Lorem  Ipsum  Dolor   Issue  #,  Date  

THE  HOWL  #3  

Fashion                            2  

Are  you  excited  for  the  “BIG  4”  fashion  weeks?    

Sleep                                    4  

DID  YOU  KNOW?  Oversleeping  is  as  bad  as  being  sleep  deprived!  

Valentines                    9  

Are  you  single  and  ready  to  mingle?  

Also  inside  this  issue…    

February  2014   Volume  1,  Issue  3  

Chinese  New  Year  at  TCIS  –  page  3  

 

Trip  to  Taiwan  –  page  6  

 

Sports  Event:  Bisac  –  page  7  

 

Hearthstone  –  page  8  

Current  Events  in  Thailand  –  page  10  

 

FIFA  World  Cup  in  Brazil  –  Page  12  

 

 

 

 

Where  is  the  Chinese  New  Year  Spirit?    

By:  Kunlanit  Chongsujipunt  

Getting  together  to  eat  the  biggest  dinner,  play  cards,  chat  loudly,  receive  red  envelopes,  watch  fireworks  -­‐  these  are  just  a  few  moments  that  always  happen  during  Chinese  New  Year.  Even  before  Chinese  New  Year’s  approach,  the  lively  atmosphere  had  already  started  at  TCIS.  Walking  throughout  the  school,  you  can  see  the  vivid  decorations  all  around:  lanterns,  fans,  and  banners  with  great  wishes  and  messages  on  them.    On  the  21st  of  January,  even  the  Taiwanese  Parent  Association  set  up  a  Chinese  Food  Sale  with  all  the  delicious  traditional  Chinese  food  for  students  to  try!  On  January    

 24th,  Grade  8  Mother  Tongue  Chinese  students  also  dedicated  their  time  and  effort  to  host  their  own  Chinese  Food  Sale.  Both  events  filled  our  stomachs  with  tasty  foods  and  brought  smiles  to  everyone’s  faces.   The  Chinese  New  Year  spirit  increased  even  more  when  the  afternoon  show  started.  The  loud,  “Tum!  Tum!”  from  the  big  drums  captured  everyone’s  attention.  Laughter  could  be  heard  from  the  crowd  when  the  lion  troupe  danced  along  with  the  popular  “Gangnam  Style.”  Parents  showed  their  support  through  the  cheerleading  dances;  the  presentations  taught  us  more  about  the  Chinese  New  Year  origin  and  how  to  celebrate  it;  

adorable  kids  danced  and  sang;  students  competed  by  saying  idioms  quickly.  The  show  ended  with  the  traditional  Chinese  fan  dance.  On  the  way  out  of  this  auditorium,  we  were  all  ready  to  celebrate  Chinese  New  Year.    

 

 

 

Sleep,  Sleep,  Sleep  By  Napat  Karnsakultorn    

Sleep?     People  often  emphasize  that  not  sleeping  enough  is  bad,  but  little  do  we  talk  about  oversleeping.  Most  of  us  probably  never  received  complaints  about  sleeping  too  much  (other  than  from  our  moms).  Each  individual  requires  different  sleeping  needs,  depending  on  age,  daily  activities,  health  and  habits.  But  did  you  know?  Oversleeping  is  as  bad  as  being  sleep  deprived.      Can’t  help  it?  

Really.  Some  people  just  can’t  seem  to  get  enough.  Hypersomnia,  or  excessive  daytime  sleepiness,  causes  people  to  feel  sleepy,  regardless  of  how  much  they  have  slept.  Not  only  will  people  with  this  disorder  feel  sleepy  all  the  time,  but  even  napping  will  not  relieve  their  sleepiness.  Hypersomnia  results  in  symptoms  that  include  anxiety,  low  energy  and  memory  

problems.       The  other  syndrome,  obstructive  sleep  apnea,  causes  the  upper  airway  to  collapse;  which  then  makes  the  person  stops  breathing  for  short  amounts  of  time.  A  person  with  this  syndrome  can  stop  breathing  from  around  20  to  40  seconds,  which  is  not  extremely  harmful.  Still,  it  disturbs  the  sleeping  cycle,  thus,  increasing  the  person’s  sleepiness.  Symptoms  for  the  syndrome  includes  loud  snoring,  apnea  (lack  of  oxygen),  and  gasping  or  choking  while  sleeping.    Effects  Depression  -­‐  Although  not  a  leading  cause  of  depression,  oversleeping  contributes  to  15%  of  depressed  patients.    Sleep  drunkenness  -­‐  Groggy  feeling  caused  by  oversleeping.      

