editor’s note.Hopefully many of you will have noticed not only the hardcopies of Perspective that you have down in front of you, but also that smart phones around you have been beeping and buzzing with alerts from your school email, if that's happening, then I guess that, for once in the history of this school, technology has managed to work the first time round. If not... well, better luck next issue. This high-tech change has come around for quite a few reasons: !1) Perspective is proud to have joined this school's effort to go green! Unfortunately that does mean a major goodbye to the many, many copies of glossy print. But it also means you get your copy of Perspective with no hassle, and no worries about where to put it when you're done reading. !2) Journalism/Reporting all over the world has evolved into something wholly technology based. Print journalism (however pretty) is dying out, and although you'll still be able to spot a

few copies of Perspective here and there, we're trying to ensure that we develop just as fast as the school's renovations are. !3) Distribution is a lot easier, meaning less manpower is required, meaning less people have to miss less valuable form time. Here at Perspective, we do what we can to help YOUR GIS experience. !I'll finish up here, because there are more important and urgent pieces of news to be read. !Your ever-stressed Editor-in-Chief, !Sara Alina Trett

dragons

fixtures.Just to rally up a bit of school spirit, Perspective will be posting Home fixtures for all the different Dragons sports going on. To find out more about the fixtures (e.g. away games) go to: http://gisdragonskl.com/

11th Feb: U13 Boys Basketball “B” vs. ISKL (4pm) U13 Girls Basketball “B” vs. ISKL (4pm) !18th Feb: U13 Boys Basketball “B” vs. Desa Park City (4pm) U13 Girls Basketball “B” vs. Desa Park City (4pm) !4th March: U13 Boys Basketball vs. KLASS (4pm) U13 Girls Basketball vs. KLASS (4pm)

6th March: U13 Boys Football vs. KLASS (4pm) U13 Girls Football vs. KLASS (4pm) !13th March: U13 Boys Basketball vs. Desa Park City (4pm) U13 Girls Basketball vs. Desa Park City (4pm)

GET YOUR BOOK WEEK SHIRTS NOW!

The years roll by, you see yourself ageing, gaining imperfections but amongst all that, you also find in yourself hopefulness, and a willingness to change and improve. Through these newfound perspectives on life you cultivate specific ideas, motivated by the conception of a new-and-improved you. And yet, with all the motivation, all the hype, you wait… till the 1st of January to do something about it. !The idea of New Year’s resolut ions is unfortunately, in my opinion…. extremely flawed. !I’m not saying they don’t work; the right amount of determination can achieve you anything in life. What I’m saying is that the choice to improve yourself is not a choice that should be made only on the brink of a new year, but one that you should be making every day, because isn’t that the main goal? Everyday, we are faced with things that we have to react to, it might be the discovery of a new talent which gives you the choice to explore and pursue it, or an obstacle you didn’t quite overcome but plan on working towards beating. !This is where procrastination comes in. There are 87562 hours in a year. 1600 of those hours are spent in school, another 3000 of those hours are spent sleeping, then you’ve got things like eating, homework and family time all cutting in, leaving you with less than half the year to work on yourself. Even less when you think about all the procrastinating you do, leaving you without any time at all. !From my point of view, having a day set in stone where everyone sets targets for themselves is making things a bit too easy. You think of something you want to learn/try/strive for in late January, or halfway through the year, and it’d be too late, because you have the security of adding

it to your list of resolutions for next year... or the next year...or the year after that. Why not just do it there and then? If you look at it that way, New Year’s resolutions are just another form of empty procrastination. !Goals, much like anything else, shouldn’t be put off to a later date. But one thing I don’t understand is why there always seems to be this notoriety and preconception that New Year resolutions WILL hopelessly fail. Like ‘oh haha that person said they’d go to gym, good one dude,’ as though they’ll never achieve that goal! If you fall into that trap, you’re essentially convincing yourself that no ambition is ever attainable- how very fatalistic and depressing that is. Come on, I think we all ought to believe in that good ol’ power of will a bit more, right? !New Year’s resolutions shouldn’t be the sole initiation and medium to which your aspirations exist in, that’s silly; find your own catalyst, your own motivation for accomplishing a goal rather than those flimsily thrown about, pretentious declarations referred to as “New Year’s resolutions.” If you want to go to the gym, plan out the days of the week that you’ll go, maybe get a friend to follow and make it a routine. If you want to get better grades, ask yourself why you need/want that so badly and consistently remind yourself- write it on sticky notes in your room, tell your parents or whatever- then plan out exactly how you’re going to achieve it. Resolutions just require some genuine devotion in order to achieve it, but that it doesn’t do to say you shouldn’t try! !!

