Just want to share this video with everyone as my friend shared it with me.
"Little imperfections that made them perfect"
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April 14, 2009
April 12, 2009
It's the beginning of the 'end'!
What is ES2007S Professional Communication? I took this module with the intention of learning how to write a good resume for my future. I'm a practical person, I must say. To my surprise, there are more to this module!
I learnt of the importance of effective communication skills in life. Who are the people we want to communicate with, what it means to communicate effectively, when it is appropriate to speak and when to listen, how effective communication helps in our lives and why we need to develop these skills. (Who, What, When, How and Why)
I still strongly believe that these skills aid greatly in our lives, among our families and friends and also in our workplace. These skills have helped in reducing unnecessary miscommunication and also allow one to build good relationships with others.
For instance, my family is currently going through some rough time. The usual me who is spoilt and always taking my family for granted is now changing for the better I hope. I used to assume that my family will always be taking care of me as I'm the youngest at home, but now, I got to be there for them and contribute as well. As I stay on campus, I take effort to call home more often now, which previously I only waited for calls from home and get annoyed if my Mom nags too much. Nowadays, I want to let my family knows I'm fine in school and that I still care for them by calling home regularly, asking if they have eaten. Communication works two-way. We need the initiative and effort to make it work and the willingness to work along with others. The good communication efforts from each member of my family have helped to bond us further.
One thing that I find difficult is the controlling of emotions. I let out my emotions easily. I cry, get annoyed, angry and irritable easily. These things are hindering the 'perfect' communication but they're hard to control. I often say harsh things to the beloved people around me when I am angry, even though in my mind at that point of time I know of the consequences, I still do it. The skills we learnt from this course are just theories or guidelines that we can put into our lives. We need determination and perseverance to work towards effective communication, not just by knowing what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Nothing can be gained easily without hard work.
The group project in this course has tested on our communication skills. The advantage of team work is that things can be done more efficiently but the disadvantage would be having different views. It gets difficult when all or some of us has different opinions on how things should be done. I learnt that we must try to compromise with one another and be clear with our points made to prevent miscommunications. Another thing is the written report. The correct words need to be use to bring across the intended ideas. Written communication can be a challenge as we can't see the audience's facial expression to know if he/she understood what we're trying to deliver. I tried to put myself as the person who have no knowledge of the topic and if I understood what was written.
What I failed to achieve in this course is being more expressive in class. I don't express my opinions, feeling scared to say things that may sound stupid. I am shy? I have low self-confidence? I guess all these ought to be overcome for the better. I'm glad the people I met in this class are high energy and cheerful, making lessons interesting and enjoyable. Although the workload is really high, I'm glad I've pulled through!
The journey to effective communication is never ending!
I learnt of the importance of effective communication skills in life. Who are the people we want to communicate with, what it means to communicate effectively, when it is appropriate to speak and when to listen, how effective communication helps in our lives and why we need to develop these skills. (Who, What, When, How and Why)
I still strongly believe that these skills aid greatly in our lives, among our families and friends and also in our workplace. These skills have helped in reducing unnecessary miscommunication and also allow one to build good relationships with others.
For instance, my family is currently going through some rough time. The usual me who is spoilt and always taking my family for granted is now changing for the better I hope. I used to assume that my family will always be taking care of me as I'm the youngest at home, but now, I got to be there for them and contribute as well. As I stay on campus, I take effort to call home more often now, which previously I only waited for calls from home and get annoyed if my Mom nags too much. Nowadays, I want to let my family knows I'm fine in school and that I still care for them by calling home regularly, asking if they have eaten. Communication works two-way. We need the initiative and effort to make it work and the willingness to work along with others. The good communication efforts from each member of my family have helped to bond us further.
One thing that I find difficult is the controlling of emotions. I let out my emotions easily. I cry, get annoyed, angry and irritable easily. These things are hindering the 'perfect' communication but they're hard to control. I often say harsh things to the beloved people around me when I am angry, even though in my mind at that point of time I know of the consequences, I still do it. The skills we learnt from this course are just theories or guidelines that we can put into our lives. We need determination and perseverance to work towards effective communication, not just by knowing what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Nothing can be gained easily without hard work.
The group project in this course has tested on our communication skills. The advantage of team work is that things can be done more efficiently but the disadvantage would be having different views. It gets difficult when all or some of us has different opinions on how things should be done. I learnt that we must try to compromise with one another and be clear with our points made to prevent miscommunications. Another thing is the written report. The correct words need to be use to bring across the intended ideas. Written communication can be a challenge as we can't see the audience's facial expression to know if he/she understood what we're trying to deliver. I tried to put myself as the person who have no knowledge of the topic and if I understood what was written.
