MUNITY-East

by Jim Hsiao, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu

Susanna Chen (International Bilingual School at Hsinchu) of MUNITY-EAST gaped openly at the chairs. Stunned by their knowledge, wisdom, and sophisticated manners, she was “unable to comprehend how someone can know so much.” There is probably no single answer that can resolve this dilemma, but one possible solution may be the so-called Fountain of Knowledge—reading. Here we have compiled a list of books selected by officers for all the Susannas out there seeking to be as smart and sophisticated as the student officers.

Look Woon Wei (Hwa Chong Institution), Deputy Chair of GA5:

Hailing from the vast expanses of Hwa Chong Institution, Look Woon Wei is no stranger to novels. Currently he is engaged with two novels, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although Atlas Shrugged is “so long-winded it’s crazy,” he seems very satisfied with the The Hound of Baskervilles, because “come on, it’s Sherlock Holmes!” The first novel has been particularly enlightening to him. Wei says that the novel has taught him to “write concisely,” in bolded, italicized, and underlined words. He encourages everyone to read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, but warns readers away from Atlas Shrugged unless they can withstand long winded descriptions.

Aman Puri (Dubai International Academy), Chair of GA6:

As overlord of a General Assembly, Aman Puri represents a position of prominence and eminence. His success is not without reason. As an avid reader, Puri has recently read The Economist magazine and Master Harold and the Boys, a play by Athol Fugard. He says that Fugard’s novel was very didactic, and has “shed light on the influence of the South African apartheid on its people.” Puri highly recommends both works, especially Master Harold and the Boys, which he characterizes as “a brilliant play.”

Rhiannon Wiley (Overseas Family School), Deputy Chair of GA6:

Riannon Wiley, Puri’s partner in GA6, also exhibits an aptitude for reading. Her recent reads include Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Wiley enjoyed reading the novel, because “it’s very clever and the characters seem very real despite being sci-fi.” Entertainment is not the only attractive part of Ender’s Game. According to Wiley, the discussion of strategy and leadership has helped her “maintain control as a chair.” For those aspiring to develop their charisma and leadership, this would be a very good place to start.

Lukas Schmelter (International Ho Chi Minh School), Deputy President of Security Council:

As Deputy President, Lukas Schmelter’s knowledge is not limited to the field of Model United Nations. Recently, Schmelter has been reading The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. The novel, in addition to being a entertaining read, has also been “very inspiring as well.” The book has “a strong focus on the notion of destiny and how one defines personal happiness,” and thus Schmelter definitely recommends Alchemist to anyone looking to have their thoughts inspired by some provocative philosophy.

Tsai Wei Chen (International Bilingual School at Hsinchu), MUNITY-EAST Assistant Editor:

Editors must have extensive knowledge of writing, and Tsai Wei Chen, more colloquially known as May-May, is no exception. Having read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard for a Literature course, she believes that the novel was a very “thought provoking and sometimes disturbing read.” The descriptions of nature included in Dillard’s novel were “long-winded and boring at times, but intensely interesting at others,” causing her to sway between periods of “irresistible sleepiness and horrified awareness.” Chen states that many of the concepts and ideas discussed held much merit, and recommends the novel to “all nature lovers and insect fanatics.”

by Tsai-Wen Chen, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park

After four tiring but thrilling days, you always want to go home with not only the diplomatic skills you obtain from MUN, but also with multiple newly formed friendships.

“Stalk” the Profile

Flying back home from Singapore, you rush into your room, unpack, then turn on your computer, log onto Facebook, and spend hours staring at the computer screen, looking at THIMUN- Singapore photos. But wait! You spy someone’s comment on one of the pictures, someone you know, but haven’t added as a friend yet. You move your cursor to the person’s name and click it, stalk the person’s profile to make sure you actually know him or her, and when you’re positive you’re acquainted with that person, you finally add him or her as a friend.

The next time you log onto Facebook, you receive a notification saying “[insert name here] has confirmed you as a friend.” Excited to start a conversation between the two, you write on his or her wall [in capital letters]:“HIIIIIIII! DO YOU REMEMBER ME? I’M THE DELEGATE OF [insert country name and smiley face] add me on msn! Mine is: [Insert windows messenger address.]

Surely, as the delegate of Israel of GA6 from the Anglo- Chinese Junior College, Fchige Nariko says, “Facebook is the easiest and most convenient way to stay in contact with friends.”

Message them!

Whether you obtain a delegate’s email address and/ or instant messaging address directly from the person or from Facebook, it’s always a great way to stay in touch with your friends, or become more acquainted with them. Have laid- back conversations with them and get to know the other person better. Rahil Uppal of Jerudong International School from GA2 finds “messenger far more appealing” because “messenger [is] a more intimate and direct way to talk to people.” Newer instant messaging programs also now provide video chatting applications that according to Uppal, are a “great way to talk to people one on one.” So, have no fear if you didn’t talk to someone enough at the conference, instant messages and emails are here!

