We Are NYP

Youth Eco-Fiesta 2009 - Send YOUR dedications now!

noreply@blogger.com (Pei Ling) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Hi all,

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human
Environment. Commemorated yearly on 5 June, WED is one of the principal
vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of
the environment and enhances political attention and action.

In conjunction with World Environment Day (WED), The NYAA Council, GAHA and Tampines East YEC will be organising the Youth Eco-Fiesta 2009. Details of the event are as follows:

Date: Saturday, 6 June 2009
Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
Venue: Tampines Festival Park (next to Blk 257), Tampines Street 21, Singapore 520257
Directions: Take a 10 min bus ride from Tampines Interchange/Station to Block 230B and walk over to the Park.

Apart from having performances to spread the message of environmental conservation to the public, we will also be having exhibits by the National Parks Board on the Singapore Biodiversity Trail and the National Environment Agency's Eco Bus.

We would also like to hear YOUR wishes and hopes for the environment. If you have a message or a dedication that will help to spread awareness of environmental conservation and climate change, we would like to hear from YOU! Selected messages can be viewed at http://www.nyaagaha.org/index.php/2009/05/31/youth-eco-fiesta-2009/ and may also be read out during the actual event. Send in your dedications at http://www.nyaagaha.org/index.php/2009/05/31/eco-fiesta-09-dedications/ by 11.59pm on 5 June 2009.

We hope to make the Eco-Fiesta a memorable and interactive experience for all and hope to see you and your family at the fiesta!

Best Regards,

Pei Ling
GAHA EXCO

NYP Open House 2009 Snaphots

noreply@blogger.com (ming) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:28:00 +0000

NYP Ambassadorial Team Xmas '08

noreply@blogger.com (who else?) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:12:00 +0000

A-Team for short. Once again, I've been called upon to cover their Christmas party as a photographer.
That makes this e third year running for doing so.

And sad to say, quite possibly the last as I'll be graduating soon.
Anyway, here are some of the photos taken earlier this evening. Hope you like them!

Photos by Melvin Mah.

Merry Christmas to all.

NYP in ACTION for the community

noreply@blogger.com (who else?) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:04:00 +0000

29 Nov 2008. A party for senior citizens. Photos by Melvin Mah.

Bonus photo

Complete set of photos at my gallery (link).

Aidfilfitri in Brisbane

noreply@blogger.com (.: FiL :.) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:34:00 +0000

Hari Raya celebrations this year was a tad different as we spent it away from home sweet home. Even though we are miles away from family and friends, celebration is still a must for us so we managed to get the day off from OIPP to celebrate Eid.

The night before the special day was spent cooking the traditional dishes like ketupat, rendang and lodeh. Slavering over the hot stove with Eid songs in the background and all of us squeezed into one kitchen really made it feel more lively and festive.

On the day of Eid, we were all dressed in our baju kurung ready to do some visiting. So off we went to take the train to North of Brisbane to visit and celebrate with the other celebrating families in Brisbane and not forgetting eating to our hearts content. The children dressed in their traditional costumes were playing in the back yard while the rest of the adults were talking, laughing, eating, singing and watching malay movies. We had a ball of a time!

Here are some photos of the celebrations:

I was cutting the cabbage for lodeh.

Farhana stirring the rendang.

Our version of lodeh. (It tasted wayy better than it looks. haha!)

Our rendang!

The final feast of ketupat, lodeh and rendang.

On the way to Petrie to visit Farah's family and the others

Wahyudin, Farhana and I waiting for Bawani at the train station.

The happy and satisfied families at the end of the festive day.
(Farah's, Sundram's families and Us)

OIPP at Griffith University

noreply@blogger.com (.: FiL :.) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:20:00 +0000

Heyy.. It has been almost 8 weeks since we started our OIPP at Griffith University under Dr Barat Patel and the experience has been nothing but sheer amazement. For my project, I had to do research on new microorganisms by sequencing their DNA and characterizing them by their optimum pH, temperature and substrates that they need. The project becomes more challenging as the microorganism that I am working with are extremophiles and strict anaerobic microorganism. There are certain conditions that I have to take note of when I culture the bugs like it has to be at a high temperature and the hungate tubes should not have even a trace of oxygen in it or else the bugs wont grow.

My other peers, on the other hand, are doing different projects like xylanase bacteria, aromatic compounds and protein sequencing. This makes it more interesting as all of us are not doing the same thing and we get to share with each other the different project that we are working on.

Anyway, enough of all the science stuff, here are some photos that we took:

Yamon and I outside the Science Block

The guys (from left): Daniel, Wahyudin, Shang-feng, Jun Yi and Fuh Yuan

The ladies (from top left): Amanda, me, Farhana and Jin Ling
Bottom left : Ya Mon and Milan

Shang-feng and the innovative pressure cooker cum autoclaving machine

Milan, Yamon and I waiting for the autoclaving machine

Wahyudin showing of his beaker of toxic chemicals

Microscopy is one of the techniques we used to observe the bugs

Busy at work!

