the things we leave behind...closing pw 2009

the late hours
the flu tablets
the hikes to faraway lands
the cognitive pain
...
the bonding
the emptiness
the friendship
and the hollow richness of what it's left behind.

to all...

tigger's song

bye cycle 3 and

Onward now to Cycle 4...

Hope you find abit of yourself during the wr journey...in lyric & imagery...

dedicated to all my groups from the forever valiant to those who rose from ashes...

beneath an autumn tree

The secret of happiness is to plant trees under whose shade you will never sit.
N. Henderson

In each of us, there is a little in all of us.
D. Lichtenberg

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

Albert Einstein

PW - touch and go?

I've been doing discreet tracking of your academic progress so far and am pleased to say that many of you, by your industry, gratitude, sincerity and intelligence, have brought a smile to my days. Some encounters to share:

1. Several external partners / professionals whom you interviewed have given me feedback that they are deeply impressed by the amount of preparation you did before meeting them. Often they are heartened by your analytical approach to discussions and above all, by your sense of warmth, intelligence and decorum. A few of you were even given free luncheons by them! Record these moments on picture. They will bring special meaning long after your journey is over. By the way, many of them also commented they find you 'really cute...' It wasn't said with ambivalent intent but with genuine affection for your inimitable personalities & research endeavour. 2. Another group (ahem...a great soul in 6G) which unearthed solid secondary resources of his own for his group has asked me to share these materials with similar groups in greater need. It says alot about the values he lives by. I looked at this student from afar and know he will go even further in life. 3. Majority of groups are burning the midnight or 'late afternoon oil' to get their first draft in tip-top condition. I may not be always right but I also sense some groups are giving each other the mutual support everyone needs. The redrafts, stress, arguments and planning shared bear testimony to your capability to thrive in a working or professional environment in future where you will not always work with people you prefer. I acknowledge it is not always easy. Still, there is a quiet light beaming inside your lives amidst the templates, data, deadlines and the like. You'll have a chance to surface these imprints in a specially-tailored tutorial soon.

4. Some organisations have requested that you provide a transcript of the interview process. They have a right to do so as they do not wish to be misquoted. Do follow up. Beyond the all-important 'Thank-You' note, I would also like you to pass you to pass them a copy of your WR (CD rom?) once your mission is accomplished. Sadly, many still perceive PW as a touch-and -go subject full of armchair theorizing at work. Do correct this misconception. Others request for your report because they too believe in your task. Beyond the formal academic domain of this subject is a possibility that what you do may just be able to alter the environment or forward a cause in something that will benefit other lives. I believe in this cause. We walk the talk.

5. A handful have also received mild doses of sarcasm or the cold shoulder from respondents and interviewees. All this is part of real-world research. Do not be discouraged. Update me should you feel that your sources are 'drying up.' It is not the end of the road. No promises but I will see what I can do to help with my limited network. I encountered several obstacles in my research work as a undergrad and graduate student as well. I look forward to sharing these moments with you when time permits. I know what it's like to be there. I wish I had a group to lean on.

You need not look too far for yours'.

Beyond the WR, I want to say I am proud of your inner journey.

Keep at it. Don't lose heart.

Auspicium Melioris Aevi

Half of the Journey: 28 Jul

Communicate as Team:
Latest pointers on full WR draft (due 5 Aug 5pm) have just been emailed to your respective team resource member(s). See me if their identities remain a mystery to you. Some mails have bounced because mailboxes are left idle or are choked full. Looks like our early sessions on doves, eagles and other car parts (remember?) emerging in team work have become reality- bites for some, by now. Do look forward to a 'lesson' on EQ, self-growth (yes, it happens esp in PW) and group dynamics II soon.
Technical Matters:
In your first and full WR draft, kindly include the following to aid my marking

1. Declaration of word count at the close of each chapter.

2. In cases where pictures or images are used, acknowledge where source is taken from. Ensure they appear in the bibliography as well under the following categories. Books
-Magazines
-Research Journals
-Newspapers
-Internet
-Other sources

This excludes materials taken or developed by the group under which you acknowledge the source as your own eg RJ 123 etc.

3. Use of foot notes is strictly for citation of sources. In cases where you REALLY feel the need elaborate a point or define a crucial theoretical term, ensure you do not exceed two attempts per chapter. Examiners are irritated by groups that abuse footnotes in desperate attempts to conserve words in main text.

By the way, every group has been assigned an official group number by MOE. Ensure you receive yours' by this week. Your group number may be cited as a (copyright) source to accompany any original materials (pictures, graphs or templates) developed by the team for use in WR.

simply, animals

What might have been...if I majored in zoology or ethology....your projects and my vocational fantasies....

First I google. Next, I key in the name of the animal and 'conservation' plus 'pdf'...amazing...and this may only be the tip of the iceberg-

http://iucn.org/

http://iucn.org/?3522/Toothless-laws-fail-toothless-anteaters

http://www.waza.org/conservation/pfd%20magazine/Magazin%209/Carnivores%20and%20Pangolins.pdf

http://www.zoo.gov.tw/panda/english/documents/con_formosa_04.pdf

http://anthropology.tamu.edu/faculty/gursky/research/proposal02.pdf

http://www.careforthewild.com/files/slowlorisesflyer.pdf

http://msc.wcsindia.org/PDF/14_Swapna%20N.pdf

Enjoy!

Full WR: Before National Day

The FULL and COMPLETE draft for WR is to be submitted before National Day. We shall fix it at 5pm on 5 Aug 2009. Take the draft seriously, and treat it as a final copy you wish to submit for examination. This will result from less 'bloodshed' coming on my side. Some groups have been known to do very well by the time their second drafts are in . Enough credibility (high scores for SI, GI, EV and Org) has been achieved by the team. The feeling they get is immediate emotional relief plus deep intellectual satisfaction and team affirmation.

This means that intensive group consultations about argument, format & presentation, coherence, choice of pictures, graphs, analysis and citataions etc must be made way before the deadline. I am likely to reject last minute appointments during the second week of August as demand will be high. Priority will be given to groups on a first come, first served basis.

All groups are expected to come up with tight internal deadlines of their own to manage the pressure ahead. To obtain a distinction for PW as a whole, your score for WR must hit 20/24 at the very least. I am sure you want to do better than that. Enough samples are lodged in the library for your critique and inspiration.

Once again, all forms of data collection must end by the close of this month. Start working on chapters 2-5 from today.

Just 3 weeks more for the full report to be in.

Last minute work is always painful and you will get a shelling from me.

You know I dislike that.