Almost to the end

Finally finished up most of the administrative matters needed for end of year reports. These 2 weeks has been intense.
Had some inkling of my roles and deployment next year. The projects brainstormed are really exciting. Hope to find good teams to carry them out. May have to forgo some things next year, which is depressing actually, because it'll be nice to be with them as they grow. But I guess I need to do what is given.

I need to have a good rest (like 3 days of sleep). Then take a good stock of this year and next.

Rosa Parks 1913-2005

Hanging on

5 more hours to deadline for results entry. 3 consecutive sleepless nights tend to mess up one's perceptions and senses. Well was listening to Dido's song 'White Flag' in my itunes, letting it run over and over, especially liked the part on "...I will go down with this ship I won't put my hands up and surrender..."

Suddenly felt that the song applies to teaching as well (strange association, going to blame it to lack of sleep). You cannot please everyone, given circumstances, limitations and at the end of the day I think I am going to stay in and give it another shot. One more chance and see if things are better next year.

"White Flag" Dido

I know you think that I shouldn't still love you

I'll tell you that

But if I didn't say it

Well, I'd still have felt it

Where's the sense in that?



I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder

Or return to where we were



Well I will go down with this ship

And I won't put my hands up and surrender

There will be no white flag above my door

I'm in love and always will be



I know I left too much mess

And destruction to come back again

And I caused but nothing but trouble

I understand if you can't talk to me again

And if you live by the rules of 'It's over'

Then I'm sure that that makes sense



Well I will go down with this ship

And I won't put my hands up and surrender

There will be no white flag above my door

I'm in love and always will be



And when we meet

As I'm sure we will

All that was then

Will be there still

I'll let it pass

And hold my tongue

And you will think

That I've moved on



Well I will go down with this ship

And I won't put my hands up and surrender

There will be no white flag above my door

I'm in love and always will be



Well I will go down with this ship

And I won't put my hands up and surrender

There will be no white flag above my door

I'm in love and always will be



I will go down with this ship

And I won't put my hands up and surrender

There will be no white flag above my door

I'm in love and always will be

leap

leap
Originally uploaded by _Cheng Puay.

Nice to ask friends to jump till you get the perfect shot. This was done while I was lying down on scorching tarmac whilst the subject does this sequence and me just firing away. Wonder which one of us got the short end of the stick in this situation, heh. This is quite fun.

Black and white

Black and white
Originally uploaded by _Cheng Puay.

Was taking photos for my friend's website. Realised that I still need alot of practice - framing and composition is still off, color balance is not quite right, and I am horrible with human subjects. Well, all in due time I guess.

Meanwhile, out of 360 shots yesterday, this was one of my better efforts. Converted it to black and white as it's more emotive in these tones.

BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2005

I simply love this series. Shows the incredible skill and vision these photographers have. Can't wait for the printed volume to be published. Something to work towards to, heh.

This picture taken of Mount Kilimanjaro is my personal favorite.

For more photos - BBC Wildlife photographer of the Year Thumbnails
For the story behind the photos - Peregrine swoops to photo prize

grasshopper

grasshopper
Originally uploaded by _Cheng Puay.

A colleague brought this specimen to me. Huge fellow, about 10cm in length, very very nice striations and body pattern. It's a pity it moved around too much, so could not get a good shot until it's release, where it lingered in the grass patch outside the staff room, apparently trying to orientate itself.

After being harrassed by my camera, it leaped away and unexpectedly flew off. Was reminded of the locust in 'Bugs Life', same flying posture. Beautiful.

Kahang organic rice farm

Kahang organic rice farm
Originally uploaded by _Cheng Puay.

Had a marvellous weekend up at Kahang. The scenery was beautiful, everywhere you go, there is this comforting sense of peace and tranquility. The students were wonderful company too, was happily re-united with some from Tioman trip.

While organic farms may not be able to take over the gargantuan task of conventional agriculture, they serve a very important role in easing the ecological burden of farming and more importantly, serve as a role model for how human activities co-exist peacefully with Nature.

Environmental Refugees

Price of 'Development'?

Read this disturbing report from BBC News. Janos Bogardi, director of the United Nations University's Institute for Environment and Human Security stated that in poorer rural areas, one of the biggest sources of refugees is land degradation and desertification, which in turn is probably caused by improper land use further compounded by climate change and exacerbated by population growth. 50 million people were estimated to be affected by land degradation.

And this is not taking into account those who chose to stay in their homeland.

For the full report - BBC News

Human Footprint In Asia

Got this from the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Looks like there's nothing much that is left untouched. Now with a surge of interest in oil palm plantations for biofuels, the impact will just increase.

Depressing.

Ig Nobel Prizes

As coveted as the actual Nobel Prizes, it is awarded to scientific work which cannot or should not be reproduced. Does show that scientists can be fun, zany and sometimes just outright outrageous.

The winners are.... (drumroll please...):

Ig Nobel winners (from BBC News)

Medicine - Gregg Miller from the US for his invention of Neuticles - rubber replacement testicles for neutered dogs that are available in varying sizes and degrees of firmness. "Considering my parents thought I was an idiot when I was a kid, this is a great honour," said Mr Miller.

Peace - A UK team for their pioneering research into the activity of locusts' brain cells while the insects watched clips from the Star Wars films.

Physics - John Maidstone from Australia for his part in an experiment that began in 1927 in which a glob of black tar drips through a funnel every nine years. Mr Maidstone shared the prize with a late colleague who died sometime after the second drop.

Biology - The University of Adelaide for "painstakingly smelling and cataloguing the peculiar odours produced by 131 different species of frogs when the frogs were feeling stressed".

Chemistry - A University of Minnesota team who set out to prove whether people can swim faster in water or sugar syrup.

Economics - A Massachusetts inventor who designed an alarm clock that runs away and hides when it goes off.

Nutrition - A Japanese researcher who photographed and analysed every meal he had consumed during a period of 34 years.

Literature - The many Nigerians who introduced millions of e-mail users to a "cast of rich characters... each of whom requires just a small amount of expense money so as to obtain access to the great wealth to which they are entitled".

Agricultural History - A study entitled The Significance of Mr Richard Buckley's Exploding Trousers: Reflections on an Aspect of Technological Change in New Zealand Dairy-Farming between the World Wars.

Fluid Dynamics - Pressures Produced When Penguins Pooh - Calculations on Avian Defaecation.

The Ig® Nobel Home Page

Flowering

Got this 'sequence' off a ginger plant in school. Beautiful.

Starfruit flower

Starfruit flower
Originally uploaded by _Cheng Puay.

Beautiful isn't it?

on my way to work

on my way to work
Originally uploaded by _Cheng Puay.

Nice Sunday morning, where everyone is still in their slumber. I love such quiet moments.