That's about it!
We also celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri here and I will update more about the celebrations in my next post..
Till then
God Bless!

MTV Switch Campaign-Climate Series

noreply@blogger.com (Pei Ling) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:41:00 +0000

Halo everyone,

These 2 months have been hectic for me. I will post entries on them soon. In the mean time, I would like to share some inspiring stories on Climate Change with you. =)

TVE press release

Launch of new Climate Change series to reach Global Youth Audiences on air, online and on mobile phones via MTV’s SWITCH Campaign

London 10 September: A new series of Element, co-produced by TVE, is at the heart of a package of films and public service announcements (PSAs) being launched by MTV Networks International as part of its Global Climate Change Campaign - MTV Switch.

The Element Climate Change Series will be made available across MTV’s global network of 165 localized TV channels in 162 countries, reaching a potential audience of 560 million viewers worldwide. Five new Element films will be presented to MTV’s global audience of 16-24 year olds alongside cutting edge PSAs produced by a stable of top European and US creative agencies. Both PSAs and Element films will also be available for viewing on MTV Switch’s website, www.MTVSWITCH.org and on the Element website www.element-tv.net

The producers of the new Element series worked closely with TVE and a team from Internews to scour the globe, from Rio to Tehran, to find young people reacting in very different ways – through their own design brilliance, entrepreneurial nous, and web savvyness – to the challenges of global warming.

The films follow the stories of five exceptional individuals who’ve decided to tackle climate change head on. They include:
- Harsha, winner of the Australian Young Designer of the Year award for his blueprint for ‘The Globetrotter’, an almost fossil fuel-free, bio-plastic molded car
- Bremley, who is fighting deforestation and desertification in his native Northeast India
- Courtney, a young American living in Oxford, UK, who manages carbon offsetting projects around the world
- Igor, a Brazilian student whose prolific urban food gardens are slowly spreading across Rio de Janeiro
- Sepehr, celebrated as Iran’s Best Environmental Blogger.

“For the new Element series for MTV we’ve worked with TVE to confront both the sceptics who think that climate change is just too big to tackle - and those who hope that just changing their light bulbs is enough,” say Element Producers Mark Harvey and Emily McDowell. “Our five characters are from a new generation of climate responders who will connect with an MTV audience looking for people who embody lifestyle change - rather than preaching about it.”

MTV Switch was created to provoke, entertain, and encourage change among young people”, says John Jackson, Director of Social Responsibility at MTV International. “We are thrilled and honoured to work with such forward-thinking, creative agencies in producing compelling work to continue to engage youth on this extremely important global issue."

“The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) commends the MTV SWITCH campaign for commissioning programming that combines entertainment with real world examples of youth engagement in climate change,” says UNEP Director of Communications, Satinder Bindra. “It is fascinating to see how many of the young Element entrepreneurs already have their feet firmly in the new carbon economy that UNEP is promoting. These films will reach global TV and internet audiences during exactly the period that the UN will be convening vital international negotiations in the run up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, and have the potential to galvanize action and inspire leadership within dozens of communities and across a generation of MTV viewers that will face the challenges of climate change like none other before it.”

The new Element Climate Series is available from TVE to educators worldwide for use in schools and universities, and for screenings at conferences and special events. A sixth Element film profiling Jeff - a pioneer in virtual reality and climate change teleconferencing - will be presented to delegates and climate policy-makers meeting at the Poznan UN Climate negotiations in December 2008.

The Element Climate Change Series is a co-production between the Element Partnership and TVE, produced with the support of Internews, the European Commission’s EuropeAid Cooperation Office, Oxfam-Novib and the Com + Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development that includes UNEP, the World Bank and the Reuters Foundation.

Best Regards,
Pei Ling

'Ello mate!

noreply@blogger.com (.: FiL :.) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:17:00 +0000

I've been sent down under for my OIPP (Overseas Industrial Placement Program). Brisbane, Australia to be exact and it has been great! Eleven of us were given the opportunity to do research at Griffith University by assisting PHD students and professors with their projects.

The first week in down under has been quite busy for us. Getting used to the time difference, the pace of life, getting around and going to the university. Since GU is in the middle of the forest,
we have to do a mini hike everyday where we have to hike pass by the cemetry and into the forest. Of course the school have plenty of animals around. There are times where turkeys would be running around campus, kookaburra, ravens and bats flying around the cafe stealing your food. It was an experience!