Phone calls

Although Gul Saeed of GA5 from Seisen International School thinks that using the internet “is the most convenient way to keep in touch with friends,” using the telephone is also a handy tool that can be used to reach your fellow delegates. If you’re that kid whose parents don’t care if your phone bills are sky high, enter your friends’ cellphone number into your contacts, and give them a call them from time to time. It’s always great to be able to hear their voices again and talk about things—MUN- related or not.

And of course, if you’re not a senior and you’re dying to experience THIMUN- Singapore again, do so! It’s always exciting to have annual get- togethers with old THIMUN friends.

Tsai- Wei Chen, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park

When the word “Singapore” is mentioned, most teenagers immediately think of one thing: shopping galore. The day before the conference, some participants stood in awe before large, shiny, silver, block letters that spell out the letters “ION,” while others strolled along Orchard Road, shopping from store to store and snapping shots of Singapore’s bustling city life.

Ion, along with many other malls, decorates Orchard Road with well-designed infrastructures and ornamented building lights. Inside Ion, fashion stores ranging from Gucci, Boss, and Bebe to New Look, Zara, and Uniqlo line the loopy walkways. Eager to grab the opportunity to buy sale items and other products unavailable in their countries, delegates charged into almost every store featuring “ON SALE” signs taped to the polished windows, and bought shoes, clothes, perfume, bags, makeup, and much more.

In addition to enjoying the beautifully decorated stores and glamorous products, students, such as Henning Shih, the delegate of Finland of GA6 from International Bilingual School in Hsinchu Science Park (IBSH), also found the mall’s layout “interesting.” Shih found the underground linking between separate malls “confusing,” because it was difficult for him to differentiate between the two buildings. On the other hand, Kristen Wu, the delegate of Belarus in GA6 from IBSH, thinks that this connection between shopping centers is very convenient, and that it solves the problem of having to walk from a cool, air-conditioned room to a hot, humid area. She claims that this lowers the chance of a getting sick, because it eliminates the sudden temperature change one usually experiences when walking from mall to mall.

While shopping along Orchard Road, several delegates entered familiar shops along the street, such as Ambush, and also meandered in the Far East Plaza. Although Allen Fang, the delegate of Belarus in GA1 from IBSH, was rather “disappointed” with his day because he didn’t end up buying anything from the high- priced and “grand” shops, as the delegate of Germany of GA5 from , Clarence Lin, puts it, he liked the buildings and city life itself for being “very organized and neat.”

Choosing between fast food restaurants and the food court, students often opt for the latter, which provides a wide range of food, including Indian, Malaysian, Chinese, and Haianesen cuisine. Jung Lee, the delegate of Spain in GA5 from Korean International School, says that Ion’s food court is “so big that I can actually get lost in it.” He also added that “the bubble milk tea was the best.”

Kristen Wu was satisfied with Ion’s food court because the food wasn’t too expensive and was decent at the same time. Some students spent their entire day shopping on Orchard Road and sight- seeing the city, and they plan to do more shopping at places such as Haji Lane, a tiny lane located in the midst of a Muslim quarter that provides small shops filled with collections full of fashionable items. The students are, overall, satisfied with the entertainment Singapore provides and are looking forward to upcoming adventures in this small, but exciting, city.

Tsai- Wei Chen, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park

Nicholas Murray Butler, an American philosopher, diplomat, and educator once said, “America is the best half-educated country in the world.” What he said may have been true during his time. However, things have now changed. According to “The World’s Best Country List” on Newsweek.com, Denmark, which has a 100% literacy rate, currently ranks as the 6th best country in the world, while the United States of America, with a literacy rate of 99%, is ranked 11th.

When calculating the top-ranking nations, Newsweek. com not only considers a country’s education and political environment, but also its education, health, and quality of life. Many delegates agree that the best country in the world, Finland, which has a 100% literacy rate, a life expectancy of 72 years, and a total GDP of 45.7K per capita, “is indeed the best country,” as Jae Ook Lee, from the Korea International School, puts it. Following Finland from 2nd to fifth place were Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, and Luxembourg, respectively.

Although this method of ranking countries covers the main aspects of a country, Kristen Wu, a delegate from the International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park (IBSH), says that “Adding all the scores up may not be the best way to rank countries, [as it only] gives a vague idea of how well the country is faring in general…this system of ranking [ignores] too many of the other details about the country. Therefore, this method is effective on the vague macro view, [but] ineffective otherwise.” However, Yue- Ting Cheng, another delegate from IBSH, disagrees and says that “Ranking countries based on their overall health, education, and living environments seems very appropriate as these are necessities that every person considers as they search for new homes.”

Looking forwards to the future, Kenny Kim from the Korean International School believes that in the next “10- 30 years, these rankings will change significantly. The next top five will be some of the lower countries today, such as India and China due to their brute economic force, [and] their large amount of natural resources.” Even so, the advancement of countries shouldn’t be seen as a competition or a race, but rather a development in the well-being of citizens.