1. A Feast for the Eye as well as the Palate: Japanese, Korean and French Street Food
Jointly Reported by:
Emily Kuok Yee Han Jr2Z(2)
Goh Ying En Sr2ScB
Jocelyn Koo Wai Yee Sr2ScB
As an effort to introduce students to the diverse food cultures from various countries, as well as being part of the series of Kuen Cheng International Week events, the Japanese Language Society, Korean Language Club and French Club came together to organise a street food selling event, which took place during the second recess on the 24th and 27th of July 2023.
The students from all three clubs set up stalls in the space outside the school hall, with each stall selling individual types of enticing delicacies. Highlights include dorayaki, sushi, salad and the viral Hata drink from the Japanese club, the popular tteok-bokki, Pepero chocolate sticks, Milkis drink and corndog from the Korean club, not to mention classic French desserts such as cream puffs and fruit tarts from the French club. Many of the delectables were sold out sooner than anticipated due to the quick-forming long queues, acting as a testimonial to the resounding success of the event.
The Japanese Language Society food stall at a glance
Dorayaki selling at the Japanese Club food stall
The hustle and bustle of the Korean Language Club food stall
Flavourful tteok-bokki from the Korean Club
A close-up of the French Club food stall
Mouthwatering fruit tarts from the French Club
As the food-selling event came to a close, students in their respective stalls began to pack up their stations while the aroma of scrumptious food gradually dissipated. The food-selling event was a huge success, with students already looking forward to next year’s food-selling event.
2. A Spectacular Showcase of Talent and Culture: Kuen Cheng International Week Opening Ceremony
Jointly reported by:
Rachel Koh Huey Shin Sr1ScC
Louise Kaien Too Sr2ScC
Ang Ann Gie Sr2ScE
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
From July 24th to 28th, 2023, three clubs and society in Kuen Cheng High School, namely the Japanese Language Society, Korean Language Club and the French Club collaborated in organising a vibrant and culturally enriching international week to let the students explore the culture and traditions of different countries. On July 24th, they held an opening ceremony at the lobby of Block A during the second recess.
The ceremony started with the Principal, Madam Chua Lee Lee giving a speech on how grateful she was to see this event successfully conducted. The students, displaying profound respect, attentively listened to her inspiring words. In a cherished moment, the principal stood alongside the event’s poster for a commemorative photograph, capturing the essence of the occasion.
Principal Chua Lee Lee giving a speech
Then, representatives from the three clubs entered right on. Together, they formed a harmonious choir and wove the magic of diversity through their rendition of “The Ordinary Road” in four languages: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and French.
Representatives from the Japanese Language Society, Korean Language Club, and French Club singing “The Ordinary Road”
Up next, the Korean Language Club presented a K-pop dance performance. They performed a series of well-known K-pop songs. Their energetic performance influenced the crowd to cheer with them. The selection of songs ranged from classic K-Pop tracks to recent chart-toppers, including songs such as Hype Boy, Antifragile, Maniac and many more. It was a show-stopping performance as the club members were remarkably skillful and gave their best show.
Club members from the Korean Language Club dancing to K-pop songs
After the K-pop dance performance, the Japanese Language Society sang a Japanese song named Kanata Haluka by Radwimps. This gentle yet motivating song tells about the meaning of love. Among all the voices, a deep voice stood out, earning impressed exclamations from the crowd. “Oh wow, who owns that heavenly voice?”, exclaimed a student. Needless to say, the crowd was captivated by their melodious voices and couldn’t help but sway gently to the music.
Club members from the Japanese Language Society performing the Japanese Song, Kanata Haluka by Radwimps
A group photo was taken to mark the start of the international week. Students couldn’t wait to participate in the upcoming activities.
Group photo
3. “Annyeonghaseyo” from the Korean Language Club
Jointly Reported by:
Chloe Soh Ke Er Jr3Z(6)
After a long period of pandemic, Kuen Cheng International Week is finally back! From the 24th July to 28th July 2023, the school compound has been flooded by numerous events, which includes events by the Korean Club that received enthusiastic receptions from students as well as teachers.
