I think I mentioned once before, that being a driving instructor for decades, my female owner’s father has developed a good and strong heart to deal with shocks and unexpected turn of events.
His good and strong heart brought him through yet another shock two days ago. You see, my female owner’s mother had been away for more than a week. So life’s been pretty boring, with just her father in the house. And despite all her mother had said in the past about how my female owner shouldn’t waste money bringing us to the vet etc, I know that her mother really cares for us (at this point, I realise that I’m getting very long-winded).
So anyway, I missed her mother and knowing that she would be back yesterday, I decided to find a way to spring a surprise on her. My plot was to welcome her back, by waiting for her in her room. And as luck would have it, on Wednesday, my female owner’s father forgot to replace the fencing that kept us in the Balcony, and with all my mighty might, I climbed out of the Balcony and headed towards the master bedroom.
As I was a day early, I decided to snooze under a cupboard… and my great escapade probably tired me out so much that I overslept… and woke up only when her mother returned home and turned the house upside down trying to locate me (she has a knee problem and is quite round, but she has to go on her fours in search of me).
Sob, so much for trying to surprise her. My attempt became a nasty shock to the elderly couple. In addition, Dodo, my gentle alpha male brother, chided me for being the sole author of that fiasco. My female owner also almost had a heart attack when her mother told her that I was missing ("your big-head turtle went missing")
Big-head??
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
why
My female owner has no class or assignments deadlines to attend to anymore, but she is still not able to complete her work in time for the next day... she wonders why...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
normal
My female owner had been “enjoying” herself since last Friday. Or rather, living a more “normal” life.
Friday: went to school for a few hours and bible study at night. Stayed back after bible study to mingle with her friends (unlike the past, when she would rush home to do work)
Saturday: did some work at home, before going to an in-house Iron Chef competition by the guys in her bible study group. (very impressive culinary skills). Played an impromptu game of Articulate with her church friends – sort-of won the game coz she picked a really clever partner. Had a nice chat with all her impromptu friends from Singapore.
Sunday: did some work at home. Went to church in the afternoon and went out for dinner with her friends after that (unlike the past when she would go straight home to do some work).
Monday: rushed through an assignment (horribly), saw a client at night. Went jogging later at night. Noticed that her agility has waned. Could be her weight or knee problem.
Tuesday: went to school for the afternoon to do some client work. Went for evening case presentation. Attended a 3-hour long prayer meeting after that.
Notice that her days did not include grocery shopping or window shopping... she's still "not there yet" in terms of having enough time.
So, there’s more breathing space now. Although there are still many things screaming for her attention, they are largely procrastinate-able… as long as she stay clear of those people who are waiting for her to get her butt moving. Haha.
Friday: went to school for a few hours and bible study at night. Stayed back after bible study to mingle with her friends (unlike the past, when she would rush home to do work)
Saturday: did some work at home, before going to an in-house Iron Chef competition by the guys in her bible study group. (very impressive culinary skills). Played an impromptu game of Articulate with her church friends – sort-of won the game coz she picked a really clever partner. Had a nice chat with all her impromptu friends from Singapore.
Sunday: did some work at home. Went to church in the afternoon and went out for dinner with her friends after that (unlike the past when she would go straight home to do some work).
Monday: rushed through an assignment (horribly), saw a client at night. Went jogging later at night. Noticed that her agility has waned. Could be her weight or knee problem.
Tuesday: went to school for the afternoon to do some client work. Went for evening case presentation. Attended a 3-hour long prayer meeting after that.
Notice that her days did not include grocery shopping or window shopping... she's still "not there yet" in terms of having enough time.
So, there’s more breathing space now. Although there are still many things screaming for her attention, they are largely procrastinate-able… as long as she stay clear of those people who are waiting for her to get her butt moving. Haha.
Monday, October 27, 2008
power
My female owner just handed in an awful assignment today. She probably should have prayed about it instead of being so confident about writing a good piece of work. It was a research proposal for her thesis project. Her supervisor just got back to Brisbane last night and met her at 1400hr to go through her write-up with her. The thing is, the assignment was due at 1600hr.
His feedback (regarding design) threw her off-track and by the time the session was over, she had only 70mins to make conceptual changes (not correct typo errors type of changes). And she was in BIG PANIC.
Coz she had to perform a power analysis to get a ballpark sample size for the two studies she will be doing and to do that, she needed an online software. To use that software, she needed to download it first but as everyone knows, you can’t download programmes on school computers.. And she didn’t have time to go home (obviously). She needed to do that power analysis + remedy her proposal asap.
She tried sourcing for other softwares online that might not require a download and soon realised that she was fighting a losing battle. She smsed two of her coursemates who might be able to help… but they were not home. Then she fell back on (you guessed it!) good-old MSN to see if there was anyone online who might understand what she needed.
Lo and behold, her Intuitive Fren was innocently online minding his own cyber business. And very quickly, he became her online, real-time tech-cum-stats-data-generator. For some good reason (high IQ – intuitive quotient?), he was able to follow her vague instructions to i) download this software ii) choose the right test (??) iii) key in certain numbers in specific boxes to churn out the sample size she needed. To be honest, she wasn't even sure if he would be able to understand what she wanted, since the programme can be overwhelming for first-time users.
Happily, he was. In fact, he was patient enough to go through the various permutations she had in mind and like any good helpdesk, asked questions to clarify what her design was about. He even sent her a copy of the output to make sure that things were correct.
His feedback (regarding design) threw her off-track and by the time the session was over, she had only 70mins to make conceptual changes (not correct typo errors type of changes). And she was in BIG PANIC.
Coz she had to perform a power analysis to get a ballpark sample size for the two studies she will be doing and to do that, she needed an online software. To use that software, she needed to download it first but as everyone knows, you can’t download programmes on school computers.. And she didn’t have time to go home (obviously). She needed to do that power analysis + remedy her proposal asap.
She tried sourcing for other softwares online that might not require a download and soon realised that she was fighting a losing battle. She smsed two of her coursemates who might be able to help… but they were not home. Then she fell back on (you guessed it!) good-old MSN to see if there was anyone online who might understand what she needed.
Lo and behold, her Intuitive Fren was innocently online minding his own cyber business. And very quickly, he became her online, real-time tech-cum-stats-data-generator. For some good reason (high IQ – intuitive quotient?), he was able to follow her vague instructions to i) download this software ii) choose the right test (??) iii) key in certain numbers in specific boxes to churn out the sample size she needed. To be honest, she wasn't even sure if he would be able to understand what she wanted, since the programme can be overwhelming for first-time users.
Happily, he was. In fact, he was patient enough to go through the various permutations she had in mind and like any good helpdesk, asked questions to clarify what her design was about. He even sent her a copy of the output to make sure that things were correct.
This was what he had to do for her, as quickly as possible, even though he was not familiar with the programme. Choose the right options, key in the right numbers to generate the right output.
Once again, my female owner was blessed by the help from her clever friends... Everyone, breathe easy now..
everyday
My female owner likes this photo very much. It was a random photo taken from one of the bus-stops near her house, as part of her mission to take some everyday angles or objects that most people would not take notice of, before she left for Brisbane. (Speaking of bus-stops, her Potahto and Functional Frens used to get annoyed with her, coz my female owner seemed to have direct buses which would bring her anywhere worth going in Singapore. Unlike their homes, which are much more ulu). Well, she got her retribution. Her current location in Brisbane is near the school and that's about it. Everywhere else is inaccessible... There are many reasons why she likes this photo. Firstly, for the near symmetry of the blocks of flats and the tree. Secondly, the contrast of the colours of the building and the tree (and man-made vs nature). Thirdly, the shape of the tree. Finally, for the simple fact that it has been her home for more than ten years.
This angle, incidentally, is what I see, whenever my female owner brings me to the vet by bus… I would look back, in the direction of home, wishing and praying that she would turn around and bring me home immediately. It never happens. I always end up at the vet’s. *sulk*
This is the perspective we see, while waiting for the bus to arrive. Far behind is that church that she grew up in.
weak
My female owner had the worst period of the semester last week. I might have mentioned it before. She had two heavy duty assignments due on Monday, a case presentation on Tuesday night (which her dubious supervisor didn’t get back to her on her slides, so she was literally on her own during the presentation) and an early morning competency assessment (i.e. practical role-play) on Wednesday. Throw in tutorials on Monday evening and a client on Monday night and full day lessons (from 0900 to 1600hr), she was hardpressed for time to prepare for the competency assessment which was worth 50% of her grade.
