Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley, the spitter. Just kidding.

By KEVIN TAN
alltherage@thestar.com.my

IT took them a while to get here, but Canadian punk rock band Sum 41 finally made it to Malaysian shores last weekend in a concert in Kuala Lumpur.

The concert was definitely worth the wait for many of the hardcore Sum 41 fans who came, as the band brought the house down with their stellar performances.

The show was organised by Rockaway, the same people behind the annual rock festival, Rockaway Fest. Last year, the festival saw the likes of international bands like Story Of The Year, The Used and All Time Low playing to a large crowd of music enthusiasts.

KL Live Centre was the perfect venue for Sum 41’s show as the minimal space in the auditorium makes for a more intimate setting between the fans and the band. This is one of the things that you don’t get to experience at a concert held in bigger venues (like a stadium).

Things started heating up even before Sum 41 appeared on stage as the crowd had already begun jumping around and singing along to songs by show opener Bunkface. The local band did a great job warming up the crowd, as did One Buck Short, the second opening act.

After the two bands were done, it was a pretty long wait (even longer than the expected wait) before Sum 41 kicked off their set. The lights suddenly went out and everyone started screaming their lungs out. Slowly, familiar strains of AC/DC’s TNT could be heard playing over the speakers, and the audience perked up.

It was a brilliant way to start things off as the song got everyone in the crowd yelling, “Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!”

Unfortunately, though, it wasn’t actually Sum 41 that played the track. The band was still nowhere to be seen on stage after the music stopped.

By then, the fans were pretty restless and some were even booing. It was taking the band way too long to come out, and creating a false hype made things worse.

Bassist Cone McCaslin indulged in thrilling certain audience members by bringing them up on stage.

Thankfully, shortly after that, the boys of Sum 41 ran up on stage and immediately went into their first song. Somehow, people seemed to have forgotten about the long wait, and quickly immersed themselves into the music and show.

Frontman Deryck Whibley, who sported a pink hairdo, was quite humorous throughout the night. Actually, his hairdo made look even more like a clown!

He also spat on stage (a common, though not very decent, “practise” at rock concerts)  and I don’t think anyone does it the way Deryck does. He would randomly smack the side of his head and spit the other way, simultaneously! It was amusing and impressive at first, but after a while, you kind of wonder just how much spitting – and smacking – he would do the entire time.

Sum 41 did a strong set in the beginning, playing hits like The Hell Song, Over My Head, and We’re All To Blame. This followed by newer numbers like the hit single Walking Disaster, which is taken from its latest album, Screaming Bloody Murder.

Sometime in the middle of the set, Sum 41 picked out four people from the audience to join them on stage. A while later, two more lucky people were added to the group. It wasn’t much of a big deal, though, because these “chosen ones” were simply asked to stand at the side of the stage while being guarded by security guards, as if they were trapped in a cage. They really didn’t look like they were having as much fun as compared to everyone else thrashing around in the crowd.

The band transited from one song to another very well. There were also times when they just let the music play so that they can interact with fans, introduce themselves one by one, and just generally kid around. But after a while, the momentum started getting a little slower as the band dragged things on way too much.

Nevertheless, Sum 41 picked up pace once again by playing requests from the crowd, showcasing some Van Halen guitar solo action, heavy metal riffs from Iron Maiden, and also a shot of Metallica’s Master of Puppets. Brown Tom, the lead guitarist, also took over the microphone at one point and sang a cover of a song by the Rolling Stones.

All this, however, came off as being either impressive or disappointing for the audience. After all, why would one buy a concert ticket to watch a band play cover songs, even if it’s just three to four tracks?

After playing their first set, the band left the stage, and the crowd immediately asked for more. Sum 41 came back soon after, and played a few more songs. Among them were Fat Lip, which was one of the most anticipated songs that night. The crowd gave their all while Sum 41 played Fat Lip, knowing that the concert would soon come to an end.