 

 

(Continued)  

Diabetes  -­‐  Either  sleeping  too  much  or  getting  not  enough  sleep  results  in  higher  risk  of  diabetes.  Headaches  -­‐  Oversleeping  affects  the  neurotransmitters  in  the  brain  that  causes  headaches.  Heart  disease  -­‐  Sleeping  from  9  to  11  hours  a  night  increases  the  likelihood  of  heart  disease  by  38%,  compared  to  a  healthier  8  hours  of  sleep.    Sleeping  Facts  -­‐  Sleep  deprivation  does  not  affect  how  people  function.  In  fact,  you  will  function  the  way  you  would  normally.  It  also  makes  you  more  optimistic.  BUT  it  makes  you  too  optimistic  that  you  start  making  unreasonable,  risky  decisions.    -­‐  Some  animals  sleep  way  more  than  others,  and  for  some,  a  lot  less.  Also,  size  doesn’t  matter!  Giraffes  only  sleep  for  1.9  hours  a  day,  and  a  horse,  2.9  hours  a  day.  On  the  other  hand,  cats  sleep  up  to  12.1  hours  and  armadillos,  18.1  hours.    -­‐  Dolphins  are  capable  of  putting  a  side  of  their  brain  to  sleep  at  a  time  while  keeping  another  side  awake.  In  that  condition,  they  can  remain  active  for  360  hours  (15  days).      

Still,  sleeping...  -­‐  Reduces  stress  -­‐  Improves  mood  -­‐  Improves  athletic  performance  and  coordination  -­‐  Increases  memory  -­‐  Increases  ability  to  pay  attention  -­‐  Helps  when  recovering  from  sickness  -­‐  Helps  healing  after  surgery  -­‐  Helps  adjust  to  change  in  time-­‐zone      So,  goodnight  and  sleep  tight!    

 Sources:  http://www.buzzfeed.com/kellyoakes/25-­‐surprising-­‐facts-­‐about-­‐sleep    http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-­‐sleep-­‐works/how-­‐much-­‐sleep-­‐do-­‐we-­‐really-­‐need  http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/05/health/upwave-­‐sleep-­‐too-­‐much/  http://www.webmd.com/sleep-­‐disorders/guide/physical-­‐side-­‐effects-­‐oversleeping      

 

 

Trip  To  Taiwan  By  Owen  Wu  

Did  you  know  that  TCIS  went  on  a  music  and  drama  tour  in  Taiwan  during  the  December  Break?

Well,  if  you  didn’t  then  you’re  missing  out  on  A  LOT!

The  music  and  drama  tour  went  from  the  20th  of  December,  2013,  and  ended  on  January  2nd,  2014.  The  orchestra  and  drama  group  performed  in  Taipei,  ChungHwa,  Taichung,  and  Kaoshiung.  Apart  from  performing  in  different  schools,  students  also  visited  various  tourist  attractions  and  shopping  areas  in  the  cities. The  students  in  orchestra  also  made  new  friends  in  The  Affiliated  Senior  High  School  of  National  Kaohsiung  

Normal  University  (高雄師大附中)  by  staying  with  host  families  for  a  few  days.    Practice  makes  perfect,  and  that  is  no  joke  when  you  apply  the  concept  to  the  orchestra  and  drama  crew;  they  were  rehearsing  for  countless  hours  before  jumping  on  the  plane  to  Taiwan  and  continued  to  grow  as  artists  as  they  performed  each  show  in  Taiwan.  The  orchestra,  led  by  Ms.  Lichou,  played  pieces  such  as,  “A  Vaughun  Williams  Christmas”,  “Dark  Adventure”,  “Smooth”,  “Pirates  of  the  Caribbean”,  and  a  compilation  of  Michael  Jackson’s  hits.  The  drama  crew  performed  “A  Fairy  Tale  Rescue”,  a  semi-­‐musical  comedy  play  

written  and  performed  by  the  Drama  &  Theater  Arts  Class  directed  by  Mr.  A.      The  2013  December  music  and  drama  tour  was  filled  with  laughter,  companionship,  teamwork,  art,  and  memories  for  the  students.  Special  thanks  to  Mr.  Tony,  Ms.  Vivian,  Mr.  Andrew  and  other  chaperones  for  making  this  trip  possible,  thanks  to  Ms.  Lichou  for  directing  the  orchestra  and  Mr.  Jay  for  being  our  guest  drummer,  thanks  to  Mr.  A  for  directing  the  drama  crew  and  Ms.  Julie,  Ms.  Vera  for  chaperoning.  

