Blitz Magazine, Issue 3

8/13/2019 Blitz Magazine, Issue 3

1/84


2/84

Supervisor

Pham Ngoc Hoang Phuong

Editorial Department

Nguyen Hoang Vu (Editor-in-Chief)

Le Do Thuy Tu

Pham Hung Hau

Tran Thanh Giang

Design Department

Pham Cong Danh (Art Director)

Nguyen Vinh Hien (Design Manager)

Van Ngoc Thanh

Le Thu Trang

Nguyen Ngoc Phuong UyenNguyen Hoang Anh

Nguyen Minh Huy

Nguyen Nguyen Quang

Le Thi Thanh Duyen

Marketing Department

To Bao Tran (Marketing Manager)

Le Pham Minh Tue (Research Manager)

Nguyen Bich NgocNguyen Ngoc Phuong Linh

Finance Department

Huynh Thi Nhu Ngoc

Stylists

Nguyen Thi Phi Yen

Chu Nguyen Phuong Thao

Nguyen Ngoc Thanh PhuongNguyen Trung The Phiet

Pham Thanh Nhu

Tran Phuong Anh

Trinh Ai Nhi

Cover Model

Nguyen Le Hong Ngoc

Contributor

Dang Minh Tuan

Daniele Moretti

Dao Ngoc Tuyet Nhung

Do Nguyen Thanh Truc

Doan Khanh Linh

Doan Thao Vy

Doan Tran Anh Thu

Hoang Nam Phuong

Kim Thuy Vy

Ly Thao Anh

Nguyen Cong Thanh

Nguyen Hanh Minh Chau

Nguyen Luong Cong Thanh

Nguyen Minh NgocNguyen Pham Xuan Quyen

Nguyen Phuong Uyen

Nguyen Thu Ha

Pham Ngoc Bao Thoa

Phan Dieu Hien

Tran Thi Xuan Tra

Trieu Hoang Giang

Trinh Le Dung

Truong Bich Nhat HaTu Phuong Vy

Vo Song Ngoc

A huge thanks to all the people who have joined in to make this edition possible!


3/84

EDITORS LETTER

Dear Readers,

In some Vietnamese families, theres

a well-preserved custom that I find

intriguing: on the very first birthday

of the infant, the parents will propel

her (imagine its a girl) to an Everest

of random stuff, from mime mask,

toy microphone, Doraemon manga

to clippers and scissors. Lets say

the baby picks the mike, her Gaga-

centric daddy will probably yellout a prophecy like this: Teehee!

My daughters gonna live for the

applause, applause, applause when

she grows up! Hmm, now take a step

back. Whats the implication of such

quirky superstition?

Inside every adult lies a playful child. World-renowned psychiatrist Carl

Jung once put it: The creation of something new is not accomplished bythe intellect but by the play instinct. Childhood games, willy-nilly, weave

the inaugural threads into our identity tapestry, which is constantly sewn

until our last breath.

So after a hiatus, Blitz Magazine is back to give your hibernating play

instinct a wake-up call. Stir and follow Miss Possimpible to win big in a

dog-eat-dog wrestling match with Procrastination. Turn to The Vhenatord-

Saur for a loaded pistol and shoot Final Phobia dead in its own Russian

roulette. Better still, dive headfirst into the fantasy world of ageless PeterPan, amiable Lunch Lady, vibrant magic troupe Twenties, and ebullient fish

jugglers at Pike Place Market.

The game has just begun,

Nguyen Hoang Vu

Editor-in-ChiefSpecial thanks to our Silver Sponsor


4/84

37-38

32-36

30-31

28-29

26-27

24-2521-24

18-20

16-17

14-15

12-13

9-11

8

6-7

BOXFULOFENGAGEMENT

tokyocrepesprojectstoryofunstoppableheartbeats

GUNSFORHDHUNT

GOOD MORNING, MELBOURNE!

ONTHEMOVE

11FACTSABOUTAIESECRMITVIETN

AM

NOWYOUSEEUS

LIKEITORNOT,SOCIALMED

IAISNOPLAYGROUND

DEADLINERACINGSYNDROMEANDITSSECRETS

7TIPSTOHAVEFUN

WITHYOURINTERNS

HIP

SETITUP,SPIKEITDOWN.

IFIWERENTALECTURER...

BACK TO NEVERLAND

CODESWITCHING:HOTORNOT?

Campus&Career


5/84

ADVENTUREOFACOMMERCEALUMNUS

FAMILY-PLACETOBEBACK

THELUNCHLADY-WHERELUNCHM

EETSFUN

ANYWAY,THATSNOTMYFAULT!

VLOGGERMORETHANJUSTANENTERTAINER

THEHALLIWELLSISTERS

WHEREARETHEYNOW?

STEAMPUNKTHEODD,

THEWHIMSICAL&T

HEDIVERGENT

sTUDIOgHIBLI

MASHUPTHEMALL!

fatloss-myth&truth

lowcarbdiets-whynot?

HENNATATT

OO

WHEnCULTUREISWEARABLE

CHATWITHMRHIEU

GOODTHINGSCOMETOTHOSE

WHOTRY

GROUPWORKWITHGRACEFINESTTIPSFROMWORLDFAMOUSFISHMONGERS

Society&Culture

Arts&Entertainment

Health&Fitness

70-73

64-69

62-63

60-61

58-59

56-57

54-55

51-53

50

48-49

46-47

43-45

42-43

39-41


6/84

6 Blitz MagazineIssue 3

C

&C

o f

The Green Heritage project

is run from week 5 to week 7 inthree consecutive semesters, starting

from semester B 2013. Since the very

start, 21 crocodiles have collaborated with

111 RMIT volunteers to produce roughly

1,000 sketchbooks, which have been

given back to the students. On average,

each crocodile has gained its weight

by 10.5 kilos so far, thanks to your

generosity.

Bo x f u lWords Pham Hung Hau & Le Do Thuy Tu

Have you spotted the

green crocodile heads

and the funky newsboy

around our campus

recently? Dont be scared

they are friends, not

predators or aliens!

The Green Crocodiles

are our lovely cardboard

mates, whose mission is

to enhance the habit of saving

and recycling papers within the student

community at RMIT Vietnam, SGS Campus.These eye-catching cartons are part of

Student Councils project Green Heritage.

This is how they work: you come feed them

with one-side used papers or old academic

materials, and then they will help

you turn these papers into handy

sketchbooks or small accessory-

storage boxes.

The Green

Crocodiles


7/84

Issue 3 Blitz Magazine 7

Campus&Career

e n g a g e m e n t

Lets say you have a

brilliant idea and want to

share it. Previously, this was merely

possible for the contributors of Blitz

Magazine. But from now on, being the

author of your own magazine is nowa piece of cake for you, me, and

everyone.

Each semester, the Funky Newsboy

will appear in front of Highlands

Coffee and stand there for a whole

week, hungry for your inputs to the

upcoming magazine issue. It only takes

less than 5 minutes to make your voice

heard, so dont hesitate to jot down theup-worthiest and shape the magazine

to your own liking!The Funky

Newsboy


8/84


C

&C Tokyo

Crepes

Project

Words Enactus RMIT Vietnam

Enactus RMIT Vietnam is a community

of students, academics and business

leaders who are eager to use the

power of entrepreneurship to

benefit society. Lately, Enactus has

successfully conducted a project

aimed at improving the marketing

strategy of Tokyo Crepes, a food

service business that had been

experiencing financial problems for

years.

With 3 appointments per week during

the last 4 months discussing thefuture of the business, Enactus and

the owner of Tokyo Crepes have built

up a relationship closer than mere

partnership. The barriers walling

them all collapsed its no longer a

matter of us or them, but of we,

who spent time, energy and business

knowledge to ship this business

through the storm.

Stress, failures and disappointment

hit both parties hard in the first 2

months of the project. They had to

constantly assure themselves that

there would always be a way out, and

they just had to find it. This self-belief,amazingly, acted like a dose of doping

that stimulated them to keep walking.

After a few months, the Tokyo

Crepes project has succeeded in

reconstructing Tokyo Crepes business

structure, marketing strategy and

financial management.

Sometimes were weary to death.

This initial attainment is like a

raindrop to our year-long drought.

Like a ray of light that urges our feet

to move until the end of the tunnel.

- says Phu, Tokyo Crepes Project

Manager of Enactus.

With unstoppable heartbeats, mightycourage, and ceaseless perseverance,

Enactus will surly bring about a

flourishing future of the Tokyo Crepe

project, reflecting its two core values:

sharing and professionalism.