Kpop Random Dance
For those who are not familiar, a random dance challenge is where participants gather in a circle, leaving space in the middle. Random kpop songs are played and if participants know the song they run into the circle and dance to it. This is the first time ever that Kuen Cheng High School has hosted this event with the help of the Korean Language Club.
After a short opening performance, the challenge officially started. Students were very excited and screamed in excitement as they saw their friends dancing in the middle. This event found students who had talents in dance as they performed fashionably to the popular music.
Korean Kimbap Workshop
Kimbap is a Korean dish made from mainly cooked rice, different meats and vegetables wrapped in dried sheets of seaweed. It is similar to sushi as it originated from the Japanese Norimaki. It is known in Korea as a convenient take-out food because of its portability. In the workshop, students from the Korean Language Club taught the participants how to make kimbap and participants enjoyed their end result.
4. Culture Captured in Frames
Jointly reported by:
Cayden Chan Jr1Z(2)
Chok Jia Yien Jr3S(2)
Tiffany Tan Qin Yu Sr2ScB
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
Toh Wing Yan Sr2ScC
In conjunction with Kuen Cheng International Week from 24th to 28th of July 2023, the Japanese Language Society, Korean Language Club, French Club and the Photography Club separately hosted four photobooths, aimed at providing an opportunity for students to try out different traditional outfits and explore cultures around the world, as well as capture beloved memories with their friends and teachers.
Let’s begin with the Japanese Language Society. The club held a yukata photobooth, allowing students to take pictures with a member of the Japanese Language Society in a yukata costume, or pay a fee of RM 3 to even wear the yukata themselves. There were several props for the participants to use during the photo, representing many Japanese cultural icons.
Group of students in yukatas with props
The Korean Language Club held a hanbok photobooth where students were required to pay RM 5 to wear a hanbok of their choice prepared by the organising committee. Their photobooth was decorated with multiple Korean elements including food, K-pop idols, traditional Korean buildings and much more. There were also props prepared for students to use while taking pictures.
Group of students wearing the hanbok
Simultaneously, the French Club presented three models wearing traditional French clothing. Students were allowed to queue up to take photos with the models, but they had to pay RM 1 in advance. The photobooth consisted of multiple French elements like the Eiffel Tower, the French national flag and some flowers for decoration.
Students and teachers taking photos with the models
Lastly, the Photography Club, jointly worked together with the Counseling Club, hosted a Polaroid Photobooth. All students and teachers were welcomed to have their Polaroids taken for RM 4 per piece at the lobby with several cut-out props that resembled the theme. After having their polaroids taken, students are also free to move to the designing desk to customize their pieces using the stickers and markers provided. Overall, this photo booth was a great success with more than 450 Polaroids sold.
Behind the scene of students having their Polaroids taken
Students decorating their Polaroids at the designing desk
Participants of this special photobooth event have had so much fun, experienced new culture and also expanded their horizons beyond classrooms.
5. Harmony Beyond Borders: Korean & Japanese Singing Performances
Jointly reported by:
Chok Jia Yien Jr3S(2)
Khoo Xin Yi Sr2ScA
Goh Yu Xin Sr2ScD
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
Music is an essential part of culture, it gives people an insight into another way of life while still retaining boundaries and respect. On the 25th and 26th of July, students and teachers from the Korean Language Club and Japanese Language Society of Kuen Cheng High School organised Japanese & Korean Singing Performances for students to enjoy during 2023 Kuen Cheng International Week. There were eight performers on stage for each of the performances.
Many popular Korean songs were sung during the first day of the show, for instance:
Throughout the show, many students sang along with the performers during songs that they enjoyed. The ambience of the hall was exhilarating and the audience enjoyed the upbeat songs. The eight stars of the show took turns to shine during the span of their performance.
Meanwhile for J-pop fanatics, quite the array of songs were sung, including:
During the performance, one of the main organisers of the event seemingly stole the spotlight with her solo in the first 2 songs. There were cheers of pure support and excitement coming from the audience, especially towards those singing short solos and the 2 electric guitarists.
