Chickenpox

I had never had chickenpox (touch wood) until to date.

I’ve always wanted to get myself vaccinated, but I always delay this matter. Until last week a family member infected by chickenpox (in healing stage) came to our house, I was damned terrified.

Truthfully, it’s not about the potential scars and itchiness and the stay-away-from-beans-and-black-soysauce-thingys, but because the information I know about chickenpox and its implications. To share with you, here it is:-

Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster, a member of the herpesvirus family. It’s ok if you can’t pronounce the name (or the family name), but the coming info is important, make sure you read it correctly (don’t mind the Chinese characters if they are bothering you, it’s a repeated information).

The same virus also causes herpes zoster in adults. Herpes zoster is shingles, Chinese formal name带状疱疹 ，俗称生蛇 (commonly known as “snake”).

Chickenpox is highly contagious, it is spread through air.

A person infected by the chickenpox virus will develop blisters which will form crusts and normally will recover within say, 14 days. After a person recovers from chickenpox infection, the virus(es) DO NOT go away.

It will REMAIN DORMANT in the nerve cell/ tissue somewhere at the spinal cord (omitted some very difficult-to-pronouce-and-type scientific terms). It means the virus will hibernate in the body.

There is a probability of this virus being reactivated later in adulthood due to some reasons like decrease in immune system, cancerous cells, etc etc etc. But this time, causing not chickenpox. It is the very painful shingles.

Because the activated virus travels down the nerve and cause viral infection of the skin around the region of the nerve, it is extremely painful. I guess that also explains why the “snake” travels around forming rings on arms or legs or trunk, follow the nerve mah….

So, when the poor child innocently asked me if I have had chicken pox, “No,” I told him, “that’s why I need to stay away from you.” I’m probably infected; not sure, need to wait for 2 more weeks to confirm that.

So, please, try not to expose yourself to a person suffering from chickenpox, and get vaccination for yourself and your child(ren).

Scheiße. I shall not delay my vaccination. I will get it during the coming long semester break, if I’m still varicella-zoster-free (fingers & toes crossed).

My Biology teacher told us the brief version, I Googled for more info.

Physics and Fighting Climate Change

Previously I thought:

Climate change > global warming > many animals will die > humans will die also > conservation and preservation of environment & ecology > Biology

and

Climate change > global warming > greenhouse gases > CO2 > fossil fuels > chemical substances > chemical technology > Chemistry

but now (after some literature review) I think:

Climate change > global warming > greenhouse gases > CO2 emission> fossil fuels & wastage of energy > Energy > generation & conservation of energy > electricity & power > renewable energy > nuclear energy > Form 4 & 5 Physics chapters > PHYSICS

This is nearer to mitigation of the impacts from human activities on the environment because energy is practically our life. All of us can do something about it. You don’t need to be a super physicist to contribute to fighting climate change.
- Switch of the lights and fan (and other electrical devices) when we don’t need it
- Choose electrical devices that are more efficient (convert higher percentage of energy)
- Choose transportation mode or purchase vehicle(s) that are using greener energy (eg. Solar-powered or electricity-powered vehicles are “greener” than fossil-fueled vehicles, not saying that they are absolutely green, but greener than their counterpart)
- Say “no” to unnecessary packaging (producing extra packaging is some sort of energy wastage, even if it’s recyclable; not to mention their non-bio-degradable friends ie plastic bags and polystyrene)
- First REDUCE, then REUSE, last RECYCLE. Not the other way round. Recycling uses MORE energy than reducing wastage.
- Eat more vege and less meat lah (producing meat consumes more energy than producing crops)

Just like the TESCO philosophy, “Every little helps” :)

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。