 

 

of  the  game.  Tina,  a  junior  who  play  

the  position  as  a  center,  joined  the  basketball  team  in  her  first  year  at  TCIS.    She  said,  “To  me,  they  are  more  than  teammates.  They  are  sisters  who  share  the  same  passion,  and  they  are  also  the  engines  that  keep  me  playing  basketball.”  Three  years  of  playing  basketball  with  her  teammates,  she  is  attached  to  the  team,  and  has  built  a  close  relationship  with  them.  

Each  season  ends  with  a  BISAC-­‐wide  tournament  hosted  by  one  of  the  BISAC-­‐member  schools.  This  is  also  when  sport  teams  combine  all  their  effort  from  the  whole  season  of  practices  and  trainings  into  this  last  tournament.  Tina’s  most  exciting  moment  during  BISAC  was  when  they  were  about  to  beat  Shrewsbury  International  School  (SHB)  with  their  score  catching-­‐up.  SHB  has  always  been  their  rival  team.      

 “I  don’t  know  what  happened...  we  just  couldn’t  keep  up  the  on  fire  moment  and  lost  the  game.  However,  that  wasn’t  very  frustrating  for  me  since  I  had  already  fought  the  best  I  could,  and  left  no  regret  on  the  court.  I  did  my  best,  and  had  fun  -­‐  that’s  what  it  all  matters.”  Tina  said.  

 

 

After  interviewing  Tina  about  her  reflection  on  the  BISAC  tournament  and  her  thoughts  on  this  season’s  U19  girl  basketball  team,  I  perceived  that  sportsmanship  is  as  important  as  an  athletic  abilities.  Tina  has  a  positive  attitude  when  confronting  all  her  games.  It  doesn’t  matter  if  she  wins  or  loses,  because  she  tries  her  best.  Tina’s  spirit  and  enthusiasm  will  support  her  throughout  her  basketball  path.  Her  bonding  with  the  team  and  all  their  hard  work  will  lead  her  to  success.  Don’t  ever  give  up!  

After  all  the  sweat,  teamwork,  and  challenges,  the  U19  varsity  girl  basketball  team  had  their  final  battle  in  January  at  the  BISAC  tournament.  This  team  was  formed  with  unity  and  companionship  that  has  been  cultivated  over  many  years.  Athletes  tried  their  best  until  the  last  second  of  the  

 

 

Nerdy  News  By:  RexarAwe  

Blizzard,   one   of   the   most   renowned   gaming  companies   of   this   generation   and   mother   to  eternal   classics   such   as   the   Warcraft   and  Starcraft   games,   has   once   again   unleashed   an  amazing   product   in   the   gaming   industry:  Hearthstone.   Like   many   of   its   predecessors,  Hearthstone   is   extremely   polished,   if   not   yet  completely  balanced,  hence  the  reason  why  it  is  still   in  open  beta.  For  those  people  who  do  not  know  what  “open  beta”  is,  it  simply  means  that  the   game   is   “open”   for   anyone  willing   to   play,  but   is  still  prone  to  tweaks  and  fixes  depending  on  the  player  base,  who  are  held  responsible  to  report  bugs  and  errors  (mistakes  in  the  game).    Having  played  a  full  day’s  worth  of  Hearthstone,  I  can  honestly  say  that  I  am  still  as,  if  not  more,  enthusiastic   as   when   I   first   started   playing.  That’s   saying   A   LOT   considering   that   I   have   a  duty   to   play   other   games   (from   my   3000   GB  collection   of   games)   as   well.   I   had   high  expectations  going  into  this  title,  and  I  got  more  than   I   ever   bargained   for.    Hearthstone  managed  to  suck  me  into  a  wormhole.

