20 Mar, 2022 | Events
BY FELICIA LEE
CNYSP’s Unspoken Rule #1: Work Hard, Play Harder
After a brief pause of our Brown Bag Sessions from midterms and the recess week, we invited our next speaker, Chew Jin Hong, to talk about his experience playing MOBA, also known as Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, a specific game genre. Specifically, Jin Hong based his sharing on Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).
Being an avid gamer and member of NTU’s MLBB team, Jin Hong structured his presentation to cater to both new and more advanced players. He started off his session by introducing the basic game mechanics of MLBB. This included how teams could win games (by destroying the enemy’s base) and how players could actively level up during the game by farming (to get gold or more benefits). This was extremely eye-opening for players who were new to MLBB and provided them with a fast way to pick up the basics of the game from a seasoned player.
With a whopping number of 114 heroes in MLBB, players might face a dilemma in choosing which hero they want to use or wish to be most accustomed to. To combat this problem, Jin Hong provided his very own hero ranking system, where he judged the hero based on their skills, attributes, difficulty level and roles. It was eye-opening to hear about which hero was the best from the perspective of a pro-gamer.
Jin Hong then proceeded to talk about the 3 skills of Chou (an MLBB hero who is a fighter and assassin). Besides covering the skills and providing video demonstrations on how Chou’s skills work, he went through the special combos Chou had which can help players to sneak up on enemies to secure the kill. Besides providing new players with a suggested way how to start exploring and playing Chou, more advanced players definitely gained insight into the hero Chou (which may help them in their future games to avoid Chou’s sneaky attacks)!
Finally, to end off the session, Jin Hong shared general tips that players could follow to help them on their path to the highest rank in MLBB, mythic glory. We hope that everyone had fun exploring MLBB (and maybe discovered their inner desire to be a professional gamer) with our own very talented gamer in this Brown Bag Session!
Check out the slides shared here.
18 Mar, 2022 | Events
BY GOH KAIXUAN
The order of numbers goes 1,3,2. Is that right?
You, attentive reader, may realise that MasterChef Yang Episode 3: Nasi Lemak and Ondeh Ondeh aired before Episode 2. What gives? Originally, MasterChef Yang Episode 2: Char Kway Teow and Tau Huay was slated to happen on 10th February 2022, which would put it in the proper lineup. However, due to a COVID-19 exposure incident, we had to postpone Episode 2 (a re-run if you will) to the 3rd March 2022. After weeks of sitting in the oven, we finally got to prepare the long-awaited Char Kway Teow and Tau Huay.
Both Char Kway Teow and Tau Huay are local favourites of Chinese origin, and Chef Priscill (from TaiTai Chef Academy) spared no expense in procuring the ingredients for us. With the plentiful ingredients ranging from Halal Chinese sausage to Lala clams and even eggs flown in from Ukraine, Chef Priscill hoped to simulate the type of ingredients we could get overseas. This is, of course, not forgetting staples in Char Kway Teow such as yellow Hokkien noodles, kway teow and bean sprouts!
For the Tau Huay, which is a beancurd pudding made from soybeans itself, Chef Priscill pre-soaked the soybeans for 24 hours for them to absorb water and hydrate. To achieve the pudding texture, coagulants were needed. However, in the interest of health, Chef Priscill swapped out those with chemicals for a safer alternative, agar-agar.
So let the work begin! First things first, we had to blend our soybeans with water to obtain the soya milk ourselves.
Unbeknownst to us, Chef Priscill had intended for us to put in some elbow grease to obtain the clear soya milk ourselves. Working those muscles, everyone had to squeeze the milk and bean grounds mixture through a coffee sock, to force out the soya milk. Trust me, this was tougher than it looked and definitely called back to the past of having to make soya milk by hand.
After we were done, we got our soya milk! But that was still far from the end-product we desired. You might also be wondering, ‘wah Tau Huay so high effort, there must be an easier way…’ and you’re right! Chef Priscill added that we could use canned soya milk in lieu of preparing the soya milk from scratch. It was then time to put our agar-agar powder into our hot soya milk!