SARA ALINA TRETT

PAPER CRANES by Selina Low

Paper cranes were seen as the messengers to the ancient immortals, and thus have long been a symbol in Asian cultures to represent good health, longevity, truth and fidelity. There is an old legend that surrounds this tradition: anyone with the patience to fold 1,000 paper cranes will be granted their most desired wish because they have recreated the beauty and loyalty of the crane. !The story was further symbolised when a Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki, attempted to fold 1,000 cranes in the 1950s. When Sadako was two years old, she was exposed to radiation from an atomic bomb and as a result developed leukaemia. Learning of the ancient legend, she was motivated to fold paper cranes in her hospital bed while praying for world peace. Unfortunately, Sadako died at the young age 12, before she could finish the 1,000 cranes. In honour of her life and selfless wishes, Sadako's classmates folded the remaining cranes and she was buried with the completed 1,000 of them. Her story stands as an inspiration to all, and as a testament to the continued power of the paper crane as a compelling symbol for hope, love, honour, and peace. !To fold the paper crane, you will just need a square piece of paper, approximately 15cm x 15cm.

1. Fold the paper corner to corner, coloured side on the inside. Crease, and open again. Then, do the same with the other two corners.

2. Turn the paper over to the white side. Fold it from side to side, and then open. Fold it again in the other direction.

3. Using the creases you have made, bring the top 3 corners of the model down to the bottom corner and flatten it.

4. Fold one side’s triangular f laps into the centre , making sure that the open end is at the bottom, and then unfold it. Repeat this on the other side.

6. Open the closest flap to you and pull it upwards, keeping the top (where you just

folded) unopened and pressing the sides of the model inwards. Flatten well. Now repeat steps 5 and 6 on the other side.

5. Fold the top downwards and unfold.

7. Fold the edges of the flaps into the centre on one side, and then repeat on the other side.

8. Fold both 'legs' of the model up, and then unfold.

9. Turn the ‘leg’ inside out and ‘reverse fold’ the ‘legs’ along the creases you just made, referring to the diagram.

10. Make the beak by turning the top part of the ‘leg’ on one side. Fold down the flaps as much as possible on both sides to make the wings.

Congratulations! You have now made your

very own paper crane.

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY ROUND

The rumours you probably heard about Samsung’s new flexible display technology are most certainly true. Samsung released their new phone, the Galaxy Round, (a name that is suitable considering that it has a flexible display) in South Korea on 9th September 2013. Samsung's Galaxy Round sports a 5.7" 1080p flexible display that's mounted on a gentle curve along its short side. !

!!With its curved display technology, GALAXY ROUND blends the latest smartphone screen innovations with unique design features. The sleek, thin Samsung Galaxy Round is not only equipped with a 5.7 full HD super AMOLED and 7.9mm thick, weighing 154g, but also offers a comfortable hand grip because of its curved display and exclusive experiences, as claimed by Samsung. As a result of its unique curved design, users can take advantage of round integration experiences, like the Roll Effect that enables

users to check information such as the date, time, missed calls and battery easily when the home screen is off, as well as the Gravity Effect for creating visual interaction with the screen by tilting the device. For pictures and videos, the Side Mirror feature allows individuals to gain access to list of their album content with a tilt to the left or right. !The large screen size of the Galaxy Round provides additional benefits. For example, useful One-Hand Operation features bring a user’s most desired controls closer to a preferred side of the screen. The device has Multi Window; a feature that enables users to open more than one application on the screen, run simultaneous multiple instances of the same application and to easily share content between applications that are also available on other newly released phones by Samsung, such as the Note 3. !Now I would like to at least test out the phone as being the first with flexible display, but will I buy it? No, at least not without a guarantee. !!!!!!

