First of all, thank you everyone for making this module lively and exciting. It has been a long time since I have last attended a class that is so enthusiastic! Fun aside, I have learn a great deal in this module.
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After reading my first blog post, I realised that having effective communication is easier said than done. However, the value of these skills, to me, has not changed in anyway throughout my course of study.
During our days in ES2007S, communication skill had been emphasized subtly time and again. One of the best scenarios to describe this was through project meeting that we had. This is not only important, but essential. If you do not want to be mistaken by others, you will have to bring your point across well and effectively. Always ask when in doubt.
Communication skill is the most important transferable skill that everyone should learn. It would not only portray you as being professional, but also clear and concise.
The communication skills that I have developed in ES2007 would come in very handy when I graduate and go out to the society to work. It has given me an opportunity to try things that do not occur in my everyday life such as intensive project work and writing of report. On top of that, it has given me a good chance to practice on interview skills, oral presentation skills and good writing skills that I would never know.
I have learn a lot in this module and this is probably the most applicable-to-real-life module that I have ever taken throughout my varsity days. My mind has not only been broaden by the different things taught by Ms Kim but also the useful skills that I will use throughout my life journey.
Well, on top of all things learn, I have met so many other friends in this course who are friendly and zealous. It is one of the plus-plus points about the course!
All the best to all of your future endeavours and good luck!
Peace out,
Miranda
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
My Biodata
Hello everyone!
The sole reason that pushed me into making teaching my career was simple: I want to help. When I was young, I wanted to be a doctor. However, such an aspiration was far from completion. It was only when I started teaching piano, I realised that it could bring me so much joy and fulfillment too.
Academically, I am an Applied Mathematics undergraduate in NUS. On top of that, I am pursuing my diploma in piano teaching. I have also received my certificates for my Grade 8 piano and theory. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to teach.
Most of all, I love mixing around with the young people. They make me feel that I can contribute in small ways to the society by nurturing a new generation of passionate people. I would want to continue to influence them and instilling in them the true meaning of learning
The sole reason that pushed me into making teaching my career was simple: I want to help. When I was young, I wanted to be a doctor. However, such an aspiration was far from completion. It was only when I started teaching piano, I realised that it could bring me so much joy and fulfillment too.
Academically, I am an Applied Mathematics undergraduate in NUS. On top of that, I am pursuing my diploma in piano teaching. I have also received my certificates for my Grade 8 piano and theory. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to teach.
Most of all, I love mixing around with the young people. They make me feel that I can contribute in small ways to the society by nurturing a new generation of passionate people. I would want to continue to influence them and instilling in them the true meaning of learning
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I am GLAD that the project is almost over, BUT..
I've got to say: This project was h***.
This project caused me sleepless nights and almost caused me to have a 'nervous breakdown'. This project is not for the faint hearted!
However, it was my utmost pleasure and honour to have 3 fabulous and hardworking team mates working with me on this project.
1)Brandon: the efficient leader
2)Joyce: the cooperative and competent team mate
3)Chong Guan: the capable secretary
It was a blessing to have them working together with a clumsy team mate like me!
Our project question was not like the others. it was not only taxing to work on it, but also very time consuming. We've spent countless hours together, trying to solve problems that we've met along the way. Problem as small as what words to use and the grammar that we should use.
Nothing was easy but we were very focused during meetings and no time was wasted on unnecessary discussions and others things. Everybody did their fair share of work and the contributions and sacrifices that they had made was immeasurable. No one gave additional work to the other group members. As much as possible, we did whatever we had to dom and the rest of the team would proof read and edit. Efficiency is the word to describe our team.
It was due to such great personalities in the team, would the project go on so smoothly and successfully. Tough and draining was nothing compared to the friendship and trust we had cultivated from doing this project.
Our team IS a team of ferocious and brave soldiers who fought side by side in defeating this 'excruciating' project(oops..!!). In any case, it was of greatest pleasure to work with Joyce, Brandon and CG. I would never forget such awesome team spirit that we had. Well done, team!
