Find me @
Affiliates
Blog Entries
Almost a Master Graduate..
Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 4:27 PM

Dear Brad,

I am not sure if you would randomly click on my batch's blog when you missed us. To just re-read our old posts.. or hope that we would one day write an update here. So here I am, hello! It's 2019 now, and I am halfway through my masters program. Can't believe I will be a master graduate in less than 5 months!! Time sure flies..
I hope you're doing ok! I haven't seen you around in school for some time now. As for me, I am doing ok! Exam is in 2 weeks, so I am busy preparing for it. I really want to do well and get a good job that I like haha. OK, got to go. Maybe I will update again here, till then, take care!
Do come for our graduation in October ok!!

Lots of love,
Nurul
Executive summary
Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 8:54 AM

Hello.
For today's post, it will be the executive summary for the proposal report of EZ Hangz: Sensor on Retractable Clothing Hanger from Triple N.

Executive Summary

In this proposal, the concerns regarding the current practice of drying clothes, both in old and in the new HDB flats in Singapore, are discussed. It introduces a sensor technology on retractable clothing hanger to be installed in the current and new flats. The innovation is described along with its benefits, advantages and disadvantages.
The current practice is manual based and during sudden rainfall, the residents will have to retract the bamboo/plastic poles in manually. Or they have to pull in the retractable clothing hanger. The proposed solution will allow the hangers to retract in and out automatically when the sensor detects rainfall through a motor that is attached to the hanger. This proposed solution will make lives of residents easier as they no longer have to worry about bringing in their clothes during sudden rainfall. It will also be especially useful to those with no domestic helper or are not at home during sudden rainfall.

Methods of analysis include survey questions with the purpose of finding out the community reaction to the proposed solution. Results of data analyzed show the need to further upgrade the current retractable clothing hangers that Singapore has in HDB flats.

Till the next post,
Nurul.
Personal Statement
at 8:48 AM

Hello.
For today's post, it will be the personal statement for the proposal report of EZ Hangz: Sensor on Retractable Clothing Hanger from Triple N.

Nurul's Personal Statement

My parents are my motivation in this project. They are getting old and since we are still using the bamboo poles to hang our laundry outside the windows, it gets a little too heavy for them especially when it starts to rain. As a student with engineering background, I have the opportunity to build my own product that could be useful to the community. With this motivation and opportunity given, I hope that I would be able to lighten my parents' load as they need not carry in the wet laundry anymore.

Till the next post,
Nurul.
Letter of Transmittal
at 8:32 AM

Hello.
For today's post, it will be my letter of transmittal for the proposal report of EZ Hangz: Sensor on Retractable Clothing Hanger from Triple N.

Letter of Transmittal

Triple N
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive, SG: 138683

20 October 2015

Mr Brad Franklin Blackstone
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive, SG: 138683
6592 8154

Dear Brad,
RE: Proposal for Sensor on Retractable Clothing Hanger

We are submitting to you the report due on 19 November, 2015 as requested. We are pleased to present the following proposal on the implementation of EZ Hangz that uses sensor technology on retractable clothing hangers in HDB flats in Singapore, for your kind consideration. This report has been prepared with the intention to improve the efficiency of clothing hangers mainly in HDB flats through EZ Hangz.

The report comprises the motivations behind the proposed solutions, as well as a comprehensive summary of all the related primary and secondary research. We would like to  thank you for taking the time to read through our proposal. We hope that you will take kindly to our suggestions in this implementation to improve the efficiency of clothing hangers in HDB flats in Singapore through EZ Hangz.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Triple N

Till the next post,
Nurul.
Critical Reflection
at 8:28 AM

Hello.
For today's post, I will be writing my critical reflection. In my critical reflection, Brad had asked to include the following:


For the whole 11 weeks of the lesson,  "Effective Communication", I've learned many things that would be very useful in the future. Things like how to write a reader response, how to write a proposal report and how to have a good and effective presentation. Honestly this is the only lesson that I always look forward to every week. This is because it is the only lesson in school that doesn't require me to calculate and squeeze my brain juices.

