Living in a multicultural and multiracial society like Singapore, we must be extra sensitive and careful with our usage of words towards the other ethnic groups. This is to prevent any racial conflicts in order to maintain peace and harmony in Singapore.
I was at a fast food restaurant enjoying my lunch with a few of my friends when I overheard the conversation of a group of people which consisted of both Malays and Chinese sitting right next to us. They were on the topic of the F1 races and the following was part of their conversation:
A: How I wished I could catch the F1 race “live” at the grandstand. But the tickets are way too expensive!
B: Why not? I think you can just join the crowd outside the race circuit if you want to watch the race without tickets.
A: I don’t think that is possible. I’m sure there will be a lot of CISCO auxiliary police officers standing on guard to prevent the crowd from watching the race in order to protect the interest of those have bought the tickets.
B: If that is the case, carry one big piece of roast pork with you when you are approaching the block out area!
(For clarification with regards to the joke that B has made:
Muslims are not supposed to consume or even touch pork. What B actually meant was that if you were to carry one big piece of roast pork and were to approach the CISCO auxiliary police officers, they would shun away, in the sense, making way for you to watch the F1 race.) ** Note: In general, most of the CISCO auxiliary police officers are Malays**
On hearing that, almost everyone burst into laughter except their Malay friends. Their Malay friends looked really offended and one of them even commented that the joke that B made was not funny at all. Shortly after, B realized that he had made an offensive comment and thus, he quickly apologized and attempted to change to another topic.
Understanding cultural norms and values of the various ethnic groups here in Singapore is especially important as Singapore is a nation made up of many different ethnic groups of different cultures and religion. Being well-informed of the different cultures and values of the various ethnic groups will not only allows us to prevent conflicts between racial groups but also allows us to communicate effectively with other people of different racial groups.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Green Roofs (edited)
Rapid urbanization has brought about many environmental problems to the world and “Urban Heat Island effect” is one of them. With the increase in usage of concrete and steel surfaces due to land developments, our environment trapped and released more heat into the atmosphere. This not only raised the temperature of the surroundings, but also increased our energy consumption. One possible solution to this “Urban Heat Island effect” is to increase the amount of greenery in our environment. As we all know, land is scarce in Singapore. Thus, I think it will be a more rational decision to integrate greenery into our building structures rather than planting trees on land. This in turn suggests that green roofs may be the answer to our problem.
The green roof technology is a lightweight garden that emphasizes on creating self-sustaining communities. It does not require intensive maintenance and is relatively low in cost. Moreover, it fits nicely on the roofs in Singapore. In fact, a pilot green roof project was carried out in 2005 (in Punggol) and the study showed that the green roof has helped to lower the temperature, save energy, remove carbon dioxide in the environment and improve air pollution. Since the green roof proved to have many benefits, the chances of it being implemented over every roof in Singapore are rather high. Therefore, it is worth investigating on the possible problems that may occur due to the green roof.
A survey will be necessary to investigate people’s attitude towards the green roof – do they support the idea of creating a green roof over every roof in Singapore or are they against this idea. Furthermore, this survey may aid us in determining whether the possible problems that may arise from the installation of the green roof are the reasons why they oppose the idea.
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Research Question:
Are NUS students for or against the idea of having green roofs over every roof in Singapore?
Hypothesis:
Students in NUS are against the idea of having green roofs over every roof in Singapore because of the possible problems that may occur due to the installation of green roofs.
Problem Statement:
The objective of this research study is to determine NUS students' opinions on the installation of green roofs in Singapore and indirectly find out the possible problems that may occur due to these installations.
Purpose statement:
The objective of this report is to alert the authorities involved in the green roof project about the possible problems that may occur and provide them with some suggestions to enhance the development of the green roof technology.
The green roof technology is a lightweight garden that emphasizes on creating self-sustaining communities. It does not require intensive maintenance and is relatively low in cost. Moreover, it fits nicely on the roofs in Singapore. In fact, a pilot green roof project was carried out in 2005 (in Punggol) and the study showed that the green roof has helped to lower the temperature, save energy, remove carbon dioxide in the environment and improve air pollution. Since the green roof proved to have many benefits, the chances of it being implemented over every roof in Singapore are rather high. Therefore, it is worth investigating on the possible problems that may occur due to the green roof.
A survey will be necessary to investigate people’s attitude towards the green roof – do they support the idea of creating a green roof over every roof in Singapore or are they against this idea. Furthermore, this survey may aid us in determining whether the possible problems that may arise from the installation of the green roof are the reasons why they oppose the idea.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research Question:
Are NUS students for or against the idea of having green roofs over every roof in Singapore?
Hypothesis:
Students in NUS are against the idea of having green roofs over every roof in Singapore because of the possible problems that may occur due to the installation of green roofs.
