Star Cruise Revisited

Superstar Virgo hasn't changed much since my last visit about 4 years ago, except for certain rules to limit entry into the non-chargeable restaurants/buffet in order to reduce food wastage. Since I've already explored most parts of the ship before and this time I didn't leave the ship throughout the whole journey, there wasn't much to do except eat eat eat...

With RWS, the view at the harbourfront is much nicer now!

This cable car is the main reason why larger cruise ships cannot enter the harbour. I want Oasis of the Seas!!

Another relatively new landmark along the habour. =).

The Pantheon pool is more exciting now, with the addition of a water slide. Didn't get to try it though.

Nothing has changed in the main hall, not even a bit.

*Absorbed into the view*

Observing the sunset from the sea can be so pretty too!

Thank you Japan

Most of the memorable moments during my NUS life is attributed to Japanese-related events and interactions with various Japanese students. I probably won't get to enjoy all these anymore after I graduate.

Hoho...lucky! (taken at a summer festival in Iwate Prefecture)

Visit to Mediacorp radio station. First time hearing my own voice on air. Sounds very strange haha.

Won 2nd Place (tertiary category) in Japanese Speech Contest 2010. This is my proudest individual achievement in my life. Btw the Hitachi TV sits dormant in my room. Other than video games and ZXJA, I don't use it at all. At this rate I think it might break down due to under-utilization lol.

The person who won the 1st Place is my classmate, so I'm happy for her too. If not for the guidance by 千葉先生, we couldn't have made it so far.

Took a few interpretation jobs too, mainly for school exchange programmes. Looks like there are more opportunities nowadays for local students, even at the primary and secondary level, to interact with foreign students. I don't remember participating in such exchange programmes during my time.

Japanese high school students playing balloons with Singaporean primary school students. Why such an age gap? There is actually a good reason for this...

Eh Ah Bengs, 不要教坏小妹妹 hor...

The entire hall turned into a big playground. 大哥哥大姐姐 playing with the small kids. =) Some interesting differences I observed about exchange with primary school, compared to that of secondary school or university.

The Japanese students presented an AKB dance. Erm...something doesn't look right...lol.

I also participated in the BnS (Brothers and Sisters) programme, where I brought Japanese high school students around places of interest in Singapore, like a tour guide haha. They were always very surprised that I'm much older than them. =p One of the most challenging things is satisfying their desire in buying souvenirs and snacks that are uniquely Singapore (except Merlion-related goods).

My very first BnS experience, and one of my most memorable ones. That 'lian'-ish girl on my right kept teasing my Japanese. So I teased her English too haha. Most Japanese are too polite to tease foreigners of their language, so she's a pretty rare breed haha. 

Took this group shortly after returning from Europe so my face was very red haha. Made them walk under the hot sun all the way from Plaza Singapore to DFS. They were so exhausted and sweated like crazy, so I treated them bubble tea from SweetTalk =)

The longest BnS assignment. It lasted about 10 hours, but there was no moment of boredom. I brought them to eat the take-all-you-can Javier, and they really stacked the food like mountains (shared of course). For a gracious society like Japan, I doubt they have such serving style. (not saying that Javier is ungracious haha) Those sunglasses were bought at Chinatown =p

Had a nice time chatting with this group, especially with the 2nd guy from the left. Discussed about deep topics like Japanese attitudes towards the Chinese and Koreans. I treated them ice-kachang and when I told them that it's very easy to fall sick if you eat cold stuff right after eating spicy food and walking under the hot sun, they gave me a O_O face -- "Then why treat us in the first place?“ LOL.   

There was a guy who kept walking far ahead by himself, oblivious to the rest of the group who were busily chatting behind. Somehow it feels like I'm looking at myself...

I became very 八卦 and asked about the relationship with their girlfriends, where they usually go for dating and what they do. Also requested to look at their photos haha. Hope they are not irritated by me =p

The friendly group that said hi to Jupiter lol. They were pretty enthusiastic too, and were very curious about Singapore's culture. But there were 2 super ultra quiet guys. Even when I tried to initiate a conversation with them, they only replied with a simple one-liner, in a hardly audible voice, with eyes looking somewhere else... Sigh...

My most apologetic group. Due to my poor time management, I ended up bringing them back to the reporting point almost 1 hour late, even after taking a taxi. The Japanese are very particular about punctuality and that was considered very very very unacceptable. The BnS in-charge also got scolded because of me, and was late for a project meeting. So he took a taxi and subsequently lost his phone >_<

The most international group I've taken. (They come from an international school) Most of them have lived overseas before, like in US, so their English is much much better than typical Japanese. One of them lived in Netherlands during her childhood, so she could speak several languages including Dutch. One is an American-Japanese. One can speak Mandarin very well because she went China for exchange. One is currently learning French and Korean, and likes Kpop very much haha. 

