鸡•蜻蜓•Otak-otak•咸鸭蛋

闻说新加坡的小孩只认得出炸鸡的部分却不知一只活生生的鸡是什么长相；知道蜻蜓会飞但不知道蜻蜓长得什么模样。
我摇头。现代的孩子啊，真可怜。

和阿泽及阿菲去麻坡。经过麻坡第二大桥时，我指着长在河绊的一些植物，告诉他们那是sagu树；一路上，看到龙珠果树，木薯树，香蕉树，木瓜树，榴莲树，椰树等等。我们轮流说出它们的名字。

马来西亚的孩子还是会分辨不同种类的树。

吃午饭时，我们点了麻坡有名的otak-otak。在要吃完时，阿泽才惊觉otak-otak是鱼肉做成的。结果他得到了我们一行人的嘘声。

90年代出生的孩子，可以原谅啦！

有位某人，以为咸鸭蛋从菜市场买回来后，把腌蛋的泥洗净后，不必煮，切开就可直接食用（切开后就像平时妈妈摆在饭桌上，用来拌粥的那个模样）。

哎哟哟，洗净后是要像煮hard-boil egg那样煮熟才能吃的呀！（做月饼、蒸咸蛋猪肉、裹粽子就不必先煮熟）

70年代出生的人，实在不可原谅。

在这样的情况下，我们还能笑新加坡的孩子吃炸鸡却不知道鸡长得什么样吗？

你有没有读Physics的啊？

和阿坤一起到他那已退休的物理老师店里去买打印机。
选了一台modified的打印机。



和老师谈了一会儿，老师才知道这个当年的劣徒是念物理系的。老师脸上浮现小小安慰的笑容。
我们要走了。老师把墨水盒上的小洞（气孔）关起来。



“这样你载着回家时就不会打翻了。”
“打印的时候也关着吗？”阿坤随口问。
“当然是打开啦！”我和老师异口同声。
“你有没有读Physics的啊？”
阿坤哈哈大笑。

真的耶，我们读了好多好多物理的原理，却没有办法好好地应用到日常生活里。Physics就是physical science嘛，是the science of the physical world。物理是很有趣的。它解释我们周围的现象，跟我们的生活有密切的关系。

为什么要把气孔打开呢？是让空气“进去”吗？No no no，这样的解释没办法指出它真正的原理。
到底是为什么呢？问一问身边读Physics的人，听听他的答案是什么。

习题

好不容易完成了我的功课，今天我把功课拿到店里去复印。我的讲师要求我们交两份报告，因为她批改完后会将其中一份还给我们（作为检讨吧，我想）。

正巧有位先生也拿一些物理参考书去复印。我猜想他应该是位补习老师吧。
他看了看我的功课。《马来西亚，新加坡与澳洲（新南维尔士）的物理审核标准》(The Standard of Assessment for Physics used in Malaysian, Singaporean and Australian (New South Wales) Schools)

我看了看他的物理参考书。是一些作业。他要复印一些习题给他的学生做吧。

如果我没来上这科目，我也会像他那样，复印一些相关的习题让学生们做，让他们练习，以便应付考试。
可是我们可知哪些习题是根据科目纲要及审核标准所写的？哪些习题是drilling & exercise？哪些是真正帮助学生发展他们的思考技巧？

我手上就有一本大马教育文凭物理审核标准。这标准detailed 了学生们将会被审核的元素，方法及weightage。这标准就是数星期前我扑心扑命地找的文件。这位先生其实是需要这本标准作参考的。许多老师不知道这标准的存在与用途。
做了这功课以后，发现我国的审核方式真的有待改善。所以大家才哗啦哗啦地吵着要废除小学检定考试及初中检定呀。
但，取而代之的school-based assessment，不是光说就能实行的，很多准备要做呀。要有计划，timeline，师资（老师数量和质量的问题），教育部的支援，…… 都是重要的元素。

希望我们的教育部好好探讨这school-based assessment要怎样才可以有效地实行。不要2016年废除初中检定，2018年又吵着要实行什么“初中教育水平测量考试”的，换汤不换药。

呃，忘了问那位先生要不要这本大马教育文凭物理审核标准作参考。

Fridays

Tomorrow is Friday.

I’ve always looked forward to Fridays.

Because Fridays are Grand Prizes :) You’ll get 2 official off-days after Fridays, and in hope, to re-charge yourself and be ready for the following Mondays to Fridays (although that’s not always the case. The off-days, I mean).

