Trying out mobile blogging on my Tab. I'm now at Nex, the new mall that's just opened in the Serangoon heartland.
If ever we needed a place to hang out after work, this mall is a dream come true, and more! Don't be fooled by the entrance area. This mall starts out in narrow corridors but gets bigger as we go further in. It's designed almost like an inverted pyramid. The higher you go, the more shopping outlets become available.
Say goodbye to our cherished Cherish award! There're so many food options, from burgers to Japanese to, well, name any chain of popular food and it'll likely be represented here in one form or another. Cheap, expensive, multicultural, it's all here.
Lunch for me was a quarter pound Wendy's. The burger tasted as I remember, except in a proportion more suited to an American conception of Asian appetites. They don't understand us too well, do they? But what impressed was the speed at which the counter staff got to me depspite a long queue, and how attentive a table cleaner, Lisa, was. She noticed that I had not been issued any sugar or creamer for my tea. I said to "gimme some sugar, baby," and she readily obliged.
I can see this mall is going to be a great hangout for us staff and kids alike. Now, if only we could find the time when the new year begins.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Random pix post
Stealth cat assumes if she can't see you, you can't see her
One of the rudest snacks in the supermarket. Call the censorship board!
Friday, December 03, 2010
Clogged pipes
Odd that after six months, my respiratory condition seems to be returning. Not as seriously as it was earlier this year, but still noticeable. Regardless, I met Sully for another workout this morning though I didn't say anything to him about it. I was breathing hard only after a couple of stations and I was considering calling it quits already. Then it felt like I hit a figurative wall... and I could breathe again! Finished my session with no further difficulty.
Hard to say what's going on internally. One possibility is that there is an unknown allergen that makes contact with me twice a year. Another is that my lifestyle is too sedentary and that unless I'm actually exerting myself physically, my body has decided to cut down my air intake in case I pass out from inhaling too much oxygen.
I hope it's the second option. At least I can do something about that.
Hard to say what's going on internally. One possibility is that there is an unknown allergen that makes contact with me twice a year. Another is that my lifestyle is too sedentary and that unless I'm actually exerting myself physically, my body has decided to cut down my air intake in case I pass out from inhaling too much oxygen.
I hope it's the second option. At least I can do something about that.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Hearts and other meat afire
Officially on vacation, being that duties ended this morning. It was partially to celebrate end-of-year freedom and also to commemorate another birthday that Wayne opened his house and his gas BBQ to us.
No clear summer skies for us, this was a burn-your-own-food occasion held under tropical monsoon conditions. But the weather couldn't dampen our spirits tonight. Unlike charcoal, propane cooks meat fast, keeping the flow of carnage constant. Major plus point there.
No more with our thoughts on work, conversation was mindless and easy. In general, there was the very fluid cluster around the BBQ as we took turns to burn something through the night; the mature cluster that engaged in polite, nostalgic conversation while they waited for compatible "spirits" to arrive; the TV cluster hooked on the evening serial; the butterflies that fluttered just about everywhere (as usual); and then there was the Dog who himself commanded lots of adoring attention. Turns out that lots of us are dog people so there was no shortage of hands to keep him happy all night.
Be that as it may, the Dog was also the victim of a love unrequited. His amorous advances were politely but firmly rebuffed by his one object of affection. Nothing personal, but the differences between them were irreconcilable: he was canis domesticus, she was homo sapiens. He was an old dog in winter, she a spring chicken. It would never have worked out.
No clear summer skies for us, this was a burn-your-own-food occasion held under tropical monsoon conditions. But the weather couldn't dampen our spirits tonight. Unlike charcoal, propane cooks meat fast, keeping the flow of carnage constant. Major plus point there.
No more with our thoughts on work, conversation was mindless and easy. In general, there was the very fluid cluster around the BBQ as we took turns to burn something through the night; the mature cluster that engaged in polite, nostalgic conversation while they waited for compatible "spirits" to arrive; the TV cluster hooked on the evening serial; the butterflies that fluttered just about everywhere (as usual); and then there was the Dog who himself commanded lots of adoring attention. Turns out that lots of us are dog people so there was no shortage of hands to keep him happy all night.
Be that as it may, the Dog was also the victim of a love unrequited. His amorous advances were politely but firmly rebuffed by his one object of affection. Nothing personal, but the differences between them were irreconcilable: he was canis domesticus, she was homo sapiens. He was an old dog in winter, she a spring chicken. It would never have worked out.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Exam twit
On the eve of my last invigilation day, I'm thinking about that little twit that tweeted a photo of his exam paper before the exam officially started. (Yes, old news. Click the link for details if you must).
I'm not thinking of him, per se, but rather about the invigilators of that venue for that paper and the trouble they must have gotten into for not spotting his mischief and putting a stop to it before it became a national embarrassment. They have my sympathies, actually, because as an invigilator myself I know that especially in a large venue, it's nearly impossible to monitor every single candidate every second of the exam. And, honestly speaking, do we really want it to come to that?
The boy may not realize how big a deal his indiscretion was, though he's apologized for it. He claims his intention to continue his studies overseas as his mitigation, so I doubt the sincerity of his apology. Anyway, his one thoughtless act has put us on a very slippery slope.