Adapting to life here was also made easier when Rosli (NYP staff) introduced us to his friend in Brisbane, Farah, and her hospitability made us miss home less. She invited us to her twin's birthday gathering and also to break our fast there. We met fellow Singaporeans and exchange contacts. A few days later, Shahnaz, one of the lovely lady we met at Farah's place, invited us over her place for break fast. So its been great here and the people are really friendly!

Besides dinner at their places, we have not really explored much due to the fasting month. We've been to the shopping center in our suburb though. Its called Garden City and it has almost everything there! Its really big too. Almost like VivoCity so Garden City alone can take us the whole weekend to explore.

Okay. Enough talking. Here are some photos:

In the maxi cab on the first day.
From left: Fuh Yuan, Milan, Jun Yi and Wahyudin

The cemetery we pass by everyday to go to school..

The pathway we have to walk to school. can you imagine if we have to end school late?

The daily morning hike!

Finally we reach school! At least the entrance.
then its the hike up to where the science building is.

The runaway turkey around campus. haha..

My room for the next 3 months!

The things that reminds me of home and makes the room more cozy.

The first few meals i cooked. corn with fried rice and sweet and sour fish.

To get to Garden City we have to walk through the woods

and meet ducks or birds or whatever those are

Not forgetting the scary looking bats.

Farhana!

me

Wahyudin

At Naz's place with her children: Emre and Myra

At Farah's.
Farah, hubby, her children and their friends..

Muhammad! Farah's son.

Farah's birthday twins

That's my first week in down under..
Weather is warming up.
which is good.
Next entry: Research at GU
-Filza

Asian Youth Energy Summit 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Pei Ling) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:08:00 +0000

Hi,

Energy Carta, a youth Non Profit Organization (NPO), is organising the Asian Youth Energy Summit 2008. NEA is proud to support Asian Youth Energy Summit 2008 and would like invite you to attend this event. Please refer below for the details:

Asian Youth Energy Summit 2008
Date: 30-31 Oct 2008
Venue: International Conference Centre
Address: 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace (beside NUS)
Website: www.AYES2008.com

For further enquiries, please email to info@AYES2008.com

Best Regards,
Pei Ling

Some Updates And My Clinical Attachment on Advanced Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy!

noreply@blogger.com (Pei Ling) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Howdy! Yes, I know it has been a long time since my last post. Let me share some photos on my posting to Singapore General Hospital for my Advanced Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy Placement for 5 weeks. I was based mainly in Ward 58 (High dependency, Intermediate Care Area and General Ward) and Intensive Care Unit sometimes. It was a great learning experience!

Photo 2 (from left): Rachel (the tall girl), Me, Supervisor Susan, Shi Jia (the tanned one) and Eng Keat (the triangular guy)

Best Regards,

Pei Ling

Dialogue session with Mr Tharman

noreply@blogger.com (.: FiL :.) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:37:00 +0000

A few of us from the School of Life Science and other schools were given the opportunity to attend a dialogue session with Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam with the topic "Celebrating Youths-Challenges, Opportunities and Responsibilities". It was an enriching experience. Here's some of the pictures taken during the event.

Mr Tharman giving his opening speech

Discussion about issues in school over refreshments
(I'm in the grey top)

from left: Edgar, Ashrof, Andrew, Mr Tharman, Alan, Thow, Meena, Filza(me), Chin Boon and Ms Ng

Alan and Mr Tharman exchanging thoughts

'Til the next time

Filza

Graduation 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Ben.chii - 小本＜小さい勉＞) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:41:00 +0000

YoZzz... It's me again. 3 years of tertiary education has paid off and I have officially graduated from NYP from this day on.

Sorry I took a long time to enter this post. I'm busy with some students and stuff in NYP. Anyway, for all those enthusiastic readers, I'll be using more photos in this entry to highlight my memorable graduation day.

me and Randy in the foreground, waiting for the graduation to start.

Vion, Herry, Wee Liang, Xin Rong, Jeff, Jia Hao, Chuan Shing, Melissa, me, Raghu, Jessica and Daphne, Graduation of class DIT0507.

Melissa, Murrali, Jessica, me and Vion smiling to the camera after the ceremony.

Me smiling with 2 Bio-informatic lecturers: Ms Lo and Ms Ng, during the reception.

Madeline, Mike, another Bio-informatic lecturer, Ms Tai and me, looking good...

Wee Liang, my mentor: Mr Jones, Jessica, Vion, Melissa and me, picture perfect..

Me with my graduation gown and diploma.

That's all for my graduation. Had lots of fun going around, pulling people to take photos. Even the lecturers were not given a chance. My thoughts after graduation: Seeing everyone wearing the same robe, whether we are from a different class or diplomas, makes me feel that we belong to this big family, NYP. And I'm sure everyone will be feeling alot from there as we say goodbyes to our lecturers, friends and NYP and depart on our next journey in the next part of our lifes. Whether there are happy or sad moments, I'm sure it will stay with us as we moved on.

