Once upon a time, the home-sick pioneers of the Singapore Student Association got so frustrated, so disillusioned, and so indignant about paying exorbitant amounts of currency for some barely passable taste of the old country ($6 prata kosong anyone?), that in a moment of anguish they tore at their shirts, beat upon their breasts and decided to take matters into their own hands  (Okay, so maybe they just sat in a circle and bitched until someone decided to do something. But the mood was very tense.).

It was thus that the very first Pasar Malam Night was conceived, with the noble purpose of injecting a little authentic Singaporean flavour into our collective international student lives.

So it was with the same purpose and conviction of their founding fathers, that the SSA Commitee’08/09 set up shop one chilly winter evening to dish out their very own home-cooked night-market favourites to grateful Singaporeans and adventurous Aussies alike.

On the menu was local delicacies like ‘cai tao kway’ (stir-fried radish cakes with egg to the un-initiated), braised hard-boiled herbal tea egg and hot, buttered corn-in-a-cup, all to be washed down with copious amount of rose-flavoured bundung. Needless to say, there were very little leftovers to manage when it was time to pack up.

So, for giving us a fantastic night of food and fun, we at the SSA would like to thank all those whose dedication, hard work and healthy appetites made Pasar Malam Night’09 a success.

Live long and prosper people.

Concerned about the escalating stress levels of his fellow countrymen, righteous SSA President Jeremy Heng dispatched two of his most trusted operatives on a critical mission of mercy. Their mission (should they choose to accept it): to bring relief to his people by freeing them from the terrible yoke of academia, by any means necessary.

Having received their orders, elite SSA Clubologists, agents Jonathan and Jamie began applying their mad skills in events planning to the task at hand. Weeks of painstaking fieldwork – gathering intel and doing all sorts of other classified sh*t – finally paid off and a base of operations was established, paving the way for the most awesome party of the year: Operation Glitz.

So it was that on April 3rd at 2100hrs exactly, students from UNSW, Macquarie and UniSyd rendezvoused at The Eastern decked out in the night’s theme of black and white, to celebrate the triumph of leisure over labour in a single night of light-hearted binge drinking and frenetic gyrating that lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

The City tour 2009 was the next major event organized by the Singapore Students Association and we decided that it would be bigger and better than all our previous city tours.

With that, plans were drawn, routes were marked and the pictures of many interesting places were taken in preparation for it.  All that was missing were the participants and this year we weren’t disappointed as droves of eager students signed up for it after the pre departure briefing!

With such an unprecedented turnout, the cohort was split into 4 groups with 2 tour guides each. Sights such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbor Bridge as well as Chinatown were on the menu. The long journey was made more difficult by the scorching summer sun, yet the atmosphere was kept casual and fun with freshies getting to know one another and enjoying the wonderful scenery.

Midway through the tour, a break was scheduled at the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar located at David Jones. That was where all of us enjoyed a much needed and refreshing beverage. Much better than the Max Brenner in Singapore I reckon!
Sadly but surely, all good things must come to an end and as we ended our journey at Paddy’s Market, numbers were exchanged and new friendships were formed. It was truly an enriching experience for us all.

We would like to thank all those who made an effort to come down. We’ll see all of you for our many exciting events ahead.

On [date] this year, SSA held its Start-of-Session BBQ gathering at Coogee Beach. This BBQ event is traditionally held at the beginning of every semester for existing and new members to meet up and socialize. The weather was great and the turnout - much better than expected. There was free food (mmm… tastes better), fun and games.

Items on the menu included soy-sauced or honey marinated chicken wings, chicken sausages topped with tomato sauce, just the kind of Aussie barbie one would expect. By 10.30am, most of our members had arrived and were eagerly waiting for the food to be served. After tucking in at around 11.30 a.m., the games begun and everyone clearly enjoyed themselves. We hung around enjoying ourselves and chatting away till mid afternoon before posing for a group photo and reluctantly packing off for yet another new semester!

Each year, the pre-departure seminar marks the first of all SSA events to come and this year, we had the privilege of hosting it at the prestigious Carlton Hotel, Singapore.

Held for the benefit of the year’s incoming freshies, these pre-departure seminars provide our schoolmates-to-be with a glimpse into their forthcoming student life in UNSW and beyond that, an opportunity for friendships to be forged.

The night began with Ms Tri Tran, a representative from The University of New South Wales, taking the stage. Her informative speech highlighted the various expectations of an international student, emphasizing the various administrative tasks required of them before and after their arrival in Sydney to ensure a smooth transition across cultures and borders.

Next to speak was our glorious leader, Jeremy Heng, President of the SSA. With his interesting anecdotes and quirky insights, he shared with the audience his experiences as an international student, bracing prospective students for the possible obstacles and difficulties and whetting their appetites with tales of the enjoyment and freedom that comes with life overseas. Through the course of his speech, Jeremy covered broad areas about life in Sydney such as food, culture, lifestyle, and social activities. I would say many were enriched and much entertained.

Our various Alumni Speakers took the stage after Jeremy and that marked the official end of our presentations. The interaction sessions thereafter allowed students the opportunity to interact personally with our team where any burning questions and looming doubts were clarified.

All in all, the Seminar was a resounding success! Students were now equipped with adequate preparation and information even as they prepare themselves for a new lease of life in Sydney.