For the competency assessment, students would be given 1 of 8 possible scenarios to demonstrate their clinical skills. It was a children and adolescent module and my female owner had zero experience working with this population. She has never explained a CBT model to an adult (surprise surprise, for all the hours she had clocked, she hasn’t done the very basic!) much less a child (and having to modify her language to suit a child’s level of understanding).
In addition, my female owner had a bad experience last semester with competency assessments. Both times, she was allocated the most challenging scenarios and for one, given a very low grade by her tutor (who would be the child role-player in the current assessment) and that rocked her confidence. Plus, her anxious clients who terminated on her made her question her ability to relate to the Western population.
And my female owner was very frustrated with the situation she was in, because she was the only person in the cohort who had to do a case presentation at night (slot was randomly allocated early into the semester) followed by that early morning assessment (slot allocated by surname – now you know why). She felt so disadvantaged. She wished that she could either skip the case presentation (she could, if she was not presenting… and many of her coursemates did that) or have a later time-slot for her assessment (change of surname? She could have requested for an afternoon slot).
And since she was already frustrated, she went jogging at 1am and got home at 2am on Tuesday morning, adding to her miry situation.
To cope with this helpless situation, she did something which she seldom do. She started to pray really hard and asking for God’s grace and favour to be upon her (for an easy scenario etc). She also prayed specifically to get a “7” (high distinction) for this module as it is the easiest module among the rest. And she started quoting the verse in 2 Cor 12:10 “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Meaning that when she is weak, she is then strong in Jesus, because rather than relying on herself, she is saying that He will be her strength. This time round, she was really weak, because she had no time to prepare herself decently (compare this to her other coursemates who wrote out scripts and even spent some time role-playing with one another).
Happily, my female owner was given a simple scenario to demonstrate her skills. The tutor in question tried to make things difficult and my female owner was caught off-guard. But she managed to remedy the situation somewhat. It was a short and sharp pain for my female owner, preparing for that assessment, as compared to writing up a case study for the other 50% of the grade.
So, the lecturer sent out the marks yesterday, and my female owner fell through the cracks.. “6” is a 76 to 84. “7” is a 85 to 100. She got 84.5. So she was in a no-man’s land… and could be given either a “6” or a “7”. She wrote to her lecturer and also prayed about it.. and was delighted when her lecturer (without being persuaded by my female owner) said that she would bump her up to a 7.
Praise God. A battle won.
For the competency assessment, students would be given 1 of 8 possible scenarios to demonstrate their clinical skills. It was a children and adolescent module and my female owner had zero experience working with this population. She has never explained a CBT model to an adult (surprise surprise, for all the hours she had clocked, she hasn’t done the very basic!) much less a child (and having to modify her language to suit a child’s level of understanding).
In addition, my female owner had a bad experience last semester with competency assessments. Both times, she was allocated the most challenging scenarios and for one, given a very low grade by her tutor (who would be the child role-player in the current assessment) and that rocked her confidence. Plus, her anxious clients who terminated on her made her question her ability to relate to the Western population.
And my female owner was very frustrated with the situation she was in, because she was the only person in the cohort who had to do a case presentation at night (slot was randomly allocated early into the semester) followed by that early morning assessment (slot allocated by surname – now you know why). She felt so disadvantaged. She wished that she could either skip the case presentation (she could, if she was not presenting… and many of her coursemates did that) or have a later time-slot for her assessment (change of surname? She could have requested for an afternoon slot).
And since she was already frustrated, she went jogging at 1am and got home at 2am on Tuesday morning, adding to her miry situation.
To cope with this helpless situation, she did something which she seldom do. She started to pray really hard and asking for God’s grace and favour to be upon her (for an easy scenario etc). She also prayed specifically to get a “7” (high distinction) for this module as it is the easiest module among the rest. And she started quoting the verse in 2 Cor 12:10 “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Meaning that when she is weak, she is then strong in Jesus, because rather than relying on herself, she is saying that He will be her strength. This time round, she was really weak, because she had no time to prepare herself decently (compare this to her other coursemates who wrote out scripts and even spent some time role-playing with one another).
Happily, my female owner was given a simple scenario to demonstrate her skills. The tutor in question tried to make things difficult and my female owner was caught off-guard. But she managed to remedy the situation somewhat. It was a short and sharp pain for my female owner, preparing for that assessment, as compared to writing up a case study for the other 50% of the grade.
So, the lecturer sent out the marks yesterday, and my female owner fell through the cracks.. “6” is a 76 to 84. “7” is a 85 to 100. She got 84.5. So she was in a no-man’s land… and could be given either a “6” or a “7”. She wrote to her lecturer and also prayed about it.. and was delighted when her lecturer (without being persuaded by my female owner) said that she would bump her up to a 7.
Praise God. A battle won.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
list
My female owner can’t wait to go home. She know that time will fly really fast and before she can say “I’m going home!”, she will be home. But the logical side of her knows that she has to go through quite a bit of work before she can bid Brisbane temporal farewell.
So here’s her to-do list till Dec
Coursework
- Written exam on 11th Nov
- Competency assessment on 4th Dec
- Internship folio on 5th Dec
- Resource development task
Research
- Compile research questionnaire for printing by end Nov
- Ethics approval for project asap
- Identify recruitment avenues for project
Clinic
- Clock 45 hours more (plus usual client/ supervision preparation etc)
- One adult neuropsych report by end Nov
- Two child neuropsych reports by 3rd week Nov
- Close all her client files (she has 18 clients now, 7 of which can be closed now)
Misc
- Pack her stuff to move (to dunno where)
So here’s her to-do list till Dec
Coursework
- Written exam on 11th Nov
- Competency assessment on 4th Dec
- Internship folio on 5th Dec
- Resource development task
Research
- Compile research questionnaire for printing by end Nov
- Ethics approval for project asap
- Identify recruitment avenues for project
Clinic
- Clock 45 hours more (plus usual client/ supervision preparation etc)
- One adult neuropsych report by end Nov
- Two child neuropsych reports by 3rd week Nov
- Close all her client files (she has 18 clients now, 7 of which can be closed now)
Misc
- Pack her stuff to move (to dunno where)
cute
My female owner was a little high today. I think she was so tired of pia-ing for school that she lost control of herself and started talking a lot during bible study discussion (with about 7 other gals).
They ended up laughing with (or at?!) her and kept commenting that she’s very cute (I don’t think they mean the japaneses-kawaii-oh-so-pretty-polka-dots-cute kind of cute, but the funny, amusing kind). At times, it wasn’t even because she said anything. Just the look on her face. Even the mother of one of the gals who was there commented that my female owner is cute. And this mother can’t really speak English! (My female owner ended up being the translator for the group, can you believe that?! Her lousy Mandarin was functional in Brisbane).
Also at bible study group, she had her problematic knee checked by her physio-fren for cartilage problems but no sign of that. It was good news in one sense but puzzling in another coz she still doesn't know why her knee would act up at random times, causing her to walk/run strangely. Now she is not sure if she over-reacted to her knee pain..
They ended up laughing with (or at?!) her and kept commenting that she’s very cute (I don’t think they mean the japaneses-kawaii-oh-so-pretty-polka-dots-cute kind of cute, but the funny, amusing kind). At times, it wasn’t even because she said anything. Just the look on her face. Even the mother of one of the gals who was there commented that my female owner is cute. And this mother can’t really speak English! (My female owner ended up being the translator for the group, can you believe that?! Her lousy Mandarin was functional in Brisbane).
Also at bible study group, she had her problematic knee checked by her physio-fren for cartilage problems but no sign of that. It was good news in one sense but puzzling in another coz she still doesn't know why her knee would act up at random times, causing her to walk/run strangely. Now she is not sure if she over-reacted to her knee pain..
Thursday, October 23, 2008
blog
Guess what?!
