Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Steering upwind
One of the people I guided last Saturday at Sungei Buloh was a certain Dr. from Switzerland. While I trained my scope on an annoying cicada whose high-pitched drones threatened to deafen the group of us (who were only made all the keener to see it), he asked if cicadas release pheromones and if they do, what are those called? I thought it a weird question, it coming from someone who was obviously educated enough to ask about pheromones. Don't all animals and insects emit pheromones... a most ancient and basic form of communication? I answered yes, but I didn't know what they are called. He then launched into a little monologue (I suspect he's recited this numerous times; he spoke so fast I hardly had time to digest what he was saying let alone think up appropriate responses) about how he and his team of scientists, back in "the lab", would synthesise the Silk moth pheromone 'Bombykol' (I recall learning that in my lectures :P) to conduct research on living specimens. He said that a single molecule was enough to excite the males. In their experiments they worked with varying amounts of the chemicals, and in many cases the males would become so atingled and dizzy with excitement that they couldn't fly straight (being given false hope, the poor chaps!). I had expressed mild interest in his works, half out of genuine curiousity and the other half out of courtesy, and he asked for my email. And just now... I received from him a dozen links, a few photos, and a very tedious-looking paper in pdf format, full of scientific and chemical jargon and graphs and figures. Very thoughtful of him, but I think I'll stick to the pretty pictures.Monday, April 18, 2005
Got this from Vincy's blog. It was so tempting... I just *had* to do it! :P
I scored a 50% on the "How Hong Kong Are You?" Quizie.
w00t! And I do believe I am still at least half Honkie. Heh! Funny how they don't ask if you speak mainly Cantonese.
I scored a 50% on the "How Hong Kong Are You?" Quizie.
w00t! And I do believe I am still at least half Honkie. Heh! Funny how they don't ask if you speak mainly Cantonese.
Spend the morning at MacRitchie Reservoir. Kinda boring... I guess it's the weather. It was raining towards the end... pah. Wanted to go to Bukit Brown too. Time to cover some forest birds... I was ticking off the new birds I'd seen over the past year or so in my 'Checklist of the Birds of the Republic of Singapore', and although I've added some 14 species, most of the common forest birds remain unchecked. Hmmm... time to stray away from the mangroves and coastal areas and turn to the inland forests. And the rest of the day? Helped Jeanne with some educational materials for Buloh. Sock Ling wanted me to do some training for the NIE trainee teachers in May but I won't be around then, so the least I could do would be to revamp the presentations. PowerPoint stuff. Fun.
Photo of the day - a rather dignified Long-tailed macaque :)
Photo of the day - a rather dignified Long-tailed macaque :)
Sunday, April 17, 2005
I am no rebel, no left-winger or extremist or too much of an anti-anything, but I am inclined to think that our government and everything to do with it is a flakmagnet. Three nights ago during dinner, Siva asked if I had read Jen Lee's articles about the bond-breakers. I shook my head no, and Jen Lee just smiled. Now, had I been still ignorant, I should really be ashamed. All this recent hullabaloo about scholars, scholars breaking bonds, racism and discrimination, civil service, and us tongue-wagging finger-pointing citizens of the police state (and how we've come to be this way)... sigh...
"Red tape and bond breakers" (The New Paper, 5 Apr 05. By Teh Jen Lee)
"Why bond breakers left" (The New Paper, 5 Apr 05. By Teh Jen Lee)
(Where, while digging up some additional info regarding the cases, I was rather shocked and disgusted to find a disturbing statement on the A*STAR website by the Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy: "We will not hesitate to publicly name irresponsible scholars who intentionally break their bonds for selfish interests. Being named as a bond-breaker will irrevocably affect one’s standing and reputation in society." The financial and psychological burdens of breaking a bond is already straining enough - why lynch the poor chaps? It's almost as though breaking a bond is a criminal act.)
"Scholar under fire for racist blog entries--PSC scholarship holder studying in US removes offending remarks and says sorry; his shocked family here also apologises. PSC investigating issue" (ST, 17 Apr 05. By Jeremey Au Yong)
One of the PSC cases is comprehensively documented - with opinions expressed - by AcidFlask himself. It reads like a saga... of personal struggles and victories.
As for the most recent PSC case... someone found his blog, read it and was troubled, and he obviously had too much time on his hands - and in a spirit of unsparingness - compiled a summary of his posts and reported it to the media and PSC. In a nutshell that's what happened, though there may be missing pieces here and there. In fact, in the forums and on many Singaporeans' blogs, this issue had brought about some heated discussions even prior to the article's appearance in today's Sunday Times.