This project caused me sleepless nights and almost caused me to have a 'nervous breakdown'. This project is not for the faint hearted!
However, it was my utmost pleasure and honour to have 3 fabulous and hardworking team mates working with me on this project.
1)Brandon: the efficient leader
2)Joyce: the cooperative and competent team mate
3)Chong Guan: the capable secretary
It was a blessing to have them working together with a clumsy team mate like me!
Our project question was not like the others. it was not only taxing to work on it, but also very time consuming. We've spent countless hours together, trying to solve problems that we've met along the way. Problem as small as what words to use and the grammar that we should use.
Nothing was easy but we were very focused during meetings and no time was wasted on unnecessary discussions and others things. Everybody did their fair share of work and the contributions and sacrifices that they had made was immeasurable. No one gave additional work to the other group members. As much as possible, we did whatever we had to dom and the rest of the team would proof read and edit. Efficiency is the word to describe our team.
It was due to such great personalities in the team, would the project go on so smoothly and successfully. Tough and draining was nothing compared to the friendship and trust we had cultivated from doing this project.
Our team IS a team of ferocious and brave soldiers who fought side by side in defeating this 'excruciating' project(oops..!!). In any case, it was of greatest pleasure to work with Joyce, Brandon and CG. I would never forget such awesome team spirit that we had. Well done, team!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The Italian Job
It really sounded absurd to me when I heard this in class: A tourist was scolded by an Italian lady for not eating spaghetti the ‘correct’ way in Italy.
well, this is suppose to be the RIGHT way:
I’ve always believe that it is up to my own discretion to eat the way I want. But of course, I would eat gracefully and not gobble the food down greedily. It was truly an eye-opener and very informative for a culturally insensitive person—like me~~!
The Italians are known to be very proud of their food. I have ever read that it if you do not like one of the ingredients listed in an entree or the way it was prepared, order something else. Never ask for the dish to be modified because, the restaurant owner or a family member will take it as an insult. To him or her, you are suggesting that the food is not suitably prepared or the recipe they use is wrong.
From the above cultural information, we can deduce that the Italians bears the utmost respect for their food before eating them. Something like: military funeral—saluting the deceased before burial or crematory. Well, quite a bad analogy but it brings the point across!
So, if anyone were to ever go to Italy and to any other country, please do remember to follow the societal expectation otherwise, you would be frowned upon. I think in the end, everyone has to remember that in different societies, there will be different expectations which we have to adhere to. It is a form of respect to the people living in that society but also respect for you.
WHY?
Because, it shows that it matters to keep yourself abreast of certain trends and norms. Can you imagine that kind of positive impression you would leave on your new friends?
well, this is suppose to be the RIGHT way:
I’ve always believe that it is up to my own discretion to eat the way I want. But of course, I would eat gracefully and not gobble the food down greedily. It was truly an eye-opener and very informative for a culturally insensitive person—like me~~!
The Italians are known to be very proud of their food. I have ever read that it if you do not like one of the ingredients listed in an entree or the way it was prepared, order something else. Never ask for the dish to be modified because, the restaurant owner or a family member will take it as an insult. To him or her, you are suggesting that the food is not suitably prepared or the recipe they use is wrong.
From the above cultural information, we can deduce that the Italians bears the utmost respect for their food before eating them. Something like: military funeral—saluting the deceased before burial or crematory. Well, quite a bad analogy but it brings the point across!
So, if anyone were to ever go to Italy and to any other country, please do remember to follow the societal expectation otherwise, you would be frowned upon. I think in the end, everyone has to remember that in different societies, there will be different expectations which we have to adhere to. It is a form of respect to the people living in that society but also respect for you.
WHY?
Because, it shows that it matters to keep yourself abreast of certain trends and norms. Can you imagine that kind of positive impression you would leave on your new friends?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Are we picky?
Wooh..!
Anyway, let's get to the main point.
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What is going on?