What I failed to achieve in this course is being more expressive in class. I don't express my opinions, feeling scared to say things that may sound stupid. I am shy? I have low self-confidence? I guess all these ought to be overcome for the better. I'm glad the people I met in this class are high energy and cheerful, making lessons interesting and enjoyable. Although the workload is really high, I'm glad I've pulled through!
The journey to effective communication is never ending!
April 07, 2009
My Oral Presentation
It was my first oral presentation in NUS, 6 April 2009.
I can't deny I fared badly on that fateful Monday, at least failing my own expectation.
I looked through the slides the night before, tried to formulate my speech in my mind, wrote down how to deliver my points and rehearsed with my group members on that fateful Monday morning. What exactly went wrong?
I thought I was prepared. I don't have to memorise my script word by word, I just have to try to deliver my points smoothly. I faced the audiences with some courage, started with a 'Good Morning' and a smile. In the midst, I started to stumble with my words and panicked when one of the slides moved ahead of me. All eyes looked at me and many gave me the 'OH NO' look. I ended it tragically.
I hope that I was clear overall even though I struggled to present my points. I might not have been very effective in delivering as I carried a straight face after I got nervous and occasionally used fragmented sentences, with probably many grammar mistakes. I had in mind which words I want to stress on to create an impact of my presentation, but I was overwhelmed by my nervousness.
I have no problem with speaking out loud. I might have spoke too quickly when I panicked. I faced the audiences with my head up, trying to look confident even though I was really nervous! I had some appropriate gestures to aid in my presentation. I hope most of the audiences understood what I was trying to deliver.
In life, I always panic and get struck by unforeseen circumstances. I am not open-minded to changes, rigid, always sticking to the plans I have in mind, accepting only the things that I expect, running away when things 'go wrong' or 'are different'. This is one big area where I have to improve on. I have to be adaptive and confident, no matter how prepared I might have felt. This presentation has made me realise the urgency of improving some of my greatest weaknesses.
I can't deny I fared badly on that fateful Monday, at least failing my own expectation.
I looked through the slides the night before, tried to formulate my speech in my mind, wrote down how to deliver my points and rehearsed with my group members on that fateful Monday morning. What exactly went wrong?
I thought I was prepared. I don't have to memorise my script word by word, I just have to try to deliver my points smoothly. I faced the audiences with some courage, started with a 'Good Morning' and a smile. In the midst, I started to stumble with my words and panicked when one of the slides moved ahead of me. All eyes looked at me and many gave me the 'OH NO' look. I ended it tragically.
I hope that I was clear overall even though I struggled to present my points. I might not have been very effective in delivering as I carried a straight face after I got nervous and occasionally used fragmented sentences, with probably many grammar mistakes. I had in mind which words I want to stress on to create an impact of my presentation, but I was overwhelmed by my nervousness.
I have no problem with speaking out loud. I might have spoke too quickly when I panicked. I faced the audiences with my head up, trying to look confident even though I was really nervous! I had some appropriate gestures to aid in my presentation. I hope most of the audiences understood what I was trying to deliver.
In life, I always panic and get struck by unforeseen circumstances. I am not open-minded to changes, rigid, always sticking to the plans I have in mind, accepting only the things that I expect, running away when things 'go wrong' or 'are different'. This is one big area where I have to improve on. I have to be adaptive and confident, no matter how prepared I might have felt. This presentation has made me realise the urgency of improving some of my greatest weaknesses.
March 21, 2009
My Biodata
My name is Ng Sze Hui. I am a second year Statistic major student in the Faculty of Science of National University of Singapore (NUS), expecting to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in 2010. I believe that academic achievements are not everything but one of the stepping-stones in life. Hence, I have involved myself in numerous activities that would develop me as a person.
I was the Head Librarian in my Secondary School Concert band and I played the French horn. For a change, I joined the Taekwondo Club in Junior College and achieved a green-blue belt at the end of the two years. I was also involved in several organizational societies, such as Dinner & Dance, Hall Amenities Club and Rag, during my time in NUS Sheares Hall. In addition, I joined NUS Science Club Talent Quest'o8 and NUS Dance Synergy. All these activities have build my character and ability to work with different people.