People now worrying about the sort of leaders we have in the upper echelons of government bodies - are they just as racist under their public facades? What does this spell for multicultural Singapore? What kind of scholarship systems do we really have... what are they doing to our talented youth...? What is happening to the selection processes... when people of such soiled thoughts and characters can be chosen to become scholars. How should we treat blogs - they are totally private spaces but yet are open for public prying eyes to read? Where should we draw the line when defining one's privacy? Are Singaporeans, so brainwashed and clockworked and rigid, beginning to lose their humanity and compassion?
Hmm... I don't know what else to think. I do think a lot, but I just lack the energy to write.
And I must say, Jen Lee's really one brave journalist to be willing to touch such sensitive issues... it's brought the New Paper to new heights, for one, garnishing more praise from Singaporeans young and old. The media doesn't have to be silenced by government 'openness' all the time.
"Red tape and bond breakers" (The New Paper, 5 Apr 05. By Teh Jen Lee)
"Why bond breakers left" (The New Paper, 5 Apr 05. By Teh Jen Lee)
(Where, while digging up some additional info regarding the cases, I was rather shocked and disgusted to find a disturbing statement on the A*STAR website by the Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy: "We will not hesitate to publicly name irresponsible scholars who intentionally break their bonds for selfish interests. Being named as a bond-breaker will irrevocably affect one’s standing and reputation in society." The financial and psychological burdens of breaking a bond is already straining enough - why lynch the poor chaps? It's almost as though breaking a bond is a criminal act.)
"Scholar under fire for racist blog entries--PSC scholarship holder studying in US removes offending remarks and says sorry; his shocked family here also apologises. PSC investigating issue" (ST, 17 Apr 05. By Jeremey Au Yong)
One of the PSC cases is comprehensively documented - with opinions expressed - by AcidFlask himself. It reads like a saga... of personal struggles and victories.
As for the most recent PSC case... someone found his blog, read it and was troubled, and he obviously had too much time on his hands - and in a spirit of unsparingness - compiled a summary of his posts and reported it to the media and PSC. In a nutshell that's what happened, though there may be missing pieces here and there. In fact, in the forums and on many Singaporeans' blogs, this issue had brought about some heated discussions even prior to the article's appearance in today's Sunday Times.
People now worrying about the sort of leaders we have in the upper echelons of government bodies - are they just as racist under their public facades? What does this spell for multicultural Singapore? What kind of scholarship systems do we really have... what are they doing to our talented youth...? What is happening to the selection processes... when people of such soiled thoughts and characters can be chosen to become scholars. How should we treat blogs - they are totally private spaces but yet are open for public prying eyes to read? Where should we draw the line when defining one's privacy? Are Singaporeans, so brainwashed and clockworked and rigid, beginning to lose their humanity and compassion?
Hmm... I don't know what else to think. I do think a lot, but I just lack the energy to write.
And I must say, Jen Lee's really one brave journalist to be willing to touch such sensitive issues... it's brought the New Paper to new heights, for one, garnishing more praise from Singaporeans young and old. The media doesn't have to be silenced by government 'openness' all the time.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Had the rehearsal for the Reforestation and Reach Out event celebration thingy today at Sungei Buloh. Of all the duties available to volunteers... I had agreed to be the MC. Bleh... thank goodness I didn't have to say anything this morn... I was only given the script then! And it needs editing. The schedule isn't in order. I had better be prepared come next Sat. Toyota Motors' big shots (they're the sponsors), schools and principals, and the usual NParks Very Important People will be there. Hope I won't get the frights.
Rainy day today. Stayed in the office most of the time... didn't walk further than the Main Hide (buggy-riding to R2 doesn't count). Not that many shots. Got bored in the late arvo, so I took pics of the rainwater dripping/pouring from the roof of the visitor centre. Heh. Haven't tried 'artistic' photography before.
A male Yellow-striped flutterer
A cicada. There seems to be more of them this season... spotted quite a number during my rounds around the boardwalks, and all are lower down the trunks and branches too. I wonder why.
A Two-striped telamonia jumping spider.
Just a friendly neighbourhood Four-clawed gecko.
Cinnamon bittern
Water dripping from the roof
'Waterfall'
Slow-mo effect of rainwater falling onto a pond; the plant on the left is a water lettuce.
Rainy day today. Stayed in the office most of the time... didn't walk further than the Main Hide (buggy-riding to R2 doesn't count). Not that many shots. Got bored in the late arvo, so I took pics of the rainwater dripping/pouring from the roof of the visitor centre. Heh. Haven't tried 'artistic' photography before.