The most adventurous group I've met. Unlike most Japanese, they were very willing to try spicy food. They even requested me to bring them to eat durian! They also bought local desserts and fruit juice on their own, like chendol and 罗汉果 juice, without any need of my recommendations. Anyway, sorry for the unsightly leftover at the picture foreground...lol

On top of Sentosa Merlion. They are the only group that wrote a thank you card to me after returning to Japan. Just a few simple words but it's enough to make me feel touched =)

Hmm...a little bochup group. They didn't seem very interested in things around them, except for sports shops. Brought them to Velocity at Novena but only 1 person bought something...

They saw people doing this and wanted to try out themselves too haha.

It was their last day in Singapore and one of the girls was so desperate to find something to buy for her mum. We went from shop to shop but couldn't find a suitable accessory, so in the end she settled for a perfume.

They are from Kobe and their Kansai accent is very strong, so I had some difficulties in catching what they were trying to say. Nevertheless I learnt some Kansai dialect from them. Will it come in useful for my Kansai trip? Haha

I don't really like to bring the students to Orchard because there are just too many high-end shops. They don't really seem interested in the basement food stalls of Takashimaya too. It can be quite a challenge to understand what they really want to see or buy. Singapore doesn't have so many souvenir/gift snacks shops everywhere like in Japan.

My final BnS. Got a free ride on Singapore Flyer. Since my previous ride, there were more displays and exhibits to look at before entering the boarding platform. This assignment wasn't as memorable as I hoped it to be, because they got tired and wanted to return to the hotel earlier.

Once again I would like to thank Japan for providing such an enjoyable enrichment to my student life. ^_^

Module Summary

As my blog readers will know, I usually rate my modules at the end of every semester, according to difficulty, workload and enjoyability of lessons. Let’s summarize the ratings and look at how they rank against each other. But first let’s look at the overall statistics:

Number of modules taken: 41
Total modular credits (MC): 168 (7 MC excess)
Core modules taken: 30
Elective modules taken: 11
Module codes taken: CN (20), EG(3), LAJ (3), MA (2), GEK (2), CM (2), MLE (1), SC (1), GEM (1), IT (1), SSA (1), LSM (1), HR (1), JS (1), LAK (1)
Module levels taken: Level 1000 – 12, Level 2000 – 10, Level 3000 – 11, Level 4000 - 8

Without further ado, here are the rankings!

Top 3 Most Difficult Module       
LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading ★★★★★
CN2116 – Chemical Kinetics & Reactor Design  ★★★★★
CN4121 – Design Project (Part 2) ★★★★★

LAJ4203 definitely wins hands down. For those who are unfamiliar with the module code, this module is about newspaper reading in Japanese haha. Newspaper reading by itself is tough enough, with difficult words and articles covering a wide range of topics. What’s more it’s in Japanese! However this module has definitely helped me to understand more formal Japanese text and expressions, which can be useful in interpreting information from Japanese websites. 

Up till now I still wonder why CN2116 (Kinetics) is so difficult, despite being a fundamental core module. Level 2000 is such an understatement for this. I took this module in my 4^th semester, but even if I were to retake the module now, I would probably struggle just as much as then. The difficulty of CN4121 (Design) lies in its broad scope, and due to the fact that I had to use a lot of CN2116 knowledge for this.  

Top 3 Easiest Module
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media ☆
HR2002 – Human Capital in Organizations ★
EG2401 – Engineering Professionalism ★

Easy module does not equate to good grades haha. Thanks to the bell-curve effect. GEM2901 is a pretty straightforward module that requires simple common sense and a bit of critical thinking. You can still proceed well even if you skip lectures and just read the lecture notes. HR2002 is another ‘common sense’ kind of module, with little specific knowledge needed. Generally in this module, you learn how to evaluate yourself and others, and how to work effectively with peers in the workplace. EG2401 is about ethics and decision-making, similar concept as civics and moral education in primary and secondary school. From a moral point of view, we know we should do this and this. But when the time comes, will we stay true to our morality? Well, there is a reason why police and lawyers exist…

Top 3 Busiest Module   
LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading ★★★★★★★
CN4121 – Design Project (Part 2) ★★★★★★
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 ★★★★★★

LAJ4203 wins hands down again because of the never ending assignments and quizzes. It’s really time consuming to look for suitable newspaper articles, check out the words, write comments and prepare a peer presentation. You may think it’s pretty simple, but if it’s neither in your 1^st language nor mother tongue, it can be quite tough. Not to mention the quizzes on JLPT N1 (highest Japanese proficiency level) vocabulary and grammar, which are tough to drill in. To make up for the workload, it is set as a 5MC module…but I think it’s more like 6MC haha. LAJ3202 (J6) is just a ‘lesser’ version of LAJ4203.

CN4121 is indeed a demanding module. Before this semester I often heard complaints about its workload, and now I truly understand. So glad it’s all over. =p

Top 3 Slackest Module
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media ☆
SC1101E - Making Sense of Society ★
SSA2215 – Biophysical Environment of Singapore ★

Apparently there is strong correlation between difficulty and workload. A difficult module demands more time and effort to study well. On the other hand, you can just sit back and relax for an easy module. Unfortunately, despite GEM2901 being the slackest and easiest, my eventual grade warrants an S/U. SC1101E and SSA2215 may not be the easiest modules, but their assessment components did not contain any projects. Moreover the tutorials were only held biweekly, which did not require much preparation. This is what I like about Arts modules haha (Japanese excluded).