The module effective communication is basically split into two parts, 1) Writing and 2) Oral presentation. For the first part of the module, we started off with writing a reflective post, choosing between the two topics given, "My English Language Learning Journey"  or "The importance of English for Me". After which, we had to feedback to at least 3 other classmates. That was the first 3 feedback I have given my peers and the first of the feedback that I received in this module. I remember being afraid of giving my peers feedback in case they took offence in what I wrote for them and I remember being nervous when I saw the email notification that someone have given me a feedback. Honestly, till today, I still feel nervous to hear/read the feedback others have given me. After the first assignment, we still have many writing assignments such as a summary draft, the 4 drafts of reader response, the person who have inspired me, personal reflection on oral presentation, this and many more! With every of this writing assignment, I feel that I grow a little more in my writing capabilities.

The second part of the module is where we had oral presentations. As a group we had to think of an idea to be proposed or an idea that could 'sell'. That was where Triple N came about with our product called the EZ Hangz: Sensor on Retractable Clothing Hanger. After each team presented, we had to give them oral feedback as to how well their presentation was. As a group and individually. If I say that giving and receiving feedback through comments on blog post is scary, imagine receiving and giving it live! It was frightening! But as frightening as it was, I came to realize that it felt good to have people say that you did well in certain things, and also be given feedback to improve.

Before the oral presentation, there were a few class activities where we experienced things like the elevator pitch. It was kind of scary even though we were elevator pitching to only our classmates. I guess the idea of selling my teams' idea in less than 3 minutes seems impossible and nerve-racking. At the end of this module, there was a presentation showcase that was held on the 30th of November. My team, Triple N, had been picked to present again, on that day. Instead of just presenting to my classmates, I was presenting to the whole lecture. I was really nervous! Also, it felt weird and scary to be addressing to such a crowd and to have them listening to what I have to say. Overall it went well. Even though I stumbled on a few words, I managed to recover quickly and moved on.

Before I end this post, I would like to thank Brad for being amazing teacher and friend! I remember how awkward it felt to call you Brad instead of Mr Blackstone during the first lesson but how natural it is now. I guess over time and because I say it often, it becomes natural? Well, I sure hope that the same thing will happen to my writing and oral presentation skills. I want them to be my second nature. Perhaps with lots of practice, it will. :)

Till the next post.
Nurul.

P/s: Commented on sandra, nat soh & mardhiyyah.
Reader Response Draft #4.
Monday, November 23, 2015 at 7:12 PM

Hello.

For today's post, I will be writing my final draft #4 for my reader response to the article : Why The Climate Fight Needs Engineers by Vaidehi Shah 2015. ( http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/ )

       In the article “Why The Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Shah (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme is launched to help practicing engineers to cultivate their industrial and professional skills. This is to train them to be ready to face the challenges in the future. This programme is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The writer also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the basic role that engineering expertise will play in the fight against climate change.  Shah also quoted Choi Shing Kwok; "Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015." While engineers come out with solutions to real-life problems and were the ones responsible for the construction of many innovations throughout the years, the writer has failed to include that this is not the engineers fight alone.

Engineer's innovation constructions such as the green buildings,water treatment and incineration plants can be seen everywhere in Singapore. Other examples of their innovations are the land reclamation, transportation networks, high-tech industries and entertainment facilities (Chua, July 2015). These innovations were designed and later built to suit the needs and demands of the citizens. Engineers have always been the ones with solutions to solve problems faced for generations and fighting climate change is just another problem for them to solve. Climate change is proposed as a new problem that can impact on a country's food and water security (Cheam, 2013). Also, increasing intensity and occurrence of climatic hazards are impacting unfavourably upon environmental and socio-economic systems (Climate, 2013). Similar to Shah, Chua states that, engineers play a big part in managing this problem as they can come together from various departments to design and construct infrastructures to intensify cities' resilience and adaptations to climate change (Chua, July 2015).