A male Yellow-striped flutterer
A cicada. There seems to be more of them this season... spotted quite a number during my rounds around the boardwalks, and all are lower down the trunks and branches too. I wonder why.
A Two-striped telamonia jumping spider.
Just a friendly neighbourhood Four-clawed gecko.
Cinnamon bittern
Water dripping from the roof
'Waterfall'
Slow-mo effect of rainwater falling onto a pond; the plant on the left is a water lettuce.
Friday, April 15, 2005
The Randomness of Paper Cows
At the beginning of this week, the uninformed Singaporeans, not used to seeing grazing cows, much less blue, yellow or pink ones, were wondering "why...?" "what...?" "huh...?"
Case of the mysterious cows no more. As much as us Oxen (born of the years 1985, +/-/--/---12 yrs) would like to rejoice, seeing our kin colonising almost every green patch in Singapore, this is something our younger siblings should not be witnessing (or should they?). Comfort/Delgro's "Moove" advertising campaign has taken on a new meaning. What a smart moove... talk about national education. And it's spreading. This is not just one isolated pair. Yeah, baby! And both of them have horns!
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Passerine bird-ringing in a nutshell
Set up mist nets at strategic locations... for most of the ringing sessions at Buloh, they're at the R3 freshwater ponds, at the deepest parts of the Reserve where the public seldom ventures. Mist nets are special nets that trap the birds as they fly into them, invisible from a distance, but yet are gentle on a bird and will not injure the bird.
Birds are carefully removed from the nets and kept in breathable cloth bags while awaiting their turn to be ringed. A typical passerine bird-ringing day at Buloh lasts from 5am to 6pm, the conservation officers taking shifts. Wader ringing takes place at odd hours... often requiring overnight work.
This one's a juvenile Yellow-vented bulbul. Measurements of sorts are taken... the most important ones of which are tarsus diameter (to determine which size ring is to be used) and bill length. Various other measurements and notes, like its plumage and type of feathers, are recorded. If there's substantial-enough data, the bird's age and sex can also be determined, and in some cases, whether or not it's in a breeding or nesting condition.
Putting on the ring. Ringing allows each individual to be recognised, along with the data that was recorded from it. More can then be learnt about the long-term growth and habits of the bird when (if) it is recaught later.
This one's a real beauty. A migrant visitor, the Black-capped kingfisher.
Measuring the total length (relaxed and stretched) of the kingfisher.
It's been ringed before, so the serial number on its ring is noted and a picture of it is taken, just for the record.
Ouch... violent objections!
Emerald dove. Another uncommonly-seen bird. Bird-ringing sessions turn up the rare sights - owls and bats are quite common in the night sessions.
Rufous woodpecker. A little bird, but it's got a vicious peck which can easily draw blood. One can't blame it; it's a woodpecker, afterall!
Yellow bittern. For some reason, this bird looks much smaller in the hand than in the field.
Yellow-vented bulbul. A very common bird, seen and heard everywhere in S'pore.
Hmm... not a bird. Male Changeable lizard with its breeding colours. If you can read its movement from the photo, it's actually running. It was outside the hide and distracted me for a while.
A bird in flight - an egret. Unfortunately (or fortunately) they've never netted or ringed these birds.
Twice today I indulged in the subtle art of 'networking' (which is what my dad likes to call it, but are no more than simple meetings or exchanges with people whom you don't know that well but would like to know better in future... where there would be cases of erm, increased mutual benefit :P And you can learn a lot from them, too. Such people make life more interesting.)
First was a certain Briton, Jonathan Smith, who was the development officer for Sungei Buloh in its early days. He is now, as he has been for the past decade, the Manager and Warden for the Essex Wildlife Trust's Tollesbury Wick Marshes Reserve (one hour north of London). He's on holiday in S'pore with his wife and three kids. He was at Buloh to give a talk - supposedly to reflect and share his past experiences in developing the Reserve and to give an assessment of the current state of the wetlands, but he talked more about the management of his own Reserve... which was more or less the same as what I covered in my Resource Management lectures and reserve field trip. We chatted a bit and he invited me up to his Reserve... "You must come one day, it's just out of the M25. We'll pick you up from the train station!" How kind. :)
Then in the evening it was dinner with Siva and Jen Lee, the New Paper environmental journalist whose articles we had archived in a little online project, which has yet to be completed; she was kind enough to treat us. Learnt to think from a new perspective - that of the media... lol. :P We talked lots... mainly about cycling, park connectors and wildlife corridors, the state of nature in Singapore, engaging the public, ideas for her articles... ...