This Blog is two today! Happie birthday to Blog, Happie birthday to Blog, Happie birthday to Blllooooooogggg.. Happie birthday to Blog!
Wahaha. Looking back at what I said I wanted to do one year ago, I realised that I haven't really renovated this Blog the way I wanted to. The only thing I did was to change the skin from green to blue.. =I Turtles are really slow and steady yah? I think I will do the same thing this year... shed the old skin and get new skin (just like what my reptile snake friend does regularly...)
Anyway, to all my human friends, thank you very much for your support. Without you, there is no me.
This Blog is two today! Happie birthday to Blog, Happie birthday to Blog, Happie birthday to Blllooooooogggg.. Happie birthday to Blog!
Wahaha. Looking back at what I said I wanted to do one year ago, I realised that I haven't really renovated this Blog the way I wanted to. The only thing I did was to change the skin from green to blue.. =I Turtles are really slow and steady yah? I think I will do the same thing this year... shed the old skin and get new skin (just like what my reptile snake friend does regularly...)
Anyway, to all my human friends, thank you very much for your support. Without you, there is no me.
clocking
My female owner had an early day. She was meant to start at 0930hr and end at 2100hr. However, her clients at 1630hr and 1900hr cancelled their appointments. So she managed to reach home before 1800hr, when there was still light!
My female owner recently reached a point where she doesn’t really care about her clinic hours anymore. Clocking hours for the sake of hours is taking the joy out of learning and helping others. In addition, she has a dubious supervisor who cancels on her too! Best.
She still has an assignment due on Monday but is taking her own sweet time in doing it. Ideally she should complete it by tomorrow, so that her research supervisor (who is in Beijing now) can vet it. But given that she hasn’t started on it… she’s not too optimistic if she can complete it within 12 hours…
My female owner recently reached a point where she doesn’t really care about her clinic hours anymore. Clocking hours for the sake of hours is taking the joy out of learning and helping others. In addition, she has a dubious supervisor who cancels on her too! Best.
She still has an assignment due on Monday but is taking her own sweet time in doing it. Ideally she should complete it by tomorrow, so that her research supervisor (who is in Beijing now) can vet it. But given that she hasn’t started on it… she’s not too optimistic if she can complete it within 12 hours…
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
soup
We turtles are home alone with our female owner’s father. Her mother has gone to Yunnan for one of her holiday escapades. He’s a funny man. He takes care of us really well, but fantasises of home-brewed turtle soup all the time. I think he salivates whenever he sees Nanook, the juiciest looking of us all.
This is her... looking sad and gloomy.
That is Nanook in front and Dodo, my beloved eldest brother, trying to climb over her.. Definitely having problems! Dona and I were just minding our own business.. 
special
My female owner finally heard from her aikido instructor. He sent her an email when he was in Japan attending a once-in-four-years International Aikido Federation congress. Yeah, bet you didn’t know that there are such things as aikido conferences.
Well… my female owner said that she would have gone, if she were still in Singapore.
Anyway, he apologised for not writing to her earlier because he had been caught up with work. Ah… he made it up with a good long email, updating her about his life and aikido happenings. Makes her wanna return home fast to train again.
Aikido makes up such a huge part of her life. It’s not just the philosophy or the exercise or friends that made this sport so special to her. Through the training, she learnt to be ambidextrous (sort-of), to relate to people from all walks of life, to be humble and teachable, to be alert (not quite there yet I must say), to be disciplined, to collaborate with others, to care for others, to enjoy pain (haha), to basically be a better person.
No wonder she misses training with fellow aikidokas, so much so that she did some rolling in her huge living room just now..
Well… my female owner said that she would have gone, if she were still in Singapore.
Anyway, he apologised for not writing to her earlier because he had been caught up with work. Ah… he made it up with a good long email, updating her about his life and aikido happenings. Makes her wanna return home fast to train again.
Aikido makes up such a huge part of her life. It’s not just the philosophy or the exercise or friends that made this sport so special to her. Through the training, she learnt to be ambidextrous (sort-of), to relate to people from all walks of life, to be humble and teachable, to be alert (not quite there yet I must say), to be disciplined, to collaborate with others, to care for others, to enjoy pain (haha), to basically be a better person.
No wonder she misses training with fellow aikidokas, so much so that she did some rolling in her huge living room just now..
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
today
My female owner went for a late night/ early morning jog yesterday/today and reached home at 2am. That’s probably the latest/ earliest she ever jogged. She agreed to go jogging even though she was hardpressed for time because she felt worn out from her schoolwork. As she was physically tired by the time she started jogging, she mused that she must have sleep-jogged and sleep-talked.
Today, she must have had the look of stress and weariness tattooed on her face because some of her course-mates asked her if she was ok. And even when she said she was “oook”, one of them didnt look too convinced and tried to cheer her up.
Even though she was sleep deprived (she had an early class this morning) and tried to sleep early tonight, she found that she was not able to.
Her original plan was to sleep early so that she could wake up early to prepare for yet another competency assessment tomorrow (countless it seems!). Plan failure!
Hmmm… Insomnia? Stressed?
Today, she must have had the look of stress and weariness tattooed on her face because some of her course-mates asked her if she was ok. And even when she said she was “oook”, one of them didnt look too convinced and tried to cheer her up.
Even though she was sleep deprived (she had an early class this morning) and tried to sleep early tonight, she found that she was not able to.
Her original plan was to sleep early so that she could wake up early to prepare for yet another competency assessment tomorrow (countless it seems!). Plan failure!
Hmmm… Insomnia? Stressed?
Monday, October 20, 2008
long distance
I just realised that my female owner is having a long-distance relationship(s)…. with us turtles of course! (who else were you thinking about?)
I mean, think about it. She left behind her cushy life in Singapore to venture into unknown Brisbane, with nothing more than her overweight luggage and well-wishes of her family and friends. 9 months on (the same amount of time taken for her Onli Fren to become a mother), she has found “substitutes” for just about anything she left behind – room (an upgrade in fact), friends (church and unchurched, not very close but good enough), colleagues (in the form of her coursemates), job (tutoring to get by), computer (thanks to her silent brother who sponsored a laptop). She even got herself things she never had in Singapore – a potted plant, 7 extra kg (and counting), basic culinary and baking skills. The only things/ persons she didn’t find replacements for are firstly, her parents (irreplaceable!) and us turtles!!
You see, she could have, but she didn’t. She chose not to. Coz she is committed to this long-term-long-distance relationship she has with us. 8 years with my brothers and 6 years with Nanook and myself. Some of my female owner’s closest friends do not even know her for that long!
Such great charm we have, for the puny sizes we are. =)
I mean, think about it. She left behind her cushy life in Singapore to venture into unknown Brisbane, with nothing more than her overweight luggage and well-wishes of her family and friends. 9 months on (the same amount of time taken for her Onli Fren to become a mother), she has found “substitutes” for just about anything she left behind – room (an upgrade in fact), friends (church and unchurched, not very close but good enough), colleagues (in the form of her coursemates), job (tutoring to get by), computer (thanks to her silent brother who sponsored a laptop). She even got herself things she never had in Singapore – a potted plant, 7 extra kg (and counting), basic culinary and baking skills. The only things/ persons she didn’t find replacements for are firstly, her parents (irreplaceable!) and us turtles!!
You see, she could have, but she didn’t. She chose not to. Coz she is committed to this long-term-long-distance relationship she has with us. 8 years with my brothers and 6 years with Nanook and myself. Some of my female owner’s closest friends do not even know her for that long!
Such great charm we have, for the puny sizes we are. =)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
call
My female owner received another call from Singapore today. Her Impromptu Frens calling her impromptu-ly... inviting her to join them at Vivocity. Well… It’s always nice to receive calls from home, especially if you are not expecting them. Once in a while, her Functional Fren would contact her and that usually brightens her day. Given that most of the calls she makes these days are regarding work and that not many people chats on the mobile, I can see why "chatting calls" perk her up.
My female owner says that mobile charges in Brisbane is high. Local SMS costs $0.25 while international SMS costs $0.35! Given that the costs don’t differ much, my female owner naturally prefers to send international messages.