For further information, visit Enactus

RMIT Vietnams Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/EnactusRmitSgs

Story ofUnstoppableHeartbeats


9/84

GoodMorn

ing,

Melbourne!

Words

Nguye

nPhuo

ngUyen

ImetMe

lbourn

eduring

RMITV

ietnam

sexcha

ngepro

gram.Eve

ryone

callsh

eracity

.Icallh

erbudd

y.Thes

toryofM

elbour

neandmego

eslike

this...

All of the buildings in this photo

belong to RMIT Melbourne

An everyday view of the city centre.

The area behind the tram is Federation Square


Campus&Career


10/84


Melbourne is a typical lady, lovely but

erratic. She could get to 25oC like a

warm heart on Monday and then fall

below 10oC on Tuesday like a terribly

cold war. Sometimes she is moody,

dropping tears for no good reason.

Yes, the weirdest friend of mine ever!

My biggest fear when befriending

Melbourne? Waking up at 8 am to

prepare for morning classes during

the whole winter period. Heres the

process: I woke up, trembled in the icy

arms of Melbourne and bargained for

a couple more minutes to sleep. I went

to RMIT half-dreamy and wondered

where my class was. Is it 9.2.31 or10.10.02 or 8.9.41 or what? A school

with too many buildings sometimes

is not that good, isnt it? I opened my

note, checked the room and rushed to

class like a hungry cheetah. That cycle

kept repeating, and I kept begging

Melbourne to stop torturing me with

those frozen mornings. Hah!

Melbourne also introduced me

to many interesting friends of

hers. Some passed by like a

wind, some stayed forever. One

of the unforgettable was my male

classmate, a Cambodian man in his

40s, whose bluish striped shirt fit in

well with a pair of grey trousers that

reveal the curve of his overwhelming

belly. His English was funny: It tak

me tu hour go tu school. At first, Ididnt like him at all. What made that

old man enrol in a class full of people

at half of his age? I only knew the

reason when the semester was about

to end, when there was a writing

assignment requiring everyone to

share a personal story. And heres

his story: he was a politician in a

collapsed party that guaranteed himno life left in Cambodia. After eight

years of struggle, he was accepted

by Australian government as a

refugee. All the sufferings gave him

the motivation to wake up at dawn to

catch a two-hour train. To go to class.

To start all over again for a bachelor

degree. I didnt like him. I admired him

instead.

Melbourne propelled international

Flinders Street Station

C

&C


11/84


studentslike me to a triangle love:

studying working travelling. If

you study and work part-time, you

wouldnt have time to go around. You

love travelling? Then you wouldnt

be able to fully commit to any work.

Notwithstanding, I chose the latter.

When talking about Australia, peopleput the spotlight on Sydney and its

Opera House so often that they forget

about other cities. Melbourne has

its own beauty, humble yet dynamic:

Federation Square with colourful

festivals, Fitzroy Garden with exotic

flowers, Yarra River with its serene

cascade,

or open lanes with vibrant shops

and ubiquitous graffi ti drawings.

Even more exciting are the beaches

there: Brighton with colourful

houses, St Kilda with paragliding, or

Williamstown with a lively harbour

and breath-taking sunset.

Six month passed by, and Melbourne

gave me more than Id ever expected.

I found it hard to say Goodbye to her,

so I chose to pack my See you very

soon! promise with a wink instead.

Colourful houses at

Brighton Beach

The exchange program is a strength of RMIT Vietnam. The aim of theexchange program is to offer RMIT Vietnam students a chance to live and

learn at RMIT Melbourne for one or two semesters with the same tuition

fees as at RMIT Vietnam, while not extending the total length of study.

Since 2005, there have been around 250 RMIT Vietnam students joining

this program.

If you wish to join the exchange program in July 2014, please kindly

submit your exchange application to the Student Administration Offi ce at

RMIT Saigon South Campus by 5 January 2014.

For further consultations, you can make an appointment with Ms TrungVo, Assistant Registrar (Student Administration) or email her at

[email protected].

Campus&Career


12/84


13/84


Campus&Career

AIESEC RMIT Vietnam does not

charge any membership fee. Yes,

its free. All you need to do is to

go through a three-round and

one-month-long recruitment.

One of the founders ofAccounting Club was an

AIESECer, holding the position

of Vice President of External

Relations back then.

AIESEC RMIT has the weirdest

HD student ever. During his

time at RMIT, Le Minh Triet, co-

founder of AIESEC RMIT Vietnamand scholarship student, got HD

grade for none of his courses

except for Commercial Law. Hes

now the Chief Offi ce Manager at

Cogini, a regional consultancy

service specializing in software

development and systems

integration.

3

4

5

6

7

9

10

11

8

Dancing is not a marketing tool of

us - its part of our culture! If you

plan to be an AIESECer, youd better

prepare to dance a lot and even get

addicted to it.

The very first conference thatAIESEC RMIT Vietnam delegates

joined was the National Leadership

Development Seminar in Singapore,

2008.

The vision of AIESEC is Peace

and the fulfillment of humankinds

potential by developing more and

more Change agents aroundthe world through the Exchange

programs. Until now, AIESEC RMIT

Vietnam has successfully sent its

members to 6 countries: Brazil,

Finland, China, Japan, India and

Malaysia; as well as welcomed

students from 15 countries: Austria,

Poland, Switzerland, Mexico, China,

Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia,Indonesia, The Philippines, India,

Japan, Germany, UK and Spain. Quite

a long list, huh?

One in five RMIT AIESECers are

male. Its time to sing Beyonces

Run the World.

If you happen to befriend an

AIESECer, dont be shocked at theway he/she talks after coming back

from an AIESEC conference. Every

crazy memory and initiative starts

there!

Therere millions more cool facts

about AIESEC RMIT Vietnam. Join the

club and explore them yourself!


14/84

NOW YOU SEE USWords Dao Ngoc Tuyet Nhung & Do Nguyen Thanh Truc

Once again, RMIT Vietnam students took home 2 awards in the national finale of

CIMA Global Business Challenge (CIMA GBC) - annual business competition for

undergraduates around the world - with Twenties from SGS campus as second

runner-up and Alpha from Hanoi campus as champion.

Blitz had a little conversation with Twenties, a team of young and ambitious

individuals:

Nguyen Phuong Quynh My (Commerce)

Nguyen Huynh Anh Ngoc (Business Information Systems)

Pham Huu Hong Ngoc (Economics & Finance)

Tran Phung Khanh Lam (Commerce)

1

2

3

4


C

&C


15/84


Campus&Career

How they departedOn a rainy day, the four of us bumped

into each other at Beanland Library.

We were all in our twenties and

wanted to do something big before

it flew off. All of a sudden, we came

across a Facebook post about CIMA

GBC and decided to give it a try. We

picked Twenties as the teams name

to represent our enthusiasm and

youthfulness. Unbeknown to us, from

that moment we embarked on an

incredible journey.

True friends dont let you docrazy things aloneDuring the preparation time, we

encountered countless stress due to

assignments and time pressure. Yet,

we were lucky to have My to amuse

us by her crazy stuff. With the same

spirit, after the presentation round, we

went back to our room - we prayed,

cheered, sang and danced like therewas no tomorrow.

Lessons learnt along the wayMake sure to look at the big picture

because The closer you look, the

less you see (our favorite quote in

the blockbuster Now You See Me).

The more you look at one side of the

issue, the fewer solutions youll find.

In-class knowledge is very useful

in competitions like this and for our

future career.

Its best to apply and combine

knowledge from different majors.

Such a nerve-racking competition

like CIMA GBC demands a strong

team spirit to keep calm and

overcome hardship.

Experience as the biggest prizeWe think it will be great if RMIT

Vietnam students can join these

kinds of competitions, where you can

transfer all the arid in-class theories

into real-life practice. They will also

open up a window of opportunities

for you to challenge yourself in a

competitive environment before

entering the real workplace. You can

unleash your previously unknown

abilities, too. Experience is the biggest

prize, and you know what, one of

the judges told us that he didnt

want to hire people who always wonbecause they would never know the

bittersweet taste of failure.

From Twenties with loveTo team Alpha:

Weve learnt so much from you guys.

Thanks for representing RMIT Vietnam

as the national champion to compete

in the global finale in South Africa.

To the advisors:

We want to send our sincere

thanks to our lecturers. Mr. Melvin

wholeheartedly supported us

mentally during the competition. Mr.