Lately, there has been a decrease in marriages in Singapore. This inevitably leads to low birth rate. There are many reasons for this phenomenon but I believe one of the more interesting reasons is that people are not willing to marry those who are not equally qualified. Therefore, I would like to research on how a women and men’s qualification affect his or her chances of getting a partner. Ladies would only want to marry up i.e. be married to men with better or at least equal qualifications. Men, similarly, would want to marry women of lower or at most equal qualifications.
What’s the main question?
In this modern era, would a man marry someone with higher qualification and similarly, would a woman accept a man with lower qualification than her?
What’s my take on it?
If people were given chances to look beyond qualifications, there might be a higher chance of ‘inter-qualification’ marriages.
What is the objective of this study?
The objective of this study is to determine how important is a person’s qualification in his or her love life and thus how can it increase the number of courtships which would eventually turn into marriages-- the first step to having children.
Who is it for?
I believe that readers from SDU and matchmaking companies what benefit largely from this research. They can use the knowledge obtained to plan their activities in such a way that it solves or at least minimize tension occurred due to this problem. In the end, it would aid in match making couples who might get married and have babies.
Is doing a survey on this necessary?
It is crucial to conduct a survey in this research as many people will have different takes on this issue. It is important to look into the different ideas put forth so that compelling solutions can be derived. Thus, a comprehensive survey is needed so that we can see how the targeted population reacts to such an issue. It would eventually yield an accurate result, thus pin-pointing solutions to resolve problems faced.
Who will you choose?!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Intangible conflict that threw me off-board
Alright! I don't particularly like conflict stories as it gets more conflicting along the way. The following is a super concise story of something that I would like to forget for good. This happened not too long ago. Names have been changed to protect myself.
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Here it goes:
Apple has a group of good friends. They would always hang out together in a big group. However, not everyone in the group agrees with each other at times. There was once, one of her friends, John, invited her to a very joyous event. On the day of the event, she was late as she has lost her way. John called her up a couple of time to check how she was. The event was about to start. One last call was made and she flared up. “I told you that I am lost and why are you still bothering me?” She yelled into the phone angrily. John barked into the phone,” I am being concern and this is what i get?” Soon after, their relationship turned sour and Apple drifted apart from this old group of friends whom she has known for many years.
At the meantime, Apple has found a new group of friends. They told each other their problems and seek solace with one another. Apple told them about her story with the old group of friends. Upon hearing the issues raised, they stood firmly on her side. They believed every word that she has said and gave their comments on the issues. Apparently, those comments were in favour to Apple. Apple became very angry and started blogging about people who has wronged her. Prior to that, Apple has always been a frank and straightforward person. She would say whatever that bothers her even if it means to offend those around her. Soon, someone left a comment on her blog and said something unhealthy. She suspected that person to be John and confronted him on the blog. John felt that he was maligned. Being stubborn and self-righteous, he started to blog about her changed in attitude after she has met her new friends. He also commented on how “helpful” her new friends were in sorting discord. Apple, not wanting to lose in this rat race, retaliated. Even her new friends backed her up in the retaliation.
Not long after, John demanded an apology from her for the reckless and irresponsible remarks on her blog. He even warned that if she doesn’t apologise, he would sue her for defamation.
The problem comes: How should the both of them do so that the cut wouldn’t go deeper and what could have been done to savage this relationship?
FYI: PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKEN ME AS (an) APPLE OR EVEN JOHN!
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Here it goes:
Apple has a group of good friends. They would always hang out together in a big group. However, not everyone in the group agrees with each other at times. There was once, one of her friends, John, invited her to a very joyous event. On the day of the event, she was late as she has lost her way. John called her up a couple of time to check how she was. The event was about to start. One last call was made and she flared up. “I told you that I am lost and why are you still bothering me?” She yelled into the phone angrily. John barked into the phone,” I am being concern and this is what i get?” Soon after, their relationship turned sour and Apple drifted apart from this old group of friends whom she has known for many years.
