The story below happened around 4 years ago.
I have a friend named Judy. She is a Singaporean and has been living in Singapore since her birth. She is a Chinese girl and is as old as me. She has a pen-pal who is a Japanese girl (Yuu). They have been writing to each other for around a year. After a year, Yuu and her family migrated to Singapore. Through that one year, Judy and Yuu have developed strong friendship. So after Yuu had settled down, she invited Judy and me to her house for lunch.
On our way to Yuu’s condominium, Judy and I were very nervous. It was because that was the first time we went to a Japanese’s house. When we reached there, Yuu’s mother was preparing the lunch so we sat in the living room and chatted with Yuu. After a while, lunch was ready and we sat around a round table full of food. Judy and I dared not start eating until Yuu’s parents asked us to.
The foods were very delicious so Judy and I ate a lot until we were both stuffed. As we were very full, we stopped eating and thank them for such a nice meal. However, Yuu’s parents insisted that we eat more. Since we could not take in anymore, we declined their offer politely. But Yuu’s parents did not give up, they kept asking us to eat more. They smiled at us and asked us to continue eating. They said there are more foods in the kitchen and it is definitely enough for more. Judy started to be irritated, she had already had enough and she does not like to be forced. Despite the unwillingness, we thought we better eat abit more in order not to be rude to the hosts and it was the only solution to that. Therefore we put more foods on our plates and finished them somehow.
After that meal, Judy and I were bloated. We were both happy and disappointed. We were happy to have an opportunity to meet Yuu but disappointed to have been forced upon to eat more.
But it was later that we discovered that it is customary in Japan for hosts to insist on their guests’ taking more. Furthermore, to Japanese, it is considered good manners for guests not to accept an offer at first. Therefore the hosts will repeat their offers. If the hosts try to repeat an offer, we just have to decline politely without hurting their feelings. And after a few offers and declines, the hosts are sure that their guests are full and they will stop.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Research Project - Go Green
Proposed title: An analysis on the feasibility of a biannual collection service to encourage the recycling of paper amongst NUS students.
Research question: What can be done to encourage the recycling of unwanted paper of NUS student?
Hypothesis: The implementation of a biannual collection service will encourage the recycling of paper amongst NUS students.
Problem Statement: The objective of this study is to analyze if the implementation of a biannual collection service can encourage students to participate in the recycling of paper.
Targeted Audience: Mr Joseph Mullnix (Chairman of the Campus Sustainability Steering Committee)
Potential Audience:
· Other members of CSC
· NUS stuff and students
· Members of the Tertiary Institutions Council For the Environment (TICFC)
· Other organizations that aims to play an active role in the recycling of paper
Purpose Statement: The objective of the report is to inform the Chairman of CSC of the lack of effort of NUS student in the recycling of paper within campus. Another objective is to convince the Chairman that this virtue can be encouraged by implementing a biannual collection service to facilitate the recycling of paper.
Methodology to be used:
§ Literature review
§ Emails
§ Survey
Research question: What can be done to encourage the recycling of unwanted paper of NUS student?
Hypothesis: The implementation of a biannual collection service will encourage the recycling of paper amongst NUS students.
Problem Statement: The objective of this study is to analyze if the implementation of a biannual collection service can encourage students to participate in the recycling of paper.
Targeted Audience: Mr Joseph Mullnix (Chairman of the Campus Sustainability Steering Committee)
Potential Audience:
· Other members of CSC
· NUS stuff and students
· Members of the Tertiary Institutions Council For the Environment (TICFC)
· Other organizations that aims to play an active role in the recycling of paper
Purpose Statement: The objective of the report is to inform the Chairman of CSC of the lack of effort of NUS student in the recycling of paper within campus. Another objective is to convince the Chairman that this virtue can be encouraged by implementing a biannual collection service to facilitate the recycling of paper.
Methodology to be used:
§ Literature review
§ Emails
§ Survey
Friday, September 5, 2008
Post 3: Potential Research Project Topics
My research project topic is with regards to the recent article that published in The Straits Time on Aug 31, 2008. The title of the article is “Orientation – just fun or plain lewd”.
For all the three local universities in Singapore, orientation is held at the start of a school year (in July and August) to welcome freshmen. Most camps are organized and run by the students, and attendance for most activities is optional. In the past, during orientation, freshmen were often ‘bullied’. They were subjected to humiliating treatments or to do chores for the seniors. But now, orientation has taken on a more sexual slant. One of the game forfeit is where the girls had to lie down and the guys had to do push-ups over them. Another one is touching the chests of males. Games like passing M&M chocolates to one another using their mouths are played.
This issue was reported after a Straits Times reader wrote to complain about the ‘lewd and improper’ orientation. The reader felt that this type of orientation “give youth a very superficial idea about making friends and finding partner.” A family therapist commented that youth nowadays are bolder and have broken the social barriers. However he added on that there are at least 70% of the students are conservatives and if the sexually-charged activities are too extreme, these students will feel more inhibited.
The student organizers from the respective local universities felt that physical contact during activities is no big deal. Nevertheless, the universities said “they put a firm foot down on any demeaning activities.”
Different people have different views on this issue. The student organizers feel no big deal but other students’ views are not heard. Furthermore the family therapist mentioned that at least 70% of the students are conservatives. Is it really the case? Therefore an attitudinal survey is needed to study how the NUS students feel about the orientation.
The orientation activities may consider sexual to the public but it may or may not to the students. And since it is the students who are the one participating the orientation, I feel that the students’ voices should be heard first. And the result of the finding can then presented to the Dean who will then decide what to do for the following orientations.
For all the three local universities in Singapore, orientation is held at the start of a school year (in July and August) to welcome freshmen. Most camps are organized and run by the students, and attendance for most activities is optional. In the past, during orientation, freshmen were often ‘bullied’. They were subjected to humiliating treatments or to do chores for the seniors. But now, orientation has taken on a more sexual slant. One of the game forfeit is where the girls had to lie down and the guys had to do push-ups over them. Another one is touching the chests of males. Games like passing M&M chocolates to one another using their mouths are played.
This issue was reported after a Straits Times reader wrote to complain about the ‘lewd and improper’ orientation. The reader felt that this type of orientation “give youth a very superficial idea about making friends and finding partner.” A family therapist commented that youth nowadays are bolder and have broken the social barriers. However he added on that there are at least 70% of the students are conservatives and if the sexually-charged activities are too extreme, these students will feel more inhibited.
The student organizers from the respective local universities felt that physical contact during activities is no big deal. Nevertheless, the universities said “they put a firm foot down on any demeaning activities.”
Different people have different views on this issue. The student organizers feel no big deal but other students’ views are not heard. Furthermore the family therapist mentioned that at least 70% of the students are conservatives. Is it really the case? Therefore an attitudinal survey is needed to study how the NUS students feel about the orientation.
The orientation activities may consider sexual to the public but it may or may not to the students. And since it is the students who are the one participating the orientation, I feel that the students’ voices should be heard first. And the result of the finding can then presented to the Dean who will then decide what to do for the following orientations.
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