ARNAV SINGH 10G

6

THE FIRST GENERATION IPHONE The First Generation iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007 in a keynote address at the Macworld Conference and Expo held in Moscone West in San Francisco, California. There, he stated that he would be introducing a wide-screen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet device. However, these were not three devices but one single product. ! The original iPhone has a 3.5 inch display available with 4,8 or 16GB, with a resolution of 320 by 480 pix (163 ppi). The camera is 2.0Mp long and sports a 15 FPS Recording. The original iPhone has a processor speed of 620MHz, a 128MB RAM, and the Bench Mark score of 139. Generally, it’s fairly light at 4.8Oz, but can only operate at a maximum OS of 3.1.3. ! The main advantages of the iPhone 5 are its slim design that makes more space for a bigger display, and a faster chip. It also has a pair of brand new headphones designed to sound great and fit comfortably. !

The new A6 chip is twice as fast as the A5 chip - apps launch, web pages load, and

email attachments appear almost instantly.

It’s custom designed to work with the

iOS 6 with an aim to be more power efficient. The iPhone 5 features built-in

wireless syncing capabilities, but it doesn’t include a 3-pin connector. !

However, regardless of the iPhone 5’s numerous advantages over the original, there have been a few complaints stating that the touchscreen was randomly dropping touch input when a finger is

dragged forwards and backwards diagonally across the display. Some people have even reported an unresponsive touchscreen or a screen that would go blank for few seconds. !

But of course, technological advances happen all the time. Every once in a while, it’s fascinating to look back to how your phone has evolved over

the years and wonder what the next amazing discovery

is going to be. ! DANIEL HONG

7

Awana Genting: Year Seven HeavenFor camp week this year, the Year Sevens were taken to the Awana Resort in Genting Highlands. !On Tuesday the 8th of October, the enthusiastic Year Sevens set off on their one and a half hour bus journey to the Golf and Country Resort. The majority of activities at this camp were specifically designed to create a bond between the newly formed tutor groups of Year Seven. From games held in swimming pools, such as team rallies and filling up water in a basket with holes, to the more 'adventurous' ones held in the jungle, it was all definitely an amazing experience. !When asked what they enjoyed most about the camp, many students said that it was probably the countless supply of delicious food offered throughout the day! As opposed to many other school camps, the year sevens did not have to actually ‘camp’ i.e. sleep in hammocks or in tents or anything of that sort. In fact, we stayed in a four and a half star resort- it was a real treat! !Once the sun had set, the Year Sevens ate dinner at the Rajawali Restaurant. Afterwards, we all participated in a night activity, which was usually one related to the talent show that was held on the third night.

During camp,the talent show was definitely the most anticipated event, each class prepared a special and exciting performance to impress the judges. 7G, 7S, 7K, 7L and 7W all did songs, which ranged from classics such as 'We Are Family' by 7G, to 7S's mash up of ‘Billionaire’ by Bruno Mars, ‘Price Tag’ by Jessie J and ‘I'm Yours’ by Jason Mraz. After a fantastic night of wonderful performances, the trophy was awarded to 7S for their quality performance. Congratulations 7S! !At the end of the camp, everyone who participated was given a certificate and three students from each class received medals (bronze, silver and gold) for their behaviour during their stay. But that’s not all, seven gold trophies were awarded to tutor groups for different astounding performances e.g. Talent Show Winners, Pool Games Winners and many more, including the overall camp champions and individual medals for the most tidy rooms. !In my opinion, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to attend this camp, it was great! Although it was different from several others, it was a fantastic way for the students within year seven to bond with each other. !All in all, thanks to the hard work of the GIS staff and the ENERGES team, Year 7 camp was certainly an incredible experience to remember for all the new Year Sevens. !!

SANDHYA DAS THURAISINGHAM

As we all surely know, the school has changed a lot lately. With the complete makeover of the canteen, the dramatic transformation of the DT and MFL departments and all the renovations in primary, most of the school looks entirely different, with the exception of the secondary block of course. !Admit it, we’ve all complained about how most of the renovations have been targeted at primary instead of secondary. However, it’s just a matter of time before more and more construction begins to take place in the secondary block. But, there is one question that we must ask: do we want it to change as drastically as primary? Personally, a part of me remains attached to the familiarity of the old school desks and chairs, and comforting beige walls. Though of course, as Barney from How I Met Your Mother would say, ‘new is always better.’ With that, let’s explore the renovations that GIS has experienced. !The most obvious change would have to be the canteen. Wristbands and ID cards containing computer chips that make paying at the cashier more efficient have now been introduced. Furthermore, they have completely remodeled the MFL and DT departments. The foreign languages department is scattered everywhere, and the new classrooms