It's true that what he did does not constitute cheating, but he possessed and activated the means to do so. The exam is based on the trust in the personal integrity of each candidate, but with this act of 'boredom' he has single-handedly cast doubt on the whole honour system. If one stupid boy could do it, it exposes a flaw in the monitoring system that can be exploited for future exams. But to see the flaw as a weakness is also incorrect because it is expected that every student is an honourable candidate. However, after this incident this assumption can not no longer be taken as automatically true.
In a more reactionary society, exam security systems will be reviewed and revamped to assume that every student is and harbours intentions to be dishonest. New measures for next year's exams could include anything from putting more invigilators on duty, to installing on site electronic monitoring systems and signal jammers (can you say, "increased school fees"?), to subjecting every candidate to pass a 'naked scanner' or pat-down before the paper commences.
Let's hope cooler heads prevail. Schools can't function if we start treating our kids like criminals. But for that boy, I'll leave this entry as yet another online indictment against him for putting our industry in jeopardy because he could think only of himself and his personal entertainment, but no further.
I'm not thinking of him, per se, but rather about the invigilators of that venue for that paper and the trouble they must have gotten into for not spotting his mischief and putting a stop to it before it became a national embarrassment. They have my sympathies, actually, because as an invigilator myself I know that especially in a large venue, it's nearly impossible to monitor every single candidate every second of the exam. And, honestly speaking, do we really want it to come to that?
The boy may not realize how big a deal his indiscretion was, though he's apologized for it. He claims his intention to continue his studies overseas as his mitigation, so I doubt the sincerity of his apology. Anyway, his one thoughtless act has put us on a very slippery slope.
It's true that what he did does not constitute cheating, but he possessed and activated the means to do so. The exam is based on the trust in the personal integrity of each candidate, but with this act of 'boredom' he has single-handedly cast doubt on the whole honour system. If one stupid boy could do it, it exposes a flaw in the monitoring system that can be exploited for future exams. But to see the flaw as a weakness is also incorrect because it is expected that every student is an honourable candidate. However, after this incident this assumption can not no longer be taken as automatically true.
In a more reactionary society, exam security systems will be reviewed and revamped to assume that every student is and harbours intentions to be dishonest. New measures for next year's exams could include anything from putting more invigilators on duty, to installing on site electronic monitoring systems and signal jammers (can you say, "increased school fees"?), to subjecting every candidate to pass a 'naked scanner' or pat-down before the paper commences.
Let's hope cooler heads prevail. Schools can't function if we start treating our kids like criminals. But for that boy, I'll leave this entry as yet another online indictment against him for putting our industry in jeopardy because he could think only of himself and his personal entertainment, but no further.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Breakfast with Q-tip
We promised Q-tip an outing, so here we are at Casa Verde (formerly known as Cafe Les Amis) at the Botanic Gardens. The name change is commensurate with the new focus on Italian cuisine, but I'm happy to report that the standard Western Set breakfast is still the way we remember. So hard to find real bacon these days, but this is one place that still serves it up in its delicious non-kosher, vegan-unfriendly, health-devastating glory.
Notice how the two rashers of bacon have surreptitiously migrated over to my plate? I admit, I'm the unabashed baconaholic of the family. Apart from my illicit gains, this dish is an Italian breakfast called Calzione del Mamma. Underneath all the green stuff is a thick omelette studded with bits of Italian sausage. No wonder Itie boys so love to live with their mothers.
Spoke too soon. Meet the other baconaholic, sausageoholic and random-table-scraps-aholic of the family. Wonder if the fitness centre has a pet weight-loss programme we can sign her up for?
Friday, November 26, 2010
The first rule
Sully thinks I've advanced enough to actually start hitting something other than air in our training sessions. Intro... the punching-bag! What could be easier that to whack the heck out of a helpless target that can't hit back?
Wrong. Today's session was still all about technique, coordination, balance and timing. I learned the hard way, as usual. Throw a punch incorrectly and the impact rebounds, sending a shockwave back the way it came; that is, back through the knuckles and all the way up the arm. Ouch.
The first rule of Fight Club is "don't even join". At least, not till you've had more training.
Wrong. Today's session was still all about technique, coordination, balance and timing. I learned the hard way, as usual. Throw a punch incorrectly and the impact rebounds, sending a shockwave back the way it came; that is, back through the knuckles and all the way up the arm. Ouch.
The first rule of Fight Club is "don't even join". At least, not till you've had more training.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
As she wheeled her wheelbarrow
We said farewell to Mel. Again. For good this time. Booked a table at Molly Malone's at which we shared one last carnivorous meal as colleagues.
It was our regular, noisy table company, but somehow I couldn't get into the swing of the multiple conversations raging around me. One possibility is that I've been dissociated from everyone for so long, my social engine was taking longer than usual to warm up.
Another is that maybe I'm not taking Mel's departure as well as I thought.
So many friends have moved on already. Every time someone leaves, there's a whole new upheaval in the social dynamic.
Change is nothing new. Technological change I take to like a duck to water. Changes in my social circle, however, are a little harder to adapt to. But then, that's nothing new to me either.
