asas
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Latest News
SANTAI SASTERA UBIN 2008
by Arni Johan
On 16 February 2008, in conjunction with Santai Sastera II (Ubin Edition) a team of 17 youths had set off for Pulau Ubin. Upon reaching Ubin’s jetty, we were greeted with picturesque kampong-styled houses, in shades of ocean blue lining the coast. The rustic setting and leisurely pace of life in Pulau Ubin is still well preserved and is a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of mainland, urban Singapore. This last reserve of the kampongs, with the exception of its resident squawking live poultry, [the vestige of the authority’s efforts to curtail bird flu], has managed to render a nice little getaway for us amongst the offshore islands.
Amidst the remaining traces of kampong life, there still exist reminders of modernity which are punctuated by the relatively spanking new taxi-vans that wouldn’t go amiss running along the roads of mainland Singapore. It being the start of the weekend, there were perceptibly more visitors than usual. Nonetheless, we luxuriated within the gloriously spacious and laid back atmosphere. With the exception of the occasional taxi passing by, bicycles, being the primary form of transport here were out in rampant numbers, inextricably backed by an attractively low rate of $2 a day. After a brief stop to rent our bicycles, we made our way through the tranquil dirt paths, with the breeze serenading and lathering our pent up worries away with every passing minute..
Our first station was the Maman Beach. Here, the teams had to analyse a piece of literary creative work and to effect our interpretation and criticism via physical entities which include remnants of nature. Combining the two genres of art and poetry, we managed to internalise the aesthetical values of poetry under a new light. Feedback from the participants was largely positive whereby it was noted that the amalgamation of nature and traditional means of analysis managed to procure a delightful product of understanding.
Lunch was next on the agenda and soon after devouring the delightful spread of gastronomical wonders, we proceeded to the beach where we indulged in a spot of pebble skipping before departing to the next location, Chek Jawa Wetlands.
Taking a leisurely stroll through the beach that was located at the eastern tip of the boomerang-shaped island, we soon dwelled upon the nature paradise that is Chek Jawa; well known for its breathtaking flora and fauna, and the ubiquitous fiddler crabs! With the help of a 1.1 kilometre long elevated boardwalk that weaves through the forest to the intertidal area, we managed to breeze through the treasure trove of marine aquatic life and the crab kingdom. Here, the next challenge for us was to create our own literary creative masterpiece, drawing inspiration from the panoramic view of the Chek Jawa greenery and surrounding seas which could be seen from the top of 7-storey (21 meters) tall Jejawi tower.
As with all good things that inevitably come to an end, we hopped onto the bumboat that would take us back to mainland Singapore, loaded with the precious memories of the day and our much cherished time together. Holistically, this event was indeed by far, the most enriching and educational experience that was worth every petulant insect bite that came our way.
SANTAI SASTERA UBIN 2008
by Arni Johan
On 16 February 2008, in conjunction with Santai Sastera II (Ubin Edition) a team of 17 youths had set off for Pulau Ubin. Upon reaching Ubin’s jetty, we were greeted with picturesque kampong-styled houses, in shades of ocean blue lining the coast. The rustic setting and leisurely pace of life in Pulau Ubin is still well preserved and is a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of mainland, urban Singapore. This last reserve of the kampongs, with the exception of its resident squawking live poultry, [the vestige of the authority’s efforts to curtail bird flu], has managed to render a nice little getaway for us amongst the offshore islands.
Amidst the remaining traces of kampong life, there still exist reminders of modernity which are punctuated by the relatively spanking new taxi-vans that wouldn’t go amiss running along the roads of mainland Singapore. It being the start of the weekend, there were perceptibly more visitors than usual. Nonetheless, we luxuriated within the gloriously spacious and laid back atmosphere. With the exception of the occasional taxi passing by, bicycles, being the primary form of transport here were out in rampant numbers, inextricably backed by an attractively low rate of $2 a day. After a brief stop to rent our bicycles, we made our way through the tranquil dirt paths, with the breeze serenading and lathering our pent up worries away with every passing minute..
Our first station was the Maman Beach. Here, the teams had to analyse a piece of literary creative work and to effect our interpretation and criticism via physical entities which include remnants of nature. Combining the two genres of art and poetry, we managed to internalise the aesthetical values of poetry under a new light. Feedback from the participants was largely positive whereby it was noted that the amalgamation of nature and traditional means of analysis managed to procure a delightful product of understanding.
Lunch was next on the agenda and soon after devouring the delightful spread of gastronomical wonders, we proceeded to the beach where we indulged in a spot of pebble skipping before departing to the next location, Chek Jawa Wetlands.
Taking a leisurely stroll through the beach that was located at the eastern tip of the boomerang-shaped island, we soon dwelled upon the nature paradise that is Chek Jawa; well known for its breathtaking flora and fauna, and the ubiquitous fiddler crabs! With the help of a 1.1 kilometre long elevated boardwalk that weaves through the forest to the intertidal area, we managed to breeze through the treasure trove of marine aquatic life and the crab kingdom. Here, the next challenge for us was to create our own literary creative masterpiece, drawing inspiration from the panoramic view of the Chek Jawa greenery and surrounding seas which could be seen from the top of 7-storey (21 meters) tall Jejawi tower.
As with all good things that inevitably come to an end, we hopped onto the bumboat that would take us back to mainland Singapore, loaded with the precious memories of the day and our much cherished time together. Holistically, this event was indeed by far, the most enriching and educational experience that was worth every petulant insect bite that came our way.
The initiative to establish a youth movement in literature was ignited in 2004 which when enacted, sparked a sustained flurry of youth involvement in the literary arts among students, trainee teachers and undergraduates.
Today, Asas '50 youth wing has evolved into a dynamic and forward thinking movement responsible for the planning and implementation of many a contemporary initiative, supporting institutions, tackling organisational issues ranging from administration, performance, design and myriad documentations whilst living up to its aim of contributing towards 'literature for humanity'. Currently, Suryadi Bajuri, spearheads the youth movement.
Today, Asas '50 youth wing has evolved into a dynamic and forward thinking movement responsible for the planning and implementation of many a contemporary initiative, supporting institutions, tackling organisational issues ranging from administration, performance, design and myriad documentations whilst living up to its aim of contributing towards 'literature for humanity'. Currently, Suryadi Bajuri, spearheads the youth movement.