The two recent deaths of NTU students have turned the spotlight on stress that foreign students face. NTU student Melissa Lin offers her take on the situation.

In the space of one week, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) made it to the news twice, but for all the wrong reasons.

On Monday, 2 March, an Indonesian student David Hartanto Widjaja, 21, stabbed Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk in the back, fled and fell four storeys to his death in an alleged suicide.

Five days later, on 6 March, project officer, Zhou Zheng, 24, a Chinese national from Hubei, was discovered hanged in a staff apartment on campus. He is believed to have committed suicide.

There has been widespread speculation on and off campus on what sparked these tragic events. Fingers quickly pointed to stress after news that the student had his scholarship revoked last month broke. Conspiracy theories have also appeared on blogs and websites such as theonlinecitizen.com.

Both deaths point to academic stress in Singapore and, in particular, the stress foreign students face here. I asked some NTU students for their opinions regarding the incidents.

“I think it’s quite scary, you’d never think such a thing will happen in a Singapore school,” said Foo Jieying, a first-year communication studies student from Singapore. “It’s like a milder version of the Virginia Tech massacre, how it reflects the amount of stress we are put under.”

But foreign student Sharanya, also a first-year communication studies student, had a different opinion. She arrived from India last semester and is here on a scholarship. The deaths baffle her. “I think Singapore life is easy to adjust to, but it’s also because there’re a lot of students from India. Is it stressful? No, I don’t think so. Anyway everyone has to study, right?”

Most that were interviewed felt that having someone to talk to would help to relieve stress.

Welyon Sutjipto, a second-year Indonesian student who has been in Singapore for 11 years, said, “I don’t think anyone will kill themselves over their Final Year Project. I think the stress level can be managed, depending on your school, and also on the support of your family and friends.”

Providing an environment for strong support are City Harvest Church’s campus ministries and social support groups. In NTU, students who are also members of CHC meet up occasionally for prayer. Such groups provide a listening ear and a source of encouragement for students who may be overwhelmed by school work or other personal problems.

Sandra Ng, a final-year accountancy student and member of CHC, said, “[With the campus ministries and support groups] you have people to turn to, people who give good advice. Even when I fail at my studies, I know that there is more to life. I know God has a better plan for me.”

The CHC campus ministry and social support group at NTU welcome all students looking for support and friendship.

American-born Taiwan superstar Vanness Wu was recently in Singapore, and City News grabbed him for a quick heart to heart about God.

Interview by Sally Ng

Even today, fans still adore him for his 2001 turn as Mei Zuo in Taiwanese serial Meteor Garden (I and II). The four leads from the show, known in the original comic book as F4, became the hot Taiwanese boy band that took Asia by storm. (F4 is now known as JVKV after the author of Meteor Garden took back the rights to the name F4).

Wu is also an accomplished movie actor — he was nominated for Best New Artist for his first film role as Bond Cheung in Star Runner. He’s been in a number of high-profile martial arts action movies including Kung Fu Master and Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon. Most recently, he starred in Kung Fu Chef, an action comedy with Samo Hung.

“Samo always has the best food on the set,” says Wu, in an interview with City News.

In Singapore for a holiday recently, Wu found himself inundated with requests for press interviews, including this one with City News.

“I asked God, ‘What am I doing in Singapore?!’ Then I started meeting people who are Christian as well. I prayed for someone this morning at a TV interview. And I had a great revelation this morning about where my Christian walk is headed — I can’t wait to get my spiritual muscles even stronger this year.”

To listen to Wu talk passionately about God, it’s hard to imagine the 31-year-old who has long been loved for his pretty boy face and chiseled body has been anything other than the radical Christian he has become.

But “it wasn’t till beginning of last year that I decided to give everything to God. You just gotta give Him that little bit of faith you got, and He will turn it into a superhero faith,” says Wu.

“But you gotta take that first step – once I took that first step, it all came. I saw miracles – small miracles everywhere, things that make me tear.