To All NYP Graduates of class 2008, let our NYPians' spirts shine brighter and all the best in the your endeavors. Hope to see you guys again in the future. Happy Graduation~

Signing off,
Ben

Khalsa 5-aside

noreply@blogger.com (.: FiL :.) — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:11:00 +0000

Its time for football people! Women's football that is. Nanyang Women's Soccer team send out about 4 teams of 7 players for Khalsa 5-aside football. It was a scorching Sunday but it was really fun!

Pep talk by our manager, Mr Idris.

I'm number 8! =)

My team with Mr Idris

Us in action! Rozana the keeper!

Me preparing to kick in.

One of the NYP team managed to qualify for semis but we lost during a penalty shoot out. It was still a great game played by the girls!

The team that made it to the semis! Siti Liyana with the ball and Raudah ( Number 13)

Look out for my next entry!
Top Secret Mission
-Filza

Outward Bound!

noreply@blogger.com (.: FiL :.) — Tue, 20 May 2008 04:56:00 +0000

As promised! Outward Bound!

CCA leaders were sent for an Outward Bound - 4days Customised leadership training.
It was held at Outward Bound Singapore at Pulau Ubin.
It was total awesome with a big huge A!

Outward Bound Singapore!

Preparation briefing before our expedition

I was in Rajaratnam watch and it was great. We had to go through sea and land expedition. Boy was it a challenge! It was not only physical but also mentally challenging. My watch went for the sea expedition first and I really felt that it had bonded us together. We had to kayak through the muddy mangrove and cover a large distance before reaching the campsite. One of the girls even had a sting ray stuck to her shoes and lucky enough it did not hurt her.

Rajaratnam! The watch I was in.

Leadership skills!

Besides learning about rockclimbing, kayaking and trekking, we were taught about leadership skills like situational leadership and blind spots. It was really helpful.

My instructor
Chin Yen!

Waiting for food!

It was the last night and we were told to paint the whole paper on how you felt and what you had been through. It was fun and we made such a mess! We painted using lips, fingers, feet and face. From the painting we were told to cut out our favourite part and write a short reflection on our whole experience.

The mess we made!

It was great fun. Eventhough it was only for 4 short days, we learnt a lot. The friendships fostered among the CCA leaders will really create more interactions between the CCA's.

Next:
Khalsa 5-aside soccer!
=)
-Filza

Saturday's Outing... 2 more days to Graduation

noreply@blogger.com (Ben.chii - 小本＜小さい勉＞) — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:39:00 +0000

YoZzzz... It's me again. Guess what... I just came back from abit of shopping to get my shoes and shirts ready for the big day. Exciting isn't it? I can't stop thinking of it. Anyway, saturday has been my most memorable time of my life. My friends and I cannot deny that we had a fun-filled day. Are your hearts itching to find out where did me and my friends head to and what did we do? A slight hint from me: A place where there are beaches and an island offshore of Singapore. Yes, it's Sentosa!!!

I know you may be getting back to me as what can Sentosa offers beside its beautiful beaches? That might be in the past where Sentosa only famous for its beaches and merlion. Today, Sentosa has became not only a paradise for beach-lovers, it has packed lots of exciting activities for everyone to explore. I'll put up some interesting pictures of the places that we head to.

That is me with a big smile :) on Skyride.

Jasmine and me at the Bufferfly Park. Check out the no. of butterflies behind me.

Me, Jasmine and the butterfly keeper. *Checkout the bufferfly on my hand.*

Melissa, Zhong En, Jasmine and me memorised at the scenic views of sentosa up in the SkyTower.

Chin Leng, me, Jasmine, Melissa and Zhong En inside the Merlion, posing with the sea dragons.

Zhong En, Melissa, Jasmine, me and (lots of jellyfish right behind us) at the underwater world

Melissa and me at the underwater world. - Cute sea turtle swimming by. -

Credits to Melissa for all the wonderful photos that were taken. There were more photos that I wished to share with our cute and wonderful readers out there but I do not want to flood the blog with my too much of my pictures ^-^ My best experience in Sentosa would be the close encounters with the pink dolphines, known as humpback dolphines. They were so cute, friendly and intelligent creatures beside the known mammalian such as orang utan, chimpanzees, dogs etc. The "Songs of the sea" musical which has replaced the well-known "Fountain Musical" brought up the climax of the evenings. I had a great time singing along with familiar made in Singapore songs such as Chan Mali-chan, Singapura etc. And lastly, a short display of fireworks nearing the end of the show. Spectacular!!! I'll end my post for today, the next post would be covering will be on graduation day. So stay tuned folks...