Kevin Nguyen instructed us on how to

give a good presentation. Mr. Truong

Mai, Mr. Jaime Calbeto and Mrs. Jis

Kuruvilla, with their exceptional

expertise, helped us a lot in improvingthe overall quality of our work. Thank

you guys so much!

1

2

3

4

The closer you look,

the less you see.


16/84


C

&C

Like it ornot, socialmedia is no

playground

Like , love, dislike, and hatred - its

all about how we feel and how

we wish to be perceived. Socialnetworks, professional sites, blogs,

posts and updates are all there

for us to express our opinions.

But when love turns to hatred, like

turns to dislike, the fallout can be

permanently devastating and life-

changing. And while it may seem

hard to secure yourself online, its an

action you cant ignore.

McAfee, an international computersecurity company, found in a recent

survey that between 10% (Australia)

and 77% (India) of adults have had

their personal content leaked to

others without their permission in

many cases by their disgruntled

ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends.

And its not surprising that 11% of

respondents had been confronted bypotential or current employers about

their social media content. McAfee

sent out the following advice:

Lock your lips - Do not share

password with anyone

Lock your devices - Use password

protection on your phone and

other mobile devices

Love the Delete button - Take the

time to delete personal or intimate

text messages, emails and photos

from your phone

Share the Love, not the Info - Once

you share private information with

those you love, that data is out of

your hand, and out of your control

Words RMIT Vietnam Career Centre


17/84


18/84


19/84


Campus&Career

As humans, we avoid anything that throws us out of our comfort zone. This

reminds me of my best friend - call her Ginny, or Ginny-the-professional-

procrastinator. After several days delaying her major assignment, Ginny finally

sat down in front of her computer. The fun part is that she sat there for almost

half an hour, doing nothing but staring at the blank screen and moving the

mouse around. No words were typed down. She told me that she totally

focused, nothing distracted her. It was the feeling of starting to

work that made her feel so demotivated. She said I would

do anything, even the housework, as long as its not my

assignment.

Words Miss Possimpible

& Truong Bich Nhat Ha

I remember reading quite a

naughty metaphor about

postponing work:

Procrastination is like

masturbation. At first, it

feels good but you are just

screwing yourself.Well,Ive undergone this tricky

sensation so many times

that I think its high time to

get out of the trap.

Below are some mighty weapons to defeat the procrastination enemy. Each has

its pros and cons, so I would recommend a synergistic combination of them for a

grand victory.

So, how to eliminate procrastination?

The Paranoid Approach: Think of horrible results you would get. A PA or

even an NN. Also give yourself an imaginary deadline, which is 1-2 days

before the real deadline.

The Opportunist Approach: Maximize the profit from your time bank. Bath

time can also be relaxation time. Bus time can also be exam-revision time.Another key to success is to go through the most diffi cult parts of your

assignments when your energy is high.


20/84


21/84

My internship position at Bayer

Vietnam came to me very

unexpectedly. In the first place, I

applied to be a Marketing Executive

for one of the subgroups of Bayer

Vietnam - which specializes in 3

businesses: Bayer Healthcare, BayerCropScience & Bayer MaterialScience

- but it turned out that the employer

needed someone with knowledge of

agricultural products. I knew nothing

about this area; however, instead of

losing confidence, I asked them lots of

questions about their businesses. The

conversation gave me an internship

slot in Bayers Communications

Department - it was a pure beginners

luck, though.

Enjoy being a newbie

The saying what you do in the

real world differs vastly with what

you have studied in university

is especially true in my case,

a marketing student doing a

communication-based internship.

But as a newbie, I was not expectedto know it all. I was free to explore

the real world, where my learning

wasnt really related to what I

did. Its strange for a marketing

student to design standees, write PR

materials and edit movies, isnt it ?

But I myself was impressed by how

much I had learned just after six-

month at Bayer Vietnam.


Campus&Career


22/84

If you make mistakes in the beginning,

its likely that youre pardoned as

youre new. Nonetheless, try not to

violate the rules, especially unwritten

ones. In your first week, you should

get a list of your colleagues contacts.

Problems arise when people overlap

each others jobs, so try to avoid this as

much as possible.

The most important thing interns

should do is asking for work

proactively and accepting all kinds of

tasks. We have just graduated (or about

to graduate), so we must seek as many

opportunities to learn from our work

as possible.

I was startled when asked to do

physical works at first. The nature ofcommunication jobs is varied: today

Learn the rules

Accept all kinds of tasks

Dont be afraid to ask your

colleagues for help. In my case,

I talked with my boss quite a lot

because communicating with her

would help me get the job done

more quickly than trying to figure

things out on my own.

you may have the honor to meet

celebrities, but tomorrow youll be

standing on the top of a mountain of

mails to be enveloped and sent.

My offi ce only had 3 people, so we

had to share all the work. Gradually,

I found doing the physical works

together was sometimes even more

joyful than sticking to the computer

screen.

C

&C



23/84

If you want to be treated nicely, you

must be nice first. Pay a little extraattention to your co-workers looks.

Praise their new dresses, flatter their

hairstyles. Its not the compliment that

Snacks can build relationships! White-collar workers often need something to

nibble during long working hours, so a

few cookies can bring people together.

Evaluate your work on a weekly basis,keep track on improvement and

discuss them with your boss and/

or co-workers. Try to get as much

feedback as you can, but filter them to

Keep in mind that youre still youngand inexperienced. The approaches

youve learnt in RMIT - no matter

how good they seem to be - are not

always applicable to your particular

workplace. Take a look around and

discuss your ideas with co-workers

before raising your voice. During

meetings, do you best to listen rather

Be nice

Bring snacks

Think about improvements

Listen, listen, listen

matters, but rather the fact that

you care for people around you.And always go the extra mile when

helping your colleagues.

Likewise, ideas can be discussedmore effectively during friendly

conversations than on the cold

meeting table.

your own situation. Being able to seeyour own self-improvement is the

best way to boost your confidence

and performance.

than to talk. This doesnt mean youhave to follow directions mindlessly.

Think about what youre doing

while youre doing it. How can you

work faster, with fewer resources?

Remember, positive changes start

from nowhere else but you.


Campus&Career


24/84


C

&C

SET IT UP,

SPIKE IT DOWNWords Dang Minh Tuan

Whats the first thing

you have in mind when

you think of volleyball

players? Height, right?Well, that isnt the case

when it comes to our

Volleyball Club at RMIT

SGS Campus.

I was sitting down with some

members of Volleyball Club on aFriday afternoon for an informal chat.

They all laughed their heads off when

I asked whether it was necessary to

be tall to play volleyball. Having a

decent height may be an advantage

in this sport, but its rather the teams

effort and solidarity that determine

the result of a match, a member

explained. With 6 different positions

in a team, each having different

characteristics and responsibilities,

volleyball requires a whole lot of

mutual understanding among themembers to attain harmony, and

of course, victory. It doesnt matter

how tall you are, as long as you

know how to use your own strengths

to compensate for your fellows

weaknesses. Quite often, every

member is encouraged to play in

different positions, so that he/she

can fully develop into a well-rounded

player.


25/84

Established in 2012, RMIT Vietnam

Volleyball Club is still very young;

indeed, most of its members had no

experience in playing volleyball prior

to joining the club. As they learn along

the way, bruises and injuries have

become more and more common.

No pain, no gain even the newbies

understand that motto and thus

hardly make any complaint on their

first days.

We believe the next generation will

bring volleyball to a new height - asport that represents RMIT Vietnam,

said the president, whose sparkling

eyes made me regret not taking up

volleyball.

When I become an alumnus, I hope

to play in a friendly match with the

successors of the club.

Following up the Volleyball Internal

Tournament during week 7 and 8

this semester, the club is organizing

the External Tournament, which

commences on November 26th, 2013.

This challenge is set to see how far

the club has come and how far theyll

have to go forth. Visit RMIT Vietnam

Volleyball Clubs Facebook page to get

updated news about their upcomingtournament:

http://bit.ly/RmitVClub


Campus&Career


26/84

If I Werent a Lecturer

#LecturerSecrets

Interviewers Dao Ngoc Tuyet Nhung & Do Nguyen Thanh Truc

With#LecturerSecrets,youll see your lecturers are

more interesting than you might think. So just start off

this brand new section with a simple question:

What would our lecturers do if they werent lecturers?