You may be wondering, why was this green? Tau Huay ain’t green. Well, there was a little mishap that led to some tables using green-coloured agar-agar powder instead, infusing their Tau Huay with a different personality altogether, perhaps giving the illusion that it could be pandan-flavoured Tau Huay instead. With that, the Tau Huay was left to cool and set! Onto the main star of the day.
With so many fresh ingredients on our hands, we began to prep them. Chef Priscill went straight into it, showing us various knife skills which would definitely prove useful in the future. Her bubbly and engaging nature stole the show as she taught us seemingly mundane concepts and techniques with her own twist.
Surely, we could prepare the ingredients as we cooked the Char Kway Teow to save some time…? Wrong! Char Kway Teow is a stir fry dish, meaning that the ingredients would be tossed in relatively quick succession with little to no time between to tend to something else.
Starting with the aromatics, Chef Priscill continued to add ingredient after ingredient. She highlighted to cook the noodles first in the garlic-infused oil to enhance the texture of the noodles. Then, a combination of sweet sauce and light soy sauce was added to give the dish the distinctive dark colour of Char Kway Teow, with the participants adding different amounts to get the “darkness” they so desired.
Stirring in the rest of the ingredients, the shredded carrots, eggs, Lala clams, fishcake and Chinese sausage, in their pantry and a few minutes of stir-frying later, the participants have whipped up their very own Char Kway Teow! You could tell from the smiles on their faces that they were proud (and salivating) of their dishes!
With that, we concluded our 3 episode journey to tackle 3 different local cuisines, and we hoped that MasterChef Yang has indeed egged people on, in learning to cook. What will you cook up on your OFYP or OGEM? If you do prepare any of these dishes, do tag us on Instagram @cnyangscholars from wherever you are in the world!
We would like to sincerely thank Chef Priscill for her liveliness and for making cooking lessons fun and simple. Do drop her a follow (@taitaichef on Instagram) if you would like to see what else she teaches (you will be surprised by the sheer variety!)
Photos courtesy of Chef Priscill.
Check out the recipes here.
1 Mar, 2022 | Events
BY FLORETTA SETIA PRADANA
CNYSP Homecoming 2022 happened on 25th February 2022. It was unfortunately still held online due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation. Alas, it was a light-hearted evening filled with laughter from our alumni who happily shared and reminisced their time in CNYSP. The theme for this year’s Homecoming is Vibrance – signifying the vibrant life alumni had during their undergraduate years and even now.
There were a total of five alumni who have very kindly volunteered their time to share more about their journey and experiences with us! They are Alvin Lee, Mohammad Zaidi bin Ariffin, Yap Chor Yen, Alvin Chan, and last but not least Koo Kwan Yee. The sharing sessions were delightful and engaging with many undergraduates actively asking questions during the QnA segment.
The night ended with a wholesome conversation between the alumni and undergraduates during the free and easy segment where all of us engaged in a conversation filled with chuckles and wisdom imparted by our alumni. It was very interesting for us, undergraduates to see how our alumni have flourished and adapted well in whatever endeavours they are doing now, be it in industry or academia.
Overall, all of us had a great time attending the event and we certainly hope that next year’s Homecoming will be an offline one with a buffet dinner where all of us can freely walk around and chat with everyone!
1 Mar, 2022 | Events
BY TANG LENG ZE
What does it mean to be an inclusive society? What is life like for someone with special needs? What shall we do if close to us has special needs? These are just some of the questions Seet Ynn tackles in her Brown Bag Session, which took place on 17 February 2022. Being a caretaker to her brother, who has moderate autism, she has personal experience living with a family member who has special needs. Together with her friend, Elgin, who is diagnosed with autism at the age of four, they aim to raise the awareness of the special needs community and hope people look upon their caregivers with kindness, compassion and tolerance.