Signing off,
Benjamin

Congratulations to the Class of 2008 (^ v ^)

noreply@blogger.com (Rosie) — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:34:00 +0000

Congratulations to the Class of 2008! Yup, that's what I want to say. Hehex...
Really glad to learn that my juniors are graduating...Time flies. It was barely a year since I officially graduated from NYP, and now here goes the next batch after me. :) In fact, I was delighted to give a talk to some NYP and RP graduating peers at NUS few months ago in January. Although I only recognised a few of you...but it was a great feeling...just speaking from my perspective about NUS and yup, catered for you all especially, really, as I was once like you all - Nanyang Polytechnic student feeling hopeful to enroll into a local University for further studies. So I more or less knew how you feel, and your main concerns. It is quite different in Uni as I mentioned, but we can do it...Till now I believe we can. =)

I've aged ~ Hahaha ~ Been in NUS for almost a year (2 semesters completed! Just had my series of exams last week). I developed a sense of nostalgia towards NYP whenever I feel so stressed at NUS, such that some lecturers even thought I was back at NYP to 'de-stress' during the semester days. Heh heh... Not to scare any graduate, but stress is something we choose to have regardless of where we go as we face new challenges in whichever aspect we embark on. Nevertheless, it is good to move on, upgrade ourselves and pursue our interests in the next phase of life after our Polytechnic education.

I just managed to visit NYP for a catch up with my SIT lecturers and some other friendly NYP staff whom I know. In addition, I got to meet up with some DTs working at SIT previously, and yes my long lost Primary School friend who is also one of the 2008 graduates...wow...Really glad to catch up with you at last!! =) HAha ~ and I learnt from Ms Liang Hwee Ming that this blog is being maintained after my batch of graduates, so yup, contribute a blog entry here...

Anyway, I will be flying off to Medan in a few hours time. Going there for work, leisure and exposure. Always looking forward for fresh experiences. I'll be there for 3 months, till 1st August when I'll be back for NUS Sem 3. Will begin the NUS semester together with you all - 2008 graduates... hehex... =)

To the Class of 2008, wish you all the best in whichever route you choose to embark on.

Have a gratifying graduation week ahead... (^ v ^)V

Counting down to Graduation Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ben.chii - 小本＜小さい勉＞) — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:16:00 +0000

It's 9 days before graduation. I'm so excited as the day is drawing closer and closer. Nostalgically, I'm going to miss each and everyone of you, readers out there who has been catching up with our blog, my friends who have been with me all this while, the lecturers who have guided me and watch me grow... I'm going to pause here before I go non-stop for the past few hours. :D

You may be wondering what I have doing all this days in preparation to the graduation. Well... I have been helping out with the graduation video. Besides collating the photos of the current graduates, I also made my appearance on the big screen. Hopefully I didn't embarrass myself that all. It was fun working on the filming part, although didn't manage to capture what I really wanted to say in the end, but I'm sure everyone would know.

My student life has just turned more into the working life in NYP. Recently completed some assignments given by my supervisor. Hopefully everything works well and it would be up in no time. Had recent lunches with my colleagues (same year graduates) working here in SIT Blk L and also one of my lecturers. I think everyone is just equally concerned about their future after they graduate from NYP - Some would be going to universities, overseas or out to work. As for me, I'm still waiting for NUS (National University of Singapore) to give me a reply before I made a choice that would make an impact in my later life.

I hope everyone reading the blog, especially the graduates, can start penning down your thoughts about pre-graduation. I'm sure you have lots of people you want to thank but couldn't get a proper channel to do it. So I'm encouraging everyone to put it down :D

Signing Off
Benjamin

Splash Award 2008 - All impossibilities become possible

noreply@blogger.com (Ben.chii - 小本＜小さい勉＞) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:56:00 +0000

Hi guys, it's me again. So how did you all spend your last weekends? I was privileged to be able to take part in my last competition in my polytechnic life under NYP. Are you all itching now to know about it?

Many would have guess that Splash probably means water and due to me being an ex-watersports club member, you all would think that this competition would have something to do with water. Then you all wrong, haha. How about trying harder and think of something else, like the diploma I'm in? That's a big hint for ya. You are almost there...

Splash award is the one and only unique competition that involves 3 different segments, which is Physical, design and software solution. So besides programmers showing off who can create an application better, the future designers can wow the judges with their creativity. What do I mean by Physical, well... it consists of a series of different tasks which may create you to move around the campus to look for items, or take pictures and videos of a particular place. So this competition combines your wits, your stamina to last for 12-hours and also your creativity. The question isn't as simple as what you think it is. Since the theme is about environment, all the question are related to it.