Hopefully, when (or if) Sum 41 ever returns for another concert in Malaysia, the boys would make it a truly Sum 41 concert, minus the covers. Their die-hard fans would certainly appreciate that.

Well that’s because it sounds like a fanciful idea – you get to go camping every day, work with exotic animals, be one with nature, etc – but you know reality will set in eventually and most kids would drop the dream.

Paul Henry, 27, wasn’t one of them.

The animal and environmental conservationist has only ever had one ambition (apart from a short period when he thought about being a doctor), and that was to help protect endangered animal species.

Paul Henry and friends.

“It’s all about doing what you like,” said Paul of how he managed to stick to his wild ambition. “It doesn’t matter how crazy your dream is. It’s your willingness to pursue it that really matters.”

Paul, who is from Kuantan, Pahang, spoke to R.AGE just a day before flying off for his next project, researching an animal species in the jungles of Borneo that was thought to be extinct. Unfortunately, Paul was not allowed by the company sponsoring the project to divulge any more information.

“It might take anywhere between two and 10 years, but I don’t think it’s a big commitment. I have the chance to study a species that has never been studied before!” he said.

During that time, Paul will not be earning a steady salary, and he will be staying with a local tribe. His living expenses will come from the budget given to him by the sponsors, which he will also have to use to pay the local guides and for all the costs of his research.

It might sound pretty awful to some, but Paul’s eyes light up every time he recounts his experiences in the field.

He tells us about the time he filmed a herd of elephants swimming across Lake Kenyir in Terengganu, the time he was chased by an elephant, the time he discovered a new waterfall and named it after himself (Waterfall Paulie), and the time he found tiger tracks in the forest.

And it was another close encounter with an animal, this time at the Sea Turtle Research Unit in Redang, Terengganu, that first got Paul interested in conservation.

“Have you held a baby turtle before?” he asked. “Once you’ve held one in your hands, you’ll know why we do turtle conservation. That was the moment I decided to get involved.”

For all the young people who have thought about going into the same field, Paul advises that they get in touch with NGOs like the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MyCat), where there are now plenty of opportunities to volunteer.

“Try volunteering first to see if conservation work is for you,” he said.

What’s the toughest part about being in the field?

“Toughest part … I don’t know!” he said, shrugging. “There’s no tough part for me. I enjoy being in the field. It’s nice to wake up to the sound of the gibbons and hornbills.” — Ian Yee

“I thought that it was a pretty unique story… It’s an out-and-out love story and i think it’s done in as honest a way as you can possibly do it,” said Tatum, 32, of the movie in interviews.

Channing Tatum stars alongside Rachel McAdams in The Vow.

The actor had some reservations about taking on the role in the beginning, though, because he didn’t know who would be playing his love interest. “I knew we had to have someone who was just innately lovable, for it to work. That you’d just love to love her,” he said.

And who could be more loveable than Rachel McAdams?

The movie is inspired by the real life story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. The Carpenters were involved in a car crash in November 1993; both were badly injured, but only Krickitt suffered a memory loss. She had no recollection of what happened in her life more than a year back, which also included her marriage to Kim. Krickitt never regained her memory.

The Vow is loosely based on the Carpenters’ recovery, on how they stuck it through the years by starting fresh.

Tatum spoke to the couple while the movie was being shot. “Michael Sucsy (the director) really went and wrote his own movie. The circumstances really happened, but everything else was made up. So I didn’t really feel the need to go and ask a bunch of questions. I kind of wanted to be able to create a different character and not try to be him,” the actor explained.

The Vow is just the first out of six films that Tatum stars in this year. Others include Haywire, 21 Jump Street, Magic Mike, Ten Year Reunion and the much-anticipated sequel to the action flick, G.I. Joe.

With all that happening you’d think he’d have no time for leisure, and you’d be right. Apart from acting, he is also getting into developing and producing films. But he said that he does love spending time with his family – he married actress Jenna Dewan, his co-star in the movie Step Up, in 2009 – and if he did have time for himself, he’d like to sit down and sculpt, draw, or play music.