NguyenHungGiang(Designlecturer)

JadeBilowol

(Professional

Communicati

onlecturer)

JasonCosta(

Coordinator,Inter

mediate,English

LanguageProgra

ms)

I might

go back to my previous

job, being a police offi cer, but I enjoy being an

educator more. My idea for being a policeman was influenced

by movies, not reality. I wanted a job that enabled me to help

people and society, so I thought policeman was the best job

for that. But after being a policeman for 1 year in America, I

realized it wasnt the job I wanted. Education seemed like a

better fit for my raison dtre.

If I werent a

lecturer, to be honest, my

ideas change every day. But at this stage,

I think I would like to be an artist or an arts teacher,

fine arts. At high school, there were 2 subjects I

excelled at: Arts and English. So I decided to myself

that I wanted to either pursue journalism or arts. I

ended up choosing journalism and I have no regrets.I love what I do, but I would like to try

studying some arts subjects next year.

Some of my favorite artists are Van Gogh,

Picasso, Mir, Brett Whiteley

and Dali. I guess

if I werent a lecturer,

I would still be doing design. And if I

werent to do creative things like design, I would end up

doing IT. I almost went for an IT school in Singapore whenI was in high school, just so you know. I also love to be a

musician in a band and sing in the bar.


C

&C


27/84

RebeccaMorr

is(Fashion&Tex

tilesMerchan

disinglecture

r)

CarolineNg

uyen(Marke

tinglecturer)

ChrisSmith(Marketinglecturer)

LeKhacHuy

(Marketinglec

turer)

I would actually like to design jewelry and have my own jewelry

brand. Its because I love jewelry. I always like buying jewelry,

shopping for jewelry and just really fascinated by all the different

kinds of designs. I could think about going for businesses or

anything that I love, even like opening a cupcake shop. I love

cupcakes. My sister is a good baker. I have a dog. I love dogs, so Imight even open up a pet shop.

If I werent

a lecturer, I would

be a Buddhist monk. Its a very

good life and happy life. I was a monkin India last year. The temple in this

photo on my desk is in Myanmar. Being

a monk is my personal interest. I want to know

more about the teaching of the Buddha. My first

time knowing about Buddha was 15 years ago.

Now I teach meditation at RMIT Sports Hall every

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to pursue my

hobby.

Iwould be,

hmmm (laughing) a

gym instructor or a firefighter.

I like helping people and physical activities

as well, so I think I would be a firefighter. I practice

lots of sports, but Ive never been a firefighter.

Therere other jobs that can help people, but as for

firefighters, most of them are men. So I think as

women, its another big challenge. Thats why I have

this in mind, but just a dream.

I would

be a marketing consultant.

Thats a bit boring, isnt it? Thats what I

was before I was a lecturer. Besides marketing, I have no

other interests. My love for marketing started in my first

job. I was 23 and worked at the marketing department

of Barclays Bank in London. I have my own marketing

consulting business but Im not doing it now. Yeah, I used

to run my own marketing consultancy.


Campus&Career


28/84

C

&C

Words Hoang Nam Phuong

Everybody grows up, except one - J. M. Barrie

Raise the Curtain is an annual event that RMIT Vietnam Drama

Club has been working on to bring musical theater closer to

the students. Throughout this event, RMIT Vietnam Drama Club

aims to create a creative atmosphere composed of acting,

singing and dancing, all in one play.

Peter Pan is the very first play to match with

the theme of Raise the Curtain this year:

Forever Live Young (FLY). Childhoodsdreams never die. And being able to

fly and soar from place to place

is one of them. Basing on the

classical story of Peter Pan, RMIT

Vietnam Drama Club brought

the audience back to where

dreams and hopes all began,

to the life of an aspiring child,

and more importantly, to theirinner land of imagination.

I got myself a seat at 6pm

in Melbourne Theater. The

whole setting of the Darlings

bedroom in the dim light

was right in front of me, and

it almost felt like I was at

the heart of London. As the

curtain was raised, the Darling

kids appeared, immersing



29/84


themselves in a

fierce imaginary sword fights. Then Peter

Pan came, carrying such a carefree and

devil-may-care attitude, which inspired

the Darlings to embark on an adventure

of a lifetime. They landed in Neverland,

a place where kids dont have to worry

about grown-ups things. Bad luck for

them, Captain Hook and his evil crew

took over the land in revenge for his

lost hand. And thats when the whole

adventure began.

I was awed by the play. I would

never expect such stunning visual

effects of the sparkling night sky

embracing the flying kids. The music

was emotional and reminiscent of my

childhood; and the vocals throughout

the play were like precious gem on the

colorful theatrical mosaic. Everyoneremained silent as the narrator wrapped

up the play: From that moment on,

Wendy had never seen Peter again. But

by the windows, every child is waiting

for Peter Pan to appear and take them to

Neverland. This may sound ridiculous, but I

dont want to grow up ever again after watching

this spectacular work. Gigantic applause and

consecutive standing ovations were the pricelessrewards for all of the crews hard work during 6

months full of sweat and passion. I witnessed a few

members shed tears of bliss and joy for have completed

such a wonderful journey. I did cry a bit, too!

Peter Pan has become an icon for freedom and imagination to each

and every one of us, including myself. To be able to fly high, youve got

to have faith, trust and some pixie dust for sure!


30/84


C

&C

CODESWITCHING:HOT OR NOT?

Words Nguyen Pham Xuan Quyen

English is long known as the lingua franca in theglobal business environment, and Vietnam is noexception. However, there is a growing trend amongstyoung Vietnamese people to intermingle English andVietnamese in daily communication. Are theyreally aware of this so-called code-switchingphenomenon?

Its not a severe problem that more and more people

tend to mix two languages in their communication.

However, we shouldnt use Viet-lish, which

translates Vietnamese slangs into English literally,

like No four go (Vo tu di), Know die now (Biet chet

lien), or Like is afternoon (Thich thi chieu). The

tricky part of practicing English is that it should bedone in appropriate places and time, otherwise, it

would backfire.

TRINH TRAN


31/84

It depends on the situation youre in and the people

youre talking with. For Vietnamese students who study

overseas or at international universities, its acceptable

because theyre used to using English on a daily basis.

For the other groups, however, I think most of them just

want to show off.

If a student really wants to improve their skills in a foreign

language, he/she can join English clubs or English-

speaking cafs. Code switching is only for show-offs.

Its a good thing. When we speak a foreign language

besides our mother tongue, we can improve our

speaking and listening skills. Dont think of English

merely as Britains or Americas language its the

worlds language! So the more we practice, the better.

Its normal to use English at an international university

like RMIT. Its diffi cult not to occasionally throw some

English words to the conversations with our Vietnamese

fellows, as therere terms weve learnt that just cant be

translated into Vietnamese. However, when it comes to

chatting about personal and non-academic stuff, I think

we should choose only one of the two languages: eitherEnglish or Vietnamese, not both. Its a sign to show that

you respect yourself and the listeners.

Code switching impacts negatively on the mindset of the

speakers. It does not only deplete the beauty of Vietnamese

culture but also diminishes the values of Vietnamese young

people in the eyes of surrounding people, especially the

elderly and foreigners. There should be a clear distinction

between the two languages anything in between will

make the listeners feel uneasy or confused, which affectsthe quality of communication.

NGOC NGUYEN

ANH NGUYEN

LOC HUYNH

TRANG NGUYEN

QUANG NGUYEN

Campus&Career



32/84

Guns

for HDHuntWords The Vhenatord-Saur

Week 12 is finally here one more week until the

grand hunt for HDs (high-distinction grades). To

make your life easier, Blitz has tracked down some

superb accessories to help you upgrade your guns

and defeat the final exam battles. Time to dig up the

secret weapons of our HD warriors, who survived 5 of

the fiercest exam battlefields ever at RMIT: Practice

& Theory of Creativity, Investment, Commercial Law,

Macroeconomics 1 & 2.

Exam Battlefield:Practice & Theory of

Creativity

Commander: Melanie Casul

HD Warriors:Luong Tuong Vi, Vuong

Duy Khanh, Nguyen Minh Ngoc, Trieu

Hoang Giang & Dang Minh Tuan

Slides and textbook are your

best friendsRead the textbook, set readings and

class materials throughout the whole

semester, not the night before the

exam. This helps you critically think

about the key points covered so far.Remember, cramming is the biggest

enemy of HDs. (Tuong Vi & Minh Ngoc)

Look at and analyze all the examples

in the textbook using theories learnt

in class. Believe me, youll have some

fun along the process. (Hoang Giang)

Go beyond the textbookBecause you have to analyze a

real campaign in the final exam,

you should have some foundational

knowledge about the advertising

industry, societys situations,

and insights into different target

audiences. Reading newspaper,

watching TV commercials and keeping

up with recent advertising campaigns

around the world will be helpful.

