Carol Chiam
News Presenter, Principal
(*Note: Grace did the English translation of Carol’s replies in Chinese and takes sole responsibility for any meanings lost in translation.)
1) What prompted your change in career from newscaster to principal? And what do you love most about the work you do now?
什么原因促使您不当主播当校长？目前所从事的工作，最乐在其中的是什么？
答：很多人有七年之痒。
从1990年算起至第7年的某夜，犹记收场乐中棚内渐暗，孤身只影的我低头整理新闻稿，一边自问：果真喜欢报新闻吗？还要报多久？自那以后，除了继续对着镜头传达信息，也推动自己学习更多技能，去过很多部门参与各类节目的制作。第14年，装备得差不多了，却每天忙得晕头转向，回家对着两个念小学的儿子，再自问：长时间把孩子交给女佣，不妥吧？考虑许久，主动终止全职合约。
喜欢目前的自由自在，有多些时间参与国内外事奉、陪家人孩子，还能吃老本，经济上无后顾之忧，平时想做什么就做什么，订单接得多累了想休息就放假，偶尔回去跟老同事见面叙旧，甚是开心！
Many people get the ”seven-year itch”. After the 7th year, I asked myself then whether I loved presenting the news, and how long I wanted to continue doing it. With this in mind, I learnt new skills and was involved in the production work of other departments. At the 14th-year mark, I was well-equipped but overworked. Coming home to 2 kids still studying in primary school, I wondered if it was indeed a good idea to leave them in the long-term care of the maid. I tendered my resignation. I love the freedom now, and have more time for church activities both locally and overseas, and the luxury of time with family.
I continue doing what I’m trained in, and without financial woes, I do as I please. When I need a break, I take a holiday and I visit my ex-colleagues to reminisce. Such joy!
2) (According to what I’ve read online) You’ve done many interviews previously, with former President Ong Teng Cheong and celebrity Gong Li, among others. Which interview was the most memorable, and why?
（根据网上所阅）您访问过前总统王鼎昌及国际影星巩俐，哪位留下的印象最深刻，为什么？
访王鼎昌之际他还是部长不是总统，很匆促记不得了（前总统和第一夫人浪漫深情的电视画面倒是令我至今难忘）。至于巩俐，那天在酒店里，摄像队用半小时安置器材及调好拍摄角度，她才从对房走过来，只准访15分钟，领教了国际红牌的架势！过程顺畅，有个问题问得很直接，好像是关于成熟女星在电影界的地位是否容易动摇，她怔了怔、神色不以为然。当然，后来她在《满城尽带黄金甲》的出色表现，算是强有力的反驳吧！
Mr Ong Teng Cheong was a Minister when I interviewed him, and not a President yet. I’m hard pressed to recall how it went though. (But I cannot forget how the ex-President and the First Lady seemed so in love on screen)
As for Gong Li, our filming crew took 30 minutes to get our equipment set up for the interview. She emerged from her room and allowed us to interview her for only 15 minutes. I came to understand what it meant to work with an international celebrity. The process was smooth though there was one question which was perhaps too direct – something along the lines of whether the position of female movie stars would become shaky with age. She was taken aback but did not reveal any unusual facial expressions. Of course, her subsequent awesome performance in ‘Curse Of The Golden Flower’ was a credible retort.
3) You are fluent in both English and Mandarin, so why the particular fondness for the Chinese Language (over English)?
您的双语很流利，为什么独爱华文？
并非独爱华文，或许是运用的机会较多吧！不知为何自小对语言便兴趣极浓，跟很多新加坡人一样，仅仅通过聆听便能说几种方言。事实上父亲把我从华小转入英文中学之初，功课一落千丈恨死英文，但后来进步了就爱上英文。大学主修日文3年也学得兴致勃勃。去年到泰国宣教，用3个月学简单泰语，听懂40%。每一次有机会掌握新的语文就很来劲！
眼看新加坡年轻一代不看重华文，传承华文文化的使命感渐增。每当遇到刻意炫耀英语却把讲华语的教员或长者排挤于话题外的年轻人，便立刻用英语跟他们对答。他们通常会相当惊讶，个人用意在于传达：能驾驭语言无甚了不起，善用语言为建立和谐社会和造福人群才是学好语文的最终目的！
It’s just that I’ve had more opportunities to utilise Mandarin in communication. I’ve been interested in languages since young and like many Singaporeans, I learned to speak a few dialects just by hearing them being spoken. I studied in a primary school where the language of instruction was Mandarin but my father had me transferred to a secondary school which taught in English. Initially, my grades suffered but subsequently, I got better grades and began to love the English Language. I then had a most fulfilling 3 years learning Japanese in University. Last year, I was in Thailand for missions work and spent 3 months to learn basic Thai, and could understand about 40% of the spoken language. I find opportunities to master new languages most exciting!
Watching as the younger generation here places less emphasis on Mandarin, my mission of keeping this language and culture alive gets ever more important. Whenever I meet a young person who flaunts his/her command of the English language while ostracising the Mandarin-speaking educator or elder and keeping the latter out of the conversation, I immediately converse with this young person in English. The person is usually surprised. To use language well in order to increase social cohesiveness and be a blessing to the masses should be the ultimate aim of mastering a language.
4) What is your opinion about the standard of Mandarin spoken by candidates at the election rallies?
您觉得大选候选人的华语表达水平如何？
刘程强和沈颖的华文用语措辞得当，表达传神，偶有佳句。
MPs Low Thia Kiang and Sim Ann used highly appropriate Mandarin expressions, were engaging in their delivery of the speeches and occasionally used excellent phrases.
5) How would you go about helping a young student who is from an English-speaking family, and who has consistently flunked Chinese as a subject in school, gain a passion for the language?
您如何帮助来自说英语家庭、华文科目总是不及格的学生热爱华文?
公式化的教导、单调的复习会扼杀学习兴趣。教学大纲固然要紧跟，但甩掉课本、走出课室，有时反倒能激起学习兴趣，并有助学子们通过不同途径探索华族母语的卓拔精奥！
Rote-learning will kill the student’s love for learning. There should be structure and adherence to the syllabus but we should ditch the textbooks and take lessons out of the classrooms. This could inspire greater interest in learning, and spur the children to use alternative ways to discover Mandarin’s outstanding qualities.
Grace says: Wow! You cannot begin to imagine my relief at finally being done with translating this. What a daunting and challenging task! I am in awe that Carol is so outstandingly bilingual but more so that she is such a kind and generous soul.
I apologise for any misinterpretations of what she has written. I have done my best to help my non-Chinese readers! This just goes to show that I have a lot more to learn.
A big thank you to Carol for being an inspiration and spurring us young “English” folk to start looking for our Chinese roots and getting reinitiated back into the culture. Let’s not miss out on what is rightfully ours! 
Stay Tuned for more exciting interviews and updates.
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*This weekend, I’ll be blogging about my Batam missions trip (helping out at orphanages, painting a church, among other things) & introduce you to a group of very special people. So come back and enjoy the weekend with me!
p/s: If you have not signed up for Wednesday’s ‘How I Made 114K At Age 24′ Sharing Session, email gracemg@gmail.com now! See you there!