Formerly a model, Tatum never really had any formal training in acting. However, so far he has managed to do quite well, even though he says that he is just only starting to truly understand how to bring more of himself into his work.

“It’s like working without a net. You fall down hard when you don’t do something right,” he noted. — Compiled by Saw Jhu Vern

R.AGE fans! Want to win some awesome The Vow goodies? Check us out on Twitter (@thestar_rage) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/thestarRAGE) today at 3pm for details! The Vow opens in cinemas nationwide on March 15.

Win these exclusive The Vow cube notepads!

Trying to forget that “boyfriend” of mine has made me feel more appreciative of the reality of things, but it also made me feel lonelier.

I want to fix this once and for all. This is my last year in school and I don’t want it to be a bad experience in my life. I want to grow up knowing that my childhood and teenage years were the happiest part of my life but it’s not really like that any more.

It is not that I am completely invisible among my friends in class but they just won’t warm up to me. It has come to a point where no one wants to sit with me when the teacher starts telling us to do group discussions.

I am sitting for my SPM this year and I need friends who can help me with my studies but no matter how hard I try to strike a conversation with someone it just becomes awkward. I also tried “letting go” but nothing happened. Now I feel so foreign to my own school and my own close friends. Whenever they are in a bad mood or in trouble I would be there for them but when I try to express how I feel they would just change the conversation back to themselves.

I am sick of everyone in my school and I have this deep feeling of hatred towards my class and my friends. The only reason I am attending school right now is because I wanted to study and get far away from this country. Sounds exaggerated but that is honestly how I feel and I don’t like it.

I hate myself for hating my friends, I feel so weak and hopeless. I have no one to turn to now and it is really making me feel alienated from the world. I don’t know if you are willing to share your advice again. If you do it would really make me feel a lot less lost than I am right now. — Darkened Girl

Meet new people

I remember your letter and how you said that an imaginary boyfriend comforts you. As with any break-up in real life, a break-up with an imaginary boyfriend whom you’ve grown so attached to can be just as hard. Some loneliness is to be expected. But it is for the better that you are currently feeling a little more grounded in the physical world. A robust imagination is a good thing, but not if you become a slave to it and it prevents you from living fully.

Friends can sometimes be disappointing, and it is up to us if we want to put up with that or not. Your friends aren’t bad people, but they aren’t going out of their way to make you feel warm and included either. Why is that? Have you tried to find out? Is it you or is it them?

Having an honest and sincere conversation with them will help you understand the reasons for their behavior and perhaps clue you in on something you might have missed.

The good thing about high school is that it’s transient, and once you leave, you don’t have to look back. But your dissatisfaction with your loneliness needs to be dealt with because it’s one of those things that won’t stop bothering you until it is.

Perhaps try casting your social net a little wider beyond your classmates so you can meet new people and start afresh. Seek out groups of people that you have something in common with, who share your enthusiasm and your warmth. Don’t give up on humanity just yet! What’s worth it isn’t always easy to find. — Su Ann

Focus on the future

Hi Darkened Girl, it’s great hearing from you again. Secondary school can be a cruel place. Friendships change, and cliques make it hard to form relationships. The reality of this should make you shift your expectations, that your last year will be a happy one. So, look at it as a year of strength where you drew    inspiration and perseverance, deep from within.

Think of this year as the one where you learn about stamina, and pushing on despite the difficulties you face. Take it day by day. A year may seem long, but break it up into days and weeks, focus on your growth through the odds, and you’ll get by. Once you reach university, you’ll be in a bigger arena, and you can be sure that you’ll find a circle of friends that you can get along with.

With minimal or no study help from your friends, you’ll have to be disciplined and focused to go through it on your own. Ask lots of questions during or after class to teachers or anyone willing to help. Try offering to help your classmates – perhaps an exchange of notes will help soften their hearts. If they know you can help them, hopefully they will return the favour. They might not be instant friends as a result, but focus on the task.