It was our regular, noisy table company, but somehow I couldn't get into the swing of the multiple conversations raging around me. One possibility is that I've been dissociated from everyone for so long, my social engine was taking longer than usual to warm up.
Another is that maybe I'm not taking Mel's departure as well as I thought.
So many friends have moved on already. Every time someone leaves, there's a whole new upheaval in the social dynamic.
Change is nothing new. Technological change I take to like a duck to water. Changes in my social circle, however, are a little harder to adapt to. But then, that's nothing new to me either.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
'This R2 unit has a bad motivator'
We're all familiar with the carrot-and-stick approach as our primary motivation tool. We reward someone for doing good work and punish them for delivering something that isn't up to standard or not doing what we wanted of them.
In school, our rewards tend to be good grades, a glowing testimonial and maybe the occasional citation or cash incentive for exceptional performance. Undesirable behaviour, on the other hand, is punished with personal audiences with increasing levels of the campus heierarchy, discussions with parents, Corrective Work Orders, threats of repeating a year or a 'recommendation to seek educational instruction at an alternative institution'.
Daniel Pink, in Drive, calls this practice Motivation 2.0. Much of our workflow systems and even our economy itself is largely based on this model, and it's been very successful so far in moving us along. Motivation 2.0 is an excellent tool for mechanical, routine tasks. Nobody wants to do them, so offering people a decent exchange for their time and effort is the only way we can shoehorn human resources into our assembly-line industries.
Problem is that our economy no longer relies on routine mass-order jobs. Our employment opportunities are now shifting towards knowledge, service and creative 'products' where we have an edge over our more labour-intensive neighbouring economies. Good as 2.0 is in replicating a compliant, narrow-skilled workforce for the industrial economy, for tasks involving thinking and complex problem-solving, 2.0 doesn't work. Throwing in more money isn't going to make solving problems easier or faster. Pink even suggests that these material rewards might even be a de-motivational factor because it raises the pressure to get the task done (reward conditional to successful delivery) and it makes people work towards what the money's worth and no further. If this sounds like what schools are like today, that's because we are still following the 2.0 model, and yet are supposed to be grooming capable workers for the new economy.
Drive advocates an upgrade to Motivation 3.0, detailing scientific and behavioral studies; and case studies of successful corporations that have adopted this new approach. One of Pink's best examples is that Microsoft Encarta (an attempt at creating and maintaining a pay-to-use online encyclopaedia) which had a huge financial backing and lots of talented employees closed down after a few years of operation, whereas a loose organization with the same goals but having no paid management, no paid employees and no for-profit motive has become Wikipedia, one of the most-referred to and relied upon websites today.
The 3.0 model emphasizes autonomy, mastery and purpose as the prime movers of human achievement. Autonomy being the divestment of superfluous supervision over the worker and the work; mastery as in putting in time and effort to get good at a skill or skill-set; and purpose as in having a sustainable, believable and realistic rationale for doing the work in the first place.
I'm looking at my students past and future. Most of them came from 2.0 schools, and even when they arrive at our doorstep we still keep them suppressed under 2.0 principles. We complain about how unmotivated they are, how slow they are to absorb new ideas and concepts, how frustrated we are that they keep making the same mistakes even though we've corrected them time and time again. We run our education like a factory churning out neatly packaged mass products but we also realize that each student is an individual with individual learning needs and hence requires a personally customized instructional programme in order to develop each potential, like we promise to. That's quite the dilemma, isn't it, trying to meet 3.0 demands with 2.0 structures?
Our biggest problem with 3.0 is in the first pillar: autonomy. I'm not talking about staff autonomy because one of the reasons why I enjoy my work on campus is that I have loads of autonomy to run my classes and other programmes the way I want. I'm talking about the kids and how we have to monitor them, guide them, discipline them, safeguard them, and sic their parents on them (if necessary) their whole two years with us. I'm talking about not trusting them to do the right thing, and likewise them not trusting themselves, coming from environments that didn't trust them either. It's going to be difficult if I apply 3.0 while the rest of their subject tutors still manage them with 2.0, the way they're used to. The kids are so conditioned under survival 2.0 they don't see the higher purpose of 3.0 as a necessary or even a worthwhile aim. Avoiding a shelling will always win out over reaching for higher goals.
I'm absolutely sure 3.0 works. The kids in Drama Club grow and develop so many skills so quickly because they have the autonomy to do what they need to do to get their show on the road. They dedicate themselves to mastering stagecraft, turning in long rehearsals above and beyond their regular scheduled schoolwork and working with a true master of the craft like Tina or Rods. And they have a purpose to turn in a performance they can be proud of for our annual Drama Night or national competition. But these same kids are often in trouble in class because 2.0 just isn't adequate to motivate them to do as well in their academic obligations.
Working in an organization so firmly entrenched in 2.0, can there be a transitional step, a 2.5 that I can at least start on? Or have I been stuck on 2.5 all along? Whatever it is, it's time to throw a bigger rock into the pond. Our collective futures could well depend on it.