I   swear   I   only   played   for   a   few  hours,   but   like  many  other  things  that  overflow  with  addictive  fun,  it  sliced  away  an  entire  day  of  my  life  (and  probably  more  in  the  near  future).    The   question   remains,   though.   What   is  Hearthstone?    Hearthstone  fits  into  a  category  of  games  called  “card  games”.  This  genre  has  its  devoted  fanbase,  but  isn’t  as  “hot”  as  other  genres  such  as  MOBAs  (I’m  looking  at  you,  League  of  Legends),  first  person  shooters  (FPS),  role-­‐playing  games,  and  real  time  strategy  (RTS)  games.  Blizzard  has  already  come  to  dominate  the  RTS  field  with  Starcraft  II  and  the  RPG  field  with  (the  once  highest  subscribed)  World  of  Warcraft.  Now  Blizzard  is  locking  its  sights  on  the  battlefield  of  card  games.    

Any  gamer  would  know  that  a  good  game  is  not  defined  by  its  graphics,  but  by  its  mechanics  and  rules.  Good  rules  and  a  good  execution  of  

 

 

(Continued)  

those   rules   make   a   good   game.  Everything   else   such   as   graphics  come  in  second.  Hearthstone  takes  place  in  the  Warcraft  universe.  For  those  unfamiliar  with   it,   imagine  a  cartoonish   remake   of   Tolkien’s  Middle   Earth   for   the   less   nerdy.  While   a   certain   level   of   literature  expertise   is   required  to  appreciate  The  Lord  of  the  Rings,  Hearthstone  is  full,  fantastic  fun  for  all  ages  and  genders,  provided  you  have  a  basic  understanding   of   English   and  numbers.  There  are  two  types  of  cards:  spells  and   minions.   Each   player   has   a  certain  store  of  mana  that  expands  as   the   game   goes   on.   Different  amounts   of   mana   is   required   for  using   different   cards.   Spell   cards  have  unique  effects  such  as  healing  minions   and   turning   enemy  minions   into   sheep.   Minion   cards  summon  a  variety  of  monsters  that  can  deal  and  take  a  certain  amount  of   damage.   Each   player   has   thirty  life  points;  victory  is  reached  when  the  enemy’s  life  points  reach  zero.  Well,  it  sounds  like  any  other  generic  card  game,  right?  Here’s  the  catch:  Each  player  can  choose  from  nine  different  heroes  (more  in  the  future)  that  have  their  own  set  of  unique  spell  and  minion  cards.  With  fun  mechanics  and  gameplay,  the  professional  “cover”  the  game  has  with  its  

 stylish   art   and   bad-­‐donkey  voice   acting   creates   a  wonderful   experience   for  anyone,   be   it   a   fantasy,   card  or  strategy  enthusiast.     Oops!  I  forgot  to  mention.  This  game  is  FREE.  Don’t  believe  it?  Go  to  battle.net,  create  an  account,  install  the  game,  and  start  playing.  You  only  have  a  mac?  NO  PROBLEM!  The  game,  like  all  other  Blizzard  games,  support  both  Mac  and  Windows  operating  systems.      For   those  who   think   that   this  game   might   be   “pay-­‐to-­‐win”  like   most   other   MMO  (massively   multiplayer   online)  games,   it   definitely   is   not.  While  you  can  pay  real  money  to   buy   new   card   packs,   you  can   alternatively   but   them  with   in-­‐game   currency   you  earn   through   quests   or  battling   in   the   arena   (it   just  takes   more   time).   I   even   feel  like  the  few  dollars   it   takes  to  buy   new   cards   is   worth   the  cost.   The   creators   definitely  earned   it.   Keep   in   mind   that  this   is   coming   from   a   very  stingy   guy.   Don’t   believe  me?  Ask  my   friends!   Oops,   I   don’t  have  any.  Haha!  I  lied.        

Do  I  regret  all  the  time  I  invested  into  this  game?  NO.  And  from  what  I’ve  played,  I  won’t  ever.  If  I  have  but  on  regret,  it  would  be  that  life  is  too  short  to  truly  cherish  all  the  games  in  the  world.  

 

 

 

 

What  is  going  on  in  Thailand?  By  

Ant  Phongpandecha  

Background    Thailand  moved  from  an  absolute  monarchy  to  a  constitutional  monarchy  in  1932  when  King  Prajadhipok  (King  Rama  VII)  agreed  to  sign  a  temporary  charter  and  announced  that  “the  highest  power  in  the  land  belongs  to  all  people”.  Constitutional  monarchy  is  a  type  of  government  where  the  Prime  Minister  is  the  head  of  government  and  a  hereditary  monarch  is  head  of  state.      

