Why you should not do ES2007S?

Simple. Learning is difficult. If a person is not humble and willing to learn, ES2007S will be an impossible module to follow through. For me, ES2007S tested my humility and patience in the past 13 weeks.

If you are not willing to step out of your comfort zone, you should not do ES2007S. I have been presenting and writing all my life since primary school, and have picked up many bad habits along the way. Some bad habits have been mistaken as good style, ie overcrowding slides provided our audience with plenty of information, fluff in writing equates better English etc. Ms Lim, my tutor, refuted these assumptions and I was made to learn everything all over again.

If you are impatient and unwilling to change, you should not do ES2007S. An old Chinese proverb goes: “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.” What had made ES2007S such a tough module were the numerous practice sessions, and how we were supposed to be involved in evaluating other people based on the concepts we learn. Impatient as I was, it was tedious and time consuming to make myself sit through my classmates’ proposals and ideas.

Learning things all over again made me reflect about myself. Sitting through others’ proposals and ideas strengthened my understanding and allowed me to learn through their mistakes. I am glad I found the humility to listen and the patience to go on the learning journey.

I came into this module envisioning myself giving a keynote address Steve-Jobs-style, with a standing ovation at the end. I ended this module humbled, more patient, and a little wiser on how we should present ourselves to others.

But then again, if you are not up to the challenge, you should not do ES2007S.

Calvin Tan, how will you grade your own oral presentation?

If I were to give a score for my oral presentation it will be:

Preparations: 4/10

Presentation: 3/10

Teammates: 10/10

Those attending ES2007s know that Ms Lim is a very sharp tutor.  Just as Superman eventually found kyptonite, i finally met someone more a perfectionist than I am. The habits that I was used to when doing presentations: the use of singlish, frowning to make a point etc were all unprofessional in Ms Lim’s evalution.

I was more conscious about myself, my gestures and the way I speak. Every sentence was corrected in my head prior to it being delivered, and it felt really tedious to do the presentation. Especially at the start when there was some technical error with the presentation, I stuttered because I was caught off guard! Being sick didn’t help with my concentration. I looked at Ms Lim, and her stern look intimidated me even more.

It was a relief when the audience laughed when Captain Planet appeared as our guest demonstrator. In my head, it was “Yes! Everything is falling in place!”  When it was my turn to present I again, I was less self-conscious. My focus was on the smiles of my classmates, and how I could make them smile again.

I realized many things in the time leading up to the presentation. First of all, my teammates, Lynette and Wang Chen, were really awesome. They were accommodating with my schedule and encouraged me when I could not attend meetings because of my research project. They were willing to take my views and my comments into consideration during our preparation phase even though it meant an overhaul of our presentation or doing extra work. When I used to rattle off without thinking during presentation, I guess Ms Lim’s presence had a way of ensuring that I gave every word a thought.

When I thought I was good, I realized I could have been even better.

A Plastic Difference

Cultures, in my point of view, are standard systems of behaviour that have evolved independently in various human societies over time. People of different countries have different behavioural types based on how they were brought up and the society they were in. In tiny Singapore, where the diversity of people is celebrated, one does not have to forage to observe or even encounter a difference in how people behave, eat and live their lives.

For me, my own intercultural experience happened not in Singapore, but in Taiwan when I was doing my national service 3 years ago.

Taiwan is a unique country with several unique practises.  Their musical garbage truck, for example, is one of the most intriguing practises I have seen! Another interesting observation was that 7-11s could be found almost at every turn.

My first visit to a 7-11 was during one of the rare night outs that we have, and I bought so much groceries from there I looked like I was stocking up for war! When I was at the counter doing a payment, I was unpleasantly surprised when the person at the counter did not put my groceries into a plastic bag.

“No plastic bag?” I asked in mandarin.

“IF you want a bag, you pay!” the cashier ordered.

I have to pay for a plastic bag? I bought so many items, shouldn’t I be an exception and get bags for free? Is that part of a global ENVIRONMENTAL MOVMENT to save bags to save our oceans, trees etc?

Frankly I was not very pleased that that I had to pay close to SGD$1 for my plastic bags when I could get bags for free in Singapore. Even after repeated pleas he stood by the policy and I eventually gave in. If I had the luxury of time that day, I would have stayed and argued with him.

Outside the store, my bunkmate explained to me that it was part of a nationwide policy introduced in the 1990s to reduce the amount of waste generated in Taiwan. To my surprise, plastic bags are charged everywhere, and most Taiwanese have accepted and adhered to this policy. No wonder we usually see people carrying their own bags around in Taiwan. What was even more astonishing was that residents were required to buy specially printed blue bin bags to place their garbage and the municipal waste management department only collects rubbish placed within these special bags, and there are almost no trash bins by the side of the street.

There is a sense of ownership in the citizens to reduce the waste they create, and everyone contributes, like how the cashier enforced the policy. Looking back in Singapore, I guess our wasteful culture revolved more around consumer convenience and individual benefits rather than consideration for our landfills. With the convenience of rubbish chutes, I think it is difficult to change our behaviour and habits.