If they don’t want to hang out with you, just approach them with the purpose of exchanging notes or tips to study. Consider external tuition groups – perhaps you can gain friends here with the added benefit of getting study help through a tutor. Use this time to be close to your parents.

They might not be your first choice for a friendship, but give it a shot. They could turn out to be more understanding than your classmates.

This is a very tough situation to be in. But you’ll get through it. Look positively at this phase in your life. In the real world, there will be a time when you’ll have to face things alone. It’s about survival skills. Where you are now in your life is a training ground to learn those skills. — Rusyan

We’re about to bid farewell to another year. It has been a pretty decent 2011 games-wise, which is not bad considering how little I expected it to deliver on most counts.

Viva la crowdsourcing!

In terms of innovation, this year’s “Startup Fever” has certainly taken the scene by storm. The boardgame cleverly applies gamer-based crowdsourcing as its key tenet, by allowing people to chip in with their own donations, in order to fund the game.

The higher the donations, the more customised and unique your boardgame copy became. And, the game did not get produced until a minimum quantity was ordered by Netizens. This formula looks like one of the year’s new boardgame fads, as I’ve seen it repeated in a number of newer boardgames.

This is a solid concept that is likely to see more traction in the coming year.
The larger game companies continue to beat the electronic and digital mortar-and-pestle, in coming up with the more technologically-inclined “innovations” (sic). Hasbro’s Monopoly Live boasts a 10-inch electronic tower that “rolls” virtual dice, keeps track of player turns and money, as well as rentals.

Pretty nifty, but I guess I still like my old-school Monopoly – paper bank notes, real dice, et al. Still, do check these ones out if you need an RM200 stocking filler.

Cheating spectacular

The collectible and trading card game (TCG) game market saw their flagbearers continue their fine run, with both Magic: the Gathering (MTG) and World of Warcraft (WoW) TCG clocking in awesome products of the year.
MTG’s Gothic and classic horror-themed Innistrad expansion was a clear hit, while WoW’s new Worldbreaker block expansions, Twilight Of The Dragons and Throne Of Tides were resounding sellouts.

Special sets that make it easier for players to “play” (that is, products that are playable straight out of the box) continue to be crowd favorites, too.

But what truly has my vote as the most impressive game of the year has to be Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game. An eagerly-awaited adaptation of the classic 1980s miniatures fantasy football – not the online kind, but real-deal Orcs-and-Elves kind of fantasy – done up by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG), the stand-alone card-based boardgame is deceptively simple, yet awesome especially since it’s easy to run a real-deal football league off it.

The rules might alienate miniature purists, but the FFG version does what it’s supposed to do: give casual gamers a chance to have frequent kick-a-bouts between Dwarves, Orcs, Wood Elves, Chaos, Skaven and Humans.

Blood Bowl Team Manager

“Match-ups” are swift and resolved almost instantaneously, player downtime virtually non-existent and the action pretty fast. The aesthetics on this FFG is typical of the game company’s products – beautiful, stunning and simply gorgeous.

My only question to FFG is: When are we getting the other races? Last year’s video game adaptation had 20 races, so …

The Force is strong

Speaking of FFG, they scored a coup of sorts by scoring the right to make Star Wars games, namely Star Wars: The Card Game, which is a Living Card Game (LCG). FFG’s website describes the game as cooperative, with players controlling characters from the original trilogy including Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa, as they battle Imperial forces.

LCGs are similar to TCGs, except that instead of expansions with randomly-packaged cards, the card expansions come in fixed assortments, making it less “expensive.” Though I’m personally wary of LCGs, seeing how they are ending up as not much different from TCGs, let’s see what FFG does with one of the more revered fan franchises. Let’s see if the Force is strong with this one?

FFG actually has another Star Wars game lined up next year called X-Wing, a pre-painted miniatures game that should excite both casual miniatures fans and sci-fi gamers.

World domination

As for other stuff that I’m looking forward to in 2012, surprisingly it’ll have to be one boardgame that I played less of, having preferred its “meatier” cousins such as Axis and Allies. Yup, I’m talking about Risk!