Starting off with the history of special needs education in Singapore, Seet Ynn explained that before 2004, the education of people with special needs was segregated from mainstream schools. However, 2004 was a watershed moment, stronger government initiatives were enacted to integrate those with special needs into mainstream schools. Practical changes included the implementation of the Allied Educators tutors and a series of Enabling Masterplans. There was also a greater push to understand and develop the Special Education (SPED) Curriculum. On top of academics, physical education and sports, and the arts, SPED also focuses on Daily Living, Social-emotional and Vocational domains. The SPED serves to provide early support to children with special needs, and gradually encourages independence by the end of their education.
In the second part of the session, Seet Ynn had incorporated excerpts of her interview with Elgin, where he shared about his life, from being diagnosed with autism at the age of four, to his experience in the SPED Curriculum. Elgin has hobbies in collecting and understanding mechanical clocks and table tennis, the former of which drove him to pursue Mechanical Engineering in NTU.
In the last segment, Seet Ynn shares her experience as a caretaker to her brother, Sean. Although he is non-verbal and does not understand speech, Sean is very affectionate towards his loved ones, often expressed through physical gestures. He enjoys going out and helping with chores, likes sewing and arts and crafts. He currently works at the Enabling Village and The Art Faculty, making cloth masks. Through her lens as a caregiver, Seet Ynn shares the do’s and don’ts when interacting with persons with special needs and their caregivers. Always remember to be caring, patient, gentle and understanding towards them. Always include them in activities, never side-eye and treat them as a monolithic group.
Want to better understand persons with special needs? Elgin encourages you to find avenues to interact and even take care of persons with special needs. The process could help you to broaden your horizons and become more inclusive.
We hope that you find the summary of the sharing meaningful. The world would definitely be a better place, should we all be more sensitive to others, and extend our empathy and care to all. We would like to thank Seet Ynn and Elgin once again for sharing about the topic of Special Needs in Singapore. Do keep a lookout for our next brown bag session!
Check out the slides shared here.
1 Mar, 2022 | Events
BY FELICIA LEE YAN HUI
Shortly after the first session of MasterChef Yang, we welcomed Chef Priscill (@taitaichef on Instagram) back to conduct our third session, MasterChef Yang Episode 3 (wonder why we’re missing Episode 2? Stay tuned to find out!). This time, our session featured 2 other local dishes, Nasi Lemak and Ondeh Ondeh.
Although Nasi Lemak seemed like a rather easy dish to make, Chef Priscill emphasised that the ingredients and spices that constitute the dish were extremely essential to bring out the rich flavour. She went on to talk about the history of the different spices that she was going to use as well as other alternative spices. Particularly, instead of using real cinnamon for Nasi Lemak, she chose to use cassia, also known as “fake cinnamon” as it is more price-friendly and does not differ much in taste. This was definitely an eye-opener for participants which will allow them to make this dish even when the main ingredients cannot be found, especially when recreating this dish overseas on their exchange or OFYP.
To start off the cooking, Chef Priscill first did a demonstration on how to prepare the fragrant rice of Nasi Lemak. As highlighted by Chef Priscill, it is crucial to make sure that the spices were sizzling on the frying pan, so that the flavour of the spice can be totally released and infused into the oil and the rice later on. Finally, the signature ingredient of Nasi Lemak, coconut cream, was added to the rice before allowing the rice to boil for a period of time.
While waiting for the rice to cook, Chef Priscill started preparing the dessert of the day – Ondeh Ondeh. Originating from Indonesia, Ondeh Ondeh is an extremely popular traditional dessert in Singapore, with its characteristic green glutinous rice ball infused with gula melaka (also known as palm sugar). Many people in Singapore would be familiar with Ondeh Ondeh, but did you know that the preparation of this dessert includes the boiling of glutinous rice balls?
Even though a single Ondeh Ondeh ball could be as small as a 50 cent coin, the effort behind each ball cannot be neglected. Other than ensuring that the mixture of glutinous rice flour and water is the optimal ratio, one must use their discretion to determine how much gula melaka to include in each Ondeh Ondeh. This is to ensure that the Ondeh Ondeh will not “explode” before boiling it into the water. After many times of trial and error, all the participants seemed to get the hang of the “magic ratio” under Chef Priscill’s guidance. Finally, participants were given freshly steamed coconut shavings to coat the Ondeh Ondeh, giving its classic look.