Can we evolve to have a more environmentally sustainable culture or are we doomed to have a culture shock when we go overseas?

Application Letter

Blk 222

Hougang St.21 #08-138

Singapore 530222

5^th September 2010

Tan Kim Kee

The Human Resources Division

People’s Association

9 King George’s Avenue, Singapore 208581

Dear Mr Tan,

RE: APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANT MANAGER (COMMUNITY SPORTS) AT THE PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION

I am Calvin, and I am an undergraduate currently doing a major in environmental biology in the National University of Singapore . I graduate next year, and I am eager to apply for the post of Assistant Manager (Community Sports) at the People’s Association as posted on jobstreet.com on the 4^th of September 04, 2010. I have attached a copy of my resume for your perusal.

For me, the most empowering part about this job is the opportunity to be part of the community development and social cohesion process in Singapore. Being an active student volunteer in the university, this job not only allows me to learn more about the Singaporean society, but will also be a platform to apply the skills that I had picked up: the ability to network and present ideas to different target groups. The capacity of being able to lead, to maintain the team dynamics and consistently motivate volunteers is an addition to the organizational skills and systematic approaches that I have picked up while managing events. Most importantly, I believe I have both the experience and the energy to spearhead community outreach initiatives for People’s Association through sports.

Being active in both sporting and community activities in my university days; I believe I can provide a balanced perspective with regards to sport and its relationship to the community at large. With an adequate understanding of People’s Association, the National Sporting Associations and the Singaporean community, I will be one of the best candidates to be a liaison for all three parties. The various outreach tools I have picked up in terms of new media communications and design will aid me in conceptualizing different events that cater to the different segments of society.

Since independence, People’s Association has been integral in community development and social cohesion in Singapore. With the Internet and various new media available to the Singaporean population, it will be a challenge to create common experiences that bind the public together and engage different age groups of different family backgrounds. If I were to be part of this organization, I will be more than willing to overcome these challenges and put forth the knowledge I have gained regarding the various topics of people engagement and team building, marketing and organizing campaigns to good use.

Thank you for kind attention. It will be my pleasure to meet up with you in person to know more about the company, this job, and to provide any addition information that is required. On my part, there is only so much that can be conveyed through my letter, and I will contact you on the 12^th of September for clarifications and enquiries regarding my application. In the mean time, I can be contacted at 9476 0101 or at chenakein87@gmail.com

Yours Sincerely,

Tan Kai En Calvin

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

For me, the proverb “behind every smile lies two hundred tears” holds very true, and it has been difficult to smile in front of the camera with my Dad.

Being the first child in my family, I get the blunt of scolding and it seems as if I am a test bed for my parent’s parenting skills. Since primary school, my Dad has been very strict about how I behave, regulating how much time I spent studying and having fun.  

When I was 13 years old, I was very involved in volunteering my time for my in co-curricular activity. I loved being involved and volunteering for this youth organization. At that age, their activities seemed so much more fulfilling than studying alone, and one of my main aims was to gain a leadership position so I may contribute more to the organization.

Needless to say, my Dad disapproved of the way I spent my time.

Again and again, he scolded and nagged me about these commitments. The situation was still bearable before he mentioned to my teachers to reduce my commitments and never to give me any leadership position in school.

While I understood that my Dad was concerned that my academia, I have failed to rationalize why did he go to such an extent to get me out of the youth organization when all I did was to put in my best. 

Years after the incident, I am still haunted by the event and it is difficult not to think of the issues. When I am at home, I like to keep everything to myself and I refuse to let any of my achievements nor the activities I am involved in be known to my family for fear of a repeat of a similar incident. 

How can I forgive my Dad and move on?

Why Is Effective Communication Important To Me?

Communication is something we engage in everyday, but like the man smoking the pipe, how sure are we that our actions are being interpreted the way we intend it to be?

Speaking, writing, drawing and even smoking are different tools of communication that we have used to inform each other about what is going on. When used adequately, it allows the sender to achieve the desired effect. To me, effective communication is not merely about having a good command of a language, but most importantly it is about how various communication tools and platform are used to translate whatever is in our heads to other people.

Being social beings who are dependent on one another, humans need to communicate, and a large amount of our time is spent on communicating to others. How we communicate affects the way we live, enjoy and get the things we want. In my opinion, how well I communicate affects me in getting my dream job and the outcome or change that I wish for.

With so many people in the working world rushing around, people form impressions based on a coffee chat, a 5minute interview or through an email written into. In order to convince them of my sincerity and my goals in that brief time or platform, effective communication skills are required to create a good first impression.

Throughout Singapore, the norm about environmental campaigns has revolved around constant nagging about 3Rs, killing animals etc. Our world would have been a better place if these campaigns were successful and the messages communicated effectively. As an environmental advocate, it has been important to understand what is acceptable to various groups and to develop different strategies to reach out to these groups.  How I draft an email, design a poster or place a message largely determines how many people are receptive to it and how successful a communication campaign can be.

With the proliferation of new communication media, modern men and women are finding new ways of relaying information to each other. How skillful we are at communicating effectively will determine how we stand out from the crowd and convince people about our ideals.