RENOVATIONS

the new classrooms are slowly being rebuilt where the old secondary canteen originally was. The DT department on the other hand has completed its transition to the fifth floor. The fifth floor now exists as a huge open space with a separate office for the teachers. The graphics computers are on one side of the room, the machinery for production on the other side and the textiles area is partly sectioned off by bookshelves on the side furthest from the door. !Another major change is the area around the changing rooms next to the pool. There’s a new office for the PE department next to the old secondary canteen, a new CCA office, a student services office. There are even new changing rooms complete with new hair dryers. Moreover, the hallway leading to the field has also been widened and a new stairway opposite the hallway has been constructed, leading directly to the sports hall. !A few renovations that haven’t really affected secondary much are the primary libraries, the playground and of course the new classrooms. I think we’ve all pretty much seen the classrooms and perhaps as well as the playground, which, by the way is delightfully state-of-the-art with complex climbing walls, monkey bars, a pole with a seat that can

rotate round and round as well as these tiny go-kart cars. The primary library is almost enchanting! It features an intricate tree design, it has bean bags, soft carpets and even this huge bookshelf with round padded holes in the middle where you can curl up with a book. !Another really mysterious renovation is how they completely tore up the undercover court, rebuilding it to look almost exactly the same. There’s a few theories about this. The more practical one is that it is just to make the corridor beside it wider. Another theory is that they added a secret store room or bunker underneath. Or maybe that’s just me. !Next term we can look forward to further refurbishment that will be done before the end of Chinese New Year. This includes a new medical centre, improved pick up and drop off areas, as well as 2nd floor toilets and improvements in the EAL and LS (learning support) area. Also, we’ve heard that the desktops have been t a k e n o u t o f c l a s s r o o m s i n preparation of secondary classroom renovat ion, so th is might be something you can expect in the future. !!

GRACE GUNAWAN

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the most important celebrations in the Chinese calendar all over the world. For those who don’t usually celebrate the traditional aspects of this festive period, why not try

something different this year? Here are some traditions that you could try yourself and maybe make the experience even more wholesome and enjoyable.

1. Clean your house Get your broom and try to get rid of all the ghosts and negative spirits from last year. Give your house a shine and help clean up; even if it is just your room, have a little spring cleaning. You’ll be surprised what kinds of school papers and lost items from Term 1 lurk in your closet, just waiting to jump out. !NB: No cleaning is to be done on CNY day. Sweeping is a huge faux-pas, as is breaking things. Stop breaking things.

2. Visit your relatives Why not use the New Year as an excuse to have a little family gathering? Even if it just means spending some more quality time with your parents and siblings, it’s definitely worth it. Trust me, it’s nice to escape from the fast-paced, stressful life of a student and just reminisce on funny family memories. You could even challenge yourself and impress your parents by preparing some Chinese dishes to fit the occasion. It’s a great way to make them happy, and to get out of your comfort zone this year.

3. Get a makeover One of the most popular Chinese New Year traditions is to get a haircut and buy new clothes. The actual tradition states that they do this to get rid of all the negative spirits following them from last year. The new year is a great way to start off the “new you”. So why not show the world how ready-for-it you are, because sometimes feeling good on the outside is just as good as feeling good on the inside.

4. Settle all your arguments It is considered lucky to have resolved all your arguments with families and friends, as none of these bad notes would be carried forward to the start of a fresh new year. Send an apology to the person you have fought or argued with, and you will feel a big weight being lifted off your shoulders. This is most important on New Year’s Day, as arguments with the people you love are never really worth it, and are seen as rude and disrespectful.

5. Do your research Chinese New Year is one of the most fascinating festivals in the world. To boost up your general knowledge, why not read an article about the numerous traditions or watch a short clip on YouTube? Technology can take you from your room to China in just a few clicks. So, whether it’s cleaning your room, settling arguments, or even shopping for new clothes, make the experience worthwhile and memorable. Let the celebrations begin!

BHAVIKA CHAWLA, 9L

EXPLORING THE NEW, NEW YEAR

11

JOAKS AND SQUIBAs 2013 bows out, Joaks and Squib recall the albums that helped them survive the year.