In school, our rewards tend to be good grades, a glowing testimonial and maybe the occasional citation or cash incentive for exceptional performance. Undesirable behaviour, on the other hand, is punished with personal audiences with increasing levels of the campus heierarchy, discussions with parents, Corrective Work Orders, threats of repeating a year or a 'recommendation to seek educational instruction at an alternative institution'.
Daniel Pink, in Drive, calls this practice Motivation 2.0. Much of our workflow systems and even our economy itself is largely based on this model, and it's been very successful so far in moving us along. Motivation 2.0 is an excellent tool for mechanical, routine tasks. Nobody wants to do them, so offering people a decent exchange for their time and effort is the only way we can shoehorn human resources into our assembly-line industries.
Problem is that our economy no longer relies on routine mass-order jobs. Our employment opportunities are now shifting towards knowledge, service and creative 'products' where we have an edge over our more labour-intensive neighbouring economies. Good as 2.0 is in replicating a compliant, narrow-skilled workforce for the industrial economy, for tasks involving thinking and complex problem-solving, 2.0 doesn't work. Throwing in more money isn't going to make solving problems easier or faster. Pink even suggests that these material rewards might even be a de-motivational factor because it raises the pressure to get the task done (reward conditional to successful delivery) and it makes people work towards what the money's worth and no further. If this sounds like what schools are like today, that's because we are still following the 2.0 model, and yet are supposed to be grooming capable workers for the new economy.
Drive advocates an upgrade to Motivation 3.0, detailing scientific and behavioral studies; and case studies of successful corporations that have adopted this new approach. One of Pink's best examples is that Microsoft Encarta (an attempt at creating and maintaining a pay-to-use online encyclopaedia) which had a huge financial backing and lots of talented employees closed down after a few years of operation, whereas a loose organization with the same goals but having no paid management, no paid employees and no for-profit motive has become Wikipedia, one of the most-referred to and relied upon websites today.
The 3.0 model emphasizes autonomy, mastery and purpose as the prime movers of human achievement. Autonomy being the divestment of superfluous supervision over the worker and the work; mastery as in putting in time and effort to get good at a skill or skill-set; and purpose as in having a sustainable, believable and realistic rationale for doing the work in the first place.
I'm looking at my students past and future. Most of them came from 2.0 schools, and even when they arrive at our doorstep we still keep them suppressed under 2.0 principles. We complain about how unmotivated they are, how slow they are to absorb new ideas and concepts, how frustrated we are that they keep making the same mistakes even though we've corrected them time and time again. We run our education like a factory churning out neatly packaged mass products but we also realize that each student is an individual with individual learning needs and hence requires a personally customized instructional programme in order to develop each potential, like we promise to. That's quite the dilemma, isn't it, trying to meet 3.0 demands with 2.0 structures?
Our biggest problem with 3.0 is in the first pillar: autonomy. I'm not talking about staff autonomy because one of the reasons why I enjoy my work on campus is that I have loads of autonomy to run my classes and other programmes the way I want. I'm talking about the kids and how we have to monitor them, guide them, discipline them, safeguard them, and sic their parents on them (if necessary) their whole two years with us. I'm talking about not trusting them to do the right thing, and likewise them not trusting themselves, coming from environments that didn't trust them either. It's going to be difficult if I apply 3.0 while the rest of their subject tutors still manage them with 2.0, the way they're used to. The kids are so conditioned under survival 2.0 they don't see the higher purpose of 3.0 as a necessary or even a worthwhile aim. Avoiding a shelling will always win out over reaching for higher goals.
I'm absolutely sure 3.0 works. The kids in Drama Club grow and develop so many skills so quickly because they have the autonomy to do what they need to do to get their show on the road. They dedicate themselves to mastering stagecraft, turning in long rehearsals above and beyond their regular scheduled schoolwork and working with a true master of the craft like Tina or Rods. And they have a purpose to turn in a performance they can be proud of for our annual Drama Night or national competition. But these same kids are often in trouble in class because 2.0 just isn't adequate to motivate them to do as well in their academic obligations.
Working in an organization so firmly entrenched in 2.0, can there be a transitional step, a 2.5 that I can at least start on? Or have I been stuck on 2.5 all along? Whatever it is, it's time to throw a bigger rock into the pond. Our collective futures could well depend on it.
Digital generation gap
Among the various threats and opportunities dNYel had been discussing earlier, I'd like to throw in one more item that is BOTH a threat and and opportunity: the kids have gone digital and they think differently from us pen and paper types.
One of this year's GP essay questions was something about how technology has negatively impacted our skill levels. The bias to this question is from the fact that old schoolers like us took great pains to practice and train in the skills we wanted to be good at. Whether it was music, art or sport there were no shortcuts to developing the necessary muscle memory and the right kind of sensitivity to make it work the way we want.
But with technology, anybody with an interest and some patience can learn to use so many easily (often freely) available digital tools that can turn an amateur attempt into something approaching a piece of professional expression. For instance, music doesn't have to be 'original', it can be sampled from existing tracks and remixed with a GarageBand tool; a backyard lot and a few enthusiastic teenagers can become the platform for the next YouTube viral hit. You call THAT skill?