Having seen many variants and quite a few makeovers over the decades, get ready for a brand new Risk, called Risk Legacy.

Risk Legacy - board and components fully set up

The concept behind the game is simple – players get to remove and eliminate existing components, and then come up with their own enhancements and builds to Risk Legacy, making it a “living” boardgame of sorts.

It’s a pretty radical concept that’s generating lots of buzz online, so I can’t personally try this one out myself.

See you all next year – have a great year-end break, and a Merry Christmas in the meantime!

q CHEE YIH YANG needs to overcome his recent his team’s recent slump in form, in the Damansara Blood Bowl League. E-mail the esoteric gaming nut at yihyang@gmail.com if you have comments, questions, hot gaming news and tips, and trading lists and deck ideas, for both Magic and World of Warcraft. Check out his blog at http://blog.rage.com.my/category/cards-and-boards, and follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/arcturus_mengsk.

The introduction of digital cameras more than a decade ago has revolutionised the way we take photographs. Cost of photography is significantly reduced as users are no longer required to buy rolls after rolls of films and developing them at a photo shop.

Instant preview, intelligent guide mode and other built-in camera features are encouraging users to take more pictures and worry less about the technical aspect of photography.

Gone are the days when photographers had to go through millions of things in their heads before pressing the shutter button.

Thanks to the wonders of technology and cheaper price tag, everyone has a camera these days – be it top-of-the-line digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, mid-range compact cameras or even a phone camera.

Photography is fast becoming, or perhaps already is, part of our lifestyle.

Shoot anywhere, everywhere

With a camera in hand at all times, you can practice and improve your photography skill anytime, anywhere and on almost any subject. Everything is worth capturing – be it your plate of fried chicken or that beautiful iconic structure in a foreign land.

These (idle moments) are the best times for you to play with and understand your camera – which you ideally shouldn’t do at paid assignments such as weddings or events when every second counts.

You can learn about the settings, buttons, functions, menu placements and features available on your camera and take your time to compose, make mistakes and take your own sweet time to snap the picture you want.

By practicing photography on a daily basis, you are also improving consistently. Your ability to determine the right settings (for a photograph) will also get better, which is crucial during a paid assignment.

Most importantly, you will never again encounter that situation during which you wish you had your camera to capture a certain precious moment.

It’s just a tool

There is a saying that goes, “the best camera is the one in your hand” and I could not agree anymore. The camera is merely a tool, nothing more and nothing less, and it is entirely up to the person behind the camera to work his or her magic.

A good camera body or professional grade lenses and equipments do not transform you into a professional photographer overnight.

It is the photographer’s vision, understanding of light and other skills that makes him stand out from the rest – not forgetting the experience he has gained from years of practising and perfecting his their craft.

The last time I checked, Apple’s iPhone 4 was still the most used photo-capturing device in popular photo sharing site, Flickr The pictures, taken with the smartphone, are as beautiful as those taken using professional grade DSLRs like Canon EOS 5D Mark II or Nikon D90.

It is really important to understand what the camera you already own can do and deliver instead of always yearning over newer model or higher grade lenses. New gear may seem to improve your photos’ quality, but they will not take you far or even to the next level.

Express yourself

Photography is a form of expression. Stories, emotions, feelings and ideas can be expressed through pictures. It is certainly not an easy task, especially for new and inexperienced photographers but through practice, it is possible. It is more important that a photographer learns to shoot for himself and not for others.

There will always be people who will criticise your pictures. Stand firm on your ground and do not be disheartened easily. If you know what you are doing, there is no reason to be afraid of negative comments. Instead, use them to learn and improve your photography skills.

As a photographer, it is important to learn to see the beauty in lesser things.
Mundane objects lying around the house or street like an empty cup, broken toys, flowers, or broken glasses are worth photographing if you are able to see the beauty beyond the obvious.