Using mobiles to make local calls are a killer. $0.39 just to connect a call. $0.29/30 secs thereafter. The luxury of chatting on mobile phones (like Singapore) is non-existent in Brisbane apparently. There were a few times when my female owner ended up paying about $5.00 for a phone-call! Exorbitant prices!
Using a landline to call mobile phones is not a luxury either. My female owner hasn’t work out the cost yet (different service providers and different plans provide different price plans, but they are usually time-based). Some say it’s sometimes cheaper to use a mobile phone to call. Landline to landline is more stable. It is $0.17/call on her housephone.
My female owner says that mobile charges in Brisbane is high. Local SMS costs $0.25 while international SMS costs $0.35! Given that the costs don’t differ much, my female owner naturally prefers to send international messages.
Using mobiles to make local calls are a killer. $0.39 just to connect a call. $0.29/30 secs thereafter. The luxury of chatting on mobile phones (like Singapore) is non-existent in Brisbane apparently. There were a few times when my female owner ended up paying about $5.00 for a phone-call! Exorbitant prices!
Using a landline to call mobile phones is not a luxury either. My female owner hasn’t work out the cost yet (different service providers and different plans provide different price plans, but they are usually time-based). Some say it’s sometimes cheaper to use a mobile phone to call. Landline to landline is more stable. It is $0.17/call on her housephone.
Friday, October 17, 2008
essay
Time to write about my female owner’s day. I have nothing much to write, because the same old stuff, that she’s being swarmed by work, no thanks to her poor organisational skills and time management.
Oh yes, let me write about her essay-marking experience.
She realised that you can predict whether an essay will be good right from the beginning, when you read the introduction (or lack of it).
Secondly, the amount of space dedicated to the first section (and easiest) part of the essay. For 8 marks out of 40, some students use half the permitted space to address this first section.
Thirdly, number of references (just turn to the back page). If you can count the number of references on one hand or a half, chances are, you will have to spend a long time on the essay, trying to reasons to give out mercy marks.
While she spent many painstaking nights marking those essays, she did enjoy the experience (she’s a well-know sadist-masochist, she likes to do things the hard way…)
Oh yes, let me write about her essay-marking experience.
She realised that you can predict whether an essay will be good right from the beginning, when you read the introduction (or lack of it).
Secondly, the amount of space dedicated to the first section (and easiest) part of the essay. For 8 marks out of 40, some students use half the permitted space to address this first section.
Thirdly, number of references (just turn to the back page). If you can count the number of references on one hand or a half, chances are, you will have to spend a long time on the essay, trying to reasons to give out mercy marks.
While she spent many painstaking nights marking those essays, she did enjoy the experience (she’s a well-know sadist-masochist, she likes to do things the hard way…)
mango
My female owner didn’t think she was depressed yesterday. Today she is not sure, but she thinks she is just stressed and falling apart. And she realised it in an ironic way.
Her church friend had been meaning to give her some mangoes since last Sunday. Because she didn’t go for the usual service, she didn’t get her mangoes. So just now, the church friend contacted her on MSN to arrange to pass her the mangoes tomorrow. My female owner’s reply was “Yay! Mangoes! The bestest thing that happened to me this week.”
And this friend expressed shock at her statement. My female owner then realised that her reply was telling of how terrible her week was, that mangoes, mere fruits, were the bestest thing for her this week.
(Ah, and my female owner wants to ask her Onli Fren, do you remember who mango is?)
Her church friend had been meaning to give her some mangoes since last Sunday. Because she didn’t go for the usual service, she didn’t get her mangoes. So just now, the church friend contacted her on MSN to arrange to pass her the mangoes tomorrow. My female owner’s reply was “Yay! Mangoes! The bestest thing that happened to me this week.”
And this friend expressed shock at her statement. My female owner then realised that her reply was telling of how terrible her week was, that mangoes, mere fruits, were the bestest thing for her this week.
(Ah, and my female owner wants to ask her Onli Fren, do you remember who mango is?)
Thursday, October 16, 2008
BMW
My female owner’s family is moving on!
Her brother just bought a 1 year old sports car… and her mother just bought a new car (pending CoE). In the midst of an economic crisis!
And here she is, in Brisbane where cars are cheap and aplenty, relying on the (un)trusty BMW – Bus, MRT, Walk.
Hopefully she can drive the new car when she comes back (or maybe she needs five years to habituate to the new car, just like the previous car...)
Her brother just bought a 1 year old sports car… and her mother just bought a new car (pending CoE). In the midst of an economic crisis!
And here she is, in Brisbane where cars are cheap and aplenty, relying on the (un)trusty BMW – Bus, MRT, Walk.
Hopefully she can drive the new car when she comes back (or maybe she needs five years to habituate to the new car, just like the previous car...)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
pours
It never rains but pours apparently.
My female owner lost her computer lab access card and her photocopy card today. Once again, she found herself searching the ground and surroundings for lost items. And in her usual pessimistic-optimistic way, she told herself that things could be worse – she could have lost her clinic keys which were usually in the same pouch as her cards..
She found it frustrating to be losing things.. I can see why. She’s works in an “organised mess” mode. She may seem messy… but she knows where her things are. Until recently, so it seems.
To add to her frustration, she wore her old pair of contact lens today. The difference to her vision was stark.
poor vision + uncomfortable lens (her right eye was hurting all the way) = health issues (unlike previously thought)
She felt so lousy (add in fatigue and heavy workload and an uncooperative knee) that she started to feel feverish. Everything was swirling into a incoherent tangle.
My female owner can only hope and pray for better days ahead. Like what she told her Onli Fren, she is walking by faith now, since she can’t walk by sight (pun intended).
My female owner lost her computer lab access card and her photocopy card today. Once again, she found herself searching the ground and surroundings for lost items. And in her usual pessimistic-optimistic way, she told herself that things could be worse – she could have lost her clinic keys which were usually in the same pouch as her cards..
She found it frustrating to be losing things.. I can see why. She’s works in an “organised mess” mode. She may seem messy… but she knows where her things are. Until recently, so it seems.
To add to her frustration, she wore her old pair of contact lens today. The difference to her vision was stark.
poor vision + uncomfortable lens (her right eye was hurting all the way) = health issues (unlike previously thought)
She felt so lousy (add in fatigue and heavy workload and an uncooperative knee) that she started to feel feverish. Everything was swirling into a incoherent tangle.
My female owner can only hope and pray for better days ahead. Like what she told her Onli Fren, she is walking by faith now, since she can’t walk by sight (pun intended).
worse
My female owner started the day well. Despite not having enough sleep, she went to school happily. Tuesdays are her most relaxing days, because she has full day lessons. Yes, I said it right. Rather than having to prepare for client sessions, she can actually sit back and receive knowledge from others. Isn’t it sad? That’s her form of relaxation.
Anyway, the day started to turn bad along the way… one key turning point was when she lost one side of her contact lens. She recently made new ones before going back to Brisbane and because of her fatigue, she actually lost grip of the right side and just like that, it was gone.
Another downer (note, I won’t even talk about school-related matters) is that she realised that her knee problem (yes, she’s aging) could be more serious than she thought. And one of her fave activity, aikido, may aggravate the condition.
While she mourn over the loss of her contact lens (didn't help when her friend (i won't mention who) laughed at her over MSN), she tried to comfort herself that things could be worse.. like health problems… then she realised that her knee is a health problem.
But really, things could be much worse. Can someone please convince her of that??
Anyway, the day started to turn bad along the way… one key turning point was when she lost one side of her contact lens. She recently made new ones before going back to Brisbane and because of her fatigue, she actually lost grip of the right side and just like that, it was gone.
Another downer (note, I won’t even talk about school-related matters) is that she realised that her knee problem (yes, she’s aging) could be more serious than she thought. And one of her fave activity, aikido, may aggravate the condition.
While she mourn over the loss of her contact lens (didn't help when her friend (i won't mention who) laughed at her over MSN), she tried to comfort herself that things could be worse.. like health problems… then she realised that her knee is a health problem.
But really, things could be much worse. Can someone please convince her of that??
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
shocks
My female owner has reverted to her junior college days, somewhat. She took a nap last night for 2.5hrs and ended up sleeping at 0600hr today. She woke up at 1300hr (slept through sunshine and renovation from outside and next door). Amazing sleepy head! In her junior college days (eons ago, apparently), she used to go home after school to sleep and wake up when it was dark and work through the night, before going to school. Upside down cycle indeed. My female owner is just more productive at night I think.