At the meantime, Apple has found a new group of friends. They told each other their problems and seek solace with one another. Apple told them about her story with the old group of friends. Upon hearing the issues raised, they stood firmly on her side. They believed every word that she has said and gave their comments on the issues. Apparently, those comments were in favour to Apple. Apple became very angry and started blogging about people who has wronged her. Prior to that, Apple has always been a frank and straightforward person. She would say whatever that bothers her even if it means to offend those around her. Soon, someone left a comment on her blog and said something unhealthy. She suspected that person to be John and confronted him on the blog. John felt that he was maligned. Being stubborn and self-righteous, he started to blog about her changed in attitude after she has met her new friends. He also commented on how “helpful” her new friends were in sorting discord. Apple, not wanting to lose in this rat race, retaliated. Even her new friends backed her up in the retaliation.
Not long after, John demanded an apology from her for the reckless and irresponsible remarks on her blog. He even warned that if she doesn’t apologise, he would sue her for defamation.
The problem comes: How should the both of them do so that the cut wouldn’t go deeper and what could have been done to savage this relationship?
FYI: PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKEN ME AS (an) APPLE OR EVEN JOHN!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Why is Effective Communication so important to me??
Greetings! Welcome to Miranda’s weekly blog show! My blog will be as semi-formal as a blog should be, just like what Joker in The Dark Knight says: Why so SERIOUS?!
I believe there are tons of reasons why developing effective communication skills are important but I would only touch on 3 points.
Point 1: It is important to have good interpersonal communication as this would ward off gossips like a talisman. As all of you should know, gossiping is the most efficient way to kill time with a bunch of like-minded colleagues. However, gossips are deadly. However, if I am an effective communicator, I would be able to work well with others which also mean that I can earn respect from my fellow confreres.
Point 2: Next, I believe that knowing oneself would mean being able to perform well
be it during a presentation or interview. We all know that sitting on the hot interviewee sit is torturous and arduous. However, when you know that the position that you opt for is something that suits your personality and working style, it would mean that you will be able to answer those demanding and brutal questions confidently and eloquently which can be achieved from effective communication skill.
Point 3: Lastly, it is important to foster intercultural communication as it would make me sincere and genuine. As the saying goes, first impression counts. When I understand the culture background of my client, I would be prepared to ‘deal with them accordingly’. Getting drunk and dizzy is part and parcel of a Japanese life. Therefore, as an effective communicator, I have to make sure that my Japanese clients do not sleep on the streets after 50 rounds of Asahi. Hence, if anyone is capable of dealing with your clients according to their cultural background, trust me, you will be the person your boss YEARNS for.
At last, I will leave you a quote from George Bernard Shaw that set me thinking:
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Peace out!
P.S: GBS won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. Some guy!
Miranda
I believe there are tons of reasons why developing effective communication skills are important but I would only touch on 3 points.
Point 1: It is important to have good interpersonal communication as this would ward off gossips like a talisman. As all of you should know, gossiping is the most efficient way to kill time with a bunch of like-minded colleagues. However, gossips are deadly. However, if I am an effective communicator, I would be able to work well with others which also mean that I can earn respect from my fellow confreres.
Point 2: Next, I believe that knowing oneself would mean being able to perform well
be it during a presentation or interview. We all know that sitting on the hot interviewee sit is torturous and arduous. However, when you know that the position that you opt for is something that suits your personality and working style, it would mean that you will be able to answer those demanding and brutal questions confidently and eloquently which can be achieved from effective communication skill.
Point 3: Lastly, it is important to foster intercultural communication as it would make me sincere and genuine. As the saying goes, first impression counts. When I understand the culture background of my client, I would be prepared to ‘deal with them accordingly’. Getting drunk and dizzy is part and parcel of a Japanese life. Therefore, as an effective communicator, I have to make sure that my Japanese clients do not sleep on the streets after 50 rounds of Asahi. Hence, if anyone is capable of dealing with your clients according to their cultural background, trust me, you will be the person your boss YEARNS for.
At last, I will leave you a quote from George Bernard Shaw that set me thinking:
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Peace out!
P.S: GBS won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. Some guy!
Miranda
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