Happy Easter!

Issue 005/April 2013

FOOTPRINTs

an Earth Walkers publication

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

This month, we continue our feature on the various eld trips and site visits organized and conducted by groups taking the Sustainability module. We have two groups, visiting two very different locations on the opposite ends of the island, sharing their experiences with us.

project 4: REBELS AND NEWATER COME TOGETHER

Overcast skies and long walks did not rather fortunately deter some 90-odd Rebels from having a short but sweet NEWater Visitor Centre experience on 21st and 22nd March. NEWater, otherwise known as reclaimed water, is essentially Singapores technological approach to sustaining our precious water supply, once the existing water agreements with neighbouring Malaysia ends in the not-so-distant 2060. The nation currently has four of such plants in operation, the one we visited being at the eastern tip of Tanah Merah. The hour-long tour, conducted daily by trained centre guides, saw the Sustainability class cohort being rstly ushered onto an interactive area encompassing of displays such as virtual tours of the Singapore River, as well as a water collection mini-game played in an amusingly competitive way by fellow Rebels. The more serious stuff came after the fun and laughter. Rebels were subsequently given a walking tour of the plant facilities, being lectured about the three main processes of micro-ltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet disinfection that worked together to turn wastewater back into reusable water. The tour ended with a call to pledge participants to adopt sustainable water practices, along with the free sampling of NEWater. While making the trip was somewhat of a chore, I suppose that most of us did manage to go home with the realization that saving every other drop does count towards tomorrow. It will, after all, certainly be a bigger chore if our overly-abused taps run out on us one day instead. Kenneth Cheong

PROJECT 5: sungei buloh wetland reserve

Now Ill confess, I have never been to a wetland reserve before and I did not even know that it was on mainland Singapore; I gured it was probably on Pulau Ubin or something. When I found out that we were going to be doing something called Mangrove Salvaging, Id say my curiosity was piqued. What sort of activity could you expect out of salvaging trees? Getting there was simple enough. There is a shuttle bus, which leaves from Kranji MRT station and takes you to the Kranji Farmland areas, with the rst stop being the reserve. We met up with our contact person, Desmond Lee, and began to prep for the activity. And by prep, I mean change out of our footwear and put on mud boots. Yes. Mud boots. They were rubbery and hurt a little cause the rim of the top was loose on my pair, so it kept smacking my shins. Other people found it uncomfortable as well because they didnt bring any socks so some girls had unfortunately left with a blister or two. Mud boots (or Wellingtons) on and bags shoved in lockers, we began our small walk to our activity site. The reserve is actually a whole lot more developed than I expected it to be. I only anticipated an entire forest of mangrove trees, but pathways were carved out through the area and there are sheltered hides for bird watching and resting.There are also a good number of reptiles and marine life in the area, which include snakes, monitor lizards, crocodiles, otters, and a whole slew of shes. We saw a big lizard chilling out in the shade which was easily 5 to 6 feet in length and Desmond mentioned that it was one of the smaller lizard denizens around the reserve. He also mentioned that the snakes would sometimes curl around tree branches and trunks so we should watch what we hold. Needless to say, everyone began looking really hard at everything around them.

The activity turned out to be a lot milder than expected. There are several wading pools scattered throughout the reserve. The purpose of these pools is to allow migratory birds to feed. These birds usually y down from countries such as China and Russia. Interestingly enough, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve was formed by a group of avid bird watchers, who discovered that migratory birds landed in the area to feed. So they formed the reserve and began preserving the habitat for the birds in the years following their discovery. We had to uproot the saplings which were growing in the wading pools; some to be relocated, others to be removed. The reserve does this because the birds do not like areas which are difcult to maneuver around. Given that no one can claim that they play with mud very often, it was actually really fun once we got down to it! We saw some big mudskippers, and really tiny crabs too. Some girls freaked out when they uprooted saplings and saw a whole clump of worms underneath and there were some occasions where people got stuck in the mud, leading to much shouting and laughter. All in all, the reserve is denitely an unexpectedly nice place to see and explore if youve got the time. Aiden Eng Ruhan

Recycle Once a Day, It Goes a Long Way !