Anyway, she had a few shocks today.
Firstly, her Grandma client who used to torment her by not coming. She found out that Grandma’s 26 year old daughter (the one who forced Grandma to go for parenting programme with my female owner) is gay. It was shocking because she usually brings her three-year old daughter (through IVF) to sessions.
Seems like it is trendy these days for gay couples to procreate through IVF. My female owner has another female gay couple who came to her with issues concerning their three-year old daughter. Sounds similar, except that this mother is in her very early 20s. My female owner was also amazed at Grandma’s openness to her daughter’s sexual preferences (who disclosed her orientation 9 years ago).
While Grandma hated coming for those sessions early in the programme, Grandma is now willing to come by herself. Grandma and my female owner even had a little chat about how Grandma had changed over the past few months and Grandma said that what made her change was that my female owner was so nice. Hmm… no free sessions for saying that! She even shocked my female owner by recounting what my female owner said in previous sessions (my female owner always felt that Grandma was not fully engaged during the sessions).
The second major shock was that my female owner found out that one of her students in her tutorial had sought psychological help at the clinic. My female owner cannot put a face to the name but she recognised the name. The student had applied for an extension and attached the email to her assignment. My female owner wished she could do something to help her. She ended up writing a little note of encouragement/ acknowledgement before marking her written assignment. My female owner was impressed by the quality of her work, even though it was half-written. However, she could not pass the paper.
Anyway, she had a few shocks today.
Firstly, her Grandma client who used to torment her by not coming. She found out that Grandma’s 26 year old daughter (the one who forced Grandma to go for parenting programme with my female owner) is gay. It was shocking because she usually brings her three-year old daughter (through IVF) to sessions.
Seems like it is trendy these days for gay couples to procreate through IVF. My female owner has another female gay couple who came to her with issues concerning their three-year old daughter. Sounds similar, except that this mother is in her very early 20s. My female owner was also amazed at Grandma’s openness to her daughter’s sexual preferences (who disclosed her orientation 9 years ago).
While Grandma hated coming for those sessions early in the programme, Grandma is now willing to come by herself. Grandma and my female owner even had a little chat about how Grandma had changed over the past few months and Grandma said that what made her change was that my female owner was so nice. Hmm… no free sessions for saying that! She even shocked my female owner by recounting what my female owner said in previous sessions (my female owner always felt that Grandma was not fully engaged during the sessions).
The second major shock was that my female owner found out that one of her students in her tutorial had sought psychological help at the clinic. My female owner cannot put a face to the name but she recognised the name. The student had applied for an extension and attached the email to her assignment. My female owner wished she could do something to help her. She ended up writing a little note of encouragement/ acknowledgement before marking her written assignment. My female owner was impressed by the quality of her work, even though it was half-written. However, she could not pass the paper.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
decision
My female owner visited her friend’s church today. It was the first time my female owner attended a Baptist service. Quite a pleasant experience, it turned out. The flow was similar to a traditional Methodist service, from the “methodical” order of worship, to the quieter style of worship, right down to the demographics of the congregation.
My female owner enjoyed the service through and through. Her favourite part was the magnificent mix of musicians. Pipe organist (how rare!), backed by a grand pianist and a mini ensemble of violinists, trumpeters and saxophonists. There was even a guitarist and a drummer. A full strength choir added to the charm of the service.
Will Graham, grandson of Billy Graham, preached on Matthew 27:11-26. He used that passage where Pilate allowed his people to set free Barabbas (a notorious prisoner) over Jesus (whom he found no fault) to preach the gospel. It was a very direct message – “making no decision about Jesus is making a decision about Jesus”. The altar call, to receive Jesus, was equally direct – “come up to the front if you want to receive Christ”.
My female owner was stunned at the simplicity of the message. Her little faith caused her to think that no one would respond. To her astonishment, a handful of people from the small congregation responded to the message. It’s not about preaching an emotional message or trying to pull off a persuasive message. It’s the anointing of God moving through the preacher that draws people to God. My female owner felt ashamed at her lack of faith, being blinded by her (psychological) logic.
And even through that gospel message on a lazy Sunday morning (been ages since my female owner woke up early to attend a morning service!), my female owner caught her take-home message.
My female owner enjoyed the service through and through. Her favourite part was the magnificent mix of musicians. Pipe organist (how rare!), backed by a grand pianist and a mini ensemble of violinists, trumpeters and saxophonists. There was even a guitarist and a drummer. A full strength choir added to the charm of the service.
Will Graham, grandson of Billy Graham, preached on Matthew 27:11-26. He used that passage where Pilate allowed his people to set free Barabbas (a notorious prisoner) over Jesus (whom he found no fault) to preach the gospel. It was a very direct message – “making no decision about Jesus is making a decision about Jesus”. The altar call, to receive Jesus, was equally direct – “come up to the front if you want to receive Christ”.
My female owner was stunned at the simplicity of the message. Her little faith caused her to think that no one would respond. To her astonishment, a handful of people from the small congregation responded to the message. It’s not about preaching an emotional message or trying to pull off a persuasive message. It’s the anointing of God moving through the preacher that draws people to God. My female owner felt ashamed at her lack of faith, being blinded by her (psychological) logic.
And even through that gospel message on a lazy Sunday morning (been ages since my female owner woke up early to attend a morning service!), my female owner caught her take-home message.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
encouragement
My female owner finally went jogging tonight, after procrastinating for 11 days (she was supposed to start on 1 Oct) and not running for a few weeks.
It was a hard run for her, even though the distance was shorter than what she used to cover. And yes, in case you are wondering, she didn’t suddenly turn over a new leaf and go on her own accord. She was jioed by her usual jogging kakis.
Running with them had always been a good experience for my female owner. Although they were fitter than her and obviously able to run faster and cover greater distance than her, they would run along side her to encourage her to go faster and longer. No matter how much she whined about the cold weather or not being able to run anymore, they would still meet her at where she is (patiently and without condemn), to challenge her to stretch herself. The run never fails to end with a word of affirmation.
That’s the power of encouragement, it can help someone to go beyond what she thinks she can do, to achieve more than what she believes she can reach.
Go encourage someone today.
It was a hard run for her, even though the distance was shorter than what she used to cover. And yes, in case you are wondering, she didn’t suddenly turn over a new leaf and go on her own accord. She was jioed by her usual jogging kakis.
Running with them had always been a good experience for my female owner. Although they were fitter than her and obviously able to run faster and cover greater distance than her, they would run along side her to encourage her to go faster and longer. No matter how much she whined about the cold weather or not being able to run anymore, they would still meet her at where she is (patiently and without condemn), to challenge her to stretch herself. The run never fails to end with a word of affirmation.
That’s the power of encouragement, it can help someone to go beyond what she thinks she can do, to achieve more than what she believes she can reach.
Go encourage someone today.
birth
A lazy day for my female owner.. She stayed up till 0400hr this am marking what she calls “bloody lousy essays”. She’s a tutor for a second-year course and part of her job responsibility is to mark her students’ assignments. 37 2500-word essays. She says that it is a surreal feeling, being on the other side of the fence now.
And so, she slept in today and woke up at 1300hr! Half the day gone.
Random thoughts flow through her mind, even as she procrastinates on starting her work..
Her Onli Fren has given birth, two weeks early. Based on her psychological assessment of his early arrival, my female owner is of the professional opinion that the baby is smart, driven, has a mind of his own and most importantly, kind-hearted and empathetic, eager to relieve his mother of the burden of pregnancy.
My female owner, being a little premature, thinks that she was never really ready to face the world being forced out of her mother’s womb, so that she could be born before the end of the year. Her mother wanted my female owner to “save” a year in terms of starting school. But my female owner’s argument was that had she been born in January, she would have an extra 12-month period to develop her physical, cognitive and emotional capabilities… and probably do better than her peers in her growing up years and possibility be leading a different life now.
Ah, the joy of blaming others for one’s lack of success!
And so, she slept in today and woke up at 1300hr! Half the day gone.