But really, who's to say it isn't? We oldies are conscious of the distance between audience and performer, but to this generation, there is hardly any difference between one or the other. Easy access to all these tools that were once only available to those who could afford them (i.e., the professional studios) has closed the gap so significantly it's almost pointless to make the distinction now.
What I'm getting at is that with so many opportunities for the kids to express themselves these days, it's still our job to return them to the table and focus on writing an essay or make sense of a given piece of writing. I suppose it's necessary. It's not so much that the exam only seeks to reward pen and paper skills, but it's the only opportunity they might have to create something original, by themselves, of themselves.
As we are in the process of figuring out our programme for the next batch of J1s, this digital mindset is one more thing to be aware of if we're going to engage them in any meaningful way.
One of this year's GP essay questions was something about how technology has negatively impacted our skill levels. The bias to this question is from the fact that old schoolers like us took great pains to practice and train in the skills we wanted to be good at. Whether it was music, art or sport there were no shortcuts to developing the necessary muscle memory and the right kind of sensitivity to make it work the way we want.
But with technology, anybody with an interest and some patience can learn to use so many easily (often freely) available digital tools that can turn an amateur attempt into something approaching a piece of professional expression. For instance, music doesn't have to be 'original', it can be sampled from existing tracks and remixed with a GarageBand tool; a backyard lot and a few enthusiastic teenagers can become the platform for the next YouTube viral hit. You call THAT skill?
But really, who's to say it isn't? We oldies are conscious of the distance between audience and performer, but to this generation, there is hardly any difference between one or the other. Easy access to all these tools that were once only available to those who could afford them (i.e., the professional studios) has closed the gap so significantly it's almost pointless to make the distinction now.
What I'm getting at is that with so many opportunities for the kids to express themselves these days, it's still our job to return them to the table and focus on writing an essay or make sense of a given piece of writing. I suppose it's necessary. It's not so much that the exam only seeks to reward pen and paper skills, but it's the only opportunity they might have to create something original, by themselves, of themselves.
As we are in the process of figuring out our programme for the next batch of J1s, this digital mindset is one more thing to be aware of if we're going to engage them in any meaningful way.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Six-word stories
Here's an interesting movement launched recently: to identify what truly matters to you in exactly six words. The site is full of happy motivational phrases coined by contributors who also add a little background story to explain themselves.
I don't personally have an apt six-word motto to live by, or perhaps I'm too woolly-headed to quip an enlightening stock phrase for myself right now. This week, I only have one concern: "Treat animals right, you stupid humans!" If you've been following recent video links portraying acts of animal cruelty (which I will NOT perpetuate here), you'll know why I'm so bugged.
I don't personally have an apt six-word motto to live by, or perhaps I'm too woolly-headed to quip an enlightening stock phrase for myself right now. This week, I only have one concern: "Treat animals right, you stupid humans!" If you've been following recent video links portraying acts of animal cruelty (which I will NOT perpetuate here), you'll know why I'm so bugged.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sideline distractions
What a bunch of crybabies! Lose a game then blame it on being distracted by the sideline action? Dudes, if you're the serious athletes that you claim to be, you'd be keeping your eyes on the ball, not the globes. Or did you really sign up because it's the only chance you'll get to go to a beach populated by girls who only lug their jugs in a figurative way?
Actually, this post is just an excuse to link to a page filled with gratuitous pix of scantily clad women. What? I'm not a Yemeni beach volleyball player!
Actually, this post is just an excuse to link to a page filled with gratuitous pix of scantily clad women. What? I'm not a Yemeni beach volleyball player!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Organizational inertia
Change is in the air for dNYel's GP programme. At least we're starting to think about it, seeing that the employment environment has changed significantly. Like it or not, we're still in the business of cranking out economic workers, except that now our economy has moved from assembly-line manufacturing to knowledge management, creativity and service. Likewise, we're looking at our production model and making decisions about how best to modify working systems and overhaul obsolete ones.
No specifics as yet. Too many people have too many different opinions on how to proceed. There will be changes made in the coming weeks, but I hope that in an effort to please everyone it won't become 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.
We'll take all the ideas, evaluate our options and eventually whittle them down into a workable strategy. That's the nature of an organization. Change may be slow, but if it is in the right direction, that's all that matters.
No specifics as yet. Too many people have too many different opinions on how to proceed. There will be changes made in the coming weeks, but I hope that in an effort to please everyone it won't become 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.
We'll take all the ideas, evaluate our options and eventually whittle them down into a workable strategy. That's the nature of an organization. Change may be slow, but if it is in the right direction, that's all that matters.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Tabby field test
Took Mr Tabby on a date to Vivocity for a field test to see how I liked him. So far his reviews have been mixed so it was time to try him out for myself.
Portability:
He certainly is a monster of a mobile phone with his 7" screen. But he fit perfectly into the side pocket of my berms. I could even button the flap. His 380g of mass was noticeable as I walked, but it didn't bother me too much after a while. Guess people who wear cargo pants have the advantage if they want to carry him about hands free. Else he'll have to go in a bag.