First was a certain Briton, Jonathan Smith, who was the development officer for Sungei Buloh in its early days. He is now, as he has been for the past decade, the Manager and Warden for the Essex Wildlife Trust's Tollesbury Wick Marshes Reserve (one hour north of London). He's on holiday in S'pore with his wife and three kids. He was at Buloh to give a talk - supposedly to reflect and share his past experiences in developing the Reserve and to give an assessment of the current state of the wetlands, but he talked more about the management of his own Reserve... which was more or less the same as what I covered in my Resource Management lectures and reserve field trip. We chatted a bit and he invited me up to his Reserve... "You must come one day, it's just out of the M25. We'll pick you up from the train station!" How kind. :)
Then in the evening it was dinner with Siva and Jen Lee, the New Paper environmental journalist whose articles we had archived in a little online project, which has yet to be completed; she was kind enough to treat us. Learnt to think from a new perspective - that of the media... lol. :P We talked lots... mainly about cycling, park connectors and wildlife corridors, the state of nature in Singapore, engaging the public, ideas for her articles... ...
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Again doing some photography from my window. A Yellow-vented bulbul taking off from its perch. [D70; Nikon ED78 scope + attachment]
A record shot... a lifer for me. Haven't seen the Banded woodpecker before, and here was one, a 100m or so from my window. :) [Digitally sharpened. D70; Nikon ED78 scope + attachment]
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Ended up accompanying my mom to our old place... for the whole of yesterday. We're renting that place out, so we gotta make that place look livable again. While there I found a gecko curled up in a heap in a corner of the now-empty living room. It was alive... just... feeling rather exposed I suppose. There was nowhere in the house where it could've hid - even the air-con covers were removed. The air-con guy commented that somehow my (old) room had more gecko poo than the other rooms. :P Played with the little gecko while throughout, my mom yelled at me to "don't touch the filthy thing with your hands!" and threatened to squish it with her shoes. I like living in the East Coast. So does my mom. It feels much more relaxed... none of that fast-paced life here in the 'city'.
Laziness got the better of me today, as usual. Played WoW, wrote up some stuff, finished a book (Flowers for Algernon... really really good), and sat in my parents' room doing some bird photography. Lighting was bad, since it was nearing dusk. But I managed to get these:
Digiscoped with the Nikon ED78, the equivalent of a 1000mm lens. A male Olive-backed sunbird on one of the treetops.
Sunset from my window. What they call the twilight hour... just before the sun's light disappears.
Laziness got the better of me today, as usual. Played WoW, wrote up some stuff, finished a book (Flowers for Algernon... really really good), and sat in my parents' room doing some bird photography. Lighting was bad, since it was nearing dusk. But I managed to get these:
Digiscoped with the Nikon ED78, the equivalent of a 1000mm lens. A male Olive-backed sunbird on one of the treetops.
Sunset from my window. What they call the twilight hour... just before the sun's light disappears.
Monday, April 11, 2005
I'm tired of trying to organise events and trips... and asking people... and waiting for replies... and not getting anything ever done. Nothing ever happens. People are too busy with their own lives and I shouldn't enroach upon them. I have to remind myself that not everyone is as free as I. And remind my mom that, too. When I said I wanted to go to the Botanic Gardens today, she asked, "Who with?" "Myself" "No, not by yourself. It's dangerous." I mean... grrrrrr?! Sometimes I don't get the logic at all. And I want to be alone... just some quiet time... to do the things I like... and the things I like doing aren't the most sociable of activities, and involve the rarer breed of hobbyists. But now... it's cloudy outside... and I reckon it'll be another boring mundane day.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
First field day out for my new camera at Sungei Buloh. :) Photos aren't that superb but I'll learn the ropes... I shall master the D70... mwahahaa. Been a while since I last handled an SLR. Didn't do any public guiding today... whole day was dedicated to photography. :)
Marsh sandpipers... leftovers from the migratory hordes. Most of their cousins flew back towards the north in March.
Praying mantis nymph. One more instar and it'll grow its wings.
Little egret. Big strides.
Same Sun skink, taken from another angle. Evil Weaver ants were crawling up my boots.
Sun skink. Telephoto lens take poor macros. Whoever stands 1.5m away to take a skink?
Iguanas can't be found in the wild in Singapore. This one's been (illegally) released into the freshwater ponds at Buloh. It's surviving quite well, apparently, feeding on the flowers and berries and leaves and fish and just about anything.
Not very well taken, but it's the subject that counts. I had just a few seconds to capture this record shot before this Tiger shrike flew off with its gecko prey. Look at its eyes - they're almost popping out! With moments such as this, there's no time to play with shutter speeds and apertures. :P
Still the same Ashy tailorbird. It's the fanning stage of the courtship ritual (the female's nearby).