I have also lived in Munich, Germany, for a period of 10 weeks and travelled around Europe when I was 19. It was a great experience as I learnt to be independent, where I explore some places on my own at times. I learnt how to take care of myself and be a cautious and alert traveller while enjoying the cultural difference there. I'm currently staying in NUS Sheares Hall, taking care of my own daily life. Away from the sheltered home, cleaning my room, doing laundry and cooking meals are things that I do not rely on my mother already, at least on the weekdays!
It is my dream to run a small business of my own and have a blissful family.
Philosophy of Life
I believe that success is not the key to happiness. Instead, happiness is the key to success. If one loves what she is doing, she will be successful. True and genuine happiness is hard to find and I have often found it lacking in this society. I am blessed with a caring family and many close friends. I feel that their care and love they have shown me have made me truly happy and I try my best to spread this joy to them as well.
Edited: Added more information
I was the Head Librarian in my Secondary School Concert band and I played the French horn. For a change, I joined the Taekwondo Club in Junior College and achieved a green-blue belt at the end of the two years. I was also involved in several organizational societies, such as Dinner & Dance, Hall Amenities Club and Rag, during my time in NUS Sheares Hall. In addition, I joined NUS Science Club Talent Quest'o8 and NUS Dance Synergy. All these activities have build my character and ability to work with different people.
I have also lived in Munich, Germany, for a period of 10 weeks and travelled around Europe when I was 19. It was a great experience as I learnt to be independent, where I explore some places on my own at times. I learnt how to take care of myself and be a cautious and alert traveller while enjoying the cultural difference there. I'm currently staying in NUS Sheares Hall, taking care of my own daily life. Away from the sheltered home, cleaning my room, doing laundry and cooking meals are things that I do not rely on my mother already, at least on the weekdays!
It is my dream to run a small business of my own and have a blissful family.
Philosophy of Life
I believe that success is not the key to happiness. Instead, happiness is the key to success. If one loves what she is doing, she will be successful. True and genuine happiness is hard to find and I have often found it lacking in this society. I am blessed with a caring family and many close friends. I feel that their care and love they have shown me have made me truly happy and I try my best to spread this joy to them as well.
Edited: Added more information
March 15, 2009
Sender VS Receiver
Humans are solitary creatures, perceiving the world with only their five simple senses. We are very much alone in our own world and there is no connection between us and another person except what we can see, taste, touch, hear and feel. What comes next is the brains perception of this input. How it processes what we see varies greatly from person to person. One man’s meat is another man’s poison indeed. In fact, very often we choose what we want to see and hear what we want to hear. It is no wonder so many misunderstandings occur. Communication is a two way process. The sender and the receiver both have equally important roles to play in communication.
As a sender, we can choose to send a message in a great number of ways: we can shout it, we can whisper it, and we can say it coldly or warmly. While doing this, bear in mind that the sender has a set of ideals of how he thinks the receiver will perceive his form of sending information.
As for a receiver, we can also choose to receive the input in many ways. Many receivers hear what they want to hear and see what they want to see. Obviously, the best way to receive information is the way the SENDER wants us to receive it. Any other way we choose to listen simply distorts the information that we are receiving.
It is interesting to note that communication is a two way process and as a singular person learning to communicate effectively, we have only half the ingredients for the cake. As senders, we can only try to send our message as best we can keep in mind how we think the receiver INTENDS to hear it. And as a receiver we can try our best to keep in mind how the sender wants us to perceive his message. If one party does not play his part, effective communication is hard.
As a sender, we can choose to send a message in a great number of ways: we can shout it, we can whisper it, and we can say it coldly or warmly. While doing this, bear in mind that the sender has a set of ideals of how he thinks the receiver will perceive his form of sending information.
As for a receiver, we can also choose to receive the input in many ways. Many receivers hear what they want to hear and see what they want to see. Obviously, the best way to receive information is the way the SENDER wants us to receive it. Any other way we choose to listen simply distorts the information that we are receiving.
It is interesting to note that communication is a two way process and as a singular person learning to communicate effectively, we have only half the ingredients for the cake. As senders, we can only try to send our message as best we can keep in mind how we think the receiver INTENDS to hear it. And as a receiver we can try our best to keep in mind how the sender wants us to perceive his message. If one party does not play his part, effective communication is hard.