“I can’t stop talking about God.”

Wu was born in 1978 in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of three children. His parents divorced when he was very young, and Wu spent his days between Taipei and LA. As a teenager he learned to breakdance, and competed in numerous dance competitions. In 2001 he left LA for Taipei, where he was to get his big break in Meteor Garden.

“God was introduced to me when I came to Taiwan. Before that I was actually Buddhist – I did the whole praying beads thing. But God came and just zapped me. But at that time, the enemy literally came and took me away again, and took me on this whole rollercoaster ride for the next seven years.”

In a recent interview with The New Paper, Wu admitted that the thing that stood between him and God was sex. It wasn’t until he made up his mind to give that part of himself to the Lord that his life was changed.

“It wasn’t easy. I’ve been through this whole rollercoaster of entertainment BS. The dark side is pretty dark. I don’t want to be a part of that anymore.

“I’m sure [the people] who have supported me for so long, knew where I was at a certain stage in my life. It’s no lie – God is real, God is good. My life has flipped 180 degrees because of God.”

Wu shares that he prays daily, and he is passionate about prayer.

“I am Christian first before I am an entertainer. All this entertainment stuff might be gone tomorrow, I don’t even know, but God’s always going to be there. No matter how busy my day is, I have to make time for prayer. It’s when you say ‘I don’t have time to pray’ — that’s when the enemy’s going to come at you and you need to be on guard.

“I pray every morning for 40 minutes, on a good day, an hour. Even then I feel like that’s not enough time, I need more. It’s good to be greedy with God,” he laughs.

“My pastor Jaeson Ma, he said, ‘Ya gotta do it man, you make sure you go to bed early and you get up the next morning and you pray, and you get God in, and you get the Spirit in!’

“When he told me he prays for 4 hours every day, I said, ‘I’m gonna try’.

“So I prayed for one hour. And the whole day just became so clear. Everything was brighter, everything was just good. Sometimes things are bad, you get attacked, but God would never put anything in front of you that you can’t handle with Him. So you just gotta have that faith, and just make time for prayer.

“Even if you don’t have time in the morning, pray at night. If you don’t have time at night, pray in the day, five minutes here and there. If you pray in tongues, pray in tongues about everything! Just make sure you’re covered in prayer.”

Being an entertainer in the world opens one up to many temptations, something Wu is more than conscious of. “I need things to constantly remind myself of God – because it’s so easy to just turn, to just flip without even knowing it. So you have to be very careful. As sure of yourself that you’re being righteous with God, you might be being self-righteous and not know. I try to no matter what, stay grounded, keep focused, it’s God, God, God. Everything is Him. Once I have established that fact, everything comes easily.”

Wu has a new jewelry line, 3VOL (“If you turn it upside down, it’s ‘LOVE’”).

Among his designs are funky crosses, Bible verses, even a chastity belt ring!

“All the jewelry I have reminds me of God. I have this bracelet that has 1 Corinthians 13 engraved on it.”

He shows the City News crew a colorful handmade bracelet on his wrist. “My niece made this bracelet for me, it says ‘MOGLOM’: ‘More of God, Less of Me’.” It’s a mantra that has appeared on Wu’s blog, www.alivenotdead.com/vannesswu.

“All these things, God will just show it to you. And you think ‘Oh, that’s kinda cool’, and you just write it out.

“Everything I get, it’s from God.”

On 1 March 2009, City Harvest Chinese Church was greeted by a familiar face from Taiwan, Abraham Ku. Most people know him as the revolutionary pastor who has been making an impact for God in Taipei, Taiwan.

PHOTOS: Michael Chan

His church, Taipei New Life Church, is not only one of the fastest-growing in Taiwan, it also has a number of Taiwan celebrities as members, including Liu Genghong, Faye Chan and Real Huang, member of the famous singing group, F.I.R.