I can still remember one of the question: the question comes with a scenario which goes like Mary is a wake-boarding instructor and she always does research on the weather before she heads to bed. The 1st question requires us to find out how Mary can find her little lambs. And the next question goes on... until the final question on the first page, I was shocked where they put there "Loop exited, the actual question is on the next page". The hint given right below is programmers don't even take a look at loop. Haha, sounded lame and corny isn't it? Maybe they are trying to calm us down or something. Are we really that stressed and tensed? Anyway, here's something from the competition:

Photos taken at Istana Park, noticed the differences? Tell me about it in your comments

A poster done by me. Please pardon me because I'm not a design student.

Thoughts from the competition - Do not give it and always keep going. Whether or not it works out in the end, I would rather try by best for this moment. My team also develops a attitude before the start of the competition which is "Can work can already". Remember to immerse yourself in the fun of it. Winning is not everything, enjoy working with your friends. Sometimes cracking some jokes out of nowhere can soothes the tensed environment. A very memorable competition experiences I had so far.

All the best,
Benjamin

desmondWOOT REPORTING FOR DUTY!!

noreply@blogger.com (desmondWOOT) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:51:00 +0000

Hi all!

I am pretty sure no one knows me! So I'm gonna give a little bio about myself.

My name is Desmond and I am gonna graduate from NYP pretty soon! I'm from the Digital Media Design course and I specialise in Game Design....more importantly, I learned how to make games.
From some strange stroke of luck, I landed myself a pretty cool job as a game artist in a video game studio. From day to night, I make games so avid gamers can one day play them too. By no means is this easy of course! It requires alot of passion and a truck load of team work to get things done smoothly, but the end results are worth it.

On another note, graduation is a mix bag. On one hand, you are overjoyed to have finally graduated. The feeling of having three years of hard work, tears and joy reach fruition is a pretty damn cool process. Furthermore, you get a shiny new diploma! XD

Now on the other hand...graduation also means goodbye to all those fun times you had in school. NYP really gave me alot of fantastic memories. I remember staying back late with my friends desperately trying to finish our sculpturing assignment. We were all just laughing and talking about games and movies and stuff! In the end, I don't think we got much done, but we had lots of fun!

And for guys....graduation also means one step closer to NS... :(

Well, thats all I'm gonna talk about for now...have to rush a deadline! Stay tuned next time for more stories on what its like to graduate from NYP!

Watersports Club Passing down & 17th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Ben.chii - 小本＜小さい勉＞) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:24:00 +0000

Hi, school has finally started for about a week ago. I've seen many new faces, mainly the year 1s around in NYP. You may have wondered what am I doing in NYP, I had started my work as a temporary staff, dealing with more on FYPJ (Final-Year Project) projects. It really feels so different between studying and working in NYP. When you start to work, you have to handle lots of different responsibilities, and ranges from projects to paperwork. I must admit we are lucky to be able to study as much as we want, to do whatever we want. Not forgetting the help you can get from your fellow lecturers and friends. I do not want to bore many of our readers with my length words so I'll focus on an event that I went to yesterday.

As I have mentioned that I was a committee in Watersports Club, yesterday was my most important part of my polytechnic. The usual thing that would happened in a handover ceremony would be the senior committee, graduates, would pass the baton to the next committee that will lead and manage the club. As many wouldn't have known, our Watersports Club has just reached its 17th birthday and celebrated with a cake. So I would think that our club was the oldest amongst all in NYP. Correct me if I'm wrong. So I can say now that I have graduated from Watersports Club.

Me on the left together with the new committee and the graduates.

Celebrating Watersports Club 17th birthday with a cake. Nice. =)

So before I sign myself off from the post, I'll like to thank you everyone for supporting WSC. We wouldn't have done so far without each and everyone's effort. Keep it up and may WSC shine brighter. To my new committees, all the best in whatever you do, do not give up and keep on striving for the best. I'll missed each and everyone of you. As for the graduates, I'll save it on the graduation ceremony then.

Take care,
Benjamin

A Week On Communication

noreply@blogger.com (Pei Ling) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:23:00 +0000

Halo! This week is really packed. Almost everyday is spent working/thinking about my research project. On Thursday night, I even dreamed of people (lecturers, the Aussie friends made during the Physio Symposium and friends) advising me on it. Not that I'm complaining. I like to do research. My module coordinator and supervisors are helpful as well. The first step is probably the most difficult. Oh, communication. Yes, effective communication is essential to exchange ideas and facilitate understanding in the shortest time.

Last week, I went cycling at Bishan Park again. I can cycle. But not gd enough. The importance of effective communication was stressed again when my friend and I had difficulty understanding each other's signals given during turns, lane keeping, speed etc. We almost swore never to cycle together again because of the confusion.

Communication is made more challenging when it involves foreign languages. Maybe that explains why my mum never seems to finish her never ending Japanese courses. (No doubt she has 100% passes!) My sign language teacher always say I'm emotionless when I sign. Imagine signing you are happy but looking no more than a grey stone. People wonder whether you really mean what you say/sign. To redeem myself, perhaps its better to be expressionless than display a plasticky smile.