Among the cheers from the audience were:
The event ended with a closing speech from the organising committee. Overall, it was a joyous and well-received event for both the students and the performers.
6. “Ravi de faire votre connaissance”: French Club Events
Reported by:
Khoo Xin Yi Sr2ScA
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
Faces all around Kuen Cheng High School came to see various events organised by the French Club in conjunction with the school’s International Week. Intriguing activities were held from the 24th to 28th of July, most of which being the first of its kind in Kuen Cheng.
1. Creative Canvas Painting Activity
(24/7/2023; 9:50a.m. – 10:10a.m.)
With simple canvas boards, colour pencils and watercolour paints, participants created their own art pieces in teams of two at the lobby of Block A. Some painted macarons, croissants, the Eiffel Tower and more. They were left to their own devices and finished their paintings within their own time, overall finding the activity to be more experimental and tame.
2. Dessert Designing Workshop
(24/7/2023; 12:15p.m. – 12:45p.m.)
Using ingredients such as frosting, marshmallows, sprinkles, edible pearls and food-safe markers, participants were instructed to design their own macarons and biscuits as they pleased. However, due to the heat from being beside the car porch, it was hard for the frosting to take shape as it melted. Even so, it was a fun experience, especially for the first of its kind.
3. Paris Fashion Day
(26/7/2023; 12:15p.m. – 13:00p.m.)
From rags to royalty, the French Club prepared various styles of French-themed clothing, most of which were made of recycled materials. The models were casted via Google Form a week beforehand and all walked with poise and charm down the make-shift runway in the school hall.
4. Handmade Keychain Workshop
(28/7/2023; 9:50a.m. – 10:10a.m.; 12:15p.m. – 12:45p.m.)
As people came and went outside the school canteen, the French Club organised a simple keychain workshop where students were given charms to decorate their keychains with, including letter beads, a french flag and miniature Eiffel Tower.
“J’aimerais te revoir.” Alas, everything has to come to an end. The French Club’s activities were all quite new to the school and brought in quite the crowd from those wanting to try out something refreshing yet calm.
7. A Memorable International Week: Cultural Adventures Through Mini Game
Jointly reported by:
Marcus Liew Zhi Xuan Jr2Z(4)
Foo Zhing Yee Sr2ScA
Louise Kaien Too Sr2ScC
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
From July 24th to 28th, 2023, the Kuen Cheng High School Japanese Language Society, Korean Language Club, and the French Club jointly held an international week that was an unforgettable experience for the students. One of the activities that makes the students linger is the station game at the parking lot near Block A presented by the clubs together.
There were a total of 6 stations, two stations for each club. All the participants were given a game card with six pictures representing each station printed on it. The participants are required to complete missions from all the stations. Once they finish the tasks, they will obtain a corresponding chop on the game card. After collecting all the chops, the participants can exchange a gift, such as a corn roll, correction tape, highlighter, notebook etc.
The game card and chop
The Japanese Language Society was in charge of “Kendama” and “Everyday Language of Japanese”. “Kendama” is a traditional Japanese toy. The toy was made out of a handle (ken), a pair of cups (sarado), and a ball (tama) connected by a string. Kendama can be held in different grips. Many tricks and combinations can be performed to get the ball to land back into the cup. Players must toss the stringed ball into the air and try catching it using the cup. On the other hand, there were a set of 20 common Japanese phrases in the “Everyday Language of Japanese” station. Participants had to match 3 out of 5 Chinese translation meanings with their correct corresponding Japanese sentences to win a chop.
Participants trying Kendama
Participants playing “Everyday Language of Japanese”
Stations presented by the Korean Language Club are charades and the famous “Red Light, Green Light” game from the Netflix Kdrama series, “Squid Game ”. For the charades game, participants group into pairs where one will act out the clue while the other will guess the answer. Once the group can guess five questions correctly within three minutes, each participant will obtain a chop. As for the “Red Light, Green Light”, everyone will start at the starting line. When the commander faces his back and counts 1, 2, 3, everyone starts sprinting towards the finish line. However, when the commander turns around while shouting: “Wooden Man”, everyone must immediately stop. Otherwise, players caught moving must return to the starting line.