Many of the Chinese Church members were very excited to hear him preach. Member Jeannette Soh said, “He is really passionate about the church penetrating into culture. Despite the fact he is a pastor, he is still able to be culturally relevant.”

True to his reputation, he definitely did not disappoint. The title of his message was “Strengthening the Spiritual Life”. It was a very simple message because Ku felt that it was very important to help everyone to start from the basics. It is only with a good foundation in Christ that we know our destiny in God.

He taught the congregation how to use the Bible to pray and read effectively, giving very clear step-by-step instructions.

Cell group leader, Tan Qiaoping said, “His message was very inspiring. It made me think about whether, we as leaders, serve in new wine skin or old; whether we are ministering out of duty, or out of love.”

DSP Tan Ye Peng’s visit to Davos for the World Economic Forum is an eye-opener; a call to return to values.

Leaders and influencers from all around the world, from the realm of Government, Business and Community congregated in Davos, Switzerland for the annual summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF) which ran from 28 January to 1 February 2009.

Tan Ye Peng, Deputy Senior Pastor of City Harvest Church, had the privilege to attend this prestigious Forum.

The WEF is an independent international organization created to improve the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Founded in 1971 by Swiss business professor Klaus M Schwab, the WEF has since grown into a powerful platform where key political leaders and top business people convene and launch initiatives to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world.

WEF proved a memorable experience for Tan as he came face-to-face with leaders and personalities that most people only watch on TV or read about in the papers. Tan had an opportunity to engage with Dean of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Kishore Mahbubani, dialogue with former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and meet United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, amongst many other luminaries.

The sessions at the WEF were enlightening and thought-provoking. The theme of the 2009 Davos meeting was on the shaping of the post-crisis world, with many discussions surrounding the causes and consequences of the financial crisis. A common refrain emerging from the discussion was the need for a reinstatement of values and a sense of responsibility in leaders.

It was a widely-shared view at the meetings that the crisis at hand is not just a monetary one alone. As Tan notes: “we live in an inter-related world, so when a financial crisis of this magnitude occurs, there are repercussions on families and relationships. When jobs are lost and wealth destroyed, families suffer and lives can be devastated”. WEF showcased the complexities of global challenges and that many of the issues are intertwined requiring an integrated response.

The experience at WEF has provided Tan with a valuable insight to the challenges confronting the modern world. At the same time, he is also heartened by the responses of many governments and non-governmental groups in the search for innovative solutions to improve the state of the world. Tan shares that being in Davos has strengthened his resolve and spurred him further in his cause to promote social innovation, to serve the community and care for the city in which he lives.

Imagine an open-air café, with groups of youth huddled around tables, clutching their monopoly money and racking their brains to outwit their opponents.

This became reality on Saturday, 21 February, when 12 cell groups gathered at the rooftop and café of our Jurong West building to play innovative boardgames such as First Hand, Junglespeed and Hey, That’s My Fish!, amongst many others. The games were rented at an affordable rate from a game club in a local university.

PHOTOS: Lynn Choo

Held for 2 hours after that afternoon’s service, the event was a light-hearted one, where members and friends had a chance to gather in a relaxed setting and engage one another through much entertainment.

Members took the effort to learn the various boardgames so that they could teach the rest how to play. The initiative they displayed is very encouraging, and we hope to see more of this among our youths in the church.

Friends and members who were at the outreach enjoyed themselves tremendously. Judging by the fun and laughter that afternoon, it certainly put to rest the notion that boardgames are boring.

June 2007 — Testimony shared by Cindy Ng in City Harvest Church

My husband, Bobby, and I met in church and have been serving God fulltime since we were in our early 20s. Our work in church all these year has been fulfilling and I have never envisioned myself doing anything else. Recently, however, God showed me that He has something more for my life.

In 2006, Kong Hee preached a message about “Fulfilling Dreams” and how we should use our talents to engage the marketplace. He encouraged us to start doing things we’ve dreamed of doing, but never dared to do. I recalled that ever since I was young, I have always been attracted to colors and fashion. I used to love flipping through fashion magazines and was always intrigued by the creative art of makeup.