Throughout the week, I learned a lot about communication. We must learn how to make communication work for us and not the other way round. The entry will probably be never ending if I were to carry on with my thoughts on communication. Perhaps well discuss more about it in future.

Anyhow, I was at Botanic Gardens again on Saturday morning. Thereafter, I volunteered at the Eco concert. If you were there, you may have seen a sweaty girl in black shirt and capri pants. Here are some photos taken by Pui Shan using my camera:

This coming 22 April is Earth Day. Perhaps its a good opportunity to start using the shopping bags.

Best Regards,

Pei Ling

Back to School!

noreply@blogger.com (Pei Ling) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:08:00 +0000

It's 1.5 days to school. Heap of journal articles to read and consolidate (almost done! ) for my year end project. Before I resume my work, let me share my lizard-y experience at the Singapore Botanic Gardens last week. I was there for a site visit in planning for the route for a project I'm organising. More about the project in future. I reached early so went ahead to explore the grounds first. I was exiting the Marsh Gardens towards the Swan Lake (at Tanglin Core) when I chanced upon this green lizard (Yes, the Green Crested Lizard!) swishing around near a shrub. I love lizards so I just stood there watching it (30cm distance) away. After it has completed its monkey business in the vegetation, it came out of its camouflage and posed right on the pathway. It stared at me for a long 15 secs before it began leaping towards me. That's scary. After some dodging, it probably decided to give up and continue on its hunting journey. I followed it move sneakily (like a detective. There seems to be this vague rhythm that guides its movements) towards the tree, on the tree trunk and really high up on the branch. Passer-bys gave me weird glances as I poked my face towards the tree to take pictures (the lizards could have jumped on my face!) After some time, it probably lost interest in this huge monster (me) and exited my sight.

More about the Green Crested Lizard:

Family: Agamidae
Species : Bronchocela cristatella
Size (snout to vent) : 13 cm
Size (total length) : 57 cm

A stunning species, the Green Crested Lizard can be found in primary and secondary forest, disturbed areas and parklands. The body colour is bright green, sometimes with a bluish tinge on the head. Males have an attractive neck crest. The tail makes up over 75 percent of its total length. This lizard occurs throughout West Malaysia, and on the island of Borneo.

Interesting Facts: This 'chameleon' is able to turn brown or dark grey when frightened. However, unlike true chameleons, the green crested lizard is not able to change to other colours.

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
Activity: Diurnal
Habitat: Forest, agricultural areas and gardens

Did You Know?
Our native green-crested lizard has been effectively replaced by the changeable lizard Calotes versicolor. The changeable lizard was introduced in the 1980s into Singapore from Northern Malaysia or Thailand. This is a saddening example of how an introduced species can affect the fragile ecosystem and in some cases, causes extinction to the native delicated species.

The Photos:

You may be interested to take part in this:

Reforestation @ Upper Seletar

Date:Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time:9:00am - 12:00pm
Location:Upper Seletar Reservoir Park
Email:vanessa_chang@nparks.gov.sg

Need at least 10 pairs of enthusiastic hands, belonging to those who are not afraid of getting dirty and sweaty in the field, to help exterminate some stubborn plants on the reforestation plot.The experiment plot is one of the three set up together with Center For Tropical Forest Science (CTFS) and these weeds are interfering with the experiment by growing into the study plots. Need to get rid of the Bracken Ferns growing next to the experiment plots, if not, the fern "bush" will grow back to it's original height of about 1.8-2m and prevent entrance to go to the plot! Other than the ferns- need to remove Smilax as well- the climber that creeps for metres among the fern mats. Tools and gloves will be provided on that day to 'fight' with these weeds. Meeting 8.45am at end of road, near the round-about (about 300m from the 'Rocket Tower' or about 600m from the nearest bus stop along Old Mandai Road. Only one bus- no.138 from Ang Mo Kio MRT- stops here). If you are helping, be sure to wear appropriate field clothings (long pants, covered shoes, old long-sleeves shirt, hats, insect repellent, towels). Bring at least 1 litres of water and sleep well the night before. It's not going to be strenuous but a good night rest will make you less tired when working in the outdoor.

Best Regards,

Pei Ling

holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (.: FiL :.) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:58:00 +0000

Hey hey!

School holidays are about to come to an end and I really did not notice how fast time had past. Who would have thought school starts next week! Anway, this semesteral break has been a crazy and packed one for me. I shall blog about Commonwealth Day Celebrations 2008 first.

Every year, Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the first week of March and this year it was held at Male, Maldives. The theme for the celebrations was Our environment-The future. I was the lucky 6 who were chosen to represent NYP and Singapore for the celebrations. We had to set up an exhibition about Singapore, a cultural performance and an elocution competion. It was great and the people who went were the best!