(Tuong Vi)

SMART WAYS TO UN-FAIL CREATIVITY


C

&C


33/84


Exam Battlefield: Investment

HD Warriors: Dinh Trung Hieu, Nguyen

Thuy Van, Nguyen Vuong Tin & PhamHoang Anh

Thinking off-book is essential. Never

learn parrot fashion for such exam.

Understand the key concepts (brand

personality, brand image, brand value,

single-minded message, etc.) and

then try to remember them in yourown words. (Tuong Vi & Duy Khanh)

Try to expose yourself to different

case studies and understand the

context where they taking place.

Likewise, when learning new theories,

try to relate to at least one example

for each. (Hoang Giang & Duy Khanh)

Imagine an ad campaign/project

and give it some strategies and ideasusing the theories. Also explore

the External links on Blackboard

because they may sharpen your

creativity. (Hoang Giang)

Learn from your own notes as well

as your friends notes. There could

be information that was discussed in

class but wasnt included in the slides.

Of course, studying with friends isalways more fun and motivated. (Minh

Tuan)

Participate in the Discussion Board;

try to answer all the questions to get

feedback from the lecturer. (Hoang

Giang)

During the examAll the warriors agree that:

Write in paragraphs, not bullet

points. Link your response to as many

theories in the course as possible, and

provide relevant examples for eachquestion.

Be creative with your answers. After

all, the course is here to celebrate

creativity.

Always keep in mind theres more

than one way to answer the questions.

Sometimes, the answers are much

simpler than you might think.

Use Leo Burnetts and David Ogilvysquotes in the exam to support your

ideas where applicable.

The exam is long; therefore, try to

allocate your time wisely, dont waste

too much time on one question.

Commanders wordsMelanie Casul: The key to passing

the final exam is to read the textbook

within various contexts: economy,

politics, society, culture, and

technology. Not simply to memorize

the context but after reading it, look

at current examples available in the

media. See how the theory in the

book is seen or not seen in everyday

advertising.

INVESTMENTMINIMIZING RISKS, MAXIMIZING GRADES

Every route leads to Rome. Every

great deal of effort leads to good

results. These HD students havedifferent methods of revision, but

they all target a fruitful outcome in

Campus&Career


34/84

the final exam for Investment.

Dinh Trung HieuStudy with a group of friends so that

they can give you feedback.

Update news on the stock market

and apply theories learned in class

to analyze the current market

situations. This will make it easier for

you to memorize and understand the

concepts.

Nguyen Thuy VanPractice multiple choice questions

on Blackboard.

Re-read the textbook thoroughly.

Use highlight memo paper to

underline the important content and

to mark the textbook pages so that it

will be easier to find out the matters

Exam Battlefield: Commercial Law

HD Warriors: Hung Ai Dung, Nguyen

Kim Vu Linh, Nguyen Thi Kim Khanh &

Tran Thi Hong Nhung.

Prepare your confidenceIts good to have friends to learn

together, discuss law rules (their

connection, their application in

reality, etc.) and practice answering

questions before giving your paper to

the lecturers for feedback. (Ai Dung)

Read all the cases in the PowerPoint

slides. (Ai Dung)

Re-do all the weekly practicequestions in tutorials. Make

appointments with your lecturers to

required during the exam.

Looking at your previous

assignments in the course and

reviewing all the feedback will help

you know what your lecturer expects

from you in the exam.

Nguyen Vuong TinPretend youre in the real exam and

re-do the tutorial exercises within a

set time limit.

Pham Hoang AnhA quick revision on previous courses

like Business Statistics, Quantitative

Finance, Business Finance, and

Accounting may be necessary to get a

good grip of the concepts presented in

the Investment courses.

COMMERCIAL LAWWHAT DOESNT KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

revise them. (Ai Dung & Vu Linh)

Say no to intensive revision on the

day right before the exam, because

if you realize you dont understand

something, youll feel scared and lose

confidence. Instead, relax on the day

right before the exam. (Kim Khanh)

Prepare your skillsBe careful of the questions and

interrelated rules. For example, you

must be able to distinguish consumer

goods from services contract when

applying offer & acceptance. (Hong

Nhung)Manage your time. There are 4

questions, so you should only spend

C

&C



35/84

MACRO 1IS NOT HARD AND YOU KNOW IT


Campus&Career

roughly 30 minutes each. If you dont

know the answer for a question, just

skip it and come back later. (Hong

Nhung)

Know your cheat sheets well - you

should know where to find the rules.(Kim Khanh, Ai Dung & Vu Linh)

Prepare you materialsCreate your own cheat sheets. Even

though this is an open-book exam,

having the knowledge in mind will

help you to save time and be more

confident. (Vu Linh)

Bring a dictionary to the exam. Thisis not to translate from Vietnamese

into English, but in case there are

some English words in the questions

that you have no idea about. Even

when it comes to unimportant words,

you can panic if you dont have a

dictionary in hand. (Vu Linh)Bring highlighters to the exam.

Read the questions carefully, and

highlight important information.

Particularly, for questions regarding

Offer-Acceptance with more than

two parties, highlight the information

of each party with a different color.

This will make the analysis easier. (Vu

Linh)

Exam Battlefield: Macroeconomics 1

HD Warriors: Hoang Ngoc Thao Ly,Tran Huu Tri & Pham Thuy Ny

Practice sounds boring, but its

always the best weapon indeed!

Hoang Ngoc Thao Ly:Summarize every topic learnt since

the first week.

Listen to free lessons on Youtube.

Heres a good example:

Tran Huu Tri:Re-do every single piece ofhomework that was assigned before

the exam day.

Pham Thuy Ny:Practice to understand the economicprinciples. Dont wait until you clearly

understand the principles to do the

exercise. You can start doing the

exercise even when you just have a

little understanding. By practicing and

comparing answers, youll find out why

you were wrong and understand how the

principles work in reality. Practice helps

you gain experience, and experiencehelps you understand the principles to

the max.

Practice to get used to the questions.

Like math and other situation-related

subjects, one principle may vary when

applied in different situations. You need

to do exercise to experience and get used

to all those situations. If you can do that,

Im sure you can quickly respond to any

question in the exam.

Practice to know the common tricks.

bit.ly/JWelker


36/84

Exam Battlefield: Macroeconomics 2

HD Warriors: Nguyen Thi Phuong

Trinh & Nguyen Thao Vy

Reload your bulletCarefully examine the in-slide

examples of some special cases and

interpretation of the theories. (Phuong

Trinh)

Review your own notes. The slides

are not detailed enough to get all theinformation. Therere many things the

lecturer explains in class that may

help you understand the slides better.

The notes also help you systematize

the information and thus remember

them better. (Thao Vy)

Reading book is critical. The

textbook will give you a deeper

understanding of each theory.Therere some aspects that the slide

dont cover as precisely as the book

does. (Phuong Trinh)

Last semester, lecturer Ye Kluegel

Cleo opened many extra classes, in

which she covered everything from

the beginning, gave extra materials

related to each topic and answered

the students questions. We found

Multiple choice questions often have

some traps that you wont be able to

detect if you either dont have a deep

understanding or havent experienced

them before. Practice the multiple

choice questions is a good chance for

MACRO 2IS HARDER AND YOU KNOW IT TOO

them extremely helpful - so if there

are any extra classes this semester,

we strongly suggest you attend them.(Phuong Trinh & Thao Vy)

Practice drawing diagrams and

interpreting chain reactions from

these diagrams. (Phuong Trinh)

Write full answers for the sample

questions on Blackboard. Then, give

them to your lecturer to check and

point out your mistakes (if any). As

you come up with these answers,

please comply with the solution

requirements below each question.

(Phuong Trinh)

You only need to answer 6 out of 10

questions with respect to 10 topics, so

prepare 6 topics that youre best at.

(Phuong Trinh)

and fire!Try to finish all the 6 questions as

missing one question means losing

10%. You should spend roughly 15

minutes on each. (Phuong Trinh)

Find pens that could make you feel

comfortable and write fast. Dont let

this trivial stuff bring you trouble.

(Phuong Trinh)

you to get into these traps without

affecting your final mark. This is the

key element that will help you get

good marks in every exam, not only in

Macroeconomics 1.