Random thoughts flow through her mind, even as she procrastinates on starting her work..
Her Onli Fren has given birth, two weeks early. Based on her psychological assessment of his early arrival, my female owner is of the professional opinion that the baby is smart, driven, has a mind of his own and most importantly, kind-hearted and empathetic, eager to relieve his mother of the burden of pregnancy.
My female owner, being a little premature, thinks that she was never really ready to face the world being forced out of her mother’s womb, so that she could be born before the end of the year. Her mother wanted my female owner to “save” a year in terms of starting school. But my female owner’s argument was that had she been born in January, she would have an extra 12-month period to develop her physical, cognitive and emotional capabilities… and probably do better than her peers in her growing up years and possibility be leading a different life now.
Ah, the joy of blaming others for one’s lack of success!
Friday, October 10, 2008
economics
All of a sudden, my female owner’s economy changes.
Once, the currency AUD: SIN held steady at 1:1.33. In a matter of few days, AUD:SIN is 1:0.97.
In addition, the Singapore government declared today that Singapore is now in a recession.
My female owner has never understood economics. She never took it at junior college. She chose Further Maths over Economics. Or rather, she chose to be with her kakis who were taking double maths double science. Her Onli Fren thought that my female owner would do well in Economics but sigh, that potential was never nurtured.
Anyway, here are some questions which has been bugging my female owner
1) Why is the USD negatively correlated to the AUD?
2) Why is the USD strengthening against the SIN, if USD is in the dumps?
3) What does it mean when the AUD government says that it is reducing the banks’ interest rates? What does it mean for consumers?
4) Why would reducing interest rates weaken the AUD?
5) What happened recently that caused the AUD to be weaker than the SIN?
6) Why is the SIN stronger than the AUD, despite Singapore being in recession?
And most importantly, in the near future, will the SIN continue to get stronger relative to the AUD??
My female owner feels out of sync with the turn of tides, coz she changed her AUD at 1:1.33. So technically, while things should be cheaper, she is still living in the past, where everything cost 30% more than it should. At the same time, she is getting less buck for her labour as a tutor!
Bad timing!
Once, the currency AUD: SIN held steady at 1:1.33. In a matter of few days, AUD:SIN is 1:0.97.
In addition, the Singapore government declared today that Singapore is now in a recession.
My female owner has never understood economics. She never took it at junior college. She chose Further Maths over Economics. Or rather, she chose to be with her kakis who were taking double maths double science. Her Onli Fren thought that my female owner would do well in Economics but sigh, that potential was never nurtured.
Anyway, here are some questions which has been bugging my female owner
1) Why is the USD negatively correlated to the AUD?
2) Why is the USD strengthening against the SIN, if USD is in the dumps?
3) What does it mean when the AUD government says that it is reducing the banks’ interest rates? What does it mean for consumers?
4) Why would reducing interest rates weaken the AUD?
5) What happened recently that caused the AUD to be weaker than the SIN?
6) Why is the SIN stronger than the AUD, despite Singapore being in recession?
And most importantly, in the near future, will the SIN continue to get stronger relative to the AUD??
My female owner feels out of sync with the turn of tides, coz she changed her AUD at 1:1.33. So technically, while things should be cheaper, she is still living in the past, where everything cost 30% more than it should. At the same time, she is getting less buck for her labour as a tutor!
Bad timing!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
love-hate
My female owner is feeling drained and zombified, especially after a 12-hr day with 7 appointments, none of which was cancelled.
0930 to 1000: tutors meeting
1200 to 1415: neuropsych assessment
1500 to 1545: supervision with first supervisor
1545 to 1615: supervision with second supervisor
1630 to 1745: therapy session with a teenager (her favourite age-group!)
1900 to 2000: parenting session with a pair of funny parents
2000 to 2100: parenting session with a single mother
Yes, and in-between breaks, she made client calls, printed materials, wrote case-notes and had an MSN chat with her Potahto Fren.
After one hectic week in school (she submitted two assignments early this week), where she lost track of time and space and herself, here’s a list of what she has to do by next Friday
- 2 neuropsych assignments (worth 60% altogether)
- 1 research presentation
- 2 case formulations (my female owner is convinced that her current supervisor hates her)
- generate slides for 1 case presentation
- mark 36 lousy essays
- 1 ethics form
- familiarise herself with two new neuropsych kits to administer next Friday
- endless outdated case notes to update
- type out 4 or 5 supervision records (she lost count of how far behind she is)
Things she hopes to find time to do… somehow.. because they need to be done by the following week anyway…
- close at least 5 client files
- score 4 neuropsych tests (2 IQ tests and 2 achievement tests which will take eons apparently)
- score a number of psychological measures submitted by her clients
- update her internship record of practice
- organise her room (or home office, depends on how you look at things)
- compile her research questionnaire
- start preparing for her competency assessment
No wonder she has a love-hate relationship with time. She hopes it will fly faster so that she could come home.. but yet, if it flies faster, means her stress and anxiety level increase exponentially too...
0930 to 1000: tutors meeting
1200 to 1415: neuropsych assessment
1500 to 1545: supervision with first supervisor
1545 to 1615: supervision with second supervisor
1630 to 1745: therapy session with a teenager (her favourite age-group!)
1900 to 2000: parenting session with a pair of funny parents
2000 to 2100: parenting session with a single mother
Yes, and in-between breaks, she made client calls, printed materials, wrote case-notes and had an MSN chat with her Potahto Fren.
After one hectic week in school (she submitted two assignments early this week), where she lost track of time and space and herself, here’s a list of what she has to do by next Friday
- 2 neuropsych assignments (worth 60% altogether)
- 1 research presentation
- 2 case formulations (my female owner is convinced that her current supervisor hates her)
- generate slides for 1 case presentation
- mark 36 lousy essays
- 1 ethics form
- familiarise herself with two new neuropsych kits to administer next Friday
- endless outdated case notes to update
- type out 4 or 5 supervision records (she lost count of how far behind she is)
Things she hopes to find time to do… somehow.. because they need to be done by the following week anyway…
- close at least 5 client files
- score 4 neuropsych tests (2 IQ tests and 2 achievement tests which will take eons apparently)
- score a number of psychological measures submitted by her clients
- update her internship record of practice
- organise her room (or home office, depends on how you look at things)
- compile her research questionnaire
- start preparing for her competency assessment
No wonder she has a love-hate relationship with time. She hopes it will fly faster so that she could come home.. but yet, if it flies faster, means her stress and anxiety level increase exponentially too...
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
slaps
My female owner felt as if she received a few slaps in the face today. The slaps were mainly for allowing herself to be dysthymic for longer than necessary. For the longest time ever, she has looked at her life through a “deprived” lens. No matter what stage of life she was in or what she has achieved, she would conclude that she has not achieved enough, or that she has lost something.
Today, her course-mate told her as a by-the-way sort of thing that she has stage 1 lymphoma (diagnosed early this year). Her course-mate had a previous bout of cancer about 10 years ago and this would probably be considered a relapse. My female owner was stunned at the news. It was the first time in her life that she knows a peer who has cancer and the person looks as normal as anyone. And not only that, her peer has moved on and chosen to live a full life. Such a courageous attitude towards life!
Also, during night class, she found out how someone’s client fell into depression after sustaining a hand injury at work. A random accident that caused her to miss a semester of school, to lose and gain weight, to seek psychological treatment, and to question her dream of being a veterinarian (hey, we need more of animal docs around!)
The fragility of life and health confronted my female owner twice today. Peaceful life and good health, blessings that should never be taken for granted.
Ah, but my female owner still feels blue.. now she feels blue for being blue…
Today, her course-mate told her as a by-the-way sort of thing that she has stage 1 lymphoma (diagnosed early this year). Her course-mate had a previous bout of cancer about 10 years ago and this would probably be considered a relapse. My female owner was stunned at the news. It was the first time in her life that she knows a peer who has cancer and the person looks as normal as anyone. And not only that, her peer has moved on and chosen to live a full life. Such a courageous attitude towards life!
Also, during night class, she found out how someone’s client fell into depression after sustaining a hand injury at work. A random accident that caused her to miss a semester of school, to lose and gain weight, to seek psychological treatment, and to question her dream of being a veterinarian (hey, we need more of animal docs around!)