Top 3 Most Enjoyable Lecture   
LAK1201 – Korean 1 ★★★★★
SC1101E - Making Sense of Society ★★★★
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media ★★★★

Hmm…LAK1201 was interesting mainly because the contents were so basic. I’m so tired of modules that require critical and analytical thinking. In LAK1201, I could truly sit back, read aloud simple words and sentences with the class, and enjoy the colourful illustrations in the lecture slides and textbook. Oh, I’m missing Billy and his Bibimbap already.

I took SC1101E during my first semester in NUS and was impressed by its content depth and scope. It allowed me to see things from a broader perspective, and understand how different societies work. It also managed to trigger my interest in sociology for a brief period of time, and made me feel like a knowledgeable university student haha. The enjoyment of GEM2901 lies primarily in the jokes cracked during lectures. I still remember once, the lecturer mentioned about how to measure the time taken for one to fall asleep. “You hold the stopwatch on your hand, and the moment you fall asleep, you press the stopwatch” LOL.

Top 3 Most Boring Lecture
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering ☆
CN3124 – Particle Technology ★
CN3135 – Process Safety, Health & Environment ★

I took MLE1101 in my first semester and it totally shattered my impression of NUS teaching standards. Just as I thought the lectures were bad enough, the tutorials were much worse. CN3124 (Parttech) is comparatively much better, though the lecture style is just…uninteresting haha. CN3135 (Safety) is a little better, though I often find myself fidgeting restlessly, flipping through the lecture notes to see how much more to go before the lecture ends…

Top 3 Most Enjoyable Tutorial
LAK1201 – Korean 1 ★★★★★★
LAJ3201 – Japanese 5 ★★★★★
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 ★★★★★

LAK1201 definitely deserves the first. I applaud the teaching staff for thinking up so many interesting, creative and interactive class activities, such as shopping, auction and five stones. Ok I really suck at playing five-stones. I had the chance to play five-stones during my kindergarten/primary school days, but I didn’t bother to practise (probably because it was deemed as a ‘girls’ game). Anyway it seems like my classmates aren’t any better too…haha. 

Japanese 5 and 6 tutorials were interesting because I get to speak up a lot. Though I always mute myself during engin tutorials, I can become really enthusiastic to speak up during Japanese classes haha. My ‘proudest’ moment was when I was asked to present kun-yomi  (native reading) and on-yomi (Sino reading) of Kanji (Chinese characters) to the class. It all started when I corrected my teacher that ‘niku’ (肉) is actually Sino reading, and not native reading which most Japanese thought.

Top 3 Most Boring Tutorial
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering ☆
CN3124 – Particle Technology ★
MA1505 - Mathematics I ★

Yup, evidently there is indeed a close connection between the enjoyability of tutorials and that of lectures. These tutorials are so boring that I don’t even have anything special to say about them.

Top 3 Most Enjoyable Module
LAK1201 – Korean 1 ★★★★★☆
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 ★★★★☆

This ranks the overall enjoyability of the module, including lectures, tutorials, labs, seminars, field trips etc. There are too many ties for the 3^rd place, so I shall leave it blank. Thank you LAK1201 for accompanying me till the final day, final lesson of my school life. Sorry to say but my heart is still with Japanese haha… However I did have much fun exploring the similarities and differences between Korean and Japanese languages. 

Top 3 Most Unenjoyable Module
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering ☆
CN3124 – Particle Technology ★
CN4121 – Design Project (Part 2) ★

I have said enough for the 1^st and 2^nd place modules. As for the 3^rd, I can only say…I’m glad it’s all over. Chem engin students should be able to understand this.

Last but not least, I took the weighted average of all the stars I’ve given to the modules, under the difficulty, workload, and enjoyability categories. A high overall star rating means that the module is difficult, has high workload, but very enjoyable. Conversely, a low overall star rating means the module is easy, has low workload but not very enjoyable. This rating is indicative of the module’s worth, and how challenging the it is.  

Top 3 Overall Rating
LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading (5.3 stars)
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 (4.8 stars)
CN4118R – Final Year Project (4 stars)

LAJ4203 and LAJ3202 definitely helped to improve my Japanese ability by leaps and bounds, though I’m gradually losing it due to lack of practice and exposure. I hope even after graduating I still have the chance to use Japanese on a regular basis. FYP indeed provided an enriching and valuable experience in the research aspect, but I feel that I’ve barely scrapped the surface of the topic. There is just so much more to explore and learn.

Bottom 3 Overall Rating
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering (1.5 stars)
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media (1.7 stars)
SSA2215 – Biophysical Environment of Singapore (1.7 stars)

As I announce the Hall of Fame, I shall also reveal the Hall of Shame too. No offence to any particular  departments or lecturers. Low overall rating doesn’t mean it’s bad lah haha…