Oh my goodness... I love my new baby! With my Coolpix camera I wouldn't have been able to take such pictures... despite its sophisticated look, it's actually quite crappy. Presenting... the virgin photo of my D70. An Ashy tailorbird, chirping for all its worth.
Marsh sandpipers... leftovers from the migratory hordes. Most of their cousins flew back towards the north in March.
Praying mantis nymph. One more instar and it'll grow its wings.
Little egret. Big strides.
Same Sun skink, taken from another angle. Evil Weaver ants were crawling up my boots.
Sun skink. Telephoto lens take poor macros. Whoever stands 1.5m away to take a skink?
Iguanas can't be found in the wild in Singapore. This one's been (illegally) released into the freshwater ponds at Buloh. It's surviving quite well, apparently, feeding on the flowers and berries and leaves and fish and just about anything.
Not very well taken, but it's the subject that counts. I had just a few seconds to capture this record shot before this Tiger shrike flew off with its gecko prey. Look at its eyes - they're almost popping out! With moments such as this, there's no time to play with shutter speeds and apertures. :P
Still the same Ashy tailorbird. It's the fanning stage of the courtship ritual (the female's nearby).
Oh my goodness... I love my new baby! With my Coolpix camera I wouldn't have been able to take such pictures... despite its sophisticated look, it's actually quite crappy. Presenting... the virgin photo of my D70. An Ashy tailorbird, chirping for all its worth.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
My dream camera. Finally upgraded from my neither-very-pro-nor-is-it-totally-compact Coolpix 4500 to the revered D70. Secured a rather good deal with my usual lobang, with lots of freebies... a Nikon professional tripod, an oversized camera vest, 2 x 1GB CF cards, and a few filters. Also managed to get the fieldscope attachment and a set of 70-300mm lens. Now all I'm missing is a good macro lens. I just hope I'll be able to sell my old Minolta SLR, flash unit, and an assortment of lenses... at a decent price. They've been sitting there rotting away since the age of digital cameras began...
Monday, April 04, 2005
Since returning to Singapore last week, most of my time has been dedicated to entertaining my relatives from HK and to WoW, which continues to plague my life. And with an improved internet connection, there's no reason why it shouldn't. Haven't really had any real social days or nights out yet, with most of my friends either busy mugging, project-working, teaching, or... are simply not in S'pore.
Had Marv join in bowling at RTC last week and had my grandma teach us a few dance moves up at the bar, and supper at Newton with Raymond and Liangwei last weekend... and that's about it.
Finally... I have my room back, after having to sleep in my parents' room when my relatives were over.
Had my first wushu session today after so many months. Reviewed handsets and staff sets. Aching all over liao. Useless me.
Had Marv join in bowling at RTC last week and had my grandma teach us a few dance moves up at the bar, and supper at Newton with Raymond and Liangwei last weekend... and that's about it.
Finally... I have my room back, after having to sleep in my parents' room when my relatives were over.
Had my first wushu session today after so many months. Reviewed handsets and staff sets. Aching all over liao. Useless me.
Postcards from Scandinavia
So it was Copenhagen, Malmo, Gothenburg and Stockholm. Four cities, one week, many museums, a few parks, countless statues, tales of vikings, three guns of non-violence (two were fake), hot chocs, pastasaland, ships, harbours, ducks, geese, and more ducks.More pics at Viv's blog. We didn't take that many fun shots this time round and since she blogged about it first, she has the best ones picked out. :P
Tak, Viv, for the pic. I love the golden tints and shades of blue.
Stockholm at sunset...
Still Stockholm
Stockholm, "argueably one of the most beautiful cities in the world". :)
The Vasa... such a tragedy of a ship. It sunk on its maiden voyage and was salvaged from the depths of the harbour only after 300 years.
Stockholm - scenes of white! Frozen lakes and seas and snow that simply refuses to melt. Happy Flat 2 family. I'd photoshop Marvin in but I don't trust my photoshopping abilities.
One of the rare clear pictures salvaged from dozens taken while on the train from Gothenburg to Stockholm. This is one of the central lakes in Sweden; part of the lake is still frozen.
Panoramic view of Malmo from the Round Tower. Malmo's a sweet little town with a confused identity. It used to be Danish, and now it's Swedish.
Copenhagen waterfront - all lined with cafes and restaurants... food... hot choc... with CREAM... mmm...
At some park in Copenhagen (I think?). Can't remember what's where anymore... poor memory sigh.