Connectivity:
3G, Wi-fi, Bluetooth. Connections are quite fast, making web browsing easy. 3G, of course, requires a data plan from SingTel -- 12Gb per month, standard. That's irritating because in order to use 12Gb per month, I have to transfer the SIM card from my current fully-functioning phone to the Tab, rendering my phone useless. Unless I operate the Tab exclusively on Wi-fi, in which case I'll be wasting my monthly data quota. I suppose I'll be swapping the SIM quite often to get the best of both worlds.
Making phone calls on the Tab is ridiculous. No way I'm going to put that giant cell phone to my face to talk, so a Bluetooth headset is a must-have. Fortunately, launch day customers receive the very item, gratis. One more thing jiggling around in the pockets wherever we go.
Interface:
The touchscreen is very responsive under the fingers. Fast flicks and pinches result in eyeball-spinning scrolling but it responds well to slow, controlled movements too. The QWERTY-keypad is touch-responsive, signalling every key press with a little vibration and a brief highlight of the key pressed. In landscape orientation, the keys are rather far apart, so holding the Tab in one hand leaves only one finger available to do the typing with. In portrait, however, both thumbs can easily reach all the keys making typing much easier this way.
Camera:
Er, I didn't buy him for the camera.
Apps:
Lots of free apps are available from the Android Market. Apart from the usual FB, email, GPS apps, I particularly like using the Tab as an e-book reader. It's so easy to open up Kobo, find any book and download a copy. Books are cheap too. I bought 'Drive' and 'Rework' for less than half the price at the bookstore. It's so easy, it's scary how one can get carried away e-shopping and not realize how much money it will all amount to when it's time to settle the bill.
Other:
I'm having some problems getting the contacts I have on my SIM to sync with the Tab. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I should figure it out soon enough. Mr Tabby is a serious money-draining device because of his ease of access to (often paid, even if cheap) information, sometimes we don't even realize we're paying for it. Also, some apps insist on tracking the user by GPS coordinates, so if I was ever going to commit a crime, I have to never make him an accessory or he'll squeal on my every movement in a snap.
Verdict:
Thought it may have been love at first sight, it's not love at first date. No doubt Mr Tabby is going to be useful but we're going to have to adapt to one another's quirks and annoyances if we're going to make this relationship work. As it is, when he's in my hands, I'm addicted to pushing his buttons just to see what else he can do. Once I narrow down his most relevant functions to me, I do believe we'll get along just fine.
Portability:
He certainly is a monster of a mobile phone with his 7" screen. But he fit perfectly into the side pocket of my berms. I could even button the flap. His 380g of mass was noticeable as I walked, but it didn't bother me too much after a while. Guess people who wear cargo pants have the advantage if they want to carry him about hands free. Else he'll have to go in a bag.
Connectivity:
3G, Wi-fi, Bluetooth. Connections are quite fast, making web browsing easy. 3G, of course, requires a data plan from SingTel -- 12Gb per month, standard. That's irritating because in order to use 12Gb per month, I have to transfer the SIM card from my current fully-functioning phone to the Tab, rendering my phone useless. Unless I operate the Tab exclusively on Wi-fi, in which case I'll be wasting my monthly data quota. I suppose I'll be swapping the SIM quite often to get the best of both worlds.
Making phone calls on the Tab is ridiculous. No way I'm going to put that giant cell phone to my face to talk, so a Bluetooth headset is a must-have. Fortunately, launch day customers receive the very item, gratis. One more thing jiggling around in the pockets wherever we go.
Interface:
The touchscreen is very responsive under the fingers. Fast flicks and pinches result in eyeball-spinning scrolling but it responds well to slow, controlled movements too. The QWERTY-keypad is touch-responsive, signalling every key press with a little vibration and a brief highlight of the key pressed. In landscape orientation, the keys are rather far apart, so holding the Tab in one hand leaves only one finger available to do the typing with. In portrait, however, both thumbs can easily reach all the keys making typing much easier this way.
Camera:
Er, I didn't buy him for the camera.
Apps:
Lots of free apps are available from the Android Market. Apart from the usual FB, email, GPS apps, I particularly like using the Tab as an e-book reader. It's so easy to open up Kobo, find any book and download a copy. Books are cheap too. I bought 'Drive' and 'Rework' for less than half the price at the bookstore. It's so easy, it's scary how one can get carried away e-shopping and not realize how much money it will all amount to when it's time to settle the bill.
Other:
I'm having some problems getting the contacts I have on my SIM to sync with the Tab. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I should figure it out soon enough. Mr Tabby is a serious money-draining device because of his ease of access to (often paid, even if cheap) information, sometimes we don't even realize we're paying for it. Also, some apps insist on tracking the user by GPS coordinates, so if I was ever going to commit a crime, I have to never make him an accessory or he'll squeal on my every movement in a snap.
Verdict:
Thought it may have been love at first sight, it's not love at first date. No doubt Mr Tabby is going to be useful but we're going to have to adapt to one another's quirks and annoyances if we're going to make this relationship work. As it is, when he's in my hands, I'm addicted to pushing his buttons just to see what else he can do. Once I narrow down his most relevant functions to me, I do believe we'll get along just fine.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Launch day for Tab
Launch item in question is the Samsung Galaxy Tab -- big-assed brother to the 'S' launched earlier this year.