The fragility of life and health confronted my female owner twice today. Peaceful life and good health, blessings that should never be taken for granted.
Ah, but my female owner still feels blue.. now she feels blue for being blue…
Monday, October 06, 2008
Procrastination Party
My female owner hosted a Procrastination Party last Friday! In the spirit of procrastination, I’ve taken my own sweet time to tell you about this.
The Procrastination Party was attended by three Singaporean psychology postgrad students who decided a week before that the best thing to do when you have multiple deadlines looming, is to meet up for a chill-out session.
And so, preparations started on Thursday, when they met for dinner at nearby Toowong (if you live at Ang Mo Kio, Toowong is Bishan) before going for grocery shopping.
My female owner and her Therapist Fren started cooking at 1530hr…and was joined by her Organised Fren at about 1800hr. And despite their hard work, the first dish that was ready at 1900hr (besides the dessert which was baked first) was the salad…which was pre-mixed and bought at a reduced cost of $1.50!
The Procrastination Party was attended by three Singaporean psychology postgrad students who decided a week before that the best thing to do when you have multiple deadlines looming, is to meet up for a chill-out session.
And so, preparations started on Thursday, when they met for dinner at nearby Toowong (if you live at Ang Mo Kio, Toowong is Bishan) before going for grocery shopping.
My female owner and her Therapist Fren started cooking at 1530hr…and was joined by her Organised Fren at about 1800hr. And despite their hard work, the first dish that was ready at 1900hr (besides the dessert which was baked first) was the salad…which was pre-mixed and bought at a reduced cost of $1.50!
First dish to be ready after 3 hours.. Fetta cheese not included.
So much for their hard work!
Menu:
Appetisers: Italian Bruschetta, Mushroom Pizza
Main dish: Fish and Potato Pie with Salad
Desert: Warm Chocolate Brownie topped with Vanilla Ice-cream
See how pretty the Italian Bruschettas are
That's the pre-mixed salad on the left and the mushroom pizza on the right. Simply gorgeous!
Fish and Potato Pie. Note that the dishes were all very healthy. No salt and cooking oil was used at all (only olive oil)
The super sinful brownie. Simply heavenly!
Here’s what went into that sinful brownie… ALL the chocolate bars and that entire block of butter... (more chocolate was added in later, as per recipe!)
Melting the fats together
Adding the cheery eggs (another 2000KJ)
Check out the brand of the brownie-muffin.
And the lemon tea which took two hours to cool, and the subject of much laughter. And the party ended at 2330hr...
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Yangtze Turtles - China Girl
An article on how scientists tried (in vain) to breed two very rare ancestors of mine... Poor grandma... The weight of the turtleworld rests upon you...
_______________________________________________________
SUZHOU, China - She's around 80 years old. He's 100. Breathless scientists watched as the world's most endangered turtles successfully mated.
But the attempt to breed the species' last known female with the last known male in China has failed because the eggs didn't hatch, disappointed conservationists said Saturday.
The elderly pair can try again next year, part of a delicate attempt to keep the species alive. Just four known Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles are left and three are male.
The only female was found in a Chinese zoo just last year after a long and desperate search. She was quickly protected with a surveillance camera, a guard and bulletproof glass, and given the nickname "China Girl."
A successful batch of baby turtles would be a welcome environmental win for China. The country's efforts to save its pandas are famous, but scientists have said about 40 percent of China's mammal species are endangered. Pollution and hunting almost erased the Yangtze turtles.
Conservationists were thrilled this spring when the female and male finally were introduced, nudged each other curiously and slowly got down to business. Artificial insemination was deemed too risky.
Within weeks, dozens of eggs were found in the sandy nesting area at the Suzhou Zoo, about an hour's drive west of Shanghai. Conservationists predicted possible hatchlings by early August. But this week, they said the effort had failed.
"Unfortunately, none of the eggs successfully hatched this time," Stephen C. Sautner, a communications official with the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in an e-mail Saturday.
While more than half of the eggs seemed fertile, the embryos died early, a statement released Wednesday by the U.S.-based Turtle Survival Alliance said. The statement did not indicate whether the female turtle's age was a factor and instead blamed years of a low-calcium diet.
"A number of the eggs had very thin or cracked eggshells, suggesting that the diet of the animals prior to breeding was not optimal," the statement said.
Besides the pair that mated, the only other known Yangtze turtles are two males in Vietnam.
For years, the female turtle's keepers at the Changsha Zoo hadn't even known what kind of turtle she was or that she was one of the last of her kind. The zoo responded last year to an urgent appeal sent to all of China's zoos, saying it had a female that looked like the turtle in the photo sent with the appeal.
A team of experts from the U.S. and China then prepared her for the potentially stressful move to the Suzhou Zoo, about 600 miles away.
"I hate to call this a desperation move, but it really was," Rick Hudson, co-chair of the turtle alliance, said at the time.
Now, settled together in Suzhou, the two turtles are preparing for another attempt next year with a high-calcium diet of whole fish, whole crayfish and chicken necks, meant to result in eggs with stronger shells.
During a visit to the zoo Saturday, the turtles were nowhere to be seen. Their watery home was split by a metal gate to keep the male and female separate until the next breeding season. The male can be too aggressive otherwise, workers explained.
"We've worked very hard on this," said Liu Jinde, the director of the organization that manages the zoo. "Wait until next year. We ought to succeed. The turtles are very healthy."
He said one reason breeding failed this year was the hurry to get the turtles mating soon after the female joined the male at the zoo this spring.
There is, after all, not much time left. Though it isn't clear how long Yangtze turtles can live, the female's fertility is the key. Conservationists had been relieved when the newly discovered female at 80 years or more was still producing eggs.
Now the turtles' supporters must wait until spring, when the female should be ready for the next attempt.
The turtle alliance is optimistic. Despite their advanced ages, the two turtles "should be in top form" next year, its statement said.
_______________________________________________________
Here's some info on their mating process. Shouldnt such things be kept between the pair??
_______________________________________________________
SUZHOU, China - She's around 80 years old. He's 100. Breathless scientists watched as the world's most endangered turtles successfully mated.
But the attempt to breed the species' last known female with the last known male in China has failed because the eggs didn't hatch, disappointed conservationists said Saturday.
The elderly pair can try again next year, part of a delicate attempt to keep the species alive. Just four known Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles are left and three are male.
The only female was found in a Chinese zoo just last year after a long and desperate search. She was quickly protected with a surveillance camera, a guard and bulletproof glass, and given the nickname "China Girl."
A successful batch of baby turtles would be a welcome environmental win for China. The country's efforts to save its pandas are famous, but scientists have said about 40 percent of China's mammal species are endangered. Pollution and hunting almost erased the Yangtze turtles.
Conservationists were thrilled this spring when the female and male finally were introduced, nudged each other curiously and slowly got down to business. Artificial insemination was deemed too risky.
Within weeks, dozens of eggs were found in the sandy nesting area at the Suzhou Zoo, about an hour's drive west of Shanghai. Conservationists predicted possible hatchlings by early August. But this week, they said the effort had failed.
"Unfortunately, none of the eggs successfully hatched this time," Stephen C. Sautner, a communications official with the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in an e-mail Saturday.
While more than half of the eggs seemed fertile, the embryos died early, a statement released Wednesday by the U.S.-based Turtle Survival Alliance said. The statement did not indicate whether the female turtle's age was a factor and instead blamed years of a low-calcium diet.
"A number of the eggs had very thin or cracked eggshells, suggesting that the diet of the animals prior to breeding was not optimal," the statement said.
Besides the pair that mated, the only other known Yangtze turtles are two males in Vietnam.
For years, the female turtle's keepers at the Changsha Zoo hadn't even known what kind of turtle she was or that she was one of the last of her kind. The zoo responded last year to an urgent appeal sent to all of China's zoos, saying it had a female that looked like the turtle in the photo sent with the appeal.
A team of experts from the U.S. and China then prepared her for the potentially stressful move to the Suzhou Zoo, about 600 miles away.
"I hate to call this a desperation move, but it really was," Rick Hudson, co-chair of the turtle alliance, said at the time.