C

&C



37/84

Campus&Career

RMIT Vietnam Football Club (SGS)

ON THE MOVEOfficially re-established in Semester A - 2013, RMITVietnam Football Club has been making university

life more vibrant and unforgettable with its youthful

vibrancy.

Within a short time , RMIT Football Club (RMIT FC) has achieved much sound

success, including the third place at the Vietnam University Games 2013 (HCMC

Regional Round) and the second place at the recent Open Futsal Tournament.

These awards have strengthened the clubs belief that they are on the right

track.

It takes determination and effort to get to where the club is now. At the

beginning, RMIT FC faced a manpower problem: even though football is the

king of sports, it didnt seem to be appealing to RMIT students. This challengehas spurred the members on to revive the football passion in RMITers hearts

with innovative strategies.



38/84


Training ProgramBy implementing this regular program, RMIT FC aims to offer the trainees

professional training conditions with football experts and cutting-edge practice

facilities. The club divides its members into the small teams undertaking

scientific schedules to maximize the training effects and satisfy the trainees

self-development demand.

Team BuildingRMIT FC also organizes trips to Vung Tau each semester in order that the

members can practice physical exercises and strengthen their bonds as a team.

The clubs vision, however, is not only to gather people who can play football, but

also to create a frenetic playground that connects students inside and outside

RMIT Vietnam via their common passion for this sport.

7on7 Football & Futsal TournamentsThe internal football tournaments have attractted more and more participation

and attention, not only from the students but also from the staff. In the matches,

the players can be competitors but off the field, they are brothers. Although

not having a rich history like other clubs, there is no doubt that RMIT FC has

tremendous potentials and a promising future ahead.

Again, theyre not here to train anyone to be football stars. Their sole and only

mission is to make your university experience more enjoyable and memorable.In semesters to come, RMIT FCs next projects are going to take place on a larger

scale, full of surprise and excitement. Stay tuned for their move!

C

&C


39/84

Chat with

Mr. HieuGood Things Come toThose Who Try

Words Trinh Le Dung

Although I met Nguyen Chi Hieu while he was busymarking piles of assignments, this enthusiastic

lecturer was still willing to share his motivational

stories, accompanied by a welcoming smile.

Before coming to RMIT Vietnam, you had received

many scholarships from world-renowned

universities, which I find impressive. Can you

share with the students some experience in

getting these scholarships?

Very interesting question. Well, to get to where I am

today, I had marked out three steps for myself and

thought them through one by one. First, I chose the

degree that fit me the most. This way I can prove

to the examiners how passionate I was. Frankly to

say, it was my passion and vision that counted, not

the GPA. Second, I tried to find my own answers for

these questions: What is the scholarship looking

for? Which type of student is suitable for this

scholarship? And how will it complete me? Third, I

didnt put myself under any pressure. Lucks come

to everyone, but miracles only come to those who

try. If you dont succeed right from the first time,

keep trying. If you still fail in the next time, keep

trying harder. The thing is, the second failure is

always better than the first one because youvelearnt something valuable.


Campus&Career


40/84

What do you think about RMIT Vietnam students? Is there any strength/

weakness that you spot from them?

RMIT students are really active. You guys are self-confident and you know howto deploy your strengths very well. Ive seen many activities made by students

around campus. I think that is so great because activities will give you more

practical experience which you cannot learn from the book. Just like you guys,

when I was studying abroad, I often took part in many activities related to my

homeland, Vietnam. I participated in Vietnamese cultural festivals as well as

fund-raising events, the most prominent of which was a Trinh Cong Son music

concert. Ive learnt a lot from these extra-curricular activities indeed.

However, I think RMIT students should try to study more independently. You guysshouldnt depend too much on your lecturers. Were here only to provide you

with the knowledge, you yourself need to do further research and explore more

related materials after class. Thats the meaning of tertiary education, especially

in such an international learning environment.

I heard it through the grapevine that youve travelled around 20 countries. Is it

true? How has travel affected your perspectives on life?

Yes, its true. Travelling across different countries, Ive gained new insights intopeople, myself, as well as all the inevitable ups and downs in life. When you

travel alone, you have to be independent, and thats what I like about it. I love

making new friends during my trips and I like challenges.

I used to drive across America. I went to China, Greece, Africa, and all over

Southeast Asia. There were some trips in which I had to leave behind all my

gadgets such as cell phone or iPad. Sometimes I even had no clean drink, no

food and no shower. So I see travel as a good way to challenge and improve

myself. Above all, travel allows me to discover my deepest identity.

C

&C



41/84

Wow, that sounds great! Besides travel, what are some of the things you fancy

doing in your free time?

I love photography, hiking, dancing and Vietnamese street food (not necessarily

in that order). I enjoy standing on a high mountain, treating myself with thesplendor of the landscape. It gives me a sense of freedom and reminds me that

nothing can stop me from doing what I want. I also fancy watching sunset at a

deserted beach. Its so peaceful.

Many young people admire you and want to lead an interesting life as yours.

What do you think about that? Is there any moment that you feel regretful

when looking back to the old days?

I guess my life is interesting because Ive found its meaning. I never regret what Ihave done, because if I didnt do anything wrong, I wouldnt know that I didnt like

it at all. Simply put, Im happy with what I did, what I am doing and what I will do.

But hey, dont try to be like me! Hell no! You are the best when being yourself!

For young people, you can make the best of your life step by step: explore,

dream, and then act. Dont be daydreamers, though. If you dont work towards

your ambitions, then dreams will always be dreams.

Thank you for the conversation, Mr. Hieu!

Full name: Nguyen Chi Hieu

Highest qualification: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Economics

Achievements:

- Best student of the United Kingdom (2004)- Top 100 best students in the world (2006)

- Top 3 students with the highest grades at Institute of

Economics and Politics London, UK

- Best lecturer at Stanford University (5 times)

- PhD scholarship winner at Stanford University and the

International Monetary Fund

Campus&Career



42/84


GROUP WORK WITH GRACEFinest Tips fromWorld-FamousFishmongers

Words Doan Thao Vy

A big part of study at RMIT

involves group work. Admit it, we

all know group work is a useful

preparation for the workplace,yet we shy away from doing it.

Why? Because more often than

not, it goes down a bumpy road of

conflicts, misunderstandings, and

frustrations.

No matter what attitude we holdtowards group work, we need

to work on it. For something as

tricky as this, we need world-

class instructors. Meet the

worlds most credible experts

in the field - the fishmongers at

Pike Place Fish Market!

Once a quiet local fish stall,Pike Place Fish Market nearly

went bankrupt. An extreme

makeover was then applied:

attentive fun with the customers

is now the centerpiece. With

this approach, the fish sellers

bid farewell to their old ways.

They would instead throw their

fish, play games, tell jokes, and

deliver special performances,

all for the customers.

Such joyful vibes not only pulled theseSeattle-based fishmongers out of

bankruptcy but also turned their shop into

what could be called a sizzling circus, a

heaven of fun, and a far-from-common fish

market worthy of worlds fame. Customers

make frequent revisits, and fishmongers

make a living out of their laughter. Morale is

at its highest.

So, what do these fishmongers have to do

with group work?

Group work is all about human interactions.

Looking at the way our fishmongers treat

their customers you would know our

fishmongers have found the key to satisfying

human interactions among a group of

people: attentiveness and joyfulness.

C

&C


43/84


Campus&Career

A few years ago FISH! Philosophy one that got introduced in a best-seller book,

enjoyed huge media coverage, and inspired a whole lot of souls came about.

Basing on the practices of Pike Place Fish Markets staff, it sums up what should

be done for good interpersonal dynamics, which are perfectly applicable to

group work at university:

Group work can be grueling or great; your effort may suck or succeed. Attitude

makes the ultimate decision. Come what may, try your best to connect with other

people and have fun. Joy is contagious, so keep calm and be a jolly fishmonger.

Choose Your Attitude:The fishmongers chose

to have some fun despite their repetitive and

boring fish-biz. When it comes to group work,

try to think and respond positively to every

circumstance. As thoughts drive behavior, they

are not to be underestimated. Bear in mind

group work is not impossible, it just requires my

extra effort, we are stronger together.

Be There:The fishmongers perform tricks with

their fish to amuse their customers. Similarly,

when people need you, they need all of you

yes, the whole package. Give your partners your

undivided attention. Also endeavor to be mentally

and emotionally present: volunteer to do stuff,

talk to each member, look them in the eyes,

sympathize with their personal issues, and do

your fair share of the work.