Here are some photo's for you guys to see:

The capital of Maldives, Male

The breath taking beaches of Kuda Bandos, Maldives

It wasn't all play and party. We had to attend lectures on the environment. This is team Singapore with Maldive's Ministry of Environment.

Besides attending lectures, we had to go on tours around Male and to the islands around male. The picture above is of Ghaazee school at Hulumale Island. Ghaazee school was donated by the Singapore government and Hulumale Island is a man made island!

Singapore and Brunei delegates before the exhibition

Bennerick and I represented team Singapore for the elocution competition and we won third for the team category! =) The picture above shows the minister of Sports handing Bennerick and I our trophy.

The colourful cultural performance by the Maldivian delegates and we joined them in the dance and party as well! It was a great night.

All the delegates from Asian Commonwealth Contries like India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Brunei, Maldives, Singapore and Bangladesh. Including the ministry and organisation committee of the Commonwealth Day 2008.

(from left : me, Joyce, Yiling and Maqnun)
It sure was hard to say goodbye! So we took lotsa photos on our last night before we flew back to Singapore.

For those who wants to know more about the celebration can click the link here!

It was a great 6 days. Besides making new friends and learning about the different cultures, we also learnt about the environment and why is it necessary for us to care about the environment. It had open our eyes to see the effects of global warming on low lying islands like Maldives. Besides that, we really learnt a lot about Maldivian food, culture and way of life. It was an experience that I would never forget. =)

This had been a very long post. I shall end here for now! Look out for my next post about Outward Bound Singapore!

God Bless!
Nur Filza

YOG Dialogue Session

noreply@blogger.com (Ben.chii - 小本＜小さい勉＞) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:42:00 +0000

Yoz... It's me again. I'm sure you have read the lastest post of Pei Ling on how she spent her weekends on YA Conference and how it inspired her towards life and how we as young adults can contribute the community and society.

I also had a fruitful morning at the recent Youth Olympic Games Dialogue Session held at VJC last saturday. As an athlete, I felt the significance of how the upcoming YOG will impact the young ones in times to come. How we can be involved as an athlete, representing Singapore, or as volunteers in various sectors contributing to YOG. As Mr Jacques Rogge, President of IOC and a committee of YOG mentioned that YOG is not only for young athletes, whether you will participate or not, everyone would be involved in the community of YOG where youth are encouraged to share about their experiences either in sporting or non-sporting life with the rest of the world. And as you know, YOG is a non-profit organization and emphasizes its valuable Olympian spirits - unity, sportsmanships, glory which I think is important for us to in cultivate in every single one of us. Winning is not always everything, is the process that is important.

Another one of the panelists, Mr Sergey Bubka, part of YOG committee, 35 times winning of the best pole vaulter, also shared with us his views on YOG and his experiences chasing his dreams in the olympics. Ever since the recent news and issues on YOG, he was also concerned on how sportsmen who might be affected and be a victim of politics and dreams that would be shattered because of politics. Seeing that, he hopes that the world will seek to understand the situation and come to a mutual understanding in the shoes of the athletes. Don't barred people from achieving their dreams.

My thoughts to all promising and future athletes: The roads to your goal may be tough, but do not give up, keep on going and you will live to see it.

Do not stopped once you achieved it, keep on going higher, setting a new goals every time you reached it.
-- Quotes from Mr Sergey Bubka, YOG Dialogue Session Panelist 2008 --

Signing off, Benjamin

Photographer on board

noreply@blogger.com (who else?) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:01:00 +0000

Hi there, I'm Melvin (one of the new writers too)! First off, I want to say it's great to be part of this blog. Really thanks to Ming for bringing me in. I just love to blog and share photos. As a matter of fact, I've been doing so on my personal blog for the fourth year running.

Anyway, I'm Melvin (oops I've already mentioned that). Okay, I'm a final year Mechatronics Engineering student currently doing Final Year Project (FYP). This also explains why it took me some time to finally make my first blog entry here. For I've been terribly busy over the past few weeks because of my project. Tell you what people, I'll talk more about FYP on my next entry to come. How about that?

Meanwhile, enjoy the following photos which I took during a recent event. It was NYP against ITE, in the final matchup of the prestigious S.R. Nathan Challenge Trophy Soccer Tournament. And guess who won?! Us! That's right, weeeee are the chaaampions.

More of my works can be found in my blog and online gallery. Speaking of that, a photography exhibition will be held in NYP TFA very shortly. Some of my works will probably be displayed there (if you guys are ever interested haha). Right, I shall keep you guys informed on that. Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Melvin Mah

President, Der Treff 'German language and cultural' Club (NYP)
NYAA YPN (Official IMF/World Bank Photographer)
NYPGA Link Magazine, Photographer and Art Director