Bobby and I discussed the idea of pursuing my interests in cosmetics and styling. But to do that, I needed formal training and that was a challenge for us in terms of time, energy and finances. I would have to juggle between my job, my cell group ministry and parenting. Inspired by the message and wanting to step out in faith, we decided to give it a shot.

In March 2006, I enrolled myself into a professional makeup course. After completing the training course, I became a certified makeup artist and started to venture into making money from this newfound trade. Through the grace of God, many doors opened for me. I was involved in various projects such as, the Miss Singapore World Charity Event, an Escada fashion show, Style Weddings magazine’s Bridal Bash event, Toni & Guy Academy’s Graduation, and other commercial shoots. The exposure was a great eye opener for me. I had a glimpse into the fashion industry, communicated with models from different nationalities and learned to perform under pressure. Instead of being intimidated, I became more and more confident as I worked with professionals.

In 2007 this year, Kong taught a new series about “Engaging Culture.” Once again, my faith was stirred to move up another level. Once again, Bobby and I discussed about it, and we decided that I should enroll myself for a professional course in Image Consultation.

I believe wholeheartedly in what Kong shared about how “we are saved to fulfill the Cultural Mandate and contribute to our society in a significant way as a believer.” I will continue to do my part in engaging culture and impacting the society positively in every way I can.

SGX CFO Seck Wai Kwong revealed the unexpected opportunities at such an economically desolate time as this at a recent luncheon organized by The Marketplace.

On 3 March, the third Marketplace luncheon was held at the Raffles Hotel, with over 80 leaders and executives in attendance.

The speaker for the day was Seck Wai Kwong, the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX), who gave an analysis of the current market conditions from a Christian perspective.

According to Seck, the unprecedented scale of the ongoing crisis can be attributed to excessive leverage in the previously lax credit environment, and a breakdown of confidence among global investors and businesses following the burst of the financial and housing bubbles in America. In an attempt to stem this disaster, there has been swift intercession of central banks and governments in various parts of the world. But Seck expressed some doubt as to whether these measures could successfully contain the crisis.

It seemed there would be no good news — financial news — in Seck’s speech. He suggested that markets are likely to witness even more de-leveraging, greater protectionism and possibly deflation in the long run. Consequently, organizations may suffer in a variety of ways such as an increasing cost of capital, restricted access to funds, reduced cash flow and subsequent credit losses.

On an individual level, people are likely to experience the loss of personal assets, increasing job risks and higher debt servicing during this time of worldwide financial uncertainties.

How long would this crisis last? Seck offered four possible scenarios: a short recession, an impending upswing leading to a boom, a long and deep recession or a global depression.

Seck’s personal view is that the world is headed for a long and deep recession, or even a global depression. While one can (and should) still continue to invest, Seck urged investors and business leaders to conduct regular evaluations of portfolios and businesses alike, and even put up a crisis monitoring team to surge ahead of problems.

He spoke the truth in love, but it was a tough truth nevertheless.

In an effort not to entirely disappoint his audience, Seck lent his experience by offering some trading outlines for investors in the current climate.

PHOTOS: Gary Sim

First, he encouraged investors to stay disciplined to their respective trading rules for cost averaging and profit taking. Next, he reiterated the importance of limiting risk exposure and adopting a realistic investment stance.

Then Seck invited the audience to consider various crash opportunities by quoting the Boston Consulting Group that “a crisis is too good to waste”.

The main point of the luncheon came when Seck reminded his audience that at the end of the day, “there is no safe haven, our refuge is in God.”

He boldly related a touching personal experience that spurred him to work harder for God’s glory. At the height of his luminous career, Seck had found an old Bible he had when he was in university, as a young Christian man. The blank pages in the Bible were filled with young Seck’s handwriting.