Make Their Day: I cant stress this tactic more.

A good team player knows how to make his/

her fellow partners happy. Smile at them. Tickle

them. Include them all in your conversations. Ask

if you can help them with anything. And bring

some snacks to the group meetings (believe me,

this trick always do wonders!) Small thoughtful

stuff like these goes a long, long way

Play: Play with what youre doing! Spice up the

atmosphere. Have fun. Urge the birth of ideas

and mess with them. Enthusiasm and creativity

would push teamwork to high appeal and

fruitfulness, because when you enjoy the work,

others will, too. Why so serious?


44/84


C

&C

Be brave enough to

change your life

Long graduated from high school

when Information Technology (IT) was

a very popular university program,

particularly among male students.With his parents encouragement, he

entered an IT major in a Vietnamese

university though having little passion

for it. After the first school-year, Long

soon realised it was not what he

wanted to pursue. I needed to find a

new pathway for myself, he says. One

day, after attending a demonstration

class of the Commerce programat RMIT University Vietnam, the IT

student reached a turning point of his

life.

I was really surprised seeing how the

class was organised. Students were

discussing ideas with their lecturers

very confidently and enthusiastically,

Long recalls. I had known aboutthis learning style from books,

newspapers and friends studying

ADVENTURE OF A

COMMERCE ALUMNUS

abroad, but only when joining in a

real class like this did I really see how

inspiring it was.

After that class, Long decided to

quit IT and pursue the Bachelor of

Commerce program at RMIT. This is a

decision that he calls a big change inlife as it not only changed his major

and school but also renewed his way

of learning, self-improvement and

personal development.

Make the most out of

every moment

After one year studying English at

RMIT, Long quickly improved his

language skills and entered RMITs

dynamic University life. Not only

studying hard, he also participated in

many extracurricular activities and

community programs. Long became

the first president of the Aikido club,and together with other members

developed the club with numerous

Studying at university is not just about getting the degree. University

is a place where we learn about ourselves, unlock our possibilities

and live our dreams, says Nguyen Minh Long, the Business Analytics

Manager at HSBC Vietnam, former Senior Consultant at KPMG, and

RMIT Vietnam alumnus.


45/84


Campus&Career

activities for the student community

at RMIT.

From a management perspective,

operating a student club is like

running a real enterprise because itrequires certain knowledge and skills

in various fields including marketing,

finance, human resources, accounting

and strategy development. Thanks

to RMITs educational environment,

which always fosters students self-

reliance and independence, my club

members and I had the opportunity

to apply what we had learned into theoperation of the club.

A true book lover, Long found the

University library to be his favourite

place to relax after class. Indulging

himself with this treasure trove of

knowledge was his self-reward after

hours of working and studying.

Determined on his chosen

path

Right after graduation, Long began

working for KPMG, one of the worlds

largest accounting and auditing firms.

Two years later, impressed by his

excellent academic achievements

and work experience, HSBC Bank

welcomed him on board.

In the role of Business AnalyticsManager at HSBC, Long is responsible

for analysing customers in terms

of financial status, market trends

and competitors actions to provide

effective plans and manage risks. Just

like in the years he spent at University,

everyday at work Long is filled with

excitement.

Every day I have the chance to

work with colleagues and clients

from around the world. My work

is challenging but the feeling of

overcoming a challenge is very

rewarding. And that is the motivation

for me to never stop trying, Long

says.

Nguyen Minh Long has found his

true calling in the field of finance

and economics. More than that, he

has also been able to become the

inspiration for other young people to

believe in themselves and follow their

passions.

Nguyen Minh Long- Graduate from the Bachelor of Commerce, RMIT Vietnam

- First prize winner of Enrichment is not hard program

(2007)

- Former Senior Consultant at KPMG one of the Big Fourauditing firms

- Currently the Business Analytics Manager at HSBC


46/84

StUdEnt woRk

ShoWCaSE

1

Course name: Electronic Imaging & Design (COSC2284)

Mission: Design a cover art, records label & a lyrics-poster-like for

either of the following bands:

Nguyen Hoang Hieps3410055

Band Name:CUBIK

Album Title:Spherical Inner-Sides

This band follows the traditional approach of death metal but within a

futuristic touch. Embracing sci-fi themes, the lyrics of CUBIKs songs

relate to futuristic issues concerning post-modern societies, loss,

abandonment, ecology, redemption and maturation.


C

&C


47/84

Tran Khai Tuan

s3410103

Le Ba Anhs3408625

Campus&Career



48/84

Band Name: plyPHON

Album Title: Quantiz Nation

This band plays a kind of ambient electronic glitchy music with a

programming-technical edge. Their work celebrates the beautyof the music process, with its peculiar composition & aesthetic

rendering.

Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Uyen

s3411686

2


C

&C


49/84

Huynh

Quoc Quan

s3270036

Nguyen

Loan Phuong

s3411970


Campus&Career


50/84

FAMILYPLACE TO BE BACK

Words Pham Ngoc Bao Thoa

The author of this true story is not a girl who used to obey or

take good care of her parents. She, instead, was a childish kid

who would take her family for granted

I wasnt born into a happy

family. My parents divorced

when I was at an early age. All

the unexpected adult conflicts

and upheavals suddenly flooded

in my innocent childhood like

an intense wave. My beloved

father went away, leaving a scar

in my heart. The image of a big

daddy driving his little daughter

around the city and singing

her dozens of songs didntappear in my dreams anymore.

Whats left was the image of a

frightened girl chasing after her dad, crying

Daddy, come back! Please dont leave me

It killed me inside, painfully.

During my teenage years, the apologies frommy parents would never satisfy me. Although

mom had always taken good care of me,

It had been such a

long time since I last

fell into his arms,

full of affection and

warmth

S

it

&C

lt



51/84

and dad had visited me regularly, the

sense of loss and separation wasnt

depleted. I went through devastatingtorments and couldnt help blaming

my parents for that. But I was too

young to realize that they were too

stricken hard by that breakdown.

Eighteen years old, I experienced my

first time away from home. Standing

at the airports gate, I gazed at dads

wrinkled face and realized thathe had worked hard to strive for a

happy family, but then ended up with

nothing. I held him tight and sobbed

like a child. If only I could tell you

how much I loved you, dad! It had

been such a long time since I last fell

into his arms, full of affection and

warmth

After several months feeling

homesick, I finally got used to the

overseas life. Like a rubik cube,

relationships have their bright and

dark sides - easy on the surface but

complicated when people stay under

the same roof and get involved in

each others daily lives. Coming back

to aunties house from school, I had

no choice but to befriend unwashed

dishes, dirty clothes, and slothful

cousins playing video games day and

night. Help me out a little bit. Im

kinda busy with the shop and the kids

are too small to do the housework!

said auntie. Those duties had become

my daily responsibilities ever since.

I was troubled not only with thechores but also with the relatives

unreasonable complaints, judgments,

and control. Mom would never treat

me that way. But all that I gave mom

in return was a repeated blame: Why

didnt you treasure our happiness?

Why did you do that to daddy? Give

back my childhood! I didnt knowletting her only child study overseas

was the hardest decision she had to

make.

The independent life overseas made

me appreciate the importance of

family. To make ends meet, I had no

choice but work non-stop and digest

insults every day. I had to deal withmany types of people from benign to

malignant, from easy-going to hot-

tempered. The only thing that would

ease me, then, was the painstaking

image of my parents every time I got

sick mom would take care of her

only daughter all night long, while dad

would anxiously ask the doctors about

my health state. Even when I was ina hospital overseas, they gave me

courage with their distant calls.

You feel better now?

You make me worried, dear.

That moment, I realized who would

stay with me till the end. Neither my

first love nor my best friends. My

parents.

The author and her parents

Society&Culture



52/84

THE LUNCH LADYWords Nguyen Thu Ha

She loves

teaching her

foreign customers

to use chopsticks,

and has been

doing this job

for more than 18

years. Meet the

Lunch Lady at herpetit stall under

the shadow of the

tropical almonds.

Putting on her signature

gigantic smile, the

Lunch Lady seemed tome like a gentle breeze

easing the heat of a

typical Saigons noon.

I found it surprising

that inside this chubby

womans little stall,

there was a diverse

cuisine mosaic, with

lots of specialties likebun mam, bun bo

nam bo, or banh canh

(Vietnamese noodles

and soups) each was

tailored for a specific

day of a week.