It is entirely up to the photographer’s imagination and creativity to turn something uninteresting into a beautiful photo or piece of art.

Beauty is only skin deep and as a photographer, it is important to bring out the best of our subjects with the resources we have.

Use your resources

More often than not, I have heard of photographers complaining about not having that F2.8 telephoto lens (for close-up shots) or the sky wasn’t blue enough (for perfect lighting) or the model was not drop dead gorgeous.

Instead of spending time whining, it is better to improve your skills and to make use of whatever resources you have to deliver the best result.

The sky will not always be blue on the day of your paid wedding job (in fact, it might even rain heavily) and you may not have a telephoto lens. But you can always fiddle with your camera to capture any available light and always get closer to your subject to take the shot.

As you improve your photography skills, you will also improve yourself as an individual. A good photographer is always prepared for the next moment, will think ahead, expect the unexpected, be organised, be punctual for assignments, learn to take constructive criticism and know what he or she is doing.

There is more to photography than just taking pictures. It is a huge world and you’re on a never ending journey.

With a camera in hand and the right mindset and skill, you will never know where your camera will and can take you. You’ll be surprised.

Jason Lioh is an avid photographer and (formerly) a popular blogger. He blogs at http://jasonmumbles.com; you can also find him on Twitter (@jasonmumbles). He hasn’t been taking photographs consistently but will be doing so real soon – after his exams, that is. The pictures in this month’s Snap Shots were all taken by Jason, Jason Goh (@smashpop) and Robin Wong.

Initially I refused because I am a shy girl. After getting many calls from him I decided to just give him a chance.

However, after we went on our date, he began to avoid me. He even rejected my love saying that I’m “dark” and not rich.

Later on, he gave my phone number to his new girlfriend. She called me up to tease me and then passed the phone over to a few guys who kept disturbing me until I couldn’t stand it.

And then, the guy’s sister also started calling and scolding me for no reason at all. She said something to me which hurt me badly and I have no idea why she did it. Still, I apologised for whatever it was she thought I did even though she was very rude to me.

A few days later I found out from a student of his that he had been saying bad things about me to everyone! I was shocked. Is it so wrong to fall in love with an older man? — Brokenheart Girl

Rusyan

Remember this episode as one that redefines what love means. You gave it a try, but what happened wasn’t and should never be referred to as “love”. That’s a powerful feeling that goes both ways. It isn’t love if your partner insults you.

You’ve been treated badly not because he’s an older man, but because he isn’t a good person. This looks like a twisted game of manipulation. You shouldn’t apologise to those people because you did nothing wrong.

Save the numbers of the people who bother you and avoid their calls. If it gets worse, change phone numbers or file a police report for harassment.
It’s difficult when your private life becomes sensationalised in public, but you’ve got to be strong. What people are saying isn’t the truth so look at this as a test of your patience and strength in difficult times.

This is also a time to be with your friends and people who you really trust. Surround yourself with good people and you’ll be able to withstand the storm. Lean on them for support. Build memories of how supportive and strong friendships can be during tough times.

Su Ann

While a large age gap certainly presents complications, do not allow the age difference to be the defining characteristic of the relationship. It is not wrong to fall in love with an older person as long as the relationship functions well and is built on mutual respect, kindness and chemistry.

In your case, the older man doesn’t seem very kind or respectful. His comments on your skin colour and your finances are superficial and undeserved – you do not have to put up with that from anyone, especially someone you are in a relationship with.

You also do not have to accept any heckling from his sister, new girlfriend and her friends. The next time they call you again, tell them you will report them to the police with all the information you have, and then hang up.

If they bother you even more, lodge a police report or even an official complaint at the school where he teaches. This guy seems like he was bad news from the beginning.

Don’t let men pressure you into dating them. Only disrespectful or immature people cannot back off when refused, and you can see that to be true through his puerile and invasive actions after you agreed to date him.

Compartmentalise this guy and his cohort away from your life and move on. Don’t worry too much about his bad-mouthing you – it reflects badly on him as an adult and certainly his students can see that.