Who?    On  the  surface,  there  is  a  clear  political  conflict  between  two  major  camps—the  ruling  Pheu  Thai  Party  on  one  side  and  the  opposition  Democrat  Party  on  the  other.  

What  happened?    Turmoil  in  Thailand  has  been  ongoing  since  December  2013,  when  Pheu  Thai  party,  current  government  led  by  Ms.  Yingluck  Shinawatra,  proposed  an  amnesty  bill  that  would  have  pardoned  Thai  politicians  Abhisit  Vejjajiva  and  Suthep  Thaugsuban  (formers  of  Democrat  Party)  over  murder  charges,  and  Thaksin  Shinawatra  (former  of  Pheu  Thai  Party)  for  corruption  charges.  The  bill  was  rejected  by  the  Senate  of  Thailand  on  11  November  2013.  Suthep  Thaugsuban,  a  former  of  Democrat  MP,  continued  and  turned  towards  an  anti-­‐government  agenda.    

What  do  the  demonstrators  want?    Suthep  Thaugsuban  has  said  the  demonstrations  will  not  stop  until  Thaksin’s  regime  is  wiped  out.  The  government  also  maintains  that  it  will  hold  on  to  it’s  power.  So,  we  will  just  have  to  wait  and  see  how  everything  turns  out!      

Pheu  Thai  Party  Logo   Democrat  Party  Logo  

 

 

 

 

Sed  nisl  sapien,  pulvinar  ut,  feugiat  nec,  porta  non,  odio.  Vestibulum  vehicula  elit  ut  dolor  accumsan  dapibus.  

By  

Han  Jong  Won  

 Fast  Facts  -­‐  World’s  most  widely  viewed  sporting  event    -­‐  Takes  place  every  4  years!  -­‐  Held  by  FIFA  (Federation  Internationale  de  Football  Association)  -­‐  Games  in  the  2014  World  Cup  will  be  played  in  twelve  Brazilian  cities:  Belo  Horizonte,  Brasilia,  Cuiaba,  Curitiba,  Fortaleza,  Manaus,  Natal,  Porto  Alegre,  Recife,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Salvador,  Sao  Paulo  -­‐  32  teams  from  all  over  the  world  participate      

Fun  Facts  -­‐  3.2  billion  people  worldwide  watched  the  2010  World  Cup  -­‐  46.4  percent  of  the  world!  -­‐  Brazil  was  won  more  championships  (5),  scored  more  goals  (210)  and  won  more  games  (67)  than  any  other  team  since  1930  -­‐  The  first  world  cup  was  held  in  1930  in  Uruguay  -­‐  The  Goal  line  technology  will  first  be  implemented    -­‐  Only  seven  nations  have  won  the  World  Cup;  Brazil,  Italy,  West  Germany,  Argentina,  Uruguay,  England  and  France.  

 

Things  to  Look  Out  For  

1)  The  Battle  between  Gods  (Ronaldo  and  Messi):  These  two  names  undeniably  appear  on  the  front  pages  of  magazines  and  the  news  week  in  week  out.  After  Ronaldo  received  the  Ballon  d’or  and  the  title  of  World’s  Best  Player,  it  would  be  interesting  to  see  who  will  come  out  on  top  of  the  other  in  the  stage  of  the  world’s  32  best  teams.  

 

 

   

2)  The  Rise  of  the  New  Powers  (Columbia,  Belgium,  Argentina,  Portugal)    

Despite  claims  that  either  Spain,  Germany,  or  Brazil  will  win  the  World  Cup,  there  are  several  other  countries  like  Columbia,  Belgium,  Argentina,  and  Portugal  with  their  superstar-­‐studded  squads  and  new  generation  of  talents.  It  will  be  one  thing  to  look  out  for  the  players,  another  thing  to  look  out  for  the  countries  to  compete!  

   

(Continued)  

3)  Will  Brazil  Successfully  Host  the  World  Cup?  

There  has  been  many  doubts  about  whether  the  12  stadiums  Brazil  promised  to  build  will  be  successfully  constructed  with  all  the  troubles  from  workers  dying,  low  wages,  and  anti-­‐government  protest.  We  will  have  to  wait  and  see  how  Brazil  will  do  in  the  remaining  four  months  to  host  the  World’s  largest  sport  event  that  will  draw  millions  from  all  around  the  world.