Much to my embarrassment, I found myself positioned #2 in line though I really didn't make an effort to arrive that early. Somehow as we slightly early birds were milling about, the organizers got their act together and herded us into line. By some strange accident, I found myself right in front.
Found out later that the very first four retail customers had already been identified and given VIP treatment, while I was #2 after them. Still, I was far ahead enough to be invited to view the launch concert in person. Some up and coming K-pop star, G.Na, was on hand to belt out a few English and Korean numbers and say some nice things about the Tab before we could rush over to the retail counters and collect ours.
So, without any further ado, presenting my very own Personal Non-Productivity Device, Mr Tabby.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Graduation bawl
With reference to 'Graduation: No gown, scroll or photo op': for crap's sake, lady, your kid has graduated... kindergarten! Perhaps that might have been a grand accomplishment for you -- could be still -- but your kid has lots more opportunities to wear the cutesy costume for your photographic pleasure when it actually means something to him.
You keep insisting the event will be an 'unhappy' one, but the only one who is unhappy is you. The organization is happy doing it that way; the kids are happy because they have no other frame of reference (besides you) to compare their celebration against; and the other parents are probably happy because they can quickly grab their bemused graduand, take him for a celebratory ice-cream sundae and pack him off to Chinese tuition straight after lunch.
You know what will be really unhappy? Forcing hundreds of pre-schoolers to sit still and quiet while hundreds of names are read out individually. Have you never experienced hell on earth before?
Your kid deserves to be happy on the day of his graduation, but he won't be happy because you won't be happy. Smile, please, for his sake. It's HIS party, you can't cry just because you want to.
You keep insisting the event will be an 'unhappy' one, but the only one who is unhappy is you. The organization is happy doing it that way; the kids are happy because they have no other frame of reference (besides you) to compare their celebration against; and the other parents are probably happy because they can quickly grab their bemused graduand, take him for a celebratory ice-cream sundae and pack him off to Chinese tuition straight after lunch.
You know what will be really unhappy? Forcing hundreds of pre-schoolers to sit still and quiet while hundreds of names are read out individually. Have you never experienced hell on earth before?
Your kid deserves to be happy on the day of his graduation, but he won't be happy because you won't be happy. Smile, please, for his sake. It's HIS party, you can't cry just because you want to.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The one question
Another GP year has come to a close. Today's final exam was, if not easy, then at least straightforward. Most essay questions looked do-able, and no nasty surprises. There was a head-scratcher over dying rich = dying 'disgraced', and a particular angle demanded by the tech question (tech has a negative effect on skill levels) which I hope the kids paid attention to. They do love the sci-tech subject so much, sometimes they forget to read the whole question. *shudder
But the compre paper totally vindicated what I had said about the application question all along. There is only ONE question to answer, no matter how many question marks appear. The main question is the one that asks if and/or how the one or two passages apply to the [new] given context from which perspective the candidate is required to consider. In other words, when we ask which author you agree with, or is more relevant, or otherwise presents a more convincing argument, these are just supporting questions that remind the candidate to make appropriate and relevant references to the passages in answer to the main question.
Trouble is, kids tend to spend too much energy answering the supporting questions (frankly, I don't care which author you agree with OR why), they have no time or forget to answer the main question. Instant fail.
This year, the application question went straight to the heart of the matter: how does the author's views on food apply to you and your society? It didn't even bother to ask the supporting questions, knowing how well we've drilled our kids to answer them. A single question mark sharpens the focus to a single key idea. That's the application question I understood right from the time they rolled it out. It didn't need to get any more complicated than that.
But the compre paper totally vindicated what I had said about the application question all along. There is only ONE question to answer, no matter how many question marks appear. The main question is the one that asks if and/or how the one or two passages apply to the [new] given context from which perspective the candidate is required to consider. In other words, when we ask which author you agree with, or is more relevant, or otherwise presents a more convincing argument, these are just supporting questions that remind the candidate to make appropriate and relevant references to the passages in answer to the main question.
Trouble is, kids tend to spend too much energy answering the supporting questions (frankly, I don't care which author you agree with OR why), they have no time or forget to answer the main question. Instant fail.
This year, the application question went straight to the heart of the matter: how does the author's views on food apply to you and your society? It didn't even bother to ask the supporting questions, knowing how well we've drilled our kids to answer them. A single question mark sharpens the focus to a single key idea. That's the application question I understood right from the time they rolled it out. It didn't need to get any more complicated than that.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Attempting to make small talk
First, condolences to NBS who lost a Squeak. We pet owners share your grief as it is the same pain, regardless of their relative sizes. :'(
Second, while on duty this afternoon, I happened to overhear a conversation between a trio of fellow invigilators. It was all about tut tutting over some petty misdemeanour of a colleague of theirs before drifting on to discuss where they expect to be in five years' time. OMG, is this really the subject matter normal human beings raise when they make small talk? No wonder I have problems chatting people up. Small talk is just lost on me, who prefers to keep his own counsel over making such inconsequential matters sound so serious.
Which is why I am so thankful for my own colleagues. Our talk is anything but serious, nothing is too sacred to poke fun at -- not even ourselves -- and to anyone listening in on us we would probably make no sense at all.