He found himself having a “conversation” with his 20-year-old self, who told him: “You have gone a lot further and made a lot more money than I could imagine, but your love for the Lord is much less than mine’. For Seck, that was a wake up call to return to the Lord with all his heart, soul and strength.

In relating this personal story, he challenged the audience to use this time of financial unrest to pursue great gain in godliness with contentment, to continue praying for their nation’s leaders, and to practice good stewardship in their respective spheres of influence in order to strengthen others and gain glory for God. As Seck puts it, if the global financial situation does pan out to be the greatest depression ever, then this will too “the greatest opportunity for the gospel”.

“I was inspired, knowing that many ‘big’ people out there like Mr Seck was able to do what he has done because of the Lord, and in such a secular environment as the stock exchange,” said Nanz Chong-Komo, the emcee for the event.

For Ruth Yong, Financial Controller of Halogen Foundation Singapore, “[this session] has encouraged me to look beyond the crisis, and at the opportunities ahead — rather than to drown myself in troubled times.”

Blusher is like a double-edged sword — apply the right amount and you get a fresh and healthy glow; too much and you end up looking like a clown. That said, blusher really is a great tool for refreshing your look, accentuating your cheekbones and adding life to your face.

Cream, gel or powder?
For mature skin, choose a blusher that is either in cream or gel form, as mature skin tends to be drier. These blushers usually have soothing formulas that blend easily and naturally on the skin. For normal or oily skin, powder blushers are more suitable.

The perfect shade
Depending on the type of blusher you use, you can either create a soft look or a sensual look. For the first look, a blusher in a rose shade works the best while for the latter, shimmer blush does the trick.

If your skin is perpetually flushed, choose a rosy, coral or peachy shade but go easy on the application. The most common mistake with blusher is being too heavy-handed. If you don’t favor the clown look, stick to medium-sized brushes and test the color on your hand before applying to your face. Remember, you can always build up color till you get the result you want.

If you have fair skin, go for light pink or peach shades. For those with an olive or tan complexion, go for deeper shades of pink or peach.

Application
When applying blusher, look into the mirror and smile. When using powder blusher, use a brush to sweep colour on the apples of your cheeks and blend well, moving slightly upwards to your ears. Finish off with a clean brush to blend in the edges so you don’t look stripy.

Creams or gel blushers should be added after foundation but before powder, and they are best applied with your fingers. Smooth a little blusher on your middle or ring finger, smile and gingerly apply it over the area where your cheeks puff out.

Warmth and a homely atmosphere filled the City Harvest Education Centre auditorium in Bukit Merah on 13 February 2009 as 135 Filipinos from City Harvest Church and supporters from the JS zone congregated for a time of fellowship the night before Valentine’s Day.

There was a great sense of anticipation as there has never been an event like this for the Filipino community to come together not only to feed on spiritual truths but also have an opportunity to showcase their talents and culture. The Singaporeans who joined the event were astonished by the spontaneous fun that took place during the level-up ice breaker, People Bingo. Serah Yip commented, “Filipinos are very interesting and fun people. Through the meeting, I got to know more about their culture and for that, I am blessed.”

Yvonne Chia, a cell group leader in the zone, found it easy to lead them in praise and worship, thanks to the choir and band. “Their passion and enthusiasm can be felt in their exuberant praise.”

The highlight of the night was the screening of a short film starring famous Filipino Christian actor and actress, Tonton Gutierrez and Jean Garcia. They reprise the role of a husband and wife whose marriage was on the rocks until they found a new life in God. The motion picture is the Philippine version of ‘My Hope’ series — an outreach program in collaboration with Billy Graham ministries. Christians and non-Christians alike were moved by the story and many gave their hearts to God when Joanne Lim, a senior leader in the zone, invited them at the altar call.