NAMASKAARAM! (HELLO IN KERALA)

On short notice and with a light backpack, Mellissa Seah and I decided to head to Kerala for a short holiday. Upon arrival, we realized that India was not as bad as we had expected. The locals were really friendly and genuine. They would unselshly offer their help without expecting anything in return. As one of the top tourist destinations in India, Kerala receives many domestic tourists as well as a handful of European travellers. This was very apparent as we really stuck out like a sore thumb. Although that made us easy targets to solicit business from, the locals were more patient and educated us on several norms such as dining without cutlery and even taking the local bus. Due to our time and budget constraints, we only had a week to spare. Hence we decided to visit Fort Kochi, Alleppey and Munnar while in Kerala. Fort Kochi is the heart of Cochin, situated along the coastline, where seafood is readily available at very affordable prices. We were very lucky to chance upon PHOTO With the local kids PHOTO A home-cooked local meal Indias rst Biennale, which showcased some really interesting art pieces. One of which I remember vividly; random objects such as empty drink cans, water bottles and dried leaves among other things were electronically coiled with copper strips and connected to the generator. It is an interactive piece, creating an echo of the objects sound when touched. Alleppy, an hours drive from Fort Kochi has a stunning view of the sunset along the coastline. Though it is not the cleanest beach around, the view from the beach resort was mesmerizing. We were even told by other home stayers that dolphins could be spotted along the beach occasionally. Unfortunately, we werent that lucky this time round. Over there, you can either rent a houseboat and stay overnight on the backwaters, or go on a canoe tour through the narrow canals. We chose the latter and were exposed to the villagers daily routine. The serene environment was very calming and soothing, offering us a different view on life. We then made our way southwards to Munnar. If you think Genting drivers are reckless, the bus ride towards Munnar was a blood-tingling one. The driver would speed through the mountainous terrain, overtaking vehicles by crossing paths towards oncoming trafc. It felt like I was on a roller coaster, just that this ride lasted for 5 terrifying hours

LUSH TRICHOMANIA SHAMPOO BAR REVIEW

Who ever said you cant look or smell good while saving the earth? Introducing Lushs Trichomania Solid Shampoo Bar, a product that will leave you smelling fresh while doing your part for the environment. This is just one of the few products that sustainable cosmetic brand, Lush has created that minimizes the use of unnecessary packaging often used, without compromising quality. Product Name Lush Trichomania Solid Shampoo Bar Retail Price $17 per 100g at Lush, Wisma Atria Our most hydrating solid shampoo, Trichomania is for hair that has lost its moisture and needs to be tamed. Moisturize, condition and lightly fragrance your dry, processed, curly hair with rich, creamed coconut and coconut oil. An amazing ingredient for parched hair, coconuts are full of conditioning cream that covers every strand in moisture. 1) Smells really good! If youre a fan of coconut desserts like me, youll be really happy to have this in your shower! 2) Lots of bubbly foam with just a little water! 3) Easy to carry about, since its in a bar form. I chop mine up into little cubes for multiple use because I prefer keeping my shampoo bars as clean as possible. 4) No need to use a hair conditioner after shampooing. 5) Great alternative as a shaving cream. 1) If you hate the scent of coconut, then you wont enjoy this product, as the fragrance is quite strong. 2) Dissolves and softens much more easily than other shampoo bars that I have, especially if youre running the bar under warm water. 3) Just like many shampoo products, it does leave some product buildup on the scalp. A clarifying shampoo used weekly will solve this problem. 3/5

Product Description

The Good PHOTO A canoe tour in Alleppy

The Bad

Overall Rating

Charissa Yvette Ho // Charissa is a Year 1 UNLV student and a renowned local beauty blogger. Check out her website for more beauty product reviews and tips - http://yvettia.com/

PHOTO Breathtaking view of the Tea Valley in Munnar Munnar is well known for its tea valley. Instead of opting for the jeep ride up the tea plantations, I chose to trek up by foot instead. To be able to reach the peak on foot, with such breathtaking views was an achievement and well worth the effort. So how much did it cost? Well, it was only about SGD $1,000 for an entire weeks trip. That is inclusive of the air tickets, accommodation and expenses. What a steal indeed! Its my rst time to India and it would denitely not be my last after hearing the many stories from our housemates during our homestays about bustling North India. We certainly should not limit our preferred travelling destinations to just Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong and other popular areas. Being in the hospitality industry, it is important for us to be exposed to different cultures and keeping an open mind about the world at large. The world is your playground only if youre willing! Willius Koh Kah Wee

FOOTPRINTs

EDITORIAL Managing Director Aiden Eng Ruhan Editor-in-Chief Warren Elliot Wee

ART & DESIGN Creative Director Victoria Tan Creative Designer Edith

Writers Aiden Eng Ruhan, Charissa Yvette Ho, Kenneth Cheong, Willius Koh Kah Wee
www.facebook.com/unlv.earthwalkers unlv.earthwalkers@gmail.com

Recycle Once a Day, It Goes a Long Way !