Howlin’ by Jagwar Ma Never mind all the hype about Foals, here’s an album from their art director’s brother that you can really sink your teeth into. Opener What Love gets the groove going, segueing into every Madchester revivalist’s psychedelic dream piece The Throw after the moody Uncertainty. There’s more to it than just dance, too, with indie guitar influences on Let Her Go and dreamy Moog on Backwards Berlin. In short, Howlin’ will take you through the epitome of every single genre of music worth listening to, all in a forty-eight minute package. Key tracks: That Loneliness, Man I Need

Comfort by Splashh   “You don’t know how to feel, ‘cause you don’t know what is real!” And so begins Comfort, the

debut album from a relatively new four-piece band from Hackney who can make great music but can’t spell. Okay, that lyric could have come straight off the Pretentious New Indie Rock Band EP, but trust me, things get better. Splashh incorporate themes encompassing all things br ight and beaut i fu l , f rom lemonade (on the aptly titled Lemonade) to talk of running away and taking vacations where nobody knows (on every other song, really), which is guaranteed to have rainbows shooting out the ears of even the most cynical, depressed listener. Key tracks: All I Wanna Do, Green & Blue

180 by Palma Violets A measly 16 months after its conception, 180 was hustled onto record store shelves with all the manner of a freight train smashing into a wall. In the same way the album stomps along from start to finish a la the Clash’s early work, beginning with Best of Friends, a rip-roaring guitar and bass “lads” anthem accompanied by some hasty shout-singing. The pace does eventually slow down for the thoughtful and strangely jubilant Last of the Summer Wine, and

(believe it or not) an adapted lullaby, Three Stars. “What kind of a rock band puts lullabies on their debut album?” I hear you think to yourself. “And why have you mentioned this band in all your previous articles?” Well, have a listen for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Key tracks: Chicken Dippers, Johnny Bagga’ Donuts

Machineries of Joy by British Sea Power The six-piece indie rock band returned this year after releasing not one but six (yes, six!) EPs with a thoughtful ode to finding yourself and staying true to what you love. "Take a look around," croons frontman Yan on A Light Above Descending, "you're one of a kind." The same phrase could be used to describe this very album. From the frenzied whoops on K Hole and the jubilant trumpet blares on Monsters of Sunderland to the quiet guitar on What You Need The Most, the entire album takes you from chaos to peace and back again - and it's a trip you don’t want to miss. Key tracks: Radio Goddard, A Light Above Descending !

JOAKS

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JOAKS AND SQUIB

New by Paul McCartney With Elton John, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam and David Bowie releasing brand new albums this year - it’s been paradise. But nothing comes close to Macca’s return. This is exactly what I’ve

Cannibals With Cutlery by To Kill A King !To Kill A King is an extraordinary band. Not only do they have a distinctive sound that may be described as being an unique offspring of Frightened Rabbit and Mumford and Son, but To Kill A King emits a mesmerizing folk-y melody. With their soulful singing, and captivating lyrics you’ll only be able to open your eyes after the whole album has been played over. Even the album title catches the overall mood and atmosphere of the album itself (well, not really cannibalism but you get what I mean) - sends chills down your spine. And it’s that good. !Key tracks: Choices, Funeral

been waiting for. Forget The Beatles; forget Wings, Paul’s a walking catalogue of the past and present classics, and judging by his new album, it will remain this way for quite some time. Kicking off the album is ‘Save Us’. Who knew distorted guitars and heavy drum beats would be a perfect match for the seventy-one year old? Tracks like ‘Everybody Out There’ and ‘Appreciate’ shines down on Macca’s energetic, inspiring and edgy sound. Lyrics - tick, Music - tick, Legend - tick. To sum it up, this is precisely why he was knighted. Key tracks: Queenie Eye, On My Way To Work

Afraid Of Heights by Wavves Nathan Williams has definitely taken a turn towards Nirvana’s ‘grungey’ sounds in this album. ‘Cop’ may start with a creepy kid’s voice but I promise it gets a better with the catchy riffs and light drum fills. Repeating the freeze-thaw process with their upbeat track such as ‘Beat Me Up’ and mellow, pulsating ones like ‘I Can’t Dream’ is probably what makes the whole album such an adventurous and diverse one. Some may argue that Wavves was better when they ‘wanted to meet Dave Grohl’. In ‘Lunge Forward’ Nathan Williams sings “None of you will ever understand me” -

And no, I don’t think I’ll ever understand Williams but I can probably see through his music. Key tracks: Everything Is My Fault, Demon To Lean On