February 28, 2009
Dogs - Not liked by All
Background:
According to "Islam and animal"(2009), the majority of both Sunni and Shi'a Muslim jurists consider dogs to be ritually unclean, or “haram”. It is said that angels do not enter a house which contains a dog. Black dogs are considered to be especially evil or even devils, in animal form. In a tradition found in the Sunni hadith book, al-Muwatta, Muhammad states that the company of dogs voids a portion of a Muslim’s good deeds. Though dogs are not allowed for pets, they are allowed to be kept if used for work, such as guarding your house or farm, or when used for hunting purposes.
According to "Dog"(2009), for most other cultures, dogs have lived and worked with humans in so many roles that they have earned the unique nickname, "man's best friend", a phrase which is used in other languages as well. They have been bred for herding livestock, hunting, guarding, helping fishermen with nets, and pulling loads, in addition to their roles as companions.
References
Islam and animal. (2009). In Wikipedia online. Retrieved February 27,2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_animals#Dogs
Dog. (2009). In Wikipedia online. Retrieved February 27,2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs#Interactions_with_humans
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a situation of a group of friends’ journey to East Coast Park (ECP).
Jason, Siti, Rahim, Cherie and I all stay in the north-east area of Singapore and hence Cherie decided to drive everyone down to ECP. Cherie was a crazy dog lover and going to the beach was a good chance for her to bring her black toy poodle, Bobby, out for a great beach stroll. She put Bobby into a basket and left him sitting on the front passenger seat.
Cherie then went to meet the Siti, Rahim, Jason and I at Seng Kang MRT station's taxi stand. Rahim, being the biggest in size, was pushed to take the front seat of the car. Upon seeing Bobby, Rahim's face turned black while Siti and I were exclaiming how cute and tiny Bobby was.
Jason asked,"What's wrong? Let's get into the car and set off!"
Rahim replied with knitted brows,"I don't like dogs. My parents warned me that they are unclean."
However, Jason, not understanding the needs of his Muslim friend, started making fun of Rahim. “Come on! Its just a small poodle! Don’t tell me you are scared!”, he laughed. Rahim was really angry by Jason’s insensitivity and said to them, "You guys can go ahead. I think I'll just head home. I realize I’ve got work to complete."
Cherie felt annoyed but guilty at the same time. She had to suppressing her anger while being appalled that there was actually someone who did not like her dear Bobby. So, she tried to sound positive and said, "Please come along! It would be a fun day today! I can't park my car here for long, it's obstructing the traffic!"
Siti, being Muslim as well, tried to diffuse the situation as well! “Don’t be so insensitive Jason! Don’t you know we mu slims can’t touch dogs?“ She said turned to Rahim, "Please don’t go! If you're really affected then you can sit at the back. Jason will sit the front ok?"
Jason was very apologetic and quickly got into the front seat. Rahim did not want to spoil the mood of the gang and ended up in the back seat of the car. He avoided Bobby at all times, while Cherie took Bobby far away from him whenever Bobby looked like it was going near Rahim.
Both Rahim and Cherie accommodated and compromised each other.
I felt that Cherie was quite selfish as she was annoyed when she received negative reaction from Rahim towards her dog. Instead, she could have at least mentioned to the rest that she would be bringing her dog and in doing so, be sensitive towards people who do not like dogs in general. Cherie may not have interacted with many Malays in her life and thus was not aware that her dog would be offending to them. What she did right was reacting in a calm way as she tried to salvage the situation instead of starting an argument with Rahim.
I guess Cherie should have apologized sincerely and have been more careful. Luckily for Cherie, Rahim was not narrow-minded and mature enough to understand her mistake. If not, the outcome could have been disastrous, having a strain in their friendship.
Edited on 3/3/09.
Added in references.
According to "Islam and animal"(2009), the majority of both Sunni and Shi'a Muslim jurists consider dogs to be ritually unclean, or “haram”. It is said that angels do not enter a house which contains a dog. Black dogs are considered to be especially evil or even devils, in animal form. In a tradition found in the Sunni hadith book, al-Muwatta, Muhammad states that the company of dogs voids a portion of a Muslim’s good deeds. Though dogs are not allowed for pets, they are allowed to be kept if used for work, such as guarding your house or farm, or when used for hunting purposes.
According to "Dog"(2009), for most other cultures, dogs have lived and worked with humans in so many roles that they have earned the unique nickname, "man's best friend", a phrase which is used in other languages as well. They have been bred for herding livestock, hunting, guarding, helping fishermen with nets, and pulling loads, in addition to their roles as companions.