Charades
The Stations “Explore France” and “Language picture match” are from the French Club. Both games are played in groups, and participants will still get chops. The “Explore France” game tested participants’ knowledge of general historical facts about France. With the offbeat style of questions the club prepared, participants had difficulties answering and often guessed. Moreover, the “Language picture match” is a game where participants were given five words in French and five corresponding pictures to match. For every correct match, participants will obtain a chop.
Responsible students testing the participants
Participants matching the words
In the end, this truly unforgettable international week at Kuen Cheng High School created lasting memories for all participants. The event fostered cross-cultural appreciation, language learning, and camaraderie among the students, making it a remarkable highlight in their school journey.
8. International Week Series: Activities held by the Japanese Language Society
Jointly reported by:
Marcus Liew Zhi Xuan Jr2Z(4)
Foo Zhing Yee Sr2ScA
Louise Kaien Too Sr2ScC
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
From July 24th to 28th, 2023, Kuen Cheng High School Japanese Language Society organised several activities to allow students to learn the basics of Japanese culture, in conjunction with the annual International Week.
One of the activities was the Japanese origami workshop held in the lobby under Block A. Despite having other activities around it, causing them to have limited space to work with, the Japanese origami workshop still captivated many students. The students helping out looked serious and were constantly checking on the students with every step of their origami. The workshop brightened the day of students and ignited creativity and their passion for doing handicraft.
Process of folding origami
The other activity held was the Japanese culture knowledge competition. On the 2nd recess of July 26th, students competing gathered in the MML room. Members in charge passed the question paper and answer sheet down, as well as gave a brief explanation on the competition rules. As the quiz began, a hush fell upon the room, and the only sound that echoed was the scribbling of pencils on paper. Over time, the participants pass up their papers one after another, and as the last participant leaves, this competition ends smoothly. Beyond the excitement of the contest, the participants gained valuable insights into Japan’s traditions, history, and contemporary culture.
Participants answering the paper
As the event concluded, students departed the lobby with cherished memories of the engaging activities organised by the Japanese Language Society. The International Week has brought students closer to Japanese culture and further encouraged them to explore and embrace the diversity of the world around them.
9. International Week – “Bon Odori” Festivities
Jointly reported by:
Ng Yi Phin Jr3Z(2)
Hwang Victoria Jr3S(3)
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
As part of our school’s International Week activities, Kuen Cheng High School Japanese Language Society held a Bon Odori Festival in the school hall during the 2nd recess of 28th July 2023. Students piled into the hall, buzzing with anticipation.
Once everyone took their seats, the hosts announced the starting of the festival to cheers and claps.
The first activity that was held was the Japanese culture sharing session, which was presented by the ten exchange students all the way from the Tokyo Jogakkan Middle and High School, Japan. They introduced Japanese cuisine, shops, trains and cities all while speaking English. Applause and cheering could be heard every time they had paused, for everyone was very encouraged and excited, especially when the students had begun explaining anime.
 |
 |
 |
They also introduced their school life, such as their daily schedule and the school facilities. Many students were awed when they introduced their school uniform, which were sailor suit-styled and varied according to each of the four seasons.
 |
 |
Afterwards, an interesting yet unexpected karate performance was held. Karate is a type of Japanese martial art, which originated in Okinawa. A fun fact about it is that it actually was founded after taking inspiration from kung fu originating from China. The students performed “Sōran Bushi”, a sea shanty that is said to have been first sung by fishermen in Hokkaido. The crowd cheered along as the students yelled “Soran! Soran!” during their performance.
 |
 |
Lastly was the long anticipated Bon Odori dance, also known as the “Bon dance”. It is a style of dancing performed during Obon which also served as folk entertainment. It has deep roots to Japanese traditions as it has a history of nearly 600 years. Though their performance was cut short due to time reasons, the students truly looked spectacular on stage as they danced gracefully to the music.
 |
 |
 |