Now, settled together in Suzhou, the two turtles are preparing for another attempt next year with a high-calcium diet of whole fish, whole crayfish and chicken necks, meant to result in eggs with stronger shells.
During a visit to the zoo Saturday, the turtles were nowhere to be seen. Their watery home was split by a metal gate to keep the male and female separate until the next breeding season. The male can be too aggressive otherwise, workers explained.
"We've worked very hard on this," said Liu Jinde, the director of the organization that manages the zoo. "Wait until next year. We ought to succeed. The turtles are very healthy."
He said one reason breeding failed this year was the hurry to get the turtles mating soon after the female joined the male at the zoo this spring.
There is, after all, not much time left. Though it isn't clear how long Yangtze turtles can live, the female's fertility is the key. Conservationists had been relieved when the newly discovered female at 80 years or more was still producing eggs.
Now the turtles' supporters must wait until spring, when the female should be ready for the next attempt.
The turtle alliance is optimistic. Despite their advanced ages, the two turtles "should be in top form" next year, its statement said.
_______________________________________________________
Here's some info on their mating process. Shouldnt such things be kept between the pair??
Saturday, October 04, 2008
World Animal Day
It's World Animal Day today!
Yeah!
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society in Singapore also has some events planned out to celebrate OUR day.
And since I'm at it, here's my yearly campaign about not abandoning your pets:
Yeah!
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society in Singapore also has some events planned out to celebrate OUR day.
And since I'm at it, here's my yearly campaign about not abandoning your pets:
Friday, October 03, 2008
Thursday, October 02, 2008
can't
My female has lost track of time. Seriously speaking. Sometimes she can’t remember the day, sometimes it’s the date. At times, she can’t recall what happened just the day before. She can’t remember her clients’ names or faces.
It’s a good kind of busy, she says. The kind of busy where she’s happy to be working all the time. However, she knows that she’s going to reach breaking point soon, given her increasing distractibility and self-absorption.
Oh well… Just 2 more months I reckon. Now she’s going to mark her lousy year 2 essays…
It’s a good kind of busy, she says. The kind of busy where she’s happy to be working all the time. However, she knows that she’s going to reach breaking point soon, given her increasing distractibility and self-absorption.
Oh well… Just 2 more months I reckon. Now she’s going to mark her lousy year 2 essays…
bar of soap
My female owner felt that she had the best research supervision session today, ever since she started meeting up with her research supervisor (RS). Three times in all, if my maths don’t fail me.
Happy to say, he scaled down her project even more. She originally had to conduct two studies, one with questionnaires and one with an intervention. Today, he said that she can do without the second study (which is much harder to complete). By playing around with the various data she will be collecting from the first study, he showed her how she could expand her study into three studies. Amazing! Without doing more work! Grinning, he told her that the good way to say it is “manipulating the variables”, and the bad way to say it is.. (are you ready?) “mind masturbation”, where you just keep thinking about how to relate all the variables. Wahaha. My female owner couldn’t stop laughing at his “bad” term.
RS went on to share with my female owner many things about being a postgraduate and working in a university.
Among many of the things, he told her to have more confidence in herself (“you are good, so show it”). That she is already a postgraduate student, so she needs to think and behave like one (e.g. be an independent worker). He also said that she should not be afraid to show her intelligence (which he reckons its because of her being an Asian, and a female and having worked in other settings) or else the university cannot distinguish her “from a bar of soap” (?!).
For the third time, he offered her a job as his research assistant and my female owner finally accepted the offer, with details to be confirmed. And he asked her for her previous assignment (which she submitted to him last semester) so that he could use it for his upcoming teaching trip to Beijing. He also spoke about looking for opportunities to publish her work (not that she has done any!).
My female owner realised that RS is a strategist (he taught her how to present her research proposal to “shut them up”). She’s convinced that she would certainly benefit from his supervision and under his guidance and mentorship, develop her clinical maturity.
Thinking about what he said and what he did during the session, my female owner realised that RS is probably the first person in authority who showed so openly that he believed in her and her abilities, without her having really proven herself (e.g. through his class in the previous semester, her grades (of which he contributed a good one) and her research write-ups) Is that what Carl Rogers meant when he said “unconditional positive regard”?
Happy to say, he scaled down her project even more. She originally had to conduct two studies, one with questionnaires and one with an intervention. Today, he said that she can do without the second study (which is much harder to complete). By playing around with the various data she will be collecting from the first study, he showed her how she could expand her study into three studies. Amazing! Without doing more work! Grinning, he told her that the good way to say it is “manipulating the variables”, and the bad way to say it is.. (are you ready?) “mind masturbation”, where you just keep thinking about how to relate all the variables. Wahaha. My female owner couldn’t stop laughing at his “bad” term.
RS went on to share with my female owner many things about being a postgraduate and working in a university.
Among many of the things, he told her to have more confidence in herself (“you are good, so show it”). That she is already a postgraduate student, so she needs to think and behave like one (e.g. be an independent worker). He also said that she should not be afraid to show her intelligence (which he reckons its because of her being an Asian, and a female and having worked in other settings) or else the university cannot distinguish her “from a bar of soap” (?!).
For the third time, he offered her a job as his research assistant and my female owner finally accepted the offer, with details to be confirmed. And he asked her for her previous assignment (which she submitted to him last semester) so that he could use it for his upcoming teaching trip to Beijing. He also spoke about looking for opportunities to publish her work (not that she has done any!).
My female owner realised that RS is a strategist (he taught her how to present her research proposal to “shut them up”). She’s convinced that she would certainly benefit from his supervision and under his guidance and mentorship, develop her clinical maturity.
Thinking about what he said and what he did during the session, my female owner realised that RS is probably the first person in authority who showed so openly that he believed in her and her abilities, without her having really proven herself (e.g. through his class in the previous semester, her grades (of which he contributed a good one) and her research write-ups) Is that what Carl Rogers meant when he said “unconditional positive regard”?
flair
My female owner has been missing. The more deadlines she has, the less she does. She translates her time and energy into procrastinating activities. I seriously believe she has a natural flair for this. Like yesterday, she went to school to do some administrative things… and ended up going for a three hour impromptu dinner with her only other Asian coursemate. All the way to Sunnybank, 20mins drive away, which is an Asian enclave.
Then they went back to school at about 2100hr to continue their work… with all good intentions… but they started chatting about other stuff. You know, those heart-to-heart kind of chat? And so my female reached home about midnight and continued her work. She realised that she probably should do work at home, instead of trying to work in school.
And she went to school today, tired and zonked out. When she was about to start work after having an impromptu lunch with her Therapist Fren, she realised that her research supervisor replied to her email regarding her research proposal and had offered a consultation time 5mins from that time she read the email. And so, she ran off to his office for an impromptu meeting… that lasted 1hr 45mins. More on that later.
After the meeting, she went off to find her Therapist Fren again to walk home together. Learning from her lesson the previous day, my female owner intended to work at home. But her Therapist Fren invited her into her house... And my female owner went in and spent some time chatting again. When she finally got home at 1800hr, she had her dinner… and went to take a nap (sleep-deprived rem?) for two hours!
And woke up with the “oh-shit” feeling. Queen of procrastination indeed.
Then they went back to school at about 2100hr to continue their work… with all good intentions… but they started chatting about other stuff. You know, those heart-to-heart kind of chat? And so my female reached home about midnight and continued her work. She realised that she probably should do work at home, instead of trying to work in school.
And she went to school today, tired and zonked out. When she was about to start work after having an impromptu lunch with her Therapist Fren, she realised that her research supervisor replied to her email regarding her research proposal and had offered a consultation time 5mins from that time she read the email. And so, she ran off to his office for an impromptu meeting… that lasted 1hr 45mins. More on that later.
After the meeting, she went off to find her Therapist Fren again to walk home together. Learning from her lesson the previous day, my female owner intended to work at home. But her Therapist Fren invited her into her house... And my female owner went in and spent some time chatting again. When she finally got home at 1800hr, she had her dinner… and went to take a nap (sleep-deprived rem?) for two hours!
And woke up with the “oh-shit” feeling. Queen of procrastination indeed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
My siblings and I
From top left: Dodo, Dona, me (Nooki) and Nanook