The Next Day by David Bowie You’ll probably think of Bowie as ‘ T h e - G u y - W i t h - T h e - H u g e -Thunder-Bolt-On-His-Face’ but it’s time to throw out that image, because he’s back with slick gelled hair. Even in his seventh decade, David Bowie is still crazy, in a good way. If his earlier works were forms of proficiency with his raunchy clothing, old man Bowie does it better - without the costumes of course. Never had I imagined an album so divergent as this one. When you thought he was done with astronomy after ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Earthlings’, the track ‘The Stars (Are Out Tonight)’ brings light to the whole album with his delirious telling of a couple stargazing with his uncanny voice. This is surely the track that steps up the quality of the new album. Classic love song ‘Valentine’s Day’ also contributes to the wholeness of ‘The Next Day’ with its ambiguous, delicate yet raw frequencies, and David Bowie makes it irresistible.!Key tracks: Where Are We Now?, The Next Day !

SQUIB

13

ROARING RED, GREEN AND GOLD

You see them everywhere on Chinese New Year; decorated lion heads with bright wide eyes bobbing and dodging their way amongst the crowds of Chinese New Year parades. The lions express joy and happiness and are traditionally used to summon luck and good fortune to all. Lion dances are typically performed throughout the two-week Lunar New Year celebrations, often going from village to village. !Why do people have Lion Dances though? What’s the point? Well, a lot of people want to have Lion Dances on Chinese New Year because of an ancient story called ‘Nian’; Long ago in the mountains, there lived a horrible demon creature named Nian. Every year, on the first day of the year, the creature would awaken and attack the village. He would eat all the available food and, if there were any unfortunate children stuck outside, they would disappear! !The villagers lived in great fear of this beast and boarded up their houses on this night to protect their families. One year, right before this event was to occur, an old man visited the village. He turned to the villagers and asked, "Why do you fear this creature so? Surely he cannot swallow all of you." !From there, the old man informed them, "The beast is easily frightened. He does not like the colour red and he fears loud noises and strange creatures. So tonight, spread red across the village! Hang red signs on every door, make loud noises with drums, music, and fireworks. And to protect your children, give them face masks and lanterns." The villagers did as the old man instructed and Nian never returned again. !And so it came to be that the tradition of the Lion Dance has developed into an annual Chinese New Year event, beautiful and exciting while stopping the evil Nian from ever returning again. ! !

JADE LEE

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ANG PAO A GUIDE TO THAT GIFT WE ALL LOVE RECEIVING

It's the festive time of year again where Chinese people come together and celebrate the beginning of the new Lunar New Year. Chinese New Year is also the largest and most celebrated festival in China, or at least among the Chinese people. Now, during Chinese New Year a strange tradition that comes in a small red envelope that is given to one another during Chinese New Year. This 'red envelope' is also known as 'Ang Pao.'

The simple explanation of Ang Paos is that they are a gift of money. Simple, practical and convenient money; as far back as anyone could remember Chinese people have been giving money not only during Chinese New Year but also other auspicious occasions, such as weddings, birthday to name a few. It should be emphasised that this tradition is not the same as the western countries where they just insert money or gift vouchers into greeting cards. Whereas the Chinese people insert money into an Ang Pao which is decorated with lucky symbols and Chinese characters. The Chinese regard the colour red as a protective colour, representing success, prosperity and the power to cast out evil spirits.

Whenever you give an Ang Pao during an auspicious occasion do not put the money inside a white envelope (it’s extremely insulting). Money in white envelopes is only given on sombre occasions for example funerals. This type

of envelope is called 'Pak Kum' which translates to ' money for the family of the deceased'. Basically white is symbolic of death, and that’s not a great thing to be sending out during the New Year.

The first-ever Ang Pao given goes back to the Sung dynasty in China. The village 'Chang-Chieu' was being terrorised at the time by a huge dragon like demon. No one dared to go face to face with the beast not even the warr iors or statesmen. However, a young orphan, armed with a 'super sabre' inherited from his ancestors, fought the evil monster and eventually destroyed it. The villagers were overjoyed and the elders gave the boy an Ang Pao filled with loads of money for the boy's bravery.

The practice of giving Ang Pao may be centuries old, but it is still as popular as ever. During Chinese New Year, married couples distribute them to anyone who isn’t married. From the tiniest of children, to the spinsters of the world - these are the ones that will continue to receive Ang Paos until they’re well into their years – lucky.

!BRYAN SOO