail
For Singaporean bosses, they empha-
size on good academic results, high Eng-
lish proficiency and good communication
skills. You have to be highly adaptable
and learn new things quickly. And as a
wedding and event planner, you have to
pay attention to every detail and have
knowledge in rundown management.
Prepare for irregular
working hours
My main duties include building company
profile, preparing scripts for cold-calling,
looking for old and new clients, making on-
spot productions, finding suppliers in Singa-
pore, thinking of the themes for different
events etc. You have to be prepared for ir-
regular working hours. There was once I had
to work from 6am to 2am the next morning.
The
challenge
would be the Singapo-
rean accent. For example,
they pronounced “theme” as
“team”. I was told by my super-
visor to ask my clients, “do you
have a “team” right now?” The
first thing you think of would
be a group of people. But
she was meaning the
idea.
Was GPA important to
get into university or
your extra-curricular
activities?
GPA is the most important. Try your best
in every semester. Actually there are
many people who overlook the last se-
mester of Year 2. I got the ES offer on
the 8th of August. It’s a quite late offer.
So for those whose CGPA is not as high
as others or are not sure if they can get
an offer at an early stage, they should
try to get a CGPA as high as they can.
What kinds of questions
did they ask you during
the interview?
At the Lingnan University interview,
the questions startled me. They asked
me, “Which course do you like most
or least?” So, if you didn’t look at
courses they provide, then you will
not be able to answer their questions.
Is a portfolio important
for me to get into the
university?
Yes, it is. It was an electronic ver-
sion. I used Wix.com. It is a very use-
ful website as it provides many tem-
plates. You do not need any computer
skills to create the website. Most pro-
grammes do not require for you to sub-
mit a portfolio as it is not compulsory.
In my opinion, creating an e-portfolio
does not take up a lot of time, so why not
go for an e-portfolio? Many people think
it’s a waste of time, but I think it is not true.
I guess
for my programme
(Media and Commu-
nication), CGPA is the
most important.
How did AAEPC helped
you get into university,
in your opinion?
AAEPC is related to Public Relations
things, such as corporate writing and
communications. I think these are also in-
cluded in the curriculum of MDCM so it
helps a lot. Another thing is that there is a
special course called “Digital Document
Design”. In this course, you are required
to create a personal portfolio using dif-
ferent software. And so, by this, not only
it helps you create a portfolio that is
very presentable to your interviewers
but also you know what you have done
in these two years of associate degree.
What qualities does the
Media and Communica-
tion (MDCM) look for?
MDCM is basically looking for people
who know how to express themselves
in many ways. For example, right now, I
am doing more in the broadcast stream
so maybe I’m better at speaking in
front of the camera and communicat-
ing with others. But there are students
good at writing and doing visual image.
Take
the IELTS.
Don’t take it at the
late stage. The best
time is to take it on the
summer holiday in year
1 so you would have
enough time to have a
second attempt.
HOW
Do
YOU
IT
!!
TO
BE
THE
BEST
NAME:
Alex Ling Ho Lun
EDUCATION:
BA in English Studies
(Year 3)
INTERNSHIP TITLE:
Editorial intern at HK
Magazine
(Hong Kong)
NAME:
Erica Tang Hei Tung
EDUCATION:
(Year 4)
INTERNSHIP TITLE:
Events and weddings intern at
The Flying Dutchman
(Singapore)
NAME:
Nicky Chan
(Year 3/Advanced
Standing II)
EDUCATION:
Associate of Arts
in English for Professional
Communication
CGPA: 3.3~
NAME:
Cheung Yang
Tung Cherry
(Year 3/ Advanced
Standing II)
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts in Media and
Communication
Associate of Arts in English for
Professional
Communication
CGPA: 3.6~
u
v UNI&INTERN TIPS
10

v
Column
for
Creativity
The act of waiting
has been practiced
over the ages,
and patience has been
elevated into a virtue
in this process. As Eliza-
beth Taylor put it, “It is
strange that the years
teach us patience; that
the shorter our time, the
greater our capacity for
waiting.” We acquire a
certain skill of waiting as
we grow up and mature.
The art of waiting can
be expressed in many
ways, and that is why
we chose ‘waiting’ as
a central theme for the
Creative Column. The
competition was held
between 12th March to
23rd March where we
received many great
submissions - from poetry
to short stories. As we
promised, three lucky
winners will have their
work published. The fol-
lowing pieces have been
chosen by the judges as
the most outstanding.
On behalf of the ENS
Newsletter Subcommit-
tee, we want to take this
opportunity to express
our sincere apprecia-
tion to Dr. Jordan Peter
Edward Rees. Thank
you for taking time out
of your busy schedule
to judge and comment
on the three best works.
We are well aware
that judging the pieces
and commenting on
them took quite some
time on your part. It
means a lot to us that
you are willing to take
on additional tasks
in order to make this
creative writing column
a reality. Once again,
thank you for your time
and we are glad you
enjoyed the submitted
pieces of work.
Introduction by James Lam
and Sheryle Lai
WINNERS
---- Angela Shui --- Johnathan Ho --- Sheryle Lai ----
Topic:Waiting For...
Dr. Jordan Peter Edward
Rees’ comments:
I like this poem very
much because it is simply
written, yet profound. It
evokes the horror of a
car crash, but also the
fascination of observ-
ers and the final part
reflects on the victims,
with the writer imagining
herself to be the victim.