He is not worth your time and emotions. Think of the time you spent with him as sunk cost, and a lesson towards evaluating who you can trust in the future.

Young people often claim that their voices go unheard by adults, the people in charge, the Government, parents, teachers, peers and so on.
Two weeks ago, some of these youths had the opportunity to be heard. Loud and clear.

The #R.AGEchat: Youth Inter-Generational Dialogue between youth and adults took place at the launch of UNICEF’s 2011 flagship report, The State Of The World’s Children (SOWC), Adolescence: An Age Of Opportunity.

* The panelists *

Six young Malaysians sat on the panel representing Malaysian youths, and were given the opportunity to talk about their hopes and dreams and what they are doing to make them happen.

One of the key findings in the SOWC report showed that “entrenched practices and attitudes, as well as political and economic barriers, continue to impede adolescents’ right to be heard – especially for those who may have difficulties expressing themselves, including adolescents with disabilities and minority, indigenous and migrant children.”

The #RAGEchat: Youth gave Faezlan Angah, 16, (from the Department of Orang Asli Development Malaysia); Hazrul Syafiq, 18, (Asian Football Confederation); Jayasamint Savinder Singh, 20, (special Olympics); Noor Diyana Sharifudin, 16, and Qistina Danisyah, 13, (KL Krash Pad); and Sofia Ong (Petaling Jaya Child Council) an opportunity to use their voices.

The adult panel consisted of Senator Datuk Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Women, Family and Community minister); Hans Olsen (UNICEF representative to Malaysia); Hanim Hassan (excecutive committe member, Community Social Network Selangor); Muhammad Zarif (Assunta Primary School Petaling Jaya Parent Teacher Association president) and Anant Kaur Hardyal Singh (Assunta Primary School Petaling Jaya Pupils Affair senior assistant).

The panelists discussed Youth And Adults: A Collaboration Of Forces For A Better World and the discussion did not only stay within the four walls at the Annexe Gallery in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur.

Young people took to Twitter to share their opinions and give their point of views as well.

Adult panel
If young people want to be heard, they need to speak up! Communicate in order to be heard.
@cuddyjah: There really should be a youth parliament. At least we’d have a say as well. We are the future leaders after all

@danesh9: Schools should not be exam based. Instead, more debates and other activities should be organised to encourage youth

Youth panel
Most of the decisions made for young people are made without consulting them.
@cikxai: parent shud allow youth to have mind of their own, makin their own choice in university for eg. Sum parent just dont trust kid
@deheroo: adults have experience,whilst youths have fresh brain n spirit.Bring us along, n we’ll be a greater nation.

Adult panel
Children today are given so many opportunities. Today’s lifestyle is all abt laptops and computers. We didn’t have that before.
@Archuroxx: Times change, we can’t be living backwards all the time. Without laptops and computers, we can’t even be tweeting right now.
@tania_ravin: Because we’re given with all this. We’re presumed to be arrogant & imprudent. But yet again, not all youths are the same.

Youth panel
We are often stereotyped as spoiled. When we consult adults, they don’t think our opinions are valid. They don’t listen to us.
@NathalieTXL: We don’t speak, they think we have no opinion. We speak, they complain that we’re rude. Where’s the sense in that?

Youth panel
When young people speak up, the adults claim that we are “Kurang ajar.”
@AbigailChhabra: Adults always perceive us as rude, but talk abt pot calling the kettle black!
@zhexue11: I agree with this, cause some parents don’t think that kids seen enough to give comments
@SpiderSofia: thats what they say, no matter how polite we point their mistake out,most of them say that we are rude to them

Adult panel
If you can get your voices heard, do it. Get the rest of the youths to join you to make your voice louder.
@sapp1600: What’s saddening, is that our little voices are never interpreted into actions. Loud isn’t the point.
@aimansjaafar: in rgrds to community involvement, youth should not always look to adults for answer, they should be the solution themselves.
@manokzunlimited: because if we dont get involved now, we won’t be better adults or improved adults compared to before.
@inbarajs: it’s a choice we have to make. Not all youth can afford to be an “agent of change”

IN the movie DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (which was not based on any actual team), one of its characters, dodgeball coach Patches O’ Houlihan says: “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.”