First featured in a

Vietnamese magazine

by a close customer,

the Lunch Lady has

been attracting a great

deal of media coverage

throughout the globe,

including the reality

show No Reservations

by Anthony Bourdain,renowned American

chef, author, and

television personality.

As a result, more and

more people, mostly

foreigners, are comingto her stall, both for

lunch and for fun. As I

sat down interviewing

her, this caring woman

told me some of the

unforgettably awkward

situations she had with

her diners. Time was

when the Lunch Ladycouldnt communicate

with her foreign

customers at all, and

thus she had to learn

some basic English

expressions from her

relatives and friends.

She also told me that

many of the foreigners

didnt know how to

use chopsticks, some

even used 2 spoons

simultaneously to pick

their food, or more

ridiculously, some

used forks to eat the

Vietnamese noodle as ifit was Italian spaghetti.

So she gave them

wooden chopsticks,

where lunch meets fun

S

it

&C

lt



53/84

which, as she said, werenot as fancy as other

types of chopsticks but

made the customers

lunchtime much easier.

To this dedicated lady,

preparing flavorful

lunches for the

customers brings her

bliss. Internationally

endorsed, the foods

here are still served at

an affordable price, only

about 30,000 VND per

dish. For those of you

who doubt the quality of

street foods, heres thegood news: you dont

have to worry about this

hygiene issue anymore

- the ingredients are

always fresh, clean, and

carefully chosen by this

time-tested chef.

At the end of ourconversation, the Lunch

Lady told me she used

to dream of owning abigger restaurant with

electricity and an air

conditioner.

But you know what?

It seems like my

customers would like

to have their meals

served under these

tropical almonds, sit on

the plastic chair, and

wait for some sudden

winds rather than to eat

in a fancy air conned

restaurant, she said.

Its the unique street

food culture that makesthem want to come

back.

Thats why shes still

here, right behind

her makeshift stall,

after 18 years

serving luncheons for

generations of diners. Ifyou happen to wander

around the city not

It seems like my

customers would like to

have their meals served

under these tropical

almonds, sit on the plasticchair, and wait for some

sudden winds rather

than to eat in a fancy air

conned restaurant

knowing whats forlunch, then seek the

Lunch Lady at 23 Hoang

Sa St, Dakao Ward, Dist

1, HCMC.

Excerpt from Anthony

Bourdains NoReservations:

More interesting videos

about the Lunch Lady:

bit.ly/NoReserv

bit.ly/LunchLady1

bit.ly/LunchLady2

Society&Culture



54/84


ANYWAY,

THATS NOT MY FAULT!Words Doan Khanh Linh

Iwas on my way back home aftera tiring day at university. As mymotorbike driving skill had never

been good enough, I drove with nearly

a snails speed to avoid incidents,

making it safe for me and for others.

I was on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street

(near Cho Ray hospital), a hot spotwhere people took advantage of the

pavements to sell stuff. I was crossing

the street when a small truck came

out from an alley. The truck stopped

just in time and the driver gave me a

signal to keep going. All of a sudden,

a motorbike behind me squeezed

through the inch me and a pedestrian.

My motorbike fell off the street,and so did I. Before I could realize

what had just happened, I heard the

accident-makers furious shout Why

dont you look around carefully? He

made off on his luxurious SH, leaving

me stunned.

Im sure some of you have been in

the same situation, when somebody

hits your bike and then blames it on

you. To me, I was surprised when

that seem-to-be well-educated man

could act in such irresponsible and

senseless manner, which left me

clueless until Ive recently noticed

many people around me tend to say

Because of instead of Im sorrywhen making mistakes. Refusing

responsibility has become a habit, if

not a human nature. Making excuse

has come to be perceived as the

easiest way to protect oneself from

punishment. This phenomenon

should be considered seriously by

individuals, as it would trigger terrible

consequences. Specifically, it can

detach yourself from your community

by turning you into a dishonest andcoward person in others eyes. Even

worse, when youre new in a social

group, people may judge you on every

littlest gesture to determine what

kind of person you really are; hence,

theyre unlikely to forgive you for any

irresponsible behavior.

No one wants to make a bad

impression on others, especially given

belongingness is one of our basic

emotional needs in life. So why dont

we stop making excuse and be ready

to take the heat of our wrong-doings?

Refusing

responsibility has

become a habit, if

not a human nature.

S

it

&C

lt


55/84


Society&Culture

I was on a trip to Batu Cave in Malaysia when I saw an Indian man perform a

Tea Tareak dance to vie for the passers-by attention to his kiosk. After having

a thirst-quenching cup of Tea Tareak made from milk and tea leaves, I visited a

Henna drawing booth nearby. A woman in a colorful sari showed me a catalogue

full of decorating motifs from peacock, bird, lotus bloom to sun, moon and star.

The curiosity button at the back of my head was pressed.

Henna is actually a plant grown in arid lands in Africa, Southern Asia, and

Northern Australia. Henna leaves are dried and crushed to olive drab powder.

After getting mixed with other ingredients, henna powder can be used to dye

skin, hair, nails, and clothing. Meanwhile, its flowers are used to make perfume.

Henna TattooWhen Culture is WearableWords Nguyen Luong Cong Thanh


56/84

Henna tattoo or Henna drawing is a

kind of body painting using the Henna

powder. Originated from India, this

practice has been performed forover 9,000 years as a pre-wedding

tradition in Hindu and Muslim

cultures. It is considered one of the

sixteen crucial adornments for Indian

brides. Without Henna, the beauty

of the bride is not complete. Before

the wedding, a bride is supposed to

have her hands, arms, feet, and legs

covered with Henna tattoos. Besides

being jewelry, Henna tattoos also

signify ardent love, luck and elegance.

Legend has it that the darker the

Henna tattoos are, the longer the

couple will stay loyal to each other.

After the wedding, the bride neednt

do anything until her Henna tattoos

fade.

Henna tattoos are designed not only

for weddings but also for holidays. Its

popular for males in their benchmark

occasions such as in birthdays or stagparties.

Recently, Henna drawing has waded

across Vietnam and set a trend here.

Taking on these temporary body

paintings, Vietnamese teenagers dont

have to be afraid of their parents fury.

Whats more, the feeling of waiting

for the Henna tattoos to dry is as

anxious as waiting for New Years Eve.

Many Henna wearers, however, have

no understanding of these tattoos

meanings apart from an on-the-

surface interest in their visual appeal

and removable feature. Keeping up

with a trend is great, but absorbing its

underlying meanings is even better.Its time to get to know a little bit more

about this enticing cultural practice:

S

it

&C

lt



57/84


Society&Culture

Henna Pattern Meaning

Peacock Beauty

Bird Messenger between heaven and earth

Butterfly Transformation, conversion

Dragonfly Rebirth

Parrot Messenger of love

Fish Womens eyes

Flower Joy & happiness

Tree & vine leaf Longevity, dedication, persistence & vitality

Sun, moon & star Long-lasting love & eternity

One last note, some fake Henna powder out there can

cause allergy or even scars to your skin. Be mindful and

look for credible places such as Flea Markets or Henna

drawing clubs if you want to try out a Henna tattoo.


58/84

Words Phan Dieu Hien

I posted a video on Youtube over 5 years ago thinking

no one would see it, said Nigahiga, famous vlogger with

over 9.2 million subscribers.

Little did he know that this seemingly innocuous act would change his life

forever. Ryan Higa, or Nigahiga, is a 23 year-old Japanese-American comedian

from Hawaii. Ryan was your typical kid, who would love to play basketball, do

Judo and immerse himself in computer games. It was not until 2006 did he

decide to make his first Youtube video, simply with a digital camera and simple

editing software, which he regarded as pure boredom.

VLOGGERMORE THAN JUST AN ENTERTAINER


A

t

&E

t

t i

t


59/84

Without YouTube,

I wouldnt have

any of this.

A world without weird people

is like vanilla cream without

sprinkles.

Keeping an eye on popular

tags and stop making videos

people didnt want.

My main focus is always to

make my loyal Youtube fans

happy

Nigahigas vlogs are in form of

humorous sketches, rants and music

videos. He addresses things that

everyone thinks about but is afraid to

speak out, in a comedic and hilarious

way, yet trying not to be offensive.

He does a great job in making fun

of current trends or subject matters

like his Bromance, Milking, End of

the world, Why Selena broke up with

Blitz Magazine, Issue 3

Documents

Transcript of Blitz Magazine, Issue 3