OMG, never underestimate the power of the web! Tonight, I managed to do 2 things:
- I managed to track down an old friend from Penang, Malaysia by doing a google and locating his most current contact on our high school's alumni discussion board.
- While in the discussion board, I find out that the St. Joseph's Institution Old Boy's Association has a infomercial on Google video, which I have embedded here.
I've always held that my alma mater was a little behind in the way it handled its public relations and image. Unlike other flashier and more
But what boggles me is that if I want to sign up to be an OBA member, I need to fill out a physical form! Hmmm ... that seems a little out of sync with the trajectory of the other efforts online.
For those of you not familiar with the school, the video presents a smorgasboard of local elites and personalities that are well-known graduates from the school. The individuals that they have chosen, I think, are highly representative of the school's motto, "Ora et Labora" or "Pray and Work" (which for years, I've been telling Serene means "Play and Work", and hence explains my very well-balanced character ;) )
I actually know a couple more people whom they should have added on to the video. I would have certainly liked to see more about graduates of the school who are overseas and what they are doing. I think that this is a sterling effort on the part of the OBA and it deserves to be lauded. However, next steps maybe to extend engagement of alumni members beyond the shores of our fair island?
6 comments:
"disgruntled SI PhD student"
LOL! ;)
BTW, I'm going to ask an ignorant American question - is English Singapore's official language?
Hey Noor,
Disgruntled PhD student indeed :)
No worries about the question. Singapore's language history and policies are not always obvious to the uninitiated. But in general, yeah, English is the main medium of communication officially.
Howerver, the country is made up of 4 main ethnic groups (Malays, Chinese, Indians and "Others") and the education policy madates that everyone pick up a "mother tongue" in school. Historically, I think our language policies were modelled on India's, which was also a British Crown colony like Singapore was.
That's the simple explanation. There are, of course, all sorts of ruptures to the way language is used across ethnic groups and even across generations of the same ethnic groups. But the most significant language debate in Singapore is the rise of a hybridized local idiom called Singlish. Much hand wrangling about this.
hope that helps :) And I am sure someone in the blogosphere will correct me if anything I said was inaccurate.
Hi Jude,
Just to let Sero and you know that the Gynae Joe in the video? He delivered Tara! How fantastic is that?
Really, that's very cool. What a coincidence. What's the gynae's name again?
Dr Paul Tseng. Charming guy : )
Haha!! I'm first on the blogroll. YESSS!!!
Uh, is it really a "viral" video? What about "really awesome yet sincere plug for boy's educational institution"?
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