And judging from the action at MAD Campus Dodgeball League 2011 (Season 3) last weekend, most, if not all, of the players are able to dodge a wrench – if one was ever thrown in their direction.

Ten dodgeball clubs from local and international colleges/universities participated in the final league held at Subang Avenue, Subang Jaya, Selangor, and the USCI University’s teams showed that they were the ones to beat.

The players were swift to dodge and quick on their feet and they definitely provided many nail-biting moments throughout the competition.

The teams from USCI – Devil’s Dukes and Red Legion – proved that they are forces to be reckoned with when they took home the gold and bronze medals respectively.

*Sina*

“I am extremely proud of my players and everyone else in the team. We have worked hard and it all paid off. We earned this victory,” said team captain Sina Delavari, 21.

This is the second time a team from USCI has won the championship trophy, which Sina hopes will become a tradition of some sort for the university’s dodgeball club.

“It’s my last year playing for this dodgeball club and we have won the championship trophy. I hope that whoever becomes the next captain will not break the streak. I hope that they would keep the championship trophy in USCI,” said Sina.

Devil’s Dukes’ sister team, Red Legions, were awarded the third spot after beating KDU College’s KDU Ronins in a tough match.

Coming in second, but not without giving the Devil’s Dukes a tough fight in the finals, were Taylor’s University College Lakeside Campus’ team, Taylors Storm. The players didn’t not go down without a fight and though disappointment was apparent on their faces, they were still proud of their performance that day.

*Andrea*

“We played well, but nevertheless, it’s not our time to lift the championship trophy this season. There’s always next year,” said Andrea Low, 19.

She was also voted as the Most Valuable Female Player in the competition, while Simon Quah, 20, of KDU Ronins was named Most Valuable Male Player.

*Simon*

“I didn’t expect this win at all,” said Andrea. She started playing dodgeball since March last year and only joined because the game was very team-oriented.

“That was the only reason I took up dodgeball. It encourages team spirit and we all get to work together to achieve a common goal,” she revealed.

The MAD Campus Dodgeball League 2011 (Season 3) was indeed a team affair. Not only did the participants played in the tournament, they were also provided the entertainment factor.

Each participating college and university had to send a team of “Dodgettes” (a support team) that put on performances between games and supported their respective teams throughout the competition.

The teams also had to provide their own sportcasters to go against the commentators from the opposing team during matches.

Taylors Storm won the title of Most Energetic Dodgettes and put on an encore performance during the prize giving ceremony, attended by Information, Communications and Culture Ministry deputy minister Senator Datuk Manglin Dennis D’Cruz.

Koh Hui Fang

The owner is Koh Hui Fang, 55, who opened the shop in August last year. Although the business is doing fairly well these days, Koh shared that she had to struggle for a little bit in the beginning, citing the lack of awareness in the benefits of handmade soaps as one of the reasons.

Her daughter, Teo Ee Yin, 28, hopes to change all this by giving lessons on how to make handmade soaps to the public.

Ee Yin in the midst of making soaps

Every two to three months, Ee Yin and her family try to come up with new fragrances for their soaps. They take into account the local flavours when experimenting with new smells.

One of their soaps is actually inspired by the aroma of gula melaka! Koh’s son, Ee Shuian, 26, even said that they might even come up with a durian-scented soap!

The soaps, which do not contain chemicals, are sold in many kinds of shapes and sizes. Some of them don’t even look like regular soaps but more like candy and even cakes.

Some of the soaps available at the shop

Koh is fond of creating new designs for her soaps, like in shapes of ice cream cones, cocktail drinks, cookies and butterflies.

Koh and her family hope to expalnd their business to Kuala Lumpur one day and spread their knowledge on traditional soap-making.