In addition to the Engineers Progression Pathway Programme, Singapore government has initiated several events and programmes to prepare the nation when posed challenges such as climate change. An example is a competition called The Engineering Feats by the Singapore Institution of Engineers that aims to recognize innovations, products and projects, through nominations, that contributes to Singapore's economic growth (Chua, July 2015). Both initiatives are beneficial to the country in reducing the risks of not being prepared to face climate change. To add on to Singapore's initiatives, the country released a national climate strategy which summarizes the plan to tackle this problem through a whole-of-nation approach. Singapore's approach included reducing emissions across sectors, building capabilities to adapt to the impact, controlling chances for green growth and establishing partnerships on climate change (MFA, 2012).

Singapore establish partnerships on climate change through being actively involved in multilateral negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The convention believes that it is important for all countries to make a contribution to the global effort to combat climate change (MFA, N.D). 

Despite the capabilities of engineers in designing, constructing and building, people tend to be over dependent on them. We, as citizens, can help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Singaporeans could do so simply by changing a light bulb, powering down electronics, using less water and recycling (EPA, 2015). There are many online sites that provide means and ways to help in fighting climate change. 

In conclusion, everyone have their part to play in fighting climate change. But it is the engineers who play the fundamental role.  This is because they have been providing solutions to many real-world problems and has been constructing to suit Singapore's needs. This is further supported by the statement mentioned by Chua, "There will always be a need for engineering expertise in the region to design and build reliable infrastructure." (Chua, June 2015).

[636 words]

References
Cheam, J.C (2013, September 11). Engineering in the spotlight at Singapore summits. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-spotlight-singapore-summits/
Chua, J.C (2015, July 28). Engineering plays a crucial role in climate change. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/
Chua, J.C (2015, June 15). Cities:Asia's main battleground for climate change. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/cities-asias-main-battleground-for-climate-change/
Climate Himalaya (2012, February 28). Asia-Pacific fighting climate change. Climate Himalaya. Retrieved on October 1, 2015 from http://chimalaya.org/2012/02/28/asia-pacific-fighting-climate-change/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore (2012, June 15). Channel News Asia: Singapore's strategy to fight climate change. Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Singapore. Retrieved on October 1, 2015 from http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/singapore_headlines/2012/201206/news_20120615.html
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore (N.D). Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore. Retrieved on November 23, 2015 from http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/international_issues/sustainable_development_and_climate_change.html
Shah, V.S (2015, June 8). Why the climate fight need engineers. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2015, April 9). What you can do. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on October 1, 2015 from http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/

Till the next post.
Nurul


The person who have inspired and influenced my life.
at 6:48 PM

Hello.
For today's post, I will be writing my assignment by Brad which is to write a post on a person who has inspired and influenced my life.

In my twenty years, I have met a lot of inspiring people from all over the world. As much as I don't like the idea of being limited to write about one person, I have to admit that my mother is the person who have inspired my life the most. (and the most important)

Why mother? Mother because she is the person I would find when I am hungry. Mother because she is who I would run to when I am feeling unhappy or in pain. Mother because she is the person I would call for an advice when I couldn't make a decision about something and the first person I would want to tell when I have an exciting news to share.

I grew up making her my role model. Since young, I have always wanted to be just like her. She is humble, she's kind, she's caring, loving and patient and she cooks the best dishes that I ever tasted. I see traits in her that makes her a very beautiful person inside and out. The sacrifices that she is willing to take and go through for her family, it's amazing. My mother is always there to support us, her children, in whatever that we do. She always makes sure that we have our school lunch money and always there to listen to our daily rants at the end of each day. She never gets tired of our daily ranting, especially mine when I complain about school work piling up, my body is sore from my cca training and how stress and scared I am for my examinations. No matter what, she is always ready to give me a listening ear and good advice.

There is no one in this world that can take my mum's place and do the things she do as how she did it. It would never be the same. She is just too special and I would never want to lose her. I love you, mama. I will always do.


Photo taken on 20th Nov when we had my birthday dinner at Seoul Garden.

Thank you for reading, till the next post.
Nurul.