References
Islam and animal. (2009). In Wikipedia online. Retrieved February 27,2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_animals#Dogs
Dog. (2009). In Wikipedia online. Retrieved February 27,2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs#Interactions_with_humans
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a situation of a group of friends’ journey to East Coast Park (ECP).
Jason, Siti, Rahim, Cherie and I all stay in the north-east area of Singapore and hence Cherie decided to drive everyone down to ECP. Cherie was a crazy dog lover and going to the beach was a good chance for her to bring her black toy poodle, Bobby, out for a great beach stroll. She put Bobby into a basket and left him sitting on the front passenger seat.
Cherie then went to meet the Siti, Rahim, Jason and I at Seng Kang MRT station's taxi stand. Rahim, being the biggest in size, was pushed to take the front seat of the car. Upon seeing Bobby, Rahim's face turned black while Siti and I were exclaiming how cute and tiny Bobby was.
Jason asked,"What's wrong? Let's get into the car and set off!"
Rahim replied with knitted brows,"I don't like dogs. My parents warned me that they are unclean."
However, Jason, not understanding the needs of his Muslim friend, started making fun of Rahim. “Come on! Its just a small poodle! Don’t tell me you are scared!”, he laughed. Rahim was really angry by Jason’s insensitivity and said to them, "You guys can go ahead. I think I'll just head home. I realize I’ve got work to complete."
Cherie felt annoyed but guilty at the same time. She had to suppressing her anger while being appalled that there was actually someone who did not like her dear Bobby. So, she tried to sound positive and said, "Please come along! It would be a fun day today! I can't park my car here for long, it's obstructing the traffic!"
Siti, being Muslim as well, tried to diffuse the situation as well! “Don’t be so insensitive Jason! Don’t you know we mu slims can’t touch dogs?“ She said turned to Rahim, "Please don’t go! If you're really affected then you can sit at the back. Jason will sit the front ok?"
Jason was very apologetic and quickly got into the front seat. Rahim did not want to spoil the mood of the gang and ended up in the back seat of the car. He avoided Bobby at all times, while Cherie took Bobby far away from him whenever Bobby looked like it was going near Rahim.
Both Rahim and Cherie accommodated and compromised each other.
I felt that Cherie was quite selfish as she was annoyed when she received negative reaction from Rahim towards her dog. Instead, she could have at least mentioned to the rest that she would be bringing her dog and in doing so, be sensitive towards people who do not like dogs in general. Cherie may not have interacted with many Malays in her life and thus was not aware that her dog would be offending to them. What she did right was reacting in a calm way as she tried to salvage the situation instead of starting an argument with Rahim.
I guess Cherie should have apologized sincerely and have been more careful. Luckily for Cherie, Rahim was not narrow-minded and mature enough to understand her mistake. If not, the outcome could have been disastrous, having a strain in their friendship.
Edited on 3/3/09.
Added in references.
February 13, 2009
Business Correspondence Critique - The 7Cs
| From: ABC Rag [mailto:ABCrag0809@gmail.com] To Miss Maria |
The purpose of this letter is to request for a sponsorship for the ABC Hall's Rag in NUS which is clearly stated under the subject. The letterhead and the date are stated too. The audience is Maria but her job title is not specified and the courtesy title is used inappropriately. This is a common mistake where Mr., Mrs., Ms, Dr, Prof or Rev is used together with a person's first name instead of the second name or the surname. The salutation would be better if it is ‘Dear Maria’ instead.
The approach used for this letter is direct and would be better if they added 'ABC Hall would be honored to have your company as our sponsor' and also 'Your company will benefit through publicity made by us'.
The sentences 'Feel free to call me should you have any doubts about the proposal. Hope to hear from you soon.' seem quite informal. It could be corrected to 'Should you have any doubts, please contact me through email or my contact number stated below. We hope to hear from you soon.’ This would make the letter more professional.
The letter is concise and straight to the point overall. There is also clarity with purpose and reason for this letter given. The structure of the letter is good as it states who she is representing, then her reason and purpose of writing in with a proposal attached. The connectors are used appropriately too.
I feel that there is a lack of concreteness when she mentioned 'we could provide more effective publicity if you need us to' as there is no plan explained on how it would happen. However, completeness is generally met as who, what, when, where, why and how are roughly answered in the letter.
In conclusion, using the 7Cs would guide us towards writing effectively. It is important to be careful and thorough before sending out the email or letter to the audience concerned.
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