Problem Statement:
The objective of this research study is to determine NUS students' opinions on the installation of green roofs in Singapore and indirectly find out the possible problems that may occur due to these installations.
Purpose statement:
The objective of this report is to alert the authorities involved in the green roof project about the possible problems that may occur and provide them with some suggestions to enhance the development of the green roof technology.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The avoiding game
Oranges and carrots can be said to be the best of friends in the world of fruits. They make a great glass of orange-carrot fruit juice when blended together in the juicer. But what if one day, the oranges were replaced by grapefruits (which appear to look exactly like oranges but taste bitter and sour)?
Crystal and Elaine were the best of friends whom hit off really well, just like oranges and carrots. However, after Crystal got appointed as the band major (one with the most authority in the band other than the teachers and instructors), Elaine could sense changes in Crystal. Crystal became aloof. In fact, when Elaine had something to discuss or share with Crystal, she always gave the nonchalant attitude. As time goes by, Elaine started to feel uncomfortable and became tongue-tied whenever she is with Crystal. Thus, whenever they had the opportunity to be with each other, Elaine will come up with an excuse to make a move in other to avoid the awkwardness between them. Furthermore, Elaine started to feel inferior, especially during band practices. This is mainly because she only holds a small position in the band whereas her used-to-be best friend was the band major.
This made life difficult for Elaine, but she did not make any effort to salvage this friendship. She chose to play the “avoiding” game. If you were her friends or in her shoes, what will you do? Play the “avoiding” game or make an effort to clarify the matter with Crystal?
Crystal and Elaine were the best of friends whom hit off really well, just like oranges and carrots. However, after Crystal got appointed as the band major (one with the most authority in the band other than the teachers and instructors), Elaine could sense changes in Crystal. Crystal became aloof. In fact, when Elaine had something to discuss or share with Crystal, she always gave the nonchalant attitude. As time goes by, Elaine started to feel uncomfortable and became tongue-tied whenever she is with Crystal. Thus, whenever they had the opportunity to be with each other, Elaine will come up with an excuse to make a move in other to avoid the awkwardness between them. Furthermore, Elaine started to feel inferior, especially during band practices. This is mainly because she only holds a small position in the band whereas her used-to-be best friend was the band major.
This made life difficult for Elaine, but she did not make any effort to salvage this friendship. She chose to play the “avoiding” game. If you were her friends or in her shoes, what will you do? Play the “avoiding” game or make an effort to clarify the matter with Crystal?
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The art that we need to master
“Oh, you’ve finished what you wanted to say?" “So?”
These two replies often appear (in fact they appeared too often) in my conversations with others. This clearly shows that the other party did not get what I wanted to convey. Not being able to put across my messages concisely and precisely is one BIG problem I face when communicating with others. Sometimes, even my mum says that I should sign up for some communication classes to improve on the way I express myself. I guess this is one of the reasons why developing effective communication skills are important to me.
The existence of communication has been there in our daily lives knowing and unknowingly. It is through this channel that we are able to put across our messages, love, anger or even frustrations. Having good communication skills like the proper gestures, facial expressions, or even silence at appropriate times not only prevents misunderstandings but also embarrassment. It also shows a form of respect to parties in the conversations or situations. Hence, it is no doubt important for us to develop effective communication skills. As we all know, being misunderstood or embarrassed is never a pleasant experience.
Effective communication is much needed at home, at work, between friends or in a relationship. It is not only an essential tool that prevents us from getting into conflicts between family members or friends. It is also an indispensable weapon that we need to arm ourselves with to protect us from losing our jobs. Thus, effective communication is an important art that we need to learn and master.
These two replies often appear (in fact they appeared too often) in my conversations with others. This clearly shows that the other party did not get what I wanted to convey. Not being able to put across my messages concisely and precisely is one BIG problem I face when communicating with others. Sometimes, even my mum says that I should sign up for some communication classes to improve on the way I express myself. I guess this is one of the reasons why developing effective communication skills are important to me.
The existence of communication has been there in our daily lives knowing and unknowingly. It is through this channel that we are able to put across our messages, love, anger or even frustrations. Having good communication skills like the proper gestures, facial expressions, or even silence at appropriate times not only prevents misunderstandings but also embarrassment. It also shows a form of respect to parties in the conversations or situations. Hence, it is no doubt important for us to develop effective communication skills. As we all know, being misunderstood or embarrassed is never a pleasant experience.
Effective communication is much needed at home, at work, between friends or in a relationship. It is not only an essential tool that prevents us from getting into conflicts between family members or friends. It is also an indispensable weapon that we need to arm ourselves with to protect us from losing our jobs. Thus, effective communication is an important art that we need to learn and master.
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