P/s: commented on radhi, sha, diyanah and fadhli's post. (:
Analytical Oral Reflection on Group Presentation
Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 5:34 PM

Hello.

For today's post, I'll be writing my personal reflection on my group presentation. The presentation was held on Monday, 16th November 2015. We were proposing for a new sensor technology on retractable clothing hangers and we call this product, EZ Hangz.

Before the presentation, my teammates and I have practiced well on the Friday the 13th to prep ourselves. On the day of our presentation, we felt really nervous but we gave it our all. For my own part, I felt that I did pretty well compared to the first time that Brad gave us an exercise on oral presentation.

On that particular day, I got feed backs from my classmates saying that I was shifting from one foot to the other very often and I was slightly too dependent on the screen. Basically, it was very obvious that I was feeling nervous.

For the presentation on Monday, the feed backs that I got really warmed my heart! I received feed backs such as 'confident', 'engaging', 'interesting' and 'enthusiastic'. (Will attached snapshots of the feed backs that I received below) As I was presenting, I made sure that I was aware of what I am doing while presenting which means, 1) I made sure that I do not shift from one foot to another 2) I look around the room to have proper eye contact with the audience 3) I made sure I smiled throughout the presentation and 4) I made sure that I project my voice loud enough for everyone to hear and to stress the more important part of my presentation.

What I felt that I failed in my presentation was that one of  my slide had too much information that I was practically data dumping to my audience. The feed back I got about this was; 'As Brad mentioned, the survey that you showed the audience is overloading with graphs and numbers'. I should have removed the graphs and only include the percentage, basically only having the important part of my presentation, shown on the screen. Also, towards the end of my presentation, I started feeling nervous and I couldn't contain it till several people in the audience noticed it. They gave me comments such as, 'You are very confident however, you are slightly nervous near the end.' and 'However, there was a slight lag at the end of your speech'.

With all the feed backs that I received, I will surely strive to improve myself so that I can perform even better in my next presentation!

Till the post,
Nurul.

p/s: I am writing this in class while waiting for Brad to tell me my overall grade for this subject. Super nervous!! Wish me luck.









p/s: Commented on radhi, hong kiat and yan yan's post.
Reader Response Final Draft #3
Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 10:54 PM

Hello.

For today's post, I will be writing my final draft #3 for my reader response to the article : Why The Climate Fight Needs Engineers by Vaidehi Shah 2015. ( http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/ )

       In the article “Why The Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Shah (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme assists practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional skills. She also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the basic role that engineering expertise will play in the fight against climate change.  Shah also quoted Choi Shing Kwok; "Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015." While engineers came out with solutions to real-life problems and were the ones responsible for the constructions of many innovations throughout the years, the writer has failed to include that this is not the engineers fight alone.

Engineer's innovation constructions can be seen everywhere. Examples of such works are the green buildings, water treatment and incineration plants, land reclamation, transportation networks, high-tech industries and entertainment facilities (Chua, July 2015).  These innovations were designed and later built to suit the needs and demands of the citizens. Engineers were always the ones with solutions to solve problems faced for generations and fighting climate change is just another problem for them to solve. Climate change is proposed as a new problem that can impact on a country's food and water security (Cheam, 2013). Also, increasing intensity and occurrence of climatic hazards are impacting unfavourably upon environmental and socio-economic systems (Climate, 2013). Similarly to Shah's article, engineers play a big part to manage this problem as they can come together from various departments to design and construct infrastructures to intensify cities' resilience and adaptations to climate change (Chua, July 2015).