We spent the evening celebrating another birthday. The a la carte buffet spread at Hibiki was very well done. We couldn't decide what to order so the staff presented our table for 10 a first round serving of everything on the menu. The ebi sashimi was so fresh it didn't remind me of fish bait for once. Even the unagi was palatable to my finicky standards. After the first round, we were only able to order another serving of assorted sashimi and teriyaki (for the non-raw food eaters) before calling it quits. Kind'a sad that this place that serves up such good food didn't have much business. We occupied the biggest table in the house, made the most noise and kept the staff most busy. They could certainly use more customers, so go!
Will end off this rather random entry with this clip featuring a totally audacious football play. Usually in [American] football, we can expect loads of violence, mayhem and broken bodies flung all over the pitch -- and that's just during the touchdown celebrations. In comparison, the following play must have been designed by Gandhi himself! Take a look...
And... that's all, folks!
Second, while on duty this afternoon, I happened to overhear a conversation between a trio of fellow invigilators. It was all about tut tutting over some petty misdemeanour of a colleague of theirs before drifting on to discuss where they expect to be in five years' time. OMG, is this really the subject matter normal human beings raise when they make small talk? No wonder I have problems chatting people up. Small talk is just lost on me, who prefers to keep his own counsel over making such inconsequential matters sound so serious.
Which is why I am so thankful for my own colleagues. Our talk is anything but serious, nothing is too sacred to poke fun at -- not even ourselves -- and to anyone listening in on us we would probably make no sense at all.
We spent the evening celebrating another birthday. The a la carte buffet spread at Hibiki was very well done. We couldn't decide what to order so the staff presented our table for 10 a first round serving of everything on the menu. The ebi sashimi was so fresh it didn't remind me of fish bait for once. Even the unagi was palatable to my finicky standards. After the first round, we were only able to order another serving of assorted sashimi and teriyaki (for the non-raw food eaters) before calling it quits. Kind'a sad that this place that serves up such good food didn't have much business. We occupied the biggest table in the house, made the most noise and kept the staff most busy. They could certainly use more customers, so go!
Will end off this rather random entry with this clip featuring a totally audacious football play. Usually in [American] football, we can expect loads of violence, mayhem and broken bodies flung all over the pitch -- and that's just during the touchdown celebrations. In comparison, the following play must have been designed by Gandhi himself! Take a look...
And... that's all, folks!
Monday, November 08, 2010
Can you count to two?
End of year invigilation has started. Large exam venues are a pain as the candidature runs in the hundreds. Accounting for the papers collected takes some time as each one has to be tallied against the attendance sheet. So even after the paper has ended, we can still expect to remain behind for a while counting everything up. As with B-lo's nightmarish experience with her first duty last week, it could happen that counting could last up to an hour after the 'pens down' announcement.
As it turns out, my duty today was the best case scenario. It was a relatively small candidature, no doubt, but my assignment was to be responsible for the private candidates' column. Altogether there were a total of four names on my list, 50% of which were absent. It was a breeze to collect and count all the way up to 'two', and skedaddle while the others were still collecting theirs.
A good start to this year's duty, I think. Not likely to occur again; no one could be as lucky twice.
As it turns out, my duty today was the best case scenario. It was a relatively small candidature, no doubt, but my assignment was to be responsible for the private candidates' column. Altogether there were a total of four names on my list, 50% of which were absent. It was a breeze to collect and count all the way up to 'two', and skedaddle while the others were still collecting theirs.
A good start to this year's duty, I think. Not likely to occur again; no one could be as lucky twice.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Evil makes good
This year, it's the villains who get the focus. For all their grandiose plans of world domination, they're only compensating for the one thing they have been deprived of: acceptance. That is, if 'Despicable Me' and the just opened 'Megamind' would have us believe.
Gru's three orphans grow on him, and his long-suppressed paternal instincts rise to the fore as he meets his new-found responsibilities like a man. Megamind gets afflicted with reverse Stockholm syndrome -- he kidnaps the same female reporter so often he eventually falls for her. When this pair of miscreants realize their human sides, they gain a purpose bigger than themselves and eventually make good.
If only real evil were so easy to identify. But it's the consequences of momentary idiocy; or blind, unquestioning faith; or misguided righteousness that are truly horrific. In fact, often the greatest evils are perpetrated by those who believe they are acting for the greatest good. Think about that for a bit.
Oh, and while we're on the topic of cartoon characters, alas, poor Sid. I knew him, Manfred. Sniff.
Gru's three orphans grow on him, and his long-suppressed paternal instincts rise to the fore as he meets his new-found responsibilities like a man. Megamind gets afflicted with reverse Stockholm syndrome -- he kidnaps the same female reporter so often he eventually falls for her. When this pair of miscreants realize their human sides, they gain a purpose bigger than themselves and eventually make good.
If only real evil were so easy to identify. But it's the consequences of momentary idiocy; or blind, unquestioning faith; or misguided righteousness that are truly horrific. In fact, often the greatest evils are perpetrated by those who believe they are acting for the greatest good. Think about that for a bit.
Oh, and while we're on the topic of cartoon characters, alas, poor Sid. I knew him, Manfred. Sniff.
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