The very first line ‘I’m
tempted’ gives a feel-
ing of transgression, as
though we should not
linger on the details of
such things, and yet we
do. That provokes in the
reader (or at least in
this reader!) the reflec-
tion that death repels
and fascinates us. We
all know it is ultimately
inevitable, and yet
we also yearn to go
on living in the minds
of others (‘how I’d be
remembered’), but that
finally we will be for-
gotten. It is a downbeat
conclusion, but so gently,
almost casually, stated,
it has a real impact. The
constant repetition of
phrases helps to build up
a momentum to this final
impact. I think I liked this
I’m tempted
To see how the car crashes and turns into debris
To see how I shut my eyes tight
To hear the sound of glass breaking into pieces
To hear the silent prayers crying for a second chance
To feel the pounding of my heartbeat
To feel how the broken pieces pierce through my skin,
and cracks through my bones
To feel the blood in my veins comes bursting out,
and running down from the ruined flesh — still half fresh and alive
To feel the one last grasp for breath
To see how I’d be remembered
To see how I’d be mourned
To see how I’d be forgotten
CarCrash
AngelaShui
(Year3,BAELST)
piece best of all.
v WRITING COMP
13
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Silence
JohnathanHo
(Year2,aAEpc)
Silence speaks,
Silence squeals,
Silence shouts, the loudest word,
That leaves me behind unheard!
Silence breaks,
Silence takes,
Silence drives me around the bend till the end,
What is the matter, I do not understand!
Silence means, that there would be hope,
But of that, I cannot cope.
Silence means, you need more time,
Sour lemon, bitter lime!
Silence pierces through my heart,
What is left, two souls apart!
Silence cuts, through my blood,
Then, I drench, sink and flood.
Silence destroys,
Not only boys;
Silence reveals,
What lacks, is real!
Rees’ comments:
I like the interest-
ing use of exclamation
marks, that make the
lines almost seem to be
shouting through the
‘silence’. Such ‘silence’
‘shouts’ and is ‘the loud-
est word’ and yet the
author is ‘unheard’. The
poem hints at a personal
and painful break-up of
a relationship, when all
communication has been
reduced to heavy silenc-
es leading to the ironic
and pessimistic conclu-
sion: ‘Silence reveals /
What lacks, is real.’ The
use of a simple rhyming
structure belies the seri-
ous content of the poem.
CoffeeShopDays
SheryleLai
(Year1,aAEpc)
Found in the drawers of my ancestral home:
Memories are tricky and evasive. They slip through your fingers when you grasp them, but they are
always there, lying on the shores of your consciousness, waiting. When a wave of thought comes through, some
of them may come to surface. But some will be forever lost in the depths of your mind.
I remember before all this, all this hectic madness, I used to stop by this little coffee shop that was a five-
minute walk away from home. The coffee shop was vintage and petite, frilly curtains hanging from the win-
dow rods and “The Beatles” record looping on the gramophone. Old school booths stretched out carelessly on
either side of the shop; tables and chairs of dark oak spread neatly yet asymmetrically across the checkered
tiles, as chess pieces would on a chessboard.
Every time I stepped into the coffee shop, the smell of Arabic coffee slipped under my nose and its
lustrous aroma filled my lungs. I would always find my way to the cosiest booth in the corner. My favourite
waitress will then came over, her blonde shoulder length hair swaying gently from the mild gusts from the ceil-
ing fans. I never knew her name, or maybe I did once but I have forgotten it since.
I remember when I sat with my coffee that I was waiting for someone. Something, maybe, I do not know. But
it was important that I wait for it. And so I sat and downed the single serving of the Al-Qahwa from my own
tiny fenjan cup.
The occasional automobile would pass by. I would watch the world go by in a dreamy summery haze.
I could go on for hours. The mellow sweetness of the candied dates and the caffeine was a spiritual sanctuary.
A place of solitude and peace with saffron and cinnamon.
But then everything changed. Cars streaked by, leaving nothing but lots of noise and flying dust. All I could
see were flashes of reds, blues, and whites. No one drank their coffee in the store anymore. They would run
in and get their coffee in a fancy paper cup and run out. We were no longer allowed to wait for anything.
Everything has to be done and accomplished now, promptly, immediately, straightaway, pronto, all at once.
At some point, my favourite waitress went and never came back, without a trace nor a farewell. The
wallpaper faded and curled up at the edges. Cracks spiked across the tiles, creeping outwards like spiders
weaving web. And now no one is there to brew coffee for my tiny fenjan cup, now with a small chip at its
edge.
Rees’ comments:
This piece is very
evocative, recalling a
fond memory and at
the same time acknowl-
edging the unreliability
of memory. There is a
strong sense of time past
and change through
time, and yet the memo-
ry, even with all its
unreliability, is still vivid
and real. The physical
description of the cafe’s
interior and sensory de-
scriptions of smelling and
drinking the coffee build
up a rich picture, but
then the author suggests
that the real significance
of the memory and why
it has lasted might be
because someone or
something was
awaited. The waiting is
remembered, but not the
reason for waiting. I also
liked the final line: even
the ever-present ‘tiny
fenjan cup’ now has ‘a
chip at its edge’ and will
eventually, we presume,
disappear with time.
Designed by Joseph Tai
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The 24th English Society Executive Committee, City University of Hong Kong Students’ Union
CoverbyEricaTang

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