Despite the capabilities of engineers in designing, constructing and building, we tend to be over dependent on them. Us, as citizens, could help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We could do so, simply by changing a light bulb, powering down electronics, using less water and recycling (EPA, 2015). There are many online sites that provide means and ways for us to help in fighting climate change. In addition, Singapore has initiated several events and programmes to prepare the nation so that we will be ready when posed challenges such as climate change. An example of a programme initiated is The Engineers Progression Pathway programme mentioned in Shah's article that aims to sharpen the skills of practicing engineers in preparing them to fight climate change. Another example is a competition called The Engineering Feats by the Singapore Institution of Engineers that aims to recognize innovations that contributed to Singapore's economic growth (Chua, July 2015). Both initiatives are beneficial to the country in reducing the risks. To add on to Singapore's initiatives, the country had released a national climate change strategy which summarizes their plan to tackle this problem through a whole-of-nation approach. Singapore's approach include reducing emissions across sectors, building capabilities to adapt to the impact, controlling chances for green growth and establishing partnerships on climate change (MFA, 2012).


In conclusion, everyone have their part to play in fighting climate change. But it is the engineers who play the fundamental role.  This is because they have been providing solutions to many real-world problems and have been constructing to suit the country's needs. This is further supported by "There will always be a need for engineering expertise in the region to design and build reliable infrastructure." (Chua, June 2015).

[589 words]

References:

Shah, V. (2015, June 8). Why the climate fight need engineers. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/

Cheam, J. (2013, September 11). Engineering in the spotlight at Singapore summits. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-spotlight-singapore-summits/
Chua, J. (2015, July 28). Engineering plays a crucial role in climate change. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/
Chua, J. (2015, June 15). Cities:Asia's main battleground for climate change. Eco-Business. Retrieved on September 25, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/cities-asias-main-battleground-for-climate-change/

Asia-Pacific fighting climate change. (2012, February 28). Climate Himalaya. Retrieved on October 1, 2015 from http://chimalaya.org/2012/02/28/asia-pacific-fighting-climate-change/

Channel News Asia: Singapore's strategy to fight climate change. (2012, June 15). Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Singapore. Retrieved on October 1, 2015 from
http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/singapore_headlines/2012/201206/news_20120615.html

What you can do. (2015, April 9). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on October 1, 2015 from http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/

Till the next post.
Nurul
Reader Response Draft #2.
Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 1:26 AM

Hello.

For today's post, I will be writing my draft #2 for my reader response to the article : Why The Climate Fight Needs Engineers by Vaidehi Shah 2015. ( http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/ )

In the article “Why The Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Shah (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme assists practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional expertise. Shah also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the basic role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region's fight against climate change.  She also quoted Choi Shing Kwok; "Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015." Since engineers came out with solutions to real-life problems and were the ones responsible for the constructions of many innovations throughout the years, engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change.

Engineer's innovation constructions can be seen everywhere. Examples of such works are the green buildings, water treatment and incineration plants, land reclaimation, transportation networks, high-tech industries and entertainment facilities (Chua, July 2015).  These innovations were designed and later built to suit the needs and demands of the citizens. Engineers were always the ones with solutions to solve problems faced for generations and fighting climate change is just another problem for them to solve. Climate change is proposed as a new problem that can impact on a country's food and water security (Cheam, 2013). Also, increasing intensity and occurence of climatic hazards are impacting unfavourably upon environmental and socio-economic systems (Climate, 2013). Similarly to Shah's article, engineers play a big part to manage this problem as they can come together from various departments to design and construct infrastructures to intensify cities' resilience and adaptations to climate change (Chua, July 2015).

In addition, Singapore have initiated several events and programmes to prepare the nation so that we will be ready when posed challenges such as climate change. An example of a programme initiated is The Engineers Progression Pathway programme mentioned in Shah's article that aims to sharpen the skills of practicing engineers in preparing them for fighting climate change. Another example is a competition called The Engineering Feats by the Singapore Institution of Engineers that aims to recognize innovations that contributed to Singapore's economic growth (Chua, July 2015). Both initiatives are beneficial to the country in reducing the risks. To add on to Singapore's initiatives, the country had released a national climate change strategy which summarizes their plan to tackle this problem through a whole-of-nation approach. Singapore's approach include reducing emissions across sectors, building capabilities to adapt to the impact, controlling chances for green growth and establishing partnerships on climate change (MFA, 2012).

