Hello everyone, how are you doing? The new school sem has already started and I am taking 6 modules already. Last sem results? Forget-about-it so I shall not dwell too much on that here. Also , in the TTH side, we have already started our preparations for the Spring 2011 and Fall 2010 issues. When both are done, both of them will be published on our website at http://triplehelixnus.wordpress.com/. Also , I will be taking over as editor in chief from Mabel this em while she moves up as President (which will be charge of the lit board). Yes, I will still report to her. Not much difference. While Mabel purposed to me that in Dec, I only gave my consent when we met again with the other managing editor Mary Ruth in Jan. I hope this arrangement can work out well .
I will be taking 6 modules this sem: they are:
PL1101E Introduction to Psychology:
We had 3 lectures so far both regarding introduction and biopsychology. I find the biopsychology very familar as i have done nerve conduction and action potential etc in other bio modules. The lecturer Dr Tjokro was quite enthustastic even if we are not. (6-8pm lecture, what do you expect?) Just had the first tutorial, where after introducing ourselves, we got into our groups to set and make questions for other groups. I set one thinking qn on the women without an amygydala only to be told by the tutor that it was much more of a factul qn. Perphaps I made it too easy...
GE2018 Biophysical Environment of Singapore
The first lecture was by Dr Lu who introduced the module and the geology lectures was by Dr Lim who taught me for GE2229 last academic year. As usual, she was quite funny and there was the 15 minute long lecture breaks. For example, she would go asking the whole lecture hall last weekwhether they have been to the places (like Phuket) which she mentions. (sadly, I usually reply a no.)Then she would go around saying we should go visit as they are quite nice blah blah. LOL.
ES2007S Professional Communication
There was no exam for this course. Part of the course will cover things like interpersonal communication, how to survive a job interview, write a killer resume and write a cover letter and nonverbal communication In our first lesson, we got together into groups and got to know our course mates better or at least some tidbits of them. One important part of the course was our e-portfolio which we set up a blog and blog about topics as required. You can see mine here at: http://siasinweies2007s.blogspot.com/
LSM 3255 Ecology of Terrestial Environments
Taught by Prof Corlett and Dr. Webb, the course really is more of an forest ecology course than anything else. We had a field trip to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve for our first practical. Dr Webb was my TA for this trip and he was friendly and easy to talk to and he was telling us about the forest. Interestingly, as he and I walked to the busstop, he asked me on whether I felt NUS was a tough school. I said that I agreed as I had to qualify for honours while NTU I didn't have to. He also asked me how was my CAP. I replied, BAD! Sigh!
LSM 3256 Tropical Horticulture
Taught by Prof Tan, who taught me for SSS1207 and LSM 3261, this module takes us through the basics of horticulture. We have a practical to teach us the various basic gardening tools while the rest of the practicals we are supposed to do group projects as go to the various sites ourselves. The first project was to a park.
Once, Prof Tan was speaking of getting rid of hornet's nest on his golden penda (native to Australia) tree in his own garden. I asked him why doesn't he cultivates native plants in his own garden if he seriously advocated the cultivation of native plants . He replied that it was a good question and did said he does that for 2 reasons: firstly, he tries to separate work from hobby in his life as much as he can and secondly, as he collaborates a lot with Nparks, if he cultivates native plants in his own garden, Nparks will accuse him of stealing plants from the protected area in seconds. When that happens, only DNA profiling will clear his name. In other words, “politics”! Damn politics..sometimes they really get you.
LSM 3272 Global Change Biology
A interesting module on conservation biology. We even had a guest lecturer telling us how conservation really works on the ground. We had even get into groups and to roleplay varoius groups who have differing interests in the oil palm industries and balancing with biodiversity. Other than that, Prof Sodhi can be funny at times. And we have another group project to do for this module.(Yes I have 4 modules with groupwork)
Last last Saturday, I went to help Chee Keat , Rick with their UROPS projects with the gobies and barnacles respectively in their field tripin Pulau Hantu. Their boat was at West Coast Pier and it was tough to go there as it is out of the way. I only got there just in time to board the boat. After a short ferry ride, we reached Pulau Hantu. It was the first time I got to use my booties.We got to work by spending some time casting net into the lagoon hoping to catch some gobies into the net. We managed to sort out some gobies out from the other bycatch like ikan bilis and so on. Rick has a good day in also in picking out suitable pieces of rubbish for his project. After we had a successful haul of specimens, we went and helped the honours student who booked the same boat for her asteroid project by looking for starfish on the sand and taking note of their feeding (or absence). We also had a nice chat with the poly students helping her. Apparently, they were interns and yet still found themselves doing field biology. We also met Ria Tan (of wildsingapore.com) and her crew when waiting for the boat that will take us back to civilization. She was quite a pleasure to talk to and shared with us of what she has been doing. We got back to NUS in a taxi and it was 11 plus when a got back home.. Overall, it was a nice night out and I got to experience how it is like to be in the field which is frankly, what I have always wanted to do but my CAP is quite..........forgettable.
Last Saturday, I met with Pei Rong (and her Bf) for our Tropical Horticultural Project at Toa Payoh Park. Lee Gang wasn't here so thus he wasn't present personally. We walked deciding on problems with the park for our lab report. Her boyfriend suggested some good pointers as he was working for Nparks previously. It was nice walk and we saw turtles, and other animals such as a white breasted waterhen along the way,.
Goodbye for now as you guys await my next post
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