e-blueh2o

Friday, March 04, 2011

school library

i wish people would shush in the library, and computer lab here.

Labels: differences

Monday, February 28, 2011

could be better

things about this place that could be better:

1. thicker walls that allow less sound to pass through

2. dryers that work

3. heating that can be controlled manually and not by some central timer that i do not have access to

4. a radiator in the kitchen

5. sink taps in the bathroom and kitchen that allow mixing of hot and cold water to get non-steaming and non-freezing water

6. a toilet flush that works. it sometimes doesn't stop flushing, which i guess is better than its other broken alternative. the maintenance men have been in to fix in a few times now but its still not fixed

7. a mirror in my room

8. white light, instead of a yellow light, in my room

9. separate locations for the fire extinguisher and the garbage bag in the kitchen. the fire extinguisher is holding the garbage bag in place...

10. more space in the kitchen. i have a kitchen cabinet that i only use for 4 items placed close to the edge of the shelf, because i can't reach items any deeper. this cabinet is located above the counter, and while climbing may be an option, the hobs are directly in front of it and it doesn't seem safe to do so

11 & etc. more space in my room. a larger bed. cupboard doors that can be closed easily. cupboard shelves without holes (why are these there?). non-creaky doors. doors that shut quieter - are these possible? ...

oh well.

now that i've listed these, perhaps i can do something about some of them :)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

22 Feb 2011

spent the day in level 2 physiology labs. it was a good day! i learnt where to place the 12 leads for the electrocardiogram (ECG). not particularly good for my functional movement screening assignment that i planned to start looking at today though. wonder if i can/will get moving on it tonight. number of officially recruited study volunteers now stands at 6. the target is above 30.

yay chips in the oven :)

Labels: day-to-day

Monday, February 21, 2011

Monday

started off the day with 'physiology of sports performance'. the topic that i was to have to reviewed was endurance training in children. may have spent too much time on this and put too much into an excel worksheet but well, that's done. yes, endurance is trainable in children :) the second part of the session was on carbohydrate feeding during exercise - yeah!

i had pre-cooked nasi goreng with prawns, courtesy of seasoning from ex-colleagues back home.

in quantitative research methods we covered error - absolute error, Hughes percent error, Bland and Altman 95% limits of agreement, Kappa and weighted Kappa.

attended a lecture on cardiovascular responses during acute exercise :)

watched 'i am number four' in the cinema. reminded me of smallville. had a lift there and back, hooray! when's the next show? :p

Labels: day-to-day

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Singapore, go play.

In The Straits Times on Monday, January 19 2009, was an article titled 'Sport isn't just for champions'. The writer, Rohit Brijnath, stated that schools must encourage kids to play - all have a right to health and fun. Some excerpts from the article:

There is no evidence to suggest that Plato ever did a push-up, but the philosopher from the land that gave us the Olympics presumably saw a nobility and value to sport. As he once noted: "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise saves it and preserves it."

The Minister for Education Dr Ng Eng Hen mentioned in a recent speech that he has asked the Education Ministry to study the possibility of encouraging participation in at least one sports activity for every child. If you distil his enlightened idea into three words it is this: "Singapore, go play."

There is sport whose mission is the production of champions and thus focuses solely on the talented, and there is sport that is played for pleasure and which can be enjoyed by every kid. Dr Ng championed inclusivity and stated that "recreational sports should be available and enjoyed by all".

It was a pertinent point, for in a world addicted to competition, we tend to lose sight of a single truth. Which is that sport does not belong only to the gifted, it is not only the preserve of the lean, agile hero. Everyone has the right to play sport, and badly, to mis-kick a ball and throw an errant pass, because everyone has the right to health and fun.

Sport is often a noisy activity but it is also a quiet, insistent teacher, and we learn often without even recognising we have been educated.

Sometimes, our first understanding of teamwork occurs when a friend reassures us after an own goal; our first taste of sacrifice comes when a colleague dribbles the defence but lets us score; our first introduction to fair play arrives when a rival concedes his hand hit the football.

But mostly, it is some parents who will take convincing, for an hour on a field is somehow interpreted as an hour subtracted from doing homework. But kids require balance and eventually societies must recognise the long-term virtue of an all-round education.

"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits and keeps the mind in vigour," sound like wise words. Especially since they come from Cicero.

Oh so true! Sport really isn’t just for champions. Encouraging participation in sport for every child is a step towards developing the sporting scene in Singapore, a step towards good health for all individuals. This is also a timely reminder in the midst of my retirement from competitive kayaking. Although the article is targeted at kids and schools, I believe that the idea of “play” can be extended to the community of working adults. Being human, whatever the age, there is still a need to exercise and keep fit. There will still be benefits from involvement in sports. The elements of teamwork, sacrifice and fair play, as mentioned in the article, will undoubtedly still be evident in sporting activity, serving as constant reminders of their existence and importance. Additionally, the working adult can contribute back to their sport via coaching, mentoring and encouraging life-long participation. This community definitely has a part to play in creating a sporting culture in Singapore. Apart from sharing their sporting experiences, they still have a right to pick up new sports and learn from their more experienced counterparts. This right to learn need not be limited to the youth! I urge all working adults (including myself) to integrate sport into their lifestyles and be willing to teach and learn. Indeed, to all, “Singapore, go play.”

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

I Simply Live For You

I Simply Live For You

Say the word and I will sing for You
Over oceans deep, I will follow
If each star was a song
And every breath of wind, praise
It would still fail by far to say
All my heart contains
I simply live, I simply live for You

Chorus:
As the glory of Your presence
Now fills this place
In worship, we will meet You face to face
There is nothing in this world
To which You can be compared
Glory on glory, praise upon praise
You bind the broken hearted
And save all my tears
By Your word, You set the captives free
There is nothing in this world
That You cannot do
I simply live, I simply live for You

Thursday, January 11, 2007

a candle

a candle stands, glowing dimly. it is uncertain if the dim glow is because of a characteristic of the wick, or the wax.

sometimes, gusts of wind threaten to extinguish the candle's flame. although it has faltered in the wind, the flame still persists.

sometimes, other candles are placed near, sharing their warmth and glow with the candle.

the candle does not know when or whether its characteristics will change as it burns. it does not know when the wind will blow, it does not know when it will be accompanied by other candles. its faith lies in the master of the house. perhaps the candle's flame had been extinguished before, the candle is unsure. had it been extinguished on prior occasions, it could only have been the master who relit the candle, with a lighter or the flame from another candle.