Despite the capabilities of engineers in designing, constructing and building, we tend to be over dependent on them. The writer have failed to include that this is not the engineers fight alone. Us, as citizens, could help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We can do so through simply by changing a light bulb, powering down electronics, using less water and recycling (EPA). There are many online sites that provides means and ways for us to help in fighting climate change.

In conclusion, everyone have their part to play but engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change.  This is because they have been providing solutions to many real-world problems and have been constructing to suit the country's needs. This is further supported by "There will always be a need for engineering expertise in the region to design and build reliable infrastructure." (Chua, June 2015)

[598 words]

References:

Vaidehi Shah, V.S.(2015). Why the Climate Fight Need Engineers. Retrieved June 8, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/
Jessica Cheam, J.C.(2013). Engineering in the Spotlight at Singapore Summits. Retrieved September 11, 2013, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-spotlight-singapore-summits/
Jean Chua, J.C.(2015). Engineering Plays a Crucial Role in Climate Change. Retrieved July 28, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/
Jean Chua, J.C.(2015). Cities:Asia's main battleground for climate change. Retrieved June 15, 2015 from http://www.eco-business.com/news/cities-asias-main-battleground-for-climate-change/
Asia-Pacific fighting climate change.(2012). Retrieved Feb 28, 2012 from http://chimalaya.org/2012/02/28/asia-pacific-fighting-climate-change/
Channel News Asia: Singapore's strategy to fight climate change. Retrieved from
http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/singapore_headlines/2012/201206/news_20120615.html
What you can do. (2015). Retrieved April 9, 2015 from http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/

Till the next post.
Nurul

p/s edited on October 2nd, 2015 @ 7pm
New Blogskin
Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 10:40 PM

Hello.

Firstly before I start, I have a disclaimer that today's post is not an assigned post by Brad. I am writing this at my own will. Okay, so I don't know if you have noticed any difference on my blog, but I have just changed my blogskin! I'm really excited about my new blogskin because it is really plain and simple. Just as  how I like it. (:

So, previously my blogskin look like this:














And now it looks like this:












It is still easy to access my new blog. Just hover over the girl's picture to access my links, affiliates and blog entries. At the top right of my blog, you can find the home and follow button, both self explanatory on their function. To stop the music, click on the little crown at the bottom of the page. Finally, to comment on a blog entry, just click on the '_comment(s)' on the right side of the day and date of each entry.

That's it! Till the next post.

Nurul.


Reader Response Draft #1.
Friday, September 25, 2015 at 1:03 PM

Hello.

For today's post, I am going to write about my reader response to the article in the previous post. (Why The Climate Fight Needs Engineers: http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/ )

In the article “Why The Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Vaidehi (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme assists practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional expertise. Vaidehi also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the fundamental role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region's fight against climate change.  "Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015, said Choi." Like Choi, I agree that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change.

The first reason as to why I agreed with Vaidehi is because engineers are the ones who constructed many innovations throughout the years and the ones who created answers to real-life problems. Their innovations can be seen everywhere-green buildings, water treatment and incineration plants, land reclaimation, transportation networks, high-tech industries, entertainment facilities and many more (Jean, July 2015). Climate change is proposed as a new problem that can impact on a country's food and water security (Jessica, 2013). Similarly to Vaidehi's article, engineers play a big part to manage this problem as they can come together from various departments to design and construct infrastructures to intensify cities' resilience and adaptations to climate change (Jean, July 2015).

Furthermore, Singapore have initiated many events and programmes to prepare the nation so that we will be ready when posed challenges such as climate change. An example of a programme initiated is The Engineers Progression Pathway programme mentioned in Vaidehi's article that aims to sharpen the skills of practicing engineers in preparing them for fighting climate change. Another example is a competition called The Engineering Feats by the Singapore Institution of Engineers that aims to identify innovations that contributed to Singapore's economic growth (Jean, July 2015).

In conclusion, engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change because they have been providing solutions to many real-world problems and climate change is just another challenge for them to solve. There will always be a need for engineering expertise in the region to design and build reliable infrastructure (Jean, June 2015).