The Filipino fellowship has come a long way since its inception in 2006. Due to the growing number of Filipinos attending CHC, Zone Supervisor Jimmy Sng backed the idea of assembling a dedicated cell group for them. Although informal gatherings were being held since 2005 for occasions like Christmas, it was only in March 2006 when the first Filipino cell group was officially formed.

Under the leadership of Hansen Sy and his wife Judy, the attendance has escalated from a handful of ten individuals to the now 100-strong membership in a span of two years. Presently averaging 25 each night, Filipino cell groups gather regularly on three weeknights in Tampines, Sengkang and Bishan, making room for more fellow Filipinos to be reached out to. Majority of the members are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and it is in this group in CHC where they found a family away from home.

PHOTOS: Teo Boon Hwee

Thousands of Filipinos in Singapore are yet to be reached for the Lord and this outreach will continue to grow. With much prayer and diligence, the Filipino fellowship believes God for strong leaders to be raised while aiming to grow the group to 200 committed members by the end of 2009. The group continues to meet on alternate Friday nights at CHEC.

Singapore-born singing sensation JJ Lin is ready to get back on stage for JJ World Tour 2009, a little more than two years after his successful Just JJ World Tour in 2006, which was his first.

The tour opens in Singapore on March 28, a day after Lin celebrates his 28th birthday. “This concert tour is a birthday present to myself,” he says. “I get to celebrate it with my fans — it’s meaningful.”

PHOTOS: Gary Sim

Lin’s management, Ocean Butterflies, has promised fans “a birthday surprise”. “We want to keep it fresh,” grins Lin.

Widely touted as one of Singapore’s most talented and versatile talents in the Chinese music scene, and certainly this island’s top male music export, Lin’s wide-ranging talent spans singing R&B songs, dance pop numbers and moving ballads. He is also an accomplished songwriter: he has penned hits such as A*Mei’s “记得” (‘Remember’), Twins’ “我很想爱他” (‘I Really Want To Love Him’) and Elva Hsiao’s “你是我心中的一句惊叹” (‘You Are What Excites My Heart’).

Fans can expect to party to their favourite JJ Lin hits, such as “豆浆油条” (‘Soy Milk and Dough Sticks’), “编号 89757″ (‘No. 89757′), “江南” (‘River South’), “杀手” (‘The Killer’), “一千年以后” (‘A Thousand Years Later’), “只对你说” (‘Only Told You’), “木乃伊” (‘The Mummy’), “曹操” (‘Cao Cao’), “西界” (‘Westside’), as well as songs from his latest album Sixology, which sold 280,000 copies in seven days when it was launched last December.

While his first tour was a visual extravaganza of fancy footwork and stylish staging, this time round, fans will get to experience the heart and soul of JJ Lin.

“When you take away the lights and special effects, what’s left is the music,” says Lin. “That’s what I want to do, to bring it all back to the music and that feeling that great music gives.”

But far be it that this concert is going to be boring — JJ Lin’s funky dance moves will definitely be on display as well. “There’s going to be power moves, a sexy vibe,” he promises. “It’s different, fresh yet familiar.”

Adding to the excitement will be special guest performers Fan WeiQi (范玮琪) and BY2. Lin reveals that Fan and her boyfriend Hei Ren are good friends of his that he hangs out with. “Fan Fan and I have collaborated, and her music’s great,” says Lin of his guest. “My only condition for her to appear is, she can’t wear high heel shoes and look taller than me!”

2009 is looking up for JJ Lin. He has just launched his new clothing store at Ann Siang Hill, a partnership with a few friends which has been in the planning for two years. The store carries JJ’s own design line, SMUDGE.

“I hope this year I can also confirm a movie role — there have been discussions,” he says.

With so much talent and fortitude, there’s little doubt JJ Lin will get where he wants to go, this year and beyond.

Catch JJ Lin at the opening show of his concert tour, JJ World Tour 2009. March 28, Singapore Indoor Stadium, 8pm. Tickets at $148, $128, $108 and $78 are available from SISTIC (www.sistic.com.sg)