As a student, Fridays are similar to other days in the week. But for me, Fridays are special in this semester. I attend two lectures in a Friday, morning and afternoon. It’s an emotion-roller-coaster-day for me.

In the morning, the subject being discussed is related to problem solving in physics. We talk about what problems are and what is real problem solving, types of problems and types of problem solvers, strategies used in solving problems, some PS models and researches done, how they implicate our instruction in schools etc etc etc. All related to my very own life and experience. A very interesting subject, it is. Seeing Physics from a new perspective. Happy.

In the afternoon, we talk about testing and evaluation in science & maths. All about measurement, testing, evaluation and assessment (they are all significantly different, mind you). Almost after every lecture, my heart fell to the earth. I felt pity for myself, the children and educators alike. Students have the every right to dislike (dislike, hate or loath or all) exams. I think the true educators do too! It must be very hard for the teachers who understand the true meaning of assessment to follow the set of so-called assessment standards (which is actually only a guideline for some once-a-life-time-evaluation, eg SPM). The best part is, we still have to sit for a final exam for this subject, you get what I mean?

Alas! We still need to follow that system until who-knows-when.

Tomorrow is Friday. And I’m looking forward to another round of roller-coaster trip. It’s exciting.

Equip yourself to handle administration challenges (2010) – From a personal experience

After the thrill of getting your university offer letter, you should do some preparations for the coming administrative challenges you would face (yes, these are the true challenges of life).

First of all, get yourself some electronics gadgets that I promise would get you through all the situations you would encounter. Mobile phone, laptop (if you only have a desktop, by all means, carry it with you while you are running your errands), digital camera, papers and photo papers, a complete set of stationary (I mean COMPLETE with stick glue, scissors, staple, puncher, paper clips, cellophane tape etc) and a 3-in-1 printer are the MUST items you got to have with you.

Secondly, do some homework, look for items/ documents you need to bring with you for the registration or application. But I doubt you’ll find all the necessary info even if you look through each and every crack of the noticeboard, each page in the website and each fine print on the programme booklet/ pamphlet. That’s why this is second to the first preparation. We should be prepared for uncertainty, shouldn’t we?

Third, you will need sufficient time. Empty your schedule for the whole morning or whole afternoon if you wish to register or apply for anything. Long queue, uncertain instructions to machine malfunction, you name it. The best time-killer I would say.

Ok, let’s hit the tasks.

To register for admission – you’ll probably need to produce copies of documents which you thought you have already submitted. So, you can print them all out from your printer (if you have already scanned them in your PC) or you can photocopy them on the spot using your 3-in-1 printer.

To apply for residential college (other than the one you were assigned to, which is a thousand miles away from your faculty), please bring your photo(s) with you, if you haven’t done so or brought insufficient copies, you can quickly snap your own picture or get your friend to help, and print it on photo paper using your 3-in-1 printer.

To request documents from office, you’ll need to prepare a letter (there is always no forms for these, you know). So you can use your PC and printer immediately (you’ve already wasted so much time waiting in the line!)

For stuffs you’ve got to wait - No solution to this yet, you’ll have to be patient, and wait (that’s why clearing your schedule)

What’s the use of a complete set of stationery? Well, we’ll never know ;)

Remember, high mountains never trip you, it’s all those tiny stones that you’ll stumble over and fall.

After you’ve gone through all these craziness, you can finally sit down and concentrate on the not-so-challenging lectures, assignments, notes, readings, and your postgraduate project. You will succeed.

Happy studying 

名字与称号的迷思

当后备军时我缝在制服上的名牌是“WONG WAI”。因为那印名牌的人（很明显的）是别的族群同胞，他/她以为我老爸的名字是YOKE。我也不能太挑啦，因为我不是唯一的受害者，而且还好同僚们都还是叫我正确的名字。有一些战友就从此得了个新名字。可是就是百思不得其解，我可以很清楚地分辨友祖同胞的名字和他/她父亲的名字。

这种不了解（不尊重？）他人文化的情况，不只发生在本土。奥沙玛也被国际媒体称为宾拉登。我觉得好好笑，因为所有的指责都指向他曾祖父，哦，可怜的老爷爷。

称号也因不同文化而异。就如Mrs.和Puan。有一次我到供应商的生产部做品质审计，交换名片后，那生产部主任用疑问的语调说：“Mrs. Wong Wai Yoke？”
天啊！我名片上工整地印着WONG WAI YOKE，就算我已为人妻，我也不可能拿我先生的名片到处派吧？如果他称呼我Puan Wong Wai Yoke（那时我还未嫁人），我最多只会说saya belum kahwin lah, hahaha~~~