References:


  • Engineering in the spotlight at Singapore summits by Jessica Cheam, 11 September 2013 ( http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-spotlight-singapore-summits/ )
  • Engineering plays crucial role in climate change by Jean Chua, 28 July 2015. (http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/ )
  • Cities: Asia's main battleground for climate change by Jean Chua, 15 June 2015. ( http://www.eco-business.com/news/cities-asias-main-battleground-for-climate-change/ )


Till the next post.
Nurul
Summary Draft #1
Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 6:46 PM

Hello.

For my second assignment by Brad, I was told to write my first draft for my summary and a reader response essay to one of the reading articles in the module resource reading list. The article that I've chosen is "Why the climate fight need engineers." by Vaidehi Shah. The link to the article is here if you have yet to read it. : http://www.eco-business.com/news/why-the-climate-fight-needs-engineers/ 

Let's begin with my summary. (My summary partner is Fadhli : https://mfadhlibrh.wordpress.com , we have the same summary but different reader response so do check his out!)

In the article “Why The Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Vaidehi (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme assists practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional expertise. Vaidehi also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the fundamental role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region's fight against climate change.  "Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015, said Choi."

Till the next post.
Nurul





A Reflective Post;
Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 10:29 PM

Hello.

On Monday, I was told to create a blog and later write a blog post choosing between the two topics given; "My English Language Learning Journey" or "The Importance of English for Me.". I have chosen to write about the latter.

The importance of English for me? Extremely EXTREMELY important. Noticed how I stress the word extremely? Because it is! Honestly I don't know how else would I communicate with people of other races if I didn't know English. Let's not talk about communicating with people from all over the world, let's just look at it based on Singapore context. Singapore is a multi racial country with four different ethnics-Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian, and English being the common language spoken. How am I to communicate with all these other races if not with English? How am I to learn about their cultures if not with English? If Singapore is really divided into four different races who only speak their language, how segregated would we be then.

Perhaps without English, it would encourage the different races to learn each other's languages. But honestly speaking, how many of us would actually put an effort to do so? Just ask yourself. Are you actually willing to learn 3 other languages just to communicate with them? Probably most of us are lazy and rather stick to our own race and speak only one language. For those who are willing to learn; how long would it take for you to master the 3 other languages and how would you teach the other races, if you both don't have a common language to actually communicate?

I regard English extremely important because I like making new friends; no matter what skin colour, religion or background they came from. In order to do so, I need to communicate with them- to ask for their name, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies and interest; basically getting to know them. With the knowledge of speaking English, I am able to interact and forge friendships with almost anyone. I am not restricted when making new friends because I don't have to specifically find others who speaks the same language as I do. This is due to the fact that; English is such a universal language, that it allows me to communicate with thousands of people, from all over the world. It is used all over the world to the point where, I could fly to France right now and still able to communicate with the French people without a problem.

That is how important English is, for me. (:

Thank you for reading.
ps: to leave a comment click the '_ comment(s)' link on the right of each post, beside the title.

Till the next post,
Nurul.

P/s: Commented on Radhi, Hong kiat, Fadhli, Sha, Nat soh
Welcome!
at 12:56 AM

Hello.

For this very first entry, I would like to welcome all of you to my blog!
Thank you for choosing to visit my blog. Don't forget to leave feedbacks(positive or negative) for me on my writing! To leave a comment: Click "_ comments" on the top right of each post, next to the title. I'm sure there is always something that I can improve on because no one is born perfect, right? (:

On my blog, it is pretty easy to navigate around. I have created a profile, chatboard, affiliates, archive and follow tabs on my blog for all my readers. Feel free to chat with me on my chatboard (even just to say 'hi') as that would be really lovely. My affiliates are links to my other SIE 2016-Tut 05 classmates so do take a look at their blogs too!

Oh and just to add; the cat picture (top left) have links to my twitter, instagram and facebook account when you hover your cursor on the picture. n_n

p/s if my songs bore you to death and you want to stop, just click on the tiny crown on the bottom left.

Till the next post;
Nurul.