After all the participants were done with their dishes, Chef Priscill gave each participant ikan bilis, peanuts, a boiled egg and sambal chilli (which she was busy preparing before the session and smelled wonderful) to complement their Nasi Lemak. Besides, participants also managed to cut up their own cucumbers and tomatoes to help plate their dishes attractively.
To mark the end of the session, Chef Priscill distributed certificates of completion to all participants to congratulate them on successfully creating these dishes. Participants were extremely excited to savour their fruits of labour, especially since they were surrounded by the fragrant smell of Nasi Lemak and sweet-smelling Ondeh Ondeh throughout the 2-hour session.
All in all, this was once again an extremely engaging cooking session held by Chef Priscill. We hope that the participants will be able to recreate these dishes and share the joy of food with their family and friends. Besides, stay tuned for our next and last session of MasterChef Yang, which will feature two other very interesting local dishes.
Check out the recipes here.
18 Feb, 2022 | Events
BY TANG LENG ZE
After a long hiatus… MasterChef Yang is back with a new season!
Cooking lessons have been popular among CNYSP scholars for years. When we, the Holistic Development Portfolio, surveyed scholars last year, more than three quarters looked forward to having us organise cooking lessons again. In fact, it was the most popular choice out of the other possible events we listed.
Perhaps after their experiences in a sterile, pristine lab environment, which at times feel foreign, the scholars may be craving for a similar hands-on experience, but with a warmer and more familiar environment.
This year, the focus of MasterChef Yang is local cuisine. As part of the CNYSP curriculum, scholars will get opportunities to travel overseas for exchange and Final Year Projects. Living abroad for months, they are bound to crave for local delights. What better way to enjoy them than whipping up these meals by themselves? They will also make friends overseas, and with these recipes in their belt, they can prepare them for their hosts, spreading Singapore’s food culture.
This time around, the Holistic Development Portfolio is organising 3 different cooking sessions within the campus, at our very own culinaiRE!@Tanjong. We have invited Chef Priscill Koh (@taitaichef) from TaiTai Chef Academy as our Culinary Trainer. Having worked with our campus’ Residential Education to organise culinary workshops for 4 years, she is no stranger to NTU. Jovial, entertaining and meticulous, she sure knew how to infect us with her passion for food.
Our first session, MasterChef Yang Episode 1, was held on 7 February 2022. It featured learning how to make Roti John and Burbur Cha Cha. In this 2-hour session, Chef Priscill explains how to efficiently and skillfully prepare both dishes at the same time. Aside from just teaching us the different culinary methods, she explains the origin of the food, spreading the appreciation for local cuisine.
Did you know that Roti John was said to be created for British sailors who were craving for hamburgers back in the 1960s? However, as local Malay hawkers had little impression of hamburgers, they created “hamburgers” with a local twist: minced meat and sliced onions placed between French loaves, topped with eggs and followed by sizzles of ketchup and chilli sauce. The name Roti John embodies our colonial history with even its name being a mix of the East and the West.
I’m sure most readers are no strangers to Burbur Cha Cha, a starchy dessert thickened with coconut milk and topped with sago pearls. It may seem like a simple dish but it actually takes hours of preparation. In fact, Chef Priscill had been boiling the sago for 2 hours before the class itself. In her iteration of the desert, Chef Priscill is scrupulous to use less sugar. In order to ensure the dessert remains rich in flavour, she uses ample amounts of yam and sweet potatoes. The end result is a fragrant, delectable treat.
During the session, participants were entertained by Chef Priscill’s demonstrations – particularly impressed by how she skillfully sliced the Japanese Cucumber into diagonal strips. As a bonus, she introduced the participants to her homegrown micro-greens, such as Jade Bok Choy, for use as garnish, and even explained how to grow them.
At the end of the session, the participants were proud of their creations (and voracious to try them). Leaving the kitchen with rumbling stomachs, they cannot wait to try their self-prepared feast.
Do keep a look out for our next two sessions coming your way. We will be preparing different dishes and we hope you are curious about what they are. Until then, see you!
Check out the recipes here.