同事常常埋怨说每每收到政府机构（特别是政府机构）的回函，称呼她为Encik Tu（之前她跟对方通过电话）。所以当我写公函或电邮致政府机构时，我必须以Miss Wong Wai Yoke 或 Wong Wai Yoke (Miss)署名 (其实自称Miss是相当没礼貌的，有高抬自己的感觉)。不过，如果我收到的回函写

Kepada Encik Miss Wong Wai Yoke,

我其实也不会感到太意外。

拜年

正月初一头一天，家家户户过新年，
大街小巷悬灯彩，爆竹响连天，
七个隆冬锵冬锵，爆竹响连天，
七个隆冬锵冬锵，爆竹响连天；
小妹过年真高兴，换上新鞋穿新衣，
从头到脚打扮好，上街去拜年，
七个隆冬锵冬锵，上街去拜年，
七个隆冬锵冬锵，上街去拜年；
小妹过年真高兴，有吃有穿又有玩，
七个隆冬锵冬锵，我要去拜年，
七个隆冬锵冬锵，我要去拜年。

新年许心愿

又是一年好起点，远方客人来拜年，
嘻嘻哈哈过新年，新春雪花飘连天，
春天已经到人间，百鸟迎春喜年年，
手举清香许心愿，鸿运当头年又年。
一求上天作美，保赐良缘，盼望好梦，早日实现，
二求生意兴隆，财运亨通，吉祥如意，好运年年。
再求我的家人岁岁年年万事如意直到永远。

恭喜恭喜

每条大街小巷，每个人的嘴里
见面第一句话，就是恭喜恭喜
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，恭喜恭喜恭喜你

冬天已到尽头，真是好的消息
溫暖的春风，就要吹醒大地
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，恭喜恭喜恭喜你

皓皓冰雪融解，眼看梅花吐蕊
漫漫长夜过去，听到一声鸡啼
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，恭喜恭喜恭喜你

经过多少困难，历尽多少磨练
多少心儿盼望，盼望春的消息
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，恭喜恭喜恭喜你

每条大街小巷，每个人的嘴里
见面第一句话，就是恭喜恭喜
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，恭喜恭喜恭喜你

2012啊，靓仔。

我很幸运，我家附近一星期有两次pasar malam。
今天我心血来潮想听听旧曲，就到那儿去看看（注：我现今没有太多本钱支持正版，故犯法）。

选了三片CD，Jim Reeves, Carpenters和All Musicals。

我告诉卖CD的靓仔：“我唔须要纸袋。”
靓仔带点取笑：“唔要纸袋？咁环保啊？”
我笑笑：“2012啊，靓仔。”
靓仔哈哈。
我顺势建议：“环保，你都可以嘎。你顺口问你啲客仔‘贵客要唔要袋啊’。十之八九其实唔须要嘅，只不過你俾，佢哋咪拎咯。你問嘅話，話唔定仲可以節省啲膠袋費添。”

靓仔哈哈哈哈。

佢實在係服咗我呢个提倡环保嘅客仔。

Penyu Agar/ Green Turtle

I first saw green turtles in Cherating Turtle Sanctuary. Couple of adults and many hatchlings, all ‘crowded’ in a 5m x 8m (appx) kidney-shape pool. Caretaker was ‘scrubbing’ their carapace with a floor brush, to remove algae on it.

The 2nd time, in Salang, Tioman Island. 2 adult green turtles swimming freely in the open ocean. I was swimming with them :) These turtles have algae-eating fishes to clean their carapace, symbosis :D

Green turtles are named so because of the colour of their fat, which homo sapiens ‘harvest’ for soup. Homo sapiens, like monitor lizards, eat their eggs as well. The difference between homo sapiens and the lizards are:-
- lizards eat them as a source of food vs. homo sapiens eat them as a delicacy or believing they have aphrodisiac properties
- lizards eat what’s deemed enough and leave the rest alone vs. homo sapiens collect ALL of them to sell for profit
- lizards are their natural predator, in the ecosystem itself vs. homo sapiens are intruders, we are parasites

Egg collectors and eaters have been around for many, many centuries. But I personally think that practises that are incorrect, that lead to unsustainability, even if it had been a part of the culture, shouldn’t be carried on. Homo sapiens can think, and then act. Isn’t that what we are proud of, being different from animals?